by Aaron Crash
“Just take my money already,” he’d told her.
Roy wasn’t worried about Tolliver, the chief financial officer, but he was concerned about Joyce. He hadn’t heard from her in almost two weeks. It wasn’t unusual for Plymouth to play things close to the chest, but they usually didn’t do it for so long. They were his most important supplier. They’d even saved his life.
Roy was no stranger to death. He’d died the night he opened his first gaming world, Dungeon Core I, on Arneson III, a planet near the Arneson Gate. He’d been at the launch party, a glass of Panacea champagne in hand, when his vision blurred, and the first pains started. He’d tried to walk it off. The Dungeon Core world had been an amazing achievement. The tourists spent hours going through his real-life dungeons with their swords and spells fueled by technology. Lots of scrapes and bruises—the tourists liked it if there was some true danger there—but no serious injuries and not fatalities.
He’d made it halfway back to his office before the heart attack dropped him. He’d been on the phone with Joyce, so no one saw. She was the one who called security.
After that heart attack, Roy had been given a new synthetic heart, a gift from Plymouth, matched to his DNA. Plymouth was the only reason Roy had a company. And they were the reason why he’d been so wildly successful. The artificial monsters they provided had turned his gaming worlds from good to great to life-changing.
The only problem? Plymouth had gone dark. No messages. No conference calls. Nothing but silence since Christmas Eve. If Roy missed a single deadline, there was a chance that Tolliver and his allies would have an excuse to kick Roy out of his own company. It had happened before, countless times, going back to Steve Jobs eleven hundred years ago.
Roy turned a corner on the space station. He was on his way to the board meeting, which wouldn’t start for another forty-five minutes. Roy always arrived early. His father said if you’re not five minutes early, you’re late. Roy had embraced the phrase.
Tolliver stood in the hallway, taking in the view of the spinning world below. “Roy, Roy, Roy.” He was a balding man in a suit with shining black shoes and a matching belt. He was lean and hungry looking, like a vampire vulture during a famine. He had distractingly big, square teeth, almost too big for his mouth. His thin lips didn’t do much to hide them. All in all, he was pale and sickly—on his best day, Tolliver looked like he was already halfway dead.
It was just one more reason Roy didn’t like the man. At nearly fifty, Roy still kept in shape and kept the muscle on, and every morning began with a series of punishing exercises. When the Grim Reaper finally took Roy Boss for keeps, he wanted the muscle to punch that skeletal cocksucker right in his bony face.
Tolliver looked off. Roy could feel the tension in the air, more than usual.
“You didn’t answer my message,” the gaunt man said, spit gathering at the corners of his mouth.
“Hey, Ennis,” Roy said, keeping his distance. It was just the two of them in the hall. “I get way too many messages from you. Which one are you referring to?”
“Communication is key at a company like this!” Tolliver roared.
Roy was right to stay back. His adversary was coming unhinged.
“That’s what they say in all the business books.” Roy touched the watch on his wrist, which was tied directly to his synthetic heart. If it stopped beating, then...well...shit would happen. He’d made arrangements with Joyce on Plymouth. He’d never met Joyce in person, no, since the Plymouth Gate was a one-way trip. Plymouth wasn’t in the Milky Way Galaxy. It was...someplace else.
Roy had friends who worked for Kriss Devlin Stargates. Even they couldn’t figure out the tech of the Plymouth Gate—it was exit only. That allowed Joyce to send him his monsters, but it didn’t permit him to go and visit her.
Joyce was nice enough, but she offered few details about herself, her world, or her company. Or maybe the company was the world? That wasn’t clear either. And the way Roy paid his most important vendor was downright strange. Then again, the universe was a kooky fucking place.
Roy grinned at the CFO. “I probably should’ve answered that message since you’re clearly upset. What did it say?”
Tolliver was breathing hard, and his hands were balled into fists. “You need to take the Charter’s deal. You need to give them access to Plymouth.”
The Charter—as close to a galactic government as existed—wanted to use Plymouth’s monsters as soldiers.
