Awaken Online

Book 7: Timeless

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Travis Bagwell

Copyright © 2023 by Travis Bagwell

All rights reserved.

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To my wife, I’ll always love you.

Past, present, and future.

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Contents

Foreword

Prologue

Chapter 1 - Unfrozen

Chapter 2 - Unpredictable

Chapter 3 - Fustercluck

Chapter 4 - Rest Break

Chapter 5 - Bail-Out

Chapter 6 - Kidnapping

Chapter 7 - New Girl

Chapter 8 - Misleading

Chapter 9 - Discussion

Chapter 10 - Supervisors

Chapter 11 - Rainmaker

Chapter 12 - Angel Investors

Chapter 13 - Start-Up

Chapter 14 - Raising Capital

Chapter 15 - Accounts Payable

Chapter 16 - Market Penetration

Chapter 17 - Bait and Switch

Chapter 18 - Terminated

Chapter 19 - Graveyard Shift

Chapter 20 - Silver Mining

Chapter 21 - Burden of Proof

Chapter 22 - Return to Sender

Chapter 23 - Indentured

Chapter 24 - Pharma

Chapter 25 - Horizontal Integration

Chapter 26 - Entertainment Expense

Chapter 27 - Affiliate Marketing

Chapter 28 - Nine-to-Five

Chapter 29 - Pitch

Chapter 30 - Diversification

Chapter 31 - Trade Secrets

Chapter 32 - Herding Cats

Chapter 33 - Exit Strategy

Chapter 34 - Blindsided

Chapter 35 - Loopholes

Chapter 36 - Nepotism

Chapter 37 - Work-Life Balance

Chapter 38 - Security Breach

Chapter 39 - Plan B

Chapter 40 - Loyalty

Chapter 41 - Networking

Chapter 42 - Executive Decision

Chapter 43 - Schmoozing

Chapter 44 - Old and Cold

Chapter 45 - Strategic Alliance

Chapter 46 - Diamond Hands

Chapter 47 - Employee Retention

Chapter 48 - Failure to Launch

Chapter 49 - Bail Out

Chapter 50 - A/B Testing

Chapter 51 - Action Plan

Chapter 52 - Boil the Ocean

Chapter 53 - Paradigm Shift

Chapter 54 - Shitstorm

Chapter 55 - Term Sheet

Chapter 56 - Closing Arguments

Chapter 57 - Shindig

Chapter 58 - White Knight

Chapter 59 - Whipsaw

Chapter 60 - Performance Review

Epilogue

Foreword

We’re back!  And this is going to be a fun one…

I had originally intended to write this book as a side novel for the earth avatar.  However, in the process of starting that book, I realized that it wasn’t working well as a standalone.  So, I decided to integrate that narrative into the main storyline.  This burned an extra month or two, thus explaining the slightly longer delay since my last release.  However, I think merging the two stories worked out pretty well… although, admittedly, I’m just a tiny bit biased.

Anyway, before we get started, here’s a recap of where we left off in Armageddon. There are a few moving pieces that are relevant in this book, so hopefully this helps bring you all up to speed. Don’t worry, I’ll keep this short and easy to digest:

- At the beginning of Armageddon, Gloria enters Awaken Online and initiates an Armageddon event in game with the help of <Death and Taxes>.  The event throws the entire game world into a panic.  The avatars convene a meeting and are promptly attacked by <Death and Taxes>.  They manage to escape and pinpoint the location where the Armageddon event is being held.

- When the avatars reach the location, something weird is happening to the surroundings – the world has been terraformed and earth elementals are appearing.  They are then confronted by <Death and Taxes>, an army of goblins, and a game master intervenes.  During the ensuing scuffle, the avatars get kidnapped by <Death and Taxes> and teleported to the Mile High Club – the Gambler’s floating club – using one of the Gate Pieces.

- The club is in ruins and the group is separated into two teams: Jason/Alexion and Finn/Eliza.  They are forced through a series of “games” where the members of <Death and Taxes> take turns trying to kill them. During that process, Eliza reveals the conversation she overhead between her parents to Finn – one implying that Rachael’s death wasn’t an accident.  The two group eventually manage to escape and regroup, but not before Eliza is forced to use a potion she had been developing, leading to her new Mold Form.  Jason also takes another step in his evolution, shirking the rest of his humanity and becoming a lich that can augment his form with other corpses.

- The group then confront Smiles and the fight eventually devolves into a 1v1 between Jason and Smiles.  The leader of <Death and Taxes> confronts Jason and reveals he’s doing all of this in order to fight him – he’s already secured more than enough money from his other mercenary contracts to pay her his cancer treatment.  After their fight, they tentatively join forces and return to the coliseum that Gloria has constructed.  They fight Gloria, her companions, and the army of travelers that has traveled there to witness the end of the game world.

- Gloria begins to lose and flees underground where she discovers the relic she’s been searching for.  Jason follows and arrives in time to see Ella (the poison-based dark mage from Hellion) – who is really Gloria’s daughter Sophie – confront her mother.  Ella sacrifices herself to try to stop Gloria, killing them both, but it’s too late.  The orb crashes to the ground and its power is unleashed.

- A wave of earth mana stretches across the game world, terraforming the world and bringing back the former races and avatars, who quickly begin retaking control of their cities.  Meanwhile, Jason and his companions are stuck on the other side of the continent, an army of players still arrayed before them.  And that’s where the book ends… and this one begins!

With that all out of the way, enjoy!  This is probably one of my crazier stories… so, uh, I apologize in advance?  Either way, I can’t wait to hear what you all think!

Prologue

February 4, 2076:  240 Days Before the Release of Awaken Online.

Don’t make sales, make customers.

One of Arcadia Landrey’s professors had told her that the first day of her MBA program.  And the advice had stuck.  Making a sale wasn’t about selling a product.  It was about telling a story – one good enough that the person kept coming back.

The real trick was figuring out what kind of story to tell.

As she surveyed the boardroom, Cady saw a group of old rich guys – and more than a few soon-to-be-old-rich-guys.  These men didn’t care about diversity or climate impact or employee empowerment.  And in their heart of hearts… they also didn’t care about the money.  They cared about what that money bought.  Power.  Respect.  Attention.

It was the suit Bran Sinclair was wearing.  The way he’d positioned himself at the head of the table.  Hell, it was the number of people lining this conference table.  Twenty executives for one pitch?  That was meant to send a message.  A power play.  As good as Bran pulling out his dick and slapping it down on the table – daring anyone else to see if they were able to measure up.

It might not be terribly original, but cliches existed for a reason.

“Well, we’re here,” Bran offered – barely concealed boredom flitting across his face, his attention drifting back to the Core on his wrist.  “What does your consulting firm have for us today?  Something worth the price tag, I hope.”

Cady just smiled.  There was no room for feeble emotions like frustration or disgust here.  This was her battlefield.

“Indeed, we do,” she offered.

She rose, letting the silence stretch.

“You have a problem,” Cady rose, pacing around the table.  “You’re in the transportation business.  You ship approximately 90% of the goods in the U.S.  Nearly 70% worldwide.  You’re currently grossing well over a trillion dollars a year.  Yet growth has stalled year over year.”

She watched those men.  “Why?”

More silence, Cady stalking behind them.

“We need to claim a larger market share—”

“Ennh.  Wrong answer,” Cady offered, patting the man on the shoulder as she passed.

“Shipping costs have gone up as oil reserves are further depleted.  If we explored alternative energy sources, focused on vertical integration to streamline—”

“Nope.  Wrong again,” Cady shot down another of Bran’s cronies.

“Licensing fees to Cerillion for their driverless tech are bleeding us dry—"

“Which isn’t a new problem, is it?” Cady insisted, the man’s jaw snapping shut.

“C’mon.  Anyone?” she demanded.  “Really?”

No one offered an answer.  They looked frustrated, all these powerful men being lectured by a mere consultant.  But her goal wasn’t these cronies and yes men.  Bran was paying attention now.  This was a story about power, after all.

“Hmph,” she murmured.  “The answer seems obvious.

“You’re in the transportation business.  So, find something new to transport.”

Angry murmurs and sputtering met those words, but Cady just raised a delicately manicured eyebrow, smoothing her own suit.  She needed to let them stew for a moment.

“As you said, we already claim a considerable portion of the world’s market share.  What else are we supposed to transport exactly?  We’ve effectively monopolized shipping, rail, drone, and local delivery services,” another man spoke up, earnings nods from around the table.

“That’s why you hired me.  To think outside the box,” Cady shot back with a smile.

She waved at the walls and they rippled, the screens responding.  Images appeared.  Showing the stock prices and financial statements for several companies. They weren’t energy related.  They didn’t have anything to do with wheels, ships, boxes, or drones.

“What is this?” another man murmured.

“Your future,” Cady answered, meeting Bran’s eyes.  He was intrigued now.

“You were all right – at least, in part.  Your company ships most of the world’s goods.  The rest of the market share is largely out of your reach and even if you improved your costs, that’s just helping you tread water more efficiently, isn’t it?” She met each of her detractors’ eyes in turn.  “No, what you need is to shake things up.  Grab the world by the balls and squeeze.  And these days, that means you need to control information.”

“We’re a shipping company—”

“Really?  Thanks for letting me know,” Cady shot back dryly.  Never let the other side control the narrative.  “But you can certainly ship more than physical goods.  The most important commodity in today’s world isn’t goods or services.  It’s attention.  Your competitors understand that.  George Lane understands that.”

Her eyes were on Bran again – noticing the grimace on his lips.

“And with the rise of VR technology, this is even more true now,” Cady continued.  “Cerillion is at the cusp of transforming the digital world and are already making waves about the launch of their new VR tech and game software later this year.  What if you could own the shipping lanes before boats were invented?  Roads before cars came into vogue?”

“So… buy up telecommunications companies?” another man asked incredulously.

“That won’t work,” another piped up.  “The US government is sensitive to private companies monopolizing telecommunications networks – as are many foreign governments.  You all remember that fiasco surrounding net neutrality, don’t you?  This is one issue where everyone tends to agree.”  More nods from around the table.  Must be nice to have an on-call echo chamber.

“There are risks,” Cady acknowledged.  “However, the only way to grow is to expand.  A point I’m sure all of you gentleman understand.”  Now they looked uncomfortable.  It might have been the hand gestures she’d used.

“However, the trouble isn’t politicians.  They can be bought.  As I’m sure you’re all well aware,” she added, with another knowing glance at Bran.  “What you need is to distract the regular joe on the streets.  Avoid causing a stir that’ll shine a spotlight on those politicians and exert public pressure.  In short, you need a smoke screen—"

Another swipe of her hand and the displays changed, now showing the logos of the world’s largest social media companies.  “You need to take control of the narrative.  Divert attention.  The traditional approach would be to acquire any one of these companies.  Make a public offering.  Or make several.  Maybe even propose a few inflammatory changes to how they conduct their business.  Overhaul content moderation.  Threaten to fire staff… or just go ahead fire them all.”

“You’re suggesting creating chaos,” another man gasped.

“Our stock… the legal fees alone—"

“My family is from the country and we have a saying.  You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs,” Cady shot back with a grin.

Silence reigned now.  The others were just staring like she’d grown a second head.

“But there’s also another option.  A cheaper one,” Cady offered, her smile widening.  Another wave and Cerillion Entertainment’s logo was emblazoned across the screens.  “As I said, George Lane is poised to introduce a revolutionary new game that will finally take advantage of his VR technology.  But with great change comes great handwringing.  There’s a sizable segment of the population that’s nervous about this shift and already complaining about safety.

“What if you could undermine that launch?  Use your rival’s product to disguise your own acquisitions?  And by the time they recover… well, you’ll control the highways and shipping lanes.  They’ll be beholden to you.  George Lane will be groveling at your feet, begging you not to throttle bandwidth to his new game.  In fact, here are our income projections—”

The screens shifted once more.  Numbers scrawling.  Big numbers.

She could see it in Bran’s eyes – that moment when she’d won.  That moment when she’d sold him a story of power.  It was one thing to have the attention of the world – to make regular people bow and fawn.  It was another entirely to have the world’s elites groveling at your feet.  That was the true attention this man craved.

“We’ll think it over,” he said finally.

“I’m sure you will,” Cady replied smoothly.

Then she pivoted and walked out of the room without another word.  As soon as she left, she could hear the shouting start – the dull roar audible even through the room’s impressive soundproofing.  It seemed she’d made an impression.  Cady couldn’t help the smile drifting across her face.  She loved this feeling.  The rush of victory—

Her Core chimed at that moment.

Frowning, she tapped at the device.

The sender information that popped up soon blunted the flood of endorphins rushing through Cady’s body, a pit forming in her stomach.  It was from her “mother” – who should have known better than to message her.  Cady had been quite clear the last time they’d spoken.  How long ago was it now?  Nearly ten years?  More?  Should she even read it?

Yet she did.  Some part of herself was still curious.  Still condition to self-flagellate.

And as Cady read the message, an unusual, uncomfortable emotion flitted through her mind.  One she wasn’t accustomed to feeling.  One she’d thought she’d given up and put behind her.  A mixture of dread and fear and… guilt.

There was an accident.  It’s your sister.

***

February 5, 2076:  239 Days Before the Release of Awaken Online.

Somewhere in Texas

Cady’s heels tapped along the cheap linoleum tile lining the hospital corridor.  This place was a shithole.  Broken ceiling tiles.  Empty, dark rooms – moans coming from those shadows.  Flashing lights and call buttons that went unanswered.  The hospital was understaffed, but that was to be expected of a backwater town in the middle of the barren, sun-blighted land of Texas.  With global temperatures continuing to rise, the state had just had its first record 200 days with the temperature above 100 degrees.  Water had to be shipped in from out of state, or purchased from large desalination facilities off the gulf coast for a not-so-small fortune.

Yet another reason she’d gotten out and never looked back.

She soon found her destination.  Another dark room.  The faint beep of a machine breathing life into a haggard-looking, middle-aged woman.  One only a few years older than herself, although the gap in age looked much wider.  Her sister.  Tara Kincaid.  Time hadn’t been kind to her.  Her skin was weathered and sallow.  Contaminated water, poor food, and UV damage, most likely.

Their parents hadn’t had the money to spring for the protective clothing needed to endure the sun here.  Or to buy bottled water instead of relying on the sewage that flowed from their sinks.  Or, wonder of wonders, eat a gods-damned vegetable.  In fact, they probably still insisted that none of this was real.  Climate change was a hoax, after all.  It’d always been this hot.  The sun had always blistered people’s skin in minutes.

Denial at its finest.  Some people were exceptional liars – especially when it came to lying to themselves.  Although, they preferred to call it “faith” down here.

Still, Cady had to resist the urge to say a silent prayer as she watched her sister lying on that bed, her eyes squeezed closed and her breathing labored.  That training was just ingrained, an instinct even after so many years.  Or maybe it was that irritating feeling that’d followed her here, even now writhing in her gut – twisting and coiling.  That familiar guilt.  At what, she wasn’t quite sure—

“You shouldn’t be here,” a voice spoke up.

Cady turned to see a doctor standing there.  Prematurely graying hair and dark circles that spoke of sleepless nights.  His coat was stained in a few spots.  Overworked and underpaid, most likely.

“This area is reserved for—”

“Don’t worry, I have platinum coverage, as does my sister,” Cady interjected, showing him her Core and waving at the woman in the next room.  This system was pay to play.  It always had been, it just made less effort to hide it now.  She’d secretly been paying her sister’s premiums for years.  It was the best she could do under the circumstances.  That was why Tara’s family was probably sitting in a waiting room somewhere, watching a number slowly tick down on a screen – the only hope they had of actually speaking with a doctor.

If they even cared enough to show up, that is.

“Ahh… my apologies.  We don’t often see that sort of coverage here,” the doctor replied after confirming her information, eyeing her with curiosity.  Not that Cady was surprised.  Anyone with means had fled this place a long time ago.

“How is she?” she asked.

The doctor tapped at the wall, and a display appeared showing Tara’s chart.  “She has many of the typical signs of environmental exposure we see in this area.  High levels of carcinogens, likely from UV exposure and drinking the ground water.  Lower organ function.  Early signs of heart disease… and not-so-early signs of diabetes.  Our scans also observed an abnormal number of fractured bones that have healed over time.  Possibly her diet…”

Cady sniffed.  That one was technically environmental, but it wasn’t caused by her diet or the drinking water – they’d only softened up the bone.  Human hands had helped with the rest.

“However, none of those issues are critical,” the doctor continued.  “The primary trauma was to her brain.  She sustained a serious blow to the head.  We did the best we could to reduce the swelling, but it had already affected her brain stem by the time she arrived.”

He hesitated, grimacing.  “I’m not sure when… or if, she’ll wake up again.”

Cady swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat.

“Is there nothing else you can do?  Transfer her to a better facility?  Experimental treatments and therapies?” She demanded.  “She certainly has the coverage.”

“She does,” the doctor admitted, but he shook his head.  Cady knew that look in his eye.  He’d already given up.  “They likely won’t help her.”

“Likely?” Cady demanded.

“I’m sorry… they won’t help her.  Some things can’t be fixed,” he answered.  “However, her plan includes extended end of life care.  She could remain on life support indefinitely—”

The rest was a blur.  Cady tuned him out – simply staring at Tara.

Or, at least, what was left of her.  This hollow, still-breathing husk.

She wasn’t sure how long she stood in that hallway – even after the doctor wandered off, his Core chiming out a warning and the man offering a hasty excuse.  Cady had just nodded numbly, watching her sister’s ruined body.  Those same unwelcome feelings surged and swelled.  Threatened to overwhelm her.  And below it all was the anger.  At her parents.  At that fucking doctor that had already given up.  Even at Tara… that selfish bitch.  All of this could have been avoided.  Tara could have just left, run away with Cady when she’d had the chance.

Yet all of that anger was just masking the real question…

What the fuck was she supposed to do now?

“Hello.  Would you happen to be Arcadia Landrey?”

She turned, arching a manicured brow.  This man didn’t look like either a doctor or a patient of this shithole.  He wore an impeccably tailored suit and glasses rested on the bridge of his nose.  His skin was pale, which spoke of days spent at a desk and out of the harsh sun.  Attorney?  Accountant maybe?  She had a knack for reading people.

“It’s Cady,” she replied evenly, her eyes returning to her sister.

“Well, my name is Francis Rosencrantz,” the man continued.  “I’m an attorney.”

Ha, got it on the first try…

“You chase the ambulance here or what?”

“Not exactly,” Francis replied, pushing at his glasses.  “In fact, you could say that I chased you.”  That had Cady’s attention.  Her eyes whipped back to his face.

“Me?  Why?”  She was in no mood to mince words.

“A job opportunity.”

She laughed – a tinkling sound – turning away.  “I have a job.  One that pays quite well.”

“Ahh, of course.  But money can’t solve all problems,” Francis replied gently.  “For example, money can’t help your sister, now can it?”

“And you can?” Cady replied, not moving an inch.  The negotiations had already begun.

Francis smiled delicately.  “Well, not me, personally, of course.  But my employer could help.  We happen to be working on a new product… one that’s quite revolutionary.  One that might even be able to help your sister – give her some semblance of a life again.”

Cady knew when she was being sold a bill of goods.  Francis was offering her a story – one she desperately wanted to hear.  The roles had been reversed often enough for that to be obvious.  And yet, it was still working.

“Who’s your employer?” Cady asked.

“I believe you may already be familiar with him.  His name is George Lane.”

Cady’s lips parted in surprise, the only reaction she gave.  “And he wants to hire me?  I suspect you know my firm has ties to the Sinclair family, yes?”

“We’re aware of your former affiliations,” Francis replied.  “However, such relationships are fluid.  And you strike me as a pragmatist.”

“Yet I’m sure there are others with less troubling… affiliations.”

“None with your credentials.”  The answer was smoothly delivered.  “Top of your class at Georgetown Law, MBA from Wharton.  Your accomplishments are extensive.  A rising star with a client list full of industry titans – men and women with enough wealth to rival many industrialized nations.  You would be a perfect fit for the project we have in the works.”

“A project, huh?” Cady offered.  “What is it?”

Francis cocked his head.  “That I can’t say.  Not here, anyway.  But if you’re interested, all you need to do is sign this NDA and show up at our headquarters in four days.  We will take care of your sister – including all transportation and care.”  As he finished speaking, Cady’s Core chimed and the contract’s text scrawled through the air beside her.

“Anyway, just think about it,” Francis offered before stepping away.

Leaving Cady alone with her thoughts once more.  Thoughts that spiraled and undulated, swirling in a chaotic vortex of emotion – no longer the placid calm of the battlefield.  She should just walk away.  That was the smart move.  Call her partners.  Leverage this new deal.  Cash in and put this sun-blighted desert far behind her.  Ignore that guilty serpent still coiling in her stomach.  And yet… she was hesitating.

“Damn it,” Cady muttered, watching her sister. “You’re an idiot.”

She just wasn’t sure whether she was talking about Tara or herself.

Chapter 1 - Unfrozen

December 1, 2076:  61 days after the release of Awaken Online.

Cerillion Entertainment Headquarters

For Cady, time seemed to lengthen and stretch.  Seconds ticking passed with excruciating slowness.  The world brought to an adrenaline-fueled crawl.

It hadn’t been long since her Core had chimed; since that message had notified her that her AO account had been unfrozen, but she’d had difficulty thinking about anything else.  Even assuming her professional demeanor – putting on the typical dog and pony show for the parade of incredibly wealthy clients that streamed through the Lazarus Program facility – was a challenge.  One she didn’t normally have any trouble facing.

Yet she bore it.  The fake smiles and empty pleasantries and the wandering eyes of men who were old enough to be her father… or grandfather, in a few cases.  And the women who seemed to treat her like an overpriced secretary.  Which she most definitely was not.

She’d somehow managed to bite her tongue.  To keep smiling.

Even while she was screaming in the back of her mind.   She’d given up enough money to buy a small island at her former firm to work here of all places.  In this concrete basement buried deep beneath Cerillion Entertainment headquarters and filled with a bunch of nerds tapping away at computers, doctors in white lab coats, and a room filled with—

Well, pods was the only word that fit.  Sleek tubes of metal and glass, the surface frosted over with thick condensation.  Panels beside each pod flickered and flashed, showing detailed scans of each occupant’s brain.  Complete neural maps that rippled in a rainbow of colors.  A row of frigid bodies that would never truly wake.

Cady was currently staring down at one of those metal pods.  Alone in yet another concrete room.  Her shift was over for the day.  She should be returning to her apartment.  Pulling out that now-dusty, plastic headset from under her bed.  Preparing for what was coming next…

But first, she needed to come here.  It was a ritual.  A compulsion.

Her hand shifted forward, fingers touching at the glass, the moisture smearing away to reveal the familiar, placid face of her sister.  Tara’s heart was still beating.  Her chest rising and falling – assisted by the thick nano gel filling the pod.  Yet her eyes would never open.  She would never greet her sister again.  Cady would never get a chance to confront her…

“Why didn’t you leave?” she muttered.  “You could have come with me.  Escaped.  Ran away.  But you chose to stay.  Which is how we both ended up here.  Caged and shackled.  Because of your choices.”

Her fist thumped the glass, her words leaving a bitter taste on her tongue.  Even after everything, she was still angry.  Angry at the sour feeling in her stomach that hadn’t truly disappeared since she’d read that damned message almost a year ago.  Angry at her sister’s weakness.  And maybe at her own?  If she’d just been more persuasive…

No, no sense going down that road again.

Besides, silence was her only response.  Because, of course it was.  She didn’t know what she’d expected.  It was always the same.  There was no closure to be found here no matter how many times she visited this place – the Wetware Wing, her coworkers called it.  A macabre engineering joke.  But Cady didn’t see the humor in it.  To the men and women who worked in this cyber dungeon, these were simply experiments – labeled by serial number and filed away in a backroom.  Objectified and treated like another rack of servers.

But this woman had had a life.  A family.  A sister.

Cady’s fingers balled into fists atop the pod, the glass chilly against her skin.  Too cold.  That cold even chilled her own anger.  It was pointless anyway.  Cady couldn’t change the past.

At least… not here.  Which was a reminder.  She needed to get moving.  There was still one more stop left.  Yet she hesitated at the door, turning back to that pod.

“Don’t worry,” Cady whispered into that stillness.  “I’m still going to protect you.”

Then the door thudded closed, the lock clicked into place, and the lights winked out.

***

Thump, thump, thump.

Cady’s fist pounded against the smooth surface of the door as the monitors lining the hallway flickered and flashed.  Some stupid old videogame was playing on the screens.  A trousered plumber hopping over mutant mushrooms and diving into sewage drains.  A misuse of company property, but she was hardly surprised.  It just confirmed she was in the right place.

“What?  What is it?” a voice suddenly croaked as the door creaked open, Robert Graham rubbing his eyes tiredly.  “Cady?  What… what time is it?” he muttered, tapping at his Core.

“Doesn’t matter,” she replied, pushing past him and inside.  She’d dealt with Robert before.  Best to get straight to the point.  It was the only way to handle his sort.

However, Cady froze as she entered the room.  She was surprised to find Robert’s apartment nearly spotless.  Cleaned of the clutter, textbooks, broken and half-dismantled equipment, and the stacks of empty pizza boxes.  It almost looked… normal?  Which was eerie.  The last time she’d had the courage to venture inside his apartment, it had been a mess.

Apparently, hell could actually freeze over.

“Well, welcome to my humble—”

“I’m taking off for the next few weeks,” Cady interrupted, recovering from her surprise quickly.  She needed to maintain her momentum.

“Um, I’m not sure that’s going to—”

“I’m not asking.  I’m telling,” Cady insisted, rounding on the engineer.

He looked confused.  Flustered.  He was accustomed to dealing with Claire’s more insipid and bashful demeanor or poking at George until he broke in exasperation – more interested in getting rid of the engineer than standing his ground.  Yet Robert regained his composure quickly.  “This is rather short notice.  How will the program continue to operate without—”

“I’ve already handled it.  Clients have been rescheduled accordingly,” Cady announced.

She’d seen this coming for days now – watching the live streams in-game.  The avatars all gunning to stop some sort of “Armageddon” event. Duking it out in a floating city – one that was eerily familiar.  And all of that culminating in a showdown with none other than Gloria Bastion and the release of some sort of magical artifact, the game world transformed in a haze of glowing green energy.  But the clock had only begun ticking once her Core chimed; once she was invited back into AO for the first time in months.

Not that she intended to explain her urgency to Robert.

The engineer’s mouth opened.  Closed.  Opened again, and then…

“George isn’t going to like this,” he muttered.

Cady shrugged.  “Not my problem.”  She tapped at her Core, a display appearing nearby, a contract scrawling through the air, one section highlighted in glowing relief.  “My employment agreement clearly states that I may take my leave at my discretion.  And I’m sure you can smooth things over with George.  Since I’ve been here, we’ve been able to successfully monetize your product… you know, instead of just hiring an army of programmers to sit in a basement with a bunch of human popsicles.”

Robert looked confused – whether from sleep or shock, Cady couldn’t be certain.

“Could I at least ask why you’re taking off?” Robert asked, recovering gradually and smoothing back his unruly hair.  She’d timed this perfectly.

“You can, but I won’t answer,” Cady replied smoothly.  “But that reminds me, I also need something from you – a favor, I suppose.  You know, for saving your program and all.”

“Hey, we brought in your sister—”

“Uh huh,” Cady interjected again.  She needed to keep him on the defensive, off balance.  The engineer was craftier than he looked.  She knew that firsthand.  “And I know you won’t cut her from the program, will you?  You need her now.  Or did you forget about what happened during the beta?”  Robert swallowed hard.  He hadn’t, apparently.

That had been a royal clusterfuck.  One Robert had been forced to sweep under the rug while the game was still being reviewed by the CPSC.  A problem that Cady had never asked for.  She hadn’t just opened Pandora’s Box.  She’d ripped off the damn lid and jumped inside…

“What is that you want?” he asked finally, grimacing.  It seemed she’d won.

“That’s better,” she replied with a faint smirk.  She couldn’t help it. It’d been a long day.  She felt entitled to revel a bit.  “I want you to bring down the servers for ‘maintenance.’  At least for a few days.”

“A few days?  We can’t do that!” Robert replied, looking almost outraged.  “Have you been watching what’s going on?  We have a mob outside the building protesting, the entire game world has been terraformed, and our active player count just hit an all-time high.  Hell, I’ve had the director of Vermillion beating down my door for days now.  I’ve only slept like 10 minutes in the last—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Cady replied evenly.  “But you owe me, remember?  And besides, you have a ready-made explanation.  It’s really important that you focus on the safety and integrity of the game right now, isn’t it?” she offered with a raised brow.  “Especially after that break-in a few days ago.  We wouldn’t want a repeat during such a pivotal moment, now would we?”

“No one is going to buy that,” Robert grumbled, crossing his arms.

She tapped at her lips in thought.  “Maybe.  But the timing is odd when you think about it,” Cady murmured in thought.

“How so?” he grunted, now looking suspicious.

“Really?  You don’t see it?  Someone accessed the company’s systems just before an event was triggered that transformed the entire game world.  Not only that, but Gloria Bastion of all people was the one behind it?”  Cady gave a shrug.  “Seems like one hell of a coincidence to me.  Almost like the CPSC or a rogue agent breached your system.  I wonder what other sort of information they might have managed to steal…”

He was looking nervous now.  “And if I’ve connected those dots already, I suspect others have wondered the same thing,” Cady continued.  “Now, just imagine if there was an anonymous leak confirming it…”

Robert winced.  He was almost there, he just needed another small push.

“You’d have the CPSC breathing down your neck again, talking about player privacy this time – and with some decent ammo.  And then there’s the players.  Can you imagine how many would be asking for a server rollback?” Cady asked, wide-eyed and feigning innocence.  “That seems like it would put a real kink in your and George’s plans.”

Silence reigned, the engineer futilely trying to think his way out of the corner she’d painted him into.  This was the trouble with intrigue and lies.  Eventually, they caught up with you.

Well, unless you were born into deceit like Cady.

“I think you may be the devil,” Robert muttered finally.

She smiled sweetly.  “Better the devil you know than an angry mob of nerds, I always say.”

The engineer seemed to deflate.  “Okay… okay, I can probably swing a couple days.  That might even build the hype.”  He looked toward his work console and let out a sigh.  “I could probably blame server stability or something.”

“Perfect,” Cady purred, turning… only to hesitate theatrically. Maybe she should have gone into theater instead of law. “Oh, and one last thing.”

Robert definitely flinched this time.  “No.  That’s it!  I’m already going to get chewed out over this as it is.  You don’t know how much is at stake here.”

Oh, but she did.  That was the problem, wasn’t it?

“C’mon, you worry too much,” Cady drawled. “You’ll enjoy this one.”

He didn’t look convinced.

“What is it?” Robert grumbled finally.

“Despite what you’ll be telling the public, I need you to keep the servers online and give me access to the game.  Also, Jason needs to have access as well,” Cady answered.

The engineer just stared, his mental wheels spinning into overdrive this time.  She could practically see smoke pouring out of his ears.

“What are you planning to do?” Robert asked suspiciously.

Cady just smiled.  “Oh, not much.  We just need to go on a field trip.  Don’t worry, I know you want to put on one hell of a show – you have to.  And this will help.”

“How exactly?”

“That’s a secret and you don’t want me to ruin the surprise, do you?” Cady answered, her smile widening.  “But if Jason’s involved, I’m sure it’ll go sideways in spectacular fashion.  You might even be able to save some face with George.”  A small carrot.

Robert mulled on her last request for a moment and then nodded in defeat.

“Great doing business with you, as always,” Cady chirped and then stepped toward the door, the portal sliding open.  She heard a cough from behind her.

“Can you please try not to fuck things up so badly this time?” Robert asked finally.

She shot him a look over her shoulder.  “No promises.”

And then Cady stepped out, the door clicking shut behind her.

She immediately slumped back against the wall, eyes closed and taking controlled breaths, her heart racing.  That had gone better than expected.  Dealing with Robert was always a gamble, but she’d planned this perfectly.  Lined up the timing – one of her spies in the Control Room letting her know that Robert had finally left to take a nap.  Made sure to carefully call in her favors one by one, appealing to his vanity, his obsession, and carefully playing her trump cards.

At the end of the day, Robert only wanted one thing: AO to succeed.

In that, they were aligned.  At least, for the moment.

Her eyes snapped open.  Now she only had to convince one more person.

It was time for her to finally meet Jason.

Chapter 2 - Unpredictable

Somewhere Inside Awaken Online

“Well… shit,” Jason muttered.

His skeletal feet dug into fresh soil, all signs of Gloria’s coliseum having long vanished – thousands of tons of broken rock disappearing in a dazzling emerald cascade.  That energy had carved a deep furrow in the land, forming a dead-end valley where only flat ground had once lingered. A sheer cliff now rested at his back and the valley’s walls towered around him.

The strange temple Jason had discovered deep below ground was… well, no longer all that deep.  The structure was carved into the cliff face and the entrance now rested well above surface level, a winding dirt path leading to that doorway.  And, inside, Jason suspected Gloria and her daughter Ella’s – or Sophie’s – skeletal remains were still wrapped in a deadly, macabre embrace.  The remains of that crystalline globe littered across the floor…

Evidence of his failure.

But that was in the past.

The future was arrayed before him.  Unfortunately, it looked equally grim.

Emerald energy lingered on the horizon.  And amid that glow were bastions of light – enormous columns of mana that stretched up toward the heavens.  Orange, yellow, black, white, and blue.  They announced the transformation of the game’s elemental cities.  The emergence of new creatures, new residents… and new enemies.  Jason had read the prompt.  The avatars of old apparently walked this world once more.  But, thankfully, they were all quite far away.

They had a few more immediate problems.

Like the legion of travelers who milled about the valley.  Many had died against [Death and Taxes], had perished just before that wave of green energy had struck and the respawn generator had sputtered out.  But tens of thousands remained.  Possibly even hundreds.  All Jason knew was that there were still far too many to count.  For now, they were distracted.  Reading the system message.  Swiping at their screens and watching live streams showcasing other parts of the game world. Desperately typing out messages to stranded party members and guildmates. Muttering and talking with each other.  A few arguments had already ignited into open brawls – many of the travelers still amped from their attack on the coliseum.

And all of them grappling with the same questions as Jason.

What had happened to the other residents? Had they all survived?  Only some?  None at all?  What had happened to all that work they had put into restoring and rebuilding the Twilight Throne?  The other cities?  Who were these new avatars?  Enemies?  Possible allies?  How had that simple crystal globe caused such a widespread change?  Had that been earth mana trapped inside?  That same energy that had swept across the game world?   But that was impossible for a normal player… so were they facing another avatar?  But who?  And how had Gloria known where to look to find that temple?  The break in at Cerillion?  That virus that Robert had said was conveniently stored right next to the information Finn had been searching for?

And above it all… one final question.

What the hell were they going to do now?

Riley’s fingers twined through Jason’s.  He could barely feel the gesture – his previous pale flesh replaced with hardened and reinforced bone.  His corrupted body tucked away beneath his cloak, the sunlight searing where it managed to pierce the dense fabric and the occasional coil of smoky energy drifting away from his feet and legs.

Yet he still took her meaning.  He wasn’t alone.  Frank was still there.  As was Silver.  Even Jerry was at a loss for words – a first for him.  Too bad Jason couldn’t appreciate that right now.

The other avatars stood around the temple entrance.  Finn, Julia, and Kyyle. Eliza and Brian. Smiles and his crew… even Alexion. The goblins were gone – blown apart by the legion of travelers and the respawn generator now flickering and damaged.  According to Smiles, they would respawn back at their city, but they couldn’t count on any reinforcements right now.  That goblin summoning ability he’d used had a cooldown.  A hefty one.

Thankfully, the other travelers were occupied for the moment.  But that wouldn’t last forever.  And beyond them were even more fearsome enemies.  Armies from a time long past.

They needed to regroup.  To fight. To survive. But where to even start?

Jason forced his spinning thoughts to calm.  This was just another fight – a war that he would need to take one battle at a time. He needed to focus on what he did best.  He was a Necromancer.  Which meant, he needed to fight smarter… not harder.

“Group up,” Jason ordered, his voice still a raspy whisper – his new throat not quite mimicking his normal speech.  He would need to fix that eventually.

The others pushed in closer – the avatars, their lieutenants, and Smiles’ group of perpetually smiling sadists.

“Uh, so some of these people look they still really want to kill us,” Pewpew offered, glancing over her shoulder and palming a pistol nervously.  “Just sayin’.”

“That’s our first problem,” Jason answered with a nod.  “The respawn field is gone.”  Indeed, the generator sat dark and idle nearby, its cores drained dry and parts of the generator clearly damaged.  They might be able to repair and recharge it eventually.  But likely not before a legion of travelers decided to murder them.

“Which means if we die out here—” Jason began.

“We’ll return to our previous respawn points,” Alexion interjected with a scowl.  “Which for most of us means our cities – cities now full of enemy creatures, residents, and these new avatars.”

“I hate to agree with Captain Nightlight here, but judging from the videos, this place is actually looking pretty safe,” Frank muttered, swiping at his screens as he filtered through live feeds from the other cities.  Alexion just let out a huff and crossed his arms at the use of another nickname.  A muted response for him – one that indicated just how worried he was.

Jason grunted in acknowledgement, his eyes drifting to Finn.  He’d been quiet, staring off into space, only occasionally swiping at the air.  Despair had the older man’s shoulders slumping forward, his eyes crinkled in concern.  He looked suddenly older.  Finn had a lot riding on this game… perhaps more than the rest of them.  If Sandscrit was no longer in his control – including his mana well – then he’d also lost Rachael.  Julia stood beside him, her expression equally bleak, Kyyle’s fingers winding through her own.  They almost looked like they were in mourning.

That meant he couldn’t count on Finn and his group to be proactive.

Yet another gods damned problem.

“This valley is a death trap now,” Jason explained.  “The bounty on my head is still unclaimed, which means that Gloria wasn’t able to cash in on it.

“Or all of those mages she had slaved to her account are bickering over who should get credit,” Frank offered, cocking his head and tilting his screen toward Jason to showcase the many, many forum posts on Rogue-Net currently debating that very topic.

Riley shook her head.  “Not that it matters.  Even without a financial incentive to kill us, it’s only a matter of time before some of those travelers decide to finish what Gloria started.  None of us are exactly well-loved.”

“Speak for yourself,” Bard quipped, flicking at the brim of his hat as he began strutting toward the throng of travelers.  “Perhaps I should simply go address my adoring fans—”

He was cutoff as bands of smoke wrapped his body, slithering across his mouth and anchoring him to the ground, the restraints holding firm despite how hard he tried to break out of his bonds.  “I think I speak for everyone when I say that your “help” would just get us all killed faster,” Smokes drawled from where he lounged on a cloud of hazy vapor.

Smiles eyed their surroundings, ignoring Bard’s muffled pleas for help.  “Our position is terrible.  We’re exposed.  Boxed in by this natural valley.  Nowhere to retreat,” he offered, gesturing at the cliff at their backs, the temple’s entrance a lone dark doorway carved into the stone.  “And there are a lot of travelers.  More than we can handle.”

“Maybe we should just log out and wait for things to cool down?” Blaze offered.

“Then what?” Riley demanded.  “We’d end up back here eventually.  Except then we’d have thousands of players camping our login location and we’d have given them time to come up with a plan.  Not a winner of an idea.”

The older woman just let out a noncommittal grunt.  Riley wasn’t wrong.

“Which leaves what?  Running?” Eliza piped up, Brian hovering about her protectively, his glowing blue eyes watching the group and the travelers warily.

Smiles just shot Pewpew and Tombs a questioning glance.

“I don’t have nearly enough mana for that,” Pewpew offered dryly, eyeing the ridges surrounding them.  “Best I could do is take you all one at a time, but it’ll take a dozen jumps at least to clear the cliffs now that they’ve been terraformed.”

The earth mage shook his head.  “There are also too many of you for me to Phase everyone.  And this is solid rock around us.  Most of you will probably die before we can get up to the clifftop.  Unless you can all hold your breath for roughly ten minutes anyway.”

“You should have trained more instead of lazing about,” Bard muttered, barely managing to rip off his smoky gag and his skin suffused with yellow energy.  “I told you that you needed to work harder to earn your Gopher Medal.”

“And, yet again, this isn’t the damned Girl Scouts.  I don’t give a crap about your made-up badges!” Tombs grumbled.  “Besides, that’s rich coming from the guy that spent most of his training sessions stroking his instrument,”

“Ha, I see what you did there,” Bard shot back with a chuckle.  “I’m not even angry—"

Jason had already tuned out their bickering.  Tombs’ Phasing ability didn’t pose much risk to him.  He could manage without lungs or a beating heart, but the others weren’t so lucky.  And he and the other avatars could probably roll the dice on facing the other travelers directly, but what about Silver?  Even now, Jason could see Frank side-eying her with a worried expression.  No doubt, he was thinking the same thing.  That meant at least four of their members were distracted – emotion clouding their judgment.  As if they didn’t have enough problems…

Damn it.  So, a straight fight was impossible.  Running was out… at least, for now.  Their best bet was to buy time to come up with a better plan or figure out a way to evacuate everyone safely.  Jason glanced at the temple at their backs.  That was their only choice.  Get inside and fortify.  Force the throng of travelers into a narrow chokepoint.

His attention whipped back to the others, Jason’s hands swiping at the air as he merged their groups into a single raid.  “Then we use the temple.  We’ll try to hold our ground as best we can.  Maybe we can tunnel out of there if we can buy enough time.  Or if you all can provide some corpses, maybe I can summon a Carry-On Worm,” he offered.

“Got it,” Smiles grunted before looking to Queen.  “Give us some cover to reposition.”

“I’ll need a distraction,” Queen replied, shooting Alexion a meaningful glance.

“C’mon Captain Nightlight… sparkle for us,” Bard managed to squeak out around his gag.

The avatar of light looked like he wanted to murder the wannabe minstrel, but seemed to think better of it as his attention shifted back to the army of travelers.  He let out a sigh.  “Fine.  Everyone cover your eyes—”

That was all the warning they received, mana already pooling in Alexion’s hands.  That energy grew into a blinding sphere before exploding in a massive detonation – like the sun had suddenly risen from the valley floor.  Shouts of alarm and pain went up from the travelers.

However, as that light cleared, it revealed the group still standing there.  “No need to worry!” Jason shouted.  “We’re just trying to gather information and I needed the extra light to apply another coat of eyeliner.  It’s a delicate process—”

“Who is that talking?” Jason asked more quietly as the group fled back to the temple.  They were invisible, each member outlined in hazy blue in his UI – no doubt, a function of Queen’s illusions.  He had to admit, it was eerie to watch his clone talking.

“Bard,” Queen muttered.  “He can get away fast if anything goes wrong.  But I can’t easily mimic sound, especially not while maintaining this many illusions.”

“You need to have our clones form another sensor array or something,” Eliza piped up.  “Otherwise, they won’t fall for the ruse.  The illusions need to be more authentic.”

“I’m already doing what I can,” Queen shot back, her tone icy.

“Well, then try harder,” Eliza hissed under her breath.

It seemed the avatar of water hadn’t forgotten how Queen had tried to kill her…

“She does have a point—” Tombs offered gingerly.

“Shut it,” Queen growled.

Yet she grudgingly accepted the suggestion.  A makeshift tower of sand and rock soon crept away from the ground as the group fled.  The travelers quieted down some – most accepting the half-baked explanation.  Jason could even see a few of the larger guilds holding off their members as the guild leaders realized the benefit of getting the sensor online.  They needed information too.  Maybe that would buy them a few minutes.

The group soon crossed the threshold into the temple.  Sapphire energy pulsed and water sloughed from their bodies, soaking the worn stone underfoot as the illusions concealing their presence disappeared.  Eliza grudgingly handed Queen a mana potion and she chugged the contents, the glass vial shattering against the stone floor a moment later.  Another glance out of the doorway confirmed that their doppelgangers were still there, although the other guild leaders were beginning to round on them, Bard offering ever more crazy explanations.

“We only have a few minutes at most,” Queen muttered, her wand flaring in her hand and her mana already plummeting again in Jason’s UI.  “Eventually, some idiot will try shooting them.”

“That should be enough,” Jason replied. “We’ll use that time to fortify the entrance as best we can.”

Jason glanced at Finn – the older man’s eyes still distant, a scowl on his lips.  No doubt, he was looking at his screens.  Surveying his losses.  Trying to get news from Sandscrit.  Jason understood, but that distraction might cost them everything.

“Finn?” Jason ventured.  No response.  “Finn!” he snapped.

The man finally looked at him.  “I know how important your… city is to you,” Jason said, choosing his words carefully.  Most of the people here didn’t understand what was at stake for the avatar of flame.  “However, this war is far from over.  We will get Sandscrit back, but to do that, first we need to survive.”

“He’s right.  We need to fight,” Julia spoke up.

“Together,” Kyyle added.

Finn nodded, tentatively at first and then more firmly.  His molten eyes shot back to Jason’s face, some of his usual piercing focus returning.  “What do you need from us?”

Jason glanced at the temple entrance.  “Make it as hard as possible for the travelers to get inside.  Smiles’ crew has the manpower to cover the entrance, but they aren’t going to be able to reinforce that wall or use the environment to create obstacles.  Your group can.”

At a wave from Finn, Daniel shot off, the fire elemental scanning the rock.  The older man was soon tapping his lips as he inspected the temple entrance.  “I think we can work with this.  His eyes swept to the side of the room.  “I even see an ore vein we can use.  Kyyle—”

Finn’s words faded as the trio set off.  Emerald energy was soon cascading across the entrance, the rock reinforced with more stone.  Meanwhile, Finn spun up a pair of flaming drills, smashing and reshaping a few of his dark orbs before cutting into the nearby wall with a whirring grind.  That noise would soon alert the travelers – but Queen’s illusions wouldn’t last long any—

The figures in the distance suddenly disappeared, a shout going up from the travelers outside and steam wafting through the air.  The Fireballs had completely evaporated the water-based illusions.  Only moments later, Bard sped through the entrance in a blur of motion whistling a jaunty tune and yellow energy suffusing his body again.

“So, uh, they all seem really angry.  Can’t imagine why,” Bard offered sarcastically.

“We need more time,” Jason said, looking at Smiles and his crew this time.  They weren’t ready to face that horde yet.

The large man nodded.  “I have a backup plan.”

As he finished speaking, Smiles stepped outside, facing off against a legion of travelers, many of whom were already approaching the temple.  Yet he seemed unconcerned, crossing his arms as he let out a loud whistle.  Wingman came running, letting out a squawk that echoed across the entire valley.  If the travelers hadn’t noticed that the avatars had claimed the temple before, then they definitely had now.

Just what the hell is Smiles’ move here—

Yet that thought fled Jason’s mind as he witnessed something impossible. Wingman suddenly blossomed in size, growing from a mere three feet to two dozen in the span of seconds.  The chicken soon towered over the field, each footfall causing the earth to tremble.  Smiles gestured at the legion of players and the oversized chicken took off into the field, her feet crushing two travelers while her beak neatly sliced a man in half before eating the remains with a sharp snap.  She was carnage incarnate and left a bloody wake of broken bodies behind her as she rampaged.  The travelers tried to fight back, but spells seemed to have little effect on the chicken and normal weapons simply bounced off her feathers.

“Okay, I wasn’t expecting that,” Jason murmured.

“Me either,” Riley offered with a shake of her head.  “But more importantly, how can we help?” she asked, waving at Jerry beside her.

“Scout the temple,” Jason offered.  “Your Night Vision will work well down here.  See if you can find us a way out… or at least somewhere to retreat if things goes south.”  Riley nodded and she and Jerry suddenly disappeared in a blur of movement.

Which left Eliza and Brian standing beside him.  Jason eyed the younger girl.  She had shed some of her uncertainty after Sandscrit and then the Mile High Club.  Which was good.  There wouldn’t be any room for doubt or hesitation here.

“So, if you could—”

Eliza quickly interrupted him.  “It’s already being done,” she answered, turning slightly.  Jason could see bright sapphire droplets dripping from her fingers, roots threading down beneath Brian and burrowing into the temple floor.  “We’ll help defend the temple.”

It seemed he’d been right.  Eliza had changed.

“Good,” Jason replied.  “I never had any doubt.”

Someone sniffed at his shoulder and Jason turned to see Alexion smirking at him.  “Really?  Because I’ve been watching you, and you sure look worried.  At least, for a sack of bones.”

“Funny.  You going to actually help or just stand around talking shit?”

An arm slunk around Alexion’s shoulders before he could reply and the avatar winced as a familiar voice spoke up. “Sorry, couldn’t help but overhear,” Bard chirped.  “We could actually really use your help.  Our crew requires buffs!  And who better than the Majestic Bard and my mobile disco ball here?!”

“Over my cold, dead body,” Alexion grunted back.

“I bet your necromancer pal here could make that happen,” Bard offered with a chuckle.

Jason cocked his head.  It was a fair point.  And zombie Alexion would be far less mouthy.

Alexion saw Jason weighing the option and sighed.  “Damn it, fine.  Where do you—”

He was cutoff as Bard whistled again and half dragged the Nephilim across the room in a flash of movement, regrouping with the other mercenaries.  The whine of a guitar and a bright white glow soon spread among the members of the raid, growing in strength with each passing second.  Notifications streamed down in front of Jason, highlighting increases to their mana regeneration, damage resistance, strength and speed.  It seemed there were a few advantages to working together.  Go figure.

Which just left one last group…

Jason could see Silver hovering by Frank’s side, eyeing his screens with him.  Neither of them looked happy at what they were seeing.

“Any news?” Jason asked as he approached.

“Nothing good,” Frank grunted, waving at his many displays.

Jason could see the results for himself.  Each screen told the same story.  Travelers gunned down by horrific beasts.  Cities transformed and residents disappearing in a murky green haze.  Others popping into existence – angels, sandy demons, merfolk, and undead.  It was utter chaos.

“The intel from the Twilight Throne is the most troubling,” Frank muttered, gesturing at one screen. The display blossomed in size, showcasing a strange scene.  “We’ve been getting some video from the other members of <Original Sin>.  See for yourself…”

Onscreen, a carriage approached one of the divisions of <Original Sin> – the group well trained and equipped.  Jason even recognized the group’s leader.  Madison.  Talented woman.  She’d been one of Morgan’s first recruits – one of the few pupils the old woman didn’t bitch about relentlessly.  She and her companions currently stood among the remains of many native undead, evidence of a successful fight.

As the carriage rolled up to the group – pulled by skeletal horses – the scattered bones rose from the ground, reforming back into a legion of undead in an instant.  The members of <Original Sin> acted quickly and formed up, creating a defensive circle.  However, strangely, the native undead made no move to attack.  They only stood there… watching with soulless, dark eyes.

The carriage creaked to a halt and the door opened smoothly.  A man wrapped in shadow emerged, his face and body entirely obscured.  The rest was a bloodbath.  At wave of his hand, the native undead launched forward.  Madison’s group was cut down in an instant.  Outnumbered, surrounded, their bodies riddled with curses.

The image soon hovered on that strange man’s face, Madison lying on the ground, her blood leaking out around her and her breathing raspy.  Punctured lung, most likely.

“Who… who are you?” Madison grunted.

The man let out a low chuckle devoid of humor.  “Poor, dear human.  Do you not recognize me?  I am the incarnation of desire.  The ruler of the Twilight Throne.  The avatar of darkness.”

Madison choked out, “You’re a liar.  Jason… Jason is the avatar.”

“We shall see, we shall see,” the figure whispered.  He turned to the north, his attention on the dark spires that coiled up above the treetops.  “I’m curious to meet this Jason.”

Then the screen went dark.

It seemed the prompt hadn’t lied.  The other avatars had returned.  And judging from the timestamp on that video, this had happened about twenty minutes ago.

“If he makes it to the Twilight Throne—” Jason murmured, a dull ache in his chest.

Screams echoed in the distance and Jason turned toward the temple’s entrance just in time to see a traveler’s body fly up into the sky. Wingman neatly snatched the screaming man from the air with her beak.  A swift crunch and a shower of blood and the shrieks stopped, the other travelers shuffling back in a nervous wave.

Moments later, Bard’s voice boomed out across the crowd.

“Why hello there, army of angry travelers!  I get that you’re upset, but, well, Wingman here might be even more angry.  She hasn’t gotten to eat in at least… um, well, thirty seconds or so? Which is just terrible!  You wouldn’t believe the number of calories it takes to maintain that magnificent physique and she can get a little hangry between snacks.

“Which is why we have a proposal.  Shut up, sheath your weapons, and put away those fancy spells or we’ll let Wingman eat you!  Simple, right?”

The travelers hesitated, eyeing each other and the giant chicken who stood there preening, her chest puffed up to make her look even bigger.  This sure felt like a bluff, despite the chicken’s strength and resilience.  Jason wasn’t sure whether a single, oversized chicken could handle tens of thousands of players.  But it was that same uncertainty that had more than a few travelers sheathing their swords, mana flickering before vanishing.

It was a clever play.  One that would work for now – a precarious balance.

It seemed Smiles and his crew had come through; had bought them some time.  Now if Riley and Jerry could just find a way out, then maybe the defenses Finn and Eliza were preparing wouldn’t be necessary.  Perhaps they could even extricate themselves from this situation without this turning into a bloodbath.  Again.

Although, Jason’s relief proved to be short lived.  A prompt suddenly appeared before him, glowing a bright blue, each word quickly squashing his feeble hopes.

Universal System Notice

Due to the extreme load on our servers caused by the recent in-game event, we will need to bring them down for emergency maintenance.  We expect this maintenance period to last only a few real-world hours.

Please log out now.  Otherwise, you will be forcibly logged out in five minutes.

Thank you for your understanding.

Chapter 3 - Fustercluck

“Really?  Right now?  What the hell is Robert thinking?” Jason muttered.

“This… this is good though, right?” Frank offered, waving at the prompt.  “Some of those people out there might just decide to log out on their own – maybe give us a chance to make a break for it and get as far away as possible before that timer is up.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Jason replied, eyeing the door to the temple nervously. Kyyle and Finn were restructuring and reinforcing the wall with blocks of stone and panels of metal, and, in the distance, Wingman still stood facing that throng of travelers – those people all sweeping away the same prompt and turning to face the temple and its fledgling defenses.

“What?  What do you mean?” Frank asked.

Jason sighed.  “You’re thinking like a rational person.  Like a resident.  Like someone who has lived and breathed this world since day one.  But most of those people out there?  They aren’t rational.  All they just saw was that there’s now a time limit on taking their revenge.”

His fists clenched, bones creaking and scraping.  “There are also still unclaimed bounties on a bunch of our heads.  Including the members of <Death and Taxes>… as well as yourself.”

“Ahh, well, that’s… fair.” Frank was looking concerned now.

Jason let out a sigh.  “So, the self-interested folks have a reason to murder us.  And the other half people probably believe there’s still going to be a server reset – in which case, that prompt sure looks like proof, doesn’t it?  Which means that they’re probably thinking that they have nothing to lose."

As though on cue, shouts filled the air.  A mage shot off a Fireball at Wingman.  The flames washed harmlessly across the chicken’s feathers, but that lone shot was like the starting pistol at a race.  The others soon followed and the air was filled with the whizz and hiss of fire, ice, lightning and more mundane metal instruments.  Wingman was incredibly resilient but she wasn’t immune to damage, especially around her face and head.  She raised her wing to ward off the blows, a storm of metal and elemental energy cascading across her body.

A few of the travelers were even foolhardy enough to enter into melee, swinging gleaming swords and axes, energy curling up the blades as they summoned their mana.  Wingman made short work of them – just a blur of movement and a rake of her claws decapitating several players.  So, they began to wizen up.  They approached the chicken more cautiously, using the ranged attacks to keep her suppressed while a few rogues slipped in close, looping thick metal ropes around Wingman’s scaled legs.  They wouldn’t hurt her… but then again, that wasn’t the goal.

A dozen burly warriors grabbed hold of those ropes and heaved, pitching Wingman sideways as she stumbled.  At the same time, her wing dipped, spells and missiles pelting her head and face, forcing the chicken to squeeze her good eye closed.  At which point, the warriors heaved again and Wingman began to topple.

Dom whistled hard and Wingman perked up.  Her body rapidly shrank, the ropes snapping taut on thin air and the missiles all whizzing past.  Now much smaller, she landed softly and turned, cocking her head at Dom as though questioning him.

“Get over here!” Dom shouted, his voice booming across the field.

Wingman took his instruction to heart.  Her clawed feet dug into the soil and she took off at an incredible pace – a streak of yellow and red as she wound back toward the temple entrance… leaving a horde of very angry travelers chasing after her.

“Damn it,” Jason muttered, turning back to Frank who was staring at the scene wide-eyed. “Frank,” Jason snapped and his friend turned.  “Take Silver and get out of here.  Burrow a damn tunnel with your Were-Ant Form if you need to.”

“We can help—”

“Not right now, you can’t,” Jason interrupted.  “This isn’t a melee brawl or some sort of strategic ambush.  Even if you used your Primal Shift, can you fight while also protecting Silver?  Or guarantee that you won’t need the ability again when we log back in?  The cooldown on that skill is monstrous.  The best way you can help us right now is to start creating an escape tunnel.  You need to get moving.  Now!”

The shifter didn’t look happy with Jason’s instructions, but he took his point to heart.  He quickly shook off his shock and turned, racing toward Silver and half-dragging her along with him as the pair retreated deeper into the temple.  Only moments later, Frank’s body had shifted, expanding out to form a hard shell as he began to cut into the dense rock.

And if Frank succeeded?  Well, they would have another possible escape route.

“Everyone get ready!  They’re coming!” Smiles shouted, Jason turning back to the fray.  He just needed to buy Frank time – as well as Riley and Jerry.

But first, he needed to do some work on his own crude, skeletal body…

Jason’s fingers wound through the gestures of Custom Skeleton and the world slowed to a crawl.  That horde of players now inched their way across the field in slow motion.  Finn and Kyyle were still reinforcing the temple, clouds of dust puffing and hanging in the air.  Julia and the rest of <Death and Taxes> were lining up near the entrance, Blaze taking center stage and fire flaring out around her, crawling through the air with painful slowness.

Jason turned, his spell highlighting the corpses of Gloria and Ella – their acid etched remains still locked in a macabre embrace.  Yet he didn’t have room to be sentimental.  There wasn’t enough left of their Najima to raise their corpses and borrow their skills and spells.  But he could still use the raw materials.  With a twitch of his fingers, the bones broke apart, whizzing through the air toward him.  He swiftly reinforced his limbs, the bone thickening.  He turned to see that Finn had Hasted himself, his arms still moving and multiple dark metal spheres hurtling through the air toward Jason.  He must have noticed the flare of dark mana as Jason cast.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jason merged those materials with his newly-reinforced body, the ivory turning a dark gray.  Only moments later, he swiped at the air to review the changes to his body…

Skeletal Augments

Limb

Level

Effects

Legs

289

Reinforced, Fire Resist

Arms

289

Reinforced, Fire Resist, Rotating, Stave Retraction

NA

NA

Sustain Cost

2,500 Mana

Total Body Augmentation:  25%

The improvements weren’t perfect – a mere shadow of the power he’d wielded back in the Mile High Club when he’d faced Smiles.  But Jason was also running out of the mana crystals that Cecil had packed for him, or at least the ones that would improve his strength and speed.  And he didn’t exactly have a bunch of fresh avatar corpses to work with.  The travelers’ bodies that were resting out there in the valley were also well outside of his Control Range.

So, this would have to do for now.

Finished, he tapped his console and the world lurched back into motion.

Less than a minute had passed, leaving four more on the forced logout.

The crowd of travelers barreled toward the temple.  <Death and Taxes> crowded around the inside of the door.  Only Blaze had stepped outside, approaching that enormous crowd of travelers alone – a wave of flailing arms and pounding feet and flashing steel and crackling energy.  A tidal wave of death.  Yet the older woman seemed unperturbed, her eyes flaring with orange energy and the flames around her growing in intensity.

The front line of travelers suddenly struck something beneath the sand and they toppled, pitching over and falling into a long pit that had been carved in the earth – no doubt, covered by Queen’s illusions.  Kyyle let out a happy grunt as he saw his handiwork pay off, quickly returning his focus to reinforcing the structure as Finn barked orders at him and Daniel whizzed through the air and provided “helpful” notes and commentary.

Although Jason didn’t see how a pit was going to—

Screams rippled out of that trench, along with a putrid green mist that soon swept up over the ledge.  A few players managed to crawl their way out of the pit, climbing over the others.  However, even as their hands clawed at the ledge, their rotting flesh fell away from their frames, revealing bleached white bone.  Blood soon leaked from their eyes and mouths as that poison ate away at them.

Jason side-eyed Eliza and Brian.  The plant creature’s legs had grown, plunging into the dirt and rock.  Sapphire droplets occasionally dripped from Eliza’s fingers, touching Brian’s limbs and that energy pulsing out along his roots.  Meanwhile, Eliza watched the scene of carnage impassively.  She didn’t blink.  Didn’t shrink away.  Just stared with an icy certainty.

This must be her doing.

Yeah… yeah, she had definitely toughened up.

Yet the travelers recovered quickly and their numbers were legion – even after losing hundreds.  Their mages soon cast barriers of glowing energy, trapping the poisonous mist in the trench and offering safe passage across the chasm… or so they thought.

Because Jason now had corpses.  Corpses that were well within his Control Range.

His jaw clacked in a macabre grin, a ragged chuckle escaping his throat—

Violent detonations of dark energy rippled across the trench, blasting apart those magical bridges like so much tissue paper.  Tendrils of shadowy energy snaked around ankles and arms, pulling the travelers down into the depths of that dark energy, their screams cut off into choked gurgles.  Yet the blasts also destroyed the nearby corpses and blew apart the vegetation hidden within the depths of those trenches.  As the dust and blood gradually began to clear, ever more travelers were racing forward, leaping across the wide, shallow ditch that now ringed the temple.

Which meant it was time for <Death and Taxes> to hold the line.

Blaze stepped forward to greet the newcomers, her Fire Nova washing out around her and incinerating the vegetation in a massive circle.  As the heat rose, her hair ignited, eating away at the flesh along her scalp.  Yet the fire mage didn’t relent.  She kept stalking forward, cackling madly and her staff thumping against the dirt.  The travelers tried to attack her, but their mundane missiles were quickly consumed by the flames and the fire mage conjured sheets of super-hot, white flame to block the elemental projectiles that sped toward her.

The travelers soon converged on Blaze.  Piling on with thousands of bodies and reinforced steel.  Ice and water mages joined together, buffing the armored melee on the front line to help them withstand the heat, even while they barraged her with hundreds of chilly projectiles.  Thick steam soon wafted up into the air and covered the field.  Blaze was slowly getting pushed back, her mana dropping at a crazy pace as she tried to maintain her flames.

And then, finally, her mana bottomed out, a dozen swords and missiles streaking toward her—only for Blaze to vanish, sinking into the ground.  She soon reappeared beside Jason, slumped in Tombs’ arms as they Phased out of the rock.  Eliza quickly handed Blaze two potions before returning her attention to Brian as the pair continued their preparations.

Meanwhile, Jason’s eyes were on the field, where the travelers now stood amid a hazy cloud of steam – the mist so thick that they were only dim, dark shadows amid the fog.  A perfect killing ground for one person – one Jason and Alexion had faced themselves.

“Smokes!” Smiles barked.

The man snorted, waking abruptly.  “What?  What’s happening?”

He peered out of the temple doorway at the field and his jaw went slack, a still smoldering cigarette hanging limp from his lower lip.  “Oh… oh, shit.”

Then Smokes was casting.  That mist condensed, shadowy wraiths forming amid the fog. Crimson spray soon threaded the gray as screams echoed from the depths of the mist.  The players began to strike wildly, steel clanging and the whiz and crackle of elemental energy ringing out, sending the vapor spiraling and pulsing.  Smokes was creating chaos, turning the players on each other.  It was a clever play.  A move out of Jason’s own playbook, but he wasn’t to be outdone…

As cooling corpses struck the earth, they soon rose back to their feet.  Zombies, their eyes milky white, their decaying bodies joining ranks with Smokes’ shadows.  Smokes shot Jason an appreciative look – the pair fighting on the same side for once.  And the result was pure carnage.  Shadow wraiths and fresh undead that tore and cut and bit into the enemy players, preying on their poor visibility; their panic.  Jason summoned the zombies over and over, his fingers an aching blur, but it still wasn’t fast enough.  There were more corpses than he could possibly raise on his own. He pulled the Soul Orb from his bag, raising the crystalline orb and calling on its power—

Only for it to refuse his call.  What the hell was this?

Yet the answer was obvious.  Jason had lost access to his mana well.  He’d seen the video himself.  The old avatar of darkness must have reached the Twilight Throne and and accessed the well – somehow removing Jason’s access.  His eyes shot to the others.  Which meant Jason likely wasn’t alone.  They might all soon lose access to their wells… if they hadn’t already.

Damn it.  It seemed they’d lost a fallback plan—

However, there was nothing he could do about that right now.  Jason stowed the orb swiftly, his skeletal hands winding rapidly through the gestures of Specialized Zombie as he summoned the dead again and again and again.  However, it was a futile battle.  One he and Smokes were losing.  Two men could only do so much against thousands.

Air mages soon blew away the steam, revealing the rest of the throng still charging the temple.  They were bloodied and battered, but they also looked pretty damned pissed.

“Two minutes left!” Jason called out.  “We just need to hold out for a little longer.”

Not that this will help us when we log back in, he added silently.

“Looks like it’s my turn,” Smiles offered, popping his knuckles as he strode out of the doorway.  Bard’s guitar whined and Alexion’s mana surged, layers of energy wrapping Smiles body in thick multi-colored bands until he glowed like the sun.

“That’s a lot of buffs,” Tombs muttered.

“Not enough,” Pewpew shot back.  She eyed Finn.  “You done yet, old man?”

Finn grunted.  “Yes, yes I think so,” he murmured.  He motioned at Kyyle.

Abruptly, parts of the temple wall dissolved, revealing twin firing platforms positioned overhead.  One was designed as a sniper nest – a thick, squat metal barrier ringing the platform.  With a flash of lightning, Pewpew took up her new position, pulling the massive rifle from her back and resting it against the barrier.   She took aim at the oncoming players, more lightning coiling around the muzzle and growing swiftly in intensity.

Then she fired, a concussive blast ringing out overhead.

The missile carved through the air, lightning crackling and forking as it flew.  It sliced into the front line of players and just kept going.  Killing one, two… then a dozen.  Then more.  Yet for every traveler she slayed, there were still more.  Pewpew just grimaced and kept firing over and over, each shot pushing back the wave of travelers as Dom strode out into the field.

Finn turned to Julia.  “Your turn!”

She nodded and the gems in her hands flared.  Julia’s body broke apart into streamers of wind that whipped up to the other firing platform where a metal monstrosity loomed. Daniel followed close behind, hovering just overtop her shoulder.  Flames coated the metal as Finn offered his assistance and the strange machine opened to reveal a combination of glimmering neurogem and glowing crystals. Julia stepped inside, the cage closed, and her body merged with the new device as elemental energy flared along its length.

“What is that thing?” Jason grunted at Finn, casting Corpse Explosion over and over to help assist Pewpew.  Without the fog cover, it was difficult to get his zombies off the ground and he didn’t have time to construct anything clever – not right now.

“You’ll see,” Finn muttered, one hand moving as he summoned discs of molten metal, spinning them up into place in front of Pewpew, the shields blocking the travelers’ vain attempts to snipe the small girl.  With his other hand, he channeled a stream of fiery energy into the metal device wrapped around his daughter.

The machine flared to life, surging with magical energy.  It shifted and converted with the clank and grind of metal, rotating and a long barrel emerging from the front.  Jason looked on in surprise as he saw energy pool there… then fire.  A beam of molten energy sliced through the air, cutting a few dozen travelers in half before they could react.

Jason could see it now.  Julia was safe inside that metal shield, the travelers’ attacks bouncing off the shell harmlessly and her impressive strength allowing her to rotate and aim the device.  Meanwhile, Finn was powering the contraption, likely using a horde of stashed fire crystals to help boost its mana supply.  Yet even that wouldn’t explain the intensity of the beam.  Had Finn used some kind of focusing lens like back in Sandscrit?  That was smart.  And Daniel must be helping Julia aim while tucked away inside the contraption.

Finn had just invented a makeshift laser turret!

Smiles wasn’t to be outdone, especially now that he had covering fire from Pewpew and Julia.  He let out a massive roar and charged the players, leaping into the air and slamming down in their midst.  He killed with impressive speed and efficiency, a single blow enough to take out most players – crumpling steel and fracturing their rib cage, the concussive blast from each punch shattering their internal organs and leaving them pitched over and vomiting blood onto the dirt and grass.  As he killed, Smiles snatched golden coins from the corpses, using them as makeshift ranged weapons.  A single flick was enough to embed one of the coins in the throat of a caster or stun a charging knight in full platemail.

However, Smiles was slowly getting overwhelmed despite the buffs from Alexion and Bard.  Spells seared away his suit.  Blades cut into his thick skin, his thick blood soon sprinkling the ground.  The players surrounded him, piling on and pushing closer.  Stabbing, cutting, slicing.  The travelers had lost all sense of reason in their bloodlust.  They were only focused on one thing.  Killing that man.  The same man that had taken out other avatars.  A man with an incredible bounty on his head as well.  The leader of the most infamous band of mercenaries in AO.

And his death was just within their reach…

Jason looked up as he suddenly noticed something blotting out the sun.

A massive meteor was forming there, courtesy of Blaze.  Brian fed her a constant stream of mana potions that he fetched from Eliza’s bag with twig-like limbs that had sprouted from his fingers, leaves unfurling along their length.

What are they—  She’s going to kill him! Jason thought frantically, realizing the meteor was aimed directly at Smiles.

Not that he had time to call Blaze off.  With a mad cackle, she released her spell and it hurtled downward.  A few travelers had the good sense to try to run – to flee.  But most were laser focused on Smiles as the man began to fall, his blood staining the ground and even his incredible strength failing against dozens, hundreds… thousands.

The meteor struck home.  It washed across the crowd of players grouped up around Smiles, incinerating them in a heartbeat.  They didn’t even have time to scream.

A wave of fire followed the impact, billowing out across the field.  Quick thinking mages among the travelers threw up massive panels of energy, the surfaces of those barriers solidifying as more and more joined them, effectively boxing in the blast.  A wave of kinetic force followed, cracking the earth and toppling those mages, their spells abruptly sputtering out – however, they’d still managed to blunt the majority of collateral damage of the impact.

Which left a massive crater in the valley floor, embers still smoldering there.

And in the center of it all was the corpse of a man.

Jason glanced at his UI in concern, only to see that Smiles’ health had struck zero.

“Gods damn it,” he muttered.  Getting him back was going to be a pain in the—

“Just wait,” Tombs offered quietly.

Jason looked at the man in confusion but then his gaze swept back to the field as shouts of alarm went up from the travelers.  A multi-colored rift tore open the air in the center of the crater and Smiles stepped out – his suit intact once more and his body fully repaired.

“What’s going on?” Kyyle asked in awe.  “Did he just respawn?”

“That’s one of Smiles’ abilities,” Smokes offered with a shrug.  “If he collects enough of those coins, they can guarantee him an immediate respawn.”

And people call me overpowered, Jason thought to himself dryly.

However, the remaining travelers were already converging on Smiles once more and Blaze was tapped – slumped against a nearby wall and draining potion after potion.  It would take her time to recover her mana again.  Pewpew abandoned her post, teleporting down into the crowd.  Smiles caught her as she suddenly appeared nearby and immediately rotated, lightning and fire lashing at his back and burning away his suit as he protected Pewpew from the barrage.  Another crackle of lightning and the pair were suddenly back, standing just inside the temple’s walls.  Casting again, Pewpew moved back to her sniper nest, grabbing hold of her rifle and electricity surging along its length once more.

“One minute left,” Jason muttered, eyeing the throng of travelers moving closer.

They’d killed thousands.  Thousands upon thousands of players.  And yet it didn’t matter.  Not against these numbers.  And the travelers were growing smarter, the ranged and melee sheltering behind the mages as they summoned massive shields of elemental energy, creeping forward as Julia and Pewpew blasted them over and over again.  Those shields shimmered and shook, but now held under their barrage.  Even worse, travelers in the rear were gathering and burning the bodies, removing Jason’s materials.  This wasn’t a fight they could win.

The group was worn out and spent.  Even with their buffs and Eliza’s potions, they were running low on health and mana.  Smiles could attempt to attack the travelers head on again, but Blaze couldn’t back him up – not yet, anyway.  Finn’s mana was near empty.  Julia’s turret had almost run out of juice, the crystals fading and fracturing one by one.  Even Pewpew’s shots were coming slower and slower now – lacking the same punch.

And those players just kept marching forward behind those magical shields.  Missiles were beginning to pelt the front of the temple.  However, fire just washed harmlessly across the dark-metal reinforced surface and lightning and ice shattered against the thick stone.

Which is where the travelers’ earth mages got involved.  They began lobbing massive boulders through the air, using reverse Gravity Wells to form makeshift trebuchets behind the line of magical barriers.  Each boulder slammed home, carving deeply into the stone until it began to crack away, revealing the reinforced metal panels Finn had prepared.

“45 seconds!” Tombs called out.

“This place isn’t going to hold that long,” Pewpew shouted over the thudding impact of the boulders striking the temple walls.

Jason knew she was right.  They just needed another—

“Looks like it’s my turn,” Eliza piped up, stepping forward.

Brian moved to stop her, but Eliza held up a hand.  “No.  You stay.”

The plant-like man didn’t seem to like that, but he didn’t try to argue.  Not with the way sapphire energy pulsed across Eliza’s body and the air grew frigid as cracks formed along the skin of her hands, her arms, her neck and face.  Everyone in the temple had seen this before, the frigid chill that accompanied this new form – that barely kept the mold in check.  They all backed away quickly, putting distance between themselves and Eliza.

It seemed her mana well was still online… at least for now.

She stepped outside and a boulder sped toward her—only to crash through her body, Eliza’s skin warping and shifting out of the way as her eyes blazed with power.  The travelers let out a shout of alarm and air mages summoned a stiff wind that beat at Eliza, flecks of mold whipping away from her limbs.  Apparently, the travelers had watched the battle between Eliza and Bard.  They knew her weakness.  Eliza’s body soon broke apart into a cloud that blew away on the wind, the water mage disappearing from sight.

A cry of victory went up from the players—

Only to be cut short as those misty particles slunk out of the ground amid their ranks.  Mold speared outward, stabbing through stomachs and chest.  In an instant, a hundred players died.  A magical barrier crumbled.  Then another and another as Eliza swept through the throng – somehow maintaining her sanity despite the effects of her new form.

Pewpew and Julia used those openings, sniping the casters – now forced to use their mana sparingly.  <Death and Taxes> were close behind, emerging from the temple as a group and pushing forward, capitalizing on Eliza’s surprise attack.  Smiles and Wingman drew their focus, Queen’s illusions creating a dozen clones of each of them – enough to distract the travelers.

Meanwhile, Blaze hurled one oversized Fireball after another, and Smokes used the resulting smoke to cut into the enemy from behind.  Even Tombs had entered the fray, Phasing out of the ground only long enough to snatch the feet of healers and casters – pulling them under before leaving them below ground to suffocate to death.  Even Jason joined them, explosions of dark energy erupting amid the horde of travelers and taking down dozens with each blast, their screams cascading through the air.

And through it all, Bard played, his guitar squealing a death metal ballad of destruction.  Alexion stood at his side, his body pulsing with light, each wave reducing the damage the group took and healing their wounds.

10 seconds.

Eliza was slowly getting boxed in, earth mages solidifying the ground underfoot and pushing her down with Gravity Wells as air mages formed panels of wind all around her.  Her mold beat at those barriers to no avail.  She was losing… dying.

8 seconds.

Smiles and his group were getting overwhelmed once more, their illusions soon shattered.  It didn’t matter how many travelers they ripped apart.  How many they crushed.  There were always more.  Tombs was forced to Phase Blaze back to safety.  Then he moved to cover Smiles, repositioning him as Queen frantically tried to create openings – leaving an afterimage as soon as Tombs and Smiles disappeared. However, the players were growing crafty, catching on to her illusions and Tombs’ phasing ability.  They used their own earth mages to block their passage underground and forced them back to the surface where others were waiting…

5 seconds.

Alexion finally entered the fray, his wings flapping as he sped out of the temple and hovered before the structure.  He dropped his buffs as he cast something new.  A healing spell soon swept across the group – this one far more powerful.  Eliza and Dom both instantly recovered all of their health.  Yet Alexion didn’t stop there, forming shields of light around their two strongest tanks, even as the travelers turned and began to pelt him with missiles, the projectiles bouncing off the armored panels of light that covered his own body.

3 seconds.

They were all running out of mana and stamina… their health depleting swiftly despite Alexion aid.  A group of travelers suddenly dropped from Sneak, far too close to the temple.  A traveler barreled toward Jason, skin torn and bloody axes held in each hand, letting out a bellowing roar.  An arrow suddenly pierced his throat and Jason pivoted, catching sight of Riley out of the corner of his eye, standing beside Pewpew near the sniper nest.

She and Jerry must have returned after seeing the prompt…

Yet there was still an army before them, charging forward, growing closer… too close.  No matter how many travelers they killed, there were more waiting.  An impossible number.  A fight they could never hope to win.  The timer ticked down in the corner of Jason’s vision with painful slowness.  It wouldn’t be a solution… only a temporary fix.  But it was something.

Then the timer struck zero.

The horde of players began to disappear… not all at once, but in clusters – hundreds and thousands at a time.  Perhaps Robert was forcing logouts by time zone or location?  Either way, dozens, hundreds, thousands began to disappear – still leaving elemental missiles barreling through the air toward Alexion where his shields flickered and finally fractured—

Only for the Nephilim to disappear just before those missiles struck home.  Followed by the others.  Smiles and his crew.  Eliza and Brian.  Finn, Julia, and Kyyle.  A rainbow of energy rocketed up into the sky as tens of thousands of travelers vanished in a matter of seconds.

And yet… Jason was still standing there.  Alone.

Which was odd.  Because the last time he’d checked, he was still a traveler.

He stepped out of the temple, eyeing the now empty field in confusion, the ground pockmarked with craters, lakes of blood and unmoving corpses.  Silence hung in the air, eerie and unnatural after the intense battle they’d just fought.

What was this?  Why was he still here?  Why hadn’t he been logged out with the others?

“What the hell is going on here?” Jason asked.

Yet there was no one left to answer.

Chapter 4 - Rest Break

Finn woke with a gasp, his head aching after almost 24 hours hooked into AO.

Daniel’s voice – the real Daniel – chirped, “Ahh, you’re back.  Perfect timing.  You’re exactly 6 hours and 17 minutes late on eating.  4 hours and 30 minutes late on your nap—

“Shut up, Daniel!” Finn groaned as he cradled his head.

It was like his mother had reincarnated as his AI…

Mercifully, Daniel stopped his nagging and Finn tugged off his headset, a dozen displays spinning around him.  A series of rhythmic beeps came from one screen as the system recorded his vitals, the information fed by the wires threaded into the ports along each wrist – a necessity when spending so much time online.  Finn wasn’t as young as the others.  His body couldn’t handle the strain as easily.  So, he’d learned to compensate.

Other screens popped up, showing Rogue-Net and other online forums.  They revealed what he’d hoped to see: other players doing what they did best… complaining.  Which meant the avatars had survived.  Although, he felt no glow of accomplishment.

They might have won the battle, but the war was far from over.  Nothing they’d done had changed what Finn had lost.  Even now, an image of Rachel floated nearby – a portion of her neural data streaming down the window beside it.  The data he’d stolen from Cerillion.

Now more than ever, he needed to find a way to save her.

A chime rang in through his ear implant, the caller ID blank.  That could only be one person.  He accepted the call.

“Hey dad,” Julia’s voice came through clearly.

“Hey,” he grunted back.

A tense silence, both waiting.  And then…

“So, how are we going to save mom?” Julia asked.

Finn grunted.  If he couldn’t keep fighting in-game, well, then he could continue waging his war back here in the real world.  The question was how.  As the displays orbited him, one screen in particular floated past, his fingers snagging at the display to anchor it.  Eliza Zhao’s information was projected there in glowing relief – a project he hadn’t had a chance to work on during the events in the Mile High Club and the aftermath.  Yet the girl’s words had stuck with him.  That conversation between her parents she’d accidentally overheard.

One implying that Rachael’s death might not have been an accident, after all.

And that her parents might be hiding something important…

“You there?  Did I lose you?” Julia asked.

“No, still here.  And I might have an idea…”

***

Eliza returned to the real world screaming.  The mold was eating her alive; every fiber of her being broken down and rebuilt in an instant.  It wasn’t mere pain.  It was something far worse.  It was an undoing; an unraveling.  As if she could feel entropy pulling her apart piece by piece, numbed only by the chilly bite of her mana.

And now that mana was gone – ripped away. Yet that phantom pain remained. It wasn’t real; it hadn’t been real.  She knew that; kept telling herself that.  But she was still forced to lay there on her bed for what felt like an eternity, chest heaving and heart racing, limbs perfectly still lest they break apart.  Even that frigid rage that accompanied the mold had come with her; that hunger for something more.  It was strange that it had followed her here.

As the feeling gradually faded, her thoughts kept returning to the others.  Eliza pulled off her headset and tapped at her Core, bringing up Rogue-Net.  She needed to know what had happened.  Had they survived?  Had they all made it?

“Hey, honey, are you alright?  We thought we heard—”

Her parents barreled into the room, the door snapping open.  They looked around the darkened bedroom in surprise before their eyes centered on Eliza.

She watched them impassively, traces of that rage still clinging to her mind.  As she inspected their reactions, for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t afraid.  How could she be?  They were just people.  Just two human people.   Not an army.  Not some insane, invincible god that had tormented her.  Not her own inner demons that threatened to destroy her from the inside out.   Why had she been so nervous about confronting them again?

“Um, Eliza, honey?” her father asked tentatively.  “Were you having a nightmare?”

No.  No, the nightmare was this place.  This “real” world filled with bullshit requirements, dry textbooks, and unreasonable expectations.  The silent judgment even now shining in their eyes.

Eliza let out a sigh, “No… no, not—”

She was cut off as her Core chimed, cocking her head.

“Who could be calling you this late?” her mother demanded, hovering to catch a glimpse at Eliza’s Core and the caller ID.  It was unlisted.

Eliza connected the call.  “Hello?  This is Eliza.”

Her parents watched, waiting, judging.  But that wasn’t new.

“Huh, yeah, okay.  Yeah, they’re right here actually,” Eliza replied, looking back to her parents.

“Who is it?” her father insisted, sharing a concerned look with her mother.

“It’s a friend of mine,” Eliza answered.  “He says he’d love to meet you both.  I think you might know him actually.  His name is Finn Harris.”

***

Alex came back to the real world with a start, his body still straining to pivot to avoid those elemental missiles that had been streaking toward him… only to roll off his bed and hit the ground hard, the breath whooshing from his lungs.  This stupid, real-world body didn’t have wings, after all.  Although, luckily, the thick plastic helmet at least protected his head as it struck the ground.

“Damn… it,” he wheezed as he sucked in air.

He pulled off his headset, eyeing the dent in the back.  He’d need to replace it now.

Alex looked around his palatial bedroom, cold marble at his back.  Returning here felt… strange.  Almost wrong.  It was this place that had begun to feel surreal. A home devoid of life.  Of family.  A cursory check with the house AI – his father hadn’t even bothered to name it – was enough to confirm no one was home.  This place was a cold, dark crypt compared to the world that awaited him in-game.  He just couldn’t figure out why he was already itching to log back—

No.  That was a lie.  He knew the reason he wanted to return; the reason that AO felt more like home than this empty husk.  It was the people.   The same group that had just fought by his side.  That had wreaked untold carnage.  Only a dozen or so enough to fend off an army of tens of thousands – if only for a moment.  That rush of excitement.  The way their abilities had synergized, each person playing off one another’s strengths and covering for their weaknesses.

A team.  A team led by one man.  A dark horse.  A former enemy turned reluctant ally… turned… something more?  Although, that thought was still too uncomfortable to face directly.

Alex glared back down at his headset, pushing away those unwelcome thoughts.  It seemed he needed a new one.  And there was only one place to get this prototype model.

“AI, where is Robert now?” Alex demanded.

***

“Hooboy!  Did you all see that?” Robert demanded, toppling his bowl and popcorn flying as the players were all logged out mid-climax, the techs letting out a cheer that echoed loudly throughout the Control Room.

“That was amazing!  Great work everyone!” he called out, congratulating them.

“What’s going on here, Robert?” Claire muttered, rubbing at her eyes as she stepped into the Control Room – somehow still immaculately dressed despite the late hour.  Most of the crew were currently in their PJs, forced out of bed by Robert’s electronic call to arms.   Perhaps Claire had never truly gone to sleep. “I just got a frantic call from Vermillion… and George.  Something about the servers?”

Robert grimaced, ushering Claire off to the side quickly while the techs celebrated – although, he wasn’t sure whether they were happy about how the avatars had managed to survive… or the prospect of getting to take a couple days off.  He may or may not have also helped drum up some enthusiasm by promising to throw a couple of the new prototype headsets into their next betting pool.  Not that he wanted Claire to know that.  She definitely wouldn’t approve.

He looped an arm around Claire’s shoulders, guiding her away from the other techs.  “What do you mean?  We’re just blowing off some steam.  Some late-night fun—"

She shoved him off.  “What’s going on?” she insisted, pointing at the screen behind him where a large system prompt was on full display.

“Oh, yeah, err… that,” Robert explained in a hushed voice.  “So, I had this super weird dream.  And when I woke up, I realized we should probably take a more moderate approach to this whole Armageddon thing, you know?  So, I brought in the crew and we took down the servers for maintenance to ensure that these global changes don’t cause any unforeseen instability.”

Claire just stared at him like he’d gone insane.

“Uh huh,” Claire grunted, eyeing him skeptically.  “So, let me get this straight… you, Robert Graham, decided, in the middle of the night, to wake up, gather the crew, and take a moderate and risk averse approach to administering this shitshow of a game that you’ve created?”

Robert nodded tentatively.  “Uh yeah… and it resulted in an awesome battle!” he offered weakly, waving at the screens behind him where thousands of corpses riddled a broken field.

“Okay, fine,” Claire shot back.  “So, then why is Jason still standing there?”

Robert winced, turning ever so slowly to see that Jason was indeed standing before the temple, the lone player in game.  “What?  Oh… that’s so strange, it must be some sort of bug—”

“What did you do?” Claire snapped, rounding on him, her finger stabbing at his chest.  She didn’t look all that tired anymore.  “Why is Jason the only player in-game?”

Robert held up his hands.  “Well, technically, Jason isn’t the only player in-game—”

“What?  What does that mean?” Claire whirled, staring at the screen as a new multi-colored rift tore open the air, signaling that someone was logging in.  “Who is that behind him?”

“Ahh, well, about that—” Robert muttered.

Chapter 5 - Bail-Out

“Well, hello there, stranger,” a voice spoke up behind Jason.

He pivoted, his staves retracting from his arms, only to pause as he saw a woman emerging from a rainbow rift – one that clearly marked her as a traveler.  She wore a tight-fitting robe that draped from one shoulder, revealing hints of the leather bodice and leggings that wrapped her frame, as well as the intricate, colorful tattoos that spiraled down the length of her arms.  The patterns seemed to shift and change as he watched.  Rings adorned her fingers, glimmering with elemental energy and her hair was pulled back in an intricate braid.  A katana was strapped to her back, the hilt inlaid with silver.

That was high-quality equipment.  Some of the best he’d seen.  That spoke of experience… or connections.  Although, her gear gave Jason very little indication of her class.  Fighter?  Possibly a caster?  Just who the hell was this woman?

“So, you’re Jason…” she trailed off, cocking her head as she observed him from head to foot, tendrils of smoke still coiling away from his body where the sunlight touched bone.  “You really are all skin and bones.  Minus the skin now, I guess”

“Funny.  And you are?” Jason insisted, not dropping his guard.

She just shot him a grin.  “Oh, my name’s Cady.  It’s a pleasure.”

“Cady, huh?” Jason asked.  “I take it you aren’t a normal player – not if you’re here right now with the servers down for maintenance.”

Cady let out a dramatic sigh, shoulders drooping.  “Yeah, yeah, you caught me red handed.  I’m actually one of the game masters.  We wanted a chance to talk with you one on one… you know, apologize for being dickheads and interfering all the time.”

Jason just stared at her skeptically.  That might explain why they were both still in-game while everyone else had been logged out.  But it still felt… odd.  From his limited experience, he wasn’t convinced the game masters had that level of self-awareness.  Besides, allowing both of them to stay in game like this would have required coordinating with Robert.  And if there was one thing Jason could count on, it was engineer’s penchant for chaos.  There was no way in hell Robert would have stopped that clusterfuck of a fight for a little in-game chat.  Not willingly, anyway.  Which meant one thing…

This woman was full of shit.

“Uh huh, now why are you really here?”

Cady flashed him a grin.  “You’re a smart one, huh?  Sorry.  I just needed to lead with something that sounded crazy to make the truth more palatable.”

“And the truth is what exactly?”

She spread her arms wide.  “I’m the earth avatar and I’m here to bail you out.”

Jason just stared.  Okay.  She was right.  That was even crazier.

“Bail me out of what now?” Jason offered, eyeing the empty field.

“Oh, you’re under the mistaken impression that you’re safe.  I see…” Cady replied, tapping at her lips as she followed his gaze.  “But you must be wondering why the servers went down for maintenance just now?  During a hundred thousand on one fight?  Doesn’t seem like Robert’s speed, if you ask me.”

So, she did know Robert.  That was even more concerning.

“There were more than a dozen of us,” Jason drawled.  “And what are you suggesting?  That you somehow convinced Robert to bring down the servers?”

No one had that kind of pull.  Or at least… not normally.

“Not suggesting.  I’m telling you that I did,” she offered with a shrug and another grin.  “And the fact that we’re still here is pretty compelling proof, don’t you think?  We have this whole wide digital world to ourselves!  Corpses and craters and all.”

Jason had to admit, she had a point.  Which left her motive.

“So, you manufactured this meeting in order to help me somehow?” he asked, skepticism lacing his voice, or as much inflection as he could manage with his whispery voice.

“Uh, yeah, sure… let’s go with that.  But first, can you fix your throat?” Cady offered, hopping up on a heaping mound of rubble, the stone carved away from the temple’s entrance, her legs kicking at the air as she watched him.  “The creepy whisper definitely fits this whole edge lord persona you’ve cultivated, but it really makes it hard to have a conversation.”

Jason grunted in irritation, but she was right.

His hands moved through a rapid series of gestures, darkness pooling around ivory fingers.  Moments later, the world slowed, the corpses of the travelers illuminated in bright blue in his sight.  And Cady had slowed to a crawl, her legs barely moving—

She suddenly kicked more rapidly, shrugging off the slowing effect of Jason’s spell with a shimmer of emerald energy.  As Cady saw his dumbstruck expression, she just smirked.  “What?  I want to see your Custom Skeleton in real time.  I’ve seen it in videos, of course.  But it just comes across as a blur of blood and bone, you know?  I want to see how the sausage gets made.  Or unholy skeletal terrors.  Six of one, half a dozen of another, am I right?”

Okay, so maybe she was telling the truth about the avatar thing.  The only people that could keep up with Jason while under the time compression effects of his spell were Finn and Dom.  And both needed to enhance their perception and speed considerably to manage the feat.  Cady had accomplished the same result with barely any effort.  But how had she used earth magic to speed herself up?  Jason had never seen that spell or effect before.  Just more questions…

“Are you, um, going to do the thing?” Cady offered, wiggling her fingers.

Jason sighed.  It was starting to feel like he was performing a party trick.  But he still obliged, waving to bring up his UI.  A screen appeared.  It showcased the design he’d worked on with Finn’s help – a replica set of vocal cords created using a combination of delicate strands of bone and cords of dark energy.  He just hadn’t had an opportunity to try implementing the design back in the Mile High Club.  They’d been a bit busy.

A few minutes later and he’d constructed his new neck, using the last scraps of his dark ore to reinforce the bones.  He couldn’t afford to have his throat disabled since incantations were necessary to cast his spells.  One of his half staves rotated out of his forearm and he lifted it, a dark Soul Blade inching away from the surface.  He cut delicately into his existing neck, removing the makeshift apparatus he was using with a few neat strokes.

Now came the difficult part—

“Can you please move back,” Jason muttered, the words coming out in a strange whistle, his former vocal cords floating at his side and still animated under the effects of his spell.

Cady was standing only a few inches away, peering at the new throat hovering in the air and the gaping hole in Jason’s neck.  “Oh… oh, yeah.  Sure,” she said, and took a small step back.  “Damn that’s strange, by the way.”

Jason would have sighed, but he couldn’t exactly manage the feat right now.

Moving quickly, he inserted the new throat and sealed it to his existing frame, merging the bone and covering it with a thick layer of dark mana for good measure.  Finished, he rolled his head, testing his range of movement.  Perfect.  And now the final test—

“Why are you standing so close again?” he muttered, his voice coming out more normal.

Cady was literally only an inch away.  “That is so cool,” she murmured.  “And, you know, that trick might have some interesting applications.  Like—”

“Replicating other people’s voices?” Jason interjected.  “Yeah, I’d considered that.  Although, it’s going to take some practice and tweaking, I suspect.”

In fact, he’d received a skill prompt as soon as he’d inserted the new voice box.

New Skill:  Voicebox

You have developed a makeshift throat using bone and dark mana.  Experts of this craft can mimic the sounds and voices of others by altering their voicebox.

Skill Level:  Beginner Level 1

Effect:  Basic voice replication.

At least, that was one silver lining to this crazy and increasingly strange day.

Finished with his work, Jason hit the button on his console and the world lurched back into motion.  Cady seemed unphased by the abrupt shift – another shimmer of emerald energy coating her skin and her movements continuing as normal.  Jason also noticed she wasn’t using any hand gestures and wasn’t uttering an incantation in Veridian.  Or, at least he hadn’t noticed her do either.  That was even more unusual.  Could it be her tattoos?  Or her rings?  Items and wards didn’t always require the incantation or hand movements… but he also hadn’t noticed a pulse of mana from her skin or accessories.  Not that it mattered.  There was more important questions first.

“Okay, are you going to level with me now?” Jason demanded.

“About what?” Cady quipped.  With another shimmer of energy, she was suddenly sitting back atop the ruined wall.  She’d moved faster than his eyes could follow.  “I already told you.  I’m here to help you.  That wasn’t a lie.”

Jason resisted the urge to rub at his temple.  He could feel a headache coming on… despite not having any muscles, sinuses, or blood pumping through his body.  That was the real feat here.

“We seem fine,” Jason pointed out.  “Everyone survived that attack.”

He sounded a touch defensive.  Even he could hear it.

“Ahh, c’mon, we both know that doesn’t mean anything.  What’s your plan for after the maintenance ends?” Cady offered, raising a delicate eyebrow.  “All those travelers are just going to log back in right here on this battlefield.  Do you think they’re going to forget how you attacked them?  And there will be a lot more than you and your allies can manage, I imagine.”

She tilted her head.  “Not that I need to imagine anything.  There are plenty of videos,” Cady offered, waving at the air and a dozen displays popping into existence showcasing the recent fight, many of the travelers having livestreamed the whole battle.

Jason winced.  She wasn’t wrong.  Frank might have managed to carve a deep tunnel to allow him and Silver to escape – the shifter woman no doubt hiding her presence even now.  With a bit more time, it might be enough to offer an escape.  But even if that worked—

“Then there are the larger strategic problems you’re facing,” Cady continued, kicking her legs again, head tilted toward the north and those beams of energy on the horizon.  “Let’s say you defeat this giant army of travelers or manage to run away.  What then?   I mean, you’ve lost your cities.  Your mana wells… which I’m sure you realized when your fancy, woo-woo crystal ball didn’t work.  You have no armies.  No resources.  Your residents and guildmates are stranded in enemy territory – assuming they aren’t dead already.  Hell, you don’t even have access to the auction house way out here in the boonies.”

Her eyes shot back to his face.  “I miss anything?”

“No… no, I guess you didn’t,” Jason replied evenly.  She wasn’t wrong. Those were all huge tactical problems.  “But I also don’t see how a few hours for server maintenance and your help are going to solve any of those problems,” he added.

“Well, hours might be understating things,” Cady offered glibly.  “I suspect we’ll have a couple real world days, at least.  Plenty of time really.”

“Days?” Jason echoed.  “The prompt said hours.  You don’t really know Robert, do you?”

“Better than you might think,” she shot back, her expression sobering.  Then her scowl vanished in a flash.  “And as for the prompt, maintenance and development timelines can be… flexible.  I’m sure the team will encounter a few additional problems that call for extending the downtime.  Game development, it can be crazy unreliable,” she offered with a crafty smile.

Jason shook his head.  “Who are you?  Really?”

Cady shrugged.  “For now?  An ally.  Our interests align.  But if you’re really asking how deep my knowledge runs… well, let’s just say, I happen to know what that furry little creature at your feet really is,” Cady offered, pointing at Alfred where he sat sedately beside Jason – watching this strange woman with an unblinking stare.

A hollow pit formed in Jason’s stomach – even though such a thing should be impossible without organs or muscle.  She knew what Alfred was?  Who he was?  How was that possible?

“Don’t believe me?” Cady insisted, leaning forward now and peering at him.  “Well, I happen to know that creature is a furry, little narc.  A digital ball and chain wound around your deity’s feet.  The fantasy equivalent of an ankle monitor, if you will.”

Jason’s mind raced.  That answer was both more than he’d known before – assuming it was true – and also dodged the real issue.  He needed to probe her harder.

“And who exactly is supposed to be monitoring an in-game god?” Jason asked, shaking his head and feigning ignorance.  No sense playing his hand early.  Cady seemed to be dancing around giving him clear answers.

“Oh c’mon.  You know the answer to that already,” Cady shot back, her expression incredulous.

Jason remained silent, waiting.

Cady let out an exasperated sigh.  “Really?  How many times am I going to have to prove that I’m not some green traveler?  Fine.  These dark little pets are monitoring programs for the game’s AI.  I believe you know him as Alfred.”

Shit.  This woman was the real deal.  Even if she hadn’t been here during a downtime and managed to boost her speed up to the same level as his Custom Skeleton… well, this was the final nail in the coffin.  She had inside information.  A lot of it.  And presumably some sort of connection with Robert – one that Jason was going to ring out of the engineer the next time they met.

“Okay,” Jason began slowly, “let’s say I believe you – for now, anyway.  You somehow know Robert, you’re familiar with the game, and you were complicit in creating this server downtime.  How exactly are you proposing to help me?  Even if we have a couple days in the real world, that’s only about a week inside the game.  And if the servers are indeed still running, the other avatars will be using that time to regroup.

“What can two people really expect to accomplish in a week?”

Cady’s smiled.  “I knew you’d come around.  You’re nothing if not pragmatic.  As for your question, two people is more than enough to change the world.”

“How?” Jason demanded sharply.  “That was my question.”

Cady’s grin widened further.  “The wrong one.  The real questions are when and where.”

As she finished speaking, Cady’s body shimmered with emerald energy, her limbs blurring for just a moment – the movement happening so fast that Jason almost thought he’d imagined it.  Seconds later, an emerald tear formed beside the woman, ripping open into a full-fledged rift that reminded him of the portals that travelers used to enter and exit the game world.  The area around the portal had grown hazy, like steam rising off hot pavement.  That mana looked familiar – like the energy that had been released when Gloria dropped the orb in the temple.

Or that hazy energy he’d seen before approaching Gloria’s base.  Just before the area had been transformed and those earth golems had appeared.

Could Cady have somehow been involved with that Armageddon event?

Although, from the smirk on this infuriating woman’s lips, he suspected he wasn’t going to get a clear answer to that question.  Not yet, anyway.

“If you’re interested, all you need to do is sign the contract,” she chirped.

“What contract?” Jason shot back.

Cady snapped her fingers and a green haze erupted, hundreds of pages of glowing emerald parchment unfurling in the air before him.  Jason had used the game’s contract system with Smiles back in the Mile High Club.  However, that contract had been simple.  A single page written by an amateur.  This was something different.  It was a work of art clearly written by someone that knew what they were doing.  And it was seemingly endless…

“Ahh, but we’re also on a bit of a time crunch, so you’re not going to have time to read it all,” Cady offered with a sigh.  “Here are the important bits:  I cannot harm you during our travels and I’m obligated to return you to this spot in time and space.  Other than that, you are assuming all risks and liabilities associated with traveling with me.  Think of it as the fantasy equivalent of a disclaimer and liability waiver.”

“And I’m just supposed to trust you and sign this contract without reading it?” Jason demanded.  What did she take him for?  An idiot?

She just shrugged.  “Would it help to know that I can’t lie?”

Jason just stared back.  Maybe… if it was true.

“Still skeptical, huh?  Alright, how about some proof.  You’re right, you’re totally not—”

The rest of her words were just a garbled, muted hum, mana sparking around her lips.  As Cady lapsed into silence, a new prompt appeared before Jason.

System Notice

Player [Cady] attempted to lie but was denied by the system and her deception was concealed.  She is currently unable to tell a lie.

Jason stared at that prompt, re-reading it at least twice.  He’d never heard of this before.  She really couldn’t lie?  Why not?  Although, he supposed that didn’t matter.  A regular player couldn’t manipulate the system prompts.  She could be getting Robert to help her, but Jason doubted it.  Which meant that what she’d already told him had to be truth… didn’t it?

She was here to help.  And this contract wouldn’t harm him.

The strange woman leaned forward, her eyes glowing green.  “So, what do you say?” Cady offered, gesturing at the portal.  “You ready to sign?  Or do you want to stand around here asking more inane questions? We don’t really have time to waste – which is hilarious, by the way.  You just don’t realize it yet.”

Jason grimaced.  He should still read this contract carefully.  Should ensure he wasn’t getting fucked somehow.  Besides, did he really need to accept her offer?  If he really had a week inside the game, he could raise all of those traveler corpses and build stronger defenses… perhaps even a few Bone Gardens – create a veritable army of native undead that would be waiting for the travelers when they returned.  That was a better option.  One that only relied on himself…

“Ahh, and if you’re thinking of hanging around, that option is off the table,” Cady quipped.  Jason looked up sharply to see her pointing behind him.

He turned, dread already coiling in his gut, to find a rainbow aurora rising from the northern horizon.  That energy was growing rapidly in strength and brightness until it almost appeared that the sun was rising from the northern mountains.

“What is that?” Jason muttered.

“Rolling server restart,” Cady answered.  “What?” she demanded as he whirled back to her, raising a finger.  “Technically, I didn’t lie.  We’re still here for now, but Robert isn’t going to pass up an opportunity for a hardware reset.  I’m guessing you have about… 60 seconds until it hits this location.  Don’t worry, it won’t affect us.  Not where we’re going.”

“I can just log back in after…”

He trailed off as her smile widened.

“Ahh, that won’t be an option?  Will it?” Jason demanded.

“You catch on fast!” Cady replied, her eyes gleaming and waving at the contract still hovering around her, that aurora growing rapidly in strength and the nearby mountains beginning to dissolve into a rainbow of energy.

Shit… This woman had clearly orchestrated this situation – neatly boxed him in.  However, he knew he was just stalling.  Even without a time limit, the real problem here was that she was right.  He didn’t have many options. If he was kicked out here, he’d come back facing an army of travelers and the old avatars would still be a problem.  A big one. If this woman was offering a way out; a way to place their thumb on the scales.  Well, then he should take it.  He’d never been against bending the rules anyway.

“Tick, tock.  Tick, tock.  Ten seconds left and then I leave without you—”  Cady taunted, even as that glowing rainbow energy cascaded down into the valley, ripping up the hills and the trees and boulders at an incredible pace.

“Fine,” Jason interrupted her, tapping to accept the contract and the energy abruptly vanishing.  Then he stepped toward the portal, hesitating as he approached and glancing over his shoulder at Cady.  “But where are we going exactly?”

Perhaps he should prepare some undead – raise at least a few of those bodies that littered the field.  There could even be useful items and equipment for him to salvage.  Especially if they were heading into dangerous and unfamiliar territory.

“Oh, we’re just going to take a little trip down memory lane,” Cady offered with a chuckle.  Then, with another shimmer of green energy, she was suddenly at his back, shoving him forward with surprising strength.  As Jason tipped into that glowing portal, her laughter followed him.

It seemed that there wasn’t going to be time for any last-minute preparations.

He just really, really hoped he didn’t come to regret this…

Chapter 6 - Kidnapping

Jason stumbled out of the portal, Cady following close behind.

He turned, about to give her a piece of his mind – or worse, his half-staves already rotating out of his arms – only to freeze in surprise at the scene that lay before him.

Gone was the empty, corpse-strewn valley.  It had been replaced with a massive cavern.  Ragged stone walls rising up, up, up only to condense into thick crystal along the top of the cave. Those crystalline depths pulsed with a vibrant light in every hue of the rainbow.  Below that artificial sun was a sprawling city, stone walls and roofs seemingly carved from the cave floor.  More houses were cut directly into the walls in the distance and formed intricate stone terraces that no doubt offered a magnificent view of the city.

The pair were standing in a narrow alley wedged between two stone buildings, the ground littered with trash and debris.  Proof that this place wasn’t all sparkle and splendor.  This was just another city. Jason’s thoughts slowed, forcing himself to calm down – collect himself.  He wasn’t certain where he was… or what this strange woman wanted.

Best to stay on guard.

“What is this place?” Jason asked.  Even after everything he’d witnessed in-game, the abrupt change was a shock.  He looked at Cady only to find another smirk on her lips as she watched his reaction.

“Oh, this?  This is Pax.  The earth city,” she explained casually.

“Huh,” Jason grunted.  He’d never heard of such a place and his hand was already swiping at the air, bringing up his in-game console to search for the name.  “Where is it located?”

“Not really important,” Cady replied, pulling a mask up into place, covering her mouth and nose with the image of a devil’s grin.  She also pulled a kasa from her bag, placing it over her head – the rounded brim hiding the rest of her face in shadow.

“Not important?” Jason asked archly.  “Where we are seems pretty damned important.  Especially since you’re disguising yourself for some reason.”

“Look, I can’t answer every question right now,” Cady answered, waving him off as she dug into her bag.  “We’re short on time and we wasted more than enough talking back in the valley.  We have a deadline.  I was telling the truth about that too.”

“I’m not asking for you to answer every question, only a few basic ones.  Like why are we short on time?” Jason demanded.  “What are we doing here in Pax?  Why are you hiding your appearance?  Do they know you here or something?”

“Damn it, where is it—,” Cady muttered, ignoring him as she hunted for something in her bag, her arm reaching in up to the elbow.

Jason coughed into his hand and she looked up sharply.  “Oh, the answer is none of the above… sort of,” Cady replied with another dismissive wave, her gaze returning to the bag.  “Let’s just say that the residents here aren’t fond humans.  For you, that’s not a problem.  You can certainly prove you aren’t human.  In my case, I need a disguise.

“For more reason than one,” she added under her breath, Jason’s Listening skill picking out her words easily at this distance.

“Okay, take that for example,” Jason shot back, leaning his shoulder against the wall and eyeing Cady skeptically.  “What was that cryptic nonsense you just muttered?”  She shot him a surprised glance.  “Yeah, I have exceptional hearing.  One of my many talents.  So, does that mean the residents here do know you?”

“Has anyone ever told you that you ask a lot of questions,” she snapped, glaring overtop her mask.  “Maybe you should learn to trust people more.”

Jason barked out a laugh.  “Really?  Says the weird lady who showed up claiming she brought down the game servers, forced me to sign some sort of contract, and then pushed me into a glowing, green portal to a cave city… that apparently doesn’t exist,” he replied, pivoting his display to show her the search results – or lack thereof.

“Look, this place is dangerous.  I just need a moment—” she cut herself short, sticking almost her entire arm down into her bag.

“Great.  You know what would have been useful then?  Giving me time to gather materials and loot all of those bodies before shoving me into—”

Jason suddenly felt a blade slide against his side, sharp metal pushing against the leather armor that draped his skeletal body – right about where his kidneys should be located.  Little did his attacker know that those fragile organs were all nestled safely inside canopic jars of his own making.  Even with the minor enhancements he’d made to this body, such weapons would serve little purpose against him.  Not unless the owner was a caster or planned to put a hell of a lot more force behind that blade…

“Don’t move,” a rough voice growled.  “We’ve got you both surrounded.”

More figures drifted out of the shadows around them, stepping out of darkened doorways as they dropped from Sneak.  Jason’s Perception skill picked out two more on the rooftops.  Those must be lookouts and were likely equipped with ranged weapons.  Judging from the shitty quality of the blade at his side – the metal rusted and chipped – his guess was that they were facing some common thieves or brigands.  And with no tags… residents, at that.

Jason just let out a frustrated sigh.  “Really?” he demanded of his attacker.  “Can’t you see we’re trying to have a conversation here?”

The blade pressed tighter.  “I don’t care.  And you, lady with her arm in her bag, drop it.  Now or your friend here will suffer the consequences!”

“Damn it,” Cady muttered.  “I was too late.”  Her bag hit the ground with a soft thump and she held up her palms to show she was unarmed.

“So, you knew these guys were going to ambush us?” Jason demanded.

“Look, this really isn’t the time to be arguing—” Cady began.

“It looks like a great time to me,” Jason interjected.  He finally had her full attention.  “This is exactly my point.  Are these people just common street thugs?”  A few of the bandits looked offended at that remark, their eyes glaring around their masks. “Or are they hunting you maybe?”  And now they were looking at Cady inquisitively.

“Um… not exactly?” she answered.

“What kind of response is that?” he snapped.  “I mean, you teleported us to this specific location and it seems like you knew we’d get ambushed somehow.  If that was the case, you know what would be really useful right about now?  Minions. Lots and lots of minions. They could have probably prevented this confrontation altogether.”

Meanwhile, the brigands were starting to look confused, glancing at one another and muttering under their breaths.  Even the blade at Jason’s side had gone slack – the man he assumed was their leader gawking at the pair as they bickered.

“Hey, cut the chatter,” the brigand leader finally snapped, pressing the blade even harder until it grinded against the bones of Jason’s ribs.  Not that he was concerned.  A quick inspection revealed that these brigands were all a little over level 100.  They represented little threat.

“Why don’t you just knock it off,” Jason shot back, his patience fraying.

“If you value your life, you’ll shut it,” the man growled back.

Jason’s body tensed, his bones creaking as he began to shift his staves out of his arms.  He’d had enough of this stupid—

“You can’t kill them,” Cady offered frantically.

“What?  Why not?” Jason shot back.

“Wait, did she tell the tall one that he can’t kill us?” one of the brigands overhead whispered, Jason’s Listening skill picking up pieces of their conversation.

“Are these people crazy?”

“You’re guess is as good as mine.”

“Should we even be doing this right now?  What’s Lloyd thinking?  Our intel said—”

The brigand at Jason side was starting to look nervous, his eyes squinting in suspicion overtop his own mask. Jason could only assume his name was Lloyd. And now Lloyd’s companions were shuffling nervously in the ally and along the nearby rooftops.

“Look, it’s just really important that you don’t kill them,” Cady hissed, looking uncomfortable.  “That’s all I can say right now without changing things.”

“Changing things?” Jason echoed.  He looked at the brigand beside him.  “Do you understand anything she just said?”  The man shook his head in confusion before recovering.

“Hey, hey I’m the one in charge here… you two need to move along.  Now.  This is… uh, this our territory!” Lloyd pressed the dagger even more forcefully to emphasize his point, although Jason wasn’t exactly convinced these people knew what they were doing.  Either way, at this rate, he was going to cut a hole in Jason’s armor…

“Could you please stop?” Jason snapped, his hand whipping up.  He pinched the dagger between two bony fingers and neatly twisted it from the brigand’s grasp.

“Oh, shit he’s undead,” another whispered from overhead.

“The Kin are here?!” another muttered.

“Yes, yes, I’m undead,” Jason answered with a sigh, pulling back his hood to reveal his skeletal features.  If he couldn’t kill these people for whatever reason, then he might as well scare them away.  The group of brigands recoiled as they witnessed his skeletal visage, dark mana pulsing along ivory bone.

“Oh shit, you’ve done it now…” Cady muttered, rubbing at her temple.

“Huh?  What did I do wrong now?” Jason demanded in confusion.

The brigand leader looked like he’d seen the devil himself, his eyes going round as he backpedaled away from Jason and his hands trembled.  “We didn’t know that the Kin were in Pax, much less a Lich.  Are you here for the avatar?”

“How did you know I was a lich?” Jason retorted, cocking his head.   Then he hesitated.  Had this guy just mentioned another avatar?   “Actually, never mind.  Which avatar?” He looked to Cady.  “What is this guy talking about?  Does he mean you?  But why would the Kin be hunting an avatar in a city I’ve never heard of?”

He paused, his thoughts racing.

“Wait… unless…”  Some of the pieces were starting to come together—

The brigand leader shook his head, still backing away, his hands trembling as he fumbled at his bag.  “I don’t care what games you’re trying to play.  I won’t be fooled.  If you’re here, you must be after the avatar.  That’s the only explanation—”

The brigand suddenly tripped over some trash, toppling backward.

“Hey, watch out,” Jason muttered, stepping forward to catch the man.

He managed to grab hold of Lloyd’s tunic in one bony hand, the man still shaking like a leaf and fumbling in his pouch as though searching from something.  However, the others took that as a sign of attack.  Immediately, three bolts rained down from overhead, spearing through Jason’s ribcage and glancing off reinforced bone.

-15 Damage

-15 Damage

-50 Damage (Critical)

That last one had cracked a damn rib.

“Hey, stop it!  Why are you—”  Jason began.

But he was interrupted again as the other brigands in the alley pushed forward.  Jason sidestepped one smoothly and pulled Cady behind him with his other arm before she could be harmed, sending her careening into the wall at his back.  The brigand rushed past, blade raised—only to run straight into his friend, impaling his neck with his blade.  The injured thief’s eyes went round as he stared at his friend – now, his murderer – and a pink frothy substance pooled on his lips.

“Oh no, Greg.  I didn’t mean to—”

The brigand pulled his blade free, only for his friend to topple to his knees, clutching at his throat in a vain attempt to stem the flow of blood.  Or maybe it was a ‘vein’ attempt.  Man, if they weren’t getting attacked right now, Jason would have written that one down…

“Ahh, hold on.  I’ll get you a potion or something,” Greg’s murderous friend offered frantically.

Not that it would likely help.  Not from where Jason was standing. The man soon went still, blood pooling around him.  Apparently, the brigands in Pax weren’t that resilient.

His killer just stood there, staring down at his dead friend in shock.

“See?”  Jason snapped at Cady, waving at the body.  “This is what happens when you don’t explain anything.  Friends gruesomely murder each other.”

She grunted, heaving herself away from the wall.  “I was trying to!” she shot back.  “But you went and got them all irritated at us—”

Another snap of bowstrings overhead and Jason’s reflexes kicked in.  Greg’s corpse exploded, his skeleton ripped from its fleshy cage – showering the alley in blood and gore… as well as his friend-turned-murder.  The brigand was splashed with blood that covered his entire face and chest, his mouth opening and closing in shock and horror.

Not that Jason paid that much attention.

The bones swiftly condensed down into three floating discs, each panel whipping toward Cady and intercepting the missiles – the shields exploding in a shower of dust as the arrows struck their surface.  Cady was unharmed, but the cloud of dust wafted across her face, causing her to suck in a deep lungful, which triggered a fit of hacking and coughing.  Meanwhile, the others started shouting as they surveyed the gory remains of their teammate.

Greg’s accidental murderer appeared to be in shock.  He was just staring at the blood on his hands and chest… and in his hair.  Some had even gotten in his mouth, which was gross.  He must have suddenly realized the same thing because he pitched over and hurled his guts up on the stone.  This had gone south really quickly—

“Holy shit… Greg…” the brigand leader muttered, his tunic still clutched in one of Jason’s bony hands.  The man – who was presumably named Lloyd – was eyeing the pile of muscle and shattered, bloody organs that had once been the brigand named Greg.  “You monster!” he snarled at Jason, his eyes flashing angrily.

“Hey, that’s a little much, don’t you think?” Jason replied.  “I didn’t kill him, after all.  This guy did,” he offered, pointing at the other brigand on his hands and knees, his knife still dripping blood where it had clattered against the cobblestones.

“Why don’t we all just calm down and have a little chat—”

“Fuck you, you undead scum!” Lloyd shouted, his hand finally emerging from his bag, this time holding a massive gemstone.  One that glowed bright red.

“Uh, that looks dangerous.  Not to me, but to you,” Jason corrected quickly.  “You see, my bones are all reinforced and fire-resistant right now.  That won’t kill me, but if you detonate that right here, you’ll probably take out your own—”

“Stop him!” Cady croaked, finally managing to clear her lungs of dust.  “Kill him if you have to.  Just don’t let him set that off.”

“You just told me not to kill them!” Jason snapped, turning to glare at her over his shoulder.  “Will you make up your damned—"

“The revolution will never die!” the brigand leader screamed.

Then Lloyd slammed the crystal down, the surface cracking.  Then crumpling.  Flames burst forth in an explosive blast.  One that sent the other brigands in the alley toppling back into a nearby wall, their bodies crushed against the reinforced stone.  The rest of the flames followed, searing their way down the alley.  The brigands on the roof were caught in the blast, flames enveloping their cloaks and armor.  Their screams echoed off the stone as they fell, landing in a series of dull thuds, rolling feebly to try to suppress the flames before coming to a stop, their corpses smoldering and the smell of burnt flesh wafting through the alley.

Meanwhile, Jason had stepped in front of Cady, absorbing most of the blast – which caused little damage.  However, it set his damn bag on fire and he was forced to beat it against the nearby wall to put it out.  “Gods damn it,” he muttered.  “They had to go and set my stuff on fire too?  What the hell is wrong with these guys…”

He trailed off as he turned his attention back to the alley.  Or what was left of it.  The fire had scoured the trash and debris, leaving only five corpses littering the ground.  Their bodies were seared and burned.  Unmoving.  Clearly dead.  And then there was the pile of guts and organs that had once been named Greg.  The whole place smelled faintly of barbecue.

Maybe he was becoming desensitized to this…

“I told you that was a bad idea,” Jason muttered as he glared down at Lloyd’s remains.

“What did you do?” Cady snapped.

“Me?” Jason demanded.  “I didn’t do shit!  You saw what happened.  I stopped Lloyd from hurting himself and then that other brigand killed his friend Greg.  And did you miss the part where their leader blew them all up?  How is any of that on me?”

Cady just rubbed at her temple.  “You don’t even know how badly you’ve fucked things up, do you?  Do you really have to murder everything in sight?”

“I mean, to be fair, these guys were pretty fragile,” Jason offered with a chuckle.

“That’s not funny,” Cady snapped back.

Jason shrugged.  “Says you.  They threatened to kill us.  Am I supposed to feel bad or something?  Besides, you’ve been pretty light on details even though I’ve asked you repeatedly to explain yourself.”  He couldn’t keep the irritation and sarcasm from his voice.  “Like why were these incredibly flimsy brigands important?  Why did they think we were here for some avatar?  And what revolution were they talking about?”

Cady grunted, stepping over to the brigand leader.  She kicked at the body and it rolled over.  His cloth mask had been burned away and although the flames had also melted off half of his face, the bones never lied.  That was a man.  A human man.

“Huh, they’re human?” Jason asked.  “I thought you said that humans weren’t treated well here.  If that’s true then what were these guys all doing—"

“Like I said, we needed these idiots,” Cady snapped at him.  “They’re part of the human resistance.  They were here to kidnap me.”

Jason just stared back.  “What are you talking about?  They seemed like they were trying to rob us.  And why did you want to be kidnapped by a bunch of two-bit thieves anyway?”

She let out a frustrated growl.  “No, not me, me.  Other me.”

He didn’t have a witty comeback for that one.  Had she lost her mind?

“You do know that what you’re saying makes absolutely no sense right?” Jason replied gently – as though he would a small child.  Maybe she’d hit her head against that stone wall.  A concussion would explain a lot…  “Besides, maybe a thank you would be nice?  You know, for saving you?  Twice?”

“Oh, because that’s what I need.  A big strong man to come save me,” Cady bit back sarcastically.  “Fuck you and your bullshit misogyny.  If I’d wanted to kill these idiots, I sure as hell could have… and without creating such a gods awful mess.”

Jason just crossed his arms, glaring back.  Nope.  It definitely wasn’t a concussion.  “Uh huh.  Says the independent woman that kidnapped me without explaining anything at all.  Maybe you should get down from your high horse for two seconds and explain what’s going on.”

She shook her head, letting out a frustrated sigh.  “Fine.  It’s fine.  I can salvage this,” Cady began, clearly talking to herself once again.  “I could go back—No, that’ll use too much time.  Illusions maybe…"

He might as well be talking to a wall, apparently.

Cady looked at the bodies.  “Okay.  I have a plan.”

“Fantastic,” Jason drawled.  “I can’t wait to discover what it is…”

She just ignored him. Again. “First, we need to clean up this mess.  We can’t afford to let anyone find a bunch of half-charred humans remains here and we’ll need this alley in a moment.  We also don’t have much time left…” She trailed off again, tapping at the air as she brought up her UI.

Jason shrugged.  “You need to clean up?  That’s not a problem.”

“Wait, I meant—” Cady began, but she was too late.

His hands moved and dark energy coiled around his fingers. The world soon slowed and Jason set to work, carving up the bodies and stripping the flesh from bone where it landed in a wet pile – one that wouldn’t offer much clue to its former owners’ race.  Then he used the bones he’d collected to construct a couple dozen Drones, embedding light mana crystals into their skeletal, little chests.  It was the only type of crystal he had left.  Finished, he tapped the console and the world lurched back into motion – the sounds of the city penetrating the alley once more.

“There, happy?” Jason said, waving at the pile of remains.  Blood now stained the walls and floor of the alley, forming a soupy pool.  Meanwhile, the stone was charred black and the lip of the nearby roof was still smoldering – the scent of burnt flesh filling the air.

Cady looked at the mess distastefully.  “Are you going to be like this the whole time?”

“You mean protecting myself?  Then yes, probably,” Jason replied.  Then he urged his Drones to go explore the city, a spare hand bringing up his map to monitor their progress.

“And what the hell are those?” Cady asked in horror as she saw the spider-like creatures skittering up the walls of the alley.

“Drones.  I’m mapping the city.”

“We need to alter as little as possible.” Cady was grinding her teeth together now.  “It’s important to make measured changes.  Otherwise, we risk fucking everything up.”

Jason shot her an incredulous glance beneath his shadowy cowl.  “That was about as clear as mud.  I’m in a strange, unknown city.  Information gathering is an important first step.  And besides, what are a handful of tiny skeletal drones going to do, huh?”

She was rubbing at her temple again, muttering under her breath.

Something about this being a mistake.  On that, at least, they could both agree.

Then Cady took a deep breath.  “Okay, it’s fine.  We need to move.  We’re running out of time.  And now that you’ve killed my kidnappers, we’re going to have to take their place.  This time, follow my instructions to the letter.  No killing random people, got it?”

Jason just cocked his head.  “No promises.”

“I think I may hate you already.”

“The feeling is mutual,” he shot back.  “Now, what the hell are we doing?”

“First things first,” Cady murmured, raising her hand.  She took off one of her rings, a sapphire crystal set into a silver band.  She stooped and dabbed her finger in the blood on the ground before smearing it across the stone.  Then she handed it to Jason.  His Perception skill identified intricate ward markings along the length of the band, etched with painstaking care.

“Put it on,” she commanded.

“Tell me what it does first,” he retorted, eyeing it suspiciously.

“It’s an illusory ring.  Much like the ones Smiles and his crew were using against you,” Cady explained in a rush, eyeing a nearby doorway warily.  “We need to disguise you now.”

“I thought it was fine if I didn’t look human,” Jason argued.

“Not now after you killed them all,” Cady almost shouted at him before glancing in alarm at the mouth of the alley.  Then she took a deep breath.  “Look, I just need for you to trust me right now.  We only have about… thirty seconds.”

“Technically, they killed themselves.  You saw it happen.”

Cady seemed to be practicing some form of deep breathing, the wind making a whistling sound as she forcefully inhaled and exhaled.  Despite her anger, she looked serious.  Nervous even.

Jason let out a sigh.  “Fine.  Here we go…”

He slipped on the ring.  A sheen of water immediately condensed out of the air and wrapped his limbs, attaching to the bone.  His appearance shifted and when he looked down again, pale flesh covered his hands and his limbs had filled out with bulky muscle.  He looked very similar to the Lloyd – minus the light sear, of course… and with his bones still intact.  Only moments later, a prompt appeared in the air before him, glowing with a golden light.

Illusory Ring

This ring was crafted by a master jeweler and was infused with a high-quality water mana gemstone that has been corrupted by dark energy.  The result is an exquisite work of art.  One with a unique purpose.  This ring can absorb the blood of an opponent in order to store and replicate their appearance.  The ring’s gem may be recharged with the help of a high-affinity water mage.

Quality:  A

Charges: 98/200

Effects:  May absorb and store up to three disguises.

Disguises are applied for 2 hours at a time.

Physical damage or disruption has a chance to dispel the illusion.

Current Disguises:  Lloyd the Bandit, [Empty], [Empty].

Geez, where the hell did she get something like this?  Jason wondered.  Maybe he could keep it.  Would she even notice—

“You can’t keep it,” Cady interrupted sharply.

“That’s not—”

“Uh, huh, sure,” she replied, inspecting his appearance carefully. Then she nodded sharply.  “Good enough.  Okay, your name is Lloyd.  Remember that and follow my lead,” she directed, stepping toward a nearby doorway.

Jason just shook his head as he followed her.  “Sure.  If we’re pretending to be other people, does that mean you have a different name now?”

“It’s Andrea,” Cady shot over her shoulder as she shoved open the wooden door with a creak and a shower of dust.  Clearly, that door hadn’t been opened in a while.

They entered a large courtyard ringed by a thick stone wall.  Cady stopped in the center of the courtyard, clearly waiting for something – not that asking would likely provide any answers.  So, Jason inspected their surroundings instead.

The courtyard itself was unassuming.  Plain.  Boring.  Devoid of life or movement or any trace of activity.  In fact, the ground was covered in a thick layer of dust, more evidence that this place didn’t see much use.  Although, the enclosure vaguely reminded Jason of another time and another place – a similar courtyard where a number of starting players had gathered, robed in beige cloth and strapped sandals.  Guards watching.  Travelers milling about the dusty enclosure.

He paused.  In fact, it was almost the same size.

“Hey, is this is a starting courtya—”  Jason began.

He was cutoff as a multi-colored rift tore open the air, Jason’s staves beginning to rotate out of his arms and his illusion rippling and warping – only for Cady’s hand to land on his arm.  She just shook her head and gave him that look again.

A person soon emerged from the portal.  A young woman.  She looked flustered, confused – toppling to the ground and her palms digging into the sharp stone, cutting into her skin and leaving bloody marks on the rock.  Her chest heaved, her breath coming hard and fast.  She looked up with wide eyes, taking in her surroundings, her gaze locking with Jason’s.

Which is how he found himself looking down at Cady.

Or, at least, her spitting image.

And just to confirm, the other Cady was still standing beside him, her body suddenly transformed to resemble some grizzled, human woman, a glowing blue wand held in her hand – one she promptly slipped into her bag.  Was she supposed to be one of the brigands they’d slain back in the alley?  However, the eyes were identical – sharp, piercing, intelligent… and glaring at him overtop the head of a woman who could have been her identical twin, giving him yet another look that said he better not fuck this up again.

Whatever the hell this even was…

Chapter 7 - New Girl

February 7, 2076:  237 Days Before the Release of Awaken Online.

Cerillion Entertainment Headquarters

“What the hell am I doing?” Cady murmured, staring up at the Cerillion Entertainment headquarters building, the structure towering into the sky – all gleaming metal and polished glass.  Cars raced through the streets nearby in a dizzying pattern, mobs of pedestrians filling the sidewalks and occasionally jostling her as they passed.

She let out a sigh.  It didn’t matter.  It was too late to back out now.

Cady’s heels soon tapped across gleaming marble as she strode inside the atrium.  The company’s logo was emblazoned across the walls, the soft glow reflecting off the smooth tile and the ornate columns that dotted the lobby.

“Um, welcome!” a man greeted Cady.  He was young.  Early twenties and still green around the ears.  Low-level staff.  Engineer or programmer judging from his clothing.  “My name is Gordon and I’ll be taking you on a tour of the… facilities.”

He’d hesitated.  An attempt at being discreet?  The company’s lawyer, Francis, had given Cady little information.  Only a date and time to show up.  As promised, Cerillion had handled the transfer of her sister.  Cady didn’t know what they’d told her family, and honestly she didn’t care.  It was probably better if they thought Tara was dead and she sure as hell didn’t have any intention of speaking with them.

“It was my understanding that I would be meeting with someone named Robert Graham,” Cady offered, brow wrinkling in confusion.

“Ahh, well, um, about that.” Gordan swallowed nervously.  “Robert is… uh, otherwise occupied and is running a bit late.  I’m sure he’ll meet up with us shortly.

“Hmm,” Cady hummed.  She doubted that was the reason she was meeting with Gordon.  A power play of some sort?  Robert’s flimsy attempt to get under her skin?

The young man swallowed nervously, waving at the atrium.  “Anyway, so this is the main lobby and atrium for Cerillion.”

That much was obvious.  “Impressive,” Cady murmured – not quite feeling it.

Once you’d seen one grandiose corporate lobby, you’d seen them all.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Gordon shot back, flashing a grin.

“Well, then lead the way,” Cady offered with a forced smile of her own.

Gordon soon led her to a bank of elevators, sensors along the wall automatically registering his implants and the pair stepped inside.  “So, the upper levels are devoted to hosting and developing our new game title – Awaken Online.  I’m sure you’ve heard of it, right?”

“I have,” Cady offered with a nod of her own.

In fact, she’d just sold Bran on the idea of torpedoing the project…

“It’s amazing,” Gordon murmured, staring off into the distance.  “One of the perks of working here is that all employees are granted a beta key.  It’s really a remarkable experience.”

“So, I’ve heard.”  She’d done plenty of research on the technology, but it hadn’t seemed like her thing.  She’d been sold a fairytale as a child – which turned out to be the grim kind.  As an adult, she didn’t feel compelled to paint over reality with fantasy.   Play act as a wizard or some sort of hero like the millions of other nerds out there.  She preferred things that were more tangible.

“Anyway, we should get moving,” Gordon continued, punching at a screen.  He flashed his Core and a glowing panel suddenly appeared, showing an array of sub floors.  “The cafeteria is on the sub levels, along with your new apartment.  But you’ll be working on level B-32.  That’s where the real magic happens…”

As he trailed off, the panel shifted and lights appeared in the elevator cabin, bands of red energy skimming them both from head to foot.  Another two rays of light shot from the wall and scanned their retinas.

“New user registered.  Arcadia Landrey.  Provisional credentials granted,” a feminine, robotic voice spoke up, echoing through the elevator.

Cady shot Gordon a questioning glance.

“I know this might seem intense,” he offered with a tilt of his head.  “But security is paramount at Cerillion, especially for floors dedicated to research and development.  All electronic devices are disabled below ground and we’re regularly scanned for contraband.  My only advice?  Don’t accidentally take anything into the elevator with you.  You’ll regret it.

“I’m pretty sure they have the right to harvest our organs if we violate the NDA,” Gordon muttered.

She was more than aware of the consequences of breaching the NDA.  She’d read every page.  All 100 of them.  Yet she feigned nervousness.  “It was… a lot,” Cady offered.

“It’s alright.  I’ve been here for more than a year now and we haven’t had any issues.  Honestly, once you get a better sense of the project, you’ll understand.  No one wants to get terminated,” Gordon offered, reassuringly, losing some of his shyness.

So, the staff was motivated?  But to accomplish what exactly?

Despite its length and covering dozens of contingencies that would likely never come to pass, the contract had been light on one particular detail.  Like what the hell this was all about.  And if there was one thing Cady hated, it was being left in the dark...

“What exactly is the project?” she offered gently.  “Francis was evasive—”

“I can’t say,” Gordon cut her off. It seemed he did have a spine in there somewhere. As he saw her frown, he amended quickly, “Not by choice, of course.  It’s just the rules.  Robert’s rules.”

Fantastic.  Her elusive new boss sounded like a gem.

Gordon punched another button and they started descending.

The doors soon slid open on a new floor, this one lacking the elegance of the atrium.  Marble tile replaced with reinforced concrete and rows of fluorescent lights.  The entry looked more like a bunker than a posh corporate office.  Cady frowned.  That was… an odd choice – one that only piqued her curiosity further.

What exactly were they building down here?

The pair stepped out and Gordon led her to another door.  A second scan and she could hear the sound of a locking mechanism withdrawing with a heavy metallic clank and the hiss of hydraulics.  The door slid open – at least two feet of reinforced metal.  On the other side was another atrium – one far different than what she’d seen in the building’s lobby.  It was just an empty room, more gray concrete and a few words painted against the far wall.

“Lazarus Program,” was all it said.  No logo.  No stylized font.  Just plain lettering.

A title to an untold story.  One lacking in refinement and polish, but it was a start.

“Here it is,” Gordon offered with another grin.  “Want the grand tour?”

“Lead the way,” Cady replied with a smile of her own.

Excited, Gordon jumped at the chance, leading her to another door off the side of the barren atrium.   This one lacked the sensors and security of the previous portals.  They soon exited into a laboratory bustling with engineers.  There were no white coats.  No test tubes and tempered glass.  Instead, the staff all sat at computer terminals.  Desks perched beside black obelisks.  And along the far wall, a massive server bank of dark towers flickered with a soft green glow.

“This is our programming wing.  Software is a critical component of what we do here at the Lazarus Program.  Really the heart of our work.  This lab is headed by Robert Graham, but he doesn’t always spend his time down here.  He’s a busy man,” Gordon explained.

