ã€ŠStar Sentinel: A Sci-Fi gameLIT RPGã€‹


 Chapter 1 - The Final Stream

    ¡°Greetings, Star Explorers!¡±

    There were already hundreds of people in chat watching Orion Starbeard¡¯s stream. More were pouring in by the minute. Chat was spamming the channel with words of support, posting animated emotes, and some good-natured bullying. People were sharing their stories about how Orion had helped them. Others were typing old catch phrases. Many of them were donating or redeeming points to help support the Vtuber. The Talk To Speech bot had to be shut off so as not to drown out the animated Orc on screen.

    Everyone wanted to be there. Fans from across the globe, in every time zone, all of them tuning in for this final stream. The word had been out for months. Orion was dying.

    In the center of the screen sat an animated pirate Orc avatar, larger than life in both spirit and girth. His avatar¡¯s hide was a seaweed green, with golden eyes and an immaculate beard. The trademark beard was his namesake, flowing with shades of midnight blue and twinkling with glowing constellations.

    He addressed the chat, ¡°Welcome to my retirement stream! Tonight I¡¯ll be joined by two of my loyal crew, Lazar Boomslang and Aurelio Ironsides!¡±

    A Lizardman with gleaming burgundy scales slid into view an announced, ¡°I¡¯ve edited a clip compilation of the ¡®Seas of Spiritus Saga¡¯ together. We¡¯ll be watching highlights of the adventure tonight.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Lazar,¡± Orion smiled at the reptile. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a very chill stream.¡±

    An olive-skinned, beardless dwarf slid up from the bottom of the screen, ¡°Remember: all of tonight¡¯s donations go toward helping with medical bills, so support us if you can.¡±

    Orion side-hugged the dwarf and kissed him on the cheek before addressing the chat, ¡°As always, donations are appreciated but never expected.¡±

    Aurelio turned his face and kissed Orion on the lips. Turning back to the screen he added, ¡°If you can¡¯t support us financially, you can help spread the word!¡±

    Orion nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. This night is for you, my loyal viewers, to thank you for all the support over the last decade. Especially this past year while updates have been sporadic.¡±

    Lazar spread his arms, ¡°So without further ado, let¡¯s get this party started!¡±

    It was a night to remember! Lazar had prepared the best clips from Orion¡¯s last campaign. It showed the crew of the Deck Puncher as they sailed across the seven seas of Spiritus, an immersive first person augmented reality pirate game. There were epic victories against the monsters of the seas, funny moments, and even a bit of romance. All through it, Lazar played host while Aurelio mostly sat affectionately on Orion¡¯s lap while they watched and responded to chat.

    It was over too soon. They¡¯d only gone three hours when Orion started to get too worn out to continue. Lazar wrapped things up, setting up a raid to support another streamer, the chat over two thousand strong at that point. Aurelio hopped up and stood behind Orion¡¯s chair as the tired Orc was brought front and center.

    Orion gave a wan smile and addressed his audience one last time, ¡°Thank you all for being here. I wish we could have gotten the rest of the crew here but-¡± Orion eyes welled up as he shakily continued, ¡°It has been my greatest honor serving as your Captain. I am overwhelmed by this show of support you¡¯ve all shown me. And even thought I¡¯m sailing off ahead of you, just remember that I¡¯ll be watching over you from beyond the stars.¡±

    Lazar shifted the focus to himself as he wrapped up the stream. This allowed Orion and Aurelio to remove their Virtual Reality headsets and slip away quietly. And then it was just Ryan and Enrique, the men behind the masks.

    Ryan was pale and gaunt, confined to a wheelchair even in real life. His hair and beard were just starting to come in again, growing back slowly since he had stopped the chemotherapy. He was mostly covered in thick blankets to ward off the chill.

    Enrique looked similar to his Vtuber model, though he too looked exhausted from the stream. He¡¯d not been sleeping well, spending as much time with his dying lover as he could before needing to fly home again. When he steered the chair into Ryan¡¯s office, which had been converted into a bedroom, Enrique finally broke down.

    Enrique leaned forward and buried his face into Ryan¡¯s shoulder, choking back a sob. Ryan reached up and cupped his damp cheek, trying to comfort his boyfriend. Ryan whispered, ¡°Tonight was amazing. You have no idea how much it means for me.¡±

    Enrique visibly composed himself and started to strip out of the motion capture rig he wore over his clothes. Once he finished taking off his gloves, Enrique walked around to help him do the same. Ryan had opted for simple hand tracking gloves along with his VR visor, but his hands were too shaky to remove them himself.

    ¡°Of course, baby.¡± Enrique smiled through his tears, ¡°It means a lot to me too. I¡¯m just sorry we couldn¡¯t get anyone else to fly out.¡±

    ¡°Mika¡¯s got college finals coming up, R¡¯ath¡¯s got his family, and Reggie¡¯s been working on that big secret project.¡± Ryan said, ¡°It matters that you¡¯re here. And LeVar.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t get rid of me if you tried, partner.¡± Lazar said as he walked in, ¡°You know I¡¯m here for you. How¡¯s our boy?¡±

    Lazar, or LeVar as he was known in real life, was a taller black man with an easy going manner. His lime green hair had been carefully pulled back in a bun so as not to interfere with the VR headset. He started to shuck himself free of the tracking vest.

    ¡°Tired but okay.¡± Ryan replied, ¡°I appreciate you setting all this up.¡±

    ¡°Sure man, what are friends for?¡± LeVar picked up the discarded harnesses from the floor and winked at Enrique, ¡°Lemme give you two some privacy. I¡¯ve got to start working on edits and posting the stream on Viewtoob.¡±

    Enrique mouthed ¡®Thank you¡¯ as LeVar closed the door behind him. He turned to Ryan and glared as he struggled to raise himself out of the wheelchair. Enrique put one of Ryan¡¯s arms around his shoulders and helped him stand.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got this,¡± Ryan protested.

    ¡°I know you do,¡± Enrique consoled him. ¡°I¡¯m not even here.¡±

    The blanket slipped off of Ryan¡¯s lap. He was standing on one foot, his left leg having been amputated just under the knee. Sighing with resignation, Ryan accepted the assistance with good grace. Ryan was so light it didn¡¯t take much effort to get him under the covers. Enrique was about to tuck him in when he started to break down again. He climbed in after Ryan and cried against his chest. Ryan put an arm around Enrique¡¯s trembling shoulders and kissed his forehead.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Orion whispered.

    Enrique shook his head and mumbled against his chest, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    No.¡± Ryan replied gently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry it took me so long to admit my feelings. I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t have more time, because of me.¡±

    Enrique sat up and cupped Ryan¡¯s cheeks, kissing him fiercely, ¡°Then stop apologizing and let me be with you now. I could cancel my trip home! I could stay here with you!¡±

    ¡°Babe, you have a life too. I don¡¯t want you to stop living your life because of me.¡± Orion smiled up with tied eyes and pulled Enrique closer, ¡°Let¡¯s just enjoy the rest of your trip together.¡± Orion yawned, ¡°Later. I¡¯m sorry I just don¡¯t have the energy right now.¡±

    Enrique kissed him and snuggled back down, pulling the covers over them both.

    ¡°Then just sleep,¡± Enrique murmured. ¡°I¡¯ll be here when you wake up.¡±

    There¡¯s something extremely poignant about flying across the country knowing it¡¯s going to be the last time. Ryan had always been a nervous flier, not really a home with heights. Most of the time he took a sleeping pill and tried to zonk out during the trip while listening to podcasts, especially on long flights like this. This time, however, he felt compelled to look out the window, only sitting back when the feeling of vertigo got too bad. Usually he didn¡¯t even like the window seats, especially over the past year. This time Ryan splurged on first class, so he had plenty of room and was close enough to the bathroom not to be a bother to anyone.

    Besides, Ryan didn¡¯t have much use for money after today, he might as well be comfy on the journey. He still wasn¡¯t sure what he was getting into, just that his friend Regina had some far-fetched plan to cure him. Exactly how he wasn¡¯t sure, it¡¯s not like she was a doctor. Regina Douglas was the CEO of Star-Lynx Entertainment, a gaming company on the cutting edge of VR technology. They were experimenting with new techniques to make games more immersive that blurring the lines between virtual and reality. Ryan opened his phone and re-reread the mysterious email she sent him.

    Dear Ryan,

    I did it! Horizons is in Beta now! You promised if you were still here that you¡¯d beta test for me, and I am holding you to that. I know you¡¯re skeptical, but I really believe it could help. If you¡¯re willing to take a big risk, please reach out. Let me help you, ya big goofus!

    -Reggie

    She¡¯d been talking about this project for months, but the whole situation seemed crazy. Regina said this procedure could not only potentially help him, but a slew of other people if it was successful. That was what finally got him to agree. Ryan always liked to raise money for different charities, so helping people was a big draw. But when Regina told him to get his affairs in order before flying out, Ryan knew that for better or worse, this was going to be his final destination. So after making arrangements with his business partner LeVar, saying his goodbyes to friends and family, and one last tearful video call with Enrique, Ryan bought a one-way ticket to Michigan.

    The flight attendant swung back around offering drinks, snacks and alcohol. As good as a drink sounded to help tamp down the rising dread he felt, keeping a clear head was essential for the next leg of his journey. He didn¡¯t know how badly booze would mess up his cognition but he didn¡¯t want to risk it. He declined refreshments with a polite smile and stared out the window again. This part of the Midwest was never particularly interesting to look at so he closed the window with a sigh. He¡¯d been fighting it, but his body finally started getting too weary to stay awake. He leaned his seat back with a soft grunt, pulled the blanket over his leg more snugly and tipped his cap down over his eyes. He inserted his ear buds and fell asleep listening to his friend''s TTRPG podcast.

    A voice started to cut through the darkness and slowly Ryan opened his eyes to a concerned looking flight attendant. Ryan was still groggy but pulled his earbuds out and stashed them in the carrying case. Ryan asked, ¡°Sorry, could you repeat that?¡±

    ¡°Are you all right, sir?¡± the flight attendant repeated.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m okay.¡± Ryan cleared his throat, mouth dry, ¡°Really.¡±

    The flight attendant was visibly relieved, ¡°The Captain is starting his landing procedures. We need you to put your seat in an upright position, sir.¡±

    Ryan adjusted himself, ¡°Of course.¡± Ryan sat up a bit straighter and moved his chair upright. He closed the tray table and looked around. His blanket had fallen so with a grunt he leaned down to pull it back on his lap. He nodded to his neighbor who gave Ryan a slightly relieved look as well.

    Ryan put his earbuds in again and peeked out the window. He could see the Great Lakes in the distance. The scenery started to tip as the plane started its descent and Ryan¡¯s stomach flipped, so the window was closed again. Michigan was not exactly his dream destination. There were plenty of places Ryan wished he could have visited again. Japan, Australia, England, and he¡¯d never gotten out to Ireland which was definitely on the bucket list.

    Still, his career had taken him many interesting places so it was hard to have regrets. A life well lived. He was satisfied with whatever happened next.

    The plane landed and he waited patiently as they taxied to the terminal. Ryan took his phone off airplane mode and texted Regina that he landed. People started to stand up and file out of the plane. Once everyone left, one of the flight attendants brought over one of the foldable airline wheelchairs and offered to help him into it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± Ryan said as he pulled himself up and weakly shuffled into the seat. ¡°If you could grab my stuff tho, that would be helpful.¡±

    She smiled and retrieved his only luggage, the blanket and a backpack with some spare clothes and some portable video games just in case. While she worked, he scooted himself into a comfortable sitting position in the chair. The blanket and luggage were placed gently in his lap. Ryan took a calming breath to steady his nerves and leaned back, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do this.¡±

    Ryan stirred again as someone¡¯s voice woke him up. He grumbled, irritated at how low energy he was these days, ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here, Mr. Starbeard!¡± the driver repeated cheerfully.

    ¡°It¡¯s not-¡± Ryan began and thought better of it, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The driver opened the driver¡¯s side door. ¡°I¡¯ll get the chair for you!¡±

    Ryan gathered his things and sat back. No turning back now. He glanced out the window at the Star-Lynx Entertainment building. How many years had it been since his last visit? They had been working on some really experimental stuff, and if the email was to be believed, they¡¯d figured it out. If it was anything like their fully immersive VR games, this would be quite an experience. He was lucky to be selected as a Beta Tester.

    The door opened and the driver swung the chair around. Declining the help Ryan shifted into it and pulled the blanket back over his legs. The driver hung the backpack over the chair¡¯s handles and he offered to push Ryan to the entrance. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Ryan felt that familiar urge to decline but it was hard to say no in the face of such barely contained enthusiasm. Ryan smiled, ¡°If it¡¯s not too much of a bother, sure.¡±

    ¡°Not a bother at all!¡± The driver exclaimed as she took the handles and turned toward the building, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a big fan of your work, Mr. Starbeard! I just didn¡¯t want to come off as annoying, I know you probably get swarmed by obsessive fans all the time. I just wanted you to know-¡±

    Ryan looked up as the driver trailed off, ¡°Go on, you¡¯ve been very respectful. I appreciate that.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then. Um¡­¡± The driver hesitated, ¡°Back in college I was really struggling for a long time. Felt lost, and I was thinking of dropping out. But your streams really inspired me. Orion Starbeard, Space Orc Captain VTuber. He was my comfort character. You were always so supportive and welcoming to people in your community. And you fostered a safe space for queer kids, which for me was important.¡±

    Ryan closed his eyes, ¡°I always tried.¡±

    ¡°In a lot of ways, you helped me be comfortable with who I am.¡± The driver continued, ¡°I stayed in school, made friends, met my girlfriend, graduated college and got my dream job here. All because of you.¡±

    ¡°No, that was all you. I can¡¯t possibly take credit for your achievements,¡± Ryan corrected gently.

    ¡°No.¡± The wheelchair stopped and the driver stepped in front of Ryan, squatting to be eye level with him. ¡°I am only here because of you. Because you told me to keep fighting. Not me, specifically, of course. But I promise, you saved my life.¡±

    Something pulled at Ryan¡¯s memory. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Willow.¡± She smiled, ¡°I met you once at Glitchcon a few years back but I was¡­¡±

    Ryan really looked at her for the first time. She was wearing a warm orange turtleneck, a patterned mid-length brown skirt, cowboy boots, chunky necklaces with a variety of charms and trinkets, and topped with a mop of frizzy auburn hair. Willow looked like everyone¡¯s favorite art teacher. It was the eyes that sparked a memory, the hazel green eyes with a sunspot of copper around the pupils. There had been a lot of changes from the person he met, including the name, but Willow seemed much happier now.

    Ryan smiled gently, ¡°You looked different, but I remember you. You told me you wanted to be a VTuber so you could be the person you felt like inside. I recall telling you that you don¡¯t have to hide behind an avatar to be that person. I told you that even if it¡¯s scary¡­¡±

    Ryan faltered as the rest of the memory slipped away from him.

    ¡°You should always be true to yourself. Because if you¡¯re not being you, then who are you?¡± Willow finished. ¡°It might sound corny to you, but hearing you say it was exactly what I needed to hear at the time. And so here I am. My true self.¡±

    Ryan beamed at Willow, ¡°I am so proud of you.¡±

    Willow¡¯s eyes were bright with unshed tears and she laughed, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You are quite welcome.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not too much to ask,¡± Willow hesitated. ¡°Would it be okay to get a picture with you?¡±

    Ryan smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t mind, if you¡¯re okay with me looking like this.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Willow stood and then crouched back down for a quick selfie, Ryan smiling with double peace signs. She stood back up, admiring the picture. ¡°I¡¯ll treasure this.¡±

    ¡°I hope you haven¡¯t been tiring out our guest, Willow.¡±

    Willow spun and hid her phone behind her back, ¡°I, no¡­we were just¡­¡±

    Regina Douglas stood at the foot of the building¡¯s steps. She was a tall black woman in a lipstick red power suit clicked towards them in matching high heels. She wore a yellow blouse that contrasted well with her warm brown skin, and her long salt and pepper hair was pulled back in a sensible bun. The wrinkles around her eyes did nothing to diminish strength radiating from her. She looked like a warrior who didn¡¯t mind getting her hands dirty, but one who was simultaneously late for a PTA meeting. Her stern expression morphed into a bright smile as she stopped in front of Ryan.

    Ryan held up a hand, ¡°It¡¯s quite alright, she¡¯s been pleasant company. I appreciate you sending her to pick me up.¡±

    ¡°Send her?¡± Regina chuckled, ¡°She insisted. I don¡¯t often send one of my lead programmers out to chauffeur guests to my humble gaming company.¡±

    Willow retreated to the back of the wheelchair. Taking the handles again she stammered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Douglas, I was just heading to you.¡±

    Regina arched an expertly plucked eyebrow, ¡°So I see.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t tease her, Silky.¡± Ryan scolded, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. Figured you¡¯d be too busy.¡±

    Regina¡¯s expression softened, ¡°And miss seeing a dear friend? Come here, Orion!¡±

    Regina leaned in for a hug. Ryan sat up to return it as best he could from his seated position. ¡°I¡¯m flattered, but I almost wish you hadn¡¯t. I don¡¯t want people seeing me like this,¡± Ryan¡¯s voice was tired and tinged with bitterness.

    Regina¡¯s smile was brittle. When she spoke, her voice was choked with emotion, ¡°Oh hush, you look great. I¡¯m glad you finally reconsidered my offer.¡±

    Ryan brightened a bit, ¡°Well, I figure I have nothing left to lose. And after all your generosity helping with the medical bills-¡±

    ¡°Ah, ah, none of that.¡± Regina waggled a finger, ¡°If you¡¯re doing this because you feel obligated, I¡¯ll have Miss Barker here send you right back to the hospital. You provided Millions of dollars worth of free advertising for my games! Besides, if this works, this project will transcend such petty concepts of money!¡±

    Ryan held up his hands in surrender, ¡°Yes, you said as much in your emails. Always trying to change the world for the better.¡±

    Regina clapped her hands excitedly, ¡°And with your help, I may finally succeed! Will succeed, I¡¯m sure of it!¡± Regina glanced to Willow and smoothed down her suit, ¡°Besides, I¡¯m more the business side of things, it¡¯s brilliant programmers like Miss Barker here that are the real MVP of Star-Lynx.¡±

    Willow blushed, ¡°You hired a good team. I¡¯m just one part of it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be silly. Your program for procedurally generating biomes was inspiring. I only hire the best.¡± Regina walked closer, ¡°Ryan, baby, we¡¯re wasting time. Let me get you back to the lab.¡±

    Ryan stiffened. He could actually hear Willow¡¯s grip tighten on the chair¡¯s handles. Regina must have seen something in the woman¡¯s expression, because even she paused and took a diplomatic step back. Regina cleared her throat.

    ¡°Actually, why don¡¯t you join us, Miss Barker? You have a better understanding of how all of this works, anyway. Right this way!¡± Regina turned and led them toward the Star-Lynx entrance.

    Touring the facilities was interesting. A lot had changed since his last visit here. He¡¯d been invited to Star-Lynx to test games for the past decade. He¡¯d watched the company grow from a small independent studio to a major competitor in the games market. Of course they¡¯d added a new location about five years ago when they started Regina¡¯s new secret project. He¡¯d seen a very early build of the new game a few years back, and what he saw was impressive, but still laggy and full of bugs.

    It was a cool space game with some fantasy inspired themes. It had RPG elements, but with a more skill-based leveling system that enabled you to improve yourself by doing activities to practice said skills. He tried his hand at hacking, firing weapons, and even some crafting, watching his skill level improve. While it felt very much like being in a video game, some aspects were very realistic. One section of the demo had him doing a space walk on the outside of the ship to repair a panel damaged by space rubble. With a giant gas giant behind him as he worked it legit set off his vertigo and he had to lie down for a bit afterward. He could only imagine what kind of improvements they¡¯d made since then.

    ¡°Welcome to Cosmic Horizons: Online!¡± Regina announced proudly as they walked through the halls toward the labs, ¡°It started out with a simple idea. What if we could make games fully immersive? What if we could actually put someone¡¯s consciousness inside a video game? What if they could touch, taste, smell and feel like they are really there? We came close with Seas of Spiritus. Full body VR. We could almost make the brain believe they were inside the game. But I wasn¡¯t satisfied.¡±

    Pushing open some double doors they started passing walls with wide picture windows. Inside were huge computers that looked like something out of a sci-fi show. Blue lights glowed along tubes, and computer screens filled with lines of code being monitored by people in white hazmat suits. One room had a huge orb with lights that looked like the neural pathways of the brain if you just took away all that pesky gray matter. Another window was filled with ominous glowing tubes big enough to hold a person. As he watched, Ryan could swear he saw someone press his hand against the glass from within.

    Nervousness started to gnaw at Ryan, ¡°What kind of Frankensteinian shit have you been working on here, Reggie?¡±

    Regina paused and looked around, ¡°What? Oh, you mean this? Impressive isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ghoulish,¡± Ryan said.

    ¡°Right? It should be a great first dungeon for the tutorial area. Although we¡¯re calling them Vaults to sound more science fiction-y. It sets up a larger recurring storyline later, but the Manti-C.O.R.E. syndicate is just one of the main antagonists in CH:O.¡± Regina pulled a small remote out of her pocket and hit a button.

    What he thought were windows flipped to a new scene. This one of an idyllic forest with massive birch-like trees, if birch trees had orange leaves and blue fruit. Two moons could be seen in the waning sunset light, the lavender sky darkening to a rich plum color. A rabbit-like creature with mossy fur and stick-like antlers bounded past one screen. Another click and they were suddenly underwater. A titanic beast that looked like a cuttlefish with a protruding brain-like forehead swam serenely past, feeding on glowing green krill. It was hard to see but Ryan could just make out some small bipedal creatures swimming along with it, dwarfed by the gentle giant. On the opposite wall an underwater city that looked as if it were constructed out of living coral could be seen in the distance. The scene jumped again and he could see an island floating on a sea of clouds. The swirled pink and blue grass was populated by a city composed entirely of canvas circus tents.

    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Ryan exclaimed, ¡°It all looks so real. This is nothing like the last time I was here.¡±

    Regina smiled and winked at Willow, ¡°Like I said, we¡¯ve hired some extremely talented people.¡±

    Willow said, ¡°Of course, none of this could be possible without Dr. Gardener. His work with neuroscience and mapping the brain is the only way this is even possible.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I just wish he was here to talk more about it. I can¡¯t even begin to explain his work,¡± Regina added.

    ¡°Okay ladies, you¡¯ve kept me in suspense long enough.¡± Ryan chuckled, ¡°What is this actually about? You sent me a cryptic message about some life changing game and to come out here to what is essentially a mad scientist¡¯s lab, told me to put my affairs in order before flying me out here, and now you¡¯re talking about neuroscience. Why exactly am I here?¡±

    Regina regarded him quietly for a moment, ¡°We are working on full neural integration into a video game. Digital immortality. All the transhumanistic themes you see in the media, we¡¯ve cracked the code. At least, I hope we have. And we want you to be the first one to test it.¡±

    ¡°This is way more than I expected.¡± Ryan swallowed the lump in his throat, ¡°I thought you were just giving me a chance to check out your new game. Like, one last beautiful dream before the end, y¡¯know.¡±

    Regina squatted down and placed a gentle hand over his. ¡°Sweetheart, I¡¯m not offering you the end. I¡¯m offering you a fresh start.¡± Regina stood and spread her arms to indicate the screens to either side of them. The scene changed from one fantastical world to another. Each more whimsical and eerily beautiful than the last, ¡°I¡¯m offering you a chance at a new life.¡±

    Ryan felt a wave of emotions wash over him, leaving him with a feeling he hadn¡¯t felt in some time. With a twinge of hope in his voice, he muttered, ¡°Fuck it, what do I have to lose? Show me.¡±

    Regina nodded and smiled at Willow before turning. She led them through the double doors and into a large room filled with computer desks. People bustled around, writing code, fixing glitches and even socializing. Regina was still talking about the project and plans for the future but Ryan¡¯s mind was reeling with the possibilities. Sure he¡¯d seen the science fiction shows, played the games dealing with jacking into a virtual world and living in a new life as a digitized mind on a server somewhere. But it had to be impossible right? And if not, why ask him to test it?

    Maybe because he had nothing to lose by trying. He had volunteered after all. And maybe a small part of him really believed it could be true.

    ¡°Douglas! There you are! You can¡¯t keep avoiding me.¡±

    A voice cut through Ryan¡¯s contemplation and he looked up at an agitated man with a fit frame, immaculate goatee and glasses with clip-on sunglasses. The look Regina gave him should have vaporized him on the spot but he muscled his way closer, ignorant of the danger.

    ¡°Regina, I¡¯ve got to talk to you about my ideas for the in-game store. You keep blocking me on this but selling weapon skins is the best way to make money!¡± The man said as he stopped in front of them, ¡°If you¡¯re going to kibosh the season pass idea you have to give me something! I¡¯m head of marketing, I need something to, you know¡­Market!¡±

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this? Some kind of make-a-wish foundation thing?¡± He asked, finally glancing down at Ryan. He leaned in close with a smug smirk, ¡°Little old to be in the program, eh bud?¡±

    Ryan stared him down, ¡°Nice seeing you again, Hassan. Always a pleasure.¡±

    Hassan squinted, then leaned back so fast his sunglasses flipped down as recognition hit, ¡°Ah fuck! I¡¯m sorry Ryan, that wasn¡¯t cool of me. I heard about what happened. How¡¯s the, uh, situation looking?¡±

    Ryan sighed, too tired to fight, ¡°You¡¯re looking at it.¡±

    Regina shot Hassan a ¡®I will kill you¡¯ look, ¡°That¡¯s actually why he¡¯s here. He¡¯ll be testing out the new Full Integration feature.¡±

    Hassan brightened up, ¡°Oh shit, no kidding? You finally found a lab rat to test the program out, eh? Do we have his login yet? Never mind, it¡¯ll be the sarcophagus, right? I¡¯ll shoot him an experience boost and some exclusive swag. I am going to hook you up, Ry guy! I¡¯ve got these new NFT exclusive pets I¡¯ve been wanting to try out. Guaranteed to appreciate in value!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Regina shouted. The room went silent and everyone looked at her, ¡°No. Hassan I¡¯ve told you, no Non-Fungible Tokens, no season passes and no loot boxes. But I promise I¡¯ll look at your in-game skin store proposal later, okay?¡±

    ¡°Roger that, chief. Message received. I¡¯ll send it to you later.¡± Hassan turned to Ryan, shooting finger guns at him, ¡°But not before I give you a leg up. We want our new Beta Tester beefy for the game. It takes a bit of fun away from the tutorial but you¡¯ll be exploring the stars before long, you have my personal guarantee!¡±

    Hassan turned and hit the button in his earpiece, picking up a conversation he¡¯d apparently paused to corner Regina and headed off to do whatever slimy tech bros did when they weren¡¯t posturing. Regina started to apologize but was interrupted as Ryan started coughing. It was shallow at first but became more violent until he was breathless. Taking shallow breaths, he held up a shaky hand as Regina and Willow watched him with concern. He was about to speak when another coughing fit overtook him.

    ¡°Tour¡¯s over. We¡¯re doing this,¡± Regina said resolutely.

    With unspoken agreement both women picked up the pace, walking with the wheelchair past more offices, then long hallways and past huge rooms filled with servers. Ryan dipped in and out of consciousness until a bump over some thick cables woke him up. He was parked next to what almost looked like an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus if you put a glass dome on the door.

    Still coughing, he saw Hassan look up from a standing desk nearby and rush over with what at least looked like genuine concern. Regina pointed at the computer he was working on and said something to him, but her voice sounded distant and muffled. He nodded and went back to quickly finish what he was working on as Willow knelt in front of him, holding a clipboard with paperwork in front of him. She spoke to him, lifting the pen and tapping a blank line. He glanced at the papers and recognized a Non-Disclosure Agreement and waiver that removed liability from Star-Lynx Entertainment.

    ¡®In for a penny,¡¯ Ryan thought as he gripped the pen in shaky fingers. He scribbled his name with practiced skill on every spot Willow pointed to.

    Ryan¡¯s vision started to get dark around the edges as he hear Regina, or maybe it was Willow, shout something. A shadow fell over him as Hassan moved over to him and lifted him up as easily as a load of laundry. He was set down inside the sarcophagus with surprising gentleness and the lid closed down over him with a soft hiss.

    Lights along the sides of the casket lit up, and large rubbery tendrils started to move up and over him. As warm liquid started to fill the chamber, the tips of the tendrils started to glow and wrap around him. All in all it felt a bit like being under the ocean, warm and safe. He glanced up at the class dome and saw the concerned faces of friends, old and new, watching him. The liquid closed in over his face and as a sense of peace washed over him, Ryan closed his eyes.

 Chapter 2 - A New You

    Then he noticed the persistent pain he¡¯d been experiencing was gone.

    no focal points to indicate if he was moving at all. ¡°Hello?¡± Ryan asked, his voice sounding strange to his own ears, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±

    Nothingness exploded into blinding white light. A pulsating purple tear in reality opened in front of him and from beyond the fissure darkness came rushing in again, this time bringing with it colored speckles and a dull roar of sound. The sudden torrent of blackness flowed past him, slowing and churning into masses of colorful stars and shining galactic filaments. It was like watching the Big Bang at the start of the universe. Clusters of nebulae and swirling galaxies coalesced in the distance. As the celestial river flowed past him Orion¡¯s body became a glowing constellation of stars, giving him a vague humanoid shape. Comets trailed beneath his translucent feet and an asteroid belt detached itself from a passing solar system to orbit lazily around his head. Free floating in the depths of space surrounded by a tapestry of vibrant colors, Orion Starbeard was birthed by the cosmos.

    Orion felt like he should say something profound to mark the occasion.

    ¡°

    Yes, that felt sufficiently grandiose.

    Stolen story; please report.

    enough, you know? Like I¡¯m gaslighting myself into being something I¡¯m not.¡±

 Chapter 3 - Org You Out There?

    Orion was unceremoniously spat out the other size of the portal like a speck of food caught in someone¡¯s molar. He spun ass over tea kettle for a moment before finally righting himself. He shook his head to clear it, rubbing at his eyes. As he pulled his hands away, he was startled to realize he was missing fingers. He looked down at his body but couldn¡¯t see much past his chest. He was wearing what looked like a silver space suit from an old black and white sci-fi B-movie. There was a badge on the arm, a ten pointed star with an S in the center, a white comet encircling it.

    ¡®Millennia ago-¡¯

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Orion startled as a voice from everywhere and nowhere started narrating. The booming sound reverberated in his chest, gentle but all encompassing. It was like being at a movie theater with surround sound. It was a comforting feeling in the strangeness of his new surroundings.

    ¡®-the galaxy was a chaotic nebulous cloud of stardust and energy.¡¯

    Orion noticed a yellow and orange nebula below him. It flashed in places, as if it were a living primordial creatures, full of life and potential.

    ¡®The ancient peoples of the Genesis Nebula were brutish and warlike. Ten fledgling races rose above all others, conquering their Homeworlds and erecting great civilizations.¡¯

    The Nebula expanded around him, and Orion saw himself floating in the center of a ring of planets. As they passed him, he saw ghostly figures of the people that inhabited them. An earth-like world with one moon was home to neanderthal creature. A cluster of nine planets was inhabited by squat, brutish big-headed gray aliens. Each planet was different in color and size, with a variety of moons. He saw worlds with different biomes, one covered in ice, another with volcanoes, and yet another composed of mostly oceans. One was even pink and blue with three concentric rings around it. Every world depicted some kind of primitive version of the character creation races floating behind them.

    Orion was impressed. As the planets orbited him, he watched cities grow and expand across the different landscapes. Orion¡¯s forehead creased at the speed of their expansion. Something was wrong. They were progressing too fast. The worlds were being overtaken by the technological expansion, polluted and overpopulated. Several of the gray clusters suddenly went dark.

    The Narrator continued, ¡®Their own worlds were swiftly becoming unsustainable, so the Ten Prime Races sought salvation in the stars. A great war broke out as the dying worlds fought over resources. Billions of lives were lost.¡¯

    Orion watched as several planets launched tiny armadas into space. He watches as the ships collides, firing tiny beams of energy. Several ships were destroyed with tiny explosions. Several fleets converged in the heart of the Nebula, and the resulting explosion tore a hole in space.

    ¡®This conflict brought forth an even greater danger,¡¯ the Narrator continued. ¡®The warring species drew the attention of the Void, a great black hole that threatened to swallow the Genesis Nebula.¡¯

    A black pit ringed in orange light grew from the center of the space debris, sucking it inside. A sliver of flame formed in the center and swept across the stars as if some great eye was seeking prey. The Genesis Nebular started to swirl, coalescing into five spiral arms as the Void bloated in size. The miniature warships attacked the yawning abyss, but were ultimate sucked into its gravity field and destroyed. Orion shuddered at the notion of a malevolent black hole bent on consuming all life in the universe.

    The voice interrupted his gloomy thoughts, ¡®But all hope was not lost. Help appeared from beyond our dimension. Ten benevolent aliens appeared above each Prime World to stave off their inevitable collapse.¡¯

    Ten wormholes opened behind each planet orbiting Orion. From each portal stepped an indistinct bipedal figure made of colored light, each dwarfing the world they hovered behind. Orion watched as light spiraled down from the godlike alien¡¯s hands, weaving and reshaping the decaying civilizations. Newly enhanced ships launched from the surfaces to colonize nearby moons and asteroids.

    The Narrator continued to exposit, ¡®These beings, known only as The Sculptors, entered our universe and saw great potential in these burgeoning worlds. They evolved the dominant life forms of each world and reshaped them in their image. And with it, gave them unique abilities to help them survive.¡¯

    Leaning in to take a closer look, Orion noticed that the more primitive aliens now looked like their counterparts in the character select screen. ¡°Oh, so this is kind of their explanation as to why all the races are basically humanoid bipeds,¡± Orion speculated.

    Apus nodded, ¡°Early alpha testing showed that making playable character bodies too alien played havoc on people¡¯s perception, leading to disorientation when leaving the servers.¡±

    ¡®The Sculptors also intervened to bestow the Prime Races with the means to defend themselves against the Void,¡¯ said the Narrator. ¡®As well as the secrets ways to control the Gates.¡¯

    Orion watched several portals, or more likely Gates, open in the stratosphere above the tiny worlds. The ruined cities were wiped clean, and new structures erected in their place. The polluted skies cleared, oceans refilled, and nature flourished. Each civilization had newly adapted technology that worked to harness power unique to their habitat.

    The Rokaos dug into the heart of living volcanoes, using thermo pockets to power their cities. Kreeluxian castles drifted above great snowbanks, propelled by stone platforms with mounted hover jets. The Jrassk tamed dinosaurs to use as cattle and transportation. It reminded Orion of the seven Seas of Spiritus, which each represented a specific element.

    ¡®Empowered by The Sculptors and united by a common enemy, an intergalactic accord was struck. Former enemies put aside their differences to defend all sapient life. And thus the Star Sentinels were born.¡¯ The Narrator continued, ¡®With the conclusion of this benevolent act, The Sculptors promptly vanished.¡¯

    As Orion was reminiscing, The Sculptors stepped back into their portals, which closed behind them. As he watched, a new armada of highly advanced ships rose from the ring of planets surrounding him. But instead of fighting each other, they came together to fly towards the terrible eye in the center of their broken nebula.

