An energy wave knocked me off my feet.

On the treadmill beside me, Jamie fell unconscious, blood dripping from his nose and eardrums. At super speeds, I checked him, moved him to the recovery position, jammed a potion into his mouth, and then ran out to where I thought the blast came from.

The others, Mike, Amy, Julie, Jane, Phillip and Rashaan, were standing outside the room where Sarah had set up her workshop. Or what was left of the room? The wall was gone. A meter of the hallway and floor were missing as if someone had scooped out a chunk of reality. The room was gone. Something had sheared through the floor, walls and ceiling, a perfect spherical cut like a god had scooped some ice cream.

We could see the water pipes spilling water and some sparks of electricity from the wires. The smell of ozone and wet ash permeated the room. There was a slight haze or distortion that was dissipating as I watched. I could feel the mana levels dropping as if they were sucked into the gap. Phillip ran off, and soon the water and electricity were turned off.

"What happened? Where is she?" Julie came and gave me a hug with a shake of her head.

I broke and started to cry.

Mike came and joined us.

Sprite: Solace is gone.

We stood in shock, looking at the wreckage.

"What happened?" I asked, looking at Julie.

"No idea yet, just guesses. My AI analysis and investigation skills, "Quick Clue", make me believe this was a mana implosion. It may be impossible to determine the cause." She looked at me sadly, "There is very little chance of survival from this event."

She must be rattled if she were giving away her skill names.

I felt empty as if part of my future had been ripped away. I left and went to my bedroom on the other side of the house. Lying on the bed, numb with grief.

Sometime later, I was disturbed by the sound of new voices from the lounge room. I didn’t really want to face things just yet, but I was very conscious that I needed to be busy, or I would just stop.

Sprite: Another artifact of your high stats is the increased ability to cope after traumatic events.

NO! I don’t want to cope just yet. I just need to keep busy. I won’t give up on her just yet.

Sprite: The system will dampen major trauma for a bit to help you cope, but you will still need to cope in the longer term. It stops powerful people from becoming psychotic.

Crap. That made sense a bit, but I would not give up on Sarah. Julie said there was very little chance of survival, but that was still a chance.

I left the room and went out to see three new people sitting down in the lounge. All three were decked out in combat gear, and they looked like they knew what they were doing wearing it. Each had the same badge on the shoulder, a black and gold bird of some type.

The tallest was also the strongest looking. He had a wide-open face with a grin that looked both cheeky and condescending at the same time. His frame was on par with Arnold at the height of Mr Universe’s steroid binges, except he looked natural, with no square jaw or ripped veins. The other male was shorter, with broader shoulders and shorter hair. The aura of authority he seemed to exude was almost visible. It was calm competence. Their companion was a willowy fit woman who put any catwalk model to shame, not just in looks but in how she carried herself. Just looking at her you knew that the calm exterior hid danger. I scanned the three newcomers:

Identify

Bacchus Cruscellio. Tier 3. Level 45 First Cohort Standard Bearer. Strength. Endurance.

Xarius Buswell Tier 4 Level 72 Primus Pilus First Cohort. Strength. Intelligence.

Seraphina Nerva Tier 3 Level 11 First Cohort Armicustos Intelligence, Wisdom.

The Legion had arrived.

Xarius looked at me as I Identified him. He raised an eyebrow.

You have been identified. Luke Hammond Tier 3 Level 18 Warrior.

Nice. I’d like to keep things like that for a bit.

"Luke. Seems you have been busy. Level 18 in what a few days? Impressive. Julie here has been telling us about what is going on. Looks like we got here just in time, or maybe too late. Our condolences. We need to talk, but later."

We quickly introduced ourselves, and he was surprisingly informal. While we were not in a direct combat situation, Xarius said we could be more relaxed.

They introduced themselves as Xar, Bacchus, who wanted to be called Brick for some reason, and Seraphina, who was just Seraph.

I looked a bit sheepish. There was a bunch of stuff that the Legion needed to talk to me about. I had some weird quests that required some Legion or Senate help. I had no idea how to broach the subject.

I was happy when Xar took charge. I guess he was used to it as Primus of the First Cohort.

"Our mission is to support the peaceful integration of this planet, oppose the Karass Collective and close Chaos and Void incursions or portals as soon as possible. We aim to keep the civilian casualty rate as low as possible."