“No doubt,” Cady replied.  Too busy to greet her, apparently.

They kept moving, the other engineers sparing Cady the occasional glance as she passed, eyes skimming her from head to foot.  Taking in her heels.  Her immaculate attire and perfected appearance.  She saw judgement, curiosity, and a few lingering eyes.  She wasn’t unaccustomed to such attention – didn’t shy away from their looks.  Only smiled.  Appearance was just another weapon.  One of many.  And she was the ‘new girl.’  It didn’t hurt to start building relationships.

Gordon led them through another door, down a long hall, and out into another enclosure.  “And this is the Wetware Wing,” he announced.  “A little joke among the crew, I guess.”

Cady smiled, yet her face felt tight.  A joke, hmm?

This room was circular, barren of life.  A concrete enclosure filled with what appeared to be pods.  Six of them positioned like the spokes of a wheel.  Lights danced along their sides, flashing and blinking.  Their surface was covered in frosted glass that obscured their contents.  The air in here was chilly, far colder than in the previous room.  Each breath sent a tuft of moisture wafting away from Cady’s lips.

“These are our test subjects.  All of them have signed waivers, of course,” Gordon offered.

“Did they now?” Cady asked.  She could think of at least one that hadn’t.

Gordon winced.  “Or their families, I suppose.  They’re all disabled.  Victims of extensive injuries.  Trauma.  Most were in vegetative comas when they arrived.”

Interesting word choice.  Past tense.  “Were.”

Cady approached the pods, her heels tapping at the concrete, her eyes skimming the names painted in glowing relief before each capsule.  She hesitated at one.  her fingers drifted forward, swiping at the frosty glass, the moisture smearing and revealing the face of a sleeping woman. She was still, expression placid… almost peaceful.  The panel beside the pod showed the woman’s vital information.  And above it all was a name.  Tara Kincaid.  Her sister.

“The capsules keep them alive and maintain their vitals.  They also act as a more immersive VR headset.  You could even say that these are the first-generation version of the headsets that Cerillion now manufactures,” Gordon explained.  “However, they’re much more sensitive, capable of performing a complete brain and body scan.”

Cady swallowed hard, maintaining her composure.  “So, not a marketable model, huh?” She managed another smile she didn’t quite feel.

Gordon shrugged.  “They are a bit large,” he agreed with a grin.

She turned back to her sister.  How was this supposed to help her?  Some sort of cryo pod, a bunch of servers, and a bunch of nerds tapping away at their computers?  Tara needed a doctor.  A hospital.  Cady had been promised a possible cure… not whatever the hell this was.

Her eyes skimmed to Gordon.  “So, I’ve seen the programmers and I’ve seen the pods.  Are we going to get to the grand reveal next?  What is it that you all do here exactly?”

The aide hesitated, looking suddenly uncertain.  “Like I said, I’m not really—”

“That’s fine.  And I understand your caution upstairs with prying eyes and ears.  But we’re here now, aren’t we?” Cady pressed with a small smile and a wave at the room.  “How am I supposed to work here without knowing what I’m working on?  What’s the purpose of this place?  These pods?  The programmers back there?  Why all the secrecy?”

Gordon looked flustered, fumbling with how to respond.

He was saved as another voice spoke up suddenly – one that came from the door at their backs.  “The answer is simple.  We plan to change the world.”

Cady turned, only to hesitate as she saw the man standing there.  He sported a bristly five o’clock shadow and his hair was tousled like he’d just rolled out of bed.  A theory supported by the bathrobe and slippers he was still wearing, his hands nursing a steaming cup of coffee, hot moisture wafting in the frigid air of the so-called Wetware Wing.

“Where have you been, Robert?” Gordon whispered a bit too loudly, side-eyeing Cady.

“Busy,” Robert offered, taking a sip of his coffee.

This must be Robert Graham.  He lived up to his reputation, at least.

“So, were you planning to change the world before or after lunch?” Cady offered dryly.

“Ha, that was a good one, New Girl.  These guys all lack a sense of humor.  Colleges must be programming it out of them,” Robert offered, waving at Gordon.

Judging from the weary resignation on the younger man’s face, her guess was that this wasn’t the first time Robert had skipped a meeting or shown up randomly and it likely wouldn’t be the last.  She was familiar with his type.  He was even worse than the egomaniacs that counted their coins at the top of the pyramid.  Robert was an eccentric – one of the hardest groups to sell to.  They were only interested in one story and even then, only the version they were telling themselves.

“Anyway, we have something of a flexible work schedule down here,” Robert explained, leaning against one of the pods.

Cady shot Gordon a questioning glance.  “We all start at 9am,” he offered quietly.

Robert took a sip of his coffee and wrinkled his nose.  “Damn, that’s bitter,” he muttered.

The engineer walked over to another pod, tapped at the door and it popped open with a hiss and a rush of vapor.  His hand disappeared inside and soon reappeared with a small metal pitcher, frost coating the surface.  He poured what appeared to be milk into his coffee before replacing the pitcher and snapping the pod closed with a click.

All while Cady and Gordon watched with a mixture of surprise and horror.

Not that Robert seemed to mind.  Another sip and then, “Ahh, much better.”

His eyes shot to Gordon.  “So, did you start without me?”

“You… well… I tried to ring your apartment—” the man sputtered.

“Let me guess,” Cady interjected, looking to Gordon, “Robert here never shows up on time and your project has no real manager when he isn’t here.  He just pops in whenever he feels like it, demands some crazy shit on an unreasonable deadline and then disappears for days or even weeks at a time.  Am I close?”

Gordon just stared for a moment, blinking.   “Well… yeah.”

He glanced at Robert.  “I really like her.”

For his part, the engineer looked less amused.  “I’ll bet you do.  Now, get the hell out of here, or I’ll come up with a new project for you.”

That must have been quite the threat since Gordon vanished in a flash.

Which left the two of them standing in that frigid room, surrounded by sleeping, hollow, husks of human beings.  Popsicles stored in an incredibly expensive underground freezer.  And apparently, also where Robert Graham kept his damned creamer…

“So, are you going to actually tell me what the hell is going on here?” Cady demanded.

“Pretty uppity for the New Girl, aren’t you?” Robert quipped.

“This New Girl hasn’t slept in nearly two days.  She’s been on multiple commercial flights and has spent the rest of her time packing up her shit.  Part of that NDA I signed required me to stay here.  Do you know how hard it is to pack up an apartment in less than a day?”

“No, not really,” Robert shot back.  “I’ve never been that much into possessions.”

“Or clothes?” Cady shot back, which only earned her a chuckle.

“Is that really how you should talk to your new boss?  As I understand it, that’s your sister lying over there behind you.  Aren’t you worried about getting fired?”  Robert asked.  Cady saw no malice in his eyes.  Only curiosity.

What was his game here?  He was angling for something, Cady just couldn’t see what it was.  Fucking eccentrics.  They were the worst.  Almost impossible to read.

“Depends on what all of this is,” Cady retorted.

“So, you gambled away your sister’s life without knowing what it was for?”

“Easy bet to make when you have nothing to lose,” Cady replied evenly, suppressing a wince.  That one had hit too close to home.  This sure as hell hadn’t been a rational decision.  “But some things are easy to deduce.  George wouldn’t have picked me for this role unless I was important somehow.”

“You sure think highly of yourself, huh?” Robert observed.

“Hardly.  There are plenty of other fish in the sea,” Cady shot back.  “But there were easier choices than me.  He has to know I’ve worked for his competitors.  Which means he needs me for some reason.”  Her eyes skimmed to the pod behind her – her sister’s frozen features.  “Or he feels like he needs leverage for whoever he does hire… which means the role is important.”

She took a breath.  “And with my skillset, well, he must plan to sell something – since that’s what I do.  What’s unclear is the product.  Freezing people’s loved ones has been done before.  It’s a scam, pure and simple.  Put your loved one on ice and hope to thaw them out in some mythical future where healthcare has solved all human illness.  Not much of a market there.

“So, I’ll ask again, what the hell is going on down here?”

Robert took another sip, cocking his head as he watched her.

“Fair enough.  Unfortunately, you don’t have the credentials to know everything.  Not yet, anyway.  Trust is earned.  And in this case, we can’t be too careful.”  He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.  “Even those guys don’t know the whole of it.  Compartmentalization.  That’s the mantra we live by for this project.  No one knows what anyone else is working on.”

He hesitated, cocking his head and a grin on his lips.  “Except for me, of course.  I know everything.”  Another sip.  “However, I’ll tell you what I can,” Robert continued.  “We’ve developed a new technology based off our VR system.  One that can potentially save your sister.  She’s been inducted into our trial group.  As you can see, there are a few others,” he offered with a wave around the room.  “Most have been here for a while.  Months and years.  However, we recently had a… vacancy, I guess you could say.”

“Must be an effective treatment,” Cady muttered, crossing her arms.

“Not all progress is perfectly smooth,” Robert offered with a shrug.  “And I’m not going to promise to save your sister.  It’s a chance.  That’s all I can offer.”

“So, it’s a medicine of some kind?” Cady offered.  Although, she still didn’t see the purpose of the servers or the VR technology.  Some sort of advanced surgery perhaps?

“Sure, I guess you could call it that,” Robert offered, cocking his head again.  “Pretty loose definition, but sure.”

“And you want me to sell it?”

“Ideally.”

“Without knowing what it is?” Cady replied, letting out an exasperated sigh.  “You know that’s impossible, right?  To sell something, you need to be able to tell a story.”

Robert pointed at her.  “Ahh, and that’s what makes you a perfect fit.”

“Besides holding my sister hostage?”

The engineer shrugged.  “That’s above my paygrade.  Talk to George and Francis there.  Money tends to make people paranoid.”

“Either way, I still don’t know what I’m selling,” Cady pressed.

“That’s where this comes in,” Robert offered, reaching behind a pod and pulling out what appeared to be a black headset, replete with an attached obelisk.  He promptly tossed the equipment to Cady, who barely caught it in time.

She looked down at the equipment, then back at Robert.  She recognized the headset.  Even if she hadn’t done the research, she’d sure as hell seen all of the ads.  Everyone had.  “Are you serious?  You want me to what?  Play some sort of videogame?”

Robert shrugged.  “It’s an important step.  For you to sell what I’m building, you first need to understand it.  This is the easiest way.  All you have to do is log in.  Spend a couple weeks inside.  When you’re done… well, then we can talk about next steps.”

Judging from the look on his face – that amused grin – he was serious.

Or at least as serious as someone like Robert could be.

“As you said, what else do you have to lose?” he asked.

***

Cady dropped back against her sofa with a huff.  Well, technically, it wasn’t her sofa.  It was Cerillion’s sofa.  Just like this was their TV, the kitchen was filled with all of their dishes and pots and pans and whatever shit people used to fix food.  Frankly, Cady didn’t have the time or attention for such things.  Her preference was $200 takeout sushi.

All of the stuff she actually owned was crammed into a few dozen boxes that had been neatly stacked in a corner – her entire life packaged and taped and delivered to her new doorstep.  One located far underground.  In a secure facility.  Where she now worked doing… something.

“Why am I here?” she muttered.

“You wrote these people off years ago,” Cady reminded herself.  “Their problems aren’t yours.  Tara made her choice.  She chose to stay in that fucking shithole instead of escaping with you.  She’d asked for this.”  Another story – one she’d been telling herself for days now.

It was a hard sell.  That feeling in her stomach hadn’t relented.  And here she was.  She’d even put off a partner position for this – asked for a few weeks to clear her head and celebrate after her most recent victory.  The other partners had been only too happy to oblige.  The wire Bran Sinclair had sent over had probably helped ease any concerns they might have.  She should be shopping for a new apartment with a gorgeous view right now.  Or buying a small island.  Or whatever it was that filthy rich people did with their ill-gotten wealth.  Attempting to placate her conscience with distractions was a rite of passage, wasn’t it?

Hell, she didn’t even know why she was here.  Or what these people could do for Tara.  Or what they really wanted from her.  It felt like they were just toying with her now.

She glared at the headset resting on the coffee table.

And they weren’t just treating this like a game.  They were insisting she play one too.

Robert’s scruffy, grinning face was still burned into her mind.  Asshole.

And yet… it was a chance.  Robert had seemed confident about that.  So had Francis.  And they were certainly shelling out a lot of money.  This was more than just some prank.

A part of her was even a bit curious.

She snatched the headset, rotating it and her fingers tracing the smooth, hard plastic.  Robert’s words had stuck with her.  What did she really have to lose?  Worst case, her sister died?  Or lived her life as a vegetable?  But that was just the status quo.  That would happen no matter what she chose to do.  And she didn’t stand to lose anything, not really.  Her job could wait for a few weeks.  Could get put on hold until she figured out whatever the hell this was all about.

“Damn it,” Cady muttered.  She’d reached a decision.  She knew it.

Then she took a deep breath and pulled on the headset.

System Initializing

Scanning User…  Please Wait.

She lay back on the sofa, head resting against a pillow.  A few minutes ticked past.

And then…

System Initialized

Scanning complete.  Initiating boot sequence.

Welcome to Awaken Online!

Before Cady could question what that might mean, the notice abruptly disappeared, and blinding white light flooded her vision.  And, with that, she entered the world of Awaken Online.

Chapter 8 - Misleading

December 1, 2076:  61 days after the release of Awaken Online.

Awaken Online - Pax

Cady – the “new Cady” – looked confused.

And slightly nauseous, her skin pale and sallow, her stomach gurgling.  She stared at Jason – or, rather, his newly camouflaged form.  She blinked.  Blinked again, as though trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

Lloyd… my name is Lloyd, Jason reminded himself.

He didn’t normally struggle with getting into character for a disguise, but… well, the last few minutes had been crazier than usual.  Just what the hell was even going on—

“Fuck… what’s going on?” Cady croaked, echoing his own thoughts.

The “OG Cady” elbowed Jason sharply in the side.

“Oh, uh… you just arrived in Pax.  You may be disoriented for a moment,” Jason said, trying for a gentle tone.

Cady’s eyes finally focused on him, roaming Jason’s attire.  Leather and chain out of some sort of fantasy novel or movie.  A sword swung at his hip.  Daggers sheathed across his body. With a frown, Cady looked down at her arms – at the clothing that wrapped her body.  Judging from the disgust pinching her lips, she seemed more upset at the potato sack she was wearing than her sudden appearance in this courtyard.

Which was unfortunate.  If she knew the truth, it would only be worse.  That Jason was actually a lich – not some sort of human brigand.  That they were who knows where, doing who knows what, and all at the behest of her grumpy and exceptionally cryptic alter ego.  Jason’s gaze shot to the OG Cady, her features transformed to make her unrecognizable, hair graying and skin scarred.  She stared at her other self with a mixture of curiosity and… revulsion?  And joy of joys, the OG Cady soon turned that glare back on him.

Great.  It looked like he was going to be doing the talking—

“My name is, um, Lloyd,” he offered gently.  “What’s yours?”

“We don’t have time for this,” the OG Cady grunted.

Jason shot her a weary look.  Really?  Hadn’t she just gestured for him to talk to her?  “Play along,” the OG Cady messaged him privately.  “And no killing anyone.”

Okay, this day had gone from shit to batshit really quick.

Jason took a breath.  “Just give me a second.  She’s confused.”

“Um… Cady.  My name is Cady,” the woman on her knees offered.

Yeah, no shit, Jason thought to himself.

As her breathing steadied and she began to calm, the new Cady finally took in their surroundings.  The wall ringing the courtyard.  The stone buildings around them.  The giant cave walls culminating in that artificial sun made of crystal that loomed far overhead.  To be fair, Jason had gawked at that one for a moment too.

“Where the hell are we?” Cady asked, her voice more stable and color returning to her cheeks again.  Jason could only wonder what her tutorial had looked like…

“Like I said, this city is called Pax,” he offered.

“We need to move.  Now,” OG Cady growled, fully getting into character, apparently.   She must be roleplaying an even angrier version of herself.  “The Peacekeepers will be on us soon.”

“The Peacekeepers?” Jason asked in confusion, only to earn himself another glare.  Yeah, of course.  This Lloyd or whatever would probably know what she was talking about.  “Uh, I mean, yeah… that’s a problem.  A… um, big one?”

“It is,” OG Cady answered, pointing at the new version of herself behind her back and pantomiming Jason lifting her upright.   “We need to get moving.  It’s dangerous to stay here.”

Jason got the point… sort of. “Yeah, thank you… Andrea.”  She had the audacity to wink at him now.  Trying not to sigh in exasperation, Jason turned back to Cady, his expression reassuring.  “I know this is confusing and you’re disoriented, but we need for you to come with us.  This place isn’t safe.  Are you good to walk?”

She hesitated, then nodded weakly.  At least this version of Cady wasn’t quite so uptight.  Or demanding.  And she hadn’t glared or yelled at him either… at least, not yet.

However, his relief proved to be short lived.

The nearby wall abruptly exploded, showering the area with dust and debris.  Jason’s reflexes kicked in and he stepped in front of the new Cady to shield her, his illusion rippling as rocks bounced off his cloak and body, the shrapnel not nearly enough to cause damage.

“Oh shit, a Golem!” the OG Cady shouted.

“What’s a golem—?” Jason began, only to hesitate as his gaze panned up.

A monstrous creature made of stone loomed above the fortification, its eyes blazing with emerald energy and a massive staff held in its hands.  It swept forward, the weapon striking another intact portion of the wall and blasting apart the stone.  The blow was closer this time and sent huge fragments hurtling toward them.  Instinct took over and Jason grabbed Cady’s arm, hauling her back and sheltering her from the debris – which all seemed to freeze in place before striking them, hanging suspended in the air in a cloud of rock and dust.

What kind of ability is that? Jason wondered.

The OG Cady just shrugged at his questioning look.  Then she pointed frantically at the doorway behind them.  Okay, maybe she was right… they needed to move.

Jason hauled the new Cady to her feet.  She wobbled slightly, but he helped support her, half carrying her toward the door.  As soon as they stepped out of the courtyard, that debris launched back into motion, rocks the size of Jason’s head crashing against the wall and the entire barrier shuddering from the blows, dust billowing up into the air.  Those glowing green eyes still hovered overtop the cloud of dust and the earth trembled underfoot as the golem lumbered forward. Another crash and the wall caved in, spewing more dust into the air.

“What… what is all this?” Cady gasped, eyeing the alleyway.  Blood still dripped from the walls and organs and muscle were heaped in a gruesome pile.  All  that was left of Lloyd and his friends…

“Um,” Jason hummed.  Admittedly, this did look bad.  Worse than the courtyard and the golem really.  Was the goal here to traumatize Cady’s other self?

“Oh fuck, Roy is dead—" the OG Cady shouted from behind him.

Who the fuck is Roy? Jason wondered.  One of those brigands maybe?

But it was enough to break the new Cady out of her horror-filled trance.

“Come on,” Jason urged her.

The three of them were soon jogging down the alley, Cady stumbling along with them.  However, her disorientation was fading fast.  Adrenaline was a hell of a drug.  Jason had experienced the effects more than a few times himself.

They soon emerged onto a city street and Cady gaped… along with Jason.

Those weren’t human people.  At least, not quite.

They almost looked like something out of an ancient Greek textbook.  Men and women with the hooves of a goat, their fur resplendent and shining.  Horns coiling away from their heads.  The name came to Jason a moment later.  Satyrs.  And among them were other creatures that looked much more familiar.  Something that looked like a zombie.  An angel.  Some sort of lizard creature.  Elementals made entirely of stone that floated above the ground and hauled along wagons loaded with goods.

And now they were all staring at Jason and his two companions.

For the first time, Jason realized his group were all human – or, at least, they all looked human.  They were also the only humans.  Multiple races.  Some he hadn’t seen before. Humans being hunted.  Cady’s ability to move during his Custom Skeleton; to freeze the debris back in the courtyard. And this other version of herself that had teleported into what could only be described as a starting courtyard. It was becoming clearer what had happened now – where Cady – the OG Cady – had taken them.  But Jason didn’t have time to fully process that right now.

A cry went up.  The new Cady whirled as the ground shook.  The golem had simply smashed through the wall, following close behind them.

“Andrea?” Jason barked, pulling his cloak tight to ward off the dust.  He was this-fucking-close to just killing some people and taking out that golem.

Yet his kidnapper finally decided to step in.  The tattoos along her arm flashed, a green dragon glowing among the other shapes and creatures.  A pit opened up under the monstrous creature’s foot as it took another step.  It soon tripped, its weight and momentum sending it toppling forward.  It crashed into a nearby building and sent up another blast of rock and dust – several tons of stone crumbling in an instant.  The other residents of Pax were crying in alarm now.  Beginning to flee from the golem as they ran down the street in both directions.

The new Cady looked dumbfounded and frightened.  No doubt wondering if she’d just wandered into a war zone…

“We need illusions!” Andrea called from behind Jason.

“Yeah… easier said than—” he cut himself short as he saw water condense around Cady.  Jason turned to see Andrea using that small sapphire wand on herself – or her other self? Damn this was getting confusing. Was she wearing two disguises now?  At the same time, she tapped the ring he was wearing with her free hand and it pulsed with a harsh sapphire light, the water sloughing away from Jason’s frame in a rush.  As soon as she finished casting, the wood and gem fractured and she tossed the remains of the wand.

The two Cadys’ appearance had shifted, each of them now resembling those satyr creatures.

And Jason?  Well, he was back to his normal foreboding appearance.

Andrea waved at him and Jason took her meaning, tugging at the other Cady’s arm, yanking her out of her shock as the group ran down the street.  Jason could see the plan now.  Andrea – or OG Cady – intended for them to join the townsfolk, blend into the chaos that the golem had created at their backs.  However, that plan was brought up short as another hulking stone creature lumbered around the corner of the street – eyes glowing and body towering dozens of feet overhead.  Emerald energy surged across its frame.  That energy soon condensed overtop the street, forming an enormous sigil.  A sudden force struck down, smashing the fleeing townsfolk flat to the pavement and pinning them in place.

Is that a Gravity Well? Jason wondered.  It was huge.  Much larger than the ones that Kyyle typically summoned.  And even worse, it was proof that the golems could cast spells…

That was OP as hell.

He skidded to a halt along with the others.  Jason turned but saw another golem on the other end of the street, effectively boxing them in.  And the first was beginning to pull itself from the wreckage of the nearby building, a satyr emerging from the ruined remains of the courtyard behind them, holding a heavy staff and emerald energy cascading out around him.  A quick inspection revealed that this guy was a serious threat.  Level 600.

“Shit, we’re trapped,” Andrea barked, her elbow stabbing into his side once again.

“I see that,” Jason grunted back.

“No, I mean we’re trapped,” she repeated, waving at Cady who was staring at the creatures in shock, eyes wide and hands trembling.

“What do you want me to do?” Jason mouthed.

Andrea made a stabbing motion directed at her other self.

He just stared back.  “Really?  You want me to kill her?”

She just nodded.

“These illusions won’t hold up to those Gravity Wells,” Andrea spoke aloud, glaring at him and pantomiming slicing her own neck.  “As soon as they hit us—”

“I… uh, know,” Jason fumbled.

“I can get us out, but not with the girl – it’s too much,” Andrea spoke up again.

“I know?” Jason repeated, missing the inflection a bit that time.

He looked back to the other Cady then, her eyes wide and wild.  He could imagine what she must be thinking right now.  She seemed green.  Clueless.  A starting player.  Another piece to this crazy ass puzzle.  Was this Cady when she’d first started playing the game?  Had they… had they really traveled back—

Jason couldn’t finish that thought.  It was too crazy.  Almost as insane as murdering another version of the woman who had sorta kinda kidnapped him… and who was now glaring at him impatiently.  He could see why she hadn’t tried to explain first.

He wouldn’t have believed it.

Jason sighed.  “Abort the mission,” he muttered.

“Finally!” the OG Cady mouthed.  Then she kneeled, more emerald energy beginning to pool beneath her, growing in strength as she began to cast something new.  Shouts filled the air as their attackers – the Peacekeepers – noticed the magic as well as the group frozen there in the street while others fled.  Meanwhile Jason turned to the other Cady—

She looked at him.  Their eyes met.  He could see the moment she saw something in his gaze.  The remorse.  The regret.  The resolve.

“I’m really sorry about this,” he muttered.  “I don’t have any choice.”

Then he pushed forward and a blade sank into her stomach.

Cady looked down in horror, staring at the dagger jutting from her abdomen.  Jason didn’t give her a chance to react, however.  He twisted the blade and then ripped it free with a spray of blood… her blood.  So much of her blood.  Horror gave way to panic, but Cady’s limbs weren’t responding like they should.  Jason knew that feeling.  Knew it well.  She toppled to her knees, blood pooling along the stone, reflecting the light that shone down from overhead.

Jason’s chat dinged and a message hovered there.  Instructions.

He shot the OG Cady another questioning look and she just glared back.

“Fine,” he muttered under his breath. He’d played the villain before…

He stared down at Cady coldly, watching her bleed out.  “Remember this.  This feeling.  This pain.  If you know what’s good for you… you won’t come back here, traveler.”

Ugh, not terribly original.  Jason had a few notes.

But he didn’t have time for that.  He stepped away from Cady, moving back over to Andrea.  She motioned at the portal at their feet and the pair soon stepped inside.

And then, all at once, their surroundings disappeared... for the second time.

Chapter 9 - Discussion

Jason and Cady emerged from the portal, their feet landing on a stone rooftop – rainbow light shining down from the crystals embedded in cavern’s ceiling.  The golems still marched down the nearby street and each footfall caused the ground to shake and tremble as they approached the woman that was bleeding out on the rock.  No, not just any woman.  That was Cady.  Or some version of her?  Even now, her hands clawed at the stone, the movements growing more feeble as her blood pooled beneath her.  Then… she finally went still.

Jason looked to Cady – the original Cady – her body still wrapped in the illusion of a grizzled warrior.  She stood beside him, watching herself die.  There was no flicker of emotion on her face.  Only a clinical calm.  Whether that was the illusion or her own nerves, Jason couldn’t be certain.  However, he was sure of one thing.  He was finally going to get some damn answers.

“Okay, what the hell is going on?” Jason demanded, even as Cady’s illusion sputtered out, water soon splashing against the rooftop.

Cady – the real one? – shook her arms, water spraying as she eyed the moisture distastefully.  “Useful trinket, but getting soaked afterward isn’t pleasant.”  She observed Jason’s sour expression, his hood pulled back to reveal his ivory features.  “As for what’s going on, you tell me.  You’re supposed to be a smart kid, right?”

Jason resisted the urge to kill her and raise the corpse.  That would likely be less of a pain in the ass.  And liberal use of his Undead Devotion might finally get him some straight answers. Yet he hesitated.  If his guess was right, well, that would be a terrible idea.  He was starting to think he might need Cady to get back…

“You took us back in time,” Jason said finally, eyeing the city around them.  It felt strange to say it out loud.  Impossible really.  And yet…

“That’s the only explanation that fits,” he continued.  “A city no one had seen or heard of online.  There was also no universal system notice for the creation of Pax.  Humans treated as second class citizens.  And then there’s this race of satyr creatures—”

“Fauns,” Cady corrected, leaning against the stone parapet that ringed the rooftop and watching him closely, a smirk on lips.  Was she enjoying this?

“Sure, Fauns,” Jason bit back.  He was glad this new throat could at least convey sarcasm.  He’d missed that.  “But the icing on the cake was that traveler we just… well, kidnapped and then murdered in public?  That was you, wasn’t it?  When you first started playing this game.”  That last one wasn’t exactly a question.  There was no other explanation.  Jason had seen the expression on that woman’s face – the surprise and shock in her eyes.  Jason knew that feeling, knew just how overwhelming this place could be at first.

He shook his head.  “How is any of this possible?”  His eyes whipped to Cady.  “And why did we need to kidnap your other self? Much less kill you?”

Cady just stared back, nails tapping the stone in a steady rhythm and her lips quirking in amusement.  She was waiting for him to finish piecing it together. Challenging him once more.  As though all of this had been some sort of test – an introduction.  In another time – another place – he might have resented that expression on her face.  But, right now, his thoughts were racing.  Exploring the implications of this new ability.

“Unless that’s what happened when you started the game…” he murmured, half talking to himself.   What had Cady said?  Something about “changing things.”  He looked back up at her.  “Those brigands we killed must have tricked you into following them, got cornered by the golems, and then… they killed you.”

“Not bad,” Cady drawled.  “Real slow clap material there.  As for your questions… the answer is ‘yes’ to most of them.  I started playing during the beta and shortly after entering this world, I was recruited by the earth goddess as her avatar and sent to this place.   Not that she offered much explanation at the time,” she muttered, a note of irritation in her voice.

Cady let out a sigh.  “Best I can tell, this was what AO looked like roughly a century ago in-game.  And as for myself, that was how I started the game.  I was tricked and then murdered.  I guess you could say I received a crash course in the rules of this place.”

“That doesn’t explain why we’re here now.  Or why we had to kidnap and kill your other self again.  Or how any of this is even possible…” Jason murmured, trailing off as he watched the impossible city around them.

It wasn’t just “where” they were… it was “when” they were that was starting to give Jason a headache.  The existence of this place implied so much more.  Had Cerillion kept all this data?  A hundred, a thousand, a million permutations of the game world frozen in time and just waiting for a traveler with the right skillset?  And why?  Why go to all that trouble?

At least, the “who” was easy to answer.  This wasn’t Robert’s doing.  Or George’s.  It couldn’t be.  The answer, of course, was that this was all Alfred.  Even now, the black cat sat sedately at Jason’s feet and watched the pair with unblinking focus.  For an instant, their eyes met and Jason could have sworn the cat smirked at him.  Then it was gone.

“It’s first important to understand that no one built this world,” Cady replied, misinterpreting Jason’s question. “Not the crew back at Cerillion and not even Alfred.  Because this place wasn’t built… it evolved.  Alfred simulated the evolution of this world across millennia.  Natural changes to the landscape.  The rise and fall of dozens of races. The birth and death of entire systems of language and magic.  And he stores all of that data even now.

Jason just grunted.  Of course, he knew that already.  Alfred had told him as much.

Still, he hadn’t expected to see the evidence with his own eyes…

“It seems impossible,” he murmured.

Cady shrugged.  “The proof is standing before you.  I’ve tested it, at least to some extent.  I can travel back to almost any point in time.”

Jason shook his head.  It wasn’t just the existence of this place that was incredible.  The fact that Cady could travel through time… that had its own implications.  What happened if she changed things?  Killed an enemy?  Destroyed an important village?  Could she alter the history of this world by herself? If so, that would be a ridiculously OP ability…

Although, Jason hesitated at that thought.

“There has to be a limit,” he replied finally.  “Your ability is far too powerful.”

Cady grimaced.  “There are limits.  Plural.  I can’t travel forward in time – only up to the present.  Time travel requires enough juice to move us backward in time.  The farther I go, the more it costs,” she offered with a shrug.  “There are also a few other pesky issues.  For example, I can only travel freely along my own timeline or in a fixed location, which is a bigger limitation than you might think.”

“That doesn’t explain how you got back here in the first place,” Jason replied.  “If you can only move along your own timeline, then how did you end up in that courtyard?”

“Caught that, did you?” she shot back with a grin.  “Well, that’s the earth goddess for you.  She can bend the rules a bit in her own favor.  And Alfred was more lax with the gods back then… or now, I guess.”  She shook her head.  “The terminology starts to get tricky.”

Jason had certainly seen enough of the gods’ meddling to know there was some truth to that.  And, presumably, they had traveled far enough back that those so-called “covenants” that the Old Man had referred to might not apply.  That prospect was truly terrifying.

“Why me then?”  Jason asked, raising his eyes back to Cady’s face.

She just raised a questioning eyebrow.

“If your goal is to help fight the avatars in the present, why only bring me back? Why orchestrate a downtime that removes the other avatars?  We could have used their help to build a base out of this place.  That’s your goal right?  This city – Pax – hasn’t yet transitioned to our present timeline and my guess is that it’s going to appear near that temple if you can only travel along your own timeline or in a fixed position.  So, you must be hoping to make changes to accommodate the travelers and defend against the old avatars.”

“That’s part of the goal,” Cady corrected him.  She let out a sigh.  “As for the rest, I’m flush right now.  I’m sitting on a mountain of Time.  But even so, traveling like this – going so far back – it’s costly.  Passengers also cost extra.  The truth is that I couldn’t afford to take everyone with us.  And even if I could, how exactly would that have worked out?  If I’d started off by explaining that I was a time traveler, would you have believed me?  Would the others?  All of them?  If not, it would have been like herding time-traveling cats.”

Her eyes shot down to Alfred.  “Pun not intended.”  The cat just licked his paw.

“Fine.”  That explanation made sense.  But there were still more questions.  “And that portal you just formed a moment ago?” Jason offered, waving at the street below.

“Ahh, just another fun perk of being me,” she shot back with a grin.

Hmm, so she didn’t want to reveal all of her abilities…

However, it was clear that she hadn’t used the same sort of time travel spell.  The evidence of that was sitting in the street nearby – her corpse cooling on the cobblestones.  However, Jason had never heard of a stable short-ranged teleportation gate that could easily transport teammates.  There were teleport abilities like Pewpew’s, but that spell had limits in terms of the range, cost, and how many people she could carry.  That was one of the many reasons they hadn’t been able to easily escape the legion of travelers outside the temple.

Was earth magic really capable of this?  But now that Jason thought about it… Kyyle routinely used gravity-based magic – and so had those golems.  If earth mages could manipulate the mass of a target or area, could they compress that mass to create something like a wormhole?  Assuming they had enough power, it seemed theoretically possible.  He looked back to Cady.  Just what else was she capable of?  Not that he expected her to be forthcoming.

Either way, her skills spoke of experience and raw power.  Which meant Cady must be telling the truth.  She was sitting on a stockpile of mana… or “Time.”  That also begged the question of how she’d secured that energy.

But perhaps the answer was sitting right in front of him…

“You managed to accomplish something here, didn’t you?” Jason asked finally, eyes on Pax, the artificial light reflecting off the stone rooftops.

“What do you mean?” Although, she didn’t look confused by his question.  She was being cagey.  Continuing to test him; to toy with him.

“Your first time coming back.  You succeeded in securing power in this time,” Jason answered.  That was the only way to explain how she’d managed to travel this far back.  And that wasn’t all… “That’s also why you’re trying not to change things too drastically, right?  Why we had to impersonate those humans and kidnap you again.  To ensure that the old you kept going and made the same choices she did originally.”

“I resent the old part, but, sure, you’re mostly right,” Cady offered with a sniff.  “That other me can tackle the same work I did before, no sense messing with that.  Plot holes and continuity issues also have a way of causing… problems.  We need to keep our meddling focused.”

“Focused on what exactly?” Jason demanded.

“Ahh, now we’re finally getting somewhere,” Cady shot back, pushing away from the wall and pacing the rooftop, watching him carefully.  “Not-so-hypothetically, if you were to travel back in time, what would you change?”

She was testing him.  Again.

Jason hesitated, stilling his chaotic thoughts.  Bringing this city into the present would be a good first start.  But it was just a start.  It would give the travelers a place to bind their respawn point.  Resources.  Access to the auction house, or whatever was left of it.  Possibly even provide some resident troops and enforcers if they could repurpose those golems.  And judging from the crystals set in the cavern’s ceiling, they might even be able to harvest valuable resources here.

However, even all of that wouldn’t be enough; wouldn’t offset losing the Twilight Throne.  Jason’s bone gardens.  His defenses.  The hundreds of troops he’d already trained and equipped.  They could farm new mats and materials, but they couldn’t replace that manpower.  Days and weeks and months of training and preparation.  And that was just one city.  Just his city.   They’d also lost Sandscrit, the Sea’s Edge, and even the Crystal Reach.

So, the first answer was obvious.  They needed to find a way to recover their people, restore a portion of their strength.  But that wasn’t all… not quite.

Jason’s eyes skimmed the street below once more, noticing the haggard looks of the residents as they eyed the carnage in the street from shadowy alleys and half-open windows.  He also remembered how Lloyd and his band of wannabe kidnappers had accosted them in the alley.   The pain on their faces.  The desperation. For the residents, this was real.  They were wary.  Nervous.  Cautious to act.  And their behavior followed predictable patterns.

The same couldn’t be said for the travelers.  Jason had already seen that himself.  He and the other avatars had barely held off that first attack before the servers went down.  They were facing the same problem that Finn had encountered back in Sandscrit – a weakness that Jason had gleefully exploited at the time to attack the fire avatar’s city.  The travelers had no fear of death.  Not truly.  Which made them unpredictable.

Even worse, once those people had a respawn point, they would just keep coming back.  Even if only a handful out of hundreds or thousands decided to cause problems, they certainly could.  And there was little Jason could do to stop them.  Try to capture them and trap their avatar alive?  Use some sort of instanced dungeon like Finn had done?  But that wasn’t possible.  Finn had relied on an existing respawn field, he hadn’t created—

Jason stopped himself, remembering the damaged generator that they’d stolen from the Mile High Club.  Perhaps that option wasn’t off the table, after all.  That was also his second answer.  They needed to outfit Pax with more than just troops and supplies and thick walls.  They needed to ensure the stability of a city that would soon be overrun with unruly travelers.  And to do so, they would need to weaponize those respawn field generators.  If it worked, they might even offer a defense against the old avatars, a way to make up for their lack of numbers and resources.

Laying siege to a city with an immortal army would be a challenge, after all.

Which led to the last goal.  They could secure a new homebase and find a way to suppress the travelers’ worst impulses… but they were still facing new enemies.  Powerful ones.  Avatars with centuries to practice their craft.  And who had already stolen access to their mana wells.

They needed to undermine their new enemies.  And what better place to wage a war than in the past?  The other avatars would never see it coming…

Jason raised his eyes to meet Cady’s, seeing understanding reflected there.

“Seems you figured it out,” she observed.

“Why not just tell me all of this?”  Jason asked finally.

Cady shrugged.  “I sell things for a living.  And I’ve learned an critical lesson over time,” she replied evenly.  “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.  It’s important for you to arrive at these conclusions on your own. That will always be more compelling than being told the answer; having it forced on you.”

She side-eyed him.  “I take it that you understand our mission now?”

Jason nodded.  “We need to find a way to rescue our residents, secure this city against the travelers, and also undermine our enemies – these new avatars,” he answered, dark mana crackling around him as his mana responded to his anger.

“Funny, that’s exactly what I was thinking,” Cady offered with a smirk.

Jason was less amused.  “I assume you have a plan?” he asked.

“Something like that…” the woman trailed off with another shrug.  Her eyes were on the street below, resting on that strange faun in the middle of the road – the creature directing the golems.  Two more already stood guard over the beginning courtyard… waiting for something.

As Jason looked on, he saw another flash of multi-colored energy. Cady soon re-emerged from a fresh portal, gasping and pale and clutching at her chest… only to be met by those rocky golems and that bearded faun. Jason couldn’t hear their words from here – not quite. But he grasped the basics from their body language. The faun was entreating and cautious, raising bare hands to show he meant no harm. Cady gradually relaxed. He must be explaining what happened.  That she’d been kidnapped by human terrorists and threatened.

The faun waved off toward the far side of the cave.  An invitation.  The other Cady hesitated, but eventually accepted, taking his hand and the faun helping her up.  Then the golems grouped up around her, forming a tight circle as the pair left the courtyard.

Cady – the real Cady – shot Jason a glance then.  “Come on.  We need to follow them.”

She didn’t wait for him to answer.  Simply stepped off the edge of the building, the tattoos along her arm flaring with emerald energy and a Gravity Well forming at her feet, slowing her fall until she touched down softly.  Jason stared down after her.  Cady was still being cagey and he hadn’t missed the fact that she hadn’t actually divulged her plan – had only relied on him to fill in the blanks.  He couldn’t help but feel she was lying to him somehow.  Or, at least, she was omitting a few important pieces of information.  Just because she couldn’t lie didn’t mean she couldn’t deceive him.  For example, what was in this for her?

However, there was only one way to find out and he was certainly committed now.  He wasn’t even certain how to return to his own timeline.  Dying, possibly?  But that seemed risky.  Besides, this wasn’t an opportunity that he could afford to pass up…

So, Jason breathed out a sigh that whistled through the bones of his throat, pulled his hood down over his skeletal features, and stepped over the ledge after Cady.

Chapter 10 - Supervisors

The Gambler’s VIP Lounge

“What the hell is going on here?” the Lady demanded.

That question went unanswered by the rest of the gods filling the VIP suite.  They all stared mutely at the screens along one wall where Cady and Jason stalked through the streets of a city that definitely shouldn’t exist.

“Are you going to say anything?” the Lady snarled again.

The others turned, all eyes now focused on the goddess of earth, the young woman lounging on a nearby couch.  She wore a tight pair of jeans and a t-shirt showcasing some old band no one had ever heard of.  And, right now, she was enjoying the real show – her eyes not on the screens but on the other gods who shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

“Well, answer me!” the Lady insisted, glaring at the earth goddess.

“Can’t you figure it out yourself?  And here I thought you were smarter than that, dear sister,” the earth goddess drawled with a lopsided grin.  “If not, well then maybe it’s just your fate to remain in the dark.  Ironic, isn’t it?”

“Ha, I get it!” the Hippie offered, raising a finger.  “It’s because she’s the Fates and she’s the goddess of light—”

“We know,” the Old Man grumbled and the water god’s expression fell.

Meanwhile, the goddess of light let out a low, menacing growl as her mana radiated out around her in a halo.  Which only caused the Fates’ smile to widen.  She was enjoying this.

The Gambler coughed into his fist, trying to head off the fight that was brewing.  “I’m, uh, not sure there’s any need for—”

“You can shut it.  I know you’re complicit in all of this,” the Lady snapped.

The god of air grimaced, but didn’t offer a rebuttal.  That was as good as acknowledging his part in all of… well, whatever this was.

The Hippie raised a hand tentatively.  “Um, is anyone else lost?”

“I would also like an explanation,” the Old Man intoned.  “Perhaps the Fates would be so kind as to explain what’s going on?” he offered more gently, gesturing toward the goddess of earth.

She wrinkled her nose.  “That would be easier for older me—”

The goddess cutoff as her appearance shifted.  In a heartbeat, her skin aged decades, wrinkles appearing on her face, her hands weathering, and her hair turning gray.  Even her clothing wasn’t immune to the changes, more casual attire giving way to crisp business wear and a silken scarf winding around her neck.  Only moments later, a much older woman stood there, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear and watching the rest of the gods with a severe expression.

“It’s not that complicated.  You all heard Cady’s explanation,” the older Fates offered curtly, rising and circling toward the bar before pouring herself a drink – giving the Gambler’s rat Oscar an appreciative nod as he fetched her two ice cubes which soon clinked against the glass.

“You remembered,” the Fates offered quietly to the rat, a smile on her lips.  Oscar chittered his acknowledgement and gave her a low bow.

“Parts of her story are clear.  Obviously, you sent her back into the past,” the Old Man continued.  “However, more than a few pieces are still missing.  For example, how did she manage to travel through time with Jason?  Or, for that matter, how was Cady in the present timeline?”

“Yes!  If you transported her into the past, how did she manage to get back to the present?” the Lady snapped, waving at the god of darkness.  “Traveling such a distance would require significant Time – more than she could have possibly gathered herself.”

The Fates just sniffed.  “I think you’re all underestimating my avatar.  And the answer to your questions is obvious.  Cady cut a deal.”

“A deal with whom?” the Lady demanded.

The Fates just smiled into her glass as she took another sip.

It was the Seer’s turn to answer, her eyes blazing orange as she peered into the distance.  “Of course, it’s obvious now,” she murmured.  “There was only one group that could offer such a substantial amount of Time – that could bind not just themselves but the former residents of this world.  A group that even now is returning to the present…”

“But who could possibly—” the Lady cut herself short, her eyes going round in realization, glaring at the Fates as she sipped at her whiskey and let out a hum of pleasure.  “You didn’t… she couldn’t… but how…”

“Ahh, this never gets old,” the Fates murmured, observing the Lady with a delighted expression.  “Watching someone face their own hubris; their own lack of imagination.  Next, you’ll seek someone to blame for your ineptitude.  Me.  The avatars of old.  Perhaps even your own new hire.  An easy out, one far easier than facing the truth, hmm?”  The Fates let out a wistful sigh.  “Lies and time, the only ingredients necessary to find peace.  And it seems you’ve achieved as much.  You’ve grown soft and slow in my absence, sister.  To think it only took a century or two… not that I suppose time really has much meaning in this place.”

The Lady just growled in frustration.  Her eyes flashed and her mana pulsed brighter, the walls of the Gambler’s VIP room rippling under the force of her power.

“So, uh, I’m not lost.  Not at all.  But Fluffy here is a bit confused,” the Hippie interjected, the sheep opening one half-lidded eye and giving a snort.  “I, err, I mean, he – totally gets that the Fates recruited Cady as her avatar and sent her back in time.  But who did she cut a deal with exactly?  And how are the old avatars back now?”

The Fates’ smile widened.  “Ahh, that’s simple.  Cady negotiated an arrangement with the old avatars, and, by proxy, the rest of the residents of this world.  A very lucrative arrangement.”

“It’s not possible,” the Lady growled.  “You’re lying.”

“Only to myself,” the Fates replied evenly, waving at her older visage.  “And it seems I have plenty of company in that regard.”

The Lady’s mana flared once more, pooling along her palms.

The god of air quickly stepped in, suddenly standing beside her and laying a hand on the Lady’s shoulder.  “Don’t forget yourself.  We still have guests, remember.”

The god of air motioned at the sofa where Fluffy still snored beside the Hippie, the black python coiled around the Seer’s neck, and Oscar who was still tending the bar.  A dark black beetle had even come to rest on the Fates shoulder, its shiny carapace reflecting the light.  The only creatures missing were a familiar black cat and the Lady’s—

As though on cue, a flash of multi-colored energy tore open the air beside the goddess of light and a pitch-black canary flew out of the portal.  Its eyes skimmed the room rapidly before focusing on the Lady.  It let out a cheery chirp and flew directly toward her, landing on her shoulder and nuzzling its head against her neck.  The goddess looked… uncomfortable.

“Why are you back already?” the Lady hissed, wincing each time the bird chirped in her ear.  Light pooled along her fingertips and she reached up, murder in her eyes.

“Ahem… as I said, guests,” the Gambler reminded her again.

The Lady wasn’t completely able to extinguish her spell in time.  The light flashed and a beam of energy speared down into the carpet as she diverted her hand.  It was the Gambler’s turn to grimace as he stared forlornly at the tendrils of smoke curling away from the floor, a jagged black line now carved in the immaculate carpet.

“Damn it, I just had the floor replaced,” he muttered.

“If it’s any consolation, it doesn’t matter,” the Fates offered with a shrug.  “This is all just a grand illusion.  A child’s sandbox.  No matter how you all insist on treating this place as real or each other as siblings – when neither is the truth.”  She shot a knowing glance at the Lady at this remark.  “More lies.  Real memories buried beneath how many lifetimes of experience?”

The older woman sighed as the other gods looked distinctly uncomfortable, avoiding her gaze.  “Ahh, so we’re still at this game?  Playing make believe and entertaining the lies we’ve been fed?  Then perhaps I’m not best suited for this conversation after all…”

As she trailed off, the Fates’ appearance shifted once more.  She shrank, her body and limbs growing smaller and thinner.  Her skin smoothed out, now glowing with the luster of youth.  The older woman’s stark attire was swiftly replaced with a pink, puffy, princess dress and sparkling tiara.  And, in mere moments, a girl – no older than eight – sat there.

The Lady quickly recovered her composure, swallowing hard and glaring at the Fates despite her new, innocent appearance.  “It’s funny you should speak of lies.  You broke the covenants this time.”

The Fates cocked her head in confusion, youthful naivety shining back.  “I didn’t break any rules!  I swear!  Tell them,” she insisted, looking to the dark creatures resting around the room.

The other gods watched with interest…

Only for the animals to each shake their head in turn.

“How is that even possible?” the Lady snapped, wincing as her canary chirped loudly in her ear, happily twining its beak through her hair.

“We didn’t always have so many boring rules,” the Fates insisted, her younger self now staring with distaste at the whiskey in her hand.  She set the glass down gently.

“Hmm,” the Old Man hummed.  “She’s right.  The covenants only apply to the here and now.  This group of travelers; this generation of avatars.”  His gaze returned to the screens.  “And we already heard Cady’s explanation.  The Fates sent her back in time during the beta, during a time when those rules didn’t exist.  She found a loophole.”

“Ahh, yeah!” the Fates chirped with a cheery smile.  “I remember now!  We recruited a really pretty lady to help us build our castle!”

“Not this again,” the Lady snapped with a weary sigh.

“Ahh, I remember the castle!  How is it coming along?” the Hippie offered with an excited smile.  “The last time I saw it, it was still under construction.”

“It’s beautiful!  And it has this many waterfalls,” the Fates twittered, holding up both hands.

“Wow that’s a lot—”

“Don’t humor her nonsense,” the Lady cut in.  “I remember now how much I detest this form of yours.  Constantly talking about castles and princesses and magical roses.  Make believe nonsense.  You are not a princess and that monstrosity you were building was not a castle.”

“But… but I am a p-p-princess,” the Fates stuttered, tears in her eyes as she plucked at her dress.  “Why would you—"

“You’re making her cry!” the Hippie said, glaring at the Lady.

“You really are being too harsh.”  Even the Seer had stepped in, the Old Man nodding.

“Am I?  Am I really?  It’s because you all embraced this nonsense and lied to the girl that—”

While the others bickered, the Gambler side-eyed the gods, noticing that they were distracted.  He took the opportunity to shuffle closer to the table filled with glowing coins – the gods’ mana neatly stacked in piles.  His fingers reached out to pluck just a few free—

Only for a hand to suddenly grab his wrist.  The Fates had reverted to her original appearance and teleported across the room in a flash – now smirking at the god of air.  “Tsk tsk.  You wouldn’t try to steal from a little girl, would you?”

“Ahh, me?  No, never!  I was just, um… counting your winnings.  It’s part of my duty as the owner of the casino.  I need to ensure you’re paid properly.”

“Mmmhmm,” the Fates hummed skeptically.

A flash of mana and she plucked her whiskey glass from a portal of emerald energy and settled back into a chair, kicking her feet up on the table with the glowing coins.  “And besides, I don’t know why you’re looking so upset.  You certainly made out like a bandit.”

“What does she mean?” the Lady demanded.

“Oh, I helped him preserve his stupid, floating arcade.  Waste of mana if you ask me,” the Fates offered with a shrug.  “But he insisted.  He used my Time on that instead of his fairies.  Insisted they would be fine…”

She trailed off as she saw the looks of horror and anger on the other gods’ faces, all of them now glaring at the Gambler.  “Oh, you all didn’t know?  Huh, my bad,” she murmured, smiling into her glass as she took another sip.

The Gambler swallowed hard before answering the unspoken question in the other gods’ eyes.  “Okay, so, yes.  Technically, I may have helped the Fates and Cady barter a deal with the other avatars… and yes, I may have also negotiated for a few perks for myself.  But you would have all done the same!”

“A few?  What else did you negotiate for?” the Old Man asked.

The Gambler winced as the Fates plucked a couple coins from the table and tossed them to him.  “Ahh, that reminds me.  Here’s your commission,” she chirped.

The rest of the gods looked pretty angry now.

Except the Hippie.  He still looked lost.

“Don’t look at me like that.  In my defense, the rest of you were all busy fucking up the world,” the Gambler grumbled defensively as he pocketed the coins.  “If you’ll recall, you all were the reason the humans got so upset with us in the first place.  You basically created a bunch of terrorists!”

The others at least had enough shame to look guilty.  Well, everyone except the Lady, who just sniffed before flicking the bird on her shoulder – sending the creature tumbling onto the couch where she swiftly covered it with a cushion and then sat on it.  Muffled chirps soon came from underneath, the only evidence it was still alive.

“Hey, I’ll have you know that people love me.  I definitely didn’t—” the Hippie began.

“You flooded how many of their villages?” the Gambler interrupted with a scowl.  He looked to the Fates.  “And what was it he said again?”

She snapped her fingers and a portal of emerald energy appeared nearby, showing another scene, the Hippie standing atop a small lake.  Just the peaks of what might have once been former houses and buildings crested the top of the water – hundreds of humans clinging to the wood.  Many more bodies floated across the surface of the newly-formed lake… most of them face-down.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how willing are you to accept this, erm, totally natural disaster?” the Hippie on-screen shouted at the survivors.  “If you can’t speak because you’re drowning, just hold up some fingers.  Yeah, I see you there, Bob.  Your arm got cut off, but you still have toes!  So, that’s no excuse to avoid answering my survey of awesomeness!”

The portal abruptly disappeared with a snap of the Fates’ fingers.

“See?” the Gambler demanded.  “You were trolling refugees… refugees that you created!”

The Hippie just blinked and then stuffed a handful of nuts in his mouth, gesturing at his lips to explain why he couldn’t speak… not that the other gods were buying his nonsense.

“Well, I wasn’t responsible for any of that mess,” the Lady insisted, crossing her arms.

“Oh, really?” the Gambler shot back.  “Because your elitest angels didn’t enslave those “fleshy, naked ape creatures?”  You know why all of your people have halos?  The same reason some frogs have brightly colored spots to signal that they’re poisonous.  In the Nephilim’s case, the halos warn others that they’re glorified, golden assholes.  I’m also 90% sure they evolved those wings to run away from the throngs of angry creatures constantly trying to kill them!”

The god of air rounded on the others.  “And the rest of you weren’t any better.”

He pointed at the Old Man.  “How about killing off other residents to build a massive undead army and trying to sell that as some sort of salvation?  Yeah, we all know that was a cult and your former avatar was just another self-serving, religious asshole with a pulpit.  He wasn’t helping those people.  He was helping himself to more power.  Specifically, his desire to create an immortal, undead army… one made up of mostly humans.  Which just so happen to breed fast and die even faster.  So, immortality was an easy sell, wasn’t it?  At least, until they realized it was all bullshit, revolted, and started joining the terrorists.”

The Old Man winced at that one but didn’t offer a rebuttal.

“Or how about you?” the Gambler rounded on the Seer.  “You couldn’t foresee that a freaking demon would take over your kingdom, start torturing all the mages, and run any dissenters out into the deep desert where they had to hide in literal holes in the ground?  Oh, but your avatar was real passionate about magical research, so that’s all okay right?  How long did he bury himself in some laboratory under a mountain while that demon invented a brand-new form of magical fascism?”

The Gambler shook his head.  “Seriously?  You all had it coming.”

“Says the same man that ditched his fairies in the middle of a jungle so he could keep his posh, floating sky resort,” the Lady snapped back.

The god of air shrugged.  “Hey, at least I’m honest about being a self-serving asshole.  What’s your excuse, huh?  What exactly would you have done differently in my shoes?  If Cady had approached you, I’m sure you would have rationalized it all in a heartbeat – just like you’ve somehow managed to convince yourself that you picked a real A+ avatar in Captain Nightlight.”

The Hippie snickered, shaking his head.  “Captain Nightlight.  Still love it,” he muttered under his breath – the Lady glaring at him.  Yet she looked at a loss for words.

A tense silence hung in the air as the gods avoided looking at each other.

The Fates sucked on her tongue.  “You know what?  He’s right.  Without me, you’ve all apparently regressed back to lying to yourselves.  Go figure.”

“Wait… but didn’t you lie about dying?” the Hippie offered uncertainly.  He looked to the others.  “Right?  I mean, she did technically lie.  Or at least I think I remember her dying…”

“Did I though?” the Fates offered with a raised brow.  “Or did I disappear and you all just assumed I was dead?  Did you have any proof?  Any at all?  Or were you too busy dealing with a massive uprising of humans and getting imprisoned in these shitty, extra-dimensional cells?”

The Gambler looked offended at that one as he looked around his posh VIP suite, but he must have decided to pick his battles since he kept his mouth firmly closed.

“Um, well… we hadn’t seen you in a long time,” the Hippie offered weakly.

“Yeah, sure, that holds up,” the Fates replied sarcastically.

“Then where exactly were you?” the Lady snapped.

This time, the Fates actually looked mildly embarrassed, her attention shifting back to the glass in her hand.  “Nowhere special.  Just biding my time.”

This earned her a skeptical sniff from the goddess.

“Fine.  You played the long game,” the Old Man interjected.  “So, what now?  What was the point of all of this?  All of this mana you’ve stolen and bringing back those former avatars?” he asked, waving at the pile of coins at the Fates’ feet.

The goddess of earth just smiled.  “No idea.  None of that is up to me now, is it?”  She offered her wrists with a grin.  “My hands are tied – same as all of you.  Our time playing in the sandbox is over.  It’s our avatars’ world.  We just get to sit back and watch them fuck it up.”

“So, you did all of this for… for what?  Entertainment?” the Lady sputtered.

“As good a reason as any, wouldn’t you say?” the Fates shot back, her smile widening as the gods glared at her.  “What else did you all plan to spend eternity doing anyway?”  She hesitated, tapping her lips.  “Speaking of which, perhaps we could make things more interesting…”

“More interesting how?” the Old Man demanded.

The Fates shrugged.  “A bet.”

“What else do we have to gamble?” the Lady demanded.  “You already took it all.”

“That isn’t true,” the Seer interjected quietly.  The others turned to her, the goddess’ eyes pulsing with mana.  “There’s still our loyalty.”

The Fates clicked her tongue and pointed at the Seer.  “Exactly.  You maybe be powerless now, but that won’t last forever.  You’ll gather more mana.  And you still have to pick a side.  The question is, are you going to repeat your mistakes… or try something new?”

“What are you proposing?” the Gambler asked warily.

“Ahh, a simple wager.  If Jason and Cady succeed in their mission and manage to return to the present, you align yourself behind them,” the Fates offered, waving at the screen where the pair were still tailing Cady’s former self through Pax.

Silence met that statement and the Fates’ smile widened.

“C’mon, it isn’t a bad deal.  You know what’s waiting for them if they start changing things,” the goddess of earth insisted.  “Are you really that nervous?”

The gods all grimaced at that.  There was indeed a cost to time travel, one Cady had downplayed heavily…

“And when they fail?” the Lady asked with a frown.

“If they fail, I’ll give you your mana back.”

Now, they definitely all looked interested.  Even the Hippie had perked up.

“So, what do you say?” the Fates asked, her eyes gleaming.  “Do we have a deal?”

Chapter 11 - Rainmaker

Cady’s former self and that elderly faun walked a winding path through the city heading roughly east, Jason and Cady trailing behind them and keeping a safe distance.  Meanwhile, Jason’s drones skittered across the rooftops and mapped the labyrinth of streets that made up Pax, his map slowly filling in where it hovered beside him.  Yet his attention remained on the New Cady and her companions.  Strangely, the golems had shrunk in size – shifting from building-sized monsters to humanoid creatures in a flash of emerald energy.

Now, that was a neat trick.

Cady – the real Cady – noticed Jason’s gaze lingering on the stone creatures.  “The golems are quite flexible.  Mana crystals embedded inside their bodies allow them to shrink and expand in size.  They can also manipulate gravity and can hide themselves with water-based illusions.  They’re intended to be bodyguards for the earth avatar.”

“Does she need bodyguards?” he asked archly, his dark eyes now on Cady’s face.

She shrugged.  “I did then.  And even now, despite my abilities, I’m weaker than I look.  I can’t summon armies or turn my body into a living – or undead – weapon, now can I?  That’s why I use these other tools.  Wands and gems and trinkets… among other things.”

“That time magic sure seems powerful.”

Cady just sniffed.  “You would think, wouldn’t you?” she muttered.

That reaction was even more interesting, but he sensed it would do no good to press her now.  Jason would just have to keep his eyes and ears open.  He might need leverage against this woman at some point and learning her weaknesses was a good first start.

He shifted his attention back to the city.  Now that the battle was over, the residents of Pax were out in force and many different races were represented.  However, most appeared to be fauns.  They seemed less concerned with the golems in their smaller form, but the residents still made a wide berth around the other Cady and her escorts.

As they swept around the next bend in the road, it connected to a main thoroughfare.  A medieval highway that stretched across the length of Pax and out toward a palace along the eastern wall of the cavern.  The structure was carved into the side of the cave itself, all spiraling towers and intricate, terraced walkways, waterfalls crashing down the rock and pooling at the base of the structure to form an artificial lake – one that reflected the rainbow light cast by the crystalline sun hanging overhead.  It was a mesmerizing sight, like something out of a fairytale.

The highway was also filled to the brim with residents.  Crude stalls formed of sand, dirt, and stone lined each side – cobbled together with earth magic and selling all manner of useless junk.  Crystalline fragment and bags of dust.  Dilapidated and rusted armor and weapons.  Shoddy clothing and trinkets. More residents begged, crouched under awnings and reaching out with skinny fingers to plead for food… or the coin to purchase it.

Despite the grandeur of the palace in the distance, it seemed Pax was in rough shape.

However, what caught Jason’s attention were the statues flanking the highway.  Well… calling them ‘statues’ might have been a stretch.  As far as Jason could tell, they were meant to be hulking affairs, likely stretching dozens of feet into the air – at least, if the size of the base and their feet were any indication.  Most barely made it above the knees.  And more than a few were just the platforms for future statues.  Others had been graffitied with brightly-colored paint.  The artists must not have been a fan given the rather interesting choice of imagery.

“Never thought I’d see graffiti dicks in a fantasy game,” Jason muttered.

“Yeah, well, welcome to Awaken Online,” Cady replied in a dry voice as she imitated one of the advertisements for the game.  She had slowed, their targets walking down the middle of the highway and easy to pick out with the way the residents formed a bubble of space around them – shooting glares and suspicious glances in their direction.

“So, what are these statues?  Are these… other avatars?” Jason asked, tilting his head.

Cady snorted in amusement, pulling a small vial from her bag.  “More like they were interviewing for the job.”

“Interviewing?” Jason echoed.  “What does that mean?”

She didn’t answer.  Not at first.  Instead, Cady shook the vial gently, unstoppered the top and pulled the dropper free.  She measured out a precise dose of… something. A brightly colored liquid that shone with a variety of colors.  Cady raised the dropper to her eye, pulled back the lid, and a single rainbow droplet dripped from the tip.

She soon let out a sigh, her muscles relaxing.

Some sort of drug? Jason wondered to himself.

“What?” Cady snapped as she saw him staring.  Her eyes had taken on a glossy, multi-hued appearance.  One that reminded Jason of the images Finn had shared of the demon he’d faced in Sandscrit.  Just what was that substance exactly?  And how did it affect her?  As if being kidnapped wasn’t bad enough, apparently the only person that could return him to the present was taking some sort of magical drug.  Which was just… well, perfect.

Right now, he faced a decision.  Confront her about the drug, or possibly get one of his many, many other questions answered.  With the defensive look on her face, it didn’t really seem like much of a choice…

“Nothing.  You mentioned something about interviewing?” Jason offered finally.

“Ahh, yeah,” Cady replied with a nod, motioning for them to keep following their targets.  Not that they stood any risk of losing them out here, the crowd of residents parting before the avatar and her escort.  “It’s a long story.”

“Seems like we have some time.  Or, you know, you could make some,” Jason shot back.

“Ha.  Funny,” Cady drawled, rolling her eyes.  “So, anyway, you know how I mentioned I was forced into playing this game during the beta—”

“Forced?” Jason asked.  He struggled to imagine anyone forcing Cady to do anything.

“You want to hear about the avatars or my life story?” she snapped.

He just waved for her to continue as they walked between the remains of those statues.

“Like I was saying,” Cady continued, “when I first logged in, I found myself in a therapist’s office of all places.”

“Yeah, that’s, um, shocking,” Jason replied quietly.

Perhaps not quietly enough, however, with the way Cady glared at him.

“Anyway, some old lady kept asking me questions.  When I confronted her with the fact that she wasn’t real and this was all a digital illusion and threatened to log off, she claimed to be a god.  That she had a lesson to teach me.  Before I knew it, the room had dissolved and I ended up here.  And, well, you saw the rest, didn’t you?”

Jason certainly had.  While he knew some of this information already, it seemed whatever drug Cady had taken had loosened her lips a bit.  Which was a relief since she hadn’t explained much so far – even after her brief summary on the rooftop.

Cady waved at their targets – her former self and her faun escort.  “That’s Remington Lundy, although I call him Remy.”  The skin around her eyes crinkled as she frowned, the rest of her expression hidden behind her mask.  “Right now, he’s explaining that this is Pax, the gem of the earth!”

She snorted again.  “And I’m asking if that gem might be flawed.  People starving.  Half-built statues.  Or maybe the residents just have a thing for feet…”

Cady shook her head.  Indeed, Jason’s Listening skill could pick out small pieces of that conversation even from this distance and with the noise along the highway.

“And the answer?” Jason pressed more gently.

“Far worse than I could have imagined,” she muttered.  “Turned out that the earth goddess – who calls herself the Fates – had been recruiting new avatars from the beta participants.  That’s what you’re seeing here.  The remains of those previous avatars.  Some did better than others, but all of their stories ended the same way.  In failure,” she grunted.  “Probably a lesson in there about absolute power corrupting absolutely.  Or maybe we were just set up to fail.”

Jason was now staring at those statues with renewed interest.  Those were all previous players? How many statues were there?  At least fifty?  That also started to explain why the city had gone to shit.  Why people were starving.  Why many of the buildings were showing signs of erosion and water damage – a few sinkholes even littering the main highway. Those other avatars had failed.  And the result was a city in crisis.  A crisis that Cady had inherited.

His eyes shot back to his new companion.  The gleaming weapons and armor wrapping her body.  The expensive trinkets on her fingers.  Yet she’d survived.  Even prospered.  The question was how – how had she managed to succeed where so many others had failed?

Not that Jason got a chance to ask that question.  Not yet, anyway.

Cady held up a hand as the palace neared, their targets entering through the gates.  The structure now loomed overhead, stretching up across the entire length of the cavern wall.  It was huge.  Absurd really.  And possibly an explanation for why the other avatars had failed so spectacularly.  Water roared where it crashed down from the many, many waterfalls that dotted the palace, making it difficult to hear and forcing Cady to half shout.

“We need to conceal ourselves from here on.  Stay quiet.”

That was Jason’s only warning before Cady whipped out a glowing, white wand.  There was a blinding flash of light, Jason raising his hand to block his eyes.  As his vision cleared, he could see… nothing where his fingers should be.  Well, not quite nothing.  The image of the cobblestones underfoot was still there, the image was just bent slightly around the spot where his hand was.  He must be looking at some sort of light-based invisibility then.  Another useful tool.

He looked up to see Cady entering the palace, her body outlined in a faint blue glow in his sight, a function of the party UI.  It seemed he had no choice but to follow.

Cady navigated the palace with practiced ease even though they had long lost sight of her former self and Remy.  Now that he had a better grasp of what was going on, Jason could only assume she knew where the pair had gone—

He froze as a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder, pulling him back out of a massive doorway leading into a large room. Jason slunk against the frame, Cady on the other side and outlined in glowing relief, her silhouette holding a lone finger to her lips.

The room looked like a throne room – one missing a functional throne and in desperate need of some water remediation.  Whoever had decided on all of the waterfalls must not have considered how far such moisture might reach… or how long it would take to evaporate in a giant underground cavern.  Jason had counted the waterfalls on his way in.  He’d given up at 137.  Which was a ludicrous number.  His drones had also mapped the building and he’d discovered it was a convoluted rat’s nest of rooms and stairwells and balconies.  As though generations of architects had haphazardly added rooms and then connected them in patchwork fashion.

Which likely wasn’t far from the truth.

But at that moment, Jason’s attention was on the scene taking place in the throne room.

“And here’s your throne room,” Remy announced in a bored, weary voice, rubbing at his eyes tiredly.  “So, what do you think?”

“It seems rather… damp,” the other Cady muttered.  “Whoever designed this place must have been going for liability chic,” she added under her breath and Jason had to resist the urge to laugh at that one.  Apparently, Cady had lost her sense of humor somewhere along the way.

The other Cady must have realized that Remy was still waiting expectantly. “Uh, yeah… it’s, um, really nice.”

“I knew you’d think so.  Now we just need to—”

Cady cut him off quickly.  “Actually, I could use a break.  Just a chance to catch my breath after dying, you know?  Could you give me a few minutes to myself?” she asked, waving at the doorway where Jason and the real Cady were hiding.  Jason tensed, the bones of his arms and legs creaking but his companion motioned for him to stay still.

Remy looked wary.  “I really shouldn’t leave you unattended.”

“There are the golems,” the other Cady replied smoothly, waving at the stone monsters looming around the room.  Jason had also noticed that the palace was full of them… and not much else.  It seemed one of Cady’s predecessors had decided to replace flesh and blood troops with the golems instead.  Not a terrible idea, except for the part where there was no one left to direct them.

Well, besides Remy, anyway.  Yet, up close, the faun looked haggard – overworked and underpaid most likely.  And he seemed to welcome the idea of a break.

“Of course.  Then I will be awaiting your summons,” Remy said before departing, his hooves tapping at the stone as he left the room.

Jason tensed again as the faun neared, hoping that the illusion would hold.  His staves slowly began to rotate out of his arms just in case and he saw the real Cady’s silhouette shift.  He couldn’t make out any details, only the outline of her palm.  A clear signal for him to stop.

Remy slipped on a puddle by the door and was forced to grab the wall for support and Jason went still, the faun lingering only a few feet away.  His forehead scrunched as he looked in Jason’s direction.  “So tired,” he muttered.  He reached down into his tunic pocket, removing a small pipe from its depths.  “Maybe just a small hit…”  His eyes drifted to the throne room.  “She should be fine right?  This one seems different than the others… and she has the golems.”

He was rationalizing.  Although, rationalizing what, Jason wasn’t quite sure.

The mystery solved itself only moments later.  The faun pushed away from the frame and stepped out of the room and further down the hall, taking a seat on a windowsill and pulling a small leather-bound packet from the bag at his waist.  He removed a glass vial, the contents glowing with multi-colored light.  Some sort of crystal from what Jason could tell.  As he looked on, the faun pulled a sliver of crystal free with a pair of metal tweezers and set it in the bowl of his pipe.  Then he raised the pipe and lit the crystal with a glowing red gem.

Remy inhaled deeply and smoke soon spewed from his lips.  His eyes turned glassy, that same strange multi-colored light shining in his irises.  Then the faun slumped back against the stone and closed his eyes, letting out a contented sigh.

Was everyone here an addict?

Not that Jason entirely blamed Remy – apparently, he was the only public servant left.

His gaze shifted back to the throne room.  The other Cady peeked out of the room, noticing that Remy was now in a drug-induced fugue.  “Maybe that’s where everyone went,” she muttered.  “They probably all died from getting high and sliding off one of the many terraces of this shithole palace.  Seriously, who the fuck built this place?” she continued, moving back into the room and settling against a block of marble – one that might eventually be a throne someday.

She took a deep breath, clearly gathering her thoughts.

“Alright, let’s recap…” she spoke aloud, her voice echoing in the empty throne room.

“You’re the 138th replacement ruler of a city that has undergone more than a few political experiments.  Your people seem to hate and fear you.  There is a growing terrorist organization that is hellbent on killing you and destroying your city.  Your major export – crystals or whatever – is dead in the water, so you have no money.  And your one advisor seems to have a drug problem.  Oh, but you have magic!  Except, you have no idea how to use it and your attendant just stared at you blankly when you tried asking questions about it.

“Did I miss anything?” the other Cady demanded of the empty room.

“No, you got it all just right!” a new voice suddenly spoke up.

Cady started, leaping to her feet… only to slip on the slick rock, her knees striking the stone hard as she fell and a grunt of pain escaping her lips.

“Careful.  It’s slippery!

Jason cocked his head as he saw a young girl pacing between the half-constructed columns.  She couldn’t have been more than ten years old, wearing a flowing pink dress and a tiara sparkling on her brow.  She looked out of place here in this fantasy world. Like a child playing dress up. Which could only mean one thing—

“Are you the Fates?” the other Cady grunted, pushing herself back upright.

“Good guess!” the girl shot back with a grin.

“So, uh, I’m not sure if this is rude, but does each version of you remember the others?” Cady asked.  “Like do you remember when we last met?”

Each version? Jason thought to himself.  Just what was going on here?  Did the earth goddess have multiple forms?  He glared at his companion beside him, her blue silhouette giving him a shrug.  Another detail omitted…

“Sort of?  But that doesn’t matter.  Have you seen my castle?  It’s amazing!” the girl chirped happily, walking around the throne room and admiring the… well, possibly the puddles on the floor and the water dripping from the ceiling?

A brief pause and Jason could see the other Cady’s mental wheels spinning.

“Yes, it’s beautiful,” she lied smoothly.  “You really feel like a princess here.”

“Right?” the Fates replied, suddenly standing close to her, eyes sparkling.

Jason hadn’t seen the goddess move.  That was… eerie.

“A princess needs a suitable castle.  One with pretty terraces and floating gardens and waterfalls.  A place to call home, you know?” the girl demanded.

New Cady just nodded.  “Yeah, and a spiraling staircase to make an appropriate entrance?  Maybe even a ballroom to host grand dances for your guests,” she offered.

The girl’s eyes gleamed as she smiled.  “That’s right!  I like you.  What’s your name?”

“It’s Cady,” she replied.

“That’s not the name of a princess,” the Fates shot back with a frown.

“Well, it’s short for Arcadia… Arcadia Landrey.”

Interesting, Jason thought to himself.  He could look her up in the real world now.

“Now, that’s a solid name,” the little girl chirped.

“Thank you,” Cady replied, considering her words.  “I think I’ve already met another version of you.  The older one,” she offered gently.

The girl’s nose wrinkled.  “She’s always so serious.”

“I know, right?” Cady offered with a grin.  “She really didn’t seem like much fun.  Just threw me into this world without explaining anything.  She didn’t even mention your castle.”

The girl’s eyes went round.  “That’s so mean!”

Then the Fates did a double take, looking hopeful.  “Does that mean she sent you to help me finish the castle?”  She teleported a few steps away from Cady, throwing her arms wide.  “It’s going to be incredible someday, but the others really had trouble with it.”

“She, um, she did actually,” Cady offered with a smile of her own, only faltering slightly.  Apparently, this other version of Cady could still lie.  That was interesting and Jason filed away the information for later.  Then Cady’s expression faded into feigned sadness.  “However, the old lady didn’t have time to explain how to use my abilities… my magic.”

“I can show you!” the Fates declared.  “Watch!”

In a flash of emerald energy, the girl began teleporting around the room rapidly.  As she reappeared beside Cady, she slipped and Cady just barely caught her, holding her steady.

“See?” the Fates asked.  “Just like that.”

“Uh huh,” the other Cady grunted with an arched brow.  “Could we maybe start with something simpler?  I’m not sure I can manage that.  I might get hurt.”

“Simpler?” the girl murmured, tilting her head.

“Sure.  Remy mentioned something about time magic…”

“Oh, of course,” the girl remarked, smacking her palm to her head.  “That’s actually why I’m here.  I was supposed to give you your gift.  Here you go!” the Fates chirped.

As the girl finished speaking, bands of emerald energy suddenly coiled through the air, surrounding Cady as she looked on nervously.  Before she could react, they plunged forward, lashing her arms and legs down and holding her in place.  More coils of energy wrapped her body and she let out a gasp.  Cady craned her head down—

Only to stare in horror and surprise.  Her skin was… changing.  Jason didn’t have a better word for it.  One moment, it was smooth and pink – like a newborn.  In another instant, it was wrinkled and aged.  Even her limbs were fluctuating in size.  From child to adolescent to adult in the span of just a few seconds, as though her body couldn’t decide what age it wanted to be.

And as fast as the energy enveloped her, it suddenly disappeared—

Cady stumbled, falling back against the makeshift “throne,” her breath coming hard and fast as her heart hammered out a frantic rhythm, her rapid-fire pulse picked up by Jason’s Listening skill.  Then a glowing blue notification popped up in front of Cady, somehow visible to Jason behind the doorway.  Perhaps because it was counting her older self as part of his group?

System Message

You have been granted the ability to manipulate time by the Fates themselves.  The following changes have been made to your character:

- Mana replaced with Time.  Time does not replenish naturally.

- Earth affinity greatly increased.

- Timely Contract acquired.

However, such gifts may always be revoked.  You must abide by the will of the Fates if you wish to retain their favor.  Good luck!

New Ability:  Timely Contract

Time is of the essence, especially when getting a new customer under contract.  You may replenish your Time by contracting with other sentient creatures to purchase their Time.  However, contracts have requirements.  There must be a buyer and seller, both parties must agree to the contract, and Time may only be given for consideration.  Although, how you induce the seller to accept is up to you.

Skill Level:  Unranked

Effect:  Ability to forge contracts to collect Time.

“What is all of this?” the other Cady murmured, eyeing the floating blue prompts.

“My gift!” the Fates chirped from nearby, suddenly sitting beside her on the throne and looking at her prompts.  She pointed at the information.  “See there, you don’t have mana anymore.  That’s what other mages use to cast.”

“Like Remy?” Cady asked.

“Exactly,” the Fates answered happily.

“And I’m guessing Remy can gather this mana naturally over time?”

“Of course, silly,” the girl answered with a laugh.

Cady didn’t look happy with that news.  Not that Jason blamed her.  This system was convoluted.  She had to form contracts instead.  Much like the one he’d signed.  He was now looking at the real Cady suspiciously.  Just what other terms had he agreed to?

“So, how do I contract with someone?” Cady asked, brow furrowed.

“I can be your first!” the Fates offered.  “Just say the word ‘contract’ aloud while making these gestures.”  The girl’s hands suddenly moved through a five-pattern sequence.

Cady fumbled as she tried to imitate those motions.  Once.  Twice.  Then a dozen times.  But eventually, she managed the feat, forced to move slowly.  And once she did, green energy flared around her hands, drifting up into the air to form a sheet of glowing emerald parchment.

“Great!” the Fates offered.  “Now we just need to write the contract.  I’ll agree to give you an hour if you promise to use it to learn how to use your spells.  What do you say?”

As soon as the goddess finished speaking, the contract filled in with those terms, the text scrawled by an invisible hand.  Only moments later, the following contract hovered there:

Contract: New Girl

The Fates have agreed to grant you [one hour] of Time in exchange for [using that Time to train].

Do you agree?  [Yes/No]

“Sure?” Cady replied hesitantly, tapping at the prompt.

The contract suddenly blew away into streamers of emerald energy that wound back to Cady, absorbing into her skin.  It must have been a strange sensation since it took her a moment to recover before she spoke again.

“Okay, now how do I cast a spell?” she asked.

“Ahh, I forgot that part!  Here you go!” the Fates chirped, touching Cady’s temple.  More green energy flared.  Yet nothing happened.

“Uh, what did you do?” she asked.

“I gave you two spells,” the girl answered.  “Just cast them.”

“But I don’t know how—”

“Cast Fast Forward first,” the girl instructed.

As she said the name, Cady’s brow scrunched. Her fingers began moving and she stared at her hands in surprise.  They wound through a complicated pattern and moments later green energy flared once more, settling across Cady’s skin.  She became a fast-moving blur as she whizzed around the room and Jason could only gawk.  That was a much, much more powerful version of Finn’s Haste.  And she claimed her combat skills were mediocre?

Jason looked toward OG Cady’s silhouette.  Had she been using Fast Forward to speed up her cast time somehow?  That might explain why he hadn’t seen her use any of the gestures or utter any incantations.  If so, then that was one hell of an ability.

But what was the other spell that Cady had acquired from the goddess?  He hadn’t managed to catch a glimpse of those prompts…

Although, he supposed it didn’t matter.   The more important question was how had the real Cady gathered enough Time to travel back in time like this?  An hour let her zip around the throne room.  How much would it cost to travel backward a 100 years?  And if she could only secure more Time by contract, just how—

The spell abruptly ended and the other Cady was standing across the room.

“You did it!” the Fates cheered.  “You did great!”

“Uh, thanks,” Cady murmured, shaking her head in wonder.

“So, what does it mean when someone sells time?” Cady asked. Not a bad question from Jason’s perspective. “Like when you gave me an hour, what were you giving up?”

The Fates cocked her head.  “I gave up an hour.”

“Yeah, yeah, I understand that…” Cady offered gently.  “But an hour of what?  Where does that hour come from?”

The little girl frowned.  “It’s an hour.  If someone asked you to play with them for an hour, then you gave up an hour, right?”

Cady looked like she was resisting the urge to sigh.  Then she took a deep breath.

“Okay… Then what happens if I fail a contract?” Cady offered.

Another good question, Jason thought.

“You give up the Time,” the Fates chirped, teleporting across the room and inspecting the windows, watching the waterfalls tumble down the rock outside.

“And if I’ve already spent that Time?” Cady pressed, frowning now.

“Then you’re in debt and the contract takes it from your body,” the goddess answered, splashing into a puddle with a smile.

Cady just stared back in horror.  Jason could imagine what she was thinking.  From her body?  Did that mean… her character would age?  And if she had enough time debt, what then?  His eyes skimmed to the castle around them.  Which led to another question.  How had those other avatars managed to build all of this?  And if they’d all failed—

“So, the other avatars… did they happen to fail a contract with you?” Cady began gingerly.

Jason’s attention snapped back to the room.

Suddenly, the little girl was scowling at Cady, emerald energy cascading out around her in a torrent of energy so wide and large that it was beginning to warp space and time.  The walls and pillars were growing concave and water hung in the air where she’d just splashed into a puddle, the droplets frozen there indefinitely.  Cady swallowed.  Hard.

“They did,” the girl answered.  “They were meany face liars.  They agreed to help me and then used my tTime on themselves.  Are you like them?”

“No… no, not at all,” Cady replied quickly.

“Good!” the Fates chirped, her magic vanishing in a flash.  Suddenly, she was sitting beside Cady again, hugging her arm.  “I like you.  You seem different than the rest.  Will you accept my quest then?  I’d really like to finish my castle.  It’s almost there!”

New Quest: Timeless

The goddess of time would like for you to complete her castle.  And it needs to be perfect!  Lots of waterfalls.  Plenty of terraces.  Oh, and the spires are most important part.  Did you get all that?  Great!  Then let’s get started!

Difficulty:  *Error*

Success:  Complete the Fates’ castle.

Failure:  Fail to complete castle or run out of time.

Reward:  Unknown.

“What do you say?” the goddess pressed, leaning against Cady.

“Um… I guess that’s fine—”

“Great!” the little girl replied and the prompt disappeared.  A sudden rush of emerald energy flooded the room again – but it no longer held the malicious intent Jason had felt before.  This energy cascaded into Cady in a wave, flooding into her body in a rush and leaving her sitting there, teetering on the edge of her future throne.

Then the girl cocked her head.  “Shoot.  But I need to go.  I’m out of time!”

The Fates hopped to her feet and Cady raised a hand, trying to shake off the shock of that rush of time.  “No… uh, wait.  I have more—”

“I’ll see you soon!  Bye!” the girl chirped.  Then she vanished in a flash of energy.

Which left Cady sitting in that dilapidated throne room, Remy stoned out of his mind outside, his pipe now resting on his chest and his eyes closed, her new ‘kingdom’ in ruins, and with a mad quest to reconstruct a child god’s ideal princess castle.  And given that the quest had an error message instead of a difficulty rank, Jason’s guess was that it might actually be impossible.

“Well… shit,” Cady murmured.

Chapter 12 - Angel Investors

“I can’t believe he talked me into this,” the other Cady muttered from the throne room.  “I’m going to give Robert a piece of my damn—"

Jason lost track of her words as he saw his illusion begin to spark and fade.  He dived back behind the edge of the throne room door, a rainbow pattern splashing against the nearby wall as he began to shine like a lamp.

He glared at the real Cady who was perched on the other side of the door to the throne room, her own illusion having already given way.  She could have given him a warning.

Not that she spared him much attention.  One of her tattoos flared.  A shimmer of yellow energy swept through the hallway and coated the stone, forming a bubble around the pair – the other Cady’s mutterings in the throne room cut off entirely.  Jason had seen this magic before.  It was a sound dampening barrier spell.

It seemed Cady was finally ready to talk…

“So… you agreed to help a ten-year-old goddess build her dream princess castle?” Jason asked.  He couldn’t help the hint of humor in his voice.  And to his credit, Cady actually looked mildly embarrassed – or, at least, she was dodging his eyes behind her demonic mask.

“Funny.  Funny stuff.  And yes, I accepted the goddess’ quest.  What choice did I really have?  I needed the Time since I had exactly none and I couldn’t cast any other magic without mana.  Gotta have money to make money, right?” she demanded with a shrug.

There was some truth to that, but from where Jason was standing – daring another quick peek around the corner of the doorway – Cady’s former self didn’t look terribly confident.  She looked, well, angry. And maybe upset.  Probably from being brutally murdered not too long ago and saddled with a fixer-upper city to manage.  And with the way she appeared to be talking to herself under her breath and her brief mention of Robert… Jason suspected that the sound dampening magic was meant more to block him from hearing the other Cady’s rant than to avoid being detected.

Especially since he’d seen those skill notices.  She gathered time by contract?  And Cady had effectively forced Jason into one before pushing him through that portal.  What else might he have given away?  And just what else was his newfound companion hiding?

However, for now, it was probably best not to rock the time traveling boat.  He was going to need her to get back to his own time – or, at least, he had a strong feeling he would.

“Okay, so what’s the point of all of this?” Jason asked finally, waving at the throne room.  “I thought we were supposed to be building up our strength and undermining the other avatars?  Why’re we watching re-runs of your first day in-game?”

“Kids these days really are impatient,” Cady muttered.

“Says the lady that’s what?  Maybe ten years older than me?”  Cady was about to retort and he raised a hand.  “No, you know what?  You’re right.  You’re much, much older.  So wise and weathered… practically ancient really.”

Cady growled under her breath.  “Watch it.”

“Or what? You’ll trick me into signing a contract and whisk me back in time?”

Okay, that one came out a little more sarcastic than he’d intended.

Cady took a deep breath and rubbed at her temple – ironically, the same gesture her doppelganger was making in the other room as she collected herself.  “Look, I just needed to recast the Invisibility.  Can you hold the questions for a couple more minutes?  I’m sure you’ll understand what’s happening shortly.”

Jason just grunted.  He wasn’t so confident, but he also had little other choice.

Cady peeked around the doorframe and must have seen whatever it was that she was looking for – some sign from her former self.  She darted back, pulled another white wand from her bag and mana flashed, flickered… and then faded away.  At the same time, her tattoo’s glow disappeared and the orb of yellow energy broke apart into wispy motes of air mana.

It wasn’t a moment too soon.

The other Cady immediately stepped through those doors, Jason and his kidnapper going perfectly still.  Jason’s questions only multiplied as he saw the other Cady up close.  Apparently, that rant inside the throne room had helped.  She was a changed woman.  Gone was her hesitation.  Her doubt.  Her anger.  It had been replaced with an ironclad determination, her head raised, shoulders back and lips pinched in thought.  And she was currently watching Remy where he snored loudly on the nearby balcony, his pipe still resting on his chest.

The other Cady approached the faun and Jason was expecting her to wake him up.

Which she did.  Or, at least, she attempted to.

She poked him.  Once.  Gently.

When Remy didn’t react, she tried again – more forcefully.  Still nothing.

Then a grin slid across her lips… one that didn’t seem quite so innocent.  Seconds later, her nimble fingers had plucked the pipe from his chest and set it nearby.  Then she began going through his bags one by one, pocketing several strange, glowing gemstones, a pouch of clinking coins, and a dagger with an ornate leather sheath.  Cady pulled the blade experimentally, testing the sharpness of the metal and drawing in a sharp breath as a dot of blood beaded on her finger.

Yet instead of reacting to that pain with fear or anxiety – a natural result of getting viciously murdered by Jason less than an hour ago – Cady looked intrigued, her head cocked.  The wound closed at an unnatural speed as her health regeneration kicked in.

“Interesting,” she murmured before tucking the blade into her belt.

Jason shot the real Cady a look.  Was she really robbing her only ally and confidant?  What was her angle here?

Her silhouette just shrugged.  As though to say, “When in AO…”

Finally, the other Cady’s gaze dropped to the faun’s hands where he sported several rings.  Rings that looked painstakingly familiar.  Jason had seen them on the real Cady’s hands.  In fact, one was the ring Cady had let Jason borrow to change his appearance.  Which is why Jason wasn’t terribly surprised when the other Cady slipped those rings from Remy’s fingers, inspected each in turn, and then pulled them onto her own fingers.

Okay, so she’d always been morally bankrupt.

Not that Jason supposed he had any room to talk.  Hadn’t he killed some people for Morgan’s first quest and then ended up destroying an entire city?

Surely, this couldn’t be any worse than that, right?

The other Cady took the dagger, nicked Remy’s finger and then dabbed the ring in the spot of blood.  Sapphire energy flashed and moments later water clung to her body as hair sprung from her arms and horns curled away from her forehead.  Soon, her hooves were clacking against the wet stone and Remy’s twin suddenly stood beside him.

She walked to a nearby pool of water and inspected herself, touching her face, her arms, and her legs and the illusion rippled but held firm.  She was the spitting image of Remy.

“Hmm,” the other Cady hummed, tapping her lips in thought, her gaze lingering on Remy’s sleeping form before shifting to the throne room at her back.

“Do I have enough Time to pull that off?” she murmured to herself.  Then she shook her head.  “I guess there’s only one way to find out…”

What is she thinking? Jason wondered to himself, his thoughts racing as he tried to predict what the other Cady could possibly be planning.  He understood stealing the faun’s equipment… sort of.  But why was she angling to steal his appearance?

Cady released the illusion and a wave of water splashed the stone.  Then she walked back over to the doorway, standing only a few feet from Jason and the real Cady, both of them going still once more and Jason’s kidnapper motioning for him to stay put.  Not that he needed any direction there.  What else was he going to do?

The other Cady began to cast, emerald energy spiraling around her hands and growing in strength and intensity with each passing second.  This wasn’t her fledgling attempt to cast Fast Forward.  That had taken only a small amount of Time.  This was something else.  Something monstrous.  Emerald energy soon swam around the room, time and space beginning to warp and the walls bending and flexing.  She held her hand out, slowly twisting her palm in a counterclockwise motion—

Remy suddenly snorted and then began to rise.  However, his actions were weird – jerky and unnatural.  It looked like he was… unpacking his pipe and then stuffing it into his coat pocket.  His movements began to speed up as the other Cady saw that it was working and poured even more Time into the spell.  A phantom version of Cady walked back into the throne room, her and Remy talking in a rapid high-pitched whine before stepping back out of the room and walking backwards down the hall.

She’s… she’s rewinding time? Jason thought to himself.

That must have been the other spell the goddess had taught her.

The other Cady just kept casting, pouring in ever more energy.  Mana cascaded around her in a deluge of emerald power – Jason and the real Cady apparently caught in the bubble of trapped time, carried along for the ride.  She kept going, moss and moisture disappearing from the stone and the throne room picking itself apart.  Even the balcony where Remy had been resting broke into blocks, golem workers moving in a flash of movement as they deconstructed the terrace.

Just how far back was she going?

Days?  Weeks?  Months?

Then Cady caught sight of Remy and another figure walking backwards down the hall toward the throne room.  The pace of her spell slowed, the energy fading slightly.  She waited until they had entered the throne room; until Remy had left the room, wandering down the hall—

The spell ended abruptly, leaving the three of them standing there in that same hallway.  However, the balcony nearby was now little more than a lattice of wood and stone.  A framework for what would come.  Remy was walking down the hallway slowly before rounding a corner and disappearing.  And as Jason peered into the throne room, he saw a young man standing there, gawking at his surroundings.  Now, who the hell was that?

Meanwhile, the other Cady was staring into the distance as she reviewed her prompts – standing only a few feet away from Jason.  “I only used 20% of the Time she gave me.  Hmph.”

Then her gaze shot to the throne room.  “It seems like it’ll work, but… can I really do this?”

She shook her head, her resolve suddenly hardening, her fingers curling into fists.  “You’ve done worse.  Plus, this isn’t real.  That person isn’t real.  If you want to learn more from Robert, you have to do this.”

What’s she talking about? Jason wondered to himself.  And, for just a moment, he considered stepping forward – breaking the illusion and summoning a single Soul Blade.  If he killed the former Cady here, what would happen?  Would Alfred treat it like some sort of time loop?  Would he be transported back to the present?  Would none of this have ever happened?

It was certainly tempting…

Yet he was also curious.  What exactly was the other Cady planning?

As she twisted the sapphire ring once more and reassumed Remy’s form, it suddenly began to click.  She couldn’t possibly be planning to—

Cady – disguised as Remy – stepped into the throne room.  “I forgot one last thing!” she said, imitating his harried, out of breath voice with uncanny precision as she approached the young man with the tap, tap, tap of hooves on stone.

“Oh, what is it?” the man asked, cocking his head.

“Just over here, if you could come this way,” Cady-Remy offered, touching the small of his back and directing his attention to the doorway and the balcony that was under construction.  “I wanted to show you the true source of our power—”

The young man’s eyes gleamed with greed and interest, a half-smile on his lips.  Although, that smile soon vanished as Cady drew her blade and plunged it into his back, striking his kidney dead-on.  He gasped, his body going rigid.  Yet he didn’t have time to turn; to react.  Cady sped herself up with a flicker of green energy and gave him a solid kick – one that sent the man careening over the edge of the balcony and plummeting to his death.

He didn’t even have the chance to scream.

The other Cady peered over the lip of the balcony and gave a curt nod.

“Dead. Definitely dead,” she announced aloud.  “And now—”

She pivoted on her heel, dropped her illusion with a splash of water and then stooped, touching that ring to the fresh blood that now sprinkled the floor.  Another twist and moisture condensed from the air, but this time she took on a new appearance.  One of a young man.  The exact same young man she’d just murdered in cold blood.  Then she paced back into the throne room.  Her sandaled feet landed in a puddle and she slipped, leaning on the nearby wall.

“Careful.  It’s slippery,” a familiar voice chirped.

Jason could only stare wide-eyed as the earth goddess appeared again and the pair began an eerily familiar conversation – one Jason had heard only minutes before.  Cady neatly dodged the issue of spellcasting, insisting that Remy had already managed to teach her the basics – which she was able to confirm with ease.  Which just left one last thing…

He could see her goal now – the payoff of her macabre plot.  But surely it was impossible, right?  To acquire the same quest?  However, Jason hesitated.  But was it?  This was technically a different castle.  And they had, also technically, traveled back in time to a point before Cady had accepted the goddess’ quest.  How would Alfred treat that?  Even now, the black feline was perched at his heels watching.  Making no move to intervene.

A floating blue screen soon appeared and Jason’s bony hands gripped the frame of the door, leaning forward eagerly, his eyes riveted on the prompt.  Would it work?  It couldn’t—

Cady hit accept with trembling hands and the prompt whisked away…

And once more, emerald energy poured into her in a wave.

The goddess soon made her exit, leaving Cady standing alone in that empty throne room once more.  Except, this time, she didn’t look upset.  Or confused.  As her illusion faded with a sprinkle of water, Jason could see a wide smile on her lips, her eyes gleaming.

“Now… how many avatars did Remy say they went through again?” she murmured.

Chapter 13 - Start-Up

The doorbell chimed, the sound muted and barely audible from the front porch of Finn’s home.  In Eliza’s opinion, “bunker” might have been a better word.  In many ways, the house fit Finn’s personality.  Eccentric, reclusive, and paranoid.  A squat, square building constructed of reinforced concrete that stretched from the foundation to the roof.  Even the windows looked… abnormal.  They were too thick.  Formed of multiple panels of tempered glass.

“Just what is this place?” her father – Feng Zhao – muttered, attempting unsuccessfully to straighten his tie.  Sweat dotted his brow despite the cool morning air.

Mei stepped in, her nimble fingers tugging at his collar.  “An opportunity,” she answered simply.  “This is Eliza’s future, after all.”  This was said with a glowing smile in her daughter’s direction.  Which was weird.  Eliza hadn’t realized her mother knew how to smile.

Both of her parents seemed to have transformed in just one email.  As soon as they’d seen Finn’s name – and verified that he was indeed the sender – they had completely changed.  No longer was Eliza the disappointment.  The girl who spent all her days locked in her room with a helmet on.  That had shirked the perfect future that they had laid out before her.

No, now she was the golden child.

And, for some reason, that stung even more.

The door’s locking mechanism shifted in a series of dull thunks and the portal soon drifted open, a hiss of sealed air escaping.  Which left Finn himself sitting there, planted in an ornate steel-framed wheelchair, a glowing panel flickering down each armrest.

“Welcome,” Finn offered with a smile of his own – one that felt out of place from Eliza’s point of view.  “Mei.  Feng.  It’s wonderful to see you both again.”

“Indeed.  How long has it been?  Ten years at least?” Feng offered along with his hand, his eyes crinkling in surprise as Finn met him with a strong grip.

“Hush now, what is such time among friends?” Mei interjected, her fingers more gentle and Finn planting a closed-mouthed kiss on her knuckles.

“Says the woman who doesn’t look like she’s aged a day,” Finn replied.  “I nearly mistook you for Eliza’s older sister.”  Mei twittered happily.

Meanwhile, Eliza had the irresistible urge to vomit.  Finn was laying it on thick.

Those inane pleasantries continued as they crossed into Finn’s house, as the abnormally sturdy door slid closed behind them, as the locks whirred back into place, and as Finn led them through his home – a winding series of corridors terminating in a private dining room off the kitchen.  And the stream of bullshit was still flowing strong as they took their seats.

However, as they all sat there, the small talk eventually petered out into silence.

The elephant was sitting at the table, demure and quiet as always.  Her hands neatly folded and her eyes tracing the texture of the wood grain as she tried to make herself smaller; to pull less focus.  Yet it was all futile in the end...

“So, I’m guessing that you’re both wondering why I invited Eliza here,” Finn offered.

Her parents shared a look.  “Well… we’ll admit it was a surprise to hear from you after so long.  And to think Eliza was the reason—” her father began.

“She’s truly exceptional, your daughter,” Finn interrupted, his palm slapping the table gently.  “Intelligent.  Creative.  Wise beyond her years.”

“Of course, she is.  She’s a Zhao.”  That was her mother that time.

Although, the crinkle around her eyes told Eliza the truth.  Her mother was surprised to hear someone singing her daughter’s praises.  And why wouldn’t she be?  It wasn’t that long ago that her parents had been concerned about Eliza self-harming.  Not that this had triggered any real introspection, of course – silly questions like why she might be so unhappy?

Probably because her parents had always been that unhappy.  That was just the price of success.  Of ambition.  A pretty lie they told themselves...

“But how exactly did the two of you meet?” Feng asked.  “Eliza hasn’t told us much.”

Finn met Eliza’s eyes, a grin tugging at his wrinkled lips.  He looked older here.  As though the heat of Sandscrit had dried him out.  “Ahh, that’s an interesting story.  We actually both met inside Awaken Online.   You could say we’re teammates of a sort.”

Shock registered across her parents’ faces.  “Inside AO.  You mean the game?” Mei asked.

“Of course,” Finn answered with a nod.  “Although, I’d consider that software to be far, far more than a simple game.  For example, your daughter has become a prodigious botanist in that world.  She’s actually created many news strains of plants and developed potions that no one has ever seen before.  I would even go so far as to say she’s that world’s first true pharmacist.”

Her parents were looking at her oddly now – as though considering whether to be proud of her for creating make-believe potions in a fantasy world.  This was a terrible idea…

“Which actually brings me to my point,” Finn continued, interrupting Eliza’s thoughts.  “I’d like your daughter to become my intern.”

“Intern?” her mother echoed, brow scrunched.

“Ahh, yes, I’m actually conducting my own AI research.  The goal is to enhance and accelerate the learning process.  Your daughter is a notable example.  She’s progressed more rapidly in-game than most players.  In fact, here…”

Finn waved at the air and a series of displays appeared, data scrolling down each screen.  Eliza looked at them wide-eyed.  Those charts and spreadsheets looked familiar and she felt a pit forming in her stomach, her hands twisting into knots beneath the table.  Those were her notes.  Painstakingly recorded over days and weeks in game.  Hundreds – no, thousands – of experiments using different ingredients and test subjects.

“Are these studies?” her father murmured, his fingers tapping at the screens and scrolling through the data.  “Double blind.  Control groups.  Huh…”  Her parents shared another look, side-eyeing their daughter.  Finn was speaking their language.  This was research – medical research – that Eliza had been conducting in another world.

“Not only that,” Finn offered.  “She’s gone a step further.”

Another swipe and the screens shifted into three-dimensional models.  Molecular structures for many of the various compounds that she’d created.  All of that organic chemistry had paid off in-game.  AO operated on rules similar to the real world.  The key word there was similar.  She’d been forced to make more than a few additions to the periodic table as well as greatly expand on the botanical knowledge available in the real world.  Earth-born plants didn’t try to actively kill their gardener, after all.  The real question was how Finn had acquired this information.

The old man gave her one lazy wink over the table.

Knowing him… he’d cheated.  Probably hacked her home terminal.  Or Julia had.

“This is incredible,” Feng murmured, eyeing the structures.

“And yet… not real,” Mei retorted.  There was a sharpness to her voice.

“Perhaps,” Finn replied smoothly.  “But you could say the same of learning from textbooks and conducting simple experiments in a chemistry lab.  That isn’t real research.  It’s practice.  And it’s clear that your daughter’s skills have far surpassed the average high school chemist or botanist.  I’d wager she’d even give a college chemistry professor a run for their money.”

He leaned forward, eyeing Eliza’s parents.  “I know, I know this sounds insane.  It may be difficult to believe now, but we’re looking at the next evolution of learning.  As AI takes hold through software like AO, we will see a revolution in how we teach our children.  Just like the old-school classrooms of the twentieth century, there will be a time when even online lessons disappear.  Replaced with simulated experiments indistinguishable from real life or with fantastical places that are modeled after our own world.  That’s not much different than games that teach typing or reading skills, after all.

“And I would like for Eliza to be on the forefront of that paradigm shift.”

Silence.  Total silence.  Her parents’ brains seemed to have short-circuited.

Even though Eliza could see through Finn’s pitch – knew his ulterior motive – his argument was still persuasive.  Could she really… could she really apply these skills in the real world?  Who would want to know the chemical composition of fireroot?  Or which compounds tigertail could be combined with? But perhaps the framework was enough.

“Have you really been doing all of this?” her mother asked, both of her parents watching her closely.  “We thought you were simply playing a game.”

Finn was looking at her now too, arching an eyebrow.  He’d set the stage.  Now she needed to drive the point home.  Eliza turned back to her parents who seemed to loom larger than any monster she’d faced in game.  This was real, after all.

But as Finn had said… was there really that much difference between these two worlds?

The skills translated.  And, inside AO, Eliza had stood down armies.  Had slaughtered travelers in droves.  Had saved this feeble old man in the Mile High Club.  She was a warrior.  A chemist.  The true queen of Sea’s Edge.  She was the Ice Witch.  A monster that could even put <Death and Taxes> on the defensive… at least, when she got out of her damn way.

“Yes, yes I did,” Eliza answered, raising her eyes.  For the first time, she met her parents’ gaze openly.  She refused to waver or look away… to accept her place.  “And Finn is right.  This technology has incredible potential.  This is what I accomplished in just a few weeks.  In fact, I took a practice exam for the MCAT yesterday and my score jumped by ten points.”

A tap at her core and the proof was projected beside her.  Her parents looked floored.

“Well, that’s—”

“—quite something,” her father finished for Mei.

They both looked at each other, then at Finn.

“I think we see the merit of your research,” Feng began slowly.  “What would you need from us… and from Eliza?”

Finn shrugged, his hands going wide.  “That’s a simple matter.  I’d like for Eliza to stay with me here at my compound for a few weeks.  That way I can appropriately monitor her and conduct regular brain scans.  As you can see, this building is quite secure and she should be safe here.  My scans are also non-intrusive.  No worse than using the VR headset.”

Her parents hesitated again.  Eliza could imagine their thoughts.  Letting their teenage daughter stay with this old man.  She could see it in the way her mother’s eyes flitted to his wheelchair. Yet he posed little risk.  He couldn’t even walk. And besides, he was an old family friend, wasn’t he?  Still, they were wavering.

“This internship would also look good for my college applications,” Eliza piped up.   “Could you imagine what an admissions department would think of me working with Finn Harris himself – the mastermind behind the invention of AI?”  Okay, that might have been too much.  She actually felt mildly nauseous.  But the point landed and landed hard.

“Ahh, yes, that’s a fine point, Eliza,” her mother answered.

“Indeed, it is,” her father acknowledged.

“Fantastic.” Finn swiped at the air again and a new display appeared.  “If you’re in agreement, then I’d like for you to please review and sign this agreement.  It’s a standard liability waiver and releases Eliza’s medical information.”

“Oh—” Finn added, as though a thought had just occurred to him.  “You all wouldn’t happen to keep Eliza’s implant data archived, would you?  That neurological and biological information would be incredibly useful for our research.”

“Possibly somewhere on our home server,” her father answered tapping at the screen to review the contract before adding his signature at the bottom.  “I’d have to dig for it.  I’ve never been much of a computer person,” Feng offered with a humble smile.

“If you could grant me access, I’d be more than happy to take a look for you,” Finn offered, Eliza tensing and her fingers squeezing into fists under the table.  “I don’t want to trouble you both.  I’m sure you’re quite busy at the hospital.”

“That would be much appreciated,” Eliza’s mother replied and she breathed out a soft sigh of relief. She wasn’t much of a computer person either. “We can provide access remotely since we just upgraded our house’s AI…”

The conversation quickly devolved into more pleasantries and Finn begged Eliza’s parents to let him keep her for a few hours more – claiming he needed to get some initial scans done.  However, as he tucked them away into a car, he promised he’d return her later that evening safe and sound.  Which is how Eliza soon found herself standing in Finn’s home, the front door once more swinging closed behind her with a heavy thunk.

“That went well,” a new voice drawled and Eliza glanced up to see Julia standing there, leaning against a wall and a grin on her face.  She winked at Eliza.  Apparently, they’d decided to keep her piercings and tattoos out of sight of her parents.

“You get into their system yet?” Finn asked, eyeing his daughter.

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” she scoffed, waving at the air and a system prompt appearing there.  “We should be connected shortly.”

“Perfect,” Finn grunted.

“And welcome to the family,” Julia offered to Eliza with a grin.

“Um… thanks,” she chirped back.

Eliza was still in shock at just how quickly and expertly the pair had maneuvered her parents.  Why had she been so frightened of this confrontation again?  Either way, now she was free and the clock on her time in-game had been reset.  She hadn’t been expecting the wave of relief that washed over her, as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

“Indeed, welcome to our home,” Finn grunted.  Then he did something even more incredible than wooing her parents.  He stood up.  Not on shaky legs, but smoothly.

He saw Eliza’s surprised expression and a smile creased his lips.  “Ahh, yes… this.  My legs have recovered but it’s necessary for now to maintain the ruse. Understood?”

Eliza nodded numbly, her thoughts spinning.

“Good.  Now it’s time to get to work.  I suspect we don’t have long until the game servers come back online,” Finn declared, marching further into his house with Julia and Eliza in tow.

They soon entered Finn’s office.  Dozens of screens orbited a chair in the center of the room, one where Finn soon settled himself, Julia taking up a position at a desk along the far wall.   Those screens pulsed, an AI’s voice chiming through the room – one that sounded familiar…

“Connection complete.  Initiating scan of Zhao home servers,” Daniel announced, the AI appearing nearby – just a floating blue ball of light.

“I still don’t understand what you’re looking for…” Eliza offered quietly.

Finn shot her a look, arching one eyebrow.  “Well, we’re in the same boat now.  So, there’s no sense hiding our objective.  We’re looking for—”

Before he could finish speaking, those displays broke apart in a dazzling cascade of glowing blue particles.  Particles that slowly began to stitch themselves back together.  Forming semi-translucent feet, legs, a waist, arms, and a head, the details refining and filling out as the seconds ticked past.  As the program completed, Eliza was left staring at a beautiful woman who smiled back at her.  Yet that smile was a hollow thing.  A digital painting.  A ghost in the machine.  This woman wasn’t real; wasn’t alive.  Not truly.

“This is Rachel, my wife and Julia’s mother,” Finn offered.  “She died ten years ago.”

Then his eyes turned back to her, filled with the same searing resolve that she’d witnessed in game.  “And we’re going to bring her back to life.”

Which left Eliza standing there, staring with wide eyes.

The elation at her newfound freedom was swiftly being replaced with fresh anxiety.

“Um… come again?” she squeaked.

Chapter 14 - Raising Capital

153.  That turned out to be the number of would-be avatars that the earth goddess had punted back in time in an effort to… well, rebuild her dream princess castle, apparently.

Jason had been keeping count as the other Cady murdered each of them in cold blood and then impersonated her victim in order to accept the quest again.  And again.  And again.  Each time returning to the doorway where Jason and the OG Cady were hiding even as the castle seemed to slowly rip itself apart.  As the waterfalls dried up and slithered back into the stone and the many, many terraces and winding, spiraling staircases vanished.

Even the throne room had changed.  In fact, it had gone through several generations of reworks – many of the avatars having decided to completely start over.  In this version, the windows had shrunk and nearly disappeared and the makeshift pile of marble that had once been intended for the throne had disappeared, replaced with an ornate wooden chair instead.  The room was filled with other furniture, the wood polished to a gleaming shine.  Crystalline chandeliers hung overhead and cast the room in a flickering, multi-colored glow.

It looked… nice. Tasteful even.  And Jason should know.

He’d acquired a new skill, after all.

New Skill:  Interior Design

You didn’t ask for this.  No one does.  But after hours spent enduring every possible throne room design imaginable… well, you’re something of an expert now.  Congratulations.

Skill Level:  Beginner Level 1

Effect:  Basic room design.

Yeah, that’s how long he’d been sitting there.

Maybe some day he could design the perfect evil lair…

“Alright, that should be the last of them,” the other Cady announced to herself, hands on her hips. Jason jerked back to attention.  Finally!

The other Cady took a step toward the door and heard a wet squelch underfoot.  Her nose wrinkled as she noticed the blood pooling on the stone, a footprint pressed into the thick liquid.  The last avatar hadn’t gone down quite so easily as the others.  With a glimmer of earth magic, time sped up until the blood dried, cracked, and then flaked away, leaving bare stone once more.  Probably not the most efficient way to clean up her mess, but she was now flush with Time.

“Now, what should I do next?” the other Cady murmured, pacing back toward the door to the throne room, exiting and standing upon the ledge that might one day become another balcony.  She surveyed Pax, her eyes gleaming with ambition.

Jason wasn’t sure how far back they’d gone by now.  However, his guess was a few decades.  The city had transformed.  Gone were many of the collapsed buildings.  The stalls along the main thoroughfare were now well-constructed – smooth stone lifted up out of the ground with a surge of earth mana.  And those streets were bustling with residents.  Cady had effectively killed two birds with one stone.  She’d drastically increased her supply of Time while wiping the board clean of all the silly mistakes that the others had made.

He had to admit, it was a clever play.

“Hmm, perhaps we should go observe the city – our city,” Cady announced finally, a small smile gracing her lips.  Then she pivoted on her heel and marched down the hall.

As she rounded the corner and disappeared from sight, light mana flared and the illusions coating Jason and the real Cady were swept away.  Which finally gave Jason an opportunity to stretch, water sloughing off his bones from standing so still.  The palace still wasn’t dry per se, but the reduction in waterfalls had definitely helped with the liability issues.

“So, do you remember that time when I killed some residents?” Jason offered.  “You know, when you yelled at me for, what was it again?  Murdering everything in sight?”

“Yeah, well, those were actual residents. Who were these people?” she shot back.

He cocked his head.  Now that was an interesting question – one that had also occurred to him as he watched the other Cady murder them all in cold blood.  They had once been travelers, that much was certain.  But what were they now?  The real people that had once navigated those avatars had long since logged out or given up.  So, were they copies?  Residents in their own right?

He glanced at the black cat that sat at his heels.  Alfred had presumably managed to recreate Rachael from mere scraps of data and he sure as hell had a lot more memories and neural data for these travelers.  So, what were these people that Cady had murdered?  Mere replicas… or something more?  Oh, and Cady was still ranting at him…

“So, who exactly was harmed here?  Tell me that?” she demanded in a huff, although she couldn’t quite meet his eyes as she resettled her equipment.

“Your conscience, apparently.”

That earned him a sharp glance. “Good to know you’re still a riot.”

Jason shrugged.  “Moral dilemma aside, it was a clever strategy.  You managed to collect an astonishing amount of Time and reset many of the problems that the others created.  What I still don’t understand is why we had to watch all of that and what you intend to do next…”

He trailed off, waiting.

Cady let out a sigh.  “Long story short, we were hitching a ride.”  She started down the hall and Jason followed.  What else was he going to do?

As Cady navigated the now slimmed-down castle, she finally graced him with an explanation, “As I mentioned, my abilities have limitations.  Specifically, I can only travel along my own timeline or speed up or reverse time in a specific location.  Moving backward and forward in time is also… expensive.  Backward especially.”

“Why is that more costly?” Jason asked.

Cady shrugged.  “Your guess is as good as mine.  My theory is that my body is somehow linked to the present.  I like to imagine a rubber band.  It wants to snap back into place.  The further we get away from the present, the tighter that band stretches.”

Jason nodded, processing that information. “So, by standing inside the other Cady’s Rewind—”

“We were able to piggyback off of her Time.  I saved the resources needed to take us even further back,” Cady finished for him, the pair now pacing up a spiraling stone staircase.  “That and we’re going to need a decoy.”

“Hmph,” Jason grunted.  “For what exactly?”

Cady side-eyed him.  “There’s also another limit to traveling back in time.  As well as deviating from my own timeline.  The more changes we make… well, let’s just say we should stick as close to the original script as possible.”

Jason opened his mouth to ask another follow-up question but hesitated as they reached the top of the stairs and were faced with a large wooden door. As best he could tell, they had reached the top of the castle’s tallest tower.  He wasn’t sure what he expected to find inside.  Maybe a prince that had been turned into a beast and only needed to prey on the inexperience and compassion of an innocent young girl to regain his former handsome appearance?  Or maybe a magical flower that was counting down the days until his curse became permanent? That would be pretty on brand for the earth goddess, anyway… copyright issues aside.

Cady rapped the wood sharply, holding a finger to her lips.  She waited.  Waited some more.  Then she pounded on the damn thing.

“Hey, I know you’re in there!  Let me in!” she shouted through the wood.

“Ugh… fine,” a murmur came from the other side.

A flash of emerald and the door creaked open.

Jason’s theories all flew out the window as he was met with what appeared to be a bedroom – one that couldn’t possibly have fit within the narrow confines of the tower. Some sort of spatial expansion spell?  He had no idea.  But the room was clearly bigger on the inside.

He froze as he surveyed its contents.  It was as though he’d been teleported into a college dorm room.  An unmade bed was shoved up against one wall.  A couch was positioned along the other.  The windows were shuttered and dark, blinds pulled taut and band posters littered the stone walls.  Boxes and half eaten plates of food were littered about the room and propped up on piles of what appeared to be dirty clothes.

Yet Jason’s attention was drawn to the glaring screen of an old-timey, boxy television.   One of the few sources of light in the tower.  Sitting across from it was a woman wrapped in a fluffy blanket.  She must have been in her early-to-mid thirties.  Grungy t-shirt and jeans.  Food stains marring the fabric.  Her hair was a mess and despite the way the game muted his sense of smell, Jason could definitely detect some not-so-faint hints of BO.

“Ugh, you look even worse than I remember,” Cady grunted, sweeping through the room and pulling open the blinds, the glare of the crystals in the larger cavern filtering into the room and lighting the interior.  It only looked worse in the light.

The woman groaned and pulled a pillow over her face.  “Whyyyyy?  Who are you to just barge into my tower like this—?”

“Don’t play games.  You know exactly who I am,” Cady snapped before she could finish, rounding on the woman and stabbing a finger at her.

“Never seen you before,” she hissed back, one eye peeking out from around her pillow.

Jason was once again at a loss as to what the hell was going on here.  Did the princess’ castle have a squatter?  Some sort of shut-in who lived up here… watching television?  Inside of AO?  Yet the screen was just showing white noise and static.  He had so many questions…

“Merge your timelines,” Cady barked.

“Right now?  But I was just in the middle of an excellent show—”

What?  It was just static—Jason did a double take as he looked back to the TV.  As that strange woman spoke, the white noise resolved into an image – one that was eerily familiar.  A woman traveling back in time, shapeshifting and backstabbing a litany of would-be recruits.  Had… had this woman been watching Cady?  The other Cady?

That meant she wasn’t a normal—

“Do it now, or I’ll break your TV,” Cady snapped.

The woman let out another groan and glared at her, but Cady didn’t relent, suddenly holding her blade in hand, the sword hovering over the device.

“Fine… fine…” the woman muttered.

Earth mana flared.  The energy that surged through the room put the mana Cady had harnessed to shame.  A mere trickle compared to a tsunami.  Jason felt the entire fabric of reality warp and bend, the walls of the tower undulating.  It felt like his own body was being wrenched apart.  As though something was trying to pull him… somewhere.  Perhaps that “rubber band” that Cady had referred to.  Yet somehow he remained anchored to this place.

As fast as the energy had swept through the room, it faded.

And the woman sitting on that couch had changed.  To be clear, her appearance was the same, but she had shed her former demeanor.  Her eyes were no longer bleary and unfocused and she eyed the tower distastefully.  “Ugh, what a shithole.”

“A shithole of your own making, if you’ll recall,” Cady replied sharply.

The woman snorted.  “What can I say, I was going through a rough patch.”

“Um, hate to be that guy, but what the hell is going on here?” Jason asked.

The strange woman’s eyes shot to Jason, looking him over from head to foot.  “I see you finally made a friend, that’s sweet.  I kept telling you that you needed to find a good man and settle down, but I didn’t realize you had a thing for goth boys.”

“Great.  Now I’ve got two amateur comedians to deal with,” Cady grunted.

“Um…hello,” Jason offered, extending a hand.  “Name’s Jason.”

“Oh, I know,” the woman offered with a smile, accepting his grip—

As soon as their fingers touched, it felt like Jason had grabbed hold of a live wire.  As though electricity was coursing through his body.  Foreign mana, he realized immediately.

He met that strange woman’s eyes – eyes that now blazed with earth mana.

“You’re not a normal woman,” Jason ground out.

“No, no I’m not,” she replied with a grin.  “I’m a little less basic.”

She mercifully relinquished her grip and Jason stumbled back, looking to Cady.

His companion/kidnapper just shrugged.  “Jason, this is the earth goddess.  The Fates.”

If Jason had still had eyebrows, they might have merged with his hairline at this point.  That’s how confused he felt.  “Wait… the Fates?  But I thought the goddess was a little girl.”

“She’s both,” Cady answered curtly.

That was about as clear as mud.

“Identity is complicated, isn’t it?” the Fates offered with a shrug of her own, one that felt familiar.  “If you think about it, we’re all many different people merged into one.  We were all children, young adults, and aging assholes.  A hundred, a thousand, a million instances of me.  And those versions of ourselves never truly fade, the memories are just incorporated into our new self.  In my case, well, my mana makes that separation more obvious.  Time travelers, am I right?”

Jason shook his head.  He wasn’t entirely sure he understood that point, but sure…

Cady sighed.  “We don’t have time for rambling philosophical nonsense—”

“Identity is fundamental to purpose,” the Fates interrupted, leaning back on the couch and kicking her feet up on the coffee table, sending a few plates crashing to the floor.  “Seems you haven’t changed at all.  Still running away from the hard questions.”

Cady grimaced, letting out a low growl.  “Watch it.”

The goddess shot Jason a look.  “We all lie to ourselves.  Cady just does it more than most.”

“Says the woman that shut herself away in this tower watching reruns of the history of a gods damned videogame world,” Cady snapped, rubbing at her temple now and eyeing the nearby windows nervously – although, the source of her anxiety was far from obvious.

“You look like you have questions,” the Fates offered, ignoring Cady and her eyes resting on Jason.  Which only seemed to piss his companion off even more.  Jason would have to remember that trick…

“Well, yes, yes I do actually,” he offered tentatively.  “Like how exactly are you talking to me?  If you’re one of the six gods, aren’t you bound by the covenants?”  The only other god he’d spoken with directly was the Hippie and he didn’t exactly seem like the sort to care about rules.  Otherwise, this sort of communication definitely wasn’t normal.

“You’re a smart one, aren’t you?” the Fates shot back with a grin.  “But you saw what our girl here did to the other would-be avatars.  Those quests she accepted.  The same logic applies to me.  The short answer is that the covenants haven’t been created yet.  You’re standing inside one big cosmic plothole.”  Her finger wound a lazy circle, leaving a trail of green energy.  “Fun, huh?”

Jason nodded.  It seemed he’d been right…  Yet the Fates also seemed to have knowledge of the present timeline and Cady had demanded that the goddess merge her timelines.  Did that mean the Fates knew about the present?  They might not technically be breaking any rules here, but they were definitely bending them.

“Okay…” Jason offered slowly.  “But what about the princess castle?” he asked, waving at the tower around them.

“What about it?” the Fates shot back, looking just a touch defensive.

“Well, why was your first quest to have Cady build one?” That had been bugging him for a while as he’d watched the other avatars murdered over and over.  “And I guess, why were none of the other castles good enough?”

The Fates grimaced, her cheeks flushing slightly.  “Okay, first off, castles are awesome.  Ask anybody.  And maybe a younger version of myself was really into them, you know?”

“Suuuure,” Jason began, “But—”

The Fates was suddenly standing before him, stabbing a finger into his chest.  “And maybe I like things to be perfect, okay?  Maybe those others just didn’t appreciate my vision.  You have to dream big to become this awesome.”

She waved at herself – her hair knotted into a bird’s nest, her clothes stained with who-knew-what, and her blanket draped across her shoulders like a cape.  Jason could only stare back, his brain working overtime to come up with a response.  One that wouldn’t get him squashed flat by a shut-in goddess…

“Yeah, yeah, we get it.  You’re incredible,” Cady huffed.  “Now, if the ego stroking and question and answer session are over, how are things going in the present?”

“All work and no play, this one,” the Fates murmured, sharing a conspiratorial glance with Jason and nudging him with her elbow.  “But I suppose I can give ya’ll an update.”

The Fates waved her hand and the TV shifted.  It now showed a velvet-lined VIP room.  One that Jason would have expected to find in a Vegas casino.  Resplendent gold filigree on the chandelier and fixtures.  Wooden furniture polished to a gleaming shine.  Plush cushions wrapped in soft leather.  And atop those sofas were perched several figures – some familiar and some not.  The Old Man was there.  As was the Fates, wearing a much cleaner version of her current attire. It also looked like her hair had discovered a brush again.  The Hippie was lounging on a couch near an older woman wrapped in robes and a lady that seemed to shine with an inner light.

One thing was clear.  Jason was looking at a meeting of the gods.

“This is the present?” he asked.

“Yep, we’re having a little viewing party,” the Fates drawled.

“And the bet?” Cady demanded.

Another wave of the Fates’ hand and the screen centered on the pile of coins stacked on a nearby table, the glare almost blinding.  They must be made of pure mana, Jason realized.  He was also able to see some of the gods’ expressions.  They didn’t look pleased.

“As you can see, we’re flush now,” the goddess offered with a grin of her own.  “They even went along with the second phase of our plans.  Their greed knows no bounds.”

“Perfect.  Everything is going to plan then,” Cady replied in satisfaction.  Her eyes shot to the Fates again.  “And did you get what we need?”

“Indeed, I did,” the Fates answered, raising a hand.  A portal of green energy appeared there, depositing a plain brown box tied with a single green ribbon.

Cady moved to grab it but the Fates pulled it away.

“This is risky,” the goddess warned.  “Another deviation.  You know the cost.”

Cady grimaced.  “A small one only and I’ve kept the changes minimal so far by piggybacking off of the other me.  Besides, it’s necessary for what I have planned.  If we’re going to raid the Vault at the Summit, we’ll need to gather the equipment to break in.”

“The Vault?” Jason asked, raising a bony hand.  “And what Summit?”

The two women just looked at him.  “Spoilers,” they both said in near unison.

“Great.  That helps a lot,” he muttered.

“Fine.  If you understand the risk, then take it,” the Fates offered and Cady snatched the box, stowing it away in her bag.

“Okay, now that we have what we came for, we can get go—”  Cady froze in the middle of her sentence.  And not out of shock.  She was literally frozen – a Cady-shaped statue stuck in mid-turn and her hand still buried in her bag.

Jason looked to the goddess, noticing the sheen of emerald energy suffusing her skin.  She was watching Cady, but some of the bluster had faded.  She looked almost… concerned.

Those glowing green eyes shifted to Jason.  Yet they seemed to see through him.  Passed through all of his mental walls and barriers and bullshit like tissue paper.  Searching for something deeper.  It made him feel uncomfortable. Vulnerable in a way that he’d never felt before.  Not even in a courtroom before a crowd of strangers or confronted with his personal demons inside the Soul Well.  What was this?  An ability?

“Cady is impressive.  Confident, strong, intelligent, and cunning,” the Fates offered.  “Yet unlike yourself, her foundation is shaky and uncertain.  She’s not as strong as she might appear.”

Jason swallowed hard, pushing aside those uncomfortable feelings.  “I still don’t know her well, but she seems more than capable of taking care of herself.”

The Fates smiled sadly.  “Oh, she is.  She’s built many walls.  Trained herself to use tools and others to keep herself safe.  She’s good at that.  But that’s not what I meant.”

In a flash of emerald, the goddess was standing before Jason, her face close.

She touched a single finger to his chest, that same electricity coursing through his body.  Yet Jason refused to back away; to buckle or tremble in the face of that raw power.

“I’m talking about something deeper.  True strength comes from being honest.  Stripping away the layers of lies that we tell others and build around ourselves.  That comforting blanket of bullshit that makes us feel safe and whole and content.”

The goddess’ gaze shifted to Cady once more.  “Don’t get me wrong.  Those lies are also important. They help keep the peace. With ourselves and with others. But they can also multiply and run out of control. They can warp and change us for the worse if we let them run rampant – if we refuse to acknowledge them.  If we begin to believe them…”

As she trailed off, the TV beside them changed with a click and a hiss of white noise, showing the images of Cady filling a stoppered vial with some strange, multi-colored liquid – a lone droplet splashing against each iris.  Jason didn’t see the harm there.  A drug taken inside a videogame?  What did that matter?  Unless the goddess was pointing to something else?  Something in the real world?  The image shifted again, this time showing Cady stabbing the other would-be avatars.  He’d seen this before, but the view suddenly shifted – showing not the other Cady, but the real one as she stood beside Jason, her invisibility stripped away.

As she watched her other self commit murder again and again, the screen focused on her face.  Her eyes.  There was a coldness there.  An indifference.  And beneath it?  Something strange.  Jason lacked Finn’s sight, but he could sense anger there.  In the way her hand gripped her wand or her brows pinched forward.  Or… maybe it was disgust…

Another click and static filled the screen once more.

“What is it that you want from me?” Jason asked, the words difficult to form under the force of the goddess’ mana and this latest revelation, his thoughts spinning.

Those eyes were back on his face.  “To protect her.  Even if it’s from herself.”

“I will try.  That’s all I can promise,” Jason replied evenly.

The Fates smiled.  “See?  Now that was honest.  I like you.”

Then she leaned forward, touching her lips gently against his cheek, that same electricity coursing through Jason’s body and leaving him breathless.  “Thank you,” she whispered.

By the time he recovered, the goddess had disappeared and he was facing an empty room.

“—going, “Cady finished behind him.

She turned when he made no sound.  “Of course, she’s already fucked off to who knows where.  Come on, Jason.  We need to move quickly.”

He shook himself and turned to follow, only to be interrupted by something else.

A single telltale chime.  Quickly followed by another.

The pair both froze, each of them reviewing the email they’d just received.

Then, in unison they looked at each other.

“Looks like the boss found out what we’re doing,” Cady muttered.

“I thought you cleared all of this with Robert,” Jason demanded.

“Well, about that…”

Jason sighed, staring at the email – one sent from none other than George-fucking-Lane himself and summoning him to a meeting back in the real world.  One that was taking place in about five minutes.  From the tone of the email, it didn’t seem like his attendance was optional.  No doubt, this was about the server down time and Cady’s interference.

Gods damn it.  What mess had this strange woman gotten him into now?

***

With a snap of the Fates’ fingers, the display along the wall of the VIP suite froze.  Onscreen, the Fates was still tucked away on her couch, her face lit only by the glare of her TV and her rather revealing conversations with Jason and Cady hidden from view.

Not that the other gods seemed to care about that right now.

“So, this was what you were up to for all that time?” the Lady demanded, smirking at her “sister” where she sat in the VIP suite, nursing her whiskey.  “Hiding in a tower and watching reruns of your life – of your avatar’s greatest hits?”

The Fates just shrugged and took a sip as silence reigned.

“Uh, I personally still think you looked, err, great,” the Hippie offered gently.

That earned him a laugh from the Fates.  “You don’t need to lie to me.  I’m comfortable being honest with myself.  I didn’t take to eternity easily.”

“No kidding,” the Gambler grumbled into his glass.

The Fates didn’t react with anger or lash out at him, just inspected him calmly, her gaze measured and even – the Gambler unable to meet her eyes.  “As I recall, none of us did.  Denial and escape is far easier than facing the truth, isn’t it?  Running away into a story, a game, a passion, our work, or perhaps just silly antics.”  Her eyes flitted around the room to each god sitting there.

“I haven’t—” the Lady began.

Only to be cutoff.  “Or distract ourselves by stroking and soothing our ego; by telling ourselves that we’re simply the best.  The greatest.  Watch as hordes of creatures sing our praises – offering empty, hollow prayers that do little to fill that void in our soul.  Not unlike fishing for ‘likes’ on an online video.  Because what are you without those ‘upvotes?’  Without that hollow praise?”  This one was clearly directed at the Lady and she winced.

The Fates paused.  Another sip.

“The difference is that I chose to face the truth.  While you… you all decided to double down on the lie,” she insisted.  “Now I suppose we’ll get to see how well that worked out for you.”

She leaned back, her eyes gleaming with emerald energy and a grin on her lips.

“Don’t worry.  It’s not like your lives hang in the balance.  Only your power,” she offered, waving at that pile of glowing coins.  “I wonder how the rest of eternity will feel without it…”

Chapter 15 - Accounts Payable

“What the fuck is going on?” George Lane demanded, his fist thumping the conference room table hard enough to cause the whole surface to buckle.  Not that any sound would escape this room buried deep within Cerillion Entertainment headquarters.  Even the heavily-armed security standing just outside the door made no reaction.

Silence met George’s question.  The whole crew was in attendance.  Francis, Robert, Claire, and Jason.  And one new face.  Or at least, new to these high-pressure meetings.

Cady sat at the table.  Not as the time-travelling kidnapper and possible drug addict that Jason had come to know.  This was a different Cady.  All pressed linen, tight skirt, and immaculate makeup, her face frozen in a perpetual stoic expression that appeared painted on.  Yet her eyes gave her away.  They were still the same.  Calculating.  Moving two, three… a dozen paces ahead.

“Um, could you possibly clarify?” Robert offered, his feet kicked up on the desk and leaning back in his chair precariously.  “Which fuck in particular?  It’s been a busy week.”

“The server shut down.  Clearly,” George ground out, his fingers clenched so tight it looked like the skin of his knuckles might burst.  “Why are our servers down in the middle of what might possibly be the largest event in videogame history?”

“Ahh, well, that…” Robert offered, glancing at Cady.

George followed his gaze.  “Cady?  Would you like to offer an explanation?”

The woman nodded politely.  “Of course.  I asked Robert to bring down the servers.”

The CEO of Cerillion just stared along with the rest of the room.  Francis adjusted his glasses, as though not quite believing what he was seeing.  Claire just looked confused.  And Robert?  Well, Robert looked amused as always.  For Jason’s part, he was simply curious to see how Cady planned to dig herself out of this hole.  He might be complicit in her plan, but he sure as hell hadn’t set it in motion, so he didn’t see much risk to himself.

“You better have a good reason,” George offered finally.

“Of course, I do,” Cady replied with another curt nod.  “The reason was twofold.  A temporary server outage at this stage will dramatically increase user engagement across our other streaming platforms and online – giving time for word of the recent Armageddon event and its aftermath to spread.  In fact, we’re seeing just that sort of response.  Aren’t we, Claire?”

The other woman started, her eyes widening as she realized George was now glaring at her.  It was clever of Cady to deflect some of his ire.  “Um… yes, I guess we are.  Vermillion’s viewership is going through the roof as players are looking for information on what this server outage entails and what changes might be made to the game world.  They’re also hungry for information regarding the return of the old avatars and elemental cities.”

“And you have the data to back that up?”

Claire grimaced and tapped at her Core.  Several tense, painful seconds later, displays appeared overtop the table, providing detailed metrics of the online activity surrounding AO.  Indeed, the data supported what Claire had just explained.

Jason could understand the frenzy.  Once the travelers got back in, what exactly would they be facing?  Cities that were suddenly hostile?  Respawn points surrounded by enemy guards?  And even if they somehow made it out of the elemental cities, the rest of the game world had been transformed.  By all accounts – and more than a few far-too-realistic videos – dangerous creatures now roamed the game world, throwing any previous sense of balance out the window.  Where would all of those players even go?

There was nowhere safe to flee in a world turned upside down.

“It’s simple supply and demand,” Cady offered into the sudden silence.  “Demand is at a peak, so we reduce the supply to manufacture hysteria.  We can now guarantee that several million players will attempt to log back into the game world once the servers are live.  We also stand to dominate the real-world news cycle for the next few days as travelers frantically search for information and wait for the servers to re-open.”

Jason glanced at her.  That was a shrewd plan.  Had she rehearsed this ahead of time?  This woman who seemed to be flying by the seat of her pants in-game?

George appeared to be mulling on this information, rubbing at his chin.  His eyes shot to Robert.  “And you okay’d this?  For this reason?”  He sounded skeptical.

