Aubrey was confused, disoriented, and terrified. One moment she had been holding her mother, the next, a searing white light burned into her skull. She could hear a high pitched whine that got louder and louder, until she thought the pressure waves might make her head explode.
She tried to cover her ears, but her arms felt as though they were encased in gelatin. She had the distinct sensation of falling, her stomach fluttered and spun, and she would have vomited had the pure adrenaline of the experience not prevented it.
It was difficult to say how long she stayed in the burning sun; it could have been seconds, maybe hours, maybe days - each moment an interminable agony.
And just as suddenly, the pain stopped. Her nude form, steaming from the heat, clattered onto metal floor. Now on solid ground, her body retched and she vomited, gagging and heaving.
Warm water sprayed from several large metal spigots on the ceiling, and the thick, mucus-like substance that now covered her body began to sluice off, collecting in a large drain at the center of the room.
Her whole body shaking, she attempted to stand, but her legs buckled. From the corner of her eye, she caught movement.
A strange figure dressed in a protective plastic suit scrubbed her with a large stick that had a star-like sponge at the tip. Too weak to do anything but lie there, sprawled out on the floor, Aubrey couldn’t even muster the strength to cover her nakedness with her hands.
Once her skin was clean, the spigots ceased their rain. Aubrey turned her head. The room was made of the same warm metal that she was lying on. The walls seemed to move, to breathe and change shape as displays showed various scans of her body. Most she couldn’t understand, but a few made sense – her heart rate, her breathing patterns, her blood pressure.
One of the walls dilated, revealing a glowing red panel. The entire room warmed, and she felt the remaining moisture evaporate from her body.
The masked figure approached the wall, and as it touched its hand to a panel, the plastic suit seemed to melt from its body, and like liquid was drawn into the wall.
Aubrey’s eyes widened in panic. The creature was not human.
Two small horns protruded from its forehead, two milky eyes just above the thing’s sallow cheeks blinked horizontally. Its large head balanced carefully on a delicate neck.
Aubrey watched as its chest rapidly rose and fell as it breathed. Its skin looked wet to the touch, like a Salamander, and bore remarkable colorations, deep purples and reds mingled with blacks like a lustrous Rorschach test. The skin was so thin Aubrey could make out the bone structure just beneath the surface. Its long, elegant arms ended in two thick, long fingers and a thumb.
From the back of its head, a second spine protruded, separating from its neck and reconnecting at the middle of its back. The creature had a long, sinewy tail, and two thick, muscular legs. It watched her, tilting its head before stepping towards her, its hands raised as it gently approached.
Aubrey tried to back away, but could do little more than flop listlessly on the warm metal floor. The creature’s mouth opened, and issued a series of clicks and growls.
Aubrey’s eyes rolled in terror as the creature carefully picked her up. It approached a wall, which opened, revealing a long corridor lit by an array of colored lights that gradually shifted from deep blue to deep green and back again.
Turning to the left, the wall again withdrew, and Aubrey was carried inside a pristine white room. It was empty, save for a metal chair that floated a few feet off the ground, where the creature laid Aubrey. As Aubrey sank into the chair, it molded like mercury around her ten year old frame, supporting her.
The creature spoke again, as the chair lifted and turned Aubrey, suspending her face down. Aubrey heard a loud thunk, and the faint rumbling sound of something mechanical descending from the ceiling. The creature’s clammy hand touched her shoulder as if to reassure her. It stooped low, its milky eyes meeting hers. It was difficult to discern emotion on the alien face, but Aubrey seemed to sense an apology.
It wasn’t long before Aubrey understood why, as a drill tore into the back of her skull. Temporarily blinded, the pain was so intense she couldn’t muster a scream, she could only convulse as her mouth and neck tensed. Thin tendrils of metal bore into her skull and spread through her brain like the tentacles of an octopus.
The drilling ceased, and the pain subsided. As it did, Aubrey realized she could hear a voice now. A human voice, talking to her.
“I’m so sorry, I know that was unpleasant, but there’s really no easy way to get the neural implants installed. The worst of it is over.”
Aubrey blinked heavily as her vision returned. “Who is that?”
The creature stooped low again, this time smiling.
“My name is Amaslei,” it said. “I’m one of the lead processors here at the Blackburn plantation.”
“What’s happening to me?”
“I apologize, I realize this is terribly disorienting. With the installation of your neural implants, your brain can now access a Babel Enterprises translation unit. It has been programmed with over forty thousand languages and dialects. It is how you are able to understand my words, and I yours.”
Amaslei turned her head, showing a small spherical node where her secondary spine connected to her skull.
“Over the next several weeks, the neural implant will adjust to your unique physiology. It will clean your neural pathways, increasing your fine motor skills, reflexes, memory, and other cognitive processes.”
“What year is it?”
“Two thousand, three hundred and fifty-nine.”
Aubrey’s mind reeled. Over three hundred years? It was too much for her to process.
“I’m going to activate your Omnidyne Biotech brand personal artificial intelligence system. It will feel strange at first. But not painful.”
Aubrey felt an odd pressure inside her skull as Amaslei pressed the small button on the node at the back of her head.
