They were greeted by applause and cheering as they moved through the airlock and into the base. Book, and Moynahan were waiting for them, all wearing a smile except the Commander. The cheers devolved into pats on the back and handshakes as they made their way through the gathered crowd.


    The station staff were elated, some were even crying as they shook Gideon’s hand and offered their thanks. It was a profoundly strange moment on the back of many such moments since he’d first awoken on the moon what felt like years earlier.


    “Come with me,” Moynahan said as they drew near. She spun around and walked to a nearby hallway, without a backward glance.


    “I guess we’re following her,” Mia suggested.


    “Guess so,” Gideon agreed.


    He turned back to see Red standing with his arms held up smiling and stirring up the crowd.


    “Doinkmaster Supreme!” he said, trying to get the surrounding people to start chanting the absurd name. Despite his attempts they ended up chanting the name Red over and over again and he eventually relented, joining in and jamming a fist in the air in time to the shouting. Gideon motioned for him to follow and eventually the brawler got the message, though it was clear that he could have stayed basking in the adulation of the station staff for hours if they let him.


    They made their way into the Commander’s office and Book shut the door behind them. Moynahan wore her usual grim expression as she spoke.


    “Firstly, well done on killing that thing. There’s still a lot we don’t understand about the Collective and their invasion plans but putting that bastard in the ground has brought us precious time and allowed us to get some better defenses in place so we can hopefully keep this place running.”


    “Hopefully?” Gideon asked.


    The Commander nodded. “We’re outnumbered by a ridiculous factor. If the Collective decides they really want this place there’s not much we can do to stop them.”


    Red screwed up his face. “I thought we just saved your asses though?”


    “You did. Until the next wave of enemies drops on our heads. Like I said, you’ve brought us time and that’s incredibly important. There’s also a chance now that the enemy will consider this base too costly to take, considering how little strategic value it would be to their efforts. So, they might not come back.”


    Gideon nodded. “But they could just wipe this place out if they wanted to?”


    “Exactly,” Moynahan said grimly. “Fact is, that little display out there when The Ashen Harrow died was some kind of ritual the Collective likes to do when they start a campaign. To us this might seem like a victory, but to the Collective all that matters was that their ritual was performed. Could be that this whole skirmish was just some kind of blood price for that ritual. From what we’re learning the Collective does this kind of thing.”


    “So,” Mia said, “it was all for nothing then?”


    The Commander shook her head. “Not for nothing. As I said, you’ve given us time and perhaps the Collective will reconsider sending a larger force seeing as this base offers no real strategic value to them. It’s incredibly valuable to us but doesn’t give them anything they need.”


    “And what news of earth?” Bullseye said. “Has the enemy sent ground forces as yet?”


    Moynahan nodded. “They have. They landed in three separate locations just after you killed that Ashen bastard. I think they were waiting for the ritual to be completed before they hit.”


    “Where abouts?” Mia asked.


    “Silicon Valley, Washington D.C., and New Artemis.”


    Gideon frowned. “New Artemis? Isn’t that—”


    “Australia,” the Commander said. “Used to be a city named Brisbane but the Ministry snaffled it up and renamed it ten years ago as part of some deal with the local government. Apparently the locals get free power and water for life and in exchange all they had to do was give up a whole city to the Ministry.”


    She tapped a button on the side of her table and a holographic map showed a top-down view of a city straddling a winding river.


    “This is New Artemis,” she said, pointing to several blocks that were colored light blue, “and these are Ministry assets in the area.”


    “So,” Gideon said, looking down at the map, “basically the whole city is Ministry assets?”


    “Correct. It’s the main Ministry hub on the planet and it’s where the Ministry does most of their research and development. This is also where they house their largest echo manufacturing facility here on earth.”


    She pointed to a southern section of the map, an area that looked almost like an island except that it was connected to the large land mass to the southeast.


    “This is where you’ll be heading next. Fighting has already started here and here, but the Ministry has been able to hold them off for now. The whole city is a secure location so they have the best possible defenses and a sizable army stationed in the region. But here’s the problem.”


    She zoomed in on one particular building in the middle of the island area.


