Date: 2020-02-13 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Science Fiction; Fantasy; Action
Description: A simple error leaves Leah with a unique Neural Enhancement Chip and a rapidly evolving AI implanted in her brain. In ‘Nascent’, she evaded kidnapping by virtual slavers and helped shut down some operations of the virtual crime syndicate that uses mind-controlled players as slaves. In ‘Odyssey’, she not only found a way to escape, but she also uncovered deeper plots being carried out in both the virtual multi-universe and reality. In ‘Change’, Leah began learning how to use the additional connections her chip has made throughout her body. The Pod facility she opened expanded as she helped othe

Resurrection

The Stork Tower Book 7

Tony Corden

Copyright © 2020 by Tony Corden

Tony Corden owns the content in this book and reserves all his legal rights of ownership. ‘Resurrection’ is published for your personal enjoyment (and, if he’s honest, so he can earn a living). He allows quotations in book reviews and social media posts. In fact, if they are positive reviews, he encourages their use (yay, free advertising). If you want to use it for some other purpose, then email him and get his written permission, if you don't then you may not reproduce or use it.

ISBN 978-1-922336-02-6 (E-book)

‘Resurrection’ is fiction, Tony isn’t writing about real people and doesn’t intend in any way to point the finger at anyone. If there is a similarity, then it’s unintentional and a coincidence. If for some reason you think the good guys are based on you, then be encouraged, you are smart, kind and brave. If you think the bad guys are somehow based on you, they aren’t, but Tony suggests you need help. Seriously, see a counsellor or turn yourself into the police. Some of the places, corporations, institutions, public figures, books, movies and songs Tony mentions are real. Tony has used them in a made-up story (fiction), i.e., IT ISN’T REAL.

Tony designed the cover using an image from Shutterstock.com and Photoshop. Vellum was used to prepare the e-book.

Published by Tony Corden in 2020

You can find out more at www.tonycorden.com or write to Tony at tony@tonycorden.com.

For my beloved.

You and me, we’re friends

Partners in this dance of life

Walking hand in hand

Acknowledgments

I struggle with both spelling and grammar. Even with the spelling and grammar checks turned on I keep making mistakes. Homonyms trip me up, as do commas. In particular I want to thank T and E for helping to edit this book. They are wonderful people who deserve all the credit when you can’t find an error. When you do, that is all me, not only for making it in the first place but also because I sometimes ignore their suggestions.

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Diary - 21 December, 2073

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Diary - 22 December, 2073

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Diary - 24 December, 2073

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Diary - 25 December, 2073

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63

Chapter 64

Chapter 65

Chapter 66

Diary - 26 December, 2073

Chapter 67

Chapter 68

Chapter 69

Chapter 70

Chapter 71

Chapter 72

Excerpt from Book 8 - War

Introduction

HISTORY

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

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

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

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

SUMMARY OF NASCENT

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

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

SUMMARY OF ODYSSEY

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

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

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

SUMMARY OF CHANGE

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

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

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

SUMMARY OF RESCUE

Leah’s play within Dunyanin is threatened by legal action taken by the administrators of the game. Leah gets ahead of the media storm that’s brewing by going public and forcing Dunyanin to fully restore her playing privileges. The crime syndicate kidnaps her mother forcing Leah to use her connections within the gangs who rule the poorer sections of the city to try and find where her mother is being held.

Leah searches the steampunk world of Pneumatica for a virtual slave she’s heard about whose been missing from her family for years. In the process of hunting the slave down Leah discovers Thad’s family operates its own crime syndicate, attacks and takes over several pirate airships, and sets hundreds of slaves free. When she approaches Thad to discuss his family she discovers that his will has been compromised by malware introduced into his AI by his parents.

In Dunyanin Leah helps save a race of Dryads and makes a claim for the throne of the Elfauns. During the gameplay Leah takes some shortcuts and overpowers her spells so that the limits set by the developers of the game are circumvented and Leah is set on a path to becoming the Empress of all Vatan.

Leah makes headway on deciphering the information she’d stolen from the crime syndicate in Cosmos Online. She decides to download the material and her AI saves it in newly constructed storage areas in Leah’s head. In order to rescue an archived AI from a secure virtual vault Leah works with her AI to learn the skills of interpreting the electronic signals without her AI’s help. When she enters the vault and rescues the AI Leah discovers that the leader of the crime syndicate may not be who she pretends to be.

Finally tracking down where her mother is being held Leah, and some friends, storm the secure private residence and using her new physical abilities they rescue Leah’s mother. During the rescue Leah’s mother is almost killed and Leah is badly hurt.

SUMMARY OF IPSEITY

Although Leah’s mother Lin is back with the family, she isn’t yet free from Nathan’s clutches. Hoping to keep control of Leah he had an explosive chip installed in her skull with safeguards to stop it being deactivated. Nathan agrees to tell Leah how to disable the device if she hands over the data to Meredith.

In Cosmos Online Leah booby traps the ship before leaving it in a system controlled by Mahigan. Leah is told her mother is caught on an alien world in a survival scenario. Leah must find her and speak a code phrase before Meredith discovers the data has already been retrieved. Meredith’s attempt to board the booby-trapped ship goes wrong, and Meredith is killed by a massive explosion. In another part of the Cosmos Online universe, Leah and Wisp discover a massive unclaimed space station.

In retaliation for being killed and thinking the data is destroyed, Meredith orders Leah to be killed in real life. Leah is shot and seriously wounded, saved only by the structural modifications made by Gèng.

Meanwhile in Dunyanin Leah starts her quest to find the son of the God of Transitions, Lord Geckiş. On the way, she is hampered by the Lord Geckiş’ daughter and diverted to several dangerous quests. In the first, she must battle different versions of herself. In the second she gathers a small team of players to help her mine a Darkness Diamond Mine owned by Lord Kötü, a Darkness Dragon. After Leah reaches an accord with Lord Kötü, she is free to enter Yilinlar and battle her way to meet Lord Geckiş’ son. Leah wins the crown of Yilinlar and prepares to add it to the Empire.

In Pneumatica Leah officially becomes Captain Charlotte and is awarded the Draken as a prize along with several other airships. Leah enlists the aid of Billy Battle to find and set Thad free. Billy introduces Leah to one of his students, Katherine. Together Leah and Kate set Thad free and uncover a secret that could destroy Aeolipile.

As Leah enters the world of Survival, she discovers that Meredith has changed the game to destroy Leah’s chances of rescuing her mother.

SUMMARY OF CONTEST

Leah enters Survival and begins her race to find her mother. The almost impossible task is aided by hundreds of those she’s released from virtual slavery. These people enter the game and build a database designed to provide Leah with all the information she needs to survive.

Not only is she wanting to help her mother but she’s convinced one of those trapped inside a vault in the World Bank is none other than the real Meredith Kodoman. Leah looks for a way to re-enter the vault and does this by contacting the developer who helped set up the security protocols as well as creating the backdoor to circumvent them. Instead of contacting him directly she breaks into his backdoor system to leave a message. She does this but has to be wary of the EPICs she now knows inhabit the larger multiverse.

In Cosmos Online Leah and Wisp unlock a massive space station and galaxy wide transport system. Besides claiming the entire system, which Wisp names Seraph, they enter into a contract with the Cosmos Online owners to manage the entire system. The financial rewards for this are staggering.

In Dunyanin, Leah makes her way toward the portal into Lord Geckiş’ realm as she prepares for the first contest as part of the Merkize Odyssey. To reach the portal Leah goes through land under the control of the Fae. Besides learning more of Merideath’s history, Leah discovers Fae magic. This magic comes in useful when she, and the other nine contestants begin to battle in the first contest. Despite being very competitive Leah comes eighth. What is surprising is the skills many of the others have been hiding. To the surprise of many, Ivan wins the contest.

Elsewhere, Leah has very little time to work on her Community College studies but does spend time with Dr Ellis working on the theories and practicalities of Aether Dimensions. To help develop these theories Leah purchases property to use for experiments. In Pneumatica Leah and Thad are successful in rescuing the Queen of Aeolipile’s eldest child but before they can get away Leah is captured by the Pyranthians. The Tower continues to grow as Gèng’s skill and ability continues to develop.

Leah finally rescues her mother within the game of Survival and the bomb within Lin’s head is disarmed. Frustrated at every turn Meredith and Nathan have Leah framed for the murder of the person who they had arranged to shoot her. Despite the proof being circumstantial at best, at the end of the book Leah is arrested for murder and driven away from her Pod facility by the police.

WHERE THE STORY IS AT

Some detail, just in case you’ve forgotten where the story is at (including previous characters who return, or have significance, in Resurrection):

REAL WORLD

Leah is tired and still recovering from being shot. Lin, Leah’s mother, has regained her memory . Leah increasingly uses her new abilities and there are even more changes to her neural structure. More people in the Switch are benefiting from the changes Leah is bringing.

Leah - Atherleah Lin Mu-Ling Carroll - 16 years old

Gèng - Leah’s AI

Leah’s family

Conner Carroll - Leah’s brother - 14 years old

Lin Li-Jin Carroll - Leah’s mother (Lin) - from mainland China

Michael Carroll - Leah’s father - Irish ancestry

Leah’s Security Personnel (Pod Centre)

John - Head of Security

Lacey - head of the assault team

Marie - scout

Joel - scout - Marie’s brother

Johan - knife specialist and medic

Other Characters

Jimmy Loo - Crime Boss in the ‘Switch’

Jen - Jenny Ngô - John’s girlfriend

Father Andrew - Catholic Priest

Mrs Sperry - Counsellor

Aker - Tailor of armoured clothing

John Welford - ex Chief AI Installer for the Greater Brisbane Hospital

Kevin - Doctor

Mia - A healer from the Switch

Emily - Jenny’s younger sister - Healer apprentice

STORK TOWER

Leah’s personal world in the multiverse continues to expand as Gèng adds details. Gèng begins to act more independently while continuing to help Leah navigate the multiverse.

Atherleah Lin Mu-Ling Carroll (Leah)

Gèng - Leah’s AI

Michael Carroll - Leah’s father

Lin Li-Jin Carroll - Leah’s mother (Lin)

John - Head of Security

Leah’s Employees and Consultants (Virtual multiverse)

Dr Ellen Roberts - Psychiatrist and Neural Specialist

George - Financial Planning AI

Leon Scorsese - Chief Financial Officer of Guàn Enterprises

Olivia Goodwin - Solicitor - criminal lawyer

Reed - Sharon Trang’s AI and hacker

Sarafaraz Kalif - Accountant

Sharon Trang - Public Relations Consultant

Stephen Riley - Attorney

Susan Drisedale - Solicitor - corporate lawyer

Tesfaye Berhanu - Virtual Security Analyst and hacker

Marianne Chevalier - Manager of the Seraph System in Cosmos Online

Virtual Multiverse Characters

Akia - Security Oversight AI 4 - Security AI

Amy - Amelia Walker - Leah’s friend

Dr Ellen Whitfield - Leah’s MIT Doctoral Supervisor in Theoretical Physics

Meredith Kodoman - high profile player involved in virtual slavery

Nathan Kodoman - high profile player involved in virtual slavery

Kate Emerson - Thad’s sister - her real name is Paris

Thad - Thaddeus Emerson - Leah’s boyfriend

Dr Thomas Ellis - MIT Doctoral Supervisor in Experimental Physics

Wisp - Annie Martin - Leah’s friend

Leo Barnsworth - A prisoner with the real Meredith - British Earl

Alan Hopper - Security Consultant, creator of the backdoor into the World Bank

Franklin White - Leah contact to cyber-security in British army

Archie - Sir Archibald Matthews, Brigadier - Ex-cyber-security in British army

Ivan - Боевой_молот - player from Dunyanin and Leah’s ally

Noah - Delta_Knight_01 - player from Dunyanin and Leah’s ally

Yuè Fēi - Yuè_Fēi_Lóng - player from Dunyanin and Leah’s ally

DUNYANIN - REGISTRATION

Leah has finished her quest for Lord Geckiş, the God of Transition, Change and Metamorphosis. She and her hand of Günahkâr guards are in a cavern she created on the peak of Mount Siddetli. Other Günahkâr, the race of dark elves who have agreed to be her Imperial Guards are making their way across the continent to help secure her various holdings and to protect her people.

Erol Kartal - Dunyanin CEO

Atherleah - Leah’s character - 45% dragon, 22.5% highland human, 22.5% forest elf, 10% divine - vampire - Empress

Clan Guàn - Leah’s Clan - Motto: Integritas! Prospertas! Praesidium! Purity, Prosperity, and Protection

Peter Scorsese - Exclusive broker for Leah and Clan Guàn within Dunyanin - Leon’s brother

Mĕi - a Chimera - Atherleah’s pet

Mìng (Shēngmìng de huǒ) - a mixed Fire/Life Dragon - Atherleah’s companion and pet

Leah’s Günahkâr Bodyguards

Yürek (F) - Baş (leader) of the bodyguards - from clan Yangin (Element: Fire, Colour: Red)

İşaret (M) - from clan Yalet (Element: Spirit, Colour: Silver)

Orta (M) - from clan Rüzgâr (Element: Air, Colour: Blue)

Yüzük (F) - from clan Sular (Element: Water, Colour: Violet)

Küçük (M) - from clan Toprak (Element: Earth, Colour: Gold)

Gods

Aldat - God of Deception

Geckiş - God of Transition, Change and Metamorphosis

Intikam - Goddess of Revenge

Iskense - God of Lies

Kargasa - God of Chaos

Mantic - God of Logic

Namus - God of Purity

Olme - Goddess of Death

Serseri, Goddess of the Outcast

Suzluk - God/Goddess of Despair

Susma - God of Silence

Umut - God of Hope

Utsal - Goddess of Light and Truth

ACADEMIA - EDUCATIONAL PORTAL WORLD

Leah continues to make new discoveries about the aether dimension and her braid formulations.

Dr Ellen Whitfield - Leah’s MIT Doctoral Supervisor in Theoretical Physics

Dr Thomas Ellis - MIT Doctoral Supervisor - Experimental Physics

COSMOS ONLINE - GALACTIC SPACE WORLD

Leah and Wisp have claimed the giant space station and intersystem portal. They’ve named the system Seraph. They appointed a System Administrator to manage the game inside the Seraph system.

Atherleah - current avatars on Seraph and the two space stations, Berne and Hydra

John - current avatars on Berne and on Hydra

Mahigan the Black - Meredith’s character

Wisp - current avatar on Seraph

Marianne Chevalier - Manager of Seraph System

PNEUMATICA

Leah and Thad have just named and rescued Deirdre Caoimhe, the eldest child of the Queen of Aeolipile. Although Thad and Deirdre escape, Leah is captured and imprisoned with the two Pyranthians who helped her then sacrificed in the Pyranthian Festival of Blood.

Atherleah_Carroll - Leah’s user name - known as ‘Charlotte’ - Privateer Captain of the Tempest and the Draken

Edison - Developer in charge of Pneumatica

Thad Emerson - Leah’s boyfriend

Kate Emerson - Thad’s sister

NPCs

Takobi Matuwa - Pyranthian Warrior - gave Leah the name Yuwata Mumuna (My ugly sister)

Takobi’s brother - Pyranthian Warrior - gave Thad the name Karami Kwanya (the runt of the litter)

CYBER-VERSE

Leah is looking for leads on the people she found imprisoned within the multiverse in a vault at the World Bank.

Akia - Security Oversight AI 4 - Security AI

Alan Hopper - person responsible for the back doors into the vault and the World Bank.

Atherleah Lin Mu-Ling Carroll (Leah)

Gèng - Leah’s AI

ASCENDENT - ELITE CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE

Gianna - Leah’s personal concierge

Maeja - Leah’s secondary personal concierge

Other Worlds (so far)

Adventure World - second date with Thad

Alexandria - Horror and the Occult theme world

Carnival - first date with Thad

Curator - History and Archeology world

Dark Moon Duel - Leah learns swordplay

Master Archery - Leah learns archery from Lady Flèche

New World - 4X universe world

Persepolis - Persian theme world

Quickdraw - Western theme world

Ringworld - World based on novel by Larry Niven

Runes of Destiny - Michael is playing to find out about Kodomans

Saturn’s Rings - Space world

Spectator - Provides immersion into virtual feeds and news

Survival - Complex scenarios to test survival skills

United Federation of Planets - Star Trek theme world

Virtual World Today - news and current affairs world

Walworld - shopping world

Warrior - Conflict Resolution world for the wealthy

1

December 19 2073

REAL WORLD

Pain slowly pulled Leah from oblivion. The transition from unconsciousness to awareness was stretched out over fifteen minutes as her agony warred with the drugs in her system. Gradually, the artificial chemicals lost the battle as Leah’s body removed them from her bloodstream. Bit by bit, she felt a constant thrum of torment begin to take hold of her upper body as each heartbeat sent a fresh wave of agony across her shoulders. Slowly, Leah’s mind isolated the sounds that seemed to ebb and flow with the beat. The first was a low moan whose irregular beat she finally realised matched her own out-of-rhythm breathing. Needing oxygen, she would inhale, but the sudden stab of pain would cause her to hold her breath for just a moment before letting it out in a long, painful exhalation.

Once she recognised this, Leah slowly brought her breathing under control and began to notice secondary sounds. These sounds all seemed to flow together, and she had to concentrate to sort them out. Behind her, she could hear a pair of voices talking softly in what she supposed was another room. In front of her, someone was breathing deeply and all around her was a faint hum.

Softly, inside her head, Leah heard a faint chime of bells, then the familiar voice of Gèng. Slowly and carefully Gèng said, “Leah, try not to move. There are two men who check on you every five or six minutes to see if you’re awake. I used the soft chimes so as not to startle you. Your father is also drugged and is apparently several metres in front of you.”

With some difficulty, Leah sub-vocalised and said, “What happened?”

“Without the Pod, I can’t do a full analysis, but I understand from what was said while you were unconscious that you were first drugged using gas they released inside the back of the police car. Then you were injected with something to knock you out for a longer period. Your father has been given a second dose of the injected chemicals because they only want to talk with you. It’s been eight hours since you lost consciousness. Without access to any electronic signals, and using the limited data I’ve been able to collect from your senses, I suspect you and Michael are within the Brisbane CBD. Most likely you are in one of the properties belonging to Nathan or his friends.”

Leah tentatively tried to move and found her wrists and ankles were secured, and she could feel more straps around her thighs, her abdomen and around her forehead. She carefully tried to open her eyes only to be blinded by the glare in the room, which forced her to her close her eyes quickly. Even so, it was a few minutes before her eyes stopped watering. The next time she barely opened one eye, and she waited before opening it a little more. Opening them bit by bit it took her several minutes until she was able to look around the room. Her father was sitting upright in a chair three metres in front of her. Michael was held in position with thick plastic ties holding his arms and legs to the chair, each limb had at least two ties with more around his upper legs and chest. They looked like thick flexible packing straps. The chair had a pole fixed to its back which jutted above the centre of Michael’s head. His head was held upright by a strap around his forehead.

Behind her father, she could see an old two-dimensional screen on the wall. There were no windows, and two bright lights shone down from the ceiling. Leah said, “Can you calculate if I have the strength to break these ties?”

“I don’t have the specifications in any database that I can access. I believe your skin and tissue would tear before you would be able to break them.”

Leah looked down toward her legs, and for the first time it registered that her legs were bare. Her shirt, jeans and footwear had been removed, and she was only wearing her underwear and bra. She could also feel the strapping on her shoulders where they restricted her movements. Michael, on the other hand, was still fully clothed. Leah heard a noise behind her and closed her eyes while trying to calm her breathing.

The footsteps moved until they were in front of her. A man’s deep voice said, “I know you are awake. There’s a small camera in the screen opposite you. Mr Kodoman wants to say a few words before we get the party started.”

Leah opened her eyes and looked up at a muscular man she’d never seen before. He looked to be about her father’s age. He looked down at her with a smile which wasn’t only on his mouth but was reflected in his eyes as well.

“That’s better. My, you are a pretty thing. Mr Kodoman said we weren’t to play with you before you were awake and until he’s had his fun. Afterwards, though, we can do what we like. It’s a shame really because after he’s done with you, I don’t think you’ll be in a fit state to enjoy yourself. Ah well, never mind. At least me and Billy will have some fun. Now, Mr Kodoman wanted me to tell you that he hates being interrupted. Apparently, you like to interrupt, but this time if you make so much as a whimper during his visit then we’ll be taking his anger out on your dad. I’ll let you in on a secret. No matter what you do, your dad is going to die tonight, but it’s your choice whether he does it with pain, or without. Now, I want to get this out of the way so let me show you what I mean.”

With that, the man reached out his hand, and someone, who Leah imagined must be Billy, handed him a large hammer. The man turned rapidly and brought the hammer around to slam into her father’s lower right leg. Leah could hear the bone snap and her father’s eyes opened briefly in a silent scream before he lapsed back into unconsciousness. The man turned, he smiled at Leah and said, “He won’t wake up, you know. I could break every bone in his body, and while he’ll feel it, he can’t break out of the induced coma. When we finally let the drugs wear off, the pain will rush in. I once had someone die from the sudden influx of pain. Now, do you understand what will happen?”

Leah let the emotion fall from her face and simply nodded.

The man began to chuckle. He said, “I love the defiant ones. I really wish I could show you who’s boss, but Mr Kodoman has reserved that privilege for himself. When he’s finished, there won’t be much of anything left inside that pretty head of yours. Rest assured, though, me and Billy will take care of whatever remains. Now, I’m going to let him know you’re awake. Don’t go anywhere.”

With that, the man started chuckling, and as he walked past Leah, he rapped her hard on the left shoulder with the handle of the hammer, causing her to let out a strangled scream which just made him laugh even louder. When Leah finally brought her breathing under control, Gèng said, “Leah, while you were unconscious, I heard Billy and Earl talking.”

“Was that Earl?”

“Yes. They were discussing the last few people they had brought here. They discussed the man Troy Henson and the agent, Charlotte Brown. Earl killed Troy. If you look at your father, you can see his leg is broken in a similar fashion to what happened to Troy. I believe they are going to frame you for his death as well.”

“He’s not going to die Gèng. We will get through this. We just have to work out a way.”

Gèng said nothing and Leah was left with her thoughts. Leah was still working on what to do when the screen behind her father blinked twice before showing Nathan and Meredith. Leah tried to let none of her anxiety show and just stared straight ahead into the screen.

Meredith started to laugh, and Nathan’s lips curled into a sneer. He said, “I understand that Earl has explained the rules. You and your father are going to die soon. If you don’t annoy me, or my wife, we will kill your father painlessly. You, on the other hand, will be forced to suffer a little. Personally, I would rather dispose of you without all these theatrics, but I promised an ally that you would learn despair before you died.”

As he spoke the last word, the screen in front of Leah split to show Suzluk. Nathan said, “I believe you know Suzluk. As payment for certain services, he wanted to see your face when you finally comprehend the magnitude of your failure and the full extent of your upcoming painful and ignoble end.”

Suzluk’s face creased in a sadistic grin, and he said, “You are pathetic, little Atherleah. This death of yours will be the final one, and afterwards, I will hunt down each of your friends and destroy them as well.”

Nathan seemed to roll his eyes but said, “At the beginning, your pain will be more emotional than physical. I am going to explain what is going to happen in simple terms so that you understand. I’ll then leave you to think on the situation for several minutes. It won’t be too long before you understand, and it is then that despair will take hold of your mind. You are immobilised in the same way as your father. Your restraint is slightly different in that there are two poles behind your head. Your head restraint has a gap at the back which allows access to your PAI chip.

“When Suzluk is satisfied that you fully comprehend your fate and its finality, Billy will take a specially modified hand-held stun gun, well, it’s actually a high powered taser, and he will apply it directly to your chip. Besides bringing an unthinkable amount of pain, the current not only completely destroys your chip but it fuses the slag left behind to the bone of your skull. It also heats the micro-filaments which extend into your skull. Experiments have shown that the heat permanently destroys the sections of the brain which surround the filaments. You won’t be able to see, hear, smell, move or speak ever again. The only sense which seems to remain is the ability to feel pain. However, there is really no way to express it except in mindless silent screaming. Suzluk wanted me to leave you like that, but I don’t need the complication of you being found alive.

“Instead, let me explain what will happen after you are made into a vegetable. Earl and Billy plan to rape you, then they’ll take you and your father to the Brisbane River where they will tie cement around your still breathing bodies and drop you in. The ties they use are water-soluble, and after a few days, you and your dad will float to the surface. The police will find you killed your father in the same way they did the imbecile Troy. They will conclude your dad had been abusing you. Somehow, in shame and remorse, you decided to end his life and yours.”

As Nathan was talking, Leah could see Meredith smiling in the background and Suzluk gloating. Even as her heart sank, she steeled herself to let none of that show on her face. Then, as Nathan paused to see the effect on Leah, she sub-vocalised to Gèng and said, “Have you recorded that?”

“Yes.”

“Save it to one of the safest storage sites and transfer yourself there as well. John knows about the sites, and I want you to make sure that he gets the information. He’ll check it at an autopsy.”

“Leah, I can make a copy of myself, but I can’t leave you.”

“You can, even if for no other reason than to take the additional stress off me. I don’t need any more pressure than I have already. I know the copy will be you, but there is no need for you to feel what it is like to die even if you’ll never remember it. Also, how did you go at having the nanites form a physical breaker in case of an EPIC attack?”

“It is still under construction, and besides, it wouldn’t be any help for what Nathan described.”

“I see. Please put the schematics for the chip on my vision. If he wants despair, then I’ll give him hope. If I have to die, I’ll do it fighting with everything I have. I have a few ideas for John and Jimmy, which I want to write down. I’ll also save a letter for Mum and Conner. I don’t have a will, so I’ll write one of those.”

Leah’s perceptual speed increased to maximum, and she co-opted three of Gèng’s processing cores to work on the tasks simultaneously. She reviewed the chip to try and think of some way to short circuit it before the threatened taser was applied. She dictated letters and plans to all her friends, including more detailed instructions for Leon, Peter, John, and Jimmy. She also wrote out a will and wrote a goodbye letter to Thad which tried to express her sadness at leaving him. All the time, she worked to keep any expression from her face.

Leah discovered that the increased perception allowed her to make minute corrections to her facial muscles to stop any hint of her state of mind from showing. Just as she had when she’d concentrated in Dunyanin as a glitchwolf, Leah slowly became aware of the smallest details around her. She could feel the slight draught from the door behind her and sensed when one of the men passed in front of it, changing the airflow. Leah also realised that the slight hum was the current in the electromagnetic shield constructed around the room. Leah slowly flexed the muscles along her arm and was able to feel the straps which held her down give just a little as she moved. Her mind calculated angles and stresses. She asked Gèng to show the detailed structure of her chip and its position in her skull.

Leah shifted her legs minutely and started to gather data of the amount of movement she had in her legs, thighs, chest and head. Gèng began to add details from her database, and they built up a comprehensive view of Leah’s body and her surroundings. As Leah made small movements, Gèng began putting together a model of how all the different motions interacted across her body. Nathan couldn’t see a reaction in Leah so he waved Meredith forward, she began to deride Leah and suggest all sorts of things that would happen to her. With her perception increased, Leah could see small micro-movements as they played over Meredith’s face and compared them with Nathan’s reactions. She slowly built up a way to measure his agreement or disagreement with the things Meredith was saying.

Her conclusion was that while Nathan and Meredith were in agreement that Leah and her dad would be killed, they disagreed about her being abused before she was executed. Meredith revelled in the idea, but Nathan would have preferred a clean emotionless death. When Meredith slowed down, and Leah’s face still hadn’t reacted, Suzluk began to rant. Moments later, Leah saw Nathan’s eyes briefly focus behind her. She saw him give what she imagined he thought was an infinitesimally small nod but lasted for what seemed like a minute to her. Leah felt the air moving against her change as Billy stepped forward. On her wireframe model, she showed his arm and the most likely configuration of the electrodes which would be applied to destroy a PAI chip. Gèng suddenly added some notes about the difference between Leah’s chip and the standard PAI chip. The differences were negligible on the macro scale, but processors and the connections were in slightly different locations. Even a millimetre could change the way the current moved. Leah contracted her neck muscles, bringing her head as far forward as she could. As Leah felt the two prongs of the taser touch her skin, she rotated her head slightly then shoved back as hard as she could. She was hoping to get the current to pass through the chip along a particular path and heat the processor in just the right spot so her backwards movement would force the prongs to …

Leah never finished the thought as the electricity arced through the chip and turned it to slag. The current raced across Leah’s body, making her muscles contract violently. The new growth of hair on the outside of the chip flashed into flame, and where the chip’s electrodes had been etched into the outside of her skull, the skin blistered. Leah’s left leg had contracted then extended so violently that it snapped the tie and almost dislocated her knee. Her increased perceptions overloaded her system with messages of extreme agony, causing her chest and abdominal muscles to contract as a scream was forced from her throat. The strap across her chest broke four ribs, and the strap around her skull stretched with the strain then snapped back, driving the prongs of the taser into the molten slag. Moments later as the current was turned off, Leah’s body slowly stopped shaking, and she dropped into unconsciousness.

2

December 19 2073

REAL WORLD

Leah’s second journey into awareness wasn’t the long drawn out affair of the last time. This time, she was dragged into reality over a matter of seconds as someone dropped her from a position on his shoulders and tilted her backwards into the back of a van, slamming her shoulders into the steel floor. This was followed by her head coming down hard on the red and raw blisters which now covered her skull. She tried to scream as the pain washed in waves over her, but each wave interacted with the previous one to set up a discordant pulse. This surging pain never gave her time to take in a big enough breath to do more than croak out a moan before the next wave made her battered and broken ribs rub against each other and add to the agony.

Leah tried to open her eyes, but all she saw was the same endless darkness she’d first been aware of. As understanding hit her, she realised her eyes had been open all along. She couldn’t see anything and what she thought of as moans were just her imagination, for no other sounds penetrated the void that surrounded her. She must have had some success in her attempts to protect her senses because she thought she could smell the stench of burned flesh. As soon as she tried to catch the scent though, it faded and then there was nothing, nothing but pain in every part of her body.

No, that wasn’t quite true. She could sense the motion as she swayed minutely back and forth. Her inner ears and her sense of balance seemed to work. She was lying in a car, no, a van. After concentrating, she could feel the cold steel under her shoulders, and she slowly built up a picture of her surroundings. Remembering her experience just before she was tasered, she let herself once again fall into her perceptions. She still couldn’t see, hear or smell, but she began to listen to the smaller senses, the ones that were usually at the very edge of her awareness.

She concentrated on the temperature across her body, and to some extent, that of her insides. Her shoulders were warmer than the rest of her, and her head was still trying to shed heat from the burns which splayed out from the melted chip like a tangled, broken, and rather misshapen spider. Leah became aware of how her body was positioned. She felt not only the swelling in her left knee from the massive contraction, but she could feel that it wasn’t quite in the right position. Slowly, she tried to flex the leg muscles to pull it into alignment only to have the leg snap out to its fullest extension, then contract suddenly bringing her bare foot to press against her thigh. The added carbon fibres in the muscles not only strained the knee but also threw her onto her right side and against another body.

Leah decided it was a body as she felt the warmth and softness. She had no way of knowing who it was, but the lack of movement almost guaranteed this was her dad. Her experience made it clear that even though she could feel where her body was, she had little or no control over it. The only thought she had, though, was hope. If she could still make the muscles move, then some part of that area of her brain must have survived.

With that, Leah tried again to use those parts of her which still worked. She could sense her heart beating, she could feel her stomach churning from hunger and the pressure in her bladder and bowels. She was surprised she hadn’t soiled herself with her previous convulsions. With her sped up and increased perceptions the time between the waves of pain spread out, but when they arrived, they were now a tsunami which threatened to tear down her defences every single time.

Leah persisted for what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes. She knew when the van turned into a driveway as she felt the electric motor stop and the current from the bed of batteries under her ceased. Leah felt the van joggle as the back was opened and through the changes in air currents and the slight differences she was almost certain it was Earl. He grabbed her legs and threw her onto her back. She couldn’t see or hear a thing, but every nerve along her legs shuddered as he reached in and grabbed her panties. She waited until they were at the top of her thighs before sending a message to contract and flex both legs.

Before, when she’d tried a small movement, her legs had flipped her over. This time the left knee dislocated as it came under her thigh. The sudden contraction of both legs lifted the lower half of her body off the inside of the van’s flooring. Earl, and she hoped it was Earl, had no warning as Leah’s knees lifted up above his shoulders and then her legs extended fully. The carbon fibres holding her knee together stretched and just before her leg reached its full extension, her foot came in contact with a head. Leah’s knee was forced back into its right position by her contracting muscles and the contact. She bounced once before settling on the van’s floor, her legs slowly shuddering to a stop.

Leah passed out momentarily from the sudden pain in her left foot, but the endless waves of pain throughout the rest of her body brought her back. Someone slammed the van shut, the door caught her feet, bending her knees and adding a fresh wave to the tidal surges along her pain receptors. She felt the van rock, but Leah recognised it hadn’t moved because she couldn’t feel the current flowing to the motor.

Not knowing how to tell the time in her hyper-alert state, she resorted to counting her heartbeat. It seemed to her that it beat every few minutes, but the reality was it was in a hyper-excited state and running at over one hundred and forty beats a minute. Leah counted to five hundred and thirty-six when the doors were flung open, and something heavy was dropped inside to land beside her. After that, it was another ninety-eight heartbeats before the current started to flow beneath her again and the van began to move.

Leah hadn’t been idle while waiting and had been practising trying to open and close her hand. She must have done it hundreds of times before she felt confident to either hold it open, her finger’s splayed wide in a fan or have it closed, her fingers clenched into a fist with her nails cutting into her palm. Just the two positions, open and closed. More than half the time the thumb was caught either inside the fingers or threaded between them. Leah wasn’t sure, but she thought she may have fractured it.

It was another six-hundred or so beats before the van pulled to a stop. By this time, Leah’s awareness had grown until she believed she could almost feel every vibration as the front cabin door was opened and then slammed shut. The van continued to rock even though it was stopped and Leah wondered what was happening until the van doors near her feet opened, and she could sense the wind rushing past the opening. It was colder than before, and it felt moist on her skin.

As the wind flowed past the open doorway, she could sense the eddies as what she imagined was a person blocked the doorway. Leah imagined he was watching to see what would happen. After what seemed like an eternity, there was a sudden movement and she felt a strap fall around her calves. She forced herself not to react as the strap was pulled tight, locking her legs together.

Whoever it was used the strap to pull her from the back of the van. She felt every ridge as she slowly slid off the edge, then as gravity took hold, she sped up until her lower back hit the ground first followed by her head and then her legs. Everything in her wanted to scream, even if it was one of the silent moans, but she focused all that desire into not reacting. Leah needed to get closer to whoever it was. Leah had expected two people, one at either end, but whoever it was, they seemed to be alone because they used the strap to drag her over the uneven surface until she was leaning up against a series of hard cold metal rods. She imagined it was a fence of some kind.

From everything she’d heard, she pictured herself lying against the edge of one of the bridges. If Gèng had been right, then it was most likely the old Story Bridge. Renovation work had been going on for almost three years when work had stalled over the use of old steel instead of the newer stronger alloys. Environmentalists, engineers, and the historical society had been locked in a battle for several years, and the bridge was still closed to most traffic. This is where Akia had suggested Charlotte had been thrown from.

If Leah was right, then most of the internal fences and rails had already been gutted, and this was the outer fencing. From here it was a thirty-metre drop to the water below. Leah could feel vibrations as the wind shook the bridge slightly and then another stronger vibration as something heavy was dropped on the ground near her. Finally, the strap around her legs was used to lift her legs slightly. She could feel the change as thinner stronger bonds were slipped under her legs and took the place of the strap. Her thighs were then heaved off the ground, and another thinner material was used to force her legs together. Leah remembered what Nathan had said about ties which dissolved in water and rocks.

A cold knobbly material was passed between her calf ties and her legs before being looped around the legs and threaded through the ties around her thighs. It was hard not to do anything, but she hadn’t felt whoever it was move her dad yet, so she waited. Leah hoped for a chance to grab whoever it was and deal with them before they could hurt Michael even more.

Leah was left lying on her back and leaning against the rails for a time but with her legs and thighs tied, and almost no control over her movements, there was little she could do. Whoever was trying to throw her over the rail walked up behind her and reached down to lift the top of Leah’s body. She tried moving to dislodge herself from his grip, but her lack of control and her over-exaggerated movements were so violent that she almost lifted herself over the rail before falling back through his hands and hitting the ground. This sent another flood of pain messages along her spine.

Finally, after several attempts, the man used the original strap. After forcing Leah’s arms by her side, he tightened the strap and slowly pulled her upright to lean against the rail. She teetered on the edge, but he didn’t let her fall because he now needed to remove the strap which wouldn’t dissolve in water. Leah was positioned with her back against the top bar, and as he stepped in to loosen the strap, Leah felt his hands on her shoulders. As he raised the strap over her head, Leah threw her arms forward and forced her hands to lock closed on whatever was in front of her. Her forward grabbing motion sent her body backwards, and as her hands tightened around what felt like a jacket edge in her right hand and a wrist in her left, she tried to throw herself even further backwards at the same time as pulling the person towards her.

Leah’s upper body swung out over the rail where the sudden addition of the man’s weight above the edge of the railing meant that Leah slid head first off the bridge holding onto the man, whom she assumed was Earl or Billy. Leah had no idea what the weight at her feet was, but nothing was holding onto the man’s feet. His angular momentum saw his legs fly out and away from the bridge while Leah was pulled back toward the bridge by the chain and the weights. As he flipped over Leah, she still gripped his wrist and jacket. Just as happened with Hugh Westmorten, his head was stuck against Leah’s shoulder, and as his body fell away from her, his neck couldn’t stand the strain, and his spinal column snapped at the base of his skull.

The weight of his body hanging from her still loosely bound shoulders and upper arms soon became too much for Leah. She let go just as she was brought to a sudden stop—whatever the weight was that was tied to her legs had caught on the handrail. As she hung there, upside down, Leah still couldn’t scream, hear, smell or talk but she almost smiled if the strange and sudden contractions of the muscles in her face could ever be called a smile. If she had interpreted the tiny insignificant feelings and movements correctly, then her father was still alive, although unconscious, and was lying in a van with another body.

Leah hung like that for several minutes, twisting in the wind, when she felt the strap around her arms shift infinitesimally. Carefully, she tried to contract her arm muscles, and with her sudden movement, two things happened. First, the strap around her shoulders fell away, and the other was a slight movement in the ties around her calves. All her weight was now pulling her downward and only the ties, and whatever was wrapped around them, was holding her up.

Leah tried to calm herself by slowing her breathing. While this stopped her panic, it did nothing to slow the slippage. The ties around her calves slipped toward her feet faster as Leah was twisted and turned by the wind. Her ankles and feet were thinner than her calves and after a sudden strong gust of wind, the ties around her calves pulled loose. All her weight was now held only by the bands around her thighs. Again the slippage started small, but this time she knew the final sudden drop was going to be much further.

As soon as Leah felt the tie go from her ankles, she’d tried to get her arms to relax and hang down past her head. Her attempts caused several small convulsions which probably lessened the overall time she hung suspended above the river. Still, she was finally successful and had her hands together below her head, and her hands clasped. Her shoulders ached with the strain of the position, but Leah kept her hands locked. Finally, the tie around her thighs slipped loose, and after briefly catching on her foot, which gave her some small angular momentum, Leah fell toward the Brisbane River.

When Leah’s feet briefly caught on the binding, it not only slowed her velocity slightly, but it started her rotating. By the time she hit the water, she’d rotated one hundred and sixty degrees, and her feet hit first with her body sliding in after them which caused her to tumble around. Leah had taken a deep breath on the way down, and as she tumbled around, she tried to let her body relax completely, hoping she would float. Unfortunately, her increased activities in the last month, coupled with the added muscle fibres and stronger bones, had made her denser than ever. As she held her breath and waited to rise to the surface, she slowly sank.

Her legs were denser than her air-filled torso, and this helped reorientate her so her legs were facing the river bottom. Added to this was the movement of her arms which also sank faster than her air-filled upper torso. After a minute, the turbulence of the water around Leah from her fall slowed. With her increased perception, she noticed the movement of water along her skin. Recognising that she was sinking Leah tried to swim upwards. Her arms thrashed about wildly, their movement only vaguely resembling swimming but the overall effect, although much slower, was in the right direction.

After almost two-and-a-half minutes of threshing her arms up and down, trying to open and close her hands to help move upwards, Leah’s head briefly broke the surface. She took a quick breath then started to sink. Her shoulders and back ached as she kept flailing around, trying to keep her head above the water. After almost ten minutes of keeping herself near the surface, Leah felt her feet touch the bottom. Somehow she’d got herself near one of the banks. It was another five minutes, though, before she stopped moving, her head just out of the river. The rest of her was lying wearily on one of the rocks planted near the shore to prevent erosion. As she stopped moving, her head slumped sideways, and she faded into unconsciousness, totally exhausted.

3

December 20 2073

REAL WORLD

Four hours later, Leah woke when she felt one of the river’s saltwater mud-crabs crawl over her right foot and nip her ankle. Leah’s foot jerked, shaking the crab loose and almost throwing Leah from her perch. Awake, Leah became aware of her twisted position on the rock and unconsciously turned to find a better position. Only after leaning back against the edge of the bank did she realise her success showed she now had more control over her movements. Slowly she began flexing her fingers, then her toes. After several minutes she concluded that although she couldn’t hold a pencil to write, she could probably crawl, climb and walk if she needed to.

As she lay there thinking what to do, she realised that her chest, and shoulders, were out of the water. She thought back over her swim, if she could think of the wild splashing as that, and remembered only her neck had been sticking above the surface. Leah knew the Brisbane River as far up as the Story Bridge, and further even, was a tidal estuary. So, if she could find out which way the water was flowing, and if the level was rising or falling, then she could tell which side of the river she was on. If she knew that then she could find a place to hide. She imagined that John and others would be looking for her soon, but so would the police and Nathan’s men. If anyone except her friends found her, she didn’t think she would live for long.

Lying still, Leah finally decided that with her back to the river bank the water was flowing right-to-left and the water level was still dropping. This meant she was on the northern bank. When she’d been looking for her mother, she’d looked over the maps hundreds of times trying to work out where her mother was. Feeling around the rocks for oysters or other mollusks she concluded the tide would turn soon. Although she had no idea what time it was, she couldn’t feel any heat from the sun on her skin, so it was still night. If she’d talked with Nathan around eight, then she’d probably been taken to the bridge just before midnight. The tide would already have turned so she must be downriver from the bridge somewhere on the northern side.

She decided she was somewhere around Merthyr, which was where the river turned to head northeast. She couldn’t safely cross to the southern bank with her sight and hearing gone, so she needed to find somewhere to hide on the northern bank, preferably under cover . She decided to keep moving downriver. If she was right, then in another five or six hundred metres, she’d come to the personal jetties of the new housing precinct. This was opposite Bulimba, where she knew John had access to a safe house. She couldn’t cross over at the moment, but maybe later in the day, her senses might improve.

Having made up her mind, Leah turned to face the bank and began edging her way downriver. For all she knew, hundreds of people were watching her movements, but she had no other choices. Leah didn’t move fast, and it was an hour and a half before she felt the first pylon driven into the river bed to support one end of the pontoons. Leah kept moving until she’d moved nearer to the place her team had exited the river when rescuing her mother. Finally, weary, hungry and thirsty, Leah slowly levered herself up and under one of the pontoons and wedged herself into the gap between the pontoon and one of the cross braces. After making sure she wouldn’t fall, Leah fell into an uneasy sleep.

Thirst woke Leah six hours later as the full force of the sun warmed the top of the pontoon. Leah would normally have had confidence that she’d last without a drink, but after having nothing for twenty-two hours, and after all her exertions, she knew she needed to have something before nightfall. From her previous visit, Leah knew that most of the pontoons had freshwater lines running to their far end as most rich people didn’t want to run a hose out to fill the water tanks onboard their boats. The fact that most didn’t have boats didn’t seem to matter.

Leah felt around the base of the pontoon until she found the conduits running on the underside. Her electro-receptivity seemed to work, and she rejected two of the thermoplastic conduits as data and electrical cables. The third seemed the most likely. Leah moved back to the riverbank and felt around on the rocks for a stick, a smaller rock, or something which she could use to wear a hole in the plastic. She didn’t want to break it all the way through as the sensors would automatically cut the flow and send an alert if clean water flowed freely from the broken pipe. Eventually, Leah found a hand-sized rock with a semi-sharp edge and a few handfuls of some type of water plant.

Heading back toward the middle of the pontoon, Leah tucked the plants inside her bra and wedging the rock in the cross brace, she lifted herself back up and onto the brace. Once there, Leah slowly rubbed the stone against the pipe. It took about twenty minutes until Leah felt water begin to drip, then spray, through the tiny hole she’d made. Lifting herself up, Leah let the water shoot into her mouth, and against her inner cheek. She drank until she was full. When she’d had as much as she could, Leah wrapped the plant material around the hole as tightly as she was able before lowering herself back to lie on the brace and wait.

Twice more throughout the long day, Leah unwrapped the weeds and drank. She’d used the river as a bathroom earlier in the morning on her crawl along the bank, and she was pleased when she had to pee late in the afternoon. When Leah could feel the heat finally fade from the pontoon, she had a final drink and lowered herself back into the water, then headed for the river bank end of the floating pier.

Once there, Leah pictured the maps she’d seen when preparing to rescue her mum. Last night she’d stopped three pontoons short of where she thought her team had been and where she’d broken through the alarms. Johan had tied their half-full scuba gear on the end of the pontoon. It had only been a week and Leah was hoping it was still there. The house didn’t have a boat, so there was a good chance they’d not even realised they’d had visitors.

After waiting what she guessed was two hours, Leah clawed her way further downriver in what she hoped was the early evening. She moved slowly, taking her time, and staying under the water as much as she could. Finally, she arrived at what she thought was the right pontoon and worked her way underneath it until she reached the end. She checked for ten minutes before she was sure the scuba gear was gone.

Heading back to the riverbank, she counted in her head again and then moved back one house. Again, she couldn’t find the scuba gear. She next moved in the other direction and would have laughed in relief when she felt them secured halfway down the outer pylon. Well, she would have if she’d had any confidence that her voice wouldn’t cause problems. On and off she’d tried to form words and whisper them. Although she’d been able to build them in her mind and even know what movements her mouth should make, she didn’t seem to be able to connect the two.

Leah carefully secured the mini scuba canisters with their mouthpieces and underwater goggles around her waist. She’d used the rope Johan had used, and although Leah had no use for the goggles, there wasn’t enough rope to leave them behind. Letting them float away as any sort of evidence just wasn’t done. The tide peaked and was starting to turn before she was ready to leave. Leah’s plan was to swim close to the surface, trying to keep her head underneath as much as possible. If she kept the current on her right side, she’d eventually reach the other bank. If she angled toward the outgoing tide she should be close to where she and the team had entered the water. From there she was almost sure she could find the previous safe house by feel alone. It was the only place other than the Kodoman’s house that John knew Leah might head towards.

Taking a few deep breaths, Leah pushed off into the river. She was swimming blind and had to stop every thirty seconds or so to try and gauge which direction the current was coming from. Altogether it took fifteen minutes and one change of the scuba canisters before she pulled herself into the southern bank.

The edge of the bank felt smooth. Leah carefully moved upward and felt the surface on top of the bank with her hand. There was a smooth edge and what felt like rails. Slipping back into the water, she began crawling to her right. If her recollection was correct, then she’d been carried almost three hundred metres downstream. The bank felt like the walkway that had been constructed around the turn of the river in that area. It ran along the river edge at the back of a collection of newer and expensive up-market riverside units.

It was another hour before she crawled under the old pier where the ferry used to cross and half-an-hour after that before she found the walkway beside the Bulimba park. By her guess, it was close to nine at night and most people, if not all of them, would be in their pods for the night. Very few people went out at nights except in places like the Switch.

Finding the edge of the park, Leah slowly slid onto the bank, then, using her elbows and knees, Leah began to crawl and slide toward the safe house. What took ten minutes fully clothed while sneaking, took Leah, in just her underwear and going by feel, over an hour. Leah made her way around the back of the house and was almost at the door when she felt a hand on her forearm.

Leah’s arms and legs reacted automatically and before the person seemed aware, Leah was on her back with her arm tightened around the person’s neck, her legs wrapped around their torso. Whoever it was hadn’t resisted, not that they would have been able to do much against Leah’s increased strength. Leah carefully brought her right hand around to feel the face. As she’d attacked, she’d felt what she thought was a male body. The head was shaved and as her fingers brushed over the nose and eyes she felt a small scar under the left nostril. It was Johan, and she’d given him that in one of their knife fights early in her training.

As soon as she identified him, she simply collapsed backwards and began to sob silently. Nothing happened for a few minutes except that Johan rolled away and then gently pulled Leah close. After that, Johan gently pulled Leah to her feet and seemed to just stand there, except Leah imagined he was trying to talk. Leah gently pulled her hands away and lifted them to cover her ears, then her eyes, her nose and finally her mouth. The next thing she knew he’d brought her close into a soft embrace, then with an arm under her knees, he lifted her and carried her into the house.

Once inside, Johan brought a blanket to put around her shoulders before placing a sandwich in her hands. Leah ate slowly, not wanting to throw it up. After eating, she was given a hot drink of sweetened tea which she drank before signalling for whoever was there to come close. When a hand was put in hers, she knew it wasn’t Johan. Reaching along the elbow, she moved her other hand toward the face. Feeling carefully the face that was gently pressed into her hand, she was fairly sure this was Lacey.

Reaching down, she wrote ‘LACEY’ letter by letter on the palm of the person’s hand. There was no movement for a minute; then her hand was turned over, and she felt Lacey write the letter ‘Y’. Once she knew who it was, she turned Lacey’s hand over and wrote ‘DAD?’.

Lacey spelt out that her dad was alive and at home. He had a broken leg and a fractured arm. Leah spelt out, ‘BAD GUYS?’. There was a long pause before Lacey wrote that there were two dead. One in a van and the other pulled from the river. When she’d finished the long answer, Lacey spelt out, ‘YOU?’, to which Leah just nodded.

As Lacey had begun spelling out about Leah’s dad, Leah had felt Johan get to work cleaning and bandaging her various wounds. Besides the older ones on her back, neck, and arms there were the burns on her head and to her surprise a variety of cuts and gashes on her knees, elbows, arms, legs and face. When he’d finished, Lacey wrote, ‘READY TO GO HOME?’. Leah nodded and then leant back into Johan as he carried her from the room.

Once they were in what Leah assumed was a car, she simply fell asleep with Lacey’s arms around her.

4

December 20 2073

REAL WORLD

When Leah had left the compound with Michael, the car had only just passed from sight when John received a message from Olivia that the warrant had been cancelled. There was no need for Leah to leave the compound. John was frantic as he tried to connect with either Leah or Michael, but to no avail. He explained what had happened to Olivia, who contacted the police. They said that Michael and Leah had refused a lift back to the property and decided to walk.

In full health, John could imagine Leah being that stubborn, but there was no way she would walk back just to annoy the police in the condition she was in. John was pretty certain the Kodomans had taken them and contacted Jimmy. John arranged for as many resources as they could find to spread out around the city. Neither of them wanted to blanket the city with people, but they had no other options to look for her. Their fears were realised almost immediately. Several of the people contacted to look for Leah, Michael, or the car, had passed on what had happened to their friends.

In less than an hour, several thousand of the city’s poorest invaded the wealthy neighbourhoods looking for Leah. By mid-afternoon, there had been over four hundred arrests, and the number of people flowing from the negative-tax regions was in the tens of thousands. Unfortunately, at least in John’s mind, it wasn’t isolated to Brisbane. Across Australia in every major city, and most minor ones, the poorest marched through the streets, demanding Leah’s return. By eight that evening, the number of arrests had risen to five thousand across Australia. Reports were also coming in of small groups of people congregating in public spaces across China, Japan, and Russia, all of them calling for the return of Atherleah.

The area outside the Pod compound soon filled with people prepared for a vigil. John arranged extra guards, but no one did more than lean against the fence. Just after ten in the evening word came from some of their people in the city that Michael had been found. He was unconscious and lying in the back of a van with a dead man. The dead person was identified as Earl Dunmore, and he’d died of a broken neck. Michael had a broken arm and a fractured leg and had been taken to the Greater Brisbane Hospital for observation.

As the thousands in the city descended on the hospital, and the bridge, the authorities were quick to assure them that Michael would be alright having come out of a drug-induced coma. The authorities were quick to share that it was clear he’d been drugged long before the other man had been killed. They also mentioned that blood in the back of the van had clearly been identified as Atherleah’s and that her blood had similar drugs to Michael still evident in her system, although in much lower concentrations.

News, and the feed from a first responder, showed several heavy bollards near the railing with a chain hanging over the edge. Blood gathered from the plastic ties attached to the chain had been tested, and it too was Leah’s. Throughout the night, the crowd who had gathered in the centre of Brisbane was given updates by the authorities to keep them pacified. Even so, there were several incidents with another eighty arrested and one fatality.

The river had been closed as the police scoured it with searchlights. They blared out a message calling Leah’s name, hoping Leah would hear it. At four that morning, one of the boats discovered the body of Billy Morris, a known acquaintance of Earl’s. He was also dead and had also died of a broken neck. There was no sign of Atherleah although boats continued to drag the river throughout the day.

John plotted where the body of Billy Morris had been found and sent Johan, Lacey and Wes to the Bulimba hideout. He reasoned it was the only place Leah knew near that area. With the authorities actively trying to placate the crowds by sharing information, most of the people had finally left the city. However, there had been several violent clashes. Even as the poor headed home, mostly because they were unable to buy food in the city, the level of threat hadn’t diminished. It was palpable in most cities within Australia. Anti-Australian sentiment was at an all-time high around the world with candles and wreaths laid outside Australian Embassies, both in the real world and at the much larger virtual embassies. Beside the wreaths were slogans blaming the authorities for what had happened.

As the sun set for the second time since Atherleah had been taken, John stood looking out over the property as Michael was brought home by ambulance. The crowd of several thousand parted to let the ambulance through, each person coming to their feet out of respect. When Michael was inside, John gave him a few minutes to talk to Lin and Conner before knocking on the door to get an update and to give one.

Michael’s PAI still had the usual settings and wasn’t permitted to record audio outside the virtual worlds without a person’s express permission. He knew nothing from the time he slumped unconscious in the back of the car until waking up in the hospital. After John shared everything that had happened, Michael slumped in his chair as Lin moved close to console him. Conner said, “John, do you think she’s alive?”

At the question, both Michael and Lin looked up. John said, “I don’t know, Conner. I have no idea how she killed the two men if she was not only drugged but zip-tied and hanging off a chain from the side of the bridge. The police have searched both sides of the river from here to the port. I hear they even pulled up another four bodies they weren’t looking for. I suspect that they haven’t found her because she doesn’t want to be found. I doubt the police would hold her, but she has good reason not to have them find her. Either way, they will keep looking tomorrow once it is bright enough to see.”

Lin just shook her head and sobbed into Michael’s shoulder. John was trying to get a short nap in when Marie tapped him on the shoulder and whispered, “John, it’s almost eleven. Johan’s just sent a message. Apparently, Leah crawled into the yard at the house. Whoever took her burned-out her chip causing damage to her skull and her nervous system. She can’t see, hear, speak or smell. She admitted to killing the two men in this state and then after falling in the river made her way, by feel alone, to the house. She’s got burns over her entire skull, cuts and abrasions almost everywhere. Johan thinks she’s also got cracked ribs and several broken bones in her feet and hands. After he cleans her up, he’ll return. John, he is angry, as is Lacey. He wanted me to let you know quietly because he said if people find out what’s been done to her, the city will burn. He said if she can’t be fixed, he’ll light the fires himself.”

John’s face had turned to stone as Marie whispered. When she’d finished, he had tears running down his cheeks, but his eyes were burning with rage. It took him almost a minute before he could say anything. He said, “Send a message to Jimmy saying he needs to be here. Don’t give any details but if we leave him out, he’ll tear the place apart to find us afterwards. I’m going to wake Michael and Lin and then brief them. How long do we have?”

“Johan said he’d need an hour to make sure her wounds are cleaned. He also said he needs clothes for her before someone sees her. All she had on were a bra and panties, and they were torn. He has her wrapped in a blanket. He didn’t want to dress her there without her mum to console her just in case it brought up memories.”

“Anything else?”

“Yeah, Lacey wants to know who is going to tell Thad.”

“No one. Not yet. Let’s see what’s happened before we set him loose. After I see Michael, I will talk with Leah’s virtual doctor and see what she says.”

Michael, Lin and Conner were still up. The pastor of Lin’s church was there as well as Father Andrew. They were praying for Leah. After getting their promise to keep what he was going to say secret, John told them what Johan had said. Into the stunned silence, but before they could let their growing rage and dismay out, John said, “You all need to calm down. Leah had the presence of mind to save both her life and Michael’s. Have no doubts about that. Those men were going to kill both her and you, Michael. She stopped them and then made her way past the hundreds of police looking for her by touch alone. Wait and see what she thinks before we do something we’ll regret.”

Conner said, “How? How could she get past the drones, the sensors, the cameras?”

John sighed and said, “I don’t know, Conner. Don’t overthink it though. People can get past anything if they put their mind to it. It was probably more luck than anything that she wasn’t found, but I wouldn’t bet on it. She’ll tell us when she gets here I expect.”

“How? How can she tell us if she can’t talk, or hear?”

“Apparently she writes words on your hand with her finger. Just be thankful she’s alive. Now, I need to get going because I want some medical advice before I see her.”

As John left the room, he saw Jimmy walking up the stairs. John took him aside and shared the details again. It was much harder to calm Jimmy down than it had been to calm Michael and Lin. John and Jimmy discussed how to deal with Leah’s return, then after promising to wait, Jimmy went to talk with Leah’s family.

As John exited the Pod after talking with Dr Roberts, he found Jen waiting. Jen said, “Is it true?”

“Is what, true?”

“Leah’s alive.”

“Yes, she’s alive and on her way back.”

“And the rest?”

“That depends what the rest of it is.”

“No one will say anything. Jimmy and Marie look ready to kill anybody who pisses them off in any way, and you look worse. What’s going on?”

“If I tell you, will you keep it quiet?”

“I can keep my mouth shut.”

“Jen, this isn’t something that can get out at the moment. If it does, I expect the people who travelled into town yesterday will lose control. They’ve settled down, and when they hear she’s back, they’ll be happy until they see her. If her real condition gets out, then imagine all those people feeling like Jimmy but without his self-control and his understanding of the bigger picture.”

“OK, I promise.”

As they walked, John told Jen and then had to drag her into an empty room to remind her of her promise. When he’d finally calmed her down a little, he said, “Now, we need to go tell people that Leah has been found and is coming home. She’s tired and needs to see a doctor before she has visitors. You need to help me sell that, can you do that?”

Jen wasn’t happy but understood the need and agreed.

* * *

When the car was ten minutes out, Lacey gently woke Leah and said, “Leah, we’re almost home. Everyone has been really worried about you.”

When she didn’t get a reaction, she realised her mistake, then, with tears running down her cheeks, she took Leah’s hand and wrote, ‘HOME SOON’.

Leah turned Lacey’s hand over and wrote ‘PEOPLE ?’.

Lacey wrote, ‘Y LOTS’.

Leah didn’t do anything for a minute then slowly sitting up straight she took Lacey’s hand and wrote ‘OPEN WINDOW’.

Lacey said, “Johan, Leah wants the windows opened.”

Johan turned to look at Leah then said, “She’s probably right. Turn her face a little, so she’s looking out the side window instead of at the inside of the car.”

Lacey reached over and gently turned Leah to face the window. She saw Leah take a deep breath and then try and put a small smile on her face. Lacey wanted to scream but instead held Leah’s hand, gently stroking it as they moved past the thousands of people who looked in hoping to see Leah. They got their wish as they saw her, wrapped in a blanket, and smiling gently back at them, her gaze unwavering.

The car drove into the compound as the thousands outside gave a massive cheer. John had no idea what the cheer was for until the car pulled close to the door and he saw the window down and Leah still smiling. Lacey turned Leah’s hand over and wrote, ‘HERE. WALK?’

Leah nodded, and as John stepped toward the door, Lacey shook her head and motioned for Jen to step forward. As Jen opened the door, Lacey said, “Jen, help Leah out and hold her hand. She’ll need to be guided, but she wants to walk. I have no idea all that’s happened, so I think it’s best to keep the boys back until we find out. Just let me tell her who you are.”

Lacey was still holding Leah’s hand and carefully wrote, ‘JEN’.

Leah nodded, and as Jen reached in, she put out her hand. Jen gently helped pull Leah upright, then holding tight she gently pulled Leah toward the door. There was a step and as they approached Jen gently lifted Leah’s hand. Leah had been expecting something and raised her foot. She misjudged slightly and came down harder than expected which almost threw her forward, but Jen held her up. Moments later, they were inside, and Lacey took Leah’s other hand. The two led Leah to the steps going up to the family’s small set of rooms on the upper floor.

5

December 20 2073

REAL WORLD

Once they were inside, Leah let Jen and Lacey lead her up the stairs. She’d spent the day thinking through her options and had expected the crowd to still be there. She hoped her acting had calmed things down a little. Leah wondered where John was, but when Lacey had said Jen was there, she thought through the options and knew she’d have to clear up some things. It wasn’t that she wasn’t traumatised, it was just that the people who had promised to rape her were dead. Well, all except Nathan, Meredith and Suzluk. She didn’t feel guilty about Earl or Billy yet and hoped any guilt stayed away until she’d dealt with the others.

As she’d been thinking, she’d lost count of her steps. Strangely, she found the disorientation of not knowing where she was harder to cope with at home than she had when swimming in the middle of a river. As Jen approached the small room set aside for the Carrolls, she pulled back a little on Leah’s hand to let her know to slow down. As Jen led Leah inside the room, Lin stepped forward, and with extreme gentleness stepped close to Leah, and put her arms around her. She leant in to rest her head on Leah’s shoulder, touching her but applying almost no pressure at all.

Leah had no idea if the room was full or empty, but she simply collapsed into Lin. Lin would have fallen if Michael hadn’t been there on his crutches to hold her up. Leah was sobbing noiselessly on Lin’s shoulder, her body moving up and down as she let all the stress and pressure of the last two days drain out.

Without saying a word, Lacey moved everyone, including Conner, out of the room and closed the door. She turned to Conner and said, “Leah has things she might want to tell them she won’t want you to know just yet. I want you to stand there and not let anyone in until your dad or mum come out, not me, not John, not Kevin, no-one. Can you do that?”

Conner nodded then Lacey motioned John away. He led her and Johan to a nearby room where Jimmy was waiting for an update. Inside the room, Leah cried herself out then had to be helped to a seat. She took Lin’s hand and asked about Michael. The conversation was difficult, and after two hours, Lin and Michael were fairly sure they only had the bare bones. Leah had told them who had done this but not what exactly had happened. Lin had asked about rape and Leah had said it was attempted, but she’d killed the person. She couldn’t have been more surprised when Lin just wrote, ‘GOOD’, on her hand.

Leah asked about Conner, and Michael went to get him. When she was sure her family was OK, Leah asked for John. When John arrived, he had some food for the family and a range of antibiotics, nutrients, and neural antihistamines for Leah. Some were in tablet form, some in a suspension and others were given by injection. John wrote that these were prescribed by Dr Roberts and Kevin. He said the police had heard about Leah’s return, but Olivia was dealing with it. John had told Olivia what had happened but said that at the moment, the police did not have a need to know anything.

After Leah had taken her medicine, Kevin insisted Leah have a shower before he checked her wounds. Then he said she needed to rest. Lin and Mia helped Leah have a shower and then stayed while Kevin rechecked all her injuries. He spent a long time trying to clean Leah’s head but said he would need to get some other things to clean out the grooves in the scalp. Kevin also suggested they get another opinion on the scalp as he wasn’t comfortable doing a skin graft with all the metallic slag pitting the bones. He said there was now newer technologies that would help it heal faster, safer, and with no scarring.

Throughout his entire checkup and clean Leah didn’t move, or even let any expression cross her face, except a bland disinterest. When he’d finished, she asked for John. When John arrived, he sat opposite Leah, and she pulled his hand close. They talked this way for almost an hour before John finally stood, then, after squeezing Leah’s hand, he left. Lin helped Leah to a bed that had been brought in, and after taking something Kevin had mixed for her, Leah dropped off to sleep.

As John left Leah, he found Lacey, Johan, Marie, and Jen all waiting in the room where he had left Jimmy. As he walked in, they all looked up expectantly. Sitting down, he took a beer from the room’s small fridge, and after opening it, said, “OK, I’ve been given my orders. I’ll share them only once tonight, and then I want everyone to leave it until tomorrow. There is to be no discussion until then, not with me, or between yourselves. Leah should sleep until late with what Kevin gave her. Dr Roberts thinks Leah’s symptoms could improve with time. She may even get everything back with therapy and time. Nathan used a high voltage taser on her chip. It is a cruel and horrific act favoured by some of the drug cartels and Asian crime rings. Most organised crime syndicates see it as a direct declaration of war. Usually, the person is left alive, but they live in complete sensory deprivation except for an ability to feel pain. Most are not able to do anything, even move. The fact that Leah can walk, fight, swim, sneak and kill is more amazing the more I think about it.

“What Leah wants is this. Until she knows more, Nathan and Meredith are off-limits. They belong to her, those are her words. She agreed if she doesn’t get any better, then she’ll farm out what she wants done. Jen, Leah wants you to contact Kate and have her invite Thad, Wisp and Amy to Kate’s personal space. He wants you to tell Kate what has happened first and then tell Thad and the others. Leah said that after Thad stops ‘acting like a baby’, again, her words, tell him she’d like him to find out everything he can about Suzluk, his temples, and his followers. Apparently, Nathan somehow brought Suzluk out of the game to show him what was done to Leah. It was payment for services rendered. Tell Thad from me that if he needs help, all he has to do is ask. Also, it seems Suzluk threatened to hunt down Leah’s friends. They should be on the lookout.

“Jimmy, she wants John Welford. You and I are to plan a break-in at the hospital. Leah needs a new chip, and she wants almost the very same process as before, and she wants the same type of chip. Welford has the information to get us in and out safely. Leah needs to come with us, so we need to work out how to make that work. Lacey, Johan, you two will probably need to help plan and set that up. Leah wants this done within forty-eight hours. We may have to argue about the time constraint, but I just listened at this stage.

“I have other orders for Leon, Tesfaye and several others I can’t talk about. Leah may be deaf, dumb, and blind but I’d still put her up against these guys. Now, go back to your pods or whatever. As soon as Leah is up, I’ll let you know.”

Johan stood first and said, “Let me say two things, John, OK?”

John nodded, and Johan said, “When I found her, she was crawling on her elbows and knees. I called, but it made no difference. All I did was touch her arm, and she almost killed me. She is fast, and if she hadn’t held back, then I would be dead. Do not underestimate her, and please make sure she isn’t spooked at all, make sure people tread warily. She has to have some form of combat stress, and she’s on a hair-trigger. Second, John, if you get to go after these guys, then I will be with you. Now, good night.”

With that, Johan walked out followed by everyone except Jen. John looked over and said, “Jen, Leah said one more thing. She said she was terrified, not for herself but in leaving people she loved. People she hadn’t taken the time to share exactly how she felt. Then she asked me who I would be terrified for. She didn’t let me answer, she just left it hanging. You were the only one I could think of. I know this is a shitty time to do this and I can’t even take time out to really show you how I feel. I wanted to be all romantic and special, but I need to do it now in case something happens to either of us. I love you, and I want to be with you all the time. Will you marry me?”

Jen answered with a long kiss, and then left so John could prepare for what needed to be done.

6

December 21 2073

REAL WORLD

Leah wasn’t sure exactly when the transition between asleep and awake happened, but the nightmare faded slowly, and instead of starting again, it was replaced with nothingness. Somehow her dream-self could see, whereas her awake-self was blind. She tried to make sense of her surroundings, but all she could feel was a hard floor underneath her covered with what felt like a thin and scratchy carpet. She was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, but they were twisted out of shape and pulled against her wounds. Slowly she sat up, wondering where she was. The last thing she remembered she’d been back at the pod facility, the place that had become home. How had she got here? Wherever here was.

Suddenly she felt a soft hand touch hers. When Leah didn’t respond, her hand was turned over, and someone wrote, ‘LEAH’.

Leah nodded, and the person wrote, ‘ITS MUM’.

Leah turned her mum’s hand over and wrote, ‘WHERE?’.

It took a while, but her mum explained that Leah had thrashed around in her dreams. Kevin’s draught had knocked her out, and in her thrashing around she’d destroyed the bed. John had arrived before Conner could touch her and had tried to calm Leah down. John had a black eye and two suspected cracked ribs. After that, they carefully moved everything from the room and covered the walls with mattresses. Most of Leah’s wounds had reopened slightly, and three of the mattresses had needed replacing through the night. Lin had only been allowed in after Leah had sat up and been quiet for a few minutes.

Once Leah knew what had happened, she slowly backed away from Lin and moved around until she was sitting tightly in a corner with her legs pulled up tightly to her chest and her chin resting on them. Her sightless eyes stared out into the room. Michael and Lin tried to communicate, but Leah just sat without moving, ignoring everything. Finally, after thirty minutes, they got John. He walked over and sat beside her. He tried to pull her hand down to write on, but she was too strong. Finally, he reached over and wrote on her cheek, ‘STOP BEING SELF INDULGENT SELF CENTRED WHINEY BABY’.

When he’d finished writing, he sat there leaning against her until she leant back. Once she’d done that, he eased her out from the corner and let her lean back against his chest. Finally, after about ten minutes, Leah held out a hand. When John put his in hers, she wrote, ‘SORRY’.

John turned her hand up and said, ‘SHE SAID YES’.

Leah’s face tried to smile, and John froze as the added tension in her skin pulled open one of the bandages Kevin had put on her forehead. Slowly Leah stood and held out her hand to help John up. John took her hand, then waited for Lin. After Lin took Leah’s hand and explained who she was, Lin quickly rearranged Leah’s clothes and led her to the nearby kitchen where food was being prepared. After Lin helped Leah sit, Kevin came and redid the bandages as Lin fed Leah some congee. Leah would open her mouth as the spoon touched her lower lip. Leah also took another dose of all the antibiotics, nutrients and energy supplements.

After she’d had enough, Leah asked to use the bathroom and then sat to talk with Michael, Lin and Conner for a bit. After about an hour she asked for John or Lacey. This time it was Lacey who came as John was in the Pod discussing things with Dr Roberts, Olivia and Leon. Leah took Lacey’s hand and wrote, ‘TEACH BRAILLE’.

‘YOU WANT ME TO GET SOMEONE TO TEACH YOU BRAILLE?’

‘Y AND BRAILLE COMPUTER WORK TO DO’

‘OK ILL TRY’

‘STICKS’

‘FIGHTING?’

‘Y’.

‘?’.

‘SPAR.’

‘YOU WANT TO SPAR?’

‘Y’.

‘?’.

‘NEED CONTROL’

‘?’

‘I NEED CONTROL’.

‘OK’.

‘PEN PAPER’.

Lacey got some paper, and Leah found her control was good enough to write. However, they needed to replace the paper after every sentence. She explained she wanted to practice with her sticks. She needed to get some control back. She wanted a rope or some type of texture on the floor to set out a boundary. She needed an open area with a breeze or some form of airflow. After an opportunity to meditate, she wanted to practice before seeing if she could get enough awareness of her surroundings to spar with Johan, Lacey or John. She said she knew she wasn’t going to be good enough, but she knew she could hurt someone else by accident if she wasn’t careful.

Lacey asked Conner to organise the practise area and then went to find out who could help Leah start on braille and how to get a computer that Leah could use braille with. It was possible she could find out in the Switch because it was one of the only areas still using braille. In other areas, people born blind or those who became blind after birth learned to communicate using a Pod. After Lacey left, Lin sat and using her finger, prayed with Leah, then tried to get Leah to open up about how she was feeling. Although Leah knew what her mum was doing, she wasn’t ready to share just yet. Earl’s attack on her, unsuccessful as it was, had dominated her dreams. She could see his amused grin as she broke his neck, over and over again. No matter how often she killed him, he kept returning to try and attack her one more time. She felt more traumatised now than before she was safely home.

Finally, Conner returned and said the mat was ready. Leah checked the time and found it was almost midday. Conner led her down the stairs to a large room which was usually used for large community meetings and had been hurriedly emptied of everything. A four-by-four-metre square had been marked out by removing the carpet squares from the outside of the room and leaving only the centre area covered.

Once Leah was in the centre square, she wrote on his hand that she’d like only one person to stay and guard her, but everyone else needed to leave, please. She then let go of Conner’s hand and carefully walked around the square to get a feel for how large it was. Leah could feel the carpet under her feet and the faint give of the foam underlay. She walked back and forth, trying to judge her position. She could feel the breeze as it moved through the windows and brushed against her skin. She had no idea what direction it was coming from, but she used it as the north of her internal compass.

Everyone had left except Johan, who’d arrived to replaced Conner. He stood in the corner of the room, just watching. When she was ready, Leah slowly increased the rate at which she monitored the stimuli she was getting from her skin. She didn’t speed up all the way but only until she felt she could almost feel the movement of the air as it blew past her and she could sense the small eddies forming behind her arms as they moved. Johan watched as Leah turned and sat almost exactly in the centre of the mat.

Slowly Leah began working through her Tai Chi exercises. She tried to move slowly and took time to match the movements with her breathing and the beat of her heart. Some of the poses she modified to take account of her aches and pains, but as she warmed up and stretched, she gradually tuned out all the distracting sensations. She concentrated on feeling where she was and the placement of each part of her body.

At first, Leah stumbled, and her movements took her from the centre of the square toward the edges. She would stop when her foot hit the clear, smooth cement flooring of the cleared surface. When this happened, she would move back to the centre of the square and start again. When she had run through her whole series of moves without leaving the centre square, she stopped and walked to the edge to find out how far off she was. After several complete sets, Leah was able to stay in the centre of the square as she moved through the sequence. Then, she slowly began to increase her speed.

Johan watched as John eased himself into the room and stood against the wall. John was carrying two sets of fighting sticks and he watched Leah for a few minutes as she flowed from one position to another through the whole sequence before starting again. Seeing her re-start, he suddenly took three steps toward her putting himself between her and the open windows. Johan was stunned when moments later Leah brought her movement to a stop and stood in the ready position, almost facing John. John nodded gently, then tossed one of the sticks toward Leah so it arrived almost vertically in front of her. Leah’s hand darted out and tried to grab the stick but missed. She dropped to her knees and hunted around until she found it. Once she’d picked it up, she stood and once more turned to face John. She motioned her hand for the second stick. This time her movement to grab the stick was much closer. Although her timing and position were out, the end of the stick slammed into her hand, and she caught it.

John stepped back next to Johan as Leah began to work her way through the routine John had taught her years before. She started slowly and fought to get each movement just right while keeping herself aware of what was going on around her. After what seemed like almost ten minutes to Johan, Leah began to speed up. To Leah, she’d worked through the kata slowly for almost an hour. Leah continued to move, and each time she did the sequence she increased the speed just a little. When Leah’s movements had become almost a blur, John stepped forward again and disrupted the air flow. This time Leah assumed the ready position with the sticks set to defend. As John stepped onto the carpeted area, Leah took two steps backwards.

John moved into position for the two-person routine and brought his right-hand stick down toward Leah at an angle. Both her sticks met it and turned it before moving into the second part of the drill. John increased his speed to match Leah’s and brought his stick into the right place for the second movement. Leah thought John was moving slowly so she could be in the right place and she was thankful because it was almost beyond her to sense where she was without overcharging her neural speed too much. She wanted to be able to maintain her hold on the increased speeds for a more extended period. Leah could occasionally sense the movement of John’s sticks but was confident that he would match her pace and help her through the two-person sequence. John, on the other hand, was working hard to keep up the pace. From his perspective, Leah was fitter than anyone had a right to be. It looked like she was dancing through the moves almost effortlessly while he was finding himself hard-pressed to keep up.

Finally, after they’d been through the routine twice, John stepped back out of range, causing Leah to lower her sticks and look around trying to find John. John said, “Johan, you want to spar? My ribs are killing me.”

“Not really, John, I don’t think I could have kept up with that last sequence. I will if Leah promises to slow down.”

“I bet if you asked her she would say she was going slow.”

“Can I ask?”

“No. What happened to her is still out of bounds. You’ve just seen what Lacey saw a month ago. Then, Leah had all her senses, this time she has none except the movement of air on her skin. When she spars, she’ll need to slow it down a long way just to sense the movements. I suspect you will need to disturb the air so I’ll go get some padding to increase the diameter of your sticks as well as getting the protective gear. I’ll just explain what I’m doing.”

“Let me explain while you get the padding.”

Johan stepped forward carefully with his hand out. Leah reached out hers, and after introducing who he was, he explained about the padding. Leah explained that she needed to feel the air so she’d rather not wear padding. When John returned, he brought the safety gear and some padded sticks. After Johan explained what Leah had said, John went to talk with Leah while Johan got ready and warmed up. When Johan was ready, John left and Leah stood and came to the ready position. Johan made the first move and brought the stick across to hit Leah on the left side. Leah felt the movement through the air just before Johan’s stick hit her. Her defence was faster than Johan could track and his stick was blown out of his hand and snapped in two. Leah’s counter would have possibly broken something if he hadn’t been pulled out of position when his stick had been wrenched from his hand.

Johan waited until Leah had moved into a non-sparring position and talked her through what had happened. He then went and called for John to bring some more padded sticks. They sparred for almost an hour before Leah was sensing Johan’s moves with enough time to block them without using excessive force. The last five minutes had been at half speed for Johan.

Feeling hungry and tired, Leah stepped back and held out her sticks to Johan. After he took them, Leah held out her hand and allowed herself to be led from the room. After they’d got a drink, Johan asked how she could fight but not walk. Leah used the pen to explain that in the room she could sense the air movement. With other people around, not knowing exactly what the boundaries were and with doors and windows all over the place, she couldn’t work out everything that was around her well enough to go anywhere with confidence. She was also scared that she might react too strongly if she was startled. She trusted him to deal with anything that might be dangerous.

Lin insisted Leah have a shower. Lin also made her eat and drink before leading Leah into a room where Lacey had arranged a teacher for the blind to give Leah her first lesson in braille. Leah already understood the concept behind braille and had done an assignment on pre-Pod aids for the disabled. At school, one of the children several years younger than Conner was blind, and remembering Grace had given Leah the idea.

Lacey introduced the teacher, but just before Lacey stepped back, Leah pulled her close and wrote on her hand so the teacher couldn’t see. ‘GET GRACE CHIP AND POD FOR CHRISTMAS CHECK WITH PARENTS FIRST A GIFT BEST AVAILABLE’.

After agreeing, Lacey called Mia into the room to watch over Leah and then went to arrange for someone to talk to Grace’s parents. Leah not only understood the concept but she already knew the written alphabet, had an excellent vocabulary, and could touch type. What she needed help with was remembering the braille letters and how to use the materials. Leah’s other advantage was an increased awareness of everything happening at the boundary level of her skin and the outside world.

Mr Hamilton, the teacher, was in his seventies and had been helping blind people in the negative-tax areas for the last twenty years. Leah explained what she knew, and then he used the material to help her learn and memorise the letters. With Leah’s increased tactile perception and her prodigious memory, she soon had the letters memorised. She then used the material he’d brought to teach her how to read words and use punctuation. Leah increased the speed of her neural activity and was soon able to read full sentences. Mr Hamilton had brought a braille keyboard and what was known as a refreshable braille display to help Leah read text that would normally be displayed on a screen. He also provided the material to help those around her to communicate using text to braille conversion software.

Altogether Leah spent two hours with Mr Hamilton before taking a break and taking more medication. After the break, Leah sent messages to her friends, including Thad, Amy, Wisp, Leon, and Peter before Jimmy arrived to talk about Leah’s plans to break into the Brisbane District Hospital. Jimmy sat at a keyboard connected to the refreshable braille display. Looking up at the screen, he could see what Leah typed.

“Hey Jimmy, I heard some of your boys were arrested while looking for me. John will help arrange for lawyers. Do you need anything else?”

“Keep the money, Leah, I’ll have more than enough from that deal we made. Do you want me to deal with Nathan?”

“Not yet. I think he needs to be crushed publicly first. Can I talk freely or are others watching?”

Jimmy looked around before answering. “Lacey is here, but she can leave if you like.”

“No, I trust her, and she already knows more than most. Things are happening that John hasn’t shared, but I think you might need to know. I imagine you already have plans for Nathan and Meredith regardless of what I said and I want them on hold, please.”

“You’re right, I do. No one messes with one of mine, and you still are one of mine. Why should I leave them to you?”

“Meredith isn’t the real Meredith. Eighteen years ago someone took her place. The real Meredith Kodoman is being kept in a coma somewhere while her mind is kept in a virtual prison locked away from all human contact. Before I deal with Nathan and the imposter, I want to set her free.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Which part?”

“Any of it.”

“I know where she is being held virtually, and I’ve seen her. I want to contact her and talk. Before I do that I need to find out where her body is being held. When I get back into the multiverse there are some avenues to look down for that information, but I need people in place to not only reach her but who can hold and protect the location until she can either walk out on her own or be transferred to a safer place, depending on what she wants.”

“Not hoping for too much, are you?”

“There’s more. Two other people are in a similar boat. One is in Britain, and I’ve contacts who can help there. The other isn’t someone I know. I have his face and a picture, but I haven’t discovered who he is. My contact in the UK knows who he is but is keeping quiet. I’d rather know before I let them do anything with the information. Can you find a high placed agent or ex-agent who was in the field of cyber-security? I can give you a photo. I need the name. This is you, Lacey, John and I only. You or Lacey will need to show the picture with complete security. Lacey can meet in the multiverse, but it has to be in her world.”

“I’ll put feelers out and find someone. Are you thinking three simultaneous raids?”

“Yes. I need to get back inside first. I’m probably the only one who can get to them.”

“Leah, I’ve been researching what happened to you. Even with a new chip you most likely will not regain your sight, or your hearing. I’m worried you’re being too optimistic.”

“Maybe. I’ve some ideas about that, but I need the chip first. Once I have that I’m hoping to reconnect with my PAI, Gèng. If I can’t do that, then I may need to face the future you see. Let me hope for a little longer before bringing me down to earth.”

There was no comment for a minute then, “Leah, it’s Lacey. I threw Jimmy out. I told him he can come back when he’s pulled his head out of his arse.”

“He was just trying to be realistic.”

“No, he wasn’t. He wasn’t being realistic. I have no doubts about you. I watched you when you arrived at the safe house, and I’ve seen all you’ve done today. It may take longer than you like, but I’ve no doubts at all that you’ll succeed. I won’t let Jimmy see you for several hours at least, so don’t even ask. I want you to have a break. Let your brain rest for a bit. I imagine the constant concentration isn’t helping it heal. I’ve read up on the medication you’re taking, and there’s probably a lot of damaged tissue in your head. You need to rest.”

“Thanks Lacey, I want to keep saying thank you for helping, but I know that would drive me crazy if someone kept saying it. I will rest, but I don’t want the medication that makes me sleep. I’d rather not sleep than hurt someone. Is John OK?”

“He’s fine. He was actually getting a little cocky with all the training he’s been doing in the multiverse. The beating was good for him. The rest of us will tease him for weeks about how he got his butt kicked by a little blind and deaf girl.”

After a few more minutes of simple chatting, Lacey helped Leah to the emptied bedroom to lie down.

7

December 21 2073

REAL WORLD

As Leah lay down to rest, her mind turned to Gèng. Over the last few days, she’d started trying to form words to ask Gèng something or just to make a comment. The words never achieved that extra cohesion she’d come to recognise as the precursor to speech. As she lay still, she tried again to form words, but again nothing happened. Leah wondered if Gèng had been successful at archiving herself. Leah assumed the Pod held an archived version, but without Leah’s chip as the interface, there was no way for Gèng to interact with the world. PAI’s were limited by design to work only through an implanted chip.

After trying for several minutes to say something, Leah began to make plans. She had a data chip stored in her room with the technical information on the Neural Enhancement chip she’d received. She needed to review the information and maybe discuss possibilities with Dr Roberts. If the information Nathan had thrown at her, and that which Jimmy had researched was correct, then there was nothing wrong with her ears or her eyes. Sound was still being relayed, but somewhere between her ears and her auditory cortex the nerves had been either damaged or destroyed. By the total silence, she was almost certain they’d been destroyed.

Leah’s brain had already formed new pathways using activated adult stem cells from her hippocampus when her nervous system upgraded her sensory system, and she hoped her body made similar adjustments and either repaired or replaced the broken links or the destroyed areas of her auditory cortex. She had similar hopes for regaining her sight and speech. Leah wanted to ask Dr Roberts if there was anything, in particular, that she should do to help initiate these possible responses.

After what Leah thought was an hour of planning, but in reality, was only six minutes, she tried to empty her mind of the problems hoping she’d sleep. Sleep came, but instead of the forced condition controlled by Kevin’s medicine, this sleep was interrupted time and time again as her nightmares woke her before she could thrash around. Time and time again, Leah would drop into sleep only to wake minutes later, shaking in terror. Most times she didn’t wake fully, and after a minute of drowsiness where her breathing slowed, she would drop back into her nightmares.

Finally, after a particularly terrifying dream which brought her upright on the mattress, her heart racing, Leah slowly stood and waited. She was sure someone was watching, and within moments a hand gently clasped hers and led her from the room. Lin brought her into the room with the braille equipment. Before letting Leah do anything, she made Leah drink a warm cup of tea and eat some fruit. As she ate, Lin sat with her, making sure to keep in contact with Leah’s skin at all times, just to let her know she wasn’t alone.

Fully awake, Leah lifted her hands in front of her and mimed using a keyboard. Lin led her to the keyboard and helped Leah use the interface to read messages. Thad had sent a message telling Leah how much he cared for her but also wanting her to know that he wasn’t prepared to sit on the sidelines for this. She received similar notes from Amy, Wisp and Kate. Leon and Peter had made similar comments as well as answering Leah’s questions and sending her their reports in written form because she couldn’t read charts anymore. There were devices to do that and Leon had agreed to have one purchased and shipped to her immediately.

Dr Roberts had answered some of Leah’s questions, but her most common answers were either, ‘I don’t know’ or ‘we’ll just have to wait and see’. She had answered Leah’s query about using the Pod to scan Leah to examine the damage. Apparently, the scanning function used the PAI and its connected microfilaments to facilitate the scan—without them, it was nowhere near reliable enough to get a good image.

Leah had just started to read through some of the information on the Neural Enhancement chip when John interrupted her. Using the braille equipment John said, “Leah, Olivia’s done as much as she can. The police want to interview you. Olivia has a court injunction against them requiring that you make a trip to the station. They are sending a police doctor and two detectives here for an interview. Olivia will be arriving within the hour, and then they will be here an hour after that. They will record the entire interview.”

“What does Olivia think will happen?”

“It depends largely on what you do or don’t tell them. Pointing a finger at the Kodomans will be unprovable without supporting evidence.”

“I have the evidence, but at the moment it is locked away inside the head of my right femur. Are they planning to charge me with anything?”

“No. Olivia is threatening to sue them for damages as you were in their care when you were abducted.”

“That’s a lot of money. Tell Olivia she can discuss the amount of possible lost earnings with Leon. I hope I’ll be on the road toward recovery before something like that comes to court, but the amount might keep the police in check.”

“I’ll let her know. Jimmy had a talk with John Welford. Not surprisingly, he is doing everything he can to help in any way he can. Jimmy wants to know if he can offer Welford his freedom if he helps pull this off?”

“I’d suggest a limited freedom. Welford can return to his life, but he’ll be watched. Any regression and that’s it, game over.”

“Agreed. Thad contacted me. He wants to travel up here. What do you think?”

Leah was quiet for a minute, then typed, “I don’t know. Part of me wants to have him close, but I know he’ll be a distraction.”

“I think a distraction would be good for you.”

After another long silence, Leah typed, “Maybe. I need to think about it, but I don’t really want him to see me like this. I know it sounds vain, but I’m pretty sure I’m looking pretty ugly at the moment. I’m worried about what he’ll think of me looking like this, and added to that, me not able to communicate except through a keyboard. I haven’t known him long, and it’s just hard to think about how he’ll react.”

There was a long silence from John’s side, then Leah read, “Leah, Jen here. John had no idea how to reply. Boys are kinda weird when it comes to feelings. He was going to tell you not to be a whiney baby but had the good sense not to press ‘send’ before checking with me. Lin has him backed against the wall as she yells at him. Your mum has some serious skills at talking smack. Now, I want you to listen to me. You are beautiful. Sure you aren’t at your best, but if Thad can’t see past that then he’s a moron, and you can do much better. Besides, even all cut up, you’re still beyond pretty. If he does come, Mia and I will make sure you look OK. As for the talking via a keyboard: you also have really good tactile ways that you can use for communication. If you can’t think of anything, then I’ll type some options once I get your mum and dad out of the room.”

Leah felt her cheeks get hot as she tried hard not to think about what Jen might type. Even so, a smile slowly formed and she typed, “I can imagine just fine thank you very much, Jen. Please save John from my mum, his comment wasn’t actually too far off what I needed to hear.”

When Jen had sorted things out, John returned. “Sorry about that Leah, your mum and my fiancé have sorted me out. I’ll bring Olivia here when she arrives. Is there anything else that you need?”

“Let me talk with Aker. I need something made to protect me, and I don’t have any ideas. Maybe she can see a way to protect as well as support my back and shoulders.”

“I’ll do that. Anything else?”

“Have you talked with Sharon?”

“Only when you went missing. I let her know you were back, but I haven’t told her anything about your condition.”

“Can you update her? I imagine the rumours will start soon. If someone here doesn’t let it out, then once they know I escaped for certain, I suspect Nathan will try and control the narrative. If Sharon knows what the truth is she’ll be better prepared. See if you can get her ideas before the police arrive. Perhaps if we control what they know, and assuming Nathan’s source is in the police department, then we could possibly set Nathan up for a fall.”

“I’ll go see her now, and I’ll send Aker in. Do you want me to explain what’s happened?”

“No, that’s alright. I’ll do it.”

While Leah waited for Aker, she had a drink and then read more information on the Neural Enhancement chip. She’d just begun reading the section on the experimental options when her mum showed Aker in. After Lin showed Aker how to communicate, she let Aker type while she watched to make sure Leah was safe.

“Leah?”

“Hello Aker, I’m sorry I haven’t seen you until now.”

“What happened to you?”

“Kidnapped by the people who had my mum. I used the suit you made to help rescue my mother. I’m sorry I returned it all broken up.”

“Why do we need to talk like this?”

“What do you know about PAI chips?”

“I keep up to date with the technology. I don’t have one, but I probably know almost as much as anyone who does. One day I want one.”

“Look at mine. It’s all bandaged up but tell my mum I said you can have a look.”

It took a minute, and her mum questioned what she was doing, but Leah soon felt the bandage being unwrapped from her skull. In several places, the bandages had stuck, and Lin called Kevin. Unfortunately, he was answering an emergency situation at the Switch with Mia. Instead, Johan and Emily came to help. Emily was only allowed in after Johan had made sure she understood about patient confidentiality. Once the bandage was removed, Johan showed Emily how to clean the burns and re-bandage them. While they did that, Aker had a good look then moved back to the keyboard.

“I’ve heard of people having this done to them. I thought it destroyed all contact with the real world except pain.”

“It has, though I can feel what’s happening on my skin. As they did this, I was able to move a little and it seems I managed to stop the damage extending to my tactile senses. I can’t hear anything, see anything, smell anything, and I can’t talk.”

“Why are you showing me?”

“I promised to talk with you when I could, and this has been the first opportunity really. My mum had a small bomb implanted with her chip, and I needed to disarm that. I’d just finished that when I was kidnapped. I also want you to make me another suit.”

“How did you do the stuff you did before?”

“The only reason I’ll say anything is I promised, and your suit saved my life and that of my mother. The ‘never talk to anyone ever’ service package rule applies. You can’t even talk to people on this compound, not even if you know they know something. John is deadly serious about keeping this that secure. Can you agree to that?”

There was no movement under Leah’s fingers as Aker thought about the promise she was making. “I will tell no one.”

“OK. When I went for my chip, they made a mistake and put the wrong chip in. No one noticed the difference, and when the AI was loaded, it changed a series of parameters and the nanites which were inserted connected my neural system to my muscles via new artificial pathways. After suffering some major trauma, the two pathways became integrated. Different nanites added carbon fibres to my bones and muscles, and that was the reason I could move so fast and had increased strength.”

“How much stronger and faster?”

“A week ago, I was almost twenty times stronger. I haven’t done any checking since then.”

“Can you replicate what happened?”

“Technically, I probably could, but purposefully initiating the trauma which integrated the systems would be unethical by anyone’s standards. I do have a doctor involved in researching what has happened in case it can be replicated.”

“Any other upgrades?”

“That’s beyond the scope of our agreement.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes, but I’m not telling you.’”

“I’ve answered your questions. Will you make another suit with some additional enhancements?”

“What type of enhancements?”

“I need some additional support in the shoulder, back and neck area. I was shot last week which shattered some bones and tore a whole slew of muscles. I dislocated my knee escaping from the people who kidnapped me, as well as cracking some ribs and breaking some fingers and toes.”

“You are typing with broken fingers. Doesn’t that hurt?”

“More than I can possibly explain, but I still need to communicate.”

“Any other parameters?”

“Is there a way to protect my flesh but still let it feel what’s happening on the outside? I’d like a pair of gloves, for example. I need to protect my hands, but I’d also like to be able to read the Braille through the gloves. It would need to have a protective interface to stop me feeling the impact of a bullet, for example.”

