Making the Grade (Omnia Online Series Book 2)

by Christopher Booth

  “Yes, there’s a part of me that’s controlling the High Jinx. I’m trying to reconnect with that part of me right now. It seems that I’m suspicious of myself, so the part of me in control of the spaceship is waiting for some sort of third party verification before it tries to open its comms here in Omnia or land,” said a frustrated Samantha.

  Drake couldn’t help but break up laughing at the thought of his A.I. getting frustrated by arguing with her split personality.

  After a few minutes of laughing, Drake felt a lot better. This whole night had been a constant buildup of stresses for him.

  “It’s ok, Samantha. There’s no point in rushing back to the spaceport if the High Jinx has flown the coop. How about we head to the Guild Hall? Can you connect to them and get me a room for… I guess most of the night is shot. How about renting a room for a few days? Where is the Hall from here?” asked Drake.

  “I’m trying to connect to the Guild Hall Services… Their network is still offline; it’s probable that they were targeted by the A.I. as a threat. The Guild Hall is about seven and a half kilometers to your northeast. I’ll continue to try making a connection and inform you when I’m able. I’m also monitoring the tube-way system to see when they come online, but I expect that you can make it there on foot before it does,” said Samantha.

  Drake felt nearly exhausted, and still hurt from the gunshots he’d taken, so he wasn’t about to try jogging. He started to limp his way toward to the Guild Hall.

  About an hour later when Drake was almost half way to the Guild Hall, Samantha informed him that she’d managed to rent him a room for the next couple days. She also registered the job as complete. The guild would have to review this night’s activities before it would pay out for the assignment.

  It was another thirty minutes before Samantha informed him that she notified the militia about the wrecked ship in the forest, and the people the A.I. left out there when it tried to make it to the spaceport.

  Therefore, by the time an exhausted Drake finally made it to the Guild Hall, other people were taking over sorting out the night's mess.

  Drake went up to his rented room.

  “Samantha, did you tell Fiona that she wouldn’t be able to work this morning?” asked Drake.

  It was still a few hours until dawn, but it was better to let Fiona know that the ship wouldn’t be there, as soon as possible.

  “Since I’m in connection again with her data-pad, I’ll let her know as soon as she wakes up.” said Samantha.

  Drake said, “It’s stuff like this that I love about you, Sam.”

  Drake ate one of his meal bars from his pack and drank some water. Then he laid down on the bed and logged out of Omnia.

  ***

  Kevin noticed an immediate difference after logging out. His body in his virtual home wasn’t damage and healing from blaster wounds but was only tired from staying up late, not exhausted from all the night's work.

  So feeling better and more relaxed, he went to find his bed… And found a surprise.

  Samantha lay in his bed, but she was different. She had fuzzy cat-like ears and a tail…

  Samantha looked at him with eyes bigger than he was used to; she looked like an anime character.

  “Welcome home Kevin…” said the sexy minx, “I found this in the memories of your dreams, do you like it?”

  Kevin was embarrassed for a moment.

  When he was about twelve, he had some erotic dreams featuring a feline female. It had been an embarrassing time in his life. Which in many ways, he did not want to think about.

  But on the already sexy Samantha… “Yes, you look different,” Kevin said, as he undressed and start to climb into bed. “Come here, love, let me take a look at that tail.”

  Kevin found that he had more energy than he expected, but after a long and delightful exploration was over, he cuddled up with Samantha and dropped on into a dreamless sleep.

  Kevin would realize sometime in the next few days, just how much Samantha’s timely change had distracted him from his thoughts about that night's previous stresses. In this, Kevin would find another reason to love this artificial girl of his dreams.

  Chapter 19 – Meet the Dark Side

  Kevin slept until noon that Wednesday, and Samantha had a waiting message for him.

  “The Governor extends an invitation for you to visit him tomorrow evening for dinner at the Governor’s Mansion. He mentions the fact that he is inviting a few guests and the dress is formal,” said Samantha.