I nodded as he continued, "From what I understand, several organisations of various legal standing have made arrangements with the Karass to sell out entire regions of the Earth in exchange for personal power."

Brick had a sad smile, "That is a fool's dream. We have seen similarities in our history. They will become slaves like the rest. No contract can be binding without the existence of a system here. At a minimum, that means a settlement stone or toys like Julie has given you. If they are foolish enough to agree to anything pre-integration, then take it to the owner of the stone, it will become binding. You can bet that the Karass have agents in place to make sure they own the stones. We know that because we were only allowed the three of us pre-integration to match the active Karass agents here already. That does not include recruited indigenous beings."

Seraph spoke, and her voice was just as perfect as she looked, "You have such an opportunity here. Your plans to head to Min Min are sound. You have a boost with Luke’s rewards, Mike's class and Julie’s plans. You might be able to save this region."

She smiled at each of us as she said our names. I was seeing the effects of high charisma and comeliness in action. Mike looked smitten. Xar nodded at me, "There are a few complications. Luke here, or should I say Prime Luke of Theshan OZL."

"That's a …" I had not told anyone about that yet. Just Sarah.

Xar continued, "Wanted, Kill on Sight in the Karass Collective. Wanted for questioning by the Imperial Senate for the use of a stolen legion enhancement kit. Wanted for questioning by the ISID for financial irregularities. Bounty issued by the Renegade Serpents for taking out one of their hunters, Hero of Desert’s Edge, holder of the Defender of the Empire title and having a Friendly status with the empire. All from an unintegrated world, and enhanced, what 2 days ago?"

I looked embarrassed. There was a bit more, but that was enough.

Julie jumped in, "Most of that is alleged. He is still my client. He needs to be taken to Madauros to clear some of that up. The Senate does not need to worry about him."

Xar sighed, "I wish it were that easy. I’d like nothing more than to ignore the Senate, but they still pay our bills. The politics of Madauros are treacherous at the best of times, but now, there is unrest, and some Karmic threads are being stretched and broken. There is not much I can do to stop them from forcing the issue of him appearing there. It is very irregular, but I do have to follow direct orders."

"We need him here. He is Earth’s strongest defender. You cannot take him." Julie was getting intense, reminding me of the glimpse of her savagery when we first met.

"Well, I can’t totally protect him. Politics do my head in. I could offer some protection if he were a recruit, had sworn to the Legion and Empire."

Julie stopped in thought.

I was not averse to joining the Legion; now that I had met some, they seemed cool, calm, and fit.

Jumping in, I said, "I’ll join. Send me wherever, and I’ll do my best. It would help Earth if I trained too. Look, we are starting a new settlement. Maybe you can have some land there for training or something. Mike can act in my stead. I need training."

Xar and Seraph looked at each other. Seraph smiled, "Now, hon, you have just made his day. But don't promise what you can’t deliver. Land will be a major coup. From the looks of Xar’s smile, you are going to Bootcamp. You may need to go to Madauros first to sort out some of your issues, but the times will be tight; Bootcamp is in three days. We could get it done."

Shit. I’d miss integration. "How long is Bootcamp?"

Don’t be six months, don’t be six months.

"Six to twelve months, depending on your competence."

Shit shit. "I’d miss the integration here. That is kind of important."

Julie, "Mike and I can handle most of it. You would still be CEO and the boss, just away for a bit. Imagine the power and the skills you would learn. It is common for the powerful to leave for training and improving at times."

Crap. I had been moaning about lack of training. I sighed, "Sign me up."

I’d said I wanted to be busy with Sarah gone.

I sighed again. "I’ll go pack, and I guess I’ll be going tomorrow?"

Xar looked at me. "You have until I come to see you, and you swear the oath to change your mind. Make sure you know what you are getting into."

Xarius has sent you a data packet.

Data acquired: History of the Legion.

‎ Legion Regulations.

‎ Recruit Handbook.

"I'll be fine, you guys will help me?" I asked.

Seraph came over and gave me a hug, "Sure, hon. Welcome to the Legion."

I got the feeling she was like everyone's mum.

I left and returned to my room. I had some homework, and despite my melancholy, I read through the handbook. The oath was surprisingly simple.