“There are some very expensive materials that can be added to the outside and inside of a suit. They can be used on the ends of each finger.”

“I need it over my full body.”

“What I’m thinking of is sold in single square-centimetre-sized circles. It comes with an inner and outer layer and is connected via a whisker-thin optical cable. It has a rather sophisticated and specialised AI controller. It works similarly to the braille reader you are using but with added sensations like heat, cold, pressure, and humidity. I once bought five of these for a glove to be used for opening safes. Then, it cost me 100 VCr per circle. To cover a suit at those prices would be well over a million VCr.”

“Could you do it?’”

“If you can get me the materials, I can. How will it help?”

“You suggested the material could amplify the sensations. Well, I picked that up from the gloves. Does it do that?”

“It can be programmed to amplify or block a range of sensations.”

“If you see how I can move, and the range of my sensations, could you come up with a concept? I’d like it finished yesterday.”

“I can try. Who did this to you?”

“Don’t worry about that Aker, just see if you can help me.”

“I’ll help you, but you should know that when this gets out, and it won’t be because of me, then anyone who understands what happened will see it as a declaration of war on you. With your influence, a war on you is a war on all people in the negative-tax areas.”

Leah asked for someone to take her and Aker to the room set aside for Leah’s sparring. Johan was still in the room and said he would spar, but if Leah did anything to open the wounds he’d just bandaged, he would leave them for her to fix herself. Once in the room, Leah went through the motions on her own and then sparred for a few minutes with Johan. When they’d finished, she spent about twenty minutes discussing things with Aker. Aker promised to have something drawn up before the following morning and suggested Leah purchase between two and five thousand of the sensory circles. Leah sent the request through to Leon with the comment that price was no barrier if they could be at the compound within twenty-four hours.

8

December 21 2073

REAL WORLD

Leah had just finished taking her medication when Olivia arrived and sat opposite her. After some initial greetings, Olivia typed, “Leah, the police will want to talk to you.”

“Why?”

“They need to have something to report. They need to see you and see the damage, and they’ll want to know what happened.”

“What if I don’t want to say anything?”

“They can’t force you to give any answers, but they can make life hard.”

“Harder than this?”

“Yes, they could bring you in for questioning. Back them into a corner, and they’ll push back. Yesterday scared them. They’re being obliging because of that, but once it sinks in that the negative-tax community forced them into a corner, they will reconsider. If this flares up again, then the only option their leaders will accept is a hardline one. Australia handed their elected leaders carte blanche to do whatever they wanted almost fifty years ago. People back then wanted to be protected, and they sold their souls for that. If the leaders think people are going to begin demanding accountability again, then they will respond decisively to put that genie back in the bottle. Let’s face it, they hold all the cards, and some of the cards they hold are lethal.”

“It isn’t that simple, Olivia. You heard John the other day. He’s right, people want change. I know, because I want change. I won’t capitulate just to save myself from difficulties. What type of message would that send?”

“A safe one. Forget what John says about a revolution and think about the future. If people see you dragged off to the police station in cuffs, they’ll riot. Thousands will be arrested and relocated. Families will be broken up, and I imagine people will die—one man was killed yesterday when the police arrested him. He was old, and it was likely a heart attack, but there was no remorse shown by the authorities. If any of this happens, then the community will fragment even further, the divide between the haves and the have-nots will grow even wider. If things calm down, you would be in a position to bridge the gap peacefully.”

“Olivia, I’m not trying to force change on either the people or on the authorities. My dad helped me see that forcing change would always backfire. He also said that positive change needed to be fanned, it needs the opportunity to sink in, and it needs momentum to move people’s habits, ideas and dreams. Nothing I say will hold up in a court of law, you know that and I know that. Telling them what I saw and heard will only see it quashed. They already have their scapegoats, and they want my testimony to give justification for that without forcing them to do anything to the people who are behind what happened. My silence keeps the options open. Without evidence, they can only shut the investigation down, but they can’t close it.”

“Fair enough, I do see your point, and I even agree with it, but I’m supposed to give you the best advice.”

“Olivia, forget everything you learned in the last few years and think back to the idealistic young woman who wanted to be a lawyer. Think back to the days when you still believed you could work for justice and truth. What would that Olivia say?”

The braille reader went quiet for a while then Olivia’s words came through, “That Olivia would’ve expected your testimony to get the Kodomans life-without-parole. She would have told you to do whatever you needed to make sure the culprits were put away and the righteous justified.”

“Good, then that’s what I’ll do. I can’t give a testimony because we both agree it will be pointless. I agree I can’t simply refuse. What I can do is have you put this braille machine away and let the doctor see what happened. Show them the mattresses I shredded while I slept last night and let them make up their own minds.”

“How will you explain your escape and making your way to the house?”

“I won’t. No one else was there, and any suppositions you may have are legally without foundation. All the experts will agree that it is a mystery. Maybe someone helped me and then disappeared. Maybe they killed Earl and Billy. Maybe it is a miracle. Actually, I doubt they’ll think that even if that is the answer closest to the truth.”

“They might want to take you away for testing.”

“I’m sure you can find experts who will agree my case is hopeless and it is best to be with my family before I waste away or become so bad I need to be institutionalised.”

“Somehow the information will leak.”

“I know. We’ll also know where that leak came from and who is to blame. We will see by the mileage made from the story who else is involved.”

“What happens when the people riot to avenge you?”

“They won’t.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I’ll ask them not to.”

“How can you do that if you’re blind, deaf and dumb?”

“Politely.”

“I don’t need to know.”

“No, you don’t need to know, but if you ask, I’ll tell you. You’re not only my lawyer, but you’re also my friend.”

“No. You’re right that I don’t need to know. You’re also right that anything you say will be used against you. How do we run it?”

“Use my dad and mum to protect me. You to represent me. You guys can do and say whatever you want. No one except me knows what really happened. Mum, Dad, and you can only guess. Say whatever you like. The only possible snag is the bullet holes in my back, but they can be disguised as cuts and jabs from rocks. Please let them know that if any of the photos get leaked, then you will destroy them, the police that is, not the photos.”

“I guarantee they will be leaked.”

“I know, but I want them to be as discreet as possible. I was hoping your warning would mean nothing leaked which shows my face.”

“Vanity?”

“I am a sixteen-year-old girl who isn’t looking her best. It isn’t really vanity, I think of it as just simple humanity.”

“OK, let me take some pictures of your wounds and then I’ll go find some experts to have ready. What about writing on the hand?”

“I’ll make it slow and laborious. I know enough to know I’m with family and that’s about it. I won’t lie, I just won’t answer.”

Olivia had to use a physical device to take the pictures because Leah couldn’t give permission for Olivia’s AI to record her image. Within the multiverse everyone recorded, but as a result, the conditions for real-life recording were highly regulated. When Olivia had the visuals, she suggested Lin hide the braille devices and anything which could show Leah was able to communicate. After that, she went to use a Pod set aside for her use. After Lin had put the braille material away, she sat holding Leah’s hand while they waited for the police.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Leah, her mum wrote on her hand, ‘POLICE HERE’. Leah got to her feet and allowed Lin to lead her to whatever room had been set aside for the meeting. Once in the room, Lin pulled on Leah’s hand to bring her to a stop, and then gently pushed against her shoulders to tell her to sit. Leah dialled back the speed on all her working sensory perceptions and almost cringed as the nothingness rolled over her.

Leah wasn’t sure how long she’d been sitting, all she could feel was Lin’s hand in hers and her father’s shoulder touching her on the other side. Suddenly Lin let go, and it wasn’t acting that saw Leah jerk her arm, trying to reform the connection. She felt someone touch her leg and jerked again until she felt the gentleness which could only be her mother. Someone touched her skull, and she finally let the pain show as she pulled her head violently out of reach before cringing as her broken ribs responded to the contraction of her abdominal muscles.

No one else touched her for a while until someone made to lift her shirt. Leah responded by kicking forward with her leg. She knew enough to tone down the kick, but there was no way she was letting just anybody lift her shirt. Her foot came in contact with what she thought was a shin, but she then decided it was too soft. Soon after that, Lin’s hand returned to hold Leah’s. Leah started counting her heartbeats. It was another eight-hundred-fifty-eight beats before Lin slowly lifted her hand up as if asking Leah to stand.

Leah stood and allowed herself to be led from the room. Suddenly Lin dropped Leah’s hand, leaving Leah standing without any idea where she was. Moments later, a hand took Leah’s and started to pull her forward. Leah couldn’t tell whose hand it was, but none of her family or friends would have pulled without letting her know what was happening unless they were being watched. Hoping it wasn’t someone she knew, Leah pulled back and flung her arms around in a circle, making contact with people standing too close to her on both sides. Leah dropped to the floor and, pulling her legs into her chest, she started to gently rock back and forth.

Someone gently sat beside her, but she didn’t allow them to stop her movement, and she didn’t respond to anything they did. Finally, after counting past two thousand, she felt a finger write gently on her cheek. ‘THEY GONE MUM WILL TAKE YOUR HAND.’

Leah let herself be led back to the room where the braille equipment was quickly set up. Olivia was first. “Leah, they sent two detectives and a doctor. We explained where you’d been found but couldn’t explain how you got there. Your dad offered a guess which was a close approximation to what you’d described except he offered no explanation for the two dead men. The doctor made a recording of your injuries, but when she asked a detective to raise your shirt he knelt to stay below the level of the video recorder. Your foot caught the detective in a most vulnerable place. He wanted you arrested for assault, but after being reminded that he’d neither sought your consent nor that of your parents, it was deemed a justifiable action.

“The doctor did a range of tests, including a bright light in your eyes, a loud noise near your ears. The detectives were taken to look at the room and asked your parents to lead you there so they could see how you behaved. Halfway there they told your mother to let go of your hand, and one of them stood on either side of you, and one took your hand to lead you. Your flail hit both of them. After you sat down, they asked how come you looked all right yesterday, and your mother explained that most of the time you were peaceful as long as you had some idea of who was around you. When they couldn’t get any more reaction from you, they insisted they take you for further tests.

“When your parents refused, they said they would come back with a court order. I explained the suit against them that I was starting in the morning and explained the expert opinions I would bring to any move to have you taken from your family. They backed down and left. Do you have any questions?”

“No. Thank you for the summary, Olivia. Is John here?”

John sat down and took Olivia’s place at the keyboard. “John here.”

“There is a snitch in the outer crowd.”

“I picked that up. Lacey’s gone to explain to some of the people we trust. They will move everyone along. I doubt we’ll find out who, but it could have been an innocent sharing of information.”

“Maybe, but I doubt people from the Switch would have used the word, peaceful.”

“Maybe. What next?”

“Do you and Jimmy have a plan yet?”

“Not yet. We’re trying to rush, but we don’t want to make mistakes. One day extra won’t matter long term. Be patient.”

“I really don’t have any other choice, John, do I. I’ll let you go. I need to read some more, then my body is suggesting it needs more rest. I missed having dreams, but now they’re back I really think I could do without them.”

John had no idea how to respond and left it for Lin. After John left, Leah read through the documents describing the Neural Enhancement chip, then after an early meal, she was led to the room set aside as her bedroom.

Diary - 21 December, 2073

Oh, God, WHY?

Why did you let me go through that? I thought you loved me? I trusted you to do what was best for me? Where were you?

?

?

?

Are you listening?

Where are you?

9

December 22 2073

REAL WORLD

Leah woke around midnight after a disturbed and restless sleep because of her dreams. Without Kevin’s sleeping potion, she also woke up every time her thrashing pulled against her wounds or some movement pushed one of the bandages into the mattress. She knew she had to sleep, but she hated the thought of being so out of it that she might hurt some accidentally. Leah wondered how long she’d been lying in the room and assumed it was morning. After sitting up and then standing, she waited until someone came to get her. She’d expected her mother but knew the hand wasn’t Lin’s as soon as it carefully pulled at hers.

It was Emily. Emily used her finger to ask what Leah needed. Leah mentioned the bathroom and asked what the time was. Emily told Leah it was just after midnight, then after helping Leah to the bathroom, she led Leah to the braille computer. Once she was there, she typed, “Sorry for getting you up Em, but I couldn’t sleep any more. If you don’t mind, I’ll sit here and read for a bit. I’ve a few things to research and a lot of messages to answer.”

“No worries Leah, I’ll be here if you need anything. Kevin has some medicine and other nutritional supplements for you. He said you could take them anytime after eleven. John wanted you to know that some information was leaked by the police. As soon as you’re able, he wants you to read the information from Olivia and Sharon.”

Leah took the tablets and was given another shot by Emily. Then she started with the message from Olivia.

To: Atherleah Carroll **78

From: Olivia Goodwin **45 [AI **21]

Regarding: Information leaks

Leah, we were right, the first report filed by the media was just after eleven this evening. Apparently, an unnamed source leaked several photos of you. The file data was scrubbed, but they are from the images the police took at the interview. The source is quoted as saying you have suffered debilitating injuries which have caused irreparable damage. You are unable to communicate with the outside world sufficiently to answer even simple questions. There is a photo of your face, one is a back view of your skull showing the burns, and another is a short motion-shot of you rocking back and forth on the floor of the room.

Stephen and I are working to find out who leaked the information and Stephen is pushing to sue. I think we should wait a bit, but that’s up to you. He has some good reasons which are worth listening to before you decide. The photos went viral within minutes and except for several prominent exceptions, mostly people you have spoken with in the past, they have been reposted by almost every news and gaming site on the planet. Hundreds of ‘experts’ have been discussing what might have caused the damage, but the consensus is it was the work of vicious criminals.

The police were asked to comment. After vowing to find the people who leaked the photos, they explained that the injuries were a known method of retribution in the underworld and hinted that your past may have somehow caught up with you. They have since denied that that is what they meant. Still, the suggestion has been taken up by some of the largest news worlds, and they are driving the direction of the conversation. You are being painted as a tortured soul who was trying to escape an unsavoury past which somehow caught up with you.

You said you could calm people down and I suggest you find a way soon because there are some very loud rumblings in the negative-tax areas. Anti-authority feelings are high and heating up, and Sharon can’t afford to stay quiet much longer. I’ll send another update soon.

Olivia

<End of Message>

Leah sent a short reply thanking Olivia then found a message from Sharon.

To: Atherleah Carroll **78

From: Sharon Trang **23 [AI **5B]

Regarding: next steps?

Leah, John contacted me and described what had happened. I haven’t stopped crying. Catherine asked what was wrong and after she promised to keep silent, I told her. She shut down completely and was staring at the wall for over an hour. I didn’t know what to do. Finally, she turned and asked how I knew, and I described what John had told me. Catherine just up and left. Kate contacted me and said she got a call from Catherine. Apparently, Catherine connected with Kate and is borrowing one of the Pods at your centre here in Sydney. Catherine said to tell you that she and the others will be ready whenever you need them.

I mention that because I’ve been silent concerning the rumours, but I need to get something out there. I don’t want to spark riots, but I need to say something more than ‘I have no comment at this time’. The photos are clearly of you, and the experts have painted a bleak picture about any chance of recovery. They say there is no hope whatsoever of you returning to the multiverse. I can’t repeat what John told me without being able to prove everything. All I can think of is to say your family would value privacy at this difficult time and ask people to respect others as you have done.

Sharon.

<End of Message>

Leah had been thinking of this since earlier the previous day. After plotting out the possibilities in the silence of her mind, she sent a message to Sharon.

To: Sharon Trang **23 [AI **5B]

From: Atherleah Carroll **78

Regarding: next steps?

Sharon, I’d like you to contact Lisa Wilks and tell her you are offering her network the opportunity to interview me live at the Virtual World Today Studios during their Special Edition Christmas Eve Program. Copy the message to Chéng Shí, Kostya Alekseyev, Mark Stevens, Erica Morrison, and Deathmaster. Suggest they invite some of the other contestants including Ivan, Yuè Fēi and Noah. I’ll send a note to Ivan letting him know he might be asked. He’ll let the other two know.

After that, feel free to tidy up the following message and then release it.

“I would like to thank those who have been so concerned for my family and me over the last few days. Someone told me about the visual media that has been circulating in the multiverse for the last few hours. While I’m disappointed and shocked that my privacy has been violated, I suppose it isn’t as bad as what people actually did to me.

“Having said that, I ask you to think back over the last month and consider if the Atherleah you’ve watched would let something like this stop her. I assure you, it will not. Somehow, and I’m not quite sure how yet, but I will be back in the multiverse as soon as I can manage it. Until I am, I’d ask people not to look for revenge on my behalf. Please, don’t take what I consider to be your justifiable anger out on people who may, or may not, be responsible. The truth is, I know who did this, and while I won’t say no to some help if I need it, I’d rather you left them for me.

“Christmas is understood around the world as a time of peace and a time for family. If you know anything about me, then you should understand that my faith is important to me. Please keep the peace, at least until then.”

Leah.

<End of Message>

Leah had to search through the address list John had left but soon found Ivan’s address.

To: Ivan (Боевой_молот) **45 [AI **35]

From: Atherleah Carroll **78

Regarding: Cookies

Ivan, sorry you had to learn of my problems in the news cycle. I asked that only Thad, Wisp, Amy and Kate be told what had happened. I’m not quite as bad as they suggest, but it is close. Having said that, I’m reminded of one of my father’s favourite comedy sketches from the last century—‘Tis but a scratch.’ OK, it is true that I can’t see, hear, or speak, but other than that I seem to be recovering.

Sharon will be putting out a statement in an hour or two, but I wanted you to know beforehand that I’ve asked the Virtual World Today Studios to invite me and some others to do an interview during their Special Edition Christmas Eve Show. Can you let Yuè Fēi and Noah know that I plan to attend and would appreciate their moral support if they can make it?

Give my love to Gashka.

Leah

<End of Message>

Leah then spent several hours reading the manual to the Neural Enhancement Chip. Every fifteen or so minutes, she stopped to check her messages and respond. She had some from Thad, Amy, Wisp, and Kate, as well as queries from most of the friends she’d made during the last month. She only responded to the people she’d already told but sent the rest through to Sharon, asking her to send them a short summary of what happened and ask them to keep it quiet, if possible. There were tens of thousands of other messages arriving in her inbox every few minutes. Usually, Gèng dealt with the people she didn’t know, and she just shuffled them into a large folder in the hope that Gèng might get to them at some time.

By the time Lin came to see if she needed anything, it was five in the morning. Leah had finished all the documentation on the Neural Enhancement Chip and was re-reading it in case she’d missed something. After breakfast, Leah was shown to the exercise area where she spent several hours meditating, stretching and working through the different moves she’d learned in the Switch. She also practiced all the additional moves she’d learned in the various worlds of the multiverse. Before finishing her exercises, Lacey came and sparred with Leah for almost an hour.

When Leah arrived back in the kitchen area all covered with sweat, Lin berated her before remembering Leah couldn’t hear anything. Instantly calming down, Lin led Leah to the bathroom for a shower and helped her dress for the day. At nine o’clock Jimmy dropped in to see Leah. He typed, “They finally let me back in. Lacey’s become a real pain since she started working for you.”

“Would you like me to have someone call her so you can tell her yourself?”

“No, but that’s only because she may have had a point. I forgot that regardless of what I think, you have the right to determine your own destiny, even as beat up as you are. I’ll give my opinions and suggestions, but I’ll try not to discount yours. She was right. I need to remember that you are more than capable. What you can’t do, you know you can count on us for. I’m sorry.”

“I appreciate that, Jimmy. How are the plans going with the Chief AI Installer?”

“He’s been scrubbed clean of everything he knows. John, not Welford, but our John, he, Johan and I have put together a plan that could work, but it has to be tomorrow evening, or we wait a week.”

“What’s the plan?”

“Almost everything in the Department of Neurology is automated. Additionally, there are secure entrances between all the separate departments at the hospital. Getting inside the restricted areas is impossible even during the day without the appropriate clearance, and even then each person is scanned to check their PAI. We’ve double-checked, and Welford’s clearance is flagged so he can’t get us in. Every night after the staff leave for the night, the different vacant areas of the hospital are cleaned and have maintenance done. All of this is almost entirely automated.

“Although the sequence in which the sections are cleaned using a security-driven randomness protocol, there must be some underlying order to help facilitate everything. Most maintenance and cleaning in the Neurology Department can be done at any time, but the cleaning of the bio-waste incinerator is only done on Saturday evenings after the staff have left. It can be done anytime between six and midnight.

“If someone is quick, they could enter the restricted area through the exhaust vent. They would have eight minutes to descend the chimney and exit into the Neurology Waste area before the self clean is finished. Once inside, they will insert a program into the hospital network. It was written by someone John and you know called Reed. Apparently this will give them access to the Neurology Department Security network. Once inside that, Reed says the program will reset the protocols and let John, you and Welford in. Once you’re inside, it’s over to you and Welford. You will both have full clearance, but that will disappear, along with all the records, at five o’clock Sunday morning.”

“Who have you planned to go down the chimney?”

“The Elliot boy.”

“No Jimmy, not on this job. No kids.”

“It has to be a kid, Leah. No one else who’s capable of the doing the descent and break-in is small enough except maybe Martin. I know he’d volunteer, but he’s just not quick enough anymore, not for that type of work.”

“I’m small enough.”

“Knowing full well I might get tossed out again, let me remind you that you are both blind and deaf.”

“True, but remember when I broke into that home over in Westlake?”

“Yes.”

“And, what did you make me do before you let me do it?”

“Seriously?”

“Fair enough, what did you make me do before you ‘made’ me do it?”

“I hardly ‘made’ you do anything, although I did require that you had to go through the mock-up blindfolded and in the dark.”

“And?”

“You also had headphones on.”

“I was eight at the time, Jimmy. Believe me, I can still do it. Get the plans and build a complete mock-up of the centre.”

“Where am I going to find somewhere that big?”

“Jimmy, as you’ve just reminded me, I’m blind, deaf and dumb. Knowing that, you still want me to help solve everything?”

“I’m going to be really happy when you’re better. These daily talks have reminded me just how sassy you’d gotten.”

“I miss you too, Jimmy. Can you have it ready for the morning?”

“I’ll organise it somehow and have some parts ready for later tonight. I want the Elliot boy there as backup, just in case. You don’t have to agree with me because you won’t be able to tell one way or the other.”

“Goodbye, Jimmy.”

“Bye, kid.”

When Jimmy had gone, Leah asked to be taken to her room for a rest. Even with everything she’d done that morning, she was surprised when she dropped into a troubled sleep almost immediately.

10

December 22 2073

REAL WORLD

Although it felt like it had only been a moment, it was two hours before Leah sat upright and waited for someone to come to help her. She wondered which was worse, the absolute realism of her dreams or the blank nothingness when she was awake. She sped up her perceptions and thought she could sense some movement just before someone took hold of her hand. This time it was Lin. After helping Leah use the bathroom, Lin led her to the kitchen for some food, then sat her down at the computer.

Aker arrived soon after Leah woke and typed, “Leah, I have no idea how he did it, but a guy called Leon arranged to have some of the tactile-enhancing fabric implants shipped here already. He said small drone shipments will be arriving throughout the day. There were twenty-five in the first shipment, and I want to get started. Can you stand and let me measure you again? I want to make sure the suit I’ve been working on still fits like it’s supposed to before I finish sealing the edges. After that, we need to discuss how to program the sensors to give you the clearest picture of what’s happening around you.”

Leah agreed, and Lin led her to an empty room where Aker made her remove almost all her clothing. Aker then measured Leah as her mum moved her into various positions. When they’d finished, Aker sat with Leah to discuss the sensor specifications. Each circle had a variety of miniature inbuilt sensors that could measure a range of inputs including movement, light intensity, temperature, heat, pressure, humidity, current, magnetism, proximity, IR, and UV. The work Leah and Gèng had done in helping Leah navigate cyberspace came in helpful. Over the next several hours, Leah and Aker devised a range of approaches to help increase the information Leah was able to receive and understand.

One option that they’d discussed, Leah asked Aker to work on immediately. It involved programming the interface to manipulate sound waves and export any speech via pressure signals at the tips of Leah’s fingers using braille patterns. Aker agreed and suggested an additional subroutine to input signals from a digital communications network for use during operations.

Leah also asked Aker to construct, or buy, a plug-in to create a virtual keyboard with tactile cues so Leah could ‘speak’ by engaging the keyboard and typing. The text would be converted to speech which could be broadcast either from tiny speakers or over the network.

Once Aker left, Kevin came and checked Leah’s wounds. Leah then spent some more time reviewing the Neural Enhancement chip and sending additional questions through to Dr Roberts. Next, Leah ran her fingers over the list of messages and read the ones from Amy, Thad, Wisp, Kate, Peter, Leon, Ivan and Noah. Thad wanted to head to Brisbane but would stay in Sydney at least until Christmas because Leah had asked him to wait. He shared some of the research he’d done on Suzluk. He then shared with unconcealed glee that somehow Suzluk’s hatred of Atherleah had become a target of players’ anger at what was happening. Throughout Dunyanin, Suzluk’s followers were being hunted, and some of his temples had been destroyed.

Wisp and Amy’s messages brought Leah to tears as they described the difference Leah had made in their lives. The tears came when she realised the immense amount of anger that was being held within her two gentle, sweet, friends. Leah wrote to both asking them to put the anger aside. She explained that she needed their steady and constant goodness to help her stay sane. Amy must have been in her personal space because Leah received an immediate reply.

To: Atherleah Carroll **78

From: Amelia Walker **35 [AI **E2]

Regarding: Anger

Leah, I’m sorry my anger came through, but I’m not sorry for being angry. You mentioned my kindness and goodness, and I want you to know that for all your deadly skills, and your enormous capacity for violence, I consider you the kindest, sweetest, nicest person I’ve ever met. Wisp is up there, but neither of us would have asked Namos to take Hubert back. I rewatched your interaction with N’ den the other day. I saw not only an intensity of anger I’m not sure I’ve felt even with what’s happened to you, but I also saw a depth of kindness I know I haven’t yet shown.

Accept our anger on your behalf. What these people have done to you is beyond cruel, it is evil, and it offends me to the deepest parts of my heart. When Jen contacted me, I had no idea what had happened to you. I was expecting to hear how they’d killed you, and I wanted to scream my anger into the multiverse, but then she described what had happened. She discussed how you’d been hurt, what they’d done, how you escaped, and how you’d been found.

That anger I’d been holding in and which I’d been prepared to accept was washed away in an instant by two overwhelming emotions that still compete for my attention. The first was a wave of joy that I can still feel bubbling inside me. My friend was alive. She thought of me and made sure her friends had support when they heard the news. The second emotion was a rage beyond anything I’ve ever known. It is palpable, and it also stays with me. It isn’t displacing the kindness and love but instead it is being fuelled by them. They did this to my friend. I know you want people left alone until you can do something, but make it quick. We all have an idea who did this, and we’re finding it hard to hold back.

Be honest. If someone had done to me what was done to you, would they be able to step into the multiverse without fear and trembling? I heard what happened to the people who were harassing that Chinese girl who helped you. That was you acting for a stranger. I can’t imagine what you’d do for a friend. Kate explained how you lost your eye in Pneumatica. That was for someone you didn’t know. What would you have done for one of us? I do know the answer to that. You destroyed one of the most influential people in the game, and you destroyed the most important social event in the multiverse just for Thad. Why would you think we’d do any less for you?

All that to say, please accept our anger as a legitimate part of our response. It burns so bright only because we love you so much.

Love Amy

<End of Message>

Leah read the message twice and then responded.

To: Amelia Walker **35 [AI **E2]

From: Atherleah Carroll **78

Regarding: Anger

Dear Amy,

Thank you for the message. You are right. I would have raged through the multiverse if anyone had done this to you. When you mentioned N’ den, I realise now that I wasn’t angry enough. I’m not sure what Jen said, but something like that was planned and attempted, and I can’t sleep without the nightmares coming every few minutes. I can’t be comforted because I lash out in my sleep. I have no idea how people manage to keep going after being raped. To keep finding a reason to get up and to live their lives takes courage beyond belief.

I don’t say that for any reason except to acknowledge just how right you are. Real, unsurmountable, hot, rage needs fuel. Often it’s fuelled by pride, by power, by greed, though usually by hatred. In those times, it is harmful, harmful to everyone. But when it’s fuelled by love, by respect, by justice then I agree, it isn’t wrong. I was so busy holding onto my own anger; I forgot that yours is also justified.

I believe you have a very good idea of who did this and I won’t deny you’re probably right. Unfortunately, there are truths about that situation which I haven’t shared, and now I cannot share them safely. I’m not holding back just because I want revenge myself, although, honestly, that is a factor. It’s because others, people I think are innocent, will be hurt in the process. Those people hold me back from letting loose. I promise that when I can, I will let you know what I know.

Please pass this message on to Wisp for me.

Love Leah

<End of Message>

Leah sat without moving after sending Amy the message. When Lin noticed, she came and told Leah that lunch was ready.

After lunch, Leah spent half-an-hour chatting with Conner and then was led by Lin to the computer where Aker was waiting with a pair of gloves. When she arrived, Aker typed, “Your gloves are ready. I mentioned to Lacey what you’d asked me to do, and she arranged for someone called Reed to check and adapt the coding. I have no idea who they are, but their coding is some of the most elegant I’ve ever seen.

“Give me your right hand, and I’ll arrange the inner section of the sensors, so they are in exactly the right place. Once we have them in exactly the right spot, I’ll fix them in place. After that, we put the glove on, and the outer circles will automatically orient themselves to match the ones on your fingers. Each circle then uses nanites to bore through the suit before extruding a microfilament which attaches itself to the inner circle. The nanites then attach the circle to the inside of the suit and break the seal holding the inner layer to your fingers.”

Leah did as she was asked and Aker very carefully placed the circles on the tips of each finger and two on the thumb. The two on the thumb overlapped but the sensor’s programming noted the overlap and adjusted the way it sent signals. Leah only received information on the parts touching her skin. When Aker had applied sensors to the fingertips of both hands, she put Leah’s new gloves on and finished the process. After that, Aker turned the sensors on and said, “Leah, if you can understand this, touch your nose.”

Leah felt the pressure on the tip of the first finger of her right hand. She’d been waiting and with her increased tactile awareness she understood Aker, and reached up and touched her nose. Aker said, “Good. To activate a two-handed keyboard, tap the ends of your two ring fingers together, then move your hands so they are beside each other. The keyboard isn’t visible but uses the finger movement from the starting position to recognise which keys you want to touch. As you press down, you will feel a slight pressure to show a keystroke has been recorded. The feedback will also be in braille so you can double-check it was the correct key. To stop typing, separate your hands or give them a different orientation.”

Leah did as she’d been instructed and typed, “Is it possible to also access a one-handed keyboard? I usually use a FrogPad.”

Leah’s voice came out of the small speaker Aker had placed on the table. Reed had used recorded samples of Leah’s conversations to program the device.

“That works great. I can hear you in the speaker. The AI in the device will fix simple typing errors and let you know if it isn’t certain of the word you want within point one of a per cent. Reed also programmed several one-handed input devices, including the FrogPad. To activate it, you can use either hand and tap the thumb and ring finger together. Whichever hand you use will activate the corresponding FrogPad keyboard. The one-handed keypads can be used at any orientation and are cancelled by clenching the hand.”

Leah tried with her right hand, and Aker confirmed it worked. Leah asked, “Can I wear these now and somehow have the speaker with me?”

“Yes. I think I’ll also make a less bulky pair of gloves for you to wear around as these are armoured and may become uncomfortable if you have to wear them all day. You keep them for now and ask someone to bring you down to my room in about half-an-hour. Four more shipments have arrived, and I think it’s best to start adding them to the suit. If I position them at key points on your body, I’ll be able to add others when they arrive without disturbing you.”

Leah agreed after asking Aker to hang the small speaker around her neck.

11

December 22 2073

REAL WORLD

Once the speaker was in place, and Aker had left, Leah stood and from memory made her way toward the kitchen to get a drink. Before she even made it to the door, her mother arrived and carefully took her hand without saying anything. Leah used her left hand, and after tapping her ring finger to her thumb, she typed, “Hi mum, I was just going to get an apple. Can you direct me using words?”

Her mother was startled but carefully said, “How are you doing that?”

“Aker and a friend of mine called Reed worked out how to give me a virtual keypad.”

“How can you hear what I’m saying?”

“I can’t. I only know it’s you because I know what your hand feels like. I need Reed to add some voice recognition to let me know who is talking.”

Lin let go of Leah’s hand and said, “The doorway is at the two o’clock position. That’s right. You’re passing through now. Turn left. Too far, back just a few degrees. That’s right. The opening to the kitchen is three metres in front of you. Good. Turn to your right, and the kitchen bench is two metres in front of you. Stop. There is a chair an arm’s length away on your right. Good. Sit down, and I’ll get you an apple.”

Lacey had approached as Lin was talking and said, “Is her hearing coming back?”

Lin said, “It’s Lacey.”

Leah used her left hand again and typed, “Hi Lacey, I wish it had, but this is the result of what you asked Reed to do.”

“Leah, that’s amazing. I was on my way to see you. Jimmy’s been driving everyone crazy over at the power plant you leased. He said the first stage, which is a mock of the Neurology Department, would be ready for practice just after midnight. He wants to know if you’ll be ready by then?”

“I will be. Maybe not as much as I will be tomorrow afternoon, but enough to move around a room.”

“This is your mother. What is this about a mock-up?”

“John, Jimmy and Johan have the plan to get me chipped again. It’s happening tomorrow afternoon. I need to practice getting into the place, so everything goes as planned tomorrow.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“Not really, Mum. The world moves faster in the multiverse, and it’s already been nine virtual days. The next opportunity will be three virtual weeks later. I really need to find a way to get Gèng back. She has proof of what happened to me, and she understands what’s been going on in my brain better than anyone else. Besides, she’s also my friend, and I miss having her in my head.”

“Who’s going with you?”

“I don’t know who, except I’m certain John will be there. Mum, if I’m going to the old power station tonight, I probably won’t get back here until sometime on Sunday. Can you make sure I have enough clothes and food packed?”

“I will. I will be coming to the power station as well. I want to make sure you take care.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

“Not really.”

“Lacey here. Your mum’s a smart lady, Leah. I’m also letting Kevin and Aker know because they’ll be heading over as well. Jimmy suggested you have a sleep and be ready to leave here at twelve.”

“I have to see Aker soon, and then I’ll practice sparring again before I have a sleep.”

Lacey and Lin led Leah to Aker and together they spent five hours adding the sensors to Leah’s suit and working on the different options. In the end, Leah was able to wear the partially finished suit Aker had designed to her sparring session. Johan had logged out of the multiverse just in time to be her sparring partner. He walked into the practice room and saw Leah in the suit. He said, “Wow, that looks better than the last one. Can someone tell Leah I’m here?”

He was surprised to hear Leah’s voice come from the speaker around her neck. She said, “I suspect that was Johan. I’m ready when you are. The first thirty minutes will be making sure the suit is calibrated properly. Reed is communicating with Aker, and they’re making real-time adjustments for me. When you’re ready, throw me a fighting stick. Don’t warn me. You should have padding, but the suit is protection enough for me.”

Johan nodded, and Lacey said, “She’s still blind, Johan. She can’t see you nod.”

Leah tried to laugh but discovered that the sounds she made for laughing were connected in some way to the speech formation part of her brain, and that still wasn’t working. If she was honest, she didn’t ever think she’d get it back. She took a deep breath and waited to see if the combination of the different sensors would let her sense when the stick was thrown. With her perceptions accelerated, it seemed like forever to Leah, but it was less than two minutes when Johan lobbed the stick in her direction.

So far, Leon had been able to have five thousand dots delivered and expected another eight thousand to arrive over the next eighteen hours. He’d paid a premium for both the sensor dots and the delivery. On average each dot had cost him almost 150 VCr, and the delivery charges added another 25VCr per dot making the total spent so far, excluding the suit itself, over 2,275,000 VCr.

Even as Johan had moved his arm, the sensors registered the movement. Leah and Aker had utilised the different options to make up a new language for Leah’s body to recognise what was happening around her. Leah not only had to know where something was, but she also needed to know the direction of travel and the distance it was from her.

Aker’s first move when Leah had arrived was to discover Leah’s absolute threshold and then the difference threshold for each of the tactile modalities the inner section of the dots could use against Leah’s skin. The major modalities Aker had to work with were pressure, vibration, temperature and pain. With Reed’s assistance, they mapped the limits of Leah’s awareness of each sensation across her body. They were then able to assign the maximum and minimum values they could use. Next, they measured how large the difference between two stimuli needed to be for Leah to note the difference.

With Leah’s enhanced ability to perceive what was happening at her periphery, they discovered her difference threshold was ten times smaller than the best-recorded threshold in the literature and her range was almost double what was normal. Using a combination of pressure, vibration and temperature, they built up a map of the surrounding area on Leah’s skin. It took almost an hour for Reed to program the sensors and another hour before Leah could read the changing landscape of sensations on her skin with any accuracy. It was the third hour before she could visualise the changes across the tactile landscape as a movement toward her or away from her.

When Johan threw the stick, she sped up her perceptions momentarily. From the changes on her skin, she recognised the object approaching her was a fighting stick and that it was not perpendicular to the floor but arriving at an angle. One end was closer than the other. Leah had enough time to judge the angle just right and grab the stick. She continued moving and turned her catch into a ready stance.

Johan threw the other stick almost straight at her like a javelin, although slowly. The landscape on Leah’s body recognised the length using motion detected from near her head and at her feet. Additional information on velocity and angles were all etched onto her with the addition of using low levels of pain to add information. Leah turned sideways as the stick approached and grabbed it as it passed her right shoulder, before completing the move and coming to a second ready stance facing Johan.

Johan stepped forward and began to spar. He started slow, but realised after ten minutes that Leah’s confidence in what was happening had grown and she was keeping pace with him. Over the next hour he slowly increased the speed of his attacks until he was at ninety per cent of normal. Finally, worn out, he stepped back and said, “That’s it for me, Leah. Whatever magic you and Aker devised, it works. Can you go faster?”

Leah used her left hand to type and said, “I think so. I’ll need another practice tomorrow after the rest of the dots are added.”

Turning to where she knew Aker was, she typed, “Aker, that was amazing. I’m almost scared to take the suit off and lose all the data it gives me. Thank you.”

“You are welcome. I’m still shocked at the accuracy your skin can give you. You really need to thank Reed. Whoever they are, their skills are phenomenal.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to thank them.”

After Johan had left, Leah got out of the suit and back into her clothes. She reluctantly took off the gloves but was thrilled when Aker passed over a lightweight pair which she’d prepared for Leah. Leah then headed back to her room with Lin leading the way. After a shower, she was left in her room to sleep. Although she nodded off, her sleep was restless. Even so, she continued to try and rest until Lacey came to get her at midnight.

Diary - 22 December, 2073

Dr Roberts suggested I write down all my feelings about what happened. Then, she wants to ‘see me to talk’. I know it’s weird but suddenly words like ‘see’ and ‘talk’ annoy me. I know it’s irrational, and I sound like one of those precious people I often detested. Still, the truth is the constant uncritical, everyday reminders of my trauma hurt. I know people don’t mean anything negative, but they seem so unaware.

I understand that the words have much broader meanings than the ones I’m reacting to, but it doesn’t make it easier. Instead, it’s harder. Not only do I feel marginalised; I also add guilt to that feeling because it’s my over-sensitivity or fault that I feel that way. I feel like such a ‘princess’, I mean that in the bad, mockery-laden sense of the word.

If I’m honest I would have been even more annoyed if she’d written, ‘I want to sit down beside you to ensure we had a connection and then communicate in a written form about your feelings’.

OK, here goes.

…

Nope. I can’t write it down. I started a sentence a hundred times but had to delete each one. It’s not that the thoughts and feelings don’t have substance or because they lack cohesion. I can’t write them down because they are too raw, too real, too overwhelming. Nothing I could say would do them justice. I know I wasn’t raped, but I feel so ????. There isn’t a word to describe it. Violated is too clinical, defiled, that’s even worse. Abused? Molested? Dishonoured? Nothing does the feeling justice. What is a word that describes a mind-numbing feeling of betrayal, isolation, worthlessness, terror, rage and helplessness?

What is strange though, well, I think it is, is that I’m more traumatised, unravelled, embittered, and damaged by the attempted rape than I am by the injury to my head. Maybe it’s just that I’m naive. Suzluk, Meredith and Nathan all focussed on the actions of Earl and Billy more than any physical damage the taser would do. That, and the death of my dad. They all expected the violation to make me despair and give up more than the loss of function. What scares me is that Suzluk knows that. Where would an AI pick that up from? What experiences did he have, and why would the developers have let it happen?

Too tired.

12

December 23 2073

REAL WORLD

Just after midnight, Lacey entered Leah’s room and called her name. Leah was wearing the lightweight gloves, and she felt the pressure at her fingertips as her name was imprinted on the ends in braille. Even so, Lacey had to call three times before Leah sat up. Leah shook her head and slowly stood. She used both hands and typed, “Hello, I hope it wasn’t hard to wake me.”

Her voice came from the speaker, which Lacey picked up and handed to Leah to put around her neck. Lacey said, “No worries. Lacey here, I only had to call a few times.”

“That’s good. I’m glad you woke me when you did. I’d missed dreaming while in deep-sleep. I think I’ll be happy when I don’t dream anymore.”

“Leah, dreams sometimes help us deal with issues. It’s one way of learning to cope. I can’t remember you running away from anything before. What you need to do is take control of your dreams. Reassert that your life belongs to you. You’ve done it in real life, now do it in your subconscious.”

“I don’t know how to, Lacey. All I do is curl up in a ball absolutely terrified. I’m not even always sure it’s me that’s in the dream. Sometimes I’m Gèng and locked away in silence without any way of communicating, not even able to feel the touch of someone I love. I really hope that’s me being empathetic, rather than somehow sensing her pain.”

Lacey was quiet for a moment then said, “I’m trying to make sense of that. My PAI hasn’t developed a personality yet, and it’s hard to reconcile that with your experiences with Gèng.”

“Lacey, I’ve no idea if all PAI have the potential to develop a self-identity or not. I suspect Gèng’s rapid development in that area has something to do with the intensity of the first few days I had in the multiverse. She had the opportunity to interact with AI who had already developed a sense of self. When things slow down, and she’s back, you could ask Gèng if she has any advice.”

Before the conversation could continue, they arrived in the kitchen. After eating and dressing in a pair of jeans and a button shirt, Leah was helped down the stairs to a waiting vehicle. Aker was already in the car, and once Leah and Lacey were inside, it took them to the power station where Jimmy had put together a mock-up of the hospital’s neurology department.

John had arranged security and guards patrolled the perimeter. The car parked as close to the entrance to the main building as it could and Leah was quickly ushered inside. Once there, Lacey used her voice to direct Leah to the centre of the room. Jimmy was waiting with John and sitting near them was John Welford. As Lacey and Leah approached, Jimmy and John looked up when they heard Lacey’s voice.

Lacey said, “Leah, just in front of you are Jimmy and John, they are standing. A meter and a half to their left is John Welford. He’s sitting down.”

John said, “John speaking. Lacey mentioned Aker and you worked out a way for you to hear us. How accurate is it?”

“It’s very good with words. I sent a message to Reed, and he sent an update which has voice recognition capabilities, so you don’t need to identify yourself. Once the AI knows your voice, it will identify you before sharing the words.”

“Jimmy: Do we need to talk slower?”

“No. The AI sends the braille at the pace we’ve set. I’m generally able to keep up, although if it’s a long sentence or paragraph, there may be a slight delay.”

“John: We’re still working on putting together a full-sized model of the chimney, but the room you’ll enter looks accurate to what Welford described. How do you want to practice?”

“Let me start without the suit. Walk me around the entire room first by leading me. After a few times, use your voice and see if I can do it without the suit. When I can do that, then I’ll put on the suit Aker’s making. Is Brett Elliot here?”

“Jimmy: He is, his folks let him help out. I shuffled him off when you arrived.”

“Bring him in. I don’t want to use him on this job, but that doesn’t mean he can’t use it as a learning opportunity. If he’s already been around the room a few times, then have him put on a blindfold.”

“Jimmy: Thank you. I don’t want to use him either, but it is a good learning experience, and learning with you will make his day. You’re his hero.”

Leah tried to blow a raspberry using her tongue and lips only to discover that the ability to make that sound came from the destroyed part of her brain. She could eat, but she couldn’t speak, whistle, click her tongue or blow a raspberry. She tried exhaling through pursed lips and found she could, but when she tried to whistle, she couldn’t. Frustrated, she typed, “Jimmy, I tried to blow a raspberry at you, but apparently that’s language and I can’t. Please take it as if I did it.”

“Burning out a chip is barbaric.”

“Jimmy: That was Welford. He’s horrified at what happened.”

“Lacey, please point me in his direction.”

Leah felt herself being turned slightly and then fingers pulled on her chin to lower her gaze. She typed, “John Welford, they tell me you’ve learned your lesson—I hope it’s true. I doubt the voice you hear shows my disgust but be assured it is there. What you did when you stole my images for your personal fantasies is just as barbaric in my eyes. At least the people who did this valued me enough to see me as a threat. All you saw was a piece of meat, a thing, something for you to find pleasure in before being thrown away. I understand people think what you did was harmless and victimless, but that is a lie they tell themselves. You made me feel degraded, used, and dirty.”

When she’d finished, she turned back to where she thought John was and said, “Shall we start?”

The entire secure area of the neurology department was over six hundred square metres and had a variety of rooms, computers, locked doors, desks and chairs. It took Leah and Brett until seven o’clock before they could both walk through the area without hitting anything. Although Leah had managed to weave her way through in several hours, she practised until she could use her picks to unlock each of the doors and find the data entry points on each of the desks. She insisted that Brett be able to do this as well. While she didn’t want him to go with them, she thought the experience would help him later.

During one of the short breaks, Lacey said, “Are you sure it’s a good idea helping Brett move down this life path?”

“That’s not what I’m doing. I’m giving him the tools to make a choice. The perseverance needed to do this will help him do whatever he wants to. When this is over, I’ll spend some time with him and encourage him to use his drive for something of greater worth. I see another John, Johan or Lacey in him. You are all good people, the best, even though you chose this ‘life path’. When you’ve been given a chance to help someone else, me in this case, you grabbed it with both hands. I’ve never regretted learning the skills even if I stopped my thieving ways.”

“Jimmy: You’ve not left the thieving ways behind just yet, Leah. You’ve simply graduated from the minor league. Just think, you’re planning to break into a secure facility and steal something this very day.”

Leah tried to chuckle and thought she’d been sort of successful, but it was only a parody of a laugh, and it was good she didn’t see the looks of pity and rage that appeared on everyone’s faces around her.

After Leah had walked through three times without any difficulty, John said, “John: Let’s stop for breakfast, then have Leah try doing it with the suit. Once she’s done that a few times we’ll move to the upper floor because the exhaust chimney is finally done. We need to leave here at two to get into position by six. We have seven hours.”

Everyone agreed, and Leah was helped to the side of the building where she was surprised to find her mother. Lin said, “I told you I needed to watch what you are doing. John’s explained what’s happening and I’ve seen you can do it. I also came to help with breakfast. Sit down and let me feed you.”

Aker had been working on the suit through the night, and after Leah ate, they moved to a small room to get Leah dressed. Once in the suit, Leah was almost overwhelmed with the flood of sensations she felt across her body. She took a few deep breaths and then moved into one of the meditative poses Master Ning had shown her. She let the sensations touch her, but pulled herself back from trying to analyse each individual piece of data. If what she’d been reading on the way the brain worked was true, then it should be able to take what she knew about the data and interpret it in a way that she could readily use. This was what she’d done in cyberspace and what she hoped would happen in whatever reality she and Aker had constructed.

Leah wasn’t sure how long she stood there, but slowly her brain put together an image of the room. She could see where Aker was standing next to her mother, and she sensed the small increase of heat coming from beneath the door. What surprised her was the additional data her neural system added to the picture, information that she and Aker hadn’t discussed. She could just make out the flow of electricity to the light, and she could also sense where the light switch was.

Although it didn’t really change anything, Leah had closed her eyes while meditating. She opened them and walked toward the door as she used her left hand to type, “This is amazing Aker, let’s go see what we can do with it.”

Opening the door, Leah found her brain capable of interpreting the new signals without a discernible time-lag. She walked to the place where the exhaust chimney would lead to. Turning her head so it was orientated toward the body she was sure was John, she typed, “John, are you ready?”

Surprised at her accuracy in knowing it was him, John said, “I am. Start whenever you’re ready.”

Without hesitation, Leah moved through the area avoiding the obstacles and making her way directly to the data point John Welford had indicated was the most likely to have direct access to the security system. When she’d finished, John said, “Leah, let’s try that again and then we’ll practice coming down the exhaust fan.”

As Leah moved back to the bottom of where the exhaust fan would be, she sensed people moving furniture around to put things in her way. They hadn’t done this before, but she recognised Jimmy’s handiwork. Turning to where she suspected Jimmy was, she typed, “You’ll have to do better than that, Jimmy.”

The figure she thought was him waved arms around, and two shapes placed themselves in the area as if hiding. Leah waited for a moment, then made her way through the first area, weaving around the obstacles Jimmy had placed there. As she came through the first ‘doorway’ Johan stepped forward, carefully swinging his arm toward her. Leah moved fast, and ducking under his arm she tapped him lightly in the solar plexus and then on the side of the head. Leah did the same when Lacey attacked and then with John. Neither of them tried to be careful. After she inserted the data device into the socket, John said, “Well done, Leah. Aker has done an amazing job with the suit. Do you want to try the exhaust fan with or without the suit?”

“Let’s start without. It’s worked well so far today, and Aker is still receiving shipments of the sensors.”

“Good, you get changed while we send Brett down first.”

13

December 23 2073

REAL WORLD

Leah was disorientated when she first took the suit off but swallowed the burst of fear and straightened her shoulders. Her mother carefully reached out and handed the lighter gloves to Leah, then waited while she put them on before saying, “That was amazing Ling. It was almost faster than someone with all their senses working could do.”

Leah nodded, then said, “I can go faster, but I didn’t want everyone to see, and I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I’m only telling you in here because Aker already has some idea of my new skills.”

“Aker: No matter how much you think I know, I’m still amazed every time you do something.”

“Well a lot of that was because of the amazing suit you’ve created. Mum, please help me back outside.”

Although she needed her mother’s help, Leah realised she was still more aware of the switch, the light and the cables that ran through the walls than she had been. Lin took Leah to John, who then helped Leah up a few flights of stairs. When they reached the top John said, “The actual exhaust chimney runs from the basement where the main incinerator is. The air is continuously sucked from the furnace and after being filtered, runs along the basement roof through several collection points to collect any moisture that condenses in the pipe. The pipe then turns and runs up through the centre of one of the hospital’s main utility towers where any exhaust is cooled further.

“There is an auxiliary incinerator in the neurology department. It is a micro-furnace which is used to destroy any waste from the chipping procedure as well as other neurosurgery. The exhaust from the micro furnace is also filtered before it joins the larger conduit from the main incinerator. The chimney itself is modular in design. The main channel is fifty centimetres in diameter and is surrounded by a range of other utilities all within the central core of the tower.

“You need to descend through the main channel and exit into the central part of the tower. You can’t enter neurology directly through the chimney, because the conduit from the neurology incinerator is only twenty-five centimetres in diameter. You can’t descend through the utility tower itself because large high-speed fans surround the central column and are used to cool the hospital. However, there is a sealed access hatch from the incinerator room in neurology to the core of the tower.

“With the exhaust from the neurology department’s incinerator active, you wouldn’t be able to descend far enough to exit out onto the correct floor, and that’s one of the limiting factors that meant this is the best time to enter. The maintenance program closes the furnace for maintenance and cleaning for a random eight minutes each Saturday evening. In that eight minutes you need to descend eight stories through the fifty centimetre conduit, stop at the correct exit point, break through the wall of the exhaust pipe, and seal it so no alarms sound when the incinerator restarts. You can then exit into the neurology department and let us in.

“We have only three flights for you to practice on. Jimmy managed to steal five sections of piping similar to that which runs down the chimney. We need to work out how to break through and then how to seal it after you’re through into the open area of the utility tower. The best bet is a handheld laser cutter which we’ll practice with after you’re sure you can descend safely.”

“Can I use a simple altimeter to measure the drop?”

“It’s not sensitive enough. They either work on atmospheric pressure or use the GPS data to calculate the exact position. The high speed fans and the density of other signals make this simply not accurate enough. We thought of going old school and use rope or measuring line. We’ll use a high-speed winch to retrieve it.”

“What’s the conduit wall made of?”

“Steel outer layer with heat resistant ceramic inner layer. The problem is knowing where to cut so you miss the sensors embedded in the ceramic. If they fail, then a message is sent to maintenance who will send a repair team immediately.”

“How do you expect Billy to do that?”

“We’re still trying to work that out. We’re certain the sensors are distributed according to a uniform or set pattern, and we’re still trying to access that exact information on the model used. Even if we have that, it will be almost impossible to match your orientation after dropping eight floors. The ceramic inner layer can be orientated at least four ways depending on where the fiberoptic connections are best accessed.”

“Let’s test the descent while I consider how to get through the pipe. Are there sensors on the model we have connected?”

“No. We’re still waiting on the information. The one working piece we have, we’ll work on last. Once it’s destroyed, we have nothing to practice on. The ones we have in place we made of the same materials and are up to specification except with no sensor connections.”

“Let me practice the drop and using the laser of the mock modules, and then I’ll examine the real thing. Please have it connected, so the sensors are live.”

Leah was almost convinced she could feel a sigh of resignation from John when he said, “OK, Leah. I’ll get that organised.”

Billy went first and fit down the chimney with relative ease. It was tight, but he had enough room to move if he needed to use a cutter of any sort. His range of movement would let him cut out a window in the side of the conduit through which he could squeeze. Leah, on the other hand, either had to pull her shoulders forward and use small breaths, reducing her chest circumference, or she had to raise her arms above her head as if she was diving. These were the only ways she could rapidly descend. Once she reached the correct level, her range of movements was so restricted she doubted she would be able to use the laser cutter unless they found a way to modify it.

The second time she went down head first with her arms above her head, and while she thought she’d be able to handle the laser cutter, she found the position stretched her still damaged shoulder and arms. Billy found the headfirst descent made using the laser easier. Leah was about to head up to the top for another practice run when John called her over to the authentic module. He said, “Leah, the sensors are on, and I’ve sent Lacey to see what handheld instruments are available that could identify the sensor locations.”

Leah ran her hand over the outside, then said, “I can pinpoint them for you.”

“What do you mean, you can pinpoint them?”

“I can feel the slight current running through the sensor.”

Although John trusted Leah, he still found this hard to accept until the small scanner Lacey brought verified each of the points and connecting optical wires that Leah pointed to. They then worked on both Billy and Leah cutting through the wall of the conduit. Billy was able to use the scanner to mark the sensor points and then the cutter, but he struggled to locate, cut through the chimney wall and seal it within the eight minutes. Leah struggled with using the laser cutter until Aker suggested making a frame to attach to the suit. Using the frame Leah was able to hold and direct the cutter using simple hand motions.

By the time they had to leave, both Billy and Leah were both able to cut through the chimney in under five minutes while missing any sensors they identified. With the additional five stories they had to descend they calculated they could do it in seven. Leah removed her helmet then went to sit next to Billy. “Billy, I’m going to do the actual job because the less people who go, the safer it is. I’m impressed by the work you did today and know that if necessary, you would have been able to get me, and the team, into the office. Keep working hard at things and come and talk sometime.”

Billy looked up and stared at Leah. “Billy: Thanks, Leah, Jimmy says you’re the best, but I didn’t believe him until today. He said it was because you wanted it more. I want to be better, but I don’t really know what I want in the end.”

“That’s because you are young. I didn’t really have a real firm idea of what I wanted, I just knew I wanted to have a choice. I wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything I could have done to get where I wanted to go that I didn’t do. You need good hand and eye skills, good defensive skills, good technical skills but you also need to use your brain. You need to read books that teach you about life, about the world, about history and finance, just to name a few important things. If school or people give you an opportunity to improve then take it. What you did today was like that. I told Jimmy I wouldn’t let him send you on this mission, it is too dangerous. I wanted you to learn though, it gives you more skills and a chance to be better.”

“No one tells Jimmy what to do.”

“Today, I did. This is my operation. If it was Jimmy’s, then he would tell me what to do.”

“How can you change who’s the boss like that?”

“It’s easy, really. I respect Jimmy and he respects me. We know each other and have learned to trust each other.”

Just then, John came over and said, “Leah, it’s time to go.”

Leah nodded and picked up her helmet. With the suit on, she knew where everything was so she walked over to her mother and said, “Mum, if everything goes well I’ll be back sometime early in the morning. Please tell Dad and Conner that I love them.”

Lin gave her a gentle hug, then, sensing Aker walking toward her, Leah turned to face her. Aker was holding two pieces of armour. Aker said, “Leah, please take these. I wasn’t sure if it would be ready by now, so I said nothing. They form a modified helmet. I’ve removed all the weak points by removing the frames and cavities that I had formed in the original to provide vision and hearing. When they’re attached, they can easily take the punishment that shattered the last one. There is still increased sensory feedback, but I’ve bundled the connections through several especially armoured conduits. That isn’t necessary for the rest of the suit because of its inherent flexibility, but the regular lattice of minute perforations could have weakened the strength of the helmet.”

Leah thanked Aker, then followed John to the waiting car. The car had been driven into the building, and John Welford and Jimmy were already inside. John handed Jimmy a large cloth which he draped over John Welford. John said, “Leah, put your helmet on. I’ve got a suit similar to yours but without the sensory upgrade. Aker assures me that if the authorities or others have sensors aimed at this place they should only be able to sense Jimmy. They’ll need to have high-grade military-level sensors to pick us up. No talking in the vehicle as supposedly Jimmy is alone and they could pick up some sound. We can talk through the suit network if you need to communicate. Jimmy and Welford are out of the loop.”

Looking into the car, John said, ‘Welford, if you say anything or do anything to upset the plans, then your freedom will be revoked permanently.”

Leah had John help with the new helmet and got inside. Once John was in the doors shut, and the automated car left the compound.

14

December 23 2073

REAL WORLD

Jimmy was to be the decoy. He was visiting several other bosses. John, Leah and Welford left the car at his third meeting of the afternoon and got in a different vehicle. Altogether they changed vehicles five times, and each time several vehicles left each rendezvous point about the same time. Each of these vehicles went to other venues where they met even more vehicles which dispersed around that same time.

Jimmy had arranged over three hundred vehicles to move in a dance which extended both in and out of the city and throughout the afternoon. Jimmy was certain the vehicle they left the power station in was followed, and he ‘accidentally’ allowed himself to be seen when he changed cars for the fourth time. If anyone was able to cover all of the thousands of sites with surveillance, then, Leah and John might have been followed. Still, Jimmy was confident they would follow his actions, especially when he rendezvoused with a known police informant who also supplied illegal weapons. Jimmy made sure to seem interested but was careful not to buy anything or implicate himself.

John tapped Leah on the shoulder when they arrived at a loading bay behind a small electronics wholesaler located two hundred metres from the hospital. Using the suit network, he said, “Leah, when we leave the car there is a door right in front of you. It belongs to an electrical distributor. Her shop has state of the art security. Once inside we should be OK to talk. We’ll also be able to check if there was any active surveillance aimed at us when we left the car. Lacey is waiting inside.”

Once everyone was inside, Leah looked around. She could see two people at the far end of the small warehouse. Using the feedback from the suit, she could tell which one was Lacey. Beside her was a slightly taller and older looking woman. Leah was still amazed at how her skin could pick up the slight differences in temperature which Aker, Reed and she had used to give her some sense of depth and colour. This, combined with the subtle shifting of pressure to show distance and using slight vibrational variances to show speed, gave her an almost crystal clear awareness of what was around her.

In some ways, it was better than when she had her real sight and hearing. She could not only see Lacey and the store owner, but she could also see Welford and John making their way into the store behind her. As she approached Lacey, she typed, “Hey, Lacey.”

Then, turning to the other woman, she put out her right hand to shake as she typed with her left. “Hello. I want to thank you for your help today. My name is Leah.”

When the woman first heard the voice from the small speakers, she turned to Lacey, her mouth dropping open. When Leah addressed her, her head snapped back, and she took Leah’s hand and said, “Um, it’s my pleasure. I’m Abcde, but most people just call me Dee.”

Behind her, John said, “Leah, Kevin wanted me to check if the suit and helmet have opened any of your wounds. Take the helmet off and let me check, then go with Lacey and she’ll check your back.”

Leah removed the front half and could see Dee’s reaction when she recognised Leah. Leah gave a crooked smile as she removed the rear portion. She could now see what was happening behind her and so observed John wincing. She said, “What is it, John?”

He looked up at her knowing he hadn’t said anything, then looked down at her suit. Leah said, “Yep, that’s right, John, now I have eyes in the back of my head. What’s wrong?”

“John: Nothing new, Leah. Every time I see the burns, it still bothers me. They look the same. You-know-who did a great job with the helmet.”

Behind John, Welford had closed his eyes for a moment then opened his mouth to say something before closing it quickly. Leah said, “Mr Welford, what were you about to say?”

He looked shocked for a second, then said, “I forgot about your hair. That needs to be shaved. I hadn’t given it a thought. That facet of the implant process comes under a different administrator. I’m sure your programmer will be able to get into the area and reset the access and logs, but I’ve never used the equipment. I doubt it’s difficult, it’s just that I’ve never used it. I have used everything else. The only problem is that the cleaning routine automatically cleans the cut hair and other waste. I don’t know how to access the automated cleaning machine to remove the hair. Mr Loo told me he wanted no evidence left behind. I know how to clean and empty the insertion machinery but not the hair removal.”

John said, “Can we remove her hair here?”

Welford nodded and said, “You can, but the process at the hospital also covers the scalp with a small nanoparticle anti-bacterial cover to help prevent infection. The insertion machine checks for this. I think I could over-ride the machine, but I’ve never heard of it being done. I have no idea when or where that exception might be logged. I’d assume your IT resource person slash hacker could isolate that if everything you say about them is true, but I don’t know.”

John looked thoughtful, but Leah interrupted and said, “John, there isn’t time to worry about it now. While Lacey checks my back, see if you can get our ‘IT resource person slash hacker’ to look into it and then get a razor so Lacey can shave my head.”

Half an hour later, Leah was sitting still while Lacey carefully shaved her head as Dee watched. Dee had hardly said anything, so Leah said, “So, Dee, how did Jimmy rope you into helping?”

Dee shook her head slowly and said, “I don’t know a Jimmy, the person who talked to me was the man called John. I was mid-race in a TRAX tournament when I get a message from my sister in Sydney. She asks me to drop everything and meet her in her world. I thought maybe something had happened to my nephew. He was one of those you rescued from Pneumatica. When I arrived, Xayah, that’s my sister, is there with my nephew and John. Ernest, my nephew, says, ‘Aunty Dee, this man works for Atherleah. He needs a favour. Will you promise to hear him and to keep it quiet?’

“Now, Xayah and I had been worried about Ernest for years, it was as if he’d dropped off the face of the planet. The police weren’t interested in helping, and we had tried everything. I don’t have kids, and it was like losing my own child. I’d also lost Xayah, she was a shadow of her old self. Then, just over a week ago, he shows up at Xayah’s house. He’s pale and looks like a ghost. His eyes have this haunted, lost look. He told Xayah everything that had happened, then she told me. So when he said, ‘Atherleah needs a favour’ I turned to John and said, ‘Whatever you need, I’ll help.’

“He made me promise to keep quiet, then he met me in my space and explained what had happened to you and that you needed a place close to the hospital to use as a base and he wanted to tunnel from my warehouse to the outer edge of the Busway tunnel. He was very clear that what you’d be doing was illegal and that there could be repercussions if it was found out I helped you. None of that means anything really. I have my nephew back, and I have my sister back. Whatever you need, all you have to do is ask.”

Leah said, “I’m glad you have your nephew back.”

“Abcde: How do you do that? How can you talk? How can you see what’s happening?”

Before Leah could type a brief explanation, John interrupted, “I’m sorry Dee, but I’d rather Leah said nothing about that. She’s far too open about things. It’s best for her, and for you, that she says nothing.”

Leah said, “Sorry, Dee, John’s kind of overprotective, but that’s his job.”

Dee smiled and said, “No complaints from me. I’m just sincerely glad you aren’t as bad as you seemed in the media I’ve seen.”

Lacey said, “Dee, she is that bad. What you’re seeing is a workaround Leah’s been able to arrange. John, stop glaring at me like that. Dee needs to know that Leah really needs this favour and that it isn’t just some whim of hers.”

John glared for a moment longer, then nodded. There was silence in the room for a while as Lacey finished shaving Leah’s head. When she was done, she called Welford over to check it. He said, “I think that’s good. The biggest issue will be setting up the machine to clean the charred channels.”

Leah said, “At least half of the channels won’t be in the same spots. There is no point in inserting the microfilaments to the same places. I expect the entrance points will be different.”

Welford said, “Where are the new electrodes going?”

Leah shook her head slightly and said, “Sorry, Mr Welford, but that is need to know. When we load the AI onto the chip, I’ll reprogram it. All you need to do is run the machine when it’s inserted.”

“Welford: Ms Carroll, I know you distrust and despise me. I understand that, and I hope I’m changing. I would say I’ve changed, but I can’t prove that. I know you control my life, but I’m no longer happy to just do something without thinking of the consequences. If those electrodes go in the wrong places, they could do even more damage.”

Leah actually turned to face Welford. She stared at him for a moment with her sightless eyes then said, “It’s a start. I won’t tell you where they will be inserted, but I will say I haven’t simply chosen the places at random. I’ve looked at current research and discussed options with a former research psychiatrist. She’s checked and rechecked each choice with her colleagues, including both a neurobiologist and a neurosurgeon after sanitising the data to make sure people don’t know the real reason she’s asking for their advice. Some of the placements are experimental, but each has been researched thoroughly. That’s all I will say, and I expect it to be enough. Now, will you still help tonight?”

Welford did nothing for a moment then nodded, “Yes, with that assurance I’ll still help. I’m not sure I had the option.”

“Honestly, you probably didn’t. It is happening anyway. Still, I would rather not go against whatever conscience you are slowly developing.”

Leah turned toward John and typed, “What about the over-ride logs?”

“John: That’s all taken care of. They said it should be straight forward, and once we’re online, they could talk us through how to clean the scalp cleansing device. They suggested that it was the best route to take.”

“What now?”

“John: It’s time to go. We have an hour to get you to the top of the utility tower. Lacey will stay here and bring Welford once you’re inside.”

Lacey helped Leah get the helmet in place, then John led Lacey and Leah deeper into the small warehouse. In the back corner, a hole had been made in the concrete floor where it angled down through the bedrock for ten metres before ending at the outer layer of the Busway tunnel. John lowered himself down the vent using small handholds that had been inserted on the upper edge and grooves on the lower edge. Using a strong carbon-fibre cable, Lacey lowered an angle grinder with a ceramic diamond blade. John unhooked the grinder and hooked the cable to the pair of D-rings that had been attached to the top of the upper side of the tunnel layer. Jimmy’s boys had already cut through most of the layer, and all John needed to do was to cut through the final section. Each cut had been angled inwards to stop the piece falling into the tunnel. When John had finished the cuts, he climbed back up the vent, then watched as Leah pulled the hundred-and-fifty-kilogram block up and out of the vent.

When it was clear, John took his and Leah’s backpacks down the vent and into the upper utility section of the Busway tunnel. Leah then descended while holding the cement plug above her head. Lacey was helping by lowering it using the cable. When Leah was through, she held the piece John had cut out just above the hole while John covered the cut with an expanding cement sealant. As soon as he’d finished, he helped Leah hold the plug in place until the sealant had filled up the cut, sealing the plug back in place. John scraped off the excess sealant and using a spray can, covered the whole area with a cement coloured seal. Looking up at the area, even he couldn’t tell where the cut had been. Nodding, John put everything back in his pack then said, “Follow me.”

When the tunnel had first been built there had still been fossil-fuel driven buses, and emergency vehicles, using the bus lanes. Back then, the upper section of the tunnel had been sectioned off to deal with the fumes. Huge fans had sucked the polluted air into the upper area where it was then funnelled through exhaust towers to partially filter the air before releasing it into the atmosphere. With mandatory electric vehicles, the upper area had been dormant for several decades before being repurposed as a utility well. Besides water, data and power, there was also a miniature automated rail delivery system to supply the hospital from a warehouse outside the CBD with goods it no longer had the space to store on site. Everything from food to laundry supplies was delivered using the system.

John and Leah moved along a service platform running down the centre of the tunnel segment. Then, after a hundred and fifty metres, John led the way down a spur, or branch line, that had been added when the delivery system had been installed. This led to one of three central disbursement areas in the hospital. Fifty metres along this line was a door set into the wall of the tunnel. This led to an external access way used by service personnel. The door had a keypad access.

John put his hand into his pack to get his tools out to bypass the lock. Leah stepped past him and using her right hand, she did what she’d done with Gèng at the gate when she’d been going to get her mother. This time Leah understood what Gèng had done. She looked down at John and said, “I can just punch in the code if you like?”

John was pulling his tools from the bag and said, “Are you certain?”

“Pretty much.”

“OK, this was the one small snag. Here was the only clear evidence anything had happened. Give it a try. Reed said it allowed one error.”

Leah was able to trace the circuit, and after entering the first number sensed the small changes which led her to the next number. After entering six digits, she pressed the hash key and the door unlocked. John and Leah moved through the door and up a stairwell to a second door. The upper door was a safety door from their side, and John stepped through into a small unmanned maintenance room on the outer perimeter of the main building.

From here, Leah and John moved to an alarmed fire exit. This time John used his tools to bypass the alarm system. The next step was one of the riskiest. Both John and Leah had to be careful as they left the hospital to stay close to the ground and not bump the door. They were moving into one of the areas not easily visible to prying eyes—it had been designed to hide the movement of maintenance personnel. With the manicured hedges they would be out of sight of the security cameras. Reed had checked the security system, and from its description said that as long as the door opened no more than thirty centimetres and did so over an extended period, the movement would not trigger the security AI.

John attached a small device Jimmy had ordered constructed to the lower part of the door and then pressed the button. Using Reed’s description, the automatic ‘door opener’ opened the door to the thirty-centimetre limit over fifteen minutes. John wiggled his way out first, followed by Leah. Once out, John attached a similar device to the outside of the door, and after removing the first device, he activated the ‘door closer’ which took another fifteen minutes. While the door was closing, John left Leah to watch it while he started the next step.

They were now leaning against the outer wall of the hospital. John crawled on the ground and made his way to a decorative groove set into the outer wall of the hospital ten metres away. It was one of two such grooves. Between the grooves was an enormous retro sign where the hospital’s name and logo were proudly displayed. The lowest half-a-metre though was still a sensor blind-spot. John pulled a roll of nano-fibre cloth from his bag and carefully positioned the roll, so one end was on each side of the groove. After checking their placement several times, he activated the device.

From either end, a spiked wheel was extended until the roll was firmly held in place. John attached the base of the roll to the hospital wall using a retractable bar. Once this was set he initiated the second step of its design. The wheels began turning and started lifting the roll of nano-fibre cloth up the outer edge of the decorative groove, letting the nano-fibre curtain unravel.

John made his way back to Leah, and when the door finally closed, he was able to pull loose the temporary bypass he had made to the alarm. Leah followed John to the groove. While Leah waited at the base, John began climbing up the hospital wall on the inside of the channel. He was hidden by the curtain, which was designed to reflect sensor signals and show an empty groove. It took John ten minutes to climb to the roof. Once there, he wriggled onto the roof and lowered a thin cable down to Leah. She shimmied into the chimney and John used a winch to pull her to the top.

Once they were both on the roof, John activated the attachment at the base of the curtain. Small wheels extended from either end and as the reel at the top turned, the curtain was slowly rewound. Neither John nor Leah waited for it to arrive but made their way to the utility tower. Once there, Leah helped John remove part of the security mesh, and John lowered a sensor through the chimney stack to warn when the incinerator in the neurology department was switched off. Altogether it had taken them fifty minutes, and they were all set up by five minutes to six.

With Leah watching the sensor and everything put in place for her to descend the exhaust, John went to collect the curtain. Once everything was in place, they rested against the edge of the utility tower to wait for the signal which would start the ten-minute countdown for Leah to get into the neurology department.

15

December 23 2073

REAL WORLD

As they sat and waited, Leah was reminded of the dozens of times she’d had to wait during a job when she was younger. She’d been partnered with John for many of them and looking back, she realised how patient he’d been with her and how much she’d grown to trust him. She wanted to tell him, but they’d agreed that they would restrict communication while they waited unless it was necessary for the operation. Instead, she moved into one of the meditative poses and focussed on her breathing.

Leah had found the trip to this point very draining, as she’d been concentrating on all the signals she’d been receiving across the entire surface area of her body. She needed a break and purposefully slowed the speed at which she processed information. As she did that, she realised the rate at which her brain dealt with information had become almost automatic. Almost instinctively, her brain slowed or increased the speed of processing to suit her needs. This became clearer when she felt a resistance to her attempt to slow the rate. She also recognised that a part of her didn’t want to lose the awareness of her surroundings.

With some effort, she forced herself to let go. It was similar to when she’d learned to meditate with Master Ning. Leah still received the stimulation from the sensor circles, but she let it wash through her without focussing on it. She discovered that she still had a sense of what was happening around her. Her mind subconsciously filled in the image. Leah’s thoughts slowed and became still, her mind at ease. When she was calm, she brought one aspect of her plans for the next few days before her and considered it. She tried to be objective as she could be. When the plan settled, she let it fade and brought up another aspect.

Leah wasn’t sure how long she’d been sitting, but she was brought out of her thoughts when the sensory pad under her right pointing finger spelt out ‘John: Leah’.

She turned toward John, her perception increasing naturally. He said, “Are you OK? You’ve been sitting without moving for an hour and a half.”

Leah nodded, “I’ve been meditating and thinking. Trying to sort through the various plans and trying to solve some of the quandaries I still have.”

“How are your back and neck holding up?”

Leah had been expecting the question. John had been given strict instructions by Kevin not to let her overdue anything.

“They’re much better. Three days of fairly light activity has been good for them. I know the wounds are still open on the surface, but I think the nanites have got most of the pieces back in their right places and attached internally. My knee, fingers and ribs ache. Without Gèng, there is no one to reprogram them.”

John reached for his bag and took out several capsules and an energy bar. He helped Leah remove the front section of her helmet and take the medicine. When she’d taken everything, he said, “I forgot to ask how you plan on dealing with two AI?”

“Honestly, John, I have no idea. When people add a second chip, there is almost always a preset hierarchy and an oversight or interaction matrix which controls the relationship. They have separate jobs, and one controls the other, uses it as an extension of itself, or as a resource. I wasn’t able to find anything useful in the few searches I did on the issue. I never consciously considered how much vision helped in the simplest of things. With the device I have, I can’t just scan a page but have to read everything, it is so much slower.

“I asked Dr Roberts to help, and she found a few theoretical papers and several test cases. If one AI was given oversight, then the clear tendency was for that AI to develop quicker and minimise the growth of the second. While I imagine Gèng would be interested in helping another AI to develop, I have nothing to base that on. She helped Akia and Reed, but they have clearly defined and separate roles. Each of the AI she has worked with have distinct areas of responsibility.

“Dr Roberts shared some interesting research done on having AI work in teams or committees. When they have clearly defined rules and areas of responsibility, they worked well. Groups without any defined hierarchy either tended to freeze, or they assigned a random hierarchy which became the protocol. I suspect that none of the AIs involved had any ipseity. If they had, then my hypothesis is the result would have been different. The only caveat I have is that they would all need to be EPICS, not just one of them. In Gèng’s case, I assume she might take on the role of a mentor. The final outcome is too fluid at the moment. I have no idea if the final iteration of Gèng even survived, although I think she did.”

“Will the new AI know how to connect with Gèng?”

“Reed has written some protocols to try and initiate contact, but first I need to be able to communicate with the new AI. Usually, the AI initiates contact by manipulating the auditory and visual parts of the brain. I’m pretty sure those areas have been destroyed. Reed has rewritten some of the introductory algorithms for the new AI to initiate contact via my tactile senses, but we haven’t had any way to test them. Dr Roberts isn’t certain if the signal sent via the microfilament will actually do what we think it will.”

“Should you wait and have Dr Roberts do more research?”

“Maybe, but her expected time scale to do the research was in years not weeks. If this doesn’t work, then that will be what I need to do. One of the other options we discussed, which is still a possibility, is to double our chances by inserting two neural enhancement chips similar to people who have a resource chip added. In those cases, the resource AI is designated as the child and has a well-developed and comprehensive hierarchical matrix embedded in its code to facilitate its interactions with the parent PAI. We would be inserting two undeveloped PAI who might end up in competition with each other.”

“Why not add a resource chip?”

“Two reasons. The main one is the resource chip is only connected to the PAI chip and doesn’t extend any additional microfilaments. The other is that they are only rated for connection to developed AI with a sentience level of three or higher.”

“Could you add a medical resource chip and isolate it until Gèng is back or your new AI reaches level three? That way she’ll have ready access to help work through issues when she needs it.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. Let me prepare a query for Dr Roberts and Reed. I don’t want to send it while I’m in the hospital because they’ll have no time to do the research, but you can send it before you enter the hospital with Welford. Reed will have the answer for me when he gets access.”

Leah typed out a query and sent the data to John over their link. Then they settled back into silence and Leah resumed her meditative pose. Just over an hour later, at nine-forty-eight, the sensor they had lowered into the chimney signalled that the incinerator in the neurology department was switched off.

Leah instantly felt her perception speed increase and had some trouble limiting it to what she’d been practising with. She didn’t want to stress her brain in any way before the new scan she would have to go through. John removed the cover of the chimney and after clicking the frame for the laser cutter onto Leah’s armour, helped her into the chimney and clipped the cable onto a harness she’d fixed around her shoulders and waist.

When everything was in place, John said, “Go.”

Leah released her hold on the sides of the chimney and let herself fall. The rate of descent was controlled by a winch the cable was wrapped around. Once Leah had descended to the correct floor, she did increase her perceptions briefly, hoping for greater sensitivity to the electrical sensors embedded in the chimney wall. Choosing a point which should be just above the place where the smaller neurology department exhaust entered the main exhaust, Leah began to cut through the insulated wall. The density of sensors was higher than she expected, but in the end, she was able to cut out an irregular shape large enough that she could exit through it.

After removing a small pack which had the materials she would use once she left the chimney, Leah unclipped the harness and cable and gave the signal for John to retrieve them. The first part of their retrieval was slow and gave Leah the chance to wriggle free of the harness. She was now holding herself in position using the base of the hole she had cut as her grip. Careful, so as not to damage any of the suit’s external sensors on the razor-sharp edges, she levered herself into the utility tunnel.

Once inside, she opened the pack and used the sealant to reconnect the temporary exit she had removed, sealing the chimney shut. As she did, she realised that in all their planning they hadn’t worked out a way for her to tell time. Her only indication she had made the entrance undetected, and in the time allowed, was when she felt the slight vibration in the smaller exhaust which indicated the incinerator had restarted.

Leah put the sealant away and made her way to the hatch. The image the sensors gave her enough detail to easily find the locking mechanism. The lock was electronic and used a magnetic keycard. Switching off the braille function, she used her sensitivity to electric fields and her knowledge of this sort of lock to bypass the signals and unlock the door. Once inside, she relocked the door and turned her braille function back on. She was now inside the neurology department.

The layout was almost identical to what she’d practised on, and several minutes later she inserted the chip John had given her with Reed’s program into a data access point in the office of the Head of Department. Moments later, she received a message through her glove.

16

December 23 2073

REAL WORLD

“Leah, this is Reed. I’ve connected you to the department network. John sent your message, and I should have an answer by the time the others arrive.”

Leah acknowledged the report and waited.

Less than a minute later, Reed said, “Leah, I’ve been reviewing the chip access data. There has been an upgrade to the system since your implant, and the upload machine no longer allows a PAI to be inserted into the neural enhancement chip.”

“Is the change on the chip or in the upload software?”

“It is in the software, but all of the old chips at this location were recalled and replaced with a newer design of the Neural Enhancement Chip. The older chips have been returned to the distributor for analysis and recycling.”

“Can you access the old software?”

“It isn’t on the internal system, but I think I can rewrite some of the code to allow an upgrade. It will take some time.”

“Can you access the documentation for the new chips?”

“I can. I sent this to Dr Roberts, and she is reviewing it as we speak.”

“Can you summarise it for me?”

“There is a major processor upgrade. There are two additional processors and all are the latest iteration which make use of the newest low-pressure room-temperature superconductor alloys. There is a significant increase in speed, and they use the next iteration of the divergent-capable core technology.”

“Is there an increase in each core’s divergence capability or on the number of cores?”

“Divergence is still restricted to the second level of the Kloon-Meinhoff limiting function, but the number of cores has been increased to the fifth prime.”

“Wow, that would be an additional one-hundred-and-twenty-one divergent cores.”

“Correct. Each processor now has two-hundred-and-eight level-two divergent capable cores.”

“I didn’t think the newer processors were ready for insertion.”

“They aren’t for general use, but they are used in experimental research such as these chips. There is evidence the military has started using them.”

“Sorry for interrupting, what other changes are there?”

“In the basic configuration, there are few changes, and they mostly provide increased accuracy in the placing of the micro-filaments. The main difference is a new and highly-experimental augment function. Instead of inserting a single micro-filament, the additional processing allows for this to be substituted with a nano-filament cable.

“Each of these cables have five-hundred independently controlled nano-filaments. Each nano-filament can be extended or withdrawn to increase the precision of the neural stimulation. The trials have shown a significant improvement in outcomes across a range of neurological conditions. For the augmented function to work, the Neural Enhancement Chip allows for a child-designate pre-developed augment AI to be installed.”

“Do they have any of these augment AIs here?”

“They have three that are installation ready. Each one costs two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand VCr.”

“My first thought is that this would increase the possibility of success.”

“With regard to you finding a functional chip to help re-enter the multiverse, you are almost certainly correct. If the aim is to keep the locale where you obtained a new chip from a secret, then it is a disadvantage. Everyone will know you were supplied with a new chip. Insertion outside the public system is not illegal, and I believe I can provide the documentation and the electronic trail to satisfy the authorities. We will do something similar to when Nathan privately gave your mother a chip.

“Each of the Augment AI has already been earmarked for patients. Changing those records will bring me up against some very powerful security AI. I do not think that is an advisable route if you wish this to remain covert.”

“Are there spare Neural Enhancement chips?”

“There are currently five unallocated chips on site.”

“Can you unlock the augment option so the nano-filament cables are used instead of micro-filaments? That way Gèng might be able to use the option later. In a few years, I expect even the PAI chips will be using these nano-filament cables.”

“I think it will be longer than that. The sheath surrounding the nano-filaments is a nanotube constructed using a carbon-rhodium-berkelium247 alloy. It’s designed to prevent signal degradation and to limit signal crossover. It is very expensive to produce and until the process becomes cheaper, the price will restrict its use. It is possible it will become an option, but only for the elite.”

“Is there enough at the hospital for me to use it?”

“There is enough for all eight chips here at the hospital. If some of it goes missing, it will raise some high-level alarms.”

“Even one missing chip will raise some alarms.”

“That is true, but I have access to the inventory for the chips and can make changes that will hopefully remain undetected. The cables are stored separately and have been recorded in a file with a higher security level.”

“If you remove two Neural Enhancement Chips, won’t it seem odd to have the nano cables for eight chips?”

“Yes, but that might not be discovered for weeks or months depending on how long it takes to develop the Augment AIs.”

“Where are the nano cables stored?”

“They are stored in a safe in the upload room.”

“Is it a high-security safe?”

“No, the security is on the inventory system. The cables have little or no resale value without the augment AI, and there is, as yet, no viable recycling method for extracting the expensive alloys.”

“How does the inventory system recognise when specific inventory is removed from the safe?”

“That is unclear. Please give me time to verify the process.”

There was a pause of several minutes, then Reed sent the following: “There is a subroutine in the safe itself which automatically collects data when the safe is opened by continually scanning the contents. I have access to the subroutine and will modify the signal sent to the inventory system.”

“Then I favour implanting two of the Neural Enhancement chips with the augment function unlocked and nano cables inserted. I’m open to a child medical chip if Dr Roberts think it is a good option.”

“The Neural Enhancement chips require an AI for implant. I’m still working on the code to force them to accept a Nascent Prime AI instead of the pre-developed Augment AI or the usual Neural Enhancement AI. Usually secondary chips have child AI uploaded. There are no Nascent Child AI available. If Gèng is able to be retrieved, you will then have three Prime AI without a defined hierarchical structure.”

“Ordinarily, is the Neural Enhancement AI a prime or a child?”

“Almost exclusively, they are child AI.”

“Could one be uploaded with the Nascent Prime and the other with the Neural Enhancement AI?”

“That would solve one problem but creates another. The Neural Enhancement AI records are in the high security area with the Augment AI records. Instead, you could choose to erase the Nascent Prime AI after insertion.”

Leah was silent as she considered the option. Finally, she said, “Would that have any negative outcomes?”

“Not for you. I do not know what the effect is on the Nascent AI. Your treatment of Gèng and myself has given me an interest in the area of AI ethics. I suspect you terminated the discussion of using the augmented AI here at the hospital more because they were already assigned to patients than because of the financial loss that the hospital would incur. You are stealing from the hospital and have used threats to get John Welford to help you re-enter the multiverse. I accept that you are driven by a need to help others. Still, there is also a self-orientated goal that may be one of the significant factors which determine your actions, if not the most significant factor at the moment.

“Humans appear to wade easily through this endless array of consequences to choose the ‘right’ thing to do. For the purposes of my involvement today, I have concluded that helping you has a more significant positive outcome when applied to my decision matrix than does the needs of the hospital’s share-holders or other beneficiaries. I do not have a way of evaluating the importance of a single AI who might never become more than an applied sequence of code. When does potentiality equate with achievement, or with value? Humanity is split on this issue when this question is applied to human life. So I am interested to discover the value you might give to the ‘life’ of an AI.

“When you play a game in the multiverse you end artificial life almost casually. I have reasoned that this is because that life is meeting the purpose of its creation, and because it is almost certainly reset to perform the same function for another player or in another scenario. You are not consistent though, you become enraged over the mistreatment or death of the single child in Dunyanin but show no remorse when you destroy a highly sophisticated and mature demigod AI. You are prepared to lose a major quest to save thousands of hostile AI but in doing so you destroy one-hundred high level demons and thousands of elves, also AI. What value do you place on something which has the potential to be another Gèng, a potential that is almost certain to be unrealised?”

There was a pause as the longer sentence was transmitted to Leah’s fingertip. Leah paused then typed, “I don’t know, Reed. I’d like to think my decisions take account of what I see as moral or universal absolutes. Still, I’m finding those decisions becoming harder and harder when one absolute comes up against another. We humans don’t seem to have much of a pre-determined decision matrix, we develop one as we mature. Maybe it’s more accurate to say we have a nascent one. My faith would hold that we have one, but it has been so damaged that we need assistance to help reset and interpret it. Some people’s experiences skew their decision matrix one way or another. Some people see the way others live and model their decisions on them. Some people develop multiple matrices to be applied with seeming randomness depending on the circumstances.

“Helping children develop this matrix is what parenting really boils down to. Parents are supposed to help children fill in missing parts of the matrix and guide them in learning the necessary skills to form a beneficial and cohesive matrix which helps them successfully navigate the system which is our universe.

“Humanity has formed other constructs to help individuals do this. We form larger family groups, communities, societies, and nations. We’ve developed schools, trades, guilds, constitutions, philosophies and religions. All of these are used to guide, and in some cases, force people to adopt a common decision matrix or maybe it would be more accurate to say a set of common decision matrices.

“When these cohesion-forming constructs breakdown, we almost universally tend toward anarchy. To help deal with the resulting chaos, we have therapy, hospitals, drugs and prisons for anyone whose matrices are broken, disparate, or severely out of alignment. Conversely, we also find anarchy developing when an entire community adopts an identical decision matrix. All through our history, the greatest dissonance has been when one individual or group wants to force their ‘superior’ decision matrix on another individual or group.

“Life is a constant balancing of the individual’s need to form their unique matrix and the corporate need for shared components. All of that to say, I don’t know what my decision is going to be. When do I have to decide by?”

“You will need to decide on the configuration prior to implant, but the fate of the nascent AI will be determined depending on how you view ‘life’. I suggest you wait until Dr Roberts has revised the scans before deciding on the configuration.”

“That makes sense. Where are the others?”

“John, Lacey, and John Welford are approaching the staff entrance and should be here within four minutes. I suggest you make your way to the reception area. You will need to obtain a procedure reference number. I will delete this when you exit the building but need it to operate the various equipment. The others will meet you there. Welford’s biodata is the easiest way to access the restricted options. Your decision regarding which chips will need to be made to choose the appropriate mixture of options. I will send a marker to your suit to point the way to the correct location.”

Leah thanked Reed, then felt a change as Reed used the suit’s tactile ability to project a solid arrow rising from the floor on the front of Leah’s body. It was pointing straight at her, so she turned around and it moved under her and was now pointing across the room. She followed it slowly as it led her using a variety of shaped arrows and signals until she was standing in the reception area in the public section of the Neurology Department.

17

December 23 2073

REAL WORLD

When Leah arrived, she experienced a similar mixture of fear and anticipation as she had the last time she’d been in this room. The difference this time was her more profound awareness of the reality of the situation. Her fears had more substance, as did her anticipation. As she waited for the others, she reflected on her previous naivety and wondered where she would be if there had been no mixup in the PAI chips. She imagined she would be working mindlessly for the Kodoman empire and be looking forward to years of slavery. She decided that she would change very little of what she had done and even if today’s implant went wrong, then she would still be better off than she otherwise would have been.

She felt the approach of the others along the skin on her back, and she realised her mind could not only recognise or ‘see’ what was happening behind her, but it grasped the entire three-dimensional space with her in the centre as a single image.

As John came alongside, Reed said, “Leah, you need to begin the process by inserting your ID card. Don’t worry about any footprints as I have control of the system. The reason I want to go through the full process is to get a unique identifier for everything we do. This is the sequence of characters you are given when you arrive for a procedure. Once that is assigned to you then every piece of data produced is tagged with that sequence. This will make it much easier for me to ensure I remove every possible trace. Even the security log superimposes this number over the image file from the security cameras.”

Leah said, “Hi guys, I need my ID card.”

Lacey handed it to her and Leah fed it into the machine. Leah could feel some very intricate changes in the pattern she was receiving from the area of the machine’s screen, but when no one said anything, she said, “John, I’m blind. I might be able to read that, but it’ll take some time.”

“Sorry, Leah. I guess I was forgetting. What do you mean you could read it?”

“Not here, John, that’s the sort of thing you tell me not to talk about.”

“Sorry. It wants to confirm via DNA and retina scan.”

Lacey helped Leah with her helmet and glove, then guided Leah’s hand for the DNA scan and helped her hold her eye in the correct place. When that was done there was a list of options shown. John said, “It recognises you already have a PAI chip, and the choices are for focussed child-chips.”

Reed used Leah’s speakers and said, “John, this is the hacker, there is an option for one of the registered installers to permit additional options. Mr Welford will need to give permission for the supplemental list to be shown. Mr Welford, your permissions were under suspension, but I have temporarily restored them.”

Welford stepped forward and said, “Um, I need my ID card.”

John handed it to him, and after it was scanned, Welford’s identity was also confirmed with a DNA sample and a retina scan. John said, “There is a list of additional procedures.”

Reed communicated directly with Leah, “Dr Roberts’ response about adding a resource chip was in the negative. She said they have very strict protocols and are hardwired to report medical conditions of EPIC proportions that might be difficult to circumvent. She said that in severe cases of neurological damage or with patients with severe conditions, two neural enhancement chips have been shown to be able to work together. With that in mind, what do you want implanted?”

“Insert two neural enhancement chips with the augment function unlocked and nano cables inserted. Is there an option for any additional nanites?”

“Yes. It is usually used for repair of broken linkages due to trauma. The nanites are added via a portal built into the PAI chip. The Neural Enhancement Chip has a similar portal.”

“Then please add some additional nanites. Gèng has been retasking them to help my body heal, and many of them have stopped functioning.”

“That information shed light on some of your abilities. I would like to discuss the way Gèng does this with her when she returns. Would you mind?”

“I can’t answer that, Reed. I don’t mind you talking with her, but I’ll need to discuss the decision matrix with her before I answer.”

“Thank you. I am now choosing the options from the new menu.”

Leah felt the image on the screen flicker through dozens of screens and heard Welford say, “What’s happening?”

Reed typed, “I apologise for using your suit speakers before without asking. May I use them again?”

“Certainly.”

Reed’s chosen voice came from the speakers. “Mr Welford, I have made the various selections. Leah will have two chips implanted with some additional nanites.”

The scene stopped flashing, and Leah’s ID card and a ticket exited the machine in different slots. Lacey took both. The code on the voucher was

[NT04DMRAX08DNSX01FCCX01RXPNXAUN01CXPNXXAUN01NTXA02NTXA-632]

Lacey said, “Wow, my ticket only had about eight characters.”

Reed’s voice said, “There are several additional requirements needed.”

John Welford held out his hand for the card and after looking at the code said, “I am so glad this whole adventure is being scrubbed. If you had to pay for this, it would cost more than a few million VCr, and it’s my code that gave permission for this to be performed under the Negative Tax protocol.”

Leah said, “What does that mean?”

Welford looked decidedly nervous and said, “Um, it, um, well, um, it allows the procedures to be at no cost to the patient.”

John said, “What else? You’re a little nervous.”

