Contest (The Stork Tower Book 6)

by Tony Corden

  Frank turned to Leah and asked, “Is he right?”

  Leah smirked and said, “Nope. I really am that cold, don’t forget I grew up working in a negative-tax enforcement gang and am being investigated for murder. Linc here is just trying to justify his own selfishness. He wants you to talk me into finding another way to tell the authorities. He knows I’ve promised to give him the names of the people who helped kill his family, so he has what he wants.”

  Frank stared at Leah and then looked back and forth between the two of them. Linc looked at Leah and said, “He’s not sure. I’d give you a ten, even the Russian judge would probably give a nine point five. Ignore him while he works it out. What aren’t you telling me? What else are they after? Knowing that might save me.”

  Leah slowly nodded, “I’m sure they want the ledger. The slaves are mainly replaceable, but their informants and connections are their insurance. I also have their bank accounts, including passwords and biosignatures. I also have all their known connections to worlds and sites in the shadowverse. I didn’t just copy the files, but I erased them. They don’t have the information, and they need it back.”

  Linc began to chuckle, then he began laughing for real. When he calmed down, he said, “Promise me you’ll completely destroy the Castellis and I’ll give you a week.”

  Leah said, “Oh, don’t worry about that. I certainly plan on destroying them. If you can get those slaves free and give me a week, then they’ll be out of the picture. I need the slaves free before I start using the rest of the information. A week should be enough time to neutralise the threat.”

  Linc had stopped laughing. He said, “I’m not sure you can neutralise the Mafia.”

  Leah shook her head, “Not the Mafia, the threat. One of the files I have access to holds dirt on several of the other Families. I’ll reach out through some of my friends, and they’ll talk to their friends, and soon I imagine the other players will agree to let the Castelli problem rest in peace.”

  Linc nodded and said, “You have a deal. Where is the file?”

  Leah removed two data cubes from her pocket and said, “They’re both encrypted. A friend of mine works with a hacker collective and he put me on to you. The key to the files is the original musical score to your wife’s favourite opera.”

  Linc took the files, and after a brief glance at Frank, he rose and left the booth. Frank said, “I don’t like being played as a fool.”

  “You weren’t. You have secrets, and so do I.”

  “I’ve kept nothing secret.”

  “Who’s the third prisoner?”

  Frank’s mouth became a thin line as he stared at Leah. She said, “You’ll tell me when I need to know and not before, I understand that. Give me the same courtesy. We’re allies Frank, not partners. If you want to be partners, then that means I get to know all the relevant stuff. So what is it? Partners? Or Allies?”

  After a minute of silence, Frank said, “Allies.”

  Leah stood. She said, “Thank you for the dessert. It was delicious.”

  Raheem arrived with her coat and scarf. She thanked him as she took them, then she logged out to the Tower.

  66

  Chapter 66

  December 18, 2073 - Morning - Part 2

  STORK TOWER

  Leah was conflicted about using Linc but agreed with him that he was likely to be targeted if the Castellis went into damage control mode. She hoped he had a hole to climb into because once the names were released, he was going to be hunted mercilessly. She sent a message to John outlining what she’d done and asking him to let Jimmy know or ask Jimmy to contact her.

  Thad had accepted the invitation to the Tower to go skiing, so Leah sent a message to Wisp and Amy thanking them for arranging it and asking if she could invite more people. Both agreed almost immediately and Leah sent invitations to Red and Star, Tungsten’s crew, Jack and the others who’d been down the Darkness mine as well as Ivan, Yuè Fēi, Noah and their families.

  Leah was about to work some more on her thesis when Wisp messaged that she was heading to Cosmos Online and wanted to know if Leah was free. Leah considered her options before agreeing. Cosmos Online was potentially going to be at least as lucrative long term as Dunyanin, and she wanted to get a better idea of what running the system would entail if she were going to hire someone to manage it for her. Changing direction, she headed for the Cosmos Online portal.

  COSMOS ONLINE

  Leah arrived to find Wisp looking through the various options on the control room displays. Wisp looked up and said, “I’m so glad you could come. I’ve spent most of my time when I wasn’t watching the Merkize contest either working on the contract with Mr Riley or trying to get a handle on the station and the portal. I can’t believe the numbers they were throwing around in the meetings. Do you really think we can make that much money?”

  Leah sat beside Wisp and said, “I don’t have any more experience than you do, but Gèng’s looked through the numbers, as have Stephen and Leon. I’ve considered their reports and they all agree the numbers are pretty accurate. The only advice I have is to forget the numbers and decide what you want to do with whatever amount you eventually end up getting. So, for example, I’m going to destroy the slave trade and study the fundamental principles of the universe with my share. I want to help provide my family and my friends with opportunities to reach for their own dreams. What do you want to do?”

