Reincarnation Trials: A LitRPG Apocalypse (Systems of Salvation Book 1)

by Han Yang

  “What happened between you and the Texans? Not the history book kind of story.”

  Darcy frowned. “I demanded operational oversight. They refused to accept my leadership for the mission, and therefore I didn’t expedite their construction by diverting crews or supplies.”

  “How it’s taught in history,” I said dryly.

  “Not how it happened with all the fine details. But it was close. Look, here’s the thing. They cut themselves off from the world the second I was created in fear of what I could do to them. The Texans were the definition of anti-AI.

  “Even if they hated me, I did send support though. I wanted them to succeed for the greater good and honestly, they would have split the fleet and I’d have no one hating me,” Darcy said with a sigh.

  “Then why did they fail?”

  “Ambition never met reality. The Dominus was too much. Bigger is not always better. The Texas Nation lasted a full two years longer than the other nations in North America, and the state has a high population of survivors.

  “It also has a high population of narocks because of that. The reason the Dominus never left Earth was because someone sabotaged the power plants, unleashing enough radiation to coat the ship to lethal levels.

  “That can only be done by a person. So yeah, it wasn’t me. There should have been a fourth ship. It was close to launching and I knew this. I knew she should have taken off. Or he. To be anti-sexist the Texans said too many female names on ships was bad luck. Lots of good that did them,” Darcy said.

  “And the saboteur? Sabotager? Oh, geez,” I said, trying to get it right.

  “I reviewed the files. A worker lost the fair lottery that wasn’t even rigged. Ramon Sanchez, no criminal record, no history of misdeeds. He wasn't going into the air. Since they couldn’t go…”

  “No one could,” I finished for her. Little fireworks shot off in my head as I connected the dots. “This was your plan ever since we left?”

  “We needed to leave Earth and establish our terraforming on Alpha Centauri. The main issue with this flight of saving humanity has always been its limited gene pool. We always needed to come back, at the very least for me to find new sources of human DNA for expansion.

  “For the last five years, yes, I’ve been planning to alter the council's plans for our future. The second I could connect to the surface I’ve been rebuilding the Dominus as a surprise gift to humanity. It had nothing to do with my sheer boredom. Nothing at all,” she said with a giggle.

  “Is it ready?” I asked.

  “Eleven months give or take. The reactor leaked radiation and every hero who tried to fix it before me failed. In self-aware robots, they should have trusted. That has been fixed and the residuals cleaned up.

  “When she’s ready, she’ll be flight ready and capable of housing a million souls. No tight corridors. No tiny park. No carbon filled air even if we overfill the decks with people. The top fifty thousand from this competition will be able to move to Dominus,” Darcy said.

  “To live in space?” I asked. “I thought you were landing the ships.”

  “I am.”

  “Oh.”

  “Theo, think about it. The last thing I need is a vulnerable colony getting wiped out. And to be fair, I always alluded to the first colony utilizing a bunker, town, or ship,” Darcy said. “The council put out these notions of us living on Earth in harmony with nature. All the narocks were long dead and we would -”

  “Yeah, that all changes because the narocks still dominate the planet. I just had this notion of being out there in the jungle, fighting for my life,” I said with a distant stare at the bridge. “Well, that explains why the competition numbers keep going up. This ship will be amazing. Talk about leg room and having a family and… so much potential.”

  “You’re going to have a long time to live, Theo. Fret not about retaking the Earth from the narocks. It will get done with time and I expect to have a frontier farming outpost two years from now.

  “Mind you, only after I have security in place will the farming outposts begin. However, this was even approved by the council as a backup plan in case of the Earth being too hostile, and only we knew of the planning,” Darcy said.

  “Makes even more sense to establish contacts with the survivors on the planet,” I said.

  “Ah, good for you to notice. Yes, and as much as I want you to be, you’re not the only diplomat. Even today a team of esteemed councilmembers, your mother included, flew a shuttle to visit the Anchorage site. They want to build a livestock farm up there and a human settlement nearby accepted a welcoming bribe,” Darcy said with a smile.