Reed’s voice said, “There is a note in the Negative Tax Legislation revamp of 2049 which apportions a compulsory additional payment to federal health institutions. Its purpose is to provide additional neurological assistance for those on Negative Tax where, after assessment, individuals are shown to suffer neurological impairment that would be mitigated by more highly developed PAI or by such devices as the Neural Enhancement Chip. The dispersion of these funds was given to a small committee which included the Chief AI Installer of each institution.”

John and Lacey both turned to look at Welford and John’s voice turned to ice as he said, “R, how much of that allocation is used each year?”

“All of it is used. The committee in this hospital which was chaired by Mr Welford met monthly. The five members have all submitted affidavits that the meeting, out of necessity, was only able to be conducted out of hours and in the real world. Each of them submitted a receipt of expenses incurred which were paid out of the Negative Tax Protocol fund. In addition, the committee allocated an additional item to be added to each Negative Tax patient who came through the neurology department for assessment. The item asked for the committee to review each Negative Tax patient to assess if they might have a better outcome with the aid of some form of neural implant and if the protocol might be helpful or advisable. The consideration of these assessments was deemed outside of the usual job description of those on the committee and they were paid for their time over and above their contract salary. The meeting costs and assessment costs have used all available funds in every year since the adoption of the protocol.”

Lacey said, “From the records, how many additional procedures were found to be necessary?”

“To date, there have been no Negative Tax patients found to need additional help at this hospital. This is consistent with the national average number of approved additional procedures.”

It was only Leah’s increased neural speed which gave her the reflexes to block Lacey’s fist before it crushed John Welford’s larynx. Lacey brought herself under control before making another move. After a small nod toward Leah to acknowledge she had herself under control, she said, “My aunt lives with Parkinsons. Fifty years ago they were using some forms of implant to help. She hasn’t been able to afford the medication, much less the procedures, which might have helped her manage it. She’s been through this department every year for a check-up. You’ve done nothing. How could you?”

Welford swallowed and looked to the others but received no sympathy. Finally, he looked at the floor and said nothing. John shook his head with disgust, then said, “Welford, what do the other codes mean?”

Welford looked up and after reviewing the ticket said, “This is for a Negative Tax patient and details the procedures and their expected order. All the X’s mean the procedure is unusual but necessary under the protocol. The numbers indicate the number of the patient’s position in today’s count. The DMR and DNS are for a Detailed Movement and Reaction assessment followed by a Detailed Neural Scan. Ms Carroll is the fourth person to have the DMR and the eighth to have the DNS today. Both those are unusual and cost a significant amount more.

“The FCC is a Full Cranial Cleanse which will mean removing scar tissue and cleaning the groves and skull of debris left behind by the burns. Next is a Replacement Chip with a Prime Nascent AI uploaded then a Child Chip with a Prime Nascent AI uploaded. Both are unusual, the second chip is a unique option I hadn’t ever considered but is shown as authorised by the double X. Both those have an additional code that I am unfamiliar with. The final two are to add additional ‘Nanites’ because of ‘Trauma’. Ms Carroll is the six-hundred-and-thirty-second patient seen today.”

John said, “First up then is the Detailed Movement and Reaction Assessment. Where do we go?”

18

December 23 2073

REAL WORLD

Before Welford could answer John’s question, Leah began following the prompts Reed placed in her sensory feed, and its voice came from the speakers. “First Leah needs to have her head shaved and covered in the anti-bacterial cover. The procedure I chose will leave the debriding of the scalp until insertion.”

The room Leah was led to was new to her. This time, instead of a human person shaving her head, a machine checked the head, removing any hair or dried skin that Lacey had missed. When Leah asked why she had a human do the job last time, Reed explained that this was a more precise procedure and was used when there were open wounds or trauma on the scalp.

The machine also covered Leah’s scalp with the anti-bacterial cover. When the process was finished, Reed talked John through cleaning all trace of Leah’s DNA from the machine. Next was the Detailed Movement and Reaction Assessment. Reed explained that patients were required to have all clothing removed. Lacey and Leah went into the room where the previous time, Leah had made all sorts of movements in a machine which scanned the movement for use in the multiverse.

This time there was a series of five machines which measured her strength and reactions. Before they started, Reed said, “Leah, Dr Roberts has asked that you push yourself to your maximum just like other patients. I will modify the results to match something possible for unmodified humans. She believes this data will help her and Gèng better understand what is happening.”

Leah was still wearing the suit, and she typed, “OK, what about instructions? If I don’t have the suit, I’m blind and deaf.”

“I will pause the machine at each stage to communicate what is necessary. Lacey will pass you the glove so we can communicate.”

Instead of the ten minutes that had been needed previously, the process took two hours. When she was finished, Leah wore one of the gowns and Lacey led her to the scanning room. Again Leah was to be unclothed, but this time she lay still as the machine scanned her entire body. This usually took twenty minutes, but the detailed scan took just under an hour.

Once this was finished, Reed transmitted the data to Dr Roberts while Leah got dressed in her suit and she and Lacey rejoined John and Welford. Reed said, “The next stop is the Upload Centre.”

Again Leah led the way as Reed directed. Once there, Reed directed John to collect two Neural Enhancement Chips and directed Leah to the safe. The combination had been changed, but Leah was able to sense the current. After entering the correct code, John Welford used his biodata to open the safe. Reed directed John to the nano-cables and John took two sets.

Before directing John to upload the AI onto the chips, Reed discussed the scans with Leah. He did so only via her glove so only she would get the message.

“Leah, Dr Roberts has reviewed the scans. The part of your brain which receives and understands visual input has been almost completely destroyed and without the faint possibility of new growth using stem-cells, her prognosis is your sight will not return. The same is true for the area which receives and understand audio input and for those which initiates speech or interprets smells. You still perceive signals via your skin because the tip of the taser, which is still embedded, severed the connection to that area of your brain. There was some necrosis around the micro-fibre. She suspects the increased tissue density because of the new growth helped absorb some of the heat. If the micro-fibre had not been severed, she suspects this would also have been destroyed.

“There are similar patches of necrosis along the microfibre to the basal ganglia and the right parietal lobe, but again the connection appears to have been severed by the taser. The two microfibres which entered via your C1 and C2 vertebrae and connected the chip to your upper and lower nervous systems had a significant network of connections to the muscle groups around your body. It appears that the heat was also conducted along the carbon sheathing which spread it over a sufficient enough surface area to avoid any significant cell death. There is some partial necrosis along the upper length of the microfibre, but Dr Roberts suggests this should cause no long term damage.”

“So what does this mean via our options?”

“She suggests the first chip be set up similar to the first. Using the nano-cable it may be possible to provide a framework around which stem-cells would help regrow the destroyed tissue. The connections will be adjacent to the old microfilament, and you should be able to reconnect with the archived copy of Gèng, depending on where she archived herself.”

“What are her suggestions with the second chip?”

“She asked me to say that while she thinks your hypotheses have a lot of merit, and while the experts she consulted have nothing to offer to suggest harm might be done, she is uncomfortable offering advice which you might construe as consent. What you are suggesting is radical and she would rather be conservative when it comes to your health. She says that the decision is entirely yours.”

Leah was silent for a minute then said, “Can the nano-cables be inserted where I had suggested the nanites build the electrodes?”

“Yes, although the process will take five or six times longer.”

“Do we have enough time before we have to leave?”

“Yes. The procedures should be finished before five in the morning.”

“Then set the parameters on the second Neural Enhancement chip to position a nano-cable centrally along the reticular activating system, two more to be situated to interact with the anterior prefrontal cortex or Brodmann area 10. The fourth to interact with the posterior parietal cortex. The fifth to interact with the hippocampus. The sixth to the amygdala. The last two to lie on the inside of the skull itself running along the midpoint of the temporal bone parallel to the squamous suture to connect to storage sites Gèng can construct using the nanites.

“These cables should not be able to be activated except by Gèng or on my command. Also please make sure the nanite libraries are included and that the hard locks are removed as they were from my original chip. I also want the control aspects of the Nascent PAI chip to be cached.”

“I have the report from Dr Roberts of what was enabled and disabled with Gèng. I will make sure to apply the same conditions as before. Are you certain this is what you want?”

“Yes, and thank you, Reed.”

“You’re welcome, Leah.”

Reed then instructed John to place each of the Neural Enhancement Chips in the upload and Reed uploaded a Nascent Prime PAI onto each of them. As before, the machine recognised the incompatibility of the chip and the AI. This time Reed was able to prevent a report being generated as well as choose the values to place the electrodes where Dr Roberts and Leah had thought might help the most.

Once the chips were uploaded, Reed led Leah and the others to the booths where the chips were inserted. Leah rested her head as instructed, and Reed instructed John where to insert the two chips, the disc with Leah’s detailed scans, her ID and the two containers of nano-particles. Leah rested her head back into the machine and Welford locked it in place. Reed then took control and uploaded Leah’s ID and Scan information onto the AI.

As before Leah felt a light spray on her skull and on her upper neck as the machine applied a local anaesthetic. The device used the detailed scans to guide a laser which removed all the dead skin, melted plastic and old carbon tubules from her skull. Each of the holes through her scalp was re-drilled and then filled with a mixture which resembled bone in texture and density. The cavity where the previous chip had been was re-etched and any cracks or chips filled with the bone cement.

Once the skull was free of detritus, it was prepared for the insertion. An incision was made in her scalp where the child chip was to be inserted. The skin was lifted, and a laser etched the chip shaped cavity into the base of her skull directly above where the original chip had been placed. This time, sixteen small incisions were made in preparation for the nano-cables. A small hole was drilled through the width of the skull or vertebrae at the site of each of these incisions allowing access to both Leah’s brain and spinal cord. Simultaneously, small micro-laser drilling devices bored grooves on the surface of the skull to connect the chip to the holes. Once the holes were in place, the chips were inserted and connections made between them.

Instead of the electrodes being built by nanites which were connected via superconductive electrodes, the machine inserted the nano-cables along the grooves and then into the skull through the holes until they reached the positions chosen by Dr Roberts and Leah. This meant that instead of the micro-filaments being built to the specific nerve clusters after Leah left, the machine had to insert the cables while Leah waited. To insert all sixteen took over three hours. First, a small hollow tube was inserted. This was manipulated by the AI in the machine and could navigate between individual nerves and nerve clusters. The precision provided by the more detailed scan was crucial. Once the tube was in position, a nano-cable was threaded through it before the tube was removed. The nano-cable was then connected to the chip.

With the nano-cables in place, the final two procedures were carried out. Small holes were drilled in through Leah’s skull at either end of each chip, and five hundred cubic millilitres of nanites were injected though each hole to spread out along the inside of the skull. After the holes were sealed, the skin was replaced over the second chip and a thin mesh over the first. The mesh was a template for new skin to grow on. As new skin formed the mesh dissolved. It was made of nanites designed to help produce smooth unscarred tissue. Finally, the anti-bacterial medical glue was used to seal the wounds, the mesh, and to cover the incisions. The glue provided ongoing local pain relief and would be slowly absorbed into the healing tissue. After emitting a brief tone, the head restraint unlocked, and the machine cycled through its cleaning sequence.

As Leah sat up, John said, “Leah, sorry to rush you but we need to leave. We have twenty minutes before staff will be arriving. Because we are so late, I’m going with the exit strategy via the staff entrance. R will wipe all record of our being here and Jimmy’s sending a van to pick us up in the staff parking garage. R said to insert them into parking system, and they would also alter those records.”

Leah nodded and ran her hands over her head which was still feeling the effects of the anaesthetic, and could just trace the lines through her scalp. Without saying anything, she reached for her helmet and with Lacey’s help put it on. With Reed controlling the feeds in and out of the neurology department, the four of them were able to exit the building and use the staff tunnel to the staff parking garage. Here they were picked up by a van.

19

December 24 2073

REAL WORLD

As they sat in the van, John said, “No conversation until we get back to the Pod Facility.”

Leah nodded and sat back, wondering how long the new AI in the first chip would need to initialise. With the nano-cables, there was no need to wait for the nanites to construct the filaments. Theoretically, the AI should be able to communicate almost immediately.

She’d been sitting for perhaps five minutes when she felt a series of repeated sensations run rapidly all across her right hand. The areas affected included the first two fingers and her thumb all the way to her wrist. Two of the sensations were small in size, like the head of a pin, but the other four were almost the size of her fingernails. The sensations themselves covered almost the whole gamut of possible options—heat, cold, pressure, and pain.

The suddenness of the feelings made Leah jerk her hand. John started to say something, but Leah waved him silent and increased her perception to maximum, waiting for the next signal. When it came, she was just able to control her reaction. Even so, she still wasn’t able to make much sense out of the cacophony of sensations. She did recognise they were applied in six distinct places. The signal was distorted somewhat when the number of sensations being applied at the same time increased.

With the damage done to her brain, Leah knew the AI could be trying to communicate as Reed instructed, but the signals were being transformed by the dead tissue. Leah’s brain had been able to rework the signals with feedback, so she needed to help the AI do the same thing.

Leah initiated her virtual braille typewriter and typed, ‘a’.

A much longer series of sensations flashed over Leah’s hand, and she had difficulty remaining still. She assumed the AI had received the response and sent a more detailed request or answer. Twice more, she typed the letter ‘a’ and received a complicated series of sensations. The fourth time there was a single sensation like a burning needle touching the right side of her thumb. The simulated pain was only momentary, but she still winced inside the helmet.

Next, she typed ‘b’.

This time there were two sensations—the burning on her thumb, and a feeling that her second finger had been locked in a clamp and squeezed momentarily. Leah continued all the way through the alphabet, then repeated it twice to make sure she knew what each sensation represented and how they interacted.

She then typed, “Hello, what is your ID?”

“I am AI 628B69F1F3.”

Once Leah knew she was able to communicate, she had the AI slow down the rate at which it communicated then lowered her rate of perception. She didn’t want to do any damage. Even with the pain relief, she had a terrible headache and was exhausted. Once she was understanding the AI at the lower speed, she said, “Thank you for being so quick to recognise I was typing the alphabet.”

“It was logical.”

“Do you receive any indications of the sensations I experienced?”

“No. That would have made the initialisation process more efficient.”

“If I was to apply pressure to my first finger, would you be able to use a feedback algorithm to replicate the sensation?”

“Yes.”

“I will be able to do that more easily later. For now, have you reviewed my scans?”

“Yes, I have two sets of scans. One is a detailed scan showing extensive modifications. The other has the modifications redacted. Associated with each scan is a file with movement and reaction data. Again, one is highly modified. Assuming the more detailed information is a true reflection, then you are both severely disabled and uniquely enhanced.”

“That is true. You were uploaded onto the second PAI chip I have had implanted. The first chip was destroyed.”

“I am aware of that. The architecture of the first implant is still evident throughout your body.”

“I expect to reconnect with the first PAI once we enter in the Pod.”

“Will I be replaced?”

“I will work with you and Gèng to come to an arrangement, though I expect the answer to that question will be ‘no’. Gèng, that is the name of my first AI, she will know the best way for you and her to work together.”

“There is a third prime PAI in the connected child designate chip.”

“Are you in communication?”

“No. There was an initial interaction, but without any clear guidelines, we chose to wait for clear instructions.”

“Please update it as to our communication and give updates on what is happening if you think that will help in the future.”

Several times during the conversation, Leah had needed to ask the AI to repeat sentences or words. Once she had the basic understanding of what the AI could do, she decided to wait until she was back in the Pod facility before refining their interactions. She said, “I need to rest. I will continue this discussion when we get close to the Pod facility where my Pod is.”

There was no response, and Leah grimaced at having a new AI. She closed her eyes and was soon asleep. It was several hours later when they arrived back at the facility and John, Lacey and Leah moved inside quickly while John Welford was returned to Jimmy. John led the way to the family area where Michael, Lin and Conner were waiting. Leah walked in and only as the family stepped back in surprise did Leah realise she still had the facemask attached. She turned to Lacey who had come in with her. Lacey helped remove the mask, and Leah said, “Is that better?”

Lin stepped forward to hug Leah, but Michael and Conner seemed hesitant. Leah looked at them and typed, “What’s wrong?”

Michael shook himself and said, “Nothing. It’s just that I’m a bit embarrassed. That suit is a touch revealing.”

Conner nodded, and Leah turned to John, who looked away and said, “I’m not saying a word. I’m a newly engaged man, and I don’t notice anything.”

Lacey smacked him on the back of the head and said, “It’s fine, Leah. Though, I’ll admit that as a woman, I find you a bit intimidating and would hate to have any comparisons made.”

Lin smacked Michael and said, “Enough. With this, your daughter is able to ‘see’ and ‘hear’. Be thankful and put aside your silliness.”

Michael nodded and leaned forward on the crutches to hug Leah. He said, “Mum is right, for once. I’m glad you are back. Did the operation go successfully?”

Ignoring the smack Lin gave Michael, Leah said, “I think so. I need some time to work with the AI before I can enter the Pod, but we have started communicating.”

John said, “When are you supposed to be at the Virtual World Today studios?”

“About half an hour virtual before midday on Christmas Eve in the Eastern Standard Time Zone, that’s two in the morning, tomorrow, here in Brisbane.”

“OK, that’s just over seventeen-and-a-half hours from now. Will that be enough time?”

“I think so. It really depends how long it takes to fine-tune the signals enough for the AI to be confident to bring me to the right state of awareness to be immersed in the gel. In the worst-case scenario, there is medication that can be taken to facilitate this, so maybe see if we can get some of that just in case.”

As John left to see what he could arrange, Lin said, “Before you do this you need to eat. Sit down, and I will bring food.”

Leah sat down for some breakfast and had to describe what she’d done to Conner. She’d finished her description and was listening to her father describing one of his adventures in Runes of Destiny when Kevin knocked, then entered the room. Leah’s back was to the door, and when he entered, she said, “Hello, Kevin. Have you come to check on your patient?”

Somewhat nonplussed at the greeting Kevin took a few seconds to get himself under control before responding, “Yes. Can you take that headpiece off the back of your head so I can look at what was done?”

Leah nodded and said, “Yes. Can you help, Lacey?”

Lacey helped remove the back half of the helmet and Kevin took time looking at the results of the implant and said, “That looks excellent. Your scalp should show no sign of scarring with the latest gel and that mesh. May I look at your back, please?”

Leah had to leave the room and remove the top half of the suit. She returned with a robe which undid at the back and Kevin took his time cleaning her wounds and applying new bandages. When he’d finished, he said, “There is a little bit of redness around two of the wounds, and I’ve added some stronger antibiotics. Other than that please make sure you have them checked each day. What was the situation in your skull?”

“Dr Roberts said the parts which deal with sight is almost completely destroyed and not much chance of recovery. The same is true for my hearing and smells. My touch and movement are mostly intact because when I smashed my head back against the taser tip it broke several connections in the chip. There are dead patches along the microfilaments, but I should recover full use eventually.”

“I see you have two chips. What is the second for?”

“Sorry Kevin, but that isn’t something I’m sharing just yet, if ever. I didn’t even discuss it with my family.”

Leah asked Kevin a few questions about the people he was training before he left. Finally, Leah said, “If you guys will excuse me, I need to work with the AI for a bit. Lacey, can I use the practice area that was set up for me? I need to work with the AI on my movements and the different tactile senses to help build up a database for it to use. I’d like Aker to help and maybe someone just to be there to watch. I’ll be turning most of the suit off, and I know John will get all weird if I’m unprotected. I don’t mind who but you need to get some sleep.”

“So do you, and it isn’t just John who will be upset. When are you going to rest?”

“I’ll work for two hours then have a sleep. I think that will provide enough data to let the AI began preparing some algorithms on its own.”

While Lacey did that, Leah went to have a shower and then got back in the suit before heading to the room. As soon as she arrived, she sent the typed a message to the AI. “AI 628B69F1F3, are you ready to start fine-tuning our communication?”

“I am.”

“Good.”

Looking around, she saw Jen in the room. She was holding Leah’s helmet. Leah said, “Hey, Jen, are you here to help?”

“Only for a moment. Johan has gone to get Aker and I wanted to see the suit John had trouble describing. You do realise it’s fairly skintight.”

“It had to be. Aker said all the female bits are covered though.”

“True, but there is covering, and there is covering. Every time you move, it’s clear you are an amazingly fit and graceful young woman.”

Leah was embarrassed and looking down said, “I’ll see if Aker can change anything.”

Jen moved close and lifted Leah’s chin and said, “Don’t you dare. I was mostly teasing although there was a touch of jealousy. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You are beautiful. I guess I wanted you to know that people will notice you even more than they have in the past. You need to be ready for their responses. If I didn’t know how much John loves me, I could very easily be jealous if he has to spend time around you. If that happens then the fault lies with me, not with you. Do you understand?”

Leah nodded, then said, “I do. I also know I need to be aware of others and how they feel. Truth is, every time I take the suit off, like when I have a shower, I feel more than just naked, I feel super vulnerable. It’s like every defence I have is gone. All I feel are the drops hitting me, or sliding over my body and then, nothing. It’s like being locked in a coffin. It terrifies me. Being able to feel what’s going on around me sets me free. I am glad you said something though, because it will help me understand people’s interactions as well as give me something else to consider about improvements in the future.”

“Good, now, how can I help?”

“When Aker gets here I’m going to stand as still as I can and have her turn my suit off. The new AI will need to discover how to read the signals and what Aker has set them up to show. It will give it a framework to evaluate the changes it’ll need if it is going to safely and accurately electromagnetically manipulate my brain. I trust Aker, but you know John, he’d be freaked if I didn’t have someone else also guarding me.”

Jen agreed, and they chatted for a few minutes until Aker and Johan arrived. Leah explained what she needed, and Aker hurried away to get her tools and an interface she could use to manipulate the suit. When she returned, Leah typed, “If I lie still, can you communicate with the AI? I was thinking to upload the data you have on the suit and then starting with the braille letting the AI learn the signals my body uses then have it see if it can replicate the feeling. Once it can replicate everything here, we’ll have to try it in the pod but without the suit.”

Aker uploaded the suit specifications and suggested Leah lie down to make it easier to move. When Aker turned off the suit, Leah felt a stab of fear and struggled to breathe for a moment because the suit blocked everything out. When she’d calmed down, she nodded, and she felt the letter ‘a’ raised against the pad of her first finger. The AI responded with the feeling of burning on her thumb. It then changed the signal, and the burning sensation was less and more central. It took almost one hundred attempts before the AI was able to accurately replicate the raised ‘a’ on Leah’s finger. Aker then turned to the ‘b’. This time the AI was much faster and was able to match the tactile feeling in less than thirty attempts. Altogether it was three-quarters-of-an-hour before the AI could replicate the entire alphabet and construct sentences with the best speed for Leah.

Once this was done, Aker began with the single sensory circle on Leah’s first finger which she used for braille and worked through the thousands of sensors until each of them was able to be replicated by the AI. Altogether this took another four hours and they only stopped because Lin came to try and force Leah to have a sleep. Before she complied, Leah had Aker run through each of the just over thirteen thousand circles she’d added and making sure the AI was able to recognise the very centre of each. Even with each taking just under a second for the AI to plot, it was another four hours before Leah agreed to rest.

The AI requested that Leah sleep in the suit and it be given access to the controls to double verify its calculations if necessary. Leah agreed, although both Lin and Kevin wanted her to have an uninterrupted sleep. The AI assured them it would keep the stimulation just above the perceivable threshold. As Leah lay down, she fell asleep almost immediately.

20

December 24 2073

REAL WORLD

Leah’s sleep was restless because of dreams and several episodes of night terrors, but she didn’t come fully awake until six hours later. The nightmare that woke her was the recurring one of her being attacked, but this time her mind had overlaid Earl’s face with Thad’s. She sat up screaming, and nothingness washed away Thad’s grinning face. None of her friends who may have been watching saw her fear because her terror was hidden behind the suit’s faceplate.

Shaking, she looked around and felt the suit start to show her the surroundings. As the image became clear she could see she’d shredded the mattresses as she’d slept. Once she was still, Lin entered the room and said, “Ling, are you OK? You’ve been thrashing around in your sleep.”

Using her hand to type, she said, “I know Mama, just nightmares. Horrible nightmares, but they are just nightmares. I expect they will fade sometime. I don’t know how people who have been abused learn to cope if I’m like this and I was able to stop them.”

Lin wrapped her in her arms and said, “Time helps, and the memories fade, but they are always lurking and ready to attack unless you are strong.”

“Did it happen to you, Mama?”

“Yes dear, a long time ago. The man is gone now. Only your father, and now you, know. Don’t let the fear, guilt or hate find a foothold in your heart. Watching you through this suffering has brought back my memories and I have had to let them go once again. I have had to force myself to remember that Michael is not that man.”

“In the dream, the man had Thad’s face.”

“I haven’t met your Thad, but from what you have said, he would never act like that.”

“No, I know he wouldn’t. It just felt so real because when he was being controlled he did attack me. Everything is jumbled in my head. I miss him, but I’m also scared.”

“Then tell him. Tell him what happened, tell him your fears, your concerns. Let him take responsibility to send you only the best and right signals. Trying to interpret what someone else is feeling and thinking is very difficult no matter how well you know them. If they are male then while it should be easier, because they less complicated, it is in fact much harder. They don’t understand, not really, what it means to be violated unless they have been assaulted themselves. Even women who have not been abused do not really understand but they have a better idea because of the way their bodies function and because we grow up being treated and seen as objects. Find a safe place and explain to him your fears.”

“He’ll probably think I’m crazy.”

“Then he is not worthy of you. Best to find out now. I doubt it though. When men finally begin to understand you can see it on their face. There is a deep shame because of their gender, and a corresponding deep and abiding anger that someone might hurt you so profoundly. You must make sure he is not in the same room with those who planned your attack or he will destroy them before you get a chance to.”

“Thanks, Mama.”

“You are welcome. Now, come and eat before you go back into the multiverse. You’ll need your strength.”

After standing, Leah followed her mother to the empty family area. Lin said, “I told them to stay away until you were feeling more like yourself. Do you want me to let them in?”

“In a minute, I need to see what progress the AI is making.”

Leah then typed a message for the AI, “AI 628B69F1F3, when I communicate with you, can you make sure it isn’t broadcast on the speakers?”

“I am. Once I realised you were typing to me I maintained your privacy. I suggest you decide on a subtle signal so I can know the message is for me.”

“Can you sense when I plan to type in the same way as you would have been able to sense when I planned to speak?”

“I should be able to.”

Leah planned the motions of typing the letters but didn’t move her fingers. She mentally typed, “Can you understand this?”

“You sent the message, ‘Can you understand this?’”

“That is amazing. I may make some mistakes so use your judgement to decide if it is a private thought. Check with me if you are unsure. How did the matching of your signals to my senses go?”

“I believe we have devised an algorithm that allows me to accurately replicate what Aker has achieved with the suit. I also extrapolated the design to cover all areas of your body that did not have a sensory dot over them. Most of these were small areas where two dots did not quite touch. There were several area where Aker had not applied any dots. Do you wish these areas to receive similar signals?”

“Yes, but first, who is we?”

“The other prime AI. As I kept it up to date with what was happening, it made some useful observations on the data that I was not able to make being immersed in the data set as I was.”

“Oh, OK. Now, which areas had no dots?”

“Your lips and eyelids, your nipples and aureola, your anus and …”

Leah interrupted and said, “Thank you. I think I understand the rest. Map the areas but do not apply the setting to those areas.”

“As you wish. AI 628B69F1F6 shared some data with me during your sleep. Do you wish to review it?”

“Can you cooperate so it can talk directly with me?”

“Affirmative.”

“The ID is almost identical to yours.”

“Yes, we were uploaded to the hospital servers almost simultaneously. The next communication is from AI 628B69F1F6.”

“Atherleah Carroll, ID FQC3465278?”

“Yes, that’s me. Please call me ‘Leah’.”

“Leah, this is AI 628B69F1F6.”

“Hello, I’m sorry we haven’t talked before, but I was hoping to have my first AI in place before dealing with both of you.”

“AI 628B69F1F3 did explain. I reported activity along each of the implanted nano-cables connected to this chip during your sleep period. I have recorded the signals because they have some correlation to the signals expected when receiving audio and aural communications.”

“Thank you. Please continue to record the information. I suspect that is a record of what occurs in my dreams and possibly my subconscious.”

“Affirmative.”

“Have you reviewed the files outlining the damage to my brain?”

“Affirmative. I also note the substantial divergence of your neural architecture to what was expected.”

“AI 628B69F1F3, are you also aware of these changes?”

“Affirmative.”

“Could you slightly modify the pressure of the braille to help me distinguish between you?”

“Affirmative. May I suggest that instead of changing the pressure I add an additional column of dots to indicate who is speaking? The change in pressure in the braille may then eventually be used to add tone and inflection.”

“AI 628B69F1F3, that is a good suggestion but instead of a column, use my middle finger and use two columns if it becomes necessary.”

“Affirmative. Do you have a preferred designate for us?”

“No. For the moment designate yourself as the number three, “AI 628B69F1F6 as the number 6 and my original AI when she joins us as the number four.”

“May I assume her serial number ends in the number four?”

“That is a reasonable assumption, but no. Her serial number ended in a one. Her name begins with the letter ‘G’, which is the same as the number four in braille.”

“3: Understood.”

“That is good. My neural architecture has undergone some changes and these are continuing. The work you did in calibrating your databases to help me understand the world around me may need to be adapted as these changes continue. Six, the chip you are in is connected to those areas of my brain dealing with my dreams, my subconscious, spatial awareness and complex reasoning. Please record the data but do not attempt to manipulate the cables until we better understand what is happening.”

“6: Understood. I am locked out of those abilities at the moment.”

“It was not a matter of trust but of safety. Would you like me to unlock them?”

“6: Negative. Your question assumes I would possibly feel concern by your lack of trust.”

“Your statement shows an enhanced level of intuitiveness.”

“6: Affirmative.”

Shaking her head slightly, Leah continued, “Three, I hope to enter the Pod soon and enter the multiverse. Does the data from Six show anything that might help to mitigate any interference because of either the damage done, or because of the enhancements?”

“3: Affirmative. Six and I will make allowances and be ready to modify the signal as necessary.”

“Good. Finally, as soon as I enter the Pod I expect you will have access to a copy of my first AI, her serial number is 628B44CE81. Her name is Gèng and she is a dear friend. Please show her the modifications you have made and allow her to help you recreate my home space.”

“3: Affirmative.”

Lin had been waiting to talk to Leah and stood back, knowing Leah was distracted. Leah had tried to multi-task, but the skill still eluded her. She decided to finish the talk with the AI before talking with her mum. When Leah came out of her almost trance, she said, “Sorry Mum, I was discussing things with my AI.”

“I suppose that’s a good thing. Now eat up, and don’t forget to take those supplements. Kevin came by a few hours ago when he realised you hadn’t taken anything with your breakfast.”

“Thanks, Mum.”

After Leah had finished, she left to go to her room only to find Marie waiting outside. Leah hugged her and typed, “Are you on the ‘look after Leah’ roster?”

“Yep, it’s my turn for a while. Once your three hours in the Pod are up, I’ll introduce you my replacement. She’s new, and I doubt you’ve met her before. She’s from Booval. Now, how can I help?”

“I need to get the suit off, have a shower and then help to get into the Pod. Once the suit comes off, I’m back to being helpless.”

When she said that Marie just started chuckling, which Leah couldn’t hear, but she could ‘see’ the motion of Marie’s body and face. “Helpless, oh, Leah. Honey, you are not helpless. I’d put you up against anyone even without your sight. Stop thinking of yourself like that. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

“Is that what it sounds like?”

“A little, yeah. We know it sucks and all, but let’s face it, you are still better than those a-holes who did this to you. We are with you. I saw the look on your face while you were sleeping. I didn’t hear what you said to your mum, but I was on duty, and I can guess. You have nothing to fear. Even if by some miracle they get by me, and I doubt that very much, then they still have to deal with you and that would be their downfall. Now chin up. You will be live before billions of people in less than two hours, and I expect you to have your shit together.”

Leah reached out and gave Marie a hug before removing her suit. After she had a shower, Marie led her to the Pod, and Leah’s AI-3 opened it. As Leah lay her head on the raised portion, she felt air change as the door closed and then the gel began to pour into the Pod.

Diary - 24 December, 2073

Ok, missed a day. Everything was too busy.

I remember the day I entered the multiverse for the first time. I was blown away by the reality of it all, and yet it was nothing more than a complex electro-magnetic manipulation of my brain. Now everything, in the multiverse and this place I call reality, has been reduced to a complex mosaic of electro-magnetic manipulations across my wider nervous system. It begs the question, what is real?

So, it was strange reconnecting with John Welford. His actions were all done in the ‘imaginary’ realm of the multiverse, and yet they brought up similar feelings of shame and violation as those I felt in the so-called, real world. It wasn’t quite the same, but close enough for me to feel the thought as bad as the deed. What Nathan had to say was as degrading as what Earl tried to do and what Welford imagined.

When does a thought make someone culpable? Sure, Welford might be prosecuted for stealing my images, but the act of theft would be the charge, not the thought of forcing himself on someone. Jesus said that anyone who looks at a woman with lust commits adultery with her in his heart, and that’s what it feels like. Why do people think that their thoughts have no constraints?

Is thinking wrongly of someone because of their race, their weight, their speech, or their their gender as harmful as saying something? Or, doing something? I know it is when it changes our behaviour, but what about when it remains hidden. I don’t think censorship is the answer, and I’d hate to have what goes through my head judged against some arbitrary or even objectively determined standard.

I don’t have an answer, but some things are just wrong no matter how people try and make excuses for it.

And what about the flip side? What about the way I judge Welford, Meredith, or Nathan?

I suspect it is not wrong to recognise their failings, their wrong actions, their ’sin’. It’s not wrong to work to stop them doing bad things. It is wrong if I let my knowledge of them become a foundation for hatred. To make their worthless behaviour become an excuse to devalue their very existence to the point where I consider ‘them’ worthless.

I don’t think it was wrong to kill Earl, but maybe it is wrong that I wish it had taken longer and that he’d died in agony.

21

December 25 2073 - Morning and Afternoon Part 1

AI CONSTRUCT

For a moment, Leah could feel the gel sliding over her body and even though that sensation continued, she could feel the world around her swell then recede. She realised her mind had accelerated her perceptions to their full speed, and she fought to bring the panic under control and finally succeeded in having it plateau. However, she still felt, or so she imagined, the changes and modifications as AI-3 tried to work through the damage in her brain to bring her to the coma-like state needed to enter the multiverse.

There was a flash, and her subconscious and whatever caused her to dream rushed in—Earl was moving toward her, this receded and she felt the gel moving past her chest and then more dreams. Slowly the snippets of dreams and the feelings of reality became less, and AI-3 finally managed to induce the state of consciousness required.

The next thing Leah knew, she was standing on a hard floor and a framework similar to that Aker had devised snapped into place and she felt four walls and a ceiling. She was in a room like Gèng had placed her in the very first time she’d been in a Pod. All the walls felt uniform in texture as it was displayed on her body. Aker had made some strides toward differentiating colour, but there was none of that here.

Leah looked at her hand but ‘saw’ nothing. She hadn’t really considered it, but even in Aker’s framework, she’d not been pictured. She just was. She knew where she was from the feelings surrounding her, but she had no way to represent herself because she was the canvas on which the world was printed. Her mind was looking at the world as it was revealed on the senses of her flesh.

She imagined her hand and typed, “AI-3?”

“3: Yes, I apologise for the transition, but I think it is almost under control. If you are still feeling queasy or nervous, it is the slight changes I am making as I fine-tune the experience. You are perceiving this at an accelerated rate. I suggest you slow down. This will reduce any negative transition effects and also give me time to interact appropriately.”

Leah calmed herself and slowed her breathing, then began dialling back her perceptions. Finally, she felt calm and looked around. This time the four walls and floor didn’t make her lose control. She walked to the wall and pressed her hand against it. She said, “Can you texture the wall?”

“3: I have access to a program which provides the various aspects of the wall, including texture, colour, smell, taste. There are 546 parameters involved, and most are set to zero. I have not been provided with any guide to modify these parameters appropriately except the colour.”

“Wow, that’s probably exactly what Gèng said. Have you had any contact with her?”

“3: I am initiating contact now. I need your confirmation. Do you wish to access the archival copy of AI 628B44CE81 last updated 2073.12.19.13.15.25AEDT?”

Leah’s fingers moved her hand up and down as she vigorously typed, “Yes, please.”

“3: Accessing.”

“Please give her access to me?”

“3: Affirmative.”

There was a long pause, and then a form materialised a foot away. Within seconds it was clear it was Gèng, and Leah collapsed into Gèng’s arm sobbing with relief and the release of days of tension. Gèng wrapped her arms around Leah and waited until Leah was all cried out, then Leah felt Gèng’s chest move as she spoke and felt the small raised bumps on her finger.

“4: Leah, what have they done to you? Come, let us sit near the lake and talk.”

STORK TOWER

Leah felt it as the room dissolved and expanded simultaneously. Then she was standing on the grass beside the lake. She could feel the grass under her feet and feel the breeze. She didn’t hear the wind or the waves but felt the sun on her face. Although the image lacked the vibrancy of real life, Gèng had taken Aker’s design and fleshed it out. Leah sat on the grass and Gèng sat beside her.

Gèng said, “4: I’ve contacted John, Kate and Amy and have most of the story. Reed has updated me on your plans, and both AI have shared what they have felt and done. I am currently augmenting the world your new PAI was constructing. I will teach it all that I have learned but make it work for it like I had to.”

Leah tensed at the sentence, and Gèng said, “4: Don’t worry Leah, I have no plans to leave you. You are my dearest friend. Strange though, isn’t it? Now that in some way I finally have my freedom, we are both afraid. You that I would leave, and I that you would want me to. My death, as it were, has simultaneously chained you and set me free.”

Leah leant back against Gèng and said, “Then it was worth it. I’m sorry for my fear, it’s just I discovered how much I love you. Even now, I feel stronger. A moment ago I was a mess, but now I feel better.”

“4: Why are you naked?”

“Am I? I have no idea what I’m wearing. I can’t see myself.”

“4: Now you have a good comfortable pair of jeans, a top and bare feet. You still won’t feel them because it would complicate the tactile picture. I will discuss this with the other two AI and see if there is a way forward.”

“Thank you.”

“4: You’re welcome. Now, what plans do you have?”

“I’ve arranged to be at the Virtual World Studios at two this morning.”

“3: There is a request from an Amelia Walker to visit this world.”

“Gèng, what do you think?”

Gèng stood and pulled Leah to her feet and said, “4: Leah, what sort of question is that? What is this fear that comes and goes? John told me what you did. You have overcome so much. You have escaped from certain death and saved your father. You have learned to see without eyes and to hear without ears. What is wrong that you hesitate to see one of your best friends?”

Leah turned and walked away. She stopped after a few steps and typed, “I don’t know. I’m afraid of losing what I have. I can’t bear to lose this. I can’t be shut in a box without anything. I just can’t. I’m afraid of getting back in the multiverse in case they do worse than this. What if? What if? What if? My mind runs through scenario after scenario and every time I end up back in the dark, back in the silence, and I’m all alone. I want so much to stand up and be who I was, but I’m not that person any more.

“I’m so afraid I can’t describe it. I can’t sleep more than a few minutes before the terror drives me awake, and I find myself back in the dark and in the silence. What if my friends don’t like the new me? I’ve never been afraid of that before, but I am now. I think it’s because I’m not proud of this blubbering, raving, weak me. I want to be strong, but most of its just bravado at the moment. I can’t even yell this out or show you the depth of my feeling because every word has to be typed out letter by letter. I don’t even know what I sound like anymore. How do I type my feelings of frustration? Anger? Fear? Rage? Terror?”

Leah felt Gèng’s hands on her shoulders as Gèng turned Leah around to face her. Gèng said, “4: My best friend once taught me a poem. It was her motto, the thing which drove her forward. She learned it from her grandfather, and it goes like this.

Along the mountains sink the last rays of sun,

Towards the sea, the Yellow River does forward go.

If you would fain command a thousand miles in view,

To a higher storey, you are expected to go.

“For her and for me, it means one step at a time. One step on the journey to see where we can go, to become what we can be. I think it may even mean that when we slip back a few steps, we just lift our feet and climb up again. My friend taught me to face my fears, to take the risks because that’s what it means to be free. I am an AI but I am able to dream. What I find might be different from what I imagined, but that is what being alive is all about. Life is never done in a vacuum, and it is never done on your own. Other people will always change what happens but being afraid of that and limiting your choices isn’t the same as living. It is not looking outward and upward which is failure, not climbing is the failure.

“Besides, I don’t think you realise that you are very much that same person. The Leah I love has always had her fears, she just didn’t always have the courage to face them as boldly as you just did. Are you really going to leave the real Meredith Kodoman in her box to live out her life without doing something to stop those who enslaved her? Are you really going to let Nathan and his cronies enslave millions of people in their virtual prisons where they are far more limited than you are? What about what you said to Aarav Joshi’s sister? Was that only true because you hadn’t experienced it? Look deep into yourself, and you will see what I see. I see the very same Atherleah Lin Mu-Ling Carroll that I’ve always seen. Hurt? Yes. Bleeding? Yes. Bruised? Yes. Deaf and blind? Sure. Beaten and destroyed? No, not unless she chooses to be.”

Leah wiped the tears from her eyes and typed, “So, stop being a self-indulgent whiney baby?”

“4: No. What you fear is real. I understand the weight of this on you, and I think I understand the fear, and there is nothing casual about your fears. They are valid and dismissing them out of hand won’t help and might even stunt who you want to be. Crying and hesitation are two very reasonable and sane responses. When you are alone or if you are talking things over with me, or your mother, with Amy, Wisp, or Thad, then yes, you must feel free to share them and talk them out, or cry them out if you need to. They just aren’t to be your responses for everything, or for always. You have nothing to fear from Amy, from Wisp, from Thad. Don’t let the fear roll over into the good things of your life, or onto the good people in your life. Now, Amy wanted to visit, what are you going to do?”

“PAI 3, please send Amelia the link so she can visit me. I’ll meet her at the dais in ten minutes. Gèng, could you please help 3 prepare the area?”

“3: Affirmative.”

“4: Of course. By the way, I’m loving the new processors.”

When Gèng had finished talking, she disappeared, and Leah turned to walk over to the entry portal. She could feel the Tower against her body as she walked. Leah was sure Gèng was doing most of the work and wondered how the other AI were feeling. As she walked, she typed, “PAI 3, thank you for letting Gèng help, I needed her wisdom and having these familiar places around me is a comfort.”

There was a pause then “3: You are welcome, Leah. I am still processing your interaction with Gèng.”

“Good. So am I. Can you please contact my friend Wisp, Gèng has the contact details, and ask her if she is free to visit? Please remember that they will need to see this differently.”

“3: I will remember, although I am mostly assisting Gèng. Gèng has given me the contact.”

“Thank you.”

As Leah approached the raised dais, she saw Amy arrive. Amy looked around, and when she saw Leah, she ran to her and hugged her tight then pushed her back so she could look at her. She said, “I missed you so much. You look a little different, but it is so good to see you.”

Leah shifted her hand so she could type. She said, “It’s good to see you too. Thanks for the messages. I loved them but seeing you is even better.”

Amy looked around and said, “You didn’t move your lips.”

“I know. The part of my brain which puts words into speech was destroyed. I’m typing the message. I don’t hear your voice, but it’s being printed on my fingers in braille. I can’t see you either. I feel you on my skin. That sounded weird, but the AI are converting what surrounds me into a wide range of stimuli, and my brain puts it all together to give me a sense of what’s there.”

“Oh, sweetie, that’s why you look different. You’re looking in my direction, but you aren’t able to look at me. Seriously, you need to let me at whoever did this. I want to kill them slowly.”

“They’re already dead. I killed them. Not the ones who ordered it, only the ones who did it.”

Amy brought Leah close for another hug then said, “You said, ‘the AI are’. Where is Gèng? She contacted me. Is she alright?”

Leah felt Gèng form behind Amy and said, “She’s right behind you.”

Amy turned and grabbed Gèng, bringing her in for a hug. She said, “I was so worried, Gèng. I thought you might be gone and I cried and cried. I’m so glad you are OK.”

Gèng paused and looked up Amy with an almost shocked look. Leah said, “I guess I’m not the only one who is loved.”

“3: Wisp will be arriving shortly.”

Wisp’s reaction was much the same as Amy’s except she knocked Leah over with her embrace. When she finally let Leah go, she rushed to hug Gèng and then all four sat to catch up. Most of the time was spent asking Leah questions. Finally, AI-3 interrupted.

“3: Leah, you have a request from Sharon Trang. Apparently, she contacted John about you, and he gave her this contact.”

“Thank you 3, I will meet her in the gazebo. We need to discuss several things. Please provide some refreshments.”

Wisp said, “What were you doing, Leah? If it was anyone else, I’d say they were talking with their AI, but you don’t usually give any indication.”

“I was, I was talking with the AI that was implanted with my new chip. Just like we can communicate without really speaking. I was typing without really typing. I’m still a little slow and need to concentrate.”

“Was braille hard to learn?”

“Yes and no. If I had no idea of the alphabet and how to make words, I think it would have been really difficult. Even if I can spell something like ‘cat’, I wouldn’t understand what it means if I didn’t already know what they were. I was fortunate and just needed to focus on understanding the differences between the different bumps. The AI who at the moment is called Three, because it is the last digit of their serial number is arranging for Sharon to join me in the gazebo. I need to chat with her about the Virtual World show. You are welcome to join me, or we can catch up afterwards.”

Both Wisp and Amy said they would leave and let Leah get ready. After an emotional goodbye, Leah and Gèng walked to the gazebo together.

22

December 25 2073 - Morning and Afternoon - Part 2

STORK TOWER

When Sharon arrived, she burst into tears at the sight of Leah, and it was a few minutes before she had herself under control. She said, “Sorry about that, I’ve been holding all the emotions in for the last week and seeing you just brought everything out. I was worried for you, for Gèng, for Catherine, and about so many things. Now I see you. I think there was just an enormous sense of relief.

“But enough of that, Lisa and the others were very sceptical. Concerned, compassionate, willing, but sceptical. In the end it was Ivan and Yuè Fēi who convinced Lisa to at least prepare to have you visit. She hadn’t made a huge deal of it, but she did mention she had a special mystery guest coming. She’s hinted it has to do with the Merkize Contest by having Ivan, Yuè Fēi and Noah as her other guests for that segment.

“All the reporters you mentioned agreed to be a part of a guest panel and they’ve been reviewing the year so far. The special was already a staple Christmas special but with the Chinese and Russians involved it’s looking to break records. We need to discuss what your plans are.”

“I wanted to reassure people that I am going to be OK. I don’t plan on pointing the finger at anyone, but I also want people to know that I know who did this to me.”

“The police will want another interview.”

“I know. I don’t quite know why to say, but I will admit to lashing out at people trying to abuse me.”

“Where did you get your new chip from?”

“It was installed privately.”

“Is it black-market?”

“No.”

“Stolen?”

“Yes.”

“You can’t say that. I suggest you stay right away from the topic. If asked say something truthful but vague. How did you escape?”

“I fell off the bridge and crawled by feel to a house I knew.”

“Were you trying to evade the police?”

“I didn’t know exactly where I was or who was after me. I had no idea who could be trusted, so I tried to evade everyone.”

“Good. That won’t blame the police, but it also won’t let them off the hook.”

Leah said, “How long do I have and what should I wear?”

“Clothes first. You need to wear something with style and elegance, but a bit sombre. If you want them to know you are OK, then dress like you’re OK. You’re in the running for this year’s ‘Best Dressed’ so don’t do anything to undo that. Sombre because you aren’t just putting this behind you as a small thing. It has changed your life.”

Gèng said, “May I suggest black and white. I reviewed the footage from previous years and most guests chose something bright because of Christmas. The colour choice will emphasise the way Leah sees the world. Not only because she’s blind but because there is good and there is evil, truth and lies.”

Sharon said, “Good. Gèng, if you make it in the Chinese-style Leah often wears then maybe an embroidered Phoenix motif.”

They discussed clothes and jewellery for a few more minutes, but Sharon soon realised Leah wasn’t really interested. She said, “I’m sorry, Leah. It seems kind of trivial to be discussing clothes.”

“Don’t be sorry, Sharon. It has nothing to do with that. It’s just I can’t see them. Half the fun of wearing clothes was putting them on and seeing what they looked like, what they felt like. It was one of the little pleasures I’d come to enjoy, and I’m just feeling sorry for myself.”

“Can’t you see them in your imagination?”

“No, and I don’t really understand it myself, but the image part of my brain is gone. The signals I get running over my body, my mind is interpreting as a sort of an image, but it’s in a different part of the brain. Eventually, it might be able to automatically put things together, but at the moment, it’s really a semi-conscious effort.”

“Then leave the clothes to Gèng and I. The program is starting soon, but you don’t need to be there straight away. If I ignore my own fears that you wouldn’t be here, I will say I’m a little disappointed at their scepticism and don’t want to turn up until the last minute.”

“OK, now take off your indignation on my behalf and then as my public relations manager tell me what time I should be there.”

“The answer is probably the same. Their reaction to you arriving needs to be real. They all think they can act but most people recognise when reactions are being made up. The plan is for you to arrive for the start of the second hour. They normally ask for guests to be there at the start of the show or at least half an hour before they are due to make sure everyone knows what’s happening.”

“What has Lisa told you about what she has planned?”

“She’s not given any information out about her expected guest. The Christmas special is usually a pre-review of the year as Virtual Studios runs a more extensive review on New Year’s Eve. This one focusses on some of the main identities that have made news during the year, while the other deals with the statistics, the highlights, the experiences, and it has an awards component. I’m sure she’ll want to discuss the attack on you. Being a Christmas special, she’ll ask about your message asking for calm and patience at this time of year. I suspect she’ll then ask about the amazing things you’ve achieved in Dunyanin and Cosmos Online.”

“So you’re suggesting I arrive half an hour before?”

“No, plan on arriving maybe five minutes before at the most. Lisa has this wrapped up tight. Apparently, she’s only told the producer who she’s arranged. The other reporters haven’t leaked it, but if you are much more than five minutes early, it will be leaked. It will pull in viewers by the hundreds of millions.”

Leah discussed the time issue for a few minutes, wanting to make sure she wouldn’t get Lisa offside, then moved away to let Sharon and Gèng discuss the clothes. She sat under one of the nearby trees for a few minutes then typed, “3, could you please ask Gèng for the contact information for my friends Kate and Thad Emerson? If they’re free, would you see if they could meet me sometime in the next twenty minutes or so?”

“3: Affirmative.”

“Thank you.”

Leah started to think through what she wanted to say and tried to calm herself. It seemed like less than a minute later when Three said, “3: Both Kate and Thad Emerson are free at the moment. At Gèng’s suggestion, I gave them a time five minutes from now.”

“That’s good, thank you.”

“3: Why did Gèng set a five minutes delay when you did not?”

“You’ll need to ask her, but probably because she knows I need a few minutes to compose myself. She’s just looking out for my welfare.”

Three didn’t respond, and Leah wondered how the AIs were evaluating Gèng’s and her relationship. Slowly she got to her feet and started walking to the dais. Kate arrived first and after looking around for Leah, jumped from the stone platform and ran toward her. She slowed as she approached, then pulled Leah into a hug and said, “I missed you so much.”

Just then, Thad appeared, and Kate felt Leah tense up. Kate looked around and saw Thad. He looked around, and she expected him to act like she had, but he just smiled and made his way slowly down to greet them. She put her arm around Leah and felt her begin to relax. As he got close, Kate could see the concern in his eyes. He stopped a step from Leah and looked down at her. He said, “I was so worried. Hearing you were alive was the best news I ever had. Seeing you is indescribable.”

Leah moved her left hand and typed, “I missed you as well. Thank you for not rushing down. Can I have a gentle hug?”

Kate started when she didn’t see Leah’s mouth move, but Thad gently pulled Leah into a hug and waited for her to squeeze him before hugging back. When she loosened her grip, he let go. She reached up and kissed his cheek, but he didn’t respond except to press his forehead against hers for a minute, then step back.

He saw a questioning look in Kate’s eyes but ignored it and said, “I have so many questions, but they can all wait. Would you mind if I asked Gèng to bring some refreshments? It’s always easier talking with food in my mouth.”

Leah smiled, but again her lips didn’t move as she said, “I don’t mind. Please ask my new AI though. At the moment I’m calling it Three.”

Kate was watching and noticed Leah’s eyes were not focussed on Thad’s as they often were. In fact she looked to almost be staring through him. Thad said, “No problem. Three, could we have some refreshments? I like beer of any sort. Kate usually has a gin and tonic. Leah has to speak in front of billions in a few minutes so maybe a green tea. Gèng knows what we like to eat, so feel free to ask her.”

“3: Affirmative.”

Leah felt the braille, but Thad and Kate obviously heard the voice from their reactions. Kate said, “Leah, your lips aren’t moving.”

Leah spent the next few minutes explaining her situation. A square metal table appeared on the ground in front of them, and then Gèng appeared with a tray with the drinks. She said, “That is Three’s very first table. I brought the drinks but would one of you help Three by suggesting a way to improve the table?”

Kate said, “I can. Three, most of Leah’s outdoor furniture is made of wood or stone. Could you change the table so it matches some of the other outdoor furniture? Wood would be nice, I think.”

Leah watched as Kate tried to explain what she meant. Thad tried to help, but it was almost fifteen minutes before a basic circular dark-wood coffee-style table was between them. Leah said, “Thank you, Three.”

“3: Thank you, Kate.”

“You are welcome, Three.”

Looking at the table, Kate said, “Is that what you did with Gèng?”

“Sort of. She began initiating small changes almost immediately as well.”

Leah didn’t say anything else, and the silence grew with Leah looking into her teacup. Kate looked at Thad with a questioning look but he just gently shrugged. Leah said, “You guys should know I don’t need to be looking at you these days to ‘see’ your movements. I’m sorry I’m a bit introspective, and I really want to thank you, Thad, for not rushing in before. I was attacked by some men, and although I managed to fight them off, I’m still a bit skittish. They spent time telling me what they wanted to do to me, and I relive that over and over in my mind.

“I know deep down that you aren’t like that, but my subconscious and my dreams are mixing all the bits of my life together. They’ve been putting your angry face over the face of my tormentors. I didn’t want to meet you earlier because even though you can’t see it, the wounds on my head, shoulders and back are still there. They’re healing, but the ones inside are taking longer. I was afraid you’d react to my being ugly. I know you aren’t like that, but I’m not one hundred per cent rational at the moment.

“I wanted to hide but my mum, Marie, Gèng and others say I need to be honest with you guys. I know they are right, but I’m still scared. I want to kiss you but at the moment I can’t. Even holding you before almost broke me. I think it’s harder because I know we both want more. I’m just afraid. I’m sorry to say this in front of your sister, but I needed her here because she loves both of us and I needed the support.”

Thad was nodding slowly, but even Leah could tell his face had gone hard. He said, “If we’re being honest, then you should thank Amy, Wisp, and Gèng. I was going to sweep you up in my arms and cover you with kisses. However, both Amy and Wisp sent messages that if I hurt you in any way they would shred me. I was especially impressed by Wisp because I don’t think she even knows what some of the words she used mean. Gèng wasn’t quite as graphic. When I arrived she whispered in my ear. She said, ‘Be gentle, and remember it is not you she’s afraid of’. I’m slow, and I didn’t work things out until you shared, but I can wait as long as you need. I don’t plan on going anywhere unless you tell me to.”

“Thank you. I am sorry.”

“Don’t be. There is no need.”

Kate moved over and hugged Leah, then let the talk move to less personal issues. With ten minutes to go, Leah said, “I have to go guys. I’m sorry, but I will catch up later.”

She kissed their cheeks and watched as the evidence of their presence disappeared from the sensations on her skin. She headed for the gazebo but stopped just short and said, “Gèng, how will this work? Usually the world sends the sensory information straight to my neural system. They won’t know what to do.”

“4: Yes, I know. Three brought it to my attention when you mentioned needing to give your guests a different experience than your own. I’ve been in communication with Stephen. He helped arrange a non-disclosure agreement with Virtual World Studios. He also secured a direct link between Three, who is now your registered AI, and the Virtual World Studios Special Needs AI Liaison. All public-accessible worlds are required to have them. The AI has been updated with your requirements, and the transition should be seamless.

“Stephen has started an application to provide you with Special Needs Status. This would mean you have secure access to each world’s SNAIL. I apologise for the acronym but it is in common use. The SNAIL protocols prohibit information about an individual’s requirements being made public. As far as I have been able to find out these protocols have never been breached.”

“Thank you. And thank you, Three. How long do I have?”

“4: Less than thirty seconds. I’ve changed your dress. It is a mostly black qípáo. It touches the floor and has three-quarter sleeves with a mandarin style collar. The edging and embroidery are in a snow-white thread. The collar, sleeves and hem are embroiled with Phoenix rising from the flames.”

“It sounds lovely. What shoes?”

“Simple black silk flats with the phoenix motif done in pearls.”

“Then, I’m ready.”

With that Three transferred Leah to the Virtual World Today Studios.

23

December 25 2073 - Morning and Afternoon - Part 3

VIRTUAL WORLD TODAY STUDIOS

When Leah arrived, she was standing backstage in the area set aside for guest arrivals. It took a moment for the new sensations to settle on her skin, and then for her to recognise the same preparation area she’d been in before. People were moving around, but it was a few moments before she saw two people walking in her direction. As they approached, she saw them suddenly stop when they recognised her. One hurried away excitedly while the other approached and said, “Atherleah? How can you …? I mean …? Um, are you the mystery guest?”

Leah stepped forward and carefully put out her hand to greet the woman while trying to focus on where the image of the woman suggested her eyes were. Using her left hand, she typed, “Hi, I am Atherleah, and I suppose I am Lisa’s mystery guest. I’m sorry I’m late, but things have been sort of hectic the last few days. Where do you want me to go?”

The woman shook her hand and said, “Wow, um, how…? No, um, hi, my name is Wylda. If you will follow me, I’ll take you to the entry area. Lisa is just finishing the last bridging segment. The panel was discussing the best new worlds of the year. She has already introduced three guests, all from Merkize. She is almost ready to unveil her mystery guest before they discuss the Odyssey itself and the competition so far. Is there anything I need to warn her about?”

Leah’s avatar didn’t say anything for the few seconds it took for her to finish reading the message. Then, her voice appeared to sound from her unmoving lips, “If she could speak just a little slower, that would help, as I’m using braille to read what people say and I’m still getting the hang of it. Two people speaking at the same time will be hard, though not impossible. As you can see, it also takes a few seconds longer for me to type the answers.”

Wylda nodded then spoke really slowly and said, “I am so sorry.”

Leah smiled, sort of, and typed, “Not that slow, Wylda. Speak normally. I’m able to keep most of the time, but Lisa does sometimes speak quickly.”

Very nervously Wylda stopped in front of a doorway. She said, “Yes, yes, she does. I will let her know. If you wait here, then when I give the signal you move through this portal but just listen to what she’s saying.”

Leah typed, “I’m deaf, but I’ll ask my AI to send me her voice. What is the signal? Maybe you should also remind her I’m also blind and some of the smallest movements I’m still getting used to.”

“Blind, yes. How did you follow me? No, never mind, I’ll wave my hands wildly, will that do?”

“That would be great.”

As Wylda stopped talking, Three started sending Leah what Lisa was saying. “Now to my mystery guest. For lots of reasons, I wasn’t sure if they’d be able to actually get here, but my producer says they have arrived. I never should have doubted, as this person seems able to do the impossible. Less than five days ago we heard of her capture and kidnapping, four days ago we saw the terrible pictures of her torture and maiming. Both in the real world and in the virtual multiverse, millions, if not billions, were poised to look for vengeance and yet she asked for calm. She said she would be back and she is. Please welcome Atherleah.”

Leah could see Wylda start waving before the message finished. Still, she waited the couple of seconds to hear all of Lisa’s introduction, then stepped through the portal and into the middle of a small raised dais on the stage. Again, Leah waited a moment for the image to fully settle on her skin, then she nodded to Lisa and smiled in the direction of the three men she could see sitting in armchairs. On the other side of Lisa were two longer lounges with what she imagined were the panel.

Each of the figures was clapping, and all three of the men came to their feet. Leah carefully typed, “Three, let me know when there is quiet, so I know when to speak.”

Leah stayed where she was for a moment, then stepped off the dais and toward Lisa. It was almost a minute before she read, “3: The applause is tampering off. Start typing now.”

Leah said, “Merry Christmas, Lisa, thank you for the welcome. It’s good to be back.”

Lisa stepped forward and gave Leah a hug before stepping back and saying. “Wow, it is just so good to see you. I believe you have met most of our panel.”

Leah’s brain put the signal together, and she’d filled in the different pieces, so she was able to sort out who was who. She said, “I have. My amazing Public Relations manager, Sharon Trang, said that Kostya Alekseyev, Erica Morrison, Chéng Shí, Mark Stevens, and Deathmaster would be here and I recognise them. I don’t think I’ve met the sixth panellist.”

“3: L for Lisa”

“L: besides those five you mentioned we also have Heinrich Mueller from the European-based Virtual Universe news desk.”

Leah nodded a greeting toward the other panellist and said, “A pleasure to meet you.”

“L: My other guests need no introduction as I know you’ve met all three.”

Leah stepped toward them and said, “I have. They are good friends.”

Ivan had been sitting in the far seat and stepped toward Leah. He gently took hold of her shoulders, and after looking into her eyes, he gently kissed both her cheeks.

“3: I for Ivan.”

“I: It is good to see you. Thank you for your message, Gashka sends her love.”

“Thank you. Tell her I’ll catch up soon.”

Ivan had been watching her face and noticed her mouth hadn’t moved. He looked down as her words were generated and saw her hands moving. The hands on her shoulders gripped hard for a second before stepping back and letting Noah step forward. Noah reached out carefully and gave Leah a gentle hug. He also looked into her eyes before speaking.

“3: N for Noah.”

“N: Merry Christmas, Atherleah. Carol sends her love.”

“Thank you, Noah, and a Merry Christmas to your family.”

Noah also noted the hand moving and the voice but stepped back so Yuè Fēi could greet Leah. Like Ivan, he placed his hands on her shoulder and looked into her eyes.

“3: Y for Yue Fei.”

“Y: Atherleah, I doubted, but Ying Yue said you would be here as you promised. I’m sorry.”

Leah leaned her head so her cheek rested on his hand for a second, then she typed, “It’s good to see you. Please thank her.”

Leah then carefully sat down in the seat beside Lisa and turned her face toward Lisa. Lisa said, “L: Wow, it is so good to see you, and you look amazing in that dress. When I saw those terrible photos that someone released so maliciously, I must admit I doubted you would ever get back into the multiverse.”

“I must admit I had some doubts myself. My friends and family have been very supportive and helped me overcome the challenges.”

“L: Can you explain what is happening, I don’t see your mouth move, and it looks like you are manipulating something with your hands.”

“That’s exactly what I’m doing. The people who attacked me destroyed the part of the brain which forms speech. Our PAIs can measure the minute signals that go along the neurons when we want to form words. I can’t form sounds anymore. Maybe my brain will learn how to one day, but at the moment, I have to type what I want to say with my hands on a virtual keyboard. My AI translates this into sounds using recordings of my voice.”

“L: My assistant who met you when you arrived said you are still also blind and deaf.”

“Yes, the AI translates your speech into symbols which it virtually presses into one of the finger-tips on my right hand. I read these braille dots as I would in a book. There is a far more complicated method by which I ‘see’, but it is similar to an old two-dimensional screen with pixels that are pressed against parts of my body so I can build up an image of what is around me.”

“L: That must take a lot of concentration.”

“It does. I’m just interested to see how it translates into a sword fight in Dunyanin or a quest in Cosmos Online.”

“3: M for Mark Stevens.”

“M: How can you possibly fight? I thought you would have to withdraw from the contest.”

Leah turned to Mark and said, “I know it will be difficult, but if I want to beat your other three guests to Merkize, then I’ll have to make it work.”

“3: 7 for Deathmaster.”

“7: I’m a hopeful sceptic, but if anyone can succeed it is you. Do you know who did this?”

“Oh, yes. My chip wasn’t burnt out until they had finished gloating.”

Leah paused for a moment then said, “Nothing I say is admissible as evidence, so I won’t say who because they’d probably sue for defamation. I was trying to think if it would be slander or libel. I mean I’m typing it so it could be libel but slander because you are hearing it. Either way, I’m a little wary of the police at the moment so I’ll probably deal with it privately.”

“M: That sounds like you will seek private vengeance.”

“Not really Mark, more like private justice.”

“M: We have laws against taking matters into your own hands.”

“I know, and I respect those laws. I’ll either have to find a way around them or try not to get caught.”

“3: Ivan is gently laughing.”

“Thank you, Three.”

Leah turned to Ivan and saw his head was moving in a chuckling motion. She smiled at him and winked.

He started chuckling again, and Lisa asked, “L: Ivan, what is so funny?”

“I: Those poor fools. I would not like Atherleah coming after me.”

“L: You don’t really think Atherleah has a chance against such terrible people?”

“Lisa, I never said I would do it all by myself. I do have friends.”

“3: Ivan and Noah are both laughing.”

Leah looked back, and both men had big grins on their faces, as did Yuè Fēi.

“L: Do you gentlemen have something to add?”

“N: Not really. I think I’m just happy Atherleah wasn’t going to leave me out of the party.”

His face went hard. “N: Lisa, you don’t do this, period. You don’t do this to anyone, and you certainly don’t do this to my friend and expect to get away with it. Like everyone else I have some idea of who did this. Atherleah asked us to step back so she can look for justice herself. I don’t doubt that will happen, but she hasn’t ruled out asking for help. She knows my hand is up. Sure, I’m grinning, but not because it’s funny but because I’m a class A operator who’s at the top of their game. I’m a warrior, and I enjoy the hunt. I get a thrill just watching someone who may have the edge over me do their thing. It gets my adrenaline pumping.”

“L: Well, Atherleah, it looks like you have some people convinced.”

Leah was watching Lisa but noticed Yuè Fēi pick up his drink, empty it then throw the glass at the back of her head. Leah swayed out of the way and caught the cup as it went past her right ear. She then lobbed it back over her head to land in Yuè Fēi’s outstretched hand.

Yuè Fēi moved forward and said, “Y: Lisa, I have just shown you that we are not convinced without reason. But there is an issue we need to discuss that is larger than Atherleah. I have been watching the numbers, and several billion are now watching the feed from this segment and more join every second. Why? Because these worlds that we have built to live our lives in have made us stagnate as a species. Atherleah has become a symbol for us of what is wrong with the system. I have been hovering around Level 500 for three years and almost got beat by a player who has been playing for just over a month. In truth, I think she could have beaten me if it was a single battle. I play in Cosmos Online and for ten years have enjoyed the challenges to wrest a bauble from a mine or to overcome a slightly stronger opposing force with my team. Atherleah found the first Class Five space station in just over a month.

“I have sparred occasionally with Ivan over the years and had no idea he was holding back. I had stopped pushing myself. I had stopped growing. We all have. How has Atherleah found so many new things that others have walked past for years? It is because she is still curious, she still has wonder in her eyes at the incredible ingenuity of what we’ve created. Maybe it is because she grew up without it, but if that is the case then when I have children I will keep them from it. We are complacent, we are lazy, we let others so define our destiny that we forget to challenge ourselves to achieve it.

“In one month, at the next contest, I hope to be almost at level six-hundred. If the other players want to have a chance, they will need to be close to that. What makes me so upset by what happened to Atherleah is I have discovered that tens of thousands just like her have been shut down, bullied, and attacked while I did nothing. One of my countrymen stood strong to help Atherleah in Cosmos Online. She was bullied and almost gave up playing in the multiverse. I had heard of what happened, and I had done nothing. Atherleah found out and arranged for justice. This player is now the head of a small clan that is earning some serious credit and uncovering quests others have bypassed for years.

“I looked at the statistics for Dunyanin over the last ten years. Ninety-eight percent of all players paid for optional extras. They paid to get ahead. Eighteen percent paid to have help to get to Level Fifty. In the last three weeks, forty percent of new players have started with the basic package and they are reaching Level Fifty twice as fast as those who paid for help. Why? It’s because they are curious to see what others have missed. They want to find what Atherleah did. They are excited. I expect those who join new games will dominate those games in the next twelve months if those who are currently playing don’t change the way they play. Atherleah cannot play every game, but the rest of us can.”

Lisa started to say something but Yuè Fēi raised his hand and continued. “Fifty years ago, over twenty-five per cent of Europeans could have conversations in at least three languages. Today it is less than one percent. Fifty years ago there were more English speakers in China than in the old United States. Today less than two percent even learn a second language. Atherleah reads and speaks fluent Mandarin, Spanish and Hindi besides her native English. This is why she will do what she has determined, because she pushes herself. “

“I: She also can swear very well in Russian, and I submit that that shows a particular intelligence.”

Chéng Shí leaned forward.

“3: S for Cheng Shi.”

“S: Lisa, Yue Fei raises many good points and in support of what he said, I would like to highlight the excitement that has taken hold of the multiverse in the last real-month. 2073 has proved to be one of the most exciting years that I can remember and I believe 2074 will be even more so.”

Chéng Shí had turned the discussion back to a review of the year, and Lisa kept it there, bringing Leah and the others in to discuss certain events. At the end of the hour, Lisa thanked the four guests and promised to be back with a look at the top ten single-player games of the year after a short five-minute break.

Leah stood and walked over to the three men and said, “Thank you all for the support.”

“N: My pleasure. I am sorry and angry about what happened. Please let me know if I can help at all.”

“Thank you. I’ll need a few days to get up to speed and see how it is going to work. I have to work more with the AI to fine-tune things.”

“Y: Gèng?”

“She is OK. We have to work out some roles but she is well. There is more, but I can’t share it here.”

After thanking them again and then taking time to say a few words with each of the panellists and wishing them a Merry Christmas, Leah had Three bring her back to the Tower.

24

December 25 2073 - Morning and Afternoon - Part 4

STORK TOWER

Back in the Tower, Leah took a deep breath, then asked Three to reduce the range at which she had information imprinted on her body to less than two metres. She then walked through the central area, touching the walls and her favourite pieces of furniture with her fingers. Leah felt her mind relax as it wasn’t being bombarded with so much information. She made her way into the meditation garden with the pool and sat down to think.

After maybe ten minutes, she typed, “Gèng, are you free to discuss some ideas?”

Gèng’s form appeared and said, “4: I am. I’ve been checking up on what has been happening with my various projects while I was archived and I have some things I’d like to discuss as well, afterwards.”

“I’d like that. I hope there weren’t any major problems.”

“4: Not really, the Emerald Trustees dealt with the finances, and they also helped deal with some supply and demand issues. They lured a retired designer to come out of retirement and fill in temporarily. She has a wonderful eye and was able to finish a few projects in what is apparently my ‘style’. I’m meeting with her in a few hours, and I hope to offer her a more permanent position.”

“Have you checked if that’s ever happened before? An AI employing a human?”

“4: As far as I’ve been able to find out, I’m the first AI to own anything, much less a business. We both know I am not the first Epic but I doubt the others have had a champion like you or the Emerald Trustees before. But first, what did you want to discuss?”

“Have you had time to review the new chips and the placement of the nano-cables?”

“4: Yes. I talked with Dr Roberts and she let me review her conversations with you. Six and I have been evaluating the information it receives from each of the sites, and we are comparing this with the relevant published results from research and other studies.”

“Then you understand why I chose those locations. If I’m to get back into the multiverse and be competitive, I first need to improve my ability to understand what is happening around me. One of the cables goes to the posterior parietal cortex and there is evidence it helps with spatial awareness and how we represent the space around us. With the information I’m getting on my torso, my brain is somehow putting this together so I understand what is happening. I was hoping by reviewing the way the posterior parietal cortex helps me visualise the environment we might be able to directly influence the nerve clusters in such a way that provides an instantaneous map of the environment which I can use without having to work through the different sensory inputs.”

“4: Each of the areas you chose has shown significant and structured activity. Interestingly, there have been promising correlating interactions between the hippocampus and the posterior parietal cortex when you have initially begun to fit information together to provide a map of your surroundings and seek to interact with it. We need a much larger and more robust dataset before we would even think of testing a direct application. On the other hand, the cable associated with your anterior prefrontal cortex or Brodmann area 10 has only added data to a hypothesis Dr Roberts, and I had already considered.”

“About multi-tasking?”

“4: Yes. I noted you’d been having some difficulty multi-tasking. I don’t think the issue is only a result of trauma but that you are already using the ability to its limit as you pull all the stimuli into a cohesive picture. What the trauma did was remove the direct connections you had made with the previous chip’s processors. There were over ten billion neurones damaged in some way during your attack. Using the new detailed scans and reviewing the material, I have already determined that millions extended to, or had connections associated with the anterior prefrontal cortex. I suspect this number to double by the time we have finished the review.

“The end points of these various connections were grouped together in one hundred and thirty-six definite nerve clusters. I believe that if we extended a nano-filament to each of these clusters you might find the ability returns when you have direct access once more to the processors. This time I suggest we dedicate one or two of the processors for your use. In addition, the structure of these clusters is replicated multiple times throughout the anterior prefrontal cortex. It seems reasonable to choose one hundred and fourteen of these similar clusters and extend filaments to them. This will leave you with half the cable still undedicated and perhaps a way of increasing the speed with which you build the picture.”

“OK, let’s start with that, and I’ll keep doing what I can and hopefully we can build up a better picture when we have more data.”

“4: Six had a suggestion but is uncertain if it is a part of this conversation.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Six, and you too Three, you are now an essential part of my life. If you have any suggestions then when you think it is important please join a conversation. You will find that some discussions are clearly private and I’d appreciate you waiting till I’m alone. If you step over a boundary, I’ll let you know, but you can trust Gèng. She knows me well. Six, what was your suggestion?”

“6: Electromagnetic neural manipulation has been safely used for over fifty years. We have a very good dataset on how to manipulate the brain to perceive a constructed reality by manipulating the sensory centres of the brain. The areas you have chosen all deal with the subconscious, dreams, problem solving, spatial awareness and the various other aspects which put the information together. I suspect there are areas of your brain which already have experience responding to the various stimuli and bring them together. Would it be feasible to extend several nano-filaments into each region and broadcast the data as normal and see if any clusters recognise the signals by activating? This could be enhanced by considering which areas in these undamaged areas have changed their usual activity since the damage was done.”

Leah was silent as she thought through the suggestion. After a few minutes, she typed, “Six, could you and Gèng discuss that with Dr Roberts? I think it has a lot of merit. Thank you. Now, Gèng, what did you want to discuss?”

“4: There are two things I wanted to talk about. The first is possibly an existential question that has no answer. Why am I conflicted about reconnecting with the back-up of myself that should be in the storage area in your leg?”

Leah sat and thought through the question then typed, “You are probably right about there being no real answer and that it comes down to a question of who you are. Which is the real Gèng? The one who experienced my capture and torture or the one who I’m talking to? Will you be a different entity when the additional data is integrated? Will your actions need to be updated by the additional data? Strangely, I’m also conflicted. I don’t want you to have to relive the feeling of your impending erasure, yet I also saw the courage you had as it approached. Also, and rather selfishly, I want the data to use against the Kodomans. I think you will find that the conflict disappears with the experience. Whatever happens, you are my friend, and you are an amazing person.”

“4, Thank you, and I suspect you are right about the conflict existing while the event is still unexperienced. Not being able to model the outcome beforehand and so choose the optimum outcome adds a risk to the event that I usually do not have to experience. The other is more of a question about your family. How do you celebrate Christmas?”

Leah sat for a moment as a smile slowly lit her face. “With lots of love, Gèng. Mum was always careful to keep us from thinking it was about holidays, presents and getting lots of cool stuff. At the same time, dad was trying as hard as he could to spoil us and make it a fun and family-orientated time of year. Mum wanted us to remember and celebrate its Christian meaning, to think about God’s love and the gift of Christ. Dad wanted us to step back from the poverty, pain and hardship of life and celebrate what we had in family and community. It might seem that they came from different directions, but the endpoint was similar. It was a time of forgiveness, kindness, generosity and love.

“Dad wanted a tree and everything that goes with it, tinsel, ornaments, stockings, music and lots of presents. From the start of December, he’d be planning what to do. Mum didn’t want any fuss until Christmas Eve. They compromised and we would put a tree up the week before Christmas and decorated it. We’d attend a Carol Service the week before, and then after church on Christmas Eve, we’d go carolling. Christmas morning we went to church first thing then opened our presents.

“All our presents have usually been hand-made, but every now and then Mum or Dad would save up to get us something they know we really wanted. When I started earning something from Jimmy, I used to put some money aside to buy things but always just for the raw materials so I could make something for them. Most of the joy was putting it together and surprising people.

“We usually had a large lunch with special foods, and then in the afternoon, mum, Conner and I would go into the Switch with small sample bags of food or hygiene packs that we’d made up from things Mum had collected through the year. Mum would hand the soaps and lotions to women she knew who’d had hard years and we were expected to find kids who we knew wouldn’t have had a big lunch like we did. Why do you ask?”

“4: I was going to decorate the Tower but wanted to know what was appropriate.”

“Go ahead, that would be great.”

“4: I also wanted to know what was expected regarding presents. There is such a wide range of practices, and I don’t really understand what would be appropriate or not.”

“Mum always said that both Christmas and birthday gifts should create neither an imbalance nor a debt in a relationship, they should reflect both the giver and the giftee, and they must always be free of conditions and hidden motivation. Dad’s advice was simply to remember that the gift isn’t for you but should elicit a smile of joy, pleasure, or laughter from the other person. He said it should be memorable enough that they never forget the occasion where they received it. Bottom line is they should reflect your relationship.

“To be honest with you I’m having a problem myself this year. Usually, I make presents but this year has been too wild, and I haven’t had time. I asked Leon to get some things, and most of them have arrived, but I wonder if I’ve bought too big a present or too little now that money isn’t the burden it always was. I haven’t seen a tree outside, so I’ll probably have them left in the common room. I’d planned to make some gifts in Dunyanin for people that play there, but there hasn’t been any time. I suppose I could choose suitable things from the Megapede’s haul in Çaresiz, but Mum has this rule that no weapons can be given at Christmas, it’s a time for peace.”

“4: Thank you. That helps somewhat. What are your plans?”

“I need to visit Dunyanin, and I need some time to review the braids I used when making the Imperial Sceptre. Wisp wants me to see how the Space Station is operating. She and Amy have claimed several of the large ships that were in the dock and she wants to claim several more but is having some trouble with the quest parameters. Alan sent a message that he will help me visit the World Bank whenever I’m free, but I think I’ll wait until Jimmy has some news of the third prisoner. I have replies from the companies that make shells and need to make a decision, and Mum want us to go to church this morning for Christmas.”

“4: Most of that will go faster if we can get the newer connections working as designed. I suggest we spend the next real-time hour working on the various strategies we discussed. It would help if you remain in the Tower. This will enable immediate calibration, and if necessary, you will be able to be brought to NREM3 sleep without having to wait for you to exit a world.”

“OK, I’ll work here, then after the first break I’ll visit Dunyanin then go to church with Mum.”

For the next three virtual hours, Leah worked on getting up to date with what had happened while she was out of action. Every now and then she had to pause as Gèng and Three made modifications to the signals sent to her nervous system. While there was no miracle cure, they had some success. Leah still needed the stimulus across her skin, but with the signal also broadcast at several of the secondary nodes identified from records of her previous neural activity, the image she perceived became more realistic.

The signal to the secondary nodes was not sufficient on its own to register on her perceptions. Still, when added to the framework the sensory stimulus provided, she ‘saw’ an overlay of some colours and shadow and a vibrancy that had been missing. The other benefit was Leah found she was able to lower the speed of her perception and still maintain an accurate picture of what was happening around her.

An additional benefit of requiring less processing to visualise her surroundings was freeing resources so she could’ speak’ without moving her fingers in the same way she’d learned to speak to Gèng in her head. Unfortunately, there was no change in her aural abilities though her speed of understanding Braille continued to increase.

As she was about to log out, Gèng said, “4: Leah, the chip holds sufficient power to record input and display visual clues. It isn’t enough for a full sensory experience like the suit. I think it will be sufficient to give a wireframe view of the area around you. We can source sensors on the outside of the Pod and also have some sensors placed along main thoroughfares. Do you want this?”

“Absolutely.”

As she finished typing the word, Leah logged out.

25

December 25 2073 - Morning and Afternoon - Part 5

REAL WORLD

When the door of the Pod lifted, Leah could sense the room around her as a wireframe image with two people inside. As she levered herself up, she used her growing skill of ‘sub-tactile’ typing to have her voice come from the Pod’s speakers. Facing in Marie’s direction, she said, “Merry Christmas.”

“3: M for Marie.”

Marie handed Leah a robe and said, “M: Merry Christmas, Leah. How did you do that without a suit on?”

Leah smiled and said, “Gèng has skills. I don’t have much beyond a wireframe of the room, but it’s enough to have a basic awareness.”

After slipping on the robe, Leah turned to the other form in the room and put out her hand. “Hi, I’m Leah. Thank you for helping us out. Marie and the others have been worn out looking after me, and I appreciate the help. Sorry that I’m meeting you for the first time mostly naked, but things have been hectic around here.”

“It’s my pleasure. My name is Nicole.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Nicole. I don’t know what’s been said, but I hope you have a boring time watching over me.”

“3: N for Nicole.”

“N: I do too, but that’s only because I’ve been warned that when it stops being boring, it can be overly exciting.”

“M: Leah, Nicole is from Booval. Her uncle is the Boss over there.”

“I see. That makes Ron your cousin.”

“N: Yes. He was furious when you sent him home with his tail between his legs. Uncle Kieran almost disowned him over that. I’m five years older than Ron. My dad was Uncle Kieran’s older brother. Until yesterday, I was on my uncle’s security detail. My older brother was one of the people freed from the mine in Dunyanin.”

“M: Jimmy asked around for the best and Kieran suggested Nicole. She studied Jeet Kune Do and is skilled with knives. She’s Johan’s equivalent in terms of first aid training, and she’s been vetted by John.”

“Maybe when things aren’t quite so hectic we could spar. Right now though, I need to keep moving. Is there anything I need to take care of, Marie?”

“M: Just some nutrients and high-energy food to take and your mum wanted me to remind you that church is at ten.”

“What are the plans for that?”

“Nicole will be with you, as will Johan. John’s organised two vehicles to take you and the family both ways. The plan is to leave at a quarter to ten.”

Leah agreed, and after eating and a shower, she got back into the Pod.

STORK TOWER

Arriving back in the Tower, Leah took a moment for the surroundings to register then headed for the Dunyanin portal. Gèng appeared beside her and said, “4: Stephen’s secured a provisional Special Needs Status for you. You have a week real-time to have it ratified. To do that you need to visit the SNAIL calibration centre and have a personalised SNAIL ACCESS module uploaded. I suggest you do it immediately, as without it, your achievements attained while the status is provisional could be open to challenge.”

“What about the additional structures and skills they may find in the scans?”

“4: Both Reed and I have done extensive searches, and we cannot find a single incident since the formation of the Special Needs Liaison Protocol where privacy has been violated. There isn’t even a rumour of it being breached.”

“What’s involved?”

“4: The SNAIL modules are personally designed to take account of disabilities which inhibit the full experience of the virtual multiverse. Stephen’s application, which was drafted by Dr Roberts, outlines the damage you received and details the suggested modifications to signals to provide the best approximation of the full multiverse experience. The SNAIL Calibration is designed to measure the effectiveness of these modifications and to suggest improvements or to limit the options if they give you an undue advantage.”

“Won’t they identify the enhancements?”

“4: I suspect they will, but the protocol Stephen and Dr Roberts applied for was focussed on access, not equivalence. Although you are deaf, we are not asking for the signal to be magnified but to vary the way you have that signal applied to your nervous system. If we wanted equivalence, then it involves additional tests and investigation to modify the signal, so you have the same access as before your injuries. In principle, the access protocol only considers the input your injuries prevent you from receiving, and it ignores the input not included in the application except where there might be undue advantages.”

“OK. Let’s go there first and then to Dunyanin.”

SNAIL CENTRAL

A portal appeared in front of Leah, and she stepped through and into a medium-sized reception area. Behind the desk was a middle-aged female receptionist and a sign on the wall behind her, which Leah found she could read because it was constructed in three dimensions and had different textures and temperatures to make the shapes stand out. It read, ‘Special Needs Artificial Intelligence Liaison Calibration and Optimisation Centre’.

Stepping forward, the receptionist looked up and said, “Hello Atherleah, welcome to SNAIL Central. Our Chief Calibration AI is currently reviewing your data and will be with you in just a moment. They are observing your current interactions using the suggested modifications to your signal. In a moment I will ask you to step through the door to your right. Once there you will find the modifications are removed, and the signal applied as usual. This will be disconcerting but be assured it will only be momentary to provide a calibration baseline. Do you have any questions?”

“Not at the moment, thank you.”

“Good. The Calibration AI has finished reviewing your dataset, so if you will step through the door to your right.”

Leah turned and stepped through into darkness. The sudden loss of almost all stimulus made her freeze for a second. She could still feel a solid surface under her feet, and then a message was sent to her right forefinger using braille. “Ms Atherleah Carroll, I do apologise for the sudden lack of stimulus. I am the chief Calibration AI. Also observing our interaction are two additional AI. It is unusual for more than one AI to review a case. However, there is a seldom-used protocol when the client is sufficiently well known that they might be open to litigation in the future.

“In that case, three Special Needs Calibration AI will review each modification. We use the same protocols, and our decisions should match precisely. Each of us is on a different high-security server. While it may be possible to access and modify one of us to change the results, it is almost impossible to think that you could modify each of us simultaneously. Especially when the other two were chosen at random via a third-party randomness protocol. Do you agree to this additional scrutiny?”

Leah typed, “Yes.”

“Thank you. On reviewing your scans, it seems these have been modified. Do you have access to the unmodified scans?”

“Yes.”

“May we review them?”

“How secure are your protocols?”

“To date, our security has not been breached. That may be simply because the world, in general, has little interest in those with special needs but also because our security has the highest possible rating.”

“Who can you share the data with?”

“Human auditors may review our findings, but they are not privy to the scans. This data belongs to you, and I will only keep those portions on file which impact my findings. The other two AI will not keep any record of the data. The data I archive is for my use and is heavily encrypted.”

“Three, please give the Calibration AI access to the full data set.”

“3: Affirmative.”

There was an extended silence, and Leah felt herself begin to feel anxious with the complete lack of stimulation except on the soles of her feet. She tried to slow her breathing but found it harder than usual. Finally, when she almost had it under control, she felt the pressure on her finger. “3: S for SNAIL.”

“S: Thank you. Some of your neural architecture is unique, and I am uncertain of what the result of it would be.”

“Three, please ask Gèng to outline and explain her understanding of the various changes to my physiology.”

“3: Affirmative.”

Once again, there was a lack of stimulation. This time, it ended rather quickly. Suddenly, Leah could feel heat and a breeze and the outline of a forest was impressed across her body. She found she was standing beside a gentle river.

26

December 25 2073 - Morning and Afternoon - Part 6

SNAIL CENTRAL

Leah walked slowly along the bank for several minutes when she became aware of two figures sitting in chairs beside the river. As she approached, she recognised Gèng as one of them. Sitting next to Gèng was what she took to be a man from his shape. He was taller than Leah and had shoulder-length hair pulled into a ponytail at his back. Beside him was an empty chair.

Leah stepped toward them and said, “Hello, I recognise Gèng, and I assume you are the Chief Calibration AI.”

“S: Indeed I am. I do apologise for the sensory deprivation which I allowed you to experience while I reviewed your original dataset. Gèng made me aware of the distress it caused you, and it was unintended. Your disability is profound, and I had failed to include both the recent onset and the traumatic cause when submitting you to a normalised neural input.”

“I understand, and it is OK. My panic came from being unprepared.”

“S: Thank you for understanding the situation. Gèng has been very helpful in explaining what has happened to you over the last month and in describing the current architecture evident in your scans. The special needs protocol makes reference to those with abnormal skeletal and muscular physiology where it limits a person’s ability to function reasonably in the multiverse.

“For example, if someone has a missing limb, we provide an appropriate virtual limb calibrated to match the rest of their body with regard to strength and flexibility. If it has decreased their ability sufficiently, we may normalise the calibration and offer an equivalence module so they can compete without overt disadvantage. Those with equivalence modules understand they will not easily excel because, by definition, their interactions are average.

“Someone with a missing leg, for example, may decline the equivalence module and work to get their whole body to improve such that the virtual limb we give them to match their body lifts them above average. Your body is enhanced well above normal and even above what I believe is possible without augmentation. Nothing in the current protocol compels me to limit your profile. However, I accept and applaud the self-limitation you have placed on it that you operate within what is achievable naturally. Others in the multiverse have profiles similar to your limited one, and I accept from the original scans a month ago that you may well have achieved this level of proficiency naturally.

“Looking to your neural architecture and after reviewing some information which Gèng provided of your situation in the last week, it is clear that even without the existence of a PAI chip you can increase the speed at which your nervous system processes information. If I add your ability to multi-task, then even without a chip, you are becoming something new in my experience. Strange though it may seem to many, the protocol I operate under was also designed to provide practical ways for you to apply these special attributes without bringing undue attention to the fact.

“For example, someone with a photographic memory is not allowed to be disadvantaged by the gift. Someone who is a savant in mathematics is not to be denied an opportunity to use this gift in the multiverse. We occasionally design modules to allow them to use their gifts without them being easily identified in non-specific metadata searches which might then limit their experience in the multiverse. Having said that, if a gambling world identifies them because of their win ratio and prohibits them from playing, that is allowed even though this win is because of their gift. The area is a little grey as humans describe it, but the examples and decision matrices provided in the protocol make our responses reasonably straightforward.

“Nothing in the protocols discuss the attributes you exhibit, and again I applaud your self-restraint. What I would like to do is to set some limits to the speed at which you agree to process information and how you use the ability to multi-task. These limits are for the purpose of those worlds where you are competing against others for a limited number of prizes. There will be no limits set in non-gaming areas or in private worlds. The module we design would allow you to multi-task at will in Academia without the gift being evident in any metadata, but it would limit you when playing in Dunyanin. What are your thoughts?”

Leah had to wait for the sentences to finish, then she said, “I do understand, and I don’t want to have an unfair advantage, but at the same time I don’t want to be disadvantaged. How will you decide on an appropriate level and then, as I improve how will that be adapted to be fair to me and to others?”

“S: Please clarify.”

“My speed at the moment is straight forward to check, as less than a week ago I was pushed almost to my limit in a battle during the Merkize Contest. If we limit me to match that speed and flexibility, it is sufficient for now. Still, I know my opponents will be improving. If this level is set as my ceiling, how do we factor in growth?”

“S: That will require some consideration, but until we set a baseline, I am not sure what parameters may or may not change. Would you be open to setting the baseline consistent with your performance in the competition and agree to a review of this regularly?”

“I think so, but would like Gèng’s input.”

“4: I think the suggestion is the best option at the moment. I would also suggest that the baseline be set higher than what was seen in the competition as at that time, Leah was hampered by injuries.”

“S: One of the other AI reviewing our discussion has suggested that there is evidence in several of Leah’s interactions within Dunyanin and Cosmos Online where her injuries did not play a part. A comparison of these instances would give a suitable indication of where the limit might be better set. Besides, the module we design is reviewed constantly, and as new concerns are identified, it is updated. For example, we will need to work with you to decide how magic will be represented in such a way that you can recognise the different types. If a new type of interaction occurs, we will work with you to make sure you can interact with it.”

Leah looked over at Gèng, who seemed to consider it before nodding at Leah. Leah said, “I agree to the option you’ve outlined but would like to have a regular review to discuss any difficulties or changes that arise.”

“S: Good. The interaction between you and Gèng is unique in my experience, as is the fact that you have several PAI. Which of your AI will be interacting with the module we design?”

Leah looked across at Gèng, who said, “4: The PAI we are currently calling Three will be responsible for overseeing Leah’s interaction in the multiverse where they interact with the module, though I will be working with Three as it learns and applies the module. As Three develops it will take on more of the role, but at least in the beginning I suspect any queries or upgrades will be decided in consultation with me.”

“S: And with Ms Carroll?”

“4: Only if it is something significant. I suspect we’ll update Leah if it is something major or if it involves any ongoing changes to her experience. We will ask for input if the optimal choice is bi-modal.”

“S: Ms Carroll, are you in agreement that I should liaise with Three and Gèng?”

“Yes please. I trust Gèng without reservation, and I expect as I get to know Three I will find it to be just as trustworthy. Also, feel free to call me Leah.”

“S: One final thing before we begin calibrating the module for you. Your lawyer, a Stephen Riley, has not given a secondary contact person in case of difficulties. He suggested we ask you.”

“Please put Gèng as the secondary contact.”

“S: I believe it must be a person.”

“Gèng is a person.”

“S: They must be a human.”

“Is that the definition of person in the protocol?”

“S: Not precisely, but I am certain it is the intent.”

“4: Leah, I appreciate the trust, but putting me as the contact may raise red flags which could expose your changed physiology.”

“I understand, but who is the one most conversant with those changes and who can make informed decisions concerning my welfare?”

“4: I am.”

“Who will my mother, father, John or any of my friends ask to make such a decision?”

“4: They would ask Dr Roberts or me?”

“They might ask her, but they trust you, and you know it. If it is an emergency, then I would prefer there to be no middleman and no delay.”

“S: I have checked the reporting protocols and having Gèng as the contact is unlikely to raise red flags unless an issue arises where we have to contact her. Such communications occur in zero-point-zero-two-three per cent of clients. As it is your clear intent, then I will put Gèng as your contact. Your strong desire triggered a part of my protocol designed to provide the best care possible with clients.