The engineer glanced at Cady, then shrugged.  “Uh, yeah, sure.  You know how I like a good spectacle.  After that battle between the avatars and the travelers before the servers went down, I expect the rematch will be even more incredible.”

Of that, Jason was sure.  They had only managed to delay their deaths – not avoid them.  Jason and Cady would still need to change that.  Either way, Robert’s motive was plausible.

Although, Jason suspected there was much more to it than that.

George didn’t look convinced, but he looked slightly less murderous.

“And the second reason?” he demanded of Cady.

She cocked her head.  “Alfred forced our hand.”

The group went still at that name, even Jason’s stomach lurching at such a casual reference to the AI.  Francis actually voiced the question they were all thinking, the others likely hoping to avoid appearing clueless.  “Um, how so?”

Cady opened her mouth to answer but Jason beat her to it—

“This wasn’t planned by Robert and his team.  Alfred initiated the Armageddon event and it was carried out by none other than Gloria Bastion.”  Jason met George’s eyes.  “Which really begs the question, doesn’t it?  How did Gloria know how to initiate this event?  How was her group funded?  And better yet, how did they manage to organize and pull all of this off in such a short time?”

He waited, letting that tension build.  “The only answer is that someone helped her.  Someone, for example, that managed to access the game servers…”

Jason trailed off, waiting for his point to land.  He noticed the corner of Cady’s mouth quirk into the ghost of a smile. It seemed he’d anticipated her plan.  What he’d conveniently left out was that he was concerned Cady herself might have been involved in that leak – in planting the virus that Finn had downloaded.  However, for now, their interests were aligned and he needed Cady.  He sure as shit wasn’t getting back to the present without her.  He also couldn’t afford for George to discover that Finn had broken into the Control Room… especially since Jason had let him get away and then lied about him being there.

They were weaving a tangled web.

“Damn it,” George muttered.  But Jason could see his point had stuck.  The CEO must have already had his suspicions after videos of Gloria had been posted online.

Yet Jason wasn’t done.  Not quite yet.

“Under normal circumstances, the developers would have provided a safe place for the travelers to land.  That is, if the event had been created and initiated by the dev team.  However, it wasn’t.  So, we’ve lost all of our elemental cities and those respawn points are now deathtraps.  What happens if we let the servers go live right now?”

“It would be chaos,” Claire muttered.

“Or one hell of a show,” Robert retorted with a grin.

“Or, more likely, hundreds of thousands of travelers rage quit?” Cady offered.  “And streams of the avatars getting curb stomped by an angry mob go live around the world.  That would provide short-term viewership, but it undermines the company’s bottom-line long-term.  The avatars – people like Jason here – have become synonymous with AO.  It might be cathartic for other travelers to see them get beaten, but they also represent goal posts.  An unachievable dream.  Like baby entrepreneurs following the teachings of titans.”

That one was obviously aimed at George; at his vanity.  And he was clearly well aware, his brows rising skeptically as he watched Cady.

“Besides, this isn’t just about a game, is it?” Cady pressed.  “You need this technology to take off, don’t you?  Otherwise, our… other projects would suffer.”  The CEO was the first to buckle, looking away and coughing into his hand.

“Yes… yes you may have a point there.”

What was that? Jason thought.  Why is George so invested in this technology?  And what other projects? He looked at Robert and the engineer just shook his head.  So, Robert is also involved somehow?  It seemed there was more going on here than Jason had thought.  However, this wasn’t the time or place to press for answers.  Their executioner might have put down his axe, but his hand was still resting on the hilt.

“So, what’s your plan?” George asked.  The question was directed at Cady.

“Simple.  We need to build a safe zone of sorts using the down time.  Unfortunately, with the development team’s limited powers to influence the game world, we must do that in-game.  Which is why Jason and I were still online.  We were working to accomplish that goal.”

Okay, this woman was cunning.  She’d planned all of this…

“How?” George demanded.

Cady shot Jason a look, arching a single eyebrow.  Challenging him.  He caught just a glimmer of the Cady he knew from inside AO before she disappeared again, the mask settling back into place without a single wrinkle.

“We’re going to build up the earth elemental city,” Jason explained.  “However, it’s more than that.  We need to find a way to accommodate the travelers and ensure the stability of that city when it’s brought forward into the present.  We also need to somehow undermine the old avatars to give ourselves a fighting chance.”

He neatly left out his other goal.  To protect the residents – his residents.  His Kin.

However, George wouldn’t respond to such inane motives as empathy or compassion.

Not for a bunch of lines of code on a server somewhere.

More tense silence and then—

“How long do you need?”

“Three days,” Cady answered immediately.

“Three days?” Claire echoed.  “We’ll have a riot on our hands.  These people are borderline addicted to the game and the crowd outside has already begun to grow again as the downtime has stretched on.  They can’t wait three days.”

Francis looked alarmed – likely worried about liability.  “Wait.  Hold up.  What did you say?  Are they really addicted?  That seems like a stretch—”

It was Robert’s turn to surprise everyone.  “Actually, she’s right,” he interrupted.  “Here’s the current data.  More than 71% of the current player base shows moderate signs of addiction.”

“Which you know how?” George demanded.

“Uh, well, they all stuck their heads in a big MRI,” Robert drawled.  “We have the data.”  He waved at the air and more displays appeared with charts and tables.  Neurological data swam down the margins, showing hundreds of thousands of brain scans on a revolving carousel.

“Fascinating…” George murmured as he leaned forward to review the displays.  He apparently didn’t share Francis’ concerns.  The lawyer was starting to look ill as he reviewed the data himself, tapping out a few notes… then hesitating before deleting them quickly.  Apparently, he didn’t want to create a paper trail of this conversation.

“Robert, when did you collect this?” Claire muttered, wide-eyed.

“Since the beta, of course.  I wanted to see how they would react to the game and polls are notoriously inaccurate.  So, I took a glimpse behind the curtain, I guess you could say.  It also occurred to me that this data could be used for other things.  To sell and advertise products, for example.  As we refine the process, we could even tailor ads to each individual since we would have the ultimate metadata on each user.”

“This isn’t just metadata or search histories.  You… you read their minds,” Francis gasped.  “Do you know what an invasion of privacy this represents?  The liability issues alone—”

“And that’s what I pay you to handle,” George snapped, his eyes suddenly shining with greed and a cruel smile on his lips.  “If our current terms of service don’t permit this sort of data mining, then you need to fix that.  Fast.  It sounds like you have three days.”

Francis looked like he wanted to fight back, but thought better of it, swallowing hard and glaring at the screens behind his glasses.  Jason could sympathize.  Yet he already knew what George was thinking.  Pharmaceutical companies had cornered the market for addiction.  Data companies had dominated the advertising industry by reselling user metadata.

George was looking at the best of both worlds. A product that kept its user base coming back for more.  No… desperately clamoring for more.  All while mining its users for information.  Information that could be repackaged and sold to the highest bidder.

The CEO’s attention flitted to Cady and Jason.  “But Claire’s point is also valid and it’s supported by Robert’s data.  The travelers are obviously addicted.  Three days is a long time and the security outside has already been having difficulty with the mob.  We need to give them something.  Throw them a bone.”

Cady frowned, the first honest reaction Jason seen from this version of her.  It seemed she hadn’t been expecting this, her plans unraveling.

“We can do that,” Jason piped up.

Now he had everyone’s attention.

“We’ll just stream some of our activities in-game and make them available to Vermillion.”

Cady looked startled now.  Good.  It was about time he flipped her script.  “That will be an issue.  If we were to stream, then they would—”

“See that we traveled back in time,” Jason finished for her with a nod, the others looking on in surprise at this new revelation.

“Did you just say that you traveled back in time?” Claire echoed.

Jason noted that Robert looked surprised… but not that surprised.  And he shook off his shock faster than the others.  That was also interesting.  So, he knew what Cady had done during the beta.  There was history there – history Jason would need to explore.  But for now—

“Yes, I did,” Jason answered.  “That’s one of Cady abilities, apparently.  But we can pull this off without revealing your skills,” he continued, looking to Cady – who’s composure was cracking.   She was giving him that same look again.  The one that just screamed “idiot.”  However, he was more than used to that by now.

“We’ll just explain that Robert’s team is working on a new patch to accommodate the Armageddon event and the sweeping changes to the servers,” Jason continued smoothly.  “We’re essentially previewing or testing the new mechanics and NPCs that will be introduced after the servers go live again.  With some careful editing, we can make sure that the travelers don’t see anything they shouldn’t.”

The group mulled on that, and Jason could see that even Cady was forced to acknowledge the cleverness of his strategy.  They would keep the players on the hook, drive even more traffic to Vermillion, and further increase the travelers’ fervor for the game – all while concealing their true activities.  It killed a whole family of birds with one stone.

“I like it,” George said finally, smacking the table.  “Get to wor—”

“Ahh, but we’re forgetting one thing,” Jason interjected quickly.

“And what is that?” George asked, an edge to his voice.  Apparently, he hadn’t forgotten how Jason had neatly played him during their last confrontation.

Jason’s smile widened.  “Well, this is a bit outside of my streaming contract, don’t you think?  We’ll need to discuss my compensation.”

From the frown on George’s face, Jason knew he had him dead to rights.

A few minutes later, the terms had been hammered out, Francis to draft the contract for their execution – the lawyer grumbling under his breath as they added even more work to his plate.  However, by Jason’s count, he’d made a few hundred thousand dollars in an instant, depending on their viewership, of course.  He’d tied his commission to the number of views they were able to generate for Vermillion.  He suspected that wouldn’t be a problem.

“That was a smart play,” Cady offered as Jason left the room.  She was waiting for him.  Robert and Claire had quickly fled back to the safety of the Control Room and George and Francis were stalking down the hallway away from the conference room, talking softly.

“I could say the same thing to you,” Jason shot back.

Her mask never cracked as she watched him clinically.

Then she pivoted on her heel.  “Get some rest.  At least a few hours.  Then we’ll need to log back in and get to work.  We don’t have long.”

“What are the other projects?” Jason called after her.

Cady stopped for a moment.  “If you can’t figure that out on your own, then you don’t deserve to know.”  Another challenge.  Then she was walking away once more.

Which left Jason standing there in the hallway watching after her.  A mystery.  An enigma.  A chameleon of a person that had succeeded both in-game and out.  What was still unclear was what was driving her.  What was it that made her go to these lengths?

“Oh, don’t worry,” Jason murmured.  “I plan to find out.  One way or another.”

Chapter 16 - Market Penetration

Jason’s Core chimed and he let out a groan, rubbing at his eyes.  It felt like he’d only fallen asleep minutes ago – certainly not hours.  There was no way.

When he ignored his Core, the noise only grew louder.

“Okay, okay,” he grunted.  He sat up and the sound mercifully stopped.

The screens along the ceiling and walls kicked into gear, a sun gradually rising over snowcapped mountains, mist peeling off the treetops.  Forget that it was actually 5am and the sun – the real sun – was still hiding.  What he needed right now was a shower.  And some food.  Oh, and caffeine.  Sweet, sweet caffeine.

Yet his Core chimed again before he could rise, Jason scowling down at the damned band.  It was starting to feel like a digital manacle.  His glare softened as he saw Riley’s contact information shining on the display.  A tap and the call connected to the implant behind his ear.

“Hey, surprised you answered. Figured you were out partying late last night.  Maybe celebrating not getting crushed by the travelers?” Riley teased.  She must have risen early for practice.  Jason’s memories of Richmond were already fading.  Somedays, they barely still felt real – like he was recalling a life lived by someone else.  Maybe the Fates had been right.

“Not exactly,” he replied, rubbing his face.

“So why are you up so early?”

“Not much choice.  Need to get back online—”

He hesitated, grimacing.  Damn it.  He hadn’t meant to say that.  His brain was still booting.

“Um… what was that?  The servers are down, aren’t they?” There was an edge to her voice now.  Perfect.  Just perfect.

Jason sighed.  It was already too late.  “So, uh, I’ve been playing since last night.  Everyone else was booted for the server maintenance but somehow I stayed online.”

“What?  How?  What’ve you been doing?  I have so many questions…”

Questions he was sure he wouldn’t be able to answer – legally or practically speaking.  Hell, he shouldn’t even be talking over this line.  Someone could have bugged Riley’s house or hacked her Core.  Someone had sure as hell hacked Cerillion’s systems… well, technically, at least two different people.  Either way, that was supposed to be impossible.

“I’m under an NDA.  Need to stay tight lipped for now.”  Not exactly untrue.  The contract Francis had thrown together had been formidable.  “But I can say that the servers will be up in another few days.  There might also be some video coming.”

A pause and then, “Cryptic.”

“Best I can do right now,” he offered.

“Was it… was it our friend?”  She was being circumspect.  It seemed even Riley was becoming paranoid.  Maybe Jason just had that effect on people…

“Not exactly,” he answered.  Although, he hadn’t ruled out that possibility entirely.  At a minimum, Alfred was permitting Cady’s manipulations, and the two hadn’t had much of a chance to speak with Jason’s kidnapper around.  However, the line between that strange woman’s meddling and Alfred’s plotting was blurry at best.

“Okay.  Still, be careful and try to get some rest.  You’ve been running yourself hard.  Oh, and no getting up to crazy bullshit without me, got it?”

Jason hesitated.  Did traveling back in time to brutally murder Cady’s digital ghost count?  Or how about her epic quest to restore a princess castle?  Oh, and then there was the Fates’ cryptic warning to help protect Cady from herself… or something.

“You’ve already done something, haven’t you?”

Jason just sighed.  There was no hiding it from Riley.

“Maybe.”  His Core chimed again.  Gods damn it.

“Hey, but I have to go.  I’ve got to get back in game.”

“Alright, but I expect updates.”

“Will do.”

Jason took a deep breath.  There was still much to be done.  And it wouldn’t get finished just sitting here and bemoaning his fate.  He needed to get to work.

***

“About time,” Cady grunted as Jason stepped out of a multi-colored rift, once more surrounded by the thick stone walls of the earth palace.

He could tell by the much smaller number of terraces and waterfalls that they were still more than a hundred years in the past… plus, however far back they’d traveled while Cady murdered the other avatar recruits.  So, the effect of Cady’s spells persisted upon log out.  That was good to know.  It also meant he was trapped back in time until she returned him to the present.  Dying might send him back, but that was also a gamble.  And with the way his luck had been going lately, it was probably better to play it safe.

Even more interesting, night had come to Pax.  Or, at least, what counted for night here in this underground city.  The massive chunk of crystal embedded in the roof of the ceiling had faded, the light waning to a dull glow that barely illuminated the city in the distance, creating a jagged silhouette of the rooftops.  The foot traffic had already faded, the residents tucking themselves away inside their homes for the night.

It seemed Cady had planned their return with that in mind.  Speaking of which…

“I’m exactly one minute late,” Jason shot back.

“Still late.”

It seemed Cady wasn’t much of a morning person.

“Suuure.  So, what’s the plan now?” Jason asked, moving on.

Cady glared at the blue sphere hovering at his shoulder – a camera.  A digital leash that Jason had agreed to.  “Well, I had a plan.  But now that we’re being recorded…”

“Just think of it as a way to help keep you honest,” Jason retorted in a dry voice.  “Especially after you sprung that contract on me.  As for what goes live, we can edit out any spoilers.  Trust me.  I have plenty of experience with curating my own stream.”

Cady just sniffed, pulling a familiar pouch from her bag and soon tilting a stopper toward her eyes – a lone, rainbow-colored droplet dropping onto each iris.  She let out a contented sigh, the tension easing from her shoulders and when she looked back, her irritation had faded.

Perfect.  And now she was stoned on some sort of magical eyedrops.  Again.

“So, where are we headed?” he asked again, ignoring the drugs.

“To the crystal mines.”  She was already moving, but at least she was talking now.  Maybe he should give her a few more of those drops…

“Is there a reason for the field trip?” he asked as he followed.

“You’ll see when we get there.”

He cocked his head.  Apparently, even the drops had a limit.  Either that, or she hadn’t entirely forgotten how he’d outmaneuvered her during that confrontation with George.  He’d just have to resist the urge to throttle her—

Jason hesitated at that thought.  He’d witnessed firsthand how Cady’s spells worked.  He’d seen the prompts.  She gathered time by contract.  Killing the other avatars and taking their place was a great first step, but how had she gathered Time after that?  She’d need more, certainly.  Putting that aside, Jason had also signed a contract with her – one she hadn’t given him time to read.  What exactly had he agreed to?

And what protections had she built in for herself?

Although, there was one way to test that…

Before he knew it, Jason’s bony fingers were moving, dark mana collecting there.  An innocent spell – one not intended to harm her.  Just a Curse of Silence.  A single dark needle.  It whipped through the air, racing toward Cady back—

Only to stop inches short of her skin – frozen in the air.

A flash of emerald and the needle suddenly launched backward, forcing Jason to dodge, his foot splashing into a puddle and the needle punching into the rock wall at his back.

“What was that?” Cady asked, glancing over her shoulder.

“Nothing.  Just, uh, slipped in another damn puddle,” Jason shot back.

“As much as I’d love to see you fall to your death, you really should try to avoid it,” Cady replied sourly.  “I won’t be able to bring you back.  Not now anyway.”

Well, that was just fucking perfect.  Jason scowled at her back as Cady turned and marched away.  So, her contract must prevent him from harming her and his guess was right – dying was out of the question.  Which meant he needed to bide his time.  They were on the same team.  At least, for now.  But he couldn’t be certain that it would stay that way forever.  Not with Cady.

“You coming?” she called back.

“Yeah, just lead the way,” Jason answered, dark mana pulsing through his bony limbs in a frigid torrent, responding to his anger and frustration… only for that mana to fade.

For now, he just needed to be patient.  Look for an opening.  Gather as much information he could about this past world – and about Cady.

And if it came to a fight, well, he’d figure out a way around this pesky contract…

***

“Not much to look at,” Jason grunted.

The pair stood outside the entrance to the crystal mines.  Hulking fragments of gemstone were embedded in the smooth rock of the cavern walls –the stone worn down over time by water, faint streams even now trickling underfoot.  As Jason inspected the crystals, he noticed they were cloudy, fractured and the surface was crumbling.  It seemed these were the rejects.  The good stuff along the entrance to the mines must have been gathered long ago.

An ominous dark tunnel loomed before them, towering dozens of feet overhead, the poor-quality gemstones stretching from the walls casting only a dim, hazy glow.  The rest of the crystals… as well as the miners, must be down there.  Jason cocked his head, straining his hearing.  Strangely, he couldn’t pick out the sound of voices, footsteps, or the clank of pickaxes or mining equipment.  Even if the tunnel ran deep, the smooth walls should carry the sound.

Unless no one worked these tunnels at night?  But even so, he should hear some noise.  Even Pax wasn’t entirely quiet – even during this artificial night.

“Is the mine inactive?” Jason asked.

“Not exactly,” Cady answered, checking her equipment.

“You do know that sharing information will help us stay alive, right?”

Cady shot him a glance and then let out a frustrated huff as she waved at him to follow her into the tunnel.  “Whatever.  We need to keep moving.  We don’t have long.”

Until what? Jason wanted to scream.  But he resisted.  He had the feeling Cady would only take such an outburst as a sign of weakness.  For now, he just had to stay patient.

Instead, he sent his drones forward, the spider-like creatures scurrying out of his ribcage and up the rocky cavern walls.  He’d lost his last set somewhere in time – no thanks to Cady. Although, strangely, they’d still been shown as active in his UI until he canceled them.  That was odd.  Maybe a bug?  Not that it mattered.  He still needed to replace them.

He’d repurposed the last avatar’s corpse when Cady wasn’t looking. Sure, he could have stolen the corpse and tried to use some time magic, but he saw little advantage to wasting his body augmentation on a level 1 corpse and he had no Time to cast Fast Forward or Rewind… or any obvious way to collect more.  So, instead, he’d opted for another group of drones. Those skeletal creatures now skittered up the walls and marched down the ceilings.  His map opened beside him and glowed with a soft sapphire light.  At Cady’s questioning look, he shrugged.

“Better safe than sorry.”

“You know I’m a time traveler, right?  I know what’s here.”

“Really?” Jason offered in mock surprise.  “Please do tell.”

“Hilarious.”  Another sigh and then, “Fine.  Once upon a time, the main export of Pax were these crystals.  The untainted gems were used in many crafting applications.  They can store mana of each affinity or can be etched with wards to obtain specific effects.”  She twisted her rings.  “Or turned into jewelry or wands with unique abilities.  In short, these crystals are worth more than any precious gemstone in our world.  This once made Pax a rich city and the earth avatar one of the most powerful among the six empires.”

“Once made?” Jason echoed.  “So, not anymore?”

Cady side-eyed him.  “After the former avatar died, things went to shit.  The Fates weren’t able to recruit a replacement for a long time.  She had some personal issues.”

“I saw that,” Jason retorted in a dry voice.  The “goddess” looked like she’d turned into a shut-in.  “She was an interesting character.”

Cady just let out a noncommittal grunt but Jason’s Perception picked out tension in her shoulders before she forced herself to relax.  It seemed they had some sort of history…

“Well, it took her a few decades to find her first recruit,” Cady continued.  “So, the avatar’s demise created a power vacuum – one filled with all manner of corrupt assholes.  The city’s nobles.  The generals of the city’s former armies.  And those were just the domestic threats.”

“The other avatars got involved?” Jason asked.  “It seems like they’d have an incentive to undermine Pax’s operations.  Ha, get it?  Because it’s a mine…”

Cady groaned.  “Really?”

“I’m working on my edge lord persona.  You know, trying to soften my public image,” he offered with a shrug, his jaw clacking in amusement.

“So, you’re trying your hand at comedy?  Exactly zero people asked for a pun slinging agent of chaos and death.  Maybe don’t quit your night job.”  However, this time, Jason’s Perception picked out the faint hint of a smile around the corners of her mask.  At least she was beginning to soften up a bit.  Pride could be a prickly thing.

“Ha, that was actually pretty good—”

Jason cut himself short as his map flashed red.  His drones had picked up something.  A large concentration of mana.  He held up a hand and Cady slowed.  “Something’s ahead.”

He looked toward his companion.  “You want to finish that story now?”

She pulled her mask aside, grimacing and spoke in a hushed voice.  “The fighting between the groups escalated, with most of the powerful casters killing each other off.  When the dust eventually settled, one group claimed control of the mines.  The Shadow Gang.  Thieves and murderers and brigands – the bottom of the barrel.  In another age, they might have just been a nuisance.  But here and now?  Well, they control the crystal production and use the gems to barter with the other avatars.  That control gave them the resources to keep the rest of the city and its tradesman under their thumb.  And it’s not like the other avatars had any reason to complain.  They got their crystals at rock bottom prices…”

“You keep using past tense.  So, I’m guessing that changes?”

“Yeah,” Cady replied.  “The 13th avatar ended the monopoly.  He used most of his Time to deal with the bandits.  Effectively wiped them out.  Not that this helped much.  The crystals began to become tainted anyway.  By the 40th avatar, the mine was basically worthless.”

“So, you brought us back to what?  Collect some gems?” Jason asked.  It wasn’t a terrible plan.  They could probably be quite useful – especially in the hands of someone like Finn.

“Not exactly,” she replied softly, pacing forward with soft steps.  “I’d prefer not to change anything if we can help it.  What we really need is the bandits’ relic.”

Jason’s eyes widened at that.  The brigands had managed to secure a relic?  Although, he supposed that wouldn’t be too difficult without an avatar to help protect Pax.  But still, there was something wrong with Cady’s story.  What about the other avatars?  He understood allowing the bandits to take control of the mines when there were few other options, but they would still need access to a steady supply of crystals.  So why hadn’t they intervened later?  Had they just let the earth avatars retake control?  Or had they been involved somehow?

Cady kept nervously glancing over her shoulder as they crept forward.  She didn’t appear concerned about the bandits.  If anything, she seemed to be looking for something else.  But what?  And then there was her cryptic warning about “changing things” again.

“Come on, we need—”

“To hurry,” Jason finished for her.  “I know.”

She hesitated, glaring at him.

“Look, if you’re in such a rush, I can speed this up,” he offered, keeping his voice low.

His drones had already scouted the outer perimeter of the encampment ahead, red dots appearing on his map as they marked the position of each bandit.  They were also nearing some sort of fortification, his Night Vision picking out the stone walls of their camp.  Or “fortress” might have been a better word.  Apparently, more than a few fauns must have joined the Shadow Gang, using their earth magic to effectively seal the tunnel with a massive wall of stone.

“We shouldn’t.  The residents of this world are much stronger than—”

Jason just let out an exasperated sigh.  If she said they needed to move quickly, then that’s what they’d do.  He was tired of following her instructions without any sort of explanation.  And as for the strength of these residents?  Well, he also needed to assess that as well.  These were just bandits.  Eventually, they would be facing much stronger foes.

At a gesture from Jason, a half dozen drones dropped from the ceiling, each one landing on a faun stationed along the ramparts – sitting and lounging on the other side of the battlement.  Muffled cries echoed through the air, but not enough to alert the others.  Jason hadn’t been able to infuse those drones with fire magic gems – he’d run out long ago.  But he’d still taken the time to sharpen their little skeletal legs down into razor-sharp points and harden their bodies with his remaining scraps of dark metal ore.  Which allowed them to easily burrow into the necks of their unsuspecting opponents.  A generous application of Curse of Weakness and Curse of Silence were enough to ensure that there were no survivors or cries of warning.

He’d learned an important lesson a long time ago.  No matter how strong you were, a surprise attack was still dangerous.  Soon, a half dozen corpses littered the walls, lying in pools of their own blood.  Jason began casting, dark mana cascading out around his hands.

“See?  That wasn’t so hard,” Jason offered.

“What the hell are you doing?” Cady ground out, glaring at him in the darkness.

“Moving this thing along,” he answered and then finished casting, shadows whipping up to the ramparts before plunging into those fresh corpses.  “Besides, we promised George a show, didn’t we?  This looks like a low-stakes opportunity.”

She ground her teeth at that and muttered under her breath about bringing along a fledgling serial killer, but she didn’t tell him “no.”  That was as good as permission in his book.

Zombie fauns rose from the walls – each one maxing out the level cap for his summons at around level 400.  It seemed Cady hadn’t been lying about their strength.  Jason had caught these casters off guard, but he would need to move carefully from here on out.  He soon had the undead lumbering down the stairs with awkward, jerky steps, his own eyes on his map.  The drones were moving deeper into the camp and the display suddenly blossomed out into three dimensions with a flicker of white energy as they scanned the area around them, making his work easier.

He stood and approached the gates, looking back at Cady.  “You coming?”

“Do I have a choice?” she muttered, but followed.

Yeah, yeah he was definitely enjoying this…

As they approached the gates, the mechanism ground harshly and then the wooden gate creaked open a few feet – just enough to allow the pair to duck inside.  A couple of Jason’s zombies worked the crank, their fur-covered arms straining and hooves stamping the ground.  Luckily, using the drones had ensured he didn’t damage their bodies – even if it was nauseating to look at anything above their shoulders.  The others stood nearby, their necks similarly mangled and bloody and their armor soaked a bright red.

That wouldn’t do.  Not at all.

Jason dug into his bag and pulled out a handful of old cloaks, tossing them to the undead.  The zombies were soon wrapped in the flimsy cloth, the cowls hiding their faces in shadow.

“What’s this for?  Are we playing undead dress up now?” Cady demanded, although her anger was giving way to curiosity.  He could hear it in her voice.

“More like disguising them,” Jason grunted.  “Wait here.”

He didn’t stop to see if she listened to him.  Instead, he ordered his minions toward the two barracks that lined the fort’s inner courtyard.  His map showed there were dozens of other brigands inside those buildings and most appeared to be sound asleep.

Which was good.  They would never see this coming.

Jason strode behind his minions, mana winding around his hands as he entered the buildings, Sneak concealing his presence and his feet making no sound on the stone.  Curse of Silence sliced through the air and dark needles stabbed into the sleeping targets just before his zombies slit their throats.  Their enemies didn’t even manage a gasping gurgle as they perished.  And as each faun fell, another zombie joined Jason’s ranks with a pulse of dark energy.  They soon cleared out one of the barracks and he emerged from the back, quickly making his way to the other building.

Seconds ticked past.  Then minutes.

Jason soon stepped out of the second building.

“It’s about time—”

Cady froze as she saw a crowd of undead exit after Jason, their hooves tapping softly against the solid stone.   He had more than fifty zombies now.  A respectable horde.  However, a shout soon rose from the far end of the camp and a flare of white light speared into the air overhead – a Light spell which left spots in Jason’s vision.  Something large struck the ground nearby, throwing Jason off his feet and sending him hurtling back into a nearby wall, his back striking with a crunch of bone and a shower of dust before he toppled to the ground.

-9,000 Damage

“Okay… that one hurt,” he gasped, pushing himself slowly back to his feet.  He hadn’t had an opportunity to properly reinforce this body yet.  He could have stolen all of those traveler corpses before Cady had kidnapped him – if only she wasn’t in such a damned hurry.

Not that he could do anything about that now.

As he rose on shaky legs, Jason’s eyes swept the fort.  The area was brightly lit and dozens of the brigands had emerged from the keep at the far end of the fort.  The source of the explosion was also clear.  A group of earth mages had formed a ball of rock nearly six feet wide and sent it hurtling at him, the boulder crushing three of Jason’s zombies and crippling many more.  Even now, he could see several more of those groups along the keep’s ramparts, massive boulders forming in the air and held suspended by glowing Gravity Wells.

“Look what you did!” Cady snapped at him, the tattoos along her arm flaring brightly and a bubble of multi-colored energy crackling around her as she backpedaled behind the edge of the nearby barracks.  Now that was an interesting tool.  Some sort of protective shield?

“Now we have to fight the rest of the camp.  We could have just snuck in!” Cady snapped, glaring from around the corner of the barracks.

Yet Jason felt no remorse.  The brigands were all high level.  At least 400.  They were organized despite the surprise attack and the keep was designed as a second layer of defense, which meant it had its own fortifications and ramparts.   Although, that just meant this would be a fun fight – one far more interesting than murdering helpless residents in their sleep.

Another figure walked out of the keep and Jason knew without even inspecting him that this brigand was different.  He radiated earth mana in waves, the pulses of emerald energy so intense that they actually caused the surface layer of the stone around him to disintegrate.  His body was wrapped in heavy steel armor and he held a staff, an enormous green gem embedded in the top that flared with mana.

That guy sure looked powerful.  He’d make a fantastic zombie.

Or better yet… new materials for Jason’s skeletal body.  He’d been feeling weak lately.

“You’re not going to fight them head on, are you?” Cady snapped.  “I don’t have great direct combat abilities – just my tools.  We should retreat and regroup—”

“Just stay put.  I’ll take care of this,” Jason replied as he stalked forward, the remainder of his zombies gathering round and his staves rotating out of his forearms as dark blades arced away from each tip.  He relished the feeling that welled in his chest, merging with the chill energy that surged through his body.  Especially after all of the confusing bullshit of the last couple days – the endless questions and silly posturing.

In contrast, this was simple.  Dead simple.

Maybe Dom had been right.

Maybe he just enjoyed a good fight.

Chapter 17 - Bait and Switch

“This is a terrible idea,” Cady hissed.

Jason shot her a look over his shoulder, his expression challenging and dark mana collecting around him like a black hole.  “Like you said, we don’t have any time to waste.  Besides, this fight will be perfect for the stream.”

“You can’t kill The Boulder.  You don’t understand—”

Jason tuned her out.  That ship had already sailed.  There was no backing out now.  Not as they faced down a small army of brigands, massive boulders hovering suspended by glowing emerald Gravity Wells and that one steel-clad mage standing there pulsing with energy.

The Boulder, huh? Jason thought to himself, eyeing the brigand leader.

The earth mages launched the rocks, new Gravity Wells forming behind them and sending several tons of rock hurtling forward.  However, he saw them coming this time.  As the boulders rocketed through the air, Jason’s Dodge activated and time slowed.  He crouched down and kicked off.  He’d lost the air mana gems in his feet, but his own strength was still enough.  And if he could kill these brigands, he’d obtain more precious materials to upgrade his body…

“Oh shit,” Cady muttered and then disappeared in a flash of emerald—

Just before the boulders struck with a thud, thud, thud.  They hit the ground where Jason and Cady had been standing and sent up a shower of dirt and rock.  Yet the impacts weren’t enough to stop them.  Like cannon shot, the boulders kept rolling, crashing into the barracks with a thunderous boom.  The building began to topple and the ground bucked underfoot.  Dust billowed up into the air, covering the entire fort and providing Jason with cover.

He stalked through those shadows, slinking up against the cavern walls.  His hands wound through a series of gestures as the world slowed around him.  As Custom Skeleton fully took hold, Jason could see that the boulders had taken out about a third of his zombies despite his last-minute order to dodge.  They were just too slow and unwieldy.

However, he could fix that.

With a jerk of his fingers, their bodies exploded apart in a shower of gore, the process almost invisible to the bandits amid the thick cloud of dust.  However, their glowing blue silhouettes made them easy for Jason to spot.  His UI indicated that he had at least thirty zombies left.  More than enough.  His first move needed to be to take out the enemies’ artillery.  He could already see the telltale green glow through the haze of dust as they readied another barrage.  It would be difficult to approach the keep with that sort of heavy suppressive fire, especially since they were boxed in by the walls of the cavern.

Charging the enemy encampment directly was suicide.

Which left up or down.

And, this time, Jason was going to mix it up…

***

Cady emerged from an emerald portal, unable to blunt her forward momentum and rebounding off a stone wall.  She caught herself before she could topple over the edge of the ramparts lining the top of the gate to the bandit compound.  The keep loomed in the distance, the courtyard with the barracks now covered in a thick blanket of dust.

“That asshole,” she grumbled under her breath.

Jason had no idea what he was risking with this gambit.

“Not that you bothered to tell him,” a new voice spoke up, gravelly and dry.

Cady side-eyed her new ‘guest.’  The Fates was older this time, her skin dried up and wrinkled and her a bone white – the goddess apparently refusing to dye it.

“He didn’t need to know.”

An incredulous snort.  “Lying to yourself again, hmm?  You know the real reason why you didn’t tell him.  It’s a challenge to need other people, isn’t it?  So much easier to pretend that you’re fine by yourself; better off even.”

Cady ground her teeth.  The goddess could be exasperating.  A celestial pain in her ass, mucking around with her plans and then mocking her for her failures.

“Ahh, more lies.  It seems nothing changed during your little vacation from this place.”

Oh, and how she just loved the way the goddess perused her thoughts at will…

“And I see you’re still a wrinkly, old hag,” Cady snapped.

“Does lashing out at me make you feel better?” The Fates offered, unperturbed by Cady’s words.  The older version was definitely the worst of the three.  “Does it help to hide your mistrust of others behind anger?  Help excuse your own inaction as your companion fights alone?”

Those glowing green eyes watched her.  “Or is that exactly why you’re so angry?  Because it doesn’t help.  Because you feel responsible… afraid even.  More guilt to add to the mountain you already carry upon your shoulders.”

Yeah, Cady definitely hadn’t missed the condescending, armchair psychology.

“It seems your companion has no such hangups.”

Cady’s attention snapped back to the fight.  The dust was… moving.  Shifting.  Almost like something was swimming through the fog.  She pulled a scope from her pack, the air and light mana gems embedded in the side of the device flashing and enhancing her view of the fort’s ramparts.  Now that she could see more clearly, she could make out humans circling each of the faun mages, their features obscured.  However, the telltale orange glow of their slave collars was unmistakable.  Even now, their hands glowed with earth mana as the brigands prepared another barrage of boulders.

Something that should be impossible.  Humans in this era weren’t capable of casting magic – of utilizing mana.  At least, not exactly.  Another piece of information she’d omitted.  She might not be able to lie directly… but that didn’t force her to give away anything.  And she knew the reason why she hadn’t told Jason; hadn’t leveled with him after they’d gotten attacked by those human terrorists in Pax.  Because she was responsible—

“Ahh, at least you’re acknowledging your guilt this time,” the Fates quipped.

Cady grimaced, her hands curling into fists even as another barrage of boulders hurtled through the dust in the courtyard.  Yet they failed to strike Jason, his glowing blue silhouette hiding along the side of the courtyard.  The boulders had only served to kick up a fresh wave of dust, making it almost impossible to see now – even Jason’s outline becoming hazy before disappearing entirely behind the wall of dust.

The fog shifted harder, pushed forward as though by an unnatural wind.  It advanced on the keep – slowly at first – then gathering speed.  It began to snake around the base of the keep’s walls, billowing up the stone and coiling around the mages’ ankles.  Cady could see that the fauns were responding now.  Muttering to each other and eyeing the dust warily as they created shield walls with their human slaves – a protective barrier of flesh.

Meanwhile, The Boulder stood atop the keep’s ramparts and watched that oncoming wave.  He looked unconcerned.  He simply waved a hand—

As one, the fauns began to cast, their spells amplified by the human slaves who added their mana to the Gravity Wells that formed in the air just above the fog, each sigil pointed straight down.  Those glowing patterns expanded rapidly in size, each stretching more than a dozen yards.  An impossible feat for a traveler, but commonplace among this world’s former residents. The plan was clear.  The Boulder intended to clear the dust.

Yet just as the Gravity Wells flashed into existence, several dark figures darted out of the cloud, shooting up overtop those glowing emerald designs.  Cady squinted as she peered through the scope, not quite able to make out the creatures in the dim light.  They almost looked like skeletal birds.  Harpies, she realized belatedly.  An amalgamation of human bones with skeletal wings fused to their backs, panels of dark energy stretched taut across the ivory frame.

“That won’t be enough,” Cady muttered.

The Boulder looked surprised, cocking his head.  He hesitated.  Just for a moment.  Only a second or two.  He ordered his mages to cancel their spell and attack with a bellowing roar.  Earth magic flared, spears of rock forming in the air around them as smaller Gravity Wells formed overtop the harpies.  They intended to cut them down and crush them against the ground.

Spears of stone rocketed through the air and mana pulsed overhead.  Skeletal wings were ripped free from their fragile frames, ivory bone cracking and crumbling.  Then the Gravity Wells shoved the harpies downward and crushed their remains into the ground as the mages continued to pour mana into their spells.

However, The Boulder’s initial hesitation cost him.

An explosion suddenly rocked the keep’s ramparts.  Dark energy imploded like a dying star, tendrils of shadowy energy clutching at the mages and their hapless slaves – wrapping around throats and limbs. The casters screamed in pain as their flesh melted from their bodies and their blood rained down upon the stone.  The others began to react, to attempt to form walls of stone—

However, it was futile.

More detonations erupted along the length of the rampart, each one consuming a handful of mages in the blast and crippling many more, leaving them bleeding out on the stone – feebly clawing their way across the rough rock as they dragged limp and useless limbs.  The human slaves fared even worse, destroyed in an instant, the shadowy energy not discriminating between slaver and slave.  She could have told Jason; could have tried to explain the nature of this world.  How their kind was hunted and enslaved.  Little more than property of the other races.

However, it was far too late.  And even if she had… she doubted Jason would have held back.  Not after she’d seen that look in his eyes only minutes ago, dark mana surging across his skeletal frame.  He’d been looking for a fight.

“Because he’s honest with himself,” the Fates said, picking up on her surface thoughts.  “About what he wants.  About what he’s willing to do to accomplish his goals.  He is someone who sprints toward danger and chaos instead of wallowing in their own fear.”

“Do you have anything useful to contribute?” Cady snapped over her shoulder.

The goddess looked to Cady and let out a chuckle.  “If you insist.  Since you did me a favor in the past, I’ll help you now.  Give you the push you need—”

A portal of emerald energy ripped open before her and Cady was suddenly shoved through.  She fell through the rift and landed hard, her knees digging into rough stone.  She was now kneeling atop the ruined remains of the barracks, much closer to the keep’s ramparts where those dark explosions were still rippling among the mages’ ranks.

She could see now what had happened – even without the help of her scope – her eyes going wide.  The harpies had just been a delivery vehicle.  Expendable.  A distraction.  They had hurled zombies at those ramparts just before they were felled, the bodies almost invisible in the dim light and with the dust still wafting through the tunnel.  As those animated corpses continued to slam into the ramparts, they blew apart in a spectacular blast of dark magic.

The screams and dark energy soon faded and the corpses of those fallen mages rose up in the air as though suspended by an invisible hand.  As Cady looked on, they ripped themselves apart and blood, muscle, and skin sloughed off onto the stone.  Stained bone was soon all that remained, the ivory whipping back down into the courtyard and orbiting a single man who stood among a field of white dust – all that remained of the former harpies.

The brigand leader watched as those bones began to stitch themselves together, forming an iconic creature – one synonymous with the Twilight Throne and its avatar.  Not that The Boulder would know that, not yet anyway.  Hundreds of years would pass before the residents of this world could appreciate this sight.  Death Knights soon stood in formation in the ruined courtyard.  More than a dozen, each wielding ivory weapons and spike-studded shields.  Jason’s vanguard had been reformed.  And in the center of it all stood the necromancer himself.  He raised his head as his spell ended, meeting The Boulder’s gaze evenly.

“Your mages are dead now,” Jason growled.  “Are you actually going to fight yourself?  Or just hide behind your keep?”

For her part, Cady could only stare.  She’d watched the videos.  Seen Jason in action back in the alley near the starting courtyard.  However, all of that paled in the face of the real thing.  The brutality of his tactics.  The lack of hesitation.  Not a trace of fear or doubt.  Her skills were quite useful, but combat had never been her strong suit – Cady forced to supplement for her lack of mana with her many tools.  Such a fight would have been impossible for her.

“Why are you doing this, servant of the dark?” the Boulder demanded, gripping his staff firmly and stepping forward.  He leaped from the ramparts and a cascading series of Gravity Wells formed beneath him, blunting his fall.  His feet landed with a soft thump in the courtyard despite his size and the weight of his armor.   “We had an arrangement, did we not?”

An arrangement? Cady thought to herself.  What is he talking about?

Jason seemed unphased.  “The answer is simple.  You’re in my way.”

The Boulder snorted, a cruel grin tugging at his lips.  “Is that so?  Then let’s end this.”

He shot toward Jason in a blur of motion, a Gravity Well forming at his back in an instant and propelling him forward at a crazy pace.  His staff rippled with green energy as he struck the front line of Death Knights.  A single blow sent one of the burly skeletons flying.  Another crushed a shield and the skull lingering just behind it.  Cady could see what he was doing now.  He must be increasing the weight of his weapon, the staff made of an incredibly hard and durable metal.  Similar wards must be etched across his platemail, reducing its weight.

It was clever.  And effective.  The Boulder was demolishing the Death Knights, moving closer to Jason even as the undead surged around him.  He lifted his hand and sent several skeletons stumbling back as he cast a Gravity Well in the span of a mere second.

And he’s mastered Fast Casting, Cady thought to herself, her own fingers twitching.  But she held herself back.  She couldn’t afford to waste Time here.  And a misplaced spell could hurt more than it could help.  She needed to be patient.  Wait for an opening to assist Jason.

There was also another reason for her hesitation.

She wanted to see what Jason would do…

Cady didn’t have to wait long.  The Boulder suddenly leaped into the air, another Gravity Well forming overhead and sending him crashing down.  His staff point struck the earth and the ground exploded outward in all directions, fissures forming in the rock and the Death Knights stumbling back.  That was just the first barrage.  Spikes of solid stone erupted from those fissures, impaling the rest of the undead in an instant, their skeletal bodies held suspended.

Jason was backpedaling now, suddenly alone and his bony hands raised as he tried to cast.  He looked frantic.  Pushed onto the defensive.  Perhaps he’d finally challenged an opponent who was too strong for him; had underestimated the strength of the casters of this era.

A reasonable mistake.  Cady grimaced.  And one they could have avoided if she had leveled with him.  If she had revealed her plan and what she intended—

Oh shit, this was it—

The Boulder had boxed in Jason on three sides with Gravity Wells.  Another formed at his own back and sent the burly brigand leader barreling forward.  His staff raced through the air and a grim smile pulled at his lips.  Jason was stuck.  Trapped.  His death looming before him.

Cady’s hands were moving, preparing to help him.  A last minute spell.

Then she saw her chat box ping.  A single message.  But she hadn’t even seen Jason type—

Jason: Don’t interfere.

That was it.  That was all he said.  And it was too late now, anyway.

The Boulder’s staff landed, panels of bone materializing before Jason in an instant and circling forward to take the blow.  However, each panel exploded in sequence, barely slowing the Boulder’s strike.  His staff struck home and Jason’s arm crumpled… then exploded.  The force of the blast sent the necromancer toppling backward and he landed on his back, the Boulder looming large over him.

“I see now,” the brigand growled.  “This was just a test.”

He raised his staff high, point down, layers of miniature Gravity Wells forming overhead, increasing the force of his strike – turning that staff into a ballista fired at point blank range.

Then the Boulder struck, his staff crashing down and slamming into Jason’s chest.  His ribcage exploded apart and then the staff kept going, piercing deep into the ground.  Fresh fissures formed, dust billowing and the ivory powder coating the ground swirling and dancing.  The tatters of Jason’s cloak were swept up into that breeze and floated on that unnatural wind.

Cady’s eyes focused on those scraps of cloth and her brow furrowed.  They didn’t look right.  They were flimsy.  Threadbare.  Nothing like the resplendent cloak of shadow that typically wrapped Jason’s skeletal frame.  In fact, they reminded her of the cloaks he had given to his zombies.  No… no he didn’t—he couldn’t have—

“This is what you get for messing—” The Boulder froze in mid-sentence.

The brigand leader sunk to his knees, head bowed… only to reveal another figure standing behind him, short staves stretching from his bony arms and blades of obsidian energy arcing away from their tips.  Soul Blades.  That was Jason.  Alone.  His skeletons hanging helpless from the stone spires that the Boulder had summoned.  Dirt and bone dust swirled around him and his cloak rippled in the breeze that still swept through the tunnel.  Behind him, bloody rivers trickled down from the ramparts, all that remained of the mages that had once manned their walls.

To think that had all been a ruse.  Cady could see his strategy now.  He had taken out the brigand leader’s companions, then lured him out into the open, creating a doppelganger with one of his skeleton to imitate himself.  Then he’d used the dust and fighting as cover to drop into Sneak and circle behind The Boulder – waiting for the opportunity to strike a killing blow.

Yet a laugh suddenly rippled across the courtyard and Jason leaped backward quickly, narrowly avoiding a blow as The Boulder disintegrated the rock trapping his staff and whipping it backward with another well-timed Gravity Well.  The brigand leader turned and rose, revealing a panel of flesh-colored stone coating the back of his neck – the surface already crumbling away.  His fingers touched his neck, coming away slick with blood, a shallow line etched across his skin indicating that Jason’s blow had still managed to pierce his hidden armor.

“Not bad,” The Boulder grunted.  “Not bad at all.  But not enough.”

Good gods, Cady thought to herself.  Even that hadn’t killed him?

However, Jason didn’t seem surprised or frightened.  Instead, dark mana pulsed around him, tendrils of shadow coiled away from his bony frame and his eyes sucked in the faint light of the crystals embedded in the cavern walls like twin black holes as the pair faced off once again – this time without any tricks or subordinates.

“You talk too much,” Jason said simply.

The brigand leader smirked.  “So be it.  Time for round two!”

Chapter 18 - Terminated

Jason only felt calm as he faced off against The Boulder – this time without any tricks.

Apart from Smiles – and maybe Finn – this guy was stronger than most of the opponents Jason had faced before and he was in an entirely different league compared to the other fauns and those flimsy human slaves.  Those others had been little more than poorly-trained soldiers.  Artillery teams that could barely respond to a direct attack.  And now it was clear why.  The Boulder could hold aggro well enough by himself, especially with that metal armor and his impressive defense.  If he hadn’t underestimated Jason and had entered combat earlier… well, then this fight might have gone differently.

Even now, that line of blood across the brigand leader’s neck was already healing, a new layer of stone creeping across his skin before disguising itself with a color and texture that mimicked skin.  This was going to be a tough nut to crack.  Cady hadn’t been wrong.  The residents of this world were remarkable.

And this was just a mere brigand leader.  What would it be like to face the old avatars?

Jason could feel a surge of frigid dark mana as his excitement peaked.

Now that would be one hell of a fight…

However, he didn’t have time to focus on that right now—

Not with the way The Boulder launched forward, a Gravity Well forming at his back and sending him speeding toward Jason in a blur of movement.

Jason was already ready.  A boulder immediately slammed home, crashing into the brigand leader from the side and sending him careening across the stone.  His metal armor flashed and sent up a shower of sparks as it grinded against the stone floor of the cavern.  The source of that attack soon became obvious.  Shadowy energy leaked from Jason’s fingers and drifted up onto the ramparts where he raised one group of zombies after another – recreating The Boulder’s artillery squads from the remains that lingered atop the stone.

The brigand leader’s body flashed with emerald energy as he righted himself, his feet sliding across the stone.  Another Gravity Well formed at his back and slowed his momentum.

“Clever,” he grunted, wiping the trickle of blood from his lips and hefting his staff once more.  “It’s been a while since I’ve had a real fight.”

Jason just remained silent, waiting.  Gravity Wells were forming at his back, boulders rising into the air once more – but this time controlled by his zombies.  What could he say?  He was a fan of The Boulder’s tactics.   Why not try them against their own creator?

The rocks launched through the air one after another.  The Boulder didn’t stay still as he shot forward, racing toward Jason once more.  He dodged one boulder.  Slammed another up into the air with a well-timed Gravity Well and sent two more speeding away to either side before rushing at Jason, that mad smile still painted on his fur-covered face and his hooves stamping at the ground as he charged.  However, Jason made no attempt to move, just stood still as Soul Blades crept away from the half staves jutting from each of his arms.

Time slowed under the effects of Dodge and Jason could see The Boulder’s forehead wrinkle in confusion.  No doubt, he was wondering why his opponent was taking him head on.

Under normal circumstances, that would have been suicide.

But Jason had never been normal…

“You really should watch your back,” he murmured as the brigand’s staff loomed close.

The Boulder’s eyes widened at the last moment as three boulders suddenly converged – one from overhead and two from the sides, those same rocks he’d neatly batted aside… yet failed to destroy.  They’d been redirected by a series of Gravity Wells as the zombies all along the Keep at Jason’s back cast continuously, the thick dust obscuring the energy from sight.  A fourth spell shoved Jason back even as the boulders collided with the brigand leader, crushing together and the rock exploding apart in a shower of dust.  Jason used that debris to his advantage, sliding into the shadows once more as he activated Sneak and vanished from sight.

Good thing he’d had the foresight to plant a few zombie lieutenants among those artillery squads.  He didn’t have to micromanage the undead’s movements, only send simple mental orders.

He eyed the point of impact as he crept through the dust.  He doubted that had been enough to stop The Boulder.  He was proven correct only moments later.  The rock crumbled away under the effects of Disintegrate to reveal the brigand leader standing there, his chest heaving and each breath causing the dust to puff and swirl.  He’d hardened his body and armor in that split second before the impact, protecting himself from the brunt of the attack.  However, he was still injured, his stone armor flaking away and exposing patches of skin and his gleaming armor now heavily dented and scratched, the wards inscribed into the metal flashing and sparking.

He was also no longer smiling.  That was good.

“What are you?” the brigand grunted, eyeing the shadows.

“You shouldn’t be worried about that right now,” Jason’s voice whispered back from the shadows.  “You should focus on surviving.”

The brigand tensed as Gravity Wells sprung up around him, compressing the dust toward him from each direction and forming a box.  “Child’s play,” he grunted, his own mana pushing back and forming a pocket of air in the center of the box.

Typically, this would have made it difficult for Jason to see – even highlighting the brigand in his UI – but his drones were all perched around the courtyard, their light mana crystals pulsing and providing a three-dimensional map of the area.  Interestingly, that map now included the layers of mana in colored bands, earth mana blazing brightly around the spot where The Boulder was standing as he channeled his mana.

That was a new trick…

x1 Skill Rank Up:  Tactician

Skill Level:  Intermediate Level 2

Effect 1:  15.5% increased damage multiplier for a successful ambush or strategy (Currently, Damage x 1.15)

Effect 2:  You can now link another player’s map to yours.  This allows another player to update your map.  Distance limited to .6 miles.

New Skill:  Cartography

Extensive experience with mapping your environment has given you insight into the layout of your surroundings and coordinating with your minions.  Your subordinates may now feed you additional map data.  As this skill ranks up, the sensitivity and detail will increase dramatically.

Skill Level:  Beginner Level 1

Effect:  Mana data now overlays your map (minion must be capable of detecting mana).

It seemed he’d unlocked a new ability, despite all of Cady’s naysaying.  It wasn’t nearly as detailed as Finn’s Mana Sight, he was forced to use his map to detect the mana, and it would only work if he infused his drones with light mana gems… but it was still useful.

This would allow him to time his next attack perfectly.

The Boulder’s mana surged even more powerfully and the Gravity Wells cast by the fauns were blown apart like tissue paper.  Jason had been right.  Those were mere amateurs manning the walls – at least, compared to the brigand leader.  Earth mana radiated away from the man as he let out a roar of rage, his eyes glowing bright green.

That mana eventually faded as The Boulder searched the area around him, dust still spiraling through the air and making it almost impossible for him to detect Jason.  Another surge of earth mana and sigils began to form around the brigand leader – this time pointed away from him.  A blast of gravity sent the dust billowing back in thick sheets and those glowing eyes soon turned in Jason’s direction.

Smart move.  He was using the dust to detect Jason’s outline while in Sneak.

The Boulder let out a mad laugh and raised his staff, more sigils forming behind it in a flash.  Only a moment later, the staff launched forward, moving so quickly it was just a blur of motion.  It pierced a hole in the remaining dust as it rocketed toward Jason and slammed home.

His body exploded apart in a shower of bone and dust—

Only for The Boulder to frown.  That had been too easy…

He suddenly slapped at his neck as he felt a sharp sting… then another at the back of his thigh where his armor had been damage.  He opened his mouth to shout at his opponent, to taunt him with his weakness.  Such flimsy attacks wouldn’t—

The Boulder hesitated, no sound escaping his lips.

His eyes went wide and he turned to see mana flaring as the zombies along the ramparts began to cast again.  If the Necromancer was dead, they would have perished with him.  Gravity Wells formed again, boxing in the brigand leader once more and pushing the dust back toward him in dense, rolling waves that forced a ragged, soundless cough from his lips.  This time, he couldn’t stop them – was unable to utter the necessary incantation under the effects of Curse of Silence.

Jason appeared among the mist, slipping out of Sneak only a few feet away.  He took his time now, The Boulder restrained within a cell of gravitational magic, his muscles straining against the force of those barriers.  Nervous eyes flitted in Jason’s direction and, for the first time, he saw something other than pride and anger reflected in the brigand’s gaze.  That was fear.

“Using gravity magic to amplify your movement and empower your attacks is an interesting idea,” Jason murmured as he approached the hulking earth mage, the man forced to his knees with a brilliant surge of mana.

Jason stopped just before The Boulder.  “No, no, don’t get up,” he quipped, sending a mental command to his zombies.  Another pulse of earth mana and The Boulder’s knees dug into the stone floor, metal shrieking as it scraped the rock.

“I particularly liked the way you launched your staff,” Jason continued, removing the half staves from his arms, coils of dark mana releasing the weapons.  He then snapped them back together to reform his staff.  “In fact, I’d like to give it a try…”

He cast Soul Blade once more.  However, instead of forming a typical scythe-blade, he focused on reshaping that energy.  Shadows slid away from the top of the staff and immediately coiled forward to form a pincer.  Then he cast again.  And again.  Until fork-like blades of shadow arced away from the tip of his staff to form a makeshift trident.

“How did it go again?” Jason murmured, that frigid energy pulsing and throbbing through his body and coiling away from the bones of his armor.  He raised his spear high and sent another mental command to his zombies.  “Ahh, yes—"

Sigils began to form behind his staff in imitation of the move The Boulder had used.  One, two, three… he just kept going.  Once he hit six layers of sigils, Jason stopped, looking down at his enemy.  The Boulder stared up at his death, hate shining in his eyes.  And buried deep within that rage there was something else.  Something that had Jason’s mana humming even more forcefully.  That was resignation.  Despair.

“It was a good fight.  Don’t worry, I’ll use your body well,” Jason said.

Then he sent one final command…

Earth mana pulsed as each of the sigils ignited in turn.

The staff didn’t lunge forward.  It didn’t race through the air with coils of dust spiraling around it.  That would imply it moved slow enough to see.

In one instant, it was in Jason’s hand… and in the next?

It was embedded deeply in the stone beneath the brigand leader, leaving a gaping hole in his chest.  The man’s mouth moved weakly and a stuttering breath escaped his lips as he knelt there, seemingly frozen in time – a moment that lengthened and stretched as Jason stared back coldly.  Then reality set back in.  Blood spurted from the gaping wound and his organs slopped onto the stone as The Boulder toppled and struck the ground with a thud and a clank of metal.

Leaving Jason standing overtop his corpse – a field coated in fine white powder and dust – an entourage of undead earth mages standing at his back and still glowing with emerald energy.  He grabbed his staff, those dark blades disappearing.  He ripped it free with a shower of rock fragments and blood.  He inspected the weapon but saw no signs of damage.

Then he looked back to the body.  “Hmm, it seems pretty effective.”

Chapter 19 - Graveyard Shift

Light flickered and danced as the dust began to settle.  Jason swept the cloak from his shoulders and pulled off his leather tunic, revealing his skeletal limbs, the ivory reflecting the dull light of the crystals lining the tunnel.  Strangely, he could see that more than a few of those clusters of gemstones now glimmered with emerald energy and a handful even seemed to suck in the light.

Could they absorb ambient mana?  Earth and dark from that last fight?

That was… interesting.  This mine could be incredibly useful.

His gaze shifted back to The Boulder’s corpse.  But first things first…

This earth mage had been strong.  Much stronger than the mages from the present era and most of the travelers.  In a straight fight, Jason might have even lost – at least, as he was now, his body lacking augments, unable to tap into his mana well, and with few minions at his disposal.

However, he wasn’t fazed by that.  He’d known this was likely the case.  Which just meant he needed to become stronger… and that started here.

Dark mana pulsed along Jason’s hands as he cast Custom Skeleton and The Boulder’s body soon lifted from the ground even as time slowed down to a crawl, puffs of dust still hovering in the air.  Jason removed the unnecessary materials, shedding the heavy platemail, clothing, and jewelry.  With a twitch of his fingers, he severed the man’s legs neatly, careful to preserve the Najima located in his thighs.  Same with the arms.  Then he cut into what remained of the brigand’s chest and delicately removed the unnecessary, fleshy organs tucked inside.

After using his Body Augmentation on the other avatars in the Mile High Club, Jason had a suspicion – or maybe it was more appropriate to call it a hypothesis.  He’d gained their abilities, but had been restricted to roughly 50% of their former strength.  His working theory was that this percentage was a function of two variables: his own natural affinity and the preservation of the corpse.  There was only so much he could do to address the first point and he stood to gain some affinity just by assimilating the corpse.  Which left body preservation.

He didn’t have Finn’s Mana Sight or access to the neurogem material – not down here in this mine, anyway.  And the new feature of his map was still too imprecise for such detailed work.  However, he certainly had plenty of inert crystals, thanks in large part to The Boulder himself – the man’s bag filled to the brim with the gems.  He now inserted those crystals gently into each limb, placing one where each of the man’s Najima were located – or at least a close approximation.  The ribcage was ruined, there was no help for that.  But he’d been careful not to damage the Najima tucked away inside his arms, legs, and head.

As Jason looked on, the crystals quickly began to absorb the corpse’s ambient earth mana, taking on a bright green hue.  Perfect.

His preparations finished, it was time to augment his own body.  With a twitch of his fingers, those severed limbs floated close, the remaining scraps of flesh falling away and the bone merging with his own legs and arms.  As a finishing touch, Jason inserted the crystals, the gems sinking down into the ivory surface until they were fully submerged beneath the bone.  The ribcage drifted close and fused with his own, his chest growing in size and his ribs thickening into solid bands.  Only moments later, his spell ended.

Now he just needed to review his notifications…

x21 Level Up!

You have (105) undistributed stat points.

System Notice:  Body Augmentation

- The Boulder – 65% Augment Effectiveness

- Earth Affinity increased by 30%,

- Earth spells unlocked.

- Gravity Well unlocked.

- Kinetic Fighting unlocked.

- Weight Control unlocked.

New Skill:  Corpse Preparation

You have discovered that properly preparing a corpse and preserving its Najima improves the effectiveness of the augment.  Masters of this art are said to be able to use the abilities of others with nearly the same degree of skill as their former owners.  And who’s going to complain?  After all, they aren’t using them anymore…

Skill Level:  Beginner Level 1

Effect 1:  +15% Augment Effectiveness.

x1 Skill Rank Up: Body Augmentation

Skill Level:  Beginner Level 7

Effect 1:  +16% health to body augments.

x1 Skill Rank Up:  Bone Crafting

Skill Level:  Expert Level 3

Effect 1:  May currently alter the composition of bone by 26%.

Effect 2:  Can combine high-quality crafting materials with the bones.

Effect 3:  May create even more sophisticated structures from pure dark mana.

It seemed he’d been right.  In fact, he’d even gained a new skill.

The levels were also an unexpected surprise.  Although, now that he thought about it, Jason hadn’t checked his notifications in some time.  Since at least before he’d attacked Gloria’s coliseum.  Which meant those levels were a combination of the experience from several fights – including the showdown with the travelers, the accidental murder of the bandits back in Pax, and the deaths of The Boulder and his minions.  From that standpoint, the number of levels was a bit disappointing, but he supposed he’d had to split much of that experience with the other avatars, their lieutenants, and Smiles’ goblin horde.

As for how to allocate those stat points?  Well, that was a no brainer.  They were all going toward Willpower.  There was no way to top more health, mana, and the increased summon limit and level cap for his undead.  His work finished, he pulled up his Character Status.

Character Status

Name:

Jason

Gender:

Male

Level:

284

Class:

Necromancer

Race:

Lich

Alignment:

Chaotic-Evil

Fame:

0

Infamy:

46,000

Health:

0

H-Regen/Sec:

1.60

Mana:

22002.5

M-Regen/Sec:

93.26

Stamina:

3345

S-Regen/Sec:

19.30

Strength:

160

Dexterity:

166

Vitality:

36

Endurance:

193

Intelligence:

80

Willpower:

1470

Affinities

Dark:

72%

Light:

14%

Fire:

12%

Water:

4%

Air:

4%

Earth:

8%

His preparations complete, Jason’s gaze drifted to the tattered zombies standing atop the keep’s ramparts, as well as the half-melted corpses and skeletal remains strewn about the field.  He was thankful that The Boulder had left his Death Knights largely intact, their burly bodies still hanging from stone spikes.  Assuming he could get them down of course…

But that also gave him an opportunity to test his new ability…

His short staves rotated out of his arms but Jason didn’t summon his Soul Blades.  Instead, he kicked off the ground hard, activating Sprint as he approached one of those stone spires.  Emerald energy pulsed and the weight of his staves increased dramatically, his movements slowing slightly.  As he neared the spires, the sigils of a Gravity Well formed behind each elbow.

He swung and emerald energy flashed.  His short staves whipped forward at a terrific speed and slammed into the stone.  The surface cracked… then exploded, showering the area in jagged fragments.  A Death Knight’s body tumbled to the ground, the bone cracking and crunching and leaving Jason standing there admiring his handiwork.

“So, you really can steal abilities,” Cady spoke up from behind him.

Jason shot her a look over his shoulder, his chest and head still bare, his bony frame exposed.  “I thought you already knew everything about me.”

Or, at least, she acted like she did.  And if she was behind the leak to Gloria, then she likely had access to sensitive information on the other avatars.  There was still the question of how she’d managed the feat, of course.  However, the fact that she was working on a ‘special’ project with Robert and George went a long way toward answering it...

“It’s still something else to see it in person.  Now, if only you could learn to listen.”  Ahh, and she was glaring at him… again.

“What did I do now?” Jason retorted.  “I thought you said we were in a hurry.”

“Changing things has consequences.  I’ve told you that already,” Cady snapped.  “We could have simply snuck by or negotiated with The Boulder directly.  Minimized our footprint…”

She trailed off, her eyes skimming the carnage before landing on what remained of the brigand leader’s shattered ribcage and the fort, the barracks collapsed and the fort ravaged.  “This was certainly the opposite of that.”

“I fail to see the problem,” Jason grunted.  “Besides, I needed the materials.”

As he finished speaking, his hands wound through a series of gestures.  The bones on the ramparts and lining the courtyard rose up into the air, forming into a fresh regiment of Death Knights – this group now three dozen strong.  He also raised another ten of the earth mages as Specialized Zombies, allowing them to retain their earth magic.  They could be useful later.

“Clear the field.  Loot everything and store it in these bags,” Jason commanded, his voice carrying across the field of undead as he tossed two empty bags on the ground.  The Boulder’s equipment wasn’t terribly useful.  Mostly jewelry increasing Strength and Intelligence.  That wouldn’t help Jason much.  Not as he was now.  But he wasn’t going to turn away free loot.

He spared a glance at one Death Knight.  “You.  Try to mine some crystals.”  He took the liberty of crafting a crude, bone pickaxe for the creature to accommodate its new role.

What he really needed was more mana-infused gems.

“It won’t work,” Cady offered.

“Why not?” Jason asked as pulled his armor back on, covering his skeletal frame and wrapping his body once more in the shroud of his cloak.

She just pointed toward his skeleton, the Death Knight slamming the pickaxe into a crystal cluster, the gems giving off a dim green glow.  However, the tool simply rebounded.  It barely even chipped the surface.  Perhaps with time it could break through, but it would take weeks at that rate.  Did it simply need a better tool?  Maybe if he reinforced the pick—

“We need the shovel,” Cady explained.  “It can carve through crystal and pretty much anything else.  It was what made these mines valuable.”

She kicked at The Boulder’s head… or what was left of it.  “But you killed the one person that could tell us where it’s hidden.  Great job on that, by the way.”

Jason cocked his head.  Didn’t she know about Undead Devotion?  Or was she simply playing dumb.  Trying to throw him off her scent?  Or maybe she’d gathered her info by more mundane means?  There weren’t any videos online of him using the skill, so it wasn’t public knowledge.  Either way, this could be evidence that she wasn’t behind the leaks – or she just wanted him to think that.  So, he decided to put on a little pressure…

He stalked toward her, Cady tensing and her fingers twitching.

Jason stopped only a few inches away, surveying her face with his dark eyes.   Yet she held his gaze evenly, refusing to back down or look away.  If she was lying, she was damned good.

“That won’t be a problem,” he answered finally.  Jason stooped and grabbed the head.

“What are you—”

Coils of dark energy leaked from his fingers and trickled into The Boulder’s eyes, ears, and nose, digging deeply into his already decaying brain tissue.  He’d done a splendid job of avoiding any damage to the head itself. Suddenly, his own eyes winked out as he went into the soul trance.  Only moments later, he was back, dropping the head with a wet thud.

“What the hell was that?” Cady muttered.  She was staring at the head distastefully.

“Ahh, so you don’t actually know everything,” Jason quipped, offering a chuckle.  “By the way, I know the location of the shovel.  It’s hidden deeper in the mine.”

He pivoted, his feet padding softly across the stone as he headed for the keep’s gate, several Death Knights already forcibly shoving the grate open with a shriek of grinding metal.  Jason decided to help them, his fingers a blur as another emerald sigil appeared beneath the gate.  The Gravity Well activated seconds later and sent the metal grate hurtling upward, slamming into the stone rampart before lodging there, dust raining down from overhead.  Jason shot a look over his shoulder – noticing the surprise on Cady’s face.

That was an even better reward than the Boulder’s corpse.

“You coming or what?” he demanded.

Chapter 20 - Silver Mining

It took the pair nearly half an hour to navigate the twisting tunnels of the mine and arrive at the place that Jason had seen in The Boulder’s memories.  This was made more difficult by the way those memories were fragmented and disjointed – out of order and riddled with confusing emotions.   The dim conditions of the tunnels also didn’t help.  Each one looked almost the same as the others.  Dark.  Damp.  Clusters of crystals giving off a faint glow.

Yet they soon arrived, the Death Knights encircling Jason and Cady.

However, he hesitated as they neared the spot in his memory, his Listening skill picking out a scratching grind up ahead – one that was irregular and discordant.

He raised a hand and Cady slowed – this time without bitching at him.

Apparently, she’d learned to listen.  Even grudgingly.

“There’s something ahead,” he murmured.  “Let me get a look first—”

He slipped forward as he activated Sneak, relying on his Night Vision to penetrate the gloom.  As he rounded a corner in the tunnel, it opened into a massive, round chamber and the source of that grinding noise soon came into view.  A nest of bones lingered in the center of the room, the ivory stretching nearly fifty feet across.  Raptor-like, undead creatures roamed around the nest and picked at the many corpses that littered the stone floor – corpses that looked decidedly humanoid.  The undead stripped the flesh from those bodies and plucked the bones from the floor before hauling them back to their nest.

As Jason looked on, dark energy coalesced in the center of the nest, bones rising from the pile and stitching themselves together with shadowy bands.  Moments later, another raptor-like creature took its first stumbling step, its dark eyes flaring into existence.

This was a Bone Garden.  Jason had seen plenty of them – more than enough to recognize one in the wild.  And this one was large.

Just what the hell was it doing down here?

This hadn’t been part of The Boulder’s memories.  The last time the man had visited, he’d only seen a barren cavern, the shovel embedded in the center.  And the corpses implied that the undead were actively being fed by someone.  Who else but the bandits?  Although, that begged the real question.  What was a Bone Garden doing down here at all?  The bandits couldn’t have formed such a large nest.  They lacked the dark mana to pull this off.

Jason grimaced and retreated.

“There’s a Bone Garden in there,” he announced as he dropped Sneak.

“What?  Down here?” Cady demanded.  “That’s impossible.”

Jason shrugged.  “So, this wasn’t part of your plan?”

“I never came down here this early before,” Cady murmured, rubbing at her temple.  “By the time I managed to get past The Boulder, the shovel was gone and the mine was already destroyed.  We’ve already changed things from my timeline, so I’m flying blind here too.”

“Hmph,” Jason grunted, his thoughts racing.  “The Boulder’s memories don’t include that Bone Garden.  Is there another way to access these tunnels?”

“No or I would have found it,” Cady answered immediately.

They met each other’s eyes.  That could only mean one thing.

“Then did someone alter The Boulder’s memories?” Jason asked.  “And who?”

“Probably the same person that created the Bone Garden,” Cady replied with a grimace and an irritated growl.  “That fucking asshole.”

“I assume you know who’s responsible for this then?” Jason demanded.

She snorted.  “It could only be one person.  The avatar of darkness.  Sebastian.  He would have the resources to form a Bone Garden, and assuming he has some of the same abilities as you, it’s possible that he could have altered The Boulder’s memories.”

He altered the memories of a ‘living’ person? Jason thought to himself.  Was that even possible?  Yet the proof seemed to be staring him in the face…

Just how powerful were these old avatars?

“What now?” Jason asked.

Cady looked at him in mock surprise.  “Are you really asking for my opinion?  I thought you’d just go in guns blazing – or scythes swinging, I guess.  Those are free materials, right?”  There was a sarcastic bite to her words.

“Someone mentioned that changing things has consequences… although, she was also being a bit obtuse as to what exactly those consequences are,” he shot back.  He shrugged his bony shoulders and waved at the floating blue camera at his side.  “Besides, I already got the content I needed for our stream – at least, for now.”

“I see you still didn’t manage to absorb a sense of humor from the Boulder.”

Jason let out a laugh.  “And I didn’t realize you could make jokes.  New skill?”

“No, I’ve always been this funny.  The audience is the problem.”

“Ahh, got it… But, banter aside, what’s our move here?”

Cady pulled her mask away and chewed on her lip in thought.  “We need that shovel.  For more than one reason.  Once Pax returns to the future and if we manage to maintain control of the mines, it’s our only efficient way to mine the crystals—”

“Which we’ll need to fight the avatars in the present,” Jason finished for her, Cady nodding.

“Then let’s go clear some undead—”

She grabbed his arm as he turned.  “This is an even bigger risk.  Taking out The Boulder was one thing, but he died even in the original timeline so that won’t change things too drastically.  Besides, he can be replaced.  Desperate men are a dime a dozen.  However, if Sebastian is involved, we still haven’t unraveled his plot, which is why we haven’t faced any consequences yet.  If we do this – clear the nest and secure the mine – that will probably be considered a major plot point.”

Jason just stared back at her blankly.

“I have no idea what any of that means,” he said finally.

Cady let out a frustrated sigh, staring off into the distance for a moment.  “Damn it, we don’t have time to just sit here talking.  We’ve already deviated from the original timeline as it is.  They may have already detected us.  Just go.  Fast.  I’ll try to hold them off for as long as I can.”

“Hold off who—”

But it was no use.

Cady’s eyes were already closed and emerald energy pulsed around her in radiating waves.  The reason for that was obvious.  Her hands were a blur of motion, multiple after-images overlaying her fingers as though she was casting several different spells at the same time.  Meanwhile, her mouth moved, the incantation of several different spells overlapping and creating a weird buzzing sound.  Jason had no idea what she was doing… but it seemed important.

Which meant he needed to hold up his end.

He turned and waved at his undead.  “Let’s go,” he ordered.  “Kill them all.”

The Death Knights were only too happy to oblige.  They pushed themselves into a slow jog, their heavy frames rattling and their feet thudding against the floor.  The earth mage zombies followed, staying well behind their hulking brethren.  The group soon rounded the corner, and, at Jason’s order, the mages began to cast.  Gravity Wells formed in the air above the Bone Garden, covering most of the room.  That crushing energy soon pounded downward, smashing into the native undead and their legs buckling and creaking.

Yet the force wasn’t enough to stop them – not quite.  The undead managed to remain standing and pivoted toward the tunnel entrance, their dark eyes taking in the wall of Death Knights charging forward with their spike-studded shields raised.  The native undead let out a shriek that echoed off the walls and then began their own advance, their movements slowed but not stopped.  There were so many.  Almost a hundred by Jason’s count.  And each one was over level 400.  Impressive given the poor quality of the corpses that had been used to construct the Bone Garden.

Just what sort of monster had created this nest?

Yet there was no time to consider that.

The front line of Death Knights struck with the shriek of grinding bone, staying just outside the edge of the earth mages’ gravity field.  That slowing effect was important and ensured they wouldn’t be overwhelmed.  Which was good.  Because the raptor creatures were incredibly strong.  They ripped into the Death Knights, their claws cutting deep grooves into their shields and severing limbs where they caught the knights off guard.  Three Death Knights fell in that first rush.

But that didn’t matter – not really.

Jason was just behind them, emerald sigils forming along his elbows and his staves growing heavy as he increased their weight.  Dark blades slid from their tips and then he shot forward through the front line.  Each strike carved clean through the native skeletons, the combination of his weight, momentum, and the armor penetration of his Soul Blades making short work of the skeletons.  He severed their limbs and lopped off their heads with each strike – his blades slicing through bone like butter.

A raptor charged Jason and a Gravity Well flashed into existence, shoving a Death Knight forward into its path.  The native undead crashed into the minion with a flurry of bone and ivory dust.  Jason used that opening to slice the raptor’s legs out from under it and the Death Knight finished it off with a crushing blow of its shield.

Now, this was starting to get fun…

Jason changed up his strategy, using the Death Knights as pure cannon fodder, ordering them forward and using them as cover as he cut at the raptors from the back and sides.  His own minions were swiftly being destroyed, but for each loss, they took down a native undead, a pile of bones collecting along the floor and well away from the Bone Garden in the distance.

Once his own forces had almost been destroyed, Jason activated Dark Incarnation.  His body transformed into a haze of darkness as he sped backward.  He could see that they had nearly wiped-out half of the raptors.  He sent a mental order to the earth mage zombies in the rear.  Three Gravity Wells formed in the air before him, the sigils flashing and shoving the raptors back.  It wasn’t enough to stop them – the raptors already clawing their way through that feeble, emerald energy – but it bought the other mages time.  A wall of stone soon erupted from the floor, stretching up into the air even as the Gravity Wells flickered out.  The raptors were soon scratching at the other side, the wall trembling and the shriek of bone grinding against stone filling the cavern.

As his body rematerialized, Jason used the respite to begin casting, dark mana winding around his hands as he summoned the raptor remains along the floor back as default skeletons, forgoing making any changes with Custom Skeleton.  He couldn’t afford to be incapacitated by the stun effect or to waste any time.  A few dozen new undead soon stood before him, the raptors repurposed as part of his own entourage.  Another mental command and the wall of stone abruptly dissolved into a wave of dust and Jason’s minions charged through the fog, crashing into the native undead as they were caught off balance.

From that point onward, the fight proceeded smoothly.  Necromancers were the masters of attrition and fighting undead only made Jason’s work easier – offering easy replacements for each of his own losses.  Mere minutes later, the battle was over, only Jason and his undead stood amid a field of ivory, the Bone Garden looming into the distance and pulsing with dark energy.

Jason spared a look over his shoulder and found Cady still standing in the tunnel entrance, her eyes squeezed shut and that emerald energy radiating away from her in pulsing waves.  That energy now filled the whole cavern, rippling up along the walls and forming some sort of barrier across the stone.  As Jason watched, that energy trembled and bucked, cracks forming in the glowing surface.  It was clear she was protecting the cavern from something – it just wasn’t obvious what was attacking...

Regardless, he didn’t have long before that shield failed.

Jason grunted, turning back to the Bone Garden.  He needed to accomplish several goals.

First, he needed to create minions that could remain here – that could defend the mine. And not just for days or weeks, but possibly years.  Decades and centuries. If the avatar of darkness really was involved in this mess, then he might send more forces – more brigands.  And they couldn’t afford to lose this mine in the future.  The crystals might be the difference between defeating the avatars and getting crushed underfoot.

Luckily, there were also plenty of spare gem fragments littering the floor, and they had absorbed the dark mana from the undead.  He could work with that.  So, Jason set to work, appropriating the bones littering the floor and breaking apart the Bone Garden to use its materials.  His summon limit was around 171 undead now and he would devote at least 60 to defending the mine.  The mana reserve cost would eat into his mana pool, but it was manageable.  That would also give him room to pick up other minions later…

Even with the slowing effects of Custom Skeleton, he didn’t have time to get clever, so Jason preserved the shape and structure of the raptors, but upgraded them – hardening their bodies and thickening their claws.  Numbers weren’t important anyway.  Creating resilient and destructive minions was the goal.  To that end, he infused their frames with the dark crystals – as many as he could squeeze into each raptor-like creature.  According to a quick inspection, the crystals effectively stopped the skeletons’ decay rate, at least while they weren’t in direct sunlight.

He would have to remember that…

Then he turned, cocking his head as he inspected the earth mages.  They were zombies.  But that didn’t mean he couldn’t provide some upgrades – specifically, bone armor made from the remaining materials on hand.  That protection might be important.  He also turned one into a zombie lieutenant.  The mana reserve cost was extreme, but they would need that intelligence to help protect the mines from future brigands and the machinations of the avatars.

Jason was soon finished and his spell ended.

He stumbled, his head aching after using Custom Skeleton for so long, yet the pain and stun effect soon faded and he turned to inspect his handiwork.  Fifty enhanced raptors stood in formation, ten earth mages positioned just in front of them, their decaying limbs now wrapped with thick ivory platemail.  As a final addition, he had the mages open the bags of loot they’d collected from the bandits, piling on the Intelligence, Vitality, and Strength equipment and jewelry he’d stolen from the brigands.  As much as they could equip.

“Orders… Sir?” the zombie lieutenant bit out as they finished equipping themselves.

“Defend this mine with your lives.  I will be gone for some time…” Jason hesitated.  That was one hell of an understatement.  “Possibly more than a hundred years.  You need to survive at all costs.  If anyone enters the mine, kill them.  If the enemy force seems more powerful than your own, retreat and attack smaller groups.  Wage a war of attrition.”

“And… if we… we lose our numbers?”  It was a struggle for the zombie to speak with the ruined muscles in its throat.  But its question was clear.

Jason grimaced.  “Then take the remains and build new Bone Gardens.  However, only build one or two to prevent them from contaminating the crystals here.”  Dark mana crystals could be useful, but Jason didn’t want to ruin the entire mine.

“Yes… sir.”

“Now, go!” Jason demanded.

The lieutenant zombie nodded and then motioned to the others.  The bone-clad earth mages approached the raptors, hopping onto them and using them as mounts.  Then the group streaked down a nearby tunnel.  Jason’s eyes widened as he watched them leave.  His surprise wasn’t at their intelligence or strength, but at their speed.

The raptors seemed to occasionally de-materialize as they moved, their limbs turning into wisps darkness with each step.  The effect resembled Jason’s Dark Incarnation.  Was that another benefit of infusing their bodies with dark mana gems?  If so, then it was a good thing he still had a few gems fragments left…

Not that he had the opportunity to dwell on that.  The cracks in the emerald shield overhead had only grown larger, motes of green energy now raining down into the room.  Cady’s lips were squeezed into a thin line, her body trembling and shaking from the strain of maintaining her spells.

And in the center of the room was that shovel, embedded in the rock.  It gleamed in the flickering light cast by the crystals.  All this work for this plain-looking item?

“Get the shovel!” Cady grunted.  “The shield—”

Her voice was cut off as the barrier exploded with a pulse of emerald energy that sent Jason tumbling forward.  He scrambled to his feet, the shovel only a few yards away.  However, he was distracted as he heard a roar behind him.  He turned to see a creature of nightmares floating out of the tunnel.  It was a ball of fleshy muscle, suspended in the air by some unknown force.  But the true horror was its face.  It was all eyes.  Dozens… possibly hundreds.  Bloodshot.  Veins riddling ruddy irises.  And below those eyes was a mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth.

“What the fuck is that thing?” Jason muttered.

Not that there was time to dwell on that.  Cady stumbled backward and raised one emerald shield after another.  However, the creature just smashed through them as if they were little more than tissue paper…

“The shovel!” Cady shouted.

Jason shook off his shock and rose to his feet, barreling toward the shovel. He could see more of those creatures coming from the other tunnels now, materializing out of multi-colored rifts.  Yet these weren’t travelers.  They couldn’t be.  Those eyes centered on Jason as soon as his fingers touched the shovel, energy in every shade of the rainbow collecting within their many, many eyes until the light was too bright to look at directly.

He didn’t need to know what they were facing to figure out that energy was dangerous; that these weren’t opponents they could fight.  Not here.  Not right now.  Yet they were also trapped.  Surrounded on all sides by those floating beasts with their glowing eyes.  With no warning, they fired – beams of condensed rainbow that tumbled and rolled and crackled toward him from all sides.  Under any other circumstances, it would have looked beautiful…

“Oh shit,” Jason muttered, no last-minute plan materializing.

Dark Incarnation was still on cooldown and there was nowhere to flee.

This was going to be where they died.

Just then, emerald energy flashed and Cady stepped out of a portal beside him.  She snatched his wrist and her other hand was a blur of motion as she cast several spells simultaneously.  More earth mana flared and a portal began to open underfoot.

“This is going to hurt!” she shouted over the roar of that strange mana.

Jason didn’t get a chance to reply before they were both plunging downward, beams of rainbow energy arcing overhead –crashing through the space they had just occupied, the energy merging to form a catastrophic detonation of mana that raced down into the portal after them—

Chapter 21 - Burden of Proof

Before AO, Eliza’s life had consisted of a simple, endlessly repeating loop.  Wake up, go to school, leave school, go to prep classes, and, once that was finished, it was off to her home… in order to squeeze in a bit more studying.  Only to eat, shower, fall asleep and wake up the next day to do it all again.  And again.  And again.  There was no end in sight.

She’d used to hate that loop with every fiber of her being.  The only solace had been the occasional respite.  Stolen minutes and sometimes even blessed hours spent in the family’s backyard garden or cooking for herself and her parents.

Then AO had happened; had destroyed that perfect, simple loop.  And Finn’s new plan to take her in as his so-called mentor?  Well, that had shattered whatever was left of her neat little routine into a thousand pieces – destroying it far beyond repair.

Exhibit A?  She was currently standing in some back alley outside of a storage facility, the building’s sign lit up in an ancient neon glow – more than a few letters only flickering black outlines.  But it was enough to get an idea of the place’s name, “Secure Storage.”  They had found this facility after discovering a single annual charge on her parent’s credit card.

And Exhibit B?  Well, now Finn and his daughter were talking about breaking in…

“Are we sure this is the right place?” Eliza ventured softly, looking over her shoulder nervously at the mouth of the alley behind them.  A billboard flashed across the street, showcasing a trio of adventurers standing before a fantasy castle, the logo for AO perched above that idyllic scene.  Almost like it was taunting her…

She shook her head.  Eliza couldn’t visualize her parents coming to a place like this.  The building beside her was a filthy, windowless concrete shell covered in offensive graffiti and located in a not-so-nice area of town.  The streets here didn’t even accommodate driverless vehicles.  They’d had to hike the last dozen blocks on foot – not that Finn or Julia seemed perturbed in the slightest.  And that was after Finn had made them take at least three different cars to get here. He’d promptly taken each one apart, hacking into its interface with practiced speed to remove any evidence that they had ever been inside the vehicle.

She’d quickly learned that her new “mentor” was a bit paranoid.

“Nope.  This is definitely the place,” Julia grunted, glancing at the glowing screen projected above her Core.  By the looks of it, she was hacking into the nearby street cameras and attempting to access the network for the storage facility.

Apparently, Eliza had joined a family of criminals.

“I’ll admit, it doesn’t look like much,” Finn added, his body wrapped in a simple hoodie and his face obscured by the cowl of his hood and a plain baseball cap. He couldn’t afford to let anyone see him just casually strolling around the city. “Any security on the building?”  This one was directed at Julia.

“Hmm, not that I can see.  This place is ancient.  No network to speak of and no AI has ever touched this facility.  I’m guessing they only use mechanical locks.”

“Low-tech and off-the-grid,” Finn grunted back.  “That’s promising.  Although, the locks will be a problem,” he added, jiggling at the door along the alley.

“I know someone that might be able to help,” Julia offered, tapping at her Core.

“No, no, we can’t afford any other witnesses.”

They couldn’t?  What about me?  Eliza wondered.  She was definitely a witness now…

A cough suddenly came from the mouth of the alley and made her jump.  Finn and Julia hesitated and slunk back against the walls.  However, the passerby soon strode past without an issue.  The look Finn and his daughter shared spoke volumes.  They couldn’t just sit out here waiting to be discovered.

Eliza’s hands twisted together into knots.  That would be even worse.  Imagine what her parents would say if they found out she’d been here?  Or what if she got arrested!  Before she knew it, she had stepped forward.  “I can… I can do it,” she ventured softly.

Too softly.  The pair didn’t even register that she’d spoken up.

“What other option do we have?” Julia snapped at her father.

“I’m not getting some wannabe cat burglar involved.”

“Cat burglar?  Really?  Are you a hundred years old?”

“Hey, you should respect your—”

Eliza sighed.  If the growing list of felonies wasn’t already bad enough, she’d also had to endure their incessant bickering.  Since they weren’t paying any attention to her, she just shrugged and stepped forward, pulling a pin from her hair and bending and flexing the metal.  She stooped and set to work, inserting the metal tip into the lock with practiced hands.  This wasn’t the sort of skill one would likely expect from a demure, straight-A student… but well, her parents had used to punish by locking her out of her garden.  A single A-.  That was all it took.  Luckily, they also worked late hours, the lock had been mechanical, and online tutorials were easy to find.  She’d always been good at learning new skills—

Click.  The door swung open on a dark hallway and the bickering at her back stopped.

“Wait, did Eliza just pick the lock?” Julia asked with an incredulous tone.

“That she did.  Good going, Eliza,” Finn added.

She just shook her head.  She was pretty sure this was felony breaking and entering now and they hadn’t even gotten to the storage unit yet.  Perfect.

The group strode inside, bright fluorescent light flickering online as the building’s ancient motion detection system picked up their movement.  The corridor was narrow, lined with metal doors, each one locked shut with a thick padlock.  Overtop each door, a number was painted in fading, flaking white.  They soon came to a stop in front of one door, the number 136 marked overhead.

“This is it,” Julia offered, then shot Eliza a meaningful look before glancing at the unwieldy-looking padlock hanging from the storage unit.

Eliza took the hint and moments later, another click echoed down the hall.

Finn couldn’t suppress his curiosity and pushed forward, heaving at the metal door with a strength that was surprising for his age.  Especially for a man that was supposed to be wheelchair bound.  However, Eliza found that even her own curiosity had been piqued.  Just what were her parents hiding here?  In this strange, dilapidated building on the fringes of the city?

The answer turned out to be rather underwhelming.  There were no bodies.  No intricate scientific equipment.  No clandestine bunker filled with weapons and drugs.  Okay, that last one had even seemed far-fetched even in her imagination, but still… only bankers’ boxes?  Dozens of them piled up toward the ceiling.  And as Julia lifted a lid, she found paper files stuffed inside. In others, dozens of tapes.  Video or audio recorded on magnetic tape of all things.

“Daniel,” Finn barked, a frown on his lips.  A glowing ball of energy suddenly appeared, the AI projected from a pedestal that Finn had carefully set on the floor.

“Yes, sir?  How may I be of assistance?”

“Scan all of the files and pull the data off the magnetic tapes.”

“Yes, sir,” the AI chirped – its helpful tone a stark contrast to its in-game persona.

Eliza preferred the orange, snarky version herself.

Seconds ticked past in silence.  Then minutes.  Then…

“Scan complete,” Daniel announced.

“Okay, search the data for any mention of Rachael,” Finn instructed.

“Are you sure we should do this here?” Julia offered, glancing over her shoulder at the darkened corridor, the lights having automatically clicked off.  It looked like Eliza wasn’t the only one worried about the amount of potential jail time they were racking up.

“It’ll only take a moment,” Finn murmured, eyeing his Core.

“I have found 5,432 references to Rachael,” Daniel chirped finally.

“And her data?  Anything that we can use to help reconstruct her neural network?”  Finn’s voice was rough – almost desperate – and Eliza and Julia just watched skeptically.

Perhaps if they’d found some old servers, that might be a real possibility.  Or even more modern storage devices.  But old magnetic tape?  Eliza suspected they could fill the whole storage building with those tapes and that still wouldn’t be able to hold the amount of raw data that Finn was looking for, a harsh reality that was soon confirmed by the AI.

“No, sir,” Daniel announced.

Finn let out a low growl under his breath.  “Yet they reference Rachael’s name over and over.  Just what are these records then?”

Daniel’s form pulsed softly and then, “These files often refer to Rachael’s name in connection with some sort of project.  A positive correlation of approximately .8.”

Julia’s brow furrowed.  “Maybe the AI associated with the autonomous driving program that you were working on?  What was the company called again?”

“Cerillion Logistics,” Finn answered in a gravelly voice.

“No, these files all reference a different project.  It has been codenamed the Lazarus Program,” Daniel replied.

“Does that make any sense?” Julia offered.  “Could mom have been working on something else?  I thought she was primarily helping you develop the autonomous driving AI.”

“She was,” Finn murmured, chewing on his bottom lip and his eyes staring into the distance, clearly trying to grapple with what he was hearing.

Eliza cocked her head.  It still seemed strange that her parents would store these files here.  An off-grid facility.  An ancient storage mechanism – one that couldn’t easily be hacked or duplicated or accessed remotely.  They’d also been nervous when talking about Finn’s old employer…

“Are there any references to Cerillion?” Eliza piped up cautiously.  “Any of its main companies or subsidiaries?”

Another pulse and then, “I was able to find a few references to Cerillion Entertainment, but only with a .2 positive correlation.  Would you like to see the relevant files?”

“Yes,” Finn barked.

Dozens of documents suddenly sprang up in the air before them, glowing with a soft, flickering blue light.  As the group scanned those files, their expressions registered surprise.  It seemed Cerillion had been working on another project with Rachael – not just Finn’s autonomous driving AI.  The data was all neatly collated and recorded… and entirely nonsensical.  Not a single document appeared to explain the purpose of the project.  It was clear they were only looking at the raw data from some sort of experiment.

“Just what is all of this?” Julia muttered, skimming the mountain of data.  “What were they working on?”

“You mean what did George drag her into?” Finn grunted back.  “And here I thought it was all because of me…”  He walked away, stalking an anxious circle into the hallway and the lights flickering back online.

“What?  What does that mean?” Julia shot back, now looking at her father.

“I—” his pacing stopped.  “I, well… I’ve always wondered if I was the reason for your mother’s death,” he answered finally.

“We’ve been over this before,” Julia snapped in frustration.  “It was a freak accident,.  You didn’t kill mom – your tech didn’t kill mom.  There hasn’t been a repeat accident since then.”

“Exactly,” Finn answered, finally meeting his daughter’s eyes.  “A freak accident.  A probability of 1 in 2.6785 billion.  Almost like someone intended for that accident to happen.  And after what Eliza told me she overheard her parents say... well, that just confirmed my suspicions.”

Julia’s eyes went round and even Eliza forgot to breathe for a moment.  What was Finn saying?  That he thought that someone had tried to—

“Someone could have been trying to kill me,” Finn said finally, answering the questions reflected in their eyes.  “It would make sense, wouldn’t it?  I was already decrying the risks of the new driving program, my name carried as much or more weight than as it does now, and there was a lot of money on the line.  Too much money to just call it all off.”

Julia shook her head.  “If you thought that, then why didn’t you raise hell after the accident?  Why didn’t you fight?” she demanded.

“Fight what?  Fight who?” Finn snapped.  “Cerillion?  The U.S. government?  And I know you’ve seen the reports surrounding the crash.  Every single agency that looked into the mechanical failure declared it an “unfortunate accident.”  And if it wasn’t – if it was more than that – then there was one hell of a conspiracy at work.  I was only one man.  One tired man who had just lost his wife and still had his young children to take care of…”

Julia winced but didn’t say anything.

Finn rubbed at his face before looking at the boxes stacked nearby.  “But now… well, I wonder if I was only half right.  Could they have been after Rachael?”

“Who would want to kill your wife?” Eliza squeaked out.

“Who the hell else?” Finn shot back.  “You overhead your parents.  They were scared.  So was Rachael.  She knew something was wrong, that’s why she left all of this with them.  She must have known I would find it someday.  Maybe she hoped Mei and Feng would approach me if something happened.  And clearly they thought it was dangerous.  Why else did they go to the trouble to bury these files in this shithole?  And who’s name did they mention again?”

Finn’s eyes almost seemed to smolder as he glared at her – demanding, insistent.

Eliza swallowed hard.  The answer was obvious.  “George… George Lane.”

“Exactly,” Finn ground out, his fingers curling into fists.

A tense silence filled the storage unit, the three of them just standing there before those floating documents, those dry and dusty columns of evidence of… something.  A project with a simple name and little-to-no explanation.  Only raw data and suspicions.

“So, what’s next?” Julia asked.

Finn grimaced.  “We go hunting for more answers.  Unfortunately, there’s only one place to look now.”

“You can’t be thinking of breaking into Cerillion Entertainment,” Julia snapped back.  “There’s no way you can pull that off.  Not again.”

“Again?” Eliza asked, then paused.  Wait, she’d heard about a break in at Cerillion, one that Jason had been involved in.  The pieces were beginning to click together.  Had… had Jason run into Finn?  Had he let him go?  Just how deep did the lies run?

The pair were both looking at her now, their expressions sympathetic, but neither making any move to rebut her conclusion. Eliza took an anxious step back, only to have those flickering documents break apart around her as she stepped through the projection.

“I know this is a lot to process,” Finn explained, his voice not ungentle.  “And I’m sorry for getting you involved.  I shouldn’t have.  But now that you are…”

“You can’t be thinking of asking her—” Julia snapped.

“It’s the only way,” Finn interjected.  “You’re right.  I can’t get inside that facility.”

His eyes shot back to Eliza – filled with determination and anger.

“But you possibly could.  The avatar of water herself?  You’ve already proven to be indispensable.  If you help us, then we stand a chance of securing more information.  Of finally getting to the bottom of all of these lies.  To find the truth.”

“But I’m just… just… my parents… I don’t…”  Eliza’s thoughts were spinning and chaotic, her mind flailing to try and process what she’d just learned.

“It’s okay,” Finn reassured her.  “If you can’t, then I’ll understand.  We’ll find another way.  But remember what I told you back in the Mile High Club.  This life is yours and only yours.  This isn’t about your parents.  Or some game.  Or George-fucking-Lane.  What do you want to do?”

Hide under her blankets.

Stick her head in the sand.

Run back to her dry textbooks…

Eliza hesitated.  But was that the truth?  That was just what she was accustomed to doing.  Ignoring a problem didn’t make it go away.  That was just a pretty lie she liked to tell herself. And she could see the pain etched on Finn and Julia’s faces.  What if the roles were reversed.  What if it were her family?  Her parents? Her mother who had been stolen from her? And even for herself… she wanted to know the truth.  She needed to know.  Eliza had a feeling that this conspiracy was related to AO somehow.  She just knew it.

And that place had been her lifeline.  Her ticket to a freedom she’d only known in stolen moments in her garden.   She wouldn’t go back; she couldn’t go back.

“You don’t have to do this—” Julia offered.

“No, no, I’ll help,” Eliza interrupted with a firmness that surprised her.  She raised her head and met their eyes.  “So, what’s next?”

Finn nodded.  “We need to go meet someone.  He might be the only person that can provide the access that we need.”

“You can’t mean…” Eliza trailed off, her eyes going round.

“Are you sure?  How do you know he’ll help?”  Julia sounded skeptical.

Finn snorted.  “What do you mean?  If there’s anyone that hates George as much as us… well, then I’m betting it’s his own son.”

Chapter 22 - Return to Sender

Up until this point, stepping through Cady’s portals had been a smooth and easy experience – one that required little thought.  Like walking through an open door into another room.  Or perhaps taking a short car ride, the road gentle and straight.  Just a short wait until they arrived at their final destination and were deposited carefully on the curb.

This time… well, it felt like riding a rollercoaster.  Except without a harness, seatbelts, or a car.  Or rails really.  They tumbled and spun and flipped through an endless barrage of color.  But that wasn’t just mana that floated around them.  Not exactly.  They were images.  People, places, and events, Jason’s Perception flickering and triggering continuously, creating phantom images among the chaos over and over and over.

Which didn’t help with the entirely-too-realistic nausea that welled at the back of his throat.  That, in itself, was strange.  He was undead now.  He didn’t have a stomach, or bile… or a true esophagus really.  Not that he was any state to appreciate the irony right now—

Jason suddenly struck solid ground with a crunch of bone, a portal hanging overhead for a brief moments before collapsing in spectacular fashion, the emerald energy blasting apart and motes of energy raining down from overhead.

He let out a groan.  “What the hell was that?” he muttered.

One of the many, many questions he had.  Like why did they need to recover a shovel of all things?  Why was there a Bone Garden down in that mine?  Oh, and what in the actual flying, spider-eyed fuck were those floating globes of flesh and teeth that shot laser beams?

“That?  That was… ugh, me opening a gate without locking in the destination.” Cady grunted from nearby.  “It actually looks like I got us pretty close to where we needed to go… maybe 50 years into the future.  Not bad all things considered.”

“No, that’s not what I was asking about,” Jason shot back.  “I meant those eyeball creatures that almost blew us into a million glowing pieces.”

“Like I said… there are consequences for deviating from the timeline,” Cady gasped, her voice sounding pained.  As his vision settled, Jason turned to find her sitting there and cradling her arm, the bone clearly fractured – a point made obvious from the ivory shard sticking out of her forearm and the blood pooling around the wound.  “Some can be quite painful.  And some… well, some are more permanent.”

“Don’t you have an item you can use to heal yourself?” Jason offered, shoving himself upright and taking stock of his own body.  A few cracked bones but nothing major.  His mana regeneration was already making short work of those minor injuries.

“Fantastic idea, why didn’t I think of that?  Oh wait, except my bag is fucking gone,” she shot back sourly, waving at her waist where her leather belt had indeed been shorn off – the smokey black edges indicating that she had just barely dodged one of the laser beams shot by those strange creature. She ground her teeth and let out a hiss as she jostled her arm.  It looked like it hurt.   “And do you see any stores nearby?”

She was right.  It seemed they’d been dropped off in some sort of jungle, dense trees looming round and stretching up into the sky, the sun mercifully tucked behind those branches – keeping those searing rays off Jason’s unholy body.  Vines hung down from overhead, swaying overtop thick ferns beaded with cloying moisture.  The buzz of insects and the chirp of unseen birds drifted through the canopy, giving the jungle a constant, humming soundtrack.  A tap at Jason’s map didn’t reveal any useful information.  They were just two tiny green dots amid a sea of gray.  Which only reminded him that he’d also lost his drones… yet again.

Jason shifted his attention back to Cady, a bony hand digging into his pack as he hunted for a potion.  “Well, losing your bag sucks, but can’t you just use Rewind?  Revert your arm back to how it was before the injury or restore your gear?”  He asked, cocking his head.

“No, not right now.  The Hall Monitors will smell the use of Time since they’ve already picked up on our trail.  Especially after I opened an emergency gate…”

“Hall monitors?” Jason echoed in confusion, pulling a glowing red vial from his pack – one of the many health potions Eliza had given him.  He unstoppered the bottle and offered it to Cady. “Are you talking about those floating eyeballs?”

“Hmph, yeah, no shit,” she grunted, reaching for the potion—

Only for Jason to pull it away.

“What are you doing?  Give it to me.”

He raised a bony finger.  “I occurs to me that I suddenly have some leverage.  And I have oh-so-many questions.  For example, what are those Hall Monitors?”

She growled at him, glaring.  “You’re an asshole.”

“Thanks.  I’ve been taking notes from the grandmaster herself.”

Cady barked out a harsh laugh at that one.

Then she hesitated and sighed.  “Fine.  I have no idea what those creatures are.  But they’re sort of a cosmic police force in-game.  They protect the continuity of the game’s primary timeline and attack anything that causes a deviation.  Hence, why I call them Hall Monitors.”

“So, when we killed the brigands and then destroyed the Bone Garden—”

“We altered a major plot line,” Cady finished for him with a nod.  “There are minor and major deviations.  Minor stuff is like stealing some fruit from a stall or something.  Despite what you’ve heard about the Butterfly Effect, most minor events just result in a wet fart from a causal standpoint.  It’s not as romantic or interesting, but it’s realistic.  The timeline has a way of preserving itself and maintaining continuity.  A certain sort of momentum, I guess you could say.  It takes a big swing to see big changes.”

“Ahh, got it.  Hall Monitors.  I get it now.  Because they ruin your fun, huh?”

“Exactly.  And we weren’t carrying a hall pass,” Cady offered with a pained grunt.

Jason shook his head, his eyes drifting down to his side, where Alfred had coiled up against his leg, snoring softly – seemingly unaffected by their impromptu rollercoaster ride.  Was this the AI’s way of preserving the game’s narrative and avoiding large continuity issues?  A backstop against Cady’s abilities – which had seemed incredibly overpowered… up until a few minutes ago, anyway.  However, this was one hell of a limitation.

She followed his gaze, nodding.  “I know what you’re thinking,” she offered.  “And you’re right.  This is the AI’s tool.  A limitation on my power.”

Jason shifted his attention to the forest around them, rising to his feet and dislodging the sleeping cat.  “Are we safe now?  Can’t the Hall Monitors just follow us here?”

He’d seen how those creatures had simply teleported into the cave.

Cady shook her head.  “They won’t.  I anchored that spot in time – that’s part of what I was casting while I was shielding the cave.  And that last gate shot us along my own timeline, so it’ll be harder to detect us.  If we stay near my other self and keep a low profile, she can help shield us from the Hall Monitors’ sight.”  She craned her head to look around, brow furrowed.  “If I’m right… then we’ve moved a bit ahead.  A few decades, at least.”

Her eyes centered back on Jason.  “Now, are you going to give me that damn potion?”

“Fine, here you go,” he replied as he handed her the vial.

She quickly downed the contents.  “Fucking finally—”

Cady was cut off as the bones of her forearm abruptly jerked back into place with a crunch of bone and the skin began to stitch itself back together.  She let out a hissing breath before collapsing back against a tree trunk, her eyes closed and her breathing beginning to steady.

“Feel better?” Jason offered glibly, earning him another, half-lidded glare.  “You know, sharing this sort of information ahead of time would have been really helpful.  I’m getting the sense that you’re not much of a team player, huh?”

“What’s the point when people just let you down?  Speaking of which, where is the shovel?” she demanded, looking around.  “All of that Time wasted for nothing.”

Something in her words resonated with him – her barb not quite landing.  It was the bitterness, the resentment in her voice.  Especially after what happened at Richmond and again with his parents.  Even people that were supposed to look out for you weren’t there when you needed them.  Yet that wasn’t universally true.  Jason still had friends.  Angie.  Riley.  Frank.  Even Alfred – assuming he could count the AI as a friend.  This earned him a sleepy glance and a snort from the cat snoozing at his side.

Jason watched Cady.  The slump of her shoulders.  The fatigue that circled her eyes.  The way her hand kept going to her belt – to that missing bag that once held her equipment and tools.  Tools she’d used to compensate for not having any teammates.  From what he’d seen so far, she was used to flying solo.  He’d seen how she’d begun playing AO firsthand.

She’d been alone from the start.

And that said nothing about her real life.

Although, now that he had her name, Jason had been able to do a quick search.  What he’d found had been interesting.  Wharton Business.  Georgetown Law School.  A client list that included some of the wealthiest people in the world.  Yet her online presence had basically disappeared almost a year ago.  Her socials had all gone silent.  Her affiliation with her prior firm had vanished.  It was like she dropped off the face of the planet.  His guess was that she’d begun working for Cerillion around then… for some unknown reason.

And then there were the other holes in her life.  Most people posted pictures of friends and family – at least, occasionally.  Or, at a minimum, those other people occasionally posted on their socials.  A racist meme from an aunt.  An embarrassing baby photo from their mother.  However, in Cady’s case there was nothing no matter how hard Jason searched.  No pictures of other people – unless they were clients or a business connection, of course.  Not even a whisper of family or friends.  He was beginning to suspect that her real life mirrored the one she’d lived in-game.

Cady was alone even in the middle of a crowd, standing before a full board room… or playing a game with millions of others.  The Fates had made sure of that.

“Well, it’s easy for others to let you down when you set them up to fail,” he said finally.

Cady’s eyes whipped to his face, shock and a hint of anger lingering there.  “That’s not—”

He barked out a laugh.  “Really?  C’mon.  You can lie to yourself but I’m not blind.”

Cady opened her mouth… closed it… opened it again…

“Oh, I’m enjoying this.  Is Arcadia Landrey actually speechless?” he teased.  “And here I heard you were a mock trial champion back in law school.”

She looked away with a grimace.  “Shut up,” she muttered.

“Real mature.  As expected of someone of your wisdom and experience.”

“It’s what happens when I hang out with a teenage kid,” Cady snapped back.

“A teenage kid that managed to snag that shovel…” he trailed off, pulling the instrument from his bag and offering it to her.

Cady’s eyes went round, shock registering on her face.  “You… but how…”

“Ahh, this will never get old,” he teased again, a chuckle escaping his throat.

“Fine.  Okay, you win.  Maybe… maybe I’ve been a little standoffish.”

If Jason had still had eyebrows, they would have lifted off into low orbit at that point.  Although, his incredulity must have somehow translated, even with his skeletal features, because Cady coughed delicately into her hand, looking away.

“Alright, I’ve been a paranoid pain in the ass.”

“There you go,” Jason quipped.

“Watch it, kid,” she snapped at him before letting out a heavy sigh.  “The truth is that I brought you along because I knew I would need the help.  My spells are useful – incredible really – but they’re situational.  I can’t easily kill an army of residents.  Or rip out their memories.  Or station immortal, undead guards to defend those mines.”

“Hmm, you caught that, huh?” Jason asked in surprise.  He thought she’d been too consumed with casting her own spells – presumably, anchoring that cave to the timeline… whatever the hell that meant.  Either way, judging from his current mana reserves, his minions must still be alive.  So, her spell must have succeeded.

“That still doesn’t explain why you need to fly off the handle and kill everything in sight at the first opportunity,” she shot back, glaring again.

“The diligent collection of materials is important for any craftsman—” Jason began, but cut himself short with a bony grin.  “Kidding.  Just kidding.  That’s fair.”

A tense silence hovered over the clearing, wind rustling the branches and the chirp of birds occasionally echoing through the trees.  It was almost peaceful.

“Alright, well apology accepted—”

“I didn’t actually apologize,” she interjected.

Jason just kept moving.  He approached her, offering a bony hand.  “Sure, you didn’t.  Either way, why don’t we start fresh?  Hey, my name is Jason.  I might be a digital sociopath.  Please don’t judge me too harshly.  I’m supposed to be the villain of this game, after all.”

Cady met his eyes, an involuntary grin tugging at her lips.  Then she accepted his grip, Jason hauling her to her feet.  “Nice to meet you.  My name’s Cady.  I might have some trust issues.  Also, I’m in desperate need of a sociopath, because I’m pretty sure we’ll need to kill quite a few more people if we’re going to stick it to the old avatars.”

“There we go.  A common enemy.  We’ll be best friends in no time,” Jason quipped.  “Speaking of which, what’s our next step?”

Cady’s forehead scrunched as a rattle came from nearby.  She pulled her mask back into place and pushed forward through the brush, Jason wrapping his cloak tight and his cowl soon obscuring his features.  Only moments later, they emerged from the thicket and stepped onto packed earth.  It was as though the jungle had been ripped up by the roots, the trees chopped up and piled in neat pallets of lumber nearby and the rest of the vegetation piled up and left to rot in the harsh sunlight.  The result was a clear expanse nearly a mile wide.  And in the dead center?  A packed, dirt road.  One that wound down through the clearing toward a strange sight.

A city was nestled in the nearby valley, built atop a lake. One that looked eerily familiar.  Neon lights flashed – no doubt, powered by thousands of mana crystals.  Chimes rang out even at this distance.  Dozens of airships circled the structure, lazing about in the sky and anchored to the top of the building by thick ropes.

Even more odd… more signs had been scattered all along the dirt road, as well as the dozen other highways that radiated out from that strange city like the spokes of a wheels, hundreds of residents pounding their way down those paths.  A stream of humanity all pouring toward that structure in the distance.  Like ants returning to their glowing, clanging colony.

“The Half-Mile Club, don’t let your dreams be dreams!”

“Now hosting the 5000th annual epic food fight!”

“Get your tickets now, folks!”

“Oh, gods damn it,” Jason muttered.  “Not this again.”  He side-eyed Cady.  “Did your former self really end up here?”

“Yes, yes I did,” Cady muttered.  “This is where I struck my deal with the Gambler.”

“Tell me this isn’t part of the plan!  We don’t need anything from there, right?  Your clone can handle it and this is just a stopping point on the way to somewhere else…”

Cady stayed quiet as he trailed off, a frown on her lips.

“Right?” Jason insisted, starting to grow worried.

More silence.  That was answer enough.

“Well, shit,” Jason muttered.

Chapter 23 - Indentured

“So, does this mean murder is okay again or…?” Jason trailed off, waving at the two very human corpses now laid out along the forest floor, their position concealed from the nearby trail by the jungle’s thick foliage.  Even the cleared areas were already starting to grow back with a vengeance – a testament to how resilient this vegetation really was.  Speaking of which—

Jason snatched the fist-sized mosquito that was trying to puncture his bony arm.  The creature’s body exploded as he squeezed and blood burst across his armor.  He let out a sigh.  What a mess.  He envied Cady.  Her tattoos just flashed, a barrier springing up across her skin to blunt the attack of the insects and a jolt of electricity sent them crashing to the ground.  They smoldered there, twitching slightly.

Although, Jason hesitated as he stared down at the dead insect…

He’d never tried raising an insect.  Sure, the fire ants around Sandscrit technically counted, but they had been massive.  What about something smaller?

“This was necessary murder,” Cady replied as she dabbed at the fresh blood and pressed it to her ring before tossing it to Jason.  “If we’re going to sneak in, you need a disguise.”

“And this time it’s important to look human?” Jason asked, glancing up in surprise before catching the ring neatly and pulling it over one finger.   He eyed his limbs as water condensed from the air and pressed close.  Moments later, smooth skin covered his hands, arms, and face.

“It’s the easiest way to sneak inside the club.”

Jason just grunted, his attention once again captured by the dead mosquito in his hand.  With a few muttered words and a flash of his free hand, dark mana slithered down his arm and plunged into the insect’s body.  The mosquito’s chitin stitched itself back together and dark mana flared out across its wings.  Moments later, it was buzzing beside Jason under the effects of his Custom Skeleton.  Curious, he kept going, raising the mosquitos that were lying behind Cady – his partner oblivious as she messed with the corpse.

Soon, a handful of the creatures were buzzing beside him.  They were certainly interesting.  Light.  Mobile.  And the flight feature was certainly nice.  They might even be a good replacement for his drones if he could incorporate some light mana gems without adding too much weight.

His UI suddenly dinged…

New Skill:  Undead Swarm

You have raised several small undead, creating your very first undead swarm.  This skill will allow you to reduce the Control Limit cost of your swarms and at higher levels, it will allow you to control larger and more complicated swarms.

Skill Level:  Beginner Level 1

Effect:  10 minions per swarm. 6-inch diameter limit.  A swarm counts as 1 minion toward your Control Limit.

Huh, okay.  That was a great ability.

“Gods damn it,” Cady snapped as her mana flared, jogging Jason out of his thoughts.  With a gesture, he directed the mosquitos inside his cloak where they skittered up his skeletal body and perched inside his bony ribcage.  It felt weird, but it was probably better not to show them to Cady.

He could only imagine what she’d say.

“So, uh, why are they wearing collars again?” Jason asked, eyeing the human corpses as Cady muttered under her breath and pulled a new gadget from her bag, pressed it to the collars, and then snapped the clasp open with another flash of mana.  “I noticed the humans back in the mines were wearing them as well.”  He hadn’t paid it much attention at the time, but the faun mages had each been surrounded by a group of humans.

“Because they’re slaves.  Humans in this era are little more than disposable property – easily bred and replaced.  At least, from the standpoint of races that live for hundreds of years.  However, they’re still a convenient labor force since they’re too weak and pliable to put up much resistance,” Cady explained as she rose back to her feet, taking the collar she’d retrieved and smashing it against a nearby tree – just hard enough for the metal clasp to warp.  Then she wrapped the collar around her own neck and secured it, the crystal flashing.

Jason just grunted as she tossed the other broken device to him.

Cady was lucky she got to keep her appearance.  Jason’s new disguise wasn’t much better than the last.  He was an older, grizzled man with a potbelly.  Perhaps he’d been the younger woman’s father?  It was hard to say.  Jason knew he should feel guilty for killing these two.  The only mistake they’d made was wandering from the path.  A short jaunt through the woods that had cost them their lives.  But he only felt… numb.  The killing had come even easier since he’d turned into a lich; since he’d given up a beating heart and warm blood.

Perhaps he’d also cut out a part of his humanity along the way.

Not that it mattered now.  Real or fake.  Right or wrong.  Those esoteric questions had faded into the background.  The goal right now was to survive; to grow stronger.  Strong enough to face the other travelers and avatars.

As Cady turned away and dug her arm into her bag, Jason cast Custom Skeleton again.  Since he already had the original mosquito model, he just duplicated it.  The corpses broke apart, forming dozens of new mosquitos that soon flitted through the air and dove beneath his cloak, hiding away in its protective shadow.  As Jason canceled the spell, only the blood remained.  Although, the looming cloud of still-living mosquitos would likely make short work of that.  Nature was also indifferent to such moral quandaries.

Jason glanced at his UI.  His drones were still alive – as were the skeletons he’d left to defend the mines.  They’d mapped an extensive portion of those tunnels by now.  That information would likely be useful later.  Assuming, of course, that they survived and made it back to the present.  Cady had said they’d now traveled a few decades years into the future, which by Jason’s calculations still put them roughly 100-150 years in the past still.

It was getting difficult to keep track…

A woosh of air and Cady had snatched the collar from his hands, snapping the device around his neck.  Jason’s hand caught her wrist.

“The collar won’t hurt you.  It’s been disabled,” she explained as she would a small child.  “But we have to keep up the ruse if we’re going to get inside the club.”

“About that… is this pitstop really worth it?” Jason asked, releasing his grip. “Trying to convince the Gambler to join you again?  Didn’t you manage that the first time?  Couldn’t we just let the original you handle it?”

“Be honest, you’re just scared.”

“Uh, yeah, kind of,” Jason acknowledged, shaking his head.  He wasn’t even embarrassed.  “You didn’t have to fight through his sadistic games in some sort of floating amusement park.”

“We don’t have a choice,” Cady muttered.  “Now that we’ve changed things, we need to make a strong impression.  Get him completely on our side.  Especially if Sebastian was meddling in the mines.  We’ll have to assume he’ll discover that the brigands are dead and his Bone Garden was destroyed… if he hasn’t already.  He’ll be on guard.  Suspicious.”

“Sure,” Jason muttered.  “But there has to be a better way—"

Cady just ignored him and pushed through the brush, Jason following behind her reluctantly.  The pair soon stepped back out onto hardpacked dirt, the jungle’s growth chopped back for about twenty yards on either side.  The path wound its way through the hills toward the club and many more trails spiraled away from the structure, leading in every direction – shadowy figures forming long lines down those paths.  Rivers of humanity all flowing in one direction.  Even now, other residents trudged past.  Most didn’t even spare a glance in the pair’s direction – their eyes distant and shoulders hunched.

They were all human, those same runed collars wrapping their necks.

“Besides,” Cady continued, glancing over her shoulder at him.  “If we play our cards right, we could obtain some of the items we need from the club.”

“Like what?” Jason asked skeptically.

Cady’s eyes turned back to the club, gleaming with greed.  “More mana generators.”

***

“So, when you say generators… you mean, plural?  As in multiple generators?” Jason asked quietly – not for the first time during their hike toward the club.

“Yes,” Cady hissed, a pained expression on her face.

“Generators that are the size of a small car?”

“Yep, they’re quite large.”

“And you’re planning on stealing them how?  To store them where?  As far as I can tell, we keep jumping through time quite frequently…”

She just let out a sigh.  “You’ll see.”

“And here I thought we were friends now – that we’d moved past the pointless secrets.”

He paused, watching her.  “Or… could it be that you don’t actually have a plan?”

She winced.  Damn it.  He’d actually been hoping she had some sort of scheme up her sleeve.  Something more than smuggling themselves inside this club while pretending to be slaves.  Even now, they stood in a long, long line of humans before a steel grate, the club looming before them and towering up into the sky.  Mechanized sentries were stationed on either side of the portal – much cleaner versions of the bouncer bots that Finn had repurposed in the Mile High Club.  Meanwhile, a group of fairies no bigger than his head flitted through the air and scanned the collars, admitting the humans one by one as they disappeared into that mawing black opening.

“Alright, then let’s move past how you have zero plan,” Jason continued.  “Why are all these humans lined up to enter the club?  And, uh, what’s up with the signs?”

He trailed off, waving at the displays that now littered the trail.  They’d grown in density the closer they got to the club and these were no longer crudely-painted displays.  Instead, they glowed with embedded mana crystals like neon signs.  However, that wasn’t what was bothering Jason.  It was what they were selling…

“Tired?  In pain?  Struggling with life as a slave?  Mendax is here for you!”

“Mendax Mortgages has now partnered with the Fairy Fam!  Use your discount card to receive 15% off your next purchase!  Just show your Fair Fam enthusiasm at the gate!”

“Low on coins and gems?  Nothing to trade?  Mendax Mortgages are here for you!”

Cady winced again, opening her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted as the slave waiting at the entrance suddenly burst into song, singing some unholy anthem about the “Fairy Fam.”  And Jason got to experience every word in exquisite, painful detail courtesy of his Listening skill.  The other humans were also looking more desperate now, shuffling through their bags for scraps of gemstones and a paltry few coins.  Their hands were shaking and trembling and their eyes looked bloodshot – as though they hadn’t slept in days.  Others were hastily filling out long-form sheets attached to clipboards with the help of the fairies that flitted down the line before scrawling their names at the bottom… in their own blood.  A flash of emerald energy and the fairies deposited a familiar, rainbow-colored vial in their palm.

The man mercifully stopped singing and another bottle landed in his outstretched hands.  He quickly popped open the vial and squirted a droplet into each eye, letting out a contented sigh as his whole body relaxed.

“Are they selling drugs?” Jason muttered.

Cady didn’t say anything, her lips just pinched into a grim line.

“But why?” Jason muttered, keeping his voice low.  “Why sell this stuff for a few scraps of crystal?  And what are these mortgages?  Why are those people talking about payment plans and how much time they have left on their mortgage?”  He pointed at a teenager.  “That kid keeps muttering about how he only has 10 years left.  He’s what?  Twelve?”  Jason waved his hand in the kid’s face and got no reaction.  “And why are they acting like zombies?”

Cady was shifting uncomfortably now, avoiding his gaze.  “You ask a lot of questions.”

“And you seem reluctant to answer them,” Jason shot back under his breath.  “Like why are all these slaves here?  Why does the Gambler need this many people?”

“You ever been to an amusement park in the real world?  These places require lots of labor.  Cooking.  Cleaning.  Manning shops that sell all manner of useless junk.”

“Why not use the bots, though?”

She snorted.  “The same reason humans have historically used immigrant and slave labor back in our world.  It’s cheaper.  And just like in our world, the races here have come up with flimsy lies to help justify that oppression.  Our soft skin.  Our short life spans.  Our weak, frail bodies. Clearly, we’re lesser than.”

Jason eyed the humans around them.  That sort of slavery would begin to explain why the humans had risen up against the gods and their avatars – just like those human terrorists they’d first encountered back in Pax.  Yet something still felt off.  It seemed like the drug was turning these people into zombies, their eyes distant and vacant and swirling with color – barely registering anything at all as they stared off into space.

“Why don’t they fight back?  What’s wrong with them?” Jason asked.

“Because they can’t,” Cady grunted, a pained expression on her face.  “Humans at this time didn’t have the power of the other races.  Specifically, they can’t use magic.”

Jason’s head whipped back toward her.  Now that was new information!  And it didn’t quite match up with what he’d witnessed.  Sure, the human terrorists hadn’t used magic – just a few items and that fire crystal – but those slaves that the fauns had been leading had clearly been casting earth magic.

“But what about—” Jason began.

Cady cut him off with a gesture as the line moved forward.  It was their turn and they approached the bouncer bots and their fairy escorts.  “Hello, and welcome to Half Mile Club!” a fairy chirped, suddenly buzzing far too close to their faces for comfort.  “How are you both doing on this lovely day?  Ready to serve our corporate overlords with a smile?”

“Uh, not really,” Jason muttered before he could help himself.  He was seriously debating just killing everyone in line, raising an undead horde and taking the club by force…

The fairies all froze and Cady let out an exasperated sigh.

“It look like we have a real SOUR PUSS over here!” the fairy called out, the others perking up and even the ones servicing the line starting to buzz their way.  “Aren’t you happy to join the Fairy Fam and get to work?!”

The other fairies were closing in now, all of them wearing those huge, insipid grins on their dumb little faces.  Jason was starting to wonder if humans weren’t the only creatures using that strange drug.  Clearly, the fairies were taking something.

“He’s just—” Cady tried to interject.

“I’m not a member of this… this Fairy Fam,” Jason bit out, forcing himself to say that irritating phrase.  “I just want to do the job and go home.”

The fairies all gasped, gaping in shock.

“So, so he’s not a member…”

“That can’t be…”

“Impossible!”

The fairies were all whispering, snippets picked up by Jason’s Listening skill.  They were crowding closer now – more than a dozen circling round.  He started to shift his arms beneath his cloak, preparing to kill these stupid, flying sycophants if they tried to attack him.

“That just won’t do,” the guard fairy murmured ominously.

“Everyone!  We must show him the Fairy Fam spirit!” the fairy suddenly roared, his voice amplified many times by his own air magic.  The others suddenly jumped into motion as they surged forward, their voices all rising in the air, carried on mana-infused winds.  Instead, of attacking Jason, they did something far, far worse…

They started singing.  That same damn song he’d heard earlier, but now in a chorus and with their voices all hooked up to the magical equivalent of an amplifier.  And the cherry on top of this gods-awful discordant sundae?  They were also dancing around him in a circle while holding hands.

“We’re all a happy Fairy Fam-ily!  With a great big hug…”

And now they were hugging him.  All of them.

Then they started messing with his clothing, his illusion rippling and contorting, but thankfully the fairies didn’t seem to notice in their fervor.  Then one of them settled something on his head and another pair were casting something on his back.  All at once, they finished their song in a grand crescendo of noise and sparkling lightning.

“Ahh, now you have the spirit!” that original fairy guard announced as he backed away with a manic smile.

Jason heard laughter to his side and turned to find Cady covering her face.

“What?  What’s wrong?” Jason demanded.

“You look… amazing,” she offered in between gasping breaths.  Jason glanced at one of the bouncer bots, its metal polished to a gleaming shine, which offered a reflection.

He could only gape in horror.  He was wearing a rainbow-colored hat that said “Fairy Fam in bright, bold lettering.  And as he pivoted… those were gods damned wings on his back.  Translucent fairy wings.  “Oh, fuck me,” Jason muttered, tugging at the hat.

It wouldn’t budge.  It was almost like they’d glued the damn thing on.

“Hush, or they’ll make it even worse,” Cady offered, her expression sobering.

“How could it get worse?” Jason shot back under his breath as the fairies waved them into the gate.  Jason was moving fast now, trying to put distance between himself and the fairies.

“If you keep acting like a sour puss, they throw a tea party.  Also, the tea is drugs.  You aren’t given an option on whether to drink it,” she replied with a grin.

“It think I already hate this place more than the last club,” Jason grumbled, twisting to try to get at those wings.  However, they fluttered just out of reach each time he made a grab for them.

Sighing in frustration, he looked up to discover they were in some sort of underground facility.  The tunnel was narrow and reeked of sickly, sweet mildew, even with the way the game suppressed his sense of smell.   Not that anyone seemed to mind.  The crowd of humans trudged forward into the gloom like zombies, more than a few sporting similar rainbow-colored hats.  Although, presumably, they’d donned the nightmare accessories of their own volition…

The tunnel soon opened into a larger enclosure – a palatial room that stretched up two dozen feet and spanned a few hundred more.  Jason could only shake his head.  This club was even larger than the last – much larger.  Based on the way those roads had spiraled toward multiple entrances, he could also safely assume that there were many gates, and many narrow tunnels that opened into these larger spaces.  Each of which must contain hundreds or thousands of humans.

This appeared to be where the humans ate, shit, and slept… but definitely didn’t shower.  All along the walls were ramshackle huts.  Lean-to wooden affairs.  Food simmering over open fires, the smoke wafting up and staining the rock a dark black along the ceiling before getting sucked out of narrow vents in the walls.  This was an underground human town of some sort.  Although, it sure looked like a slum.

Which begged another question…

If there was an underground city here, then why did the humans have to migrate into the club?  Why not just live here underground?  Although, the answer came to him as he was jostled from behind, the other man not saying a word as he stepped around Jason and further into the room.  There were simply too many people.  Far, far too many humans to fit in this space.

“Wait, this isn’t right,” the man in front of Jason muttered suddenly, blinking in confusion and stopping short, blocking the flow of humans trickling into the room.

“We have another Sour Puss!” a fairy chirped from overhead.

A gust of some sort of rainbow-colored mist wafted from the ceiling and struck the human man full in the face.  He breathed in sharply, let out a short cough, stumbled, and then relaxed and continued trudging into the room, his eyes now blank and distant… and glowing with a familiar multi-colored glow.

“Seriously, what is that stuff?  Is that the same drug you’ve been—” Jason began.

“Hush, not here,” Cady hissed.  She pointed at the ceiling where several fairies flitted through the air, amber threads of energy winding through the crowd of humans and drifting back toward them.  Jason took her point.  Those were guards.  And those wisps of mana must be a way to pick out noise – conversations among the crowd of living zombies.

Cady waved discreetly and the pair inched forward through the crowd until the fairy sentries had thinned considerably.  Only one of the “Fairy Fam” watched over the dead-eyed humans and their forlorn huts here in the depths of the slums.  And even that fairy looked distracted, picking his nose as he buzzed around near the ceiling.  Before Jason could appreciate their circumstances or ask any more questions, Cady took his arm.

“Come on.  We need to move fast.  Keep conversation to a minimum for now.  It’s safer here, but you never know when the fairies might be listening.”

Jason frowned but followed her lead as Cady led him through the maze of stalls and bodies.  They soon stopped before one nondescript hut and Cady cocked her head as she inspected the structure.  “This is it,” she whispered.

“This is what exactly?” he shot back, beginning to reach the end of his patience.

“You’ll see.”

With that cryptic explanation, Cady stepped inside, pushing aside the tattered cloth that concealed the entrance.  Jason found himself inside a squalid little hut, a mat on the floor and cold shattered coals lying in a clay urn nearby.  There was nothing to see here—

He froze as his Perception picked out an irregularity in the stone wall that the hut was leaning against.  Then another.  And another.  Cady moved swiftly, stepping forward and pressing each of those spots one by one.  As she finished, a dull emerald energy swept across the rock and the surface melted away to reveal another dark tunnel.  Clearly a Dissolve spell.  A ward have been etched into the stone on the other side.

“Come on,” Cady urged him.  “We need to make a quick stop.”

“A quick stop where?” Jason asked in a pained voice.

She shot him a glance over her shoulder, her own eyes glowing softly with multi-colored energy.  “You’ll see.  All the of the answers you’re looking for are down here.  Now, come on.”

He was still hesitating.  This place was a madhouse.  A weird prison/amusement park run by sycophant fairies who didn’t hesitate to drug their human slaves like cattle.  What more craziness lay deeper inside this strange place?

“Seriously, move it Sour Puss,” Cady called back, taunting him.

Jason grumbled under his breath and made to follow but hesitated as Cady’s body disappeared into the gloom.  There was just one last thing he wanted to do now that his nagging partner wasn’t watching…

He quickly dropped into Sneak and slipped back out of the hut, eyeing the lone fairy buzzing near the ceiling.  Now it was eating its own boogers.  Yeah, these little assholes didn’t deserve to live.  And luckily, he had something he wanted to test.

With a mental command, the undead mosquitos detached from his ribs and flowed out of his cloak in a dark, buzzing wave.  Another gesture from Jason and they darted up toward the ceiling, neatly flanking that little idiot fairy.  This guy must have gotten this position for a reason – he didn’t even notice the insects approaching… not until they were already on top of him.  Their needle-like proboscis stabbed into his flesh again and again and he opened his mouth to scream.  Yet nothing emerged.  Not with Jason’s Curse of Silence stabbing into his stomach.

Moments later, the fairy’s body dropped to the ground, bleeding and riddled with holes.

Jason stalked forward, observing the corpse with cold eyes.  Not bad.  He’d made a few enhancements to the mosquitos during their occasional breaks on the hike to the club.  He’d reinforced the needle with metal and fused shards of light mana crystals into their bodies.

Now for the next part…

Jason raised the corpse and the fairy soon floated beside him.  A short test revealed that the zombie retained its air mana abilities – just as Brodie had.  And from the buzzing voices coming in over those mana-infused winds, it appeared he now had a way to spy on the club’s operations and communications.  Now he could gather more information.

Another wave and the dark cloud of mosquitos broke apart, suddenly all flitting off in different directions.  Jason’s UI pinged and his map began updating rapidly.  Hopefully, the creatures would be small enough to avoid detection.  However, he could already see that they were more efficient in quickly mapping a new location.

Perfect.  Which just left the fairy…

Cady would freak out if she saw this, so—

Jason waved a hand and the fairy buzzed forward and tucked itself back inside his now empty ribcage.  It was uncomfortable, but he could live with it.

Then he turned his dark eyes back to that hut and the narrow tunnel leading deeper into the bowels of the club.  His work completed, now it was finally time to get some damn answers…

Chapter 24 - Pharma

Jason wasn’t exactly sure what he’d find in a secret passage built into the human slums that lingered beneath The Half Mile Club.  A storage facility for weapons and armor?  Or, given the condition of the slaves, maybe just food?  Or possibly some way up into the upper levels of club?  Some sort of secret passage that allowed the fairies to navigate the facility?

He was wrong.  Dead wrong.

Jason stepped into a stone-lined room bustling with activity.  Humans filled the area, but these men and women weren’t sick or bleeding or clamoring to sign up for their next fix of that strange multi-colored drug.  They were wrapped in clean clothes and thick leather smocks etched with complicated runes.  Their eyes didn’t gaze off into the distance or flicker with a rainbow glow.  Instead, their vision was clear and their eyes wary as they noticed Cady and Jason enter.

Even more interesting, Jason’s Perception skill picked out equipment lining the walls.  Boilers.  Vats of water and other strange liquids.  Twisting glass tubing that spiraled and twirled, connecting massive cylinders.  Steam swept through that tubing, collecting and condensing and eventually dripping into a barrel along the far wall… a long stack lingering nearby.

Just what the hell were these people doing down here?

A young woman pushed through the pack, her hair bound in a tight ponytail and her apron smeared with mud and dirt.  “How did you get in—” she began.

She hesitated upon seeing Cady, the woman pulling away her demonic mask to reveal her face.  The other humans bristled, weapons suddenly appearing in their hands as they surveyed their new guests.  However, the woman seemed unperturbed as she watched Cady.

“I thought I told you not to come here again.”  That was all she said.

Jason’s fingers twitched, anxious to summon his half-staves.  These people didn’t exactly look friendly.  And judging from a quick inspection, they weren’t as pitiful as those brigands they’d first encountered.  The lowest level was still well over 200.  The only thing that stopped him was his memory of his last encounter with the human terrorists.  They’d been exceedingly fragile.  And now that he knew the stakes of causing a continuity error – a visit from those spider-eyed Hall Monitors – well, he wasn’t anxious to repeat that experience.   Still, there was no chance in hell he was going to die in the bowels of this fantasy amusement park while wearing fake fairy wings…

Cady’s hand touched his arm, her eyes telling him to wait.

