::BEEP::
Lena shifted slightly, unwilling to let go of the last vestiges of sleep that still held her. She was absently aware of the EKG in the background, its high-pitched metronome playing as a background fixture in her dreams.
She was on a battlefield surrounded by the remnants of a resistance cell of Kha fighters who hadn’t yet given up the war. Humanity’s thousand-year purgatory had only taken five years in relative time. As such, many of them weren’t even aware that they had left, having been returned to exactly where they were before they disappeared. Thousands died immediately on impact as they were summarily dropped out of the sky.
Forty-three years after humanity’s return they were still fighting, only the Kha fighter’s had assimilated themselves into human societies, and had just become another race with no nation, siding with whoever would hire them out.
Lena had been deployed to a small villa outside of Nkongsamba. A guerilla unit had been operating somewhere within Cameroon, and Lena’s unit had been sent to quell the insurgents. Nkongsamba just happened to be a passthrough location where they decided to stop for the night to get a little R&R.
That detour turned out to be a mistake. The guerillas happened to have the same idea, and in a case of the most awkward staring contest of the year, the two units found themselves in the same restaurant, at the same time, eating the same meals.
They managed to negotiate a temporary cease fire, with the expectation that come morning, hostilities would likely recommence somewhere outside of the city.
Nobody slept that night.
It was barely 0500 when Lena was in the process of checking her gear when the aftershock of an explosion could be felt not far from where they were staying.
Lena traded glances with one of her comrades who had been doing the same, and they both came to the same conclusion. As they each looked around, she realized they all had. In that split second, each of them immediately grabbed their gear and started making a beeline out of the building.
Lena was one of the first to exit. She had just finished strapping her exosuit to her wrists when another explosion destroyed the room they had just vacated.
Soot and debris quickly filled the air. Panicked screams followed as her civilians fled through the streets, mixing with the soldiers who were moving to evacuate who they could while getting out themselves. Their lieutenant was coming up the rear, making sure that the rest of the team had evacuated safely.
Despite the cacophony, everyone already knew the escape route. They quickly got to their vehicles and made a hasty retreat towards Mt. Manengouba. The roads were still blessedly intact enough for a heavily modified convoy of jeeps to navigate.
Lena had stayed to wait for the lieutenant, keeping her eyes on the tree line as rail fire started to decimate the neighboring buildings while angling closer and closer to their fleeing targets.
Energy shields were hurriedly deployed in an attempt to stave off the rail fire. Each jeep was equipped with their own mobile shield that could be rotated on a swivel while allowing the user to return fire if necessary.
The shields held.
Lena grabbed hold of her lieutenant, pulling him forward as they made their way to the last SUV. Shrapnel debris had clipped him in the ankle before he was able to secure his exosuit, forcing him to one foot.
He held onto the suit for dear life, while Lena dragged him forward. Her enhanced vision was useless as the constant rail fire lit the tree line up like a Christmas tree with heat signatures running down a two mile line.
The rail guns could be fired remotely, so trying to target them directly was moot as they would’ve been shielded too.
Her two remaining compatriots surveyed the tree line as well, getting ever more impatient as they urged the lieutenant forward so they could get going. The guerrillas' guns were now aimed squarely at them, and they couldn’t use their largest artillery counter until they got DNA confirmation from the highest-ranking officer, the lieutenant.
As soon as they were in the SUV, the lieutenant didn’t hesitate to jam his thumb into the scanner, and within seconds, each and every jeep returned fire on the tree line.
A concentrated beam of energy erupted for each of the SUV’s. In a matter of seconds, every tree was reduced to splinters, toppling on top of the rail guns making them inoperable, but that was hardly the end of the guerilla assault.
Kha soldiers leapt from the guerilla’s devastated position like bullets shot from a cannon. There were only seven of them, crossing the three-kilometer distance in a blink, where each one rocked into a jeep with enough force to knock each and every one of them over.
Lena had been thrown from the vehicle but dug into the dirt with reinforced limbs to bring herself to a stop. Everyone on her team who managed to get their suits on in time were already up and firing on the aliens who made use of their magically reinforced physiques to cripple the jeeps before working their way through anyone who hadn’t yet made it free.
Then in a desperate act of self-sacrifice, the lieutenant activated an æther jammer, sacrificing his life to power the little device.
