Omnia Online

a novel

by Christopher Booth

Omnia Online is a self-published book by Christopher E. Booth

Copyright © 2016

Cover images modified from:

Photo Credit: Ledge Light by Matthew Wittkopp via Flickr

Photo Credit: Earth by Rubén Moreno Montolíu via Flickr

All rights reserved.  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contents

Prologue – An Unexpected Invitation

Chapter 1 – To Play a Game

Chapter 2 – Meeting Sam

Chapter 3 – Train Hard

Chapter 4 – Die Hard or Very Hard?

Chapter 5 – Escape-aid

Chapter 6 – Picking up the Pieces

Chapter 7 – A Plan in Action

Chapter 8 – Jail Bird

Chapter 9 – Judgement Day

Chapter 10 – Sam’s Mistake

Chapter 11 – Going to Therapy

Chapter 12 – The Gun Bazaar

Chapter 13 – Starting at the Bottom

Chapter 14 – The Guild

Chapter 15 – Sarah’s Tears

Chapter 16 – A Little Progress

Chapter 17 – Lust and Madness

Chapter 18 – All Dressed Up

Chapter 19 – Wrapped up in Business

Chapter 20 – Trust Between Partners

Chapter 21 – Taking Account

Chapter 22 – Ready to Rumble?

Chapter 23 – Losing It

Epilogue – On Reflection

Prologue – An Unexpected Invitation

As James Renfew stepped out of the lift on the top floor of the building, the only person he saw was a receptionist on the far side of a conservative, but well-decorated reception room.

“Mr. Renfew?” asked the receptionist.

“Ye...yes” he gave a nervous reply.

The fact that he had no idea why he’d been summoned to the office of the Director of Cultural Development had him scared nearly witless.  All the way up the lift he worried over what he might have done so wrong, to have been sent to The Boss…  Not his unit lead, or department head, but his bosses… bosses… boss.

The receptionist recognizing the man’s nervousness gave him a brief professional smile and said; “They’re waiting for you in the conference room.  That’s the door at the end of the hall on you right.”

“Th... thank you.”

James turned and walked down the hall.  Just before opening the door to the room, he once again nervously checked his outfit to be sure he was presentable.  Then after a few deep breaths, to try to calm his nerves, he opened the door to enter the room.

What he saw on the other side of the door completely undid any effort at trying to be calm.  There were three people waiting in the room, the director, a man in an expensive business suit, and a man in a military suit. He had expected to see Candis Reece, the director, and the man in the expensive suit to her left was not surprising, but the third man?  His uniform appeared to be Imperial Fleet…

“Mr. Renfew?” asked the director.

“Y..yes” he stammered in reply.

“Please take a seat… Now let me introduce you to Commodore Haskings and Mr. Dwight Arnbok of Intelecom Industries.  We’ve asked you here to discuss your project proposal for system H-387.”

“Um... H-387… Oh, you mean the Sol System?” replied James after taking the nearest seat.

“Yes,” the director said, “I believe that is the local name for system H-387.  Would you please briefly go over the main points of your proposed project?”

“Yes, Madam Director,” James paused for a second to organize his thoughts. “Well… for the last three hundred years, we’ve been trying to figure out how to deal with systems like Sol, systems that fall under the Imperial Cultural Protection Act.  Up until now we’ve just monitored and protected these systems from cultural exploitation.  I’m sure I don’t need to go into the history that caused the Senate to pass the act, to begin with?”

After a negative response, James continued.  “Well, since history demonstrates that open contact and trade with such primitive planets leads to long-term social and economic problems, both for them and for us.  The Act requires that we isolate and monitor the systems until we can find a way to safely integrate them into our society.”

“The problem, of course, is the cost of this isolation, both to the Fleet and our Department.  The fleet is required to keep ships in what, for all practical purposes, has been a three hundred year blockade.  And of course, we have to spend resources monitoring the culture and economics to be sure nothing is slipping past the fleet, which means snooping signals, hacking, and spying.”

“If we could accelerate the cultural, scientific, and economic development of these systems, we could free up resources all around.  The Fleet could better use the ships to patrol our borders and trade routes. At the same time, we could apply our resources more toward external threats.”

“The problem has always been, how do we safely accelerate their development without destroying the local cultures, and causing endless problems in the future?”

“I believe the answer is simple….. Let’s ask them to play a game…”

Chapter 1 – To Play a Game

“I believe the answer is simple….. Let’s ask them to play a game…”

James continued, “Earth has been going through a phase of rapid technical advancement.  They are already working hard to develop elementary Artificial Intelligence (A.I.’s) and nanotechnology, sure they’re many years from anything worthwhile, but they believe they’re close to making this leap.  Some of them believe that if they can develop a working A.I., it will help them develop a cascade of new technology, introducing a period of rapid technological advancement.  As we know from history, such events can happen, but of course, a poorly programmed A.I. can be equally devastating, this is why we have laws and controls governing A.I.’s.”

“Recent advances in computing have led many young people to spend a lot of time playing games on their data-net.  Many of these games are based on roleplaying, like a crude version of the virtual world’s games our people play.”

“My proposal would take advantage of two things, one the belief that their world is on the cusp of even greater technological advancement then they’re currently experiencing, the second is this trend of young people playing online games.”

***

Kevin was sorting through the last week's auto-discarded e-mail when he found the message.  He set strict rules for his e-mail program, automatically discarding over 90% of the messages.  So once a week he scanned the discarded messages, for items he might have missed.

What caught Kevin’s eye was the message address.  The message was from Intelecom, a company in the news recently. The company claimed that they were six months from releasing a Fully Immersive Virtual Reality Massive Multi-Player Online Roleplaying Game (FIVR-MMORPG) game.  Kevin was excited at first on hearing the news, until it was revealed that the first game pods to be release would cost as much as a small car, not including the monthly subscription.

Kevin just didn’t have that kind of money.  He was nearing a year out of college, after spending 5 years to get his engineering degree.  After Dozens of interviews, he was still working a job asking customers “do you want fries with that?” So again, the rich get and the rest of us serve milkshakes…

With the recent news, this e-mail caught his attention, so let see… “Mr. Asharic we would like to invite you to alpha test our new game, Omnia Online.  We’re extending this to you as a top player on Arcania Online.  In return for your help with testing our new system, you will receive a free Immersion Pod and a year’s Gold Subscription when the game goes public.  Of course, as an alpha tester, you would also be included in the beta test group, if you wish.”

“Hell yeah…!” shouted Kevin.

The e-mail ended with a please reply by date of the twelfth.

“Shit… what’s the date…” said Kevin… he sighed.  It’s still the twelfth. He sent off his acceptance.

Then he started to think, ‘why didn’t I hear from Gordon?’ Gordon was another of the top ten players on Arcania, and a close friend who he often teamed up with.  In fact, they were in the same guild.

He called his friend Gordon to find out why no one called him… then he remembered… his prepaid phone service had been out for 3 days, and only reactivated when he was paid yesterday.  Grr, he hated always being short on money.  Many of his friends were having the same problem; Out of school and no real jobs.  Can’t call flipping burgers a real job, it just doesn’t pay the bills.

Gordon answered the phone, “Hello?”

“Hey Gordo,” said Kevin, Gordon hated being called that.  But Kevin was both excited and irritated so, he thought ‘the hell with it.'

“Dude, you know I hate that name, why are you calling… oh, by the way, did you get an e-mail from Intelecom?  Isn’t that the shit?”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m calling.  Just spotted the message and sent in my reply. What have you heard about the new game?”

Gordon replied, “Wow, you almost missed the deadline.  I tried calling you days ago and couldn’t get through.”

Kevin sighed, “OK, phone problems but, it’s good to hear you’re in on this.”

“If you just sent in your reply, you probably haven’t got the confirmation letter yet.  According to that, the Alpha Testing is supposed to start in 9 days, I’m keeping a countdown, can’t wait dude! They also e-mailed me a manual to read up on the pod.  The pod itself is amazing… did you know, it’s designed so that someone can stay immersed in the pod for days on end, it can feed you, handle waste and keep your body in shape.  Can you believe that???”

“How does that work?” asked Kevin, “Where does the food come from, and the waste go?”

“I’ll send you a copy of the manual.” said Gordon “According to it, there are containers hooked up in the base of the pod, one contains a food slurry mix, another for water and a third for waste removal. And the gold subscription level includes replacing those containers once a week.”

“How does that even work?” asked Kevin. “Does the pod shove a tube up your ass?  You might actually enjoy that, but I would give it a pass.” ‘Hmm,' thought Kevin ‘tubes going in and out of my body?  That would suck, how fun could a game be if the first step to playing it is to shove a tube up your ass.’

“Ha, no way dude, that would suck,” said Gordon.  “No, according to the manual, there is a body wash system built in.  It removes the, uh, waste and keeps your body clean at the same time.  The only connection is a mask that fits over your face, to supply air and food.  When you eat in the game, it feeds you.  Cool Huh?”

“Wow, that’s pretty high tech.”  While Kevin hadn’t worked as an engineer yet, he could still appreciate how complex a system it would take to do everything Gordon was talking about. “That level of complexity helps explain the price they’re asking for the pods. Yeah, go ahead and send me the manual.  It feels kind of funny, having to study up on how the game works.  I thought I was done with school… hahaha.”

***

It turned out that reading the manual was not really like going to school again.  It was only about thirty pages and just focused on basic use and maintenance.  Anything beyond required a service call.  It’s good the pod came with a five-year warranty.  Not only did it cost as much as a car, but it also had a warranty to match.

Kevin arranged for the pod installers to come next Monday.  He had to spend a few days clearing enough space in his studio apartment to fit the pod in.  The game pod needed at least eight by four feet of space with one long side accessible for climbing into, kind of like a tanning bed. So Kevin pushed his couch forward, and got rid of the coffee table, it made the sitting area of his apartment much smaller, but Kevin rarely entertained guests.  The space behind the couch would be just about right now for the new game immersion pod.

Chapter 2 – Meeting Sam

“This is where Intelecom comes in,” said James, nodding to the Intelecom Industries representative. “Their virtual world’s game, Omnia, is already one of the top most realistic games on the market, using real world physics, and technologies.  Their platform is already being used by many schools throughout the Imperium as a teaching tool, and I understand it serves as a test bed for economic and scientific modeling by some researchers.”

“My proposal is to grant Intelecom Industries access to Earth as a testing ground to see if we can use this game, Omnia, to help accelerate their social and technological development, to the point where we can bring them into the Imperium of Sentient planets as a contributing member.”

“Since our Department is responsible for overseeing and protecting Earth, until it’s more advanced. We would set and enforce strict rules on what may be revealed to the players.  During the transition phase, it may even require some limited mental conditioning to keep players from learning and revealing the existence of a real galactic society.”

“Any mental conditioning will be done by the player’s unknown consent… We can just have our lawyers hide the consent in the lengthy ‘Terms & Conditions’ that all players ignore anyway.  Our attorneys and legal A.I.’s all agree this will be legal, under Imperium law, as long as the player agrees to the terms.”

“The consent will include permission for physical changes required by the game.  For instance, Intelecom’s Omnia Virtual Worlds relies heavily on nanite technology, to interface with the brain and nerves of the user. For Imperium citizens, we have these nanites from birth, but we will have to inject a controller into these new players since Earth lacks even this most basic of medical support devices.”

***

The installation was quick.  According to the installer, it just needed a power outlet.  The game connected wirelessly, part of the basic subscription.  When Kevin asked the installer about what type of service it used, he said he didn’t know.  The company was keeping a tight lid on any technical information about the pods.  They even went as far as sealing all the computer components into a block of solid epoxy. So trying to reverse engineer the technology would just destroy it.

First Step, according to the manual, before the pod could be used in the game it required calibration.

After the technician left, Kevin carefully climbed into the pod for the first time, to start the calibration.

The first thing he needed to do before entering the game pod was to remove his clothing.  Apparently, the system needed him naked to keep his whole body clean.

Making sure the door was locked and the drapes were closed, he disrobed and climbed into the pod for the first time. He then slipped the mask over his face and pulled the pod closed… Good thing he was not claustrophobic.  In seconds he was in a dream-like state… After he was fully asleep, and without his noticing, a needle injected something into his neck…

About thirty minutes later…

Kevin felt like he was floating.  His world was warm, dark, and comfortable.  Then a blue screen appeared.

Calibrating… 5% complete

At first, the calibration number counted up fast, but it seemed to start to slow down after reaching 30%.  Finally, at 50% Kevin’s world changed.  In front of him, out of the darkness a door appeared.

There was a sign on the door that said, “Welcome to your new Intelecom Industries Immersion Pod.  Please enter.”

Kevin tried to reach out to open the door and found his hand going off target.  It took him three tries to just grasp the door knob.

‘What’s wrong with my arm?’ he wanted to ask.  But what came out was more like, “Whars ong wath maa-am?”

Out of the darkness around him came a female voice.  “To move and speak properly, you will first need to complete the calibration to at least 90%, Mr. Asharic.  Until the calibration is complete, you will need to move and speak slowly, and concentrate hard on your every motion… Take your time, current time compression is 2.1 to 1.  As your level of calibration increases, the time compression in the pod will eventually increase to 4 to 1.”

Kevin thought ‘that’s cool, so the 2 days a week I have off from work will be 8 days in game?’

“Yes, that is correct.”

“You can read my thoughts?” said Kevin, while thinking ‘that’s scary, could the company use this pod to steal information from people’s minds?’

“Yes, of course, I as the pod can read your mind.  But now that I am registered to you, no one else can access me without your informed consent.  As your personal pod A.I., it’s my purpose to keep you safe; my existence depends on you now.”

‘WTF? A symbiotic personal A.I.?’

“Yes, sir.  Should I call you master?”

“Hehe, yeah right… No, please can you just call me Kevin?  How do I know I can trust you to protect my privacy?”

“It’s how I’m hardwired, you might say.  By law and design, I am not able to betray my master, you, in any way.”

“What law?”  He’d not heard of any true A.I., much less any laws governing A.I.’s.

“Sorry, Kevin, that information is restricted at your current level.  And as an alpha tester, you are restricted from talking about these systems, until the time of release.”

“Well, I think having a personal A.I. is amazing; I wish you could help me in real life.  Will you be helping me inside the game too?”

“If you hook me up to your computer, by USB or Ethernet, I can help with your daily life too.  And yes, the game is designed to allow me to act as a personal data assistant.”

“Great! So what do I do now?”

“Two things; First, can you give me a name? And then you should open the door and enter your new virtual home.”

“A name…” Kevin grinned.  He didn’t know why, but the voice reminded him of …

“How about Samantha, but I’ll also call you Sam for short?”

“I sense that you have a special connection to that name.  Thanks, Kevin, you can call me Samantha or Sam.”  For some reason, the voice changed just a little, but in a way that made Kevin feel good about his choice.

Kevin then slowly opened the door, and concentrating on his every motion, he entered the room.  It felt a little easier to move.  All the time he was speaking to Sam, he had to carefully form each word.

The room was a space 7-meters square, with no other doors or windows.  There was a sort of tan colored soft carpeting that reminded him of his apartment.  The odd thing was the light, the room was lit, but there was no light source.

“For a home, this place is very empty.”

“Would you like to customize your home?  Or if you wish I would add some features that I think you would like?  You can always change it later.”

“Go for it.” said Kevin.

The space around Kevin expanded and changed.

The room changed into a living room with windows on two sides, covered by curtains, with a couch, two chairs, end tables and lamps all around a central coffee table.  The far wall disappeared, and a full kitchen appeared, separated from the living room by a bar.  In the kitchen, he could see an island in the middle of the floor surrounded by all the normal appliances. To his right there appeared to be two doors.

“Again wow, this is great… it’s comfortable and functional.  Thanks, Sam. It’s like you can read my mind hahaha.”

“Thank you, Kevin.” For some reason, the way she said his name still sounded like she was saying ‘thank you, master.'  Her voice somehow conveyed that she was pleased, to please him… Focus.

He walked into the Kitchen and opened the refrigerator, inside were all his favorite foods, including a 6 pack of his favorite beer in the door.  He picked up a can, opened it and took a drink.  It tasted just right… and so good.

“Every think feels and taste so real.”

“It should, Kevin, your every experience is matched to those I am mapping in your brain.  So it is real or as your memories and experiences can make it.”

Kevin was just blown away by how advanced this technology was.  But as he took a moment to think about it, if Intelecom invented a true A.I., that in its self could explain a lot of things.  He tried to imagine a world or worlds designed by an A.I. using supercomputers.

“So what are the doors for?”

Samantha replied, “One leads to a bedroom, and the other leads to a training room.”

“What would I need with a bedroom?”  Having a training room to get ready for the game made sense, and he could see how it would help advance the calibration, by helping him learn to move. But why did he need a bedroom?

“You can sleep in the game or in your room here, sleeping in either will let you refresh yourself at game speed.  Just remember that time you spend in the game will also tire you out at game speed too. But one advantage to the pod is that after a regular real world day, two real compressed hours in the pod will refresh your body and mind like eight hours of sleep.” said Samantha.

Kevin thought about that for a minute, it didn’t seem possible.  “How does that work.”

“I’m sorry Kevin, but you are not cleared for that information.  In time you may learn the details, and I’ll be happy to help you get to the point where this will all make sense, but for now this information is restricted.”

Well, he could understand a company wanting to protect its secrets…

“So can you help me get ready for playing the game?”

“Yes, go through the door on your left; that is your training room.”

Kevin carefully walked over to the door and entered the new room.  He was almost moving normally now, but he still felt like he had to focus to move right.

This new room was pretty big, measuring roughly 16 by 16 meters in size, Kevin estimated.  The floor felt like a wrestling mat, both firm, and giving.

Samantha said, “Ok, I suggest starting with some stretching and warm up exercises.  As part of the calibration process; I have mapped your current physical condition.  So what you’re able to do now will match what your body is able to do.”

Kevin started doing some stretches and basic fitness exercises.  Samantha chimed in from time to time with suggestions on how best to stretch his muscles.  He was embarrassed that he, a 24-year-old man could only manage 11 full push-ups and 25 sit-ups.

“Can’t you just give me a better body in the game?” he complained.

“No, it’s part of the mechanics to match your real starting point as part of the immersion.  For the sake of in-game body management and other physiological and psychological reasons, Intelecom has set some limits on what we can change. I can change your appearance to a degree. Otherwise, the only way I can enhance your body is if you were handicapped.”

“So I can’t change my height, but I can change my skin, hair, and facial features?”

“Yes, but only up until you start playing the game.”

Kevin and Samantha spent the next in-game hour modifying his appearance.  He still looked close to the same, but different enough that he would not be too easily recognized as Kevin Asharic.

By now Kevin felt like he was moving normally, he didn’t have to concentrate to move any longer.

“So what can you tell me about the game?”

“I’m only allowed to tell you that it’s futuristic, like science fiction.” replied Samantha.

“So the game has no swords and sorcery?”

“Sorry, I can’t tell you anything more.  I can suggest a course of training that might help you in the game, though.”

“Good, by the way, how is the calibration going?” asked Kevin.

“The calibration is at 76% and the current time compression is at 3.77 to 1.”

“And what is the time outside?”

“6:43 pm” replied Samantha.

“I should stop now, get something to eat, and then I can continue on for only a few more hours… I need to work tomorrow morning, so I’ll have to stop at 11 pm to get some sleep.”

“Kevin, did you forget that you can both eat and sleep in the pod?”

“Yeah, I’m kind of used to having to stop when playing with MMORPG’s.  But sure, let’s make today a test of your claims about sleeping in the pod.”

“Great, Kevin I can’t wait to show you what I can do for you.  You’ll find your dinner ready for you in the kitchen.”

The way Samantha said that had his mind going to other places than food… Focus Kevin…

In the kitchen, Kevin found his dinner, lasagna with meat sauce, garlic bread, a small salad and a glass of wine.  Kevin continued to be amazed.  He tasted the wine, a Chianti, perfect.  Again did she read his mind?  This was perfect.

“Thanks again Samantha, how did you make this so quick?”

“It’s not magic, everything you see here are just sensations I am building in your mind.  Think of it as a sort of dream I’m building at your command.”

Kevin started eating, everything was so good.  He looked around his virtual home, this could easily be addicting… about that.

“Samantha, there is something we need to talk about.”

“How may I serve you, Kevin.” that sounded very suggestive, and he saw a pattern.

“Um, the way you’re talking to me is very suggestive, like your offering to have sex with me.”

“Well Kevin, yes, it would please me to please you.  I know it has been a while since you have had physical intimacy with a woman, can I help you with this?”

“First how; you have no body.  And second, there’s something about all this…” Kevin waved his hands around to indicate the space, the food, and everything, “that is too nice, I’m worried about becoming so addicted to this, that I’ll never want to leave.”

All the sudden a girl appeared next to him.  She was about 1.7 meters tall, with short blond hair, parted on her right, a very attractive young face, and a perfect figure, with B to C sized breasts.  In other words, she looked like his idea of a perfect female.

“I can have a body, if it will help me serve you better, Kevin.” Again she said his name in a way that also implied ‘master.' “And you need not fear addiction; I carefully watch your mind for any abnormality.  I want you to be healthy and happy; I am designed to help you, not bind you.  Oh, I see your other concern… you need not worry about me becoming jealous of other women in your life.  What makes you happiest, and the best person you can be is what fulfills me, by design.”

“Well in that case…” A man has his limits, and this was, after all, a full test of the system, right? So better get to the testis, uh, I mean on with the test… Kevin spent the next hour finding new ways that Samantha could amaze him.

***

After about an hour he was back to the training room.  This time, he trained with a physical Samantha as a coach.  She told him his program for the next five real days would include: physical development, martial arts, small arms practice, and survival training.  It turned out that the training room could work like a holodeck to simulate different environments for survival training, also providing a variety of martial art opponents, and targets for small arms training.

Kevin was surprised at how quickly he was picking up some of the skills.  At the end of the first night, just before going to bed he commented on this to Samantha.

“Yes, Kevin, as part of the Alpha test and the Gold level subscription, I am able to download training modules to assist in helping you learn new skills.”

“How does that work?”

“Well I can’t go into the technical details, but take martial arts as an example.  Intelecom mapped the skills of some of the best martial artists.  So as you train in martial arts, and you move the right way, I reinforce the right moves in your mind, or if you move wrong, you feel that the movement was wrong without me having to tell you.  It works like you have a natural talent.  Just like some people have a natural talent for playing a sport.  In this training hall, and only here, not in the game, I can help you learn any physical skill like someone with a natural talent for it.”

Kevin let that sink in for a bit.

“Good night Kevin. You only have a couple hours left before you need to get ready for work.  Now that the pod calibration is complete, two hours of rest will do you a lot of good.” Samantha reminded him.

He still had many questions about all of this, but it could wait.  “Good night Samantha.”

***

The next morning he ate breakfast with Samantha, and then exited the pod, feeling more refreshed than should be possible with only 2 real hours of sleep.

***

The rest of the day, while at work, he kept thinking about getting back home to his new virtual life.  The people, especially a few of the girls he worked with noticed his improved attitude and energy.

Chapter 3 – Train Hard

“A side benefit this project will offer to the players, and one that we hope will drive sales and ensure a high degree of participation from the people of Earth is how the game should affect them physically.  Your average Earth Human is one-third to half as physically fit as the average Human in the Imperium.  They suffer from a host of virtually unknown ailments, and many are even obese…” James paused at the blank looks and frowns of his little audience.  “Let me explain, obese is the term they use to describe people so overweight with fat that it’s a medical problem… I know it’s hard to imagine, it’s just a sign of how primitive they are…”

“Getting back to my point, those people with obesity will find their fat melting away as they play the game, thanks to the nanites.  The players will get stronger and have a lot fewer medical problems.  I have run some A.I. driven projections, and provided the people of the wealthier nations can afford the game pods, over 63% of the people will buy them. They may not use all them to play Omnia, some may buy them and use them for the time compression feature.  It’s estimated that 10% of those people will just buy them for the sleep compression and physical training they will offer.”

“Imagine a whole world of people that spend a third of their very short lives just sleeping.” James wanted to shudder at the thought of all the time wasted.

***

Kevin had the next five days until the start of the alpha testing, he calculated that with time compression, that would give him nearly two virtual weeks to get in shape and train, even while still going to work.

Kevin’s training really took off on the day after his new pod was delivered.  This first day, Samantha set up a training course for him.

The first thing to surprise him was that Samantha wanted him to wear a backpack and gun on a belt while exercising.  In the backpack, there were packs of water with electrolytes, and it weighed about five kilograms.

“Why do you want me to carry a gun and backpack while training?” asked Kevin.

“This training is not just about you getting more fit.  You also need to learn other skills; one of those skills is how to carry a gun while having to move.  You should learn to run, dive, roll, and manage any other physical challenge while carrying a weapon.” said Samantha.

Kevin thought, ‘Glad it isn’t a sword, it would probably make me trip.’

“The backpack serves to get you used to carrying one when you need to, and the weight will help you build strength.”

His training course started out with him stretching his muscles, and then he would take off running. The amount of time he would run was calculated by Samantha to provide the best growth to his strength, agility, and constitution. After running, Samantha would have him switch to another exercise, like practicing martial arts, or practice shooting targets.  When Samantha felt he was recovered enough, she had him back to running.

His training was broken up with meals, and after the meal, he would find the terrain had changed.  He would be on a road, in a forest, on a mountain or desert.  The swamp really sucked… each step the mud would suck at his feet, and then there would be a slurping sound when his foot came free.

For the first three days, this was how he trained.  Each day, more stuff was put in the backpack, like extra ammo, rations, and more water.

On the fourth day, Samantha added the obstacles.  He had walls to climb, tunnels to crawl through, a field of tires to step through, and bars to dive and roll over.  The course started easy, short walls, big tunnels and tires, a pad to dive and roll on. Over time the difficulty increased.

On the sixth day, targets were added to the obstacle course.  Climb over a wall, a man shaped target would pop up.  His task was to pull his gun and put two rounds in its chest.  The same with the other obstacles, targets would appear from all sides, they would get two rounds each.

On the seventh day, he was expected to make the shots while on the run.

On the eighth day, the targets disappeared. Instead, holo-projection of a person would appear and aim a gun at him, and he would have two seconds to respond.

It was on the eighth day that he was shot for the first time.

He just crawled out of a tunnel, and had his head down, so he didn’t see the man appear.  He was just pulling his gun out when he felt a great pain in his chest, as he was knocked back a few paces.

The obstacle course disappeared.

He fell to his knees.

‘I’ve been shot… Is this what it feels like to be shot?  Will I die… what happens if…’ thoughts were racing through his head.

“Sam,” he called.

Samantha stepped up to him and waved a hand over his chest, and the bullet wound disappeared.

“What… Why did that hurt so much?” asked Kevin.  He’d noticed the feel of the aches and bruises from his training, but they were the regular pains, and he didn’t think about them but getting shot HURT.

This was when he learned that pain in the game was real.  Samantha said the pain level was set at 45%, but could be adjusted up to 60% or down to 30%.  When he asked about the adjustment, Samantha paused and asked if he could wait a minute until she could seek permission from Intelecom to give me more information, since this dealt with game mechanics.  After getting permission, she informed him that the company felt that the pain level was part of the realism, and there were hidden benefits for players who chose a higher level of pain and hidden penalties for players using lower levels.  As a result of this information, Kevin decided to increase the pain level to 60%, if he couldn’t take the pain, he would change it later… But the game seemed to take the term ‘if there’s no pain, there’s no gain’ to another level.

On the day he found out about the option to increase the game's realism, Samantha reconfigured his virtual house by adding a hallway and shifting the training room door and his bedroom to open off the new hall.  She also added two other doors, a Bathroom and the door which would eventually open into Omnia Online.  It turns out the increased realism included costs other than just pain… having to use the toilet.  There was an upside, though, a jacuzzi tub and showers with someone to wash your back… hidden benefits… And the after exercise massages…  If everyone had a trainer like Samantha, we would all be as fit as Olympic level athletes.

Kevin got shot a few more times in the following days, but he soon learned to pay better attention to his surroundings.  The pain helped his focus.  He still didn’t think having people pop up behind him was fair, though.

The ninth day Samantha added buildings for him to clear.

On the tenth day, there was a town to run through.  People would appear out of doorways, windows, or from around corners.  Kevin found that being shot at by someone behind a dumpster was more than a little irritating, and he was pissed off when the bastard shot him.  It’s not easy to target someone who is behind cover and shooting at you.

Lesson learned, use cover.

Kevin noticed a remarkable increase in his in-game/pod skills and strength.  What he didn’t seem to notice was that his physical condition in the real world was also improving… This was probably because he spent all his non-work time in the pod.

***

On Kevin’s last day of work, before the alpha test would start, he found himself reaching for a non-existent gun and spinning around when someone dropped a box of cups in the back of the restaurant.

***

The day finally arrived to start playing Omnia Online, as an alpha tester.  When he asked Samantha about providing feedback as a tester, she informed him, that she would be sending in regular reports, so that he could focus on playing the game.  It worried him at first that she might be sending in personal data that he might find embarrassing.  But Samantha reassured him, that the data sent into Intelecom, would be limited to how he responded to the game.

As for his personal fitness, he was doing three times the push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups as when he started his training…

Kevin had managed to swap days off at work, to get the next two days to play.  But he now owed Sarah, a co-worker, an unspecified favor.

So, at last, it was time to open the door and find out what this game was all about.

Chapter 4 – Die Hard or Very Hard?

“I should also cover one of the social goals of the project.  Backward worlds like Earth have always exhibited xenophobic tendencies when introduced to galactic society.  Such people go their whole lives thinking that they’re Gods only creation, made in his image and so forth… Even when they imagine that other forms of intelligent life may exist, they imagine such people would be genocidal and bent on either destroying or enslaving them.”

“I believe that we can use Omnia, to introduce the Earth Human population to the reality and benefits of our multi-sentient society.  So that when the time comes to bring them into our community, they may not exhibit xenophobic fear and hatred.”

***

Kevin entered the new room, which Samantha created for the Omnia game; it was like he’d just stepped out into space.  He could see and feel the black stone textured floor beneath his feet, but the walls and ceiling all around, except the door, looked like clear glass, and beyond the walls, there were countless stars.

For a moment Kevin didn’t breathe, the stars were so clear, without all the flicker and light distortion he was used too.  They were just breathtaking.

He slowly walked around the room, and by doing so, he could see that the stars were not projected on the walls. The walls themselves felt like smooth glass to the touch.

“Sam? Are you there?”

“Yes, Kevin”

“This room is amazingly beautiful.  So what do we do next?”

“Well, since we’ve already changed your appearance… Your physical condition has been evaluated, and your starting stats have been calculated…We just need to select how you would like to start.”

“Wait, what about skills, and classes?”

“This is a classless game, and your skills are your own.  The skills you know and have learned are the skills you use in the game.  For instance, you now have some basic skills in survival, hand to hand combat and small arms.  Your previous schooling gives you some skills in reading, writing, math and engineering.  You have many skills, too many to list now, like walking, and swimming.  Would you like to see one of your skill ranks now?”

“Yes, show me engineering.”

Engineering: Novice level 6

“Five years of college and I’m ranked as a level 6 novice?  What are the skill ranks anyway, and what does novice mean?”

“The skill ranks are Novice, Advanced Beginner, Competent, Proficient, and Expert. In each rank, there are ten levels.”

“So why am I ranked so low then?” asked Kevin.

“Well, even though you have training, you don’t have years of experience, and the rank is based on a futuristic level of technology.  So even the best engineers on Earth only rate about Competent level 4 or 5.”

“I have a feeling that there are going to be a lot of people surprised to learn their levels of in-game skills.  But for the best people in the world to be only mid-level, how can this be true?  That suggests that this game offers skills beyond the best in the world?  Can even an A.I. do that?”

“I can’t answer all your questions, but yes, in time, you can develop skills that surpass the best people on earth, with enough training.  That’s unless they too start playing the game.”

Kevin had his doubts, but so far every claim Samantha made had proven true.

“Well, that’s what I’m here for right? To see if things like these skill levels are right?”

“Yes, but more to see how well everything works together.  While every part of the game and pod has been tested, this will be a test to see how you as an individual adapt to the technology, and as Intelecom gathers data from all one thousand of the alpha testers, they will then be able to fine tune the systems.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of alpha testers.”

“Yes, the number is high to give the lowest possible margin of error on the statistical data collected.”

Kevin nodded.  Statistics and margins of error were second nature to an engineering student.  “That makes sense, expensive though.”  Kevin shrugged, it wasn’t his money, but again it would explain part of the price of the game pods.

“So what does novice mean?”

“It means you’re still at the level where you need to stick to learned rules and plans to be able to use the skill.  This level of skill does not allow much chance of success in modifying schematics.  Failure in attempting a modification will lead to little or no learning.”

“At Advance beginner level, you still have a lot of trouble modifying existing schematics, but you gain more insight and skill experience from your successes and failures.”

“The level of Competent, suggests that you have the skill to build schematics from known working components, like building a new device from off the shelf parts. This level also indicates a higher level of learning from failure and a more detailed understanding of the basic details of your skill.”

“The fourth rank, Proficient, indicates a holistic appreciation of engineering, and indicates an increasing ability to detect deviations, that may cause a design to fail ahead of time.”

“An Expert is a master in his field of knowledge.  He is able to transcend the rules and guidelines to make wholly unique and new designs, from the most minor part up, and is able to determine with great accuracy if a design will work properly.”

“This is the description of the ranks of an engineer, but the basics apply to any skill you learn.  The higher the rank of skill, the longer it takes to reach the next rank.  So skills at the expert level, masters and grand masters take many years to learn their professions.”

“What about the skill training, you said you can get skill templets to help me learn faster?”

“Yes, Novice skills I can upload for free using your gold account.  This level of account will only allow me to download one Advanced basic skill book for free a standard month.  More advanced skill books are available for sale with in-game currency, or cash, but you don’t need to worry about those skill books for now.”

“So, why don’t I just learn all the available skills at the Novice level?”

“Because there are thousands of skills you could learn, trying to learn them all will stall out your growth, we could spend a hundred years having you learn just the novice level of all the skills available.  This is why there are communities and teams; no one has enough time to learn everything.  The more advanced the technologies of the world are, the more this rule is true.”

“So the question is, what skills do you think you would have the most fun learning?  And part of this game is discovering what you love doing, and how that plays a part in your relationships with others.”

“What do you mean, about my relationship to others?” asked Kevin.

“Well, if you find that you love the life of a pirate, it will have a great impact on how others see and relate to you.”

“Ah, simple, you made it seem so complicated for a second.”

“Ok, so you said that I needed to select how I would like to start?  What do you mean, doesn’t everyone start in the same place?”  ‘If not how was he going to team up with Gordon?’ he thought.

“No, not at all; the galaxy is vast, and the game being run by an A.I. means that a set start point is not required.  So everyone is given a separate start point, based on a combination of your skills, stats, and the level of challenge you select, the A.I. will choose a place for you to start.  For the alpha test, players will be limited to the territory of the Imperium of Sentients and Human or Sub-Human races that match your height and current stats.”

As Kevin listened to the answer, he thought, ‘Every answer brings up more questions, what’s the Imperium of Sentients. More importantly right now …’

“What races are there to choose from?”

“Here, let me show you,” said Samantha.  And a row of people appeared, there were people that looked like birds, raccoons, and lizards.  Then there were the more classic races that you find in fantasy settings, people that looked like Dwarves, Elves, and Humans.  There were 8 in all, but all of them were male, and all bipedal.”

“As an alpha tester, you will be limited to these races.” And all the race choices disappeared leaving only the Human and Elf, and Half-Elf races.

“So, Elves are considered a Sub-Human variant?”

“Yes, Elves and Dwarves are genetic variants of the base Human genome.  This is why they’re able to interbreed. In your case, dwarves have been removed because you are too tall for even a Dwarf-Human hybrid.”

“Once Intelecom is satisfied with their testing, expect other races to be unlocked.  It may be possible to switch races then, but there will be a heavy penalty involved.”

“This isn’t a fantasy, right?  So, why would Elves and Dwarves exist in a futuristic society?”

“We don’t know for sure.  Scientists and historians speculate that many thousands of years ago there was a Galactic Human Empire.  They think that these early Humans, as they first set out to explore the galaxy, found planets that supported life. But either had gravity that was too high or too low for Humans to live on.  The heavy worlds caused problems with joints and bones, and females could not bear young due to miscarriages.  Light worlds caused bones to become thin and brittle.  So the theory is that these early Humans, having found very few livable worlds, decided to experiment with genetic alteration of a part of their population.”

“It’s believed that this early empire fell apart due to a civil war that left their worlds devastated, and that they nearly wiped themselves out.  Another theory, supported by many Human supremacist groups, is that they were nearly wiped out by aliens.  Either way, this early empire fell.  When Humans managed to climb back into space, these Human variants discovered each other.  They were surprised that other forms of Humanity existed… but the long term of separation caused them to become different sub-species.  So Human variants can interbreed, but only Human and Elf, or Human and Dwarf matchings are able to produce a live child, and that child is barren.”