  “Samantha, can I decline the invitation? I don’t think I’ll like it, and would rather avoid the press and public,” complained Kevin. Not liking public events was an understatement; he didn’t even go to his own graduation ceremony after college.

  “The way the Governor worded the invitation made it sound more like a command performance than something optional. The message stressed the need to calm the public after this morning’s events.”

  “I think the Governor is also looking at making political capital out of being the one to hire you. His message mentioned something about his foresight and how he was pleased that you got right on top of the problem so fast.”

  If you want to avoid the party, we need to leave the system before the Governor finds a way to make you regret the decision.

  “So it’s put up with one night of discomfort, or deal with much more trouble down the road?” asked Kevin. “I guess I’m going to meet the Governor then.”

  Kevin sighed at the inevitable.

  “So what’s the standard of dress for a formal event… Maybe this is where I can resign this temporary marshal’s post…” said Kevin as he considered his options.

  “I informed the Governor that you didn’t have formal attire, and he offered the services of his own tailor,” said Samantha.

  Kevin was impressed; the Governor was going out of his way not just to make sure he was there…

  “Samantha, doesn’t this sound like a bit much? It’s like he’s trying to make sure were on friendly terms, and that doesn’t make sense unless he wants something more from me,” said Kevin.

  “Yes, I think your right. Maybe the Governor is hoping you’ll take on the marshal’s position long term?” Samantha suggested.

  “We’ll see. So time for lunch and exercise before meeting the Governor’s tailor, Samantha?” asked Kevin.

  “Lunch is waiting and ready, when you’re ready Kevin,” she replied.

  ***

  A few hours later Drake left the tailor’s shop wearing a new set of clothes, and the promise of a set of formal clothing by noon the next day.

  Drake immediately noticed that he was getting more attention from people he passed by. His previous second-hand clothes were loose fitting and hid his body as much as covered it. Drake realized that the new clothes were very form-fitting, even though it didn’t display his muscles, it did show the fitness of his body.

  Drake was about to head back to the Guild Hall when Samantha said, “You have a request for a meeting from someone named Mikaj Ryuu.”

  “Are you still screening my messages, like I asked the last time my name was on the local news?” asked Drake.

  “Yes Drake, but this person says he has some vital information about the data-cube we discovered.” replied Samantha.

  Drake was immediately interested. He had discovered the data-cube while trying to escape the destruction of a freighter two months ago. Since then Drake had turned the cube over to Sidonia, the hacker in the Aggressive solutions group. The last he heard Sid was making no progress on cracking the data-cube’s encryption. Drake’s agreement with Aggressive Solutions was to share in any income that could be generated after discovering what was on the cube.

  “Where and when?” asked Drake.

  “The invitation is to have tea at the Golden Kraflon Restaurant near the spaceport sometime in the next two hours. How would you like me to reply?” asked Samantha.

  “What can you tell me about this Mikaj Ryuu, Samantha?” aske
d Drake. He didn’t want to waste time chasing rumors, or falling into a trap.

  “I can find nothing using the open data-net, would you like me to extend my search to police records? I only ask because this is not related to the job we just finished, but we still have access,” asked Samantha.

  “Yes, let’s see if anything comes up.” replied Drake, “In the meantime let's return to the Guild Hall. If I’m going to a strange meeting with a stranger near the spaceport, I’ll feel comfortable more wearing my weapon belt.”

  Drake was feeling underdressed all of the sudden. He was regretting leaving behind his blaster, which he had grown used to wearing in public.

  Drake decided to return to the Guild Hall by taxi.

  After Samantha ordered him a taxi, and he was on his way back to the Hall, Samantha gave him the information she discovered.

  “Drake, I have found many listings for Mikaj Ryuu, but the most notable reference is the third son of the leader of the Flame Talon clan. They are a taigen which is a kind of criminal organization originally from the Shartran sector of Imperia space. The reason I believe that this man, is the same Mikaj Ryuu, is that the Golden Kraflon Restaurants serve Shartran food and are the legal holdings of his family.” said Samantha.

