《Universe Online》


 Prologue - Beta Testing

    The blare of the klaxon jerks me awake; and within moments I''m on my feet, pulling on my safety suit and jacket; followed by the matching pair of boots.  The automated systems in the rather too-stiff clothing aligns itself almost instantly, and with the feeling of pressure against my skin, the clothing snugs itself tight against me, forming a perfect seal in case of atmosphere loss.  All told, it took less than 30 seconds for the procedure to come to an end.


    The entire time, the klaxon is wailing like a banshee, loud and persistent enough to wake the dead.  At least until the jacket collar rises up over my neck, and the built-in comm unit crackles into statical life.


    ¡°This is the Station Commander speaking! All hands, all hands! Report to battle stations! This is not a drill! Repeat: All hands report to battle stations! This is not a drill!  Drex are inbound! Perimeter defense field has been breached!¡±


    The message repeats several times, but I''ve already bolted out the door.  Along with what seems like every other person who''s living on the station, we all rush to our designated battle stations.  Its a massive log jam, though; without any semblance of order.  Only fear.


    And it only gets worse as the enemy nears the station and open fire indiscriminately.  The station itself shudders under the impacts, and the groaning sounds of metal being twisted, broken, warped and slagged echo through the air.


    With all the pushing and shoving, the place has turned into a madhouse of fear and desperation; with people running and the air taking on the stink of burnt wiring, rubber, and superheated metal and human sweat.


    Its become a jungle gym.


    Even I''m forced to start shoving people out of my way.  There aren''t any other thoughts in my mind except doing what I can, even if it means simply getting the hell out of the way.


    Only a few others seem to have the same thoughts, and soon enough we''re grouped together in order to provide a forward momentum that pushes against the struggling tide of humanity.


    This isn''t a military instillation, after all.  Its a mining and industrial station.


    Buried in the heart of a massive asteroid, the station''s only real defense is the rock that surrounds the steel and carbon fiber that supports the human life within.  It doesn''t even have a proper shield generator.  Only a reflector shield that''s used to bounce rogue asteroids back into the fast mining field outside.


    But bare rock cannot cope with the concentrated laser fire or the solid munitions of the mass drivers that are already pounding the station.  The few laser batteries are already returning fire; but they''re soon rendered useless; either slagged by laser fire or turned into smoking, leaking craters by the mass drivers.


    Nearly four thousand steps later, and I arrive at my combat station, which is basically an engineering station, currently running rapid system repairs.  The place is almost deserted, with everyone who''s checked in being assigned to a damaged area as quickly as they can be dispatched.


    Its no different for me.  The automated computer assigns me a mission almost as soon as I step into the room, and I grab my helmet, toolkit, and emergency kit as quickly as they hit my personal locker.  The helmet matches the rest of my suit, and I slide it over my head and it seals into place with a hiss of suction before the holographic lights blink on, showing the status countdown.


    70...80...90...95...99...100.


    As soon as the numbers flash green, the numbers disappear and a full schematic of the station comes up.  The picture it puts forward isn''t good though.  Various sectors are damaged or are in the process of being bombarded into wreckage.


    Hooked into the central control network, the readings are updated in real-time, and already the warnings for atmospheric breaches are being noted.  I barely have time to check out my assigned position and the worktable that comes with the job when main power suddenly goes out; plunging the station into darkness for all of two seconds.


    The backup power kicks on then, and instead of the previous gentle glow that had lit the place; the harsh white light that comes up instead castes harsh shadows in every direction.  Central Control is down though, and after a moment of static in my HUD, my suit automatically switches to internal control and connect to the local network.


    The holographic projection from before has become a static thing, no longer updated in real-time, and instead the local control network appears as a green highlighted area within my vision.  My orders had been canceled, and all I can do is grit my teeth while I wait for something, anything to tell me what the hell to do.


    ¡±This is the Commander! All hands are to evacuate immediately! Repeat: The evacuation order has been given! Drex infiltration has been reported! All hands to the escape pods!¡±


    The words come in jumbled over the command frequency, and it takes several repeated cycles before I could understand what is being said.  My comm unit takes several more in order to catch up itself; but I''ve already headed out of the engineering room; although I''m forced to shove at the door in order to slide it open.  Without main power, there''s no automated system to open the doors anymore.


    Outside, its a mad house.  People are running, and the sounds of combat can clearly be heard even through my helmet.  The bombardment of the station is still underway, and the damage can be clearly seen even from where I''m standing.  The place has become an obstacle course.  Some unlucky fools have even gotten crushed by the falling debris.


    But there isn''t any time to worry about them.  If the Drex have already infiltrated the station, then this place only has minutes to live, if that.


    I take off at a dead run, and start working my way through the debris.  Jumping, rolling, ducking, kicking. Running as quickly as I can through the hallways, heading toward the outer layers of the station; where the escape pods are.


    Too bad that fate has other plans for me.


    I don''t even make it half way when I''m suddenly blown to my left, up against the wall.  The entire bulkhead to my right has been slagged by laser fire; opening the corridor into space like a tin can.  Superheated metal splatters all over the place, only to be sucked into space as the atmosphere is vented.  Thankfully I''m already suited.  Some others aren''t so lucky, and their screams of agony die as the very air their so desperate to breath is pulled from their lungs; the negative pressure causing their chest cavities to crush inward due to their unintentional exhale.


    It is not a pleasant sight.  Thankfully the force of the venting atmosphere sucks the bodies out into the void.  Even I''m barely able to hold onto the railing that runs the length of the wall.  The artificial gravity cannot keep up with the sucking pressure of space while only running on backup power.


    But once the air is gone; a process that takes only about half a minute, the suction disappears and I''m able to work myself hand-over-hand along the passageway.  At least until I hate the end, where the emergency bulkhead has slammed shut.


    ¡°For fuck''s sake.¡±


    I curse rather loudly; staring for a moment.  Damnit! But there''s no time to worry about it! I open my inventory and look at the supplies I''d managed to grab.  I have a hacking tool; but it would take too long.  But I do have a supply of short-fused demolition charges.


    Bingo.


    I pull out the block of what is basically Super C4, and sticking it right in the middle of the bulkhead, I press the detonator into the gel-like block, and start working back the way I''d come as quickly as possible after pressing the Arm button.


    The countdown is only ten seconds; and at the end the BOOM! that rings out is powerful enough to be heard or rather felt even in space.


    But the bulkhead is basically gone, and I''m able to get into the next compartment.


    To my surprise, there are six other suited people there; starting at me in surprise.


    Four of them are wearing Marine suits; low-powered armor and wielding a variety of weapons.  Another has the red-crossed suit of a medic; but the last one is wearing an officer''s command suit; which has a large communications array on the back.  Its also lightly armored and comes with a firearm.


    My own suit is that of an engineer or a technician.  No armor or weapons; but with a variety of support systems and extra processing ability.


    This room is also without any atmosphere.


    ¡°Oooh.  It looks like rescue has arrived from an unlikely place.¡± The man in the officer''s suit says, and I recognize that voice from the previous broadcasts.  Its the station Commander.


    ¡°I was afraid we''d be stuck in here until the Drex managed to open the door.  Or blast in from outside.¡±


    It seems the man has a rather wicked sense of humor.  Too bad my humor circuit was never operational to begin with.


    But taking a quick glance around I can figure out what the problem is that seems to have stumped even the obviously highly trained marines.  There are two doors, off to the right and left; and both of them are closed with reinforced bulkheads.


    Unlike the door I''d just blasted through, these are heavy duty.  The one on the right also seems to have been jammed shut with a few well-shot bursts from an energy weapon to the console.  Probably to slow down any sort of pursuit.  The one on the left hasn''t been touched, except the console screen is cracked.


    I barely let out a sigh and pull out my hacking tool.


    ¡°I''ll deal with the door.  Please cover me in case there''s any enemies waiting on the other side.¡± I say simply, and the Commander gives a ''Ho ho'' laugh behind my back as I get to work.  Plugging the tool in, it lights up and I have to quickly align the spinning circles as well as input various pieces of code, starting from the outer edge of the formation and working inward.


    I ignore the automated features of the tool, and do it all manually; speeding through it in two minutes flat.  As soon as the red indicator light flashes green, the door unlatches with a hiss, and I step back while putting away my tool while motioning to the marines; who are standing at the ready.


    Thankfully there isn''t anything but corpses on the other side; but the new corridor is even more heavily damaged than the one I''d come through, even if it hasn''t been breached yet.  The four goons don''t even seem to mind though, and start shoving everything out of the way, clearing a path in a methodical way.


    ¡°Very good.  Come with us.  We have a small jump ship in hanger B-4.¡± The Commander says, walking out just behind the marines, followed soon after by the medic.  The information pops up on my holographic HUD, but I simply ignore it and step out behind them, keeping my eyes peeled.  Just to make sure I stop long enough to engage the lock again, slamming the bulkhead closed with another hiss from the other side.


    After that, we make our way slowly through the station.  The four marines are good; making sweeps of each of the corridors we come across, and rooms; some of which we plunder for anything we can scavenge.  Given everyones previous hurry, almost nothing has been touched; so we find weapons, ammo, various supplies and even two full repair kits.  A lot of damage has been done, and is still occurring all over the station though.


    Its slow going.


    Sometimes we have to backtrack and go around places that have basically been slagged.   Other times we find areas were the Drex infiltration teams have come through, and back up even more slowly.


    By the time we finally reach the access to the hangers; we''re all stepping very gingerly and have simply grown more and more nervous.  Which is probably a good thing.  If we''d tried to run right into the hanger, we would have been cut down.


    The entire place is overrun with nearly two hundred armored Drex soldiers.


    Even I flinch back at the sight of them after taking a peep through the bulkhead that had been cut through by a laser.  The Drex are monstrosities.  Ten feet tall and heavily armored; they look like giant bugs; heavily colored in black and grays and with various bulbous appendages sprouted from their bodies. Not a lot is known about the Drex; but I know one thing: they''re just as brutal as they are ugly.


