by Jack Crosby
My skills were back up and this time, I wasn’t in the mood to waste any. I unloaded everything I had into Helsing, fingers crossed this would be the last volley needed. Then, with just a sliver of life left, he came to and punched me away from him. Shit!
He hit very hard. I wasn’t even ready for being scooped up like a rag doll, so I was just as surprised as anyone to find myself a good eight feet off the ground over his head. It was apparent he was going to slam me into the ground as hard as possible. I gave my chances of survival little to none.
Then he dropped me as he fell to the ground, too. There was a black sword sticking out of his neck, thrown by the one and only Zoe. I rolled away from Helsing and when I stopped, “Bye bye mother fucker.”
The bolt hit him in the face, and I watched with a bit of satisfied derangement the pirate lord flailing and flopping all over the place as the last bit of his life left him. When he stopped, my oculus went crazy with noises (including seventy-five gamer points for the ‘Pirate King’ achievement!) and Zoe jumped my bones right then and there. I was tired, but getting the chance to finish all of this off in her was an appropriate way to end a dungeon.
Chapter 24 – Into the Void
There was loot everywhere. After another amazing orgasm, my eyes found all this cool shit, the spoils of victory! There was a few accessories for my guns (scopes, barrel extenders, etc…) and a whole new set of gear for me (the wasteland pirate king set), so I was in hog heaven. I was able to scrap a few things, too, adding to my ever growing small fortune. Zoe had fallen asleep post sexy time, so I set aside her winnings to go over later.
“Ash.”
I stopped everything. First, someone was talking and there was no one else here with us. Second, whoever it was used my real name, not my gamer handle. I stopped everything and looked around the small arena. I only saw a sleeping Zoe and a dead Helsing.
“Ash, I’m right up here.”
Up? I scoured the wall, looking for the source of this voice. Again, my search turned up nothing, but when I tilted my head back down, I didn’t have to look for the speaker any longer. She was right in front of me and nearly scared the shit right from my bowels. I figured my gasp would’ve woken up Zoe, yet it didn’t.
The lady, who was decked out in a black robe and black high heels walked forward. There was something oddly familiar about her, yet I couldn’t place it. She placed her hand on my cheek and stroked it gently. “The player who has come to save this digital world.”
Her face, while quite a bit younger looking, hit the mark. “Are you the Oracle?”
“The old crane who met you was just a mirage I sent out to get you started on the right track.” Her eyes found Zoe. “And to get that one more involved besides killing people in the Neon Underground.”
“So who are you?”
Her hand never left my face, still rubbing it gently. “I am Baba O’Riley, but I think you already knew that.” Even as she said that, I wasn’t surprised. “You avoided my side quest before for a number of reasons; this time I think you will find compelled to complete it.”
I was her champion, so of course I would have to complete the side quest. “Is it the one that could only be started after the death of Helsing and free range of the pirate’s territory?”
She nodded her head, all the time still smiling and rubbing me. Her hand had drifted down to my shoulder. “There is a great need for you at the end of the void you must traverse. Zoe shall stay here and I will be your guide on this expedition.”
Her words made sense. I needed to complete this myself. If I had any chance of defeating Draxler and moving on to the final boss, I needed to become self-sufficient. “I am glad to have you along, Baba.”
“Before we go, check your oculus. I believe you are ready for your next skill.”
I did as she said and I’d reached the level to unlock a new skill. Due to my adventures in Coffin Cliffs, I was now at level twenty-four. My choices this time were Sole Survivor or Redemption Man. Sole Survivor was a health based skill that allowed me to continue fighting on even through the worst of pain. Redemption Man allowed me to use skills back to back with no cool down necessary for a total of up to three times in a row. This was a challenge to pick.
I decided to gamble on myself and add even more offense to the mix. I clicked on Redemption Man and locked it in. Also while I was here, I checked on my companions list. Zoe was shaded out grey and in her place was Baba O’Riley; she was sporting a ninety-seven percent compatibility rating. With everything locked and loaded, it was time to move on.
“I can get us to the entrance quicker, but it requires some effort on your part.”
Her words were laced with honey. “What do you need?”
Her hand slipped down to my pants and grabbed my ever growing muscle. She leaned in close and whispered, “Cock.”
No more words were needed. Did I feel bad that Zoe was asleep just feet from us? Yeah, a little bit. But Baba O’Riley was this perfect older woman whose body needed to be explored and taken. It wasn’t long before her mouth wrapped around me and took it all in. I gasped the moment the tip of my muscle touched the very back of her throat. I’d never experienced anything like that in my life.
She wouldn’t let me finish in her mouth. Under her robes was a matching set of red bra and panties. Her breasts looked so supple in her bra that I immediately slid myself under the bra and between them, fucking those orbs vigorously. I grabbed the back of her head and came all over her beautiful puffy pink lips. It felt wonderful.
