by Harper North
Coco clears her throat, ripping the universe in half between us. “You two,” she says with a smile in her voice. “Go to bed.”
CHAPTER 15
A LOUD BANG rips me out of sleep. I blink, unsure of where I am at first—my home, Raralin, or—
Morrow snores in the next bunk over as a second bang follows. It’s coming from a room or two over from this facility. I sit up, but no one is breaking inside. I hear no gunshots or harsh men telling everyone to surrender, so it’s not an ICC attack. Renton says something about moving an object a few inches to the left, and I realize that they’re moving furniture, probably a couple new Immersion Boxes. My pulse calms and I get out of bed while Morrow continues to snore. My mind drifts back to the incident yesterday. The shower scene sticks out before all the others, including the factory bombing. Shaking my head, I go into the adjoining bathroom and comb my hair.
Morrow is a bad idea, Tyisa, I tell myself. Something would ruin our relationship. I’m telling myself this more and more. “People aren’t honorable,” I say aloud to my reflection. That last thought doesn’t seem to fit Morrow, however. My mind can’t connect the polar opposition emotions pulling at me: my growing attraction to him and my fear that he will only betray me, as others have. Or my fear that I’ll lose him, like Selesaran. An ache forms in my chest at the mere thought of him. Then Morrow.
To distract myself, I head back out into the sleeping area and slug Coco on the shoulder. Coco groans and turns over.
“They have the Immersion Boxes here,” I say.
“Okay. I’ll get up.”
Morrow wakes when I mention the Boxes. He springs out of bed and I hold back a smile. Then I wait as he goes into the bathroom to freshen up. Once he emerges and Coco goes in for her turn, we head out of the bunker and follow the sounds of scraping and banging to a back room in the facility with blue carpet and hanging diamond-shaped lights. It’s as if Marcus has set up a fan base for The Binding. I admire the handiwork for a moment before my gaze settles on the far wall. A short row of Immersion Boxes line up beneath paintings of planets lit by a UV lamp. There are five Imm-B’s now, and it’s clear from Nan’s panting that she and Renton have moved one in recently.
Renton smiles at us. “Well, these beauties are powered up,” he says. “Whenever you’re ready to go, jump in. Well, don’t jump. We don’t want the special juice inside to splash.”
“What is that stuff, anyway?” Morrow asks.
“I’m not sure,” Renton says. “As I said, I’m just the sales guy. If you want answers, ask the neuroscience team.”
“I’ll pass,” I say. Then my stomach rumbles.
“Why don’t we grab some grub?” Coco asks from behind. “I’m coming with you.”
I’m glad that Coco is going in with us.
“Grub?” I ask.
Morrow pokes me in the ribs. “It’s a slimy, gelatinous creature. Think of the Slug Mechs, but smaller and without machinery.”
I whirl as Morrow and Coco both smile at me.
“You had better be joking.” To my relief, the two keep grinning.
Grub turns out to be just another term for food. My translator seems to have basic capability and isn’t very good at slang. Coco and Morrow explain the concept to me. While Earth names aren’t as intricate as Meran ones, it turns out their languages are. Even tone can imply deeper meaning.
The three of us have fun talking while we eat. I almost don’t want to get inside an Imm-B but, once we finish, there’s nothing left to do. Renton is waiting.
We have a mission.
And I want to see this new Binding universe.
Coco leads us back into the room with a quick “See you inside the game.” Morrow climbs into his Imm-B next, and I check to make sure it’s the same familiar gray goo before I climb into mine. Renton and Nan have left the room, as if to make us more comfortable. I’m not sure if I like that or not.
I close the lid as the gel surrounds my body and takes me away. Darkness follows for a moment as the game loads. On the other side of a blink, I stand under a black sky with a sprawling, brilliant ribbon of stars overhead. Open space. I take a breath and nearly smile. The air is breathable here. Otherwise, I would take constant damage.
“Glad you made it,” Coco says.
