by Drew Cordell
While the quality increase didn’t affect my mods or the increased weapon stats they granted, the 10% increase to my blaster’s damage floor and ceiling, and overall durability was a great improvement.
“Hey, you’re welcome for the upgrade,” Brandon said, grinning.
“Yeah, thanks. All we can do now is keep working and hope Gwen gets here sooner rather than later.”
34
“What did I miss?” Gwen asked as she materialized next to us.
“Gahhhh, don’t do that!” Brandon jumped noticeably from his crafting station nearly screaming; he apparently hadn’t expected Gwen’s sudden arrival.
“Not much at all, actually,” I said, laughing at Brandon’s reaction. “We were just working on crafting, and Ether Rogue is hiding in an asteroid belt so remote that I guarantee we’ll be the first and last people to visit it in this war. What about you? Are you safe?”
Gwen shrugged. “Dalthaxia hasn't found me yet. I moved locations and I'm holed up for the time being. I had to transfer some wealth from Eternity Online through an underground brokerage—cost me an extra twenty points, but the transaction should be invisible. I'm sure Dalthaxia is monitoring credit transactions through the official exchange and I wanted to be careful.”
“Good call,” Brandon said. “Look, we all talked while you were gone, and we came to the consensus that it would be best to keep Cadan Graves out of this in real life and only take him up on his offer to hide you on Dalthaxia if there’s no other option. I’m glad to hear you’re relatively safe for the time being.”
Gwen nodded. “I agree entirely. Now, let’s get this fragment analyzed, pull the location and get going. Everyone is going to be looking for this map fragment, and the sooner we can claim our prize, the better. At this point, I don't have the luxury of extreme caution. The sooner we can be done with this, the better. That said, please don't screw me as I put more trust in all of you.”
Brandon nodded. “We have no intention of betraying your trust. This map belongs to all of us, and it's what we signed up for. We made it this far already without any problems, there's no need to change that.”
Gwen had only been gone for one day, but she wouldn’t have come back so soon unless she was sure she was as safe as she could be. I had used the previous day with Fen and Brandon to craft, but we were burning through our crafting supplies quickly, and wanted to make sure Gwen would be able to progress in crafting as well.
Fen still wasn’t done with her Master Rune but was steadily grinding away while Brandon worked on trying to farm massive amounts of crafting XP. He had upgraded my blaster to +20% quality the next day and had started splitting all the Weaponsmith’s Oil he crafted with Fen, slowly improving his shotgun and her blades. Now that Gwen was back in the equation, he would probably help her as well, though it would be slow work since her carbine was mythic rarity.
“How do you want to do this, Gwen?” I asked, feeling anxious to read the map.
“What, are you nervous?” she gave me a playful grin, tossing me the map fragment haphazardly. My heart leaped into my throat—it looked fragile and if it broke we were screwed. I scrambled to catch the fragment, almost dropping it. Gwen laughed. “Relax, it’s almost indestructible, just read it and let’s plug in the location and try to map this out efficiently. I’d prefer not to spend any jump drive fuel on the way there, but that might not be a possibility if the distance is as significant as I’m expecting.”
“Not funny, I am nervous,” I said, shaking my head but finding it difficult to be mad at her. The map fragment was a lot heavier than it looked, and its smooth obsidian-like surface was covered in Strexian Runes. Nothing happened immediately as I held it, but as I focused, an AIVO prompt flashed across my vision.
Strexian Map Fragment (Archaic - Legendary)
Strexian. Artifact. Relic.
Requires Strexian Lore to read and interpret. Contains a map to an ancient Strexian temple.
Location of Strexian temple: 2.5:0089:34819:1928:110A
“I’ve got it. Looks like it's decrypted now. Plug this in and see what you get,” I said, passing Gwen the updated item transcription with the exact coordinates of the temple as I handed the map fragment back.
Gwen plugged the locational data into Ether Rogue’s navigational computer, grimacing with the results. “No way. It’s impossible.”
I peered over her shoulder, looking at the map. The Strexian temple was located in the southeast sector of the Eternity Online map in the eastern quadrant, a staggering 2,389 light-years away from our current location. It was so far removed from the rest of civilized and explored space, that it stood as a blip four magnitudes away from the navigational data Ether Rogue had stored.
Extensive data archives from Maprunners, independent and state-sponsored alike, were available for purchase, but I doubted any had achieved that kind of distance away from the Galactic Core in Eternity Online.
“Can I see the map fragment again? There’s got to be some other way.” My hope was deflating, and I could see the same thing in Gwen’s and Brandon’s eyes.
With a full tank of jump drive fuel, the best we could hope for was about 10 light-years in a single jump—great stats for a ship this size and mass. Even with the four full tanks of jump drive fuel we had on hand, we would only cover less than two percent of the distance. Warping to the location would take several lifetimes. Why create a map fragment with the location of possibly war-changing technology if it was inaccessible? A possible answer sent grim fear and realization surging. What if the AIs that had built Eternity Online only intended the temple to be accessible toward the very end of the war and only by Dalthaxia and Salgon?