    “Right now, the Ministry is trying to assemble several squads of echoes to join the fight. Based on the work you’ve done up here, they’ve decided that assembling small groups of echoes will be the most effective way to fight back, rather than trying to put together an entire battalion. Considering how effective you’ve been at fighting the Collective, I think it’s a sound strategy, but the problem is, they’re not set up for that kind of thing.”


    Book nodded. “There’s a prohibition against using echoes on earth which was established when the Ministry first began sending ether back from Artemis in large quantities. Governments of the world were resistant to the idea of the Ministry controlling what are effectively super soldiers, so they mandated that Echoes could only be used off world and on Artemis.”


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    “Correct,” Moynahan continued. “They are permitted to do limited testing of echoes here as well as manufacture, but that’s it. Until now, of course. Given the current state of emergency, the Ministry has decided to breach the prohibition and ask for forgiveness later. They’re using these test and production facilities to assemble at least another twenty squads of echoes, and it seems the Collective is aware of that fact.”


    “What do you need us to do?” Gideon asked.


    “Once you get your asses down there, keep the enemy busy and protect that facility at any cost. Drive back the enemy for as long as you can, so that the brainiacs can spit out a bunch more echoes to help in the fight. That’s your primary mission.”


    NEW MISSION: Buying Time


    Assist Artemis Ministry forces in holding back the Collective so that new echo soldiers can be activated.


    REWARD: 50 Enhancement Points


    “Now,” the Commander continued, “to the matter of how the hell you’re going to get home. Truth is all of our transports are out of action and the one we did have that was still operational got shot to hell in the enemy strike. So, I’ve got Maddox working on a way to use the Collective troop carrier.”


    Red was practically beaming.


    “We’re gonna use an alien ship?!”


    “Hopefully. It’s our only way to get you back to earth at the moment but that’s only if Maddox can figure out how to translate the ship’s controls in time. I’ve got a skeleton crew working on one of our vessels, but the truth is it will take at least three days before its up and running so the troop carrier is our best bet.”


    “I’d like to offer my assistance,” Bullseye said. “I don’t require sleep, and I would rather my efforts are put towards something beneficial anyway.”


    Moynahan nodded. “Good. I’m sure Maddox will appreciated it.”


    She whistled sharply and a young soldier opened the door to her office. The Commander pointed at the turtle.


    “Take him to Maddox. He’s gonna help with the ship.”


    The young man nodded and jogged into the room taking Bullseye from Gideon and running off.


    Moynahan clapped her hands together as though the matter was settled.


    “Maddox will have the ship ready to leave in fifteen hours,” Moynahan said. “So, I’d suggest you get some rest.” She caught sight of Book and frowned over at the man, waving for him to speak.


    “We’re putting together a little celebration dinner for you before you leave, as a thank you for all your efforts. It’ll be in the mess hall at 6am.” He tapped his digital tablet. “I’ve sent a reminder to your HUDs.”


    “Good,” the Commander broke in. “No, go and get some rest, enjoy the dinner, and I’ll see you in the airlock when you depart.”


    She sat, tapping at the display on the surface of her desk as Book and the others began to make their way out of the room. Gideon considered saying something, but he honestly had no idea what to say. Moynahan didn’t strike him as the most sentimental individual and the fact was, she’d done nothing since they’d arrived but give them orders. He’d also only known this woman for the past day and owed her nothing.


    The Commander looked up from her display.


    “Something else, Specialist Gideon?”


    He shrugged. “Just wanted to say thanks, I guess.”


    She smirked, leaning back in her chair. “What for? You saved our asses and did all of this yourself. If you want to thank someone, thank Maddox. She’s the one that kept you alive long enough to make a difference out there.”


    Moynahan returned to her work. “Dismissed,” she offered flatly.


    Gideon walked from her office and joined the others.They left Moynahan’s office and walked out into the platform beneath. Spontaneous applause erupted as the group followed Book down towards the mess hall.


    Once again, Red raised a hand in the air and tried to get them chanting. The people sitting at computer terminals were less willing to do so, but they still smiled and nodded in appreciation as the group passed by, offering applause and a few cheers here and there.


    Mia sidled up to Gideon as they continued through the station.


    “You think you’re gonna be able to sleep?”


