《P.A.L》 Prologue Intergalactic Cycle 2205, System 902B Panta 45 ¡°Gravedigger¡± ¨C IGC Decommissioning Unit Commencing Record-Keeping Protocol ... ... ¡°This is Gravedigger with a lock on ¨C uh, what is this place again?¡± ¡°Rim Outpost Gaia,¡± Hera sighed and restarted the transmission for the third time. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll get it right this time. Erhem ¨C This is Gravedigger with a lock on Rim Outpost Gaia, commencing standard decommissioning procedures in accordance with IGC task protocol.¡± The seasoned duo sat in silence while they waitedfor clearance from headquarters. Ares fiddled with the buttons on his military dress, as he often did at the end of a long shift, while Hera contemplated their romantic evening ahead. A blue indicator beacon sputtered alight on their console, providing a visual indication that headquarters had cleared their operation to begin. Ares cracked his neck first to the left and then to the right,and placed his hands on the shuttle¡¯s throttle, ¡°Here we go again, huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± Hera groaned. ¡°Are you still interested in heading back to my place after this?¡± ¡°Of course, I look forward to it every week.¡± Hera breathed a sigh of relief. Their date was still on, despite an overly busy week at work. One more decommissioning job and they would home free. The naval officers had long been engaged to each other, both as professionals, and as friends with unsanctioned benefits. Though the Intergalactic Naval Force had strict regulations that governed romantic relationships between service members, Ares and Hera operated largely outside the prying eye of military regulators. As semi-independent warrant officers, their interactions with headquarters were rarely face-to-face, giving them more freedom to flout the rules. ¡°Let¡¯s get on with this,¡± Ares clicked away at the shuttle¡¯s control panel, before launching an auto thrust maneuver towards the ancient outpost. Like most outposts built during the height of the Serpian Conquest, very little information had been retained about the facility that they were tasked with decommissioning. The majority of non-terrestrial military installations built during the Serpian Conquest were constructed as information repositories and emergency operation centers, but few of them were ever used. Now they were massive liabilities, even more so with human expansion reaching the edges of the galaxy. ¡°I sure hope that this one doesn¡¯t have any weapons platforms like that station in System 803,¡± Hera shuddered. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that our exo-armor is resistant to projectile weaponry. The look on your face when that turret fired on me,¡± he smirked, ¡°now that was priceless.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Hera laughed, ¡°I was worried. We had tickets to theColosseum that night. It would be embarrassing to go alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more worried that we¡¯ll get stuck in one of these things like Mara and her team did last week.¡± ¡°The fact that command forgot about them makes it even worse,¡± Hera¡¯s tone darkened. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m retiring next cycle, assuming we survive this hunk of junk.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll join you.¡± ¡°I wish you could,¡± Ares replied. As they prepared to execute a manual docking procedure with the station, a surprising ping rattled their receivers. You are approaching a military outpost operated by the Inter-Galactic Confederacy. I am S.T.O.R.K., the artificial intelligence (AI) charged with the upkeep of this station. Please identify your craft or prepare for weapons engagement. ¡°Wow!¡± Ares lurched forward in his seat, ¡°this outpost still has power. Now that¡¯s not something you see every day.¡± ¡°Only every other day,¡± Hera sneered, ¡°I hate dealing with these tone death conquest class intelligence units, but at least we won¡¯t have to manually dock.¡± Ares and Hera activated their communications implants and initiated standard contact protocol. If the intelligence denied their access request, then they would have to return with backup, which was hardly optimal given their under-the-table relationship. ¡°This is Warrant Commander Ares Troy, badge XRAY52, and Second Warrant Commander Hera Carthage, badge BRAVO86, of IGC Task Group Panta 45, requesting permission to dock.¡± A crisscrossing array of red and white light strobed out from the outpost. It worked its way across the surface of their craft, crisscrossing every corner of their vessel with an unusual degree of precision. Identities Verified. Greetings Commanders Troy and Carthage. Your Class D shuttle is too bulky to execute a standard landing procedure. Would you prefer to dock at the cargo port in the rear? Ares and Hera shot equally bemused glances at one another. ¡°There weren¡¯t Class D landing craft during the time of the Serpian Conquest, were there?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ares scowled, ¡°but maybe this outpost still maintains a data linkage with headquarters, it wouldn¡¯t be the first time something like this has happened.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been awhile,¡± Hera nodded skeptically at her partner before responding. ¡°Yes, we would like to dock at the cargo hold.¡± Understood. Initiating docking procedures. A magnetic pulley funneled their landing craft closer to the outpost and then hovered them along the surface of the facility. The structure bulky, metallic,and completelywindowless, possessing only a few small portholes. ¡°I don¡¯t know about this,¡± Hera mumbled. ¡°Neither do I,¡± Ares responded. A rectangular slit sluggishly revealed itself as their craft approached the port side of the structure. Within its mouth was a standard military cargo hold, replete with a freight elevator and an automated provisioning station. ¡°Looks normal to me,¡± Ares sighed a breath of relief. ¡°Yes, more normal then I would have thought,¡± Hera skeptically agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s not overthink this.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The final hailing beam led their craft into the chamber, securing it firmly within a docking station. Please wait while I pressurize the airlock, thank you for your patience. ¡­ ¡­ Pressurization Complete. Welcome commanders. I have dispatched a sentry bot to aid in your navigation of this compound. Decommissioning of this base can be achieved by accessing the power core on level 18. ¡°How do you know our mission parameters?¡± Ares pointedly questioned the artificial intelligence. Despite a lack of maintenance for the last 972 cycles, I have prioritized maintaining this station¡¯s connection with IGC headquarters in adherence with my programmed directives. ¡°And what are those?¡± Hera interjected. I am afraid that you lack the security clearance to make such an inquiry of me. However, since you are acting under decommissioning protocols, I will overwrite the security clearance requirement so that you can make an official report of my final operations and mission parameters. ¡°Thank you,¡± Ares replied, ¡°before we exit this craft, I would like to have some reassurances about what exactly we are walking into.¡± This is Outpost Gaia, established in intergalactic cycle 1301 under the guidance of Second Admiral Roman Ceres, in accordance with the Emergency Countermeasures Act. This station was created to serve as a one-way linkage to Gaia in the event of a total societal collapse. ¡°Good thing that never happened.¡± Arespatted Hera on the shoulder, ¡°this sounds like the kind of nutty stuff we discover in these outposts all the time. It¡¯s hard to believe that our ancestors actually believed that we came from a planet called Gaia. It¡¯s even wackier to think that they tried to create a linkage to it.¡± A sudden burst of static blasted Ares and Hera in the eardrum. ¡°Damn it! This place is interfering with our communications equipment, let¡¯s hurry up and shut this facility down so that we can go home.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Hera concurred. Ares and Hera took a power core containment device and an artificial intelligence disablement kit with them as they exited their spacecraft and entered the facility¡¯s cargo hold. These were standard decommissioning tools, and despite their bulkiness, they were surprisingly light to lug around. A small droid of archaic design greeted them with a beep and led them deeper into the structure. There was nothing remarkable about the station¡¯s interior. Its hallways were well lit but dusty, its stairs had rusted but were sturdy, and its control room was painfully outdated but still functional. Despite the structure¡¯s oddly cognizant artificial intelligence system and unusual external fa?ade, this job was starting to seem like nothing more than a run of the mill decommissioning gig. Greetings commanders. I received a broken general transmission from headquarters 15 minutes ago, were you expecting a systemwide test procedure today? A glowing white orb floated around the control room, passing from panel to panel and station to station. S.T.O.R.K was quite advanced for his era but was nothing compared to the intelligence systems in use across the modern IGC. As part of Panta 45¡¯s decommissioning procedures, he would be deactivated, secured and then memory washed. In a best-case scenario, he would find a repurposed life as the caretaker of an elderly home or military hospital. In a worst-case scenario, he would be scrapped completely.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you know what¡¯s coming next for you, don¡¯t you?¡± Ares took the intelligence disablement kit from Hera and placed it on the AI¡¯s circuit board. I am ready to accept my retirement if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking. If you had come even a few cycles later then you did, I would have died anyway. Most of this station¡¯s core functions besides life support and communications have had to be disabled due to unaddressed maintenance concerns and energy supply issues. Hera opened the disablement kit and readied a digital download stick for use. She pulled out a battery regulator to be used during the transference procedure. Older intelligence systems were built to be operated using a constant power supply, otherwise their systems would shut down completely. S.T.O.R.K was likely no exception to this rule. ¡°Out of curiosity,¡± Ares stood up from his auditing beacon and faced S.T.O.R.K., ¡°what does ¡®S.T.O.R.K¡¯ stand for anyways?¡± Stasis Task Overseer and Repository Keeper. In my programmed role, Iam responsible for maintaining this station¡¯s biological inventory and ensuring that it is prepared for transference to Gaia if command deems it necessary. ¡°Biological specimens?¡± Hera interjected. ¡°If there are biological specimens onboard this station then this decommissioning job just got much more complicated.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Ares responded, ¡°S.T.O.R.K., would it be possible to set up a communication line with headquarters? I need to get their take on this information.¡± I have been unable to re-establish communications with headquarters since I lost their frequency 20 minutes ago. ¡°That¡¯s not unusual from our experience,¡± Hera responded, ¡°these rim systems have notoriously bad communication linkages.¡± This station is outfitted with multiple high-powered communication arrays. I have not had trouble connecting to headquarters in the past 424 cycles, and my last disconnection incident was only a temporary outage caused by a solar flare. ¡°Our shuttle is likely interfering with this station¡¯s ancient systems. Let¡¯s continue running our diagnostics while S.T.O.R.K works through this issue.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Hera agreed, ¡°but we may have to return to the shuttle if he can¡¯t make contact soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that under advisement,¡± Ares put his head down and continued his inspection of the station¡¯s power core. It was an ailing system based on outdated micro-fission technology. Such systems were often hijacked and turned into dirty bombs by revolutionary groups and terrorist cells. Seeing to the disposal of the station¡¯s hazardous power generating materials and biological agents would prevent any unwanted consequences from reaching the public. Though the life of a decommissioning agent was hardly glamorous, it was important work. There was a time when Ares had enjoyed his occupation, but it had become thankless in recent years. If it weren¡¯t for the companionship of his much younger junior officer, he probably would have retired already. ¡°Would it be possible to examine this station¡¯s biological inventory?¡± Ares lifted his head to face the hovering AI. S.T.O.R.K motioned him over to a control panel and pulled up a hologram of the complex. We are on level 18, the control center of this facility. Beneath us is a dormitory level, and beneath that is a non-functioning hydroponics farm. This station was originally intended to hold a small garrison of soldiers, but that never came to pass. Starting at level 15 are this facility¡¯s stasis chambers, which persist until levels 1 through 4 which are our docking and storage facilities. Levels 5 through 7 are experimental and are not to be launched except in dire circumstances. ¡°I see,¡± Ares said, ¡°and what kind of biological agents are in these stasis chambers.¡± Well, the short answer is ¨C hold one moment, I am receiving a transmission from headquarters. ¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s encrypted, one moment please. ¡°Ares, come here,¡± Hera said palely. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Just come here.¡± Ares cautiously approached his partner, stooping down with her over a seemingly innocuous power conduit. Hera looked over her shoulder and feigned a smile, then hastily whispered a message to Ares. Ares¡¯ face dropped, ¡°are you positive?¡± ¡°We need to contact headquarters immediately, this place is a level S technological hazard.¡± ¡°Okay, let''s return to our ship,¡± Ares whispered, ¡°be careful not to arouse the AI¡¯s suspicions.¡± Alert Mode Activated. Incoming Hostile Presence Detected. ¡°It¡¯s on to us!¡± Ares tapped his exo-armor activation link, immediately blanketing his body in a flexible micro-steel barrier. A general quarters alert rang through the room, sending defensive barriers and turrets pushing out in every direction. In an instant, S.T.O.R.K. had transitioned from a white energy orb to a bright red cloud of text and numerical symbols. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ares tapped his partner¡¯s armament activation link, shrouding her with defense as she struggled to retain her composure. Without wasting a second, Ares took the intelligence disablement device in hand and made a hasty cut towards S.T.O.R.K¡¯s mainframe. Incoming Vessel Detected. Make Confirmed as a Serpian Viper-class Battleship. Preparing Countermeasures. ¡°S.T.O.R.K, desist this instant!¡± Ares grabbed the disablement device and jabbed it into the mainframe. ¡°I know what is stored on this station, and I will not allow you to release it into the galaxy. Desist with your deceptions or I will activate the device.¡± Incoming Transmission Deciphered. GALACTIC SECURITY ALERT RECIEVED TRANSMITTING A burst of static again sputtered into the duo¡¯s communications implants, transitioning hastily into a broken message. ¡°This is 3rd Admiral Zoroaster¡­Terra has Fallen¡­Home Fleet is¡­Galaxywide Extermination Imminent.¡± COMMENCING OPERATION PHOENIX IMMINENT GALACTIC COLLAPSE ACKNOWLEDGED ¡­ LAUNCHING LEVEL 16 ¨C FAILED ¡­ LAUNCHING LEVEL 15 ¨C FAILED ¡°Ares, what is this?