Grissten had planned to play serious hardball with the General, but the smile seemed to be enough to draw out a long sigh, which sounded like it was steeped in annoyance.
“I hate that smirk of yours,” the Director said with a little smile of her own. “Still, it doesn’t matter. I have every intention of doing just what I said.”
“And I believe you, Director,” the General said while nodding his head. “I’m just wondering, what will it cost me?”
Grissten placed her hands in front of her, on her desk, one over the other. She was still smiling from earlier, but there was a bit more predator in it now.
“I want an update. And I don’t mean the crap and BS you would give the White House flunkies. I want a real, no shit, operational update.”
“You know there isn’t a lot I can say, Mel. Can I call you Mel now that we’ve crossed the cursing threshold?”
“Yes, you can use Mel. Although I have no idea why I let you since I’ve never once considered calling you by your first name.” She laughed while waving him on.
“You know there isn’t much I can explain. The operation itself is too revealing. I give you details and my folks could be in danger.”
“I’m not a low level Agent, General. This won’t be the first time I hear the details of a highly classified operation. Now spill.”
The General sat back in his chair and took a few moments to look over at Grissten. The Director’s posture hadn’t changed, and her hands still rested together. She also still had the predatory look. It was that, more than anything, that the General admired. His gut told him to be a bit more trusting.
“Alright, Mel, here’s the deal. I’ve got two people inside. I’m not talking about someone who can provide me information from the inside, but actual people placed in the company.”
With a whistle, Grissten sat back in her chair. It was hard enough to find people to report on AltCon, let alone putting someone in undercover. She already knew about the first one, but the fact that the General had two people spoke highly to his abilities.
“Can you share a little more? Are we talking a janitor who can get you the garbage before it’s burned? Or more?”
“I don’t want to say too much, but I’ll tell you this: one of them, as you know, is already in the game and providing near real-time updates. The second one, and I swear to you, Mel, this can’t go outside of this room, the second is on the IT side of the house and is a technician working on AltCon systems.”
It took Grissten a few moments to speak after the last part. She was thinking through the ramifications of what it meant.
“You have someone with the ability to directly connect to AltCon’s servers and information?”
“To a degree, yes.”
At that point, the General took a folder from his briefcase and handed it over to Grissten. When she opened it, she saw the contents detailed the information they had learned about the improvements to the conditioning as well as Emily Renart’s findings. Before the Director dove too far into the folder, of which there was a larger chunk of data than she honestly thought the General might provide, Grissten handed over her own notes.
Inside those notes was the information on Jolston, the “Old Man,” and the facility uncovered by Agent Grimes.
The two finished at about the same time, and the General waved for the Director to go first.
“Fascinating discovery your doctors have found. If it’s accurate, that is. It would require a greater sampling of people to see if it were true. Still, it makes me want to bring this investigation to a close sooner rather than later General.”
“I am with you there, Mel. This has the real potential of hurting a lot of people. So I want to be sure that when we move, we move fast. And together. I want us to take the company down, not just give them a setback.”
“This facility your Agent found has piqued my interest. I see very little reason for AltCon to have a facility like this, unless it were for R&D purposes, but AltCon already has a very visible R&D established in their Headquarters. If I was trying to hide something that could get me into a lot of trouble, this would likely be how I would do it.”
“Agreed. And the first time I read through that, I was very tempted to tell my Agents to contact a judge for a warrant. But even now, I can’t find any reason that a judge would grant one. My Agents confirmed that every permit and request has been filed and all of it according to the law. Yes, they have an impressive amount of security, but nothing illegal.”
The General reviewed the documents another time before closing the folder and placing it on Grissten’s desk, in front of himself. She, in turn, tried to return the General’s information.
“Go ahead and hold onto that. It’s the information I can share, and I want you to have it at hand in case you need to review it again.”
Grissten set the file in front of herself then looked across the desk toward the General, to the file that rested close to him.
“And I imagine, General, that you would like to take that information with you?” she said, gesturing toward the file she had provided.
“Indeed. I think I can put it to use, Mel. I just might have an idea for how we can learn what’s going on there. How does this sound?”
Chapter 18
November 16th, 2043
I logged on a few hours before the rest of my group. Having spent the day outside of Resurgence, I felt refreshed and energized. I wanted to get some more Scaling practice in before I joined up with the guys. And if there was one thing the Keep had in abundance, it was buildings.
I heeded Waseem’s advice and stayed away from the slums of the city. The area wasn’t really what I was looking for anymore, anyway. With my skill having progressed to the point it was now, I was looking for taller structures with a bit more difficult landscapes. Deeper into the Keep, I hit the mother lode.
The first things I took in were all the different routes surrounding me. My vision was overwhelmed with splashes of the full color spectrum. There were so many colors, that I could barely make out the structures themselves. I shut off both my Climbing and Scaling skills, and simply looked at the buildings with my own eyes.