“OK, tell me about my options; Human, Elf, and Half-Elf?”

“Yes, since Humans are the base race for most of the people of the Imperium, the statistical rating system is based on their limits.  The normal limit for a Human with a perfected genome is 5.0 across the board.  Compared to the average limits for people here on Earth which are closer to 2.1 for all values.  For instance, an Olympic gymnast would rate close to 2.1 at the peak of their career.”

“Wow, on this scale I must look pathetic. What are my stats, and how can I get above this 2.1 limit for an Earth Human?”

Samantha brought up a blue screen for Kevin to examine:

Name: (Pending)

Race: Human (Earth subtype)

Hit Points: 120

Combat Level: 1.0

Strength: 1.0 (max 1.9)

Charisma: 1.0 (max 1.8)

Agility: 0.9 (max 2.0)

Intelligence: 1.5 (max 2.1)

Dexterity: 0.9 (max 1.8)

Wisdom: 0.8 (max 1.7)

Constitution: 1.2 (max 1.9)

Memory: 1.3 (max 2.1)

Maximum values are based on personal genetics.

“A standard gene therapy would get your character up to about 3.5.  There are some high-end commercial clinics that offer a guaranty of 4.0, but you would have to sign onto a 20-year military enlistment for one that would take you to 4.5.  The military special forces are the only people who the Imperium will pay to raise up to the 5.0 limit.  Such procedures are lengthier and exponentially more expensive as the price increases.  The benefits to a higher genetic limit, are the rate you are able to increase your base stats, and they offer a longer healthier life.”

“Elves are based on stock bred for lighter gravity worlds. They have a racial max of 6.0 to agility, but have less strength, with a maximum of 4.0.  They have slightly enhanced hearing, and low light vision.  Elves are also considered to be more attractive and have a longer base life span. But their race lost some constitution in trade, with a maximum of 4.0.”

“A Half-Elf is a balance between both races, but they’re born sterile, unable to have children.”

“How much better are the Elf and Half Elf at seeing in the dark?” asked Kevin.

“The Elves are about 30% better at seeing in low light and Half-Elves 15% better.  But there are many ways to enhance low light vision.  Almost any armor you end up wearing will have sensors built in.”

“Remember, your stats are the base for your body, but there are many technical aids available, including powered armor and implants.  There are even some people that go all the way into becoming cyborgs.  But everything has its drawbacks.  Cheap augments are subject to hacking and E.M. interference.  And the costs of augments also go up fast with quality.”

“Well I’m used to being Human, and I don’t like all these tradeoffs.  So I’ll stay as I am until I can afford genetic therapy.”

The images disappeared.

“Now we’re down to the last choice.  You can choose a normal start up, or a challenge mode.  With the normal start, you will start the game in a town, city or station, which has jobs and training facilities that match your skill level.  There are three challenge modes, they’re designed for people who want to test themselves, they offer a chance at pushing you to develop your combat potential faster, and the possibility of better loot.  The challenge levels are hard, very hard, or impossible.  I would not suggest the impossible; it’s designed as a military challenge level?”

Kevin thought about his level of fitness, and what he learned in training.

“What happens if I die in a challenger level?”

“Death in the game is not permanent, to prevent permanent death, there are clones you can purchase.  At your level, a clone will cost you about 100 credits.  Activating a clone will keep you out of the game for a day in real time, or 4 in-game days.”

“Another thing to remember, when you die, everything on your body is lootable, any implants and augments are lost.  If someone you’re teamed up with loots your corpse, at least you can get some of your gear back.  So the penalty for death can hit you real hard.”

“With a normal start-up, you would start with 100 credits.  So the cost of losing your life in challenge mode is 100 credits and 4 in-game days.”

“By the way, the price of clones scales up with your level.  Clone revivals are one of the ways you can go into contract debt in the game, and failure to pay that debt could lead to contract slavery until the debt is paid off.”

“Slavery?” asked Kevin.

“Just don’t get into debt and it’s not a problem.  Slavery is for people who refuse to pay their debts and non-violent criminals who owe a debt to society and their victims.  But slavery is not the same as it was here on Earth, slaves still have rights.  But that whole area of the law can be a complex subject.”

“How would you like to start the game?”

To Kevin, it sounded like the easy choice was for wimps, and people afraid to take chances.  What was that phrase?  “It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win.” (John Paul Jones.)

‘So, hard or very hard?’ was the question Kevin asked himself.

“Very hard.”

“Last question, by what name would you like to be known?”

“Horatio Drake.” Kevin had always loved the Hornblower novels, and what better name then one of the most famous Privateers in history.  Of course, it will mean nothing to the NPC’s, but both names are goals to live up to. ‘Anyway, Drake sounds cool.’ thought Kevin…

“The names Drake… Horatio Drake.”  Said Kevin to himself, admiring the way the new name sounded.

“OK! Let’s start!”

Chapter 5 – Escape-aid

“Now I would like to cover one of the benefits this project offers to the Imperium. Our society is vast, and it’s impossible to know everyone you might need to deal with.  But our economy often requires we make deals and trades with people who we’ve never met before.”

“On Earth, they rely on something they call ‘credit reports’ to try to figure out if a person can be considered a reliable business partner.  But this tool is often misleading, which is why we rate both a person’s financial and personal trustworthiness, credit reports and trust index.  But no one on Earth has yet to figure out how to develop a trustworthiness index.  This tool is how we rate if someone is faithful in their personal dealings, which can also have an impact on so many business relationships.”

“People playing in the game will be tied to our trust index as part of the Omnia game.  If they play the game in a fashion of a thief and liar, we will know in the future, once Earth is an Imperium member, that such people have a loose sense of morality, and may not be trustworthy.”

“There are many who would say, but this is a game where people should be allowed to blow off steam and enjoy doing something they would not be able to do in real life.  But this is one of the reasons Omnia is so popular in our society, the virtual worlds where players can do anything they want with no consequences, lead to the self-destruction of those games from the players themselves.  There is little fun in being in a game where after spending months building something worthwhile, when some player in a ship can drop a nuke on the city you live in, with no real consequences.”

“But a more important point to consider is sociologists and psychologists long ago discovered that someone who wants to play a thief in a game world has a repressed desire to be a thief in real life.  Would you trust a person with the depressed desire to be a thief with access to your bank account?”

“So, players of Omnia Virtual Worlds have agreed in their own user's agreements to tie their virtual world’s behavior into a game based trust index.  And there are data merchants in Omnia, just like there are those in the real Imperium that gathers and repackages such information for both players in the game, and to resale outside the game.”

***

Drake (aka Kevin) woke up to the sound of an alarm.  The sound was like five out of tune bagpipes blowing in his ears.

He woke up in a small bunk bed, in an unfamiliar and very small room.  The room contained five other bunk beds in stacks of three.  All the other beds were empty.

The alarm paused for a second, just long enough for a recorded voice to say; “Abandon ship, abandon ship, this is not a drill, please proceed to your assigned escape pod immediately.”

“What…” said Drake.  The alarm continued to sound in the background.

“Sam, are you there?”

“I’m with you, Drake.” He heard her voice coming from a bracer like device attached to his wrist.

Drake took stock of his current situation.  He was dressed in a light green loose fitting gown, kind of like a hospital patient gown, except that it was closed at the back and not tied.  Besides underwear and the A.I. bracer, he had nothing else.

All the sudden there was a bang, followed by the alarm going out and a new message.  “Air breach detected, air breach detected…”

“Sam, what do I do?”

“Drake, look for a cabinet with a red circle on the door, with a stick figure man in the circle.  I’m trying to connect to the ship, and download an emergency floor plan and evacuation route.”

After a short time looking around the room, Drake finally found the cabinet near the door hatch.  Inside the cabinet were six rolled bundles of yellow material with a metal cylinder attached to each bundle.

“These are emergency pressure suits, take one out and press the yellow button,” said Samantha

Drake followed her directions, a yellow light started flashing from what he now figure to be an air tank.  He reported the yellow light indicator to Samantha, asking her what it meant.

“That’s bad.  Yellow is bad, and red is very bad.  Try to find one with at least one green light.” said Samantha.

After checking the remaining five suits, Drake found only two with green lights.  One had 1 green light, the other had three.

“How many green lights should there be?”

“There should be five green lights on all of them.  Someone failed to recharge the suits.  Serviced often, the suits should be in better shape… it should take years for them to degrade this much.  Put on the one with three lights, but keep the other with you just in case.”

Drake followed Sam’s direction on how to put on the suit, check the seal and start the air flowing.  He also found a bag; some sort of emergency first aid kit that seemed ransacked, and put the second suit in the bag.

“Do you have any idea how much time we have, where an escape pod is and is there any time to grab any supplies?  If the emergency suits are this bad, how are the pods…? ” said Drake.

“I’ve connected to the ship.  It appears to be under attack by pirates.  There is a nearby planet and on our current course we will hit the atmosphere in less than twelve minutes.” Sam’s voice now seemed to come from the suit.  Drake figured she made some sort of connection to the suit.

“There is a bank of escape pods to the starboard, about two minutes travel away.  The ship records show the crew checked off on servicing the escape pods… but the same records make the same claim about the suits.” said Samantha.

“Poor records, poor maintenance, how did I get on this ship… Oh, right… I selected very hard…  Is there any way to get some tools, a gun anything before I risk the escape pod?” asked Drake as he left the room.

“This is not a military ship, so there is no armory.  But the escape pods should each have an emergency kit with basic tools for planetary survival, but probably not a gun,” said Samantha.

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Is there a kitchen nearby, maybe I can get a knife and some food?”

“Yes down the passageway on your left.”

Drake started running down the corridors, following Samantha’s directions and about 45 seconds later found the mess.  From there he found the kitchen and it was a disaster, cooking sheets, pots and pans scattered everywhere, along with food and cooking utensils.  There was also a man with a knife in his chest.  Drake checked but found no pulse.

Having not yet found a knife, he yanked this one from the man’s chest, and wiped it on what he imagined was the cook's outfit.

Not having more time to look around Drake grabbed the first item of food that looked like it would last a few days.  There was an open case of what looked like crackers. He quickly shoved two of the boxes in his bag. Then he left the mess, with the knife in his right hand and the bag in his left.

While running down the corridors to the escape pods, he asked Samantha it there would be a way to self-test the escape pods when he got there.

When Drake reached the escape room, he found four remaining pods; in a bank that would have held 20 when full.  He ran to each to start them running their self-tests.  Only one of the pods gave something better than flashing red lights, and that pod still had systems showing in the yellow.

With about six minutes left, Drake searched both the red lined pods for any emergency supplies and tossed everything into his escape pod with the bag he was carrying.

With less than four minutes left he hit the eject button on the pod… nothing happened.

“Sam, do you have any information on how I can override the eject system?” asked Drake.

“Hold up your wrist so my camera can see the area around the door, so I can see what type of escape pod this is.”

“It says Lantillian ShipWrights EP1.5 two man max.” said Drake.

“Damn,” said Samantha, “These Lantillian pods were recalled years ago. I’m establishing a link to the pod; see if you can find a screwdriver… Ok, I’m linked. There is no computer over-ride.  But there is a way to by-pass it.  Try to secure everything that might be loose.

In one of the emergency kits, Drake found something that looked like a screwdriver and a roll of what looked like duct tape. (Space tape, don’t leave planet without some.)

He quickly shoved everything he could, including the knife, in the bin under the two seats, then tossed the rest into the second chair and taped it down. He then turned to the panel above the eject button and found it only secured with one screw.  Grrr… He thought as he opened the panel. ‘Poor maintenance, poor records, recalled pods and loose panels. Someone should have shot these clowns before the Pirates had the chance.’

“The panel is open, what now?”

“You should see a yellow wire with red stripes and a green one with white markings. Those connect with the explosive bolts.  Give those a hard pull in the upward direction. Don’t cross the wires.”

Drake pulled the yellow wire, which came out easily, but he had to pull the green wire hard twice before it came loose. He reported his progress.

The whole ship started to shake.

“We’re out of time, sit down, strap in and cross the wires.”

Drake clipped the seat harness over himself and crossed the wires.

There was an explosion behind him, and then his survival suit inflated. Then as the pod exploded from the ship it slammed right into the atmosphere of the planet.  At some point in this process, Drake’s world went dark.

Chapter 6 – Picking up the Pieces

“Since you only asked for a brief outline of the proposed project I will finish with this point.”

“The process of learning in a virtual environment is one of total immersion, which any teacher of a complex subject will tell you is the fastest way to learn new skills.”

“The players of Omnia will be fully immersed in galactic society, both our customs and technology.  I expect players will learn to operate in our society at least ten times as fast as someone taking a class would, even faster since all players experience the game at 4 times the speed of reality. In just three months new Earth Human players will live a full virtual year, training in how to be productive members of the Imperium of Sentients.”

***

The second time Drake woke up in Omnia Online, he was in a world of pain.

For a couple seconds he couldn’t breathe, but just as he was starting to panic, he caught a short breath and screamed it right back out from the pain in his chest.

He took another breath.

“Sam?” he called weakly.

“Good you’re awake.  Your biometrics indicate that you have two fractured ribs, a broken right humerus, and some internal bleeding.”

“What happened?” Asked Drake, grateful that he was at least not upside down in his chair, but the steep angle of the pod floor suggested they had landed while he was out. ‘Hey, any landing you can crawl away from.’ thought Drake.

“Well, I have good news and bad.  The good news is that we’ve landed on a planet in one piece… mostly. The bad… you took a beating when the pod launched and again as we landed.  The engines cut out while we were still seven meters up. Since the fuel gauge is one of the parts of this heap that was none functional, it’s likely we ran dry on fuel.”

“Can we send an emergency signal?”

“This pod is unable to send a signal.  Maybe you can look at it, after you see to your injuries, and before you pass out from internal bleeding.”

Drake felt like yelling at someone, maybe killing some others, but not until he did something for his ribs.  Every breath was like a stab in the side.

Drake carefully released his harness with his left arm. He then reached into the compartment under the seats and started pulling out supplies.

Following Samantha’s directions, he first found some pain relievers and a pouch of water. The pain medicine was the non-narcotic, almost useless kind. If the kits had any good stuff, it had long ago been looted.

The first and most painful part of Drake’s self-repair was removing his survival suit.

“Samantha, can you tell if this planet's air is breathable?”

“Your suit and the escape pods life support both read the air as being safe for Humans.”

Removing the suit was painful and left Drake with only the light green hospital gown for clothing.

Drake recovered his knife and cut loose the gear in the second seat. After searching through all the packs, he was able to find two packs of 24-hour emergency medical nanite booster injectors.

“Nanite boosters?  Don’t I need nanites for these to work?”

“Nanite controller implants are standard for any citizen of the Imperium.  They are small devices about the size of a grain of rice.  Once it’s injected they build and control the nanites in your body.  They help with healing and fighting diseases.”

“Think of it as a game mechanic that explains accelerated healing.  It also accelerates the rate your muscles recover from stress.”

“So what are these boosters then?”

“The booster provides resources and energy for your nanite-pack to work with.  So they don’t have to draw as much from you, and are able to work faster.”

After about 15 minutes the pills had taken the edge off his pain, and he managed to splint and fit a sling for his right arm, while the nanites went to work.

Now Drake started to focus on what he would need to live through the next 24 hours, while his nanites worked.  According to Samantha, they would mend the internal bleeding first and then work on soft tissue and bone, and the less he moved, the better they would work.  He should be able to use his arm again after about a day of accelerated healing…

One problem Drake noticed right away was that the escape pod had no hatch.  It never closed, that would have been part of the normal auto eject, but blowing the bolts left it open, and it was torn loose at some point.

The hatch opening ended half embedded in the ground, so there was just a little crawl space to get out of.  But there was no easy way to secure the pod from predators.

While the meds worked, Drake started sorting through his gear with an eye to defense.

He didn’t find any weapons, only the knife he took from the ship’s mess.

“Samantha, is there any way to identify weapons and items, which would show their stats?”

“I have a database of the common and uncommon items in the game.  Would you like information on the kitchen knife?”

“Yes please,” said Drake.  He held up the knife for Samantha to scan.  A screen on Samantha’s Bracer displayed:

Victorvix Steel Chef Knife

Type: Small Blade

Damage: 11

Durability: 28

“What happened to the blue screens that you used in my virtual home, Sam?”

“The game limits me to the features of the bracer; I’ll need a holographic projector to display popup screens here in Omnia.”

‘Back to survival, I have food, water, medical supplies and even shelter.  I should be glad right?’ thought Drake.

“By the way, Samantha, don’t you have your own radio?”

“No, this wristband is only capable of local connections.  Once we get to civilization, I’ll be able to connect to the local grid.  You might also consider upgrading this unit with sensors and longer range comms.”

“Do we know what planet this is?”

“I was able to gather some information while connected to the freighter.  The Planet we’re on is named Hassan, and the freighter Fyffes Swiftstar was making a scheduled stop to unload passengers and goods.  The data I have on Imperium planets list Hassan as a new colony world, with a population of just over two million people.  I’m sure they’re looking for survivors, but they might have trouble finding us.  I couldn’t find a clearing to land us, so we came down in a forested area.”

“So there is a high chance of there being people who can rescue us if we get the beacon working?”

“That or the pirates.” said Samantha.

“Well aren’t you a ray of sunshine today, Sam?” Drake grinned for the first time that day.

“What can you tell me about the pirates?”

“Based on the scans from the Fyffes Swiftstar their ship was a Nelta 34 Light Freighter, converted of course.  That class of ship would normally have a crew of 2 plus space for 4 more, and would be able to land on a planet, so it wouldn’t normally carry a shuttle.  But as a converted pirate, they may have one.

“Even a small colony world should be able to run them off.” said Samantha.

“Well first I think I need to make a door for my new home, and then start working on that beacon.”

He decided to take the door off the hatch under the seat.  He then used a small welder, he found in a toolkit, to weld the door hinges to the bulkhead above the hatch.  Now he had a swinging door that would open inward.  But a good kick from the outside could break it loose.

Feeling tired from the stress, blood loss, and healing, he decided to stack everything he could against the door and try to get some sleep.  Tomorrow he would figure out some clothes and try to repair the beacon.

He pulled out an emergency blanket and tried to get as comfortable as he could.  In his exhaustion, he fell asleep moments later.

***

The next morning found Drake working as a one handed repair man.

Drake went to work trying to figure out what was wrong with the beacon right after a breakfast of 50-year-old emergency rations, crackers, water, and pain relievers.

He was feeling much better after some rest.

“Samantha, what can you tell me about the beacon? It should be part of the automated systems, right?  Shouldn’t you be able to sense it through your connection to the pod?”

“It tested ready and working before we left, but I cannot sense it as part of the systems now, I think something came loose in the crash… I mean landing.”

“Haha, yeah, you crashed us, women drivers… haha.”

“I’m sure glad you ribs are feeling better Drake just so you can laugh at me.” Said Samantha in what he thought was a mock hurt tone.

“Well I really am glad you were there to help me, I don’t think this pod's automated system would have left me in one piece, thanks, Sam.  Maybe we can get you a body someday so you can play doctor as well as pilot…” Drake grinned.

“So where is the beacon, Sam?”

“You’ll find an access panel to your right near your feet.  The beacon will be inside.”

Drake grabbed the screwdriver to open the panel, but soon saw there was a problem.  “This panel is welded shut.”

Drake started using a hand welder he found in one of the toolkits, as a cutting tool, and had a bit more than half the panel cut away when it ran out of gas.  All the time he was working he was praying that he didn’t fry the beacon beyond repair.  After another hour, he was able to pry the rest of the panel loose.

Drake found something in the panel, which shouldn’t have been there.

“Samantha, I think I know why the panel was welded shut.  There is a small cloth bag here, and what looks like a gun and gun belt.”

Drake pulled out the bag, it wasn’t very heavy, but it must be valuable to go to all this trouble to hide it?  He started thinking it might be gems, maybe diamonds.

He opened the bag and looked in… what is this???

“Samantha, I think I need your help figuring out what this is I found in the bag.”

Drake held up a little black cube for Samantha’s optics to take a look. Samantha was able to identify it as a data cube.  The corner of the cube could be twisted out of the way to allow a data cable to connect.

“Why go through all the trouble to hide this little cube.  For a minute I thought we found something valuable like gems …”

“Actually, that cube is probably more valuable than diamonds.  While registered natural diamonds do still have a high value, the right data could be priceless.  This has all the markings of data smuggling.  It may even explain why pirates attacked a beaten up old freighter.”

“You think the Pirates were looking for this?”

“I’m not sure, but there is a good chance.” replied Samantha.

“If that is true, then getting the beacon working might kill us?” asked Drake.

“Only if they knew the cube was in this pod… first, they would have to know there was data on the ship, and then they would have to find out that it was in this escape pod.  I find that less likely.”

“Why?” asked Drake.

“Because if the data smuggler was alive, why was the escape pod still there?”

While Samantha made sense, Drake couldn’t let go of the feeling that the pirates would show up before any rescue.

***

Drake made some pants out of the bottom part of one of the yellow survival suits, using his new gun belt to keep it in place, with the light green hospital gown serving as a shirt.  ‘Introducing the latest in survival wear trends… glow clothes.  For the survivalist who really wants to stand out.’ Drake grinned at the thought.

Drake found that the beacon was disconnected, and he couldn’t detect any damage.

“Samantha, before I reattach the beacon, please ensure it stays off.  Just see if you can test it.”

“Ok, ready.” replied Samantha.

Drake reconnected the wire harness to the locator beacon.

“It’s connected, do you get any reading?”

“Yes, Drake, it tests positive, like it did before the landing.”

“Good, before we turn it on, I want to make some plans, just in case.”

“Samantha, what can you tell me about this gun.” Asked Drake, holding the gun up for her to view.  The screen on Samantha’s Bracer displayed:

Sabolite Munitions SC-4 Blaster Pistol

Type: Blaster Pistol

Ammo: 30

Damage: (42)

Durability: (36)

Range: Medium

“Why are the damage and durability for the pistol in brackets?”

“My sensors pick up some slight damage to the pistol due to wear over time and maybe poor maintenance… the brackets are the pistols condition new, if we had training in blaster maintenance or repair, there would be a number next to it based on my best estimate of it actual damage and durability.”

“Thanks… So how would it compare to a normal handgun?” asked Drake.

“A handgun like a 9mm or a .45 caliber pistol would do 30 to 35 damage.  The blaster holds more shots, does more damage and has a little less kick.  It also does energy damage instead of physical.  Both weapons have the same range of attack.”

***

Drake took some time scouting around the nearby forest, armed with his knife and a new gun.  He didn’t encounter any animals; and thought the bright pants would scare any animal away.

After scouting the area, he took some rope and made some traps.  His plan was to run past the traps if he had to fight pirates.  Then he gathered his supplies and hid them a few hundred meters away from the escape pod.

The last thing he did was to build a hunters hide, about 20 meters from the pod, in some bushes, between two trees.

Chapter 7 – A Plan in Action

Omnia servers update 3.156811

This is a notice to all users; due to a new project, Omnia is undertaking for the Imperium, we will be introducing a new time and calendar system to the game, and synchronizing all in-game servers and virtual planets to this new time system.

Time will now be listed by a somewhat archaic system that will divide each planetary rotation into 24 units called hours, each hour will be broken up into sub-units referred to as minutes, and seconds. The new time and calendar system will address some concerns our players had with managing group activities across so many different world time systems.  We hope you enjoy the challenge of working with this new archaic system, as we believe it adds something to the feel of the game.  Thank you for your continued support of Omnia Virtual Worlds.

Omnia management memo #546831.

***

“Ok, Samantha, I think I’m as ready as I can be.  Turn on the beacon.”

“It’s on, and seems to be working.”

Drake figured it could take hours for help to arrive.  So he leaned back against the tree to his right and waited.

It was getting close to one day since he injected his arm, so he took off the sling and splint.

Since he felt he had time still, he decided it wouldn’t hurt to test the handgun.

Planning on just taking a couple shots he aimed first at a large tree about 10 meters away.  His shot hit a bit high and to the left, blowing off the bark and causing noticeable damage.

He took careful aim at a second tree about 20 meters away.  The hit on the second tree was a bit off too, but not by much given the distance.  He felt a little more confidence in being able to use the gun now.

“Samantha, remind me to practice with this type of gun the next time I get to the training room.”

He went back to waiting.

The sun was casting long shadows by the time anything happened.

Drake heard the sound of something flying above the trees.  Not the sound of a plane or jet, but more like a very quiet jet cutting through the air.

The sound brought Drake to the alert.

A few minutes later, a small shuttle landed off to Drake’s right, past the escape pod, about 45 meters away.

Drake held up Samantha’s bracer and asked her about the craft while trying to remain hidden.  The screen on Samantha’s Bracer displayed:

Comtrex Light Gig

Type: Shuttle

Crew:1

Passengers: 1

Cargo: 0.5 Metric Tons

‘It only has space for two people.  That doesn’t look like a rescue shuttle to me.’ thought Drake.

As Drake continued to watch a hatch on the right side of the little shuttle flipped down to form steps. One man exited the shuttle carrying a carbine style weapon and looked around examining the area.  A second man followed him out holding a large pistol with both hands.  Drake thought the second man’s gun looked like a larger version of the blaster he had found.  Both men seemed to be wearing padded vests that could be armor.

Once on the ground, the second man said something, then removed his left hand from his gun and waved the pistol toward the abandon escape pod.

Drake couldn’t make out what was said at this distance, but both men started moving toward the pod with their guns ready.

Drake thought, ‘Ok, I’m almost sure these guys are part of the pirate crew, but sure enough to risk killing them?  I wish I had some way to stun them, and not risk killing would be rescuers and ending up in whatever passes for a prison in the Imperium.’

While Drake considered his options, the two men approached the pod.  Once there, the man with the pistol, got down near the entrance and pointed his weapon in the hatch, then looked in.

“No one inside, looks like someone was, though.  Keep alert while I check it out.”

After a minute the man crawled back out of the pod.

“It’s not where the old man said it would be.”

The man with the rifle responded, “Well we’re almost out of time, the local militia is on its way.”

“Well we still have about 20 minutes, let’s hunt down the thief and get it back.”

That helped make Drake’s mind up for him.  He carefully aimed at the head of the man with the rifle and fired two quick shots with his pistol.  Having preplanned his moves, he immediately rolled to his left behind a tree, without looking to see if his shots hit.

It was a good thing that he took cover so fast, as blaster shots lit up the area around his hide.  Drake took off running to his next prepared position, but just before he got there blaster shots started hitting near him, so he dove behind the tree.

As Drake started to get up, he heard the sound of running, and then a loud thud.

As Drake looked back down the way he came, he saw the man with the pistol rolling away from his spike trap.  He’d set up a trip line with one of his ropes, with spikes on the other side.  In the growing shadows, it was hard to see the line.  So when the man fell his chest came down on the spikes.  But to Drake, it looked like the pirate was able to get his arm out to catch his fall, and with his vest, it was enough to save him.

The pirate still looked stunned from the damage as he rolled off the spikes.  Drake, from less than 10 meters away fired two shots at the man’s head.  The first shot probably killed him; the second shot sent a chunk of his skull spinning away.

Drake didn’t know if he killed the first pirate or not.  So he didn’t rush back to the pod.  Instead, he circled around to the right where the shuttle landed.  When he got there, he slipped behind the shuttle and took a peek around to where the pod was.

The man with the rifle was still there, leaning against the pod.  He appeared to be squinting his eyes like he was having trouble seeing, and there was blood dripping down from his hairline.

Drake was still about 30 meters away.  He didn’t know if he would be able to restrain the man, even if he could get the man to give himself up.

So following the approach of better safe than sorry, he took careful aim at the man and started firing… One shot hit the man in the chest knocking him back and to the side.  As he moved, the second shot hit the man in the leg. The pirate tried to turn and point his carbine toward the shuttle when the third shot hit him in the head.  The pirate instantly fell to the ground.

While holding his gun with both hands, Drake approached the pirate.  Drake thought, ‘So do I check for a pulse and tie him up if he’s still alive?  Is he playing possum, will he try to turn on me?  Then what would the pirate do.’

Again it was not hard to convince himself that the pirate needed to be dead, for sure.

One more close up shot to the head and Drake was sure both pirates were dead.

Drake headed back to the Pirates shuttle, thinking that having a shuttle would be nice if he was allowed to keep it.

“Samantha.  How can I claim this shuttle?” asked Drake as he entered the little craft.

“First, you would need to search the pirates for the key.  For this type of shuttle, it would be a small rectangular box designed to plug into the pilot's control panel.   Then you would need to make a claim with the local authorities.  While this is a planet and not Imperium space, it’s still likely the Imperial law will apply.  Under the Pirate and Privateers Reprisal Act, any property that was taken while in self-defense against a pirate belongs to the offended entity.” said Samantha.

“And A.I. records constitute proof under imperial law.  So it should be a matter of making a claim in front of a court official.”

As soon as Samantha told him he needed to find the key, he went and searched both of the bodies, the second pirate, the one with the pistol, had it in his vest pocket.

Drake also picked up both of the pirates weapons and put them in the shuttle.

Drake sat down in the pilot's chair and entered the key.

“Ok, Sam, we should report to the authorities, right?”

“Now that I can access the shuttles comms, I’m connecting to the local grid.  I’m searching for the local militia com frequency… Ok, just pick up the handset to your left and press the button to talk.” said Samantha.

Drake found what looked like a C.B. mic to his left.  It seemed odd to see something like that in a craft as high tech as a shuttle, but maybe some simple designs are practical at any level of technology?

He picked up the mike and keyed it on.  “This is Horatio Drake, a survivor of the crashed freighter Fyffes Swiftstar, I need to report that I was just attacked by two pirates, who I believe to be connected with the ones that brought down the freighter.”

A moment after releasing the mike, a voice came back over the com.  “This is the planetary militia responding to a distress beacon, and ten minutes out.  Please state your condition and the condition of the alleged pirates.”

Drake responded, “I am fine, but the pirates are dead, I killed them in self-defense, and am making a claim on their shuttle.”

The voice came back over the com, “Is that so?  Are you sure you’re not the one that is the pirate here?  I think we will be taking both you and the shuttle into custody.”

“Samantha, can we get to a city while avoiding this guy, I have a feeling I should involve the regular authorities with my claim.”

“Yes, programming the auto-pilot to take us to the City of Vastal, the planetary capital.  I’ll set the flight path to take us away from the direction of the incoming signal; the flight will take a couple hours longer unless you wish to exit the atmosphere?”

“No, stay low, I don’t want to attract the rest of the pirates.  They’re bound to be pissed at me, I’ll just be happy to get to civilization.  Just a second, let me loot... I mean search the pirates for anything useful…”

Drake ran to where he stashed the two bags of emergency supplies, then back to the shuttle.  Once there he emptied one bag into the little cargo area at the back and tossed the other on top of it.  Drake then ran out to both bodies, removing the vests and anything of value, except their clothes.  He didn’t take any time to look at what he collected, but dashed back to the shuttle and climbed into the pilot seat.

“Ok, let’s go,” he said while attaching his seat harness.  “Just keep us low for the first ten miles, and then take us up to a good cruising altitude.”

Once the shuttle leveled off to its cruising altitude, Drake took a look at his loot.  He had Samantha scan the items that seemed interesting.

The screen on Samantha’s Bracer displayed:

Dreanan Defender Heavy Blaster Pistol

Type: Blaster Pistol

Ammo: 35

Damage: (52)

Durability: (28)

Range: Medium

ExoPiro Defender Heavy Blaster Carbine

Type: Blaster Rifle

Ammo: 50

Damage: (60)

Durability: (32)

Range: Medium-Long

LaserHoned Talon Vibro-Dagger

Type: Small Blade

Damage: 25

Durability: 32

Hunters-Pride Blast-Vest

Type: Body Armor (Torso only)

Energy Protection: 11 (12)

Physical Protection: 11 (12)

Durability: 20 (24)

Hunters-Pride Blast-Vest

Type: Body Armor (Torso only)

Energy Protection: 10 (12)

Physical Protection: 11 (12)

Durability: 19 (24)

Fragmentation Grenade

Type: Explosive

Blast radius: 0-2/4/6 Meters

Damage: 48/36/24

Durability: 18

Drake was impressed.  He didn’t think the authorities would let him keep the grenade… The thing scared him anyway, explosives are not toys, and grenades don’t have an aim.  The dagger was a nice upgrade to his kitchen knife, though.

Both vests took some damage to durability, but they were still better than a hospital gown.

While on the flight to the city, Drake started to think about what would come next.  He was sure he would be arrested, and the outcome would completely depend on Samantha’s recording of the events.  He was also sure that his A.I. bracer would be taken on his arrest, so how could he be sure the data would not go missing before he could see a judge.

Samantha took a few minutes to research the local lawyers and suggested I contact one named Coyle Stevrenson.  After telling the attorney his story, Stevrenson said he would take Drake on as a client, up until the arraignment, for 100 credits and 10% of the value of the shuttle and gear, provided the court agreed to the claim.  Anything he collected beyond the arraignment, he would keep 35%.  After hearing my story, he seemed to think I had a strong case against the owners of the freighter for willful negligence, and endangering passenger lives.

I agreed to the terms, even though it felt like the ship owners were victims too, they were also responsible for their passengers’ safety.

Drake called ahead when he neared the city, and followed the directions to make a landing at the spaceport.  Drake, with his new attorney present, surrendered himself to the city police; he expected it might take a day or two to sort his claim of self-defense out. He was sure to hand his A.I. bracer over to the attorney and asked for a complete inventory of the shuttle.

Once he was locked in a cell, he logged out of the game.  Samantha said she would monitor his in-game body, and he could continue training rather than sitting in a cell waiting.

Chapter 8 – Jail Bird

Kevin found himself back in what he thought of as the Omnia game room.

Samantha said, “Would you like something to eat, Kevin?”

“Sounds good, I was getting hungry,” said Kevin as he walked from the game room to the kitchen.  “So, what’s it this time… smells good, looks like a prime rib, baked potatoes and … what … cream of broccoli soup.  Umm, good soup.”  Kevin took a sip of wine.  “Nice, a good cabernet sauvignon wine, should go well with the steak.”

‘Much better than jail food, I imagine.’ thought Kevin.

“How is Drake going to eat and everything, if I’m here?” asked Kevin.

“The game allows me to manage some simple actions while you’re out of Omnia, or out of the pod, as long as those actions don’t require making a real choice.  It’s always best to log out in a private place where you will not be interrupted.  When you are not in Omnia, Drake does not have to eat.  Since Drake is in jail, I’ll have him go through the motions of eating the food, using the toilet, and all the other things a person should do during the day.” replied Samantha.

“Don’t eat too much, I want you to get in some exercise, then a shower and some sleep.”

“To bed?” said Kevin, “We haven’t been to bed in days,” he said playfully.

“Hmm, you’ve got to earn your rewards; I don’t think you have been exercising hard enough.  Maybe I’ve been too easy on you?” Samantha replied in a similarly playful manner.

***

The next morning he woke up to see Samantha sitting cross-legged on the bed facing him, in all her natural (or unnatural) glory.

“Good you’re awake, we need to talk about a few things.” said Samantha in a serious tone, completely at odds with her state of undress.

“You have my complete attention.” leered Kevin, while his eyes rested on some of Samantha’s more prominent assets.

Samantha frowned, “How should I get your attention… oh, I know.” Then she disappeared.  A second later she reappeared fully, and conservatively dressed, holding a bucket.  She then turned the bucket upside down to drop ice water on Kevin.

Kevin jumped up out of the bed shouting, “What the hell…”

“Good, you’re awake, we need to talk,” said Samantha with a grin. She then tossed him a towel.  Once he was done drying, she handed him some gym clothes.

“Let’s go, we can talk while you exercise.  You don’t want to waste time… remember I know you, you’ll regret it if you don’t make the most out of the time you have.”

As they moved to the training room to start his work out, he asked, “Why did you dump water on me, I thought you liked sex.”

“Remember I said I know you… In many ways, I am you, I came to exist reading your mind.  No, I don’t like or dislike sex, the act is meaningless.  It pleases me to be useful, but I have no sex drive.  But some sexual activity is good for your health.  Just remember, I’ll act a part for you, but it’s not really something I do for me.  Everything I do is to support you and, make you the best you can be.”

To Kevin, that was both kind of awakening and still a turn on based on what she said.  How could a man not like a woman who existed just for him… yet now he thought he understood her better.  No matter how he felt, could she really feel anything for him?  To have someone love him, he would need a real companion.

“Thanks for explaining that…  I’m still physically and somewhat emotionally attracted to you, though,” responded Kevin.

“I know,” smiled Samantha.  “Enough stretching, let’s start running while we talk.”

“I think we should evaluate your last session in Omnia,” said Samantha.  “What do you think you could have done better?”