    Each of them are also heavily armed.


    And most of them are ganged around the only ship in the hanger.  Even I grit my teeth after that look.  But I reach up and hit the internal communication function on my comm unit, turning off the wide-range broadcast to line-of-sight.


    ¡°There''s a lot of them in there.  Any ideas on how to get to the ship without being cut into pasty ribbons, Commander?¡± I ask softly, although the Commander only shrugs a shoulder before motioning to one of the marines.


    The marine in question pulls out a stealthed spy ball, and passes it to me.  I take it, and after connecting it to my suit, nod and stand up, tossing the ball into the hanger.  It instantly activates, turning translucent and nearly invisible.  Its an invaluable piece of hardware.  Using my fingers inside my gloves to control it, I start scanning around the room; keeping as far from the Drex as possible.


    The Drex don''t have good scanning tech; but they do have good eyesight and can possibly spot the ball if it gets close enough.


    ¡°Hmm... Most of the hanger is empty.  No cover at all on this side.¡± I comm to the others; but continue to look around.  There has to be something we can use.  Anything.  Anything at all that''ll give us an advantage.  Anything that''d help us out of this mess.


    That''s when I spot several things on the other side of the hanger.  One is the Hanger Management Terminal; and the other is a large load of barrels.  Getting close enough to figure out what is in the barrels is a bit of a hassle, passing through several wandering groups of Drex... but I do it and finally get to read what''s printed on them.


    Hazardous Materials.  Flammable.  Explosive.  Bingo.


    A slow grin spreads across my lips.


    ¡°Ah, found it.  The terminal and barrels full of explosives.¡± I comm, and the murmurs of the others whisper against my ear.


    ¡°Very well.  Here''s what we''re going to do.¡± The Commander finally speaks up, and starts laying out the plan.  We make several interjections, and after about five minutes our plan is ready to go.


    And I play the key part.  Setting up the trap.


    It takes a lot of work, and quite a bit of time.  We''d pulled back to the maximum extent of my range; boosted by connecting into the Commander''s suit and his communications array.  From there, I use the spy ball to remotely access the Hanger Management terminal, setting up the ship to be flight ready.  After that, I change a bunch of settings; and it takes even longer to write up my own programs and get them installed, bypassing all sorts of lockouts and security measures along the way.


    It gets more than a little finicky.


    Finally though that''s all set, and I disconnect the terminal and move the spy ball over to the neatly stacked barrels, rolling it up onto the top of the stack.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Okay guys, you ready?¡± I comm to the group, and wait as I get nods from everyone.  One of the marines even passes me a sidearm, a simple pistol.  It connects to my suit, and I put it in the holster that appeared on my right hip.


    ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± I mutter, and activate the program I had wrote for the spy ball.  It de-stealths, and starts bouncing up and down on the metal barrels; attracting all sorts of attention.  Within moments, more than half of the Drex are drawn to it; although they are weary of opening fire on explosive materials.


    Too bad for them.


    The ball detonates with with a surprising amount of force; and within moments the hanger has become a scene of carnage.  It was by no means an easy feat, either.  Rewriting the safety programming that keeps the power cells within the spy ball from experience feedback and overloads was a major hassle.  But the end result was more than worth it.


    The barrels go up in flames and then BOOOOOOOOOM!, more than half the hanger is up in flames and the Drex that were anywhere near the conflagration were instantly killed.  Even they cannot withstand that sort of impact.


    At the same time, we rush out of our hiding place and into the hanger, and I pull out the pistol and start lobbing off shots.  I''m not that good, but the marines with their heavier equipment and superior equipment are more than up to the task.  With them in a short wedge formation in the front, with the medic wedged in the middle and the Commander and myself running in step; we bulldoze a path right toward the waiting ship.


    The Drex are in disarray, and for the most part are easy pickings.  It takes them several moments to figure out what was going on; but when they finally realize that they are under attack, their counter attack is swift and heavy.


    That''s when I activate the second part of the plan.


    Now that I''m within close enough range, I activate the programs I''d installed in the hanger terminal by remote.  It responds instantly.


    The ship had previously been slowly booted before; and now kicks on in an instant; bringing the engines into a quick pre-flight check; its directional thrusters moving within their full range of motion.  Normally that''d be the end of it; but I''d instructed the on board computer to ignite the thrusters at the same time; shooting out superheated jets of fire.


    Hot enough to burn the metal composite of the floor and ceiling.  And anything nearby.  Including the Drex.


    Their armor metals and their weapons explode due to the heat, but it ends after only a handful of seconds.  It wouldn''t be good to break our ride, right?  But it does the job; and the sudden attack from their rear casts them into disarray again; breaking up the neat formations that provided them their covering fire against our own attack.


    ¡°Go go go go!¡± The Commander yells over the comms, even as the entrance ramp into the ship opens up and comes down, the airlock automatically opening.


    Actually getting into the ship is still a hard gamble, though.  One of the marines takes a shot to his chest; and falls, and I and the medic rush forward and pick the man up; even as he''s screaming in pain.  The Commander gets hit in the arm, but keeps going after only a grunt.  Another of the marines gets hit in the leg; tearing it to shreds from the knee down and ends up screaming and firing for all he''s worth, yelling at us to continue on.


    My own panted breath is steaming up the inside of my helmet; but there''s a grin on my face.  Its the first time my blood has boiled in a long time!


    Finally though we make it up the ramp, even as the marine we left behind starts chucking out his set of grenades, covering our backs as I slam my hand onto the emergency close button.  The ramp comes up with a BANG, locking us in.


    ¡°You, take the controls! Get this bird out of here!¡± The Commander yells at me, his face pale from the pain and blood loss.  I barely nod and leave the injured marine to the other two and the medic and rush into the cockpit at the front part of the ship, having to climb a short set of bars to reach the upper level.


    The seat is hard composite with a very thin lining of some sort of faux leather; but I still jump right into it and strap in before grasping the control sticks.  The screen comes on before my eyes, and I can tell that the Drex outside are already shooting at the ship.


    Thankfully it is at least armored enough to survive the barrage.


    And the pre-flight check has already been done, so we''re ready to get the hell out of Dodge.  All that''s left is for me to comm the Hanger terminal and deactivate the docking clamps and open the doors.  Its done with barely a twitch of one of my fingers.  Its one of the things I had overrode earlier.  The hangers door open up with a hiss, sucking all the air out of the hanger and into the space beyond like a jet, pulling the Drex out with it.


    Normally a forcefield would have come up to keep the atmosphere inside, but this time there''s no reason to leave a bunch of living Drex behind us.


    Sadly, I''m not trained to actually pilot even a small craft, so I''m forced to rely upon the automated systems to help out in that regard.   But we still get out of there like bats out of Hell.  At least, we were going to; except there''s a whole fucking blockade of Drex ships waiting just outside.


    The only saving grace is that they apparently hadn''t expected anyone to try to get out from the inside.  It makes them hesitate in opening fire; and I have the ship doing basic maneuvers as we boogy out of there.


    ¡°Brace for impact!¡± I yell as soon as the ship tells me that we''ve been targeted, and I have to take manual control as the ship drops me out of autopilot.  I do my damnedest though.  Out in space, its not like I can hit anything important.  So I dive down, then up, pivoting left and right as fancy takes me, trying to shake the lock-on icons that have popped up in front of me.


    ¡°Get someone on the guns!¡± I yell again, and one of the unhurt marines does so almost as quickly as the words get out of my mouth.


    All in all, it is not an easy flight.  Especially for my first time.  We take several hits, start leaking atmosphere and fuel, and one of our engines takes a nearly direct hit from a mass driver; nearly blowing us to bits before I could reroute the leaking fuel.


    But we still make it out of the blockade.  They aren''t intent on chasing us; instead more interested on their prize, the station itself.  Bunch of scavengers.


    ¡°I''m rerouting power to the jump drive, Commander! Where we headin''?¡± I finally say as the attacks die off, leaving us in eerie silence only broken by the slow hiss of leaking air.  Thankfully we didn''t take -too- much damage; and the jump drive was still functional.


    ¡°Head toward the nearest human colony.  We have to report this as fast as possible.  The Drex jammed communications before we even realized they were there, so no one else has gotten any warnings.¡± The Commander says, his voice thin and tired now.  I''m still too filled with excitement to come down from my battle-high yet.


    ¡°Aye aye, sir.¡± I say, having the computer pull up the listing for the closest colony.  Only about twenty light-years away.  With the coordinates input into the computer, all I have to do is wait for the power in the drive to reach critical mass while pointing us in that direction.


    ¡°Too bad we couldn''t rescue any of the escape pods...¡± I say then, finally realizing that we''d forgotten something.


    ¡°No point.  With the blockade, any pod that made it safely into space would have been sitting ducks.  They''re probably all gone.¡± This time its the medic that replies, and I realize with a start that its a woman.  I don''t even have a retort to that though, either.


    ¡°Jumping in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...¡± I count down out loud instead.


    -|- -|- -|-


    The world goes white around me just as the jump drive activated, and I find myself sitting in a rather comfortable leather chair.  In front of me is a coffee table with various drinks and snack foods, and I realize that I''m rather thirsty and hungry about the same time that the smell hits me.


    I grab one of the soft drinks and a bag of chips and go to town, only belatedly realizing that I''m not even wearing the space suit anymore.  It doesn''t matter though.  I''m too busy refreshing myself to be too worried.


    For a couple of minutes I''m left to my lonesome, filling my empty stomach and drinking my full before a seat appears across the table, and a young woman appears seated in it, wearing a dark business suit with a skirt that barely reaches her knees, highlighting her long legs.