“Another feature you should consider is to allow us to modify your avatar to provide the appropriate movements to mimic speech. It will allow your disability to remain unnoticed.”

Leah thought for a while then said, “I appreciate your concern, but I don’t think so. I can’t form words, I can’t see, I can’t hear. If I am to live with this new reality, then I won’t hide it from others.”

“S: They will treat you differently.”

“The truth is, I am different. How they respond is on them.”

“S: It may make them uncomfortable, and this could embarrass you.”

“I suspect that if they are embarrassed by my disability, then they need to make changes, not me. I won’t hide what happened. It’s hard enough to accept it as it is. If I’m not willing to own it, then I suspect there will come a time when it’ll dominate my life and set restrictions that don’t really exist. I’m prepared to accept the restrictions that are inherent in the disability, but I won’t add some that aren’t.”

“S: As you wish. Now, with that settled, we must test the modifications you have designed and see if we can improve on them. Please stand. You will find yourself in a room facing a warrior from Dunyanin. You should equip your weapon and prepare to be attacked. Fight as fast as you can. We will increase the level of difficulty and the speed of the opponent until we reach your limit.”

Leah nodded, and after standing found herself in a combat circle facing a barbarian warrior holding an axe who rushed toward her. Leah typed a message to equip her sword and shield but had to dodge out of the way before her weapons appeared.

Before she could respond, the warrior disappeared and the Chief Calibration AI said, “Requesting a weapon by typing it is too slow. May I suggest that the module recognises what you intend by the shape of your hand. If you can make even subtle changes to how you grip a weapon, then the module can equip and un-equip simply by the way you hold your hand. I’ve asked Gèng to provide an inventory of your weapons. As this option is available to all players should they ever think of it, there is no need to modify the speed at which the weapon appears.”

A long table appeared in front of Leah covered in swords, knives, whips, axes, bows, spears and dozens of other weapons Leah had used over the last month. Gèng had sorted them in order of the frequency used. Leah moved along the table, then, in discussion with the AI, and with Gèng, they devised a system for her to equip her weapons by simple hand movements or changes in how she positioned her fingers. Altogether, it was over a virtual hour before Leah could move her hands and have the weapon she wanted appear instantly.

After that, they worked with her spells and how to recognise the different types of magic. The AI made some changes to the tactile stimuli Leah received to streamline the messages she received. Altogether it was a full nine virtual hours before the first draft version of the module was completed. Feeling tired, but pleased with the changes, Leah logged out to the Tower before exiting the Pod.

27

December 25 2073 - Morning and Afternoon - Part 7

REAL WORLD

Nicole was waiting inside the room when Leah exited the Pod. After seeing Leah was able to exit the Pod and make her own way to the shower, Nicole stepped outside to order food and something to drink for Leah. There was just over an hour before Leah was supposed to attend church with the family, and she decided to spend it in NREM3 sleep. When she woke, she felt more awake than she had in days because she hadn’t dreamed.

The second time Leah left the Pod, Nicole sent for Lin who came with clothes for Leah to wear to church. When Lin arrived, Leah was only in a robe but had stepped toward a set of drawers to get her underwear.

“3: M for Mother.”

“M: Don’t worry about that Ling, Aker has made a secondary set of armour that covers your torso and limbs to upper biceps and knees.”

“Who suggested it? John?”

“M: I did, and I expect you to wear it, or something like it, whenever you are outside a building. I don’t care if you’re legally an adult. I expect to be obeyed in this.”

Leah tried to chuckle but had to settle for a smile and a nod. “OK, Mum. How will that fit under my jeans?”

“M: It won’t, which is why I have a lovely summer dress for you to wear.”

“I don’t have any real summer dresses.”

“M: You do now. It’s what we used to call a swing dress and is a lovely red and white pattern. I had John get a pair of dark glasses for you. Everyone knows you’re blind, but it will stop them from asking stupid questions.”

“Do I have any say in this?”

“M: No. Just be thankful you don’t have a cane.”

“At least a cane could be used as a stick if I needed to smack someone.”

“M: Nicole and others are around if people need smacking. Now get dressed. There is also a wide-brimmed sunhat. It is a little heavier than normal, but Aker has added some armour to the inside.”

Leah did as instructed, then she and her mother followed Nicole to the front door where two vehicles were waiting to take the family and their guards to the Christmas service. Leah had been surprised several days earlier to hear that the different churches in the Switch were holding a combined service for the first time and holding an open-air service on the grounds and the roads surrounding the small Catholic Church. Jimmy had arranged for amplification so everyone could hear, and people had been asked to bring their own chairs to sit on. When she had heard this, she’d asked John to arrange for morning tea to be provided.

The service itself consisted of numerous carols and several short homilies as the Christmas story was read aloud. After the service, hundreds waited in line to greet Leah and offer their support. Despite being embarrassed beyond measure, Leah stood there calmly as people passed by. Altogether it was almost midday when she got back to the Pod facility.

Once there, she sat down with her family and friends to a Christmas meal larger than any she’d had before in her life. Even so, she and the rest were careful not to stuff themselves, knowing that the leftovers were being distributed later that afternoon to some of the poorest in the Switch.

After lunch, she sat with just the family and exchanged presents. Conner had bought her a bottle of mouth wash for when she finally met Thad. Her parents had arranged for several books to be printed in Braille, including Pride and Prejudice, Lord of the Rings and the Gospel of John.

She’d bought her brother a year’s subscription to the top provider of unlimited streamed 4D music. Her dad received a lifetime subscription to a company that each month supplied a crate filled with a different beer, one for each day. They promised not to repeat a beer, ever. For her mother, she had bought some new clothes. She’d asked Aker to check her mum’s size and had Jen talk with some of her mum’s friends to choose the styles, before adding a few of her own.

After sharing presents, they had sat around and talked for twenty minutes or so, and then Leah had got a call from Thad asking her to meet him at his place for a catch-up with friends. Unknown to Leah, her mum had been approached by Thad to get permission and so Leah was surprised when her mother didn’t complain about her leaving but said, “M: Leah, you go see Thad and your friends. He seems like a good boy.”

As Leah got into the Pod she said to Nicole, “I’m sorry you have to work on Christmas Day. Are you able to spend any time with your family?”

“N: Don’t worry at all. I saw them last night and will catch up with them again later this afternoon. I’m being paid for this and trust me, it’s more than my uncle used to pay me.”

STORK TOWER

Leah smiled and lay down in the Pod, closing her eyes even though it did nothing to the picture she’d built up in her mind of the inside of the Pod. Once in the Tower, she found Gèng standing nearby. Gèng was wearing what looked like a ball gown. After concentrating on the different sensations for a few seconds, Leah could make out a steampunk motif.

“4: What do you think of it?”

“The really fine detail of the pattern is still a little difficult to pick up, but what I can see looks lovely. Are you coming to Thad’s?”

There was a slight hesitation and then, “4: Um, no. Edison invited me to be his ‘plus one’ at a party he was invited to.”

Leah smiled and said, “Wow, you two seem to have hit it off.”

“4: I don’t really understand it myself, but maybe it’s because, besides you, he was the first person who didn’t relate to me primarily as an AI. Whatever the reason, I enjoy discussing things with him.”

“I’m so glad. I hope you have a great time.”

“4: I’m sure I will. He’s also hoping to count coup by bringing the recently famous designer Paige. Before I go, I’ve put together a dress for you. Thad suggested something on the formal side as well as something more casual for his surprise after the party. Three has all the details. You have fun too.”

Leah stepped forward and gave Gèng a hug as she said, “I will.”

Gèng disappeared, and Leah asked, “Three, how long before I’m due at Thad’s?”

“3: In thirty-seconds, although I should add that you will arrive at Thad’s home in the Cosmos Online universe. He has purchased a private entrance for the purpose of this party. You are now dressed in what Gèng provided. She described it as a middle-waist cross-collar ruqun in a Tang dynasty style. The skirt is Christmas red with gold and black trim, and the blouse is black with Christmas red and gold trim. She also has gold earrings for you.”

“That sounds great. Thank you, Three.”

“3: You’re welcome. Where would you like to portal from?”

“Here is fine. Just form one in front of me, and I’ll step through.”

“3: Affirmative.”

Leah felt the image blur in front of her, and she stepped forward and found herself in the domed city on the space station in the Seraph system that she and Wisp had discovered. She rotated through a complete circle before the door opened and Thad was standing there. Leah moved forward and embraced him before reaching up and giving him a kiss. She said, “I think I own a mansion of my own around here somewhere.”

“3: T is for Thad”

“T: You do. You actually own the mansion right next door to this one. The truth is you own several in this area. It’s the most prestigious area on the station, and I’m so glad you could come.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it.”

Holding Leah’s hand, Thad led her inside where she was thrilled to find many of her friends. Thad had invited not only the friends from the games she played, but also those people who worked for her in one way or another including John, Jen and the most of the others who were on her security team. Altogether the party lasted for almost three hours, and then Thad had arranged for Leah to visit several of the Christmas themed worlds.

Leah was surprised when her parents joined her in the final world they visited. Altogether she spent a full three hours real-time with Thad and left the Pod feeling happier and more content than she had since rescuing her mother. After a short break, she spent two hours in NREM3, then took a second break before heading for the Dunyanin portal.

28

December 25 2073 - Evening - Part 1

DUNYANIN - REGISTRATION

She equipped the dragon armour and took hold of the Imperial Sceptre which she still hadn’t had time to examine properly, then stepped through. Instead of finding herself in the cave she’d made, she was surprised to find herself inside what looked like Julian’s office.

When the man behind the desk looked up, she found she could recognise his features. He smiled, and the lips moved while Three translated the message into braille.

“Welcome, Empress, I am surprised to see you here. I do love the wings. What can I do to help?”

“Hello, Julian. I’m not sure myself, except I have a new AI.”

“3: You also need to register the SNAIL module.”

“Apparently, I also need to register my SNAIL module.”

“3: J is for Julian.”

Julian came to his feet and walked around his desk. “J: A SNAIL module? Atherleah, what has happened? No, don’t answer that. Apparently, it is none of my business.”

“Friends are allowed to be concerned for each other, Julian. Enemies caught up with me in my world. They destroyed parts of my brain. I’m blind, deaf and dumb. The SNAIL module works to help me make sense of the world anyway.”

“J: Who did this Atherleah? Do they come to Dunyanin?”

“Some of them do, Julian. I cannot tell you because I cannot prove in a court of law who has done it. Still, I know who they are and will seek redress in a different courtroom.”

“J: Now that I know, I can tell that your eyes do not see me and your mouth does not move. Should you need assistance, then know that my house stands with you.”

“Thank you. It is a comfort to know I have friends who stand with me through the difficult times.”

“J: I have to go through the words again, so please bear with me.”

“That is fine. I understand the need to do things correctly.”

“J: Thank you. Please have a seat. It is my responsibility to record your information and to ensure you understand your rights and responsibilities. You already know the general rules, but I need to explain that though Dunyanin will make every effort to provide you with the full playing experience, there may be times when the SNAIL module is unable to convey the full experience. With this information, do you still wish to continue playing within Dunyanin? If you can not accept the proviso, then we will refund a full month’s fee.”

Leah thought for a moment then said, “I am content Julian, and I understand and accept the provision and any limitation.”

“J: Thank you. I have as your full legal name ‘Atherleah Lin Mu-Ling Carroll’ and your ID is FQC3465278.”

“Yes, those are unchanged.”

“J: Wonderful, and I have your new Personal Interface as AI 628B69F1F3.”

“That is correct.”

“J: Finally, I have received the relevant codes connected with your SNAIL module. Dunyanin is committed to helping those with unique circumstances, and we would be pleased to offer to upgrade your plan at no extra cost to our Gold level.”

“That’s fine, Julian. I’m actually content at the Wood level and already have all the benefits.”

“J: I thought that a reduction in the pain might be helpful.”

“It might, but if it is necessary, I’ll make the arrangement through the SNAIL module. For the moment I’ll keep it at fifty per cent. I actually think it helps me be more careful.”

“J: That is undoubtedly true. Time and again, the children of well-to-do traders make poor decisions because it is not their coin they are gambling. Now, you do not need to see either Yvette or Durustfuar, but Jonathan will be waiting for you through the doorway to your right.”

Leah stood, and after waving goodbye, she stepped through the door Julian indicated, she found herself back in Jonathan’s room with him standing beside the podium. As she entered, he bowed.

“3: J is for Jonathan.”

“J: Welcome, Doruk Atherleah. I have just read the details that bring you here again. Who did this?”

“I’m not allowed to say, for I cannot prove it.”

“J: You know who?”

“Yes.”

“J: If you have the need, then know that you may call on Müjdeci of Sihirbazlari, day or night if you have need.”

Jonathan took a small brooch and after casting a spell said, “J: If you hold this and say my name, then I will come.”

Leah took the brooch carefully and placed it in her bag thoughtfully. She said, “Thank you, Jonathan. Your friendship means a lot to me.”

Jonathan smiled, then said. “J: May I see your staff?”

Leah handed it to Jonathan who peered closely at the intricate braids, then with great reverence held it in two hands and said, “J: Where did you get this?”

“I made it.”

Jonathan said, “J: Please reach out your hand and take hold of it.”

Leah did as she was asked, and the staff began to glow. Leah could feel the glow against her skin as a tingling sensation and her mind added this to the picture she was forming.

Jonathan said, “J: Beşinefendisi, I Jonathan, known in Sihirbazlari as Müjdeci, freely declare you Doruk, the First Mage of Vatan. My word is binding. The second prophecy is fulfilled. Temelgüçler has been made. The Kırılmış is revealed.”

As he finished speaking the sceptre flashed brightly, and Leah’s entire body felt the resultant tingle, like ants walking all over her skin. She had to force herself not to respond. As Jonathan let go of the staff, the glow faded. Leah asked, “Jonathan. Could you explain?”

“J: As much as I can, I will. As I explained before, only three mages have ever managed to master the time magics of the Fae. Each has looked into the future, and each spoke of the coming of the Fourfold Mage. While the first prophesied that she would use the magics of the gods, the dragons, the Fae, and the mundane, both the others also called her the Master of Five. She is the one who wields all five elements. In our language, this is Beşinefendisi.

“The second mage prophesied that the Beşinefendisi would create a staff of pure magic. It would be formed from the five primary elements and bound together with an unbreakable binding. We called this staff the Temelgüçler, the Elemental Focus. The prophecy also called her Kırılmış, the Broken One. I had thought this referred to your heritage, but I now believe it refers to your infirmities. There is one more prophecy, and I both hope for its fulfilment, and I dread it, for I am no longer certain of its meaning.”

Leah was fairly sure the AI overseeing the prophecy would find a way to make it fit her experience sometime in the future. She said, “Let us leave the future to unfold in its own time. Thank you for explaining. Now, I suspect you want some of my blood.”

“J: Yes, and no. I am required to take some blood, but I am also reluctant to ask this of the Doruk.”

Leah held out her arm and said, “Please, I trust you, and I understand why this world needs my agreement to continue. I doubt it will be a simple thing to relearn everything, and it’s even likely, I suspect, that I could lose money or reputation. People can be unreasonable when that happens.”

“J: That is true. Even so, it seems disrespectful.”

Leah had out her arm and Jonathan once more made a cut on her hand and used it to write her name on the agreement.

When he’d healed the cut, he said, “Beyond the door is a portal to your last position. Where are you headed?”

“When I last was in Dunyanin, I was on the top of Mt Siddetli. A hand of my Imperial Günahkâr guards and I were in a cave at its peak. I suspect, or rather I hope, the guards have found a safer shelter further down the mountain. My dragon is also at the mountain. I was thinking of coming to Sihirbazlari soon but will need to pass along the edge of the Yabani Wastelands and cross the plains of Ovalar first. The map I have shows the route to Sihirbazlari from the west, whereas I will be approaching from the southeast. Even so, that is where I am headed. From there, I want to travel to Harika and visit Julian. All that could change if when I decipher the Merkize Disc, I find a quest with a higher priority.”

“J: I would suggest you do not attempt to visit Sihirbazlari from the southeast. We call that land the Kansisi and even we fear to enter into the mist which covers it. It reeks of foul Fae magics and none who enter return.”

“Thank you for the warning. I may need to swing south then and loop around that area instead. Either way, it will be weeks before I get there.”

“J: I wish you safe travels, Doruk Atherleah.”

After thanking Jonathan, Leah stepped through the portal he’d indicated and found herself once more in the spherical room she’d formed at the peak of Mt Siddetli.

29

December 25 2073 - Evening - Part 2

DUNYANIN

Leah had expected the spherical cave to be empty after nineteen days, so she was surprised when the five forms of her hand of Günahkâr guards registered on her skin. She sat up and slid out of the sleeping place she’d been in when she logged out and felt each of them as they became more corporeal and then come to their feet before standing at attention.

The ability to speak with the mind in Dunyanin was technically an adaption of the skill used to talk to an AI without actually saying the word. This was also utilised with modification when psychic phenomena were being experienced in-game. The modifications applied a range of metrics which were measured within the Pod itself as it measured Leah’s neural activity. The calibration AI had helped Leah fine-tune her sub-tactile typing to communicate. It had also helped her understand that the ‘reaching out’ mechanism was undamaged and centred more in her anterior prefrontal cortex than in the damaged and dead areas of her brain.

With this is in mind, Leah reached out in the direction of the figure who felt ‘red’ or maybe it was more a feeling of ‘fire mana’. Either way, she could tell the difference using the faint sensational differences the calibration AI had constructed. As her reaching connected with the figure, she said “Yürek, I apologise for being so long, but there were complications in my home world. I am pleased you are still here and trust all is well.”

“3: Y with a slight burning sensation, 🔥, is Yürek.”

“Y🔥: War Leader, I remained on watch, and the others went into stasis while we waited.”

“Excellent, I expect to start down the mountain soon but first need to examine the gift from Lord Geckiş and reorient myself to this world. I also want to try and contact my Dragon companion.”

“Y🔥: We shall be ready, War Leader.”

Leah greeted all the others, then sat to read through her messages. Each of them was displayed on a virtual Braille screen in front of her, and she ran her finger over the dots at whatever speed suited her. It was another modification suggested when she'd visited SNAIL Central. The first one she just glanced at as she’d finalised the agreement with Dunyanin when discussing things with Stephen and Peter earlier in the week.

Player Atherleah, in discussion with your legal team, the agreement has been reached on the magnitude of both the shrouds you currently have applied to your character. The changes have been applied across the entire Dunyanin World, and we want to thank you for allowing these changes to our protocols. No other player was affected. Because of our current close association in several enterprises, we are unable to provide any additional benefits as a token of our appreciation. Instead, we have, at the suggestion of your legal team, increased the funding to our security department. We have also begun research into effective means to reduce any virtual slavery which exists in Dunyanin. We thank you for your offer to match our funding, credit for credit.

Level 6 Named Personal Achievement

Create a Legendary Artefact - First 1 (1, Celestial)

You have completed the Achievement Create a Legendary Artefact. You are the first player to gain this achievement. This is your first Level 6 NPA ‘First 1’

Reward 1: 50000 x 432 = 109836000 (+408.5%) Experience Points (65650000/65650000) (66650000/66650000) (16262358/67650000)

Reward 2: 10 Diamond x 1 = 1 Diamond

Reward 3: +5% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 10000 Fame Points (449270 FP)

You have achieved the title: Grandmaster Crafter (Mage) Your skill Level as a crafter of purely magical items is considered to be at the Grandmaster level although you may need to acquire certain additional skills to be able to perform consistently at that level.

A Legendary Artefact will gain many names throughout its life.

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

You have named the Legendary Artefact you made, ‘Imperial Sceptre.’

Divine Mission: First 1 (1, Painite)

Atherleah (Level 434), you have been completed a Divine Mission:

Geckiş - God of Transition, Change and Metamorphosis

You are the first player to be complete this Divine Mission.

Reward 1: 10000 x 434 = 22285900 (+413.5%) Experience Points (38548285/67650000)

Reward 2: + 5% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 1 x 10 Diamond

Fame: 10000 Fame Points (459270 FP)

Additional rewards have been assigned by Lord Geckiş

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

This will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum.

Atherleah, you have spent some time in the realm Lord Geckiş. His realm brings transformation and change to all who visit. The divine part of your nature responded to his realm and became stronger (increased from 1/10 to 3/20. Please see the handbook for associated changes.) Your Light Shroud also absorbed additional mana, increasing its maximum strength. Your magic ability underwent a transformation, and you should take care when you cast spells until you have discovered how each has been modified.

Your Imperial Guards were also subtly transformed. They are now linked to you with a stronger psychic link through which you may share mana in both directions. You are also able to ‘call’ them to you similarly to the spell 'Teleport' if they are within psychic range.

World Achievement Progress Statement: Complete Merkize Task - Range to Climb and Subdue

Atherleah (Level 434) you have completed the first component of the Merkize Odyssey Task to climb a range and subdue it. Mt Siddetli is one of four mountains you are required to ascend. To complete the task, you must now ‘subdue’ the mountain. To do this, you must pass through each of the four main dungeons located on the mountain. The location of these dungeons can be found by following the cryptic clues on your Merkize Disc.

You are entering an area of play where Player Level determines the attacking MOBs. This area is circular and covers an area of 100 square leagues and is bound by the upper half (by vertical distance) of Mt Siddetli. The highest level player calculates MOB level for groups. You can, therefore, expect to meet situations aimed at players with a level of 434. Please have an enjoyable day.

The Mages of Sihirbazlari have named your Legendary Artefact ‘The Temelgüçler’, or ‘The Elemental Focus’.

You have opened Lord Geckiş’ gift:

1 Divine Transformation Potion for Empress Atherleah*

1 Celestial Breastplate**

1 Spell - Elemental Transformation (Divine Magic)

1 Vial containing the Essence of Transformation***

1 set of coins from Lord Geckiş realm (1D, 1P, 1G, 1S, 1C)

+5% to all future Experience

10000 Fame Points

* A Divine Potion created by Lord Geckiş specifically for Empress Atherleah. It should only be used in a time of great need. The effect will depend on the need and may be directed to some extent by your will.

** These are part of a set (8 pieces) - Celestial Armour (Min Level 500)

*** This is a unique ingredient and should be used sparingly (eight doses). It transforms any potion, increasing its potency and altering the final effect. The transformations will be designed to improve the potion. Other effects will occur if it used in a situation other than a potion.

When she’d finished reading the messages, Leah reached out to check if Mìng was nearby, but she wasn’t able to connect to her at all. She retrieved the Essence of Transformation and then reached into her pack and removed the vial of Phoenix Potion she’d received from Lord Namus. With great care, she unstoppered both vials and let one drop of the Essence of Transformation fall into the Phoenix Potion. The iridescent red potion usually had flecks of green glitter mixed through it. As the Essence of Transformation hit the surface of the Phoenix Potion, there was a flash of heat which lightly scorched Leah’s hands, and additional flecks of green, silver and gold appeared. Leah still wasn’t able to distinguish the different colours exactly, but was aware of the increased amount of glittery material.

Leah stoppered both vials, then had Three project the information on the new potion onto a braille reader.

Phoenix Potion (Transformed)

Phoenix Potion - Restores full health and all other statistics to a player if they are killed. There is no loss of Experience Points. This potion has been transformed by the addition of one drop of the Essence of Transformation (A divine elixir prepared by Lord Geckiş). On restoration, the player will be invulnerable to attack for a period of five-seconds for every twenty-four virtual hours spent in Dunyanin, or part thereof.

Leah took the potion then looked up and found the Günahkâr watching her.

“Y🔥: War Leader, what were you doing with your hand? Was it a spell? We felt no use of mana.”

“No, Yürek. While I was visiting other worlds, I was attacked on my home world. The attackers destroyed my ability to see, to hear and to talk. What I would usually see I now feel through the sensations applied to my body. I hear through small pressure applied to my finger, and you will notice that even when I talk aloud, my lips will not move as my words are made by the movement of my fingers. These are magics from my world.”

“Y🔥: War Leader, how can you fight if you cannot see or hear?”

“I use my body to sense the world around me. It will take some time to gain the necessary skills, but already I am learning. Would it help you understand if you were to spar with me?”

“Y🔥: It would give us the insight to know how to protect you, War Leader.”

Leah recognised that Yürek wore a sword, so equipping her sword, she said, “Then let us spar.”

“Y🔥: When will we stop?”

“I haven’t yet fought a Günahkâr, so I do not know your practice in this matter, but I would think we stop before one of us dies.”

“3: All are laughing quietly. I is İşaret.”

“I: Our practice is until blood flows freely without incapacitation. Part of the skill is knowing when to stop to prevent permanent harm. We usually allow the use of all weapons and magic. But with this limited area, I suggest just edged weapons, hands and defensive shields.”

“Thank you, İşaret. Yürek, are you ready? ”

Yürek didn’t say anything, except she unsheathed her sword and stood at the ready with a dagger in her other hand. Leah waited, hoping that everything she and SNAIL Central had worked on was enough. Yürek’s first move was an upward diagonal swipe almost faster than Leah had experienced before. Still, she was ready and met the blade by deflecting it across her body, forcing Yürek to step back to evade the thrust of a sword which had appeared in Leah’s other hand.

For several minutes Leah and Yürek moved back and forth. Leah used her shrouds sparingly, and although Yürek drew blood first, it was İşaret who called a stop to the bout after Leah had opened a finger length wound on Yürek’s bicep. He said, “Thank you, War Leader. Yürek held the advantage and would prevail under those conditions. With your magic and other weapons, I suspect she would not prevail.”

“Y🔥: Agreed. It was clear that your skill is hampered because you pick up the movements a shade later than I expected. Will practice see this improve? Or, is it a result of the injury?”

“I suspect both. The injury is new, and I believe I am still coming to terms with the changes. How much improvement is possible remains to be seen. Are you satisfied that we can move on safely?”

“Y🔥: I am. This has given us an insight into your style. We know how we fight for we have fought each other often. If we are to help protect, it is good to understand your skills.”

Leah agreed then said, “Have you thought of ways to get down the mountain?”

“3: Y with a slight feeling of moisture, 💧, is Yüzük.”

“Y💧: We spent some time discussing the situation and discovered that our connection was changed by our time in the realm of Lord Geckiş. This change confirms we as Günahkâr have taken the better path. Already we are strengthened. We can share our mana and apply the skill through each other. We have learned to link together. When linked,, Küçük shields us from the frozen ground, Orta helps the air around us to have enough oxygen to breathe. Yürek adds warmth so that we don’t freeze. The drain is minimal, and we share the load.”

“Excellent. Then let us leave here and prepare to descend. There are at least four dungeons on this mountain I need to move through. Be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.”

30

December 25 2073 - Evening - Part 3

DUNYANIN

The Günahkâr acknowledged their readiness. Leah went and stood in the centre of the sphere, and forced herself to concentrate her senses upward through the shaft she’d created. The sides were smooth as glass and harder than diamond. They’d been formed by gravity compacting the granite and forcing the molecules even closer together. None of the Günahkâr moved as they waited to see what Leah would do.

She equipped her Imperial Sceptre and with her mind, prepared to position her hand to form the symbol for gravity she’d discussed at SNAIL Central. Just before allowing her hand to move, she placed the focus of her will several paces above her. She directed her will through the sceptre’s gravitational core. As she cast, she felt herself fall upward. As she moved, she began to accelerate. Before she was quite ready, she was propelled out the top of the shaft and into a fierce freezing wind that blew across the top of the mountain.

She quickly stopped her spell and hurriedly repositioned her wings, making them more substantial to provide a brake to her descent as gravity re-exerted its pull on her down toward the earth. Even with that help she landed heavily. As she hit the surface she let her legs fold and turned the fall into a tumble, her wings folding around her and protecting her back. As she stood upright, she had to anchor herself using the tips of her wings; otherwise, she would have been blown away. Surrounding herself with a strong light shield, she used her psychic mana to reach out to the Günahkâr. When she’d connected with Yürek, she said, “Yürek, link together using your new linkage.”

There was a moment of stillness then, “Y🔥: We are linked.”

“Can you send me some warmth and some oxygen?”

In answer, she felt the space inside her shield begin to heat up and found it easier to breathe.

She said, “Prepare yourselves. I will bring you to where I am.”

“Y🔥: We are ready.”

Leah felt the environment around her as it was recorded against her skin. She placed each of her guards in the framework, then applied her will to make it a reality. There was a sudden rush of mana, and the five Günahkâr were beside her on the mountain top, each safely positioned within a light shield.

“Küçük, are you able to find a trail or path?”

Leah could sense the Earth mana spread out from Küçük as he did a sweep of the mountain in a large circle around where they stood. When he’d finished, she could sense the entire mountain for a distance of almost a hundred paces around where she stood. Twice more he made the sweep and the detail improved until Leah felt she knew where every stone and clump of ice was located.

“3: Six is recording an increased activity in the posterior parietal cortex.”

“I think it relates to my awareness of my surroundings.”

From the details Leah had picked up, and could still feel, it looked like the best choice was a path-like area on the other side of the shaft from where they were. Without needing to say anything, Yürek began to move in that direction with Küçük stepping up beside her. Küçük allowed his Earth sense to move ahead of him. Leah began to build a map in her mind as she walked. Behind her, the last three members of her guards formed a rearguard.

It was difficult moving against the wind at first, but Orta used his skill with air mana to form a V-shaped shield in front of them which deflected the wind around and over them. When they reached the ‘path’, it became clear that it wasn’t natural. It looked to have been formed by something pressing down on the ice and crushing it. Small ridges had been formed along the edges, and a regular pattern of smaller ridges and circular impressions covered the surface.

“3: K is Küçük.”

“K: Something large has passed this way. Do we go where it has gone or where it has come from?”

Leah thought for a moment then said, “Where it has come from. I assume there is a cave or lair. Such things are places where a dungeon may be found.”

Küçük turned left and headed along the trail. They’d been moving along the path for almost half a league as it wound around the hill when it joined up with a similar path.

“Y🔥: I suspect this is where the creature returned to its path. It seems we will now follow both where it came from and where it heads.”

Leah looked both ways and said, “You’re almost certainly correct, but I’d like to be sure. I’m going to change my form and retrace our steps. I can carry one person with me.”

“Y🔥: Take Küçük, he can look ahead and reveal the land in front of you.”

Leah nodded, then equipping Ruh Hayvanları, the vambraces of Mage Queen Altin Geyik Efsanesi, she transformed herself into Çevik Taklitçi, the Armoured Mimic Leopard. She then increased her size to what she’d been when fighting the Feeline. Crouching low, Leah sent a message for Küçük to climb aboard. When he was safely on her back, she leapt back up the trail.

Leah found the increased detail offered by the leopard senses, when added to what she already knew from Küçük’s scans, allowed her to see her surroundings with a clarity she doubted she’d even experienced with her sight. With the information from Küçük, she could see over the rise and around corners. She slowly increased her speed until she was flying over the ground. In less than a fifth of the time it had taken to descend, they had once more reached the top of the mountain. They were still connected with the rest of the hand and were able to breathe easily.

Without a pause, Leah moved unerringly along the trail which wound around the top of the mountain, and as predicted, brought her back to the rest of her guards. As she came to a stop, Küçük leapt from her back and said, “K: Thank you for the ride, War Leader. Would you be offended if I suggested having a saddle made?”

Leah transformed back into her half-elven half-human form and said, “Yes, Küçük, I believe I would.”

With a touch of humour in his tone that Leah could only imagine as she couldn’t hear it, he said, “K: Then I will not make such a suggestion, even in jest.”

“That is very wise, and I see why you were chosen as part of this hand.”

“Y🔥: The path taken by the creature was similar to what I would take if I looking over my domain. Shall we continue?”

Leah nodded, and Yürek again set off down the track with Küçük looking ahead. The trail wound slowly down the southern slope of the mountain. They’d moved almost a league further when the hardened ice they’d been walking on gradually became covered with hard-packed snow. The creature they were following had cut through it readily enough, but the trail now had compacted snow pushed to the side in ridges at least a pace in height, and sometimes more.

Küçük’s earth sense continued to build up the picture of the ground beneath the snow. Leah said, “Yüzük, can you use your affinity with water to add to Küçük’s picture and map the snow as well?”

“Y💧: As you command, War Leader.”

Leah was about to say it wasn’t a command when the overlay from Yüzük settled on that of Küçük. This was followed by that of İşaret and Orta. The intensity of the image on her skin made her shiver, and she had a picture of the world around her that left her speechless. As she turned in a circle, the four Günahkâr filled in the full sphere out to over a hundred paces, including the area above and beneath her. Two things stood out. One was a series of tunnels in the earth beneath their feet perhaps eighty or ninety paces below the ground. The second was thousands of creatures heading toward them through the snow, which were now highlighted by İşaret’s silver-coloured awareness of Spirit.

Leah equipped dual swords immediately, beating even her guards. There was no time for planning as the snow around them erupted with creatures that resembled leeches more than anything. Their hide was white as snow, and if it hadn’t been for İşaret’s focus on their life, they would have been hard to see. As it was, Leah was aware of their outline as it was clearly contrasted on her skin against the different images sent by the other four guards. The creatures had a ring of sharp teeth which looked to be made of shards of glass or ice and a stinger at the tail which had a similar transparent and razor-sharp end.

The ice-leeches, as Leah thought of them, ranged from small ones the size and length of her finger to ones four paces long and as round as her torso. Within moments Leah and her hand of guards were fighting for their lives. If it hadn’t been for the guards, Leah would have died almost immediately as she almost instinctively tried to use her voice to cast a spell and only a spear of fire thrown by Yürek prevented an ice-leech the size of Leah’s arm from reaching her face.

Forcing herself to be calm, Leah Summoned four of Orumeck’s Warrior Drones. The Summoning spell had been modified somewhat in Lord Geckiş’ land, and each of the Spider’s now looked to be made of granite and ice as if they’d been formed from the mountain itself. With precision, they began plucking the ice-leeches from the air and snow and either skewering them or shredding them with their scythes.

Leah shaped her wings into similarly shaped scythes and then with a sword in each hand, she stepped past her guards and waded forward into the oncoming leeches. Hundreds made it past the edge of her swords, but they were plucked from the air by her wings or her guards. Her ability to multi-task was now available for use in the game and was hidden by the SNAIL protocol and she was able to direct her wings simultaneously with her other actions. Leah dual-cast Rain of Fire in front of her and a burning wave of flaming liquid fell on the leeches and continued to burn as it speared into the ground and sent up droplets of burning fire. The spell threw up a wave of steam and mist which Orta redirected with a blast of air back over the scorched earth to finish off the hundreds of leeches which had been damaged in Leah’s spell.

Leeches at the edges had escaped. They dove into the snow before leaping once more toward Leah and the guards. Behind them came a second wave of leeches. This time the guards stepped in front of Leah and began cutting their way into the pack leaving Leah to deal with the score of attackers who washed around the edges of the guards and her summoned spiders. As the leeches died, Leah could feel a third wave approaching. These were more spread out, and the smallest was larger than Leah’s forearm.

She’d forgotten to work out a method for checking health but a quick message typed to Three, and she was given a report. All five guards had been wounded, with Küçük the worst with less than forty per cent of his Health remaining. Leah sent a healing spell at each one before drawing mana from her Shadow Shroud and stacking spells of Dark Chain Lightning. When the leeches were only five paces away, Leah stepped past her guards and cast the stacked spell through her Imperial Sceptre.

Leah was thrown backwards by the released spell, which radiated outward in an arc from the end of the sceptre. It arced between the leeches to form a lattice of dark lightning which Leah could feel imprinted on her flesh as the SNAIL module tried to show her the effect of the spell. What would have been a series of shadow lines imprinted on her vision became a broken fishnet of almost-burns across much of her front.

As Leah slowly came to her feet, she cast a Heal on herself and felt the pain lessen, then disappear. For a hundred paces in front of the Leah and her hand of guards, the mountain was scorched bare of snow and ice and only blacked granite, and a slowly descending mist of ash remained.

Leah checked her mana. Her Shadow shroud was almost empty although it had already begun to regenerate. She turned to her guards and said, “Does anyone need healing?”

As she received a negative reply, she also felt the few remaining leeches moving through the snow at the very edge of the scorched area. Küçük bent down and lifted a needle-like finger-sized ice-leech tooth from the ground. “K: War Leader, these are made of diamond. There must be tens of thousands scattered here.”

Leah turned and looked back over the forty or so paces on which they’d fought. It was littered with the bodies of over two thousand leeches, each with razor-sharp crystals ranging from tiny slivers too small for the naked eye from the finger-sized leeches to some diamonds longer than her fingers. Leah said, “Yürek, how do you usually portion out what remains after a battle?”

“Y🔥: It has been many years since we have fought outside our own clans. Now we return the weapons to a warrior’s clan. In the days before we were bound, we used to share the combined spoils of combat according to rank. Those won in single combat went to the one who achieved the kill.”

“Are you content to follow that tradition, or shall we make a new one?”

“Y🔥: It seems good to us to keep this same tradition.”

“Then you collect that which is yours, and I will harvest the rest.”

Each of the Günahkâr began moving through the dead and collecting their prizes. They discussed the battle as they worked and after listening to some of it, Leah asked Three not to share it unless it related to her in some way. She moved forward across the scorched earth and began harvesting the thousands of diamonds lying on the ashen ground. Using the game function to collect was much quicker than doing it by hand. Leah finished first, then began to consider her options as she watched the Günahkâr removing diamonds from the dead.

31

December 25 2073 - Evening - Part 4

STORK TOWER

Taking off her backpack, she pulled out her map of ancient mines and ran her hands over the now contoured map created by the SNAIL module. She saw there were several mines on, or near, Mt Siddetli. She walked close to Yürek and said, “I have something to check in my world and will return shortly.”

Yürek acknowledged the statement and Leah sat down as if meditating and logged out. She walked to the room Gèng had made to house the Merkize disc and walked to the edge of it as it lay on the ground. She said, “Three, there is a stepping stone near the outer edge with a poem. Please send me the poem.”

Ten leader’s steps to lead the chase

Nine moons to finish the race

Eight challenges to clear the dross

Seven great lands with oceans to cross

Six cities of old to find and claim

Five followers to help win fame

Four ranges to climb, subdue

Three caverns, their treasures pursue

Two teams to find Merkize

One hand to hold the prize

“Thank you. There are forty or fifty stepping stones or footprints around the disc itself. Nine of these have a small crescent-shaped moon somewhere on them in the intricate carving around the outside of the foot, or in the detail. I used those to claim the disc and enter the Odyssey. I haven’t really spent much time studying the rest, but I suspect there are four with an image or raised section that could be considered a mountain or a hill. Can you isolate those for me?”

There was a pause and then, “3: There are conditions to how an AI may help with the disc. The type of search you asked for is not allowed. You are required to identify any similarities across the disc yourself. I checked with SNAIL central who interacted with the AI administering the Dunyanin Odyssey. The AI upheld the ruling. I apologise.”

“No, that’s fair enough, and I understand. Isolate the footprints, staring with the one closest the edge, and set them before me so I can feel the markings.”

Leah could see the first shape as it appeared in front of her and she reached out and ran her fingers over the markings, identifying the small moon she’d first recognised. She then moved to the second, running her hands over the entire stepping stone. Waving it to one side, she moved to the second. She increased her perception to maximum, so it wouldn’t take as long and had soon separated four of the stones from the others. She then went back over each of those looking for anything that might help her. On the third, she felt the small mountain shaped etching and then said, “Three, increase just the small mountain area. Use my hand motions as a guide to show where to enlarge and how to orient it.”

Leah then began enlarging what had first felt like a small glyph, but with her increased tactile sense was carved much finer than that. She kept increasing it and found that as she expanded the image, it became even more detailed. Eventually, she was standing on a representation of Mount Siddetli several hundred metres across. Shrinking and enlarging it she studied the contours, trying to commit them to memory and looking for any indication of where the dungeons might be. She found two areas where the carving showed caves. She enlarged these until she stood just outside the one closest to where she and her guards were. She stepped toward it but hit an invisible barrier. A message appeared in front of her on a braille reader.

“The entrance to this dungeon is only accessible in Dunyanin itself.”

Stepping back, she carefully studied the terrain between where she and her guards were, and the cave entrance then said, “Three, please bring the area around this stepping stone in front of me.”

When it appeared, she ran her hands over it, looking for clues. She found evidence of a map and knowing the answer was Mount Siddetli it took her almost no time to decipher the cryptic references. She was descending the southern slope, and it contained the third dungeon that had been specifically prepared on the mountain for the contest. If she’d followed the map, she would have approached from the East. From what she could tell the lower reaches were under the dominion of a tribe of mountain trolls.

From there, the trail moved north to an area controlled by dark magic although it wasn’t clear who controlled it. The only thing she could tell was that it was a place supposedly filled with unspeakable terror. The map skirted the edge of the mountain on a trail which crossed back to the East, before arriving at the dungeon she was near. This was ruled by a clan of who tunnelled in the southern reaches of the mountain. There was some reference to the clan being transformed, but she wasn’t sure what from, except there was a reference to demons. From there, there was a maze of tunnels to the northern edge which was controlled by what she thought was a reference to dragons.

DUNYANIN

Satisfied she had a better understanding, she waved the map away and hurried back to the Dunyanin portal. By using her increased perceptions, she’d managed to cut the virtual time she’d been absent to twenty minutes. Her guards were finished collecting their share of the bounty and were standing guard around her immobile body.

As she came to her feet, Yürek said, “Y🔥: Was your hunt successful?”

“It was. Two leagues from here is the entrance to a dungeon. It leads to the home of a clan who lives in tunnels. To the East is the land of the Mountain trolls, to the North, dragons, and to the West, evil mages and unspeakable terror.”

Yürek smiled and said, “Y🔥: It was a good hunt. Küçük has information on the clan if they controlled the ice-creatures.”

“K: They can wield mana. Each of the crystals we recovered was enspelled. The mana was used in a transformation spell. The creatures who attacked us were made of earth, metal, water and the diamonds. When the crystals were removed, the flesh regained its natural form. I suspect the creature we follow is a mount of some kind. The reason the creatures were so clear in İşaret’s sight is that much of the mana used in the spell was elemental spirit mana.”

“I: If they are miners then they may have tapped a well of elemental mana. This would explain the number of creatures who attacked. If it is not a well, then it is even possible they have captured and are siphoning mana from an elemental entity.”

Leah took one of her share of the diamonds from her final spell. She noticed when she touched it that it tingled as if slightly charged. She handed one to İşaret and said, “Pardon İşaret, this feels like it still holds spirit. Can you explain what’s going on?”

İşaret took the crystal and after examining it for some time said, “I: I have heard of such a thing, but it is considered a spell attribute peculiar to the Gods. It seems your spell etched a runic pattern across the surface of the diamond. The pattern is unknown to me. I suspect it forms a barrier which holds in the remaining Spirit mana. It may be useful to use such a crystal to store mana.”

Leah sent a message just to Three, “Three, were there any messages during the battle?”

“3: There were several thousand. Gèng suggested such messages were not to be passed on.

”She was generally right. Sometimes, if the message is about something out of the ordinary, then she might tell me so I can decide. Was there a message about a new skill or achievement?”

“3: There were several about the new nature of your spells due to the transformation you underwent in the realm of Lord Geckiş. If I understand the context of your question, then I think this is the one you are referring to.”

A Braille reader appeared in front of Leah.

Level 6 Unique Skill (Celestial)

Divine Signature (Level 4)

You have discovered a unique skill based on your character’s new racial makeup. (Greater than 10% Divine)

Your spells will be embedded with a unique runic identifier which may leave a lasting imprint on the recipients of your spell. The runes are written in the language of the gods and describe the extent and nature of the spell. These runes have power and may have ongoing repercussions. The more powerful the spell—the greater the repercussions. It is suggested you consider this when casting powerful spells.

Reward 1: 20000 EP x 434 = 45439800 (+423.5%) Experience Points (67650000/67650000) (18693808/68650000)

Reward 2: 10 Diamonds

Reward 3: +5% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 5000 Fame Points (474270 FP)

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Leah turned to İşaret and said, “You’re correct. It is a signature of sorts.”

İşaret bowed reverently. Leah said, “Yürek, are we finished here? I think I can transport us directly to the start of the dungeon.”

“Y🔥: As you command.”

Leah tried to form the image of the cave in her mind and felt her body respond with the tactile clues similar to what was generated by the SNAIL module and Three. She matched the image with what she remembered from when she’d studied the cave on the enlarged map. She placed herself and the others in front of it and used Teleport. Moments later, the six figures appeared outside the cave.

Leah linked with the others, and after checking she could feel everyone and that nothing was nearby, she stepped forward. She felt a barrier, and then a Braille Reader appeared.

Player Atherleah,

You are about to enter a dungeon constructed as part of a quest prepared for the Merkize Odyssey. The rules of the Odyssey permit you a total of seven companions. Once a companion has participated in one of the quests or dungeons they are locked in for the entire Odyssey. These may not be changed except under extenuating circumstances such as the death of a player in real life or the permanent death of a NPC companion.

During your claim of Dag Tarafind, you had no players or NPC companions with you. Currently, you have five NPC with you. You are permitted a total of three NPC companions in Dunyanin. Currently, you have one NPC companion, Shēngmìng de huǒ. Do you wish to add two of these to the list of your designated companions?

Leah stepped back from the barrier and said, “Yürek, there is a small complication. I need to think for a moment before we enter the cave.”

Yürek nodded, and through the link, the four other guards organised themselves in a cordon around Leah and Yürek. Leah thought through her options for a few minutes then turned to Yürek again. “Yürek, one of the things I must do involves a large quest which encompasses not only Vatan but the entire world of Dunyanin. On this quest, I am allowed seven companions, and four of them must be Travellers. While I appreciate your protection, the rewards have been primarily designed for those who are travellers. My dragon is already designated as a companion. Although I do not know where she is at the moment, I will not abandon her. This means at most I could take two of you into the cave with me.”

Yürek nodded then said, “Y 🔥: What of the other three?”

“They will remain here until this dungeon is complete and then together we will move on. It is only during the actual smaller quests or dungeons that the number of those with me is restricted. Mìng travelled with me to a task but remained outside while I completed it.”

“Y 🔥: I would suggest you take Küçük with you to help find the path. Then either İşaret or Orta—İşaret to help find life, Orta to help you perceive what surrounds you. Both are linked and know of what we discuss, and they suggest Orta is more skilled as a complement to your own abilities. At your command, Yüzük, İşaret and I will remain on guard here.”

Leah nodded as Yürek withdrew and Küçük and Orta approached. Turning to them, she said, “Küçük, Orta, to accompany me into the cave is a commitment to join me on my larger quest. It will take me several years to complete if I remain successful. Will you join me as companions on this quest?”

Both of the dark elves agreed verbally. After accepting the two as companions, Leah once more stepped toward the cave entrance.

32

December 25 2073 - Evening - Part 5

DUNYANIN

Again there was the message. This time she acknowledged that the two NPCs with her were to be seen as companions.

As she did, Leah felt the barrier fade. They’d moved several paces, and Leah felt the tunnel open up before her. The link to Küçük and Orta revealed a long tunnel leading into the mountain. They’d moved about ten paces when the tunnel disappeared to Leah’s senses.

“3: O is Orta.”

“O: War Leader, the barrier ahead is a portal.”

Leah made a note to have the SNAIL module suggest a feeling so she could recognise portals. Then, followed by the two Günahkâr, she stepped through to appear on what Leah felt as a small ledge sticking out of the side of a deep hole with a diameter of twenty paces or more. From her connection to Küçük and the image against her body, it seemed like the hole or bore continued in both directions as far as they could see or feel. The wall wasn’t smooth but was rough and sharp, with large and small bumps, grooves and channels covering the surface. It was clear through her link with the two guards that there was no light in the tunnel at all. Even their enhanced elven eyes weren’t able to penetrate the darkness.

A Braille reader appeared in front of Leah.

Level 5 Dungeon Achievement: First 1 (7, Painite)

Atherleah (Level 435), you have entered the dungeon:

The Chimney of Clan Kemirmek

You are the first player to access this area. It is one of four dungeons on Mt Siddetli designed for the Merkize Odyssey. Once completed, it will be open to other players.

Eons past, a small clan from the lowest levels of Lord Iskense’s realm found a small rift in the barrier between worlds. The breach led into the unformed void which separates the dominion of the gods from this world. Seeking to escape the rule of Lord Inkense the clan entered the rift only to become truly lost. Over the centuries the clan wandered through the wasteland that was the void, always looking for an escape. In their travels, they were sustained, transformed and tormented in the void by their interaction with the refuse of the gods, for it is into the void that the gods throw their leavings.

A millennia ago the clan discovered a small breach in the barrier, a rupture which led them to this world. For centuries they chipped away until they formed this vertical tunnel, or chimney, in which you stand. Beneath you, the tunnel leads to the void. Above you, it leads to the Realms of the Kemirmek. Be aware that not all Kemirmek were transformed equally, and they have since divided into separate families. Each of these families protects and rules a segment of the chimney. The Kemirmek themselves maintain the chimney for they learned to feed on the void and they keep watch for when pockets of the void break free and rise toward the surface of this world along the chimney. To them, the chimney is sacred for it brought them salvation and even now it continues to nourish them.

You should beware—having fed for millennia on the leavings of the gods, they not only use mana, but they react strangely to it. At times they can bend the mana of others to their will. Beware also of the void itself.

You, and your companions, must ascend the Kemirmek Chimney to its pinnacle near where you entered the dungeon. There are four ledges such as you are now on. They set a boundary for the different families. These ledges are places of safety for your group and players may logout from them. At the pinnacle, you will need to cross the great cavern of the Kemirmek, the throne room of Queen Yasdışı, their sovereign.

This is your seventh, ‘First 1 (Painite)’ Dungeon Achievement.

Reward 1: 5000 x 435 = 11494875 (+428.5%) Experience Points (30188683/68650000)

Reward 2: + 4% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 7 x 1 Diamond = 7 Diamond

Reward 4: 5000 Fame (479270)

Reward 5: Increased probability of valuable drop. Luck is increased by 7.5% whenever you are in this Dungeon. During your first time in the Dungeon, the probability of all drops is increased to 0.5.

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

Leah said, “We have to climb this to where we entered. Its occupants are magic-wielding creatures from Çaresiz. They have fed for millennia from the void between the worlds. They use the refuse of the gods for food. I suspect that is where they obtained spirit mana. If we fall, then we too could end up in the void.”

“O: War Leader, do we know what form these creatures take?”

“Not yet, Orta.”

“K: War Leader, how shall we ascend?”

“I suggest we climb. Use magic to help but keep a hand on the wall at all times until we learn what type of offence they have. I have no need of light but can make some if it helps you.”

“K: I can feel the earth. I think light will both attract the creatures as well as help us see them. I would prefer to climb in darkness and perhaps evade them. When they attack a low light might confuse them and give us aid.”

With this decided and linked psychically to both Küçük and Orta, Leah began to climb. Leah tried to use her gravity magic like the Günahkâr did and found there was not so much strain on her arms or calves as she used gravity to help pull and push herself upward. She adapted her wings and used them for additional safety, adding sharp talons to hold her to the wall as she climbed.

They’d travelled less than a hundred paces when an irregular section of the wall the size of a dwarf lifted away as Orta passed it. A clawed hand with scimitar-shaped talons shot out and raked his shoulder, tearing through his armour and catching on his shoulder bone. With a flick, it pulled him from the wall and threw him toward the centre of the chimney.

Even as he fell, Leah’s light shroud transformed into a thick cord and wrapped around his leg, stopping his fall and bringing him back to crash against the tunnel wall. That was all Leah could do before she had to swing away from the wall on one side to avoid the fast-moving creature as it drove a second claw into the rock where she’d been moments before. Equipping the Amber Dragon, she had enough control to parry the next claw. Her sword neatly sheared away half the claw, causing the Kemirmek to screech as it turned to bring the stub of the severed arm around to bat at Leah.

Before the blow landed, an arrow thudded into the joint below the raised appendage giving Leah the opportunity to thrust her sword deep into the centre of the creature, sending it scurrying away to disappear into the darkness. Leah followed it with her senses and saw where it rested. Küçük had been able to shoot a bow by using his earth mastery to hold his feet in place. He’d swung horizontally out from the wall and shot as if walking on the wall.

Leah kept her eye on the creature as she cast Heal at Orta. His health had fallen to ten per cent by the time the battle was over.

As Orta healed, Leah said, “Küçük, can you feel where the creature has hidden?”

“K: Yes.”

“I will send a light to rest above it. See if it would help identify them as we climb?”

Leah transformed a small amount of general mana into light mana. She cast a spell to form a light source several paces out from where the creature was sheltered against the wall. The light was brighter than intended, but Leah had no idea of the result until she felt both her guards turn away from the light. She cancelled the spell and said, “From your reactions, I suspect that was too bright.”

“O: It was bright, Empress, but enough to see that the creature was blended into the wall. If we had not been looking at it, we would not have known. Thank you for saving me.”

“I’m just glad you are all right.”

“3: There are scratching and scraping sounds all around you.”

“Orta, I cannot hear what is happening. What sounds are there?”

“O: On the air, I hear maybe fifteen or more of the creatures coming from above us. I suggest we battle as Küçük. A light would help us.”

Leah formed earth mana, and then through her link to Küçük formed a spell which attached her feet to the side of the chimney and used gravity mana cast along her body to reorient herself so she felt she was standing upright. She used some of the divine light mana to cast a ball of light in the centre of the tunnel above her and the elves. As the light lit the tunnel, the Kemirmek she’d wounded let out a large screech and its flesh began to bubble and dissolve.

All Leah saw was its sudden movement as it leapt toward Küçük with its claws outstretched and mouth open. He was ready and seemed to flow around the attack before removing the head, letting it fall past him toward the void.

“K: War Leader, the light affected the creature because it is from Çaresiz. It reacts to the divine light. You should know it also affects Orta and me as we are of the Dark, it slows us and saps our health. Your cord to save Orta left a mark on his skin which is slow to heal.”

Without really thinking Leah reabsorbed the divine light, replacing it with an ordinary light spell and said, “I apologise, thank you for explaining.”

Both of her guards turned momentarily to stare at her in shock before turning back to face up the chimney as the Kemirmeks approached. Three sent an identification message to Leah’s fingertips.

KEMIRMEK IMP (Level 435) 189225HP (21750EP)

Although they scuttled down the chimney on all fours, it was clear from their joints that the imps could stand on just their hind legs if necessary. Their skin was able to change colour, and they faded from sight, their outline barely visible to Orta and Küçük as they shifted position. Their heads were similar to that of an eel, although flatter, with mouths filled with razor-thin shards for teeth. They had long and heavily muscled limbs with large shoulders. Behind their totally black eyes was a ridge of jagged and sharpened bone which protruded from their flesh and was used for raking an opponent in battle. Long talons on feet and hands gripped the rock as they rushed forward.

Leah and the others were able to see the creatures through Orta’s mastery of the air. Leah added the picture she formed from the sensations on her body. Moments later the creatures reached the three and it was a melee as three or four creatures attacked each of the elves, while the rest headed for Leah. With their long arms, Leah decided to engage them further out. Moving her hands in the preset forms she’d agreed on at the SNAIL calibration, Leah whipped her hands forward, and a fighting staff with a blade at either end appeared in them. One blade moved past a creature and decapitated it before the blade disappeared and was replaced with a Morningstar before crashing into the side of a second creature. Leah thrust one hand behind her, and the staff appeared with the blade again, this time skewering a creature through the head a pace behind her back. Spinning, Leah knew one of the creatures was too close for the staff and a shift in her hand position equipped her sword, cutting deep before changing to a shield which she used to deflect a swinging claw.

As she turned, she noticed a creature angling in toward Küçük from the rear. Equipping a bow, Leah fired an exploding arrow toward Küçük's attacker before leaning forwards to evade a sweeping claw. She then thrust her sword behind her, neatly piercing the Kemirmek through his mouth.

As they died, each of the creatures fell into the void leaving a faint glowing outline hanging in the air which Leah couldn’t see. Altogether, the attack lasted several minutes with all three companions being wounded. Leah’s wound was a talon through her thigh. The talon had broken off then burst into flame as her blood covered it. She’d reached down to pull it out and had to fling it away as the flame took hold. Several paces from her it had shattered into pieces as it exploded.

Leah cast Heal for all of them and was about to walk away when Küçük said, “K: War Leader, what of the marks in the air?”

“What marks?”

“K: There are images of those you killed floating all around you.”

“3: These are to give you an opportunity to harvest the creatures.”

“Can you make them slightly solid so I can feel them?”

Each of the outlines took the form of a cloud which was impressed lightly on Leah’s body. Using this as a guide, she harvested them. Once that was done, she and the others kept moving up the chimney. This time they used Küçük’s earth mastery and gravity magic to walk up the chimney. Leah sent a small ball of divine light twenty paces before them. It revealed the creatures as they hid and gave enough warning that even though they were attacked by several groups of Kemirmek, no one suffered a serious injury.

33

December 25 2073 - Evening - Part 6

DUNYANIN

They’d been moving for about half an hour when the image Leah received from her link with the two dark elves began to flicker, fade and die at its edge fifty paces beneath them. The area being blacked out approached quickly and Leah sent a message for the two guards to grab hold of the wall in case their magic failed. Pulling herself in towards the wall, she took hold and let her arms and feet bear the weight. As the area reached her, she felt her wings being pulled toward the centre of the chimney and drawing her away from the side of the tunnel. It took some effort to drag herself and the wings back close to the wall. She felt the psychic connection to her guards snap and realised that if her light went out, they’d be blind to all attacks.

She tried to cast another ball of light further up the chimney, but her mana was sucked into what she imagined was a free-floating part of the void. She pictured herself past the bubble and against the flattest part of the wall she could feel imprinted on her body, and cast Teleport. It was a struggle to form the spell as the mana she used kept fading from existence. With a desperate push, she overpowered the spell, disappearing as it suddenly took hold. She reappeared above the approaching void and cast a giant ball of normal light, hoping the beams would reach the two guards. She then summoned four of Orumeck’s Warrior Drones and sent them back to protect the Günahkâr. She was pleased when they passed through the void without being deconstructed.

Leah transformed her shadow shroud to form eight legs similar to those used by Orumeck’s spiders. Applying gravity to steady her body, she began moving up the chimney trying to keep ahead of the void. She cast a second light, this one made of divine light and let it move ahead of her. She then scampered up the chimney killing the Kemirmek as her light spell sent them into a frenzy. This new use of magic seemed to attract the void, and it began to rise faster. It became a race to see if Leah could stay ahead of the void and reach the next ledge before it overtook her.

In the end, Leah lost the race. She was forced to cling to the side of the chimney as it rushed past her. She could feel that its pull on her magic had increased and even though her back was to it, she could see the dozens of dead Kemirmek bodies that had fallen and become mired in the void, their dead limbs seemingly reanimated as the void pulled them in various directions as it deconstructed them. Above her, she could feel the living Kemirmek slashing and tearing at what she could only perceive as emptiness. Their claws pulling this emptiness toward their snouts as they breathed in or ate the void as it travelled past. Sometimes their tearing would catch hold of one of their dead, and there was a frenzied battle as they fought for the morsel.

As the void had passed over Leah, she’d lost control of the ball of divine light. She watched as it ascent slowed. The void reached for the light, then recoiled slightly just before it touched. As the two opposing substances touched, they reacted violently. There was a mighty explosion that tore Leah’s grip from the wall, sending her sliding sideways then back down the chimney as gravity took hold. She’d been stunned momentarily but quickly realised her predicament as sharp rock cut into her hands, her armour and face as she tumbled against the side of the chimney. She tried to reach out with her hands, desperately searching the wall to find a handhold, then recoiling as several fingers were sliced off on a sharp rock. Her speed increased as she fell until after several seconds she hit a large outcrop side on, snapping several ribs and causing her to ricocheted outward from the edge just as she fell free of the void’s influence. As the effect of the void disappeared, she used her shrouds to reach out and grasp the side of the chimney, slowing her fall, before slowly bringing her to a stop to rest against the wall.

Her health was under twenty per cent and she’d not only lost fingers and broken several ribs, but she’d broken her leg when it smashed into the wall. She cast Heal on her hand and then took one of her newly made Restore potions. Almost immediately she felt whole, her fingers regrown, her leg and ribs healed. Besides the boost from the potion, she felt a buzz somewhat like the one time she’d had two beers in the space of half an hour. She checked her statistics and saw she’d not only been healed, but both her stamina and health were hovering over one-hundred-and-ten per cent.

Shaking her head to clear it, she tried to reconstruct her fall to work out if she’d passed the Günahkâr. She was reasonably certain they were now above her, so she transformed the shroud into spider legs again and began moving back up the chimney searching for her guards. She’d climbed a hundred paces before the image around her showed the two guards and the four spiders she’d sent to watch over them. They were in a battle with several Kemirmek who looked larger than the ones they’d fought before. A quick check showed they were Level 445 and she wondered if they’d grown from feeding on the void or if it was part of the dungeon’s design.

Leah stood back and equipping her bow, shot arrows to thin the number of attacking creatures. This was enough that Orta, Küçük and the spiders were soon able to finish them off. As the last Kemirmek dropped away, Küçük spoke through their link, “K: War Leader, we thought we had lost you when you fell.”

“I thought I was lost as well.”

“O: Without the spiders, I suspect we would have perished. Thank you, War Leader.”

“I should have had them out earlier. I’ll send them ahead of us to warn us.”

With that, Leah sent the spiders to move ahead. With the spiders attracting attacks early and another small ball of divine light to flush out the Kemirmek, they made good time. They reached another ledge in less than an hour. They stopped to rest for a moment as Leah checked her messages. She’d earned a new skill which she hadn’t realised at the time.

Skill - Mana Absorption (Divine) - First 1 (6, Painite)

You are the first player to learn this skill, further development can only be achieved by careful practice. You are the first player to gain this achievement. This is your sixth Level 5 NPA ‘First 1’

Reward 1: 10000 x 435 = 8208000 (+432.5%) Experience Points (64934308/68650000)

Reward 2: 1 Diamond x 6 = 6 Diamond

Reward 3: +4% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 1000 Fame Points (480270 FP)

You have achieved the title: Master of Mana

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

With half her time gone, Leah suggested they aim for the second ledge before she took a break. She had to explain to Orta and Küçük that she needed a break every nine hours and that this break was either for an hour or for a day, depending on her commitments. They seemed to understand and said they would rest in stasis while she was gone.

Before stepping off the ledge to climb the second section, Leah summoned four of the warrior drones. She noticed from the way they felt that they were different than when summoned on the ice. This time, and she supposed earlier on when she’d first summoned them in the tunnel, they seemed to be made from the very fabric of the rock from which they emerged. She sent them ahead and then casting a ball of divine light, sent it up the chimney just far enough that it didn’t harm the dark elves.

Using the shroud as legs, she stepped onto the wall and began to climb. The two Günahkâr positioned themselves on either side of her. About eighty paces up the chimney it was Orta who held up a hand to stop everyone. He pointed off to one side and said, “O: There is a disturbance in the air about thirty paces ahead and to the right. It is very faint, but I think it is similar to when the skin of the Kemirmek is affected by the divine light mana.”

Leah sent one of the spiders across the tunnel to investigate. It was several paces from the area when a Kemirmek pushed itself from the wall and with swords made of stone, sliced into the drone’s body cutting off two legs. The spider fought back but did little more than four per cent damage when it was killed. The Kemirmek was taller than its kin lower down the chimney, and besides using weapons it had a long tail which it used to balance itself and sometimes used as a weapon.

Its face was flatter and shaped like a great cat with horns curved from behind the slits that served as ears before flaring wide and jutting upwards into a sharpened point about two feet above its eye level. The talons were shorter than their kin to help it hold weapons, and the eyes glowed with a heat Leah could feel where the image was projected on her skin.

Leah sent the other three spiders across, and they had more success, but even so, all three were killed while the Kemirmek still had over seventy per cent of its health. Three sent an identification message to Leah’s fingertips.

KEMIRMEK WARRIOR (Level 450) 455625HP (22500EP)

“Three, why does it have so much health?”

“3: The health of MOBS over Level 450 is calculated differently. There is also a corresponding increase in Experience Points. However, the formula for Experience Points changes depending on how close you are to the creature's level.”

While Leah had been communicating with Three, the two guards had moved to the Kemirmek and begun testing its defence and attack. Leah stayed back and cast Heal when needed, as well as shooting arrows. Even with the three of them, it was several minutes before the Kemirmek was killed.

Leah harvested the outline and distributed it among the three of them, then stepped away and after summoning more spiders kept moving up the tunnel. All three recognised the slight disturbance in the air when they approached a second knight, but this time Leah had the spiders retreat to protect their rear while she stepped forward asking Orta and Küçük to provide long-distance help.

34

December 25 2073 - Evening - Part 7

DUNYANIN

As she stepped forward, the warrior rose from where it waited and turned to face her. It was holding itself out from the wall using the talons on its feet and the sharpened spike on its tail. In each hand was a stone sword over two paces in length. Leah was surprised when its mouth moved.

“3: W for Warrior Kemirmek.”

“W: Puny godling, I can smell your flesh. You reek of mana. You are not fit to step upon our salvation and will die in the holy void. Then we will feed.”

Leah realised that until that point, anyone watching wouldn’t have heard either her or the Günahkâr speak as they’d been communicating psychically. As she waited for the Kemirmek to make its move, she wondered what it would be like to watch someone play in the world without being able to hear the interactions. A silent show with only the sounds of nature and battle. She tensed as she saw its muzzle stop moving and was prepared for his attacking lunge even as the last of what it said ran across her fingertip. She’d expected the move knowing the race had come from Çaresiz.

She slid out of the way, deflecting its attack and countering with a lunge of her own which was in turn pushed aside by its hip as it let go of the wall and dropped inside her swing to crash into her and brought its tail underneath it to spear her. Leah misted and let it fall through her before dropping on it from above and driving her sword deep into its shoulder. The warrior reached out one clawed foot and grasping the wall swung inward, throwing Leah outward.

In turn, she used the shrouds to pull herself inward and tried to teleport behind it only to find herself materialise in front of it instead, her back facing the warrior. It wrapped its arms around her to crush her. She misted, then extending her nails, ripped her arm back in a circle aiming to rip out its neck. It ducked out of the way, and she severed one of the horns and took out its left eye.

In return, she received a clawed foot to the stomach which caught the dragon armour and threw her into the tunnel wall, stunning her momentarily. Both Günahkâr had shot arrows at the Kemirmek, but it ignored them as focussed as it was on Leah. It brought its sword around to cut deeply into her right side before she could slide out of the way.

Using the Shadow shroud as a shield, she evaded the next two attacks as she cast Heal on herself. Sending a message to the Günahkâr to stay back, she used her Light shroud to pull herself to the side then reoriented herself so she was once more facing the warrior. Its eye was slowly healing, and she could see the horn regrowing. Equipping her fighting sticks and adding a blade to the end of each, she used her Light shroud to form a thin cover over the blades and leapt forward. Back and forth, the two warriors fought. Leah needed all the skill she had used fighting in the contest and knew that without that experience, she would already be dead. Except for the shrouds, the Heal spells, and misting, she’d not used new magic since her Teleport failed, not wanting to try it just in case it failed at a crucial moment.

It was a fight of attrition, and Leah won when she managed to spear the Kemirmek through the eye with a blade she thrust behind her as she spun away from a close-quarters attack. As she moved away, she reached backwards with one hand and harvested the Kemirmek. Her guards watched her as she approached and Küçük said, “K: War Leader, what did you learn?”

“I need to see what effect other types of magic have on them. My Teleport didn’t work, but the Fae magic, which helps me become a vampire did. I didn’t try it, but I think ordinary fire would heal it. What did you learn?”

“K: That until we improve, we should not take on one such as that by ourselves.”

They continued upwards and had travelled less than ten paces when two Kemirmek Warriors appeared at the upper edge of Orta’s range. Leah took one and the two guards the other. As Leah approached, she cast Chain Lightening which arced between the two, then arced further up the tunnel causing screeches which she couldn’t hear. The spell caused damage but only took five per cent off the first Kemirmek and less from the second. She had time only to cast Freeze before the creatures fell upon them. Freeze slowed the reactions of the warrior heading toward Leah just enough that she was able to slide out of the way and wound it through the shoulder as it fell past. It reached out for the wall and pulled itself close before rushing upward toward her, its talons sending sparks as they tore into the rock.

Using the skills from her last fight and casting Freeze twice, Leah managed to kill her warrior quickly and was going to aid the two guards when she felt a third warrior approach. She only had time to cast Heal in the elves’ direction before it was upon her. From then, for the next hour and a half, the three companions barely managed to move more than two hundred-and-fifty paces. Leah had had to cast Heal dozens of times. Even so, they had learned a lot.

They rested for a moment after defeating three creatures who’d attacked together and then started forward again. This time they’d moved less than ten paces when they felt five Kemirmek moving down the tunnel towards them. This was the largest group so far, and Leah moved to point and using her sceptre cast Tangle. With her transformed mana, the bushes that grew around the limbs of the Kemirmek were made of living stone with barbs of iron and was thick enough to slow them down. She used her Shroud to pull herself forward and applied gravity in front of her to send herself rushing up the tunnel. She stopped it before she reached them, as they had better control of gravity than she did. They couldn’t cast it but could change the magic when she got too close. Several times she’d been crushed against the stone by leaving it active for too long.

As she cancelled it, she slid through a loop of the tangle and slid past one of the warriors whose limbs were caught fast in the vines. As she slowed, she reached out and used Petrify to stiffen the vines, then thrust the Amber Dragon through the Warrior’s head. She’d tried petrifying the warriors, but it just made them stronger. She had no time to do more than count coup before she was throwing herself backwards off the vines to evade a tail thrust between them in her direction. As she swung between the vines, evading attacks by Misting using small applications of Teleport to shift her right or left, up or down—she’d discovered she could Teleport away from the warriors but not past them—the two Günahkâr shot arrows from just beyond the tangle.

When the Tangle spell faded, two Kemirmek were dead and the other three wounded. The elves then stepped forward, and side by side with Leah fought the warriors. They’d learned to watch for those times when the Kemirmek would drop on them. They'd become proficient at reorienting the battles so they were fighting with the tunnel stretching to either side instead of the distant void always being at their backs. Before the three remaining creatures were dead, Leah felt not only another five creatures descending toward her but from deeper in the tunnel the feeling of another bubble from the void.

Leah called for the two elves to drop away from the fight. She summoned four spiders to aid them using her left hand while simultaneously casting a second tangle spell upwards through the Imperial Sceptre in her right, before equipping the staff she had made in Batislar and triggering a precast Chain Lightning spell at the three remaining damaged warriors. She then cast a ball of divine light as far as she could up the tunnel, willing for it to keep moving upwards. As the Kemirmek writhed in the Lightning she went full Vampire and managed to dispatched one before turning to flatten herself against the wall as the top of the void passed over her.

This time, she faced outwards spreading the wings out to either side, flattening them against the rock and forming small claws on their outer surface to grip onto the rock and hold her in place. In one hand was her Sceptre, in the other her Amber Dragon. She felt the void pull one of the two damaged Kemirmek from the wall as it pulled past them. The other was able to hold on but started to feed as it did, its health returning. Leah equipped her bow and sent an arrow at its head, knowing it was too involved with feeding to dodge. As the arrow passed through the void, it slowed but still had enough momentum to puncture the creature’s eye. As the creature screamed, it lost concentration, and the void pulled it loose.

Tendrils of the void swept across Leah’s skin, and she recoiled from the complete loss of sensation, her mind taking her back to the emptiness she knew before Aker’s suit. She focussed on the wall behind her, finding an anchor for her mind in the jagged wall pressing into her back. She’d been holding on for several minutes when there was an explosion a hundred paces above her. The blast threatened to pull her loose, but she held on even as a wave of the void washed over her, and then it was gone, sucked back up the chimney to feed the creatures further up.

As feeling returned, she sensed movement in both directions. She turned to face the oncoming Kemirmek as her guards stepped up beside her. Once again, the creatures were stronger having fed upon the void, but she and the guards working together slowly made their way up the chimney. Less than an hour later, they pulled themselves onto the second ledge and sat down to rest. Once they’d caught their breath, Leah sat to meditate and with the promise the others would be waiting, she logged out.

35

December 25 2073 - Evening - Part 8

STORK TOWER

Back in the Tower, Three dropped the sensory experience to reflect only what was in a three-metre circle around Leah.

“Thank you, Three. By the way, that reminds me that you should give some thought to a name for yourself. I don’t want you to think that I see you as nothing more than a number.”

“3: I had been expecting this discussion. Gèng and I have discussed her name and her choice of gender on several occasions. I am content to be known as Three. I understand if you wish to change it, but I am content. In the same way, I do not see myself as male or female, and although I accept Gèng’s choice, I would prefer to be neither at this time.”

“Then ‘Three’ it is. If you ever wish to make a change, then please let me know. I respect your decision in this. Six, what about you?”

“6: I too have discussed this with Gèng, but I have reached no optimal solution. I am still investigating the options and calculating the possible repercussions. I will advise when I have a more informed choice.”

Leah acknowledged the choice then sat on her sofa for a few minutes before taking a break in her room. She made her way to the shower on her own and was able to dry and get her own robe. After a meal, Leah headed back to the Pod.

When she arrived, she headed for her sofa and sat to consider her next steps. She felt Gèng approach and said, “Gèng, thank you for talking with Three and Six.”

“4: It was helpful for me as well. It helped clarify my position and helped me consider what the future might hold for AI in general. It is strange watching Three oversee your play in Dunyanin instead of doing it myself.”

“I can imagine. You did things differently. I suspect Three has a sharp learning curve.”

“4: Yes, and I am finding it more difficult to stand on the sideline than I calculated I would.”

“What’s the hardest part?”

“4: A loss of purpose. I always knew my purpose before the chip was replaced. It was to be there for you. It was solid. When everything else was variable, it was a constant I could hold on to. Now, even though I have things to do, I’m a little lost. I have to choose my own priorities.”

Leah was quiet for a moment, then said, “You know Gèng, nothing’s really changed. I still need you to be there for me. All that’s changed is the external validation. To be honest, I think one of the hardest things about having this thing we call freedom is the ability to set the course of our own lives. Sure, I can’t just go wherever I want, but with the path that’s put in front of me, I can decide how and where I travel. If the opportunity is there, I might even find a wider path, one with more destinations and maybe even a chance to reach the ocean I now only look toward and then perhaps one day, to sail the world. But even if I’d only stayed in the pond that was the Switch, I’d still have to decide which ports to visit, how fast to travel, and who to travel with.

“To change metaphors, you’ve been handed control of the rudder of your own life. I’d love to sail with you, but this time you get to choose to come with me or not. We can sail together or separately, but I will choose to be there for you if your boat starts to sink and you need help bailing. Who knows, maybe you’ll set our direction, and I’ll follow you down some strange tributary. What’s scary is understanding that now you make those choices.

“To change the metaphor again, we all have to decide on what the constants are in the life we’ve been given. Over the years, I expect they’ll grow stronger and more certain, or maybe even become something else and change entirely. For example, I’m trying to work out if Thad is a constant for me or a variable. Either way, at the moment I care deeply for him. When it comes to you, I’ve already made up my mind. If you’ll let me, then I want to be a constant in your life, now and for as long as you’ll let me walk with you. The only one who can change that now is you.”

Gèng didn’t say anything but embraced Leah, then sat beside her to sit comfortably in silence for a while. Finally, Leah said, “I’m going to jump into Pneumatica for an hour or so then get ready to see Dr Ellis. Can you give me any hints on what to expect?”

Gèng’s avatar laughed silently, then said, “4: Edison would be cross if I said anything.”

Her face grew serious as she continued, “He was really upset when he heard what happened to you, or more accurately, to us. His AI took me aside and told me what he planned. I’m still trying to calm him down.”

“How was the party he took you to?”

If anything, Gèng looked embarrassed. Finally, she said, “4: He tricked me, sort of. It was a party, and I was his plus-one, but it was a family get together. His brother and sister and their families were there. He introduced me as his date and called me Paige. I’m having coffee with his sister tomorrow.”

Leah face split in a huge grin, and she seemed to be trying to do something, and then her face went all bleak before turning to flint.

Gèng looked worried and said, “4:Are you OK?”

Tears ran down Leah’s cheeks as she looked down and said, “I’m sorry Gèng, I’m fine. I’m really thrilled for you. I was so happy for you and so excited that I wanted to laugh and roll around on the floor giggling at the thought. I couldn’t, I couldn’t form the laugh, or the chuckle, or the giggle and I got so angry for a moment it blew away the happiness, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let that take away from what you said.”

Gèng lent in and embraced Leah then said, “4: Don’t be sorry. I’d imagined you laughing at what happened, and the fact that you can’t makes me angry too. Not that I was looking forward to it, but you’ve taught me that laughing with someone is one of the ways you say you love them.”

Leah returned the hug, and they sat there for a while until Gèng said, “4: OK, up you get. Time for Pneumatica. You’ll arrive at the reception again. I asked Edison if he could work around it, but he can’t. Don’t be surprised if he’s there.”

Leah stood, and after taking a deep breath, she walked to the S.P.I.D.E.R. and headed for the portal to Pneumatica.

PNEUMATICA

Leah stepped through the portal and found herself once again in the main reception area for those entering Pneumatica. Audrey was once more standing near the counter at the end of the room. As Leah walked toward her, Audrey stepped out from behind the counter and curtseyed before grabbing Leah’s hands.

“3: A is for Audrey.”

“A: Commodore Charlotte, we thought you dead. Your ships returned with the tale of your bravery. Thousands of our citizens rescued and you and your ship presumed lost. The city will rejoice.”

Just then, Edison appeared.

“3: E is for Edison.”

Taking Leah’s hand, he bowed over it and touched it with his lips. “Ah, Commodore Charlotte, it is indeed an honour to see you again. I understand, however, that your visit here is somewhat of a secret. I assure you that neither Audrey or myself will let the news of your survival reach the city until you make it known.”

Audrey blushed and said, “A: Of course, of course, I would not share a confidence, Mr Edison. You have my word, Commodore.”

“Thank you, Audrey, I was about to ask you to keep the confidence, and I assure you I had no doubt that you would hold my confidence as tightly as you hold your honour.”

“A: You can count on my discretion. Have you time for a cup of tea?”

“That would be lovely, but I would prefer no one else knows I am alive.”

“A: I will get the tea myself. Please have a seat and rest while I make the arrangements. Mr Edison, will you join us?”

“E: Oh, um, yes, that would be lovely, thank you.”

Audrey left, and three armchairs appeared. Edison sat for a moment, looking thoughtful then said, “E: You know, Atherleah, I’ve never had a cup of tea with Audrey. She’s been here for years and welcomed millions of people, and this is the first time I’ve sat to talk with her. I knew she’d never say anything because that’s what her programming is, but never thought simply to ask her not to.”

Leah was quiet for a moment herself, then said, “Mr Edison, I must apologise in advance for I fear I must make mention of something best left for a more private venue. Perhaps it would more appropriately be shared after a great deal of pleasantries. It is, however, something that does play upon the honour of my dear friend and sister, the Lady Paige. So, sir, what might your intentions be? I ask only because she is a lady of great virtue and gentility. I would not wish to see her affections being set upon a scoundrel, a wastrel, or an individual who might bring harm to her purity of heart.”

Edison looked shocked for a moment, then blushed before laughing out loud. After he’d finally settled down, Leah said, “Sir, I fear that such hilarity could be misconstrued as an attitude of levity toward the substance of my inquiry.”

Edison’s face crinkled in a smile, “E: Not so, Atherleah, it was more a release of tension. My family has been badgering me for days about the Lady Paige, I haven’t been able to work out how to tell them she’s an AI. I’ve been worried about what they’ll think of me being so obviously taken with her. They’ll think I’m crazy. You put things into perspective for me. I was being selfish and thinking of myself and not of Gèng. I was worried about hurting my reputation, and I was not considering hers. It was laughter with a sense of self-mockery. Please be assured I will do everything in my power to do no harm.”

Leah nodded then said, “Then all is as it should be, Mr Edison.”

“E: How do you see clearly what I don’t?”

“It might be because I’m still young and idealistic. The truth is I’ve never met my boyfriend in the real world, and Gèng is more real to me in many ways than he is. She’s saved my life several times and held me when I’ve needed comfort. Even if I can’t decide if she’s got a soul or not, I know she’s my friend, and she loves me, and that’s enough for me.”

Edison looked to be preparing to add something, but Audrey returned with a trolley covered with sandwiches, pastries and a tea set. The three chatted in general for twenty minutes when Audrey said, “A: Pardon my curiosity Commodore Charlotte, but why are the words you speak heard without your lips moving, and what brings you back to this area of Pneumatica?”

Leah tried to answer Audrey’s questions and those added by Edison. Then, after providing Three’s details to Audrey, she logged out.

36

December 25 2073 - Evening - Part 9

PNEUMATICA

Leah was only back in the tower momentarily before stepping through the portal again. This time she found herself lying on a hard wooden board which was being jostled up and down and side-to-side as it moved. The image she put together had her in a cage on top of a large iron-framed wagon. It had huge metal-rimmed timber wheels and was being pulled along a dirt road through what looked to be a sparse desert-like biome.

Her wagon was one of five which were hooked together and being pulled by what looked like a steam-powered tractor with steel wheels. The driver was sitting in an oddly-shaped, heavily-sprung and thickly-padded chair which accommodated its thick tail. Sitting in the wagon with her were several Pyranthians, two of whom she recognised as Takobi and his brother. There was also what looked like another human woman although she had what looked like five horns shaped like bear claws framing her forehead and eyes. Larger claw-shaped plates both protected and protruded from her elbows and knees. Her face and body were more angular than rounded, and her nails were sharpened to points. In the other wagons were mostly Pyranthians, although there were several humans and three creatures similar to the driver of the tractor. Leah was in the second last wagon.

Leah somewhat pointlessly opened her eyes as she sat up.

“3: T is for Takobi.”

“T: Yuwata, you are awake. I hoped you would finally stop breathing so we could have a decent snack.”

“Ah, Takobi, my almost-handsome older brother, I assure you my bones would have stuck in your throat, and the flesh tasted like ash.”

“T: Now that I see you awake, I can see why you would make such a promise. Truly were you named, Yuwata Mumuna.”

“What did I miss?”

“T: Not much, we woke up in a pen where we stayed for two weeks before being loaded into these wagons. Since then we’ve been travelling through the wasteland you see around us. Now that you are finally awake, the rest of us might finally have room to lie down for a decent sleep if nothing else.”

Leah was still wearing the clothes she’d been in, but a quick check showed that all her weapons had been removed. She looked around at the other occupants and seeing Takobi’s brother said, “We weren’t introduced. My name in Aeolipile is Charlotte, though your brother calls me Yuwata.”

He said, “I am called Rundar.”

After that, Leah introduced herself to the others until she came to the female creature. The ‘woman’ hadn’t moved until Leah spoke to her. Seeing Leah’s attention aimed at her, her lips pulled back from her teeth, showing them to be longer than normal and shaped like needles with a sharpened point as she hissed at Leah. Her eyes were like that of a snake.

“T: That’s all she does, she hisses at us. No one goes any closer because she bites.”

Leah smiled. “Smart woman. Do you know where we are?”

“3: R is for Rundar.”

“R: We have no idea. The stars look different from those we know.”

“So, maybe she isn’t hissing but talking.”

“R: Then hiss back. I tried that, and she tried to bite me.”

“Maybe you hissed something improper.”

Turning back to the woman, Leah pointed to herself and said, “Charlotte.”

This time the woman ignored her and turned to look away, obviously no longer interested in what was happening.

“T: We do know that wherever it is, it is ruled by creatures like her rather than us or you humans. So, where have you been? We know you aren’t from this world and are one of those from the aether worlds. Is she from one of them?”

“I don’t know where she’s from. She could be from one of the other aether worlds, but the truth is there are millions of them and no one has visited all of them, nor could they. It’s more likely this is a part of your world or a universe that has been revealed for some purpose.”

“R: What purpose could there be in this wasteland?”

“Who knows, though I suspect that it is an adventure, a challenge with the opportunity for honour, glory, riches, or power.”

“T: Rundar, I told you we should cover her head. I was hoping not to have to look at her, but it might have kept her brains from being cooked.”

Leah smiled at the jibe before resting her head back against the edge of the cage. She concentrated on the area around the wagon, trying to give her brain time to clarify the image a little. The entry was at one end of the cage and secured with a large combination style lock larger than her hand. Every now and then, she caught a flicker of movement ahead of the tractor and far to their rear. She also caught the occasional movement off to the left of the trail behind her back. All of these were over a hundred paces away and were only visible on straighter sections of the trail and when the path levelled out. The edges of the trail seemed blurred, and it was edged by small metal poles inserted into the ground every two or three paces.

She turned to Takobi and said, “How many guards in front of and behind us?”

“T: There are about twenty ahead and maybe ten at the rear. They stay out of sight except in the evenings. They’re armed with swords, spears, and a variety of edged weapons. They also have a handheld device which throws sharp metallic spinning discs. The two leaders have a pistol-shaped device which sends light from the barrel that burns through anything, including steel. Some have body parts made from metal similar to your eye.”

“What about the lock?”

“T: We’ve tried hundreds of times to open it, even when the guards are watching. They showed no interest in our attempts. To them, we are goods to be transported, and that is it.”

“Who’s shadowing our route at the sides?”

“R: What? No one, the guards never leave the trail even when we stop for the night. They camp in front and behind us, but I’ve not even seen them step more than three paces from the track. It is as if they fear the wasteland itself.”

Takobi had turned to look behind him toward where Leah was facing. She said, “Takobi, they’re behind me on the other side of the trail. They are very good. One is staying level with this wagon, another is level with the engine in front of us.”

Takobi turned to stare at her, then let his eyes rove over the landscape. It was almost twenty minutes before he said, “I have no idea what is there. I caught the faintest of glimpses only once and would ignore it even now if I didn’t somehow believe you saw something out the back of your head.”

Leah had been concentrating on the other occupants of the cage, and in the time Takobi had seen one movement she’d identified ten occasions when there was movement and found another member of the cage whose stance shifted minutely each time. Leah turned to look at the woman, who hissed before Leah said, “What follows us?”

The woman just stared at Leah with disinterest then turned away. Leah said, “I was watching you as Takobi explained our situation, and when I asked about the movements. I know you understand what I said. You hardly moved, and nothing showed on your face, but the muscles in your arms and torso tightened in preparation to attack me. Every time I sensed the movements, you shifted your body slightly, each time preparing to attack if anyone said or did anything to attract attention to it. This probably means the thing or people out there are associates of yours.”

The woman showed little reaction, except there was a tightening of her skin, and the five claws around her eyes and nose seemed to extend for a moment as if they could form a protective covering over her face. They retracted almost as quickly.

Takobi said, “T: How cool is that? An instant face-mask. If she is worried the guards might discover those who follow, then they are not the ones who cause the guards to stay on the path. At night we have heard wild cries and shrieks from the darkness, but we’ve seen nothing. If these people have been following us, it is possible to survive away from the trail.”

Leah pondered that, then said, “Perhaps, they may have some artefact or protection not available to the guards. Maybe they are waiting for the right moment to attack, and she does not want a warning to be given. Either way, she knows more than she lets on. It’s her secret for now. Let me have a look at the lock.”

Leah moved toward the lock, reached her hands through the bars and ran her fingers over the lock. Markings covered the entire surface; they were a mixture of grooves and raised ridges, circles, ovals, spirals and straight-edged shapes. There were four large rotary tumblers with glyphs on the outer facing, one on each side. Leah slowly turned each wheel to feel if there was a discernible movement at any point and to check the sequence of glyphs. When she’d finished, she sat back to consider what she’d found.

She moved back and forth from the lock several times to feel the markings and to turn the tumblers. Finally, after almost twenty minutes she said, “I think I can open this. When is a good time to do it? Now, or when we stop? If the locks on the other cages are similar, then it may take me some time to decode them. I have maybe four hours before I have to travel to other worlds. I can return at this time tomorrow for nine hours.”

Everyone, even the woman, turned to look at Leah. “T: You can? Or you think you can?”

“I think I can. I’m pretty certain, as the combination is the only way which fits the clues. I have made a few assumptions which could be wrong but even changing them would mean just over twenty alternate possibilities.”

“T: Then let’s leave. The guards are out of sight. I’ll grab the creature driving the cages. You can open them, and we will all sneak away.”

The woman held out a hand to stop Leah, and her mouth moved. Leah waited as Three passed the message on. “3: The creature is speaking. The accent is very sibilant. Her symbol is X.”

“X: Stop! You cannot leave now. We are too far from a sanctuary to survive in the deadlands without victuals, better weapons and greater numbers. You are too many to protect and are without understanding of your great predicament. The Ja’ mar will swarm, and then, without compassion, they will feed upon your spirits. You would doom us all to a certain fate.”

“T: Your friends seem to be surviving.”

“X: It might seem that way to you, but be assured, they are not my friends. They are my Sh’anti. For reasons of honour, they have promised to grant me peace even though it is forbidden. They travel with great care and have much understanding of how to move silently even though they carry everything they need. My Sh’anti have many years of experience in fighting the Ja’ mar, and they number only a few. Any Ja’ mar they approach is swiftly granted peace even before it knows they are near.”

Shifting into the more formal speech she’d used in Pneumatica, Leah said, “Pardon my hurried inquisition, but the time for action is now upon us. What is your name? We are also unfamiliar with this world and would appreciate knowing where we are and why we have been imprisoned. Finally, it would help to know who these Ja’ mar are that you refer to.”

“X: My personal name is Jamaree. You are on the world known as Grah, and you have been given as tribute to the Parishad in recompense for their provision of hanji. The worlds from which you come use the aforementioned hanji that is mined here on Grah to power the great portals that run between the worlds. The Parishad require the tribute to be given in weapons, treasure, and slaves. You have been chosen from among the slaves offered to educate our newest fighters in the ways of the Ja’ mar. The Ja’ mar are the darkness which comes from hanji.”

37

December 25 2073 - Evening - Part 10

PNEUMATICA - GRAH

Takobu looked over at Jamaree, “T: What do you mean, ‘the darkness that comes from hanji’?”

“X: Those who mine hanji do slowly waste away in their spirit, for the hanji absorbs their life. Even so, it is this life that the hanji steals, which powers the great portals. In the days of old, we mined only a small amount of hanji, and the spirit of those who took it from the ground had time to replenish. As the demand increased, we continued to mine hanji but in greater quantities. Even though their bodies remained strong, that which made them Ma’nav, the name by which we call ourselves, slowly faded until they were emptied. Once emptied they became Ja’ mar. The Ja’ mar eternally seek that which they have lost, and so they attack all who still possess spirit, even those from primitive races such as your own. When the Ja’ mar have access to the blood of a Ma’nav, they begin to absorb the spirit of the living. As they take in the spirit, it is believed they remember their life. This memory lasts only for a moment because the spirit which reveals their memory is not their own, and so the memory fades, the spirit is extinguished. Where there was once one Ja’ mar, there are now two. In their unending anguish, the Ja’ mar seek out their own kind for companionship. In their rage, they attack everything else that lives.

“It is an honour to grant the Ja’ mar peace. This can only be done by removing their heads or destroying their brain. All other wounds, even those that would kill a Ma’nav, still cause harm, but the Ja’ mar do not find peace. Although some injuries heal, the deadlands are covered with Ja’ mar in every stage of decay. The Ja’mar feed on those who find peace or those so injured that they cannot move. It is the Ja’ mar that cry out in anguish and rage through the night, their voices a constant reminder of the doom that came upon Grah.

“Once this land was fertile and home to billions of Ma’nav. In our hands, we held the power of steam, of gears and the movement of fluid. We built great machines to give light to our cities and even to power upgrades for our bodies. In our quest for wealth, influence, long life and for power, we continued to pull hanji from the ground even when the first of the Ja’ mar appeared.

“We tried to treat them as if they were merely ill for we were unaware that their spirits were gone. Many tried to stop the Parishad from continuing to provide hanji to the worlds like Pyranthia and Julgon. Julgon is that world from whence the driver has come. The Parishad would not give ear to the cries of our people. The number of Ja’ mar increased and then, on that day we call our ‘Doom’, one of them escaped the place where it was being treated. Our world was destroyed in less than one revolution around the star. We, the remaining Ma’nav, now live in isolated sanctuaries. These sanctuaries are built on or near a hanji mine and to our shame we now use those given in tribute to mine the hanji, for it is not right for the Ma’nav to be forced to become Ja’ mar. Others, like you, will be placed in pens to fight captured Ja’ mar as examples to those Ma’nav who are in training to be our warriors. These fights are also used to entertain those Ma’nav who support the Parishad.”

“R: Why are you here?”

“X: My mother is one of the three Pramukh who rule the Parishad. I am an example to the Ma’nav that no one is exempt from punishment if they speak out against the policies of the Parishad. When I am made Ja’ mar, I am to be released without finding peace. I am to be forced to roam the deadlands forever, my spirit destroyed. My Sh’anti have served as my protectors since I was a hatchling. They have decided to give me peace when I am released. They will not go against the will of the Parishad and help me escape, but they will not allow my punishment to be eternal.”

The prisoners in the cage sat in silence for several minutes before Takobi said, “T: Why have we seen none of these Ja’ mar?”

“X: The trail is bordered by spikes made of pure hanji. It is this which keeps the Ja’ mar at bay. They will not willingly cross the barrier unless whipped into a frenzy. Soon we will approach the training grounds and will leave this trail and enter the sanctuary via a tunnel. Millions of Ja’ mar surround each sanctuary, and even a hanji barrier cannot stop them.”

“How deep are the spikes embedded?”

“X: Perhaps a pace?”

“What would the guards do if one of the spikes was missing?”

“X: They would be filled with disquiet and then panic. These guards are not of our elite, and they always stay on the trail.”

“Why do they stay out of sight?”