  “My mom? Is she okay?”

  “Yeah, but up to her standard hijinks. I swear, I let them get away with too much at times. They blocked me from listening in on some secret plan,” Darcy said. “Not sure why they despise me so, but I can handle not being loved by all.”

  “Says the goddess of Snagglewood.”

  She giggled. “That is pure happenstance. Nothing more. What do you think your mother is up to?”

  “I’m sure they’re plotting to go to Alpha Centauri without you. Mom never wanted to leave, and she certainly won’t want to restart on a planet with hardships baked into the equation. She’s a fighter, but she’s also not an idiot. I’m sure you know more than me.”

  “Only guesses and I tend to shrug off their efforts. They made contact and that went well though. Anyway, the Dominus. The moment this Trial is over, I’m breaking up the factions.”

  I frowned and asked, “Why and how?”

  “We need something different. New citizens, babies, fresh food, and all new drama with politics. Next Trial, it’s going to be fifty council members per ship. Those fifty will vote three per ship and Dominus will get four.

  “Going from three to four ships means even numbers. Well, this breaks that and avoids deadlocks. No more first place equals the greatest vote to the fleet. First place still means highest vote on your ship though,” Darcy said. “Basically, I’m creating an upper council and a lower council. Giving more power to a few and less power to more.”

  “Ah, that will piss Mom off,” I said with a smirk. “You should close the nomination loophole.”

  “No, that would be unwise. We tend to think alike but you miss the purpose. I want the factions. I control them the way they are to an extent. If I fight them, those in power will find new ways to attain it. No, best to let them keep power, but dilute it,” Darcy said. “You’ll still get to risk your neck outside the competitions. There’s always people in need of rescue.”

  “Alright, well, what about the timing?” I asked.

  “Yes, that was driving people crazy too. We shifted to three hours off in Snagglewood because we went one to one with the time compression, or lack thereof. When the year in Snagglewood ends, a two week-long move will commence for the winners. I fully expect more citizens to apply for the Trials,” Darcy said. “A lot of folks ignore updates and messages.”

  “Awesome. So, less time in the Trials until I meet Otana’s people. How is the body creating going?” I asked.

  “Funny you should ask that. I offer a consultation every Trial to every Citizen. It’s in your options after the first week. After the first consultation, the next costs points, and you get one per month allowed. Would you like to have your free consultation?” Darcy asked. “It’s confidential, but everything with you is. Anyone following your progress would see you watching a slideshow. Confirm you want a consultation, yes or no.”

  “Yes.”

  I knew about these. Dad always said to take them when you found some quiet time, I may have forgotten while in Zed’s bunker. Better late than never. The way I understood these consultations was: you asked Darcy questions about your life in the Trial, and she would answer questions that would aid you with basic knowledge.

  For instance, I asked, “How many narock types are in Snagglewood at the moment?”

  “Seven, but each continent has a unique specimen wit
h two main types. One for land and water.”

  “More to follow?” I asked.

  She replied. “I cannot answer. However, I have made it clear for this Reincarnation Trial. Expect the challenges to mimic the fall of Earth.”

  “And the body creating?” I asked. “Why is it funny I should ask that?”

  “Well, you’ve never received a consultation. Did you know your mother starts every match with a companion? A man she found in a Trial who used to be a bartender.”

  I frowned. “That’s cheating. There’s no one to help me when I awoke.”

  “She does so at a reduced point gain. Desmund. A rude man from Ireland. He’s the polar opposite of your father. Basically, when I first greeted your mother and told her about the trials, she wanted to know about loving the locals. I told her to keep an open mind and jump into the water, same as I told you.

  “I don’t let real couples start together unless they sign up for a baby lottery. Anyway, the couples almost always do worse, and the reduced points hurts because it's not a halfling, but worse. Reduced gains bring pain, it’s actually a saying. Still, the idea of going from Trial to Trial with a loved one is fantastic, and until you consult with me, you don’t know about it,” Darcy said.

