Taking a deep breath, Pamela appears to relax. "You're right, Janine. We can't jump to conclusions, but if this is true, it means that the City of Mann is out to break the balance of world power and invalidate the results of the new World War. How could anyone be such a monster that they would risk war on Earth?"
The vacuous lack of comprehension in Pamela's eyes has reached the level of complete confusion. She does not appear to have any understanding of the meaning behind the lines she is parroting.
Janine, the brunette, puts on a knowing expression. "You're right, Pamela. Anyone that would risk the outbreak of war on Earth is a monster. It's hard to believe that Morgan Danan would take things to such an extreme, but there is no doubting the Church of the Resurrection. The Patriarch saved the human race from extinction and has been shepherding humanity on the road of peace, ever since."
As Janine finishes the camera focus returns to Pamela, again. "These are the deplorable traitors to humanity."
Six pictures appear across the lower part of the display. Five of them are the five of us, and the pictures appear to have been taken in the Sunset Lands. Only Raven Goddess has her name under her picture. The rest of us have '???' under our pictures. The last picture is nothing but a box with a big question mark and 'Crom Cruach' under it.
From that point, their 'news reporting' descends into nothing but outright propaganda. Checking through some other news channels and news sites, I find more of the same.
"The Church is pissing me off." As I kill my connection to the quantum data net, the angry tone of my voice is far more emphatic than Raven Goddess' cold expression.
Raven Goddess displays a small smile that does not come close to reaching her eyes. "The Church appears to be a bit upset over our expedition to the Sunset Lands."
With a contemplative frown, I scratch my chin. "Do you think they know what we took?"
Raven Goddess' laughter lacks anything resembling humor. "If they had the ability to enter that barrow land, they would have plundered it thousands of years ago. They should know next to nothing about who is buried there and what lies in their tombs. The same applies to the barrow of Crom Cruach. Only those chosen by the guardian can enter the circle of protection."
I turn toward Cavallo. "Did you get an idea of the size of the Church garrison in Bone Fort?"
Cavallo frowns. "I'm certain there are twenty-five to thirty, but it should be closer to fifty."
I snort in irritation. "If any players, looking to cash in on the bounty, get involved, that's too many to deal with and get away clean. Since we have the Torcs, let's find a quiet place to shapeshift into people they don't recognize."
Turning around, we head away from Bone Fort, again. A few groups of players try to follow us, but they give up, when I go after them. There do not seem to be any hardcore PVPers around here, just gankers.
Outside of surprise ganking, player vs. player combat takes a special kind of mentality. NPCs can be smart and dangerous, but they do not understand the QCP's mechanics governing players and cannot take advantage of game logic. Going after other players means that you are going after people who know how the game works. There is always the chance that other players will be able to use the QCP's logic against you. It is more dangerous than fighting NPCs.
* * * * *
As we enter Bone Fort, Raven Goddess points to a bulletin board with our wanted posters, but no one gives us so much as a second glance. We look nothing like the pictures on the poster.
"There is no long-range teleporter on this island. We'll have to take a ship. The docks are this way." Pointing toward the back of the fort, Cavallo leads the way.
SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT:
In one hour, all players will be forcibly logged out and access to Primacy Online will be disabled for one hour to enable War Mode.
All players are advised to find a safe location to log out at this time and report to their designated cryogenic capsule facility. After the next login, all players will be under War Mode restrictions and any attempt to log out will result in Termination of Consciousness.
REPEAT:
In one hour, all players will be forcibly logged out and access to Primacy Online will be disabled for one hour to enable War Mode.
All players are advised to find a safe location to log out at this time and report to their designated cryogenic capsule facility. After the next login, all players will be under War Mode restrictions and any attempt to log out will result in Termination of Consciousness.
Around us, the cacophony of dozens of conversations fills the air. Most of the players are visibly upset, but there are few that display a variety of other emotions: disgust, irony, sardonic amusement, or no expression at all.
We look around at one another, and other than Chin-Sun, no one seems surprised.
My laughter is sardonic. "Do you think this has anything to do with our little trip to the Sunset Lands?"
Pursing her lips, Raven Goddess seems to lose herself in her thoughts for a few moments. "No. It is likely that the Church has some plan or other that has reached the point where War Mode is beneficial to them. We will find out when we log back in."
Raven Goddess pauses and narrows her eyes. "We should wait for War Mode to be activated, before taking a ship to the mainland."
Earth: Yukon City
May 16, 1337 AA
Moe Westborough and Martha Brezson were standing in a room filled with quantum connection capsules, around half of which were occupied. Standing to either side of the pair, Church Knights, the backbone of the Church Security Forces, stood at attention, while appearing to ignore the two news commentators.
Moe and Martha had already been in this room for more than an hour, and Martha was clinging to Moe's arm to maintain her balance. With modern medical technology, it had only taken her a week for the wounds from her Absolution with Archbishop Green to heal, but she had been suffering from mental trauma and exhaustion, ever since. With her naturally pale skin, the dark circles around her eyes, from lack of sleep, stood out like black eyes.
Moe wanted to shake off Martha's grip, but the presence of the Church Knights left him too afraid to move.
Moe and Martha had been rousted out of their homes in the middle of the night, by Yukon City Civil Penal Code Enforcement Officers under the command Church Knights. Once they were brought to Saint George's Cathedral, they had been stripped, searched, and subject to comprehensive and invasive medical examinations. Now, clad in nothing but hospital gowns and slippers, they were being kept in the chilly environment of this quantum connection capsule room.
With a hiss of a released pressure seal, the capsule in front of the waiting party opened, and a man sat up, and with a cold smile, he looked at the pair of news announcers. "You two will have the privilege and honor of recording my campaign of conquest in Primacy Online . His Holiness, the Patriarch, has already agreed. From here onward, you belong to me."
End of The Cheater's Return
Primacy Online will continue in Book 2:
War Mode
The Cheater's Return Page 35