    Orion followed the scene he ships converged on the Void and attacked as one. The circle of orange light shimmered and ruptured at the edges. Dark shapes unfurled from the black hole like a monstrous squid, grasping tentacles of darkness reaching for the Sentinel Homeworlds. Orion¡¯s mouth gaped in horror as black tendrils passed through him, wrapping around the model planets. Even with their new defenses, cracks formed across the Homeworlds and enveloped them in oily darkness. The holographic globes shattered like glass, Org?a seemingly consumed entirely. All but Terra and the Zeta Cluster survived, though large divots were scored from Terra¡¯s mountains, and only two of Zeta¡¯s seven dwarf worlds remained.

    Orion watched as billions of tiny spaceships few away from the corrupting devastated planets. As they did, whole swaths of stars were shrouded in a pervasive darkness. However, the Void¡¯s grip on the newly formed galaxy waned. Instead of being sucked into the eye of the cosmic storm, the rotating arms slowed and stabilized. Orion glanced at the center and noticed the Void was noticeably smaller. The Star Sentinels were winning!

    The Narrator confirmed his suspicions, ¡®The battle was hard fought, but the Star Sentinels were able to weaken the Void¡¯s power. In a last ditch effort to rid the universe of this eldritch horror, the Sentinels focused their power to open a Gate large enough to banish the Void.¡±

    Orion leaned forward as the eye shrank even further, becoming a fiery orange disc with a pinprick of darkness in the center. The Sentinel forces fired beams of light at the shrinking hole, creating a technicolor vortex light years wide. The Void broke apart, sucked into the rainbow Gate¡¯s miasma. Rather than close the doorway in space, the Star Sentinels followed after the Void, leaving the broken galaxy behind. And there the Gate remained: a flashing, pulsing heart beating in the core of the Genesis Galaxy.

    Orion couldn¡¯t help but clap at the show of heroism. Former enemies came together to protect their collective peoples from a danger far greater than themselves. A stray thought crossed his mind and Orion tugged at his sleeve to look at the emblem sewn there. A star with ten points and an S in the center. Glancing at Apus, Orion asked, ¡°Wait, am I a Sentinel?¡±

    Apus nodded, ¡°Excellent deduction, Sir.¡±

    ¡®The Gate War, as it is commonly called, had ended,¡¯ said the Narrator. ¡®The battle was won, but the cost was great. Nearly every world had fallen to the Void. But The Sculptors left the Genesis Galaxy with one more gift.¡¯

    New Gates opened in the center of the fragmented Homeworlds, gathering up pieces of floating detritus. Orion narrowed his eyes and counted again, seeing only nine portals. A quick tally revealed that there was no Gate where Org?a once was, possibly being drawn into a different dimension entirely. Once enough pieced were gathered, the Gates shut once more. A ring of them opened on one of the galaxy¡¯s arms, and the image zoomed in for Orion to get a better look. The chunks of crust and mantle were assembled like building blocks, clicking into place with the help of Gate-Tech energy. After a few moments the energy limbs pilled away and vanished once more to their own dimensions. As the portals closed, Orion saw a new world cobbled together from pieces of the others. A patchwork sphere of contrasting biomes somehow working in perfect symbiosis.

    ¡®The Sculptors built a new world to house the displaced refugees, built from the scraps of destroyed Prime Worlds. The surviving species emigrated to this newly constructed home and named it Sanctuary.¡¯

    Orion watched with his mouth open. Whoever wrote the history of the game deserved a raise. This was Gripping!

    ¡®Many made a new home there, choosing to make a new life among the diverse population of surviving Prime Species. Others sought their fortune among the stars. For time, there was serenity among all sapient creatures. Over a millennia old feelings of greed, hatred, jealousy and despair wormed into the minds of many. Discord once again returned to haunt the assorted worlds of Genesis.¡¯

    Orion frowned as he watched conflicts start to spark up again on the galactic map again. He sighed but shrugged. If there was no conflict, the game would get boring pretty quick.

    ¡®One thousand years have passed since the Gate War raged. The Sculptors have been relegated to the realm of myths and legends, and the archaic technology of the Sentinels lost. But now you, Sentinel Recruit [Orion Starbeard]-¡¯

    The voice sounded choppy and robotic, like it was just reading his username and doing its best to approximate it.

    ¡®-have been summoned back to Genesis to help quell the growing conflicts, uncover the mysteries of the past, and explore new Cosmic Horizons!¡¯

    Orion plunged forward again, being pulled towards the galaxy map. Stars, comets and even full solar systems flew past as he saw the Frankensteinian landscape of Sanctuary grow in size. His vertigo kicked in and he squeezed his eyes shut as his stomach flipped. The momentum suddenly stopped and Orion felt ground under his feet. He risked cracking open one eyelid.

    Orion¡¯s vision was filled with the sight of a could see was a Gate large enough for a tank to drive through, and the looming shape of a neon purple sphinx. The monument had an orc face with thick tusks, a glimmering gold and blue pharaoh crown and weirdest of all, shutter shades. The gate was nestled in the sphinx''s chest, between two outstretched lion arms. The gate statue was attached to a massive pyramid made up of a blue energy grid.

    His side the world looked unfinished. Indigo and violet colors mixed together to look like a starless night sky, except it was above and below. The ground beneath his feet was black sand that had a mirror finish, small prismatic rainbows flashing as he shifted his weight. A flat golden disk hung high in the sky, an Eye of Ra carved on the surface. He could see palm trees in the distance and to either side he noticed two mountain ranges, made up of similar blue grids. The whole effect made Orion feel like he was standing inside a retro synthwave album cover.

    Through the gate he could see a busy lobby. There were more gates in the room, which was circular in shape. It looked like some kind of tourist trap, hundreds of people of varying alien species milled about. He even saw a family of Jrassks with a little girl on the dad¡¯s shoulder peer into the gate, clearly oblivious to Orion¡¯s presence. A popup window suddenly blocked his view.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    [Mission Available: Org you Out There?

    You are a new recruit to the Star Sentinels, and have been assigned to pass through the Genesis Central Gate. Born outside this dimension, you have never seen the homeland of your ancestors. Your new life begins here at Sanctuary Gate Plaza. Your mission, learn about the history of this world, help those who require it, and uncover the mystery of the Org¡¯s disappearance from this plane of existence.]

    [Do You Accept? Yes/No?]

    Orion was startled, ¡°Wait, what? There¡¯s no Orgs in the game? I¡¯m the only one?¡±

    [Mission Available: Org you Out There?

    You are a new recruit to the Star Sentinels, and have-]

    Orion groaned as the mission briefing restarted, ¡°Yes, okay, I accept. This is all tutorial stuff right? I won¡¯t find out what happened to the Orgs trapped here in limbo.¡±

    The mission window closed and a little exclamation point in a yellow triangle appeared in the top right corner of his vision. Orion flicked his eyes towards it and his HUD window opened. A Mission Log tab was selected and he saw ¡®Org You Out There?¡¯ highlighted. He swiped it away and rubbed his hands eagerly as he walked toward the gate.

    ¡°Okay Apus, looks like it¡¯s just you and me.¡± Orion took a steadying breath. He¡¯d survived the upload, built a new body, and watched the history of the game world. Now he had to play, ¡°An Org and his phoenix, up against the world. Worlds?¡±

    ¡°I look forward to working with you, Sir.¡± Apus chirped cheerfully, ¡°Welcome to Sanctu-¡±

    As Orion¡¯s fingers touched the surface of the gate, Apus made a twitchy, high-pitched noise. The entire gate and surrounding lands began to pixelate and become staticky. Entire chunks of the world around him flipped off, leaving behind white panels with a broken photo icon in the center.

    ¡°What is happen-pen-pen-iiiin-¡± Orion¡¯s digitally distorted voice shouted over the cacophonous noise as everything around him crumbled into chaos and then suddenly went dark.

    Enrique was staring out the window of the car anxiously. The city flew by in a blur, grief and worry plagued him with dark thoughts so he couldn¡¯t focus on anything else. The car turned down a stretch of road surrounded by trees, and the sudden absence of sunlight turned the window into a mirror.

    Enrique frowned at his appearance. His eyes were the first thing he noticed, the steel gray eyes were dull and puffy from crying. His usually immaculate shoulder length chestnut colored hair was disheveled and pulled back in a messy ponytail. His usually vibrant olive skin had grown pale. His toned physique had lost definition as he¡¯d struggled to eat in the past few weeks. Enrique had tried to hide it but Ryan¡¯s illness had been hell on his mental and emotional health. Ryan had been supportive and tried to comfort him throughout the last few months. Comfort him! The damned fool was dying and all he cared about was making sure Enrique was going to be fine!

    When Regina had told him about some revolutionary experiment that could possibly save Ryan¡¯s life, if not his body, Enrique had a flutter of hope. He had flown out as soon as he heard Ryan was heading to Star-Lynx, but flight delays had increased his layover by eight hours. By the time he¡¯d finally gotten to Michigan, Ryan had already needed to plug in due to his health crashing. Enrique knew it was coming, but he thought he had more time. He had hoped to see Ryan one last time before he passed. Enrique swiped at the tears that just couldn¡¯t seem to stop flowing.

    ¡°I never even got a chance to say goodbye,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°You won¡¯t have to,¡± the driver said. ¡°Say goodbye, I mean.¡±

    Enrique looked up at the frizzy haired driver. While she looked tidy in her orange turtleneck, the bun keeping her hair out of her face had fallen a bit giving her a frazzled look.

    She sounded embarrassed, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop. I¡¯m Willow. I spoke with Mr. Starbeard a bit when I drove him out here. I can see why you care about him so much Mr. Ironsides. He was¡­kind to me. And he didn¡¯t have to be.¡±

    Aurelio laughed damply, wiping his eyes. ¡°Yes he did. It¡¯s in his nature. He was a very sweet man.¡±

    ¡°Is.¡± Willow interjected, ¡°He still is. His body may be gone but his mind is still with us. Miss Douglas has been giving me updates. He¡¯s been in character creation for hours.¡±

    Enrique burst out in loud and boisterous laughter, ¡°That¡¯s my Ryan all right. He always had to build his character before the stream, otherwise he¡¯d never get to playing the game.¡±

    Willow smiled and looked at the phone mounted to the dash, ¡°Looks like he¡¯s finishing up. We¡¯re almost there, we should have time to see him take his first steps into the game. Especially if he doesn¡¯t skip the intro.¡±

    Enrique looked out the front window and saw the Star-Lynx building at the end of the long driveway. He pulled out his phone and texted ¡®Almost there¡¯ with a heart emoji to Reggie. It was sweet of her to fly him out to surprise Ryan. If only he¡¯d gotten here faster!

    As Willow pulled the car to a messy stop near the entrance, security guards were already pouring outside. They handed Enrique a VIP Pass lanyard and a clipboard with a NDA attached to it, explaining the paperwork and pointing to signature spots as they fast walked down the corridor. Worry gnawed at Enrique¡¯s stomach and he didn¡¯t even have time to enjoy the facility, the impressive tech blurring past unnoticed.

    Willow, clearly run ragged herself but keeping pace with Enrique, was the first to burst into a door labeled ¡®Sarcophagus Room¡¯. She made a beeline for a monitor on one side and started reading over lines of code. Distracted momentarily by the oddity of the room, Enrique looked around for the first time. The room was filled with weird futuristic coffins with monitors hooked up to each one. He spotted Hassan on another monitor, manipulating a stat screen. The only screen that was lit up was in the center, showing a scene of a Galaxy and several strange looking aliens lined up.

    ¡°Aurelio!¡±

    Enrique looked back as Regina yelled out his VTuber persona name. She looked as tired as the others, the stress of the momentous event taking a toll. She waved to Enrique and turned to the security guard, approving the clipboard paperwork. She tried to enter when a few more programmers rushed her, shoving paperwork in her face. She skimmed the pages and signed with a grunt of frustration, sending the programmers rushing back to their computer stations. Regina opened her arms and approached Enrique.

    ¡°Baby boy! You made it!¡± Regina scooped Enrique into a hug that he reciprocated, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you missed him. We wanted to wait.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you held out as long as you could.¡± Enrique leaned back from the hug, ¡°I understand why he wouldn¡¯t tell me. Or even couldn¡¯t. Thank you for bringing me into this.¡±

    ¡°Oh honey, I wouldn¡¯t dream of shutting you out.¡± Regina broke the hug, ¡°I don¡¯t have many people in my life I consider real friends but you two are part of that very exclusive list.¡±

    Enrique sighed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry it took this to get the old gang back together.¡±

    ¡°Life happens. Lord knows I¡¯ve been busy,¡± Regina said. ¡°In fact, let me show you what I¡¯ve been working on!¡±

    Regina led Enrique over to the only occupied sarcophagus and waved a hand to the screen. The camera seemed to be in first person, overlooking a battle between a minuscule fleet of space ships and an enormous black hole. Enrique felt a wave of relief as the dark vortex started to shrink. Something about it felt sinister. The view changed and Enrique saw a red bird perched on the viewer¡¯s shoulder, the red bird fastidiously preening.

    Enrique pressed a hand to his mouth, ¡°Oh my god, Ryan has a little bird friend! It looks just like Apus.¡±

    Regina beamed, ¡°I had a feeling he¡¯d find it. We added a few Easter eggs dedicated to Ryan in the game. There¡¯s an Orion Starbeard statue in one of the major parks on Sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°¡®Course it don¡¯t look much like him anymore,¡± Hassan chuckled.

    ¡°Shut up Hassan!¡± Willow shouted over her shoulder, ¡°The memorial isn¡¯t for him. He¡¯s still with us. It¡¯s for his fans.¡±

    Regina rubbed her temples, ¡°They¡¯re right of course, both of them. Orion got a little creative with his design, but it suits him. Honestly it feels more natural. But you¡¯ll see for yourself.¡±

    Enrique was startled, ¡°I will?¡±

    Regina laughs, ¡°Of course! That¡¯s why you¡¯re here. Part of it anyway. The main reason was to give Ryan a proper send-off, but the second was to test out interactions between living Player Characters and a fully integrated consciousness. Once he gets through the tutorial a bit we can go in and visit him together! I figured he¡¯d want you there.¡±

    Enrique¡¯s eyes welled up and he looked away. His watery gaze fell on the sarcophagus and he stepped up to it, peering into the glass. It was filled with a murky liquid, and there seemed to be thick cables wrapped around something inside. Some of them were moving.

    ¡°Is he¡­¡± Enrique swallowed heavily, ¡°Is he in there?¡±

    Regina gently pulled him back from the sarcophagus, putting a comforting arm around Enrique¡¯s shoulders. She glanced at Willow and asked, ¡°What¡¯s his status?¡±

    Willow spoke as her fingered danced quickly over the keyboard, ¡°He¡¯s stable, but just barely. The whole point of the sarcophagus it to keep the players in peak physical condition during gameplay. The download is progressing within expected levels, but I¡¯ve called Dr. Gardener to help monitor the transfer.¡±

    Enrique took a shaky breath, ¡°If he¡¯s stable, couldn¡¯t we pull Ryan back out?¡±

    Willow gave him a sympathetic look, ¡°He¡¯s on life support right now. We haven¡¯t stopped the heart attack, the sarcophagus is the only thing keeping oxygen flowing to his brain. All we can do is keep him alive long enough for the transfer.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s it, then. Ryan¡¯s dead,¡± Enrique whispered miserably.

    Regina tried to comfort him, ¡°But not gone if this works. His physical body will expire, but his consciousness will be preserved within Cosmic Horizons.¡±

    Enrique sniffled and scrubbed the palms of his hands across his face, wiping away tears. Quietly, he asked, ¡°And what will happen to his body?¡±

    Regina shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s between Ryan and the legal team. Not even I know the details. I promise you it will be taken care of according to his wishes. On my tab.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in!¡± announced Willow as Orion¡¯s perspective switched to some kind of synthwave poster scene.

    With a loud tap of an enter button Hassan announced, ¡°Experience Boost added! Gave him a few surprises to boot! Sending our boy to Valhalla in style!¡±

    ¡°Memory upload at seventy-six percent!¡± shouted a tech.

    ¡°Avatar compatibility within acceptable levels!¡± shouted another. ¡°No obvious signs of rejection!¡±

    The entire room turned to watch as Orion¡¯s hand reached out to touch the portal to Sanctuary. The only sounds were the hum of computers as everyone collectively held their breath. One thick fingertip dipped into the wavering Gate.

    The screen immediately began to glitch out. The image started to flicker across the screen, chunks of the scenery either multiplying or vanishing completely. Willow gasped and everyone turned back to their computers, frantically trying to figure out what went wrong.

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡± Regina roared, ¡°What is happening?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± One of the techs responded, ¡°It must be a bug or, maybe something was coded incorrectly! We haven¡¯t used the Org Gate before!¡±

    Enrique¡¯s chest tightened with panic. He rushed up and placed his hands on the sarcophagus¡¯s lid. ¡°Stay with me, baby!¡± Enrique shouted desperately, ¡°You made it this far, you¡¯re so close! Stay with me and we¡¯ll be together soon, okay? Wake up!¡± Tears dripped on the glass dome separating them.

    The image on the screen was becoming more warped. Regina rushed over to one of the tech¡¯s computers and pushed him out of the way, typing furiously. After a few lines of code the screen froze, the keyboard clicking uselessly.

    Regina shouted over her shoulder, ¡°Where the hell is Gardener? This is his department, I need to know what¡¯s going on!¡±

    The lights flickered and then went dark. The constant humming in the room slowly went quiet. The last lights to go out were the faux futuristic LEDs illuminating the sarcophagus. The hum of cooling fans died the same moment the lights did, and the only sound left was the quiet sobs emanating from Enrique.

    Still clinging to the lid, Enrique composed himself enough to lift his head and kiss the lid.¡°Goodbye, my Captain,¡± Enrique whispered. ¡°I love you, Orion.¡±

 Chapter 4 - Nuclear Arms Race

    Stay with me...

    Something pulled at his consciousness. A blue light started to dimly glow in front of him. But who was he? Where was this?

    Is he¡­

    ...in There?

    There was something he was meant to be doing. But he was just so tired. The light hurt. He pulled away from it. He¡¯d hurt for so long, he just wanted to sleep. Be free of the pain. The light started to grow dim again.

    I love you...

    ...My Captain

    That voice. That voice sounded familiar though. It was very far away and when the voice faded his soul ached to hear it again. He struggled through the heavy blanket of lethargy. The need to find that voice overcame the fear of the pain and the comfort of the dark. Mentally he reached out for it. He turned toward the light and tried to follow it, the blue glow illuminating the edges of his vision.

    Orion...

    Wake up!

    Orion¡¯s eyes shot open. The blue light was all around him, blinding and disorienting. He shielded his eyes and saw that he was free-falling in what looked like a tunnel of illuminated rings, being pulled inexorably towards some unknown destination. Beyond the thin wall of light seemed to be space, but instead of being filled with stars it was filled with junk. Furniture, spaceships, entire houses, chunks of land attached to nothing. And people. Millions of people, gray and unmoving. All of them appeared broken, floating among chunks of debris like broken toys.

    Still tumbling, Orion cast his gaze about but couldn¡¯t see anything that could help him. Random objects floated alongside him, none of which looked the least bit useful. There were no ledges to grab onto, just a smooth tunnel of light pulling him towards some unknown destination. It seemed like he was helpless to change his trajectory.

    He looked towards the direction he was being sucked toward and saw the distant glow changing from soothing blue to an angry red. Orion narrowed his eyes, focusing on the encroaching gleam of red in the distance. As he watched, random bits of garbage flew into the light and were immediately vaporized with a bright flash! Cold sweat beaded on Orion¡¯s forehead as he realized his trajectory was pulling him towards some kind of celestial incinerator!

    Orion started to panic, looking around some something, anything that could redirect him away from the red light. He glanced around frantically and caught sight of a damaged doorway up ahead. It was stationary, and was oddly similar to the sarcophagus he entered back in Star-Lynx. It looked like an unused asset, having two yellow warning messages across the entrance like police tape. Just beyond the entrance Orion spotted a neon purple tunnel branching away from the main pathway. He had no way of knowing where it went, only that it wasn''t heading towards the angry red glow growing increasingly closer by the second.

    Desperately Orion patted himself down, looking for something that could help him. Player characters had starter gear right? Maybe he had a rope, or rocket shoes, or even a jetpack. He touched a pocket and an inventory window, pixilated at the edges, appeared in front of him. It only contained ten rations of food, water, a [Portable Portal], and fifty credits. Nothing useful here. His hand brushed a holster attached to the silver space suit he still wore and a similarly buggy Weapon Wheel appeared in front of him. It only contained a [Rusty Pistol] and-

    ¡°The Pocket Nuke? How-¡± Orion gaped. ¡°Nevermind. Let¡¯s just hope it works!¡±

    As he barreled towards the abandoned Gate, Orion scrolled to the Pocket Nuke and selected the image. A massive two-handed canon appeared in his hands, the holographic wheel closing simultaneously. The gun had a large cylindrical barrel with green flames painted on the muzzle. The body of the gun had steel gray metal casing with a round cylinder underneath, inlaid with dark glass panels on either side. One top of the barrel was a handle to aim, and a second handle near the stock featured a hand grip with a button on top and a trigger on the handle. With It was meant to be held like a leaf blower.

    Once Orion figured out how to hold it, he fiddled with the buttons until his thumb depressed the button on the grip. The gun hummed to life and the side panels started to light up like a charging battery. Orion cursed as he realized the cannon needed to warm up first! Orion was sweating as he glanced up at the rapidly approaching gate and back down to the Pocket Nuke as it warmed up. The red lights were getting closer and his escape was approaching too fast.

    Orion shook the gun, ¡°Come on! Come on!¡±

    The panels slowly filled, revealing a radioactive symbol pattern in the center. The cannon started to vibrate in his sweaty palms, watching as the lenses lit up completely, a soft chime indicating the weapon was ready to fire. Orion looked at the gate, judged the direction, and pulled the trigger. Violent green energy belched from the muzzle with the sound of a thousand angry bees.

    Orion was rocketed backwards, his body pinwheeling as he struggled to hold the bucking weapon steady. He almost dropped it when his back slammed against the tunnel wall, threatening to push him through the glowing membrane into the dark abyss beyond. By some miracle the wall held and he bounced back before hitting the opposite side.

    Orion nearly lost his grip on the triggers, but reoriented himself enough to open his eyes. He spotted the doorway approaching on his left and aimed the muzzle right. He took off like a rocket, zipping past the yellow warning ¡®tape¡¯ just before he ricocheted off the ceiling. Startled, his thumb left the trigger as Orion spun away from the Gate, mere seconds before the crimson glare consumed the tunnel behind him.

    The violet tunnel curved and spiraled away. Chunks of the walls seemed to be missing, getting larger and more frequent the further he fell. The path seemed to pull him along but he didn¡¯t bump into any of the precarious walls. In the distance he saw a flickering, vaguely human shaped hole. The space just beyond the doorway was cast in shadow. Orion had no idea where he was headed, but it had to be better than the red tunnel of doom.

    Orion hit the mystery Gate at full speed and flew vertically across the room, landing on what felt like a mini fridge covered in spikes. Pain flared up his shoulder as he tumbled and rolled to a stop, catching his breath. At least he tried to, the air was thin and had a tinny taste to it. He could breathe but it was like being at high altitude, something he experienced climbing mountains during a family vacation to Peru. Orion felt his helmet and noticed it was shattered on one side. He took the helmet off, thankful that wherever he landed it was at least habitable.

    Orion groaned and rolled to his knees, ¡°Apus, give me a status report or something. Is that something you can do? Where are we? What happened?¡±

    Red and orange holograms tried to form in his line of vision, which did help illuminate the immediate area, but the image was choppy and mixed up. It tried to reform itself, and a voice said something but it sounded distant and garbled. The HUD implant sparked, and the image went dead and shot pain across Orion¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Orion took a knee and pushed himself to his feet, ¡°That¡¯s just great! I have a built in tutorial AI in my head, and he¡¯s on the fritz. What else could go wrong?¡± Orion took a step, but his foot touched only air. He pitched forward and face-planted with another clattering pile of pointy metal. ¡°Why did I say that?¡±

    Giving his eyes time to adjust to the dark, he realized something was giving off a faint purple glow. He saw the edge of a countertop and crawled towards it, not trusting the ground, and used it to pull himself up. He tried to put his feet on the ground and he wobbled, almost falling over again. Orion grumbled and tapped his malfunctioning brain implant.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s think about this. If I¡¯m in a video game, I can just log out, right?¡± Orion banged on his implant till the window popped up again.

    He scrolled through the fuzzy screen till he found a small gear icon and clicked it. He found settings for brightening the screen, volume, language settings, subtitles, colorblind mode. What he couldn¡¯t find was an Exit, Quit or Log Off button. He searched a few more windows before the implant shorted out with a burning smell.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bust,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Does this thing at least have a flashlight?¡±

    Another painful spark and a tiny LED flashlight emitted from the implant, allowing him to look around the room properly for the first time. It looked like a workshop. The room had ten workbenches, several shelves filled with tools and materials, stacks of mystery boxes, and on one wall there were three panels in the wall that looked like vending machines. The rest of it looked like a combination of storage unit and garbage dump, piles of random crap, broken machines, mining equipment and in one corner a broken mannequin wearing a wig, lipstick and corset.

    ¡°Yeesh!¡± Orion looked down to see what tripped him up, ¡°Oh, what the hell?¡±

    Orion lifted his left leg. The calf terminated about two inches from the knee. Not cut off, there was no blood, there was nothing there. Literally. It almost looked as if it didn¡¯t load completely, or like a 3-D printed sculpture that ran out of filament before finishing. Where you would expect to see meat and bone was a pink and black checkerboard pattern, similar to a game character whose textures didn¡¯t load. It wasn¡¯t really a wound, the limb just wasn¡¯t there. The leg of the suit was also cut off at the exact same length. It was a good thing Orion could survive this environment, this spacesuit wasn¡¯t protecting anything.

    Hopping on one foot and using the counter as a handrail, Orion made his way over to one of the random piles and rooted through it. After pulling several boxes away Orion managed to unearth a pickax that looked like it was made for someone twice his size. It fit under his armpit but it kept slipping away. He placed it on the crafting table and looked at the tools. After a few moments of scrounging he found a U-shaped pipe, a roll of leather scraps and some cables. Orion tied the pipe to the top of the pickax with the cable, then wrapped the leather around the makeshift armrest by cutting around the handle. He tested it and while a bit uncomfortable, he successfully cobbled together a working crutch. A blue popup window appeared in front of him.

    [Crafting Successful! You have crafted Crude Crutch!]

    [Learned new Trade: Machinist! You have successfully crafted an item using base materials. Access to crafting HUD. New Recipes: Crafting table, Workbench, and Forge available in the crafting menu. Craft items to gain experience and learn new recipes to refine your skills.]

    Orion stared at the floating screen. Score one for game mechanics! While his personal HUD was on the fritz, the game world announcement system was working fine. Good to know. It meant he wasn¡¯t totally locked out, he just needed to use the tools at hand.

    Deciding to test out his theory he threw some more of the discarded junk on the crafting table. A crafting window appeared in the center of the table, listing all of the items on the table. A button was labeled ¡®Craft¡¯ to the left of the list. Orion selected the button and the panel vanished, starting up what looked like a rhythm game on the table.

    ¡°Ah, whoops!¡± Orion looked around, trying to figure out what to do.

    Orion quickly scanned the rack of tools hanging on the back of the bench and saw that the edge of the hammer was highlighted. Fueled by instincts from dozens of rhythm games, he grabbed the hammer and a circle highlighted a random scrap of metal. He hit it and another appeared. He kept hitting each successive circle until they vanished. Looking up he saw a power drill was highlighted. Five glowing dots appeared on the scrap and he drilled those spots. Orion learned that each tool had a different function, so he tinkered and tweaked until the time was up.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    [Crafting Failed! You have created Useless Junk!]

    Orion arched a brow at the misshaped metal lump he made and dropped it in a nearby trash bin. Clearly he needed to practice a bit more, but before anything he needed to learn more about his surroundings. He clumped over to the illuminated gate and examined it. It looked like a sarcophagus you might see at a museum, intricately carved and decorated with faded paint. It was just big enough for someone his size to fit in, but instead of a mummy it was filled with rippling purple light. The top of the inter-dimensional doorway had a similar indigo and gold pattern on it that the Org Sphinx had, and the sides were painted a neon blue with patterns of pyramids, palm trees and sunsets ornately displayed on the side. The whole thing was partly tipped over and leaning at an angle.

    He caught sight of something dangling from the shoulder of the ornate casket. On a whim, Orion reached out and pulled it off. It was a yellow strip of paper that had writing on it that he didn¡¯t immediately recognize. His implant sparked and for the briefest of seconds the word translated for him.

    ¡°Evidence? Evidence of what?¡± Orion looked around, ¡°What is this place?¡±

    Deciding he wasn¡¯t going to find the answers here, Orion¡¯s grip tightened on his crutch and he swung himself toward the door. The door looked like one of those futuristic sliding doors but stuck open at an angle. He wedged himself past and frowned at the hall beyond. It looked like every sci-fi horror game or movie ever. The few working lights flickered with a loud fluorescent buzzing noise, and the walls were mostly a sterile metallic white. Fog or dust rolled lazily across the floor. There were a few panels in the wall that suggested monitors could slide out, and this was further demonstrated as he turned the corner and saw one of the consoles ripped out of the wall. There were more doors along the walkway but every one he tried was locked.

    Orion¡¯s nose wrinkled. The stagnant air smelled faintly acrid, but something stronger cut through. It was an earthy scent, the kind of smell you got from abandoned buildings. It brought to mind images of wood rot and long dead animals in the walls. Orion tore off a scrap of space suit and pressed it to his mouth. Who knows what kind of space viruses or fungus he might encounter?

    The hall terminated in a staircase leading to the first floor. Orion placed the crutches on his lap and slide down the stairs on his butt like a child. As he hobbled along the hallway the beam of his flashlight fell across something that gave him pause. It was a body, but unlike any he¡¯d ever seen. It wasn¡¯t like any of the alien races he saw in the game intro. It had a passing resemblance to a humanoid, but one that was made completely of shiny black metal. The shape was all wrong: there were large spiky growths along its back, one leg was bloated and split, and he could swear there was an extra arm growing out of the thick bull neck. There were a few camera lenses along it¡¯s face and body, composed of a thick orange glass-like material.

    Unwilling to examine the corpse in the dimly lit space, Orion just squeezed past the heap of metal and continued exploring. But the further he went the more bodies he found, each one uniquely grotesque. Some were tall and thin, others short and squat, none of them having a uniform shape. All of them were heavily damaged, and there were severed limbs and heads were scattered about the floor. Experimentally, Orion leaned over to one of the larger piles of twisted black figures and sniffed them. It smelled like old pennies, but clearly wasn¡¯t the source of the rotten odor. So then were these robots, and why was every one of them different?

    He continued to navigate the building, avoiding the piles of robotic corpses. He found a set of double doors that had been blocked by a fallen robot. His implant translated the sign above the doors, indicating this was the Mess Hall. There was a broken control panel to the side, but it didn¡¯t look badly damaged. Orion was able to use machinist skill to repair the controls after a few tries, leveling the skill up in the process. The panel beeped and the doors slid open.

    The rank stench of decay hit him like a punch to the face. Orion retched and barely stopped himself from vomiting, sucking in deep breaths through his mouth to calm his roiling stomach. The cafeteria was spacious, with a long serving line filled with rotting food behind the sneeze guard and vending machines on the opposite wall. Long tables with attached stools were flung about, many of them shattered. The robots were piled high in here, but as Orion tiptoed through the space he found the first body he recognized.

    It had once been a Terran, the skull structure recognizable enough. They were wearing a red guard uniform with black pants. The suit consisted of a cracked breathing helmet and oxygen pack, armored by a kind of Kevlar vest. The vest hadn¡¯t protected their legs, which were crushed under a fallen bot.

    The Terran had a two-handed weapon clutched in their skeletal fingers, looking like a futuristic shotgun, all smooth lines with a white metallic casing. Orion grabbed the gun and tried to pull it away. The dead soldier protested, the bony hands grasping the weapon. But Orion was strong and the arms eventually tore free from the sockets with a puff of bone dust. It was grisly work, but if these robotic creatures were still around, he¡¯d need better weapons. One that wasn¡¯t at risk of blowing a hole in the side of the facility.

    With his free arm, Orion aimed the barrel of the shotgun at one of the dead robots and fired. There was a loud ¡®Phwamph!¡¯ sound and some kickback, but a short burst of plasma blew a tiny chunk off the metallic corpse. Orion frowned and wondered if he could increase the gun¡¯s power with his machinist skill. It was still probably better than his Rusty Pistol, so he tapped his holster. Sure enough, the Weapon Wheel appeared and Orion stored the shotgun for the time being.

    Reaching the end of the cafeteria Orion pushed through another corpse-laden doorway, which slid open to reveal a large hallway. More recognizable skeletons were scattered about. Some of them wore similar uniforms, while others were clad in orange and white striped tops and orange pants. Orion stepped over a broken log, shuddering as he realized it had a face. One of the bodies wearing stripes was a mossy green and brown Hiver, exoskeleton still completely intact save for a dented puncture wound in its abdomen.

    ¡°Looks like the set of a horror movie,¡± Orion mused.

    The metal bodies formed a hill of chitinous cadavers halfway down the short hallway. He could see a big archway with a thick metal door at the other end. The top of a sign could be seen under the crest of the metal hill. Orion had to crawl over the misshapen, uneven bodies to try and get to the door. The slope dropped off sharply near the peak of the mound. As his head crested the top, the words above the doors finished translating. The sign said simply, ¡®Stasis Chamber¡¯.

    There was a faint humming sound, and three red laser pointers aimed at him. Orion barely had the chance to see three insect-like turrets in front of the door before they opened fire on him, slicing open his left cheek and taking out a chunk of his ear. He let go of the ledge and tumbled down the bumpy hill. Panting, Orion swiped at his bleeding cheek and winced at the shock of pain that shot up the side of his face. He might be in a video game, but it certainly felt real enough! Orion pulled his fingers away and was surprised to see his blood was turquoise, the same color as his bioluminescent freckles.

    ¡°Okay¡­Note to self:¡± Orion muttered, ¡°Wrong way.¡±

    Having finally found the exit to the facility, Orion sneered with disdain at the surrounding land. It was a desert. Of course it was a desert. Cracked red clay stretched out in front of him for miles, a thin layer of sand over most of the land. The air was hot and stagnant, and the chemical smell was even worse out here. It was much better than the malodorous stench of cadavers, but the desert air stung his eyes. It felt like getting chlorine in your eyes after swimming in a public pool. Orion wheezed, the atmosphere even thinner on the surface. It explained why some of the corpses had breathing helmets on, they must have been outside when the attack happened.

    More bodies, both organic and synthetic, were scattered about the yard. The alien corpses were mostly skeletons, except for the Zylvaan and Rokaos who were not meat based creatures. With difficulty, Orion set the crutch down and crouched to examine what looked like a Jrassk body. His eyes narrowed as he saw teeth marks on the bones. Some of them small, almost rodent-like. Orion picked up a gnawed femur marred by thin, uneven grooves.

    ¡°So I¡¯m not alone,¡± Orion murmured. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a comfort, or not.¡±

    There were uprooted trees scattered on the ground, half buried rocks and boulders, weapons and vehicles that looked like they were built for mining littered the land. To the left of him were several half circular hangars that looked like storage garages for the mining trucks. Quite some distance away directly in front of him was a collection of dark boulders with sparkling crystal embedded in the craggy rock. And to the right of him the land turned into a gradual incline that seemed to even off at the top. Squinting, Orion could just barely make out what looked like the entrance to what looked like a bridge.