She felt disoriented, similar to how she had felt as a small child when she would spin around her room, eventually falling onto her back as the world continued to swim around her, her dizziness pressing her to the floor.
Her liquid chair lurched, and she was again on her back, her eyes slowly opening and closing as she tried to subdue the sudden bout of nausea.
The biliousness eventually subsided, and in the corner of her vision she saw a small, blue glowing ball that pulsed as it spoke.
“Greetings and good day to you, Aubrey. My name is Alzar, and I am your personal Artificial Intelligence system.” His voice was gentle, but seemed to permeate her being.
“Uh, hello.”
“If it’s alright by you, I’m going to begin to run some standard system setup routines in the background while you undergo the remainder of processing. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions you might have, ” he intoned cheerfully. “After all, I exist to serve.”
“What is it I’m seeing?”
“That is called your Flaneur display. By directly manipulating the auditory and visual processing sections of your brain, I am able to communicate with you and provide visual stimulus without the need for a screen or auditory device. A particularly useful skill if and when you find yourself in non-atmospheric conditions.”
Aubrey moved her head. Her visual HUD followed the motion of her skull, rather than her eyes. She smiled at the cleverness. By locking the display to her skull, it allowed her eyes to look at different aspects of the display without colluding the central portion of her vision.
Data popped into her field of vision, providing the name and vital stats of Amaslei in clear blue text.
“Can she hear you?” Aubrey asked, glancing over at Amaslei, who had a slight, bemused smile.
“Indeed she can. I am currently broadcasting on an open channel, so anyone within range can pick up on my signal, if they so choose. Now if there are no other questions, I have some rather serious work to do.”
“And so do we,” Amaslei said as she placed a hand on Aubrey’s forehead.
Aubrey felt the strength finally returning to her limbs and extremities. She flexed her wrists and ankles. Her body felt exhausted, as if she had run a marathon without proper stretching.
“Are you feeling strong enough to stand?”
Aubrey nodded her head. “I think so.”
Amaslei took her by the hand as the liquid chair morphed and set her on her feet before withdrawing into the floor.
Aubrey was suddenly and acutely aware of her nakedness, her hands reflexively covering her body. “Could I have some clothes or something?”
Amaslei smiled. “Ah yes, I apologize, I always forget the strange sense of modesty and propriety that so many recruits from your era arrive with.”
Aubrey felt her face and neck flush. This may be the future, but she still felt vulnerable in her nakedness.
“Unfortunately, there is one additional procedure you need to undergo before your processing is complete, and then you can be clothed and we can move on to orientation.”
“Okay, sure. Let’s get it over with.”
Amaslei walked over to the wall, and waved her hand. A panel opened, and a tray with six small metallic half spheres appeared. Amaslei slipped one onto each of her fingertips. The metal morphed and flowed around her skin to cover each finger up to the first joint, as if she had dipped each digit in metallic colored paint.
Her fingers danced and twitched in the air as she booted up a complex looking computer system that displayed in the air in front of her.
“What are those?” Aubrey asked, unable to hide her expression of childlike wonder.
“These are called Aglets. They are a programmable computer interface system.”
“Like a keyboard?”
Amaslei looked delighted. “Exactly, but with nearly limitless configurable variables and programming options. Alzar will walk you through your system configuration and gesture training once he has finished his subroutines.”
As her fingers danced through the air, the floor in front of Aubrey receded, revealing a pool of a shiny black liquid. It burbled thickly, teeming with a life of its own, and appeared quite viscous, like molten lava.
“I should warn you, this part, while not painful, is quite unpleasant.”
Aubrey kneeled next to the pool, her face bent close to examine it. “What is it?”
“We will be installing your Mulier system.”
“I don’t know what that is.”
Amaslei chuckled. “It is several different types of nano-bots, microscopic robots that will serve multiple purposes within your biological system.”
Aubrey frowned. “In my biological system? You mean in my body?”
“Correct. The Aerobots will live mostly in your lungs. They transform the base atmospheric chemicals into whichever particular combination and composition is ideal for your physiology. The Protobots clean your system, removing impurities and toxins from your bloodstream and other cells, extending your life expectancy significantly. And of course, the spiders, which you will use during your time at the Academy.”
“But it doesn’t hurt?”
“No. But as I said, it is unpleasant.”
Aubrey swallowed hard.
“Whenever you’re ready, please lower yourself into the liquid.”
Aubrey nodded, and dipped her toe. It felt like warm peanut butter. Breathing deep, she lowered herself in.
Submerged to her neck, she pulled her hand out of the pool and watched as the inky black liquid dripped and receded from her fingertips, the drips tracing fractals across her skin.
“This isn’t so bad” she said, smiling.
“I haven’t activated the process. Are you ready?”
“I guess so.”
Amaslei’s aglets danced.
Aubrey didn’t notice anything immediately. The liquid warmed slightly, but it was still comfortable, and certainly better than standing naked in front of a stranger. Her skin tingled, faintly at first, but the sensation intensified. She winced as it became an overwhelming feeling all over her skin, like pins and needles, as if her legs had fallen asleep and blood was rushing back to her extremities.