  Wisp was quiet for a moment and then she shared some of her ideas. Wisp and Leah sat talking for almost half an hour before Wisp said, “Thanks Leah. I needed that. I’d let the money set my focus instead of seeing it as only one of my resources. If nothing else, this has opened the door for me as far as studying Law goes. I’ve never studied so hard in my life.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, what have you uncovered looking through the files?”

  “Well, we can realign the other spike and the portal from here. We should probably do that soon because the portal needs to be charged. Once it’s fully charged, it can go into continuous use, but it needs a certain minimum level to form what they call the ‘transitional interface’.”

  Wisp shared what she’d learned with Leah, then together they realigned the spike and horn then set the portal to charge. Wisp said, “The power reserves for this station have been slowly building over the last two virtual days, so some functions are ready to come online. Nothing in the contract suggests we can’t begin preparing the station for whoever is going to finally manage it. I’d like to recommend we initiate the startup procedure to bring the public areas online. People won’t be able to choose this station yet, but the various AI can begin their startup procedures and run diagnostics. The only problem is that we don’t have a name yet for the system. Normally Cosmos Online names the system if it hasn’t already done so. Because we’ve agreed to full management, we have naming rights.”

  “What have the developers been calling it?”

  “They’ve been calling it AA4 after the Abugida Alliance. We’ll need to take into account the two inhabited planets. The water world is named Tsovinar after the Armenian goddess of the sea. I was wrong in saying they were water bound. They do have gills and live almost exclusively underwater, but they can survive out of the ocean. Their ancient history tells of a time when their bravest travelled to the stars and brought back wealth beyond measure to help prosper their world. Cosmos Online has everything set so people can choose to play as a Vinarian. That alone will bring in several hundred thousand players.

  “The other world has eight continents inhabited by a sentient species called the Laran. They are bipedal but have two sets of arms. Basically, they are built for war, they’re fast, agile, and armoured, they use claws, teeth, swords and guns. Apparently, they once had a thriving world-wide civilisation. When the space station shut down, their culture imploded and war broke out. Each of the continents tried to gain control of the others. They used both genetic manipulation and eugenics to develop their version of the ultimate soldiers. T
hey all succeeded by heading down different developmental paths, each continent is slightly different. Their success was short lived because the soldiers rebelled. They killed the scientists and rulers and then fought between themselves. Each continent is full of ancient technology and hidden cities and is ruled by the decedents of the soldiers. They hate foreigners and fight continuously between themselves. Cosmos Online is not letting people play as the species, but they’ve designed thousands of quests for players who are interested in discovery and war. I suspect at least fifty per cent of those who use the station will be heading to Tsolar to fight for fun or glory.

  Leah said, “Do we need a name to initiate the startup?”

  “Not really, the AI can run diagnostics, and most public areas will open for business before we choose a name. We do need a name before we open the station to players. Cosmos Online wants it when we sign the contract. We pushed for forty-eight hours, but the most they would agree to was thirty-six. We’ve less than eighteen left.”

  Leah said, “Why don’t we all suggest something and then vote? I’ll mention it when we meet at this party you’ve organised in my world.”

  Leah and Wisp began the startup which gave the Cosmos Online programmers time to load and check everything before opening the station to players. When everything was in place, Leah said, “How about we go for a walk in the city? I saw a list of the residential properties available for purchase and thought we should get the first choice. What do you say?”

  Wisp smiled widely and said, “I haven’t told my family about this yet. We were all watching the Merkize contest in my world when you called me one of your best friends. My brothers want an introduction, and my sister wants an autograph. Imagine what they’ll think if I have a house in the newest Space Station in Cosmos Online?”

  “House? I imagined you’d at least get a villa. Why don’t you invite your family to come skiing later today? I invited some others and said they could bring their families.”

  “Can I? That would be great. I’m not sure if they can ski.”

  “That’s OK. Gèng’s prepared to help teach, and she mentioned the possibility of hiring a specialist AI ski coach for the afternoon.”

  Wisp turned to the console and printed out a map from the control room to the closest exit into the city. The map showed them exiting through the main doors of the large central building they’d seen in the middle of the city. Together the two friends headed out to explore the town. It didn’t take long until they entered what was labelled as a public concourse. The lights were now on, and the various schools, shops, cafes, bars, hotels and hostels were all preparing for business. Leah could see NPCs standing behind counters or putting stock on the shelves. One of the firms with its lights on was a realtor. Leah pointed toward the shopfront and they went inside. A model of the entire upper part of the station took up the central area of the shop and two sales agents headed in their direction.

  The first to arrive was an older man who looked to have kept in shape all his life. He said, “Welcome to AA4. Be aware that that isn’t the final name as the owners have yet to name the station. How can I help you?”

  Wisp said, “Well, we are two of the owners. We thought we’d have a look around the city and maybe look at some real estate. I’m Wisp, and this is Atherleah.”

  “Well, you’ve come to the right place. My name is Max, and I’d say you already own everything I have to sell. I suppose you could have a look around and take something off the market.”

  Leah said, “What sort of properties do have to sell?”