The Kha soldiers immediately lost their primary advantage, but they were always naturally strong. Undeterred by the jammer’s effects, the one closest to Lena pulled his comically large claymore from his back and made short work of destroying the jeep and what remained of her lieutenant.
Lena hadn’t even realized she was yelling when she opened fire on the jeep and the Kha inside of it. The mass driven rifle rounds tore through the jeep like cheap paper and took the Kha with it. She didn’t even realize until too late that she clipped the fusion core that powered the jeep, causing a deleterious reaction to quickly cascade and destroy the vehicle.
The resulting explosion threw Lena off of her feet. The last thing she saw was one of her comrades standing over her, yelling wordlessly as everything went black.
::BEEP::
That had been over six years ago. The EKG’s constant beeping had finally roused her from her sleep. The first thing she saw was Everett sleeping soundlessly in a chair beside her, half slumped over from having nothing to rest against.
Lena looked around at the sparsely decorated hospital room, catching a whiff of the sterilized air along with her own BO.
She reached for the button on the side of the bed that would allow her to sit up and felt an odd sensation of touch as she did so.
Lena looked down at her right hand, immediately taking stock of the prosthetic hand in front of her. It looked nearly identical to her flesh and blood hand, with the only tangible signs being the cleanly sealed lines that ran the length of her forearm and around her wrist and fingers.
Everett slowly began to rouse from his sleep, yawning like an idiot before fingering the crust from his eyes.
When he was done, his eyes were immediately on Lena.
She smiled warmly, waving her new arm by way of greeting.
“The surgery was a success then, I take it,” he said.
“Looks like it,” Heaven said groggily. Her voice was gruff from disuse.
“Well?” Everett said, prodding her to tell him.
Heaven waved the hand around, flexing each finger in turn, before balling it into a fist, and rotating it around the wrist. She could feel everything from tension to touch.
Pulling her other hand up, she moved them in perfectly mirrored unison, following the same motions and comparing the sensations.
“It feels like my arm,” she said, trying to hold back the tears. “Everett, I can feel my hand again! I thought this was a prosthetic. How did you get the money to grow my hand back?”
Everett smiled but shook his head.
“Sorry, but I didn’t,” he said. “I designed it from the ground up. It took me forever to figure out how to get the neural receivers to translate instantaneous touch on contact, but it should all be there. Tension, sensations of hot, cold, pain. It’s all there. I had a friend help me print the necessary parts, and after that it was just a matter of getting a senior to vet and sign off on it.”
“So, this means… it’s still synthetic?”
“What do you mean, it’s 'still a synthetic,'” Everett mocked. “Is it still synthetic? Woman, that’s military grade perfection. Press your middle and ring finger to your palm.”
“I’m not spiderman.”
“Babe, shut up and just do it please.”
Lena did as she was told, and before she could register what was going on, her enhanced vision triggered and the seams in her arm split as her arm was turned into a cannon.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
“Everett? Why is my arm a giant gun?”
“Because you were just robbed, and I wasn’t there to protect you. Now I won’t have to ever worry about that ever happening again. Now let me show you all the features I packed into this bad boy!”
::BEEP::
Heaven woke in her chair to see Ma’Z staring at her in the creepy way he had when she first found him inside his Frame. Being the first thing she saw, she reflexively shouted, half jumping out of her seat, causing it to fall over backwards.
“Ma’Z, you motherf-,” she said, reining in her anger. “You’re awake,” she realized. “Oh thank the Goddess, you’re awake. How are you feeling? How’s your shoulder? Do you need me to get you something to drink?”
Ma’Z managed a smile and said, “I woke to see that my would-be killers hadn’t burned off my junk. Then, I saw you sleeping beside me and knew everything was right in the world.”
“I uh- I’m- I’m sorry, you woke up and the first thing you thought about was your junk? You can’t even move, how did you know?”
“Nobody ties down a boner, babe.”
“I don’t even know what to say to that,” Heaven groaned. “You’re so… dumb,” she laughed, while tears streaked down her face. “I’m glad. I’m so so glad you’re ok.”
“That makes two of us. How long was I out?”
“It was a little over six hours when I fell asleep,” Heaven said. She looked at her watch, confirming the time. “It’s a little after eight now. I didn’t even realize I dozed off. How long have you been awake?”
