Three men exited the Animus pods and limbered up after their prolonged exposure.
“Man, that was intense,” the ace declared and rolled his shoulder to ease the stiffness. “What was the final score and time?”
“Three-hundred and eighty out of five hundred. Total time was four hours and twenty minutes,” the decker related. “That’s a better score than last time but took almost fifty minutes longer.”
“It’s all right. We’ll run another one in a couple of days.” The ace placed a hand on the third teammate’s shoulder. “I’ll probably bring the new guy along. You did amazingly. I was surprised by how well you were able to keep up and help us maintain the advantage. This was my first time running with an exotech.”
“I was happy to help,” the man said with a small smile. “Although I’m still getting used to using the Nanos while in the middle of heavy combat. If the two of you weren’t so calm under pressure, I would have had a much harder time. You deserve as much praise.”
“Appreciate it.” The decker returned the smile. “I gotta admit, the exotech class is fascinating. I’ve worked with bots all my life, but I’ve only seen them as helpers with manual labor or as grunts. It’s nice to get a new perspective.”
The exotech nodded. His voice picked up and grew more excited. “The applications are numerous. I spent time in prep school learning traditional surgical skills, but after I watched a demonstration on the extranet, I switched class options.”
The decker looked off to the side in thought. “Which one?”
“The Axiom corporation demonstration a couple of years ago.”
The ace folded his arms. “Axiom? Aren’t they the ones who gave us mutants?”
“Nah—well, kinda. That was the Fillan conglomerate, and after that fallout from…you know, that…it was dissolved. But a lot of the top scientists and engineers split off to make their own companies. It’s said Axiom was founded by three of them,” the man explained.
“I see, so does that mean—”
“Well, hello there, Gin.”
The ace flinched as his name was called and the trio turned to see three other students approaching them.
“Who are they?” the exotech whispered to the decker.
“The one with the frayed jacket and long hair is Rick, a battle medic. The one with the red hair and wine stains is Tai, a raider.” The decker glared at the last member, the one who had called to Gin. “That one with the blond crop-cut and shit-eating grin is Eddy, who is a dick.”
The exotech chuckled but tried to keep it quiet as Eddy and his posse walked up to Gin. The decker moved to his side. “So, how’d you do?” Eddy asked and tilted his head back so that he could look down at the ace.
“We did fine, Ed, what about you?” Gin muttered and lips barely moved.
“Does that even need to be asked?” Eddy demanded. “We got the top score possible—five-hundred out of five-hundred. But I want a little more detail, Gin. Tell me, what was yours?”
The ace flexed his arms in annoyance. “Nearly four-hundred.”
“Skirting around it? Final score, Gin.”
“Three-hundred and eighty. You gonna say something about it?” the decker challenged.
“Oh, come on, Inigo. No need to spit,” Eddy mocked and wiped imaginary spittle from his mouth. “Three-hundred and eighty, hmm? I guess that’s above average.” He glanced back at Gin. “Kinda low for the son of a WCM general, though.”
The ace’s arms continued to tremble before he exhaled a sigh and smirked at Eddy. “Maybe, but I guess I have to congratulate you. A perfect score is really impressive.”
“Well, at least you know who your betters a—”
“For the son of a disgraced captain.”
Eddy’s eyes flared at the comment and he took a swing that Gin ducked. The ace dodged as his opponent tried to hit him again before his lackeys grabbed him and forced him back. “You shouldn’t come at me, Eddy, not if you’re going to get so pissy each time I say that.”
“You don’t know a goddamn thing, you pissant!” Eddy roared.
“Ed! Calm down,” Tai pleaded and still tried to pin his arms back.
“There are teachers all over the AC, man. If you are caught trying to pick a fight, you could get your rank docked or even be expelled,” Rick warned.
Eddy ceased his struggles. “My dad—he was a hero. He would do what others wouldn’t and won plenty of fights because of it,” he declared. “I’d rather be like him than some ass-kissing general. The life of a soldier—of all humans—is dictated by who is the most powerful.”
