Galataea Crystallim Core 1

by Scottie Futch

  His goal, the GTN branch headquarters, held court at its own private corner of the street. The mega-corp even provided a full-sized parking lot, a true rarity for any business in America. People did drive and fly through town, but the transit points made it an optional experience. Only the most affluent of businesses with high levels of customer traffic would pay the fees for such an extravagance.

  An edifice that assaulted the sky, the headquarters of the GTN network was the tallest privately owned building in the city. Scott took a moment to look at the massive building, and then craned his head back. His eyes followed the lines of the structure ever upward. He needed to bend backwards slightly to continued, and then was forced to shade his eyes in an attempt to see the top. It was not the tallest building in the city, but it was still quite a feat of structural engineering.

  Inside the GTN building, the view shrunk down to typical office building standards. The lobby was quite spectacular. It was designed to showcase opulence while maintaining a professional atmosphere. Polished concrete floors and massive stone pillars gave the lobby the appearance of grandeur, of elegance. There was a water fountain at the center that featured a statue of a supremely muscular man holding a globe above his head.

  Scott had seen it before, but it was still a powerful image. He preferred the statue that they used on the weekends.

  The statue of Atlas holding up the world was nice. Nothing beat the nude statue of Aphrodite lying inside an open clam shell while she gazed at everyone who entered the premises, however.

  He liked the way that the statue of the goddess was designed to have her head propped up on one hand, while she wore a curious and intrigued expression. She seemed both naughty and interesting at the same time. Atlas, for all the detail that went into his design, just seemed strong.

  City navigation skills were brought back into play. He weaved through the crowded lobby then made his way to an express transit point that was reserved for VIPs and other authorized individuals. Today, he was an authorized individual. Otherwise he would have to take the stairs or use one of the public transits for common shoppers.

  Smaller buildings used lift tubes and elevators, but for large buildings such as the GTN branches transit points were authorized for commercial purposes. There were always at least a few emergency transit points in any building that was more than twenty floors tall, however.

  He took the transit up to the 112th floor then walked out with a smile. He finally arrived. There was a small crowd of people in line. Most of them were newly minted hunters. That was one of the primary types of customer on this floor. Hunters, breeders, and para-military mercenaries were catered to on floors 110 through 120 of the American GTN Branch.

  Scott got in line behind the others. He settled in for a short wait, but not long after he took a spot in line he heard a familiar voice call out to him. “Hey, I know that ID. You’re Scott, right?”

  He turned toward the voice and saw a familiar girl. “Well, if it isn’t my new friend the exhibitionist.”

  The girl he spoke too briefly through his drone the day before walked toward him, a warm smile at the ready. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  Scott smiled at her in kind. “Well, I can say the same thing to you. I just ended my tour in the army. How about you?”

  “Ah, I have to pick up a Crystallim I ordered,” she said before tossing her hair to the side with a turn of the head. Her honey-blond locks swayed in an almost hypnotic manner as they swiftly moved into her preferred location.

  He nodded to her, while trying not to stare at the way the light gleamed from her golden tresses. “So, we did not really get a chance to talk much yesterday. Are you a licensed hunter or a pet owner? I believe you said, the former.”

  Alexis laughed lightly then waved a finger at him. “I’m a hunter. Just received my license recently.”

  “Ah, same here. I have to pick up my starter,” said Scott. The line moved forward a few feet, and they moved with it.

  “Really? That’s a big decision. Which are you leaning toward?” she asked in a curious and perky manner. Her warm smile returned as well.

  Several people in line, mostly male, turned toward them while they chatted. Rather, they turned toward Alexis. Few people in the world could be considered truly ugly, but fewer still could be considered truly beautiful because of the sheer amount of beautiful people in the world. Alexis was not the absolute most beautiful girl in the world, but she was definitely top-tier and would easily give any of those girls a run for their credits.

  “Well, I would go with a psychic type if possible, but they don’t have any starter Crystallim in this city of that type," said Scott.

  “Why psychic?” she asked. "They are hard to form a bond with for most people."

  Scott grinned at her. It was a cocky sort of grin, the kind of grin that a man wore when he knew something that someone else did not know. “I have a high-synchronization with technological and psychic types right now since I worked with an Avatar for the last two years.”

  “Oh right! The drone...” Alexis laughed at herself a little then shook her head. It should have been obvious. It was how they met, after all.

  The line moved forward a bit, and they moved with it. Scott and Alexis chatted for a while, before she asked him an important question. “Why didn’t you come over? You said that you would.”

  “Ah, I wanted to come see you girls in person, but I was in the middle of finishing up my last day in the ADF. I did intend to contact you tonight,” he said. Scott rubbed the back of his head and offered her a sheepish smile.

  “Maybe I have a date tonight?” asked the girl. She crossed her arms over her impressive chest then smirked at him. She had the expression of a girl who sought out to challenge someone.

  “If you do, they’re lucky,” replied Scott.

  The blond girl grinned at him. “Damn right..." She then sighed softly then shook her head. "Too bad I’m all alone again.”