Roy wasn’t against the idea...better to use monsters than people. However, the Charter’s Military Command wasn’t offering him enough money. They wanted him to be a patriot. Roy was a gamer first, businessman second, and not much of a patriot at all. He kept planets full of people busy with jobs they loved—that was enough patriotism for one man.
“Yes, I read that message, Ennis. We’ve gone over this. The Charter isn’t offering enough money. Not nearly enough. And I’m not sure my friends on Plymouth are going to play ball.”
Tolliver stomped forward, turned, and stomped back to where he’d been. Another turn. “So you’re cutting executive salaries instead of taking the deal? All of our salaries?”
“Mine too.” Not that Roy ever really reached into the reserve. He’d been paying himself five dollars a year for a decade now, and he’d cut that down to a single greenback. Dungeon Core I had made him immediately, stupidly rich. Other parks followed—America Core, Caesar Core, Bushido Core, and Dungeon Core II. Dungeon Core III would be his sixth world, and the best. His critics kept expecting the monsters at the gaming worlds to snap and murder continents full of gaming tourists. Of course, that never happened. The A.I. came with an anti-sentience setting. Even though it had been over a thousand years, people still remembered the lessons of Westworld, both the movie and the TV show.
“You’re spending too much on DC III!” Tolliver yelled. “My salary shouldn’t finance your delusions!”
“My delusions made us all rich,” Roy countered, frowning. If it came to throwing punches, he could take Tolliver. Something else was going on, though. Something wasn’t right.
Roy heard footsteps. With the acoustics, he wasn’t sure if they were behind him or coming from Tolliver’s end of the hallway behind the turn there. Somehow, that suddenly seemed very important.
“Our latest gaming world,” Roy corrected. “VentureForge has a motto. Do you remember what it is?”
“I know the fucking motto!” Tolliver sent spit flying.
Yep, Roy took another step back. “Say it with me, Ennis. The games come first. Then the people. Then the profits.”
Ennis pulled out a level-two electric pistol. It was designed to kill flesh and not blast through walls, which was handy on a space station.
Roy wasn’t all that surprised. He reacted quickly. Charge a man with a gun. Run from a man with a knife. Or that was what Roy’s father said.
Roy struck Tolliver with his shoulder and drove the man back against the wall. He grabbed the ePistol and twisted. That should’ve broken Tolliver’s finger. Instead, silver-blue energy leaked from underneath the old man’s skin. Tolliver had gotten an enhancement procedure done, clearly. It was expensive, dangerous, and slightly illegal, though the Charter didn’t care much about what any individual did as long as it didn’t affect entire planets.
The old man threw Roy back. That was when the clattering footsteps appeared from behind him...two of Roy’s admins, Jack and Phyllis. Both loved their jobs—the games, the people, the profits, the whole deal—though Phyllis was set to retire in the next six months.
The two admins were shocked to see the CFO armed and about to gun down the CEO of VentureForge right in the halls of their corporate office.
Tolliver raised the pistol. “No witnesses.”
He squeezed the trigger. Jack shrieked as the energy melted through his chest. He fell to his knees and slumped over.
Tolliver shifted his aim.
Roy wasn’t about to let Phyllis die. No, she didn’t have the kind of
contingency plan that Roy had. That was one thing about Roy Boss—he had contingency plans for his contingency plans. You layered your strategies, and you didn’t cut corners doing it.
However, his PLAN B—capital letters—hinged on those Plymouth engineers. And Joyce Halcyon.
Roy shot to his feet and caught the blast. It seared most of his shoulder away, and it pissed him off. He rushed Tolliver, but this time he socked the old man in the face. Tolliver took two staggering steps backward. His nose gushed blood. The energy powering his synthetic tendons might make him stronger, but if the fucker couldn’t take a punch, being a cyborg wouldn’t matter much.
Phyllis must not have been paying attention to her compliance training. She didn’t run. She should’ve.
“Phyllis, get the fuck out of here!” Roy thundered.