“For soldiers, it’s about who’s strongest, and that’s measured in more than only who’s a better fighter,” Gin stated. “I’m tired of dealing with you, Eddy. If you want to measure up, fight me in a PvP match. Otherwise, get lost.”
The man straightened his jacket and smiled. “You know what?” He punched one of his fists into his other palm. “That sounds good. Since we’re both aces, how about your group against mine?”
“I’m surprised you don’t wanna go mano-a-mano,” Gin said and glanced at his teammates for their confirmation. Inigo stepped up and the exotech looked worriedly at him, but he merely gave him a reassuring smile. Gin nodded quickly in response.
“It’ll be better like this—see if you have what it takes to command.” Eddy pointed to Tai and then to the console. “Set us up and we’ll crush these idiots.”
Gin, Inigo, and the exotech appeared on one side of the arena. It was basic—a dark, rocky terrain that covered three hundred yards with a few columns surrounded by a dome of blue light. They huddled around one of the pillars.
“Inigo, when the match starts, I’ll need eyes, so send a scout out.”
“Got ya.” He nodded. “What about defenses?”
“What do you have?”
“Three scarabs and a rolley,” he said and pointed to the large box on his back with treads. “Sorry, engineer lingo—a panzer.”
“Use the scarabs to distract them, not for real damage. Keep the panzer nearby in case they circle around.”
“You want me to stay put?” Inigo asked with surprise. “What about back-up?”
Gin smirked and flicked a thumb at the exotech. “He’ll be my back-up. You’ll be more efficient without having to multi-task. Focus on the bots.”
“Are you sure you want me with you?” the exotech asked as he checked his equipment. “As I said, I’m still getting used to all this. I was a surgeon until this year.”
“Hey, if the worse comes to the worst, dig a scalpel in them,” he joked. “You said you need practice. It might be a little intense, but pressure makes diamonds.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” he muttered.
Inigo knocked the back of his hand against the exotech’s chest. “Don’t fret, man. You got this and already showed what you could do ten minutes ago.”
“I’m sorry you were dragged into this,” Gin apologized. “But I appreciate you stepping up, Placido.”
He nodded but still looked doubtful. “Oh…uh, thank you.”
“What wrong?” the ace asked.
Placido rubbed the back of his head. “Oh, nothing, it’s just… Most people don’t call me by my full name. They say it’s too hard to remember or pronounce.”
Gin laughed. “The jokes on them. In the field, you definitely wanna know the name of the guy responsible for keeping you alive.”
“That’s certainly the wise move,” Inigo agreed.
“Battle commencing in thirty seconds.”
“Are you guys ready?” the ace asked as he drew his rifle.
“You bet.” Inigo retrieved a cylinder from his belt and opened a holoscreen.
“You stick with me. I bet we’ll be done with this in ninety seconds.” Gin glanced at Placido who nodded in response.
“Are we taking bets now?” Inigo asked and drew his arm back to throw the device.
“Do you wanna risk the creds?” Gin asked.
The decker tho
ught about it for a moment. “Nah, ninety seconds seems right with you taking them on.”
The signal to begin the match sounded. Inigo threw the cylinder into the air and it unwound and launched an airborne scout. Inigo turned as the bot on his back dropped. The treads activated and allowed it to roll around. Three orbs popped out of it that extended four legs apiece and a single red eye lit up in each as they landed on the ground.
“Your cover’s in place. Do your thing.” Inigo knelt and controlled the bots using his screen.
“Let’s get out there,” Gin ordered. He ran off with his rifle at the ready. Placido clicked a button on his gauntlet to open the tube on his back that contained his Nanobots. They scattered and formed around him.
Laser blasts issued from the other side of the field. The raider stood atop a large rock and fired down on them. The exotech created a barrier using his Nanos. “This isn’t like a vanguard’s barrier. It won’t hold up long.”