Reflexively she struggled and thrashed, but the liquid seemed to tighten around her. It pulled at her, stretching her skin, and yanked her deeper into the liquid. She kicked and struggled to keep her head above the surface, but to no avail. She slowly sank, her screams choked into thick gurgles as the viscous liquid filled her eyes and mouth as worked its way into her lungs.
Panic set in. She felt as if she were drowning, as if her lungs would burst. She had never been particularly inclined to bouts of claustrophobia, having frequently fit into the small crawlspaces in her basement while playing particularly aggressive games of hide-and-go seek with her sister. But this was pushing even her limits.
And just as suddenly, the sensation stopped. Her vision cleared, and she found herself again lying on the ground of the room. Amaslei observed her, smiling.
“There, all done.”
“That was horrible.”
“I know, I apologize, there’s really not a good way to prepare someone for the installation process, and I’ve found it’s best to just get it over with.”
Aubrey began to shiver.
“Can I have some clothes now?”
Amaslei’s fingers danced in the air again. “Of course, of course, I’m terribly sorry.” The panel on the wall opened again, and a set of black clothing sat, neatly folded. She handed it to Aubrey, a pair of pants, a simple set of slippers and a plain long sleeve shirt, all of which appeared to be far too large for Aubrey’s slight frame.
She slid them on, her hands shaking from the cold. Once on her body, the fabric tightened, the clothing shrinking to fit her form.
“There, is that better?”
Aubrey flexed her arms and legs, testing the new clothing. She’d never worn anything so comfortable. “Yes, much.”
“Once Alzar is back online, he’ll walk you through the different design options for your clothing, should you so wish. For now, simple black seems to suit you.”
Aubrey rubbed her hands together, blowing on them to warm them.
“An unfortunate side effect of the Mulier system, I’m afraid. The nano-bots draw their power from your body heat, so you’ll feel a lot colder than you used to.”
Aubrey shivered, rubbing her arms.
“You’ll get used to it, I promise.”
Aubrey smiled.
“Come, let’s get you something to eat. You must be famished.”
They made their way through several winding corridors. Aubrey had trouble establishing her whereabouts. The hallways bent and turned seemingly at random, doors opening and closing on the flat surface. From what Aubrey could see, they had the place to themselves.
“Where is everyone else?” she asked.
“All new arrivals from your era are left in isolation for a time, so they can acclimate. The shock of seeing too many new species can be a difficult thing for your psyche to handle. We have found that the adjustment goes much easier if there is an initial shock, meeting a worker such as myself, followed by some time to process and adjust.”
“And what are you exactly?”
Amaslei laughed.
Aubrey bit her lip, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“Not at all, it is only natural to be curious. I’m a member of the Abu race.”
“Are there others here like you?”
“Oh yes. Many.”
“And humans too?”
“Of course.”
Aubrey felt her body slightly relax. Other humans. That was comforting.
“How many other races are there?”
“The Alliance, as it currently stands, consists of nine races. The humans, founders of the Alliance; my people, the Abu. There’s also the Divona, the Faro, the Gish, the Heruka, the Istaran, the Jayakara, and the Korravai.”
Aubrey exhaled sharply.
“It’s a lot to take in,” Amaslei said.
Aubrey nodded.
They turned to their left and entered a room filled with sterile tables and chairs. “Please, have a seat,” Amaslei gestured to one of the tables where they both sat.
The center of the table glowed.
“What would you like to eat?” Amaslei asked.
“I don’t know. What are my options?”
“Anything.”
“Anything?”
“This table is equipped with a state of the art Overdyne Services food manufacturing unit. It can replicate over thirteen million different food types.”
“That sounds impressive.”
“I suppose it is. So, what would you like?”
“Uh, a cheeseburger I guess. With fries.”
The table whirred for a moment, before receding like liquid, and a tray holding a hamburger and french fries slid up to the surface. The smell made Aubrey acutely aware of how hungry she actually was. She smiled at Amaslei.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
“Of course. I’ll take some choringal stew please.”
The table again whirred before spitting out a bowl of dark brown liquid with large black and red chunks floating in it. Aubrey tore into her hamburger with a ferocity that surprised her.
After her hamburger, she ate several slices of pizza, a plate of spaghetti with meatballs, two milk shakes, and half a cake. She was shocked by the volume of food she managed to eat. As she ate, she had noticed a small red bar in the lower left corner of her field of vision. The more food she ate, the larger the bar grew, and as it did it changed hue, from red to orange to yellow, and now it had hints of green.
“I can see a little bar here” she said, her mouth full of food as she gestured with her free hand at the air in front of her face.
“Yes, that’s your nutrition monitoring system. It monitors your body for nutritional and caloric needs, and lets you know when you’ve received sufficient sustenance, and when you need to eat more. It will also warn you of any particular vitamin or mineral deficiencies.”
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“Neat,” Aubrey said between bites.
“The Muleir system will also help break down food faster, converting it into energy more efficiently. This is why you’re able to eat so much food without bursting your stomach.”
Aubrey smiled sheepishly, suddenly embarrassed.
“Sorry…”
“What a sweet girl you are. You have nothing to apologize for; to be perfectly honest, you’re the first recruit I’ve worked with who waited for me to order my food before digging in.”
“What’s next?”
“Next, you sleep. Your body and mind need to recover from being pulled.”