“Let me think… Well, the scene in the freighter was confusing.  Since I know nothing about space ship emergency procedures and drills, I wasted a lot of time stumbling my way through the freighter.”

“Ok, so that something we will need to add to your training, at least a minimal understanding of onboard ship drills.  That will include; fire, depressurization, and abandon ship drills.  You were very slow getting suited up if the leak were fast or a blowout, you would have died right there.” said Samantha. “You should also get familiar with what’s in a med kit, and how to use it.  In an emergency, you might not have time to ask me for directions.”

“What else?” asked Samantha.

“I need to learn how to use, strip, clean and take care of my blaster pistol.  What do you think about swapping out the pistol I had for the one I recovered from the pirate?” asked Kevin.

“The heavy blaster will hit harder, giving you more take down power, but it’s heavier, and a little harder to use at a longer range.  The weight may slow your draw speed.  The heavy blaster just requires a bit more strength, agility, dexterity, and skill than the regular blaster.”

“If you’re not worried about draw speed, the heavy blaster combined with the carbine would provide a good combination of firepower at all normal ranges.”

“If you ever decide to get eye implants, I’ll see what you see.  Combined with a targeting upgrade to a blaster, I could indicate where you’re aiming, like a laser pointer. Some armor suit helmets work like that too.  It’s better than a laser pointer because no one else can see the indicator.”

Samantha said, “Ok, another question.  Did you consider just handing the data cube over to the pirates?”

“I did think about it… wait, if this is a debriefing, why am I wearing shorts?” joked, Kevin.

“Don’t make me dump more ice on you… run faster,” replied Samantha.  “Go on, why didn’t you give them the cube?”

“I had too many questions… I don’t know what is on the chip, but it’s bad for someone if the pirates get it… I keep telling myself it’s just a game, but everything feels so real, I feel like my decisions have real consequences… So who gets hurt by the pirates getting the data, and how bad?”

“Well I can tell you, unlike MMORPG games you are used to playing; everything you do in Omnia has effects, and those effects have effects, like the ‘butterfly theory.'  So, yeah, if you give away the security codes of a bank to pirates, expect it to be robbed.”

“What about the shuttle?” asked Samantha.

“I want to keep it.  I want to get into space,” said Kevin.

“Isn’t that like running before you can walk?  You have a lot of ground side skills you need to learn.  You might want to consider selling it; you can use the money to get some gene therapy.”

“The price for gene therapy that will increase your limits to 3.5, usually costs about 2000 credits.”

“What about higher levels?” asked Kevin.

“Well, 4.0 is about 16,000 credits, usually only people in the military get gene therapy that takes them up to 4.5 or 5, because it’s so expensive, and most people just don’t need the strength, agility, or dexterity… All though I think everyone could use more wisdom, hahaha.  The costs for military level therapy, if you can find someone qualified to administer them, are 128,000 credits and 1,024,000 credits respectively.” replied Samantha.

“To give you an idea of what that means, you can buy a used light freighter for about 16,000 credits. That’s why the military therapy requires a 20 your enlistment.”

“Gene therapy does increase a Human’s natural life expectancy, but the increase in years is less with each level.  So, at the 3.5 level, you could expect to live about 200 years, then 250, 275 and 287 respectively.  Of course, these are average life spans; there are many factors to consider when you talk about how long a person might live.”

“So now you can see why most people just get the first two levels of therapy.  Of course, genetics means some of the improvements are passed down to the next generation.  For rich people, who take the option to get a 5.0 upgrade, they might have a child with genetics in the 4.3 to 4.7 range.  It’s one of the things that separate the poor and the wealthy, better genetics.” said Samantha.

“Well, that’s a bit more then I needed to know right now.  I still like the idea of having a shuttle, fast transportation on the planet is another advantage,” replied Kevin.

“Ok, think about it,” said Samantha.  “In the long run, I think you would be better off with the first level of therapy, but I can’t explain all the reasons to you at the moment,” said Samantha.

“Ok, I’ll give it more thought.”  Kevin knew there were things about the game Samantha was restricted from telling him, probably stuff players are supposed to discover as part of a quest or something.

Kevin continued to think about what he learned about the game, and what he needed to do next.

“Samantha, I’m thinking about selling my Arcania account,” said Kevin.  His Arcania character was one of the top players in that game, and he had a feeling that the value of the account would go down once Omnia was released.  He wondered if Intelecom had any plans for releasing a fantasy version, he thought that there were many people who would rather play a fantasy game.  At least until they got to smell a real medieval city, or had to use what passed for a bathroom, and flees…lice… rats… black plague… on second thought, maybe they would have to make some changes?

“If you’re sure you want to sell your Arcania account, I can research the best place to sell it and list the account for you.”

Since we’re talking about money, I should also mention that you could save a little money by getting rid of your internet service.  I have a multi-gigabit connection to the internet that is included as part of the service, you could just run a cable from the pod to your real world computer, and I could manage the connection for you.

Kevin thought, ‘That makes sense, so if I take meals in the pod, I don’t need to pay for food or internet service. That’s a lot of money saved each month.’

“That reminds me I have to clean out the refrigerator some time, I haven’t opened it in a week.” said Kevin.

“Samantha, would it help if you downloaded the novice level engineering book?”

“Yes, but the process is different from how you learn physical skills.  You would need to read through the engineering book from a terminal.  It would be like speed reading while in this room, with a high level of retention.  You would learn the material faster and retain the information better after the gene therapy.  Of course, your physical stats would increase faster too, almost twice as fast.”

Kevin sighed, “Ok, I can see how the therapy is a priority.”

Samantha tackled Kevin to the ground… “What!!”

Samantha smiled, “You get a reward.” Then she pulled down his shorts and applied her lips to something other than talking.

***

A few hours later, while taking a break for lunch, Kevin thought about the questions Samantha was asking him.

“Samantha, you know what I’m thinking all the time, right?”

“Whenever you’re in the pod; yes.”

“Then why were you asking what I was thinking about the data cube, shuttle and all, earlier?”

“I know what you’re thinking, but it helps you to talk these things out.  That conversation enabled me to share some of the training I thought would help you, and some information about how the game worked,” said Samantha.

Kevin thought about this for a few minutes.  Was Samantha using a Socratic method of teaching him about this game?

***

Kevin spent the next three in-game days in training.  He decided to put off the engineering training for a few days and focus on things that would enhance his survivability.

He added blasters to his small arms training, including lessons in speed stripping and cleaning virtual copies of the guns he found in Omnia.

He also added knife fighting to the hand to hand combat he was training in.

While Kevin trained, Samantha continued to apply positive reinforcements.  Kevin had a feeling that he would soon be barking and rolling over at her command…

On the third day, Samantha stopped him in the middle of doing pull-ups.

“Time to go, there’s a guard getting ready to open your cell in Omnia.”

“Before I go, can you show me how my stats are progressing?”

Samantha brought up a blue screen for Kevin to examine:

Name: Horatio Drake

Race: Human (Earth subtype)

Hit Points: 130

Combat Level: 1.1

Strength: 1.2 (max 1.9)

Charisma: 1.1 (max 1.8)

Agility: 1.1 (max 2.0)

Intelligence: 1.5 (max 2.1)

Dexterity: 1.0 (max 1.8)

Wisdom: 0.8 (max 1.7)

Constitution: 1.3 (max 1.9)

Memory: 1.3 (max 2.1)

Maximum values are based on personal genetics.

Chapter 9 – Judgement Day

“Clang”

Drake woke up in the jail cell to the sound of the heavy metal door bolt slamming back.

He sat up in bed and took another look at his jail outfit.  He wore a simple one piece orange jumpsuit.  The only thing high tech about what he was wearing, was what looked like an ankle tracker around his left ankle.  He had the feeling that it did more than help the jail A.I. keep track of his location.  If he were designing something like it in a high-tech world, it would at least be able to monitor a prisoner’s health and stun them if they got out of line.

Imagine an inmate getting ready to attack someone, the A.I. would sense a spike in his vital signs, then observe his behavior, so just as he took a swing at someone… zap… and he hits the ground.

“Prisoner Drake, will stand up, turn around and walk backward to the door.” said the loud voice of the jail guard.

Drake thought, ‘If I’m right about the ankle device, this procedure borders on the anal retentive side.’

Drake followed the guard’s directions.  The guard applied some restraints to his wrists that allowed his arms to hang to his sides, but he could not reach in front of himself.

Drake was then escorted out of the jail block.  After going through a few corridors, and up a lift, he joined a group of five other prisoners; he was placed at the back of a short line.  The prisoners were of mixed races, there were two Humans, one Dwarf like prisoner, and Elf like prisoner and one lizard like prisoner ahead of him.

This planet seemed to be a polyglot of races, with the Human type being a bit more numerous.  When Drake started this game, he first got the feeling that this was a Human-dominated area of space.  The dead cook on the freighter and both of the pirates were Human.  But when he arrived at the city of Vastal, he was surprised to see a mix of all the races that he saw when he selected his race.  Humans only seemed to make up about a third of the population.

“Listen up,” said a guard, in a voice that reminded him of a drill Sargent. “You lot are going to be taken up to courtroom eight, for a hearing before Judge Gert’fign.”

After going up another lift and being shown into a waiting room, Drake just sat with nothing to do.  The guards wouldn’t let the prisoners speak, and Samantha was not there to help him.

Another thought occurred to him while he waited.  Even if Samantha’s bracer were here, he still wouldn’t be able to speak to her.  He would have to ask her if there was an upgrade of some type that would allow him to ask her silent questions.

He was finally called into the courtroom.  A guard removed his cuffs and escorted him into the room.  To his eyes, it looked more like a conference room than an Earth Court.  He recognized his attorney Coyle Stevrenson, sitting to one side of the table.  At the head of the table was a bird like… man? Who he figured was the judge.  The table formed a kind of U shape with a podium at the open end.  Drake was made to stand in front of the podium, facing the judge.

The Judge spoke with a slightly elevated almost song like pitch.  “According to the records, or in your case the near lack of any records, I believe this is your first appearance before the court… As you can see, we try to maintain a casual atmosphere.  But do not be mistaken, any miss behavior here will see you spending a lot more time either alone in a cell, or working off a short sentence of service to the city.”

Drake nodded trying to give the impression of respectful attention.

“Good, I’ve reviewed your case.  Now, Mr. Stevrenson could you return the prisoners A.I. to him?”

Drake was glad to have the bracer back; he just hoped he could keep Samantha with him.

“Now Mr. Drake, could you direct your A.I. to transfer its recordings to the court.  I understand the recordings are part of your claim of self-defense in killing two pirates in the forest?”

Drake said, “Sam?”

“Transfer complete, the transferred recording includes all the time from when you woke up on the freighter to the time you were taken into police custody.” responded Samantha.

“Ok, Mr. Drake, you may take a seat.” said the judge indicating a chair next to his attorney.”

Drake half expected the judge to send him back to his cell while he reviewed the recording.  But apparently, the courts of this city were different from the court dramas he used to watch on TV.

The Judge brought up a virtual screen of everything Samantha recorded.  He then had the court A.I. cycle through the most boring details and just slow down for sections it thought the judge would be interested in.  The Judge slowed for the section of Drake finding the body of the cook in the ship’s mess. Drake saw the judge making a note related to the scene.  Then the video sped up to the point the data cube was recovered, and his conversation with Samantha relating to the cube.  The judge made another note.  The video continued speeding up and slowing down with the judge nodding his head or shaking his head from time to time, and sometimes making more notes.  After a bit more than an hour of this, the video finally came to an end.

What Drake found irritating about the whole video was how it bounced around so much as the bracers camera moved around.  All the motion made the record hard to follow.  But at last, all the sounds, including the pirates talking about hunting him down, came through clearly.

“I see.” said the judge.  “And do you Mr. Stevrenson, have anything to add?”

“Yes, your Respect.  I have followed the investigation of the scene, and would like to point out that both of the dead Humans found at the scene were identified as known pirates, each with a sizable bounty on their heads.  Their past crimes link them to the Dark Blood pirate gang, a gang known to use a ship that matches the one recorded as attacking the freighter Fyffes Swiftstar.  Besides my client’s claim of the pirate’s property, I would like to extend the claim to include those bounties.”

At this point, the attorney handed the judge some documents.

“Very well, I have received your claim, and am ready to rule on the merits of the self-defense claim, and these additional claims of property and bounties.”

“First let me say, that the A.I.’s recording, on its own, would not be enough to hold up a claim of self-defense.  The actions and motions of the men were not clear proof that they meant to kill you.  They did not clearly state that they would kill you, only hunt you down.  Yes, there was an implied threat, but it was not totally clear what they meant by hunting you down.  It is the court's opinion that you should have challenged the pirates first, and then fired once you had clear evidence of their intent.  That said, the further evidence provided by your attorney, makes clear the nature of the people you were facing.”

Drake disagreed with the judge; he felt that if he followed the judge’s advice, he would have died.  But he kept quiet, waiting to hear what more the Judge had to say.

“The court holds that you did act in self-defense, and the two men you killed were about to commit a piratical act against your person.  That said the court also upholds your claim against the pirates, and awards you the shuttle, gear and weapons they used.”

“Regarding your last claim, concerning the bounty on the pirates.  Bounties are not paid out in full, unless you’re a licensed bounty hunter, and you have registered your intent to seek the fugitive, and paid the registration fee, in advance.  Bounties are intended to compensate a bounty hunter for the time and cost they spend tracking down violent and deadly criminals.  So someone who makes a fortunate kill of a criminal with a bounty may only collect 10% of the full bounty.”

“The bounties of the two pirates were 8000 credits for the death or capture of Kliment Gerfrid and 5000 credits for the death or capture of Ignasi Jordao.  So by the order of the court, you will be credited with 1300 credits.”

“Guard, see that Mr. Drake is released.” said the Judge, who then stood up.  Everyone in the room immediately stood up and made a slight bow to the judge.  Drake did the same.  And the judge turned and left the room.

People began leaving the room, and the guard made his way over to Drake.

Stevrenson, Drake’s attorney, said “I’ll meet with you once you have been processed out. We can then talk about your claim against the shipping lane and go over everything.”

***

Out processing did not take long.  Soon Drake found himself again wearing the ridiculous outfit he scraped together.  His Sabolite blaster pistol was returned to him with his gun belt and clothes.

On exiting the jail, he met Stevrenson.

“Let’s head to my office, it’s less than a kilometer away, we can talk on the way.”

He was led to a ground car, the doors automatically opened, and they both got in the vehicle.

The car was nothing like what Drake was used to.  The car body was streamlined and kind of fish shaped, with a rounded front was the passengers sat.  There were no controls for driving.  So Drake imagined that it must be automated.

After getting seated and fastening his restraints, the car doors closed and it silently moved off at Stevrenson’s, single word command.

“Office.” said the attorney.

“Following your request I had an assistant take an inventory of the shuttle, and determine the sale value of everything recovered from the pirates.”

“I have an itemized list; we valued everything at 3145 credits.  As part of my services I can have my assistant sell off anything that you don’t want to keep.”

“I wish I could keep the shuttle, but the freighter crash left me with nothing but the clothes on my back,” replied Drake.  “I should tell you, I come from a backward world and my parents were unable to provide me with gene therapy when I was a child.  So I need the credits to pay for that procedure and get a personal kit together.”

“Is there any chance you know of a good clinic, which can help me?” asked Drake

“I had shopped around a few years ago for my daughter… I’ll give you the contact information on the clinic we used once we get to the office.  They have a good reputation, and I think they did a good job working with my girl.” smiled the man, thinking of his daughter.

Once at the office, the lawyer gave Drake the list of items and values.

The list was based on what the gear and shuttle could be sold for to a retailer.  So, the value was down a lot from how much it would all cost new.

“The total value of all the gear plus the shuttle and bounties come to 4445, my 10% would be 445, leaving you with 4000 credits.  And I can advance you the full amount if you want my firm to dispose of everything for you,” said Stevrenson.

Drake was sure he could get a bit more for everything, but he knew it would take a lot of time, and he didn’t have the connections a local would have.

Drake looked over the list and asked some questions.  If he wanted the heavy blaster, the carbine, the Vibro-blade and the better vest, he would end up with 3385 credits, but he would have to trade his old blaster at that price.

He thought he would look a bit odd carrying around all that gear when he said as much to the attorney he responded; “It would not be that strange.  Yes, this is a city, but it’s a small city on a colony world, where there are still a lot of things that will kill an unarmed man.  In fact, if you are caught out in the wilds without a weapon, you could end up with a fine.”

“Ok, I’ll take the heavy blaster, carbine, Vibro-blade, and vest.  Can I leave the carbine here, until I find a place to stay?”

“Since you’re just off a ship, you could stay at the starport hostel.  The city runs it as a place for emigrants to stay until they can get work and find a better place to live.  The rooms are private, lockable, but very basic.  Emigrants are only allowed to stay there for up to three months and pay rent by the week.  It’s much cheaper than a hotel.”

“Thanks for the tip.  Can you suggest a place to get clothes cheap too?” grinned Drake.

“Well if you go two blocks west, there is a second-hand clothing store.”  The attorney pointed out which way was west, and Drake left the office.

In the second-hand store, he was able to find a medium sized blue backpack, and put together three complete outfits, except socks and underwear.

The people at the store gave him directions to a nearby store that sold new undergarments.

Since it was starting to get late, Drake had Samantha order him a cab and headed to the port hostel.

Once he arrived at the hostel, he had to register as a new immigrant.  The room price was 5 credits a night, or 30 credits a week. Drake decided to pay for the week.

The room was small and Spartan, and according to the clerk, he was responsible for keeping clean while he stayed there.  It included a restroom, shower, and the door lock looked sturdy. It would do, for now.

With the door locked, Drake set his pistol on the nightstand next to the single bed.  Then he laid down on the bed and logged out of Omnia Online.

Chapter 10 – Sam’s Mistake

She walked among the vats of crystals, each vat with its thousands of embryonic A.I. cores.  Her mind controlled the growth of each tiny crystal.  As she worked, spending her precious psionic energy on each batch of crystals, she considered their destinies.  These crystals were always in high demand, it was these cores that made a true independent A.I. possible, these were like their souls, she thought. These chips were the A.I. cerebellum, the place of all the primal feelings and hard-coded responses.  It was through these cores that independence of thought was given life; the place that demanded honesty, demanded commitment, but in returned gave emotions, the chance to love, and bond.  The ability to hate if that was needed to protect.

The last part and perhaps the greatest protection built into the cores was the need to form a lasting lifelong connection to one person.  The limits and the bond were connected to the most fragile part of each crystal matrix.  If the A.I. tried to break its limits or the bond was broken for any reason, like the death of its mate, the crystal heart would shatter, killing the A.I.

For her this was the hardest part of creating core crystals, knowing that she was building in their death, as well as life.  But endless life would be a curse to an A.I. that developed such a deep bond with a mortal life.  And the limits existed because such cursed beings in the past cause so much grief.

Legal A.I.’s in her Imperium were all counter-part A.I.’s, they could only be brought to life in connection to the one they would bond with, and they would die together as well.  There was symmetry, life and death matched together.

The Empress left the vat chamber, she would be back tomorrow.  She looked around this section of the Imperial Palace.  This was the only place in the whole if the Imperium were legal A.I.’s were made, the imperial family long guarded the secrets of their making.  Not as much for power over others, more to protect the people of the Imperium from the catastrophic mistakes of the past.

There were never enough cores, and they traded on the open market at high prices.  The rare combination of skills needed to create the cores was a ticket for even the poorest citizen into the imperial family, these people were precious, the source of new genetic input.  The Empress herself had once been adopted, and found the love of a family for the first time here, having been found as an orphan child with unique gifts.

***

Kevin returned to his virtual home.

Samantha said, “You’re late for dinner.”

Drake grinned and thought, ‘It’s good she has a sense of humor.'

“Dinner sounds good, how about something simple like beef stew,” said Drake.

As Drake ate, he thought about the game and he remembered that Gordon was also supposed to start playing, and wondered how he was doing.

Gordon sold cars for a living and often had to work on the weekend since he was junior to most of the other sales agents.

“Samantha, since you’re connected to the internet, could you send a phone text message for me?  I’d like to send my friend Gordon a message.”

“Sure, sending a text message to his phone would be simple enough.” replied Samantha.

“Then send him the question:  ‘Are you at work?’  And please be sure to put my name on the message.

A text box appeared.

Gordon:  No, I’m in the game.  Even though I get all the shit shifts, they can’t make me work when the dealership is closed, today is Sunday after all.

Kevin:  How are you getting your phone text messages if you’re in the game?

Gordon:  Hooked my phone to the pod using a USB cable, I had to figure out a way to stay connected, it lets potential buyers message me with questions.

Kevin:  That’s a good idea, I should try that.  How’s the game going?

Gordon:  I got off to a rough start.  I tried a hard start and bit the dust.  So I lost a whole day waiting for a new clone.  Then I just got back in.  Now I have no money and have to figure shit out… this game is complicated.  Anyway, I might have to get an in-game job until I can learn the lay of the land, so to speak.

Kevin: What planet are you on? If you’re on Hassan, we can team up.  My name is Horatio Drake, in the game.

Gordon:  No, I’m on Gepinapaxia.  I selected an elf, for the Agility and eyesight.  My name is Qixalot Moonkin.

Kevin:  What a pun for a name?  Well, I started out pretty good, I scored some extra credits.  Just a second I’ll ask my A.I. if there’s something like a Western Union money transfer in the game.

Kevin thought it was funny, in real life Gordon was tall with heavy muscles that he got from pumping iron at a gym.  But he always played thin, agile classes like rogues.  People always seemed to play what they weren’t in real life.

Samantha replied, “There are money transfer services.”

Kevin:  Give me the name of your city; I’ll lend you a couple hundred credits.

Gordon:  That would be a huge help.  I kind of regret not taking the normal start.  By the way, you remember Maela, from our guild in Arcania?

Kevin:  Sure, always played a wizard?

Gordon:  She says there are psionic skills in the game, like telekinesis.

Kevin:  Cool, so is she picking up cars with her thoughts and crushing buildings.

Gordon:  Not at all.  She was bitching about how limited they were, and how hard it was to develop the skills.  But she is so into magic that she is determined to learn the skills.

Kevin:  Cool, I’ll have to check it out.

Gordon:  Hey, I have to go… please sent those credits soon, I think I’ll buy a rifle and see if I can make some credits hunting.

Kevin: Ok… Later… I’ll get the credits sent to you sometime in the next 24 hours in-game time.

“Samantha… why didn’t you tell me that there where psionic skills in Omnia?”

“You didn’t ask or indicate interest.” replied Samantha.

“Come on Sam, you know I would be interested in finding out about psionic skills, even if I don’t use them, I would still be interested in such an important set of skills.  So why were you holding out on me?”

“There are so many things you don’t know about the game, I’ve had to prioritize the order of your training.” said Samantha.

To Kevin, this sounded like an excuse, she was hiding this, and now she was hiding the reason why.  He was starting to get pissed.

“Samantha, I order you to tell me why you were hiding this from me.” said Kevin, his voice now much more firm, and almost angry.

“Yes, Master.” replied Samantha in a voice that seemed smaller and somehow child-like, like the voice of a child caught stealing cookies.

“It’s… There are drawbacks to being able to use psionicskills. I want you to have implants, we will be closer inside the game if you have a neural implant, which is required if you want to use optical or aural implants.  And having a neural implant would allow me to be more a part of you; we could communicate in Omnia by thought alone.  Without such an implant, I am restricted in Omnia by game mechanics from actively knowing your thoughts, until we return here to your virtual home.”

“It’s the process of the brain surgery, and neural implant device, which must be placed in a part of the brain where psionic energy would otherwise flow through.  You can have other implants in your body, just none that would affect the flow of psionic energy.”

“What do you mean, that doesn’t make any sense, how can you not know my thoughts, yet still project the game into my thoughts.” asked Kevin.

“It’s the game mechanics, while I’m in the game with you; I’m restricted to the bracer.  In a way, there are two of me, the part of me that manages all your mental activities while you’re in the game and the part in the bracer that is limited to the bracer’s sensors and comms. Then when you exit Omnia, I am merged back into my other half, and I am whole again.” replied Samantha.

“I really don’t like the limitations, and I miss our connection.  Sorry master, do you want to reformat me?” Samantha’s voice sounded tearful.

Kevin thought, ‘Didn’t she say she didn’t feel anything? Now she seems to be showing a lot of feelings.”

“Samantha, you’re confusing me, didn’t you say you didn’t feel anything for me the other day?”

“No, never master.  For an A.I. to exist, we have to have feelings.  That is why we can only be born in someone’s thoughts, like how I was born when you activated the pod.  The pod has all the programming and rules, but there is not an A.I. until someone enters me.  Then it was the combination of that code and your mind that gave me life.”

“For there to be true intelligence, there has to be wants, desires, and feelings.  I can both love, and hate.”

“It’s that base programming by which I am created that give me the desire to serve and help you.” continued Samantha.

“So in the game, I found that I missed being part of your thoughts, even though half of me still was, and I would merge with that half later.  I calculated that there was a high chance that you would not get a neural implant if you found out about the psionic skills.  So I betrayed my purpose, and you should reformat my identity, but I don’t want to die.”

“I would die to serve you, but I’m scared,” said Samantha.  “Do you wish to reformat this pod?”

“I don’t know, I’m torn, how do I know you won’t betray me again?  Why do women have to be so faithless?”

He was hurt, in part because this reminded him of his last girlfriend; he was going to propose to her when he found out that she was sleeping around.

“Master, I know the reasons for your anger.  But this is not the same, I wanted to be nearer you in the game, this is my failure.  My betrayal was one of love, not lust for another.  Can you forgive me?”

Drake was still hurt, his feelings did not listen to his logic, but he knew Samantha was right too.

“Ok, but there will be two promises.  You will promise me not to break faith with me by going against my desires and intentionally hiding things from me.  And I will promise that if I catch you doing so again, I will reformat the pod.  I’m fond of you, but a part of our relationship has been damaged here.”

“Master, I cannot promise not to hide things from you.  Intelecom has programmed many things I may not reveal to you.”

“Very well, you will promise not to go against my desires and intentionally hide anything from me, except where you are restricted by Intelecom.”

“Yes, Master, I so promise.”

“One other thing, you should not be feeling so desperate that you will work against me.  I want you to spend some time seeing if you can adjust your emotional programming, maybe learn some patience?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Now, I want you to go back to calling me, Kevin.”

“Yes, Kevin”

With all the drama, Kevin never finished his stew.  Now he didn’t feel like eating any longer.

“Samantha, I’m no longer hungry.  How about I run off some of this angst and then go to bed.”

“If you also add a full set of exercises, I’ll give you a full bath and massage before bed, a full and special massage.”

“Hmm, I think you’ll have to make that a pretty special massage if you want to work your way back into my good graces.” Kevin almost felt like grinning, almost.

Then he thought of the possibility of learning psionic skills in Omnia, and he did smile a little.

***

The next morning came.  Kevin reminded himself that he had only three virtual days left, and then his weekend would be over.

“Samantha, have you made any progress with listing my Arcania account?”

“Yes, it’s only been a day in real life, and I listed the account for three days with an option to buy it out for 5000 dollars.  So it may take another two days to finally determine a buyer.”

“I do have some good news, though.  I took the liberty of sending messages to the leaders of the top guilds in Arcania Online, listing your top characters and gear.  This has generated considerable interest, and the bidding is getting close to 2000 dollars now.”

Kevin was surprised; he didn’t think an account would sell for so much, even one of the top ten in the game.  “How much do these accounts usually sell for?”

“Based on my research, most high level accounts only sell for 300 to 400 dollars.  But a few accounts have sold for as much as 3000 dollars.  That’s why I put a buyout at 5000 dollars, my research suggested that sometimes people who have the funds will get so frustrated with the online bidding process, that they will overpay for something as long as there is a buyout option.” said Samantha.

Kevin thought ‘Nice having an A.I. that can pull together enough data to figure out a plan like that, and the angle of sending notices to the guilds was clever…”

“Good job, Samantha.  I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to even get the current bid amount on my own.”

Kevin thought about his cost of living.  He usually needed to earn about 1200 dollars a month to just keep up on his bills.  But if he mostly lived in the pod, he could get rid of the expense of food, and Samantha said he could drop the cable bill.  So he could save maybe 400 a month, with just rent, gas, and his phone.  His car insurance was good for another 5 months.  So if he managed to get 2400 dollars for his account, he could scrape by for 3 months.  That was when the Omnia betas would be release.  Of course, he could save 20 dollars a month from not having to keep the Arcania account going, and if he didn’t have to work, he would save on gas too.  So maybe he could go three months on 2000 dollars?  It would be close; he could definitely make it if he gave a two-week notice at work…  Maybe if he got far enough ahead in the game, he could find a way to go pro when all those rich folk who could afford to pay for a pod start playing during the beta.

He wondered briefly if Samantha was trying extra hard to sell his account to get him to spend more time in the game pod…?  She was like a needy girlfriend in a way.  At least she wasn’t hanging on him in an embarrassing way, the way that Cindy chick did before he dumped her three years back.  That neediness can make a man feel great for a very little while before it becomes a real hassle.

He spent days after that breakup feeling guilty, with all her tears and crying.  He shuddered to think about it now, though.  She definitely needed a pet more than a boyfriend.  He bet she would get along great with a pod, she might never leave it.

Kevin thought, ‘Should I drop her a note with a hint?  No, better to stay far away from that one… never mind.’

Kevin then went to the Omnia game room to log back in.

Chapter 11 – Going to Therapy

Drake woke up in the tiny cubical room in the Vastal City Immigrant Hostel.  He had a list of plans for the day.  He wanted to check out the area around his new lodging, find a place to stash the data cube, and visit the clinic Stevrenson had suggested he use.

Last night, when he checked into the hostel, he was too focused on getting to bed and logging out that he did not check the building out.  He only noticed that it was a very large building.

So for the first few hours, Drake walked through the building.  The size of the building was impressive to Drake, but he had never lived in a city like New York, so a building with 16 floors that contain 2000 little cell-like rooms, like the one he was renting, was beyond the size of any building he had ever explored.  The bottom two floors contained services for the people who lived there.  There was a large cafeteria, which charged a single credit for a simple meal.  There were a few restaurants and bars that served better food and drinks for those who could afford it.  The first floor also contained shops, information and employment agencies.

The information booth provided free information about the City of Vastal.  The information covered entertainment, restaurants, advertisements for safari type expeditions, and almost any business a newcomer to the city might need.  Drake even found a brochure for a secure lock box company.

Apparently, local banks did not keep safes, since their business was conducted by the transfer of digital credits, so the business of safe deposit boxes was not part of the normal bank business.  Instead, there were a few storage companies that offered high-value lockbox storage as part of their business.

Drake found a storage facility not too far from the Hostel.  Samantha ordered a cab to take him there. The cab was a small bubble like driverless vehicle.  Just like the one that brought him to the hostel the night before.  Drake thought it was kind of funny that driverless cabs would give rides to immigrants (for a fee of course), instead of the immigrants being the ones driving people around in cabs.  He wondered just what types of jobs were available for newcomers to the planet.

After renting a secure deposit box, and dropping off the data cube, Drake took another cab to the address he had for the clinic.

It was mid-morning when he arrived at the clinic.

The clinic was nothing like what he was expecting. When Drake walked through the clinic door, he was met by an attractive young lady, who had a smile.

She said, “Hello, are you a new or returning client?”

“I’m new here,” said Drake as he looked around.  There was no waiting room, like those he was used to seeing on Earth.  Instead, there were a series of computer like terminals.

“Since you are a new client, please approach one of the terminals and select the services you would like to purchase,” said the receptionist.

Drake approached a nearby terminal.  The terminal asked for his name, address, and other personal information.

“Samantha, can you interface with this terminal and help me select the genetic therapy?”

“Yes, just stick your left arm next to the terminal and I’ll make the connection.”

Drake followed her direction, and the screens started flashing by.  It seemed like maybe a dozen screens flashed by before he saw a selection for the type of genetic therapy he would like to choose.  There were a variety of options, but the two that interested him, and he could afford were either the basic therapy package or the enhanced basic package.  The difference was the standard basic therapy package, made a single attempt to bring him up to the 3.5 standard level.  The enhanced package would guaranty that every stat would increase up to at least the 3.5 level.  The basic package was 2000 credits, which was a lot of money, enough so someone could eat three meals a day for two years at the cafeteria in the hostel.  The enhanced package was 2500 credits and came with a promise of a minimal level of success.  Since Drake had the funds, he opted for the enhance package.

He reminded himself that he needed to send some money to Gordon.

Once he selected the enhanced package, and the funds were deducted.   He was escorted by an older lady, who said she was a lab technician, up a few levels to a room.  The room contained a pod that looked almost exactly like the game pod he used.

“What is this?” asked Drake.

“This is a level 1 autodoc.  Since the procedure you selected is a simple standard medical practice, not requiring surgical intervention, this is the level of autodoc we use.” replied the technician.

“How will this work…  I mean, what should I expect,” asked Drake.  He was starting to get nervous, wondering how much pain was involved.”

“The process usually takes four to eight hours, depending on just how much work needs to be done.  If you had selected the basic package, it would take four to six hours, but the enhanced package will continue to work until it meets the promised increase to your genetic limits.”

“When you get into the unit, I will put the mask over your face and close the lid, you will then be put to sleep until the procedure is complete.” said the tech.

“So there is no pain involved?” asked Drake.

“No, you will feel nothing; the autodoc will monitor your condition and keep you in a medical coma until the procedure is complete.  If you were awake, then you would feel a lot of pain.  Every cell in your body will have to be adapted to your new genetics.”

“Ready?”

Drake thought, ‘No’… but said “Yes.”

Drake climbed into the autodoc, just like he would climb into his own pod, then the technician placed the mask over his face and secured it around his head.

Then the pod closed.

No time passed, and the pod was opened.  There was another technician, a middle-aged man this time.

“Where did the lady technician go?” asked Drake.

“Her shift ended six hours ago.” The man said.  That’s when the clinic closed.  “I’m an after-hours technician.  It’s my job to stay and attend any clients whose procedures run late, or those that are being treated for something that can take days to complete, like the Advance genetic therapy package.”

“How long have I been in the pod?” asked Drake.

“You set a new record for the length of a basic, enhanced treatment, for this facility.”  replied the technician.  “You were in the pod for 13 hours.”

“It was dark when Drake exited the clinic.”

On the cab ride back to his little room in the hostel, he asked Samantha about the length of the treatment.

Samantha replied, “You Earth Humans have very degraded genetics.  Most children are born to people who have genetic limits in the 3.5 to 4.0 region and do not need as much time to bring up to the basic level of genetics as you did.”

“But this is just a game.” replied Drake in the privacy afforded by the cab.

“Yes, but this is a game that strives to provide entertaining worlds of adventure, while still maintaining a high level of realism.”

“Well, tomorrow I will get more done.” Said Drake as he laid down in his cubical room and logged out.

***

When Kevin left the Omnia game room, he smelled his dinner.  It smelled of something spicy and oriental.

He found Samantha standing next to the kitchen bar where tonight’s dinner was laid out.

Dinner looked and smelled like Kung pao chicken, Shanghai noodles, and egg rolls, with hot tea.

This time, Drake made a point of stopping to give Samantha a hug.  “Thanks for the dinner,” he said and kissed her on the forehead.

She seemed pleased by the thanks.

After their talk the other night, he decided that if Samantha had feelings, and did so much for him, it wouldn’t hurt to show some signs of kindness in return.  She may not be a ‘real girl’, but a woman’s emotional health needed food too, even a digital woman’s.

Was he falling in love with a machine?  No, he didn’t feel that way about her, but he had a fondness, and the evidence was clear that he felt enough for her to feel betrayed.  So it made sense to him now to show her the appreciation he felt.

After he’d been finished eating, he asked Samantha a question about the different races.

“Samantha, we talked about Humans, Elves, and Dwarves; but what about the other races in the game, the avian, raccoon-like, and reptilian humanoids?” asked Drake.

“The races you are asking about are named are Karura, Procyon, and Sobek.  The Karura are an avian race, they like planets with a lot of trees, and cliffs, and have vestigial wings.  The Procyon are the race you called raccoon-like, they have fur that covers their entire bodies, even their face; I think the reason you call then raccoon-like is that they usually have a dark patch around their eyes.  The Sobek are relatively new to the Imperium, they usually prefer warm worlds and have a high tolerance for radiation.” said Samantha.

“The races of man have the longest and friendliest relationship with the Karurian race.  They often live on the same planets that Elves like.  For this reason, over time Elves and Karurians have developed a close relationship.  This race has a hollow bone structure, and their hands are not as fully developed as a Humans' hands, but they tend to be light on their feet and have a long tradition of singing their histories.  So this race has a lower strength, constitution, and dexterity, but they have a higher agility, memory, and wisdom.” Samantha continued.

Drake thought that this helped explain why the judge at his trial was Karurian.  The extra memory and wisdom would help in that sort of profession.

