Chapter 53
Ryker
Making my way to the tank, I intercepted Ruby and firmly said, “Ruby! I need you to calm down.”
Ruby whipped around and yelled, “Calm down? CALM DOWN!? Ryker, in what reality could I ever even consider calming down? Don’t you understand how I feel about you?”
After hearing her last words, I softened my expression and really thought about her question. I knew she had a crush, or whatever the A.I. equivalent is, but is it more than that? Could there be more than that?
With tears glistening in her eyes, she said, “Of course it's more than that, you big dummy. I turned my back on everything I have ever known and rebuilt myself so that I can be more helpful to you. I love you, Ryker.”
I stepped forward and held my arms open wide, saying, “Ruby, I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you, but you have to understand. I am growing to care for you as well, but I don't know if we can bridge the gap between man and machine. Please understand.”
Ruby stepped closer to me and leaned her head on my shoulder. With a shuddering voice, she said, “I know, I just can't help how I feel towards you. I will try my best, but I was not built with human emotions in mind.”
Silvar cleared his throat to get our attention then said, “I think I can be of some assistance. Ruby, I am willing to help you the same way I plan to help Ryker. If there is a chance that this blockhead can get control of his emotions, then I believe there is hope for you as well.”
Ruby’s eyes widened in shock, then she smiled at Silvar and walked over to wrap him in a hug, saying, “Thank you so much! I knew you weren’t a bad guy.”
Silvar stiffened as the A.I. squeezed him in a hug, then he smiled before grabbing her by the arm and pulled her in a rear naked choke, saying, “What’s your angle, girl? You plottin’ on me?! Don’t you know I can snap your neck in twenty different places?”
Ruby theatrically kicked her legs and yelled, “No sir!!!” Then the scene devolved into a wrestling match, and they disappeared from sight. I rolled my eyes and looked into the tank, finding Tetra an inch from the glass, staring out of the dark liquid at me.
Startled, I took one step back and looked to Red, saying, “Can you pull her out of the tank?”
Red nodded her head and raised her arm into the air. Tetra was fished out of the tank and deposited next to me. I could tell she was still not fully healed and stumbled when the mechanical arms released their hold on her. Instinctively, I stepped forward and caught her by the arm, freezing when I realized the implications of my actions.
Tetra went still at my touch but must have resigned herself to my touch. She leaned into me to regain her balance. After she steadied herself, she placed one hand against the tank and said, “Thank you, Ryker. I congratulate you on your victory.” She bowed her head and shakily dropped to one knee, then said, “Through the right of conquest, you have won the honor of being my husband. Till death parts us, I shall stay by your side.”
I raised my hands out in front of me in protest and anxiously sputtered, “Wait a second! Tetra, I think there has been a big misunderstanding. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
Tetra raised her head and locked eyes with me, saying, “Red, did this man initiate the ritual of bonded combat or didn’t he?”
Red rocked her head from side to side while softly humming and said, “Well, technically yes, but with his ignorance of your people's customs, he did not do it intentionally.”
Tetra made a waving motion in the air as if she was brushing the words away, saying, “Bah! Ignorance is no excuse. The second you made an attempt to violate my purity, I was bound by the will of my ancestors to test your worth in the crucible of battle. You defeated me fairly, and now I am bound to you till my dying breath.”
The intensity I found in the woman’s gaze was unnerving, and I stumbled over my words, saying, “Tetra, I don’t know who you are or where you come from, but in my culture, a hand shake does not constitute a violation of anyone's purity. Human relationships are built off of love and understanding, not duty and tradition. I am sorry, but I cannot accept this.”
Tetra reached out to the tank and pushed herself to her feet, saying, “I know this may seem strange to your human sensibilities, but this is not your choice. Accept it or not, we are stuck with each other from now on. If you want me gone, there is only one way to make that happen. Kill me.”
I raised my hands above my head and dropped them with a sense of futility before saying, “Great. Just great. What am I supposed to do now? I am not going to murder you…everyone around me is so dramatic.”
Tetra flashed me a small smile, exposing one of her extended canines, and said, “Good. Well, for starters, I came here originally to find a training partner but ended up with a husband instead. I need to return to the flagship before my crew grows suspicious of my activities, and I need you to come with me.”
I blanched at her proclamation and looked to Red, saying, “Red, you brought her here knowing this is what she wanted. I don’t think you would do that without having a plan. Let's hear it.”
Red rolled back her shoulders and stood straighter after hearing my acknowledgment, saying, “Well, of course I had a plan. After analyzing your performance so far, there is a lot we don’t know. Regardless, there are two facts that have made themselves apparent. One, you have an astronomical amount of growth potential that hinges on you simply surviving injury. Two, you have little to no formal training and simply throw yourself bodily into harm's way and expect to succeed. For example, Tetra would have easily killed you if mother had not intervened. Equipped with this knowledge alone, I have determined that you need a skilled combatant more than anything else. Near-fatal injuries are no issue, and I am sure your new bride will be more than happy to help out in that department.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
I looked to Tetra and saw her smiling sweetly and nodding as she said, “I am happy to help Red, but I don't understand what you mean by Ryker having all this potential.”
I stared at the woman as she casually glossed over the fact that she would have killed me if I hadn't beaten her. I decided to ignore that and ask the question that was bothering me at that moment. “If I decide to follow through with your little plan, what would happen to Amy and the guys?”
