by Noah Barnett
As they headed down the hallway, they passed several mock battles in full progress. Boys and girls fired on each other from prepared positions, paint splatters covering the walls. One girl collapsed in a heap after being struck in the face mask with a paintball. She lay still, pretending to be dead, while her comrades retreated down the corridor. The Misfits waited in the shadow of a passageway for the battlefield to clear before continuing.
Jen moved down the corridor, following the blue dashed line, and after a few minutes they reached the park. The cavern was about a hundred meters tall, with colored lamps resembling jellyfish hanging from the ceiling, shedding blue and purple light across the water. Several enormous waterfalls spilled down into open pools and two colored water slides spiraled around each other. Today, it was completely empty of people, and eerily quiet for a park.
On the right side was a long concrete structure with two doors, a picture of a boy in swim trunks hanging over the right one and a female figure in a one piece on the left. The group split up, Charlie and the rest of the guys entering the boys changing room.
Inside were enough lockers to equip a small army of park-goers. He strolled down the row until he located a bathing suit in his size, then hung his flight suit inside the locker and withdrew the black swim trunks. Once suitably attired, he grabbed a spare towel and headed from the changing room into the swim area.
Outside, Elva was already waiting in a low cut thong bikini. She was dressed just like she’d been during their first meeting in Gun Meister, and he smiled at the memory. She ran a finger just under the edge of her thong, slipping it into place, and Charlie was momentarily lost in the sight of her silky skin. Remy slapped his ass—hard—while he was distracted, bouncing forward.
"Nice buns!" she called with a grin. She was dressed in a blue one-piece, and she too stuck a finger into the line of her suit to adjust it. He rolled his eyes at her sly smile and stepped over to Elva.
Monty came out next, wearing a pair of white trunks, followed by Remy's dark-haired companion. She smiled lasciviously and skipped over to him, his face remaining as impassive as ever as she pressed herself to his side. Grace exited the girls locker room in a frilly one-piece, while Jen and Gadreel came out in identical black bikinis. Last to exit were Tobias and Alastair.
Before they ran off into the park, Charlie turned to the gang. "Thank you all for coming. To the beta, that is. I’m impressed, and from what little we've seen, I have no doubt that Star Nova is going to be amazing. We're actually in space, battling aliens to save the Earth."
"Awww, you're gonna make us blush!" Remy called sarcastically.
"You can jump into any sex dungeon if you just want to get laid," he added, just for her. She stuck her tongue out at him but said nothing in response. "We've seen the market system, and the need to buy everything for our fighters. I assume that this is a test bed for the larger economy in the game."
"It's true," Monty chimed in. "I had several long conversations with a gentleman from R&D. He seemed most keen on my opinions but was unwilling to be specific. I believe they wish to use this game to target the interests of individuals like myself."
"Individuals like yourself?" Tobias asked.
"Those whose consciousness has been permanently uploaded into the digital world," Monty clarified.
"You’re a ghost?" Tobias looked astonished.
"We prefer gentle-souls, or digital denizens," Monty corrected, and the two men eyed one another. "That's right. You never met me before my—conversion."
"You'll never enter heaven," Tobias said definitively. His eyes blazed with fervor, but Monty gazed at him levelly.
"I am aware of the religious protests against digital transfers; however, I do not believe God would begrudge me for choosing my destination. I walk the clouds of heaven already, and so far, enjoy the company immensely," he said, gesturing to the space around them. Grace leaned into him and he wrapped an arm around her waist.
"You make a grave mistake with your soul."
Charlie bristled. He liked Tobias, but the man was going too far with his solemn pronouncements. "Tobias, you have no idea what Monty went—"
He was interrupted by a hand on his arm. Monty’s eyes were fierce as he spoke.
"Mayhaps I have, but we obviously differ in opinion. Let us drop this tiresome subject, for I wish to relax today. Now, if you'll excuse me, I spied a heated sauna and I'm itching to try it out." He took Grace's hand, leading her away from the group.
"I agree," Charlie added, giving Tobias a look. Bringing his opinions into their relaxation time had not been cool, and he gave the man one last disapproving glare before following Monty toward the heated pools.
Remy, as usual, broke the remaining tension. "I'm going to try out the Death Drop first!" She dashed off toward the slide, and he and Elva slid into the water beside Monty.
"I'm sorry about Tobias."
Monty shook his head. "I can fight my own battles."
"I want us all to get along."
"You once said that we are a strange group of misfits," Monty shrugged. "There are bound to be heated clashes from time to time. You are the group leader, so it's best if you stay neutral unless things get out of hand."
"You're right," he admitted, pulling Elva in close. She wrapped an arm around his neck, content just to listen. There was a pause in the conversation as the four soaked in the hot mist of the sauna.
"You mentioned that the developers talked to you?" Charlie finally asked.