    With a frustrated sigh, Orion ran his fingers through his hair and looked skyward. His mouth fell open with amazement. The sky was a deep marigold color, and there were a few brightly lit stars to be seen in the waning light of sunset. But as the horizon started to burst with shades of orange and pink, Orion could clearly see that there was a ring around the planet instead of a moon. It was a mix of earthy colors, the ring having streaks of lighter and darker colors in it.

    Despite everything that had happened today, the otherworldly beauty of a sunset on an alien world centered Orion. He felt a kind of calm wash over him he hadn¡¯t felt in what felt like forever. Mere hours ago he was caught in the throes of a heart attack. He¡¯d survived a great ordeal to get here, and he would not squander this opportunity.

    His body protested at the break. Hopping around on one leg was starting to take a toll on his body. The armpit he was using the guide the crutch was getting sore. On top of that, pain was starting to shoot down his hip, butt and lower back from putting all his weight on one foot. Orion hobbled over to a large rock and sunk down to rest.

    Orion was impressed with how accurate the game felt. He¡¯d played game with full body rigs before, ones that would rumble you when you took damage. Cosmic Horizons took it to a whole other level! He felt like he was really here, on an alien world. He felt the hot breeze in his face, got nauseous from bad smells, and his body reacted to pain and discomfort just like in the real world. Digital or not, everything felt completely real.

    Orion fluffed his hair again and took a deep breath, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s think about this for a second. Cons: I¡¯m trapped on an alien world with no idea how I got here. There are robot monsters and possibly wild animals. I didn¡¯t get a tutorial so I don¡¯t know how to do anything. I¡¯m all alone, no people, no AI assistant, no Devs¡­wait, can I message the Devs?¡±

    Orion struggled to open his personal HUD to try and send a message. All he got was a shock and a few flashes of random images. He tried to open the world chat window and send a message over the World Chat Channel. All he got was an [No Signal] error and the window shut itself down.

    ¡°No Devs. Right.¡± Orion leaned back with a sigh.

    ¡°Pros: I¡¯m alive.¡± Orion closed his eyes, ¡°After everything, I¡¯m alive. I have a strong, healthy new body, minus one leg. I can breathe without a spacesuit. I have the start of a base, with materials, and a means of crafting new gear. I have weapons, including a truly overpowered nuclear hand cannon. I have access to tools.¡±

    Orion closed his eyes and let all that information wash over him. It seemed hopeless at first, but he had a lot going for him. It was all pretty overwhelming. Exhaustion suddenly washed over Orion. He¡¯d only been awake for a few hours, but it felt like days. It was all physically and mentally draining. Had it really been worth the effort to escape to this planet if he was just going to suffer all over again? His eyelids felt heavy and he leaned back against the wall of the base. As unconsciousness began to overtake him, the Voice flashed in his mind clear as day.

    Wake Up!

    Orion¡¯s eyelids drifted open, yellow eyes sharp. That voice again. He heard it when he got teleported away from Sanctuary. It felt intimately familiar but there was a gap in his mind where their face should be. Even without knowing the source of the Voice, Orion needed to hear it again. Gritting his tusks he grabbed the crutch and started to right himself again. Orion hadn''t fought this long just to give up in the third round! Orion snatched up a rock as he righted himself.

    ¡°Bell hasn¡¯t rung yet, baby!¡± Orion shouted to the encroaching night sky, ¡°Orion¡¯s back!¡±

    Orion hurled the rock in defiance, using all his newfound strength to hurl it as hard as he could. As he nearly lost his balance and struggled to right himself, Orion heard the rock smacking against a boulder in the dark. Blue light flashed in the distance, then streaked through the air and vanished into Orion¡¯s chest.

    [+1 Stone added to Inventory.]

    Orion went still. He reread the message that appeared in his vision. Swiping the window away with a thought he turned on his flashlight and started scanning the ground to find the rock he threw. After a minute of searching he found it a few feet away from a boulder the size of a couch.

    Walking over to the boulder he scooped the stone up and tapped it on the surface. No reaction. Orion hit harder with the same result. Hope still stirring in his heart he balanced himself with the crutch, wheeled back and smashed the rock against the stony surface. A chunk fell away from the slab before turning into a blue rock-shaped grid of light. The light zipped through the air and was absorbed by Orion.

    [+1 Stone added to inventory]

    ¡°That¡¯s right! This is a survival game!¡± Orion exclaimed. ¡°I remember-¡±

    Orion paused. Someone had told him a bit about the gameplay. He struggled to recall who, but the image of their face faded into smoke in his mind. Orion tried to recall how exactly he¡¯d gotten here, desperate for any kind of clue about how he was expected to survive on this strange planet. Try as he might, the memories fell away like sand in a sieve.

    Orion took a deep breath, ¡°Okay, I can work with this. Survival games are straightforward. Gather materials, build shelter, fend off threats. Should be able to figure it out as I go.¡±

    Grinning like a maniac, Orion bashed the side of the boulder with the rock, more slivers of stone flashing into light before teleporting to him. He figured out how hard he had to hit to get a result. After a few minutes of straining Orion had twenty stones in his inventory.

    [Learned new Trade: Mining!

    Mining for materials becomes 5% easier. Continue to raise your skill level for a chance to gather additional materials.]

    Orion read the popup before the screen glitched out. He could work with this, survival games were all basically the same at their core. Sure, those kinds of games usually had a high skill cap and could be extremely difficult to survive before you got a comfortable setup. But it was a start.

    With renewed determination Orion looked at his surroundings. He had a goal! If he was stuck here, then he was going to make the best of it. He just had to build a base, figure out where he was and maybe, just maybe, find a way back to Sanctuary.

 Chapter 5 - Recovered Memories

    Rat!¡¯. Orion sat bolt upright, dislodging the startled pest. With a dismayed squeal the rat-thing dashed off, wheels spinning furiously.

    heavily, which wasn¡¯t helped by the thin air. His vision started to get a bit red at the edges. He used a breathing exercise his therapist taught him to avoid panic attacks, and eventually he was able to climb back to his feet. Foot, he mentally corrected.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    This must have been a memory he watched, because the new figures were mostly whole, but had more pixilated chunks missing, and their faces were completely randomized. A blurry mosaic of colors obscured any recognizable features aside from their bodies.

    The tailed one folded their arms, asking casually, ¡°So, why are we meeting here in the Sea of Souls with a brand new ship? This isn¡¯t exactly a newbie friendly area.¡±

    The suit of armor interjected, ¡°Well, we¡¯re not exactly newbies. We¡¯ve been playing Seas of Spiritus for years. The main reason we¡¯re restarting is because the latest DLC has a bunch of new content that isn¡®t compatible with our old save files.¡±

    ¡°

    Starbeard stopped pacing in front of her, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear about that. I¡¯m sorry Silky.¡±

    Silky shrugged, ¡°It wasn¡¯t public knowledge. We don¡¯t want people knowing the game was hacked, or thinking we were collecting data. I¡¯d never allow that.¡±

    The short one patted the knight¡¯s hand comfortingly, ¡°It¡¯s not too bad being down here as level one characters. SoS is mostly skill based, anyway. Our equipment is under leveled, sure, but a good strategy can compensate for that. And we know the strats.¡±

    Orion¡¯s attention snapped to the moment the short one spoke. That was the voice he kept hearing! He tried to float closer but the scene continued as normal. He felt an intense longing to be closer to him but was helpless to do anything except observe the conversation.

    Starbeard stepped to the middle of the group. ¡°I know this isn¡¯t the usual way to do things. Normally, you start at the Sea of Stone and work your way towards either the Sea of Souls or the Sea of Stars. But I wanted to do something for a long time. An epic journey across all seven seas. As you know, Star-Lynx finally released the Sea of Serenity, the last realm we haven¡¯t explored. I wanted us to travel from the very lowest sea, battle all the bosses and work our way up to the very top level. One last saga to complete our journey together. After all, this game is how we all met.

    The crew looked at one another and came together to virtually shake hands and voice their agreements. They turned to Starbeard expectantly.

    Starbeard beamed, ¡°Okay friends! Let¡¯s start the stream! Our last adventure in Seas of Spiritus is about to begin!¡±

    Everyone cheered. But as they turned to start their stream announcements or tend to other ship tasks, Orion watched Starbeard carefully. For a brief moment the Orc¡¯s gaze flicked down with a worried expression. It was gone in an instant, and Orion wondered if he¡¯d just imagined it. Before he could contemplate the meaning behind that, Orion felt himself pulled away from the scene and the world went dark again.

 Chapter 6 - New Vocation

    the prosthetic, checking out the hangars first. The rounded buildings were heavily damaged, some of them having big gaps and holes in the ceiling where large rocks and logs had punched through. They were empty except for the last one that had a dusty tarp over a huge vehicle. He peeked under the tarp and saw what looked like a military tank with a weird weapon. Instead of a barrel you¡¯d expect to see bullets fly from, the inside looked more like a fancy boombox speaker.

    empty docks and several buildings on the flat platform, the center one looking much like a factory. There was a kind of round tower in the center, with windows and catwalks along the outside. The tower extended down through the docks, where Orion could see a cylindrical device jutting out through the bottom. That was probably the mining canon. The whole look gave the impression of a spark plug that someone hammered into a plank of wood.

    roiling dust cloud filled with dark shapes. The cloud took up much of that sector of the crater, and flashes of lightning crackled throughout the cloud. Near the end of the bridge to his left side he could see a dark carpet of foliage, like a tangle of massive brambles. That might be a good place to farm materials but the trees, what he assumed were trees, looked about as healthy as the skeletal hand plants in the Sea of Souls.

    stuck them in. He¡¯d been able to catch three and they milled about unconcernedly in their wooden prison. Orion snatched one up quickly and stabbed the blade into the ratillac¡¯s side, pushing through tough flesh and sinew. The ratillac squealed with panic and Orion dropped it and stood quickly.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    and scavenge robots. His little lean-to got upgraded to a shed, and he was able to use Ratillac pelts to make a decent bedroll. He moved his chest inside, needing to add more for all his supplies. Improving his mining trade earned Orion more materials from breaking down the rocks and robots. From the boulders he started to get Orgite, a steel-like ore that could be used to improve and forge new equipment. From the robots he started to gather ¡®Machine Parts¡¯. Between the Orgite and the Machine Parts he was able to upgrade his little workbench with a small forge attachment. His list of craftable items nearly doubled.

    didn¡¯t sit well. It hadn¡¯t rained since Orion had woken up here, which made sense given the dry, cracked soil surrounding the compound.

    last look around before turning back to make breakfast.

 Chapter 7 - The Rude Sandstorm

    under his hand. Not gritty like sand, but a rich crimson loam. It had the same consistency as the topsoil from his mom¡¯s garden. Tempering his excitement, Orion pulled out his shovel and put a few scoops of the fluffy earth into his inventory. Maybe this could be used for farming, or at least unlock new craftables.

    Stolen story; please report.

    [Terra Mod]. He was about to check its stats when the whole vehicle under him shifted again.

    skin, and the creature jerked back. The tentacles still had a solid grip on Orion¡¯s leg and it yanked him off balance. Landing heavily on his ass, Orion righted himself and fired more laser buckshot into the toothless maw. The shot took out several chunks of the worm¡¯s mouth and severed a tentacle. The maggot released a high pitched shriek. The sound hurt Orion so badly that he took physical damage from it, even with his meaty hands clamped over his ears. He wondered if these critters had some kind of sonic attack.

 Chapter 8 - Get Diggy With It

    white bone cutlass. He turned to address the crew. The assembled misfits looked like haunted house employees on their break. Each one had a different movie monster theme.

    fiery, green wisps were floating around him as he attacked. Despite the cannonballs and attacking melee fighters, he didn¡¯t appear to be taking any damage. Another shot rang out and one of the wisps exploded, causing Charon to screech like a wounded raven.

    faster as he started swinging wildly at Charon.

    leathery creature and he exploded into a murder of crows, scattering to the four winds. A sinister looking chest made of graying wood and bone was left where the Ferryman¡¯s body vanished. The Cyclops skull rose out of the water and revealed a huge doorway. Ornately carved doors showing images of volcanoes and birds made of flames. The doors swung open and steam began to roll across the Sea of Souls as the water just beyond the gate turned into boiling magma.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    but the thought didn¡¯t appeal to him. Orion glanced over at the target dummy. He had found a marker in the workshop upstairs and had doodled all over the smug scarecrow. Even after extensive practice the Dummy had reverted back to its original state, except for the curly mustache he¡¯d drawn on it. A weird compulsion came over him and Orion wrote ¡®Todd¡¯ on the stuffed belly. It just felt right, and Todd must have agreed because no matter how hard he practiced the word didn¡¯t rub off either.

 Chapter 9 - Free Falling

    a wing in the air, ¡°Understandable given the circumstances. This is not a starting area. You are the lowest level of any enemy you¡¯ve encountered. Even the Terraworm Grub was level ten.¡±

    math.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    all right then. Let¡¯s go find some water.¡± Orion stood, ¡°After breakfast. I¡¯m low-key starving.¡±

    and he had to switch to a new one to finish the job. Even with his Mining trade at level three, the mineral he obtained could only be identified as [ERROR]. Chalking it up to an early game glitch Orion kept the ore, carving a rectangular chunk out of the boulder to clear the path.

 Chapter 10 - Org On Trail

    The shorter man tilted his head, ¡°Sure, but what¡¯s this about?¡±

    I caught it early, and the prognosis is good but,¡± Starbeard bowed his head. ¡°If there¡¯s even a chance something goes wrong, I don¡¯t want to waste any more time on ¡®what ifs¡¯. I want to spend however long I might have left with the people I love without worrying about distance or my business.¡±

    When Enrique didn¡¯t say anything, Starbeard sat back on his knees. ¡°Sorry, I know this is a lot to spring on you all at once. I don¡¯t even know if you feel the same way abou-¡±

    His words were cut off as the dwarf sprang up from the chair and hugged Starbeard around the neck. The captain looked stunned, unsure of how to react, arms awkwardly held out to his sides. When he heard the wracking sobs of Enrique crying against his neck, Starbeard wrapped his arms around the shaking man.

    ¡°d kissed Starbeard fiercely. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±

    Enrique dissolved into tears again and Starbeard rubbed his back to soothe him. ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Starbeard said meekly.

    Enrique leaned back and kissed him again. He placed thick Dwarf hands on the meaty Orc face and stroked his thumbs to wipe away Starbeard¡¯s tears. Voice shaking, he asked, ¡°You say the prognosis is good?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Starbeard nodded, ¡°Yeah. I mean there¡¯s always some risk but I''ll be getting surgery to remove the tumor next month. I just wish it didn¡¯t take this to get me off my fat ass and finally tell you how I feel. But I swear I¡¯ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.¡±

    Enrique pressed his forehead against Starbeard¡¯s and in the rainbow kaleidoscope light of the hidden cathedral, they kissed again.

    ¡°

    The darkness pulled Orion back again, tearing him away from his lost lover.

    and I will be able to hear you.¡¯

    could clearly see a cassette tape in the clear window of the music box, spinning away.

    in his haste to fill up on fresh water. As steam filled the room, the desire to wash up overcame his need for water. He was naked in an instant, placing the cassette player on the sink and tossing the sweaty clothes in the waste basket by the toilet.

 Chapter 11 - The Second Warden

    the dawn of the third day he got about halfway to the roofs when he spotted several of the larger robot monsters in the growing press of metallic bodies. He might have been able to take them on, but the risk of getting swarmed was too great. Orion decided to return to the base, upgrade his living quarters, and replenish his dwindling food supplies. With several stacks of seed packs and plenty of materials, it was time to get the main facility up and running.

    Orion woke and did his normal morning routine. As he ate breakfast (mostly ratillac bacon) he admired the new additions to his little bunker. After expanding the space, Orion had carved out a kitchenette with a fridge for food storage (also mostly ratillac) and an oven for food prep. Orion added an island counter in the open space so he could look into the workshop while he ate. Orion was still using the outhouse since he couldn¡¯t figure out a septic system. But he did add a standing shower and sink for cleaning dishes using a spare water heater next to the small shed. Admiring his handiwork, Orion grabbed his supplies and headed to the base.

    Orion pulled a thick crowbar out of his toolbox and used sheer force to pry its arm and legs off. When inky tendrils poured out of the empty sockets and tried to pull the arm back to the body, he used the MUT to put the discarded limb in his inventory. When the robombie was finally immobilized he just hammered away at it till the last chunks glowed blue and were absorbed.

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    till landing on his back. The wind got knocked out of him and he sat there a moment, reconsidering his life choices up to this point.

    The situation suddenly became a lot more complicated than he thought. Slate straightened himself and tried to conduct himself with some dignity.

    looked down, trying to refresh his memory. Did they have a workshop? He¡¯d never heard of one being used. Granted they hadn¡¯t been on the planet very long before the attack sent the entire base running toward the protection of the stasis pods.

 Chapter 12 - Bad Dog

    should feel different, like a piece of him was missing. It was stupid to hold out hope like that but it helped, for now.

    ¡°Okay. Well, you have family here, if you need us.¡±

    ground-.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a tradition where I come from. It¡¯s supposed to be respectful. I didn¡¯t know what else to do. I couldn¡¯t just leave them littered about.¡±

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡±

    what?-¡±

    backpack and a round helmet with a full-face visor that allowed him to see. It wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, but he had the urge to hop from place to place, even though he could walk fine. It provided the same protection, but just looked cosmetically different than he was used to.

    ¡°Well, not alone. I had Apus to help out. And Todd.¡±

 Chapter 13 - Concrete Jungle

    asked cautiously.

    dropped down and he lowered the food. He then jumped up, ran back a few feet before dropping down again, then up and ran forward again and dropped.

    pointed and Slate looked in the direction. It took a few seconds before he saw them. They looked like metal sculptures at first, but some of them were slowly moving around. They looked like smaller versions of the robots that attacked the base.

    and our trip is fucked.¡±

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    crossed into an industrial district filled with factories, office buildings and warehouses.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. This is an Org planet. We¡¯ve seen no evidence of any other species here. The pictures, the art and architecture, even the language is all in Orgish.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always had one.¡±

    turned slowly. One of the big robombies stood among almost two dozen more. A big chonker of a droid too, taller than the surrounding rabble, with a metal rod clenched in its tusks, bruise-colored smoke billowing from the steel stogie and glowing vents on its chest.

 Chapter 14 - Phoenix Rising

    Orion waded into the crowd with a roar as his muscles expanded. He began swinging Sunflare wildly, scattering bots to the wind. When he finished an arc, he adjusted his grip and swung the opposite direction. He scythed through the smaller robots like a farmer harvesting wheat. Some of them caught on fire, turning into flaming projectiles that smashed into other robots in the crowd.

    A purple cloud of smoke roiled through the press of bodies, enveloping Orion with stinging gas. His nose and lungs started to fill with mucus, and he retched to remove the obstruction. Blinking through tears he spied the fat cigar robot looming over the mob. Dark vapor poured from the cigar and vents in the mutant robombie¡¯s rotund frame.

    [You are Poisoned! You will take +1 HP of Damage Per Second.]

    With Overclock also running, that doubled the damage he was taking. Not too bad overall, but his level was too low to soak that much damage. He shut the ability off and retreated, trying to clear a path away from the smoke cloud.

    ¡°To se-ver and pro-pro-tect!¡± the Authority Bot quoted before opening fire.

    A few more robombies were cut down as he bobbed and weaved through the crowd. One shot him through the meat of his calf and he stumbled to his knees. Orion fought off the hands that clawed at him, their fingers digging deep scratches in his flesh.

    Shots rang out and three bots went down with bullet holes in their skulls. This gave Orion enough room to leap to his feet. As another shot rang out he spotted Slate taking pot shots at the robots near him. Orion screamed, ¡°Run! Now!¡±

    He saw Slate hesitate. Every blazing orange eye followed Orion¡¯s gaze upward. He could almost hear them processing the new information as the street went deadly silent. He swapped to the Pocket Nuke in a desperate attempt to save the Commander¡¯s life. Finally, Slate started to run full sprint down the bridge towards base. The Pocket Nuke was already humming to life when he heard the telltale sound of a Gatling gun starting to spin.

    ¡°Y-y-you are are are under arrrrest-t-t!¡± it commanded.

    Just as the robot cop raised its gun arm Apus flew past the monitor, trailing fire and keening loudly. Heads turned to follow the bird, too stupid to recognize a hologram. Metal arms groped for the phoenix, hands passing harmlessly through him. The Gatling gun swung and opened fire at the bird, plasma rounds punishing the broken lobby and taking out another pillar. Orion fired and sliced the enforcement drone in half, taking out several buildings directly behind it. Smaller robombies were atomized in the crossfire.

    Green fire engulfed the Authority Bot. ¡°Of-fi-ficer doooo-¡± it stuttered before the screen went dark.

    Yelling from the adrenaline rush, he swept the gun to the side, carving a swath of destruction. Orion¡¯s HUD started pinging him with notification windows.

    [Orion Starbeard has reached LVL 8!]

    [Marksmanship skill has reached LVL 4!]

    [Warden Vocation has reached LVL 6!]

    Orion struggled to swipe the notices away with a flick of his eyes. The cloud of poison reached him again, causing another coughing fit. Orion arced the Pocket Nuke¡¯s ray back at the fat zombie and ignited the greasy smoke.

    The explosion traveled back to the poison robot¡¯s vents and it erupted in a white hot ball of fire, molten shrapnel tearing into the crowd. Orion¡¯s skin blistered from the heat as shards of hot metal peppered his thick hide. Bots were cut down all around Orion, and the concussive force of the explosion blew everyone within a twenty foot radius off their feet. Orion landed heavily, but not before chunks of fatbot carved off his left ear and another buried itself in his guts.

    The damaged lobby took the brunt of the explosion, and the entire building tilted. The rusted husk of a skyscraper tipped badly and fell, smashing into the building across the street before collapsing on the fallen robots below. It started a domino effect that toppled two more buildings, burying several blocks in twisted rubble.

    [Orion Starbeard has reached LVL 9!]

    [Trapper Skill has reached LVL 4!]

    [Warden Vocation has reached LVL 7!]

    [Orion Starbeard has reached LVL 10!]

    [Combat Regeneration Unlocked!]

    [Trapper Skill has reached LVL 5!]

    [Orion Star-]

    ¡°Disable notifications!¡± Orion screamed, blue blood flecking from his tusks.

    Suddenly Orion realized he couldn¡¯t hear himself. All he heard was a persistent ringing in his ears. His face hurt and he pressed a hand to it, wincing as it came away bloody. His depth perception was also off, probably missing an eye. Nevertheless, he fought through the screaming pain and rolled over. His arms and much of his body were burned down to blue muscle tissue. He could see it actively healing, but not fast enough to survive this.

    The Pocket Nuke lay at his side, completely undamaged despite the carnage. Picking it up, Orion used the cannon as a crutch to hoist himself to his feet. The fallen skyscraper blocked part of the street, but new enemies were already scaling the ruins. More were streaming in through alleyways, side streets, even pounding on the doors and windows of nearby buildings. The entire city was after him.

    ¡°You want me?¡± Orion wheezed, ¡°Come get me!¡±

    He tried to lift the plasma cannon but his left arm wouldn¡¯t obey him. Grunting, he lifted it with one hand and rested the butt of the gun on his hip, thumb already pressing the trigger. After the usual warm-up, the gun blasted away. Metal bodies were liquefied mere feet from his position, and Orion swept the beam across the crowd. Big mutant bots with various elemental effects streaming off them were scissored in half by the green beam. Orion¡¯s vision fixed itself, and he grinned. Maybe if he could keep this up a bit longer he could escape!

    ¡®Sir?¡¯ Apus¡¯s voice was nervous through their mental connection. ¡®Behind you.¡¯

    Orion faltered. Suddenly exhausted, the cannon fell from numb fingertips. Already knowing what to expect, he turned slowly. At the opposite end of the street was an even larger Authority Brigade drone in full riot gear. The heavily armored unit had a grenade launcher arm and carried a tower shield with S.W.A.T. emblazoned on the front. With a weary sigh Orion closed his eyes, just hoping he bought Slate enough time to retreat.

    The Riot Bot synthed, ¡°Y-you have the right to-to-to remain de-dead.¡±

    [You Have Died]

    Orion woke up deep underwater. At first he panicked, wondering how he got there until he saw the Deck Puncher anchored nearby. He was in the Sea of Salt, the infamous underwater level. The ocean was filled with fish of all sizes, with tropical colors and ornate fins. A peaceful giant whale shark floated by, grinning with its derpy mouth.

    The sea floor was covered with coral and vibrant flowering seaweed. The ¡°sky¡± above was a cave ceiling covered in bioluminescent sea snails that gave off the impression of a starry sky. In the far distance Orion saw Apollux the Sun Snail, the colossal mollusk who crawled across ceiling to create the illusion of a day/night cycle. The entire world was contained within a cave filled to the brim with salt water.

    He was pulled closer to the Deck Puncher and saw that it had changed once again. The body of the ship was covered in metal now, giving it the impression of a submarine. Bones had been replaced with a painted shark face on the front, similar to old WWI planes. The deck had a Bubble around it to provide air for the crew without hindering visibility. The sails were now replaced with fresh white fabric, with some fishing nets draped over for cosmetic effect.

    There were tentacles floating around the ship, lifelessly drifting with the current. Orion realized he¡¯d missed the battle with the sea''s final boss, the Mad Goddess Unterva. On the sea floor he could see the circle of decrepit Greek inspired ruins that made up Unterva¡¯s boss arena. In the ring of broken columns stood a great temple, a swirling Gate revealing a sea with a distant mountain range just beyond.

    His view shifted, and he watched the crew doling out the loot from the boss chest. Everyone¡¯s armor theme had taken on a distantly underwater theme with Grecian undertones. Armor¡¯s plate was made of coral with a stone statue helm. Lazar was in a long coat covered in seaweed and fishing nets. Seal Woman had copper scaled gauntlets and a shark skin loin cloth and cape, and a shark head pauldon over one shoulder. Aurelio was in a toga and leather apron, complete with winged sandals over his large Dwarven feet.

    Armor shouted excitedly and held up a fishing rod with a marble column handle and an anchor shaped fishing hook. ¡°Yes! Unterva¡¯s fishing rod! I¡¯ve always wanted this!¡± he rejoiced. The circle of friends applauded and clapped him on the back before Armor turned to immediately test his new rod.

    Starbeard, with tentacle beard and seaweed covered buccaneer coat, looked every inch like the captain of a ghost ship. He stared off at the fish drifting past, smiling peacefully. A fluffy bird chick with red and orange feathers sat on his shoulder, sleeping with his face tucked under a downy wing.

    ¡°So what¡¯s this really about?¡± a monotone voice spoke.

    Orion and Starbeard looked down together to see the feathered bird woman wearing a black tunic tied at the waist and a flowering hooded cloak of seaweed. She still wore the plague doctor mask from the Charon fight. A staff of pink coral clutched in her wings.

    Starbeard smiled innocently, ¡°Whatever do you mean, Mika?¡±

    The bird woman removed her mask, the hood falling back. The motion revealed a pale face with Asian features, a petite nose and cupid bow lips. Her right eye was a piercing crimson, while the left was covered in a shell eyepatch. Shoulder length black hair with a streak of white was brushed back over her right ear. The harpy woman fixed Starbeard with a hard stare.

    ¡°Are you dying or something?¡±

    ¡°Shit!¡± Starbeard looked over his shoulder at the crowd by the chest and whispered, ¡°Come here!¡±

    Starbeard led her to his cabin and closed the door behind it. Orion noticed it was filled with all kinds of trophies and knickknacks from their various fights across three seas. His desk was messy and covered with maps, some held open with daggers driven into the wood. He walked around to his chair and Mika sat down across from him.

    ¡°So you are dying,¡± she continued.

    Starbeard sat heavily. ¡°I am not dying,¡± he denied. ¡°Probably. I do have cancer. Or had, maybe. I just had surgery two weeks ago, which is why we had to take a small hiatus on this playthrough.¡±

    They shared a quiet moment, Mika processing this information. Finally she asked, ¡°Why hide it though? You should just tell everyone about it. Your friends, at least, if not your fans.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. I just¡­¡± Starbeard scrubbed his face with his hands, seeking the words. "No matter what the results might be, I wanted to have one last adventure with my friends. It might sound selfish, but I just wanted us to enjoy the game. Without my condition hanging over everyone¡¯s heads.¡±

    Mika gave him a judgmental stare, making him squirm in his seat.

    ¡°Look, I promise to let everyone know if it turns out to be more serious,¡± Starbeard promised. ¡°I caught it early. The doctors aren¡¯t worried so I¡¯m trying not to worry either.¡±

    Mika dropped her gaze. ¡°But we¡¯re your friends. You should have told us.¡±

    Starbeard softened. ¡°You¡¯re more than that. You¡¯re my family. All of you. Mika, you¡¯re like a daughter to me. But sometimes parents hide things to protect the people they love.¡±

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Mika folded her arms and huffed. Quietly she asked, ¡°Does Aurelio know at least?¡±

    Starbeard visibly relaxed. ¡°Aurelio knows. And you will be pleased to know we¡¯ve made it official.¡±

    Mika immediately stood up and started bouncing, wings flapping. ¡°Ooh! Ooh! I knew you liked each other! And you like, kissed and stuff?¡±

    Starbeard gave Mika a lascivious grin. ¡°Sometimes we even hold hands.¡±

    Mika covered her mouth and giggled. ¡°How scandalous!¡±

    Starbeard frowned and closed his eyes, ¡°If my health get worse I will let all of you know. I was just hoping that a few rounds of chemo and surgery would take care of the problems and I could move on with my life. I¡¯m not trying to lie to anyone.¡±

    Mika tilted her head in a birdlike way. She hopped over and hugged against Orion¡¯s chubby belly. He gave her a paternal hug, patting her back soothingly.

    ¡°If the worst does happen though, I need to know you¡¯re going to be okay,¡± Starbeard said in a hushed tone. ¡°You have a strong community watching over you. You don¡¯t always have to do everything yourself.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± the muffled response came. ¡°I will be fine. It¡¯s hard sometimes, but I know I¡¯m not alone.¡±

    Starbeard hugged Mika and beamed at her. ¡°You¡¯re stronger than you think. And I am so proud of you.¡±

    As the two stood up to join the others, Orion felt himself pulled back to reality.

    [Memory upload at 90%]

    Slate ran. He clumped across the bridges in his bulky space suit, ducking behind roof parapets when the press of bodies got too thick. There were so many robombies that the streets looked like a glittering sea of oil rippling below. He heard the explosion and watched the building he was just in tip over. He heard a distant scream, saw green light flash across the streets. The urge to help, to save his new friend nearly overtook him. He took a few tentative steps, then steeled himself. Slate turned and ran back towards Phoenix, honoring the Org¡¯s sacrifice.

    It took Slate the better part of two days to get home. He had to camp at one of their safe havens to wait until the city streets cleared out enough that he could sleep without being spotted. Once he entered the suburbs the streets were nearly clear. The commotion must have drawn away any stragglers in the neighborhood.

    Finally, he climbed the spiral staircase that led to the surface. There was no sandstorm, no robots, no crazy black dogs. He was alone on a hostile alien world, not quite sure how to keep everything running. Orion had the plan, but Slate didn¡¯t know anything about agriculture. He didn¡¯t know anything about repairs. He was a soldier, he knew how to fight. And even that knowledge wasn¡¯t enough to save Orion. He would not be forgotten though. Before anything else, Slate knew what he had to do.

    The next morning, Slate stood back to admire his work. He¡¯d made a memorial in the center of the courtyard. He had taken some of the stone he¡¯d collected and formed it into a large block. Then using his MUT he¡¯d painstakingly carved away chunks of it. After a time, a shape started to form as he chipped away at the slab. By the morning, he¡¯d managed to chisel what looked like a rough carving of Orion wielding a pickax.

    Pewter stood on his shoulder and tipped her head, ¡°I think it looks very nice.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s crap,¡± Slate muttered.

    ¡°It¡¯s your first time making a statue,¡± Pewter scolded. ¡°You can¡¯t expect to be perfect on your first attempt. You did all this with no training. That¡¯s very impressive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still crap,¡± grumbled Slate. ¡°The man died a hero, saving my life. And this is the only tribute I can give him. Some child¡¯s art project.¡±

    ¡°Everyone starts somewhere,¡± Pewter said consolingly. ¡°I think if he was here right now, Orion would like this.¡±

    There was a muffled shout behind him, ¡°Slate?¡±

    Slate sighed, ¡°I can almost hear his voice.¡±

    There was a faint crash, followed by footsteps on metal. From behind him, the hatch to Orion¡¯s shelter slammed open and a blue head popped out. Orion shouted, Slate! You alive, buddy? Scream once if you¡¯re dead! Oh, there you are.¡±

    Slate whipped around and watched as Orion hauled himself out of the ground and ran over. He had Sunflare in hand and he looked ready to fight.

    ¡°Where are they? Were you followed? Did you die?¡± Orion glanced up and pointed, ¡°What is that?¡±

    Slate¡¯s complexion went chalk white, then darkened as he blushed. He tried to block the statue with his body. ¡°It¡¯s, uh, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Pewter interjected, ¡°The Commander made a statue of you because he thought you died. As a memorial.¡±

    ¡°Insubordination!¡± Slate roared at Pewter.

    Orion pursed his lips with appreciation as he unequipped his hammer. He folded his arms and leaned side to side, appreciating the angles. Orion announced, ¡°That¡¯s not bad! It¡¯s very flattering, actually. I like how it¡¯s in the center of the courtyard, though I am worried the next sandstorm will wreck it.¡±

    Orion spread his arms, ¡°But as you can see, rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. I thought I mentioned I respawned when I died.¡±

    Embarrassed, Slate blurted, ¡°How was I to know? People don¡¯t just pop back to life after they die. There were legends that the Sentinels were deathless soldiers, unstoppable even after supposedly being completely obliterated. I always thought it was propaganda, but clearly there¡¯s some truth behind it.¡±

    Orion continued to stare at the statue with a look of admiration. ¡°Yeah, that tracks. Anyway, thank you for the statue. How long was I out, anyway?¡±

    ¡°Approximately three days,¡± reported Pewter.

    ¡°Huh,¡± murmured Orion. ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s the average? I haven¡¯t had any clocks to use for a frame of reference. A~anyhoo, I think I¡¯m gonna crash. I need to finish my repairs and I have a lot of trauma to process, so I¡¯m gonna zone out a bit. You sure you¡¯re okay?¡±

    Slate nodded dumbly, still a bit overwhelmed by what he was seeing.

    ¡°The Commander is in good health, but I will continue to monitor him and report any concerns,¡± Pewter reported.

    ¡°You do that.¡± Orion turned to head back home and stopped, looking at the statue. ¡°Hey, Slate, you should keep that up. I think you have a real talent for sculpture.¡±

    As Orion hobbled off, Slate glanced back up at his handiwork. The statue still looked bad to him, but Pewter was right. It was the first time he¡¯d ever tried anything like this. And it had been rather cathartic. He hadn¡¯t taken much time to relax during his career. First as a soldier, then as a mercenary until he¡¯d landed this prison job. Becoming warden of this prison colony was supposed to be less stressful than his war torn past.

    He did have a lot of downtime now that everyone under his care was still in stasis. He pulled a chunk of stone out of his inventory and looked it over with a critical eye. Well, everyone needed a hobby.

    [Colony has reached LVL 1!

    New buildings available! Building speed decreased by 5%

    +1 Colony Leader Unlocked!

