Codename: Freedom - Book 5 - Chapter 6

When I ported into Fort Prodos, I recalled the virtual blueprints Victoria and Peter had overlayed on the environment here through the Meta. So much had changed. Most of all, our win in the quarterly event brought with it simulation points, or SP. Enough for them to finally finish Fort Prodos’s foundation.

Unlike the first week of Vanguard when the system installed anything they purchased instantly, that was no longer an option. A second fusion reactor was already being built. Much of it was underground. There was an army of drones, construction bots, and mules already at work under the direction of a few civilian contractors. The reactor wasn’t alone. The last two psi-converters were also being installed. If those were the only projects, then the fort would be crowded, but there were also two apartment buildings that would reach just below the fort’s protective dome—two new skyscrapers to join with the central command building.

Even though today was as close to a day off as Prodos had, there was foot traffic everywhere. There was all you could eat pizza and ice cream in the mess hall. Yes, it was a big deal. Such a simple thing and everyone ported into their cubes in droves. Most of them didn’t even have to be there that day.

One of the main reasons there was so much down time even though only a portion of their growing population could compete in quarterly events was because they’d explored and conquered more of planet Hectate then had been developed in the real world outside of sim. It was a major breakthrough. According to the rules of the Prime Simulation, Earth could now begin developing the new areas they’d conquered. It was massive for Prodos long term. Because the land was under their domain, any real world resource harvesting would automatically appear to them in simulation. So once a mine was developed on the real planet Hectate, it would also belong to Prodos in simulation, and they would own those resources.

I followed the crowd toward the command center at the heart of the fort. I recognized more people than I didn’t know, but there were more and more civilians every day. Because of the cost of the Cubes, the ones provided to the civilian contractors had less functionality and were much cheaper. They couldn’t fight, and there was limited pain simulation. If they died in sim, they could be respawned after a period of time had passed, for a cost, or a mixture of both. The Jinhwa inventors of the Cubes were undoubtedly in this for the money, but none of this would’ve been able to get off the ground if they hadn’t made concessions.

I was greeted by many. Congratulated. Thanked. I didn’t have Kline’s personality, but something in me had changed. After the interviews, leading larger groups of men, I no longer felt like that pull I once had when a potential pro gaming career was my primary concern. It allowed me to just smile, shake some hands, and nod when appropriate. I didn’t have to be someone else. It made doing what was more appropriate that much easier.

Smacking the shoulder of one of Jerrek’s men who hadn’t seen me coming, I watched realization come over his face.

The man almost tripped as he came to attention and saluted while midstep.

I returned his salute. “Are you heading to get pizza?”

“Yes, sir!”

With a motion of my head, we walked together. I made small talk, trying to pick his mind as to how he thought the others were doing. A large portion of my men had sacrificed themselves in the last event. His excitement for food and a day off overshadowed what had happened. I just hoped the rest of my men were handling it as well. They’d been more than willing, but pain could wear on you.

As we reached the mess hall, I noticed the absence of a few faces whose presence there was as common as fixtures. Vector and Drool wouldn’t be porting in today like most anyone that was married. Despite the foot traffic, nearly half of Prodos wouldn’t even touch their cube today. Some would be gone for a few days, while others would have the entire week off. I passed up another advertising gig to be here.

There were a few more than familiar faces there. Treetop had gotten rid of the mop top completely. The tall, lengthy guy had gone from an obnoxiously talented guy that pulled off impossible feats to look like an up-and-coming world strongest man competitor. He was too lean to completely pull off the look, but he was one of the elite.

When he saw me from across the room, he inclined his head.

I returned the gesture.

Prodos’s mess hall culture was odd as far as the military went. In Freedom, we’d had more separation in status in the way Prodos Tavern was laid out, but besides a few officers only tables at the head of the room, that was a thing of the past. The few times that I ate here, I was as likely to sit amongst my men as at the officer’s table. I wasn’t alone in that. Harrison was smack dab in the middle of the room facing away from me with a bunch of his guys chatting.

I wasn’t here to eat. Still, I got in line like everyone else when I was quickly ushered to the front of the line by the person in front of me. At one time, I would’ve been embarrassed. Instead, I cuffed the man on the shoulder and told the cook why I was there. “I’m picking up a tub of ice cream.”

The man’s eyes darted back and forth as if he were reading something through his headset. An instant later, a drone flew out from the kitchen with a nice square tub of chocolate ice cream.

I thanked the man, before moving through the midst of the long rectangular tables only to stop behind Harison.

Someone informed him I was there, so our lead mountain man engineer was standing and shaking my hand before I could say anything.

