by Dan Thomas
Max cupped his hands and caught it, seeing that it was a 500 coin. It would be more than enough to get him back through the portal and go toward buying himself some new gear.
“Thanks...but what was that about stalling it?” Max looked down at the hunk of chrome and metal beneath him. If the bike were on autopilot, how could he stall it? Perhaps if he knocked the autopilot off by accident. His gaze fell on the dashboard console that was lit up with a map centered in on their immediate vicinity while a pulsing beacon showed Cerribue Hub. There was nothing to indicate how to switch autopilot on and off. “Jag?”
But Jag had left. And Max only had two minutes to get out of there.
He checked that the pack was securely tied around his back and then started counting.
One Mississippi…
Two Mississippi…
One-hundred Mississippi.
“I think that was long enough,” Max muttered to himself and pressed the button Jag had pointed out. The bike immediately lifted off the ground and the landing gear stowed itself away beneath the body of the bike. Max risked tilting his weight from left to right, slowly at first, and then a little more as he got used to the movement of the bike as it moved forward out of the hangar doors.
Darkness hid whoever might be out there, but a beeping on the map showed him the outline of a robot on the ground, which was lifting its arm up and down, a casualty of the battle.
“A proximity scanner, neat.” Max leaned closer to the map, looking for anything else that might be lurking out there, but there was nothing, no movement as the hoverbike glided across the grounds of the base.
Max held on tight as the bike began to angle upward, ascending toward the star-spangled sky. He winced as the front of the bike touched the force field and a crackle of electricity spread over the damaged grid, which sparked like forked lightning. His muscles bunched and tightened as the line of the force field, which he swore wasn’t there before, crossed over the body of the bike, over the onboard console, then his hands.
A wave of static hit him, and his heart raced as the electrical current traveled up his arms and then swept over his body. Then he was through the other side, with the wind whistling past him as the hoverbike increased its speed dramatically.
“Crap!” The hoverbike might not go as fast as Jag’s, but it was fast enough considering Max had no control whatsoever.
The lights of the city grew steadily brighter as the bike sped through the darkness. Jag must have left it in stealth mode since there were no headlights to illuminate the surrounding area or show anyone he was there. Once or twice, he spotted other vehicles, their lights giving them away, but they never got close enough to set off the proximity warning.
“Clever,” Sam said. “The bike’s autopilot is altering its course by small increments to keep you away from anyone else who might see you.”
“What happens when we get closer to the Hub?” Max asked, trying to relax as the bike took a wide detour around the city. He was not complaining. The journey earlier tonight had been enough for Max to understand he was severely underpowered to take on any of the guys who were after Jag.
No one answered his question.
The backpack weighed heavily on his back as he mulled over his response should he get attacked. With no control over the vehicle, all he could do was hang on to the handlebars and hope this bike had an extraordinarily strong inbuilt sense of survival.
“Wait, didn’t Jag say he was going to lend us a laser miner?” Chopsticks asked.
“He did, but that was before his base got blasted. He might drop one by later, but I think he’s got enough on his plate,” Max said as he watched the shadowy landscape whiz by.
“I see the Hub,” Chopsticks pointed out.
“Once I’m back in Primeva, I’m taking a break.” His stomach rumbled. He needed calories and caffeine. But then, so did his character.
“There are a couple of slices of pizza left,” Chopsticks told him. “Sam has gone into Pez’s room to check if he’s okay. She took him some pizza with her.”
“Do you know where he is in-game?” Max asked as the hoverbike skimmed over a few buildings built away from the player city and then flew on in a straight line toward the Hub. Normally, with his low-level character in danger because of his association with Jag, Max would be happy to see the Hub, since he would soon be walking through the portal that would take him back to the relative comfort of Primeva. However, the concealed box in his backpack might cause him more trouble than he could handle if he were caught.
He took his hands off the handlebars, since he wasn’t steering the hoverbike anyway, and wiped his palms on his rough outfit. That’s when he began to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Chopsticks asked.