“Fuck you, Boss,” the old woman cursed. “I’m not leaving you alone with this glorified accountant.”
Roy plucked the gun out of the CFO’s enhanced fingers.
More footsteps. This time, two security guards appeared from behind Tolliver. Chuckles and Snide, Tolliver’s personal guards, raised ePistols of their own.
Roy saw the look in their eyes—it was clear which side those two bastards were on.
“Phyllis, get out of here, get your money, disappear. I’ll find you.” If he survived his contingency plan. It was fifty/fifty at best. Joyce actually said he had a 49 percent chance of dying. So he had that going for him. He was betting every fucking thing on that one percent.
But before he cashed in his chips, he was going to kill Tolliver.
He shot the CFO at the same time Chuckles and Snide blasted his flesh to bits.
That wasn’t fair. Roy wanted more than one shot, but that was all he got. He hit Tolliver in the chest, but there was no way of knowing if he put the man down.
Roy felt the barrage of blasts tear his body to bits. That pain felt distant. It must’ve stopped his heart, however, because Joyce Halcyon’s voice filled his head.
_pending link connection
_link connected
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Flesh sizzling, Roy Boss died for the second time. It felt easier than the heart attack twenty years ago. I guess you really do get better at everything...with a little practice.
Click here to continue reading Boss Build.
Dedication
FOR KIZE AND RYAN AROUND the fire
Acknowledgements
AS ALWAYS, THANKS TO Don for talking with me about this book any number of times to get down the details. One time, we talked all the way through my Costco trip, talking about sex demons and happy angels.
Thanks to Mark, Cebelius, and James for a Monday night during Covid, where we all talked about the various versions of this book that might not suck. I couldn’t go with Ceb’s pornographer version, but I was tempted. Lord, I was tempted.
Thanks to Brandon Varnell, Kevin, Natalie, and George. In one of the Harem Lit Facebook groups, we had a rousing discussion on sulking demons, happy angels, and bath water. Long story short, I had to write this book because Brandon pointed out we see very few happy-go-lucky angels out here in storyland.
I can’t thank my Lord-level patrons enough: Alphonzo Fudge, Clinton Haid, Colt McIntosh, Bruce Johnson, Maria Snyder, and James Moody. Thanks so much for helping me buy groceries. You people are awesome.
Thanks to my beta reader, Jacob, for saving the day. I had to rewrite the last couple of chapters, but it was worth it. If all goes well, and I get to write a sequel, we’ll see the rise of the Mistress of Death!
Thanks to Scott and Laura. We talked a lot of Time Jacker up there in Loveland, Colorado.
Lastly, thanks to my amazing editors, D.J. and Kelly, for helping me to make this crazy idea work. They’re brilliant. Anything that’s wrong with the book falls right at my feet. But I’ve had this idea for a long, long time.
Patreon
THANKS SO MUCH FOR reading Time Jacker! I have a Patreon page, and I’m unveiling cover art, posting chapters, and giving away free eBooks when they come out. Yes, being my patron gets you the chapters and the eBook before anyone else! It’s a deal.
Also, if you have an idea for a story, or a suggestion, my Patreon page is the perfect place to reach out. That’s the thing with Patreon—if the fans want a specific story, I’ll write one, however spicy, in any of my worlds.
It’s been my lifelong dream to become a professional novelist, and I hope to share more of my journey with you as I continue to write books people love.
Sign up at www.patreon.com/aaroncrashbooks.
Thanks again!