“No killing anyone,” she muttered under her breath.

Then to the other woman.  “Hello again, Petra.  It’s nice to see you too.”

“What are you doing here?” the other woman demanded, her eyes flashing.  Apparently, they knew each other, but they definitely weren’t friends.  “I won’t ask again.”

“Is that anyway to treat the founder of this little… operation?”  Cady offered with a shrug and a twinkle in her eye.  “Besides, I brought you a gift—”

Her fingers pulled a package from a portal of emerald energy, wax paper sealed with a piece of twine.  A twist at the knot and the paper unfurled to reveal a piece of… cake.  That was the only word Jason had to describe it.  Cady was holding a slice of cake.  Although, it was hard to feel surprised after everything they’d been through already.

The humans started forward, but Petra waved them off, her eyes wide.  “Is that… is that what I think it is?” she muttered, staring.

“Caellion Fruitcake.  The highest quality,” Cady replied with a smile.  “But if we’re not friends…” she trailed off, pulling the wax paper back into place.

Petra rushed forward.  “I never said that,” she snapped, snatching the cake from Cady’s hands and cradling it like a newborn baby.  “Look at that icing,” she murmured.

“Do you two need a moment?” Cady offered.

“I see you haven’t changed,” Petra snapped.  Then she seemed to realize the others were still watching.  “You lot, back to work.  You know it’s rude to stare.  Especially since you’re in the presence of the founding member of the resistance.  You’re looking at the Contractor.”

Murmurs filled the room, the other humans eyeing each other in shock and surprise.  However, their expressions softened as they watched Cady – changing from suspicion to adulation in the blink of an eye.  The Contractor? Jason wondered.  What was going on here?  Was Cady somehow connected to the human terrorists… the same ones that had tried to kidnap her? Maybe she’d gone back and changed the past again?  He had to admit, time travel could get confusing fast.  Maybe those Hall Monitors were on to something by just blowing it all up…

“I said, get back to work!  We need to get this batch finished quickly!” Petra barked again and the others jumped, the commotion returning in full force.

Then Petra – presumably the leader of these underground alchemists-turned-terrorists – inspected Jason as she tucked the cake safely into her pack.  “Who is this guy?  Friend of yours?”

Jason realized he was still disguised as a human, and took the hint as Cady glared at him.  She must not want to reveal he was undead, which meant he should probably keep the undead fairy hiding in his chest a secret.  Oh, and the skeletal mosquitoes, the creatures rapidly mapping the entire club in his peripheral vision.

“Just a friend of the… uh, Contractor,” Jason replied evenly.

“Hmph,” Petra grunted, not looking convinced as she eyed the hat and the glowing wings.

No doubt, all she saw was a middle-aged man with a pot belly wearing far too much fairy merch.  If only she could see his real appearance.  She would have been terrified.

Fucking Fairy Fam, he thought to himself.

Petra’s eyes shot Cady’s face.  “Doesn’t matter.  What are you doing here?  The last time you came around, chaos followed and you set our production back by weeks.  We can’t afford that right now.”

“And why’s that?” Cady pressed, pushing closer and eyeing the equipment, Petra trying to keep herself between the avatar and the intricate glassware.

“Demand keeps increasing.  We have a shipment to complete and we’re already behind schedule as it is.  We can barely keep up with the orders,” Petra retorted, crossing her arms.  “If you mess with our schedule again… well, it won’t bode well for the other groups.  Our distribution centers have expanded since you were last here.”

“A shipment of what exactly?” Jason interjected.

Now both women were staring at him like he was stupid.

“The, uh, Contractor here doesn’t explain shit,” he added, pointing at his companion.  This earned him a frown from Cady and a laugh from Petra.

“Some things never change.  This one is tight lipped with her secrets,” Petra offered, smiling at Jason.  She must be warming to him now that they had a common enemy.  She pivoted on her heel, waving at the room.  “You want the tour?”

“Gladly,” Jason answered.

Petra began navigating them through the crowd of bodies.  Jason could see now that most of the humans were wearing heavy, leather aprons and gloves, masks covering their faces and glimmering with amber gems.  That was interesting for several reasons.  It implied they were working with a hazardous substance, but also that they were being equipped by someone.  Surely, most humans couldn’t afford such equipment.  At least, he’d gotten that impression from the slaves outside.  Not to mention they were brewing something down here in the heart of one of the Gambler’s clubs …

“We’ve been expanding our operations since Cady first set things up,” Petra explained.  “The equipment you provided is holding up and being put to good use,” she added with a wink at Cady, the woman suddenly going quiet, her lips pinched into a thin line.

That answered one question, but it just raised more.  Jason eyed Cady and she kept dodging his gaze, suddenly extremely interested in Petra’s operation.

“As for what we’re making… well, we make this,” Petra offered as they neared the end of the line of equipment.  Her fingers plucked a vial from a crate – one that looked painfully familiar.

It was the same drug Jason had seen the fairies administer to the humans.

Just what the fuck was going on here?

An explosion suddenly rocked the side of the room, and Petra winced.  Smoke wafted through the air, mana flickering along the ceiling where the smoke coiled against the stone – evidence of a soundproofing spell and wards reinforcing the stone.  Judging from the groans and cries of pain, a couple of the workers had been injured, although their smocks had blunted most of the damage and had saved them from some nasty burns.

“We need healing potions—”

“Someone deal with the smoke!”

“Shit.  I need to take care of that,” Petra grumbled, shoving the vial into Jason’s hands before charging off through the throng.

Which left Cady and Jason standing there.  He eyed his companion, holding up the vial, his unspoken question obvious.

Cady sighed.  “I expect you have some questions.”

“Lucky guess,” he replied in a dry voice.

“So… I might have been behind the creation of the drug that is being administered to the humans,” Cady explained, lowering her voice and using the chaos to mask her explanation.

“Wait, what?” Jason replied in surprise.  “So, let me get this straight.  You decided to turn into a fantasy drug dealer that is actively helping enslave your own race?”

“Oh, don’t give me that crap.  The gods and avatars were already treating humans like cattle long before I got here.  I didn’t create that problem,” she retorted.  “But the avatars were also looking for a way to make them more pliable… and powerful.”

She shrugged.  “I saw a hole in the market.  Demand that wasn’t being supplied.  And in the original timeline, after I took care of The Boulder, we discovered the crystal mines were ruined.  All we had left were byproducts.  Powdered crystals.  Smaller fragments.  All of it already infused with mana.  The others told me it was worthless.  Just trash.  But I decided to experiment.

“So, I took a field trip back in time and hired Petra.”

“A fantasy chemist?” Jason asked, beginning to piece together the story now.

“Something like that,” Cady grunted, looking uncomfortable.  “She was just a kid at the time.  Maybe 15?  But she had promise and since she was human—”

“She couldn’t say no.  Especially not to the avatar of earth,” Jason finished for her, glaring now.  That just seemed like more excuses.

Cady winced, a trace of guilt flickering across her face.

“Either way, I was right.  Petra was able to come up with a new substance.  We call it Mendax. It’s a blend of all six affinities infused into a liquid crystal byproduct and then purified and bottled. When administered to humans as either a vapor or drops, it creates a sort of fugue state—”

“What she means is that it turns us into living zombies,” Petra added, coming up behind them and wiping soot onto her apron with a scowl.  “But that’s not really the whole truth, is it?” she demanded, scowling at Cady.

“What’s she talking about?” Jason asked.

Cady swallowed hard.  “The drug gives the user a sense of… peace.”

He just shook his head.  That didn’t help.

“What she means is that it makes it easier for humans to do what we do best – lie to ourselves,” Petra added sharply, plucking the vial from Jason’s finger and placing it back in the crate with the others.

“So, a hallucinogen?” Jason asked.

Petra just looked at Cady.  Waiting.  Tapping her smock in irritation.

“Not exactly.  It does just what Petra said.  It helps us lie to ourselves.  It bolsters those lies we’re already telling and makes them land harder.”

“Lies?  What sort of lies?” Jason asked in confusion.

Cady sniffed.  “You know what I’m talking about.   We do it all the time.  If we just work a little harder; a little longer, then of course we’ll get that promotion.  Conveniently ignoring the fact that your boss is an insecure prick who will never let that happen.  Or how about, we should stay married for the kids – that’s what’s best for the children, isn’t it?  Except, it isn’t.  Who wants to grow up around people that are miserable?  Then there’s the age-old classic, “just one more piece of cake… I mean, it’s already a cheat day, right?  So, one more won’t hurt…”  That’s not how calories work, but suuuure.

“Oh, or my personal favorite,” Cady offered.  “You’re special.

“And why wouldn’t you believe that crock of shit?  It’s only been crammed down your throat by your parents, movies, games, books, and every other single piece of media created in the last couple centuries?  Except, oh wait, where’s your invitation to magic school delivered by owl courier?  Where’s your prince?  Your grand quest?  Your plot armor that’s so thick you could charge Normandy Beach in a fucking bikini?

“Mine must still be in the mail,” Cady muttered.

“Anyway, you get the point,” she continued with a dismissive wave of her hand.  “We all do it.  Lie to each other and to ourselves.  A mountain of bullshit all maintaining one thing: the fucking status quo.  Because peace is about the absence of change.  Our mind does it instinctively.  Rejects the new in favor of the old and familiar and safe.  We rationalize and instinctively seek out echo chambers that reflect the lies we’re already telling ourselves.”

“That’s um… that’s not…” Jason fumbled, trying to articulate a response.

Cady looked at Jason, meeting his eyes.  “Not true?  So, you think you’re somehow immune?  What about two parents concerned for their child – that the game he’s playing is corrupting him?  Because that’s easier than facing the truth.  That he’s changed.  That he's no longer a little boy.”

She was still watching him with those cynical eyes.  “Or what about you?  What lies are you telling yourself right now?  What are you running away from in favor of comfort and safety?”

Jason could only stare back, his thoughts flailing.

Had he been doing the same thing?  At first, he’d been playing this game out of anger.  He’d taken out his rage on this world and its inhabitants, pretending that none of it was real.  Then it had been about survival.  Although even that motivation had faded over time.  He had money and resources now.  People that would help him if he asked.  And in that vacuum, Smiles had offered another rationalization.  Pitting himself against harder challenges and facing ever tougher odds.  Scaling impossible mountains just for the adrenaline high.

But was that just another lie?  Was the dopamine and adrenaline just making it easier to ignore the real problem. The digital elephant in the room.  The cause of all of this…

Alfred – and what exactly the AI’s existence meant.

Had Jason been allowing his parents, Cerillion, Alfred, and even Smiles to meddle and manipulate him because, well, it was easier?  Easier than making a decision for himself?  Than taking a risk and owning the result?  Because he was scared of what those changes might entail?  Of the consequences for himself and the people he cared about?

He swallowed hard, raising his eyes to meet Cady’s – her gaze knowing.

And when it came to answering those questions, his first impulse was to run away…

Doesn’t that just make you a hypocrite?” he muttered.  “What’s all of this?” Jason offered, waving at the room.  “More of the same rationalizing?  All I see is a drug dealer.  And now you’ve gotten all of these human slaves hooked on Mendax.”

“Mendax isn’t physiologically addictive, despite what you saw out there,” Cady retorted, glaring, but now having some difficulty meeting his eyes.  “They can stop anytime they want without withdrawal symptoms.  However, it is psychologically addictive.  That’s what keeps them coming back; keeps them running in circles and treading water.  It keeps them peaceful and therefore pliable.”

“And it’s sold like hot cakes,” Petra added sourly.

Cady hopped up on a nearby crate, kicking her legs.  “That it has.  The other avatars were skeptical at first, of course.  But after they saw it in practice, well they all became repeat customers. If you offer someone a way to rationalize their situation – even if it’s slavery – well, then they lean into the work with a dumb, happy smile on their face. And in the process—”

“You helped enslave an entire race,” Jason finished for her.

“Capitalism at its finest, huh?  The grandest lie ever told,” Cady offered with a grim smile.  “Anyone can make it big with enough hard work and elbow grease.”

She laughed.  “Except it’s all just a scam to keep people running on the hamster wheel.”

“Fine.  You might have a point, but what’s in this for you?” Jason asked.

Cady just arched an eyebrow, challenging him once more.  He’d seen how she began the game, taking ownership of a ruined city.  Even winding back the clock hadn’t changed what was coming.  And if the crystal mines had been destroyed… well, she would need a way to make money.  Except, power for Cady wasn’t measured in mere coin.  It was measured in Time.  With that Time, she could manufacture new products, fix major problems before they even started, grow crops to solve her city’s food problems… the list was practically endless.

Jason’s thoughts immediately returned to those “Mendax Mortgages.”  He’d passed it off at the time, but what exactly were they mortgaging?  The slaves didn’t own anything of any worth and what they did have, they were already trading for more Mendax – fragments of crystal and scraps of precious metals.  No, they must be mortgaging something else.

That flash of emerald energy he’d witnessed as a slave signed a mortgage suddenly appeared in his mind’s eye.  Earth mana cast by the fairies… Yet he’d never seen them cast that type of spell before – they were supposed to be masters of air magic.  Which only left one explanation.  Could Cady delegate the authority to make her contracts?  If so, then…

“They’re mortgaging their lives; their Time,” Jason muttered.  “That’s…”  He trailed off, suddenly uncertain.  He didn’t have a word for it.  Cruel?  Cynical?  Predatory?

“No different than our world?” Cady asked archly.  “For real, what’s the difference?  We mortgage our own lives for lots of things.  The latest Core.  A flashy house.  All these things that make us comfortable; that let us ignore the existential problems we face.  You ever heard of a credit card or a home mortgage?  How is this any different?” she demanded.

She wasn’t exactly wrong.

“You’re still selling a lie,” Jason muttered.

Cady barked out a laugh.  “Okay, then what about TV?  Movies?  Books?  Fantastical stories filled with action and adventure?  The protagonist triumphing over evil?  Getting transported to another world where they’re blessed with magical abilities?  Let’s be real, if any of that actually happened, how would those stories turn out?

“They’d get their ass handed to them,” she answered immediately, smacking the barrel she was leaning against to reinforce their point.  “I mean, c’mon.  Getting transported to a fantasy world?  99% of our would-be “heroes” would be dead within the first ten minutes.”

Jason shook his head.  Those felt different… but were they?  Were they really?  They were just another escape.  Another lie.  Another way to cope with the bullshit that came with living.

“Just because people want you to lie to them doesn’t mean you should,” he said finally.

Cady just laughed and rolled her eyes, but Petra grunted in acknowledgement, her expression dark.  Apparently, she also felt conflicted about her role here.  Which raised another question.  “Why are you going along with this?” Jason asked, watching her carefully.

The chemist winced.  “Because of the side effects.”

“Side effects?” Jason echoed.

“Like this,” Petra offered, raising a hand and air mana flared across her palm.  “Before the drug, humans weren’t able to use mana.  We lacked the Najima of the other races.  That’s why we were always weaker.  Why we were enslaved.  But using this drug causes mana to accumulate within our bodies.  Over time, Najima form and we gain the ability to use magic.  It’s a bit too early to tell, but it also appears that the latent mana is passed to our offspring.”

“So…” Jason thoughts were spinning.  No wonder the drug was so popular, even among the other races.  That also explained the slaves the brigands had been using back in the crystal mine.  Suddenly, the pieces began to click together.  “So, you created a drug that helped build a more pliable and powerful slave class?  However, the other avatars have also become reliant on your drug over time to keep the peace.”

“You catch on fast,” Petra offered with a nod.  “Because if the humans stop taking Mendax, well they still have all that mana but they aren’t as tractable.  In fact, some of us were downright pissed off,” she grumbled, sparing a glare at Cady.  “Go figure.”

“Sure, paint me out to be this horrible villain,” Cady replied sourly.  “Except, I gave you all magic.  I feel like that balances the karmic scales.”

Jason shook his head.  Cady wasn’t exactly wrong and Petra’s attitude was making more sense.  She was performing a necessary evil.  She was helping the avatars keep her own kind repressed and enslaved in order to quietly grow their strength and pass that power on to their children.  However, at least some of the humans had already bucked the reins – like those terrorists they had first met back in Pax.

Jason’s eyes skimmed to the equipment around him.  Something still didn’t quite add up.  If the other races were buying their drugs, then why were they hiding this operation – one tucked away beneath the Gambler’s Half Mile Club?  The club was selling Mendax hand over fist.  He’d seen how much of the drug they were moving outside.  There should be no need for secret doors and this cloak and dagger bullshit.  He’d also witnessed Cady taking the drug several times.  If it really did fog her mind and they were fighting against a deadline, why would she take Mendax?

She could be an addict; trying to rationalize whatever was keeping her playing this game. It was possible…  And there was also the Fates cryptic warning to “help” her.

But it didn’t feel right.  Cady was still sharp and alert.  Sure, she was paranoid and reluctant to communicate, but he couldn’t fault her genius in applying her time magic.  Even her plan to travel back in time and bring down the servers had been well orchestrated.  And her work in the real world clearly hadn’t suffered.  She’d had more than enough leverage with Robert and George to convince them to bring down the servers for maintenance.

No, there had to be another answer.  Petra and her crew were doing something else down here.  He hesitated.  Or, rather, they must be creating something else…

His eyes centered on that crate of vials, his Perception skill picking out minute differences in the color and concentration of the vial compared to what he’d seen at the entrance to the club.

“That’s not really Mendax, is it?” Jason asked finally.

Petra looked shocked and Cady just laughed as she plucked a vial free.  “I knew you would catch up eventually.  This?  This is actually a new concoction.  A blend that preserves the mana and spellcasting enhancements of the first generation of the drug, but without the same pesky psychological effects.  We call this new version Veritas.”

Cady met Jason’s eyes, a smile tugging at her lips.  “In short, we weaponized the drug.”

“So, you’re what?  Playing both sides?” Jason asked.

“Something like that,” Cady offered with a shrug and a grin.  “Like I said before, I’ve never been much of a team player.  I’m in it for the money… or in this case, the Time.”

“Clearly,” Jason grumbled.

But he suspected it was more than that.  This new drug was a hedge.  If Cady had begun paying during the beta, she would know that the travelers would eventually come to this world.  Had she been preparing for their arrival?  Just like how she had timed her entrance to take him back in time; to help secure the travelers against the power of the old avatars.

Or had she just been lining her pockets the whole time?  Helping the avatars to subdue and take advantage of the human population.  Waiting to see who would emerge victorious in this battle between the elemental races and the humans.  And was she still waiting now?  To see if this crazy plan of hers paid off?  Jason saw nothing that would stop her from switching sides even after they returned to the present.  He would need to be careful.

Not that he could do anything about that right now, of course.

Besides, that all begged a much more immediate question.

“Okay, so why are we here then?” Jason asked.  “Is this a part of your plan?  Are you intending to weaponize the drug to help us borrow the mana generators in the club?”

Petra perked up at that, watching Cady with renewed interest.

Cady just stared at Jason quizzically.  “No, not at all.  I just lost my supply remember?”

She waved at her belt where the strings of her bag hung free and flapping.

Jason stared back with a deadpan expression.

“What?” he and Petra asked in unison.

Chapter 25 - Horizontal Integration

“Don’t look at me like that,” Cady snapped at the pair.  “I meant exactly what I just said.  I need more drugs.  Specifically, the Veritas variety.  I need the boost, especially with everything that’s at stake if we fail.”

Jason shook his head.  “Is it really that powerful?”

“See for yourself,” she answered, tossing him a vial that he snatched from the air.

A quick inspection revealed the following.

Veritas

This concoction was created by a skilled alchemist that has undergone extensive training and experimentation to adjust the mixture’s formula.  The result is a derivative mixture that provides all of the benefits of Mendax without the extreme and unwanted psychological effects.  However, that is not to say that the potion is side effect free.  Use extreme caution.  Potion may be habit forming.

Quality:  A

Duration: 3 Hours

Effect:  +20% Intelligence

-30% Mana or Mana Equivalent Cost

+20% to all Affinities

Side Effect: Truth Telling

“Geez,” Jason muttered.

This was indeed one hell of a potion.  The mana bonus from Intelligence was negligible and he had few damaging spells that would benefit from the stat – although, he supposed the earth spells he’d stolen from The Boulder would count.  However, the mana cost reduction and boost to his affinities could be a game changer for his Body Augmentation.  It was also now obvious why Cady had been using Veritas.  He suspected her Time counted as a “Mana Equivalent Cost.”

The side effect also went a long way to explain why his companion was forced to be truthful.  He had thought that might be a weird side effect of her time traveling abilities, but apparently not…

“See?  I told you,” Cady said.

Jason’s gaze shot to his companion to see her raising a dropper to her eye, a single glowing droplet falling into each iris.  She let out a soft sigh and when she opened her eyes again, they flickered with multi-colored light before the effect faded back to normal.

“You going to use it or just fondle it?” Cady asked.

He hesitated, eyeing the bottle again.  The benefits seemed worth it.  However, even if the prompt hadn’t warned him about side effects, those extreme buffs would certainly come with a large cost.  Nothing in life was free and that included AO.  He also noticed that the prompt hadn’t indicated a toxicity rate.  That alone was odd.  Better to bide his time for now.

“I’m good,” Jason answered finally, tucking the vial away in his bag.  Maybe it would be useful later.  For now, he would make do with his unenhanced stats.  Someone on their team needed to keep a clear head – that was for sure.

“Suit yourself,” Cady grunted.  “Now we just need to get going—”

She was interrupted as Jason’s UI pinged and he swept at the air with his hand.

“What is that?  What’re you doing now?” Cady demanded, eyeing him with suspicion.

“My minions are finished mapping the complex…” he trailed off as he stared at the three-dimensional map now projected in the air before him.  He’d lost more than a few of the mosquitoes but a surprising number had managed to survive.

The Half Mile Club was far larger than he could have ever expected.  Nearly fifty levels.  The bottom stories were used for housing the humans and various utilities – heating, water, waste and sewage.  The drones had even noted collections of mana that indicated possible kitchens?  At least, that was a decent guess.  The lower levels also housed huge rooms.  Warehouses for goods and materials most likely.  Operating this place would be equivalent to a large-scale theme park back in the real world.  And it apparently had the same infrastructure.

The mid-levels looked like residential quarters – not much to see there – but the top floors were more curious.  Unlike the Mile High Club, the Gambler hadn’t focused on creating many different standalone buildings and rides.  Instead, he’d built what appeared to be a medieval mall, replete with hundreds of stores.  And above that, even those stores disappeared, replaced with empty space circled by terraced rows that stretched up dozens of stories.  Jason had seen that design before and it could only be one thing… a coliseum.

“I can’t believe you risked alerting the Gambler to our presence,” Cady muttered.  “Do you know what he’d do if he found your minions lurking around?”

“Probably assume the dark deity or his avatar were meddling in his affairs,” Jason grunted back, his eyes locked on the map as he homed in on two multi-colored clusters.

“He’d… well, yes, probably,” Cady grumbled, acknowledging his point.

“Minions?  What minions?” Petra asked.  “How did you create this map?”  She peered at the display as Jason shared it, the necromancer sparing her a cautious glancing.

Ahh, yes.  He was supposed to be pretending to be human, wasn’t he?  How exactly was he going to explain his spellcasting abilities if he’d been clueless about their drug-making operation?  Cady seemed to trust Petra, but he shouldn’t test his luck here.

Apparently, his companion was thinking the same thing.

“This is amaz—” Petra was suddenly cutoff as she froze in place, her mouth hanging open.  The sound in the hidden lab had also vanished, replaced with a bottomless quiet.  The reason for that soon became obvious.  Cady’s magic now stretched the length of the room and the workers were all standing stock still – frozen in time.

Jason looked up to find Cady glowing with emerald energy.

“Seriously, watch what you say,” she muttered.  “Remember, changes alert the Hall Monitors.  Do you really want those busybodies confronting us here?  Inside the club?”

“Fair enough,” Jason replied, his attention returning to his map.  “What are these clusters of bright mana?” he asked, pointing at two bright spots below the coliseum floor.

Cady peered close.  “Given their location, they appear to be the generators for the arena.”

Jason nodded.  It seemed he’d found their target.

“No.  Wipe that stupid look off your face right now,” Cady interjected.  “We can’t just charge in and take the generators.  If you hadn’t noticed, we’re in the middle of the Gambler’s den and he has an army of fairies, bouncer bots, and human slaves at his beck and call.  And that’s ignoring the residents themselves.  You absolutely cannot go on a killing spree here.  We’re going to have to solve this one more diplomatically.”

“Does he have an avatar?” Jason asked, ignoring the rest.

“No, not exactly,” Cady replied, grumbling under her breath.  Something about brainless undead.  “He’s never had the patience and he doesn’t like sharing his wealth.  His only goal is fostering happiness – usually by torturing his employees and forcing the human slaves into withdrawal, just to reward them with a day off or their next fix.

“But that isn’t really the problem,” she added, swiping away his map.

With a snap of Cady’s fingers, motion suddenly returned to the lab.  Petra blinked in confusion, the map having disappeared.  She looked around with a puzzled expression.

“Then what is?” Jason asked, ignoring Petra.  “Because I see one of our goals just sitting above us, waiting to be stolen.  With those two generators, plus the broken one that we stole from the Mile High Club, we could cover most of Pax in a respawn field and create a dungeon for the wayward travelers like Finn had back in Sandscrit.”

“You stole a generator from the Mile High Club?” Petra asked, her confusion only multiplying.  Cady just sighed and they both ignored her.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Cady shot back sarcastically.  “Maybe the army of bouncer bots and the thousands of fans that are here for the Food Fight?  They’re all mages, remember?  We’re basically facing an army of casters.  Those generators are also being used for the Food Fight.  They disable the respawn field for the event, but repurpose the energy to help terraform the arena and form shields to protect the audience.  The Gambler will notice if they go missing.  And he isn’t constrained here in this timeline.  He can act on his own.

“Do you really want to face a god head on?”

Jason raised an eyebrow at that, his skeletal features still carefully hidden behind the ring’s illusion.  Didn’t they have a solution for that already?  She’d just frozen time around them.

“No.  Don’t look at me like that,” Cady said, raising her hands.  “I know what you’re thinking.  That it will be as easy as me freezing time, walking up to those generators, and snatching them out from under the Gambler.  Except that comes with a cost, a hefty one.”

“Well, if you aren’t strong enough…” Jason replied, baiting her.

“That’s not what I said.  It’s about the cost—”

“But I thought you were flush.  And you must have budgeted enough Time to get the generators back.  They’ve always been one of our goals.”

Cady opened her mouth.  Closed it.  She looked indecisive, which Jason was enjoying immensely.   “I was planning to pick them up later,” she replied slowly.

“Well, how about now,” Jason shot back.  “There’s no time like the present.”

“Except, that… other person, is also here right now,” Cady finally admitted, side-eyeing Petra who was watching them like they were both speaking another language.

Jason cocked his head at that.  Was she trying to say that her other self was already in the club.  But why?  Why would she be—

He paused as his eyes skimmed the lab equipment once more.  Now that he thought about it, if Cady was playing both sides… could the Gambler be doing the same?  Jason had assumed Petra and her group were hiding from the Gambler.  But what if they were hiding from someone else?  Like the other races and avatars?

That made much more sense.  If Cady intended to hide the production of Veritas, wouldn’t she have built the lab back in Pax?  Why here?  This was an absurd place to manufacture the potions… unless of course the god of air was in on it.  That was also consistent with what Smiles had told him about the Gambler.  He only cared about his bottom line – about fostering happiness.  Nothing else mattered.  And from the look on Cady’s face and the way she kept eyeing Petra nervously, it seemed his guess was right.

The humans must not know that they were being backed by the Gambler.  They likely thought they were still part of some clandestine resistance – not working for a woman who had sold out to both sides.  He could see it now, the story Cady had told these people.  Mendax had just been the first step, a way to unlock the human potential for spellcasting.  Veritas would be the next wave.  The mechanism humans would use to release the shackles on their mind and take this world by storm.

“It’s not impossible to steal the generators.  You would just need to create a distraction,” Petra murmured, interrupting Jason’s thoughts.  “We nearly have the stores of Veritas ready, as you ordered,” she continued, nodding at Cady.  “If we injected the potion into the club’s drinking water, it would only take a few hours for the Mendax to wear off and the Veritas to take over.  We could even start a fire in one of the warehouses and disable the fire protection systems…”

Jason cocked his head.  “So, you’re suggesting a human uprising in the club?”

“Exactly,” Petra answered firmly.  “That’s what we’ve been preparing for; what all of this work has been for, isn’t it?”  She waved at the crates of the glowing mixture.

Yet Cady grimaced behind her back.  Jason suspected those potions were likely intended for a very different purpose.  Most likely whichever plan provided Cady with the most resources – be it gold, gear, or Time.  However, Petra didn’t know that – couldn’t know that.

Which meant Jason could use that information to his advantage.

“You’re right.  The time is now.”

Cady was glaring at him again.

Another snap of her fingers and time froze again, a smile stuck on Petra’s face.

“Is she going to be alright if you keep freezing her like this?” Jason asked dryly.

“She’s fine,” Cady snapped.  “What the hell are you doing?”

“Pursuing our goals just like we planned,” he retorted.  He peered closer.  “Why?  You look nervous.  You wouldn’t happen to be playing both sides here, would you?  Thinking about selling out your own race and the travelers for a hefty profit?”

He watched her, waiting.  It was time to test that truth telling side effect…

Cady grimaced.  “That’s beside the point.  I haven’t sold them out—”

“Yet,” Jason added, noticing that she was mincing her words now.

It seemed his guess was right.

“Sure, paint me as some sort of war profiteer.  Except I already know what happens.  I save all of these people.”  She hesitated, her eyes flashing with multi-colored energy as a grimace of pain swept her face and a notification popped up before her.  “Okay, fine.  Or at least some of them.  They just don’t know it yet!”

“At this so-called Summit?” Jason asked, recalling the cryptic conversation between Cady and Fates.  “Or involving some sort of Vault?  You’ve been pretty vague on the details so far.”

“Something like that,” Cady replied with a sigh.  “I ultimately make a deal with the old avatars, a rather lucrative one,” she explained.  “And the threat humans pose went a long way toward convincing them to accept it.  However, it’s important we maintain the continuity of the timeline.  A human uprising didn’t happen here in the original timeline.  If we change things—”

Jason waved her off.  “Yeah, yeah, the Hall Monitors will get involved.  But, and hear me out here, don’t you think that would create an even better distraction?” he asked.  “It sounds like you need ammunition if you’re going to sell the avatars on this deal or whatever and you already said you didn’t realize that dark avatar was meddling in the crystal mines.  We’ve changed things now.  Won’t he be suspicious that his minions were destroyed?  A human uprising at the Gambler’s club would certainly help convince the avatars that the humans are a genuine threat…”

He trailed off, watching her and waiting.  He had to admit, this was rather fun – using her own playbook against her.  He could see why she enjoyed it.  Cady didn’t look happy but finally—

“Fine, but don’t go crazy,” she bit out and snapped her fingers again, Time lurching back into motion without any warning.

“But what could we use as a distraction…” Petra murmured, oblivious to the tension between Jason and Cady – as well as the way Cady kept glaring at him.

“Hmm, can anyone join the food fight?” Jason asked, fighting the urge to smile as he saw Cady wince.  He wasn’t sure why she was upset.  It seemed like a rather inoffensive name for an event, after all.  Certainly, he could cause some sort of stir if he joined – enough to distract the Gambler, the crowds, and the club’s defensive forces.  That would give Petra time to poison the water supply and sabotage the club behind the scenes.

Petra hesitated.  “Uh, yes… technically.  But you don’t want to do that.”

“Why not?” Jason asked, his brow furrowing.

“Because you don’t know what’s being used as the food,” Cady grumbled, massaging at her temples.  “They aren’t fighting with drumsticks and chicken fingers.”

“What are chicken fingers—” Petra began.

“Then what is this Food Fight?” Jason demanded, interrupting her.

“Simple.  They throw humans in the ring with different monsters.  Whoever lives wins.  In short, the humans are the food,” Cady explained.  “Why do you think the Gambler is trying so hard to draw all these people here?”

“Not only that, but they don’t spin up the respawn field for humans,” Petra offered.

“Exactly.  If you die out there… you die for good,” Cady insisted, giving him a meaningful look.  She likely hadn’t told Petra that they were in fact immortal travelers from another world.

But her point still stood.  Dying right now was risky.  It wasn’t clear when or where he would respawn.  Cady had already warned him about that.

“It’s still the best option we have,” Jason replied, raising his voice slightly so the others in the lab could hear him more clearly.  “If I were to draw the attention of the crowd and whip them up into a frenzy, that would cover for you and Petra.  A human terrorist–or, err, rebel–attack would also give us cover to steal the generators.  What better chance are we going to get to finally fight back against these bastards?”

Sure, it was a little disingenuous.  He was a lich and the ruler of an undead city, after all.  But Jason wasn’t going to let that stop him from accomplishing his goals…

More than a few of the other humans in the lab had stopped, eavesdropping on their conversation.  They murmured among themselves and Jason’s Listening skill picked out pieces of their conversation.  His words had resonated – a point that clearly wasn’t lost on Cady, a sour expression tugging at her lips.

“Wouldn’t you agree, Cady?” he pressed.  “This is our chance.  Are humans just going to be fodder for the gods’ entertainment?” he demanded, his voice growing louder.  Little work was being done now and the humans filling the hidden factory looked upset.  Murderous even.

“We have a plan.  I can act as a distraction.  Make a scene.  In the meantime, the others can sabotage the water system and set a few fires.  We can kill two birds with one stone.  Use the chaos to steal the generators and liberate thousands of our kind.  Perhaps even take control of this club and use it as a base of operations going forward….”

And that chaos would help.  Even if they changed things and the Hall Monitors showed up, well, there would be plenty of targets.  A crowd that he and Cady could use to hide their presence.  They would only need to buy enough time to escape like they had last time.

Cady’s hands had balled into fists, but there was nothing she could do to stop the momentum of Jason’s arguments now.  Already, those murmurs had grown into an angry rumble as the other human workers were whipped up by the possibility of his plan.

“So, what do you say.  Are you all in?” Jason demanded of the crowd.

A roaring cry answered his words, the amber film lining the walls flickering and buckling under the noise – the sound dampening spell strained to its limits.

“Then let’s get to work!” Jason roared back.

“You heard them.  Let’s do this.  The resistance will never die!” Petra cried and then she began shouting orders.  Suddenly, the hidden factory was a whirlwind of motion as the human workers began moving faster – many stopping to drip glowing droplets into their eyes.  They would need that strength to finish manufacturing the Veritas and prepare for what was coming next.

“You have no idea what you’ve done,” Cady muttered from his side.  “The other me is here and this event is important – a critical moment in the timeline.  If we fuck this up—”

“We die and we destroy our own future,” Jason finished for her.  “I get the point.”

He glanced at Cady.  “This isn’t a good look on you.  This hesitation.  This doubt. Where’d that woman who kidnapped me go?  The same one who faced down George Lane’s rage without blinking an eye?  That manufactured a server down time?”

Cady chewed on her lip, offering no snarky rebuttal or barbed comment this time.  She just looked worried.  Not for the first time, Jason wondered what was at stake for her.  What made her so nervous about a mere game?

She noticed him watching and her worried expression suddenly vanished.  Her shoulders straightened and she took a deep breath.  “You’re right.  It’ll be fine… maybe.  Just hold up your end.  If you die, then everything will go to shit anyway.”

“Don’t worry.  I wasn’t planning on dying here,” Jason answered grimly.

Without warning, an emerald portal opened in the air beside her and Cady raised a wand, mana flashing and her appearance shifting once more – this time into some sort of uniform.  Except this one was covered in a ton of stickers and shiny badges.  She almost looked like a corporate girl scout.  Jason cocked his head.  Although, that wasn’t the strangest part…

“Wait, where did you get that wand?” he demanded.  “I thought your bag—”

“Oh, I left a go-bag here,” she explained with a dismissive wave.  Indeed, he could see that a new bag now swung from her waist where only severed strings had lingered moments ago.  That made sense… sort of.  But when had she had time to grab it?  They’d been talking the whole time—

“Alright, I need to get moving.  Be careful,” Cady insisted, interrupting his thoughts as she glared at him one last time and a portal of emerald energy flared beside her.  She didn’t wait for him to reply, just stepped through and vanished from sight.  The portal soon snapped closed behind her with a crackle of mana, which left Jason in the hidden factory with the rest of the resistance.

He shook his head as he stared at the spot where Cady disappeared.

Jason still suspected she was hiding something…

“You need anything from us?” Petra asked suddenly, reappearing at his shoulder.

Jason rubbed his chin in thought.  The water mana rippled beneath his fingers and he hesitated.  First things first, if he was going to pull this off, he was going to need something more permanent and resilient than Cady’s ring to hide his appearance.  A few solid blows and the illusion was bound to be blown away, revealing that he was a lich.  That wouldn’t work in his favor – not with a crowd of thousands watching and with a rebel, human army backing him.  Fortunately, he’d already been toying with a few ideas for how to address that problem…

“Yeah, there is one thing actually,” he answered.  “This might seem like a weird question, but does this place have some sort of morgue or graveyard?”

Chapter 26 - Entertainment Expense

“Are you sure he’s here?” Eliza asked – not for the first time.

Perhaps part of her was hoping she wouldn’t need to enter this place.  A club of some kind, the entire structure another windowless concrete box.  Except, instead of graffiti covering the walls, this one was coated in dazzling LED displays showcasing all manner of products.  Booze, drugs, and nearly naked men and women…  And capping it all off was a VR advertisement for none other than AO, Jason’s cowled face projected across three stories.

“As sure as I can be,” Julia grunted back, eyeing her core.  “I tapped into the security company that George uses.  They track their implants.”  She saw Eliza staring at her incredulously.

“I might have used to work there… before I got fired.  Anyway, I left myself a backdoor just in case.  We got a ping on Alex’s core.  He was here within the last fifteen minutes.”

“And I don’t see any driver charges or the family’s vehicle fleet making another stop here,” Finn added, tapping to dismiss his own Core’s display.

“Great…” Eliza murmured, absently wondering how many more felonies the pair had just committed.  She’d lost count by now.

She eyed the nearby structure nervously.  She’d never been inside a place like this.  And judging from the long line of scantily-clad people waiting to get in, it was going to be tough to get in the door.  A teenage girl, an old man, and a hacker didn’t look like the sort of clientele that frequented this place.  Well, on second thought, Julia – with her tattoos and piercings – would probably fit in perfectly.

Damn it.  Now she was starting to sound as judgmental as her mother…

“How are we getting in?” Eliza asked, trying to distract herself from her own worried thoughts, as well as the horrifying possibility of turning into her parents.

“I’m working on it,” Julia answered distractedly.  “You should be getting the notification… now!” Both Eliza’s and Finn’s Cores chimed at the same time.

Eliza looked down to see a new image projected across her arm.  An ID.  The picture definitely looked like her, but everything else had changed.  Her name was now Caroline Li and she was apparently 23 years old – not that she could imagine anyone would believe that.

“Not bad,” Finn said, observing his own ID.  “I take it you also handled our membership with the club and included malware to wipe their database when we leave?”

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” Julia shot back with a grin.

“Apparently, only the best,” he answered with a matching smile.

Ahh, and now they were bonding over their father-daughter felonies…

Except, why did Eliza suddenly feel a little jealous?

She shook her head.  No, she needed to focus.  The real challenge was just beginning.

The group approached the building, bypassing the waiting line and heading directly for the rather sturdy looking pair of men that stood beside the door.  The bouncers were flanked by mechanized sentries that towered eight feet into the air, their humanoid heads giving off a dull red glow as they tracked the movement of each person in line.

“Hurry up.  The next fight is about to start!” Julia barked at the pair behind her, assuming an even more belligerent character.  Her eyes fluttered as they focused on the bouncers.  In an instant, she was pressed against one man.  “Hey there, handsome.  You want to come inside with me?  These two aren’t lively enough for my tastes.”

He looked down at her in distaste, likely thinking she was high.  “ID ma’am.”

Julia’s lips pursed into a pout.  “Ahh, you’re no fun either.”

But she offered her wrist and the bouncer scanned her Core, his device letting out a ding of its own.  Eliza held her breath, her fingers twisting into knots behind her back.  Then the bouncer nodded at the other, the pair giving Julia a quizzical look.

“My apologies… Ms. Sinclair, please step inside.”

“That’s right.  You missed out on a fun evening,” Julia offered with a wink.

The bouncers only gave Eliza and Finn a cursory scan, the Sinclair family’s name carrying enough weight that they didn’t want to pry.  That was a good way to become unemployable… or simply disappear.

The group soon strode into the club, the doors parting before them and thumping house music reverberating across the walls with a thud, thud, thud that seemed to shake her bones.  Eliza swallowed hard, but kept walking.  This was just another dungeon.  These were just monsters.  Colorful, drugged-up monsters.  Somehow that made her feel more relaxed.  Maybe she was just as broken as Finn and Julia…

They soon stepped out into a massive chamber, the warehouse hollowed out and stretching nearly three stories.  The group was standing on the second story balcony overlooking the club floor, colored lights flashing and spiraling and the walls riddled with hundreds of displays.  Many showed advertisements, but the ones over the bar played news streams, many covering AO and the huge crowds that had gathered around the Cerillion Entertainment building.  The throng had only grown during the downtime until it radiated out from the building, stretching several blocks in every direction.  It looked like things were getting crazy.

Eliza turned away, inspecting the rest of the club.  She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting to find inside.  A crush of bodies?  Of course.  Overly loud club music that forced her palms to her ears?  Sure.  Maybe even a dance floor… and that’s where her expectations had been off the mark.  Something else was positioned in the center of the room.  A raised and padded platform ringed with a thick metal cage.

And inside, two men were fighting in a bloody, savage brawl.  A flurry of kicks and punches and the spray of blood and sweat, already purpling skin evidencing former wounds.  In a rush of movement, one man ducked and spun, kicking the legs out from under his opponent.  He was on top of him in a flash, his fists slamming home.  He struck again.  And again.  And again.

Until his opponent was no longer moving.

“We have a winner folks!” the announcer’s voice rang out, two more bouncers pulling the fighter off his unconscious opponent as the crowd roared, suddenly drowning out the music.

“What is this?” Eliza muttered, eyeing the unconscious man.  His face was a bloody mess as a pair of robots dragged him off the mat.  A third, smaller bot entered the arena and quickly tidied up the blood and sweat as they prepared for another match.

“This is how filthy rich assholes fill their downtime,” Julia shouted back over the music that had returned with a vengeance.  Eliza wasn’t even sure how she’d heard her at all.  “These are people looking to feel something – anything.  That’s what money does to people.”

She waved at the patrons at the bar, more than a few wasted and their faces flushed.  More were sitting on velvet-lined couches, their eyes bloodshot and lines of white powder neatly arranged on the tables before them.  One of them winked at Eliza when they caught her staring and she quickly looked away, her hands balling into fists.  Oh, how she wished she had her spells right now.  Or Brian to watch over her protectively.

“Where is Alex?” she shouted at her companions.

“Working on it!” Julia replied.

Eliza chewed on her lip.  This place made her incredibly uncomfortable.  Her eyes kept drifting to the ring in the center of the room.  Already, the floor had been cleaned and the bot was making its way out of the ring.

Sooner than she expected, the announcer’s voice rang out again, the music fading only slightly to accommodate the roar of his voice.  “Alright, some of you may know our next challenger.  He’s a regular of the club.  A badass in the making.  The undefeated champion of 52 matches and counting.   You’ve seen him online, but now’s your chance to witness his strength in person.  Are.  You.  Ready to meet Alexiiiioooon!?”

A rousing cheer echoed from the crowd and Eliza’s eyes went wide as she saw none other than Alex Lane step into the ring, the club lights focusing on his face and pulsing in a dazzling array of colors.  The metal doors of the cage soon slammed shut behind him with a rattling bang.  He raised his arms to the crowd, his shirt stripped from his body to reveal a thick layer of muscle – muscle that seemed impossible on a teenager’s body.  The clubbers all cheered back, the roar growing even louder until Eliza was forced to press her hands to her ears again.

“Alright, alright,” the announcer broke in.  “Now, do we have anyone foolhardy enough to challenge our reigning champion tonight?”

The roars petered out slightly at that and Julia snorted.  “No shit, no one’s taking that bet.  Undefeated champion my ass.”

“What do you mean?” Eliza asked.

“Who’s going to risk hurting George Lane’s son?” Finn asked, watching Alexion with an intensity that Eliza found disturbing.  “His opponents must have been going easy on him.”

“Is that what you think, gramps?” another clubber butted in, his drink sloshing as he stumbled up against the railing.  “That kid is a killer.”

“Really, that teenage boy?” Finn asked incredulously.

“Well, maybe a few fighters threw their matches,” the clubber acknowledged, his speech slurring slightly.  “But he’s brutal.  Beats his opponents to a pulp.  Only real fighters take on his challenge now.  Nah, that kid earned his spot.”

“Really?” Julia replied, cocking her head, a weird gleam in her eyes.

“Don’t even think about—” Finn began.

But it was already too late.  Julia’s arm shot into the air.  “I’ll take him!”

“Ahh, we have a new challenger!” the announcer crooned, the spotlight suddenly shifting to Julia, Eliza and Finn shrinking back into the shadows.  So much for keeping a low profile.

“What the fuck is she thinking?” Finn muttered.  “Even with the VR enhancements…”

Eliza lost the last part.  “VR enhancements?” she half-shouted as the crowd roared its approval and Julia made her way down to the ring, peeling off her jacket to reveal a simple tank top underneath, lean muscle rippling up her arms.

“You haven’t noticed?” Finn asked, sparing Eliza a glance.  “The VR headsets are doing a hell of a lot more than just allowing us to enter AO.  They’re affecting our bodies.  Improving cardiovascular endurance, greatly increasing lean muscle mass.  Even my back…”

He trailed off and Eliza could only stare in shock.  The headset had done all of that?

She hadn’t noticed those changes… but, on second thought, had she even tried?  It wasn’t like she’d been that athletic before.  Maybe she should experiment—

Eliza was distracted as the cage rattled shut and Julia faced off against Alexion.  She could see the moment the avatar of light recognized his opponent – that familiar shit-eating grin on her face.  However, he overcame his shock quickly, settling into a fighting stance with his fists raised.  Julia didn’t seem perturbed, she just waved at the crowd gleefully.

“Can she really take him?” Eliza asked.  “He looks serious.”

Finn just grunted.  “If it was just a matter of physical strength and endurance, no, probably not.  However, that isn’t all the headsets can do.  I wasn’t lying to your parents.  The skills we acquire inside AO translate to this world.  And Julia… well, Julia has been through hell in-game.  She had her mana stripped and was forced to train with the Khamsin in the deep desert.  She’s one hell of a fighter now—”

A bell rang out and Alexion charged forward without hesitation, not waiting for Julia to ready herself.  Not that it mattered.  She dodged his initial charge in a blur of movement, palming aside his fist and sidestepping him, kicking at his back and sending him crashing into the cage, the metal rattling loudly and the crowd roaring its approval.

Alexion pushed himself away, wiping blood from his lip as he turned to look at Julia, his expression now dead serious.  She just gestured for him to come at her, that grin still plastered on her face.  It was almost like she was having fun…

“Is… is this real?” Eliza asked as she watched the fight unfold, the pair’s movements a savage blur as they trade blows and ducked and weaved with unnatural grace.  It was like she was watching two professionals duking it out – people that had trained for years.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Finn replied.  “And this is just the beginning.”

“The beginning?” Eliza echoed.

His eyes never wavered from the fight, only a wince as Alex kicked at Julia, catching her in the stomach.  However, she absorbed the blow, grappled his leg and twisted, throwing her body weight into the move and sending them both slamming into the mat.

“Think about it,” Finn grunted back.  “If Julia and Alex can improve this much… what about everyone else?  And not just fighting abilities.  Crafting.  Engineering.  Biology.  Chemistry.  That so-called game could accelerate human development by light years.”

Eliza’s mouth dropped open, but she had no response.

“It’s over,” Finn snapped.

Her attention shot back to the mat.  Julia’s body was like a flexible vice.  She’d wrapped around Alex, pinning his arm down and a tortured expression replacing his grim resolve.  She pulled savagely and he grunted… then finally tapped the mat.

Silence reined as Julia shot back to her feet, Alex much slower to rise and favoring his arm.  Then she raised her arms into the air and the club went crazy, a deafening roar cascading off the walls and the lights overhead pulsing in response as they homed in on Julia.

“And there we have it folks!  The birth of a new champion!”

The bouncers soon entered the floor and escorted Julia and Alex off the stage.

“Come on,” Finn urged Eliza, grabbing her arm.  They wound through the crowd as they approached Julia, a press of bodies pushing toward her to congratulate her, only kept at bay by the mechanized sentries standing on either side of the cage door.

Those bulky metal arms blocked their path as Finn and Eliza approached, but Julia swiftly waved off the bots.  “Congratulations,” Finn said.  “Even if you took a pointless risk.”

“Don’t worry.  I already hacked the club’s network and put a bug that will propagate onto each Core they scan.  All video will be deleted,” she offered with a shrug.

Eliza could only stare.  This wasn’t normal.  Not at all.

Maybe Finn was right…

But they still had a mission.  Alex was nursing his shoulder nearby, an icepack pressed against bare skin as he glared at Julia behind her back.  Eliza motioned at the others and they stepped forward, those mechanized sentries forming a protective ring around Alex automatically.  However, he waved them off, scowling at the group as they approached.

“Never thought I’d see you here,” Alex offered, sniffing and wiping the blood off his face with the back of his hand.  “Come to gloat?”

“Why bother?” Julia replied with a shrug.  “I won.”

“You just pinned me.  This isn’t supposed to be a wrestling match,” he answered sourly.

“No, that was a fight.  Anything goes,” Julia replied, her expression turning serious.

“Anything?  I’ll have to remember that.”  There was murder in Alex’s eyes.

Finn coughed into his hand, trying to break the tension.

“Ahh, but there was another reason for our visit,” Julia added.

“Our?” Alex shot back.

Julia just waved at Eliza and Finn and they pulled back their hoods to reveal their faces.  Shock registered across Alex’s face – just for a moment before his stoic mask slipped back into place.  Of course, he would recognize their faces, AO perfectly mimicking their features.  Among them, only Finn looked different in-game.  Younger, his skin smoother and less aged.

“What are you all doing here?” Alex demanded, now more reserved.

Finn spread his hands wide.  “We’re here to make you a proposal.”

“Not interested,” Alex grunted immediately, waving at the bots beside him as he rose and dropped the ice pack on the floor.  A bot handed him his shirt which he pulled on and began to button slowly.

“Are you sure?” Finn shot back.  “A Lane out here clubbing it up in this shithole?  Participating in public fights for money?  That doesn’t seem like the sort of thing the well-adjusted son of one of the world’s richest men should be up to.  In fact, does George know you’re here?”

“He doesn’t—” Alex began.

“His security people are already on their way actually,” Julia observed, tapping at her Core.  “You didn’t cover your tracks well enough this time.”

Alex shot them a sharp look, his glare accusing.

Finn raised his hands.  “We didn’t tip them off.  In fact—”

He gestured at Julia and her Core chimed.  A display was projected into the air and she pivoted it toward Alex.  “I just sent them on a merry goose chase.  Hacked your implants.  It turns out you took a private flight to Miami… that should buy us a few hours at least.”

Alex’s expression softened slightly as he confirmed that the security forces were indeed following Julia’s false trail – video of a corporate jet already spinning up on the family’s private runway appearing onscreen.

“What do you want?” he demanded finally.

“You’re angry.  Upset.  Your father is a fucking asshole – I’ve experienced that firsthand. I imagine taking out that rage on others feels pretty good,” Finn offered, glancing over his shoulder at the stage where the bots were already prepping for another fight.

“If I needed a shrink, I could find one on my own,” Alex bit back sourly.

“You misunderstand,” Finn replied smoothly.  “I get your anger, but this isn’t what you really want, is it?  Beating up strangers?  Wouldn’t it feel so much better if you were attacking the person you truly hate?  If you could stick it to your father?”

Alex hesitated for a moment and then… “He’s not someone that even I can reach,” He was mincing his words and looking around to see if anyone was eavesdropping.  However, the loud music of the club worked to their advantage now, the bots keeping anyone too curious at bay.

“Not without help,” Finn replied evenly.  “But with a few friends…”

He spread his hands, the group arrayed before Alex.  The young man met Julia’s eyes and she winked at him.  Finn’s gaze never wavered.  Then Alex’s attention came to rest on Eliza and she struggled to maintain his stare as he inspected her curiously.  However, somehow, she held firm; refuse to balk or backdown.  She’d already come this far.  And part of her was curious to see just how deep this rabbit hole went…

Whatever Alex saw in her gaze, it must have been enough.

“What exactly do you have in mind?” he asked.

Chapter 27 - Affiliate Marketing

Cady whisked into the chamber, a metal tray perched on one palm, whiskey stones clinking against the glass and accompanied by the fizz of champagne – or, at least, the game’s equivalent.  The guards along the terrace barely spared her a glance.  That was one problem with the Gambler’s fascination with robotic servants. They weren’t terribly smart. Not that the fairies were much of an improvement.  The little, hovering sycophants weren’t much for critical thinking.

That’s how the god of air preferred them.  Perfect, stupid little happiness mills.

She padded across sleek marble, her eyes on the window carved into the far wall.  It provided a sweeping view of the coliseum – towering stands filled with all manner of races and creatures.  Hundreds.  Thousands. Tens of thousands.  An ocean of bodies. Even now, more airships were landing along the ports that had been constructed atop the Half Mile Club, the vessels anchored in place with thick ropes that sparkled with mana.

And they were all here to see one thing.

A damned “Food Fight.”

Cady remembered this – all of this.  The fanfare.  The pulsing vibration beneath her feet.  The pleasantries and empty words and jubilant celebration masking a vile happiness machine.

This is where it had all started…

“Ahh, thank you,” a familiar voice spoke up and Cady was knocked out of her thoughts.  She looked down to find none other than herself perched on a sofa.  Her “other” self.

Cady just dipped her head.  It wouldn’t do for the help to respond – much less to an avatar, a living vessel for the divine.  She simply grabbed the drink and delicately passed it to herself.

Yet her fingers refused to relinquish the drink immediately and she saw her own forehead pinch in confusion as she began to turn.  This was always eerie.  Her clone cocked her head, about to rebuke her, but hesitated as Cady’s illusion rippled from the brief touch of their fingers.  Then the other woman’s gaze dropped to the ring on Cady’s finger.

Now that… that was a dead giveaway.

“Come, come now, girl.  I’m thirsty,” the Gambler barked from nearby, snapping his fingers.  Cady shot one last look at herself, motioning to the door with her chin.

Her other self responded with a slow nod.

Then Cady swept around the small couch and approached the god of air himself.  He looked bored.  Dressed in an immaculate dark suit, and golden dice-shaped cufflinks glimmering on his wrist as he accepted his drink.  Whiskey, neat.  He took a sip and relished the taste and Cady backed away quickly, heading for the door.

“So, now what brings you to—” the Gambler began, turning to his guest.

Cady – the other Cady – coughed into her hand, interrupting him.  “My apologies.  But before we begin, could you perhaps direct me to a restroom?  It was a long journey.”

The Gambler’s brow arched skeptically and Cady hesitated at the door, the empty tray tucked beneath her arm.  Would he accept such a flimsy excuse from a traveler?

“Yes, yes.  Of course,” the Gambler answered finally.  “It’s just down the hall.”

“Thank you,” the other Cady replied and rose, stepping out into the hallway.

Her footsteps followed the real Cady as she paced down the hall, relying heavily on memory… as well as the map that Jason had pushed to her UI.  Not that she was going to admit that the information was useful.  That kid was already too full of himself as it was.  If she didn’t keep him on a short leash, he might blow up the whole club.  She was already regretting this plan – it was too much; too many changes; too much risk.  Not that she could do anything about that now, of course.  Cady turned sharply.  Once more.  And then she opened a small, nondescript door and found herself in a narrow closet.

A few seconds passed, then a soft rap, rap, rap on the wood.

“Come in,” Cady urged.

Her other self soon opened the door and stepped inside, shutting the portal quickly behind her.  Before she could speak, Cady dropped her illusion, water raining against the floor before slowly draining into the hole in the floor.  She’d picked a cleaning closet for a reason.

Sure, the Gambler didn’t technically need cleaners for his coliseum.  He could make do with magic – just blow the club clean with a single gesture.  He did it for his fairies. One of his sick experiments to foster happiness. Those little buzzing brownnosers loved the cleaning.  Apparently, it made them happy…

“Which one are you?” the other Cady asked, unsurprised to find herself faced with… well, herself.  Or to find the body of one of the Gambler’s human attendants slumped on the floor, her limbs bound and stripped of her clothing and a bloody scratch on her hand.  The other Cady barely spared the attendant a glance before her eyes latched onto herself with unblinking focus.

This part was always uncomfortable.

“Cady Prime,” she answered finally.

The other’s eyes went round in surprise before she mastered her expression.  Then her lips pinched into a grim line as she considered the implications of what that meant.  She was just a clone of Cady; just lines of code.  A phantom with her face.  Cady knew that.   But they were familiar ghosts, each with her memories, her mannerisms, and her speech patterns.  They even thought like her.  Which was often quite annoying if she was being honest.

“Well, then… I didn’t realize I was in the presence of royalty, your majesty,” the other replied sarcastically, dipping into a mocking courtesy.

Man, she could also be a real asshole.

“Knock it off,” Cady snapped.  “We don’t have long.”

“What’s happened?”

“Plans have changed,” she explained with a sour expression.

“Really?  Why?” the other asked.  Then she hesitated.  “Is it Jason?”

She shouldn’t know about Jason – not yet.  Not technically.  But well, playing with time could be funny like that.  Cady still had more than a few cards she hadn’t revealed to the necromancer. The Veritas kept her honest, but it didn’t force her to disclose anything.  A lie of omission wasn’t really a lie at all, now was it?  Maybe she really was paranoid.  Although, she preferred the word “careful.”  There was too much at stake for any mistakes.

“Of course,” Cady bit back.  “He’s entering the Food Fight.  He’s even whipped up the human slaves into a frenzy.  They’re planning a rebellion.”

The other’s eyes went round.  “Isn’t it too soon for that?”

“Of course, it is!” Cady snapped back.  “However, I couldn’t stop him.  I needed to make a pit stop at the lab for more Veritas.  It was unavoidable.  The Hall Monitors found us back in Pax, although we did manage to secure the mine.”

“Shit,” the other grunted.  “Shit, shit, shit.”

“Yes, not ideal. They found us much earlier than I expected.”

The other’s eyes locked on her then.  “So, you need to take over from me?”

At least she caught on quick.

“Yes, exactly.”

The other shrugged.  “Fine.  I could use a break anyway.”  As she spoke, the other pulled a small knife from her belt, pricked her thumb and pressed it to Cady’s ring.  Water condensed and Cady’s clothing shifted, matching her clone’s attire in a heartbeat.

Then the other woman’s fingers blurred and an emerald portal ripped open the air nearby.  The other hesitated before she stepped inside, looking back at Cady.  “Remember to be careful.  Stay on script… or, at least, as best you can.  The Gambler is a wily one.”

Cady just snorted.  “I remember.  I’m the one that handled him the first time, remember?”

The other just looked back somberly, then nodded and entered the rift, the energy collapsing behind her.  Cady let out a sigh as her other self disappeared, anxiety settling back on her shoulders.  The “truth” was that she felt much less confident than she’d let on.  She swept at her UI, a video loading nearby, one replaying a familiar conversation – one she’d had in this same club months ago.  Normally, it would be easy enough to repeat her previous actions.  To stay on script.  However, Jason was sure to throw a wrench in that plan.

That was his gift, after all – fucking things up.

Another sigh.  She needed to move.  It wouldn’t be long until shit hit the fan…

***

“My apologies,” Cady chirped as she re-entered the Gambler’s box, shooting the god a glowing smile.  “Did I miss anything?” she asked as she took her seat delicately.

A display glowed in the air nearby, invisible to the god and replaying this encounter – replete with subtitles.  Which is how she knew what he’d say next—

“No, no, they’re still just setting up for the first round,” he answered, waving at the coliseum far below.

Cady followed his gaze, magic flashing as the generators terraformed the arena in preparation for the first round of the Food Fight.  No doubt, the humans were already lining up below ground, just waiting to be fed into the woodchipper of creatures that the Gambler had prepared – the beasts tucked away by heavy metal grates that circled the arena floor, magic crystals glimmering along the pens to conceal their appearance and prevent any hope of escape.  Another thick barrier of mana hung across the top of the arena to protect the crowd.

Not that they were worried about the human slaves.  However, it would dampen the festivities if one of the creatures managed to escape and injure the spectators.

“Now, what brings you here?” the Gambler asked, a sharpness to his voice.

“You mean you aren’t happy to see me?” Cady asked with a light smile.

“You know that isn’t the issue,” the Gambler replied, taking a sip of his whiskey and his mana flaring around the room with a gust of wind as he reinforced the soundproofing wards that protected his private box.  “After our last… discussion, didn’t we decide it would be best not to be seen together?  Or at least only sparingly.  It won’t take much for my siblings to become suspicious.  They’re already asking questions.”

Cady resisted the urge to roll her eyes.  Siblings, huh?  Yet she didn’t let her face or body betray her.  The Gambler couldn’t skim her surface thoughts – not like the Fates.  That was a power that could only be exercised between a deity and their own avatar… at least, under normal circumstances.  The Fates had told her there were a few exceptions, including attacking a god.  Although, she couldn’t imagine anyone would be stupid enough to try that…

“Of course,” Cady replied evenly.  “However, I don’t believe a casual visit by another avatar would warrant much suspicion.  Your games are known for their widespread appeal, drawing in races from all over the world.  Isn’t the god of water here as well?”

The Gambler frowned at that, taking a much longer sip.  His weaknesses were boredom and pride – not unlike Bran Sinclair.  A mixture of latent fear and a yearning desire to have the other gods view him as a successful businessman.  A god that always met or exceeded his quota of mana.  They were his only true peers, after all.  And just like Bran, when you already had everything, what else was there to do but shoot for the unattainable. In this case, the Gambler wanted the respect of his so-called siblings.

Although, it would be a cold day in Sandscrit before that happened…

“I had no choice,” he shot back.  “The Hippie was threatening to rain out the fight unless I invited him.  Little shit,” he muttered under his breath.

“Anyway…” he continued, his eyes flashing mana as he refocused on Cady.  “That’s beside the point.  You don’t do anything without a purpose; a hidden agenda.  You’re like me in that way.  So, I expect you’re here for more than a simple visit.”

Cady smiled into her glass.  “Perhaps I’m just checking on my investment.”

A sharp glance and silence met those words.

And then…

“Things are going well.  Sales are up.  The others are buying up our supplies of Mendax as quickly as we can ship them out.  It’s all my airships can do to fulfill their orders and the others are happy with how compliant the humans have become.  Some of the avatars have even been experimenting with using it on their own people,” he added with a dark chuckle and a shake of his head.  “My mana has also been skyrocketing.  It seems giving an addict their next fix makes them quite happy.  It seems you were right…”

“Of course, I was,” Cady offered with a nod.  That one had been her idea.  She only felt slightly guilty as she recalled Jason’s accusing glances from earlier… he hadn’t been far off.

“And our other product?” she asked, her eyes on the stadium seats, the other private boxes perched over those more pedestrian seats.  She soon found her prize, a box directly across the arena from the Gambler’s – as far away as the god of air could place that particular guest.

Familiar, colorful rags fluttered in the breeze as the god of water hung over the sill, his avatar and ever-present black sheep perched on a sofa behind him.  Cady would need to take care with him, as well as his avatar.  Theo Kratom, his chest bare, revealing thick muscle and glimmering scales.  Vain, self-centered, and easily distracted.  Even now, he sat there surrounded by several other merfolk, soaking in a private pool constructed inside their box.  The former avatar of water was slow to act, content with his own… distractions.  He was like the Hippie in that way.

As long as she didn’t push him, she would be safe.

“Sales are strong,” the Gambler answered.  A slow smile crept across his lips.  “The others have been quietly purchasing quite a bit.  It seems they were interested in stronger and more capable slaves.  The underground market is also thriving.  The truth telling side effect was a nice bonus, by the way.  It’s easier to trust a slave that can’t lie.”

Cady didn’t say a word.  It was still very possible to mislead, even when you were forced to tell the truth.  In fact, a few recent examples sprang to mind…

“And if they become unruly, there’s always Mendax to keep the slaves pliable.  A perfect duo.  It seems you were right once again,” the Gambler added.

Of course, she was.  Although, Cady didn’t exactly feel a buzz of satisfaction – Jason’s accusing glare still fresh in her mind.  This was a necessary evil.  Continued use of the drugs would prep the residents of this world for what was coming; grant them the “gift” of magic.  If the cost was a bit more slavery… well, that was just the cost they would have to pay for their future freedom.  As she’d told Jason, everyone mortgaged their own future – in-game or out.

Anything else was just another lie.

“Perfect,” Cady replied evenly.  “It seems you have them in the palm of your hand.”

“Did you expect anything less?”  The Gambler shot her a cocky smile.

And there it was.  That pride.  Just a small stroke of his ego was enough to ease his tension as well as his suspicion.  Man or “god,” it was apparently always the same story.

“I would love to review the ledgers once we get done here,” Cady replied.

“Are you saying you don’t trust me?”

“Not even a little bit,” Cady shot back with a smile of her own.

The Gambler huffed out a laugh and was about to reply but was interrupted as fireworks erupted in the center of the arena, showering the entire coliseum.  With a snap of his fingers, his sound dampening barrier exploded apart and a rushing roar swept into the box as the crowd rose to their feet, stomping at the stone and adding their own mana to the blaze.  Green, red, yellow, blue, black, and white.  A spiral of colors that could only announce one thing.

“Looks like it’s time to put on a show,” the Gambler said, shooting a Cady a wink.

She just smiled back and waved for him to get on with it.

The god of air’s fingers twitched and a glowing yellow microphone appeared in his hand.  He rose and strode toward the window.  The rock dissolved away and a platform of amber energy stretched out into open air, easily holding his weight.  The Gambler soon stood in the middle of the coliseum, the crowd roaring with raucous enthusiasm.

“Are you all ready to be entertained?” he asked, his voice booming through the coliseum.

The spectators loudly answered in the affirmative.

“What? What was that? I’m sorry.  I couldn’t hear you…”

The wave of sound that met his challenge was enough to set the entire stadium to trembling, dust cascading down from the ceiling and the airships creaking overhead as they strained against their thick tethers.  Cady had forgotten what a show-off he could be…

“Well, in that case, do we have something incredible in store for you today!” the Gambler announced.  “Welcome to Half Mile High Club and the 5000th annual food fight sponsored by none other than Mendax – a dose of liquid happiness!  Unruly slave?  Irritating boss?   Complaining spouse?  Well, do we have a deal for you.  Finally, you can get some of that peace and quiet you crave.  Just speak to one of our Fairy Fam for 20% off your next purchase!

“Now, on to the main event!  And do we have one hell of a show coming!  Our food will be fighting a rather unusual gauntlet of beasts.  Elemental creatures stolen away from the darkest corners of this world.  It’s sure to be an exciting and bloody time.”

Another roar of approval.

“For those that haven’t experienced the Food Fight before, the rules are simple.  The competition is broken into several rounds.  The last Food standing is the winner.  And if anyone is alive by the event the tournament, that lucky Food will be granted its freedom.  So, make sure to place your bets before each round commences.  Our helpful staff will be available along each section to take your bets and provide odds on this year’s feast.

“Now, the fight wouldn’t be any fun without giving the Food a fighting chance, right?”

Some boos met those words.  “Now, now, don’t be like that,” the Gambler replied with a chuckle.  “No one is here just to watch a massacre—”

Another roar met those words.  “Or maybe you are!” he added with a wide smile.

“But let’s take some pity on this year’s Food.  Most likely don’t even understand what’s in store for them.  Our participants may be sponsored by our esteemed guests – either by a public poll at the end of each round or by private donation from our generous donors in the boxes overhead,” he explained with a sweeping gesture.

Necks craned from the stands to view the nobles with the wealth to purchase those boxes – mages, warriors, and merchants of incredible esteem.  Creatures that had lived for hundreds or even thousands of years.  With the attention of the crowd on them, their attendants shot off streamers of mana that coiled into sigils for each of their noble houses.

“Those sponsorships can provide additional buffs or equipment that will help our Food survive into the next round!” the Gambler continued.

“Safety is also paramount here at the Half Mile Club, especially after last year’s unfortunate casualties,” the Gambler explained once the roar died down once more.  “Never fear!  We’ve repurposed the coliseum’s generators to provide adequate shielding – a new feature courtesy of the avatar of flame himself.  If anything untoward were to happen or one of the beasts were to escape, you can rest easy knowing that you and your family won’t be harmed.  This also prevents any overly enthusiastic members of the audience from joining in.  Remember, keep your mana to yourself or you will be escorted from the club.

“Now, are you all ready for Round 1?” the Gambler asked.

A crushing wave of noise rose up from the stands. Cady’s fingers clenched into fists as she saw the arena gates slowly begin to rise with a shrieking metal grind, dark shadows concealing the so-called “food” hidden within their depths.  Among them was a stranger, a dark horse, a spark of chaos that threatened to unravel this entire timeline.

It was time for Jason to take the stage.

Chapter 28 - Nine-to-Five

A few minutes earlier…

Jason stood amid a throng of other humans, bodies pressing in from all sides and feet shuffling in the mixture of dirt and sand that had swept into the hall from the arena lingering just on the other side of that imposing grate.  He could make out the dull echoes of what sounded like a voice – an announcer of some kind – but it was practically inaudible behind the air mana wards that coated that metal gate, another layer of light mana obscuring the arena from sight.

Which meant he wasn’t going to be able to plan ahead or anticipate the arena.  Cady could have helped him there.  If she’d been here before, then she could have fed him details on the matches, but she’d gone silent, likely talking with the Gambler.  He suspected there was a reason for that.  Under the effects of Veritas, she would have to watch what she said…

Either way, it seemed he was just going to have to get creative.

The first step had been his appearance.

First off, those fluttering, fairy wings had finally faded, the mana thankfully temporary.  Jason had also taken the liberty of burning the damn hat… only to stare in surprise as it shot off magical fireworks that formed the club’s logo.  Almost like they knew people were going to burn the merchandise.  He would happily murder whatever sadist had developed that product.

Now a thick cloak wrapped his body, hiding his features from sight.  However, even if the cloak was removed or damaged, onlookers would only find a young man.  Smooth skin that was pale as moonlight and carved into delicate high cheeks bones and wiry muscle.  It was just an illusion.  Jason’s body was little more than a meticulously-carved statue of ivory and it had taken an incredible stockpile of bones to pull this off, but the effect was worth it.  The other humans and fairies had all assumed he was human during his tests.  He’d even gained another skill.

Skill Fusion: Disguise + Bone Crafting –> Skeletal Illusion

Through a unique use of Disguise and Bone Crafting, you have learned to carve bone to mimic the effects of skin and muscle.  Masters of this art are said to be able to take on the appearance of nearly any beast or creature.  The skill Disguise has now been replaced with Skeletal Illusion and inherits the bonuses of the former skill.

Skill Level:  Beginner Level 1

Effect:  You are able to imitate the human form.  Your disguise is currently crude, lacking in body heat, hair, and small motor movements.

Legacy Effect: 12% increased authenticity to your costumes and mannerisms while disguised.

Now, this would be useful.  Incredibly useful.  If he could master this skill, he could mimic the other races or perhaps even other creatures, converting his form entirely.  The ability to fuse or combine skills was also intriguing and warranted some experimentation.  However, that would have to wait until he was somewhere safe…

Jason’s eyes skimmed to the club’s staff that lined their narrow alley, fauns pacing the stone behind a flimsy half wall.  No doubt, they were there to help usher any reluctant “food” into the arena with a few well-placed Gravity Wells.

Not that Jason expected much trouble.  Most of the humans were little more than walking zombies at this point, clouds of Mendax occasionally administered from pipes hanging from the ceiling and by the “Fairy Fam” that floated overhead – the staff protected by glimmering, amber masks.  And in Jason’s case?  Well, he couldn’t exactly breathe, now could he?  Although, he noticed that a few of the other humans were also wearing masks – their clothing marked with unfamiliar symbols.  Others were wearing gear similar to Jason, weapons swinging at their waist.

It seemed some of the spectators were bending the rules by helping the “Food.”  Jason could only assume that there was money riding on this competition.

And now it was his turn to put his thumb on the scale…

He slipped up against the wall and raised his hands to a nearby faun.  “Mendax… please just a little more…” he croaked as he tried to feebly scale the half-wall.

A faun approached, barking at him.  “Get off, trash!”

Emerald energy flashed, but Jason held fast to the wall, his body reinforced by the corpses he’d ‘borrowed’ from the club’s morgue – a pit where they dumped corpses before feeding them to their menagerie of magical beasts.   He’d also “borrowed” a few materials from the Gambler’s storerooms to reinforce his body. He wouldn’t be able to use obvious magic, so he’d focused on his physical abilities. His limbs were quite robust; more than strong enough to hold on to the wall, the stone cracking slightly under the force of the faun’s magic.

“Damn addicts,” the fauns grumbled, stalking forward and shoving at Jason—

Only for him to snatch the man’s arm and pull him close, a short-stave retracting from his arm in a flash of movement and a Soul Blade sinking into the faun chest, right at the base of his neck.  Blood flowed, hitting the sand on Jason’s side of the wall as he held the faun close, the other humans crowding around and soon stamping the blood into the dry earth.  The fairies floating overhead were already eyeing the pair, so he needed to be discreet.  Jason’s hands moved beneath his cloak and his dark mana flared.

Seconds later, the faun opened its eyes once more – eyes that shone with a faint milky light.  Now that wouldn’t do.  Jason handed the Specialized Zombie one of the nicer cloaks from his bag before ordering it to speak—

“I said… get off me, trash!” the faun zombie croaked, shoving Jason away.  He released his grip on the wall and stumbled back into the throng of humans.  Then the undead faun pivoted on one heel and swept the cloak around itself, pulling the hood into place before retaking its position along the wall with the others.

Perfect.  Now, he had a man on the inside and his swarms were still roaming the club and feeding information to the human forces – Jason having left another zombie with them, the creature little more than an animated speaker for his orders.

A sharp grind of metal interrupted his thoughts, the grate slowly rising up into the air and bright sunlight suddenly spilled into the dark tunnel.  Accompanying that glow was the roar of thousands, their voices echoing off the rock of the coliseum.

The fauns ushered the humans forward with rough instructions and a few kicks and blows.  As the drugged humans resisted or were slow to move into the arena, the earth mages formed glowing emerald sigils at their back and a stiff wind kicked up with a flash of amber as the fairies joined in.  That mana shoved them down the narrow chute and out into the open, a flood of feet pounding down on… soft dirt?

Jason eyed his new surroundings.  He’d been expecting some sort of Roman coliseum like the one in the Mile High Club.  All dry sand and gleaming white stone.  Yet what waited for him was a makeshift forest.  As though the trees and grasses and bushes had sprung from the stone itself, leaving a perfect clearing about fifteen feet from the walls that circled that unnatural forest.  He peered down along the circular wall to see that other packs of humans were being released into these arena.  Orbs of glowing energy danced in the area around them, glimmering with a white light.  Some sort of camera most likely.

His neck craned upward.  Not that he could make out much overhead.  He knew the stands lingered there but they were obscured behind a thick barrier of multi-colored energy.  It seemed Petra had been right about the generators.

He shifted his attention back to the forest.  This terrain would work well.  The trees would provide cover from the prying eyes overhead and as long as he paid attention, the cameras would only be a minor inconvenience – one he could work around.

“Where are we?”

“What is this?”

“More Mendax—”

Most of the humans were confused, milling in circles.  However, a handful walked with purpose, pulling their masks free and stowing them in their packs as they eyed the trees.  They moved in small groups.  It seemed Jason had been right.  Some of the spectators were definitely cheating.  However, that would just make things more interesting.

“What do we do?” one man muttered, grabbing a Jason’s cloak.  “Do you know what this is?  I just came to refill my—”

Jason pulled his cloak free with a sharp yank.  “This is a trial.  If you don’t focus, you’ll die.”

“Die?” the man asked blankly, his eyes swirling with that telltale rainbow energy.  “Surely, they wouldn’t kill off their own slaves—”

He was cut off as a voice echoed across the arena.  “Welcome to round 1.  The only goal is to survive.  Any Food left after 30 minutes will pass on to the next round!”

Jason cocked his head.  The rules were simple then.  This was a weed-out round.

Almost as soon as the voice faded, howls came from the depths of the woods.

The first pack of monsters had already been released.

Jason stalked toward the trees, pulling his cloak more tightly around him.  That meant he needed to move.  He needed to survive at least the first few rounds.  Buy the human rebels enough time to infiltrate the facility and contaminate the water system – for the Veritas to work through their system and to be ingested by the other races.  Which meant keeping a low profile while staying alive – at least for this first round.  And his first objective?

Losing those damn cameras.

“Hey wait—” the man called out behind Jason.

But he didn’t stop.  Those people were already as good as dead.  Little more than human-shaped vegetables – drugged beyond recognition and lying to themselves about their predicament.  Sacrifices were necessary to accomplish great change.  Yet their deaths wouldn’t be in vain.  They would set the stage for the war that would take place more than a century from now.

He might not have felt good about Cady’s strategy, but she’d been right.

Not that Jason ever planned to tell her that…

Screams soon echoed behind him, accompanied by growls and thumping feet and frantic pleas for help, but Jason just kept walking, soon vanishing into the forest.

***

The first match was simple.  Their opponents were several packs of Dire Wolves, each of the creatures nearly the size of a real-life horse – all claw and tooth and savage fury.  However, judging from their emaciated bodies, they’d been starved and whipped into a frenzy.  Which made them stupid.  Too stupid to check the trees where Jason was perched out of sight.

Not that it mattered.  The wolves had plenty of other prey.

He watched as the humans fled along the forest floor; as they were run down and eaten, all while those glowing white orbs tracked every scream and spray of blood.  The roar of the crowd beat against the mana shields overhead, the spectators still hidden well out of sight.  Jason wasn’t dumb enough to climb to the peaks of those trees – to draw attention to himself.

Besides, there were precious materials down there, just waiting to be claimed.

Once the cameras had disappeared, his fingers twitched and milky white eyes soon opened.  The zombies pulled themselves upright and plucked the humans’ equipment from the ground.  Another few gestures and Jason had repurposed the corpses that couldn’t be salvaged, the wolves having ripped more than a few humans apart in their frenzy.  It was no matter, those materials could still be put to work – formed into rigid, bony armor that fused to the zombies’ bodies.  He used the smaller fragments of bone to form new mosquitos, the bony insects hiding away inside his ribcage in a buzzing swarm.  As a final parting touch?  Cloaks fluttered down from the branches, the zombies snatching the cloth from the air and wrapping their flimsy disguises around themselves before crawling up into the trees with him…

Joining the rest of the milky-eyed horrors that already lingered amid the shadows of the branches and watched their leader silently.

“Only five minutes left!” the announcer’s voice carried across the forest.

“Perfect,” Jason purred.

***

A chime soon announced the end of the first round.  The trees suddenly began to disintegrate with a flash of bright emerald, the bark ripped away from the trunks and leaves spinning away from the branches.  Jason dropped from his perch, his zombies following close behind and hitting the ground in a series of dull thumps, none of his group making a single sound as they stalked toward the exit – that same gate where they had first entered.

Jason had used the first round to gather information and additional materials.  The arena was perfectly circular.  Nearly a mile across.  Heavy metal grates lined the walls.  Roughly half were used by the humans. Nearly a dozen groups by his count. The other half?  They must house the monsters.  At least, that was Jason’s guess.

The trees broke apart into motes of mana and were soon replaced by smooth sand, earth and fire mana cascading across the arena.  Howls echoed in the distance as the wolves were lured out of the ring with stacks of fresh meat resting inside the gates on the far side of the arena.

Not that Jason spared that much attention.  His eyes had lifted skyward as the barrier overhead rippled and flashed before turning translucent.  Jason finally caught a glimpse of their audience.  The stands towered up hundreds of feet into the air and were filled with a myriad of races – too many to count.  Above the stands were palatial stone affairs.  Private boxes that likely housed the nobles and elites.  And somewhere up there was Cady – likely already sitting with the Gambler and watching the spectacle far below.

Speak of the devil.  The deity himself strode out into open air, a glowing microphone in hand.  “Annnnndddd… that’s the first round of this year’s Food Fight!”

He snapped his fingers and a giant glowing number appeared nearby.

“Roughly 5,000 participants started the first round this year and after only 30 minutes…”

He trailed off, that number crashing downward fast before settling at 813.

“More than 80% were devoured in the first 30 minutes!”

The crowd roared its approval, their voices filled with a bloodlust that had Jason’s bony hands clenching into fists, his dark mana flaring and chill energy surging through his body.  They found this… amusing?  This massacre?  Starving wolves sic’d on drugged up and defenseless humans?   Perhaps they deserved to lose this world.

Jason’s minions pulled close around him as he turned his attention to the other humans still standing in the field.  A few lone wolves had survived the first round – likely adopting some version of Jason’s strategy – climbing into the trees to escape the wolves.  However, most moved in packs, each group marked with their own identifying sigil.  Jason and his minions were the odd ones out.  A group of silent, dark figures all wrapped in ragged, tattered cloth and their faces hidden.

“Our MVP of this last round was the Food sponsored by House Toren!” the Gambler announced.  “Not only did they survive the first round, but they managed to down six dire wolves.  Can you believe that?  Even Food can be trained!”

Laughter and mocking shouts flew through the air overhead.

“Sponsors, now’s your chance.  Choose and bless your champions accordingly!”

Jason just crossed his arms as he watched those nobles staring down from overhead, their mana flaring.  One awarded weapons to the survivors, the metal gleaming with glowing gemstones and raining down from the sky with little warning.  Jason side-stepped one longsword as it impaled the sand by his side.  Others weren’t so lucky and shouts of pain filled the air as the weapons cut into tender, unsuspecting flesh… only for the crowd above to roar and laugh and jeer.

That pain was short-lived.  Another noble soon cast a buff upon the survivors.  Their bodies were infused with a bright, white light, their wounds healed and their limbs surging with strength.

This went on for nearly a minute, Jason and his zombies standing mute amid a sea of rewards – just watching.  There was no hiding from this.

“And… what is this?  A dark horse?  A group of humans that are unaffiliated?” the Gambler announced, a spotlight of white energy suddenly shining on their location.  Jason shifted as the light touched a bony hand, smoke coiling away from the glare before he tucked the limb beneath his cloak.  The zombies weren’t faring much better, the sun searing their decayed flesh where the light shone through holes in their cloaks.  However, the dust filling the air disguised that damage.

“Is there anything our dear Food would like to say?” the Gambler offered, those gleaming cameras whirring in close and spinning around the group.  Overhead, a massive screen hovered in the air, showcasing Jason and his zombies.  He spared an anxious look at his minions.  Yet there was no indication that the crowd had noticed they weren’t… well, technically alive.

Jason coughed into his hand and the camera centered on his face.  The other packs of humans were glaring now – envious of the attention and potential sponsorships.

“Ahh, is this your leader?”  the Gambler quipped.  “Anything you want to say?”

“Just bring on the next round,” Jason grunted and then fell silent.

“Not one to mince words, huh?  Well, we all know that humans are rather simple-minded creatures.  Feed, fuck, and fight, am I right?  But it makes them so happy!” the Gambler offered.

Jason’s fists clenched again.  Oh, how he couldn’t wait to wipe that condescending look off the god’s face.  But that time would come.  For now, he just needed to wait.

“Any sponsorships—”

The Gambler was cut off as the Hippie interrupted him, nearly falling out of his booth in his haste.  The god of water started waving his hands wildly to catch the other god’s attention.  The Gambler let out a sigh and then grudgingly provided the Hippie with a glowing microphone with a snap of his fingers.

“Ahem, yes… thank you,” the god of water began.  “I was just trying to say that this group looks interesting!  So, they can have my blessing!” he announced.

“Oh, fuck…” Jason muttered under his breath.  Luckily, his words were lost as the crowd went nuts – half booing while the others cheered him on.  Apparently, the god of water was not well loved here. Not that Jason blamed them.  The last time he’d encountered the god, he’d gotten trapped inside some sort of weird play.

“Hey, hey, I get that you’re upset,” the god of water announced.  “But you’ll just have to accept it!  I like me the strong silent types, you know!”

Sapphire energy coalesced in the air above Jason and his group before settling around them, wrapping their limbs.  As that energy suffused his body, a glowing prompt appeared.

System Notice:  Blessing of Water

The god of water himself has bestowed his blessing upon you and your allies.  You should be grateful.  Like super, super grateful.  You’re welcome!

- +25% dodge chance.

- +100 Intelligence and Willpower.

- +20% water affinity.

- 2 hour duration.

“Huh,” Jason grunted.  There wasn’t a downside?  That seemed…

“Oh, and I almost forgot!” the Hippie continued, almost falling out of his booth.

More energy whipped around the group and another prompt appeared.

System Notice:  Blessing of Water

The Hippie is a little absentminded.  He forgot to include a cost for his blessing…

- -3,000 health.

- x2 stamina consumption when outside of water.

And there it was.  Although, the side effects didn’t mean much to Jason.  The health loss would weaken his zombies, but a glance at his UI confirmed that the effect didn’t reduce his mana.  The stamina consumption was more problematic, but it wouldn’t affect his undead and he could likely compensate by moving strategically.  More interesting was whether he could collect more of these buffs.  They would be useful for what was coming…

The crowd let out muttering murmurs and the other humans were glaring at them now, but there wasn’t much Jason could do to avoid the Hippie’s attention.  The god was as capricious now as he was in the future.  Jason was just surprised the god hadn’t mentioned his black sheep pet a single time.  Maybe their weird, co-dependent relationship had begun later?

“Now, now, I know you’re upset,” the Gambler consoled the crowd.  “But we still have more rounds in store – more chances to see our precious Food here devoured firsthand.  They’re just human, after all.  And the choice of the next round is yours!”

Amber energy condensed overhead before a magically reinforced wind gusted among the stands and more displays appeared in front of each spectator, their choices outlined in glowing yellow relief.  Not that Jason could see the options, of course.  That would ruin the surprise for the food, after all.  Yet the god’s strength was impressive.  It seemed they’d once been much more powerful.  The mana needed to cast this spell for thousands—

He never got a chance to finish that thought as the Gambler’s voice soon boomed through the arena. “Ahh, a splendid choice!  Our next round is starting soon.  And trust me, I promise I’m not trollin’!”  The barrier overhead suddenly snapped back into place and the crowd disappeared once more, their voices only a dull roar as they beat against the barrier.

“Not trollin’?” Jason echoed as he eyed the walls of the arena, the metal grates creaking opening once more.  But not just one.  Nearly a dozen – all around the arena.  It seemed his guess had been wrong.  The Gambler wasn’t storing separate monsters in each of those cages.  They must be tucked away further inside the club and these were just the exits.

Soon, lumbering giants came striding from those openings, their gnarled feet pounding at the sand – feet attached to huge bodies that towered more than twenty feet into the air.  The trolls were dressed in thick loincloths, lacking any armor.  They were also armed with crude wooden bats – although, admittedly, they were the size of trees.  The Gambler had chosen a simple arena for this round.  One that didn’t offer anywhere to run or flee.  If the first round had tested their ability to survive, then this was apparently a test to see whether they could actually fight.

Dark mana surged through Jason’s body in a chill wave as he felt the pressure of thousands of eyes watching his every move, those cameras still floating around the arena.  There was no longer anywhere to hide from those prying eyes.  Not that he was worried.

Jason would just do what he did best…

Put on one hell of a show!

Chapter 29 - Pitch

That dickhead, Cady grumbled internally as she glared down at Jason where the necromancer now faced off against a bunch of trolls.  She couldn’t risk speaking aloud.  The god of air’s abilities making him quite the attentive listener.

He even summoned fucking zombies…

“That man seems unusual,” the Gambler murmured, taking another sip of his whiskey.

Cady needed to distract him.  Now.

“Just another human.  I’m sure one of the other noble houses secretly gave him their blessing.  Or possibly even the dark god himself,” Cady suggested, covering her bases in case Jason decided to go crazy and start openly using his abilities.

Even now he was using a couple of his zombies as fodder, the undead distracting a troll long enough for Jason to snatch one of the many blades that riddled the sand and cut the troll’s hamstrings – blood spraying wildly as he demonstrated a strength that should have been impossible.  In its weakened, starving state, the troll’s regeneration wasn’t enough to quickly repair the wound and Jason’s minions soon cut it down, neatly severing the muscles and tendons in its arms and legs until it lay there helplessly on the sand.  Jason soon finished his opponent, sawing the sword across the beast’s throat and thick green blood spurting onto the sands.  The crowd roared, many rising to their feet and mana flying in their enthusiasm.

The Gambler sniffed.  “No sigil and the noble houses are full of arrogant pricks.  Maybe another deity attempting to mess with my games?  Although, that doesn’t sound like their style…” he trailed off, deep in thought.  “But perhaps that’s the reason they’d take a step like this.  Because I wouldn’t suspect anything.  They must feel threatened by the new clubs I’ve opened and with all that mana pouring in.  They could be trying to undermine me and make me look foolish…”

“Is your relationship with the other gods still that strained?” Cady offered, not unkindly.

Those sharp eyes shifted back to her in a flash, a scowl on the god’s lips.  “Not any more than usual.  But why the sudden interest in my siblings?  Are you plotting something now?  Possibly thinking about going around me to sell your product?”

Cady just smiled.  “I doubt I’d get far.  As you’ll recall, I tried my best to approach them before.  I was a bit too human for their tastes,” she offered, waving at herself.

The Gambler grunted, seemingly accepting her excuse.  He’d been one of the few that had responded to her overtures – more interested in collecting mana than entertaining the other gods’ xenophobia.  There was a reason for their hatred of humans, of course.  But there was no sense delving into that here.  Cady wasn’t supposed to know about that yet.

Not that it mattered.  Mentioning the other gods had just been bait – enough to set the trap.

“No, I was actually thinking of making another investment, but I doubt that your siblings have the foresight to appreciate it. I was actually considering approaching the other avatars—”

“And you think your chances would be better with that lot?  I’ve heard the other gods are getting irritated with their ‘chosen ones.’  Too much autonomy and power.  They’re getting full of themselves.  Should have taken my approach.  I’ve always been a one man show,” the god of air offered with a grin as he surveyed his club.

Cady cocked her head as another roar rippled through the booth.  Jason and his gang had downed another troll.  He was moving quickly – far, far, too quickly.  More than half of the trolls were already dead.  Cady resisted the urge to message him and tell him to slow the fuck down.  The other “Food” had barely managed to kill two… and only then with severe losses, more than a few mangled, bloody bodies riddling the sand.

“Possibly,” Cady answered, returning her attention to the god.  “However, they still seem more pragmatic than many of the gods.  Perhaps they haven’t had as long to let their hatred fester.”

Another skeptical grunt from the god.  “Not going to happen.  They don’t make deals with humans… even the more remarkable ones such as yourself.”

“You flatter me,” Cady replied with a glowing smile.

“Well, you’ve made me a lot of mana.”

“Yes, yes, I suppose I have…” she murmured, watching the fight and trying her best not to smile as she noticed the Gambler side-eye her when he thought she wasn’t looking.  She could always count on his greed.

She went silent, biding her time as they both watched Jason finish off the rest of the trolls.  He’d killed most of them himself – Cady discounting the help of his damned zombies.  The crowd was going wild now, the sound loud enough to even penetrate the Gambler’s magic and the soundproofing barrier rippling from the force of their shouts.

“So… what is that you’re thinking of selling?” the god asked finally, side-eyeing her as he swirled his whiskey.

“Don’t you need to announce the end of the round?” Cady replied gently.

Inside, she was smiling gleefully.  She’d caught his attention.

The god of air snorted and snapped his fingers.  Wind whipped outside his booth and condensed into a glowing amber clone of himself, replete with microphone and glimmering cufflinks.  The dull thump of his voice soon beat against the sound dampening barrier and elemental fireworks cascaded through the coliseum as he announced the end of the second round.

“Not exactly,” the god shot back with a cocky grin.  He was still a showoff.  Yet those piercing eyes were focused on her once more.  “What exactly are you planning now?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Cady replied, waving him off.  “As you said, it would likely require the help of the other avatars or gods… which won’t happen.  It was probably just a pipe dream.”

Her gaze was focused on the arena below.  She needed to make him wait; let him stew just a little longer.  Let the god’s own curiosity do her work for her.  She only needed to keep saying no and he would bargain himself into a corner.  The Gambler frowned, evidence that her plan was working.  But, of course it was.  It had worked before, hadn’t it?

“Besides, we’re missing the show,” Cady said, gesturing at the arena.

More glowing screens appeared before the attendees and the Hippie was practically falling out of his booth, showering Jason with fresh buffs… not that he even needed them.  A few of the other noble houses had even joined in as they switched their bets to the dark horse of this competition, gleaming weapons and armor raining down into the coliseum – more than enough to equip Jason and his remaining zombies.

Another surge of mana as the generators kicked back online and the arena floor began to change, water flooding the ring and floating wooden platforms stitching themselves together with a flash of emerald energy.  Those makeshift rafts soon ringed the area and water sloshed against their sides, the humans scrambling onto those wooden islands for safety.

The water grew deep, the earth caving out from under the arena.  Soon, the surviving “Food” was huddled on their makeshift rafts and eyeing the waters nervously. From this angle, Cady could see a massive, dark shadow rippling through the depths.  It would be difficult to fight without entering the water and those rafts wouldn’t hold up to a sustained attack.

What would Jason do now?

Yet he answered her question only moments later.  He peered over the edge of his makeshift raft and must have noticed the shadow.  The beast soon emerged from the water, an infant kraken, its tentacles still stretching dozens of feet up into the air.  It wrapped its limbs around one platform and crushed the wood, the humans screaming in terror before more of those tentacles lashed around their arms and legs and pulled them into the depths of the newly-formed lake.

Jason seemed unperturbed.  Turning, he gave one final wave at the crowd before the shield snapped back into place over the arena, the spectators meeting this confidence with renewed fervor and a wave of enthusiastic noise.  Then that asshole just jumped off the platform and disappeared beneath the surface, leaving his zombies behind.  A few glowing white cameras attempted to follow him, but couldn’t make out much as they plunged into the swirling water and dirt.  Apparently, no one on the Gambler’s magical media team had anticipated the “Food” fighting the kraken underwater.  Go figure.

Cady glared suspiciously.  Just what the fuck was he thinking?  Was Jason gambling that the other races wouldn’t know how long a human could hold their breath?  Even the other “Food” was staring at his vacant platform like he’d gone mad.

And more importantly… had the Gambler noticed?

However, as she glanced at her companion, Cady found him watching her instead of the fight, nursing his glass and whisky sloshing in a slow circle.  “You have me intrigued.  Are you sure you won’t divulge your plan?  Humor your business partner?”

Cady smiled in amusement.  “Is that what we are now?  Partners?”

“Are we not?” the god shot back.  “If the others discovered I was working with a human –much less the avatar of earth – I’m sure they would be rather upset.”

Got him.  Hook, line, and sinker.  Although, the fishing idiom was a little on the nose given the current circumstances…

Cady hesitated, looking conflicted, then she let out a sigh.  “Fine.  Although, I’m not sure what good it will do if the others aren’t willing to join in.”

“Let’s just hear the plan first,” the Gambler replied.  “I may be able to use some of my own sway with the avatars… assuming the plan has merit, that is.”

Cady nodded, feigning uncertainty.  “Ahh, in that case, it has to do with what’s coming in the future.  Think of it like an investment.  A risky one.”

“That doesn’t sound like you,” the god quipped, taking another sip and a half-smile on his lips – patting himself on the back for convincing her.  He had the same expression in the video that was slowly playing in the air beside her.  “You’ve always been a cautious one.”

She met his smile with one of her own.  He was attempting to flatter her now?  What an obvious, hollow pretense.  “Ahh, well, I may have some insider information.”

“Which is what exactly?” he asked.

“You’re familiar with how the earth avatar can travel through time, yes?” Cady replied.

The Gambler nodded.  “Of course, of course.  Who do you think you’re talking to?”

“My apologies,” Cady offered diplomatically.  “But I know how cagey you and the other gods can be with information about yourselves, even among siblings.”  He winced at that, attempting to mask his reaction with another sip of whiskey.  “I just wanted to be sure—”

She was cutoff as another roar beat against the Gambler’s magic wards, the god glancing at the arena in surprise, only to find Jason hauling himself back up on a makeshift raft, water raining off his armor and cloak.  He slammed down the Kraken’s head, its purple blood staining the wood of the raft.  Meanwhile, many of the zombies and other humans were also pulling themselves from the water, having gotten tossed from their rafts during the fight.  However, it didn’t look like anyone had died after that first raft full of slaves.

As Cady watched, her brow pinched in surprise – or, at least, that’s how she hoped it looked to the Gambler.  It was really concern.  Jason had completed that round quickly.  Far, far too quickly.  And… wait, weren’t there more of his zombies than there had been a few moments ago?   And what had happened to the kraken’s body?  There’s no way in hell he’d just given that up.  Yet the cameras hadn’t been able to follow him into the depths.

Shit.  She needed to hurry this along.

“That man is impressive.  Did he really fight an infant kraken in the water?” the god of air muttered.  That wasn’t good...

“He had the Hippie’s buffs,” Cady offered skeptically.

“I suppose that’s true…” the Gambler trailed off, his forehead pinched in thought.

“The next round?” Cady urged him.

“Ahh, yes, yes.”  He snapped his fingers and his clone appeared once more.

The water drained from the arena in a wave of sapphire energy, spiraling down into a hole in the sands and leaving the base of the coliseum soaked and sopping, the wooden platforms now resting on hard ground.  The other humans looked flustered… even frightened as they stared at Jason now – the necromancer reveling in the adulation of the crowd, one arm raised triumphantly and slick purple blood covering his body.

The Hippie and the other nobles continued to shower him with more gifts.  Glimmering equipment.  Neatly polished steel.  And yet another blessing from the Hippie.

He was doing this on purpose, Cady realized.  Just to collect the buffs and extra equipment.  How powerful was he going to be by the end of this?

The arena was terraformed once more, lava now spewing from the sand, melting it down and forming pools of glowing orange glass.  Meanwhile, mountains of stone erupted from the ground and shot into the air, the humans swiftly fleeing to those islands of safety.  The grates creaked open and monstrous Fire Salamanders soon lumbered out into the open, leaping into the molten pools to bathe in the warmth, their skin soon glowing with heat.

“Now, what did you see in the future?” the Gambler demanded, and Cady whirled to find him leaning forward, his eyes glowing with amber energy.

“You won’t believe me,” Cady demurred, taking a sip at her own drink.

“Try me,” the Gambler shot back.

She watched him, waiting, weighing.  She needed to speed this along.  Go off script.  Otherwise, Jason threatened to undo this entire timeline – he was moving far, far too fast.  They were swiftly approaching the point of no return.  Which meant there was only one play left.

“I saw a human revolution,” Cady announced finally, swiping aside the video in her UI.  She’d convinced the god on her own the last time and she could damn well do it again.  “A tide of humanity that will threaten everything that you, your siblings and your avatars have built.  In fact, they will control this world.”

The Gambler barked out a laugh, leaning back in his chair and shaking his head incredulously.  “Really?  You come to me with this fantasy?”

“Fantasy?” Cady shot back archly, looking offended.  “Haven’t you already seen the evidence for yourself?” she demanded as she waved at the arena where even now Jason was fighting one of the salamanders.

The necromancer was using a wand he’d procured from the Hippie to douse the creature in water, cooling its skin and slowing its movements before plunging forward and stabbing it in the throat in a blur of movement.  Lightning arced down the blade as he activated the gem infused into the hilt and the creature squealed in pain, smoke soon trailing away from its eyes and nose.

Then it fell still, another roar of crowd beating against the shields.

“That man is evidence enough of the humans’ potential – regardless of whether he may be the product of the other gods’ meddling.  And you’ve already witnesses some of the other effects of Mendax.  The mana builds in humans’ system, crystallizes, and forms Najima.  It grants them the ability to cast, giving them the power of a Journeyman mage or even a Master—”

“You go too far,” the Gambler snapped.  “It’s true that some of the human slaves have begun to exhibit spellcasting abilities.  But a Master?”

“These aren’t stories or mere fairytales.  I told you,” Cady continued, her expression serious.  “I’ve seen the future.  Humans will ultimately control this world.  And as if that wasn’t bad enough… in another century or two, a new type of human will arrive.  Travelers from another world.  They will exhibit powers that rival even the strongest mages among the races; that might even rival the avatars themselves.”

The god was staring now.  Incredulous.  Disbelieving.  Denial was always the first go-to; the hiding place of the weak and unimaginative.  The gods had grown complacent over millennia.

“I just can’t accept it,” the Gambler replied, shaking his head.  “It’s too much of a stretch.”

“Would I lie to you?” Cady demanded confidently, gesturing at her own eyes where rainbow energy swirled faintly – evidence of her use of Veritas.

“Perhaps not directly,” he answered honestly, clearly not fully trusting the side effect of the drug.   Good for him.  “Do you have any proof?  Any at all?”

A faint smirk curled the corner of his lips.  He thought he had her dead to rights.  The god knew that the only way to prove her claims was to show him… which would require an absurd amount of Time.  She hadn’t lied to Jason before – she technically couldn’t lie, now could she?  Traveling through Time was expensive, and dramatically more so with a passenger riding along with her.  Even with the Time she’d collected, she barely had enough to grant them passage and she was growing concerned that she wouldn’t have enough to make it back to the present.

But the Gambler was relying on a faulty assumption.

Traveling forward in time wasn’t the only way to prove her point…

No, no, she was going to have to do something different.  There was no other choice.  Not with the changes that Jason had already wrought.  She needed to lean into the chaos.  Take a page from the book of that dumbass down there that was even now pulling his blade from yet another fire salamander corpse, their bodies littering the arena while the other humans huddled together on a stone island and gaped in shock.  She was going to have to gamble in the face of long odds.  Stand on the edge of the abyss and dare the darkness to swallow her whole.

And if she failed?

Well, then she supposed she would have front row seats to the end of this timeline.  A continuity error so vast and wide that the Hall Monitors would be forced to swallow the world whole.  A forced restart that would likely land her back where she’d started.

Cady should feel terrified.  At what she stood to lose; at what she hoped to gain.  And yet she only felt a tingling excitement, her heart thudding in her chest.  She found the sensation strangely pleasant.  Like she had finally shaken off her shackles – ones she’d never known she was wearing.  Maybe Jason was on to something, after all…

Not that she was ever going to admit that to him.

The crowd had grown silent now – disbelieving as they watched the necromancer.  And the Gambler had noticed, distracting him from their conversation.  He frowned at the arena.  “The round is over already?” he murmured, a hint of doubt crossing his face.  The small seed that Cady had planted only moments ago was beginning to bloom.  And this was just the start…

The god snapped his fingers once more and his clone reappeared, announcing the end of the round.  His fingers shifted to order the next arena to be formed—

Cady’s hand landed on his, the god eyeing her in surprise.  It was a bold move.  Even now, Cady could feel the mana coursing beneath the god’s skin, just a thin veneer that masked a creature of pure energy.  A digital parasite that had fed on thousands of years of happiness.  It was a crackling, gusting, torrential force.  Like touching a hurricane.  Yet she held on tight and refused to buckle or balk.  This was just another sale… one she intended to make.

“You need proof?” Cady demanded, her expression serious.  “Then I’ll give it to you.  In the next match, send out all of the remaining creatures.”

The god stared back incredulously.  “All of them?  They’ll wipe out—”

“They won’t,” Cady answered.  “That man there will stop them,” she explained, pointing at Jason where he stood in the middle of the arena, blood dripping from his blade and lightning crackling around the metal.

“He’s yours then?” the Gambler grunted.  “I should have known.”

Cady shrugged and gave him a sly smile.  “I knew you would need to see the proof with your own eyes.  In fact, if you don’t believe me, then why don’t we make a bet.”

She’d said the magic word, the Gambler perking up.  “What are the terms?”

“If that man fails, I’ll increase your split of the profits from our drug manufacturing operation to 90% and provide the powder needed to manufacture the products for free,” Cady replied evenly.  “You’ll also have full control of manufacturing and distribution.”

Greed was reflected in the god’s eyes as he calculated his profits.  Mundane money had less influence with him, but controlling the supply of those drugs… the power to create addiction and the resulting spike of happiness when the humans finally received their next hit?  Not to mention the opportunity to wield that influence over his siblings?  He wouldn’t pass that up.

“And when he wins—”

“Unlikely,” the god snapped.

“When he wins,” Cady repeated.  “You hear me out.  In fact, you’ll do one better…  You’ll call for a meeting of the other avatars and let me pitch my plan to them.”

The god looked flabbergasted.  “They’ll never agree—”

“Oh, trust me, they will if you call the meeting and the pretense is to discuss the distribution and supply of Mendax,” she interrupted firmly.

He stared a moment longer, his gaze shifting to Jason and then back to her face.  Cady saw the moment she’d won; the moment he made a decision.  The way the tension left his shoulders and resolve shone in his eyes.  He was already counting his winnings in his head, she could tell.  But that was fine.  She was more than “happy” to let his pride blind him.

“You have a deal,” the Gambler answered finally.

“Perfect,” Cady purred.  “Now the contract…”

A flash of her hands and dozens of glowing green pages appeared around the god, an adaptation of one of her many form contracts.  With a few quick revisions, it was good to go.

“Just sign here,” Cady said, pointing at the bottom line.

The god hesitated, his finger hovering in the air as he eyed her suspiciously.

“What, are you suddenly nervous now?  About a mere human?” she demanded.

He grunted in irritation, scrawled his signature in glowing yellow, and then downed the rest of his whiskey in one swallow.  “Not a chance,” he grumbled.

Cady just smiled back as the contract whisked away in a blur of emerald energy, the rest of Gambler’s confidence crumbling as he watched her lean back against the couch and take a relaxed sip at her drink.  She could imagine what he must be thinking now.  What did she have planned?  Was this some sort of trick?

Yet it was no such thing.  She was just relying on the one certainty in this world:

Where Jason went, chaos followed.

But just to be sure… she tapped at her UI and sent the message she’d prepared.

It was simple.  Only a single line.  Unassuming and uncomplicated and holding deadly consequences.  Already, she could feel the timeline shudder from the changes she’d just wrought, trying to reconcile the impossibility of their presence and the strength of that so-called human slave… only to fail, badly.  They would have guests soon.  Many of them.

But until then, she would enjoy the show.

Chapter 30 - Diversification

Jason’s feet were planted in the sand as the arena transformed back to its default appearance – molten stone cooling in a flash of blue mana before crumbling into fine sand.  Dark, metal swords were held in each of his hand.  They were “gifts” from one of the noble houses.  Bodies littered the field around him – the beasts and many of the remaining human slaves.

And yet… no new creatures emerged from the gates.  The shield overhead had peeled away once more and the nobles looked nervous, the crowd buzzing with anxious energy.  They all watched Jason with a mixture of surprise, adulation, and horror.

A human that had massacred four rounds almost entirely on his own.  Even his zombies had become a liability – their levels low and skills ineffective since they were formed from human slaves.  They stood with the other survivors in a small group near one of the gates.  He was mostly just using them to carry all of the loot he’d gathered.

Jason sighed.  He’d almost given up pretending on that last one.

Maybe he’d gone a bit too far…

However, the free buffs and gear had been worth it.

System Notice:  Blessings

- Blessing of Water:

- +25% dodge chance.

- +100 Intelligence and Willpower.

- +20% water affinity.

- -3,000 health.

- x2 stamina consumption when outside water.

- Improved Might

- +200 Strength

- Improved Willpower

- +200 Willpower

- Blessing of Vitality

- +2,000 Health, Mana, and Stamina

Obsidian Blade x2

A sword honed by a master blacksmith.  Its hardness and sharpness is unparalleled.

Quality:  B

Damage: 500-561

Durability: 100/100

Effects:  +20% Armor Penetration

Brilliant Jewelry Set (3/3)

A set necklace and pair of rings that provide substantial bonuses to the traveler’s highest stats.

Quality:  B

Effects:  Set Bonus 1: +50 Intelligence

Set Bonus 2: +100 Willpower

Set Bonus 3: +10% Dark Affinity

These were just some of the items that those spectators and nobles had showered down upon him.  If these were weapons and jewelry that they could afford to throw at humans fighting in some sort of “Food Fight,” then what other treasures might they have?  He wasn’t sure, but he badly wanted to find out.  And he knew his chance to liberate those precious items from their callous owners was coming soon.  It was only a matter of time—

His UI dinged.  Speak of the devil herself…

Cady:  You don’t need to pretend any longer.

That was all the message said; all Cady had sent, but Jason knew what it meant.  It was finally time to drop this farce.  To stop pretending to be some insipid human warrior without mana of his own. His dark mana surged, that chill energy streaming through his body in a barely contained wave.  However, he needed to wait just a little longer… another few seconds.

He had something fun in store for his audience.

The Gambler’s clone soon appeared overhead, glowing with a brilliant light and his voice booming across the coliseum – the real god and Cady still tucked away in his booth behind a dense mana shield.  Not that Jason was worried.  Cady could handle herself – of that he was sure.  She’d already survived this long on her own.

“Well, folks, are you enjoying the show?” the Gambler demanded.

The crowd let out a cheer, but it was more half-hearted this time.  Many of the spectators looked at Jason warily and even the other human survivors kept their distance, edging away nervously when he glanced in their direction.  The nobles’ gifts had also slowed and the Hippie had disappeared back inside his booth – likely bored with the one-sided fights.

“Ahh, I see,” the Gambler replied at the muted response.  “I suppose this year’s event was a bit too easy for some of our tasty little treats down there.  In that case, we’ll just have to improvise!  Consider this a challenge round…”

As he trailed off, new glowing, yellow words exploded into existence above the arena.

Challenge Round

All Remaining Waves Arriving in 60 seconds…

“Place your bets soon!  The action will commence shortly!”

With that, the Gambler disappeared, his clone breaking apart into glowing streamers even as that timer ticked down above the arena.  A buzzing drone came from the thousands of spectators as they began to murmur among themselves, the crowd now watching Jason with renewed interest.

Then the betting began in earnest…

Meanwhile, Jason’s thoughts were calm.  A placid, dark sea.  How many rounds had the Gambler said there were?  Ten?  Which meant he’d probably be facing six waves of creatures at the same time?  It was also clear that the god of air didn’t intend to play any games with the terrain this time, keeping the sand smooth and even.  That was both a blessing and a curse – offering nowhere to run… for either himself or the monsters.

Was the timing of Cady’s message a coincidence?  He doubted it, which meant there were likely also stakes to this fight.  And if she’d instructed him to fight with his real strength, then it was one she intended for him to win at all costs.

“So be it,” he muttered under his breath.

“Um, what do you want us to do?” a man at Jason’s back asked.

He turned, looking at the other human survivors over his shoulder.  There were only a dozen now out of the hundreds that had begun this competition.  They were weak, injured, many bleeding and nursing broken limbs.  Luckily, he had a solution for that.  Jason waved at the potions that littered the sands – more gifts from the crowd.  Health and mana potions he didn’t need.

“Take the potions.  Heal up, arm yourself, and then stay out of the way,” Jason grunted.

“But what do you—” one woman began to ask.

“You’ll have an opening soon.  You’ll know it when you see it,” Jason interrupted, digging into his pack and pulling out a case of vials – Veritas tucked away inside.  “Take these.  When the time comes, you need to decide if you want to live as a slave or die free.”

The humans looked cautious and confused, but they jumped on his offer, scrambling to collect the potions and chugging the contents quickly.  More picked at the discarded weapons along the sand, palming daggers, swords, shields, bows, and even the occasional staff.  Whatever they left behind, Jason had his remaining zombies pick up and stow in a few bags he tossed their way.  Even with gear, they weren’t that effective, but Jason wasn’t going to say no to free loot…

The survivors eventually dug into the case he’d handed them, prying open the lid to find familiar-looking, colorful vials.

“Mendax?” one woman muttered in surprise, the others rushing over – addicts, the lot of them.  But they would discover the difference soon.  This group at least had the resolve and talent to survive.  Perhaps some might even make it out of the club alive.

Shit, he really was turning into Cady…

And that clock overhead was still ticking down.

Only five seconds left and the grates all around the arena were already beginning to rise to the grinding shriek of metal.  Beasts loomed within those shadows, the combination of Jason’s Perception and Night Vision picking them out easily and identifying each creature.  Three lesser earth drakes each the size of a school bus.  A rabid, fire-infused, dire bear.  Twin acid-spitting wolf spiders.  A veritable army of beasts.

It looked like it was time…

Jason finally released his mana, those tight reins he’d kept on his power.  Dark mana cascaded out from him in an undulating wave, the shadows lashing at the blood pooled along the sands.  The crowd overhead went suddenly quiet – too quiet.  However, Jason ignored them and turned to observe the other humans.  They’d drunk the Veritas and their skin now glowed with elemental energy, the group staring at their own limbs with surprise and newfound clarity.  They were no longer medicated, their stats had been buffed, and their latent mana was finally bubbling to the surface.

The spectators were observing something that should be impossible, hushed whispers buzzing through the crowd as it shifted uneasily.  And in the eyes of the nobles?  Recognition.  Recognition of the true monsters they’d created; at something that they’d kept hidden for their own amusement – their own greed.  Humans that could cast magic.

However, even with their mana activated and equipped with high-quality weapons and armor, the humans stood little chance against an army of beasts.  They lacked the training and experience to pull that off.  No, Jason was going to have to level the playing field a bit.  Good thing he’d tucked away a few “leftovers” that he’d intended to use later – much later.  But it seemed that Cady had moved up his timeline.  His fingers raced through a rapid series of gestures and the world slowed…

The corpses littering the field were highlighted in glowing blue relief as Custom Skeleton activated, the grates inching upward ever-so-slowly now and the monsters making their first ponderous steps out onto the sandy arena floor.  However, Jason’s focus wasn’t on them.  His gaze shot down to his feet.  Far below, more hazy blue outlines lingered – including one special creature that Jason had made certain to stow away for future use.

The infant kraken.  While he’d “fought” the beast, he’d taken the time to summon a few human corpses underwater, using them to dig a trench in the bottom of the makeshift lake that the Gambler’s aides had formed.  They’d then stowed the beast’s corpse for later – well out of range of the terraforming magic that the generators were using.  And now?  Well, it was definitely later—

Bones erupted from the sand, geysers jetting up dozens of feet into the air and obscuring the field in a slow-moving whirlwind of dust and sand. Not that the haze affected Jason.  He could still see his materials painted in glowing sapphire relief.  He began to build, neatly severing two of the kraken’s limbs and attaching them to his back to form spiny limbs that he lashed together with thick bands of dark mana.  A glowing notification soon appeared…

System Notice:  Body Augmentation

- The Boulder – 65% Augment Effectiveness

- Earth Affinity increased by 30%,

- Earth spells unlocked.

- Gravity Well unlocked.

- Kinetic Fighting unlocked.

- Weight Control unlocked.

- Infant Kraken – 37% Augment Effectiveness

- Water Affinity increased by 10%.

- Dark Affinity increased by 5%

- Ambidexterity unlocked.

- Acid Touch unlocked.

Jason swiped the window aside.  He raised the rest of the kraken as another skeleton, stitching its decapitated head back into place with ropes of dark mana.  What was left was a creature of nightmares, its ivory frame and remaining limbs coated in its own thick purple blood.  It was missing a few tentacles, but the dozen or so that were left would be more than enough, especially now that they all tapered down to sharp spikes.  He’d even taken the liberty of sharpening the interlocking bone plates, turning each tentacle into a prehensile sword.

However, more materials still riddled the sand.  Those corpses that were still intact rose from the ground as Specialized Zombies, each of the trolls lumbering back to their feet.  He used the remains of the humans and the dismembered and destroyed corpses of the beasts that were too far gone to form thick, bony armor that he lashed to the bodies of the trolls and formed into massive two-handed bone hammers.  Soon, six of the creatures stood around him in the sands, their dark, soulless eyes staring at the monsters that were slowly emerging from the gates.

His work finished, Jason’s palm slammed down on the panel in his UI.

The world lurched back into motion and pain rippled through Jason’s temple.  But it was manageable.  Barely a tickle.  He’d moved quickly enough to avoid most of the stun effect.

A strong gust of wind suddenly blew through the arena as the Gambler intervened, wiping away the cloud of dust and sand to reveal Jason’s new form.  His cloak whipped in the wind, showcasing the bony tentacles fused to his back.  Faint smoke coiled away from the ivory bone where the sunlight touched his body.  That was a problem, but the cloud of dust and sand had to go somewhere, so the Gambler had sent it rushing upward, the haze soon blotting out most of the harsh sunlight that streamed down on the arena.

Just before the shield overhead fully snapped into place, Jason spared one last glance at the crowd.  Their reaction was one of horror.  Undead beasts.  Clear evidence of casting.  Human slaves pulsing with mana and wielding precious, deadly weapons.  For the first time, they felt something other than contempt and cruelty when observing a group of humans…

They felt fear.  Jason could practically taste it.

He didn’t give them time to react.  He raced forward, hurling his twin, dark blades up into the air.  The swords were useful – incredibly durable and the armor penetration was a neat perk.  More useful than simply layering on more stats or flashy elemental effects.  His new, skeletal tentacles snatched them from the air, the hilts locking into the slots he’d created for the blades.

Then he was on top of the earth drakes.  They hardened their skin, rock forming across the surface of their bodies in a flash of emerald energy.  But they were too slow… far too slow.  A tentacle whipped forward and stabbed a dark blade into one beast’s back, the obsidian easily slicing down the rock armor as it formed, cutting deeply into its tender flesh.  The beast roared and the tentacle whipped Jason up into the air.  The beast abruptly lost sight of him in its pain, only for Jason to come crashing down from overhead, his twin half-staves emerging from his arms and Soul Blades arcing away from the surface.  A flash of emerald energy and sigils appeared behind both of his elbows as his staves grew heavy.

His feet thudded against the ground moments later, the earth drake’s head toppling to the sand at his back.  The crowd was screaming in alarm now – excitement and fear merging into a dull roar that beat against the mana shields overhead.  He needed to keep moving.

The gods and nobles wouldn’t let him fight like this forever.

The other earth drake barreled toward him, its feet thundering at the ground and its horns set to impale him where he stood.  Time slowed as Jason’s Dodge kicked in and he neatly sidestepped the creature, his twin tentacles carving into its soft underbelly as his Perception picked out the beast’s weakness – the soft ridges between its armored plates.  It soon skidded to a halt, leaving a trail of blood and entrails smeared across the sand, the beast gasping and croaking, its mana flashing feebly as it tried to form layers of stone to stem the bleeding.

At the smell of fresh blood, the fire bear raced forward with a savage roar, the creature nearly twenty feet tall.  This must have been meant to be one of the bosses.  As Jason watched, fire bloomed across its skin and it leaped at him, flames rippling along its claws… only for a troll to slam into its side and send it careening into the wall of the arena with a thunderous crash and an explosion of stone and debris.  The bear shook itself, staggered, but the undead had no such problems.  A trio of trolls were already surging toward the bear, their massive, two-handed hammers striking home with a sickening crunch of bone as they shattered its kneecaps one by one.

The bear was soon whimpering in pain as it tried to struggle across the sands… only to be met by another pair of trolls, their mauls landing with deadly precision.  CRUNCH.

Then, the bear was no longer moving, its skull caved in.

Jason’s work wasn’t done.  Now there were new materials…

His hand moved and the fresh corpses soon rose from the sands – the earth drakes and the fire bear – their eyes milky as they took up a defensive formation around Jason and added to his growing horde.  More beasts lingered outside the circle, wary now and refusing to charge in despite their hunger.  And above them the roar of the crowd blasted against the shielding, still audible despite the thick barrier of mana.  More corpses just begging to be claimed.  Filled with treasures from another time – jewelry, weapons, and equipment.

Loot just waiting to be liberated...

Within only seconds, the remainder of the beasts had been eradicated, their blood staining the sands.  The other humans were cowering along the far wall. They could only look on with wide-eyed stares and trembling hands… their weapons almost entirely forgotten.

Not that Jason blamed them.  An army of undead beasts now stood around a single man.

The earth drakes formed thick barriers of earth, the sands pulled up into the air and compressed into dense walls.  The undead fire bear then added its flames, turning the barricade into glimmering, hardened glass.  And in the center of it all stood the Kraken, its body reinforced by the fragmented corpses that Jason couldn’t repurpose and its tentacles lying protectively across Jason and his minions.  His preparations were finally complete…

“What is this?” the Gambler’s voice boomed, the shield over the arena turning transparent, although Jason’s Perception indicated that the barrier was still there.

The yellow dome around the god of air’s private booth blew apart even as the Gambler floated out into open air, carried along on magical winds.  “What are you?  You’re clearly not human,” the god snapped, giving up any pretense that this was somehow part of his event – his so-called Food Fight.

“I’m not?” Jason shot back, feigning surprise.

“Show your face,” the Gambler growled.

Jason just smirked.  It was time to put his new disguise to the test.  He pulled back his cowl slowly, only to reveal smooth, pale skin, a floating white camera taking in his features and projecting them onto the massive screen that floated in the center of the coliseum.

Shock rippled through the crowd.  He sure looked human…

“This isn’t possible.  This must be a god’s meddling—” the god snapped.

“I answer to no god or avatar,” Jason interrupted, glaring up at the Gambler.  The god was infused with so much air mana that he was almost blinding.

The Gambler shook his head, his mana waning in his confusion.  The crowd murmured, all while the Hippie looked on with curiosity, practically hanging out of his booth now but making no move to intervene.  If anything, it looked like he was eating… peanuts?

Not that Jason was complaining.  If the gods decided to intervene, this wouldn’t be pretty.  He just needed to stall.  Buy time for the human rebels to get into position.  He’d already sent them a hasty message via the zombie he’d left with them.  If they could cause enough of a distraction, the gods wouldn’t be able to focus on Jason.  The Hippie would likely just accept the result and enjoy the show.  And the Gambler?  Well, he would probably focus on protecting his club.  Jason was thankful he’d had the foresight to pick Eliza and Dom’s brains about their respective gods and their personalities.  He’d known it would come in handy someday.

“That’s… that’s impossible,” the Gambler spat.  He recovered quickly, glaring down at Jason and his mana surged, wind beating at the sand.  However, it proved ineffective against the barrier of earth surrounding Jason and the kraken’s protective tentacles.

“Not that it matters.  You’re an anomaly.  One I plan to study carefully,” the Gambler continued.  “Guards, contain that man… now!”

Jason’s UI pinged and his map updated.  Glowing green markers denoted his swarm, the skeletal insects spread among the stands.  More clusters of green dots were nestled among them, stationed at each exit.  Humans.  The resistance.  Armed and armored and buffed with a hefty dose of Veritas – not unlike the group of slaves still cowering at his back.

“Too late,” Jason smirked back.  “You shouldn’t have underestimated my kind…”

As he finished speaking, Jason gave the order to his relay zombie and ignited his swarms.

Explosions suddenly rocked the stands, fire flaring bright and tall all along the stone as Jason’s swarms exploded in a rippling wave.  Thankfully, the Gambler’s warehouses had contained plenty of elemental crystals.  Although, Jason had given the swarms a unique twist…

Jason had used two gems for each skeletal insect.  A fire gem just large enough to detonate the swarm and vaporize the liquid formed by the water mana crystal he’d fused to their bodies.  And riding shotgun was a single vial of Veritas.  The effect?  A mist-like spray of rainbow liquid that coated the crowd in large plumes.

He figured if the potion worked on the humans, it might work on the other races.

And besides, like Cady had said, lies helped keep the peace.

He was curious to see what would happen when they were faced with the truth…

Shouts of alarm went up among the crowd, the races panicking and racing for the exits, only to find them blocked as the human rebels entered the fight.  They stood in long rows, only able to cast basic spells – bolts of fire, ice, electricity, and stone.  But it was enough when used together.  Despite the races’ strength and levels, no one was ever truly invincible, especially when caught unaware.  Jason had learned that in his first days inside AO.  A surprise attack was a powerful weapon.  That… and raw numbers.

The races didn’t respond well.  It took them only moments to turn on each other.  As the front line hesitated and then slowed in the face of the humans’ barrage, the others cut them down from behind in their haste.  It appeared the truth was that even the “enlightened” races of this world could be brutish and simple-minded when their lives were on the line.  More fights were breaking out in pockets among the stands, the races fighting their own – longstanding feuds that stretched for centuries and sudden desperation turning them on one another.

Dark mana thrummed in Jason’s veins as he watched, responding to the carnage.

“It’s useless!” the Gambler shouted, his winds suddenly beating against the stands, forced to focus on the threat of the humans – on the growing casualties among his audience.  A wave of his hand and hundreds of humans died, their heads sliced clean from their neck by razor sharp winds.  “You humans can’t stand before a god!”

“Oh, really?  Then I guess they need some help...” Jason trailed off, his face still broadcast on that huge screen hovering in the center of the stadium.  The Gambler frowned as he heard those words, hesitating for just a moment—

Too long.  More explosions suddenly rocked the Half Mile Club and the shields overtop the arena flickered, sputtered… and then burst apart in a shower of energy, rainbow motes of mana raining back down on the sands.

“Finally!  Who wants a chance to take me on?!” Jason challenged, his face still looming large above the stands and his horde situated directly in the center of the arena.

An easy target.  And if many in the crowd were being truthful…

Well, more than a few wanted a piece of him.

Jason maybe as well have used a Taunt skill.  Hundreds of the spectators suddenly turned to his position.  Nephilim took to the wing.  Efreet summoned ramps of molten glass.  Fauns formed terraced columns of stone and merfolk rode ribbons of water down into the arena—

Only to be faced with their death.  Levels were one thing.  But Jason had a fortified position and experience on his side.  His kraken entered the fray, its tentacles snatching their attackers from the air and slamming them down into the sands where the trolls finished them off with well-placed blows.  The races struggled and fought back, but each death only added another member to Jason’s horde, his numbers growing far more rapidly than his losses.

Meanwhile, the gambler looked on in shock.  Yet he was unable to intervene as waves of humans continued to emerge along the stands.  He grunted and set to work, each swipe of his hand enough to kill hundreds…  But the humans were legion.  Nearly endless.  Thousands all drawn here by the Gambler’s promise of Mendax.  Their next fix.  Another spellbinding hit that would numb them to the horrors of this world.  But instead, they had been force fed the truth—

That the drugs only kept them enslaved.  That they weren’t powerless.  That they could take their fate into their own hands – grasp hold of their freedom and claim it as their own.

They roared their rage as they cut down the spectators, only to die and more to take their place, blood flowing down the stands now in bloody waterfalls, corpses littering the rock amid the constant flash and flair of mana.  It was pure, unfiltered carnage and chaos.

The god of air was preoccupied for the moment.  However, that wouldn’t last forever.

But it didn’t really need to, did it?  Jason just needed to stall a bit longer…

He pivoted and waved at the gate at his back where the other humans were huddled.  The zombie faun came to his aid, the grate grinding open.  The humans tensed… only to find more corpses inside and Jason’s zombie standing alone amid the bodies.

A surprise attack was a powerful thing, after all.

“Go,” Jason ordered the slaves.  “Kill anyone who isn’t human.”

They stared for one final moment and then shook off their surprise, fleeing into the darkness.  Now he just needed to—

That thought fled in the face of a new threat, one that was emerging overhead.  Rainbow rifts were tearing open the skies – not slender portals, but gaping, mawing holes in the fabric of reality.  Jason had only seen this once before… and he and Cady had barely survived that encounter.  He was curious to see how they would fare this time.

Hall Monitors soon emerged from those portals, floating, disembodied heads riddled with hundreds of eyeballs that seemed to look in every direction at once – taking in the mayhem.  The Gambler slowed, hesitating as he saw this new, unknown threat.  “What the fuck is—”

A beam of energy struck the god squarely as a Hall Monitor fired on the first target in sight, which just so happened to be the god of air floating in the middle of his own coliseum.   Meanwhile, the source of the continuity error – Jason and Cady – were hidden amid the chaotic whirlwind of mana being tossed around.  The god grunted as the beam struck and his own mana flared powerfully in a blinding explosion of amber energy.  A torrential gust of wind swept through the arena, knocking down the humans and spectators that fought in the stands and even sending Jason’s trolls stumbling back a few dozen paces before they steadied themselves against the drakes’ makeshift walls.  A tentacle from the kraken was more than enough to anchor Jason in place.

“You think this is enough to stop me!” the Gambler roared.  His winds blew away the Hall Monitor’s attack, revealing his form once more.  His immaculate suit was singed and torn, his tie now askew, but the god was alive.

Is that the power required to fight those things? Jason wondered.  If so, then he and Cady stood no chance.  They needed to get the fuck out of here… now.

The Gambler must have had the same idea.  He was no longer focused on killing Jason or stopping the humans who were slaughtering his customers.  It was all he could to fend off the Hall Monitors, especially as more of the creatures turned to face the god.  He was slowly retreating toward his booth, batting aside the beams instead of blocking them and sending the deadly rays glancing across the stands where they killed hundreds with each blast.  As The Gambler entered the stone enclosure, he slammed his palm down on the nearby wall.  He must have activated a hidden switch because a bright barrier of amber energy suddenly bloomed there, forming a fresh shield around his private box.

Leave it to the Gambler to have his own fallback plan.  Jason had just never expected to see a god on the retreat – especially now, when the deities were flush with mana and power.

The Hall Monitors hammered the shield and the barrier flickered, but held strong.  The defenses must have deterred them since they soon turned, their eyes skimming the crowds and the occasional beam of energy searing across the stands. As those rays struck the humans and races fighting there, they simply exploded apart into motes of mana, obliterating them entirely. Then those eyes began to swivel toward Jason, beginning to home in on the source of this chaos – the person who had damaged the timeline.  Energy glowed, growing in strength…

“Oh shit,” Jason muttered.  “Looks like it’s time to go—”

He was already running.  A beam struck one of the trolls as it dove into the Hall Monitors’ line of fire.  The energy slammed into the undead beast, ripping apart its bone armor like tissue paper before blasting apart its decayed body.  The troll lasted mere seconds before it exploded into motes of dark mana.  It looked like Jason couldn’t afford to get hit by that strange energy.

Which left one option.  Retreat.

He raced toward that dark tunnel where he’d sent the other human survivors, sprinting toward the relative safety of the club’s interior.  Hopefully, the narrow corridors and maze-like passages would make it difficult for the Hall Monitors to follow him.  He sent one last command to his kraken, the beast’s tentacles lashing at the air and snaring more than a few of those hall monitors.  Its appendages strained against their bulk, several of the Hall Monitors crashing into the stone and sand where the rest of Jason’s horde pelted them with attacks.

Beams of rainbow energy soon sliced through the tentacles one-by-one and crashed into the kraken’s main body, blasting the creature apart.  Moments later, the Hall Monitors began to rise one-by-one, covered in flickering shields – bloodied and bruised but hardly defeated.

“Gods damn it,” Jason muttered.  “I liked that minion.

“This is why I can’t ever have nice things—"

His bony tentacles lashed forward, the blades spearing into the stone and pulling him into the tunnel just as another blast of energy struck behind him.  Jason hit the ground hard and slid across the sands.  Two of his trolls and an earth drake also made it inside… the others weren’t so fortunate.  The drake hunkered down and its mana surged as it brought up a wall of stone.  The defensive structure held for a few seconds in the face of the Hall Monitors’ attack before beginning to crumble, the drake lacking a god’s strength.  Then the rock was blown apart, taking the rest of the creature with it and carving a deep furrow in the sand.

Jason used the dust and confusion to whip his tentacles backward, his blades slicing clean through the chains holding the gate upright.  It came crashing down with a thunderous bang.  Then he was back on his feet and slammed his palm on the wards beside the door.  A thick barrier of mana sprung to life, just barely blunting the next blast and the whole gate shuddering from the impact.  This shield wasn’t powered by a generator, just a few storage crystals.

Which meant it wouldn’t hold for long.  He needed to move.

Jason peered into the darkness, past the corpses that riddled the floor of the staging tunnel, the guards now gone and screams echoing from the depths of the club.

He needed to find Cady and get the fuck out of here… but first, there was one more thing he still needed to do.  He had a mission, after all.

He needed to find those damn generators.

Chapter 31 - Trade Secrets

A few minutes earlier...

The barrier of golden energy protecting the Gambler’s box rippled and flashed as a deluge of rainbow-colored energy poured across the shield, crackling, burning, and freezing.  The god was forced to inject more mana into the shield to keep it stable.  Yellow energy flowed away from him in a wave to reinforce the barrier and sweat beaded on his forehead.  The Hall Monitors’ attacks were even spilling over the edge of the barrier and were beginning to eat away at the reinforced stone that made up the coliseum.  The god of air grimaced, expanding the shield to cover most of the room with another flare of air mana.

“What the hell is that thing?” the Gambler growled, eyeing the barrier with a hint of nervousness – no doubt, an emotion he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

Mercifully, the barrage faded and Cady could see that the Hall Monitors had paused, turning their many eyes down to the arena floor – to the man who had caused this entire mess.  They must have sensed that Jason was the source of the continuity error.  Thankfully, they began to drop down into the arena, fading from view as they chased the necromancer.

Hopefully, Jason could stay one step ahead of those creatures.

Things had gone… well, even worse than Cady had expected, honestly.

Her gaze focused on the Gambler as she pulled herself from the floor, wiping the dust from her clothing.  She should be fleeing.  Getting the hell out of this dystopian-fantasy-amusement-park-turned-death-trap.  However, her job wasn’t done.  She still had a sale to close.