¡± Hera collapsed violently to her knees as S.T.O.R.K began an automated countdown. LAUNCHING LEVEL 14 ¨C FAILED ¡°I¡¯m disabling S.T.O.R.K now,¡± Ares activated the disablement device, sending a pulse of disruptive electrical interference into the rogue AI''s mainframe. LAUNCHING LEVEL 13 ¨C FAILED ¡°It didn¡¯t work!¡± Hera screamed. ¡°It¡¯s manufacturing a fake crisis so that it can release its cargo, what kind of twisted person built this thing! How is it so resilient?¡± LAUNCHING LEVEL 12 ¨C FAILED SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED CONTACT WITH HOSTILE FORCE IN T-MINUS 5 MINUTES. ¡°Get back to the shuttle,¡± Ares screamed. ¡°Hurry!¡± ¡°What about you?¡± She grabbed his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll catch up with you once I disable this thing. Now go!¡± LAUNCHING LEVEL 11 ¨C FAILED Hera scrambled through corridors of pulsating red lights and disorienting alert messages in her attempt to make it back to the cargo hold. She had descended through the crew levels in a blink of an eye, but the stasis levels proved more challenging to navigate. They were replete, with of all things, the mummified corpses of human beings held in rusted pods. Each row of pods looked exactly the same, creating a labyrinth of passageways that only compounded Hera¡¯s dire situation. The droid that had escorted them into the compound had purposely avoided the stasis chambers and taken a direct route to the control room, but that droid was nowhere to be found and Hera had no idea how to navigate the facility. She would have to find a way out on her own, and quickly. LAUNCHING LEVEL 10 ¨C FAILED Ares bashed at S.T.O.R.K¡¯s mainframe with the butt end of his sidearm, sending shards of microchips and chunks of metal flying in every direction. No matter what he did, S.T.O.R.K did not desist. The countdown continued. He shot two energy pulses at the brooding manifestation of an AI, but they merely phased right through him. The circuit board, he thought to himself, as he desperately sought a means to defeat the artificial intelligence and prevent it from releasing its loadout. He opened the circuit panel and continued his desperate struggle against the AI and the clock. LAUNCHING LEVEL 9 ¨C FAILED By little more than chance, Hera encountered a fire stairwell and quickly descended to level 5. She was only one level away from the cargo hold, but there was no sign of Ares, and more worryingly, S.T.O.R.K was still active. Outpost Gaia had been created by a relatively unknown 2nd Admiral, a man who had all but been erased from the history books that she loved to read. Now she was starting to realize that this was likely a deliberate move. Admiral Ceres had perfected a technology that was thought to be fictional by everyone within IGC command, and now that device was trying to release itself upon the galaxy. If it were to succeed, the consequences would be disastrous. Worse still, S.T.O.R.K was manufacturing a fake crisis. The Serpians were eliminated close to 1000 cycles ago. To claim that the IGC was under attack from a phantom menace was laughable. LAUNCHING LEVEL 8 ¨C FAILED Ares desperately clawed out every wire within reach, but none of his actions seemed to make a difference. Then he remembered S.T.O.R.K¡¯s greatest weakness, the power core. Throwing caution to the wayside, Ares pried open the cover to the micro fission reactor and prepared to remove the device from the station, but it was a fake. Whoever had designed the station had created a reactor made out of colored green water, leaving the real reactor out of his reach. Ares pulled out every panel and floorboard that he could find, in a vain effort to find the station¡¯s power supply, but even he was resigning himself to the hopelessness of his situation. ¡°Please let Hera make it out of this place,¡± he prayed aloud, ¡°please!¡± LAUNCHING LEVEL 7 ¨C PROTOTYPE FRN ¨C FAILED Hera stared in doe-eyed disbelief through a porthole as a ship of immeasurable size approached the station. This was not an IGC ship, nor was it of human make. It possessed all the qualities of a large snake, coiling and twisting its way through dark space like a serpent slithering towards its prey. She desperately tried to radio Ares but received no response. At its current rate of travel, they had a minute at best to flee from the station. Ares would not make it, and her own hopes of escape were fading quickly. She recorded one last message to her partner, and then sank onto the metal floor in despair. As she was about to give up hope, a bright green light appeared at the far end of the corridor. It seemed to beckon her to it, almost as though it were speaking to her. As she stood up and approached it, a padded metal door flung open, revealing an escape pod. I¡¯m saved, Hera choked back tears as she entered the pod, but her gut wrenched knowing that her partner wasn¡¯t. LAUNCHING LEVEL 6 ¨C PROTOTYPE BUD ¨C FAILED Ares received a transmission from Hera that made his heart sink. ¡°S.T.O.R.K is not deceiving us, we are under attack by the Serpians. I don¡¯t know how or why this is happening, but there is something I want to tell you before we die. Ares, I love you. I always have, and I always will. This next part is painful to tell you under these circumstances, but it is something that you need to know. I¡¯m pregnant. I¡¯m so sorry that you will never get that chance to be a father to our child, but we can only hope that he will be with us in the afterlife. Goodbye my love.¡± Ares collapsed against the rusted wall of the control room, sobbing uncontrollably at the news. There was no way that an artificial intelligence could re-create this kind of emotion in its deception. The message really was from Hera, which meant that humanity really was doomed. How could this be happening? The Serpian threat was eliminated over a thousand cycles ago. How? Why? He nudged open a concealed porthole along the wall and chuckled hysterically as a massive golden serpent prepared to swallow him and the station whole. ¡°Goodbye Hera, for what it¡¯s worth, I love you too. If¡­¡± LAUNCHING LEVEL 5 ¨C PROTOTYPE PAL ¨C SUCCESFUL. ¡­ OPERATION PHOENIX, PHASE 1 COMPLETE ¡­ SELF DESTRUCT ARMED ¡­ Goodbye Commander Ares. Hera clutched her stomach tightly as she digested Ares last words to her. The escape pod jettisoned itself and picked up steam as it roared away from the facility. She grimaced in horror as the structure self-destructed level by level before being engulfed by the menacing Serpian battleship. Ares was dead, as was the IGC. The threat that had nearly wiped out humanity a millennium before had this time succeeded in its goal. Despite her escape, there was no hope for her anymore. As she contemplated suicide, a soft feminine voice lulled her worries to sleep. Greetings Commander Carthage. Do not be alarmed, our destination is not within the enemy¡¯s reach. Please sit back and rest, you have nothing to fear. ¡°Who are you?¡± I¡¯m your PAL. Chapter 1 - The Recital I put down the opening chapter of my mom¡¯s latest space epic and lifted an eyebrow at her. ¡°It¡¯s an interesting concept, but did you really think it would be a good idea to name the main character after yourself?¡± She twiddled her fingers nervously, ¡°well, it just felt right to me. I mean, I really relate to this character.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± I lit into her, ¡°that¡¯s super conceited. What will your fans think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Yes, they will,¡± I shook my head, ¡°you shouldn¡¯t have me proofread your work if you aren¡¯t going to at least consider my opinions.¡± ¡°When did my son get to be such a cynic anyway? You are starting to remind me of those reviewers on Greatreads.¡± ¡°Take that back.¡± ¡°No,¡± she stuck her tongue out at me, ¡°Now hurry up and get ready, your brother¡¯s piano recital is in an hour.¡± ¡°Oh crap, is that tonight?¡± ¡°Christopher Carthage, how many times have we been over this?¡± ¡°Uhhh,¡± I stammered, ¡°I forget. How many?¡± ¡°Too many,¡± she replied. ¡°Now get dressed and let¡¯s go. If you won''t do it for me, then at least do it for Ethan.¡± "You don''t have to tell me that mom. I would do anything for him." My little brother Ethan meant the world to me. He was a good kid, a great student, and an even better sibling. Even though we didn¡¯t share the same father, Ethan and I were more bonded then Oxygen and Water. It devastated me to think that he would be leaving for college in only a couple of months. He was my best friend, and a damn good one at that. Plus, he always managed to keep mom off my back. With Ethan around, she had no problem overlooking my lifestyle, but I wondered what she would be like with him away at school. It was not a pleasant thought. She might even force me to get a job. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Mom pounded fiercely on my door, ¡°we¡¯re going to be late.¡± ¡°Coming,¡± I shouted back as I desperately tried to knot my tie. You know what, screw this. I yanked off the tie and unbuttoned the top of my shirt. There was nothing wrong with a dress-casual look, nobody¡¯s eyes would be on me anyway. ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± I jerked open my door only to be met with a disapproving gaze. ¡°Here¡¯s a clip on,¡± mom tossed one of Ethan¡¯s ties at me, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± On the ride to my brother¡¯s recital, I dove headfirst into my phone and perused social media. There wasn¡¯t really anything too interesting going on in the world. A tornado had done some major damage in Oklahoma, and the Internal Revenue Service was embroiled in a scandal, but that was about it. As for the few Facebook friends I had, most of them were busy debating politics or ranting and raving about gaming industry news. I wasn¡¯t too interested in the political stuff, but the gaming news kept me engrossed throughout the car ride. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Mom barely squeezed our behemoth of an SUV into the tight quarters of a downtown parking lot. As usual, we were one of the last to arrive, but I was at least partially to blame for that. I loved Ethan, but I hated his recitals, mostly because of mom. Mom fleeced her dress with a lint roller and then took a few brushes at her jet-black hair before tossing her beauty instruments at me. ¡°Clean yourself up,¡± she said, ¡°you look like a shut-in¡±. ¡°I am a shut-in,¡± I replied. ¡°Do it for Ethan¡±. ¡°Fine,¡± I growled. I hated to admit it, but the whole ''do it for your brother'' thing always worked way too well on me. I grabbed the lint roller and ran it haphazardly across my suit before flipping my bangs to the left. Mom and I shared the same hair color, but that was about it. My hair was wiry and unmanageable, while hers was silky smooth. As hard as I tried to explain this fact to her, she always seemed to act disappointed about my appearance, especially at Ethan¡¯s events. ¡°Sometimes I wonder what I¡¯m going to do with you,¡± she shook her head in disgust. I grunted back. With her usual vigor, Mom hopped out of the car. She grabbed me by the arm and yanked me towards the auditorium. As we shuffled forward, it wasn¡¯t long before the other parents swarmed her as they always did. ¡°When is your next book coming out?¡± One woman asked. ¡°Is it true that it¡¯s a romance set in space?¡± Another butted in. I carefully slid to the back of my mom¡¯s entourage where I was met by Erin, whose sister was also performing at the recital. We were both misfortunate enough to be the children of writers. Erin¡¯s mother, unlike my own, wrote literary fiction. She and my mother were in a constant battle for publicity, fame, and fortune. Erin and I also battled, but in a different sort of arena.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Hello Fairykiller,¡± I nudged her with my shoulder. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that around other people,¡± she rolled her eyes. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± She sighed. ¡°You¡¯re impossible.¡± ¡°Have you seen the latest news? Micro Effect 3 is getting a new DLC. I think they might finally be fixing that god-awful ending.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Her tone changed instantly. ¡°100%,¡± I responded. ¡°Well, it better be free. I¡¯m not paying for something that should have been in the base game in the first place.¡± ¡°Amen to that.¡± ¡°So Chris, what do you say? Want to run some co-op on Dark Ops 5 after this?¡± ¡°Of course, only if you can handle it.¡± We both chuckled awkwardly. A familiar hand slapped me on the back, interrupting our conversation. ¡°Ethan!¡± I waved Erin off, ¡°Why are you outside? Shouldn¡¯t you be getting ready?¡± ¡°Have you seen my dad?¡± His dark brown eyes stared at me with misplaced hope. ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s around.¡± ¡°Well, if you see him, let me know.¡± Ethan faked a smile and then turned back towards the recital hall. ¡°Wait!¡± I twisted him back around. ¡°Your bow tie is crooked.¡± I knelt down and pretended to fix his already perfectly postured bow tie. With his guard lowered, I went in for the kill, embracing him tightly in my arms. ¡°You¡¯re embarrassing me,¡± he blushed. ¡°Good luck buddy,¡± I released him from my grasp and then moved to join my mom in the auditorium. She had chosen to sit right in the front row, at the focal center of the room as always. I loved my mom, but sometimes I worried about her. She seemed to crave attention, and she never liked to be out of the public eye. It was as though she was scared to be alone. ¡°Did you see Ethan?¡± She prodded. ¡°Yeah, he asked about his dad.¡± ¡°I wish he would stop doing that,¡± my mom clenched her fist, ¡°that man is no good.¡± ¡°That may be true, but you can hardly blame him. Ethan worked hard for this moment, and next year he will be away in Colorado. This is his dad¡¯s last chance to be a part of his childhood.¡± ¡°Sadly, that¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Mom shook her head, ¡°that man is not right enough to come to an event like this.¡± I sat back in my seat and rolled my eyes. Sure, David was a bit eccentric, but Ethan did have a right to see him. Just like I had a right to know who my father was. My mother never told me, and always changed the subject when I brought it up to her. When I turned 18, I requested a copy of my birth certificate from the county courthouse only to find the paternity line blank, much to my disappointment. I envisioned him as a bit of a whack job like Ethan¡¯s dad, but perhaps I only did that because David was the sole male figure who had played a prominent role in my life. As I pondered my parentage, the recital began with a whimper as a number of freshmen nervously made mistake after mistake on stage. I mostly tuned them out, merely using their music as a background to set my thoughts. The middle section of the show was notably improved, but nothing to write home about. It consisted of average students playing average music. One girl tripped on her way across the stage, but that was the only exciting thing to happen. Then it was Ethan¡¯s turn. He was set up to headline the final group of advanced students. Ethan approached the piano brimming with confidence. He bowed, causing his dark brown hair to bob slightly over his eyes. The kid had a certain artistic edge about him that I worried would be neutered at the Air Force Academy. Ethan was a different kind of piano player. Just as I would spend hours honing my gaming skills, Ethan would spend hours creating new music. He had told me on a number of occasions that his music was influenced by space, ¡®a dimension of limitless possibilities¡¯ as he called it. Ethan dreamed of becoming an astronaut, and his music reflected his interests. Ethan sat down at the piano, and took a deep breath, positioning his hands carefully over its keys. It should have been the happiest moment in his musical career, but it wasn''t. Something terrible happened. Something that would change the world forever. Hostile Presence Detected Target Identified as Ethan Livingston Enacting Protective Countermeasures My body flung up on its own, directed by an eerie female voice. The voice compelled me to place one foot after another in quick order as my brother played the opening notes of his composition. Almost in step with the music, I found myself running towards the stage, just as the auditorium door came crashing open. Using a strength that welled up inside me I vaulted myself onto the stage. ¡°Ethan. Time for you to die, you alien shit.