    +10 Guards added!

    +25 Colonists added!

    Would you like to rename Colony? Y/N?]

    Orion and Slate both looked up at the World HUD announcement. They were both working in the garden when it appeared. The greenhouse had been expanded by three plots. The original plot had finally sprouted purple, blue and pink vegetables that looked ready to harvest. Apus had assured them they should be edible to every species currently in the colony roster, securing a reliable source of food!

    ¡°All right, It worked! Good job, man!¡± Orion praised Slate. ¡°We¡¯ll make a farmer out of you yet. So, what are you going to name it?¡±

    Slate took off his gardening gloves. ¡°Name what?¡±

    ¡°The Colony.¡± Orion grabbed the edge of his HUD screen and showed it to Slate. ¡°It¡¯s giving us an option to name the colony.¡±

    Slate shook his head and spun his own HUD around. ¡°Not me. It¡¯s your colony now. You¡¯re the only one who got that notification. It¡¯s your call, I just live here, Director.¡±

    Orion asked, ¡°Director?¡±

    Slate finished putting his tools away. He clarified, ¡°It¡¯s the title of given to the ruler of a colony. You created all of this, that makes you the Director.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, the notification said something about that.¡± Orion grimaced, ¡°Uhg, colony ruler? Don¡¯t like that! Couldn¡¯t we put it to a vote? Maybe I could be the president? No, still too formal. Maybe Governor?¡±

    ¡°No elected officials here, Orion. Just a bunch of confused and scared colonists about to wake up on a hostile world.¡± Slate gave him a reassuring pat on the elbow. ¡°These people will be counting on you to make the right decisions. How you rule is entirely up to you. Will you be a tyrant, or a protector?¡±

    Orion scowled, ¡°No tyrants.¡±

    Slate gave Orion an appraising look. After a moment the Gray gave a nod of approval. ¡°I believe you. And don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll have me if you need advice.¡±

    ¡°Now,¡± continued Slate. ¡°I¡¯m going to go freshen up so I can greet the newcomers. I think a familiar face will help them acclimate to their new surroundings. You should introduce yourself when you get the chance. After all, they¡¯re your citizens now.¡±

    Slate headed down the newly built passage that connected the greenhouse to the base proper. Left alone with his thoughts, Orion stared at the colony window on his HUD. So he was in charge of this whole operation, eh? Sure, Orion had business experience, but this was literally a life or death situation. Intellectually he knew Slate was just a computer generated NPC whose purpose was to provide missions and make the world feel more alive. But living with and talking with the Commander quickly made Orion think of him as more than just data on a server somewhere.

    Come to think of it, Orion was just data on a server somewhere too. So where was the line? What made these people any different than him now? His conversations Slate had revealed a whole life before landing on this world. He¡¯d been a soldier, lost people he cared about, had a family out there somewhere. After a while Orion stopped thinking of Slate as a weird little alien and just viewed him as a person. And now there were thirty-six more new colonists counting on him for survival.

    ¡°No pressure,¡± Orion muttered.

    Orion sniffed his pit and gagged. They¡¯d been working all morning clearing up debris from the last sandstorm and part of the afternoon in the humid greenhouse. He reeked. If he was going to meet the newbies, he¡¯d have to freshen up too. He considered using his shower in the courtyard, but quickly dismissed the idea. If Orion took too long the colonists might find him, dick swinging in the breeze. Not a great first impression.

    He decided to use the communal shower in the locker room. All attempts to fix the plumbing had failed, so Orion had converted one of the stalls using his water heater and bucket method. It gave Slate a place to bathe since he couldn¡¯t survive outside without his suit. Orion hung the rest of the farming equipment on a peg board mounted to the wall before exiting himself.

    By the time he reached the locker room Slate was already gone, the rinky-dink shower still steamy. Orion stripped down and tossed his clothes in the Refresher. It was a kind of high-tech washer/dryer combo that took dirty clothes and, as the name implied, refreshed them within ten minutes. They went in reeking like a pig¡¯s arse and came out smelling of daisies. Or whichever aroma you wanted. Orion was partially fond of the maple bacon scent.

    Orion turned on the faucet and stepped into the still hot water. He¡¯d figured out how to fix the mini shampoo and soap dispensers, and he started lathering up. As he he scrubbed off the work of the day, Orion called out, ¡°Hey, Apus. Got any suggestions for a colony name?¡±

    Apus appeared on his shoulder with a puff of flame and then squawked in dismay at the water raining down on him. He flew away and perched on the stall divider, shaking water off his wings and preening with annoyance. Apus was merely a hologram and physically could not get wet, but the act made his bird pal seem eerily real.

    Come to think of it, Orion and Apus were both video game data. How real did that make his AI companion? Maybe it would be best to default to treating everyone as if they were a real person. Being mean to folks always felt icky to him anyway, even when playing video games.

    ¡°Sorry, buddy. I wasn¡¯t thinking about the water.¡±

    Apus fluffed himself and raised his head regally, ¡°Apology accepted. But why ponder this in the shower?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s when I do some of my best thinking,¡± answered Orion.

    Apus nodded and replied, ¡°Well, I have noticed you have something of a naming convention you default to. Why not name it after a constellation?¡±

    Orion shrugged as he washed. ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s my thing. But other people are going to live here. It should be something they can recognize, at least.¡±

    ¡°Shall I peruse the CODEX for suggestions? Strong animals or something of the like?¡± Apus asked.

    ¡°Yes please.¡±

    Orion watched as Apus went into search mode. He was still stoked to have a phoenix companion. It reminded him of the baby phoenix chick from the Ashwing fight. Maybe that was the inspiration for designing Apus to look like a mythic firebird instead of star themed. That made him pause. The phoenix rising from the ashes. Destruction and rebirth. That was a pretty inspiring theme.

    ¡°Apus,¡± Orion asked. ¡°Do phoenixes exist in Cosmic Horizons?¡±

    ¡°Searching,¡± he responded. ¡°Several matches found. Phoenixes are a bird species native to the Rokaos homeworld, Huphaast. They have similar life cycles to the legendary phoenix from Terran mythos. They were rescued from their natural habitat when Huphaast was destroyed during the Gate Wars, and now phoenixes thrive on Rokaos colonies. There is also a constellation Phoenix that can be seen in the skies above Terra.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, there is a minor constellation named Phoenix!¡± Orion declared, ¡°I think we have our answer.¡±

    Orion pulled up the Colony Menu and tapped the rename button. He typed the new name in and and double-checked the spelling before selecting ''Accept¡¯. As the World HUD notified the rest of the colony of the change, Orion turned off the water and dried himself. He changed back into his freshly laundered clothes and checked himself in the mirror above the bathroom sinks. He opened hismouth to make sure he didn¡¯t have ratillac in his tusks, tilting his head from side-to-side. Something caught his eye and he turned to look at his brain implant.

    Tiny brass striations were protruding from the metal casing, reminiscent of circuit board wiring. Smaller ovals were budding off the main plate, edged by a dull green patina. He could have sworn it was just an oblong disc before, almost egg shaped. Orion turned to Apus, who was examining it as well.

    ¡°Am I crazy,¡± Orion asked. ¡°Or has this thing gotten bigger?¡±

 Chapter 15 - The Menagerie

    at his temples and beard. His leather bomber jacket, worn over his guard captain¡¯s uniform, made him look like every space-faring rogue you¡¯d expect to see on the cover of a science fiction romance novel.

    misfits even among their peers.

    in a semi-circle to listen closer.

    ¡°Something amusing, Uncle?

    and he dropped his arms, stuffing them in his pockets and looking away.

    feathers, except for his head which was pink that transitioned to green along his neck. His white beak had a perpetual goofy smile and his eyes covered in yellow tinted goggles.

    was already perched on the Professor¡¯s shoulder. The Hiver was small even for his race, covered in fluffy marigold fur with brown stripes. The segmented emerald eyes regarded Slate critically. With a buzz of his tiny wings, Random skittered and hid himself in the storage compartment of Queebeax¡¯s jetpack.

    Org complained, ¡°This was my favorite shirt and you just shot holes in it! What the fuck, dude?¡±

    was trying to make a good impression, but I guess that¡¯s ruined now. How annoying.¡±

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Neesya, projected Neesya.

    and he shrank back from it, mortified.

    colonists had taken to their new lives with enthusiasm and a surprising amount of competence. Most of them took to building, while others helped in different ways.

 Chapter 16 - Major Returns

    Construction

    of Phoenix had been going well. The

    basement level was being expanded north to make room for more new

    housing. Since Orion¡¯s

    bunker was too small to reach the

    basement floor, a

    mound of dirt still supporting the bottom,

    the decision was made to make him a brand new home. It had

    been unanimously agreed to have

    the Director move into the Municipal

    Center as he was the colony founder. The colonists moved Orion¡¯s

    belongings into one of the newly built apartments while Random and

    his helpers dismantled the crude domicile. Orion initially refused,

    not wanting to take a place while there were still unhoused

    colonists, but everyone insisted.

    Orion

    felt a twinge of regret seeing the house he built destroyed

    and felt awkward about having a bigger

    place built for him. He didn¡¯t feel like he was important enough to

    get some big hoity-toity mansion

    when everyone else was living in apartments. He expressed as much,

    but Random wouldn¡¯t hear of it.

    <b>	Hive

    needs a Queen</b>, Random explained in

    his dance language. <b>Queen need</b><b>s</b><b>

    home that inspires people. It¡¯s a symbol. </b><b>Ma</b><b>kes

    people feel secure that someone powerful is ruling them.</b>

    Orion

    was about to correct Random when Apus spoke to him through their

    mental connection. ¡®He¡¯s not misgendering you. Queen is a gender

    neutral title for the ruling class in the Hiver language,¡¯ Apus

    assured him. ¡®The translators can only do much when dealing with

    interpretive dance.¡¯

    ¡®Good

    to know,¡¯ Orion thought back. Out loud he said, ¡°I don¡¯t want

    to rule! I just want to build a place for all of you to live where

    you can be safe and happy!¡±

    Random

    shook his butt in response,

    <b>That makes you good Queen.</b>

    Orion

    gave up and went looking for Slate. He found the Grey on the surface

    near the crater, repairing the bridge archway. Slate had gotten

    skilled with the MUT, and was using scrap metal to fill the missing

    slats and broken cables in the walkway.

    ¡°Whatcha

    working on?¡± asked Orion.

    Slate

    looked up, ¡°Hello Orion. Just trying to fix the path to the mining

    rig. There¡¯s a lot of supplies over there. Plus, if we keep

    expanding we¡¯re going to need more than the generators to keep the

    lights on. That drill there runs on solar panels. If we can get the

    crafting recipes, we can start making a solar farm to bring in more

    power.¡±

    ¡°Just

    you?¡± Orion asked, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you recruit some help?¡±

    Slate

    shrugged dismissively, ¡°They have no reason to trust me, let alone

    help me. I was their warden, the one keeping them imprisoned. I was

    the enemy.¡±

    ¡°Surely

    not everyone thinks that way,¡± suggested Orion. ¡°This is a smart

    bunch, they know you were just doing your job. You don¡¯t strike me

    as having been particularly cruel, either.¡±

    Slate

    stopped and stared at Orion, ¡°Of course I wasn¡¯t cruel! Our job

    is to rehabilitate people back into society. What kind of monstrous

    prison system would be cruel to the inmates?¡±

    Orion

    folded his arms and stared into the distance, ¡°A corrupt one. I¡¯ve

    seen it happen. I¡¯m glad things are better here.¡±

    Slate

    shook his head with bewilderment, ¡°Things must be really bad beyond

    the Gate.¡±

    ¡°They

    are,¡± Orion agreed.

    They

    shared an uncomfortable silence and watched the courtyard down below.

    Queebeax had upgraded the BioSuit replicators so there was a flurry

    of activity below. Orion tried to recall their names, having welcomed

    most of the new colonists personally.

    Max

    was training his Jrassk ward Ssteev and the new Terran cadet Wynn,

    both of them taking turns shooting rifles at Todd. The Jrassk tagger

    Pteryx was adding a mural on the side of the base, one featuring a

    phoenix that looked like Apus. A younger man named Avin was checking

    traps, the hawk headed Kreelux having asked Orion for tips on

    becoming a warden.

    ¡°We¡¯ll

    make things better here,¡± Orion promised.

    There

    was a terrified squeal as a ratillac drove past them, fleeing from

    the direction of the mining rig. Then another, and another. Both men

    turned to see a tiny, furry

    drag race barreling through them. Beyond them the sky was starting to

    darken as roiling black clouds started to fill the horizon.

    Slate

    frowned, ¡°About a week since the last one. How long was the one

    before that?¡±

    ¡°Not

    sure. I died during it, and it was gone when I respawned. But I can¡¯t

    be sure of the time in between.¡± Orion replied.

    ¡°Hmm,

    Pewter, make a note of the time,¡± Slate ordered.

    Pewter

    appeared, ¡°Time of storm recorded, Sir.¡±

    Orion

    asked, ¡°You think there¡¯s a pattern?¡±

    ¡°I

    think we don¡¯t know enough about this planet.¡± Slate picked his

    way down the hill. ¡°But

    more than that I think we need to get these people safely indoors.¡±

    Orion

    turned to follow, ¡°That we agree on.¡±

    Orion

    opened his HUD and pulled up the Colony Management window. He hit the

    chat feature and started a video call with everyone on the Phoenix

    channel. He could see HUDs pop up for Slate and the colonists below.

    ¡°This

    is Director Starbeard. A sandstorm is coming. All personnel need to

    get indoors immediately. This is not a drill, these storms are

    deadly. I am speaking from experience. I repeat: All personnel needs

    to get indoors Immediately.¡±

    Orion

    closed the window, ¡°Apus, could you do a sweep of the perimeter.

    Make sure there are no stragglers or people sneaking in a nap above

    ground?¡±

    Apus

    poofed into existence on his shoulder. ¡°Right away, Sir.¡± The

    phoenix spread his wings and flew down the hill. He circled each

    person, repeating the announcement before flying off to check the

    hangars, the outhouse, and even the graveyard.

    By

    the time the two colony leaders reached the base, the courtyard was

    clear. They stepped inside as the others were removing their suits,

    which Slate moved to do also. Apus appeared on Orion¡¯s shoulder

    with a flash of digital flame.

    ¡°All

    colonists are safe and accounted for,¡± the phoenix reported.

    ¡°Rad!¡±

    Orion clapped his hands, ¡°Good hustle everyone! We¡¯ll have to

    remain indoors until this passes. Last one kept going all night, so

    take the rest of the day off.¡±

    Orion

    made the rounds to let everyone else know that the rest of the day

    was a kind of impromptu holiday. People were laughing about the

    precautions, joking about ¡®how bad could it be?¡¯ right up until

    the first bolt of lightning crashed in the distance, loud

    enough to be heard underground. When one

    of the volunteer gardeners saw

    sand whipping around through the greenhouse ceiling, a small crowd

    gathered to watch.

    Before

    long the sandstorm was scouring the surface above, but the greenhouse

    ceiling held, keeping the crops and people inside safe. That was

    enough to convince everyone to stay inside. With nothing better to

    do, the gathered citizens dispersed to take a well deserved rest.

    Pretty soon everyone was calling it a

    Sand Day, and went off to relax and wait out the storm.

    Pyro

    stopped Orion as he made

    his rounds, the

    blacksmith waving him into the shop.

    There he presented a table covered with a cloth that obscured two

    items. He flicked the cloth away with a flourish, revealing

    a hammer and pick.

    Sunflare

    had been drastically changed but was immediately recognizable. The

    battle sledge had been streamlined, smaller and rounded face instead

    of a block of metal. The stairs on the back had been turned into a

    two pronged claw. The handle was a long piece of blue wood. The LED

    lights still created a fire pattern, but now it looked almost like a

    living flame.

    The

    pick was a mattock, with a sharp pick

    for breaking rock on one end, and a chisel for digging on the other.

    The handle was made of polished blue wood capped with an Orgite knob

    for adding mods. Near the bottom of both items was an engraving of

    the constellation Orion.

    Orion

    brushed his hand across the logo and

    gave Pyro a questioning look. ¡°How did

    you know?¡±

    Pyro

    shrugged nonchalantly.

    ¡°I wanted a logo that suited you, so I

    looked up Orion in the CODEX. Apparently it¡¯s a constellation from

    Terra. Orion the Hunter, it seemed fitting.¡±

    ¡°These

    are beautiful. Thank you!¡± Orion said as he added them to his

    inventory.

    ¡°Stronger

    too,¡± Pyro nodded, ¡°You just keep an eye on their durability and

    I can repair them when they get low.¡±

    ¡°I

    definitely will,¡± he promised.

    Orion

    turned to leave and almost ran face first into Prof. Queebeax. The

    goofy pigeon face grinned at him. ¡°There you are! No time to waste,

    you¡¯re late for your appointment.¡± Queebeax turned to waddle to

    his shoppe.

    Confused,

    Orion followed. ¡°I didn¡¯t make an appointment with you.¡±

    ¡°Of

    course not!¡± Queebeax said cheerfully. ¡°I made the appointment

    for you. Much more efficient that way, don¡¯tcha know?¡±

    Inside

    the Shoppe, there was no showmanship or razzle dazzle. The Pocket

    Nuke was just on a table with the guard shotgun propped against it.

    The shotgun looked like it had been modified,

    with a new handle and an improved barrel setup. The Pocket Nuke

    looked unchanged.

    ¡°I

    gave your shotgun a bit more oomph. Should

    do well in close combat.¡± Queebeax rooted through shelves as he

    talked. ¡°Really clear out the sinuses, hoo hoo hoo! Wasn¡¯t able

    to do much for the hand cannon, I¡¯m afraid. Couldn''t even download

    the recipe. No recipe, no modifications.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s

    disappointing,¡± said Orion. ¡°So you weren¡¯t able to upgrade it?

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Up-¡±

    The prof stopped what he was doing and stared at Orion. ¡°Upgrade?

    Son, do you realize what you have there? That weapon is of Legendary

    quality! Even if I could work on it there¡¯d be nothing to improve.

    If anything, it¡¯s too dangerous!¡±

    Orion

    stepped back from it, ¡°Dangerous how?¡±

    Queebeax

    walked over and tapped the battery casing, ¡°There¡¯s a flaw in the

    power storage. If this gun fires for too long, the battery will go

    critical and will create a giant explosion, destroying the Pocket

    Nuke and anyone within range of the blast radius.¡±

    Orion

    watched the gun nervously, ¡°How long does it need to fire before

    going critical?¡±

    ¡°No

    way to test it,¡± Queebeax replied.

    ¡°There does seem to be an early

    warning system in place. If there''s any flashing lights or warning

    bells I¡¯d immediately switch weapons.¡±

    ¡°Right.

    I appreciate the help, Professor!¡± Orion tucked both guns into his

    weapon wheel.

    ¡°You¡¯re

    quite welcome!¡± Queebeax beamed, ¡°Oh!

    There it is!

    I knew I set it somewhere.¡±

    The

    Kreelux walked past Orion and brushed aside a sandwich and model

    rattilac skeleton. Queebeax dislodged a

    white box with a green cross on it, knocking

    over a broom handle with copper parts lashed to it with wires. He

    ignored the clatter and walked over to Orion.

    ¡°This

    is why I brought you here. Have a seat and take off your peg leg,¡±

    the Professor instructed. ¡°Then just press the button in the

    center.¡±

    Orion sat on an uncluttered chair and stored mentally stored the

    prosthetic in his inventory. Queebeax handed him the box and stepped

    back. It looked like his repair kits, but his implants were working.

    Not about to question the eccentric professor, Orion and tapped the

    cross.

    The

    box literally exploded in his hand, turning into a flurry of tiny

    white drones with little arms. They flew down to Orion¡¯s stump and

    started spinning around it in a flurry of green light. Holographic

    green crosses bubbled up and Orion saw his leg repair itself. In less

    than a minute an unmarred hoof was dangling at the end of a fully

    regenerated leg. The drones dissipated in a twinkle of green light

    and vanished.

    ¡°Oh

    wow! I didn¡¯t know they had healing packs in ga-¡° Orion stopped

    himself, ¡°-in crafting menus.¡±

    ¡°Oh

    I can¡¯t make those, no, no,¡± the Prof corrected. ¡°Not with my

    trades, anyway. There were some emergency health kits in the med bay.

    You know, we really need a dedicated healer.¡°

    There

    was a sparking noise. Both men looked down as the newly reformed leg

    started to glitch out. The blue skin started to pixilate and flash

    red, popping out of existence with a staticy sound. Eventually all

    that was left was the strange stump once again.

    Prof.

    Queebeax lifted his goggles again and crouched down, examining the

    leg. ¡°No, no, no, no that¡¯s not right,¡± he muttered. Standing

    again the Professor flipped through some notebooks. ¡°Possibly a

    teleportation error? Something to do with the Gates? Or maybe we just

    need a specialist¡­¡±

    Orion

    equipped his peg again and stood, ¡°It is what it is. Thanks for

    trying, Professor.¡±

    Queebeax

    glanced at the leg with a determined glint In his wild eyes. He

    stroked his chin. ¡°I¡¯m

    not done trying yet. No, not by a long shot. But for now, maybe I can

    make some improvements on that leg.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s

    a nice thought, but the

    prosthetic vanishes every time I

    respawn.¡± Orion shrugged, ¡°My implant breaks too, but I¡¯m able

    to repair that at least.¡±

    ¡°Then

    I¡¯ll prepare spares!¡± Queebeax said with an exasperated sigh,

    ¡°You young people always refuse to ask for help. Not me, though.¡±

    A

    HUD notification popped up in front of Orion¡¯s eyes.

    [New

    Mission Available!: What¡¯s Up, Doc?

    Prof.

    Queebeax has requested that you repair the Med Bay. Doing so will

    give you access to healing stations and curative items.

    Reward:

    250 Colony XP

    +1

    Colony Leader

    Accept?

    Y/N?]

    Orion

    was surprised. He¡¯d had some offhanded requests but this was the

    first official mission someone had given him. He accepted

    immediately, it was a good idea and the reward was impressive.

    ¡°Good,¡±

    Queebeax sniffed indignantly. He nodded at Orion¡¯s prosthetic,

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep working on that as well, hoo hoo.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m

    not the priority Professor Queebeax.¡± Orion stood, ¡°I¡¯m a

    survivor, remember. If you can think of any other missions to help

    Phoenix grow, then hit me up.¡±

    Orion

    found himself fixing up the Med Bay. He tried to relax with some vids

    on his HUD but he grew too restless. Something about having a

    critical mission hanging over his head got his gamer blood pumping.

    So he was following Apus¡¯s instructions to make repairs step by

    step.

    Pink

    headphones on and jamming out to a Punk playlist, Orion was bopping

    and swaying along as he worked. The MUT did most of the work and he

    only needed to pause for repair minigames. Which is why he didn¡¯t

    notice anyone walk up until they leaned

    into the periphery of his vision.

    It

    was the guard captain who¡¯d taken

    potshots at him! His mouth was moving

    but Orion didn¡¯t hear the words over the music. Begrudgingly, he

    pulled his headphones off and gave the

    solider his full attention. The man

    stood at

    attention, his guard uniform pressed and immaculate. He wore a

    chestnut colored bomber jacket with a

    Galactic Navy patch on both biceps.

    ¡°Come

    to finish me off, cowboy?¡± Orion¡¯s disdain was palpable.

    The

    Terran cleared his throat. ¡°I came by

    to offer an official apology. The whole colony was under attack when

    I threw myself in stasis and I was on high alert. But it was careless

    and you got hurt as a result. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Orion

    and Apus exchanged glances. They had a little internal discussion and

    Orion crossed his arms and leaned back on the computer console he was

    repairing.

    ¡°So,

    why did it take you so long to apologize?¡± Orion pressed.

    ¡°Honestly?¡±

    He

    answered, ¡°I¡¯m intimidated by you.¡±

    Orion

    was genuinely surprised, dropping his arms. ¡°By me?

    Why?¡±

    Counting

    on his fingers he said, ¡°One: You¡¯re

    seven feet tall and built like a battleship. Two: You shook off three

    plasma blasts to the chest like it was nothing. Three: You¡¯re

    technically my boss. Four: You-¡°

    Orion

    threw his hands up in surrender, ¡°Okay, okay, I get it! You had no

    way of expecting someone who looks like me to be wandering through

    the halls. You were just trying to protect your people. Our people. I

    saw how you shouted ¡®Get Down¡¯ before taking the shot. Apology

    accepted.¡±

    Breathing

    a sigh of relief he

    snapped off a crisp salute, ¡°Thank you, Sir! Captain Max

    Thrustar reporting for duty.¡±

    ¡°All

    right, none of that. I¡¯m not planning on running this place like a

    military base.¡± Orion chuckled, ¡°I know how to operate a company

    and that¡¯s it. I¡¯ll be depending on you for advice in defense.

    You requested an armory and training room, right? Send me an official

    mission and I¡¯ll get on it as soon as the Med Bay is done.¡±

    ¡°Yes,

    Director.¡± Max sent the missions prompt.

    Orion¡¯s

    HUD flashed open with the two missions and he accepted both. Good

    rewards on these too. More trained guards and better access to

    weapons, on top of raising colony experience.

    ¡°It¡¯s

    Orion. I¡¯m serious.¡± He

    put on his most intimidating glower. ¡°I

    will court martial you, Thrustar.¡±

    The

    Captain relaxed, ¡°Then, it¡¯s just

    Max to you. It will be good working with you, Orion.¡±

    ¡°Much

    better.¡± Orion thought for a moment,

    ¡°You were

    really that intimidated by me?¡±

    Max

    shrugged. ¡°You are pretty scary.¡±

    ¡°I

    am not,¡± protested Orion.

    <i>	Mr.

    Starbeard? An animal just entered the stables.</i>

    Neesya psychically projected to him.

    ¡°Excuse

    me, it¡¯s Neesya.¡± Orion tried to think back at the Astropod, <i>Can

    you show me on the Colony HUD?</i>

    A

    chat invite notification popped up on his screen and he accepted it.

    The scene that appeared was concerning. The stable was a large space

    open to the outside by a covered ramp. In order to keep Phoenix¡¯s

    lower level safe, blast windows sealed the outside air off from the

    rest of the colony. Animals could still still access the stables,

    even during the storm. No one had thought to seal off the room.

    Something

    had gotten in. Two large, black

    bodies stalked the stables,

    dust swirling chaotically around them. The bigger animal reared up

    and scratched at the window with huge clawed paws. Unable to make a

    dent, it pressed its face against the glass and whined. A

    black furred face with a metallic skull with four eyes snarled

    against the window.

    ¡°MY

    SON!¡± Orion shouted, startling Max. To Neesya he projected, <i>Seal

    the room, I¡¯ll be right down. Can you expand the display window and

    press it to the glass?</i>

    She

    did so and his perspective changed. He saw the scared look in his

    companion¡¯s eyes and he cooed at him. Max¡¯s mouth dropped open as

    Orion¡¯s voice became saccharine sweet.

    ¡°Hey

    Major! You¡¯re going to be okay. Daddy¡¯s coming, just sit tight

    and let the nice lady seal the stables.¡± Orion was already on the

    move, ignoring Max who had fallen in line behind him. ¡°You¡¯re

    scaring everyone. I¡¯ll be right down to let you in and make you

    some food. How does that sound?¡±

    The

    panicked cyworg whined but sat back. The shadowy partner lay down

    next to him.

    ¡°Neesya

    if you can hear me, close the stables

    hatch and start decontamination. That¡¯s my warden companion Major

    Canis. He won¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± Orion took

    the stairs down two at a time. ¡°But for everyone¡¯s peace of mind,

    keep the doors

    locked till I get there. He¡¯s probably hurt and scared from being

    out in the sandstorm.¡±

    Neesya

    cut the feed, <i>Yes,

    Mr. Starbeard.</i>

    Max

    kept up with Orion¡¯s frantic pace with

    ease. ¡°That monster is your pet?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s

    not a monster! Or my pet,¡± Orion protested.

    ¡°He¡¯s my partner. There¡¯s a

    difference. I think. I haven¡¯t really looked at the Packleader

    skill tree.¡±

    When

    they finally arrived, the entire colony was surrounding the stabled

    in a worried semicircle. The dust had settled and was slowly being

    sucked out just as fresh air was being pumped in. Major watched the

    crowd with a bored expression, yawning with a wide toothy maw. Major

    had all the regal disinterest of an apex predator that knew nothing

    here could threaten him. Slate was up against the window, talking

    reassuringly at the cyworg, but was mostly being ignored. When he

    spotted Orion, however, the shaggy beast started panting and wagging

    his tail excitedly.

    Orion

    stepped up next to Slate and pressed his nose to the glass. ¡°There¡¯s

    my good boy! There he is! Did you risk the storm to see Daddy? That

    was very silly.¡±

    There

    were confused murmurs at the Org¡¯s baby talk. Most of them had seen

    how angry and violent the beast had been when it first arrived. And

    now their equally large and scary Director

    was talking to it like it was some newborn child.

    Neesya

    looked up from the stable monitor, <i>The

    stables are safe to enter.</i>

    Orion

    spread his arms, ¡°Open the gates!¡±

    Several

    people took a step back. The blast windows opened with a tiny hiss

    and slid up into the ceiling. The only thing keeping the cyworg

    inside was a three foot high wall of wood and a waist-high door. And

    Orion threw that open wide and stepped inside.

    ¡°Son,

    you¡¯ve come home,¡± he said with a Godfather impression. ¡°Come

    to Papa.¡±

    The

    cyworg was suddenly up and charging. Everyone except Max, Slate and

    the Menagerie fled screaming. The huge body of fur and metal collided

    with Orion

    and drove him to the ground. Much to everyone¡¯s surprise, the

    terrifying skull split into a canine grin, licking Orion¡¯s face

    with a bright blue tongue.

    The beefy warden

    was laughing and patting the thick neck.

    ¡°I

    missed you too, buddy! You look like you¡¯ve put a little weight

    on.¡± Orion playfully pushed him away and rolled to his feet. ¡°Now,

    what was so important you risked the trip during a sandstorm?¡±

    The

    crowd started to filter back in as he walked toward the prone animal.

    Everyone¡¯s gaze followed Orion as he knelt by the furry body in the

    center of the stable floor. It was clearly another cyworg, with cyber

    limbs and a padded saddle rising from her back. Four pink eyes

    watched the Org with a scared expression. Major clicked over and

    nudged the nervous canine with his muzzle.

    ¡°Oooh,

    Major! You sly dog,¡± chuckled Orion. ¡°Is this your girlfriend?¡±

    Major

    gave an autotuned ¡®wurf¡¯ in response and urged the smaller cyworg

    to their feet. She was smaller than Major, and very gravid, her

    swollen belly giving her some difficulty getting to her feet.

    Neesya

    and Orion ¡°Aww¡¯d¡± at the same time, the Astropod approaching

    the new animals without fear. Orion fawned over

    the heavily pregnant

    pupper, ¡°Oh my god, she has puppies?¡±

    After

    some more encouragement, Major got her moving again. It was only when

    she started to limp that her right front paw was shredded, the

    cybernetic leg dripping blue blood and black oil.

    ¡°Oh.

    My. God she¡¯s injured!¡±

    Orion roared, angry spittle flecking off tusks.

    Behind

    him Max nudged Slate and whispered, ¡°Scary, right? It¡¯s not just

    me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s

    not just you, no,¡± Slate agreed grimly.

    The

    female cyworg flinched at the roar, and Major stepped in front of her

    protectively, growling synthetically. Orion slowly stepped forward

    and was surprised to see Neesya follow, moving

    past him toward the dogs. Orion cooed

    and spoke softly, and Neesya projected empathic waves of calmness to

    everyone in her radius. Major¡¯s mate calmed down enough to let the

    large mollusk gently lift her, cradling her in a way that didn¡¯t

    put pressure on her belly.

    Orion

    gave Major an apologetic scratch behind the ears, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I

    scared her, boy. Let¡¯s go get Momma somewhere safe.¡±

    Orion

    started leading the way back towards the base. He flicked open his

    Colony HUD and went to the missions screen. Pulling up ¡®What¡¯s

    Up, Doc?¡¯, he examined the window. Finding what he was looking for

    he tapped the ¡®Share Mission¡¯ button before swiping it away. He

    hustled toward the Med Bay to work on the repairs, mentally informing

    Neesya of his plans.

    Pyro

    glanced at Professor

    Queebex, coming to an unspoken agreement. They both pulled up their

    own HUDs and accepted the mission.

    A third window clipped through the Kreelux¡¯s jetpack as Random

    joined the mission from inside his usual hiding spot. The three

    turned to head towards the Med bay.

    Slate

    watched the small procession pass and sighed, ¡°Never

    a dull moment,¡± Slate opened his

    HUD and accepted the mission, following at a more leisurely pace.

 Chapter 17 - Thats Armory!

    Junip walked to the console and tapped a few buttons, dispelling the error messages and rebooting the system to check for updates. The medidrone dropped Pyro with a thud. Walking to the struggling cyworg, Junip thrust her hand out toward the supply cabinet. The cabinet door opened and a sedative gun spun through the air and ze caught it without looking. With a quick motion, ze injected a mild tranquilizer into the snarling female canine¡¯s neck. As the sleepy pup slowly relaxed her jaws, a growling Major stood and started walking towards zir.

    a compress bandage floated in the air in front of the doctor. Junip walked up Pyro who was sitting up woozily. Holding the bandage, icy air coalesced from zir palm, chilling it. Junip slapped the cold compress over a lump that was just starting to form on the older Grey¡¯s head.

    disappointed in you. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    r desk.

    Random k to the edge of the desk before climbing down. Soft munching noises could be heard.

    e  They hire prisoners and then send them to the far reaches of space to find valuable resources with the promise of a better life after they complete their sentence.¡±

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    with a heavy door with an electric lock that only Colony Leaders knew. Inside was an off-white room filled with mostly empty racks. There were more vending machine replicators built into one wall that could turn raw materials into a variety of weapons. There were pegs to hang melee weapons, and the shelves in the center held firearms and other munitions. Currently the only thing stored were the few guard rifles and shotguns Orion found, and the few weapons and armor that Uncle Pyro and Prof. Queebeax were able to build.

    Orion screamed, whipping out his shotgun emptying a full clip into the grinning Todd.

    nshots, Max shielding the cadets with arms extended. The training room neutralized even Orion¡¯s standard issue shotgun, turning deadly plasma into a harmless light show.

    ry.¡± Orion took a calming breath. ¡°Todd freaks me out a bit. How did he even get here? Is he still on the surface, too?¡±

    ting?¡±

    and lay down, handles sliding out of his shoulder panels. That¡¯s when Orion finally connected that the strange dip in Major¡¯s spine was a saddle. Orion mounted up as Max finally caught up. He didn¡¯t even look winded. More guards were running down the hall behind him.

    ajor, biting at his soft underbelly. The van rat got one solid bite in before the cyworg sunk teeth into its exposed back, nearly scissoring it in half.

    as death from a thousand cuts. The swarm kept flooding in between the shots, scratching or biting before being dispatched.

    synthwave music pulsed behind them. Orion yelled as an ultrasonic blast hit him in the back, the vibrations in the air at such a frequency it shredded Orion¡¯s windbreaker and split the skin. Only his back¡¯s cybernite plates prevented more damage.

    Their faces were strange brass helmets with speakers on the cheeks and a black dome visor that stopped just before their rounded ears. Lights in the helmet created an angry text emoji expression. The bottom jaw had points like tusks, the mouth similar to a stapler remover. They had whitewall tires, big fins with tail lights in them, and a nearly three foot long segmented metal tail that connected them both.