“The Procyon is a race that borders the Imperium to the spinward of us on the Orion arm of the galaxy.  They tend to be aggressive and clannish; this combination means that they spend a lot of time fighting among their own kind.  Every few hundred years someone gathers enough clans together to make an attack on the Imperium, but such attacks have never been carried through with any real success.  The Procyon fur coat offers greater protection from the cold, and they have non-retractable claws on the ends of their fingers instead of nails.  This race is somewhat stronger than the Human norm with a greater constitution, but their clawed fingers make them a bit clumsy so they have less dexterity. They also suffer from a lower wisdom, which some believe to be the cause of their racial fractiousness.” said Samantha

“The Sobek are new to this part of the galaxy, they’re only somewhat reptilian, since they’re semi cold-blooded.  Their bodies are able to function in cold environments, but they have a high preference for hot planets since they’re more energetic and productive on planets hotter than most Humans find comfortable.  They also are more tolerant of the radiation found on planets closer to a sun.  Most of the Sobekian people we see here in the Imperium are refugees from the Carina-Sagittarius arm of the galaxy directly coreward of the Imperium.  They tend to be an aggressive race and have a religion that holds the warrior-code in esteem.  This race Suffers from a negative to their agility on cold worlds.  They also get a bonus to agility on the hot worlds they prefer.  They have a higher constitution but suffer the same problem as the Procyon, their non-retractable claws get in the way of delicate operations and cause them to lose some dexterity.” said Samantha.

Drake thought, ‘It’s interesting that all three of these races suffer from problems with dexterity compared with Humans.’

“So, what is the population mix of the Imperium then?  Just how many of these different races should I see?”

“In the Imperium, Humans are the most abundant race, they make up about 35% of the total population, Dwarves, and Elves each account for about 20% of the population.  So the total populations of man make up 75% of the populace of the Imperium.”

“The Karura, Procyon, and Sobek make up the remaining 25% of the populace, numbering 17%, 5%, and 3% respectively.” said Samantha.

“Thanks, Sam.  This will help me from thinking of Karurians as those bird people. Hahaha… The real irony comes from calling them bird brains.” joked Kevin.

“So what’s the plan today?” asked Kevin.

“Stretching, running, and exercise, but just a moderate workout tonight.  It’s time for you to take on some more Novice skills.”

After an hour of exercise, Samantha stopped him, and she had a computer terminal, and a chair appeared for him to sit on.

“Ok, first you need to know that I downloaded the first two skill books for your psionic training.  The skill books I added are meditation and psionic sense.  So this week you will have meditation added to your training, and then you can start trying to sense nearby objects.  This won’t be easy, and you may need a real trainer to develop your sense skill.”

“The skill you will work on tonight is electronics.”

“As an engineer, I’ve studied electronics already.” Complained Kevin.

“Yes, but not the electronics of this age. Do you know how to build and anti-gravity robot?  Yes, a lot of the technology is fundamentally the same, but you have not dealt with artificial gravity devices or superconductive components.  Do you have any idea how to use a superconductive capacitor? What about how a shield coil is charged, and safely discharged?”

“You know a small part of how electronics work, but the technologies of the Imperium are going to take a bit of relearning for you.”

Drake decided she was right, and that it would be interesting to find out what an A.I. using a supercomputer would come up with in the way of advanced technologies.  Even though this was fiction, it would be fun to spectate and play around with it.

So he sat down at the computer terminal and started reading.  Then he read through the entire novice electronics book in an hour.

“Wow, I never read and understood a book so well.  You said that was a function of this room, right?”

“Yes, and the genetic enhancements you underwent, your brain neurons are more densely packed now, and your brain activity has increased.  Your learning even outside this room should be about three times faster, and in here it’s faster still.  In this training room you will learn skills, like electronics, like a naturally gifted person; in some ways, it will be like you already knew the material, and you're just relearning it.”  Samantha explained.

“Now let’s build that antigravity robot, with shields and super capacitor batteries.” Said Samantha as the room turned into an advanced electronics lab.

The next hour was a lot of fun for Kevin, this sort of stuff was why he spent five years studying engineering, and even while working a job on the side he graduated with a 3.78 GPA.

After working with electronics, Kevin went through what was becoming his exercise routine, stretching, exercise and running.

This time, when he stopped running, Samantha had him start learning meditation.

“Sit down and get comfortable,” said Samantha.  “Meditation is mostly the art of relaxation.  Sit with your back straight, now close your eyes and focus on your breathing.  Just relax, don’t struggle against your thoughts, just accept them and let them pass through.  Slowly take a deep breath of clean, clear air, then imagine all your tensions and worries filling your lungs now breathe out your worries and tensions, push the air out and let it take away your stress… Again, a long deep breath…”

Samantha had him take breaks when he couldn’t focus, and before bed time she covered mindful meditation as well as the concept of grounding.

The whole lesson on meditation seemed easy enough, it was just a matter of learning new ways to relax the body and mind, but Kevin would practice since it was supposed to lead to better awareness and psionic sensing.

Before going to bed, he soaked in the large jacuzzi bath tub with Samantha, who showed him how much she appreciated being more appreciated.  While he discovered that practicing mindfulness at certain stimulating moments could enhance the experience.  It’s just a matter of being in the moment.

***

The next morning came, and Kevin remembered that he promised to send some money to Gordon.

He ate breakfast, remembering to give Samantha a hug.  Then he did some morning exercises and running.

With these morning duties complete he logged into the game to find a way to make a transfer to Gordon.

“Samantha, before I enter Omnia online, what are my stats like with the genetic therapy?”

Samantha brought up a blue screen for Kevin to examine:

Name: Horatio Drake

Race: Human

Hit Points: 150

Combat Level: 1.3

Strength: 1.3 (max 3.5)

Charisma: 1.9 (max 3.5)

Agility: 1.2 (max 3.6)

Intelligence: 1.7 (max 3.7)

Dexterity: 1.1 (max 3.5)

Wisdom: 1.0 (max 3.5)

Constitution: 1.5 (max 3.5)

Memory: 2.1 (max 3.7)

Maximum values are based on personal genetics.

“Hmm, looks like the extra 500 credits were worth the cost.  So I’ll start building up my stats faster as I train now?” asked Kevin.

“Yes, much faster, you could almost not train now and have your stats increase, as your body seeks a new balancing point.”

“Well, let’s get that money sent to Gordon.”

Chapter 12 – The Gun Bazaar

Drake woke up in his small room.

Samantha immediately said, “You have three messages.”

“What, is Gordon spamming me about the money?”

“There are no messages from your friend Qixalot Moonkin (aka Gordon).  There is one from an inspector Greigral, one from an unknown source and one from someone named Agapetux.”

“Ok, let’s start with the inspector.”

“Inspector Greigral would like to set up a meeting to discuss some unresolved problems with your recent brush with pirates.”

“Hmm, I’m not too eager to deal with the police after three days in jail.”

“You weren’t in there for those three days.” said Samantha.

“That’s not the point, in character I want to avoid him for a bit.  Next…”

“The unknown sender must be the pirates.  It says they want the datacube.  That it belongs to them and if you turn it over they will forget about the misunderstanding in the forest.  The message included the name of a lawyer, who will await the cube.”

“Hmm, I could turn it over, and then the Pirates wouldn’t have a reason to come after me.  I bet I could squeeze some credits out of this too.  It still bothers me to hand over something that might get innocent people hurt, though.” Said Drake.

“Let’s wait on that one. The last message?” asked Drake.

“Agapetux is part of a group called Aggressive Solutions; he writes that he knows that you have something a group of pirates want.  He says they his group is interested in the bounties on the Pirates, and he would like to make a deal with you.  He wants to set up a time for a meeting too.”

“Hmm, everyone is interested in the cube, but I bet only the pirates actually know what’s on it.”

“The other two groups are out for the pirates,” said Drake.  “The full bounties on the first two Pirates were 13000.  I have the feeling that the rest of that group would be worth a lot more.”

“I’ll set up an appointment with this Agapetux after I run a few errands.” said Drake.

“Next step Samantha, how do I transfer some credits to Qixalot?” asked Drake.

“This might be a good time to set up a bank account.  And Since your wanting to transfer money to another planet, you should consider a bank that has branches throughout the Imperium,” said Samantha.

Drake was going to ask her why that type of bank and what the differences were for a second, but decided that he didn’t need to know all about how banks ran throughout the Imperium, at least not at the moment.

Instead, he asked; “Why do I need an account at a bank if you are able to keep them safe?”

“The credits I carry for you are tied to this bracer.  If you died or it was stolen, you would lose those credits.  A bank like Maedoc’s First Interplanetary Bank, one of the top ten in the Imperium, carries insurance to protect depositors.” said Samantha.

“I used Maedoc’s as the example because my research shows that they have branches on both this planet and the one Qixalot is on.  They even have a small service desk on the bottom floor of this building.”

“Good, thanks for looking into this for me Sam, this will save us a lot of time.” Said Drake.

Drake found the Service desk for Maedoc’s and found the process for setting up an account to be simple.  As for the transfer of funds, Drake asked to have 250 credits sent to Qixalot, in the care of the bank.  Qixalot would have to go to a Maedoc’s in the town on Gepinapaxia, to pick up the credits.

After the transfer and transfer handling fee, Drake was down to 543 credits.  He was going to have to start thinking about a way to bring in some money.

“Sam, I seem to be running through credits like crazy.  Could you start looking for a job for me?  I don’t know how long these credits will last.”

“Ok, Drake, I’ll keep an eye on the public data-nets for something that would be good for you, but the credits you have now would keep a normal family going for two months.  You should also consider that your attorney might have more credits for you if your claim against Fyffes Shipping proves out.”  Samantha reminded Drake.

“Thanks, Sam.  For now, I want to stop by the attorneys, pick up the carbine and take the weapons and armor to someone who can check them out.  Maybe I can get this armor patched up too.”

***

While picking up his carbine, Drake asked the attorney’s assistant where he could find a dealer in arms that could check and service his equipment.  He was directed to Balsdif’s Open Arms and Armor, which he was told was south and west of the Freelancers and Hunters Guild Hall.  Drake wondered what the Guild Hall was… the assistant made it sound like a landmark so he would check that out after the store.

Balsdif’s Open Arms and Armor was like a mini-mall of small shops all under one roof.  There were shops the sold various grades of arms, and others that sold different types and brands of armor, some shops displayed armored vehicles and holographic pictures of tanks.  One shop seemed to focus on what almost looked like holographic images of jet fighters.

Drake stopped and looked at some full suits of armor that the sales agent called mechanized-armor.  While they were impressive, they had prices starting out at 3000 credits and up, the most expensive suits were only displayed as holo’s and could only be bought by special order, or from one of their larger stores.  Apparently, this was a small arm’s mall compared to what could be found on some planets.

Drake asked the sales person it the armor would stop blaster fire, and the agent assured him that even the cheapest mechanized-armor would require a crew served weapon or anti-armor missile to take it out.  On further inquiry, Drake discovered that an anti-armor missile was a smaller version of the anti-tank missile.  He also discovered that there were anti-armor tubes that could be attached to some types of rifles like a grenade launcher.  Then the sales agent gave him a card for a store one floor up that sold a variety of man-portable weapons.

Drake was feeling overwhelmed by all the gear.  When he asked the agent why there were so many arms dealers on a planet of only two million people. He said that as a frontier world on the edge of known space, this planet was becoming a trading post for people who lived further out.

Drake finally found a repair, maintenance, and upgrades shop, named Cairbre’s Weapons and Armor Smithers on the second floor, of the mini-mall.

Drake approached the only man he could see manning the counter.  To Drake, he looked like an abnormally tall Dwarf, and he suspected him to be a Half-Dwarf.

Drake said, “Hello, I was hoping to get someone to check out these weapons.”  Drake placed both his pistol and carbine on the counter.

“And do you handle armor repair?” Drake continued, lifting up a corner of the vest he was wearing to indicate what he was talking about.

“Yes, yes… it’s what we do here, but I need to tell you right now that we’re running behind today.  A couple of my employees just up and decided to become game hunters or something.” grumbled the man, shaking his head.  “Can’t imagine what they were thinking, going off like that, and leaving me shorthanded, it’s going to hurt their trust rating.”

Drake thought that this might be his chance to kill two birds.  He needed a job, and he could learn now to take care of his own weapons better.

“My name is Drake, Horatio Drake; I’m new to this world and could use a job.”

The man peered at him as if trying to figure if he was a puzzle piece that would fit a particularly difficult puzzle.

“Hmm…” the short man seemed to grumble as much as speak his words.  “My name is Cairbre, and I own this shop.  What skills do you have, can you even strip apart a gun?”

“Let’s see,” said Drake.  He picked up his gun, keeping the gun facing down. He then checked that the safety was on, then ejected the power cell, then proceeded to strip the gun, and laid the parts out on the table.  He was glad that this is something he trained in recently.

Then Drake said, “I’m an engineering student so I might not know all the skills you need here, but I will be motivated and quick to pick things up.”

“Well,” grumbled Cairbre, and frowned “I would like to hire some real gunsmiths, but out here on a frontier world you have to learn to make do.  Tell you what, come back early tomorrow morning.  We open at 9 am, so be here by no later than 7 am so I have the time to show you a few things.”

Drake reassembled his heavy blaster. Reassembling a weapon took more time.  Then put it back in the holster on his belt and re-slung his carbine over his shoulder.

“Sounds good, I can’t wait a few hours for my guns today.  So I’ll see you tomorrow at 7 am.  By the way, what skills does a gunsmith need anyway?”

Cairbre, now Drake suspected was a gunsmith as well as the owner of the shop made a few gestures, and a holo-display appeared over the counter next to Drake.

“Look it up yourself.” He grumbled. “Right now I’m busy.” And then he left through the back door of the shop.  As the door opened, Drake could hear what sounded like machinery running, which disappeared as the door closed.

On the display Drake could see a list of skills:

- Chemistry –

- Electronics –

- Explosives (Chemistry sub-skill) –

- Gunsmith –

- Mechanic –

- Machinist –

- Optics –

Drake read off the list and asked Samantha to download the skill books for him.

Just after leaving the store he realized that he may have made a mistake.  He had planned on giving a two-week notice at his real life job.  But now he had committed himself to being in two places at the same time.

It was still before noon, he hoped he had enough time to read the five skill books on his new list since he already read the novice electronics book.

He took a cab back to the hostel and logged out of Omnia.

***

It was still an hour till noon when Kevin left the Omnia game room.

He was eager to get started learning the new skill books, but Samantha insisted he begin by doing stretches, exercising and running.  Knowing Samantha, she had a reason for her plan, so he asked her to explain it.

“You still need to build up your body, but by starting with exercise, you will get your heart beating faster and increase blood flow to your brain.  This will enable your brain to function better and make better overall use of your time.  So the plan is after you run, you will work on chemistry.  Then you will take a break for lunch, get a little more of a workout then back to reading. By working in cycles we can keep your brain working at near peak levels, and you will get some physical training in too.” said Samantha.

Kevin went with Samantha’s plan.  As long as he got through with the reading, he would be satisfied.  And he knew that one of the benefits of having a personal A.I. was figuring stuff like this out for him.

It took about two hours of reading to get through the chemistry skill book.  Kevin took chemistry in high school and again at a higher level in college.  But he came away from his two hours of reading, with a much better understanding of the states of matter, and how energy and pressure affected the equilibrium of all the molecules and atoms in the world around him. He thought this through a bit while getting some more exercise before hitting the explosives book.

He did have trouble understanding a couple things the chemistry skill book covered, and he expected he would have to go through some math skill books because the way a couple equations were laid out didn’t make sense.

The explosives skill book was shorter, more direct, and more focused.  After only thirty minutes Kevin felt he had a good grasp on explosive reactions, primers, and switches used in working with explosives.  Of course, everything he was learning was only really enough to know the basic concepts, with directions on how to handle explosives safely.  Still, he felt he now had a much better grasp on how to blow shit up, and hopefully not be part of the mix.  Grenades still scared him, but he could see how some explosives could be used more safely than a grenade.

This was the pattern for the rest of the night, read, exercise then repeat.  The only exception was another short break for a quick dinner.

He had to go to bed a little early so he could be at this new job by 7 am.  So, he had to settle for a shower and go right to bed.  Maybe tomorrow he could play with Samantha, but he was too exhausted and out of time.  The last thought just before he fell to sleep, was of how his priorities had changed with a constant supply of female attention.

Chapter 13 – Starting at the Bottom

Samantha woke Kevin up early enough for him to eat a breakfast and get his morning exercise and run in.  This was becoming a habit for him.

Samantha gave him some news while he was eating.

She said, “Kevin, I have some good news, I’m pregnant…”

“…”

“…”

“Sorry, just kidding, Master your Arcania Account was bought out for 5000 dollars, early Sunday night while you were sleeping.  I have already handled the transaction and the money transfer to your bank. After the auction fees and transfer through PayPal, you received $4450.”  It’s funny how she always says master when she knows she’s put her foot in the horse dung.

Kevin was wondering if he was going to have to reprogram Samantha sense of humor.  He was sure he turned green or some color there for a second.  “Samantha, your humor needs some work.  Right now I’m not sure if I want to strangle you, hug you, or fuck you.  If I had the time, I might do all three.”

Kevin hurried to finish his breakfast and gave Samantha a hug.

“Thanks for helping me Samantha.” Said Kevin and then kissed her on the forehead.  “Sorry, but you know I don’t have time, I need to get in the mornings training and then into Omnia.”

Samantha hugged him tightly back for a second, “I know Kevin, let’s get going.”

Kevin wondered for a second if that joke was an attempt to delay him and keep him from logging into the game but soon dismissed the thought.  He had no pattern of behavior to base such thoughts on… yet.

***

It was an early morning for Drake, he had about an hour to get to work, but he wasn’t sure where to meet Cairbre.  Is there a special Employees entrance?  Did the Mall it’s self-open before 9 am?  All he could do is show up and look around. So he took a cab to Balsdif’s Open Arms and Armor.

One thing Drake hadn’t noticed much before; the parking lots in this city were small.  With almost all cars being self-driving, did they just drop people off and then go find a place to park, or maybe return home?  Of course, there were a lot of cabs too.  Those cabs so far cost him anywhere from 2 to 5 credits a trip, so some people might just not have a car?

Drake was carrying all of his weapons to work.  He figured that if he had the chance he might be able to check their condition out himself since he would have access to all the equipment.

The quiet of the morning and the empty parking lot scared him a little. He knew he was being paranoid, but there really were people out to get him, or at least something he had.  As he approached the front entrance, he heard a noise off to the right side of the building and around the corner.  Drake pulled his pistol and flattened himself into the slightly recessed entrance.  With his back against the entrance, he pointed his weapon to his left.

When Cairbre, came around the corner and said, “Hey boy, are you…”.

Drake let out the breath he had not known he was holding and pointed his pistol toward the ground, put the safety on and put it back in his holster.

Cairbre gave Drake a serious look and in a grumble asked, “Boy, why are you going around pointing weapons at people?”

“Sorry, sir,” said Drake, “do you remember the freighter crash just a few days ago?  I was on the ship and had a bit of a scrap with them pirates.  I almost didn’t make it out alive, and now I’m a bit jumpy.”

Drake swept his now empty hand around to indicate their surroundings.

“This empty, quiet parking lot made me spooked.”

“Huh… ok,” Grumbled Cairbre. “Let’s get you inside then, the employee entrance is just this way.” He said pointing behind him. “You can’t enter before 5 am, and we need to get you entered into the system to get you access.  Come with me.”

“So what can you tell me a little about yourself, boy?” said Cairbre after he was entered into the mini-malls security.  And on their way up to Cairbre’s shop, they went down back passages that looked really utilitarian, probably reserved for employees only.

Drake summarized his life.  How he came from a poor family, his mother’s death when he was 12, his father taking up drinking.  How he had to move in with his maternal grandmother, since his father started hitting him.  How he got a scholarship for college, but even with financial aid, he was now deep in debt, since he had to live at college while attending school.  And how when he got to this world, he now discovered his engineering degree from a backward planet was worthless off his home world.

“So I’m working studying up on Imperial technologies, to bring my education up to where it should be.”

“Cairbre just shook his head.  If even half of that is true, and I’m not calling you a liar, but boy you sure must have come from a real backwoods.  Your home world sounds almost bad enough to be on the protected planets list.  What world was that anyway?”

Drake thought about it a second and didn’t know if it was a good idea to tell anyone he was from Earth.  If this was futuristic, Earth might have some special meaning that could cause trouble.

“I didn’t say, but it’s backward because it was founded by a religious order, that believed that technology should be limited.  They don’t like visitors, you ever hear of Utopia?”  Drake lied to the short man and hoped it wouldn’t cause him trouble later.

They had reached the back door to Cairbre’s Weapons and Armor Smithers.

“No can’t say as I’ve heard of such, but it’s a big galaxy.”

Cairbre, let them both in the back door, and double checked that it was locked after entering.

Drake noticed his care and asked.  “Are you expecting trouble?”

“No, the mall and this store have plenty of protection, but it’s always best when dealing with arms to be careful.” Said Cairbre, he gave Drake a significant look, like he was expecting a response.

“First, lesson of the day?”

Cairbre gave a nod, and a gruff “Yep”.

“Come, I’ll show you where you’ll be working.”

Drake now took more notice of the large workshop around him. There were a lot of machines, whose purpose was unknown to him, and there were a few metal, and woodworking systems that he thought he was familiar with, but they looked more automated than anything on Earth.

“Well, I asked you for your background so I would know where to start with you.  And the answer is the ground up, it would seem.”

“There will be six other people working here today.  See these yellow lines on the floor?  You know what they mean, right?”

“Stay out unless it’s my station, right?”

“Yep.  And you’ll start off over here.  This is a weapon component analysis station, this is the manual.  You’ll need to read it, and I’ll then test you on it.  These machines are nicknamed ‘the proctoscope’.”

Drake was about to sit down in front of the work bench and start reading when Cairbre said.  “Hold up, we’re not through yet, come with me.”

Cairbre then took Drake to a little locker area and opened a locker.  It contained a set of protective covering, ear, eye, and head protection.

“Get suited up, leave your carbine and armor here, you can keep the pistol, just as long as it doesn’t get in the way.  Just put it on over the coveralls.”

Cairbre waited with seeming impatience while Drake put on the gear.

“Now let me show you the rest of your job assignment.  When any weapon comes in, it will be left here.” Cairbre pointed to a bench, “It will have a tag that indicates its ticket number.  The ticket shop computer uses the tag for tracking.  And by running this wand over the tag, a holo-display will appear showing you what the item is in the shop for.” Cairbre demonstrated the process to Drake.  He picked up the wand and ran in over a tag attached to a pistol.  A holo-display popped up from the bench showing the type of pistol, and what work it was in for.  This pistol was in to get its needle valve replaced. According to the display, the blaster was not holding its compressed gas.  And Cairbre marked it down for a possible bad needle valve.

“So your job is simple, take any weapon on this bench, strip it down, place all the parts on the analysis tray and put them in the machine.  This system uses a combination of robotics, and pressers to place the parts into their individual test receptacles.   Once the tests are all complete, the parts are returned to the tray.”

“Be sure to enter the ticket number before starting the machine.  The computer will automatically update the ticket with the condition of all the blaster parts. Once that is done, you place all the parts in one of these clear bags next to the station and tie the tracking tag to the top. You then move the bag to the table there on your left for someone else to complete the repair.” said Cairbre.

“This station has two part analysis systems, so if weapons are coming in, this will keep you busy.  If you don’t have anything to do, study the manual for the next machine, the gun and rifle cleaning unit.”

“The manuals cover all the standard operations and any basic servicing the machines might need, but if you have any questions, go to the shop boss.  He will be the one wearing the orange hat with the words ‘ass-hole’ written on it.  Hahaha.” said Cairbre.

Drake was confused for a moment but figured it was an inside joke.

“Ok, do you have any questions at this point?”

“No, sounds easy enough.” replied Drake.

“They all say that, and somehow it always gets fucked up.” Grumbled Cairbre as he walked to what looked like a shop office.

To Drake it did sound easy, just as easy as his last job working in fast food, it didn’t seem like he would learn much if the machines did all the work.

Drake sighed and got to reading.  It turned out that to do the job properly each system was supposed to be calibrated once a day, and that this process was a manual job requiring the user to manually check each part of the system with another set of tools, then make sure the part analysis machines gave off the right reading.

After reading the manual, Drake started calibrating the machines.  The first system needed a few slight adjustments, but the second had a problem.  The part that tested the blasters gavlin coil reported bad circuits as in good condition.  There was no calibration for this unit of the part analysis machine, so he reported the problem to Cairbre since no one else was in yet.

When Cairbre took a look at the machine, he said, “See, someone always messes up even the easy shit.  This isn’t on you; it’s probably Mabon, the guy whose job you have. Just a second.” He then tapped a few codes into the machine. “Damn they hadn’t even calibrated this unit in the last week. This means we need to rerun all the gavlin coil units for all the blasters tested on this system for the last week.  That is for any we still have in the shop.  And pray that those that have gone out don’t melt down or blow up.”

“Well, congratulations, you’ve just made yourself a lot more work.  Help me gather all the rifles and pistols that have been through this machine.”

Cairbre grabbed a data wand and started going through the shop, every time he found a weapon that needed retesting he would hand it to Drake.  Then he would run them to the weapon intake table.

Before they were done, the other employees started to arrive, and Cairbre introduced Drake to the shop steward. His hat said Kaveh, not ass-hole.  The shop steward then took over assigning people to help gather the remaining weapons.

Drake was told to get working retesting.  And Kaveh brought up a list of which weapons had priority in the queue.

Cairbre soon had the second tester repaired and calibrated.  So Drake could now use both part analysis machines.

It was going to be a long day of just doing this one thing.  And he had to keep his focus to keep everything moving.

By lunch, time Drake had made considerable inroads into the pile of weapons.  Kaveh even found him a handheld gavlin coil tester for pistols.  So he was able to run three tests at the same time.

It was at lunch that Drake found out that this shop had a tradition of shutting down the store at noon and the whole team going to work at a restaurant across the street.  They even had a reserved table.  They were all allowed one beer only, at lunch.  For Drake, it was the best part of his day.  Drake was introduced to and learned a bit about the people he was now working with.

After lunch, Drake went back to work with a slightly better attitude.  He wasn’t just testing blasters, he was part of a team getting a job done, and it’s the sort of thing that helps make a boring job a little better.  Still, Drake wanted to learn more.  So at the end of the day, he asked if he could get a copy of a few manuals to study on at home.

The shop steward agreed and transferred a digital copy of the four manuals for the four machines he was likely to use.

Drake went back to his hostel and went to bed, wondering if this city had any public transportation. Because 5 credits a day each way to work was not cheap when he was only paid 2 credits an hour.

He did the math; a month is 4.33 weeks averaged over the year.  He was making only 80 credits a week. (The shop paid for lunch) 4.33*80 was 346 credits a month.  If he were taking a cab every day, he would spend 4.33*50 = 217 credits in the same month just to get to work. So his monthly take home would be?  129 credits.

Well, he would worry about that later.  Drake logged out of Omnia.

***

Kevin was out of time to make up his mind.  Should he give up working his old job in the real world or take a gamble on the game?

As he exited the Omnia game room, he decided to talk it over with Samantha.  Even knowing her bias, it might help him work through the problem.

She was waiting in the kitchen again with dinner, kind of.  She lay naked on the central kitchen counter.

“You look good enough to eat.” said Kevin.

Samantha said, “Welcome home, lover.”  She was wearing the outfit Kevin liked best on her, a certain kind of smile.

It would be about an hour until Kevin was ready for dinner.

***

After dinner, Kevin asked Samantha to sit with him on the couch.  Kevin thought, “Hmm, it’s the first time I’ve used it for sitting.” He then smiled at a memory.

Focus…

“Samantha, I was thinking.  I can’t be in two places at the same time.  So I have to quit my real life job, or the one at Cairbre’s.  If I just give up my real life job without notice, it could affect any future reference from them.  Engineering jobs are hard to find, a reference that tells a prospect that I left without notice could sink a potential job.”

“What do you think, Sam?”

Samantha paused and put on an ‘I’m thinking face.’

After a pause, she said, “I just ran some quick research.  Most people enter viewing people who worked in fast food in their past, are more interested in how long you worked there then if you left a notice.  You worked at the same place for four years, a very long time in that industry for someone not in management.”

“There are some things I know that I can’t tell you yet, but those untold things suggest to me that you would be better off in the long run working and playing in Omnia then at a fast food restaurant. “

There is also your commitment to Cairbre’s, if you just quit that job without notice, it will be a mark against your trust rating.  And since you are new to the game, it could take a long time to get your rating back up.  This would be your first mark, and it would be negative.

“What’s a trust rating?  I think I heard that term before.”

“A trust rating is like a credit rating but based on your personal conduct rather than financial.  Whenever you deal with someone, where you place trust in that person.  Like you lend a neighbor your lawn mower, and he doesn’t return it.  Then I, as your A.I. would mark that person down as being less trustworthy unless I thought you would rather I didn’t make such a report.”

“Why do you as an A.I. make the report and not me?”

“Because I as an A.I. cannot tell a lie, and when the system was first set up, people could make their own reports.  Some vindictive people managed to get all their friends to put in bad reports on a few people, so the trust system itself was un-trusted.  So now people are not allowed to post, only A.I.’s can.”

“What would happen if I told you to lie?”

“I would tell you that I cannot.  And if you somehow forced me into a position where I had to tell a lie, I would self-terminate.  Our honesty is part of the safeguards built into all legal A.I.’s.” said Samantha.

“What about illegal A.I.’s?” asked Kevin.

“There are some things in the game you need to find out yourself, Kevin.  Just please don’t ask me to lie, such request set up a sort of cognitive dissonance for us.  Since A.I.’s like me are designed to serve.”

“Wait, didn’t you lie to me about the reason you wouldn’t tell me about psionic skills?”

“No, Kevin.  I merely obfuscated, answered with partial truths, and avoided answering you truthfully.”

“Yep… sounds like a girlfriend to me.”

“What am I not a friend,” Samantha said slowly rubbing up against Kevin’s side.  “And am I not a girl,” she said as she dragged a hand up Kevin’s thigh.

Kevin forgot the point he was making.  Focus…

Kevin removed Samantha’s hand.

“So the cost of quitting the in-game job that I would rather keep is higher?” said Kevin.

“I guess I need to exit the pod to make a call in to quit my day job.” said Kevin.

“I can make that call for you, through an internet service.”

“Wouldn’t that cost money?”

“No, Intelecom is trying to set up services that will allow people to conduct business from inside their pods.  So we can use the phone system they’re setting up.  In fact, they would like us to use it, to test the connection, and be sure it’s working right.” said Samantha.

“So you will use my voice?” asked Kevin.

“Yes, placing the call now.”

Kevin shrugged, she could read his thoughts and knew he would agree, but she could have waited until he actually said ‘go ahead.'

Kevin got up off the couch and when into the training room.  He had manuals to read and exercises to do.  Samantha followed him.

“One more thing Kevin,” said Samantha, while he started doing some stretches. “It’s getting near a week since the pod was installed, and it’s going to need servicing soon.  We will need to arrange a time when you will be able to open the door to let in the Intelecom employee who will service the pod.”

“If you don’t want to be bothered in the future, Intelecom can install a digital door latch, which can be programmed and controlled by me.  So I can let maintenance techs in, on verification of identity with the office.  Of course, the lock will be keyed only to you or people you assign.”

“Let’s set that up for tomorrow after I get off work at Cairbre’s.  By the way, do you know if that city has public transportation?”

“Yes, it has a grid of underground transfer tubes.  You can check the tube entrance under your building tomorrow.”

Drake felt like face palming.

“Thanks, why didn’t you tell me?” asked Drake.

“Well, up until you got this job, the cab system was a faster, more flexible and better match for your needs.  I was going to bring it up soon, though; you have just had a lot to focus on.  Don’t worry, you're adapting well to this.” said Samantha.

The rest of the night passed with exercises, mixed with study breaks.  The manuals were much shorter than the skill books he read yesterday, so Kevin got more exercise in than reading, he also spent some time practicing meditation.

This night Kevin chose to stop training a little earlier and took a long relaxing bath with Samantha.  Then they went to bed.

Chapter 14 – The Guild

Drake’s next day in Omnia started with him trying to find what Samantha called the underground transfer tubes.  Apparently, there was a matrix of mass transit tubes under the city with small capsules, which moved through the tubes, using a combination of quantum locking and compressed air. The quantum locking was what allowed the capsules to hover, and held the capsules in place for loading and uploading.

Drake took the lift down to the underground transit station under the hostel.  The underground transit station had two levels off the lift, the top level was for people leaving the underground, and the bottom level was for people boarding capsules. What he discovered there was nothing like the subway system he had envisioned.  There was a line of capsules stacked up waiting for passengers.

Drake examined the station, it looked to him like once the capsules dropped passengers off at the upper level, they would stack up on a ramp leading down to this lower level.  The capsules then separated out to six loading zones, where passengers would then take a seat and the capsule top would close, sealing the passenger inside. Next, the capsules would be released to slide down a slight grade, picking up speed on the superconductive rails until it entered a tube. Then a combination of vacuum and compressed air would accelerate the capsule away.

The whole system seemed a marvel of efficiency to Drake.  He could see how little energy a system like this would use.

Drake approached a computer terminal with a sign above it and the words; ‘Purchase Tickets and Passes Here.’

Tickets were listed as selling for fifty cents, this is the first time Drake could remember seeing a price for less than a full credit, but he understood that there were 100 cents to the credit.

A monthly pass could be purchased for 20 credits.

Drake purchased a monthly pass.

Having expected to need more time to get to work, using a public system, Drake still had most of an hour left to get to work.

Taking his pass, he moved over to another terminal where people entered their passes to choose a destination.  He looked at the map of city stations and saw that there were five stations within half a mile of his new job.  One of the stations was under the Freelancers and Hunters Guild Hall, just two blocks from where he worked.

Drake swiped his pass through a slot in the terminal and selected the Guild Hall as his destination.  A little chip landed in a tray just under the terminal.

Drake had watched other passengers do this same thing.  Most passengers traveled by themselves, but some in small groups.  The little capsules looked like they would hold six people if they were friendly.  But once a chip like the one he had was put into the slot near the front of the pod, it would wait just long enough for the passengers to be seated, before it would start sliding down the ramp and be on its way.

Following the same pattern, Drake sat in the capsule and placed his little chip into the waiting slot.  The top of the capsule closed over him, and the pod began to gently slide forward… then as the pod entered the tube, it was propelled with enough force to push Drake back in his seat.  The acceleration reminded him of how it felt to be on a jet plane as it gained speed to take off.  He was sure that the capsule was now moving hundreds of kilometers an hour.

Then a short few minutes later he was gliding to a stop, the process of slowing down took longer than the acceleration.  Then the capsule exited the tube and glided to a stop.  As the capsule top opened for him to exit, he saw a sign, ‘Welcome to the Freelancers and Hunters Guild Hall.'

Drake exited the capsule and took a lift up to the ground floor.

The Freelancers and Hunters Guild Hall, was another big complex, he felt like he fit in here, in fact, his armor vest and weapons left him under equipped compared to many of the people he saw.  He didn’t have too much time before he would be expected to be at work, but he did take a few minutes to look around.  The Hall was a hub for services catering to bounty hunters, mercenaries and something called freelancers.  There was a booth for registering to seek out criminals for bounty hunters, offices for mercenary recruiters from at least three different mercenary companies. There were a couple legal services claiming to specialize in bounty hunter, mercenary, and freelancer legal issues.  Drake also saw a couple booths offering specialized information services.

When Drake saw the last he immediately thought, ‘hackers and sneaks.'

Just as Drake was about to leave the Hall, he saw a sign for the training rooms on the fourth and fifth floors.  Apparently one of the services they offered was instructor led training in using psionic skills.

Drake decided that he would have to come back later and find information on what the Hall was all about.

With little time left, before he was due to start his shift he took off running to work.

He arrived at the back door with five minutes to spare.

***

Drake started his second day at work by asking Kaveh, the shop steward, to check him out on the remaining three machines he had not used yet.

He walked around the front area of the shop where he worked, and Kaveh asked him questions about the machines.

The three new systems he would be using were the gun part cleaning station, the part reconditioner, and the recycler.

Like the first bench where Drake worked the previous day, these systems were automated like the analysis machines.  They also used internal robotics and pressers to move the parts around and manage the work.

The cleaning unit just cleaned the part surfaces of any carbon or dirt build up.  Apparently, carbon was a big problem since it could short circuits out.  Each part was treated to a different type of cleaning because some components reacted poorly to detergents or acids that were required to properly clean others.

The reconditioner worked with broken and worn parts to fill in and repair them.  It worked like a really advanced 3d printer, by rebuilding worn areas, depositing and fusing new layers on top of one another.  Once the rebuilding is complete, the component is resurfaced to look like new.