Baba slowly pushed me from her bra, which popped off as well and led my cock down to her waist. Her touch kept me stimulated and I wanted to know if she felt as good as Ali, Ira, and Zoe had. I pushed aside the thin fabric of her panties and felt the welcoming sensation of warmth and wet. The witch’s eyes lit up with glee as he entered her, slowly yet with some force.
What turned me on the most was the black hair that rubbed up against me and her heels rubbing against my back. I was going to fuck her like I never fucked before, I had to. Something in her eyes told me that was my requirement. My hips began to buck wildly inside her as she whispered encouragement in my ear. “Your cum is but a small price to pay. There’s no need to pull out, handsome man.”
At her request I did just exactly what she wanted me to do. I let it all flow out of me and into her. She started stroking my face again, cooing, “Very good, Ash. You did exactly what was needed of you.”
Even as we were still intertwined, a black vortex opened up beside us. Baba slowly got up and put herself back together. “A shortcut if you will. Come, into the void, and we will get you ready for the last obstacles ahead.”
****
When we stepped out of the portal, we were in what looked to be an old church. Angels were sitting at different points and there was an alter in front of us. Baba motioned towards the altar and I starting walking up, realizing she wasn’t going with me. When I reached the wooden lectern, there was a book open with small, golden words dancing across the pages. The more I focused, the more the words fell into place.
Reading aloud, “And the witch, Baba O’Riley, went into hiding, waiting for the one to be summoned into the realm to save it. When the boy of age comes via the Alpha Star, these words can he read. Take note that Zeus, named for the God of Lightning, is just the beginning. Shadows run far underneath and exposing them to the light will free this place from its chains.”
I didn’t know what it meant; just that it seemed like an awful lot of coincidences occurred. “Why did you bring me here?” I asked her.
“To prove to you that there was a reason for all this to happen. My side quest begins here, but before I could send you off on it, I needed you to know the stakes of the game.” Literally it seemed. “To you, we may just be digital personas come to life, but to us, this is very much do or die.”
She was correct that I was still playing this more as a game than a very real, very serious situation. “So all along, you’ve been the
one pulling the strings?”
“Ali, while a smart girl, would’ve never figured out how to get you here unless I gave her the push as the Oracle. And Zoe,” her voice getting a bit reflective, “she would’ve stayed hidden and never helped you get to this part. Every piece on the board has been played to meet a specific purpose, including myself.”
“You aren’t all pawns, no matter how serious the play.”
“Ash, you must understand this one fact – a being from this world cannot do what must be done. Even with the introduction of freewill, the programmers made sure we were powerless to stop them.”
This was getting deeper and deeper. “Stop them do what?”
“Defeat Draxler and confront the CEO. That’s the only thing I can tell you.”
There were more questions that needed to be answered, but another void opened up. “This side quest is short, yet dangerous. Once you reach the end, you will know so much more.” A gust of wind pushed me into the darkness, away from the witch and more answers.
Chapter 25 – Return Trip
I was standing in the middle of the Neon Underground, or what was left of it. What was once a vibrant underground black market of goods was now just a smoking husk of a mess. I wondered just why I was sent here. Figuring it had to be a good reason, I wandered into the deep. Plus I had no choice; the entrance was caved in, leaving me stranded. Thanks Baba O’Riley!
My first stop was Ira’s old office, just to see what was left there. As the Neon Underground admin, her office had to be a good starting place to give me some clues as to what happened here and maybe even my purpose in this impromptu side quest. As I opened her door, I was expecting the worst, but was oddly relieved. The office was intact and there was no dead sexy lady slumped over anywhere. Chalk up another weird instance. Though I was happy for that as it meant there was a chance she was still alive. She was really cool and the thought of her biting the big one made me sad.
The computer in the back was still running, so that was my first stop. It was password protected of course and what little I knew about Ira didn’t give me many clues. As a joke I typed in Vixen69 and it unlocked. That was pure luck and it made me smile just a bit. The document on the screen brought me back to reality. It was a note:
‘Ash – I hope you’ve come back,
If you’re reading this we are all either dead or have been taken prisoner. A force on unknown origins has stormed into the Neon Underground and there’s little we can do. My security agents will hold them off as best they can, but I realize my time is quickly running out. I can’t point you in the direction of this mystery, but I can tell you about the one thing that lies dormant here – The Typhon Motorcycle. Named after the titan that almost brought down Olympus, it is the one vehicle that can match Draxler’s.
At the back of my office is a doorway that will lead you into the catacombs. Monsters lurk there that shouldn’t be seen and the Old One guards the treasure. Good luck Ash, I hope to see you again one day.
-Ira
P.S. – The game has changed, as you probably know. You are the last hope, the only way to ensure the master copy of the game retains freewill and can continue on.’
Talk about really putting the pressure on. I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed, but moving forward was the best option. I followed Ira’s directions to a door at the back. It looked like a coat closet or something, so when I opened the door and saw it was just that, I was confused. A white coat was still hanging there, as if Ira was still operating around here.