She and Morrow stand a short distance from me, as they’ve always appeared in-game. We’re on a long, gray platform that floats in open space. A star in the distance radiates a reddish tint. We’re orbiting around the star alongside a couple of watery planets with no landmasses.
“Where are we?” I ask. Spaceships are parked in neat lines down the platform. A door pokes out of the main platform and leads to an underground area. Or an under-platform area. This is the first time I’ve seen actual spaceships in The Binding. I spot the familiar blue glow of a Jump Pod platform nearby, but it’s the only familiar sight.
“This,” Coco explains, gesturing to the sights, “is the new Binding universe. We’re standing on a Port. There are hundreds of them orbiting stars in the universe. Underground is a trading center. Beings from all over meet here. Don’t worry about the other stuff. Our inventories and display functions are basically the same as before. And yes, we’ve kept our levels.”
“Good,” I say, thinking of my 5th Tier Sniper Scope. I’m still close to being able to use it.
“Wow,” Morrow, now Atlas, says. He turns in a circle and surveys the amazing stars. “The old Binding has stars, but not like this.”
“And eventually, as the game develops itself, it will populate even more stars,” Coco says. “Come on. This place acts like a recruiting hub for clusters in addition to trading and transport. Let me show you around.”
As we follow Coco through the doorway, I wish Vadie and GloryStealer could see this place. After spending so much time in the old Binding universe, I now realize how the environment, while realistic, doesn’t contain this level of detail. I can make out every grain on the metal steps. Dust has gathered in the corners. Voices drift up from the floating platform’s interior. In this universe, there’s one big difference: speech is audible by all even without comms. I ask Coco_Dream how this is going to work with private conversations.
“Comms still have a use here,” she explains as we near the bottom of the steps. “We can still use them for private conversations. Otherwise, the world of sound is open.”
“I like that,” Atlas says. Then he slides me a glance, but I’m already thinking of The Hermit. Once he speaks, will everyone be able to hear him? Coco and Atlas already know about him, but we'll encounter others soon enough.
I hope he’s listening.
If he’s even still with us.
We reach the bottom and an expansive round chamber spreads out, lined with shops along the perimeter. I spot NPC’s milling around, having conversations with each other about broken ship parts, fair prices, and a dust storm sweeping across Planet Ulara, wherever that is. They stand in groups and consist of the same familiar races I know. These NPC’s are far more alive than the ones who stood around in the old universe, waiting for a player to target them. Even though they all have “NPC” after their floating names, they seem like actual people.
“This is amazing,” Atlas says. “Could you imagine a mission where you need to protect one of these guys?”
“Great immersion,” Coco says. “There are a lot of NPC’s here because there are only hundreds of beta players at this point, and the game needs to populate the universe. When The Binding 2.0 goes live, there’ll be less need for so many NPC’s.”
“Atlas,” I whisper. “I think I still have The Hermit.”
“How annoying has he been?” Atlas asks with a smile.
“Only moderately.” I wait for him to speak and hope he's waiting for the right time. I wonder if I should give The Hermit back to Atlas. That's something The Hermit should decide, though. It doesn't feel right to treat him like an object.
We walk through the center of the room now. A Cyborg woman waves at me.
I return it. “The game will just erase them?”
“I’m not sure how it will work, but Nan says the starting code had that feature,” Coco explains.
“Raven,” The Hermit says. “I realize that comm speak is much more open now but I am still able to maintain private communications if needed. I am doing so right now. This is an unfamiliar environment I have not had a chance to meditate on yet. Have we crossed The Binding?”
Coco and Atlas walk ahead as I hang back. I press the button on my comm. “This is a new version of The Binding. We haven’t crossed, but I’m sure there’s one in this universe too. And Atlas is here and safe.”
“That is a good. I will need to meditate on the data streams coming in. This may take a while.”
“Understood.” I might be lying. The Hermit can try my patience sometimes. “Now is a good time to do it while there aren’t any fights.” I'll ask him what he wants to do later. Analyzing this new world comes first. The Hermit must not have known that Atlas is here if he only targeted me in a private conversation.