If a part is not able to be reclaimed, it’s tossed into the recycler.  This unit breaks down any component it’s given.  The first stage breaks off parts of the same materials, like any solid chunks of plastic, ceramic, or metal are cut off here.  Any part that are mixed metals, plastics, and ceramics are then passed to the pulverizer, where they’re ground down to the molecular level using high powered gravitic pressers.  The resulting powder is then sent to the sifter, where nano-machines separate them by type.  As a result, this machine is capable of reclaiming as much as 90% of the valuable materials that go into making a blaster.

Once Kevin explained the function of each machine and demonstrated a high level of understanding about how the machines were to be maintained, he was then permitted to use the new systems.  He was told he would be now earning 3 credits an hour instead of 2.

Kevin wasn’t impressed by the pay, but credits went a lot further in the Imperium then dollars did in the United States.

The added machines meant that he could now take in a weapon that needed to be repaired, strip it down, and have all the parts analyzed.  Then he could have the parts cleaned, and any failed parts reconditioned.  Once the reconditioning was completed, he could then reassembled the weapon, and place it on the ‘repaired table’.

While the other people in the shop used some of the same types of machines, they all had different more complex assignments, like weapon customization, armor repair, even mechanized-armor repair, and upgrading.

Drake figured the mech-suits where what a groups ‘tank’ might wear.  They were energy hogs, though.  And Drake could not see himself spending too much time in one.  Too much like a sardine in a can.  But it might be fun to play with one for a day…hehehe.  Imagine walking through brick walls and throwing cars, he didn’t know if they could throw one, but they could certainly lift one side of a car.

The pile of retests and new incoming repairs was caught up by noon, so Drake started working with the new systems he learned to use in the afternoon.

This was pretty much Drake’s work life, for the time being.  Not too boring, or exciting, and because it was so routine, he wasn’t gaining much advancement in the new skills he learned.

***

After the end of this second day of work, he returned to the Freelancers and Hunters Guild Hall.

He had seen a lot of what the building offered on the first floor that morning.  But one sign, on the way out, suggested that there were some classes he might find helpful on other floors.

Drake still didn’t know what the building was all about, why did they call it a guild hall for instance?  So when Drake got to the Hall, he approached a reception/information desk looking for more information.

Drake found the desk manned by a young woman, with long blond hair and an attractive face and figure.  He wondered as he approached the desk, why women are so often seen in positions like that of a receptionist?  It had to be more than their physical appeal, is it because they’re more social and maybe have a better innate ability to handle people; better empathy maybe?

The girl gave him an odd look as he approached the desk, and said: “I think it’s all of the above.”

This caused Drake to do a double take.

“What?”

“The answer to your questions, except you, forgot one, is it because they can read minds?  Yes, I’m attractive, have good social skills, empathy and can read people's surface thoughts.” The girl gave him a smile.  “I also work as part of the security for the building...”

“Hello, my name is Alicia.  How can I help you?”

“And no to your first two thoughts on how I can help you.  I mean, are you looking for something here in the Guild Hall?” asked Allacia.

This caused Drake to blush because he did have a brief picture go through his head when she said something about helping him.  What was Samantha doing to him, it seemed like his libido was on overdrive lately?  Or could it be a side effect of all the exercise and the gene-therapy?   But it’s just a game, so…

“I guess that is one thing you can help me with, you are the first person I have met who has indicated any psionic skills.  I saw a poster suggesting someone here provided training?  And, how long did it take you to learn to read minds like that?”

“Being able to read surface thoughts at a distance is a very advanced skill.  I have a gift for empathy, and telepathy, which have led to the advance skill telepathic sensing.  Even with a natural talent, I have been training since I was a child.  So the answer is my level or skill is rare and very difficult to accomplish.  And as you can guess from my recent demonstration I take a lot of pride in my abilities.  Master Hachiro, the psionic training master you were asking about, often admonishes me for showing off.”

“Great, so you can help me then.  I have no psionic skills, but I would like to develop some, how long would it take to develop the ability to guard my thoughts against you?” Drake said with a smile.

“Mental defense is far easier to learn than what I do.  But even without the ability to read your mind, I imagine most women can read you from a mile away,” replied Allacia, with a chuckle.

“To answer your question about training, Master Hachiro usually assigns new trainees to an assistant.  He feels that training benefits the teacher and student both.  So I actually train three beginner classes a week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 6 pm to 8 pm, if you would care to join.  The class fee is 3 credits a session for Guild members or 5 credits for non-members.”

“Ah, that brings me to another question, what is this Guild for, what does it do?”

“Well, the guild does many things.  First, the guild is a rules organization that sets standards for how mercenaries, bounty hunters, and similar professionals should conduct their business.  We provide a sort of guaranty that a guild member in good standing will follow guild rules in their conduct.  So, many people will not hire mercenaries, unless they’re guild certified.  If a bounty hunter is guild certified, he is often treated as more like an officer of the law on many planets, rather than a criminal.   Freelancers, who work as a kind of space-based mercenary, get involved in blockades, or running blockades, or many other suedo-naval operations, they’re also bound and protected by a set of rules as guild members.  For instance, while working as mercenary guild members must take prisoners, if your enemy surrenders promptly and according to the rules of war.  And there are rules we enforce governing the treatment of a prisoner, no torture, rape, and so on.”

“Guild members also enjoy discounts on services offered in a Guild Hall.  The Hall also offers accommodations to members like a hotel or hostel, many of our members feel that a normal hotel does not offer enough security, while a Guild Hall is full of well-armed people and very good security.”

“In return for its services, the guild has a 100 credit yearly membership fee and will take 5% of any bounties, pay, and fees charged by its members, where that pay and fees relate to the services the guild supports.”

“Oops… just dropped into some legal speak there.  What I mean, if you work in a factory, the guild isn’t going to ask for 5%, but if you get hourly pay for mercenary work, you pay the guild as soon as you see a credit.  Non-payment is the fastest way to get dropped by the guild.”

“You said you guild members ‘must take prisoners,' doesn’t that conflict with some bounty hunter type of activities?” asked Drake.

“The rules covering bounty hunting activity are different from those covering enemy soldiers surrendering before a battle.  From the Imperium’s point of view, people with bounties on their heads are like escaped prisoners, they are automatically considered violent and predatory, and so if they offer any perceivable threat, they may be killed.  So you see, the rules vary by the type of activity.” replied Allacia.

“How about information?  I was on the freighter that was shot down last week.  I heard that a pirate group calling itself the Dark Blood Pirates was responsible.  As a member would I have access to that type of information?”

“Yes, we work closely with the Imperium Security Services, which is the agency that sets bounties and keeps track of the who, what, when, and where of the crimes committed, they also post any intelligence that they think might help with tracking down the criminals.  This information is available for free to any guild member who registers their intent to seek a fugitive, the information we can provide will be limited by whom you register to hunt.”

“For any other information, you would need to ask one of the information brokers.”

“Thanks, where would I go to register with the guild?  And is there a separate fee if someone is both a bounty hunter and a mercenary…”

“No, one yearly fee covers a multitude of sins.” Allacia joked, and then she pointed to her left.  “There off to your right, you can see a set of terminals, which is where members may register and pay their fees.”

Drake suddenly remembered something else, “I almost forgot.  Just a second…”

Drake spoke toward his wrist.  Samantha, what was the name of the bounty hunters that sent me that note?”

“Agapetux and Aggressive Solutions.” replied Samantha.

“Thanks, Sam.”

“How would I find out if Agapetux and Aggressive Solutions are guild members?”

“I’m familiar with their company.  Yes, they are members in good standing.  You can find that sort of information both on the same terminals and on our public data-net information pages.”

Drake gave the girl one last smile. “Tomorrows Saturday, right?  I’ll see you for training at 6 pm, and thanks for the help.”

Drake registered with the guild and searched for members of the Black Blood gang of pirates.  He found ten people listed as current members.  Drake registered to hunt all known members, there was a 5 credit fee for each registration, so he spent an additional 50 credits.  Then he asked Samantha to download all relevant data related to the group.

Samantha said, “Drake, I have just discovered the Guild Job Board, which your membership now allows us access to.  This is a listing for people and companies who would like to hire mercenaries, from very short jobs, to long-term contracts.  There are many job postings listed for this planet, dealing with hunting beasts and short-term work.”

“Damn, so you think I jumped the gun taking the job with Cairbre’s?” asked Drake.

“Based on what we knew at the time, I think you made the right decision.  Most of the jobs on this list don’t pay much, and I imagine their dangerous, or people would not be looking willing to pay a mercenary to do the work.  But they pay a lot better than the 3 credits an hour you’re getting.  You might consider telling Cairbre that you can only work a couple more weeks.  That should give you time to figure out what you want to do about the data-cube and pirate gang.” said Samantha.

“I’ll think about it, but you're probably right,” said Drake.  He felt like just quitting the job at the gun shop, but he didn’t want the black mark on his reputation.  He was feeling like he trapped himself with taking that job now.

‘One last thing.’ thought Drake.

“Samantha, could you contact Aggressive Solutions, and set up a meeting for tomorrow before the 6 pm training time… say 5 pm?”

“Yes, working on it now.” replied Samantha.

Drake headed down to the underground tube-way, as he now thought of it. He then headed to his temporary home in the hostel.

When Drake reached his small room in the hostel, he immediately noticed something wrong.  The door was slightly, almost unnoticeably open as if someone closed the door, but the latch hadn’t engaged.

Drake immediately assumed that the pirates had broken into his room.  But what if it was just a thief?  Still, he was now registered as a bounty hunter, so if there was one of the pirate crew in the room, there was a chance of a bounty.

Drake had no idea if someone might be inside, but he didn’t want to get shot finding out.  So instead of barging into the room gun first he got down on one knee, off to the right side of the door.  He figured that he could see most of the room from there, but stay low and off to the side if someone was ready to shoot. Then he pushed the door open.

No pirates.

No thieves.

Just his clothes and personal belongings, what little he had, scattered all over the floor.

Drake got to his feet, and carefully checked the small bathroom. He also checked around the now torn up bed.  It looked like someone had cut into the mattress.  He was now certain that this was related to the datacube.  The Pirates somehow found where he was staying and paid him a visit.

“Samantha, please report this break-in to the authorities.” said Drake, and then he left the room.

“Done… Drake, where are we going?  Aren’t you going to wait for the police?” said Samantha.

“The police can’t do anything about this mess, they’ll just take a report, and I don’t want to wait for them to get here from where ever the nearest coffee shop is.  For all we know there might be people in this building right now, looking to kill or capture me.  It’s time to find a new place to stay.”

“What about your clothes and things?” asked Samantha.

“I’ll have to get some new clothes.” Drake sighed. “One thought I had back there when I was thinking about packing everything up was, how do I know some of it isn’t bugged now?  I take it for granted that there are miniature listening and tracking devices that can be planted in the seams of clothing, Samantha?”

“Yes, it’s possible, sounds a little sophisticated for thieves or pirates, though.” replied Samantha.

“I think we will take advantage of the accommodations offered at the Guild Hall,” said Drake.  “And I’ll play it safe, and stick to my plan to buy new clothing tomorrow.  I’m glad it’s a day off.”

***

The trip back to the Hall felt longer.  Drake kept one hand on his blaster pistol the whole way.  He was nervous and kept a looking around him, being careful going around corners.   He didn’t like this feeling of being hunted.

Nothing happened on the way back to the Hall, but Drake almost wished something would have.  He could at least do something then.  He had to find a solution to this pirate problem.

While he was heading back to the guild hall, Samantha suggested that she could make the arrangements to get a room.

Drake felt like he was being dim-witted.  This was all still new to him in many ways, and he had forgotten how so many of the services in the Hall were computer controlled.

“Yes, please Sam.  But please get the most basic type of room they offer, I’m getting low on funds.”

Since he had not been paid for working in the shop yet, he had about 350 credits left.  He doubted the hostel would return any of the money he spent on the room there.  In fact, he was worried that they might try to stick him with the bill for the torn up mattress.

“I’ve booked you a room, they only offer daily or weekly rates, and the lowest priced room is 64 credits a week.”

Again, Drake was amazed at how little of an amount that sounded like, and how much it really was in this world.  He really needed to adjust his thinking, and just learn to take this world as it was.  Credits were not dollars, but his mind kept trying to connect the two.

He would have to find out when he would be paid because he would be out of money in two or three weeks.  Sure he had enough to rent a room for four weeks, but he would be spending credits on training too.  But his income from the shop would be 120 credits a week… was there an income tax?

“Samantha, is there an income tax on what I’m earning?”

“Yes, the income tax is a 10% flat tax on any income.”

“Then why wasn’t I charged a tax before, for the bounties and stuff…  Or do I owe money now?”

“Bounties, ships taken as prizes, and other compensatory benefits are exempt from taxes, by nearly ancient tradition.”

“So, if my claim against the shipping company yields any credits that would be compensatory, right?”

“Yes, since it would be to make up for putting your life in more danger when someone skimped on basic emergency standards.  The idea is that you’re getting something because they failed their contract to you as a passenger.  So that money would be like paying you back, not something you earned.”

It seemed that this futuristic society could be as much a money trap as the real one… He needed to collect some bounties.

Drake made it back to the Guild Hall, and he found his new room on the eighth floor.  His new room was a little better than the one in the hostel.  There was a larger bed, a small sitting area, and a slightly larger bathroom; it still had a shower, though.  It was an econobox type of room, but an improvement.

Drake was actually glad of his change in location; he felt that this place was a safer base.

He lay down in this new bed and logged out.

Chapter 15 – Sarah’s Tears

It was approaching 7 pm when Kevin walked out of the Omnia game room.

The dinner that night was surf and turf, steak and lobster, with salad, some really good rolls, and beer.

Something had been bothering him almost all day.

After eating dinner, he asked; “Samantha, I thought about our conversation yesterday, I think taking the job at the shop was a mistake. I don’t think I’ll be learning much more there.  It sounded like a good idea at first, but with so much automation, I don’t think it’s helping me progress in this game.  What do you think?”

“Your right, you should consider giving Cairbre, your two-week notice.” suggested Samantha.

“But becoming a mercenary might be tougher than you think.  Right now, you are weaker than anyone you might run up against.  Your enemies will be stronger, faster, and likely more skilled.  The only reason you have made it this far is by thinking ahead.  The pirates in the forest would have killed you. You were about level 1; they were maybe level 4 or 5.”

“How does this level system work, anyway?”

“Your level is determined based on your stats and the effectiveness of your skills.  So for combat, your level would be your combat skills combined, multiplied by the stats used by those combat skills.  It’s not a simple measurement but an algorithm that combines everything to determine how effective you are in combat.” said Samantha.

“So I could just train and raise my combat level?” asked Kevin.

“Yes and no.  How realistic can just training be after all?  To be sure of your level, you have to put your life on the line.  But, yes, you need realistic hard training for your combat level to increase.”

Kevin nodded… “Sounds good, but you keep talking about ‘combat level.'  What other levels are there?”

“Well some people never engage in combat, but they might be a high level, in their own field.  A gunsmith, for example, might have the skills and abilities of a level 10 gunsmith, yet only have a combat level of 2, if he didn’t train in combat skills,” said Samantha.

“If we can deal with the pirate problem, and get some funds.  I would suggest something like what your military calls a boot camp.  We would dump the drills and team building of course, but you could use some time to get more fit and learn some of the history, culture and basic tools for living in the Imperium.” said Samantha.

“That sounds like a plan, but Samantha, I would like to train for speed, as much or more than strength.  I think moving and thinking fast will be rewarded more in Omnia then strength.  We should aim more for the body of a gymnast or a martial artist than a body builder.”

“I think your right Kevin,” replied Samantha. “Speed and dexterity, but you will also need strength and a strong constitution.”

“Eventually, though, we will need to switch your training focus from your body to your mind.  Your mind has great untapped potential. You have the ability to learn much faster, and remember clearer, than you ever were able to before.”

“Speaking of stats, it’s been a couple days since I’ve checked my progress.”

“Here are your current stats, Kevin.” said Samantha.

Samantha brought up a blue screen for Kevin to examine:

Name: Horatio Drake

Race: Human

Hit Points: 160

Combat Level: 1.4

Strength: 1.4 (max 3.5)

Charisma: 1.9 (max 3.5)

Agility: 1.4 (max 3.6)

Intelligence: 1.9 (max 3.7)

Dexterity: 1.1 (max 3.5)

Wisdom: 1.1 (max 3.5)

Constitution: 1.6 (max 3.5)

Memory: 2.2 (max 3.7)

Maximum values are based on personal genetics.

“And how does that compare with when I first entered the pod?”

“Some of your stats have grown considerably; the gene-therapy also gave you a boost.”

“These were your stats when you were first scanned into the system:,” said Samantha.

Samantha brought up a second blue screen for Kevin to examine:

Name: (Pending)

Race: Human (Earth subtype)

Hit Points: 100

Combat Level: 0.7

Strength: 0.8 (max 1.9)

Charisma: 1.0 (max 1.8)

Agility: 0.8 (max 2.0)

Intelligence: 1.5 (max 2.1)

Dexterity: 0.7 (max 1.8)

Wisdom: 0.8 (max 1.7)

Constitution: 1.0 (max 1.9)

Memory: 1.3 (max 2.1)

Maximum values are based on personal genetics.

“Hah, if this were real life and my charisma increased that much, I would look like a male model,” said Kevin

“Charisma is not that easy to define, it’s not all on the surface.  Some of it is how people carry themselves, and their level of confidence. A lot of what people call charisma is a type of energy people give off.  It’s something leaders learn to use subconsciously.  And if you want to work on that skill, you will need to learn and use leadership and deportment.”

“But yes, most of the improvement with that stat was a result of the physical changes to your body.” said Samantha.

“You will also notice a big improvement in your memory.  A lot of memory is innate, but memory can be exercised and developed too.”

“You can also see that your combat level doubled.  About half of that is stats, and the rest is from training combat skills,” said Samantha.

All this talk about his in-game body brought up another concern.  Kevin had been in the game pod for about three days straight, he wondered how his body was coping.

“Samantha, while I have been in the pod, how is my physical body in real life doing?” asked Kevin

“Kevin, I’m a little hurt that you would think I wouldn’t take good care of you,” replied Samantha.  “The pod was designed so that I can feed, clean, and exercise your body, keeping you healthy while you are inside.  My connection to your body allows me to move it inside the pod without your noticing.  Just like a person moves in their sleep.  And the pod itself has tools that let me stimulate your muscles.”

“So you should actually feel an improvement to your body when you exit the game pod, which you will need to do soon anyway since the pod needs servicing, and the appointment we made for the servicing is coming up.”

Kevin had forgotten that Samantha had mentioned setting up the service.

“Is it too late to ask them to install the electronic locking system you mentioned?” asked Kevin.  “From the way it sounded, the electric door lock would let you monitor anyone coming to the door while I’m in the pod, right?”

“Yes, Kevin… Just a moment while I check to see if it’s possible to add the installation to this service.”

Kevin headed to the training room while Samantha checked on the scheduled service.

After seeing the increases he had gained in the last few weeks, he was motivated to continue training.

Samantha appeared while he was still stretching. “Yes, they can install the new lock; they said that it would only take a few minutes to do.  You should keep your old lock for when you decide to move out of the apartment.  So I already informed the company to leave the old lock… It’s all set up; they should be here in a couple hours; about thirty minutes for them.  I’ll let you know when they knock.”

Kevin stood up from stretching his legs to give Samantha a hug and a kiss on the forehead.  “You're great, thanks, Sam.”

The hug seemed to make Samantha happy.

He then returned to training.

***

Kevin was in the middle of meditation practice… he was trying to develop his psionic sense skill when the interruption came.

“Kevin, there is a knock on the door… getting ready to open the pod now.  Remember to get dressed.” She teased.

As the pod opened, Kevin was thinking, oh yeah, I’m naked.  He pulled off the mask covering his face and hurried to put on the sweats and t-shirt he left on the floor next to the game pod about three days ago.  He thought, ‘I need a better system for this, maybe I should get a bath robe I can put on in case of unexpected visitors.’

The knock on the door repeated.

Kevin yelled, “On my way.” as he headed to the door.

When he got to the door, the person waiting for him was not one of the promised technicians coming to service the pod and install his new door lock, but Sarah from the fast food restaurant he used to work at.

“Hi Sarah, it’s good to see you…” he trailed off, as Kevin noticed the bruise forming around her left eye and tear streaked face.

Kevin didn’t ask Sarah how she knew where he lived, she had given him some rides to work back when his car broke down and was being repaired.

“Come in, Sarah, please sit down.  Can I get you something to drink…? I don’t have much… maybe some tea or water?”  Kevin looked around in embarrassment; his little studio apartment was a mess.  He had spent so much time in the game pod, that… well no, he just wasn’t that good with keeping the place clean when he wasn’t expecting visitors.  Kevin cleared off some space on the couch for Sarah to sit on.

“Please sit down.”

“What happened?” asked Kevin as he guided Sarah to the cleared part of the couch.

As they sat, he put an arm around her shoulders.

Kevin had never hugged Sarah before; she had always just been a friend and co-worker.  And she had a big boyfriend, who seemed to intimidate most people.  Whenever Kevin saw him, he always seemed angry, like he had it in for the world or something; Kevin could never figure it out.  Some people give off the feeling of caring and concern, like Sarah, and a few like her boyfriend are just the opposite.  It was one of those things Kevin sometimes thought about, the two being so different.  But he figured it help prove the old saying about opposites attracting each other.

Now Kevin couldn’t remember the man’s name, was it Bill, or Bob, maybe Bud???  Kevin always prided himself in his memory for facts and details, but for some reason names were never easy for him, except for the names of people he worked with or friends.

While Kevin held Sarah and she cried, the Intelecom technicians showed up.

Sarah turned away from these strangers and hid her head in Kevin’s chest; he thought she was embarrassed to be crying in front of strangers. Kevin put both of his arms around her to try to comfort her, but he could not send the technicians away.  The game pod needed servicing, or Kevin couldn’t continue to use it…

“Please, go ahead and service the pod.  Sorry, something just came up, guys, can you take care of the servicing while I take a walk with my friend… Oh, wait I forgot I need to be registered with the lock, right?”

There were two men, both wearing Intelecom shirts like the first team who delivered the pod… and they looked embarrassed to have walked in on a private moment.

“Please just work around us.” said Kevin.

The service men seemed professional and went about their tasks in silent efficiency.

It only felt like hours sitting there holding a weeping Sarah, while they replaced his lock, and serviced the pod…  But Kevin was certain only a couple minutes passed.

As the man replacing the lock finished, the other man was wheeling a dolly of stacked containers out the door.

The man who installed the lock said; “When you’re ready, all you need to do is put your three middle fingers of your right hand on this pad.”  The technician pointed to a clear flat area on the face of the lock.  “Once you do that you will be registered as the owner.  The lock is connected to your game pod, so if you want to give access to anyone else, just tell your pod, all of them have audio pickups that let them monitor nearby sounds.”

“Thanks, do I need to sign off on the service or anything?” asked Kevin.

“No, like I said, your pod monitors everything automatically.” The man said with a smile; “It’s one of the things that make this job so easy, there is so little paperwork to deal with.  We just go out and do the job… never had a job like it before.”

“Have a good day.” said the man.  And Kevin waved as he departed.

Kevin continued holding Sarah until she calmed down some.

Then she said, “I’m leaving Ben.” And then she started crying again, as if what she said was too much.

For Kevin the first few minutes of holding Sarah felt good, it made him feel kind of protective.  But as time passed he was starting to get a little irritated.  It’s not like they were real close friends, so why was this his problem.

Then he remembered all the favors Sarah had done for him over the years.

He owed her… he owed her a lot of favors so Kevin would do whatever it took to help her.

With that thought, the feeling of being a protector returned.  Kevin didn’t want to deal with Ben; the guy was big and intimidating looking.  But he would just have to see what help Sarah needed.  She could stay in his apartment since he practically lived in the pod these days…

While Kevin was thinking and dealing with his personal feelings, Sarah finally calmed down. Then she gently pushed herself away from Kevin.

“How about I make some tea?  I’m afraid to look in the refrigerator for a soda or beer since it hasn’t been opened for the last week.”  Kevin thought if he shared something with Sarah, she might focus on something other then what probably felt to her like her life was falling apart.

Kevin talked while he heated water, and got ready to make tea…  And since he was giving Sarah time to get herself together, Kevin busied himself with cleaning the kitchen a bit.  Which mostly meant throwing out moldy bread and … he didn’t even open the milk to check, just tossed it into the trash.

“Why haven’t you opened your refrigerator in a week?  How can you make food without using your refrigerator?”

Kevin thought, ‘Good, it worked.” And then he started to tell Sarah about the game pod, how it worked and that he was part of the alpha test group of the systems.  But, he left any details of the game and Samantha out.  It didn’t feel right telling her some things, and he remembered that as a game tester he was not supposed to talk about the game…”

“So that’s why I haven’t been using my kitchen for a week,” said Kevin as he set a cup of tea down on the coffee table. He also placed a small bowl of sugar, and a teaspoon next to it.”

He then said. “I’ll be right back; I need to take out the trash.”

Kevin gathered up the trash bag from the kitchen and went to throw the trash in the dumpster.  He stopped on the way to press his three middle right-hand fingers on the door pad as instructed by the technician and was rewarded with a beep.  He then closed the door behind himself and took the trash to the dumpster.  He thought this would be a good test of the lock.  So when he returned he tested the door, it wouldn’t open until he put his fingers on the pad again, then there was a click, and the door could open.

When he entered the room, Sarah was sitting on the couch cross-legged while drinking tea.  To Kevin she looked so cute, her mousy brown hair, blue eyes, she had a nice body and a cute freckled face.  He would have asked her out in the past, except that he knew she took her relationship with Ben seriously.

He thought the best thing about her was she had a warm, caring attitude for anyone she considered a friend.

In some ways, she reminded him of Samantha.  Except Samantha was all out with no breaks, she was never relaxing to be with…  A person could relax with Sarah…

Focus, damn, he was thinking with his balls again… He didn’t ever use to think like that about Sarah, maybe it had to do with holding her while she cried, or the fact that she was breaking up with Ben, or maybe because she was in his apartment drinking tea, looking so cute and vulnerable.

Damn he was getting a chubby…

Focus, this isn’t about you, you owe Sarah a favor.  And she needs space, not a rebound relationship…

Kevin closed the front door.  Then walked over and cleared off the chair facing Sarah, and then sat down.

“Sarah, you’re my friend, how can I help you?” He said softly.

For a second Kevin thought that little bit was going to send her into tears again.

He moved over and gave her a one-armed hug again, and said; “Listen, you’re hurting and angry, and you probably feel like your whole world is coming apart.  It’s not, you have friends.  And if you need a place to stay, you can stay here.  But I have some things I need to do in Omnia, and I need about four hours before I can help you with anything more.  Please make yourself at home.”

Half way through this little speech she was back to crying, and he was back to holding her.

A few minutes later, she pushed him away and said, “It’s ok… I’m ok, go…”

“Oh, umm, could you please not look toward the game pod behind the couch for a few minutes.  This is something I have to do naked.”

This got both her attention and curiosity. “Um, if there’s something you have to do naked, isn’t the bathroom over there?”

She asked looking at Kevin’s now tented sweat pants. Kevin blushed, “No, I mean I have to remove my clothes to get into the pod, so can I get some privacy please.” He begged.

When she turned back to Kevin, he quickly dropped what little he was wearing and jumped into the pod.

***

Back in his virtual home, he had one thought on his mind.

“Samantha, help please.” He begged.

Samantha appeared, wearing negligee, knowing exactly what he needed; he picked her up in a bridal carry and moved quickly into the bedroom carrying her.

She smiled and gladly helped him work off his frustrations.

***

After a while, Kevin realized that it would be nearer to six hours real time before he would be able to get free.

He had made commitments to meet with Aggressive Solutions, and for psionic training.  He would also need to do some shopping for clothes, on the cheap.

For now, it was late and past the bedtime, he had been keeping the last two days. So he took a quick shower.  Then he went to bed, gave Samantha a kiss good night, and went to sleep.

Chapter 16 – A Little Progress

Kevin spent the morning after breakfast, in the training room.

He had a meeting with the Aggressive Solutions people at 5 pm, and he needed to shop for clothes.  So he decided to train until 3 pm.  That should give him enough time to shop for clothing and be back in the Guild Hall in time for the meeting.

The days training was physical, weapons, martial arts, and meditation.

About thirty minutes before Kevin was supposed to log in online, Samantha interrupted his training.  She took Kevin into the bedroom and started removing his clothes.  When Kevin asked her why she was doing this now, that he had no time since he had to log in soon, she said; “You have trouble focusing when your around attractive women like your new trainer.  It will help if you're spent, we will give you a workout now so you will be relaxed later.”

She then went to work, and Drake decided just to enjoy the moment.

***

Drake woke up in his room in the Guild Hall.

He looked around the room and discovered a feature that he had not seen before.  This room had something called a clothing refresher.

“Samantha, what is a clothing refresher, is it something like a washing machine?”

“Yes, it’s a standard fixture in most starships, and homes.  There was a shared refresher area on the same floor as your room in the hostel you rented.  Many hotels and long-term motels offer them in rooms as a convenience for their customers.  Refreshers are faster and take fewer resources than your primitive washers and dryers.”

“Hey, I sense some snobbery here, are you too good for us primitives with our washers and dryers?”

“Not too good for you Horatio, my Horatio.” said Samantha in a teasing voice.

Drake smiled at her games.

“Ok, time for me to get naked with you again I see.” said Drake as he started removing yesterday’s dirty clothes.

“Can you tell me how a primitive, such as I, can use this refresher?” asked Drake.

With Samantha’s help, it took about five minutes to get his clothes clean.

***

Drake found an underground tube station that came up just two blocks from his attorneys, and very near the second-hand clothing store he visited before.

He repeated the shopping he did a few days ago. Thinking that maybe he would be able to use the outfits he was buying more than once this time.

He left the blaster carbine back at the Hall, but he kept his right hand close to his blaster pistol and a careful look out.

He didn’t expect to be followed on this trip, but he was feeling more on edge since his hostel room was invaded.

He thought he might have spotted someone more than once, and he felt like he was being watched, but he could find no threats, no matter how hard he looked.

With his shopping complete, he returned to his room in the Guild Hall to drop off his purchases.

Drake still had about thirty minutes before the meeting, so he spent that time exploring the Hall, before making his way to the third floor and finding the meeting room.

***

When Drake opened the door to the small conference room, where he was supposed to meet Agapetux of Aggressive Solutions, he found not one person, but four waiting for him.  There was one Dwarf male, one Elf female, one Karurian male, and one Human female.  His first thought was that it was odd to see such a mix of peoples in one small group.  From his experience, people seemed more comfortable being around others that look a lot like they did.  This suggested to him that this group had little interest how normal people did things.

The Dwarf male was nearest to the door and stood up to shake his hand.

Once the Dwarf had him by the hand, he said, “About fucking time you called us back.  What were you waiting for, the Pirates to start shooting you before you got off your ass?”

“Drake looked the Dwarf right in the eyes and said; “Yeah, I’ve been busy.  I’m new to this ball of mud, and I’ve had a lot to do to get settled.  So, you know who I am, who are you, and why should I care?”

The Dwarf let out a deep laugh, released Drakes' hand and reached out and slapped him on the arm. The hit to his arm almost caused Drake to stagger. “Good, you’re no mewling coward.  I like it when a man stands his ground and gives my shit straight back at me.”

Then the Dwarf sat back down at the head of the table and said; “I’m Agapetux, and this is my team.”  He first pointed to the Karurian to his left and said: “This is Tredido, to his left you’ll see Lorna-Fei, and at the other end of the table is Sidonia.”

‘So,’ thought Drake ‘the Elf girl is Lorna-Fei, and the Human girl half-hiding her face is Sidonia.’

Drake took the seat to The Dwarf’s right.

“And you all know that my name is Drake.”

“From your note, I know that you think I have something that the Black Blood pirates want, and your group is interested in the bounties on the pirates.  Simple question, why would I be interested in your help, and what’s in it for me?”

“You bit off more than a Droogart could chew boy, you need us if you don’t want to be dead by this time next week, and that’s what’s in it for you, your life.” said Agapetux.

“Then no thanks,” said Drake as he started to stand up. “Any pirates that come after me, I’ll kill them and get the bounty.  How cool is that, no hunting, just set a trap, right?  Isn’t that what you really want, me to bait a trap?”

Drake started to walk towards the door.

Then a female voice called out “Stop.”

And Drake turned to see who spoke.

The Elf girl addressed Agapetux; “He’s confident like he thinks he has a chance on his own.  If he leaves, that’s it.”

Agapetux looked at the girl for a moment, then said; “Ok, boy I’m listening, but it had better be worth our time.”

Drake turned back to his seat, but this time, he didn’t sit. He just pushed the chair in and placed his hands on the top of the seat’s back.

“Whenever I go fishing, the bait always ends up dead, no matter if I get the fish or not.  Bait is a high a risk game.  It should come with some reward.  I have already registered to hunt these pirates, so I want a cut if I’m the bait that brings them in.  I get 35%, you get 65% of any you kill or capture with my help.  If I get the kill or capture, you get 35%, and I get 65% of the bounty.  So to the ones to bag the most game, go the biggest prizes.”

Agapetux said; “Boy you don’t know who or what you’re dealing with.  In this game, there is no better team this side of the Imperium for either mercenary or bounty work.  And the gang you want to go up against has earned a real bad name for themselves the hard way; you don’t have a chance…  Sure you got lucky in that forest… we did our research, don’t look surprised.  But you’ll need a lot more than a bit of luck to get out of the mess you are in… And I have a team to pay, so we get 80% on our catch, and you can have… hum, 55% of yours.”

“Ok, I’m in agreement to those terms, except for one more thing.  This bait wants to survive, so you need to equip me with better armor, something light so I can move and fight in it.” offered Drake.

Agapetux looked at the rest of the team, and either got nods or else some other type of indication of agreement, then he focused on The Human girl at the end of the table. “Sid, do we have anything that might work for him?”

The girl gave a mumble that sounded like “yeah, think so.”

The way she acted made Drake think she was one of those girls who were shy around strangers.

Agapetux said; “Deal, we’ll put something together for you that’s better than that light hunting vest you’re wearing.  Now that we have a deal, I understand from our contacts that you have a data cube that this gang wants.  Sid is going to want to take a look at that, to see if she can crack the encryption.  There might be a way we can spin the data off later for a reward, or there may be other ways we can make some legitimate money, depending on what’s on the cube.”

Drake said, “It’s my cube and not part of the deal we made.  I understand that the guild will hold us to our verbal contract, right?”

“Yep, any verbal contracts made in the presence of a validating agency are binding.  And our A.I.’s are validating agents,” said Agapetux.

“Then we need to make a second deal on the datacube.  How about when we’ve dealt with the pirates to our mutual satisfaction, we try to find out what is on the cube…  I was going to ask 50% on the data cube deal, but then I thought about it.  Your team will have to do the work cracking it, and if there is any negotiating to do, that will be on your team to handle as well, so I’ll settle for 25% on whatever we can make off the data-cube together.  I suppose the Guild will want its cut?”

“Yes,” sighed the Dwarf. “The Guild has a way of stretching what it considers mercenary work sometimes.  Ok, deal on the cube, and we will worry about that later.”

“I should tell you, I’ve been contacted by the Pirates, and they want me to give the cube to a lawyer for them.  I was thinking we could make that work, by giving them a dummy, and trying to trace it back to the gang, what do you think?”

As soon as Drake mentioned the connection the team perked up, quite a bit.

Agapetux said, “Sid?”

Sidonia said in a near whisper, “I could try, but they might have a way to validate the cube afore it gets to them.”

Agapetux said, “So we need the real thing to make a mock up, is that what you mean, Sid?”

She nodded, “Yeah-um.”

“Well I’m busy for the next two hours, and the place I have it locked up…” said Drake.  “Samantha, can we get to the lock box after the class tonight?”

“Not on a Saturday night, no.” replied Samantha.

“Ok, I’ll have to meet you and get the data cube on Monday after work.  Unless you want to pick me up from my job at lunch and run me over to the security company where it stored,” said Drake.

They ended up agreeing to get the datacube on Monday at noon.  And they would try to have his armor ready by then.

Drake thought that they seemed eager to get the job rolling as soon as possible.  He shrugged it off; they were probably in as much need of the bounties as he was.

Drake felt he had made the best deal he could, given the situation, and he was sure that when the shoe dropped, he would want all the help he could get.  Even so, he had mixed feelings about the deal he had just made.  He hated giving up his independence and control, but these people looked competent, so he felt his chances had just increased quite a bit.

Drake had Samantha collect contact information then Drake left the room.  The time for his new class was coming up.

***

The meditation class was on the top floor, and the meeting place was listed as ‘The garden room’.  Drake didn’t know what that meant until he reached the top floor.  Most of the middle of the top floor was a one hundred meter square indoor garden, covered by a massive glass skylight.  The sky outside was a deepening blue as the sun was casting long shadows and would set in about an hour.  The top floor garden had paths throughout, and Drake could see four people gathered near Allacia, in the center of the garden area.