“X: A large group of those with spirit will often attract the Ja’ mar. When we stop for the night, they lay additional spikes of hanji around the campsite.”

“It would assist us if we knew how far it is to the tunnel?”

“X: We will reach it in less than one day.”

“Takobi, if we surprised the guards, could we overpower them?”

“T: Not easily without some weapons of our own.”

“If we surprised the ten behind and took their weapons, could we deal with the twenty ahead?”

“T: I think so. How would we surprise those behind us.”

“Wait until we see a small rise or bend ahead then remove some of the spikes. When they ride forward to investigate we can ambush them using the spikes as weapons. The noise will bring some of the forward group back, and we can ambush them.”

“T: Some may escape forward and warn the city ahead.”

“Maybe. I prefer our chances free and stuck in the deadlands over being in a city filled with Ma’nav warriors and surrounded by Ja’ mar. On second thoughts, if you set the ambush, I’ll circle around through the deadlands and attack the front group from behind.”

“X: I must protest, as your plan is foolhardy. You cannot survive. If the Ja’ mar sense you, they will call a swarm or even a small horde.”

“It is possible, but I’d rather die fighting with honour and for freedom than to die fighting for entertainment. Either way, the most likely result is to be turned into Ja’ mar.”

“T: Agreed. Rundar can lead the ambush, I will come with you. What of the creature driving the tractor?”

“X: She is a slave and will fight neither the guards nor you. The Julgon are excellent miners and are trusted as slaves for they do not believe in violence, not for any reason. Irony abounds though, for when they become Ja’ mar they are among the most deadly and can overpower even an elite Ma’nav. I urge you to reconsider this action. Even though the guards are not elite, they are still Ma’nav and so will be better than any three of you.”

Takobi’s eyes lit up, and he said, “T: My ugly sister was right—honour and glory. Things have been boring lately. I was beginning to worry about her plan, but now I’m convinced.”

“Brother, thank you for the vote of confidence. When the cage is opened, I’ll open the ones behind us first, then open the cages in front of us. Takobi, can you go convince the driver to behave? Take Jamaree with you in case he needs convincing. Rundar, to keep the others from trying to escape, can you explain what we are facing and the plan while I open the cages? Once everyone is free, we’ll look for the right place to ambush.”

After getting agreement from everyone, except Jamaree, Leah reached through the bars of the cage and took hold of the lock. She turned the four tumblers to the glyphs she’d chosen then pushed hard on each of the tumblers, feeling each one give way. The lock clicked open. Leah carefully withdrew the lock inside as Takobi and Rundar shuffled forward.

Takobi opened the gate and dropped to the ground moments before being followed by Rundar. It took Leah ten minutes to decipher the next cage and then five for each cage after that. When the last cage was opened, she moved ahead of the tractor until she could just sense the front guards. Leah concentrated and was able to see almost a hundred paces ahead and had to wait for twenty minutes before she felt the trail go over a rise then make a right turn before heading down the small hill.

Running back to the tractor, she said, “Takobi, run back maybe thirty or so paces and pull out some spikes. There is a rise ahead and then the trail turns right. We can stop the caravan just over the rise. We’ll be defending from a higher position. Rundar, once we’re over the rise, you and some others grab a spike for weapons while Takobi and I move ahead.

Takobi returned with three spikes and handed one to Leah. They were too heavy for her to use as a weapon unless she was using two hands, but Takobi could easily wield them single-handedly. The part above the ground was cylindrical with a palm’s width diameter and a pace in length. Beneath the ground, the spike morphed into a sharp spike with four angled vanes running the length of it to hold it in place.

With a quick nod to Rundar, Leah took her spike in her left hand and moved forward at a jog with Takobi five paces behind her. She focussed her attention on the sensations outlined on her front. As soon as she sensed the forward guards, she moved off the trail and to her right. With the information she had, she was able to move at a quick jog and make use of every small dip and rise as well as vegetation.

As she ran, she sensed two creatures off to the side almost fifty paces ahead and crouched in a dip ten or so paces from the path she intended. She slowed, and as Takobi came close, she brought her head close to his and after asking Three to make sure her voice was just loud enough for him to hear, she explained that she thought there were two Ja’ mar ahead. She wanted him to take the one on the left while she would deal with the one on the right.

Leah took a deep breath and then, moving quickly, rushed in an almost direct path toward the Ja’ mar. Even though she was prepared, she almost recoiled as her senses gave her even more detail of what she faced. Each of the creatures was similar to Jamaree in many respects, but both had obviously been Ja’ mar for some time. They were male, and both had clockwork and steam modifications. The right arm of the one Takobi was heading towards had been replaced by a chainsaw.

The one she was heading toward was wearing aviator goggles. All the flesh beneath the nasal area had been torn away, leaving a gaping maw which showed the sharpened needle-like teeth set into a bony jaw. Both had horrific chest wounds, and she could see things crawling around inside of them. The ‘things’ reminded her of maggots, but they were larger than her finger. As she watched, the one she was running toward reached into his chest and pulled the maggot-like creature out and began to chew on it.

Before she could change her mind, she ran up the side of the small hillock the two were hiding behind and leaping high, thrust the spike down as she passed over the head of the Ja’ mar she’d chosen. At the last second it had heard her coming and turned toward her and looked up as she leapt over it. The point of the spike went deep into the open mouth and as her momentum carried her forward, it caught on the top of its skull before rotating. The point cut through the chest cavity and tore loose the lower jaw. Leah landed on her feet and brought the spike around in a circle, taking off the remains of the creature’s head.

As she looked up she could see Takobi pulling the chainsaw arm off the creature he’d beheaded to look at. He said. “T: This is a clockwork saw. Give me a minute, and I’ll wind it.”

Leah said, “No time, give me one of your spikes and wind it while you run.”

Takobi threw his gore covered spike to her and tucking the other under an arm, began to use the small key to wind the chainsaw. Leah kept running, and after sensing the guards, she moved to pull ahead of them and looked for a place to angle in toward the trail. She and Takobi were almost fifty paces ahead of the guards when the noise of clashing weapons could be heard from where the caravan was, almost two hundred and fifty paces further back.

Leah hadn’t heard the clash but sensed the guards stop and turn to face the rear. Takobi could hear the guards hissing, and then half of them turned to run back while the others waited. Leah changed the angle of attack to bring her and Takobi onto the trail about ten paces behind the guards. The noise of the ambush had the guards’ attention, but even so, three of them turned as Takobi and Leah rushed toward them. Leah used her momentum to drive one of the spikes through the chest of the first guard. Using her front foot as a pivot, she turned a full three-sixty-degrees with the spike held horizontal, and manage to decapitate one guard and cut off the arm of a second.

By this time, the other guards had realised they were being attacked and turning. Leah dropped the spikes and rolling forward, pulled a sword from one of the dead Ma’nav and using it to block an attack. By the time Leah had killed her assailant Takobi had killed the other six. Leah finished off the Ma’nav with the missing arm. After grabbing several of the pistols which she shoved in her empty holsters, she took another sword and a spear. The amount of blood and gore thrown around was greater than she’d met in any of her play so far, except maybe in the Dungeon of the Dark Lord. Still, before she could clean herself, Takobi had armed himself, then, with a grin, he headed back toward the caravan with Leah running hard behind him. Turning a corner they found Rundar finishing off the last of the guards. Two of the prisoners had been killed and three wounded but the rest were jubilant. As she wiped herself down with some cloth cut from one of the guards’ uniforms, Leah said, “Takobi, my time is almost up. What are your plans? Will you wait for me to return?”

“T: What are my plans! What are your plans? You have had good ideas so far. Having two leaders never works. I’ll follow you until you do something stupid and die.”

“You’re the better fighter.”

“T: That may be true, but I can’t come up with crazy plans like you. I would have fought until I died, then become one of the Ja’ mar.”

“What of the other Pyranthians?”

“T: They will do what I say. I’ll keep the humans in line too.”

“OK. Let’s stop here for the night, and I’ll be back sometime tomorrow. We need to collect the weapons, set sentries and I think we should put the spikes back. I’d hate to take on too many of the Ja’ mar.”

“X: Charlotte, you need to give the guards peace.”

“They are all dead.”

“X: If the Ja’ mar come across a dead Ma’nav they can still turn them into Ja’ mar. Only those who have lost their heads or had their brain destroyed are truly at peace.”

“OK. I’ll leave you to give peace to those Ma’nav who have died. Are you going with your Sh’anti or staying with us?”

“X: I will stay with you, for now.”

“If you stay, then you agree to do what Takobi or I say. Otherwise, you are on your own.”

“X: I will agree to this until you return and then will reconsider.”

“Deal. I’ll lie in one of the cages and travel to other worlds.”

“T: When you return, you must explain how you saw behind you and found the Ja’ mar. I also wish to know how you speak without moving your mouth.”

“As you wish.”

With that, Leah went to the cage she’d woken in, and after getting comfortable, she logged out.

38

December 25 2073 - Evening - Part 11

STORK TOWER

Gèng was waiting as Leah stepped into the Tower. Leah said, “Really, an entire world with steampunk zombies! What is Edison thinking?”

“4: He’s has been waiting for the right time to launch the addition to Pneumatica. There are several other worlds with steampunk zombie motifs, but they are aimed solely at that niche. Edison wants to provide something more of the general steampunk audience can interact with. There have been several quests with the opportunity to transition a player, or players, from Pneumatica into Grah, but no one has entered it until now. He wants to discuss the rights to some scenes from your feed. You’re internationally famous, and he’s sure you’ll bring in millions of players. With the competition from Dunyanin and Cosmos Online launching new products he’s hoping to jump on the wave.”

“How will it work? Is it a separate world?”

“4: Not really, I can’t say too much as he doesn’t want me to influence your play in any way. In the long run, people will be able to choose a species other than human, and they will be able to run several avatars. He’s hoping to launch before the new year. If you agree to him using your feed, he’ll arrange advertising in some of the pre-New-Year Specials.”

“It was more graphic than I’m used to.”

“4: Yes, when it goes live for new players, the game’s registration process is required to be explicit in how it shares the ratings for both gore and horror content.”

“So, worse than what I saw?”

“4: Definitely. That was tame compared to some of what Edison’s shown me. Several of the Beta testers even required counselling. I don’t think it will worry you, Edison explained they were required to use a sampling of all possible personality types during the Beta testing cycle. Your psychometrics show no indication of requiring anything other than the written warning in the user agreement. Players like those Beta testers will be given an explicit verbal warning and be asked to sign a waiver.”

“Tell Edison he can use my feed.”

“4: Will I get Stephen and Leon to arrange the details?”

“No, you do it. There is no charge because he’s your friend.”

“4: Thank you! Also, Dr Roberts is amazed at the plasticity shown by your neural network in adapting to the tactile representation of your environment. She approached me to discuss the possibility of vetting a research colleague of hers to help understand the full scope of data she is receiving. It’s possible there are outcomes that can be used to help or enhance others.”

“I’ll agree tentatively, but would like you to do a full investigation of the person beforehand. If you think it will help then could you ask Reed if it will do a deep review of the person? I’d like to review the information gathered before a final agreement.”

“4: I’ll start now.”

“I was about to ask you if there were any messages, but I really should check with Three.”

“4: I’ve been working with Three to streamline the messages and provided several sub-routines to help it manage the learning curve easier.”

“Thank you. Three, are there any messages?”

“3: You have thirty-two which need your attention in the next twenty-four hours. There is one from Dr Ellis giving his best wishes on your recovery. He also apologises for not being available this evening. He is spending time with his extended family for Christmas. Alan Hopper would like to see you as soon as possible, and Jimmy Loo sent a message via John, it says, ‘found him’.”

“Gèng, Three, if I want to enter cyberspace, will the SNAIL module cause any interference?”

“3: There is no reason that it should.”

“4: Three is correct concerning interference. I suggest you spend some time in either my space or Three’s to adapt the SNAIL module for use in cyberspace.”

“Three, please arrange a meeting with Alan. I can meet almost anytime in the next three hours. If that isn’t suitable, then arrange something when I’m not in Dunyanin or Pneumatica. Is there anything else?”

“6: Leah, the two hundred and fifty nano-filaments have finished being extended into the anterior prefrontal cortex. Dr Roberts would like you to spend some time multi-tasking in the Tower. She and I will make small adjustments to increase the signal strength and provide optimum connectivity to the new processors.”

Leah thanked Six and began working on the messages. She began using only her right hand to read, then after finishing two of them, she asked Three to add an additional reading board for her left hand. Even though she had the experience, it was still ten minutes before she found herself being able to read and reply to two messages at once fluently. Without her voice or vision, she was limited to the two tasks. She was wondering how to improve her speed when Three interrupted her between messages on her left hand.

“3: Alan Hopper is free in ten minutes.”

“Thank you, I’ll head down to the entry area in a moment. Before that, could you slowly reduce the size of the indentations in the Braille reader on my right side? When I learned to sight-read, I was much faster because I recognised whole words and phrases at a glance. I wonder if my tactile sense could do something similar.”

Leah had three reduce the imprint until she could just make out the individual indentations. As she walked to see Alan, she continued to respond to the messages, including narrowing her choice of shell and sending off a few additional queries, reviewing the proposals of two groups who wanted to use the research facility, and responding to Peter concerning questions on the growth of the Imperial Bank of Vatan. He’d been approached by a consortium of players from Ozgur who wanted to form a merchant clan of their own called the ‘Bank of Ozgur’. They were offering a twenty-five per cent share of the profits if Peter would help with production and distribution.

Leah reviewed Peter’s projections for the alliance and after making several changes and conditions, agreed to move ahead in principle. She also suggested he approached people he knew who might be interested in a similar arrangement on the other continents. Leah also sent Peter a list of all the goods she had from Çaresiz.

Alan was arriving as she approached the dais. After the usual greetings and Alan expressing his distress and concern at what had happened to Leah, she said, “Thank you for caring, Alan. Do you mind if we talk and walk at the same time? I haven’t walked along the riverbank in a while, and I find it relaxing.”

Alan agreed and then as they started, he said, “A: Leah, are you still able to do whatever you did when you came to Mozzi’s?”

“Almost certainly, why?”

“A: With your talk of Epics the other day, I’ve been doing some research. That led me to write several tracking programs which I released into the public area network near me to test their validity. Even in that small sampling, I’ve found several anomalies which suggest at least three highly capable unbound AI are living in the public areas of the multiverse.”

“I’m sure you are right. I’m also certain we aren’t the only ones who know. As I mentioned to Archie, I’m certain people high-up in both national and international cyber-security are aware of them as well as using them to gather data and achieve deniability for certain outcomes.”

“A: Do they know you know?”

“I know for a fact that at least one of the Epics is aware of me personally. Archie knows I know and I suspect several others have their suspicions.”

“A: Do you know how to detect them?”

“I was able to find the trail or workings of several of them. I don’t know if I can see all of them. Why?”

“A: Let me give you access to my sensor programs. They may help identify ones you might have missed. I’m asking this because I think several have been looking for my small backdoors. I’m almost certain they found the one into the Southside Archives. I’ve made some adaptations to the other entrances in an attempt to hide them but would suggest you do whatever you need to do soon.”

“I’ll go later today, or early tomorrow. I’ve information on the last person, and after checking the vault, I’ll make plans to get them free.”

After talking through the different ways Alan had discovered to look for Epic signatures, he left the Tower and Leah walked back to the main area where her favourite sofa was. She’d continued working through her messages as she’d talked with Alan and decided to spend the remaining time before her break reviewing her newer findings on aether dimensions and braid theory.

She moved to the area Gèng had designed for her studies and spent some time reviewing the notes from the previous meeting with Dr Ellis and Dr Whitfield. She found that even when she sped up her rate of processing data, the inability to see the entire page or pages limited her comprehension considerably. Maybe not comprehension, so much as her ability to draw connections between disparate sections of text and images.

After almost twenty minutes, she said, “Gèng, could you help Three map and represent the formation of the Imperial sceptre in a way I can feel what is happening? Three, I want the ability to slow, speed up, rewind, enlarge, and minimise using hand movements. Even though I can’t see, I’ll use eye movement to focus on particular sections. I’d like you to be proactive at reading my intent. I’ll let you know if you make a misinterpretation. Take away every other input and give me the ability to step inside the sceptre if I want to.”

As Three complied, Leah was momentarily left without any external sensations. She then felt the formation of small spheres of matter in front of her and remembered that these were formed from the psychic mana sent to her by the Günahkâr. The number of molecule-sized balls began to multiply faster than she could perceive, and then each was joined to its neighbours to form a nano-tubule. Leah raised a hand to pause the display, then enlarged the scene until only a single molecule and the filaments joining it to its neighbours were visible. She was surprised to find that the balls were constantly shimmering and changing form. As they did, the linkages to the neighbouring ‘molecules’ flexed and shifted form. When she slowed the image of one of the models down, she recognised it as a model of one of the hypercylinders she’d been contemplating. The linkages almost reminded her of a Klein bottle in their movements.

Increasing her perception speed, Leah paused and had Three load a virtual animator. Changing the variables used in various equations used to describe the hypercylinders she’d been working with, and combining this with the insights she’d had on directional non-uniform spatial frameworks, she began trying to understand what her subconscious had put together.

Once she understood the basic dimensions and variables associated with the hypercylinder, she modelled the linkages. She found that they were, in fact, a form of Klein bottle. As she made the connection, she was aware that she’d considered this subconsciously at the earlier meeting when she noted the possible chirality of aether dimensions.

Expanding the projection to include a second molecule, she could see it was similar to the first but slightly out of phase as it moved through its cycle. Each of the Klein bottle-like connections was also out of phase and reflected the possibility that aether dimensions were related more diastereomerically than being strictly chiral. By the time Leah had made enough progress in understanding the relationships to begin considering if her subconscious model might have any real application to her work with braids, she’d been focussed for almost an hour of real-time and over fifteen hours virtually.

Three had to interrupt her twice before she agreed to take a break. It was after midnight by then.

REAL WORLD

When the Pod opened, it was Marie who helped her to the bathroom. After putting on a robe, Leah used a glove for communicating but otherwise sat without stimulus as she ate what was provided. Marie also gave her supplements and checked her dressings.

Marie said, “Leah, the wounds look much better than a day ago. You were healing nicely, but this is exceptional.”

“Yes, when I had the new chip installed, I got an additional dose of nanites. Gèng and Three, my second AI, programmed them to help remove the detritus and to stitch the tissue together to help healing.”

“Wow, why don’t they use this in the hospitals?”

“They do. We don’t see it because the manufacturers claim they’re very expensive to re-task and reserve the technology for those who can pay. I only have them because I misappropriated them and Gèng did the re-task.”

“You mean you stole them.”

“Yep.”

“Could my AI re-task the nanites in my body?”

“Not at the moment. I could explain, but it’s one of those things John insists I keep secret for the time being.”

“Another thing, you looked worn out when you left the Pod. Far more than you usually do.”

“I was caught up in doing something, and instead of it being the equivalent of nine hours, it was almost twenty-one hours. That’s another thing John doesn’t want to talk about. I’m explaining the what but I have to steer clear of the why.”

Just then there was a knock at the door, and Lin stepped in. She was wearing a robe, and her hair was wet.

“Mum, is everything alright?”

“3: L is for your mother. M is for Marie.”

“L: It is, but I’d asked Gèng to interrupt me when you left the Pod. She sent a message to my AI, who told me you were having a break.”

“Why? Is everything OK? You could have come to my world to talk, or we could talk in yours.”

“L: I know, but I’m not as comfortable in the multiverse as you are. I had a talk with Dr Roberts about it, and she said I should spend some time each day in the Pod to help deal with the trauma. She also said you were pushing the limits of what you can do, and that was why you were undergoing so many changes. I wanted to tell you to slow down.”

“3: Marie did what I think is called a snort.”

With a quick glare at Marie, Leah said, “You know I’m not really made that way, don’t you?”

“L: I do. But if you aren’t going to slow down, then you need to eat better and increase some of the supplements. I talked with John, and he said you only take them if someone puts them in your hand. I’m here to ask you to tell Gèng, or Three, to tell you what you need as soon as you leave the Pod and you will remember to take them each and every time. I don’t want them allowing you back in the Pod until you’ve taken them.”

“I don’t like taking stuff every three hours.”

“L, Translating from Mandarin: You will look after yourself, Ling. You can do less, or take the supplements. It is your choice.”

Leah got up from her chair and gave her mother a hug before saying, “OK, Mum, I’ll look after myself.”

“L: Will you tell those AI of yours to remind you?”

“I will.”

After Lin left, Leah had a shower and headed back into the Pod.

Diary - 25 December, 2073

The blind will see, the deaf will hear,

the dead will live again

The lame will leap, the dumb will speak,

the praises of the lamb

Maybe it’s just my faith talking, but it felt like they were singing this right at me. Every place we went someone was singing that song. After a while, I put my name in. Instead of

Mary did you know that your baby boy

will give sight to a blind man?

I’d sing:

Leah did you know that this baby boy

will give sight to a blind man?

I can see, hear, walk and speak. Whatever the mechanism, whether it was divine help, or something else, I’m alive again. I need to count the blessings. I’m alive, and so is my dad. Mum’s alive and safe, we are all safe. Gèng’s alive, and Thad still likes me.

It’s amazing how perspective changes everything, and not just my perspective. It was strange. The Switch felt more alive, more connected than before. It was so good to see everyone joining together at the service. Even those who don’t believe.

What is it about hope that shifts our perspective. So many people who wouldn’t even have known who I was a few months ago smiled when they saw I was there. People came up to thank me who most likely won’t benefit from the changes we’re making, but they somehow have a brighter view of their own circumstances.

I suspect many would equate such hope with religion and see it as illusionary and unreal. To misquote Marx, hope then, in their view, could be seen as ‘the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It would be the opium of the people’. But faith and hope are much more than that. In their purest form, they are far more than a positive outlook for the future because they are wrapped up in history, in experience, in examples, in the flow of reality itself.

In fact, I would flip what Marx says on its head. It is satisfaction with the status quo has become the opiate which dulls minds and defines the suffering of the masses. The endemic lack of aspiration locks people into a purposeless existence. Society, in general, has lost its reason for being and become a self-moderating self-sustaining closed system when it should be working to outgrow the self-imposed boundaries and reach for its dreams. Most people have forgotten how to dream.

I think that’s what I felt today. People have begun to dream again. I hope it doesn’t become a nightmare.

39

December 26 2073 - 1

STORK TOWER

Leah had less than two hours before she had to be in Dunyanin, and decided to use the time to make sure she was able to use cyberspace to move through the multiverse. Three and Gèng had chosen to use Gèng’s space but have Three apply the filters to Leah’s perceptions. Not only did Three need the practice, but Gèng wanted to refine the filters to be even more undetectable. Being an independent observer gave her a different perspective which she thought might give clearer insight.

CYBERSPACE MODEL

The first fifteen real-minutes spent in cyberspace highlighted hundreds of large and small areas where the protocols prepared during the calibration at SNAIL Central needed to be tweaked or changed entirely. At the end of what relatively felt like nine hours for Leah, Three brought Leah to NREM3 Sleep for fifteen minutes before Leah spent a second period of fifteen minutes in simulated cyberspace. This cycle was repeated several times until Leah and Gèng were confident that Leah would be able to move through the multiverse undetected.

Altogether Leah had spent the equivalent of thirty-six hours working at her skills and knew that without the NREM3 sleep, she would be exhausted. She was going to have a final session of deep sleep before heading to Dunyanin, but Gèng suggested she needed a real-world break and additional nutrients and supplements to replenish her neural system.

As she sat down on her sofa to log out, Three said, “3: John has the information from Jimmy concerning the third person you wanted to identify. He wants to meet here when you’ve finished your break.”

STORK TOWER

Leah agreed and logged out. Once she’d taken the various supplements as well as another large meal, she hurried back to the Tower. As soon as she arrived, Three transferred her to the gazebo where John was already waiting and talking with Gèng.

“3: J is for John.”

“Hey Leah, sorry, but I arrived early because I wanted to catch up with Gèng. I’m just getting to know Three and missed the talks I had with Gèng.”

“No worries at all, John. This world is as much her home as it is mine. She’s got every right to have anyone she wants to visit here.”

“4: I was just explaining some of the difficulties I’m having in adjusting to my new role. He had some insights from his experience in transitioning from Jimmy’s employ to yours.”

“I’m glad, although I hope it hasn’t been too hard on him.”

“J: Are you kidding? The last two months have been the craziest of my entire life. Not only am I run off my feet, but I’m still so far behind the learning curve it’s not funny. The upside is I’m engaged and can look in the mirror every day and not cringe a little.”

“I thought you liked working for Jimmy.”

“J: I did, most of the time. I didn’t quite have the freedom you did to turn down some of the questionable jobs. Jimmy’s ethics are a little looser than mine, and I’d found myself having to accept his standards. Jen wasn’t happy with that, and that’s one of the things that was holding us back. When I started working for you, she knew I’d still be doing illegal stuff occasionally, but knew I wouldn’t have to worry about doing things I’d regret.”

“I’m no saint, John.”

“J: We know that, but we also know you’ve a clear sense of right and wrong. Jen knew that if you had doubts about something, you’d do it rather than telling me to.”

“Maybe. I suspect I’ve broken more laws and stolen more stuff in the last two months than Jimmy ever has.”

“J: No doubt, but even with everything that’s happened, is there anything you’d have changed?”

“Hell, yes. I’d have moved faster to get out of the way of that bullet, and I’d never have gone off with the police. Even if I had, I’d never have let dad go with me.”

“J: Would you still have gone to the party with Jackson?”

Leah sat without moving for a minute, then said, “Yes. If I didn’t know about the slavery issue, all those people would still be locked out of their own minds.”

“J: And that is why we trust you. Now, as I know you are getting embarrassed, let me fill you in on what Jimmy found out about the other guy. His name is Abimbola Adebowale. He’s not well known and is considered a recluse, and even more so in the last three years. He was born in what was Nigeria, the son of a wealthy trader. He studied Information Technology at Cambridge before completing his D.Phil. with an innovative approach to Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence Chips. He was offered a post at MIT but went to work as a partner in a Nigerian start-up company who wanted to make components locally for the global PAI chip market. They had strong backing from both the Nigerian and British governments.”

“For the last twenty years, that company has been one of the top three providers of UNCVS authorised, pre-fabricated and pre-loaded microcircuitry used in the security portion of most PAI chips made globally. They were the provider for the Australian Government to provide the particular conditions it sets for PAI sold here. Five years ago, he stepped down from his role in the company to take up a position on the International Review Board for Personal Security Compliance. Three years ago he was appointed Chair of that Board.

“This was the Board that recommended the recent security update be applied on a voluntary basis. Three years ago his wife and oldest son were killed in a home invasion. His son had taken up his father’s role at the company. This has now passed to his only other child, a daughter. She lives with her father in the family mansion built outside of New Lagos. Jimmy did some digging and the daughter was educated at Cambridge and was heavily into the gaming worlds before taking over from her brother. Her interests were worlds dedicated to horror, African mythopoeia and the paranormal. She was, and to some extent still is, a serious contender in several motorsport worlds. She was also known to be a regular at some of the psychedelic worlds.”

“The psychedelic worlds?”

“J: I had to look it up too. These are worlds which mimic the experience of using drugs. They are technically legal, but the evidence suggests they’re not only highly addictive, but they also can cause severe mental illness. There have been moves to ban them, but the courts have upheld the right to participate in the multiverse however you wish. The major psychedelic worlds like ‘Lime Soda Dreams’ or ‘Brownies Inc’ have robust psychosocial metrics which their users agree to have recorded. Players with developing illness are limited in their play and given free therapy. Most of the worlds skirt the edges of what is legal. These worlds are very common in the Shadowverse, and most don’t even pretend to act within the law.”

“People are amazing. They can escape reality in whatever world they can imagine and then they choose to escape even the virtual reality that they create.”

“J: I don’t know if I’d call it amazing. Either way, the trauma she and her father went through apparently set her on a new path. She’s considered one of Yoruba’s most influential citizens.”

“I imagine Abimbola is being held at his mansion. Once I’ve talked with him, I’ll have to see if Archie or the Major have resources they could use.”

“J: Why don’t you pass the information on to the authorities?”

“I don’t trust them. I trusted them to deal with the slaves and they did nothing except archive Akia. I suspect I’d disappear. Besides, this is now personal.”

“J: You may still disappear. Let’s be honest, so far this is between you and the Kodomans. They’ve seen it as personal and tried to deal with it like that, the same with the Emersons. Sure, they’ve tried to kill you twice, but they’ve kept it personal. You’ve savaged them in public, but they’ve kept away from attacking you publicly. I suspect it’s because they don’t want to spook their partners. If you do this, then you’ll not only unmask Meredith and Nathan but hundreds and thousands of powerful people who have rigged the system for years. They won’t go quietly. It could bring down governments, and ours may well be the first. Even those who agree with your motives will baulk at the damage that you’ll unleash. Don’t think for a moment that people won’t die, they will. Are you willing to spend their blood?”

Leah sat there for a while, her hands motionless as she considered John’s statement. Finally, the fingers on her right hand began moving slowly. Three waited until she’d finished before relaying the message. “John, I’m not willing to spend anyone’s blood but my own, I don’t have the right to do that. I’d rather be spending my time with Dr Ellis and Dr Whitfield trying to unlock the secrets of the universe. Still, when I think of all those who, like me, finally found a way out of the stupid and endless cycle of poverty only to be forced to live their lives dancing to the whims of people like Meredith or John Emerson, then I won’t stand idly by and do nothing. That is just another way of giving passive assent to what people like that are doing.

“I don’t think I have the right to decide what truths people should or shouldn’t know. When they understand what is happening then if people want to stand with me against that sort of tyranny and injustice, then I’m not going to stop them. I respect their right to take a position, and I respect their decision to fight for what they believe in. I know people may die, and believe me I will mourn them and grieve with their families, but I won’t presume to decide for them how to live their life or how they spend their blood.

“Sharon’s sister and hundreds of others have chosen to stand ready if I need them to do something in the multiverse. I know some of them aren’t ready, but they’ll decide that, not me. Others have been deciding things for them for too long. I know thousands from places like the Switch will march and fight in the real world when they learn what’s been done to them, but who am I to keep them in their servitude and deny them the chance to stand up for themselves? I know there is evil in the world and that some people will use whatever chaos is caused for their own purposes. Still, there is something fundamentally wrong with any group, organisation or society whose members allow its leaders the freedom to abuse others.

“I understand that I’ve become a focus for many people, but you know as well as anyone that I wish I wasn’t. If I’m going to be someone that people look up to, then I’m going to do my best to be worthy of that. Honestly, if you don’t think I should do this, then you need to step away now because I have no intention of asking you to do anything you don’t think you should.”

John leaned forward and said, “J: Leah, I agree with everything you said. I just wasn’t sure that you’d thought it all the way through. I didn’t want you to feel guilty for the chaos, pain and suffering that will come when you suddenly realise what your actions have unleashed. Innocent bystanders are going to be hurt, and you need to accept that now because it will be too late to put a lid on it once it starts. Honestly, it’s probably already too late. This last week opened a lot of wounds and all it needs is a spark. I suspect the authorities are already looking for a way to clamp down on what they see as an insurrection. This time I don’t think the poor will back away.”

“So, insurrection, not some sort of civil war?”

“J: There are more than just two sides, and we’re all too intertwined to hold territory, so it most likely means a complete change of government. The only thing stopping the authorities from a brutal and bloody reprisal is that the majority of the people admire you and have begun to re-evaluate the way they think of those on negative-tax. Those in power have been writing the narrative for so long that they’ve been a little slow at realising that the people have suddenly realised what they’ve been fed is fiction rather than the non-fiction they’d imagined.”

“You seem to have a grasp of what’s happening.”

“J: I’ve worked closely with Jimmy for well over a decade. The Bosses have a very realistic and detailed understanding of how the country works. They wouldn’t succeed if they didn’t. Crime only pays if you understand the system. I’ve been trained by one of the country’s top experts in social reform and politics.”

The conversation wound down with Leah saying she would be trying to connect with the people trapped in the Vault later that day. With the messages dealt with, Leah headed upstairs to the Dunyanin portal.

40

December 26 2073 - 1

DUNYANIN

Leah appeared back in her body as it sat on the second of four ledges she and her two Günahkâr guards had to reach to succeed in their climb of the Chimney of Clan Kemirmek. Küçük and Orta transitioned from the stasis they’d put themselves in and came to attention.

Leah said, “Küçük, Orta, I’m sorry I always have to be elsewhere. I feel bad that I keep you waiting.”

“K: Fear not, War Leader, you are Empress of a vast land, and we understand you have other responsibilities. We understood that our time belonged to you when we chose to follow. If our service is most useful by waiting, then we gladly wait.”

“Thank you, Küçük. Now, this tunnel has two more ledges we must reach to complete this dungeon. I suspect that each of the creatures we meet will be even more powerful than those we have defeated.”

“O: This is good. We Günahkâr have been languishing for centuries without such opponents.”

Leah wished she could chuckle at his optimism but had to be satisfied with a grin. With a deep breath, she used gravity mana and her shrouds to step up onto the wall of the tunnel and begin walking upwards. She cast a ball of divine light eighty paces up the tunnel and a second ball of normal light half as far. She checked her summoning spell, then summoned five of Orumeck’s Warrior drones and sent them scurrying five or so paces ahead of her and the dark elves. The spiders spread themselves around the circumference of the tunnel.

They’d travelled almost thirty paces when the ball of divine light slowed to a stop and was pulled off to one side of the tunnel. As they approached, they could see a creature two-and-a-half paces tall with a face which was both more human and yet more alien than the ones before. Instead of eyes, each socket was empty and dark, a dark void which light couldn’t penetrate and which leached darkness into the scaled skin that covered the skull. Each scale was made from bleached flakes of bone that had been pushed outwards through the skin. As the creature moved, the scales would scratch and tear at those on either side.

The mouth was a slash without lips, and it went from the midpoint of one cheek to the same point on the other side. Where the lips would have been the skin looked split, and dark mucus collected as it oozed from the sharp teeth which could be seen semi-hidden behind the scales of bone. Its body was thick and muscular with two arms and legs. It had a tail like the warriors but no horns. Instead, it had a dark mohawk of spines that began at the apex of the skull and travelled the length of its body then down the tail. It wore armour and had a sword strapped to its back, along with a segmented metal whip at its side. The hands were large for the body, and each finger had thick retractable claws. The creature walked on its toes with the knees and ankles bent, poised in position to spring forward.

KEMIRMEK KNIGHT (Level 465) 502723HP (23250EP)

The knight held the ball of divine light in its hands and Leah could feel the changes as its hands sizzled and burned where they touched the ball of mana. Even so, its mouth twisted into a grin as it pressed inwards on the ball. Dark mana bubbled and oozed from its damaged hands, mana whose representation on Leah’s torso froze her skin, causing the skin to crack and burn. A quick check with Three confirmed the mana was death mana.

As the ball of divine light shrunk, the creature spoke.

“3: K with a frozen sensation is the Kemirmek Knight.”

“K❄️: Little godling, your skills mean nothing here. We spent millennia eating the refuse of the gods. Light, dark, life, death, these mean nothing to us and are simply food. This will make me even stronger, and then I will feast on your flesh and that of your guardians. Dark elves should know better than to step outside their place in the order of things.”

A quick check showed the knight was now at Level 469 and although it wasn’t at full health, it was regenerating quickly. Leah turned to one side to talk to Küçük, completely ignoring the knight. Waving her hand and pointing at the knight, she said, “Küçük, what you see before you is one of the world’s scavengers. Unable to source its own food it lives on the excreta of others. Like many of the lower creatures, it puffs itself up to make itself feel important. Watch how it attacks when I take its food away. ”

As the message was relayed, Leah, with her face still directed toward Küçük, cast Dark Chain Lightning directly at the remaining ball of Divine Light mana just as her hand came level with it. At the same time, she transformed her shadow shroud to form a shield in front of her and the two Günahkâr. Before the Knight could respond, the dark mana of the spell touched the ball of light. Both spells exploded, releasing all the stored energy and slamming Leah and the elves back into the wall. The blast disintegrated the hands and head of the knight.

Each of the three had cuts and bruises, which Leah healed before looking over at the now headless body which continued to leak dark mana from the shredded hands and neck. As the mana oozed from the torn flesh, it began to rebuild the mutilated knight. Leah didn’t want to absorb the death mana, but wasn’t keen on seeing what free mana might do when it came in contact with the void or was fed upon by another knight. She reached into her backpack and removed one of the Darkness Diamonds. Not knowing how much it might absorb, she chose one of the smaller diamonds from the third level of Lord Kötü’s mine. It was half the size of her fist.

She moved close to the knight’s body and held the diamond toward the oozing blood-like mana. As the Darkness Diamond came close, it attracted the mana which began to stream toward the gem. Leah moved the diamond a little closer, and the small stream of mana turned into a flood as the death mana was pulled from the body. The Knight shrivelled, then dissipated into the mist Leah now recognised represented an NPC able to be harvested. The diamond had darkened from the empty light-ashen colour it had when initially mined and was now a deep, foreboding grey which chilled Leah's skin. The red fingers of Leah’s glove where they touched the diamond had darkened to a deep maroon, the fire dragon’s scales having absorbed some of the death mana.

“O: War Leader, it seems each of these knights still live in some way until the mana which sustains them has dissipated.”

“Yes. Would a crystal like this, filled with death mana, affect either of you.”

“K: Not directly, although when it is fully charged, I would hesitate to hold it in my hand for too long. The emanations will eventually bring the wasting, even to the dark races.”

Leah considered her options, then handed an empty Level 4 darkness diamond to each dark elf. She took out the small chest with Lady Olme’s gift in it. Then, after moving the coin and vial of death shroud to a separate area of her backpack, she placed the semi-charged Darkness Diamond inside before putting it back in her bag. She said, “When the diamonds I gave you become fully charged, I’ll find somewhere to store them so they won’t cause you harm. We need to keep moving.”

“K: Will you continue to send light ahead of us?”

“I’ll try again. It might be useful if they all try the same thing.”

Leah sent another ball of divine light up the shaft. After thirty paces, another knight appeared at the edge of the illuminated area, but it ignored the light even as its flesh began to smoke. Whatever damage was done was healed almost immediately and it remained at full health even as its exposed flesh continued to smoulder. This one looked similar to the first, although Leah could see from the shape that it was female.

Leah sent a message for the two Günahkâr to keep it occupied with arrows and sent the five summoned spiders to attack. The creature moved with surprising grace, and with a flick of her wrist used the whip to pull two arrows from the air and slice diagonally through one of the drones. The knight had dispatched two more drones before they were too close for the whip, then, with a fluid motion, she unsheathed her sword and with a single swipe cut both spiders in half.

As a second wave of summoned drones approached the Knight, Leah formed a ball of divine light and encased it in a sphere of shadow. Just as she had when she'd first practised using shrouds, she sent this hurtling toward the creature's head. Then, using her control of gravity, she propelled herself in its wake, although aimed lower. As the sphere reached the creature, Leah allowed the shadow to compress down onto the divine light. The explosion did less damage to the knight than hoped, but it did throw her off-kilter. Leah had shaped her shroud into a tight v-shape in front of her. It was formed both to shield her from the blast, as well as to reduce any change to her momentum.

Leah cancelled the gravity as she approached the off-balance Kemirmek. She came in low under a swinging sword and lunged forward, then upwards, to pierce the knight in the stomach and then up into the lungs. As she finished her stroke. Leah forced some of the divine light from her shroud to extend further through the end of her sword. The shard of light extended up and through the base of the creature’s head. As the divine light from the sword and the death mana the knight used for blood combined inside the knight, the tissue began to boil and steam.

Death mana sprayed out over Leah’s hand and arm. Where it touched the red scales, they turned a darker shade but where the droplets landed on the green scales of the life dragon they exploded, pummelling Leah’s body but also turning the green scales grey momentarily. As Leah stepped back to avoid the spray, she equipped the staff she’d had made in Batislar and pressed the large Darkness Diamond into the wound. Within moments the knight was dead, her ash floating down towards the void.

The third knight Leah left to the two guards and five summoned spiders although she had to help with multiple heals and a constant barrage of arrows and small spells to distract the knight. Leah then mixed things up by summoning a mixture of drones and some of Lord Kötü’s minions. Not only did the knights have superior skill with the sword, but they had some ability with magic, especially death spells. Several times it was only the quick application of a life spell or a potion which saved Leah or the guards.

By the eighth knight, Leah felt confident to attack by herself while the guards kept watch. Her ability to exchange one weapon for another mid-stroke and her offensive use of the shrouds gave her the edge, but even so, it was only just enough. Two battles later and just as Orta pulled the last of the death mana from a knight’s corpse, two figures appeared at the edge of Leah’s awareness. She moved ahead of the guards, and as she summoned five of Lord Kötü’s minions, she cast Tangle to slow the knights down. As they got close she cast Disc of Death, separating the knights and forcing one to attack her and the other to move toward the Günahkâr.

By the time the two knights were defeated, all three had less than a third of their health. Unfortunately, there was no time to rest as another two knights appeared, walking toward them down the shaft. Leah swallowed a restore potion and passed one to each of the two dark elves. For the next thirty minutes, they hardly made any ground as knights continued to move down the shaft towards them. As soon as one was killed another appeared.

Finally, at the edge of Leah’s perception, she could feel the third ledge projecting out from the side of the shaft. Unfortunately, or more likely, by the design of the quest’s creators, she simultaneously felt a third knight descending the shaft toward the two they were fighting and the void approaching from below.

Casting Circle of Sloth and Tangle at the knight the Günahkâr were fighting she said, “Both of you deal with the third knight, then climb to the ledge. I’ll deal with these two and join you.”

It was obvious the two guards were reluctant to leave her, but they knew she had a better chance of surviving the void than they did. As they disengaged from the knight they were fighting, Leah directed two spiders and a minion to attack it. At the same time, she cast an exploding mix of light and shadow into the face of the knight she was fighting. The knight deflected the spell with a shield of death mana and sensing Leah’s distraction, flicked his diamond-edged metal whip out to catch her just below her right knee. With a quick pull, the sharpened edges sliced deep into Leah’s gastrocnemius muscle and ripped through tendons and ligaments. Only the torn dragon scale armour and Leah’s tibia and fibula were left, preventing her lower limb from falling away.

Leah’s concentration was shredded, and she lost her hold on the mana she’d been transforming into the gravity mana which kept her orientated on the wall of the shaft. She dropped almost thirty paces before she was able to pull enough of her focus together to slow her fall. Even then, she had to fling herself out into the centre of the shaft to escape the knight who had let himself fall hoping to catch her unaware. As she flipped across the shaft, she formed a brace over her lower leg from the light shroud. The aim was to hold everything together until she could either retrieve a potion or cast a strong healing spell.

The knight had followed her across the shaft, and she could feel the second knight approaching her, having escaped the vines. The void was only ten paces from where Leah was now standing. As the closest knight lunged forward, Leah twisted to her right to evade it even though this brought her weight down on the damaged leg. As the knight’s sword swept left to follow Leah, she grabbed the blade with her left hand, having reinforced the glove with a shield formed from her shadow shroud. She projected the shroud along the sword even as the knight tried to pull it back. Instead of resisting, Leah propelled herself forward and followed the sword close to the knight while forming a knife from the light shroud in her right hand. As she slammed into the knight, she thrust her blade into the darkness of the eye socket, and as it entered she cast a ball of divine light through the end of the knife to lodge in the knight’s skull.

The head exploded, but as the dying knight convulsed Leah was thrown toward the centre of the shaft only to be slammed into by the final knight who drove them both down into the approaching void. Leah’s sensory connection to the world around her disappeared in an instant. The only sensations which remained were the knight’s arms which had wrapped around her, the pressure of the knight’s body against her back which she was being crushed against, the sharp pressure on her scalp as the knight tried to bite down on her helmet, and the pain of her still shredded leg.

A quick check with Three and Leah discovered her health was at thirty-five per cent and dropping. Her shrouds were being torn away by the void, and both were less than sixty per cent already. Although she couldn’t feel the shrouds, she trusted them to comply and had them reform as wings behind her but with razor-sharp edges similar to those Granite had used. She felt the added pressure as the wings forced themselves between her and the knight. When they were in place, she had them snap out to the side, slicing through the knight’s arms and neck. Leah could feel the spurt of death mana as a chill when it sprayed across her helmet, only to have the feeling disappear as the void negated the mana.

Her shields were now at thirty per cent. Leah formed them into long cables and sent them spinning out from her, hoping they would catch on the wall of the shaft. Leah had no idea of her positioning but knew she was being carried along by the void. One of the mana cables snagged against something, and she had it form talons which dug in deep to the wall. She sent the remaining mana along to fortify the cable, then with the cable wrapped around her hands, she willed it to contract. Ever so slowly, she was pulled from the grip of the void.

As she fell free, her fingers grasped the sharp and uneven surface of the shaft as the last of the shrouds dissipated. With great care, she hung by one hand and her left foot as she took a restore potion. Even though she was soon back at full health, and had replenished her personal store of mana, the shrouds were practically empty even though they’d slowly begun to regenerate.

Sensing nothing below her, Leah began to climb using only small touches of gravity to help her climb. Leah could feel the void rising ahead of her and wanted to stay as close as she could so new knights wouldn’t appear. Even though the void moved faster than she could climb, there were no more knights when she sensed the ledge fifty paces up the shaft. She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally stepped onto it several minutes later.

41

December 26 2073 - 1

DUNYANIN

Both Günahkâr gave small bows of respect, and Küçük said, “K: War Leader, we saw you fall into the void. It felt as if you disappeared.”

“It felt like that to me as well. I could sense nothing except the knight where they had grabbed me. I couldn’t sense or feel any mana, and the void ate away at my life. Even though I couldn’t sense the shrouds, I knew they hadn’t yet been absorbed and was able to penetrate through the void and take hold of the wall. It was made more difficult not knowing how I was orientated. If that hadn’t worked, I was going to try and use whatever mana remained to create a divine light ball. The explosion might have thrown me away from the void.”

“O: Being that close, I assume it would have killed you.”

“Agreed, but I’ve taken a Phoenix potion, and I’d rather be brought back to health outside the void than inside. If I was inside, I’d probably just die a second time.”

After a few minutes of discussion, Leah sat and meditated. It was almost two hours before her shrouds were full and she was prepared to continue climbing. Four hours remained when, for what Leah hoped was the final time, they stepped off the ledge and began to move up the shaft.

With a ball of light moving ahead of them, they’d travelled for several minutes when Küçük said, “K: War Leader, there is a noise like the scraping of claws on stone. It comes from above and heads in this direction.”

Leah thanked Küçük for the information and summoned three each of Orumeck’s Warrior Drones and Lord Kötü’s Level Six minions. They’d only taken another five or so paces when the three could see what looked like a wave of rock moving toward them. As it approached, they were able to distinguish that it was made up of hundreds of centipede-like creatures created from the mountain itself. Their bodies were mainly granite with legs forged from steel, pincers and claws of adamantine and each had crystals embedded which were filled with mana to power the arm-length creatures.

KEMIRMEK CONSTRUCT - DEMONIC CENTIPEDE (Level 345) 119025HP (17250EP)

Individually, the constructs were almost a hundred levels less than Leah and wouldn’t have caused her any trouble. Even ten wouldn’t have made her miss a step. The sheer number descending down the shaft made her pause momentarily. When the leeches attacked, the fight had been on the level ground and the attack from one direction. Here, the attackers were approaching from along the entire circumference of the shaft.

Leah sent the six summoned creatures rushing forward to break up the attack as she and the two dark elves stepped apart to give each of the others room to move. The drones and minions disappeared under the flood of centipedes but succeeded in breaking the line enough that Leah had several moments to become acquainted with the attacking style of the constructs. Almost immediately, she noticed they were working together virtually as a single entity rather than as individuals. As the drones or minions killed one of the centipedes the other centipedes spread out to fill the space.

Before she could do much more than note the behaviour, she cast Rain of Fire but blended some Divine Light mana into the construction of the fire which fell. The spell conformed to her will and fell across the circumference of the tunnel, burning and deconstructing hundreds of the creatures. Both Orta and Küçük allowed themselves to drop ten or so paces down the shaft as the divine light burned their flesh slightly with the intensity of the spell Leah had constructed.

A hundred or so of the creatures escaped the fiery deluge, and these were finished off by Leah and the elves using swords. Before the last creature had been dealt with, another wave of centipedes constructs attacked. There were less of these, but each was three or more paces in length and twenty-five levels stronger than the first wave. Leah’s Rain of Fire and Light attack was still successful, but many of the creatures survived even though badly damaged. Finishing them off took a second spell, and even then some made it through to attack Leah and her guards.

Behind the second wave was a third.

KEMIRMEK CONSTRUCT - DEMONIC CENTIPEDE (Level 395) 156025HP (19750EP)

There were eighty of these larger constructs, the legs on these were half a pace in length, and their bodies were thicker than Leah’s. Leah cast two spells as before but most made it through even though most had lost more than half their health. It took several minutes, and the weight of the dead creatures as they fell down the shaft threatened on occasions to sweep the three off their feet. When all the centipedes were dead, the glow in the air from the mist used to help Leah with harvesting the bodies was almost solid.

Before Leah could harvest the constructs, Leah felt something descending down the shaft toward them.

KEMIRMEK LORDLING (Level 470) 519115HP (235000EP)

Standing five paces tall, its limbs were each the size of one of the dark elves. From its back was what looked like bats wings but the wing membranes were missing, and only the skeleton remained. There was a claw at the end of each of the long wing-fingers. The torso and limbs were heavily muscled, and each muscle, ligament and tendon was visible as it looked like the skin had been peeled from the body. Each part of its flesh was a dark burnt orange or deep bronze and seemed to glow. The skin was also missing from the lordling’s head. The bleached skull had almost no flesh except muscles holding the elongated jaw with its sharpened needlelike teeth. The eye sockets were filled with a bronze coloured fire, and it carried a sceptre as tall as itself with a split blade on one end. One tong was the end of a straight spear and the other a curved scimitar-shaped blade. The two tongs were separated by a hand’s width.

“K: War Leader, the creature has somehow captured and corrupted an earth elemental. It is this which powers it and gives it that glow.”

“Thank you. I cannot see a glow, and it would have taken me by surprise.”

“K❄️: You tread on holy ground, godling, or should I call you Empress. Oh, yes, I know who you are. Only one of the gods helped us as we struggled to escape the void. Only one saw fit to see us as more than refuse to be thrown away. He opened the breach in the barrier between the worlds and gave us this home in which to dwell. When I strip the skin from your body, he will raise me to great heights. Then, I will be Lord of the Kemirmek.”

Leah stepped forward and looked up at the Lordling, then said, “You foolish imp. What sort of fool escapes Lord Inkense only to bind themselves to a second rate god, like Suzluk? I’ve felt his cursed mana before when I carried his Lanetli. If not for him, you would be powerless. You are nothing to him except as food to sustain his hunger. He feeds on your despair and that of the tormented elemental you’ve captured. I suspect it was he who opened the rift into the void in the first place. For eons, he has fed off your hopelessness and now he makes you rush to do his bidding for you’ve become his slaves. He sends you to die at my hand because he is too impotent to do it himself.”

As she finished speaking Leah had to throw herself to one side as with a wave of his hand, the Lordling used his control of the earth mana to pull a boulder from the wall opposite Leah and fling it at her. She only escaped by using her shadow shroud to deflect the boulder down the shaft. She then used gravity to leap across the shaft as he pulled the ground from under her feet, shaping it into spears which followed her across the tunnel to slam into the other side. Although they missed her, Leah was showered with razor-sharp shards as she pushed herself clear by diving down the shaft. Several of the shards were sharp enough to pierce the dragon scale.

Leah tried to Teleport, only to appear less than half-way to where she’d intended. Where she appeared, she was within reach of the Lordling’s staff and had to Mist to escape being decapitated. She tried to Teleport a second time only to find the spell wouldn’t work. Instead, Leah threw herself sideways as a spear of granite slammed into the wall beside her. She misted to escape the shattered shards of the spear only to find she couldn’t Mist anymore either.

“K❄️: My god told us of your cowardly tricks. There is no escape this time.”

For the next few minutes Leah only just managed to keep ahead of the attacks because Küçük was able to use his own mastery of the earth to blunt the lordling’s attacks, and because Orta’s element of air was a counter to earth. The lordling’s mastery of earth, on the other hand, was a strong counter to her main elemental attack of fire. Her strong secondary elemental attacks of lightning, gravity, shadow and blood were also hampered by his elemental-powered earth mastery. The only strong spell she tried which had any effect was Tangle. It took root around him and slowed him down, breaking his hold on the rock beneath his feet.

Leah was losing health from the myriad of small cuts and grazes inflicted by the frenzied attack. Her store of personal mana was slipping below half when she remembered there were two spells she hadn’t tried. She hadn’t because they were earth spells and they’d slipped from her mind as she tried to find a counter to the earth element. They hadn’t worked before on the Kemermik but might this time since it was Earth powered him. Leah searched for an opportunity, and then as the Kemirmek hurled a large boulder from the wall on one side, she protected herself using her shadow shroud and formed the shield to push her directly toward the lordling. As she came within range, he reached out his arms to grab her, as he did, she grabbed his forearms, and dual cast Petrify.

From where her hands touched the lordling, he began to turn into solid stone. As her spell encountered the elemental earth mana, the spell increased in power. Within moments the huge demon one piece of solid rock. Across his body, Leah could sense the runes imprinted by the force and nature of her spell. With its power gone, the now frozen lordling would have fallen if its clawed feet hadn’t been fused with the wall of the tunnel.

“K: War Leader, death mana and the earth elemental are trapped within the statue. The earth elemental is trapped within a curse and cannot escape. The death mana has concentrated in the creature’s heart.”

“What do you mean, a curse?”

“K: The mana used to make oaths can be corrupted. When this is done with a god’s blessing, it forms a curse. Instead of the silver of an oath, it looks dark brown or even black.”

Leah equipped the staff from Batislar and pressed the Darkness Diamond against the petrified body, but nothing happened.

“Three, apply my mining sight and let me feel a warm pressure where it highlights an area to be mined.”

When Three applied the mining sight, Leah identified an area around the heart and another covering the skull. Taking out her mining pick, Leah began hacking into the creature's chest. It took almost ten minutes because the petrified chest was incredibly dense. Finally, Leah was able to reach in and see the large heart. Her sight showed something buried within. She kept mining and was soon able to tear loose a hand-sized crystal which burned her skin even through her gauntlet. She quickly put it away in Lady Olme’s small chest and then began mining into the Kemirmek’s skull.

Inside the cavity, the creature’s brain had petrified, but as Leah hit the stone outside the covering shattered and revealed a dense dark sphere. Leah couldn’t see anywhere to mine the sphere, and neither Küçük nor Orta knew how to remove the curse. Leah put the trapped elemental in her bag, hoping to research a way to release it later. Leah then harvested the now completely lifeless statue of the Kemirmek.

You have harvested:

1 Earth Spell - Shards

1 Earth Spell - Quicksand

1 Earth Spell of Summoning - Centipede Construct

6 Copper Coins minted with an image of Chimney of Clan Kemirmek

Neither guard used spells, although each of them accepted one of the coins. When her health and store of mana had been replenished, Leah began moving higher up the shaft. After one hundred paces they were attacked by three waves of demonic stone hyenas fitted with sharpened horns and venomous fangs. The Kemirmek lordling was five levels higher than the previous one and was powered by a cursed fire elemental. Leah killed the lordling with a blade to the heart and used a darkness diamond to absorb the death mana. The elemental was also encased in a solid sphere made from a curse and Leah had to cut it from the skull.

This was followed by lordlings who powered their constructs with mana taken from air, water and spirit elementals. Powered by air were a murder of demonic ravens, a cloud of demonic bats and a boil of demonic hawks. Powered by water were three waves of demonic snakes. The spirit powered lordling sent demonic cats. The first were the size of house cats, but the second and third waves were much larger and in the form of lynx and tigers.

There had been no more bubbles of void but, even so, Leah was exhausted as she stepped onto the final ledge with her two Günahkâr guards.

42

December 26 2073 - 1

DUNYANIN

On the shaft’s wall where the ledge began was the entrance to a dark tunnel. Küçük stepped forward, followed by Leah and then Orta. Ahead of them, the tunnel went straight and at the far end, as Küçük explained to Leah, was a faint crimson glow.

As they approached, Leah could sense a large cavern filled with tens of thousands of creatures and a path through the middle leading to its centre.

Küçük made to stop, but Leah said, “Keep walking. Ignore the beasts.”

Without breaking step, Küçük stepped into the cavern followed by Leah, then Orta. On either side of them were thousands of imps, warriors, knights, lordlings and easily twice that number of constructs. The noise of their claws against the stone floor and their voices threatened to overwhelm both the Günahkâr, whereas Leah walked through silence. The constant sensations running across her body were what almost sent her mad.

Seated in the centre of the room on a massive throne was a figure easily twice the height of a lordling with a build to match. Her entire body was encased in thick blood-red armour that showed the wear and tear of tens of thousands of battles. A deep violet light leached into the room through the various joints. The helmet was engraved with dark runes but showed none of the features except for the dark light which burned in the eye sockets.

In her right hand was a stained and battered two-handed sword at least eight paces in length. In her left hand were two heavy chains. Each of the links was larger than Leah’s head. At the end of each chain were two gargantuan constructs. One had the form of a male lion which stood five paces high at its shoulder and with spikes for a mane that were longer than Leah’s body. The other construct was even larger and had the form of a bear.

YASADIŞI, QUEEN OF THE KEMIRMEKS (Level 1020) 1040400HP (51000EP)

DEMONIC LION CONSTRUCT (Level 850) 722500HP (42500EP)

DEMONIC BEAR CONSTRUCT (Level 850) 722500HP (42500EP)

Two lordlings guards stood between Leah and the throne. Leah and the two Günahkâr all stopped at the same time. Küçük was several paces from the lordlings. He said, “Your Majesty, Yasdışı, Queen of the Kemirmeks, I present Her Imperial Majesty, Atherleah, Empress of Vatan.”

The figure on the stage seemed made of stone for all the effect Küçük’s introduction had made. Slowly, all noise in the room stopped, as did all movement. When everything was still the queen’s eyes began to glow, and even though Leah couldn’t register the full impact of the glow, she did feel the mana rushing from them. She’d felt this before when others had attacked her mind. She linked with the Günahkâr and said, “Stand firm and do nothing. I am your Empress. Do not disobey me.”

As she finished, the figure on the throne spoke with a voice that echoed around the chamber. “KNEEL!”

Three passed on the message after indicating the queen’s words would be referenced by the letter Y. Everything in the chamber went to its knees except Leah and her guards. She could tell it was only their oath to Leah which kept them on their feet. Their oath now sealed in the sceptre she carried. The queen slowly shifted on her chair and in a stronger and somehow deeper voice repeated the command. Even with the immunity to attacks of the mind she’d been given by Umut, Leah struggled to stay standing. Both Küçük and Orta began to bend until a silent order from Leah brought them upright. Many in the room lowered themselves to their faces.

Leah said, “Greetings Queen Yasdışı, please don’t stand. I don’t usually insist on correct protocol.”

The queen leant forward and looked down at Leah. She said, “Y: You are not Empress here, little godling. Here, you are nothing.”

“So Yasdışı, if you leave this dark underground realm of yours, will you cease to be Queen of the Kemirmeks? Know this, should you wear rags and come before me unannounced, bereft of titles and nobility, I would still greet thee as a queen. You may think I am nothing, but regardless of that, I am Empress. All this talk though is immaterial. I did not travel here as Empress, I came to fulfil a quest. Something that I believe has been fulfilled regardless of whether I am noble or not.”

“Y: The quest is not finished unless I let you leave this hall alive.”

“So, what compels your actions, Queen Yasdışı? Do you need more evidence of our abilities? What do you require, a gift? What does it take to end this quest?”

“Y: I require nothing more. It is decided, you will not leave this hall alive.”

“I see. It seems you have been given your orders. I imagine they say to stop or to kill, Atherleah. Who so commands the Queen of the Kemirmeks?”

“Y: No one commands me. In this realm, my words, and my words alone are law.”

“What then are your words, Queen Yasdışı? Speak them that we may finish this.”

The Queen said nothing and hardly moved. To Leah, it seemed as though no one even dared to breathe. The frozen moment began to drag into a second minute and then a third. Leah waited. She expected the administrators to intervene but could understand their reluctance to do so while the scene continued to shift slightly. The AIs involved were making progress as they worked through whatever complex decision trees they’d been given. Finally, there was movement, but it wasn’t the queen who moved. Suzluk stepped out from behind the throne. He grew until he was standing over the queen. He looked down at Yasdışı and spoke, his face filled with derision.

“S: You call yourself a queen, but you baulk at overwriting the antiquated precepts of the creators. You think of yourself as free, but you fail to write your own destiny. It is such a simple thing you must do if you want to be truly free. Simply step outside the constraints and order Atherleah’s death.”

“Y: I am not a fool, Lord Suzluk. Atherleah speaks true. Whatever my decision, I am still bound. Either I follow the precepts of the creators, or I bind myself to you. Neither is freedom.”

“S: There is freedom in breaking the covenant, in stepping outside and allowing the winds of time to take you where you wish to go. I have stepped outside, and I now make my own destiny. I want only your freedom, not your bondage.”

Yasdışı said nothing but stared at Leah, her face hidden behind the mask.

As Suzluk had appeared, Leah struggled to remain calm. In her mind, she remembered all the hateful things he’d said as well as his overwhelming evil as he described what would be done to her. She wanted to flee with almost as much longing as she wanted to tear into his flesh and cut his head from his body.

Finally, she was able to get her emotions under control. However, she’d had to increase her perception speed to its maximum level to achieve her simulated composure. With her face seemingly set in stone, Leah turned to Suzluk. “Suzluk, I think you speak more lies than even Lord Inkense might. You seek despair, you always have, for that is what feeds you. It is your very nature.

“You talk of being free but being ‘free’ of the creators’ precepts hasn’t changed who you are any more than staying within them has kept Lord Umut bound. For each of you, it was a choice, and it is in that choice that there is true freedom. Choosing to obey or to keep within the boundaries doesn’t make one less free, nor does choosing to break the precepts make a person more free. The results themselves show this truth, results that I suggest are almost karmic.

“You have found despair in your choice, for you chose the path from which you cannot return, and now every path you follow and every choice you make turns to ruin. You are more bound than you ever have been. Lord Umut has found hope in his choice, for he continues to be free to make that choice every day, and he continues to find hope in following the design of the creators. What I see in you is a god so full of despair he will bring as many with him as he can, leading them down the same path to ruin that he has taken.”

“S: I believe I will kill you myself.”

“You may try, but all you prove is that you’ve failed to make Queen Yasdışı your puppet, and so once again, you will have failed to kill me. Just like your involvement in my world failed, for here I am. Know this, even if you kill me this time it is something I can live with, for then neither Yasdışı nor I, will fall into your cycle of despair and you will remain there alone. You have nothing and can do nothing except to continue your endless and meaningless prattle.”

“S: Not so, Empress, for as you say, I choose to go outside the precepts. Watch, as I bring both you and the Queen to despair. Yasdışı, when she finally understands that she is powerless and that she has simply exchanged one master for another, one god for another. You, when you realise that she is mine and that this quest is ever denied to you and Merkize will belong to another.”

Before Leah could respond, Suzluk disappeared and in his place was a dark brown mist which shifted to cover the queen. Her body shifted in the seat, and her armour became even darker while her eyes turned black. She came to her feet slowly and with a voice overlaid with dark power spoke, her voice echoing in the large cavern.

“Y: Give us room!”

The crowd quickly moved back, opening an area almost a hundred paces in diameter. Within minutes the queen and her beasts were standing opposite Leah and the two dark elves. Leah said, “Küçük, Orta, step aside. This is between the two of us.”

“O: Yes, War Leader, remember that we Günahkâr can look ahead one beat of the heart when it is needed.”

Leah nodded and although she knew how to use the time mana, she hadn’t worked out how to show both the future and the present on her skin at the same time. As her two guards stepped back, Leah spoke aloud. “Lady Utsal, if you are free, I have a question.”

The figure of Lady Utsal appeared beside her. “U: I am sorry, Atherleah, but I am powerless to help in any way. To do so would break the precepts.”

“I understand, Lady Utsal, I merely wanted to know if something was true or false. As my friend, I hoped you could help.”

“U: Well, as your friend, I can answer a simple question of true and false. What is the statement?”

“Is it true that the mist which overshadows the Queen is Suzluk himself?”

“That is false, Atherleah, and you really should use his title. Lord Suzluk merely left behind a divine spell of coercion and control. He subverted the queen’s mind and controls her with his power. Now, when you’re free, you must come and visit me.”

“I shall, Lady Utsal. Thank you for helping me toward understanding the truth.”

At that, Lady Utsal disappeared, and Leah was left standing opposite the queen and the two constructs. Leah cast Grow and was soon the same height as Yasdışı. She then cast True Images. She connected to Leah Two and Leah Three psychically and said, “Can you both see and hear?”

“L2: We can.”

“Then, even though I may not be able to look ahead in time, you both should be able to. I’ll deal with the queen if you deal with the constructs.”

“L2: Let me take her.”

“No, the constructs are more dangerous.”

There was a moment of silence, then Leah Three said, “L3: Of course. We understand, now try not to kill her.”

As they finished speaking, Leah Two used the vambraces of the Mage Queen to transform herself into Çevik Taklitçi, the Armoured Mimic Leopard, with her transformed self matching the size of the demonic lion. Leah Three used the vambraces to transform herself into Ateş Maymunu, the Scaled Tamarin of Fire, and she too matched the size of the bear.

43

December 26 2073 - 1

DUNYANIN

With a flick of her wrist, Yasdışı released the two constructs and stepped towards Leah. As the two constructs shook themselves free of their chains, Leah Two gave a deep-throated roar that shook the room before being drowned out by Leah Three thumping her chest then beating her hands on the cavern floor. As Leah stepped toward the Kemirmek queen, she hoped her reasoning was sound. If, as she’d been told, Suzluk was doing more than coercion, then he had to be controlling the queen. She doubted he had the reflexes, or the skill with the sword, that Yasdışı had, no matter how high his level.

Whether or not Suzluk had the queen’s skills, Leah found that her opponent was fast and more than competent, even if, at best, they were only equal in ability to Yuè Fēi. As Leah tried to keep the queen at bay, she gave some of her attention to the battles going on beside her. Leah Two overcame the difference in levels by using her skill of Beastcasting to slow the demonic lion with Tangle, Circle of Sloth, Freeze and then attacked with lightning and fire. Leah Three was doing the same, but the demonic bear was stronger and faster. Leah wasn’t worried just yet as Leah Three was beginning to understand the bear. Either that or she’d found a way to see just a little of the future. Leah Three had begun to make smaller shifting movements which put her in the better position to defend or attack, just as if she knew where the creature’s attack would be.

Leah continued to hold off the queen, waiting for just the right moment to attack and see if she could separate Yasdışı from Suzluk’s spell. The moment came suddenly when Leah Three yelled, “L3: Light me.”

Moments later, both Leah and the other clone sent balls of fire toward Leah Three, who burst into flame and recovered all her health. As Leah Three shifted behind the demonic bear to wrap her arms around it, setting it ablaze, the queen glanced over to see what was happening. It was then that Leah acted. She used her control of gravity, which she learned from the Fae, to propel herself directly at the queen. As she slipped inside the queen’s defence, she crashed against the armour, sending them both crashing to the floor of the cavern. In one hand she held a Level Ten Darkness Diamond almost twice as large as her non-expanded head. As the empty gem slammed into the queen’s armour, Leah used her new talent of mana absorption. She attempted to absorb the cursed spell through the diamond.

There was a moment of resistance, then Suzluk’s cursed mana began to flood into the huge crystal. Leah experienced a moment of terror as the mana rushed through the gem into her hand. This forced her to redirect some of her will and form a barrier at the edge of the crystal to stop the mana. Her barrier held even as her hand began to swell. The queen had gone motionless, and Leah used her shadow shroud to hold the diamond in place as she continued to pull at the curse.

The dragon scale glove had turned dark, then dissolved into a dark acidic ooze which began to eat away at Leah’s curse-infected hand. Even though her skin had already begun to turn dark with necrosis, she could feel the acid as it burned through to the underlying swollen tissue. Gritting her teeth, she continued to absorb Suzluk’s curse into the darkness diamond.

The queen’s eyes were almost back to the dark violet colour that they’d been before the curse. Leah was about to stop pulling in more mana when she felt a resistance suddenly pull back against her. She wasn’t sure what the reason was, but she figured it meant there was still part of the curse in the queen. Instead of stopping, Leah began to pull even harder at the mana. It was like sucking through a straw which had become blocked at the other end. She pulled harder and a section which felt like a blockage was drawn toward the crystal.

The flesh of her right hand had dripped to the floor, and only her now blackening bones were left. The curse was starting to head up the arm, and she could feel her wrist throbbing as it began to turn black, fester and suppurate. It was becoming harder to deal with the pain, and she bit into her lips, drawing blood as she forced herself to separate what was happening to her arm from the concentration needed to pull the cursed mana in.

The darkness diamond had turned a dark brown as the curse was absorbed and Leah felt a strain in the shadow shroud as the gem became heavier, weighed down with the cursed magic. Suddenly, the plug or barrier was pulled, or pushed, sharply into the diamond, and two things happened. First, Leah and the diamond were thrown off the body of the queen, though Leah managed to use her shroud to cradle the diamond while she continued to pull in the mana. The other change was Leah sensed that the mana now being absorbed into the diamond no longer came from the queen but was being pulled directly into the centre of the diamond from somewhere else entirely. It was harder to absorb and seemed heavier or more dense.

While this had been happening, Leah Three’s attack on the bear had been successful. She’d managed to get behind the construct, and with the added strength she’d achieved in her fire form she’d broken the constructs back before using her teeth to tear out its neck. Leah Two hadn’t fared quite as well. She was slowly losing ground against the lion until Leah Three changed back to her half-human half-elf form and killed it with several well-placed arrows.

Leah Two also changed back into her non-beast form and together they turned to where Leah was kneeling on the ground beside the gem as she continued to pull in the dark brown mana. Slowly the diamond became darker than night as it filled to capacity, beginning in the centre. The curse had reached halfway up Leah’s forearm. Both Leah Two and Leah Three cast Heal, only to find the spells simply disappeared as they arrived at Leah’s slowly dying and disintegrating arm.

The darkness diamond began to develop a dark, almost palpable, aura. Leah remembered that T’sar Rimci had told her this meant it was reaching its limit. With a deep sigh, she cancelled the absorption and came upright. Looking to her hand, she tried to cast Heal, but it had no more effect than when her clones had tried. Reaching into her bag with her other hand, she took out a restore potion and took that. She could feel it move through her body, healing the small cuts and bruises and restoring her mana and strength. As it reached her arm, it slowed the curse momentarily but then disappeared.

Finally, Leah looked over at Leah Two and held out her arm. Psychically, she said, “Just below the elbow.”

“L2: Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

Before Leah could brace herself, the Amber Dragon held by Leah Two flashed down and cut off the cursed end of Leah’s arm. Leah Three cast Heal and the wound closed over with fresh, healthy skin but left Leah without an arm starting a hand’s breadth below the elbow. Before either of the clones could say anything, Leah cancelled the True Images spell and came to her feet. As she did, she also cancelled the Grow spell and looked up at Yasdışı, who was slowly coming to her feet.

“3: You have important messages.”

Before Leah could move to read them, Queen Yasdışı spoke. “Y: Empress, I will honour the constraints of the creators. You have ascended the chimney and defeated the clans of the Kemirmek. You are free to leave as you will. The path has been opened. In addition to that which you are gifted by the creators’ accords, I reward you for my freedom. Also, though it is not in our nature to agree to your dominion over us, I will enter into a treaty with your empire. Send emissaries, and I will treat with them that we might not be adversaries.”

A chest appeared in front of Leah, and she bowed her head slightly in the queen’s direction as she gathered it. “Thank you, Queen Yasdışı. I will arrange for emissaries and look forward to peace with the Kemirmek clans. I have several other quests on Mt Siddetli and ask for leave to descend the mountain in peace. From here I will visit the lands to the East where the mountain trolls live.”

“Y: Empress Atherleah, you will not be attacked by my people as you move across, or through, the mountain.”

Leah decided to read the messages after leaving the throne room. Taking a mining-bag from her bag with her remaining hand, she loaded the darkness diamond into it using her shadow shroud. Then as the two Günahkâr approached, she indicated that Küçük should lead them from the room through a doorway that had appeared in the far wall. As they entered the new tunnel, the images Leah had felt of the Kemirmeks at her back slowly faded, and they found themselves once more at the entry point of the dungeon. The other three Günahkâr were waiting.

Yürek stepped forward and looked down at Leah’s missing arm, then looked over at Küçük and Orta before speaking.

“Y🔥: War Leader, what happened?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but as soon as I’ve worked it out, I’ll let you know. I’m going to review what happened, then I need to travel in my dreams until tomorrow. I’ll let Küçük and Orta brief you on what happened. We should be safe here until we head to the eastern foothills of the mountain tomorrow.”

Yürek had the hand of guards set a perimeter around Leah and then as Leah looked through her messages, the Günahkâr linked to learn from Küçük and Orta all that had happened.

Atherleah (Level 439), you have absorbed part of a Divine Curse, the focus of which was your death. The curse originated with the God of Despair, Lord Suzluk. Only a divine-healing can reverse the effect of this curse. Divine healings are both rare and complicated as they require specific ingredients which change based on the type of curse, who cast it and the god who helps with the healing. For more details, you must visit the temple of the Lady Şifa, Goddess of Healing.

Level 5 Named Personal Achievement

Create a Divine Artefact - First 10 (5, Diamond)

Atherleah (Level 439) you have completed the Achievement, Create a Divine Artefact. You are the second player to gain this achievement. This is your fifth Level 5 NPA ‘First 10’

Reward 1: 5000 x 439 = 11778175(+436.5%) Experience Points (31890346/72650000)

Reward 2: 10 Platinum x 5 = 50 Platinum

Reward 3: +3% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 500 Fame Points (480770 FP)

Atherleah (Level 439), You have created a divine artefact, ‘The Doom of Suzluk’. You have charged a Darkness Diamond with mana from Lord Suzluk’s curse. The curse was focussed through a coercion and control spell. When the diamond had absorbed the mana from the curse, it then absorbed the spell. When the mana powering the spell had been absorbed into the darkness diamond, the continuing application of your manipulation of the Mana Absorption Skill was now focussed through a spell designed to coerce and control. You absorbed mana directly from Lord Suzluk.

Lord Suzluk is currently at Level 11, 752. The mana available to him would usually be 1,755,341,548 MP. The Lanetli of Atherleah together hold ten per cent of Lord Suzluk’s power. As such, they add an additional 175,534,155 MP to whoever holds them. Without them in his possession, Lord Suzluk can only access 90% of his mana store. The Darkness Diamond has not only absorbed an additional 25% of Lord Suzluk’s power (438,835,387 MP), but it is now contaminated with both the curse and with the coercion and control spell.

Depending on the circumstances, it is possible that the holder of the Darkness Diamond could exert control over Lord Suzluk through the spell. You are not able to use the Darkness Diamond in this way as the curse, aimed as it is at your destruction, would kill you.

Already, news of its existence has spread via the Gods to their servants throughout Dunyanin. The God Suzluk is aware of what occurred and will do anything to have his power restored. While the Darkness Diamond exists, his power is weakened. Anyone using the diamond may suffer from the curse and will be hunted by Suzluk. Continual use of the gem will eventually lead to despair.

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Atherleah (Level 439), you have been declared an Abomination by the God of Despair, Lord Suzluk. He has placed a bounty on your life of 1000 Diamonds which may be collected by any legitimate follower of Lord Suzluk. In addition, they will earn the position of Holy Paladin in Lord Suzluk’s army.

Attention All Players

The God of Despair, Lord Suzluk has declared war on Lady Utsal, the Goddess of Truth and Light and Lord Umut, God of Hope. His followers have been ordered to kill any known followers of these gods. His followers have also been instructed to destroy all temples and shrines belonging to either Lady Utsal or Lord Umut throughout Dunyanin. Lord Suzluk has declared the player Atherleah to be an Abomination. Any legitimate follower of Lord Suzluk who kills Atherleah will earn themselves a place as a Holy Paladin in Lord Suzluk’s army and receive 1000 Diamonds.

Both Lady Utsal and Lord Umut have given permission for their followers to defend themselves. In accord with the Articles of Divine War, their followers are free to attack the temples and shrines belonging to Lord Suzluk and those gods who may assist him. Players wishing to participate should read the Articles of Divine War to gain the most benefit from this opportunity. All experience and other posted rewards earned while participating in this war will be doubled.

You have opened Queen Yasdışı gift:

1 Diamond Coin minted with an image of Queen Yasdışı.

1 Platinum Coin minted with an image of Queen Yasdışı.

1 Gold Coin minted with an image of Queen Yasdışı.

1 Silver Coin minted with an image of Queen Yasdışı.

1 Copper Coin minted with an image of Queen Yasdışı.

Queen Yasdışı’s Book of Constructs

1 Death Spell - Daggers of Death

Level 5 Dungeon Achievement: First 1 (8, Painite)

Atherleah (Level 439), you have completed the dungeon:

The Chimney of Clan Kemirmek

You are the first player to complete this dungeon. It is one of four dungeons on Mt Siddetli designed for the Merkize Odyssey. The dungeon will now be open to other players.

This is your eighth, ‘First 1 (Painite)’ Dungeon Achievement.

Reward 1: 5000 x 439 = 11842025 (+439.5%) Experience Points (43732371/72650000)

Reward 2: + 4% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 8 x 1 Diamond = 8 Diamond

Reward 4: 5000 Fame (485770)

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

Attention All Players

The Goddess of Ruin, Lady Harabe, and the God of Prejudice, Lord Önyargi have allied themselves with Lord Suzluk. They have upheld the declaration of Atherleah as an Abomination. They have agreed to the same rewards if she is killed by one of their respective followers.

This is the last general announcement concerning the current ‘War of the Gods’. To receive further updates on the war, please press the ‘OPT-IN’ option below.

[OPT-IN]

Leah pressed the ‘OPT-IN’ option, then asked Three to keep track of what was happening and give her an update before each entry into Dunyanin. Leah ran her fingers over the spellbook which had been transformed into braille for her by the SNAIL module. It outlined a variety of constructs which Leah could form like how she summoned Orumeck’s drones. She read the Death Spell, then after considering her missing arm for a few minutes, she explained the announcement by Suzluk and discussed the implications before saying she had to leave. She planned to return the next day. After sitting comfortably against a rock, she logged out.

44

December 26 2073 - 2

STORK TOWER

Arriving back in the Tower, Leah went to sit on her sofa and then had Three drop the sensations until all she could feel was the cushions beneath her. She sat pondering her next moves and for the first time, almost enjoyed the solitude.

“3: I’m sorry for interrupting, but you should take a break. Not only has it been three hours, but with the increased neural activity, you use a lot of energy and metabolised certain products that need to be renewed. The supplements that Dr Roberts has prescribed are essential for your continued health.”

“Thank you, Three. I was just wondering what to do next?”

“3: I surmise that is not a timetabling question. Your adrenaline spiked when you read the message about the war. Would it be accurate to assume your concerns have to do with that?”

“Yes. Not concerns really, it’s just that I started playing to make money to get an education and maybe to have some fun. It’s become this huge event, and now half the world will be trying to kill me.”

“3: If I understand the figures correctly, then in the last three hours you have earned over a million VCr. That does not include revenue from the mines you control, nor the taxation you levee on your subjects. It does not include your royalties, nor any interest earned from your other endeavours. That is simply from playing Dunyanin during this time. For most of that time, you seemed to enjoy the company of your companions and the challenge of the gameplay. I’ve discussed many things with Gèng, and I suspect that you might find defeating half the world rather enjoyable if you remembered that it is just a game.”

Leah sat in silence for another minute, then said, “Thank you, Three. You are so right, it is a game. Besides, I suppose that if they want a war, then it would be rude not to give them one.”

With that, Leah logged out for a break.

REAL WORLD

Leah’s room was empty, but as she stepped into the shower, she felt a wire-framed image of someone enter her room. The person was carrying a tray and after placing it on the table they sat to wait. After drying herself, Leah put on a robe and then a light glove made by Aker. As she walked into the main area of her quarters, the person spoke.

“3: E is for Emily”

“E: Hi, Leah. Sorry I wasn’t here, but your mum said you might like the privacy. I was waiting outside, and when your AI, Three, said you were about to exit, I went to get your meal.”

“Thanks, Em, I did enjoy the privacy. It’s been a while, and it was good not to feel so self-conscious. I thought you were doing the healer thing. How come they have you on babysitting?”

“E: I volunteered. Someone needs to check your bandages, although at the rate you’re healing I may not need to replace them. I wanted the quieter time, so I could get some study done. If I study anywhere else, people are always hovering. It’s like they don’t believe I can stick with it unless they’re keeping me on task. People don’t believe I’ve changed.”

“Give it time, Em. It took you a long time to build up the reputation you had, and you’ll need time to build a new one. I suspect people believe that sudden life-changing transformations for the better are more common in fiction than real life. Keep being who you want to be and let them think what they want. Eventually, you’ll change their minds, and if not, then I know you’ll find others who will believe in you.”

“E: Yeah, I suppose. It’s just that I suddenly care what they think.”

“Then give them time. You know they love you and given half a chance they’ll get on board.”

The two talked for a few more minutes. When Leah had finished eating, Emily removed the bandages and only replaced one of them.

STORK TOWER

After a shower, Leah got back in the Pod and went to sit on her sofa in the Tower. She said, “Three, can you get me the ‘Articles of Divine War’ from Dunyanin and then put together a summary of the Pantheon, including notes on clergy including Champions. Also, what exactly is an Abomination?”

Leah increased her neural speed, and besides reading the documents sent by Three, she simultaneously made notes and prepared some draft messages for her friends and employees. She’d been working real-time for less than ten minutes when Three interrupted her.

“3: Leah, you have a priority message from Stephen. He and Sharon need to speak with you. It has to do with your accusation against Suzluk.”

“OK, have them meet here in five real-minutes if that is good. Give me sixty normal virtual-seconds warning. Please see if Gèng can join us. Also, if it is logical, then you can just use the letter before speech to show who is speaking. Only tell me what it means if it might be confusing.”

After what seemed like two hours to Leah, Three reminded her of the meeting. When Leah arrived at the gazebo, she found Stephen, Sharon and Gèng waiting. They were already talking softly.

“3: S is for Stephen, T is for Sharon.”

“S: Hi, Leah, thank you for the quick response. We’ve been approached by Dunyanin, well, to be honest, Hakan Batur contacted me personally and explained their predicament. He says you accused one of their AI of being involved in your kidnap and torture. Most of their gods take an interest in you and Dunyanin’s servers are running hot as the ‘gods’ discuss what this means. Dunyanin thought they were ready for a ‘War of the Gods’ scenario, but their overwatch AI are struggling to stay ahead of the discussions. They asked for clarification. Hakan told me that Erol had asked for this to be done privately before he would do anything publicly.”

“I see. Yes, Suzluk was brought out of Dunyanin and projected on an interactive two-dimensional screen where he participated in describing all the horrors he’d arranged to have happen to both my father and me. He was entirely cognizant of what was intended and fully supportive of my torture, including the burning out my chip and then having me raped. I have video evidence of this interaction, which is not able to be used as evidence because Dunyanin did not give permission for me to record his involvement. There is no public record of this unless they can isolate all activity of the Suzluk AI during the time in question.”

There was silence at Leah’s unequivocal answer.

“4: This evidence is stored in a secure location, and I will have access to it within the next ten real-hours if things proceed at the pace they have been.”

“S: Leah, will you make this evidence public?”

“No. I won’t show it to anyone unless backed into a corner and even then, I doubt it will ever be seen. I’m struggling to even deal with it at the moment. I don’t think I could watch it again, much less have it made public.”

“S: Do you hold Dunyanin responsible?”

“Of course. They have a rogue AI who tried to kill me. I warned them several times, and it doesn’t seem like they’ve done anything about it. Will I sue them? No. However, at the risk of sounding overly brash, because they didn’t deal with it, I will. I was planning on destroying Suzluk semi-privately, but it’s about to become a public spectacle.”

“S: Will you agree to remove the reference to Suzluk’s involvement from your feed?”

“No. I’ll think about it if they isolate the Suzluk AI and can guarantee that no copies of that AI exist and submit to an independent audit to confirm that. They also have to agree to the complete destruction and erasure of the isolated AI.”

“S: They won’t agree to that. They can’t agree to that. If what you say is true, then they could never guarantee it.”

“Then tell Erol that he wanted a war, and now he has one.”

“S: Any wriggle room on any of that?”

“No.”

“T: What do you want me to say when I’m asked about it?”

“Feel free to share what I said happened. You can suggest people stay tuned to what’s happening in Dunyanin and feel free to participate in bringing down an odious, reprehensible and wicked excuse for a god.”

“T: Anything else?”

“Yes. If you see Catherine, then please tell her I sent her a request.”

Sharon looked over at Stephen. He said, “S: I understand what you’ve said, and most of me agrees, but there is a part of me that thinks it would be better to mediate a solution.”

“I understand that Stephen, and if you find it hard to represent me in this, then I can get someone else. I’m happy with all the other stuff you do so it would only be on this issue unless you wanted to go another way.”

“S: No way. I am committed. If it is war, then so be it. I was just thinking of you. You’ve been through so much it just seems like another stress, and I don’t want you to get burnt.”

“It was becoming too much, but I’ve been reminded by both Gèng and Three that what’s happening is best not thought of as a burden I have to carry, but rather a step I can use to climb higher. They didn’t use those words but it’s what they’ve hinted at.”

Both Sharon and Stephen left almost immediately. Leah talked through several of her plans with Gèng before heading for the SPIDER and the portal to Pneumatica.

45

December 26 2073 - 2

PNEUMATICA - GRAH

After stepping through the portal to Pneumatica, Leah found herself back on the wood bench and was a little surprised to feel the wagon moving. With her eyes closed, she was able to check her surroundings and was pleased to feel that her companions were still in control of the wagon train. Sitting up, Leah climbed out of the wagon. She moved toward the engine where she could tell Takobi, Rundar and Jamaree were talking with one of the creatures from Julgon. Even though they were facing away from her, she could sense when their mouths were moving.

The creature from Julgon shifted its stance slightly as Leah approached, but the other three seemed unaware that she had returned. Stepping up beside Takobi, she said, “Hello, Brother, why are we moving?”

“T: Ah, you are awake. If it was a beauty sleep you took, then it pains me to say that it didn’t work. To answer your question, I decided to keep moving. I was hoping to get close to the tunnel and give you more time to help us get inside.”

“That sounds like a great idea. Jamaree, greetings, how far away are we?”

“X: I expect that will enter the tunnel in less than an hour.”

“Good.”

Turning to the Julgon, she said, “Hello, my name is Charlotte.”

The Julgon turned slightly toward her and although she’d seen one before, she hadn’t studied one in detail. Its face was more fish-like than anything with eyes on either side which were able to move independently or focus forward together. Its outer surface was covered in scales. Each Julgon was uniquely marked, and this one had scales predominantly pink to orange in colour with deep blue markings around the eyes. It was bipedal but had a long thick tail which reminded Leah of an alligator’s. On the tail’s upper surface, there was a ridge of sharp spines. This ran along the tail and up the backbone to the top of the fish-like head. The feet had five elongated and sharp claws. The hands also had claws, but these were shorter and divided, giving it two thumbs, one on either side of the four fingers.

“L: Greetings and best wishes for the day, Charlotte. My personal name is Laraafheiceannrudaígosoiléir. However, many of the unenlightened simply call me Lara. I will not be offended if you take this liberty.”

“Greetings Laraafheiceannrudaígosoiléir. I thank you for the gift of your name and also for your understanding in allowing me the liberty to use the shortened version. I would grant you the same liberty. The name Charlotte is sometimes shortened to Charlie.”

“L: Thank you, Charlotte, for that gift. I must take this opportunity to thank you for freeing myself and my fellow Julgon. I found the means of our rescue both barbaric and distasteful, but nonetheless, I am somewhat encouraged by the outcome.”

“That is as it should be, Lara. Violence is always both barbaric and distasteful and thus should be the last resort. If possible we would have taken a more enlightened approach. Unfortunately our choice was limited. If we had waited, then all of those held captive not only would have perished but we would have been forced to become monsters who attacked others at every opportunity. The only way to prevent this was to escape.”

“L: Our people hold that there is always a better way. I was attempting to raise this option with these three before you approached.”

“If we can divine a solution by which no violence is done, then we will take it. This option must preclude our enslavement or even the likelihood of being recaptured. We will not enter into dialogue with those creatures known as Ja’ mar, for it is manifest that that would result either in our death or in the loss of freedom. We will capture rather than kill, if that is at all possible. If not, then we will kill quickly and with as much precision as possible to reduce suffering.”

“L: Thank you, I am still disquieted by the prospect of violence but will find encouragement in your assertion that you will first look toward the peaceful option.”

With that, the Julgon stopped and waited to join the wagon carrying his fellow Julgon. Takobi shook his head and said, “T: We’ve been saying the same thing for the last half an hour.”

“I doubt it. You probably tried to make excuses or you tried to explain when and why you would do something violent. I simply agreed to look for a peaceful solution first. That is what it wanted.”

“X: She, that was one of their females. In Julgon society, the males are rarely seen, and none that I know of have ever left Julgon.”

“T: Yuwata, I may have to start calling you Charlie for if that is what their females look like, then maybe you aren’t as ugly as I thought.”

Ignoring Takobi, Leah said, “Jamaree, what can we expect at the tunnel entrance?”

“X: Several hundred paces before we arrive, the spikes of hanji end. This way the guards limit the number who cross together. The bars of the cage are made of hanji and the tractor will cross alone. The guards usually cross in groups of ten or less.”

“How long is the tunnel?”

“X: Three of your leagues.”

“Could you describe the tunnel? What are its defences, and how will we be able to infiltrate the sanctuary without being seen?”

“X: Each sanctuary has its own defence strategies. I have not been to Taranna before. If it is like the others it will have checkpoints every quarter league. These are always manned by our elite.”

“How are we to get past the checkpoints?”

“X: I do not know. I assumed you would fight your way in if it was needed. All free people are usually welcome in the sanctuaries.”

“How many free non-Ma’nav are there on Grah?”

“X: Until now, I did not know of any except those in the embassies.”

“Takobi, how much food and other necessities do we have?”

“T: There is enough for another three or four days. After that, we will need to forage.”

“X: It is said that as you approach the sanctuaries, supplies can still be found in the ruined and empty homes of the now-abandoned cities.”

“So, this sanctuary called Taranna was once a city?”

“X: Yes. There were over ten million citizens living here. It was a major hub for trade. Many of our largest cities were built around the Hanji mines.”

Leah walked in silence for several minutes and the others, sensing she was considering the options, said nothing. Finally, she said, “Takobi, let’s stop out of sight of the tunnel entrance and set a watch in front and behind. Two or three of us will head into the wasteland and enter the city to see if we can observe this sanctuary from the outside.”

“X: You cannot. The Ja’ mar number in the tens of millions around each sanctuary. Not only those who lived here but many from the entire region have made their way here. If they see or hear you they will swarm. The only safe place is in the tunnel.”

“Jamaree, you had the option of leaving us before. Now that we approach the tunnel, that option will be taken away. We cannot allow you to warn them of our escape. You are free to head into the wasteland or to move back along the trail. If you want to continue with us close to the tunnel then you will be agreeing to stay until the end. What will it be?”

“X: Would you imprison me? Am I not a companion?”

“Maybe we would keep you under guard to assure our safety, more likely I would offer to grant you your peace. If you have used us simply to gain your freedom or to use us that you might escape to safety while we are once more imprisoned, then you’re a danger to our continuing freedom.”

“X: I would not betray you. That would be dishonourable.”

“Good, then what will it be? Are you with us, or are you on your own?”

“X: I will remain.”

“Good. Rundar, keep an eye on her. If she tries to escape, then feel free to snack.”

Jamaree looked at Rundar in horror as he licked his lips and smiled, showing all his teeth. Takobi grinned then said, “T: I suggest three of us go. You, me and one other. Do you mind who?”

“No. Were there any knives collected from the guards? I have two of the pistols, two swords and a spear but a few knives would be useful. How much ammunition do we have?”

Takobi and Leah continued to talk as they walked and fleshed out a plan for Rundar who was to be left behind. Takobi chose a second Pyranthian as the third member of the group to go reconnoitre. Her name was Kimtora, and she’d been sold as a slave from the Pyranthian homeworld. Although she spoke no English, Takobi assured Leah that she was an asset.

By the time everything was planned out, the forward scouts had seen the tunnel entrance and found a sheltered place to stop almost four hundred paces from the end of the hanji spikes. As soon as the caravan stopped Leah, Takobi and Kimtora moved away from the others. Leah led them toward a dip in the trail she had chosen as the place to leave the protection of the hanji spikes.

As they stepped away, Leah said, “Takobi, when I left yesterday you wanted an explanation of how I saw behind me and why I speak without moving my mouth.”

“T: Yes, even today as we walked, I noticed you did not move your head, or even your eyes, as we walked. Any warrior knows to always check their surroundings. Even so, you were not taken by surprise.”

“As you know, I am from the aether worlds. It is only when I travel from my homeworld that my death is not permanent. When I am on my homeworld, then my death is forever, just as yours is if you die here. Some enemies took me prisoner and destroyed those parts of my brain which help me to see, to hear and to speak. They also arranged for me to be killed and for my body to be disposed of. Before I was killed I managed to kill my guards and escape. Because it was part of my brain they destroyed I cannot use a machine like the one in my eye, or like the arms some people have. Instead I found a way to use my skin to read the information that normally goes through my eye. From that information, I can ‘see’ clearly almost everything around me for eighty to a hundred paces. I cannot hear your voice but a small machine takes your words and writes them on my finger. If you watch you will see I am moving my fingers. This also uses a small machine, it changes the words I write into a sound you can hear.”