Still cloaked in my Blacksuit, I was glad that I couldn’t be seen by any of the guards. And there were so many of them. Each residence looked to have two or three guarding a gate. The buildings themselves were ornate in their architecture and were about the most expensive thing I had seen in Resurgence yet. I think it was the gargoyles and cherubs that adorned the roof tops that finally made me certain; I had found the neighborhood of the rich and well-to-do.
“Please tell me you are here to steal something.”
I jumped a good two or three feet in the air as I heard those words whispered in my ear. I give myself credit though. I landed in a crouch with my daggers already half out before I realized what I was doing.
“Oh, put those away. No one is here to fight.”
“Waseem?” I asked. Because I honestly couldn’t see anyone.
“Who else would recognize you?”
“How can you see me? You’ve never seen me in my Blacksuit before.”
“Ahh, that. Sorry lad, I realize now that could have been a bit of a start for you.”
Nothing in my body believed that Waseem was the least bit sorry. Quite the contrary.
“It’s not a terribly interesting story, Alex. You see, I had a very lucrative contract a few days back. Had to acquire a ring for some old man, which another old man stole from some person who originally stole it from someone else. The usual triteness of the aristocracy. Heed my words Alex, there is only one thief among the aristocracy. Everyone else is just getting their shit back.
“But I digress. So there I was in the master suite, pocketing the lovely ring, when what should I see but a marvelous little bauble sitting on the side table. The owner had no idea what it was, or it would have been locked away in the most secure place known to man. In this case, the Bank. You see Alex, when I picked it up, I could see
myself in the reflection of the mirror. In other words, I was seeing through my Blacksuit.”
“And the old guy thought it was just an item that let him see someone using an Invisible spell. And those are everywhere, right?”
“Not everywhere, Alex. But for the rich, they aren’t hard to acquire. But in all my days of thieving, I’ve only heard of a handful of rings that were able to see through a Blacksuit. As you can imagine, Rogues that have our level of talent with the Shadows would want these rings off the street as quickly as possible.”
This was a really weird situation, and I was glad we were far from the guards. Anyone walking by, even with one of those items that allowed them to see Invis, would think the spot haunted. It was simply words floating on the air.
“So, like I said, please tell me you are here to steal something.”
“No such luck, my bad influence of a teacher. I am trying to improve my Scaling as much as possible. This seemed like a good place to work on it.”
“That it is. But be mindful that the rich stay that way by putting defenses in place to protect their goods. Look for the easiest routes, and try not to challenge yourself. At least, not in this neighborhood. You aren’t ready for that yet if you are still trying to increase your Skill.”
“Thanks for the advice, Waseem. I’ll come see you at the Pit soon.”
“Oh, I am sure that will happen sooner than you think.”
“What do you mean by that? Waseem? Waseem?” There was no answer. Waseem had left, or he was standing near me, giggling like a child. I would take even odds on either being true.
Over the span of the next two hours, I saw my Scaling skyrocket. I surmised that the cause of the sudden increase was the challenges of the area I was in, plus the fact that I was using the Skill for its intended purpose. What I mean by that should be obvious. Rogues don’t climb trees unless we are using them in a trap. Usually, we are climbing up the sides of buildings, either to steal something or kill something. My previous work on Scaling, though, had all been in a forest. Truthfully, slithering up the walls felt much more natural.
With my Skill jumping twenty points in those two hours, I was feeling pretty good. I wanted to keep going, but I also knew that I needed to meet up with my friends. Deciding to travel back to the Keep as soon as possible, I looked back at the neighborhood one last time and began trotting toward the square. I still had my Scaling Skill active so I could assess the climbing routes for future endeavors, which is why I stopped short as I turned a corner that would take me to the city center.
The building was a tower. Not terribly tall, maybe five stories, and not terribly wide. The rocks on the outside of the building looked large enough and so out of place that you could use them as a virtual ladder to reach the apex of the building. But that wasn’t going to happen. The building was a dark and imposing Red. From the bottom of the tower to the very top. Looking at this building through my skill, it would be a challenge to ascend one single foot, although my normal eyes told me that wasn’t the case.
I made note of this location on my map and continued to the square. I didn’t have the time to do so now, but at the first opportunity I had, I was going to make a stop at the Pit and ask Waseem about it. I really did hate that the bastard was right about how soon I would be there.
*
The guys were in the square when I arrived, talking boisterously and looking to be in great spirits.
“I take it the Appreciation Day was a success then?”
“Oh was it ever! Isn’t that right, Wayne?” Dan said while nudging our Warrior.
“Wayne? But I thought Jenny and Wayne stayed home and watched Gary and Tim’s kids?”
“We did. And let me tell you, there is no better birth control than four children, in small confines, with no parental supervision. I have no idea how they all knew exactly when to scream together, or move in a whirlwind without ever disturbing each other but knocking into every other thing.”
“Wow! It was that bad?”
“I’m not saying they were the spawn of Satan or anything, but they are Gary’s kids and Tim’s kids, and you know those guys. So imagine.”
“In fact, I am picturing exactly what my hell would look like. Thank you for that, Wayne.”