Realizing that Coco and Atlas are over by a weapons merchant, having small talk with the vendor, I run to catch up before I look suspicious to Coco. My trust in her still hasn’t completely recovered.
But we have a mission.
“Coco,” I say. “What should we do next? To get to that exclusive planet, we need to level up as quickly as we can.”
“You know, it’s not kind to interrupt,” the weapons NPC says. He’s a condescending old Human with a scar down the side of his face. He wags his finger at me and glares.
“It’s also not kind to treat others like they’re children,” I snap. “Especially when they have important things to do.”
The guy takes a step back. I feel bad for a moment before pulling Coco and Atlas away.
“The NPC’s here are amazing,” Atlas says. “They have personalities.”
I let go of Coco and she speaks. “We’re back down to a party of three,” she explains. “We have a Sniper, me, and a Close Range Combat player. We’ve lost our Scout, so I think it’s a good idea to get a new one. Those Artifacts Lucky found were an enormous help. I do see a few players around here we can ask. It will help that most beta players tend to be of a higher level. Lucky had fifty Awareness points.”
“No Medic?” I ask.
“We’ve managed without one,” Coco says.
“What?” Atlas says. “But without a Medic, we’re hosed.”
“You didn’t see what the Ancient Replica could do,” Coco tells him. “We didn’t need one. And with someone who has a lot of Luck, we’ll find plenty of Advanced Nanobot Packs. That should negate the need for a Medic.”
“There might not be another Ancient Replica,” Atlas says.
“He has a point.” My stomach turns at the thought of recruiting another stranger. We won’t have many options.
The Recruiting Stations in this universe are very much like those in the old. They’re long counters with a computer terminal to manage new members. Our cluster is still active in this database. Vadie and GloryStealer1 are still recorded as members. So is Lucky, but I delete his name and hit the blacklist button in record time.
For some reason, Atlas groans when he sees the names. I ask him why.
“You don’t want to know,” he says. “Or maybe you do know. Pac-Man and Tetris are great, but not on your chest.”
My jaw falls. “You’ve met GloryStealer1?”
“I’ll tell you about it later.”
The cluster name AnythingCanHappen remains, and I’m grateful. We then talk to a dozen beta players, all of whom are at least Level 20, before stumbling on a gruff-looking Cyborg male donning a leather vest and pants. He’s a Level 47 and approaches, arms crossed. “You recruiting?”
“What are your stats?” Coco asks, trying to take over.
I know she’s Level 33—four above me—and should technically lead, but I can’t let go. “We’re looking for a Scout.”
The guy, ForagingPanda3000, nods. “That would be me. I’m top level. Awareness? Fifty points. Stamina? Same. Speed? Forty-five.”
“And Luck?” I ask.
“I’m a bit rusty there. That’s only forty-one.”
Coco, Atlas, and I look at each other. His overall stats are still more than what Lucky ever had.
“If you want a Scout, I can’t think of anyone else who’s looking for one,” ForagingPanda says.
He has a point. Scouts aren’t the most demanded player types and they’re hard characters to play well. Not many people choose that as their starting specialty. But Speed and Stamina could help us in fights, especially at his level. I hate taking on strangers, especially in this new world. I wait for The Hermit to say something, but he remains silent.
“This might be a good idea,” Coco whispers, even though ForagingPanda is right on the other side of the counter.
“At least he’s not covered in stupid tattoos,” Atlas says.
“And we need someone who can see danger from a distance,” Coco_Dream21 adds.
“We don’t know him,” I say.
Both of them look at me.
“The last Scout betrayed us,” I point out.
Meanwhile, ForagingPanda waits. He might look gruff, but he’s patient. The tension in the air thickens.
“We need him,” Atlas says.
“Okay,” I agree, hating that word. “You’re right. We need him.” I have to push the words out.
“You’re in,” Coco_Dream says.
Since I’m still recorded as the cluster leader, it’s my job to use the terminal to input his name. “So, are you from Earth or Mera?” I’m still not sure if this new network expands across both worlds yet.