    Dark brown hair that hangs down her back in a simple twisted ponytail, baby blue eyes; and a large rack that is pressed up against the tight material of her jacket complete the picture of a sexy office worker.  Except for the thin-framed glasses that rest on her nose.


    ¡°Ara... We weren''t expecting anyone to complete the Beta Test that fast.  You can imagine the confusion that was caused when we suddenly received your status report.  Not only did you complete the test, you did it in less than three hours; and with perfect results, to boot.¡±


    The woman starts talking without any preamble, and I''m left shrugging my shoulders as I pull my gaze back up to her face, with something like a wry smile on my lips.


    ¡°It was fun.  There wasn''t any reason to draw it out.¡±


    ¡°Eh? I guess that must be true.  Still, its more than a little amazing.  Even the programmers who wrote out the level couldn''t do what you did; and with the Engineer''s preset, which is arguably the hardest choice.¡±


    *DING*


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>You have completed the Universe Online Beta Test!</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Your mining station was ruthlessly attacked by the Drex, resulting in thousands of casualties.  You could have escaped on your own; but instead you joined up with others and managed to escape with only a single casualty.


    Number of Survivors: 6


    Commander survived: Yes


    Jump Ship operational: Yes


    Times you were killed: None


    Total Time during the Test: 2 hours, 37 minutes, 46 seconds.


    You are the first person to complete the Beta Test.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The blue holographic projection comes up over the table, and I take my time reading it before nodding.


    ¡°It counts me as a survivor as well.  We were lucky that we only lost a single marine.¡± I say after a moment, feeling quite proud of myself.


    ¡°The clock is still ticking for the other Beta testers, but you''re already done.  That''s a great achievement, regardless.  The best time for one of the staff here was just under four hours; and he lost three of the marines and the engineer.  He''d chosen the officer preset.¡± The woman says then, flashing a great big and almost blindly white smile at me.


    ¡°Well, I basically just went with the flow.  The starting briefing really helped, as did the tutorial.  Especially the tutorial, given that it was in the same station.  All I had to do was memorize the basic layout and play around with the available equipment until I was comfortable enough to know what I could do with it.¡±


    My words are a bit modest, given that I''d spent over five hours in the tutorial, doing everything I possibly could do in that instanced zone.  I''d basically given the Help function a fit with all of my questions.


    ¡°Hahaha! That is true.  You''re only one of four who went through the whole tutorial, and we''re already re-writing the Help function so it can provide better support for the crazy questions you asked.  But that''s part of the beta testing process.  Anyway! Not only are you getting the Beta Tester bonus, as the first person to complete the test and with such a high score, you''re also going to receive bonuses and support when the game launches.¡±


    The woman was rather excited, and even I have to raise my brow in piqued interest.


    ¡°Oh? Can you tell me about these bonuses?  We were told we''d receive tester bonuses during the briefing, but no other information.¡± I ask without any preamble.


    ¡°Hmm... Hold on and let me see if I can say, ''kay?¡± The woman suddenly looks mischievous, and I nod as she pulls up her own panel and starts typing away on the interface.  I cannot see anything from where I''m sitting, but I''m not to worried anyway.


    ¡°And the answer is... No can do.  Apparently the higher-ups want to make sure all it comes as a surprise.  Sorry!¡±


    ¡°Ah.  Oh well.  I''ll find out as soon as the game launches anyway.¡± I reply, a little put off.  The game is still six months away from launching.  That''s quite a bit of time to have to wait.


    ¡°Sorry about that.  But I have been told that you are allowed to jump back into the Beta Test again.  The management team is interested to see what you can do with the other presets.  If you can beat the test in under three hours with the Soldier, Officer, and Manufacturer; you''ll get an even better surprise.¡±  Now she''s starting to look like a wolf wearing sheep''s clothing.  There''s a catch there, I just know it; but I''m not too worried.


    ¡°Sure.  I''ll need a couple of hours though before I log back in.  I can only stay in the pod for five hours cause the doctors are worried.¡± I say, shrugging a shoulder.


    ¡°Oh... Hold on.¡± The woman says, suddenly taken aback and once more brings up the holographic panel.


    ¡°EH!? Allec Renn? The ALS patient? Oh my.  Sorry, I didn''t realize.  No wonder management is interested in you.  Also, the technicians will be coming to modify your Dive Pod in a couple of hours as well.  So just log back in when you are able to.  The Beta Test is going to last for the next week, so you have plenty of time.¡± Her response was expected, but I still sigh and shrug my shoulders.


    ¡°Alright. Thanks.  I''ll be seeing you later then.¡± I say with a cheeky grin, swiping away the notice that''s still floating above the coffee table.


    ¡°Logout.¡±


    The world fades to black.


    -|- -|- -|-


    Well, here we go again guys!


    This is the start of a second story I started writing after ditching another one I had been thinking about.


    This time its a sci-fi VRMMORPG!  There''s been only a few that I''ve found on RRL, but I hope this catches your attention!


    I''m not going to give too much info about it just yet, but I''m sure you guys will catch on quick. Haha.


    I''m also still working on my other story, Master of Dungeons; so there''s no reason to worry about me quitting that project!


    Its also in first person, which is a bit different for me.


    As always, feel free to critique my work and leave messages and reviews!


    Also, thank you for your wonderful support!


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 Discussion - Aspect Web (Skill Web)

    Okay, so there''s been quite a bit of interest in the skill system I had created for Universe Online.


    In my head, and on paper, its a very complex system, which is explained quite in-depth in Chapter 2.  It takes up most of the chapter, after all.


    But there''s been a problem with visualizing it.  So I went ahead and did a quick mock-up in Paint.


    It doesn''t really do it justice, but whatever.  I''ll never be a good digital artist, anyway. Hah.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    That said, this is only an example.  It is by no means the full extent of what''s available, or even what the MC has loaded into his.


    Anyway! Discussion time! Leave any ideas, suggestions, or better images as you desire!


    Thanks again, guys.

 [Vol. 1] Cover Art Competition!!!

    [Starting Post - 2/11/15]


    Okay guys, I''ve finally decided to put this out here.


    With the official end of volume 1, there remains only one last important detail.... THE COVER ART~!


    The cover art is something important for a book.  Its often the first thing that catches a persons attention.  The explosions and guns on modern adventure novels. The clashing of swords and shields by knights on horseback for the medieval period.  Great mages and wizards calling down storms of fire or ice or Dragons in pure fantasy...


    These things catch the eyes and also reveal somethin about the story they represent as well.  VR tends to be a harder thing to do a cover for, especially a sci-fi VR like Universe Online.  It is both a near-future sci-fi and a distant-future hard science fiction web novel.  That means the cover has to be able to cover both, which may well be impossible.


    So here''s the deal.  I need a cover both here on RRL... and I''ve decided that I''m going to bundle up the volume for sell on Amazon.  I may end up choosing two different pieces for these two things, or the same one for both.


    The winner can request a commission of me to use the art work for sale.  I''m more than willing to hash out details for that, or simply buy it straight up (Up to a certain amount.  I don''t have a whole lot of money, sadly).  Or you could damn well let me pay you $50.00 for winning, for those not too worried about it!


    So, if anyone is interested, send me a PM here on the forum and let me know!  Feel free to include links to drafts or whatnot.  I don''t mind if the work is digital or hand-drawn.  You are free to use any subject matter or reference from the Universe Online story, and may request additional detail or clarification from me if needed.


    Stolen story; please report.


    I WILL BE UPDATING THE POST HERE, SO CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY!


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>PARTICIPANTS LIST</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Ziger!


    DoktorPrimat!</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Leave comments, questions, suggestions or anything else you guys want to talk about here!


    Thank you again! Haha!


    -|- -|- -|-


    [Update 1 - 2/11/15]


    I''m going to be rolling out the proofread/edited version of the ten chapters in Volume 1 here starting within the next few hours as well!


    I''ve gotten a good amount of help from the guys who''ve put their effort into doing the proofreading, so I''m thanking them now and you all should be thankful too!


    Mwhahaha.


    They will go unnamed for the moment, unless they are willing to tell me otherwise!


    We also got our first competitor!  Give him a hearty thanks!


    [Update 2 - 2/11/15]


    We got submissions going on here folks!


    From Ziger:


    -----


    And a second from DoktorPrimat:


    -----


    I like ''em both! So which do you guys prefer? Let us know!


    -|- -|- -|-


    Both pictures have been removed for being flagged as copyrighted.  Kanadaj warned me about them.


    ALL SUBMISSIONS MOST BE PERSONALLY OWNED.  EDITED PICTURES ARE NOT ALLOWED.

 [Vol.2] Chapter 1 - Archon Station (Part 2)

    I stand in front of what I believe is a projection of the advanced intelligence known as the Archive. Within one of the hangars (Yes, I got it right this time, damnit! :P) of the Trident, where only the soft glow of the tug''s exterior lights and the golden ones set along the landing area of the deck even tries to pierce the darkness even I cannot see through. Its like a black fog that obscures everything within it.


    Beyond that though, I''m having a conversation even I''m not entirely sure I''m not simply dreaming. Except the subject matter is too far beyond what I''d normally dream about.


    Its a very odd experience.


    Like talking to a god.


    ¡°Okay, so putting aside the fact that you want me to work for you... How do you know about me? Or rather, how are you able to discuss it so openly? The other games have all sorts of lockouts and safeguards that keep the A.I.''s from interfering with the players in such a personal manner. Universe Online shouldn''t be any different.¡±


    My question is a good one, if a bit blunt. With everything that''s been going on in the last handful of hours in-game, I''m having a really hard time keeping up. That, and I still feel totally wiped out from all the stress and then the pain overload earlier.


    Normally VR games are set so that the players only experience part of the pain from damage they receive. It keeps things enjoyable without pushing players away. There have been a few ''Hardcore'' games, but there are only so many people willing to go for the full deal. Universe Online has a limit hovering somewhere around 20%.