So I started looking around the room, thinking I maybe went to the wrong door. Turns out that was the only door here. So I opened it again and still nothing. I pushed aside the coat and there was nothing there either; just the back wall. Annoyed I kicked out and my foot went through the back wall a little too easily. I kicked again and opened up the hole a bit bigger.
It was cold, like the wall separated the office from some subterranean lair. With the Moon Fragment, I could see clearly, like a night with a bright full moon. I entered the area with a great deal of trepidation, as this seemed like some sort of set up.
A voice entered my head, like it was far away, yet close enough to hear. “Vector, can you hear me okay?”
“Baba?” Now where was the witch at? “Are you here somewhere?”
“No, I am still where we parted, at my home.” So the old church was her home, interesting. “We are lovers, dear, so we can connect on a more intimate level.”
At least I wasn’t alone, sort of. “I found the note Ira left me. I’m guessing this isn’t the original side quest in the game.”
“Oh?” she sounded surprised by my observation. “There’s a reason no one ever feels the need to take on my side quest – it was meant for this moment and you alone.”
The mixing of fate with the real world and the video game world still seemed way too far out to be true. “So you’re telling me you could influence players in the world never to seek out the side quest after defeating Helsing?”
“That is exactly what I’m saying.”
“Man, Tanaka Corp really did a number on this game.”
She tittered in my ear, a bit too sarcastically. “If you only knew everything, which you will one day soon.”
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be amused or agitated. I think I was both actually. If she knew everything, why in the world wouldn’t she just tell me? “Can we knock off the games and just get to the part where you enlighten me?”
There was a long pause. As I was waiting for her to make up her mind, I started walking in deeper to this hidden abyss. Ira’s warning about monster and the Old One made me tread carefully. My guns were out and Heart of the Oracle was of course activated. So far though, nothing to worry about.
Baba’s sudden reappearance in my mind startled me. “I can’t tell you and for that I apologize.”
“Fuck me!” I exclaimed. “Give a man some warning before you just pop back in like that.”
It was clear she was struggling with keeping the secrets of all of this from me. “I wish I could tell you everything, but that would change the outcome. The only way to succeed is through self-discovery – you need to be able to put it all together and make the right choice free of influence.”
“So everything isn’t set in stone?”
“No.” Then she backed away again, leaving me to my own thoughts.
It was hard not to be distracted because the conversation was so deep. There was so much happening that I didn’t even realize, let alone the world that was captivated by the release of this unbeatable game. And when you are in a catacomb type dungeon, being distracted can lead to your death. Fortunately Baba wasn’t about to let that happen. “Vector, to your right!”
I turned with the Nemesis gun held up and blasted the ghoul type monster that was quickly approaching. It took three blasts in total to put him down; he’d almost made it to me. “Thanks Baba.”
“I know we’ve talked about quite a bit, trust me I know the ramifications of everything better than everyone.” I heard an admonishment coming. “You need to be focused at the task at hand. You will have plenty of time to fret over what is to come after you face the Old One and win the Typhon.”
“Can you give me any hints about the Old One?”
“He’s from the time before, forgotten and bitter. Don’t let looks deceive you; he’s one of the toughest bosses in the game.”
Baba didn’t seem to give out warnings willy-nilly. With that in mind, I began to pay more attention to the surroundings down here and less to the ideas that had been creeping into my mind. Like she said, I had plenty of time to put together the pieces later. Maybe she would spill more beans if I seduced her…
“Having sex with me won’t get you anymore answers.” Damnit, she was in my head and sex wouldn’t work. “I am disconnecting our conversation for the time being, to conserve strength. When you reach the Old One’s antechamber, I will reconnect.”
“Sounds good.” And just like tha
t, I was back alone. That was a big help, believe it or not, as I was able to focus on important stuff like staying alive and killing weird ghoul-like monsters. The further in I went, the more of them that popped out. Still, I made it to what I thought was the Old One’s antechamber with little damage and most of my sense intact.
Baba reconnected, just as she said she would. “You are almost there – though what you are about to face will be your stiffest challenge of the game to this point.”
“Was that an innuendo?”
“Focus!” Her voice changed to a sharp chirp to get me to knock off the jokes. “I’ve decided to break a rule, why I do not know.” Hell, I’d take it! “Before you enter his chamber, let me tell you about the Old One.”
Chapter 26 – The Old One
“Let me get this straight? The Old One is the main character from the original game that was produced over twenty years ago?”
She cleared her throat, as she had been talking for a bit. “Twenty years ago, the game you know as The Electric Mile was released as Neon Death Race. It never received the reception or popularity that the new and improved remake has.”
I considered myself sort of a video game historian and I’d never heard of this game. Granted, it sounded like it came out a year before I was born, but still. The Electric Mile was such a revolutionary game (even before I found out everything from the inside) that it was hard to imagine the original being a flop. “So is this Old One bitter about not being included?”
“No, he’s angry that he’s been forgotten. His game laid the groundwork for this new one. The fact he’s a file in a secret side quest that only one person can access is a slap in the face. He’s not going to like you.”