“Look at me,” Max replied. “I must look like the biggest idiot ever. I have the most basic outfit on, looking like a neanderthal, while riding a hoverbike in Gyromeda with a knapsack on my back.”
There was a small hesitation before Chopsticks laughed. “Yeah, you must look like a complete dork.”
Still laughing as the bike drew up into the parking zone and slotted itself neatly in between two other hoverbikes on a landing pad, before killing its own engine, Max hitched the pack on his shoulder and got ready to walk through security. If he got caught, he’d deal with it. The evening had been fun, reminding him of why he first fell in love with the worlds of Terra Verse.
But once he was through the portal and back on Primeva, that’s when the work would begin. Nothing was going to stop him from taking down the Ravagers.
Chapter Fourteen
“You’re through.” Chopsticks let out a relieved sigh as Max strolled out of the portal and into the warm moist air of Primeva.
Max inhaled deeply, glad to be rid of the fumes and noise of Gyromeda. “Yeah, and it only cost me 150 coins. Just because that laser gun works now. It’s already made a hole in what Jag gave me, but I’ll still be able to get some supplies and then make my way out of the Hub. But first I need a break.”
“Sure, Chopsticks can make some fresh coffee.” Sam’s footsteps sounded through the earpiece.
“Ugh. All right.”
With the mental command, Max brought up the menu and selected to leave the game, the primitive buildings of the Hub fading to black, the feel of the sofa, the smell of pizza replacing the humid atmosphere of the jungle. He pulled off his headset.
“Is she okay?” Max asked Chopsticks quietly as he let his brain focus on the real world. Leaving the game always left him a little queasy, but that soon passed as he spotted the leftover pizza and beer on the table.
“You mean because of Jag helping you?” Chopsticks dropped his voice low, not wanting Sam, who was only in the kitchen area, to hear them.
“No, I mean because she’s had to spend two hours with you.” Max rolled his eyes and reached for a slice off the table. “She’s coming back.”
He bit into the pizza. It tasted so good, his mouth watered like Charlie’s did when he saw his favorite lush vegetation, which for Charlie was anything green.
“Welcome back to the bat cave, champ,” Sam said as she walked back into the living room.
“Thanks. Uh, how are you doing?” Max chomped on the pizza as he spoke.
“Good. It was good of Jag to help out.” She slumped down in the chair across the room and crossed her legs under her just as Max took a massive mouthful of food.
“I can’t believe the setup he has. Did you see the stuff he had in his base? And his base! He did the right thing going full-time.” Chopsticks had the tact of a gnat.
“Yeah. I saw,” Sam answered sullenly.
“I bet he earns a fortune.” Chopsticks leaned back in his seat and sighed wistfully as Max chewed his pizza as fast as humanly possible. “You know, I’m thinking of going full-time. Do you think Jag wants a partner?” Chopsticks sat up in his chair and leaned forward. “Hey, wasn’t that your dream once?”
“Yes, but some of us still live in the
real world,” Sam said hotly.
“Who needs the real world when you can earn a living on Gyromeda or one of the other game worlds?” Chopsticks asked. “I wonder how I can make a living taming dinos…”
“Because it’s not a steady career choice. Sure, it’s okay for people with no responsibilities who can risk it. But some of us need something a little more sustainable.” Sam uncrossed her legs and planted her feet firmly on the floor.
“Sustainable. I bet he’ll make more than most people earn in a lifetime and then have the rest of his life to enjoy it.” Chopsticks laughed. “You made a mistake not joining him.”
Max swallowed his pizza and nearly choked. “Okay then! Where is Pez?”
Chopsticks shot Max a sideways glance. “In the next room.”
“In-game, you moron. You know, the game where people earn a fortune for doing nothing?” Sam stood up and stalked out of the room. “I’ll go and check.”
“Really, man?” Max leaned forward and cuffed Chopsticks around his head. “Do you not filter what comes out of your mouth?”