Later Xar stepped into my room. I was expecting a bit more ceremony. Brick and Seraph followed. Julie was also there. I could hear the others murmuring in the lounge.

"Step forward, Tirone Luke Hammond, and swear by the ancient forgotten gods of the Empire, the memories of your ancestors, and your own honour and the justice of the Empire’s System. This unbreakable oath is that you will follow your commander wherever he leads you. You will obey orders without question. You forfeit the protection of the Empire's civil law and accept the power of your commander to put you to death without trial for disobedience or desertion. You promise to serve under the standards for your allotted duty time and not leave before your commander discharges you. You will serve the Empire faithfully, even at the cost of your life. Respect the law regarding civilians and your comrades."

"I swear"

Title Granted: Legionnaire (Recruit)

Xarius smiled and shook my hand, "Congratulations. You are now a soldier of the Empire!"

There were cheers, and Julie looked a little sad.

Xar continued, "In light of the difficulties we face and some irregularities around your application, you have been summoned to answer before a tribunal on Madauros, the capital of the Empire. This is a formality and has no consequence for your training. Your history is irrelevant while you are training. All that is important is your oath and our dedication to training."

He smiled, "Welcome aboard. You have 1 night of leave, and then your pain begins."

The others snickered.

I spent the night talking to Amy and Mike, saying goodbye, and ensuring I would have a place to call home when I got back. I was struggling with Amy and her co-host, Eddy Hip Wo. They said they had a secret plan that I only knew the basis of for my safety. Amy promised me that at the right time, they would tell Mike, and it would be good for Earth. Amy had not changed much, always playing it close and not giving anything away. Eddy seemed to suit her. At first, I had thought of him as like Sprite. Yet he was a separate entity that was quantumly bound to her. Not sure what that meant. None of the others knew much about Eddy or their plans.

Sprite: Eddy offers some unique opportunities. Once we build more trust with him, there will be huge benefits. I have opened a channel for communication. I think he is struggling to find his way. He is unique.

This was different from what I had been experiencing a couple of weeks ago. I needed time with my sister, so I could make peace with the changes. I even forgave Amy for dragging me into this, and I was able to get a tiny bit of closure on Sarah’s disappearance as we spoke. I would not call it death quite yet. I was still not giving up. I felt guilty about how quickly I was accepting things.

Sprite, does the system alter my mood or change my thinking?

Sprite: How could it not? Why do you ask?

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

I am getting over grief and trauma that should take me a long time to process.

Sprite: Your enhanced stats mitigate that. Also, the system is based on competition and power growth. There is constant death. As such, the system reduces the burden of loss. As I said before, it reduces trauma.

I don’t want to get over it. How do I stop that?

Sprite: It is part of the system. Without some mechanism, everyone would become catatonic or psychopathic.

Crap. Was it going to make me inhuman, detached from my emotions?

I spent the night restlessly going over the last few days. Seeing where the system had nudged my thinking. In the end, I could not find anything, but I could not tell if it was adjusting my hormones or brain chemistry. Crap.

The following morning I was woken up early by Julie. "I’d love to have time to sleep all day. Get up. You’ve got a busy morning."

I listlessly got up. "I guess I am off to talk to some bigwigs. I have no idea about anything."

It was weird, I was missing Sarah, although it was slightly fuzzy and less intense than I expected. It helped that I knew she was out there.

Julie smiled at me and made a hurry-up motion, "I’ll come with you for the first bit to Madauros, then when you head to Bootcamp, I’ll come back here. This is an opportunity for us to get some more support, which means quite a bit for our craftsmen and traders later."

I just looked at her.

She smiled, "For the boss, you are pretty idiotic sometimes. Mike gets it, and Jean gets it. You need to get your head out of your arse. Training will be good for you. You are trying to save your planet, I guess. I am trying to make sure my investment pays off. So, snap out of it and get your head in the game."

I sighed again. "Sorry."

"Xar has transport booked for just before lunch. He needs to debrief you, and I need to fill you in on some things too."

Sounded like the exact opposite of a busy morning. I spent some time with Sprite working on different identity profiles for training and what I wanted to be shown when I was Identified.

