Shepherd's Wolf

by M. Andrew Reid

  Limerick shook his head wistfully, “Oh, Tungsten. What are you supposed to be anyway, an evil peacock? You always had horrible taste; surely you can afford better. And you,” he turned his attention to Grave, clad in his typical dark gray leather, “okay, you look pretty damn cool. I can’t lie.”

  “I guess we know the answer to that question,” Tungsten purred.

  Limerick pointed his cane at Brooks, “You know you don’t have to be old and fat here, right? You could at least attempt to make yourself attractive.”

  Brooks sputtered, “I spend my time in the real...”

  “I’ve seen you before,” Limerick bent over to get a closer look. “You’re the CEO of Dalton! What are you doing here?

  “I have personal business, it is none of yours,” Brooks grumbled.

  “Personal as in personally meddling? Aren’t Dalton employees supposed to keep out of the faction cities? Something is going on here.” Limerick swept his gaze to White. The two men locked eyes. Limerick did not look away as he spoke, “I’m going to find out what it is. Come on Myrm, I can’t believe you’re even here.”

  “Sorry,” Myrmidon muttered sheepishly and collected his things as he stood up.

  Limerick made it halfway down the table before whirling dramatically. He pointed his cane at Tungsten, “I’ve got a bullet with your name on it and one for Grave. Try and stop the wolf from getting to Ra’ah and I’ll make sure you receive it.”

  If they wanted to believe the wolf was headed to Ra’ah, Limerick was happy to kindle that flame.

  “And what about Viper?” Tungsten’s voice was filled with spite, “Surely you have a bullet for him as well. He will likely betray these poor fools helping the Wolf Rider and make himself a wolf-skin cloak.”

  Limerick shrugged and swept his coat back, revealing an array of holstered pistols, “I have a lot of bullets.”

  Dalton Headquarters

  Seattle, Washington

  “Well, now we can begin.” Brooks frowned at Alex as he stepped into the spacious board room. Men in dark suits and military uniforms were seated around a large conference table.

  “Sorry about that, Omni wanted to discuss...”

  Brooks waved him to a seat, “We don’t have a lot of time.”

  Major White sat beside Brooks. He nodded slightly, “Due to the limitations that Omni has placed on us, we have a narrow window in which to intercept the wolf.”

  “You know where they are?” Alex was shocked.

  “We know where they will be.” Brooks replied. “We just received confirmation that they are headed to Ra’ah. If they make it there, things will get very complicated. Omni will not allow troops into any of the major cities.”

  Alex fought back a grin. Omni was toying with them for some reason.

  “They were spotted on the coast road of the Inner Sea. A group of Conquerors tried to stop them, but failed.”

  “You’re working with the Conquerors?” Alex asked.

  “Dalton does not interfere with the affairs of one faction or another,” Brooks replied, before nodding at White to proceed.

  “Based on their position and direction of travel, the group protecting the wolf was headed northwest. That route would eventually lead them through the mountains here,” White was moving a cursor on a map of Verdia projected on the wall, “through one of two passes. One pass is populated and controlled by the Conquerors, and the other is an extremely difficult, um...”

  “Dungeon?” Alex suggested.

  “…dungeon. They were reported to have a high level player helping them. They will likely try to pass through the dungeon and continue northwest. Our plan is to insert in the Inner Sea. Our assault craft can land the troops at a town called Red Harbor, which has easy access to the Conqueror controlled pass and very little player activity. We will move up through the pass and intercept them with the help of local scouts. The problem should be dealt with within twenty-four hours of the wolf exiting the Agilar.”

  “Has anyone attempted to contact this high-level player personally?” One board member spoke up. He skimmed the notes in front of him, “Viper, right? He or she might be persuaded to stop helping them.”

  “We already looked into it,” Brooks said. “He or she has been ignoring in-game messages. The account has a privacy lock on it- like many of our accounts. We risk a major lawsuit if we breach that lock without some legal cause. This Viper is also very hard to contact within the game, so efforts there were dead ends.”