“What do you mean?” Chopsticks rubbed the back of his head.
“You know they split up because Sam didn’t want Jag to quit his job.” Max reached for his coffee, changing his mind at the last second and grabbing an unopened beer can.
“Do I?” Chopsticks rolled his eyes up into his head. “Oh, yeah. I forgot.”
“You are a moron. You know that, right?” Max asked.
“Yep. And it’s unlikely I’ll ever change.” Chopsticks flashed him a grin.
Max couldn’t help but smirk at his friend over the rim of the can. “You’re going to get a slap from someone one of these days.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Chopsticks winked at him as the door opened again.
“Pez is just crossing the south end of the Tannika Plains, he’s about a day away,” Sam said as she walked over to them.
“I hope you’re talking about in-game days.” Max leaned over and grabbed another slice of pizza.
“Of course I am, otherwise I’d have brought a tent to set up in your living room.” She grabbed an empty pizza box and frisbeed it onto the floor, sitting on the now empty spot on the table.
“I still don’t know why Pez isn’t on comms with us,” Max said around a mouthful of pizza.
“He can concentrate better on his own, I think. You’ve got to remember that he’s bringing the two Abelisaurus, along with most of his good quality kit, he doesn’t want to lose any of it,” Sam said.
“Ah, a lone wolf.” Chopsticks nodded sagely.
Max shook his head at Chopsticks. “Has he had much trouble so far?”
“Not too much, he mentioned taking out a small group of players that tried to ambush him, as well as a Carnotaurus. He reckons he’d be almost there if he hadn’t run into that Crew, I think he had to go out of his way because of them.”
“Geez, he managed to fight off a Carnotaur and a Crew by himself?” Chopsticks sounded like he wished he had been there. “Man, I’d love to see Abe and Lis in action, we were lucky being able to tame them when we did, they’re beasts!”
Sam nodded. “I certainly wouldn’t want to go toe to toe with them. And he’s got his rifle with him, remember.”
Max’s eyes widened slightly. “He brought the rifle with him?”
“Yeah, he’s pretty hellbent on revenge at the moment, and you’re our ticket there right now.” Sam picked up Max’s headset. “So, on that note, you better get back in there. You must have leveled something up after the fight with Jag, so let’s skill you up.” Sam held the headset out to him.
Max looked at the sleek black visor. His friends were taking this seriously. The question of whether this would be worth it crossed his mind, but he looked up into Sam’s fiery eyes and decided if anyone was going to let his Crew down, it wasn’t going to be him.
Max took one last gulp of beer before dropping the can on the table. “All right, fine, let’s do this.”
***
The world disappeared as he pulled the visor down over his head, and the usual transition into the game world happened, easing him back into the busy streets of the Cerribue-Prime Hub.
“I’m going to find somewhere a little quieter to do this.” Max walked down the main road for a while before cutting down one of the side streets, seeing one of the nature parks that were dotted throughout the Hub.
They were often empty, as this one was, and so peaceful with the little insects whirring in between large-petaled flowers, backed by the gentle trickling of a fountain. Max took a seat on one of the stone benches and opened his character menu.
He was met by that message that even now sparked a little bit of excitement within him.
Character Level Ups. Trait Points Available.
He waved the notification away, opening his character overview screen, seeing the list of stats.
(+2) Strength: 9
(+6) Constitution: 12 (1 TP)
Dexterity: 4
(+4) Agility: 7 (1 TP)
(+2) Intuition: 3
WUTT: Primal: 0
His time with Jag had been fruitful in the end, at least in starting to push his stat levels up and bagging him two Trait Points, which were the real prize when training a character. It was important to level character stats, but it always took a few levels to really start to notice improvement, whereas Traits could bring powerful benefits. For example, gaining a level in Constitution would normally give 10 points to health and stamina, but even some low-level Traits could raise by over one hundred points alone.