    The pain of assimilating the Key Gem was probably way higher. High enough that I had literally passed out, and not just in the game world, either. If that happened I''d black out and end up with a timer and the Unconscious status for a time.


    But that didn''t happen. I''m just not willing to hardly think back upon it, either.


    It was like... bad on toast, ya know?


    ¡°The answer to that question will take a bit of time to explain, so before then why don''t we get you and your crew to work first? Your tug has enough stored fuel to restart the Tridents power cores, so that should be first.¡±


    Archy just skips right over it, but I nod anyway. Getting to work should still be high on the list of priorities anyway.


    ¡°Fair enough. Mind turning off whatever that black fog is so we can see and get to work?¡±


    Even before the words were completely out of my mouth, Archy had grinned and disappeared as if nothing was there, and with It or rather him the unnatural inky blackness disappears too. The fact that we could now see and use the comms again was a bit sudden, as even though I''m staring out into the now-visible hangar, the one thing that jerks me back is the cursing and yells from the comm unit in my ear.


    ¡°What the..!¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    ¡°You see that?!¡±


    I''m not sure what they saw through the monitors until it became visible, but I let out a sigh.


    ¡°Quit quacking! We have work to do here, people. It was just some sort of defense mechanism.¡±


    My rational, calm words must have snapped them out of their surprise, because they quiet down almost instantly and start out the airlock in a group. I roll my eyes in my helmet.


    Now that the hangar is visible though, it isn''t so surprising that they''d go a little batshit. The entire compartment is big and open and very much spotless. Not a speck of dust or debris. It is also rather full. Filled with more blocky tugs, the longer and bigger frames of the true mining ships, and I even spot the sleek low hulls of what are obviously space fighters. From the look of the nearest one, probably an interceptor.


    Even in space, you cannot build a ship that does everything. So you still gotta categorize. Space fighters are small, one or two man ships used to intercept other fighters and bigger bombers. Bombers take on larger ships, but also require interceptor cover against others of the same kind; not to mention larger ships flak or point-defense systems.


    At this point though I spot several different kinds, but there''s too much to do and look at to get into it now. We have a job to do, and time is ticking down. So I turn back to my crew.


    ¡°Let''s grab the fuel. I don''t know about you, but I''d like to get some lights on around here first. I''m sending you a download of the Trident''s interior map.¡±


    I send it almost as soon as I move toward the outer hatch of the storage hold of the tug, hitting the switch that causes it to open up like a can. In the zero gravity conditions, the tug''s internal gravity is keeping everything piled neatly at the ''top'', but I deactivate it without hesitation.


    It all sticks there, too. You just have to love Newton''s laws. Without any movement, objects at rest will stay at rest even without gravity. Its a neat treat.


    It is hell of a lot easier to grab the stuff when it isn''t being tugged out of your hands, as well, so I start tossing everything out to be set down by the others. We actually brought quite a bit of stuff, all sorts of materials and fuel and electronics that may have been needed. I actually get the feeling that most of it will be more or less redundant here though.


    What finally comes out last are the large storage units of the fuel. Where before we''d used tanks, these are more like the heavy metal barrels you''d expect highly explosive materials to be stored in. Except they''re so light that only the liquid mass inside seems to be there at all.


    I actually grunt when I grab one and set it down beside me. I''m not the only one. Luke has moved over to me to help and even he grunts at how much mass he swings around. If we had gravity, we''d probably require a hoverlift or a bot to carry the stuff.


    Speaking of which, I turn to Luke when the last of the stuff in the hold is out.


    ¡°You brought a couple of bots, didn''t you?¡± It wasn''t really a question, but through Luke''s transparent helmet plate I could see him grinning.


    ¡°Figures. Bring them out. There''s no way we''ll be able to pack the barrels to where they''re needed even in zero-g.¡±


    I''d totally forgotten about them in my rush to get here, but it seems that Celes is covering my ass. That''s why she''s the crew manager at this point. I just point and give orders when needed. Otherwise I take a shift like the rest of the guys.


    Its times like these that I forget that I''m in a game. Just thinking the thought though brings a chuckle over my comm, and I recognize the voice from Archy. Damnit, now he''s reading my brain?!


    I ignore it. I''ll settle up with the AI later. For now we get the bots deployed and then start moving. It takes all four of them to move the barrels of fuel, but we make a lot better time.


    My suit even came with magnetic boots, but I ignore them as we float or bounce to the back of the hangar bay, where a large set of blast doors are already hanging open. I''m pretty sure every door or bulkhead on the way to the power core in the center of the ship is open for us. And just like in the hangar, there isn''t a speck of debris or signs of battle damage anywhere.


    I know for a fact that there is some exterior damage, but it seems that the Trident''s own shields and defenses kept the ship from the fate of the station it is currently docked in. Just like Archon Station though, the Trident is freakin'' huge.


    If I didn''t have a rather good map of the ship, I''d have probably been lost for days trying to find my way through the maze of compartments and corridors.


    Unlike Archon Station though, which was strictly military and industrial in design, the Trident''s interior is just as odd as its exterior. Sleek, I guess you could say. The compartments come in all shapes and sizes, and the metal plating is coated in a shining silver paint that glitters in our suit lights. There''s also plasma glass, or simply p-glass everywhere, too, which I''d seen only rarely on the station.


    P-glass is a type of transparent reinforced material used to create windows and the like in bulkheads and on the hulls of ships. Damned near impossible to break without military-grade weaponry, it looks just like a sheet of regular glass on any planet, except its completely vacuum resistant and airtight. It also changes its characteristics when an electric current flows through it.


    Usually in the form of going opaque against light or going reflective to create a mirrored surface.


    Without any main power though, the p-glass is all transparent, and as we pass compartments lined with the p-glass windows on the outside, we get the chance to see inside some of the rooms without stopping.


    What we find though is sort of breathtaking.


    Large compartments filled floor-to-ceiling with sleek, cylindrical cryostasis pods. Hundreds of them in one room alone. Others are large processing facilities for fuel or atmosphere. And still others are hydroponics farms, filled with great big machinery and proper gardening bots and everything. They are a bit different from my water-based hydroponics system though.


    I take just long enough to get a closer look and find that the low trench-like tanks are filled with a gel instead of liquid water. Huh. I''d never seen that, but I don''t have a lot of time to look it over. The remnants of dead plants in the hydroponic gel though shows that it had still been in use even when the power went out. Five hundred years ago.


    At least we won''t starve in here.


    After that, it takes us more than two hours to reach the centerline of the ship, and from there we have to travel another fifteen minutes to reach the main power core.  Deeply sealed within the center of the Trident, the entire place is taken up by engineering compartments.


    It is easy to see why.  The power core is actually an array of five of them, four large ones set at points around a very, very massive central one.  Even I don¡¯t believe my eyes at first.  Its all too much.


    Okay, so Power Cores 101.  Most power cores are actually matter annihilation plants.  The core itself is basically a sphere of platinum group elements.  Platinum, osmium, iridium, or palladium or the others.  Even I¡¯m not sure how that works, but I do know that the purer the metal, the better the power output is.


    And given that they are all very rare on planets, its no wonder that every species mines them in asteroids, which have much higher or at least accessible amounts of them available.


    Anyway, when you shoot the fuel into the containment area around the core, it creates a chain reaction that causes the core to produce electric current as well as plasma, which can then be converted into even more power.  The draw-off of this plasma acts as a cooling device, as well.


    After that it gets too technical even for me.  I haven¡¯t had a whole lot of time to sit down and work out the theory, much less the practice of it.  I can build a small one from scratch, with about the efficiency of a toaster oven, if I have to.  I¡¯d much rather go for solar though. Far less expensive that way.


    But given how small you can make a rather nice power core, seeing one big enough to dwarf my mining tug is a bit mind boggling.


    ¡°This is the right place, right?¡±


    The one who asks is Luke, and he¡¯s standing there looking as dumbfounded as the rest of us are.  Even the engineer and technician are staring at the cores in stupefaction.


    ¡°Yep.  This is the place.  There¡¯s no way we have enough fuel to activate the central core though.  So we¡¯ll start with one of the smaller ones.¡±


    I speak up, drawing them all back to reality as I point to the nearest core, which is only about 1/4th the size of the big one in the center.  Thankfully the engineering compartments setup is standard, and even I can spot the emergency fuel port in the side of the machinery supporting the core unit itself.


    Getting the bots to carry over the barrels, we quickly set up the adapter and hook up the first container of fuel.  We don¡¯t even have to pump it.  There still must be power somewhere, cause it starts sucking up every drop it can get almost as soon as we have it set up.


    The core starts to hum almost as soon as the fuel hits its internal tank, and the thing lights up as the first flow of energy hits.  I have the technician at the console almost instantly, making sure its working properly from the readouts as soon as the screens flicker to life.


    ¡°We have power! The power core is in its heat-up phase.  Roughly four minutes until full load is achieved.¡±


    The guy is obviously excited, and he isn¡¯t the only one.  Even the small core in front of us is the size of one in a cruiser-class vessel.  That¡¯s a hell of a lot of power.  I cannot even imagine the Trident using all five of these at the same time.  That¡¯s just insane.


    ¡°I want a full scan of the power distribution as soon as it comes online.  We won¡¯t have enough power to run the ship here on just a single power core, so we¡¯ll need to prioritize.¡±


    To me, my words made sense, and the others are nodding in their helmets.  Luke is on standby with the bots, while the mechanic has already pulled out his own computer, having plugged it into the core to do his own checks, no doubt.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Rex.¡±


    The voice from behind me forces us all to turn, and promptly go out of control like the first time I¡¯d heard Archy.  This time though there isn¡¯t any humor on his face.  And the others definitely see him now.


    ¡°I¡¯m the ship¡¯s AI.  You can call me Archy.¡±  He introduces himself, his eyes flickering over me as if I¡¯m not even there.