 Chapter 18 - Ratillac King

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

 Chapter 19 - Force Of Nature

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

 Chapter 20 - Jrraassk Park

    20.

    Orion found himself on the Sea of Swamp. The water was brackish and filled with plant life, from tall cypress trees to tiny lily pads. Floating debris cluttered up the filthy water, some driftwood, and the corpses of crocogators. The verdant scenery was abuzz with the sounds of life. Insects chirped, strange birds warbled, and the low rumble of ancient reptiles as they watched for their latest meal.

    The Deck Puncher was docked in the middle of a bayou. It had taken on more upgrades, primarily a large fan in the back. The bottom had been modified to be more flat, utilizing planks and floats to give the ship more of an airboat form of locomotion. The sails were raised, and the cannons were decorated to look like grinning lizards.

    The rounded boss arena was surrounded by trees, and at the far end, two weeping willows had grown and tied their branches together into a circle. A vast expanse of sky could be seen inside the hollow formed by the trees, only clouds and floating pyramids. In the center of the bayou was a mound of mulch that could be mistaken for an island. But Orion recognized it as the floating remains of the Swamp Hag Yama Bougu.

    Orion was dragged below deck and saw the crew gathered at the mess. Orion''s heart seized, the scene filling him with anxiety without knowing why. The crew''s outfits mostly remained the same as in the last sea. The Sea of Swamp was essentially the game¡¯s starting zone, so they were over-leveled for this area. They sat around, looking uncomfortable.

    Starbeard sat at the head of the table, rubbing his forehead with his hand. The tension was palpable. Aurelio¡¯s fingers brushed over Starbeard¡¯s free hand and the Orc looked up at his supportive smile. The Captain leaned back and squared his shoulders, meeting each of them in the eyes.

    With a hint of forced bravado in his voice, Starbeard said, "Okay, enough being cryptic about this. I will be making a public announcement tonight, but I wanted all of you to hear directly from me first. Some of you know, and some might suspect what''s been going on. I have been trying to keep this under wraps, but my hand has been forced."

    The room was silent, everyone holding their breath.

    "I have cancer." Starbeard took a steadying breath, "I''ve had it for a while now. I didn''t say anything because, at first, it was localized. Doctors weren''t worried, and a few rounds of chemo were supposed to knock it right out. But it''s, uh, it''s starting to spread."

    Armor stared at him and removed his helm. The mosaic pixilation fell away, and a copper dragon face stared at him angrily. "That''s what this was all about? That''s why we''re on this grand fucking adventure? You''re sick, and you didn''t tell us?"

    Aurelio jumped to his defense, "R''ath! He didn''t want to worry you!"

    R''ath Blacklaw slammed his gauntleted hands on the table as he stood, lips curling back to bare sharp teeth. "We''re Family! We''re supposed to worry about him!"

    "I know, I¡­" Starbeard said weakly, "I just wanted us to play together without you all falling over me to protect me. I wanted to pretend things were normal."

    R''ath''s expression softened, and he sat back down, folding his arms. His angry expression melted into one of worry.

    "Wait, so this is what''s been going on?" Lazar asked, "You said you were sick, but nothing like this!"

    "Because it wasn''t like this." Starbeard sounded miserable, "I was in remission, but it came back more aggressive than before. Now it¡¯s spread, so I have to try more aggressive treatments."

    Seal Woman gave Starbeard a sympathetic look, "You still should have told us. We could have helped."

    "How?" Starbeard looked up, eyes bright with unshed tears, "I know it was selfish, but telling you all meant it was real. Like, really real. But I can''t ignore it anymore. It will start negatively affecting my life now."

    Everyone was silent. Aurelio scooted closer and cuddled against the Orc''s bulk, wrapping arms around him. Lazar walked over and hugged the other side of Starbeard. Seal Woman looked particularly thoughtful. Eventually, R''ath stood and placed a hand on Starbeard''s shoulder.

    "We''re finishing this."

    "What?" Starbeard asked, confused.

    "The Saga. This Grand Diddly Fuck Adventure," R''ath explained. "That''s what you wanted, right? To battle up from hell and reach heaven? Then that''s what you''re doing. Even if I have to carry you to the pearly gates myself."

    Starbeard couldn''t hold back the tears any longer as he embraced his armored friend. Seal Woman and even the usually stoic Mika joined in the group hug as Orion felt his consciousness pulled back from the touching scene.

    [Memory upload at 93%]

    Back in the underground city, the troops were still under siege by the rotund monster packed into the ticket stalls. The bulk continued to wriggle deeper inside, the wood and plaster of the entrance doing little to impede its progress. Max ordered the soldiers to back up slowly, keeping an eye on their flank. The danger they knew was bad enough, but the threat inside the building was a mystery.

    As Max fired his pistol and backup pistol at the sphere of doom, his foot crunched through something. He spared a look down and realized he''d stepped right into a smaller robombie. The body was so badly rusted it looked like a decaying log. No parts were left inside the hollow shell, the entire torso crumbled into powder.

    "Dammit," Max cursed. "On top of everything, now I need a tetanus booster."

    He scanned his surroundings and saw that the ground was littered with them. Orange-Brown shapes appeared through the carpet of vines and flowers. No other robots in the rest of the city had a mark on them, but every bot around here was an oxidized husk. But what caused it?

    There was a crunch, and Max looked up. The snapping maw pushed further inside, but there was discoloration on the front of the thing''s lopsided faces. "Gunmetal! Zoom in on the thing''s teeth!" Max ordered.

    Gunmetal obeyed without question. Continuing to fire the rifle, his visor popped out, and he zoomed in on the robombie''s teeth. He paused, then expanded the window, running it through a few filters.

    "It''s rusting, Cap!" Gunmetal said, "At an accelerated rate."

    Max thought quickly, looking at his surroundings. There were several paths, some overgrown but most clear enough to escape through. The wood splintered some more.

    "Split up! You three with me! Gunmetal, you take the rest." Max pointed with a closed hand, "We''ll go down this path; you go down the opposite side. Lead it through these pathways and try to lose it. Something in this air''s making it rust. We just need to avoid it until it''s weak enough to take out. Hide if you can, no unnecessary engagements. Do I make myself clear?"

    "Sir, yes, Sir!" everyone chanted.

    Max shouted, "Move out!"

    Max dashed towards a path covered in purple grass and climbing vines. Gunmetal ran in the opposite direction, heading towards a carpet filled with luminescent mushrooms. With a loud creak and crash, the danger globe trundled in and tried to look at both fleeing parties. After some indecision, it started to run after Max''s group.

    With Turbo (Possibly Nitro) leading the charge through the overgrown foliage, Max flanked to keep space between the round robot and the rest of his squad. He fired his pistols at it, most of the plasma bullets bouncing off harmlessly. A lucky few rounds made dents where spots of rust had started to form. The walled walkway led up to a large gate with more glowing Orgish lettering. The three fleeing soldiers pushed through the entryway, and the scenery abruptly changed.

    The vibrant purple plant life suddenly became brown and crispy. Max could clearly see there was a dome wall connected to the gate, sealing this area off from the rest of the park. There was a wide brick road with high walls overlooking several large pits. The enclosures were clearly designed to fit different biomes. One looked like a rocky plateau, another was obviously a dried riverbed, and yet another was filled with cracked and petrified trees.

    Max saw the problem immediately. Part of the ceiling had collapsed and crushed the BioDome, leaving a tattered hole in the energy net. This section of the park was open to the outside, the city just beyond the crushed wall. There were some rusting bodies near the open hole, but there were in-tact robombies trapped in the pit below, wandering aimlessly.

    Distracted, Max''s grip on his weapon loosened, and it was ripped from his hand. The round mouth crunched down on the weapon with a ¡®Pft!¡¯ of plasma. The gate entrance was giving it more trouble, but it wouldn''t slow the thing down for long.

    "Keep moving! We''re not safe here!" Max shouted.

    The troops picked up the pace, charging past the now shrieking robombies that thankfully couldn¡¯t tell where for the intruders were. They were almost to the next gate when they heard the crash behind them, followed by the clanking of tripod feet.

    Ssteev gasped, "Captain! That sign says ''Jrraassk''! That''s the Jrassk homeworld!"

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Max glanced up at the sign, his translator confirming the Jrassk script. The gate was decorated with reptiles of some kind, a variety of shapes and sizes. As they plunged through the new area, the path spread into a vast open plain. The world became a tapestry of browns and golds, with a beige-colored sky and white clouds. Not the dead brown of a parched landscape but the nostalgic sepia tone color of old movie films. There were lush umber ferns and thick palm trees with strange tawny fruits. There was enough space for whole herds of brown and gray creatures to roam freely. In the distance, there were even faux volcanos that puffed out holographic smoke and oozed maroon lava. Unlike the barren area they had just fled, this space was teeming with life, both flora and fauna.

    "Dinosaurs!" Ssteev panted, joy cutting through his exhaustion, "Just like back home!"

    Max was astonished, "A zoo! We''re in a fucking zoo!"

    The mutant robot crashed into the next gate, roaring mechanically. The inside of its mouth glowed, and Turbo (Possibly Nitro) was pulled toward it. The soldier was forced to release his rifle as it was sucked into the hungry maw, the weapon gnashed between rows of jagged teeth. The squad was panting from fleeing, but the relentless sphere seemed to only grow more frantic to get at them.

    Ssteev took a few deep breaths and then started to run toward the field, "Follow me! I know what to do!"

    Ssteev bolted into the foliage, swiftly followed by the others. Max lost sight of him until he spotted a pair of floating black slacks, the shirtless Jrassk¡¯s scales blending in with the scenery. Ssteev booked it across the plains, running up hills and ducking around rocks as if looking for something. Plaster splintered as the packed robot pushed past the gate, thundering footsteps closing in on the squad.

    There was a pop and hissing sound behind them, causing Max to risk a look over his shoulder. The oxidation on the nearly black metal surface was spreading quickly¡ªso quickly, in fact, that parts of the ball were catching on fire or bubbling away into steam. Something about the atmosphere was causing the strange machine to decay rapidly. That would explain all the rusted robots outside. Joints creaked, and the steady pounding of feet slowed and became irregular.

    Max tripped on a root and crashed into a bush painfully. His suit tore as he bounced off a tree and snapped a branch off with his arm. Stumbling backward, he fired his backup pistol at the approaching mutant rombombie, who was swaying unsteadily. It turned and focused on him, jaw snapping as it swayed unsteadily. The toothy grin opened up one more time and sucked Max''s last gun up, crunching it down.

    The robot eclipsed him, blotting out the light. The jaws opening one last time, jagged metal still gleaming in the terrible mouth. Max regretted that he couldn¡¯t keep his promise to Junip. It looked like this was the end. Also, why was the ground shaking?

    A triceratops plowed into the robot''s side, the twin horns on top sinking into the black metal right up to the frill. The living bulldozer caved in the metal side and didn''t even slow, ten tons of muscle lifting the burning robot clear off the ground. The beast stomped past with a honking cry, and Max saw Ssteev riding the scaly creature like a Clydesdale.

    The triceratops shook their head angrily, sending the robot flying. It landed on its side, shattering and causing a long depression of dirt as it skidded to a halt. The three legs waggled like an overturned turtle, reddish dust falling away from the flaking joints. Several more spots started to catch fire, and the lights in the creepy orange eyes went dim.

    Ssteev made a ''yop yop!'' cry and the espresso colored triceratops did a lazy turn and waddled back towards Max. Turbo (Possibly Nitro) was already helping the captain to his feet, wincing in pain. Max realized he had, on top of everything, twisted his ankle. He pulled out a healing kit for his body and a patch kit for his suit and nodded toward the flaming robot. Turbo (Possibly Nitro) nodded and ran off to salvage any valuable parts before the entire robot burned away.

    Ssteev nudged the ceratopsian to a halt near Max just as the holographic green plus signs started blinking over him. "You okay, Captain Thrustar?" the cadet asked with a hint of worry.

    "Nothing I can''t handle." Max nodded and pointed to the dinosaur, "That''s some fine riding there. You saved my bacon. Where''d you learn to ride like that?"

    Ssteev blushed. "My parents owned a ranch on Trrassik, one of the bigger colony worlds. Besides, Btssee did all the work, didn''t you, girl?" Ssteev scratched behind the triceratops'' frill, and the big lizard started to pant and wag her tail happily.

    "Don''t name her. We can''t keep her," warned Max.

    "Aww!" Ssteev was crestfallen.

    "Yeah, aww!" Nitro (Possibly Viper) said. "Found this, Cap. It had a magnetism mod. It was made up of a bunch of smaller robots. It¡¯s probably how it sucked up our weapons."

    "I''m sure we could find a use for that." Max applied the repair patch to his suit and pulled up his HUD. Max hailed the other team, and Gunmetal''s face appeared on the monitor. "We''re clear here. Our resident rough rider took out the bot. What have you found?"

    Gunmetal called a halt to his squad, and they collapsed on some orange rock formations behind him. "We''re good here. We found two areas. One''s filled with a bunch of mushrooms and creatures from the Zeta Cluster. We also managed to find another section filled with critters from Huphaast, the Rokaos homeworld. It''s like we''re in some kind of animal preserve."

    Max started walking up the hill towards a large watering hole where more dinosaurs were taking a communal drink. There were spiky ones, small feathered ones, one low to the ground with a club tail, and two enormous sauropods with long necks.

    "Yeah, I''m thinking it''s nowhere near that benign. I think it''s a zoo. It''s a kind of park where families go to see animals from different worlds." Max replied.

    Gunmetal groaned, "Uhg, edutainment. Still, think we can use anything here to help build Phoenix?"

    Max stopped a little ways away from the pond. One of the larger dinosaurs with big plates on its back turned and gave him a cold stare.

    "Uh, Captain?" Ssteev started to say something.

    Max held up a hand to silence the cadet. "If nothing else, it could be a last-ditch shelter. Something in the air causes the robots to rust quickly. But you saw the plants in the front entrance. I don''t want to add anything until I''m sure it''s safe."

    Ssteev persisted, "Sir, I really don''t think-"

    Max held up his hand again. The dinosaur started to sway its tremendous bulk towards Max, giving him a grumpy side-eye.

    "You think these creatures are dangerous?" asked Gunmetal.

    Max shrugged, "They seem docile enough."

    The stegosaurus gave a furious snort, turning their body with surprising quickness for something so large. Without warning, the stego whipped their body around and smashed Max with their thagomizer. The spikes tore into his shoulders and sides, but the deadly bone protrusions miraculously missed the Captain¡¯s vital organs. It didn''t stop him from being flung away with a chest full of broken ribs, landing back in the thicket of ferns he''d just climbed out of.

    "I tried to warn him," Ssteev said as he climbed off Btssee''s back to render aid.

    Orion saw the purple lights as he started to wake up. He felt a sense of relief. It means they''d destroyed the bed he''d used as a spawn point. He spread his arms, expecting to float out into the cold vacuum of space. It was a short run, but hopefully, he''d given the people of Phoenix a fighting chance.

    Bright fluorescent light hit him in the eyes as he popped out of the sarcophagus. He squinted against the light but was startled to see Dr. Birchett as he pitched forward. His left leg flailed but predictably didn''t support him. Pinwheeling his arms for balance, Orion fell forward and bellyflopped on the floor. Knees, boobs, and balls hit the ground at the same time, and Orion curled himself into a ball of agony for a few moments.

    "Ooh!" Dr. Birchett''s voice had a hint of sympathy pain, "I didn''t even think about that. I didn''t realize your peg leg vanished during respawn."

    "I told you as much, hoo hoo!" Professor Queebeax scolded, "That''s why I put a spare peg leg in the chamber with him."

    Ze voice was accusatory, "Then why didn''t you put down a mattress or something?"

    "Max was right, though. The cybernetics are clearly taking over his organic parts," the Professor continued, ignoring the question. "But what could be causing it?"

    Orion''s regeneration healed the injuries enough for him to uncurl himself. He got to his knees and looked around for the prosthetic the Professor mentioned. He was able to reach out and touch it, which was enough to equip the leg and stand up stiffly. The cybernetics had grown during the fight, creeping down his biceps and starting to eat into his hips and thighs. Movement was being hindered as joints became encased in thick metal plates. The cybernetic parts started to rust as he stood there, which he only noticed when part of his hip caught on fire.

    He looked around. He was in the corner of the Med Bay,

    Orion turned to the doctor, "No! Why am I here? You brought me right into the heart of the city! If I get out- "

    Dr. Birchett raised a calming hand, "You''re in quarantine. Nothing short of a nuclear explosion could break you out of that containment field."

    Orion stared at zem. He pulled the Pocket Nuke from his weapon wheel.

    "That might do it," the Professor conceded.

    Orion clicked the button, and the energy core started to whir to life. Queebeax and Dr. Birchett backed away slowly, trying to soothe him at the same time. Without a word, Orion turned and fired at the sarcophagus. The green beam of energy didn''t even touch the sides of the Sentinel artifact. The portal roared to life, and the blast warped and diverted into the swirling purple vortex.

    The beam interacted strangely with the Gate, a purple hue traveling up the column of green light. The purple energy started to dance and bend around the quarantine chamber. The purple beam engulfed a rolling table nearby, and it was sucked into the trail of light, spaghettifying as it sped away.

    "Fuck!" Orion threw down the Pocket Nuke, cutting the power. As the green energy feeding the portal vanished, it snapped back with a deafening boom! Orion was blasted back against the quarantine wall and slumped to the floor.

    "That is enough," an authoritative voice said.

    Commander Slate walked in, dressed sharply in a professional-looking suit. He swiped away his HUD window, which showed a play-by-play of the scene that had just unfolded.

    "You may be the Director, but you are going to stop panicking and listen to what we have to say," Slate''s voice was stern as he stopped in front of Orion. "-Now-."

    "No." Orion struggled to his feet. His voice was rough but flat and emotionless. "I''ve seen this movie before. And it ends with me snacking on people''s brains."

    Looking around, Orion asked, "Apus, how do I get out of quarantine?"

    It was like a lightning bolt struck Orion. Electricity erupted from his temple and hit the ceiling, shattering one of the light fixtures above. Pain tore a scream from Orion''s throat as his body contorted with tormented spasms. His back arched so far that it felt as if it would snap, causing him to fall to the ground. More sparks and small fires burst on the metal surface, and his body twitched like a dead insect. The pain suddenly subsided to a manageable level, and Orion collapsed with relief. His body still felt like there were needles embedded under his skin, but it was bearable.

    When Orion heard a pained gasp from Neesya, he stiffly turned his neck towards the chamber door. He hadn''t even heard the crowd gather, but the rest of the Menagerie had entered the Med Bay. They were staring at him with a mix of horror and pity, and Neesya looked like she was hurting. He speculated that the empath was siphoning some of his pain away. He opened his mouth to ask her to stop.

    No, she insisted. I''m not taking anything I can''t handle.

    Orion was too exhausted to argue. He lay there until the cybernetic parts stopped sparking, patting out a few errant fires. He felt feverish, and the flesh covered by a metallic shell was numb. Even if he wanted to escape back through the Gate, he couldn¡¯t muster the strength. He released a defeated sigh.

    "Okay," Orion said hoarsely. "I''m ready to listen now."

 Chapter 21 - Intervention

    Slate sat down in a chair, breathing a sigh of relief as Orion stopped struggling. He couldn¡¯t fight it anymore, he was completely spent. The returning memories and the still bleeding wounds had taken a toll on his mind and body. He stared up at the florescent lights on the ceiling, awaiting the bad news.

    Slate¡¯s voice was steady, ¡°My friend, we need to have a little talk.¡±

    Orion closed his eyes and sighed, ¡°You¡¯re kicking me out of the colony.¡±

    ¡°Worse,¡± Slate said ominously. ¡°This is an intervention.¡±

    ¡°Oh, God.¡± Orion tried to turn over and dragged himself toward the gate to escape, but his strength failed him, and he lay back down in the sticky blue puddle of congealing blood.

    Dr. Birchett stepped up and fiddled with a monitor next to the Quarantine Chamber¡¯s door. The Professor pulled out his MUT, which he¡¯d somehow modified, and scanned Orion. Queebeax studied several pop-up windows that appeared. Neesya sat cross-legged on the floor as Orion¡¯s pain dipped low enough for her to stop sapping it away. Her smooth skin was slick with viscous sweat, which Random helped mop with a towel.

    ¡°Everyone here cares for you very much,¡± Slate began.

    ¡°Oh Lord¡­¡± moaned Orion.

    He continued, ¡°And we all think you¡¯re taking on too much responsibility.¡±

    Orion groaned. This was sounding eerily similar to a conversation he¡¯d had with LeVar far too many times. As well as Enrique, and basically anyone he¡¯d ever worked with.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here the longest, and since then, I haven¡¯t seen you take an actual day off. You¡¯ll slow down on Sandays, but you¡¯re always fixing something or building something or helping someone.¡± Slate leaned forward, ¡°You¡¯re a workaholic.¡±

    Orion lifted his head and looked askance at the Commander. ¡°Have you been talking to my therapist?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve all seen it, my boy.¡± The Professor added, ¡°It¡¯s not healthy. Your body may regenerate, but the trauma is still there. You need a break.¡±

    Slate nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve done so much for us, but you aren¡¯t responsible for everything. You need downtime too, time to do things you want to. I want you to depend on us more.¡±

    Orion sat up with a huff, ¡°Like what? This planet isn¡¯t exactly a hotbed of activity. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a cinema a few miles down the road.¡±

    Slate leaned back and shrugged, ¡°How do we know there isn¡¯t?¡±

    Orion stared at him, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Slate spread his hands, ¡°None of us have explored this planet. Manifest Industries dropped us here and we had to immediately started working just to survive. The first day we fired up the drill, we were driven back to our stasis pods. We were given no reports about signs of intelligent life inhabiting this planet, but that didn¡¯t stop you from finding a subterranean civilization below us. We don¡¯t know if this is the only city here.¡±

    Orion considered that. There¡¯s a whole undiscovered planet here. Other cities might be less destroyed, so there might be some way to send a distress call. Plus, there are animals out there. There could be other species to catalog. Some could be helpful to Phoenix, and others might be a threat. It would be good to know what to expect. If this world, Org?a Slate had called it, was set up like a survival game, there could be dungeons. Or Vaults, Reggie had called them.

    Memories suddenly shuffled into place. The Seal Woman from his memories was Silky, who was played by his friend Regina! How had he forgotten that? The gaps in his memory had been steadily returning with each death. He still wasn¡¯t sure how he had ended up here. Still, Reggie wouldn''t just dump him on a toxic planet intentionally.

    Orion considered the toxic air. He was uniquely equipped to do far-reaching exploration. He didn¡¯t have to worry about a suit breach. Sending anyone else out would be a possible death sentence. Hell, he could even take his warden partners. They could survive out in the wild with him. And if his cybernetics went haywire on him again, he¡¯d be well away from the city.

    But if he left, there wouldn¡¯t be anyone left in charge of the city. Slate said he wanted Orion to depend on him more. That wasn¡¯t a bad idea, Slate was a good dude, if a bit crotchety when they first met. But since then, Orion had come to depend on his guidance and advice. Slate had become his first friend in Cosmic Horizons, was genuinely concerned for him.

    Orion opened his Colony HUD and went to the Leadership tab. He selected Commander Slate¡¯s profile and then clicked on the ¡®Promote¡¯ button. A list of titles with descriptions of each one dropped down, and he viewed a list of duties assigned to each one. He smiled when he found what he was looking for and confirmed his selection. A colony announcement appeared for everyone.

    [Commander Slate has been promoted to Mayor of Phoenix]

    Mayor Slate stared at Orion, ¡°What?¡±

    Orion stood, ¡°You said I was taking on too much. You ran this colony before I did. I¡¯ll still be Director, but you¡¯re officially my second in command. Being Mayor gives you new abilities like assigning more quests and access to the Building Menu to help create infrastructure.¡±

    Mayor Slate held up his hands, ¡°Now hang on, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡°

    The Grey stopped as he was suddenly bombarded with a flurry of pop-up windows. A baker¡¯s dozen of Missions crammed his field of vision, and Pewter appeared on his shoulder.

    ¡°You have six building requests to approve, three gathering missions, one escort

    mission, and two requisition requests.¡± Pewter listed off the screens. A new one popped up, ¡°And Orion Starbeard is requesting supplies to start an exploratory expedition.¡±

    Mayor Slate glared at Orion, who simply smiled and waved with a flourish of finger waggles.

    ¡°I figured it was time for a vacation.¡± Orion explained, ¡°I¡¯m thinking of a wildlife

    safari to hunt big game.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been taking on all this responsibility,¡± exclaimed Slate. ¡°On top of literally killing yourself fighting hordes of minions in the underground city?¡±

    ¡°That part was easy.¡± Orion explained, ¡°I was able to cut my workload in half when Neesya started handling the farming duties.¡±

    Slate spluttered, ¡°Half?¡±

    Orion grinned manically, ¡°Yup! Plus, Apus helped manage my time. Oh, speaking of which, I guess I can¡¯t use him anymore. If I fix my implants, they¡¯ll start

    taking over my body again.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Dr. Birchett interjected. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking over your physiology, and I think I know why the machines have taken so long to infect you.¡±

    Everyone turned to the Doctor, and ze pulled Orion¡¯s stats up. He had gotten considerably more robust since the last time he checked. His Power was almost halfway up the bar, his Finesse and Charm falling close behind. Even his Knowledge was working its way up. However, his Endurance was maxed out. Not only that, but there was also a smaller chunk of green that extended past the bar.

    Orion tilted his head, ¡°That can¡¯t be normal.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Dr. Birchett agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. I do have a theory. Since your body has been fighting against the toxic environment and whatever is causing your implants to grow out of control since you arrived here, it has supercharged your Endurance so much it¡¯s extended past any known physical limits.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a Virus.¡±

    Heads turned to Professor Queebeax as he pulled up his own data spreadsheets,

    ¡°The thing that¡¯s causing the abnormal implant growth, I mean.¡± Prof Queebeax clarified, ¡°Specifically a computer virus, don¡¯tcha know? Something is wirelessly projecting a malignant program that is overloading the implants and causing them to grow exponentially.¡±

    Mayor Slate asked, ¡°Why has it taken so long to get this bad?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because Orion¡¯s implant is broken!¡± the Professor exclaimed excitedly. ¡°Or possibly a combination of the damaged implants, the supercharged regeneration, or even simply respawning could all be affecting it!¡±

    ¡°So what could be projecting the virus?¡± Slate asked.

    ¡°The meteor,¡± said Orion thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense. My mutations got worse when we got closer to the impact site. It might also explain what happened to the Org citizens.¡±

    The Mayor stood and brushed his hands, ¡°There we go. All the more reason to get away from the colony for a while. Do some exploring, make some maps, and when your implants start to overgrow again, you return for maintenance. I¡¯ll make it official.¡±

    [Mission Available: Trailblazer

    Mayor Slate has requested for you to explore and map the area surrounding Phoenix. Discover new locations, bring back resources, and unlock the secrets of Org?a.

    Reward: 500-2500 XP

    This Mission is repeatable. Accept Mission? Y/N?]

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Orion accepted the mission and closed the window. ¡°Done. Well, I think that¡¯s pretty much settled. Time to get cartographical!¡±

    Mayor Slate stood up, ¡°And I suppose I¡¯ll keep this place running in your absence. We¡¯ll continue to see if we can do anything to halt the virus¡¯s progression while you¡¯re gone.¡±

    The Professor and Doctor both nodded in agreement.

    ¡°We¡¯ll keep the sarcophagus in here as well, just in case,¡± Dr. Birchett said, ¡°We¡¯ll put down some mattresses or something.¡±

    The rest of the concerned onlookers started to stand up now that the crisis had been inverted. Dr. Birchett opened the quarantine door, and Orion stepped out.

    ¡°Hey, listen, everyone.¡± Orion said before the assorted aliens filed out, ¡°Thank you. For everything. You¡¯ve done so much to help me, and I don¡¯t want you to think I¡¯m ungrateful, even if I just had a bit of a panic attack back there.¡±

    The group paused to wish him well, asking him to swing by shops for supplies or

    upgrades before returning to the door. Neesya even stepped up to give him a shockingly strong hug, and Random Noun did the same to his knee.

    ¡°Welp!¡± Orion dusted his hands for dramatic effect, ¡°I better get going before the

    next emergency happens.¡±

    Ssteev ran into the Medical bay, the Jrassk barely avoided tripping over Uncle Pyro. A medical drone that had been converted into a stretcher followed him, carrying a badly injured Max Thrustar. His breathing was labored, and his blood stained suit watch patched in four places. Nitro (Possibly Zephyr) followed behind, looking panicked.

    ¡°We have an emergency!¡± Ssteev squeaked, ¡°The Captain¡¯s dying!¡±

    Dr. Birchett sighed, ¡°And there¡¯s ¡®Heroic Idiot Number Two¡¯, right on time.¡±

    Orion spent the next few hours preparing. One of Random¡¯s construction crew had even installed a small standing shower in Orion¡¯s temporary apartment. He had a good long soak, allocating new skill points, researching new trade abilities, and mostly just enjoying a hot shower in private. The most exciting update to his skills was that he could have up to two active partners during combat. At least he wouldn¡¯t be alone on his trip.

    Gemini was lying on the bed, playing some soothing Classic eighties Power Ballads to help Orion get his head straight. It had taken Orion some time to work up the courage to repair his implant. After the usual pain, Apus appeared without issue. There were some parts of his projection were glitching out, just a few chunks of pixels here and there. His AI was otherwise operating fine and glad to be functioning again.

    After drying off, Orion examined his implants. They were noticeably bigger

    now, the circuit striations spreading down his neck and starting to move up his shoulder blades. If it got any worse, well¡­

    His gloomy thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

    ¡°Coming!¡± Orion called out. He stepped into the bedroom and finished getting dressed. When he opened the door, Uncle Pyro was standing outside.

    ¡°Are we feeling any better?¡± the blacksmith asked, a voice filled with genuine

    concern. ¡°Really feeling better, and not just putting on a brave face?¡±

    Orion thought about that, glancing at Apus, who preened himself. ¡°Yes, I think so. No sense worrying about something I can¡¯t control. And the experts are working on the problem, so I just gotta keep moving forward.¡±

    Pyro nodded, ¡°Good. Good. And you¡¯re right, Keeroy is a good man to have to

    work on your case. Dr. Birchett, too, I¡¯d trust both of them with my life, and I don¡¯t

    trust easily.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, then.¡± Orion remembered his manners, ¡°Would you like to come in?¡±

    Pyro shook his head, ¡°No, thank you, but this isn¡¯t a social call. Okay, I was genuinely concerned about you, but I¡¯m mostly here on business. Some of the other crafters and I have supplies for your trip.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Okay. Lemme just fetch Gemini, and we can head out.¡±

    Orion closed the door. After a moment he popped back out again, wearing another one of his colorful windbreakers. Gem and Ini sat on Orion¡¯s shoulders and peered shyly at Pyro, their tail wrapped around his head like a gold chain.

    ¡°Cute little buggers, aren¡¯t they?¡± said Pyro, appraising the rodents.

    Orion beamed, ¡°They¡¯re quite affectionate when they aren¡¯t actively trying to kill you.¡±

    They chatted as they walked, Pyro filling him in on some of the Phoenix¡¯s latest gossip. Between the four days spent exploring the underground city and the nearly three days it took for Orion to respawn, a lot had changed. The final touches on the Municipal Center were nearly complete. The greenhouse and the stables had been expanded. They were even working on a kind of elevator system for the stables to replace the open ramp to the surface.

    As he talked, Orion noticed there were a lot of people staring at him. People he didn¡¯t recognize. A beefy male Astropod even bigger than Neesya walked past, carrying bolts of cloth under each arm. A small group of Hivers all dressed like prohibition era gangsters strolled past, bowing to Orion as he approached. An older Terran in a trench coat was having drinks with a monochrome Jo¡¯Qin dressed like a pirate.

    ¡°Is it just me,¡± asked Orion. ¡°Or are there more people here?¡±

    ¡°Right, you were, ah-¡± Pyro searched for a diplomatic word, ¡°-indisposed when Phoenix became level two. It unlocked fifty more colonists, and ten more guards. This lot is harmless, mostly white-collar criminals. Embezzlement, fraud, and at least one corrupt politician. A few slackers among them, but they¡¯ve mostly taken to life on Org?a pretty smoothly.

    ¡°As long as they don¡¯t cause trouble, they¡¯re welcome to stay.¡± Orion looked around nervously, trying to spot the politician.

    ¡°A handful of bad seeds chose to strike out on their own, so we gave them whatever supplies we could spare.¡± Pyro explained, ¡°Most stayed. Two of them were plumbers, which is why the rest of the base has running water. And a few others have been fixing up the Rig, which is completely free of ratillacs thanks to you. You really did a number on the inside, though.¡±

    Orion apologized, ¡°my bad.¡±

    Pyro stopped at his forge. ¡°That reminds me, we need some more MUTs when you get a chance. Some of the new colonists need it for construction projects.¡±

    Orion opened his HUD and saw a pop-up for a crafting mission for ten new Multipurpose Universal Tools. He gladly accepted it. He was not about to turn down free experience. ¡°I¡¯ll make some before I leave tomorrow,¡± he promised.

    ¡°Good. In the meantime, we¡¯ve made you some gear. Armor, weapons, tool kits and the like. Repair and medical packs, explorer¡¯s gear, rope, even a bedroll and

    tent.¡± Pyro moved aside a curtain blocking a workbench.

    The outfits looked like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie. The outfits were leather, but very practical. There were goggles and a face mask included, as well as a broad-brimmed desert camo bucket hat. There was a tall camping backpack and a modified saddle bag for Major Canis. A hunting rifle with a long barrel and scope was sitting to one side, with a skinning knife and well-balanced hunting knife next to it.

    ¡°Obviously there¡¯s food and water supplies set aside for you in the Cafeteria for when you set out.¡± Pyro added, ¡°so be sure to swing by before you leave. The new chef is quite skilled too, so make sure to grab breakfast before you go.¡±

    ¡°Pyro, this is too much, man.¡± Orion protested, ¡°I can¡¯t accept this.¡±

    Pyro folded his arms stubbornly, ¡°This isn¡¯t a gift, Mr. Director. You¡¯re a civil servant who¡¯s about to explore the planet for the benefit of your community. This is a tax write off.¡±

    Orion laughed, ¡°well then, remind me to start collecting taxes.¡±

    Pyro scowled. ¡°Not on your life.¡±

    The following day, Orion was prepared to set out. He dropped off the new MUTs at Random¡¯s construction site first, scoring some cheap XP. Next he stopped by the cafeteria to meet the new chef. She was an older Rokaos woman named Magrath, and she was indeed an excellent cook! He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d had a meat and cheese omelet and hash browns. Orion had tried to replicate the meal with the food dispensers, but they turned out almost flavorless. The woman was a culinary wizard!

    ¡°The replicators never got the flavors right,¡± Magrath explained. ¡°The secret is to replicate the ingredients and cook them like normal.¡±

    Orion almost cried as each cheesy, savory bite touched his tongue. Once he was done, she gave him a list of ingredients as a Mission, making sure Phoenix would be stocked up between greenhouse harvests. Orion cheerfully accepted, especially considering one of the rewards was a five course meal.