The unexpected combat at Jag’s had also helped. Combat, and especially scoring a kill, provided bonus experience to any stat used in the encounter. It was just a shame that the Mites had been so easy to kill alone, so the boost wasn’t huge.
“That’s not bad for a few kills at Jag’s place,” Chopsticks said. “So what’s the game plan?”
“We already know the answer to that,” Sam said.
“Do we?” Max frowned.
“This character is a fighter, short-term, you’ve still got to get back to base, and after that, we need you to be as strong as you can be for when we eventually take on the Ravagers.” There was conviction in Sam’s voice.
“You want him to min-max?” Chopsticks scoffed.
“It makes sense to.” Max shrugged. “That is the whole reason I’m using this account.”
“But it just—ugh, I’m just not a fan. It takes some of the fun out of it and makes a character so situation-specific.”
“You’re even less of a fan of the Ravagers, though,” Max pointed out. “Besides, it’s not like this is a pivotal moment or anything, I’m not going to be unlocking any interesting Traits for another few levels.”
“You’ve got a point, I guess,” Chopsticks conceded.
“Yeah, that’s nice progress, but it’s not a lot to work with either. Hmm… Let’s at least see what’s available to you.”
Max opened his Constitution Trait Tree. The name of his only unlocked Trait, Conditioning I, was still the only highlighted icon, but this time there were two more grayed-out icons adjacent to it. He glanced at them.
(C Lvl 10) Tough Skin: +5% Damage Reduction [Sharp+Piercing]
(C Lvl 10) Endurance I: +15% Stamina
“So, the obvious choice is to start going down the Tough route. You’ll have Diamond Hide in no time,” Chopsticks said.
“I don’t know about that,” Sam said.
“What?” Chopsticks asked.
“I don’t think it’s time for Max to start tanking up. Murf’s just so weak, a little damage resistance isn’t going to do much right now. But starting to build up his Endurance would help him get home, and outrun more fights,” Sam explained. “And in the longer term, more stamina means longer fighting.”
Max nodded. Many Traits came in sets, and by unlocking them would make more powerful Traits available later. Tough Skin would become Bark Skin, then Stone Hide, and so on, each providing
better and different benefits, but requiring the previous to be unlocked, Endurance worked similarly. “I’m inclined to agree there.”
“Boring, but I’ll allow it,” Chopsticks huffed.
“I’ll take boring if it gets me home safely.” Max selected the Endurance I Trait, selecting yes when he was asked if he was sure.
“On to the next one,” Sam said.
Max then opened his Agility stat. With no learned Traits, he was just facing a choice between two options.
(A Lvl 5) Terraining I: -10% Stamina Drain when moving over Difficult Terrain
(A Lvl 5) Dash: Burst of speed, gain +25% Run Speed For 5s, using double the amount of stamina. Recovery: 30s
“Really? No dodge?” Max raised an eyebrow. “I think it’s got to be Terraining, right?”
“Is a little less stamina drain going to be that useful, though?” Chopsticks asked.
“Well, yeah, especially if I’m going cross-country like we’re planning,” Max said. “Besides, I’m going to need second level to get the Traits for swimming and climbing, which seem pretty important.”
“What about Dash?” Sam asked. “It’ll help in tight situations, for sure. It’s not much, but it might be enough for you to get away from something trying to eat you. But that is strange that you didn’t even get Sidestep, but it is only the first Agility Trait, I guess.”
Terraining would be useful in the long run and would help Max trek his way through the jungle, but his short-term survival was the most important thing right now.
“Man, I can’t even remember most of the Traits you get at this level,” Chopsticks said as Max selected Dash.
“Wait!” Chopsticks yelled just before Max confirmed his choice.
“What is it?” Max minimized the screen, scanning around him for danger. He was still alone in the garden. He could see a group of players run past the entrance, but that was all.
“Instead of getting boring Agility Traits, why don’t you grab a Primal Trait? I’ve only got a few skills in it but it’s pretty cool. We could turn Murf into an animalistic hunter,” Chopsticks said eagerly.
