“I knew that you weren’t just playing around in your workshop all the time,” Deia said, standing next to Dave.
He kissed the top of her head and his arm circled around her back.
“We kind of built a warship,” Malsour said.
Kol snorted in the background and shook his head. The others averted their eyes to look at the ships.
“Sure, it looks mighty impressive—the defensive coding is some of the best and the weapons work, as well as the drive. Though there’s a lot more needed on a space-going vessel. Right now we don’t have any way to compensate for the higher gravitational forces that we’ll be put under when using the ship,” Malsour said.
“It’s about forty percent done from a planning point of view,” Steve said. “As for not turning into mush when flying the thing. That, well, that’s a problem. Though we have an idea of how to fix it. Jeeves and I are both running computer cycles to figure out how to have the gravity code move us forward, while having another gravity spell on the inside of the ship, making sure that everyone isn’t being thrown about. So, yes, it looks damn amazing, but its systems aren’t complete. We can get the shell ready and together in a month or two but we’re going to have to go back and insert new coding into the soul gem construct.”
“To think that you were building all of this right under our noses.” Josh let out a short laugh.
“Well, you didn’t know about everything else that was going on,” Dave said.
Silence descended on the room. Kol, Steve, Malsour, and Dave looked to one another, the others in their own thoughts as they looked on the warship or thought on what they had learned in the past couple of hours.
Dave was nervous. The more people who knew, the more people who could give away their secret. He trusted these people but there was always a faint chance. If they were to win they needed to trust one another, but they couldn’t let the secret out before it was needed.
“So, how the hell are we going to get the ships out of here? Teleport them?” Dwayne asked.
“Uh, well, we have a solution, but it’s kind of ambitious,” Dave said.
The people in the room focused on him.
“As you may or may not know, we have created something called a summoning hall. It will allow you to gain a soul-bound companion that you can select, for a soul gem cost. What we haven’t said is that the realm that these creatures come from is actually a holding center within one of the moons. With the three moons, two of them are being used by the Jukal. The summoning hall is meant to mimic what a summoner does and connect to these realms, basically open a one-way portal to pull creatures from this storage facility to Emerilia. What I want to do is open a way to enter this facility. Once we can, then we can start building a teleport array there to start work there,” Dave said.
Everyone looked at him.
“Seems that not even we have the full picture,” Malsour said dryly, looking to Steve.
“Well, I wanted to see if it worked in the first place. Now that Ela-Dorn has done it with the one that she has made, we can be sure that the security on this facility is not that strong or else the Jukal would have reacted.
“The facility really is meant as a storage area, much as with the facilities in the north and south pole where Players are made—they create varying creatures then hold them in different areas that the summoners lock onto when they do their rituals,” Dave said.
“What? Players are made?” Josh asked.
Dave’s face turned grave with Josh’s words. He opened his interface and his secret files that he only opened when he had cut his Jukal link. Although the Jukal saw what he saw, they weren’t able to directly hack his interface to read all of his saved files.
Dave pulled up a video of when Bob had taken him into the Player storage facility and sent it to everyone.
They watched it. Some covered their mouths in horror. Others’ faces became darker in anger. Others seemed in disbelief.
“What you’re watching is the inside of one of the Player creation facilities in the north of Emerilia. Under the massive ice caps, there are facilities in the north and south that create Players. During the years when they’re being matured for Emerilia, they’re held in these places. It’s more cost effective to hold us in this state than to give us bodies. It’s only when we first play Emerilia that we’re able to gain our true bodies, complete with Jukal link watching through our eyes and a kill switch in our bodies,” Dave said in a cold tone.
“Is there anything that we can do?” Kim’s voice was hollow.
“We’ve got Shard, Jeeves, and Steve all working on trying to take whatever information we have on the Altar of Rebirths, so that we can create bodies for everyone who is stored in the facilities. Though it’s hard. The Jukal’s protocols that look after the portals are weaker than with the Altar of Rebirths. Each altar has an AI watching over it, with enough alarms and tripwires that the Jukal would know if you’re doing anything but casually glancing over an altar.” Dave shook his head.
“Why can’t we just use the altars?” Lucy asked.
Dave pursed his lips together to retort but instead frowned, looking to Malsour, Steve, and Kol.
“We might be able to save a bunch that way, but they’re all going to have the kill switch in them,” Dave finally said.
“Give them Band-Aids as they come out?” Suzy said.
“Feasible.” Malsour looked to his conspirators.
“Have to ask Bob—he’ll know if he can recode it or something. Though the thing is that if we do this, then the Jukal are going to know. When we start to fight back, we need to know that we’re ready,” Dave said.
“To get back on track, how are we getting these ships out of here?” Dwayne asked.
“We make a connection to the summoned-creature moon. Then we create a teleport array there and start moving machines through. We stealth code it up and then we create a massive portal. We fit each of the bays here with a short-range portal. They go through here and exit right out into space. If we’re fighting through the atmosphere to get into space, then the Jukal can shoot the hell out of us,” Dave said.