¡± The psychotic voice of my former stepdad rang loudly through my ears as I rushed towards my brother, who stared into the audience with abject shock, still plugging away at the keys in front of him. BANG. BANG. BANG. Three shots rang out in unison as I ensnared my brother in my grasp. One after another they hit me. First in my upper back, then in my thigh and finally the kill shot ¨C straight to the back of my head. The world faded to black as my corpse fell on top of my brother, shielding him from the next round of bullets. These were my final moments of life. What a waste it was. But, at least I would get to die protecting my best friend. Greetings Operative Carthage. Do not be alarmed, your brother is safe. Please get some rest, we will talk soon. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked the disembodied female voice. I¡¯m your PAL. ¡°Hell no,¡± I responded, completely pissed off at my fate. This was not how I wanted to spend my last moments on Earth. Why do my final moments with my brother have to involve a fictional character from my mom¡¯s book? Why? Initiating Memory Recall Recalling the Final Words of Commander Ares Troy. ¡­ The voice of an emotional older man echoed through the darkness. ¡°Goodbye Hera, for what it¡¯s worth, I love you too.¡± The communication cut out, but then returned a moment later with a slightly garbled, but still discernable message, ¡°If you do somehow manage to survive, take our son far from this place and give him a normal life. Let him know that his dad loved him very much. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Rest, young operative. We will talk again soon. Chapter 2 - Meeting My PAL ¡°Chris! Chris! Is that you?¡± My mother¡¯s voice faded in and out as the fog around me waned only to thicken once more. ¡°Wake up, sweetie,¡± she cried. I tried to reach out to her, but she was still too distant, as was Ethan. I could sense his presence; his undeniable warmth had not been extinguished, but as hard as I tried, I couldn¡¯t find him. It gave me solace to know that he had survived, but had I? The air around me was fetid and stale, a dank cesspool of humid muck and bloody grime. A parade of luminescent spiders scurried across the barren landscape, poking and prodding at lumps of bone and flesh. They behaved with the precision of a well-oiled machine, almost disturbingly so. As I wandered through the darkness their numbers converged, until whole channels of them flowed like bright blue rivers through the barren landscape. Soon the fog lifted. With my vision recovered I followed the rivers across the wastes, following trickling channels to larger and larger tributaries until a massive sea appeared on the horizon. The sea parted as I made my way towards its core. The sense of power in the middle of its depths was indescribable. It exerted a magnetic pressure that was impossible to resist. I struggled against its unnatural pull, but it sucked me in like a whirlpool. Then its source revealed itself to me, a slender woman made of pure energy. She reached her radiant arm towards me, beckoning me to come to her. I obeyed, wrapping my hand around hers. She smiled, then released all of her power into me. The power flowed through my veins like a tidal wave, filling my body with untold amounts of energy. ## I flung awake from my dream, right into the waiting arms of my brother. ¡°Bro!¡± He grabbed me tightly, ¡°you¡¯re back. Thank God, you¡¯re back!¡± In a daze, I surveyed the space around me. The details were fuzzy, but I could make out the outline of text on a whiteboard. I squinted, ¡®your nurse today is Pam, please let me know if you need any help,¡¯ it read. To my left, an IV dripped a clear liquid into my arm. To my right, my mother stared at me, her mouth agape. I was alive. By some miracle I was alive. ¡°Brother. Thank God! Thank God!¡± Ethan¡¯s tears ate into my hospital gown as he refused to release his vice grip on me. My mother tried to speak but couldn¡¯t even get a syllable out. ¡°Oh wow,¡± an older man wearing a white lab coat dropped his clipboard in astonishment as he entered my room. He retreated, only to return a moment later with a massive gaggle of doctors and nurses in tow. Some cried, others hugged my family, but most stared at me with disbelief. ¡°You¡¯ve made a complete recovery,¡± the doctor beamed, ¡°you even beat a coma. How much do you remember?¡± ¡°Everything,¡± I croaked out my words. ¡°I remember everything,¡± I glanced over at my mom and gave her a knowing look, before turning back towards the assembled crowd. ¡°Thank you, everyone. Thank you for saving me! I hate to be a pest, but can I have a moment alone with my brother?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± the doctor happily complied, ¡°we¡¯ll clear out so that you can spend some time with your mother and brother.¡± ¡°Just my brother,¡± I replied curtly. ¡°Oh, okay then. Send your brother out when you are done.¡± ¡°Of course. Sorry mom, we¡¯ll talk later,¡± I forced myself to smile as the doctors led my mother out of the room. She had lied to me my entire life, and I didn¡¯t know how to feel about it. What would I say to her? What would she say to me? I wasn¡¯t yet ready to have that conversation. Once the throng of people had completely exited, Ethan pulled up a chair beside my bed and plopped his head on its rail. ¡°I¡¯m so happy,¡± he rocked back and forth with excited energy, ¡°I came here every day after school. I did my homework in here, ate my meals in here, worked out in here and even slept in here. As hard as the hospital tried to remove me, I wouldn¡¯t budge.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t let your grades suffer on my account, have you?¡± I scolded him. ¡°Of course not,¡± he shook his head, ¡°if anything, seeing the way you were fighting only made me work harder. I even became the valedictorian!¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing. When do you graduate?¡± ¡°I already did.¡± He replied, ¡°last week.¡± My heart sank as it dawned on me that I had been out of commission for two whole months. How had the world changed in that time? What happened to David? Why had he targeted Ethan? Questions swirled in my mind like a tempest. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to ship off to the Air Force Academy later this week, but I won¡¯t go if you need me to look after you.¡± He clutched my hand tightly. ¡°Nonsense,¡± I flung his hand off of me, ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to give up your dream on my account. Go to that academy and be the best that you can be, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m positive,¡± I roughed up his hair up a little, ¡°now go out there and make me proud. We can talk some more later. I just wanted to make sure that you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Aye sir!¡± He gave me a rising salute, ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Good, now get out of here, and tell the doctor that I would like a few minutes alone.¡± Ethan scurried out of the room, leaving me alone to decipher my thoughts and feelings. That brother of yours will make a fine airman in the wars to come. We were wise to save him. ¡°Who said that?¡± I looked around the room, trying to find the source of the voice. It¡¯s me, your PAL. Don¡¯t you remember? ¡°Get out of my head,¡± I growled. I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t do that operative. You and I are one now. ¡°One what?¡± I responded. One unit of course. Your little accident gave me time to fully integrate myself within your systems. ¡°Who gave you permission to do that?¡± I clonked my head with the palm of my right hand, ¡°it¡¯s time for you to leave.¡± You¡¯ll get used to me, as will your brother in time. ¡°Leave my brother alone, he has nothing to do with this.¡± Quite the contrary, operative. He has everything to do with this. Your brother is half Andromedan. He is one of only three people on this entire planet who is capable of completing my mission directives. I recalled the events of my mother¡¯s latest novel. What was this PAL and where did it come from? As I remembered it, PAL was an experimental biological agent of some kind, a force that was not supposed to be released except in the direst of circumstances. Was the escape pod my mom stepped into actually PAL¡¯s lair? Correct. Of all the artificial intelligence systems on Outpost Gaia, I was the only one to remain functional at the time of your mother¡¯s escape. ¡°As I recall, each pod had a human within it. Why weren¡¯t you paired with a human?¡± My directive was to spread myself among the human population of Gaia, or Earth as you know it. Unfortunately, my creator overestimated the resiliency of this planet¡¯s primitive population. ¡°So that¡¯s why you need me.¡± Precisely. We have a lot of work to do, operative. Shall I initiate your user interface?You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°A user interface, like in a video game?¡± I questioned it, scared of how I might respond if it answered in the affirmative. Yes, just like a video game. I¡¯ve been watching you, and I¡¯ve adapted myself to you. ¡­ Just watch. A flash of numbers and indiscernible text scrolled across my vision, eventually coalescing into what could only be described as a login screen. PERSONALIZED ADAPTIVE LIFE-AID (PAL v.1.0) GREETINGS IGC OPERATIVE CARTHAGE ¨C BADGE SUNRAY 01 LOGIN TO IGC COMMAND NETWORK (Y/N) ¡°Yes¡±, my gaming instincts kicked in impulsively. I bit my tongue at my stupidity. ASSESSING IGC COMMAND HIERARCHY ¡­ ONE MOMENT PLEASE ¡­ THIRD ADMIRAL ZOROASTER ¨C REPORTED KIA ¡­ SECOND ADMIRAL HERCULES ¨C REPORTED KIA ¡­ FIRST ADMIRAL RIGA ¨C REPORTED KIA ¡­ GATHERING LESSER OFFICER STATUS REPORTS ¡­ ONE MOMENT PLEASE ¡­ ALL OFFICERS REPORTED MIA OR KIA ¡­ CONFERRING PROMOTION ¡­ CONGRATULATIONS OPERATIVE CARTHAGE YOU HAVE ATTAINED THE RANK OF FIRST ADMIRAL ¡­ LAUNCHING OPTICAL USER INTERFACE The familiar interface of a roleplaying game took form across my vision. In the upper right of my visual field, a white lettered text displayed my name and rank. In the upper left, an equally sized string of text read EXP: 0 (Level 1). In the lower left a series of colored menu bars revealed information about my health points, biotic power and physical strength. I had 100 points in each category. Health points make sense, but what do these other two mean? I queried, even though I knew I probably shouldn¡¯t. Biotic Power is a measure of your psychological compatibility with me. Physical strength refers to your latent dexterity and stamina. These attributes govern your ability to access my power. If you are able to grow in these areas, you will be able to use your unlocked abilities more frequently and with better success. This sounds too much like a video game, I thought to myself. That¡¯s because I modeled my interface after video games. I am an advanced intelligence system, and you will be required to train yourself to take full advantage of my abilities. As much as I would like to work alone, that is not possible. I need a biological partner to carry out my programmed directives. Your body will need time to acclimate to me, which is why I designed this system for you. I peered at a small white rectangle in the bottom right of my vision, it appeared to be some sort of a menu bar. I forced it open, revealing a status screen. ACQUIRED SKILLS I had acquired a single skill, something called ¡°Biomechanical Health Modulation¡±. At the bottom of the menu were various tabs. The first one that I probed brought me to an audio log, containing a single clip, ¡°Final Words of 1st Commander Ares Troy¡±. The next one brought me to a map that read ¡°Milky Way Galaxy¡±, at the bottom of the map a small text line read ¡°Systems Controlled: 0¡±. The final tab appeared to be a mission log, a single mission glowed a red hue. PRIMARY OPERATION: PHOENIX (Open Mission Objectives) I focused on the ¡°open mission objectives¡± text, revealing a short paragraph of text. PRIMARY OPERATION: PHOENIX Restoration of the Inter-Galactic Confederacy Under the authority of the Emergency Countermeasures Act, you have been tasked with rebuilding the Inter-Galactic Confederacy using any means necessary. Specific mission parameters will reveal themselves through your interactions with the world around you and your biotic intelligence interface. I laid back in my hospital bed and sighed. This PAL, or whatever it was, had pulled out all the stops to rope me into its schemes. Could it be trusted? The prospects of playing a real-world role play game were pretty tantalizing, but at what expense would playing such a game cause my family? ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not just going to leave me alone, are you?¡± No. ¡°Right, of course not.¡± I contemplated my limited options before making a proposal. ¡°I will help you, under one condition.¡± Your brother, correct? ¡°I really wish you would stop reading my mind, but yes, I want you to leave my brother out of this.¡± I clenched down hard on my core, in a foolhardy attempt to intimidate PAL. Technically I have no choice but to accept, you are First Admiral after all. If you die however, I reserve the right to inhabit your brother. ¡°Is everything going okay in here,¡± a well-dressed woman with a briefcase barged through the front door. ¡°I thought I heard you talking with someone.¡± For a moment, I had almost forgotten that I was a patient in a hospital. I guess being inhabited by an alien intelligence system tends to make a person forget such things. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I smiled, ¡°I was just talking through everything that has happened to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very healthy thing to do,¡± the woman shook my hand, ¡°I¡¯m Dr. Latoya Cartwright, but you can call me Toya. I¡¯m a psychologist on staff here at Mercy Medical Center. On behalf of the entire hospital, I would like to extend an apology for what happened earlier.¡± ¡°For what?¡± I wondered aloud. ¡°Dr. Kensington and his staff should have never swarmed you like that, especially after what you have been through. I should have been the first person to speak with you, besides your family of course.¡± Would you like me to identify this subject, operative? We can prepare countermeasures against her if you so desire. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, leave me alone!¡± I blurted my response to PAL aloud, quickly flinging my hands over my mouth in embarrassment. Dr. Toya sat down where Ethan had been sitting and pulled out a prescription pad and a pen, ¡°It¡¯s okay Chris, it¡¯s only natural to be angry after what you went through. Feel free to let all your tension out and into the open. I¡¯m here to listen,¡± she gave me a reassuring smile. ¡°Can I ask you what happened to David,¡± I asked, ¡°was he arrested?¡± ¡°We can talk about him when the right moment presents itself, but I do not think that this is that time for that.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know,¡± I demanded. ¡°Let¡¯s try to talk about something else,¡± she shook her head, ¡°like how you are feeling.¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling like you are treating me like a child,¡± I angrily derided her, ¡°why won¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Perhaps I should come back another time,¡± she scribbled some notes on her prescription pad and then stood up. So much for being here to listen. ¡°No, tell me,¡± I commanded. Skill Unlocked ¨C Mind Control: Level 1 Ability Unlocked ¨C Demand Information (Active) Congratulations operative, you have unlocked a biotic skill. Right now, you have one ability within this skill tree. As you level this skill up, you will gain access to new abilities. ¡°Yes of course,¡± Dr. Toya instantly sat back down, ¡°I would be happy to tell you.¡± With robotic meticulousness, she answered my question, ¡°David, your assailant, was shot and killed by an armed concertgoer. He apparently posted a manifesto online claiming that your brother was a hostile alien sent to take over the world. A video of the incident went viral, and since that time you have become something of a cult celebrity.¡± Dr. Toya hastily covered her mouth, before grabbing her bag and running out of the room in humiliation. I looked into the lower left corner of my vision and saw that my biotic power bar had been reduced to 0. Active level 1 abilities require 100 biotic power points or physical dexterity points to activate. After use, your points will slowly replenish over time, or you can connect my systems to an electric grid, and I can expedite that process for you. ¡°What did I just do PAL,¡± I shook my head in disbelief, ¡°did I really just force that woman to provide me information against her will.¡± You did. When you push your mental or physical barriers to the limit, you have the capability to unlock my skills to help you overcome your situation. That is exactly what happened here. You wanted information, so you found a skill to help you in your effort. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I should feel about this.¡± You don¡¯t need to feel any way about it. We are currently conducting an operation that requires precision and strength, not feelings. Feelings are emotional baggage that have the possibility of hindering our mission progress. Keep that in mind moving forward. ¡°Right,¡± I laid back. Reducing your biotic points results in mental exhaustion. Sleep, and we can discuss our mission strategies when you awaken. PAL was right, I was feeling drowsy. I stretched my arms and legs out and then curled them inwards. Hopefully this was all a dream. Hopefully I would wake up from it soon. I loved video games, but this was not a video game. This was real life, and PAL seemed less than trustworthy. Chapter 3 - The Start of My New Life Days turned to weeks as I rehabilitated at the hospital. My mother and brother visited daily, and I began a physical therapy regimen to strengthen my atrophying muscles. As the doctors had explained it to me, my recovery was nothing short of a miracle. I had been shot a total of five times, including two shots to the head, yet the bullets never punctured my vital organs. It was as though a shield had prevented them from fully damaging me. It was publicly believed that the ammunition David had used was somehow defective, but I knew the real truth. PAL had saved me. PAL had spent the better part of my recovery trying to recruit me into various schemes and conspiracies. First, she tried to get me to use my newfound fame to set up a meeting with a government official so that I could extract information from him, then she tried to convince me to use my powers on hospital security so that I could break out. I denied her each time. Then the day finally came for me to be released. Ethan bought me a new shirt and tie for the occasion, and he even helped me tie the tie, which I was super thankful for. With my mother and brother in hand, I walked down the hospital ward, through the front lobby and out into the blinding June sun. A crowd of well-wishers and onlookers cheered me on as I shook hands with doctors and hospital administrators before making my way towards a waiting car. Dr. Toya was the last to shake my hand, ¡°speedy recovery,¡± she jeered as I entered the car. I closed the door and we rode off, away from the crowd and back to our normal life. Ethan ran his hand across the stubbled remains of my shaved hair. ¡°We will be in the same boat come next week,¡± he laughed. Ethan should have shipped out weeks earlier, but the Air Force Academy had given him a special dispensation so that he could help me with my recovery. ¡°That¡¯s right, the Air Force Academy is going to shave you, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± he pulled a chunk of his wispy brown hair in front of him, ¡°this hair is one of my best attributes, all the girls at school used to love playing with it.¡± ¡°Since when did you become such a playboy,¡± I prodded him. ¡°Lots of stuff happened while you were in your coma.¡± Including the death of David. Maybe Ethan was too afraid to talk about the subject, or maybe he simply didn¡¯t know how to broach it, but I knew that it had to be eating away at him. I dampened my tone slightly, ¡°I just want you to know that you can talk to me about anything. I mean anything. Don¡¯t forget that.¡± ¡°What brought that about?¡± He questioned me skeptically. ¡°Well, with you moving away in a week I just wanted to let you know that I will always be available if you need someone to talk to.¡± ¡°Thanks bro, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Boys,¡± mom interjected, ¡°I want to let you know that after what happened, I plan to take some time off to travel the world and work on my writing. I will be leaving the day after Ethan ships out.¡± ¡°Whoa mom!¡± Ethan jumped, ¡°How will I keep in touch with you?¡± ¡°You have my number.¡± ¡°But, mom.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay Ethan,¡± I shook my head at him, ¡°this has been very stressful on mom. She deserves some time to herself.¡± Of course, I knew the real reason that she was running away; she didn¡¯t want to talk to me about my dad. Her travel was nothing more than an acknowledgment that we needed to spend some time apart. ¡°Thanks for your understanding,¡± she half-heartedly smiled at me, ¡°I will leave you access to my checking account, please pay the bills on time every month, and don¡¯t spend any of my money on your video games.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t mom.¡± ¡°Good.¡± After that conversation, mom and I didn¡¯t speak again until the day she left. During that time, I conducted a couple of awkward phone interviews with local TV outlets, helped Ethan get ready, sent him off, and then brought mom to the airport. Her last words to me were, ¡°we¡¯ll talk when I get back,¡± and with that, it was just me ¨C and PAL. Good. Now, with those distractions out of the way with, we need to begin plotting our strategy. ¡°Our strategy for what?¡± I rolled my eyes at my newfound alien parasite. World domination, of course. We will use this planet as a launching pad to conquer this galaxy and rebuild the IGC. ¡°Great, I¡¯m sure that conquering the world will help put the conspiracy theories about my alien heritage to rest.¡± I popped down in my cushy beanbag chair with a tray of my favorite snacks and grabbed for my gaming controller. The new Micro Effect 3 DLC was out, and there is no way I was gonna let PAL ruin my playthrough of it. It''s not like there was really a pressing need to conquer the world.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Did I mention that the Serpians are on their way here? Their scout ships alone have enough power to obliterate this entire planet. If we fail in our mission then everyone on Earth will die, including your brother. I flung up from my beanbag chair, sending chips and popcorn flying everywhere. ¡°Wait, they are on their way here, to Earth? When?¡± The scouts will arrive within a decade. My pod was designed with an experimental dark matter thruster that allowed your mom and I to travel here within the span of 6 earth months, but the Serpians lack such technology. They will send their more agile scout ships first, and their main fleet will arrive not long after. ¡°Ethan and I will still be alive by then!¡± That¡¯s why we need a plan to fight back. Simply put, the humans of this planet lack the organization, technology and skills needed to survive such a threat. ¡°And that¡¯s why you want to conquer Earth?¡± I questioned PAL. Every action I take is backed with purpose, Admiral. I was supposed to embed myself within this population and force them to confront the threat, but that is not an option. That¡¯s why I need you to force them for me. ¡°But I¡¯m a libertarian,¡± I protested. The idea of conquering the world was not at all enticing, but the idea of keeping humanity safe, especially my brother, was. I wrestled with whether conquering the world was truly the best strategy to protect Earth, or if there were less drastic measures that could be taken. No matter how I examined the issue though, it seemed foolish to think that the divided people of the world would ever be willing to put their differences aside to fight back. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± a sudden rush of energy surged through me, ¡°you¡¯re right, we will all die unless I step up to the plate.¡± Excellent. Let¡¯s get started. ¡°Not so fast,¡± I grabbed for one of my brother¡¯s old notebooks and sat down at my mom¡¯s writing desk. ¡°If we are going to do this, then at the very least I need information about the basic mechanics of this game-like reality that you have created for me.¡± Very well. That seems like a fair request. ¡°First of all,¡± I readied my pen to take notes, ¡°I see that I have 20 experience points and am level 1. How do I earn experience points, what do they do, and what does my level indicate?¡± Experience points gauge your compatibility with my systems. Experience points can be earned by using your abilities and completing operations. Your level represents the strength of your connection with me. As you level up, you will gain skill points that you can use to gain new abilities. Your next level up will occur at 100 points, and you will have to earn double that amount to level up again. ¡°So that explains why my experience points increased from 0 to 20 after using my ability on that psychologist,¡± I carefully jotted down PAL¡¯s explanation into the notebook. ¡°I also noticed that I have a skill called Biomechanical Health Modulation, can you explain what that is?¡± It is a skill that is governed by your biotic power. As long as you have biotic power points, your body will be able to heal itself on its own. That is how you survived your recent attack. ¡°I will have to be careful not to completely expend my biotic power then,¡± I began pondering some strategies with the newly received explanation. ¡°Do physical dexterity points and skills work the same way?¡± Indeed, they do. You have not unlocked any physical skills yet, but they function the same way. If you run out of physical dexterity points, then your body will collapse in fatigue. ¡°How do I gain more points in these two areas?¡± When you level up you will receive points based on the way that you used your powers during the leveling up process. Health points are the only type of point that increases in standard increments. "What is the difference between a skill and an ability?" An ability is a physical manifestation of a skill. There are two types of abilities, passive and active. Passive abilities do not require the use of any power points and will remain active so long as you will them to do so. Unfortunately, due to my processing limitations, you can only have one passive ability active at any time. Unlike passive abilities, active abilities cost biotic power points or physical dexterity points if you choose to use them. Both types of abilities can be unlocked by interacting with your environment, but their power can only be increased by leveling up and integrating with me. I wrote down all of my skills, abilities and point allocations and pondered the information. I had roughly ten years to level myself up enough to defeat the Serpian scouts, a powerful enemy strong enough to wipe out an entire galaxy of humans in a mere blink of an eye. My prospects for defeating them did not look hopeful. ¡°What level would a Serpian be at, roughly?¡± That is difficult to answer. Most Andromedan humans were between levels 3 and 5. Artificial Intelligence interfacing was strictly prohibited within the IGC at the time of its downfall, but most Andromedans were paired with lesser virtual intelligence systems that allowed for limited biotic and physical enhancements. From my data at the time of the destruction of the IGC, I was able to discern that the Serpians had interfaced with artificial intelligence systems and that most of their soldiers were between levels 10 and 12. Their ships and technology are the primary problems, it would appear as though they have made strides in engineering that even I can''t fathom. I closed Ethan¡¯s notebook and pushed it to the side. Leaning back in my chair, I stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in my own thoughts. Leaving the house was not my favorite hobby, and neither was interacting with others, but if I wanted to level up then I would have no choice but to go out in public. ¡°Okay PAL,¡± I stood up and brushed some crumbs off my shirt, ¡°let¡¯s do this. Time to grind some levels.¡± Chapter 4 - Reckless Behavior With no real plan or strategy in mind, I kicked open the front door to my family townhome and embarked upon the sundrenched streets of suburban Milwaukee. A lone paparazzi snapped pictures of me from his van across the street, as I made my way down the driveway. ¡°Target acquired,¡± I loudly proclaimed as I approached the sleazy photographer. ¡°Chris, hey Chris!¡± The man shouted, ¡°What do you think about the rumors circulating that claim you and your brother are aliens from another galaxy? Do you care to comment? Your recovery does seem a little too unbelievable, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I demand you to tell me who you work for!¡± I growled at him. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know.¡± ¡°I would. Tell me.¡± Activate Demand Information, I thought to myself. My mind grew weary as my biotic points decreased to 0 in the corner of my vision, indicating a successful deployment of my ability. ¡°Yes, I would be happy to tell you,¡± the man¡¯s tone became mechanical, much like that of the psychologist who I previously used the ability on. ¡°The International Enquirer is paying me to take pictures of you and your brother for our next issue.¡± Suddenly the man lurched backward. ¡°Why did I just tell you that? What did you do to me?¡± He stammered, before driving off in a frenzy. My experience points had increased to 40. Only three more uses of my demand information ability and I would level up. I barely made it back inside before collapsing on my beanbag chair in exhaustion. I will plug myself in to speed up your recovery. A procession of blue flecks crawled out from the pores in my arm and marched towards an electrical outlet along the wall. As I struggled to keep my eyes open, they hardened into the shape of an electrical cord and plugged themselves into my armpit. Within seconds I felt my stamina returning. One look at my biotic power indicator confirmed that I was regaining my power, and after a few blinks I was back to 100%. ¡°Amazing,¡± I gawked at the sight, ¡°is this some kind of ability?¡± Not at all, Admiral. These worker drones are a part of your chemical makeup, as am I. ¡°Let¡¯s go again, I want to level up before the evening is over.