by Riker Kane
“Gimme some credit, Nina. You try running around in that armor without working up a sweat. Nothing like freshening up after taking down a monstrosity like that. I’m not some savage, you know?” He stuffed his burger into his mouth and took a bite bigger than he could chew. Paige covered her giggle in amusement as Nina laughed just the same.
“This is a nice celebration,” Nina said. “We all survived. We’ll all gain a good amount of levels. For sure we’ll be ready for the Omega Trial.”
“I’m looking forward to taking the oath,” I said. “It feels like an eternity since the chancellor said we would get the opportunity.”
“Nothing’s gonna stop us from being Omegas,” Quentin said with a mouthful. “We keep pushing. We keep grinding. We knock down whatever wall they put in front of us. That’s the Vanguard motto.”
“Is that really the Vanguard motto?” I raised an eyebrow at him.
“I just made it up. It fits though, don’t it?”
We shared another laugh. The mood in my dorm was so light it was hard to tell we just finished killing a lizard the size of a small apartment complex.
Paige got up from her seat. “It was nice spending time with you all,” she said. “But I should be going now. My squad wants to celebrate in the Central Square.”
I got up and escorted her out of the room. I stood just outside and noticed a couple of uniformed LOD officers at the end of the hall making sure I didn’t move away.
“I never worried too much about police in the real world,” I said. “These guys look a lot more dangerous though. Must be the uniforms.”
“Those uniforms do look a little more intimidating. I think it’s because they’re reinforced with armor-plating underneath.”
“That must be it.”
Paige smiled softly. Her skin was so pale, the dimples on her cheeks were easy to see when she smiled. She brushed away some black strands away from her eyes and nodded.
“Thanks for bringing me along,” she said.
“Bringing you along?”
“During the raid. If we didn’t stick together, I would’ve been stuck fighting lizards the whole time. I don’t think I would’ve made it to the end.”
“You’re a capable Cavalier, Paige. We both went through the same training.”
“I suppose. But it doesn’t feel as natural as you make it look.”
“It’s still an adjustment for me. Holding a paintbrush is a lot closer to wielding a saber than a mouse and keyboard.”
“…Maybe you’re right.”
I put a hand on her shoulder. “I know I’m right. Think about how much progress we’ve made since the beginning. We’ll only get stronger once we’re Omegas.”
“I’m looking forward to it… Maybe with all of this Green Mana I’ll get a new ability and a training session with Captain Hamilton.”
“I’ll see you there.”
She bowed her head, a soft smile on her lips. I watched her walk down the hall past the campus police monitoring me. I was about to head inside when my communicator vibrated.
SYNERGY with LIAM ALDRIDGE
Nina Higashi - Level 2: +3 increase to speed
Quentin Young - Level 1
Paige Costa - Level 2: 5% increase to saber damage
Brooke Silvestri - Level 1
“Hmm… That should be useful…”
I stepped back into my dorm room to find Quentin swiping his finger over the tablet on my desk, the other hand holding the messy remnants of his burger.
“Try not to get too much grease on that thing,” I said. “I like having a nice crystal display to look at.”
“I’ll wipe it clean. This is important. I wanna show you something… Check this out.”
I watched the words flash on the screen in big bold letters.
ACCESS TO THIS SITE IS RESTRICTED
“Oh, c’mon!” Quentin leaned back in his seat and rolled his eyes to Nina’s amusement.
“What’s going on?” I said.
“He’s trying to access my information. They restrict access to any non-essential sites.”
“I just wanted to Liam here to see your modeling portfolio.”
“Modeling portfolio, huh?” I took a seat next to him and scanned through the search results. “This should be interesting…”
“I don’t get it,” she sighed. “Why would you need to look for my modeling portfolio when I’m right here in front of you?”
“It’s different,” Quentin said. “You’re not Photoshopped right now.”
Quentin knew it was a mistake as soon as he said it. Nina pursed her lips, her jaw clenched. She was a tea kettle about to whistle. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
I looked at Quentin, sealing my lips tight but unable to stop my body from shaking with laughter.
He took a bite of his burger and mumbled with his mouth full. “Well… Modeling photos… They’re always nice and you’re such a pretty girl… You know…”
“Whatever.” Nina rolled her eyes as she grabbed a slice of pizza for herself.
“Give it a rest, Quentin. Now’s not the time for that.”
He leaned back from his seat and turned his attention back to his burger. “You know, I’ve been thinking…”
“That’s surprising,” Nina said with a smirk.
“We’ve been loading up on pizza and burgers nearly every night. We’re always celebrating.”
“We’ve had good reason to,” I said.
“True. But I think we should spend more time in the dining hall. I think I should start training more in the Nerve Center, too. Get my fitness up. They said proper training is a good way to increase your endurance.”
“That sounds like a good idea… I’ll tell you what. I say we don’t celebrate until after I get out of here, we finish the Omega Trial and take the oath. What do you think?”
Quentin shrugged. “That’s as good a reason to celebrate as any.”