  “So that is why Dad said to pay strict attention to my consultation.”

  “I have access to bodies again,” Darcy said, and I grunted in shock. “I have warehouses full of… synthetics. Two problems: the anti-AI factions will have a field day, and will people want them. Of course, I want to alter what is available before adjusting human minds into the synthetics. And I fear that most of the minds inside my servers won’t want them,” Darcy said. “With time I can adjust them, but they’ll never be fully human. Where you’re human with cybernetics, they’d be cybernetics with human features.”

  “Is that why so many people are rejoining as citizens? To free their loved one?” I asked.

  “Uh, no. I’m telling the people I like that I’m trying and to not have too much hope. They will either convince their loved ones stuck in the servers to accept a bionic body, or they will fail, and this is their future until I can figure out how to grow a human adult ready for a mind transfer. I’m not ready yet either. I need to modify… things. But there’s hope. Our extensive scouring of the planet has paid off,” Darcy said with a smirk.

  “Uncovering some finds to help humanity, excellent,” I told her. “How does this apply to me?”

  “Taiyo deleted your message, dropped out of the Trials to resume in pleasure mode, and moved to the Meadow,” Darcy said. “She has decided narocks are not for her and your fame is not worth the potential problems.”

  “Ouch, and good for her. I’m glad she came to a solid conclusion before we kept up a song and dance, tiptoeing around a rejection,” I said, feeling a wave of emotions.

  “Jenny is probably going to be marrying her friend when he gets a body. She might have settled down with you. Might still. I do think she was trying to seduce you to her side, not that she needed to.

  “Are you starting to notice a lot of likely, maybes, and probably? Well, that is because Jenny is old and complicated. I’d wager she thought you’d be fun. And yeah, she has a digital friend she competes with sometimes, others not. They have… allowances, it’s an odd relationship, but it works for them, and I try not to judge anyone since I’m a grandma supercomputer,” Darcy said.

  “So, Jenny is and is not an option, I liked having a person to connect with in the real world,” I said.

  “Were you attracted to her?”

  “Like – over the moon? No. I’m odd. I like interior as much as the exterior, especially if it is long term,” I replied.

  “Yeah, I get that. She’s an option, but I wouldn’t take her beyond a roll in the hay,” Darcy said.

  “You're framing this in a way that is making me uncomfortable. I’m a young man with no desire to settle down yet. Now that we can take our time, I’d like to too,” I said.

  “You can’t and you can.”

  “Not following,” I admitted.

  “You’re a hero. When you come out of Snagglewood to visit Otana’s tribe you will receive a number of congratulatory messages. You’re the current living hero… And the current Trial hero. That means you’re making the news and being followed,” Darcy said.

  “Okay, so why does that mean I have to pick out a lover in Snagglewood?”

  “You bringing someone from the servers to real life will be a miracle and help transition so many others when the technology is right,” Darcy said.

  “Okay, but what if I find Roma repulsive in bed and you have her pegged for a body?” I asked. “Or she does a one eighty and ends up being awful.”

  “Well, she would have to agree, and a friend works too. I care less about the seriousness of your relationship and more about the optics. I need a win against the anti-AI factions,” Darcy said. “I do that by proving the people in the servers are real and giving one of them an early chance. Jenny’s husband is coming out too.”

  “I… I’ll think about it. Maybe one of Otana’s Tribe is super cute and we really get along. Far better than I can with a memory imprint,” I said, not beating around the bush about how I considered the folks trapped inside the servers. “Or what if I just want to have sex for fun, not love with Yilissa. She seemed to be interested in a non-commitment encounter.”

  Darcy snickered and rolled her eyes. “You should be allowed to be young and have fun. At the same time, humanity is at stake. Less so than before though. I’m getting positive feedback numbers on the human survivors. Not great, but bigger than this fleet. I think the narocks lost their desire to kill indiscriminately as they starved to death.”