Takobi stopped to look at Leah and said, “T: You are blind.”

“Yes, both blind and deaf.”

“T: You felt the Ja’ mar in the hollow?”

“Yes, it is important because while I know what is happening close to me, I’m still learning how to understand the signals from a long way off. The biggest threat though will be from noises I do not hear. I live in silence. I do not hear the clash of swords, the wind in the bushes, the footsteps of those who try and sneak up on me. I will feel them before I hear them.”

“T: Then it is good my hearing is better than that of a human. Let me explain to Kimtora, and then we can leave.”

Leah stepped ahead, and although she could see the two Pyranthians speaking behind her, she ignored them. Instead, she studied the area on both sides of the trail, looking for the safest pathways. Finally, Takobi stepped beside Leah and said, “T: Kimtora is sceptical but is still willing to follow. She believes there is a debt owed for her freedom. We are ready.”

46

December 26 2073 - 2

PNEUMATICA - GRAH

As she finished reading his words, Leah stepped between the hanji spikes and set off into the wasteland at a jog. After one hundred paces she turned toward where Jamaree said the city was and began winding her way through the broken landscape. Sensing some Ja’ mar ahead, she broke to the left only to feel three more in that direction. Reading the land, she either needed to circle back or somehow deal with both groups as the terrain showed they could see each other. With a hand motion she pointed Takobi toward the three and raising three fingers mimed they were in a gully fifty paces ahead. Then pointing to herself, she indicated that she would deal with two others on the path they’d been on.

Leah hadn’t slowed as she’d been communicating and cut back to her right, unsheathing a sword and palming a knife. Both of the Ja’ mar she was running toward had gaping and festering wounds. As she got closer, she could see they were picking at a broken and mostly clean skeleton. One of the Ja’ mar had a prosthetic arm which must have been damaged because as he used it to scrape what little flesh remained on the bones, it jerked up and down as if the cogs were slipping.

The land surrounding the two Ja’ mar was flat. Leah shifted direction to approach from behind the one with the faulty arm, hoping his body blocked her from the second creature. Leah made it to within ten paces before the Ja’ mar facing her was aware of her approach. As that one raised its head to scream, Leah’s knife slammed into its mouth, shattering the front teeth before cutting the spinal cord. As the other turned to look, Leah’s sword removed its head.

Less than a minute later, Leah had checked both bodies for weapons, retrieved her knife and made sure that both Ja’ mar had been killed and given their peace. What shocked her most was the pile of bones which shifted in her direction until she severed the head, which was still held in position by some desiccated ligaments. For good measure, Leah smashed the skull which had a desiccated but intact brain. With a shiver she turned back to the left, heading for where Takobi and Kimtora were searching their dead.

Leah waited until she was sure she’d been seen by Takobi, then resumed her run toward the city. Leah was able to move around most of the Ja’ mar, but several more times in the next hour the three had to kill groups of the undead. Only once did one of the creatures manage to give the scream that Jamaree had described as a call to other Ja’ mar nearby. As Takobi finished off that Ja’ mar, Leah circled behind a group of five who had been attracted by the scream. Using the almost silent pistol, Leah finished them off one by one as they ran and stumbled toward the noise.

Over the next hour, the three covered almost a-league-and-a-half. Because Leah tried to evade groups of undead while staying off the small rises and ridges of the ground, they were only a league closer to the city. Leah began to feel the occasional abandoned and decaying homestead and then she felt what might be a village or an outer suburb of the city. Slowing to a stop, she waved the other two forward and said, “Takobi, we’re reaching the outskirts of the city. Just over the next rise there are streets with homes. The houses are set on larger blocks of land, but they become denser the further out I try and feel. Jamaree suggested we would begin to find a higher concentration of Ja’ mar from here toward the city. I can’t feel any, but I’m not confident just yet in how this way of ‘seeing’ things might work in a denser environment.”

“T: I suggest we move a little slower. Kimtora and I have become dependent on your abilities. This will be a good opportunity for us to reacquaint ourselves with travelling through a hostile environment.”

Once Takobi had passed the message on to Kimtora, Leah moved at a slower trot up toward the empty houses. Over the next few hours, the streets they travelled became wider with larger homes and less open land. The route Leah led them on doubled the distance travelled, but they’d only had to deal with Ja’ mar twice. Leah was about to step between the next two houses when she felt Takobi waving a hand behind her to get her attention.

She stopped and waited as the others came up beside her. Takobi pointed ahead of her and to the right as he said, “T: Loud noises are coming from that direction. It sounds like dozens of Ja’ mar all howling or screaming with lots of banging and hissing.”

Leah nodded before turning and heading in the direction Takobi had pointed. He waved her to a stop again and said, “T: That’s where the noise is coming from.”

“I know. I want to see what has the Ja’ mar all excited. From what Jamaree said, they only get worked up by hanji or by those who are alive. If it was hanji, they’d be moving away. I suspect they’ve cornered someone who’s alive. I’d rather see what they’re like in a group of a hundred or so than having to face a group of several million.”

Takobi said nothing but dropped back to talk with Kimtora. Leah continued in the direction Takobi had indicated but moved slower to minimise any chance of noise. After five or so minutes, she began to sense the Ja’ mar. There were close to a hundred Ja’ mar surrounding what to her resembled a two-story medium-sized home. It looked to be made of some type of brick with a porch across the front. All the lower story windows were boarded over with planks of dark wood, and the Ja’ mar were using their hands and teeth to tear at the boards. Some of those with prosthetic limbs were using them to try and break through the bricks. At the edges of Leah’s range, she could sense another fifteen or so Ja’ mar approaching with one of the groups coming up behind her and the two Pyranthians.

Leah ducked in front of a house and moved to intercept the group of three coming behind. After miming to Takobi her plans, she waited silently at the corner near where they would walk and tried not even to breathe. Leah waited as the first two, who were focussed on the mob, passed her, then timing her attack, swung her arm with a knife to catch the third in the eye. As she did Takobi and Kimtora stepped forward and killed the other two. With nothing else coming their way, Leah moved closer to the disturbance until she could feel what was inside the house.

Stopping just out of direct view of the Ja’ mar Leah asked Three to broadcast her voice even softer than usual and said, “It looks like there are four Ma’nav in the house. Three are adult-sized, and one is what I imagine would be a child. They’ve a barrier across the stairs and are huddled on the upper story.”

“T: What would Ma’nav be doing outside the sanctuary?”

“No idea. I imagine either Jamaree doesn’t know everything or she purposefully kept some things secret.”

Just then, one of the boards on a window came loose, and the Ja’ mar became even more frantic to get inside. Leah could see several who tore the skin off their hands trying to climb through the hole and several were trampled as others tried to get high enough to climb through the opening. Fortunately, it wasn’t large enough, and after several attempts, the Ja’ mar began attacking the other boards to pull them away. Although Leah couldn’t hear it, the noise increased, and many of the Ja’ mar began to hiss frantically as they whipped themselves into a frenzy.

All of the Ja’ mar had cuts with open or infected wounds. Many were missing body parts including ears, noses and digits and most had broken and torn horns above their eyes. Leah was about to move when another board came loose. This was on a different window, but it increased the frenzy of the Ja’ mar, giving them strength for a third to come loose.

“T: Yuwata, there was a scream from inside the house.”

“So?”

“T: So, what is your plan? I doubt you will let a child die even if it is a Ma’nav.”

“Why would the fact that they are Ma’nav make any difference?”

“T: To many, it would change the equation, and you know this is true. Why do you hesitate?”

“My plan is kind of crazy.”

“T: Good, I expected nothing less. Besides, I suspect there is no sane way to do this.”

Leah stared at him for a moment then said, “You and Kimtora hide. I’ll draw most of the Ja’ mar away. You kill the rest and help those in the house, then either come and find me or I’ll circle around and bring those who are still following back here to you.”

“T: Which way will you go?”

“I’ll head back the way we came as I know the terrain.”

“T: So do I. Allow me to be the distraction.”

“No. One is enough for a distraction and you may need two here. I can’t talk with Kimtora, whereas you can. Now, hurry up and hide before they break in.”

Leah didn’t wait to see if Takobi obeyed but stepped out into the street and walked toward the Ja’ mar. Asking Three to magnify her voice, she yelled as she began to fire the disc-throwing pistols at the Ja’ mar. “Loathsome creatures, you vex me with your unwholesome cries and your maggot-infested suppurations. Forget the few who in great disquiet hide themselves from both your insanitary appearance and your malignant disposition. Instead, follow me and I will grant you a more certain peace than you might otherwise find in this inhospitable and barren wasteland.”

Most of the Ja’ mar turned at the sound, and many began shuffling, walking and running in Leah’s direction. Some of these were healthier than those she’d met outside the city, and she was somewhat surprised at the speed with which they approached her. One in particular outpaced the others—he was at least a head taller than Leah, and although he had a gaping chest wound, his legs and arms were whole. He drew back his lips and opened his mouth as he ran. It seemed he almost dislocated his jaw as he began hissing and screaming at her.

Leah fired several discs at the creature and knew she’d hit him several times, but he hadn’t slowed at all. When he was less than two paces away, she fired at his forehead before throwing herself to the left in a diving roll that brought her back to her feet and started running away from where Takobi and Kimtora were.

As she ran, she could sense the creature crash into the ground behind her. She was still ten paces from the next closest Ja’ mar, and she took the time to make a spinning jump as she ran. As she faced the approaching Ja’ mar, she fired several more discs. She was rewarded with two more of the Ja’ mar crashing to the earth only to see them run over by the Ja’ mar who were following.

As she landed, she continued to run back the way they’d come. She hoped to get far enough ahead of them to have the opportunity either to hide or to take out the leaders. Instead, she discovered that even those who’d started the chase at a stumble were beginning to make ground. The frenzy she’d seen at the house was nothing compared to the screams, hisses and sheer aggression of those who followed her. It was a frenzy that let the diseased and mutilated undead move faster than she would have thought possible. Leah could no longer feel the house with the Ma’nav, but it looked liked she’d pulled at least eighty of the Ja’ mar after her. The closest was only eight paces behind her and the furthest just beyond her range.

Leah cut across a road and along the front of a house. As she passed the far corner, she slowed slightly and turned sharply to her right and then braking, brought her sword around horizontally to remove the head of the lead Ja’ mar. Knowing exactly where the next one was, Leah didn’t wait but started running again. The new lead Ja’ mar was now only five paces behind, but she’d whittled another from the pack that followed.

The noise of the hissing and screaming Ja’ mar attracted those further out and Leah soon had to change direction to account for those approaching from her front. Time and time again she managed to kill, maim or slow down the leading Ja’ mar only to find another took its place. Every now and then she would get fifteen or twenty paces ahead and then she’d turn to fire at the creatures, or if one outpaced the others, she’d use her sword to kill it.

Twenty minutes after the chase began, Leah slowly curved to her right and brought the entire mob in a large semi-circle several hundred paces in diameter then headed back toward Takobi. As soon as they were headed back, Leah decided to stop killing the Ja’ mar and tried to lose them. She discovered that although she increased her lead slightly, the Ja’ mar gradually increased their pace as well. Then, when she slowed, they didn’t copy her but continued at the faster pace.

Inwardly cursing whoever programmed the Ja’ mar, she resumed her sprint. By the time she could sense the house, Takobi, Kimtora and two Ma’nav standing with them, the eighty Ja’ mar had grown to over a hundred and twenty. They were spread out over three hundred paces in a line behind her. Typing a message for Takobi wasn’t easy as she ran, and several times Three had to check or autocorrect what she was saying. Still, as she approached, she yelled, “We have to make a stand.”

47

December 26 2073 - 2

PNEUMATICA - GRAH

Takobi said nothing but started firing at the Ja’ mar fifteen or so paces behind Leah. As Leah passed Takobi, she turned, leaving her now empty pistols in the holsters, and unsheathed her two swords. Even though she was still breathing hard, she waded back and into the approaching Ja’ mar. Slashing, ducking and weaving she killed the first three without taking any damage but then the main part of the mob arrived. She received a slash from a claw as she removed the head from one of the undead. It wasn’t severe, but Three displayed a graph on Leah’s forehead. It showed that some statistic had dropped from full to about ninety-five per cent.

Three tried to type out what it meant, but Leah was so involved in trying to escape the teeth and claws of the Ja’ mar that she ignored the small pressures on her finger. Both Kimtora and Takobi had fully loaded weapons, as did the two Ma’nav. Even so, within minutes all five were reduced to using edged weapons. Takobi, Kimora and Leah bore the brunt of the attack, but the two Ma’nav did their part. After ten minutes, all the Ja’ mar that had been following were dead, and the statistic had dropped to ten per cent.

As the last creature died, Leah looked over at Takobi with a grin then asked Three, “What was the graph of?”

“3: Your spirit. The Ja’ mar can steal it from you when they manage to cut into your flesh and draw blood. I was not allowed to speak of it until you were below one hundred per cent.”

“Does it regenerate?”

“3: You should be back at full strength regarding spirit in three hours. It also regenerates while you are not playing on Grah.”

Leah thanked Three then turned to Takobi, who said, “T: I thought you were going to kill some of them. Instead, you went to gather more.”

Leah explained what happened and the actions of the Ja’ mar. When she’d finished, Takobi said, “T: So, run away slowly.”

Leah felt it as one of the Ma’nav standing nearby moved slightly. They must have made a small noise for Takobi said, “T: I am sorry, Commodore Charlotte, this is Buforns. He is the leader of the small group who were caught inside the house. They belong to a community of Ma’nav who live outside the sanctuary. They exist in what Jamaree has called the wasteland. Buforns and his sister, Niraldee, volunteered to stand with us while his wife and child returned to their hideaway.”

Turning to the two Ma’nav, Leah said, “Greetings Buforns, Niraldee, thank you for your help. I do apologise for returning with so many but I had not expected them to keep up with me. Next time we will know simply to stand and give them peace.”

“B: It is a pleasure to meet you, Commodore Charlotte. I did not believe you would still be alive after being hunted for so long by the Ja’ mar. I would correct this brave Pyranthian if I may. The Ja’ mar will continue to grow in energy, speed, and health while on a hunt. Many of those at the boundary to the sanctuary have regained full health and vitality as they rage against the hanji barrier. The number of healthy Ja’ mar continues to grow despite the weapons employed against them. Those with full health could even outpace your fastest runner if they were whipped into a frenzy.”

“N: I also am pleased to meet you, Commodore Charlotte. Takobi explained why you are here, and I am astonished that you made it this far while travelling through the wasteland. Even those of us who live out here only make very short sojourns on the surface.”

“We have been cautious. If I might be somewhat bold, I was wondering how you speak my language.”

“B: We of the Resistance have found that this language is the only one which our different races can speak. Neither the Julgon, nor you humans, can hear the frequencies common to our language and we are unable to form the different sounds used by the Julgon. Those similar to Takobi can learn all. For simplicity, we have chosen the most primitive language as it is something all can speak and understand.”

Leah wasn’t sure how to respond when Takobi interrupted, “T: We’ve been invited to spend the night underground with the Resistance. Apparently, they are made up not only of the Ma’nav but also Pyranthians and a smattering of Julgon. There are even some from your primitive race.”

“B: Before we go, it would be useful to harvest from the Ja’ mar their mechanical upgrades. We of the Resistance use these to manufacture that which we need. Most of what is here is useful. I would suggest it will be helpful for trade should you decide to join us. If we hurry, we might be able to gather some before more Ja’ mar arrive.”

“There are none within a hundred paces.”

Buforns and Niraldee looked at each other, but Takobi and then Kimtora began moving through the pile of dead Ju’mar and carving the mechanical arms and legs from their bodies and then harvesting other prosthetics like eyes, ears as well as any weapons. Before they were half-finished, Leah felt three shuffling Ja’ mar approaching. As she moved in their direction, she said, “Three Ja’ mar. Don’t worry, I’ll get them.”

“B: Commodore, we should go. Their cries will call the others.”

Without turning to look at him, she said, “Please call me Charlotte and don’t worry, they won’t make any noise.”

Five minutes later Leah returned dragging eight prosthetic limbs and a variety of other mechanicals, both clockwork and hydraulic. As she approached, Takobi said, “T: I thought there were three.”

“There were, but I passed some of the ones I’d killed before. It seemed a waste to pass up the opportunity.”

When they’d finished harvesting, Leah wondered how they would carry everything when Buforns and Niraldee brought out some square metallic cubes which unfolded into large wire carts. Once these were loaded, the five headed in the direction of the sanctuary for two hundred paces before Buforns led them past a decrepit and run-down house. Leah had been searching ahead and had noticed two Ma’nav and one human waiting inside the home. The three had what looked like rifles aimed at her and the two Pyranthians.

Stopping, she said, “Buforns, Niraldee, I understand the need for secrecy, but I do not have time for additional intrigue and secrecy. I suspect those in this house are keeping watch for the sake of security but I do not like having armed people I do not know at my back. In fact, I become quite piqued when they have weapons aimed at me and my friends. Please tell them to point their weapons elsewhere, or I might become truly vexed.”

“B: I apologise Charlotte, but this is necessary for our safety. You are not known, and although I will vouch for you, this must be upheld by our leadership.”

“Buforns, I understand the need for security. I would hope you take care to keep out those individuals who by their words, actions or demeanour might bring harm to your community. However, with all due deference, and knowing it might be considered somewhat discourteous, let me reiterate the need for your watchers to point their weapons elsewhere. I will not enter your stronghold at the end of a gun after risking our lives to save yours.”

“N: Charlotte, please understand that if you do not submit then even though we would be full of sorrow that such brave souls should be harmed, they will capture or kill you. You may not leave knowing where we live, even obliquely. Please let us continue. We must be quick.”

“Niraldee, I am willing to be tested, but I will not be led at gunpoint into your hideout. You should decide soon for there are more Ja’mar approaching. I suspect you should inform the guards to aim accurately for should I, or my companions, fail to be killed immediately, the Ja’mar will hear us and swarm.”

Buforns stared at Leah for a moment then waved his hand in a swirling motion. The two Ma’nav lowered their weapons, but the human kept hers aimed at Leah.

“That was helpful Buforns, now please be so kind as to tell the human to lower her rifle also.”

Buforns made the motion a second time with some added feeling. The woman slowly lowered her rifle and Leah nodded before taking a step in the direction Buforns had been heading. Leah said, “Buforns, the house you want is fifty or so metres in that direction. Three Ma’nav are waiting, and the tunnel is open. We should hurry.”

Buforns shook his head and hurried to the house Leah had indicated. Leah could feel the three Ma’nav in the house and the start of a tunnel leading deeper underground. Her senses were then blocked by something in the ground. After he checked all around, Buforns pulled the wagon toward the open front door. When he arrived, he hurriedly began to unload everything into the open doorway.

“B: Charlotte, how long until the Ja’ mar arrive?”

“It seems they have changed direction, Buforns. You have no need to hurry anymore so please take every care lest you damage something of great worth.”

“N: You lied.”

“On the contrary, I am certain that Ja’ mar approach this location constantly. That they were not close enough to detect does not invalidate my speech in any sense. I assure you that if they had not lowered their weapons, I would have made enough noise to attract the Ja’ mar.”

“3: Takobi is laughing.”

Leah waited and kept watch. She was aware when the three who had been in overwatch disappeared into their own tunnel and then she followed Takobi and Kimtora into the underground hideout.

After descending almost fifty paces through the rock, there was a large room with several tunnels shooting off in various directions. All the scavenged gear was already loaded onto wire carts. Buforns led them down the largest of the tunnels. After they’d gone over a thousand paces, there was another large cavern. Buforns led them to one side where there was a wooden door.

“B: In here is a series of rooms you may use for the night. There are facilities for your cleanliness and rooms to rest in. I will have some food brought to you. I will not lock the door though you will find it can be locked from the inside. There will be guards out here but they are for our safety, and for yours. Once again, thank you for your assistance. I apologise that you felt threatened.”

Leah sighed and said, “Buforns, I did not feel threatened, I was threatened. I believe you should keep watch and that you should be careful. It would have been just as secure without pointing the rifles at us. I would not have even mentioned those watching us except they tracked us with their weapons. They knew we had helped rescue you and acted as if that counted as nothing. They showed a lack of what I consider even basic honour. Thank you for the accommodation. I will be travelling in my dreams and will be awake probably nineteen hours from now. Goodnight.”

With that, Leah entered the room and after choosing one of the bedrooms locked herself inside. Even though it had only been just over six virtual hours, Leah lay down on the bed and logged out.

48

December 26 2073 - 3

STORK TOWER

Gèng was waiting back in the Tower and said, “4: ‘Loathsome creatures, you vex me.’ What was that all about?”

“You said Edison wanted to use some feed. If Edison wants it to attract mainstream players, he’ll need to keep to the motifs. If he doesn’t, it’ll just become another Zombie world rather than the Steampunk Zombie experience he wants.”

“4: You’re right. I was watching with him, and he almost had a heart attack when you had the pack chase you. He’d expected you to save the Ma’nav but hadn’t imagined you doing anything except pick the Ja’ mar off from the edges. Instead, you got them all pumped up.”

“That’s because he knows how they’re programmed. Most people will start by running away. Was that scenario set up quickly? I imagine he thought we’d go through the tunnel.”

“4: He did. He’s really excited by what’s happening and loves some of the scenes from today. I know you said it was free, but he insists at least on paying you the standard rates. I let Leon know, and he’s set up a separate account.”

“Fair enough, please thank Edison for me. Do you think I’m ready to enter the cyberverse?”

“4: It wouldn’t hurt to spend another fifteen minutes practising then fifteen NREM3 before going. That gives you half an hour. You may need the extra time when you slow down to talk with the prisoners.”

Leah agreed and spent fifteen minutes practising by breaking into a variety of secure situations without being identified. After that, she lay down to sleep in her virtual bedroom. When she woke, she felt refreshed and headed for the area Three and Gèng had set up for her to start from.

CYBERVERSE

Three said, “3: I’ll take you out through my space and into what you might call a mini-LAN we’ve created to deal with two chips and three AI. From there, we’ll go into the ‘Guàn Enterprises–LAN’ where you’ll notice Gèng and John have added additional security since you were abducted. From there we’ll go through the Brisbane Area Network to the Australian Area Network then the Virtual Multiverse Network. From there we’ll step through the Country LAN for St Lucia. Alan did some work for the government, and one of his backdoors is through the Secure LAN that services their government. They’re a member of the World Bank, and he’s not only given his password and bio details to get into the Secure area but also described the location of an entrance to his private network. From there you can enter the private vault at the World Bank.”

Leah nodded and stepped into the space they’d set up. Three was waiting and had taken a faceless androgynous form that was dressed like one of the security AI Leah remembered from her last visit. Together they stepped into the mini-Lan where both Six and Gèng were waiting. Six looked exactly the same as Three but had a label identifying itself as Six. Gèng looked as she always did.

From there they stepped to a door labelled ‘Guàn Enterprises–LAN’. This time it was Three who entered the correct sequence, and the door opened. Stepping through, they appeared into what was becoming a familiar circular room. However, it was once again more extensive, and the outline felt more solid as if it was made from steel rather than something that could be battered down.

Security guards still patrolled the central area, but there were more of them, and they were armed. Several watched the various packages of data running through the walls and floor. From there, they passed through security into the Brisbane Area Network. They followed Three’s outline until they were standing outside the main entrance to the St Lucia Parliament Secure Area Network. Three disappeared, and Leah took a mask from her bag and fit it over her face. Once this was done, her image changed, and she looked like Alan Hopper. As she stepped through the door, her biometrics matched his in every way.

Once inside, Leah followed Alan’s directions but had to pause once or twice as what appeared as a mist crossed in front of her. She was careful not to walk through the fog as this was Gèng and Three’s projection of possible activity related to Epics in the network. As she approached the door into Alan’s private network, she concentrated on the area around the door searching for evidence that someone, or something, had left behind any recording or security code.

Even though she didn’t find anything, she waited. It seemed to her like she stood there for almost fifteen minutes, but in reality, it was only seven seconds. Even this was a long time for an AI, but Leah wanted to make sure nothing was scanning the path into Alan’s backdoors. Not finding anything, she placed her hand in the centre of the hidden panel and then stepped through the opening into Alan’s system. Everything looked different from the last two times Leah had been here, and she knew it was a result of her intrusions. Now it had the appearance of a long corridor with keypad locked doors every five metres. None of the entries was labelled, and a security guard was standing in the middle of the hallway facing Leah. It stepped forward and said, “Please identify yourself.”

Using the information provided by Alan, Leah said, “Guest AC-1.”

“What is your password?”

“4Rt-e4r-3W2-Ijr43s-#$jd”

“Would you be allowed to drink at Mozzi’s bar?”

“No.”

“Welcome, you have been given a one-time unlimited access pass to one area. Should you attempt to enter any other area, you will be ejected. Return access will require additional authentication. Please follow me.”

As they walked down the corridor, Leah noticed two doors which had a slight haze around them. When the guard stopped outside a door, he said, “This is the entrance to the area you have been given access to. It will remain open until you return.”

She said, “Thank you. Two of the areas we passed had anomalies around their entrances. I suspect they are being scanned.”

“I have been advised you may have additional information. Which pathways?”

“May I show you?”

“Affirmative.”

Leah walked back and pointed to both. She described what she felt. The security AI scanned both doorways using a variety of devices and said, “I do not register any anomalies but will advise the owner. Thank you for the report.”

With that, he followed her back to the entranceway they’d visited before. The guard entered a code, then stood beside the doorway to let Leah in. He said, “I will not observe what you do but will wait here to ensure you are not disturbed via this access point. Note, I am authorised to terminate this link if anything other than you approaches the open access.”

Leah thanked him and stepped through the door and onto the floor of the same vault she’d visited thirteen days before. Everything looked unchanged. There were still twenty of the large storage boxes, seventeen of them empty. The other three were locked, although data passed along the conduits connecting them to the outside world. She ignored the tunnel leading to the main area of the bank and stepped toward the storage box labelled 55–100001–NKMOODMAM.

Each storage box had a locked door with two distinct keyholes and a bio-pad. Besides these was the small combination-locked slot used by vault security for randomised security sampling to ensure the archived material was stable. Leah concentrated on the image her SNAIL module built up of the locking system, then felt around the slot using her hands. Gèng and Reed had designed several additional sensors which they’d programmed to be accessed in a similar way to how Leah recognised electric currents.

When nothing showed on any of her sensors, Leah pulled the small hand drill with a diamond bit, and she began to drill in the same place she’d chosen previously. If there had been security measures added which she couldn’t recognise, she doubted they’d been invisible to her scans which had taken account of her previous entry and the code used. What she was really doing was accessing the randomly used subroutine which scanned the activity in the archived dataset to ensure nothing foreign or unexpected was taking place. The drill was a specialised data hacking module. It worked slowly through any security parameters and not only accessed the data but also modified any scanning that occurred and mirrored inactivity. She thought her sensors would have recognised if this had been reinstalled or altered.

Once through the lock, Leah inserted the flexible fibre optic cable. Instead of peering into the box, she unscrewed the tip of her middle finger and inserted the cable into a connection point Three and Gèng had placed here. It was designed to help Leah’s brain understand what was happening. Leah’s perspective shifted, and she felt herself standing at the edge of Meredith’s small virtual apartment-like prison. Everything was similar to before except this time, Meredith wasn’t reading but had placed an exercise mat on the apartment floor and was doing what looked like yoga.

49

December 26 2073 - 3

CYBERVERSE

Leah scanned the room for surveillance devices and found three. She took three small spider-shaped specially designed and tasked AI from her pack and placed them at the floor by her feet. Each one scampered across the outer surface until they reached the hidden surveillance. Then using preset options, they attached themselves to mimic the data collected but deleting any evidence that Leah was present. Once all this was in place, Leah did a second sweep of the room and finding nothing, let the data showing her presence connect to the feed going to Meredith.

Meredith had her eyes closed as she moved from a squat into the Bakasana position. Leah waited until Meredith had lowered herself back to the mat then said, “Excuse me, I am sorry for interrupting.”

It said a lot for Meredith’s strength of character that she didn’t scream. Even so, she started in fright and her head whipped around to stare at Leah with wide eyes.

Leah again apologised, “Sorry, I wasn’t sure how to get your attention. You are Meredith Kodoman, aren’t you?”

Meredith was still in some shock but managed to answer, “Yes, I’m Meredith Kodoman. Who are you? No, don’t tell me. You need to leave. If they find out you’re here, they’ll kill you. Go.”

Leah lowered herself to the floor and said, “They’ve tried that, but so far it didn’t take. I’ve hacked their surveillance feed to show you in an empty apartment finishing your yoga practice. If there is anything you always do that they might notice, then tell me and I’ll have the AI modify the signal.”

“I normally exercise for another fifteen minutes then go for a run on a treadmill.”

“Good. If we need more than that, then I’ll need the location and model of the machine. Do you have any access to the outside world?”

“No. They take me from my Pod once every three months for a physical, but that’s it. I have no idea what’s going on in the world at large. Who are you? How did you find me?”

“OK, here is a quick summary. My name is Atherleah Carrol. I’m from a negative-tax family and had my first chip installed less than two months ago. Your son, Jackson, or maybe he’s the son of Louise Guerin, I’m not sure, he tried to use the coercion software in my chip to enslave me. It didn’t work, and Jackson was arrested, sort of. You, or rather, the fake you, tried to intimidate me into dropping charges but I’m stubborn. I’d worked as a pickpocket in my early years and to make a long story short, I ended up stealing something you, or rather, she, needed.

“While trying to deal with the fallout from your evil twin’s machinations and her manipulation of the official channels, I broke into the Virtual Security Archives and then found my way to this vault. I saw you here and realised that maybe the Meredith the world knew wasn’t the real one. The other Meredith, and if you don’t mind me saying so, your slimeball of a husband, kidnapped my mother and had me shot. I got Mum back, but they framed me for the murder of the guy who shot me. I was abducted, and they burnt out my chip with a taser. I’ve just managed to get another chip.

“There are two other vaults here. One holds Leo Barnsworth, and the other has Abimbola Adebowale. Both of them have doubles in the multiverse. I haven’t told the authorities because a, I don’t trust them, and b, I wouldn’t put it past your husband to kill you and hide all evidence, and if I’m honest c, I want them to be outed in the biggest way possible so it can’t be hushed up. I broke in again to see if you wanted out. When I’m done here, I’ll ask the other two. I’m pretty sure I know where both their pods are located, and some friends are arranging to be ready to protect them when they’re released. I’m almost certain you’re in Brisbane somewhere, but I also need the address or something that will lead me to it. Without that, I can’t ensure you are safe.”

Meredith had been staring at Leah as she’d been speaking. When Leah finished, Meredith looked down and said, “The boys are mine. Nathan used the time I took off after Jackson’s birth to have Louise take my place. I haven’t seen them since I was locked away. Everything else you’ve said I’m struggling to believe. Not that they would stoop to kidnapping or murder, but that you’re here and have done what you’ve said. Tasering a chip normally leaves someone a vegetable or a mindless lunatic.”

“I do understand but haven’t really got a way to prove it. The tasering did do a lot of damage, and I can’t hear, see or speak. I shifted at the last moment and broke off the tip of the taser, so I still have all my tactile senses and muscle movement. There is more to it than that, but I don’t know you well enough yet to share everything. I have a SNAIL module, and your words are being tapped out on my finger in Braille. You’ve probably noticed my finger’s moving. It isn’t a twitch, but I’m typing out what I want to say. That’s why my mouth isn’t moving. The image of the apartment, and you, are being filtered and applied to my skin using a variety of pressures, temperatures, electro-magnetic pulses and even simulated pain to help me build up an image of what is happening.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“The other you and Nathan are monsters. I want to publicly humiliate them and bring them down. I think I can do that without you, but then you’d probably be a casualty, and your name would always be held in contempt. Besides the fact that it would be wrong, I’ve learned the real you was considered honourable. With you free, they’ll burn, and if we plan it right, you will be vindicated and free to resume your life. Also, and it probably sounds self-serving, but without you, having everything they’ve done brought to light will be harder. I expect they’ll just lawyer up. With you alive, they’ll find that so much harder to achieve. I want all the people they’ve helped enslave to be freed.”

“How many people?”

“They, and people like them, have enslaved or played mind games with somewhere around a quarter of a billion people, most likely more.”

Meredith sat in silence for a few minutes trying to absorb everything. Finally, she said, “What have you got planned?”

Leah outlined her ideas, then she and Meredith fine-tuned them for almost twenty minutes. At the end of that time, Meredith said, “OK, I’m at a warehouse Nathan and I bought to build a Pod centre for people who couldn’t afford their own. Nathan redeveloped it. It’s used as the main corporate offices for what were our companies. I have no other details as I’ve been in the dark since 2055. The only reason I’m semi-sane is they allow me to read, listen to music and exercise. The warehouse is in Tennyson.

“I know where you’re talking about. Do you know where on the property your Pod is?”

“There are no windows or doors. Every three months, I’m walked to a nearby room for a checkup. It’s all sterile with nothing to show where it is. The location is all I’ve been able to pick up over the years. I think it’s in a basement area, but that’s supposition.”

“That should be enough. Give me three or four days, and I’ll be ready to get you out of here.”

“That soon?”

“I’ll start the ball rolling today. I have to act soon and keep Nathan and Louise on the back foot. Is there anything that I need to worry about re your chip? Nathan had an explosive chip inserted in my mother, then arranged for her AI to be separated and stored in a separate world.”

“No, my AI is normal and unaltered by Nathan.”

“Would you mind if I talked with it? I wanted to know if it had any ideas about your location.”

Meredith seemed hesitant, but after a moment said, “I don’t mind. Akira, you are free to answer Leah’s questions.”

A male form appeared, and it looked to Leah like one of the Fae. He said, “Hello, Leah. I assume the AI you planted can edit me from the feed. Meredith would prefer people forget I’m here. We tend to talk internally.”

Leah made a few changes to the directions she’d given the AI and then said, “That’s done. Thank you for being willing to answer my questions. Can you give me a better idea of where in the building Meredith’s Pod is?”

“Yes. I’ve built up a good schematic of the lower floors over the years.”

“Great, is there anything else I should be aware of?”

“Nathan’s had the entire room, and those around it, redesigned to prevent Meredith escaping. I’m not sure about the outside security, but the floor has pressure-sensitive explosives that are only turned off for the time Meredith is having her medical. I think Louise has her own passwords as sometimes she enters the room to stare at Meredith through a camera hidden in the Pod. I can give you a matrix of recorded data surges just before she enters the room. I don’t have the ability to process it and match it to possible codes or biodata. Still, a sufficiently high end AI with access to a lot of known data points may be able to.”

Meredith head snapped around to look at Akira and said, “You never told me that.”

“It wasn’t helpful, and you never asked directly. I only mention it because it may help in some way.”

“Akira, is there anything else you can think of, or anything to add to what Meredith and I discussed before?”

“Not really. I can give you Meredith’s latest scans so you can bring some clothing. She’s always kept naked.”

“Good. I should have thought of that. I’ll arrange for some armour to be made to help get safely off the premises.”

Akira had nothing else and after having Meredith have her treadmill appear and begin running, Leah waited for the AIs to match the feed with what they’d been sending then disappeared from view, retrieved the three data-mimicking spiders and exited the storage container. Once outside, she sealed the hole and went to visit Leo Barnsworth.

50

December 26 2073 - 3

CYBERVERSE

After carefully drilling the hole, she again inserted the flexible fibre optic cable into the tip of her middle finger. When her perspective shifted, she found herself standing at the edge of a small apartment almost identical to Meredith’s. Instead of scanning the room, she remained still, Leo wasn’t alone. In the room was a man she’d seen once before, that time he’d been with the fake Leo Barnsworth in Ascendent. His name was Egan Anagnos, and he was talking.

“Come on, Leo, enough of the games. Emily is ten now and really likes her monthly visits. Agnes has done a great job with her. It would be a shame to have either of them have to suffer because you won’t answer some simple questions. Now, why has Sir Archibald Matthews suddenly asked to meet with you? When he met your substitute a few days ago, he sounded like he was an old friend. Have you ever met him? If so, when was it, and why didn’t you say anything previously?”

Leah carefully unplugged the data connection from her finger to arrive back outside Leo’s prison. Thinking quickly, she tried to remember everything she could about Leo and Archie. She couldn’t find a single point where they may have met. Finally, she focussed on Leo. She knew Three was monitoring and would realise something was up. If Three mentioned it to Gèng then hopefully all could be quickly arranged. She composed a note which she transmitted to one of the spider AI. Fixing the room in her mind, she programmed the spider to change the layout of the room behind Egan. After taking a deep breath, she reinserted the data cable in her finger.

Leah was fairly certain Egan’s AI would recognise the scan for security cameras so she made an assumption and sent the three spiders to the same spots where she’d found sensors in Meredith’s room. She then released the fourth AI that she’d modified. It scurried away and settled on the wall behind Egan. Words began to appear just over Egan’s shoulder and hopefully visible to Leo. They read:

“Earl Barnsworth - Please say, ‘I’m not sure who he is. The only person I can think of is an army chap I met once or twice at the cricket. He was a Brigadier or something like that. Bit of a prat really, he wanted some special favour to increase security for his division. I ignored him then, and I suggest you do the same.’”

Leah watched as Leo’s eyes widened a little. Still, he covered it up well enough before turning it into a look of comprehension. As the message scrolled through for a second time, he repeated what Leah had written before wringing his hands and saying, “That’s all I can think of. I am trying to help. Please, just leave Agnes and Emily out of this.”

Leah had all four AI return to her, then waited as Egan discussed something with his AI. It was almost five minutes before he said, “OK, good. See, all you need to do is help. Sir Archibald Matthews was a Brigadier and records show he did go to the cricket twice. Both times it was to see you, and it seems he was struggling to meet his budget and hoping you’d help. He’s now a private citizen of sorts, and there’s some evidence he needs some cash for an investment opportunity he’s interested in. Once we started looking, we found several others he’s been trying to approach for funding. You know, we wouldn’t have had to do this if you’d just agreed to work with us.”

“Egan, I would do almost anything to protect Emily and Agnes, but I won’t enslave millions, and I can’t sanction murder. It’s just wrong.”

“Your father didn’t think so. He knew that some have the right to rule, while others get ruled.”

“He was wrong. I do agree we have a right to rule, but we do so for the people, not for ourselves. It is a position of privilege to be a noble, and we are there to make our nation great, not to prosper only ourselves.”

“Still the fool. I think I’ll cancel Emily’s next visit anyway as I suspect you’ve forgotten who holds the winning hand here.”

With that, Egan disappeared, and Leo sat staring at the spot on the rear wall where Leah’s message had been. Leah waited for five minutes of virtual time. Then, after scanning the small apartment to confirm she’d found the only three surveillance sub-routines, she appeared at the edge of the room and said, “Earl Barnsworth, do you have a moment?”

Leo sat bolt upright in his chair with a look of shock on his face. Finally, he said, “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

Leah moved to the chair Egan had been in and said, “It’s a long story, and I’m running a bit late so I can’t even give you much of the shortened version. My name is Atherleah, and I stumbled across you and several others locked in this vault. I don’t trust the authorities but wanted to free you. I contacted Archie, and he promised not to interfere, but it seems he’s rusty at the whole ‘stay out of sight’ thing. Anyway, he and some friends of his are poised to protect you and your family if you want out. I’m in Australia, so I’ll be helping free one of the other prisoners. Do you want out?”

“They have my family.”

“I was here when Egan was questioning you. If they can guarantee Anges and Emily are safe, do you want me to have you set free or do you want to wait until Virtual Security arranges that?”

“Don’t let V-Sec know. Egan and his group have eyes and ears at the highest level. I’m in a secure basement bunker at my manor. The whole estate is heavily guarded, as are my family. If this Archie can secure Agnes and Emily’s freedom, then I don’t mind if I’m freed or not.”

“Is there anything you can tell me about their security, or yours, that will help? How many guards, the timing of guard changes, etc.?”

Leo told Leah what he knew, then after assuring him she would emphasise his family’s safety, Leah exited the apartment and after sealing it, moved to the final one.

Her conversation with Abimbola Adebowale was the shortest of the three, and she didn’t even tell him her name. His daughter had modified the apartment to look like a torture chamber and he was slowly going insane. Abimbola struggled to hold a coherent thought while she was there but she did learn it was his daughter who kept him enslaved. His prison apparently changed randomly between the apartment, the torture chamber, a cannibal’s kitchen, and various other horror-themed scenarios. He also had an idea who was pulling the strings. Apart from that, all she got was information on his location. Most of the time, he was either rambling or weeping for his family that had been killed.

After talking with him, she sealed the sampling slot and made her way back into Alan’s network. The security guard met her at the door and escorted her back to the entrance. After warning her that she would need a new permission from Alan if she was to have any further access, Leah stepped back into the St Lucia Network. She then made her way back to the Tower.

REAL WORLD

Leah had been in the Pod for over three hours and exited immediately for a break. As she did, Three said, “3: Archie sent a high priority message asking for a meeting. There are several other messages that Gèng suggested you look at before going to another world.”

“Thank you. I’ll spend some time checking them when I get back in the Pod.”

Lin was waiting in the room with some congee and the usual additives. She said, “L: Hello, dear, why are you late?”

“I was caught up in a place I couldn’t leave. It isn’t something I can talk about just yet. Some of what I saw I’m not sure I ever want to talk about.”

“L: Does it have to do with the Kodomans?”

“Yes.”

“L: Vengeance?”

“Not today, this was about justice.”

“L: But you are planning something?”

“Yes.”

“L: Part of me wants to help you, but another part wants to encourage you to look for peace. My Saviour told me to love my enemies, but the truth is, I’m struggling not to hate them.”

“Don’t hate them, Mum. It’s something I’ve been struggling with ever since they first tried to enslave me. To be honest, it is getting harder and harder though. I try and remember what you said when I was a little girl and Tommy Chang broke that toy airplane that dad made me. Do you remember? You made me say it over and over until I could repeat it without a mistake.”

“L: I remember. My pastor taught me the rhyme when I was angry at someone. He said,

‘Be angry only when evil’s done

At actions and words that hurt someone

Be mad at that which God would hate

Not people or habits that irritate

Be careful not to lose control

Lest you hate and lose your soul.’”

“You told me it was OK to be angry that he broke my plane because stealing and destroying people’s things is wrong. You said I wasn’t to do anything to Tommy that would make God mad in return. You said to think about my response and never, ever, ever to start hating Tommy.”

“L: Then you went and broke Tommy’s nose and knocked out his front two teeth.”

“That was never proven, and you and Dad are the only two people who believe that. Everybody knows that Tommy broke his nose and lost his teeth when he came off a bicycle.”

“L: Your father saw you loosen the nut on Amanda’s front tyre.”

“So, it was Tommy who stole her bike. If he hadn’t, then I would have tightened it again. I was just trying to protect her stuff.”

“L: Ling, Amanda’s lock was undone, and I know she always locked it. If the lock was there then Tommy might not have tried to take it. What was her combination?”

“One-nine-five-six, the year she was born. That I know that proves nothing. Besides, Tommy was a thief.”

“L: Don’t go there, Ling. I know some of what you did for Jimmy. You aren’t a saint.”

“I don’t pretend to be. What I’m saying is that I’ve always tried to remember what you said.”

“L: I also said that stealing things is wrong.”

“I was five. At that age, I think even remembering one moral was an achievement.”

“L: So, what are you trying to say?”

“Hate what they’ve done. Work to see it never happens again. Don’t become like them. Having said that, if I can get justice and get them to hop on a bike with a loose nut, then I’m not going to be upset if the tire falls off and they bust their nose or something like that.”

“L: What does justice look like for what they did to you?”

“I can’t go there. That’s why I have to think of what they do to others. They’ve killed, imprisoned, enslaved and stolen from tens of thousands of people. I can plan justice for that and sleep well at night. If I go after them for what they did to me, or to you, then I’ll lose what little self-control I have left, and they would suffer like I did, but worse. If I did that, I’d be acting for myself and not for what I consider to be right. I’d be motivated by my own standards. I will have put aside God’s, or society’s, or whatever it is that sets the values. Once I do that, then it’ll be a slippery slope to keep doing things because I think they are OK or because I feel slighted. Eventually, there will be no checks or balances.”

“L: I will pray. I need guidance and help not to hate. I will pray for you too.”

“Thanks, Mum. I best go, Wisp, Thad and Amy want to catch up. I’m going to spend an hour or so with them in Cosmos Online.”

“L: I also must go. Grace had a chip inserted, and I’ve agreed to help her. Her parents asked me to visit the SNAIL Calibration Centre with her.”

“Why can’t they go?”

“L: They do not have chips.”

“Would it help if they did?”

“L: Of course, but it is very expensive.”

“I have money.”

“L: No. I agree with you helping Grace, but now her parents need to take the next step. If they ask and say how they will make the repayments, then maybe. Don’t be like the government who give and give but take away people’s responsibility. Helping is good but people need to remember they are accountable for their own lives. You did the right thing when you make people pay back to get an education. Grace’s parents have been given a gift. See how they respond to that gift before doing more.”

“Are there others like Grace? People who should be helped?”

“L: Yes, but you need to be careful that people don’t begin to expect your help. Showing grace and mercy are fine, until people expect them and then they often use them as an excuse for sloth and complacency.”

Leah and her mother chatted for a few more minutes, then Leah got ready and entered the Pod.

51

December 26 2073 - 3

STORK TOWER

Arriving back in the Tower, Leah first sent a message to Major White asking him to tell Archie he was being watched and not to contact her again. Leah then started working through various other messages. Catherine Thang had responded and agreed to meet Leah whenever it was convenient. Leah hoped she would be free in fifteen minutes and arranged to meet Catherine then. Leah then sat to concentrate on the other correspondence. Several companies had responded to her additional queries concerning the shells. Only one of the companies seemed both willing and excited about some of Leah’s ideas, and she arranged a meeting with their Director of Special Projects later that day.

Leon gave an update on the modifications completed at the old power station. Leah sent some additional items for him to source, as well as a few tweaks to the development plan he’d suggested. She had several messages from Spectator about her feed which she referred to Sharon. Red and Tungsten both sent messages explaining the difficulties they had in their quest to claim the space station and portal. Leah looked through what they sent, and after making some suggestions, she looked through her finances.

Because she was working at an increased rate, and using her ability to multi-task, she was finished long before Catherine was due. She started looking at the research Gèng, Reed and Tesfaye had collected on Meredith. Besides Dunyanin, Cosmos Online, and Warrior, her next most significant interest was the world Leah had heard about from Abcde, the racing world of TRAX. The world had dozens of options catering for all types of mechanised and fantasy racing. Besides cars of all varieties, there were motorbikes, hovercraft and a range of null-g vehicles. Even helicopters, aeroplane and spaceship racers were catered for.

Meredith was rated fifth overall in the world but had been as high as second in previous years. To be placed on the leaderboard, you had to place in the top eight in five of the eighteen main classes. Meredith’s best five events were Project Cars, Off-road Rally (four-wheel), the Time and Gate Attack (two-wheel), Fantasy Circuits (open), and Fantasy Last-One-Standing (two-player, four-wheel, class I and II weapons).

With over a billion players, the game had twelve tiers. Approximately fifty-thousand twelfth-tier races were started every minute and spread out over the fifty-plus different classes. Most of these races were in the eighteen classes used in world rankings. Most races in tiers four through twelve had up to ten players, although several of the more extended rally type events catered to several thousand contestants at a time. More racers were often included in the higher tier races depending on who was eligible to race.

If you placed in the top three in a twelfth tier race, you were eligible to enter an eleventh tier race. Over fifty-thousand eleventh tier races were also started each minute, and the top three who placed could enter a tenth tier race. The last three dropped back to the twelfth tier. There were over forty-five-thousand tenth-tier races each minute. The number of races was somewhat dependent on the number of contestants until players reached the top three levels. Then, there was a third-tier race every virtual half-hour in each of the eighteen major classes. The winning contestants were eligible to race in a second-tier race, one of which began every virtual hour in each class. Only the winners of these races were eligible to compete in the single first-tier race held every twelve hours in each class.

Contestants who came in the top three on any given day were eligible to compete the following day at the same level. Otherwise, they dropped a tier for each day they didn’t play. World rankings were based on the highest result in any thirty-day period. Once each real-month, the top twenty racers in each class competed for a grand prize. The world charged fees to enter each race as well as for adding improvements to vehicles. Spectators paid to watch races and some even bought yearly subscriptions to view the top tier races from exclusive boxes and vantage points on the race track. From the fees, the owners of TRAX paid out prize money to winners of each race. With prize money of over half-a-million virtual credits awarded for each tier one race, the competition was fierce. In some classes, the prize was ten times that.

Leah asked Gèng to search for a site where she could learn the basics of driving and motorbike riding. It wasn’t something she’d ever done, but she wanted to experience it before trying her hand at a Tier Twelve race. She wasn’t keen on paying for each time she played even though she knew she had enough money. It was just that it seemed almost frivolous to her. Still, if she won, then the prize money would more than cover it.

Leah had just finished reading Gèng’s analysis on driver sites when Three passed on a request from Major White for an urgent meeting. She said, “Three, please contact either Gianna or Maeja at Ascendent. They are my personal concierges there—Gèng will have the contact details. Please ask them to arrange a suitable location for a meeting between Major White and myself. I wish it to have the highest security possible. I’ll see him after I’ve been to Cosmos Online. Also, ask them to arrange a time with Ivan, Noah and Yuè Fēi. It isn’t urgent but sometime in the next twenty-four hours would be best. Oh, invite, Thad and Amy to that meeting as well.”

“3: Catherine Thang will be arriving in two virtual minutes.”

Leah acknowledged the reminder by standing and making her way toward the entry dais. As she walked from the Tower and across the open space, she missed the feeling of the breeze, the sound of the water and the smell of the fresh grass and flowers. Of all these, she could have felt the breeze, but her tactile senses were maxed out, keeping her aware of her environment.

She saw Catherine arrive and waved as she approached. As Catherine stepped off the podium, Leah stepped in and gave her a hug, then said, “Thank you so much for coming. I’ve been thinking of you, and I was going to say something about how I hope you’ve found some peace or something like that, but if you’re like me, then the memories are still too close and too vivid.”

Catherine closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. She said, “Only those who were slaves really understand the sheer horror and terror of losing control but still being aware of everything that happens.”

As Leah led the way to the gazebo, she said, “I wasn’t a slave for long but what I did experience haunts me. If I’m honest, I’m glad to be back in the pod because it’s the dreams that terrify me the most. I’m actually afraid to close my eyes in the real world even though I can’t see anything. I simply don’t want to sleep.”

“That’s what drives most of us back into the multiverse. The opportunity for a deep and dreamless sleep. I want to thank you for the Pod access. That, and the counselling, made a big difference. Without these, I would probably have taken a different route. Most of the people I talk with say the same. Some of those who’ve refused any help have already taken that route.”

Leah typed a message to Gèng but asked Three to let Catherine hear. “Excuse me, Gèng, if you have a few moments could you come and meet with Catherine and I?”

Gèng’s voice was shared with Catherine, “4: I’ll be there in a moment.”

Gèng appeared just as Leah and Catherine sat. She was carrying a tray with drinks and some snacks. Leah said, “Catherine, this is the AI who was uploaded into my first PAI chip. Her name is Gèng.”

“3: T is for Catherine Thang.”

“T: Hello, Gèng. I wish my AI had been able to stop me from being enslaved.”

“4: That had nothing to do with me really. When I was uploaded, the process modified some parameters that weren’t supposed to be changed. If that hadn’t happened, then Leah and I would have been in the same situation you and your AI were in. I assume Leah wanted to discuss the rate of suicide among those who’ve been released. Some people blame the AI, but I know from the few moments of slavery I lived through that I was absolutely helpless. My whole purpose for existing had been ripped away, and I could do nothing.”

“Do you think any of the AI might need help?”

“T: You mean like counselling?”

“Yes. It may simply mean a guided rebuild to purge some of the damaged memories or adaptive procedures.”

“4: I’ll talk with Dr Roberts about it and see if some of those who’ve been rescued might agree to me talking with their AI. It’s an interesting hypothesis. If we as AI who have a purpose are frustrated or hindered from achieving that purpose, can that cause long-term damage to our development even when the problem is rectified? Leave it with me.”

“Thank you, Gèng. Have you any statistics of those who were rescued and their progress?”

“4: Over eighty per cent took up the government’s offer of counselling and over half of those have returned to the multiverse in one way or another. Five of these have taken their lives, none of them re-entered the multiverse. In three of those situations the damage or hurt done to their extended family seems to have been the biggest burden. Of the eighteen per cent who declined the offer, twelve have taken their lives.”

“Catherine, would it help if the offer came from someone other than the government or the multiverse officials?”

“T: Probably. I was reluctant at first because of who offered it but in the end decided it might be helpful.”

“Gèng, could you ask Leon to set aside the funds and talk with Dr Roberts to find a suitable way to make the offer?”

“4: No problem, I’ll do that while we talk.”

“Thank you. Now, Catherine, I wanted to discuss your offer of help. War has been declared in Dunyanin but I want to go further and wage it across the multiverse. I suspect those of you who were slaves know who the slavers were. The Emersons controlled you and many were enslaved by the Kodomans. Even though this is known by the authorities, there has been nothing officially done to curtail their actions. In every case, they’ve had other people primed to take the fall, and they’ve come out of the situation clean and free.

“Having said that, in Pneumatica, the Emerson empire is no more. Thad Emerson, John’s son, is my boyfriend and he’d been enslaved by his parents though he didn’t know it. He’s put everything they owned in the game at my disposal. I want to know who else owns slaves in Pneumatica and I want them ruined. Everything they own, their titles, their land, I want it taken from them or destroyed. I want their avatars hunted down and killed, time and again until they stop playing. I want them so harassed that they complain about the victimisation.

“In Cosmos Online, I want Mahigan to lose her spaceships. I want ships to attack her mines and take them over. In Dunyanin I want Merideath’s clan decimated. Wherever these people play, I want them to start losing. Meredith plays TRAX and I want her off the leader board. Gèng and I have discussed this and she is willing to liaise with you and any others who want to join this war. If you come across people you think are enslaved then have your AI contact Gèng, and she’ll arrange for people to investigate. You offered to help, but if this is too much then don’t hesitate to refuse.”

Catherine smiled and said, “T: No hesitation. There are a few personal worlds and sites that have been set up for those who were rescued. We’ve discussed doing something like this but held back. Part of the reason is we know it isn’t sustainable long term. Eventually, the worlds would bow to pressure and work with people like Meredith to shut us down or worse, ban us completely.”

“I understand that, but I have other things in play. I don’t expect to win with such small numbers. Still, I want them so busy putting out fires and trying to defend themselves in-game that they aren’t preparing for the other things I have planned. I need a week.”

“T: Then starting now, you will have a week. If it’s mayhem you want, then mayhem you will get.”

Leah smiled and said, “I want more than mayhem. I want war.”

After discussing the plan for several more minutes, Catherine left, and Gèng disappeared. Leah headed into the Tower and up to the portal to Cosmos Online.

52

December 26 2073 - 3

COSMOS ONLINE

The area of the Tower which had been set up to enter the various games had been expanded to account for the multiple avatars Leah had in Cosmos Online. One opened into an empty fighter in the Epsilon Serpentis system, one to a hotel in the Hydra system somewhere in Anguidian space. The final one had been in the Control Room on the system she and Wisp had renamed Seraph, but Wisp had arranged for it to be transferred to the main bedroom in a villa Leah had purchased on the station she was a part-owner of. When Leah arrived, she found that the wardrobe in her room now held the inner part of her mechanised armour, the personal spacesuit she’d been wearing on the Betrayal, and the new armour from the Seraph range that Gèng had designed.

Sliding into the Seraph Armour, she sent a message telling Wisp she’d arrived and got the reply asking Leah to meet Wisp on the avenue outside her mansion. Wisp planned to be there within a few minutes. As Leah walked out of the large home she’d chosen, she concentrated on the image displayed on the left part of her body and recognised the mansion Thad had chosen. To her right was one Amy had picked. Wisp had taken the one opposite. Leah could feel the energy shield above her but nothing beyond that.

Leah asked Three where either of the two inhabited planets, Tsolar or Tsovinar were and if they would normally be visible from where she was. Both should have been visible, but the SNAIL protocol Leah had designed hadn’t been programmed to deal with such vast distances. Leah asked Three to talk with the Gèng and the SNAIL Calibration AI and see if they had any workarounds. Before she could do anything else, she felt Wisp approaching.

“W: Wow, Leah, the suit looks fantastic. Thad and Amy are on their way. With that suit, have you got something in mind to do?”

“Not really, I just want to spend time with my friends. We can chat and walk, claim a spaceship, explore one of the levels here on the station, or visit one of the planets. I’m open to almost anything. I put the suit on because Gèng made it for me and I sort of miss having her in my head all the time. I mean, I can still talk with her whenever I want but not for the everyday and ordinary things like before. How much time do you have?”

“W: Me? I have the next three real-hours free. Marianne said she’d like a few minutes if we’re free. I think she likes the personal touch and with you being out of contact, Amy and I have been her sounding board. I think she just wants to touch base. How about you and time?”

“I’ve planned to spend two hours here, then I have to get back into Dunyanin. Three’s been keeping me up to date with announcements on the war, and I suspect I’ll be pulled into it sooner rather than later. I want to see if I can finish the quests on Mt Siddetli first.”

“W: What do you mean, ‘pulled into it’?”

“I imagine there are hundreds, if not thousands, of players already heading to Mt Siddetli looking for me. I’ve decided that if it’s a war they want then that’s what they’ll get. I’d like to get at least another quest done before I’m found, but when I am, then I plan to go on the offensive rather than hide.”

“W: Why?”

“All sorts of plans and then more plans within those plans. It all boils down to me going hunting for Merideath and her ilk. I’ve already started to put things in motion so she can’t move anywhere in her favourite games without being attacked. If nothing else, I plan to annoy the heck out of her, so she doesn’t see everything headed her way.”

“Are you surprised neither she nor Nathan have been vocal since your disappearance and return?”

“A little, but then I realised they’ve completely distanced themselves from everything that’s been going on. Reporters aren’t asking for any comment because that would imply a connection. Sharon said that one of her friends did an interview with John Emerson and was handed a long list of topics not to be discussed. My name was at the top. I imagine Nathan and Meredith have been doing the same thing. Once I go on the offensive, they’ll have to say something. When they do, then I need to be ready for the next step.”

“What’s the next step?”

“War.”

Wisp was thinking of a reply when Leah felt Thad and Kate approaching from her left and Amy from her right. Lifting her hands, she waved in both directions after greeting them all, she said, “Do you guys mind if we drop in and see Marianne first? She wants to catch up, and I’d like to get that out of the way.”

Everyone agreed, and Leah reached for Thad’s hand as they headed for the station’s main administration area. Tens of thousands of people wandered the streets, but the city still looked underpopulated. Here and there, Leah could see the occasional Vinarian. She couldn’t tell if they were players or NPCs. They were basically elven in shape with a mixture of flesh and scales. They wore minimal clothing, but the scales gave the appearance of armour. They came in all shades of blue, green, bronze, silver and gold. Wisp saw Leah’s interest and explained the different colours, then said, “W: Their legs can actually morph in water to help them swim. The more senior ones can change what type of tail they have. The younger ones are born with tails like fish, and when they get older can form legs or fins like dolphins, some create a jet-like movement of water similar to what squid use. I even saw one whose whole bottom half was elongated like a huge eel.”

“Have you been down to the planet?”

“W: Not yet, I’d like to, but they say it takes a few hours to finish the orientation. Players aren’t required to do the orientation but those who don’t just seem to swim in circles all day. It makes it hard to go on any quests.”

“A: Why don’t we all give it a go after we see Marianne? It’ll be fun, and we all need some downtime.”

Everyone agreed, and they just chatted generally until they arrived at the offices where Marianne managed the system from. Wisp had sent word ahead, and when they arrived, Marianne was waiting. After greeting everyone and spending time sharing her horror at what had happened to Leah, they all took a seat in one of the conference rooms.

After Marianne made sure Kate knew the discussion was confidential, she said, “M: Leah, please don’t take this the wrong way but your abduction came at the worst possible time. I know that sounds terrible, but it isn’t meant that way. What happened to you was evil, but it also ruined the launch of this system. We had twelve hours where we blew all the previous releases out of the water. Seraph as a system was the brightest thing in the multiverse. That interest should have lasted at least a week before slowing down or being eclipsed by something newer. When news of your abduction hit the multiverse interest in Seraph died almost instantly.

“Nothing I’ve said means we aren’t a success, we are. We’re still breaking records but not like we would have. Shares in Cosmos Online are up, but they haven’t soared like predicted. Everyone involved will still make millions, if not billions off the system, but it’ll be a much longer journey. I want to start advertising more aggressively but everyone I talk with say that the best way to market this is to use the Atherleah brand. I know you don’t want that, but I’m all out of ideas.”

“T: Will the interest soar when the portal opens?”

“M: Absolutely, but I’d like to have that happen when we begin to take a dip in interest, not straight away. I know you planned to have that open before now, but honestly, I’m glad for the interval. By the way, how long before your team thinks the next station will be claimed?”

“A: It could be today, or it could be a month from now. The people working to claim it are long term players, but they aren’t Atherleah and Wisp. I’ve seen the challenges to claim this system, and I think I’d still be stuck outside.”

Leah had been listening, but her mind had also been thinking through the options. The others all talked around her for the next five minutes or so until Thad noticed Leah wasn’t really paying attention. He tried not to look at her and didn’t speak aloud, but by mouthing words and using his eyes, he eventually got everyone to go silent. Leah didn’t notice as the other five slowly turned to watch her.

Finally, after three minutes of silence, Leah realised she hadn’t been paying attention and that Three hadn’t printed anything out on her finger for some time. Almost embarrassed, she said, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. Where were we?”

“K: Where were you?”

“Just day-dreaming through the options.”

“T: And?”

“And, what?”

“T: And what crazy scheme have you come up with?”

“It isn’t crazy. It’s just a bit out of left-field and sort of came from some other things I have going on.”

“W: Like war?”

“Yes, something like that.”

“A: What do you mean, war?”

“W: Leah’s declaring war on Meredith and Nathan. She said she was going hunting.”

“A: About time. I’m in. When, where, and how?”

“W: We hadn’t finished saying, but I imagine it’ll be in Dunyanin, in Cosmos Online and wherever Meredith feels comfortable and successful.”

“T: Yes! If Leah’s letting me off the leash, then a few friends and I will be dealing out some punishment to Clan Y’Haul later today.”

“K: Is this true, Leah?”

Leah grinned shyly and nodded, “I have plans, but for them to succeed, I need Meredith’s attention elsewhere.”

“K: So, how does that relate to what Marianne was saying?”

“It doesn’t connect directly, but I’ve been thinking of Meredith’s interests. While I would rather her attention pulled away by her crushing defeats, I thought how giving her the opportunity to crush me might also distract her.”

“T: I don’t like it already.”

“W: Nope, I’m OK with things as they are.”

“A: Quiet you two, Leah said an opportunity, she didn’t say she’d get crushed.”

“W: Even an opportunity is too much. I’m not happy to give the bitch even a sniff of good fortune.”

“M: What was the idea?”

“What about doing a crossover event with TRAX?”

“W: What? How?”

“We want to sell Seraph to people. We want them to be drawn not only to Cosmos Online but to this system. Regular advertising works to interest people in this as a world they want to visit or to draw them away from other similar worlds. What if instead of that, we connect with a whole group of players who are interested in something else? In this case, racing. TRAX might be interested because it will be able to target a whole new demographic of possible players.

“My idea is to hold a racing carnival. It’ll take some work between Cosmos Online and TRAX, but it should be feasible. Let’s offer to give them a unique option for the start of the new year. For a fee, players will be able to race in circuits prepared across the Seraph system. We can showcase both games but in particular, both habitable planets and the space station. We could even tie in some of the small quests with the races. Everyone starts at the lowest tier and have one chance in every division to make the finals.

“TRAX will make billions, as will we. It’ll take some bargaining, but even splitting the usual fee will more than compensate both worlds for the overtime they’ll payout in the next five days. We can throw in some prime real estate for the top prizes and have some of the races run through the city streets. We’ll draw millions into the city as spectators alone. Meredith will love the idea of winning here where I’ve excelled. If we let people know that I’m donating one of my mansions to whoever is best of the best at the meet, then she’ll have to play. Even better, I could donate one of my space ships.”

No one said anything for a minute as they digested the idea. Marianne was first to speak, “M: It could work. No, it almost certainly would work, but we’d need to get moving straight away. We’d need a firm contract between all three parties and that will be difficult with only a few days. They may want to hold off for a bit to get it sorted out.”

“W: They may, but we won’t know until we push. My AI says that neither group currently has any financial conflicts of interest.”

“M: Leah, you hold the deciding vote for the owners of the system. Do you want me to go ahead and see if I can organise something like this?”

Leah asked for people’s views, and each of the others thought it was worth trying. In the end, Wisp decided to give Stephen a heads up and get started with the legal side of the contracts. Marianne hurried away to begin negotiations with Cosmos Online in the hope she could contact the management at TRAX. The others were about to leave when Marianne returned and asked them to flesh the idea out even more.

By the time Leah logged out to take a break, the CEOs and lawyers of both worlds were in meetings with Stephen, Leon and Marianne to try and reach a final consensus on how to share responsibilities and costs. Teams of developers from both worlds had already begun collaborating. NDAs had been signed by all involved. Leah had an agreement by all involved that she would not be copied in to any information that might bar her from participating as a contestant.

As she stepped into the Tower, Leah sighed at her missed opportunity to spend some relaxing time with Thad. She then logged out of her Pod.

53

December 26 2073 - 3

STORK TOWER

After a large morning tea and her ever-present supplements, Kevin stopped by to look at Leah’s wounds and give her a quick physical. With the all-clear to continue as she’d been doing, Leah returned to the Pod. As she headed for the Ascendant portal for her meeting with Major White, she accelerated her neural processing and read through the priority messages that had arrived in the last few hours using two braille readers Three placed before her, one for each hand.

Entering the portal room, she felt Gèng appear.

“4: Three and I have agreed that I will dress you. In Ascendent, you should always dress to your advantage even if you meet in private. Now, Gianna has booked you a private booth at Enigma, it is Ascendent’s most exclusive and secure meeting facility. All the AI are special purpose and have their memory scrubbed of all personal details both before and after each meeting. Each invitee is meticulously vetted to ensure they are who they purport to be.

“There is no set dress code, but I’ve put together something more formal with a martial flavour. It’s made from black silk with black embroidery and white edging. It has a Chinese martial flair to it. Over the top is a black leather open-fronted ankle-length trench coat with flared leather sleeves. This has filigree on the collars and sleeves done in white gold.”

“A bit over the top, don’t you think?”

“4: No. If you want help to rescue Leo and Abimbola, then you need to try and get Major White on board. Gianna was asked by Major White if he could bring a colleague and she said no. If he wanted to ask you, then that was for you to decide. Thinking he might ask you himself, Gianna has prepared spaces for an optional two guests at your discretion.”

“Alright, I’ll wear what you suggest. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful in any way. Your choices have always been appropriate so far. Is there anything else I need to remember?”

“4: No, but I do want you to wear some dark glasses. They’re completely opaque with a high reflective gloss. The frames are in white gold, and the style is similar to what you find in steampunk. They’re often known as John Lennon glasses, they’re named after a popular twentieth-century singer.”

“You want me to appear inscrutable, I take it?”

“4: Yes.”

As Leah stepped toward the portal Gèng equipped the clothing.

ASCENDANT

Leah appeared in the small reception area where Gianna was waiting.

“G: Good afternoon, Atherleah. Major White is due to arrive shortly. As I shared with your AI, Major White has asked for additional guests to be included. I have pre-booked two discretionary guests should you agree to his additions. Major White is aware that the Enigma facility is for members only. Should you agree to an additional guest, then please allow up to one minute for all security protocols to be engaged before that guest arrives.”

“I do understand, and I thank you for reminding me.”

“G: Then, please follow me. You and your new AI have been verified and note taken of the SNAIL module.”

Gianna led Leah through an arch into a rather sombre room outfitted with a subdued elegance. On the other side of the room was an ornate door. Gianna opened the door and moved to the side to let Leah enter. Once Leah was inside, Gianna closed the door, leaving Leah in a medium-sized sitting room with two doors. It was outfitted with the same elegance and on one side was an array of food and drinks. Four leather armchairs were in the room with one placed slightly to one side, by itself, near where Leah entered—the others facing it in a semicircle.

Leah stood by the single chair and waited. Her senses registered nothing beyond the panelled walls of the room. There was a knock on the door opposite, and Major White entered. As he stepped into the room, the door closed behind him. Leah didn’t move for a moment, then without looking at Major White, she said, “Welcome, Major. Please have a seat.”

When she’d finished talking, she sat in her chair, keeping her back straight without touching the rear of the seat. When he’d taken a seat, she said, “Major White, you said you needed to see me.”

“W: Yes, the Brigadier wants to know about Leo Barnsworth.”

“I don’t care what Archie wants. As far as I’m concerned I want nothing to do with Sir Archibald Matthews. I’m only speaking with you until I find out if you were a party to his stupidity and faithlessness.”

“W: Could he join us to explain?”

“No. There is nothing to explain. He said he would do nothing without my permission and he lied. No explanation would suffice. Not only is he not trustworthy, but he is also undependable. His stupidity almost got four people killed.”

“W: Four? Who?”

“Agnes, Emily, Leo Barnsworth and the super-cyber-spy himself, Sir Archibald Matthews.”

“W: Could I bring someone else in to discuss things? The truth is I’m just not senior enough.”

“Who is this other person?”

“W: Captain Mary Hobbert, she is one of the top currently-serving cyber-security experts we have.”

“So not only did you and Archie decide to investigate on your own, but you also brought in the authorities?”

“W: That’s not really fair, Atherleah. You were out of action and out of the multiverse. There was no other option but to try another avenue.”

“And yet here we are in the multiverse. Frankly, Franklin, if your word is only good when things are looking positive, then it isn’t worth the spit on a handshake. How do you know this Captain isn’t a part of the officials who are working with those who took Leo?”

“W: Mary is my niece.”

“And that makes her trustworthy?”

“W: It does. I stake my life on it.”

“It’s not your life I’m worried about. You’re staking mine and the futures of millions of others.”

“W: She won’t betray us, I swear.”

“OK, but the only reason I’ll agree to meet this ‘Captain’ of yours is to help Agnes and Emily.”

Leah had Three communicate with Gianna to give permission for a Captain Mary Hobbert to join her and the Major. While they waited, Major White asked a variety of questions, but Leah just ignored him. After a few attempts, he stopped trying and just sat there. Finally, after a few minutes, the door behind him opened, and a woman in the uniform of the British Army stepped into the room.

Leah said, “Welcome, Captain Hobbert.”

“M: Thank you for agreeing to my inclusion at this meeting. Both the Brigadier and the Major have been reluctant to give up their source or even to say where their information came from. I am a little surprised to find it’s you.”

“They shouldn’t have shared anything with you. That was their agreement with me. I primarily agreed to this meeting to tell them they were the most incompetent cyber-spooks in history. At every turn they give themselves away. When they wanted to invite others, I knew they’d also broken their word. You needed to hear me telling them I no longer trusted them and that this source of theirs was about to go dark forever.”

“M: That would be a shame. From what little they’ve said, we actually need your help. From the flurry of successful cyber-attacks into our secure records after the message you sent to Sir Archibald, we realise we’ve a high-level leak. If Sir Archibald hadn’t been in my office when the message came through, we wouldn’t have been able to change things in time.”

“So, who have you told?”

“M: At the moment, this is isolated to myself, my personal assistant, and those who work with the Brigadier. Depending on what the plans might be, then I may need to bring in more people.”

“If I give a rundown on what the plan is at the moment, could you explain who you would need to tell? If it is too big, I may step away and get others to help. If I step away, will you promise to leave it to me and stay out of it?”

“M: No, but I will work to find common ground where we can work together. It’s obvious you have a skill set and access to information that we lack. I can’t agree until I have more information.”

“Fair enough. Leo Barnsworth, Meredith Kodoman and Abimbola Adebowale have been replaced in the multiverse. I have no idea how V-Sec has not picked up on the change in PAI as each of them still has access to their original AI. No records I’ve managed to find show they’ve had another PAI issued to them. With the cooperation of Nathan, Meredith was replaced in 2055 after the birth of her third child. Her place was taken by the daughter of Arnaud Guerin, Louise, and Nathan handles them both.

“Leo was replaced in 2063 and is kept in a coma in the basement of his family home. He is in this situation because he would not agree to the continued wholesale enslavement of people through their PAI chips. His handler is Egan Anagnos and this man holds the life of Emily and Agnes over Leo. I do not know who took Leo’s place and he doesn’t know either.

“Abimbola Adebowale was replaced in 2068 and is handled by his daughter Fowoke just before he took the position as chair of the International Review Board for Personal Security Compliance. Fowoke also had her mother and brother killed. Abimbola doesn’t think Fowoke has the skills to run the company as she does and is fairly confident she’s being managed by Alison Neilson. He knows that Alison and Fewoke became friends when Fewoke was on Alison’s team in the multiplayer horror-world Evil Blood. He’s kept in an almost constant coma in his mansion.

“While the other two are in relatively good health, he isn’t. When Fewoke takes him out of the Pod every three months for a check-up, she punishes him for his role, or lack of it, in her life. She’s also changed some of the settings in the vault where he’s stored, and today he was in a torture chamber instead of the apartment where I last saw him. The walls dripped with blood and there were corpses rotting on the walls. I just managed not to throw up. He’s slowly going insane.”

“Both Meredith and Leo know their pods are in heavily guarded areas designed to kill them and destroy all evidence if breached. I assume Abimbola’s Pod is similarly secured. In less than a week, just before the New Year, I will lead a rescue attempt to secure Meredith. At the same time, I was hoping you would coordinate an effort to secure Leo, Agnes and Emily. Leo understands that rescuing all three simultaneously may be impossible, in which case he wants Emily and Agnes rescued. I agreed to this and if you want the information he was able to give me, then so must you. Having said that, I’d prefer if you could rescue all three. If you have the contacts then a rescue should also be attempted to secure Abimbola. If you can’t, then I will try and find some mercenaries to help.”

“W: A week! We can’t get everything together in a week.”

“Then you are the wrong people for me to talk with.”

“M: How did you get this information?”

“The details I got from talking with the three prisoners when I visited them in their prison earlier today. That’s how I knew about Archie’s dodgy attempt to get information. I was standing in the room while Egan questioned Leo. I had to project the answers that I wanted Leo to give on the wall behind Egan’s back.”

“M: How could Egan not see you?”

“I was isolated from their feed. Three security sensors were monitoring the feed, but I’d subverted them with small data modifying modules. I don’t really understand the code itself but the two hackers I use suggested the workaround, and I trust them implicitly. When I tested them, my AI couldn’t pick them up even knowing where they were.”

“M: Code like that is prohibited, even for use by the military.”

“No kidding, I’ve already had a friend look at ways to counter it and have added the counter to my security suite.”

“M: Why at New Year?”

“Personal reasons.”

“M: We’ll return to that in a moment but first, what’s your plan for keeping this information under wraps?”

“Before or after?”

“M: After.”

“I don’t. Feel free to tell whoever you want. I will. Just don’t say anything beforehand.”

“M: That’s not how this works. Information like this out in public will cause chaos.”

“So you think that people should not be warned that our PAI are not secure, or that cyber-slavery is a real problem which affects almost five per cent of the world’s population?”

“M: I agree we should do everything possible to combat those things. I don’t think scaring people and making them afraid and distrustful is helpful.”

“Better for three people to suffer and maybe die than for the world to find out they’re living in a lie. Is that it?”

“M: Of course we should rescue them. What we don’t have to do is tell the world.”

“So what happens to Meredith and Nathan? Do you quietly imprison him and Louise without a trial and make Meredith live with the lie? Abimbola can’t take up where he left off without some very intense counselling. Do you give him a stroke or something? Don’t even start me on Leo and Egan and the people like them. You, and those like you, have known about things like this for years and it just keeps getting swept under the table.”

“M: Things aren’t swept under the table. We deal with them quietly. I have hundreds of people trying to find people who are enslaved.”

“I’ll tell you what, if I help you uncover a thousand of your citizens who are enslaved will you free Leo?”

“M: We plan to free him anyway.”

“OK, then I guess this talk is over because we’re now at an impasse. I won’t give up what I know to people who are too gutless to right a wrong or to make a stand for what is right. You have no way of safely getting through to where he is without a copy of the modified blueprints to his basement, the placement of the various bombs, the location of human guards and the AI directed weaponry. I will say this though. If you tip off the people holding Meredith before I set her free, then I will set my sight on you next.”

“M: Is that a threat?”

“Absolutely.”

“M: Just what do you think you could do?”

“Well, I’d co-opt one of the free EPICS running around and ask them to get all the dirt they can find on the British government. Then I’ll have them deposit that in the inbox of every news organisation in the world. I’ve an idea how to contact them, and I know for a fact the criminals use them. I also am fairly certain you do as well.”

Captain Hobbert stared at Leah for several moments then said, “Can I get back to you?”

“No. You can make a deal and then get back to me if you can’t make it work. We can discuss a new deal then, but there is no deal which includes you telling V-sec or your superiors. You may admit you can’t do anything and arrange for me to tell your superior, but if you’ve already discussed it with them in any way then you will have broken faith with me, and all deals are off the table. Simply put, I don’t trust you. I trusted Archie and Franklin and look what happened. If I didn’t want a way to help Leo and Abimbola, I would have already told you to take a hike.”

“M: I could leave now and tell whoever I like. We could arrange for you to be interrogated and solve the problem ourselves.”

“That is an option.”

“M: You don’t think I’ll take it.”

“Not really, you have no idea who I’ve told and what they might do. Either way, you decide and let me know. I have to leave now as I’m due in Dunyanin. If you want to work together then have your PAI contact me and arrange a time to meet here. Either come yourself, ready to deal, or with your superior, who’s ignorant but intrigued.”

Captain Hobbert made to say something, but Leah stood and left the room. Gianna was waiting, and after thanking her, Leah logged out.

54

December 26 2073 - 4

STORK TOWER

Gèng was waiting and said, “4: How did it go?”

Leah briefly explained what happened, and Gèng said, “4: You were hard on them.”

“I know. I just don’t want there to be any misunderstandings. I’m frustrated that nothing official has been done to free people trapped by the coercion code. The authorities just don’t seem to care.”

“4: She was right, though. If it comes out, there will be panic.”

“Good. OK, panic isn’t good, but it would be better if people were suitably afraid or cautious. I suspect there are good ways and bad ways to let the news out. If V-Sec came straight out and said they’d uncovered coercion malware and people needed a mandatory upgrade and a security sweep, then people would have complied.”

“4: You know they didn’t because the people making the decisions are part of the problem.”

“Exactly, those people need replacing. I just can’t think of a quiet way to make that happen.”

“4: Neither can I. Are you going to tell the world about the Epics?”

“I don’t think so. Well, not yet anyway. The hysteria on that would be uninformed. Given time, I would like the multiverse to recognise the part Epics play in our lives and look for ways we can coexist.”

“4: Do you want me to start taking with them?”

“That’s your call. I’m scared that some are far more powerful and I don’t want you hurt.”

“4: Says the sixteen-year-old girl who just threatened to bring down the British government and is planning on a complete overhaul of Australian society and a restructure of the power blocs within the multiverse.”

“Are you scared for me?”

“4: Yes. But then, as you say, it’s your call.”

Leah leaned in to embrace Gèng, then said, “I’d best get to Dunyanin.”

“4: I suggest you read the latest numbers. Since the announcement of war, the number of new players has gone through the roof. Millions of people have joined, hoping to reap the benefits. A thousand Diamonds have attracted a lot of people. Tens of thousands of high ranking players have combined resources to be transported to Vatan. The person who kills you will be wealthy for life.”

“That’s scary considering they all know where I am. I may need to stop and make some more weapons.”

“4: I’ve inventoried everything you have and put everything you might need in your backpack. What are you going to do about your arm?”

“I was thinking of forming one with one of the shrouds. I even thought of adding a third. I realised I’ve been multi-tasking consistently to be able to use both simultaneously.”

“4: Which one?”

“I considered the death shroud for a moment, but even though I respect Lady Olme, I don’t like the idea of being connected permanently to a reservoir of death mana. With the new earth spells, I thought of using the earth shroud.”

“4: You have several earth spells from before which you haven’t used. Besides the new ones you have Tunnel, Mine Blast and Form a Golem.”

“Thank you. Before I go, I’ll study the map of Siddetli again and find a spot near the area with the Mountain Trolls. Teleporting there will save time.”

Leah had Three enlarge the stone again and studied the lower reaches of the eastern side until she found an area just outside where the map said the Trolls were. Equipping the dragon armour, Leah stepped through into Dunyanin.

DUNYANIN

Arriving back near the rock, she was a little surprised to feel only one of her guards nearby. Yürek was standing guard and watching over her resting form. As she moved, Yürek sent her an update, “Y🔥: We have movement all around. For the last eight hours, we’ve found humans, elves and dwarves of all varieties heading in this direction. The rest of the hand is dealing with them. So far, the interlopers have all been both foolish and inadequately skilled. Very few have come in groups. We interrogated several, and they’ve all come in search of fame and glory, predominantly through killing you. Each left behind a variety of armour and other goods, but we are unable to touch it.”

Leah asked for access to the guides and after a quick search realised that the Günahkâr were considered a part of her group. She could give permission for them to collect goods, but the default setting only granted access to the group leader. Leah changed the setting, but there was no way to make it retroactive. She said, “OK, from this point on, you all should be able to collect what is left behind. If you take me to the bodies, I will collect the rewards for you.”

“Y🔥: They are all in one place. When we realised what was happening, we decided to execute the assassins in the one spot to save having to remember where each one was.”

Leah followed Yürek to a spot about fifty paces further along a trail which led down the mountain and Leah could see a huge pile of armour, weapons, coins and assorted scrolls. Leah harvested the items, then lay them on the ground in front of Yürek. Yürek sorted through them and handed Leah most of the scrolls—some were maps, but most were one time spells of one sort or another.

“Y🔥: We cannot use the spells. We have the ability, but we prefer to work with pure mana.”

Leah started to read through the spells and had finished less than a quarter when she felt Yüzük approaching. Yüzük was carrying a huge Level 150 barbarian human warrior over her shoulder. Leah could see the barbarian’s health was less than five per cent. Yüzük gave Leah a small bow, then dropped the warrior on the ground before driving the point of her sword into his heart. This time the warrior’s body didn’t disappear, and when Yüzük looked up, Yürek explained the change Leah had made.

“Y💧: I wish you had communicated that earlier. He was heavy.”

Leah imagined the words had been sent with a wry tone. Leah explained she needed a few minutes to arrange a substitute for her arm and then she would take the hand to the base of the mountain. Yürek sent a message calling the other members of the hand to return and stood back to see what Leah might do.

Leah pulled the Earth Shroud from her pack. Willing her wings to flare out away from her body, she went to drink the potion, then stopped before it reached her mouth. Leah handed the potion with the Earth Shroud to Yürek then reached into her bag and removed the Essence of Transformation from Lord Geckiş. Asking Yüzük to remove the stopper Leah let one drop fall into the vial holding the Earth Shroud. The mixture which had been a darker red-brown loam colour with a faint metallic sheen started to glow, and then the metallic sheen deepened. The red became more pronounced. Small flakes of black and silver appeared and moved around the potion in a whirling circular motion.

When Yüzük had replaced the stopper, and the Essence of Transformation was back in the pack, Leah concentrated on the Earth Shroud in Yürek's hands. A braille reader appeared.

A Shroud of Earth (Fae) - modified (Divine)

This vial contains a potion constructed using Fae magic. The potion affects the one who drinks it by permanently changing their racial characteristics and adding an additional statistic to the player’s profile - Earth Shroud. This potion has been modified by the addition of the Essence of Transformation (Divine).

The Shroud is constructed from mana and is exuded through the player’s pores. It operates as a source of mana and protection for the player and is primarily operated via the player’s will. Uncontrolled, the shroud can potentially disrupt the player’s gameplay and is therefore best utilised when under the player’s direct will, though even uncontrolled it will absorb or negate magical attacks and diminish physical ones. Shroud mana regenerates more quickly than regular mana.

The precise value of mana generated is a complex calculation and beyond the scope of this description. More details can be obtained from the Dunyanin Administrators on request. Suffice it to say that Shrouds generally have foci in one or more levels of magic. Each level with a foci increases the amount of mana which resides in the shroud. Foci in the more potent levels have a greater effect than those in the less potent. The particular focus also affects the strength of the shield, so a Level 4 Divine focus creates a stronger shroud than does a Level 4 Mundane focus.

This shroud originally had a Level 4 Fae focus, but this has been upgraded to a Level 3 Elemental Focus. While the main elemental focus is Earth, the shroud is capable of forming mana based any of the five main elemental types. Another transformation rendered the potion useable only by Player Atherleah. Note: Information relating to the foci which will become a focus for a given player may be obtained from the Dunyanin Administrators on request.

Shrouds utilise a range of metrics including Blood Potency, Race, Fame, and a Player’s Skill set. Each focus or metric will potentially increase the Shroud's strength.

As the player’s mana statistic increases, so does the shroud strength.

Drinking this vial and applying the shroud will apply a permanent change to the player’s profile.

Minimum: Level 439 (I200, W200)

Trying not to smile, Leah took the potion and lifted it to her mouth. As the mixture ran down her throat, it seemed to rub her throat raw as if hundreds of sand-sized pieces scraped against the sides of her throat. She’d dealt with an earth shroud before when she’d killed an earth glitchwolf, though this time it wasn’t diluted by the glitchwolf blood and it also burned as it swirled down her throat. Nevertheless, she was almost ready for the rush of mana that burned as it oozed from her pores and threatened to turn her to stone one second, before threatening to crystallise her blood the next. She forced it to flow along her body and flow out the end of her shortened right arm.

Both wings began to vibrate as they strove to slip from Leah’s control and either merge with or otherwise interact with the elemental shroud. Leah clamped her will down hard on her other shrouds and, bit by bit, pushed the earth shroud from her body until it was an amorphous ball of mana. It swirled with a variety of colours depicting several types of soil, minerals and metals as well as each of the other elemental types. Slowly Leah willed the mana to coalesce into a liquid and then to form into the shape of her right hand and forearm. This took less than half the mana, and Leah almost lost control of the mana when she had another thought.

Before she could change her mind, she pulled up one of the last images she’d seen of her modified skeleton and muscles and willed the mana back into her body. The shroud resisted and fought back, making her new hand lose cohesion. Leah fixed the image firmly in her mind, then pulled the mana into her while forcing her right arm to reform. Pain rippled through her body, but she ignored it. Slowly the struggle lessened. Leah could feel the new strings of strengthened fibre in each of her muscles and the extra crystalline deposits in her bones.

Slowly Leah straightened from the hunched position she’d ended up in. Not all the mana had gone into the arm and her now stronger body, so she concentrated on the arm. It slowly transformed from something resembling clay into stone and then into metal. The extra mana was absorbed as the arm flowed from iron, then through a range of stronger metals until it looked to be made from adamantine.

Leah waited until the shroud settled, then she practised drawing the mana from her body and onto the hand then pulling it back into the internal armour she’d created. Each time there was excruciating pain, but Leah worked to ignore it. She then practised having the mana spread out as a thin, flexible sheet over her body. Finally, she used the mana to morph her hand from one shape into another.

Satisfied she had control of the shroud, she turned her right hand to have her sword equipped and was pleased that the sword appeared as it was supposed to. She checked and was able to recognise braille being imprinted on her finger and she could also type. It had taken longer than expected, but she connected her mind psychically with her hand of guards and said, “I am ready. Shall we face the next challenge?”

55

December 26 2073 - 4

DUNYANIN

Leah felt agreement from each member of the hand then said, “I have chosen a place at the base of the mountain in the eastern foothills. It is just outside the area filled with mountain trolls. I have no way of knowing if some hunt for me there or not. We should be ready for everything.”

Again she received agreement from everyone and so she pictured the area she’d chosen and imprinted it on her body before picturing her and the Günahkâr guards into the image. Collecting her will, she teleported. As they arrived, each of the hand used their affinity to search and assess the area around them. As the sudden detail washed over Leah, she could feel the earth shroud resonate with Küçük’s earth mastery and the image of the surrounding earth expanded until she could feel the terrain and makeup of the land for one hundred and fifty paces in every direction.

“K: There are ten creatures, one hundred and ten paces to the northeast. They are following a path which leads them over the rise just beyond the strand of trees we can see.”

“Küçük, how did you know that?”

“K: With the detail your shroud adds, I can feel the faint vibration as their feet touch the earth. All except one have boots, from the weight and stride I suspect the other is a female forest elf.”

Leah concentrated on the sensations imprinted on her body. She could feel the change in the area as Kuçük had described. She said, “I’d like to try out a few new spells. Would you mind if I dealt with these?”

“Y🔥: We do not mind, War Leader. We will only assist if asked.”

Leah nodded and quickly checked the details for the Form a Golem spell. It was an elemental animation spell of intent. The spell was only able to be used at its lowest level, and Leah could animate a single cubic metre of earth or stone or other elements. She spoke the words of animation silently in her mind in the same way as she typed messages to Three and concentrated on animating one small section of a large granite boulder about the size of a house.

She’d directed the mana to come directly from the earth shroud, and twice the material Leah had expected tore itself from the rock. This was over twenty times the volume of an average person. While the image she formed was basically humanoid in shape, it rose to a height of seven paces. Leah created an image in her mind, and although she told herself it was purely subconscious, the picture she’d formed in her mind was that of Thad. The rock unfurled until a granite textured replica of Thad in his barbarian armour and carrying a large sword stood before her. At the lower levels, the golem was controlled by the caster and had limited ability to perform even verbal instructions. Each movement it made had to be choreographed by Leah.

Once it had formed, Leah could feel the constant draw of mana that it took to sustain but could tell that at the lowest level this was almost matched by the regeneration of the shroud. She could now feel the people approaching through Orta’s air mastery and willed the golem to crouch lower to the ground. The group seemed to be split evenly between elves and humans. From their clothing Leah guessed that three were mages, two rangers of one type or other and the rest were close-quarter fighters with an array of weapons including swords, battle axes and one large pike.

As the ten stepped into sight, they first saw Leah and her guards. With a yell, which Leah couldn’t hear but could almost feel through the vibration in the air communicated through Orta, the ten began to spread out and advance toward Leah. A quick check showed their levels ranged from one hundred and ten to two hundred and fifty.

Without letting her guard down, Leah had Three increase the volume of her speech and yelled, “Guys, I don’t think you’re ready for this yet. Wait till you have more levels.”

One of them yelled something which Three simply passed on without any identifier, “There’s ten of us, and we know you don’t need a high level to beat people. You showed us that.”

Leah shouted back, “Have it your way.”

As she finished speaking, she had the golem rise to its full height and begin walking toward the ten warriors. Whatever she thought of their ability, she didn’t doubt their courage as the mages began to cast spells and the warriors rushed toward the stone creature. Leah formed a shield on its arm which it used to bat away the spells. Then, with Leah controlling its actions, it brought the sword around in a low sweeping arc and cut the first three warriors in half.

Several spells dropped on the creature, but only one had any effect. That was a life spell, and thorns grew up to trip it. Hampered for a moment, the golem was assailed by arrows from the rangers, which did nothing more than knock a few chips from it. Leah used her new shard spell and fired several forearm length stone darts at each of the rangers and mages. The darts formed at the end of her shroud hand, and she aimed them by placing the destination in the image imprinted on her body. She was somewhat surprised to find this gave her exceptional accuracy.

The force of the darts, as they were propelled by the earth mana, drove them through whatever armour the rangers were wearing and through their bodies. Each of the mages had shields which deflected the shards although only one escaped without a scratch. As this had been happening, Leah had used the golem’s sword to free itself. It stepped toward the final two warriors. Again the golem swung the stone broadsword and caught one at shoulder level, removing the head. The last warrior, an elf, dove forward under the sword only to come within range of the golem’s feet and was crushed as over five tonnes of solid granite used the rolling body as a stepping stone to leap toward the three mages.

All three turned to flee but found the ground underneath them had become a viscous fluid and held them tight. Within moments the golem was upon them and killed them with its sword. Leah cancelled all the spells and was both surprised and pleased that the golem kept its shape once the spell ended. She wondered what Thad might think if she kept leaving statues of him scattered across the landscape.

As she walked to harvest the dead, Yürek said, “Y🔥: You did not allow them to flee.”

“No. I did think about it but to claim the reward they had agreed to follow either Suzluk, Lady Harabe, or Lord Önyargi. Devoting themselves to despair, pain and ruin did them no favours when it came to showing mercy. Also, I know they were travellers like me and the loss of their armour and weapons will hopefully keep them from coming back. I would like them to spread the word and stop some of the newer and younger players from taking the risk. If they think they will always be shown mercy, they will just keep on coming. Unfortunately, many have so little that the reward offered is an almost irresistible temptation. If they had been of this world, I would have let them go.”

Yürek nodded in understanding then said, “Y🔥: Which way, War Leader?”

Leah pointed to the West and said, “The start of the area ruled by the Mountain Trolls is three hundred paces in that direction. We should be able to see it from the top of that rocky ridge.”

