Kalliopy grabbed the scanner and used its various sensors to look for foreign substances, poisons, or any other type of tampering of the food present in her vicinity. Nothing seemed tainted. She ran the device’s self-diagnostic mode and looked at the scanner’s logs. It hadn’t been used since before the attack on her ship. The last DNA that handled the interface was Arcadian. Her ship’s first officer.
“You know this proves nothing,” she said.
“I know. But this may be your one and only chance at a delicious meal, so it’s up to you if you want to squander it. I just thought you’d enjoy it.”
She locked her gaze onto the man’s blue eyes. His skin was a paler shade of orange than most Kregans. There was a trace of grace in his facial traits, something rare for the species.
“Who are you?”
“Does it matter?”
“As a matter of fact, it does.”
“Very well. My name is Xonax. At your service, so to speak.”
“The name means nothing to me.”
“Yeah, I would imagine it doesn’t. What about Yxantion? Does that ring a bell?”
Kalliopy recognized the name instantly. How could she not? The Kregan emperor was well known for both his cruelty and his wrath toward the Arcadian people.
“It does. What do you have to do with him?”
“Not much really, only that he’s my father.”
Either the man was a liar or her spy network would need some serious overhaul. Pollux, the son of Yxantion, had been killed in battle five months ago. A fact that had sent the emperor in such a rage and thirst for revenge that it accelerated both the pace and the brutality of their war.
“I was informed that the emperor’s only son was killed.”
“That is partly true. My big brother did meet his demise when he underestimated your forces at the battle of Grontor. The part about his being the emperor’s only son—well, that’s another story altogether. And it’s a rather long one, so may I suggest you eat something while I tell you more about it.”
As much as Kalliopy wanted to avoid touching any of the food, she was starving, and she could no longer stand in the presence of so many colors, aromas, and delicious-looking food. Reluctantly, she took a few bites of the well-prepared Arcadian dishes and delicacies.
“Better,” said Xonax. “I would imagine my father prefers telling people he only had one son. We never saw eye to eye, you see.”
Kalliopy listened to her guest explain the fallout with his murderous father and his subsequent banishment as she kept indulging in as much food as her stomach would accommodate.
Kevin stood in a totally white room. It immediately felt unreal. The paint was so reflective it gave the entire place an ethereal feel. Almost like the representation of going to paradise. Because of the reflectiveness of the paint, Kevin couldn’t see a single seal or border in the room. He knew he had taken maybe ten paces inside, but everywhere he looked, it felt like there were no walls, no horizon. It was very disconcerting, and his mind was having a hard time reconciling with what his eyes showed him.
“Alright, Kevin,” said Ziron. “I’m about to turn on the simulation, are you ready?”
“Yeah, the sooner I see something different the better. I’m getting a headache just looking at this infinite brightness.”
“Hmm—interesting, I find it relaxing.”
“Of course you do. Just jack me up to the Matrix, already.”
“What?”
“Never mind, Ziron, just make it start.”
“Alright. Good luck, Kevin. I’ll provide you with vocal support along the way to help you make the best use of your armor.”
“Okie dokie.”
And then the white was instantly replaced by a completely stunning world brimming with lights and movement.
“Whoa, now that’s what I call virtual reality.”
Kevin was standing on a street in the most futuristic city he had ever seen in either video games or movies. It was nighttime, and his eyes were overloaded by millions of lights and movement around him. Every color imaginable was within his immediate vicinity. Holographic content was hovering on the ground, in the air, and as far as the eyes could see. His mind had issues processing the overload of information.
In the sky there was an intricate ballet of dancing lights belonging to all sorts of flying vehicles.
“How many people live on this planet?” asked Kevin.
“Omicron has a bit of an overcrowding problem there with about sixty-seven billion people. The capital houses a third of that.”
“Is that where I am at the moment?”
“Yes, it’s called Omicronia.”
Something hit his shoulder and forced him to stumble forward.
“Hey!” said the female that had just bumped into him. “Watch where you’re going, punk!”
How rude.
She looked partially humanoid, with pink skin, glowing red hair, and a full-size visor covering her eyes. She waved a dismissive hand before merging into the massive crowd made up of so many different alien life forms that it made Kevin’s head spin just looking at it.
“We’re not in Kansas anymore, that’s for sure.”
An open booth on his direct right flashed for a brief instant, and a sizeable upright reptile with blue scales walked out of it and joined the crowd.
“What the hell is that booth?”
“It’s called a Telecommuter. It lets you teleport instantly anywhere on the planet.”
“Neat. Then why are there so many flying cars up there?”
“The tech isn’t free. Only those with serious credits or credit lines can afford the subscription to such a fast way of traveling in-world.”
“I see. Do I have credits in this world?”
“Yes, they’re pretty much unlimited, but that won’t be the case once you’re on Omicron. I can forge enough of their currency for our needs, though.”
“Understood.”
Kevin approached the booth and jumped back in fright when it activated again, this time letting out a grey-skinned insectoid woman with reflective blue wings. Kevin touched the booth with his hand. It felt cold, and yet real.