  “We need to warn the players,” Alex said, “There has to be a global warning when your troops enter the game. We don’t want any accidents that will result in someone losing their account.”

  “It’s already set up,” Brooks frowned.

  “My troops have been ordered not to fire on anything or anyone that is not directly preventing them from achieving their objective. They are disciplined, Dr. Olson. There will not be any accidents, and collateral damage will be rigorously avoided.”

  “When are you inserting?” Alex asked. “I’m coming with you.”

  “In about half an hour,” White replied. “Can you be ready by then?”

  Chapter 17

  The Agilar

  Entrance

  The Agilar’s hull stuck out of the stony peaks as if it had sprouted from the mountains rather than crashed into them. Dull gray metal made up the ship’s smooth lines. A large hatch was conveniently placed at ground level.

  Bishop led the group to the hatch, where a control panel was mounted to one side. Blinking faintly, a green light marred its polished surface. He pressed buttons on the panel until the door hummed.

  The hatch slid up and out, revealing a dimly lit passageway inside. Bishop turned back to the others, “Who’s first? It’s safe until we start the party.”

  “I’ll go,” Wisp said. “This is awesome.”

  Laura followed behind him. She studied the control panel, “So this is an alien ship? I thought this was like medieval times. How do they have space ships?”

  “Just keep moving,” Haymaker said. “You are over-thinking this.”

  Gabe barely fit through the opening. Ben had to duck his head to clear the hatch as he rode through on Gabe’s back. Once inside the door, the tunnel opened up with a higher ceiling.

  “Uh oh.” Bishop was last, and realized that the dragon would not fit inside the ship. He dismounted and scratched his head.

  Athena chewed a claw thoughtfully, “It’s probably for the best that she stay out, in case things go poorly. You’ll have to use a bailout to come back and get her once we’ve crossed.

  “Yeah,” Bishop frowned. “He reached up and patted the dragon’s pearly snout, “Go hide until I come to get you.”

  Christine mewled sadly and lumbered off into the trees. Lonely groans followed her massive form as she vanished into the forest.

  Athena giggled, “Fletch, keep her company. I don’t want you in here anyway.”

  Fletch screeched an affirmative and buzzed after the dragon.

  Bishop entered the ship, and the door closed behind them.

  The tunnel opened up to a grand lobby. They had entered through an emergency exit; the main entrance was probably buried deep in the mountain. High ceilings glowed with golden light, bathing the large room with a pleasant yellow hue. Exotic plants stood among plush seating areas, and a large fountain gurgled in the center of the room.

  The Agilar: Lobby

  After a short briefing from Bishop, the group sat down and signed off to attend to real-world necessities. As time passed, their characters slept soundlessly on the floor. Ben watched them sleep for a time before nodding off with his head rested against Gabe’s warm belly.

  In no time at all, someone was shaking him. Laura looked down at him, “Did you know that you snore louder than Gabe?”

  “This looks like a hotel lobby,” Wisp said. “I thought this was supposed to be hardcore.”

  “It will be later,” Bishop responded. “I’ll let the ship talk for
a while and then I’ll explain.”

  “The ship?” Laura asked.

  Welcome to the Agilar.

  The voice was not so much heard as felt.

  I am the Shipmind. I am here to guide and take care of you on your journey. Please step up to the reception desk and a crewmember will help you find your berth assignment.

  “Tell us about the Agilar,” Bishop said as the group walked across the large room.

  Colony Ship Agilar was constructed over a period of seventeen cycles. The hull is over ten kilometers long and one kilometer wide. There are accommodations for one-hundred-thousand residents. The ship has indefinite range, and is self-sufficient. Would you like to hear about our entertainment options?

  “What is your destination?”

  Our destination is a habitable world in the constellation ###### (the ship said something unintelligible at this point) the journey should take three years, as some distance must be travelled in regular space.