Amaslei led her back through the winding hallways to an empty room. Aubrey stepped in, but hesitated, glancing around.
“This will be your room.”
“It’s pretty empty.”
Amaslei chuckled. “It has everything you could desire. Simply ask Alzar.”
“Where do I sleep?”
“The floor, of course.” Amaslei gestured for her to lie down.
As she did, the floor rippled and pulsed, cushioning her form, helping her recline. As she rested, she felt as if she was floating in a tank of water. It was the most comfortable she had ever been. She grinned, rolling over, giggling as the floor bounced and adjusted to her position.
“Is there anything else you need?” Amaslei asked.
“Well, um… where do I… you know. Go to the bathroom?” Aubrey blushed.
“Oh, no need for that. Your nano-bot system will recycle your fluids, and eliminate any toxins or waste your body might have.”
“Really?”
Amaslei nodded.
“Okay, well, goodnight then.”
“Sleep well,” Amaslei said, her voice soft with kindness before stepping back into the hallway, leaving a smooth wall where she once stood.
Aubrey rolled over onto her side. Absentmindedly she poked the floor, watching it bounce and ripple like water. She bit her lip, trying to fight back the tears.
But they came anyway, a trickle at first, then great gushes of sorrow as she sobbed, her body heaving with anguish, while the floor maintained its perfect embrace.
Aubrey slept long and hard. She would occasionally wake, disoriented in the unfamiliar setting, but her exhaustion always won, and she would quickly slip back into peaceful oblivion.
When she finally awoke, her muscles and back ached and burned as she stretched.
“Oh, how wonderful, you’re awake,” Alzar chimed.
“How long did I sleep?”
“Thirty-seven hours, forty-six minutes, and seven seconds.”
She rubbed her face and scratched the back of her head as she stood, the floor becoming solid and flat under her feet. Her hair felt greasy and her skin had the thin waxy film excessive sleep tended to produce.
“I don’t suppose you have showers here.”
“Not exactly, but something similar. If you’d kindly remove your clothing, I’d be delighted to show you.”
Aubrey hesitated.
“Really, my dear, you’re going to have to learn to get past this puritanical sense of modesty. I’m simply a computer that lives inside your head. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Simply?” Aubrey muttered under her breath as she pulled her clothing off.
“What temperature would you prefer?”
“Uh, warm, I suppose.”
The floor again rippled, and a thick translucent liquid made its way up both of her feet. It felt somehow warm and cold at the same time, and tingled against her skin as it made its way up her body. As it approached her neck, Alzar chimed in.
“You’ll want to open your mouth, close your eyes, and hold your breath.”
Aubrey followed his instructions as the liquid covered her head and face. The process repeated as the liquid made its way back down her body, and disappeared into the floor.
Aubrey smiled. She felt gloriously clean, reinvigorated, refreshed, and ready for the day. She ran her tongue over her teeth, they felt smoother than before. Several imperfections, like the small chip in her front tooth from the fall that had scarred her lip had been repaired.
She glanced down to see the same liquid covering the clothing she had discarded a few moments before. As it receded, the clothing looked brand new.
“Wow. That was great.”
She couldn’t help but smile as she dressed.
“I’ve gone ahead and let Amaslei know you’re ready, she should be here momentarily.”
“Thanks,” Aubrey replied. “So, um… how are you?”
“What a kind question. I’m well, thank you.”
Aubrey fidgeted with her hands, first attempting to fold them, then letting them drop in front of her as she pinched her thumb, then grasping her elbow as one arm hung loose at her side.
“You seem uncomfortable,” Alzar observed.
“Me? No. I’m fine.”
“Increased stress levels, slight heart rate abnormality, pupillary dilation, flushing of the skin. My dear, you’re clearly lying.”
Aubrey blushed harder.
“You can tell that?”
“Oh yes, of course.”
Aubrey bit her lip.
“Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. I’m here to help you. Consider me an extension of yourself. Soon you’ll realize how silly it is to lie to your A.I. unit. We serve at your pleasure. We keep your darkest secrets, and support your decisions, no matter how foolhardy they might appear to us.”
“What do you look like?”
In the air in front of her, glowing a bright blue, appeared a strange looking implant. From a thick base node, hundreds of thin tendrils extended, each glowing and pulsing in the air.
“That’s inside my head?” she asked, horrified at the prospect.
“Correct. You are seeing the base module or node, where my computing systems are housed, and the neural interface, the small tendrils that allow me to interact with your brain directly.”
She reached her hand out and tried to touch one of many tentacles, but it seemed perpetually out of her reach, no matter how far she extended her arm.
“I’m afraid the image is being imprinted directly onto your cerebral cortex. There’s nothing for you to touch.”
“Oh…” she said sheepishly as her hand dropped. Blinking heavily for a moment, Aubrey exhaled to steady herself before speaking.
“Alzar?”
“Yes, my dear?”
“Why am I here?”
“Do you mean, why are you here at this particular time? Or are you questioning the purpose of existence altogether? Are you having an existential crisis? Because I have many resources that could—”
“No, no, the first one. Why was I brought to the future?”