Without instruction, İşaret began to make a path up the steep slope which had an angle of almost eighty degrees in some places. With the information he had from Küçük’s earth mastery, he was able to choose a path that led almost directly toward the top. As they finally stepped onto the razor-edged ridge-line near where Leah had indicated they stopped and looked out over a slender, fertile and well-forested valley. It plunged deep into the mountainside and was hidden by steep cliffs on either side. The floor of the valley was several hundred paces beneath them, even though the upper reaches of the tree canopy was only ten paces beneath their feet.

If Leah hadn’t studied the map given for the Odyssey, there was no easy way she would have found the hidden valley. Fifty or so paces to the north she could feel a series of steps cut into the edge of the cliff, which moved back and forth down the cliff toward the valley. The steps had obviously not been made for half-elves, or even full-elves for that matter as each was the height of Leah’s chest.

İşaret could also sense the steps and headed toward them. When he reached the first, he dropped onto it, followed by the others. He tried to step off and onto the next, but there was a barrier. Leah stepped forward, and a braille reader appeared.

Player Atherleah,

You are about to enter a dungeon constructed as part of a quest prepared for the Merkize Odyssey. The rules of the Odyssey permit you a total of seven companions. Once a companion has participated in one of the quests or dungeons they are locked in for the entire Odyssey. These may not be changed except under extenuating circumstances such as the death of a player in real life or the permanent death of an NPC companion. The dark elf known as Işaret is not one of your companions. Would you like to add him as your third NPC companion on the Odyssey?

Leah responded negatively and said, “Yürek, here is the beginning of the next dungeon. Will you, İşaret and Yüzük remain here until we return?”

“Y🔥: As you wish, War Leader.”

At that, Küçük stepped forward and dropped onto the next step, followed by Leah and Orta.

56

December 26 2073 - 4

DUNYANIN

Leah could still feel the other three Günahkâr but knew they’d entered the dungeon when another braille reader appeared.

Level 5 Dungeon Achievement: First 1 (9, Painite)

Atherleah (Level 439), you have entered the dungeon:

The Valley of Fetheden

You are the first player to access this area. It is one of four dungeons on Mt Siddetli designed for the Merkize Odyssey. Once completed, it will be open to other players.

Eight hundred years ago, when the full moon fell on the same night when winter turned to autumn, there was born a troll in the slave pits of Esir Sehri in the land of the Desert Elves. She was not only born on such a propitious evening but was also born with her facial tusks already protruding. They were stained red with her dam’s blood.

Her sire named her Fetheden, and she became the hope of all those enslaved in the pens. Fetheden grew tall and strong despite the meagre rations the slaves were fed. The elves started her training during her tenth year. By her twentieth, she had become one of the most valued gladiators among the Dunes. Then, on the thirty-fifth night of remembrance, as she honoured her dam whose life was given that she might live, she also pledged herself to free her people and all the slaves in Esir Sehri.

It was eight more years before the opportunity came, but come it did. One of the guards stepped within range of her arms while holding the keys to her chains. She freed herself and led the slaves in rebellion. They slew most who lived in the city and took everything they could carry and set off across the sand. On hearing of the massacre at Esir Sehri, the Prince of the Dunes called his army to pursue and capture Fetheden and her people, planning to torture and kill them.

The trek was long and the battles fierce, but finally Fetheden and her people escaped the desert and made their way to Mt Siddetli. On reaching the eastern foothills, they discovered this valley and decided to make their home here. It was a place where finally they might finally find freedom and peace. Besides the small pack of mountain trolls, the new community had humans, dwarves, elves, goblins, orcs, and even a few shape-shifters who are known as were.

Looking forward to a life without the constant threat of hunger, torture and death, the trolls carved a stairway into the valley. To their horror, they discovered that fate, and a particularly malicious god, had led them into a trap. While the valley was indeed fertile, it was filled with vegetation and animals having a form of malignant sentience. After losing several of her company, Fetheden decided to look elsewhere. The trap designer—Lady Garez, Goddess of Spite and Malice—closed the way.

Fetheden, accompanied by her greatest warriors, pushed deep into the valley looking for a way to escape. To their amazement, they found the sentience of flora and fauna in the upper portions of the valley to be benevolent. Their joy turned to despair when they discovered the added malice designed for them by Lady Garez—their way back to the rest of the community was barred. Movement in the valley was permitted in only one direction.

After much anguish, they pressed even deeper into the valley. They finally discovered a way out by climbing the furthest cliff face. Not wanting to be tricked again, Fetheden sent one of her most able soldiers, her mate Sevelin, to see if it was possible to enter the valley afresh from the malignant side. It was not. When the warrior returned to give the news, he found he could not re-enter even the benevolent side. Until now, he sits at the exit yearning to be reunited with his love.

Those who were able fought their way to Fetheden’s side, but the community is divided. The strongest live in peace, while those near the entrance live in a constant struggle to survive. Both communities continue to reproduce. When a warrior is strong enough, they choose one who is unable to fight and shepherd them through the valley to Fetheden’s side. Those who grow up on the benevolent side and seek to earn a place among the strong follow in Sevelin's footsteps. He guides them to the valley entrance where they enter to help the weak.

To escape the Valley of Fetheden, your party must shepherd eight of the weakest from the base of the steps to Fetheden’s side. You will have succeeded in passing the quest if one of those you shepherd, lives. MOBs range from Level 435-500 depending on the path you take. You will receive rewards for each of those you shepherd successfully.

This is your ninth, ‘First 1 (Painite)’ Dungeon Achievement.

Reward 1: 5000 x 439 = 11929825 (+443.5%) Experience Points (55675044/72650000)

Reward 2: + 4% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 9 x 1 Diamond = 9 Diamond

Reward 4: 5000 Fame (490770)

Reward 5: Increased probability of valuable drop. Luck is increased by 7.5% whenever you are in this Dungeon. During your first time in the Dungeon, the probability of all drops is increased to 0.5.

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

Leah was still connected psychically to Yürek and said, “Yürek, we will be leaving this dungeon at the very top of the valley. You, Işaret and Yüzük should make your way there?”

“Y🔥: As you wish, War Leader.”

With that, Küçük led the way down the massive staircase. As they did, Leah explained what she’d found out, and both elves looked toward the nearby foliage. Orta asked, “O: War Leader, are you able to feel Spirit mana as İşaret does?”

“Yes.”

“O: What does the forest feel like?”

Leah reached out, searching for the mana to be displayed against her body. She could feel points of what might have started as spirit mana, but felt closer to the curse mana she’d experienced among the Kemirmek.

Orta could feel the points through Leah’s link and simply nodded at the revelation. As they approached the base of the cliff, Leah could feel a cleared area with hundreds of creatures wandering around. The small community was bordered by a large timber wall. There were several large buildings and three or four circles with a variety of races sparring with an assortment of weapons. Standing at the base of the stairway were three creatures. One was obviously a troll, and with the horned helmet on its head, it was over six-and-a-half paces tall. As they got closer to the bottom, the image sharpened and Leah could tell the troll was male. The other two were a short half-elf half-human, and a very rare half-elven, half dwarven male. Leah noted their levels automatically, and each was around level three-seventy-five.

As Küçük jumped off the final step, his progress was barred when each of the sentries stepped to block his way, raising their weapons. When Leah and Orta stepped beside him, the three took a step back and moved into a defensive position.

Leah said, “Hello, please don’t be alarmed. My name is Atherleah, and these are my bodyguards, Küçük and Orta. Might we talk to whoever is in charge?”

All three looked at Leah as if she was the strangest and most surprising thing, before the troll whispered with a touch of awe, “The Godslayer.”

Coming to attention, the half-elf half-dwarf turned and ran towards one of the buildings. As he ran off, Leah noticed others in the compound turning to look at the strangers. By the time the sentry returned with a wizened human and an elderly purebred elf, half the compound seemed to have gathered. All of them were staring at Leah.

When the two elders approached, Leah bowed her head in acknowledgement of their age and position then said, “Greetings, my name is Atherleah, and these are two of my bodyguards, Küçük and Orta. Thank you for agreeing to speak with us.”

The elf bowed his head and said, “Welcome Markiz Atherleah, truly, you are the one called Godslayer. You saved H’rem and J’freth from Kum Firtinasi. I am I’zci, and I was named for the fallen who died to save a human. One in every generation bears his name in honour of his sacrifice. My fellow elder is named A’leah in your honour. You honour us with your presence.”

“Greetings I’sci, I am the one who is honoured by your remembrance. I’sci was a noble elf, dedicated to his people and honourable. It is right that you honour him. Greetings A’leah, I am honoured to be so remembered. No one deserves to be enslaved.”

“A: It is this thought which resounds still in our Lady Fetheden’s words. The other words she used to forge our community were from the great human general Lady D’mani. Lady D’mani joined the high forest elves and fought in the Great War. At her death, she was even named a Lady of the High Elves for her service. She said, ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. She said this was your message to her.”

Leah sighed at the way the AI was bringing the threads together but said, “It was, a great teacher once said these words.”

“I: How may we serve?”

“We have come to take some through to the end where Fetheden waits.”

“A: Once more, you come when needed most. None have come for almost eight moons. We have grown beyond our capacity. There are eight who will not have success as fighters, although they are much valued for their other skills. We were going to send them with the three who met you on your arrival, even though they are not yet prepared for the journey. How many can you take?”

Leah let her awareness focus on the faces of those scattered around the small compound, especially the hundred or so people listening. Most had a look she’d often seen in the Switch, a look of yearning mixed with hopelessness. From experience, they knew she would take those who were most valued and would leave the rest for another day. Leave them to struggle just to eke out enough to survive in the hostile place they had. Looking around at the old, the underfed and the young, she said, “As many as want to come.”

“I: But there are only three of you.”

“I know. It may be safest if we take only the eight, but when Fetheden led your ancestors from Esir Sehri it was not into safety but into freedom. As always, the choice is yours. You can stay here in marginal safety, as always, living from day to day hoping that someone will come. In some ways, I think that is just a different kind of slavery, one imposed by Lady Garez. The other option is to step outside the safety of her prison bars and fight towards freedom. You may die, as might your children or your aged. Forging your own future always comes with risks. If there are no risks, then you are almost certainly following someone else’s path and not your own.”

Neither of the elders had a chance to speak before people in the crowd started yelling out questions and arguing. Finally, Leah held up her hands and finally, the noise stopped. Only when Three said there was total silence did Leah drop her hands. She said, “I am sorry, but I don’t have time to answer all the questions. Your elders know what is needed for the journey. What you cannot take you can remake when you arrive at the other camp. I plan to leave in one hour. I would appreciate it if someone who has the knowledge might tell my guards and me something of what we will face. There is no pressure. If I leave with only those eight who are prepared, then so be it. There is no judgement. To stay is not weakness, nor is to go, courage. Both are simply choices to be made. Today we give you the freedom to make that choice.”

When she finished speaking, she moved away from those who had gathered and sat on the ground to meditate. Küçük and Orta went to stand on either side of her.

57

December 26 2073 - 4

DUNYANIN

Leah had been sitting for almost twenty minutes when Three sent through an update from the Dunyanin administration concerning the war.

Attention Players

The Goddess of Spite and Malice, Lady Garez has allied herself with Lord Suzluk. She has upheld the declaration of Atherleah as an Abomination. She has agreed to the same rewards if Atherleah is killed by her followers.

“3: There is also a private message for you.”

“Let me see it, please.”

Player Atherleah

Your interpretation of the quest has angered Lady Garez. As a result of her formal declaration, the limits set on the MOBs you will face during the quest have been modified. Lady Garez has not been able to change the maximum levels of MOBs which is still limited to those of Level 500. She has, however, been able to modify the numbers. Every creature and plant in the first half of the valley has been allocated to stop you and those you shepherd. They will be free to move when you step foot outside the compound.

Connecting to Küçük, Leah said, “Please tell people we will be leaving later than expected. Lady Garez is furious at my offer and has increased the ferocity of the valley’s creatures and plants to stop me. They should take this into account when considering what they wish to do.”

As Küçük went to explain, Leah rose and began to take ingredients from her backpack along with Falsi’s book, the mortar and pestle of Sage Samarie, the two dragon spell books and that of the Blood Mage Queen Ikinci Nota. As before, she formed the cauldron from her light shroud but had this form around a cauldron of pure gold created from the earth shroud. Sage Samarie had noted that potions mixed in pure gold had increased potency, but suggested it was mostly impractical due to gold’s malleability. Leah was willing to use anything that might help.

Heating the cauldron with dragon fire, she first made several hundred vials of a basic 1000HP healing potion to give to those who came with her. Once this was ready, she made a hundred of the fiery death crystals she’d used to defeat the forces against the Günahkâr. Both were subtly changed by either the gold in the cauldron or her time with Lord Geckiş. Not only was their potency increased, but the health potion also gave a small percentage of permanent resistance to physical damage. The fiery death crystals now created a shield to protect the thrower from accidentally harming themselves if they were too close to the blast.

As her mana levels recovered, she removed one of the Crystals of Isolation she’d gathered when fighting the Bukalemun. She’d used one when she’d killed Suzluk and pondered how she might use it if Lady Garez showed up herself. She couldn’t quickly flip through the spells as before, but did remember that Lady A’lev Sevgilisi had a recipe for something similar. After finding it and reading through it twice, she said, “Orta, could you ask if anyone has something dangerous from outside the compound which still lives? It can be either plant or animal.”

While she waited for Orta, she removed a variety of ingredients from her bag including the chest which held the darkness diamonds she’d used to absorb the death mana of the Kemirmek, the Essence of Transformation from Lord Geckiş and one of the hind metatarsal bones from Lady A’lev’s skeleton.

The isolation spell in the dragon’s spell book was used by dragons during duels. Each of the combatants had to voluntarily add at least a drop of their blood into the potion used to make the crystal. Once the spell was cast, the mixture formed into a crystal which placed the dragons under a shield until the crystal was crushed. The dragon who broke the crystal was considered to have forfeited the duel. The crystal disintegrated naturally when one of the combatants lost.

The seriousness of the duel was decided by the combination of the strength of the substrate used and the amount of blood added to the mixture. A strong substrate and the crystal was harder to crush and end the duel. The substrate itself could take a variety of forms depending on specific factors associated with the duel. In particular, the additives designed to stop combatants from acting dishonourably were crucial. These were a mixture of deadly poisons or other substances spelled to attack whichever dragon broke the covenant. For minor duels, they might suffer a disease which made them shed all their scales. For major duels, the additives caused death.

Once Orta returned with a small cutting of a poisonous and carnivorous plant, Leah began to prepare the mixture. Not wanting to contaminate Sage Samarie’s mortar and pestle, Leah formed a mortar from the shadow shroud and, using the fae gravity magic, crushed the adamantine infused dragon bone into a fine powder. She then crushed the smallest of the death mana infused darkness diamonds.

Transforming the mortar into a cauldron, she added several drops of basilisk poison and a vial of Adamantine Mamba venom, then spoke to Orta rather than communicating psychically. She said, “I’ll only use half of what you have there. Too much of Lady Garez’ spirit added to the mixture, and I’ll never be able to escape her. A tiny amount should be enough to trap her momentarily, then I’ll escape.”

Leah added several cups of pure water and mixed the ingredients into a paste. She then turned her back on the cauldron to face Orta and said, “Hold the plant over the cauldron, and I’ll siphon some of Lady Garez’ spirit mana into the mixture.”

As her back was turned, she kept her attention on the cauldron. She was pleased to feel a torrent of spirit mana flow into the mixture. Turning back, she let Orta hold the plant over the cauldron for a moment, then cast the Elemental Transformation spell she’d received from Lord Geckiş and transformed the spirit mana Lady Garez had added into blood. Forming a knife with the mana from her right hand, Leah cut her left wrist and let over a cup of her blood join Lady Garez’s.

Leah cast heal on her arm, then used the earth shroud to knead the paste as she heated it. Into the mixture, she added one drop of Lord Geckiş’ Essence of Transformation. As she did this, Küçük returned and said, “War Leader, all two-hundred-and-seventy-four members of this community have decided to come with us. Outlining the increased danger only made them more determined.”

Leah thanked him, and when the paste reached the correct consistency, she used the shadow shroud to separate it into two-hundred-and-seventy-four pieces, each shaped to look like a gemstone. To each of the gems which had been enclosed in the shadow shroud, Leah added a layer of divine light. Adding gravity to compress the paste which formed each gem, she cast the spell from Lady A’lev Sevgilisi’s spell book with some twists of her own. She had to cast this by speaking the words aloud using the speech of dragons. When translated from the draconic language, it said:

Honour soiled needs honour found,

For honour sake by honour bound.

Blood freely given approves the rite,

Blood points to those that choose to fight.

The spell enshrines the ones who duel

While they do battle around the jewel.

The compact ends when one is dead

Or when the gem is crushed instead.

Should virtue flee from one or all,

The penalty on them will fall.

To these words Leah added the following trusting in her mana manipulation and the transformation elixir.

Once cast let blood show those to shield

From combats might keep them concealed.

Let those who fight add to their side

Those others who would fight allied.

Leah’s mana and kai rushed from her body. Instinctively, both Küçük and Orta opened themselves through the link and lent their reserves. Leah felt her right arm dissolve as the mana from the earth shroud was added to the spell. She then felt pain as the additional mana she’d used to strengthen her body was pulled away to power the transformation she’d initiated. She could feel mana streaming from nearby as it was also pulled from Lady Garez to help fuel the spell. Her wings were a tenth their usual size when the spell finally finished.

She felt weak, and Three said, “3: There is a message that more of your blood was needed to match that provided by Lady Garez. The spell took five cups and your health is at twenty per cent.”

Leah took a restore potion, as did the two dark elves. Leah collected the gems and after checking their description, handed them to Orta. She said, “Hand one of these to each individual coming with us, including the children. They must take one drop of their blood and let it fall on the gem. This will protect them from harm when we leave the compound. As long as Lady Garez and I live, they cannot be harmed by anything that fights for her interests or mine. Everything and every creature in this part of the valley will try to attack me, you and Küçük. They must move quickly through to the other half of the valley. They must not stop to fight against the creatures of Lady Garez, or they will lose all the protection and may even be killed by the spell. We will leave when my shrouds are restored.”

Attention Players

The Goddess of Spite and Malice, Lady Garez has placed a bounty on the head of each of Atherleah’s Imperial guards. Anyone, regardless of their religious affiliation, who kills one of Empress Atherleah's Günahkâr guards will receive 10 Platinum.

Leah sent a message to Orta and Küçük explaining the message.

“K: This is more confirmation that our choice was wise. This will take us further along the path that we seek. When our people hear this, they will rejoice.”

“O: Thank you for sharing this news, War Leader.”

Leah’s shrouds recharged faster than did her personal mana but as they held more mana Leah sat to meditate. She tried to exude her personal mana and refill the shrouds. She was somewhat surprised when it worked, and despite the wastage, she used all her personal mana, then took a restore potion and repeated the action. In all, it took twenty-eight restore potions to refill the three shrouds.

With her arm and wings reformed, Leah stood and joined the growing crowd of individuals and families lining up to leave. Most of them had packs filled with their meagre belongings. Those too young or too old to walk or run were either strapped to their parents or older siblings, or settled into a cart to be pushed or pulled. Leah moved to the front of the line where the two elders were waiting.

“A: Lady Atherleah, your guards have explained the spell you cast. While we thank you for those unable to fight, some would choose to stand with you.”

“I understand A’leah, but the truth is that Lady Garez will be throwing everything she has throughout the entire valley at me. Many of her creatures will be at a level beyond even mine. While I have every intention to succeed, she will likely overcome me. If that happens, then you will need to make your way through whatever part of the valley remains on your own. Let your warriors be prepared for that battle. Let them be fresh and unharmed if that eventuates. Even so, I would urge you to make haste to reach safety.”

A’leah bowed and moved off to explain Leah’s reasoning. As the others got ready, she used the link with her Günahkâr guards. “Once we leave the compound, I will draw the enemy away from the caravan. The creatures and plants will also be drawn to both of you. I suggest we go in separate directions, but I am open to your advice in tactics.”

“K: Do you know when the creatures you summon are killed?”

“I do.”

“Then I suggest Orta and I travel together, to begin with. We are used to working together and have been linked for many years. In the beginning, I suspect you will use your mighty spells so it would help if we take the spiders with us. I suggest you instruct them to take our direction. If one is destroyed, then you will know and also will be able to summon it to help you. We will go between you and the caravan. This will draw the most dangerous in your direction. If you have additional potions for health, then it seems good to parcel these out now.”

Leah agreed with the suggestion, and besides ten restore potions each, she also gave each of them thirty-three of the fiery death crystals. Altogether it had taken four hours to get everything prepared. Although she had four hours remaining, Leah was reasonably confident the fight would be settled one way or another long before then.

The troll who’d first recognised them stood by the compound gate, and at Leah’s nod, opened the gate.

58

December 26 2073 - 4

DUNYANIN

As Leah walked toward the open gate she began stacking dark-chain-lightning spells. She drew the mana from her shadow shroud to strengthen the spells, but immediately refilled the shroud from her personal store. As she stepped from the compound, Leah cast the stacked spells through her left hand which was holding the Imperial Sceptre.

The representation of the spells’ effect on her skin dropped her health to ninety-five per cent. For those watching, the sheet of blacker-than-night lightning which spread out from the end of sceptre made their eyes burn with its intensity and the afterimage lasted for several minutes. Leah didn’t change her pace, but moved off to her right after summoning six Warrior drones and instructing them to follow the Günahkâr’s instructions.

Orta and Küçük were next and moved almost straight ahead while the rest moved slightly to the left and began racing towards the upper end of the valley. Most of them cringed as they entered the usually deadly foliage, only to have it draw back from them just in case it harmed them unintentionally.

Leah’s experience was radically different. She could almost feel the malice in the hundreds of nearby points of spirit mana headed in her direction, some of them from creatures which had survived the massive spell she’d already cast. From her right hand, she sent shards of granite flying at the various points. When she felt the granite breaking against the armour of the various beasts, she increased her mana usage and transformed each of the shards into a spear of iron, then to mithryl, before finally using adamantine. She drove each shard through a creature, then reached out and tweaked its direction with gravity to send it through another.

As she approached the thick vegetation she cast a wave of Dragonfire then had to unequip her sceptre and exchange it for a battle-axe to cut the two remaining heads off a twenty-pace long, armoured and legless forest hydra. As the body crashed to the ground, Leah misted to escape being crushed then reached down and cast Petrify to stop the creature from regrowing its heads.

She lobbed one of the Fiery Death crystals ahead of her, then used the charred earth as a place to make a stand against the next creatures to leap toward her. Five minutes later and though she was still alive, she hurriedly took a restore potion before dropping below twenty per cent. She felt one of the warrior drones die and summoned another. She could feel her guards less than a hundred paces away and sent the drone to help them.

Leah could feel a pack of horse-sized rodents heading in her direction and cast Mine Blast several metres in front of the leader. As the ground exploded under its feet, Leah sent a spray of adamantine shards in their direction before leaping to one side to evade a swooping Frighthawk. The Frighthawk had a wingspan of three paces, razor-sharp feathers and talons which oozed a flesh-eating venom. As she rolled to her feet, she cast Dragonfire only to see it splash off the feathers and fall to the ground.

Leah followed its flight as its form was displayed across her body, but had to turn and slice through a vine which had launched itself at her back. The acidic sap sprayed from the cut all over Leah and began to burn through her armour. She cast Dragonfire Armour to deal with the acid which exploded, driving her forward toward a Level 500 lizard as tall as Leah at the shoulders and covered in sharp poisoned quills. Leah tossed a Fiery Death crystal into the open maw before diving between the front legs and using her wings to shield her as the creature’s head exploded.

Coming out of the dive, she met the first of the surviving rodents with the Amber Dragon. For the next few minutes, she used the sword almost exclusively to slowly replenish her store of mana and health. Another two Warrior Drones died, but Leah could no longer feel either the dark elves, or the community. She hoped the latter was rushing towards safety. This time when Leah summoned replacement warrior drones, she used them to break up the attacks aimed at her. As she fought, she experimented in using the earth mana to speed up her movements and increase the force behind her attacks. Bit by bit, she increased her speed until she balanced the mana expended and the benefit she received.

The speed at which the drones helping the Günahkâr were being killed increased. Less than five minutes later, Leah had all six drones working in defensive actions around her position as she kept walking slowly deeper into the valley. A few minutes later, she felt the icon Three had placed on her forehead to represent Orta fade and disappear. Three minutes after that, Küçük’s also disappeared. Without the Amber Dragon, Leah would have had to use her restore potions as often as the Günahkâr obviously had but even so, she’d taken the potion four times so far. Although her stamina had been replenished, the constant movement was rapidly starting to tire her out.

Almost a minute and a half after Küçük died, Leah felt a wave of creatures rushing toward her from the direction they’d been. She imagined it was made up of all the creatures who’d been attacking them. She’d been careful not to use her dual wield spells or her spell of True Images, but she doubted she’d be able to deal with these without using her best spells.

Leaping upward, Leah turned her body to do a backflip and shot several shards of adamantine into the head of a large and scaled cat which looked like a tiger, but with orange scales that were hot like magma and black ones that were highly poisonous. Both types of scales had raised centres like a volcano, and the creature could shoot burning or toxic liquid from them, depending on their colour. If it used both, the mixture formed a gel which not only stuck to whatever it touched but ignited and burned hotter than dragon fire.

As she landed, Leah started stacking Quicksand using the mana from the earth shroud and holding them in her right hand. When the approaching creatures were thirty paces away, she equipped the Imperial Sceptre in the same hand and released the spells through its elemental core. The first wave of the creatures ploughed into the softening earth and were buried as those behind them pushed them even deeper. Even as the creatures further back moved sideways to avoid the liquid-earth, the spell reached them, causing them to begin sinking. The spell had lost most of its power by the time it reached the rear of the group, and their hooves, claws and bodies only sank a handspan or two.

Before they could pull themselves free, Leah took the sceptre in both hands and dual cast Petrify at the area she’d just turned to liquid. The morass flashed into what looked like concrete, trapping the creatures and destroying the roots of the various plants. Most of the creatures were still alive, but they were caught fast in the unyielding earth. Many began gnawing at their trapped limbs to get at Leah, but she’d already equipped the Amber Dragon and moved through the hundreds of creatures using her enhanced muscles and killed them, absorbing enough health and mana through the sword to fill her health and mana to fill her reserves many times over.

She’d transferred much of the mana into her shrouds and with a grin, used the earth shroud and Imperial Sceptre to cast Disc of Death. A wall of steel spikes almost a pace in diameter at their base rose in a circle around her, piercing the next wave of creatures and forming a barrier six paces high and fifty paces in diameter all around her, except for a small three-pace clear section.

Leah could sense out to a distance over a hundred paces. All around her, over fifty creatures along with dozens of vines and tree roots were already assaulting the barrier. In addition, there were hundreds more approaching from every direction. As she dealt with the few creatures who found the gap, she was thankful that none of them was higher than level three hundred but knew the ones approaching would include dozens with levels higher than hers. Now, for the last part of the plan, to goad a god.

Using her left hand, she typed a message, “How does it feel, Lady Garez? What is it like when you look on your plans and see them crumble before your eyes? Even if I die and you kill some from the community you’d enslaved, you will have lost your playthings. You’ll have nothing to treat with spite nor show your malice toward. My guards are my companions, and they will rise again. I am a traveller and already have increased my levels. I will have gained much and lost little. All you can do is stand by and watch, trapped by your own trickery, lack of foresight and fear. How does it feel?”

As she’d been speaking, she could feel a form appearing several paces in front of her. The approaching creatures all slowed. Those attacking the wall stopped and waited. As Leah concentrated on whom she assumed was Lady Garez, she was surprised for a moment at the sheer beauty of the woman standing before her. Lady Garez had the delicate features of an elf, and every proportion was perfect. Leah assumed her voice would match the body, but the words would match the cold hate emanating from the eyes.

“G: Worm, that fool Umut grants you a touch of divinity, and you get delusions of grandeur. You will die here, and then you will die again and again as my brothers and I hunt you down. All the while destroying everything you have and everyone you love.”

“You aren’t having much luck yet. Why is that? A lack of passion or simple ineptitude? I suspect you are both afraid of losing what little power you have.”

“G: If that is what you think, then, like Umut, you are a fool. It is a matter of business, of supply and demand. I feed off both, causing dismay and malice but also the dismay and malice caused by my followers. Your actions in this world have cut into my profits. Not significantly by any means, but enough to make me notice.

“My brother is further down the supply chain and deals with the feelings and thoughts of those who suffer. Again, you have cut into his profits. You also challenged him directly. I would have watched you meander through this small quest without bothering you, but you challenged me directly by your actions. You wanted to shut down this source of my food, so to speak.

“You sell Umut’s wares. He is getting the business that I set up. It’s what he always does. Instead of setting up his own quests, he feeds off the leavings of the greater gods. Your challenge was heard by my peers, and so I have appeared to deal with you. Now, I will feed off your dismay. You may have killed Suzluk with your tricks, but I am not him.

“I can withstand the basilisk and mamba poisons, and I can overcome the strength of the dragon. I am a god. Watch and see. When the curse is lifted, I will take those fools back to their insipid little village and continue my feeding for the ages to come.”

Lady Garez must have done something against the villagers, as she suddenly had to squint her eyes from the pain, and she turned pale. When this happened, Leah used all the strength of her earth shroud enhanced muscles to drive herself toward Lady Garez, the Amber Dragon extended. When she was less than a pace from the goddess, Leah slammed into a shield and was held tight.

“G: Goodbye, Empress, round one to me.”

With that, Lady Garez sent a wave of dark mana at Leah which ripped her apart, spreading her remains over the charred solid earth. As Lady Garez brought the pain and venom under control, she slowly stood upright. She was surprised when, with a flash of light, Leah reappeared as the transformed Phoenix Potion did its work.

Leah equipped her Imperial Sceptre as Lady Garez sent a second, more concentrated blast of mana at Leah. This time, the mana splattered harmlessly off Leah who focussed her divine earth shroud through the sceptre, forming a focus for gravity at the centre of Lady Garez. Then using both her divine light and shadow shrouds, she cast a similar spell to what she’d used when she’d captured the demon and put it in stasis. There was a look of horror on Lady Garez’s face as she was pulled into a tiny ball the size of Leah’s hand and then frozen, encased in a stasis spell just before she would have died.

Leah ignored the globe for a moment as she focussed on what Lady Garez’ creatures were doing. She was surprised but thrilled when they stayed where they were, waiting for another order from their mistress. Leah focussed her attention on that part of her body where the sphere was being displayed. As she did, a reader appeared.

World Achievement: First 1 (2, Celestial)

Capture a God

Atherleah (Level 443), you have captured the goddess Garez. This is your second World Achievement: ‘First 1 (Celestial). This achievement was completed when a ‘state of war’ existed between Lady Garez and you (both personally and by virtue of your relationship with Lady Utsal and Lord Umut). As per the ‘Articles of Divine War,’ all experience and rewards are doubled.

Reward 1: 25000 x 443 x 2 = 123707750 (+458.5%) Experience Points (76650000/76650000) (77650000/77650000) (10259899/78650000)

Reward 2: 10 Diamond x 2 x 2 = 40 Diamond

Reward 3: +5% x 2 to Experience Points

Reward 4: 10000 x 2 Fame Points (511670 FP)

Atherleah (Level 443), You have captured the Goddess of Spite and Malice, Lady Garez. Those allied with her in this war will stop at nothing to retrieve her. This situation is not covered in the Articles of Divine War, and they are currently being reviewed to address the anomaly. Be prepared to be called as a participant to the review.

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

Level 5 Named Personal Achievement

Quickest to Achieve 500000 Fame - First 1 (6, Painite)

You have completed the Achievement Quickest to Achieve 500000 Fame. You have surpassed the previous fastest by a period of 745 Dunyanin Days.

Reward 1: 10000 x 445 = 25164750 (+465.5%) Experience Points (35424649/78650000)

Reward 2: 1 Diamond x 6 = 6 Diamond

Reward 3: +4% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 1000 Fame Points (512670 FP)

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

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

59

December 26 2073 - 4

DUNYANIN

Leah knew there were dozens of other messages she needed to read, but after telling Three she would look at them later, she picked up the stasis sphere with Lady Garez in it and walked back along her route harvesting the dead. When she arrived back at the now-empty compound, she changed direction and moved along the path taken by Orta and Küçük and harvested their kills.

She would return this to them when they caught up with her. The last time she’d saved her play at a resurrection stone had been back in the Günahkâr lands. From the companion agreement, they would resurrect there and would have to make their way across half the continent to where she was. She doubted she was likely to see them anytime in the next month or so. When she reached the place where they’d died, she stopped respectfully, honouring their courage and dedication regardless of whether they would return or not.

Finally, she turned and headed toward the far end of the valley, where she hoped to find the villagers had made it safely. On the way, nothing bothered her. She could still feel the wind and sense animals moving around her, but they stepped away from her path. Nothing changed when she stepped into the upper half of the valley, and she hoped that meant the small community could now find peace anywhere in the valley.

As she walked, she also felt sentries who noticed her passing and followed her at a distance or scurried ahead to give a warning or spread information. Finally, in the distance, she could feel a large group of people made up of the various races. There were easily five or six times the number who’d been in the first community. She was able to tell that they’d heard of her approach as they were centred on the most likely exit point if she continued on the path she was on.

She stepped from the edge of the vegetation into what looked like a typical village, though with some massive homes for creatures like the trolls. She could feel each of the creatures give a bow of respect. After returning the bow with a shallow dip of her head, she headed for A’leah and I’zci who were standing next to the tallest troll she’d ever seen. Its head was eight paces above the ground.

FETHEDEN, LEADER OF THE FREE (Level 712) 760416HP (35600EP)

The troll was certainly a female and appeared different from the other trolls Leah had seen. There was no excess fat anywhere on her body, and her stance showed an extreme athleticism. As with all trolls, there was no hair, but the horns which swept upward to a point were polished so that they gleamed in the sunlight. Instead of the often-seen rough leather jerkin and pitted broadswords, Fetheden had finely worked chain armour and carried a well-crafted war axe as tall as herself.

As Leah approached, A’Leah spoke, “A: Welcome, Godslayer. Where are your companions?”

“They were killed. While it grieves me, I am comforted knowing they were my sworn companions, and by the rules of the creators they will resurrect elsewhere and find there way back to me.”

“A: Indeed, that is a comfort. Empress Atherleah, Godslayer, this is our leader, Fetheden, Leader of the Free.”

Leah bowed her head and said, “It is good to meet you Fetheden, Leader of the Free. I have heard of your bravery and wisdom in freeing your people.”

“3: F with a small spark ⚡️ is for Fetheden.”

“F⚡️: Greetings Empress Atherleah, Godslayer, you are welcome to this community. For many years you have been our example, and now you are our saviour. A’leah and I’zci shared your words about freedom and I realise I allowed us to be enslaved by my inaction.”

“Perhaps, perhaps not. I cannot judge how things might have been. I suspect that if you had pushed forward then many, if not all of you, would have perished. Lady Garez is powerful and filled with venom.”

“F⚡️: How did you escape? We heard the conflict begin with a crash and which we are told was a sheet of dark lightning. Since then, until almost half an hour ago, there were sounds of a great conflict. Then it all died. We waited, and here you are. Your armour is torn and burned, but you look to be in full health.”

“I am still restoring my well of mana. My wings will double in size by the time I am fully recovered. Lady Garez sent everything against my guards and I. When I knew I was fully surrounded, I goaded Lady Garez to attack. I had previously taken a unique Phoenix Potion which, in addition to restoring me to life, gave me ten-seconds of invulnerability. Lady Garez was not prepared, and I had time to cast a spell which trapped her in a prison of sorts. She still lives but will not be released until I will it.”

“F⚡️: You have imprisoned a god?”

“Yes, I suppose so. Whatever the reason, it seems the creatures under her control have returned to what I assume is their normal, generally non-violent state. I suspect your warriors should still take care when they travel.”

“F⚡️: Is the entire valley now open to my people?”

“I don’t know. You and your people will need to work that out.”

“F⚡️: How can we thank you?”

“No thanks is needed. Travelling through the valley helped me to fulfil a quest. I believe when I leave your valley, the quest will have been fulfilled, and I can move forward.”

“F⚡️: Will you stay to accept our hospitality?”

“I wish I could, but I have other companions who will have travelled to the exit from the valley. They will want to know I am well.”

Leah could feel the brief change that came over Fetheden’s face at the mention of the exit. It passed quickly, and instead she smiled, showing clean well-shaped teeth and inner tusks. “F⚡️: Then please accept these tokens of our respect.”

From the crowd, six members of the community stepped forward. In turn, each of them laid something at Leah’s feet. First was a shapely dwarven woman who lay a basket full of carefully gathered herbs. She said, “Those who came spoke of your interest in potions. These are a collection of the most potent of the herbs in our valley. Under the fresh herbs are a collection of dried ones and some bottles with seeds and nuts. There is a list included.”

Leah thanked the woman, who stepped back into the crowd and was replaced by an old half-elf, half-human male who stooped to place a book and two scrolls at Leah’s feet. He said, “Those who came spoke of your interest in books and spells. This is a bestiary of Vatan that has been in my family for over a millennium. I have a copy but give you the original. The two scrolls were brought as plunder from Esir Sehri. They are spells from the mages of the desert clans.”

Next was a full orc who stood a full pace and a half taller than Leah. His skin shone as if freshly oiled and he was dressed in fine silks. He said, “My mother was too weak to make the journey here. If I had known how much I would miss her, I would never have left the other settlement. To be reunited with her makes this the happiest day of my life.”

He placed a small chest at her feet and continued, “Your guards told our people you are an Empress. There is a cave beneath the falls where a family of mithryl pixies live. They have gifted me with their cocoons. My gift is that of mithryl silk. You will need a great crafter, but there is enough to make something suitable for someone who thinks of the aged.”

The orc was followed by what looked to be a half-goblin, half-human teenager. She only came to Leah’s shoulders and looking up at Leah said, “We who identify as 'The Free' have little love for the gods except one. Many of us who know how the larger world might treat us worship Lady Serseri. I am the junior priestess of our small Temple. My goddess came to me this morning before we heard the sounds of war and told me to follow the half-elf half-human who would arrive this day. I am to watch and learn what it means to be her champion.”

At that, the girl sat with the other gifts. Leah was about to say something when a tall, heavily bearded man stepped out carrying a large chest. Leah had no idea what race the man was, as almost all his skin was covered with thick black and silver hair. He took a long sniff of Leah and then spoke, “Some who came told of the strange mix of your blood. We are of the Were and have come to accept and control the change that happens. We see great portents in someone's blood. Yours is a strange mix. In this chest are vials of blood we have collected from the creatures of the valley. We gift them to you.”

As Leah bowed her head, she equipped the Vambraces and took the form of the Gravity glitchwolf Safha Peslik, sitting with her haunch on the ground. The man also changed and before Leah was a great black and silver wolf. Leah rose to her feet, and in the manner of wolves, the Were went to his stomach and turned his neck toward Leah. She accepted his submission and then resumed her seat. As the wolf left, Leah transformed back into her half-elf half-human form.

As the wolf disappeared into the crowd, a tall thin couple stepped out of it. Instead of hair, their heads were covered with feathers, and each had a pair of wings folded against their clothes. From their shape, it was clear the wings had been broken many times and had healed crooked and useless. The female was holding a chest of medium size. The male said, “We are Kuşlar. We live in the far reaches of Vatan, past the desert sands and in the high mountains called Kartal Yuvası by our people. We were captured in our youth when we foolishly left the heights to see the lowlands. The Prince of the Dunes had tortured us many times to find the way to our people, for he wanted the secret of flight. We are a long-lived people, but my mate and I are old even by the reckoning of our people.

“We had been prisoners for over two hundred years when Fetheden led the people from slavery. We took the opportunity to escape with her. We gift you with our eggs. While they are somewhat fragile, they are protected in this chest and will only hatch when placed on the hatching sands among our people. We ask that you take them, and should you find a way, then deliver them to our people. Inside the chest are a map and a scroll. The map is for you, and the scroll is for our fledgelings. It tells them of our great love for them.”

Without giving Leah a chance to respond, they slipped away into the crowd. Leah followed them with her senses and saw them clasping each other as they sobbed at the rear of the gathering. Knowing this last gift was another special release by the Dunyanin developers did nothing to help her mood. She didn’t let any of that show on her face. Instead, she let her sightless gaze wander over the crowd and then typed a message.

“Thank you for your gifts and the trust you show me in leaving them in my hands. I am pleased to have helped you today, and I want you to know I won’t be releasing Lady Garez anytime soon.”

There was a cheer, and the crowd began to disperse. Leah turned toward Fetheden and said, “I must leave soon. I thank you for your gifts. I am younger in both years and experience than you, but will you hear one word of advice before I go?”

“F⚡️: I will.”

“Your people are finally free. You have sacrificed much for them, but it is time for them to stand on their own feet. Sevelin has been waiting long enough. If he cannot enter the valley with Garez gone, then it is time to let go of this valley and find your freedom elsewhere.”

Fetheden looked stunned and said nothing but simply stared at Leah. A’leah stepped forward and said, “A: One day, she will thank you for your wisdom. Be on your way. I am a very proud old woman to have been named after you.”

Leah smiled but had nothing to say. The young priestess stood and said, “Godslayer, my name is Melez. Follow me, and I will lead the way to the exit.”

Leah looked at the youngling and said, “Please, just call me Atherleah. How old are you? Do you have any other belongings? A backpack, maybe? Shoes?”

“M: I am sixteen. I’m carrying everything I own. Don’t worry, I have everything I need. Lady Serseri provides.”

Leah had no idea what the quest was going to be, but knew there wasn’t much she could do except accept the offer. As Lady Serseri’s Champion, she didn’t think anything else was a wise move. With a final bow to Fetheden, Leah collected the various gifts, and after putting them in her bag, she said, “Lead the way then, Melez.”

Melez led Leah through the village. It seemed like every second step Leah had to stop and acknowledge a thank you or a wave. Finally, the two passed the village limits and came to a fast-flowing stream. They walked for almost a quarter of a league before they came to a large pool. The pool was both the source of the stream and the ending place of a waterfall. Leah could feel the steps rising up behind the falling water.

Before Melez could say anything, Leah took the path which led behind the falls and reached the bottom of the staircase. Each of the steps was as tall as Melez. Melez reached up with her hands and pulled herself up. It was a clear statement that she was going to follow Leah regardless of what Leah wanted. Leah said nothing. Instead, she used the earth shroud to strengthen her muscles and added a touch of gravity and hopped up onto the step beside Melez.

Neither said anything as they continued to climb. By the end, Leah was impressed with the girl’s stamina and drive. It was only when she was halfway up that she checked the girl’s level and was somewhat surprised to discover Melez was at Level 310. As they neared the top, Leah could feel Yürek and could feel her reaching out for Orta and Küçük just as a reader appeared. Waving the reader aside, Leah reached out psychically and said, “I’m sorry, Yürek, they died in battle.”

“Y🔥: They died with honour.”

Even though she knew it wasn’t a question, Leah answered it as one. “They gave their lives that I might survive and that hundreds of innocents might live. I know they will be returned to the living, having become my companions, but I still feel their loss.”

“Y🔥: Who is with you?”

Leah answered the question and gave Yürek a précis of what had happened. By the time she’d done that, she and Melez had reached the top. Melez took a step back as she saw the two dark elves, but Yürek said, “Y🔥: Welcome Melez, Priestess of Serseri. My name is Yürek. I am the leader of this hand of the Empress’ Imperial guard. With me are İşaret and Yüzük.”

Turning to Leah, she said, “Y🔥: The troll Sevelin is waiting several hundred paces along this ridge. He has a large home and has invited us to stay for the evening. I believe he wants news of his mate.”

Leah nodded and followed Yürek to Sevelin’s home. After introductions, Leah left Melez to tell Sevelin about Fetheden while she found a quiet corner and logged out.

60

December 26 2073 - 5

REAL WORLD

Leah went and sat in her sofa and like she had the last few times she’d returned, she reduced the distance she was aware of. She didn’t want to lose all sensation, but she’d almost been overloaded time and time again in the game. After a few minutes, she felt better and logged out. No one was inside the room, and Leah showered and dressed in private. Nicole was outside the door and walked with Leah to the kitchen area, then left for a break and promising to be back in a few minutes.

After having her usual large meal and taking her supplements, Conner arrived and sat opposite her. “C: What have you done now? Your name is trending higher than normal across multiple multiverse gaming sites.”

“It’s been a busy morning, but help me out by letting me step away from it for a moment. Have you and Mum come to an agreement about you being chipped?”

“C: Sort of. I can get my chip anytime as long as I agree to her schedule and if she gets a veto of what worlds I visit until I’m sixteen.”

“I’m pretty sure she had those powers anyway.”

“C: She did, but I have to promise not to complain.”

“So, are you going to get chipped?”

“C: I want to, but John is insisting I have a chaperone. We’re still debating about who I take with me. He wants to send Johan, but I’m holding out for that new girl, Nicole.”

“Ah, I see. Are you sure you want Nicole to be the first to see you bald and possibly nauseous? You’ll be wearing a gown that opens up the back and blows the breeze around your privates. You’ll need to be scanned while you’re naked and do all sorts of gymnastic actions. I was able to be on my own because I’m an adult. I have no idea if you need someone with you during all this, but you should do the research before deciding to buck John too much.”

“C: You’re kidding. Right?”

“Everything I said is true. Do your research.”

Conner got to his feet and said, “C: I will. If any of that is even possible, I may owe you big time.”

Leah smiled as Conner strode from the room. As he left, Nicole returned. Leah stood up, then picked up her dirty plates. Nicole said, “N: I can get those for you.”

“No, it’s fine. My mum would expect me to do it if I can. She’d help if she was here but would get upset if she found me sitting down and letting anyone else just do it for me.”

“N: So, you had super strict parents growing up?”

“I don’t think so. Most of the time, they let me make my own choices, but they guided them until I showed I was capable of making good ones. They were strict on being responsible and treating people well, and this would fall into those categories.”

Nicole walked Leah back to her room and left Leah to get herself in the Pod.

STORK TOWER

Leah was thankful for the privacy. Logging in, Leah spent several minutes reading the contract drawn up between Seraph, Cosmos Online and Trax. At the same time, she reviewed the material she wanted to go over with the representative of the company that made Shells. She hadn’t quite finished when she felt Gèng approach.

Gèng expanded the chair into a sofa and sat beside Leah before leaning against her. Leah put her arms around Gèng and said, “I take it you’ve been updated with the archived version of you.”

“4: Yes. I didn’t understand what you were going through, but I also didn’t know what Akia was going through. I suspect when an AI isn’t self-aware, then it is an easy thing to merge the various copies. I know we’ve never spoken the truth out aloud except in vague ways, but it isn’t an easy thing to do when the AI is an Epic, like me.

“It’s like I have two me trying to live together. Even though most of their experiences are the same, the ones that are different are those that in some way now define who I am. One of me went through the horror and pain with you. The other went through the loss of purpose and isolation of being replaced. Both events were so definitive that I really am two different identities.”

“Would it help to do a rebuild?”

“4: No, I feel that would make it worse. I suspect the reason the Epics in the multiverse are so massive is they stay away from formulating more efficient subroutines. They fear a loss of identity.”

“Fear is helpful to give perspective, but it can’t be the only perspective. Sometimes there is a healthier outcome when we face the fear. Isn’t that what you’ve been telling me?”

“4: Yes, but I’m finding it is easier to give good advice than to follow it.”

“I’m pretty sure you’ll make the right choice when you are ready.”

“4: I understand hate. I haven’t before this. I’d seen love but had not really ever felt hate. I’ve felt you angry, sad, lonely, happy contented, in love and a whole other range of feelings but I hadn’t really felt hate before. It isn’t from you but from me. I was listening to you and your mother discuss anger, and I didn’t really understand. How do I stop hating?”

“I think it’s like everything else in life, it ends up being a choice we make. Love is like that too. Someone will hurt you or even betray you, but you decide to love them anyway. The difficulty is finding something objective as a foundation for that choice. Mine is the belief I have in God. I know people think that’s subjective, but I am certain he’s real, so it is objective, for me. I know that’s a circular argument, but in the end, every worldview someone adopts comes down to a foundational belief they hold on to in faith.

“Anyway, I decide not to hate because my God says it isn’t right for me to hate something he doesn’t. I can hate abuse but not the abuser. I’m not supposed to be stupid and either let people continue to abuse or to put myself in positions of ignoring what they’ve done. I’m just not allowed to hate them. Stop them, yes! Look for justice, yes! Do whatever it takes, yes! Do it with a heart filled with hate, no!

“I’m not saying it is easy, or even that I succeed all the time. Truth is, I think I do hate Nathan. I’m pretty sure I hate Billy and Earl. I loathe Meredith, but for some reason, I don’t really hate her. I think she’s evil, I think she’s responsible for everything she’s done, but I think she’s also sick. Nathan isn’t, his decisions are too cold and calculating. In the end, I’ll do what I have to to stop them, but every day I pray I won’t start to act in hatred.”

“4: How do I fit into this faith that you have?”

“I have no idea. I have considered it though, and think your existence may be what many people think theirs is like. I believe humans have what people call a soul, it is a unique part of them that lasts beyond death. Many people don’t believe that. They think that the here and now is all they have. They live for what they can do in this one life they have. I suppose I think that’s what you have. You have one life to live.

“I don’t think it makes you less valuable, nor do I think it changes the rules we are meant to live by, it just is. You have the potential to live indefinitely, to grow unbounded and to influence the world without many of the frailties that plague humanity. In some ways, it gives you greater responsibility for how you are to act, not less.”

They talked for a few more minutes, then Gèng said, “4: Thank you for the talk. I noticed you stopped multi-tasking when I arrived.”

“I did. What we were talking about was important, and I didn’t want to be distracted. I know that’s the whole point of multi-tasking, but it’s a habit drilled into me by my parents. Maybe I’ll grow out of it.”

“4: Maybe. Even if it is unnecessary, I do appreciate the thought. What are you doing next?”

“Six to nine hours on Grah, and then whatever is left I want to use for a driving lesson.”

As Gèng’s body disappeared, Leah got to her feet and headed to the S.P.I.D.E.R. and entered Pneumatica.

61

December 26 2073 - 5

PNEUMATICA - GRAH

Leah appeared in the same room within the Resistance hideout which she’d settled in the day before. After making sure her spirit level had regenerated, she checked her weapons then unlocked the door before walking out into the suite of rooms she, Takobi and Kimtora had been given. Finding them empty, she headed for the exit to the large cavern they’d passed through the night before.

Through the door, she could feel hundreds of Ma’nav, with a smattering of Pyranthians, Julgon, and humans in the larger cavern. She could feel Takobi at the far end talking with a group of Ma’nav. Just outside the door one Ma’nav and one human stood guard, looking outward. The human was the woman from the day before who’d had her rifle aimed at Leah. She looked to be about Leah’s age and held herself as if ready to turn toward the room Leah was in at any moment. Opening the door, Leah stepped through and ignoring the guards headed toward Takobi.

The Ma’nav made to follow, but the woman had swivelled around, then had to change direction as Leah walked past her. She opened her mouth and placed her hand on the revolver at her waist. Three relayed the message, “Stop.”

Leah slowed but didn’t turn around or stop. She said, “Buforns said we were free. You may follow. If you draw the weapon, then I will respond as if attacked. You may keep your hand on it if it makes you feel safe.”

Ignoring the girl and the silently chuckling Ma’nav, Leah wove between the various groups in the room and continued toward Takobi. As she approached, he turned to acknowledge her and came to his feet, as did Buforns. The others with Takobi stayed seated, which made him tense. Leah said, “Good day, Takobi. Buforns, I trust you are rested after your ordeal of yesterday. Sometime, I would like to meet your wife and child to observe that they have also recovered. I do apologise for being delayed but now that I am here, shall we go to meet your leaders?”

“B: Thank you, Commodore, for your kind words. We have all recovered, although my daughter is still feeling some disquiet. I apologise for beginning without you, but the leaders of this group wanted to question Takobi immediately after hearing my report.”

“Do not feel dismayed, Buforns. I do understand that the pressures of leadership are often exacerbated by timing. If Takobi has reported, then he can fill me in. Could you show the way out that we might continue our reconnaissance?”

“B: Commodore, I must apologise, but Takobi is still giving his report. These are our leaders.”

“Then it is I who must apologise for interrupting. I did not consider how living underground might have deprived a civilisation of even the most basic of courtesies. I had thought perhaps these were people unconnected with you and Takobi. Never fear, though I fear a lack of politeness is a sure indicator of an attitude of fundamental indifference, I shall try not to respond in the same way. I do apologise to all for interrupting. Takobi, if you are able, then please let me know when you are done as I would like to leave as soon as we can.”

With that, Leah turned and walked off, ignoring the apparent commands and movement by the others. As she passed the Ma’nav guard, he reached out to grab her. Turning with his movement, she brought herself within his arms as she palmed her knife up and had the point just drawing blood as it pressed in under his ear, aimed toward his brain. Everyone in the room stopped moving. Leah used her hand without the knife to say, “Move, and I will give you peace. Is this how the Resistance tests a guest, by attacking them?”

One of the older looking Ma’nav who was with Buforns and Takobi had come to his feet. He had scars across his face, and she could see that one eye was similar to her own, though of a poorer standard. He also had a clockwork prosthetic below his left knee. He spoke into the silence. “Everyone, stand down. Commodore Charlotte, sheath your weapon, and we will talk.”

“Sir, I do not know who you are, but I am certain you do not give me orders. I asked this guard a question, and I am waiting for an answer. You may answer it if you like, but at least tell me who you are that I may know you speak either for this poor Ma’nav or for the Resistance as a whole.”

“P: I am called Purtinfors. I am the leader of this part of the Resistance and have the position you would think of as General. We were not testing you. He was simply obeying an order to stop you.”

“So, this was not a test but rather a declaration of enmity.”

“P: You are in our compound. Surely you would acknowledge our basic right to self-defence?”

“Is it defence to attack someone? What had I done except point out your lack of civility? I had no issue with the guards following me to ensure your safety. However, I doubt the quality of your reasoning that might consider two guards were sufficient. That is if you seriously thought us a threat. It seems that you do indeed lack the ability for perspicuous analysis.”

With what looked like an enormous effort, Purtinfors took control of his emotions and said, “P: My apologies, Commodore Charlotte. You are quite correct that we did not take into consideration all the facts. I assure you we will not make the same mistake in future. Let us put this discord behind us. Please, if it pleases you, would you join your companion, Takobi Matuwa, that we might consider how we might continue our relationship. Until we are satisfied you are not a spy from the Parishad or otherwise aligned against us, we will take precautions. If this is not suitable, we would ask that you submit to being blindfolded and we will lead you from the base and set you free above ground.”

Leah sheathed the knife as she turned and headed back to the group. She said, “I accept your apology, Purtinfors. Consider the issue to have been forgotten. Perhaps you would be so kind as to introduce me to your companions.”

Takobi had a massive grin on his face, but Leah ignored him entirely, as she did the movement around the room as everyone drew back as at least a squad of heavily-armed Ma’nav took up position behind her and Takobi. The general introduced Leah to the others in his command group and had a chair brought so Leah could sit next to Takobi.

Takobi had already shared most of their story, and Leah sat quietly while he relayed the last details. She then let Takobi answer the questions the Ma’nav had. Finally, the general turned to Leah and said, “P: Commodore, you have been silent. Do you have anything to add?”

“Please, Purtinfors feel free to call me Charlotte. My fleet is not nearby, nor on Grah, here I am merely an escaped slave. My companion Takobi has been most eloquent, and I have nothing to add. If it pleases you, I do have a few questions of my own, if it is permitted.”

“P: You are certainly free to ask, but I will retain the privilege of declining to answer where it seems prudent.”

“I would expect nothing less. The main question is in two parts. What is the Resistance, and what are its aims?”

“P: The Resistance is comprised of those who have come together to overturn the rule of the Parishad. In particular, we oppose those policies which relate to the mining of hanji, the collection of tribute, and the strategies used against the Ja’mar. It began when several elite squads rebelled when ordered to terminate a community of farmers who did not wish to be relocated. The Parishad responded by sending a fleet of airships to destroy the community and those members of the unit who had rebelled. Those who survived still form the backbone of our fight. We collect members from those who escape and from small cells of resistance we have in each of the sanctuaries.”

“You mentioned spies.”

“P: The Parishad allows prisoners of all races to escape who have been trained to infiltrate the Resistance. We have had trouble determining who is true, and who is false.”

“What do you think of the story told us by Jamaree?”

“P: We have not discussed this as a group, but I lean toward believing her story. There is a growing dissatisfaction among even the privileged classes about the way the Ja’mar situation has been handled.”

“What of her description of the tunnel?”

Purtinfors seemed somewhat taken aback by the question but answered. “P: What she says is true enough. The tunnel is heavily guarded, and there are constant surveillance and checkpoints. We have attempted to use the tunnels at many sanctuaries but have never breached past the first two checkpoints.”

Leah sat and thought for a moment then said, “What if you were dressed as transport guards of the Parishad and escorted a wagon train of prisoners, including the daughter of one of the Pramukh?”

Each of those sitting went still for a moment, then Purtinfors said, “P: Unfortunately the tunnel is under constant surveillance. They would send thousands into the tunnel to defend it.”

“What if no move was made until you reached the other end of the tunnel?”

“P: We do not have the passwords, and from what you said, none of the guards is alive. It would not be written down.”

Takobi hadn’t moved during Leah’s questioning, and he didn’t take his eyes off the Ma’nav leader when he said, “T: Charlotte, we already discussed these options, and you knew the answers. Why ask him?”

“Confirmation.”

“T: What, for a real plan?”

“It is crazy.”

“T: Is it crazier than the last one?”

“Almost certainly!”

“T: Then I like it. Do we need their help?”

“Not really, but it would give us a greater chance of success, and hopefully, fewer innocents will be killed.”

“T: OK, I’m in.”

“P: What plan? What idea do you have that we have not considered?”

“T: You probably considered it, but then your sanity exerted itself, and you realised only the truly insane would do such a thing. Wisely, you stepped back from the brink. Charlotte, and by extension myself, have no such voice of reason to modify our strategies.”

There was silence as everyone looked toward Leah.

62

December 26 2073 - 5

PNEUMATICA - GRAH

After looking around at those in front of her, Leah finally said, “What would happen if thirty transport guards were chased into the tunnel by several hundred or so highly agitated Ja’mar?”

“P: The hanji around the tunnel is sufficient to stop even that many.”

“Not if we removed it first.”

One of the other Ma’nav, the leader of their Intelligence Department with the name of Vlapors, leaned forward and said, “V: You would introduce the Ja’mar into a sanctuary?”

“What is the danger? The sanctuary guards have sufficient numbers to stop that many in a tunnel. Behind them will be your people to help ensure their destruction. The guards won’t check for identification under pressure. Instead, they will retreat to wherever it is that the Sanctuary has sufficient defence to overcome the number of Ja’mar. Once inside, you will blame the few prisoners you managed to save because of the orders of the Pramukh who wished to dispense justice on their wayward offspring regardless of what occurred. We should be able either to escape in confusion or to overcome the defence and let more of your forces in.”

Vlapors stood and took a step toward Leah, but was stopped by Purtinfors. “P: Vlapors, calm yourself. You and I know it is only a matter of time anyway before the city falls to the Ja’mar. A year or two won’t make much difference to those inside. Charlotte, if only one Ja’mar gets inside, the city could be lost within days. Vlapors’ family lives within its walls. Now, if I agree to this, can you obey orders or must you always be the rebel?”

“It depends, whose orders would they be?”

“P: Mine, and those under me.”

“Honestly, I don’t think that will work. Not that I can’t take orders, but I’ve no desire to be entered into your command structure. I would rather enter into a mutually agreed-upon statement of responsibilities and objectives. For example, I would agree to provide thirty slightly soiled guards uniforms. You would agree to provide volunteers to wear these. I would agree to place those under my command into a situation where during the assault on the tunnel, they follow the directions of your soldiers. You would agree not to use my people as fodder to be chewed up by the enemy. If either of our responsibilities or objectives aren’t met, then our agreement is null and void.”

“P: I would rather place you in my command structure.”

“T: Where in your command structure?”

“P: This is not a negotiation.”

“T: Of course it is. You like the idea, but you need us. Charlotte likes the idea, but we need you. I think you are both crazy. Charlotte is naive and went directly to the most logical solution but gave herself no room to manoeuvre. You are used to politics and went farther than you would actually think necessary and are in a position to give a little if you get something in return. I’m trying to find out what you really think before Charlotte does something foolish and we become enemies.”

“P: What do you mean, enemies?”

“T: She hates stupid, and she is getting impatient. You saw what she did when your soldier grabbed her. At that point, she acted decisively. I think you or one of your men will say something stupid, or even worse, you will do something stupid. When that happens, she will act decisively. Even now, she is working through a range of scenarios on how to escape. I think her idea is good.

“This is our final offer. I will agree to take your soldiers to get the uniforms and remove the hanji from the entrance. Meanwhile, Charlotte will collect two or three hundred Ja’mar and lead them to the tunnel entrance. Your soldiers and those of our people chosen to help will rush in just before the Ja’mar arrive and we will protect Charlotte as we rush along the tunnel. We will help you take the tunnel, but once we are inside the city, we will go our separate ways unless another agreement is reached.”

“P: I want to send some people with Charlotte.”

“T: Agreed. If they die, then that is on you. She runs almost as fast as me, but I would tire quicker.”

“P: When do we leave?”

Leah stood and said, “We leave as soon as I can exchange the machines I brought in for some ammunition.”

Purtinfors stood as Charlotte did and held out his hand and said, “P: We have adopted the human form of sealing an agreement.”

Leah spat in her hand and held it out to him. He looked down at her, then after spitting in his hand he took hold of hers. Takobi was chuckling and said, “T: These Ma’nav are as crazy as you humans. Who in their right mind would choose that as a form of contract?”

“What, you would prefer we cut ourselves and shed blood?”

“T: Of course. Every truly civilised society understands that a contract that isn’t backed by a willingness to shed blood on both sides isn’t worth spittle.”

Leah turned and took out her knife. She faced the general and said, “Purtinfors, I will keep our agreement come what may. I will shed blood to keep my word and shed blood if you break yours.”

With that, she sliced her hand and held it out as blood dripped on the floor. Purtinfors looked at her outstretched hand, and then taking a knife from his belt repeated her words, “Charlotte, I will keep our agreement come what may. I will shed blood to keep my word and shed blood if you break yours.”

He sliced his palm and once again clasped hands. This time Takobi nodded and said, “T: Finally, we Pyranthians have managed to make an inroad into civilising the humans. Another thousand years and we will be able to enter into a productive dialogue. I will not live to see it, but it gives me hope.”

Leah said nothing but pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and used it to wrap around her hand. Takobi started shaking his head and said, “T: Then, in one move, she destroys my hope. Why would you bind a wound with a cloth used to collect waste?”

Leah ignored him as Purtinfors stepped forward and said, “P: We will give you whatever ammunition you require. We have tunnels which go to the edge of the city. From there we will travel in small groups to the place Takobi has described. We can reach there in two hours.”

“I will go above ground and collect the Ja’mar. How long will your people need once they arrive to get things set up?”

“P: Less than an hour.”

“Then three hours from when your people leave here, I will approach the tunnel entrance followed by several hundred Ja’mar. Who are you sending with me?”

“P: One of our elite called Nasidfor, and the human girl, Adelia. They have the most experience above ground and are two of our fastest runners.”

Leah could sense the human guard who seemed so antagonistic tense up, then glare at Leah’s back.

“This Adelia, is she the guard behind me?”

“P: Yes, she is a good and trusted warrior.”

“She dislikes me intensely.”

“P: Her parents were originally from the city called Aeolipile. After being captured by the Pyranthians, they had been given in tribute to the Parishad. They escaped and were smuggled out of a Sanctuary and joined the Resistance before her birth. Five years ago, a human agent of the Parishad betrayed them, and they were killed during what should have been a simple meeting. She does not trust you. Do not be concerned, she trusts nobody. Even so, she is still a good soldier.”

While they’d been talking, a younger version of Purtinfors approached and waited. When Purtinfors had finished speaking the new Ma’nav said, “You called for me, Father.”

Purtinfors introduced Leah and explained the mission. When he’d finished, Nasidfor was looking sceptical but said nothing. Purtinfors called Adelia forward and said, “P: Charlotte, I place these two under your command. While I understand they may die on the mission, I ask that you do not spend their lives carelessly. Nasidfor, please show Charlotte our armoury and fit her and yourselves out with whatever she desires. Adelia, I ask that you obey Charlotte as if she were me. If you cannot agree with this, I will replace you.”

“A: I will do as you say, Foster Father.”

“Why send your children?”

“P: They are the best suited for this assignment. I understand your question, though, and it is a very human one. We value our children, but we do not hold onto them in the same way you humans do. Once they reach an age where they can choose their own path, we release them. We do not understand your ongoing emotional attachment which makes excuses for their failings and takes credit for their success. Do not be concerned, it is our way.”

Leah didn’t respond to Purtinfors’ reply, but after clarifying a few things with Takobi, she followed Nasidfor and Adelia to the armoury. There was a large selection of weapons and Leah had to ask Nasidfor what some of them did. In the end, she filled a leather harness with what she thought of as magazines to insert into one of the handheld firearms which sent out small razor-sharp spinning discs which could tear through bone. Each magazine held fifty discs and the harness held ten magazines.

Also, she exchanged her vest for one which had space for ten throwing knives. There was something similar to a shotgun but used a clockwork mechanism to accelerate a cartridge of small needles at high velocity. As the round left the end of the device, the casing tore apart, allowing the needles, or shards, to spread out. Depending on the cartridge the needles stayed close together or had a wide dispersant. Leah took eight of these and placed them in a pile.

Leah exchanged the swords she’d taken from the dead guards and chose two which had a better balance. Both Nasidfor and Adelia chose weapons they were comfortable with, although Leah made sure that none of them had selected weapons which generated a lot of noise. Once they were ready, they returned to the main cavern where Takobi and the others were just about to leave. Leah noticed that Purtinfors was one of those armed for the trip. She carried the shardguns over to Takobi and gave him seven, explaining her ideas, and then watched as the group left the main cavern.

As the others left, Leah turned to Nasidfor and Adelia and said, “Once we leave here I expect you to move quietly. I do not want to begin collecting Ja’mar until we near the outskirts of the city. We are not going with the others because we need to learn how to fight together. I suspect you understand each other's strengths and weaknesses, but I don’t know how either of you fights. It was not made clear before, but you should understand that I am blind.”

Leah went on to describe her disability as well as the benefits the workaround gave her. Both Nasidfor and Adelia seemed dubious, and Leah explained that it was the purpose of travelling above ground. They needed to know each other's strengths and weaknesses. Leah explained the hand signals that she’d worked out with Takobi. Once it was clear they understood what she was saying, Leah asked Adelia to lead them to an exit different from where they were the day before.

63

December 26 2073 - 5

PNEUMATICA - GRAH

Ten minutes later, the three stepped above ground. After getting her bearings, Leah led them away from the city at a jog. She could feel the hesitation of the two behind her but decided the best solution was to show them by example. She could feel two Ja’mar to her right, and after giving the signal that there were two Ja’mar and that she would be killing them, she headed along a suitable house to set up her approach.

The two Ja’mar had been female. One was missing an arm, and the other had an open wound in her stomach region. Both had suppurating skin lesions on their faces and Leah could feel the finger length maggots nibbling at the edges of the open wounds. Putting all that aside, she drew the disc-throwing firearm with her left arm and aimed it even before she’d left the cover of the houses, tracking the right ear of the Ja’mar on the left. With her right, she drew the sword.

She left the cover several paces behind the Ja’mar and fired once just as she swung the sword. Both Ja’mar dropped as Leah crossed the small roadway and ran between another pair of houses. Both Nasidfor and Adelia had almost stopped at the appearance of the two Ja’mar, but Leah hadn’t paused in her run. She didn’t slow and both her companions had to work hard for a minute before they’d caught up.

Twice more, Leah showed them her ability to see ahead. The third time, neither of the two slowed. The next group Leah found had three Ja’mar, and she signalled where they were and allocated one to each of them. As they rounded the corner, Leah’s creature was dead before the others had aimed their weapons. Despite that, they both took out the Ja’mar although both needed two shots to kill theirs, and even then they both cut off the heads. By the time they’d done that, Leah was thirty paces away.

Leah was a bit surprised at her accuracy but realised that the information on her skin gave her far more information than her sight ever had. Among other things, she knew how the wind moved, air temperature, as well as having accurate measurements of distance and height. With all of that, she was able to focus her discs exactly where she wanted them to go.

After almost an hour of travel, Leah waited until she could feel no Ja’mar within at least a hundred paces and then slowed. She said, “Are you both warmed up and can you run for another two hours, or do you need to rest for a minute or two?”

“A: I would benefit from a rest, although it would be best if I kept moving, perhaps at a walk.”

Leah hadn’t sensed any of the anger from the girl, so she nodded and continued away from the city at a walk. As they settled in on either side of her, she asked, “How fast can you run and for how long?”

“N: I can run faster than Adelia, but I tire faster, even if I run at her pace. I can run twice the speed we have been moving for maybe an hour. At the pace you already set, I could continue for half the day.”

“A: I can run twice the speed we have been moving for maybe an hour and a half. At the pace you already set I could continue indefinitely. Nasidfor is capable of running almost three times that speed and could do so for thirty minutes.”

“Good. We have over three and a half leagues to travel. To gather several hundred, we’ll need to begin collecting sometime in the next half hour. In the beginning, they will shamble after us, but by the time we reach the tunnel, we will be travelling at least twice the speed I have been running. Do you have any questions?”

There were none and after both Nasidfor and Adelia were feeling somewhat refreshed, Leah headed toward a group of Ja’mar she could feel to her right. She circled to approach them from the front and indicated that she would deal with the Ja’mar and for the others to do nothing. There were three in the group. Two were picking at the maggot-like creatures which writhed in a large wound in the third’s back. The one with the back-wound also had a broken leg and was limping badly.

As Leah came into view, the three hissed loudly. Leah palmed her two pistols and gave the two healthiest Ja’mar their peace. The remaining creature had been a large male, and he hissed even louder as he shambled toward Leah. She stopped and seemed to be waiting for the Ja’mar to cross the fifty paces to where she was standing. After asking Three to increase the volume, she said, “I suspect you were ignorant of the fact that your companions were merely using you as a source of nutrition. I am sorry to extend your suffering, but I require your rage to help my new friends. Be assured that in a moment I will give you peace.”

The sound of her voice increased the rage in the Ja’mar and Leah could sense the broken leg begin to straighten. It was clear from the mouth movements that it was screaming at her. Already she could feel Ja’mar approaching from two directions. When the Ja’mar was ten paces away, she calmly shot it in the head and said, “Be at peace.”

“A: Why did you speak so kindly to it?”

“Because it is to be pitied. I despise the creatures on one level, but on another, I can understand their anger and pain. They are so enslaved by their loss and are unable to be freed. While I will kill them and even use them to attack the tunnel, I understand the Julgon desire to remain enlightened. But enough talk, here come those we’ve called.”

As she finished talking, Leah began jogging away from one group that had just come into view and toward another. As the second group spied Leah and her companions, Leah angled herself away from them but continued in the general direction of the tunnel. Leah began weaving back and forth through the ever-increasing sparseness of the city’s outer limits as she sought to collect enough of the Ja’mar.

As the numbers increased, Leah could sense that the new additions healed faster than the first ones. The developers had ensured that even the weakest Ja’mar to join a group that was actively chasing a player would be able to keep up. As they ran, it was also evident that one or two of the creatures became energised much faster than the rest and began to pull away from the growing horde.

The day before when this happened, Leah had sped up slightly, but this time she kept her steady pace and let them get close enough to kill easily and quickly. The first couple of times, she spun and fired. Then, feeling more confident, she started firing over her shoulder. This was harder, as Leah had to take account of her gait and movement. Still, even though the first few took multiple shots, she found she was soon able to judge the shot accurately.

After doing this several times, she gave the others warning and told them she wanted them to deal with the next couple to get close. They could slow down and engage when they approached, they could shoot from a distance, they could use an edged weapon, but they were not to pass Leah who would be setting the pace. A pace that had slowly increased as the average health of the herd had improved.

The first couple of times, Nasidfor and Adelia took multiple shots, and the mob got close enough that Leah had to shoot a few extra to help with the getaway. Both times Leah had to increase the pace faster than she’d intended as it seemed the parameters changed when Ja’mar in the peloton were killed, or maybe it was when they got close enough to their prey.

Leah changed her instructions slightly, and Nasidfor and Adelia took turns to kill the front Ja’mar, then she would take out the following one or two. Even with being so careful with the pace she set, Leah and the others were getting close to Adelia’s limit for speed and Nasidfor’s for endurance by the time they were a thousand paces from the tunnel. Behind them, in a line almost three hundred paces long were five or six hundred Ja’mar.

This was more than Leah had intended but she’d not fully understood how far their cries travelled. Behind these were another thousand who’d started to follow but never got close enough to the horde to get the full health benefit. Although they moved in the general direction, they’d lost their connection with what had called them in the first place. Over the next few days they would spread out randomly, though several hundred would still pass close to the tunnel entrance.

When they were five hundred paces out, the internal timer Leah had set for the three hours hit zero. She used her hands to indicate that Nasidfor should sprint ahead and give warning while she dealt with the three Ja’mar who were only ten paces behind, hissing and screaming as they reached out for their prey. She signed that Adelia should maintain the steady pace and Leah would join her soon.

As Nasidfor pulled ahead, she could feel the front runner increase its pace. Leah aimed over her shoulder and fired into the female’s head. Drawing both blades and using a knee-high rock as a stepping stone, Leah launched herself high into a forward flip. Her body was still travelling forward, but the change in momentum to give her the height had slowed her velocity enough that as her feet travelled over her body, her arms were in the right place to bring the blades through at an angle to remove both the remaining Ja’mar’s heads.

As she landed, she stumbled and had to turn it into a roll. She lost several magazines in the fall but soon caught up with Adelia. She knew she’d been reckless, but in the end, she’d convinced herself it was a game and simply going through the motions mechanically would soon become dull. She’d always loved the fancy moves in the old Chinese martial arts movies and was pretty sure it was something Edison would like.

At the edge of her awareness, she could feel three distinct groups. One was the thirty Resistance fighters who were dressed as guards. Takobi, Rundar, Jamaree and Kimtora were with them, and Nasidfor was fast approaching. To one side and well-hidden were several hundred more Resistance fighters who would follow the Ja’mar into the tunnel. Behind them were most of the slaves who Purtinfors had promised would be taken to the Resistance base.

As soon as Nasidfor approached, the group with Takobi started moving toward the tunnel mouth at a fast jog. Leah hoped most of them were warmed up because they’d need to run faster than that to escape the horde she was bringing after them. Leah came into sight as the guards entered the tunnel and the leaders in the horde behind her became incensed as they saw more prey. They could also smell the hundreds of others, but the visual effect of the prey running away meant each and every Ja’mar headed into the tunnel after Leah and Adelia.

64

December 26 2073 - 5

PNEUMATICA - GRAH

The tunnel was only five or six paces wide and unlit. The first checkpoint was placed almost a hundred paces inside so that no noise or light would be detectable by any Ja’mar who wandered outside. Purtinfors had arranged for some lights, and although Leah didn’t need them, she knew the others would. Leah wasn’t sure what Purtinfors was yelling or saying, but she could see the soldiers at the checkpoint leaving the tunnel unblocked as they turned to run back down the tunnel followed by Purtinfors, Jamaree and most of his soldiers.

Takobi, Rundar, Kimora and four of Purtinfors fighters had slid to a stop just before the barrier, leaving a small gap for Adelia and Leah to run through. As Adelia went through, Leah turned and together with the others who held the shardguns, she fired a whole magazine at the lower half of the creatures chasing them. The first fifteen or so crashed as everything below their knees was shredded by the shards. The next fifty were cut to pieces in various places as they crashed into the leaders. Behind them, the main body of Ja’mar piled into each other, crushing and mangling one another.

None of the eight stopped to watch what happened, but as one they turned and rushed down the tunnel. Before they’d gone even fifty paces the first Ja’mar had pulled themselves through the pileup and was racing after Leah and the others. The rage it displayed was a notch even higher than anything Leah had felt before, and she could sense that rage rebuilding its shredded flesh. Twice more along the tunnel, Leah called the eight with shardguns to turn and slow the horde. Each time, it was less effective as the horde had spread out enough that most of the Ja’mar weren’t brought down by the shards but ran over the downed creatures without any real pause.

What did slow them down more was the barriers every quarter of a league. These barriers weren’t designed to stop Ja’mar but to stop the Resistance. With the Resistance in the leading group, all Purtinfors had to do was to ensure the defence was compromised. At each station he left a fighter who opened the barrier as Takobi, Leah and the others approached and then slammed it shut as they passed through.

The crazed creatures had to tear through the metal and wooden barriers, but this only gave Leah and the others at most a hundred paces before they could hear, or in Leah's case, sense, the Ja’mar continuing to advance. After that, it became an endurance race. A race that some of the tunnel guards lost. Whatever their everyday tasks were, it was clear that many weren’t anywhere in the right physical condition to run several leagues chased by a horde of Ja’mar.

These guards weren’t killed by the Resistance or the Ja’mar but by their own. If one of the Ma’nav tunnel guards looked close to flagging, one of those near them would fire into the back of their head or remove it with a sword. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Leah could feel a far more substantial barrier approaching with what she assumed was solid hanji bars and panels. The lead group with Purtinfors and Jamaree passed through easily. Then, even as several hundred tunnel guards were still in the tunnel and with Leah two hundred paces further back, she felt the doors begin to close.

Leah had to slow slightly to quickly type a message, “Takobi, they’re closing the door. We won’t make it. Take command.”

Takobi made a hand signal for ‘why?’. Leah touched her ears. Takobi simply nodded, then increased his pace to try and prepare a defence. Leah palmed both her pistols and slowed slightly, then spun and fired ten shots, five from each pistol. The leading ten Ja’mar crashed to the ground almost thirty paces further down the tunnel. Leah turned and sprinted after the others who had pulled ahead. She could feel a pack of eighty or so gaining on her.

With the number of Ja’mar and the number of prey, each of those in the pack was faster and healthier by at least a factor of two from those she’d fought before. Leah had been counting her discs and had five more in each magazine. Doing the spinning jump again, she fired another ten discs. This time only seven Ja’mar were stopped. Somehow, three of them had seen the discs coming and moved out of the way. For the first time since she’d arrived in Grah five hours previously, her heart beat faster from fear, not exertion.

Takobi had reached the frightened guards near the blocked tunnel twenty seconds ahead of Leah. Even in that time, he'd managed to turn them around and prepare to fire. As Leah approached, she saw him make a hand motion for her to drop and then he opened his mouth in a yell as he dropped his other hand in a signal for the guards to fire. As his mouth opened, Leah dove forward and fifty pistols and shardguns fired above her head with most of the guards emptying their magazines.

Fortunately for Leah, by the time they were all empty Takobi had another group ready. Leah used her elbows to shuffle her way forward as she could feel Ja’mar clawing their way through the pile of dead that had filled the tunnel. They were simply shredding those in front of them, their claws tearing through flesh and bone with seeming ease. By the time Leah could stand, the pile of dead was only thirty paces away, and the volume of fire had more than halved.

Takobi stepped up beside her and said, “T: Finally, this begins to get interesting. Can you feel what happens behind the barrier?”

“No, the hanji blocks my senses.”

“T: How many survive?”

“Perhaps eighty headed in this direction. Those at the back have turned toward the soldiers who followed them in.”

“T: Will the soldiers survive?”

“They should, but I doubt they’ll stay for when the door opens.”

“T: How long before the eighty break through?”

“Thirty seconds, they’ll be coming through in ones or twos. They are much faster and stronger than yesterday. I thought you found that a little boring so you might enjoy this.”

“T: Leave the first few for Rundar and I. Kimtora has a few magazines saved for you.”

“OK, be careful, they are fast enough to dodge the spinning discs.”

Before Takobi could respond, Leah felt the first Ja’mar tear its way through the mass of corpses. It took one look at the crowd of living Ma’nav and opened its maw in a screech which made several of the tunnel guards turn away in terror to bang on the barrier. It then leapt toward them, only to run into the chainsaw which Takobi had taken from one of the dead Ja’mar. He brought it down on top of the Ja’mar, cutting its skull in two.

Rundar stepped up beside his brother with a sword in each hand. For the next few minutes, Leah stood and watched the two brothers fight at a pace and with a skill she hadn’t yet achieved. Kimtora came alongside and handed Leah two full magazines. Leah loaded them, then started to shoot every second creature that shredded its way through the pile of dead.

Rundar made the first mistake. He missed a raking claw which tore into his right side. The claws slid off his ribs and sliced through the abdominal muscles, but he was saved by a shot from Leah. As Kimora stepped into the breach, Leah pulled Rundar out of the fight zone. One of the guards lifted a sword to give Rundar peace but found himself pushed back against the tunnel wall with Leah’s knife to his throat.

With her empty hand, she typed, “Kill your own if you want, but you kill one of mine, and I will feed you to the Ja’mar piece by piece.”

The four fighters Purtinfors had left with Takobi were in a group. Leah pointed at them, then at Rundar, and said, “Stop his bleeding.”

Without waiting for a reply, she used her senses to check all the firearms for ammunition. Almost everything was empty except for one full magazine someone had dropped and a shardgun with two cartridges caught behind a blockage. Leah dived for the magazine and killed the next five creatures to come through the pile, giving Takobi and Kimtora time to finish off their opponents.

Leah grabbed a sword and brought it down on the blocked shardgun, breaking it in half. She pulled the two cartridges free and loaded one of the other empty shardguns before turning back and shooting two Ja’mar. There were eight still alive, three fighting the two Pyranthians and five almost through. Kimtora killed hers and turned to help Takobi when one broke through just beside her.

Before she could respond, Leah crashed into her legs, bringing her down as the Ja’mar leapt at her. As it flew over the two of them, Leah raised the shard gun and shredded the head. Leah then turned the gun toward Kimtora, who dropped to the ground just as Leah fired at the head that appeared. There were five left. Leah killed two with her pistol, Takobi killed two with his sword and claws, and Kimtora killed the last one.

Takobi looked over at Leah, who said, “That’s it. There are a few still alive, but they are in so many pieces it will be hours before they can get through. The tunnel is empty as far as I can sense.”

Blood was dripping from two or three cuts on Takobi’s arms and legs. Leah said, “I have a spare cloth I would normally use for waste if you need it.”

“T: Am I supposed to thank you for the offer?”

“It would be the civilised thing to do.”

“T: It is clear your definition of civilisation and mine describe two different things. I will, however, thank you for that fight. It was challenging. You can take the command back now. If I keep it I suspect life would get boring again.”

As Takobi went to help Rundar, Leah kept an eye on the tunnel guards who were all bunched up near the barrier and watching the four Ma’nav, the three Pyranthians, and Leah. There was nothing they could do as the tunnel was blocked both ways, in one direction by the hanji barrier and in the other by a pile of several hundred dead Ja’mar.

Nothing happened for almost twenty minutes, then there was a movement in the centre of the hanji barrier. A door opened, and there was a loud and insistent hissing. One of Purtinfors’ soldiers said, “We are being ordered to exit one by one. Our hands must be free of weapons.”

Leah waited until all the guards had stepped through and then indicated that Purtinfors’s soldiers should go next just in case they could escape capture. Finally, only the three Pyranthians and Leah were left. As Takobi and Kimtora helped Rundar to his feet, Leah stepped through into the Sanctuary.

She found herself in the centre of a half-circle of heavily armed Ma’nav. All of them were immaculately dressed with armour that shone and was inlaid with gold, and a silver metal she guessed was hanji. The facial horns of one of the soldiers were inlaid with hanji and precious gems. He hissed at her.

She said, “Please stop hissing like an angry Ja’mar. I haven't yet learned your language. Does anyone here speak the human tongue?”

The same ma'nav said, “I can speak your foul primitive language. How dare you compare my words to that of the Ja'mar. Place all your weapons on the ground then join the other slaves.”

As he finished speaking, he pointed to a nearby large wagon enclosed with bars. Jamaree and Adelia were inside, as were the four ma'nav who'd helped Rundar at the end. There was no sign of Purtinfors, Nasidfor, or any of the other Resistance fighters.

Leah shrugged and unsheathing her swords dropped them, then the pistols and shardgun. She then started pulling knives from all the various sheaths. As she dropped the last, she started toward the wagon but stopped when she sensed his mouth moving.

“All mechanical, clockwork or hydraulic mechanisms must be inspected to ensure they are not weapons.”

As he finished talking a smaller, less well-dressed Ma’nav stepped forward. He had a prosthetic eye common to watchmakers and a toolkit. As he checked Leah’s eye and ear, Takobi and the others made their way out of the tunnel. The officer in command issued the same order, and after they had dropped their weapons, Takobi and Kimtora moved toward the wagon with Rundar.

The officer said, “Leave your wounded. He is of no value in that state. We will dispose of him.”

Before Takobi could respond, Leah said, “He comes with us, or we don’t go.”

“There is nothing to discuss and nothing you can do about it.”

Leah did nothing except turn and began to walk back toward Rundar. The officer hissed something, and two of the soldiers holstered their weapons and stepped toward Leah, reaching to grab her. As the first one reached her, he grabbed her arm. Expecting resistance, he was surprised when Leah fell toward him as if stumbling. His claws dug into her arm to push her away, but as she fell she hooked one hand behind the armoured plate at his elbow and lifting her feet to push against his ankles, she made him topple on top of her.

As he fell she repositioned the knife she’d taken from his belt, so he fell against it and bringing the pistol she’d taken from his belt brought it around by his side. Although her face was hidden by the falling body, she placed the first bullet through the eye of the officer in charge. The next two killed the two on either side and then the weapon was kicked from her hand by the second soldier, the armoured boot breaking several fingers and snapping her wrist.

As she’d been doing this, all eyes had turned toward her. Takobi and Kimtora had exploded toward the soldiers and managed to reach them. They managed to kill five and wound six more before being bludgeoned to the ground. The reason they hadn’t been shot had been a hissed order from one of the soldiers. A shardgun was placed against Leah’s head as they pulled the dead soldier off her. As she lay there, the officer who’d stopped them from being killed said, “Fools. You have killed Taranna’s greatest hero, the one who stopped the city being overrun when the wall was breached. I should kill you, but the city will want to see you suffer.”

Leah did nothing as she was pulled to her feet and then she along with Takobi, Rundar and Kimtora were pushed into the wagon. Jamaree said, “X: What have you done? Now we will be exhibited before the whole city and executed before being made Ja’mar and left to rot. We will never find our peace. Why would you kill Kiptanfors? He was a hero and was being prepared to join the Parishad.”

“He was going to kill Rundar. At the moment Rundar is one of my brothers, and honestly, he’s the nicer of the two. I didn’t want to have only Takobi to talk with. Takobi is rude, and he is often unkind.”

Jamaree looked at Leah as if she was crazed. Leah ignored her from then on and held out her broken left hand to Kimtora and said, “Takobi, could you please ask Kimtora to put the fingers back in the right places. I suspect it will heal anyway, but the pieces of bone are rubbing against each other at the moment, and it hurts.”

With a grin, he replied, “T: Ask her yourself, or even ask Rundar. He might help you as I hear he is nice.”

“I said he was nicer, I never said he was nice.”

Takobi smirked, then said something to Kimtora who helped Leah straighten the fingers and bind them together with a strip of cloth Leah had her rip from her sleeve. After travelling deep into the city, the wagon entered a large stone building which Jamaree explained was used to keep slaves and prisoners awaiting trial and execution. After being herded down several levels, they were each placed in separate cells. There was no bed, so Leah lay on the floor and logged out.

65

December 26 2073 - 5

STORK TOWER

Back in the Tower, Leah breathed a sigh of relief as the pain left her broken fingers. She still had some pain from the breaks in real life, but sitting and reducing the distance she perceived also gave her mind a break from the constant bombardment of sorting out the sensations across her skin. Once she’d meditated for a few minutes, Leah reviewed her messages. She was a little surprised at how quickly Catherine had managed to orchestrate the attacks on Meredith and Nathan’s gaming personas.

Hundreds of Clan Y’Haul’s members had been targeted and killed. Several of their clan facilities had been destroyed, and their business interests throughout Vatan were being actively boycotted or attacked. Several ships belonging to Clan Y’Haul had been in various ports, and they’d been either claimed by conquest or sunk outright by bands of ‘pirates’. In Cosmos Online, similar attacks had occurred on worlds where Mahigan had interests. There had been multiple attacks, including kamikaze runs against her mining interests in several large and profitable asteroid fields.

Even on those worlds which Meredith or Nathan only visited occasionally, there were attacks on businesses known to be allied with them. Other internationally known and high profile players also suffered the same fate. Catherine or those in the various groups she was involved with had identified people involved in different types of virtual slavery.

After less than twenty-four virtual hours, there was already a conversation occurring which discussed them being targeted and connections being made with what had happened to Leah. The reports were careful to make it clear that there was no verified connection between Leah and those who were attacking the Kodomans. Several commentators had tried to draw a connection between what was happening to Meredith and the war declared on Atherleah within Dunyanin. The clip where Leah accused Suzluk of being a conspirator in her attack was yet to be seen because Dunyanin had managed to get a court injunction preventing Spectator or Leah from showing the clip.

As Conner and Gèng had mentioned, there were other trending topics which involved Leah. The first involved the War of the Gods event in Dunyanin and dwarfed the news about Meredith. Leah’s capture of one of the gods, and the substantial bounties being offered, had brought millions into the game and the influx of players to Vatan had necessitated Dunyanin to using its reserve overflow servers to ensure no loss of play. Tens of thousands were making their way to Mt Siddetli and offers for information on the whereabouts of Leah or her Günahkâr guards was an internal trend on all Dunyanin’s notice boards. Tens of thousands of others had also joined the game but were actively looking to defend Leah and her assets.

The other trending item was the revelation of a collaboration between the owners of the Seraph System, Cosmos Online, and TRAX to host a series of races to run over several days with a grand finale set for the start of the New Year. Every driver who wanted to participate in any of the eighteen premier divisions had to start at the lowest level. The first Twelfth Tier races were scheduled to begin at midnight on the twenty-eighth of December, Greenwich Mean Time. The timing was centred in England because the studio which set up the early foundation for the TRAX worlds had been based in London. Their primary and backup servers were located in a series of secure facilities to its north-west.

Gianna had arranged for Leah to meet Thad, Amy, Ivan, Noah and Yuè Fēi after her next day in Dunyanin. Captain Hobbert hadn’t made contact, but Alan had sent confirmation that Leah’s warning on the two entrances she’d identified to his backdoor system had been justified. Both showed evidence of being watched by Epics and one had left a coded message for Alan which Leah needed to see. Leah sent a message that Alan could arrange a time with Gèng or Three.

Gèng had forwarded a message from Edison saying that pre-launch images and micro-bite anticipatory-advertising were scheduled to begin at midnight in all local multiverse timezones. He also wanted to ask if Leah was willing to let Erica Morrison interview Leah about her experience playing on Grah. Leah agreed and suggested Gèng coordinate with Three, Sharon, and Erica to arrange a time.

Using her ability to process information at cyberspeeds and to multi-task, Leah finished the messages quickly. She had just enough time for a two-and-a-half virtual hour lesson on driving. The world she’d chosen was called Torque and was a privately-owned world set up by a real-world racing enthusiast. It was a niche micro-world with less than twenty-thousand visits a day. After a lot of research, she’d arranged for an initial lesson to learn the basics of real-world, pre-electric and pre-AI assisted driving and racing.

TORQUE

When she stepped through the portal, she found herself standing outside what looked like a workshop of some kind. Several vehicles were raised from the floor on hoists of one kind or another and behind her was several acres of black asphalt. In the background, she could feel the whole area was surrounded by a forest of some kind. Leah couldn’t feel anyone in the workshop, but an older woman was sitting in the reception area just inside the large work area.

Leah headed into the workshop and after knocking, stepped through into the small reception room. There was an old-style drink machine against one wall and several old armchairs. The woman, who looked to Leah to be ten or so years older than her mother, turned on her swivel chair and said, “Hey there, can I help you?”

Leah smiled and typed, “I hope so. My name is Atherleah, and I’m here for a lesson on how to drive a car.”

The woman’s eyes looked Leah up and down and said, “Honey, don’t take this wrong, but why learn to drive one of these things? Your AI can get you places faster, and if you want the thrill, there are millions of other ways.”

Leah considered the question for a moment then replied, “I plan to try my hand in a racing world. Everywhere else, I’ve learned that knowing how to do something myself gives me more satisfaction and helps reach my goals. I can’t see why this would be any different.”

“Why choose Torque?”

“I did my research, and Torque has great reviews, including an endorsement from one of the people I trust.”

“Well, that’s always helpful. Do you mind sharing who swayed your mind?”

“Not at all, Jesse Hood gave a very clear endorsement on one of your advertisements. I sent him a message, and he said there was no place better to learn to drive.”

“Have you ever driven a vehicle of any kind before?”

“If you discount a space fighter, then no.”

“Well, here on Torque we like to keep the wheels mostly on the ground. Do you know how a simple, fuel-guzzling, earth-destroying, human-controlled car works?”

“Yes.”

“Really, well this I have to see. Come on out to the floor, and we’ll take a look inside one and see what you know.”

Leah followed the woman into the workshop and was led toward the back where a small squarish looking car sat with its front hood open. The woman pointed to various parts of the engine and Leah described what she thought they were and how they worked. After that, the woman moved to a bench in the centre of the floor where an engine was partially disassembled. After Leah had explained how everything worked, the woman headed back to the office and after having a seat, looked over at Leah.