I was right about how exciting the morning was, and it was the exact opposite of what I needed. I was also not sure how I would get to Madauros; I was hoping we could catch an Uber spaceflight. That would have been super cool. In the end, the Legion was springing for the energy cost to teleport me to the Senate. I thought this was fair since they had frozen my assets. They didn’t want to pay the costs for Julie, and I think from what she said, they were a bit put out when we told them that Earth Inc. would pay to send her instead of relying on a VR construct. One point for us, I guess.

After all the fuss, teleportation was a bit of a letdown, and since it was my first time, not counting the tutorial and shop, I had no idea what to expect. No one had let me practice, even on our short-range teleporters, something about excess energy costs and breaking carefully planned budgets. I just wanted to stand on a platform and yell, "Beam me up".

All you did was walk onto a disk, be presented with a list of options in your HUD, and then blink, and you are somewhere else. Really not a lot of fuss.

This was crap. I was a no-one and was being taken to the Senate for some things I had no idea about. It seemed crazy, and I would try to work it all out one day.

Xar had spent the morning priming me on some of the politics and complexity I could expect. Most was wasted on me, but I got a fair bit of background information and forgot a lot of it.

The Senate was split into the Military or Patricians and the Business elite or the Plebeians. I was frustrated as the System translator kept using Roman-sounding names, and I kept trying to translate to modern-sounding words. It was as if the only translator they had was Greek, Roman, or Latin.

Since the Emperor's disappearance and the Empire's decline — or the shattering – the Plebeians had been gaining power. Anytime something could upset the balance of power, money would be spent. Those with wealth would dominate with credits and business deals to ensure the disturbances went away. It was as if problems should not affect the wealthy elite.

It was a familiar story, one we always got on the news on earth, money, greed and the haves and have-nots. Not much difference from Earth politics, really. The big difference was that everyone in power in the Empire swore an oath, and they had all sworn a system-binding oath to the Empire, the Emperor, and the System.

To be elected meant to serve. These binding oaths could only be manipulated and worked around in specific ways, with extreme sophistry. You can guess that the wealthy elite were masters of sophistry. They had worked out how to make the sincerest oath seem meaningless. Seraph and Julie were convinced that when people spent more time looking for loopholes in their commitments, something was wrong with either the oath or the person.

I agreed with them. I blamed people rather than the wording of the oath. The Legion was represented in the Senate by one of the two Consuls, Marcellus Octavius Dulcitius, the Legatus of the entire Legion. Xar knew him by his reputation mainly, and it was reasonably solid.

However, there was a lot of suspicion and tension between the Legion. Those out fighting Chaos, and the Legion bureaucracy in the Inner Empire. The Plebs, as I was calling them, and I was laughing remembering the awful TV comedy, were led by the other Consul, Kaeso Petillius Sosius. He was supposed to be a very shrewd man and not one to take lightly. I was being taken to see Marcellus.

LOG: Legion Profile Active.

Lucky for me Xar had kitted me out in second-hand training armour and weapons. It was not in the Tier 4 kit that was in my inventory. It was the best armour that my rank allowed. Despite that, I was looking pretty sharp. I wished that Sarah could have seen it before I left. She loved men in uniform.

Coming out of the teleportation cycle, a Lectus was waiting.

SYSTEM: Welcome to Madauros.

He introduced himself with his full name, title and actual job. He was the bodyguard and messenger to the head of the Imperial Senate. He sharply saluted with a fist across the chest. He was a pompous-sounding Lectus Cossus Artorius Sandilianus.

He was as pompous looking as his name sounded when he introduced himself. I could not help but stare at him. He had the most prominent nose I had ever seen. It would not have looked out of place on the bottom of a yacht.

But even that was overshadowed by his uniform. I could see that his uniform was expensive and very impractical. I bet it was uncomfortable too. It looked gaudy and so over the top with ribbons, loops, bits of string, and things I had no idea what they were used for or even called. Sarah would have had a field day shooting down his fashion sense.

I returned the salute, not staring at his nose and waited. We waited long enough for me to feel I had already insulted him somehow. My salute, while not perfect, was precise and sufficient to pass parade ground muster.

"Sir, I am just waiting on my legal counsel to finish teleporting."

"Tirone Luke, you will follow me. The Legatus will have a word before your meeting."

At least I knew that Tirone was a raw new recruit. That was me. We started walking off, and I noticed Julie had arrived behind me. I nodded to her.

Julie: Meet you at your meeting. Good luck.