A new image flashed in front of her eyes; a terrible, fearsome creature, its thick maw dripping in hunger, its muscular arm tearing through a large building as it pounded its way through a city scape. Buildings collapsed and crumbled under its touch as people screamed in horror, rushing away from the devastation.
“What is that thing?” she asked, her mouth suddenly dry.
“A Xaphan. The Alliance has been embroiled in a war for the past seventeen years.”
“War? I had always thought that in the future, war would be something we only learned about in history books.”
“Ah, yes, a common notion. But unfortunately one that turned out to be incredibly naive. The natural evolutionary imperative to reproduce will invariably lead to conflict over resources.”
Aubrey smiled.
“This makes you happy?” Alzar asked.
“Oh, no. I just. You’re not dumbing down your words.”
“Well, why would I? You’re an exceptionally bright individual.”
She bit her lip before speaking. “Who are we fighting?”
“A ruthless empire comprised of several species known as the Azrael.”
Several more images flashed before her, strange, nightmarish creatures. The first was a tentacled monstrosity not too dissimilar to an octopus. Its central head was lined with thick, black horns, its face covered in narrow, glowing eyes, and a great mouth lined with many smaller tentacles and filled with rows of sharp teeth.
“The Ralyians first evolved in the deep oceans of their home planet. Their pigmented skin can rapidly change color, allowing them to camouflage their form, which also happens to be their method of communication.”
Another image appeared, this one even more bizarre; a long, worm-like creature with sharp talons lining the edges of its segmented body, which was covered in a yellow chitin. The thing’s head sprouted delicate, multicolored feathers in every direction.
“The Lebara are parasitic creatures. Their central nervous system connects with the Ruak, the telepathic quantum network that allows the Azrael to communicate at any distance instantaneously. Using their sharp mandibles, they bite into flesh and attach themselves to the base of the skull of their host. Their neural lattice tendrils are then extended up into the victim’s brain, allowing them to control their actions and movements. They can even access their memories and emotions. There is a theory amongst some of our very brightest scientists that the entire Azrael empire is, in reality, nothing more than slave hosts for the Lebara, as every Azrael corpse we’ve ever examined has had one of these creatures inside it.”
Aubrey reflexively shuddered as the image showed one of the creatures burrowing into the back of a human, attaching itself to the spine, its proboscis worming its way into the skull.
“In the year 2346, the Lebara managed to infiltrate the highest levels of two major corporations, where they oversaw a series of terrorist attacks against civilian targets. Thankfully the Techno-Priests were able to discover and purge the invasion before the small infestation became an outright invasion.”
“Techno-Priests?”
“Yes, worshipers of the Five. But I’ll let the Cardinal explain when the time is more appropriate.”
Aubrey had so many questions, but before she could open her mouth, another image filled her eyes. A mechanical spider of sorts, with four massive, robotic legs extending from a central hub. From the bottom of the body hung six claws that swirled and clacked with nervous energy. Atop the hub sat a translucent globe, where a brain floated in a yellow tinged liquid.
“The Valaphar, originally bipedal mammals not too dissimilar to human beings. These creatures abandoned their physical bodies after a nuclear conflagration nearly destroyed their home planet.”
The image changed again, this time showing a massive, bloated fish-like creature floating in space. Several long tentacles that ended in sharp claws extended from its belly, and electrical energy crackled from several spouts along the sides of its long body. Its throat and mouth glowed a bright orange from within, revealing veins and lines throughout its massive head. Its cloudy, unblinking eyes stared mutely into the void.
“The Sudare, a semi-intelligent species, are used as space vessels for the Azrael; massive, living war ships. The creatures feed off of solar energy, and can store their harvested power in biological sucrose batteries. At least, that’s what we speculate from the few corpses we have managed to acquire and examine.”
Her vision cleared. Aubrey sat down on the floor, her legs suddenly weak.
“My dear, are you alright?” Alzar asked, his computerized voice showing genuine concern.
“Yes, I just. It’s a lot.”
Just then the wall opened, and Amaslei appeared. “Hello, Aubrey, I trust you slept well.”
Aubrey struggled to pull herself to her feet, wincing as she did.
“Yes. I’m still sore though.”
“That will wear off with time. Come, let’s eat.”
#
After their meal had been cleared from the table, Amaslei leaned over, taking Aubrey’s hand in her own. Aubrey felt her skin reflexively crawl at her companion’s clammy touch.
“How have you been feeling?”
“Good. Tired. But good.”
“Would you like to play a game with me?”
Aubrey hesitated.
“Is something the matter?” Amaslei asked.
“Last time I played a game, I was ripped from my home.”
Amaslei winced. “I know. I’m sorry.”
Aubrey wanted to scream. To lash out violently. To break the bones of the only person she’d met in this new world. The apology made her irrationally angry. As if it cold temper the pain and loss of her family.
Instead, she focused on breathing, inhaling deeply through her nose and exhaling through her mouth for a few moments, an exercise her father had taught her to control her temper. He had always told her that anger without a productive purpose is worthless.
“Is there any way I can I go back?”
Amaslei’s face fell. She shook her head.
“Time travel is a one way trip I’m afraid. I’m sorry.”
Aubrey met her gaze.
“Were you the one who decided to pull me?”