“Well, this is a lot to take in.” Josh shook his head. He was at a loss of how to express the confusion he felt.
“It is, though you need to know. The Stone Raiders are the strongest guild in all of Emerilia. We can’t be fighting for just the best rewards—we need to fight to survive,” Dave said.
As Dave looked at the people in the room, goose bumps formed across his scalp and neck. It was as if he were looking at a group of wolves. These intelligent hunters were focused on Dave. They had become E-heads to get away from Earth. Now, knowing that the conditions that many of them had to suffer under in order to be forced into this game world or how they were cajoled, they were annoyed. But knowing there were others like them out there who were stuck in vats, never knowing what was real or not, lit a fire in them.
He saw their determination, their anger, and their drive in those eyes.
This group of people had changed Emerilia more than any other group in centuries. If they were to work together toward their goals, Dave didn’t think that anything was impossible.
“So, we’ve got the tools. Now it’s time we made a plan,” Josh said.
Chapter 32: Prison Break
They had been able to come up with some rough plans within bay A-1’s office. Though it was a rough outline, it was something. Everyone had been too disturbed from what they had learned that day to focus all their energy in planning for their future.
One thing became clear: knowing that Jung Lee was actually a person who had been captured for an unknown period of time, the decision was made to try to rescue him. To do this, Dave was going to have to go into the Six Affinity Temple and confront him himself. Once he did that, he could learn the condition of Jung Lee and figure out a way to free him.
The allure of the raid had somewhat dimmed for them all.
They organized for people to venture into the Six A
ffinity Temple and go no farther than the Affinity spirits.
The shades and Affinity spirits were a high enough level that everyone could gain some good experience and loot. The mobs would respawn after just forty minutes. They were weaker than the creatures that the first raid party had fought by about half, meaning that a few could fight the Affinity spirit-controlled animals.
The outpost was already expanding. Terra was a burgeoning metropolis and was set to double its size in just a month. The miners were cutting out the third section that would be added onto Terra; that would make it three kilometers long.
Instead of the mix of stone, metal, and soul gem constructs of the first section of Terra, the second and third would be largely made from soul gem constructs. Mana wells had been placed around the second section as well as a few secret fusion reactors. The rest of the power would be supplied by the large power station.
As the second section had been the test-bed for the soul gem constructs within the cylindrical city, the third section was naturally progressing a lot faster.
Already people were asking about rent and lease rates. People knew that the event coming along would be no simple affair. The biggest merchant houses and nobles were trying to get their place within the safe haven that was Terra.
Lucy was very careful in how she accepted people for the city. She didn’t want it to be a bunch of nobles looking out for themselves but rather those interested in Terra and the people there. Her networks were being stretched to their limit as they sifted through applications.
However, all of that was far away for Dave, who sat with Lox, Gurren, Steve, Malsour, and Induca.
“Okay, so I’m going to need to teleport in to get to Jung Lee. I don’t want to give away that I have this ability, so we’re going to need to put up some kind of interference so that the Jukal don’t notice me. Also going to need to be close so that I can use my Touch of the Land to get in there and not appear in the ground,” Dave said.
“I have an idea for creating interference. I’ll need a bit of time to work on it,” Malsour said.
“Once I’m in there, we need to get a recording of Jung Lee to see just what the hell is going on with him,” Dave continued.
“I can draft up a coded sensor box that uses all manner of different sensing skills like I do,” Steve said.
“Once that’s done, we can pull back, see what the hell’s going on with him and then try to figure out a plan to help him out,” Dave said.
“Let us know how we can help and we’ll be there,” Kol said. Gurren and Induca nodded.
“Well, I do have something I’m working on that I need your opinion on.” Dave smiled.
Steve chuckled while Malsour wore a knowing grin.
“I’ll get started on the interference devices,” Malsour said.
“Same,” Steve said. The two of them moved to different workstations as Dave waved for Induca, Gurren, and Lox to follow him.
He took them into a room with all manner of different parts lined up in different spots. To one side there were two large humanoid-looking creatures. They were made from black armor, with their faces angled forward.
“Trying to make another Steve?” Gurren looked at the ten-foot-tall black creations.
“Not quite,” Dave said. There were missing parts within the armor and it was clear that they weren’t yet complete. “This is the Devastator armor. It’s meant for melee type fighters. It can greatly increase one’s melee abilities,” Dave said proudly as he knocked on one of the armored suit’s legs.
“Dave, you do know that there ain’t no room in the thing for someone to fit into it?” Lox said dryly.
“I know. The user is actually held within a spatial dimension. When you’re in there, every action you make, the armor follows. To you, it won’t feel like you’re wearing armor, but that you’ve just got a bit bigger and a whole lot stronger,” Dave said.
Gurren whistled and circled the armor as he inspected it closely.
“Now, the Devastator armor is not just a straight boost. The stronger its user, the stronger it will become. Just linking all the different components from the Dwarven Master Smiths was a fucking pain in the ass.” Dave laughed and leaned against the wall.