“Can I shoot through them?” Gin asked as he took aim.
“I can open a path.”
“On the left. I have a shot.”
A clear space opened in the barrier and Gin fired three quick shots. All of them struck the raider and his shield disintegrated after two. His armor saved him from lethal damage when he was hit in the chest and knocked off the rock.
“Ed is probably trying to flank us,” the ace surmised.
“You have that right, and Rick is heading over to Tai’s aid. He’ll get there before you,” Inigo informed them.
“He won’t heal him,” Placido stated. He took a launcher from his belt, put a small grenade in it, and fired. The explosive arced over the rock, landed at Tai’s feet, and erupted.
“I heard a boom but I didn’t see an explosion?” Gin asked and flashed a hasty glance at Placido.
“It’s a grenade filled with bio-sabotage Nanos. If the medic tries to heal him with a stim-ray or serums, they will cause infections instead.”
“Nice. Let’s finish them off.” Gin readied a shock grenade and activated it when they drew close to the rock. With a grin, he lobbed it over on one side. Two loud yells shouted a warning a split second before a shield burst.
“Got ’em!” The ace rolled past the boulder, dropped to one knee, and fired several shots. Their two opponents disappeared in a flash of light.
“Two down!”
“Gin, Eddy took out my scout and the scarabs. I have no eyes— Shit!” Inigo cried.
“Inigo! What happened?” Gin asked, vented his rifle, and ran back. Placido followed closely behind.
“The bastard got me in my arm and chest. I tried to chase him off with the panzer but it went dark on my holo.”
“Where are you?” the exotech asked.
“I made it to the pillar across from where we started. I don’t think I’ll celebrate the victory with you.”
“Hold on for a few more moments,” Placido instructed. He threw a volley of Nanos at Inigo’s location and they immediately set to work to close the wound and inject him with healing serum.
“Wow, I’m feeling better already, than— Gin, he’s coming for you! Behind the rocks.”
Eddy leapt from his hiding spot and hurled two grenades. They rolled and stopped but were still too close. Placido slammed a spike into the ground near Gin’s feet and surrounded himself with his remaining Nanos to create a weak barrier. The grenades exploded a split second after the spike formed a personal shield around the ace. Placido was thrown back, but thanks to his Nanos, survived the blast. Eddy followed up with a barrage of machine gun rounds at Gin, and while the barrier continued to protect him, it began to break apart.
The ace closed the vent on his rifle and jumped back. As the shield split, he fired two shots. One pierced Eddy’s gun and the other impacted in his shoulder but not enough to fully deplete his shield. He dropped his gun and spun to throw his last grenade at Gin while he fired his heavy pistol.
Gin avoided the blast but the force knocked him down and depleted his shields. Placido hastily switched the types of Nanos on his device. He activated the second canister on his back and sent the Nanos directly at their opponent. They emitted electrical charges that effectively weakened the remainder of his shields and pushed through to connect with the armor. Eddy’s muscles spasmed and his shots went wild.
This gave the ace enough time to snatch his rifle from the ground and fire at Eddy. The impact threw him to the ground. Gin walked up and looked down at him.
“This is…bullshit,” Eddy blustered, his voice strained from the shocks. “I have better…scores than…you do!”
“You also supposedly have some of the top students of our year to support you, but none of that did do you much good,” he retorted. “Anyone can be great when they have the advantage. But that’s not our job. We’re aces. We help others and lead them, even if it costs us top scores. I see the potential in Inigo and Placido.” He pressed his rifle against his adversary’s head. “And they help bring out the best in me.”
With that, he fired and his opponent disappeared from the arena. Victory was declared for their team and Inigo ran up and gave Gin a high five. The ace turned to Placido, who pushed slowly to his feet. He gave him a smile and a nod and he felt a warmth in him at the kindness the ace had displayed as the area turned white and they were de-synced.