    ¡±I do not wish them to know who or what I am.¡±


    Archy¡¯s voice comes over my comm just as I¡¯m about to open my mouth, so I shut it with a snap and give him a slight nod as I turn to look at the others before glancing back at the projection of a pretty-boy.


    ¡°The Trident still has fuel in her tanks.  Now that power has come back, I am activating the pumps now.  You may wish to step away from the power cores.¡±


    I¡¯m not the only one who rushes to clear the area back beyond the warning lines laid out on the floor at our feet.  And its a good thing we did too.  Cause almost as soon as Luke, the last of us with the bots makes it across, the other four cores come online all at once.


    Including the massive core in the center.


    The noise is so loud we can ¡®hear¡¯ it through the vacuum of space around us.  A humming that shakes the floor itself at our feet.  Archy though doesn¡¯t seem perturbed at all, and instead has a smug, almost eager look on his face.


    That at least I could understand.  We need power to survive out in space.  The Archive probably also needs a constant draw of power in order to function properly.   Being reliant on a power source that can be shut down has got to be uncomfortable.


    Especially if he¡¯s survived the past five hundred years on battery power, slowly growing dimmer and dimmer as time went by.


    Yeah, like being starved.


    That isn¡¯t a good thought by any stretch.


    Still, lights and consoles and computers start flickering on as the power cores hum in contentment.  I still send the technician with us back to monitor the console, which is outside of the warning line just to make sure.


    But it seems that Archy has everything well in hand.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I never realized how dim and drab everything had become while I was running on battery power.  When the fighting started and we rushed to activate the Imperial-class shields¡­¡±


    Archy was talking to himself, which was odd, but then he stops and turns to look at us with something like chagrin on his face.


    ¡°Sorry about that.  I have been alone for quite some time.  Now then, with power restored, I¡¯m running through a full systems check.  Light, life support, and gravity should be coming on here shortly.  The lifts are also now in operation, so if you¡¯d please come with me to the bridge, we¡¯ll get everything settled.¡±


    It was like flipping a switch.  Archy switched from seeming almost human to the same droning tone he¡¯d taken when he¡¯d first shown up in front of everyone.  Like a proper AI who¡¯s running the ship.


    Still, being able to take a ride instead of walking all the way up to the top deck where the bridge is located is going to be a joy and a half.


    Or not.


    The experience turns out to be like one of those super-fast elevators you get to ride on to get to the top floors of a really tall skyscraper.  With us hurdling through the lift shaft at breakneck speeds.  And because there isn¡¯t any gravity, we all have to hold onto the railing to keep us from being slammed into the back bulkhead.


    All of us but Archy, who¡¯s secretly snickering while standing in exactly the same spot as when we¡¯d started.  Thankfully we¡¯d packed up the bots away, cause they probably would have been beat the trash during the ride.


    It finally ends after what seems like a bloody eternity, and by the time we stagger off into the bridge, Archy is actually laughing without showing any of the reserve he¡¯d tried to hide behind before.


    Yeah yeah, laugh away.


    His laughter turns into a gale when I flip him the finger while leaning over on my knees.  I just sort of tune it out though when I finally straighten enough to look around the bridge.


    Like everything else with the ship, its huge.  Separated into the upper and lower deck with the CIC (Command Information Center) right smack dab in the middle on the raised upper deck.  It looks nothing like the cockpits of any of the ships I¡¯d ever piloted before.


    At least it is easy to figure out where to sit, given that the captain¡¯s chair is right front in center, just behind the large console and holographic projector bank of the CIC.  I cannot help but step up to it and run my hand over the real, honest to the gods leather of the chair.


    ¡°Admiral Krane sat there during the thirteen years that the Trident and Archon Station were being built.  To say that he lived in that chair would be a bit of a stretch, but from there he oversaw our war against the Drex and every major project in the solar system.¡±


    Archy had come up beside me, and even I could hear the slight catch in his words as he tried to speak as dispassionately as possible.


    ¡°At the time there wasn¡¯t anyone with the Key Gem, so the only way they could communicate with me was through the ships systems.  But I watched everything, heard everything.¡±


    His voice had dropped down, almost as if he were talking to himself instead of to me.  But I still reach out and set my hand on his shoulder.  Or at least try to.  My hand passes right through him in a burst of multi-color static that comes from when a person pokes at a 3D hologram.


    He really is a projection.


    My touch still seems to bring him out of it though, and he straightens up and glances around.  He need not have bothered.  The other three members of my party have run onto the lower deck and were talking excitedly to each other about the controls and everything.


    The lower deck is separated with holographic screens into sections, and each one is clearly marked and labeled.  Communications, Engineering, Environmental,


    Flight Control, Piloting, Sensors, Weapons, Security, the CIC. And probably more that I cannot check from my position.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    All told, there¡¯s enough consoles and seats for about fifty people here on the bridge.  I¡¯ve never been that big of a military buff, so I don¡¯t know jack of what sort of rankings or the like would have been up here, reporting to the Admiral when all hell broke loose.


    Still, it all seems to have the atmosphere of what used to go on here.  As if the echoing of talking, cursing, and crying could still be heard.  And that¡¯s when I realize that I actually am hearing it.  From one of the consoles the others were around.


    ¡°Allec, we found the ships log.¡±


    Luke is the one who calls out to me, and I give a glance to Archy before making my way down then over.  There¡¯s only four steps between the upper deck and the lower, but it seems like it takes me forever to get in front of the console so I could see the monitor projection.


    ¡°What have we got?¡±


    I ask as soon as I step up behind them, craning my head over to see.  It appears to be a recording, and its obvious that the ship and the station is under attack.  I can see people with their heads down with bad looks on their faces.  I don¡¯t even need to look over the information scrolling on the side of the screen to realize that.


    I¡¯ve seen the aftermath myself.  In how badly torn up Archon Station is.


    But we have audio for this, so I turn up my comm unit so I can hear.


    The screen is showing us an overhead look down at the whole of the bridge, which is buzzing with activity and sirens of various sorts.  Every seat is manned, and the CIC and its massive spherical projection is filled with all sorts of information.  I can clearly make out the station and the Trident and the asteroid belt.  And surround ¡®em on all sides are ship icons for the Drex.


    Someone is yelling out damage reports and weapon engagements.  The older guy with balding, gray hair sitting in the captain¡¯s chair is listening and giving short orders.


    Even Archy is there, caught on the video.  He looks decidedly ruffled though, and he¡¯s talking about the Archive.


    The screen shakes before anything else can be made out though, and new sirens ring out as they report taking damage.  Its like watching a drama where you are riveted to the action.  Even though I know most of what happens, I¡¯m not able to look away at all.


    ¡°Activate the Imperial shield.¡±


    The order causes everyone to still and almost as one turn to stare at the Admiral.  He doesn¡¯t even bother standing up, but looks pale and gaunt, even though he¡¯s dressed in enough medals and honors on his uniform to be worshipped anywhere else.  That¡¯s a whole lotta gold.


    ¡°Do it.  I don¡¯t care what it takes.¡±


    The tone is absolute, and the others don¡¯t even bother trying to backtalk as they get to work.


    A new icon pops up, showing some sort of estimated countdown as the lights dim in the rest of the bridge.  The power draw is freakin¡¯ massive.  From our vantage point of looking down at it, even I can see that the draw is coming from the station as well, and not just the Trident.  Weapons are shutting down and shields are thinning, becoming soap bubbles that pop against the blasts of enemy fire.


    It only seems to get worse as the countdown ticks down, and even the Trident is shaking from more weapons fire before it go goes black as soon as the ticker hits zero.


    No more video.  No audio, nothing.


    We all lean back from the console and I look at Archy, who hasn¡¯t left the position beside the captains chair.  But his eyes are distant, not looking at us or anything.  In a memory.


    ¡°The Imperial-class shield is the biggest and strongest ever made.  So powerful that it warps space itself.  All shields do this in some manner, in order to divert energy or physical weaponry.  But the Imperial was like nothing else the Rex or any others species had ever built.¡±


    Archy starts talking after a moment, loud enough to hear and I start back towards him.


    ¡°It completely separated the inside space from the outside.  Literally cutting through quantum space itself.  But we¡¯d never run a full test before.  We didn¡¯t know what it would do.  What it did.¡±


    He finally says, blinking and glancing around before letting out a very real breath.


    ¡°At a quantum level, every particle is both a wave as well as a particle.  Wave interference from space keeps the¡­ I guess you could call it quantum radiation down.  We hardly read it on sensors.  Mostly as background noise.  But being cut off from space itself, the interference disappeared.  Almost instantly everyone on the station and in the Trident died.  Literally vaporized.¡±


    That explains why there didn¡¯t seem to be survivors anywhere, and why with searching we¡¯d only found a handful of corpses.  Even of the Drex, which I know had boarded the station.


    ¡°Those who were already dead were spared.  But as the shield came up, everyone else almost literally popped out of existence.  Not only that, but power went out due to overload.   Even I was shut down until the Imperial shields¡¯ internal batteries dried up and we dropped back into normal space again.¡±


    I could only just imagine what that was like.  Waking up to find that everyone was gone, the station and the ship abandoned completely.  Not only that, either.  By then the planet had been bombed into oblivion too.  Drune had been turned into a wasteland during the time when Archon Station and the Trident were literally unreachable.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been alone, running off of battery power since, I take it?¡±


    I ask the question, bringing Archy back to the present and giving me a slight nod in kind.  As much as a thanks as I¡¯m likely to get.


    ¡°Yes.  The Drex had already left by the time I came back online.  It had been almost exactly a week.  Without bombardment, the Imperial shield has enough battery storage to supply it with energy for nine days of constant use.  But it was still very much experimental.  We used Jump Gate technology to make it.  No one, not even I, realized what being cut off from the space outside would do.