I brushed the thoughts out of my head as Gwen handed me the map fragment again. I concentrated, fingering the cold surface of polished stone that seemed as old as time. Strexian runes, glowing a faint, dull green materialized in my vision, whisked away into ethereal mist the next moment. There was something else hiding in the fragment—something that didn't want to be found. “Give me time,” I said. “There's something else, but it's resisting me. I can't read it like I could the original map data.”
I closed my eyes, tracing my pointer finger across the cold surface of the map fragment, searching for a hidden truth amongst the haze. Whispers sounded in my head, harsh and haunting in a strange language that made inherent sense to me. The Strexian symbols rematerialized in my vision, burning a bright, vivid green with searing intensity. An AIVO prompt flashed in response as the pieces of the puzzle fell into alignment.
Strexian Map Fragment (Archaic - Legendary)
Strexian. Artifact. Relic.
Requires Strexian Lore to read and interpret. Contains a map to an ancient Strexian temple.
Location of Strexian temple: 2.5:0089:34819:1928:110A
Location of Wormhole to Strexian Trial: 0.05:1298:18:19839:7B
I couldn't help but smile at the success. The new location contained some kind of trial that would prove our worthiness to acquire the Temple’s hidden wealth if we could overcome it. One thing was for sure: the Strex weren't going to give up their hidden treasure without a fight.
“There's a wormhole location too, it looks like it’s in the core. It's apparently some kind of trial to gauge our worthiness,” I reported, sharing the updated item transcription with the others as I returned the map fragment to Gwen. She smiled and wrapped her arms around me in excitement, thanking me.
“Heh, told you she'd be all over you, Kyle,” Brandon jeered. This was his payback for me bringing up the Rollings party incident with Clarissa. Unfortunately, Eternity Online captured the burning across my face as I blushed in response.
Gwen was off me the next moment, all too soon. She fixed Brandon with a flat glare, and he stopped laughing. “I’ll be all over you in a different way, Brandon. And I don't think you'll like it as much as Kyle did.”
“I deserved that one,” I admitted, drawing Gwen’s attention back. “I gave Brandon a hard time and reminded
him about a company party he had a little too much to drink at.”
Gwen relaxed, smirking at that. “I’d love to hear the story sometime. How long will it take to reach the wormhole if we warp, Fen?”
“Eight days,” the yōkai woman reported.
Gwen seemed to accept the timeframe, nodding to her friend. “Not great, but it's probably acceptable.”
I considered the options. “You don't think it's worth jumping? I know eight days might not be a long time in the grand scheme of things, but the war just started, and one big move from either faction might significantly alter the game state before we can reach the wormhole,” I asked.
“We don't know how this wormhole is going to work, and I don't think any other players have information about it either. We’re apparently the first ones to have a Strexian map fragment like this, and I don't want to maroon us if the wormhole doesn’t bring us back to our previous location. I also think Dalthaxia and Salgon are too occupied in searching for this map fragment to initiate war ops that don't support that goal.”
Gwen's logic was sound. “Sure, that's fine, and that's a very valid point. I guess we’ll try to play as much as possible during the warp?” I asked.
“Yeah, that's the plan,” Gwen said. “We can level our crafting professions and lie low for the time being. We just really need to evaluate whatever we end up finding at the Strexian temple—if we’re even able to clear it. If Cadan wants to buy the haul and can pay our asking price, then that's probably fine, assuming we take safeguards to prevent him from screwing us over.”
With the plan set, there was nothing to do but complete the long haul to our destination and get to know each other better. I was looking forward to spending more time with Gwen.
“You're not working today. Paid time off, no deduction of vacation or sick days,” Nick told me as he walked past my table with his tray of breakfast.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, perplexed. Rollings never gave anyone PTO without deducting personal or sick days.
“You'll be reporting to the HR office after breakfast. Don't be late,” he said, walking away before I could even ask him what it was about.
Brandon and I exchanged a look as the others at our table began to speculate.
“Damn, I hope they don't deport you,” Tim considered, obliterating an entire piece of toast slathered in fruity preserves in a single, decisive bite.
“You going to be okay, Kyle?” Brandon asked, keeping the hidden meaning secret from our other friends. This was beyond suspicious, and in all my time with Rollings, I’d never been summoned to a private HR meeting. I hadn’t been involved in any work-related or personal incidents, and it was hard not to connect this to my involvement with Project Eternity. If they knew about my involvement with Gwen Delarine, they probably would have had Brandon’s identity. If Cadan or Stacy had turned on me, there was very little I would be able to do to protect myself from Dalthaxia.
“Yeah,” I said cautiously. “I’m sure it’s no big deal, I’ll catch up with you guys later.” I thought about returning to my room and equipping myself with a screwdriver or torque wrench to use as a makeshift weapon. But what difference would it make if Dalthaxia sent a professional to Tiyvan IV to erase me? Would Brandon suffer the same fate after they dug into my Eternity Online history? My heart was fluttering away in my chest, and the dread and helplessness of my situation was drowning me. Any remaining appetite I had before Nick’s request was gone.