    He shrugged. “I’m dead tired, but I don’t know.”


    “May I suggest,” Bullseye interrupted, “that you both spend your enhancement points before heading to sleep. Gideon, you are about to increase in level for the first time and new potential skills will be unlocked.”


    Mia turned to him. “Shit! You’re already at the next level?”


    Gideon stopped walking. “Yeah. Damn it, I completely forgot.” He brought up his profile. “Gonna do it right now.”


    She leaned in close as he broadcast his stats.


    ECHO PROFILE


    Name: Gideon Blackthorn


    Class: Shadowguard


    Level: Initiate


    Ether: 24550


    Royal Ether: 800


    Guild: NA


    Preferred Title: NA


    CORE ATTRIBUTES


    Constitution: 17


    Strength: 17


    Agility: 17


    Intelligence: 1


    Wisdom: 1


    Charisma: 9


    Grit: 15


    Etheric Aptitude: 7


    “What are you thinking?” Mia asked, her voice tickling his ear.


    Thinking I’m gonna have a hell of a time getting to sleep, he thought, heart racing as he felt her breath on the side of his neck.


    “I figure I’ll stay balanced. Keep pushing Constitution, Strength, and Agility, then spread the rest over Charisma, Grit, and Etheric Aptitude.”


    She pointed at the intelligence stat.


    “Poor boy. No intelligence.”


    “Not no intelligence. Just very little.”


    She patted his arm. “Never mind. We can’t all be strong and smart.”


    He rolled his eyes. “We both know that’s not what intelligence is.”


    Giving him a condescending look, Mia nodded. “That sounds like something someone with super low intelligence would say.”


    Laughing, Gideon locked in his points and reviewed his profile.”


    CORE ATTRIBUTES


    Constitution: 20


    Strength: 20


    Agility: 20


    Intelligence: 1


    Wisdom: 1


    Charisma: 10


    Grit: 19


    Etheric Aptitude: 10


    CLASS LEVEL INCREASE!


    NEW LEVEL: INITIATE


    SKILLS UNLOCKED:


    Luck


    Null


    “Oh, Null?” Mia said. “What’s that?”


    Gideon frowned. “I dunno. Never saw it on Artemis before. Luck is pretty standard, but not Null.”


    He looked down at Bullseye. “You seen it before?”


    The little turtle shook his head. “No. It is obviously a product of our current situation. The System is adapting to both the Collective as an enemy and the war in which we currently fight. You can expect a few changes and additions like this.”


    “Shit!” Gideon blurted. “The Ashen Harrow spoke about this Null shit. The anti-life or whatever. You think this new skill could be related to that?”


    “Perhaps. You are employing a unique class so it makes sense that there might be unique skills accompanying it. And, as I said, the System is doing its best to adapt to the circumstances we find ourselves in.”


    Gideon nodded. “Okay, well I guess we’ll find out.”


    “Oi!”


    They turned to see Red standing at the end of the corridor with Book by his side.


    “Stop canoodling!” Red shouted far too loud. “You can do that when we get to the sleeping quarters.”


    That brought a round of muffled laughter from station staff nearby as Gideon and Mia started walking again. They caught up to the others and walked together to the sleeping quarters. Book kept walking pointing them in the direction of the bathrooms.


    “Gents to the left, ladies to the right,” he said. “I ordered some fresh clothes for you all and there are towels and soap by the showers.”


    Gideon nodded, checking his HUD clock.


    “Food in twenty minutes?” he asked.


    “Yeah,” Book replied with a smile. “I understand if you’re too tired to eat though.”


    Red snorted. “No chance. I could eat a damned horse.”


    “We’ll be there,” Gideon said.


    “Great! Well, I’ll see you soon.”


    Red left right away, practically sprinting toward the showers and stripping out of his clothes as he ran. Gideon and Mia walked side by side together.


    “I’m finding it hard to settle down,” she said, rubbing a hand through her hair. “My mind is going a million miles an hour.”


    “Yeah, mine too,” he said truthfully, his heart thudding as her hand brushed his.


    Cold shower! I need a cold shower!


    “I’ll see you in a bit,” Mia said, walking off as Gideon headed towards the men’s side of the bathroom.


    Definitely a cold shower.