    ¡°Its actually one of the few things I¡¯ve been able to concentrate on in the past five hundred years.¡±


    Now he has a slight smile on his face, a look of pride.  Sadly I don¡¯t really have time to listen to it just yet.  So I turn to look at the rest of the crew, whom has gone pale at the news.


    ¡°You heard Archy.  Now we know what happened five hundred years ago. But that doesn¡¯t help us now.  Lets get this boat online and get our people up here.¡±


    My words snap them out of it, and once again I¡¯m saluted as the three of them scatter, going over console after console to find what is needed.


    We have power, but we need lights, gravity, and air to live up here.


    Archy though barely waves a finger and several consoles come online, showing us which to use.


    ¡°I could do it all, but it actually takes quite a bit of computation cycles to work through everything.  It was decided when I was put in the Trident to allow the Rex to handle what they could to take the strain off of me.¡±


    That made sense to me.  Even AI¡¯s are limited based on the amount of processors and memory storage they have.  And if I remember correctly, Archy is basically at the bottom rung of AI¡¯s these days.  He doesn¡¯t have access to the same amount of resources the others have.


    ¡°Allec, come with me.  I¡¯ve highlighted the instructions on the consoles needed to get the Trident operational, but there is something we have to do now.¡±


    His words bring me back to my own senses, and I nod and make sure the other three have their orders before I turn and let Archy lead me toward the back of the bridge.


    That¡¯s usually where the conference room is, and it isn¡¯t all that different here.  Except for the black square box set into the back wall.  Black and shiny.  It reminds me of the Drex exoskeletons, actually.  Almost insectile.


    It isn¡¯t that surprising that I fall short, but Archy turns and gives a slight laugh when he sees the look on my face.


    ¡°The Drex got their genetic data from me, after all.  It was work based upon the race that built the Archive, and they were actually insectile.  I can show you later.  Now though I¡¯ll have you imprint yourself on your Archive first.¡±


    His words didn¡¯t make sense, and I turn my gaze to look at him with an obvious question.


    ¡°Ah, sorry.  To activate the Archive and set it as your new spawn point.   Until now the escape capsule has been the only place in the Universe you were able to set.¡±


    Ooooh, okay.  You could say I had a blonde moment there. Ooops.


    ¡°Just come over here and touch the black box with your hand.¡±


    I didn¡¯t even have to ask him which hand he meant.  I could feel the Key Gem heating up against my skin as I step closer to the¡­ thing.  I¡¯m going to call it a relic.  A relic of the Archive.


    It turns out to be actually bigger than I thought it had been.  Its a cube of shiny black material that stands almost to my waist, set flush against the back wall of the room, equal on all sides.


    I reach out and set my hand, palm down on top of it.


    Instantly it responds, coming alive in a blaze of heat and green light.  A dark green the same color as the gem, and Archy¡¯s eyes.  It spreads out from around my hand print in a circular manner, running across the whole of the cube in those circuit-board like electrical lines before disappearing into the wall and the floor with a low rumble.


    At the same time Archy behind me is bathed in a green glow, and he almost seems relieved when it finally dies down.


    *DING*


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>You¡¯ve gained Property</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Having imprinted yourself with the Rexian Archive, you have gained ownership over it and the Trident.  By extension, Archon Station has formally been registered as Allec Rex¡¯s property.


    You are the first player to gain ownership over a ship of tonnage greater than 50K.


    You are the first player to gain ownership of a space station.


    The ¡®Abandoned¡¯ and ¡®Derelict¡¯ tags has been removed from Archon Station and the Trident.


    All other claims of salvage have been canceled.


    You may now access the Ownership and Property Menu.</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>You have gained:


    5000 Reputation.


    Social advancement within Drune Rex culture.


    Hero status.


    Property rights.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was more than a little surprised when the new messages popped up, along with a notification that a new menu has been gained.  I don¡¯t bother checking them now, and instead turn to look at Archy.


    He¡¯s grinning, almost like a fool.


    ¡°Planned from the beginning for me to gain ownership, I take it?¡±


    I cannot keep the sound of vehemence out of my tone, but it doesn¡¯t seem to phase the AI at all.  He even gives me a shrug.


    ¡°More or less.  Ever since I rebooted five hundred years ago, I haven¡¯t been complete because the Archive itself was still offline.  It requires the Key Gem in order to come online.  And it was on the planet during the bombardment.  I thought it lost forever, given that I¡¯d have to get close enough to sense it to find it, and I was stranded up here with no real way to know if there were any survivors planetside.¡±


    I blow out my breath at Archy¡¯s explanation, but I don¡¯t really dwell on it too much.  I was about to respond when the lights in the ceiling of the conference room flicker on, followed soon after by the sudden tug of gravity at my feet, almost unbalancing me.


    Over the comm I can hear the others cheering as power, light and air and gravity come online.  I can already hear the hiss of atmosphere flooding into the compartment.


    ¡°Ah.  It seems the Rex are still as rowdy as ever when it comes to celebrating.¡±


    Archy¡¯s tone has a touch of nostalgia in his voice, but I ignore it and shift my weight as full gravity tries to pull me down.  Having operated in way less for so long, it is quite annoying, to be honest.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t really know.  I haven¡¯t been able to spend any real amount of time with them since I first logged in.¡±


    I say, nodding to them before turning to look at Archy.


    ¡°So, we have a ship, we have life support and power.  I take it the crew requirements of the Trident are probably bigger than the bare 2000 Rex that¡¯s on the planet.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t really a question, but Archy nods all the same.


    ¡°Yes.  The Trident can house every man, woman and child in the shelter without having to put them into cryostasis.  And we do actually need to at least try to save Site Prime.  There¡¯s just some things that are easier to do on a planet instead of on a ship.¡±


    I cannot help but nod at his words, but before I say anything my atmosphere meter puts up an icon.  I¡¯m now in breathable atmosphere, and with enough pressure too.  Cold though, but it doesn¡¯t stop me one bit from unsealing my helmet and popping it off.


    Aaaah. Much better.  My breath gives a spray of fog, but its still nice to get out of my helmet. Too bad it doesn¡¯t stop my ears from going all red and tingly from the cold though.


    ¡°Well, if we have to save Site Prime, do we have anything onboard that can be used to burn out the Drex crap?¡±


    I skip over the other questions to get to that point.  There¡¯s no reason to even try if we don¡¯t have anything that can do the job, after all.


    Archy just grins and waves his hand again, pulling up a hologram overtop of the conference table that takes up most of the space in the room.


    ¡°In fact, we do.  The Rex on the planet don¡¯t remember, but myself and the older Rex have had dealings with the Drex before.  We created a cold plasma thrower that can stop and kill such¡­ infestations.  We¡¯ve had to do it almost every time they managed to board one of our ships.  The only reason Archon Station wasn¡¯t overrun by it was because it was in space.  Even the Drex cannot survive in hard vacuum.¡±


    I grin and nod, looking over the ¡®weapon¡¯ that Archy had pulled up for me to see. It looks kinda like a flame thrower, except the pack is made with a small power core instead of fuel tanks.  But after reading through the information, I can see why.


    It uses the plasma from the core and the energy it produces to cool the plasma down to near freezing conditions, turning it into cold plasma instead of the superheated plasma the core generates by itself.  It doesn¡¯t have any of the secondary plasma converters or anything that other power plants use.  So its efficiency is crap.  But more than enough to run itself from a tank of fuel.


    ¡°Looks good to me.  Now if we can just get our hands on a few we can get down to the planet.  I hate the twelve hour drive though.¡±


    Yes, I have come to quietly loath the twelve hours it takes to get from Archon Station to the planet and back.  If I had a faster ship, I¡¯d jump right on board.


    Instead though, Archy breaks into giggles again, and I look at him as if he¡¯s gone crazy.  He just grins and motions around.


    ¡°We¡¯re on a ship, Allec.  Even in this state, the Trident can get to the planet within three hours.  More than that though, Archon Station itself can make it in six, which would be far better, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Okay, I blink at him.  Why didn¡¯t I think of that? Then again, I¡¯m not used to the idea of being in such a big ship.  Much less a freakin¡¯ moving space station.  But I still end up grinning back, before I hit my comm unit on the neck ring of my suit.


    ¡°Luke! Get on the horn and tell everyone on the station to pack their shit and get over here to the Trident, NOW.  We have a way to get to Drune, and a way to save Site Prime.¡±


    I¡¯d barely finished speaking when I saw Luke jumping out of the seat in front of the weapon control console and move to the communications station. Thankfully with the power now on the p-glass wall that separates the conference room from the bridge had gone opaque on the outside while still allowing us to see out like a one-way mirror.


    This could be good news, but getting everyone from the station and into Trident could be a big hassle.  But we have Archy here, so I¡¯m not too worried about it.


    ¡°We can get enough people here to man the bridge, but you¡¯ll have to control Trident and Archon Station.  I¡¯d rather go together, cause the connections from the station to Trident look rather torn up when we did our fly-by.¡±


    I didn¡¯t really have to tell Archy though.


    ¡°Yes, but we still have a good lock.  Also, without independent power in the station, we¡¯ll have to use the Trident¡¯s power cores to power every thruster to get to Drune.  Its easily within the limits though, so no worries.¡±


    Heh.  No worries, huh?


    ¡°Just try not to break the station apart.  Some places in the utter ring are barely held together with cable and bubblegum, you know.¡±


    I walked out of the conference room behind Archy and take the captain¡¯s seat at the top of the bridge.  From this vantage point, I¡¯m able to watch over the whole of the bridge and the CIC projection as it comes up outlining our projected route to Drune.