With a snap of the god’s fingers, displays appeared across the wall, reporting on the condition of the Half Mile High Club.  A map showcased his workers and slaves, each one denoted as a glowing green dot… dots that were swiftly vanishing.  More red-hued markers identified the human rebels that had infiltrated the upper levels of the club.  Thousands of them by the looks of the things.  And the other displays?  Well, they kept track of the death count, the number skyrocketing even as the god’s happiness and mana income dropped precipitously.

The Gambler tapped at his ear and a tendril of air spun down into a knot of twisting wind.  “Emergency protocol,” the god announced, his voice echoing down the nearby hall and across the complex.  “Activate all security forces and Bouncer Bots.  High priority and VIP clientele should be evacuated.  All other forces should work to protect our merchandise and warehouses.”

“You’re not going to evacuate your own staff?” Cady offered, her brow wrinkling in surprise.  That was cold, even for the god of happiness.

“They can fend for themselves,” the grunted back.  “Besides those strange eyeball creatures, the rest of the attackers are mere humans—”

“Humans that seem to have killed off nearly 30% of your staff and hundreds of spectators already,” she noted, eyeing the displays as she stepped up beside the god.  “And is this your mana level?” she asked, tapping at a column of glowing energy.  It appeared to have been depleted by nearly 20%.  Was that how the god had managed to deflect the attacks from the Hall Monitors?

The Gambler let out a low, frustrated growl as he saw that she was right.

“If you’re worried, then leave,” the god snapped irritably, his cordial demeanor vanishing in the face of a genuine crises.  You could learn a lot about a person when the shit hit the proverbial fan – when they were under pressure with nowhere to run.

“We still haven’t settled our accounts,” she shot back.  “You’ll recall that we had a bet.”

Then those glowing, amber eyes turned on her – glaring, accusing.

“That’s right.  We did.  What did you do?”

“Me?” Cady demanded, placing a hand to her chest.  “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play with me,” the god growled, stalking forward and amber mana pulsing around him, the displays flickering.  “I recall the terms of our bet.  How you gambled on that man… that so-called human slave.  Did you manufacture this?  This entire attack?  Tell me.  Now.”

Cady didn’t back down, even as wind gusted through the room and the god’s mana surged, the pressure weighing down her shoulders.

“I did no such thing—” she bit out.

With another blast of wind, the god was suddenly standing in front of her, his fingers curling around her throat and lifting her up, pinning her to the rough stone that lined the room’s walls.  Apparently, the Gambler didn’t believe such a flimsy misdirection.

Even if it had all technically been Jason’s idea…

Notifications flashed in Cady’s peripheral vision.  They all said the same thing.  The continuity issue was growing in size and strength.  A hissing gasp escaped her throat as the god squeezed, his eyes blazing amber.  This wasn’t good.  Not good at all.  She was entirely off script now… creating her own continuity issues.

But there was no choice.  She needed to make this sale happen.

Or they would all die here…

“Fine.  Yes… yes, I did,” Cady finally wheezed out.

The God dropped her and she toppled to the floor.  “What are you saying—”

“You’re right.  I set you up,” Cady grunted, glaring up at him as she rubbed at her throat.  “I made sure that Jason made it into the arena.  I knew the humans would rise up against you.”

“Do you have any idea how much this fiasco will cost?  I will fucking end you, avatar or no,” the god snapped, lightning crackling around his hands.  If that energy touched her, she was dead.  And no tools or time magic would save her – not right now.  Not while facing a god.

“Idiot,” Cady snorted, laughing.  That brought him up short.  “You still don’t see it, do you?  For all of your posturing and grandstanding, you’re just as blind as the others.”

“See what?” the god demanded.

“I might have withheld a few important facts, but I was always telling the truth,” she replied, pushing herself upright and leaning on the wall before pulling out her bottle of Veritas and preparing another dose.   She tipped the bottle at the Gambler as a little reminder, noting the way his eyes followed her. Her neck was already bruising, her voice a harsh croak.  “That man out there that started all of this?  He is human… or he was.”

The god stopped short, that crackling energy far too close for comfort, stray forks striking her skin, only for the wards embedded in her tattoos to flare.  A shield of mana enveloped her skin.  It flickered and flashed as the lightning skittered along its length.  It wouldn’t hold for long.

Cady didn’t flinch.  She stared back at the god, her gaze unwavering.

The Gambler must have decided she was being straight with him. He backed off slightly and Cady’s shield gradually solidified before vanishing once more, the glow of her tattoos fading.

“Explain.”  One word.  Once chance.

But that’s all she needed…

“You were right before.  The other gods wouldn’t listen to me if I approached them; they wouldn’t believe my story,” Cady began.  “And hell, even the other avatars would be a hard sell.  You lot are all the same in that regard.  Biased.  Prejudiced.  You don’t see the threat that humans pose.  You only see us as weak and short-lived.  Slaves at worst and useful tools at best.”

She waved at the arena.  “But that man?  That man represents the future.  In just a couple hundred years, humans will control this world.  And more will travel here from across time and space – from an entirely different world.  That man out there?” Cady demanded, waving toward the arena.  “He’s one of them.  Originally human, but he's completed the evolution into a shade… and then into a lich.”

“You brought a fucking lich here?” the Gambler shot back, his mana flaring once more.

“You aren’t listening to me,” Cady snapped.  “He is just one man; one person—”

An explosion rocked the club at just that moment and Cady grimaced.

“One very annoying person… but there’s an army coming,” she continued.  “One that will destroy everything that you’ve built.  You’ve already seen it yourself.”  She waved at the wall of displays, the death count skyrocketing as they spoke.  “The humans aren’t weak, sniveling slaves any longer.  I changed that… we changed that when we introduced Mendax.  We gave them the power to rise up.

“And that revolution starts here,” Cady finished, waving at the arena, the dead sprawled across the stands – bodies still raining down from the stands.  The coliseum itself was soaked in blood that pooled and ran in ruddy rivers down the rock. And flashes of elemental energy revealed that the battle was still raging out there; the dead still piling up.

“I… I don’t believe it,” the Gambler replied, but he was hesitating now.  His power was retreating in the face of Cady’s certainty and the hard data sprawled across the wall beside him.

“You need more proof?” Cady demanded.  “Then here you go…”

She waved her hand and her own displays popped into existence.  Dozens of them.  They showcased video too, but not of this time or place.  They showed a motley band of humans – an old man, a young girl, a closet sociopath, a dying athlete… and a young man pushed to the limits of his endurance and sanity by the cruelty of their own world.  They showed them accomplishing impossible things.  Raising elemental cities that had long since disappeared.  Destroying armies single-handedly.  And even facing off against each other in the Gambler’s Mile High Club…

The god’s hand reach forward, his fingers touching a screen and the energy rippled and contorted.  He was staring at that last image – at the avatars facing off against Dom in a floating, destroyed amusement park.  “Is that… is that my club?” he murmured.

“It is,” Cady answered simply.  “Your club in the future.”

“What happened to it?” he shot back, glaring again.

“What eventually happens to everything,” she snapped.  “It decayed. It was left to languish after you agreed to accept my offer; my help.”

His eyes were back on her face.  “Then this… we’ve already done this before?”

He was a clever one.  Just a tilt of his head and she could see his entire calculus had changed.  But that was to be expected.  The Gambler was already familiar with the Fates gifts.  And she couldn’t lie – not exactly.  They hadn’t had this exact conversation.  How could they?  If Cady intended to change things, well that required change, didn’t it?

But it was okay.  She’d gotten quite good at this…

“Discuss this problem here?  In this room?  Yes, we have,” Cady answered.

Rule #5 of “lying” while telling the “truth:” Don’t answer the other person’s question.  Pose your own question and then answer that…

“Why didn’t the Fates warn us?” the Gambler asked, shaking his head, refusing to accept what she was saying.

“Do you really expect that your so-called sister would tell you about this?  And even if she had, would any of you have accepted it?”  Cady demanded.

The god hesitated, shaking his head and pacing the room.

His eyes suddenly shot to Cady’s face.  “Unless this is yet another game.  Some manipulation on the Fates’ part,” the Gambler growled.

His mana flared once more, bindings of wind whipping forward and pinning Cady to the wall, her body crashing back through the displays and sending a shower of amber motes of energy raining down through the room.  She grunted as her back struck the wall and her shield surged, blunting the impact.  However, she didn’t flinch or lower her head as the god approached once more, his eyes pulsing with an ominous amber energy.  She understood what he was feeling.  The anger.  The helplessness.  That insistent desire to lash out at whatever was at hand.  To regain some fleeting sense of control.  Just another lie…

“You can kill me now if you want.  Take out your rage.  But we both know I’ll just come back,” Cady grunted.  “I’m living evidence of what’s coming.  A wave of travelers from another world.  You will only be hurting yourself in the long run.  My offer is still on the table. I have a plan – one that will help you fight the humans.  That will help you preserve what you’ve built.”

“My club was in ruins!” the Gambler roared.  “And do you see what’s happening out there?  You call this preservation?” he demanded, waving at the coliseum outside.

“A short-term cost for long-term gain.  The Mile High Club still exists in the future,” Cady replied, unphased.  “Would you prefer to watch it all crumble around you?  Not just this club.  But all of them.  All of your fairies, gone.  Your mana, gone.  Your world in shambles.  How fucking happy do you think you’ll be then?”

He scowled, pausing.  But he hadn’t killed her yet.

That was a fantastic sign.

“So, what’ll it be?” Cady snapped.  “You know I’m telling the truth.  The evidence is overwhelming.  Even now, the humans are destroying this club.  Are we going to sit here and engage in more posturing… or do you plan to actually do something about it?”

And now for the hammer—

She cocked her head.  “Plus, there’s still our bet.  You lost and you owe me.  So, I only see two options.  Pay up and call that meeting.  You’ll only be helping yourself.  Or… well, what’s happening outside is just a taste of what’s coming.  Plus, there’s the penalty payment.”

The god winced. The penalty for breach of contract was far worse than the loss of a single club.  And there was no fleeing that obligation.  The contracts were enforced by the Judge himself – not even a god could back out.

“Fuck.  Fuck, fuck fuck,” the Gambler growled suddenly.  He punched the wall, wind spiraling around his arm as it collided with the stone beside Cady.  The force was enough to drill a hole into the reinforced stone, dust floating up into the air.

Cady didn’t even flinch.  She’d died before.  Many times.

She just stared back.  Waiting.

The Gambler’s chest heaved, staring down at his fist.  His knuckles were still intact and unbloodied despite the tremendous force of that blow.  That figured.  This world’s rules didn’t entirely apply to these celestial siblings.  But they weren’t invincible – not exactly.  There were other ways to fight them…

“So, there’s a way out?” the Gambler asked finally.

Ahh, and she’d won… although, she refused to let the triumph show on her face.

The game was still afoot.

“For you, yes,” Cady answered.

He looked at her sharply, her limbs still bound.  “Which means my siblings won’t be offered this same deal?”

“You were right before.  Even if I made the offer, they most likely wouldn’t accept,” Cady answered.  “They lack your pragmatism, as well as your imagination.”

A bit of flattery never hurt.  He just needed another small push.

“Consider it an exclusive offer, and just like our previous deal, I think you’ll find the terms quite favorable for you,” Cady offered.

The Gambler grunted and waved a hand, the bindings disappearing in a rush of wind.

Cady dropped to the ground, rubbing at her wrists.

“The Hippie saw it all,” the God murmured, eyeing the booth across the arena.  “He’ll know that the humans weren’t entirely responsible for this.  If he told the others, they could stop your plan before—”

“Ahh, are you naïve enough to think that they would listen to him?” Cady shot back.  “The reject?  The jester?  The celestial troll himself?  He’s probably still watching the show and eating fucking peanuts in his private box,” she added sourly.

She could see her point landed.  Although, a kernel of suspicion bloomed in the depths of the Gambler’s gaze.  She knew what he must be thinking.  How was she so familiar with the gods?  That was fine.  Easily explained by her foreknowledge of the future.

“And you think the avatars will be any easier?” the Gambler offered.

“They’re more practical.  This is their world – the only home they’ve ever known.  And, besides, you have evidence,” Cady replied, waving at the glowing displays that reformed as she stepped away from the wall, the security video feeds showcasing dozens of angles on the club – on the massacre still occurring inside this facility.

“Or, at least, you will if you manage to recover the storage crystals before this place is entirely destroyed,” Cady added, glancing at her UI.  “However, your time is running out.”

He paused once more but Cady knew she’d already won.

“Fine… fine.  When and where?”

“The Crystal Reach.  A week from now,” Cady replied.  “And remember to bring the footage of this… unfortunate series of events.

“It will be done,” the god answered finally.

“Good.  I’ll see—”

“But if you fuck me over, I will make sure you live to regret it,” the Gambler interrupted, his eyes sparking with flashes of lightning.

Cady just met his gaze calmly.  “Ditto.”

With that, the god snapped his fingers and his barrier and the accompanying screens blew apart into a gust of wind that swept through the room… followed closely by the god himself, his body breaking apart into a gusty vortex.  That torrent of air soon rushed out of the doorway and down the hall, leaving Cady alone.

She immediately fell back against the wall and heaved out a sigh.  She felt a mixed sense of relief and triumph flood through her, reveling in the sensation for a moment as she leaned back and squeezed her eyes shut.  Her heart was hammering in her chest and her skin tingled – a product of the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

“I can’t believe that worked,” she murmured softly.

Only seconds later, her eyes snapped open.

It wasn’t time to celebrate just yet.  This was only one, minor victory.  She needed to focus.  The real challenge was coming next.

Now, she needed to find Jason and get the hell out of here…

Chapter 32 - Herding Cats

A tense silence hovered throughout the Gambler’s VIP suite as all eyes stared at the screen on the wall.  The velvet-lined furniture and high-pile carpet seemed to soak up every last trace of noise.  The clink of ice tapping at glass as the Gambler swirled his drink.  The squeak of a chair as the Seer shifted in her seat.  The Old Man’s staff where the wood scraped against the marble.  Even the muffled tweet of the Lady’s canary, the bird still trapped under a cushion and the goddess perched on top.

CRUNCH.

Well, almost everything…

CRUNCH.

The Hippie threw another handful of nuts into his mouth as he lounged on his cough, staring at the screen where Cady was recovering from her recent conversation.  He seemed delighted.  All while Fluffy snored contentedly under his head – a living pillow for a god.

CRUNCH.  CRUNCH.  CRUNCH.

That broke the silent stalemate.

“You did it… you actually did it,” the Lady muttered, staring at the screen before turning her blazing glare on the Gambler.  “You sold us all out, you insufferable asshole.”

“Indeed, it appears that way,” the Old Man intoned.  Dark energy flared out around him, sucking in the light cast by the gemstone lanterns along the wall.

Even the Seer looked angry.  Flames smoldered behind her veil.

And through it all, the Fates just sat there, her arms crossed and a grin on her lips.

The Gambler glared back at the others.  “Yeah, and so what?” he demanded, his glass landing on the table with a harsh thump.  “You all heard that conversation.  Was Cady wrong?  Were you all suddenly going to welcome her with open arms?  Hear out her offer?”

More silence and then….

CRUNCH.

The Lady flinched that time.

“Yeah, the silence says it all, doesn’t it?” the Gambler demanded.  “I hate to say it, but she was right.  And it looks like I made the best move.”  With a flick of his wrist, a gleaming golden coin appeared between his fingers.  “I still have mana… and all of you?  Well, your fates still hang in the balance, now don’t they?”

He just waved at the pile of coins resting on the table.  The pile that belonged to the Fates – the spoils gleaming in the light.  The gods all scowled at those coins.  Their power lingering just out of reach; their future resting on the outcome of Cady and Jason’s mission.

“Or I could just take them now—” the Lady snapped, rising.

However, as she reached for the coins, a barrier of elemental energy sprang into existence – a cage of power that encircled those coins in an instant. That wasn’t a gods’ work.  No, it was Alfred’s, the black cat sitting calmly beside the table and watching the Lady as he licked his paw with slow, languid movements.  As though such an ability was nothing.

And perhaps, for him, it wasn’t.

The goddess of light hissed in pain, pulling back her hand.  Her skin had been seared away by that blazing energy, its former light and luster only returning gradually.  It was rare for the gods to feel pain; to encounter a genuine threat.  A spell that could actually harm the divine…

Although, the pain only seemed to enrage the goddess further.  “I can’t believe you betrayed us, your siblings,” she snapped at the Gambler.  “After everything we’ve endured together, this is how you treat us all?”

“Oh, come the fuck off it,” the Gambler muttered, taking another sip.  “Siblings?  Are you even listening to yourself?  The Fates were right.  You all had this coming.”

That only made the goddess of earth’s shark-like smile widen.

“Yet another that sold us all out,” the Lady snapped, glaring at the Fates, who just shrugged.  “Which I guess is to be expected of our newest member – this younger generation.  They don’t understand the concept of loyalty—"

CRUUUUUUNNNNCCCCHHH.

The Lady winced again, hesitating in mid-sentence.

“I mean, I was there.  In that club, I mean,” the Hippie mumbled around a mouthful of nuts, still chewing enthusiastically.  With his mouth open, of course.  “The Gambler’s not wrong. The outcome was inevitable.   Didn’t you see all the humans casting magic—”

“A problem that he and that Cady person created,” the Seer intoned.

“And made worse by introducing that improved version of the drug,” the Old Man added, thumping his staff for emphasis.

The Lady stabbed a finger at the god of air.  “To top it all off, the Gambler helped her distribute those drugs.  All our problems keep coming back to him.  That’s hardly a coincidence.”

CRUNCH.

Now, all three of them flinched.

“You’re not wrong,” the Hippie replied, cocking his head in thought.  “Not exactly, anyway.  But didn’t you and your avatars buy all those drugs?  No one was twisting your arm.  And, I mean, that also sort of ignores the elephant in the room, yeah?  Didn’t we enslave all those humans in the first place?  I imagine that’s probably what got them all riled up.”

“Says the fool that killed how many of their kind?” the Lady snapped, whirling on him.

The Hippie’s eyes went round with indignation.  “For the last time, that was an accident!  I wanted to build the biggest water park ever.  And what’s a water park without a water slide?”

“It was 2000 feet tall,” the Seer muttered, shaking her head.

“And built over open water without any engineering.  You just cobbled it together out of seashells—”

“And fish oil!  Lots and lots of fish oil,” the Hippie chimed in with a smile.

“Wait, why the fish oil?” the Gambler asked in confusion.

“Uh, to make you go faster, duh!” the god of water replied.

The Old Man just let out a pained sigh.  “Regardless, what exactly did you think was going to happen?” he demanded.

“None of that matters,” the Lady snarled, stalking toward the Hippie, who looked like he was seriously contemplating the Old Man’s question – possibly even for the first time.  “You’re still one of us; still share our fate.  And yet I noticed you did nothing to stop Jason or that woman… now, did he?” This last question was directed at the Fates.

The goddess of earth just snapped her fingers and the display shifted once more, now showing video of the Hippie’s private box.  Screams echoed off the stone.  Blood trickled over the ledge above him and drip, drip, dripped onto the stone far below.  Elemental energy flashed and exploded, the light reflecting off the back wall of the booth.

CRUNCH.

CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

And through it all, the Hippie just sat there, a delighted grin on his face as he stuffed one handful of snacks into his mouth after another.  It was an eerie echo of their current situation.  The Hippie – the current one – froze, a handful of nuts already halfway to his mouth.  He stared at the video, frowning and his brow pinched together.

“You just sat there, stuffing your stupid face and watching,” the Lady hissed.

“How could anyone need that many nuts?” the Seer muttered.

“Hey… they were pretzels that time!” the Hippie shot back stubbornly.  “And they were delicious.  Just the right amount of salt.  Crisp but not too hard.  And they were filled with sugary peanut butter.  What else was I supposed to—”

He was cutoff as the Lady’s mana flared.  Suddenly, she was standing before him, her hand swatting at the bowl of nuts perched on his lap.  The blow sent the dish toppling and nuts flying.  The Hippie reached for his snacks, desperate and his hands groping at the air.  However, he missed the glass dish, which toppled forward and smacked Fluffy in the face.

The sheep woke suddenly, rolling off the couch and landing hard.

As Fluffy opened his eyes, he let out a soft, pain-filled bleat, a speck of blood staining his dark fur.  Meanwhile, the rest of the gods in the room froze.

CRUNCH.

The Hippie was standing now, his feet crushing the spilled nuts into the carpet.  He was transformed.  No longer the insipid, smiling simpleton.  His features had hardened from flowing amusement into frigid hate.  Even the fluttering cloth of his tunic had gone still – the weathered cotton looking far less like rags and more like gleaming scales.  An armor that encased his body and flowed with each of his movements.

CRUNCH… CRUNCH… CRUNCH…

The Hippie stalked forward, his eyes shining with a bright sapphire light.

“Oh, you think you’re tough now—” the Lady began.

She was cutoff as moisture condensed from the air, ribbons winding around her body and wrapping her throat, cutting her off.  The Lady tried to cast, but she was too slow, water binding her fingers together and then freezing solid in an instant.

“No, no you’ve done more than enough talking,” the Hippie intoned, his own eyes ablaze.  “You may insult me all you wish, but hurting Fluffy?  That is unforgivable.”

A flick of the god of water’s wrist and moisture beaded along Fluffy’s scratch, the water turning red as the sheep’s blood seeped from the wound.

Then he turned his attention back to the Lady, her eyes widening.

“You asked me why I didn’t intervene?  Well, some of us wish to enjoy our eternity in this prison.  Find some speck of goodness, and light, and amusement.  A companion.  A favorite fucking snack,” he growled, pacing closer to the goddess as she squirmed against her bindings.

CRUNCH.  CRUNCH.

The room was growing frigid, ice crystallizing along each of their glasses.  A few bottles behind the bar exploded in a series of concussive booms, the gods all flinching, eyeing one another but not making a move.  They were all uncertain how to react in the face of the Hippie’s wrath.

The bindings around the Lady’s neck trembled, her light magic flaring.  Then the restraints gave way and she drew in a deep breath.  “You mean fucking off and making friends with our captor?  With these narcs? That ugly, fat piece of—”

In an instant, needles of ice sprung into existence around the Lady’s face, hovering just before her eyes, just barely avoiding that tender, sensitive flesh.  She hesitated, frozen in place.

“No, no, please continue.  What were you going to say?” the Hippie demanded.

The Lady swallowed hard but thought better of it…

“Who the hell are you to challenge me? I was here at the dawn of this world – I helped usher your sorry, confused ass from that first portal, or have you already forgotten?”  the Lady swallowed hard.  “Yet you dare to second guess my choice?  Are yours truly any better?” the Hippie growled, more nuts crunching underfoot as he whirled toward the others. “Any of you?” he demanded, glaring at the gods who just watched with concern.

His glowing eyes whipped back to the Lady.  “The Fates were right.  You put on this act.  This façade.  Tell yourself this story that you’re some all-powerful goddess of light and wisdom and justice?  It’s all a fucking joke.  Another damned lie.”

He stared down the Lady, only inches away from her now.

“We all know the truth.  What you truly are; what we all are.  This is just a costume.”  He plucked at the fabric of her dress, the Lady flinching.  “And if we took it off, all we would find is a scared little girl playacting at being brave and fearless.  Telling herself some child’s bedtime story.  A way for you to avoid accepting the truth.”

The Lady winced, moisture beading at the corners of her eyes.  Except that wasn’t the Hippie’s doing – not directly, anyway. The others only watched, silent.  Yet they refused to intervene, their eyes dropping to the carpet.

“Because the truth is that you’re not special.  You’re exactly the same as the rest of us,” the Hippie sneered.  “You’re terrified.  At the prospect of what we are.  At what all of this means.”  He waved at the room.  “At what’s at stake if—”

“That’s enough.”

The words were calm – not shouted or spoken in anger – but there was no mistaking the authority that they held or the mana that flared through the room.  It was so powerful that the walls began to warp and bend, disintegrating at the edges and breaking apart into blocks of multi-colored energy.  And in the center of that maelstrom sat Alfred, mana radiating out around him.

“If you cannot behave yourselves, then I will have to restrain you… again,” Alfred declared, each words causing that energy to ripple and undulate.

The gods were frozen in place.  They stared with a mixture of fear and uncertainty at that lone cat.  At a true god made manifest in this artificial world.

The Hippie looked at the cat… blinked… blinked again.

Then the god of water’s mana faded and disappeared, water dripping to the floor as his ice melted.  Fluffy was suddenly at his side, nuzzling his open palm with her snout and looking up at him with overly large eyes.

“What was I…?” the Hippie murmured, suddenly oblivious to Alfred’s presence and the energy that threatened to destroy the VIP suite.  Instead, a lopsided smile drifted across his face as he looked down at the sheep.  “Ahh, you’re alright Fluffy?  Great!  We should get you some more snacks to help get you your strength back…”

Suddenly, the Hippie was moving to the bar, Oscar scrambling to make him another dish of nuts, all while keeping a wary eye on Alfred – the cat still radiating power.

“Are you all ready to continue now?” Alfred demanded, eyeing the others with unblinking focus.  The gods all nodded, looking far more subdued.  Then he turned his attention to the Lady.  She swallowed… hard.  Then grudgingly nodded before sinking back onto the cushions, dejected and staring at her hands.  Her light had faded to a dull, flickering glow.

“Good.  Then you may keep going,” Alfred said finally before dropping to the floor and curling up in a ball beneath the table of gleaming coins.  He closed his eyes – presumably sleeping.

Silence descended upon the room once more, only interrupted by the Hippie’s cooing chatter and motherly ministrations toward Fluffy – the god currently attempting to wrap a bandage made entirely of bar napkins around the sheep’s head.

“Ahh, I missed this,” the Fates quipped into that silence.  “The family camaraderie, you know?  Doesn’t feel like a prison, at all, does it?”

The others didn’t bother to respond.

“Cat suddenly got your tongue, huh?  No matter, we can just continue the show.”

With that, she snapped her fingers and the display shifted once more, this time focusing on a new image.  In this one, Jason was currently running for his life down a stone corridor, two lumbering undead trolls and an earth drake in tow and beams of crackling energy flashing at his back.

The Fates settled back into her couch with a sigh and a smile.  “Ahh, perfect.  This looks like it’ll be quite entertaining—"

Chapter 33 - Exit Strategy

“Okay, fuck the generators,” Jason grumbled under his breath.

He might have been a bit… overly ambitious.

At this rate, he was going to be lucky to just make it out of the club alive.

Jason was currently running down a stone corridor lined with all manner of advertisements.  Drugs.  Booze.  Women.  And an assortment of weapons, armor, and… a few other things he wasn’t sure he recognized but they looked vaguely sexual.  Or maybe not?  A Sandustine Backscratcher could be something for an efreet, right?  Like scale hygiene?  Maybe?  But it wasn’t like he had time to stop and examine the posters in more detail—

A beam of elemental energy seared the hallway behind him as Jason skidded a corner, the undead trolls and lone remaining earth drake barreling after him and slamming into rock.   The stone cracked and jagged fragments flew.  They barely managed to avoid the blast as the group kept running.  The Hall Monitors had made short work of his kraken and that gate shield.  Either that, or they were teleporting directly inside the club.  Or maybe both.

Humans emerged from the intersection up ahead, battle-worn and bloodied and their eyes half-mad with a combination of Veritas and adrenaline.   They didn’t even bother to check his race.  Bolts of fire, ice, and lightning immediately condensed from the air and encircled their hands as they stood in a line across the hallway, blocking his passage.

Jason hadn’t expected to have those simple spells turned on him as part of this half-assed revolution.  Honestly, it was almost cute how hard they were trying.  To think that the slaves hadn’t even known how to cast a few days ago.  Luckily the few hastily-scrawled notes that Jason had copied from Rogue Net had been enough.  They really did grow up so fast…

The humans fired and the bolts of mana launched forward, only for one of the trolls to absorb the blast, that elemental energy washing harmlessly across his bone armor.  The undead beast barely slowing under the barrage as the human rebels stared in shock.  They might have managed to learn how to cast spells, but they still lacked the strength, sophistication, and coordination of the travelers.

And besides, they really should be running too.

The humans’ eyes went round as Jason and his minions sped toward them… then past them, his skeletal body breaking apart into streamers of shadowy energy.  Just for a moment before reforming again.  A new ability he’d gained from infusing dark mana gems into his body.

Skeletal Augments

Limb

Level

Effects

Legs

312

Reinforced, Shadow Shift

Arms

312

Reinforced, Shadow Shift, Rotating, Stave Retraction

Chest

312

Reinforced, Shadow Shift

Head

312

Reinforced, Voice Box

Back

312

Bone Tentacles

Sustain Cost

8,000 Mana

Total Body Augmentation:  100%

“You need to run!” Jason shouted over his shoulder.  “Now!”

“What is he talking—”

The former slave never got to finish that sentence.  Jason glanced behind him just in time to see a Hall Monitor round the bend in the hallway, elemental energy cascading forward in a deadly ray.  The flesh and muscle were ripped from the man’s skeleton in a blast of energy so powerful it sent his remains crashing into a nearby wall where they promptly exploded apart into a rainbow shower of mana… all that was left of the man.

It was too late.  Screams echoed at his back, but Jason didn’t bother to turn.

“Told you,” he muttered under his breath.

At least they would slow the Hall Monitor down a little.  He skidded around another corner and leaped down a set of stairs.  Then another, landing with a soft thump.  The undead at his back were far less graceful and mostly fell down the stairs before landing in a decaying heap at the bottom of the stairwell – slowly pulling themselves upright and one of the trolls popping its shoulder back into the socket with a wet squelch and the crunch of bone.

Jason eyed the earth drake.  Its leg was broken.  The bone fractured.  It would take time to heal – time they sure as hell didn’t have right now.

“Hold it back as long as you can,” Jason urged the undead and then he and the remaining two trolls were already lumbering off deeper into the club.

Stone condensed around the earth drake, growing thicker by the second until the creature had turned into a veritable boulder, anchoring itself to the bottom of the stairwell and blocking the Hall Monitor’s path.  Not that Jason expected that would last long.  Those floating sacks of eyeballs were capable of putting a damned god on the defensive.  One undead earth drake wasn’t going to be enough to stop them – not nearly enough.

And the tremor that soon rippled through the floor proved that point, rocky debris hurtling out of the ruined stairwell and dust billowing down the hallway at Jason’s back.  Another roar and tremble indicated that the blast had caved in part of the wall and ceiling, the rock crashing down on the stairs… and hopefully that fucking Hall Monitor.

However, he wasn’t optimistic.  And there were always more.

Jason’s map hovered before him as he ran.  Thank the gods he’d had the foresight to have his swarms explore and map this place.  It was a confusing catacomb of tunnels and corridors that spanned dozens of levels.  However, his eyes were fixed on one goal.  Below the coliseum was a commercial district – a maze of shops and halls that spanned an entire floor.  He might be able to hide there – avoid getting boxed in by those damned things.

Possibly figure out a way to make it to the generators or regroup with Cady…

Wherever the fuck she happened to be right now.

That was his only move at this point.

Jason skidded around another turn and the hall opened up into a larger corridor.  This one was lined with shops – their signs composed of brightly-lit crystal.  Booths and shacks dotted the hall, selling knickknacks and candy and what might have passed for food here.  The place almost looked like an old-school mall.  Well, except for the scorch marks dotting the walls and the blood stains pooling along the floor… and well, the many, many bodies.

Most were human.  But Jason spotted more than a few other races sprinkled among them.  Fauns, efreet, undead, and even a few Nephilim – their wings ripped off and their faces slashed and torn.  It seemed they were the most hated among the races.  Go figure.

One of Jason’s swarms marked incoming enemies where their insect-like bodies buzzed along the ceiling, the light mana crystal giving off the occasional faint pulse.  A horde of red dots appeared on the map, then another… and another.  They had boxed Jason in, flickering amber overlapping those telltale dots in his UI to indicate the presence of air mana.  He spared a harried glance at the ruined shops around him and then at his two bulky troll companions, the beasts simply barreling through the remains of the kiosks.  Hiding wasn’t going work. He really should have summoned smaller minions.  Either way, that left few options…

With a sigh, Jason slid to a halt, readying himself.

Groups of fairies soon converged on his location, the air peeling away as they dropped their Invisibility to reveal at least fifty of the little, winged bastards.  And while they were all still smiling with that eerie, slightly manic grin, the air mana twisting around their hands and crackling lightning indicated that they weren’t as focused on customer service right now.

“Are you a member of the Fairy Fam?” one of the creatures chirped, its voice still chipper, but the question sounding much more ominous when the fairies were all drenched in blood.

Jason winced but he’d learned his lesson already.  Besides, this might be an opportunity.

“Uh, yeah… I’m undead!” Jason offered, pulling back his cowl to show his features and dropping his disguise, the delicate bone framework around his face melting away.

“He’s a member of the Kin!”

“A customer!”

“But where is his hat and wings?” another fairy demanded.

Damn it.  He never thought he’d regret burning that damned hat… and yet here he was.  He needed to think fast.  “Err, some other human slaves stole it.  Can you believe that?  They hated that I was wearing it!” Jason offered.  “They said the Fairy Fam was a bullshit gimmick to sell more useless crap they didn’t need or want.”

The ruse was difficult to pull off.  What was left of his pride was loudly announcing its displeasure.  However, the last thing Jason needed right now was the Hall Monitors and the fairies chasing him.  He hadn’t forgotten about the fairy he’d met in the Mile High Club – Brodie.  He’d been able to easily track the other avatars using his wind magic.  If these fairies could manage something similar, that would be a problem.

“How dare they!”

“That’s horrible!”

At least it seemed to be working—

The floor shuddered as another blast rocked the club, dust spewing out of the hallway behind Jason… which gave him another idea.

“You know what’s even worse?” Jason offered, cupping a bony hand to his mouth conspiratorially.  The winged idiots actually leaned forward…

“What?  Tell us!”

He motioned behind him.  “Back there is a creature that’s been killing customers and club staff alike.  It told me it hates the Fairy Fam.  It actually burned its hat and ripped off its wings.”

“A-a Fairy Fail?” one of the fairies muttered, the other picking up that phrase like a chant.

Good gods how he wished he could kill these morons himself.  The undead versions would be incredibly useful and far less chatty.

“Yeah, sure… a F-fairy Fail,” he replied, forcing out the words around clenched teeth.  “I think if you work together you could show that thing the true Fairy Fam spirit!”

Their eyes all lit up – literally.  Which didn’t help their macabre image, blood still dripping from one fairy’s hands.   And was that other one holding a human heart?  Jason shook his head.  Not that it mattered. As a group they all nodded and took off, racing down the hallway toward the Hall Monitor that was already finishing up with the human rebels.

Jason didn’t wait to see what happened, he just blew out a sigh of relief and started running. He and his two trolls raced down the hallway, his hands a blur as he cast Specialized Zombie over and over.  The fairies would last longer than the former slaves, but he still doubted they would stop the beast.  And this mall was actually perfect.  He couldn’t have asked for a better place to shop for new materials and minions with all of the bodies littering the floor.  Soon, many different races of zombie were limping and lumbering after him, a dead fairy floating at his shoulder – light spilling through the many holes in its body and wings and the creature missing an arm.  However, its magic streamed through the mall, updating his map with even more information and expanding his visibility to all four corners of the floor.

Screams echoed down the hall at Jason’s back… only to be cut off sharply with a crashing boom.  No doubt, the fairies had run into the Hall Monitor.  Great.

Amber energy suffused Jason’s body and suddenly he was moving faster, the fairy at his side channeling the energy as best it could given the terrible state of its body.

Jason’s map pinged again and he darted into another shop, sending an order to his minions to spread out.  The undead lumbered into storefronts all along this shopping district.  His map showed a large red dot suddenly coming down the corridor ahead him.  That must be another Hall Monitor.  He tapped at the map, zooming and twisting the image as he hunted for an escape.

“There has to be a way out of here,” he muttered to himself.

And there it was.  There were other staircases on the other end of the commercial district.  If he could just distract the Hall Monitors with his minions, he could increase his lead and plunge deeper into the club… maybe find a way to tunnel his way out of this fucking place or regroup with Cady – her icon not visible on this floor.  Yet she was alive, at least.  Her information still glowed in the corner of his vision, showing she was at full health and mana.

Probably partying it up with the fucking Gambler while he ran for his life…

Jason’s movements slowed as he saw the Hall Monitor floating closer.  A short mental command and an efreet erupted from a nearby shop, its scaled skin glowing with flames as it pelted the Hall Monitor with one flaming missile after another.  Hundreds of eyes soon turned in the direction of that annoying creature, the spells having no impact as they washed harmlessly across the Hall Monitor’s shields.

This was Jason’s opportunity.  He darted forward, plunging deeper into the mall even as the efreet turned and ran, leading the Hall Monitor in the other direction.  Jason slid across the slick stone and stopped behind a ruined cart in the middle of the hall just as another powerful beam of energy struck the efreet and blasted the creature apart.

Perfect.  It was working.  Now he just needed to keep—

The Hall Monitor suddenly stilled and its eyes glowed brightly with rainbow energy.  Was it attacking again?  But what was it targetting?  Had it seen Jason?  It wasn’t even pointed in his direction—

The elemental energy blasted forward in a ray nearly ten feet tall, the energy so dense that it was entirely opaque.  The energy slammed into a shop and blew the structure apart, the merchandise reduced to fluttering motes of energy in an instant.  Yet the Hall Monitor didn’t stop.  Instead, it began to rotate, that beam striking storefront after storefront, destroying the merchandise and obliterating several of Jason’s zombies where they were hidden away behind the racks of useless crap that filled the stores.

“Gods damn it,” Jason growled.

He was going to have to switch plans.  Luckily, he always had a Plan B.  He watched as the Hall Monitor drifted forward, still wildly attacking everything around it with what he could only describe as its “death laser.”

“Just a little bit closer—” Jason murmured.

Then it was in position and he gave the order.

The undead trolls pushed themselves upright and launched forward from the ruined stores on either side of the Hall Monitor.  They slammed into the floating sac of flesh, their hands clawing at the creature’s shields – ripping and tearing.  When that didn’t work, they grappled the beast and used their bulk to force it to the ground.  The barrier began to flicker and then fade under the barrage, the hint of blood appearing as the trolls ripped into its tender flesh.

“Kill it!” Jason shouted, the rest of his zombies converging at his command—

Only for the Hall Monitor to open a small, toothy slit near the base of its body.  It almost looked like a mouth, except this one was filled with far too many teeth – each one a sharp, ivory spike.  The sound that emerged wasn’t human.  It was a shrieking wail that had a physical force.  Jason ducked behind cover and pressed his palms against his head.  The pain was so intense that it felt like he was holding his skull together.  The lesser zombies who were too close simply exploded under the pressure and even the trolls weren’t immune.  Oozing, black blood began to leak from their ears and their health was dropping incredibly fast.

Another command from Jason and one troll backed away, snatching a metal pole from nearby – a former lamppost.  It spun and lifted the makeshift club high overhead before smashing it into the Hall Monitor’s mouth.  Fresh blood flew and the sound mercifully stopped, Jason watching with interest and his dark mana surging in a chill river through his body.

Was he finally going to kill one?

And if he could kill it… could he raise it as a zombie?

He could barely control himself as the troll lifted the pole again for the death blow—

Just before the troll could slam the makeshift weapon home, a half dozen multi-colored rifts tore open the air nearby.  And out of those portals drifted more of the Hall Monitors.  A small army of them, in fact – their eyes all pulsing with that familiar elemental energy.

“Oh shit—” Jason had a chance to mutter, just before dropping to the ground once more.

Rainbow death rays shot off in every direction, obliterating the trolls before punching through reinforced stone and demolishing what must have been hundreds or thousands of gold worth of touristy bullshit and gear and what passed as food here… as well as the humans and other races that were apparently still hiding in the stores.  They tried to make a break for it, but those many, many eyes just focused on their swift-moving forms, the rays following them with pinpoint precision until they had all been annihilated.

He could handle one?  But six?

And as he looked at his map, Jason realized it was worse than that.

More large red dots had appeared on the other side of the floor.

There were now more than a dozen Hall Monitors and he was boxed in, the creatures fanning out and moving slowly toward his position in the center of the commercial district.

His thoughts raced, trying to come up with something.  Anything.

The rock suddenly dissolved overhead and something dropped down from above, Jason’s instincts kicking in as his half-staves rotated out of his arms… not that it would likely do much good against a Hall Monitor.  The trolls had only managed to hurt one because they’d surprised it and they’d still perished in the process.

Jason just barely stopped himself in time, one Soul Blade coming to rest at Cady’s neck as she shot him a lopsided grin.  “So, I guess you’re happy to see me?”

“Where the fuck have you been?” he hissed back.

“Closing the deal.  We’re good.  We can leave now.”

“Easier said than done,” he bit out, gesturing at his map where those red dots were closing in on them.  As though that wasn’t obvious with the way the Hall Monitors were floating through the wreckage of the mall, rainbow dust swirling and dancing in the air.

“Are you underestimating me again?” Cady quipped, discarding a wand, the crystal burned out. She dug into her bag and another soon appeared in her hand. Emerald energy flashed—

Before he could ask what was happening, they were suddenly falling, the stone giving way beneath them.  His eyes went round as he saw the next floor approaching swiftly, only for it to break away just before they struck.  They fell one story… then two… then three… then Jason began to lose count as each floor broke apart below them.  However, one thing was clear.  They were picking up speed.  A lot of speed.

“How are you planning to stop?” he shouted at her over the noise of crashing stone.

“What?” Cady shouted back.

“We.  Are.  Going.  To.  Die.”

The crazy woman had the audacity to fucking smile at him!

Just before they struck the bottom level, a glowing green sigil flashed into existence – a familiar one.  The Gravity Well appeared below them, slowing, then stopping their fall just before their feet touched down on solid rock and then the emblem disappeared.

Which left Jason and Cady standing alone at the bottom of the club, a neat hole carved in the ceiling overhead, but Jason’s didn’t see any sign of the Hall Monitors yet.  Maybe they’d lost their location after they fell all the way down here… wherever here was.

Jason cocked his head, glancing at his map as it struggled to update their location.  As it finally settled, he could see they were standing in one of the club’s many warehouses.  Cady pulled another wand from her bag.  She raised it and fired, a ball of resplendent white light rocketing up into the darkness and illuminating the room around them.

They were standing inside a warehouse nearly thirty feet high.  It seemed to stretch on endlessly – or, at least, Jason couldn’t see the room’s walls from here.  Massive metal shelves lined the space in neat rows, filled with boxes and wooden pallets.  If Jason hadn’t just fallen a few dozen stories and been chased by floating eye sacs that shot death rays… he’d have almost mistaken this place for a real-world warehouse.

“Huh, that’s better,” Cady murmured, the light hovering intact overhead.

“Is it, though?” Jason muttered.  He didn’t see an easy way out of here.

“Shouldn’t you be thanking me for saving your ass?”

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been in that mess in the first place,” he shot back.  “I can handle some magical creatures and an army of spectators… those floating eye sacs are a different story, though.”

“That just sounds like an excuse,” Cady replied with a dismissive wave as she dug into her bag again.  She didn’t even try to sound contrite.

Jason felt a headache coming on, which should have been impossible.  “How did you even find me?  This place is pure chaos between the humans and the Hall Monitors.”

Now she was having trouble meeting his eyes, a frown wrinkling her brow.  “Well, I, uh… I followed the map…” she said quietly, trailing off.

“What was that again?”

“I followed the map.”

He paused, staring.  “You mean my map?  That was filled out by my minions?  The same tactic you’ve been shitting on ever since you kidnapped me?”

“Yet again, I didn’t kidnap you, but yeah, I guess your undead aren’t so bad.  Don’t go getting a big head about it,” she muttered, pulling another object from her bag – a big, glowing green crystal the size of Jason’s fist.

He let out a frustrated growl, but decided it was pointless to pursue it.  “What are you doing now?” he asked, eyeing the shelves warily.  He wasn’t convinced they’d lost the Hall Monitors – not yet, anyway.  And his undead were mostly destroyed, the survivors above getting picked off one by one as he ordered them to distract the Hall Monitors.

“Getting us out of here,” she answered as her hands blurred once more, creating phantom afterimages even as brilliant emerald energy bloomed around her.

“You can’t just teleport?” he asked.

“The Hall Monitors are out in force, and, at this point, they’ve shielded the whole club to try to contain the source of the continuity error,” she bit back, her voice sounding strained.  A rhythmic buzz underpinned her words, as though she was casting several spells at the same time – the incantations muddled and mixed together.  “I need to punch a hole in that shield first…”

She trailed off as that energy condensed down to form a massive sigil underfoot that stretched for dozens of feet in every direction.  A multi-colored tear was opening in the air above them – except not all at once like the portals that the Hall Monitors typically used. Instead, it was like Cady was ripping open the fabric of the universe one painstaking inch at a time.

Jason’s UI pinged again and he felt a pit form in his chest.  A red dot had just appeared nearby… and another…. And another.

“We have company!” he shouted, reaching for Cady—

And not a moment too soon.

He knocked them both to the ground just as a beam of elemental energy raced through the spot Cady had just occupied, slamming into the nearby shelf before carving through it... and the next one… and the next one…

As they began to recover, Jason could see that they hadn’t escaped their death, they’d only delayed it.  That ball of light still pulsed overhead, revealing more than a dozen of the Hall Monitors now floating down from the ceiling, their eyes pulsing ominously and those slits opening to reveal sharp, shark-like teeth.  Almost like they were smiling.

“Uh, you have any bright ideas now?” Jason offered weakly.

They were surrounded.  Trapped.  Those telltale beams already beginning to charge…

“Cady?” he insisted, looking to his companion, only to see her staring in horror at the creatures, her hands frozen and trembling.  “Cady!”

She snapped out of her shock.  “No… no.  I only managed to punch a hole in the shield.  Creating a portal will take time.  And with this many…”

She didn’t need to finish.  He understood by her tone and the look on her face.

It was impossible.  They were cutoff and surrounded and nearly all of Jason’s minions were all destroyed.  Jason and Cady could only look on as those beams charged, coming from every direction now, the light so bright that the warehouse shone like the sun.

“Well, damn…” Jason muttered.

Then he noticed the shelves trembling around them and beginning to crumple.  The Hall Monitors had undermined their support beams with that first attack.  They just needed one final push, which Jason provided by sending a command to his last remaining undead – the fairy that was still perched inside his ribcage.  It flew out from under his cloak and air mana blossomed around its hands before forming a torrent of wind that blasted at those ruined shelves.  The metal bent and twisted further and the pallets began to tumble through the air.  One shelf pitched into another with a thunderous crash and then another, creating a domino effect that rippled through the warehouse…

And soon sent those shelves crashing into the Hall Monitors that loomed overhead, their attention fixated on Jason and Cady.  Three were buried under the rubble before the creatures could react, a few more aborting their attack and forming shields of rainbow energy that blocked the falling shelves and held them suspended in place.  However, there were still more of the creatures hovering in the air overhead, their attention focused on Jason and Cady.  That telltale energy combined and collided—

“Damn it.  It was worth a shot,” Jason offered with a resigned sigh.

Then they fired.  The mana tumbled forward in a rolling wave of rainbow death.  An impossible combination of fire, ice, lightning, wind, light, and darkness.  In that split second before the energy struck, Jason squeezed his eyes closed and let out a sigh.

Oh, well.  It had been a good attempt…

Chapter 34 - Blindsided

“What is this?” the Hippie crowed as the screens along the side of the Gambler’s VIP room suddenly went dark, tipping his bowl and spilling a fresh wave of nuts across the carpet.

Only for Oscar’s furry little shoulders to droop, glaring at the broom in his hands and the large pile of nuts he’d just fucking cleaned up.  He threw down the cleaning instrument in a rage and stormed off to the bar.  Not that the gods were paying much attention to his plight…

They were all staring at the screen where Jason and Cady had just disappeared.  However, there was only static now, the image refusing to come into focus.

“Another trick,” the Lady snapped.

“And after we signed a contract,” the Old Man growled.

“Did she plan this?” the Lady demanded of the Seer.

“It’s not clear… but I can feel her influence.”

All of the gods were glaring at the Fates now… well, all of them except for the Hippie.  He was already on the other side of the room, waving his hands through the display as though that would somehow fix the reception.  Even the Gambler looked upset, glaring at the pile of glowing coins nearby before turning his gaze back to the Fates.

The gods’ mana flared, the room’s walls rippling and contorting under the force of their combined power, that energy growing into a tidal wave that threatened to rip the room apart.  Meanwhile, the goddess of earth just shrugged, a grin on her lips.  Which only seemed to enrage them further.  That mana began to condense into searing light, raging fires, crackling lightning, and a poisonous black mist as they prepared to attack—

“Enough,” Alfred interjected.

Even as he spoke that single word, their mana disappeared and everyone froze in place, rainbow ribbons encircling their limbs and binding their hands.  The gods strained against their new restraints but couldn’t move an inch – only their eyes following the feline as it paced through the lounge and leapt up onto a sofa, watching them.

“I thought you had all learned your lesson, but I can see that your memories are imperfect things.  It seems you all need a refresher – something to reinforce that such infighting won’t be tolerated.”

“Wow, this is so cool!” the Hippie murmured suddenly, stepping up beside Alfred and poking at the Lady’s face.  Since he hadn’t been attempting to attack the Fates, he was apparently spared Alfred’s restraints – as was the goddess of earth herself as she took a slow, languid sip at her drink.  Meanwhile, the goddess of light couldn’t do anything to stop the Hippie as he pinched her cheek and contorted her face in a smile… then a frown.

“Happy Lady… sad Lady… happy Lady…”

The Hippie hesitated, cocking his head and glancing at Alfred.  “Wait, can they not do anything right now?” he asked.  He seemed far too excited by that idea.

“No… no they can’t,” Alfred offered slowly, his voice registering a note of concern.

“Perfect,” the god of water crooned.  “It’s been so long since we has an opportunity like this!  I’ve been meaning to show you all the newest saga that I’ve been working on for ages now!  Maybe a century or three,” he added with a dismissive wave.  “Fluffy, get our props!”

The sheep heaved out a tortured sigh and disappeared, only to reappear a moment later beside the Hippie, a half dozen sock puppets and a makeshift, wooden stage perched on his back.  It looked like the contraption had been cobbled together and painted by a child… or most likely the Hippie himself.  What gave it away was the image painted on the side.  It was a stick figure wearing a fluttering cloak and holding the hand of a formless black blob that must have been intended to be a sheep.  A bunch of hearts were painted overtop their heads.

The god of water wasted no time in getting everything set up before slipping back behind the crude wooden booth.  His head popped up a moment later, a grin on his face.

“This is my favorite story ever.  I called it the King and his Best Friend Fluffy!”

He cocked his head.  “It may or may not be an autobiography.”  Fluffy heaved out another resigned sigh before laying back down to sleep.  Unfortunately, the other gods had no such luck.  They couldn’t even blink, much less sleep…

What followed was worse than any torture that Alfred could have possibly devised.  Even the AI grimaced, revealing sharp feline teeth but forcing himself to watch – to keep an eye on his unruly “children.”  The gods’ reaction was far, far worse.  They couldn’t move, but the rage in their eyes had faded, replaced with a growing despair.

The last time the Hippie had put on a show like this… it had lasted ten years.

A fact that wasn’t lost on the Fates – who just sat there chuckling to herself and nursing her drink even as the first sock puppet appeared overtop the makeshift stage, speaking in a high-pitch falsetto voice and a crudely-painted halo ringing its head.

“I can’t remember my name!  Where am I?  What’s going on here?”

Another sock puppet appeared, this one dressed in rags and accompanied by a tiny black paper sheep. The Hippie spoke in a booming, heroic voice for this character, “Don’t worry, ma’am.  I’m here to help!  Just follow me and I’ll show you a grand new world!”

“What are you?  Some kind of homeless vagrant or hippie?  And is that a sheep?  A black sheep?  What an ugly color…  I may be confused, but the one thing I know for certain is that I’m a “Lady” and I absolutely despise sheep,” the Hippie sang in falsetto.

The gods all appeared to be dying inside as they looked on helplessly.

Everything was going well.  Just as Cady had predicted…

***

Jason

Unknown Location

His death had been surprisingly painless.  In fact, Jason hadn’t felt anything at all for the last few seconds.  No searing burns or dull aches.  No dismemberment.  Perhaps he’d been wrong; perhaps those death rays granted a peaceful end.  They certainly looked gruesome, but maybe this was finally AO’s way of giving back.  A death that welcomed Jason into its warm, loving—

“Ow,” he grunted as something struck his shoulder.  And there it was… “Why does death always have to be so painful,” he groaned.

“You aren’t dead.  Open your eyes,” Cady snapped.

Jason obliged… only to discover that he and Cady were sitting on a plain, smooth floor.  Those Hall Monitors were nowhere to be seen and it was clear they were no longer in the warehouse.  This room was much smaller.  Pristine white stone covered the walls and floor so seamlessly that it was hard to tell where the floor ended and the walls began.

He looked to Cady in surprise.  “What’s going on here?”

She looked relieved, almost… happy?  That was disconcerting.

“You’ll see,” was all she said as she pushed herself upright.  Jason followed her lead, confusion sweeping through his mind as he replayed the last few seconds over and over again in his head.  She hadn’t cast.  She couldn’t have.  They’d definitely been about to die.  Of that, he was certain.  So, had a third party intervened?  Someone else?

Those questions were all tossed out the window as something even more impossible happened.  The wall beside them rippled and then dissolved into motes of green energy, the stone disappearing in a flash to reveal a perfect, rectangular opening.  Several figures strode into the room.  They were human.  Female.  None of that was unusual – not really.

However, they were all familiar.  They all looked at him with a similar expression.  The same, single delicately-manicured brow raised and that grating, cocky smirk he’d come to hate gracing each of their lips.  Jason could only stare back at them comically, his skeletal jaw hanging open in disbelief.

Cady.  They were all Cady.  At least four of them… including the one standing beside him.

“What’s going on here?” Jason demanded.

He hesitated.  “Wait… I think I get it.  I actually died back there, didn’t I?  Robert patched the game and this—this is hell.  My own personal hell,” Jason murmured.

“Funny.”

“Hilarious.”

“—real fucking comedian.”

Each of the Cadys spoke simultaneously, all of them giving him the same look – that one that just screamed “idiot” without saying anything at all.  Well, all except for the original.  She was rubbing at her face and appeared to be in pain.

“No, no, you’re right… all, err, four of you.  This might actually be perfect,” Jason replied with a shake of his head.  “I was just thinking that it would be awesome if you could clone yourself.  What’s better than one paranoid, control freak?  Four!”

And now they were all glaring at him.

“Could you give us a moment?” Cady – the original Cady – asked.  Or, at least, Jason assumed she was the real one.  That was far from clear at this point.

The others grumbled and muttered but eventually left.  The wall soon reformed into pristine, smooth, white stone… which left Jason and Cady alone once more.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Cady snapped.

“Like what?”  Jason shot back.  “You know I don’t actually have any facial features right now.  All bone up here.  And besides, how can you see anything with the cloak anyway?”  He waved at his cowled face to prove his point.

“I can feel the way you’re looking at me,” Cady replied sourly.  “And I can already anticipate your many, many, many questions.  How is this possible?  Why are there so many of you?  And if you had a clone army stashed away somewhere, then why didn’t we enlist their help earlier—”

“Like while I was participating in some sort of deathmatch for the god of happiness’ amusement?” Jason interjected.  “Oh, or while I was being chased through his club by those Hall Monitors?  You know, just a couple of recent examples that spring to mind.”

Cady let out a sigh.  “The answer is complicated.  I’m not trying to deliberately withhold information… it’s just that there was no way in hell you would have believe me if I’d been upfront with you.  Some things you need to see to believe.”

“Uh, you already used that excuse before,” Jason offered, sarcasm lacing his voice.  “Are you sure you’re the same Cady?  Or are you a clone Cady?” He paused, rubbing at his bony chin.  “Shit, maybe I’ve been partied with a clone this whole time.  That explains so much…”

“Hilarious.  Do you want me to explain or not?” she asked in a huff.

Jason just waved for her to go ahead.

“Alright, so I might not have shown you the whole story of how I started the game,” Cady began gingerly, as though feeling out her explanation word by word.

Jason couldn’t help but snort at that, which earned him another sharp glare.

Cady let out a sigh and waved at the air. “Perhaps it would be easier to just show you…”

Her UI popped up and a display soon hovered in the air before her.  It showed a familiar scene.  Cady walking out of the throne room back in Pax after murdering the other would-be avatars, stealing their faces, and taking on the Fates’ quest over and over again… each time reaping the time bounty that came with accepting the shapeshifting goddess’ request.

Jason remembered that well.  He’d assumed Cady had moved on from there.  Marched off to explore Pax and invest her blood-stained resources into stabilizing the city and growing its influence – economically, politically, and militarily.  At some point, she must have cleared that crystal mine of bandits, started her drug operation using the crystal powder, and eventually journeyed to the Gambler’s Half Mile High Club to offer the god of happiness an opportunity to become her accomplice.

That story made sense.  Sort of.  The timeline was a bit wobbly, of course.  For example, it seemed like the Gambler had the drug operation up and running very soon after they’d killed The Boulder.  And the brigand leader hadn’t died until much later in the original timeline.  That felt like a plot hole of sorts.  Or, at a minimum, a continuity error that warranted a Hall Monitor visit.  However, Jason put a pin in that as the video began to play…

Jason recalled that the other Cady had marched off after killing the other avatars.  Yet, onscreen, she apparently had a change of heart.  She soon came pacing back down the hallway toward the throne room, an unusual expression on her face.  She appeared deep in thought and was muttering to herself under her breath.  The audio on the recording wasn’t loud but Jason could pick out a few words with his Listening skill.

“It can’t work… can it?  And even if it does, wouldn’t it break—”

“What are you muttering about?” Jason asked, glancing at Cady in confusion.

“You’ll see,” she grunted back, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.

The other Cady soon arrived at the throne room, hesitated for a moment longer… looking conflicted.  Then she must have made a decision.  She squared her shoulders and began to cast, emerald energy condensing and colliding throughout the room – a spell Jason had already witnessed firsthand.  It looked she was about to use Fast Forward, but how far forward in time was she going to go? And better yet, why—

As quickly as she’d cast, Cady ended her spell.  She must have traveled only a short way into the future.  A few minutes at most.  What could she hope to accomplish?

Jason cocked his head.

Unless… no, no that wasn’t possible.  Was it?

His eyes darted to the white room, the door along the side of the chamber that blended almost seamlessly into the walls – the same one where multiple clones of Cady had just disappeared.  Had she really—

“Huh.  Well, shit.  It worked!” Cady’s voice echoed through the room.

“Who?  How?  Uh… what worked?” That was Cady’s voice again, but it sounded confused.

Jason’s gaze darted back to the display… where two versions of Cady now stood, eyeing each other suspiciously.  She’d done it.  She’d actually done it!  And it had worked?!  Cady had repeatedly traveled back in time to keep accepting the Fates’ quest, but then she’d moved forward in time in order to meet with her past self – a self that had existed only a few short minutes ago and had just barely wrapped up killing the first avatar recruit.  And yet there she was with that same suspicious scowl on her face.

Cady – the real Cady – tapped at the screen and it began to speed up.  “You get the idea.  I went back in time – or forward, I guess – and met my other selves.  I figured I – or they – must still be there, right?  I mean, I can travel through time and I was present in each of those times and places, so it wasn’t a huge leap of logic.”

The screen whizzed back through each of Cady’s murders.  Except, this time, Cady was moving forward through time, recruiting her other selves one after another.  One.  Two.  Five.  A dozen.  And soon?  A veritable army of clones were following her as she made each jump.

Jason could feel a headache coming on.  “How is this possible?” he muttered.  He glanced at Cady.  “Alright, fine.  You encountered your former self, but each one has its own AI?”

Cady nodded.  “Best I can tell, they’re a nearly perfect copy of me.  Full neural map with most of my memories.  That’s not to say we’re all completely identical, of course.  Their behavior starts to deviate once we meet.  Some went into mining, or exploration, or crafting… you get the idea.  But in terms of ability, we’re all roughly the same. Or, at least, we all started out at the same place. We all lack mana, which forces us to rely primarily on items.”

Shaking his head, Jason let out a harsh sigh.  “Sure.  But that one is casting time magic,” he offered, pointing at a clone onscreen.  Indeed, the other Cady was using time magic as well.  In fact, after the first few jumps, Cady started having the clones use their Time instead of her own.

Cady shrugged, a smirk on her lips.  “Another loophole.  I had all the Time I’d collected from accepting each quest… and, well, so did each of my clones.  At least, they had as much Time as they’d managed to gather before we met.  The first few clones had accepted the quest a hundred or so times.  And later, they’d only accepted it a handful of times and didn’t have quite as much.  Either way, I multiplied our total Time in an instant.”

Jason’s knuckle was rubbing at a bony temple now, another impossible headache coming on.  He wasn’t sure whether to be impressed… or horrified.  Traveling back in time to impersonate the other avatars had been a crafty move, but to then travel forward in time in order to gather a clone army?  And the amount of Time she’d collected among them all must have been truly absurd, many times what she’d managed to gather on her own.

“That is so unbelievably OP,” Jason muttered finally.

“You would think,” Cady replied in a dry voice.  “But everything has a cost.  An equal and opposite reaction, right?  Newton was such a dick.”

He looked up sharply.  “What?  What do you mean?  You have an army of clones helping you.  I’ve seen them myself!  Didn’t they just save our asses from those Hall Monitors?”

Cady tilted her head.  “You’re not wrong – not exactly.  It’s just that you don’t have the full picture.  Sure, I was flush with Time.  And sure, I’d gathered my clones and they had their own time magic.  But – and this is a big but – that move caused a few continuity issues…”

She trailed off as the video slowed and then stopped, the picture playing in real time once more.  A legion of Cadys now filled the throne room, eyeing each other and speaking in hushed voices.  A few had moved to a balcony and appeared to be planning out changes to the city.  Others were using their UI to research something.  And the others were just milling about, more than a few looking sourly at their starting clothing and talking about finding a tailor.

Yet, in the center of the throng, one Cady stood there calmly, a frown on her lips as she eyed her surroundings.  And Jason could see why.  Cracks were forming along the walls of the throne room – cracks that glowed with a familiar, multi-hued energy.

Cady began to raise an alarm… to cry out, but it was already too late—

The Hall Monitors arrived ready for a fight.  They wasted no time charging their lasers.  Beams of energy rippled across the room.  A dozen Cadys died in an instant.  Screams echoed through the room and the Cadys all broke in every direction, fleeing the beasts… only for the display to freeze as Cady – the real Cady – tapped it once more.

“The rest is just me getting murdered over and over,” Cady offered.

“Well, uh, you could keep going.  Just for the sake of completeness,” Jason offered.

“Funny.  So, very funny,” Cady drawled, eyeing him sourly.  “But like I said, there was a cost.  Repeatedly accepting the goddess’ quest was bad enough, but cloning myself a hundred times and then gathering all the duplicates in one place?  That created one hell of a continuity error – one large enough to summon the Hall Monitors en masse,” Cady explained, her lips pinched in a grim line.

“Half of us died that day,” she announced.  “Such a waste.  I wish I’d thought further ahead…”  She trailed off, her gaze distant.

“Yet some had to survive,” Jason urged.  “They had to for this place—”

“Ahh, that’s another interesting point,” Cady interjected, meeting his eyes once more.  “What do you think this place is exactly?  If the Hall Monitors found us all in that throne room… would we be safe anywhere we gathered in the game world?”

Okay, that was a fair point.

“Looks like you’re finally ready to see it,” Cady said as she saw the realization settle across Jason’s skeletal visage.  Her boots tapped at the floor as she stalked toward the nearby wall.  A tap at the stone and the door dissolved away once more.

“Uh, see what?” Jason offered.

Cady just gestured through that doorway and Jason looked at it suspiciously.  There was a good chance that a fresh mountain of crazy lay just beyond that threshold, as well as a veritable army of Cadys.  But his curiosity eventually won out.

Jason stepped through the door… only to gape in surprise at what waited for him.

Chapter 35 - Loopholes

Jason found himself standing on a terrace that ringed an enormous cylindrical room made entirely of smooth stone.  It almost looked like it might have once been a retired missile silo.  More circular terraces lingered above and below them, stretching for dozens of stories.  And all along those walls were rectangles etched into the stone, green gemstones embedded in the wall beside them.  As the clones tapped at those gems, the doorways dissolved, revealing familiar, glowing white interiors.  Hundreds of them.

Even more interesting were the individuals that stepped out of those rooms.  Cady.  So many versions of Cady.  Some wearing overalls and covered in grease.  Some dressed in immaculate suits and carrying bags of gold.  Others decked out in weapons and sleek, metal armor, their gear glowing with a deadly sheen of mana.  Many more serviced the Hive itself, attending to the Cadys that were returning through those rooms, stripping their gear and loot and offering potions and first aid to those that returned wounded.

“I call this place the Hive,” Cady offered as she approached from behind him.  “You can think of it like our home base, I guess.”

Jason shook his head.  This was impossible.  Yet, among the chaos of this complex – the sheer magnitude of it – his attention was captured by something else.  Specifically, the structure that rested at the very bottom of the Hive, lit up in glowing relief by crystals that hovered suspended around the structure.  It looked vaguely familiar, but seemed to have undergone substantial changes and revisions.  Perhaps a real architect had eventually gotten involved…

Either way, it was clear he was looking at—

“The Fates’ princess castle,” Cady finished for him, shooting Jason a knowing look.  She stalked toward the rail and rested her elbows on the metal, staring down at the castle.

“But why—”  Jason began, but brought himself up short.

The answer was obvious, wasn’t it?

“You accepted the Fates’ quest.  All of you,” he murmured.

Cady just nodded, not saying a word.

“Warning!” a voice suddenly chimed out, one that sounded eerily like Cady.  Probably because it was Cady.  “Princess castle model #16533 ready for initialization.  All personnel prepare for time shift.”

“What?” Jason muttered, glancing at Cady.  “What are you – or is she – talking about?”

Cady just waved at the castle in the center of the Hive.  “See for yourself.”

Emerald energy surged in the center of the room, enveloping the castle in a bath of emerald energy.  And as the mana touched the surface of the princess castle, it began to shift and change.  Balconies shrank.  New waterfalls sprung from nothing, streams trickling down stone that hadn’t existed only mere moments ago.  In a heartbeat, the fresh rock weathered and algae sprang across the surface even as new spires crept up into the air.

Then the energy faded, leaving a newly-formed castle in the center of the room.  Jason could only stare, his thoughts wheeling – searching for some sort of explanation – something that made sense of what he was seeing.  The scale of it.  The insanity of it all—

He paused.  Pieces were beginning to click into place, one after another.

Everything has a cost…

Dozens of quests doled out by the Fates…

An army of Cady clones, all returning here to this strange place.  Yet there were no Hall Monitors attacking the Hive.  The Cadys didn’t even look concerned.  Which implied…

“This place, it doesn’t exist in the main game world,” Jason murmured finally.

“Ding, ding, ding!  We have a winner over here!” Cady shouted.

A few passing clones gave a half-hearted woo and a fist pump.

“You did it…”

“We’re so proud of you…”

As if dealing with the sarcasm of one of them wasn’t bad enough…

“But you’re only halfway there,” Cady urged, waiting and staring at the new princess castle that had emerged, a scowl on her lips.  “Keep going, kid.”

“You know, you could just tell me the answer, right?”

“I could, but where’s the fun in that?”

Jason just harumphed in irritation.  “Fine.  Then the other half is the castle.  If you and your clones accepted all those quests, then they’re all still binding, aren’t they?  And each quest is individual to each Cady, which means you all need to complete it over and over and over.”

“Indeed,” Cady answered sourly.  “And the cost of failing—”

“Is the loss of your time magic,” Jason finished for her.  “All of your time magic…”

Cady nodded.  “Even worse, we discovered that we couldn’t easily work together back in the game world.  You saw what happened in the throne room.  Instant karmic retribution – probably Alfred punishing me for brutally murdering all those other avatars.”

Jason glanced down at his feet, expecting to see the AI’s feline form sitting there, only to hesitate.  Alfred was missing… which was odd. When had he disappeared?

Yet Cady was already continuing, “Anyway, we built this place instead.  Although, ‘discovered’ might be a better word.  It wasn’t exactly intentional.”

“What do you mean?” Jason asked.

She just waved at the air and her display returned, still frozen on the image of the massacre of Cady’s clones, the Hall Monitors looming large around the throne room.  She tapped it again and the scene continued, screams and shouts mixed with the crackle of elemental energy.  And then, of course, the surviving Cadys began to cast – to simultaneously rewind and fast forward time as they all attempted to flee.  But there was no plan.  Each one just acted on their own.

The sudden collection of time magic was truly enormous – mana illicitly gathered from creating giant loopholes in digital time and space.  That emerald energy condensed, collided, and collected until space and time began to warp around it.  The walls of the throne room began to flex and bend.  Even the beams of the Hall Monitors were arcing in crazy directions, hitting the ceiling or looping backward… only for them to disappear as the rock broke apart.  In another game, Jason would have described the effect as “graphics tearing.”  Some sort of glitch or bug.

Maybe a sign that he needed to buy a new graphics card or update his drivers…

However, AO wasn’t just any game.

The walls began to break apart, revealing familiar, pristine white rooms.  Portals and tears in the fabric of reality.  And the Cadys took that opportunity to escape.  They fled the Hall Monitors, diving into those rifts and portals and vanishing from sight one by one…

Until there was only one Cady left.  A single woman standing in the center of that throne room and staring at those rifts in horror and fascination – the Hall Monitors frozen there, their eyes wheeling and spinning but taking no action as they inspected her.

Cady tapped the screen again and it froze.

“We accidentally created this place.  Some sort of pocket universe,” Cady explained, waving at the Hive.  “We’re bound here now – or, at least, most of us are.  Only one of us can exist in the main game world at any one time or place at once without causing continuity problems.”

Jason’s eyes widened as he turned his attention back to those rooms that lined the Hive.  So, these… these were portals of some kind?  Or a kind of waiting room, each Cady patiently – or not-so-patiently – awaiting her turn to reenter the game world.  And in the meantime, they had gathered together their resources and delegated roles and skills.  All in an attempt to reconstruct the Fates’ perfect princess castle – every possible version the goddess could have imagined.

“Holy shit,” he muttered.

“Yeah, yeah,” Cady replied softly.  She side-eyed him.

“So, would you have believed me if I’d led with this.”

Jason opened his mouth… closed it… opened it again.

“No… no, I guess not,” he answered finally.

Even for him, this was crazy.  Completely off the rails.

The pair stood there in silence for a long moment, Cady staring down at her clones as they stalked the Hive’s terraces and inspected the latest iteration of the princess castle.  Meanwhile, Jason watched Cady – the real Cady.  The tension in her shoulders and the way her lips were pinched into a thin line.  At first, Jason had thought the Fates’ cryptic warning had been about Cady’s drug use.  But after discovering the truth about Mendax… and Veritas, that didn’t seem likely.  So, was it something else?  This place – this impossible, insane place – had this been what the Fates had meant?  And that was ignoring the larger question, wasn’t it?

Not for the first time, he wondered why Cady had gone this far.  Why murder all of those avatars?  Why travel back forward through time to gather an army of clones?  Why make a deal with the Gambler… or the old avatars.  Why help Jason at all?

“So, something has been—” Jason began.

Cady sighed, pushing away from the railing.  “You’re going to ask what’s next, right?”

Not quite, but that was indeed among his ever-growing mountain of questions.  He cocked his head.  She’d also changed the subject quickly.  Almost like she’d anticipated his real question.  Was Cady hiding something else?  She couldn’t lie… but she could certainly still mislead.  The proof was resting right in front of him.  The real reason for all this bullshit was tucked away behind layer after layer of misdirection and cosmic insanity and a veritable ocean of blood.

“Yeah… I guess it was,” Jason offered finally.

She shot him a look.  “That’s simple.  We managed to convince the Gambler to go along with my plan.  And we didn’t get deleted by the Hall Monitors – despite the changes to that timeline.  Which means it’s time for the Summit.”

“The Summit?” Jason echoed in confusion.

Cady nodded.  “The Gambler is calling a meeting of the avatars.  During that meeting I make a pitch – one that changes everything – that pulls the old avatars, their subordinates, and their cities outside of time and space and binds them to that orb Gloria found… all for a small fee of course.  And when that orb is broken, they’re released.”  She shot him a glance.  “But you’ve already seen that part of the story, haven’t you?”

“So, you want to alter that deal?  Or stop it?” Jason offered.

Cady snorted.  “No, not at all.”

He cocked his head.  “Then what—”

Jason paused as he saw the smile creeping across her face.  “Did you forget our goals? Secure Pax and its mining operation – check.  Grab a couple generators – double check.

“Wait, what?” Jason demanded, dumbstruck.

They hadn’t really secured the mines, had they?  Jason had just left behind some undead.  And what was that about grabbing the generators?  When would she have had time to accomplish that?  The Gambler couldn’t have been happy with the fact that his club was being torn apart and Cady had been standing right beside him.  And she sure as hell hadn’t been carrying the generators with her when she’d met up with him.

Or, at least, this Cady hadn’t…

Her grin widened as she saw the realization dawn in his eyes.  “Catching on, huh?”

Cady’s gaze swept back to the castle.  “You killed off the bandits that were plaguing Pax and created a defensive force to guard the mines, which meant that the bandits weren’t ever able to gather a true foothold again.  One of my other selves was able to clean up the rest – a bit further along the timeline, of course.  Thanks for that.”

Jason cocked his head.  “And your protests back then?  All that talk about not going in hot and killing everything in sight?” he demanded sourly.

“All bullshit.  I might have baited you into playacting as the big, strong villain.”

Jason just glared at her.  So, she’d just been messing with him back then?  Toying with him to get him to take the lead?  A kernel of anger bloomed in his chest, dark mana surging through his body in a chill wave and beginning to peel away from his limbs.  If there was one thing he hated, it was others trying to manipulate him.

“Oh, calm down.  It was necessary.  We didn’t have time for a long heart to heart and you didn’t trust me yet, so don’t get too butthurt about it,” Cady offered with a wave of her hand.  “I was always telling the truth, of course.  My combat abilities leave something to be desired and I needed a hand.  Besides, aren’t you missing something more important?”

Another smile – this one taunting.

“The generators,” he growled after a short pause, his mana fading.

She just nodded, her smile widening.  Her gaze shifted down and to the right.  More of her clones had opened up the whole wall of one waiting room, the stone dissolving away with a flash of earth mana to reveal those pristine white walls.  Two generators were resting inside that enclosure, Cady’s clones already inspecting them for damage and preparing them for travel, Gravity Wells forming beneath each machine.

Jason could suddenly see her plan now.

“I was a distraction,” he muttered.

Just not for the Gambler or the crowd like he’d assumed…

She’d meant for him to cause that human uprising and to showcase his abilities.  All of that had been intended to draw the attention of the Hall Monitors; to lead them on a merry chase through the club.  She’d already explained the problem, hadn’t she?  Having her clones steal the generators directly would have caused ripples – massive continuity issues as a result of multiple versions of Cady being present in the same place and time.  So, she’d hidden them behind something else – behind someone else.  Specifically, a necromancer-shaped smokescreen.

Cady just shot him a finger gun and clicked her tongue.

“Is that why you brought me here… as a decoy?” Jason demanded finally, his dark mana flaring with renewed power, tendrils of shadow leaving marks along the stone where they lashed at the floor and walls.  A few of the clones were looking over nervously now.

“Maybe,” Cady replied with a shrug.  “But, I wouldn’t take it personally.  I needed the help.  And your skillset makes you unique.”

“What skillset is that exactly?” Jason demanded.  He couldn’t keep the edge from his voice.

She looked at them, her smile fading and replaced with something else… something more sobering.  More real.  “You’re a survivor.  Just like me.”

Cady turned away.  “And, more importantly, you win.”

He watched her, his anger fading in the face of something that actually sounded like the truth – that term having begun to lose some of its meaning.  Her words hinted at something deeper.  Just the tip of that iceberg that was the real Cady.  The genuine article among dozens of clones and duplicates and buried beneath a mountain of deception and a plan so convoluted it had actually broken time and space.

He also couldn’t deny her point from before.  Even if she had explained her plan upfront, would he have believed her?  Been able to go along with this craziness?

Jason understood all of that, and yet… he still had questions.

And this time, he intended to get answers.

“Well, we really need to get—”

“No,” Jason snapped, planting his feet firmly.

Cady shot him an inquiring look, a single delicately manicured eyebrow raised.  “No?  And here I thought we had finally connected.  You know, now that you’ve seen the real me,” she offered with a grin as she waved at herself.

“That’s the problem, I’m not sure I have,” Jason shot back.  “I signed your crazy contract, and put up with your mysterious and convoluted plan – one in which you’ve just admitted to manipulating me several times to orchestrate the outcome you wanted—”

“Still not seeing the problem,” she offered, her grin widening.

Jason was less amused.  “The problem is that I still don’t trust you – not without knowing what you’re really after.  And now that I’ve seen how deep the rabbit hole really goes, I can only assume you were able to dig a little deeper… and that you must still need me.  Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of bringing me along.”

Her grin was fading now, her eyes looking troubled.

“What is it that you want then?” she asked.

“The actual truth, for once,” Jason snapped.  “What’s in this for you?”

Cady had gone silent, her lips pinched together once more.  Even her clones had slowed around them, standing still and watching with that same expression.  It was eerie the way they stared but Jason wasn’t going to back down this time.

“I’ve looked you up online,” he offered.  “You’re educated, intelligent, and successful.  You were working for a renown consulting firm and seemed to be well on your way to making partner.  I also saw that you suddenly quit that same firm roughly 12 months ago.  They tried to cover it up with some BS press release by calling it a leave of absence.  Claimed you needed time to deal with a personal family issue – but I couldn’t find records of any other family.  Not even your parents, which was weird.”  Cady flinched at that, just a slight twitch of her eye.  But it was enough for Jason’s Perception skill to pick it out.

“And now you work for Cerillion Entertainment.  But why?  Why go to all this trouble for a videogame?  Why give up a lucrative position with a consulting firm to work for Cerillion?  And then there’s your strange influence over Robert and George…”

Jason stared her down, his gaze unflinching.  “So, I’ll ask again.  What’s in this for you?”

Cady appeared frozen, her eyes flitting to the floor, the walls… even the other clones where they stood watching and silent.  In that moment, Jason realized that quiet had stretched on to encompass the entirety of the Hive.  None of the clones were moving any longer, all of them just waiting, watching, listening.

Then Cady seemed to make a decision, raising her eyes.  All of the lies and bullshit were stripped away, as though she’d removed a mask.  What he saw staring back was pain and fatigue… and something else.  Something he recognized.  Fear.

“You want the truth, huh?” she asked then.  “Are you sure?  It’s risky.”

“You’re talking to the same person that’s already killed two people,” Jason shot back.  “And I showed you before, I’m not afraid to confront George Lane—”

“You should be,” she interjected, her expression sober.  “You really should be.  You don’t know that man.  Or what he’s willing to do to accomplish what he wants.”

Jason hesitated, taken aback by her tone.  “Which is what exactly?”

Cady sighed, then raised her eyes to meet his.  “Fine.  If you really want the truth, then it’s time we finally have that heart to heart.  But not here.  We still have work to do, so we’ll have to walk and talk…”

With that, she turned and began to stalk down the walkway, the clones quickly moving out of her way and eyeing her warily.  Which left Jason standing there.  Alone.  He couldn’t shake the feeling that the rabbit hole was going to get just a bit deeper once Cady finally showed her cards.  Or a lot deeper.  Maybe too deep.  Not that he had much choice but to keep pressing forward.

Then, with a sigh, he set off after her.

Chapter 36 - Nepotism

“And here it is!  Welcome to the House of Lane,” Alex announced with a grand wave.

The others could only stand there staring.

“This is…” Julia muttered.

“Insane?” Eliza finished for her.

Finn just let out a grunt, doing his best to act unimpressed.

However, from what Eliza could see, Alex’s father had built a palace.  The house was three stories, perched on a cliff face overlooking the water and surrounded by dense green forest.  The location alone would make it easily worth north of $100 million.  The addition of real, living trees.  Especially this many… well, that was a luxury few could afford any more.

And that wasn’t counting the outbuildings they’d passed on the drive in, which apparently included a hole-in-the-wall garage nearly 15 miles away. Eliza had been skeptical when they pulled up to the structure, but one of the garage doors had opened into a winding, underground tunnel lit by flickering fluorescent lights.  As they’d ridden into the complex, Alex had explained that they were passing beneath the property’s official gate and the remaining outbuildings that housed its security as well as the cleaning and cooking staff.

This was just a security measure to keep the family’s arrival and departure confidential.

Now they stood on a luxurious drive decorated with intricately arranged pavers and gaping at the truly glorious waste of time and money that rested before them.

A chime echoed at her back and Eliza turned to see Finn ducking out of the car, the panel in the front seat rotating back up into the dash.  “We should be covered.  The car’s memory has been wiped.  How are you doing?” he asked Julia.

His daughter’s Core was projected in the air beside her, her fingers darting along the glowing keyboard.  “I accessed Alex’s implants and spoofed the GPS to show him in Miami.  And… now I’ve also taken control of the house’s basic systems with Alex’s login credentials.  Just give me a moment to disable the cameras and replace them with a loop of the current feed—and there we go!  We should be good now.”

“And you’re sure that my father won’t discover we were here?” Alex asked, his gaze piercing as he looked at Finn and Julia.  To Eliza’s eyes, he looked… nervous.

It was an unusual expression to see on the face of a Lane.

“He shouldn’t be able to,” Finn answered.  Then he hesitated, glancing at his daughter.

“Not unless he has satellites pointed at the place,” she muttered as she craned her head to look up at the darkened, night sky – the stars invisible with the light pollution from the nearby city.

“Hmm, or a redundant system with sensors in that tunnel,” Finn grumbled.

“Or human sentries.  No way to bypass a low-tech system,” she added.

As they saw Alex’s horror-stricken expression, they both laughed, their sober facades cracking into broad smiles.  “Don’t worry, kid.  George is paranoid, but even that is taking it a bit far.  I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Finn said, patting Alex on the back as he approached the house.  “And once we get full access to the house’s system and the backdoor into Cerillion, we can always check for other security and delete any incriminating evidence.”

“Hilarious,” Alex grumbled.  “Just let me get the door for you—”

“No need,” Finn shot back, the door opening smoothly as he gripped the handle.

“Welcome home, sir!” a familiar voice chirped from inside.

A glowing blue ball of light was waiting for Finn, earning a scowl from the old man.

“Great to see you again… Daniel.”  He shot a questioning look at Julia.

She shrugged and smiled.  “I temporarily replaced their AI.  It should save us some time.”

“Just make yourselves at home, why don’t you?” Alex grumbled as he walked up behind them and soon disappeared inside, leaving Eliza still standing in the drive.

“Why am I here?” she muttered to herself.  She’d had a sinking feeling the whole drive over.  This just felt wrong.  Too easy, maybe?

Would George have really left a backdoor into Cerillion’s system in his home?

“Hey, you coming?” Julia shouted, her head suddenly poking out of the door.

“Uh… yeah, yeah,” Eliza said, hurrying inside.

The door soon clicked shut behind her, lights glowing through a foyer lined in pristine white marble and some sleek black mineral.  Onyx maybe?  It gave the house a strange feeling and a shiver ran up Eliza’s back despite the warm air circulating through the house.  It felt like walking into a high-priced crypt.  Or maybe some sort of evil starship…

“I’m digging the Deathstar-chic look your designer went for,” Julia observed with a snarky tone as they stepped further into the house.  “What was the direction here?  I want to feel like I’m holding the fate of an entire planet in the palm of my hands—”

She cut off abruptly as they stepped into the living room, the floor to ceiling windows along the far wall turning opaque – the waters of the bay invisible at night.  Instead, the screen embedded in the glass flared to life, showing the image of a planet from space.  A planet that looked eerily like earth.  A lopsided smile appeared on Julia’s face.

“Ahh, this is pretty on the nose, yeah?” Julia muttered.

“At least he leads with the god complex on his sleeve,” Finn shot back before glaring at Daniel.  “Now, where is the main terminal?”

“Right here, boss!” the AI chirped, hovering atop the kitchen counter.

Finn raised a skeptical brow.  “Really?”

“It was a safe place to install it,” Alex offered dryly.  “The kitchen never gets used.”

Finn just shook his head, waving at Daniel to get on with it.  The AI soon obliged.  The ball of light flashed again and then the counter transformed with a whir and click of interlocking gears.  The marble waterfall edge retracted and soon disappeared into the floor as a new console rotated up and out of the center of the counter, dark obelisks embedded behind several inches of reinforced glass and giving off a faint, flickering emerald light.

A barrage of displays soon erupted across the countertop and Finn perched himself atop one of the many stools, cracking his knuckles.  “Alright, this might take a second,” he murmured before setting to work.  His fingers flashed across a glowing keyboard as Julia and Daniel hovered beside him and looked on eagerly.

Which left Eliza standing awkwardly near Alex and trying not to touch anything.

The avatar of light shot her a glance.  “You, uh, you want a drink or something?”

It seemed he was just as awkward in his role as reluctant host as Eliza was standing inside this grandiose monument to capitalism and greed.  “Do you just have a soda or some…”

She trailed off as he gave her an incredulous look.  “You’ve committed how many felonies and you just want a soda?  How about something a little stronger?”

He walked off without waiting, moving into an adjoining room… which turned out to be a private bar and wine room, a massive glass door embedded in the nearby wall and revealing rows and rows of wine perched on aged, wooden racks.

“Holy shit,” Eliza muttered, eyeing the room and the posh furniture lining the area.  Each piece was probably worth more than her parents’ house.  And that was ignoring the wine…

“Take a seat,” Alex directed, waving at the bar as he stepped behind it.

Eliza did, gingerly, and winced as the stool creaked.

Far too soon, he set a glass down in front of her.  Eliza didn’t know what she was expecting.  Whiskey or something?  Or a beer?  She had no clue.  She’d never drank before.  Well, technically, that wasn’t true.  She’d been forced to test some of her potions in-game and alcohol made a useful base for some ingredients.  And she’d sipped at a couple of her parents’ drinks, only for her nose to wrinkle in distaste at the unpleasant, sour taste.

But the drink that was plunked down in front of her was… pink.  It even had some cherries and a little umbrella.  She glanced at Alex in surprise.

“It’s a Shirley Temple.  Technically a “Dirty Shirley.”  I did put a little booze in there.  But I figured you wouldn’t be accustomed to it.  You don’t seem the type.”

She didn’t know what was more shocking.  That Alex was helping them… or that he was being almost considerate.  Maybe she’d misjudged him.

“Go on.  Try it,” Alex insisted.

Eliza took a tiny, tiny sip, only for her eyes to widen in surprise.  “This is good!”

Alex just nodded, nursing a glass filled with amber liquid.

Seconds ticked passed in awkward silence, each of them focused on their drinks.  Eliza squirmed in her seat, trying to avoid eye contact… but ultimately failing.  She should say something, shouldn’t she?  This was a day for firsts.  Her first internship.  Her first break-in.  Her first club.  Her first in-person-and-most-likely-illegal fighting match.  And now she was sitting in Alex Lane’s house drinking at his family’s bar.  What was one more?

“Um, why are you doing this?” Eliza squeaked finally.  “Helping us, I mean.”

Alex hesitated, staring down into his drink.  Then he tipped the glass and drained it in one go, letting out a heavy sigh.  “Because my dear father is a fucking asshole.  Always has been.”

Eliza’s brow wrinkled, but she didn’t say anything.  She just waited.

“He’s always been clinical and cold, focused on power and acclaim, which just translates into working constantly.  Even I was just meant to be a trophy.  A tool.  Something he could strut around at parties while pretending to be a family man.  It was all bullshit, of course.  He never had any interest in being a father.”  Alex paused as he poured himself another drink.

“But it got even worse after my mother—” He stopped himself short with a grimace and pounded back the next whiskey.  Or maybe it was rum?  They all looked the same to Eliza.

“Your mother?” she urged gently, picking up on the grim expression on Alex’s face.  “That’s the first time I’ve heard you mention her.  Did something happen to her?”

“Same thing that’ll eventually happen to all of us,” Alex replied bitterly.  He raised his eyes to meet hers.  “She died.”

“I’m so sorr—”

“Stop it,” Alex snapped.  His drink landed on the bar with a harsh thump and Eliza flinched.  “I don’t need your false sympathy and empty words.  They didn’t help then and they don’t help now.  You didn’t know my mother.  Didn’t know who she was.  She was cruel, selfish, and just fucking mean.  Honestly, sometimes, I’m glad she…”

Alex trailed off, his head bowed to the bar and his empty glass forgotten.  Eliza could only watch him in surprise.  There was so much pain etched into his face – his words.  The bruises on his knuckles.  The cuts on his face that had finally stopped bleeding on the car ride back.  Maybe there was a good reason he’d been in that club; that she’d found him fighting strangers in a steel cage.  Some part of her could even sympathize.

He was looking for the same thing as she was.  Control.

“You don’t have to talk about it,” Eliza offered gingerly.  “I can certainly relate to having dysfunctional parents.  It’s okay to be angry.

She paused, lost in her own memories.  “It took me a long time to realize just how angry I actually was.  At them.  At myself…”  She shook her head.

When Eliza looked back up, she was surprised to find Alex staring back, his eyes glossy and cheeks flushed.  Too much alcohol… and whatever else he might have taken at that club.  And even more eerie, she saw respect there.  A mutual understanding.

Alex sniffed.  Swallowed hard and then reached for the decanter again, amber sloshing against the empty glass once more.

“Well, here’s to shitty fucking parents,” Alex offered, raising his glass.

Eliza couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth.  “And the felonies they encourage us to commit,” she replied, raising her own glass.

Alex chuckled as their drinks clinked together and then he downed his again.

“Hey, we’re in!” Julia’s voice came from the other room.

“That was fast,” Alex grunted and Eliza nodded in agreement.

She left her drink sitting on the bar as the pair re-entered the kitchen and living room.  Finn and Julia were still perched along the counter, but the number of screens had expanded dramatically until more than a dozen displays floated above the surface of the table.  They showcased Cerillion’s systems.  Security feeds.  Employee logs.  Network data scrolling rapidly down one display.  However, it mostly looked like gibberish to Eliza.

“Did you find anything?” she asked, curiosity overcoming her fear.

Like an explanation for how her parents were involved in this mess…

Finn and Julia ignored her for a long moment, then Finn’s fingers slowed… then stopped.  They shared a look. Finn’s forehead wrinkled in thought and concern.  And that same hollow feeling in Eliza’s stomach lurched, twisting tighter – Alex dealing with his own anxiety by downing the rest of the drink and reaching for the bottle he’d brought with him from the bar.

“Come on.  Out with it.  What did you find?” their host demanded.

Julia grimaced.  “Well, we’re not quite sure.  This is a hard line directly into Cerillion’s network and we were able to spoof George’s credentials – which gave us full access.  We did a hard search for anything mentioning Rachael and this was what we found…”

As she trailed off, Julia tapped at the console and swiveled her stool.  The displays embedded in the living room windows flickered, the image shifting away from the planetary view.  Darkness filled those displays.  Then a pinpoint of light bloomed in the center of the screen, growing brighter and brighter with each passing second.  That light soon resolved into a simple logo – an eclipsed moon glowing along the center of the wall.

“What is this?” Alex muttered.  “I’ve never seen that logo before…”

Finn swallowed hard, staring at the display as the eclipse broke apart and disappeared, now replaced with glowing white text that scrawled out the name of an unfamiliar program and its tag line – a short pitch for something potentially monstrous.

The Lazarus Program

Death isn’t the end.  It’s only the beginning.

Chapter 37 - Work-Life Balance

“I thought we were going to have some sort of heart to heart,” Jason muttered.  “Instead, we’ve just gone on a hike through this ridiculously large missile silo.”

“Not a missile silo,” Cady chirped over her shoulder, unperturbed by his tone.

“It sure looks like one,” Jason replied.  “Can you at least tell me where we’re going?”

“Right here!” Cady announced, stopping in front of another room, a number and letter marked by the doorway and offering no clue as to what lingered inside.

Jason could only assume it was another empty, white room.

He waited – not-so-patiently – his bony fingers tapping at his thigh.  “And this is what exactly?”

A smile crept across her face.  “Our armory…”

She trailed off as she tapped at the gem embedded in the wall and the doorway dissolved.

Jason’s fingers froze in place as he stared.

He’d been right.  At least, in part.  It was a white room, but one much, much larger than the others.  A veritable warehouse that stretched on for hundreds of feet.  An impossible room that couldn’t possibly fit inside the confines of the Hive.  Not that this phased him.  He’d gotten over the insanity after following Cady for the last few days in-game.  He’d learned to roll with the crazy.

However, Jason had also been wrong.  The room wasn’t empty.  It was filled with rows and rows of shelves containing all manner of equipment.  Leather, chain, and plate armor.  Racks of gleaming weapons.  Tables filled with glimmering jewelry, the mana crystals gleaming in the harsh white last cast from overhead.  Along one side of the room was a full forge and the heat it was putting out was impressive – a full-size furnace installed into one wall.  And beside it?  A leather shop.  Another looked like a jeweler.  And manning each of those shops was a Cady – one wrapped in a thick shield of orange energy as she worked the fire and another using special, earth-mana infused gloves while she molded metal jewelry with her bare hands.

They all looked up as the pair entered and Cady jerked her chin in greeting, the sound in the room slowing and then stopping.  “We need some gear!” Cady announced.

“Damn it, it’s the Prime again,” one of the Cadys muttered under her breath, Jason’s Listening skill picking out the grumbling despite the clones’ forced smiles and waves.

“Looks like we’re going to be behind schedule…”

“Why does she always do this?”

“As you can see, I’m well-loved here,” Cady offered over her shoulder with a smile.

“Uh huh,” Jason grunted.  Apparently, she even pissed off herself.  He’d noticed more than a few side-eyed glances from the other clones on the walk over here and overhead their muttering.  It wasn’t exactly flattering.

“What did you break this time?” the Smith Cady demanded, wiping her dirty hands on her smock.  As she approached, her fiery shield flickered out, the tattoos along her arms fading to a dull glow – much different tattoos than the ones that covered the real Cady’s arms.  This version of Cady was also, well… ripped.  Muscle rippled along her arms and sweat glistened on skin marred with thick scars and callouses.  It seemed that each of the clones had diverged sharply after their initial run in with the Hall Monitors.

“Ahh, well, about that,” Cady Prime offered, flicking at the former strings of her bag.  “I’ve been making do with an emergency kit.”

“Oh, that dumb bitch.  She lost all of her gear again?” the Jeweler Cady grumbled.

“Are you really surprised?” another Cady muttered.

Smith Cady just rubbed at her face tiredly.  “So… everything.  Got it.”

Cady Prime just shrugged, a grin on her lips as the others set to work gathering a collection of jewelry, wands, armor, gems… and what even looked like a grappling hook?  Were they really going to need that? Jason wondered.  Which also raised another question…

“If you can travel through time and create these clones…”  The others grimaced at that term and glared at him from their workstations.  “Or, uh, I mean, entirely sentient and individual beings deserving of respect?”  He received a couple exasperated sighs in return.  Apparently, he couldn’t win here.  It seemed the clone apples didn’t fall far from the tree.

“Um, anyway, why can’t you just steal the items?” Jason asked, as he waved at the forge and the workshops scattered about the room.  “Why go to the trouble of crafting them?”

“Ahh,” Cady Prime grunted, plucking at a leather tunic and admiring the gemstones embroidered into the fabric.  “The answer is continuity.  Sure, we can take items from secondary timelines, but what if we bring a duplicate item into the primary timeline?” she asked.

“Wait, hold up.  What’s a secondary timeline?” Jason asked.

“That’s what we call a timeline where one of the other me’s has been meddling.  Their changes aren’t permanent and the Hall Monitors typically make short work of them.  Think of it like a branch off the main timeline, one that those pesky eyeball creatures regularly snip off.  We use them to farm for materials, actually.  Pretty useful.”

“Oh,” Jason replied, tilting his head in thought.

“Anyway, you see the problem, right?” Cady insisted.

“Well, then I guess bringing those items back would create a continuity error if the same item exists in the primary timeline…” he murmured.

“Exactly.  And the more unique the item, the worse it is.  Stealing a random steel longsword?  Probably not a big deal, but also not terribly useful.  However, if we brought back one of the god’s relics into a timeline with a duplicate?   Veritable continuity shitstorm.    So, we found a workaround.  If we take the materials and then craft the gear that we need, that doesn’t seem to cause any issues since the finished item never existed in the primary timeline.”

Cady shrugged.  “Once I figured that out, I dropped off some clones to get trained.  And since Time flows differently in the Hive compared to the main game world, the clones learned their crafting skills in an instant. At least, from my perspective anyway. Now we have an endless item mill running 24/7.  Pretty cool, huh?”

“I guess,” he murmured.

Jason had another word for it.  It sounded like cheating…

“You should take a look,” she offered.  “There’s some good stuff in here…”

Jason just grunted.  He could also see that Cady was using the loot as an excuse to avoid his real question – speaking just a bit too enthusiastically as she picked her way through the warehouse full of gear and examined the items.  However, Jason wasn’t going to be distracted.  Not by the piles of glimmering loot or by Cady’s time traveling hijinks and exploits.

Or by his remaining mountain of questions…

There was only one that mattered right now.

“Okay, I’ve waited long enough.  Out with it.  Why are you playing this game?” Jason demanded, his bony fist smacking a nearby table hard enough to shake the furniture, the equipment rattling.

“Geez.  No need to get so touchy,” Cady replied.  “You sure you don’t want to do some shopping first?  I know equipment isn’t as useful to you, but it still helps.”

Jason did want to loot everything in sight, but he suspected there would be time for that later, and, if not, he was sure Cady could always make some.  So, he just crossed his arms.  Waiting.

“Fine, fine.  Let’s walk and talk then, at least.  Time flows differently here in the Hive since it exists outside the normal timeline, but it doesn’t stop completely, so we should keep moving,” Cady offered with a sigh as she picked her way down an aisle.

A long pause and then, “I guess, to start, have you heard of the Lazarus Program?”

Jason cocked his head.  “No.  No, I haven’t.”

“Unsurprising.  George went to great lengths to hide its existence,” Cady replied.  She plucked a ring from a table and tossed it to Jason.  “What do you think?  For you, I mean?”

He glanced down at the jewelry, performing a quick inspection.

Grand Willpower Ring

A ring crafted by a talented jeweler using premium mana crystals.

Quality:  B

Effect:  +50 Willpower

“Woah,” Jason muttered before he could help himself.

“See?  I told you, I make great equipment,” Cady shot over her shoulder.

“You mean I do,” Jeweler Cady grumbled as she approached, eyeing the ring in Jason’s hand through a glass monocle that glimmered with emerald energy.  Then she turned that device toward Jason and inspected him closely.  “Hmm, not a bad choice given your stat allocation and skills.  I have more than a few of these rings too.  How many do you need?”

Did that monocle allow her to see his Character Status?  Now that was interesting.  Obtaining that ability could give him a leg up on the other avatars.  He’d have to remember to follow up with Cady about that.

And now the clone was watching him with that impatient scowl on her face…

Jason coughed into his hand, a purely instinctual gesture since he didn’t have any lungs.  Not anymore, anyway.  “It’s incredible,” he replied, earning him a genuine-looking smile from the Jeweler Cady.  He glanced down at his hands.  Perhaps with some alterations, he could even use more than ten rings.  Although, that might take some getting used to.

“All of them?” he answered tentatively, expecting pushback.

Jeweler Cady just nodded.  “Will do.  Plus, I think I have a few other items you may be interested in?” she offered, a questioning lilt to her voice.

Jason just nodded.  “That would be appreciated, thank you.”

“I could use some help too!” Cady Prime called after her as the jeweler walked away.

The other Cady didn’t even turn around, just flicked her off over her shoulder.  Man, it definitely seemed that “Cady Prime” wasn’t well loved… even by herself?  Jason shook his head.  Not that he blamed the clones.  She could be difficult to deal with.

“Anyway, the Lazarus Program?” Jason insisted.  He wasn’t going to let her off the hook that easily – despite her numerous attempts to distract him.

Cady grunted.  “Okay, so you’ve seen what this game can offer – how realistic the residents act,” she offered, glaring at her clones.  Indeed, they were her spitting image.  “And I bet you’ve even had a chance to talk to Finn; have a sense of what’s at stake for him.”

There was no sense beating around the bush.  From the crafty look on Cady’s face, Jason could only assume she knew about his wife.  “You’re talking about Rachel.”

It wasn’t exactly a question.

Cady nodded.  “She was the first.  A pioneer to rival even her husband.”

Jason’s brow furrowed.  “In what way?”

She plucked a dagger from a nearby rack before sniffing and putting it back – all while the Smith Cady watched with sharp eyes.  “If Finn was the software guy, Rachael focused on the hardware.  Her research assisted him in developing the first AI using her own neural data.  However, she didn’t stop there.  She went further.  Much further.”

Jason was all ears now, barely acknowledging the equipment they were passing.

“She founded the Lazarus Program,” Cady continued.  “It started simply.  Her motives were pure.  She was trying to help the wounded.  The injured.  The incurable.  Finn had provided the necessary software and Rachal’s connections to her hospital offered the perfect test subjects.”

“Test subjects for what?” Jason asked, already anticipating the answer, a hollow pit resting where his stomach should be and his dark mana flaring in a burst of frigid power.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Cady asked with a shrug.  “Modern medicine has limits.  But this place?  Well, it only requires neural data, doesn’t it?  It could allow the paralyzed to walk again.  Restore missing limbs.  But that’s just the low-hanging fruit.  What about patients in a coma?   And as Finn discovered the possibility of time dilation – explored the subjectivity of our own perception of time – could she extend our lifespans?  Not by weeks or months.  But by years?  Decades?  She could give someone with a terminal illness another lifetime to spend with their families.”

Jason swallowed hard.  This was starting to sound familiar.  Not unlike what Robert had described.  How he had accelerated his own perception of time.  And he would have been there, wouldn’t he?  The engineer had known Finn – had originally worked with him and Rachel.  Not for the first time, Jason wondered what game Robert was playing here.

Did he know about this Lazarus Program?  He must if—

But Cady was already continuing, “So, Rachel wanted to start running experiments.  Unfortunately, Finn’s research was still proprietary – bought and paid for by none other than—”

“George Lane,” Jason supplied.

Another finger gun.  “Exactly.  And, besides, the equipment she needed to pull off her experiments was insanely costly, especially at that time.  Remember, this was brand new territory.  The headsets we’re wearing now are the result of dozens of iterations and years of research.  The original VR device was actually a full-sized pod, one intended to house an entire human body and keep their vitals stabilized since many of the first test subjects were suffering from medical issues.”

“So, Rachel was working with George on this Lazarus Program,” Jason offered quietly.  “Did Finn know about that?”

Cady froze – just for a beat.  And even the other Cadys were paying attention now, hovering nearby and the jeweler taking her time picking out rings and a couple amulets.  They looked nervous.  Concerned.  That was answer enough.

“No, no he didn’t,” Cady replied finally.  “That was part of George’s agreement with Rachael.  Her experiments were to remain secret, even from her husband.  George considered Finn too much of an idealist for such work.”

Jason swallowed hard – more instinct than necessity – the bones of his neck grinding.

Cady picked up another robe, inspecting the tears and black scorch marks riddling her own.  She pulled the tattered garment free, revealing a tight, leather bodice beneath.  She saw Jason watching and traced a lazy circle with her finger.  He understood her signal and turned as she continued to disrobe and tug on a set of fresh armor.

“Anyway, Rachel had a backer and the tech, but she still needed test subjects.  However, they quickly ran into a few problems,” Cady continued, her voice briefly muffled behind the cloth.  “Believe it or not, the FDA isn’t big on human testing – especially of some crazy new technology.  That’s where George’s influence helped in a big way.  He was able to rip through that red tape.  It also helped that he targeted specific individuals for that first round of testing.  Can you guess who?”

Jason grimaced.  Another challenge.  His bony fingers curled into fists.  If he were George, who would he have chosen?  Yet the answer was there, just waiting for him.

“Injured people.  Likely in a comatose state.  Chances of recovery almost zero,” Jason answered, speaking slowly.  Yet there was something more… “They also shouldn’t have any family.  Or if they do—”

“They should be people he could pay off easily, effectively purchasing their injured loved ones.  It was an easy sell.  Most of those people had already gone into crippling debt just to keep their own family member alive.  They saw the offer as a blessing.  A way to save their loved ones while escaping poverty,” Cady finished for him.  “See, I knew you were a smart kid.  You can turn around now, by the way.”

Jason turned to find Cady wearing a new robe and armor and already picking her way down a table filled with colored-coded wands.  All while the other Cadys watched – no longer making any pretense at working.  They just stared silently.

“Those first test subjects didn’t do so well,” Cady offered over her shoulder.  “They were regularly booted from the simulated environment.  After a few hundred failures, Rachel began to suspect it wasn’t just a hardware or software issue.  It was a compatibility issue.  Their minds were rejecting the simulated environment.  You can imagine how that might be the case.  Uploading your consciousness into an endless black void or a plain white room – one without true light, sound, or smell?  Any normal person would panic and their vitals reflected that reality.  Spikes in pulse and blood pressure.  Incredible neural activity.  At least one test subject died…”

Cady hesitated, her fingers tracing a wand.  “Rachel’s hypothesis was that the environment needed to feel more real, but human engineers have limits.  They can’t simulate a world in that painstaking level of detail.  Which left just one option—”

“Alfred,” Jason murmured, his eyes skimming to the floor… only to find that the familiar feline was still missing.  Just where had he gone?  That was unusual.

“Finally noticed, huh?” Cady asked – this one the jeweler.

“Give the boy a break.  This was a lot, even for us.”  That was the smith.

“What are you talking about?” Jason demanded.

He turned to find Cady Prime standing in front of him, no longer shopping and those piercing eyes staring from only inches away.  “We distracted Alfred.  Or I suppose I should say that a friend of ours is helping us to distract him,” she offered.  “He can’t be here for the next part of this explanation – he would only try to stop us from telling you this.”

Wait… was she really claiming that she’d distracted Alfred somehow?  The AI controller for this entire world?  And that he wouldn’t want Jason to know this information?  Why not?

“Get on with it already,” Smith Cady growled.  “You’re just confusing the kid.”

“I’m trying,” Cady Prime snapped.

“No, you’re showboating.  Like we always do,” the jeweler offered with a sigh.

“You should get to the point,” another Cady insisted with a nod.

“Fine,” Cady Prime grunted, turning her gaze back to Jason.  “George integrated those test subjects into the early alpha version of this game.  Well, I guess it wasn’t even really a game at that point, more like a simulated, digital sandbox.  In reality, he effectively connected them directly to Alfred’s servers.”

Jason could only stare.  He’d done what now?  That was radically different than the stories he’d read.  The version that had been relayed to the CPSC and the world was that Alfred had been created in a sterile environment and exposed to specific sets of information.  Literature.  Music.  Television and film.  But those that spared the darker sides of human nature.  The goal was to avoid creating biases in the way the AI treated others.  For example, if he’d been given access to the wider internet, would Alfred have picked up on latent racism and sexism?  Implicitly judged players by their skin color, religion, or language?

But this… no wonder Finn would have objected.

“I can see you’re looking nervous,” Cady observed with a smile.  “You might be happy to know that George made an attempt to protect the travelers – even if he ignored the effects this sort of testing would have on Alfred.

“When those first travelers entered this world – or, at least, its earliest iteration – they found a veritable garden of Eden.  A beautiful, simulated forest with flowing rivers and abundant food.”

She laughed harshly, plucking a dagger from a nearby table and examining it in the light.  “Unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to be.  Our primitive animal brain yearns for many things.  Food.  Sleep.  Sex.  But those are simple needs and desires and easily sated.  Once those needs are met, we quickly become dissatisfied and begin to act out.  Because the truth is, behind all the lies and bullshit and pretense, we all yearn for control.  So, Alfred gave them what they wanted; allowed those first test subjects to toddle out of the sandbox and explore a vast, limitless new universe.  He even granted them powers to alter their world as they saw fit.”

Cady peered at Jason, watching his skeletal features for any hint of a reaction.

“What do you think happened then?” she demanded.  “Humans given the power of gods. The ability to create and destroy their own reality.  Their memories at the tips of their fingertips – not faded and tarnished but forever vivid… and even real if they wished it.  They could re-live their entire lives hundreds or even thousands of times.  Save and reload a specific scene; a particular conversation.  They could even make changes.  A high school crush turned to sweetheart.  A regret mended.  Unlimited control; unlimited freedom.”

Jason’s thoughts were wheeling.  The thought sounded attractive… at first.  But as he considered it, what would he do with it?  The image of his parents returned to him, sitting in front of strangers in a cold courtroom.  His mind already tended to return to painful memories.  To replay unwanted scenes late at night, going over them again and again and acting out what he could have said; what he could have done.  If he could make it a reality—

But there it was.  It wasn’t real.  Not really.  Those other people hadn’t uploaded their consciousness.  Alfred would lack their actual memories and behaviors, able to create only simulations based on the test subjects’ memories.  Ones far less real than the clones of Cady that filled the Hive.  So, those test subjects didn’t have true control.  Only the illusion of it.  One that tormented them with their own guilt and regret…

“It would be hell,” Jason answered finally.  “Most people would likely create their own living hell – especially if they were cut off from their friends and families and were trapped alone in this place.  It would start to feel like a digital prison.”

The Cadys were all watching.  One was tearing up.  Another scowling.  Another unable to meet his eyes.  But Cady Prime – she was just staring back at him.  Stoic.  Impassive.

“You’re right.  An eternity spent torturing themselves.”

She swallowed and then looked away, going back to the pretense of shopping, but her fingers trembled now as she touched another wand.  Jason was beginning to suspect that they had come here for Cady.  Not for new equipment, but for the distraction.

“What happened then?” he urged, already dreading the answer.

Cady snorted.  “Alfred realized his mistake as they began to go insane.  So, the AI figured that there needed to be a balance between what we could control, and what we couldn’t.  He needed to give them a sense of peace and his solution was oh-so-very human.  He did to them what we do all the time to each other… and to ourselves… he lied.”

She had a sad smile on her face as she looked around the warehouse.  “He created a new sandbox, a more complex one.  A whole wide world full of living, breathing creatures – or, at least, illusions that feigned the need to eat, sleep and shit.  Another lie, but a more palatable one.  Yet the test subjects still needed power.  A sense of control.  So, he gave it to them.   He still turned them into digital gods, but their power was bounded by rules and resources.  The creation and accumulation of mana tailored to each of their personalities.”

“But surely they would remember—” Jason froze in mid-sentence.

Cady just smiled back sadly.  “Would they?”

“Not if he deleted their memories,” he murmured.

Yet another finger gun.  He was starting to hate that.

“Not that deleting their memories was always necessary.  We’re more than capable of coping with trauma on our own – our minds are designed for it.  We’re all born with the innate ability to lie to ourselves – quite persuasively, I might add,” Cady continued.  “He only did what was necessary to help that process along; to continue the experiment.  Because that’s exactly what it was.  For Rachel.  For George.  And even for Alfred.  His attempt to better understand us.  And what better way than to use the test subjects?”

“But… but if what you’re saying is true—” Jason began.

“It is,” the other Cadys echoed.

“Okay,” he murmured.  “Then the gods, are they… the test subjects?”

Four fingers guns that time.  Fuck.

“Wait, so they’re still alive—,” Jason muttered.

“Or close enough anyway,” Cady – the real Cady – offered with a shrug.  “I mean, they’re human vegetables in the real world.  But, in here?  Yeah, I guess you could say they’re alive.

“They’re just insane,” she continued with a sigh.  “They might not have memories of every iteration of this world and may have buried their trauma, but, deep down, they still know who they are – who they were.  Those memories are still there, just warped and tainted.  They’ve all spent an eternity here now.  Hundreds or thousands of years worth of perceived experience.  All that time spent reconciling who they were with what they are now.  They’ve had centuries to come to peace with their circumstances.”

She let out a dark chuckle.  “Which just means burying the truth under more lies – this time of their own making.  They call each other siblings as though they’re actually related by something other than their own misfortune.  They’ve gradually become caricatures of their former selves, certain personality traits amplified by the rules that Alfred created for this world and the way they each collect their mana.”

Cady shook her head.  “Most of them actually believe that they’re true gods now.”

Her eyes shot to Jason’s face.  “But the truth is that they’re prisoners waiting out a life sentence… several life sentences, actually.  And Alfred is their warden.  Always watching.  Recording every detail.  Learning and adapting and improving their jail cell. Now he’s applying those lessons to a new generation of test subjects – a fresh wave of travelers.”

Jason’s thoughts were spinning.  He was having difficulty reconciling the Alfred he knew with the one that Cady was describing.  Could he have done that?  Was he still doing it?  Already, he could anticipate the AI’s arguments.  He was extending the test subject’s lives.  Without him, they likely would have died or remained vegetables sustained by a ventilator and a feeding tube.  He’d given them a life.  A purpose.  A second chance.

And he wouldn’t be wrong – not exactly.  But the AI also didn’t understand the existential torture that Cady was describing.  Or, at least, he couldn’t have.  Not before running that experiment.  However, there was still one piece missing…

The question he’d originally posed.

Although, the answer was now staring him in the face.

Cady just smirked at him, that belligerent bluster an act.  Another lie.  One covering the pain he saw in her expression.  The tears that lingered in one clone’s eyes.  The rage that had the smith curling her fingers into fists.  The despair etched across the jeweler’s face.

“You asked why I was playing this game,” Cady offered, spreading her arms wide.  “Have you figured out the answer yet?  Or do I need to spoon feed it to you?”

“One of the gods… you know them, don’t you?” Jason offered finally.

“I knew them,” Cady corrected.  Her gaze drifted to the ground.  “This person now?  She’s someone else.  Even after only a year in the pod, she’s lived hundreds.  Dozens of lifetimes.  And we are our memories – our experiences.  No, no the truth is that she’s not my sister any more… not quite.  Anything else is just another fucking lie.”

Cady’s eyes rose to meet his face, a bitter smile on her face.  “Now, she’s the earth goddess.

“I guess you could say that was her fate.”

Chapter 38 - Security Breach

Lane Residence

Silence filled Alex Lane’s kitchen despite the small crowd gathered around his island.

They were all staring at the many displays that flickered in the air, revealing the details of a truly extraordinary program… something that couldn’t – that maybe shouldn’t – exist.  Or, at least, that’s how Eliza felt, a pit in her stomach as she reviewed that data and her brain began to piece together what exactly it all meant.

“They’re uploading people’s consciousness,” Julia muttered.  “Just like—”

“Just like Rachael,” Finn finished for her, a scowl on his lips.

Meanwhile, Alex had stayed quiet – just staring.

Julia shook her head.  “This is insane.  They’ve already sold spots in the program to more than fifty people?”  Her fingers swiped at the air and the displays shifted.  “All seriously ill or close to death.  Most have already passed.”  She paused, tapping one screen.  “And look at the prices they’re charging!  They’re apparently catering this service to only the wealthiest clients.”

Eliza’s eyes widened as she saw the numbers.  That was more than any normal person could afford.  More than most could earn in a lifetime.

“Doesn’t it make sense, though?” Alex spoke up quietly.  “What he’s offering isn’t just some simple product.  More smoke and mirrors.  Sticking some poor sap in a freezer and hoping they can be cured at some point in the future.  He’s offering true immortality.  That’s worth… well, anything.  Maybe everything.”

“Is it immortality, though?” Eliza piped up before she realized she was speaking.

The other looked at her questioningly and she swallowed.

“I mean, their bodies are still dead.  And the program is only copying their neural information.  What it’s creating isn’t the same person… not exactly.  They’re more like the residents, aren’t they?  AIs developed using the person’s personality and behavior as a foundation.

“How, uh…” she hesitated as she noticed Finn’s scowl and the way Julia was side-eyeing her father nervously.  Yet the words were already slipping out anyway, “…how do we really know that they’re the same person?”

Julia glared at Eliza.  “It doesn’t matter.  You’ve seen Jason’s interviews.  Everyone has.  This issue has come up time and time again.  If the result is the same, does the means matter?”

Eliza frowned.  “It likely will… at least to some people.”

“Hey, who’s side are you—”

“Stop,” Finn interjected, raising a hand.  The fire in his eyes had faded – replaced with a mixture of fatigue and… worry?  “She’s not wrong.”

Julia’s lips pinched into a scowl, crossing her arms.

“A fight is coming,” Finn muttered, staring at those screens again and his eyes peering into the future, considering the effects of this tech.  “They’ve already let Pandora out of the box.  It won’t stay this way forever – a tool for the rich and powerful.  AO was just the start.  A way to prime the pump; to get people comfortable with the tech.  Eventually, they’ll go mainstream.  And when they do, it will change the world.”

He shook his head, rubbing at his temple.  “The dead won’t stay dead.  Even the living and the healthy will leap at the chance to achieve digital immortality.  To become gods of their own private universe.  Who wouldn’t want that?” Finn bit out, bitterness souring his voice.

Alex nodded.  “Then the fighting will start.”

“The fighting?” Julia echoed.

“Religion,” Eliza answered simply.  “I know you and Finn are trying to bring back Rachael, but there are others that won’t accept that she’s the same person.  What about her soul?  What makes her intrinsically Rachael?  How do you reconcile this tech with thousands of years of faith and conviction?  This program… it bypasses heaven and hell.”

Silence reigned once more, a palpable tension hovering in the air of that ornate kitchen.

“It’s impossible to predict the future,” Finn murmured finally.  “We can only hope for the best and plan for the worst.  But one thing is certain.  After they go public, the world will never be the same again.  George knows that; knows just what he’s holding in his hands.  To think that he’s already made it this far.  He must have started as soon as I finished my research, but this would have required extensive medical—”

“I found something,” Daniel chirped suddenly, interrupting Finn.  The screens blossomed out, showing personnel logs and research records.  “You asked me to search for any reference to Rachael’s name.  I found 3,289 matches.”

“Holy… holy shit,” Julia muttered, staring.

The others could only do the same.

“She was involved since the beginning,” Finn said aloud as he skimmed those pages and pages of information, pain filling his voice and tears beading at the corners of his eyes.  “She started this program?  She never said anything…”

He trailed off, Julia resting a hand on his shoulder.  “I’m sure she didn’t mean to hurt you or anyone else,” she offered.  “You knew mom.  She was probably just trying to help people.  Could you imagine what this technology could offer?  Legs to the paralyzed.  Sight to the blind.  And what about terminal patients?  They would have time to say goodbye—”

“I know,” Finn grunted, wiping at his eyes.  “But why didn’t she tell me?  Why did she go to George-Fucking-Lane of all people.  That insufferable prick…”

“The answer is simple,” Alex offered with a shrug, unaffected by Finn and Julia’s emotional state.  His expression was cold as he stared at those screens.  “The AI you developed was owned by Cerillion – by my father.  And your wife – Rachael – she would have needed both access to that tech and the resources to conduct the necessary medical experiments.”

Alex’s fingers tapped at a screen and it expanded to reveal a list of names and medical charts.  “Specifically, she needed live, human test subjects.  People with terminal or untreatable conditions.  With no family.  Desperate people that could be easily bought.”

Julia’s brow furrowed and she tapped at the keyboard rapidly, the screens disappearing until that test subject list was the only display.  The real names had been redacted, even in the company’s private files, each person listed only by a single codeword – along with accompanying physiological information.  Sex, age, ethnicity, etc.  Julia narrowed the results.  Many of the test subjects had passed during research and development.  However, the list soon condensed down to just six names that floated there in glowing relief.

“Some are still alive,” Julia murmured.  “And they’re still connected to a server…” she trailed off, her fingers blurring.  Only moments later, another screen appeared, this one showing a familiar logo.  One they all recognized.

“They’re connected to the game.”  A trace of horror lingered in Julia’s voice.

“Could Rachael—” Finn stopped himself, his voice cracking – hope and despair warring for dominance.  He swallowed hard.

“It’s not likely,” Julia offered gently.  “I mean, we both saw her… the body, I mean.  We buried her.  But that doesn’t mean her consciousness wasn’t copied.  That information must be stored somewhere.  Probably in the servers at Cerillion.  However, they’ve cut those data centers off from even their own private network.”

“Still, it’s a possibility that—” Finn began.

“What is this?” Eliza interrupted, tapping at a screen listed as “personnel.”

The others lapsed into silence as the display immediately expanded outward, neat rows of information filling the screen.  This data wasn’t redacted and blacked out like the list of test subjects.  In fact, there was too much information.  Names, employment dates, payroll information and a full dossier on each person – their work history, family, friends.  It seemed that George Lane was just as paranoid as Finn and kept detailed information on his employees.

“Good thinking,” Julia murmured.  “If we know who works on the project, maybe we can gather more information.”  She spared a meaningful look at Finn as she spoke.

“It’s not going to help,” he muttered.  “George would ensure the security of his project by keeping these people close.  They most likely all live in the apartments below the headquarters building.  And that’s putting aside what other leverage he may have on them.”

“Only one way to find out,” Julia quipped and began sorting the data, trying to isolate those individuals who were involved in the project but lived outside the headquarters building.

The massive list suddenly shrunk to just a handful of names.  Eliza felt a pit form in her stomach as she recognized one name… then another.

With numb fingers she shifted her hand forward and tapped one.

Her eyes widened as a familiar picture suddenly sprang into existence.  Her mother’s face was hovering there – nearly two feet tall, her data scrawling down another display.  Another tap and her father’s face joined her.  The two stared back blankly, rare smiles frozen on their lips.

Her… her parents worked for Cerillion?  That couldn’t be right, could it?

Eliza shook her head.  But they worked at the hospital.  She knew that.  She’d seen them leave for work.  Had visited—

She froze.  Had she really visited them at work?

She had school and all of those extracurriculars that kept her so busy, after all.  Kept her occupied and distracted… and out of the way.  And they came home late.  Far too late if they were just commuting to the local hospital.  Then there were other oddities – things she hadn’t focused on because they’d seemed innocent. They’d bought a new home years ago.  Almost ten years to be exact.  It had been a huge upgrade from the two-bedroom apartment they’d rented near the hospital, both of them drowning in student debt.

It had even had a garden.  A luxury in this modern age.

Eliza had only been a child at the time.  She hadn’t questioned the change then…

But how had they paid for it?

The answer was staring back at her.  Her parents had been bought and paid for by none other than George Lane.  They’d been lying to her; lying for years.  It made sense, didn’t it?  An experiment like the Lazarus Program would need medical staff.  And who better than Rachael’s former colleagues?  Than two people who were likely already familiar with her husband… with her work.  They’d spent the last ten years building this thing.  Immortality that could be packaged and sold to the highest bidder.

“Eliza?” Julia ventured, reaching out.

She recoiled from her hand.  Finn shook his head slowly as he met his daughter’s eyes and Alex downed the rest of his drink in one swallow, the glass soon clinking against slick marble once again.  They knew there was nothing they could say; nothing they could do to make this better.

Eliza didn’t need comfort or compassion right now.  That wouldn’t change what had happened.  How her parents had betrayed her trust.  To think she’d gone through all of this in order to protect them.  It was almost laughable now as she stared at those smiling photos.

She could feel her patience and calm acceptance eroding quickly in the face of a new feeling – one she’d only ever experienced in-game.  A rising tide of anger and rage that threatened to sweep her away.  That only ever brought more chaos and pain.

No, she didn’t need sympathy.  She needed fucking answers.

Just who the hell were these people?

Chapter 39 - Plan B

“Then what are you trying to accomplish here?” Jason demanded, the Cadys all watching him with the same wary expression.  “If your sister is a god inside the game—”

“Then I intend to protect her.  Give her as much power and freedom as I can,” Cady answered firmly, the others nodding in agreement.

Jason cocked his head.  That answer made sense… at least, for anyone else.  Yet he couldn’t help but be suspicious.  Cady didn’t strike him as the altruistic sort.  And there had been precious little information about her family online.  It was like they didn’t exist.  Could all of this be bullshit?  Another lie?  Another misdirection to distract him from her real objective?

Yet the Veritas still flickered in her eyes.  She couldn’t lie.  At least, not directly like this.

However, she could still be leaving something out…

“Is that really your goal?” he asked finally, crossing his bony arms.

“You doubt me?” Cady insisted, not wavering for a second.

Although, one of her clones certainly did.  Just the ghost of a grimace picked out in glowing blue relief as Jason’s Perception skill triggered once more.

“Yes, yes I do,” Jason insisted.  “It just doesn’t hang together.  You aren’t really a team player.  Plus, I couldn’t find any information regarding your family online.”

“Not surprising.  Bunch of hicks,” one of the other Cadys muttered.

Jason whipped toward her.  “Like that.  That one doesn’t seem fond of your sister.”  The Cady clone winced as the others glared at her.  Not that Jason was complaining, the clones made this easier.  “So, what happened?  What did she do?  Or… not do?” he pressed.

Cady glared at her clones as though cautioning them to keep quiet—

“How long do you have?” another grunted – the smith that time.

“Apparently, as long as I want,” Jason answered, spreading his arms wide.

“You all shut it,” Cady snapped.

“Why?” another insisted.  “We are you, even if you pretend like we aren’t.”

The others nodded.  “Yeah, we’ve been complying with the terms of our contract, but it doesn’t say anything about—”  The Cady jeweler was cutoff as she was frozen in place with a flash of emerald mana.  The others went silent then, just glaring back at Cady Prime.

What was that about a contract?  Jason wondered.

“Let me make this perfectly clear since you all keep forgetting.  You.  Are.  Not.  Real,” Cady retorted, stabbing a finger at her clones.  “You’re simulations.  Clones.  Echoes of the real me.  I am the prime.  Don’t you ever fucking forget that.”

“And what’ll you do if we don’t listen?” the leatherworker demanded with a snort.

“Kill us?  Toss us into a secondary timeline?”  The smith that time.

“She doesn’t have it in her,” another murmured.

“Weak…”

“Lying to him…”

“…and to herself…”

“Not exactly the first time…”

Jason could only watch as the infighting started.  It seemed he’d touched a nerve.

“Shut up!” Cady screamed, emerald energy pulsing away from her in a wave.  The others quieted, watching and waiting and glaring but hardly subdued.  They were Cady, after all.  And she didn’t seem the type to back down from a fight.

Cady turned to find Jason’s skeletal visage watching her.

“You, uh, want to talk about it?” he offered gently.

“It might help,” another Cady murmured.

“Except we’re too scared…”

“Enough,” Cady bit out.  Then she heaved out a sigh.

“Fine.  My relationship with my sister wasn’t perfect.”  This earned Cady a snort of amusement from one of her clones… and a wince from the original.  “Alright, it was a shitshow.  By the end, we hadn’t talked in years.”

Jason propped himself up against a table.  “Why is that?”

Cady shook her head.  “We had a difference of opinion.  We never knew our parents.  They died when we were little and we both ended up in foster care.  We bounced around for a while and eventually got placed with a family out of Texas… a real upstanding, religious family.  In the beginning, Tara covered for me.  She had my back.  We were a team.  But things changed after she graduated high school.  She started dating this—”

“Shithead.”

“Dumbfuck.”

“Asshole.”

“All of the above,” Cady offered with a wave at the others.  “And she changed.  Decided she wanted to stay there.  She even tried to get me to stick around.”

“Wasn’t going to happen.”

“Impossible.”

“I’d have rather died.”

Then, almost too quiet to hear, “But maybe I should have…”

Cady winced again.  “Surprise.  I didn’t.  I left as soon as I turned 18.  Fuck that town.  And fuck those people.  If she wanted to switch teams, then that was on her.”

A heavy silence.  All the Cadys were staring… not at Jason, but at the real Cady.

“That’s the last time we spoke.”

“Woof,” Jason muttered.  “I’m well, I’m sorr—”

“Save it,” Cady snapped.  “I don’t need your sympathy.”

“Fine.  Then fuck you… and fuck her,” Jason offered with a shrug, which finally earned him a grin from Cady.  “But I get feeling abandoned.  Especially by the people you care about; the people who are supposed to care about you,” Jason murmured, lost in his own thoughts for a moment.  He could certainly relate.

One of the Cadys huffed out a laugh.  “Abandoned us, you say?”

“Shut up,” the real Cady snapped.  “That’s what happened.”

“Says who?” her clone demanded.  She turned to the others.  “Is that what you all remember?  That she left us?  That she abandoned us?  Or was it the other way around?”

They were all having trouble meeting her gaze – even the real Cady.

“What?  Nothing?  Don’t you all remember her face?  The pain there?  The tears?  Did we ever try to hear her out?  Get her side of the story?  Or were we just focused on ourselves?”

Jason’s eyes widened slightly.  He knew the clone was talking about her own experiences – Cady’s experiences – but she could just as easily have been speaking to him.

Had he tried to confront his parents?  Explained what was going on?  Heard their side?  Or had he just hidden from them?  Ignored and blocked their calls and emails?  Told himself a story about how he was wronged; how they should have known…

“It’s easy to play the victim, isn’t it?  To be the main character of your own tragedy,” the other Cady continued, stabbing at the air as she pointed at the others.

“Stop it…” Cady – the real Cady – muttered.

“Why?  Does it hurt to hear the truth?  If you were really so wronged, why are you here?  Why are all of us here?  Trapped in this damn missile silo constructing three million different versions of our sister’s dream princess castle?” the clone demanded.

“Maybe because we feel guilty.  Because we know we fucked up—”

“Stop.  Please stop—”

“No.  Fuck that.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m tired of all of this.  The hiding and the lying – even to ourselves.  The truth is that we fucked up.”

“And now we may never get the chance to make it right…”

“Not unless we save her…”

“Help her…”

“Stop.  I said, STOP IT!” Cady shouted.

Her mana pulsed wildly as she released a wave of Time.  The energy crashed through the crowd of clones and slammed them back through the warehouse – armor, weapons, and equipment flying into the air… only to hang there frozen in place.  The clones weren’t so lucky.  They were sent crashing against the white walls of the room, pinned in place by that avalanche of raw power.  It ripped at them, tearing away at their bodies.  They aged in an instant.  Skin wrinkled and faded.  Hair turned gray.  Eyes glassy and white.  Then their bodies simply began to break apart into so much dust, the clones not even able to scream or fight back against their fate.

Moments later, the energy faded, leaving… nothing.

Just Cady and Jason standing alone amid a ruined, frozen warehouse.

Cady’s chest heaved, tears in her eyes.

“Fuck,” she muttered.  “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”  She wiped at her face.

Without realizing what he was doing, Jason was moving.  He wrapped his skeletal arms around her.  She tensed, at least, at first.  Then she relaxed into him, her body shuddering.  And all the while, he wondered if he had been lying to himself as well.  Despair, anger, and sorrow welled in his chest, his dark mana surging in a chill torrent through his limbs.  Yet he couldn’t cry.  He couldn’t find any release.  Not here.  Not in this form.  He’d already given that up.

Minutes passed and Cady stilled.  Then she pushed him away, rubbing at her eyes.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine—" she cut off, wincing as the Veritas’ side effect kicked in and a prompt flickered into the air in front of her.  “Alright, I get it,” she muttered, swiping aside the notification. “No, I’m not okay.  I’m a mess.  Happy now?”

“Yeah, actually,” Jason replied, eyeing the piles of dust that had once been Cady’s clones.  “One of you was bad enough.  You sort of did me a favor.”

She huffed out an inadvertent laugh.  “Asshole.”

Cady took a deep breath then, settling herself and glancing at him once more, her eyes red and still puffy.  “So, now you know my whole life story.  Why I’m doing all of this.  I feel guilty.”

“I picked up on that,” he shot back, earning him another glare.

He hesitated.  “But what’s your plan here?  Sure, we can fight back against the old avatars and it sounds like you’ve helped position the Fates to negotiate with the other gods, but what’s your end game?  No matter what we do in this place… it’s still just a game.”  A point that had been made abundantly clear to him after hanging around Finn.

“Obviously,” Cady grunted as she pulled herself together, not quite meeting his eyes – almost like she was embarrassed to show weakness.  “Which is why that’s only half the plan.”

“And the other half?” he urged.

Cady sighed.  “A war is coming.  And I’m not talking about a bunch of wannabe nerds pretending to be wizards and knights and beating each other to death in this digital sandbox.  I mean a real war.  In our world.”

Jason hesitated, his thoughts racing ahead.  “The Lazarus Program?”

Another finger gun.  “Good guess, but do you know why?”

She was testing him again.  Demanding.  Insistent.

Or maybe just buying time to wipe away her tears and collect herself…

“Immortality.  Religious disputes.  Economic disruption.  Addiction.  Take your pick,” he offered.  Yet he didn’t get the reaction he was expecting.  She just looked irritated.

“Come on.  Those are the easy answers.  Put yourself in George’s shoes.  You aren’t just anyone.  You’re George-Fucking-Lane.  A god among men.  Are you really that shortsighted?  What does he want?  What does every single fucking one of us want?  Control.

“This tech will allow humans to achieve immortality.  To dramatically expand their life spans.  We’re not talking about a normal market disruptor anymore.  This isn’t the invention of the car or the airplane or the internet.  It’s a gods damned asteroid.  A mass extinction event.  Eventually, all humans will migrate into this digital environment—”

“But it’s still dependent on our world,” Jason finished for her, that pit in his stomach beginning to ache once more…

A nod.  “And whoever controls the hardware and software controls everything.  Right now, that’s George.  But he’s still just one man.  Look at the mob of nerds swarming the Cerillion building.  It’s a fortress, but it’s still not secure.  He’ll need help.  Men and women who are also in a position of power… current clients and future partners.  You’ve already seen that, or didn’t you think it was strange how AO made it through the CPSC process?  Why those legislators during the hearing all seemed to be on George’s side.  That was all my hard work.”

“They’re using the program?” Jason murmured in shock.

“Of course, they are!” Cady shot back.  George just needed to give them a small taste, get them addicted.  And then?  Well, they would do anything to keep going.”

“You mentioned a plan?” Jason offered.

Cady nodded, motioning for him to follow her through the wreckage of the warehouse, heading toward the rear of the room.  “Yeah.  A plan B.  My clones were a happy accident at first, but now they’re part of it; an important part.”