Amaslei shook her head again.
“No, of course not. I… I just help with the transition.”
Aubrey smiled sadly. “Then you have nothing to apologize for.”
Amaslei’s face relaxed. She seemed… relieved. As though a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She looked as if she was about to cry, which embarrassed Aubrey.
“On the plus side,” Aubrey said, grinning, “I’m no longer a ten year old. I’m over three hundred years old. People will have to take me more seriously now.”
Amaslei laughed.
“So, what is this game we’re going to play?” Aubrey asked.
Amaslei quickly wiped her eyes.
“It’s called Obloquy. Come, I’ll show you.”
She led Aubrey down a byzantine hallway to one of the many interchangeable large rooms Aubrey was quickly growing accustomed to. Inside the sterile white room sat two large blocks of white plastic, roughly the size of the upright piano Aubrey had tinkered with as a child. The monoliths stood on opposite sides of the room, facing one another. Amaslei walked to one of the blocks, and gestured Aubrey towards the other.
As she approached, the block morphed, a central piece lowered as the rest of its form seemed to swell. Amaslei took a seat as arm rests appeared, and several cables roped out of the backrest of the strange chair, connecting to the hub at the base of her skull.
Aubrey hesitated.
“It’s alright, it’s perfectly harmless. I promise,” Alzar interjected.
Aubrey’s smile was all nerves as she sat down. As the cables connected, she felt a sudden rushing sensation in her chest, as if she had been rapidly accelerated to a great speed. A large globe now appeared in the air between her and Amaslei.
“Obloquy is an in-depth grand strategy war simulation. It’s one of the most popular video games, one you’ll be playing quite a lot at the Academy, so I thought it would be good for you to learn at least the basics of the game,” Amaslei’s voice rang directly in her ears. “Many of the students you’ll be attending with will have played this game most of their life, and will have a distinct advantage.”
“How do we play?”
“Alzar will advise you. The game is very intuitive, but is incredibly complex. Your assessment tests were the strategic building blocks, so many of the concepts should be familiar. The first phase is building your civilization. You will be the red squares, I will be the blue circles.”
Aubrey nodded as she saw the two different flags marking their respective sides in the conflict.
The first phase of gameplay consisted of stronghold bids. A location on the map would flash before each player, including stats on natural resources, growth potential, defensive capabilities, and any unique geographic features that might make it more or less appealing.
Each player then submitted a blind bid from a pool of points, the higher bidder taking possession of the location. In case of a tie, a second bid was run, and a third until one of them won. If neither bid, the system moved on to the next location.
Once their funds had been exhausted, they began building their society and culture. This was again done via point allocation from a starting pool. Points could be allocated towards a wide variety of areas; science and technological research, applied engineering, wealth building and management, the military industrial complex, education, public goods, governmental structures and leadership, defense spending, liberal arts, and more. Alzar explained that each initial investment would have an increasingly dramatic impact on the gameplay as time commenced and her culture evolved.
Next they built their strongholds on each of the locations they had purchased. Buying and investing in corporations, purchasing military units and production facilities, establishing trade and supply lines between strongholds, implementing research projects, and other necessary details to get their civilization functional.
A fog of war settled over the map, hiding the location and movements of the enemy. Alzar explained that technological improvements and the implementation of spies could reveal the location and movements of the enemy, but there also existed counter technologies to provide false information, so all intelligence received had to be analyzed and scrutinized for accuracy.
The game then ran through twenty-seven neutral locations that dotted the globe, each offering the potential for new strongholds or resources that could benefit the civilizations, along with potential maintenance costs affixed to them. The game was won when either a player’s forces had been completely eliminated, or if a single player controlled twenty-five of the thirty-four stronghold positions that dotted the global map.
The game proceeded in timed intervals; each player would have thirty minutes to implement their orders, change plans, negotiate with their allies or opponents, move units, and command the entirety of their forces.
Once their orders had been submitted, the game then played out the turn in real time simultaneously, allowing players to make adjustments as they deemed fit. The game would not pause for them to think; they had to react during the actual simulation of events.
The first seven turns passed relatively uneventfully, with Aubrey commanding her forces, probing new areas and exploring the terrain immediately around her strongholds.
Rather than heading for a single high value target as Alzar had recommended, Aubrey decided to split her forces into six smaller, more agile groups and moved them toward low value targets. Her theory was that by taking smaller, more entrenched strongholds, she would gain almost as many resources as if she had taken the three strongest positions on the map, and would be able to hold them with fewer soldiers.
Her gambit paid off, and she entered her strongholds with no resistance. However, that meant Amaslei had also taken whatever strongholds she had attacked with no losses as well. Aubrey hoped that she had committed a large force to a few of the high value positions as Alzar had suggested.
“You’re attempting the Moening gambit, an advanced and complicated blitzkrieg strategy that is nearly impossible to pull off,” Alzar warned. “This is a long term game, where planning and execution pay off hours later. While these positions will give you a short term boost, in the long run you won’t be able to maintain any of your positions or supply lines. Once Amaslei gets her new factories up and running, she’ll roll over your insignificant forces.”
“Maybe,” was her only reply.