Chapter Two
Gin sat back and spun Macha around in his hand. “Gin… He was my first real friend in a long time—the first one I really counted back at the Academy.” He continued to twirl his blade and stared down at it in silence. “I imagine you think I’m a little crazy, talking about myself in the third person and all, eh?” He grinned at his companion. “Not at all. Gin isn’t my real name. I…borrowed it when I joined the Star Killers, but we still have a way to go before that.”
The killer looked up and checked the time in his HUD before he resumed the motion of the blade in his hand. “We still have time to burn so I guess I’ll keep going. I have nothing better to do. I had to delete solitaire from my apps to make room for other stuff.” He studied his companion in silence for a moment. “I should let you know, this is where it gets…dark, even for me.” He frowned at his blade as it rotated in his fingers
“Is that a nervous habit or something, Placido?” Inigo asked from where he leaned against the Animus pod.
The exotech stopped spinning the scalpel. “It’s a small dexterity exercise, something I picked up when I was a boy.”
“I’ve seen you with it a few times over the months. Do you use that scalpel in your work?”
Placido chuckled and held it between his thumb and forefinger. “It’s not exactly sterile now, is it?” He placed a small cap on the blade and put it in his pocket. “It was part of the surgeon set I received on the first day of initiation. I keep it with me as a token of sorts.”
“To remember where you started and all that? I can see that—it’s good to remember what you did before you were got whisked away by the new shiny thing.”
Placido folded his arms. “Speaking of starting, Gin is rather late. He’s usually the one waiting on us.”
Inigo took a tablet from his jacket pocket. “No kidding. He did tell me he had to go somewhere about a half-hour before I left to come here, but I thought he’d be done with whatever it was by now.”
“I don’t see him on the network.” Placido checked his friend’s list on his oculars.
“Do you think he’s meeting up with a special someone?” the decker asked.
The other man shifted slightly and shrugged. “He has become much more popular in the last couple months after we took the top spot in the mid-year master exam.” He rubbed the back of his head. “It’s possible. We probably shouldn’t bother him if that’s the case.”
“Jealous?” Inigo teased.
Placido shook his head “Of Gin? No, no, I would be happy for him. I’m far too busy to consider a relationship that intense right now.”
The decker frowned before he shrugged. “It wasn’t
what I was implying, but I can see that.” He looked at his tablet again before he put it away. “I say we give him about fifteen more minutes before we go out to look for him.”
“I’m sure he’ll show up well before then. I bet he’s coming up the stairs right now.”
“So much for that,” Inigo muttered as the duo exited the Animus Center. “So where should we start?”
“I think we should split up. I’ll check around the gym and tech department,” Placido suggested.
“Then I’ll check around the plaza and library.”
The exotech tapped a few fingers nervously on his chest. “I’m a little worried.”
“About Gin? Who’s gonna mess with him? The only guy I can think of Eddy and he’s already in hot water. If he even gets within a hundred feet of Gin, his ass will be kicked out of here,” Inigo stated and lapsed into thought for a moment. “If you do find him and he is with a hook-up, let me know and we’ll all reschedule. I’ll do the same.”
“Right.” Placido nodded.
With that, they split up and went to their respective search areas. Placido spent at least twenty minutes looking around and asking the few remaining students who still loitered around in the late evening if they had seen Gin. He finally caught a break when someone told him they had seen him talking to someone near the engineer’s dorms a little over an hour earlier.
They didn’t know what they had discussed or who it was, exactly, but it looked like a girl. He thanked them and headed that way while he thought it over and wondered if he should inform Inigo. It seemed the right thing to do so he opened his network list and called him up, then placed his transmitter in his ear.
“Calling Inigo Alamo,” his EI, Sigmund, confirmed.
“Hey, Placido, did you find him?”
“Another master student said that they saw him talking to a girl near the engineering dorm. They didn’t catch the conversation but he said they left toward the docks afterward.”
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