    Backpack and inventory full of supplies, Orion headed over to the stables, where he was greeted by the cutest fucking thing! Aludra had given birth. She was panting happily as the cyworg puppies bumbled around, playfighting, sleeping and generally being puppies. There were a few Terrans playing with the babies under the relaxed but watchful eye of their mother. One of the puppies had gotten very attached to Gemini. The pup was dozing in between the two ratillacs, who nestled around them protectively.

    ¡°Hate to break up the love fest, but it¡¯s time to go, boys!¡± Orion looked around, ¡°Where¡¯s your brother?¡±

    Here he is, thought Neesya.

    Orion turned to the approaching rancher and noticed what had been bothering him. Something about the cyworgs had felt off, but seeing the now fluffier canine standing next to the yellow space mollusk, he figured out what it was. The cyworgs weren¡¯t actually black. Their fur was dark purple, dappled with blue and indigo patches.

    Major Canis¡¯s coloration was the same, but the pattern almost appeared to flow slowly across his body. There were blue pinpricks of light in his fur, like the tips of Orion¡¯s own hair. The whole effect made his partner look like a starry night sky. He could swear there was a pattern of stars on his flank that looked like the constellation Orion.

    Neesya smiled, I was surprised, too. It¡¯s incredible what a difference a bath makes.

    Orion was delighted, ¡°Thank you for taking such good care of them! Look at my handsome boy! Are you ready to go on an adventure with me?¡±

    Major wurfed and clicked over to his mate to nuzzle her. Major licked each one of his puppies before laying down to be loaded up. Orion strapped the backpack to his saddle, and Gemini reluctantly climbed up with something in their mouth.

    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t. Nice try, buster,¡± chuckled Orion. He gently lifted the puppy that Gem had carried up by the scruff. ¡°They¡¯re too young. We¡¯ll be back to play

    with them soon.¡±

    Gem and Ini wubbed forlornly, playing sad violin music on their cheek speakers. Orion gave them a hug and kissed their screens. The Ratillac King seemed to relax and curled up at the front of the saddle.

    Orion waved to the cyworgs and Neesya before headed out. Walking toward the entrance, Orion and his entourage were the subject of great interest. One of the new guards and a clearly nervous cadet saluted as he passed. A few people shyly offered him snacks or things they thought he would need on the trip. He overheard whispering as he passed. There were questions and embellished tales of his heroics from awed onlookers. It was all very embarrassing but he waved and smiled and accepted whatever trinkets were offered.

    ¡°It¡¯s like walking around a convention I¡¯ve got a panel at,¡± Orion muttered to Major as he finally reached the decontamination chamber. ¡°Only worse because

    everyone knows who I am.¡±

    The cyworg gave an unhelpful huff as the Decontamination Chamber doors opened. Orion mounted up and trotted out to the courtyard. There was a little bit more activity that stopped as he passed, but Orion was able to make good time up the hill. He stopped at the bridge, which was still under repair but mostly traversable.

    ¡°Okay, boys! Let¡¯s follow that trail!¡± Orion quoted.

    Gemini looked up from his lap with question marks on their masks, and Major gave him the side-eye.

    ¡°It¡¯s from a movie. I¡¯ll see if we can stream it later.¡± Orion thought about that, ¡°Hey, Gemini? Do you have the soundtrack to El Dorado in there?¡±

    Gem and Ini looked at each other, and their masks scrolled through several playlists. After a moment, Elton John¡¯s voice started pumping through their speakers.

    ¡°Oh, Fuck yeah!¡± Orion whipped his bucket hat around like a cowboy, ¡°Let¡¯s ride!¡±

 Chapter 22 - Lightning Spires

    Enrique was playing Cosmic Horizons Online a bit before bed. He''d gotten back into something of a routine, gone back to regular streaming. He''d even planned on doing a charity stream to raise money for Ryan''s favorite charity next week. Everything was still raw and painful, but the support of his community had helped get him out of his funk. Enrique didn''t think he''d ever fully recover. They''d had such a short time together, but he''d cherish his time with Ryan.

    Regina had set him up with a home version of the game, crude in comparison to the sarcophagus, but serviceable for simple at home recreation. The improved headsets were still advanced enough to make him feel like he was really on an alien world. The gloves had made for an easy transition from the real world to the virtual.

    Enrique, as Aurelio Ironsides, was relaxing in one of the many hot springs in the Rokaos section of Sanctuary. The gamepad draped over his gaming chair heated up, relaxing tired muscles as Aurelio people-watched. Cosmic Horizons had an engaging story, but moments like this made Enrique understand Reggie''s vision for this game becoming a digital afterlife. The thought was appealing, if slightly terrifying, on an existential level.

    A notification symbol appeared in the corner of his vision. Flicking his eyes to it he saw that Lazar Boomslang was sending a video message request. Surprised, Aurelio accepted the call and a handsome Jrassk''s face appeared.

    Lazar was tan with brown stripes, a long muzzle, and emerald green eyes. The feathered crest was daffodil yellow and braided on the top of his head. A smug-looking chameleon AI was draped on his shoulder. Aurelio wasn''t shocked at all by his appearance. Lazar always had a thing for reptiles. A Jrassk wasn¡¯t much different than his raptor Vtuber avatar.

    "Hey Lazar! Looking good!"

    Lazar beamed, "Hey, you too! You''re a Rokaos, right? Makes sense, kinda space Dwarf-y. I dig the gold horns."

    "Thank you!" Aurelio sat up, "So how''d you get a copy of Cosmic Horizons?"

    "Silky sent me a copy. I think some of the other Deck Punchers got one, too," he explained. "I don''t know if we''ll get any other takers, though. That NDA isn''t joking around."

    Aurelio nodded, "You''ll understand why eventually. I don''t know how much you''ve been told, but this could become more than just a game."

    "I''m getting that impression," Lazar nodded. In a more somber tone, he asked, "how are you holding up? I saw you''ve been streaming, but when I tried to raid you, you were already finished."

    Aurelio sighed shakily, "It''s hard. But I''m doing my best. Just trying to get back to normal, but I don''t think it ever will be again. How''re you? And how¡¯s the company? It must be difficult taking over so suddenly."

    Lazar shrugged, "Like you said, it''s hard. The team''s in mourning, you know? Everyone loved Ryan. But videos are still coming out, checks are being signed, and games are being developed. We''ll make it work."

    "Good," Aurelio relaxed. "So, you just get in?

    Lazar nodded, "Yup! I was just about to start the tutorial, but I saw you were logged in."

    Aurelio stood and let the lava slough off him, "Let me dry off, and I''ll walk you through some of it. It''ll be good to catch up!"

    "Awesome!" Lazar exclaimed, "It''s too bad Ryan''s not here. He''d love this game."

    Aurelio shook his head with a sad smile, "Knowing him, he''d already be up to his elbows in shenanigans."

    "I call shenanigans!"

    Orion was fist fighting a flamingo. What even was his life anymore? The whole area was filled with glowing neon flamingos. Not only that, they were decked out in shutter shades, backward caps, and blue hi-tops with lightning bolt logos. The whole flock was skating around the bizarre area on skateboards, performing sick flips and wicked grinds. The maniacs!

    Orion''s first stop was the left bridge across the crater. He wanted to check out the thorny black brambles, which now looked similar to the big tree poking up from the underground zoo. He''d read the report on the Org?an animal exhibit being empty. Orion wondered if this tree was the reason there were still animals on the surface. Once he''d gotten closer, however, any evidence of tunnels had been weathered away by the sandstorms.

    The area was strange. A few hundred feet from the branches was a crashed semi-truck, a futuristic one with hover wheels. The trailer had crashed in the center of an electric blue swamp of bubbling liquid. It looked as if it had once been a mobile stage trailer. The backdrop was of a beach, complete with palm trees and a picture of an Org teen doing a kickflip. Empty boxes marked ''Swag'' were half submerged in the soda swamp. Electricity arced upwards between the twisted branches like a Jacob''s Ladder. The neon sign on the stage flickered but read simply, ''Bolt! The Quenchifyer!''. There was a pool of blue bubbly liquid on the field, spreading out from the center display.

    The bramble branches had grown in odd patterns, forming loops and ramps. Orion saw several of the glowing rad flamingos, or flairmingos, using the branches like a skate park. He saw a few of the flairmingos using their sharp beaks to carve flat paths on the brambles.

    One of those beaks was aimed at him. He barely dodged a sharp peck to the face, only to get a skateboard to the shin. Gemini was shooting sonic blasts at the stylish birds, but they were too agile. A bird wearing a blue headband and leg warmers opened her beak and fired a column of lightning that nearly fried the King. They were too fast for Major as well. The cyworg did manage to land a lucky bite on a flairmingo and got a powerful electric shock for his trouble. He dropped the wounded bird and backed away, tail drooping.

    As the neon pink wall of feathers closed in, Orion stepped backward and felt his foot land in a puddle of blue ''water.'' He was immediately electrocuted and took some significant damage before he was able to stumble back to dry land.

    "Let''s jet, boys!" Orion scrambled to his feet, "These guys are too strong for us!"

    Orion ran and jumped onto Major''s back as he fled, Gemini driving alongside the cyworg. Orion leaned over and scooped Gemini up by the tail, settling them on his lap. As they fled back to the bridge, Orion opened up his map and marked Bolt Swamp on the map.

    Orion wondered what kind of weird eighties nostalgia kick the programmer was on when they designed this planet. It was making for some odd encounters already. He wondered if a flairmingo would make for a good partner, but dismissed the idea. What constellation could be a good name for a skateboarding flamingo, anyway?

    Max woke up to the sounds of a medidrone monitoring his vitals. As his senses slowly started flooding in, he heard a synthetic voice announce, ¡°Captain Max Thrustar has regained consciousness.¡±

    Max''s eyes flew open as his memories of the last few days came back in a rush. The sphere robot! Dinosaurs! Orion''s mutation! What happened to his team? Fighting through the aching in his chest, Max struggled to sit up. The medidrone started making warning sounds as Max grabbed weakly at various tubes in his chest.

    Slender vine-like fingers gently, but very firmly pressed him back down on the bed. "You''re not going anywhere," Junip commanded.

    "Team attacked! Orion died!" croaked Max.

    "Your people are fine. Orion is-" Junip hesitated, ¡°-better. You, however, are not. And after you promised me you wouldn''t get hurt."

    Max lay back but didn''t relax, "What happened?"

    Junip leaned in, zir voice filled with barely suppressed anger. "Maximilian Aloysius Thrustar, you told me you''d be careful! You go down there for a simple exploration and leveling mission and come back to me on a stretcher with your chest caved in. It took all of your med packs to keep you alive long enough for your men to get you to me!"

    Max knew he was in trouble when ze started using his full name. He took a minute to relax and gather his thoughts. "In my defense, the rookie was riding one around like a pony. How was I to know one would just lash out like that?"

    Max stopped as something warm dropped on his cheek. He reached up with a shaky hand and touched his face, pulling away an amber droplet of warm sap. He looked up and saw that Junip''s shoulders were shaking. Another bead of sap fell from zir face and splashed his chin.

    Oh no, this was so much worse than a bunch of broken ribs! He''d made Junip -cry!- Gritting his teeth against the pain, he reached up and cupped zir shoulders.

    "No." Junip stood up and pushed Max away.

    Even the gentle shove to the shoulder sent shooting pain through his entire chest. "Aaugh!"

    Junip gasped with dismay and immediately reached out. Ze pulled back before touching him again and snapped at the medidrone, "Up his painkillers! Baby, I am so sorry!"

    Stolen novel; please report.

    Max''s eyes were squeezed shut, and his voice pinched with pain, "All good. My fault. "

    "No, it''s mine. I just get so worried when you''re out there risking your life!" Junip wiped zir eyes, "You promised me this was supposed to be a safer job! After just a few years of watching over a simple mining operation, we could retire! Have a place of our own! Start a family."

    Max''s breath became less labored as the painkillers started to kick in. He lay there and tried to think about the assignment. It was supposed to be an easy job. The Manifest Institute normally sends out a bunch of low-risk criminals to an unpopulated world, where they dig up the resources to send back to the company. They basically buy their freedom through the work program, and then they can colonize the planet. But this time, things were off right from the start.

    He''d learned from Junip that these colony missions all followed the same protocol. Prisoners who had a high probability for rehabilitation were sent off to boarder worlds where they could work off their debt to society. After serving their sentence they could either stay on the new colony and be given land to homestead, or be allowed to return to their homes and families. The bulk of the inmates were usually white collar criminals, or blue collar criminals without a history of violence.

    This crew was different. The bulk of them were the expected sort of prisoner, but a few hundred of them were really dangerous. Gangsters, mercenaries, revolutionaries, and mad scientists. Not enough of them to set off any warning bells, but enough to question how such a gross oversight had happened in the first place. Sometimes, the company just needed warm bodies to reach sustainable numbers, which is why guards were sent to oversee operations.

    Except this time, the company also dropped them off in this desert world. Usually, the company transport ship chooses one that can at least support life. Instead, they''d all woken up from the stasis sleep on a planet that was literally toxic. They''d had to wear BioSuits to just to leave the base.

    One mistake was understandable. A big bloated corporation like Manifest Industries was bound to have a few things fall through the cracks. But the combo of sending the wrong inmates to an uninhabitable world? It felt intentional. But then what was the end goal? Had they been sent here to die, or was it sabotage? There were too many unanswered questions.

    "It was supposed to be safe." Max said thoughtfully, "Something stinks about this whole situation. High risk prisoners, an unknown planet, stuck here how long with no rescue? No communication even? I''ve never heard of a colony being started this way. And for us to just happen to be dropped off on a world thought to be a myth? No, something doesn''t add up."

    "Well, you can do the math later, Mr. Detective." Junip leaned in, brushing the leaves away from zir face and planting a kiss on Max''s forehead with soft petal lips. "You are off duty till your ribs heal, you hear me?"

    "You''re the boss," he agreed, lifting zir hand to his lips and kissing it. Max lay back and relaxed after the effort.

    "And don''t you forget it,¡± Junip teased. ¡°Get some sleep, sweetheart. Doctor''s orders."

    Max drifted off to sleep, and Junip brushed his cheek gently. The two colonists ze''d been training as assistants came while she wasn''t looking and were staring at zir with concern.

    "Is that part of the medical procedure?" The Kreelux nurse trainee asked nervously.

    Junip laughed, "No, no. Don''t worry, Max and I are together."

    Junip put the nurses to work, studying and running simulations for different medical procedures. A few injured folk came in, mostly people unused to physical labor. Just a few scrapes, bruises, and one broken thumb from a hammering incident. Junip caught the Kreelux nurse trying to kiss the injured man''s forehead uncertainly and had to shoo the silly girl away.

    Ze looked over Gunmetal''s report about the animals and plants they''d been documenting. Nothing that could be used to improve the colony without completely taking over the ecosystem. However, it might be possible to build other layers that would have different environments for people to make them more at home. Junip passed the idea on to Random, who danced that it was a good idea.

    Junip couldn''t shake the feeling that Max was right. Something did feel off about this. This had been Max''s first colony expedition, but not zirs. Since graduating medical school, Junip has been the planetside doctor for three colonies. Some of them had failed, but this was the first one that was unsustainable from the beginning.

    Ze hadn''t thought it odd till it had been pointed out. Max only agreed to join zir on this mission because he''d gotten badly injured on his last assignment. Junip sent a chat invite to Mayor Slate to inform him of zir misgivings.

    "What''s up, Doc?" Slate asked when he responded.

    "Max thinks something is suspicious about our current situation," ze responded. "And I think he''s right. I think we were set up to fail. Or at least to take risks you don''t normally see when setting up a colony."

    "I admit, this wasn''t what I was expecting when I signed up for this," admitted Slate.

    Junip continued, "I don''t know about you, but I was at least expecting to land on a planet with breathable air. Instead, we end up on a barren wasteland that just happens to be the lost homeworld of the Orgs? And not, for example, landing on one of the known habitable worlds scheduled for colonization?"

    "I¡­" Slate paused at that, "Okay, when you put it that way it sounds obvious that something''s wrong. When we first woke up here, I was too focused on making sure this place was survivable that I didn''t think of why it wasn''t. Maybe it''s time to get the Administration Room fixed up. Looks like I have to do some research about our mission."

    By the time Orion crossed the bridge onto the mining rig, his skateboard wounds were all healed. He stopped by the facility to check in and make sure it was still clear of ratillacs. The carnage from the fire traps was all cleaned up, and repairs on the catwalks were underway.

    Orion introduced himself to the lead techanic working on the rig, a mottled Grey named Oslo. He warned the Oslo about the flairmingos and asked if they needed anything.

    ¡°We fixed a repair drone, and it¡¯s taking care of the hazardous work.¡± Oslo added, ¡°We¡¯re mostly working on getting the system online. But we still have some robombie corpses wedged in weird places. We need them cleared away, especially if there¡¯s still any active ones hiding.¡±

    Orion offered to help with the robot bodies, and they shot him a mission request. He spent an hour harvesting the robombies and clearing those areas for work, getting some experience for his trouble. Satisfied the techs could continue repairs unmolested, Orion rode down the final unexplored bridge.

    Halfway down the still rickety but functional bridge, Orion started to get worried. The Bolt Swamp was a big enough threat, but the foothills below the dip of the crater hill looked even more ominous. The swirling dust devils streaked with lightning bolts had not subsided the entire time Orion had been awake on this planet. He hoped the wind wasn''t as strong as the sandstorm he got caught in. He didn''t relish being dashed against a rock again.

    He slowed his pace as he approached the edge of the dust storm. Orion equipped the goggles and face mask, turning on his implant¡¯s flashlight to see in the darkening cloud swirling around him. After a streak of lightning cut through the sky and nearly deafened them with the immediate crack of thunder, he asked Gemini to use his <Sound Barrier> bubble to mask their approach and block out the sound.

    ¡®Apus, I need you to keep a lookout,¡¯ Orion thought at his AI companion. ¡®Make sure we''re not getting flanked.¡¯

    Apus appeared in a flash. ¡®On it, Chief!¡¯ Apus took to the wing and flew into the storm.

    ¡®Hmmm,¡¯ he pondered. ¡®Maybe Gunmetal''s right about Apus developing a real personality.¡¯

    Dismounting and lowering Gemini to the ground, Orion brought out his new hunting rifle. It felt more natural in his hands, and he crouched into a sneaking posture. His warden vocation gave him bonuses on stealth when hunting. Orion and his partners blended into the sandy landscape to become nearly invisible to the naked eye.

    With the wind whipping past them almost painfully, they started to approach a large shadow in the distance. At first, Orion thought they were coming up to another rock formation, but he was surprised to find out the truth.

    Orion stood and stared when he reached it. It was the wrought iron spire of a skyscraper. It was in the same style as the underground city but far more ornate. The pointed tip of the building was capped with a lightning rod, which attracted a bolt of lighting every few minutes. He saw similar flashes of light in the distance, stopping before hitting the ground.

    The dome must have collapsed around this area, but the buildings were sturdy enough to remain standing while the BioDome ''sky'' fell around them. Orion briefly considered breaking into one of the buildings, wondering what kind of loot might be hidden inside these extravagant high rises. But he shuddered to think what kind of nasty robombies would lurk just beyond the walls.

    Orion and his animal entourage continued to sneak through the field of spires. He quickly started to lose track of where he was. The low visibility and sameness of the rising pillars of decadent architecture became a confusing maze the deeper they went. Any tracks they left behind were scoured away by the howling gale.

    Orion stepped between two buildings into something of a clearing. He was surrounded by a ring of spires poking up from the ground. They were the same height and ornately decorated like the roof of a cathedral. Lightning struck the iron topped points, dancing across the circular ring of skyscrapers like an angelic halo. The hot wind was partly blocked by the dark shingles, allowing for slightly better visibility.

    Orion went cold despite the oppressive heat. A flat circular area inexplicably in the middle of a perpetual storm? If this were Seas of Spiritus, that could only mean one thing. He was standing in a boss arena! Orion was about to turn back when movement caught his eye.

    Something pink was moving along the side of the nearest building. Not crawling up the wall like a lizard, but walking on the sheer wall like a mountain goat. It was emaciated, and like most of the animals he''d seen on the surface, it was partly robotic. The front legs and shoulders were mechanical, the back half covered in overgrown wool. Several back plates had tubes that held glowing purple liquid protruding from them. A metal, skull-like head was connected to the body with a segmented neck. The metallic sheep had petite crystalline horns and a gas mask canister on one side of its mouth. The presence of udders indicated that this was a this was a doe rather than a ram.

    More pink sheep walked along the sides of the buildings to surround him. They did nothing at first, just staring at the small party below despite their stealthy approach. Maybe stepping into the arena automatically started an encounter. Whatever the reason, Orion stood and broke stealth. He lifted his rifle, holding it steady against the violent gusts that threatened to rip the weapon from his hands. He raised the weapon, finger hovering over the trigger in case of an attack.

    Suddenly, all of the ewes started to bleat at once, a sound not unlike a parking lot full of cars whose alarms went off all at once. Orion''s trigger finger went slack as Major started to growl in his low synthy voice. Orion looked up and saw an intimidating shadow swaying through the dust devils in front of him. A loud whistle like a steam train cut through the roar of the wind and parted the sand to reveal the largest ram he''d ever seen. It was the size of a bull, and looked twice as angry.

    The entire front half of the ram was covered in cybernetics. Deep grooves of battle damage scoured into the metal. His wool was steel gray and bristled like a scrubbing pad. It was marred by a network of scars from countless battles. The metallic skull had gas mask canisters on both sides, issuing purple smoke. Thick glowing amethyst crystal horns curved up and around the skeletal head. Intense violet eyes bored into the Org with burning hatred. Hastily, Orion used <Analyze> to try and get the measure of the beast.

    [Steelwool the Batteram Boss: LVL Unknown]

    Steelwool looked like Death incarnate, violet eyes and horns focused on him. Orion acted quickly, whipping the rifle around and taking aim. He got the Ram''s head in his scope and pulled the trigger without hesitation. The plasma blast ricocheted off the blunt skull like it was being deflected off a mirror. Steelwool lowered his head and pawed the ground, great gouts of steam hissing from his vents.

    Suddenly, Apus wheeled down from the sky and landed on Orion''s shoulder, "Be careful, Boss! There''s some kind of sheep creatures hiding in the storm!"

    Orion''s words dripped with sarcasm, "You don''t say?"

 Chapter 23 - Aries

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 Chapter 24 - The Duke Of Winter

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 Chapter 25 - Duke It Out

    The two colony leaders fell in step with each other as they headed to the arena. The workers followed, and as they proceeded, they picked up more stragglers. There was excited chattering and people wishing Orion luck. Many had replicated shirts and sports jerseys with Orion''s name and constellation on the front. Others had flags and, in one case, a big foam finger. Shops closed down as all of Phoenix headed down to the arena.

    Random and his growing construction crew had made short work of digging out a second layer of the city. They had plans to turn this floor into a public park, so the ceiling was high enough to accommodate trees transplanted from the Org city. It was only partly dug out, but the support beams and scaffolding on the unfinished walls ensured the safety of the onlookers. South of the stairs was a circular fighting arena, looking to be built specifically for combat. There were bleachers around the outer perimeter, enough to hold every current resident with room to expand along with the population. The hastily built sports arena still needed some improvements, but would serve as an ideal stage for a duel.

    Duke Kholchek was already waiting in the circle when Orion arrived. He had cleaned up a bit overnight and was looking quite regal. Showered, plumage trimmed and swept back in a ponytail, and even his jetpack had been repaired and polished to a gleaming shine. Free from the baggy prison jumpsuit it was easy to see that he was rather portly. But the way his biceps stretched the scarlet fabric of his highlander shirt belied the fact that hard muscle hid under all that fluff. With an icy blue military tartan, kilt, and feather bonnet, he looked every bit the military officer he was.

    "I see you haven''t run away," mocked Kholchek. "I was beginning to make plans for this new section of my city. I''m thinking, ''Military Training Grounds''."

    "I''m giving you one last chance to back down, and we can resolve this peacefully," Orion said.

    Kholchek frowned, "And this is exactly why this city needs me. You are weak."

    Orion cracked his knuckles, "Yeah, we''ll see about that."

    Mayor Slate walked between them, "Gentlemen, I need to lay down the ground rules. Since Duke Kholchek issued the duel, Orion gets to choose the weapon of choice. And ''His Grace'' will choose whether or not to use abilities. Orion?"

    Orion shrugged, "Since you''re so on about strength, let''s just ''Duke'' it out with our bare hands. Unarmed combat."

    Slate nodded, "Duke Kholchek?"

    "Full abilities," Kholchek said with an air of arrogance. "I would like to see what this whelp is made of before I take him apart."

    The crowd was filling in. There were a few farmers distributing bags of their latest product, a corn-like Org?an vegetable heated until the blue and purple kernels popped. These were salted or buttered using condiments from the kitchen food replicator. Even Orion''s companions, as well as a few of the ewes and Major''s family, had come to watch the activities. There were already chants from the established colonists, with the new ones hesitantly joining in.

    Orion understood their lack of confidence. Kholcheck was royalty, and an infamous war criminal. To them, he was just some sweaty miner. The outcome seemed obvious.

    "Take your positions on opposite sides of the inner circle," Slate pointed down to a painted ring in the center of the arena. "When I give the signal, the duel will begin. The winner will be decided when one concedes, or drops to one hit point and is teleported to our medical outpost."

    Slate pointed to Dr. Birchett, who was standing next to an emergency medical station. Ze gave a lazy salute with two fingers. Ze glared at Orion and mouthed ¡®don¡¯t you dare lose, clown¡¯. Orion swallowed hard, glad he was in the ring with the Duke and not the doctor.

    Kholchek swapped out his equipped outfit, the military uniform vanishing, and replaced it with a simple pair of boxing shorts. His bulky gut reminded Orion of his own appearance back before character creation. Orion swapped out into a clean tanktop and a pair of colorful workout trunks he wore while training. They both raised their firsts and squared off at the two lines drawn on opposite sides of the circle.

    Slate sat down at a commentator table next to Max. On the tabletop was a touch screen with a selection of icons that could change the arena layout. This could be as simple as changing the ground to different tracks or sports courts, to rearranging the area to different biomes or even obstacle courses. The Professor had outdone himself by building this on such short notice.

    Slate tapped the screen and a protective dome covered the arena. Then he pressed another button, a horn blaring to signal the start of the fight. The clear dome projected scoreboards in front of all four bleacher sections, providing a running commentary on the fight and highlighting abilities so the audience could follow the action.

    Orion''s fists were only half raised to a defensive block when a fist like a brick hit him in the face. The world tilted as the blow smashed into the Org''s right cheek, shattering his jaw. The force of the left hook sent Orion pinwheeling off his feet. He landed on his head with a sickening crunch, and his neck bent at an odd angle. Gravity took over, and his body fell limp on the ground.

    The crowd went quiet, the jeers and revelry vanishing at once and leaving only a sucking silence in the cavern. Slate and Max stood up, concern plastered on their faces. Dr. Birchett started moving toward the medical table and paused, uncertain.

    Kholchek swept his plumage back, cracking his neck. He had overestimated the younger man. Pity, he should have held back a bit and given these slack jawed yokels more of a show. Kholchek turned, arms outstretched in a victory pose.

    "You see? Weak!" The Duke stalked in a wide circle, addressing the crowd. "Like all of you. Criminals, yet with such small ambitions! You sent the strong ones away so you could play at being farmers and bakers and mimes."

    He spat at the word, "The lowest form of the performing arts. I will make you soldiers! I will make you warriors! I will make you strong!"

    Murmuring started in the crowd. Some of the audience were standing to get a better look. Kholcheck saw the video feed shift slightly, but the screen was faint on the inner wall of the dome so as not to distract the combatants. The chatter became louder and more frantic.

    Kholchek took that as a sign that he was getting through to them. "I will train you in the art of war. When the first wave of you get through boot camp, those that survive will help train the next wave. I will wake up the sleepers in stasis, and together, we will conquer this world. And then, we shall have our revenge¡­"

    Duke Kholchek paused as the whispering grew louder. People had sat back down and some of them were furiously munching on stadium snacks. The Jo¡¯Qin mime waved his foam finger excitedly.

    "¡­on our enemies." Kholchek''s voice faltered, "Under my leadership¡­uh¡­"

    There was a loud crack behind the Kreelux. Kholchek''s expression grew weary. He''d seen this before. Sometimes, you have an enemy who refuses to go down, even to the point of death. He turned, resolved to give him a swift end. Something merciful, like slitting his throat-

    Kholchek''s eyes widened.

    Orion was on his feet, yes. But his body was bent so far backward that he made a crescent shape. The Org''s body twitched like a broken animatronic, sparking and smoking. There was another crack as one of the dislocated shoulders popped back into place. Orion twitched forward, arms pressed closer to his body, his head turned entirely backward. With a wet snapping sound, the neck twisted around, then back into place. The cybernetic implants were starting to creep over blue skin in real-time. His brain implant crawled over his face, two eyes with blazing red pupils opening in the bronze half mask.

    Orion tried to speak, then reached up and pushed his jaw back into place with a wet pop! He slurred, "I didn''t hear no bell, asshole!"

    The Duke put his hands up to guard, but Orion sprang forward. Orion ducked the hammer fist blow and sprang up with one of his own. The punch connected with the Duke¡¯s gut with a meaty thump. The force of the hit lifted Kholchek bodily off the ground, and he was flung backward, spitting bile. The Kreelux stumbled but landed on his feet, rasping as the wind was knocked out of him.

    Orion swaggered closer with his arms to his side, "There''s more where that came from."

    Kholchek was still doubled over, clutching his middle and gasping. The rasping wheeze burbled into an unsteady chuckle, building to a chortle, before bursting into a full-throated belly laugh. Orion''s swaying faltered as Kholchek¡¯s laughter echoed through the arena.

    Kholchek''s head snapped up, and his arms raised victoriously. His eyes were glazed with feverish excitement. "Finally! A challenge!"

    Kholchek charged, and Orion was forced to respond in kind. The two met in the center with a flurry of blows that was difficult for the audience to follow. They dodged and blocked while jabbing at one another at close range. Fists pulverized flesh, claws slashed a blue flesh, and peg legs stomped bare feet. So precise were the punches that knuckles often met as they pounded each other''s fists. Red and blue blood cascaded away from the fray in a macabre fireworks display of gore.

    As one, they leaped back from each other, panting from exertion. The crowd was cheering and chanting, "Let''s Go, Orion! Let¡¯s Go!" while stomping their feet in time. The two warriors were sizing up the situation. Agility-wise, they were about even. In terms of power, one was clearly superior. The Duke¡¯s beak split into a confident smile as he saw Orion reach the same conclusion. Kholchek was stronger.

    Kholcheck stared at his opponent critically. Orion''s body was slowly regenerating over time, but his movement were jerky and uneven. His cybernetics were burrowing into him, crawling over his flesh like spiders. The effect was unnerving, as if his own implants were consuming his flesh.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Orion flicked his eyes to the left. Kholchek caught the movement, so when Orion turned to the left, so did. Only it was a feint. Orion ran to the right, putting distance between him and the crusader. Kholchek skidded to a halt and glared at the Org.

    Kholchek gave him a cold stare, "You can¡¯t run, little man."

    The side panels of his jetpack opened and two protrusions slid out, unfurling and connecting into biplane wings. Kholchek flexed his knees, the rockets firing in time with his jump. He was propelled upward, the high arena ceiling giving him about thirty feet of space to fly. As he crested the arch, he cut power to the pack and plummeted like a meteor.

    Shouts from the crowd alerted Orion, who stopped to look behind him. Not seeing his pursuer, he glanced up as a shadow crossed over him. Kholchek grinned as the impudent Org stared at his gloriously falling form. His <Skydriver> attack had famously taken out entire squadrons. And yet this whelp stood there just expecting to take it! It was laughable!

    Kholchek turned his fall into an elbow drop, hitting the ground with enough force to crack the floor. And passed right through Orion. The form of the Org broke up into pixilated chunks and shimmered before vanishing. What didn''t vanish were the three fire traps that were bounced into the air from the force of his attack. A fourth trap was directly under his elbow, and all four exploded around him in a fireball.

    Max¡¯s voice projected from the sidelines, ¡°looks like Orion narrowly escaped death with his <Decoy> ability! With it he can project a holographic image to lure his opponents into an ambush.¡±

    Orion stepped out of stealth and watched the column of flame for a moment, letting his regeneration heal the worst of his injuries. He didn''t have long to rest, however. The fire was blown out by a blast of air from the jetpack''s cooling vents. Kholchek stared at him, rage evident in his amber eyes.

    "Coward!" he bellowed.

    Orion shrugged, "Whaddya want from me? You said abilities on! Traps are a skill, not a weapon."

    Kholchek was furious. He surged forward like a freight train, arms pumping at his sides. He swung back for a left cross, and Orion flinched, protecting his face with his hands.

    Just like before, the sledgehammer paw passed through a digital decoy but connected with a different face. One with a painted grin and a curly mustache on the pale blue fabric head. The force of the blow should have shattered the scarecrow, yet it swayed back like a sapling.

    The momentum of his swing left Kholchek unable to dodge away as the practice target snapped back. The grinning head slammed into his face with enough force to flip the Duke backward. His beak smashed into the ground and he somersaulted once before skidding across the floor.

    ¡°And there¡¯s Todd with a surprise assist for Orion!¡± Max¡¯s voice shouted from the announcer table, ¡°does that make this a tag team match?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± responded Slate. ¡°It¡¯s not like Todd is even alive. Probably.¡±

    The roar of the crowd shook the arena. People tossed popcorn at the fallen Kreelux, but the puffed projectiles bounced harmlessly off the duel dome.

    With Kholchek stunned, Orion ran forward, muttering, "Please stay down, please stay down, please stay down!"

    As Orion closed the distance, he started tossing traps. Two nets, one of them electrified, and four ice traps for each paw, freezing the Duke to the floor. Once the traps were in place, he started to kick Kholchek in the head with his peg leg, setting off the fire mod explosion each time. Underneath the downed crusader, a circle of light appeared, a mixture of arcane-looking symbols and scientific circuitry.

    Max announced, ¡°That could spell trouble. The Duke just activated <Indomitable Force>, which removes all movement debuffs.¡±

    Kholchek stood calmly, the traps burning away like flash paper. Orion tried to run, but his head was grabbed by a baseball mitt of a paw. Kholchek lifted him bodily off the ground. Three rapid strikes slammed into Orion¡¯s stomach, nearly costing him his lunch. Feeling bruised and nauseous, he was tossed away like a sack of garbage.

    "Why do you keep fighting? For them? Compassion is Weakness. You are an idealist. You want everyone to be happy little neighbors, working together." Kholchek monologued as he walked toward the crumpled Org at his feet.. "You want to be a leader who serves your people. Pah! I do this, and what happens? I get sent off to fight in some Void forsaken war on some snowy ice ball of a planet. You think this world is harsh? This is a day at the beach. At least you are not freezing your tits off in some snowbank. But I still won! I survived! And what do I get? Dishonorably Discharged! Stripped of my title, my lands, my fortune!"

    Orion struggled to his feet, but Kholchek stomped down on the peg leg, snapping it in half. He collapsed back to the floor, helpless as a turtle on its back.

    The Duke kicked Orion away and walked after the rolling body, "I was banished from my lands! Cut off from my family, my wife and children! Shipped off to another wasteland in chains, a prisoner! But I will get it all back. I will turn these farmhands into warriors, and I will wage war on my home and take it all back! And if these criminals call me a tyrant, then so be it!"

    "Not¡­criminals," Orion bunched up his body and tried to regain his feet. "Just people who are lost¡­they all deserve a second chance."

