Chapter 2

Repercussions

GUILTY!

They had actually found him guilty of second-degree murder. XVI had pushed for first degree since he insisted Rance had set it up to kill his son. It still had been on the table, but even a bought and paid for prosecutor and jury didn’t want to fry an innocent man.

He stood next to his lawyer, Buster Dewey, an old army buddy, truth be told. Buster Dewey’s great grandfather was one of the founders of the powerhouse law firm Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe. So it wasn’t like Rance had bad representation, but it was an open and shut from the start.

The wizen old Judge stared down at him from his bench like a vulture eyeing a piece of carrion that was too putrid to even think about snacking on.

“Terrance Trenton” he said in a voice attempting to be commanding but coming out sort of scratchy and raspy. “You have been found guilty or murder in the second degree by a jury of your peers.”

Rance let out a soft snort. Buster unobtrusively stepped on his foot and added more weight until Rance glanced at him. Just the tiniest of head shake was all Buster allowed once he was sure Rance could see him.

The judge paused and stared over his reading glasses at both of them. Shortly he continued.

“The penalty for which in this case shall be a 30-year sentence in Other World. You will be debuffed by 10% on most abilities for the duration of your sentence.” The judge turned over to a new page to continue reading. “You may at any time purchase a reduction of your sentence at the rate of 10 million gold per year of reduction.”

He turned to the bailiff and said, “Mr. Trenton is placed into your custody until such time as he can be inserted into the Other World server to begin his sentence.” He looked around and pounded his gavel twice. “This court is adjourned” he said.

Rance was strapped to a gurney, lying next to an open cryo capsule. There were monitors beeping. hoses running in and out of him at every conceivable opening in his body…Yes, EVERY! A plethora of wires were running to the beeping noise makers, and he felt like crap. Rance laid there having an irrational (or was it rational?) fear that old man XVI was going make him have an accident.

Buster stood on the other side of a large Pane of glass set into the wall just within Rance’s field of vision. He supposed it should have been one of his kids, but he didn’t want them to see him like this. Buster would be the last person he talked to in this world for 30 years or so, and he was also the person who would send him off to Other World.

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“Mr. Trenton” said a voice as the face of the technician appeared a few inches in front of his immobilized head.

“Just Rance” He said, “No Mr. Trenton.”

“All right Mr. Trenton” the tech continued ignoring What Rance had said “I am about to establish the first level of interface with your brain. Once I do that your lawyer Mr. Dewey is the only person you may have contact with until you enter the game. Do you have any questions?”

“None that haven’t been answered in the last few weeks.” He said, “See you in 30 years or so.”

“I doubt that very much.” The tech said and he threw a large breaker-like switch on his workstation.

There was something flashing in the darkness as Rance became aware of himself. He could really say “Awake” or even “Conscious“ but he was “Aware”.

It was text flashing in green… “Hey Prancy, you awake?” It had to be Buster. Only people who knew him from the military called him “Prancy”.

Okay the basic instruction they had given him said that you only had to think about replying to a message to answer it.

He concentrated on the text and thought. “Yes, this is weird.”

“Okay they say I only have a couple minutes for this, so we need to get going. I spoke with Uncle Cheatham, and he was able to call in some markers.”

“You shouldn’t have done that” Rance sent.

“Phffft, Todd Beckwith XVI isn’t the only person with power and influence. People don’t stand alone Prancy, like we learned in the military you bleed so your brothers don’t have to. Besides,” he continued “I lost your case and feel like I owe you.”

“Well thanks, I don’t know when I can pay you back.” Rance wrote.

“You can pay me when you see me again, Prancy. Besides, you don’t even know what I was able to score for you. Pull up your inventory. It should have one item.”

Rance floundered a bit trying to find his inventory. Then he remembered. “Inventory” he thought into space. An icon that looked like a book popped into existence. “Okay I got a book” he said.

“Prancy that is a special book. Pretty sure they told you how books work in Otherlife.” He said.

Rance nodded. oh wait, he tried to nod then thought “Yes if they actually exist, they are linked to a digital version in the real world. If they are in Otherlife only they are like a digital download into an inventory.”

“Correct, Buster typed now I don’t have time to go into it, but it is more than meets the eye.” He said. “The tech just told me I have one minute. So moving right along Uncle Cheatham was also able to get you a boon. This will allow you to cancel the -10% debuff on one skill.”

“That could be huge!” Rance typed.

“Yes, use it wisely, oh and most importantly there are ways to communicate with the real world. We couldn’t find out exactly how in time for you to go in, but they are there. GOOD LUCK!”

Though nothing exactly felt different, Rance knew Buster was gone