Aaron Crash
Books by Black Forge
War God’s Mantle: Ascension (Book 1)
War God’s Mantle: Descent (Book 2)
War God’s Mantle: Underworld (Book 3)
Denver Fury: American Dragons (Book 1)
Cheyenne Magic: American Dragons (Book 2)
Montana Firestorm: American Dragons (Book 3)
Texas Showdown: American Dragons (Book 4)
California Imperium: American Dragons (Book 5)
Dodge City Knights: American Dragons (Book 6)
Leadville Crucible: American Dragons (Book 7)
Alaska Kingdom: American Dragons (Book 8)
Alamosa Arena: American Dragons (Book 9)
Wyoming Dynasty: American Dragons (Book 10)
Raider Annihilation: Son of Fire Book 1
Kraken Killjoy: Son of Fire Book 2
Valhalla Virus: Ragnarok Rebels Book 1
Dungeon Bringer 1
Dungeon Bringer 2
Dungeon Bringer 3
Witch King 1
Witch King 2
Witch King 3
Barbarian Outcast (Princesses of the Ironbound Book 1)
Barbarian Assassin (Princesses of the Ironbound Book 2)
Barbarian Alchemist (Princesses of the Ironbound Book 3)
Barbarian Gladiator (Princesses of the Ironbound Book 4)
Boss Build: Creature Girl Creations Book 1
Master Build: Creature Girl Creations Book 2
God Build: Creature Girl Creations Book 3
Time Jacker
Robot Bangarang: Full Frontal Galaxy (Book 1)
Space Dragon Boogaloo: Full Frontal Galaxy (Book 2)
Books by Shadow Alley Press
LitRPG
Rogue Dungeon: The Rogue Dungeon Series (Book 1)
Civil War: The Rogue Dungeon Series (Book 2)
Troll Nation: The Rogue Dungeon Series (Book 3)
Rogue Evolution: The Rogue Dungeon Series (Book 4)
Dungeon Duel: The Rogue Dungeon Series (Book 5)
Zero.Hero 1
Zero.Hero 2
Inheritance: The Last Enclave Book 1
Redemption: The Last Enclave Book 2
A Snake’s Life: A Snake’s Life Book 1
A Snake’s Path: A Snake’s Life Book 2
A Snake’s Rise: A Snake’s Life Book 3
Dungeon Heart: The Singing Mountain
Black Dawn: Fae Nexus Book 1
Shadowcroft Academy for Dungeons: Year One
Viridian Gate Online (LitRPG)
Viridian Gate Online: Cataclysm (Book 1)
Viridian Gate Online: Crimson Alliance (Book 2)
Viridian Gate Online: The Jade Lord (Book 3)
Viridian Gate Online: Imperial Legion (Book 4)
Viridian Gate Online: The Lich Priest (Book 5)
Viridian Gate Online: Doom Forge (Book 6)
Viridian Gate Online: Darkling Siege (Book 7)
Viridian Gate Online: Side Quests (Anthology)
Viridian Gate Online: The Artificer (Imperial Initiative 1)
Viridian Gate Online: Nomad Soul (The Illusionist Book 1)
Viridian Gate Online: Dead Man’s Tide (The Illusionist Book 2)
Viridian Gate Online: Inquisitor’s Foil (The Illusionist Book 3)
Viridian Gate Online: Firebrand (The Firebrand Book 1)
Viridia
n Gate Online: Embers of Rebellion (The Firebrand Book 2)
Viridian Gate Online: Path of the Blood Phoenix (The Firebrand Book 3)
Viridian Gate Online: Vindication (The Alchemic Weaponeer Book 1)
Viridian Gate Online: Absolution (The Alchemic Weaponeer Book 2)
Viridian Gate Online: Insurrection (The Alchemic Weaponeer Book 3)
Cultivation
Darkening Skies (Path of the Thunderbird Book 1)
Stone Soul (Path of the Thunderbird Book 2)
Demon Beast (Path of the Thunderbird Book 3)
Hollow Core (School of Swords and Serpents Book 1)
Eclipse Core (School of Swords and Serpents Book 2)
Chaos Core (School of Swords and Serpents Book 3)
Burning Core (School of Swords and Serpents Book 4)
Infinite Core (School of Swords and Serpents Book 5)
Eternal Core (School of Swords and Serpents Book 6)
The Elements: Silver Coin Saga Book 1
Sages of the Underpass (Battle Artists Book 1)
Death Cultivator Book 1
Death Cultivator Book 2
Tokyo Blood Magic: Shinjuku Shadows Book 1