Nick wouldn’t or couldn’t tell me anything else, but he assured me that this wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
As the others walked out the airlock of our HAB and suited up for the day’s work, I made my way to the HR office, trying to swallow down the bitter taste of overwhelming fear. The door to the HR office was like every other door in our HAB: featureless, lightweight, and made from solid metal. With a shaking hand, I pressed the button on the intercom to ring in. “This is Kyle Gennan, you requested me?”
I waited for the sound of McCormick’s voice, but the one that responded wasn’t him, and it sounded distant and strange. “Ah, yes. Come in, Kyle.”
35
My instincts screamed for me to run, but I knew there was no way I could hide on a place like Tiyvan IV. My only option if Dalthaxia sent someone professional to kill me—if I had any hope of making it out alive—was to talk. But maybe it was already too late. The voice beckoning me to enter wasn’t our HR rep, but I still found myself walking forward as the door slid open and holographic brightness washing over a darkened room.
There was a projection of a man wearing an expensive suit in the center of the desk’s holographic surface. The room was empty—I was sure of that at least. He had slicked-back hair, long and dark, and rings socketed with vibrant, bulbous jewels ornamenting his fingers. Everything about his presence screamed wealth and influence. “Kyle, please, come in. We have a lot to discuss. Where to begin?” His accent was regal and formal and had the polish of someone who had spent their entire life in the aristocratic elite—old money. There was a distant familiarity with the man that I couldn’t quite place.
“You can begin with your name,” I said, still too shaken up to go through any artificial pleasantries. I was prepared at any moment to run out of the office or to try to defend myself to the best of my ability if someone jumped out from the seemingly harmless shadows in the office, though I felt alone.
He nodded. “Of course. My name is Neris Romero, I’m sure you’re aware of my family’s business.” That was why he seemed so familiar; he was only one of the most influential people in the Eternity system.
“Romero Mercantile? Yeah, I think everyone has heard of your family’s business. What can I do for you, Mr. Romero? I can’t imagine this call is cheap, and I can’t afford it.” My voice was hard and defensive. I had reason to suspect the worst, and I couldn’t keep that from bleeding into my tone. Whatever I said could determine the fate of my life, but my fear and the pounding adrenaline was keeping me hardwired with electric focus.
He chuckled at that. “Please, call me Neris. Mr. Romero is my father. Don’t worry about the cost, Kyle. It won't cost you a single credit. I’d like to talk to you about some business, and I’d like you to keep an open mind while we talk. First, everything we say here is private, and there is no chance anyone else overhears this. I had one of my agents sweep the room for Dalthaxian bugs, and we’re clear.”
What the hell was going on? Romero Mercantile was the largest interplanetary distributor of trade goods in the system, contracting out with both Dalthaxia and Salgon. While his father ran the business, Neris Romero was on the fast track to inherit everything if it all didn’t go to hell during this war.
I shrugged. “I can’t really see why you’d be interested in any business with me? I’m just a drone operator.”
“Heh. Perhaps it would be easy to think that. I’ll cut right to the chase so there are no mistakes of my intentions or who I am. My family is the financier of Cadan Graves’s Dark Eternity Guild. Cadan expressed concern to me that you might not follow through with your contract to give him the right of first refusal on anything you find in this… Stressian temple, is it?”
I didn’t correct him, but saw little reason to think this was a trap—the information was too specific, and it wasn’t something Dalthaxia would have unless Cadan betrayed us. The electrifying sensation of being in danger wasn’t fading, and I wasn’t going to risk condemning myself or my friends. If this man was who he said he was, then Cadan was worried about our arrangement—and I couldn’t really blame him. “And Cadan asked you to speak with me to address this?”
Neris shook his head. “Of course not. He requested the opposite, actually.”
“I see. From what I understand, Romero Mercantile remains neutral in the war with the requirement that none of its employees, owners, or board members are allowed to have accounts in Eternity Online. With that in mind, I can’t imagine why you’d have anything to do with the war.”
“You are correct, Kyle. Romero Mercantile maintains a fragile relationship rooted in both Dalthaxian and Salgonian politics. The Eternity War has further compromised our… unique position. As you might already know, most industries across the system are in heavy decline as the economies shift from the real world into Eternity Online. There is no future in our system without winning the war. But how can the outcome of the Eternity War be favorable for my family’s company if we’ll lose half our business empire regardless of who wins?”
“You tell me. It seems like either way your family is going to have a stake in Eternity,” I said, folding my arms across my chest. “Somehow, I think you’ll do just fine.”
“I desire—my family desires—an outcome that aligns with our goals. If Dalthaxia or Salgon win the war, that ideal outcome won’t happen. We chose to support Cadan Graves in this war. I tell you this because I know private information about you, and I think that should go both ways, don’t you? I want there to be trust so there can be no mistakes of my intentions to make you and your friends a very generous offer if you honor your contract with Cadan Graves. Sell him whatever you find. Secure your futures. You’ll earn our favor in the process. Do well, and I see no reason why we can't continue this relationship.”
“Hmm… No threats?” I asked.
Neris smiled, clearly amused. “No threats. That isn’t how my family likes to do business.”
“Can you confirm the specifics of this alleged contract with Cadan?”
“I can’t blame you for being prudent,” Neris said before rattling off the exact figures, confirming that he had the contract information on hand.