“Yeah… That sounds like a good plan, Liam.” Nina gave me a nod.
The World Boss was defeated. The raid was over. But this was only just the beginning for us.
~ ~ ~
The smell of greasy french fries and pepperoni lingered in my dorm room. The scent was strong enough to make me have trouble falling asleep. A knock at my door woke me up completely.
I blinked my eyes and looked at the time on my display.
“0530… Who the hell is up this early after a World Boss?”
I stumbled out of bed and answered the next knock. To my surprise, I saw Douglas standing there. I blinked my eyes clear to make sure I was seeing him right.
“Hey, Liam. I know you were sleeping. I didn’t mean to bother you.”
“Nah… It’s no problem…” I noticed he was out of his uniform in nothing but a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He also wore a pair of glasses I’d never seen him in before. “Are you all right?”
He rubbed his scratchy beard and shook his head. “Not exactly. I… I decided I’m not cut out for it.”
“Cut out for what?”
He gave me a half-hearted smile. “This. Being a part of the Legion.”
“Wait… Are you serious?” I thought I was still asleep. I blinked again but the look in his eyes was all the confirmation I needed.
“I… I hid. I didn’t think it would be a big deal but when I saw all of those beasts, I ran into the forest and watched… When we were out there, I saw people dying. Everybody was being ripped apart. All the blood and screaming and violence. You know, they make it seem a lot more glamorous in the brochure.”
“That’s how they got all of us.”
“That lizard hit me pretty damn hard. Even when I was hiding and watching the big one eat everybody, one of them managed to catch me. Next thing I know, I’m waking up in the Med Bay with one of the docs flashing a light in my eyes. But you know what the worse thing is? I still remember it. I remember the teeth ripping through my armor. I remember the blood coming out of me and my hit points dropping. I do
n’t have any injuries but everything is still stuck in my head. My squad and I were running through Junctions but I never experienced anything like that until yesterday.”
The pain in his eyes was real. When I saw them glazing over, I struggled to find the words to say.
He shook his head in disappointment like a guy who just got an F on an exam. “I guess it’s pretty embarrassing… running away while everybody else is fighting…”
“You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of, Douglas.”
I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder to console him and he just laughed.
“I was never much of a Cavalier anyway,” he said.
“I don’t think any of us are.”
He shook his head. “You’re pretty good, Liam. You wield a sword like a natural. Maybe in some past life you were a warrior or barbarian.”
“Maybe,” I said with a chuckle.
“I’m guessing you’ll be sticking around. I figured I’d say goodbye to you and the other Cavaliers before I left. Just wanted to wish you luck…”
There was a part of me that wanted to say something to make him stop. If there was a way I could convince him otherwise, I’d tell him. But the longer I stared at him, the more I realized this wasn’t my choice.
“You sure about this?”
He smiled. “Civilian life wasn’t so bad for me. I guess I was just getting bored in college. Now I’ll be more grateful for it, knowing I don’t have to do what you’ll be doing…”
I sighed a deep breath. “Take care, Douglas.”
“Liam.”
He gave me a nod and shook my hand. I watched him walk down the hall. I would’ve been sad about him giving up but there was a noticeable bounce in his step. I guess you moved a little easier when the weight of fighting another dimension wasn’t on your shoulders.
I stayed in the hallway for a moment before stepping back into my room. Seeing Douglas leave was just more motivation for me to finish my confinement and see this thing through.
27: An Omega
A few days passed and my confinement in my dorm room was finally over.
The new wave of recruits had been given their assignments to head to one of the Drill Rooms. I was directed to the Western one with a few other cadets. We were all outfitted in our battle armor in the small seating area just outside of the entrance to the Drill Room. Paige sat next to me, her toes tapping anxiously against the granite tiles.
I looked at the other cadets but didn’t recognize them. “Brian must’ve been assigned to one of the other rooms…”
“They’re not doing it by class,” Paige said. “I think the trials are universal. They’re meant for everybody to go through.”
“You nervous?”
She smiled and stopped bouncing her knees. “I’m excited. This is it, Liam. A chance to finally do what we came here to do. After we take the oath and earn the title of Omega, things will be different.”
I nodded. “That basilisk was only the beginning. It only gets more challenging from here.”
“I’m up for it.”
“I know you are.” I put a hand on her shoulder to give her some reassurance.
Paige didn’t look any less modest than the moment I first met her. Even in her armor, it was obvious how slender her frame was. She might have seemed anxious but the confidence in her eyes was undeniable.
She stared forward and sighed a deep breath through her nose to maintain her composure. Seeing her calm down was enough to make me forget about what I was about to head into.
Training with Nina only gave me a glimpse of what the trials entailed. Captain Hamilton only told me the basics of how to attack and defend as a Cavalier. Even closing Junctions and wielding my saber against a World Boss might not have been enough to properly prepare for this.
I shut my eyes and breathed softly. In through my nose. Out through my mouth. I steadied my heart in my chest. I wasn’t about to go through everything I just did and fall short now.