  “What is the ship’s current condition?”

  The Agilar is in a critical emergency state. The propulsion drive has failed and the ship has settled down on an unknown planet after being drawn into the gravity-well of its star. The Captain made the decision to ground the ship on this habitable world rather than drift in orbit. Propulsion is currently offline. However, all life support systems are intact, and repairs should be completed in half a cycle.

  “Six months, huh? How long has the Agilar been here?”

  Five thousand and eighty-four cycles.

  “What was your estimated repair time four thousand years ago?”

  Half a cycle.

  Haymaker chuckled, “You don’t seem to be very good at this.”

  Be silent, slave. You may not speak unless you are given permission.

  “Don’t make it mad yet,” Bishop warned.

  “Man, even their ships are jerks.” Haymaker turned to Athena, “You should be ashamed of yourself. This is your heritage. I knew there was a reason that I didn’t like cats.”

  “Be silent, slave,” Athena commanded.

  Haymaker folded his arms and pouted.

  Bishop sighed and spoke to the ship, “Perhaps we could enter the ship and assist with repairs.”

  For your protection, you cannot pass from this room.

  “I thought it was safe. You said that...”

  All life support functions are operable. However, I have lost control of the security systems and the manufacturing and maintenance robotics controls.

  “So what makes you think that the ship will be repaired in six months?”

  Repair crews are working tirelessly to get the ship back in the air. May you have a pleasant journey.

  Bishop grinned, “So now we have to convince the ship to let us inside. Limerick said you need at least one Agilus in your group, which we have. When we do get inside, there are eight rooms, each one progressively harder than the last. The ship will prompt us to some extent, but we are mostly on our own. We have to keep moving, as there will be a team of security robots at our heels. That’s what got Limerick’s group: they stopped to rest before the last room and were attacked from behind. Are we all ready?”

  One by one, everyone in the group nodded.

  “So how do I get us in?” Athena asked.

  “Command the ship to let you in.”

  Athena looked up, as if the voice was coming from somewhere above them, “We need to enter the ship.”

  The interior of the ship is currently off-limits to all personnel and passengers without clearance.

  “I have clearance; let us in so that we can assist in the repairs.” Athena commanded.

  What is your name?

  “Athena.”

  You may proceed. Please check in with the deck supervisor each time you pass into a new area. You are currently eight kilometers from the propulsion bay.

  On the far wall, a door silently slid open. Behind the door was a large room that resembled an elevator car. The group inched toward the opening cautiously.

  Suddenly, a deep voice boomed in their heads. This voice was not pleasant, and had a much more urgent tone:

  Attention players: A team of technical support agents will be entering the game shortly. They are here to repair an anomaly that has developed within the game. Unfortunately, due to the nature of Verdia, they must enter the game and physically remove the anomaly. We hope their intrusion will be brief.

  If you encounter the support team, please allow them to pass by without interference. Any attempt to restrict their movements or prevent them from doing their job may lead to account termination. The support team is armed with weapons that will permanently remove your character should you interfere.

  We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope to resolve this situation shortly. For more information, visit our website.

  “What was that?” Ben asked. “Was he talking about Gabe?”

  The wolf had heard nothing, and was sniffing at the leaves of an exotic potted plant.

  “I think so,” Bishop said. “We’ll be fine. They don’t know where we’re going.”

  “Unless Viper told them,” Wisp muttered.

  Laura drew in her breath, “He wouldn’t! Would he? He doesn’t seem that...”

  Haymaker laughed, “That guy is a grade-A asshole.”

  “Language,” Bishop scolded.

  “That gentleman is extraordinarily unpleasant,” Haymaker continued, glaring at Bishop, “and I warned you that this would happen.”

  “He doesn’t seem like the type to cooperate with the establishment. He won’t tell them where we’re going.” Bishop said. “Now, let’s get moving.”

  The group stepped into the large elevator car. On the inner wall was a large screen displaying a diagram of the Agilar - mostly a long, thin rectangle with a collection of odd bumps and fins in random places.