  “Well, you have your Cat Girl and your new partner is coming today, right?” asked Scott.

  “Yeah... But...” Alexis’ face became flush and began to heat up a little. She averted her eyes and made a slight coughing sound.

  “Ah, I see... You’re suffering from a distinct lack of glorious penis,” said Scott before nodding as though he had stated something truly wise.

  “Well, yeah... I’m not a lesbian you know. I do want an actual boyfriend at some point, but I have always loved Crystallim. Ginger, my Cat Girl, has been with me since I was a little.” Alexis smiled gently at Scott as thoughts of her longtime friend rose to the forefront of her thoughts.

  “Things must have gotten interesting when you hit puberty,” said Scott with a sly grin.

  Alexis nodded quickly waved her hand around. “Oh, I’ll say. I swear that cat stays horny every minute of the day now that I'm grown.”

  “She just loves you. It was obvious when I saw you two yesterday,” said Scott.

  The not-quite lesbian hunter smiled at him, yet again. “Yes, she does. I love her too, we’re like sisters... Well, sort of...”

  “Sisters with matching tats,” said Scott. He turned toward her and wiggled his backside a little.

  Alexis bit her lower lip to fight back another laugh. She tittered slightly, but mostly managed to reign in her good humor. “I can’t believe we showed you.”

  “I can’t believe you showed the whole world.” Scott laughed a little when she turned pale and shook her head.

  “You seemed like such a nice flying eyeball... I thought that you might like a show,” said Alexis.

  Scott smirked at her then sighed loudly. “But you went and ruined it by putting clothes on...”

  “Sorry to disappoint you...” she said in an intriguing tone of voice.

  “I never said I was disappointed. You look nice with clothes on,” said Scott. He took in the sight of her for a moment. She wore a simple mini-skirt, halter top, and jacket outfit. He would normally have expected her to wear
heels with that sort of ensemble, but she wore hiking boots instead.

  “Really? You think so?” she asked.

  He nodded to her. “Sure. I’m honestly surprised that you don’t have a boyfriend.”

  Alexis shrugged at him. “I know it sounds conceited, but I’ve never met a straight guy who didn’t want the job. I just don’t see a point in dating someone who is going to be sitting around in town all the time.”

  “So, you’d rather date someone who travels around? Like a hunter?” asked Scott with all the subtlety of a man using a hammer to break open an egg.

  “Why? Are you interested? I could give you an application,” she said sweetly.

  “Maybe... but, I suspect that we’re both going to be busy for the next few months.” Scott took a deep breath then slowly released it. He did not feel stress about the situation, but instead there was a sense of hope and wonder for what the future might hold.

  A loud sigh was her response. “Yeah, true. I look forward to it, but I do need a boyfriend.”

  Scott had never met such a brazen girl before, not including Crystallim of course. Why would she be so desperate for a boyfriend? She could have her pick of almost anyone. “You seem like you’d take almost anyone who was interesting.”

  “At this point, I might. A girl like me has needs,” she said sincerely.

  “A girl like you?” asked Scott.

  Alexis winced then slipped closer to Scott. She whispered to him. “Can you keep a secret?”

  “Is it something illegal?” asked Scott. "I'm not interested in keeping criminal secrets, if that's what you're talking about."

  “No, nothing like that,” she said quickly. "It's just a private matter."

  “Then sure,” he said.

  “Alright, good enough.” She gestured at the air and a message screen popped up in front of Scott.

  <<< Message >>>

  [Alexis Rantez has sent you a friendship request.]

  Do you accept? Yes | No

  <<< * >>>

  Scott accepted the request then looked at Alexis. She gestured at the air again. Her status appeared in front of him. After he read through what was provided to him, his eyes widened in mild-surprise. He looked toward her, and she answered before he could even ask his next question.

  “Yes, it is true,” she said.

  “I can see why that would be a problem for you. If you still want me to come see you later, I’ll make sure to be there,” said Scott.

  Alexis' smile returned. She looked at him with soft, friendly eyes. “You are such a sweet boy.”

  She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. Scott immediately felt two things, an increased sense of arousal and loss of vital energy. A warning message flashed through his mind. Her kiss stole one point of his vital force.

  “Sorry... I am not perfectly in control sometimes,” she admitted.

  Scott shook his head. “No, don’t be sorry. It’s nice to meet a girl who can make me weak in the knees.”

  Alexis giggled at him sweetly, and then slipped her hand over to him. She lightly curled a finger through one of his belt loops. “Remember that you said that...”

  “I will.” He chuckled softly for a moment then sighed. Who would have thought that the girl standing in front of him was part succubus? At least it explained her unnaturally high beauty and overall desire to find a boyfriend. Even the cute little bat wing tattoo that sat just above her perky ass made more sense now.

  Direct human offspring between a human and a Crystallim were impossible. If a child was born it would be another Crystallim. However, the nature of human and Crystallim interaction did cause certain abnormalities to occur. If a pregnant woman were to come into prolonged contact with a Nightmare an aberration might occur in the unborn child's genetic structure.