Kevin remembered trying out a friend’s Oculus Rift headset that allowed him to play while being inside a 3D-simulated world. His mind had been amazed by the sensation. But this was something else entirely. He really was inside that world, not through an avatar, and not through holding some clunky controllers to help him clumsily interact with stuff around him. He could feel, touch, and smell everything. For a lack of a better word, it simply felt real.
“This technology is unbelievable. Why would anyone want to live in the real world when you can live in any simulation?”
“As a matter of fact, it’s a rampant problem on many planets. Some worlds have basically become overcrowded with billions of non-productive customers who never leave the many VR realms they use or create for themselves. We call them the Lost.”
“Interesting name.”
“And accurate at the same time, they’ve lost all grip on reality. They have let themselves be subdued by these virtual worlds.”
“Well, they have to get out sometimes to take a piss or eat, don’t they?”
“You’d think so, but the mega-corporation who owns these virtual reality farming planets have created pods that tend to the user’s every biological need.”
“But I take it it’s not free, right?”
“You’re correct. There is a hefty initial payment, then they sign a contract that allows them to stay in these pods dozens of years or more. As a matter of fact, it’s much easier to get in than to ever get out.”
“How so?”
“We don’t really have time for a full history lesson, but in a nutshell, the mega-corps have the right to all data in a person’s mind while they’re in the system. They resell the data to other worlds as marketing research and develop patents for the ideas developed inside the virtual world. By signing the contract, the user waive
s any right to everything he or she thinks or invents. The exit fee is so expensive that most users are trapped there forever.”
“That’s not fair. It’s exploitation.”
“Nothing about Omicron and the countless similar worlds here on the rim is fair, Kevin. That’s one of the reasons I hate being in this part of space. It’s everything that is wrong with the universe amped up to eleven, really.”
“I see you’re getting well versed with my language.”
“Technically, it’s my AI language implant that is adapting pretty fast; but I’m glad you think so. I created it.”
We’re so far behind in the matter of technology on Earth.
But seeing how it was being used to enslave or exploit people instead of helping the various civilizations thrive, perhaps it was blessing in disguise that Earth lagged behind in this area.
“Alright, what’s next, how do I train in here?”
“You see that tall tower behind you?”
Kevin turned and saw the biggest skyscraper he had ever seen, in fact, he had no idea where the thing ended, as it disappeared into dark-purple clouds.
“Holy shit? Is that thing real? I mean on Omicronia? Will it be there?”
“Yes, this is the tallest building in the entire universe as far as I know. It sticks out visually even from orbit. It nearly reaches the atmosphere and can be used as an elevator to a space dock built on its roof.”
“This is unbelievable. I never imagined in my wildest dreams, or nightmares, that such a place could ever exist.”
“Yeah, well, I personally don’t like it.”
“I’m with you Zee. This doesn’t look like a place a sane mind could live a fulfilled life. It’s still impressive to look at, though.”
“Well, once we get there, let’s try to get the info we need and get the hell out of there as fast as possible.”
“I hear you. So I just go into that building? What happens next?”
“I’ve programmed the simulation so that it will be difficult for you to get to the seven hundredth floor.”
“Why that high?”
“’Cause last I checked, that’s where the person that has info about Kalliopy lives.”
“Can’t you beam me directly inside the person’s office?”
“I wish it were that simple. There’s security systems that even I can’t crack installed around the building. Without entering into too much details, you’ll basically have to climb one floor at a time, all the way up to your destination.”
“That’s a bummer. Will the simulation
be as hard as the real mission?”
“It will depend on how you want the simulation to be. The AI in charge of this simulation has been fed with as much data as I have found on this world. It’s a result of over fifty years of data collection. Because of your innate competitive nature, I just amped the level of aggressiveness of most inhabitants so that it provides the maximum challenge. Which means the simulation will be harder but should adequately prepare you for the real thing.”
“Ok, like playing Doom on Ultra Nightmare. No sweat, then.”
“Oh, you’ll sweat, believe me.”
“Speaking of AI’s, can Mira also assist me here?”
“I’m here to assist you.”
“I know, Ziron, but you’re more like the admin of the place, I’d like a real-time assist, which I assume I can use on the actual mission, right?”
“Yes, Mira can come along with you if that’s what you wish.”
“I do.”
“Done.”
“Hello, Kevin,” said the sweet voice of Mira.
“Hi, Mira. Let’s do this.”
“Ready when you are.”
Kevin smiled. “Ok, here goes nothing.”
8
Shit hit the fan the moment Kevin stepped into the main hallway of the building. Almost everyone in visual proximity turned their heads toward him. Before he had time to prepare himself mentally, he saw all kinds of alien life forms reach for some type of weapon and aim it at him.
“Uh-oh!”
“Kevin, I suggest you don’t just stand there,” proposed Mira.
“Right,” said Kevin as blaster fire screamed past his face.
Kevin thought shield and a large blue translucent shield materialized in front of him as he ran toward the elevator, a good hundred meters ahead. But then a burning sensation made him trip forward and crash on the cold marble floor.