"Ah yes, nice fellow, but very cagey," Monty nodded. "I think he was worried about letting slip too much information, even with the NDA. They want to give people the ability to access the Internet whilst still protecting game integrity."
Charlie cocked his head. "You mean like sharing information across the solar system?"
"Yes, they mentioned that the Internet is only accessible immediately surrounding a planet with a communication relay." He leaned back against the lip of the pool, Grace snuggling in next to him. "Whereas in space, someone would have to log off, relay the information, then re-enter into the game. By the time that happens, any info would be out of date. That's the idea they came up with, anyway."
It certainly made sense. That would allow them to protect their information without restricting the players’ abilities.
"That's useful. I suppose they want people to enjoy the game from inside as much as possible."
"For now, I have access to my online accounts anywhere in the game. They let me borrow a little magic box until the beta ends."
He was glad to hear that. Monty could have gone anywhere after becoming a ghost, but instead he had followed Charlie into Star Nova. He turned to Grace.
"How are you adjusting to life in space?"
She gave a long, weary sigh. "The food makes me ill, the air smells recycled, and good lord, there are so many things to learn."
"I wonder if the quality of life will improve as time goes on. Maybe there will come a day you look back on this and laugh."
"I highly doubt it. My sole comfort is Monty's constant company."
"The stars would not be the same without you," Monty agreed, pulling her closer. She rested her head against his shoulder and Charlie took that as his cue to depart.
He stood, turning to his golden-haired companion. "Let's explore another part of the park."
"Oh goody, I've been hoping to get you alone," she smiled, holding out a hand. He took it and they exited the sauna, Elva pulling his arm to drag him toward the corner of the park. He padded along behind her, admiring her swimsuit.
It took about ten minutes find a quiet place, where several floating teacups bounced around a gently moving tunnel. They climbed into one, and as it started moving down the darkened tunnel he found himself surrounded by dim light, the sound of water, and soft music. Elva scooted closer, planting a kiss on his cheek. They spent several minutes like that, just drifting down the tunnel and kissing.
"Do you miss the others?" she asked, snuggling up t
o him.
"Fara, Sofie, and the twins? Of course, and I hope they’ll join us in Star Nova. I do miss them, but with all that’s been going on, I’ve been too busy to think about anything but training."
"I miss them too, Fara especially," Elva said wistfully.
Suddenly, a console in the teacup activated and a familiar face floated over the screen. "Charlie, this is Lieutenant Mansfield. Come to the training center immediately."
If anything, Elva looked even more annoyed than Charlie as the screen went dark. Things had just started to get interesting. Nevertheless, he let her go, directing the little teacup toward the bank.
"Let’s get this over with. If we’re lucky, maybe we can beat everyone back to the bunk rooms," he suggested. Elva guided the cup toward the pond’s edge and they headed back into the changing rooms, where Charlie suited up once more.
Mansfield was waiting for them at the training center’s conference room. He didn’t look happy.
"The last flight had their battle twenty minutes ago."
"From the look on your face, I’m guessing it didn’t go well?"
Mansfield shook his head gravely. "We lost, and it’s got everyone on edge. The commander has decided to withhold the specific details of today’s simulation."
Charlie’s stomach churned. "I really hoped my formation would do better. Are you sure you still want me in command tomorrow?"
"The commander has made his decision." The lieutenant didn’t look pleased. "The Roth are closing in on Earth and the real battle is tomorrow. There will be no extra chances. Are you prepared?"
Charlie swallowed. "Yes, thank you. If I still have the job then I’m going to log off and do a little research."
The lieutenant nodded. "We’re all counting on you."
He tucked his tablet under his arm, saluted, and left the room.
Charlie walked slowly back to the bunk room with Elva and laid down, but he certainly wasn’t in the mood for sex now. She crawled onto the bunk with him, cuddling close as he logged out.
CHAPTER NINE
Battle over Earth
The virtual shower was a much-needed distraction, the hot water doing wonders to relieve the stress creeping up on him since last night. Well, that and being here with Elva. She was just as beautiful as the day they’d met, and he was glad they’d gotten a chance to be semi-alone before the battle.
"I think you missed a spot," she sighed, biting at his neck.
"I might have, but sadly we don’t have time for another round."
He opened the door, pulling a dry towel off the rack, then handed Elva a second one as she stepped out after him. After drying off, she took her flight suit off the hook and sat on the corner of the bunk, sliding her feet into the lower leggings. The fabric snaked up her long legs before struggling past her voluptuous thighs, and she half-stood, dancing in the tight synthetic suit to work it past her hips and chest. Her arms went in next before she drew the zipper up her front.
"Do you need help?" she asked coyly, turning toward him.
"No, I was just admiring the view," he admitted, before taking his own jumpsuit off the hook.
