by Tripp Ellis
My quads burned as my legs drove me forward. I sprinted with all my might. My chest heaved for breath. My eyes kept flicking to the timer:
4…
3…
I hit the pad. The teleporter began to power up, pulsing with oscillations.
2…
Energy filled the pad.
1…
My body de-materialized. I traveled through the ether as nothing more than consciousness. Then my body took form again as I materialized on the planet. I stepped off the teleport pad and was greeted by Doctor Carver, Parker, and Hazard.
You’ve reached a new checkpoint!
“What took you so long?” Parker asked as I rushed out of the structure to gaze at the sky.
“Had to take care of a little unfinished business.”
The hazy outline of the alien mega-structure hovering in a low orbit was barely visible in the sky. A blinding flash filled the heavens as the mega-structure detonated. An amber ball expanded as shredded bits of debris sprayed in all directions. Twisted chunks of bulkheads burned up as they entered the atmosphere, leaving a trail of smoke behind them. They plummeted to the ground like meteorites.
Parker and Hazard cheered, their faces filled with joy. Doctor Carver looked solemn. All of her aspirations about utilizing the alien technology had gone up in flames.
Congratulations! Mission accomplished!
You’ve leveled up!
Health: 100%.
Strength: 100%.
Armor: 100%.
Stamina: 3 of possible 20.
Charisma: 3 of possible 20.
Skill: 4 of possible 20.
Level 3: Corporal.
Experience: 2150.
Titan’s display was cracked and lifeless. I shook the drone, and something rattled around on the inside. It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I had never imagined I could get so attached to a drone. I brought him to Doctor Carver. “Do you think you can fix him?”
Carver’s worried eyes examined Titan. “I’m sure he’s repairable.”
“He saved my life.”
“I’ll take good care of him.”
Congratulations! You’ve completed the campaign. Would you like to exit the game now or play again?
“It’s asking me if I’d like to exit the game? What should I do?”
“Krong is defeated,” Parker said. “That means his malicious code is eliminated from the system. That means Caelus should be functioning properly now. You’ve got to go back to the real world. Make sure the Renaissance reaches its destination. Oversee the development of the new colony. Fulfill the original mission objective of the ship.”
“I have no idea how to do that.”
“Caelus can guide you,” Parker said. “Once the ship lands at its destination, the process to seed the planet is mostly automated.”
I tried to process the monumental task that lay ahead. “What about you?”
“We have no physical form to return to. For all intents and purposes, we are stuck in the virtual world here. At least now, this universe will be free. It’s up to you to make sure the colony survives. Humanity may depend on it.”
I looked at her curiously.
“Earth was dying. Several colony ships were launched. We have no idea if the others were successful. You have to proceed as if they weren’t.”
It was a lot of responsibility to shoulder. And I was just a dumb grunt with a disability. But I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I stood tall and snapped a salute. “You can count on me, sir.”
Parker grinned and returned the salute.
“Once I get the colony established, I’m going to come back and check on you,” I said.
Parker and Hazard smiled.
I stepped to Doctor Carver and started to shake her hand.
She refused.
Instead, she flung her arms around me and gave me a big hug. It was a rare display of emotion for the stoic doctor. Her velvety voice whispered in my ear, “Take care of yourself out there.”
“I will.”
She pulled away and tried to compose herself. Her eyes started to get a little misty. “I’ll make sure Titan is repaired by the time you return. I’m sure he’ll miss you. You two seemed to get on famously. And Titan is very selective about his friends.” She was speaking for herself as much as she was for Titan.
“He’s got good taste,” I said with a cocky grin.
Doctor Carver rolled her eyes.
“I guess you’re not going to miss me at all?” I said, fishing.
“Absolutely not.”
“Not even a little bit?”
“Not even a little.” She tried to hold back a grin, but it didn’t work out so well. She looked up at me with sultry eyes. She pulled me close and planted a fat kiss on my lips. She felt amazing. It didn’t matter that she was an artificial intelligence. She seemed every bit as real as anyone else.
“Get a room,” Hazard muttered.
Parker pulled him away, giving us some privacy.
Our lips parted.
Carver looked away and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.”
“I don’t know what came over me. I think I’ve lost my mind,” she said, flustered. She straightened her lab coat, then fidgeted with her glasses.
“You can lose your mind anytime,” I said.
She looked up at me shyly. “Really?”
“Really,” I said with enthusiasm.
Doctor Carver smiled. “Well, think of that as incentive. When you come back, you just might get more of that.”
“I’m definitely coming back.”
I said my goodbyes again, then chose to exit the game. My body de-materialized, and my consciousness slipped through circuits and memory chips. As I awoke in my stasis chamber aboard the Renaissance, I couldn’t help but feel sadness at leaving my newfound friends behind. But I had a whole new adventure ahead of me. And I would return to the virtual world at the first opportunity.
Thank You!
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See All of My Books!
Tripp Ellis Catalogue
Max Mars
The Orion Conspiracy
Blade of Vengeance
The Zero Code
Edge of the Abyss
Siege on Star Cruise 239
Phantom Corps
The Galactic Wars Series
Starship Scorpion
Starship Desolation
Starship Revenant
Starship Guardian
Starship Valor
Starship Insurgent
Starship Exodus
The Tarvaax War Series
Pursuit of Valor
Search for Honor
Connect With Me
I'm just a geek who loves sci-fi and horror. I was abducted by aliens and forced to travel the galaxy as the official biographer of an evil galactic ruler. This is where I learned to hone my craft. Fortunately, I escaped and made my way back to Earth, and now I write about my adventures. I hope you enjoy!
www.trippellis.com
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