“Welcome, Alex,” he said while giving me a slap on the shoulder and a smile. “The upside, however, is that Jenny is singing an entirely different tune. When we first started dating, she let me know that she was a woman that was interested in having children, wanted a family, and sooner was better than later. But, you know, no pressure.
“So, last night we were laying on the couch together after the hellions departed, and she tells me, ‘You know, I think being a mother is something I could wait a few more years for.’ That’s a win-win.”
It was hard not to laugh at the whole thing, and since Wayne was chuckling along with us, I didn’t feel bad at all. I asked if Jason had similar success with his outing.
“Way better than Naugha’s adventures! James absolutely loved it. And this placed looked amazing yesterday. They really cleaned it up, and it had a bit of spit and polish that has already been removed today.
“More importantly, as soon as he logged in and saw and felt the realism, he immediately told me he was sorry for ever giving me a hard time. I wasn’t expecting that at all!”
It sounded to me like this whole thing was a hit, but Jason wasn’t done.
“So this morning, I am getting ready to log in and James says, ‘I can’t tell you how jealous I am of you right now, getting to go back there. It is such a wonderful opportunity that you have here, and I’ve been giving you such a hard time about it. Please let the people at AltCon know how appreciative I am, that I would love the opportunity to go again, and that both of us will definitely be playing Resurgence!’ James doesn’t play videogames. Ever. So this is like the greatest thing to happen to our relationship, at least in my opinion.”
“Damn, Allister! That is great news. I hope Gary and Tim had as much success.”
“Yeah, Alex, they did. I talked with Jenny a little bit ago, and their spouses said similar things. They are one hundred percent supportive of Gary and Tim playing. AltCon really knocked it out of the park on this one.”
I had to agree with Wayne on that. If all three of our married players were now free of any disagreements stemming from the game, it would make the experience all the more enjoyable.
Naturally, these things have a shelf-life, and I expected after a couple of weeks the joy would retreat to the backs of their minds and they would find reasons to dislike the scenario. But for the moment, my friends could bask in their glow.
Dan also seemed unnaturally happy. I was afraid to ask at first, but seeing his demeanor, I couldn’t imagine that anything went wrong.
“All went well?” I asked in Dan’s direction.
“Totally! It was pretty cool, the whole set up that Allicontent over there mentioned, but also the wonder in everyone’s eyes. It reminded me of the first day we logged in. Except for the part where Wayne got beat by the bunnies.”
“You all remember that I let them beat on me for Alex’s experiments!”
Of course, none of us remembered it that way, but we gave Wayne a pass on this one since it was the first day.
“What really stood out for me, though, was Broham. And Rocky. As you know, we are still the only group to figure out how to get a pet,” Dan said, while scratching behind Broham’s ear. “Sure, the Death Casters can summon a skeleton, or something, that will probably be bad ass in the future but sucks now. And even then, theirs is still better than that crap the Dark Paladins can conjure up. But AltCon blocked those summoned pets because they didn’t want to freak anyone out. Apparently giant Dire Wolves are cute and fuzzy according to the company, since we got to have them there.
“And they were an absolute hit! It was like small kids playing with puppies, because with the size of our hounds, that is kinda what it looked like. Everyone wanted to pet them and play
with them, and when Broham and Rocky started playing together, the whole square here stopped and watched. Because, you know, it was two Wolves trying to best the other one. That’s what they call playing.”
He knelt down then and started giving Broham a good scratch behind his ears, down his neck, and along the flank. That smile was still there when Dan looked back up at me.
“Kaitlin and I talked a lot too. I was just myself, like Allihelper told me to be. I wasn’t trying to impress, or be flashy, except for my natural shine. And we had a great day! At the end, she gave me a hug and told me that she wasn’t angry anymore and that she missed me. She missed me!”
“You know you sound like a second grader that just found out his secret crush wants to kiss him next to the monkey bars during recess?”
“I know, man! Isn’t it awesome?”
I shook my head at Dan but my smile was probably as wide and certainly as genuine as his. We had watched our friend go through some hard times after the fiasco at Jenny’s place, and it was good to see him in great spirits.
“What about you, Alex? You do anything fun during your day off?” Wayne asked.
“I had the best day. I slept in. I didn’t get dressed until noon. I lounged on my couch and watched two movies that were horribly fantastic. And last night I went and sat in a café, just watching humanity walk by. That is one of the downsides to having your whole life center around a virtual reality world: you forget about the characters that exist in your own. And believe me, there isn’t a better place to see those characters than at a café, right before it’s planning to close.”
“Amen to that. Try being a bouncer. Then you really see the characters.”
We split up after that, with Dan and Jason running off to get their spells, and Wayne and I going to Sir Arthur to see if, just maybe, we could get the next quest. This was a habit of ours, to at least try after each level increase. None of us thought that only three levels would separate us from one quest and the next, not if history was any gauge.
Restoration: The Rise of Resurgence: Book II Page 39