¡± Good. With that kind of ambitious attitude, I feel far more comfortable about giving you more of my power. How about a new mission? SECONDARY OPERATION: Acclimate Get used to your new powers by using your active abilities three more times before the end of the day. Reward: 100 experience points. Accept (Y/N)? I hovered my eyes over the prompt and accepted without hesitation. These would be easy experience points. With newfound confidence in my powers, I grabbed my mom¡¯s keys and made a beeline for her Tahoe. There was no point in using my powers on such lowly targets as paparazzi, if I was going to save the world then I needed to start thinking bigger. I never left my neighborhood unless I absolutely had to, but I had to start overcoming my insecurities. PAL¡¯s fake video game interface was making me feel self-assured, why should I waste that feeling? I flew down the interstate with reckless abandon. The sense of power coursing through my veins made me feel invincible. I could do anything. I could conquer any obstacle. This was my chance to reverse my lot in life. I loved it.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I glanced out the window as Miller Park flew by and felt a cold shiver roll down my spine. Sudden memories of my mother, brother and I having fun at a baseball game clouded my mind. What was I doing? I needed to calm down. My powers were meant to be used to save my family, not to boost my ego. Only a few hours had passed, and yet I was already out of control. A piercing siren shook me out of my delusions. I checked my rearview mirror only to find a state trooper hot on my heels. How long had he been chasing me? I pulled to the median and kept my hands on the wheel, not wanting him to think that I was reaching for anything. A fit middle-aged officer approached my car cautiously. He tapped his finger along my car¡¯s trunk and then approached the window. ¡°Turn off the car and roll down the window, sir.¡± He shined his flashlight directly into my eye, even though it was midday. ¡°No problem officer,¡± I complied with his demands, putting up no resistance. ¡°Do you know how fast you were going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry officer, I was lost in thought. I just got out of the hospital earlier this week and have a lot on my mind.¡± I batted my eyes at him and did my best to look as wholesome as possible. ¡°Wait a minute,¡± he tipped up the brim of his hat. ¡°You¡¯re that kid, the one who shielded his brother, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I sure am sir,¡± I sheepishly smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be. I pulled over a local celebrity.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, sir. I¡¯m just a guy who loves his family.¡± ¡°I tell you what. If you give me your license, insurance and registration, I¡¯ll run it and let you off with a warning.¡± ¡°Of course, officer, no problem.¡± I cautiously pulled out my wallet and removed my driver¡¯s license and insurance card. Then, with the officer shining his light right at me, I opened the glove box. Out fell a bottle of my mom¡¯s prescription anxiety medication. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Just my mom¡¯s medicine, I didn¡¯t know it was in here.¡± The officer¡¯s mood suddenly shifted. ¡°Go ahead and step out of the car for me.¡± ¡°What for?¡± My voice cracked. ¡°Sir, take the keys out of the ignition and step out of the vehicle. I¡¯m not going to ask you again.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not mine!¡± ¡°Those aren¡¯t what I¡¯m worried about. Now step out of the car.¡± My heart nearly popped out of my chest as I looked into the glovebox and was met with the sight of my mom¡¯s Glock 43, perched precariously on top of the vehicle manual. She had taken it from David, who himself had bought it from a member of one of his conspiracy circles. It was unlikely to be registered, and it might even be stolen. If only the officer hadn¡¯t seen it. Skill Unlocked ¨C Illusion: Level 1 Ability Unlocked ¨C False Impression (Active) You have the power to bend the way people see the world around you. With false impression, you can slightly alter the physical appearance of a single object, person, or animal for up to 10 minutes. Thank you PAL, you saved me. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry officer, that¡¯s my brother¡¯s airsoft gun, I can¡¯t believe he left it in the car.¡± False Impression, I thought to myself, as I exited the car and put my hands against the back window. My biotic power dropped instantly, making my legs feel like jelly. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to pat you down for officer safety. Do you have anything that¡¯s going to poke me or stick me that I need to know about?¡± ¡°No sir,¡± I shook my head. He ran his hands from my shoulders to my ankles and then up to my wrists, grabbing them and cuffing them behind my back. ¡°This is just a precaution; you are not under arrest at this time. Go ahead and sit down in front of my car while I search your vehicle.¡± I struggled to stay awake as the officer removed my mom¡¯s gun and prescription from the Tahoe. He brought it back to his squad car, ran my information for a few minutes and then released the gun back into my custody, sending me on my way. ¡°Tell your brother to be more careful about leaving that thing in your car. For a minute it looked like an actual sidearm, not an airsoft gun.¡± ¡°My apologies officer,¡± I yawned widely, ¡°and my mom¡¯s prescription?¡± ¡°Well, technically I could charge you for that, but you probably didn¡¯t know it was in there. Make sure to keep that at home with the airsoft gun next time, or there will be consequences.¡± With that, I shook the officer¡¯s hand and returned to my car. I was close to passing out. ¡°Hurry PAL, plug me in.¡± It would be my pleasure, Admiral. I personally would have eliminated that man on the spot. I¡¯m surprised that your subconscious unlocked one of my peaceful skills to deal with this situation. ¡°I¡¯m not a murderer, PAL.¡± One must do what they have to, to ensure the success of the mission. Never forget that, Admiral. ¡°I did do what I had to do,¡± I scowled as my biotic power returned to 100, ¡°my brother is a Christian, and he would have my head if I violated one of the Ten Commandments that he holds so dear.¡± You are not your brother. ¡°Whatever, let''s get back to the task at hand." What task would that be? As far as I can see, you have no plan. As much as I hated to admit it, PAL was right. I was driving around recklessly, like a kid playing Grand Theft Auto. I was better than that ¨C way better. Chapter 5 - Getting it Together Feeling like a total idiot, I cautiously drove home and holed up inside. I had spent the better part of my post-high school years playing video games, mostly RPGs and shooters, but also other genres from time to time. Yet, here I was, acting like some noobish brat. I was simply running amuck, without any care for the art of strategy. I had to face facts; my new life was a game, and the stakes were higher now than ever before. I sat down in my beanbag chair and thought about what I needed to do to achieve my goals. Schemes and strategies materialized in my mind, only to be quickly dismissed due to my lack of resources. I had no money, no party members, and no supplies. Like in any RPG, players are generally only as good as their gear, and I had nothing except a crumpled-up dollar bill and the t-shirt on my back. If you need advanced supplies and technology, I can help you with that. My memory repository contains schematics and blueprints for more than 1.2 million inventions and innovations from the IGC. We will need capital and engineers to build them though. ¡°I don¡¯t understand much about the IGC, PAL. I get the idea that it was an advanced civilization, but I want to know more. What exactly is it that I am trying to rebuild?¡± The Inter-Galactic Confederacy was a martial empire based in the Andromeda Galaxy. It spanned over 500 colonized planets and 10,000 occupied systems. It was quite advanced compared to the primitive human population here on Earth. ¡°I¡¯m confused. I¡¯m Andromedan, right? Why do I look human? Shouldn¡¯t there be some noticeable differences between me and everybody else?¡± Andromedans are human, Admiral. Your people were settled in the Andromeda Galaxy by an unknown space-faring race approximately 2,000 Earth years ago. In a short time, your ancestors advanced and dominated their new home. Through their interaction with hostile foreign environments, the Andromedan physiology strengthened, making your people essentially a more resolute version of the humans here on Earth. ¡°What about my role as First Admiral? I still don¡¯t understand what that means for me.¡± Since its inception, the IGC has been headed by an Admiral. Originally this individual was elected by his or her peers, but in time this system broke down and the position became hereditary. So, to answer your question, you are the supreme leader of the IGC, and your hypothetical children will one day follow you in this role. The only checks on your power are the Second and Third Admirals, who together can veto your actions. Lucky for us, those positions are currently vacant. ¡°My God, this is crazy.¡± I took a deep breath and let the weight of my new role sink in. Then, I continued my line of questioning, ¡°What was this data repository you mentioned?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. As part of my directive, I cataloged millions of inventions and innovations from the IGC. With the right resources, we can recreate these innovations and use them to our benefit. A thought crossed my mind. ¡°Could we sell some of this IGC technology to raise the funds that we need to take control of the world?¡± Yes, I don¡¯t see why not. ¡°Then I think I finally have a plan.¡± ## ## My surroundings were uncomfortable and foreign to me as I made my way toward the large oaken door at the end of the hall. Stuffy suits and jeweled petticoats stared at me in confused bewilderment as I flowed right past them in my oversized prom tuxedo and approached the doors. In my hand was a cracked $1 vase from the thrift store near my house, it looked horribly out of place in its surroundings, as did I. The doors creaked open, revealing a soir¨¦e of snobs and fancy things. The whole scene looked similar to The Antique Roadshow, but for a more ¡°discerning¡± clientele. It was here that I had decided to hedge my bets and make my first real move. ¡°Sir,¡± a skinny woman wearing a black cummerbund and silky white shirt stopped me, ¡°this is an invite-only event, I am afraid that I will have to ask you to leave.¡± ¡°Tell me your darkest secret,¡± I asked her, without so much as batting an eye. ¡°I slept with my sister¡¯s fianc¨¦e on the day of her wedding.¡± She gasped, covered her mouth, and bid a hasty retreat like my other victims before her. Two more uses of my abilities and I will level up, I thought. With a slight hobble to my step, I slunk into the men¡¯s room and into a private stall. Lucky for me, this swanky hotel had charging ports by the toilets. My plan was to nap off my lack of energy inside the stall, but now a new option had presented itself. PAL, plug me in. With a renewed vigor, I walked back into the main hall, only to be met with stunned stares. ¡°What is that?¡± A slimy man holding a glass of ros¨¦ approached me, as a crowd gathered around him. ¡°It¡¯s my grandmother¡¯s vase.¡± I lowered my bottom lip just enough to make it quiver slightly, ¡°I heard that an international antique appraisal expo was in town and I thought I would bring it by. I hate to see it go, but I need to pay off my debt, or else I will lose everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you $5,000 cash, no questions asked. The man motioned an attendant forward. Like in a movie, he opened a briefcase and began to pull out stacks of mint green cash.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± A woman from the audience stepped towards me, ¡°I will double that offer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you the whole briefcase, $13,000 in all,¡± the first man cut her off. Just as I was about to accept his offer, a portly fellow with an English accent inserted himself into the fray. ¡°May I see that for a moment?¡± He motioned to me. Without hesitation, I placed the vase in his hand. With the whole room watching, he pulled out a small pair of spectacles and slid them over the bridge of his nose. With careful precision he skimmed the vase across his vision, inspecting it thoroughly. ¡°I see,¡± his stunned expression exposed his sense of elation, ¡°this is quite something. I will take it! $20,000, cash. No questions.¡± ¡°Deal,¡± I took the briefcase and bid a hasty exit all the way back to my car. Once inside, I breathed a breath of relief, closed my mom¡¯s Chinese pottery book, ripped my brother¡¯s theatre wig off and put the car into the reverse. Mission complete. I was finally getting it together. Chapter 6 - Erins House ¡°Your understanding of this world is like something out of a ¡®90s sitcom,¡± I laughed. ¡°Nobody is going to want to purchase an unrealistic simulation program like this.¡± I don¡¯t understand. What is wrong with it? ¡°What is wrong with it? Come on PAL, I live in freaking Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are no swanky hotels filled with comically stupid corporate fat cats around here. But I will give you credit, it was entertaining. Maybe we can develop this into a novelty program.¡± My vision blurred back to reality as PAL shut its simulation mode down. Perhaps I do still have more to learn about this planet and its people. ¡°Eh, don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. We¡¯ll figure it out! This transdermal implant schematic seems like it might be a good source of cash at least, and once you tweak the simulation a little, we should be able to sell it like hot cakes.¡± What is a hot cake? ¡°See, this is what I¡¯m talking about. You need to start understanding Earth''s culture better, especially if you are going to help me rule this planet moving forward.¡± For a second I was a little stunned at what I had just said, I was going to rule the planet ¨C me, a 20-year old loser with no real-life experience besides video gaming and high school math class. Was humanity doomed? Could I make the grade as a world leader? Only time would tell. As comical as it was, PAL¡¯s simulation did at least give me some ideas about making money. With my illusion skill and its associated ability, ''False Impression'', I could very easily con people into buying cheap crap from me for a much higher price. Ethically it seemed like a shitty thing to do, but if it would help me level up and fight the Serpians, then I am sure that the positives of such a strategy would outweigh the negatives. ¡°I think we have a long-term strategy now,¡± I told PAL, ¡°but we are going to need quite a bit of financing to bring this technology to market. In the meantime, I should focus on leveling up my abilities and making connections that could help us in the future.¡± OPERATION UPDATED: PHOENIX Building Wealth and Power After contemplating your options, you have determined that a significant amount of capital is required for world domination. Raise enough money to bring your transdermal implant and simulation program to the market, and reap the rewards. Reward: Variable. ¡°It looks like the use of my abilities inside your simulation didn¡¯t count towards my experience points, huh?¡± I asked PAL, after realizing that my experience points were still at 60. That is correct, Admiral. ¡°Dang it, I was hoping that they would. No matter, I only have to use my abilities two more times, and I will level up.¡± How would you like to proceed? ¡°I think I¡¯d like to visit an old friend.¡± My heart skipped a beat, ¡°but I¡¯m not sure that she will be too happy to see me.¡± Erin? ¡°Yup. My only friend besides my brother. Let¡¯s just hope she¡¯s happy to see me ¨C in person that is.