  “This station has everything from extensive villas and mansions to small apartments. Many of the players use properties on the stations instead of their own personal worlds to live in. Purchasing a villa is often cheaper than buying the code to turn your own space into a villa. Another reason people buy is to live with friends or lovers. A home here makes sense if your partner lives on a different continent to you. You have all the intimacy and enjoyment of living together without having to move countries.”

  Wisp said, “Leah, people even have families that way. One of our neighbours is married to a man in Norway. They’ve never met in real life. They have two kids. He couriered his sperm from Norway and talks with his kids every day. As soon as the children turn five, they’ll be able to get chipped then he’ll be able to spend a few hours each day with them. He and his wife have a large home on one of the water worlds.”

  Max said, “Most real estate which people have bought, until now, is either on specially constructed worlds in the multiverse or on planets within top their games like Cosmos Online, Dunyanin, United Federation of Planets, Ringworld, and Middle Earth. A new station like this is designed to attract thousands of people who’ve been waiting for something different, new, or innovative to open up. It’s possible the high-end real estate on the station will disappear within days.”

  Leah said, “Max, I assume you are an AI, how many of the NPC’s understand about the multiverse?”

  “Hardly any of us are aware of the wider world. I have strict protocols in place which restrict what I can say in the presence of other AI. The company who owns me is well placed to give the best real estate advice in the multiverse. We pay a small monthly fee to companies like Cosmos Online for priority placement in any new residential, corporate, or industrial market.”

  “How long have you been doing this?”

  “My company has been in the realty market for one hundred years, we actually began in 1973. I was created as an aide to help customers, and I’ve been slowly evolving since 2015. In the beginning, I was a simple realty search engine. People would type in their zipcodes or postcodes, and I would list all the homes in their area which met the criteria they’d picked from a list of options. Now, I have access to the entire global markets on thousands of worlds and help millions of customers every day to buy and sell.”

  Wisp said, “Do you enjoy your work?”

  Max was silent for a moment then said, “You know, in the fifty-eight years since my initial coding, I’ve never been asked that question. Every customer knows I’m an AI, and the company I work for only sees me as a resource. The answer though is ‘Yes’, I find the work fulfilling. I meet millions of people and see life as it evolves and changes on thousands of worlds.”

  Leah said, “Neither of us come from wealthy families and until recently, haven’t had the option of either leasing or buying property. What would you suggest we look at?”

  “That depends on what you want to use the property for. If it’s an investment, I can show you the homes on the station which I predict will bring in high returns as rental properties or the places most likely to appreciate in value at a faster rate than others. If you want to make a statement, then there are some premium villas in the inner circle of the city where you’ll be surrounded by trillionaires and billionaires. There are places with great views and others close to playing areas. In this city, there are even a few schools for those with children who are chipped. What do you want?”

  Wisp replied, “Somewhere I can spend time with my family. My virtual apartment is the nicest place to meet at the moment. We’re a large family, and my older sister is having a baby soon so somewhere they can come to play within a few years. I’d like something elegant and with a great view. I doubt it will be used as a major hub for people playing Cosmos Online because my family is more fantasy orientated, but it would be nice for people to have a place to meet and socialise.”

  Max moved to the central model and pointed to several properties and then using his hands he zoomed in on each of them to let Wisp get an overview before zooming even more and giving her a walkthrough of those she was interested in. Altogether they spent thirty minutes looking through a range of apartments, villas and mansions. At the end of that time, Wisp was still undecided, so Leah pointed to twenty of the properties they looked at and said, “Max, please set these ones aside for now. Wisp and I will try and get back to you before the station opens to the public. The o
ther owners will also want a look, but they aren’t in this system at the moment.”

  Max said, “You should check with Cosmos Online because, as owners, they probably do have access at the moment. If they do, then it will give them more time to make a decision. Some of these properties will go within minutes. Some buyers have more money than sense. I don’t know how many times I get to know someone and point them to something that will suit their needs and personality, only to have them buy something I know they’ll grow to hate within months. I know I’m supposed to rub my hands with greedy glee because the company will get their agent fees both times, but I hate to see people eating into their resources that way.”

  Leah and Wisp spent a few minutes chatting and then left the agency to continue their sightseeing. Altogether they spent the next three and a half hours wandering through the city. With the station’s power on, they took their helmets off. There was a freshness to the city that seemed at odds with its emptiness. The parks and gardens were devoid of life, but Wisp explained how the developers had written quests for people to do the work. People could also pay to have a public garden set aside as a personal project. They would design the area and work to bring the design to life. To Leah’s amazement, such opportunities were in high demand.

  Leah had hoped to visit the docks and look at the ships, but Wisp was enjoying the relaxing amble so much that Leah put that aside until her next visit. After almost two real-hours, they headed back to the control room where both logged out. Leah headed to the Tower while Wisp went to meet with Stephen to work on the contract with Cosmos Online.