Red walked across the dirt ground and stood before me, looking up into my eyes, saying, “I didn’t want to worry you with the specifics until you needed to know, but I guess I will break the news to you now. When we arrive at the Pyramid, everyone who has awakened will be escorted onto an asteroid that orbits the Pyramid. From this staging location, your warriors will board disposable drop vessels and be flown into the side of the Pyramid.”
I spoke up animatedly and said, “Wait a second! What do you mean? Crash us into the side of the Pyramid?!?”
Red shook her head quickly and said, “No, that is not what I said. The vessels will fly into the side of the Pyramid. Studies have shown that anyone who touches the outer surface of the Pyramid is teleported into one of eight entry points at random. It doesn't matter if you touch it with your hand or fly a vessel into it; you will appear inside with nothing on you but your clothes. So to make my point clear, the likelihood that you will enter the Pyramid with any of your companions is only 13%.”
She reached up and embraced me, then continued, “I know you want to help them, but the truth is that they can't help you in your training nor can you help them. I promise I will take good care of them, but you need to go with Tetra.”
At this statement, Silvar and Ruby appeared in my vision and nodded their heads in agreement with Red's decision. I gave them both a hard look and thought, “Are you both sure about this? As far as I am concerned, you both have just as much say about this as I do.”
Silvar was the first to speak up. “The only thing that matters is power. This woman is your best chance at getting it, so I say we go.”
Ruby, still torn between sorrow over her love for me and her jealous rage towards Tetra, looked me in the eyes and softly said, “Your safety and happiness is all I care about. If Tetra can give you either, then you have my blessing.” Then she disappeared.
Silvar sighed and said, “Give her time, I will talk with her.”
After gathering the consensus, I turned back to the confused-looking Tetra and said, “Alright, I will go with you, but I need to say goodbye to my friends.”
Tetra narrowed her brows and said, “That's great, but you looked as though you were looking and listening to someone. What's going on?
I inclined my head slightly and said. “I dont think now is the best time to discuss this. Wait for me inside the dojo and I will explain my…situation later.” She nodded obediently and turned on her heel and sauntered off towards the building.
I couldn't help but be captivated by Tetra’s graceful movements as she made her way towards the dojo. I felt Ruby’s eyes tracking my own, but I didn't have the energy to humor the jealous A.I. I slumped against the side of the tank and sat down before saying, “Red, please bring the others out here.”
I closed my eyes and tried to relax while I waited. A few minutes later, I heard the familiar footsteps of my fellows. I stood up and greeted them with a big smile. Amy was quick to start badgering me for information. “Ryker, what the hell, man? First, Red locks us in our rooms, refuses to give us any information, then randomly calls us out here for some clandestine meeting, and who the hell was the hot demon lady in the dojo?”
My smile grew, and I leaned in and hugged her tight, then answered, “It's a long story, and I don't think you would believe me if I told you, but what does matter is that I am leaving.”
A round of objections and questions rang out from the group, and I held up both hands and loudly said, “I know this is sudden and confusing, but I have to go. An opportunity has presented itself, and I can't afford to pass it up.”
Amy stepped forward and slapped me across the face, hard, then hissed her response through her teeth. “You don't get to keep secrets, Ryker! You may not understand this, but we are family now, damn it! You think I’m just going to stand here and watch you get whisked off to God knows where for some super secret squirrel crap? Nu uh. You have to give me more than that. I deserve that much at least.”
I blinked while trying to recover from the stinging blow, then softly said, “Amy, you are right. We are family, and family protects one another. Some of the things that have happened to me are too dangerous to explain, and I need you to trust me now more than ever. Believe that I have your best interests in mind and that I have a plan. OK?”
The pint-sized titan squeezed me hard enough that I felt Ruby tighten up the fibers of my suit to compensate for the pressure. Then Amy pulled away and started wiping at her eyes vigorously, saying, “Geez Red, you need to lower the pollen levels in here a bit.”
I smiled at Amy’s antics and turned to Luke and Jeremiah. “Guys, I know we haven't had much time to get to know one another, but what I do know is that you both are solid as hell. Do me a favor and look out for Amy. That's my little sister, and you two are all she has now.”
Jeremiah gave me a solemn nod and said, “Of course, most of the time it's her keeping an eye on us, but I think we can manage. I’m not going to ask what this is all about, but I want you to take care of yourself.” He reached out with his right hand and shook mine firmly, then took a step back.
Luke stood there quietly sniffling with his back turned to me. He stifled one last sob, took a deep breath, and faced me. “Ryker, you're a good lad. I'll watch over these two like they were my own. You go now and don't worry about us. We will see you in the Pyramid if I have the right of it. But before you go, I have a present for you… My most valuable possession.” He reached out and placed a folded-up piece of paper into my hand, then closed it with his other, gave it a firm shake, and walked away.
I walked inside the dojo and found Tetra standing in the center of the platform, patiently waiting with her arms crossed. I followed Red's instructions and stood on the disk next to Tetra and waited. Red robotically said, “Stand-by for departure in T-20 seconds.”
I rolled my eyes for the 500th time and looked down at the piece of paper in my hand and opened it. My eyes immediately widened, and my breath quickened as I read the contents of the message in disbelief.
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Love, Luke XoXo
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