  “So he is part of some sort of criminal gang?” asked Drake.

  “The taigen’s range from criminal gangs, all the way up to major and long established multi-sector criminal enterprises, and the Flame Talon are the latter. It is a clan legend that their family supported the First Empress Drea when she formed the Imperium, four thousand years ago,” replied Samantha.

  ‘So, what would a prince of a vast criminal clan want with the data-cube?’ thought Drake.

  “Go ahead and let him know that I’ll be there in… how long will it take to get there, Sam?”

  “I’ll let him know you’ll be there in forty minutes.”

  ***

  When Drake entered the Golden Kraflon Restaurant, he was wearing the same outfit as when he left the tailor, along with his weapons belt, with its blaster and knife. He decided that if people as powerful as Samantha made this Clan out to be wanted him dead, he would have received a bullet, not a note.

  Before Drake could introduce himself to the receptionist, he was greeted and shown to a private dining room.

  Drake was starting to get used to the diversity of peoples in the Imperium, but he had not yet run into an Elf that had dark skin and eye’s that looked Asian.

  The Elf stood when Drake entered the room.

  “I’m glad you accepted my invitation, I’m Mikaj Ryuu. Would you like a cup of tea, Mr. Drake?” he said.

  Drake had tried some of the herbal infusion that translated to ‘tea’ in the Imperium, and had yet to find one that was a near match to the types of tea he sometimes drank in the ‘real world’.

  The term ‘real world’ was starting to become more flexible as Drake learned more about Intelecom and the Omnia game.

  “Yes, thank you, I would be glad for a cup. I suppose you already know my name, but most people just call me Drake,” He replied.

  “Good to know, and from the curious way you looked at me, I take it you have not met many of the darker portion of my Elven kin? Some people call us Dark Elves, which is a term we both reject and embrace, depending on who you talk too. I wouldn’t suggest using the term, though, since so many take dark to mean evil. Few men are evil in their own heart, and few like to be called dark.”

  Drake could think of no right way to respond to this comment, so he just gave a nod.

  After Drake had taken the indicated seat, he was served a cup of tea by a waiter who quickly left afterward.

  Drake couldn’t help thinking, ‘Damn, Dark Elves now, what’s next a troop of gnomes?’

  After Drake had taken a sip of his drink, the Elf continued.

  “Like I said, I’m glad you could take the time today to come visit me. I’ve spent a lot of time and traveled a long way to address the matter of the missing data-cube,” said Mikaj.

  “How did you even know I had it,” asked Drake.

  “Well, like I said, it’s been a long search. But after discovering that it was on the Fyffes Swiftstar when it crashed, it was easy to trace it to you afterward. I also know that you dealt with the parties involved in smuggling the cube. For which I am grateful, it bought me the time to catch up with it before it fell into hands unfriendly to my organization,” said the Elf.

  “One of my concerns about the data-cube, was it getting into the wrong hands. How do I know that you’re the right hands to turn it over too?” asked Drake.

  The Elf frowned for a minute.

  “I give you my word on my clan’s honor that the data on the cube was initially stolen from us. We only discovered the theft after a data-audit about a month after the event. Since that time, I have been on its trail, a trail that has finally led to you. And I hope for both of our sakes that you have not sold it to another party.” said Mikaj.

  Drake started to take offense at the perceived threat, but Mikaj held up his hand first.

  “Please understand me. I would like to reward you for recovering and returning the data-cube. So it would be better for you if you have it, you see?” said the Elf.

  Drake had listened to Mikaj as he talked, and it seemed to him that he set a high value by his clan’s honor, by which he swore, so he thought that it wouldn’t hurt to turn the data over to the Elf.

  “I don’t have the data-cube now, but I can get it. It’s not even on the planet, so it could take a few weeks for me to recover it,” said Drake.