“Earth,” he says. “I’ve been beta testing this world for the past year.”
“That’s good,” I say, not taking my gaze off him. “Do you know of any decent bosses we can take on? Our cluster is looking to level up.” I finish putting in his name.
You’ve added ForagingPanda3000 to Cluster AnythingCanHappen
He speaks with excitement now. “There’s a mining colony in this star system’s asteroid belt that I haven’t had a chance to tackle yet. My ship is up top. I just put a couple of mods on it, so we should get there quick. There’s an old landing station out there, but the rest of the belt is infested with Rock Worms. Nasty creatures. If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to use the old Transporters out there.”
Atlas is floored that high-level players in this new universe aren’t limited to Jump Pods. At Level 40, players can purchase actual ships for themselves and learn to pilot by instructor NPC’s. He’s so excited to step into Panda’s ship that he forgets that we’re putting our safety in the hands of a guy we don’t know.
But Coco_Dream doesn’t seem concerned. She must read the expression on my face, because she whispers to me that beta players are vetted before entering the game.
“The Transporters in the asteroid belt will have their own individual stats based on ours,” Panda explains as he hits controls. “They are also each equipped with twin Blasters and a limited supply of rockets. Pretty standard stuff. And thank The Binding stars too. Rock Worms colonize asteroids and each colony has a Queen that we’ll have to take out. The lore is that they drove out the mining operations decades ago.”
“They never gave us ships in the old Binding,” Atlas says. “Cheapskates.” Then he walks over and tries to hug the cabin’s wall. “Where have you been all my life?”
“You’ll love this,” Panda says with a grin.
His ship, while small with only a few seats inside, gets us farther from the small red star in only minutes. The star turns to a pinprick outside the port window as we descend toward an icy rock reflecting its pale red light. I lean forward more in my seat and press my face to the window to watch as we descend into a glass dome that opens for us. An old mining station with a row of small, dusty one-person ships waits. Panda lands and the ship doors rise, and I exit, struggling to keep my breaths e
ven and calm. The air here is breathable too.
“One for each of us,” Coco says. She rubs her silver hand down a ship’s metal exterior.
“They’re barely big enough to fit our legs,” Atlas says.
The ships look like small boats with glass bubbles on top. I eye the control panels. “I’m a Sniper,” I say. “Does that mean whichever ship I choose will have my Sniper Dead Eye and Accuracy stats?”
“That’s correct,” Panda says. “Since I’m tricked out in Awareness, my ship’s map will be maxed out and I’ll go ahead of you. A Medic’s ship would have great shields and the ability to repair other ships.”
“What about Close Range Combat?” Atlas asks.
“Good shields. Less damage taken. More powerful close-range blasts.”
“Sounds fair,” Atlas says, nodding his head thoughtfully.
I like the idea of these ships sharing our stats. That will allow strategy to work during space battles. We each choose a ship and climb inside. It’s cramped as if the game wants these yellow Transporters to feel like an extension of our bodies. The seat molds to me and I gasp with the unexpected tingles that rush through my body for a moment. The screen then flashes to life and displays a message that stats have been downloaded into the ship. The engine hums and bursts to life.
The ship takes me of the mining station in autopilot. A computerized voice speaks next.
“Manual control mode activated.”
“Ready?” Panda asks over a radio. His ship floats in front of me as the icy asteroid hangs below, gray and dead. Other, distant rocks float against a backdrop of stars.
“Ready!” Atlas shouts. “This is so cool.”
Panda zips ahead and I realize that my ship isn’t going to catch up. His Speed is amazing. Coco_Dream’s ship can’t even match him. Atlas and I stick together, side by side, trying to match one another’s pace. We leave the asteroid behind and pass two smaller ones moving at a pace set by their orbit’s inertia.
“We need to go from asteroid to asteroid,” Panda explains. “Let me go ahead. Those Worms . . . well, you don’t want them to grab onto your craft. Atlas, you might be able to blast your way out of their grasp, but the rest of you would be in trouble.”