"I'm enjoying mine too," Remy called from her bunk. She grinned as Charlie blushed, turning away with his uniform.
Remy continued to leer at him as he sat and pulled on the jumpsuit, Elva sitting next to him to help tug the stiff, skintight fabric up his legs.
"What do you think of our chances?" Jen asked, ignoring Remy’s comment.
"The five days of training didn't feel like enough, and I would have liked more sim time." He paused briefly to think back on the past week. "It's been back and forth. The first few days, it was a total loss, then we started dominating the Roth until yesterday."
He shoved his arms into the sleeves of the suit, pulled his zipper up, and stood from the bunk.
"Our holy blades are sharpened and our skills honed. We need only our conviction to see us through," Tobias said from his bunk. He stood, hanging the towel around his waist on a hook before stepping into the small shower.
"I agree with Tobias. We’ve done all that we can," Gadreel added, following him into the shower.
"I hope we win, because I want to hook up with that adorable tech in maintenance again," Remy said with a happy grin.
"We could head down to the flight hangars early and watch them load the fighters," Charlie suggested, before knocking on the bathroom door. "Come to the fighter bay when you're done," he called. There was a sound of what might have been agreement, but it was too muffled to be sure.
He shrugged, following the others into the hallway. The passage was partially blocked off, and several girls manned a heavy machine gun, boxes of ammo and grenades stacked against the wall beside them. They looked grim-faced but nevertheless immediately stood from the sandbag bunker, saluting.
Children dressing up to play war, he thought, but their eyes were fixed and focused. They knew he was the flight leader, which meant success or failure largely rested on his shoulders.
"Good luck, Commander," they chorused in unison, so Charlie gave them a sloppy return salute.
"I wonder if you can order them around?" Remy asked as they passed the first group. "Tell ‘em to take their pants off—ouch!"
Jen removed her foot from Remy’s and gave her an irritated look.
Charlie rolled his eyes, stepping past the girls and down the hallway. At each intersection, another squad of teens stopped whatever they were doing and vaulted to attention. After the third time, it became too much. He shouldered past, focusing on following the dashed line to the fighter bays. They had only been there once before, but the hangar bay was easy enough to find, being near the training center.
For a few seconds, a yellow light flashed over the airlock before it cycled open. Tobias and Gadreel caught up with them just as it admitted them and they all entered the bay to a bustle of activity. An electric cart filled with workers sped past the airlock, men in yellow jumpsuits climbing over the fighters to hook up fuel and air lines. Amidst the chaos, a woman was bellowing orders.
"Stow that line! Do you expect the fighter to roll over it?! No no, use the goddamned lift. I don't give a shit if this is the moon, those missiles cost more than you did to bring up here. If you drop one, I will not hesitate to launch you with the next set of fighters."
They approached the woman, who saluted reluctantly. "They're still working on putting the command module into your fighter. Put your palm on the tablet and we can at least get your wing ready."
Charlie did so, his squad following suit, and she pointed them to one of the bays. "It's over there. You can wait while they finish up the modifications."
Elva tugged on his arm, pulling him toward the Jaguar which looked considerably more deadly than before. A twin 20mm auto-cannon had been affixed to the turret and the wings were heavily laden with several long missiles.
As they approached, a heavy loader was lifting ammo containers into the storage bin and Charlie recognized the technician Ramirez working on his fighter. The man was struggling to wrestle a curved console through the open cockpit, cursing in a native dialect as he fought with the cumbersome object.
"Need some help?" he asked, stopping next to the fighter.
"I don’t need some zero-sum techie helping me..." his words trailed off as he caught sight of Elva and Charlie, almost dropping the console as he straightened to attention.
Charlie beat the man to the salute. "What's the problem?"
"Damn fools thought this screen looked cool but didn't realize it was bigger than the canopy, and I can't go to the old lady ‘cause she'll just rip my head off," Ramirez grumbled, giving a sidelong glance to the woman across the bay - if only to check that she wasn't in earshot. While he spoke, Charlie climbed onto the fighter, examining the problem. Ramirez was right. No matter which way it was turned, several inches still jutted out.
"Pull the canopy off, then slide it in." He motioned to the top of the fighter.
Ramirez shook his h
ead. "That will destroy the gaskets."
"So? We're wearing sealed helmets and the suits are rated for vacuum," Charlie pointed out.
"But—"
"You’ve got two hours left, let's get this done." He pulled over a box of tools, offering it to the technician. Ramirez made a face, but took out a thin shiv. Charlie picked up the command console, setting it against the turret while the tech worked.
He slid the metal under the rubber liner, then fetched a ratchet and began to undo the bolts. The NPC worked fast, and within five minutes, the thick glass dome came off with a pop. Now they had enough room to wrestle the screen past the gunner’s seat, Ramirez continually stealing glances at the hangar boss to see if she had taken notice.