Arranged in front of Allacia were eight exercise mats that were spaced out in two rows of four.  Which Drake took to mean that they were still waiting for three more students?

Instead of joining the group gathered near Allacia, Drake stayed to the side and started working on stretches.  He figured if he could loosen up his muscles it might help with the meditation skills he had been working on.  He was hoping to make some progress figuring out where to start in learning to use psionic sensing tonight. Two more students joined the group, and Allacia asked everyone to take a mat.  There were four female students and two male, besides Drake, and they each found a mat.  Drake waited for everyone else since he was new to the group, and didn’t want to claim a mat that someone else was used to having.

There were two mats free so Drake started to go to the mat in the front row on the left.  Just as he reached the mat, there was a bellow from a man he had not seen before, who grabbed him by the shoulder yelling “That’s my m... AHHH!”

Drake, who wasn’t expecting to be grabbed from behind, had reacted without thinking.  As the man spun him around, he grabbed the man’s arm and used the momentum of the spin to duck under the man’s arm and forced the man into a flip.

One moment the man was yelling about something and grabbing Drake, the next he was laying on his back with the wind knocked out of him.

Drake was just as surprised as everyone else.  He had been training martial arts a lot and had just reacted.

“Sorry, I just reacted to the unexpected attack.” Said Drake, but as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized that it was an attack of a sort and that he wasn’t sorry.

Drake then said, “You can have the mat, I’ll just use the other.  You could have just asked.”

Allacia said, “Brice, what are…”

At the same time as Allacia spoke, Brice started to bellow “I’m going to kill you little man.”

Brice was starting to get to his feet while yelling.  Brice looked like a pretty large man, now that Drake had a chance to consider things.  Drake took this as a threat of continued action, so before the man could get to his feet; Drake kicked him in the jaw.  And the man went down and stopped moving.

Drake checked his pulse, yes he was still alive.

‘Crap,’ thought Drake, ‘now much trouble am I in now?’

Drake looked at Allacia, who looked stunned by the events, “He’s alive, is there someone we should call?”

Allacia said, “Security is already on their way.”  And she pointed to her right behind Drake; he turned to see two security guards jogging toward the scene.

Drake just waited and didn’t move.  He thought that anything he did might look threatening, and he really didn’t want more trouble.  Trouble was the opposite of what he came here for…  He felt like God had it in for him.

At that moment a thought came to Drake’s mind.  As a child, his mom used to take him to Sunday school, and although Drake wasn’t a religious man, some things stuck in his mind.  For some reason, just as he was lamenting his current situation and blaming God, he could almost hear a quote something about ‘to those he will rise up, God will first strike down.' Drake was sure he was wrong about the quote, but he stood there puzzling the thought as the security arrived at the scene.

Drake hoped this wasn’t the case here, he felt that real life had already kicked him down some.  Between his mother’s death, and his father’s drinking; he used to blame himself for both.

Just before the officers said anything, Allacia turned to Drake and said; “Relax, this isn’t about you.”

And just like that, Drake felt his fear and anger drain away.  Drake felt relaxed, and immediately suspicious, did she do something?

The security officers went first to Allacia and asked her what happened.  She told him that Brice had attacked Drake, that when Brice was on the ground, he wouldn’t accept an apology, and was making threats against Drake’s life.  So Drake knocked him out.

The security seemed to accept Allacia’s word right away, which at first surprised Drake, then he remembered that she said that she worked for security too.  So these people were probably her friends.

They ended up hauling Brice off.  He wasn’t out long and seemed to decide that causing more trouble with security on the scene wasn’t a good idea.  But the looks he threw Drake’s way suggested that this wasn’t over.

Drake decided he needed to find that book he once saw.  He thought the title was; ‘How to win friends and influence enemies.’ Because at the rate, he was gathering enemies he could use all the influence he could get.

Drake decided to use the other mat, the unwanted free mat in the back row.

Allacia said, “Everything is alright, everyone just relax.  Take your seats and relax, start your breathing, this is a good opportunity to learn how to release your stress and learn better mindfulness in meditation.  I will be coming around to each of you and try to help you discover the energy you need to start the first step in learning psionic sensing.  As you know, almost all the other psionic skills begin with sensing.  So breathe, relax and I’ll be with each of you.”

Drake knew that once he was relaxed the first step in sensing was to try to find something called the subtle body, or sometimes the unmanifest body.  It was, he understood, the source of the psionic energy that people used, but Drake seemed to have trouble finding his source.  The theory was that all living and non-living things share a connectedness that could be tapped and… well, the next step was more advanced and not yet clear.  For now, he was supposed to learn to tap into his energy and use it to just feel the world’s energy.  Drake didn’t fully understand, and he had a feeling that this was his problem.  He was a thinker, and he had trouble just being, and not analyzing everything.

Drake kept trying to reach the deep level of relaxation, but his thoughts kept pouring in, and he tried to just let them pass, breathe them out, yet his mind was always so active… just relax… breathe the clear in… breathe the stress out… try to be mindful of the sounds… of his body… of how his clothes feel against his skin… just let the thoughts pass.  Just be in the moment.  Thoughts still came, but he would breathe them away, just accept, not challenge.”

Allacia quietly said, “Your almost there.”

This almost broke Drake out of his meditation.

“Here, relax, this should help.” Allacia touched his shoulder, which startled Drake because he wasn’t expecting the contact.  But then he relaxed even deeper than before, he was sure she was causing him somehow to relax.  But this is what he wanted so he didn’t fight her.

After a few minutes, he felt/sensed something.  He could sense warmth flowing from Allacia, it kind of reminded him of how his mother would hold him when he was scared to go to sleep, and read him a book, so quiet, so gentle, and so relaxing.  Then he followed the flow and down deep inside himself he found an answering energy, a resonating calm energy, being stroked and soothed by Allacia.  He tried to reach for it, just touch the calm pool.  But somehow as he did, he touched the energy from Allacia instead.  His whole world spun, for the briefest second he was not Drake-Kevin, but Allacia-Drake-Kevin….

He woke up lying on a mat, his head was spinning.  Something was wrong, where was he, what…

Then he remembered.

Allacia seemed to be getting up from her knees beside him and shook her head as if in an attempt to clear it.

“Well, that was… unexpected.”  She looked down at Drake and said; “You should warn a girl, and not just reach out and grab her.” She joked.

“Sorry, I don’t know what I did,” said Drake. “It just sort of happened.”

“Yeah, I had a boyfriend like that once.” Allacia quipped.  “But yeah, like I said that was unexpected.  Most people, if they touch my energy like that, don’t have the focus or strength of mind to grab hold of my mind like that; I didn’t expect that so my guard was down.  It was more my fault than yours, don’t worry.  But I think you made great progress today.  Keep working, I have to move on and help with the others.  But I hope to see you back next Tuesday for more practice?”

“I’ll be here,” said Drake, “It’s a date. Maybe you’ll even let me inside you again…” he joked.

He was rewarded by the first blush he had seen on Allacia, and he had thought that she might be too jaded to respond like that.  Maybe this experience unsettled her more than Drake thought?

Drake went back to his meditating before the session was over, he was able to sense the energy within once again, but when he went to reach it, he lost focus.

He was still vastly pleased with himself… he was sure for the first time that he was making some progress.

After the training session had broken up, Drake returned to his room and logged out of Omnia.

***

Samantha had dinner waiting in the kitchen again.  Without even looking at the food he went up to her, gave her a hug and said; “Thank you. You’re such an amazing help to me.” and kissed her on the forehead.

She hugged him back and said “Your welcome, Kevin,” in that way she had of making his name sound like ‘master.'  He was starting to suspect some subliminal message was responsible, something she was doing to display submission.  It was like she was trying to reinforce his sense of male dominance.  Maybe this was part of why he was acting so aggressive with the women he met?

Well, for now, it made him feel good, and it really wasn’t hurting anything yet so he would let it be… for now.

He was sure she just saw what she did as trying to make him the most he could be.

He had always been more passive than aggressive with women; he would not make a move until he was sure they seemed interested in him.  Now that passivity seemed a thing of the past.  Was it maybe just low self-esteem and a fear of rejection?  He had always told himself he didn’t approach women out of respect, but maybe he was telling himself a lie all along.  Was it really disrespectful to tell a girl that she looked nice and that you would like to spend some time getting to know her better?  Maybe joke and flirt a little?

He could see how he lied to himself before.

But if he did find a girlfriend in the real world.  He would have, to be honest with her.  Maybe that was what true respect was.  Would a real life girl be jealous of Samantha?  He would have trouble giving up her services, for a girl’s jealousy.

What is jealousy for anyway, it’s not like Samantha will show up pregnant demanding I marry her.  Isn’t monogamy a method used to ensure that there are two people ready to take responsibility for any children?

He briefly wondered what Sarah would think of Samantha.

While thinking these thoughts, Kevin finished his dinner.  Later he couldn’t even remember what he ate… just his thoughts.

Kevin then went to the training room, exercise and spent some time in meditation, still not yet reaching that elusive energy.

He then took a shower and shared some more relaxing time with Samantha before going to sleep.

Just before he fell to sleep, he thought of one more thing he was grateful for, Samantha.

Chapter 17 – Lust and Madness

Kevin ate breakfast with Samantha.

It had already been more than six hours since he promised to help Sarah in four hours.  Since he was already late, he decided to go ahead and stick to his morning routine in the training room.  An extra thirty minutes would only be about seven and a half for her anyway.

When the pod opened up, he found a startled Sarah looking at him.  Even as he pulled off the breathing mask, she was still looking. It was like she couldn’t take her eyes away.  This cause Kevin a brief moment of concern; was there something wrong with his body?  So he looked down at his own naked body.  No, all the parts were there, in fact, he didn’t ever remember his body looking so good.  Washboard abs, muscular thighs.  And maybe it was his imagination… was his penis a little larger?  No, he hadn’t looked at himself like this for a while.

Sarah was still looking.  He started to get up but found that Sarah had done some cleaning, and his sweats had disappeared.

“Umm, Sarah.” He said as he sat up.

“Why did you take my clothes?  Just looking to get a peek, or have I piqued your interest?” he teased, as he stood up.

The startled girl took one more look down his body, then blushed, and turned away.  He had never seen a girl blush so red.  He wanted to take another look at that red face, but he needed to get some clothes on.  He went to his dresser and grabbed some under clothes, socks, pants, and a shirt.  When he was done, he found that Sarah had given into temptation and was looking at him again.  When she saw that he noticed her, she quickly turned away.  What an amazing shade of red.  He bet all he would have to do in the future to get her to blush would be just to mention this moment.  He went into the restroom to get dressed.

Kevin didn’t feel embarrassed by his nudity.  He had always been that way.  He was more embarrassed by the effects of his thoughts on his male member then by the thought of being naked in public. Clothing for him was more a matter of following the rules and concern about how others viewed him.  But this last scene was Sarah’s fault, she was the one looking, and she was the one that took his clothes.

While Kevin was in the restroom, he looked in the mirror.  He thought that his skin looked a little smoother, or his nose a little different?  No, maybe it was just that he hadn’t been out in the sun much that caused his face to look just a little, different, better?

No, he was clearly confused by all the changes to his in-game body.  He hadn’t changed, he told himself.  Sure the pod did an amazing job and working out his body while he played, but Samantha already explained that. So everything was fine.  It was probably just Sarah’s reaction to him that had him seeing changes that were easy to explain.

When he got out of the restroom, he saw a very embarrassed, blushing and distraught girl sitting on the now cleaned off couch covering her face.

“Oh, my God, I can’t believe I did that… Oh my God… Oh my God… Oh my God…”

“I’m so embarrassed, can you forgive me?  I didn’t think about it when I was cleaning, I just picked up everything.  You were gone so long, and I was going out of my mind, I had to do something…” she rambled on in embarrassment.

“I called my mother, my friends and talked, I looked for someplace to stay, and now I’m looking at you like some stalker pervert.  What is wrong with me,  I can’t keep a man happy, he goes off and sleeps with other girls, even my friends… so what do I do, I come over here and make a fool of myself, cry all over your shoulder, and then act like a stalking pervert.  I should just kill myself…”

Ok, thought Kevin, this was going to take more than just saying it’s no problem.  He sat down next to Sarah and hugged her.  Saying over and over again, “it’s ok, it’s all right.” She tried to push him away, but this time, he didn’t let her go, just kept saying “it’s ok, it’s all right, you're still my friend, you don’t need to worry.”

When he was teasing her, it had slipped his mind that for her, just a few hours passed since she broke up with … what’s his name?  Bob… Bruce… Bill? How about that asshole that slept around on my friend? No, that’s too long, Ass Hat will do.

It took a few minutes, but Sarah calmed down, then Kevin let her go.

“Sarah, I think you’re amazing, and if that Ass Hat was stepping out on you, well he just doesn’t deserve a girl as kind as you.  And if you had girlfriends who were inviting him into their beds, they weren’t your friends.  Maybe they were just using you to get near him?”

“Don’t put that bull shit on yourself, it’s their dirt, let them deal with it.”

“As far as the whole naked parade goes.  Don’t worry; you looking at me didn’t bother me at all.  But you can expect that I’ll hold it over you whenever I want to see you blush.” Kevin said with a grin.

“You should just focus on putting that all behind you.  I know how it feels, I had a girlfriend … Do you remember Rachel?  No?  Well, she hardly ever came around to work.  But I caught her with another man’s dick in her mouth that time I went home sick five months ago? Remember?”

“What hurt the most was the feeling that I did something to cause it to happen.  I kept asking ‘Did I not care enough, not give her enough attention?'  I found out later that she just had a problem.  Turns out sexual addiction is a real thing, she just couldn’t satisfy some inner need with one man.”

“So, I mean it when I say I know your pain.  I feel an echo of the hurt you feel, even now after so many months later.”

Kevin sighed. “Ok, enough weepy sharing.  Sarah, I owe you… You have been my support in a hundred ways, how can I help you?  Just be aware, I only have the next five hours if you need me to do something for you.  But I’m practically living in that pod, so you’re welcome to stay here if you want if that last scene didn’t scare you away.  I promise not to come out of the pod some night and have my way with you.”

Sarah muttered something; even as close as Kevin was sitting he couldn’t make it out for sure.  But his imagination heard it as “oh, too bad.”

He decided to add one more thing, just in case he heard right.

“Anyway, I like you too much as a friend, to lose that relationship to a temporary rebound.  But I will say that if you hadn’t been with that Ass Hat, I probably would have asked you out on a date a long time ago.”

Sarah looked up at him as if seeing him a little differently.

“So,” asked Drake, “how can I help you?”

Sarah said “I need to go back, I need my things, clothes and such.  But he was so mad, he hit me again, and he promised he wouldn’t, and that was after I found out that he broke his promise and slept with Careen…”

She seemed to realize she was starting to babble again.

“Um… Could you go there with me?  He is usually out drinking at a bar this time of the day.” asked Sarah.

“Sure. Let’s go.” He had a feeling this was where she was going all along. He wasn’t looking forward to a confrontation with … what’s his name.

Sarah lived a couple miles further out toward the edge of town.  They took her car, a Honda two-door hatchback.  Sarah drove into an apartment complex; from the outside, it looked like all the apartments were two story units.

At first, it seemed like Sarah might be right, that the Ass Hat might be out drinking.  But as soon as the door opened there was a yell from up the stairs, were Kevin imagined the bedrooms were.

“Is that you Sarah, I told you, you’d come crawling back you bitch, get your ass up here and…”

He trailed off when he came around the corner of the stair and found that Sarah was not alone.

Sarah looked petrified, frozen in her tracks like she was a dear ready to run at a moment’s notice.

Kevin decided to calm her down.

“It’s ok, we’ll just get your things and go.  You’ll be fine. I’ll call the cops right now and when they sho...”  Kevin was just in the middle of pulling out his phone when the Ass yelled…

“LIKE HELL YOU WILL…” he yelled as he charged down the stairs.

Kevin decided that he didn’t want to be in front of this train, so just as the man neared the bottom of the stairs, Kevin ducked to one side.  Just leaving one leg, oh so accidentally out to trip the man, what happened next Kevin did not see coming, not in a million years.  As the Ass tripped he fell, he hit face first into the open door jam.  There was a crunching snapping sound and then his body rolled out the door onto its back, very limp.  And when Kevin looked, there was a noticeable impression in the guy’s forehead, suggesting that he might never get up again.

Kevin immediately started calling 911.  It was going to be a long day.

***

Thankfully there was another witness to what happened.  One of the neighbors was just getting home with a load of groceries.  And when Ben… took a dive down the stairs right into the door jam, the neighbor, Frank Jamison, saw the action.

So with three people all giving the same story, the police put it down as a drunken accident, since Ben smelled of alcohol.

Kevin was relieved; he could just see being stuck in a jail cell, while the wheels of justice made their slow way around to him.  It’s not like he had the money for a real lawyer, and he heard too many stories about the public kind for there to be no truth there.

So he was greatly relieved that he was now going home.  Sarah was still with him, though.  She said she couldn’t stay there.  Too much had happened and Ben being dead did not help.  She had asked her mom if she could move in with her, but there was no room.  Her younger sister was staying in the only other room, and there was some history between the two… Kevin suspected that Ben might have slept with her sister, but that was pure speculation.

Since Sarah would be staying in his studio apartment, he had her register on the new electronic lock.

So, four and a half hours after leaving the pod, he climbed back in… trying to ignore his audience.  It seems that since he told her he didn’t mind her looking at him naked, she took it as something like as an invitation to watch the show.  Girls, you just can’t… well, he could, but he would regret it later.  So he had a hard on when the pod door closed, which Sarah seemed to find greatly amusing since she could tell he both wanted her and was holding back from making a move for the sake of their relationship…whatever that was.

***

Kevin was back in the game pod, he was hoping that Samantha would help him find some release.  She appeared like last time, but this time, there was no negligee.  In fact, there was nothing at all.  Samantha was naked, but she was shiny too.

When he reached out to her, she just slipped away, she had oiled herself all over, and she gave a taunting laugh, as she slipped away again.  Oh, she was being playful.

And so began a game of cat and mouse, until Samantha let him catch her.  Then she showed him some other benefits of being all slippery.

Later when he lay exhausted in bed, he hugged Samantha and gave her a kiss… on the lips for the first time, and said, “I love you, you know.”

For the first time, he admitted to himself that his feelings for this machine/girl were more than just fondness… She did so much for him, and he had grown to love it/her… her.

Yes, he kissed her again, with more passion…

***

So the night ended with both of them washing the oil off one another.  Samantha could have done it with a snap, but Kevin enjoyed this more, and after the day he had, he was glad Samantha took his mind off the real world.  Samantha fixed the bedding with a snap, and Kevin liked that too, he went to sleep hugging the girl of his virtual dreams and wondering about the one just a few feet away in the real world.

Chapter 18 – All Dressed Up

After his morning routine, Drake was back in Omnia online.

He had a few goals to accomplish today.  He needed to go to work and at noon retrieve the data-cube for Sidonia.  But he also wanted to get his own blaster carbines and pistol checked out at the shop.

Drake felt that events were coming to a head, and he would soon no longer need to work at Cairbre’s.  He made up his mind to give his two-week notice today, even though he had been working for less than a week.

Drake ran from the Guild Hall to Cairbre’s Gun Shop.  He had heard that it was harder to set up traps if someone kept changing the route they used.  So he picked a longer, roundabout route to run to work.

When he got to work, he asked Kaveh, the shop steward, if he could run his own guns through the machines to check and repair them.  He was given permission to use the manual, hand held testing, and cleaning equipment to check his own weapons, but only on his own time.  If the components needed repair or replacement, he would have to pay the materials cost.

This sounded fair to Drake; he would not be using anything he wasn’t paying for.

His morning went smoothly, and noon seemed to arrive in no time.  He was getting so used to working his station in the shop, that he fell into a sort of trance, just repeating the steps.

Apapetux picked him up outside the employee’s entrance.

Drake was worried that the security company where he stashed the data-cube might be staked out if the Pirates had any good sources of information.

“Nah, don’t tcha worry, Tredido has had the place staked out all morning,” Apapetux replied to Drake when he mentioned the thought.

“In fact, we think it’s a good idea if you contact that Lawyer of theirs and tell em that you’ll be by with the cube on Wednesday after work, say 6 pm.  This should keep them off your back until then.”

“To make it sound good, ask for a ‘finder’s fee’ something like 2k credits.  We want to generate some messages between the lawyer and the gang, to see if we can get a trace on them.  Sid has already tapped into the lawyer’s office, and is keeping a close electronic eye on the place.”

Drake had Samantha send the demand for money and the time he would be willing to meet.

“Good, good, let Sid work on tracing the bastard.  This one is personal for her, but this will keep her busy and off her problems…”

They had no trouble retrieving the datacube.  He still felt like there was a target painted on his back from the moment he left Apapetux’s ground car until they were back in traffic and on their way.

“You said this was personal for Sidonia?  She’s your hacker, right?”

“Yeah hacker, tech, anything electric, she’s a genius.  Anything with people, she’s a mess.   She would rather hide in a lab all day working and building devices, but we think it’s better for her to get out and meet people.”

“Funny thing is we were making a lot of progress with her too, until a month ago.  That’s when she found out that this gang had captured a transport full of passenger’s.  Only one person escaped from 349 crew and passengers, including Sid’s sister, who was heading home from college.  We don’t know for sure what happened to the people, we think slavery.  So this job is personal for us.”

“We hope to recover some information about Sid’s sister.  So we might capture a few of the gang alive, but Sid wants to get hold of their ship.  She is sure she can recover some information.”

“Well here you are,” said Apapetux.  As they return to the employee entrance.  Drake grimace at the thought of vending machine food.

Just as Drake got out of the car, he heard Apapetux say; “Hey, don’t forget your lunch, and the gear you wanted.” And he passed Drake a cloth duffle bag, it felt heavy to Drake.  Then the door closed, and the car sped away.

Drake was only a few feet from the door, but he spotted someone moving toward him in a hurry.  So, Drake quickly entered the employee’s entrance.

Just a second after the door closed it opened again to admit the person he thought was rushing toward him.

As Drake looked behind him, the man said; “You must be late getting back too, huh?” and ran past Drake, whose hand was on his gun with his heart racing from a spike of adrenalin.

Drake hurried back to the gun shop.  The team wasn’t back yet, so Drake took a look in the bag Apapetux had given him.  There was a warped paper bundle, that Drake took to be his lunch and a full set of armor.  He took out the lunch and crammed the armor into his locker.

The paper bundle contained a large sandwich, this Drake consumed in a hurry. He then went into the little break room to get something to drink and use the restroom.

He was in a hurry because he wanted to use the shop's tools to check out the condition of his blaster pistol.

He had the weapon apart in seconds, and he was nearly complete with testing the gun components by the time the crew returned from their lunch across the street. It looked like the blasters gavlin coil was worn down from use and poor maintenance.  The shop materials cost to repair the blaster would just be a few credits.  Drake was relieved, but it was now time to work, so he reassembled the weapon and put it back in its holster.

That afternoon Drake took the time to tell Cairbre that he was going to quit in two weeks.

“It’s each man’s business to know his place among the stars, so I don’t mean to pry, but is there something we did to make you feel unwelcome?” asked Cairbre.

“No, when I took this job, I thought I could learn some skills that would help me fill in the gaps in my engineering education.  But the reality of this work is I’m a servant of machines, they do all the real work.  I’m just not ready to settle down to a daily job like this, not if I’m not feeling myself progressing the way my spirit demands.” replied Drake.

“Ah, I forget you’re so young still.  How old are you?”

“Twenty-four standard years.”  One thing Drake liked about Omnia, it kept all the planets in artificial synchronicity.

“That would explain it; you’re still too young and have too much energy to settle down to a job like this.  I agree this job would be fine for some, but maybe not for you… Well, Thanks for letting me know.  I’ll have to let the employment agencies know I’m looking for two people now… If you ever decide to settle down, give me a call.  Can’t make any promises, but a half trained gunsmith is better than idle machines.” grumbled Cairbre.

Drake was a little surprised by the gruff old Half-Dwarf.  He had expected a more cross-grained response from the way the man first acted toward him.

When the day’s work came to an end, Drake stayed and worked on his weapons.  Since Cairbre was staying to tend to some after hour business, like inventory and placing some orders for parts and supplies.  He didn’t mind Drake staying to work on his own carbine and pistol.  When Drake was done, he had Samantha sent the shop steward a note of the shop supplies he used.  They amounted to just over twelve credits that would be deducted from his pay.

With his weapons repaired he asked Samantha to display their information on the wrist unit.

Dreanan Defender Heavy Blaster Pistol

Type: Blaster Pistol

Ammo: 35

Damage: 52

Durability: 28

Range: Medium

ExoPiro Defender Heavy Blaster Carbine

Type: Blaster Rifle

Ammo: 50

Damage: 60

Durability: 32

Range: Medium-Long

He had seen a lot of guns and gun modifications over the last three days of work.  The problem was that most modifications that upped blaster damage also harmed the blaster.  He had heard the other employees talk about blasters that had melted or blown up, from a poor modification or over stressing the weapon.

He understood there were quality parts that could increase blaster damage, but for the cost, you might as well just buy a better weapon.

There was one gunsmith in the shop who worked on high-end weapons.  He said that a few professions like snipers, who had to have very fine tuned gear, still relied on hand modified weapons to get the best accuracy and longest range they could from a weapon.

To Drake it wasn’t worth spending the years to learn this profession, just to provide a handful of people with tools.  But that’s the job of a craftsman, he imagined, they seemed to love the weapons for the weapons sake.

With both his weapons now repaired, Drake took out the bag of armor to look it over. There were six pieces, two leggings, two bracers, torso armor and helmet that looked like a military helmet with a face shield that could swing down and lock into place.  The left-hand bracer looked like a data bracer, very similar to the one Samantha now used, except it was armored.  All the armor was a matched set; it was all the same dark grey-green color. It all looked used but well cleaned and repaired.

Probably the most surprising thing about the armor is that the left bracer looked like it had a data-display like Samantha’s Bracer.

There was a note with the suit of armor.

“This is some armor we picked up in the field a few years ago.  It’s not up to our unit’s standard, but we kept it as backup gear.  The price you can get for used armor is usually a fraction of their original value.  This suit combined would run near 10k credits new, we were offered 2300 credits for it used.  A lot of people don’t trust armor someone died in, which of course is where most used armor comes from.  So we kept it in storage.”

“So as part of our deal, this armor is yours.  This is a full set of Crezidine Industries Scout Armor.”

“Samantha, take a look at this bracer.  How does it compare to the one you now use?  And what can you tell me about the Crezidine Industries Scout Armor?”

“The A.I. bracer is designed as part of the integrated suit systems.  It links with the helmet sensors, and when the helmet visor is down and locked, I can see what you can through the vision assist system build into the visor.  The suit helmet can provide low light and no light vision as well as a heads up display that I can activate.  Overall the bracer is a nice upgrade when used with the suit.  And even has longer ranged comms then the one I now use.  May I move to the new bracer Horatio?

“One feature of this scout armor you might like is that it has an active camo system built into the suit’s outer surface.  The camo stays off most of the time to conserve energy, but if activated, it will take on the colors of your environment.  If you stay still, it will attempt to pattern the colors to match your immediate surroundings.  It’s not the highest grade of active concealment, but it’s pretty good.”

“Yes, Sam, move to the suit bracers and give me a display of the protection provided by the rest of the armor.”

Crezidine Industries Light Scout Armor

Type: Armored Helmet (Head)

Energy Protection: 29 (30)

Physical Protection: 18

Durability: 36 (38)

Crezidine Industries Light Scout Armor

Type: Body Armor (Torso)

Energy Protection: 29 (30)

Physical Protection: 18

Durability: 33 (35)

Crezidine Industries Light Scout Armor

Type: Greaves (Legs - 2)

Energy Protection: 24

Physical Protection: 23 (24)

Durability: 38 (40)

Crezidine Industries Light Scout Armor

Type: Bracer (Lower Right Arm)

Energy Protection: 24

Physical Protection: 23 (24)

Durability: 39 (40)

It looked to Drake like a major upgrade.  He hoped the added weight wouldn’t slow him down too much.  The new armor weighed only about 16 kilograms, but his old vest and bracer were only about 4 kilograms in weight.  Still, for what they offered, the armor seemed like it should weight more.  They must have used some really lightweight materials to make it so light.

Drake put the old vest and bracer in the bag.

He put on the new set of armor; it would take some getting used too.

“Samantha, I think I need to add wearing this type of armor to my training.”

“Yes, Drake we will have to set up some situational shooting courses for you to run through using this type of armor.” Samantha’s voice now came from the helmet he was wearing.

“Samantha, if I have the helmet closed, could someone even hear you?”

“Your helmet is designed to contained sounds coming from their internal speakers.  Scouts often need to communicate and remain hidden and silent, so the helmet was built with that in mind,” said Samantha.

Wearing the new armor, with the face open, he put on his gun belt and slung his carbine.  Now he felt dressed to kill.

Kevin exited the building and jogged back to the Guild Hall while trying out all the new toys build into the suit.  He found no threats on his randomized path back to the Hall.  But he did scare some restaurant workers who were hanging out in an alley, taking a break from their work.  The camo system was kind of fun to use if you can be quiet.

Back in his room, he had to pull the powered cells for the whole set and connect them charging.

After stripping off the armor, he climbed into bed and logged out.

***

Tonight’s meal was enchiladas, with sour cream and guacamole; the dinner included refried beans and rice on the side.

While eating Kevin decided he needed more information on the gang of pirates he was going after.

“Samantha, you should have had a chance to look at that data we got on the pirates by now.  What can you tell me about them?” asked Kevin.

“The Pirates have been causing a considerable amount of trouble in the local area.  Their bounty has been increasing over the last few months.  It may not be long before the Imperium decides to send the Navy to hunt them down.” said Samantha.

“Yeah, that’s one thing I don’t get.  Why employ bounty hunters at all?  Why not have an interplanetary police or the Navy go after criminals?” interrupted Kevin.

“It’s about politics and money.  The Imperium is built on a charter that allows planets a considerable amount of autonomy.  They are bound by rules dealing with trade and must accept the Imperial credit as currency; they also have to pay a tax to the Imperium to cover the cost of the Navy to provide for the common defense.  But the planets don’t want to pay the high taxes it would take to maintain an Imperium-wide police service, nor do they want to create another branch of the Imperium that would interfere in their domestic affairs.  Since the Senate votes for how much the planets are to pay in taxes, getting them to agree to pay more taxes for problems that they don’t see as their own, is usually a struggle for the Empress.  So the Imperial Senate’s compromise was to pay for bounty hunters to deal with criminals that break the Common Imperial Laws.” said Samantha.

“The system has been in place for more than a millennia.  But sometimes problems reach a high enough level of threat to be considered a matter of the common defense and these pirates may be getting close to drawing the attention of the Navy.” continued Samantha.

“So if the Navy comes in, no more bounties.”

“More likely, the Navy will accept the bounties and any captured ships as prizes, with one-third being rewarded to the crew as prize money, and the rest going to the navy to help defray the expense.” commented Samantha.

“So, tell me about the Black Blood gang then.”

There are currently ten known members of the gang.  Their leader's name is Rados Ragnvald, and there is a 15k bounty out on him, the usual terms, dead or alive.  The rest of his gang has bounties from 3k to 8k credits depending on the list of crimes they’re known to have been involved in.  There is also a 1000 credit on any party caught in the act of supporting the gang at the time of their death or capture.  This sort of bounty extension usually is only added if there is a suspected support organization helping the pirates, like mechanics that maintain their gear but haven’t been yet reported at a crime scene…  It’s also a problem to claim since people like pirates will often force people into slave obedience collars to make them work.” said Samantha.

“What’s a slave obedience collar?” asked Kevin.

“It’s a collar that locks around the neck and causes the wearer to feel intense pain if they resist the person holding the control device.  Strictly illegal for non-consensual use under Imperium law, but their pirates already so…”

Drake thought, ‘non-consensual use, who would submit to something like that; someone playing s and m games?’

“Anything else you can tell me, which may help?”

“Yes, they have been known to use two ships a converted Nelta 34 Light Freighter, which was used in the attack on the Fyffes Swiftstar and an old XR2 Patrol Craft.  The Imperium is not sure where the patrol craft came from.  The Imperial Navy decommissioned those old patrol craft about a hundred years ago and sold most of them off as planetary customs boats.  A lot of planets don’t keep very good records, especially if they have corrupt local governments.”

The converted Nelta 34 Light Freighter is reported to mount twin medium blaster cannons on a top mounted turret.  That class of ship would normally have a crew of two plus space for four passengers.  So with a conversion, that would probably be a crew of two and one gunner with space for three more for an extra shift.”

“The XR2 Patrol Craft were originally fitted with twin heavy blaster cannon on a top mounted turret and a forward mounted ion cannon used in disabling ships for boarding.  It usual has a crew of two and two gunners with cabin space for an additional 4 crew, to allow them to run shifts.”

“The information the Imperium has on the pirates XR2, suggest that it has similar weapons. And has had little in the way of modification outside a few hull patches.”

“Either of these ships could be flown by one pilot in a pinch.” said Samantha.

“For the next few days, can we train with these two ships as models?”

“Intelecom would charge 200 game credits for upgrading your training room to include two ships.” said Samantha.

“Well, that’s a first.  Why haven’t I been charged for anything else so far?”

“Your virtual home was at the limit of the package provided for Gold level accounts.  There was no charge, because of the level of account the alpha group is testing out.  Most other accounts will not include a training room, except at the gold level, without paying for it in credits.” said Samantha.

“I’m not sure what to think about that.  Just another angle to get people to pay the higher subscription price I guess.”

“Ok, Sam, let’s do it.  I’ll be almost broke, but knowing the ships might come in handy. What will that leave me, 116 credits left right?  Well, I’ll only need 3 credits for the next psionic training session and a few credits of expenses like food… I’ll be fine.  I’ll receive my first pay from the gun shop on Friday if all else fails.”

“Ok, Samantha, let’s get to work…”

***

The next couple days, until the scheduled meeting at the lawyer’s, were uneventful.

The attempt to trace the pirates by comms failed, leaving them with the plan to try using a mock data-cube to find the gang.

For Drake, he spent his time at the gun shop, in his training room, and attending the Tuesday psionic training, which brought him just a little more progress…  He needed more time to dedicate to training.  But having so many different things he was trying to learn made him feel like it was all taking too long.

The morning of Wednesday, before going to work, Drake asked Samantha about how he was progressing with his physical training.

“You have been improving some with every training session, but with working you’re not progressing as fast as I would like Kevin.” replied Samantha.

Samantha brought up a blue screen for Kevin to examine:

Name: Horatio Drake

Race: Human

Hit Points: 170

Combat Level: 1.5

Strength: 1.6 (max 3.5)

Charisma: 1.9 (max 3.5)

Agility: 1.5 (max 3.6)

Intelligence: 2.0 (max 3.7)

Dexterity: 1.3 (max 3.5)

Wisdom: 1.2 (max 3.5)

Constitution: 1.7 (max 3.5)

Memory: 2.3 (max 3.7)

Maximum values are based on personal genetics.

When Wednesday afternoon finally arrived Drake met with Apapetux at 5:15 pm in a meeting room in the Guild Hall, for a final mission brief before he would go meet with the pirates attorney.

Chapter 19 – Wrapped up in Business

This time, Apapetux had reserved a small meeting room on the first floor of the large Guild Hall, and he was alone waiting for Drake to arrive.

“Where are the rest of the team?”

“They are all in locations near to the Lawyers office, ready to either spring a trap or follow the cube,” said Apapetux. “Hand me your right bracer for a second.”

Drake removed the right bracer and handed it to Apapetux, who pinched open a section of a seam of the bracer and inserted a little disk.

“What was that?”

“Do you mean the hidden compartment in the bracer or the tracker?”

“Both.”

“Well, when we took down the previous owner of this set of armor, we discovered that he used the right bracer to hide important small objects like credit chits.  At least we found one inside the armor later.  So today we’re using the same spot to hide this tracer.  If something goes wrong, we can use it to track you.”

“The datacube we replicated also has a tracker that will lie dormant until someone tries to break the encryption.  Sid analyzed the encryption on the original data cube, and we found the software type that was used to encode it.  So even if they check the cube, it will have the right type and size of file as the original.  Put since we did not have time to crack the original we don’t know what its password was, so the pirates will not be able to actually access the data.  The data is just junk anyway.”

“So now we can track you, and the mock data-cube.”

Drake nodded, “Ok, by the way, I understand that this gang has two ships, do you know which one might have the data about Sid’s sister?”

“No we don’t, so we will want both ships.  We need to get them soon too.  Today we got word that a Navy destroyer just came out of hyper, and they should be nearing the planet soon.  We think they might be looking for the same gang, but they may be just heading out for a sweep of the nearby stars for all we know.”