I followed. Using my best Legion marching, making it look the best I could. I wanted to do Xar proud.

LOG: You are being targeted by multiple identification abilities and skills.

LOG: Due to high perception, stealth individuals will be highlighted in your HUD.

Two individuals were trailing behind the Lectus. The highlighting in my HUD made them quite visible. Outlined in red. I could tell that no one else noticed them. I wondered if my perception was that good. I also hoped that my stealth was as good as theirs. Nice to know they were there. They must have had insane stealth if no one else had noticed.

I realised now how much of a difference Tiers counted. I tried my hardest not to take any notice of them and tip my hand.

We walked for some time through some dull corridors and passages. I was a bit annoyed. I would have loved a tour of this strange city before I was arrested. It was my first visit to the off-world, and it was boring.

I just realised. I was probably the first Earth Human to come here. I was making history, and I could not tell anyone. I’d have to create some memorable saying, so I didn’t come across as lame. Everyone remembers the words of Neil when he stepped on the moon.

The Lectus would not engage in conversation with me. We walked quite a few turns and through some security checkpoints. At these, the Lectus had a quiet word with the guards. We were passed through without fuss. The stealth individuals were not detected at all.

It was a bit disconcerting that they could walk through security checkpoints without being detected. I pinged Julie to let her know about them.

At other times, when the corridors were busy, one glare from the Lectus and people got out of our way, bumping into each other rather than slowing the Lectus down. As we walked, I had hoped for more exotic-looking beings in this place, but most people we passed looked human. I would have to ask. I had already met a water elemental and an orc. I mean, I was god knows where in the universe, and everyone looked like we were back on Earth. It was a bit disappointing. Although I did notice that there were no, um … ugly? people. The level of attractiveness made Hollywood's good looks look normal. Except here, it was not silicone and fake. It was nanites. That is fake, too, I guess.

Crap, did that mean I had some work done?

It was also training and skills. Everyone was fit and had classic looks. I would have to ask Julie or Seraph about that as well. Why not aliens, and why no ugly people? Not that I was complaining, but I did miss the breadth of cultural differences from Earth. I really wanted to see slug monsters – could I call aliens monsters? It was a bit disappointing that there were no insects and no humanoid robots.

As we walked, I was trying to keep a recollection of the way we were going. Still, I was getting lost pretty quickly, especially with how I was trying to march and gawk at things while trying not to look like I was gawking. Sprite promised me that she could find our way back.

Sprite: You could get yourself a HUD mapping skill or perk. Lucky for you, I can point you in the right direction.

Good to know. Remind me, please.

After quite some time, I was getting worried. "Excuse me, Lectus. How far?"

"How far, Sir!" That was his first response.

I sighed, "How far, Sir?"

"Not far. You mind your manners in front of the Legatus, Tirone. Remember your rank, your training, " he sneered, "or your lack of it, and your oath. You are raw from a backwater and are a no-one. The Legatus should not even have to see you, let alone speak to you." He almost spat with scorn.

I wondered what I had done to piss him off.

Sprite: Julie sent a message. The Lectus is looking for you. He was held up. Whoever you are with is not taking you to see the Legatus; he is not the real Lectus. He must have a skill.

I sent back a video feed of the fake Lectus and our location.

Sprite: the Lectus or the real Lectus is sending help. Please don’t do anything stupid or tip him off yet. We will meet you."

I activated "Identify" and had a good look at him.

**Antonius Dignus Tier 3 Lectus to Consul Kaeso Sosius.

‎ Hidden weapons Encrypted Comms active

LOG: Attempt to decrypt? 70% chance of success without detection?

Um, no. Too risky. I don’t know.

Sprite: I agree. We need to stall and wait for help. Lectus Sandilianus has a fair idea of where you are heading and will have Legionnaires waiting.

Um, I am getting confused with all these names. Can we flag people we like in green and people we don’t believe are good in red? I have no idea who is supposed to be trustworthy or who we are even meeting. Can you talk to Julie?

Sprite: We can’t have real-time comms voice, but I have a real-time side channel. Low data but usable. They may be detected, but you can talk to her through me if you like. There is some delay. It helps that her AI is reasonably competent.

LOG: You can bypass local comms. Encrypt using Humble Divine proxy. The first hour is included in your package.