  A small flashing dot indicated their location on a lower level near the bow. The dot moved up, and pressure could be felt as the elevator accelerated.

  The elevator travelled what must have been a thousand feet in several seconds. It stopped moving, and the door slid open. They stood in silence for a moment; nobody wanted to leave the cocoon of safety provided by the elevator.

  Room 1: The Shuttle Bay

  The door opened to an empty space. A dull gray floor extended off until the light from the elevator gave out. Eerie silence waited for them in the darkness.

  “Haymaker.” Bishop pointed with his staff, “You first.”

  “Why do I always have to go first?”

  “You have a shield,” Bishop replied. “It should be safe.”

  Haymaker grumbled and unslung the heater shield from his back. He strapped it to his left arm and cautiously advanced.

  As soon as his foot touched the floor outside the elevator, light entered the world. Far above on a high ceiling, bright lights revealed an enormous open room filled with large wedge shaped objects arranged in rows. The objects looked something like chubby helicopters without any visible blades. Some of them were crawling with tiny crab-like robots that scuttled back and forth as sparks flew from cutting tools.

  “Good,” Bishop said as he looked around. “This is the shuttle bay. Limerick has been right so far.”

  Another voice chimed in their heads:

  Welcome to the Auxiliary Shuttle Bay. I am the Deck Four Supervisor. How may I assist you?

  “We need to pass through, to assist with repairs to the ship. We have clearance.”

  This area is off-limits to personnel. We have recently cleaned and sterilized the floors.

  “We will walk straight through.” Athena pointed to the door on the far side of the bay, one or two hundred yards away.

  The floors are clean. The Agilar will have the cleanest shuttle fleet in the Emperor’s Service, per orders of the Captain. You will have to find a different path through the ship. May I suggest the atrium deck? It is quite lovely.

  “This is idiotic,” Athena looked at Bishop, “What
do I do now?”

  Bishop shrugged, “Just keep going. No matter what we do, the ship is going to find some excuse to kill us.”

  “Sounds like my ex-wife,” Haymaker muttered. “Well I’ll go first, since I have a shield.”

  Haymaker’s boots rang on the floor as he marched forward. The party followed, with Bishop cautiously bringing up the rear.

  “The floors are very clean,” Laura remarked, looking down at her reflection.

  You must stop at once. When the party kept walking, the deck supervisor became even more insistent. Slave, you are ordered to halt immediately.

  A swarm of crab-bots skittered from around the parked shuttles. They were joined by hovering robots that resembled metal basketballs with arms. Behind the party, the robots furiously scrubbed the floor with an array of rotating buffers and chemical sprays.

  Haymaker stopped, blocked off by the phalanx of crab-bots in his path. They barely reached his shins, but their torches and cutting discs were made to quickly cut through metal.

  This is a disaster. The entire area will need to be decontaminated. We will take the slave into custody for processing. Your party must return to the elevator at once.

  “Well, let’s get this over with.” Haymaker snorted and spit a gooey glob of snot onto the nearest crab. Immediately, the bot was set upon by the others - scrubbed and sprayed until its metal body glimmered brightly.

  Insolence will not be tolerated. Security has been summoned to Deck Four.

  “Move!” Bishop yelled as alarms blared around them.

  Haymaker kicked the nearest crab like a football, and swung his shield into a swarm of hovering bots, smashing them into slivers. Crabs jumped at him and crawled across his armor as he threw them off one by one.

  Bishop whirled his staff, blasting to either side of him with gusts of air. The crabs slid across the smooth floors and collected around the base of the nearest shuttle. Their legs wiggled in the air as they attempted to right themselves.

  Athena dropped flying bots out of the air as she ran. Wisp dashed forward to assist Haymaker by slicing through a group of crabs. Laura and Ben huddled on Gabe’s back. The wolf managed to catch a flying bot in his jaws, and munched on it like a chew toy.