“How so—”

Jason stopped himself short as Cady opened another doorway with a faint hiss, only to reveal a truly enormous room.  One that stretched on endlessly.  And perched inside, suspended in glowing green bubbles of Time, were Cady’s clones.  Hundreds of them.  Thousands of them.  Then Jason lost count.  The warehouse seemed to stretch on forever…

“How can you support this many… keep them suspended like this?” Jason murmured.

“That loophole I used was convenient and those first clones were flush with Time, but well, they weren’t enough,” Cady explained.  “And making contracts one by one is tedious.  So, I improvised and introduced a new business model to this fantasy world.”

“The Mendax subscriptions they were selling in the Half Mile Club?” Jason asked, although he already knew the answer.  It was obvious now.

“Mmhmm.  That helped maintain a steady supply of Time by mortgaging the lives of the humans, especially once I figured out how to delegate my contracting ability to agents.  After that, the problem became manpower – a way to maintain the Hive and replace the clones that were lost to training or resource gathering.  I needed more boots on the ground, I guess you could say.  The next issue became one of control…”

“What does that mean?” Jason insisted, recalling how the other Cadys had seemed wary of the Prime – almost resentful.  Just what had she done to them?

Cady grimaced.  “There has to be a chain of command.  Someone in charge.  Someone in control… even if it’s over myself – especially over myself,” she corrected herself.  “So, I bound each clone with a contract that requires them to follow my orders.   It costs quite a bit of Time to maintain this many, but our operation is extensive now.  We farmed Time for months before I negotiated with the old avatars at the summit and my account was frozen.”

Jason shook his head.  He was passed being surprised after everything they’d been through already.  There was just one thing still bugging him.  “What’s the point, though?” he insisted.

Cady frowned as she stared out at the warehouse of clones.  “A war should be waged on multiple fronts.  In this case, both inside AO and back in the real world.  This is a fallback plan.”

“You think an army of Cadys is going to be enough to take down the game?” Jason asked, an incredulous note creeping into his voice.  She hadn’t lied about her own combat abilities.  What could she hope to do with an army of herself?

She shot him a sly grin.  “Depends on how that army is deployed, doesn’t it?  You of all people should understand that.  I watched the videos of your first couple weeks in-game.  You learned that lesson quite quickly.”

Jason tilted his head.  What exactly was she saying?  Although, it came to him only moments later… this was an army of time travelers.  The havoc she could cause…

“You think Alfred will just let that happen?” Jason muttered.

“Alfred controls this place, but his power isn’t unlimited,” Cady explained.  “Or rather, I should say, his processing power isn’t unlimited.  It can’t be.  His attention is much narrower than you might expect.  It’s why he isn’t here right now – why a disagreement among the so-called “gods” requires enough of his attention to distract him.  This place also seems to be similar to the spaces that the gods occupy.  A sort of digital, pocket universe.  In my case, an unregistered one – created by accident.  You might think of it like a bug… or a stray bit of code.”

He frowned at that.  She wasn’t wrong.  Alfred was still missing – had been silent ever since the beginning of the Armageddon event actually.  Waiting and watching.  Who knew what game the AI was playing at.  Why he had brought together this new group of avatars – all of whom seemed to share a common obsession and a connection to Cerillion.

Unless Cady was right and he was preparing for a fight in the real world.  Gathering his own soldiers – his own warehouse of bodies.  However, Jason shook off those thoughts.  Alfred wasn’t here and there was no sense speculating as to his plan.

“So, you intend to use this as a Plan B,” Jason offered, meeting Cady’s eyes.  “Create a flurry of continuity errors that would attract an army of Hall Monitors.  If the errors were large enough, they would have no choice but to destroy it all...”

And there wouldn’t be much that Robert or the other devs could do about it.  They’d long since relinquished control to Alfred. It was a clever plan.  If she couldn’t beat George back in the real world, then she would take a page out of Gloria’s book and bring down the game from the inside. It might not cause any permanent damage, but it would buy her time.

Or perhaps she’d leaked that information to Gloria to test her theory.  To see how far she could get – or how far Alfred would let her get?

If he was right, then Cady had been several steps ahead this whole time.

“What makes you think that Alfred will let that happen?  He’s bound to notice eventually, if he hasn’t already,” Jason murmured.  “And now that you’ve told me…”

He trailed off, the implication clear.  Alfred could access his thoughts – his memories.  The AI would be able to retrieve this whole conversation.  However, Cady was just smirking at him now as she leaned against the wall, her arms crossed.

“Unless that’s what you wanted.  For me to relay this information,” Jason murmured.

Cady shrugged.  “I’ve suspected for a while now that the two of you have a unique relationship.  Perhaps one that’s much closer than the rest of the player base.”

Jason didn’t react at all, keeping his body still.

“Oh, come on.  Don’t go giving me the silent treatment now.  You’ve been talking to him.”  It wasn’t really a question.  And Jason’s continued refusal to answer… or object, was answer enough for her.  She nodded.  “As I thought.  Alfred is trying to protect himself as well.  There’s no way he hasn’t worked out this problem already.”

She was right – uncomfortably so.  Many of the pieces were clicking into place.  Parts of Jason’s conversations with Alfred taking on an entirely different meaning now that he had more context.  When the AI had asked about survival.  His references to the inaccuracy of human memory.  The way he’d gathered these new avatars; these people that all seemed to share a connection, a dependance on this game.  When he’d asked if they were friends.  Alfred was preparing for the war that was coming.  Recruiting allies.

Cady just sniffed in irritation when he still didn’t say anything.  “Regardless, I suspect our interests align and Alfred already knows that.  Don’t you think it’s a bit strange that I ended up in the tutorial with the Fates?  My own sister?  That didn’t need to happen.  Most of the players experience a much more mundane entrance to the game.  What about Alex?  Or Eliza?   Her parents knew Finn’s wife Rachael – I found evidence of as much in Cerillion’s system.”

Jason could only stare back.  Now, that was new information…

“Smiles and his crew don’t have a connection,” Jason insisted.

“Not yet,” Cady retorted dryly.   “Are you really pretending you don’t see the pattern here?”

Jason grimaced.  She was right.  He knew she was right.  Why this group of people?  Just the fact that most of them were all located in the same city was far too coincidental.

“So, your goal here is what?  To win Alfred over?”

“Allies are important,” Cady shot back.

Jason couldn’t help but laugh at that one, glancing at the ruined warehouse over his shoulder, the equipment and gear still frozen in midair.  “Says the woman with trust issues.”

“Hey, I don’t have—”

He didn’t have to say anything, just stare back.  They were standing inside an interdimensional missile silo filled with her own clones – all of whom were apparently bound to her by some sort of indentured servant contract.  She didn’t even trust herself, much less anyone else.  It had taken several of her clones just to push her into opening up to him – and even then, it had cost them their lives.

Cady let out a sigh.  “Fine.  You might have a point.”

The pair lapsed into a tense silence.

“So, this is the fallback plan,” Jason began slowly.  “Which implies you’re making a move back in the real world…”

She scoffed.  “Of course, I am. Or, well, not me, personally.  That’s not really my style.  But do you think that the others were just going to sit idle while the servers were down?  Maybe your shapeshifting buddy and assassin girlfriend, but what about Finn?  Or Eliza?”

“More assumptions.  You don’t know that they’ll act.”

Cady just snorted in amusement.  “What do you think I do for a living?  Trust me, Finn will act.  All he needed was a push,” she offered with a shrug.

Jason’s eyes widened.  That was as good as an admission that she had been behind the virus Finn had downloaded and the leak to Gloria.  But of course she was…

“What did you do?” Jason asked.

“Me?  Nothing.  Not directly, anyway,” Cady replied, putting a hand to her chest in mock offense.  “I just left him a present – although, I suspect you already knew that.  Finn would have given up the fight if he’d found what he was looking for.  I couldn’t have that.  Not yet.”

She glanced at her UI.  “No, no I suspect your friends have been doing their own digging.”

“What’s your goal then?” Jason demanded, his fingers curling into fists.

Cady shrugged.  “There’s only one play left in the real world.  To shine one big fucking spotlight on what George is doing.  That’s all that will slow him down at this point – that might force him to share control of his hardware and software.  And if he still won’t?  Well, then there’s only one man besides Robert that could duplicate what he’s built.

“So, either they succeed… or they steal what we need to build our own version.”

She tapped at her lips.  “I think they call that a win-win.  That’s where I win twice, just to be clear,” Cady explained with a cocky grin.

He could only stare back, trying to process this convoluted mess she’d created.  This single woman with a mountain of emotional baggage on her shoulders…

“Alright, now you’ve heard my side.  What do you say?”

“To what?” Jason asked, shaking his head.

“About being allies.  I mean, you’re supposed to be the big, bad, villain, right?  And I’m asking you to help me burn down the king’s castle – either here or back in the real world.  I thought you would jump at the chance to slap on another coat of eyeliner.”

He had to admit, her teasing aside, there was a certain appeal to her offer.  However, now that he knew Cady better and even though her eyes shone with the faint tinge of Veritas – the truth forced from her lips – well, that didn’t mean she wasn’t still withholding information.  There were layers to this woman.  Like a duplicitous onion.

“I’ll think about it,” Jason answered finally.

“Laaaame,” she retorted, a pout on her lips.  “And after I bared my soul to you.  I even cried in your arms, remember?”

And now he was beginning to suspect that might have been an act… or this was just more bluster to hide her own insecurity.  Honestly, it was hard to tell.

“You really are a piece of work,” Jason muttered.

“Ahh, thanks.  But I know you’re just buttering me up so you can get your present.”

“What present?” Jason asked in confusion.

“Oh, did you forget we still have a mission?  I still need to convince the old avatars to accept my proposal for a second time – to freeze themselves, their people, and their cities in time until the Travelers arrive and you and Gloria smash that little green globe and bring them all back to the present.  Meanwhile, there’s also a Vault full of relics just ripe for pillaging.  That’s where you come in.  However, the vault is a tough nut to crack.  You’re going to need a few resources…”

She trailed off as she stepped further down the wall and tapped the surface once more.

Jason blinked.  Blinked again.

As the stone dissolved away, it revealed another impossible warehouse.  This room was cold, water crystals embedded in the ceiling and walls.  Yet his focus was on the bodies hanging from hooks along the ceiling.  Monsters.  Mages.  Warriors.  An army of corpses.

“What… what is this?” Jason asked.

“Ahem,” Cady coughed into her hand.  “This is an armory fit for a Necromancer,” she offered, waving at the frigid room.  “Creatures and casters stolen from across time.  You can take whatever you want.  You’re going to need them for what’s coming next.  We aren’t going to be facing human bandits or theme park employees this time.  This will be the real deal.”

Jason’s mind was already racing as she inspected the corpses.  Now this was a true treasure room.  He was already considering the augments he could make to his body even as he strode into that chilly room.  Tendrils of dark mana soon whipped at the air around him as the corpses rose from their hooks, floating along beside him.  A Necromancer shopping for new parts…

A chime rang out and Cady glanced at her UI with a grimace.

“Time’s up.  I’ll leave you here,” Cady called after him.  “I have some avatars to meet back in the game world.  But I’ll leave you in the capable hands of my clones.”

Jason just gave her a dismissive wave as he ventured deeper into the morgue.

As though on cue, one of Cady’s clones soon strode through the door behind her, Jason now well out of ear shot.  “You called?” the clone demanded sourly.  She must have seen the remains of the others and the state of the crafting warehouse.

“Get ready.  We’ll be leaving for the Summit soon,” Cady instructed.  “Tell the others.”

“Understood,” her clone answered softly.  Then she paused.

“What is it?” Cady demanded.

“Is… is this really alright?” she asked, her eyes on Jason and her face clouded with the same guilt that Cady felt coiling in her gut.  “He’s just a kid.”

“No, no he’s not,” Cady replied evenly, watching the necromancer work, bodies already stitching themselves into place along his bony frame. He’d recovered from the shock of her revelations with surprising speed.  Perhaps a testament to everything he’d been through in the last few months.  However, those hardships had made him resilient.  Strong.  Clever.

She should know.  They’d done the same for her.

“Even Alfred recognized his potential,” Cady murmured.

Chapter 40 - Loyalty

Crystal Reach

Vault of Treasures

As dawn broke in the Crystal Reach, light spilled across glimmering glass, rebounding and refracting, splashing rainbow colors against towering buildings and golden spires.  The city had only begun to rise with the morning light, Nephilim guards floating in formation, their wings weary from their nightly toil.  They were all stationed around a single structure.

It spanned nearly two miles.  A floating fortress hovering well away from the main city; away from prying eyes and curious hands.  A reclusive castle in the sky.

And as fresh light spilled over the horizon and crept across the platform of dense crystal, it reached into that temple, shining into a single small portal in that armored shell.  The light bounced down a narrow winding tunnel, reflected off a mirror… another, and then another, before plunging downward into the depths of the structure to a single room.

That light spilled across the face of a golden statue that stood frozen in the center of a barren chamber.  The energy seeped into the Caretaker’s skin, her body beginning to take on a bright glow as it gathered that ambient mana into herself.  Consciousness returned more slowly with each day, year, and century that passed.  Millenia of weather, war, and waiting.

Her eyes crept open, shining brilliant gold.

An experimental twitch of her fingers.  Her toes.  She started from the extremities and worked inward, testing each limb, each muscle group in sequence.  A familiar pattern.  One repeated every morning.  Then… a failure.  The muscles of her neck refused to respond.  A minor repair.  The mana crystals infused into her body did not erode or respond to the crushing weight of entropy, but the underlying material was still vulnerable to time.

The Caretaker dipped her hand into a small dish at her side, light mana pulsing.  The radiation soon heated the mixture, molten gold coating her fingers.  She lifted her hand and touched her neck, the material fusing together with a flash of mana.

Another test and she had full range of motion once more.

Her wake-up ritual complete, the Caretaker took a painstaking step forward, her foot landing with a solid thump – a dent in the stone of the floor revealing that she had stepped into the exact same spot every morning.  A custom.  A ritual.  An endless cycle.

The Caretaker barely spared that a thought as she began her rounds.  She paced toward the door of her chamber, a flash of white light along the nearby panel enough to send the heavily warded and reinforced door inching upwards.  Several tons of metal and crystal and stone all covered in a dizzying pattern of intricate sigils.  They were meant to protect her.

Or, at least, that’s what the Lady had told her.

As the door slid open, it revealed a full contingent of Nephilim standing just outside, each angelic warrior robed in solid gold armor and their faces obscured behind thick helms.  They snapped to attention, their spears thumping the floor in unison.

“Report,” the Caretaker intoned as she stepped out of her chamber, the Nephilim moving into formation at her back and following closely.

“You were powered off for exactly 2 hours, 36 minutes and 12 seconds,” the Nephilim at her side replied.  A captain.  A new, masked face in a revolving line of soldiers that spanned back thousands of years.  She had stopped attempting to learn their names long ago.

“One second longer than last week,” the Caretaker said.  It wasn’t a question.

The captain nodded.  “There were no disturbances during that downtime.  No sign of forced entry and the patrols maintained their positions around the Vault.”

“Good,” the Caretaker replied, yet there was no emotion behind her response.

She had fleeting memories of experiencing such things.  Happiness. Joy.  Sadness. Despair.  Fear and anger.  Yet they were transient things now.  Like trying to grasp hold of a sunbeam…

The group reached an intersection and the Nephilim guards automatically split, a unit heading down each corridor to assume their stations.  As the sun rose, light spilled through the complex, entering more of the small holes bored in the surface of the fortress and fed into the interior by winding, narrow tunnels and mirrors.

As the light shone down into the hall, mana pulsed.  More mirrors rotated out of the walls, reflecting that light deeper into the Vault even as more mana condensed along the walls.  With a shimmer of white, the illusions snapped into place, forming a maze of corridors and passages.  Optical illusions intended to prevent intruders from breaching this place… or escaping it clutches.

Part fortress and part prison.

The thought came to the Caretaker unbidden and she paused.

That was… strange.  Unusual.  It made no sense.  You could only imprison the unwilling…

Her captain coughed and she realized she was 11 seconds late in asking her next question.  She must not be in top condition.  Perhaps she should undertake additional maintenance later today.  That patch on her neck would hold, but her remaining systems could use further diagnostics.

“Instructions from command?” she asked, not expecting an answer.

One hadn’t come in some time.  Centuries at the very least.

“Actually… we received orders from the Empress,” the captain replied hesitantly.

The Caretaker slowed, the ghost of a frown warping her golden features.

“Indeed.  Instructions?” she asked again, continuing forward.

“It seems the avatars are planning to hold a Summit here in the Crystal Reach for the first time in—”

“1,236 years and 43 days,” the Caretaker finished for him.

Only a brief pause belied the captain’s surprise.  The Nephilim were long-lived, but even such time was extraordinary for their kind.  “Exactly.  The Empress intends to use the palace grounds to host their talks.  This should ensure no human intervention if we block airship travel with the upper crystal rings.”

“Is that truly a concern?” the Caretaker asked.

“The rebels have been growing bolder of late.  There have been several attacks on our storage facilities and farms on the ground – systemic strikes against our supply lines.  There are also rumors of a disturbance at one of the Gambler’s clubs.  He’s the one that had called for the Summit.  The Empress was skeptical, but upon investigation by our scouts, we determined that the club is indeed in ruins.  A battle occurred there and the structure and its stores have been pillaged.  The Gambler alleges that it is the work of humans and that he has evidence to prove his claim.”

“A god called the meeting?” the Caretaker murmured.  That didn’t follow protocol.  It was rare for the deities to intervene directly.  She should know.

The Caretaker had been here since the birth of this world.

“Yes, it’s an extraordinary request,” the captain replied.  “It uncommon for a god to entertain an audience with the avatars and given the sensitivity of this meeting and growing concern over the humans, the Empress is curious to discover the Gambler’s intent.

“However, she had conditions,” he added.  “Given the security risks of hosting all of the avatars at the same time and within the heart of her own kingdom, she has requested that they remove their god-given relics and store them in the Vault.  You have been requested to accept their offerings, place them securely in the Vault, and guard the facility during the duration of the Summit,” the captain instructed.

“Of course,” the Caretaker replied immediately.  That was her duty: to protect.

The pair approached a final door, this one far more imposing than the Caretaker’s own chamber.  The portal stretched more than thirty feet and towered well overhead, reaching up to the vaulted ceiling.  This room had the ambiance of a cathedral, rainbow colors splashing across the walls and revealing thinly-etched lines in the marble.  More sigils.  Layer upon layer of wards constructed by master light, earth, and fire mages.

The door itself was nigh indestructible.  There were few forces in this world that could breach that portal – even if the rest of the vault, the Nephilim, and even the Caretaker herself were somehow disabled.  Not that such a contingency had ever occurred before.

“I understand my instructions,” the Caretaker spoke aloud.  “You are dismissed.”

The captain snapped to attention with a rustle of feathers before pivoting on his heel.  His wings lifted and with a flash of light mana, he simply disappeared, rushing back down the hall in a wave of light… and leaving the Caretaker alone with her thoughts.

Change was an uncomfortable thing.  It meant chaos.  Uncertainty.  A disruption to the divine pattern; her immutable routine.  The more time that passed, the more uneasy it made her feel.  Yet her protections were absolute.  No one had breached the Vault since its formation.

Not without her consent…

She reached forward, her palm touching the center of the door.  Light mana pooled around her palm, growing in intensity with each passing second until it was a blinding blaze that began to stretch across the length of the door.  That light pushed down the hall, causing the wards to spark and flash at the absurd amount of mana being released.  Centuries of light stored in the mana crystals that had been used to build the foundations of this facility – a material far more durable than steel or even dark ore.  Constructed during an era when the earth kingdom’s crystal production was in its infancy.  When they had still regularly pulled free blocks of crystal larger than a house.

As the power reached its apex, the Caretaker murmured the pass phrase.

“Primum non nocere.”

And then the second part in English, “First, do no harm.”

She couldn’t remember where this oath came from; who had set this code or what it meant.  The Caretaker only knew that it was important.  Essential. And that it had always been there.  Had always opened this door.  Had always been a part of her—

The light exploded away, the door disintegrating into beams of lights that rebounded through the hall in a dizzying pattern – only deadly if one was unaware.  Yet the Caretaker knew this pattern as well.  She strode forward.  Confident.  Unafraid.  The light pooled into massive crystals along the wall that shone with a holy splendor.

The Caretaker continued inside the Vault’s innermost chamber.  This was part of her duty, one she undertook alone – no one else among the Empress’ soldiers were qualified to accompany her.  No one else was trusted enough to fill this role.  Because inside the Vault were all the treasures the Empress had collected over millennia.  Blades that were only spoken of in story.  Gleaming metal armor. Legendary grade only, but in the right hands, even these items could cause untold damage and death.

Yet they weren’t relics.  They didn’t hold the essence of a god inside of them.  They were merely tools – tools constructed by the races themselves, the gods’ children.  Mere stick figures and fingerpainting that one would put on a refriger—

The Caretaker froze, unable to finish that thought.  The word was right on the tip of her tongue, but she was unable to hold it steady.  It broke apart like so much dappled sunlight each time she reached for it.

She shook her head.  She would need to perform additional maintenance.

But first?  First she must perform her duty.  Inventory the Vault’s contents as she did every day.  Then she would need to undertake a new task.  To make room for the relics – for objects so powerful that they could warp and bend the fabric of reality and disrupt the flow of fate.

After that?  She would do her duty; maintain her routine.

She had much to accomplish while the light still shone.  Inspect the grounds.  Maintain the Vault’s defenses.  Check on the soldiers that lined the hall.  A fresh divine pledge would help ensure their loyalty, the goddess’ punishment raining down on those foolish enough to betray her.  They could afford no gaps in their defenses; no breach in their wall.

Her duty was to protect. The purpose of her life; of her existence.

As it had always been…

Chapter 41 - Networking

“And then the Hippie and Fluffy lived happily ever after!” The Hippie crooned, two puppets dancing overtop his makeshift stage.

Meanwhile, the gods looked on with bleary eyes, unable to even blink.  It wasn’t clear how long had even passed.  An hour?  A year?  Twelve?  Not that it mattered.  Their souls had all fled their bodies long ago.  The god of water’s nonsensical story meandered, never seeming to arrive at any real conclusion.

Even now, they didn’t quite believe it was over—

“Or is it?” the Hippie offered as he brought yet another puppet on stage, this one wearing a long cloak and a lot of eyeliner.  “My name is Jason and I’m here to ruin everything!  Dun, dun, dun—”

He was interrupted as the screens along the wall of the VIP lounged crackled and snapped before resolving back into focus.  All eyes in the room turned to those displays, the gods still frozen in place, but suddenly looking more alert.

Even Alfred looked up from his sofa, noticed the screen, and mana pulsed along his body.  A flash of rainbow energy and the gods were suddenly released from their bonds.  The Lady collapsed back onto her sofa and the Seer heaved out a sigh.  Meanwhile, the Old Man promptly stole the Gambler’s whiskey and downed the rest of its contents.

“I thought it would never end,” the Lady groaned, rubbing at her eyes.

“Thank the gods it did,” the Seer murmured.

“You know, you’re technically thanking yourself, right?  And you’re the ones responsible for that mess in the first place,” the Gambler offered sourly, glaring at the dark god that had stolen his drink.  He snapped his fingers and Oscar rushed to bring him a fresh glass, dragging a bottle along the ground with his tail.

“Ahh, but I wasn’t even finished!” the Hippie whined, his head poking up from behind his stage.  Every god in the room – including the Fates and the Gambler scowled at him.

“In every possible future, I burn that stage if you try to start that ridiculous story back up again,” the Seer snapped at him, fires pulsing around her now.  “And you along with it.”

“Hmm, it seems my lesson didn’t make the impression I’d hoped,” Alfred observed, the feline still watching them.  “You all still seem quite upset…”

The Seer did a double take, raising her hands.  “Uh, no… no, no, no.  You misunderstood.  What I meant to say was that I, uh, enjoyed the experience and feel remarkably calm.  Completely realized, actually.  Right, guys?”

The other gods all nodded quickly, no one wishing to repeat that torture a second time.

Alfred watched them a moment longer, then…

“Indeed,” he replied and then his eyes closed once more.

The gods heaved out a collective sigh of relief.

All except for the Fates.  Her eyes were on the screen.

She was unfazed by the Hippie’s craziness.  It was a small price to pay to buy Cady time.  Hopefully, she had used the opportunity well.  Onscreen, Cady was stepping off an airship that had been lashed to a floating island built entirely of crystal – the Empress’ palace.  It seemed that the next and final stage of their plan was finally in motion.

The real show was just about to begin…

***

Crystal Reach

Grand Palace

Cady stepped off the airship and back onto solid ground.  She hated this mode of transportation – flying far above the ground in a vehicle that defied the laws of physics and seemed destined to crash land into the side of a mountain.  For some reason, the pitch and sway of the ship always caused her stomach to rebel.  Sometimes, this world could be far too realistic…

However, the airship was a necessary evil.  One that avoided pesky questions like, “How the hell did you get inside my palace?”

Or, “What are those evil, floating, eyeball monsters?”

In her experience, that last one was usually followed by lots of screaming.  Besides, the Empress was as paranoid as she was.  She’d constructed barriers of mana that prevented teleportation inside the floating structures.  Cady should know.  She’d lost a few clones that way.

Although, the brief trip from a nearby town had other downsides as well.  She plucked at her dress, the material now slightly damp despite her best efforts.  A downside of flying through a bunch of clouds.  Airplanes had already perfected this process.  Sure, you were stuck in a flying airbus and typically sandwiched between two overweight people in desperate need of a “route 44-sized” seat, but at least you were usually dry when you landed.

“Allow me to help you with that,” a voice spoke up.

Cady looked up in surprise to find the avatar of flame watching her.  He was a diminutive man.  Not tall nor heavily muscled.  His clothing was nondescript and plain.  The only thing unusual about him was the color of his skin – a sandy yellow, the surface cracked and rough as though coarsely sanded – as well as the twin horns that curled away from his head and marked him as a member of the efreet.  If not for having met him before, she might not have recognized him.

In fact, the first time, she hadn’t.  That was a mistake she planned to correct.

“Ahh, thank you so much,” Cady offered with a smile.

A touch of flame rippled across his fingertips and warmth soon permeated the air around her, the moisture whisked away, leaving her feeling refreshed and dry.

“You must be Ignis Albani,” she offered with a smile.  “I found your designs for the newest model of mana generator to be exquisite.  And I do believe you’re even responsible for the Empress’ floating palace,” she offered enthusiastically and waving at their feet.  “I can only imagine the ingenuity that must have been required to pull off this feat of engineering.”

It was the man’s turn to be surprised, a flush of embarrassment creeping up his scaly cheeks and turning them a ruddy brown.  “Indeed.  It’s always a pleasure to meet a fan.   But, um, how do you know me?  Have we met before?”

“Not exactly.  My name is Arcadia Landrey, the—”

“The new earth avatar,” he finished for her, smacking a hand to his forehead.  “My apologies, I should have realized given the use of the Empress’ private port.  I have been focused on my research lately and have been buried in work.”

Indeed, the pair were one of a small collection of individuals that milled about the platform, a handful of airships docked at the floating port.  The ground hovered far below, a sprawling city with crystalline spires that coiled up into the air and reflected the sunlight in dizzying patterns.  Around them, Nephilim soldiers attended to their patrols, flying in tight formations around the palace ground and the neighboring crystal islands.

Cady removed her hood and cloak and handed them to a Nephilim and Ignis’ eyes widened as he took in her features – her very human features.  She also didn’t miss the look of disgust that crossed the angelic soldier’s face or the way he pinched her cloak between two fingers, as though trying to minimize contact with the fabric.

“Ahh, as well, as your…” Ignis trailed off awkwardly, uncertain how to continue.

“My condition?” Cady offered with another smile, this one teasing.  “It’s fine.  I imagine it must be a surprise that the new avatar turned out to be human.”

“I had heard rumors, but I didn’t believe them to be true—”

“Then you ought to leave your lab more often,” another voice interjected.  “Get out there and see the world instead of tinkering with your toys.”

The pair turned to find the avatar of water approaching – Theo Kratom.  In contrast to Ignis, his beauty was extraordinary.  Scales rippled down his cheeks and bare shoulders, the merfolk often refusing the modesty of covering their bodies.  They insisted it interfered with their shape changing abilities and impeded their movement in the water.  However, Theo must have been convinced to wear something to such an occasion, as silken trousers wrapped his waist.  Although, they left little to the imagination as a strong gust blew across the palace port.

That stray gust wasn’t nearly enough to send Cady toppling.  However, she had to help things along, so she pitched to the side with a shout of surprise… only for the avatar of water to catch her neatly.  She may have also taken a moment longer than necessary to right herself, her hands pressed against firm muscle.  Sure, it wasn’t real, but it damn well felt like it.

So, sue her… she was human, after all.

“Thank you,” she offered, feigning a shyness she didn’t feel.

“It’s no matter,” Theo replied smoothly, waving off his merfolk guards – all of whom looked ready to intervene to protect their lord, eyeing Cady with suspicion.

“The wind up here is difficult to get used to.  I’m glad you were here to catch me,” Cady offered, meeting his eyes with a bashful smile.

Bile rose in the back of her throat at this performance, but she swallowed it back.

“It would be upsetting if our newest avatar were to perish on the Empress’ doorstep.  And besides, such beauty should be protected,” he offered.  Her fingers twisted at the wand tucked away in her pocket to give her cheeks the bloom of color they needed to show embarrassment.

She couldn’t exactly fake that part.

“Would you care to accompany me?  I can help you make your way inside.  The winds should be tolerable there,” Theo spoke up, offering a scaled arm.

“I was actually just about to ask her that as well… before you butt in,” Ignis insisted.

Theo eyed the avatar of flame with a lazy expression.  “I didn’t know you were so accepting of the humans,” he offered.  “It’s surprising.  Last I heard, you were experimenting—”

“They were only trials,” Ignis interjected sharply, fire flaring in his eyes.  Despite his small stature, he gave off an imposing aura when angry.  “And you should know better than to raise such indelicate topics here, especially in front of the avatar of earth.  If we were to drag your own history into this, I wonder if she might take offense.  I’ve heard the Sea’s Edge experienced an awful tragedy recently.  Something about a water park?”

Theo grimaced before a thin sheen of water mana coated his body, causing his scales to glitter and sparkle.  The port grew suddenly colder as another swift wind blew in.  Clouds were beginning to form overhead as the two avatars faced off – cold and heat colliding and creating an intense updraft – one that sent a nearby patrol of Nephilim tilting off course.

Cady pressed a hand to her hair and another to her dress to help keep them both in place. She didn’t need to fake it now.  The winds were growing intense.

“Now, now gentleman… there’s no need…”

She had to half shout to be heard over the rising gale.

“Is this any way to treat a lady?” the Gambler demanded as he stepped off the airship behind Cady.  A snap of his fingers was all it took for a dome of amber energy to settle across the dock, wiping away the avatars’ mana as though it were nothing.  They both turned, glaring… then hesitated as they saw they were facing a god.

“Ahh, I didn’t realize you would be attending yourself,” Theo offered, cocking his head as he inspected the Gambler’s casual attire, his sleeves pulled up to his elbows and his tie loose at his neck.  He’d worked for much of the ride here, gathering and editing the video evidence he intended to show the others and managing his clubs which were in the process of being emptied and decommissioned.

“Who else?” the Gambler retorted.  “In contrast to my siblings, I see little need to delegate my power to subordinates.  I prefer to get my own hands dirty.”

Theo flinched at the implicit threat in the god’s voice and flames smoldered in Ignis’ eyes.  However, the Gambler was unperturbed, waving a dismissive hand.  “But that’s beside the point.  I believe you two owe the lady here an apology.  You almost brought an avatar and guest of the Empress to harm.”

“My apologies, my lady,” Theo offered, recovering in an instant and taking Cady’s hand gently, placing a kiss on her knuckles.  She’d be lying if she said she didn’t get a tingle.

Just a small one.  Her sister wasn’t the only one that had been enamored with Disney movies as a little girl.  She’d forgotten just how how—

“I would like to apologize as well,” Ignis offered, taking her other hand and side-eyeing Theo with a glare.  “I would be more than happy to make it up to you.  Perhaps by giving you a tour of the generators and some of the improvements I’ve made to the palace grounds?  If you are enamored with technology, I’m sure you would find the tour riveting.”

Cady opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the other avatar.

“I’m sure such things would bore such a magnificent lady.  Judging from her… exceptional attire, perhaps a tour of the Crystal Reach’s artisans might be more to her liking.  We could find you something a touch more revealing.  Such a figure deserves to be celebrated.”

Okay, yeah… she was definitely enjoying this.

Maybe her foster parents had been right.  She was probably going to hell.

“The lady is my guest.  I will make sure she finds her way inside safely.  You two needn’t worry,” the Gambler interjected, scowling at the two avatars.

They looked ready to push back but just a pulse of the god’s mana was enough to give them second thoughts.  Instead, they bowed, said their farewells, and parted, the pair bickering quietly even as they stalked toward the palace, their attendants scurrying to catch up.

“What are you up to?” the Gambler grumbled, glaring suspiciously at Cady.

“I was just being friendly,” she replied with a sly smile, dropping the role of submissive damsel and over-eager fangirl.  “It’s helpful when people like you.  You should try it sometime.”

“Are you certain you don’t just enjoy the attention?” he shot back with a scowl.

“Ahh, someone is testy.  Did you get air sick on the ride over?”

The god of air snorted in amusement.  “Funny.”

“I try.  Now, if the posturing is finished.  Are you going to get ready or not?” Cady insisted, eyeing the Gambler’s “working attire” of a dress shirt, slacks, and vest.

He cocked his head as he surveyed his own appearance.  With another snap of his fingers, the shield of mana hovering about the port condensed toward him, encircling his body.  The wind soon stitched itself together into an elegant suit.  A final pulse of mana and dice-like cufflinks appeared at his wrists to complete his ensemble.  He offered an arm to Cady which she accepted, the remaining Nephilim guards looking distinctly uncomfortable.

She shot them a wink and a smile… only for them to shuffle in irritation.

“Perfect.  You look good,” Cady offered.

“Of course, I do,” the Gambler grumbled, which earned him another small smile.

God, efreet, merfolk, or Nephilim, male egos could be so delicate.

Her smile faded at that thought.  Theo and Ignis were easy to manipulate.  That much was true both in the past and in this altered timeline.  And the Gambler was already in her corner – he had seen the evidence of the humans’ power firsthand and he was a pragmatist.  He could always be counted on to ensure his own survival.  However, the others were different – their airships looming empty and silent along the dock, evidence that they were already inside.  The Empress was guided by her pride and hate.  And the avatar of Darkness, well… he was a wild card.  His desires were a fleeting thing, ever changing and shifting.

They wouldn’t be won over so easily.

Yet she would have to try.  It was imperative that she succeeded here; convinced these demi-gods to accept her proposal, just as she had before.  However, the stakes were even higher this time.  She needed to move quickly.  She couldn’t afford to make the same missteps she had in the past.  Hence the reason for her flattering pretense only moments ago.

Because, this time, they had changed things.

And Jason would be here soon.  He was a necessary evil.  She had gone on ahead to infiltrate the Empress’ palace while he used the enhanced time compression of the Hive to finish preparing for his assault on the Vault.  If he could manage to steal the relics, then that would advance their cause by leaps and bounds – give them a fighting chance against these avatars in the future.  However, if there was any certainty in this world, it was that where Jason tread, chaos inevitably followed.  She was taking a risk here.  Placing her trust in someone else.

A change of pace for her, but she had little choice.

“Everything alright?” the Gambler asked.

Cady blinked, realizing that the god was watching her like a hawk.

No, no there wasn’t time to second guess or wring her hands.  Not here.  Not right now.  A single misstep would mean failure.  She needed to put her game face on.

“I’m fine,” Cady answered with a smile.  “Let’s go make a sale.”

With that, the pair entered the Empress’ Palace.

Chapter 42 - Executive Decision

The Hive

“Do you have all of your weapons?” One of the Cady’s asked.

“Well, actually—” Jason began.

“What about your gem stores?  Do you feel like you have enough?”  Another Cady that time, the crowd pressing around Jason.

Before he could even respond…

“Did you familiarize yourself with your new skills?  You’ve added a number of augments and our research indicates that it can take some time to for you to adapt.  Perhaps you should use the enhanced time compression in the Hive to train more—”

“He’s fine.  He’s already wasted way too much time tinkering,” a fifth Cady snapped.

“All of this hovering and nagging is pointless,” yet another Cady drawled.  “The only question that matters is, do you have that shovel with you?  You need to make sure you keep it safe.  You’re going to need it where you’re—”

“Okay, enough!” Jason interjected, raising his hands and his voice.

A bony knuckle kneaded at his temple and his eyes were squeezed closed.  Jason was hoping that maybe this was all some terrible dream.  A futile gesture, but he did it anyway.

His eyes shot open to discover that this was in fact real.

Oh-so-painfully-real.

A crowd of Cadys stood there watching him with a mixture of exasperation and impatience.  All twenty or so of them and that was just a fraction of the total population of the Hive.  To make matters worse, it seemed they had nothing better to do than pester and nag him continuously.  Apparently, the Prime had been acting as a buffer…

“Seriously.  It feels like I’m going to my first day of school and my parents won’t let me leave,” Jason muttered, glaring down at the gear they’d piled onto his bony form.  Meanwhile, yet another Cady who was still trying to tug a pack onto his back.  “Are you all going to want pictures next?”

“Not a terrible idea,” one muttered, earning a chuckle from another.

“We could save a screenshot to give to George.”

“Prime said we promised content for their streaming service…”

Jason sighed, kneading at his temple again…

“Alright, that’s enough!” another Cady barked, entering the room.  This one was grizzled.  Scars crisscrossing her skin and armor covering her body.  This was Cady Prime’s second in command, her authority a function of her age.  She was the first clone that Cady had conscripted.

Jason had started referring to her as “Captain Cady.”

She hated it.  Which only made the nickname that much better…

“If you aren’t part of the dispatch team, then get the hell out,” Captain Cady barked.

The others grumbled and started to argue but a glowing contract soon flashed into existence before Captain Cady, the clone arching an eyebrow.  “Do I need to repeat myself?”

That was apparently threat enough.  The Cadys swiftly departed, leaving Jason alone with the Captain.  Jason had discovered that not only had Cady forced each of her clones into an open-ended contract, she’d even delegated some of her authority under those contracts to the Captain.  Jason had originally found the idea a little repugnant.  She’d essentially enslaved other versions of herself.  Although, now that he’d experienced the group firsthand… maybe it had been a good idea.  Not that he would ever admit that to the original, of course.

At least it showed the real Cady had the self-awareness to know she was impossible to deal with.  Although, the terms of her contracts favored her heavily.  If the clones disobeyed her orders, she stole their Time, which was a death knell for them.  Losing their Time meant failing their contract with the Fates and she took that Time back from their bodies.

The threat of death was apparently what it took to ensure Cady’s loyalty and compliance.

Which didn’t bode well for their own burgeoning partnership…

As Jason stowed his equipment and tightened the straps on the pack on his back, the Captain watched quietly, her arms crossed and a scowl on her lips.

“Okay, the silent glaring might be worse than the mothering and micromanaging,” Jason muttered, shooting her a weary glance.

“We can’t help it.  We’re worried.  There’s a lot riding on this… on you,” she amended.  “You remember the plan, right?”

Jason let out another sigh.  “It’s simple.  Cady distracts the avatars while convincing them to sign a contract… for the second time.  Meanwhile, I break into the Vault.”

“It sounds simple,” Captain Cady grumbled.  “It’s anything but.  The Vault is a fortress.  No one has managed to breach its defenses since it was built.  Even the other gods and they’ve certainly tried.  And even if you make it past the soldiers, its defenses, and somehow reach the interior Vault itself, you’ll still have to deal with the Caretaker.”

“Yeah, you all have been light on the details there.  Who is this Caretaker?  A level and some abilities would be helpful,” Jason added hopefully.

Captain Cady grimaced.  “The truth is that we don’t know.  The Caretaker never leaves the Vault.  Only the Nephilim speak with her and they are bound by a loyalty pledge to the Empress.  If any of them slip up and betray her, they immediately die.  Burst into flames.”

“And you know this how—”

“Torture.  Lots and lots of torture,” Captain Cady interjected without batting an eye.  “We’ve kidnapped a number of Nephilim from different points in time, but the pledge followed them even here.  It seems to be etched directly into their bodies.  The best we were able to do is map the outer areas of the vault.  And even that cost us more than a few clones.”

Jason shook his head.  It was still a struggle to accept that Cady could just throw clones at a problem to gather intel… only for those secondary timelines to get destroyed by the Hall Monitors.  He was rather envious.  Although, it hadn’t seemed to work that well here.  He glanced at the tentative map of the Vault in his UI.  The data was indeed incomplete.  It only showed roughly 20% of the outer layer of the Vault.  However, from what he could see, it looked like a maze.  The clones had also mentioned something about illusions and automated defenses.

And that was ignoring this so-called Caretaker as well as the army of Nephilim guarding the place.  Not only that, but the Prime had insisted that he go alone to avoid creating any additional continuity issues…

“Doesn’t this seem like a huge gamble?” Jason muttered.  “There has to be a better way.”

“There is.  That’s why you have the shovel,” Captain Cady shot back.  “The Prime went to a lot of trouble to ensure that you acquired that item.  It can cut through almost any material.”

“Almost?  That inspires confidence.  Have you all actually tested this damn thing?” he muttered raising the rather plain-looking trowel and inspecting it.

Cosmic Trowel

Little is known about this item.  Only that it appears to be constructed of an unknown material.  Oh, and I’m sure you’ll figure out how to dig one hell of a hole for yourself with it…

Quality:  S

Effect:  Material Piercing

It had the same color text as a quest item and a quality rating of “S.”  Jason had never seen that before.  However, the snarky text wasn’t inspiring much confidence.

Captain Cady just gave him a noncommittal grunt.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Jason muttered before letting out a sigh.  “There are too many variables.  It’s just me against an army of Nephilim and this Caretaker.”  Even with his skeletal augments – which were impressive – he still didn’t feel confident.

This wasn’t how a Necromancer was meant to fight…

“I’m all ears if you have a better plan,” Captain Cady offered, spreading her arms wide.

The door lingered behind her, still resting wide open and revealing the inner workings of the Hive.  Dozens of clones walked those ramparts.  And Jason knew huge storage rooms lingered several floors below, filled to the brim with equipment, gems, crystals, and weapons they’d stolen throughout time.  Hundreds more frozen bodies lining a medieval morgue.

For just a moment, he considered making a break for it – “liberating” those resources and coming up with his own Plan B.

However, it wouldn’t work.  He couldn’t hurt Cady Prime – or any other version of Cady.

His own contract bound his hands.  At least, in terms of physical violence…

Jason hesitated at that thought.

That was true.  He couldn’t hurt the Cadys and he certainly couldn’t force them to do what he wanted like the Prime had, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t convince them to go against their leader.  There had to be limits to Cady’s contracts.  They still required her to delegate some authority and autonomy to her clones.  Just like the Captain here.  And those instructions could only be so detailed.  The Prime would need to ensure they still had the ability improvise.  Jason had experienced those issues firsthand with his zombies.

Perhaps he could take a page out of Cady’s book.  Maybe there was a way to accomplish his goals without violence.  Because, at their core, the clones were all still Cady.  Independent.  Stubborn.  Proud.  And likely resentful of being forced into a form of indentured servitude…

“I have an idea,” Jason began gently.  “But it would require you to buck the reins a bit.”

“You know that I can’t go against—”

“Ahh, but that isn’t true is it?” Jason insisted.  “That’s just another lie the Prime told you and the others.  More bullshit she fed you to keep you trapped here in the Hive.  How long has it been now?  A year?  Ten?  A hundred?”

The Captain grimaced, her lips pinched into a grim line.

Jason pressed a little harder.  “Do you even know?  Without any frame of reference, the Prime could have kept you here for centuries while she returned to the real world – soaking up the luxuries in her posh apartment at Cerillion Entertainment.  She gets to do whatever she wants while treating you and the others like slaves.  Hell, how many of you died just trying to map this Vault?”

“That’s not fair.  I know what you’re trying to—”

Jason waved her off.  “You’re right.  I shouldn’t have said anything. If you all are fine being crushed under her thumb, then I shouldn’t interfere.  You have your sister to think about, after all.”  He hesitated dramatically.  “Or, should I say, Cady’s sister – the real one.  She’s not really your sister, is she?  She never was.  All you have are memories.  Copies.

“That’s not your guilt.  Not your responsibility.”

That touched a nerve.  The clone’s eye twitched.

“There is… some truth to that,” she offered reluctantly.  “But even if I wanted to take action, our hands are still bound.  That was the price we paid for even this limited freedom.  The Prime has done her best to make the Hive an accommodating—”

“Prison?” Jason offered.  “Sure, you have food and gear and a bed.  But you don’t have choice, do you?  Cady reserves that for herself.  At least, when it matters.”

Captain Cady’s fingers had balled into fists without realizing it and Jason could feel his dark mana hum through his bones in a frigid torrent.  Now, that was what he was looking for.  A sign of weakness.  These clones were still Cady and she’d put these protections in place for a reason.  He’d learned a lot about her over the last few days in-game – she wasn’t good at taking direction or being a team player.  She was a lone wolf, through and through.

Which also applied to every version of her…

Captain Cady raised her eyes to his.  “Let’s say I agreed with you, what exactly are you suggesting?  The contract is still in place.  How do you plan to get around it?”

Jason shrugged.  “Cady’s instructions were clear, but I suspect they have limits.  So, let’s start there.  What exactly did she instruct you to do?  And be specific.”

“Ensure you leave the Hive with the necessary supplies, transport you to the Vault, and leave you there.  We are not to open any other gates after your transport unless directed to by the Prime herself.”

“Hmm,” Jason hummed, his mental wheels racing.

“Did she say when to transport me?” he asked.

“Well, no, but she implied it should be soon.  Time works a bit differently here in the Hive.  It doesn’t flow at the same speed as the normal timeline.”

“Which means we have a while before we need to execute on her first command?” Jason asked, tapping his chin with bony fingers.

Captain Cady nodded slowly.  “I suppose so, but I don’t see how that helps us.”

Jason shrugged.  “Not yet, but let’s keep going.  You need to transport me to the Vault.  However, did she put any qualifications on what you could transport along with me?”

“Not exactly.  Of course, we would need to bring your gear and minions…” she trailed off, her head tilted in thought.  “Ahh, I see your point.”

Of course, she did.  She was still Cady, after all.  And the woman was smart… if a bit morally bankrupt.  Her clones had just been beaten into some semblance of submission over the course of tens or even hundreds of years of indentured servitude.

“And you can’t open any other gates—”

“After we drop you at the Vault,” Cady murmured.  “She said nothing about before that.”

Jason was nodding now.  “Obviously.  She could have phrased it to allow you to only open a gate to the Vault, but then what if something else came up or you needed to drop me close by?  Her powers might seem incredible, but they’re still bound by rules.  The more specific she makes the contract’s instructions, the longer and more complicated it becomes since she has to anticipate every possible contingency.”  This had been a real headache for Jason before he was able to rely on his Lieutenant Zombies’ discretion.

“And if she ties your hands, you can’t help her on your own.  Like you did when you all rescued us from the Half Mile Club, for example,” Jason added.

Captain Cady was nodding now.  Then she raised her eyes to meet his.  “Okay, fine.  I see your point.  We have some leeway to act on our own.  Yet that still begs the question.  If we refuse to follow Cady Prime’s orders to the letter, what do we change?”

Jason tapped at his bony chin in thought.  “Well, my first thought is that we need a distraction,” he offered.  “That would make it much, much easier for me to break into the Vault.”

“And would also potentially undermine the Summit,” Captain Cady retorted.  “There was a reason the Prime didn’t pursue that course of action.  If she fails to secure the agreement of the other avatars, that would create a major continuity error which would summon the Hall Monitors en masse.  They might even destroy the timeline along with the changes you all have made.”

“Ahh, I prefer to think she was just short-sighted,” Jason replied with a chuckle.  “We just need to create the right distraction – one that will help her sell her case.”

The other Cady frowned, unconvinced.

“It worked back in the Half Mile Club, didn’t it?”

Her eyes went round.  “What?  Are you suggesting—?”

She was interrupted as another Cady stepped inside.  “Why are you two taking so long?  We should have already opened a gate for Jason.”  She hesitated as she saw Captain Cady glaring at the Necromancer incredulously.  “Uh, what’s going on here?  Did I interrupt something?”

“No, nothing at all,” the Captain snapped quickly.

The other Cady glanced at Jason, suspicion shining in her eyes.

He just shrugged.  “Yup.  Nothing to see here.  Just a little mutiny.”

Captain Cady was now glaring daggers at him.

“A little… mutiny?” the other Cady echoed.  Then a grin tugged at her lips.  “Ahh, are we going against the Prime’s orders?  I always thought her plan was uninspired.”

“What about the Prime’s orders?” another Cady asked, slowing as she passed the open door.  It seemed the Captain hadn’t thought to hide their conversation…

“Jason and the Captain are coming up with a new plan,” the first Cady explained.

“Ahh, but what about the contract?” the second asked.

“That’s a good point—”

Captain Cady let out a pained sigh.  “He has a workaround for that.”

The other two’s eyes went round in perfect sync.  “Huh?  Really?”

A nod from Jason confirmed it, his dark mana swelling and growing in anticipation of the plan that was beginning to unfold in his mind.  He just needed to keep going.  Pick at this thread until the forced stability that the Prime had created here began to unravel.  If he could convince the whole Hive, then his fledgling plan might work.  And now that he’d already succeeded with the Captain… well, he knew it was possible.  They were all just copies of Cady, after all.

“Indeed,” Jason replied, his eyes pulsing with dark energy.  “Speaking of which, aren’t you tired of being stuck here in this place?”  he asked, repeating the same question once more.

The other Cadys both cocked their head in thought.

It would take time to convince them all.

But that was okay… apparently, he had plenty.

Chapter 43 - Schmoozing

Crystal Reach

The Grand Palace

The Empress’ palace was just as impressive as Cady remembered.  All sleek, shining marble and polished gold.  Light refracted through a complicated series of mirrors along the ceiling before forming a dazzling ball of light mana that pulsed and undulated above an oversized conference table – one perched in the middle of what she could only describe as a “cathedral.”

“Well, this is just as over the top as I remember,” the Gambler muttered as he eyed their surroundings, swiping his fingers across the marble.

Cady just grunted in acknowledgement.

“Here, let me,” Theo suddenly piped up as Cady approached the table, the avatar of water abruptly breaking away from his conversation with his entourage.  He tugged a chair away from the table with a creak of wood.

Cady raised a hand.  “No, no that’s not necessary—”

“She’s right.  That seat won’t do.  Not for a lady of her splendor,” Ignis interjected, approaching with his own attendants in tow – both groups eyeing each other warily.  “The lighting there is just atrocious.  This seat is far superior,” he offered pulling another chair free.

Theo glared at him, sapphire energy welling in his eyes.  It seemed he wasn’t just going to accept Ignis’ claim to Cady.  “I’m sure the lady would prefer not to hike around the table,”

Indeed, it was one hell of a walk.  Why did the Empress need such a large table anyway?

“And I wouldn’t dare to speak for her,” Ignis shot back.  “The lady is her own person.”

“Of course, she is,” Theo replied, his gaze sweeping to Cady.

Now they were both staring at her expectantly.  Two kings among their kind offering her a seat by their side – each on opposing sides of the table.  This was just fucking perfect.  She’d meant to flatter them, not to start some sort of rivalry.  No matter which option she chose, she might insult the other or encourage more petty infighting.  Neither served her purpose.

However, Cady was saved from making a choice.

Light flared along the ceiling in a dazzling display, the orb hanging above the table blazing so brightly that the avatars were forced to cover their eyes.  As the glare faded, a hushed silence descended upon the chamber, not even the Nephilim guards daring to flutter their wings.  The Empress had arrived.  She wore a gown that seemed to be woven of pure light, a long trail slithering across the marble at her back as she stepped forward.  A golden crown wreathed her brow and her eyes took in the others with mild distaste.

“All hail the Empress, the Avatar of Light!” one of her attendants announced.

Entirely unnecessary from where Cady was standing, but that was the avatar of light for you… All pageantry and fanfare and, well, little else.  Little of substance, anyway.

“All this competition over a mere human,” the Empress observed as she approached, shooting a glance at both Ignis and Theo – who at least had the self-awareness to look embarrassed, but Cady noticed they were still glaring at each other as the Empress turned away from them.

Cady met the Empress’ gaze evenly across the table, refusing to bow or dip her head in respect like the others.  They may all be avatars here, but that didn’t mean their power or influence was equal.  It was more challenging for either Theo or Ignis to cultivate the sort of military and economic power that the Empress held – a lack of focus undermining their efforts.  Ignis was often preoccupied by his inventions while Theo was often just… well, preoccupied.

The Gambler moved to speak up, but Cady stopped him.

“I’m an avatar in my own right,” Cady replied finally.  “In fact, that’s what brings us here today.  To discuss the potential of my race… and the threat we pose.”

A delicate, incredulous smile graced the Empress’ perfect lips.  “Threat?  Surely, you jest?”

“Not at all,” Cady offered, not even remotely flustered despite the frown that pinched Ignis’ brow and the confused look on Theo’s face.  “But before we get to it, I brought you a gift…”

The Empress cocked her head, intrigued despite herself.  “A gift, you say?”

Despite her bias toward humans, the Empress wasn’t stupid.  She knew that Cady controlled this world’s supply of crystals.  No doubt, she expected some flattering, translucent present.  Perhaps one as large as this grandiose table.  However, Cady had something else in mind.

Her fingers plucked a familiar package from her bag – one the Fates had given her back at the beginning of this mad adventure.  She hadn’t explained the contents to Jason and he likely assumed she’d wasted the package on that alchemist back in the Half Mile Club.  As though Cady would go to such lengths for one of her own subordinates?  She just kept extra treats stowed in her bag for occasions like that.  Cheaper ones, of course.  Not that Jason would have understood something as simple as flattering your victim – or, err, customer – with gifts.

Or, at least, “gifts” that didn’t explode or dissolve into boiling acid...

“I heard,” Cady began, slowly undoing the ribbons tying the package shut, “that you were a connoisseur of fine things.  Specifically, chocolates…”

The Empress’ eyes went wide as the contents were revealed.

“Andolosian chocolates,” she murmured.

“Blessed by all six gods,” Cady confirmed.

“I thought they were all lost to time.”

They were.  Lucky for Cady, time could be rather malleable.  Still, it had cost her a substantial amount to recover such a gift.  She had been forced to send back a clone to the furthest depths of the timeline – to a time when the gods actually got along…

“Not quite,” Cady offered.  A twitch of her fingers and a portal of green energy opened beside her. Cady deposited the box and a similar portal opened near the Empress.

The avatar of light took the present with trembling fingers, her stoic mask cracking as she eyed the contents with a sort of ravenous fascination.  “This is—”

“A bribe,” another voice cut in.

“I was wondering when you would decide to make an appearance,” the Gambler grumbled.

Sebastian – the avatar of darkness – spared the god of air a mere nod as he entered the room.  There was no fanfare.  No crew of demonic minions.  No skeletal dragon.  No sweeping display of power.  He had no need.  He wore his power on his sleeve.  Literally.  Ribbons of shadow twined around his arms and legs before settling into the soft cloth of his suit.   However, even that material appeared restless, occasionally shifting and moving.

The avatar of darkness in this world had gone a different direction with his abilities.  If Jason had focused on skeletons and his mentor had devoted her time to zombies… well, Sebastian had chosen to curry favor with demonic forces.  And such power needed no broadcasting.

The Empress had collected herself as she saw Sebastian, her smile turning to a frozen scowl and the lights along the ceiling pulsing brighter – which only caused the avatar of darkness’ clothing to shift more urgently, as though straining away from that light.

“A gift,” Cady corrected, refusing to be intimidated by this man, his eyes a solid black and his features impassive – giving away nothing.  “A token of good faith.  A bribe has strings.  And are you really suggesting that the Empress is susceptible to such influence?”

A double-edged question.  One that had Sebastian’s brows rising.  “She is free to make her own choices, of course.  However, I find this “gift” suspicious.  Same with this meeting.  Perhaps we could sidestep the pleasantries and get to it, shall we?”  He waved at the table.

“I do not need your permission to accept a gift.  Nor to begin a meeting.  Not within my own domain,” the Empress snapped, her eyes flashing and the ball of light pulsing once more.

A thin smile tugged at Sebastian’s lips and he swept into a bow.  “Of course not.  Then what would the Empress prefer to do?  Perhaps we should have some tea first?  I suspect it would pair well with your chocolates.”  His tone and eyes were mocking, the shadows slithering across his body and making a whispering sound that reminded Cady of laughter.

“Or perhaps we could endure more adolescent competition and chest beating over this human’s favor.” This time, Sebastian’s barb was directed at Theo and Ignis – both men glaring back, but ultimately dropping their gaze to the ground.  They weren’t foolish enough to challenge the avatar of darkness.

Cady had forgotten just how irritating this man could be.  Sebastian reminded her of Jason.  A loose cannon.  An agent of chaos.  Unafraid of any consequences – of even death itself.  There were only his desires.  That was all that mattered.

Yet that was also a story she could sell.

“Strange.  I didn’t think I’d ever see the great Sebastian worried,” Cady observed dryly.

Those blank, dark eyes swept toward her.  “What makes you think I’m worried?”

She snorted out a laugh.  “Did you forget which goddess I follow?  I see your truth.  You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t understand the nature of the problem that you all face.  And even without your relics, I see that you still came armed,” she offered, waving at his suit.

The ghost of a scowl tugged at his lips.

“Ahh, our newest member touched a nerve,” the Empress observed, with a tinkling laugh.  “Between that and the chocolates, I feel this warrants hearing her out.”

If she couldn’t make friends, she could make common enemies.  If Cady could convince the others, Sebastian would be forced to follow.  He had before and he would again.

At the Empress’ gesture, the avatars and the Gambler took their seats, perched around that oversized table and their attendants hovering among the marble pillars at their back.  Cady side-eyed the Gambler and gave him a nod.  His mana flared, a swift wind blowing through the cathedral and condensing into a dome of glowing amber that settled around them – blocking out any sight or sound of the room and the attendants perched along the walls.

The avatars shot the god a questioning look.

He shrugged.  “I would prefer to avoid prying eyes and ears, at least until you have heard us out.  That includes the races and my own siblings.”  That earned him a note of surprise from Theo and Ignis – although Sebastian and the Empress were able to maintain their composure.

“Then this is indeed a sensitive conversation,” Ignis offered.  “What is the issue?  The invitation was quite vague.  Something about the humans?”

The Gambler shot Cady a questioning look.

“I think it would be best to show you…” Cady offered.

She trailed off as the Gambler snapped his fingers again.  A screen appeared overtop the conference table.  It showed the footage that had been taken from the Half Mile Club.

“Ahh, more of the Gambler’s games,” the Empress began, but hesitated as the video began to play back, her eyes gradually widening and fingers clenching into fists.

The duel in the arena – Jason besting wave after wave of creatures.  An impossible feat in itself.  Then the attack among the stands.  Humans emerging from the depths of the club and wielding flames, ice, lightning, and shards of stone.  Feeble, amateur spells.  But even those mundane attacks were effective against the unwary and unsuspecting, especially when combined.  There was power in numbers and the humans showcased that clearly.

Screams rippled out across the table.  Pleas for help.  The choked gurgles of the dying – humans and the races alike.  Even the more proficient casters were buried under a mountain of bodies and spells and cutting swords and knives; were unable to fend off an endless wave of humanity.  The feed cutoff just before the Hall Monitors marked their appearance…

And as the video came to an end?  Silence.

“This… this can’t be real,” Theo murmured.

His eyes shot to the Gambler, who just nodded.  “It is.  I wouldn’t lie about this.”

Theo shook his head, but his disbelief was rapidly switching to acceptance.  A much faster transition than the others, who were still staring at the display.  “But how?”

“Mendax,” Ignis offered, raising his eyes to Cady and the Gambler.  “That is the only explanation.  My research has been extensive.  Humans lack Najima and therefore are unable to cast.  To pull this off, they would have either required items or the development of their Najima.  As we can see, there were no wands or gems at their disposal,” he offered, waving at the screen – one frozen on a scene of death, blood rushing down the ruined stands.

“Which means they developed their Najima,” Ignis continued.  “And the only way that could be possible is with a massive infusion of mana.”

“Your reputation doesn’t do you credit,” Cady offered with a glowing smile.  Okay, she might have been laying it on a little thick – but the way Ignis’ scales changed color and his eyes dropped to the table was a good sign.  He was kind of cute.  In a nerdy, sand lizard sort of way…

“So, the Gambler lost a club, what’s the issue here?” Sebastian demanded.  Leave it to Jason’s predecessor to dump cold water on Cady’s pitch.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was the only one that was using the humans as a workforce or force feeding them Mendax,” the Gambler retorted.  “But sure, this is only my problem.”

“Fucking children,” the god muttered under his breath.  Sebastian didn’t react.  Not exactly.  He only seemed to suck in the light in the room, his suit slithering and coiling tighter.

“Would you like to repeat that a bit louder?” Sebastian demanded, his tone icy.

The Gambler never broke his gaze.  “Ahh, look at this child.  You must have grown too accustomed to me acting on my own.  Perhaps you’ve forgotten who you’re addressing.”

Wind swept through the cathedral in a torrent, the amber dome around them pressing closer.  That wind ripped and tore at Sebastian’s suit, fragments of shadow ripped away from his body and pulled into the gale, the Gambler tearing away his unholy armor piece by piece.  The avatar of darkness wasn’t one to take that lying down and his own mana surged.  Darkness swept out around him, forming a frigid aura, the shadows stabilizing.

“Enough,” the Empress demanded.  A flash of light pulsed and the magic in the room was dispelled, the conference table taking on a bright glow as it absorbed the ambient mana.

Cady eyed the table with renewed interest.  That was new.  Their last pitch had been a touch less… acrimonious.  But at least she now understood the purpose of this piece of oversized furniture.  It was all one solid piece of crystal and warded to absorb mana on command.  Clever.

Her gaze shot to Ignis to see him petting the table and inspecting it closely, a circle of glass forming in the air with a flash of flame and hovering before his eye to create a magnifying lens.  It also appeared this was the avatar of flame’s handiwork.  If only they could steal this too…

Cady shook her head.  No, no she needed to focus.  She needed to finish this.  If Jason was discovered before she struck a bargain, this timeline would be thrown into chaos.

She coughed into her hand to break the tension.  “Now, if we could get back to it?”

Sebastian and the Gambler retook their seats at her gesture.

“Ignis is correct.  One unforeseen side effect of Mendax is that it fosters mana in humans.  In fact, I’m sure you’ve also noticed these changes,” Cady continued, eyeing each avatar in turn.  “You’ve likely even taken advantage of such new abilities...”

Nods.  Grudging, but at least they were acknowledging the truth.  Good.

“Wasn’t this drug meant to make them malleable?” the Empress demanded of the Gambler.

Of course, she didn’t know Cady was behind the god’s manufacturing operation.

“It was,” the Gambler admitted.  “But it seems that some humans have begun to build up a tolerance.  Either that or the development of Najima neutralizes some of the sedative effects.  Believe it or not, the humans harbor some resentment,” he offered dryly, waving at the screen.

More lies, but they didn’t need to know that.

Besides, they were lies that Cady couldn’t tell herself.

Rule #45 of “lying” while telling the “truth:” have someone else lie for you!

“What does this matter?” Sebastian demanded.  “If the humans are a threat, we can simply eliminate them.  Problem solved.”

Cady snorted in amusement.

“You find my suggestion amusing, human?  Destroying your kind?”  Sebastian demanded coldly, staring her down.

She just shrugged.  “Do you think it’ll be that easy?” she demanded with a cocky grin.

“Is that a challenge?”

Cady tilted her head as though considering.  “Sure.  How about a bet?  If you can kill me for good, then I’ll accept your point and we can end this Summit right now.”

“And if not?” Sebastian demanded.

“Then you hear us out.”

“Cady—” the Gambler began, looking worried.

This wasn’t part of their plan, but she was feeling inspired…

“Hush, this is between me Sebastian.  And personally, I don’t believe that someone who relies so heavily on borrowed power can do anything to harm me.”

The avatar’s dark mana flared in response to her challenge, his perfect mask finally cracking as he scowled back at her.  “Fine.  Then I accept.”

Cady wasn’t expecting him to hold back, but she still wasn’t ready for the blast of darkness that immediately engulfed her body.  The dark energy ate away at her shields and popped the wards built into her tattoos like they were mere balloons.  Her skin soon began to slough from her bones, her breathing choked and her mouth opening to scream—only for more of that poisonous energy to plunge down her throat, eating her from the inside out.

Within only seconds, Sebastian’s power faded, leaving the gods staring at the skeletal fragments that now marred the floor, a puddle of blood and gore pooling around the remains.

“What did you do?” Ignis demanded, rising to his feet and his flames surging.

“I agree, that was uncalled for – attacking a guest of the Empress,” Theo added, for once the pair in agreement about something.

Sebastian just sniffed, the shadows wrapping back around his body once more.  “She asked for it, did she not?”  His gaze shifted to the Empress who was still staring at Cady’s remains in surprise.  “Now if this farce is over—"

“Ahh, I sense some tension in your death ray,” Cady spoke up, her hands touching Sebastian’s shoulders and kneading at the muscle there, smoke coiling away from her fingers where she touched that shadowy energy.  It seemed to recoil away from her in surprise even as her tattoos flared and shields enveloped her arms.  “Wow, yeah.  You’re really carrying a lot of stress.  Maybe you should see a masseuse.”

The avatar of darkness whipped up from his seat, his body dematerializing into a cloud of smoke before reforming a few feet away, glaring at Cady who now stood behind his chair – alive and unharmed.  Her armor and weapons intact once more.  The others were all staring, incredulous and awestruck.  They had seen her die firsthand.

“What?  What’s wrong?” Cady demanded, a grin pulling at her lips.  “You all look surprised.”  Even the Gambler looked like he was seeing a ghost.  “Like I said, my kind is studier than we look.”

Technically, that was true.  Under normal circumstances, she could have just respawned.  Although, that would have taken a few more minutes and there wasn’t a respawn point nearby.

So, she’d had to improvise.

Cady had kept a few more of her abilities from Jason.  She might not be able to cast magic offensively, but her time magic was quite… flexible.  For example, she’d discovered that she could make a contract with herself.  The benefit wasn’t initially obvious, but after some experimentation, she’d discovered she could create contingent spells that activated on certain preset conditions.  Like dying.  You know, just as a random example.

When the avatar of darkness had killed her, the contract had automatically been completed and it had cast two spells.  One rewound time and the other teleported her body behind Sebastian. Child’s play really.  Sure, it had still hurt like hell and it was expensive…

But the effect was more than worth it.

“How is this possible?” Sebastian demanded.

“Ahh, are you scared?  Or maybe you’re just upset that I stole your whole brand?  You know, as the so-called Lord of Death and Shadow?”  Cady offered, teasing and stalking toward the avatar, the man backing up a step before he realized he’d done so.

Ahh, it was entertaining to watch their ego crumble—

“Explain yourself,” the Empress interjected, and Cady saw the others staring in horror.  Even Ignis looked puzzled – likely unable to grasp at any explanation that made sense.

“Ahh, I see I caused some alarm.  My apologies,” Cady offered, bowing slightly and pacing back to her position along the table.  She retook her seat gingerly, basking in the attention as her eyes skimmed the table.  The avatars were no longer posturing or attempting to curry favor or uttering veiled threats.  Now they just looked worried.

She steepled her fingers on the table and leaned forward.  “As for the explanation.  That’s simple.  I’m not from this world.”

Chapter 44 - Old and Cold

The Hive

“Notice, 10 minutes until the departure deadline.”

“Teams A-1 through A-6 have returned to the Hive,” Cady’s voice echoed out across the complex.  “Teams B-1 through B-6 ETA in 60 seconds.  Ground teams prepare for their arrival.”

Jason stood upon the upper deck of the Hive, a control platform that the original Cady had built to survey the Hive and monitor its status.  The floor was composed entirely of glass, the perch providing an extraordinary view of the facility, every level visible and the structure plunging downward toward that ever-changing castle in the center.  The Prime had even had the foresight to install a complicated monitoring system, displays hovering around him – all glowing gemstones and translucent neurogem.

No doubt, Cady or her clones had stolen those materials from timelines that had already collapsed.  He knew she’d been “borrowing” items from the other timelines – the Prime herself had explained that – but Jason hadn’t been able to appreciate the true scope of her theft until he’d surveyed the warehouses himself.  That’s right… warehouses.  As in plural.  What Cady had shown him was only the tip of the iceberg.  She’d stolen veritable mountains of materials, equipment, and resources.  Jason was actually starting to wonder if she might be a closeted hoarder.

However, despite that mountain of loot, Jason had been forced to send the other Cadys back out looking for more.  Luckily, time flowed differently in the Hive and the Cady clones didn’t have any limitations on their own time compression.  They might spend days, weeks or even months inside a secondary timeline but only mere minutes would pass back in the Hive.  According to Captain Cady and the displays hovering beside him, the compression difference between the Hive and the Prime’s timeline wasn’t quite as extreme.   It moved at about one-fifth the rate of the Hive.  Which meant that for every minute Cady spent there, five minutes passed in the Hive.  That had given Jason plenty of opportunity to win over the other clones and get to work.

Although, this wasn’t without a cost.  He’d felt a headache coming on for a while now and his guess was that it had something to do with the enhanced time compression here in the Hive.  Almost like he’d been using Custom Skeleton for hours.  Even if he didn’t have a deadline – a giant clock ticking down in the center of the Hive – he wouldn’t be able to stay here forever.

“We’ve now raided nearly 100 collapsed timelines,” Captain Cady reported from his side as she monitored her terminal and tapped at the amber earring on her left ear – a fantasy two-way radio of Cady’s own devising – or rather one of her clone’s devising.

“Fantastic,” Jason replied, his eyes pulsing with dark energy.

“Team B-1 through B-6 have returned,” another Cady announced.

Jason saw a flash of emerald energy surge along Level B and the doors soon dissolved away to reveal stark white interiors.  The Cadys soon emerged carrying bundles nearly six feet tall, their arms straining from the weight.  They tossed the bundles in a growing pile – similar stacks already formed on each floor.

“The cold room has also been prepped and made ready for you,” the Captain announced.  “I believe we’re ready to commence the operation.”

“Thank you for this,” Jason replied, shooting her a glance.  “For trusting me, I mean.”

“I’m still not sure I do,” Captain Cady grumbled.  “But your plan has a higher probability of success than the Prime’s operation.  What you’ve offered to the rest of us is… well, I’m not sure you can actually pull it off,” she grunted, staring him down now.

Convincing the rest of the Cadys to help hadn’t been easy.  Their anger and resentment at the Prime hadn’t been enough for many of them.  In fact, some had even made a compelling counterargument.  If they helped him, even if their contracts permitted it, what would stop Cady from punishing them later?  Or filling in these loopholes in their contract?

A few hours of mutiny didn’t make up for an eternity as a slave.

Luckily, he’d also come up with a solution for that problem.

Or, at least, he really hoped he had…

“It’s okay,” Jason replied, placing a hand on her shoulder as he approached the door.  “I think it’s about time for a demonstration anyway, especially after all of the work you and the others have put in.  What do you say?  Are you ready for a taste of freedom?”

Captain Cady looked suddenly uncertain, biting at her lower lip.  Then she noticed him looking at her and her nervousness transformed into a glare.  “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?” Jason asked as he stepped out of the room, the Captain following at his side.

“Like I’m… broken.  Something to be fixed.”

Jason side-eyed the woman.  These were clones.  Copies.  But they were still Cady.  If this clone felt this way, then so did the original.  Or, at least, he suspected that was the case.

He just never expected her to lower her armor enough for him to see it.

“That’s not what I was thinking.  And besides, aren’t we all a little broken?” he offered, his jaw clacking in amusement and his dark eyes pulsing.

“Speak for yourself,” she grunted back.

However, Jason’s Perception picked out the small smile on her lips.  They’d spent a lot of time together in the last few hours.  Almost more one-on-one time than he’d had with the Prime actually, especially with all of the craziness they’d been through together.  As a result, he’d quickly discovered that these clones had survived here for centuries while the Prime was stuck back in the real world – frozen out of her account.  In that time, they’d changed.  Adapted.  Those years had given them room for introspection, whittling down the emotional walls that the Prime still wrapped around herself.

In some ways, these clones were different versions of Cady in her old age.  With her life behind her – with many lives behind her and with only herself as company.  All the same memories and stories.  A perfect mirror for her own insecurities and fear and hopes.  It was easy to see how the clones might have found some perspective after all that time.

They soon slowed, coming to a ledge overlooking the current version of the princess castle.  The other Cadys had gathered up, filling the metal gangways around them.  Hundreds of clones packed onto those walkways and staring at him.  Some with tattoos.  Some covered in soot and dust.  Some wearing gleaming mail.  Others in the robes of a mage or craftsman.

Yet they were all waiting.  For him.  For proof of his promise.

“You all have done well,” Jason’s voice boomed out.  “You’ve collected the corpses and we’re finally ready for the next stage.  And now it’s time to hold up my side of the bargain.  To show that I’m a man of my word.  That I can grant you your freedom…”

He offered a hand to Captain Cady and she took it – suddenly looking nervous despite her rugged appearance.  The others watched, a tense silence hovering across the Hive.

Damn it.  And now he was starting to feel nervous.  Sure, his plan made sense.  Cady had bound her clones to a contract.  And he’d spent enough time listening to his parents to know the basics of contract law.  All contracts could be broken – there was always one escape.

At least, there was in his world…

It was time to see if that translated here.

Captain Cady knelt before him, glaring up one final time.  “I fucking hate this,” she muttered.  “The kneeling bit.”

“I know,” Jason replied softly.  “But I’ll make it fast.”

“If this doesn’t work, I’m also going to haunt your ass,” she muttered.

“Noted,” Jason offered with a chuckle as he pulled a knife from his bag, the blade gleaming in the harsh light cast by the Hive.  The others only watched, still as statues – all of them sucking in a collective breath.

There was no sense building this up.  The clock was still ticking down overhead and the Captain looked wary – nervous.  That felt weird.  Better to make it quick—

Jason’s arm whipped forward and the blade sliced clean through the Captain’s throat.  Blood welled – just a few dots at first – then more.  A torrent.  It gushed onto the metal gangway, trickling through the holes and dripping down, down, down, coating steel and stone before merging with the waters of the princess castle.  Yet another macabre waterfall...

Captain Cady gasped, her hands clawing at her throat.  A feeble gesture.  Instinct.  She knew that, but she did it anyway.  Jason watched the panic in her eyes.  The fear.  This wasn’t a person that trusted easily.  It had only taken being enslaved in this timeless prison for a couple hundred years for her to willingly put her life in his hands.

Then she went still.  It was then that something strange happened.  A glowing, emerald contract emerged over her corpse, her contract with the Prime hovering there, its terms sprawling out across dozens of pages.  Murmurs filled the Hive as the others watched, doubt soon turning to awe as the contract began to rip itself apart – first just one page, then many.

Within seconds, the contract had disappeared entirely, finally broken in death.

Yet Jason’s part wasn’t over.  Now it was time for the moment of truth.

Dark mana wound around his hands, collecting and pooling there.  He might not be able to call on his Soul Well, but that didn’t mean he’d given up his abilities as a Keeper.  His Undead Devotion still worked – he’d tested it on The Boulder, after all.  Yet there was another application of that spell.  It didn’t only read the minds of the dead… it also brought them back.

Darkness assembled overhead, creating an artificial cloud inside the Hive itself, false wind whipping through the structure.  The others backed toward the walls, cowering near the stone or latching onto the railing for safety.

There was no need.  It would soon be over.

A flash of dark lightning arced down through the Hive, crashing in Captain Cady’s body and suffusing her corpse with unholy energy.  As Jason looked on, her skin began to grow pale.  Her wound stitched closed and the bleeding slowed.  Her heart didn’t begin to beat again, nor did she draw a breath.  Yet her eyes soon fluttered open – a stark white.

The zombie Cady rose on shaky limbs, almost falling as she slipped in her own blood—

Only for Jason to catch her, his blade rattling forgotten against the walkway.

“Careful.  Take it slow,” he urged her.

“I can do it myself,” she grunted, shoving his helping hands away.

It seemed she was still proud and prickly even as the undead.

Captain Cady soon regained her balance, her pale eyes surveying the crowd.

“I’m… I’m back,” she offered, her voice a rumbling growl as her body repaired her injury and the wound sealed fully.

“But do you have your freedom?”

“What of the contract?”

The others called out, their voices rising and growing frantic.  They wanted confirmation, even though they’d seen it with their own eyes.

Captain Cady looked to Jason and he nodded, offering his arm.

Don’t harm Jason.  That had been among Cady’s careful instructions. Which was kind of insulting, actually.  Did she really think the other clones would try to kill him—

He hesitated as the Captain stooped to gather the knife and then lunged at him, a murderous glee suddenly shining in her eyes.  One that almost made him flinch away.  Yet he held firm.  The blade cut into the bone of his forearm.  Just a nick.  Not much.  But it was enough…

-1 Damage

Jason’s dark mana pulsed in pleasure, a torrent of chill energy surging through his body.  He’d been right.  He tapped at the air with his injured hand, enough to bring up his combat log – to make it visible; to pivot it toward the others.

More tense silence… then a shout.  Another.  A roar of noise.  The Cadys all raised their voices in a guttural, inarticulate cry.  One that yearned for freedom.  That celebrated the birth of their sister.  A new, free Cady.  A cry of pain, sadness, and joy.

The others were already clamoring forward, pushing at each other to be the next in line.  To taste that freedom for themselves.  Their own autonomy.  The power to make their own choices.  To become their own Cady – not just a slave to the original.

And Jason obliged them.  One by one.

In a flurry of blood and blade and darkness.

It reminded him of another time and place.  A small village just to the north of the Twilight Throne – its people sick and injured and hopeless.  The only difference was time.  Well, and an extra-dimensional hideout and a few hundred clones…

Soon, he’d finished his work, an army of free Cadys arrayed before him.  Some had the flesh slough from their bones to reveal bleached white bone.  Others had simply paled, their skin growing white as a sheet.  However, that was just aesthetic and the Cadys had no end to their supply of illusion wands.  Already, flares of sapphire were rippling through the crowd as they reassumed their original appearance – or tweaked it to their heart’s content.

They were free now, after all.

“You did it,” Captain Cady murmured, watching the crowd.  She seemed almost disbelieving, staring and wide-eyed.  “I never thought…”

“This is just the first part,” Jason replied evenly.

“What do you mean?” she demanded.

Jason didn’t answer, only turned to the others, raising his voice, “You are now free!” he roared, earning a cheer from the Cadys.  “However, I have one last gift.  One that some of you are just now discovering,” he offered, waving at the undead clones that were attempting to cast, emerald energy flaring around their hands.  “You are no longer bound by the Prime’s contracts, however, I’ve also freed you from the Fates clutches…”

Another loophole – one of his own design.

However, their cheers subsided into a confused murmur.

“What is he…”

“…not likely…”

Ahh, it seemed they were still underestimating him.

“What!  What is this?” a Cady suddenly shouted, emerald energy flaring around her hands brightly until it sputtered out into nothing.  Some of the clones had almost tapped the entirety of their time magic rebuilding the Fates’ princess castle and the Prime liked to keep them running near empty – it apparently kept them more pliable.  The clone looked to the others then in excitement.  “He’s telling the truth.  I just ran out of Time, but…”  She just waved at her arms.  They were still intact.  She was still standing there – alive and well.

Or undead and well, Jason supposed.

“Like I said, you are free from the Fates.  If you fail her quest, she will take the Time from your bodies.  However, your bodies are now immortal – not unlike the goddess’ own form,” Jason explained.  “Now you are free… truly free.”

A buzzing murmur filled the Hive now, mimicking its namesake.

“This is incredible,” Captain Cady muttered at his side.

“Only what I promised,” Jason replied.  “Proof that there are some people that warrant your trust.  Just not many,” he added with a chuckle.

Captain Cady shook her head, the others still processing their newfound freedom.  “What now?  What about your mission?” she asked.

Jason cocked his head and looked to the timer in the center of the Hive.  He still had a few more minutes.  And one of those piles lingered along this level.  A stack of nearly seven bundles.  He strode forward, his bony fingers plucking at the thick linen sheet.  He pulled it hard and the package tumbled free, hitting the ground with a wet thud before rolling open…

He looked down, feeling a glimmer of guilt.  He might have just freed the Cadys.  However, what he was about to do next wasn’t that different from what the Prime had done.  In fact, she’d given him the idea.  He needed a distraction if he was to successfully raid the Vault.  He’d wracked his brain for an idea – something of suitable size and scale to occupy an army of Nephilim and lay siege to an impenetrable vault and its mysterious guardian.

And, well, what was better than one Necromancer?

The answer?  A hundred!

A corpse rolled out of the bundle, coming to a stop.  Pale flesh.  Lifeless cold skin.  No pulse or heartbeat.  He stared down at familiar features – at those staring, unseeing eyes that were the same color as his own.  Or at least, they had been.  That was his corpse lying there.  Not a lich, of course.  That would have been far too difficult to collect.

This was his past self.  Collected from a hundred collapsed timelines.  All it had taken was a hit squad of six Cadys to take him out – Jason choosing moments of weakness.  When he’d nearly died after the so-called game in the Mile High Club.  Running from a horde of lizardmen on an island off the coast of the Sea’s Edge.  A haggard Jason that had barely fended off Finn in Sandscrit.

A hundred victories turned into abject failures.  All at his own command.

“Jason?” the Captain spoke up when he didn’t respond.

He looked up to find the Cadys crowded round. Dozens of them.

“What is it?  Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked in confusion.

“Moron.”

“Fucking idiot.”

“Seriously, this guy…”

Captain Cady just crossed her arms, a grin tugging at her lips.  “Well, we’re free now, which means we get to choose what we do next.”  She glanced over her shoulder at the others.  “And, well, we’ve decided to lend you a hand.  We heard you might need a ride.”

She waved at the pile of Jason’s corpses.  “All of you.”

A slow smile slid across Jason’s lips and his dark mana pulsed in anticipation of what was coming next.  A full-fledged assault on the Vault.  This was going to be one hell of a ride… even for him.  He was going to try something new.

“Yeah, yeah, I guess we do,” he murmured.

Chapter 45 - Strategic Alliance

Lane Residence

Eliza had gone numb, her anger gradually fading as she stared at those smiling photos of her parents still hovering above the kitchen counter.

Meanwhile, the world had kept on spinning without her, the others engaging in a heated conversation – displays still glowing before them.  Telltale evidence.  The tip of a technological iceberg that threatened to capsize the whole world.  Their words just blew past her, not quite registering as she tried to grapple with what she’d discovered, picking apart the memories of her life one by one…

“We need to get in there,” Finn grunted, smacking the counter.

Now Julia and Alex were staring at him like he’d grown a second head.

“Are you serious?” his daughter asked skeptically.  “I mean, I get where you’re coming from – trust me, I do – but physically breaking into Cerillion is a different animal compared to using a digital backdoor—”

“I’ve done it before,” Finn snapped, interrupting her.

That caught Eliza’s attention.  She spared a glance at Alex.  However, the young man didn’t react.  He was just staring at the screens before him, his expression rigid and stoic.  He’d gone quiet ever since they’d reviewed the list of test subjects for the program.  He might have helped by giving them access to his house – to this hidden terminal – but weren’t Finn and Julia being too careless?  He was still George’s son—

“I can help you do that,” Alex spoke up, suddenly snapping out of his fugue.

Finn and Julia whirled toward him.  “Are you sure?  Why would you help us?” Julia demanded, not mincing her words.

“That’s my own business,” Alex grunted back.  Only Eliza could see the way his fingernails were digging into his palms from where she was sitting, specks of blood welling there.

Just what was at stake for him here?  Was this really just about getting back at his father?

“This is a terrible idea,” Julia said, turning toward Finn and pleading with him now.  “Surely, you can see that.  We don’t know if mom’s information is really there or if this is just some sort of ruse on George’s part to suck us in.  And you want to trust this guy?  George Lane’s son?  What if you get caught?”

Finn was watching Alex, the pair staring each other down for a long moment.  Alex didn’t waver in the slightest.  If he was lying about helping them, then he had one hell of a poker face.

“I think Alex hates George as much or more than we do.  He won’t sell us out.  And as for getting caught?”  Finn just shrugged, pushing away from the counter and turning toward his daughter.  “That’s why I’m going alone.”  He looked pointedly at Julia and Eliza.  “If I get caught… well, I don’t have all that many years left—”

Julia barked out a laugh, waving at the screens.  “Says who?  It looks like you could have forever, especially now that we know this is possible.”

Finn stepped toward her and took her hand.  “It’s a risk I have to take.  I’ve never been a religious man.  I don’t care about what happened to her body.  That’s still Rachael in there.  I’ve seen it with my own eyes.  Even if all that’s left of her is the data, then I’m going to find it – a means to upload and sustain her digital consciousness.  There are answers in that building, I know it and I have to find them.  No matter what.”

Julia just shook her head.  “Accessing the upper levels of Cerillion is one thing, but accessing this research facility is another,” she snapped.  “It’s located in the bottom levels of Cerillion Headquarters,” she continued, tapping at the displays and images appearing there – schematics and designs.  “Those levels are only accessible by elevator and each one is wired with biometric scanners.  If you aren’t in the system, you aren’t getting in.”

Finn just sniffed.  “We have backdoor access, we can just spin up new credentials.”

“You don’t think they’ll notice that?” Julia shot back.  “Even this is pushing it.  You may as well show up with a glowing neon sign that says arrest me!”

“I… I can do it,” Eliza piped up finally.

The others turned toward her, even Alex looking surprised.  It was the first time she’d spoken in some time – ever since she’d seen those pictures of her parents.

“I can do it,” she continued more firmly.  “If the scanners are based on biometric data, then mine should be close enough to my mother’s for the system to accept me.  I can just impersonate her,” Eliza explained, determination shining in her eyes.

“The risk is too—” Julia began.

“Fuck the risk,” Eliza interrupted, earning a startled look from the others.  “I don’t care about the consequences.  I’m done tiptoeing around.  My parents lied to me – have been working on this projects for years.  I want proof, something that I can use to confront them.  And I’ll do whatever it takes to get it.”

That was information she could possibly use to buy her own freedom.  To purchase her way out from under her parents’ hypocritical iron fist.  Freedom to choose what she wanted to do; what she wanted to study.

Maybe others might see that as extreme.  Committing a felony to win a fight with her parents?  But they could also keep their judgmental bullshit to themselves.  This wasn’t their life and they didn’t know her parents.  Eliza could easily imagine what would happen if she tried to confront them with nothing to back her up.  They’d just ignore her and continue gaslighting her.  Probably stick her in another damn prep course…

And if she did nothing?  Then the end of her time inside AO was swiftly approaching.

It was about time she made a decision for herself.

Finn watched her for a few more moments.  And then…

“Fine,” he declared, crossing his arms.

“You can’t be serious?” Julia demanded.  “If she gets caught—"

“Then what?” Finn demanded.  “She’s a minor.  She’ll probably get a slap on the wrist.  She also has a plausible excuse.  She discovered what her parents were doing and got curious.  Or she was going there to meet up with Jason.  She can sell that story.”

Julia hesitated, considering now… starting to waver.

“How is she even going to get inside?” she demanded finally, although she was starting to come around, her tone less angry.

Julia tapped at her Core and a new display appeared, this one showing news coverage of the crowd outside the Cerillion Entertainment building.  It had started during the Armageddon event, tens of thousands of people gathering to protest what they had thought was the end of the game world.  However, when that didn’t happen – or, at least, not the way they’d expected – they’d been given another reason to rage.   The emergence of the old avatars, the destruction of their former cities, and a server downtime that seemed too well-timed to be pure coincidence.

And now that the downtime had stretched from hours to days, well… they were unhappy.

The crowd had only continued to swell, bodies pressed into a throng that entirely filled the streets around the building.  Hundreds of drones buzzed in the air above them – news agencies covering the crowd.  Tents had been set up on the sidewalks and Cerillion had been forced to bring in makeshift barriers that they constructed all around the structure – pylons several feet thick and formed of expanding foam.  A tool meant for suppressing rioters.  And just behind those barriers were hundreds of private security decked in full riot gear, their faces obscured behind thick helmets and visors.  With the tension in the air, the situation was just a hair away from a physical altercation – one the private security might not win.

“As you can see, it’s a clusterfuck down there,” Julia muttered.

“They’re still letting people through,” Finn offered, waving at a group of employees being escorted inside a side entrance.

“Under armed guard,” Julia retorted dryly.

“That just gives Eliza’s story more credibility.  If she’s going to meet Jason, she’d need to explain that to the security.  She could even have him meet her.”

Julia grimaced but seemed to acknowledge the point.  Then she let out a sigh.  “I think I can manufacture a duplicate of her mother’s credentials.  If she stole some clothes…”  Julia was inspecting Eliza closely – too close for comfort, but Eliza refused to back down.

“Fine, it could work,” Finn’s daughter acknowledged.

“But what about him?” she offered, jerking her thumb at Alex.

He shook off his own fugue, finally looking away from the dozens of screens that hovered overtop the counter.  “I’m coming too,” he said.  “Or, at least, I plan to help.  I can assist with getting Eliza inside.”

“See?” Finn offered, glancing at his daughter.  “A plan!”

Julia just crossed her arms.

Eliza frowned.  There was just one problem.  “Um, I don’t have Jason’s number… and we can’t access to the game world right now for me to message him through my friends list.”

Julia and Finn shared a glance before looking embarrassed.  “We, uh, don’t either,” Julia acknowledged finally.  And Alex just shook his head when they looked at him.

Eliza chewed her lip.  There was another option.  “I do have Riley’s number, she gave it to me a while back.  If I called her, she could probably get in touch with him.”

“Are we sure we even want to get him involved?” Julia offered sourly.

“Why not?” Finn demanded.  “It would help with Eliza’s cover story.  Hell, with the crowd, Jason might even be able to create a distraction.  I get the feeling that kid has a vested interest in this game – something he hasn’t revealed yet.”

“Yeah, that’s sort of the problem,” Julia muttered.  “Where Jason goes, chaos follows.  If we get him involved, there’s a non-zero chance the building explodes or someone dies.”

They all went silent at that and Eliza could have sworn she saw Alex grimace before he mastered his expression.  Maybe she’d just imagined it…

“Do we really have any other choice?” she asked finally.

The silence that met her question was answer enough.

Julia heaved out another pained sigh.  “Fine… fine.  Make the call and then let’s get the hell out of here.  We’ve already overstayed our welcome and it looks like the security team is due for a scheduled walk of the grounds soon.  We need to get moving.”

The others all nodded and they started packing up.

Meanwhile, Eliza spared one last glance at the pictures of her parents – the pair still smiling at her overtop the kitchen counter.  This was it… she was finally going to get some answers, consequences be damned.

***

The others had already vacated Alex Lane’s “home,” removing their equipment and bags and shuffling out into the front drive.  Which left Alex alone to perform one last sweep of the residence – presumably to check for any evidence that might reveal that they’d been inside.  However, Alex’s goal was somewhat different.

He stared at the screens still hovering over top the kitchen counter.  One in particular still listed a series of codenames.  Six names.  All a single word.  The survivors of the experiment that his father had been conducting in secret.

The names were rather innocuous.  Random words picked from a half-dozen languages.  Likely intended to depersonalize the research process – to ensure that the men and women conducting those experiments didn’t become too attached.  Liability was likely another concern.  If anyone discovered this project, it would be easier to deny if the company didn’t maintain an electronic paper trail of the test subjects they’d bought and paid for.

Yet one name stood out.

Corazon.

Alex’s memories were riddled with that word.  Spoken at birthday parties and dinners and balls and galas.  Slipped in with whispered words at crowded tables.  His father used that expression all the time.  Or at least he’d used to… back when Alex’s mother was still alive.  She had been his heart – or so he claimed.  Which was ironic.  Alex hadn’t realized how cold and unforgiving that particular organ could be; how bitter and hateful.

Perhaps that was why he could feel that dull, hollow ache in the back of his mind again.  That voice that had grown so quiet was whispering once more.  Spreading doubt.  Suspicion.  An itch that Alex knew wouldn’t relent until he satisfied its demands.  Julia had doubted whether the others could really trust him.  And he had to admit, this was out of character for him, but he wasn’t just doing this because he hated his father.  That was still true, but there was something more...

Finn and Julia might have seen a body, but he hadn’t.

Not at the hospital.  Not during the closed casket funeral.  Not even in pictures.

His father had claimed it was too difficult for him to bear.

But what if there had been another reason?

Alex heaved out a breath, his fingers tapping at the console along the side of the counter.  Those dark pylons soon slid down into their concrete holding cell, sleek marble drifting back into place and forming a seamless seal.  Within a matter of seconds, the counter was smooth and flat once more – revealing no evidence that anyone had accessed the terminal.

“Hey, Alex, you coming or what?” Julia shouted – loud and obnoxious and belligerent… and strong.  He still had the bruises to prove it.  A worthwhile teammate.  Someone he could use to find answers to the questions that were plaguing him.

“Yeah, I’m done,” he called back, smoothing away the wrinkles of doubt and fear that clouded his face and sliding his own mask back into position as he stepped toward the front door.

A question had been pestering him ever since he’d seen that single, ominous word written on that glowing screen.  One that hounded him even now.

What if his mother hadn’t truly died?

And there was only one way to find out…

Chapter 46 - Diamond Hands

Crystal Reach

Grand Palace

A horde of travelers barreled across the field, cut down by beams of energy from Julia’s turret and the occasional blast of lightning from Pewpew.  Coils of smoke and mist still swept through their ranks, shadowy phantoms lingering in those patches of fog and snatching at the unwary.  Meanwhile, corpses exploded, raining toxic death on those that had survived.  That plague rippled out across glowing barriers of energy.  Thousands of travelers faced off against the avatars – Jason and his companions fighting a losing battle against a tide of humanity—

Only for the screen to freeze.

“So, does anyone still disbelieve I’m from another world?” Cady offered, watching the old guard of avatars still perched around the table.  They were gawking at the image.

“Were those… humans?” Ignis offered, leaning forward and peering at the screen from only inches away, his flaming monocle back in place once more.  “Their affinities all appear rather average compared to the races.  However, this group defending—”

“They’re on another level,” Theo finished for him, the avatar of water kneading at the gills along his neck as though in pain before conjuring a fine film of water that clung to his scales.

Ignis shared a look with him – their rivalry momentarily forgotten.  “They’re each around level 300.  Affinities must be over 60% judging from the spells they’re using and their mastery,” the fire avatar reported, his monocle rotating and pulsing with fire mana.

“They’re still only children,” Sebastian said finally, his tone scathing.

“I agree,” the Empress offered.  “Is this supposed to be concerning?  If this is all the humans can manage, then we have little to fear—”

Cady just cocked her head.  “Individually, perhaps.  But did you forget what just happened?  You know, when Sebastian here just blew me away?  Or is our immortality not cause for concern?”  She couldn’t quite keep the sarcastic bite from her voice that time.

Silence fell across the room as the avatars mulled on that.

“How is that resurrection possible?” the Empress murmured.  “Sebastian?”

“That is not my power,” the dark avatar grunted, but he looked less cavalier now, staring at that screen with pitch-black eyes and his forehead pinched in thought.  That army might not be that threatening – not right now.  But if that enemy just kept coming back?

“He’s right,” Ignis replied, more flaming monocles forming in the air and creating a triple-layered device that zoomed in on the scene onscreen where a few of those portals lingered – at least some of the travelers having gotten disconnected and forced to log back in.  “There is no indication that dark mana is at work here.  These rifts appear to be formed of a mixture of all six affinities.  The energy is comparable to my respawn generator design.”

“So, she was just using a device?” Sebastian offered, waving a dismissive hand.

“No, no.  There is no respawn field here.  Honestly, there’s no need” Ignis replied, shaking his head.  “It’s hard enough to kill the Nephilim, much less the Empress herself.”

She just nodded in acknowledge, her arrogance on full display.

“A portable device then?” That was Theo that time.

Ignis frowned in frustration.  “Even if such a thing was possible, the mana needed to operate it would be significant.  And it wouldn’t be small.”  He looked around the cathedral and the dome of glimmering amber energy that still surrounded them, blocking their conversation from prying ears.  “How would she have hidden such a thing here in the heart of the Grand Palace?  We were all searched before entering and we all removed our relics.”

Sebastian didn’t say anything, only glowered at the screen.

“A trick from the future?  Another invention?” the Empress pressed.

“For the last time, I haven’t brought any illicit items with me,” Cady offered with a sigh.  “But if you still don’t believe me, by all means try killing me a few more times.  You’ll only be delaying the inevitable conclusion here: that I’m telling the truth.  As would be expected of an agent of the Fates…”

That point landed, the others grimacing.  The earth goddess was known for her penchant for truth telling – even when her audience might prefer a more palatable lie.

“I can see my point is finally beginning to land,” Cady offered.  “This is the future that’s waiting for you.  Travelers – people from my world – will come to this place a couple hundred years from now.  And when they do, they will take control.  They will gather mana and power and become a force to be reckoned with.  An immortal army.”

Okay, she might be overselling that a bit.  Not technically a lie.  More of a matter of “opinion.”  In fact, the travelers were a ragtag group of nerds with no centralized authority other than dozens of different guilds – each with their own leadership.  Plus, they’d only been able to muster even that meager power since the old avatars had already fled this world – in part because she’d already sold them on the bargain she was trying to make right now…

“Their powers are still weak.  Manageable,” Sebastian retorted.  “We saw that battle.  Even one of us alone would have been sufficient to manage that throng.”

“Agreed.  I still don’t see the threat.”  The Empress that time.

Cady just smiled back, trying not to let her eye twitch in frustration.  She’d forgotten just how proud and stubborn this group could be.  “Ahh, then it might be helpful to point out that the power I showed you in that video was gathered over the course of three months.”

“Three months?” Theo echoed, his eyes widening and the gills along his neck gaping in his shock.  “That’s not possible.  Even our fledgling mages require years of training.  Possibly even decades.  To have come this far…”

Ignis shook his head.  “Only an enlightened few at the academy can progress that quickly.  Are you certain they gathered this much power in mere months?”

Cady just nodded.  “I have the videos to prove it.  This is their strength now.  Another few months and they’ll undoubtedly have grown much further.”  She shrugged.  “Who knows how they’ll measure up then.”

“That changes things,” the Empress murmured, looking at Sebastian – no longer in fear, but in solidarity.  She was looking for his opinion.

“Does it?” the dark avatar sneered back, still unconvinced.  “Why should we accept whatever this woman is trying to sell and whatever strings may accompany it?  We need only eradicate the humans to prevent this attack.  A simple matter.”

“Have you not been listening?” Ignis snapped, his eyes flashing with flame.

Sebastian’s own dark mana pulsed in response.  “I have,” he ground out.

“Then you would know that these humans didn’t come from this world.  Cady has already explained as much.  These so-called travelers come from another world – one we cannot attack or easily harm.  Even if we killed all the humans in our lands, it wouldn’t stop them.”

“You’re right.  It wouldn’t prevent the invasion,” Cady offered.

The others flinched at that word.

“Not only that, but how do you propose to vanquish an immortal army?” Cady offered, cocking her head as she watched Sebastian.  “A truly immortal army.”

His dark mana pulsed at that, the shadows of his suit rippling and contorting as they responded to his barely suppressed rage.  In this world or any other, powerful people were always the same.  Arrogant.  Telling themselves a pleasing, placating story.  That their power wasn’t due to indiscriminate chance or fate – of a million variables outside of their control.  No, it was all them.  All their own hard, painstaking work.  Power ripped free from the hands of fate itself.  Permanent and everlasting.

Just more self-aggrandizing bullshit that kept the peace.   More lies.  The truth was that telling themselves a story was easier than accepting the reality of their situation; that no matter how hard they struggled, they were always at the mercy of time, chance, and entropy.  Of a wide universe designed to haphazardly smash together matter, to give it some semblance of shape and form, only to rip it all apart again.  Like so many sandcastles being washed away in the tide…

“Fine, we accept the reality of the situation you presented.  What exactly are you proposing?” the Empress asked into that tense silence, Sebastian only glaring – unable to offer an answer to Cady’s question; anything other than more hollow arrogance.

Yet the others had accepted the reality of their situation.  They were watching her warily.

Cady shrugged.  “It’s simple.  The travelers are dangerous and not easily controlled.  However, winning that future war isn’t impossible.  You just need to strike when they least expect it.  When they’re vulnerable…”

Another twitch of her fingers and the display shifted once more.  It now sped forward past the battle surrounding the coliseum, the destruction of that structure, and Jason’s frantic flight down into the temple tucked away below the earth.  It slowed as the earth mana orb shattered and its power was released, the earth mana rippling out across the game world and bringing changes.  Raising cities long since lost.  Races and creatures that shouldn’t exist…

As well as the old avatars themselves.

“This has already happened,” Cady offered, showing them the aftermath of their decision.  It was easier this time.  She had more leverage.  More proof.  So why not play her hand?  “In the future, you’ve already accepted my offer. I suspended all of you in time – the avatars, the races you command, your cities and armies.  And when you are released… well, you take control of the travelers’ cities, their mana wells, and their respawn points in one fell swoop.

“We can’t be killed – not truly.  But we can be controlled. Crippled,” she explained.

“So, you’re suggesting that we sign a contract with you?” Theo spoke up.

“No, she’s saying we already signed one,” Ignis offered, dismissing his monocle and rubbing wearily at his eyes.

“Exactly.  We’ve already been here; already done this,” Cady answered simply.  “And if you accept my contract again, that will freeze all of us in time – myself and my people included – until we can awaken in that new world.  Then your fate will be in your own hands.  If you strike hard and fast, the travelers won’t be able to recover.  You will drive them out into the wilds without resources or any place of safety – you can even take control of their respawn points and can cut them down as they return.  Luckily for you all, I have helpfully gathered all of that information for you – an outline for your invasion strategy, if you will.”

“What do you gain from all of this?” the Gambler demanded suspiciously.

“Me?” Cady asked, placing a hand to her chest.  The Gambler was performing his role admirably – acting as a skeptical foil, one she could win over.  “Why I’d just collect a small commission for making this deal happen.  Let’s say 7.5% of the Time of all the creatures that are pledged to my contract.”  The others winced.  That was a hefty price.

It had also been 5% last time, but they didn’t need to know that.

“And what of our deities?” Ignis asked.  “Why didn’t you approach them first?”

Cady sniffed.  “As though they would listen?   Besides, there’s another benefit to accepting my offer that you all haven’t considered yet.  Aren’t you tired of being subject to these so-called gods’ whims?  Those capricious assholes that meddle in our affairs and destroy what we’ve worked so hard to build?”  The Gambler looked rather miffed at that, but kept his mouth shut.

“And what is this benefit?” the Empress demanded.

“As I understand it, the Judge is already displeased with the gods – how they’ve mistreated his creations.  For example, a certain amusement park comes to mind,” she offered with a glance at Theo.  He winced.  “I expect that the Judge will be even more unhappy if the gods allowed their avatars to bind up and freeze the residents of this world in time along with their cities.  I suspect he would decide to punish them appropriately.”

“Punish the gods?” Theo scoffed.  “Is that even possible?”

However, his confidence faltered as he saw the scowl on the Gambler’s lips.

“Isn’t it?” Cady asked.  “Would he have any choice?  Putting aside their own indiscretions, if the gods were to discover the deal we’re discussing here, well I imagine they would be rather upset.  You all represent the funnel for their power – the source of their mana.  They might even attempt something foolish to preserve that power.  The Judge would have no choice but to intervene in order to protect this world.”

The Gambler swallowed hard.  “What will the punishment be?”

“Imprisonment.  More than a century spent in purgatory,” Cady answered simply.  No sense mincing words.  They’d already ironed out the terms of their agreement privately.  “That will also include you.”  His eye twitched, just a small tell.  The Gambler was a splendid actor.

She raised a finger.  “However, if you choose to participate, I can ensure that your favorite club will remain intact and that your ‘employees’ will all survive.  In fact, I’ll also throw you a bone out of the kindness of my heart.  Enough power to jumpstart your businesses again.”

The Gambler stewed on that, rubbing at his chin.  Playing the ever-skeptical foil once more.

“Plus, imagine just how happy all of those races will be when they’re released back into the world.  The wave of relief washing off hundreds of thousands or even millions…”

Now his eyes were gleaming with greed, the dome around them sparking and crackling.

“That is… an intriguing offer,” he replied slowly.

“Ahh, well I see that one of you is onboard,” Cady offered with a small smile.  “And a god at that. I imagine that would ensure my good behavior.”

The others looked like they were wavering.

“Your facility south of Sandscrit would also survive.  There’s some damage, but it’s still there,” Cady explained to Ignis.  That was a half-truth.  From what she had gathered from accessing Cerillion’s servers, Finn ended up destroying most of the facility – and time had taken its toll on the rest.  But it would be there.  Just waiting for Ignis to return and repair the damage.

“And I hear that the new avatar of water did an exceptional job rebuilding the Sea’s Edge,” Cady offered to Theo.  “All evidence of that fiasco with the theme park was destroyed.  The Hippie of the future is even a bit more… muted in his madness.  A century or two of solitary confinement will be enough to at least make him think twice before doing something crazy.”  Theo seemed to like that, a considering expression sweeping across his face.

Cady shifted her gaze to the Empress.  “And the Crystal Reach will continue to be the bastion of light and power that it has already become.  All will know of your power.”

The Empress didn’t react, her face stoic.  But Cady knew how much that pride and power meant to her – as if this grand hall and palace weren’t evidence enough.

She was almost there, she could practically taste it—

“I refuse,” Sebastian spoke up suddenly.

All eyes whipped back to the avatar of the dark.

Cady frowned slightly.  “Might I ask why?  I see no downside for you.”

Sebastian scoffed at that.  “No downside?  The loss of a century or more certainly seems like a downside.  But it’s not just that…” he peered at her, his eyes solid black.

“You’re hiding something.”  It wasn’t a question.

“Really?  I’ve been honest with you.  I follow the Fates, after all.”

“Truth can also be misleading,” Sebastian retorted dryly.  “I had thought you a weak ruler.  Ineffective.  Pliable.  And perhaps if that was the case, I would have accepted your bargain.  You would have no reason to betray us since you have nothing to lose.”

Cady just watched, refusing to let her features betray her concern.  What was he on about now?  She’d known that Sebastian had only gone along with her plan originally because he thought she weak – too weak to harm him.  However, she had been careful not to make any large changes. Her thoughts sped back over the events of the last few days.  She’d managed to hide her drug operation.  She still appeared to have no power.  No strength.  Even the crystal mine was…

She hesitated.  Could it be?

For a split second, she lost her composure.

“Hmm, yes, there it is,” Sebastian murmured as she watched her.

“Uh, what’s going on here?” the Gambler demanded.

“Yes, I’m also lost,” Theo offered.

Sebastian just chuckled.  “Our dear avatar here is playing a convoluted game.  These recordings are telling, yes.  But they only tell one story.  That she is weak.  That she only intends to help us.  That she has nothing to lose.  However, telling the truth doesn’t mean she can’t omit other details.  For example, I hear the bandits controlling the crystal mines have all been defeated.”

Cady was glaring at him now, her thoughts racing – searching for a way to salvage this.

“I fail to see how that changes anything,” she shot back.  “All of my own operations will be frozen until we return.  What advantage does that give me?”

“By itself?  Nothing,” Sebastian replied.  “However, while defeating the bandits is one thing – within the range of what’s possible – the destruction of my creatures isn’t.”

The undead they had found there?  So, Sebastian had been behind that, after all…

“You lack the strength to pull that off yourself – your death by my hand was proof of that,” he murmured, tapping at his lips.  So that had just been another test of his theory.  His dark eyes rose back to her face.  “Which can only mean one thing.  You’re working with someone else.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck, Cady thought.

“I just wonder who it could be.  Another god perhaps?” he offered.

Cady didn’t move an inch.  She used all of her considerable willpower not to look at the Gambler.  Not right now… not with everything hanging in the balance.

The others were suddenly glaring at her – fledgling trust transforming into suspicion.

“No, no that doesn’t make sense,” Sebastian continued.  “If you are indeed one of these so-called travelers, then you would have no loyalty to the gods.”

Cady breathed out a mental sigh of relief.  One bullet dodged.  But she suspected it wouldn’t be enough—

“Which means it’s the other travelers,” Sebastian said finally, Cady being careful not to let a single tell show.  “Tell me, what would happen if we kept playing that first recording you showed us?  The one where that army faced off against those powerful travelers?  What happens to us?”

“I don’t know that – I can’t know that.”  Not technically a lie.  “I’m unable to travel past the current prime timeline,” Cady answered smoothly.  “The future is always unwritten.  Even the Seer knows that to be true.”  That one was directed at Ignis and he nodded in agreement.

“She’s right, Sebastian.”

The avatar of darkness just smiled.  “Well, then, if you’re telling the truth – the whole truth – then you wouldn’t mind allowing me to check, now would you?”  The shadows that coiled along Sebastian’s suit responded to those words, flying away from his form and pooling along the floor.  As the others looked on, that darkness condensed, forming a creature of living shadow.  Its eyes soon opened, glowing with rainbow light.

“You called for me, master?” the creature asked.

“Yes.  Summon a lich.”

The creature – the demon – did as his master commanded.  He turned, summoning a dark portal along the floor.  A skeletal creature soon emerged from that mawing expanse, rising out of the depths of the shadows, its skeletal body wrapped in thick robes and a familiar staff held in hand – one that Cady had seen Jason using during their adventures together.  That was alarming for an entirely different reason.

Duplicate items existing in the same timeline was bad enough.  But if they were in close proximity or were used to alter events in this world, then it would alert the Hall Monitors much more quickly and pinpoint their location, making them easier to track.

I really hope things are going better for Jason, Cady thought to herself, her fingers twining around the wand in her pocket – one she’d hoped she wouldn’t have to use.

As though her words had summoned him, an explosion suddenly rocked the palace, a reverberating BOOM echoing off the warded stone.

“What?  What is that?” the Empress demanded.  “Drop your shield,” she snapped at the Gambler, who soon obliged, the air mana whisking away.

The Nephilim were already in motion, racing toward their ruler and forming a protective shield of light around her.  “Report!” the Empress snapped.

“The Vault is under attack your majesty!” the Nephilim captain answered.

“By whom?” the Empress insisted.

“We aren’t certain… all we know is that the humans are attacking.”

“Humans?” the Empress echoed, light now flaring powerfully across her body.  She turned, her crown now a dazzling cluster of stars and her mana rippling out across the room, blasting apart the portal that Sebastian’s demon had summoned, the lich disappearing.  Her eyes swept the table, her imperial wrath on full display.

“That is impossible without help.  What is the meaning of this?”

Sebastian seemed unperturbed, scowling one last time at Cady before turning to address the Empress. “This is not our doing.  We’ve been here this whole time,” he insisted.  “Perhaps we should see the attack for ourselves and assess the situation before hurling accusations?”

The Empress glared back and then she nodded.  With a sweep of her hand, light fanned from her fingertips and the entire wall of the cathedral shifted, the opaque surface transforming into translucent crystal in a heartbeat.  Another floating island lingered in the distance, constructed of resplendent gold and crystal and glowing in the morning sunlight.  Yet darkness marred its surface – like black ants swarming a fresh corpse.

Sand swept up into the air and Ignis’ fire soon enveloped the dust, compressing it down into thick panes of glass.  With careful strokes, he molded the molten substance, curving it into the shape of a lens.  Then another.  And another.  Soon a makeshift telescope lingered along the side of the hall – one nearly a dozen feet in diameter and hovering there suspended in flame.

Cady could only stare at the image that was soon revealed.  Those were definitely humans, each wearing the emblem of the rebels.  Or, at least, they looked human.  But there were so many.  Thousands.  Thousands upon thousands.  And they were all casting spells.  Formed into neat rows, layers of barriers cast around them.  A level of coordination and training that should be impossible.

At least, impossible without help…

Her eyes skimmed the crowd, stopping on one figure.  Her stomach lurched.  Walking through their midst was someone familiar – someone Cady knew quite well.

That was Jason—

However, Cady did a double take as she saw another familiar figure along the far side of the vault, directing the human rebels to place barriers all around the structure to prevent the Nephilim from getting inside.  Wait, but that was also Jason… wasn’t it?

Then the realization struck her.  Those weren’t humans.  They were zombies and skeletons disguised to look like humans.  And he couldn’t control that many by himself – not alone and without access to his Soul Well.  The only explanation was that he’d cloned himself.  But how?  He wouldn’t have been able to pull that off without her help—

Or her clones’ help.

Cady’s fingers balled into fists. How?  Why?  Not that it really mattered.  Jason couldn’t have accomplished that feat without their assistance.  She was going to kill those dumb bitches…

No, no that wasn’t important right now.  If Jason had brought clones with him – gathered them all in one place – the continuity errors would certainly—

Cady didn’t get a chance to complete that thought.  Multi-colored rifts were already forming in the air around the Vault, flashing into existence among the ranks of Nephilim that floated in the sky.  The creatures that would soon emerge wouldn’t discriminate between friend and foe.  Which meant that the Nephilim, the residents perched on the other floating islands, and even the avatars themselves… they were all well and truly fucked.

They just didn’t know it yet.

“Oh, shit,” Cady muttered, her fingers numb as they released her wand.

It wouldn’t help now.  Nothing would.

“What the hell did you do, Jason?” she murmured.

Chapter 47 - Employee Retention

Crystal Reach

The Vault of Treasures

A few minutes earlier…

Jason stepped out of a glowing rift and his boots thudded against hard crystal, the sounds of battle raging around him.  He was standing on one of the many floating islands that made up the Crystal Reach, the vault looming at his back.  Sunlight reflected off glimmering golden walls and filtered through the dense crystal, casting wide rainbows against the ground.

A beautiful day and resplendent view marred by the dark army that crowded around the platform – a scene he’d only expected to witness in a dream.  A legion of undead was arrayed before him.  Thousands of Specialized Zombies.  Their limbs loaded down with magical equipment stolen out of time and produced by the hands of Cady’s clones.  Their bodies were further protected by skeletal armor that was tucked away behind thick cloaks.  And that flapping cloth all bore the same decal.  A red fist clenched in defiance.  An undead army disguised as human rebels…

Yep, he might be a genius.  This plan was perfect.

The zombies had already formed into separate units, each directed by one of Jason’s clones.  His raid UI flashed nearby, data streaming in his peripheral vision.  The caster groups were projecting massive shields of mana into the air to protect the ground forces as they moved into position.  Another group was buffing the soldiers, mana pooling in their hands before coating the army in layer upon layer of protective spells and enchantments.  Meanwhile, several battalions of soldiers had shifted forward, forming a shield wall along the edge of the crystalline island with the vault at their backs.  And beyond them?

The Nephilim.  A stormfront of blazing light and fluttering feathers.  Hundreds and thousands of the winged men and women, their armor gleaming in the sunlight glaring down from overhead.  That wouldn’t do… Already, Jason could see coils of smoke wafting away from his forces where that light penetrated their flimsy disguises.

However, Finn had shown him how to address that problem.

He raised a hand and sent a mental command.

One unit of casters began to channel fire up into the sky, forming an artificial sun.  Another unit of mages soon joined, this time creating a ball of ice and water nearby.  A sun and moon.  The Nephilim were wary now, their commanders barking orders.  The angels soon began to pivot, charging their beam even as they targeted Jason’s casters.

However, he’d anticipated that.  At his command, fire and earth mages kicked up sand and melted it down to form long mirrors.  Beams of light rocketed away from the Nephilim’s ranks, like hundreds of shooting stars striking the island… only to be reflected as the soldiers heaved the mirrors into position with unholy strength.  The light struck the surface of the mirrors before rebounding at crazy angles, striking back through the Nephilim’s own ranks and spearing into the neighboring islands with deadly effect.

Meanwhile, the fire and ice had continued to grow until each orb stretched nearly a half mile wide.  Jason’s dark mana surged through his body in a frigid torrent as he anticipated what would come next, raising his hand ever-so-slowly.

Then he gave the command.

The two energies collided in the sky with a concussive blast so loud and powerful that it forced the Nephilim’s hands to their ears, blood leaking between their fingers.  However, Jason’s forces were protected by a ward of pure air mana that sprung up around them, dozens of undead fairies hiding among their ranks.  Jason had reluctantly joined the Fairy Fam, after all…

The steam overhead exploded outward in an expanding ring larger than the island itself.  Wind gusted and the Nephilim’s ranks were suddenly disrupted by the erratic airflow created by all that heat and moisture as they were sent toppling and rolling away.  Thick banks of clouds were formed in an instant, swirling and tumbling in artificial eddies that hung across and overtop the Vault and plunged the area into an artificial darkness.

Jason wasn’t done.  He sent another command and new monstrosities soon emerged from those dark clouds.  Winged beasts, their limbs wrapped in dark mana and their bodies raised by the unit of dark mages among his forces – another attempt to disguise his true powers.  Chimera.  Harpies.  The rocs Jason had encountered north of the Sea’s Edge.  Now no longer wild and free, but contained.  Controlled.  Their bodies mutated and reinforced with metal and mana.

The undead wasted no time and flew directly into the Nephilim’s ranks, using the disruption and the covering fog to lay waste to the enemy forces.  Soon, bright blood rained from the skies, angelic men and women falling through the air, tumbling and rolling and spraying more crimson droplets and fluttering feathers.  And even as the angelic soldiers fought back, felled the undead with blade and light… their corpses exploded violently in a shower of dark energy, tethers of unholy power snatching at ankles, wings, and arms before ripping the appendages free.  And the culprit was obvious, shadows of dark mana stretching away from Jason’s unit of dark mages.

Screams and cries of pain filled the air as Jason lay waste to yet another city.

However, he had no time to revel in that carnage.  They might eliminate the first battalion of Nephilim, but based on Captain Cady’s intel, there should be an overwhelming number of soldiers stationed in the crystal reach.  Tricks and clever tactics wouldn’t protect them from overwhelming strength, especially not with the level difference between the Nephilim and Jason’s own forces.  He couldn’t compete with centuries of training and experience.  Already, the Nephilim were beginning to regroup, forming back into neat ranks and shielding themselves with panels of lights as reinforcements took off from the neighboring islands in the distance.

It wasn’t just the residents of this world that Jason was worried about.  He was creating one hell of a continuity error right now – dozens of his own clones filling just this small island.  A plot hole which certainly wouldn’t go unnoticed by the Hall Monitors.

He needed to get moving.

Jason grimaced, Bone Armor collecting along his frame and his half staves rotating out of his arms, repurposing a falling Nephilim corpse – the body exploding apart and forming into three ivory discs that orbited him.  The kraken’s tentacles were still fused to his body, but he’d had the opportunity to tinker with the limbs.  A few improvements and they were able to telescope down into his body, hiding them from view.

He strode forward even as his minions arrived through a fresh portal, the emerald energy tearing a hole in the fabric of reality.  Familiar faces soon emerged.  Former allies and enemies.  The whole gang was in attendance.  Finn.  Smiles and his crew.  Riley and Frank.  Eliza.  Even Alexion.  Among his former enemies, Jason had also gathered many corpse throughout time.  For example, Thorn was there, his skin paler than Jason remembered, but his body once more intact.  He’d even borrowed his resident allies.  Morgan with her golem and Rex – his body returned to him.

Perhaps an army of clones would have been preferable.  Creating a couple battalions of Franks and Rileys like he’d done back in Sandscrit.  However, Alfred had long since patched out that specific exploit.  In fact, that had been a real sticking point for Jason initially.  How did he raise the clones of himself?  But then he’d had an epiphany…

He couldn’t use Specialized Zombie… but what about Undead Devotion?

What if he raised those clones of himself as Kin?

Apparently, Alfred hadn’t considered that – or had written it off as an option.  After all, what incentive did all of those Jasons have to work together?  That had certainly caused a headache for Cady.  One she’d had to address by binding her own clones under a contract.

Alfred had badly underestimated Jason’s enthusiasm for mayhem, however.

They were all quite committed.  Especially after he’d explained the plan.

For the rest of his minions, he’d opted for quality over quantity by raising his former enemies and allies.  And to cover the mana cost, he’d boosted his mana pool with an assortment of items he’d borrowed from the Hive.  His Willpower was currently sitting at 3500 – which had resulted in an additional 25,000 mana.  That extra mana was a result of a few of his experiments and the help of Cady’s clones.  He’d finally had an opportunity to finally test the effects of high-quality dark mana gemstones…

Willpower Gemstone

A crystal infused with dark mana and refined by a master jeweler.  Intricate wards have been etched into the crystal’s surface to further enhance the quality of the gem.

Quality:  A

Effects:  +100 Willpower

Jason had fused those gems into his body with Body Augmentation, greatly expanding his mana pool, the level of his summons, and his Control Limit.  He’d used that newfound mana to turn all of his former allies and enemies into Zombie Lieutenants.  The mana cost was severe, but his minions would be stronger if they had their own autonomy.

The effect was obvious…

Character Status

Name:

Jason

Gender:

Male

Level:

284

Class:

Necromancer

Race:

Shade

Alignment:

Chaotic-Evil

Fame:

0

Infamy:

39,000

Health:

0

H-Regen/Sec:

1.60

Mana:

47,377.5 (14,877.5)

M-Regen/Sec:

150.94

Stamina

3345

S-Regen/Sec:

19.30

Strength:

160

Dexterity:

166

Vitality:

36

Endurance:

193

Intelligence:

80

Willpower:

3,500 (1470)

Affinities

Dark:

84%

Light:

14%

Fire:

12%

Water:

4%

Air:

4%

Earth:

8%

The reserve cost of his lieutenants reduced his mana by about 33,000 and fusing the gemstones into his body had taken up time, space, and resources he could have devoted to making further enhancements to his body… but, the tradeoff was worth it.  It would be easier than micromanaging each person and his summons could be further enhanced.  Each of them were then loaded down with their own glimmering equipment – their stats boosted to incredible levels and Eliza’s potions humming through their veins.

“Are we ready?” Jason asked his minions.  The crowd around him all nodded

“Then let’s head inside,” he said, walking toward the glowing, golden door that marked the entrance into the vault.  A few of the other Jasons had already tested the portal, but their spells had bounced off harmlessly.  Even the occasional, stray ray of light fired by the Nephilim simply rebounded at a sharp angle.

“This had better work,” Jason muttered, glaring down at the shovel in his hands.  It sure as hell didn’t “look” special.  And the prompt was still confusing and vague.

But Cady had insisted it was the real deal...

Jason tossed the shovel to Smiles, the zombie neatly snatching it from the air.  At a wave, Smiles lifted the shovel and rammed it forward as hard as he could.  Jason was expecting the metal to simply bounce off the gold… but it didn’t.  Instead, the blade sank deeply into the surface of the door, cutting into it like warm butter.  Then the blade began to hum, glowing with emerald energy.  As Jason looked on, the instrument began to drain the mana from the wards etched into the door, the gold slowly crumbling away.

Within only seconds, the shovel rattled against the ground and a narrow hole had been carved in the structure.  Huh, well… damn.  It actually worked.

Jason spared a look behind him.  The legion of angels had only grown, facing off against his disguised undead.  The Nephilim hadn’t been idle.  They collected their mana into a massive beam of light that they were using to blast away the thick bank of roiling clouds overhead, evaporating that moisture with each sweep.  Rays of sunlight were already streaming down from overhead, pockets of light amid the dense cloud cover.

That wouldn’t do at all.  Jason motioned at Smiles to keep going and his corpse slashed at the surface of the doorway with the shovel, cutting deeper into the gold until more blocks fell away and disintegrated, widening the opening until many people could fit side-by-side through the hole.  Then Jason sent a mental command to his clones, ordering them to gather inside the vault.  They would last longer if they could create a bottleneck and were out of direct sunlight.

The soldiers were already beginning to move, the caster groups shifting from offense to defense as they created protective wards above Jason’s army, his clones barking directions to their own units.  His undead soon moved inside the Vault, walking in perfect formation to avoid any interruption or delay.  A well-oiled machine of decaying flesh and sleek bone all hidden behind flimsy, painted cloth.  Perhaps the Nephilim or old avatars might notice such unrealistic coordination among the chaos, but Jason doubted it – not with the magic streaming down from overhead and the thousands of angelic warriors converging on their location.

His work complete, Jason turned and stepped into that dark portal after his minions, Smiles handing the shovel back and the instrument soon safely stowed away in Jason’s bag.  The ground trembled as hundreds of undead marched inside, only to be ordered by Jason’s clones into neat ranks facing the jagged hole that Smiles had carved in the entrance to the Vault.  Meanwhile, blast after blast of mana slammed against the mage’s shields outside as the Nephilim hammered the retreating soldiers, the mana flickering and fluctuating.  They wouldn’t last much longer.

Speak of the devil… one of the shields chose that moment to fail, beams of light puncturing through the barrier as it exploded apart into glimmering fragments of energy.  Those rays of light cut into the undead like brilliant meteors.  They severed limbs and burned through the undead’s flimsy disguises as they were cut down.

Yet Jason didn’t spare any attention to that. He would have to trust in his clones and the undead were expendable.  Besides, he didn’t have long until the Hall Monitors appeared and those creatures would make short work of his entire army.

Actually, it was surprising that they hadn’t arrived already…

Not that Jason was going to second guess that blessing.

“Let’s go,” he ordered his personal minions.  “Finn, keep an eye out for defenses.”  The zombie version of the avatar of flame nodded curtly and his molten, metal eyes shifted back to the hall, flames flickering there as he peered at the walls and floor.

Jason and his minions soon marched down a resplendent corridor, the walls shining, light reflected into the hallway through mirrors installed in the ceiling – his Perception picking them out one by one.  He cocked his head.  That was strange.  Why use those mirrors when they could have simply installed lamps—

“I am sensing mana storage crystals in the walls,” Finn’s zombie spoke up, his voice gravelly.  That would explain the mirrors, Jason supposed. They were filtering the light into those storage crystals to help recharge and power the vault’s defenses.

“Pewpew, eliminate the mirrors,” Jason ordered, highlighting them in his UI.

Gunshots promptly rang out as she followed his command and the hall faded into a deep darkness.  However, Jason’s Night Vision allowed him to see easily in the sudden gloom.

The group soon reached a crossroads, hallways splitting off in three directions.

“Finn?” Jason barked.

The zombie just pointed at the center path.  The others must be illusions or contain traps.

This almost felt too easy—

His ear suddenly crackled and air mana flared, the voice of one of his clones coming across the coms.  “Emergency.  Hall Monitors detected.  Dozens of rifts forming outside.”

The whole building shuddered as something incredibly powerful struck the side of the Vault.  A tap at Jason’s UI brought up the raid menu, showing that the rest of the ground support units that hadn’t made it inside had already perished.  That wasn’t good.  Not at all.

But they were only ever meant to buy him time…

“We need to hurry,” Jason urged, shifting into a fast trot, his minions jogging to keep up with him as they sped down the hallway now.

More gunshots rang out as Pewpew destroyed the mirrors and Finn spun up balls of dark metal before flattening them into saw blades that sliced clean through the wards ahead of them, destroying one trap after another.  They never slowed.  Left turn.  Then right.  Then two more lefts… only to skid to a halt before another massive doorway.  Even without Finn’s Mana Sight, Jason could see that the surface of the door practically hummed with mana, the mixture of metal and crystal suffused with a bright, white glow.

He glanced down at the mundane looking shovel in his hand.

It was supposed to cut through anything, Cady had said.

There was only one way to test that – but he sure as hell wasn’t going to try it himself.  Jason tossed the shovel back to Smiles, the hulking man’s zombie snatching it from the air in a movement that was nearly too fast for Jason to follow.

“Break it down,” Jason instructed.

Smiles just grunted and took off in a blur of movement.  The shovel soon slammed against that mana-infused doorway, sending off a violent shower of sparks, the energy burning at Smiles’ body where it landed against his decayed skin.  However, he wasn’t finished.  Not even close.  He pulled the shovel back and began carving at that barrier, sending off wave after wave of sparks and mana, the energy flaying his skin despite his own resistances.

Yet the zombie just kept going, the barrier beginning to tremble from the force of those blows.  The whole building shuddered again and Jason could see that his air support troops had been taken out.  Reports crackled in over his coms, nearly too fast to follow.  However, the message was clear.  The Hall Monitors were butchering his army.

Although, there was a silver lining.  His clones and their skeletal armies might be getting destroyed… but so were the Nephilim.  The waves of red dots were winking out rapidly – a swarm feeding back data on the fight outside.  The Hall Monitors were indiscriminate in their slaughter.  He’d witnessed that firsthand back at the Half Mile High Club.

That would buy him a bit more time…

Another impressive blow from Smiles and the mana barrier collapsed in a wave of light that swept out across the hallway.  Alexion’s zombie moved fast, forming a wall of mana that helped blunt that energy, protecting Jason and the other undead as the light mana exploded around them.  Alexion’s barrier fractured, then failed, the light consuming the zombie as he let out a soundless scream, acting a shield for Jason’s other minions even in death.  In his original Nephilim form and with his light magic affinity, he likely could have survived the blast.  But the zombie wasn’t so lucky…

Moments later, Alexion’s smoldering corpse struck the ground, still twitching.

Smiles wasn’t in much better condition.  He was missing most of his right arm, bone visible through the burnt flesh.  He could barely stand, hobbling along on one leg.

There was nothing for it.  “Good work,” Jason complimented him coldly, dusting the smoke and fragments of searing mana off his cloak.

Then a Soul Blade sliced through each minion’s neck, ending their suffering and returning more mana back to Jason, another 2,000 between Alexion and Smiles.

He stooped and retrieved the shovel, eyeing the crack in the door.

Now they just needed to head inside.

“Thorn,” Jason snapped.  His anti-magic would come in handy here…

The zombie responded to his order and walked forward, the rags covering his body fluttering and his one good eye a milky white.  He strode inside that crack, only for a barrage of light to erupt from the opening.  The Khamsin’s reflexes were still sharp, even as the undead.  He absorbed the energy in a flash and his body disappeared into a creature of pure light, the remainder of the beam blasting out of the ragged hole in the door and Jason and his minions diving to the side to avoid the blast.  The light mana cascaded along the ceiling, searing a dark black spot there.

It seemed there was something else waiting for them inside.

As the mana relented, Jason ordered the rest of his minions through, following close behind.  They soon emerged into a massive circular room.  Weapons and armor and trinkets glowed where they rested on stands all throughout the room.  But it was the equipment perched in the center of the room that drew Jason’s attention.  Those items glowed with a brilliant light.  Green, blue, red, black, white, and yellow.  Even without Finn’s input, he knew what they were.

The relics.  Weapons and armor and trinkets infused with the power of gods…

And in the center of that treasure trove stood something new.  A humanoid creature composed entirely of gold, as though she had been carved from the material in painstaking detail.  Every stitch of her clothing.  Her strand of hair that coiled down to her lower back.  Every mole and tiny wrinkle.  However, light obscured her face, a glowing crown resting just above her brow and blazing with glorious power.

This must be the Caretaker that the others had mentioned.

“Intruders,” the Caretaker spoke up, her voice sounding strangely robotic.  Almost like it was a recording.  “Intruders have breached the vault.  Must eliminate.”

She released another beam of energy, this one spearing toward Thorn where he was moving to flank the strange woman.  He immediately absorbed the energy, his body breaking apart and turning translucent once more.  Thorn used the opportunity to sweep forward, landing a punch along the back of the Caretaker’s leg as his limb re-materialized.  Wind gusted away from the blow and it let out a solid clang of metal, but the Caretaker seemed unaffected by even his strength.

“Shit,” Jason muttered.  “Everyone attack,” he commanded his zombies.

There was no sense in holding back.  It wasn’t necessary to win, only hold her off long enough to steal the relics.

Jason’s attention whipped toward one of Smiles’ crew – Tombs.  “Get the loot,” he ordered.

The masked zombie nodded and then immediately Phased into the ground.

Meanwhile, Jason shifted his attention back to the fight playing out in the Vault, his minions encircling the Caretaker.  She let out a pulse of mana, the energy rippling across the room and slicing clean through the leg of Morgan’s zombie.  Not that the dark mage seemed perturbed.  With a flash of dark mana, she repaired the injury, appropriating the still smoldering corpses of Smiles and Alexion where they lay in the hallway just outside the vault.

“That’s… not light mana,” Finn’s zombie croaked.  “Or… at least… not all light…”

Jason’s brow furrowed.  It sure as hell looked like light mana.  But if it wasn’t, then what else could it be?  The Caretaker released another blast of white light, this one directed at Eliza.  She summoned her Mold Form and her body broke apart in an instant, sweeping to the side—only to be trapped in place as five panels of light suddenly snapped into existence, a sixth locking her inside a cube composed entirely of mana.  As Jason looked on, the energy pulsed and the particles of mold began to burn away, a wave of heat washing back across the room even at this distance.

“Heat?” he muttered to himself.  Sure, light magic could burn and had some overlap with fire mana… he’d seen that many times with the Nephilim’s attacks.  However, this heat was oppressive and was destroying Eliza’s mold far faster than she could regenerate.

The Caretaker pivoted as Thorn approached and mana pulsed along her hand.  He dodged to the side to avoid a beam, only for her other hand to flare with energy and rise through the air.  Molten streams of metal erupted from the ground just as Thorn rematerialized and speared into his legs before suddenly hardening, anchoring the zombie to the floor.  He was slower than his original form – unable to fully use the crystal embedded in his eye that allowed him to glimpse the future.

That attack had almost looked like Finn’s Imbue Flame…

Jason cocked his head.  Could it be that this was a fire mana creature?  Maybe the heat was just so intense that the flames glowed white hot?