Induca smiled as Gurren and Lox admired the massive suits of armor.
“Now, all I need is for you two to decide if you want any extras,” Dave said.
Gurren and Lox’s actions stopped as if time had broken. Slowly they looked toward Dave.
After a few moments, Dave and Induca burst out laughing at their shocked faces and slack jaws.
“Ah shit! Dammit, Malsour, I owe you ten gold,” Steve complained, leaving the doorway where he’d been hiding.
“Told you they wouldn’t know what to say.” Malsour’s voice drifted through the laboratory.
Lox and Gurren quickly recovered.
“These are for us?” Gurren asked quickly.
“Yes. There are a few bits and pieces I’m waiting for someone to figure out for me to complete this, but I can change things to a certain degree so that they’re better suited for you. Once I have all of the parts together and your changes, I’ll forge all of these parts together and infuse my Willpower into them to create my first true Weapons of Power.” Dave smiled.
Lox and Gurren’s faces took on a pale color as they looked from Dave to the armor.
Weapons of Power were only made by Dwarven Master Smiths and even then, they didn’t make too many. These weapons could be called their life’s work. Each of them would take a part of their Willpower, making them stronger while also guaranteeing that the weapon’s strength wouldn’t be used by anyone with intentions that went against the creator’s moral code.
To Dwarves, Weapons of Power were holy relics. For Dave to be gifting them both Weapons of Power was an incredible gift.
Then, like a dam had broken, the two of them started to ask questions and talked over each other in a fervor.
***
Malsour wiped sweat from his brow as he looked at the two dozen massive needles that he had spent the last two days working on.
He stored them in his spatial ring before he kicked the base of Dave’s foot. He had fallen asleep on top of his workspace. He hadn’t slept since they left Devil’s Crater for the Six Affinity Temple.
With Malsour’s kick, he woke up immediately. He’d been working on the different things that Gurren and Lox had asked for.
The two Dwarves, after giving their suggestions and talking to Dave for hours, had then returned to the Six Affinity Temple. If the armor increased their own abilities, then they were going to get in on as many raids as possible to clear out the first layers of the temple’s defenses.
Induca had gone to find Suzy.
Dave looked at Malsour with blurry eyes.
“They’re done.” Malsour tapped his ring.
“Steve!” Dave yelled, getting up and stretching, cracking his back as he did so.
“Box is done!” Steve yelled from his private lab.
“You stroke it more than once and you’re playing!” Dave yelled before he turned to Malsour. “I wonder what he’s working on in there.”
“You and me both. That said, I don’t think he keeps the biggest secrets around here.” Malsour looked to Dave.
“What? I didn’t know that half of my plans were going to work out. Thought it was best to keep them a bit close to the chest in case they didn’t really work out,” Dave complained.
“It definitely wasn’t because you wanted to seem like some evil overlord with a secret hidden base,” Malsour said.
Dave let out a dry laugh and scratched his head awkwardly. “Well, I guess that we should be going.”
Steve appeared from his lab, opening and closing the door so that no one could see what was going on within.
“Not even Dragons keep as many secrets as you lot,” Malsour chided.
***
Dave stepped out of the ono and into the outpost located outside of the Six Affinity
Temple.
Lox, Gurren, and Induca had met up with them within the outpost. Suzy was dealing with managing all of Grahslagg Corporation while Deia and Anna were off training the Devil’s Crater Army within Devil’s Crater once again.
They attracted a few people’s stares as they moved out of the outpost.
Focusing on his Touch of the Land spell, Dave took a few moments to check that the area within the Six Affinity Temple was clear before he looked to everyone in the party. They nodded and spread out, using their movement abilities as they took off, surrounding the earth dome that covered the Six Affinity Temple.
They pulled out the meter-long spikes that Malsour had made and stabbed them into the ground at different markers Dave had put down.
They met up on top of the dome. Malsour activated a runed disk; the different spikes lit up as their runes activated.
“The field’s active. For a few minutes, no one will be able to see us,” Malsour said.
Dave pulled out a large box with a strap on it and pressed a button on the front of it. “See you in a bit.” Dave closed his eyes, focusing his Touch of the Land once again. He could sense everything within the Six Affinity Temple.
He disappeared from on top of the dome.
***
Jung Lee felt his perception dim slightly. He had been watching the different groups coming into the earthen dome, attacking the lowest creatures for loot and then retreating after they reached the Affinity spirit-controlled animals.
He frowned, remembering the people who had put odd spikes around the perimeter of the earthen dome. With his senses, nothing that happened around the Six Affinity Temple escaped his notice. Although he couldn’t see outside of the dome, inside he knew everything that happened.
His Intelligence was so high that his memory was almost photographic. He compared the different builds and Mana signatures of the people who had ventured to the mouth of his temple with these people who were running around. Three of them were the same!
When someone appeared in mid-air above him, he looked to where the HalfDwarf with gray eyes and runes covering his face looked at him.
Time of Change (Emerilia Book 7) Page 37