Aubrey again split her forces, now entrenched in the new, heavily fortified locations, and moved them towards six additional small value locations. One of her units, however, came upon one of the massive armies of Amaslei. Aubrey attempted to withdraw her forces, but Amaslei followed in hot pursuit.
Realizing her small army was no match for what was chasing them, Aubrey turned north, towards Amaslei’s interior, hoping she could at least learn the location of more of her enemy’s units. She found her suspicions confirmed as she stumbled straight into the center of Amaslei’s main army, which sat fortified in the highest value stronghold on the map.
Once the two armies met, the global map zoomed in to the battlefield. Aubrey, as the first to enter the conflicted terrain, was given first choice from the map to position her army. Amaslei then chose her attacking route. The two players then, hidden from the other, were given fifteen minutes to study the terrain and place their units and assign tactics.
Once completed, the real time battle simulation ran. Each player gave verbal commands to their military units, and depending on the various traits and capabilities of each platoon commander on the battlefield, their armies executed their orders with varying degrees of success.
Seeing the overwhelming odds that faced them, several of Aubrey’s units immediately surrendered or fled the battlefield, something Aubrey had not anticipated. Her remaining force was badly defeated, only inflicting a single casualty on the attacking army.
“Wow…” was all Aubrey could say. Even losing, the game was quite a rush, challenging her in ways she had never even conceived.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it,” Amaslei voice was kind, her eyes winced as she braced for Aubrey’s angry retort.
Aubrey grinned. “This is the greatest game I’ve ever played.”
Amaslei smiled. How unusual this child was. Her reaction stood in stark contrast to the other’s Amaslei had played against. Tantrums, curses, all manner of foul speech had been hurled her way on a regular basis. She had accepted it simply as a job hazard, part and parcel of her work to help raise the next generation of battle commanders and Jugger pilots.
During the next turn, Aubrey pulled up the geographic locations near Amaslei’s main force. She scanned through them, scrutinizing each map, pouring over its features.
Alzar chimed in, “Aubrey, if I may be so presumptuous, you have limited time, and several orders to give. I’d recommend—“
Aubrey cut him off, “Quiet please, I’m thinking.”
“But your units. If you don’t give them new orders, they’ll stagnate. You’re already in a weakened position.”
Aubrey ignored him. Map after map flitted in front of her eyes. She would scan it for a few minutes before moving on. Finally a smile slowly spread across her face. Here. This would be her Waterloo.
With only minutes to spare, she ordered her nearby forces to converge on that single location. She did the math, and sent a small force towards the location of Amaslei’s main army. She discovered them still situated near the largest stronghold on the map. Aubrey ordered a full retreat.
“Shoot! I forgot where you were,” she bluffed.
Amaslei moved her forces in pursuit. She had taken the bait. Aubrey’s army withdrew to the position where the rest of her forces lie in wait. As the map zoomed in, Aubrey picked her defensive position.
“You clever little girl,” Amaslei said, seeing she had been duped.
“This is the greatest game I’ve ever played.”
Amaslei laughed.
Aubrey began to position her army. As the battle played out, both sides took heavy losses, but Aubrey was ultimately victorious.
Pressing her advantage, Aubrey spread her remaining forces even thinner, taking weaker strongholds that remained unguarded. Amaslei hadn’t expected to find herself on the defensive, scrambling to shore up her position, anticipating another attack from the remainder of Aubrey’s army against her fortified positions. She didn’t realize until it was too late that Aubrey had no intention of attacking her again.
Amaslei marshaled her forces, and a few more skirmishes were fought over several minor strongholds, but it was too late. Aubrey took the remaining strongholds she needed, and won.
The screen flashed a single word, “VICTORY!”, as virtual confetti exploded across the room.
Aubrey felt a strange warmth spread through her veins. She glanced at her hand, which flushed a deep red. Inside her skull, fireworks of pleasure went off as endorphins and dopamine released in waves throughout her body.
She grinned stupidly. She felt more lucid, more focused, as if her senses had been heightened somehow. The colors of the fireworks and confetti seemed deeper, more intense than anything she had ever seen. She could see the movement of each paper, the sparks of light as they pirouetted through the air.
“What is happening to me?”
“Your Mulier system is designed to release Rexotocin into your system whenever you attain a victory or act in accordance with the will of the Five.” Alzar answered.
Aubrey frowned.
“Don’t worry, it isn’t addictive. It just helps re-enforce your work, and provides incentive for improved performance. It is highly effective.”
“I’ll bet.”
The game shut down, and there was a stunned silence.
“Well, I must say, I can’t believe that just happened,” Alzar intoned.
“What?”
“You just set the speed record for any opponent playing a processor here at the Blackburn Plantation,” Amaslei answered. “You beat me in seventy-one turns.”
“Oh,” Aubrey replied sheepishly. “I’m, uh, sorry.”
Amaslei laughed, a genuine laugh filled with affection and surprise.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, my dear girl, it is a remarkable achievement,” Alzar said. “And on your first time playing no less.”
“How much of that strategy was yours, Alzar?” Amaslei asked.
“None, I’m afraid. She completely ignored almost all of my advice.”
“What was the previous record?” Aubrey asked.
“Three hundred and sixty-eight turns,” Alzar replied.