“Only a couple minutes. The machines here work fast. Did you not have any magic healers on hand?”
“I healed you, actually,” Heaven said, holding up a data chip. I used it to stabilize you before I brought you in. Healing magic is good for closing up wounds, removing burns, and staving off harmful effects like poison, but blood loss is still blood loss. You also chewed through quite a bit of your nanomachines, and it’s faster to just plug you in, than let them replenish on their own.”
“Ah. So, I’m a little closer to 8 Man After, then.”
“I wish all that old anime died in Purgatory.”
“Hey, that anime is a cultural treasure.”
“Not arguing,” Heaven said, throwing up her hands. She moved closer to Ma’Z, putting a hand to his forehead, being careful not to touch his third eye, before leaning forward to give him a kiss. “Since you’re awake, you’ll probably be cleared to go soon. You hungry?”
Ma’Z’s stomach growled in answer. Ma’Z glanced at his stomach in disgust. “Way to out me, traitor,” he said. Looking back at Heaven, he said, “You heard the man. The whole kitchen sink. My treat.”
“It’s ok. You don’t have to pay.”
“Oh yes, the fuck I do. You called me a peasant! I ain’t no peasant no more,” Ma’Z said triumphantly.
“The take was only eleven k.”
“Yeah, but people tried to kill me, so it’s only proper I robbed them blind.”
Heaven’s eyes lit up when Ma’Z shared his character sheet with her. “No. Falshing. Way.”
Ma’Hiz Vi’Olorun
I’Lu – Stratos Savant (Void Lord)
Ērzelis Frame – Sparkplug
Rounder - Unspecialized
Traits:
Aggression
Control
Darkvision (passive)
Evasion
Obscured Presence
Protection
Telepathy (racial)
Raw Instinct (passive)
Abilities:
Ætheric Conservation (passive)
Gravitic Burst
Evasive Tank (passive)
Minor Telekinesis (racial)
Snap Shot (passive)
Spells:
Ion Trails
Void Grips
Dark Servant
Violent Discharge
Footloose
Shadow Step
Tier: Blooded - 42%
Æther Slots:
6 of 6
Physical Points: 20 of 20
Acceleration: +3
Top Speed: 521km
Boost Charges: 4
Currency:
Cyn-P: 3,815,600
Cyn-E: 4,900
Cyn-D: 9,300
Stored Exp: 650,325
Ti Ara Gate: :
Might: 13
Dexterity: 20
Durability: 15
Intellect: 15
Will: 11
Idan Gate: :
Stratos: A - 44%
Flare: C - 17%
Luminescence: D - 2%
Nocturn: C - 61%
Steel: D - 2%
Torrent: D - 17%
Void: S - 33%
Drive: :
Brakes: Reaper
Engine: Reaper
Rotors: Reaper
Suspension: Reaper
Tires: Reaper - (all-terrain)
Core: Dua’Lessa
Booster: Reik Shokk
Weight: 3,790 kg
Combat: :
Head: Ogre Eyes
Body: Ogre Plate
Arms: Ogre Brace
Legs: Ogre Guards
MainHand: Storm Shatter (SMG)
OffHand: Durandal (LS)
“That uh- That is certainly a good chunk of money,” Heaven said.
Ma’Z had a mischievous grin on his face as he said, “Oh, that’s not all.”
Ma’Hiz wishes to trade <17x Chrysteeline Plates>
<20x Daverstin Peridots>
<300 Adamantite Chains>
<2x Ætherically Attuned Veritine Sabers>
<44x Enchanted Steel Chips>
Do you Accept? [Yes] [No]
“Not going to lie, I didn’t even know what I had until I woke up a few minutes ago. They had less than I thought, but all that money made up for it. Figured that note might be important. though,” Ma’Z said to a stunned Heaven.
Heaven accepted, promising to deal with that later. She really didn’t want to bother with that at the moment either, instead putting her focus on her fiancé.
“Well, since you’re clearly a made man now, what did you have in mind?”
“Honestly, I was thinking of somewhere near the track. I still need to find a team.”
“You can’t be serious,” Heaven said, rising up from her seat. “Someone tried to kill you, and you still want to race?”
“And what better arena to face my haters than on my home turf? Besides, they came after me to get to you. I don’t know what a dol’Gurr bautra is, but it sounded offensive, and more than enough to kill them over.”