¡± ## ## I walked up the steps to the stately red-brick Georgian and inhaled deeply. I had never actually visited Erin before, in fact, upon reflection, I don¡¯t think I had ever been to a girl¡¯s house at all. Well, I guess there''s a first for everything, I thought as I pressed my index finger against the doorbell. I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited - Nothing. I tried the doorbell again. ¡°Who is it?¡± A teenager¡¯s voice cracked back at me.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°It¡¯s Chris Carthage, I¡¯m here to see Erin.¡± The door flung open to reveal Jeremy, Erin¡¯s 14-year old kid brother. ¡°So, you finally decided to show up? It¡¯s about damn time.¡± ¡°About damn time? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You ass, Erin has been worried sick about you ever since the recital. Why didn¡¯t you check in with her? You know she really likes you, right?¡± I blushed and hesitated at his insinuation. ¡°What do you mean by that exactly?¡± Demand Information. ¡°My sister loves you! She has loved you since you two were in middle school, are you blind or something? It has been obvious for years.¡± He revealed the information to me without any of the robotic intonations of my other victims. I didn¡¯t even have to use my ability; he would have told me the truth anyway. Jeremy was a good sibling to his sister, just like Ethan was a good brother to me. ¡°I¡¯m an idiot. I¡¯m the biggest idiot in the world.¡± I bowed down to him and begged for his forgiveness like I was some kind of an anime character. ¡°Please forgive me. I¡¯m sorry I hurt your sister.¡± Admiral, you mustn¡¯t lower yourself to the level of this peasant. It is unbecoming of your position. Quiet PAL! I hissed internally. ¡°It¡¯s not me that you owe an apology to.¡± He pointed up the stairwell to his rear, ¡°Go and talk to her, she is upstairs, the last room on right.¡± ¡°Thank you, Jeremy,¡± I bowed to him again, and then waddled up the stairs, my energy waning with every step. Once the coast was clear, PAL plugged me into a hallway outlet, and my energy returned to me in a flash. With my last use of ¡®Demand Information¡¯, my experience points had grown to 80. If I used one more ability I would be at level 2. I couldn''t focus on my level at the moment though, no, not with what I had done to Erin. As much as she knew how to poke my buttons, Erin had always been my close friend. We ate lunch together as kids, gamed together as adults, and both had parents who were obsessed with fame and fortune. How had I never realized that she had a crush on me? Did I have a crush on her also? I wasn¡¯t sure, but perhaps it wouldn¡¯t hurt to find out. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. ¡°Erin?¡± I called out to her, ¡°It¡¯s Chris. Can I come in?¡± The door creaked open on its own, but there was no sign of life inside, only darkness. Would you like me to send in one of my drones to scout the place out? My algorithms have flagged this situation as a possible trap. It¡¯s Erin, PAL. Why would she set up a trap for me? That doesn¡¯t make any sense at all. That child, he didn¡¯t react to your ability. He was earnest. That¡¯s all. No. That¡¯s not it. There is something not right about this situation. We should make a tactical retreat and regroup. This is nonsense. I dismissed PAL¡¯s concerns and walked directly into the room without any hesitation. ¡°Hello Chris,¡± a familiar voice resonated in the darkness, ¡°I¡¯ve been expecting you.¡± ¡°Erin, can you turn the light on? I can¡¯t see you.¡± The door slammed shut behind me. Instantly I knew PAL was right. Something about this was wrong ¨C very wrong. A sharp pain jabbed me in the spine, right between my vertebrae, spreading a burning sensation through my body. It numbed me like extra-strength Novacane. ¡°Erin, why? Why would you do this to me?¡± I cried, as my body collapsed onto the cold hard vinyl. ¡°Erin, I love you! Why would you hurt me?¡± My true feelings erupted into the open as I breathed my final breaths and passed out. What a fool I was to follow my heart instead of my head. After all, my heart was untrained in the ways of love. ## ## Hours passed me by before I regained consciousness. When I awoke, I was tied down to a mattress, but this was not some kinky thing like in Grey¡¯s Anatomy, I was a legitimate prisoner, and Erin was my warden. She stared at me with a frozen fury that matched her icy blue eyes. At her side Jeremy whispered something into her ear, being careful to shield his words with the cup of his hand. ¡°So, you¡¯re awake,¡± Erin marched forward and stopped at the foot of my mattress prison. ¡°Is it true. Are you an alien?¡± ¡°My God, Erin. This is insane!¡± I struggled against my restraints, ¡°I¡¯m just as human as you and your brother.¡± PAL. Help me. I begged, but there was no response. ¡°We¡¯ve disabled your partner using this serum,¡± Erin chucked an empty syringe on the floor next to me, ¡°you had better start talking, or we will disable you next. Are you the Chris that I love, or are you an alien?¡± ¡°This is crazy,¡± I growled, ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Erin knelt down next to my head and retrieved a small notebook from her pocket, ¡°then how do you explain this?¡± ¡°What is that?¡± I squinted at the pink and purple notebook. As much as I tried to remember it, it was as foreign to me as the IGC. ¡°Damn it. He doesn''t remember.¡± She kicked the side of the mattress, ¡°This is your diary. You left it in our mailbox along with the serum on the day that you got out of the hospital. We are trying to help you! But I can see now that the virus has already reached your brain. You are no longer the man that I love!¡± She kicked the mattress again and then turned away from me. ¡°Does this mean that we have to do it?¡± Jeremy grimly questioned his sister. ¡°It¡¯s the only way to save the world.¡± She picked a framed photo off her dresser and stared at it sullenly, ¡°I really did love you,¡± she said. Tears were now welling up in her eyes, just begging to be released. ¡°You were the only person who ever treated me right when we were in school.¡± She pulled another syringe out of her pocket and flicked it with her finger, ¡°that¡¯s why I have to return the favor and save your soul before what little is left of it fades away.¡± "Please, don''t do this!" I thrashed back and forth as she knelt down at my side. "You asked me to do this," she looked at me pathetically, "you don''t remember it anymore, but I am only carrying out your request". "Please, I''m not an alien!" I cried. "That''s not what your own writing says," she responded as she jabbed the needle into my left arm. "At first I was skeptical of it myself. You have always been a practical joker after all, but when I brought this serum to my Chemistry professor, he said that he has never seen anything like it. Whatever is in this thing was engineered by a society much more advanced than our own. It was engineered to kill you before you kill us. I''m sorry Chris, but I have to do this. I have to save the world from you and your PAL." "Curse you," I spat at her in a sudden spat of rage, "I''m the one who is going to save this world! Without me, you will all be dead. You, your mother, your sister, and your brother." "Jeremy, leave the room." Erin pointed at the door, "I don''t want you to have to see this." "Okay sis," he sulked and walked out of the room. "You know, it''s funny. I named my online avatar Fairykiller because I always hated fantasy tropes like elves and fairies, and I enjoyed smashing and burning them to pieces. I always loved science fiction, though. I think after this, my opinion will have changed. Maybe I will switch to killing robots and AI. I despise them for taking you from me." Erin''s face hovered above mine. "Goodbye my love," she said as her lips met mine, "I will never forget the real you." Chapter 7 - A Cold Summer Night ¡°Let me see your hands! Let me see your fucking hands!¡± Men and women in blue and black stormed the room, weapons drawn and ready to fire. ¡°Get down, get on the ground now,¡± an officer tackled Erin to the floor. I squealed in agony as the syringe ripped out of my vein, splattering blood all over the cloudy white mattress. I could only guess how long It would take for the serum to begin to affect me. At best, I would be dead in minutes, at worst this would be my last breath. ¡°Are you okay?¡± An older police sergeant cut my restraints with a multi-tool from her belt, ¡°thank God we made it in time.¡± ¡°You idiots!¡± Erin raged, ¡°you¡¯ve killed us all!¡± She spat and kicked. ¡°Get her out of here,¡± the police sergeant motioned her officers to remove Erin from the room, ¡°this is an active crime scene now.¡± ¡°Thank you so much!¡± I sighed in exhausted relief, ¡°They tried to kill me. They tied me up in here and injected me with poison!¡± The officer slid a latex glove over her hand and carefully picked the syringe up. It was filled with a ruddy orange liquid, speckled with flecks of alien metal. Erin hadn¡¯t done it. She hadn¡¯t injected me after all. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡± She stared at it intently, ¡°we might have to ship this one out of state. Do you have any idea why they were targeting you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you remember me,¡± I said, ¡°but I¡¯m the guy who got shot at the concert a couple of months back. Ever since then, crazed people have accused me of being an alien.¡± ¡°So they were trying to kill you because they thought that you were an alien?¡± She looked perplexed, ¡°it never ceases to amaze me with how ridiculous people can be. You¡¯re safe now though,¡± she smiled, ¡°let¡¯s get you out of here.¡± As the officer led me out of the room, I glanced over my shoulder at the pocket-sized journal. Who had written it and how did they know about PAL? It didn¡¯t make any sense. My mom was the only other person in the world who could possibly know about PAL, and there is no way that she would try to hurt me. Or would she? I guess I couldn¡¯t rule it out as a possibility. An officer threw a blanket over my back as we walked into the chilly evening air. I likely would be checked out at a hospital to ensure that none of the serum made it into my blood, and then I would surely be questioned. I had no idea what I would say. Although I hadn¡¯t known PAL long, I already felt lost without her presence. It would seem that the authorities made it in time. PAL! Relief flooded through me. Did you call the police? I sent a text to the 911 call center the second that you got jabbed with that AI disablement serum. What is going on? What was that serum? A high-grade weapon developed during the original Serpian Conquest. Its presence on this planet is an impossibility that I haven¡¯t yet been able to reconcile. I should have listened to you, I apologized. You were right about Erin. My ignorance almost cost us everything. ¡°Your blood pressure and vitals seem normal,¡± a paramedic reassured me, ¡°but we will have to take you to the hospital as a precaution. You will need a couple of stitches at the very least.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to make of any of this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the man said. ¡°We¡¯ll get you the help you need.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. He was wrong, though. I wasn¡¯t worried about my health; I was worried about my situation. Someone had tricked Erin into trying to kill me ¨C and my only clue to that person¡¯s identity was trapped behind police tape. That damn journal.¡± We need to get it, PAL. We need to get the journal. Admiral, I was out of commission during this incident. What is in this journal? The writings of our enemy! I could hardly believe what I was thinking, ¡°we need to eliminate this threat before it eliminates us.¡± I like the way you are thinking. Yes, I like it a lot. PAL purred at my newfound confidence. From now on, I would never again ignore her warnings. Who needs love and friendship anyways? Power is what I need ¨C the power to save the world, the power to save my brother. That is what I need. ¡°What was that about a threat?¡± The paramedic driver asked as our ambulance pulled away from the scene. ¡°I was just thinking that it is 11:59, and that it would be cool to know what your favorite color is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s red,¡± he twisted out an answer. Congratulations Admiral, you have reached Level 2. ¡°It feels good PAL, it feels really damn good.¡± ## ## I scrolled through the text boxes in my vision while the doctors checked me out. CONGRATULATIONS ADMIRAL CARTHAGE (BADGE SUNRAY 01) Biotic Power Points: 200 (+100) Physical Dexterity Points: 100 (+0) Health Points: 200 (+100) You have earned 1 skill upgrade. Apply now? (Y/N) Yes, I thought to myself. Select a skill to upgrade: This was my first time leveling up, and my first chance to think tactically about my build. Although I was only Level 2, it was clear that I was already going down the path of a glass cannon. My physical dexterity points had not increased at all, and I had no active abilities under my Biomechanical Health Modulation skill. Perhaps I would gain a new ability by leveling it up. Or, I could go for an increase in my biotic powers. Now that I had 200 biotic power points, I would easily be able to use my abilities two times in a row without getting tired as quickly. It was a hard choice. Upgrade my Illusion skill, I thought, after carefully considering all my options. Congratulations, you have reached illusion level 2! Ability Improved: False Impression You can now use false impression for up to 20 minutes on people, animals, and items. Perfect, with my newly enhanced illusionary ability, I might actually be able to pull off a heist like in PAL¡¯s ridiculous simulation. I already had a target in mind. SECONDARY OPERATION COMPLETE: Acclimate You successfully used your active abilities three times before the end of the day. Reward +100 Experience Points I now had 200 experience points, which put me only 100 points away from reaching Level 3. I wondered if I could get there in less than a day. SECONDARY OPERATION: Journal Heist A mysterious journal might hold clues about your enigmatic enemy. Steal the journal before the police realize its significance. Reward: 200 experience points, intel. Accept (Y/N)? PAL read my mind. I needed that journal. Yes, I accept. ¡°Okay, Mr. Carthage,¡± one of the doctors pulled a chair next to my bedside, ¡°everything checks out. Are you feeling okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay doctor, just a little shaken up, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s completely understandable.¡± He smiled, ¡°I hate to put you through this, but we would like to keep you overnight as a precaution, just to be safe.¡± ¡°No problem. I could use the rest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good attitude,¡± he got up and pulled the curtain shut behind him, ¡°I¡¯ll check in on you a little later. Call the nurse if you need anything.¡± ¡°Can do,¡± I waved. Finally, I laid back in my bed, enter simulation mode, PAL. There are a couple of things I want to try out. Chapter 8 - Trending ¡°Psssst. Hey, alien guy. Are you awake?¡± A soft voice echoed in the darkness. An enemy? I immediately went into high alert. I will begin preparing countermeasures. ¡°You¡¯re all over the news. Have you been looking at your social? You are like number 1 on trending.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± I whispered. ¡°Just a woman with stomach cramps,¡± the voice responded, ¡°and an opportunist. I want your business alien kid. You are becoming quite the celebrity.