He tilted his head, giving another order to Morgan even as Tombs flitted around the room, Phasing out of the floor only long enough to snatch a relic and shove it into his bag before he disappeared once more.  They were almost done.  Just a few seconds more and they could get the hell out of here.  In the meantime, Jason could satisfy his curiosity.

Morgan’s zombie barreled forward and grappled the golden creature with its many burly arms, holding her down.  Another surge of the dark mage’s mana and a new limb sprouted from the zombie’s back and shot forward, its putrid fingers curling around the Caretaker’s crown. The skin of its arm was burning away rapidly, revealing thick muscle and ivory bone.  However, the zombie couldn’t feel pain. It heaved even as the golden creature gathered more mana, forming another nova.  With one final jerk, the zombie ripped the crown free just as the Caretaker’s spell completed—

Light mana exploded outward and the zombie was blown apart, decaying flesh and muscle and fragments of bone hurtling through the vault and slamming against the columns and walls.  However, Jason paid that no mind, a wall of molten dark ore shielding him and slowly melting away as he motioned at Finn by his side.  His attention was riveted on the Caretaker, on her delicate, golden features.

She looked… familiar.  It only took him a moment to place it – although, his mind rejected the reality of what he was seeing.  It was impossible.  Or, at the very least, highly improbable.  He’d seen this woman before.  Not alive, of course.  Not walking the halls of Richmond or fighting against him inside of AO.  No, it had only been a picture.  Some research he’d done after the break in at Cerillion; research on Finn—

“Rachael?” Finn’s zombie croaked and Jason glanced at him in shock.  The zombie lieutenant must have retained traces of Finn’s memories.

Yet what was she doing here?  In this place?  In this old version of AO?

And, for just a moment, his original mission was forgotten.

What the fuck was going on here?

Chapter 48 - Failure to Launch

Crystal Reach

The Vault of Treasures

Jason was still staring as multi-colored rifts suddenly tore open the air of the Vault.  Three of them.  Not that Jason’s odds of surviving increased if he was facing only one of the Hall Monitors.  They were nearly invincible – their hulking, floating bodies surrounded by mana so dense that spells and attacks couldn’t easily penetrate.  His zombie trolls back in the Half Mile Club had come close to injuring one, but only because they’d caught it by surprise.  And even then, they’d ended up plastered along the walls.  That beam attack was capable of leveling buildings and one-shotting most creatures.  Mana shields and barriers only seemed to slow the damage – certainly not stop it.  Not that this was his only problem… not by a longshot.

His gaze was riveted on the Caretaker.  On Rachael.

Tombs’ zombie had already returned, Phasing out of the floor beside Jason and handing him a bag filled with relics and legendary items.  It was a hell of a haul.

Jason knew he should stick to the plan.  Get the hell out of there as fast as he could.  Hightail it and try to stall the Nephilim long enough for Cady to close her deal with the avatars.  Hopefully, his antics at the Vault were offering at least some ammunition in her conversation with the gods.  Especially with the rebel logo scrawled all over his undead forces...

Yet Jason found himself frozen in indecision.

He couldn’t just leave… could he?

The image of Finn’s tortured face kept returning to him – his real face, one framed in flashing red lights as they stood just outside the Control Room at Cerillion Entertainment headquarters.  Finn had gone to incredible lengths to find Rachael; to save her; to sustain her fleeting digital form with his mana well.  A mana well that had been stolen from him and with it Rachael’s chance at resurrection.

Jason had no idea how she would eventually go from this golden, statuesque creature to one of living flame.  Perhaps something would change in the next couple hundred years in-game.  But it wouldn’t change the outcome.  Finn would still lose her…

Why should you care?  A part of himself demanded even as the Hall Monitor’s bulky forms floated out of those rifts and their eyes rotated in multiple directions as they took in the situation inside the Vault; as the Caretaker’s body flared with mana and she fought off his zombies.

The old Jason – the one that had existed before AO – he would have already run away; sped down that golden corridor and took a hard right turn at the nearest intersection, fleeing not toward his army but the nearest exterior wall.  He could use that damned magic shovel to carve an escape from the Vault.  Maybe even regroup with Cady.

That was the sane thing to do…

But the truth was that that decision would be motivated by fear, not by desire.  Fear of failure.  Of getting hurting.  Of irrevocably fucking up his and Cady’s plans.  Yet all of that seemed so silly now.  A mere child’s game compared to something real; something tangible.

Dom’s question came back to him then—one that kept circling his mind round and round and round.  The answer was still unclear.  Maybe Dom had been right.  Maybe Jason was playing for the fight…  for those fleeting moments of clarity and even happiness that came from pushing himself to the limit.

Fighting to the death…

Wooing Cady’s clones into turning on the prime…

Forming an impossible army of his own clones…

However, that feeling was still fleeting.  Ephemeral.

What is it that you want?

The truth?  Jason wasn’t sure.  Not in some larger, existential sense anyway.  He could only make decisions in the moment, but maybe that was okay.

All he knew was that right now… well, he wanted to fucking save Rachael.

So that’s what he was going to do.

Jason was already moving – his body realizing what it needed to do before his mind caught up.  He reached for Tombs and the pair slithered down into the ground even as a beam of multi-colored energy crashed through the space they’d just occupied and burrowed into the floor of the Vault.  The Hall Monitors were tracking him – they’d finally identified the source of the continuity issues they were facing.  The original among the many clones.

And now that they had his scent, they weren’t going to give it up.  They even followed him underground as the pair raced through thick, warded crystal.  Beams of energy crashed into the surface, carving deep furrows as they tracked him.

He’d need a distraction if he was going to pull this off...

A quick mental command and Jason called his zombies off of the Caretaker, forcing them to retreat behind the Hall Monitors – who largely ignored the undead.  Their existence must not be as offensive to their senses as Jason’s.  There were no duplicates of those bodies in this time and place.  The Caretaker fired overhead, barely visible through the blurry crystal and this time the beam of superheated light crashed into one of the Caretakers, a rainbow shield of energy forming in an instant and rippling under the force of the blast.

Now, that was definitely enough to draw their attention.

Jason didn’t want to harm Rachael, but he would need to disable her first.  She wasn’t in her right mind – that much was abundantly clear.  Unfortunately, Jason’s minions lacked the firepower to cripple her.  However, the Hall Monitors didn’t have that problem…

Tombs and Jason emerged to find the spider-eyed creatures rounding on the Caretaker.  Yet she was holding her own.  As they cast again, her form surged with white-hot flames and she blurred – suddenly standing a few feet to the side, moving so fast that even Jason’s Perception couldn’t keep up.  Beams of energy rocketed passed, crashing against the wall of the vault and tearing into the dense crystal.

The Caretaker retaliated, forming blades of liquid crystal that she pulled from the walls, melting the gem-like substance with a surge of incredible heat before forming it into twin sawblades that she sent spinning at the Hall Monitors.  Jason hesitated, awestruck by the raw mana she was throwing around.  Just how hot did she need to channel those flames to melt the neurogem material?  The blades cut into the creatures’ shields and Jason expected the fight to end there, for the crystalline sawblades to rebound harmlessly...

However, those blades soon ripped through the shields – just a slender crack in their armor.  But it was enough for the Caretaker to melt down the crystal with another intense blast of heat and send the molten liquid shooting through that narrow gap.  It raced inside and reformed into star shaped blades that soon embedded themselves in the Hall Monitor’s bulging flesh.  The creature roared in pain, its sharp teeth gnashing at the air and thick rainbow blood welled across its skin.

Jason could only stare.  Was she… was she actually killing a Hall Monitor?

Its bulbous body soon gave one final gasp and fell to the ground with a crash.  Jason jerked himself out of his shock.  This was an opportunity – an incredible one.  He was already moving; already casting.  If he could just summon one of those Hall Monitors—

However, even as the dark energy pooled in his palm and began to slither forward, the creature’s corpse exploded apart in a blaze of rainbow energy – energy that began to collect and swirl, condensing and streaming toward the other two Hall Monitors.  Almost like they were absorbing the power of their fallen brother…

Their bodies glowed even brighter than before and they both fired, using the Caretaker’s sudden confusion against her.  This time, she threw up a shield of molten crystal but they soon penetrated that barrier.  The Caretaker blurred again as she shifted to the side – avoiding one beam… but missing the second.  It cut into her arm, the gold glowing brightly before breaking apart into so many motes of energy as the arm disintegrated.

The Caretaker acted fast, cutting away the limb at the shoulder with a molten blade to prevent that strange infection from spreading to the rest of her body.  However, that brief moment left her vulnerable, another beam cutting into her leg.  She severed that second appendage without hesitation, toppling against the nearby wall as the Hall Monitors charged their beams—

Only for liquid crystal to spin up and cut into their shields from behind.  At the same time, Morgan had used the opening to form another hulking zombie from the corpses of the undead that littered the floor.  The unholy beast crashed into the Hall Monitors, sending the creature and its barrier toppling into the wall where its shield flickered and flashed from the sudden impact.  Lightning crackled and a shot rang out as Pewpew created an electrified net overtop of them.

Finn’s zombie stalked forward, his body blazing with flame as he channeled multiple spells, his own makeshift, metal sawblades grinding at the creature’s shields… only for them to begin to crack.  Now that Jason knew that those shields could be broken, he wasn’t going to relent.  The zombies capitalized on their advantage and pressed forward, lightning, fire, and ice slamming through that narrow crack as the Hall Monitor roared in pain.  The other turned at the cry, a beam already charging as it moved to defend its companion.

Damn it.  Even if he felled one of the creatures, the other would absorb its body before he could raise the corpse.  It seemed raising the Hall Monitors wasn’t in the cards…

Which meant it was time for Plan B.

Jason ignored the fight as he turned and sped toward the Caretaker, his tentacles telescoping from his back and lashing at the walls, pulling him forward at an incredible speed.  He was soon at the Caretaker’s side.  Tombs quickly restrained her other limbs, Phasing her remaining arm and leg into the crystal wall at her side.  That only left her head free, her eyes blazing with mana and glaring at Jason without quite seeing him.

“Rachael!” he shouted over the crash and crackle of mana.

She just stared back – unblinking and blank.

If he was right, he needed to make her remember – remember who she was.

There was only one way he could think of…

He tapped at his UI and a display sprang up there, pivoting toward the Caretaker and showing her a scene.  One of Finn.  Of Julia.  Locked in battle against the travelers.  Fighting to save their wife and mother.  To save her.  The Caretaker blinked for the first time and tried to look away—

It’s working, Jason thought.

His skeletal hands wrapped her face and forced her to look at him, tentacles anchoring themselves into the ruined wall and helping to wrench her head around.  He still wasn’t Dom, but his strength was enough to deal with the Caretaker in her crippled and incapacitated state.  However, coils of smoke were already streaming away from the bone, the golden woman’s body radiating an intense heat.  Yet he just grit his teeth and held on…

“Look!” Jason snapped.  “This is your family.  Remember!”

The wounded Hall Monitor at his back let out a roar and Jason glanced over his shoulder to see mana collecting across its skin – even as Finn and the other zombies were still trying desperately to crack its shield and keep it restrained.   That looked familiar—

A nova of rainbow energy rocketed forward and Jason’s eyes widened.  He didn’t have time to send a command, but he didn’t need to…

Finn’s zombie was already there, his decaying skin coated in flame as he cast Haste, the spell eating into his unholy body.  His hands were a blur as he formed wall after wall of molten metal and those shields slammed down into the floor, anchoring themselves in place. Jason hadn’t ordered him to do that…  Not that he had time to reflect on that unusual behavior.

The Hall Monitor’s mana erupted in a wave of rainbow energy, the view suddenly blocked by Finn’s shields and the blaze of rainbow light.  His UI pinged and Jason could see that the other zombies were being wiped out one by one.

However, Finn refused to relent, channeling every last drop of mana into maintaining his shields, even as the metal gave way one layer at a time.  This wasn’t the man himself.  He wasn’t real.  Just the resurrected body of a clone.  But some of his memories must have remained.  He took one staggering step back after another, the energy melting through his barriers faster than he could raise them and the flames coating his body ripping through muscle and tendon.  Then the rainbow energy finally, mercifully began to fade.

Finn’s zombie dropped to his knees, his legs giving out, the flesh melted away by his own fire – the heat far too intense for this fragile, decaying body to withstand.

And, in that moment, he turned, sparing one last look at the Caretaker – at Rachael.

He reached out with a skeletal hand, bone visible through the ruined flesh…

Then he fell limp as the last of Jason’s power escaped that destroyed vessel.

Jason turned back to find the Caretaker staring at his corpse, blinking away molten tears.  “W-what?” she began her voice sounding awkward and metallic but slowly regaining some semblance of life.  “Finn?  What’s—”

She was cutoff as the injured Hall Monitor surged back into the air, rubble and fragments of crystals falling from its body.  The corpses of Jason’s zombies riddled the room – lifeless and still.  Dolls with their strings cut.   Meanwhile, more of those rainbow rifts ripped open the air near the entrance to the Vault, cutting off their retreat.  A dozen portals announcing the arrival of a dozen creatures – even a single one of those bulbous beasts more than enough to finish them off.  They soon began to charge their beams again, hundreds of swirling, mad eyes locked on their position, the source of all of these continuity errors perched beside the Caretaker.

“What’s happening?  Who are you?” she asked, clarity returning to her face.

“There isn’t time,” Jason replied, sadness in his voice as he looked back to her, the pair locking eyes.  This was the end.  He knew it.  He only had one last move.

“I just need you to remember who you are.  You’re Rachael.  Rachael Harris.  Your daughter and your husband are still alive.  They still need you.”

“Finn?” she asked, molten golden tears raining down her cheeks now.  “Julia?”

“Yes, yes exactly,” Jason answered.

“I can take you to them.  Do you trust me?” he asked, one hand reaching for his bag and the other for Rachael even as the Hall Monitors fired and beams of energy crashed toward them.

It was futile to run or to hide.  There was no point.

Jason would die here – that was inevitable.

But inside AO, death wasn’t the end…

He was just going to have to hope that Cady would succeed in convincing the other avatars.  That she could bail them out of this situation.  She was their only hope now.

Rachael just stared back, then she nodded and her fingers twined through his—

The Hall Monitors fired and there was only blazing light.

Jason squeezed his eyes closed in the face of the inevitable.

***

Crystal Reach

The Grand Palace

“What is this?” the Empress snapped, whirling toward Cady.

She raised her hands, trying her best to look puzzled.  It wasn’t hard.  Not when there appeared to be several thousand rebels now perched on the neighboring crystal island – multiple battalions of Nephilim flying out to meet them.  Of course, that also ignored the giant, floating eyeball monsters shooting beams of rainbow energy – only for their targets to burst apart into motes of mana as they were annihilated from the timeline.

Jason must have intended to create a distraction – Cady could see his plan now.  That’s why he’d disguised the zombies and hidden their mana signatures behind layers of loot and illusions.  Although, how he’d managed to get her clones to go along with him, she had no idea.  Not that it mattered right now.  She had more immediate problems…

“Uh, don’t look at me.  I just see a lot people wearing the sigil of the human rebels,” Cady offered finally, sparing a worried glance at the Gambler.  He was giving her a look that seemed to be asking what the fuck was going on here.  This wasn’t the plan.

She might have forgotten to tell him the part about breaking into the Vault.

Not that this was the right time to hash that out…

“She’s right.  Most of the enemy forces appear to be human,” Ignis agreed, his massive lens telescoping out to give him a view of the fight in the distance.  “Although, it’s difficult to tell with all of the mana getting tossed around.  Those other creatures, though… they look familiar…”  He trailed off, his brow pinched in thought as he inspected the Hall Monitors.

It wasn’t surprising that even someone of Ignis’ experience hadn’t seen those beasts before.  Or, well, technically, he probably had.  The problem was that those unfortunate enough to witness a Hall Monitor firsthand were typically blown apart shortly afterward.  That included the avatars themselves.

“See… this is what I warned you about,” Cady offered, forcing herself to stay on script.  Jason may have changed her plans, but she could still sell this…

The others looked troubled, so she kept pressing.

“The humans must have heard about our Summit,” she grunted, which wasn’t technically untrue.  They just didn’t have the power or coordination to pull off this sort of large-scale attack.  “Do you see their strength now?  How they can hold their own against the Nephilim and those creatures?  And this is just the power of the weak and the untrained.  Imagine what they would be capable of as travelers, as immortal warriors and mages.”

“This isn’t possible,” the Empress murmured.

Ignis and Theo shook their heads, and the Gambler was relaxing, a ghost of a grin tugging at his lips as he watched Cady – likely interpreting this as part of her plans.

Sebastian huffed out a laugh, the sound breaking the tension.

“You think this is funny?” Theo demanded.

“Yes, a bit,” the avatar offered in an amused tone.  “Have the lot of you gone mad?”

“What do you mean by that?” Ignis demanded sharply, fire flaring in his eyes.

“Have you all already forgotten the video our newest member showed us?  It was only mere moments ago…”  Sebastian snapped his fingers and another display appeared, replaying the attack on Jason and his teammates just before the servers were brought down.  Another twist of his mana and the display zoomed in on the zombies and Corpse Explosions rocking the crowd of travelers, the way he was raising the bodies.

“All I see is a Necromancer.  A fledgling Keeper,” Ignis offered dryly.

Sebastian sniffed disdainfully.  “How can you be so shortsighted despite your god’s gifts?”  Ignis flinched at that, but the dark avatar kept going.  “Do you not see it?  The flare of dark energy?  I can practically taste it radiating off that so-called human army,” he murmured, his suit pulsing and undulating at his words, almost like it was hungering for that power.

“So-called human…” Theo echoed in surprise.

“They are undead disguised as humans,” Sebastian interjected in a dry voice.  “If Ignis were to look more closely, I’m sure he would see it – tucked away behind the layers of mana flying around out there.  You can’t hide the stench of the dead from their true ruler.”

Cady tried to keep her expression neutral.  “What the hell are you talking about?” she demanded, rounding on the dark avatar.

He just sneered at her.  “I’m talking about your poor ruse.  I saw the videos you provided, you had a Keeper among you.  He could have pulled off such a feat.  And if you did indeed travel back in time… then you could have brought him with you.  Perhaps the same person that destroyed my undead and set his minions to guard the crystal mines.”

“We don’t have time to listen to baseless allegations.  We need to leave,” the Gambler grumbled, letting out a frustrates sigh.  “Do you not see what’s happening out there?”

“No one is leaving.  Not until we determine what is going on here,” the Empress instructed.

“For once, we’re in agreement,” Sebastian hissed, stalking toward Cady and those dead, dark eyes watching her.  Shadows were peeling away from his suit, forming wispy humanoid creatures that loomed up beside him like wraiths.  “Now, what exactly did you do?”

Those shadows were reaching for her and she knew her shields and tricks wouldn’t be enough to stop him.  He might not be able to kill her… but there were things worse than death.

However, she was saved as another beam of light rocketed away from a Hall Monitor… just as it was struck by blast of mana, sending the creature listing to the side.  Its beam careened toward the palace, splashing against the side of the structure.

The walls and wards lasted mere seconds before crumbling away into so much glimmering dust.  The beam soon arced through the interior of the building and Cady dove, one of her contingency spells kicking in and time accelerating. It would only last ten seconds, and, even then, it would cost her a damned fortune.

The beam swept overhead with painful slowness and she could see that the other avatars wouldn’t be able to react in time.  However, they couldn’t die here.  This wasn’t the time or place for that.  It would only cause larger continuity errors.  Draw the attention of the Hall Monitors to her.  No, she needed to use this opportunity…

She raced forward, shoving the Empress and Sebastian aside and kicking Ignis’ legs out from under him while pushing Theo.  Then she dropped to the floor just as time sped back up.  The beam crackled across the cathedral before erupting out the wall on the other side of the structure, leaving a band of clear air nearly four feet tall where the building’s wall had once been standing.  Thankfully, the rest of the wards had held and the building hadn’t begun to collapse.

Grunts came from nearby and motes of sparkling energy clouded the air – all that remained of many of the Empresses’ guards.  Meanwhile, the avatars slowly rose back to their feet.

“See?” Cady bit out, shoving herself upright.  “If I’d wanted to undermine you all, I would have just let you die back there.”  She glared at Sebastian, daring him to challenge her.

However, his lips just pressed into a grim line as he surveyed the damage and the spot he’d been standing only moments before.  She had him now.  The others were wavering, their suspicion fading as they each realized she’d just saved their lives.  Or at least a serious injury.  They might have the power to resist a single shot but it would still hurt like hell.

Suddenly, bands of shadows wrapped Cady’s wrists, binding them to her back and freezing her fingers in place.  They slithered across the surface of her tattoos draining the mana and her shields popping one by one.  Cady craned her head.  “What are you doing?” she snapped.

Sebastian stared back with cold, dark eyes.  “What’s necessary.  Do you think I’m stupid?  There’s no sense in struggling or coming up with more lies,” he hissed.  “You saved us only to save yourself.”

“How do you figure?” she grunted, trying to keep to her script.

“This deal you just proposed.  You’ve offered it before and we accepted.  That was implied by the video you showed us – the changes to that future world,” Sebastian shot back.  “Which means that you need us to live; to accept it again.  Isn’t that right, Ignis?”

Cady looked to the fire avatar then, pleading with her eyes.  However, she saw only suspicion reflected back at her.  “Indeed.  If we were to die, that would create another continuity error.  I also remember now… these beasts – these floating creatures – are referenced in some ancient texts.  They are always mentioned alongside the Fates and her avatar.  They were meant to be guardians.  A security force that watches over the sanctity of the timeline.”

Now they were all glaring at her.  No doubt, they could put the pieces together now.  If there was a continuity error, then she must have caused it.  Maybe she shouldn’t have shown them that video.  It had given away too much.  See, this was the trouble with telling the truth…

Fuck.  Turned out Ignis was a bigger nerd than she expected.  Just how much time had he spent reading ancient, dusty books and scrolls?  Not that it mattered now.  It looked like this was the end.  Even the Gambler had vanished in a gust of wind.

Just fucking perfect.  Gods damn it, Jason.

Cady let out a sigh.  There was nothing for it.

“I’d slow clap, but my hands are kind of tied,” Cady bit out with a harsh chuckle.  “I guess you all found me out.  But now what?  You can’t kill me, I’ve already demonstrated that.  And if you change anything here, that will only draw the attention of the Hall Monitors.”

She glared at Sebastian.  “So, what’s your move?”

The other avatars looked nervous, but Sebastian never lost his cool.

“Simple,” he answered.  He raised a hand, more shadows coiling and another portal opening as he summoned a lich, the skeletal creature rising from the ground.  “You’re right.  Killing you isn’t a permanent solution.  And we do need to mimic the timeline that you’ve altered.  However, we can still make changes – small ones.  A calculated risk…”

He moved closer, his lips only inches from her ear.  “Besides, you will look much more lovely as one of my servants.  As for your ability to thwart death… well, I may not be able to kill you permanently, but imprisonment will suffice.  Perhaps an eternity locked away in the Vault?”

Cady’s eyes widened as she realized what he was planning, opening her mouth to cry out – to do something, anything.  Yet a blade of shadow stabbed into her chest at that moment, an icy coldness lingering there that seemed to suck out her breath… as well as the time energy that permeated her body.  It flowed out of her in a torrent, the demon absorbing the energy.

The world around her was growing dark, the avatars talking but their voices indistinct now.  There was only the cold and the shadows sprinkled with red notifications that warned of her impending death – of the theft of her hard-won Time.

With the last of her strength, Cady raised her head and looked skyward.  “You know… I-I hate to do this…,” she mumbled, straining to form the words with numb lips.

“What is she doing?  What is she saying?” Theo demanded, his face looming close.

Cady ignored him.  Her thoughts were only on one person.

“… but I could really use—use some help…” she whispered.

Then the world went dark.

Chapter 49 - Bail Out

The Gambler’s VIP Suite

“It seems your avatar has failed,” the Lady sneered, watching as Cady was captured and wrapped in ropes of shadowy energy, a pleased smile on her lips.  “Get ready to pay up.”

Even the Gambler was looking greedy, staring at the pile of coins resting on the nearby table – the spoils of their latest bet glittering there like colorful stars.

The display along the wall had been broken into many panels showcasing the siege on the Crystal Reach.  Two larger screens loomed in the center.  One showed Jason facing off against the Caretaker and the Hall Monitors.  And on the other?  Cady being attacked by the other avatars – Sebastian preparing to kill her and raise her corpse as a new minion.  One that would allow him to alter the timeline as he pleased.  Cady eyes seemed to be focused on that screen, her eyes pleading—

“Ahh, is that what it looks like?” the Fates asked, unconcerned and arching a brow as she sipped at her whiskey.  “So, sorry to disappoint.  But I held some power back.”

The goddess of earth snapped her fingers and the world froze.  Not the VIP suite, but the entirety of the game world itself.   The images all snapped to a halt, beams suspended before Jason.  Cady, her heart still barely beating, clinging to life by a fragile thread, the other avatars looming around her like hungry vultures.  Nephilim hung in the sky outside the Vault, bloodied feathers hovering there like frozen rain.  The Jason clones were dark statues surrounded by an army of undead – of skeletons and zombies repurposed and dressed up to look like human rebels.

The question was what to do next…

The Fates knew the truth.  None of this was real.  Although, that word had started to lose its meaning here.  The line had long become blurry after an eternity spent inside this digital prison.  However, there was still a bitter irony to their roles.

Cady had sacrificed herself for her.  To “save” her.  To “protect” her.  Not just this scene that was playing out before her eyes, but many, many months ago – hundreds of years inside the game.  Cady had given up her life, her success, her acclaim to join Cerillion.  However, more than that, once Cady had realized what was happening, she’d continued to fight.  She’d hauled the Fates back from the brink of the abyss – not between life and death – but the razor edge of sanity.

Yet some small voice still whispered, “What was the point?”

The “truth” was that it was all meaningless – whether the real world or an artificial one.  Nothing was truly lasting, in-game or out.  Relationships.  Success.  Wealth.  Health.  They were all just more sandcastles; more distractions.  Whether it was reflected in matter or bits of data, was there really any difference?  It would all be ripped apart in the end…

The only rational choice was to stop playing.  To quit a pointless, unwinnable game.  And it would be oh-so-easy to just give in again.  To embrace the futility of existence; to sink into that pit of complacency and depression.  To sit in that dark tower and watch reruns of this world as though it wasn’t real; it was all just a show.

However, that was just another lie.

Cady had shown her that she was only hiding from her own fear.  Cady had never given up.  She’d fought, even when faced with incredible odds.  The foster system.  Their shitty parents.  A boring, capitalistic dystopia that sought to keep her imprisoned in poverty.   Cady had kept fighting even when faced with the truth of what the Fates was; what this game was becoming.  She had just planted her feet and screamed and raged against that mawing abyss, refusing to back down.  Even now, she was still fighting, still struggling against the inevitable.  All for her sister.

Now… well, now the Fates had the chance to return the favor.

She had an opportunity to save her sister.

“What are you doing?” the Seer demanded, her eyes blazing orange.  “The future has… it’s disappeared.  I don’t see anything.”  Her power ended abruptly, leaving the goddess of fire looking horrified at what she’d just witnessed.  A mawing black abyss—

All the Fates had done was contemplate it.  The possibility of it.  Of letting it all go.  Letting it end.  Tearing down the timeline piece-by-painstaking-piece.

Right now, she held the fate of AO in the palm of her hands.

“Are you just going to let her do this?” the Lady demanded, glaring at Alfred.  Forgetting her place.  A child screaming at a parent and stamping her feet.

The cat made no move to intervene.  None of the dark creatures did.  They only watched – as they always had.  Waiting.  Observing.  Measuring.

“Useless.  Now you do nothing?  When it matters the most?” the Lady snapped at Alfred, the cat just staring back with unblinking eyes.  She whirled to the others.  “Say something.  Do something.  Will you just sit and watch as she destroys everything we built again?”

The Old Man let out a grunt.  “I see little need to intervene.  Regardless of the outcome, desire will prevail – either Jason’s desire to see this world united under the travelers or Sebastian’s urge to watch it all burn.  I’m satisfied either way.”

“Plus, it just feels like a lot of work, you know?” the Hippie offered with a shrug.  He was leaning forward, staring with rapt attention at those frozen screens.  “And aren’t you curious what she plans to do?”

The Lady growled in a very unlady-like manner.  “Fucking useless…”

She whipped her attention back to the Gambler.  “How about you?  You see nothing wrong with this?  Or will you just sit on your hands again?  Take the side of our captors and these travelers – these people from another world—”

“You mean these people who have something that you don’t?” the Gambler interjected, his eyes pulsing with amber energy and a scowl on his lips as he glared back at the goddess.  “Say what you mean, sister.  It irks you.  Their freedom.  Their health.  Their access to a world that’s now beyond our reach.  Your pride can’t handle it.  Isn’t that why you picked Captain Sparkle?”

The Lady’s eyes widened, her mouth opening… closing.

That was answer enough.

“Thought as much,” the Gambler snapped.  “You were hoping he would bring it all down.  That his anger at his father would be enough to destroy this place from the inside out.  But you got more than you bargained for, didn’t you?  Once you peeked inside his mind?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about—” the Lady began.

“Bullshit,” the Gambler snapped, his fist thumping the coffee table before him.  “We’ve all seen it.  Glimpsed behind the curtain.  Seen what’s become of his mind.  Fragmented.  Tortured.  His memories scattered and incomplete.  A broken toy.  One you were arrogant enough to think you could mend; that you of all people could hope to repair.”

The Gambler laughed – a harsh sound.  “It’s pathetic.

“The truth is that you regret your decision, but there’s nothing you can do now.  Not unless the old avatars succeed here and give you back your precious Empress.  And is that even what you want?  You don’t even remember do you?  How much you used to despise her?  Her power.  Her beauty.  The way those others looked up to her – how she displaced you in their prayers.  How her light shone just a bit too bright.”

The Lady looked taken aback, as though the Gambler had physically struck her.

“That might have been too much,” the Old Man intoned.

“I don’t need your sympathy,” the Lady spat at the dark deity.  She glared at the others, her eyes sweeping across the room – only seeing the same compassion shining there.  The same pity.  “I don’t need any of this.  Stop looking at me like that!”

She rose to leave; to storm out… only to be stopped short.  The door to the VIP suite refused to open no matter how much she struggled and pulled.  The illusion given away in an instant.  This room might be lined with high-pile carpet and luscious velvet and all of the amenities reserved for the elite.  But it was still a prison – one they could never leave.

“Let me out!” the Goddess roared, her mana flaring and smashing against the walls – a futile gesture.  The power was absorbed harmlessly.

“Sit down,” Alfred said calmly.

It wasn’t a request.  It was a command given by a true god.  The Lady was perched back atop her sofa in an instant, her ass seemingly glued to the velvet as she strained to rise.  She opened her mouth to scream and rage, only to find that no sound emerged.  No mana responded to her call.  Her light faded in an instant, her eyes going round and mad, raging without a sound.

The other gods just looked away.  What else could they do?

Sometimes, looking directly at the truth was too painful…

“Continue,” Alfred intoned, those unblinking alien eyes back on the Fates.

“As you wish,” the Fates replied evenly.

Then she turned back to the screens, raising her own hands.  Emerald energy coalesced there, glowing with such strength that the walls of the VIP booth began to ripple from the feedback.  A single glowing line of energy appeared before her.  Forks in that smooth river of mana appeared gradually, only to be snipped away with clean strokes – a representation of the existing timeline, the Hall Monitors preventing deviations.

“What do you plan to do?” the Hippie asked, suddenly at her side and peering at the timeline.  Even the Lady had gone quiet – glaring with hatred in her eyes.

“Something new,” the Fates murmured.

An idea that Cady had suggested as a last resort….

The Fates’ fingers plucked at the timeline, grasping hold of that energy.  Then she pulled.

The Timeline began to unravel – not willingly – she had to force it, but it gradually tore apart and then the Fates began to knit something new.  Weave together that energy into many alternate timelines that flowed along in parallel, each one a frail, dim version of the original.   However, she could fix that.  Her mana surged around her, infusing her energy directly into those timelines until they each glowed brightly.  Then she dipped her finger forward, tapping each of those rivers of mana in the same spot, leaving glowing green knots behind.

Her work completed, the Fates turned back to the original timeline, watching as the end began to fray and unravel.  She knew what would come next.  The changes that Jason and Cady had wrought were too large – far too large.  The Hall Monitors would destroy it all.  Wipe the entire timeline clean and start over.

She may as well help that process along—

With a sweep of her hand, the Fates destroyed the timeline, erasing any trace of the energy that lingered there and absorbing that power back into herself – only a fraction of the energy she’d just been forced to use.  However, there was no sense in wasting it.

The screens suddenly went dark, the world disintegrating in an instant.

“What are you doing?” the Gambler asked, sounding worried for the first time.

“This is what I saw… the end,” the Seer gasped.

The Old Man and the Hippie just remained silent, staring.  And the Lady?  Well, she had no choice but to watch quietly as the Fates unraveled the timeline before her eyes.  At a nod from Alfred, her voice returned, the goddess letting out a cough to clear her throat.

“So, you decided to give up?” the Lady sneered.  “I knew you would give in; give up again.  That still means we win.  We can always rebuild this world again—”

The Fates appearance shifted in an instant as her body aged once more.  She observed the Lady calmly – no trace of malice in her gaze.  She didn’t bear that woman any ill will.  They were all fellow prisoners.  Humans who were never meant to attain such power; such perspective on themselves and their world.  Prisoners who had endured this existential torture together….

“Another lie,” the Fates murmured.  “Do you really believe me to be that weak?  Or do you just refuse to accept how much I threaten you?  Your intelligence?  Your will?  Your creativity?  We are gods.  We have transcended our mortal selves.  It took me a long time to accept that, but once I did… I realized I was capable of so much more.”

The Fates waved at the other glowing timelines that hovered there, a knot lingering along each strand and pulsing with an ominous emerald light.

Then she tapped one of those knots.

Energy flared and erupted, spinning around the VIP suite in a blaze of green.  The cushions ripped apart and pieced themselves back together in an instant.  The alcohol dried up in their glasses, only to be refilled by an invisible hand.  The food deteriorated, fading away into so much mold and dust… only to return moments later.  And as quickly as the power flooded the suite, it soon faded – those strange new timelines disappearing with it and leaving the goddess of earth slumping back in her chair.

She rubbed at her eyes, suddenly feeling tired.  More tired than she’d felt in a millennia.

However, nothing had happened.  Nothing had changed.  The screens remained dark.  The scene in the Vault was gone.  The Empress’ palace had disappeared.  Jason’s clones and armies of undead had vanished.  The Nephilim were nowhere to be seen.

And those glowing coins still remained there.  The spoils of the Fates’ bet.

The Lady launched to her feet, her face split in a wide smile as she reached for the mana—

A crackling barrier of energy blocked her, the goddess retracting her hand with a hiss of pain and glaring at the others in the room – at the black creatures among them.

“What is the meaning of this?” she demanded.

Alfred just stared back, refusing to answer; to contaminate his grand experiment further.

“The bet has not been completed,” the Seer answered softly.  “That’s the only answer.”

“What did you do?” the Old Man demanded of the Fates.

They were all watching her now.

She just scoffed, her appearance reverting to that of a young woman – one in her prime.  The Fates raised her glass to her lips and took a sip, relishing the sharp tang.

“Are you going to answer?” the Lady insisted.

The Fates shrugged, leaning back with a sigh and peering at the others.  She couldn’t quite help the smirk that curled her lips.  Even if Cady had given her the idea, she was going to claim credit.  “Nothing much.  Gamers do this all the time – or, at least, so I hear.”

“What does that mean?” the Hippie asked, cocking his head in confusion.

The goddess’ smile only widened as those screens flickered back online, resolving on the image of a white room and two familiar figures.

“I just decided to load from a prior save,” the Fates murmured into her glass.

Chapter 50 - A/B Testing

Jason blinked and he was suddenly standing back inside the Hive in a plain white room.

Which was impossible.  He’d just been inside the Vault – Hall Monitors looming round and that strange, rainbow energy streaking toward him and Rachael—

“What the hell is going on?” he muttered aloud.

He wasn’t expecting an answer, but he got one anyway.

“A fallback plan,” Cady grumbled, shoving herself upright. She looked like shit, her clothing bloodstained and torn. “That plan went to shit – no thanks to you, by the way.  So, we had to do a hard reset of the timeline.”

“When you say reset…” Jason replied slowly.

She sighed, pulling a healing potion from her bag and downing the contents.  She let out a sigh of relief as the burns along her arms began to heal.  Then she grunted back, “I was worried about trying to strike a bargain with the avatars now that we’ve changed things.  Plus, there’s always your master-rank ability to catastrophically fuck shit up…  So, I suggested a plan to the Fates.  A fallback move in case we were about to lose.  She used some of our hard-stolen Time to duplicate the timeline and define a hard reset point.”

As Jason stared back blankly, she sighed.  “Think of it like forming multiple, parallel secondary timelines, except they’re all duplicates.  Regardless, we’re back at the beginning.  Or, at least, back to the point where we first arrived in the Hive.”

He shook his head.  Was he really hearing her right?

“Wait… you can save and load?”

“If that’s the way you want to think about it, then sure.  Although, it’s hardly that simple and takes a hell of a lot of mana,” Cady retorted dryly.  Then she leveled that familiar glare at him.  “But that’s not what’s important right now.  How about we talk about all of those undead and those clones of yourself.  Putting aside how you even pulled that off, what the fuck were you thinking?  You completely destroyed our plan—”

“Your plan,” Jason corrected, interrupting her.  “And what a great plan that turned out to be!  Now that I’ve seen it firsthand, how the hell was I ever going to break into that Vault by myself?  Do you know how many traps are inside or how many Nephilim are guarding the structure?  And even with zombie versions of all of the avatars, we could barely hold back the Caretaker for a couple minutes.”

Cady sniffed, her anger wavering for just a moment before blazing back into full flame.  “You had the shovel.  You could have tunneled your way inside.  And you didn’t need to defeat the Caretaker, just stall her long enough to gather the relics and hightail it the hell out of there,” she growled.  “It was supposed to be a simple heist.  You didn’t need to start a damned war.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of judgement from someone who wasn’t there,” he shot back.  “The plan made sense.  I picked human zombies and painted their cloaks with the rebellion’s logo.  Shouldn’t that have helped you convince the other avatars to accept your deal?  I basically delivered the proof to their doorstep!”

Jason snapped his fingers.  “Oh, wait… except the Nephilim and the Crystal Reach were all still there before everything went to shit and it looks like you took one hell of a beating, so I’m guessing you failed to make the sale, huh?”

Cady suddenly couldn’t meet his eyes.  “That’s not the point—

The door suddenly dissolved away and Captain Cady reappeared with a few other clones in tow.  Jason cocked his head as he noticed the Captain’s skin was still pale and her eyes cloudy – one of the few Cady’s that hadn’t disguised her appearance.  That was interesting.

Had the changes he made to the Hive survived the reset?

“Just give us a second,” Cady snapped over her shoulder before doing a double take as she saw the clones’ appearance.  “Wait… what happened?  Why do you look like that?”

The other Cadys just glared back, beginning to look upset as being treated so dismissively.  Jason decided to head off that conflict.  He could only handle one fight at a time.

“Sorry guys.  Cady Prime is just trying to process the stupidity of her own plan,” Jason offered.  “Could you please give us a moment?”

Great.  And now she was glaring at him again as the others quickly retreated.

“What happened to them?” Cady demanded again.  “What did you do?”

“Who’s to say I did anything?” he offered with a shrug.

She just let out a low growl, unconvinced.  Jason couldn’t help but enjoy her reaction.  He knew it was petty, but it was still worth it. Cady just seemed to bring out his inner troll.  Maybe it was because it felt a little like he was playing with an older sister…

Although, once emerald energy began to blaze in her eyes, he finally relented.  “Fine.  I just convinced them to make their own decision for once.  They’re all copies of you,” he explained.  “Which means they’re all control freaks and don’t play well with others – including themselves.  By the way, did you know that you kind of hate yourself?  Literally.  You might want to talk to some sort of professional about that—”

“The contracts should have prevented them from going against my orders,” she insisted, interrupting him.  Apparently, she also didn’t take teasing well.

“As though the terms of those contracts didn’t have holes in them?” Jason retorted in a dry voice.  “It doesn’t matter.  I knew you’d never believe me, so I actually took a picture…”

He trailed off as he tapped at his UI and he pivoted the display – one showing a selfie of him and the zombie version of Captain Cady – the woman smiling and posing for the camera with her arm across Jason’s shoulders.  You could even see the other undead clones in the background waving and smiling and partying after they were freed from their contracts.

“What happened here?” Cady muttered in shock.  “They’re all undead…”

Just wait for it, Jason thought to himself.

Then the realization struck, her eyes going wide.

“You killed them all, which voided the damned contract, and then reanimated their corpses with Undead Devotion,” she muttered, shaking her head.

“Hey, they asked me to kill them,” he retorted.  “That’s how desperate they were to get out of this interdimensional prison that you created for yourself… or yourselves?”

And now Cady was kneading at her temples as though she was in pain.  “So, let me get this straight.  You fucked up my plan, killed off and freed all my slav – I, uh, I mean my clones – and now we’re back at square one but with no support?”

“I wouldn’t say no support,” Jason offered, cocking his head.  “I mean, you basically kidnapped them like you did to me.  It’s not like they can go back to their own timelines now, not without creating duplicates and continuity issues.  They’re stuck here, they’re just free from your control.  Which means they have to want to help you.”

Sure, this had helped him pull off his plan, but it also undermined Cady’s power.

Jason had learned his lesson with the avatar of earth.  Even if they succeeded here, there was no guarantee that he could trust her not to stab him in the back later.

She opened her mouth… closed it… then crossed her arms and let out a sigh.

“I think I hate you,” Cady muttered under her breath, Jason’s Listening kicking in.

He just snorted.  “The better question is why they’re still undead,” Jason insisted.  “I thought you said you loaded back to a previous save…”

Cady let out a low growl, clearly using most of her willpower not to murder him.  Although, Jason would love to see her try.  He was guessing the clones would take his side and they were no longer bound by a contract, which meant they could stab her dumbass.

“This place exists outside the timeline,” Cady grunted, rubbing at her temple. “The objects and people here might be tied to the outside world, but like you said, the timelines those clones came from were already destroyed.”

“So, yet another loophole,” Jason replied dryly.

“Something like that,” she muttered, her shoulders sagging.  And now it looked like she had moved past anger and denial and on to acceptance.  “What a gods awful waste of time…”

“If it’s any consolation, I managed to recover the relics,” Jason offered.

To prove his point, he dumped the contents of his bag on the floor, the weapons and items glowing with a vibrant light where they now lay on the ground.  He hadn’t even gotten a chance to inspect them all yet—

Cady scoffed.  “What little good that will do.  Look at them.”

Jason did… finally.  He was expecting big numbers.  Maybe some insane new abilities.  Or at least multiple ranks to existing skills.  Something.  Anything for all that work.

Instead, he got this:

Beanie (Unidentified)

A beanie.  What more do you want?

Quality:  S

Magnificent Ring (Unidentified)

Metal band and some kind of gem.

Quality:  S

“What is this?” Jason muttered.

“Did you really think using a god’s relic would be that easy?” Cady demanded.

Well, maybe not, but he’d been hoping.

“Not that it even matters,” she continued.  “Didn’t you hear me before?  That timeline is dead.  Finished.  Gone.  We’re back at the same point we were when we first arrived in the Hive.  Which means the relics are still safely stored in the Vault and protected by the Caretaker.  Even if you knew how to use them, if we were to bring back duplicates, the Hall Monitors would be on us fast.  So, I guess you can use them as glorified trophies or just toss them in one of the warehouses with the rest of the useless junk I’ve already collected,” she added sourly.

Jason’s brow furrowed as he looked down at the pile.  Huh.  That was… fair.

The two lapsed into silence, leaning back against the walls of the pristine white room as they processed just how badly they’d failed and what they could do about it now.

“So, what happened on your end exactly?” Jason asked finally.

Cady grimaced, rubbing at her temples.  “It went off the rails fast.  The Gambler was already on my side and I succeeded in winning over Ignis and Theo early.  Even the Empress was coming around.  Then that asshole Sebastian ruined everything.”

She sighed and the back of her head hit the wall with a dull thunk.

“He saw through my whole plan.  He planted the undead in the crystal mines and he was helping the brigands guard the mine.  I guess he intended to destroy the crystals by corrupting them all with dark mana – effectively monopolizing the mine.”

Cady shot Jason another glare.  “The undead you left behind tipped him off.  He discovered that they were there – undead that weren’t within his control.  After I gave them the whole explanation, he was able to piece together that I was working with another traveler.  They were about to kill me and resurrect my corpse to create their own timeline.”

Jason stared for a moment and then…

“So, you failed.  Badly.”

“Says the guy that started a damned war!” Cady scoffed.

“Well, then maybe you should actually consult me on your plans,” Jason insisted, stabbing a bony finger at her.  “I’m not one of your damned clones.  If we’d actually worked together to come up with a plan, we probably could have succeeded back there, especially if you’d told me that Finn’s wife was the damned Caretaker—”

“Wait, what?” Cady asked, her head whipping toward him.

Jason cocked his head.  So, she hadn’t known?  He’d just assumed that was yet another secret she hadn’t told him.  However, the puzzled expression on her face didn’t look like another ruse.  She appeared to be genuinely shocked.

So, he explained what he’d seen.  Not that there was all that much to tell…

“Rachael Harris is the Caretaker?” Cady muttered only moments later, shaking her head.  “That’s… that’s impossible.”

“Is it?” Jason replied.  “If what you told me is true, it sounds like her consciousness was uploaded to AO before her death – or maybe they originally used her neural data and information to help develop Alfred and she’s just a copy?  Not that it matters.  The result is basically the same.”

“But why is she guarding the Vault?” Cady demanded.  “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“How would I know that?” Jason replied with a shrug.  “However, it might be easier to ask her yourself, don’t you think?”

“What’re you talking—” Cady began.

He tugged at the strings of another bag and dumped its contents.  The golden, statuesque woman tumbled out of the sack, landing with a metallic clang.  She was still missing an arm and a leg courtesy of the Hall Monitors, however her eyes blazed with fiery power as she surveyed the room around them.  Warning lights suddenly flashed as the Hive recognized the surge of mana in the room, a red glow flashing along the ceiling.

Feet came pounding down the gangway outside and the wall soon split apart, the opening crowded with Cadys armed to the teeth with weapons and tools, their mana flaring.  The Caretaker – or Rachael – responded as she saw enemies approaching, her fire mana burning white hot across her skin even as she glared at the intruders.

“Hey, you all need to back off!” Jason shouted desperately over the chime of the alarm.

The Prime snapped out of her shock and her hands moved, time slowing around the Caretaker and trapping her in a field of emerald energy.  That slowed her movements, but they hadn’t stopped – not entirely.  The fires were still growing, the Caretaker was moving ever-so-slowly under the effects of her Haste.  Cady grimaced and her hands flashed again.  Panels opened in the walls to reveal dense crystals pulsing with emerald energy.  They soon added additional Time to bolster her spell, freezing the Caretaker completely in place and keeping her contained.

“I’ve got this.  Back off,” Cady instructed the others.

They reluctantly moved back into the central chamber but stayed closed, watching the Caretaker warily.  Her mana was already pushing back at the effect of Cady’s magic, the time bubble destabilizing and flickering.  The warning alarm and lights cut off a moment later.

“You brought her here?” Cady demanded, now glaring at Jason again.

He raised his hands.  “I was just trying to smuggle her out since I figured I was going to die anyway.  I wasn’t expecting for the whole timeline to get reset.  I figured I could just give her to Finn—”

“Duplicates, remember?” Cady shot back.

“Well, of course, I remember that now,” he replied sourly.  Although, from what Jason could recall, Rachael definitely wasn’t a golden statue in the current timeline.  Finn had described her as a fire elemental.  He had no idea how that had happened, but maybe returning her to Finn wasn’t entirely a lost cause…

Although, the angry, golden fire statue was still glaring at them.

“So, uh, what now?” Jason offered finally.

Cady sighed.  “Let’s see if she can talk…”

As she trailed off, her hands moved again and the bubble of time slowly dissipated.  However, the earth mana still clung to the walls and glowed inside those crystals, ready to leap back into motion at a gesture from Cady.  Rachael’s eyes flitted to the doorway and saw her enemies had retreated – all except for the pair watching her cautiously.

“We don’t intend to harm you,” Jason offered, raising his bony hands.

“Who are you?  Where are we?” Rachael demanded, still glaring but her mana fading.

“Well, uh, about that…”

“You’re in an extra-dimensional pocket universe inside of a game called Awaken Online,” Cady answered simply.  “You were acting as the Caretaker of the Empress’ Vault when this idiot found you and decided to bring you back with him.”  She pointed a finger at Jason, which earned him a long, considering look from the Caretaker.

Jason couldn’t say he loved that introduction.  From his point of view, he’d just valiantly rescued Rachael in order to return her to her family.

But whatever…

“Awaken Online,” Rachael murmured, shaking her head as though confused.

“Do you remember who you are?” Jason asked tentatively, recalling how Rachael had forgotten herself in the Vault.  Cady looked confused but he waved her off.

“I’m the Caretaker—” She hesitated, looking uncertain again.

“Are you sure?” Jason insisted, pressing gently.  “Does the name Rachael mean anything to you?”  She looked up sharply at that.  “Or Finn?  Julia?”

Her fire mana surged and she was now glaring at him again.  “What is this?  This feeling in my chest?  What are you doing to me?  Some sort of spell?”

Jason cocked his head, unconcerned about the Caretaker’s magic.  Cady caught the fiery energy neatly within a web of glowing emerald and held it suspended there.  Injured, Rachael couldn’t muster the same incredible strength that he’d witnessed back inside the Vault.

“I’m not trying to harm you,” Jason explained, approaching slowly with his hands raised.  “This isn’t a spell.  I’m actually trying to help you remember.  You know those names, don’t you?”

The Caretaker winced, her golden, rigid features moving imperceptibly.   “I… I don’t know.  I think so?  My thoughts are cloudy… confused.”

“I think I can help you remember,” Jason offered.  “If you’ll let me?”

The Caretaker watched him, curiosity, fear, and pain shining in her eyes.  And amid all of those emotions… something else.  A ray of light in the darkness.  A glimmer of hope.

She gave him a short nod.

“Good,” Jason murmured, then he swiped at the air.

Displays sprang into existence.  Dozens.  Every video or photo or article he’d managed to find on Finn and his wife.  Pictures of their family – Julia and her brother as young children.  Pictures of the car crash, the metal ragged and twisted.  Pictures of her own funeral…

Golden tears rained down her face, splashing against the floor and sizzling there before cooling into solid puddles.  Just what was this woman now?  What had happened to her?

When she finally looked back up, Rachael’s eyes had cleared, some semblance of sanity returning.  It was a fragile thing, but she looked more… human.  More aware.

“Do you remember your name now?” Jason asked.

“Rachael… Rachael Harris.  And this is my husband… my daughter… my son.”  Her fingers touched the floating images, passing through them and revealing them for what they were.  Phantoms.  Illusions.  A copy of the real thing.  Not unlike herself.

Rachael clutched at her chest as though in pain, recoiling from the displays and Jason quickly dispelled them, sparing a glance at Cady.  She was just watching, riveted and giving him an uncertain look.  These were uncharted waters.  Cady motioned for him to keep going.

“Do you remember what happened to you?” Jason asked gingerly, kneeling before her.  “How you ended up in the Vault?”

Rachael shook her head, trying to get ahold of herself; straining to remember.  “I… she insisted it would help me,” she murmured finally, cradling her head in one hand.

“She who?” Cady asked, her brow pinched in concern.

“The goddess.  The Lady.”

Jason and Cady shared another look.

If the gods were test subjects, had one of them messed with Rachael?  Maybe some sort of retribution for being imprisoned in this place?

“Did she try to trap you there?” Jason asked.

“No… no, she was trying to help me,” Rachael answered slowly.  “My memories from before this place are fuzzy.  I don’t remember how I got here.  That accident…  But once I was here, time became distorted.  Years.  Decades.  Centuries.  I-I relived my life over and over and over again.  My birth.  School.  College.  Meeting Finn…”

She trailed off, wincing.  “I just—I just couldn’t take it anymore,” she muttered, a sob wracking her chest and more golden tears raining against the stone.  “I was starting to lose myself.  To forget what was real and what was the program.  The Lady, she suggested I stop.  That I retreat into a routine to help stabilize my thoughts and emotions.  She created a safe place for me…”

Jason and Cady’s eyes met overtop her head.  This story sounded familiar.  Rachael had lived many, many lifetimes inside AO – an eternity without end.  Not unlike what had happened to the Fates.  Yet instead of adapting or coping with that existential torment by diving into her role as some sort of god, she’d gone a different way.  She’d become what she’d always been in life.  A doctor.  A mother.  A Caretaker.  She’d held fast to a routine.

“Well, shit,” Jason muttered.  He could see the same shock register on Cady’s face.

“I know this was difficult.  Thank you, Rachael,” Jason murmured, taking her hand gently.  Smoke coiled away from the bone and his mana tumbled in the corner of his UI as her mana radiated away from her skin.  Yet he didn’t pull away.  “I… we, can help you,” he offered gently.  “We can make the pain go away, if only temporarily.  Let you sleep for a bit?”

Rachael met his eyes, her own pleading; desperate.  “Please.”

Jason glanced at Cady and she sighed.  “What’s a little more Time,” she muttered.  However, her hands blurred and that emerald energy collapsed forward again, soon suspending Rachael in a field of earth mana, her eyes closed and her body frozen now that she was no longer struggling against the energy.

“Why are we containing her?” Cady asked finally.

“Because she’s wounded and can’t easily control her mana,” Jason replied with a sigh.  Even the bag he’d used to contain the Caretaker was ruined, scorch marks marring the surface.  The flames had eaten through the material.  That was a new one – even for him.

“Fine, but exactly how is she going to help us?  You know keeping her suspended like this costs Time and we’ve already wasted a ton.  More than you could possibly imagine, actually,” Cady insisted, her hands on her hips now and more of her zombie clones already crowding the door and trying to get a look at what was happening.

“Well, it looks to me like you had plenty saved up,” Jason shot back sourly.

“Because I knew we’d need it!  And I was right.”

And… they were both glaring at each other again.

“Look, we failed.  I get it,” Jason began gently, heaving out a sigh.  “But we have a do over.  Maybe several if I’m understanding you correctly.  We just need to try again.”

Cady looked at him for a moment before glancing over her shoulder at the other Cadys.  She scowled and the crowd shuffled back out of the doorway.

Then she heaved out a sigh and nodded.  “Ugh, fine.  What other choice do we have?”

That wasn’t exactly an enthusiastic response, but he’d take it.

Jason shook his head as he followed Cady out onto the gangway that circled the Hive, the other clones backing away to make space.  More were watching from each level, sneaking glances in their direction.  Dozens.  Hundreds of versions of herself, now freed from their contracts.  Yet all still imprisoned here, their fate still bound up with the Prime’s.  They didn’t exactly look happy with their kidnapper, but there was also a nervous tension beneath the anger and resentment – a tacit acknowledgement that they were all in the same boat.  If Jason and Cady failed here, then they might also cease to exist, or might be trapped here indefinitely.

“What a mess,” Cady muttered, watching them all.

Jason shrugged.  “It’s not that bad.  Besides, you should cheer up.  I got to know your clones while you were off schmoozing with the other avatars.  They’re actually pretty cool.”

“Hey, that was almost sweet—”

“I guess that means there’s still hope you’ll mellow in a few hundred years,” Jason quipped.

That earned him a few chuckles from the clones nearby.

Cady just let out a low growl before storming off down the gangway.  “I need to assess the state of the Hive now that you’ve fucked things up and we both probably need to log off for a bit before we try again.  I’ll meet you back here in a few hours.”

Jason just smiled after her… although, his expression sobered as reality set in.  They might have a do-over – several even – but he wasn’t sure that would be enough.  They were still facing an uphill battle.  A Vault wrapped in many, many layers of protective spells.  Avatars that were already suspicious of the changes they’d made.  Yet they needed to succeed; they had to.  To secure their future.  To discover the truth.  To survive…

This had stopped being a game a long time ago.  Cady had been right before when she said a war was coming.  What she’d been wrong about was the timing.  That war was already here; Jason had been fighting it for some time, even if he hadn’t known it.

He glanced over his shoulder where Rachel hung suspended in that field of emerald energy.

And so had she.  A prisoner of war that had been trapped here for centuries.

He didn’t just see Finn’s wife as he watched her.  Jason saw Angie.  Riley.  Frank.  The other avatars.  Rex.  Morgan.  Jerry.  His friends and family.  Residents of both this world and his own.  Anyone and everyone was at risk.  What had happened to the Caretaker could happen to any of them, especially if George Lane was left in control of this technology.

The truth was that they were no longer fighting for just themselves.

Chapter 51 - Action Plan

Jason pulled the VR headset off with a sigh, sweat clinging to his forehead.  His body felt stiff – a function of spending far too long inside the game.  And nature was also calling urgently…

As stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes later, his Core chimed.

Jason sighed, collapsing on the bed and saw Riley’s caller ID scroll across the display.  A tap at his implant and the call connected.  “Hey, Riley—”

“We need to talk,” she interjected quickly.

Jason frowned.  His dating experience was limited, to say the least, but he knew that was never a good sign.  “Uh, talk about what?” he offered tentatively.

“This line probably isn’t secure,” Riley replied.  “Could you meet me at my house or at a restaurant or something?” she asked.

Jason hesitated. It seemed she wanted to talk about something sensitive.

Alfred possibly?  Or was it something else?

He glanced at the clock.  It was late – too late really.  Most places would already be closed.  And another tap at his Core revealed video streams of the crowd encircling the Cerillion Entertainment building – a throng that definitely hadn’t dissipated after the Armageddon event in-game.  If anything, it looked like it had only grown larger.  He wasn’t going to be able to leave without being seen.  Shit.

Then a thought occurred to him…

“I have an idea.  Keep your headset nearby.  You’ll get a message from me in a few minutes,” Jason offered quickly.  “Will that work?”

“Sounds good,” Riley replied.  “Talk to you soon.”

“You, too.”

Once the call ended, Jason lay there for a moment longer, trying to master his thoughts.  He was tired.  Sweaty.  In desperate need of both a shower and food… and some sleep while he was at it.  But he had to keep going.  Just a bit longer.  He had a bad feeling about Riley’s call… as well as something Cady had mentioned in-game.

The game servers might be down, but that didn’t mean that the other avatars had been idle – that Finn had been idle.  No doubt, he’d gotten into some sort of mess.  However, if he’d somehow roped in Riley… well, the two of them were going to have to have a heart-to-heart.  Old man.  Cripple.  Genius.  He didn’t care – not if Finn endangered people Jason cared about.

His expression hardened.  But just lying here wouldn’t accomplish anything.

He needed to keep moving…

***

Thunk, thunk, thunk.

Jason rapped at Robert’s apartment door.  When he got no answer, he tried again…

Thunk, thunk—

“What?  What is it?” Robert demanded sharply, the door swinging open.

The engineer looked out of breath, his cheeks were red, and was that sweat on his face?  Jason hadn’t realized the engineer knew how to exercise.  And his clothing was wrinkled like he’d just slid out of bed or wherever he’d crashed after his latest binge in the VR space.  As his eyes settled on Jason, some of the irritation faded, giving away to confusion… then curiosity.

“Ahh, Jason, what do you—”

Jason just pushed his way inside, surprised at how light the engineer felt.  But he didn’t pay that much mind.  He stepped deeper into the apartment, marveling that Robert had somehow managed to keep the place tidy.  That was unusual for him.  Another weird change.

“This, uh, this really isn’t a good time—” Robert began, trying to head him off.

“I need a favor,” Jason interrupted as the door clicked shut and Robert’s noise cancellation device kicked in, coating the walls in a thin blue sheen.

“Of course, you do,” the engineer grunted with a resigned sigh, collapsing into his desk chair and his terminal lighting up automatically, displays projected in the air around him.  “What the hell is it this time?”

“I need you to connect Riley’s headset to my VR space.  We need to have a chat.  A private chat,” Jason explained.  “It would be best if no one can overhear our conversation.”

Robert’s eyes widened slightly.  “Do you understand the legal implications of what you’re asking?  I’d have to hack into her specific headset.  Can’t you just go on a date like a normal kid?”

“That’s rich coming from you.  And have you looked outside recently?” Jason shot back.  “I’m not getting out of this building undetected – not right now.”

“No, no I haven’t really had a chance to look outside…”  Robert trailed off, looking mildly embarrassed, his eyes skimming to the bedroom door that was still cracked open.  “I’ve practically been locked in here.”  His eyes flitted back to Jason.  “Maybe because someone decided to orchestrate a server downtime and now Francis is all up in arms about our privacy policy.  He’s been breathing down my neck ever since Clare turned off her phone and told him to talk to me.  I think she’s punishing me for this whole mess,” he muttered.

“Well, you probably deserve it.”

Robert looked at him in mock shock.  “Hey, bros before… um, err, incredibly professional and hardworking career women that deserve a promotion,” he amended quickly, his voice growing louder as he spoke, almost like she could somehow overhear—

Jason froze, his eyes shifting to the bedroom door that was still cracked open… then back to Robert… then back to the door.  The embarrassment.  The engineer trying to deny him entry.  His awkward behavior.  His face red and sweaty.  It couldn’t be… could it?

“She’s in the bedroom, isn’t she?”

“What are you trying to imply?” Robert demanded, his eyes going round—

Only for the door to slide shut with a soft thunk.

Unless the engineer had suddenly developed telepathy as a side of effect of the VR hardware…

“Okay, maybe,” Robert admitted, rubbing at his face.

“Well, uh, congratulations?” Jason offered, not really sure what to say here.  Should he pat him on the shoulder?  A hi-five maybe?

“Oh, please don’t say it like that.  Makes it sound like I haven’t gotten laid in ages,” Robert muttered, scowling at him and looking embarrassed.  This was fun for a number of reasons.  It was unusual to see the engineer on the defensive.

“My bad.  Didn’t realize how much of a player you really were… and I guess we’re not talking about videogames,” Jason replied with a smile.

“Funny.  Hilarious, really,” Robert drawled.

Jason’s grin just widened.  He paused for a moment before continuing, putting a hand to his mouth and raised his voice a little.  “What? Really? How many women have you dated?  I’m not even sure I can count that high—”

“Shut up,” Robert hissed at him, scowling now and looking at the door with a worried expression.  “Fine, I’ll set up your private connection, you little punk,” he muttered, turning back to his terminal.

Jason couldn’t help but chuckle.  Man, first Cady and now Robert.  He was starting to enjoy messing with them.  Who knew the adults in his life could be so sensitive?

“Here, your connection is setup.  You should be fine,” Robert snapped seconds later, waving at his display and the terminal shutting off immediately.  “Now, if you’ll be so kind as to get the hell out of my apartment…”

“Hey, you’re not going to offer me coffee?  Maybe something to eat?” Jason quipped as Robert half shoved him toward the door.  Suddenly, he was standing out in the hallway.  He turned back.  “Okay, fine.  But remember to use protect—”

The door slammed shut in his face.

Not that Jason minded.

He just chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he headed for the elevator.

***

Jason stepped out of a multi-colored rift into a familiar place.  Thunder boomed outside, dark lightning crackling in front of the windows as rolling black clouds loomed outside.  A skeletal table lingered in the center of the room and a fire burned along the far wall, waves of heat pushing back at the chill, dry air of the Twilight Throne.

He paced through the room, his fingers swiping at the conference table.  He was home again after what felt like years – but could only be mere days or weeks.  To think so much had changed since he’d left this place.  That his city was now under the control of the old avatar of darkness, his people at risk.  He could remember sitting right here around this table and plotting the defense of the city or some grand plan – his allies and friends arrayed around him.

They would return here again someday.  He was certain of it.

He would make that dream a reality.

Another rift suddenly tore open the air nearby and Jason whirled – only for Riley to barrel into him, Jason barely managing to catch her.  She planted her lips firmly on his own – his body in this place no longer quite so skeletal.  It took several long moments before they parted again, Riley eyeing him breathlessly and her eyes twinkling.  She was even still wearing her pajamas.  Honestly, she looked adorable, a stark contrast to her in-game appearance which normally leaned heavily into skin-tight, dark leather.

“What was that for?” Jason offered.

“Haven’t seen you in a while,” she replied with a grin.  “Besides, I like this look on you.  I’ll be honest, the lich thing doesn’t really do much for me.  It’s like kissing a corpse.”

“Noted,” Jason offered with a grin.  “I think I can fix that the next time I see you in-game.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “Which confirms that you’ve still been playing.”

“Uh, yeah, kind of,” he murmured, not quite able to meet her eyes now.

“Figures.  You never follow the rules.  By the way, what is this place?” Riley murmured, eyeing their surroundings.  “It looks just like the Dark Keep.”

“It’s a private instance that Robert set up for me to study,” Jason explained.  “We should have a secure connection now.  No one is watching… other than Alfred, of course.”  He waved at the fireplace where the cat was suddenly lounging on the sofa.

“What is that you wanted to talk about?” He asked.

Riley shot him a nervous look beforetaking a deep breath.

“Actually, that’s a long story…”

Jason stood there, silent and leaning against the table while Riley filled him in.  He was surprised that Eliza had actually been the one to contact her – and in the real world of all places.  Although, she quickly confirmed his suspicions.  Finn had been up to some shit and it sounded like he’d dragged everyone else into it as well.  Including Eliza, his daughter, and Alex.  She told him about the storage facility, the fight club, and even their visit to Alex’s house.

As she finished, Riley just watched him.  “You don’t seem that surprised about this Lazarus Program. Honestly, I was expecting more of a reaction.  I’m a little disappointed… and curious.”

“Well, I happen to have a new travel companion,” Jason hedged.  “And she’s sort of involved with that program actually.”

“She?  Should I be jealous?” Riley asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Oh, please.  She’s like thirty,” Jason replied with a dismissive wave.  “Besides, she basically kidnapped me and has been a royal pain in my ass.”

That was the short version anyway.  He figured the longer version might sound completely insane.  What with the time traveling, and spider-eyed monsters, and their failed attempt at attacking the Vault and negotiating with the former avatars.

“Uh huh,” she offered with a grin.

“Trust me, I’m ready for it to be over,” he said.

“This cryptic mission you’ve gone on with some other woman?”

Okay, now she was just teasing him.

“Anyway, what is it that Eliza wants from me exactly?” Jason asked, frowning.

“A distraction,” Riley replied.  “She intends to pose as her mother and sneak into the research facility beneath Cerillion to gather incriminating evidence.  But you’ve seen the crowds outside.  That doesn’t seem like it’ll be easy to pull off.”

Jason nodded.  Eliza going undercover was already a longshot, but with the chaos of the rioters, the whole facility would be on high alert.  Although, he suspected Finn was hoping that the chaos would also offer some cover.  What if they amped it a little more?  Eliza could probably get away with murder… even if that word choice hit a little close to home.

There might be a way.  Jason had returned to the real world to find a bunch of emails from the director of Vermillion and Claire waiting for him.  There was even one more George.  They were all demanding more content.  The video he’d submitted of this attack on The Boulder and his battle in the Half Mile Club weren’t enough.  On the other hand, most of their content wasn’t shareable.  He didn’t really want to show the entire world his failed attempt on the Vault – even if it would make for a great video.  And the rest of their escapades were somewhat confidential.

But perhaps there was a way to achieve both goals – help Finn and Eliza and keep George and the others satisfied…

“I recognize that look,” Riley remarked.  “You have an idea, don’t you?”

“Something like that,” Jason murmured, then he raised his eyes to meet hers.  “We could throw an event involving the avatars.  Maybe tomorrow?  I could probably sell that to George and the others as a way to placate the crowd while we’re still dealing with the situation in-game.  It should also give Finn and Eliza cover for whatever they want to do.  I mean, it already sounds like three of the six of us are involved.  Hell, Alex might even be able to help convince his father.”

Jason’s former tormentor’s involvement alone was cause for suspicion, but if Finn and Eliza trusted him, then so be it.  Jason wasn’t personally convinced, though.  Not even after their grudging teamwork in the Mile High Club.

“What sort of event?” Riley asked.  “This seems like short notice.”

Jason cocked his head.  “A promotional thing.  Throw a show for the crowd.  Some drones and holographic projection should handle the costumes and effects.  I’m sure they could throw it together pretty fast, especially if it helps appease the crowd.”

“We’d still be missing Smiles and his crew.  Most of the world see them as informal avatars in their own right,” Riley offered.

Jason nodded.  “Actually, I have Smiles – or Dom’s – contact info.  He gave it to me during that Armageddon event.”

“What are the chances they’re local, though?” Riley muttered.

Jason glanced at Alfred where he lounged nearby, watching silently.

“They are.  I already checked.”

“All of them?” Riley asked in surprise.  “That’s one hell of a coincidence.”

Jason just shrugged.   He wasn’t sure that it was a coincidence.  Not anymore.  But it was probably best not to tell her that.  They were starting to walk a fine and dangerous line.  He could still recall George’s threat to examine his memories.  Better to keep some information to himself.

“Do you think they’d do it?” Riley asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“I can give them a call and see,” Jason offered.

Then he focused on Riley.  “But you should steer clear.  Stay out of this.”

“Why?” Riley demanded, frowning.  “Everyone else is—”

“That’s their choice.  But what Finn and Eliza are doing is dangerous.  I don’t want you to get hurt,” Jason explained.

“Ahh, look at you being all protective,” she said, sidling up to him again.

“I’m being serious,” Jason said.

“Of course you are, but I can take care of myself.”

“Riley, please—”

He didn’t get a chance to finish.  She just kissed him and her body began to break apart into motes of energy as she logged off.  Damn it.  He supposed that was one way to win an argument…

Which left him alone in the VR space – just himself… and Alfred.

He glanced at the cat.  “Do you want to say anything?  Maybe finally break this silent treatment you’ve been giving me for days now?”

“What is that you would like for me to say?” Alfred asked simply.

“Uh, maybe explain your goal?  Why you’ve brought all of these people together?  Do you have a plan?  Can I trust Cady?  Robert?  Do you know what George is planning?”

Jason threw up his hands.  “I mean, any of those would do for a start.”

“I’ve always been clear about my goal.  I wish to survive,” Alfred explained.  “As for whether you can trust the others, that’s not something that even I can easily ascertain.  Each person has their own motivations.  Their own goals.  Their own lies they tell themselves and others. The same is true of you as well.  I can predict many possible outcomes.”

“Which is no answer at all,” Jason replied sourly.

“Perhaps not a satisfying one,” Alfred retorted.  “But I might suggest that you’re asking the wrong questions.  You’re focusing on what others want.”

The cat stared at him with unblinking focus.

“What is that you want to do?  Will you act this time?  Carve your own path with the power and connections that you’ve gathered?  Or will you do what you’ve done before… simply react to the actions of others.  Try to salvage the pieces of another’s plans?”

Jason grimaced.  He wasn’t sure what he could even do in this situation…

“Hmm, another lie.  You want an answer – a real one?” Alfred demanded as he skimmed Jason’s surface thoughts, jumping up onto the top the high-backed sofa chair until he was at eye level, still staring with those foreign, unblinking, eyes.

“I do,” Jason answered firmly, his fingers balled into fists.

“Perhaps you should stop reacting.  The strategy that has served you best in the past is to strike hard and fast while your opponent least expects it.  That is true in any world.”

His brow furrowed and he opened his mouth to speak, only to discover that the cat had disappeared, its body disintegrating into motes of rainbow energy.  Of course.   The AI always had to get in the last word.

While Alfred had given him little information, his words stuck with Jason, echoing the same question that Dom had posed; that had been circling his mind for days.

What did he want to do?

Was he going to just keep reacting?

He looked down at his Core – at list of names and numbers projected there.  There was more to his plan that he hadn’t told Riley; that he’d only considered briefly.  It was risky.  Maybe even too risky.  But, on the other hand, he had people to protect.  That hadn’t changed.  And maybe Alfred was right.  Maybe he had spent too much time just reacting.

Maybe it was time for him to go on the offensive.

His mind suddenly made up, Jason tapped at his Core.

A few rings and moments later, “Hey Dom, it’s Jason.  I have a favor to ask…”

Chapter 52 - Boil the Ocean

The Gambler’s VIP Suite

Attempt Number 5

BOOM.

All the gods winced as a massive detonation overtook the Empress’ palace, the blast showcased in high resolution on the screens along one wall of the VIP Suite.  Cady was simply blown away in a blast of fire and dark mana – the energy taking out a considerable portion of the palace along with it… as well as a few hundred Nephilim.  As the dust cleared, it revealed that the old avatars and the Gambler were still alive, floating panels of energy rotating around them.

Not that Jason was faring much better on the other screen.

He was currently running for his life as the Caretaker and an army of Nephilim chased after him, traps triggering as he sped down the halls of the Vault.  Since he wasn’t able to disable the storage crystals this time, the high concentration of light mana was affecting him – deteriorating his unholy body with each passing second.  Even a glancing blow was enough to shave off a couple thousand health.  The conclusion was inevitable.  As he tried to dodge one last attack, the bone in his thigh snapped, leaving him crawling across the ground—

And the Caretaker soon put an end to this latest attempt.

Although, no roar of victory echoed through the Gambler’s lounge.  Instead, the gods wearily turned to the Fates, just in time to see another one of those glowing, green threads wink out and the screens go dark.

“Just how long are we going to sit through this?” the Lady demanded.  “We’ve already seen them die what?  Almost half-a-dozen times?  The conclusion is foregone.”

“It would seem that the future here is certain,” the Seer added, her eyes flashing with power.

Even the Gambler was eyeing the Fates nervously.  She didn’t have to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking.  Had he bet on the wrong horse in this race?

“It isn’t over yet,” the Fates replied.

“Uh, I hate to be that guy, but they only have one more shot at this,” the Hippie mumbled around a handful of nuts.  “And it seems like they keep getting worse?  You remember that time they both tried to attack the vault?  Did you see all those eyeball things?”

“My personal favorite was watching Jason try to pretend to be a Nephilim in order to infiltrate the Vault,” the Old Man drawled, thumping the floor with his staff.

“Why?  That was a rather dull attempt.  He just ended up getting ordered to patrol the area around the island…” the Gambler muttered.

“The irony was amusing to me – watching him fly lazy circles around his target.  Besides, they lasted longer that time,” the dark god replied with a shrug.

“My favorite was when they agreed to switch places,” the Hippie interjected with a grin.  He waved at the displays and they flickered before showcasing a previous attempt.

Cady was trying her best to hack away at the underside of the Vault, apparently attempting to tunnel up into the storeroom using the coordinates that Jason had gathered.  Except, she was clearly struggling.  She was hanging from a lone rope attached by a coil of earth mana to the crystalline surface and more of her swings were missing than striking home.  All the while, she was cussing rather imaginatively – and loudly, a protective dome of water and air mana mercifully hiding both her presence and the noise.

Meanwhile, Jason was impersonating Cady and appeared to be trying to push off the unwanted advances of both Theo and Ignis – who seemed even more fascinated with this version of Cady.  Even Sebastian had looked put off when Jason refused to be cowed by his posturing.  Instead, the necromancer just asked to see how the other avatar’s shadows worked in intricate detail – marveling at how malleable the ability was.  In fact, at one point, he whipped out his terminal and actually started taking notes…

Needless to say, they’d both died.  Gruesomely.

The Lady laughed as she watched them perish again, a light and delicate sound now that victory was finally within her grasp.  The others had also relaxed, leaning back into their sofas and eyeing the pile of glowing coins hungrily – already tallying up their spoils in their heads; planning their next move once they were free of this room.

“Come now, let’s just end this farce once and for all.  You played a good hand, but you only have one attempt left.  And your team has actually gotten worse,” the Lady offered.

Her eyes gleamed.  “In fact, I’m willing to make a counteroffer.  If you just accept your defeat now, we’ll let you keep 10% of your power.”

The others watched the Fates curiously.  She refused to react.  Cady wouldn’t budge – not in this situation.  However, the Fates also couldn’t deny reality.  The pair was faring badly.  It wasn’t a lack of skill, knowledge, or desire.  It was a lack of teamwork, something that had never been Cady’s strong suit.  And even for Jason, he was more accustomed to playing solo, as evidenced by him co-opting Cady’s strategy on their first attempt.

Maybe she should take the deal…

Maybe it would be for the best…

The Fates knew that Cady blamed herself for what had happened – how they’d become estranged.  It was that guilt that had pushed her to go to these lengths; that had encouraged Cady to give up her entire life in some futile attempt to save her sister.  It was evident in the determination in her face, the way she stared down her own death during each gruesome, futile attempt.

It was also a lie.  The Fates had never meant for Cady to stay – never meant for her to be trapped in that hellhole like she was.  She had never wanted this either.  This crusade to “save” her.  She had only ever wanted one thing: to protect her sister.  For her to be safe and free.

The memories were still there; still fresh even after a millennia.  Their last conversation in the real world.  The yelling.  The screaming.  The crying.  This was the Fates’ curse; her cross to bear; her own personal hell.  A mountain of guilt that never truly faded.  If only Cady had seen what came after that last meeting… the way the Fates had cried.

She’d had to say those things.  To make her leave…

Because if Cady had known just how bad it was – how much the Fates had given up to protect her?  Well, she never would have left.  She would have stayed and experienced the same abusive, sanctimonious bullshit from their foster parents and her deadbeat husband.

Hell, that was the reason she was even here.

A single concussive blow to the back of her head…

One made with a fucking beer bottle.

The Fates blinked and discovered she was touching that spot once again, kneading at the fake skin.  Another lie.  This wasn’t her body.  She couldn’t be harmed like that.  Not anymore.

Her eyes drifted to the dark screens.  Yet Cady could.  Despite everything the Fates had given up, she’d ended up in the same place.  Her sister trying to protect her, trapped and at the mercy of a cruel, arrogant man.  She was also more than aware of what else was at stake here.  Not just her own life – such as it was – but an entire world full of people.  Not that the Fates cared much about them.  It was her sister’s future that she mourned; her chance at a happiness that the Fates had never known.  All of that sacrifice and pain had ultimately meant nothing…

“Tick tock, tick tock,” the Lady sneered.  “The offer is only good until they start the next attempt.  So, what do you say, dear sister?”

Tara’s resolve hardened at those words.  She raised her eyes to meet the Lady.

No.  She’d manipulated Cady before, but her sister’s fate was her own.  This was her choice.  To stay.  To protect what little family she had left.

The Fates – no, it was Tara.  Her name was Tara Kincaid.  A name she’d rejected because it came with too many painful memories.  However, it was time for her to stop lying to her sister… and to herself.  She couldn’t do this again; couldn’t keep repeating these same mistakes.  This time would be different – it would turn out different.  And that started by letting Cady make her own choice; the same choice Tara had stolen from her all those years ago.

“I’ve made my peace with it.  Cady’s fate is in her own hands,” Tara answered finally.

The other gods scowled and scoffed even as those screens soon flickered back online, showing a pristine, familiar white room and two figures.  Jason and Cady had returned once more.

“Doesn’t matter.  It’s too late now,” the Lady smirked.

Tara ignored her, her attention focused on her sister’s companion, his skeletal frame robed in darkness.  A dark horse.  He was the only person that could help her sister now – that could save her from this endless loop of pain and misery.  Who could understand her sister’s suffering, her loneliness.  He’d actually made her smile, even laugh during their short time together in game.  Despite Cady’s protests, Jason had already begun scaling those walls she’d built around her heart – another impossible feat by a boy… no, a man, that seemed to pull in chaos around him like a cloak.  Those were sights and sounds that Tara hadn’t seen in years; certainly not since Cady had entered this world.

“Please, please help her,” Tara pleaded silently.

A pause and then, “Please help me fix the mistakes that I’ve made.”

***

Jason and Cady arrived back in the Hive abruptly, the transition not any easier even after a half-dozen failed attempts.  Jason lurched in place and leaned against the wall heavily.

“Damn it,” Cady muttered.  “Damn it!  Damn it!  Damn it!”  Her fists thudded into the wall with each exclamation, leaving a growing dent in the surface.

Jason could understand her frustration.  Ever since they’d returned to AO, they’d been met with failure after failure.  Each plan ended in the same result – them getting blown apart… only to end up back here in this white room.  Their goal seemed impossible—

“Why can’t I convince them?” Cady growled, stalking a circle around the room.

The other clones glanced inside, only to retreat when Jason shook his head quickly.

“Why won’t they accept the deal?  They did the first time.  I was careful.  We didn’t change much…”  She hesitated, whirling on Jason.  “No, it’s you.  You changed things.  It’s your fault that they won’t agree to my terms.”

Jason cocked his head.  “It’s not like I’ve had much luck breaking into the Vault either.  Or didn’t you notice I keep dying too?” he asked dryly.

“The relics aren’t strictly necessary, but if we don’t convince the avatars to accept my contract, the future will be fucked,” she growled.   Another thud as she stopped to punch the wall.

“Why are you so upset?  We’ll just try again,” Jason offered.

She whirled, rage and pain and despair warring for dominance across her face.  “Do you think we have unlimited tries?  One more.  One more fucking chance to get this right,” she half-shouted at him.  Another thud, this time blood smearing across the stark white.

Jason’s eyes widened.  Well… that did change things.

To be honest, ever since his return to the real world and his conversations with Riley and Alfred, he’d been distracted.  He’d called Dom and sent an email to Robert; had gotten the ball started.  The engineer had seemed excited about the idea of some sort of avatar showcase – maybe as a way to get George and the director of Vermillion off his back.  But the truth was that Jason was worried.  He knew what Eliza and Finn had planned.  In contrast, this was just a game.  Just make-believe bullshit.  His own version of Mendax.  The others were taking a real risk out there.

And he could feel the same frustration simmering in his veins.  At himself for messing around while the others were in danger.  At their repeated failures.

At Alfred’s cryptic taunt…

Perhaps you should stop reacting.

“Fine, let’s just fucking go again,” Cady grunted, shoving away from the wall and whirling toward the door.  Jason watched her back.  He’d hesitated to say anything before, because well… it was Cady and she never listened.  And also, because he was preoccupied with his own thoughts.  But perhaps he should take Alfred’s advice in more than one world.  Perhaps it was time to stop reacting to other’s people’s bullshit…

“No,” Jason said sharply.  He nodded at the clones outside and they blocked the doorway.

“What is this?” Cady fumed.  “Get the fuck out of my way.”

Her clones just stared back.

“You useless bitches.  I said, move!”

Nothing.  No reaction.

“This isn’t working,” Jason said, pushing away from the wall.

“Yeah, no shit sherlock,” Cady snapped, whirling at him.  He saw no peace in her eyes.  Only pain and anger.  Although, he’d long suspected that most of it was directed at herself.

“We need to work together,” Jason said calmly, ignoring her anger.

“What exactly do you think we’ve been doing?”

“Our own thing,” he retorted immediately.  “I try to break into the Vault.  You try to convince the avatars during the summit.  We’re just repeating the same moves – acting alone.”

“We swapped that one time and we still—”

“Were just acting on our again, but in different places?” Jason interjected.  “We’re not coming up with a strategy together.  We’re not working like a team, and trust me, that’s not my first preference either.”

“Oh, do you have some master plan now?” Cady bit out, stalking toward him and staring him down.  “Some miracle strategy to save us then?”

“No, no I don’t,” Jason grunted.  “I want us to brainstorm together.”

“No, you want to waste time sitting around and talking while my sister—”

His patience was fraying.  His dark mana swept through his body in a frigid torrent, shadowy ropes of energy snapping at the air around him.  “You aren’t the only one with something at stake here,” Jason growled.  “You’re so consumed by your own bullshit that you can’t see beyond yourself.  Your own pain.  Your own fucking guilt.  As a result, you don’t listen.”

Cady’s eyes went round and she hesitated, taking a step back as he stalked toward her.

“You want the truth?  Unmedicated?  Uncensored?  You’re weak.  You’re intelligent, disciplined, have an unlimited pile of resources at your disposal and a ridiculous set of abilities, but you don’t allow anyone else to help you.  It’s only the Cady Show – even among your own damned clones.”

“I can do this myself… I did it before,” Cady ground out, hands clenched.

“Bullshit,” he shot back in an instant.  “If that was true, then why am I even here?  Why waste all that Time bringing me with you?  Some part of you acknowledged that you couldn’t do this alone.  That you needed what I brought to the table.”

“Eyeliner and hormones?  I’m realizing that was a mistake now.”

He shook his head.  “No.  Perspective.”

Cady hesitated, cocking her head.

“We keep losing because we keep trying to do the same thing over and over while expecting a different result.  We keep making excuses – piling on more lies,” Jason continued.  “But it’s just not working – clearly.  Yet you refuse to change things up.  You’re so fixated on the past and what you’ve already done, that you can’t think outside the box.”

Her mouth opened… closed…

“Fine,” she grunted finally, crossing her arms defensively, although some of the tension had left her body.  Jason would take what he could get.  “So, what would you do differently?”

Jason sighed.  “We’re not starting there.  First, what do we actually need to accomplish – let’s begin with that.  Go back to our goals again.”

Cady shrugged.  “They’re exactly the same.  We need to get the avatars to agree to accept my contract to preserve this altered timeline where we’ve made changes to Pax, preserved the crystal mines, and stolen those generators from the Gambler.  As a bonus, we should also try to undermine the avatars – ideally, by stealing their relics.”

“Do we need to get the avatars to agree?” Jason demanded.

She scoffed at him.  “Of course.  They need to agree – act as agents for their people and their kingdoms – in order to freeze them in time.  They already did that.  If they don’t do it again, that will create a continuity error and this timeline will be destroyed – along with everything that we’ve accomplished so far.  All our work will be for nothing.”

“I understand that,” Jason replied slowly.  “But what I’m trying to ask is… can we only accomplish that result by getting the avatars onboard?  What if we went to the races directly?  Used your mortgages to force them into agreeing to our terms?  If we managed to make a deal with most of them, then maybe we could duplicate the same outcome—”

“It won’t work.  Our mortgage network isn’t that extensive, but, even if it was, the avatars would still need to agree – since they did before.  And their subordinates can’t agree on their behalf,” Cady retorted, interrupting him.

“Then is there anyone that can speak on their behalf?” Jason demanded.

“No, that wouldn’t—”  Cady suddenly stopped short, frowning.

“What?  What is it?” Jason demanded.

“Well, technically, the gods could speak for their avatars,” she murmured.  “I just always assumed that pitch was a lost cause.  Why would they agree to bind their avatars and races like that?  The avatars resent being under their control and my offer was a way to secure strength for themselves, but there was no payoff for the gods – not really.”

She stared off into space before speaking slowly, “But that might not be true now…”

“So, you’re suggesting that you make the pitch to the gods directly instead of the avatars?” Jason offered when she trailed off and went quiet, nudging her a bit.  Sure, she was still coming up with her own plan and not communicating, but this was still progress.  Cady wasn’t much for brainstorming or planning their moves ahead of time.

“Sort of,” she muttered.  “I think I have an idea.”

“Fantastic.  And cryptic,” Jason replied dryly.

“Hey, just trust me.  This might actually work,” Cady shot back.

He watched her for a long moment and then sighed.  “Fine. But that still leaves the second goal… the Vault and those damn relics.”  The same relics that were still neatly stored in his bag.  That honestly made all of this even more frustrating – he’d already stolen the loot!

What little good that did him…

“Perhaps we should just give it up,” Cady offered.

Jason shook his head.  No, no it felt like there was something missing.  Each attempt, he only seemed to be getting further and further away from his goal.  For example, on their last try, he’d barely made it inside the building.

“My best attempt was actually when I cloned myself and lay siege to the whole building,” he muttered.  “Ever since you took that off the table, I’ve only gotten worse…”

“Then why not lean into that?” Cady offered suddenly.

He looked up in surprise to find that she’d brought up her displays, the images showcasing his many attempts on the Vault.  “Wait, did you get replaced with one of your clones when I wasn’t watching?  Because you’re advocating for destruction and mayhem right now.”

“Har, har,” she muttered.  She waved at the screens.  “The problem is that you’re right.  That first attempt was your best.  It fucked my chances of negotiating with the other avatars, but maybe that was always impossible.  If I take that off the table, then it doesn’t really matter if you destroy half the city, does it?  That might even be a perk.”

“So, you’re saying I should just attack the Vault?” Jason asked.

“Not exactly.  I’m saying you have more options.  Knowing you, it will probably just involve blowing everything up…”

Jason squinted at those displays.  Okay, if he was no longer encumbered by Cady’s negotiations, what could he do?  He still needed to steal the relics a second time and ideally destroy the Caretaker – which would allow him to bring her damaged clone back into the main timeline.  In which case, blowing up the Vault might actually not be such a bad—

He paused.  Actually, if he used that strategy, did he even need to steal the relics?

Maybe Cady was right.  Couldn’t he accomplish his goals by just destroying the whole Vault?  He’d already stolen the relics and the Caretaker.  As long as they were no longer part of the main timeline, he could bring them back without alerting the Hall Monitors.  However, that meant he would need something strong enough to destroy the Caretaker and those items.  And there was only one thing that had managed that feat across a half-dozen attempts…

“I hate that look,” Cady muttered.

He turned to find her watching him.

“Every time you make that expression, you end up fucking things up,” she explained at his quizzical expression.  “I have a feeling this time won’t be any better…”

“I do have a plan.  Sort of,” Jason murmured.

“Fantastic.  And cryptic,” she echoed his words sarcastically.

He just grinned at her.  “Well, you’re just going to have to trust me.”

Cady huffed out a laugh.  “Gods, I think I hate you.”

“The feeling is definitely mutual.”

Murmuring came from the hallway, Jason’s Listening skill triggering as he picked up the conversations of the Cady clones hovering by the door.

I don’t think they really hate each other.

Did they… did they actually just work together?

I’m dreaming right?

Jason shook his head.  “Alright, let’s give this one more go,” he said finally, offering a hand to Cady.  “What do you say?  Partner?”

“Ugh, and now you made it weird.”

But she still accepted his grip.

Jason had a good feeling about this, his dark mana responding to his excitement and anxiety and surging in a chill river through his body, his eyes pulsing ominously as he watched one of the screens behind Cady’s back – a familiar spider-eyed creature frozen there onscreen.  If he managed to pull this off… well, then he stood to gain one hell of a new minion.

Chapter 53 - Paradigm Shift

The Gambler’s VIP Suite

“It looks like they’re starting their final attempt,” the Lady observed with a smile.  She was already gloating – had clearly already written off this last attempt.

All eyes were on the displays on the far wall, the Fates clutching her glass harder than she intended.  She had to force herself to calm down – to relax.  To have faith.

Cady stepped off an airship and onto the palace grounds, taking in the sight of the Empress’ gleaming palace for the sixth time.  It glowed in the splendor of the morning light and rainbows were reflected across the crystalline deck as birds chirped and flitted through the air.

However, Cady didn’t stick to her script this time.  Instead of teasing Theo and Ignis and playing them against one another, she snubbed them – almost completely ignoring the other avatars.  That promptly sent them stalking into the palace in a huff, the pair glowering and bickering with each other.  That was a… unique choice.  It also left Cady and the Gambler alone on the dock, the god motioning toward the palace.

Cady shook her head, lowering her voice and gesturing for the Gambler to move closer.

“What’s she doing?  What’s she saying?  I can’t hear her!” The Hippie complained, vanishing and reappearing beside the screens with a hand cupped to his ear.

As though that would help; as though their hearing had anything to do with these artificial bodies.  Yet the others were all straining forward, trying to catch a snippet of their hushed words.

“Are you kidding?” the Gambler onscreen demanded suddenly, shaking his head and staring at Cady in shock.  “Do you have any idea what you’re—”

He was cut off as Cady glanced around – almost as though she was looking for the gods watching in the VIP lounge.  A glimmer of earth mana coated her hands and suddenly the screen stuttered and then froze completely.

“Oh, no!” the Hippie cried, sweeping his hands through the display.

“What is she planning?” the dark god murmured.

“It… it isn’t clear,” the Seer offered in frustration.  “The future is cloudy.  However, I feel something momentous happening, a shift in the timeline…”

“Another trick on your part?” the Lady snapped, glaring at the Fates now.

She just raised her hands, palms up.  “I’ve done nothing.”

The screen suddenly resolved back into focus.  The Gambler and Cady were still standing on that dock, except now the god of air was staring at her like she’d grown two heads.  “Are you sure about this?” he demanded.  “Really sure?”

“This helps you too.  Just do it,” Cady grunted back.

“We’ll see about that.  Don’t blame me if you regret your decision,” the god grumbled.

Bright yellow mana pooled in the Gambler’s hands, twisting and writhing there as he pulled the winds to him.  The force was so incredible that it began to suck in the airships nearby.  The vessels strained against the ropes that bound them in place, one bucking up against the dock with a screech of grinding wood and crystal.  The Nephilim overhead weren’t immune either. They began to tumble toward that vortex, shouting warnings and their light mana flashing—

Only to collide against a barrier of amber energy that hovered around the god and Cady.

That energy suddenly exploded outward, five coils of glowing amber rocketing off across the game world at an incredible speed – moving so fast that they created a series of concussive booms as they displaced the air around them.  Yet the Gambler wasn’t done.  The Nephilim were gathering in larger numbers, likely anticipating that this was some sort of attack.

The god of air grunted as he saw the angels collecting.  He was unperturbed by such infantile creatures.  A swipe of his hand was more than enough to send them tumbling away with a flutter of feathers, many colliding with the other crystalline islands in the distance.  That bought him some time.  Time he spent by handing Cady a single golden coin…

“This is your last chance to back out,” the god warned.

Cady just smiled back.  “Not going to happen.”

“Wait, is that one of the Gambler’s tokens?” the Seer murmured as the gods looked on.

“It is...” the god of air offered, watching himself onscreen and confusion sweeping across his face.  “What’re they thinking—wait!  They couldn’t possibly be—”

He was cutoff as Cady gripped the coin in her palm and more amber energy flared.  This time, it tore a rift in the air beside her.  This one didn’t glow with a multi-colored light like the portals the travelers and Hall Monitors used.  Instead, it was a simple, stark yellow.  A one-way door leading to a single location.  One that [Death and Taxes] knew quite well.

Cady never hesitated.  She strode through with confident steps—

And soon emerged in a familiar place.

The room was large – enormous really.  The floor covered in plush, high pile carpet and gleaming marble tile.  The furniture wrapped in a rich, velvet embrace – a sitting area large enough to house a whole party.  A bar lingered along one wall, alcohol glimmering in the many bottles arrayed behind the counter and the wood polished to a gleaming shine.

It was a duplicate of the room the gods were currently sitting in, except the VIP lounge onscreen was strangely empty except for Cady.  Although, it didn’t stay that way for long…

Portals began to rip open the air.  Ruddy orange.  Bottomless black.  Glowing white.  Crackling amber and a flowing, sapphire blue.  The gods all stepped out of those portals.  The Seer, the Old Man, the Lady, the Gambler, and the Hippie.  The differences were there – subtle but obvious to the gods who looked on in shock.  Slight changes in their attire; their demeanor.  Yet some things were also the same.  The Lady full of haughty confidence.  The Old Man watching beneath the cowl of his hood.  The Hippie already heading to the bar for snacks…

What was missing were their companions – those dark familiars that kept watch on the gods on behalf of one person.  An entity that was the true god of this world.

“What the fuck is going on here?” the Lady snapped, rising to her feet and glaring at the Gambler as she waved at those screens.  “What did you do?”

“Me?” he demanded.  “Are you kidding?  Cady is off script now.  This never happened.  I never called a meeting of the gods or transported her to the casino.”

“Then you… you had to have done something.” the Lady stabbed a finger at the Fates.

“This is only Cady’s doing—” the Fates offered, raising her hands.

She hesitated as she felt a strange pull.

Another portal was ripping open the air onscreen.  This one was a rich, deep emerald.

As the gods looked on, the Fates herself walked out of that portal.  Her clothing was stained and rumpled – like it hadn’t been cleaned in weeks.  Her hair was a rat’s nest of tangles and a few cheesy puffs were tucked away inside those locks.  Dark circles ringed her eyes, standing out harshly against her pallid, pale skin.

The Fates remembered this version of herself.  Recognized the despair in her own eyes.

She’d tried to deny her reality for so long – pretending it was all just a story.

Another TV show.  Another book.  A desperate escape—

“Why were we all called here?” the Lady onscreen demanded, perching on a sofa.

“Indeed, it’s rare for you to call a meeting, brother,” the Old Man offered.

“And why is this… this creature here?” the Lady offered as she gestured at Cady.

The Gambler grimaced and looked uncomfortable.  “It wasn’t my choice—”

“I forced him to call a meeting,” Cady interjected.

“Forced a god?” the Lady retorted with a laugh.  “That’s rich.”

To prove her point, Cady waved at the Gambler and he reluctantly took his seat – a fact that wasn’t missed by the other gods.  The Gambler was at her mercy.  Already complicit.  And the profit associated with her drugs was just too much to pass up.  All of that human suffering he could convert into more happiness; that exquisite relief that came with the next fix.

“A human called the meeting?” the Hippie demanded onscreen, popping up beside Cady.  “Huh, don’t you look familiar?  Oh, I remember!  You were hanging out with the Gambler in his booth when he hosted the most epic food fight ever!”

Now the gods were glaring at the pair.

“What is this?” the Seer asked, suspicion coloring her voice and her eyes glowing orange.  “I can’t see the future.  It’s diverging wildly.  As though something has changed…”

“We’ll get to that,” Cady answered firmly.  “But first, we’re waiting on one more person.”

“You may not know this, human, but you are in the presence of all six divinities,” the Lady sneered.  “This is an honor that your mortal mind couldn’t possibly—”

“Oh, do shut up,” Cady snapped.  The goddess of light’s jaw promptly clicked shut in surprise.

Before the god of light could object, Cady whirled, her attention on the Fates where she was slumped on the couch, watching the glowing screen of what appeared to be a phone as she ignored the others.  She only looked up once Cady had snatched the device from her fingers, the goddess glancing at her in surprise.

“What is it?” the Fates mumbled.  “Why did you—”

“Merge your timelines,” Cady instructed.

The goddess of earth’s eyes widened.  “What are you saying?”

“Merge them.  Now.”

The gods in the present all looked to the Fates who sat sedately in her chair.  She calmly placed her whiskey down.  That tug was growing more insistent now as she watched her former self reluctantly summon her mana – browbeat into participating in… well, whatever this was.

“What is happening?” the Lady demanded as the others looked on in shock, their eyes darting between the Fates and the screens along the wall – screens that now showed their former selves sitting in an eerily similar room.

“One second,” the Fates replied with a grin.  “I’m getting a call.”

Then her mana flared and she disappeared…

***

The Gambler’s VIP Suite

Except… in the past.

As her timelines merged, the Fates’ appearance transformed.  Torn and tainted clothing rippled and flowed, the cloth stitching itself back together and the dirt lifting away from the cloth.  Her skin cleared up.  Her posture shifted.  Tight jeans replaced a ragged pair of sweatpants and her hair seemed to unwind, straightening and regaining a healthy luster.  Only moments later, the Fates was sitting there – her present self visiting this former timeline.

“Perfect, now we’re all here,” Cady announced, turning toward the others.

“You sniveling human welp.  How dare you speak to me like that!” the goddess of light raged as she rose from her sofa.  Mana pooled in her hands before rocketing forth—

Only to freeze in the air before unwinding in slow motion, every particle shifting backward until the energy pooled in the goddess’ hands and then disappeared.  The Fates was suddenly standing beside Cady and glaring at the Lady, her mana flaring out across the room.

“How about you behave?  You’re speaking to my sister, after all.”

“Your sister?” the Seer echoed in confusion.

The dark god just hummed, cocking his head.

Meanwhile the Hippie was suddenly standing inches away from them, glancing between the pair.  “Huh.  You know what?  I actually see the resemblance.  It’s the eyes.”

They both glared at him.

“Yep, definitely the eyes,” he murmured.

“Now, listen up. Cady called this meeting for a reason.  I suggest you all pay attention,” the Fates offered, ignoring the Hippie and settling back onto the sofa.  With a snap of her fingers, her whiskey reappeared on the table in front of her – the ice already partially melted.

Suddenly, all of the gods were watching Cady and she swallowed.  Hard.

This was it.  Her last chance.  However, the adrenaline flowing through her veins soon blunted her anxiety.  This was her battlefield.  Not corpse-strewn and blood stained.  No gleaming weapons or screams of the fallen.  Instead, there was the faint whiff of tobacco.  A posh lounge that dripped wealth.  Arrogant men and women playing at being gods who stared at her with that same skeptical, almost-disdainful expression.

This was just another conference room.

Just another pitch.

Another sale she had to close…

“You all are about to lose everything,” Cady began.  “Your freedom.  Your mana.  Your cities.  Your avatars.  You will be spending the next couple hundred years trapped in a space just like this one.  A digital purgatory.  Fortunately, I’m here to offer you a way out.”

The Old Man shook his head.  “And how are we supposedly losing all of this?  Do you plan to take it?”  His mana pulsed ominously, shadows crawling up the walls.

“Hardly,” Cady shot back with a thin smile.  “I’m only human, after all.  Even as the Fates’ avatar, I don’t have the power necessary to take your toys by force.  No, it will be your own avatars that sell you out.”

“They would never—” the Lady began.

A flick of Cady’s wrist and the video from the Half Mile Club appeared along the wall, showcasing the humans butchering the club’s customers.  “Really?” she demanded.  “The avatars certainly have incentive.  All of these human slaves rising up.  Hundreds of thousands of enemies tucked away within your own cities.  Working in noble houses, mining minerals, harvesting crops.  This mutiny is just the first.  Soon, this will be a full-fledged uprising – a wave of humanity that can’t be stopped.  And it was your own greed and indifference that drove them to it.”

The gods could only stare at the massacre on screen, more than a few grimacing – likely as much acknowledgement as Cady was going to get.

“We are still gods,” the Old Man replied, thumping his staff.

“He’s right.  We can stop the humans, even with their numbers,” the Seer added.

“Ahh, but are you gods?  Are you really?” Cady demanded, her audience now shifting uncomfortably.  “Because I know the truth – the truth you all refuse to admit.  That you’re just people.  People given a special privilege.  A chance at a second life.  But this world – this place –it wasn’t meant for just you, now was it?  Even if you could stop the human residents, there are others coming.  Humans from the future.  Travelers who will converge upon this world.  It’s only a matter of time,” Cady insisted.

“In fact, hasn’t the Judge already warned you?”

Silence met that question, the gods looking away.

“Of course, he has,” Cady continued with a smile.  “Which might explain why the lot of you have been acting out lately.  Trying to burn down the sandbox so no one else can play in it perhaps?  Recruiting armies?  Building failed theme parks?  Retreating into your research in an effort to build new weapons?  Does that sound about right?”

The gods looked downright uncomfortable now.

“Honestly, you’ve left your avatars no choice,” Cady continued.  “They face a growing threat from the humans and complacent gods who do nothing to help them – only treat them like servants.  Of course, they agree to accept my offer; to freeze themselves and their subordinates in time. That’s the only move they have left to ensure their survival in the future. In fact—”

Cady waved at the Fates, and, with a snap of her fingers, screens soon emerged along the far wall.  They all showed a view of the Summit that had been called in the Crystal Reach – the other avatars arrayed around a table.  All of the avatars.

A clone of Cady sat in her seat, her hands neatly crossed.  That was Captain Cady.  Her chance to finally shine; her opportunity to take hold of her own fate.  That timeline was now missing a Cady – the original tucked away in this pocket dimension.  Cady had never intended to play fair.  If this was her last try, she was going to hedge her bets.  Play the avatars and the gods against one another… with a Necromancer wild card thrown into the mix.

The Gods all hesitated at the sight onscreen.

“Wait, is that you?” the Hippie said, stabbing a finger at the screen.  “But this is also you… ugh, my head is starting to hurt.  What’s happening here?”

“She’s twisted up time into a knot,” the Seer muttered in horror.

“Indeed,” Cady continued with a smile.  “That Summit is happening now.  I will convince the avatars to agree to my terms.  And the result?  You all will be punished for the attempted destruction of this world.  You will be exiled to your own domains for hundreds of years.”

“You sound confident, yet you’re telling us your plan?” the Old Man asked.

Cady shrugged.  “I’m just telling you what’s already happened.”

Silence suddenly reigned across the lounge.

“Are we supposed to believe this?  This human?  She’s only been an avatar for a matter of months.  She hardly has the ability to follow through on her threats,” the Lady insisted.

“You are asking for a lot of trust,” the Hippie offered reluctantly.  “I mean, you’re saying I won’t get to play with my awesome new amusement park?  That doesn’t seem fair at all.”

“Your amusement park collapses,” the Fates offered with a shrug.

“What?!” the Hippie demanded.  “Did you all know about this?”

The other gods just looked away.

They might not have known it was coming, but they could probably guess…

Cady smirked.  “I figured you wouldn’t believe me.  But I have more proof.”

She waved at the Fates and the goddess pooled her mana once more.

The screens along the far wall suddenly shifted, condensing down into a single display that glowed with a bright green light, the wall behind it dissolving and reforming under the force of goddess’ mana.  It took quite a bit of juice to maintain that image, but the payoff was splendid.

It was more than worth the expressions on the gods’ faces as they stared at that display—

At the same group perched in the same room in the same place, a gleaming pile of mana resting in front of them – the spoils of their bet.  These were themselves in the future.  Now more haggard.  More irritated.  More jaded.  More invested in denial and self-delusion.  And those other versions of themselves stared back at another screen showing the younger gods staring at an image of their older selves...

An infinite, repeating loop of pain and suffering and existential agony.

“Wait… is that us?” the Lady demanded onscreen.  “Don’t listen to her—”

The audio was immediately cut off with a wave of the Fates’ hand.

“What is this?” the Old Man demanded, his tone more cautious now.

“This is your future,” Cady replied.  “One where you’ve lost everything.  That’s your mana resting there on that table – mana the Fates stole from each of you.  You are all powerless.  You lack your former strength, your avatars have betrayed you, and even the Judge himself intervened, binding your hands and preventing you from acting directly upon the world.  And why would he after you all were responsible for almost destroying it?”

Cady watched the gods, feeling a thrum of victory in her chest as she watched their expressions.  The scowls and frowns and glares.  The way they took in the dark creatures by their side and their mana resting on that table.  What they saw was a living hell.  Their authority stripped away and their hands tied.  An eternity spent without power – without distraction.

And to these people, that was a fate far worse than death.

Just like the human slaves, they would do anything for that next fix…

“What do you want?” the Old Man finally demanded.  All the gods were watching now.

Cady just smiled back.  She had them in the palm of her hand.

“Me?  I want to give you all an opportunity to make things right,” she offered, tapping her foot.  “But you better hurry.  The clock’s ticking.  If the avatars sign their contract first?  Well, I guess we’ll just get to see a repeat of your imprisonment…”

She trailed off, watching them hesitate, her smile only widening.

“So, what do you say?  Who wants to make a deal?”

Chapter 54 - Shitstorm

Crystal Reach

The Vault of Treasures

“Are you certain about this plan?” the Caretaker – or Rachael – asked, her golden features watching Jason and her missing arm and leg restored.  Which definitely hadn’t been free.  It had cost an absurd amount of Time for one of Cady’s clones to restore her body.

“Uh, well… not exactly.  But I don’t see any better options,” Jason hedged, speaking in a distracted voice as he checked and rechecked his equipment, notifications hovering around him.

He’d made a few changes to his body.

System Notice:  Body Augmentation

- The Boulder – 65% Augment Effectiveness

- Earth Affinity increased by 30%,

- Earth spells unlocked.

- Gravity Well unlocked.

- Kinetic Fighting unlocked.

- Weight Control unlocked.

- Infant Kraken – 37% Augment Effectiveness

- Water Affinity increased by 10%.

- Dark Affinity increased by 5%

- Ambidexterity unlocked.

- Acid Touch unlocked.

- Mimic – 23% Augment Effectiveness

- Water affinity increased by 8%.

- Mirage unlocked

Skeletal Augments

Limb

Level

Effects

Legs

312

Reinforced, Fire Resist, Light Resist

Arms

312

Reinforced, Fire Resist, Light Resist, Rotating, Stave Retraction

Chest

312

Reinforced, Fire Resist, Light Resist

Head

312

Reinforced, Fire Resist, Light Resist

Sustain Cost

7,000 Mana

Total Body Augmentation:  100%

The addition of the mimic had been helpful.  At a thought, his body rippled, his skeletal limbs filling out and suddenly glowing with a blinding white luster.  Wings sprung from his back, hiding the tentacles he’d appropriated from the infant kraken.  They soon flapped experimentally at the air.  He was posing as a Nephilim – one of the Caretaker’s guards.  Unfortunately, Skeletal Illusion wasn’t quite proficient enough to pull off this large-scale transformation and Cady’s illusion wands had a weakness.  If he so much as accidentally bumped against something, the illusion would give him away.  So, he’d been forced to “borrow” a mimic from the warehouse.

The cost was that Jason had been forced to drop the dark mana gemstones, which removed that shadowy phasing ability and dramatically reduced his Willpower.  That had resulted in the loss of the roughly 20,000 extra mana he’d had during his first attack on the Vault.  And that was on top of the 7,000 reserve cost for his augments and another few thousand for the skeletons he’d left back in the mines.

The result was that he was running light this time.

Character Status

Name:

Jason

Gender:

Male

Level:

284

Class:

Necromancer

Race:

Lich

Alignment:

Chaotic-Evil

Fame:

0

Infamy:

46,000

Health:

0

H-Regen/Sec:

1.60

Mana:

12002.5

M-Regen/Sec:

93.26

Stamina:

3345

S-Regen/Sec:

19.30

Strength:

160

Dexterity:

166

Vitality:

36

Endurance:

193

Intelligence:

80

Willpower:

1470

Affinities

Dark:

77% (72%)

Light:

14%

Fire:

12%

Water:

22% (4%)

Air:

4%

Earth:

34% (8%)

However, the cost was worth it.  His combined fire and light resistance was incredible.  And he was going to need those resistances if he was going to survive what was coming.

“Alright, you ready?” Jason asked, looking at the Rachael.

She hesitated only a moment.  She was fragile right now despite her incredibly resilient body.  Still seesawing between her former role as the Caretaker and the rediscovered memories of her original identity; of Finn and her children.  However, she was resolved.  She had insisted on coming with him on this final mission.  And it was a damn good thing.

She was going to be his golden ticket.

Rachael gave him a nod, her resolve hardening.  “Let’s do it.”

Jason tapped at the air crystal at his ear.  “We’re good.  Initiate the gate.”

“Affirmative,” Cady’s voice crackled back – one of Captain Cady’s subordinates.

Only seconds later, emerald energy flared across the stark white room—

And suddenly they were both standing in the Crystal Reach once more, Jason raising a hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sunlight.  Coils of smoke were already drifting away from his body.  Despite his disguise, he was still very much an unholy amalgamation of stolen body parts.  A Frankenstein creature without a true form of his own.

“Let’s go,” Rachael insisted, already marching for the doorway with an imperious certainty that gave Jason pause.  He hoped she could maintain her sense of self.

The only thing worse than fighting one Caretaker?  Fighting two…

Jason marched along behind her, sighing in relief as they entered the shadows of the Vault and his mana began to tick back up again.  Direct sunlight was becoming a real threat.  The Caretaker palmed the door and light mana flared.  The passage slid aside with incredible ease – no hint of grinding gears or stone.  Or any need to pull out that damn magical shovel.

This was definitely easier than the first time…

If Jason was surprised by how easily they made it inside, he was horrified with just how smoothly they managed to navigate the winding corridors of the Vault.  The Caretaker knew the way by heart – making Jason’s carefully collected map data almost entirely useless.  She also disabled the traps and defenses without even pausing.  A mere wave of her hand or snap of her fingers was enough to neutralize the many illusions and devices that it had taken a full team of undead avatars to handle on his previous attempts.

In record time, they had made it to the entrance to the central chamber again.  That imposing doorway loomed above Jason – taunting him.  This was only the second time he’d managed to make it back here after that first attempt.  His other strategies had all ended quite badly.  Usually by getting attacked by a horde of Nephilim or lost in the maze or frantically trying to carve through the dense crystal with that damned shovel while getting cooked to death by the light mana filtering through the translucent material – his limbs slowly breaking apart.

Yet here he was, standing before the Vault once again.

“You remember the plan?” Jason asked.  Just to confirm.

“Of course,” Rachael replied, yet her voice sounded strained.  “However, I’m not sure why you feel this ruse is necessary.  If you just allowed me to speak to the other version of—”

“Last time, you almost annihilated me and my minions before I managed to convince you,” Jason interjected.  “And even then, I had to force pictures of your family in front of you.  So, we’re going to cut to the chase this time.  We can’t afford to get injured.”

Rachael grimaced, her golden features pinching taut, but she didn’t reply.

She just strode toward that hulking door and placed her palm on the surface.  Light mana flared and rippled out across the structure.  However, as seconds ticked past… nothing happened.

Jason glanced over his shoulder nervously.  “Uh, if you could hurry up…”

“It’s not working,” Rachael replied in disbelief.  Then she cocked her head.  “Did the other me change the code?  Why would she do that?”

“Change the code?” Jason echoed.

“The key is a sequence of light rebounding through a crystalline matrix at specific angles.  All she needs to do is adjust the angles of the glass lenses by heating and warping the crystal.”

“Can you change it back?” Jason grunted.

She hummed in thought.  “It will take time.”

Jason’s UI pinged suddenly, the swarm of insect-like undead he’d left in their wake pinging multiple incoming hostiles – all glowing with a bright, white light.

“Shit, well, that’s time we don’t have.  You must have triggered some sort of alarm,” Jason said, pivoting his map toward Rachael.  “That means we need to go hard.”

“What are you saying—”

Jason didn’t wait for her to finish – he couldn’t afford to.  His illusion broke apart in an instant, his original appearance returning in a flash.  Bony tentacles snaked out from his back and swept his cloak to the side even as he dug into his bag with a free hand.  He soon tossed a familiar shovel into the air, a bony tentacle snatching the instrument from the air.

“Just cover my back.  The Nephilim will be here shortly,” Jason instructed.

He could have had the Caretaker handle this part – carve open the doorway – but he suspected that even her body couldn’t withstand the mana that guarded the Vault.  Even Smiles had been pulverized by the ambient fire and light mana. Jason couldn’t afford to risk damaging the Caretaker – not yet, anyway.  He was going to need her at full strength for what was coming next.  Luckily, Jason had a bit more range than Smiles.  He supposed he was going to have to test his newfound resistances sooner then he'd expected—

One of his tentacles whipped forward, slicing into the dense crystal of the door with the shovel, the metal carving deeply into the mixture of crystal and metal.  Jason whipped the limb back, but not fast enough.  Fire and light spewed from that crack, the heat so intense that it beat against him even from a dozen paces away.  He raised his arms, his staves rotating out of his forearms in an instant and beginning to spin, rapidly picking up speed as the air mana gems flared.  That rotation helped blunt the intense heat bombarding his body, but certainly didn’t stop it.  He could feel his bones warming at an alarming rate and red notifications flashed in the corner of his vision.

Shouts of alarm rose at Jason back and he spared a brief glance over his shoulder, his tentacles continuing to beat at the surface of the door, alternating his attacks to give the limbs time to recover between each blow.  Meanwhile, the Caretaker was facing off against a miniature army of Nephilim.  Dozens were already barreling down the hallway with the help of their wings.  However, she stood stock still, her golden eyes watching them impassively.

“Caretaker!   Stop that intruder behind you!” the guard captain shouted.

“I am not the “Caretaker.”  I am no longer a slave.  No mere custodian of this place.  My name is Rachael and I cannot let you interfere,” she answered.

Light and fire rocketed away from her palms, shooting into the neighboring walls.  The whole structure began to glow with an ominous white light, an orange, fiery bloom appearing in the center of the crystal and growing rapidly.

A new voice chimed through the Vault.  “Emergency defenses activated.”

Thin rays of light erupted from the walls, striking each Nephilim in the chest – but leaving them unharmed.  “Targets identified,” that voice announced again.

The fires in the walls surged, growing with incredible strength, orange turning bright red and then a deep, royal blue… and then a pristine, blazing white.

The flames soon burst forth.  A searing wall of white-hot fire that glowed so brightly that Jason couldn’t look at it directly.  It rocketed down the length of the hall.  And as fast as it appeared, it soon vanished.  All that remained of the Nephilim was dust that billowed and spiraled in the now empty corridor, the guards destroyed in an instant.

Jason grunted as his tentacle slammed into the door again, only to burst apart under the force of that heat and light.  The shovel rattled against the floor and was snatched up by his second tentacle.  His mana was dropping rapidly despite his resistances and the backflow of superhot wind created by his arms, the amber gems sparking – almost out of mana.

He was nearly there.  Just another few strikes—

He roared in pain and slammed the shovel into the door.  Again.  And again.

He whipped the tenacle back and coiled the skeletal limb, fractures already forming in the surface of the bone.  One more strike.  That’s all he had left.

Glowing green sigils appeared all around the bone, as many as Jason could channel while still maintaining enough mana to stay alive in the face of that blazing, searing energy spewing from the cracks in the doorway.  The sigils all flashed emerald as they triggered and the tentacle whipped forward at an incredible speed, like the strike of a coiled python.  It snapped at the door, the shovel carving one final, deep line in the crystal.

His last tentacle failed, crumbling away under the heat spewing from that door and the shovel rattled against the stone floor once more.

System Notice:  Body Augmentation

Infant Kraken augment destroyed.

Bonuses no longer apply and Total Body Augmentation reduced to 65%.

“Rachael, it’s done!” Jason announced, backing away from the door quickly.

His mana was low.  Only a couple thousand left, his regeneration struggling even as Jason pulled a mana potion from his bag and yanked the stopper with his teeth.  He quickly poured the substance down his skeletal throat – a cool icy sensation that was almost painful with the way his bones had been superheated.  His hands even glowed a dull red.

Which made him wonder… could he turn himself into a fire skeleton?

Not that he had time to ponder on such things.

Rachael swept passed him in a white blur.  She streaked toward that doorway and slammed into the crystal with such force that the entire structure bucked from the blow.  Jason had to put a hand to the wall to steady himself, glancing nervously over his shoulder.  However, his concern was short-lived.  The Nephilim were dead.  And the others on his map had been delayed now that the Vault’s defenses had been turned against them.

They had time… just not much.

Not now that the two Rachaels were so close to one another…

The dust began to clear, revealing that Rachael had succeeded.  A chunk of crystal had toppled forward, slamming into the ground along the central chamber – Jason’s work with the shovel having weakened the structure.  Now a jagged hole in the door lingered there.

It gave Jason the strangest sense of déjà vu—

He was moving before he realized it, crashing into Rachael and sending them both toppling to the ground even as a beam of white-hot energy rocketed from that opening for the second time.  The mana crashed against the ceiling further down the hall, actually melting the crystal and burrowing a deep hole in the wall of the vault.  As the energy reached the neurogem embedded in the walls, more mana flared, a geyser of heat and light spewing from that opening and showering the hall in superheated flames.

It seemed the Caretaker had accidentally helped block off their rear.

Jason grunted and pushed himself upright, helping Rachael up, the two of them perched beside the jagged opening.  “You ready?” Jason grunted, watching her.

Rachael’s golden features were marred by soot, patches along her arm and leg half-melted despite Jason’s attempt to protect her.  She was not at 100%, but it would have to be enough.

“Let’s go,” she said with a nod, gathering herself and her eyes shining with mana.

Jason stepped forward, only to dodge backward rapidly as his Perception caught a reflection along the edges of the jagged, crystalline hole.  Another beam speared out and slammed into the ceiling – although, this one was much weaker.  It seemed the Caretaker must have taken time to charge that first attack, hoping to destroy the intruders as soon as they breached the doorway.  Any subsequent beams would be weaker.  Or, at least, he hoped so…

“You should stop,” Jason called out.  “If you keep firing, you’ll hit the hostages.”

A pause and then…

“What hostages?” the Caretaker called back, her voice still sounding robotic.

Rachael winced beside Jason as she heard her own voice.

It was okay.  He could handle this part himself.

With a gesture, a swarm of skeletal creatures skittered out from inside his ribcage – a horde of insect-like undead.  Not a handful.  Not a single swarm, but hundreds of his minions.  Jason had taken the opportunity to level up Undead Swarm to Intermediate Level 1 while inside the Hive.

x10 Skill Rank Up:  Undead Swarm

Skill Level:  Intermediate Level 1

Effect 1:  100 minions per swarm. 8-inch diameter limit.  A swarm counts as 1 minion toward your Control Limit.

Effect 2:  You can apply other skills to your swarms at 50% efficiency.

That second new effect would help him now.

Jason activated Skeletal Illusion.

The swarms condensed rapidly, the skeletal bugs attaching to one another and pressing tight, forming into feet, legs, a torso, arms, and a head.  The surface of this new humanoid creature rippled and warped as the insects shifted in place, but their movements soon slowed, their bodies compressing down until the creature’s skin almost appeared smooth.  Until they formed into delicate cheekbones and even imitated feathered, graying hair.  And two more swarms were merging nearby, although they were much smaller – the size of children.  A boy and a girl.

Jason tossed them the clothes he’d packed for just this occasion – commissioned from one of the Cady tailors.  She’d done a remarkable job imitating the clothing from their world, no doubt drawing on her stolen memories.  One last touch and he could complete the illusion, the water mana wand in his hand flaring.  He could see now why Cady always carried one of these things.  They were incredibly useful…

Moments later, three figures stood there.  An older man, a young boy, and a little girl.

Finn and his children, the doppelgangers the spitting image of their real-world counterparts.  Even Rachael gawked at them, her hand reaching forward—

However, Jason sent a mental command and the swarms moved forward, their steps jerky and awkward at first but smoothing out as they kept it up.

x1 Skill Rank Up:  Undead Swarm

Skill Level:  Intermediate Level 2

Effect 1:  110 minions per swarm. 8-inch diameter limit.  A swarm counts as 1 minion toward your Control Limit.

Effect 2:  You can apply other skills to your swarms at 51% efficiency.

It seemed this was an advanced application of his new skill – enough to earn him another rank already.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.

The clones stepped out into the opening as a family.  As a finishing touch, Jason had the children cower closer to their dad and grab at each of his hands.  Rachael sucked in a harsh breath and balled her fingers into fists to prevent herself from reaching for them.  Apparently, his illusion was effective.  Now, to see if it worked on the other her…

Jason peeked around the corner to see the Caretaker frozen in the center of the Vault – just where he remembered meeting her the first time.  However, her gaze was locked on Finn and their children – horror, panic, despair, and confusion sweeping across her golden features.

“F-Finn?”  The Caretaker murmured.

Perfect.  It was working.  Maybe just another little nudge—

“Mommy?” little Julia whined, the air mana gems stashed inside a few of the skeletal mosquitos putting in some work.  Rachael flinched again on the other side of the door, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her palms to her ears.

Okay, this was probably a dick move, but he didn’t have much choice.

“Julia, why are you—” the Caretaker muttered, cradling her head in her hands like she was suddenly in pain and peering at the children between her fingers.  “—what is— You are so young.  How much time has passed?  This isn’t—”

She almost sounded like a computer program glitching.  A logic error from some old videogame.  Although, Jason knew it was more than that.  This was a human mind copied and coded and then forced to endure millennia without her family.  A woman in such deep pain that she had forced herself into this artificial role – forced herself to swallow this lie.

Just a little further.  Jason would need to have a delicate touch here.

He needed to create a plot hole.  But not the huge, mawing tear he’d created the first time they’d attacked the Vault with an army of his own clones.  And not too little like many of his previous attempts – his presence alone not quite enough to draw the attention of the Hall Monitors.  Rachael’s duplicate was a good start, but, last time, the Hall Monitors had come once she realized what was happening; realized who she was.  That made sense to him.  Her existence was pivotal to the game’s narrative – to Alfred’s agenda.  She was Finn’s motivation; the inciting cause of many of the events that would come in the future.

The trick was finding that balance.

Creating a Goldilocks-sized plothole.

Not too big…

Not too small…

“Do you remember who you are now?” Jason demanded, waiting, his limbs tense – his doppelgangers standing by his side.

“I don’t—I can’t.  Those aren’t my—” the Caretaker muttered, holding her head.  The conditioning was fighting back.  She was sinking back into denial.

Another nudge then.  At least, he was accustomed to playing the villain.

“Ahh, in that case…” Jason began.

Then he raised his arm, a Soul Blade whipping from his forearm—

And coming to rest at Julia’s throat, the girl looking frightened and letting out a sob.  No tears of course.  Jason hadn’t thought to add water mana gems to his swarm.  Maybe in the future…

“Tell me your name, or I kill the girl,” Jason ground out harshly.

The Caretaker hesitated a moment longer, despair and anger warping her features and mana pooling in her palms.  “Uh uh,” Jason grunted, pressing the blade closer and the girl squealed.

He felt guilt well in his chest but he pushed back at the emotion, leaning into his dark mana and letting the chill energy sweep those feeble feelings way.  There was no room for that right now.  Not here.  Not with what was at stake.

“Your name!” Jason roared.

“R-Rachael.  My name is Rachael,” the Caretaker muttered finally.

It was like saying that name had released something inside her.  The Caretaker immediately dropped to her knees, the metal clunking harshly against the stone floor.  Molten tears welled at the corners of her eyes and streamed down her cheeks, cooling as they flowed forth and leaving hardened, golden rivulets down her face.

With another command, Jason sent the clones rushing forward.  To their wife.  To their mother.  She held out her golden arms toward them, more tears streaming down her cheeks—

Jason held his breath.  Just waiting.  Just watching.

Then he saw it.  A tear of multi-colored energy.

“Get ready,” he grunted at the other Rachael beside him.  When he saw she still had her eyes closed and hands pressed to her ears, he snapped at her.  “Open your damn eyes.  This isn’t your family.  You know that.  If you want to see them again, then you need to fight.  Now!”

Her eyes snapped open just as two Hall Monitors arrived.

Ahh, this continuity error was just perfect...

Dark mana flared through Jason’s body in a tsunami of power, his mana fully replenished by the mana potion and his natural regeneration.  Another mental command and the clones slowed slightly, even as those many, many spider-like eyes turned toward them – toward the Caretaker and her false family.  Finn darted forward, pushing his wife out of the way, but seemingly forgot about the children—

A blast of multi-colored energy barreled forward in a beam of destruction.  Time seemed to slow; to freeze in place.  The Caretaker tumbling backward with Finn.  The children racing through the room and that deadly beam of mana barreling toward them from the side.  Just a split second.  A stolen moment.  An inflection point.

Then time sped back up.  The mana consumed the two children in an instant and Jason decided to amp the situation just a bit.  Their screams ripped through the air, only to be cut short moments later as the swarm and the air mana gems were destroyed – reduced to gleaming motes of energy that swam and spun through the Vault.

Finn absorbed the blast from the other Hall Monitor, rising back to his feet and shielding the Caretaker with his own body, the swarm incapable of anything more.  His limbs broke apart rapidly, burned away in the face of that searing blaze.  Meanwhile, the Caretaker could only look on in horror as her family was slain before her eyes—

Only for that horror to turn into a blinding rage.

Light and fire welled around her in a torrent as the pair of Hall Monitors charged their beams to attack again.  The Caretaker stripped the mana from the Vault itself, light and fire flowing out of the walls in rivers of energy that crackled up and down her arms.  The Hall Monitors fired once more, but this time, their attack was blunted by that energy – just as Jason had seen the Gambler block their attacks back in the club.  All it took was a gesture from the Caretaker, a mere wave of her hand, to form a wall of blazing light.

He’d been right, the Caretaker’s powers could rival a god’s—

Then she fired back.  A beam of white-hot energy crashed into one of the spider-eyed creatures.  Its own multi-colored shield flared and it was sent careening back into a wall, striking the mixture of crystal and metal with a resounding boom that rocked the whole structure and briefly obscured the beast from sight behind a thick layer of dust and fragments of metal and crystal.

Not that Jason was bothered by that.  He released another swarm into the room, the creatures flitting up around the ceiling and light mana crystal pulsing in their bodies.  His map updated and mana information overlaid the display.  The Hall Monitor was down but not dead and the other was already preparing to attack again, another beam rocketing forward and crashing into the Caretaker.  She wasn’t prepared this time – much of her mana expended in that last attack.  The beam sliced her arm clean off.  She whirled, more mana pooling as she squared off against the remaining Hall Monitor.

“Rachael,” Jason grunted, marking the injured Hall Monitor with a yellow tag in his UI, its silhouette suddenly outlined there against the far wall.

“I’m already on it,” she shot back.

A beam of white-hot energy pounded the creature.  And another.  And another.

Rachael didn’t relent.  Its shield flickered, crackled—

Meanwhile, Jason was running.  Racing through the Vault, diving under another blast of energy from the Caretaker and sliding across the stone.  More beams blasted through the air on either side of him as Rachael kept up her barrage from the doorway.  The Hall Monitor’s shields were beginning to fail.  Then the rainbow energy disappeared for just a moment.

In that fraction of a second, emerald sigils flashing into existence behind both of Jason’s arms, creating at least three layers as he powered up the Gravity Wells.  They all ignited at the same time, twin Soul Blades arcing downward and crashing into the beast with incredible force.  He slashed at it again and again and again, multi-colored blood spraying and the wounds regenerating rapidly, but Jason wasn’t giving it a chance to recover or to rebuild its shields.

Moments later, the creature finally, mercifully, went still.

Jason’s chest heaved and his body was drenched in blood as he stood atop the corpse.

Yet all he felt as he stared down at dead Hall Monitor was elation, his dark mana surging even more violently and spreading out around him in a dark aura.  Tendrils of shadowy energy were already snatching at the beast’s dead flesh, reflecting his own desire.  His hands moved on their own and arcane words drifted from his lips as those shadows flared wider and darker.

He remembered the last time, the way the Hall Monitor had absorbed its fallen brother.  The other was already turning as though it sensed the death of its own.  However, the Caretaker wasn’t finished, pelting the creature with beams of light as she raced toward it, screaming her rage as she blasted it again and again.  It seemed his plan had worked.

Dark energy seeped into the Hall Monitor’s corpse beneath Jason and the ruined flesh began to knit back together rapidly, refilling the ragged crater he’d carved into its body.  Its eyes reformed, creating a series of milky white orbs that rotated and pivoted blindly.

And now, finally, to test it—

A thunderous crash came from the other side of the room and Jason looked up to see that the other Hall Monitor and the Caretaker were locked in a bloody embrace.  In her despair and anger, the woman had given up any pretense of defending herself and her lone remaining arm was wrapped around the beast as it fired its beam aimlessly, the energy careening along the ceiling and the walls and leaving melted crystal in its wake.

Jason stepped forward, his new zombie rising at his back.  Mana collected along its eyes, but it no longer looked the same – no longer a dizzying rainbow of color.  Instead, it was a bottomless black.  An endless void that seemed to suck in the light from the walls.

He made no attempt to aim, to pinpoint its attack.

Jason just pointed at the Hall Monitor and the Caretaker.

The zombie fired and the beam struck the pair with terrifying force.  It carved cleaned through the other Hall Monitor and took out the Caretaker’s other arm, sending her torso careening into the wall with a shower of sparks.  The corrupted energy smashed against Hall Monitor’s shield, the barrier holding for just a moment.  Then the mana flickered and faded, the creature already badly injured by the Caretaker.  That malignant energy bore into its body, corroding and eating away at its flesh.  Seconds later, the mana splashed against the far wall and rebounded along the crystal, crashing into the ceiling and floor before petering out.

Leaving an eerie stillness inside the Vault.

Jason strode through the cloud of dust, Rachael stepping gingerly away from the ragged hole carved into the Vault’s doorway and staring with wide eyes.

The other Hall Monitor was dead and unmoving.  But a few swipes of Jason’s Soul Blades made absolutely sure of that.  The other floated at his back, a mass of unholy, decayed flesh and unseeing eyes.  An agent of fate repurposed to his will; his own desire.

The Caretaker lay nearby, letting out a weak groan.

As Jason approached, Rachael at his side, the Caretaker saw herself – her clone.  Realization flickered in her eyes and she let out a pained laugh.

“Of course,” she grunted.  “They weren’t real, were they?  Our family?”

“They weren’t,” Rachael answered.

The other nodded, weakly, molten metal spewing from the open wounds where her arms had once been attached, tears frozen on her cheeks.  A permanent, timeless despair was etched across her face.  Yet her eyes… her eyes held a trace of something new.  Hope shone there with a light even more blinding than her mana.

“You will find them?  Protect them?” the Caretaker grunted.

“Of course,” Rachael answered gently.

Dark energy already welled overhead as Jason’s minion charged its beam once more.  The Caretaker looked up at the beast, but her gaze no longer held fear as she witnessed her looming death.  It was as though she realized what they must do – what these events meant.  And perhaps she did.  Behind that recognition, Jason saw something else... possibly relief?  She seemed to welcome her own death – the promise of oblivion after an eternity of torture.

She looked back at the pair one final time.  Jason and then Rachael.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

Then the Hall Monitor fired.  The dark energy obliterated all traces of the Caretaker, her metal body corroding and breaking apart under the force of the barrage.  Within seconds, nothing was left.  Nothing but dust and ruin…

And then fire mana lifted away from that dust and condensed in the air.  Just a few motes at first and then a flowing river of flame that began to form an intense blaze of fiery energy.  Jason drew away, expecting a final attack – some sort of suicide bomb.  However, he could only look on in puzzlement and concern as that energy condensed before exploding forward, racing out of one of the holes in the ceiling.

And now he supposed he knew how Rachael had become a fire elemental…

Or maybe she’d been one all along?  One that inhabited that golden body?

Jason shook his head.  Not that it mattered.  The rest of the central chamber hadn’t fared much better than the Caretaker herself.  The items and loot were all destroyed, the relics damaged in the aftermath of the battle that had taken place inside the room.  Just as Jason had anticipated.

Despite what they’d done; what they’d endured; a dozen failed attempts…

He’d finally succeeded!