Thanks

Julie: (encrypted) Luke. Everything will be ok. Kaeso Sosius, the Lectus who you were supposed to meet - who, by the way, is a bodyguard and messenger for the Patrician Consul was held up, intentionally, it looks like. He was to take you to see the Legatus, the commander of the Legion - your commander’s commander’s commander, so to speak, your Big Boss when this is sorted. You were to meet with the Legatus before attending a short senate meeting of 5 Patricians and 5 Plebeians leaders. It looks like they are making some play where you are the flarv in the bread. Oh, sorry, Alice — my AI — told me you may not know what flarv is. It is a lump of meat. Meat in a sandwich, you would say.

(Encrypted to Julie) Ok. What danger am I in, and how does this affect my status? All I need is, well, I am here to confirm my legion appointment and to clear my locked assets. I think that the bounty and fugitive status are ok at the moment. Tasar took care of those with his stupid collar. I need to get my head around all this Legion and Senate staff.

Julie: (encrypted) Don’t stress, kido. You are a Tirone. It would be best if you didn’t deal with this political stuff for quite some time. There should be plenty of time to get used to it. Xar and Seraph should be dealing with it. Any flak from your fugitive status will be cleared by the ISID, whom I am meeting. If worst comes to worst, they owe me favours, and you can pay me back for cashing them in. The Senate was only interested while it was active. It was quite the bounty, evidently - I am not in the guild, so I can't see it. I think they are more interested in why Xar took on a recruit personally. He broke some traditions to do that. They don't like changes to tradition, and I don’t think it is done like that. He may have broken with tradition a bit and called in some favours, and this just might be a bit of pushback. We think your diversion to the Plebeians is some other power play. Kaeso has asked if we can hold back on a rescue and use you. Fishing? Bait. Use you for bait to find out what is going on. I’m not sure if I agree. They are putting politics before your safety. I'll get extra out of them for that.

(Encrypted to Julie) What? Will I be safe? I don’t have a handle on my skills yet. Will I get in more trouble if I fight? This guy is Tier 3. I think I’d take him. I took that Omaghed Juhgog fellow, that Orc Merc, who was Tier 3.

Julie: (encrypted) Protect yourself. Play ignorant, don’t go all out unless you must. Tasar showed me a recording of your incursion battle. What you did would be too much for an untrained recruit, so it would be suspicious if you dropped a Tier 3 Legionnaire. You need to get skills that don’t explode people’s heads. We are nearby and will pull you out at the first hint of trouble. Kaeso is pro-Legion. We will talk more later.

LOG: Connection Terminated. You have 56 minutes remaining. You can purchase hours in bulk at a discount. See your sales representative if interested. Make sure you rate the quality of the communication to enter the draw for a free EPIC security consultation.

It was hard not to show too much concern, and I guess I would have been nervous being a trione and meeting the big boss anyway. I continued along following the fake Lectus. From my training with Bacchus and the little Julie who had filled me in, I was slowly figuring out some of what was happening. I still had no real idea about why, though. The factions were playing off against one another. I just didn’t know why I was being dragged into it. I didn’t really care much, either. I would rather stay out of politics.

After what seemed like forever, the Lectus paused at a door. It was no different from the many we had passed on our way here. There were no indications of what it was or who was behind it. It didn’t look at all fancy. We were in a quiet corridor that had four other doors opening on the left side. He knocked once and turned to me.

The two individuals, still in stealth, stopped and stood on either side of the door. It was very unnerving. I could not see or hear them other than an outline around vague humanoid shapes in my HUD. I felt them watching me, and I was careful not to give away that I knew they were there. It was very impressive stealth, which unnerved me.

"Now, you mind your manners. Remember who you are seeing. Your betters want a word with you, " the Lectus almost spat again with scorn, " If they ask, tell the truth, and things might be ok. Answer only when spoken to, call them by rank or Sir if you don’t know any better, which you don’t, and keep a lid on any ideas you have about your importance. You have none. You are in the Heart of the Empire, not some backwater like where they dragged you from."

He spat on my boot and knocked again.

“Check your uniform and make sure you show respect.”

He tried to knock me over as I cleaned my boot.

At some hidden signal pushed the door open.

LOG: WARNING Hostile. Kill on Site in effect with Karass Agents. Renown penalty applies to all interactions.