“Oh,” Aubrey said. “I must have gotten lucky.”
Amaslei grinned. “Would you like to play again?”
“Absolutely!”
The next several days passed much the same; Aubrey slept for lengthy periods of time, awoke, ate with Amaslie, played Obloquy, and then returned to her room.
In isolation, she would occasionally chat with Alzar, but he had become more tight-lipped since their first discussion of the Azrael, deflecting her questions with, “It’s not the appropriate time to talk about that,” or even more infuriatingly, “You’ll learn about that soon enough.”
She suspected he had been chastised for sharing too much with her, but how and by whom, she hadn’t a clue.
She had, however, grown to enjoy her time with Amaslei. Maybe it was the isolation, and the newness of it all, but she found herself wanting to make her new friend laugh. Amaslei was kinder and more patient than any of her school teachers had ever been, and treated her as an equal.
On her seventh day at the Blackburn Plantation, Aubrey again ate voraciously, a stack of pancakes and bacon smothered in syrup. Amaslei watched her, smiling politely as she picked at what looked like a dull grey globe of gelatin.
“After you finish your meal, I’m afraid it will be time for you to join the general population.”
Aubrey’s eating slowed. Somehow she was nervous, excited, terrified, and thrilled, all at the same time.
“Aubrey, I have enjoyed our time together.”
“Aren’t you coming with me?”
“I’m afraid not. It is my job to help you physically and emotionally acclimate and recover from the pulling process.”
Aubrey’s face fell as she stared into her food.
“Don’t be sad, my friend.” Amaslei smiled as she reached over and lifted Aubrey’s chin until their eyes met. “You will do great things at the Academy. I can already tell.”
“The Academy?”
“Yes, that is where you will go, the Five willing, to be trained. You should feel honored; out of the trillions of students your age in the Alliance system, only thirty-six are selected each year for the Academy. It is a great honor, and tribute to your talents and potential.”
“I’m sure it is,” Aubrey replied, suddenly sullen.
“You can’t have imagined you would stay here with me forever.”
“No, no, of course not. I just… you’re the only person I know.”
Amaslei smiled sadly. “You’ll meet more people, and make new friends.”
Aubrey nodded, setting her fork down, her appetite dissolved.
Amaslei opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated, a worried expression painting the corners of her eyes. A small chime sounded. “Goodness, the time! We’ve got to get you to your shuttle.”
She grasped Aubrey’s hand tightly, and led her out through the maze of hallways. Wide-eyed, Aubrey followed, her short legs stuttering to keep up.
After the sixteenth or seventeenth door – Aubrey had lost track – they entered a colossal hall filled with bustling bodies. The sight and sound was almost more than Aubrey could bear.
An assortment of strange creatures milled about, talking, laughing, shouting, as Aubrey and Amaslei made their way through the packed room. The sudden burst of sound and movement startled Aubrey, after spending a week in near solitude.
She bumped into a thin, lanky creature with four long arms that stretched all the way to the ground – its hind legs like those of a gazelle, with thick, long claws; its hands made of six long, thick fingers, three on each side that clasped together like folded hands.
From its back protruded four long prehensile tails, like those of a monkey. Its body was covered in a thick, black hide, which had patches of glowing bioluminescent light that shifted in color from soft blue to orange as she stepped on one of its toes.
“Hey, kid, watch where you’re going,” it hissed.
“Sorry,” she apologized as she backed into another creature – a short, fat thing that resembled a leather beanbag with long, clawed arms. Its body was spidered with black veins, its thick hide creased around its bloated neck. The thing’s round face puckered into a pair of unpleasant looking lips and a pair of dull black eyes.
“Sorry,” she mumbled again, trailing behind Amaslei as best she could.
They made their way to the other side of the room and through another doorway, entering what Aubrey guessed was a docking bay. The massive chamber was filled with lights, and various ships flew through the air. The roar of the engines was deafening as they soared past.
In front of her, a smooth walkway led to a small, vaguely box-shaped ship that looked like a jumble of different sized metal rectangles welded together at random. Its edges were covered in carbon burn-off. Gone were the immaculate interiors of the Blackburn Plantation; now she was in a world of noise and chaos and grime.
Amaslei stopped, kneeling down in front of Aubrey.
“This is where I leave you.”
Aubrey licked her lips, her eyes wide, her mouth slack. Amaslei pulled her into a tight hug.
“You’ll be alright.”
Amaslei stood quickly, wiping her eye. The door to the boxy Bugbear class cruiser opened. Aubrey glanced nervously at Amaslei whose practiced smile felt reassuring. Aubrey turned and stepped tentatively towards the door.
Amaslei suddenly embraced her from behind. She whispered into her ear, “Don’t let them change you.”
Aubrey turned to face her.
“What do you mean?”
Amaslei glanced over her shoulder before hugging Aubrey again. “This place, this world, it can break you, turn you into something terrible. Don’t let it.”
Amaslei hugged her again, tightly. Then just as suddenly, she let her go. Covering her mouth with her long fingers, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Aubrey watched her go, melting into the strange pot of bizarre creatures that darted around the docking bay, each moving with an air of self-importance.
Then, with more than a little reluctance, she turned and entered the ship.