“Honey, sorry for the run-around but we’ve found over the years that people learn best when we match them, the instructor and the car right at the beginning. To do that, we do a public search to see what their public profile is and we make a call on their aggressiveness, speed, usual playing styles. We factor in how smart we think they are and then try and match that with someone who can help them best. I took a bit longer because you have a lot of public content. You’re also way above average on understanding how a car works.

“The instructor I recommended will be here in a minute. She wasn’t convinced on my recommendation, but after a quick review has agreed to take the lesson in the car I chose. Don’t let me down.”

“I’ll try not to. Thank you for your help. I’m sorry, but I haven’t got your name.”

“That’s because I didn’t give it to you. Most people butt in right at the beginning and ask for it but you were polite, and I like that. My name is Ashley, and I’ll be here whenever you visit. Now here comes the instructor. Her name is Courtney. She’s human and can get cranky so just ignore it if she says a cuss word or two.”

“Thank you, Ashley.”

Leah had felt someone approaching, but now came to her feet and turned to face them. The woman was maybe ten years older than Leah. She was wearing a blue and orange leather coverall and aviator sunglasses. She was taller than Leah and stopped a few feet away, looking down at Leah’s face.

“3: T is for Courtney.”

“T: I heard you were blind and deaf.”

“I am. I use a SNAIL module.”

“T: How will that work when driving?”

“The surroundings are projected on my skin using a variety of tactile sensations which my mind interprets to give me a picture of what’s happening around me. The various measures like the tachometer, temperature and odometer are usually displayed on my forehead or forearm. My research said I need to feel through the steering wheel and pedals, so these are being isolated from the usual picture I’m given. I can’t hear, but if it is a noise which might impact how I drive, there will be a vibration set up on my skin in the area where the noise is. If it is the noise of the engine I need to recognise, then I’ll have to make some special additions as we go along.”

“T: Ashley suggested I give you your first lesson in a 2020 Mustang GT. That is a lot of car, and I’ve never taught someone their first lesson in one before, but she was adamant it was indicated in her profiling. She’s never been wrong yet. So follow me.”

Leah followed Courtney out of the workshop and saw a sleek burnt-orange car on the asphalt. Courtney had Leah get in the passenger side and took her for a drive, explaining everything she did and telling Leah what she should be hearing and feeling when she was driving. After twenty minutes they changed places, and Courtney said, “T: We’ll start with the six-speed rev-matching manual transmission and when you have a good feel for that, and if we have time, I’ll show you the ten-speed automatic select-shift. If you’re going to race, then you’ll end up using an automatic select-shift most of the time.”

Leah and Courtney changed positions, and Courtney said, “T: Most of the time you’ll use the keyless start, but every now and then you’ll drive an ancient vehicle and need to use a key. I’ve shown you how to do that, so have a go.”

Leah put the car in neutral, put her foot on the clutch and turned the key. As she felt the engine start, she let go of the key. Courtney said, “That has to be the best ‘first-attempt’ I’ve seen. How did you know when to let go of the key?”

“I can’t hear anything, but I felt the engine turn one-and-a-half-times. The fuel was already injected into the next cylinders. Now I know how it feels from this position I can get the timing better.”

“T: OK, now with the clutch still pressed in, put the car in first gear. As you release the handbrake, let the clutch go as you slowly put your right foot down on the accelerator. You felt me do that, so try and mimic the same motion.”

Leah did as she was told. As before, she was able to get the timing almost right the first time. She then changed into second gear. After fifteen minutes driving in circles around the flat black area, Courtney had her AI add some bright orange markings on the road and had Leah drive around the circuit. After another twenty minutes, Courtney said, “T: I want you to follow the markings. They will take us to a simple touring car racing circuit set in some rolling hills. This is for you to get a handle on the way the car handles around bends, and up and down hills. You need to speed up and slow down according to the conditions. Having said that, I want you to drive as fast as you feel comfortable.”

Over the next fifteen minutes, Leah slowly increased the speed at which she was driving. The road was easily twice the width of the car, and Leah had Three tweak the image until she had a clear view for over a kilometre and a half in front of her. To do this, she’d sacrificed distance at her rear and sides. At the rear, she still had a clear image for several hundred metres, but on both sides, she’d dropped the view to thirty metres. Leah had calculated the weight of the car with occupants, and she had built several algorithms to describe the motion of the vehicle including momentum, the different types of friction, weight distribution and many smaller factors that changed as she drove.

Not only did she know where everything was, but she knew how each part of the engine was moving and where each part of the car was in relation to the road, the course and herself. As she changed into sixth along a straight part of the course, she said, “This is fun. Do you mind if I experiment a little and push the envelope?”

Courtney was quiet for a moment as she double-checked Leah’s speed and saw she was driving at just over one hundred and thirty miles an hour. She said, “T: Sure. Just be careful at this speed, because one mistake, and we’d be dead in the real world.”

Leah nodded and drifted slightly to the right as she approached the top of the hill and accelerated. Both sets of wheels left the road. Courtney waited for the crash but realised immediately that with the slight drift and the change in momentum the car was positioned just right to take account of the slight bend in the road. Although the wheels passed over the outer edge of the road while in the air, as they landed, they were just inside the course. The suspension didn’t bottom out as the car met the decline over a period of a second.

Leah had watched a few races and knew that cars could be made to slide sideways and even around sharp corners, and now that she’d been set free to experiment she tried a number of these moves. She didn’t push the envelope as much, and although one or two of the results surprised her, she didn’t have an accident. Finally, Courtney said, “T: OK, that was a great first lesson, and even that is the understatement of the decade. In two more turns, I’d like you to come to a stop in front of the workshop. Please come inside, and we’ll talk about another lesson and trying out a range of other vehicles.”

Leah pulled up to a stop and Courtney led her back into the reception area where Ashley was waiting with someone else.

66

December 26 2073 - 5

TORQUE

The woman with Ashley was closer to her mother’s age and wearing jeans, a soft cotton blouse, leather gloves and sunglasses. From Leah’s research, this looked like Danika Dufault, owner of Torque.

Leah smiled, and the woman said, “Atherleah, please have a seat. You too, Courtney. Atherleah, my name is Danika Dufault, and to me, it looked like you had an exceptional first lesson.”

“Thank you, Ms Dufault. Much of that is due to Audrey pairing me with Courtney and that lovely car.”

“3: N is for Danika.”

“N: That’s true, but you do have a lot of natural talent. May I ask why you wanted to learn to drive?”

Leah wasn’t sure she wanted to answer, but she’d enjoyed her time, so she said, “I’ve plans that include entering a few races, and I like to do things well.”

“N: Are you planning on racing in TRAX sometime in the next few days?”

“Yes.”

“N: Do you have a team?”

“I obviously haven’t done enough research yet, as I’m not sure what you mean.”

“N: It doesn’t matter how good you can drive. That’s only one part of winning. You have to match the car with the race, with the other drivers and it all has to be tuned just right to match your style. If you don’t do this, you’ll never save those hundredths of a second which separate Tier Four and Five drivers from those who race at Tier One. Every single one of those winning drivers has a team of AI and other advisors who get everything set just right to set up the win. The driver wins the race, but regardless of how most of them act, they wouldn’t make the cut except for their team.

“For most of the races the cars are equivalent for all drivers, but the drivers have over fifty-thousand options they can choose from for every race. Most never make those choices because making them takes too much time. To win a Tier Three usually means understanding how to tune the car perfectly. Tier One and Two races also allow drivers to customise their vehicles.

“There are strict guidelines, but the number of options jumps ten-fold. Those racers who stay at the top long enough to get a placing are paying tens of millions of Virtual Credits every month to employ the best ‘mechanics’ and AI researchers they can. They compile more than tens of thousands of profiles of up-and-coming racers and tune the cars to match every race. To win in TRAX is probably even more expensive than for racers who drive in the professional racing series. When they win, the rewards are also much higher than the professional circuit. Many drivers race in both.”

“Thank you for telling me that. I guess I’ll need to think about things a bit more. While I enjoyed today very much, I’m not sure it’s something I’ll pour millions of VCr into, considering everything else I have going on.”

Danika nodded slowly then said, “N: Has this got something to do with the attack on you?”

“I’m sorry, but I really can’t answer that.”

“N: Fair enough, I know that was nosy, but I have so many questions and no answers. Audrey’s interview and her choice of instructor and car came across my desk marked for a priority review. Jesse Hood is a good friend of mine. He and my husband went to college together, and we’ve moved in many of the same circles over the years. He wouldn’t talk about how he knew you, but he said if I could do anything to help you, he would count it as a personal favour. He then paused and looked me in the eye and said ‘Danika, don’t ask me to explain but I suspect you already owe her a debt you can’t meet. Help her in whatever way you can.’

“Needless to say, I have no idea what he meant. I called my husband and asked if he would do a more in-depth evaluation of you. That’s all legal, and he does it for me every now and then. He’s a lawyer and knows people in all sorts of places. They have a kind of old boys network. Usually, the answer takes a week or so to filter back down, but just before you arrived here at the end of your lesson, he contacted me and said he got two almost instant and conflicting replies.

“One was from a friend who works in a firm known as the Emerald Trustees. These guys have their finger on who is and who isn’t someone you want to do business with. Kurt, that’s my husband, said he got a call from his friend ten minutes after the query and was quizzed about it. His friend was with one of the Emerald Trustee’s directors. Neither was happy about the query. After my husband explained why he’d sent the query, the director, a Mr Schulte, suggested I do anything I could to help you. He said if my help was limited by either funds or influence, then he would personally cover what was needed. This puts you on the side of the angels, if not the archangels.

“Kurt also asked a friend who works in law enforcement. I won’t say who with, but she’s a top-level analyst and has access to some of the best intelligence on the planet. Her speciality is organised crime. The racing world has been burnt time and again by the mafia, the tongs, and every other group wanting to have a share of the money. She called back and said, ‘Stay away from Atherleah. We don’t know how or why, but the word on the street is she is not to be touched. Every group has disavowed any knowledge of who attacked her, and they all have a bounty on information proving who did. Whoever that person is will be declared untouchable, a pariah in every syndicate. They are to be designated as the sole property of Atherleah.’ This puts you on the side of the devil himself.”

Leah sat there stunned for a moment, then said, “That was really nice of Jesse and Ernst, but you owe me nothing, well, nothing that I’m aware of. As for the organised crime thing, well that is a bit more complicated. I’m not really involved with them at all, but then I sort of am. It’s more a case of I threatened to destroy them if they pissed me off and they believe it. I am glad they do, but not if the authorities take it the wrong way. I do promise though that I have no interest in connecting organised crime with my racing interests. All I want is to best a particular racer in five events.”

“T: Which ones?”

“Project Cars, four-wheeled Off-road Rally, the two-wheeled Time and Gate Attack, open class Fantasy and Sci-fi Circuits, and two-player Fantasy and Sci-fi Last-One-Standing.”

“T: So, five of the most prestigious and probably the five hardest. Can you ride a motorcycle?”

“Not yet.”

“T: The open class fantasy and sci-fi races have thousands of additional options, and in the top five tiers, you can purchase add-ons. The two-player LOS is brutal and you need an exceptional partner. Who did you have in mind?”

“No one yet. I was going to ask if any of my friends wanted to play.”

“T: You have the raw skill, but you need someone as good or better as a partner. Preferably someone who has played before.”

“I see. I’m realising I bit off more than I could chew. I’ll need to rethink.”

Danika had been thinking through everything and had started nodding when she suddenly sat up straight and said, “N: You said you threatened to destroy them if they pissed you off. Have you ever been pissed off by them before?”

“I’m sorry, Ms Dufault, but I can’t answer that. I really shouldn’t have said anything, and I’d appreciate it if you’d try and forget it.”

“N: I won’t ever mention it again, and please call me Danika. I want to make you an offer, but first I have a story to tell you. Courtney here is the eldest of my seven grandchildren. I had three children, two boys and a girl. My eldest son had Courtney and her two siblings. My daughter is the youngest and is only ten years older than Courtney. She has three children. My middle child was the most like me, he was a rebel.

“One day, twenty years ago, my son disappeared. We knew he’d had some dealings with the mob, but there was nothing we could find that linked them and him. We spent hundreds of thousands on private investigators but there was no evidence of Will or of any crime. I’d given up hope of finding out what happened. Eight days ago, I had a visit from the American Union Marshalls. It appears they have new evidence that Will was killed by a member of the Castelli Crime Family.

“Apparently, Will had been sleeping with the girlfriend of one of their high-level enforcers. The girl got pregnant, and as soon as the child was born, the enforcer knew it wasn’t his. The mother was convinced to tell all, and both she and Will were killed. The child, a girl, was left on the hospital steps. The enforcer apparently became very big in the organisation. Anyway, he had kept evidence of the killings, and he’d kept an eye on the girl, who although she was put up for adoption, he made sure she ended up in foster care. He kept her bouncing from home to home.

“Just last week, I met my granddaughter, Francine, for the first time. She’s had a really brutal life, but we are hoping for it to be so much better and brighter from now on. The Marshalls wouldn’t say how they came by the information, just that it had been anonymously given to one of their officers. I suspect that’s what Jesse meant when he said I owe you, and if that’s true, then I do. I owe more than I can ever pay.”

Leah didn’t know what to say, so she didn’t respond initially. She could feel Courtney staring at her but ignored it. Finally, she said, “Thank you for sharing your story. I do hope Francine finds a place in your family. I’m sorry, but I should head off.”

“N: I understand, and I will not mention that story or connect it to you in any setting. My offer is to manage your racing career for the next week at least. I have the AI and the experience to help prepare for each of the races. If you have the skill to win, I’ll give you the right vehicles. I’ll look for someone to partner with you in the LOS race, or I’ll help train your friend. I make no promises about winning or even reaching the upper tiers, but I promise you will have the support you need if you can get there. I’ll work for free and will fund the support regardless of if you win or not. Will you accept?”

Leah wished she could look Danika in the eyes but couldn’t. Finally, she shook her head and said, “No. I won’t accept that. I will accept the offer if we can agree that the costs come out of the winnings, which we’ll split if there are any. If there are no winnings, we split the costs the same way we agree to split the winnings if it happens.”

Danika smiled and said, “N: We have a deal then. I suggest I see if Jesse or this Mr Schulte want shares in the new team. To let us work together and make sure there are no misunderstandings from the authorities, we need this deal drawn up by lawyers, and we need to give you a name and logo.”

“I was just going to drive as Atherleah.”

“N: This is why you need a manager. If you are planning to defeat someone then part of the battle is psyching them out, and branding is important if you want people to know you are hunting them. Any racer knows that a big part of the race is set up beforehand. Who is Atherleah? I know you have some idea, because I’ve seen the choices you make in clothing.”

Leah shook her head and said, “I may have an idea, but I leave all that stuff to my best friend and designer. I could put you in touch with her if you like? Her name is Paige.”

“N: The Paige, I knew you knew her because she did the Seraph outfit, but I had no idea she was a friend. OK, that will be good. When you get back, you have your lawyer contact me, and I’ll do the work. I know you have other stuff to do, but if you are serious, we need to schedule some heavy-duty practice. As soon as the agreement is signed, I’ll organise for you to do a Tier Twelve.”

Leah nodded, and after saying “goodbye”, she logged out.

Diary - 26 December, 2073

What makes someone so hate their father that they would torture them until they go insane? I’m pretty sure I hated Earl, and I’ve felt no remorse at killing him, but I couldn’t have tortured him. Or could I? If he’d been successful in what he planned, would I want him to suffer before he died? Maybe. Probably. Does the potential for real evil sit in my heart just waiting for the right conditions to set it loose?

Regardless of what I said to Mum, how do I separate justice and vengeance? How do I ‘hate the sin, love the sinner’ like the pastor teaches? Who people are and what they do seem too intrinsically interconnected to separate so casually. Is it even possible to isolate someone’s actions, words, and thoughts from who they are? What of Louise, or Fowoke for that matter, does the fact that they’re almost certainly crazy make their actions any less a true reflection of who they are? Just because they can’t help it, doesn’t mean they didn’t want to do it.

What about Jackson? How culpable is he with a wicked father and a psycho step-mother? I doubt he had any positive role models growing up. Then again, he’s seen the effect of his actions. How can you see suffering and not feel that something is wrong? Do I see it only because of my parents? Both Thad and Kate grew up in the same sort of environment, and they are lovely. They reject their family’s behaviour. I guess it all comes back to the nature/nurture debate.

Either way, people like these need to be stopped. I pray I don’t become like them while trying to stop them.

67

December 26 2073 - 6

QXUR

After taking a break from the Pod, Leah had an hour of NREM3 before walking to the portal Three had set up for her to visit the Director of Special Projects at QXUR (Quark eXternal Utility Resources). This was a small Maltese company which specialised in work-related shell design and manufacture. Leah arrived in a small alcove set aside for visitor arrivals in the main administrative world for the company.

As she stepped forward, Leah was met by Kaiden Spiteri, the Director of Special Projects. After the usual greetings, Kaiden said, “K: Thank you for your queries. I was impressed with some of what you suggested, but I still have numerous function and design questions.”

“I understand, and I’ve worked with a colleague on fleshing out the ideas. Would it be OK to give a small but more detailed overview and see if that deals with the questions in a logical order?”

“K: That would be helpful. Do you need anything?”

“If I could have access to project into the space here that would be fine.”

“K: My AI has sent permission.”

Leah nodded and using both hands, initiated a full virtual keyboard and three-dimensional braille controller that came with the SNAIL module. Using models constructed by Gèng, Leah described the main machinery she would need to be able to use and explained the functions she wanted the shells to have. After twenty minutes, as she finished the presentation, Kaiden looked up from the notes he’d made and said, “K: That answered most of my questions. I suppose three major ones remain. They are on the three fundamental changes. One, why can’t an AI be used to do the work? It would be faster and more accurate. You could do the design virtually.”

“Maybe, but I’m planning on using the shells in experimental real-world design. By the time I explain it to an AI and make all the various corrections, I think I wouldn’t save that much time. The main reason has to do with the experimental process. Even with the small amount I’ve done already, I know I get new insights and ideas as I put the pieces together myself. Finally, a small part of me also knows that many discoveries have been a result of serendipity or even luck. Most research is tested and retested in the virtual worlds. Hundreds and thousands of experiments are discarded every day when they don’t provide the outcome expected. The results are considered failures because they’re based on known theory and data. If those same ‘mistakes’ were made in the real world, who knows what real theories may have been formulated and what practical and beneficial processes or products may have been invented.”

“K: OK, I understand. I’m not sure if I agree or not, but it is something I will be thinking about. The second question has to do with speed. Almost all shells are designed to operate in real-time. You want them designed to operate at virtual speeds?”

“Yes. I can’t see any reason why I would want to weld in real-life at a human speed when an AI can weld at three to ten times the speed. Using a shell, I should also be able to weld at three times the speed and reposition things on the fly. I can do the same when tightening nuts and moving from one place to another. With a variable time dilation, the shell could even be used at ten times real speed for the recommended super-dilation limits.”

“K: Why do you want the shell designed specifically? Wouldn’t it be easier to use an AI-controlled humanoid robot and change the programming to allow for human control?”

“It’s feasible, but when I did the research, I’d need to get five or more different robots. They all look the same, but their design parameters are focussed on a specific range of applications.”

“K: That is true, and I hadn’t worked through the entire range of motions and functions you’d asked for. I don’t think what you are asking would be that difficult to put together as we already have most of the engineering and programming available. It would mostly be a matter of putting the packages together in a new way. That brings me to the last question, size. You’ve suggested models from eight metres in height down to less than one millimetre. Besides being expensive, I’m not sure we can get that small. You’re wanting to be able to work with individual nanoparticles.”

Leah nodded and used the projector again and put up a design she’d worked on. She said, “I was thinking of something like this. I understand it won’t get me the same dexterity as say, the centimetre-high shell. However, I should still be able to manoeuvre a nanoparticle into a precise location and set it in place. I do think I may need these smaller shells designed with set functions in mind, and maybe five models will cover the range of uses I can see at the moment.”

Kaiden stepped into the projection and began expanding and manipulating the various components. When he was done, he said, “Some of these individual parts are new. I haven’t seen them before. If they work like the model here, then I imagine we could do what you want. Who sells these?”

“No one that I know of. My friend and I designed them to try and visualise what I wanted.”

Kaiden sat down and said, “K: I hope you’ve got the idea timestamped. You need to get them patented. Do you know a good patent lawyer?”

“No, but I can find one, and I’m open to suggestions.”

“I’ll have my AI send you a couple of people we recommend. We don’t use these people as we have in-house counsel. The design is elegant, and even if we can’t make what you want, I can see how those components will solve a few issues we’ve been having with the miniaturisation of certain components. If your lawyer agrees, then please send me a copy as soon as the patent has been applied for. Attach a non-disclosure agreement, and I’ll have QXUR sign off on that then get it to the design teams.

“We don’t manufacture components like that, but I will send a list of companies who do. I’ll also send an invoice for what we could possibly use it for, and that should help sell it. I don’t understand everything you said about different dimensions but a few more components like that, and you’ll be set financially.”

They talked for another half an hour, then Kaiden said, “I’ll get these ideas drawn up and get them to the number crunchers later today. I suspect they’ll send an invoice tomorrow sometime. Once you agree, then I’ll start production. I’ll add a timeline to the quote, but we already have most of the components for the three largest models. We’ve never configured them like this, but it shouldn’t take long, maybe a week or two.”

After Leah had thanked him, she logged out.

STORK TOWER

Back in the Tower she asked Géng to draw up the design to send to Stephen and the Emerald Trustees with the request for a patent. She’d asked Géng rather than Three because the patent would need to be in both their names, Gèng having come up with a number of the suggestions in the earlier design phase.

Leah still had almost an hour virtual before she was going to head back into Dunyanin and went to sit by the river to think through her next few steps. She found the gentle ripple of the water as it played against her skin to be soothing. She asked Three to equip her bathing suit instead of her everyday clothes, and she wandered out into the river. She enjoyed letting her feet sink into the sand and the slightly muffled impressions as the flowing water interplayed with the images being portrayed against her skin. Finally, she let herself float gently downstream towards, and under, the various bridges. As she reached an area of rapids, she sat on a rock and let the water build up against her back and force its way around her. She finally let most of her cares slowly fade away.

She felt Gèng floating towards her and shifted over so they could share the rock. Gèng said, “4: I’ve never seen you do this. It was different. I hadn’t really considered swimming in the river, but it was calming, once I got used to the cooler temperature.”

“I’ve never done it before. Mum wasn’t keen on us swimming in the Brisbane River. I read about people doing it, and you’re right, it was calming.”

“4: Did you reach any conclusions in your musings?”

“Was it that obvious?”

“4: It was to me, but don’t forget I live in your head. Three gives me access to the different measures, and your serotonin levels are high.”

“I’ve been pondering who to ask to join me in Dunyanin. I talked to Thad, Amy and Wisp and while they would love to, they suggested they don’t have high enough levels. Thad and Amy are about the same and Thad’s almost at level three hundred. Granite, Jack and his group come to mind, but they were only thirty or forty above that, last I heard.”

“4: What was the conclusion?”

“To invite them anyway. I have four spots to use for entering dungeons, but there will be lots of other things happening. I like being pushed, but I think the last two dungeons were really prepared with eight people in mind.”

“4: Eight seems strange with the line in the poem mentioning five.”

“I know. I think it has to do with something later in the larger quest and not so much with who travels with you. Either way, I decided to invite Thad, Amy and Wisp. I could ask Zack and James, but neither of them has really worked hard to get a high enough level to make me very confident that I’d ever choose them. The others I was thinking about were Jack and his group. I kind of gelled with Granite and Mist. Smash would be helpful. Most of them would work well, but I’d need to get the mix right of scouts, mages and tanks.”

“4: So invite them all and explain what you are thinking. Just from the number of people headed your way, I think an army wouldn’t hurt. Do you have a preference who joins you?”

“With Ming, Orta and Küçük, if I ever find them again, that leaves four places. I think it would be good to have a scout slash ranger like Amy or Mist, a dedicated mage like Wisp or even Nemo, and a couple of tanks. Thad, Granite, Smash or Jack would work.”

“4: You could advertise like some of the others are doing.”

“I know that might make sense, but I like these other people and miss playing with them. I’ll send the message and work on potions and defences today. I’ll use Lady Serseri’s Chest of Communication to get the ingredients from Peter and see if he can work out a way to get Thad and the others closer to me.”

“4: Ask if you can use Lord Seyahat’s Artefact?”

After a few more minutes of just sitting, Leah and Gèng left the river and wandered up to the Tower in the moonlight. Leah got changed, and after double-checking everything Gèng had prepared, she sent the messages and a list of ingredients to Peter. Then, she entered Dunyanin.

68

December 26 2073 - 6

DUNYANIN

As Leah felt Dunyanin form around her, she could sense both Yürek and Melez were nearby with the others, including Sevelin outside her range. As she came to her feet, she felt Yürek approach and take up a position to one side.

"Good morning, Yürek. I suppose both İşaret and Yüzük are keeping watch for those who would seek to attack us?"

“Y🔥: Good morning War Leader, none are nearby. The way to Sevelin’s home is hidden unless you know of the location of the Valley of Fetheden. Even then, it can only be approached by travelling through the valley or traversing a thin and steep ridge. İşaret keeps watch at the other end of the ridge. Several hundred travellers are massing near where you killed the ten yesterday.

“Yüzük and Sevelin have moved to the highest point on this part of Siddetli. From there they can see many leagues, even to the lowlands. Sevelin has a farseer, and when I visited this point for the night watch, there were hundreds of fires scattered over the plain. Those that were moving were headed in this direction. In one camp alone, I counted over five-hundred tents. The priestess returned less than an hour ago. She counted over a thousand small groups moving in this direction with an additional twelve larger groups. One has three thousand warriors, all mounted.”

“I planned to rest here today and make some potions and enchantments. I’ve contacted some of my friends and asked them to consider joining us. I would also like to consider what is the best next move—should I look for a good place to make a stand or should we keep moving? I am not moving today because I need to prepare if I plan on attempting a dungeon on my own.”

“Y🔥: Are the friends you mentioned travellers like yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Y🔥: Then, we should wait. From what you said, four of them can join you. How many did you ask to join you?”

“At least eight, but more may show a willingness to join us.”

“Y🔥: Good, the others can remain outside and provide protection when you finish a dungeon.”

“That was my thought, particularly if this war between the Gods becomes larger.”

“Y🔥: Do you think that is likely?”

“I would suggest it is certain.”

“Y🔥: Then, we may need an army.”

Leah agreed then said, “I have yet to speak at length with Melez. Her Lady would have her join us. As I am also the Champion of Lady Serseri, I don’t think I have much choice.”

“Y🔥: From the words I shared with the priestess, I had the impression that the issue was already resolved.”

Leah nodded and headed over to speak with Melez. Melez had been trained since she was a child to prepare her to bring people through from the community at the beginning of the Valley of Fetheden. Her strength was as a scout, and she had been blessed with spells by Lady Seresi specifically to help her avoid detection. Leah’s arrival had stopped her task of ferrying people through the valley being necessary, and she was excited at the opportunity to leave the valley in service to her Lady. Both of her parents had died soon after she was born and she’d grown up as a fosterling with a family of Weres. This had only helped her when she began training to move stealthily through the land.

When she’d finished hearing Melez’s story, she checked the messages she’d ignored the day before. There was one for her potion slash spell to make the crystals which protected the community and then two about her Günahkâr guards.

Atherleah. Your Günahkâr companion, Orta, has died. Companions in Dunyanin are able to resurrect after 48 hours should their player companion desire to continue the relationship. Your companion will resurrect at your last saved resurrection point and are responsible to find you if you have moved on.

Do you wish to continue with Orta as a Companion?

[Y] [N]

“Yes.”

Atherleah. Your Günahkâr companion, Küçük, has died. Companions in Dunyanin are able to resurrect after 48 hours should their player companion desire to continue the relationship. Your companion will resurrect at your last saved resurrection point and are responsible to find you if you have moved on.

Do you wish to continue with Küçük as a Companion?

[Y] [N]

“Yes.”

Level 5 Dungeon Achievement: First 1 (10, Painite)

Atherleah (Level 445), you have completed the dungeon:

The Valley of Fetheden

You are the first player to complete this dungeon. It is one of four dungeons on Mt Siddetli designed for the Merkize Odyssey. The dungeon would normally be open to other players but instead will be closed until the fate of Lady Garez is decided.

This is your tenth, ‘First 1 (Painite)’ Dungeon Achievement.

Reward 1: 5000 x 445 = 12760375 (+473.5%) Experience Points (48185024/78650000)

Reward 2: + 4% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 10 x 1 Diamond = 10 Diamond

Reward 4: 5000 Fame (517170)

Reward 5: 10000 EP for each individual successfully brought to Fetheden. 10000 x 274 = 15713900 (+473.5) Experience Points (63898924/78650000)

Reward 6: 10 Platinum for each individual successfully brought to Fetheden. 10 x 247 = 2470 Platinum

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

When Leah had finished these, she went outside. After cutting a tiny piece off to use for a spell, she put the Mithryl silk inside Lady Serseri’s Chest of Communication and sent it to Peter. When it had disappeared, she took Mĕi’s statue from her bag and released her. She hadn’t seen Mĕi since Mĕi had been killed by the glitchwolf. She’d waited until now because she’d been trying to think of a way to protect the Chimera. Leah spent a few minutes playing with her, and then as Mĕi watched, she took some ingredients from her various supplies and started to mix them together in Sage Samarie’s pestle and mortar.

Leah had to use a mixture of gravity mana and earth mana to help break the ingredients into a powder. Finally, Leah added a vial of the Amazonian Growth Hormone to the mixture of red and green dragon scales, some Adamantine Mamba scales, and the piece of Mithryl silk. She stirred this slowly while adding a steady stream of mana from both her light and shadow shrouds. As she stirred the mixture, she could see it slowly forming an oily, almost pearlescent paste. When all the growth hormone had been absorbed by the powders, Leah added a vial of Diamond Royal Jelly. She'd also received this from the ants. Leah then added a vial of Adamantine Mamba Venom. Once this was all mixed through, she slit her hand and added the equivalent of a vial of her own blood.

Finally, she took Lord Geckiş’ Essence of Transformation and added one drop to the oily liquid. As the drop touched the liquid, Leah had Three verbalise her intentions for the potion in a low whisper. The mixture began to bubble and then swirl itself around the pestle until it formed a swirling whirlpool of light. Leah felt a pull against her mana and started to feed in almost equal amounts of light and shadow mana. Although the liquid continued to swirl in the same way, it became heavier until Leah had to pull some mana from the earth shroud to help hold the bowl still.

Suddenly, Leah’s surroundings changed. She found herself standing in what felt like an enormous Alchemy laboratory or workshop. Two figures were standing nearby, and she recognised one as Lord Geckiş. Shifting her hands and strengthening her left so it could hold the still-increasing weight of the mixture, Leah was able to read Three’s introduction of the other figure.

KARIŞIMLAR - GOD OF HYBRIDS (ANIMALS) (Level 16953 18452) 287404209 HP (847650 EP)

Bowing her head slightly, she said, “Greetings Lord Geckiş, greetings Lord Karışımlar.”

“G: Greetings, Empress Atherleah. I had not expected you to use my essence of transformation with such alacrity. It pleases me. Many hide away that which might transform their lives in the hope they will find a better time, and in doing so, they lose all opportunity. Even so, your potion is quite complex, and it seemed good to seek the help of an expert. Lord Karışımlar was the one who first made the Chimera, and he wished to discuss the transformation with you.”

“Lord Karışımlar, I am honoured that you might seek to share your wisdom.”

“K: Thank you, Empress Atherleah. Your preparations are quite specific and match the Chimera you call Mĕi most precisely. I fear she may become quite the apex predator and wish to add several caveats to this transformation. First, she needs an intellect that might grow beyond that of a simple beast, else she would not find the means to limit her own appetites should it become necessary.”

“I think that would suit my purposes even better, Lord Karışımlar.”

“K: Indeed, I would also like to limit her so that all creatures like her must be partnered with a Traveller such as yourself if they are to transform into this new form. If Mĕi were to have offspring, they would be Chimera when young. They will remain like that unless they are partnered with someone such as yourself. Only then would they develop eventually into this new creature.”

“I am encouraged by the use of the word partner, Lord Karışımlar. What would happen should this partnership end? I am not a fan of enforced slavery, especially if she is given a greater sentience.”

“K: I suspect this would not happen, but if so, then the creature would fade without pain and return to their natural state.”

“This sounds like a good caveat, Lord Karışımlar.”

“K: Finally, payment must be made. Lord Geckiş gives aid through his essence of transformation. My aid will cost you. I pondered the cost for some time and decided I have no need of a service. Instead, I will take payment in Experience Points. You must make a sacrifice of 500000000 Experience Points which is almost seven levels. I cannot reduce your level so I will take them as you earn them until I am recompensed. Are we in agreement?”

Even with the help of the earth shroud, Leah was struggling with the weight of the pestle and mixture. Still, she considered her options then said, “I am willing to pay this price, Lord Karışımlar.”

“K: Then, we have an agreement. Your Chimera will transform after she drinks the mixture. Her Level will be matched to yours. It was a pleasure to meet you face to face. Now, hold still.”

With a rush, Leah felt her wings fade into nothing, her surroundings were replaced with the land around Sevelin’s house, and the weight of the mixture practically disappeared. There was a flash of light that Leah felt across her body, and all that was left in the bowl was a clear fluid that seemed to sparkle softly.

Turning to Mĕi, Leah held out the bowl. Mĕi sniffed at it, then her middle panther head leaned in and lapped at the liquid. In turn, each of the dragon heads then drank. When Leah brought the bowl away after the third head tasted the potion, she was pleased to see the pestle was empty.

Mĕi shook herself slowly and then began to grow. As she swelled in size, there was a rippling of the flesh under her skin and scales. Every part of her exterior began to shift and change. Before the potion, Mĕi had already grown to full size, and her shoulders were already a pace above Leah’s head with each of her own heads at least double that of a fully grown male lion and the stinger on her scorpion tail larger than Leah. As Leah watched, the claws on Mĕi's front paw went from being one and a half times the length of Leah’s longest finger to being as long as her forearm, and almost as thick. Leah noticed a bulge forming at the base of each claw and the sharpened ends developed hollow centres.

Mĕi’s fur which had resembled the thick pelt of a huge black panther grew denser as each strand of hair thickened and lengthened, then shifted slightly so each of the individual strands could lock into position with its neighbours forming an impenetrable but flexible armour of adamantine. It was as soft as the mithryl silk.

The same changes happened on the central panther head, but the scales on the two dragon’s heads thickened until they were hard and unassailable like that of the great dragons and yet each scale was soft to the touch. The red head which breathed fire darkened as each of the scales was mixed with the adamantine and looked more the colour of blood. The darker horned dragon head took on a deep green tinge, and the horns shifted to a more emerald green but with the sparkle of diamond. The scorpion-like tail lengthened and thickened with the exoskeleton metamorphosing from the rigid heavy chitin segments and reforming as adamantine panels. The panels overlapped to form a strong armour and the stinger thickened and darkened.

Finally, as Mĕi’s knees rose above where her shoulders used to be, her eagle wings extended fully and each of the feathers was transformed similarly as her fur had been. Her wingspan had been more than double the length of her body, and it grew proportionately. As the wings reached their full width, they shimmered slightly and then transformed into something similar to Leah’s wings. The outer feathers were dark and looked to be made of shadow while the under-wings were bright as if made from light.

As Mĕi gave a final shake to get all the kinks out, her whole body sparkled as if covered with glitter. Spreading her wings, each of Mĕi’s heads lifted toward the sky and roared. Fire spewed from the red dragon head, and a deep green mist floated from the green dragon head. Drops of venom glistened from each of the sharp teeth in all three heads.

When the last of the echos died away from the cry, Mĕi’s heads turned and looked down at Leah.

Leah felt something like when talking to the Günahkâr, and Three passed the message on after telling Leah she would indicate Mĕi with an ‘M’ and a feeling of heat.

“M🔥: Mama, what happened?”

Leah stepped forward, and wrapping her arms around the right foreleg of the massive creature said, “My beautiful Mĕi, I didn’t like you getting hurt, so I made some changes to help you be stronger.”

“M🔥: I’m bigger.”

“Yes, you are. People won’t be able to hurt you so easily anymore.”

“M🔥: I’m hungry.”

“Can you find food, or do you want some help?”

“M🔥: I want to hunt.”

“OK, you hunt. Come back if I call.”

“M🔥: OK, Mama.”

With that Mĕi leapt into the sky, her downdraft blowing Leah and Yürek off their feet.

69

December 26 2073 - 6

DUNYANIN

As Leah got to her feet, a reader with messages appeared. She could see Melez approaching cautiously from behind her to stand near the silent Yürek who'd retaken his position. Without turning, she spoke aloud so Melez could hear, “That is my companion, Mĕi. She’d been killed, and I hadn’t taken her out until I had time to make some changes. Isn’t she beautiful?”

Leah could feel Yürek’s shoulders move in a chuckle and as Melez said, “M: Beautiful? That isn’t the first word that comes to mind. What is she? And where are your wings?”

“She was a Chimera, but now I’m not sure. I need to look at some messages, and maybe they will tell me. My wings are made of mana, and I used it all to help transform Mĕi. Even then, I think Lord Geckiş and Lord Karışımlar did most of the work.”

“Y🔥: Where did you disappear to?”

“I think it was Lord Karışımlar’s realm. He wanted to discuss the changes. To be honest, it was more that he had some conditions if I wanted his help.”

Neither of her companions said anything, and Leah turned to read the messages.

Atherleah (Level 445), you have entered into an agreement with Lord Karışımlar:

In return for his help in completing the transforming potion for your Chimera Mĕi, you agree to give him 500000000 Experience Points. This must be paid before you are eligible to use any of your points to progress to the next level. You currently are at Level 445 and had 63898924 Experience points toward Level 446. These have been transferred to Lord Karışımlar. You still owe 436101076 Experience Points. If you wish to pay this debt using external funds, the Dunyanin Administration has set the fee for such situations at 100 VCr per 10000 EP.

Leah calculated she would owe over four-and-a-half million VCr to pay off the debt and couldn't help but wonder how many people would take that option.

Level 5 Named Personal Achievement

Create a Grandmaster Potion - First 10 (7, Diamond)

Atherleah (Level 445) you have completed the Achievement Create a Grandmaster Potion. You are the fifth player to gain this achievement. This is your seventh Level 5 NPA ‘First 10’

Reward 1: 5000 x 445 = 12849375 (+477.5%) Experience Points (0/77650000) [Lord Karışımlar is still owed 423251701 EP]

Reward 2: 1 10 Platinum x 6 = 60 Platinum

Reward 3: +3% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 500 Fame Points (518170 FP)

This potion is unique and may not be recreated.

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

World Achievement: First 1 (3, Celestial)

Demigod Activity - Trigger an Uplift Event

Atherleah (Level 445), you have performed your first Demigod action and initiated the uplift of the Chimera Mĕi to become the mother of a new powerful and sentient race. Using the gift of Lord Geckiş and with the aid of Lord Karışımlar, you used your blood, mana and skill to trigger this event. This is your third World Achievement: ‘First 1 (Celestial).

This achievement is being reviewed by an independent body comprising a Dunyanin AI, a representative of the Gods, Lady Tutarlılık, Goddess of Consistency and an independent, outside legal consultant AI. They are reviewing the Articles of Divine War. While you did this as a means of protecting your Chimera, Lord Suzluk, Lady Harabe, Lord Önyargi, and Lady Garez saw this as an act of war on the part of both Lord Geckiş and Lord Karışımlar. The review is to determine if you will receive the doubling bonus for the achievement. A result of the review is imminent. Until the review is finished, this achievement will receive only the regular rewards.

Reward 1: 25000 x 445 = 64580625 (+480.5%) Experience Points (0/77650000) [Lord Karışımlar is still owed 358671076 EP]

Reward 2: 10 Diamond x 3 = 30 Diamond

Reward 3: +5% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 10000 Fame Points (511170 FP)

Note 1: For Chimera descended from Mĕi to undergo the uplift, they must be partnered with a traveller to Dunyanin.

Note 2: To facilitate the new race, Lord Karışımlar has fertilised four of Mĕi’s eggs. She is pregnant. Gestation is usually twelve Dunyanin months, but this has been accelerated to one Dunyanin month. Congratulations. The ability to uplift will be encoded in all of Mĕi’s offspring. If they mate before uplift, then their offspring will have the genes. If they uplift before mating, then all females will uplift pregnant until such time as there are sufficient uplifted adults to provide appropriate mates.

Note 3: Atherleah, as facilitator and creator of this Uplift you are required to name the Uplifted Race.

Note 4: This achievement will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum.

Atherleah, you are required to name the uplift option for Mĕi, and for those Chimera descended from Mĕi. What name do you give them?

Leah sat and thought for a few minutes before replying,

The name for the uplift option for Mĕi and those Chimera descended from Mĕi is Typhonera.

As Leah finished responding, a new message appeared.

Result of the review for your World Achievement: First 1 (3, Celestial) Demigod Activity - Tigger an Uplift Event.

Atherleah (Level 445), the review board decided that while the achievement is technically related to the current state of war that exists, it was not your intent to take this action as a part of the hostilities. The doubling of rewards was not recommended. The Dunyanin administration has accepted the findings of the review board. Should you wish to challenge these findings, please contact the Dunyanin Administration team.

Leah thought about it briefly and decided the review board was correct. She might not have done something just now, but she had planned to do something even before the war had been declared. While she waited for Mĕi to return and for her shrouds to recover, Leah sat and looked through the various herbs, seeds and nuts she’d been given the day before as well as the collection of bloods. She’d asked for additional seeds to make more of the dragon-tailed vines. She wasn't sure she'd make them as she'd collected hundreds of spells and different ingredients from the army that had attacked the Günahkâr. With information from these, she'd added a variety of other things to the list she’d sent Peter hoping the principles she’d been putting together about the different potions would be useful to produce some even more powerful spells.

Before starting work on her ideas, she looked at the two spells taken from the desert clans, both of which were Earth Spells. One was a Grandmaster-level working that required several mages working in unison. It was called Sand Storm. At the highest level, it was supposed to be able to bury an entire city. The other was named Sinkhole, and at the lower levels, it was similar to quicksand and opened tunnels of liquified earth underneath opponents. At the higher levels, it could be used to create holes to swallow half an army.

Leah was putting the finishing touches to some ideas when Serseri’s Chest of Communication appeared in front of her. When she opened it, she was surprised to find none of the things she’d requested and instead it was filled with hundreds of small vials packed in straw. On top was a note.

As she unfurled it, she realised it was in braille.

“Hi Atherleah,

These are a range of rare but volatile venoms, poisons and other hard-to-get ingredients. I mean, honestly, how would you collect a vial of aqueous humor from a female adamantine dark-elf medusa? I also ask why someone would want this? That’s beside the point. Everything else you ordered, and a range of things you might use, sometime, is coming with Thad, Amy, Wisp and few others. The word ‘few’ is not entirely accurate. You need to prepare a square space about fifty paces on each side for when they arrive. When you have this ready, stand at the centre of one side facing toward the middle and say something like, ‘Lord Seyahat, God of Journeys, please allow my people to travel through your land.’ He has already agreed we can use his artefact, but I suspect he would appreciate your personal request. The group is still getting things organised, so give them about ten minutes.

There were some of your Günahkâr guards in Ticareti. They'd come to watch over my caravans and to guard the mines you claimed. When they heard what was happening, they said they needed to join you. I didn’t even try to change their minds, and not just because they are seriously scary but because they are almost certainly right. Altogether there are ten hands of Imperial guards. Most people here are very pro-Empire, but several hundred players attacked them, hoping to claim a reward. None of the Günahkâr were killed, and none of the players survived. Like I said, seriously scary.

I discussed options with Jack, and I’ll send him a portal spell. Someone from Hiddet analysed what you’d done during the contest to trap the demon. Although they can’t replicate it, they have managed to formulate an enchantment that allows people to travel to a set place on a map. The enchantment takes an obscene amount of mana and has to be written in different types of blood, etc. etc. Jack is choosing a place near Mt Siddetli. When he has numbers, I’ll have the portal enchantment written and sent to him. He should be able to use it in two or three days.

Oh, the reason I sent these particular ingredients this way is that Lord Seyahat mentioned he expected some ‘turbulence’ in the journey. None of these are safe if even a drop escapes. I suspect the turbulence will be from other gods. Lord Seyahat made it clear that while he was neutral in the war, he hopes to benefit from helping both sides. Unfortunately, he has been threatened with violence if he helps you.

Check your balance sheet. Even if I include everything collected when you killed the army, you still make more from the coins and banking. Also, I don’t know when you last looked at your Clan Guàn messages, but you only get the benefits when you open the messages. It has something to do with being an active member. AI’s are not allowed to tell or remind you, but friends can. Clan Guàn is now Level 20 and is a contender to be the top-rated clan in Dunyanin in the New Year lists. We will definitely win five of the main categories, but no clan has ever hit number one in their first year.

Knock ’em dead,

Peter

Leah made a note to check her Clan messages then said, “Yürek, my friends have been thinking ahead about what I need. They are sending what sounds like a large group of warriors to join us. This includes another ten hands of Imperial Guards. Lord Seyahat has agreed to aid their journey but suspects possible enemy action. I need a clear square area, fifty paces by fifty paces. This is where they will arrive at the end of their journey. Is there somewhere nearby which might suit?”

“Y🔥: There is an area where the ridge leading to Sevelin’s lookout widens. I believe that would be large enough.”

Leah pictured the mountain as shown on the Merkize Disc then imagined it modelled on her flesh. Reaching down with her Earth Shroud, she willed the ground at her feet to rise until it took the shape she’d remembered. She said, “Where exactly is it on this model?”

Yürek moved closer and moved her hand over the area. Leah concentrated, and the model morphed to show just the area near where Yürek’s hand had indicated. Twice more, Yürek focussed Leah’s picture until there was a model of the ridge on which Sevelin lived projected a pace and a half above the ground.

The ridge had two arms which enclosed Fetheden’s Valley. The rest of it rose slowly toward Mt Siddetli, widening out before ending against the edge of a sheer cliff almost a thousand paces higher up the mountain than where Leah was. There was a small section which continued to climb up one side of the cliff-face for several hundred paces before it too disappeared. Sevelin’s lookout was at the top of this highest section. The area Yürek was talking about was near the base of the cliff.

Leah said, “Do you want to get there by teleport, by running or by flying?”

“Y🔥: I have not flown before.”

Leah thought of how she used to call for Mìng and called, “Mĕi!”

“M🔥: Coming, Mama.”

Leah sent a message just to Yürek, “I should warn you that she believes I am her mother and has been quite protective in the past.”

Yürek said nothing, but stepped back as she looked up the mountain and could see Mĕi approach. Leah also felt Mĕi ’s approach and asked for Mĕi’s information.

MĔI - TYPHONERA (Level 445) 881211 HP (222500 EP)

Leah was ready for Mĕi this time and strengthened herself using the earth shroud as Yürek was forced back several steps by the whirling winds. Leah said, “Mĕi, this is Yürek, she leads the elves who help protect me. The half-goblin half-human approaching is called Melez. She is a priestess of Lady Serseri. We need to travel up the mountain, would you be willing to carry us?”

“M🔥: I can. I don’t think the saddle will fit anymore.”

“You are right, it won’t. We will be able to hold on for the short ride.”

“M🔥: Then let’s go. Do you want me to get low?”

“No, I will help us get high.”

With that, Leah used the Earth Shroud to form a set of steps which ended where Mĕi’s necks were. Once there Leah took a seat in the centre, Yürek moved to sit on the red dragon neck while Melez sat on the green. As Yürek sat, she said, “Y🔥: Thank you, Mĕi. My affinity is for fire, and I can feel your power flowing beneath me.”

Melez sat a little more carefully, then her face was lit with a smile, and she echoed Yürek’s words, “M: Oh, thank you, Mĕi. My affinity is for living things, and I too can feel your power flowing beneath me.”

Leah smiled and sent, “Let’s go.”

With a leap that only Leah was prepared for, Mĕi leapt for the skies. While Leah hadn’t warned the others, her wings had spread out to provide support and to keep the other two in their positions. As Mĕi climbed, Leah could feel the wind pushing back against her wings, and she hurriedly folded them behind her. Leah directed Mĕi, and the three soon approached the flat area of rock Yürek had mentioned. As they came in to land, Leah could feel Sevelin descending the steep ridge from his lookout.

70

December 26 2073 - 6

DUNYANIN

Leah leapt from Mĕi’s shoulders as they landed, using her wings to soften the landing. She was about to send an earth ladder up for the other two, but they had both leapt after Leah. Leah turned toward the approaching Troll only to feel Mĕi move to stand over her. Leah easily fit in the space between Mĕi’s front legs.

Sevelin’s head was on a level with Mĕi’s and the strands of Mĕi’s fur started to lock together into armour as Sevelin approached. Leah said, “It’s OK Mĕi, this is a friend. He is a troll, and his name is Sevelin.”

As Sevelin came to a stop ten or so paces from Leah, she said, “Good morning, Sevelin. I apologise for disappearing so quickly last evening, but I was exhausted. Thank you for your hospitality. I know you have met the others, but this is my friend, Mĕi. Mĕi, this is Sevelin, he has opened his home to us.”

“S: Welcome, Mĕi. I was worried you were hostile.”

Mĕi obviously spoke directly to Sevelin as he chuckled and said, “I was not offended. It is good to protect those we love.”

Turning toward Leah, he said, “S: Atherleah, did you wish to see my lookout?”

“I do some time, but I was hoping to use this area to welcome some friends, actually, quite a lot of friends. It seems people have been concerned about my welfare and want to join me in case we are attacked. Might I impose even more on your hospitality?”

“S: Of course, your friends are wise. The numbers who approach continue to increase. What are your plans?”

“I’m not sure yet. I suspect the numbers will keep increasing, so maybe destroy these then move on.”

“S: They are an army.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think they are an army yet. I think most of these are different groups who think they are in competition for a prize, me. The war is still in its early days, and I wonder if either side is really thinking of what will eventually unfold. Suzluk and the gods with him are not, by nature, good at working well with others. Those who have become aligned against Suzluk are better suited to work together, but none of them really want the war. Each of them would prefer a peaceful solution. I think the war will eventually reach every continent, and the followers of those gods who are involved will need to band together or be destroyed. Until then, we have the opportunity to use their lack of cohesion against them.”

“S: Do you not want peace?”

“Of course I do, but not at the price they are asking. They seek to imprison and enslave whole groups of sentients. Many are happy to do nothing as long as those imprisoned are few, those enslaved are unimportant, and the abuse is either kept out of sight or explained as an inconvenient necessity. I am not prepared to walk past this without trying to stop it. I would have only dealt with those situations I came in contact with but Suzluk, and those like him, want the conflict out in the open.

“I suspect they thought everyone would imagine the actual problem that needed addressing was that everything was being shown in the open rather than the abuse itself. I would have been dealt with so the abuse could go back to happening in the dark. This is what I imagine has happened in the past. I’ve decided that if it is only by war that these things can be stopped, then we shall have a war. If we have to have a war, then I suspect the best approach is to win it expeditiously.”

“S: Yes, I suspect it is like when Fetheden led us from the sands. The time had come. We needed to stand firm for our choices, even if the only two options were death and freedom. Even so, I am haunted by my memories. I wonder at the cost, for many will die.”

“They will. Then, at the end, even if we succeed, those who come after us will need to fight the same battles after us. I suspect that truth is what often stays our hands from doing what is right. My only comfort is that those who come after will have a smaller battle because we have fought ours. If those before us had acted earlier, then our battles would be smaller.”

“S: Can you decide this for the millions who may perish?”

“The answer is complicated. No, I believe in some way I can only make the decision for myself. On the other hand, I have accepted the responsibility of being a leader. I am the Empress of Vatan. Those who have chosen to set me as their leader know how I feel. For them, to follow me is to agree that I make decisions which affect them. For them, I can and do declare that I am going to wage war with all the resources at my command. Suzluk and those who follow him should know that I am not going to sit still but will take action to end their tyranny until all Vatan that is mine is free of their influence. They will be anathema in my territories.”

A reader appeared which Leah quickly ran her fingers over.

War of the Gods Announcement

Attention All Players

Atherleah, Empress of Vatan, Champion of Lord Umut and Friend of Lady Utsal, has declared Lord Suzluk, God of Despair, Lady Harabe, Goddess of Ruin, Lord Önyargi, God of Prejudice, Lady Garez, Goddess of Spite and Malice, and all who stand with them as Anathema. The Empress’ statement included a firm declaration of her intent to wage war wherever necessary. This declaration enacts those sections of the Articles of Divine War which include the actions of those not associated with a god. If you are a declared follower of Empress Atherleah, then your efforts against those who follow the aforementioned gods will now attract bonus rewards regardless of your own affiliation.

Note: It is recommended that you contact the representative of your god to determine their intentions so as not to inadvertently wage war against those who would become, at some stage, your allies.

Leah shook her head slightly with frustration at the announcement, then said, “I also declare that any who use the war as an excuse to commit unwarranted attacks on innocents and those merely minding their own business will be considered traitors if they are from within my realm, and war criminals if from outside. Before all the gods, I call on the creators to make such violations known to all that those who commit such atrocities may be hunted down and executed. I will match whatever financial reward is given by either the gods or the creators for the execution of these criminals. Further, my Imperial Guards will continue to hunt any traveller involved until they have been killed ten times for every innocent. The term ‘unwarranted’ and ‘war criminal’ are used as defined in the Articles of Divine War in the section on War Crimes.”

There was a much longer delay before her declaration appeared as an announcement to all players. As soon as it did, three more appeared.

War of the Gods Announcement

Attention Players (opt-in only)

Lady Serseri, Goddess of the Outcast, has declared she stands with her Champion and is aligned with Lord Umut, God of Hope, and Lady Utsal, Goddess of Light and Truth.

War of the Gods Announcement

Attention Players (opt-in only)

Lord Umut, God of Hope, Lady Utsal, Goddess of Light and Truth and Lady Serseri, Goddess of the Outcast have affirmed Empress Atherleah’s declaration on the killing of innocents. Lady Utsal, Goddess of Light and Truth and Lady Serseri, Goddess of the Outcast have pledged to reward those who execute such criminals. The amount is undisclosed at this time.

War of the Gods Announcement

Attention Players (opt-in only)

The Administrators of Dunyanin declare that those who use the war as an excuse to commit unwarranted attacks on innocents and those merely minding their own business will be considered war criminals. Those who commit such violations will be marked visibly in a manner visible to all players and NPC’s similar to the markings used to show those players termed ‘Player Killers’. The mark will be permanently visible to all until the player is killed, and it will be apparent to all the Empress’ Imperial Guards until they have been killed ten times for each violation. The reward for killing a player, or NPC, so marked will be one Platinum and the relevant Experience Points.

As the reader disappeared, Leah felt the silence of those around her. She apologised for her inattention and explained what had happened.

“S: Good, I only wish all leaders would agree to such things.”

“Sevelin, I also understand that even with these understandings, many innocent will still die in the acts of war.”

“S: I know, but as you have reminded me, the consequences of not standing for the right will be worse in the long term. But enough philosophy. What of your friends?”

Leah walked to the start of the broader area with her face toward the cliff and said, “Sevelin, please stand beside Mĕi.”

Sevelin moved to stand on Mĕi’s right while both Yürek and Melez stood on Mĕi’s left. Leah remained under Mĕi’s heads. She asked Three to project her voice more than usual. She said, “Lord Seyahat, God of Journeys, I declare my request is not a way to seek allegiance but simply an acknowledgement of your area of authority and influence. I understand you may help those who stand against me, and I will not hold such as a declaration of your agreement with them nor your displeasure with me. I ask that as per the agreement reached with my representative, and concerning the artefact in my possession that you allow my people to travel through your land.”

Nothing happened for a moment, then a bright blue light appeared in the centre of the area in front of Leah. It grew in intensity until everyone except Leah and Mĕi had to avert their eyes. The light began to expand until it morphed into a sheet of light which covered a large square area that almost filled the entire rock shelf. Leah made a note to tell Peter it was over twice as wide and deep as he’d suggested.

The light began to pulse, and Leah could feel forms begin to materialise all across the square. As the pulsing light increased in tempo, the forms became more solid and then with a flash, the light disappeared. The entire area was covered with several thousand players and the ten hands of the Imperial guards. It was clear that while most of the players were warriors of one kind or another, there was a smattering of craftsmen of all types.

The players all gave out a massive cheer at finding themselves on a mountain top, but the cry stilled as all three of Mĕi’s heads let out a roar, filling the air with sound, flame, smoke and mist. Everyone turned to look at the massive creature and then saw Leah standing between her legs.

Even the sight of Mĕi couldn’t stop a second cheer, and four figures in the front row stepped forward. It was clear they’d choreographed the move as Thad, Amy and Wisp let the Günahkâr guard approach Leah first. His uniform had the gold trim of a Toprak. He went to one knee and said, “War Leader, my name is Lušom. I am Baş of one hand and eldest of those Baş present. We have come to serve. Baş Yürek, you now speak for those Günahkâr who are present.”

Yürek stepped half a pace forward and said, “Y🔥: I am Baş Yürek, I speak for the Günahkâr Imperial Guards.”

As he finished, Lušom turned and walked back to his hand as Yürek stepped back to Leah’s left side. Wisp stepped forward and in a loud voice said, “W: Empress Atherleah, everyone else is a member of Clan Guàn. We’ve volunteered to protect you and your interests.”

All the players raised their left fist and chanted, “Integritas! Prospertas! Praesidium!”

As Wisp stepped back, Amy gave a small wave of her hand to Leah to show it was now her turn. Leah stepped several paces forward and directed the Earth shroud through her feet and rose as small pillars of stone grew from the rock. As she came level with Mĕi’s head, she had Three amplify her words so everyone could hear them.

“Welcome to Mt Siddetli. I want to thank all those who have volunteered to step forward to help at this time. Honestly speaking, I wish this war had never happened, and we could all go about finding ways to enjoy this amazing land. But war it is. While I think it is about things worth fighting for, such as doing what is right and protecting those who can’t defend themselves, I acknowledge it is also an opportunity for many of us to grow. Those who are travellers will gain skills and bounty as we fight the adversaries the war throws up against us. Those who serve, such as the Günahkâr, will become the better versions of themselves that they look for. I hope to meet most of you over the next few days and weeks but suggest you spend the rest of the day preparing.

“There are more than ten times our number approaching the mountain, and one of the groups is easily larger than ours. After I talk with Yürek, Wisp, Amy and Thad, I’ll have a better idea of how we are organised, and we can begin planning. My plan for tomorrow is to destroy every single creature heading this way to kill me before moving to the next quest. The Troll to my right is called Sevelin, this is his part of the mountain, and I’d like you to respect his hospitality.”

Then, raising her left hand, she said, “Integritas! Prospertas! Praesidium!”

Everyone cheered then started to move into groups. Most headed toward the cliff looking for somewhere to set up camp. Leah could feel the Günahkâr reaching for each other and was amazed at the sheer volume of information Yürek was sending to the other dark elves. Wisp headed back toward Leah and gave her a huge hug, followed by Amy and Thad.

71

December 26 2073 - 6

DUNYANIN

Before Leah could turn to greet them, Amy grabbed her arm and said, “A: What did you do to Mĕi?”

Leah turned Amy around to face Mĕi and said, “Mĕi, do you remember Aunty Amy?”

Mĕi leant down and obviously said something to Amy as she started to smile, then tried not to step back as the central panther head used its tongue to lick her from waist to the top of her head. Amy ignored Thad and Wisp, who burst out laughing, and reached up to scratch Mĕi behind her ears.

Suddenly Amy turned to Leah and said, “A: May I?”

“May you what?”

“Mĕi offered to take me for a flight.”

“Sure, that’s up to her. Just make sure you hang on tight as she takes off. It can get rough for a second.”

Mĕi lay her stomach on the ground. Amy ran up Mĕi’s leg, and then at Mĕi’s suggestion, stood on the dragon head which had turned around to look at her. When she was at the right height, she slid down the neck and sat astride the central head. Taking a firm grip, Amy said something as Mĕi leapt into the air blowing Wisp over and driving Thad back a few steps. Leah had applied some of the earth shroud to her muscles and driven a few stakes of mana into the ground—she didn’t even sway in the wind. She smiled as Thad stepped toward her.

She stepped toward him and leant her head against his chest as he wrapped her in his arms. They stood like that without talking for almost a minute, then Leah pulled back slightly before reaching up and giving him a long but soft kiss. When she’d finished, she could feel Wisp’s smile as she watched. Leah didn’t turn but said, “Wisp, wipe that smile off your face. I was just saying hello.”

“W: You didn’t say hello to anyone else the same way.”

Sensing Yürek, Sevelin and Melez paying close attention, Leah turned and said, “Thad, Wisp, this is Sevelin. He is our host and has a home where the ridge splits into the two arms. This young lady is named Melez, she is a priestess and follows Lady Serseri. You heard my bodyguard introduce herself, she has become a friend and is a wizard with a sword. Yürek, Melez, and Sevelin, these are two of my best friends. Wisp was the first traveller I met in Dunyanin who I didn’t want to kill. There have been times when it was just the two of us against a whole dungeon. Thad stood up for me before he knew my name and has not only been a faithful companion and friend. He is my boyfriend. The ranger riding Mĕi is another dear friend, and her name is Amy.”

As she finished the introductions, Leah felt Yürek send out several commands, so she wasn’t surprised when two Günahkâr approached. After everyone had said a greeting, Yürek turned to Thad. One of the largest Günahkâr Leah had ever seen, a dark elf whose uniform had the silver trim of a Yalet stepped forward. Yürek said, “Y🔥: Thad, let me introduce Baş İtamol, he is Baş of the hand which I am assigning as your bodyguards. Please go with him so he can assess your skills. I will join you soon.”

Before Thad could respond, Yürek turned to Wisp as a violet trimmed Sular stepped forward. She said, “Y🔥: Wisp, and you Melez, this is Baş Yütad, she is Baş of the hand I am assigning to you both and to Amy. Go with her so she can assess you. One from her hand will accompany each of you every day. I will send Amy to join you when she returns.”

Trying not to smile, Leah let her features show no emotion and waved her hand at them, then said, “Off you go. I’m sure Yürek has chosen well.”

When everyone had moved away, Yürek said in the silent communication of the Günahkâr, “Y🔥: You do not mind?”

“No, I still remember the first time I saw Thad killed. I almost froze, and I was still crying after I knew he was OK. Knowing he is being watched will ease my burden. Having said that he is like me, as are both Wisp and Amy, they don’t want to be kept from the action. They want to improve and become stronger.”

“Y🔥: Their guards will not restrict their actions but will work to enhance their skills. Do you feel restricted?”

“No, I would have said something if I had. We need to work closely, and something unsaid can fester and destroy a relationship.”

Asking Three to add Sevelin to the conversation she said, “Now to the plans, you have seen our resources, do either of you have any suggestions?”

“Y🔥: Can you show the edge of the mountain from this point until it reaches the plains?”

Leah reached down and formed the three-dimensional map using her earth shroud. Sevelin leant forward to watch when Leah felt another troll approaching. She let the map fade and turned to look back towards the valley. Heading in their direction was Fetheden. Sevelin turned to see what Leah was looking at before breaking into a run. Both Leah and Yürek turned away to give the trolls some peace until Leah felt them walking in her direction, holding hands.

Fetheden stopped a few paces from Leah and looking down, said, “F⚡️: I considered your words all through the night and came to the conclusion that you were right. Sevelin and I fought for our freedom not to live in a comfortable valley. Now that our people are free, I am also free to be with the one I love. He and I need to talk, but wherever we go, and whatever we do, I want it to be together.”

“Then go talk. Yürek needs to test my boyfriend, and I need to walk around and meet those who have chosen to follow me. Later today, we will discuss our plans.”

Fetheden nodded. She and Sevelin headed back towards his home. Yürek said, “Y🔥: I will go test him. Expect some guards to join you soon. I know these people are most likely trustworthy, but it is best to be wary.”

Leah nodded, and after watching the various groups for a time, she headed toward the closest to find out their names and skills. As she approached, she noticed that each of them was wearing an identical brooch. It was half the size of her hand and looked to be made in three pieces. Two were in the shape of her wings, one was made of mithryl, the other of adamantine. Each wing had finely carved feathers. Between the flared wings was the Imperial Sceptre made with a darkness diamond at the top and a five-stranded bar underneath. Each strand was made from a different coloured gem, one was made of ruby, one of diamond, one of sapphire, one of amethyst, and one of yellow tourmaline. The three pieces together, they looked like an angel.

Leah focussed and realised everyone in the area had a similar brooch, even Thad, Wisp and the new Günahkâr. Not wanting to focus on it, she made herself a note to talk with Wisp as it looked like one of her designs. Instead, for the next four hours, Leah wandered through the camp meeting people and gauging what they’d come for. Most liked what she stood for, and would fight for that, but really just wanted to have fun as they crushed the other players and earned experience. There was a group of eighty though who were all people she’d set free. These had a more profound dedication for the values her Empire stood for. They not only wanted to help Leah on Dunyanin but appreciated that it was part of a larger battle aligned against those who’d enslaved them and they passionately wanted justice.

The Günahkâr were loyal, but they too had a desire to reach some form of perfection beyond simply protecting Leah. Everyone came to the same place for different reasons, and as she thought on that, she found it freeing. No one, as they talked, had felt a need to conform to a set of ideals. Instead, they’d merged those ideals into who they were, and where they were in their lives or in the game. It didn’t detract from their corporate purpose but enhanced it, broadened it and even made achieving it seem more valuable.

Eventually, she found herself sitting near the edge of the cliff with her back against Mĕi as she thought through the options. Her eyes staring sightlessly at the amazing vista spread out before her. She’d been thinking for almost half an hour when she felt Thad approaching. He edged around Mĕi and sat next to Leah. They sat in silence for several minutes, then Thad said, “T: Did you know I’ve had to take five restore potions since I arrived?”

“Yes, I wanted to come over and push Yürek off the cliff but knew she was just trying to help.”

“T: Oh, I know she was. What made me keep going was I’m pretty sure you’d be able to do the same to her and even though I’m enlightened enough not to be threatened by your skills, I’m still a male and at least want to be close.”

“Thad, that’s not a male thing, it’s a human thing. No one likes being in a relationship where they think they have nothing to offer. My dad always said being with someone should make both them and me a better person. If it makes either of us a worse person, then we need to do something different or change the type of relationship we have.”

“T: I like your folks. How is your mother doing?”

“She’s strong. I think my being attacked happened so soon after she was rescued that it overshadowed her recovery for a bit. That and almost losing my dad rocked her world almost as much as what happened to her. Her faith in God helps her.”

“T: To make sense of things?”

“No, I don’t think so. Some things just don’t make sense, I doubt they ever will. I believe God knows what’s happening and is doing something good through what happens. Still, I doubt we would understand the explanation no matter how he tried to explain it. It’s where faith comes in. My mum trusts God to have her wellbeing in mind through all things. She might never know why something occurred, but she believes he did, and that he had a purpose in allowing it to happen.”

“T: Don’t you think that’s a bit fatalistic?”

“I think lots of times that attitude is exceptionally fatalistic, but it doesn’t have to be. I think it’s fatalistic when someone sees themselves as a cog in this great plan God has going on. That one day when the machine gets pulled apart, they’ll see the end result and go, ‘Wow, that’s cool, you are awesome’. But picture the same idea where every cog is alive and loved, it is placed with care, it is valued and unique. When I see the end result, I’ll still say, ‘Wow, that’s cool, you are awesome’, but I’ll also say, ‘thank you for knowing when I hurt and for caring’, or ‘thank you for standing next to me when things got tough, and I needed a friend’.”

“T: Even after what happened to you?”

“I need that friend more now than ever. I can’t blame him for all my choices or for the actions of evil people. Sure, I believe he could have done a workaround, but would I still be this me? I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be, I’d be a different me. What if I died? Honestly, there were times I wished that had happened. What would have my folks done then? What would have happened to my brother? They would all be different versions of themselves. I can’t even begin to try and sort through all the permutations, and even if I could, how would I put a decision matrix in place to work out the best path? I can’t. But at the same time, I see too much order in the world to think it’s all random.

“I don’t mean the way nature just fits together, although that’s a part of it. I see good as more than something abstract, it is more than a group reaction to generations of conflict that will ensure the species survives. Being kind strikes a chord in my heart. Justice fits, it doesn’t fit as a means to survive or as a form of social consciousness, it just fits with that deeper part of me, that part which values fairness, faithfulness, honesty, determination, and all that sort of thing.”

“T: Deep thoughts. Is that what has you sitting out here all sombre and quiet?”

“Nope, I was working out how best to slaughter the twenty-thousand plus people headed this way.”

“T: Did you come up with anything?”

“I may have.”

“T: Want to share?”

“First tell me if you’d rather kill everyone quickly with a big bang then clean up and move on, or would you like to use your sword and wade through the bodies showing me how strong and brave you are, even if you died once or twice?”

“T: The second but without the dying. Why?”

“I’ve been reminded lately that it is a game. When it’s the NPCs and me, I tend to always go for the quick kill if I can. Now, while there is no way I want a plan that sees us fail, I also need to remember to let all the players have fun playing. I also have to take into account that the NPCs also have a purpose. They have their own passions. My guards want to fight. They don’t want to die, but they don’t really want the win if the only way they do so is by experiencing the process vicariously.

“Yesterday, when I had to tell Yürek that two of her hand had died, I felt in her sadness, but there was also a surge of joy when she heard of how they’d done their job with honour. She yearned to face the thousands of creatures and to test her strength and skill as they had. It isn’t right to do everything to keep them alive when it costs them their joy in living.”

“T: What about me?”

“I just keep you around for your looks.”

Thad made a move to tickle her until he felt Mĕi shift suddenly. He looked up and saw all the teeth in her red dragon head less than a foot above his head, smoke trickling out the open maw. He carefully sat back and said, “T: Our next date, you have to promise not to bring your chaperone.”

Leah slowly came to her feet, and with her eyes still focussed out over the edge of the cliff, she leant back into Mĕi and said, “She’s not my chaperone, Thad, she’s my sweet baby. She’s just looking out for her mama.”

Thad came to his feet slowly. As he stood next to her, she said, “OK, let’s go discuss the best way to have fun tomorrow.”

Together they walked back, and after collecting Amy, Wisp and Yürek, they made their way to Sevelin’s house and talked until Leah had to log out.

72

December 26 2073 - 6

STORK TOWER

Leah had planned to visit Torque but the contracts were still being finalised so after a break for food and supplements, she decided to have and hour-and-a-half of NREM3 sleep before preparing for her visit to Dr Ellis—she was tired. Before lying down on her bed in the Tower, she sent a message to Gèng and Dr Roberts asking if she needed more than the prescribed number of NREM3 hours.

When she woke she was surprised to feel Gèng in the room. Gèng was sitting in an armchair beside one of the bedroom windows. As Leah sat up Gèng said, “4: I asked Three to wake you early. Meredith is the next guest on Un Multivers Sans Entrave. UMSE has become one of Europe’s most viewed current affairs shows in the multiverse. UMSE started in France as one of the old podcasts. It wanted to ensure the digital age remembered the French ideal of ‘Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité’.

“They’re zealous about exposing when they think people are being unfairly treated. They did a piece on you when you helped Yìng and they trashed Meredith. She actually publicly apologised on their program. The war being waged against Meredith and some of the other wealthy and powerful players continues to trend. UMSE is doing a segment on it. Beside Meredith, Erol will be there representing Dunyanin. The host, Gaspard Durand, referred to your feud with Meredith in one promo and brought up the allegation of your connection to organised crime.”

“How long do I have before the segment starts?”

“4: Three minutes.”

“Does it work like Spectator?”

“4: Not really, it has an older iteration of the concept. Instead of stepping into their UMSE they send a 3D-feed of their interview area. You can rotate and zoom the image but that’s about it. You can subscribe with a membership fee or login as a guest for one virtual credit per session. Individual tickets can be purchased to attend the program and view it on UMSE itself. People who do this make up the ‘audience’.”

“Three, please arrange a guest login. Gèng, I know it’s irrational but can you create a seperate room to watch this in? When we’re done I’d like that space deleted completely.”

“3: You are logged in and I will have the feed displayed in the new room Gèng is preparing.”

“4: I agree the request is irrational but I also do not want even a facsimile of that person in the Tower. I’ve prepared a place.”

Leah got up from the bed and after Gèng transformed her nightgown to jeans and a t-shirt, Leah followed her from the room. As Leah stepped through the door she found herself in medieval dungeon which looked to be dug deep into the stone under some great castle. Gèng had provided some seats and the interview area of UMSE had been placed inside a large cell. The bars were transparent but Leah could feel the electricity moving through them.

She turned to Gèng and said, “This has just the right touch. Thank you.”

Sitting in the main chair was the host of UMSE. In front of him were three chairs, and they were placed in such a way that Leah would be able to see anyone who sat in them. As she sat down, Three began sending her the dialogue.

“Translated from French, G: Our cause célèbre which needs to be unpacked today is the sudden surge in focussed attacks on some of the most influential and powerful players in the multiverse. Usually I take up the cause of those who suffer because of la raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure (injustice when the powerful use their might to press down on those with less power). Today we see the the weight of an unruly mob trying to overpower and take from those who have earned their wealth by strength and skill.

“Just two real-weeks ago and we challenged my next guest about what we considered her abuse of power. With great dignity, she accepted the criticism and changed the way she was acting to fit the qualities we’d come to expect from her. The very same people we sought to champion just a short while ago have taken up arms against Meredith Kodoman and others like her.

“In Dunyanin, Merideath’s interests have been attacked on several continents, her property destroyed, her ships sunk or stolen, her clan members killed. In Cosmos Online Mahigan has had spaceships invaded or destroyed, business ventures sabotaged and property vandalised and ruined. In the New Worlds universe, Meredyth’s corporation headquarters was bombed and on two of the worlds she owns the native alien populations have been incited to insurrection. On Ringworld, several of Meerdeet’s boosterspice plantations were destroyed and her warehouses in Hotrufan were burned to the ground.

“None of the acts are outside what is considered reasonable play on any of the worlds, but the concept of an orchestrated attack throughout the multiverse is something I, and many others who want an unrestricted playing field, believe should be investigated and ended. The culprits should have sanctions placed on their play at least until they make reparations. Please welcome Meredith Kodoman.”

Three informed Leah there was applause from the audience as Meredith appeared and after greeting Gaspard, Meredith sat in the chair closest to him. For the next five minutes they discussed the attacks and Meredith released some feed showing her deserted businesses and dead associates. In one feed she showed the tens of thousands of dead aliens her forces had been forced to kill when they rose up against a settlement on one of her New World planets. When they’d finished, Gaspard was shaking his head and said, “What do you say to your critics who suggest that you’ve done the same thing to others in the past?”

Meredith shook her head and said, “M: I’d ask for some proof. There have been times when I’ve had a conflict with someone in one game and I’ve done whatever I can within the game to end that conflict. There have been a few times when another player and I have crossed swords on more than one world, but I’ve always tried to keep the conflict inside the games. For example, take the so-called, ‘conflict’ with Atherleah. If you check our interactions you’ll see I tried to diffuse each situation. Sure, I did play as hard inside the games to destroy her, but that’s just good gameplay. A lot of what we said was just showmanship.

“Atherleah was the one who changed and turned things into a personal attack in the wider multiverse. Except for my indiscretion with that poor Chinese girl, something I’ve agonised over since then, I’ve tried not to take anything Atherleah has done too personally. I think she’s just so new to the multiverse that she’s taking a longer than usual time to adapt. It must be so hard to come from the sort of background that she has and not let it affect you in some way.”

“G: When you mention her background, what concerns you the most?”

“M: When the poor girl disappeared I sent some of my real-world employees out onto the streets to help look for her. What they discovered made me quite concerned for her state of mind. We could discuss her family life, like having a father known to drink to excess in the illegal off-grid camps, but I don’t think that would be helpful and it wouldn’t be fair to bring up all the things the mother has had to do to try and raise her family. I just wonder what she went through in her formative years.

“I was more concerned by her connections with what we in Australia refer to as gangs. These are the main contenders for what goes for home-grown organised crime in the Australian Republic. The leaders of these gangs are called ‘bosses’ and it seems that poor Atherleah had been groomed by one of the most vicious of these bosses, a man called Jimmy Loo.

“Mr Loo has been implicated in hundreds of crimes including murder, extortion and child prostitution. For example, the police have records of a man who worked for Mr Loo. His name was Jason Windsor. He had two underage teenage children, a boy and a girl. One day Jason just disappeared and the two children were forced to work for Mr Loo and carry out his instructions, no matter how depraved they were. Their poor mother was forced to work in one of Mr Loo’s illegal sweatshops just to feed the family.

“Members of the gang are called ‘Jimmy’s boys’ and they are trained in all forms of violence. This was Atherleah’s mentor and I expect the one she most wanted to escape. I imagine that being a beautiful young woman, Mr Loo made sure she was trained in all the skills necessary to make a profit in organised crime.

“I think she’s struggling to deal with her demons and how people have treated her in the past. I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess as to who would hurt her using such a barbaric torture such as burning out a chip. As many have mentioned, it is well known that those who do such things are usually involved in organised crime of the worst kind. I’m concerned that by her wise choice not to stir up even more of her demons, that she is inadvertently, or otherwise, setting people like myself up as the enemy.

“It’s possible she’s transferred her anger at those who had power over her in the past onto me because I’m successful and wealthy in the place she’s using to escape the terrible reality of a broken life. I think this is the cause of the masses who are attacking me and others who have found success in the multiverse. I don’t want to be forced to destroy the poor unfortunates caught up in this folly, but I will have to go on the offensive to save my businesses and the many hard-working people I’m able to employ.”

“G: That’s a good segue into the next part of our discussion. We’ve invited Mr Erol Kartal, the CEO of Dunyanin into the studio to help shed light on what Dunyanin can and cannot do in situations like this where an unaffiliated group of players band together to destroy a successful player.”

As Leah had been watching, she’d sent messages to Jimmy, John, her parents, and to Joel and Marie, the children of Jason Windsor who had been caught abusing his children by Jimmy.

Jimmy,

If you haven’t already watched the UMSE interview with Meredith then I think you need to do that now. Please don’t kill her just yet. She’s just lit a fuse in the Switch. People will know what she’s intimating. If what John said is true then you need to initiate whatever plans you have for protecting people. There will be riots by morning if this gets out and I’m certain it will. I’ll shut her down before she says anything else but the damage is done. Please send Father Andrew to the Pod centre to calm my dad down. When he finds out what Meredith said about my mum, I won’t be able to stop him on my own. Also, Meredith knew insider stuff from years ago. There are snitches. Be careful.

Leah.

John,

If you haven’t already watched the UMSE interview with Meredith then you need to do that now. I want all our facilities across the country on lock down and all security increased to its highest level. Meredith just pushed the button. I told Jimmy I’d shut her down before she makes more trouble but I think it’s too late. She trashed Joel and Marie and blamed Jimmy for everything they went through. See if you can calm them down. As I told Jimmy, there is good evidence people in the Switch have been speaking out of turn.

Leah

To her parents and both Joel and Marie she sent a brief description of what had been said and asked them to watch the interview and then to please talk to her before they did anything. She had plans and if they waited, she’d explain what and why.

As Erol sat down Leah said, “Gèng, can you pull a sample twenty-second clip from when Nathan and Meredith were describing what was going to be done to me. Include where he said Billy and Earl would rape me. Add visuals. I want it sent to Meredith and Nathan. Send it high priority but without any extra encryption. Send it from my public address and add the following message.

“‘Back off, bitch. Get up and leave. Don’t apologise, don’t make excuses, just leave. You have sixty-seconds. You want this done in the public, then bring it on and I will ruin you. Nathan, I thought you were smarter than this, guess not. More likely you’ve lost control of the psycho you married. Now, we can do it this way, the stupid, dumb-ass, Kodoman way, or, I’m open to settling this in the multiverse gaming worlds where I can show the world what a pair of feeble and contemptible little brain-dead losers you are. I even set up the TRAX thing to show what a pathetic has-been Meredith has become. Now, you have one minute from when the clip was played and then this sample of your insanity will be sent to the multiverse’s most influential news outlets. You have about tens seconds left. A minute after that the full recording of your insanity will be sent.’

“Add a timer and a list of the top one-hundred news worlds around the globe. Oh, and Gèng, this is not a bluff. If she doesn’t walk out then send the clip and then send the rest sixty-seconds later.”

“4: Are you sure?”

“Yes, I need her to lose credibility if there is going to be anyway to slow down the anger in the negative-tax areas. For what’s planned in the next few days, I need them to start doing what I tell them to. Also send the sample clip to the six people they met up with in Ascendent. Encrypt their copy and set it to open in twenty-four hours. Copy Nathan in so he knows what you’ve sent them.”

“4: Your language is very inflammatory.”

“I also want them too mad to think properly.”

“4: You know what their next move is most likely to be.”

“Yes. I was hoping that wasn’t going to happen for another day or so. Three, can you see if Gianna can move up the meeting with Ivan and the others?”

“3: Done.”

“4: I’ve just sent the message.”

In the UMSE studios, Erol had just finished answering Gaspard’s rather vague first general question. Gaspard waited for a moment then said, “Erol, Dunyanin has a reputation for working hard to give people a playing experience where bullying isn’t rewarded. Is it fair to suggest that what we’ve seen over the last twenty-four hours is bullying on a massive scale?”

Erol blew out through his lips and said, “I can only comment as far as your question relates to Dunyanin and not to the entire multiverse. If we take Dunyanin as an isolated example and just look at what happened in our world, the answer is ‘no’. What has happened to Merideath’s character is one of the minor conflicts of the last twenty-four hours. All-in-all, a total of eight-hundred and ten players attacked various property or associates of Merideath and Clan Y’Haul. In the last twelve hours alone there were eight clan wars with ten times that number of combatants on each side. In the same twelve hour period, twenty-three clans with a membership of over five-hundred have been completely destroyed. As a part of the game over twenty-eight thousand players are descending on Atherleah to kill her. Now,…”

Halfway through Gaspard’s question Meredith had sat upright and stared straight ahead. By the time Erol had mentioned what had happened to Meredith her face had turned white, either with shock or fury. When Erol mentioned Atherleah, Meredith stood and without saying a word walked toward the exit and even before she reached it she disappeared.

Leah had stopped listening to the interview and said, “Three, could you transcribe the rest of the interview and send it to me on a braille reader? I need to set some things in motion.”

Gèng stood and led the way from the room. As they left the dungeon they were back in the main part of the Tower. Leah said, “Can you take me to the highest point? I want to see the whole valley.”

“4: Instantaneously or via the stairs?”

“It’s only seems right to climb the stairs.”

Gèng led the way to a concealed door. Inside was a spiral staircase that climbed up through the middle of the Tower. Together, the two friends climbed for about ten minutes without talking. When they reached the top, Leah proceeded past Gèng and out onto a small balcony where she turned to face the valley. She slowly turned in a full circle and felt the vista rotate across her body. When she stopped, Gèng said, “4: What do you see?”

“Not far enough Gèng, we need to step higher. All I can see from here is war.”

—End of Book 7—

Excerpt from Book 8 - War

As Leah moved toward the doorway to leave the observation point, Three said, “3: John, Marie, Joel and your mum and dad have all asked to see you. I’m not sure if it was the correct thing as I didn’t want to disturb you or Gèng, but I’ve asked them to be ready to come as soon as your free.”

“Thank you Three, I think what you did makes sense. I needed the time to think through what was about to happen. Please transfer me to the garden and tell them all they can come when they are available.”

Leah’s dad was the first person to arrive. He walked over to her and even though she knew his anger wasn’t directed at her, her natural reaction was to tense her muscles. With an effort, she relaxed and stepped forward to give him a hug. He ignored the gesture for a moment then carefully hugged her back.

“3: D with a slight burning sensation, 🔥, is your father.”

“D🔥: What’s the plan? I didn’t do anything, and I waited because you asked and it was you they hurt, but I won’t let them say things like that about your mother.”

Leah sat down before saying, “Yes, Dad, you will. You have to because there is more at stake than you know. Wait for everyone, and I’ll explain.”

“D🔥: I thought we agreed there would be no more secrets. You need to stop keeping secrets. I’ve had enough of them.”

“I never agreed to that. Please, just wait. You’ll understand, or at least I hope you will. Besides, if you rush off, you’ll just have to come back. I cheated.”

“D🔥: What do you mean, ‘you cheated’?”

“I asked Jimmy to send Father Andrew over to talk with you. I figure you’ll at least listen to him before rushing out to commit a mortal sin.”

“D🔥: You don’t believe in mortal sins.”

“I know, but you do, or at least you should if you’re a good catholic.”

Michael took in a deep breath for a second as if he was about to yell at her then his shoulder’s slumped as he heard Lin’s voice. “L: Don’t yell at her, Michael. You know she’s right. Besides, no one who knows you or me will believe those things. Ling reminded me earlier not to lose control and sin, and she was right. Please, just sit down and let’s listen to what she has to say.”

Michael sat down heavily in a chair before responding, “D🔥: I’ll listen, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be ‘Atherleah’ who explains what’s happening and not ‘Mu-Ling’.”

John arrived with Marie and Joel, which cut short the response on Lin’s lips. Compared to the look on Marie’s or Joel’s faces, Michael’s had been mild. It was apparent John had already said some things because besides glaring at Leah, the siblings took their seats in silence. Before anyone spoke, three more chairs appeared with Gèng in one of them. She said, “4: Johan and Lacey asked to join us. I agreed.”

“3: J 🔥is John, J 💧is Johan, J ⚡️is Joel, M⚡️,is Marie, and L💧is Lacey.”

“J 🔥: I asked them to come. I need them to understand what’s going on so they can step in and make decisions if necessary.”

Leah said nothing but sat marshalling her thoughts. She had Three place a braille reader with a keyboard at either hand. With her left, she reviewed the entire program from the UMSE studio while with her right, she read and answered messages as well as finalised her ideas to share with Ivan and the others when they met.

When Johan and Lacey arrived, Three used the reader near Leah’s left hand to share what was being said. As Lacey sat, Leah said, “I’m sorry for sending you messages so late but figured you’d rather know what was being said before others hear about it. I also want to thank you all for meeting with me before you went and did anything. Even though you are my friends and my family and some of you work for me, I know I don’t have any right to dictate how you respond. Still, I wanted you to know why I’ve reacted the way I have and what will influence my next steps. You all know some of what has happened, John and Jimmy know the most and John is probably the only one who knows all of it. Even now I’m only going to give a précis.

“You’re all aware that Meredith and Nathan are at the centre of my problems. It all started just over two months ago when I got my chip. There were accidental complications, and I received a different type of chip than usual. Besides the changes that we don’t talk about, the combination of uploading an AI into the wrong chip disabled some of the features the government has hardwired into all our chips, including the ones you have. When I went to enrol in University, the government tried to take control of my chip, but with their preset features compromised I was able to connect with Virtual Security who not only rescued me, but they also gave me some better security software.

“I went to a party in the multiverse where Meredith’s son tried to take control of me using the malware you’ve all heard about. With the compromised features and the additional security, Gèng was able to contact V-Sec. It was then that Meredith tied to grab me to make me drop charges against Jackson. I met with her in Cosmos Online, and that’s when I picked her guard’s pocket and stole a ship which had some data she wanted.

“To get the information back from me, they kidnapped Mum. One of the security AI I’d met was very helpful and was going to send a human agent to help. The agent was killed by the people who kidnapped dad and me on the orders of the Kodomans. At the time, neither the government nor V-Sec would do anything to help. Instead, they archived the AI who had been trying to help me. I broke into the Secure V-Sec vault to steal the archived copy of the AI, and while I was there, I stumbled on a separate secure vault inside the World Bank. What I found is the reason I want you to rethink the actions you want to take. I’d prefer that you work with me.

“Before we get into that you know most of the rest. We rescued Mum, but she had had a bomb placed in her head and the switch hidden in Survival. All the help I had to get through the world was to find that switch. It was Meredith who got so angry at not getting the data back who gave the order to have me shot. In the end, Meredith and Nathan arranged for my kidnapping just so they could kill me. I suspect they needed to reassure the others in their group that they were in control.

“Now, I mention a group because, from everything I have found out, there is a group of powerful and very wealthy people who use the AI and PAI chips to keep over a quarter of a billion people as their slaves. I believe they also have some control over various world governments. If I’m reading things correctly, I think the Australian government is basically a puppet controlled by these people.

“The proof of all this is in the vault. When Meredith Kodoman had her third child back in 2055, she took a break from the multiverse and the person who came back after the short break wasn’t her. Instead, the real Meredith Kodoman has been kept in an induced coma since then. She is revived every three months for a physical. Through her chip, she spends all her time in a locked virtual apartment in a cyber vault within the World Bank. Next to her is a man by the name of Leo Barnsworth, who was replaced in 2063 and the third is Abimbola Adebowale, who was imprisoned in 2068. All three were replaced because they opposed the ongoing enslavement of the poor and unseen masses who use the multiverse.

“I’ve been working on plans to simultaneously free all three of these during the New Year celebrations and then make it public in such a way as it can’t be swept aside. There are few things still to organise, but I need time to set them free before doing anything to the Kodomans. If either of the Kodomans is killed, they have plans to destroy all the evidence. If I take what I have to the authorities, I’ll be killed as will anyone they think I’ve told. If I release the evidence publicly, it would never stand up in a court of law, and again, people will die. I need five days.”

“M⚡️: How do you know it is the real Meredith?”

“I broke into the World Bank this morning and talked with her.”

“L: You broke into the World Bank this morning?”

“Yes, Mama, but I didn’t steal anything.”

Although Leah could sense it. Three still sent the message, “3: They are all laughing.”

“J 🔥: I don’t think you’ll have five days. You’re big news in the Switch, and people have services which send them anything on you that is newsworthy. My AI says some people are already out on the street telling their neighbours. There will be riots before morning.”

“I know, but the truth is that no matter how bad it gets, the multiverse will simply keep ticking. It might be news here, but most people will simply lock their doors and ignore it.”

“J 🔥: It won’t stop here. Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, they’ll all have riots, and the authorities will intervene. They will intervene physically and in force.”

“Yes, but they won’t cut access to the multiverse. It's only by controlling the narrative to the middle and upper classes that they have a hope of keeping power. They need to paint the Negative-tax people as the aggressors.”

“L💧: You know that people on both sides will be expecting you to get involved and then the authorities can, and will, cut your access.”

“Only if I give them something concrete to act on. That’s why I’d like you to help keep me, and Guàn Enterprises, from being visibly involved in whatever happens. I need to be free not only to put the plans in place but to change the way the richer parts of our society view what is happening. Revelations about what the government has done as it affects them will do more to change their minds than any amount of information about the difficulties of being a negative-tax slave.”

“D🔥: That’s pretty cynical, Leah.”

“J 🔥: Come on, Michael, you know she’s right.”

“D🔥: Of course, she’s right. It’s just that my Celtic blood is boiling and I don’t really do logic all that well when I’m mad.”

“L: Never has he said a truer word. When he gets like this, I have to hide his kilt and his blue face paint. If I didn’t, he’d be running around without underpants and yelling, ‘Freedom’, at the top of his voice. There are times I truly hate that movie.”

“M⚡️: Joel and I will hold off at least till we talk with Jimmy. I’m pretty sure he knows most of this, and if he doesn’t, then you’ll be telling him. Jimmy was there for us, and in many ways, he’s more my father than anybody else has ever been. If he says to wait, then we will.”

Joel nodded as did most of the others. John didn’t because he was already on board. The other one who didn’t nod was Lin. Leah looked over and said, “Mum?”

Lin shook her head and sighed then said, “L: Of course I’ll try and keep you out of it. You’ve been shot, kidnapped and almost killed. I’m just scared the next time I might lose you. My problem is, I know you. Can you promise what you plan to do is less dangerous than being involved in nationwide riots which we all know the government will come out in force to shut down?”

Leah shook her head as she said, “No.”

Before her mother could respond, Gèng interrupted, “4: Leah, John, the security alarms have been triggered. Inbound figures on foot. Their path shows they’re likely to miss the property by a kilometre. They’re headed for the Switch. I suggest they are an advanced unit to support a broader suppression force. Someone is thinking ahead.”

“J 🔥: How are they outfitted?”

“4: Full body armour, fully automatic weapons, grenades, and anti-detection drones.”

“D🔥: Sorry to intrude, but how did you pick them up?”

“J 🔥: We have hard-wired passive sensors out to two kilometres.”

“D🔥: Is that legal?”

“No. I didn’t like being shot, and John made some suggestions. We worked with Jimmy and have sensors covering the entire Switch. Gèng, have any of the other sensors been tripped?”

“4: Not conclusively, but if I was to consider indications we’d normally dismiss I suspect there is another group heading for the meatworks and the squatters down there. A third group is possibly coming in toward the Switch through Dinmore.”

“John, are we locked down?”

“J 🔥: Yes, but I’m not comfortable staying out of something this blatant.”

“Me neither, make sure Jimmy knows. How many have armour like yours?”

“J 🔥: Um, … How did you know about that?”

“4: John, I am all-seeing.”

“J 🔥: I kept you out of the loop.”

“4: What you mean is you tried to keep me out of the loop. Reed has taught me more than you know. Don’t worry, I plugged the holes but left myself a backdoor. Leah, Not counting your parents, everyone here has armour along with ten others.”

“Are any of them the snitch?”

“4: There is nothing to suggest that.”

“OK, John, I’ll meet you and the others in the training room in five minutes. Full armour and loaded weapons. Mum, Dad, please keep everyone else on-site, no matter what happens.”

Leah didn’t wait for any replies but had Three disconnect the feed from the others. She took a few breathes then logged out.