He saw the ice cream and asked, “Is there someone you’re trying to impress or are you going to eat that all by yourself?”

“It’s a peace offering,” I replied.

The man grinned.

A few minutes later, I left the mess hall and was heading up to the command control room. It was there that I found the rest of the crazy people like me who didn’t take days off. Victoria, Peter, Oliver, were amongst them, but Junction, our communication guy who never left, was doing his thing. Liam was gone, but most of the intelligence team was there. There were a few people there I didn’t expect. HandshakeDeath was there with Marabella. They both turned when I walked into the room.

I noticed the intelligence team was locked into what they were doing at their own stations. Oliver was off to the side, while Peter and Victoria were discussing something with the pair surrounded by the microdrone security field.

Their images were blurry behind the field, but a segment opened up and Victoria waved me in. So I crossed the room while still lugging around a two-gallon tub of chocolate ice cream.

Before the field even closed behind me, I firmly shook the man’s hand. I fought my initial fear that he might be thinking about leaving us again.

Moving to Mara, I gave her a side hug. It was impossible to miss the sadness badly hidden behind her smile.

“What’s up?” I asked.

Instead of Handshake’s typical stoic expression, the guy was suddenly grinning from ear to ear.

“Amelia is pregnant,” he said.

My jaw went slack, and I mouthed, “What?” Glancing over, I saw Mara crossing her arms over her chest as if to say, I told you so.

“So you snuck up behind her and…” I said half as a tease, and half in exasperation. He was known as one of the best rogue-like gamers on the planet after all.

His face went ashen.

Mara squealed in laughter.

I saw Victoria closer her eyes as she tried to stifle her reaction. She narrowed her glare which was trained on me.

Pulling the guy into a bro-hug, I congratulated him.

“Thanks. It wasn’t exactly planned.” he muttered.

“Amelia wants to quit Vanguard to focus on the baby,” Victoria announced.

“Oh…” I said, unsure how to react. As far as he knew, Amelia had been upset with Handshake because he’d considered quitting. And yet, now she was officially requesting it? The situation was completely different, of course. And could babies even port into a Cube? The thought was rather absurd.

“Has she considered temporary leave?” I suggested. “I’m sure there are other options.”

“That’s what we’re discussing,” Victoria reassured me.

I stayed back for a few minutes as they discussed it. I wasn’t surprised Mara was in the middle of all this considering her personality and close ties with everyone involved. She was a sweetheart, peacemaker, and friend to just about anyone she set her sights on. She gave so much of herself without asking anything in return.

I glanced up after a moment’s contemplation to see Victoria’s eyes flicker in my direction. I knew what she was thinking the instant I saw that look. She probably noticed me studying Marabella for a second too long. My secret Ekseliksi Princess was also a giver to the extreme. She was willing to sacrifice herself for people. That meant that everything she held dear, including me, was something she’d conditioned herself from her youth to be ready to let go of.

The glare I gave her wasn’t one of our teasing ones. It was to remind her of the conversation we had after she’d committed herself to me. She’d tried several times to push me away in the past. As honorable and attractive as her willingness was to sacrifice everything for something greater, I made it perfectly clear that the moment her willingness to sacrifice our relationship became greater than her desire to fight for us, it offended me.

Victoria’s eyes returned to the conversation at hand, but I saw her apologetic frown.

I’d tickle the psionics out of her later. The reality was, she’d also adopted her mindset because of the world she’d grown up in. Assassination was a constant threat. Despite her ability to live for nearly a thousand years, it might have been statistically less likely for her to live longer than the average Earthling. I didn’t know for sure. I just as capable of cynicism as the next guy.

As Handshake and Mara left, I bid them farewell. I was left in the microdrone bubble with Victoria and Peter.

Peter spoke first. “She will be missed, but it’s likely better for her to pull out now and focus on the baby. If she can create a home worth returning to, then HandshakeDeath’s performance ratings should improve.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“He’s not looking down on Amelia,” Victoria reassured me. “Our positions require that we don’t ignore the statistical reality. Infidelity and divorce are much higher among military personnel than the civilian population. On the other hand, married soldiers with family often perform higher than their single counterparts.”

“Exactly,” Peter replied. The lenses of his headset retracted upward so that I could better see his expression. Despite the microdrones doing their thing, he lowered his voice as he added, “It is not so among the Ekseliksi. The spouses of military personnel are held to a much higher standard socially and legally. Also, both parties involved in the crime, regardless of status, face severe penalties. It is exponentially less common because of that.”