    Kholchek picked Orion up by the straps of his tattered tank top and stared him in the eyes, "What would you know about loss, boy? What have you ever lost?"

    Orion stared Kholchek dead in the eyes, "Everything."

    Kholchek¡¯s eyes went wide, searching his face. The owlish face grimaced, curly mustache twitching with annoyance. Something in Orion¡¯s eyes must have convinced him, because the villain speech stopped. Instead, the Kreelux adjusted his grip and pulled the Orion into a crushing bear hug. His wings unfurled, and Kholchek blasted into the air again.

    Max shouted over the loudspeaker, ¡°This is bad, folks! Duke Kholchek is getting ready to use his finishing move, the <Meteor Strike>!¡±

    Orion struggled in the vice-like grip, jerking his body ineffectually. As the wind whipped past him, Orion looked for anything to get him out of this predicament. Orion accidentally looked down, and his head started to swim as he saw the floor retreating away from him. Orion jerked his head up to look at the ceiling. Getting dizzy here would be a death sentence.

    A glint caught his eye, and he shifted his gaze to a pointed ear flapping on the top of the Duke''s head. Adorning it was a glittering gold hoop earring. From his position, he was just at the right height to take advantage of that.

    Taking aim, Orion waited for just the perfect opportunity. He struck like a serpent, teeth and tusks sinking into cartilage, warm blood bursting into his mouth with a coppery tang. Kholchek screamed and jerked his head back with surprise, causing a chunk of ear to tear away, taking the earring with it.

    "You peasant! Do you know who you''re dealing wi-" Kholchek began to shout before Orion spat the bloody chunk of ear into his eye.

    The path of the jetpack went wild, spiraling in the air as the pilot lost control. The aerial suplex became an erratic nosedive. Instead of dropping Orion on his head the two fighters landed hard, causing them to bounce away from each other.

    Max screamed, ¡°Kholchek¡¯s attack failed, but both fighters are down!¡±

    Wiping blood and lobe out of his eye, Kholchek stood and stomped toward the fallen Org, the aura of light still surrounding the enraged crusader. Orion was struggling to stand, his left arm hanging slightly out of the now cybernetic socket. Orion planted his broken peg in an effort to right himself, but Kholchek kicked him in the stomach to keep him on his knees.

    The crowd was standing and jeering at the Duke as he stood over Orion. Shouts and boos turned to dead silence as Kholchek unsheathed his claws and started to slash at the kneeling Org.

    ¡°Kholchek just unleashed <Frenzy>, folks!¡± Slate announced, ¡°that¡¯s a nasty attack that causes the [Hemorrhage] debuff. Orion¡¯s losing blood fast!¡±

    The vicious mauling continued, with no heat behind it, just a dispassionate attempt to get the job done. No more emotion behind it than if Kholchek were giving Orion a haircut. Blue blood cascaded down Orion''s body in rivulets, his tank top soaked and shredded.

    Kholchek finally stepped back to examine his grim handiwork. Orion swayed and fell face down with a wet splat. His form pixilated, and he disintegrated into nothingness.

    Kholchek turned and walked toward the center of the stage. He paused as something shiny caught his attention, bending with great difficulty to retrieve his earring, lobe still attached. He smoothed out his hair, slicking it back with streaks of blue and crimson.

    "This was your best?" Kholchek''s eyes scanned the crowd. "I''m insulted. I''ve had more of a workout training young recruits at boot camp. Now, you will fall in line and do as I say. Anyone who doesn''t will meet the same fate.¡±

    Kholchek hesitated. The audience wasn¡¯t looking at him. They were staring up at the scoreboard. He followed their gaze, but the inside of the dome was clear to prevent cheating. The fur on the back of his neck prickled, and he glanced at the empty med station. His eyes darted to the judge''s table. Max gave him a shit-eating grin, waving with his fingertips.

    [Orion Starbeard used <Feign Death>

    Orion Starbeard used <Overclock>

    Orion Starbeard used <Beast Affinity: Batteram>]

    The cheering exploded as Orion left stealth. Time seemed to move in slow motion as Kholchek turned. Orion''s skin was an angry red, and he sprinted toward him at full tilt. Orion''s implants had grown even more, taking on a more bestial form. The brain implant had grown around his head, forming a four-eyed gas mask. Curled ram horns projected from the sides, and the neck was segmented with thickening bands, like a telescope. Metal had grown down his forearms, armoring his hands with metal pistons. The pegleg had been replaced by a thick digitigrade leg terminating in a cloven hoof.

    Kholchek started to raise his fists in a defensive pose, but Orion''s head pistoned out on an extending neck. The horns hit the Kreelux square in the chest, pulverizing his ribs. He landed hard on his jetpack, metal warping under his weight. Before the Duke could even react, Orion leaped onto his crushed chest and started wailing on him with both fists. The jackhammer punches hit so quickly that the sounds blended together. The only thing that could be heard over that was Orion pleading with Kholchek.

    "Stay down, stay down, stay down, stay down, stay down, stay down! Stay! Down!" Orion screamed frantically.

    Finally, his fist passed through the air, and he collapsed on the ground. Kholchek was teleported to the medical station, completely unconscious. The medidrone on standby immediate started to treat him, Dr. Birchett adding her own psionic healing for good measure.

    The cheers were deafening. People were jumping, dancing, and hugging each other. Max stood and saluted, the guards parroting the gesture, followed by Ssteev, who wasn''t as quick on the uptake. Mayor Slate turned off the duel dome as the weary Org started to climb to his feet. Orion spread his arms in a victory pose he saw in a movie once.

    "Free people of Phoenix!" Orion¡¯s shout immediately silenced the crowd, creating a vacuum of sound. Every ear was hungry to hear the next words. "As long as I am here, there will be no tyrants! You can live how you like, love who you want, be whatever kinda person you wanna be. Together we will make a new home, and maybe someday we can find a way back to Sanctuary!"

    Blood loss was making Orion lightheaded. "Inna meantime, we will make Phoenix someplace we can all be proud of, y''know? It''s really shiny with no litter an¡¯ stuff. Gotta get some more robo janitors. Oh ye~eah, we have a robo janitor now so be nice to him! He''sh rusty but good. ''Member to vote Shtarbeer for Gov¡¯nor!"

    Orion thrust both hands in the air, giving twin peace signs. He fell backward and was already pixelating before he hit the ground.

    [You Have Died]

 Chapter 26 - Cartoon Princess

    Orion woke up floating in the Sea of Storms. He was surrounded by bruise colored clouds. Lightning crackled in a circle around him, and at one end of the boss arena was a massive Mesoamerican style pyramid. The front of the pyramid had been altered to hold another Sea Gate, this one spilling into the vacuum of space.

    Coiled around the pyramid was the body of Storm Serpent Kel''Tarrim, the colossal flying snake end boss. His feathered wings were tattered, and the twin forked tongues lolled out of the toothy maw. He could see R''ath and Silky still scavenging the corpse for loot. Meanwhile, Lazar and Mika used scales from the fallen boss to alter the ship and prepare it for space travel.

    Orion was pulled into the Captain''s Quarters and found Starbeard and Aurelio snuggled up in post coital bliss. Aurelio was lying on top of Starbeard''s belly, and the Orc was rubbing the Dwarf¡¯s back affectionately.

    Starbeard had visibly lost weight, and his avatar had been altered to be bald. Even his iconic beard was shaved. Orion¡¯s heart tightened. He remembered his sorrow when his hair started falling out because of the chemo.

    Aurelio moaned with satisfaction and sat up, the sheet cascading off his shoulders, exposing their naked bodies. He straddled Starbeard''s legs and settled the damp folds of his pussy against the flagging green erection beneath. Aurelio placed his hands on Starbeard''s stomach and started to grind slowly against him, a hungry smile on his lips.

    "We have to have to thank Regina for these new gaming rigs," he purred. "It feels like we''re actually together instead of thousands of miles apart."

    "Definitely." Starbeard reached up and stroked Aurelio''s thighs, giving them a loving squeeze, "I''m sorry I can''t be there in person, but I need to stay close for treatment."

    "Stop apologizing. I know all that. I''m happy to be able to spend time with you this way." Aurelio leaned in and kissed Starbeard, "And when you beat this thing, then maybe¡­maybe we could move in together."

    Starbeard gave a husky moan as Aurelio''s hips started to rub against him again, "I would love that."

    "Good. Then I would have you all to myself." Aurelio sat up, positioning himself above Starbeard. "Well, unless you find some cutie closer to you to bone down with. You know I don''t mind sharing."

    "Back atcha. Sharing is caring." Starbeard chuckled as he ran his hands up Aurelio''s stomach, gently caressing bronzed skin and eliciting a shiver of delight from the dwarf. "But I highly doubt there''s anyone in my immediate area who is looking to snuggle up to a chonky boi like me."

    Aurelio slapped the Orc''s hand and shook a finger at Starbeard.

    "None of that! You''re not allowed to think badly of yourself. That''s why it took so long for-" Aurelio started to push his hips down, "-this to happen."

    There was a knock at the door. They both paused. The knock was stronger the second time.

    "Ryan?" Silky''s voice asked tentatively.

    Aurelio shook his head, mouthing, ''Don''t you dare¡¯. A cold sweat started to bead on Starbeard''s forehead.

    "I don''t want to bother you," Silky''s voice was nervous. "Only, I have something important I wanted to say away from the rest of the crew. And a phone call feels so impersonal."

    "Can it wait?" Starbeard asked as Aurelio facepalmed, "I''m in the middle of something!"

    ¡°I have a name, you know.¡± Aurelio whispered.

    Silky paused for a long beat as Starbeard stifled a laugh. Just as they thought she had left, Silky announced, "This is going to be my last game with you."

    That did it. They both heard the hurt in Silky''s voice. Aurelio rolled off the captain, cocooning himself in the sheets. He pouted, but as Starbeard ran a supportive hand over his shoulder, Aurelio relented. "Go. I''ll keep your spot warm."

    Starbeard cupped Aurelio''s cheeks, drawing him in for a kiss. "I''m sorry. I''ll be right back."

    Equipping pants and a captain''s hat, Starbeard stepped outside to see Silky standing there looking nervous. She was decked out in a jaguar pelt berserker armor with a flying snake mantle. The effect complimented her spotted leopard seal fur in a very appealing way.

    "I-I''m sorry, am I interrupting?" she asked hesitantly.

    Starbeard held up a hand reassuringly, "It''s fine. You said this was important. Last game? Was it something I did?"

    Silky shook her head adamantly, "No! No, nothing like that. I''m in the middle of a big project. Huge, really! And it will require all of my time and attention for it. Believe me, I want to be here. I want to be there when you reach Serenity, but¡­"

    Starbeard crossed his arms and smiled. Ryan dropped character and asked, "Regina, do you really think that little of me? You''re the CEO of a huge company. That you''ve stuck with this foolish mission of mine this long is truly touching. I am honored and blessed that you''ve taken so much time out of your busy schedule to spend it with me."

    Regina started crying, "Of course, I have, dummy! You''re family. More than that, you''re an inspiration! You''re the reason I¡¯m focusing on this project."

    Ryan raised an eyebrow, "Color me curious."

    "I can''t say anything more than that," Regina said, "But if this succeeds, it could help a lot of people."

    Ryan''s expression softened, "You call me an inspiration. But here you are, trying to help people. You, Regina, inspire me. I would never put my own needs before yours. If you feel you need to do this, you have my blessing. Go save the world."

    Regina smiled and wiped her tears away. She opened her arms, and Ryan walked closer to pull her into a big bear hug. She broke the hug as she remembered something. Stepping back into the role, Silky pulled out a golden egg.

    "Oh yeah, if you see Enrique, give him this." Silky explained, "Kel''Tarrim dropped the Storm Serpent pet. I know he called dibs on it."

    "I''ll be sure to pass it along," Starbeard said solemnly, accepting the precious cargo.

    The two hugged again, and Silky turned to go. As Starbeard opened his cabin door, he smiled and turned.

    "Oh, one last thing. Enrique says, ''Thank you for the gaming rigs.'' They work perfectly." Starbeard winked and closed the door, grinning at the Selkie''s blushing face.

    Starbeard turned and was startled to see Aurelio standing just behind him, wearing the sheet like a robe. Aurelio held out both hands, making grabby motions as the sheet fluttered to the ground, leaving him exposed. "Gimme!"

    "You sassy little munchkin. Not so much as a please." Starbeard held the egg up high, the grasping Dwarf far too short to reach.

    "Please. Gimme," Aurelio pouted.

    Starbeard rolled his eyes and handed the egg over. The pet item vanished into Aurelio''s inventory. Satisfied, Aurelio scooped the sheet up and then scurried back to the bed and scrambled up to the mattress. Maps, trinkets, and a few doubloons Starbeard had littering his bedding fell to the floor as Aurelio burrowed into the nest of pillows.

    Starbeard chuckled and climbed onto the bed, crawling over to Aurelio, who was still bundled up like a burrito. "I thought you were keeping my spot warm," Starbeard''s voice was a sultry growl.

    "I did." Aurelio teased. Aurelio opened the sheets and spread his legs, stroking his inner thighs. Two fingers slid down and parted his damp petals, dipping inside and then stroking back up to tease his clit, "Your spot is nice and warm for you."

    As the two lovers embraced, Orion felt himself pulled back into reality.

    [Memory upload at 95%]

    Purple light appeared at the edge of Orion''s vision as he regained consciousness. Still exhausted, he just let himself fall forward, not caring about the impact. However, instead of the floor, his landing was cushioned by a comfortable mattress. While the rest of his body was bone tired, one part of his body was very much awake. He had forgotten how hot Aurelio was, and the rekindled memory had some lasting effect on him.

    "Ah, there you are. I almost didn''t believe it when Mayor Slate said you''d reappear here."

    The sound of Kholchek''s voice was enough to kill his boner. Orion shifted his body to glare at the Kreelux noble with one baleful eye.

    The Duke was pretty banged up, still sporting two black eyes, a bandaged right ear, and a neck brace. His body was covered in gauze, and his knuckles were scabbing over. Even his jetpack was still dented and scraped up. But of all the things Orion was expecting, seeing the royal pain in the ass wearing a pink floral pattern shirt and cargo shorts was not on the list. Sunglasses were perched on his head. It almost looked as if he''d raided Orion''s wardrobe.

    "What''s your deal?" The mattress muffled Orion''s voice, "Looking for round two?"

    Kholchek raised his hands in surrender, "No, no, no. I was quite clear with my conditions. You won, I yield. I shall await your orders, Governor. In the meantime, I am still recovering from my injuries. It looks like you need rest, too, so I shall leave you to it."

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "Governor?" Orion started to roll over. More fuzzy memories bubbled to the surface, "Wait, how did I die anyway??"

    Kholchek pondered this before saying, "Answering the second question will help explain the first. You were suffering under the Hemorrhage debuff. You bled faster than your body could regenerate. And your health was already low enough to use the <Feign Death> ability. You need to be under ten percent health to utilize it. You also forgot to turn off <Overclock>."

    Orion equipped the new peg leg the Professor left him. This one was brass colored and reminiscent of the Batteram leg he grew during the battle. Orion tried to remember the last half of the fight. He¡¯d probably sustained a concussion after <Meteor Strike>. His health must have been dropping at an incredible rate. By all rights, he shouldn¡¯t have won the duel. He¡¯d been too careless!

    "I vaguely recall that. I was just listening to Apus''s orders," Orion admitted, tapping his implant. "I don''t use my abilities nearly enough."

    "I can help you learn," offered the Duke. "Anyway, while you were loopy from blood loss, you said something like ''Vote for Governor Starbeard'' before you passed out. So they did."

    Orion groaned and rubbed his head. He was looking to change his title, not give himself a promotion. Then a troubling thought prickled at the back of his mind.

    "What happened to the Janitor?" asked Orion.

    "Rusty has been cleaning up the debris from the last sandstorm," Kholchek continued. "As long as his bucket is full of soapy water, he seems content to collect the materials and drop them in a chest labeled ''Trash.'' People have taken a real shine to him, actually."

    Orion stood and grabbed the repair kit on the nearby medical tray. He thought about this. He really wished dying didn''t keep him out of commission for so long. It was disorienting losing a few days every time he respawned. He constantly felt like he was playing a game of catch-up. One last burning question rose to the forefront of his mind.

    "What about you?" Orion asked cautiously, "What are your plans now?"

    Kholchek planted his hands on his hips and gave this some thought. After a long moment of reflection he shrugged.

    "The more time I have spent here, I realized I was wrong. My line of thinking may have been normal for my people, but these are not my people. They are yours." Kholchek paused to gather his thoughts, "You called them lost. I didn''t understand that at first, but now I see what you meant. While my actions were driven by rage and despair, most folks here were simply desperate."

    "While there are professional smugglers here, mercenaries, even-" Kholchek shuddered, "-politicians, a lot of them just made mistakes. Mistakes that, under your leadership, they are trying to correct. All of them did what they had to survive. This I can relate to. And despite overwhelming adversity, they survive here too. On a planet that actively wishes to kill them."

    Kholchek caught Orion''s gaze and held it, "That is because of you. Your strength bolsters them. Now, I want to be the strength that bolsters you. I wish to protect this community at your side."

    Orion remembered that a new Colony Leader had unlocked in the last level up. No one had presented themselves as one. Having a repentant noble on hand could bring some fresh ideas to the table. Besides, he pitied anyone who tried to attack Phoenix with Kholchek defending it.

    Orion nodded, "I''ll consider it. Why don''t you come up with some ideas for improving the city while you recover, Duke?"

    "Pah! So formal," Kholchek chided. "You, my friend, may call me Barnad. Besides, I am Duke of nothing out here. Just another Phoenix citizen."

    "That attitude will definitely help you fit in here," Orion nodded with approval.

    "This I am hoping. Speedy recovery, Governor." Barnad waved and limped out.

    "You too, Barnad." Orion called out, ¡°And you can call me Orion.¡±

    With a smile, the Kreelux exited the Med Bay. Orion wanted to still be mad at the former Duke and his plan to dominate Phoenix, but he was too tired. Plus, that would make him a huge hypocrite after preaching about second chances. It was also hard to take Barnad too seriously when he looked ready to play shuffleboard on a tropical cruise. If he genuinely wanted to help the colony, then people would come around.

    With that, he lay down on the mattress and prepared to repair his implants, hoping the virus hadn''t spread much further.

    Max was leading another expedition to the underground city, which was becoming a trade hub for Phoenix. Orion had spent the past few days recuperating and building more MUTs for new colonists¡¯ requests. Random¡¯s construction team had taken steps to improve the catwalks, making them smoother and safer. Walled railings allowed people to travel across rooftops without alerting the basic Cy-Orgs.

    Several adventurous Hivers known as the Slumgum Gang had taken it upon themselves to explore the city. They could often be seen walking across the ceiling like insects. They made note of interesting landmarks, spots where Cy-Org swarms were particularly dangerous, cave-ins, and potential water and food sources. All while being such a small speck on the sky ceiling, they avoided any possible dangers. Their leader had been reluctantly sharing that information with Max in exchange for weapons from the armory.

    Meanwhile, some of the more enterprising smugglers were making runs to the neighborhoods and the Zoo for supplies. They were sent for everything, including Org?an tech, solar panels, and even seeds from the zoo biomes.

    Smuggler was a roguish vocation that was somewhat common among the Phoenix population, most specializing in the Outlaw skill tree. Outlaws were experts at retrieving valuables, often at the point of a knife. In exchange for their services, these mavericks were rewarded with treats made from the obtained food or helpful tools to assist in their craft. The genuine consensus is they enjoyed the challenge and were just using the rewards as excuses to uphold their cool, edgy facades.

    Two smugglers had gotten an escort to the Zoo today, accompanied by Sheriff Thrustar, Dr. Birchett, and a few other guards. They were hoping to gather some of those seeds today but had to wait to make sure they were safe. Mayor Slate had put the kibosh on bringing any plants up to the surface until they were cleared for use. Any invasive species could have apocalyptic consequences if they weren''t careful. Thankfully, there was a botany expert on hand.

    Junip was delighted to be out of the barren desert and among plants. Gone was the stuffy Doctor''s uniform. In its place, ze wore a warm blue gingham sundress and broad-brimmed hat. Ze walked through the foliage with a euphoric smile on zir doll-like face. Max escorted his partner through the underbrush with a look of adoration on his face.

    Max had also brought Ssteev with them to give Junip a chance to really get to know the kid. The older guards were used to seeing the Doctor in action, seeing as ze was dating their captain. But the plucky new recruit and the assorted rogues watched the Zylvaan with a sense of wonder.

    They started in the main lobby, where the chaotic jumble of biomes all fought for supremacy. Ze recognized all of the plants, announcing that there were a total of four different planet''s foliage here. As Junip strode through the trees, ze would occasionally touch zir forehead to the bark. The antlers on zir head would glow, and the leaves rustled as if blown by a gentle breeze. Sometimes, Junip would give an enigmatic smile and whisper to the plants. Other times, the antlers would turn dark, and amber tears would roll down zir face when the trees were dead or diseased. The flowers turned their faces to follow Junip as ze walked past.

    Knowing the Org?an zoo was dead, Max first escorted the group toward the Zeta-7 path. There were audible gasps and awed murmuring as Dr. Birchett stepped onto the flint-colored grass. The clusters of mushrooms lining the path lit up with a bio-luminescent rainbow of colors as Junip passed. Zir slender arms spread and brushing delicate vine fingers over their soft caps. Clouded Puffballs, strange flying creatures resembling balloons mixed with a jellyfish, flew languidly towards zir. Several settled to rest on Junip''s antlers.

    They passed Orion, who was in the large Stinkhorn Reserve, accompanied by Major and his warden trainees. He was helping his newest apprentice, a Grey named Mink, tame a young stinkhorn without violence. Using food and calming words, Mink coaxed the nervous creature closer. The Grey warden was just as nervous. The adolescent beast was three times her size, looking like a rhinoceros with mushroom growths protruding from its snout and along the back.

    Max and Ssteev paused to watch the partnership form, and the delighted Grey hugged her new companion around its thick neck. The hawk warden Avin, a feathered velociraptor at his side, nudged Orion to get his attention as he noticed the procession. Max broke off to chat with Orion and his young wards, Ssteev following to converse with the warden trainees. Orion stopped to watch Junip commune with nature and was suitably impressed.

    "Is Dr. Birchett secretly a badass?" he asked, "I mean, ze can be intimidating as hell, but is the Doc really powerful?"

    Max watched zir with evident pride on his face, "Ze''s actually a pretty powerful psionic. Trained to be a combat medic but didn''t have a taste for war. Ze respeced as a holistic medic, specializing in natural medicine. Colonies have to have high-quality equipment since they''re expected to survive on their own, but we can¡¯t grow medicinal herbs here. Luckily, all of these plants survived the harsh desert environment."

    Orion nudged Max playfully, "Especially lucky for you, eh? Being stuck on an alien planet isn''t too bad when you''ve got someone you love with you."

    Max blushed but nodded, "Yeah, definitely. But that''s also why we need to figure out a way off this rock so others can be reunited with their families."

    They all paused to admire Junip, the fungal light show illuminating the path as ze moved toward the next section. More mushroom-covered critters followed as Junip began to sing a Zylvaan ballad to them.

    Ssteev stared with slack-jawed fascination, "Ze''s like a cartoon princess."

    Max laughed, "Got that right! All right, rookie, let''s catch up with the others. You three be safe out here."

    Orion saluted lazily and turned back to his students. Max proceeded to the next section, the Huphaast area. One of the smugglers was a Rokaos named Borok, and he was thrilled to see something similar to his homeland. Junip wasn''t as familiar with the plants of the Rokaos homeworlds, and the outlaw was happy to share what he knew.

    Huphaast and other Rokaos colonies all thrived in volcanic, hot climes. While the reserve was pretty rocky, with literal streams of simulated lava flows, there was also volcanic soil. There were short scrub bushes dotting the lands, with some of the most vibrantly colored flowers anyone had ever seen. The plants were all carnivorous to help make up for the lack of water found throughout the region, so caution was advised. The multitudes of caves found in the area also had a kind of nutrient-rich moss that grew with help from purple crystal protrusions. The crystals emitted UV light that would be harmful to certain species without rocky or woody skin.

    The area was deemed too dangerous to linger. Not only because Junip couldn''t communicate well with the plants here, but the fauna all had fiery attributes. There were even phoenix flying above, circling the party. Some enclosures contained giant scarlet reptiles with rocky shells, steam gushing from the seams of the stony plates. Large black creatures lurked in pools of lava below the walkway, watching them with predatory malice. Any one of the creatures could do considerable damage to Junip and the other more fleshy creatures if they got a mind to attack.

    Junip cried out with joy when ze saw the next section of the Zoo. The archway was carved to look like two trees. The branches braided together and held a neon orange sign that read ''Folioak¡¯. The ancient Zylvaan homeworld.

    Junip ran towards the shielded gate separating the biomes, the dress fluttering dangerously high up zir long legs. Max chuckled and shook his head. He glanced over as Ssteev drew closer and flung a companionable arm over his shoulders.

    "So, whaddya think of Junip, kiddo?" asked Max.

    Ssteev stammered but answered, "I-I think she''s real nice Cap''n. Sheriff, I mean. Um, ze asked me about myself and I didn''t know what to say so I told her some stuff about the ranch and how I ended up here."

    Max struggled to remember, "Bronto rustling, wasn''t it?"

    "Y-yes sir." Ssteev looked dejected, "I didn''t want to, only the farm was failing and I thought it might help us get by. I was only tryin'' to help out my folks, but my colony don''t tolerate that sorta thing."

    "We all make mistakes," reassured Max. "Why, when I was your age-"

    There was a scream from the Folioak gate. The guards immediately sprung into action, followed by the two smugglers who did not relish staying in the lava-filled biome by themselves.

    As soon as Max crossed the threshold he saw what was wrong. The gate had been damaged by something, the controls smoking and partly melted. The barrier was down and footprints were scorched into the ground. The Zylvaan homeworld was a land that looked like Terra in autumn. It had carrot orange grass and tall trees with dark bark but autumn colored leaves in orange, yellow and red.

    And in the distance, it was on fire.

 Chapter 27 - Forest Fire

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Heading to the surface, Governor? Neesya asked as she walked up to the stables entrance.

    May I walk with you? I was going to bring some snacks to the machine shop.

    It''s Mr. Kholchek''s project, she explained. He''s modified the hangars into garages and has been repairing vehicles in it.

    It might be easier to have him explain, Neesya tilted her head with a smile.

    ho! The plot thickens!

    I baked some treats for the techanics and happened to run into the Governor. I thought he''d be interested in your new project.

    Barnad can be quite charming when he''s not pretending to be some royal tightass.

 Chapter 28 - Hackzor

    Once inside, Orion was impressed to see a flurry of activities. There were half a dozen people here dressed in oil-splattered jumpsuits, some of them wearing leather jackets. The Mining Tank was still there, a blue and yellow striped Hiver sticking halfway out of a hatch in the side. The third insectoid turret was standing under the mechanic, boosting him up to the hatch he was working on.

    But there were ten more cars, either parked in the back or being worked on. Some were on the ground with the hoods open, others suspended in the air on lifts. There were workbenches with crafting stations attached, with some replicators built into the far walls. The cars were all classics, a mixture of muscle cars and station wagons. Wing doors, hood scoops, and wood paneling were heavily featured in some of them. The wheels weren''t tires but black, white-walled discs pointed at a forty-five degree angle, suggesting the vehicles flew rather than drove. It was loud here, sparks flying, engines sputtering, and power tools grinding.

    Orion even heard classical rock music in an alien language. Looking for the source, he saw a few larger ratillacs lounging about with music pumping from their speakers. They didn''t seem aggressive, one even sitting on a Terran''s shoulder. For their part, the engineers seemed perfectly content with the company, and the ratillacs seemed to share the sentiment. Whether that was Gemini''s influence or if the rodents just felt at home here was anyone''s guess. If they weren''t causing problems, Orion was happy to let them stay.

    "Break time!" Barnad bellowed over the noise. "Miss Neesya has brought you snacks!"

    There were cheers as tools were shut off and put away. As Neesya set down the pastries, Barnad reached down for one and accidentally brushed her hand. Embarrassed, Neesya tried to pull her hand away, but the thick paw caught in and gently lifted her hand.

    "You grace us with your presence, lady. A feast for the eyes as well as the stomach, yes?" Barnad kissed the back of Neesya''s hand with his chipped beak.

    Neesya was blushing clear down to her bosom, her plump lips smiling, half obscured by thick tendrils of hair. You flatter me, Sir.

    "Flattery is a tool for the weak-minded," the Duke reassured her. "A noble speaks only truth."

    "Speaking of, didn''t you mention a wife and kids, Barnad?" Orion pressed, "Seems like you shouldn''t be flirting with people here, no matter how hot they may be."

    Neesya cupped her cheeks, hiding her face. Orion could almost see steam rising from her with how flushed she was getting.

    Barnad snatched a pastry and sniffed it like a sommelier about to sample a rare vintage and sighed with appreciation. The rest of the mechanics crowded in and started to tuck into the treats. Orion made sure to grab one before they were all gone.

    "Pah! If that traitorous bitch actually cared, she would have sent for me already. Nestina''s probably declared me dead and married my idiot brother by now. I wouldn''t be surprised if she''s the reason I was sent here to this rock with a bunch of crimi-" Barnad glanced at Neesya and amended the thought, "-colonists. Were I to find someone who wished to stand by my side as my equal, I''d divorce her in a second. It was a political marriage at best."

    "You''ve made quite the turnaround from the man who was threatening to turn everyone in Phoenix into soldiers to wage his own personal war a week ago," Orion stated, his voice suspicious.

    The techanics all paused in their revelry and were suddenly listening carefully. Barnad took a bite of the pastry and moaned appreciatively. He took great pleasure in chewing it as he thought about his response. He swallowed and stared at the fruit filled baked good as if it held all the answers.

    "During our fight, you told me you had lost everything. I believe you," Barnad tapped his temple, "The eyes tell everything. Yet, unlike me, you did not give into despair. You shepherd the lost, protect them, and work toward creating a better world for them. This is what a noble should be. Not a tyrant but a, uh¡­"

    The Hiver danced, like a Queen.

    Barnad pointed to the Hiver and nodded. "Yes, exactly! A royal should work for their people, not the other way around. This I forgot in my pain and anger. You have shown me the error of my ways. And now, I too work for Phoenix to bring about a better world, yes?"

    Orion smiled and thrust his hand out. Duke Kholchek smiled and clasped wrists with him, giving a firm shake. Deciding to take the risk, Orion said, "Then I look forward to seeing what you come up with here. I have to head out, but I''ll stop back in to check on your progress."

    "Ah! Yes, this reminds me. Follow me to my office. I have a parting gift for you." Barnad turned as the two winch workers stepped inside and spotted the snacks.

    The Duke''s office was messy. It was dominated by a desk covered with assorted piles of paperwork, old lunches, and various hovercar parts. There was a screen behind the desk that showed a map of Phoenix and the surrounding areas, minus the blacked-out fog of war. There were a few framed medals on the wall, indicating a life of service in the Kreeluxian Air Force. On the desk sat a framed photo of a young girl who looked exactly like Barnad but not, he noted, any other pictures of family members.

    Barnad rummaged through the desk drawers before finding what he was looking for. "Here we are! I would like to present to you a symbol of my friendship, as well as something to protect you on your journeys." The Duke held up a gold ring on a silver chain and proffered it to Orion.

    Orion reached out, then hesitated. "It''s beautiful. What is it?"

    Barnard pointed to the notch in his right ear, "It''s the earring you bit off me. A symbol of our camaraderie earned through combat."

    "Gross!" Orion said automatically, but snatched up the necklace before Barnad could recover from his shock. "I''ll cherish it!" He quickly equipped the necklace.

    [Ducal Friendship Ring: +10 to Defense]

    "Aww, you got it modded out as actual equipment, too! That is really thoughtful." Orion admired the ring on the chain, "I feel bad. I don''t have any body parts to give you. Oh, wait!"

    Orion pulled out the broken stub of the peg leg Barnard shattered during the duel. He carefully set it on the desk. "To commemorate our first fight."

    Barnard was elated, clapping his paws together. "Splendid! The Rite of Friendship is complete. This pleases me!"

    Barnard stood and walked over, arms open for a hug. Orion stepped in and the now official friends embraced, bones creaking as both men tried to out bear hug the other. As they stepped apart, Barnad clapped Orion on the back.

    "Now, be safe out there. I will protect Phoenix in your absence," the Duke promised. "Maybe by the time you get back, some of these vehicles will be ready to fly you even further."

    "Where did you even find these cars, Barnad?" Orion asked.

    The Kreelux raised an eyebrow. "Just below us. Did you never check the garages in the suburbs? The Cy-Orgs abandoned their homes on foot, leaving their vehicles behind. With the neighborhoods cleared out, it is a simple task to tow cars to the winch and pull them up. We simply built the winch near the stairs so as not to further damage the BioDome."

    Orion blinked and tried to think back. "Oh, I guess that makes sense. That never occurred to me."

    "That is why you have others to pick up the slack." Barnad patted his shoulder, "Now, you go. Your implants look like they''re getting bad again. And just remember, if you need to die to reset them again, come to me. I will do the job painlessly."

    Orion laughed, "well don''t expect me to offer the same. You have a lady to woo."

    A dreamy expression crossed Barnad''s face. "This I do."

    Xing Orobaras was sitting in the Theta Sigma 3¡¯s cockpit. It was a dark room filled with monitors, located on the top of the Stasis Chamber. It was the former control center of the ship, and the only original room left besides Stasis. The rest of the ship¡¯s materials were broken down by nanobots and used to construct the colony¡¯s main base. It effectively stranded them here, forcing the prisoners sent this world to either survive or die.

    Xing was sitting in a swivel chair, her tail hanging out the back and her cybernetic legs crossed on the seat, and she tapped furiously on two separate keyboards. Two holographic screens hovered in front of her, showing different sequences of code. Her right eye was blue, and her left was cybernetic with a red iris. She was reading the two screens at once, eyes pointed in different directions like a chameleon. Xing''s AI partner, a blue ichthyosaurus named Phish, watched other monitors and crunched the data. Between Xing herself, the semi-autonomous cybernetic implants in her brain, and her AI, she was gathering data at an astonishing speed.

    Yet, none of it was going to help her beat the flying tentacle boss on level 9 of Starship Shootas! It seemed to be all about pattern recognition and pixel-perfect timing. Unless she was able to get some really high-tech upgrades, her cybernetic fingers wouldn''t accomplish said timing with the lag she''d been experiencing. Even the half-second delay between thinking about pressing a button to the prosthetic obeying the command was enough to kill her starship. Even though the HMS Suckmyass was way over-leveled for that area.

    She hated losing to cheap tactics and game flaws. If there were some kind of accessibility options in the settings, she could keep playing, but she was barred from progressing because of her stupid cheap prison-issue limbs. It''s too bad they had classified her arms and legs as weapons and kept them locked up off-world. To be fair, they were weapons. But they would also be really handy on this shit planet that was trying to kill everyone.

    Maybe she could get that professor guy to build something better for her. He probably wouldn''t, it seemed like a waste of resource allocation with the colony being built for everyone''s stupid survival. Some people had their priorities all wrong.

    Sighing, Xing closed the game and got back to work. She shouldn¡¯t be taking so many breaks, but it was all so boring! Payroll reports, prisoner dossiers, and emails from the company. Where was the intrigue? The danger? She was used to corporate espionage and was getting paid millions of credits for it. Now, she was stuck doing paperwork. For free.