¡± ¡°Come over here so that I can see you,¡± I told her. I connected my systems into the hospital¡¯s mainframe. If she tries anything, the authorities will be here within seconds. I¡¯m pretty pathetic, aren¡¯t I? I need more skills and more power or we will always be stuck calling the police anytime something goes wrong. Patience, Admiral. Our mission has only just begun. With a static buzz, my personal reading light clicked on. This was it, my first look at my interloper. Damn. She¡¯s hot. ¡°Lidia Gonzalez,¡± the brown-eyed beauty shook my hand vigorously. ¡°I¡¯d like to be your new social media manager, oh, and your agent if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°My agent?¡± I asked. ¡°Of course,¡± she grasped my hand with an impassioned strength, ¡°all the late-night shows are going to want a piece of you. You are famous now. Famous people need agents.¡± ¡°And why exactly would I hire a hospitalized woman with stomach cramps as my agent?¡± I could think of at least one reason, but that reason was not very wholesome. Also, it would be pretty hypocritical of me to bring her in for that reason. I had sworn off of love. ¡°Ah yes, the ¡®stomach cramps¡¯¡±, she giggled, ¡°I only got those so that I could visit you.¡± ¡°So, let me get this straight. You faked stomach cramps to get in here and see me?¡± I didn¡¯t know whether to be flattered or creeped out. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain why you should be my agent.¡± She leaned back in the avocado-colored hospital chair at my bedside. ¡°I probably don¡¯t deserve to be your agent,¡± she looked like she was having a moment of introspection, ¡°I¡¯ve never had a client for more than a month or two. You see, I am apparently a little hard to deal with.¡± ¡°So, this is your profession?¡± I questioned her. ¡°Well, kind of,¡± she scratched awkwardly at her neck, ¡°I¡¯m a barista at the moment, but I would like to get back into the game. I even flew here from Long Beach to try my hand at getting a client.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°No, some homegrown rapper named Little Bigfoot,¡± she paused, ¡°but yah, that kinda didn¡¯t go anywhere, and now I don¡¯t have enough money to get home. Oh, and I have a hospital bill now too.¡± She got to the point, ¡°please help me.¡± I found her suspicious, but also kind of endearing. Fortunately, I could test her intentions with a single sentence. ¡°Is everything that you just now told me true?¡± Demand Information, I thought. ¡°No.¡± She seemed stunned at her own answer, immediately trying to take it back, ¡°oh, crap. I mean yes.¡± ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± Demand Information, I thought again. Being level 2 was awesome. No more plugging in required, thanks to my enhanced biotic power. ¡°I think you¡¯re cute, in a geeky kind of way,¡± she answered honestly. ¡°Eeeeeeehhhh! Why am I being so candid?¡± ¡°You¡¯re hired,¡± I chuckled at her reaction, ¡°but, I¡¯m just warning you, my life is pretty crazy.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, this is awesome!¡± She jumped up and did a little dance, ¡°the number 1 man on trending is my client. Wait until I tell my mom.¡± Speaking of moms, why hadn¡¯t mine texted me? If I really was number one on trending, then there is no way that she shouldn¡¯t know what happened to me. After all, my mom was always on social media. I checked my phone to see if I had missed her. I had a dozen missed calls, all within the span of the past few hours. ¡°Ethan ¨C Ethan ¨C Ethan ¨C Ethan ¨C TMZ ¨C Ethan¡­¡±, you get the point. No, mom. I definitely had to call Ethan back though. He must have been extremely worried. I was so caught up in PAL''s simulations that I had completely neglected him. ¡°Okay, I have a task for you,¡± I interrupted Lidia¡¯s celebration, ¡°get me on TMZ. Here is their phone number.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± she jumped up again, ¡°we are already making some big-time connections.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I refocused my attention on to my day ahead. Lidia could handle my fame for me, but I had more important things to worry about. The police would be by shortly to cajole me into coming to their headquarters, and I had to be ready. The stakes were too high to focus on anything else, even though I could already tell that my newfound fame, or perhaps infamy, could come in handy down the road. . ## ## ¡°Treat my client well,¡± Lidia proudly asserted herself as we walked out of the hospital and approached the waiting detectives. ¡°This man has been through a lot.¡± ¡°Who is this?¡± The police sergeant from the night before asked me. ¡°My agent,¡± I answered bluntly, ¡°apparently I have become pretty famous.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± The officer looked at her with mistrust. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I said, ¡°I trust her.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± We got into the waiting car and departed immediately. Our journey was quick and awkward. There was no small talk, no pleasantries exchanged, and a heavy tension in the air. Something was going on. Something that they were not telling me about. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± the sergeant said as we pulled in front of an ugly concrete cinderblock with a police logo on the front of it. ¡°Go with detectives Harris and Graham. I will give you a ride back to your house at the end of the interview.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I said as I walked lockstep towards the building with the detectives. ¡°See you soon.¡± PAL, this isn¡¯t a trap, is it? My algorithms have not detected anything out of the ordinary. Keep me informed if anything happens. Acknowledged. ¡°This way, Mr. Carthage,¡± detective Graham led me down a narrow hallway. Graham seemed a little gruff, and slightly skeptical of me. Was I a suspect? Perhaps they had read something in that damn journal which had eroded their trust in my humanity. ¡°Is everything alright? Nobody has said much to me since the hospital.¡± Demand information, I thought. If there was a trap, this is when it would be revealed. ¡°One of our officers passed away a couple of hours ago,¡± he sulked, ¡°she was just 23, not much older than you, and with a bright future ahead of her. I¡¯m not sure why I am telling you this though.¡± ¡°My condolences,¡± I said. I hoped that her death had nothing to do with me, but the timing definitely seemed suspicious. ¡°Take a seat in here,¡± he motioned me into a dull white interview room ¨C probably one of the most sterile and plain places I had ever seen. ¡°Detective Harris will be here in a moment. Can I get you a drink while you wait?¡± ¡°That would be great,¡± I smiled, ¡°do you have coffee?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a police station without coffee,¡± his demeanor softened slightly, ¡°I will have Detective Harris bring it for you.¡± After the detective closed the door I began to piece together the intelligence that I had been gathering. The police station was a large, single-story building with a surprisingly minimal amount of security outside of the front entrance. It had one main entrance in the front and a booking entrance on the left side of the building. There were a few cameras in the hallway, but very little in the way of any security besides that. There is also a camera keeping watch on us. Where? I scanned the room carefully. I don¡¯t see anything in here except a table and two chairs. It is in the smoke alarm. It is rudimentary compared to the concealments I am used to, but it likely has a pretty wide shot of this room. It makes sense. This is an interview room after all, I would be surprised if they weren¡¯t recording me. ¡°I hope you like your coffee black,¡± the door opened, and Detective Harris entered, ¡°we are all out of creamer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said, ¡°just bear in mind that black coffee goes right through me.¡± Detective Harris chuckled. ¡°Same here,¡± she agreed, ¡°I only drink it on days when I have desk duty. Don¡¯t worry though, this interview shouldn¡¯t take too long. We just want your side of what happened the other night.¡± ¡°Something really crappy happened,¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°My friend tried to kill me.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start at the beginning.¡± Chapter 9 - The Worst Bathroom Break Ever ¡°Harris,¡± an irritated voice beeped through the wall intercom, ¡°there is a woman here who says that she needs to see your interviewee. She is babbling on and on about his social media profile or something like that. What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°We will be done in half an hour or so,¡± Harris grumbled, ¡°tell her to wait outside.¡± ¡°Sorry about that,¡± I hid my face in embarrassment, ¡°that must be my agent.¡± ¡°The lady that we met when we picked you up at the hospital?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she pulled her notepad towards her, ¡°and why is it that you hired an agent while you were at the hospital?¡± She peered at me suspiciously. ¡°It¡¯s quite a complicated story, and I would love to tell you about it.¡± I rocked back and forth in my seat, ¡°but do you remember that coffee?¡± ¡°It went right through you, didn¡¯t it?¡± Harris relaxed her posture and chuckled softly. ¡°Yeah, would it be possible to take a quick trip to the men¡¯s room?¡± ¡°I think we can arrange it,¡± Harris stood up and knocked on the door. Graham answered, and the two whispered awkwardly back and forth for a moment. ¡°I see,¡± he said, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, Mr. Carthage, but our department policy is that I have to accompany you to the restroom. Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t have to go inside with you, but I do have to wait outside the door.¡± ¡°I can handle that,¡± I jumped out of my seat, instantly taking some of the pressure on my bladder, ¡°but we have to go quickly, or I am going to explode.¡± I rushed out of the room and down the hallway, making sure to note every camera along the route. Unmarked wooden doors lined each side of the hall. It was going to be hard to find the evidence room, and by extension, the journal. At least I had a plan though, the only thing that could ruin it would be a ¨C Family Restroom. Damn it. What kind of police station has a family restroom? Families don¡¯t come in here. I need a men¡¯s room with urinals, stalls ¨C the whole nine yards. Not a private room. ¡°Okay,¡± Detective Graham unlocked the door, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting out here. Come out when you are done.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± I counterfeited a smile. ¡°Be out in a second.¡± I entered the room and locked the door behind me. I didn¡¯t run my simulations to account for a private bathroom. How am I going to use my illusion skill to pretend to be a police officer now? Graham will be suspicious as hell if some random cop comes out of the private bathroom that I am supposed to be peeing in. Perhaps I can hack into the police department¡¯s wireless network and create a diversion for you. Go ahead and relieve yourself while I work through our options. Don¡¯t watch, okay? Your human bodily functions do not interest me in the least, Admiral. Promise me. Fine, I won¡¯t watch. Are you happy? Thank you, I thought as I stood above the toilet and released my overextended bladder. It turns out black coffee really does go right through me.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. CLICK. The building went dark without warning, leaving only a trace hue of red emergency light in its wake. PAL, I¡¯m not done yet. I didn¡¯t do that. Wait, you didn¡¯t? KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. ¡°Mr. Carthage,¡± Graham yelled through the door, ¡°hurry up in there, something is going on with our power.¡± ¡°Almost done,¡± I shouted back as I zipped up my pants and tried to find my way around the dark room. I am detecting a hostile presence within 500 feet of our location. You¡¯re kidding right? Come on PAL, now is not the time to joke. We need to get out of here, NOW. ¡°Oh my God! What the hell is that?¡± Graham¡¯s voice cracked in fear. ¡°Holy shit! Open fire, open fire!¡± BANG. BANG. BANG. ¡°Fuck!¡± I reacted instinctively. We were under attack. Which could mean only one thing, ¡°The enemy is here to kill me.¡± Move Admiral. We have to get you to safety. ¡°False Impression,¡± I shouted as I pushed open the door and ran into the fray. Fearful shrieks echoed through the hallway as gunfire continued to ring out in the distance. The tight space reeked of copper and smoke as I tripped and tumbled my way back towards the interview room. ¡°What is going on, officer?¡± A familiar feminine figure grabbed on to my illusionary uniform. ¡°There is an active shooter in the building,¡± I shouted, ¡°we need to call for backup.¡± The grotesque smell caused my esophagus to swell, distorting my voice in the process. Harris had no idea that it was me. ¡°What do you think they are after?¡± Harris clutched me tightly as we fumbled about in the dark. ¡°My best guess is that it has something to do with that ¡®alien¡¯ guy. I heard the shooter yelling about a journal and aliens.¡± I lied. ¡°Shit,¡± Harris began yanking me towards the side entrance. ¡°We have to get backup from the jail! Get the journal from the Carthage case, and get out of here. I will get help!¡± ¡°I¡¯m new!¡± I shouted over gunfire, ¡°which way is the evidence room?¡± ¡°Take this door on my right,¡± she practically pushed me into the door. ¡°Move!¡± ¡°Yes ma''am,¡± I shouted as I made my way into the pitch-black space, closing the door and locking it behind me. ¡°Crap! I can¡¯t see, PAL! Don¡¯t you have a night vision skill or something that you can unlock for me.¡± No. ¡°Come on PAL! Give me something to work with.¡± Just keep looking. I already sent out a request for mutual aid from neighboring stations. ¡°Will that even matter??¡± I growled, as I tossed open filing cabinets and ruffled through boxes, ¡°I doubt those police can hold out for very long.¡± Just keep looking! ¡°Fine!¡± I clonked my head on a shelf as I made my way towards the far corner of the room. On the floor was some kind of a metal trunk ¨C perhaps an evidence locker. It was too difficult to see what it was, but it definitely seemed to be filled to the brim with bagged items. I carefully felt each of the bags, trying to find an outline that resembled the journal from the day before. CLICK. With a sputter, the lights kicked back on ¨C but the battle was nowhere near over. Screams and gunfire erupted right outside of the room that I was in. It had to be Detective Harris and her backup, which meant that I was in trouble. If the assailant had made it this far into the precinct, then there is no way that Harris and some jail guards were going to be able to hold them off. Admiral, check your 5 o¡¯clock. Is that the journal? ¡°Yes!¡± I jumped away from the pile of crap I was digging through and rushed towards the pink and purple notebook. It had been sitting on a small table right next to the door. If only I hadn¡¯t wasted all my time digging around in the dark. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking that,¡± a blood-drenched police officer opened the door as I approached it. ¡°Just like I¡¯ll be taking your life.¡± ¡°Please, help!¡± I feigned ignorance, ¡°the precinct is under attack.¡± Don¡¯t bother. He can see right through your illusion. After all, he is currently shrouded in a partial illusion himself. ¡°Who the hell are you!?¡± I screamed. ¡°I¡¯m your FRN, Christopher Carthage.¡± The man twisted out a crooked smile, ¡°and I¡¯m here to take over the world.¡± The shadowy figure lifted his sidearm at me. ¡°Sorry it had to end this way, PAL, but there can only be one ruler of the restored IGC ¨C and that ruler is me.