“Arguably the social stigma is more impactful than the legal consequences,” Victoria said thoughtfully. She motioned with a nod, “Do you plan on eating that whole thing by yourself?”

Holding up the tub of ice cream, I grinned. “I thought I might try to bribe a Ekseliksi elite into teaching me more of his secrets.”

“What one Earth gave you the idea that this would be a good tactic to take with Krato Aeneus Raptis?” Peter spat.

I grinned even wider. “If he gets angry enough then he might accidently reveal something as he pummels me. Besides, he’s let a few things slip. Like his love for chocolate ice cream. After he punishes me, he might me grateful enough to be more accommodating.”

“It’s your funeral.”

Victoria’s face was all scrunched as if she were battling her laughter, but she got control over herself. There was a hint of worry in her voice as she said, “Are you doing this because we’ll be fighting directly with the other battalions in the next event?”

“Have you received confirmation that that’s the case?” I pried.

She gave a sure nod. “The details will likely be revealed after the Gathering of Guilds when Prodos’s Right and Left hand are on Mia’s Haven.”

My brow tensed like a fist. “Gathering of Guilds? Like we had in Freedom?”

“Think of it more like a convention where everyone from every battalion will attend. There will be opportunities for top talents to mingle.”

“Wait. You mean there will be millions of us in one place?”

“Yes, but that’s not all.” Her own lenses descended from her headset momentarily as she scanned something and made a few hand gestures. A small swarm of microdrone flew over and a small hologram appeared above the round base that they formed between us.

At the base there were stone letters that carved out to read Gathering of Guilds. Obviously, it sounded better than Gathering of Battalions. The Gathering of Guilds had been a highly watched event in Freedom, so using the title was a given.

Above the base were statues of familiar figures. The Real Major was there, as was Brendon Black, and Ebrima Okoro. I was among them. It was the best of the best. What was considered the top ten were standing atop a platform over the stone title. It was over a little over the top for my liking.

She continued, “There will be special rooms only accessible by rank, so you’ll get to meet the best competitors from the other battalions without the distraction of a large physical audience. It’s to encourage friendly competition, while allowing you to start building relationships with some of the people we’ll be fighting with in the future.

“And Lucius, some of the Founders will be in attendance.”

Until her last statement, I’d been tracking. It made sense. The Founders were the original group from Earth that unlocked psionics. There were many reasons why they might attend, but I couldn’t be certain. Before I forgot, I asked, “I’m assuming the Devs wouldn’t bring us together unless they’d have us competing in some way.”

“I’m assuming the same.”

“And the Founders?”

Peter stepped forward. “They will be there to answer questions, give advice, and take disciples.”

“Disciples?” I grinned as I was reminded of my time training under Achilles.

“Yes. Due to the circumstances, we want to push for Mel to join their discipleship program.” He said it as if he were trying to judge my response as if I was an overly sensitive child.

So I took advantage of the situation and cast my eyes to the floor.

Peter began to explain, “Unless we reveal more to him, he will benefit from their training more than anyone else.”

“Just say it,” I lamented. “You think he’s more talented than me.”

As fatherly at the guy could be, he was also brutally honest. I saw his steel himself for what he was about to say when I burst out laughing.

Victoria rolled her eyes.

I cleared my throat and said, “Sorry. I’m messing with Peter. I know Mel is more talented than I am. He’d be my first choice as well.”

The man’s cold expression didn’t change as he replied, “I can’t wait until you try and bribe Aeneus Raptis with ice cream. Hope that you don’t mind me watching.”

I snickered.

“Get out of here already,” Victoria badgered.

“Yeah. Yeah,” I said, heading over toward the corner of the room with the simulation portal. The microdrones parted for me.

“Spill,” I said at a whisper. “You’ve been quiet. What are you thinking?”

Destiny’s response through my earpiece was rather ambiguous. “I’m just thinking about how Handshake and LadyHeadshot’s lives are going to change and the impact a baby has on human relationships. The sacrifices people make to have children, and those of the people that don’t.”

“Don’t get all broody on me now, Dronehead.”

Stepping into the portal, I soon arrived in a hilly environment with high grass and sparse tree growth. The trees settled at the top or side of the low-lying hills that looked like layers of green waves surrounding us in all direction.

The square jawed alien with purple-tint skin noticed I was carrying something immediately. He demanded, “What is that?”

Facing him, I took a knee as was appropriate. My eyes were aimed at his feet. “Chocolate ice cream, Krato.”

“And why is it here?”

“I have a favor to ask.”

“You think you can bribe me?” The moment he said it I felt the pressure from his psionic push bear down on me. He rose from the top of a hill twenty feet from my own until he hovered a few feet above the ground.