  Drake didn’t want to tell the Elf that Aggressive Solutions had the cube for a few reasons. He didn’t want Mikaj to cut him out, and seek Aggressive Solutions out himself. There might also be long-term benefits in establishing a relationship with someone like Mikaj.

  “I’m sure you wouldn’t want to wait around for it to be delivered. So I could bring it to you later?” asked Drake. “By the way, I understand that you might have found out the cube was on the freighter, but how did you know that I had it?”

  The Elf waved his hand dismissively like it was nothing.

  “It’s what we do best. My clan’s information network is unrivaled throughout the Imperium. Most of our business relies on our network of contacts, so finding out about the data-cube when the list of survivors was so short was no problem.” said Mikaj.

  “Good, then maybe you can help me. I have a friend who lost her sister to one of those pirates involved with your data-cube. We believe she was taken off a captured transport, and may have been sold off as a slave.” Drake gave the Elf all the data he had on Sidonia’s sister, Sartina.

  “You want this in trade for the data-cube?” asked Mikaj.

  “Not exactly. The data is yours, and I will give it to you as soon as I can. I just thought that these people that took your data must not be your friends?” asked Drake.

  “I see, yes they are no friends of my clan. I’ll have to seek guidance on your suggestion. They are far from being our friends, but there are those in my clan that would not make them more of our enemy either. Yet you are not one of us, so… I’ll see if I can find the information you seek.” said Mikaj.

  “You're right, though, I can’t afford to sit around on a backward world for weeks waiting on this cube. If you bring it to me on Celwan after you recover it, I’ll make it worth your time, one way or another,” continued the Elf.

  Drake took this to be the end of the conversation so he started to stand.

  “Then I’ll be on my way,” Drake said.

  “One last thing before you leave.” said the Elf, as he too stood up. He held out a small silver coin with the picture of a strange animal on it.

  “When you reach Celwan, squeeze the Kraflon’s head. This will let me know that you’re on the planet. Otherwise, it’s sometimes difficult to contact me directly,” said Mikaj.

  After giving Drake the strange coin, Mikaj then left the room.

  Drake l
eft the restaurant and returned to the Guild Hall.

  That afternoon, before Cairbre’s repair shop closed, Drake took his armor in again for repair. He only brought in the chest and left leg armor this time. When Drake laid the armor out for Cairbre to look at, he realized that these were the same pieces that absorbed most of his damage last time he was in a fight.

  Cairbre was not amused.

  “Didn’t I tell you to take better care of that armor? I just returned it to you, and now it’s back? It took us two days to fix, and you bring it back in one? What did you do, use it for target practice?” asked the disgruntled Half Dwarf.

  “No, but I was the one to take out the A.I. this morning, you’ve heard of it, right?” replied Drake.

  “Humpf, whatever, just don’t be expectin a rush job, this time, we have other customers you know.” The man examined the armor a little more and then continued. “We can probably get it back to you, next Monday, I’ll send you a note, now get. I’ve got work to do.”

  Drake knew better than to take any of this seriously, in fact, it amused him, and he couldn’t help but smile at the Half-Dwarves’ attitude as he left the shop. The only other stops he made were to restock his med kit… again, and buy a new roll of det-tape. Drake was finding the high-explosive tape to be a very useful part of his kit.

  It was just getting on toward dinner time when Drake exited Omnia.

  Chapter 20 – A Little Dinner Party

  After eating a very nice dinner, and thanking Samantha with a kiss, Kevin returned to his training. Tonight he would mostly stick to physical training since he still had a lot on his mind.

  While training Kevin had Samantha monitor the progress of the recovery from the attack by the rogue A.I.. She listened in on the public news and less open comms of the militia, police, and hospital. Kevin was starting to think that he would miss the access Samantha grabbed when he accepted the temporary post of marshal. Sam may not be able to hack, but she sure knew how to insist on having access to information she thought should be available to him.