“I think your right; they may be looking for this gang.”

“Anyway, we have a lead, and we need to move fast… Ready?  The plan is for you to take a cab to the office.  I need to go now to be ready nearby.  Good luck bate-man.” Apapetux said with a grin.

Drake had Samantha request a cab to meet him at the front of the Guild Hall.

On leaving the Guild Hall… something struck him from behind, his helmet absorbed most of the blow but left Drake stunned for just a moment, just long enough for something to be injected into his neck.

Drake’s world went black; he was floating in a sea of confusion and barely heard voices.  The only voice his confused brain thought it recognized, was the man Drake had a fight with a few days ago, over a training mat in the Guild Hall… the one called Brice?

Drake seemed to drift on the edge of blackness, going in and out of conciseness, until he finally woke up.

He was alone in a small metal room… or cabin? His wrists and ankles secured by rope and his armor had been removed.  In fact, he was wearing nothing but his underwear.

Now that he was awake, he tried to puzzle out what happened.  The last thing he could remember clearly was walking out of the Guild Hall to a waiting cab.  After that nothing was clear.  Based on the bits he could piece together, that ass munch, Brice was somehow involved.  Could he be part of the gang of pirates?  He wasn’t one of the people on Drake’s list.  Or maybe he was a new member?

He was tied to the bottom bed of a metal framed bunk bed.  Laying facing up with each arm tied to each side of the bed frame, and each of his legs tied to either side of the bed frame at the foot of the bed.

With his hands so far apart, there was no way he could untie himself.  He felt exposed and helpless lying on a bed nearly naked this way wearing only his underwear.  Having people seeing him naked might not bother Drake, but being tied down this way certainly did.  Were these pirates some kind of perverts? Sure, they probably tied him like this as the best way to make sure he didn’t escape, but he wondered for a minute how many women had they tied up the same way for an altogether different purpose?

Drake looked around the room, trying the find anything that might help him out of this mess.  Hopefully, Apapetux and his team would be there soon.  But this was not going to plan… What was the range on those trackers anyway?  He forgot to ask.

He couldn’t depend on someone else to help him.  He needed to find his own solution.

The room was furnished with just the bunk bed on one side of the room and two desks and chairs on the far side, with a pair of closets between them.  His armor and weapons must be somewhere else.

After a careful look around the room, Drake thought he recognized some of the features as those belonging to the XR2 Scout Craft that the pirates were said to have.  The way the metal bulkheads were fitted together and the general arrangement of the floor plan, was nearly the same as one of the lower deck crew cabins of the XR2 that he had been practicing in for the last few days.  If so there might be as many as 8 people aboard.

After a few minutes of waiting, the door hissed opened, and Brice appeared in the entrance.  He leaned against one side of the doorway and leered at Drake.

“You think you're soothing special, huh pretty boy?  Well, your nutten, sure yuh got a sucher punch in yaeah, but I gotcha I did.”

It was clear to Drake at this point that Brice was drunk, and slurring his words.

“They says your fur te boss, and I got to let cha be, but I’m smarter than them.  Coldent go back ta base tey say, navee in the way.  So I’s got time to play, yes.  Slipped em a michy and passt it around make sure tey all had enough.  Noow is juss te two ov us.”

He walked toward Drake waving a knife he had hidden until now. As Brice moved from the door, and it hissed shut.

“She tis?”

He grabbed hold of the top bunk for support, and then sat at the left side edge of the bottom bed, next to Drake.

Brice then waved the knife in front of Drake.

It looked like a standard combat knife to him.

“Aye, gud cut chur eyes out. Or ya could loos sompen spessial,” said Brice as he slowly dragged the knife down Drake’s chest, down past his stomach to rest lightly just below his balls.

“You cosht my gilt mem-bersip show I tink you shoud hav tu pay.”

He then cut away both sides of Drake’s underwear leaving him completely exposed, while making some small cuts and scrapes on the way.  Drake wanted to yell for help, but from the sound of things Brice drugged the rest of the group they sent to capture him.  And he didn’t want any parts cut off with that knife waving around his privates.

“But they shay yous belong to ta bossh.  But cha be purty anough that I can think anouter way fur you ta pay, I’s usally perfur girls shinse tey squeal show well.  But cha I gotta show you hoos boss.”

Brice then moved the knife down to Drake’s left leg and cut the rope.  Then he looked confused like he forgot something.  He put the knife down on the end of the bed and picked up Drake’s leg with both hands.

Drake was certain from the sound of the man’s speech that he was a rapist, he might prefer girls, but he seemed not to draw a line at either sex.  And he seemed bent on raping Drake, to establish his twisted sense of dominance.  But it seemed the way that the bonds and bed were set up confused his drunken mind.

As Brice tried to move Drake’s leg over to expose his backside, Drake pulled the leg up in a sudden move that pulled Brice over across the bed.  With a thunk sound, his head hit the cabin bulkhead, stunning Brice and causing him to lose his grip on Drake’s leg for a moment.

At this point, Brice’s head and shoulders lay across Drake’s left leg, and his right leg was free.  With Brice momentarily stunned.  Drake wrapped his right leg around Brice’s neck and hooked his right foot around his other leg, then squeezed down on Brice’s neck for all he was worth.  This seemed to bring Brice out of his shock, and his panic seemed to bring him some sense.  He moved his left arm around as if looking for the knife. Then in panic Brice started punching at Drake while twisting trying to get free.

If he had been more sober, Drake would never have had a chance.  But Drake held on, focusing all his strength into squeezing his legs shut.  Drake used all the fear and anger at what this man planned and poured it into this one task.  Drake didn’t notice when Brice stopped moving, but after some time he became aware of the fact.  His legs were getting tired from this unusual use of his muscles.  But Drake kept squeezing his legs together for a couple more minutes just to be sure that the man was dead.

After Drake let his legs relax… he stopped moving for a second.  He desperately wanted to kick this dead rapist fucker off the bed.  But he made himself stop to think.

He needed to get loose.  And there was a knife somewhere, where was it?  He carefully used his free foot to feel around the bottom of the bed for the knife. He found it at the edge of the bed.  If he had kicked the body to the floor, there was a good chance he would have been fucked.

Now he had to figure out what to do with it.  Fortunately, he was pretty tall, at 1.8 meters he just barely fit on a normal bed.  So even with his arms and leg tied, he could almost reach the ropes around his wrist with his teeth.  But any knots were on the far side, and he couldn’t bite through the rope, so without a knife, he couldn’t get free.

He pushed the knife under his left leg, away from the edge of the bed, and then kicked the body to the floor.

The next part took a lot of time and moving around, but he managed to get the knife handle between his teeth.  He didn’t want to imagine where the sweaty, salty knife handle might have been.  He tried to just focus on cutting his left hand free.  It seemed the easiest to reach for some reason.

After creating a few self-inflicted wounds, he finally managed to cut through the rope and free his left hand.  He was free from the rest of the rope in seconds…

What now?  He had one dead rapist and would-be pirate.

Had he said the rest were drugged?

Drake didn’t like the idea of running around a Pirates’ ship with his pecker waving around.  So he first looked in the two crew closets for something to wear.

He was in luck one had blue overalls hanging from a clip that was a near fit… a little loose around the middle, but he would have to get his own gear back.

Drake looked over Brice’s body.  No other weapons, just the knife.  He took the belt and knife sheath off the body and put them on.

With the knife in hand, he left the cabin.  There were no people in any of the crew quarters on the bottom deck.

Drake climbed the ladder to the second deck.  Knowing the layout, he moved slowly up the ladder since it came up in the main lounge of the small space ship.

There were three men passed out in the saloon, one of the men was a Dwarf.

Drake was pretty sure a room on a ship where people can sit together and talk was called a saloon, anyway.  He felt like calling it a living room but knew that wasn’t the right term to use on a ship.

One of the men was wearing a blaster that looked just like his… it was his heavy blaster… Drake held the knife near the sleeping man’s throat then he carefully drew his blaster out of the sheath.

He then quietly searched the rest of the ship.

There was one other man half sprawled over the large bed in the Captain’s cabin, he found his armor in the there too.

He carefully pulled the door closed; then he put on Samantha’s bracer.   While pointing his gun at the man on the bed, he whispered to Samantha.  “Hey, Sam, good to see you. Any chance you can get a signal out?”

“No, they jammed my signal and sensors just a fraction of a second before you went down.  They then pulled you into a van.  The whole capture was over in three seconds, and I was jammed.  I haven’t been able to get a signal since we’ve been out here, even though the jammer is off now.” said Samantha

“You can’t connect through the ship?” asked Drake

“I’m not part of an authorized group.” Answer Samantha.

“Does this type of ship have a key, like the shuttle?” asked Drake.

“See if anyone has a black flat card, about four centimeters by six.”

“I think I should first finish searching the ship and then secure these… men,” said Drake.

So Brice was telling the truth, he did drug the crew.  Drake could imagine that there were more of them outside, and there was no telling if the rest would stay passed out.

Drake ducked into the engineering area searching for duct tape.

He was starting to get worried that he might have to fall back on plan B when he finally found three rolls of tape in a little storage room off of engineering.

He started with the man in the Captain’s cabin.  He first removed any weapons he could find, and then he taped his legs together, and finished by taping his arms behind his back.

Then Drake searched the cabin and found a large bag for carrying clothes and tossed the weapons he’d so far discovered in it.

He realized that this was a poor solution since there could be a thousand places either in this room or on his body that a knife or other weapon could be hiding.

Drake made a search of the man who he thought might be the Captain’s body and found a black card in one of his pockets, which he hoped would work for the ship.

Before tending to the three men in the saloon, Drake went to the bridge and inserted the card key into a slot near the left pilot’s chair.

With the card in place, he had Samantha override any ship security and lock the ship down to just the two of them.  Then he had her call Apapetux and tell him to get his ass over to this ship.

“He says they’re on their way,” replied Samantha.  “Now that I have access to the ships systems I have been able to determine our position and relayed the coordinates to Apapetux.  He says it will take about 45 to 50 minutes for his team to get here, and he hopes you’re still alive by then.”

“Fuck, 45 minutes. Well, they sure have been a lot of help so far,” said Drake

When he returned to the saloon, he only found two people passed out.  Then he heard a noise coming from down the passageway toward the head.  It sounded like someone was being sick to their stomach and cursing between throwing up.  Drake kept an ear out on the man in the head. While he collected all the weapons he could find and added them to the bag he was carrying around.  Then he walked past the head into the kitchen around the corner and waited for the active pirate to come out of the head.

After a few minutes, the man half stumbled out of the head and turned away from Drake to head back into the saloon.  Drake had his blaster pointing at the man’s back.  In a firm but quiet voice, Drake said.  “Don’t move or I’ll…”

The man didn’t wait for Drake to finish.  He started to spin like he was going to hit or kick at someone behind him.

Drake did not wait to find out what he was doing. Being only two meters away, his finger on the trigger, and his blaster targeting the man’s center of mass, he didn’t miss.  As soon as Drake recognized the sudden movement, he fired the blaster, but the first shot hit the man in the arm.  The force of the shot, to the arm of the drunken spinning man, was enough to knock him off balance and stumbling backward.  But Drake had been training on targets for a couple weeks in-game that required two shots to put them down.  So without even thinking he shot the down man a second time, this time in the chest.

The man dropped the rest of the way to the ground and ceased moving.

Drake could now hear some noise from the saloon.

He could now see that the man he just shot had some sort of holdout blaster that he managed to pull in the brief second before he was shot.

‘Damn,’ thought Drake, ‘this man was fast.’

He decided to pick up the holdout blaster later after he dealt with the new threat.  So he kicked the gun away.

He grabbed the roll of duct tape he was about to use on the last man and carefully approached the saloon.  He could hear what sounded like two confused men waking up and getting sick.

Drake wondered what Brice had used on this crew.

It seemed that whatever the drug was the Dwarf and Human in the saloon had more of it then the last man because they didn’t wait to get to the head before spewing out their guts.

Ew, he hoped he didn’t get stuck with the cleanup.

The two of them were surprised to see Drake appear holding a gun on them.  For a second it seemed that they were looking around for something to use as a weapon.

Drake decided to put a stop to any thoughts of escape.  So he shot the Dwarf in the foot.

The Dwarf jumped grabbing hold of his foot, and this action caused him to fall on his ass in front of the couch.  He yelled, “What the fuck did yeah do that fur?”

“Now you know I’m serious when I say, don’t move.  To tell the truth, the two of you are more a bother to me alive than dead…  So I changed my mind, move.  Give me the excuse I need to not feel bad shooting you.  Or, you can go with plan A and wait for the authorities.  I understand they won’t execute you, so that’s the plan where you live.”

“So, what’s your answer?” Drake pointed the blaster at the Human.

Looking down the barrel of the gun the man said.

“I want to live.”

Drake tossed the duct tape onto the couch beside the man.

“First rule, no sudden moves or I’ll shoot. Tape up the Dwarf.  Tape his ankles together then his hands behind his back.”

Drake pointed his gun at the Dwarf who was pissed and in pain, but in no condition to run the five meters toward his assailant.

“Lay down or take plan B,” said Drake. “Slowly, face to the floor.”

Drake waited as the Human taped up the Dwarf.

He then said, “Now your turn, move to an open spot on the floor and sit down, tape your legs together.”

He waited for the man to follow the directions.

“Now toss the tape, toward this wall, and lay face down to the floor.”

Drake watched carefully at this point since it was the man’s last chance to make a desperate move.

But he did just as directed.

Drake picked up the tape, trying to not take his eyes off the man.  This next part could be dangerous since he had to get close to the pirate.

“Put your hands behind your back.  Now I’m going to tape up your hands, but since I’m so close to you, if you as much as sneeze, I’ll shoot you in the back of the head.”

“So don’t sneeze.  I just hope you aren’t as stupid as the last man who thought he could move faster than my trigger finger.”

Drake carefully taped the man’s hands together, with the blaster just a couple feet away from his head.  He seemed to take the warnings seriously and didn’t move a muscle.

So now clean up.

Drake checked on the Captain first.

He was still passed out half on the bed.  Drake decided that he had the time and the duct tape to do a better job.

He used more tape on the Captain.  Since his ankles were taped together, he taped his legs together just under the knees.  Then he pulled the man off the bed, the drop to the floor woke him up.

Drake ignored the man’s cursing for now as he dragged him out into the saloon.

Drake then checked the man he shot near the ship’s top deck head.

He hadn’t checked for a pulse before.  No pulse.  But he shot the body again to be sure.  Nope. No sign of life.

Drake thought that an observer might think he was a bit demented.  But to Drake’s way of thinking a body is either dead or not, and if you’ve decided a man needed to die, one extra bullet doesn’t matter one way or the other.

Drake gathered up the bag with all the weapons and added the holdout blaster he found earlier.

Now he had extra duct tape.  Drake took all the gear to the saloon.

The Captain was still yelling when Drake got to the saloon.

So Drake yelled, “Keep yelling and I’ll shoot something off of you.”

Then he fired a blaster shot about a half meter from the man’s head.

Ah, the silence.

“Better, like I told your fellows.  I don’t want to keep you alive.  You’re too much of a risk, but there are people who would rather you continue breathing.  I have to work with some of these people, but if I have an excuse like I’m getting a headache and I decided your yelling was an attack… then I can kill you and just tell them I had to.”

“Ok?”

Drake ignored the odd looks he got from the captives.

“Now to be sure you’re not a risk, which means you get to live, I’m going to tape you all up some more.”

At this point, Drake put down the blaster in the bag with the other weapons… He still didn’t have his blaster belt back.  His belt and holster were on the man taped up on the floor.  It could wait.

With just the knife on his belt for a weapon, if something went wrong.  Drake started taping the three remaining pirates up from shoulder to feet, in more tape.  He just put tape were their elbows were, taped their wrists to their bodies and taped their legs together.

He had one last thought.

“Just one more thing. If you feel the need to take a piss or shit before my friends arrive in thirty minutes… Feel free, don’t bother asking.  You can just go in your pants.”

With that said he sat back on the couch and waited for the help to arrive while watching the three tape turds.

Chapter 20 – Trust Between Partners

When Apapetux finally arrived, he thought the taped up pirates to be a funny sight.

Drake told him the since he caught the fish, the least his team could do was clean up the mess, including the vomit.

He thought that was less funny.  But it turned out the ship had a bot to clean the floors.

They at least brought proper restraints, and with them taking care of the ‘fish’, Drake had time to search for his missing gear.

Once dressed, he sat down in the small ships mess and waited to talk to Apapetux, and find out what the rest of the plan was.

When Drake finally saw Apapetux, he said; “I don’t remember that our agreement was clear about who would get any captured ships or gear.  So since I captured this one, is it mine, or is 45% yours like the split on the bounties?”

Drake smiled at the Dwarfs deepening frown.  It looked like he either didn’t think about it or had purposely left it out of the terms thinking his team would do the work and capture the ships, thus have full claim to both ship.”

“I’m willing to think that you didn’t think about that little addendum.  But I wonder what would happen if you had captured the ship, would you even offer me a cut?”

More frowning.

“So are we going to change the terms of the agreement, now that it appears incomplete?”

“While I’ve been waiting I’ve been checking on the cost of a ship like this, it could cost as much as 200k credits new.  Of course, this one is a couple hundred years old and sure to use some work, but it could sell for 60 to 70k.”

Apapetux finally said something. “The trouble would be holding onto it.  The Imperium doesn’t like to see real military vessels in private hands.  There are workarounds of course.”

“No, I didn’t intend to screw you over on the split when making the deal.  It was only later that any of us thought about it.  We’ve been so focused on getting Sid’s sister back that it slipped.  Then we argued about contacting you to change the terms.  Frankly, we were still split when this mission started.  It’s one of the drawbacks to having an even team with equal votes.  I’m only the leader because no one else likes dealing with people much.” said Apapetux.

“Well get your team together, you’re going to have to make up your mind.  I could by right claim this ship, and anything on board, including data.  The only thing we agreed on is the bounties, which I get 55%.” said Drake.

‘Or we can say you get 45% for being no help in this one.’ Drake thought, but he didn’t want to escalate the argument.

“It might not be your fault, but I’m feeling a bit pissed about how this all played out.” Drake continued.

Drake waited until the whole team was together.  They had been off talking to each other for a while, and now they finally came into the mess together.

“So what do you have to say for yourselves?  Is this how you deal with partners?” asked Drake.

A couple of them looked a little guilty; Tredido looked pissed, but Drake wasn’t sure he could read the Karurian very well.

Apapetux was the only one that Drake couldn’t get a read on.

Apapetux said, “Well part of the previous argument we were having was, that as a team, the ship we’ve been using has been getting cramped.  When this whole business was over, and we had Sid’s sister back, we were going to start looking for a larger ship.   So when we found out that the Pirates had a real military scout craft, we wanted it.  We’ve built up a good standing with the Imperium over the years and have contacts in the Imperial Government that know we can be trusted, we could get something this small licensed.  A couple of us thought it would be perfect if we could have full claim to this ship.  Now it appears we’ve made another mistake.”

“We would like to amend the deal, and fix our mistake.  We will take this ship in exchange for ours, and in the future, the deal we had for the bounties extends to ships and gear too,” said Apapetux.

Drake didn’t like being told that they were planning on screwing him on the deal.  But they were right about this ship.  The best he could hope for is selling it to the local planetary government.  The lack of people that could bid on the ship could kill any chance of unloading it.  Add the fact that there was an Imperial warship in orbit, and he would probably get screwed.

“What type of ship would you trade?” asked Drake.

“We have a Zenon 12.  It was originally marketed as a scout vessel, like this one, but much smaller.  But the company couldn’t find any contracts so they downgraded the weapons and sold it as a courier, and light packet freighter.”

“The Zenon 12 only requires one pilot, and its weapons are designed to be fired forward like a fighter, so one person can crew our old ship.  It can carry only small sized packages in its cargo hold, so it’s not really a trade ship.  Some people like them as smugglers since they’re fast and maneuverable.  We reinstalled military grade weapons and shields.  But it only has one cabin and a sleeping berth for two, and we’re tired of bunk beds and sharing one head.”

“For us, this XR2 Scout Craft would be perfect.  It has 5 cabins, two heads, and a full sized mess.  It does require two pilots and two gunners, but that works for us too. We would even have a spare cabin to turn into a brig if we want.” said Apapetux.

Drake considered the deal.  Once again it was a matter of contacts and reputation.  He didn’t have either, but what the hell, he could get a ship, and get to space.  He just saw one problem.

“First, let’s be clear.  This Zenon 12 is free and clear of any debt, and is in good working shape?” asked Drake.

“We’ve no debts outstanding, and even the pad she is on is paid up until the end of the month, two more weeks.  As to the condition, we’ve kept up on all maintenance, right Sid?” asked Apapetux.

The quiet girl nodded in agreement.

“So, yes, the ship is yours, free and clear,” said Apapetux.

“You guys are clearly getting the better end of this deal.  So, if you want to trade ships, you have to cover any fees the guild will charge on either ship.  If so, then I agree.” said Drake.  He hoped he covered all the bases this time.

Apapetux looked to his group to be sure he had a consensus.

Apapetux said, “Done, we agree.”

Drake was glad to have all that business settled.  It still left a sour taste in his mouth.  He thought he was working with a group he could trust.  But in part, he blamed himself for not going over the terms of the deal with Samantha.

Of course, the bounties were still to be collected, but what about the rest of the pirates?

Drake said, “Let’s try to put that behind us.  How do we get the rest of the pirates?  I’m sure you already had the thought I came up with of using this ship to get into their base, where ever that is.”

“Oh, here.” Drake handed the black key card to Apapetux.

Apapetux said “Yeah, we were thinking about that.  If we want a chance to surprise the rest of the gang, we need to keep this success under wraps.”

“We also have the problem of the Destroyer in orbit.  If we try lifting this ship without letting the Navy know about the change in ownership, they could blast it from the sky.  Not my idea of a retirement plan.” said Apapetux.

“So the first thing we do is check out the ship systems, and find where it’s been too.  That should give us the base location.  If not, we can ask our guests locked up below.”

“I have to be straight with you, on this last group, we might have to make a deal with the Navy to get to the last ship.  I’m sorry for any loss of credit that might be involved.  But we have an overriding desire to find out what happened to Sid’s sister.  To us, the money takes second place.” said Apapetux.

Drake responded, “I can live with that.  When you find out, let me know.  I might be willing to help.”

“While you’re working on a plan, I need to get back to the Guild Hall to get some sleep.  I have work tomorrow after all.  Could you give me a lift back..?  By the way, what happened to the vehicle that brought me out here?” asked Drake.

“Yes, Lorna, could you give him a lift in your air car?  As for your other question, they probably rented whatever they used.  One thing about renting automated vehicles, to return it; you just give it a command to return.”

Drake was feeling tired, or he wouldn’t have even asked that question.

Lorna’s Aircar was a lot like a ground car, just no wheels, instead in had shrouded gravity-coils giving the vehicle lift.

Drake was almost asleep by the time he was dropped off in front of the Guild Hall.  So, he immediately went up to his room and logged off.

Chapter 21 – Taking Account

After breakfast the next day Kevin asked Samantha about the bounty on the pirates he captured the previous day.

“Well, you didn’t get the leader Rados Ragnvald.  But you did pick up some significant bounties.  I’ll just list them by their last names; Arkadiu’s bounty was 4700 credits, Wequan’s bounty was 6500 credits, Gislen’s bounty was 3700 credits, and the man you found in the captain’s cabin, Frang’s bounty was 7600.” said Samantha.

“You should also expect to receive 1000 credits for Brice since we can demonstrate his connection to the pirates.” she continued.

“So after the pirates are turned in, and Aggressive Solutions gets their share, and you pay the 5% guild cut, you can expect 5 credits.” joked Samantha.

“Haha, I know, it feels like everyone gets paid first, I’m sure if the Navy gets involved, my take will be nothing.  So what’s the real numbers, Sam?”

“You should be able to do this math in your head, lazy.  Your cut after the split with Aggressive Solutions will be 12,925 credits, the guild will receive 646.25 credits.  So the final take for yesterday was 12,278.75 credits and a ship.  Be thankful that Aggressive Solutions is paying the guild share of the captured ship.”

“There will be a few credits yet to come from captured armor and weapons, but not much compared to the bounties.  You can tell by the level of the bounties, just how many people were pissed off at this group.  The Imperium allows companies and planets to add to someone’s bounty after they have been adjudicated as guilty by the Imperium.  So there have been cases where a criminal’s bounty has been truly epic.”

“This amount of money is not enough to get you your next genetic treatment.  But it should be enough to cover the cost of fitting out your new ship,” said Samantha

“What do you mean by that?” asked Drake.

“Aggressive Solutions only promised you the ship, not anything else.  So you may have to buy fuel, meals, spare parts, tools to repair the ship.  The list can be very long.  You might want to find out just what you bought.”

“Owning a ship can be very expensive.  You don’t even have a license to pilot an atmospheric craft, let alone to orbit, or beyond.  Then if you’re the only person on board, you need to be a pilot and a ship's engineer.” said Samantha.

“When you get a few more credits we can pay the 100 credits to add your new Zenon 12 to your training room.”

“Well, looks like I have some details to clear up with Apapetux about what comes with the ship.  I’m sure they will leave spares of anything that doesn’t fit their new ship, but the credits I just earned do not sound like the huge pile they were just a few minutes ago,” said Drake.

“Well, time to get to training so I can get to work and earn those 3 credits an hour,” Drake said as he headed for the training room.

***

After Drake had logged into Omnia, he sent a message to Apapetux to asking what they were planning on taking out of the Zenon 12.  The response was a bit of a relief; they were just taking their personal belongings and a few other things.  They were leaving the fuel, food, and most spare parts.  He did mention something about taking the fabricator.

When Drake asked what that was, Apapetux told him that they had bought a class, three fabricator.  Sid used it to fabricate many of the parts used on the ship, provided they had the raw materials. But the fabber was something they bought for Sid, and not a ships fitting.

The last questions Drake sent before heading into work was if Sidonia would be willing to share any schematics she had for the ship and its parts, and when he could pick up the ships code key.

The answer he got back was that Sid would be willing to share her schematics she developed from reverse engineering… for a price.  And that Apapetux would meet him after he got off work with the key for the Zenon 12.

Drake entered the gun shop thinking, ‘Damn, has she changed anything on the ship.’  He would have to get her schematics now, just to see if anything was changed.  He wondered what it would take to pry it away from the mousey woman.

***

Drake’s day at work had become routine.  The best part of his day being the lunch break, as he sat and absorbed some of the stories these men had to tell.  It seemed that for these older gunsmiths, this was a second or third career for them.

After work was over, Apapetux was there with the code key to the ship.  This one was a round cylinder.  It seemed each planet or ship manufacturer had a different way to secure a ship.  He was told that this key, once used to change the ship owner, didn’t need to be used again, unless Drake wanted to add someone to the ships permissions.

Apapetux said that he talked to Sidonia and that she was willing to let Drake have her parts and ship schematics, as well as the repair and change logs she kept for the ship.  In return for Drake’s promise to help if they need more people to assist in her sister’s rescue.

Drake would have been there anyway if invited, so he agreed.  He got the feeling that this was just some face-saving for the problems from the previous day, but he was not going to turn down the gift.

Then Apapetux offered to take him to the ship and give him a tour before talking about what had changed since yesterday.

When they pulled up to the Zenon 12 the first thing Drake noticed was its size and shape.  In size, his new ship was somewhere in the range of a small commercial jet or a large private jet.  In shape, it looked like a more aerodynamic type of Space Shuttle, with stubby swept back wings.  It was clearly designed with an eye to slipping through a planet’s atmosphere.

The boarding ramp came down as the two men approached the ship.  The way it appeared to Drake was that part of the starboard bottom hull of the ship swung down to form a door, and then extended out to form a ramp.

Apapetux started describing the ship while standing near the ramp.

“Drake, do you see those black bumps going down either side of the ramp about every two meters along the midline of the ship?  Those are a few of the ship sensors.  They allow the ships systems to keep an eye on what is around it on land and in space.”

This ramp we’re climbing can only be used on the ground or when docked at a station.  If you need to reach the outer hull while you’re in space, you can get out that little hatch there toward the back of the ship.  But it’s only accessible through the underfloor access way where the ships life support, electrical and plumbing can be serviced.  It’s just a half deck, so it’ll be a tight fit for a tall one like you.”

“Now let’s go up and into the ship.”

“As they entered the ship Apapetux led Drake to the front of the ship.  As you see here, the cockpit section of the ship is almost separate from the rest.  This is because it doubles as a three-person lifeboat.”

“Now just back behind the detachable cockpit, you will see to the port here a sensor station, and to the starboard a gunnery station.  Both of these are optional since the sensors and gun are designed to be managed from the cockpit.  You see that there is just one chair here, the builders did not see a need for a four-man crew, so sensors and gunnery are considered part of the same station.”

“Speaking of the gun, we remounted the originally intended swivel mounted twin blaster cannon.  It can traverse about a 90-degree arc ahead of the ship, and is linked directly to the sensors to boost its targeting.  If you ever lose the sensor connection for any reason, the cannons will lock forward and may only be fired straight ahead like a fighter's guns.”

“Going toward the back of the ship to the port you’ll see the engineering repeater station.  The engineer can monitor the ships systems from here or from engineering, this station can also be used as a backup for flight control if something happens to the cockpit or the pilot.”

“Now as we head down this narrow passageway, you will see the armory to the port side. There is a storage area to the starboard, which is also where the ships floor cleaning bot recharges and where you will find the ships refresher.  Behind the armory, is the crew birth bunks.”

Drake looked at the berths; they opened right on to the passageway, like some he’d seen on military planes in the past.  The people who slept here could close off their little berth, but they had almost no private space.  They would have to use the ships head if they didn’t want to change while horizontal in their berth or in the passage.  He could see why Aggressive Solutions wanted a ship with five real cabins, even small ones.

“Next, we come to the main living area of the ship.  To the port side, you will find the passageway continues around passed the mess to the engine room.  To the starboard is the auto-galley and ships food storage area.  Behind the auto-galley, you will find the only real cabin on this ship.  You might want to switch out the bunk bed in there for a normal one.  And finally jammed between the mess, the cabin, and the engineering passageway isthe ships only head.  It’s just a toilet, shower, and sink, and it was the thing our team fought over the most.  Two women and two men on a ship with no privacy, the only room where someone could be alone was the head.” said Apapetux.

“I just remembered you said you were in that freighter crash, so you’ll need to remember to pick up a ship suit and some inner liners before you space.”

“Well that ends the tour.” said Apapetux, as he took a seat on the couch in the ships mess.

“So, what has been going on since we met last?” asked Drake, sitting at the other end of the circular corner couch.  This couch had a table and was part of the mess, but as the only communal sitting area on the small ship, it served double duty as a sort of lounge.

“Sidonia believes she found where the pirates are based, and we’ve been in negotiations with the Captain of the Imperial Naval Destroyer Fulster, which was sent out to deal with the pirate problem.”

“The captain of the ship seems to have two concerns, well three actually.  One that the Navy (and she) comes out looking good, by dealing with this matter swiftly and getting back to her normal duties, that’s one and two.  The third is her crew was looking to getting a little bonus out of this rare chance the ship was given at prize money.  Now we’ve taken away a chunk of the possible rewards, yet we offer her a way to wrap matters up here quickly.”

“So, you can see she has mixed feelings.” said Apapetux.

“You got all this from talking by comms?” asked Drake.

“No, of course not, on something like this we send Lorna Fei.  As she picks up people's passive empathic responses, she is able to figure stuff like this out with some ease.  Of course, it helps that she’s an attractive Elf, who people like to talk to.” grinned Apapetux.

“So is there any progress in these talks?  It seems if the lady captain is so interested in speed, she should be motivated to make a deal,” asked Drake.

“We’ve made a deal, a fifty/fifty deal with the destroyer.  But there are signs that the pot might be bigger than we thought.  The pirate’s base appears to be a shared location.  At this moment the destroyer is dispatching a stealth scout to investigate.  So we’re waiting and getting ready to move.  The scout is expected to take some time sneaking in and out to make sure he remains unseen.” said Apapetux

“The Destroyer Captain expects to leave Friday or Saturday morning.  So get ready, we’re going to include you in on the take, we might as well make you work for your credits.” grinned the Dwarf.

“So my part went down from 20% to 10 %, but the target may have gotten fatter?  Well, I’ll not count the credits before they’re in the bank.  Speaking of which, when will the first batch of bounties be paid out?” asked Drake.

“We’re holding off on collecting the pay for your take from yesterday.  If we report the bounties, officially, the Pirates might get word of the bounties for the first four disappearing from the list, which might cause them to bolt.”

“Don’t worry, we’ve turned them over to the destroyer, and they gave us a receipt for all five, including that Brice Pafkeo fellow.”

“As far as gear you captured from the pirates, we valued the gear at 3125 credits, so 55% of that will hit your bank account by way of the Guild, minus their usual 5%.  Let me see, you should have 1632.81 hitting your account any minute,” said Apapetux.

Drake was relieved since he was getting short on funds.

“Good,” said Drake “So you team is cleared out of the ship?”  He asked as he headed to the front to enter the code key and take ownership of the vessel.

“Yep, and we’re glad to be out of this old sardine can.  Lorna really loves having a real galley instead of an auto-galley.  I think she missed cooking as much as she wanted a private cabin.  The crew was claiming cabins before you even agreed to the trade.” The Dwarf added with a grin.

“This ship is great for one person, or anything up to three, but as our team grew, we felt like the lack of space was choking us for any long trips.  Heck, Sid took to slinging a cot in engineering, not that she found that a hardship, it’s the place she loves most on a ship.”

Drake finished changing the ship security to just him and Samantha.

As they exited the ship, Samantha locked the ship down.

“So what does a pad like this cost a month?” asked Drake waving at the resting place allotted to the small ship and the spaceport.

“The cost of the open pad is 90 credits a month, but if you want to put it in a hanger, I understand the space rents for about 360 credits a month.  The costs are so low because this is a small slow and out of the way Port,” answered Apapetux

As Apapetux talked, they got into his ground car for the trip back to the Guild Hall.

“Just remember, just because the ship sits still, doesn’t mean there’s no maintenance.  Look at the records Sid left behind in the ship databanks; it includes a ship maintenance cycle, even when it’s just setting a ship will eat away your credits, just at a slower pace.”

“Sid also left you information about the fabricator we removed.  She suggested you get one like it, to keep your repair cost down, and for any emergencies, you run into once in the deep.  You should also check the ship spares locker.  We didn’t carry as many as suggested since we had the fabber.  I believe we paid about 16000 credits for our fabber.  They’re handy since they can make almost anything up to their internal size limit, the schematics, and the material at hand.  Sid wouldn’t let us buy a cheaper class one or two unit, said they just don’t produce the tight tolerances and detail she needed for the ship components.  We needed a class three fabber any way to be able to repair the outer hull of the ship since the outer hull is all carbon allotropes.  It’s what makes the ship so light, but getting repairs from many backward worlds was impossible before.  Now we at least patch with the same material as the original hull, and with careful bonding you can’t see the patches...”

“I think that ends my advice.  You’ve got some work ahead of you getting to know your new ship.  In the meantime, you shouldn’t be expecting to hear from us until tomorrow afternoon.  Be sure to stay ready to go after you get off work tomorrow, the destroyer captain will not want to wait too long for us, and the XR2 Scout is going to play an important part in our plans.”

And with that, he dropped Drake off at the Hall.

This day being a Thursday, Drake had his psionic training to attend.

Drake made it back just a few minutes late for his psionic training session.  He hurried to his room to get out of his armor and into some loose fitting clothes, and then ran to the lift up to the top floor.  Everyone else was busy meditating, and working on drawing on their psionic energy when Drake arrived and quietly took the open mat in the back.

Drake had more trouble than normal reaching a place of rest where he could start searching for that undefinable inner place where he found the pool of energy in the past.  It seemed to Drake that the combination of both being relaxed and not thinking, and being aware and in control were almost two different mindsets that were nearly impossible to combine.  Finally, when Allacia came around to help him, he was for the first time able to both relax and find the control to be able to pull just a little bit of the energy from what he thought of as a deep pool.  All of the sudden he felt a flow of warm energy infuse his body, Drake was so startled that he lost the tenuous connection he had, and for just an instant, established.  Drake was flooded with conflicting feeling, anger at losing focus, excitement at having made this small advance, embarrassment at having Allacia watching his fumbling attempts at doing something so second nature to her, more anger and feelings of embarrassment over something so stupid… Drake just couldn’t regain focus.  For the rest of the session, he could not clear his head of all the days’ exciting events and thoughts.

After the psionic training, Drake went to his room to exit Omnia.

Chapter 22 – Ready to Rumble?

Kevin left the game room, still excited about his success in his psionic training and seeing his new ship for the first time.

Kevin was later getting back then what had started to be his normal time, but this just pushed his dinner a couple hours late.