  Those aberrations built up over time and could cause the generation of abnormal abilities if the child survived. When aberrant children had children of their own, those genes carried into the human gene pool. Over time, accident or artifice could lead to breeding a class of humanity who were almost Crystallim. It took only a few generations of proper breeding. This was a dangerous situation for the child, however.

  Scott initiated a direct-line to Alexis so that they could talk without speaking out loud. A message screen popped up and he thought about what he wanted to say. The words he wished to say appeared on the screen. When he was done with his message he hit send and it went to Alexis.

  She received it and immediately read it before replying back. She bit her lower lip a little in the process.

  <<< Message >>>

  [I’ll be OK. I’ve been tested and the chance of my awakening as a Crystallim is only 0.8%. If it happens, then it happens. I just hope that I find a proper boyfriend before that happens so he can keep me Lucid.]

  <<< * >>>

  Scott read her answer, and thought about her situation carefully before he answered. She had said it in such a simple manner, but eight-tenths of a percent was actually fairly high. If she awakened, her entire life would change. She would be transformed into a Crystallim, probably of the Succubus breed.

  <<< Message >>>

  [If you do awaken, I’ll gladly be your master. Ha Ha.]

  <<< * >>>

  Alexis laughed out loud then lightly screwed her mouth to the side. She snorted cutely then answered him back.

  <<< Message >>>

  [I just bet you would! Would you even be able to handle me if I went full-succubus on you?]

  <<< * >>>

  Scott snickered. He thought up a good response then sent it off to her.

  <<< Message >>>

  [I would have to handle you daily and with much enthusiasm, wouldn’t I? If you don’t listen, I might have to punish you.]

  <<< * >>>

  Alexis giggled softly. “Oh, really?”

  “Definitely,” said Scott before he flashed her a cheeky grin.

  They continued to text and giggle at each other like a couple of idiots for quite some time. However, soon they had to go their separate ways. Scott needed to go to a counter specifically designed for noob trainers. Alexis needed to go to the counter designated for those who already started their career, but were yet to achieve their first promotion. Basically, she was considered to be a slightly more experienced noob.

  The front of the line was a sweet reward for time spent waiting. Scott was excited as he began the transaction scenario that would prove to be the start of his new career.

  “Hello. Welcome to the GTN Mercenary Floor. How may we help you today, sir?” asked a pink haired girl. She may have been human, but might possibly be any number of different Crystallim breeds. The only way to be certain would be to perform a scan.

  “Hello. I am Scott Matthews. I have come to acquire my starter.” He called up his inventory screen and pulled out his trade ticket.

  The girl took the ticket from him, scanned it, and then nodded. “Of course! If you step over to the right, you can take the transit portal to your private screening room.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it.” Scott nodded to the girl then began to walk toward the small platform on the right. He stopped just before the transit point and turned back to her. "Can I reserve a hunting simulation room?"

  "Yes, of course," she said. "Let me check to see the available times."

  Scott waited while the desk clerk did her job. It took her longer than he would have liked, but that was no doubt due to the number of appointments that she had to search through.

  "Yes, sir. We do have an available opening. It is tomorrow at fifteen hundred hours, and runs through sixteen hundred," she said.

  "So, only a short block?" asked Scott. A short block was a one hour time slot. A full block was four hours.

  "My apologies, sir. The first available full block is not until two weeks from today, and three hundred hours." She looked toward him then tilted her head to the side. "Would you like to book the appointment?"

  "Three in the morning?" Scott hissed a littl
e. "Yeah, go ahead and book it."

  "Yes, sir." She made the appointment then looked back up to him. "If you like, we can put you on the first call list. If someone cancels an appointment, you may be called to take their slot. We prioritize new hunters."

  "I would appreciate that," said Scott. The list would no doubt be filled with hopeful individuals who sought to receive a better slot. The virtual reality hunting simulation rooms were the safest means of training a new Crystallim partner. They were also hard to book.

  Training schedule set, he waved his hand through a green light then waited for the transit point to awaken properly. Once the transit point opened, and stabilized, he walked through the dimensional aperture and exited inside of an empty room. The way back closed behind him, but he did not care about that at the moment. That function was for the purposes of privacy. He was not actually trapped in the room.

  “Room function activation requested,” said Scott.

  “Request granted. Welcome to GTN Scott Matthews. You are currently authorized one free Crystallim transaction. You are limited to the five traditional starter Crystallim for the America region. You may only choose a partner between the rank grades F and C. Begin your selection process when you are ready.”

  Scott felt a small electrical pulse run through his body. He now had room control. He raised his hand and made a sweeping gesture. Dozens of images arose before him. After a moment he swept his hand once more and the images were replaced.

  “Command Function: Change settings. Show only C-Rank Crystallim,” said Scott.

  The images immediately shifted. He looked at the top of the selection list and noted that there were over twelve thousand selections to sort through. “This could take a while.”