    ¡°Rex, the crew is scrambling.  Celes says to keep the doors open for ¡®em.  I also got a call out to Site Prime.  They¡¯re reporting growth of the Drex crap at an accelerated rate.  Current count is 32 hours before Site Prime is overrun.¡±


    Luke is calling out information, and I flinch at the first word out of his mouth.  I really don¡¯t care for the title of ¡®Rex¡¯.  But it seems I¡¯m stuck with it, especially now.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.  Once we¡¯re all onboard, it¡¯ll take us about six hours to reach them.  Tell Site Prime that we¡¯re bringing Trident and Archon Station home.¡±


    -|- -|- -|-


    Here you go guys! Chapter 1 of Volume 2 of Universe Online!


    Hurray!


    Heh.  Too many damned distractions from Real Life lately.  Lots of cold and snow and ice.  Bah.  Its still cold, and we¡¯re going to end up getting more.  Texas is already hit, so that entire state is shut down.  Lol.


    Kentucky isn¡¯t going to fare much better to be honest!


    Now then, I know I¡¯m rather late with this update, and the next one probably isn¡¯t going to be until the start or middle of next week.  A man has gotta eat, so that means working.  I¡¯m not really able to try to guilt you guys into donating, but really, every dollar does help.  I¡¯d much rather write than go work in a warehouse. -.-;;


    Other than that, I hope you¡¯ve enjoyed the chapter! Leave comments, criticisms, or questions below!


    Also, I¡¯m not going to stop the Cover Art contest yet.  So there¡¯s no worry for a deadline there.  I actually enjoy some of the stuff that¡¯s come up. :D Good job there, guys!


    Well, if you¡¯ve enjoyed, please donate!


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Previous Chapter</a></td><td width="25%">Back to Main Page</a></td><td width="25%">NEXT CHAPTER</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

 Volume 1 PDF Previews - Now looking for PRs!

    Okay guys, here''s the deal.


    I''m currently proofreading and editing Volume 1 of UO, and I just got done with the prologue.  14 pages is actually quite a bit of work to read over and edit, as well as changing the table over to something Google Drive actually recognizes.


    Thankfully Google Drive tables are carried over properly when published as a PDF.


    So for those of you who want to check out the edited prologue, here''s a link:


    UO Vol. 1 Prologue PDF</a>


    You guys will have to download it, sadly.  I couldn''t find a good hoster that''d let online viewing.


    I hope you enjoy it though.  I ended up changing quite a few things and streamlining it a bit.  It actually turned out to be slightly longer than the unedited version. Heh.


    Feel free to leave messages, comments, questions, etc. here in this thread! I''ll be posting a few more links as I get the chapters done!


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    -|- -|- -|-


    Someone made the suggestion that I advertise for proofreaders who might be interested in tearing through UO and fixing all the nagging little things that get on their nerves, and I''m inclined to agree for the simple fact that proofreading these volumes is going to be just as big an undertaking as originally writing them were.


    I''m an author, not a proofreader or editor.  Heh.


    So if any of you are interested, hit me up with a forum message and I''ll give you a link to my google drive where I have everything set up.


    I cannot promise any sort of pay though, besides a big THANK YOU on the dedication page.  Every person who helps will get their name on it.  It is the least I could do.


    So just let me know!

 Universe Online - Amazon Kindle Announcement

    Hi guys! It has been a while.  Sadly this is not a new chapter. Heh.


    Instead, I''m announcing that Universe Online is now officially on Amazon in Kindle format!


    Or rather, Part 1 of Volume 1.  I had wanted to get the whole thing out, but editing and proofreading has taken a lot longer than I had wanted it to.


    Anyway! Here''s a link:


    UO on Amazon</a>


    Amazon UK Link:


    UO on Amazon.uk</a>


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    For those of you interested in getting into it, it is already on sale.


    Part 2 will be out in a couple of days!


    Have fun and thank you!


    PS: Keep in mind that the Kindle version is EDITED.  There are changes, quite a few of them in some cases, when compared to the rough releases I''ve down here on RRL!  I hope you guys enjoy them!

 Interest Check + Poll

    Hi guys! It has been a while.


    I finished up Volume 2 of Universe Online, so I''m debating on rather or not to jump back into Master of Dungeons in order to flesh it out to at least Chapter 10.   So I''m going to put this poll up here and see just how many people would like that.


    I''m also going to try to get donations going here, cause I rather need to help.


    As most of you know, I put the first half of Universe Online Volume 1 up on Kindle, but what I didn''t realize until afterwards is that the royalty payments don''t start for 90 days.  So I''m in a bit of a bind.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    So any help you guys offer would be great! And would keep me out of the doghouse, quite literally. Heh.


    Anyway, which do you want? More Universe Online or a restart of Master of Dungeons?

 Announcement [7/17/15]

    Hi guys, it is Author-sama here!  Things have been more than a little crazy in my life, between the death of my beloved computer and my full time job eating me basically alive.   Two weeks ago tonight my shift leader got fired after being egged upon by someone who''s been stealing shit from stores around the area over the phone.  She ended up costing the store nearly 800$ in cellphone prepaid cards so she was fired literally on the spot.


    So I''ve been filling in and trying to help train a new guy, although that still only leaves 3 of us on 3rd shift, which goes from 10PM to 6AM central standard (US) time.  I finally got a day off, so that is something!  I can finally rest and recharge a bit.


    I have not been idle though, even though I''m not able to write anywhere near as much as I''d usually like to.  To make up for this, I''ve decided to jump into writing something directly based upon my experience working at that hellish place.  I''m calling the new story World Seed, and if any of you enjoy the stories of Origin A.R.S., Blackthorne, or Change: New World or the like then you''ll definitely also like World Seed.  Well, without the virtual reality aspect, anyway. Lol.


    World Seed is a mixture of adventure, action, fantasy, harem and a slight touch of comedy and mature content.  I started playing around with the idea of it while reading Riddick/Against Heaven while on break at work and it just sorta stuck with me all last night so I decided why to not at least try.  If nothing else it''ll be something to sink my teeth into while I''m waiting and working.


    It probably won''t get as explosive as Master of Dungeons or Universe Online however.   If my computer hadn''t died I would still be all over them and not working my ass off.  As it is I''m getting ready to request going to part time so I''ll have more time to write and deal with everything else that has backed up on me recently.


    And finally, I have an excerpt from World Seed to share with you all!  It is the first few pages of the first chapter.  Hehehe.


    Here you go:


    Chapter 1 - The Update


    He could almost feel it happening, the same way you¡¯d get that shiver down your spine everytime someone walks over your potential grave.  It was a depressing feeling, but at the same time he was convinced that it was very much real.  The feeling of this gods damned job sucking the very soul from him; one tiny bit at a time.


    He¡¯d been here for only about three months now, and already he despises the place, even though the sad fact is is that he¡¯d originally jumped at the chance to work there full time.


    As a cashier in a convenience store.


    It however is not one of those 24/7 shops where a person can run in, get what they want and get out as quickly as possible.  Oh no.  That¡¯d be far too easy on the ¡®customers¡¯.  Instead, the Minut Mart store is a gas station, truck stop, convenience store and grocery all rolled into one.  Each and every surface, countertop, and isle is set so that it¡¯ll slowly bleed the unwary customers of both their hard earned money and motivation to live.


    Kolan Mists was definitely convinced that there was some sort of witchcraft or Voodoo involved in the construction of the place, given how obvious the change comes over those who come through the doors.  Happy and cheerful on the outside, the smiles soon fade and the ever increasing lines of worry appear upon the foreheads of those who take a chance to glance around.  It is the same almost each and every time.


    By now, Kolan knew that look, and what it meant.  It was the worry of not knowing what specifically to get, and the fact that the customer will be seemingly trapped in an endless hunt of going through brightly lit, colorful, and extravagant isles marked with propaganda and advertisements to find just the thing to fill that uncertain need they have.  Only those few who already have a list and know what the hell they want can come out of the start of the Maze untouched by the dread that comes to the others.


    Or those who¡¯ve just run inside to get a specific amount of gas without paying at the twenty pumps outside.  Those people tend to have a look of fear on their faces; the fear of paying too much with their credit or debit cards that they all somehow believe can be hacked through the pumps themselves.  Even then, those that pay in cash may be better off¡­ except they are often coerced into buying a bottle of soda, or a chocolate bar, or a pack of cigarettes at the counter.


    The entire Minut Mart enterprise is a massive scheme designed to take every single dollar it can, and Kolan has been there long enough to have even felt that pull himself.  It is so devious that even the employees end up buying this and that with their own paychecks!  It is a nightmare, and Kolan hates it.


    But even more than that, he has come to hate two very specific things.  The first is breaking twenty dollar bills for a pittance.  People who break a 20 for a 50 cent piece of chocolate, for example.  Or for a bottle of coke for $1.05.  It drives him crazy and makes him dive straight for the safe to float out fives, ones, and quarters on a near constant basis.  All while the shift lead is eyeballing him as if he is doing something wrong.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The second is cleaning up after 2nd Shift.  Those slobs almost never get their fuckin¡¯ jobs done properly.  They never clean the bathrooms, restock the soda fountain area, or make fresh coffee.  They generally don¡¯t take out the garbage or do their cigarette counts either.  And don¡¯t even start on the time they had gotten an order for 16 six inch cold cut subs and didn¡¯t do them before clocking out without even warning Kolan or the rest of 3rd Shift that the customers were waiting for them!


    2nd Shift has thirteen full time employees on it, including the evening manager, and yet they never do the jobs they are supposed to do! Yet the general manager and shift leads look the other way because they bring in the highest sales of all three shifts.  They were like the golden goose that the managers don¡¯t want to get rid of, even though it is breathing fire and constantly getting into trouble like some magical beast out of hell!


    It was enough to give the 26 year old grey hair after only three months.


    Tonight at least Kolan had something to look forward to, given that he had an entire week off after the night.  A full seven days and seven nights of freedom!  He¡¯d finally be able to play those games, watch those animes, and read those books he¡¯d been putting off ever since he started working in this miserable place.  It was enough to make him smile in obvious defiance against the curse of the Minut Mart.