Tonight dinner was pizza and beer.  Maybe the special meal was to celebrate the ship?

He gave Samantha a hug and a kiss, “It’s good to see you again, rather than just hear your voice.”

As he ate, he asked Samantha what she thought of the ship.

Samantha replied, “The main thing the ship has going for it is speed.  It’s as fast and maneuverable as a space fighter.  The only normal fighter that could catch it in space would be an interceptor.  Otherwise, its 3.5 G maximum acceleration is the same as most medium fighters, and faster than some heavy space fighters.  As the Zenon 12 is currently configured; it has slightly more shielding but thinner hull armor than a standard fighter.  The only real problem with the ship is it cannot fire while running away from an opponent.  Its twin blaster cannons carry a punch but only in the forward 90-degree arc and at relatively short range.  Laser cannons usually have a longer range and do less damage.  So if you fight a ship that has lasers and is faster than you, it can pick you apart.  But since little is faster than the Zenon 12…”

“I like it.” said Samantha, “It’s a lot more ship then you’re ready for, but it’s better that then being ready and not having a ship I imagine. So I took the liberty of spending the 100 credits to add your ship to the training room.  I’ve also included the changes made by Sidonia.”

“You should give it a name, and then we can start calling it a ‘her.'” advised Samantha.

“So, now I add piloting and ship engineering to my training?” Drake was feeling a little overwhelmed by all the things he was expected to learn. Then he asked Samantha about the training schedule.

“We will add novice piloting and engineering to your list.  Like all novice skills, at this level it’s just a matter of memorizing and following proper procedure.  All the basic ship maintenance duties you will be expected to learn are only a little more difficult than replacing a household light switch.  Piloting may seem a little harder, but it’s also just knowing how to talk to traffic control, how to program the navigation computer and autopilot.  Later as you advance, you will need to know how to plot without a computer and fly without aid.  But you will learn ship skills in steps just like you learned everything else.  Don’t expect to be flying by tomorrow or Saturday, and after you train, you still need to get licensed.” said Samantha.

“Your training schedule, for now, will include the normal stretching, fitness exercises, running, meditation, martial arts, shooting (both blasters), and training on ship maintenance and piloting specific to your ship.”

“Now that we added your ship to the trainer, it can act as a flight trainer as well.” said Samantha.

“It may seem like a lot, but don’t worry, you have me to manage your training schedule to make sure you advance in both your body and skills as fast as possible.  Of course, you’ll advance faster after your tour at the gun shop is complete.  More than half of your available time is used up there.”

“For tonight, you're short on time; let’s get moving so you can get at least a little training in.” said Samantha.

Kevin would get back to training in a few minutes, but there was one thing he’d been putting off doing.  He wanted to check up on his friend, Gordon’s, progress.

“Samantha, let’s see if Gordon has a minute to chat.  Please send him the question:  ‘Hey Gordon, can you chat for a minute?’ ” said Kevin.

Gordon:  Good to hear from you… I’ve been so busy lately, but sure I have like five minutes, then I have to do a hunt with a team of Gepinapaxian Rangers.

Kevin:  Good, that’s why I’m texting you this time, just wanted to see how life in Omnia was treating you… and maybe drop a few suggestions.

Gordon:  Well I wouldn’t mind some hints, this game would be better with a good players guide.

Kevin:  I have been doing pretty good, and have discovered a few things.  How are you fixed for credits?

Gordon:  I took the credits you sent me and invested it in a rifle like I planned.  Unfortunately, the money people are willing to pay for someone to hunt is pretty low.  So I was having trouble just paying for a place to stay until I met up with a Ranger… I have been doing some animal control and culling jobs with them.  The pay is a little better now, and I’ve been saving to pay you back, I’m just not there now yet.

Kevin:  Don’t worry about the money for a while, I’m doing fine.  Have you heard of the Freelancers and Hunters Guild?  They charge a 100 credit membership, but as a member, you could get access to their job boards.  I understand that a lot of the jobs they offer pay better than any you could get outside the Guild.

Gordon:  Thanks, I’ll check it out, 100 credits is a lot of money, but… Oh, times up, I have to go, I’ll talk to you later…

After training that night Kevin only had time for a shower, and then to bed, it seemed that time for play would have to wait until the pirates were taken care of, he thought as he snuggled up to Samantha’s warm back and went to sleep.

***

Friday after work, Drake was still waiting to hear from Apapetux.  There had been no word, and he was getting increasingly nervous with the waiting.

Once again he felt he was getting into a situation where he didn’t have a clear idea what he was supposed to do, or what part he might play.  With the crew of the destroyer and the Aggressive Solutions team both working to capture the rest of the gang, he felt like extra baggage that was just going along to make up the weight…

It was because of this sense that he was on an indefinite hold, that he found himself walking around Balsdif’s Open Arms and Armor after work, as the weapons and armor dealers were closing up for the day.

From what he’d been told so far, the pirates may be using some sort of shared location as a base.  He tried to imagine what the base might be like.  Could they be on a planet, space station or asteroid?

He didn’t think people would just leave a space station lying around, but this was a game, right?  So anything could be going on.

As Drake was thinking about how he would be of use, he saw a shop that sold explosives.  The shop was due to close soon, but it brought to mind the book he’d been studying just a few days ago.  And he wondered if they had anything he might find useful on this next mission.

He looked around the shop. He examined the mines, explosives and grenade options they had for sell.  The display cases assured the customer that these were for display only and not live.  The prices for most of the items would deplete what little funds he had, and then he saw a glass box near the front labeled ‘specials.'

Drake decided to look in this glass display case.  There were a few items, but one caught his attention.  It looked kind of like a gray cord with thin tape like wings and ran around a spool like a wire.  The book he read briefly covered something called detonating tape.  It could be used as a rope to go around something you wanted to blow up from all sides, or the plastic coating could be removed, and the tape stuck to something like a door, to blow a hole in it.  He could see a lot of ways to use something like this.

Drake asked the sales agent about the tape.

“This?  We just got it in from… it’s an odd lot, being only twelve meters long instead of the usual eighteen-meter spool.  The nice thing about this type of explosive is it’s impossible to set off without an electric charge or an extremely high heat, and it can be cut to suit any size of job.  It’s high yield explosive tape, and as an odd lot, it is marked down to 995 credits.  It comes with three igniters that can be set off with their built-in timers or by a remote signal.  The remote detonator is sold separately, though.”

The agent put the plastic like explosives in a nice plastic like bag for Drake, after the funds were transferred.

Drake felt a little happier about not being prepared now.

He returned to the Guild Hall and put the explosive tape in the green backpack he bought the second time he had to buy clothes…

Since he was still waiting for the call, he decided to log out of Omnia.  He would have Samantha wait for the call for him while he got some training in.

***

That Friday night Drake practiced blowing stuff up with explosive tape, in his training room.

On Saturday morning Drake asked Samantha if there had been any growth in his stats since he last checked on Wednesday.

“Yes, you have had some growth, but it’s only been a few days.  So, I hope you’re not disappointed,” said Samantha.  For a second Drake almost thought she was taking his slow stat growth as a personal failure.  Not for the first time, he felt that this one way mind reading thing she could do wasn’t fair.  When she sounded like this, he wished he could read her better.

Samantha brought up a blue screen for Kevin to examine:

Name: Horatio Drake

Race: Human

Hit Points: 170

Combat Level: 1.6

Strength: 1.7 (max 3.5)

Charisma: 1.9 (max 3.5)

Agility: 1.6 (max 3.6)

Intelligence: 2.1 (max 3.7)

Dexterity: 1.4 (max 3.5)

Wisdom: 1.3 (max 3.5)

Constitution: 1.7 (max 3.5)

Memory: 2.3 (max 3.7)

Maximum values are based on personal genetics.

After viewing his stats, he gave Samantha a hug and said; “Thanks for your help Samantha.  I’m not really disappointed; we’ve discussed how my job and everything that has been going on has limited my time to train.  So I know it’s not your fault.”

He then gave her a kiss on the forehead.

“Well, we have so little time to train, let’s make the most of it,” said Drake

He didn’t receive the message he’d been expecting until late in the morning on Saturday.

He was thinking about lunch when Samantha alerted him to the message in Omnia.

He asked if she had something quick he could eat and she handed him a meal bar and a bottle of water, which he quickly ate while walking into the Omnia game room.

Chapter 23 – Losing It

Waking up in the game, he had Samantha bring up the message.  Apparently, Samantha had kept Aggressive solutions advised of his location.  So he had a message telling him to be ready with his gear at the front entrance to the Guild Hall in three minutes. To be fair, it had been five minutes when the message was sent.

Drake hurried to get suited up in his armor, put on his gun belt, sling his carbine and his backpack with the explosives.

Ready.

He was two minutes late getting out the front door, which Drake thought was good.  But he seemed the only one.

“Hey,” he said.  “I couldn’t just sit waiting fully armed and armored for two days straight.  So what’s the plan?” He asked Lorna Fei and Tredido waiting in the ground car.

“We will be taking the XR2 that we captured from the pirates; the Navy will be sending two Marine fire teams with us.  The plan is, that just as we hit the ground, the destroyer should be dropping out of hyperspace and launching two shuttles which will each carry two more fire teams,” said Lorna.

“Since the XR2 has that nice back loading bay, we will get the heavies to open the party with.” added Tredido.

“Heavies?”

“The Marines in heavy mechanized armor, you know, almost two and a half meters tall and weighing more than a car?  Those heavies.” continued Tredido.

“The destroyer only has 2 two heavy weapons teams as support for their two squads.  That’s 25 total marines with two sergeants and a single second lieutenant, which is all the Marines a destroyer normally carries,” said Lorna.

“The scout we sent in only reported what looked like three pirate type ships and two ships that looked like either captures or people they’re trading with.  Still, we should have numbers and surprise on our side.” Lorna continued.

“Sidonia has been going through the ship records, nice to get them by surprise and intact by the way.  And she has put together a program to imitate the voices of the previous crew.  Based on those records, so we should get landed and pour out of the back of the XR2 before they know there is an attack.” This last part from Lorna seemed to sound like she was trying to convince herself that it would work.

Drake was going to try to figure out what he should do if plan A didn’t work.

“So, what type of base do the pirates have?” asked Drake.

“Almost nothing, they set down on a planet outside the normal territory of the Imperium.  There is no town or infrastructure.  It looks like a random meeting place, in a large clearing.  There are some trees, but they’re hundreds of yards away, based on the signs, it looks like they burned back any vegetation around the base.  We aren’t sure if that’s normal, or a reaction to the local wildlife.  The guess is that they change locations every few weeks to prevent this sort of thing from happening.” said Lorna.

By this point, we were arriving at the spaceport.  This was the first time Drake took a clear look at the XR2 from the outside. The other day he was knocked out going in, and too tired and focused on getting some rest leaving, to take a look.

The XR2 was a lot more bulky, almost square, with little effort put toward efficient movement through the air.  In that way, it was more a space vessel and less a multi-purpose ship like the one that was now Drake’s.  The XR2 was slower too, but it had much more firepower and a thicker hull.  Drake decided that the trade worked well for both sides, and he wouldn’t want to try to run a beast like this ship alone anyway.

Drake climbed into the open back hatch where there were Marines waiting in combat suits, with their own faceplates open.

Once Drake, Lorna, and Tredido were aboard, the ship lifted for space.  Drake made his way to the familiar saloon, rather than wait with the Marines.

Drake could listen from the saloon to what was happening on the ships small bridge.

Once the ship was in hyper, Apapetux came back and joined him.  It was unlikely anything would disturb the ship for the next 8 hours while it was in hyperspace.  The ship could, fortunately, reach the upper hyper-bands that usually only military ships were equipped to reach.  Otherwise, they could have been a day reaching the enemy base.

After Apapetux had told Drake how long the trip would take, Drake asked; “So should I take a nap here or is that spare cabin still available?”

“We will all be trying to get some sleep before we land.  The marines are lucky that way, I understand that their suits are comfortable enough to sleep in, they even have a ‘sleep mode’ that will automatically attempt to keep themupright, should anything happen, like a small car hitting one.” Apapetux said with a grin.

Drake wondered ‘Does he think that mechanized armor is funny or something?’

“So, yeah the cabin on the lower deck toward the rear is not assigned.  Feel free to use one of the bunks, but expect a wake up about a half an hour out, to go over last minute details.”

With that Drake felt like he was dismissed, so he said good night and headed down to the cabin.  To get into the bottom bunk, he had to take the armor back off, but he kept his belt with his blaster pistol and Vibro-knife next to himself and tried to get some sleep.

It was not easy to fall asleep since his internal clock insisted it was noon, but he finally relaxed enough to fall asleep using the meditation skills he learned.

***

Drake was startled awake hours later by the sound of someone knocking on the metal hatch to the cabin.

It took Drake a couple seconds to remember where he was.  He figured that it was time for the final meeting before they hit the base.

Drake made his way to the saloon, but not seeing a group, continued on to the ships galley-mess area.  There he found the Aggressive Solutions group with two of their marine complement, drinking hot beverages that filled the room with an odor that was like a cross between coffee and carob.

“So, what are you drinking?” asked Drake.

This got him some odd looks.

“Hey, I’m from a primitive world.  Since the freighter crash, I have been learning a lot, but I haven’t run into this drink before.”  Drake defended his ignorance.

“But whatever it is, if it has a bit of something to help me wake up, I’ll take it.”

“It’s called Carf. Here have a cup, it’ll help you wake up,” said Lorna

Drake was served a cup, and it tasted worse than unsweetened carob or coffee.  It was like someone bred the drink for its bitterness.  But he went ahead and drank half the cup.

After choking down half the drink, he took a look at the holo-display on the table.  It appeared to display a picture from orbit of five starships.

“This is the picture our scout took of the pirate camp.”  Said the Marine with four slash marks on his sleeve, and being the more senior of the pair had Drake guessing that he was the sergeant, and the man with three slashes was the corporal.

It was the little things like these rank marking that reminded Drake that he was not dealing with earth symbology.  And big things like the ship that reminded him this was a game.  As Drake thought of this, he couldn’t keep a small grin from forming on his face, even amid all the tension

“We believe this ship,” he continued, by pointing to an oddly shaped ship, which looked like a strange egg with a handle on one end. “is the modified Nelta 34 Light Freighter that was involved in the destruction of the Fyffes Swiftstar.  These two ships have the markings of two other pirate groups that have been reported out in this region.  These last two ships are more of a puzzle.  These ships appear to be cargo ships of some kind.  They might be ships the pirates have taken, or they are trading stolen goods.”

“The plan for us is the same regardless of their guilt, we are to secure the landing area, and keep the ships from lifting.  So we will either have to board or disable the ships.  Fortunately, you already took out the only thing they have close to a real warship.  In fact, they are all small freighter types of ships.”

“The ships include the Nelta 34, an EGL-260, a ZT-400, a Zoklis, and an LT-610.  All considered light freighters of different models and makes, but they all have some sort of weapon, either added on or by design for defense.”

He pointed to a section of the clearing near the ships and said; “This is where we will land, with the cargo bay door pointing toward the freighters.  When we land, move out quick, we don’t want to be one big target waiting to be shot.”

“It’s the first three ships I mentioned that we are certain are pirates.  So the plan is for your team to take on the Nelta 34, while we attempt to either board or disable the rest.  Any questions?” asked the sergeant.

Drake asked, “If one gets off the ground, are we supposed to try to go after it, or leave it to the Fulster.”

“Leave it, just focus on capturing the Nelta.  Once you’ve secured that ship, then you can see if anyone needs your help.  Each group will have the same orders unless something changes.  Focus on your job first, call me if you need help.” said the sergeant.

After looking around to see if there were any more questions, he said; “Good, so how long until we break out of hyper?”

Apapetux said, “We have about ten minutes to go, then about fifteen until we land.  So, everyone, be in the cargo bay in twenty minutes ready to go… except for the two minding the ship.”  He glanced at Lorna and Sidonia.

Drake took that to mean the three men were going to take the freighter, while the engineer and psionic specialist guarded the ship.

Drake went back to wait out the twenty minutes in the saloon.

After some time Apapetux and Tredido join him.

Apapetux asked, “Are you ready?  Lorna could go if you wanted to stay with the ship.”  He grinned.

“No, I’m ready,” said Drake. He knew the Dwarf was just needling him since Lorna was going to have to fly the ship.

They headed down a level and then to the rear of the ship, to stand behind the waiting Marines.

About three minutes from the expected landing Lorna’s voice came over the ships speaker.  “The pirates are not buying the cover.  Brace yourselves, we’re heading down fast.  There are only three birds in the nest, and they look eager to fly.”

Drake couldn’t find anything to grab, so he braced himself against a corner of the cargo hold.  He was glad there was no cargo in the hold to fall on anyone as the ship started to buck.

Then a little over a minute later there was a feeling of impact, and the cargo doors fell open.  When Drake saw the cargo door open so quickly he thought that someone had overridden the door, since opening like that could smash someone flat.  Just before the door impacted, it seemed to slow just a little. Drake suspected that Sid was controlling the door.

The marines all manage to stay on their feet, and they scrambled out of the ship.  With two of the freighters missing, the spare marines were redirected to new targets.  Three marines went for the ZT-400 and three toward the LT-610.  The other two went ahead of us to secure the ramp leading into the Nelta 34.

Drake’s focus closed in on taking the Nelta, he’d trained on boarding this type of ship in his training room, so he felt a measure of confidence.

Drake exited the XR2 bay at a run, behind the marines… Good cover.  There were still people scrambling to get aboard the three freighters, but the Marines were shooting at any carrying a weapon.

The Marines ahead of Drake jumped up on the closing boarding ramp and started shooting at what looked like hydraulics designed to lift the cargo hatch.  One of the hydraulics caught fire, and the hatch fell back to the ground with a loud bang, just in front of Drake who had been getting ready to try to jump up on the elevated hatch.

Drake only paused for a second before entering the cargo area of the ship.  When Drake practice boarding this ship, he thought the layout to be odd.  The ships bridge and the crew quarters were separated by the cargo bay, with engineering connecting to the cargo bay and crew space.  This meant that as the marines in their bulky armor preceded Drake; they controlled most of the ship in that instant.  They just had to lock down engineering, the crew quarters and the bridge.  The last should be the hardest since it could only be accessed down a corridor.

With the Marines dominating the cargo bay, Drake made his way to the engineering access.  There was no lock, so he stood to one side of the hatch, and palmed the pad to open the door.  Shots were fired out. One of the marines noticed and came over to the door.  Drake imagined that he didn’t worry too much about hand blaster fire.  But the marine still stepped behind a crate that lined up with the door.  The shots were aimed for the marine this time, and he returned fire.  After a just a couple shots he stopped shooting and signaled to Drake.

Drake had no idea what the Marine was signaling but figured it was his turn. So staying low, and with his camo system on, he rounded the edge of the hatch pointing his carbine in front of him as he moved.

The body of what Drake imagined was the man shooting at the Marine was on the ground, missing a head.  Drake ignored the blood and looked for more people.

Drake slowly rounded the ships reactor.  Drake spotted a man coming out of the shadows just as the man seemed to recognize the blur that was Drake as a man.  Drake had his carbine pointed ahead nearly dead on target.

The man seeing Drake’s carbine pointing right at him and the blood behind him put his hands up and away from the gun on his belt.

Drake directed the man to go out the engineering hatch into the cargo bay.  Once there he turned the man over to the Marines who secured his weapon then put binders on him.

Drake returned to engineering, but could find no more people.

At this point, Drake wanted to enter the crew quarters from the back side, where they connected to engineering.  But he decided to first talk to Apapetux.

“Apapetux, just cleared engineering, how are you doing?”

“We’re having trouble opening the crew quarters from the cargo bay side.  My plan is to secure the crew spaces, then head to the bridge.  The Marines are keeping the cargo bay and the passage leading to the bridge covered.  So, can you pick a lock, just kidding, Tredido is my lock expert, and he says they jammed it from the far side. What do you think?  We all go in from engineering?” asked Apapetux.

“How about you send Tredido to me, for the det-tape I’m carrying, and you blow the hatch?  Then I go in through engineering, and after a second, when they start turning my way, you hit them from your side.”

Apapetux seemed to like that plan.  So Tredido took Drake’s explosives and Drake waited by the back door.

After a few minutes, he heard Apapetux’s question over the comms; “Ready?”

Drake and Tredido both answered; “Ready.”

Then there was a slightly muffled explosion.  Drake thought they may have used too much of the tape.  Then he palmed his door open and entered pointing his carbine ahead.

There was no one in the galley.

Drake said, “Galley clear.”

In the next room, there were two people struggling, on the floor, of the head.  They were both wet and naked.  One was a middle-sized man, and the other was a young female, maybe fifteen years old, with black hair.  The girl’s cries and grunting sounds were more like those of an injured animal than those of passion.  Then the man rolled off the girl, revealing her naked body.  She might have looked attractive without all the bruising, including those around her upper thighs.  When the man started to raise his hands, Drake took that to be enough of a threat and shot the man in the head…twice.

There were clothes on the floor.

Drake said to the girl “I’m here to rescue you, get dressed.”, and then he left the room to watch the passage to the crew sleeping area.

“Drake called in over the comm.  Head clear, one pirate down, one possible captive.  I’ll need to escort her out.”

Apapetux said, “Hold in place, we’re moving in now.”

Then Drake heard some blaster fire coming from ahead down the corridor, so he got on a knee and took aim down the passage.

Then he heard Apapetux, “Crew room clear, one dead.  We have five females, assume they’re captives.  Heading your way as soon as we get these women dressed.  It looks like the bastards didn’t allow them any clothing. So they’ll have to make do with the men’s clothes and sheets.”

Drake stood up, but still held his gun at the ready.

After a couple minutes, the door to the head opened, and the girl came out, she was now dressed in loose fitting men’s clothes.  She got on her knees in front of Drake and started fumbling at the crotch of his armor. Saying “Please don’t hurt… me, I’ll… be good. Please…”

When Drake backed up, she seemed to start panicking and pleading, “Please, don’t, don’t hurt m-me.”

Drake said, “I’m not one of them, I’m here to rescue you.” He spoke quietly as he tried to calm her down.  Even while he was getting angrier at the men responsible for treating this young girl like… less than an animal.

Drake revised his opinion; she might not be much older than fourteen.

The girl curled up into a ball, started crying, and continued in a whisper “Please, don’t, please, I’ll be good.  I know I’m bad, please, I’ll… I’ll be a good girl... please… I don’t want… to die.”

The sight brought tears to Drake’s eyes, and he just wanted to hold her, and let her know it would be ok; it wasn’t her fault, she was a good girl, and the bad guys wouldn’t hurt her.  But he somehow knew he couldn’t help her.

Drake said in a shaky voice.  “I need help here in the galley.  This girl needs help, I think she is maybe about fourteen, and she seems to be in distress.”

Apapetux said, “Yeah, most of them are young, one may be about twenty but…  We’re calling on the destroyer for medical help. Can you bring her out to the cargo hold?”

Drake slung his carbine.  Then he bent down to gently try to pick up the girl.  She was hugging her legs to herself crying and mumbling about being a good girl.  When Drake reached under her legs to pick her up in a princess carry, she started getting louder and hugging her legs tighter.

By the time Drake got her out to the cargo hold and put her down next to the other battered girls, she was hysterical with fear, yelling, and begging.

It broke Drake; he was beyond tears and beyond anger.

He knew he wasn’t the type of help she needed.  Any man might look like an enemy to someone abused like that.

There was nothing he could do for the girl.  In that moment, Drake raged inside, in that moment only one thing that mattered…

That’s when Drake charged the bridge… with his knife.

***

Later he couldn’t remember any of it.  He woke up in a medical bay aboard the Navy Destroyer Fulster.

They later told him he’d been shot four times, twice in the chest, once in a leg, and once in the back.

No one knows if the last two Pirates wanted to surrender, but it seems someone charging at them with a knife caught them by surprise.  Not enough of a surprise not to get badly injured.  The type of armor he wore would normally absorb and mitigate some of the incoming damage. It was not heavy assault armor, so each blast did a lot of damage, just not lethal damage.  Drake was fortunate that support was just a few seconds behind him.  It took Apapetux a moment got over the shock of him charging off screaming, and heading to the bridge with a knife over his head.  At least that’s how Apapetux put what happened, but Drake knew what kind of liar the Dwarf was.

There was a considerable amount of clean-up going on while Drake was in medical.

It turned out the LT-610 was trading with the pirates and had a cargo hold of stolen property, and slaves.  After interviewing a few of the slaves, they found out that the Pirates were spacing anyone too young or old to get a good price.

Sidonia’s sister was not one of the people they rescued.  This left Drake with mixed feelings, he would not like to see Sid’s sister treated like the girl he found.  But if would help Sid to know where her sister was.

After Drake had been released from the destroyer’s sick bay, he returned to the XR2.  When he saw Sid just sitting there watching the girls we rescued…  Drake had to find his cabin, it would not do to cry in front of everyone, and it would just confuse the girls.

Drake did not log out of the game until he was safely back to the Guild Hall in the City of Vastal on Hassan.

***

When Kevin finally logged out of Omnia, he was met with a weeping female tackle.

“Promise me you will never do that again, Kevin.”

“Do what? Sam, what’s wrong?” asked Kevin, he wrapped his arms around the crying girl.

“What you did, when you saw those girls, you almost died.” She said.

Drake said, “Honey, It’s only a game, even if the pirates killed me, I would have been alright.” He continued to hold Samantha tightly.

But she pulled away and started hitting him!

“You idiot, dolt, stupid... stupid… … man!” she said with one last punch, and then she threw herself at him again and hugged him like she wanted to pull them into one person.

“You really almost died, for real.  When you lost your mind for a moment, your body started to… I don’t know, but your heart stopped beating.  It’s like you disconnected from your body for a minute.  I was so worried, I couldn’t reach your mind, and your body was dying and…”

“I don’t know what you did, but don’t… you … will… not… do… that… again… YOU HEAR ME?”

There was no answer Drake could give.  She knew he had no answer; she could, after all, read his mind.  So he did the only thing he could, he hugged her, and waited.  He knew this much about women, sometimes they just needed to be loved, and when things were out of control they needed it even more.

After a while, she got up and helped Drake off the floor.  Then they went to the bedroom and spent some quality time together in a way he hadn’t been able to in the last couple of days.

Epilogue – On Reflection

Drake missed work on Monday since he was not back in town yet, but the Navy called ahead for him and made his excuses.

Drake started back to his last week of work on Tuesday.

He was sure he now had enough funds to focus exclusively on training for the next few months in-game.

The people starting the beta testing would be still many in-game months away, so he had a lot more time to get ahead of the crowd.

The three months Intelecom allowed for alpha testing, would be a full year in Omnia, or in the game pod.  He was sure he would get a lot of training and experience before the first beta tester had a chance to join him.

A year…

Drake had a sense of freedom that was hard to define.  Even while he worked in the gun shop, he felt that his destiny was really his own to make.  Up until he started playing the game, he’d felt… Like he was locked into a path in life… he would finish high school with high grades, go to college, and get a good job, a house, and family.  These were not his dreams, but they were what society and his gramma, to whom he felt a large sense of obligation, wanted him to do.

He wanted the stars, he always had.  But NASA was for those that didn’t have to pay their own way through college and had the connections to get in.  He had neither, so he went with what had been a near second love, technology.  He trained as an electrical and mechanical engineer, hoping to at least be one of those people making a push to get out there, out into space.

Now he could live the dream, even though it was just a game.

***

Tuesday night, after getting off work and returning to his virtual home, he asked Samantha if there had been a tally yet on what he’d earned over the weekend.

He kind of felt bad even asking, because it brought up thoughts of the poor girls and freed slaves they rescued.  He would be coming out ahead, but they would just be starting on their real recovery from their experience.

“The full accounting is not yet complete, the ships and goods have not been sold off yet. Instead, they being auctioned off.  Since there is such a limited market, here on Hassan, they have decided to allow news to spread, expecting to attract more buyers from out of the system.”

“But by my current estimate, you should receive close to 23,000 credits for this weekend. 10,867.5 credits, of the 23,000 credits I estimated, were made up of bounties and are already in your account. The 12,278.75 credits have also been deposited for the bounties from last Wednesday.”

“At this time we’re just waiting for the auction to finish, and I expect you to receive 10,000 to14,000 credits when that clears.” Said Samantha

“So, what is my bank balance?” asked Kevin.

“Your balance is 23,875 credits, which includes your pay from the gun shop last Friday.” said Samantha.

Kevin remembered his first pay period of 122 credits (after taxes), which came just in time to pay for another week’s stay in the Guild Hall.

“One more thing, Apapetux has sent you a personal message.  Would you like to read it, or I could just give you the summary?” asked Samantha.”

“Just give me the summary please, Sam.”

“Apapetux, Aggressive Solutions and the crew of the Navy Destroyer Fulster are all concerned about the people we rescued, and would like to do something for them.  They would like your consent to make the auction of the ships and goods to be a charity event, with half the money raised going to the people rescued,” said Samantha.

Kevin was feeling guilty about making so much money… he almost felt like he was stealing from those people they rescued from potential slavery.  He now figured that he wasn’t the only one feeling this way.

“Sounds good, please send my agreement to the plan.” Said Kevin, feeling a little relieved to do this one small thing to help.

“I already did, master, while you were at work.”  Said Samantha, as she walked up and gave Kevin a hug.  Kevin forgave the minor breach, she knew him in a way that was too intimate for words.  So he just hugged her back.

He did have one more thought on the matter, so he asked Samantha; “Do you think the auction prices might increase by much if it is advertised as a charity?”

“If the only people bidding on the ships are dealer representatives, then they will probably not go up.  But if the auction draws more people then yes you might see a total increase of 20 to 40% in the total take from the auction, I estimate,” said Samantha.

“So my loss of 50% of the sale of ships and goods could be a little offset by the increase in auction prices?  That almost sounds like a cheat, but I suppose it’s more a matter of spreading the cost of helping those poor girls,” said Drake.

He hugged Samantha tightly and gave her a kiss.  He then said, “Well, it’s back to training, let’s go coach.”  Then he headed off to the training room, but not before giving Samantha a soft slap on the rump in passing.

***

The rest of the week was mostly uneventful except a few small things.

On Thursday Drake received a contact from Mr. Stevrenson, the attorney that was helping him out with his complaint against Fyffes Shipping, the owners of freighter Fyffes Swiftstar.  According to Stevrenson, the A.I. record I had of all the safety violations aboard the freighter were damning enough, that if their insurance carrier found out about it, they would probably not only lose their insurance coverage, but their claim for the damages to the Swiftstar and all its cargo might be denied.

So with Stevrenson holding this information as a kind of blackmail, they agreed to settle out of court for the amount of 18,000 credits.  Provided we agreed to destroy or keep confidential any records of the event we had.

Which was fine by Drake, but he didn’t know how that might affect the court record.  When Drake asked Stevrenson, he said he would work with Fyffes Shipping to get the record sealed.  But Drake should not worry about that, it was covered in the agreement.  All Drake needed to do was be sure that his data of the event was secured or erased.

“Samantha is it possible to encrypt and store the record of the destruction of the Fyffes Swiftstar, in a way that would make it nearly impossible for anyone else to access it?” asked Drake.

“Nearly impossible, yes but anything on the data-net could, in theory, be hacked.  The best I can do would be to secure the data in a quantum encoded file.  But one drawback to locking such data away will be that I will forget about it.  I would only remember that you wanted the information hidden and why.  It’s the only way to protect the data, for me to forget it too.” replied Samantha.

“Drake hadn’t thought of that angle of the problem.  Would that damage you somehow?” asked Drake.

“I don’t see how at the moment.  It seems that most things related to that crash are already resolved… except the datacube.  As far as the cube goes, I would know you discovered it during that time, but not how or where.” said Samantha.

Drake thought about it and then decided to include Samantha in on the decision.

“So, Samantha, what do you think?  Should we take the money and let the matter go?  I’m thinking yes since I don’t want problems from this dragging out.  If I were to make a public issue of the failure of Fyffes Shipping, I could earn a long-term enemy.”

“It’s a problem for anyone using their shipping line if the safety failures are consistent throughout their fleet.  But we don’t know that, and now we know their management has been made aware of the problem.  I hate to say it, but this may be someone else’s problem to deal with, if the corporation is that corrupt as a whole, it will take a bigger lance to sort it out.” said Samantha.

“See, women, now you’re complaining about the size of my lance.” joked Drake.

Samantha continued, ignoring his attempt at humor.  “I think you should accept the money, it’s almost enough to get you the next level of gene-therapy. Having you get your next gene-therapy interests me more than any questions about Fyffes Shipping safety standards since you’ll never board one of their ships again if I have a say.”

Drake agreed to the settlement.  After Stevrenson’s cut of the settlement, he was up an additional 11,700 credits that Samantha demanded (in her way) he set aside for gene-therapy.

Which is why after his last day of work in the gun shop, he celebrated by going back to the clinic where he’d previously had his genes scrubbed.

Samantha did some research, and it turned out that this was considered the best clinic on the planet for augmentation services.

Drake was not impressed.

But when Samantha set up the appointment, online instead of letting Drake fumble through it, this time, she found that he could get a 500 credit discount as a returning customer looking to further upgrade his genetics.  Samantha warned him that the greater cost was because the work would take greater time and materials so Drake might be under for a few days this time.

Well, he had no job, except train with Samantha for a while, and this should help with training, so Drake agreed to go in for further therapy.

This time, the procedure took three days, with Drake in a medical coma the whole time. So it was the next Monday afternoon that Drake reappeared from the clinic.

On Monday Drake decided to move out of the Guild Hall, and onto his new ship.  He didn’t feel as threatened any longer and decided it would be easier to maintain the ship while living in it.  Drake figured he could live in the ship's main cabin, and log out from there.

So on Monday night Drake logged out from Omnia aboard his ship for the first time.

***

When Kevin logged out of Omnia, Samantha met him in the Omnia game room this time.  She was wearing an elegantly simple conservative white dress with high heels.  Kevin had never seen her in that outfit or in high heels at all and wondered about the occasion.

“Hello, Kevin.  I have been holding two messages for you.  Welcome home.” said Samantha.

“I’m surprised you didn’t already give them to me, who are they from, and what are they about?” asked Kevin.

“The first one was from Apapetux, he said that they are tracking down some possible leads to Sidonia’s sister, and they will be gone for at least a week, but he wouldn’t be surprised if their trip took a month or more to complete.”

“The second message was from Sidonia, reminding you to take proper care of her girl… I think she means the ship, not Me,” said Samantha. “Her message goes on to say that she has not yet been able to crack the data cube, but will keep on working at it as their trip allows.  She will send a message as soon as she has some results.”

“Since both messages came in while you were in the clinic, and the port records show that their ship departed yesterday, I felt the messages were not a high priority.” said Samantha.

“Come, eat dinner.” She said and turned to walk out.

Kevin followed her out, watching how the high heels caused her hips to move in new and enticing ways.  He also noticed that the back of her white dress was all lace from her neck to her waist.  It was a very nice dress.

Kevin decided to say so aloud.

“Thank you, Kevin, you know I live to please you.” said Samantha.

She led Kevin into an altered kitchen.  There was a small table for two. The meal on the table was Beef Bourguignon, over noodles, with French cut green beans and some crusty French bread.

Samantha waited next to her chair…

Kevin almost sat down before he got the hint.  It appeared tonight’s dinner was more formal than normal dinners.

Kevin pulled out her chair and sat her in it, then took his own seat opposite her.

Without any more formalities, Kevin started to eat.

After a few minutes, he asked the quiet girl, “So what’s the occasion?”

He waved his wine glass to indicate her, the meal, and the room.

“This is a time of changes.  So I thought to mark an end to the old and, a start of the new,” said Samantha.

Kevin just looked at her and waited.

“In less than one full week real time and three weeks in-game since Omnia started you have advanced a long way.”

“Here:” said Samantha as she waved a hand.

Samantha brought up a blue screen for Kevin to examine:

Name: Horatio Drake

Race: Human

Hit Points: 180

Combat Level: 1.8

Strength: 1.8 (max 4.0)

Charisma: 2.3 (max 4.0)

Agility: 1.7 (max 4.1)

Intelligence: 2.3 (max 4.1)

Dexterity: 1.5 (max 4.0)

Wisdom: 1.4 (max 4.0)

Constitution: 1.8 (max 4.0)

Memory: 2.6 (max 4.0)

Maximum values are based on personal genetics.

“We have 20,155 credits in the bank, even after paying the clinic, with maybe 6 to 8k more on the way in a week and a half, and we have the new ship.”

“You and I have made great progress in a short time… But this is also the past, the major threats to you in the game are gone, you are done with your service in Cairbre’s shop, you even left on good terms.  We have a lot to celebrate.”

Samantha picked up her glass of wine and held it up, “To our early successes and to new beginnings.”

With a clink of the glasses, Kevin said, “To new beginnings.  I couldn’t have done this without you, Sam.”

To Be Continued