“Liam Aldridge.”
My eyes opened slowly to see Janice standing next to the entrance to the drill room. The chaperon looked as cheerful as always yet somehow maintained a professional demeanor at the same time, even with a couple of pigtails.
“You’re up next.”
I nodded and walked up to the brunette next to the entrance. She turned her head sideways and looked me up and down.
“Do you need to make any last-second preparations? Once it begins, you won’t be allowed to leave until it’s over.”
“Eh, I might need to take a piss in a few minutes but I can hold it.”
She grinned. “Just let me check one last thing.” She placed her hand around my neck and tugged on the Recall Box. “Double-checking to make sure it’s secure.”
Someone checking the device that was only used when you suffered a fatal injury was enough to make me curious. A moment of doubt made the butterflies flutter around in my stomach but I swallowed to drown them out.
“Your examination will be conducted by your Class Captain. Follow me.”
Janice and I headed into the Drill Room. The spacious room was as high and tall as I remembered it. The silver steel walls reached all the way to the bright lights on the ceiling above.
Near the entrance to the giant empty space, Captain Hamilton stood next to a display monitor. He swiped his fingers along it. The way he puffed his chest out made it seem like it was impossible for him to slouch.
I waited patiently while Janice tapped on her digital tablet.
“Is everything ready?” Hamilton asked.
“I’ve inputted the cadet’s information. Everything is being recorded.”
“Good…” Hamilton turned to me. “Are you ready, private?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I said.
“I can’t tell you what this test consists of. I can only say it will be an examination of your abilities. Up to this point, you’ve learned a lot. I’ve taught you the fundamentals of offense and defense. I’ve gone over your first ability. You’ve closed several Junctions at this point. You’ve contributed to the defeat of a World Boss.”
Hamilton walked toward me and put a hand on my shoulder. “This examination will test you. But if you’re an Omega, you will succeed as long as you remember what an Omega’s purpose is. Do you have any questions?”
I thought about it for a moment but nothing came to me except for the anticipation making my heart thump harder. “I’m ready.”
“One last thing before it begins… Know that I want you to succeed. All of us do. We need as many Omegas on the frontlines as we can get. For the good of humanity.”
Captain Hamilton wasn’t giving me his usual confident smirk. There was only a focused stare to let me know just how serious this was. Telling me this was for the good of humanity was enough to get through to me.
“Good luck, Liam.” Janice gave me one last blessing before I stepped forward into the Drill Room. I walked toward the center, my armored feet clanking against the granite to break the silence.
Blue lights pulsed on the walls and floor as the lights above began to dim. The lights formed a massive grid that stretched from one end of the room to the other. Janice and Hamilton were no longer in view. It was like standing alone in the middle of a football stadium.
I pulled my saber from the magnet holding it to my hip and raised it up in front of my face. One last deep breath was followed by the whirring of machinery around me.
Something materialized in the air around me. Blue lines took the shape of small flying drones with cannons resting on them. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. I didn’t have a chance to finish counting them when they all descended from the sky above.
I moved forward and got out of the way just as they crashed into the floor.
“Kamikaze drones…”
More formed in the sky above and shot toward me. I moved in the opposite direction and ran across the grid.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Despite the size of the drones, th
e explosions they caused rocked the entire Drill Room. The buzz of more drones above me made me run to avoid more of the explosions.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
I was growing more frustrated at being chased down. The trial had only just begun and I was already sweating. I glanced down at my communicator.
Hit Points 100
Endurance 40
My endurance was already dropping and I hadn’t even swung my saber once. Another volley of drones avoided was followed by more of them forming above me.
“What kinda trial is this?” I muttered to myself as I dodged more drones coming after me. I ran toward the other side of the Drill Room when—BANG—the clang of metal in front of me made me stop in my tracks.
I looked around and saw the drones had disappeared. I knew it wasn’t over though. Not with the way the grid began to shift. My eyes narrowed to see the room changing.
Low walls and steel columns rose from the ground. The flat grid had changed, turning the Drill Room into a makeshift battlefield.
“I wonder what this is all about now…”
The sound of machinery whirring filled my ears. I looked around but couldn’t see anything. The sound grew louder. Loud enough I could make it out. They were footsteps. Metal clanking against the granite floors just like my own armored soles.
I cautiously moved around the walls and columns and finally made it out. Blue outlines took the shape of digital robots marching toward me. They had no heads but in their hands, they wielded all different types of melee weapons. Swords and axes. Clubs and spears. The blue robots headed right at me.
My grip tightened around the smooth black leather of my hilt. “They’re just digital robots,” I said. “Nothing you can’t handle, Liam. C’mon…”
I took another deep breath to steady myself. Wait patiently or attack. I only had to think about it for a second to come up with the answer.
I charged forward and the digital droids looked toward me with their weapons up. I ran by their group as fast as I could, slashing through one of the bots. There wasn’t much resistance to my saber. The robot fell to its knees and exploded into digital dust.