The amount of pain he felt simulated what he would have felt in real life.
“Holy shit! Zee didn’t joke about the pain part.”
“You are correct, but get up right now, or that large dude will cut your head clean off in less than a second,” warned Mira.
That sent a jolt of adrenaline coursing through Kevin’s system, and he could see the energy ax coming toward his head. Instinctively, Kevin backflipped onto his feet, sacrificing a handful of hair to the swinging ax. Upon impact with the marble floor, the weapon dug through the stone with ease.
Then he thought, Desert Eagles, and a duo of guns materialized in his hand. He squeezed the triggers and made more holes in his assailant than there are in Swiss cheese.
The grey-skinned alien, more akin to a rhino than a human, but still a cross between the two, fell on his back with a satisfying thud.
What a rush! Forget Doom, this is the real thing.
What kind of antiquated weapons did you just invoke? asked Mira directly in his mind. Was that a projectile-based gun?
“Yes, but they’re Desert Eagles, they pack a punch, and well, they look cool.”
“Agree to disagree there, but we don’t have time to argue the subject, as a matter of fact, I had to slow down your perception of time, so I can communicate with you without putting your virtual life in jeopardy.”
“Oh, that’s why those guys,” said Kevin pointing forward, “are all running toward me in slow motion?”
“That’s correct. Time will resume to its normal pace shortly. But I wanted to let you know some of your options since you’ve elected me as your personal trainer over Ziron.”
“I heard that,” said Ziron, his echoing, omniscient voice resonating over Kevin.
“We weren’t exactly trying to hide it,” cooed Mira.
“Yeah,” added Kevin, “even when I do try and have a personal thought, he’s still listening!”
“I’m sorry, this is just all so exciting,” answered the Sphynx.
“Well, giving me a little privacy from time to time wouldn’t hurt. Just saying, Zee”
When Ziron didn’t answer, Mira continued.
“So here’s the deal, if you die in the simulation, you’ll respawn at the beginning. But since you’ve elected to feel the pain, rather ballsy there if I may say so myself, it might be quite unpleasant, and you may be disoriented after your virtual resurrection.”
“I don’t intend to die,” Kevin smirked.
“Yeah, well at this level, you will, more than once.”
“We’ll see about that. What else can you tell me? It looks like these guys have advanced a couple of meters already, and if I don’t get back in the fight very soon, they’ll get a healthy head start on trying to kill me.”
“Ok, so you can create anything you can imagine, and the suit will make it so. Here in the virtual world, you pretty much don’t have an energy level to worry about, but in real life, even though the armor will work just as it does in the simulation, you will need to worry about power consumption. I’ll overlay this information on your neural HUD so you can see how much energy each of your weapons or defensive creations actually drain. Not wasting energy on Omicronia will be a matter of life or death.”
“Can’t you just equip me with a bigger battery?”
“The nano-tech of the suit is complex, and there is an exchange of energies between your body and the nanites, and they are in perpetual motion, recharging themselves, but it’s not infinite and takes time. You’ll be able to pack extra power as you would gre
nades, but not too much or they will slow you down, and that too could be fatal.”
“Ok, let me have a run at it, if I get killed, we’ll talk more.”
“Very well, Kevin, you’re the boss.”
That was something Kevin wasn’t accustomed to hearing, but he enjoyed it very much.
Time resumed to its normal pace, and Kevin emptied the clips of his guns at two of the nearest targets, one coming at him with a lightsaber and one with some sort of pulse cannon, which Kevin didn’t intend to become the recipient of.
His years of practice playing first-person shooters really paid off, and he managed the headshots with ease, barely registering how fast his heart was beating, and thoroughly enjoying the simulation.
But when he tried shooting at a mechanical humanoid, his gun refused to fire.
Oh crap, here comes the Terminator.
Thinking reload, he recharged both his clips, but the bullets bounced off the hard metal shell of the robot hurtling toward him.
Time for a change in strategy. By thinking he could fly, a jetpack formed on his back and he shot upward just in time to avoid a deadly punch from the cybernetic enemy. Then he remembered what Mira had said, and it gave him an idea.
Grenades.
Five concussion grenades flew off of him in a star pattern and exploded shortly after hitting the marble floor, sending three-dozen attackers to their deaths. The amount of blood, of all colors and viscosity levels, was so realistic, that Kevin almost puked.
It was one thing seeing blood in video games with his butt uncomfortably parked in his crappy bedroom chair, but it was another hearing the drips and drops and his mind making it seem downright real.
Kevin stabilized in midair for a moment, trying to get some sort of situational awareness of the mess below. Because the atrium was massive, he was hovering a good twenty meters over his enemies. Or so he thought. Another two metallic foes jumped and rocket flames ignited under their feet to propel them in his direction.
Localized EMP pulse gun was what his mind came up with. He fired the first shot toward the nearest tango and was overjoyed with the result. The EMP pulse disabled the cybernetic enemy, cut its thrust instantly, and then gravity did the rest.
Fire at Will: A Space Opera Adventure With LitRPG Elements Page 6