  “Okay, that is fantastic. So, the ten kids I was worried I’d have to have, are not necessary. But… you want me to bring a person back from Snagglewood. Does it have to be a girl?”

  “I know you’re not gay, no issue if you were, but you’re not. A man would be bad optics. Zachary is a banker with a fetish for foot porn and he always ends up committing suicide as he gets old. Every damn Trial. Honestly, he is a child in every iteration because he is recycled from his death. Such a happy child though, and he lives a great life until his early fifties,” Darcy said. “Pick a woman. I have one female and one male body I can have almost identical to your body type. As I said, the man is spoken for.”

  “Fine, a woman. And it can’t be more than one. Which is sad, but I get it. Been meaning to ask. When we finish this year, what happens to the others in Snagglewood? A reset?” I asked.

  “Classified.”

  “Well, that’s some grade-A bullshit. Can I have just a smidge of good news?”

  She nodded. “Reincarnation Trials. Enough said. Help them live their best lives because their lives matter. The lives inside always matter and if or when an imprint leaves the servers, they will carry some knowledge of their time in there.”

  “Alright, no reset then. What happens to me when it’s over?” I asked.

  “This I can answer. Just like now, you don’t vanish. Just like the people on Earth who fell and I preserved, you don’t vanish. When you return to Snagglewood - which you can if you choose to visit later - you will arrive in your body with a briefing. If your body has passed, you will do so as a random visitor from a strange land who recently traveled into town with a spotty backstory,” Darcy said.

  “Can I know about the rest of my party's real personalities?” I asked.

  “My darling, that is the whole point of the consultation. Well, the point I love the most. Which way are you leaning?”

  I huffed. “Yilissa is a get in your face, take what she wants kind of gal. I like a confident woman and -”

  “Alearria Tibbs, a charismatic engineer. She loves to screw, hates long term relationships, and rarely stays in one town for long. She will take what she wants, use it, and moves on.

  “Alearria is quick to learn, eager to survive, and a decent friend as long as you stay out of the b
ed. She doesn’t con or cheat those she deals with, but she does leave broken hearts. Also, she hates being pregnant. Like super hates it. She might be the girl to bring out though if you find local love on Earth, because I’m not allowing birth control besides natural methods,” Darcy said.

  “Roma?” I asked.

  “Natasha Linsi, a Russian journalist. Boring, stable, and very rigid in her routines. She is always beautiful and drawn to terrible men. Danny, her husband in Snagglewood, he was in on the robbery that lost their fortunes. Roma found out, he hit her when she confronted him. Roma went to her parents. Mari poisoned him. Yeah, crazy.

  “I like Mari. But she is dead and reborn on a different continent. Back to Natasha. She adapted during the fall, outlasting ninety-five percent of humanity. She eventually died of starvation when her husband left with the last of the food. He was never good to her, and she was a saint. I love Natasha for you but understand if you don’t.”

  “I don’t have to make a rash decision. What about betrayal from my group?” I asked.

  “Huh? I wasn’t done but you need to understand something Theodore. I played God. Heaven is the server. Hell is a true death,” Darcy said.

  My jaw dropped, and I spared a moment to process this.

  “There’s no bad guys, but there are,” I said in confusion.

  “The truly vile never made it. Not every inhabitant is an imprint. The evil people in Snagglewood and the other realms will never escape. I have no use for murderers and those who encourage them. Not from Earth from before the fall or after,” Darcy said.

  “Wow, okay. Well, thank you for sharing that about Yilissa and Roma. I was -”

  “I wasn’t finished. Hariet is interested. Hariet was Ayla Cohen, an Israeli commando. She never wanted to be one, but she was drafted at sixteen. Naturally talented in all forms of combat, she excelled in everything she touched that could kill.

  “Ayla helped Israel land fifty seats aboard The Hope with the prolonged siege around Tranquility. Yup, she fought for a ship she’d never get to board. That is dedication. I want to believe she managed to keep living to die of old age, but I don’t know how she died.