    For all of five minutes, right up until the shift lead Cindy shows up at his register.


    ¡°Kolan, I need you to go clean up the men¡¯s bathroom.  Something is wrong with the urinal and it won¡¯t flush.¡± (Cindy)


    *Sigh* ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll check it out.  But if someone tried to flush another wrapper down it to hide the theft I¡¯m going to start wracking people on the back of the head¡­¡± (Kolan)


    ¡°Yeah, whatever.  Just get it done and make sure you mop up the mess on the floor.¡± (Cindy)


    Cindy¡¯s disinterested voice was mirrored by the lack of even a glance from his two fellow co-workers.  Kolan couldn¡¯t really blame them, given that it could have just as easily been one of them who¡¯d been picked to clean up the mess.  Especially the new guy, who¡¯s old enough to be Kolan¡¯s grandfather.


    At least it gets him away from the register and those accursed 20 dollar bills, right?!


    He desperately tries to hold onto that feeling as he moves into the back room, through rows and rows of boxes and shelves holding all the inventory.  It is in the opposite direction from the kitchen, which thankfully 3rd shift doesn¡¯t really use much.  Besides the pizza rolls, which are in constant demand.  Those things disappear out of the heat boxes with distressing regularity.


    Still, coming into the ¡®cleaning room¡¯, as it is joking referred to, Kolan grabs up the kit usually used to clean up the bathrooms and even goes ahead and fills up the mop bucket.  It is one of those wheeled ones, so it is fairly easy to move across the store.  He does have to hold the button down on the dispenser though, given that the latch is broken and the company hasn¡¯t seen fit to pay out for a new one.


    That leaves him leaning against the wall when something just seems to shudder.  For a moment Kolan thought it was him, but he notices that he moved, along with some of the shelves and the brooms hanging on their rack nearby.


    It was low, not even an earthquake, but it persists for several long moments before suddenly his vision also seems to shudder.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>|+|+|+|


    Warning: World Seed Update in Progress


    Please sit down and stop all movement in two minutes for the update.  Do not be alarmed.  Everything will be just fine.


    |+|+|+|</td></tr></tbody></table>


    A glowing blue text box just pops up in front of him, and for several moments all he could do is stare at it dumbly.  He¡¯s so entranced that he doesn¡¯t even notice the short scream that echoes through the back room as one of the others also notices it, or the sudden silence that comes from the store proper as every single person gets the same message.


    Then it disappears, as if it had never been at all, and for a moment all Kolan can do is blink before he shakes his head.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    He mutters to himself, but shakes it off.  It just had to be his mind messing with him, right? RIGHT?!  There is no way in hell something like that could happen in real life.  It was like out of those stories he fancies online.  So just like the dumbass he is sometimes, he dismisses it and only then realizes that his mop bucket is overflowing and leaking onto the floor around his feet!


    ¡°CRAP!!!¡±


    + | + | +


    There you go!  What do you guys think?  Let me know. Hehe.  I''ll be finishing up the chapter in a couple of hours and posting it, so I''ll update the Announcement here with the link then.


    Here you go guys, the linky to World Seed! It was just approved. Hehehehehe.


    World Seed</a>

 Announcement [9/09/15]

    Hi guys!  It has been a while, and sadly this is NOT a chapter release.


    Yes, I know, it makes everyone sad, but I do have good news however!


    For those of you who have been waiting, Universe Online, Part 2 of Volume 1 is about to be published on Amazon and Nook!  I was finally able to finish up with Volume 1 there, so feel free to go check it out sometime tomorrow when it finishes the review process.  Hehehehe.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    As for the rest of you... I''ll try to get out another short story entry here soon.  My time however has been eaten up, and with my mom recently sick and now missing a kidney, things have been more than a little hectic.  I am, however, still writing.  Just very, very slowly.


    Thank you guys, and feel free to comment to your hearts content!

 Announcement [10/01/15]

    Hi guys! It has been a while, hasn''t it?


    Well, I have some good news, for those of you who''ve been waiting!  Universe Online: Enter the Game Volume 1 Complete Edition is now on sale on Amazon Kindle!


    At 240+ pages, it is the definitive edition of the edited Universe Online experience.  And it includes a bonus chapter! Hehehehe.


    Okay, so the bonus chapter isn''t really all that long, but it does shed some light on the Universe Online mythos!  Those of you who enjoy digging into the history of the game world will definitely enjoy it.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Here''s a link to the US site:  https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0161Y8EJW</a>


    For those of you who are waiting in quietude for more UO chapters... I do plan to start working on them again here soon.  Also of special note is that my mom is getting married on the 3rd of October.  It is going to be weird calling her by a new name. Heh.


    As always, thank you for enjoying my story and I hope you have a good one!

 Announcement [1/19/2016]

    Hi guys!  It''s been a while.


    As many of you know, I haven''t been posting anything lately.  I get about two or three PM''s a week asking what I''m up to and if I''m going to continue updating my various stories.   Well, I''m going to answer that question, and explain why as well.


    To the short, the answer is yes, I''m still writing my stories.


    The long answer however is that I''m not likely to be posting them here on RRL anymore.  Or rather post them online at all.  Which will no doubt cause quite a few to break down and cry, but that''s the way life works.


    Now for the explanation.   Back in August my mother started getting sick.  Those of you who''ve read my previous announcements will know that.   She ended up losing a kidney, and those was basically bedridden and out of work for a while.  In October, she got married to the guy she''d been dating a little over a year.


    Thing''s were going okay after that, but at the start of December things wen''t down hill again.  My mom suffered a heart attack, and had to have a stint put in.  Missing a kidney does all sorts of things to a persons blood pressure, at least for a while.  So she was out of more work and bedridden again.  She finally was allowed to go back to work the week before Christmas.


    However, she had arranged for an appointment at the local OBGYN because of excessive bleeding on the 26th.  We had assumed it was because of the blood thinners.  The news, however, really messed everything up.


    To put it shortly, my mom has Stage 4 cervical cancer.  She has a life expectancy of less than 15% for five years.  That''s the average, with full chemo and radiation therapies.  For those of you who know what I''m talkin'' about, then you know how bad that is.  For those of you who don''t... It''s a bad situation.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The doctors cannot remove the cancer with surgery, nor can they kill it with radiation or chemo.  All they can hope to do is control the spread of it.  My mother can never be cancer free again, and even if the cancer responds to the treatment, it will still kill her as it slowly spreads.


    The fact that she already has a tumor large enough to be seen with the naked eye pressing against her bladder is just the icing on the cake.  She cannot hardly sit up straight anymore.  We had to move a bed into the livingroom for her, which is all kinds of ghetto, yo.  XD


    So no, I don''t really have enough time to write and whatnot at the moment.  Well, I am still writing a bit, but it''s all going towards getting my stories published as quickly as possible.  At the moment, my royalty payments are roughly minimum wage, but that rises and falls as sales go up and down.  That''s nowhere near enough to supplement what my mom was making before.  Just paying for her medical insurance alone is 125 USD a week.


    So in all likihood, you guys will be seeing volumes of UO, Master of Dungeons, and others appearing on Amazon within the next couple of months.  I''m sorry I''m no longer able to push forward with my original plan, and post those chapters here on RRL as I write them.


    No plan survives contact with a battlefield, and life is one big battlefield we all have to struggle on.  Thank you all though for listening to me rant for a bit, and for your continued support.  You guys are great, and once more I apologize for not being able to continue as we previously had wanted.


    - Ryan ''Viken'' Henning, Author-sama.

 Announcement [4/11/2016]

    Hi guys, it''s Author-sama here!  This one is going to be a little short, as it is just to let you guys know that Part 1 of Volume 2, the Rise of Rex has been released on Amazon for UO!


    I''ve actually gotten quite a few people asking when I could get the next volume published, so here it is.  I hope you guys enjoy it!


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    UO Volume 2, Part 1!</a>


    Thank you all for being such wonderful fans and I hope you have a good one!

 Announcement [7/19/2016] - Author Interview

    Hi guys!  It''s been a while, and I know it.


    For those of you whom are still eagerly waiting fans, I have something of a treat for you today.  Ramon Mejia from GeekBytes Podcasting has posted the interview he did with me on his website and his youtube channel.


    We spent quite a bit of time talking about Universe Online, what it means to be an author, how I got my start as well as some of my more near-future plans.  If anyone is interested, you guys can catch it here:


    The Interview~</a>


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Now, I have to warn you all that this was the first time I''d ever done such a thing.  It''s easy to tell that I had the nervous jitters at the beginning.  Also, excuse the fact that I don''t have a working webcam, so it''s voice only for my side.


    Also, there are some spoilers when it comes to upcoming and behind-the-scenes content for Universe Online in there.


    In any case, I''ll see all of you guys around later.  I hope you enjoy!

 Announcement [8/10/16] - Volume 2 Part 2 release

    Heya guys, this is just a short notice to let everyone know that Universe Online - Rise of the Rex part 2 is now available on Amazon.


    You can find the US version here: Amazon Link~</a>


    Thank you all for being such great fans.


    Now, in other news I have decided to move my novels onto the Kindle Select Program.  That means I''ll be removing all but the Prologues of the volumes from RRL.  It''s been a hard decision for me, but it''s gotten to the point where I need the increase of income that''ll come from making the switch.  My mothers'' stage 4 cancer isn''t giving me much choice these days.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Now on to the good bit of news.  Within the next few days I''ll also be releasing the first part of Master of Dungeons on Amazon as well.  Technically Master of Dungeons isn''t even done with Volume 1 yet, but at this point I don''t think it''ll be a big issue.


    So look forward to it guys!


    Oh, I -WILL- be posting the whole of Volume 3 of UO before releasing it on Amazon.  When I get around to writing it, anyway.  Haha.


    Thank you everyone!