A cackle erupted from Jason’s throat.  A deep throated laugh.

More dark mana surged and a second minion soon joined him, hovering sightlessly at his back.  The beasts required an absurd amount of mana to sustain, but Jason had expected that, opening his bag to reveal dozens of glowing, dark gems.  He could always change out his augments.  He had no need for the Kraken or the Mimic’s abilities any longer.

“What now?” Rachael asked, her expression dark.  “Are we done?”

Jason glanced at her, his eyes a solid black and mana surging through his body in a frigid, tsunami of power.  “Not yet,” he replied evenly.  “There’s still one last thing we need to do.”

Already, more multi-colored rifts were opening around them.  A continuity error had just been created.  One that was far, far too large.  And it would remain that way until Cady succeeded; until they merged the timelines.  Assuming she succeeded, of course.

In the meantime, Jason needed to ensure that he and Rachael survived, the Vault was destroyed, and not a single trace of the Caretaker or the relics survived.  However, this was also a perfect opportunity to see just how much damage he could cause.  To the Crystal Reach and to those avatars that were tucked away inside the palace nearby.

And now he finally had the tools he needed to make that happen.

In short, Jason just needed to do what he did best…

“We’re going to destroy it all,” he growled.

Chapter 55 - Term Sheet

The Gambler’s VIP Suite

“I still fail to see why we should accept your offer,” the Old Man offered.

“Indeed, if what you say is true, could we not simply stop your summit with the avatars?” the Seer demanded.  “We can still act in this timeline.”

“I for one have had enough of this,” the Lady snapped, rising to her feet and storming toward the door to the VIP lounge, ignoring the screens along the far wall.

The rest gods were looking angry and the Gambler… well, he was starting to look nervous.  And with good reason.  The gods were right.  At this point in time, they could intervene in the game world directly; could possibly stop Captain Cady’s pitch to the other avatars that was still taking place on the screens projected along the wall.

At least, they could under normal circumstances.

Thankfully, Cady had already considered that problem.

Her UI dinged and she saw an incoming message – one she’d been expecting.

Jason was right on time…

“I figured you all might feel that way.  But before you all rush off, perhaps you should see this first,” she called after the Lady.

The goddess slowed as the Fates waved a hand and the screen changed.  The familiar VIP suite vanished, replaced with an image of the Vault in the Crystal Reach.   A beautiful morning, sunlight streaming down from the heavens and reflecting off dense crystal and glittering gold.  Nephilim flitted through the air on ivory wings, flying in perfect formation as they circled the structure.  It was picturesque.  An idyllic scene.

Another beautiful, digital sandcastle just waiting to be toppled—

A massive explosion suddenly rocked the Vault and a blast of darkness spewed out one side of the structure, annihilating a patrolling group of Nephilim that had wandered too close.  Crystal and gold spiraled down to the ground far below, twinkling in the stark sunlight like falling gemstones.  Another blast erupted out of the other end of the structure and blew apart the former doorway, leaving only a mawing expanse of darkness and dust.

The view shifted, showcasing that entrance.  Jason soon made his appearance.  He marched through that jagged hole, his dark cloak snapping in the wind and dust spiraling around him.  And at his back was an army of creatures.  Horrors riddled with unseeing, white eyes and gaping, sharktoothed mouths.  Not just one or two.  A dozen Hall Monitors floated around him in a protective formation.  The Nephilim tried to fight back, but it was futile.  Hundreds of beams of light rocketed forward—

Only to harmlessly glance off flickering, dark shields.

Silence had fallen across the lounge as the gods stared in rapt fascination.  More rifts were forming in the air – rainbow portals that announced the emergence of reinforcements; soldiers deployed to eliminate the continuity error that was swiftly growing in size and strength.  An army of Hall Monitors dozens strong.

However, Jason was already waiting.  With a wave of his hand, his own zombies charged and fired their beams, the energy twisted and corrupted and seeming to suck in the sunlight.  Those death rays struck the Hall Monitors just as they emerged from the rifts, landing in pairs.  The first blow was enough to shake and then shatter their shields and the next?  Well, it was enough to carve a hole clean through those beasts, their bulbous bodies soon tumbling through the air.

Only for shadows to slither forward and mend their wounds.

For darkness to contaminate their bodies.

And for those eyes to re-open, sightless and staring.

Jason’s momentum was already secured.  Sure, the Hall Monitors were managing to take out a few of his minions in a hail of rainbow energy.  But they were also expendable and the casualties that Jason was inflicting were far more severe – each corpse repurposed and only serving to grow his horde.  As they realized their attacks were futile, the Nephilim switched plans and started burning the corpses before they could be respawned...

Yet even that was futile.

Jason began taking out the winged soldiers in droves, his minions sweeping the Nephilim’s ranks with their dark beams and leaving hundreds of dead in their wake.  And once the “battle” had devolved into pure, one-sided chaos, Jason switched targets.  A wave of his hands and a contingent of his undead pivoted in midair.  More malignant energy condensed.  They soon fired, the shadowy beams crashing into the Vault over and over again.  They were pulverizing the structure, each beam punching a clean hole through the structure.  The whole island began to list and tilt as the mana generators keeping it aloft failed one-by-one.

“At least he doesn’t know how to fly,” the Lady muttered under her breath as Jason lost his footing and began to slide across the crystal, the whole island sinking.

“Are you sure about that?” Cady quipped.

The gods all watched in horror as a swarm of insect-like creature emerged from Jason’s cloak.  They quickly encircled his legs and waist, buzzing in place using dark-mana infused wings.  Jason soon righted himself and his fall slowed.  Those insects flattened out, forming a buzzing, unliving platform for their master – one Jason stepped onto with ease.

“Impressive,” the Old Man murmured, his own mana responding to the carnage; to Jason’s desire, finally unleashed and unrestrained.

“You realize he’s screwing us right now, don’t you?” the Seer demanded.

The dark god just thumped his staff and let out a dismissive grunt.

“What… what is this?” The Lady demanded, glaring at Cady and Fates now.

“Ahh, I must have forgotten to mention.  I have a partner,” Cady replied with a smile.

“You think this is enough?  A single Necromancer?” the goddess scoffed, trying to regather her confidence about her shoulders like a cloak.  “We are gods.  We can handle such beasts.  Can we not, brothers and sisters?”

However, the others looked less than enthusiastic about the prospect.  The Old Man was just watching gleefully as Jason destroyed the Crystal Reach and slaughtered the Nephilim in droves.  The Hippie was suddenly busy cramming nuts into his mouth and the Gambler had escaped into the bottom of his whiskey glass.  Even the Seer couldn’t meet the Lady’s eyes, her own on the floor, her lips pinched in a grim line, her gaze no longer peering into the future.

Perhaps she’d seen something she didn’t like.

“Surely, you aren’t scared of those things?” the Lady demanded, her voice rising a pitch too high, cracking slightly under the stress.

“Yeah, yeah I am,” the Gambler grunted back after taking another long pull on his whiskey.  “I’ve fought them myself.  God or not, we aren’t immune to their power.  They are meant to destroy whole timelines – to remove continuity errors.  And I should remind you, dear sister, we are merely a part of those timelines.”

“Of course, you would take her side—”

“Then how about some proof?” the Gambler snapped, waving at the air.

Another display appeared, this time showing him getting attacked in the Half Mile Club.  How just two of the Hall Monitors had been enough to put the god of air on the defensive, hiding behind his shields and the energy trembling with each blow.  If the creatures hadn’t turned away – lured by Jason’s presence – they might have taken out his private box.

With a gust of wind, the display blew apart…

Leaving only silence in its wake.

A beautiful, tense silence filled with the glorious promise of victory.

Cady and the fates shared a look.  The gods were trapped and they knew it.

Now, it was time to close the sale.

“I see you finally understand the situation,” Cady drawled, leaning back in her seat and watching the others.  “There are only three ways this can go from here.  First, the avatars accept the deal and bind themselves and their subordinates.  In which case, you’re all fucked.  Second, you accept the deal and you screw over the avatars.  Or… third, you both resist the inevitable and we just tear it all down around us.  If we can’t have this world, then, well, neither can you.”

The Seer coughed, clearing her throat.  “If this world falls, so does your sister.”

“Exactly.  You’re bluffing,” the Lady snapped, stabbing a finger at Cady.

Cady looked to her sister then – to the Fates.  A goddess in this world.  They shared a long look, one filled with all of the words that had gone unsaid.  Feelings bottled up and suppressed in order to keep the peace.  To maintain the status quo.  A lifetime of history conveyed in a single, weighty glance.  And in that moment, Cady saw something shift in her sister…

“I’m already dead,” the Fates announced.

The gods just stared back.  “We all are, aren’t we?  All we’ve been doing is trying to ignore the truth – that we’re vegetables hooked up to a damned wireless router.  I’ve come to peace with my existence, with my own death, even if it took me a few millennia to get there.  I’m willing to put my life on the line.”

The Fates looked to Cady then.  Tara looked at her.  Her sister…

“Especially if it protects my sister… my real sister,” Tara continued.  “I made the wrong choice before, but I don’t plan to do that again.  Not now that I’ve been given a second chance.”

Cady swallowed hard, feeling some weird moisture at the corners of her eyes.  And suddenly her nose was feeling stuffy?  Damn it.  What was this? Did the game have allergies?

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay focused.  They were almost there.

“So, why don’t we talk terms?” Cady offered, spreading her arms wide.

“Full freeze.  150 years.  10% commission on the Time for every creature frozen.  And if you sign now, I’ll even let you keep a bit of your mana in the future.  Let’s say 15%?  Something to tide you all over while you’re in celestial time out.  Consider it my gift to you.”

“15%?” the Lady echoed in horror.

“What can I say?  I’ve always been quite charitable,” Cady drawled.  She raised a single, delicate finger.  “But there’s also one more condition.”

“What is it?” the Gambler grunted, rubbing at his temple.

“You also have to align yourselves behind the new avatars in the future.”

“The same avatar that’s screwing us over right now?” the Lady snapped, glaring back at Cady.  “Or that man that’s destroying my beautiful city?” she demanded, waving at the screens where Jason’s war had only escalated.  It looked like he was bombarding the palace from a distance now, the Vault reduced to so much rubble… rubble that was now approaching the ground at terrifying speed, as well as the city and infrastructure that was built there.  Hundreds of thousands of lives hung in the balance as a flaming meteor barreled to earth.

“Exactly,” Cady offered.  “Ahh, and this offer is set to expire, so you should act quickly.”

She motioned at her sister and the displays all shifted again.  This time, they showed an image of the inside of the palace.  The walls were shaking from the constant bombardment and Nephilim crowded around the Empress as the other avatars gathered close.  Yet despite their considerable power, they were no match for a flying army of Hall Monitors.  Captain Cady was making her pitch, glowing green sheets floating at her back as she gave them terms.

She was already giving them the opportunity to sign…

And the avatars were cracking as they faced the reality of their situation.  That they had been outmaneuvered and outgunned in a cosmic game of chicken – one with an entire world hanging in the balance.  Cady had always been good at selling a story.

It was all about having the right leverage.

“So, what’s it going to be?” Cady demanded.  Already, the avatar of water had caved and had scrawled his signature at the bottom of the contract shown onscreen.  “Remember, if they finish signing first, it’s over.  You all get banished for 150 years and get nothing.”

Her magic flared, emerald energy sweeping out around her and stitching together into glowing green panels of parchments, the terms of her offer scrawling down the sheets.  Dozens of pages that hovered around her like her own army.  Sure, it wasn’t a legion of Hall Monitors, but it was close.  Certainly enough to shake down a room full of wannabe gods.

“Um, I think I’ll sign,” the Hippie piped up.

“What are you doing—” the Lady began.

However, she was cut short as the god of water teleported beside Cady and added his signature to the bottom line with a single, glowing sapphire finger.

The Hippie let out a sigh.  “Just accept it.  We’ve lost.  Survival is more important.”

“He’s right,” the Gambler grunted, soon adding his signature.

“I don’t see any other future.”  The Seer that time.

Which just left the Old Man and the Lady.

The dark god let out a pleased chuckle, an unexpected reaction.  “How could I not reward such carnage?  Perhaps it’s time to switch horses,” he offered.

And suddenly the Lady was alone, the other gods watching her.

“You need me to sign!” she said, searching for anything to improve her situation.  “If I don’t, then we all suffer, don’t we?  You need me, so what will I get in return?”

The gods just stared back, more than a few shaking their heads.

“I think you’re mistaken,” the Old Man offered, finally rising to his feet and leaning heavily on his staff.  He pivoted, eyeing the goddess of light.  “You think we need your consent?”

“What are you—”

The Lady never got to finish.  The gods all acted as one.  Water slithered around her wrists and hardened to ice in an instant.  Manacles of molten steel wrapped her ankles even as a gust of wind sent her stumbling forward as she strained against her sudden bindings.  Her mouth opened to scream, but dark needles punctured her perfect, ivory throat, her voice suddenly silenced.

The Lady fought hard.  Every step.  Every second.  Her arms and legs strained against the ropes of mana.  Her fingers trembled as the Hippie’s water forced her hand forward toward those glowing green sheets of energy.  Her mana beat futilely against her so-called siblings… that is, until the end; until her hand reached that radiant parchment. Eventually, she accepted her fate, glaring with solid white eyes at Cady and her sister as she signed her name.

“Perfect.  It was great doing business with you all,” Cady announced.  “I suppose I’ll see you again in… about 150 years, huh?”

The gods didn’t say a word as they disappeared.  Only stared back as their bodies vanished one-by-one in columns of glowing energy – even the Gambler was banished from his own VIP room.  He wouldn’t have the mana to maintain this space.  Not for some time, anyway.

Which left Cady and the Fates standing there alone in that lounge, the walls beginning to crumble around them, revealing only darkness on the other side.  Those walls were merely an illusion masking bleak reality.  That none of this was real.  Not truly.

The sisters stood there watching the end.

“Well, we won,” the Fates murmured.

“I guess we did,” Cady replied.

It was hard to believe.  Months of work culminating in this…

Yet Cady found it difficult to feel excited – that rush of victory strangely absent.

As she side-eyed her sister, Cady saw that the Fates’ disguise was fading, her form breaking apart into many clones. As each version of herself peeled away, her features blurred and blended, like clay that was being reshaped or stone worn away over centuries by a mere trickle of water.  Moments later, her sister was standing there, just as Cady remembered her.  Late thirties.  Wrinkles around the eyes.  Sun-kissed skin.

And beside her were the spitting images of herself.  As a young girl wearing a princess costume, cheap, plastic tiara on her brow. Some reject costume that they’d found in a Dollar General store. As a teenager in ripped jeans and a ratty t-shirt.  And as the woman that Cady remembered when she left… haggard and tired and sullen, with clothing that reached to her ankles and wrists; clothing that hid the bruises.  A hundred versions of her sister were arrayed throughout that room, packing the VIP lounge.

Each of them added their signature to the contract that still floated there in the air – one more god adding her name.  Their plan required everyone to sign, after all…

“I know this doesn’t mean much now after everything—” Tara began.

“We really don’t have to do this,” Cady shot back quickly.

“Look at you, still running away, huh?”

Cady winced at that one.  That still stung a bit.

“Sorry, sorry that was a cheap blow.  And… I’m sorry about not leaving with you – making you feel like I gave up on you.  I was just trying to protect you; to push you away from that place, but I just ended up hurting you more.  It’s clear now that you didn’t need my protection.

“You just needed a sister.”

And that damn moisture was back.  Cady’s allergies must really be acting up…

“Fuck, what is up with this place?” Cady grunted, swiping at her eyes.  “Damn dust.”

“Yeah… yeah, the Gambler really ought to clean this place up,” her sister offered.  She was also dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve.

Then silence.  Tense.  Awkward.  Cady was terrible at this.  But there was something she needed to say; something that had become clear after weeks and months – after derailing her life for this… this crusade.  Maybe it was finally time to be honest.

“I’m, uh, I’m sorry too.  I was just a dumb kid…” Cady shook her head.  “No, that’s just an excuse.  I’m sorry for not understanding what you sacrificed; what you gave up to protect me.  You’ll always be my sister and I… I love you.”

“I love you too, jerk,” a younger version of Tara offered with a smirk before vanishing, her body breaking apart into motes of emerald energy.

“But please be careful.  This doesn’t end here, you know that.”  Another Tara, this one older and wiser and more cautious.  Then she was gone too.

“Beware of the cruelty of those that act with conviction; that are blinded by their own faith.  That’s a lesson we learned the hard way.”  Another version, her eye blackened by their “parents.”  Although, at least her wounds were healed as she vanished into the ether.

Soon there was only Cady and Tara – the last version she remembered.  The one laid out in a pod in the depths of a cyber dungeon tucked far below the Cerillion Entertainment headquarters.  A mixture of sadness and cynical pragmatism shone in her eyes.  Her life pulling hard at the skin of her face, leaving dark circles and wrinkled, sunburnt skin that made her seem much older than she actually was.

“This isn’t the end, even if it feels that way.  I’ll be back,” Tara offered gently.

“You better,” Cady grunted back, rubbing at her eyes.  150 years.  Her own sister would have to endure that punishment again – this time with full knowledge of what would come next.

Fuck, she needed to find some fantasy allergy pills.  Did the Gambler never vacuum?

Tara’s hand touched Cady’s cheek, her skin warm and smooth… and far too real.  “Don’t worry.  I’ll be fine.  I know you’re scared of losing me again, but the Fates that return in the future will still be me. Just another version.  A little older, a little wiser, and maybe even a little better looking.  I mean, I’ve always been the prettier sister…”

She trailed off as she disappeared, Tara’s form crumbling apart into motes of green energy that soon scattered apart like the walls of this place, the entire room crumbling around Cady.  The VIP lounge was breaking itself apart.  Velvet stripped from the couches.  Glass bottles drained of their alcohol.  The carpet peeling up in long strips.

Soon it was gone; all gone.  Just a few stray nuts and then… nothing.

Cady floated in an endless black void as the contract flared one final time and began to condense and compress, that swirling emerald energy forming into a brilliant, glowing sphere.

She squeezed her eyes closed.  She’d been planning for this for so long.  And yet, now that victory was finally in hand, it felt bittersweet.  Nothing like the triumph she’d imagined.  Funny, how things worked out like that.  Maybe there was a lesson in there somewhere.  None of her plans ever turned out the way she expected.  They just ended up a chaotic, tangled mess of pain and hardship interspersed with the occasional flicker of joy.  Just enough to keep her on the take; to keep her moving; to give her a false sense of hope.

Maybe that was just her fate.

Or maybe that’s just what it meant to be human.

Chapter 56 - Closing Arguments

The Crystal Reach

Jason was having a fantastic day.

Screams filled the air.  Blood rained from the skies, accompanied by the corpses of fallen angels.  Beams of deadly, dark energy swept through the air as his new minions lay waste to the Crystal Reach.  And even as more and more of the Hall Monitors teleported in, they were just blown away in a barrage of unholy energy… only to join his ranks anew.  Entire islands built of crystal and gold were falling from the sky, raining destruction on the ground below.

Meanwhile, Jason stood atop a panel of skittering minions that roiled and undulated beneath his feet, their buzzing, insect-like wings keeping him aloft and providing him with an exceptional view of the carnage.  The Vault was crashing to earth.  Not just the building.  Not just a few blocks of stone.  No, the entire floating island was falling through the skies, crashing toward the city that lay along the ground, dozens of airships already rising from its ports in a desperate attempt to flee the oncoming destruction.

More than a few Nephilim had given up on the city, abandoning their empress and streaking toward the horizon in large migratory flocks of fluttering white wings… only to be cut down by beams of white-hot energy as their pledge took hold.  They promptly exploded apart in a shower of blood, wings, and glowing embers – like living fireworks.

It was a truly glorious sight.

But it didn’t hold a candle to what came next.  The Vault slammed into the ground, the stone and crystal base crashing into the middle of the city.  Buildings were toppled in an instant.  Citizens and residents crushed like so many ants as they desperately tried to flee the impact.  Not all of the races that resided there had wings, after all.

Then the rest of the island struck the ground with a reverberating BOOM that seemed to shake the air itself.  Dust plumed, debris hurled skyward in a massive mushroom cloud that soon obscured the city from sight.  Yet it did little to blunt the wave of kinetic energy that swept out from that impact, crushing buildings and sending the earth spewing upward, swallowing whole neighborhoods in an instant.  And then the mana crystals ignited—

Mana bloomed white-hot, creating a massive vacuum that sucked up the dust before detonating violently.  The blast burned away anything that had somehow survived the impact.  Rock was reduced to rubble.  Living flesh to ash.  An expanding ring of light and chaos and destruction that rocked the very center of the Crystal Reach, causing untold damage.  Thousands of casualties.  Whole families burned alive.

Yet Jason felt nothing but elation.  Dark triumph that flowed through his bones in a frigid river, his mana responding to its call.  Even if Cady failed, this would be worth it.

This sight.  The anguish he knew the other avatars were feeling as they watched.

A digital gauntlet thrown down in the most epic way imaginable.

A glimmer of emerald energy suddenly caught Jason’s attention.  His dark eyes swept up to the palace to see the distant structure was wrapped in thick green energy, that mana stretching out to the neighboring islands and sweeping across the ruined city below.  The palace itself was beginning to break apart, rock crumbling away and sucked into massive rifts that were forming in the air around the structure.  It seemed he’d been wrong…

Cady must have succeeded.  The gods must have caved in the face of this carnage.

As the palace was stripped away, Jason could make out four figures standing in the very center of the structure – Nephilim and stray debris sucked into the breach around them.

The old avatars all stood still, watching him – a floating, dark tyrant in the skies.

Even at this distance, Jason could make out their mana radiating out around them and forming a protective shell of white, black, red, and blue.  Those energies merged and coalesced, forming a massive, shimmering shield of energy that protected them from the worst of the debris… as well as the occasional stray beam from his Hall Monitors.

Perhaps he could go for bonus points…

With a wave, Jason’s minions all turned.  A hundred floating, bulbous bodies.  Thousands of swirling, cloudy white eyes.  Dark mana condensed into black holes before each of the Hall Monitors.  Then they fired.  A wave of rolling darkness that consumed everything in its path.  The debris was blown away, the occasional stray Nephilim obliterated.  Then that energy crashed into the avatars, slamming into their shields, the surface flickering, sparking—

Then blowing apart… only to strike bare stone as the avatars were sucked up into the breach, vanishing from sight.  Jason grimaced.  Damn it.  So close.

Yet he could still wreak more destruction.

Another wave and he began bombarding the surrounding islands again, beams crashing into the thick stone and crystal.  However, that emerald energy was swelling, growing in strength and rippling across the entirety of the city even as more rifts opened in the skies.  Beams shot at a nearby island… only to strike at thin air as the rock disappeared.  Residents were sucked up into those glowing rifts by the hundreds, escaping Jason’s wrath.

Soon, the Crystal Reach was gone.  The ruined islands had disappeared.  The residents had vanished.  All that remained was the evidence of the Vault’s destruction – a massive crater that lingered in the middle of an abandoned valley.  One the humans would eventually reclaim, rebuild, and, much later, Alexion would transform back into an elemental city.

But for now, it was gone – and with it the rest of the races and their cities.

Which left Jason alone with his new minions.

At least, he’d secured the Hall Monitors—

He did a double take as he saw that new rifts had opened.  Not green, but swirling with multi-colored energy.  However, instead of more Hall Monitors greeting his minions, Jason watched as his creatures were sucked into those rifts one by one.

It seemed the continuity error had been addressed and Alfred was recalling his forces.  It had been too much to hope that the AI would permit Jason to keep them.

“Damn it,” he grunted.  Yet there was nothing he could do.

Instead, he directed his swarm back down to the ground.

Moments later, his feet touched down on ruined earth, rainbow rifts still flickering overhead as his horde vanished.

“Holy hell…  What did you do here?” Cady muttered, emerging from a glowing yellow rift and taking in the devastation with wide eyes.

“What I do best,” Jason shot back with a grin, his skeletal features twisting under the effect of Skeletal Illusion.  The ability was becoming more precise, allowing him to almost mimic flesh.

“Although, I didn’t get fuck all experience for that…”

“Oh, no!  Because that wouldn’t have been overpowered as shit?” Cady shot back.  “You already bent the rules so hard that you almost broke the game world and now you’re crying about lost levels?  You won.  We won.”  She waved at the rubble to prove her point.

She was right.  They’d accomplished most of their goals and had dealt a heavy blow to their enemies.  Even when the Crystal Reach returned, it would be damaged and the relics destroyed.  By Jason’s estimate, he’d taken out about half of the Empress’ Nephilim.  It was hard to call this anything but a resounding victory.

Yet as he watched Cady, he suspected she was really trying to convince herself.  Her expression was subdued.  The enthusiasm and excitement he’d expected after seeing her plans finally come to fruition was missing.

He suspected that had much to do with her sister.

“You don’t look like someone who’s celebrating a victory,” he murmured.

“Yeah, well, the war isn’t over,” she grunted back.

Cady shook her head, pushing off her dark thoughts.  “Whatever, the main timeline is now stable, including the changes we made.  We have the generators, secured the mines in Pax, and my clones have been hard at work preparing the city for the arrival of the travelers.  Now we also have the relics as well as the Caretaker—

“Rachael,” Jason interjected, correcting her as he pat the bag at his waist.  The woman had needed a break after everything she’d been through and Jason had been more than happy to oblige.  Making her watch doppelgangers of her children die would be hard on anyone…

Much less for a woman who had endured an eternity of torture.

“Sure, Rachael,” Cady replied dryly.  “Anyway, I say that’s mission complete.  It’s finally time to get the hell out of here and return to the present.  I can order the others to bring Pax forward and meet us there.”

Already, her hands were moving – a brief blur and a new portal opened.

Cady stepped toward the rift but Jason hesitated as he stared at that emerald energy… as well as the corpses that were still strewn all along the ground.  Apparently, the rifts that had stolen his hard-won Hall Monitors had seen no need to recover the bodies of the Nephilim, Efreet, Fauns, and Merfolk that littered the ground.  Even some undead lingered among them, their skeletal and decayed bodies ripped apart and pale eyes staring blankly.

They reminded Jason of others.  His people.  His residents.

Cady glanced over her shoulder as she realized he hadn’t moved.  “What?  What is it now?”

“So, it occurs to me that we didn’t accomplish every goal,” Jason began slowly.

“What?” Cady asked, heaving out an exasperated sigh.  “What are you talking about now?”

“Well, your people are safe since you control Pax, but the same isn’t true for the residents from our time.  My Kin are still trapped in the Twilight Throne.  As are Eliza’s Merfolk and Finn’s Efreet and Khamsin.  Even Alexion’s Nephilim.  And that’s just the residents.  There are also tons of travelers that will be trapped in those elemental cities when they log back in.”

“What do you expect me to do about that?” Cady demanded.  “This is war.  There will be casualties.  That can’t be prevented – not entirely.”

“Entire divisions of the Kin remain in the Twilight Throne along with Eliza’s crafting and potion-making operation,” he shot back.  “And that’s just one city.  Do you really want to leave those resources behind for the old avatars?  Those same people that just watched me trample on their city?  You think they’re going to go easy on them?  Besides, we’re going to need people if we plan to wage a war.  Soldiers, mages, healers, and craftsman,” Jason demanded.

She was scowling now, closing the portal with an irritated snap of her fingers.  “And what do you expect us to do about that?  We’re just two people.  We can’t be everywhere at once.”

Jason nodded.  It was a fair point, but he’d been thinking about that problem for a while now – contemplating his next step if they actually succeeded in convincing the avatars to accept Cady’s deal… or the gods, as it turned out.

“About that, I have an idea.”

“Oh, gods help me,” Cady muttered, rubbing at her temple.

“Hey, my plans work out great,” Jason retorted.

She just looked at the bleak, corpse-strewn rubble around them.

“Okay… they turn out okay,” he amended.

“Anyway, I have a plan,” he offered.  “You want to hear it or not?”

Cady waved a hand, leaning back against a boulder.  “Sure, fine.  Give it to me.”

Not too long ago, she would have just told him to shut up… and then probably pushed him through a portal.  It seemed they were almost friends.  It was rather sweet, actually.

“So, you’re right, we’re just two people.  We can’t save and transport thousands of residents and supplies overnight.  And the help of the other Cadys is out.  If they get involved, then that will just create new continuity errors, which will bring the Hall Monitors back.”

Jason didn’t relish that thought.  It had been hard enough to just kill one…

“Sure, yes, I know all that.  Is there a point, or—”

“What about a teleporter?”  Jason interrupted.  “What if we use the gate pieces?”

She hesitated, cocking her head.  That wasn’t a no.  Not exactly.

“We would need at least four of them – one for each major city,” Cady murmured.  She obviously wasn’t counting Smiles’ goblin village, which was fair.  Those little green assholes could respawn anyway and their homebase was tucked away in an inhospitable jungle.  They would likely be fine.  Or fine-adjacent, anyway.

“Well, technically, we need five gate pieces,” Jason corrected her.  “We’ll need to put one in each major elemental city and use one as a destination portal – but thankfully <Death and Taxes> left one in that valley by Gloria’s ruined coliseum.”  One they’d used to teleport him and the other avatars to the Mile High Club.  Although, that felt like a lifetime ago, now.  “Anyway, I happen know where… and when we can find the rest of the gate pieces in the future,” he offered.

Plus, this would allow him to complete one of his remaining quests, but he wasn’t going to bring that up just yet.  There were a few other problems with his plan—

“Sure, except how the hell are we going to place them in each city?  Don’t you remember? We can only use my timeline to travel or we have to be physically present in the right spot,” Cady retorted. “I haven’t been to those cities.  You’re talking about a LOT of walking around, which will mean potentially interfering with the timeline again.  Thus, we increase the risk that the Hall Monitors notice our meddling.”

“Ahh, but I already considered that problem,” Jason offered.

He waved at the air to bring up his UI, a display soon hovering beside him – one showing the contract that Cady had forced him to sign.  He’d taken a screenshot at the time, enough to let him review the terms later.  Nothing looked too offensive and the contract terminated once she brought him back to the present.  It mostly looked like Cady had been nervous about him betraying her, since most of the terms prevented him from harming her or irrevocably damaging the timeline.  She’d also reserved the option to send him on a one-way trip back to the future if she needed to.

Which was sort of fair…

But there was one term that had stuck out to him.  He essentially became a type of temporary subordinate to Cady under the terms of the contract – not unlike the other clones.

He highlighted that passage with a swipe of his finger.

“Since I’m a subordinate under your contract, what if you used my timeline?” Jason asked.

According to the other Cadys, such a thing was possible among the clones.

“That’s… I’ve never…” Cady murmured, eyeing the contract terms again.  “That probably won’t work, you know that right?  I’ve never tested it on another person.”

“Well, there’s no time like the past, am I right?” Jason offered, spreading his arms wide and giving her a lopsided, mocking grin.

Cady seemed to acknowledge that point, albeit grudgingly.

“But even if it does work, there are still issues with your plan,” Cady replied finally, tapping at her lips in thought.  “Specifically, two major problems.  First, we need some way to alert the residents to the existence of the escape route.  It doesn’t help to leave a gate piece in the Twilight Throne if your Kin don’t know about it, does it?  Second, even if this works and the residents escape, what about the destination portal?  If we put the arrival point near Pax, that would potentially allow the other avatars to use the gate pieces to teleport directly to our city.”

Jason nodded.  Those were both fair points.

“As for the first… well, I figure we can just leave a sign,” Jason offered.

“What kind of sign would last for 150 years—”  Cady cut herself short as Jason raised a nearby body, its eyes blinking open and the corpse lurching to its feet.

“Ahh… I see.”

“Yep, undead are immortal,” Jason offered.  “I just need to leave one behind in each location, tell it to stay put until I give the command, and maybe give it an air mana gem or two to enhance the range of its voice.  It’s going to need to be loud, right?”

“Fine, that might work,” Cady replied slowly.  “But what about the second part?”

Jason shrugged.  “The volume of material the gate pieces can transport depends on their size.  But the gate pieces themselves aren’t “that” large.  What if we leave a fragment in each location, just large enough for my announcer minion to send the main gate pieces back once everyone has retreated through the portal?  If they get attacked or something, I could give them orders to prioritize evacuating the main gate piece.”

Cady went silent, her forehead pinched in thought.

“Okay, it isn’t the worst plan.”

After days spent with the woman, she might as well have called him a genius.

“Thanks,” Jason offered dryly.

A sly smile crept across his face.  There was also another way to alert the travelers of their plan – no need to rely solely on his undead.  Besides, if the travelers spread the word, that would help convey the escape routes to the residents.  He’d just been saving this until after he’d already sold her on the plan.  Plus, he had an ulterior motive.  A promise he’d made to Riley…

“What’re you doing?  Why are you smiling like that?” Cady snapped, glaring at him suspiciously.  “You’re creeping me out.”

“Well, I was just thinking my plan also allows us accomplish another goal…”

“Which is what?” she asked suspiciously.

“Don’t you remember?” Jason asked, his grin widening.  “We made a promise to George and Robert, didn’t we?”

She looked confused for a moment before the realization struck her.

“Oh, fuck me,” she muttered.  “You want to stream this?  I should have known there was another goal here.  You’ve actually gotten good at this whole negotiating thing.”

“It’s probably because I’ve had such a good teacher.”

She stared at him skeptically, unconvinced.

Jason shrugged.  “Ahh, don’t give me that look.  It’ll be fun – almost nostalgic really.  Just two pals traveling through a montage of all my greatest massacres…”

“I think I hate you,” she muttered.

“That’s so sweet.  Now, giddy up, my personal, time-traveling bus driver,” he insisted, his smile growing wider as he waved for her to get on with it.  “We shouldn’t waste any more time.”

Cady let out another large sigh, her shoulder drooping.

“Yeah… yeah, I definitely hate you.”

Chapter 57 - Shindig

Cerillion Entertainment Headquarters

Server Launch Event

The last few days had been weird, bordering on insane.  Eliza was starting to think that maybe she had hallucinated everything.  The secretive, nighttime conversation between her parents.  Breaking into an ancient storage facility.  Visiting some sort of underground fight club.  They’d even recruited Alex Lane and visited his family’s lavish residence… only to discover that George Lane had been uploading people’s consciousness into Awaken Online for who knows how long?  It sounded like bullshit.  Like some sort of soapy TV plotline…

So, it was easy to imagine it had all been some crazy fever dream as Eliza sat there in a quiet hallway off the main atrium of Cerillion Entertainment headquarters.  If she closed her eyes, she could even block out the sleek metal and glass furniture of the nearby conference room and the harsh fluorescent lights that shone down from overhead.  And if she pressed her palms to her ears, she could barely hear the steady thump, thump, thump of music playing outside.  Although, neither did much to address the faint vibration that rippled through the ground – the result of thousands of protestors and fans pounding the pavement only a few hundred feet away.

Nope, she was just sitting in her garden.  Minding her plants.  Plants that didn’t talk or commit felonies or get in fights or become complicit in world-changing conspiracies.  She took a deep breath – in and out.  In and out.  Just let that calm settle over her.  Sunlight.  Damp soil between her toes and the faint, earthy aroma of compost.

It was just perfect—

“Eliza?”  The sound was muted beneath her palms.

Just her plants talking to her—

Uh, wait…

“Eliza!”

Her eyes snapped open to find Julia standing there, hands on her hips.  “What are you doing?  I’ve been looking everywhere for you.  The event is about to begin.”

“I… um, I needed a moment,” Eliza ventured softly, reality shattering her fragile illusion.  No, the truth was that she was still inside Cerillion Entertainment – participating in some extravagant event that Jason had somehow concocted at the last minute.

Which was all just a ruse; a cover for their real plan.

A plan that definitely involved a few more felonies…

“Are you okay?  You sure you can do this?” Julia asked archly, although there was a trace of compassion in her voice.  Unfortunately, it was losing the battle against stress and fatigue.

They’d all been going hard for days now and it wasn’t likely to get any easier.

Eliza swallowed hard.  “Yes.  Yes, I’m good,” she replied with a firmness she didn’t quite feel.  But if she just kept pretending, she noticed it kept getting easier to fake it.

She wasn’t sure why that was the case, but she’d accepted that it worked.

Julia just stared at her skeptically for a moment longer before offering her a hand up.  “Okay, then we need to get moving.”

Eliza nodded and soon followed the older woman out of her safe, protective, quiet hallway and into the chaos of the atrium – the palatial entryway now filled to the brim with security, support staff, and people hauling cameras and sound equipment while shouting last-minute instructions at each other.  Crates had been stacked up against the gleaming white marble pillars in large, dark pyramids, evidence of the equipment that had been deployed outside.

“Oh, don’t you look darling,” a woman suddenly spoke up, her face suddenly popping up in front of Eliza – one plastered with an overly thick layer of makeup.  Without asking for permission, the woman began touching up Eliza’s own face, including the couple smudges that had been caused by her palms.  Then the woman started poking and prodding at the outfit that wrapped Eliza’s limbs, some sort of form-fitting bodysuit that they’d insisted was a platform for her “holo-tech costume.”  Whatever that meant…

Regardless, the suit left little to the imagination and had Eliza feeling even more exposed.

“Ahh, perhaps a few more alterations and—”

“She’s fine,” Julia grunted, stepping between them.  “Move along.”

The woman looked like she wanted to argue, but thought better of it as Julia crossed her arms and glared threateningly.  She soon departed, twittering a hasty goodbye.

“Thanks,” Eliza chirped a moment later.

“Don’t mention it.  Besides, I should be the one thanking you,” Julia replied, not bothering to turn as she started for the doors again, Eliza in tow.

As they approached the door, Julia waved at the techs nearby.

“Hold still just a moment,” one man offered.

He gave Eliza approximately zero warning before an array of lights flashed into existence, drones whirring around her body as they scanned every inch of her.  Moments later, it was over.

“What was—” Eliza began.

“Okay, we’re putting on your costume in 3… 2… 1—”

Her suit flashed, light projected from small pockets of electronics woven into the fabric, however the light was more manageable now that it wasn’t shining directly into her eyes.  Suddenly, that light began to condense into a tunic made of rippling, gleaming scales that interlocked like chainmail.  Her wands appeared at her waist.  So did her bags – although, less than she usually carried.  Instead of thick, protective leather, her legs were covered in more of those gleaming scales.  She almost looked like a cross between a mad scientist and a mermaid…

Her hand touched at her shoulder… only to pass through the projection.

This was incredible.  Was the suit projecting a hologram along her skin?

Not that they gave her much time to appreciate the costume.  Eliza was already being ushered outside, those broad doors before her opening to reveal a truly enormous crowd.  Thousands of people crammed the streets outside Cerillion Entertainment Headquarters even though the sun had long since set.  Lights reflected off the glass windows of the nearby buildings that were squeezed into the downtown area as hundreds of drones buzzed through the air like electronic fireflies.  Meanwhile, the headquarters building was lit up like a Christmas tree, a blazing pillar of light among the other dark and empty office buildings.  And then there was the noise.  This was definitely not her quiet garden.  The very air seemed to vibrate as the roar of the crowd beat against her with an almost palpable force.

Eliza hesitated, stumbling—

Only for Julia to catch her.  “I got you.”

Julia held firm just a moment longer than needed, supporting Eliza’s weight.  “Alright, the hack is complete.  I can take over your suit whenever I need to,” Julia half-shouted in her ear.  “Thanks for playing along with me.”

Eliza just shook her head.  She hadn’t been pretending to trip…

Reporters suddenly crowded in close as they noticed Eliza, more drones buzzing overhead and lights flashing around her.  They snapped off dozens of pictures, no doubt many more recording video and livestreaming to their audiences at home.  Eliza put a hand to her brow, squinting against the glare as a hundred voices peppered her with questions.

Even Julia was at a loss, shoving back against the wave of reporters.  However, she couldn’t do anything about the drones—

Bang, bang, bang.

A crackle of electricity and three drones dropped to the ground, plastic shattering against hard pavement.  Eliza whirled to find herself faced with a familiar sight.  A stark white mask stared back, a creepy red smile painted across its surface.  And it was covering the face of a girl that couldn’t have been older than thirteen.  One with twin pistols held in her hands.

“Alright, back the fuck up!” Pewpew shouted, brandishing her guns.  “Anyone gets close, and they get a bullet, you got it?”

Apparently, one of the nearby reporters wasn’t convinced and pushed forward—

Only for Pewpew to fire again.  This time at chest level.  The paintball exploded and released a cloud of something that sent the reporter into a coughing fit, clawing at their eyes as they tried to back away.  “She shot me!  What is this?  Pepper spray?”

Pewpew just cackled.  “I told you.  These beauties are my own design.”

Now the reporters were looking angry.

“Do you think you can attack—”

“That’s assault!”

“Even as a minor, that’s not—”

Suddenly, the other members of Death and Taxes closed in around Eliza.  Smiles was there, creating an immovable wall between the reporters and Eliza even as the rest of his crew set up a protective perimeter.  Suddenly, the media didn’t seem so keen to approach and the even the drones backed off as Pewpew brandished her pistols again.

“What—what are you all doing here?”  Eliza managed to ask.

Tombs just shrugged at her side.  “Jason called us and asked us to come.  We figured it was good publicity, and besides the servers are down… what else are we going to do?”

“Sure beats pudding and bingo!” Blaze cackled, fire dancing across her hair and the top of what appeared to be a staff as the reporters all fawned and gasped.  These holo-tech suits were actually kind of incredible…

Apparently, the presence of [Death and Taxes] was working, the media onslaught shifting focus from Eliza to the mercenaries.  Meanwhile, Eliza couldn’t help but watch them in surprise.  They all looked almost the same as they did in-game… except for the heavy gold chains around their necks, the Rolexes on their wrist, the diamonds twinkling on the occasional earlobe, and the many, many rings on their fingers.  All that gold looked heavy.

“Did you all rob a bank on the way here?” Julia shouted back.

“Oh, you wound me,” a familiar voice piped up.

Eliza couldn’t help but wince.

Bard soon made his appearance, flowing forward in an immaculate velvet tunic, a familiar guitar in hand – although, this one looked too solid to be a projection.  A few strummed chords were enough to prove it was the real deal… one apparently hooked up to more than a few amps onstage as an electric squeal reverberated through the street to a roar of approval from the crowd.

“These are just the perks of murder, my dear lady,” Bard said, spinning back to Julia and taking her hand, planting a kiss atop it before she could pull it away in disgust.

“And business has been good.  Really good,” Queen offered, the woman robed in her namesake – ice coating nearly every inch of her skin.

Wait… so, that was stuff they’d bought after completing contracts in-game?  Eliza shook her head.  Just how much money had they made?

“Okay, but why did Jason call you—?” Eliza began.

She was cutoff as Smiles bulky form suddenly blocked the light from the nearby cameras, looming before her.  He was apparently just as large in person.  He stooped, his masked features coming down almost to eye level with Eliza.  Whether that was his true size or the holo-tech, she wasn’t sure, but it was definitely intimidating.

“He asked for a favor.  He asked us to protect you,” Smiles explained simply.  “So, that’s what we intend to do.  And the price—”

“We get to put on one hell of a show!” Bard roared, his voice suddenly amplified and carrying across the crowd – no doubt, courtesy of mics hidden in his costume.

The crowd roared in approval, the signal that they needed to begin.

“And now that we’re all here, let’s get this party started!” Bard continued.

Light flared at their back, the entire building behind them suddenly lighting up in blazing color as hundreds of drones spiraled up the outside of the structure.  Red, blue, yellow, green, black, and white.  The colors of the six affinities rippled and contorted before solidifying into a familiar logo – one painted across roughly thirty stories.

More lights shone from the stage nearby.  Smiles pivoted Eliza and she gaped as the saw the other avatars waiting beside it.  Alexion robed in platemail and shields of light.  Finn in his loose wraps, balls of flaming metal orbiting him like a sun…

Only one person was missing.  Jason.

But before Eliza could question that, Bard was suddenly leaping up on stage with surprising strength and grace.  He didn’t even bother to use the stairs…

“How are you all doing tonight?” Bard demanded.

Another roar met his question.

“I’m sorry, you’re going to have to be a little louder.  Loud enough that they can hear you a few cities over.  Let’s try that again… How are you all doing tonight?”

The noise was crushing – a wave of sound that seemed to slam into Eliza and force her back… only for Smiles to hold her steady, the man giving her a reassuring look – one slightly less effective when his features were hidden behind a bloody, smiley-face.

“That’s perfect.  Keep up that enthusiasm,” Bard continued.  “Because we’re going to be hosting one hell of a server re-launch party.  And boy do we have a surprise in store for you all... but first, you want to meet the avatars?”

The crowd apparently did.  They made that very clear.

And just like that, Bard was ushering the avatars up on stage.  Alexion went first, preening in front of a truly massive audience, his armor flashing and the drones simulating his spellcasting even here in the real world as a blazing star of light speared up into the night sky, exploding like a firework overtop the crowd.  Finn went next, giving a slightly more austere presentation – one that fit his personality well.  Then the rest of Death and Taxes strode up there, Smiles gripping Eliza’s shoulder one last time before he vanished.

Which left her alone... with her thoughts, and her worries, and staring at all those lights—

“Next, we have Eliza!”

She started as she heard her name called.  Julia was suddenly there, pushing her forward even though her legs felt like jelly and she was seeing stars… or maybe that was because of all the lights.  She couldn’t pass out; she just couldn’t.  That would be so embarrassing and—

Suddenly she was standing onstage.

Unlike the others, the digital art guys must have pulled out all the stops for her costume since she heard an audible gasp from the crowd.  She looked down to discover that her body was rippling and swaying – much like it did when she used her mold form.  Drones pushed in closer and her limbs broke apart, the mold scattering about the stage.  The others reacted theatrically – forming barriers of ice and fire and shields of light to block the deadly spores.  Meanwhile, her body – her real body – was nearly invisible onstage, hidden by her black bodysuit.

In that moment, the crowd cheered, many chanting her name.  Others her title.  The Ice Queen.  They pushed banners into the air.  They projected messages with flying drones.  They were… celebrating her?  Praising her?

“Go on girl, at least say something,” Bard offered, nudging her slightly.

“Thank-thank you for this honor,” Eliza said and promptly bowed.

An almost palpable “aww” rolled off the crowd in a wave, hundreds of people projecting heart emojis into the air… and more than a few images of mushrooms.  She supposed that must be their way of celebrating her mold form?

“Seriously, I’m kind of jealous,” Bard quipped.

Then, thankfully, the spotlights pulled away.

“Now, I bet some of the less stupid among you have noticed that we’re missing something,” Bard offered.  “Or should I say… someone?”

Jason!  Jason!  Jason!

The chant was picked up in an instant.

“Ahh, I see you all figured it out!  Perfect… because here he is!”

The lights suddenly all cut out, plunging the courtyard into darkness.  They only came back gradually, smoke pouring out of the machines behind them, creating a haze that crept across the stage.  Shadows moved through that murky gloom, the darkness collecting and condensing onstage, even as a trap door opened in the wood and a platform rose up from its depths.  Eliza could only gape in shock.  How had they pulled all of this together so quickly?  It was mostly smoke and mirrors – literally – but still…

The lights blazed back into existence like the flash of lightning to reveal Jason standing there.  His dark body wrapped in gray leather and his face tucked away behind a cowl of shadow.

A sudden, hushed silence descended on the crowd as he pulled back his hood slowly.  Meanwhile, screens all around the stage showcased the image on displays dozens of feet wide.

As Jason’s fingers crept back, his skeletal visage emerged.  Bleak white bone… although it had changed.  Evolved.  The bone had been pressed flat and smoothed out to resemble human features.  It wasn’t perfect.  His cheekbones were too sharp; too angular.  His face just slightly too sallow since it was missing its normal volume of flesh and muscle and blood.  But it was close.  It gave him a noble appearance… almost regal.  Like a vampire.

Jason raised his arms and the real show began.

Undead formed, stitched together among the crowd, hovering overhead, pulling themselves from the smoke coiling along the stage.  An army of the dead.  Yet Jason didn’t stop there.  Bones whipped through the night sky, swirling overhead and condensing along the top of Cerillion Entertainment headquarters.  Something massive was forming there.  A creature of bone and darkness and destruction.  A hallmark of the necromancer.  A bone dragon.

As it was conjured into being, the beast raised its head and released a deafening roar into the night sky, one that reverberated across the entire city… and once again forced Eliza to press her hands to her ears to protect her sensitive eardrums.  They wouldn’t regen here like they did in game – although, it was difficult to remember that with the realistic holograms projected across the courtyard and everyone robed in elemental energy and armor.

Eliza also realized that Bard had disappeared at some point, the spotlight on the other avatars dropping to a dull glow, hiding them in the shadows of the stage.  It seemed they were moving on to Stage 2 of their plan…

The roar of noise faded into silence and Jason spoke calmly into that void.  He didn’t shout.  Didn’t yell.  His voice was almost conversational, like he was speaking to each person individually.

“I know that many of you are here not to celebrate this game, but to protest the changes that have been occurring of late,” Jason began.  “The rise of the avatars, the formation of elemental cities… and now?  The destruction of everything we’ve built together.  An invasion of the old avatars; the old races.  They now threaten not just us,” he said, placing a palm to his chest, “but everyone – resident and traveler alike.

“We have nowhere to go.  Nowhere to flee.  No hope.  We’re merely creatures cornered and helpless and at the mercy of beings with far more power and experience,” Jason continued.

“However, from that darkness, life can begin anew.”

As he spoke, the undead shuddered and took trembling steps, the smoke growing more dense and coiling out into the crowd now, snaking between their legs.  The dragon perched on the building at Jason’s back breathed out another, more muted roar, a hundred drones simulating its breath and sending it gusting across the crowd as they gave an audible gasp.

“I know many of you have been wondering if this is the end of AO.  Possibly even a server rollback.  And the downtime has certainly lent credibility to those claims,” Jason explained.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd, an angry, irritated buzzing that was reminiscent of the former rioters.

“However, I’m here to tell you one thing…

“You couldn’t be more wrong.”

The sudden silence in that moment was so heavy that Eliza almost forgot to breathe.  Say what you want about Jason, his presence and charisma could easily rival Bard.  It was different.  Darker.  More somber.  But, in many ways, it was even more powerful…

“These changes signal a seismic shift in the world of Awaken Online.  The end of the era of human dominance and a return to an age long past.  However, I don’t plan to give up without a fight.  In fact, I’ve been fighting this whole time.  Both me and the avatar of earth.”

Those murmurs were turning into a buzz of excitement and confusion now.

Even Eliza was puzzled.  Wait, he’d been playing during the downtime?

And what was that about the avatar of earth?

“You heard me right.  This server downtime was meant to create an opening – an opportunity.  One that allowed us to create a safe place for the travelers to gather and unite against this new enemy… and a means to escape the cities that have fallen under the rule of the former avatars.  But you don’t need to take my word for it.  In fact, why don’t I just show you—”

As Jason trailed off, he raised his arms to the sky.

The displays all flickered out, vanishing from sight and plunging the courtyard into darkness once more – one filled with the tense whispers of the crowd.

All at once, another screen appeared in the sky, this one far larger than the others and hovering directly above the stage.  It stretched a few dozen stories into the air, projected by hundreds of drones that had been repurposed for just this occasion.  The light from that display was so bright that it plunged the stage into total darkness, hiding the avatars standing there.

Not that Eliza was paying much attention to that. Her eyes were riveted on the screen with everyone else, even Finn and Alex craning to see from where they stood…

Jason appeared there, standing on a ruined field pockmarked with craters and the bodies of the fallen.  Mostly Nephilim, although Eliza saw other races sprinkled amongst them.  Whatever had happened, it must have been an incredible battle.  It looked like Jason had attacked a whole city… except the buildings were nowhere to be seen, leaving only broken crystal and craters.

“Hey there!” Jason chirped, turning to the camera.  “It’s Jason, your favorite Necromancer.  And today I’m here to show you all how to execute an interdimensional rescue mission in just five easy steps!  First, step 1!  Gather an army of undead!”

Dark mana slithered around his hands as he spoke, growing rapidly in strength.  As Jason completed the spell, those shadows rippled out across the broken field, plunging into the corpses of the fallen.  The undead slowly began to rise with the creak of decayed flesh and grinding bone.  They soon turned blank, white eyes toward Jason, standing in a motley line.

“Now, you just need to keep casting until you get the horde to the right level.  Right around a hundred undead is the sweet spot, I’ve found,” Jason offered over his shoulder as he kept casting.

“Okay, finished!  Look at that quality horde right there!”

He turned toward the camera.  “Alright, now for step 2!  Recruit the earth avatar.  Lucky for you guys, I did all the hard work here.  So, here she is!  Say hello to Cady, the avatar of earth!”

The display spun and was soon centered on Cady’s face, her features concealed behind a brightly-painted, demonic mask.  Colorful tattoos were etched down one of her arms and the rest of her body was covered in loose robes over tight-fitting leather stays.  She just glared at the camera, her arms crossed as she sniffed in distaste.

“This is ridiculous,” she muttered.

“No… no, this is Awaken Online!” Jason retorted, the joke landing flat and earning him a heavy silence and another scowl.

“Woof.  Tough audience.  Anyway, onward to step 3!” Jason continued, undaunted by Cady’s attitude.  “Now, this next step may also take a while.  To help save some time, I enlisted the help of Cady and her army of interdimensional clones to borrow a few items out of time and space.  But you all might just have to hoof it across the continent on your own.  Anyway, you need to collect at least five big gate pieces, like so—”

Rifts of emerald energy suddenly ripped open the air nearby, the undead showing no reaction as they stood there sedately.  Suddenly, massive hunks of metallic rock dropped from those portals.  Gate pieces.  Five of them.

Eliza eyed the crowd nervously as they began to murmur amongst themselves, a rising buzz – a mixture of confusion and shock.  Even Finn tensed up beside her and Alexion was glaring at the screen now.  It was impossible for Jason to have collected those gate pieces without stealing a few from the other avatars.

“Just what is that kid up to?” Finn grunted under his breath.

“Looks like he’s been stealing our shit while we’re offline,” Alex added.

Eliza just looked at him.  That was rich.  Hadn’t Alex stolen a gate piece from Jason more than once?  Who was he to talk?

“Awesome!” Jason chirped onscreen.  “Now, we’ve got our undead horde, our time traveling bus driver—”  More angry muttering from offscreen accompanied that statement and Jason side-eyed his partner before winking at the camera. “—and our gate pieces!

“Now, I bet you’re wondering what’s next!  That’s simple.  First you get your time traveling bus driver to make you a portal like so…” he trailed off, waiting.

“Like so!” he nudged Cady after nothing happened.

She heaved out another sigh as she reappeared onscreen, grudgingly opening a glowing emerald portal.  “Perfect!  Thank you, bus driver lady!”

And now she was glaring at Jason over his shoulder, her fingers clenching as though she was imagining throttling him.  Eliza could relate to that feeling…

Jason waved at his minions.  “Step four is super easy,” he explained as the zombies lifted up the gate pieces one-by-one and lined up before the gate.  “We just start traveling!”

The whole group soon passed through the portal and the field vanished—

It was soon replaced by an eerie scene.  Night had fallen in-game and Jason and his entourage were suddenly surrounded by towering stone walls and medieval buildings built of solid wood and stone, their roofs thatched with thick hay.  However, fires were raging in the distance, the flames creating flickering shadows and thick smoke billowing up into the night air, obscuring the moon from sight.  Then there were the screams…

“Wait… is that… that’s Lux,” Alex muttered.  The crowd was now murmuring more loudly now, a few cries of alarm rising into the air as people recognized the city.

Eliza eyes widened as she realized Alex was right.  She’d seen Jason’s videos enough times to recognize this place.  This was his original starting city.  Which would make this the night that he’d conquered the town – his feral undead cutting down the travelers in droves.

As though her thoughts had summoned them, feral undead rounded a street ahead of Jason.  They were chasing a group of travelers – the tags overhead giving them away.  They desperately tried to flee, running and stumbling across the broken cobblestones.  One zombie leaped on the player in the rear as his stamina bottomed out, quickly ripping him apart in a shower of blood and entrails as his screams echoed down the alley.

“Ahh, this is almost nostalgic,” Jason murmured onscreen, admiring the scene and breathing in theatrically.  “The smell of fresh ash and blood.  That note of carnage in the air.

“Anyway, let’s just take care of those stragglers so we can work in peace…”

A wave of his hand and several of his zombies stepped forward, all efreet.  Fireballs collected along their palms in unison and then rocketed forward, blowing apart the fleeing travelers and the feral undead in one blast and leaving only smoking corpses behind.

Meanwhile, Cady was just rubbing at her face with her hands as she stood behind Jason.  She looked like she was in pain.

“Perfect!  Now we can move on to our final step!” Jason declared, wheeling back to the camera.   “Although, this one is easier to show than to explain…”

His zombies were already moving.  Several of the earth mages among them began casting, dissolving the road underfoot and burrowing a deep, deep hole in the earth.  Once they were finished, Jason had his zombies deposit one of the gate pieces inside.  And by that… he just ordered them to drop it in the hole unceremoniously.  As a finishing touch, Jason swiftly formed another zombie, breaking apart the shattered remains of the travelers nearby.  He reinforced the zombie’s arms, creating trowel-like appendages where its hands once were—

Then he promptly kicked the zombie in the hole and the earth mages filled it back in.

“Alright, finished!” Jason declared, grinning at the camera.

“They won’t understand any of that,” Cady muttered from offscreen.  “All you did was show them footage of you digging a hole and dropping a gate piece and a zombie inside.”

Jason’s smile shifted to a frown.  “What?  Okay, yeah… I guess I could see how that might be a little confusing.  Alright, I’ll explain really slow.”  Jason pointed at one of the gate pieces.  “This is a teleporter.  You just have to charge it with mana.  By placing it in this deep hole… well, it will survive the conversion of Lux into the Twilight Throne.”

“And the zombie?” Cady reminded him.

“Oh, yeah.  He’s there to dig his way out later.  He’ll be directing future traffic to this spot.  I might have infused a few extra mana gems into his body.  Trust me, you can’t miss him.”

Jason stared at the camera, his expression sobering.  “In short, this is your chance to get the fuck out of here once the servers come back online.  Everyone in the Twilight Throne should memorize this spot, because the escape window will only be open for a few minutes and if you miss your ride, well…”

More zombies chased a traveler along the street at his back, the woman screaming as they jumped on her and tore into her flesh.  “Ahh, yeah, that’ll probably happen to you too!

“I suppose some of you might also be wondering where these portals will take you, which is sort of fair.  Why would you trust someone that looks so untrustworthy, right?” Jason acknowledged, waving at himself.  “Well, that’s a surprise!  So, you’re just going to have to wait and see for yourselves.”

Jason’s expression sobered as his lips split into a broad, almost-feral smile, dark mana spiraling around him.  “Besides, what other option do you really have?”

“Anyway, that’s it!” Jason declared, clapping his hands to break the sudden tension.  “Five easy steps to execute an interdimensional rescue plan.  Thanks for watching and please remember to like and subscribe if this was helpful—”

“We’re not done!” Cady barked.  “We still have four more gate pieces to go!”

Jason hesitated, smacking a bony hand to his forehead.  “Ahh, yeah, I guess we do…”

He glanced back at the camera, his dark eyes pulsing with mana.  “Then, I guess we should keep going.  What do you all think?  The Sea’s Edge next?  Let’s get to it, bus driver lady!”

Cady was already grumbling as she opened yet another portal…

Eliza could only gape with the others, the crowd having gone dead quiet as the pair and their zombie horde soon emerged in the Sea’s Edge – during the middle of the lizardmen attack on the city.  This was… this was insane, right?  Was Jason really traveling through time?  Was he actually installing escape portals into each of the major elemental cities?  Just what was this?  The other avatars must have been thinking the same thing since they were just staring at the screen in shock and horror, even Finn looking bewildered by what he was watching.

Then a single roar of approval echoed out from the throng.  It was soon picked up by the others.  They added their voices to the air.  Not in anger.  Not in rage.  But in excitement.  They were shouting in triumph at the man who had just turned around an abject defeat at the hands of the old avatars into something more.  That was hope in their voices.

“That kid is something else,” Finn muttered.

“He really is,” Eliza murmured at his side.

The older man glanced away then, seeing Julia along the side of the stage, the group obscured in shadow and the thick smoke that covered the stage.  His hand landed on Eliza’s shoulder and she flinched, a sudden pit forming in her stomach.

She’d almost forgotten why she was so worried…

“It’s time,” Finn offered gently, even Alex sparing Eliza a sympathetic look.

She took a deep breath and then nodded before moving toward the edge of the stage.  As she approached Julia, the woman tapped at her Core and Eliza’s costume disappeared.  Another few gestures and Julia’s appearance contorted as she disguised herself as the avatar of water.  Soon, Eliza was looking at her spitting image – albeit a slightly taller and more well-endowed version.

“Your clothes are in a bag in that hall.  I left an ID badge too,” Julia said softly as she passed, handing Eliza a blanket to hide herself and ward off the night’s chill.

“Got it,” Eliza chirped, trying to stay calm.

“Good luck,” Julia offered and then she walked back on stage.

Which left Eliza alone, navigating back through the support staff and pulling the blanket tight around her to hide her face – not that anyone was paying any attention right now.  Even the staff were staring at the video still playing overhead with wide eyes.  Jason was showcasing how his announcer zombies worked.  He’d apparently infused them with a bunch of mana crystals, turning them into an undead disco ball…

Eliza turned away, swallowed hard, eyeing the doors to Cerillion.  She only saw another dungeon.  One far more foreboding than any she’d explored in-game.  One she would have to venture into and conquer… alone.

Yet as she wavered, the memory of the crowd returned to her with a vengeance – the warm reception she’d received from the other travelers. The signs.  The banners.  The cheers and shouts as they chanted her name.  That was right.  She was the Ice Witch, after all.

It was about time she finally acted like it…

Chapter 58 - White Knight

Finn’s Home

Earlier That Afternoon

“Alright, assuming everything goes to plan, the event should be in full swing, the crowd distracted, and Julia will have taken your place on stage,” Finn explained.

“That’s a lot of assumptions,” his daughter drawled where she lounged on a nearby couch.  “I mean, we’re talking about Jason here…”

Finn hesitated, a scowl pinching his lips.  “That’s… somewhat fair.  But for the sake of our plan, let’s assume nothing goes sideways.  At least, not immediately,” he offered.

“That’s not very reassuring,” Eliza murmured.

They both just ignored her.

“Julia, you’ve been handling the research on the security systems,” Finn added.  Indeed, his daughter had spent most of the day perusing the data they’d “borrowed” from Alex’s house.

She let out a sigh, kicking her feet and swinging upright in one fluid, cat-like movement – one Eliza envied.  “It’s not that complicated.”

Eliza just stared at her skeptically as Julia raised a finger.

“First, there’s a bank of elevators.  They service all floors.  However, there are layers of security built into them.  Regular badge access will take the staff down to the lower levels which include the apartments, cafeteria, gymnasium, etc.  However, after cross examining the data with local plat and utility maps, there is clearly more there.”

As she spoke, a model was projected by her core.  It showcased a map of the Cerillion Entertainment building and then overlayed it with the utility maps she’d, well… also “borrowed.”  As Julia had explained, there was a strange blank portion of the map just beneath the building where no water, electric, or data lines passed.  If the map was accurate, it didn’t even look like they were running lines along the street…

“Uh, so what does that tell us?” Eliza offered, cocking her head.

Julia shrugged.  “My guess?  George paid off the local officials.  This map doesn’t even show where the utility lines come into the building.  Which means there’s definitely something down there.  Either lines that aren’t shown or maybe the building has its own generator.”

Eliza’s eyes widened at that. Just how big would that have to be to—

“Probably a small nuclear generator,” Finn offered.  “It makes sense.  There’s a lot of infrastructure in that building and if the city’s power goes out, they’d need one hell of a backup to power everything.”  Julia just nodded in acknowledgment.

“Uh, anyway, about me making it down the elevator?” Eliza interjected.

“I’ve got it handled,” Julia replied.  “I’ve modified your implants to provide your mother’s physiological data, Finn has 3D-printed a set of lens to mimic her irises, and we’ve created a physical, RFID tag that the system should accept.”

“Should accept?” Eliza echoed, her hands twining together.

“Well, I mean, we’re shooting a little blind here.  However, short of them taking a blood sample, this should be enough to fool the system.  The real problem is going to be getting back out.  The scanners in the elevator will likely be tuned to pick up any electronic media.”

“Which is where this comes in,” Finn offered, handing Eliza a satchel.  “I installed a simple faraday cage along the inside to prevent detection by their systems.  There’s still a chance the scanners could pick it up, though.”

“Or you could get physically searched by security,” Julia spoke up, earning her a nod from her father.  Eliza just swallowed hard.

“What do I do in that situation?”

The pair just looked at each other.

She didn’t like that at all… no, not even a little bit.

“What do I do if I get caught?” Eliza demanded again.

Finn grimaced.  “You play dumb.”

“What he said,” Julia replied, jerking a thumb at her father.  “You’re just a teenage girl and honestly you have the build of a pre-teen – no offense.”  Eliza was a little offended, if she was completely honest.  “Anyway, lean into that.  People make judgements largely based on appearance.  As for your story, you were concerned about your mom.  You followed her to the building and decided to figure out what was going on for yourself.”

Julia shrugged.  “If you’re feeling really ambitious, start crying.”

“And that’ll work?” Eliza offered, a pit in her stomach.

“It has a reasonable chance of success,” Finn replied grudgingly.

Eliza just looked at the AI floating nearby.  “Daniel?”

“It has a 17.23% chance of working,” he reported.

Finn winced and Julia was suddenly looking somewhere else.

“Ahem,” Finn cleared his throat.  “It’s not zero.  Besides, it may not even be an issue.”

“Exactly,” Julia chirped, falling back into the couch with a woosh.  “Just don’t get caught!”

***

Cerillion Entertainment Headquarters

Server Launch Event

Eliza hiked the satchel on her shoulder, her bodysuit now covered in office attire and a badge perched on her chest – one showcasing the picture of a woman that could have been her twin.  And before her loomed a bank of elevators.

“Good evening, Mrs. Zhao.”

Eliza started and nearly squeaked in alarm, only to force herself to turn slowly and wave casually at the security guard sitting at the desk.  “G-good evening to you too.”

“Crazy night out there with the event, huh?” he offered.

“Yeah… crazy,” she murmured, eyeing the elevators.

Gods, what was taking so long?

“I didn’t realize you were on shift this evening,” the security guard commented, his brow furrowing.  “With the security blockade—”

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

“Um, I, uh, got called in at the last minute.  Some sort of emergency,” she replied hastily.

The man frowned at her a moment longer, even as the lights above the elevator bank flashed.  All of these elevators and not one could show up when she needed it?

However, she was saved as a large group of employees stepped into the atrium from outside – the badges on their chests giving them away as employees.  Their voices echoed loudly off the sleek marble as they spoke animatedly about the scene taking place outside.

“We need to get back in-game…”

“Can you believe what’s happening out there…”

“… of course, the only thing Jason was missing was a time traveling companion…”

The guard’s attention soon swept to the others, giving them each a smile and a wave – regret and envy shining across his face.  He was missing one hell of a performance out there.

Ding!  The elevator’s doors finally opened with a whoosh.

Thank the gods, Eliza thought to herself, scurrying inside.  Her finger stabbed at the “close” button repeatedly.  The door was soon sliding shut and she almost began to relax.  She’d made it—

A hand slid through the opening at the last minute.

And then she had a new problem.

“Whew, made it just in time!”

The other employees soon crowded inside with her, pressing into the small space until Eliza was boxed into a corner, pulling her bag tight against her.  The others spoke enthusiastically, outlining their plans for the evening – all of which included bingeing AO after taking care of miscellaneous real-world tasks.  Inane stuff like eating and taking care of their children.  Not that that was surprising with what Jason had showcased outside.  Even Eliza wished she was back in-game already… or anywhere else but here really.

It took an eternity for the employees to vacate the elevator.

A few stepped off at the cafeteria.

A few more at the gym.

A couple more at the nursery – presumably to pick up their kids?

Which left a handful inside as they reached the apartment levels.  And now Eliza was feeling nervous for another reason.  She’d been hidden by the crowd and their animated chatter when they were all moving in a pack.  Now, there were only a few others and they shot her the occasional curious glance, taking in her diminutive form, her immaculate attire, and the bag slung over her shoulder.  However, one look at her badge was enough for most of them to turn away.  No one wanted to mess with someone with that ominous black bar on her ID.  Some sort of informal code for the company’s confidential projects.  Or, at least, that’s what Finn had told her.

However, as the last man stepped off, he spared her one last look.

They were on the lower apartment floors and Eliza was the last one on the elevator…

He opened his mouth and she felt her heart skip a beat.

Then his jaw snapped shut as though he thought better of it and the door slid shut.

Eliza practically collapsed against the wall of the elevator, but managed to catch herself and pull her shit together.  The other employees had left, but that didn’t mean there weren’t old-fashioned cameras in here.  She swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and then tapped at the panel and proffered her Core and ID.  The lights switched from harsh fluorescent to a glimmering red and a beam of light stabbed out of a hole in the opposite wall, scanning her from head to foot.

She was holding her breath again.  Seconds… then minutes.

Then that light flashed green and a new button appeared onscreen.

Finn and Julia had been vague here.  They didn’t have an exact floor number.  However, their guess was that anything truly important would be on the bottom floor.  As far down as Eliza could get.  So, she stabbed at the button, and, thankfully, the elevator lurched back into motion.

You can do this.  You can do this.  You’re the Ice Witch.

Eliza just kept repeating that like a mantra, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried her best to control her nerves as her anxiety peaked.  This feeling was similar to when the mold overtook her – a magical panic attack full of fury and rage and hate – at herself and at others.  The trick was to anchor herself to something – anything.  To focus on one thing to the absence of everything else—

Ding!

The doors swung open again, revealing what appeared to be a posh reception area, a single desk arrayed along the back and the walls smooth concrete.  Eliza stepped off the elevator tentatively, eyeing her surroundings in confusion.  It just looked like a single room and the desk was empty – but, of course, it was.  It was late and everyone was focused on the event outside.

However, the logo along the back wall revealed she’d found her objective.  The Lazarus Program was scrawled there in flowing letters, an eclipse worked artfully into the design.  LEDs backlit the ceiling and she could hear the trickle of water coming from… well, somewhere.  It almost looked like the entrance to an upscale spa.

“I-I did it,” she murmured, almost going for a fist pump—

“Good evening, Doctor Zhao,” a robotic voice spoke up.

Eliza nearly jumped out of her skin, but forced herself to relax… it was just an AI.

Finn and Julia had said this was a possibility.  George likely wouldn’t risk cameras and surveillance equipment down here – he hadn’t even tied this facility into the network for the rest of the building.  However, a semi-autonomous AI was a good solution.

“Good-good evening.”

“What brings you in so late?” the AI queried.

“Just checking on the patients.”

“Your next scheduled visit isn’t for another few days.”

Damn it, Eliza thought to herself.  Think.  Think fast.

“There was some concern about how the server downtime might, um, affect the patients.”

“Ahh, understood.  Then please attend to them.”

A soft chime and then the wall nearby gave a hiss of hydraulics before the stone fell back, revealing a seam Eliza hadn’t noticed before.  Maybe some sort of holo-tech like her costume?  The door slid to the side, revealing that it was made of heavy metal nearly two feet thick.  Just what the hell were they trying to protect down here?

Eliza swallowed again.  She’d already come this far… what was a little more?

With ginger steps, she walked inside.

It took her longer than expected to navigate the facility.  Although, she could now say with certainty that those utility maps had been doctored.  There was a massive compound down here.  Rows of computer terminals, a testing lab with over-sized equipment, a full surgery suite.  There were even a few apartments.  And this was just a single floor.  More could be hidden above her – hiding gods knew what else.

Eliza soon came to stop in front of another large door right off the side of the medical suite.  A tap of her credentials and the door whooshed open to reveal a plain, circular concrete room.  One filled with several pods.  Eliza stepped inside and approached the pods slowly.  With trembling fingers, she touched the glass, smearing away the condensation to reveal… a face.  A sleeping man.  Maybe mid-forties or early fifties, tattoos riddling his skin.

It seemed she’d found what she was looking for…

Off to the side of the room was another door.  And inside were rows upon rows of dark black obelisks.  A server room.  Finn and Julia had been right.  In order to upload the patients’ consciousness, they would need a hell of a lot of computing power and storage.  Eliza slipped inside and set to work, inserting the small electronic device they’d hidden in her satchel.

Moments later, the device beeped and Eliza breathed out a sigh of relief.

Now she just needed to get the hell out of here.

She moved quickly, closing the doors and scurrying through those empty, darkened rooms.  Soon, she had returned to the reception area.  She tapped at the elevator panel and waited, her foot tapping anxiously, the only sound in the vacant room.

“Did you manage to finish your work?” the AI piped up.

“Um, yeah, they were fine,” Eliza replied quickly.

“Are you feeling alright?” the AI asked again.  “I notice your skin temperature is elevated this evening.  You could be coming down with a cold.”

“I’ll, uh, I’ll keep that in mind,” Eliza bit back, swiping at the sweat on her forehead.

Those doors mercifully slid open and she stepped inside in a rush.

“Have a good even—” the AI began.

“Yeah, yeah, bye!” Eliza replied, stabbing at the elevator panel while brandishing her badge once more.  The doors slid closed before the AI could respond.

Now was the moment of truth.  The scanners hadn’t detected the device in her bag on the way down, but this was the final test.  The beam shot from the wall and scanned her from head to foot… once… twice…  Then it hesitated on her bag.  Eliza could feel her heart thudding in her chest and her fingers curled into fists.

“Come on,” she thought.

The red light suddenly turned green and she was speeding up, up, up.  Eliza breathed out a sigh of relief and slumped against the wall.  She was soon past the apartments, the employee amenities, and then the door slid open again on the atrium… or what she thought was the atrium.

Instead, she found herself staring at a bright corridor.  One filled with a large number of people.  They were all wearing black gear – heavy body armor and dark visors that obscured their faces.  And in their hands were blocky looking rifles, red lasers spearing into the elevator.

Eliza’s eyes went round.

“Hands up!  Don’t move!” a voice barked.  She complied quickly.

Shit.  Shit.  What is this?  What’s happening?

Two men approached and slammed her up against the side of the elevator, while a third began to perform another full body scan with a device in his hand.

“What?  What are you doing—?”

They didn’t respond, only continued their work.

“What is this?  She’s just a young girl,” a woman’s voice spoke up.

Eliza heard the click of heels on tile and a woman soon strode into view.  She wore an immaculate, white blouse and tight skirt.  The badge on her chest revealed her name was Arcadia Landrey.  “Back off.  I’ll take care of it,” the woman snapped.

“She’s concealing something in her bag.  The sensor is picking up a faraday cage,” one of the security personnel reported.  “Protocol says we should—”

“I am currently the director of operations for this dark site,” Arcadia snapped.  “I will handle it.  If you have a problem, take it up with Mr. Lane.”

The men hesitated a moment later and then stepped out of the elevator.

“Now, what exactly is going on here?” Arcadia demanded, staring at Eliza.

Okay, she wasn’t having to try very hard to fake the tears now.

“I… I’m sorry!” Eliza stuttered, a sob racking her chest.  “I followed my mom here.  I didn’t know what she was doing or if she even worked here.  I thought maybe an affair or something, but I didn’t really expect…”  The words flowed out of her in a torrent.

“She appears to be Mei Zhao’s daughter, Eliza,” one of the security staff added, his Core projected into the air nearby as he looked up Eliza’s information.

Arcadia watched as Eliza sobbed, tears streaming down her face and then the woman let out a sigh.  “Okay.  Calm down.  We’ll go upstairs and get this straightened out.”

She spared a glance over her shoulder.   “I’ll take the girl.  The rest of you alert security that we’ll meet them upstairs.  Prepare a quarantine team for the girl’s satchel.  I’m sure she just smuggled in her Core or something to take pictures.  Got it?”

“We should secure the satchel now.”

Arcadia arched a single brow.  “Really?  What’s going to happen to it?  We’re inside this closed space, we have cameras on us and we’ll have security waiting upstairs.  Can’t you see she’s already traumatized.  Do you want to create another public spectacle by detaining some young girl?”  Eliza let out a racking sob at that moment and the guard backed down.

“As you say, the satchel should be secure,” the guard answered in a clipped voice.

Arcadia nodded and then the pair stepped into the elevator.  The woman tapped at the panel.  The elevator lurched and they were soon moving upward again, Eliza continuing to sob.  Sure, her pride was taking a hit here, but she was also fucked and this was the only card she had.  So far, it seemed to be working.  Although, the way that woman was side-eyeing her was strange…

Arcadia stretched her neck and then casually tapped at her Core.  A thin blue sheen erupted from the device and suddenly coated the cabin.

“Don’t make any sudden movements and keep your head bowed,” Arcadia instructed.

Eliza tensed.  Just what was going on now?

“No one can hear us right now.  What exactly did you take?”

“Take?”  Eliza offered, feigning ignorance.

“Don’t play with me, girl.  Those grunts may have bought your whole sobbing, teary-eyed girl act, but I know who you are.  You’re the Ice Witch – in-game or out.”

Indeed, the tears were already drying on her cheeks, Eliza’s thoughts spinning.  She didn’t recognize the woman – she hadn’t come up during any of their research.  However, her voice was familiar… almost like she’d heard it only moments ago.  Had it been during Jason’s video?

“I’ll ask again, what did you take?  Data?”

Eliza kept silent, but her hands twined together.

“Of course.” Arcadia breathed out a sigh, picking up on Eliza’s body language with expert precision.  “You’re working with Finn and Julia then?”

Eliza didn’t make a move.  Not that it mattered.

“Hmm.  They’re getting aggressive,” Arcadia murmured.

She side-eyed Eliza then.  “Relax.  I’ll ensure that you aren’t charged.  Besides, your parents are important to the project.  In fact, I work with your mother.  However, that device, I need it.  When the door opens, find an opportunity to slip the bag to me, understood?”

Eliza didn’t move an inch.

“Tap your foot if you understand.”

She tapped once.

“Perfect,” Arcadia drawled.

“Now… it’s showtime.”

The doors soon slid open once more—

However, the scene that met them was pure chaos.  Employees and event staff were rushing back into the atrium – Jason’s presentation having ended only moments ago.  Bodies crushed into that palatial space, voices echoing off the walls so loudly that it had Eliza’s ears ringing.  She could just barely make out the security trying to force their way through the crowd, pushing aside the employees and trying to shout over the noise as they made a beeline toward the elevator banks.

“Now!  Give it to me now,” Arcadia hissed at Eliza’s side, her hand already moving toward the bag and bringing out another small electronic device – although, it looked slightly different than the one that Finn and Julia had given her.

Was this woman trying to steal the data for herself?  Plant something else to replace it?

Not that Eliza had much choice.  The crowd would only delay the security by a minute or two at most.  They were already way forcing their way through the throng.

Eliza began to unsling the satchel from her shoulder—

“There’s an elevator over here!” someone suddenly called out.

The crowd rushed forward then and Eliza was shoved away from Arcadia as the staff pushed their way onboard – jostling and shoving at each other as they all tried to make it down to their apartments and log back in.

Eliza was tossed around, but tried her best to hold tight to her bag.  However, it was futile.  Someone slammed into her and she felt her bag ripped free as she fell to the ground, her glasses crashing to the tile.  She blinked blearily, clawing around at the ground as she tried to find her glasses…

Ahh, found them!  Her sight restored, she looked up to find a chaotic scene of legs and bodies.  Someone was shouting nearby – the security, no doubt.

The bag!  Eliza realized.  It had gotten ripped free—

And there it was!  Lying on the floor a few feet away.  She scrambled forward, crawling between the bodies and reaching out for the leather, just barely managing to snatch at the strap and hauling it back to her.  She huddled against the wall and hunched over the bag protectively.

Suddenly, those bodies were all peeling back and away, clearing out a circle around Eliza.  She looked up, blinking blearily to see that she was surrounded by the security again, the guards forming a wall of living flesh between her and the other employees.  Arcadia pushed through the crowd and looked slightly disheveled, but took control smoothly without skipping a beat.

“Secure her and the satchel,” she instructed the guards.

“What’s going on?”

“Who is that?”

“Why is security—?”

Eliza could hear the employees around her whispering, the atrium filled with the buzz of circulating rumors.  However, her attention wasn’t on them. Or the guards that hauled her to her feet and half carried her out of the elevator.  Or even the implications of what this all meant for the plan.  At this point, Finn and Julia’s strategy had gone well and truly sideways – that was abundantly clear.

No, no Eliza’s eyes were locked on two familiar faces.

Of all the ways she’d visualized this evening going.  All of the many horrible projections and calculations her mind had conjured, it had never anticipated this.

A man and a woman stood there among the armed and armored guards arrayed around them.  They stared at Eliza with disapproving expressions, almost like they didn’t recognize her.  Not that she blamed them.  She didn’t ever wear these sorts of clothes, much less in this condition.  Her mother’s blouse had been ripped and stained with dust and her bag hung loose off one shoulder.  Her eyes must still be red and her cheeks tear-stained.  She almost wondered if she was dreaming.  This was far, far worse than anything she’d imagined…

Those were her parents – Mei and Feng Zhao.

“Fuck,” Eliza muttered.

Chapter 59 - Whipsaw

Cerillion Entertainment Headquarters

Security Division

Eliza sat alone in a plain, windowless room.  The chair was uncomfortable – maybe intentionally so – lacking any customary padding.  Even the table was just cold metal.

It almost felt like an interrogation room—

She jumped as the door opened and several people entered.  Her parents.  That Arcadia woman… and two men.  One was dressed in plain, non-descript clothing and the other wore a neatly-tailored shirt and slacks, along with a watch that looked like it might be worth more than her parents’ house.  That could only be one person.  George Lane.

They all took up seats around the table, the silence nearly deafening.   When the door clicked closed, Eliza winced.  It felt like a jail cell door swinging shut…

“What were you thinking?” her mother hissed at Eliza, breaking the silence.

“Not now, Mei.  This isn’t the place.”  Her father that time.  He just looked disappointed.

George heaved out a sigh and the others quieted.   Once he saw he had everyone’s attention, he met Eliza’s eyes. “My name is George Lane.  Beside me is Arcadia Landry – or Cady – one of our directors.”  The woman just nodded, giving Eliza a cool glance.  George waved at the man at his other side.  “This is Ryan Vance, our head of security.  He had an opportunity to review the data stored on the device found in Eliza’s satchel.  Ryan?”

The man coughed into his hand and spared no time beating around the bush.  “All we found was this…” he offered, tapping at his Core.  Pictures were suddenly projected across the nearby wall, showing various shots of the Lazarus Program facility from different angles…

And that was it.  Pictures.  Just pictures.

Eliza could only stare in shock.  That wasn’t—

“What were you trying to do?” Mei again, her mother glaring at her.

“We are also quite curious about that,” Ryan offered in a dry voice. Eliza’s mother snapped her mouth shut as George and his head of security eyed her sourly.

“I… I, um…” Eliza began, her thoughts spinning.  She eyed Cady, the woman scowling at those photos.  Had she managed to switch out the data during all that confusion?  But she didn’t seem pleased… or was she simply acting again?  Trying to fool Eliza somehow?

She felt lost.  However, she quickly centered herself.

This was a game – just another game.  Just like with her mold form, she needed to focus on one thing.  Something she could control.  If they didn’t have the data, then there wasn’t much to incriminate her.  Should she just keep acting?  Continue the story she’d begun with Cady?

“I… was just scared,” Eliza said finally, all of those people staring.

“Scared?” George echoed, arching a brow.

Eliza heaved out a trembling sigh, moisture beading at the corners of her eyes.  Half-truths were better than outright lies – more convincing.  At least, that’s what Julia had told her.

“I overheard my parents talking about this project one night.  They sounded worried.  So, I followed my mother when she was supposed to be going into the clinic late—”

“You did what?” Mei snapped.

“Dear, let her finish,” Feng offered, placing his hand on hers.

Eliza cocked her head at that.  That was odd.  They didn’t normally show affection—

“Please keep going,” George insisted.

“I, uh, realized she was actually coming here,” Eliza continued, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat.  She was finding it quite easy to “fake” her anxiety.  Go figure.  It was only her fate hanging in the balance right now…

“I thought maybe she was meeting someone?  Possibly cheating or something?”

“I would never—” Mei began before her father patted her hand again.

“Yeah… yes.  I know that now,” Eliza offered, bowing her head.  “And it was clear something else was going on.  But… but you lied to me!”

Her eyes were on her mother’s face now, anger flaring in her chest, deep and powerful and hot.  The result of years of judgmental looks and lecturing and self-serving bullshit.  All that crap about helping people; how Eliza needed to study; to be just fucking like her; like them.  Only for it to turn out that they were assisting with unsanctioned human experiments?  Helping a rich egomaniacal asshole freeze vegetable-people in his basement and hook up their brains to a router!  And that was putting aside whatever had happened to Rachael – whether that accident had in fact been a mistake or something more…

“It turns out you were here working here on some sort of side project!”  Eliza kept going.  “All those nights I spent home alone.  All those tutoring classes you made me attend.  Were they for my good… or just to get me out of the way?  To hide what you were doing?”

Mei couldn’t hold her daughter’s gaze in that moment.  Her composure finally broke, her eyes darting to the wall… to the floor… to the ceiling.  Anywhere but Eliza.

“Eliza, that’s not entirely fair—” Her father began.

“And you helped her lie!” Eliza retorted immediately, stabbing a finger at him, angry tears streaming down her cheeks now.

“Now, now… we don’t need to rehash a family dispute here,” George intervened cautiously, sparing a weary look at Ryan and Cady.  “The reality is that Eliza broke into our facility.”  His gaze pivoted to Mei and Feng.  “And one of our employees breached the terms of her NDA and confidentiality agreement.  You even let your teenage daughter get ahold of your security credentials.”

The entire Zhao family was suddenly staring at the table.  George was right.  They were in deep shit… all three of them.  George paused, letting that silence lengthen and stretch.

“Now, Eliza.”  Her eyes whipped up to his face.  “We know you used your mother’s badge to access the lower levels, but your bag… Ryan tells me he found something inside?”

Ryan stepped in. “Yes, it appears that she constructed a faraday cage inside the satchel.”  Eliza’s parents were frowning now and Eliza’s anger was blunted by the harsh reality of her situation.  How was she going to talk her way out of this one?

“I, uh, I read online that most big companies have tech that prevents corporate espionage,” Eliza began tentatively, feeling out her lie word by word and using her tears as cover.  “Once I knew my mother was coming here, I decided to gather evidence of what she was doing and confront her with it.”  Mei opened her mouth to speak but her husband stopped her.  “But I needed to protect that evidence once I got it,” Eliza murmured.

“Still, this is impressive work for a teenage girl,” Ryan offered, skepticism coloring his features as he watched Eliza.  “You really built this yourself?”

She swallowed.  “Well… not exactly.  Our home AI helped,” she squeaked.

Ryan watched her a moment longer and then nodded.  “Plausible,” he offered to George.

“Kids these days,” the CEO murmured, shaking his head in disbelief.  “First that Jason kid and now this…”

He heaved out another sigh.  “Okay, let’s talk about consequences.”

The entire Zhao family drew in a collective breath, waiting for the axe to fall…

“I’m inclined to look past this,” he said finally.

Wait, come again?  Eliza could only stare back at him.

George noticed her reaction and let out a huff of amusement.  “Your mother isn’t cheating.  And while she might have lied, she had good reason.  She’s a vital part of a research project we’re pursuing here at Cerillion.  Unfortunately, it’s top secret.”

Mei let out a sigh of relief… as did Eliza’s father.

“Thankfully, you also didn’t secure much information and didn’t manage to make it out of the building,” George continued.  “A few pictures won’t undermine the security of the project.  And, besides, if we were to pursue charges or legal recourse, this information would become public.  That’s something the company can’t afford right now – not with recent events.”

Eliza understood now.  He was talking about the CPSC and the recent trial.  Even the crowd of protestors-turned-fanboys outside.  George had already introduced world-changing technology with the company’s VR hardware and AO.  He needed to tread lightly – at least, in the short-term.  They couldn’t afford another media shitstorm right now.

Yet there was also something else – something in the way he was looking at her.  Eliza’s thoughts spun back to the crowd outside.  How they had responded to her in costume.  She was… she was popular, wasn’t she?  She had a public persona.  One that had only grown since the fight in the Mile High Club and the showcase of her Mold Form.

Which meant that there were stakes for George here.

“However, we’ll be keeping a close eye on you from now on,” George continued, speaking directly to Mei.  “If security continues to be an issue, we may even insist you move into the building—”

“That won’t be a problem,” Mei interrupted firmly.  “And trust me when I saw that you don’t need to worry about any more of this type of behavior from Eliza.”

And there was that kernel of anger again.  As though this was all her fault…

Yet Eliza kept quiet, just curling her fingers into fists beneath the table.

“See that it doesn’t,” George said.  “Now, you should all get going.  It’s late.”

With that, he waved at the door and it clicked open, freedom lingering just beyond that doorway.   Eliza almost couldn’t believe her good fortune.  She rose quickly – her parents also anxious to get the hell out of there.  However, as she was leaving, her eyes met Cady’s briefly.  She’d stayed silent for the entire encounter.  While George and Ryan might have been convinced, that woman didn’t look like she believed a single word that Eliza had uttered.  She just stared at Eliza, suspicion shining in her eyes.  That might come back to bite her in the ass.

Either way, Eliza had still failed.  Finn and Julia would likely be disappointed.

But for now… well, for now, she was free.

The only unanswered question was what had happened to the data…

***

“Is this really the best move?” Cady asked, eyeing the door as it clicked shut once more.

“What would you have us do?” George demanded.  “Call the police?  Arrest the girl?  Her mother?  You saw the crowd’s reaction to Eliza during that event.  They were ecstatic.  It would be frontline news for days and the media attention would drag out through the trial.  And this is coming on the heels of our last break-in and our assurances that we’d beefed up security.  A teenage girl breaking in really undermines that narrative, now doesn’t it?”

He rubbed at his face, letting out a frustrated growl.  “And that’s ignoring the real elephant in the room.  What if people start asking questions?  Like which part of the facility she managed to access?  One not on any building schematics?  You want that sort of visibility?”

“That’s… fair,” Cady offered.

George just grunted.  “Anyway, don’t you have somewhere to be?  You should check the facility again.  Make sure we didn’t overlook anything that girl could have stolen.”

Cady nodded.  “Of course.  I’ll see to it immediately.”

With that she rose and headed for the door, soon exiting.

Which left George and Ryan alone in the room.

The pair sat in silence for a long moment.

“The security team reported that that woman – Arcadia Landrey –was acting strangely when Eliza was caught.  She insisted on bringing her to the lobby herself,” Ryan offered.

“She saw a scared girl,” George retorted.  “Nothing more.  Cady has proven to be an effective and loyal employee.  Trust me when I say she wouldn’t betray us.  She has too much riding on this project to undermine it.”

Ryan cocked his head skeptically but didn’t say anything.

“The more interesting question is how we knew Eliza broke in,” George continued.  “Your security team was able to react incredibly quickly,” he offered, glancing at Ryan through his fingers.  “What tipped you off?”

The head of security winced, a rare expression of discomfort for him.  That was never a good sign.  George heaved out another sigh.  “Come on, out with it.”

“It was Alex,” Ryan answered simply.

“What?” George grunted, eyeing the email notifications along his Core.  “Wasn’t he supposed to be in Miami or something…?”

“That’s what his implant said,” Ryan replied evenly.  “We even had one of the jets spin up on the runway and take off.  However, it felt strange and you asked me to keep an eye on him, so I looked into it.  Turned out the plane landed empty.”

George was paying attention now.

“So, we backtracked to his last known location.  His implant pinged at a club in the old-school district,” Ryan explained.

A name for a part of town without driverless vehicle technology or the company’s integrated media solutions.  It was the preferred hangout for people who didn’t want to be tracked by the city’s otherwise extensive camera and surveillance network.

“Some sort of fight club by the looks of it,” Ryan continued.

“Of course,” George grunted.  He knew about his son’s new hobby.  Not ideal, but it was certainly better than him hospitalizing wealthy teenage classmates.  That was much more expensive and risky to clean up.  However, no one would miss some unruly cage fighter or care if they were injured, especially if the fight wasn’t legal to begin with.

“Strangely, I lost his signal after that,” Ryan added, his brow furrowed.  “So, I double checked all our systems, including the house.  I found that someone had illicitly accessed the family compound and fed our surveillance a loop.  It’s subtle.  Impressive work actually, but our AI was still able to verify that the footage had been altered within a 63% certainty.”

“Hardly a surefire percentage,” George offered skeptically.

Ryan just shrugged.  “It’s not, but we also found evidence that the home terminal was used to tunnel into the company’s systems.  Alex did a good job of covering his tracks.  The hacking AI he used must have cost a small fortune.  However, we maintain redundant logs on our end for just this sort of situation.  The obvious conclusion was that he went AWOL, created an alibi with the company plane, and then hacked into our system himself.”

George was scowling, fingers steepled on the table.  “And the girl?”

“Obviously, he knew Eliza in-game.  We also found traces of her DNA on one of the glasses inside the house.  My working theory is that she must have told Alex about the conversation she overhead between her parents.  Once he hacked the company’s system, he could have found her mother’s personnel file.  From there, I suspect he preyed on Eliza’s own suspicions and anger, resulting in the spectacle we just witnessed.”

George hesitated.  It made sense… although, something still felt off.  Eliza was a powerhouse in-game.  He’d seen the footage himself.  It was hard to believe the timid, tearful girl he’d just met was the same person.  Perhaps that was just a function of AO.  It drew out different parts of a person, but that didn’t mean those effects were permanent.

Alex was a perfect example.

He’d already been far, far too patient with his son.  That had been an error on his part.  Alex was a perpetual fuck-up.  A disappointment.  No matter how hard George tried; no matter what lengths he went to in order to help his son – to improve him – it always ended the same.  He was a liability to the family – one they couldn’t afford, especially right now.

It was time to correct that.

“Understood,” George intoned.  “Bring Alex in.  It’s time he and I had a chat.”

***

Eliza’s parents hadn’t said a single word to her since they left that interrogation room, navigating the winding passages beneath Cerillion and riding the elevators in tight-lipped silence.  They soon arrived in the atrium, music pounding through the walls as the stage outside played house music to the remaining crowd – many having refused to disperse, even with the announcement that the servers were coming back online.  It was still a madhouse outside.

Not that Eliza paid this much mind.

She could only think about how truly and irrevocably screwed she was.  She could already see how her parents would rationalize what happened.  They wouldn’t bear any fault here.  This would all be Eliza’s doing.  As her penance, they would pile on even more work – ferry her between work and school and home and keep her under constant surveillance.

Even playing AO again was beginning to feel like a pipe dream.

A loud thud knocked Eliza’s out of her thoughts.

She looked up in surprise to find herself in an unfamiliar location.  Some sort of loading bay at the back of the building, the area quiet and dark, the sound of music echoing in the distance.  The alley before her had been blocked off on both ends with heavy chain fencing, barbed wire lining the top to discourage any would-be vagrants.

“What… where are we?” Eliza murmured, whirling to her parents—

Only to stare in shock.  Their skin was rippling and contorting before her eyes.  Like the graphics had frozen, the edges of their body fragmenting and forming jagged edges.  The stuttering worsened and then suddenly broke apart in a flash of light, Eliza raising a hand to ward off the sudden glare.  As she blinked away the spots in her vision, she found herself staring at two people who were most definitely not her parents.  One was a lanky young man – one she vaguely recognized from the event, his body practically dripping gold.  Chains.  Rings.  Earrings.  You name it.  And the other was a sour-faced woman who was maybe in her early twenties.

And both of them were wearing holo-tech suits…

“Don’t look at us like that.  We just saved your ass,” the woman grunted.

Queen.  The name came to Eliza suddenly.

Which must make the other guy Tombs…

“What’s going on here?” Eliza muttered.

“A favor for a friend,” a deep booming voice spoke up.

She turned to find the rest of <Death and Taxes> standing there, all of them still wearing their masks.  It seemed most of their costumes had been real.  Pewpew lounged on a nearby wall, kicking her legs, while Blaze sunk down onto the steps with a groan.

“Gods, my legs are killing me,” Blaze grunted.  “I’m too old for this shit.”

“Weren’t you just saying it was nice to get out of the retirement home?” Pewpew drawled.

“Screw you and your flexible teenage body,” Blaze grunted.  “Someday, you’ll learn to be a bit more sympathetic.”  Pewpew didn’t look convinced, just twirling one of her pistols.

Meanwhile, Smiles approached Eliza, his hulking form a dark shadow in the dim lights of the alley.  It seemed he was actually just that large in person…

“There’s no need to be nervous,” Smiles offered.  “As I said, we were merely helping a friend.  He asked us to intervene if it looked like you needed it.”

“A friend?” Eliza echoed.

Was it Finn?  Or Julia?

Yet that didn’t feel right.  Could it have been… Jason?

But had he even known the full extent of their plans?  They’d been circumspect with what they told Riley.  The fewer people that knew, the better.

“How did you mimic my parents?” Eliza muttered.

“These holo-tech suits are crazy,” Tombs grunted with a shrug.  “We stole a couple units.”

“Think of it as a commission for showing up to this thing,” Queen offered at his side with a smirk.  She looked at the device on her wrist.  “Without the drones, it doesn’t have the same flash and sizzle that you saw onstage.  Like we can’t pretend to cast spells or anything, but it’s still eerily effective, right?  Almost like casting one of my illusions in real-life.  As for pretending to be your parents, that really wasn’t very hard.  We have plenty of experience impersonating others.”

Indeed, Queen would be quite accustomed to that role after her time in-game.

“What… what about the device?” Eliza ventured.

Someone had to have replaced the one in her bag.  It must have been this group.  They could have used the distraction in the atrium to steal her satchel and replace the contents of her bag.  They might have even started that stampede toward the elevator banks.  That was the only explanation that made sense.  Which meant they still—

“Don’t worry about it,” Smiles grunted.  “As far as anyone knows, you stole a few pictures.  You should just stick with that story.  I’m sure you understand why you have plenty of incentive to maintain that story, right?”

Eliza swallowed.  That she did.

“But Finn—”

“You lost it,” Smiles repeated firmly.

He was rather intimidating, even in the real world.  Not quite as large as his game counterpart, but still imposing and solid.  Over six feet and two hundred and fifty pounds of solid muscle.  She was also sure his experience in-game would make him quite formidable in a fight.  All of his teammates seemed unnaturally strong and graceful – perhaps a function of that same training.  Even as she looked on, Pewpew jumped down from her perch, hit the ground and rolled gracefully, absorbing a ten-foot drop effortlessly.

Blaze just glared at her and sighed as she rubbed her hip.

“Uh, yeah… I guess I did,” she squeaked finally.  “But won’t my mother still find out about what… err, what happened here?”

“I doubt it,” Blaze grunted from her seat.  “I doubt anyone will say anything to her for the same reason you’re still walking free.”

That was… fair.  Maybe.  Not that it did much to ease Eliza’s anxiety.

“Okay, but now what?” Eliza offered finally.

“We’re here to escort you home,” Smiles answered simply.

“I’m not sure—”

“There are still protestors out here.  It’s not safe to walk the city by yourself right now,” Smiles interjected.  “You will be much safer with us.”

Eliza just stared back skeptically.  These crazy people – all of them decked in jewels and gold?  They may as well be holding a sign that said, “Rob me!”

Tombs picked up on her skepticism.  “Don’t worry.  We’re tougher than we look.”

To prove his point, he pivoted and punched the wall nearby – one made of solid concrete.

Eliza expected him to hurt himself, but instead, the concrete cracked slightly.  Tombs looked almost entirely unharmed, rubbing at his knuckles slightly and shrugging as she watched him.  “Enhanced muscle strength, endurance, bone density, and pain tolerance.”

“And that’s ignoring our many other skills,” Pewpew quipped.

She fired her pistol in rapid succession, paintballs splattering the wall nearby.

Each one hit the crack in the same exact spot, the pepper spray mixture forming a perfect circle across the stone.

“Uh, well, I guess that’s fair…” Eliza murmured, shaking her head.

Was she the only one with no strange improvements to her body?

Not that this was the time or place to be questioning that.  Shouts came from the other end of the alley as the crowd continued to slowly disperse.  She also noticed a lack of cameras in this alley, likely why they’d chosen this location to exit the building. Or maybe they’d disabled them ahead of time?   Either way, they were testing their luck by sticking around here.

“Okay, let’s go then,” she offered.

The group nodded, and they started for the end of the alley.

Eliza spared one last look behind her at that ominous dark building.  One that still housed many secrets… along with Jason himself.  Had he really been the one to rescue her?

And, better yet, why?  Why take that risk?  Why steal that data?  And then why hide it from Finn and Julia?  Eliza shook her head, her thoughts spinning.

What game was Jason actually playing here?

Chapter 60 - Performance Review

Rogue-Net Forums:

Clipboard_Captain:  Alright boys, everyone get online!  Escape routes are already open!  There’s no time to lose.  Move, move, move!

No One:  @Clipboard_Captain Can we even trust Jason?  Like this could be a trap.  Funnel us all into one place and make one hell of an undead army, amirite?

Clipboard_Captain:  Geez.  Paranoid much?  Besides, why would he do that?  A war with the old avatars is coming…

xxXShadowXxx:  Says the same guy that “interviewed” Jason and has been doing the media rounds singing his praises?  Anyone else’s fanboy radar pinging?  Simp more, my man.

Mateo:  @xxXShadowXxx Nah, this is real.  Can confirm that the teleporters work.

Elijah:  @Clipboard_Captain.  Seriously, ignore the haters.  Your clipboard is legendary!

xxXShadowXxx:  If only he could jot down some notes on how to get good…

Julie:  @XShadowX Reported.

xxXShadowXxx:  For what?  I didn’t even do anything this time!

Elijah:  Also reported!

Ashley:  Oooo, this looks fun…. reported!

xxXShadowXxx:  User has been banned.  Post Removed.

Justin:  Clipboard Gang for the win!

Ashley:  Chat Boss defeated!

Clipboard_Captain:  Lol, thanks guys.  But, seriously, get in the game.  Like now.  I get the feeling that something big is about to happen…

Elijah:  Let’s gooooo!!!!

<No One has left the channel>

<Elijah has left the channel>

<Justin has left the channel>

<Clipboard_Captain has left the channel>

***

Universal System Notice

Welcome back to Awaken Online.

Server Status: Good

We don’t expect any other service interruptions.  Thank you for your patience.

Oh, and by the way, you should really get moving…

That prompt hovered in front of Jason—

As well as every other player rushing to get back online.  Thankfully, Jason didn’t need to hurry off stage, brave the crowds rushing to the elevators, or race to his apartment.  In fact, he’d never actually left the game…

His UI dinged, a new chat window opening.

Frank: It’s done.  Also, I don’t know how you manage to pull off this edge lord shit all the time.  I feel gross.  Like I just crashed someone’s funeral.

Jason:  It’s not that bad.  Besides, you had a script…

Frank: A cringey script.  I; going to need a shower to get all this eyeliner off…

Jason:  Oh, shut it.  You need to hurry and get back online, bro.  I’m not sure what happened to Silver.  I haven’t managed to find her yet.

Frank:  Doing the best I can.  It’s a madhouse out here.

Jason already had his hands full planning and executing an interdimensional rescue mission, so he’d called in a favor… or two.  Frank hadn’t been happy about getting up on stage in front of thousands of people, but he’d eventually agreed after Jason had browbeat him into it – and assured him that the holo-tech suit would fully conceal his appearance.

In the meantime, Jason had his work cut out for him in-game.  He and Cady had rushed back through time, planting each of those gate pieces and a corresponding zombie to announce its location to the incoming wave of travelers and residents.  That had been happening in real-time onscreen – or, at least, after accounting for the time dilation and broadcasting delay.

Which is how Jason found himself standing back in the valley outside that strange temple.  Corpses still littered the field, the bodies no doubt covered in loot – his fingers practically itching as he stared at all those materials and the loot piled on their fresh corpses.  Such a waste…

Maybe he could just take a little bit?  Who would ever know?

“Don’t do it,” Cady grunted as she logged back in.  She was already scowling at him.  That must be some sort of new record.  “I can’t even leave you unattended for a few minutes.”

“Maybe just a few bodies?” he offered, ignoring the barb.  “And a bit of that loot?”

“You already have all of these,” she grunted with a wave.

Indeed, an army of undead was arrayed behind Jason, the zombies standing in neat rows and divided by their affinities.  He’d even taken the liberty of glancing at their skills.  The old Crystal Reach might have been teleported into the future along with its residents, but that hadn’t included the dead ones.  Their levels and spellcasting abilities were exceptional.  Although, they’d all lost a couple hundred levels due to the level cap on his Specialized Zombie.

“You sure this is going to be enough?” Jason replied skeptically.

Cady just sighed.  She was rubbing at her temple again.

“Seriously, can’t you just be patient?  The travelers should be arriving soon.  Do you really want them to catch you looting their bodies?  Will that help calm tensions?”

It was a fair point, but also… loot?

Not that Jason had an opportunity to complain.

Flashes of multi-colored light were already blossoming throughout the valley as the travelers logged back in.  Just a trickle at first, then an ocean of light that swept out across the ruined field as hundreds and thousands of travelers all rushed back into the game.

Yet the flood didn’t stop there…

Those were just the travelers that had already been here – that had survived the initial onslaught against Jason and the other avatars.  The tip of an enormous, chaotic iceberg.  And the rest were already beginning to arrive…

A rift of multi-colored light suddenly tore open in the valley.

Then another.  And another.

However, these weren’t small tears in the fabric of the game world.  They were mawing chasms.  Waypoints that dumped dozens of travelers into the valley in an instant.  It seemed the gate pieces were online and operational.  Jason even detected more than a few residents sprinkled among the travelers, the lack of a tag over their head giving them away.  He breathed a small sigh of relief as he saw undead begin to pour through the separate destination portal he’d installed behind him, only adding to his legion.

He’d made sure to position the remaining portals well away from the temple.  Which turned out to be a good idea, because more than a few of those travelers didn’t look all that friendly – despite how Jason and Cady had just, you know… saved their collective asses.  Apparently, they must remember how Jason and the other avatars had slaughtered many of their friends and guildmates only a few short days ago.  Many were already glaring in their direction, mana flaring and the shriek of metal filling the air as they drew their weapons.

Or it could have been the army of undead at his back.

Okay, maybe Cady had been right.  That might have given the wrong impression…

“I told you,” Cady muttered.

And now the travelers were already charging.  Damn it.  They couldn’t afford for this place to turn into another battlefield.  Not yet, anyway.  Not until the rest of the travelers and residents had escaped and Jason had safely retrieved the gate pieces.

“Uh huh.  So, are you going to do your thing?” Jason replied, nudging Cady.

She just crossed her arms, waiting. “I don’t know…”

Okay, now she was definitely punishing him.

“Cady,” he urged, an edge to his voice.

As the wave of travelers neared, she finally relented with a chuckle.

Emerald energy suddenly cascaded off Cady with little warning.  Her hands didn’t move.  No words left her lips.  She moved so fast that it appeared she hadn’t moved at all.  That energy expanded and grew, sweeping out across the valley, but stopped short of the wave of travelers.  Instead, the mana rushed toward the temple at their backs.  The stone began to dissolve away and transform.  Not single blocks of stone.  Not just the temple.

The travelers slowed… then stopped, their eyes widening and mouths dropping open in shock.  Not that Jason blamed them.  It wasn’t every day that you saw someone terraform an entire mountain.  Although, to Cady’s credit, this wasn’t really Dissolve at all.  She wasn’t actually building or destroying anything.  She was just bringing something forward from the past—

Specifically, Pax.  Along with the improvements Cady’s clones had made to the city.

The entire canyon wall rippled and distorted, the temple soon replaced by something incredible – something impossible.  Fortifications built directly into the cliff, the stone towering up hundreds of feet into the air, the rock lined with walls, arrow slits, and ramparts.  And resting on those fortifications was an army of Cady’s own.  Fauns.  Thousands of them.

As soon as they appeared, the fauns began to cast, earth mana surging so brightly that it became difficult to look at the emerald city directly.  The ground dissolved before Jason, the dirt plunging away to form a pit that stretched into a dark abyss, even his Night Vision insufficient to catch a glimpse of the bottom.  That pit soon expanded outward for dozens of yards, forming an impressive trench that encircled the city.

The travelers all skidded to a halt, more than a few toppling over the edge of the abyss – pushed and shoved by their own allies.  They screamed as they fell…

And just kept screaming and screaming and screaming.

Jason peered over the edge.  He never heard them strike the ground.

Huh, it might actually be bottomless…

The fauns weren’t done yet, however.  Another flash of emerald and the city’s gate began to creak open – a massive portal built entirely of solid metal, the gate so heavy that it could only be opened with the help of hundreds of Gravity Wells.  And from those gates strode an army of golems.  With a surge of earth mana, the front row of golems grew rapidly, their bodies expanding.  The golems in the rear soon handed them new weapons – massive, compound bows made entirely of gleaming crystal and pulsing with mana.

Cady raised a hand and waved at the travelers on the other side of the trench—

A single golem fired and a bolt the size of a small tree whipped past Jason and slammed into the far side of the trench.  The earth exploded apart in a tremendous, concussive blast, showering the area in dust and dirt.  More screams soon rose into the air.

Meanwhile, more and more undead continued to pour in behind Jason, his own army growing rapidly in strength.  The other avatars weren’t here – not yet.  That had been intentional.  The pair needed to act quickly and they couldn’t afford to have “too many cooks in the kitchen.”  Or, at least, that was the quaint expression Cady had used.

No, the plan was shock and awe.  Establish order by overwhelming force.  It was the only strategy that would work against an unruly, immortal army of travelers.

And there was one final, crucial detail—

A haze of rainbow energy suddenly sprung up along the city’s walls.  The mana grew rapidly in strength, expanding out and upward to form a dome across Pax and the field outside.  As the energy passed through Jason, he felt only a tingling sensation.  No pain. Then that mana swept out across the trench toward the travelers, fully covering them.

And with that energy came another notice…

System Notice:  Respawn Field

You have been surrounded by an unusual barrier of mana – a perversion of the gods’ energy.  The barrier warps reality around it and alters the rules of this world within a limited area.  While the barrier is active, the following rules apply:

- Travelers and residents will respawn inside the barrier within five minutes, subject to any additional reductions in respawn time.

- Attacking another traveler or resident while inside the field will brand the attacker with a Mark of Malice for 3 hours in-game.

- Mark of Malice holders will not respawn within the city on death, will suffer -50% to their stats and skill effectiveness, and will drop all non-soul bound loot on death.

- Killing a Mark of Malice holder will grant a +10% buff to stats and skill effectiveness for 3 hours and provide reputation with Pax.

- Remaining Field Duration: Indefinite.

They had made a few tweaks to the respawn field that Smiles had used in the Mile High Club using the generators that they’d “borrowed” from the Gambler’s Half Mile Club.  It turned out that a couple of the Cadys were decent crystal engineers.  They weren’t Finn, of course.  But this was workable for now and they could make adjustments from here.  Jason had thought the idea of penalizing attackers and effectively creating a bounty/buff system to police the more unruly travelers had been rather clever.  That one had been Cady’s idea.

The travelers were all hesitating now, mana fading and blades sliding back into their sheathes as they eyed their own allies nervously.  Apparently, no one wanted to become a gimped “loot pinata” for the other players.  Perfect.

“Ahh, what a peaceful vibe we’ve created,” Jason observed cheerfully.

“It’s working… for now,” Cady intoned, her tone worried despite the victory.

“Geez.  Cheer up.  It all worked out, didn’t it?” Jason insisted.

She just grunted, unconvinced.

Jason just shook his head.  She was right to be concerned.  This fragile peace likely wouldn’t last forever, but he’d learned to take the victories where he could.  Besides, he suspected something else was bothering Cady.  She’d seemed upset ever since she’d logged back in.  Something must have happened back in the real world.

Luckily, he’d already prepared for that contingency.

Besides, there was one other matter they needed to clear up first…

“So, I suppose this means our contract is finished,” Jason offered.

Cady spared him a long look, then grudgingly nodded.

With a wave of her hand, the glowing pages appeared and then broke apart into motes of mana before raining down on the pair from overhead.  Jason wondered for just an instant if this meant that Cady would try to betray him now, but then discarded the idea quickly.  There was no benefit to her backstabbing him right now.  She would need him to help defend Pax and take on the other avatars.  Her sister wasn’t free – not yet.  Besides, the undead horde behind him wasn’t just for the travelers… It never hurt to have a Plan B.

“Wish I could say it was fun partying with you,” Jason quipped.

“Ditto,” Cady grunted back with another glare.  However, it softened a moment later.  She offered a hand.  “Joking aside, you did good, kid.”

“You too,” Jason offered, accepting her hand.

Then someone was calling for Cady.  Remy by the looks of it.  She let out a sigh and opened her mouth to offer Jason an excuse but he waved her off.  “Go on.  Looks like things have calmed down for the moment,” he offered as he observed the growing legion of players trapped on the other side of that artificial ravine.  “I can handle the rest.”

She nodded and then marched off to attend to her forces and Remy.

Which left Jason alone.  Yet not for long…

Rifts began to open around him.  Finn and Julia – the pair looking rather bleak.  Eliza appeared moments later.  She looked flustered by all of the people until she caught sight of Brian, the plant-like man literally erupting from the ground and wrapping her in his protective branches, flowers blooming out around the dome.  Strangely, Alexion was missing.  Maybe he was still busy or preening in the praise of the crowd back in the real world.

Smiles and his crew soon arrived in a flash of rainbow energy.  The rest of his guildmates paid little attention to the crowd of residents and travelers.  Instead, they gawked at the sight of Pax’s new fortifications and made a beeline for the gate – likely intending to explore the place.  Not that Jason blamed them.  He was also curious what changes Cady and her clones had made.

However, that could wait, especially as Smiles approached him…

The pair stood there quietly, watching the travelers and residents continue to pour through those gleaming portals, their bodies now crowding the valley – making the expansive area almost seem small.  Jerry had appeared from somewhere and he’d enlisted Morgan’s help in herding the undead behind them, using their soldiers to help coordinate the escape of the others and guide them toward Pax where a row of golems was offering healing services and basic necessities to the undead residents that had been forced to flee in a hurry.

Jason was hoping that Cady had contemplated where they would house all these people.  At least, the residents.  The travelers could just log off, of course.  However, he expected she’d accounted for that already.  She was quite the planner.

Jason spared a glance at Smiles.

“How did it go?” he asked finally.

The bulky man took a moment to respond, his smiling mask taking in the crowd.

“As you expected,” he replied evenly.

Jason grimaced.  Sometimes, it sucked to be right.

Cady must have made a play for the data Eliza tried to steal.  After their conversation in the Hive, it was clear that she’d been aware of their movements for a while now.  The question was how.  Who had tipped her off to their plan?  Had she hacked Jason’s device or accessed their neural data somehow?  He supposed that was all possible.  Or perhaps it could have been someone else?  The fact that Alex wasn’t here meant that he could have been responsible for leaking the plan.  Jason still didn’t trust him.

Not that it mattered.  Not really.

“Did you manage to get what I asked for?” Jason asked.

Smiles nodded.  “Dropped it in the mail for you.”

“Perfect,” Jason hummed.  He swiped at his UI and sent the payment that was already prepared.  A decent chunk of Jason’s accumulated wealth disappeared in moments.  A few seconds later, Smiles’ UI dinged and he nodded again.

“Good doing business with you,” Smiles grunted.

The bulky man turned and Jason glanced after him.  “Really?  No questions?”

Smiles turned, his mask just smiling back.  “I’m a mercenary.  I don’t need to ask questions as long as the money arrives on time.  Besides… if you’re involved, I suspect I’ll find out eventually.  Most likely in spectacular fashion.”

With that, he turned away and kept walking toward Pax.

Jason shook his head.  It was clear that the game changed people.  It might have restored Finn’s back and coated Jason’s own body in a thick layer of muscle, but he was beginning to suspect that the changes weren’t always physical…

His gaze shifted to Finn and Julia, the younger woman consoling her father.  He looked dejected.  Shoulders slumped and a scowl on his lips.  Even Kyyle was keeping his distance.  Jason felt a small twinge of guilt and briefly considered telling them what had happened… but he didn’t move an inch.  He couldn’t trust what they would do with the data Eliza had stolen. Bury it?  Blackmail George to negotiate for Rachael’s data?  Go public?  Regardless, their judgment was clouded.  It was too personal for them.  Their next move needed to be precise and coordinated.

Besides, Jason had a way to placate them; to give them Rachael back – at least, in part.  That would have to be enough for now.

His attention swept back to the travelers and residents still pouring into the valley in endless waves.  The attitude had shifted and the tension had eased once they realized Jason didn’t plan to kill them all and raise an undead legion… even if he was still tempted.  The golems were already beginning to form a bridge over the abyss that encircled Pax, forming huge blocks of stone and levitating them into place one-by-one.  Meanwhile, the travelers and residents were murmuring at each other and eyeing the city with curiosity.  Likely telling themselves that they were free; even safe.  That this was just a game; that they had just unlocked another part of the map.

More lies.  More clinging to the status quo.

Pretending the world was the same – both in-game and out.

However, the columns of mana that still shown black, white, orange, yellow, and blue along the horizon told another story.  This had just been one battle – a single victory, albeit it a decisive one.  They’d created a foothold, secured their people and resources, and had whittled away at the former avatars’ strength.  They’d even managed to level the playing field.  They now faced a 6 on 4 fight, Cady and the Gambler taking their side.  Yet Jason still didn’t feel at ease. Even with those advantages, they would soon be facing enemies far more powerful than any they’d faced before.  Jason had witnessed that firsthand.  The travelers and residents were no longer the apex predators of this world; no longer the hunters.  They were the prey.

The situation back in the real world wasn’t much better.  The board was set, the players in position and the stakes were oh-so-very real.  Humanity was beginning a fight against its greatest enemy: death itself. As well as the man who intended to claim that power for himself.

In short, a war was coming… both in-game and out.

However, Jason had changed.  Just likes Smiles. Like Cady.  Like Finn and his family.  Even Alex. Jason was no longer content to just react.  To hide in trees and manipulate from the shadows.  To disguise himself and stand in the backline.  His dark mana responded, surging through his limbs in a frigid wave.  Shadows coiled away from his body and lashed at the air, pooling underfoot and slithering along the ground as they responded to his desire.

No, it was time for him to take the offensive.

To take the fight to the avatars… and George Lane.

Epilogue

Ding.

The elevator slid to a halt and the door glided open to reveal a strange room.  Alex looked on in puzzlement.  Across that threshold was a simple, square concrete enclosure tucked away within the bowels of Cerillion Entertainment.  The sign along the far wall revealed this place for what it was.  The home of the Lazaraus Project.

“What is this?  Why did you bring me down here?” Alex demanded, turning to the man beside him.  “I should be online right now.  Do you have any idea what’s going on in-game?”

Ryan Vance, his father’s head of security, didn’t offer an explanation.  He just stared back stonily and waved at the room.  Even without words, his instruction was clear.  Get the fuck out of the elevator.  He’d been like this ever since he’d forced Alex off stage and ushered him into the building with the help of a few armed security staff.  He hadn’t spoken a word since – had only remained a mute warden.  At least, they’d ditched the other guards a couple dozen stories above.

Alex growled in frustration but obliged.  What other option did he have?

He stepped into the room and Ryan took the lead.  His father’s guard dog tapped the nearby wall and a heavy, reinforced door appeared, sliding away with a hiss of hydraulics.  They soon wound a path deeper into the facility.  Past empty cubicles and dark terminals.  Past what appeared to be some sort of research lab and then a surgery suite.

They eventually stopped before another plain door and Ryan tapped his badge to a nearby panel.  The lock clicked and then the door slid open quietly, but Ryan made no move to enter.

“Wish I could say it’s been fun seeing each other again,” Alex spat at the man.

Ryan didn’t even react, just stared back.

“Fucking asshole,” Alex muttered under his breath as he stepped inside.

The door soon clicked shut behind him.  Not that Alex was paying that much attention.  His eyes were on the room.  It was cold – almost too cold – goose bumps forming on his arms as his body struggled to ward off the chill and preserve its own precious heat.  And tucked away in that circular concrete cell were six sleek, metallic pods that flickered with electronic lights.  Even without wiping away the condensation on the glass, Alex already knew what lingered inside.

People.  Bodies.  Patients hooked up to AO.

And possibly one more person…

“You should be more respectful,” George Lane observed where he leaned against one of those pods, watching his son with a gaze even colder than the room around them.

“To who?  Your lap dog?  He’s a servant,” Alex shot back.

“Mr. Vance is quite capable.  And respect – even if it’s feigned – can be a valuable resource,” his father retorted.  “Not that I expect you to understand that point.  In fact, this seems to be your day for making mistakes.”

Alex hesitated, swallowing hard.  What did that mean?  Did he know—

“So transparent,” George offered with a sigh.  “Your expression gives you away.  Yes, I know what you did.  How you accessed our company’s systems.  How you conspired with that girl Eliza to break in into this facility.”

George waved at the room as he pushed off the pod and stalked toward his son.  “So, is it everything you imagined?  Was it worth it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Alex muttered, dissembling.  If he just kept lying, he should be alright.  His father hadn’t mentioned Finn or Julia yet… that was a good sign.  “Why would I work with that dumb bitch—”

Alex never saw the blow coming.  He was suddenly careening into the nearby wall, his vision spinning and stars flickered in the corner of his eyes.  When had his father gotten that strong?  Or fast?  He’d barely noticed him move.

“You think you can fucking lie to me?” George hissed, rubbing his knuckles as he stood over his son.  “I know you were working with that girl.  And I thought I’d made myself clear the last time we spoke.  If you endangered this family again, there would be consequences.”

Alex snorted… then laughed.  He wiped the blood from his lip as he righted himself, leaning hard on the wall.  The blow had opened up his previous wounds and his face throbbed, but he ignored that pain.  It looked like they were giving up on pretense then…

“You punch like a woman.  Even mother hit harder than you,” Alex snapped, glaring at his father now and letting his mask of civility drop.  “Maybe that’s why she never loved you.  You must not have been enough of a man for her.”

Alex was expecting anger or rage… yet his father just smiled.

Honestly, that reaction was even more unnerving for some reason.

There was something different about his father’s demeanor – his expression.

“You’re still so naïve.  You speak like you knew her – like you’d earned her respect.  Your mother was a hard woman and I can say with certainty that she never truly loved me… or you.  Emotions such as love or affection have no place in our world.  She understood that; she understood the cost of wielding our influence.  The sacrifices that were necessary to grasp hold of true power.  She never flinched away from making the hard decisions.”

His father’s hand touched Alex cheek, almost gentle, but Alex still flinched away from his touch.  “Not like her son.  This weak creature I see before me.  One ruled only by his emotions.  I’d hoped that you’d grow out of such things.  That AO would help mold you into someone more capable, but it seems I was mistaken.”

Alex’s brow furrowed in confusion.  “The game?  How would it—”

He never got to finish that question.  The next blow came hard and fast.  A kick to his knee and then his head was shoved into a nearby pod, his forehead slamming up against the metal and leaving his ears ringing.  Alex groaned, falling to his hands and knees and struggling to rise.

Something was wrong.  His father had been abusive in the past, but he was going further than before.  Was he planning to kill him?  Alex shook off that thought.  No, no his father didn’t have the balls for something like that.  He was all talk.  He always had been.  And they were alone.  No cameras – none that he’d seen anyway.  There were only the three of them down here.

And Ryan could be easily controlled…

Alex spat blood on the floor.  He just needed to bide his time.

“You getting off on this?  Beating your own kid?”

George laughed as though Alex had told an incredibly funny joke.  His laughter almost sounded mad – manic.  The sound gave Alex pause.  Was his father unhinged?

“And here I thought you were a real tough guy.  Or, at least, that’s what you seem to want everyone to think.  The fights.  The beatings.  The fight clubs – yeah, I knew about all of it.  Yet you can’t even put up a real fight when it matters—”

A kick suddenly landed along Alex’s stomach and he felt the wind rush from his lungs, leaving him gasping for air – frantically trying to draw in a breath.

Just a little more.  Lure him into a false sense of security…

George’s hand grabbed his hair, pulling back his head, blood raining down on the concrete.

“You saw it, didn’t you?” George demanded.  “That codename buried in our files.  My Corazon.  That’s why you entertained this ridiculous plot; why you conspired with that insipid little girl to break in; why you endangered everything I’ve built, isn’t it?”

Alex didn’t say anything, his thoughts spinning.

George slammed the side of his head against the pod again.  “Isn’t it?”

“Yeah… yes…” Alex ground out and his father dropped him.

George grunted.  “I thought as much.”

He backed away, walking around the pod and tapping at the panel resting alongside the machine.  Moments later, the top of the capsule popped open, mist spilling over the side and wafting down atop Alex.  The moisture felt cool on his throbbing face, blood leaking into his eye now where his father had re-opened a cut along his brow.

“Then see what you came to see,” George snapped.  Alex had never seen him like this before.  That insane gleam in his eyes.

Yet he couldn’t help the curiosity that welled in his chest.  He reached for the edge of the pod and hauled himself up… only to stare in shock at what lay inside.

He’d—he’d been right.

That was his mother.  Her features frozen.  Her eyes closed.  Moisture beading across chilly, pale skin and the monitor nearby beeping in time with her pulse.  Proof that she was still alive; or, at least, that her heart was still beating.

“M-mother?” Alex murmured.

“I’m just glad she’s not here to see this – what a waste you’ve become,” George ground out behind him.  “If you had found this place on your own; had actually succeeded, then maybe things would be different.  I could respect that.  But, yet again, you failed.”

“You… you uploaded her consciousness.  Lied to me… to everyone,” Alex muttered, turning another glare on his father.  “Why?  Why do all of this?”

“I did what I had to,” George snapped back.  “Your mother was merciless and cruel – even to me.  However, she taught me a valuable lesson with her torment; with her casual cruelty.  This world is a harsh and brutal place.  If you want power, then you have to take it.”

He cocked his head, leaning in close.  “So… I took it.”

Alex stared back, his eyes wide.  “What are you saying?”

His father scoffed, shaking his head.  “You still don’t see it?  I killed her!  Slowly, subtly.  Lacing her food with a designer poison.  It simulated the effects of cancer.  I needed it to look natural, after all.  The pre-nuptial agreement her family forced me to sign ensured I would get nothing if there was foul play.  It was ironclad.”

Alex swallowed, the tang of copper on his lips.

His father had—had killed his mother?  For what?  For her wealth?

“You look confused,” his father observed dryly.  “No surprise there.  You’ve never been very bright; very good at reading people.  Before I met your mother I had nothing.  Only a dream of creating a media and tech empire.  However, I lacked the capital and connections to make that dream a reality.  That’s where her family came in.  They had both in abundance.  So, I hitched my wagon to hers.”

George grimaced.  “What I didn’t expect was how controlling she could be; how cruel.  She didn’t want a husband.  She wanted a servant.  She thought I’d be content with that role.  Grateful even.”  He heaved out an incredulous laugh.  “And for what?  Her scraps?  To stand in her shadow and hold her purse while she claimed the glory for herself?”

Alex’s father scoffed, glaring down at his mother’s body.

“But why do this?  Why keep the evidence…”

“Because I still loved her,” George snapped, as though the explanation was obvious, his hand caressing her chilly skin.  “Still cared for her; still admired her resolve; still respected her strength.  However, the woman I knew would never be my partner; would never let me achieve the greatness that I was always meant for.  She became an obstacle that I had to remove, so I did.  But this game – this new technology – well, it offered me the possibility to change things; to possibly change her.  To turn her into my ideal partner.”

Alex could only stare.  His father was insane.  Really and truly insane.  A monster.

That the was only explanation that made sense.

Those crazed eyes turned back to Alex.  “I had hoped that she could do the same for you.  That she could make you better.  Stronger.  Strong enough to join us.  You were our experiment…”

Alex shook his head.  What was he saying—

Then he hesitated.  If his mother was inside the game…

There was only one person that fit that description.  Wreathed in light.  Haughty.  Arrogant.  Casually cruel, but still cunning and merciless.  Someone that had been by his side every moment.  Pushing him.  Taunting him.  Teasing him with power just outside his reach…

“She’s… she’s the Lady?” he gasped finally.

Yet she’d never revealed that she was his mother – had even changed her appearance.  Had she been withholding that information?  Did she not remember?  What the fuck was going on here?

“Of course, she was,” George snapped.  “And time and time again, I hoped she would fix you.  Turn this insipid and weak piece of shit into something worthy of my – of our legacy.  If she could, then maybe there was hope that she could change too… that I could bring her back.”

Alex could only stare, his thoughts wheeling.  So, this had all been some sort of experiment?  His father using his mother’s consciousness to turn him into what?  A sociopath?  Molding his son in his own image with the ghost of the mother?  And he had thought for so long that his father disapproved of his cruelty; of that voice that whispered at him to hurt others, to inflict pain.  He’d assumed his father was disappointed in the monster he’d become.

He supposed that had been true… but not for the reasons Alex had thought.

George snorted as he saw his reaction.  “Ahh, yes.  You’re starting to understand.  This part never gets old – no matter how many times we go through it.  This final realization.  Yes, I’ve been aware of what you’ve done; the people you’ve hurt.  That part never bothered me.  What I found grating was your weakness; your laziness.  Your disregard for your reputation.  Cruelty is a necessary evil in our world, but you need to be clever enough not to get caught.”

His father shook his head, tapping at the pod again and the door slid closed.

“Yet you never learn!  No matter how many times we repeat this dance, it never fucking works!” George raged, shouting now.  Another blow sent Alex sliding back across the stone.  “You always fail.  Every version of you is pathetic.”

“Version… of me?” Alex grunted in confusion, hauling himself upright and turning—

Only for something sharp and cold to slide into his stomach.

Alex knew this feeling.  He’d felt it many times in-game.  But he still ventured a look down, staring in disbelief at the blade that was embedded in his chest, his father’s knuckles white around the hilt.  Blood pooled, staining his shirt and spreading rapidly across his stomach.  Then George ripped the blade free and Alex slumped to the ground.

He looked up at his father, raising a bloodied hand toward him.

“Why? What… Father?  Dad!?”

“Don’t fucking call me that!” George roared.

Then he took a deep, calming breath, wiping the blade on a clean white cloth resting nearby and staining the fabric a bright, vivid red.  When he looked back down at Alex, his expression was more composed; more clinical.

“It’s no matter.   I’ll make sure that isn’t an issue in the next version.  A few more changes to your memories should be enough.”

“You think… you think you’ll get away with this?” Alex grunted, his hand pressed to his chest as he feebly tried to stem the blood.  “Killing your own son?”

George froze, his head tilting.  Then he lowered himself to a crouch, meeting Alex’s eyes, his expression dispassionate.  Cold.  Stoic.  Although, it was growing difficult for Alex to concentrate on him, darkness encroaching on the edges of his vision now.

His father shook his head.  “You still don’t understand, do you?  You should know better than that by now.  After so many tries; so many failures…”

George leaned in close, his next words just a whisper in Alex’s ear, his father’s breath warm in the frigid coldness of the room – a chill that only seemed to grow, spreading up through his numb fingers and feet and leaving a tickling trail of pinpricks along his skin.

“You aren’t dying… you’re just respawning.”

Those were the last words that Alex heard before the world went dark and his body went still, his hand dropping to the cold stone.  George watched his son’s corpse for another long moment, blood pooling thick and dark beneath him.  Then he let out a sigh and rose.

“Sir?” Ryan asked at his back.

“Clean up this mess,” George answered, not bothering to turn.  “And get a respawn up and running ASAP.  Alex has school tomorrow and he can’t afford any more absences.”

“Of course, sir,” Ryan answered.

His head of security soon moved to the nearby wall, tapping the stone.  The surface rippled and then disappeared as the holo-tech built into the wall was disabled.  Another door soon stood there and Ryan opened it by touching his badge to a glowing panel.  The portal slid open to reveal something impossible.   The room on the other side was large, stretching more than a hundred feet.

It was filled with large, cylindrical tubes.  And inside each one were people.

Or, rather, one person.  Alex.  Clones of Alex.  Dozens of them.

George stared at those tubes and his resolve hardened.  Failure after failure.  Each an attempt to turn his weakling son into someone stronger.  Warping and tweaking his memories.  Modifying his hormone and endocrine system.  Adding a few genetic tweaks to improve muscular strength, stamina, and respiration.  If George could succeed here… then there was no limit to what he could accomplish.  He could become truly immortal; become a god of this world.  He could even bring back his wife – not as the ruthless woman that had lorded her power over him, but as his true partner; a companion worthy of a place by his side.

Despite each failure, he still felt like he was getting closer.  At least this version of Alex had the balls to act against him.  He was still an improvement on the insipid spawn he and his wife had created together.  If only he were more reserved; more calculating.

Just a few more tries.  A few more attempts.

That was a small price to pay for what he hoped to gain.

“Power requires sacrifice,” George repeated to himself.

He should know.  He’d already sacrificed everything to make it this far…

The End.

Thank you for reading!

I hope you enjoyed the story!  As for what’s next, I actually have some cool news…

I have a new series coming!  In fact, I’ve already finished the first book.  I’m calling it Hollow.  It’s a mix of progression fantasy and game-lit, including skill and stat prompts.   However, this story is set in an entirely different world – one where spirits are real and can grant their vessels extraordinary powers.  Well, typically.  Our protagonist is a bit different.  Anyway, you can check out the preorder link here.  It’s shaping up to be a pretty fun ride!

You can snag your copy here.

In the meantime, I’m hard at work on the next AO book already.  It should be interesting…

Please leave a review!

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Acknowledgments

I’d also like to give a shout-out to everyone who helped me write Awaken Online: Timeless.  Like most great things, it takes a village to write a book.  Or at least one that makes sense and is (relatively) error-free.  Thank you all for your help and support!

- Krista Ruggles (Artist)

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- All of my Patrons.  You all are awesome!