“That’s because it is.”
“Good. They deserved everything they got then. Now, I only got seven months before the whole Kev gets turned into scrap metal, so time’s a ticking.”
Heaven’s heart sank.
She knew Ma’Z well enough to understand the implication. He knew about the destroyer. Because why wouldn’t he? The news had to have spread across town already, so she shouldn’t have been surprised that he found out. Even so, that didn’t change the fact that she was disappointed.
Armed with that knowledge, it only made sense that he would want to race that much more now. Not now that they both knew he wasn’t going to get many more chances.
With a heavy sigh, Heaven took one look at the expression on Ma’Z’s face and knew he’d already made up his mind.
“Fine. We only need to find one more person, right?”
This time it was Ma’Z’s turn to be shocked.
“Wait. Does that mean, you’re-”
There was a sudden click before the door burst open, where a red-faced doctor rushed in, gasping for air.
Heaven had been holding hands with Ma’Z, and it was only then that she realized that she accidentally pulled his heart monitor from his finger.
Sliding it back into place, Heaven smiled sheepishly, while the nurse gave her a disapproving look. Her sour expression quickly evaporated, however, becoming a warm smile. “Nearly gave me a heart attack, girl,” she said.
The doctor turned to Ma'Z, smiling even wider and said, “I’m glad to see you’re awake Ma’Hiz, and looking well. Wish we could’ve met under better circumstances, but at least I can greet you properly. I’m Isis, the resident doctor for the Fallen Reapers. Nice to meet you.”
Ma’Z returned her smile. “Nice to meet you too, doctor. I take it I have you to thank for my recovery?” he asked.
“No. Not really. Heaven did the majority of the important stuff. We just put you in here as a precaution, and to restore your nanomachine stores while keeping an eye on you.”
“Ah. Heaven said I was out for about six hours. Was it really that bad?”
“No. That’s just how long you slept. But seeing as you seem fine now, I’m going to ask you a few cognitive questions and then you’ll be on your way. Understand?”
Ma’Z nodded his consent.
“How much of the attack do you remember?”
“All of it. I had gone to the library to do some research on the destroyer, then on the way out I was attacked. Can’t say I really recall what they looked like, but they made it very clear that it was revenge for something Heaven did to their brother and they were only getting even. What’s an RD?”
“It short for real death. It’s what we refer to when someone takes a third life.”
“Ah. Well, I guess that happened.”
Ma’Z glanced at Heaven, whose face was a mask. He wasn’t sure why she did that, as he could read her like a book. He didn’t think she felt guilty about it, just that her actions now involved him.
He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled, which she returned half-heartedly.
“It’s not your fault, Heaven. You made your choice. They made theirs. I made mine. If I’m lucky, maybe I RD’d one of them, myself. Did you see those craters? Absolute overkill, am I right?” he laughed.
A little bit of her original mirth returned to her face as she shook her head. “Yeah. Oraria was pretty impressed.”
“She was there?”
“Yeah, as soon as I realized you were in danger I called her for backup. She gave the Headmaster her report already, along with mine. I compensated Bellfram for the damages, so we should be fine.”
“That poor guy.”
“Yeah.”
Isis cleared her throat, getting Ma’Z's attention.
“Sorry ma’am,” he said.
“It’s ok. Normally I wouldn’t ask, but the realism of this game tends to leave people with an inability to distinguish the game from reality. As such, there’s often psychological side effects to killing other players. How do you feel about your actions?” Isis said.
“Well, to be honest I’ve been thinking about that. Not the killing part. Fuck those guys. They stabbed me in the back, insulted my woman, and tried to kill me. Heaven can vouch, I can be mighty indignant when pushed.”
“He’s sent his fair share of people to the hospital,” Heaven confirmed.
“See? But that’s not my point. I’ve been thinking of this game. The way you guys live. How you interact with the NPC’s. How the world reacts to our actions without so much as a glitch. If this is a game, then it is quite literally the most realistic thing I’ve ever experienced. The quest system is a bit odd, but then, there’s magic here, so why should I be surprised?”
“What kind of quest,” Isis said, cocking her head.
“I got a quest to kill the destroyer. I don’t think they meant for me to solo the thing, but I think I’m obligated to participate. Basically gave me seven months to level to max. That’s doable right?”
::BEEP::