    Mayor Slate walked into the Administration office and clicked on the lights. Xing hissed in response.

    "How''s the hacking coming along? Find anything yet?" Slate asked. He gave a long-suffering sigh and scrubbed his face with his hands. "Could you put some clothes on?"

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    "No," Xing said bluntly.

    Slate pinching the bridge of his nose, looking frustrated. Xing recognized that look. She knew she was a brilliant hackzor, but she tended to rub people the wrong way. She didn¡¯t try to, but people just seemed to not like her on instinct. So she tended to lean into the weird, abrasive persona. If she kept people at a distance, there was less chance of being hurt.

    "No to which part?" he asked.

    "Clothes," replied Xing. "I work better this way. But I found plenty."

    Slate walked closer and asked, ¡°Like what? And please, no mind games.¡±

    ¡°Party pooper.¡± Xing opened new monitors and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve found some inconsistencies with the ship¡¯s roster. Manifest Industries sent some updates at the last minute.¡±

    Slate was confused, ¡°Manifest Industries? Why are they making roster changed for the prison?¡±

    Xing gave him an incredulous look. ¡°Because they own it.¡±

    Slate folded his arms. ¡°No, Sanctuary Minimum Security Prison is a privately owned correctional facility funded by the government.¡±

    ¡°Same thing.¡± Xing shrugged, ¡°Manifest Industries is a huge investor for the Galactic Parliament. For profit prisons are big business, and Manifest owns the controlling share through a shell company.¡±

    Xing ignored his protest and turned to the monitors. She pulled a HUD window down and expanded it with her fingertips. Without looking, she slid the window toward Slate. Slate''s own HUD popped up, and the logo for Manifest Industries appeared on screen. Below that showed a showed him a list of inmates from his former employer, Sanctuary Minimum Security Prison.

    Xing scrolled up on her screen, and Slate¡¯s screen copied her movements. It showed a list of all the guards with a list of inmates underneath. Most of the names were normal, with little icons of people''s faces next to them. Some of the names were grayed out with (DECEASED) text next to the icons in bold letters.

    ¡°Okay, so on top of funding the colony rehabilitation program, Manifest also owns the prison.¡± Slate frowned and asked, "I¡¯m still not seeing the issue. This is just a list of who we have planetside. Guards, prisoners, and staff. I have a copy of this in my records.¡±

    Xing pushed off the desk with her tail, making the office chair spin. "Look closer. What''s missing?"

    Slate ground his teeth and scrolled down more, taking a closer look. He''d gotten to the S''s when he stopped. He scrolled back up and was looking through the O''s. He had to go through the names several times when it finally clicked

    Slate exclaimed, ¡°Orobaras isn''t listed!¡±

    Xing spun to face him, lilting her head at a mock curious angle. ¡°Then how am I here?¡±

    Sweat began to bead on Slate¡¯s forehead. Xing watched him scroll across the shared screen. She knew what he would find, or rather wouldn¡¯t find. There was no Kholchek either. No entry for any member of the Menagerie or the Slumgum Gang. Not even Bitterling and his cronies were listed.

    "By the Void!" whispered Slate.

    "I know, right? Sloppy record keeping. Someone should be fired." Xing''s chair slowed to a stop, facing away from the monitors. She dropped her legs and scooted back to face it. She speculated, "Unless it was intentional."

    Slate walked to the computer console and demanded, "Show me."

    Xing swayed in the chair, tucking her legs up again. In a singsong voice she trilled, "No~o."

    Slate put his hands on his hips, glaring at her. "Why not?"

    "You''re rude, and I don''t like you." Xing started to spin again.

    Pewter appeared on Slate''s shoulder like a well-dressed conscience angel. Xing exchanged a look with Phish as Slate had a private conversation with his AI assistant. The ichthyosaur raised a cartoonishly large eyebrow but said nothing. When Slate spoke again, he seemed to take a different approach.

    Slate took a deep breath, "I''m sorry. I don''t want to rush you. I''m just worried. All of our lives are at stake here, and I can''t make sense of any of this. You''re the best hackzor on the planet. If you can find the patterns I''m missing, maybe we could get these people home."

    Xing stopped swaying, still tilted to one side. She narrowed her eyes, "Do I need to wear clothes?"

    Slate''s eye twitched, "Just sanitize the chair when you''re done. So if you weren¡¯t incarcerated in Sanctuary, where did the other prisoners come from?"

    Xing grinned enigmatically and opened an updated roster, sliding it to Slate¡¯s HUD. The new list overlapped almost perfectly with the original, but with some major revisions. Hundred of names were replaced, some of them with familiar faces. They weren''t even in alphabetical order, almost like they were added as an afterthought. The email attachment was labeled ''Transfers from Void''s Asteroid Prison¡¯.

    ¡°Void''s Asteroid?¡± Slate gasped, ¡°the maximum security prison? Only dangerous criminals are sent there!¡±

    "Yup! A bunch of us were suddenly put into stasis. We was told it was a prison transfer." Xing shrugged, "imagine my surprised when I woke up up here."

    Slate gawped at her, ¡°why didn¡¯t you say something?¡±

    Xing curled her lip, ¡°yeah right. My last warden lied and had me shipped off to this toxic wasteland. Why would I have trusted you?¡±

    ¡°I had nothing to do with this! The guards were assigned directly to the Theta Sigma 3 ship. I never set foot in either prison,¡± Slate protested. ¡°I was told we were being assigned to a habitable world. This was supposed to be a nice place to settle down and retire.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it would have been,¡± Phish said in a gruff voice. ¡°If they sent us to the right freakin¡¯ planet!¡±

    Sweat was starting to trickle down Slate expansive forehead. He mopped at it with a handkerchief and asked, ¡°They accidentally sent us to the wrong place?¡±

    "You¡¯re half right." Xing swayed with agitation. ¡°This was no accident.¡±

    Xing turned and pulled up the ship¡¯s star charts. She expanded the map, showing a three dimensional model of their galaxy, the Silky Way. There were brightly lit specks with labels, showing off known colonies and inhabited worlds. Large chunks of the map were obscured by inky blobs.

    Xing explained, ¡°This is our galaxy as we know it. The dark spots are either unexplored, or the information about them were lost to history during the Gate War. These areas are called ¡®Unknown Space¡¯.¡±

    Slate scoffed, ¡°Creative nickname.¡±

    "Save your comments to the end of the presentation. Now, according to the ship records, here is a list of life-sustaining planets scheduled for colonization." Nearly a hundred yellow dots appeared across the map. Xing highlighted half of them in red circles and continued, "The circled ones are planets owned by the Manifest Institute."

    Xing zoomed in on one planet and tapped it. A red arrow labeled ¡®You Are Here¡¯ appeared above it. "This is where we were scheduled to go. MI-47."

    Slate loosened his tie. Sweat started to roll down his high forehead. MI-47 was the furthest away from the main body of Manifest planets. The uncolonized world was bordering

    a section of Unknown Space.

    Xing watched Slate''s expression with one eye, "You see it, don''t you?

    Slate hesitated but asked, ¡°So if we¡¯re not on MI-47, then were are we?¡±

    Xing gave him a sadistic smile, and turned back to the map. Slate watched in horror as she touched the white dot, dragging it away from the intended destination. Right into the shadowy blob of nothingness. She removed her finger, the red arrow pointing at the center of Unknown Space.

    "Home. Sweet. Home!" Xing said grimly.

    Slate whispered, "By the void."

    ¡°The co-ordinates were changed at the last minute. Fed directly to the ship¡¯s autopilot.¡± Xing sent Slate another half dozen emails to illustrate her point. ¡°The instructions were simple. Leave Sanctuary in cryostasis, make an unscheduled pickup at Void''s Asteroid, then ship us all off to bumfuck nowhere.¡±

    Slate gripped his head in disbelief. "But why? Surely they wouldn¡¯t just send us here to die!¡±

    Peals of laughter bubbled up from Xing. She rested her chin on her hand, leveling a suspicious look at Slate. "You had no idea this was going on? Really?"

    Xing brought up an email chain sent to the Theta Sigma 3. They were addressed to Warden Slate, seeking progress reports on establishing a colony. The emails went unanswered for several months. The last email ended with a note of finality.

    [Colony Unresponsive: Terminate All Contact. Delete All Correspondence to MI-47]

    ¡°That¡¯s your name on those emails,¡± accused Xing.

    Xing¡¯s certainty started to waver as Slate started to hyperventilate. She recognized the signs of a panic attack. Concerned despite herself, she stood to offer assistance. Before she could lend a hand, Slate¡¯s AI took the lead.

    Pewter''s voice was soothing as she instructed, "Take a deep breath, Sir. Now release it. Good, now repeat. In¡­and out. In¡­and out."

    Slate followed the instructions until his breathing normalized. Xing took pity on him. That clearly wasn¡¯t the reaction of a cold, calculating mastermind. He was just as trapped as they were. She grabbed a cold water bottle from the desk and pressed it against his forehead.

    Slate flinched, then accepted it gratefully. ¡°Thank you. I swear, I had no idea this was happening. I just wanted to settle someplace quiet with my friends.¡±

    "I believe you," she said softly.

    Slate cracked opened the bottle, taking a big refreshing swig. With a last steadying breath, Slate clarified. "I never checked my e-mail. I was too busy getting the base set up so we didn¡¯t all die from the poisoned air. It was only a few weeks before we had to escape to Stasis. How long were we on ice, anyway?¡±

    Xing answered, "Three years."

    "By the Prime Batch.¡± Slate closed his eyes, ¡°We were sent here to die. But why here, in the middle of Unknown Space-"

    Xing sat and tucked her legs under her. She could almost see the last few puzzle pieces sliding into place in Slate¡¯s mind. His expression went from hopeless to furious as she watched, thick veins throbbing on the sides of his head.

    ¡°Org?a!¡± Slate growled, ¡°Manifest knew it was here. Orion was right! They sent us here to colonize fucking Org?a!¡±

    Xing leaned back, not comfortable this close to an angry cop. She watched him pace the room, one hand cupped over his mouth as he ruminated. Xing relaxed as he started to talk the problem out, ignoring her completely.

    ¡°So we¡¯re trapped here, cut off from the company. Probably used this failed expedition as a tax write-off, the bastards.¡± Slate stopped circling and asked, "Is there any way to get a distress call to Sanctuary?"

    Xing turned and did some quick calculations, numbers scrolling across the star chart, more dots flashing. Lines started to connect them, eventually landing on Sanctuary.

    "Ye~es," Xing looked at Slate with one eye, the other focused on the screen. "But no. First, we would need a large relay station to send out a signal. And even if we could construct that without it being destroyed by the sandstorms. We¡¯d have to calculate the correct direction through Unknown Space, then try to bounce it off a bunch of satellites in Colony Space. That¡¯s assuming we could fix whatever¡¯s blocking our signal."

    Slate swallowed, "How long would it take?"

    "A decade," she confessed. "Give or take. If we''re lucky."

    Slate collapsed in a chair, "So we''re stuck."

    Xing started to swing her body, the chair swiveling back and forth under her. "I mean, it''s possible it could get intercepted by a ship. If they found us here, they could possibly send us for help. That increased the risk of Manifest realizing we''re still active, but they might try to rescue us for some good press?"

    Slate rubbed his temples, his head throbbing, "Fine, fine. It''s better than nothing. Just send me a Mission for what you need for the relay station, and start working on the distress call route. Please."

    "No."

    Slate was taken aback. "No? What do you mean no? This affects you too!"

    Xing rocked on the chair, "Yeah, but I''m sick of working for free. You want anything more from me? You gotta pay."

    "Pay?" Slate blurted, "With what? Phoenix doesn''t have currency! Vegetables? Puppies? What could you possibly want for payment?"

    Xing tapped a button, and a collection of photos featuring Orion filled the screen. Most of them were from the duel in various stages, some of them badly bloodied. All of them were at flattering angles that made him look heroic.

    Xing pointed, "I want Him."

 Chapter 29 - Soilfangs Revenge

    hat?"

    Has-been!" Xing was shrieking now.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    hot!¡±

    Better times. Random danced, Freedom. Friends. New Queen. Can be creative again. Feels good to be needed.

    Want to build museum. Small one, to hold art prison confiscated. Get it out of workshop.

    Almost makes getting caught worth it, agreed Random.

    Prisoners make for cheap, disposable labor. Random buzzed with irritation. Good business model. If abhorrent.

    If not, I make underground comfortable.

    This is bad, danced Random, staring at the results. He offered it to Queebeax.

    Won''t matter after we kill it, Random waltzed, equipping a fourth pistol.

    Mistakes happen, Random shimmied. Not abandoning my friend.

    Two more terraworms burst through the ground, thrashing about angrily, blindly searching for a target.

 Chapter 30 - The Bone Dome

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 Chapter 31 - Battle Song

    Can I?¡± Xing spun in her chair. ¡°Yes, I can, if that wasn¡¯t clear. Child¡¯s play for a master Hackzor like me. I¡¯m-a show you my mad skillz.¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Don¡¯t mention it, he danced. Need a lift?

    What a coincidence. That where we heading!

    Can¡¯t. Going to stay down here and keep an eye on the animals and non-combatants. I can do more good here.

 Chapter 32 - Terraworm Food

    Our boyfriend¡¯s here, shimmied Random.

    Sweet to worry, Random countered. Shows he cares.

    I¡¯m scrappy, shimmied Random.

    e for!¡± Queebeax clucked at him, accepting the health pack and applying it to the injured Grey.

    Still alive.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

 Chapter 33 - The Cost Of Victory

    Barnad flew towards the base, looking for Dr. Birchett. He activated <Mending Force> and the bubble of healing started to stabilize Ssteev¡¯s wounds. His build was better suited to damage rather than support, so the shield was merely a stopgap measure. It might be enough to stave off death, but he needed a real doctor if he were to ensure the lad¡¯s survival.

    Barnad spotted a cluster of holographic green plus marks, indicating the use of health packs. Following the light trail he spotted zir anthers over a circle of burly Cy-Org mutants. He was still calculating how to arm himself without injuring Ssteev when the chitinous robots were torn asunder by a wave of psionic force. Barnad made a mental note to stay on the doctor¡¯s good side. He adjusted his flight path and started to descend. He landed gently behind Dr. Birchett, trying not to jostle his passenger.

    Dr. Birchett turned to admonish him, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be out there fighting-¡±

    Kholchek¡¯s face gave he pause, and his gaze flicked down at the Jrrask in his arms. Zir expression went ashen as ze saw Ssteev cradled tenderly in his arms. The Jrrask¡¯s breath rattled in his lungs, his scales pale and flaky. A verdant slurry of blue and yellow blood stained his shredded Biosuit. The young soldier looked at the doctor with unfocused eyes.

    ¡°H-hi m-miss Birchett,¡± he quavered. ¡°I m-messed up.¡±

    Dr. Birchett stared for a long second. A breeze started to swirl around zir feet. It quickly turned into a gale, leaves starting to surround the doctor as if appearing from the ether. The wind howled as it started to build to a tornado, lifting Junip slowly off the ground. The phantom foliage coalesced into a humanoid shape, the whirlwind compressing around Junip like a psionic suit of armor that looked like a tremendous Zylvaan warrior.

    The air vibrated from the latent psychic energy in the air, and the Cy-Orgs all around the battlefield rose into the air. The dark robots fought for purchase as they were lifted skyward, leaving the terrified colonists behind to stare in horror at Dr. Birchett. The soldiers shied away from the tempest, but the phantom leaves healed their injuries faster than any health pack.

    Junip¡¯s booming voice ripped across the collective mindscape as ze demanded, Who did this to my boy?

    The hovering Cy-Orgs popped like balloons, the black metallic bodies rent asunder by Dr. Birchett¡¯s telekinesis. The confetti sized bits of metal floated lazily in sphere shaped balls of scrap. Barnad covered Ssteev with his body, the rain of shrapnel pinging harmlessly off his armor. The sheer psionic pressure emanating from the verdant avatar forced him to his knees. He tried to guard his mind from the tendrils of psychic energy probing his mind for answers.

    The pressure released suddenly as Dr. Birchett found what ze was looking for. Burning green eyes turning to face the crater. The Zylvaan shaped cyclone floated toward the crater, floating scraps from the dismantled Cy-Orgs being pulled into orbit around zir.

    Barnad checked Ssteev for injuries and found him fully recovered, but unconscious. He stood and marveled at the Dr. Birchett¡¯s retreating back. ¡°That woman is terrifying! The Sheriff is a lucky man! You!¡±

    Laser (Who just decided to change his name to Cyclone) flinched back from Barnad¡¯s steely gaze. ¡°M-me?¡±

    Barnad nodded, ¡°Aye. Bring the lad to the Med Bay and get back here as soon as possible. We have a fight to finish.¡±

    Cyclone (Definitely Cyclone) rushed to comply, the burly guard scooping the injured rookie out of the Duke¡¯s arms and hustling Ssteev towards the base. Seeing the lad in good hands, and no other Cy-Orgs in range, Barnad fired his jetpack and flew after the enraged doctor. He doubted he could do anything to stop zir rampage but he could run interference if things got heated.

    Junip crested the hill and spotted the thrashing form of Soilfang. Ze paused only a moment to appraise the beast¡¯s condition.

    The terraworm was distressed, a huge hole in his side was gushing blood down his side. Multiple atmosphere bubbles were still scattered over his body, causing cybernetic implants to corrode and catch fire. The hardened carapace around the tattered mouth was cracked and seeping black oil. With a host of smaller wounds from sonic cannonballs and cyworg bites, Soilfang was having a ¡®Very Bad Day¡¯. The raid boss was whipping about in a rage and screaming, much like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

    Ze ignored the beast¡¯s distress. Soilfang had harmed a child, and he would suffer for it! The wind avatar glided across the air as if pulled by some invisible force. The black shrapnel weaved through the air and with a mere thought, formed itself into a glossy black scythe. The weapon levitated near Junip, spinning like a windmill.

    There was a warning highlight to her side. The worm with the bite wound burst through the ground, jaws opening toward Junip. With the barest flick of a wrist, the scythe whirled like a buzzsaw and slashed downward toward the oncoming attack. The terraworm hit the scythe face first, splitting around the rotating blade of death like a log at a lumber mill. The two halves curved around the floating amazon, not even the blood and guts coming into contact with the living tornado. The bisected terraworrm sailed past Junip and landed on the lip of the crater. Colonists dodged out of the way as the worm sausages smashed down on the ground, missing the defending citizenry, but crushing some of the last few cyber mutants.

    Ze was not satisfied yet. The one who hurt zir family was still alive. Dr. Birchett¡¯s scythe sailed towards zir and was caught in the avatar¡¯s grip. Turning to face zir true target, Junip glided towards Soilfang like an avatar of death.

    Level Up notifications scrolled across the raid window as everyone in the squad soaked up a massive wave of experience. No one had time to process this, in awe of the grumpy but beloved Doctor¡¯s assault. With the death of just one worm, Phoenix collectively grew stronger.

    Barnad whistled, ¡°Impressive. I shall not be outdone, however. Time to finish what I started.¡±

    Confident that Dr. Birchett could handle zirself, the crusader noble turned to face his previous opponent. The frost covered worm was still shaking sheets of ice off its body. The creature¡¯s movements were still slowed from Aurora Gorealis¡¯s frozen debuff. Barnad intended to take advantage of that. Reactivating <Indomitable Force>, Barnad flicked his helmet visor back down.

    Barnad taunted, ¡°Let me show you why they call me the Duke of Winter!¡±

    Without slowing down, Barnad flew directly at the terraworm¡¯s face. He punched clear through the soft flaps of mouth skin, forcing the worm to literally bite its own face. Teeth broke away as the heavy mech armor flew down the slippery throat. Halfway down the slippery gullet, Barnad activated his armor¡¯s special skill <Winter¡¯s Fury>. Icicles pierced through the squishy guts from within, crawling up the body until half it¡¯s body was riddled with puncture holes. The ice was so cold it flash froze organs, causing them to bloat, then burst. The epicenter of the attack splintered and ruptured worm meat. The top half toppling over like a felled tree before shattering like glass on the crater floor below.

    Barnard shook snowflakes off himself as he leveled up. He chuckled with grim satisfaction. ¡°Two down, one to go.¡±

    The collapsing terraworm drew Soilfang¡¯s attention. The raid boss roared at Barnad, then shrieked as Dr. Birchett¡¯s scythe buried itself in his back. Screeching with dismay, Soilfang turned to glare at the approaching wind avatar. Shaking with fury, Soilfang lunged at the doctor with killing intent. Maw opened wide, the last remaining mouth tentacle grabbed for zir.

    Dr. Birchett¡¯s cold, glowing green eyes watched the approaching worm with disdain. Reaching out, the Avatar''s fist clenched and ripped the undamaged protective carapace off of Soilfang¡¯s face. While Soilfang recoiled in pain, Dr. Birchett used zir psionic power to bury the curved shell into the terraworm¡¯s body. The scythe was pulled out, spun away and then stabbed into the flesh again. Telekinesis started to pull cybernetic implants out of the exposed skin. The mining tank got a few good hits in, and when Soilfang turned to shriek at the offending weapon, Barnad stabbed him in the back with his ice spear.

    Soilfang wrenched his body suddenly, flinging Barnad free. Reeling back, the broken maw opened, a low rumbling burbling out from the tremendous esophagus.

    Xing¡¯s voice shouted over raid chat, ¡°Look out! He¡¯s using his sonar attack!¡±

    Barnad saw what was happening and flew towards Dr. Birchett to shield zir. The avatar continued to savagely attack Soilfang, tearing entire chunks out of Soilfang¡¯s body. The disfigured face split and a concussive cone of deafening sound erupted from his maw, hitting the Doctor at point blank range.

    For a moment, the cyclone figure shrugged off the damage completely. As the attack continued, the leaves started to be stripped away until the wind armor was completely exposed. Dr. Birchett struggled to retain zir shield but the relentless attack continued. Barnad watched as the excessive use of psionic energy finally took its toll and the shield dropped completely. The Zylvaan took the full brunt of the sonic attack and lost consciousness. Ze tumbled away like a ragdoll, falling towards the valley below.

    Barnad saw this happen and rocketed downwards, flying towards Dr. Birchett¡¯s comatose form. The three techanic vehicles all turned to try and rescue the falling Zylvaan, but Barnad¡¯s rockets gave him an extra boost of speed. He reached her first, performing another daring mid-air rescue.

    Something blotted out the sun. The Duke half turned to see what it was. Soilfang was right above him, mouth open, tentacle grasping. Barnad clenched his jaw and turned to avoid toothy demise. The tentacle was too fast. The fanged mouth at the end of the tendril snapped out, tearing free one of the jetpack¡¯s rockets. Down to one propulsion jet, Barnad¡¯s flight pattern went wild. Unable to steer, he went into a spinning nosedive. Once again he tried to shield his passenger from harm, trying to place himself between Dr. Birchett and the crater floor. The two hit the ground and kicked up a huge cloud of dirt. When the dust cleared, only the spear could be seen slowly sinking below the sand. And then, it too was gone.

    Soilfang watched the fall with satisfaction. But he was not finished. These puny meat things would pay for what they had done to him. To his clutchmates. Soilfang looked over the ridge of the crater and stared at the base. Ever since that building had grown active, things had been bad. The One-Leg¡¯s attack, all the noise and vibrations coming from the base, the sound machine that tried to dig in His Lair! All of them were disturbing the nest. There was never silence anymore, only noise, and confusion, and anger.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    He would destroy it at its source.

    Soilfang dove. When we surfaced, he was past the lip of the crater. Another dive and he emerged in the courtyard. Soilfang dimly acknowledged the fleeing small meat below him. He felt a dull pain as their feeble attacks try to puncture his thick hide. Soilfang wasn¡¯t interested in them. With a bloody grimace, Soilfang dove a final time.

    He would stop this at the source. Soilfang would have his revenge!

    ¡°Kholchek and Birchett are down! Lost sight of them underground. They¡¯re alive but Birchett¡¯s badly hurt!¡± Xing¡¯s voice announced over Raid Chat.

    No! Neesya thought to herself. Without meaning to, she empathically projected her worry outward. My poor Barnad!

    The animals started to get their hackles up nervously, being more attuned to the ambient emotions. The non-combat colonists were already worried even without feeling the Astropod¡¯s thoughts. Only Neesya had joined the raid chat to keep updated with the fight. Even if she wasn¡¯t directly involved, it was better to have an idea of what was going on.

    She¡¯d gathered the Phoenix colonists to Floor One of the basement layers. Even with having been expanded, the walls were solid. The upgraded stables provided a quick escape route to the surface. From there it was possible to get to the stairway to the underground city, where they could access the path to the Zoo. The Zoo¡¯s atmosphere dome provided the best possible defense if Phoenix got overrun with Cy-Orgs. For that reason the Zoo was the designated safe zone for the city to fall back to in case of an emergency.

    Neesya hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to that. It went against her nature to fight, but she would if she had to. At least she wasn¡¯t alone. With Aludra, Gemini, the batteram herd, Avin¡¯s raptor, and a kickflipping flairmingo caught by Mink, Neesya had plenty of backup to help defend the citizens. That thought helped lift her gloomy mood, the animals becoming less agitated as a result. Their guard never let up, the beasts forming a protective circle around the worries citizens.

    Xing yelled through the Raid Chat, ¡°Neesya! I lost track of Soilfang but he¡¯s headed right toward the base!¡±

    The ground shook. The western wall cracked, the mural chipping away as the concrete buckled. Something big was pushing against the reinforced stone walls. The colonists huddled together as Neesya stepped forward to put herself between them and the approaching danger.

    More cracks appeared as two more earth shaking booms rocked the room. With a groan of protest the tormented cement finally gave way. Soilfang¡¯s torn, bloodied face emerged from near the ceiling and whipped his head around hungrily. The mouth opened and a deep resonating thrum filled the room as the terraworm used sonar to scan the room.

    Soilfang¡¯s jaws clamped shut and oriented on the cluster of bodies. The terraworm surged toward the stables, yellow drool dripping from his slathering maw. Neesya¡¯s held out her hands, the tendrils on her head stirring as she gathered her own potent psionic energy. Before she could unleash and attack, Mars ran past her with a honking bleat.

    No! Stay back! Neesya cried out mentally.

    But it was too late. Bolstered by Mars¡¯s bravado, Gemini joined the fray with a brassy battle song blasting over their speakers. The rest of the animals charged after them, from the youngest cyworg pup to the oldest batterewe. The animal friends were all seeking to protect the townspeople of Phoenix. Orion¡¯s warden companions would survive, teleporting to the stables at low health. But the rest of the cattle and beasts wouldn¡¯t be so lucky.

    Neesya started to run after the animals and gestured to the worried colonists. Fall back to the stables. If anything happens to me, escape to the surface and retreat to the zoo!

    Neesya ran towards Soilfang, long legs tearing up the distance. She soon outpaced the animals except for the two quickest critters, Mars and Gemini. The titanic terraworm was slithering closer, thrashing as he moved. His bloodied face bashing against the floor and ceiling, causing more cracks to form. If he didn¡¯t stop soon, he¡¯d break open a hole to the basement below. Or worse, cause a cave-in that would let the toxic air of the surface leak into the basement level. If there was an atmospheric breach, it could kill all the plants and cattle they¡¯d spent so much effort to cultivate. They could lose everything!

    Neesya pulled a traditional Astropod hunting trident out of her weapon wheel. It had been one of the only things she¡¯d had on her when she had been arrested, and she felt a pang of longing for her home colony as she held it. She gripped the haft and looked for an a vulnerable spot to strike.

    As Soilfang got his jaw around a chunk of ceiling, Neesya drew her arm back. Using a burst of psionic energy, she tossed the trident with augmented strength. Trails of water started to pour out from the tip, making the trident spin like a drill. The weapon hit Soilfang on the raw fleshy jaw. The twirling weapon struck the scarred mouth flap like a torpedo, burrowing straight through and coming out the back of his head.

    Soilfang roared with pain, turning its bleeding mouth toward Neesya. The roof of his mouth was torn up further by twin blasts of soundwaves from the Rattilac King. As Soilfang made a move to snap at Gemini, Mars hit him in the throat with a quick thrust of his hammer-like head. The flairmingo flew in and railslided across Soilfang¡¯s back, leaving a trail of electrical destruction in her wake. The cyworgs, batterams and even the flock of microraptors overtook Neesya and latched onto the worm¡¯s green hide.

    No, no, no! Neesya ran forward, summoning the trident back. I know you want to protect people but you¡¯re going to get hurt, babies! Go back to the stables!

    The orders fell on deaf minds. The animals continued to attack Soilfang, the great breast shaking his head to try and dislodge the swarm. Soilfang¡¯s side was peppered by pointy shards of rock, shredding the increasingly damaged skin. Neesya turned to see the battersheep lifting debris with their horns and firing them like bullets.

    They were all going to get killed if Neesya didn¡¯t do something! There was only method she could think of that could be effective. She caught the trident as it flew back to her hand and started to walk forward. Taking a deep breath, Neesya opened her mind. Expanding it outward, she tried to sense the emotions around her.

    She felt the fear and panic of the Phoenix citizens trapped here with her, facing down a great beast unarmed. Above her she felt the terror and rage of the fighting raid members, struggling to fight off the horde of Cy-Orgs. She felt the pain of the injured and the panic of the nurses as they tried to med grave injuries. Expanding out more she felt Xing¡¯s stress and anxiety as she watched the battle, her desperation not to miss anything that could turn the tide of battle. She felt Max¡¯s agony over his missing appendage, the anguish of seeing his ward injured and his lover fall to her doom. She felt Soilfang¡¯s rage and searing pain. She felt all these things and then she took it all away. All those negative thoughts were compressed down inside her, creating a bubbling cauldron of negative emotions that tore at her mind, bringing her to the brink of madness.

    As Neesya absorbed their pain and panic, the citizens of Phoenix collectively felt a wave of calm wash over them. Wounded soldiers stood, gripping their weapons with renewed determination. They would not back down, they would not give in. The same sentiment was on the minds of everyone she touched. This city was their home, and they would not be chased away this time!

    All the fear and hate and pain and loss was suddenly gone from every living soul. The fighters, no longer scared, regrouped and started to push back the invading force. Distantly she saw their fight through their mind¡¯s eye, as if watching the battle from above.

    Mink ran through the chitinous black horde on the back of her stinkhorn, which trampled Cy-Orgs as she administered healing salves to the injured. Avin rode behind her with his rifle drawn, picking off stragglers while his ratascorch tossed fireballs. Cyclone rallied the guards and together they took down a mutant that looked like an Org fused to a giant metal spider. The Jo¡¯Qin baker was tossing pies at the horde, blinding every foe that crossed her path. Even Rusty the Janitor was stuffing a struggling Cy-Org into the Trash Bin, grumbling incoherently. A boxing Cy-Org was furiously attacking Todd, the grinning training dummy inexplicably protecting a dazed guard. Magrath stepped in and beheaded the robot with an over-sized cast iron skillet. Max lay back deliriously, allowing MacTruck the opportunity to finish tourniqueting his stump. Xing stopped hyperventilating and was able to direct the flow of the battle with cold efficiency.

    She could feel their relief. They were winning. But she had to focus on the tumultuous storm of negative emotions she was barely suppressing. It was all too much! She couldn¡¯t hold it all! Soilfang¡¯s rage was like a force of nature. It was like trying to hold back a wildfire with oven mitts. She felt a slimy tendril wrap around her waist and lift her almost lovingly toward Soilfang¡¯s drooling maw. She felt his primitive mind slither across her own.

    Soilfang¡¯s pain and anger dulled. The attacking animals were nothing but a distant nuisance. The only thing left was his insatiable hunger. And here, presented almost as a gift, was the juiciest morsel he¡¯d ever seen. Soilfang would be a fool to turn down such a scrumptious looking meal. Soilfang¡¯s mouth closed over Neesya¡¯s body, completely engulfing her in his slimy gullet.

    Fighting against blacking out, Neesya tried to remember what she had been doing. Why had she pulled all these dark feelings into her? She had to get rid of them! Feverishly, she reached out, her hands blindly brushing against the first thing she came in contact with. As her fingertips touched the slippery walls of Soilfang¡¯s mouth, Neesya used

    .

    All of the negative emotions came flooding into Soilfang, multiplied twofold. Soilfang¡¯s own anger and pain returned, layered with the combined horror and torment of everyone in Phoenix. Soilfang thrashed as he recoiled back, trying to escape the invisible threat. The terrified worm squeezed himself back through the hole in the wall. Rubble and dirt collapsed in the empty space left by the titanic worm, plugging the breach before any external air could seep in.

    Soilfang wrenched himself out of the ground, creating a deep furrow in the earth near the west wall of the base. Flinging his head back, Soilfang screeched with the pure, visceral terror of a wounded animal. Mouth wide, the thrashing mouth tendril unfurled around Neesya¡¯s hips and sent her sailing high above the crater.

    From his crouched position, Mayor Slate caught the movement and looked through the rifle scope. As he looked for a target, he saw a figure tumbling away from Soilfang¡¯s jerking body. He zoomed in to see Neesya falling unconsciously towards the ground.

    ¡°Xing! Neesya¡¯s airborne above the crater!¡± shouted Slate. ¡°Can you get the cars to help her?¡±

    There was a dangerously long pause. As Slate watched, Neesya lit up with a red beacon.

    ¡°I have eyes on her. Redirecting the vehicles,¡± Xing responded.

    As hover cars started to move into position, Soilfang landed on the ground, flopping around like a dying fish. The great worm backflipped into the crater and disappeared under the silty ground. Moments later Soilfang jumped out of the ground with such a high arch the worm was fully exposed for a few brief seconds. Soilfang hit the opposite slope of the crater and vanished toward the west, putting as much distance between him and the base as possible. He was fleeing!

    The immediate threat gone, Slate watched as the station wagon reached Neesya first. The two men in the back grabbed her wrist as she fell, but the large Astropod merely dragged the car down with her. Her fall slowed somewhat, but her weight was too much for the vehicle. The door ripped out of the side. If not for the seat belts, Neesya would have dragged the two men down with her.

    The pickup truck got under her, trying to match her speed. She landed gently and the two gunmen in the back held on tight. Neesya proved to be too much weight again. One of the hover discs sparked, then caught fire as it gave out. The truck went into a spinning dive, the truck bed dipping low. The unconscious Astropod slipped off the back and fell again, still halfway to the ground.

    The flatbed truck had gone low, still searching for the missing colonists. They were able to reposition in time to catch Neesya again. The driver misjudged her speed and the impact caused the entire truck to tilt at a forty-five degree angle. The mechanics held on for dear life, two of them grabbing onto Max to keep him from flying off the side. It wasn¡¯t enough. The truck tipped badly and dropped Neesya down into a sandy pit below. She landed hard, kicking up sediment. When the dust settled she was gone.

    [Mission Complete!: Soilfang¡¯s Revenge.]

    Slate watched the scene with open mouthed horror, ¡°But at what cost?¡±

 Chapter 34 - Matriarch

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Random danced, Going our way?

    Maybe it¡¯s like a Hive, Random suggested. Soldiers outside protect Hive from intruders. Once inside, drones believe you belong.

    Perhaps not, Neesya admitted. But if we could get these babies to Phoenix, maybe they would be easier to manage. Like the Cy-Org janitor. If we could breed terraworms for ourselves, we could maybe terraform Org?a naturally. We just need to destroy the machines corrupting them.

    e danced, Let¡¯s go home.

 Chapter 35 - Distress Call

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    do.

 Chapter 36 - The Godfather

Yes, my Queen!

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.