I was sure Peter and Victoria hadn’t taken what I said literally, but I’d been earnest. “I hoped this would anger you enough that you might do as I ask.”

His eyes bore into me for the longest time. More than a minute later, Krato said, “Speak.”

As soon as he commanded, I glanced up, looking him in the eye. It was considered disrespectful. I would regret it later, but with what I was about to ask I needed him to know how dead serious I was. “I want to fight you. To see you at your best, Krato. The other Vanguard participants are starting to unlock Rank D psionics, but I know it will be years if not decades before they even come close to true mastery. I need to see what rank D psionics are really capable of.”

“It is too soon. You must walk before you can run. You’ve improved, but you also have a long way to go.”

Today was not the day I took no for an answer. “Please. Your most common rebuke is that I don’t fully understand. Open my eyes.”

“It can be discouraging for one so young.”

He was not the type to give compliments, so the fact he’d even mention discouragement gave me pause—just not for long. “I don’t get discouraged.”

The Krato’s gaze sharpened. “I’m a father of many sons, néos. You cannot fool me. Out of all the young men I’ve ever trained, you struggle the most—are the most obsessed with it.”

I ran my tongue over my teeth as I came to my feet. “Destiny,” I said, holding out the tub of ice cream. It disappeared from my hand a moment later.

“Let’s test your theory, Krato,” I challenged.

The man smirked. “You suffer with the same delusions as every other young Ekseliksi. You dream of what’s beyond your station, but you aim higher than most. I’ve seen the way you look at the Daughter of the Epithumia. There is no limit to what you seek. And yet, unlike all the other young fools, you already know the truth, yet you seek it regardless.”

“Krato,” Peter’s voice filled the space. “Remember your place.”

Aeneus Raptis didn’t back down. “This is something he will hear or today his training comes to an end.”

“Peter,” I called out. “It’s fine.”

Despite one last audible grumble that filled the space, I was left alone with the Krato.

“You know what you seek is impossible,” the man continued. “Imitation of the Teleios is Ekseliksi men’s greatest ambition, but you don’t seek to be as much like him as possible. You seek to usurp his throne. To take his very daughter as your wife and force the Ekseliksi to accept it through the force of will.”

Aeneus didn’t know the whole truth. That Victoria and I had already become one in secret. He had guessed my intentions. I don’t know how he knew. Perhaps it was exactly as he said. He was a father and had trained far too many sons not to discern what I was thinking.

Instead of denying what he said or apologizing, I straightened myself as if he was the very person I must face to make it so.

Looking to the sky, Krato put a fist over his heart then raised his hand high. His elbow remained bent, and his palm was open as if he were showing that he’d already given his all.

When his gaze drifted downward and landed on me, he nodded to himself. “Your arrogance must be reward as well as crushed. I will do as you ask so that you might learn arrogance isn’t a matter of will or desire. To be arrogant you must earn the right.”

As he said it the environment started to change. Instead of rolling hills, grass, and trees, the world became bleak. The ground flattened and vegetation disappeared. The ground was covered in rusty orange and brown.

Aeneus Raptis lifted his voice. “My psionic limitations are both weakness and strength. In certain environments, I’m at a disadvantage, but in the right environment, no Krato is my match.”

The world changed and with it so did the pressure the Krato was giving off. With the change in environment his psionic output lessened until he was hovering a few inches off the ground, and it was difficult for me to sense it.

“Prepare yourself,” he shouted.

Psionic energy pushed out of my feet, lifting me from the ground. I could feel how easy it was compared to normal. The ground was even more responsive to Push than concrete or asphalt.

I was distracted just long enough while I was testing the surface that I didn’t notice. He was there one moment and gone the next. My psionics spread out more than they already were, and I still didn’t feel him from any direction.

Glancing one way and then the other, I spun as I looked but didn’t find him. That left a single possibility. My eye climbed rapidly. I found him what had to be hundreds of feet overhead except he wasn’t ascending or even floating there. He was falling on me from above. He was coming swiftly. Like a peregrine falcon, the fastest of the birds of prey, he descended. Except he was coming so quickly I only had enough time to notice for an instant he wasn’t relying on gravity. He was accelerating.

I tried to move, pushing in one direction. Because of the environment, my Push worked exceptionally well. I felt the world’s resistance like never before. Just as hope swelled, he was already here. I didn’t even have time to react. The next thing I knew, I was in a room so empty that there wasn’t even any dust in its crevices. It was a place I knew well. It was the respawn loading space of the Prime Simulation. The place you went to after you died.