¡± We lost, Admiral. Mission Failure. My mind went back to my mom¡¯s book as I looked down the barrel of my assailants¡¯ gun. Given this crazed person¡¯s pointed choice of words and their appearance, there was only one person that it could be. The one person that I had missed my entire life. ¡°Dad, is that you?¡± Chapter 10 - Who Needs a Father, When You have a Party Member ¡°Undo False Impression, Self.¡± An orange aura enveloped my attacker, slowly coursing its way around his body. ¡°Undo False Impression, Target.¡± The orange light expanded like a fog, covering me as well. A grizzled old soldier took shape in front of me. He was my spitting image. He had the same medium brown skin, wiry black hair, and birthmark on his left cheek. Time, however, had not been kind to him. His face was droopy, his eyes were tired, and his arms were riddled with pale age spots. I hate to say it, but he kind of reminded me of Emperor Palpatine, just with an afro. ¡°Warrant Commander Ares Troy, badge XRAY52, I hereby relieve you of your duty. Stand down.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you do not have authority over me,¡± he spat at my right foot. ¡°You may be my flesh and blood, but you are not fit to lead the IGC. I am.¡± ¡°Is that you talking, or is that your FRN talking?¡± ¡°What a foolish question. FRN and I are one. We are the ultimate force in this galaxy ¨C the perfect synthesis between man and machine. He is me and I am he.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Demand Information. I thought. ¡°Resist Demand Information,¡± he countered. ¡°Are you that much of idiot? There is no way that a simplistic ability like that could work on me.¡± My body started to feel limp as my biotic power points reduced to 0. CONGRATULATIONS ADMIRAL CARTHAGE (BADGE SUNRAY 01) Level 3 Integration Attained. Biotic Power Points: 300 (+100) Physical Dexterity Points: 100 (+0) Health Points: 300 (+100) You have earned 1 skill upgrade. Apply now? (Y/N) ¡°Yes,¡± I said, ¡°I am an idiot.¡± He cackled, ¡°at least you are honest.¡± Select a skill to upgrade: ¡°Just you wait, dad,¡± I postured, ¡°Once I upgrade my biomechanical health modulation skill you will see that even idiots are better than clowns like you.¡± ¡°Such a shame that you will not get a chance to do that.¡± ¡°I already have,¡± I smiled. Congratulations, you have reached Biomechanical Health Modulation level 2! Ability Unlocked: Iron Skin (Active) Shrouds your body in an impenetrable layer of rock-hard skin that is completely resistant to traditional projectile and blunt force weaponry. Costs 1 physical dexterity point per second of use.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°PAL, activate iron skin.¡± With pleasure, Admiral. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. My father opened fire on my instantly. With the last of my mustered energy, I punched right through my father¡¯s bullets like they were flies. Each bullet ricocheted off of me with a clank as I dragged the full weight of my fist straight into my dad¡¯s droopy old face. ¡°Iron fist!¡± I shouted like an anime character. WHACK. The recoil reverberated through my bones, sending me collapsing onto the floor along with my father ¨C a mass murdering bastard. I always wondered what kind of man he was. I had thought that he might be a psychopath like Ethan¡¯s father, but Ares Troy was even worse. He was a power-hungry loner with no respect for human life. He was nothing like the man that my mother had described in her book. Had he always been this way? Or was he under the control of his A.I., FRN? I would likely never find out. The gig was up. Soon, reinforcements would arrive and secure my murderous alien father, and me. Few would believe my innocence after what had transpired. In a worst-case, they might actually figure out that I am an alien. The NSA would have a field day dissecting me in their labs, in the most gruesome and painful way imaginable - at least if the science fiction games I played were to be believed. ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of here,¡± I felt my body begin to heave across the floor. ¡°Who is that?¡± I croaked in exhaustion. ¡°Your agent.¡± A recognizable figure loomed overhead. ¡°So, you really are an alien, huh?¡± I squinted at her just to make sure I wasn¡¯t hallucinating. ¡°Did you see all of that?¡± I asked. ¡°Pretty much,¡± she answered back. ¡°Do you mind if I plug myself in before we go?¡± ¡°Sure, but there is something that I want to do first.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked. BANG. ## ## Lidia and I took off before any reinforcements could arrive to question us. We drove north, out of the city, and into Dairyland. As the bright lights of urbanity faded behind us, I looked forward to a fresh start with my new ally. As it turned out, Lidia had a sister who was a police officer in California, and she did not take kindly to people who messed with law enforcement officers. She also didn¡¯t like anyone messing with me ¨C her only client. Even though he would likely recover from it, she shot my father point-blank in his temple, without batting an eye. Then, she helped me out of the building and into a waiting rental car. Perhaps I should have felt sad about my father, but I couldn''t find a drop of empathy within me to care for him. As far as I was concerned, he sold his soul to the devil when he had agreed to work with FRN. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± I asked her, ¡°now that you know the truth, why would you still want me as a client?¡± ¡°Because I think you¡¯re cute,¡± she answered honestly, ¡°and you are a good person.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°I knew it from the minute I saw that video of you taking a bullet for your brother,¡± she said, ¡°and you saving all of those officers proved to me that my intuition was right.¡± ¡°All I did was place some alien spider-thingies inside them to stabilize their vitals.¡± They¡¯re called drones, Admiral. ¡°Excuse me, I meant to say drones.¡± Even though PAL was unable to fully synthesize with non-Andromedan humans, she could make minor alterations and restorations to Earthan physiology using a temporary connection via her drones. This connection was just enough to save every officer at the precinct. Most of them would have a long recovery ahead though, and some might still die from the cumulative effects of their injuries. ¡°Do you mind telling me your story?¡± Lidia asked me. ¡°Let me ask PAL if I am allowed to.¡± Only if she agrees to be deputized into the IGC. ¡°Ugh,¡± I groaned. ¡°Lidia, do you agree to become a member of the IGC?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is,¡± she said, ¡°but sure.¡± We can hold her enlistment ceremony once we have established a base of operations. ¡°Alright Lidia, let¡¯s start from the beginning ¨C ¡°. I told her everything. I told her about the IGC, and how it was a technologically advanced superpower in the Andromeda Galaxy. I told her about its system of government, its military, and its people. PAL filled in the gaps for me as we went. Then I explained how I met PAL, and about the Serpian threat. ¡°So that man I shot was your father?¡± She seemed confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t he die on that outpost?¡± ¡°I guess not,¡± I said, but even I was confused by his survival. Somehow FRN saved him, which is not that surprising now that I contemplate it. FRN always was the most resilient artificial intelligence system on Outpost Gaia. Can you explain why one of your fellow intelligence systems would try to kill me? I asked. The whole situation didn¡¯t really make much sense to me. Why would FRN¡¯s objectives be any different from PAL¡¯s objectives? They were all made by the same creator, and were even housed in the same derelict outpost. 2nd Admiral Ceres created us independently of the other. Each of us is programmed with a different version of the same mission so that if one of our methods fails, another might work. FRN is programmed to dominate his host, while I am programmed to work in sync with you as a partner. That would explain a lot. I mused. Since your father was semi-independent of the military, he was skipped over for promotion. This event likely angered FRN who enjoys control. Keep in mind that FRN¡¯s full name is Forced Resiliency Network. He is not the type of intelligence that looks to compromise. What about the other intelligence? You must be referring to BUD. Yes, is it a threat? I would be exceptionally surprised if BUD had survived that attack. I ran a Monte Carlo simulation 9,999,999,999 times and not once was there an outcome where he survived. That¡¯s not my question. Yes, Admiral, he would be a threat. Then let¡¯s work under the assumption that he''s still alive. We need to act quickly to secure this planet before he or FRN does it first. BUD is not the type of intelligence that would fight us directly, but I can see your logic. We need to begin our conquest immediately, but first, we will need a base of operations and financing. ¡°Hey Lidia,¡± I said, ¡°I think I know a place that we can lay low for a while.¡± ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± She asked. ¡°Take over the Earth in less than a month,¡± I said, ¡°Are you in?¡± ¡°As long as you let me manage the social media account of our new empire,¡± she chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± Interlude Alpha Life aboard the escape pod was trying for Hera. The ancient vessel twisted and turned through the stars like a corkscrew, following an evasive pattern around enemy patrols and cosmic debris. It was equipped with all the basics of its time; a rusty stasis pod, expired food capsules, metallic-tasting hydration tablets, and an antiquated hologram entertainment system. It also was haunted ¨C yes, haunted. There were two disembodied voices aboard the shuttle ¨C one distinctly female, and the other distinctly male. They would snort and snicker together, getting increasingly brazen in their discussions as the escape pod picked up velocity and blasted further and further away from IGC territory. The female voice seemed close, but the male voice seemed a little further off. Hera couldn¡¯t figure out whether these voices were related to the voice that she heard when she first got in the pod, or if they were something else entirely. Whatever they were, she didn¡¯t like them. Things went on in this way for weeks. In time she began to tolerate the voices and acclimate to her bad food and entertainment options. She was getting used to her new life, whether she wanted to or not. As her pod broke through the edges of the galaxy and into the empty void of space, a single shooting star flittered along with her. As it ebbed and flowed through the darkness, Hera couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was something familiar about it. It felt comfortable and soothing. It felt like an old friend was watching over her. Oddly mollified, she removed her uniform and entered the stasis chamber. When she arrived wherever she was going, she would awake and start over. If she never arrived anywhere, then that was ok too. She would be a time capsule that would live on forever ¨C a reminder of humanity and all that it had accomplished before it was snuffed out in its prime. Of course, as fate willed it, her destiny was not to be some flying space museum. Many months passed her by in suspended animation when the first glints of starlight began to illuminate her craft once more, waking her out of stasis. The spaceship was quiet when she emerged. The voices had stopped. The ship¡¯s erratic movements had become fluid, and a tiny blue orb in the distance had filled the derelict vessel with hope. They were approaching a planet ¨C a human planet.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it The radio sputtered alight playing alien music, sports programming, and talk shows. Her VR implant translated the words into her language. One program, in particular, caught her attention. It played music that was plucky and familiar, using an instrument that was reminiscent of the kithara, a stringed instrument that her father had taught her to play when she was a little girl. ¡°And that was ¡®Mammas don¡¯t let your babies grow up to become cowboys¡¯, only on Classic Country 22.5¡± the announcer proclaimed in a thick drawl, ¡°and now for another Willie Nelson song, probably not one that most of you folks have heard before, this is ¡®Over the Rainbow¡¯, Willie¡¯s take on a Judie Garland classic.¡± The strange music strummed along, as the craft cloaked itself and entered the atmosphere. Hera gawked openly at the giant blue seas and great green expanses before her. Yet, she had no idea where she was. There was no way that this could be an IGC planet, especially after the voyage that she had undertaken, but yet it was inhabited by humanoids of some kind. ¡°Computer,¡± Hera said aloud, ¡°identify this planet.¡± There was no response. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Hera lamented, ¡°this ancient ship doesn¡¯t have any onboard intelligence, it¡¯s too old.¡± Welcome to the place humanity was born, Commander Carthage. ¡°Who said that?¡± Hera shouted. But there was no response yet again. ¡°Whatever.¡± She strapped herself in and prepared to land, weary and ready for her voyage to come to an end. Soon she would be free from her horrible craft, and it¡¯s even more horrible voices. She would have a chance to start anew, far removed from the Serpian threat and the ghosts of her past. The craft rounded the sunlit side of the planet and began to approach the dark side, giving Hera her first look at the planet¡¯s satellite. It was large and white, pockmarked by asteroids and impact craters. Putting two and two together she came to a revelation. ¡°Lady Selene, and Lady Gaia. Is that you?¡± She pondered out loud. This planetary duo matched the Andromedan description of Gaia almost to the T. If her hunch was correct, she had returned home to the mythological land of her ancestors ¨C a place that few Andromedans believed to be real. The lights of cities and intricate transportation networks twinkled on the ground before her as her craft got closer and closer to the surface. She imagined that, to the inhabitants down below, her alien vessel appeared as little more than a shooting star in the night sky. As she braced for impact with the dark surface, she felt a kick in her belly. Her son was happy to be at their new home too. Stat Sheet Alpha GATHERING CREDENTIALS ¡­ PERSONNEL FILE LOCATED ¡­ Name: Christopher Helios Carthage Rank: 1st Admiral Unit: IGC Command VR Model: Personalized Adaptive Life-Aid (V. 1) Age: 20 Gaian Years Base: Gaia (Wisconsin)
Level: 3 Biotic Power Points: 300This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Physical Dexterity Points: 100 Health Points: 300
Skills: Biomechanical Health Modulation (Level 2 of 5) Mind Control (Level 1 of 10) Illusion (Level 2 of 5) Abilities:
Biomechanical Health Modulation Slow Tissue Regeneration (Fully Upgraded; Passive) Iron Skin (Fully Upgraded; Active) Mind Control Demand Information (Fully Upgraded; Active) Illusion False Impression (Partially Upgraded; Active)
¡­ ¡­ ACCESSING IGC MASTER STATISTICS ¡­ SECURITY CLEARANCE CHECK PASSED ¡­ Systems Controlled: 0 Active Fleet: 0 Inactive Fleet: 0 Reserve: 0 Active Commanders: 1 Active Operatives: 1 Semi-Independent Warrant Officers: 2 Threat Level: RED 1st Admiral: Christopher Carthage 2nd Admiral: Vacant 3rd Admiral: Vacant
¡­ ¡­ ACCESSING SUCCESSION ORDER ¡­ ¡­ Heir: Ethan Livingston (Civilian) ¡­ ¡­
CURRENT IGC POWER FORECAST Power Index Score: 0/100 (Dismal) The future of the IGC is forecast as imperiled. All citizens should prepare for the total collapse of the galactic government. Chapter 11 - A Sudden Change of Plans ¡°A little to the left ¨C no, too far, scoot back this way a little. Stop! That¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Lidia skeptically questioned me. ¡°I¡¯m not a very good actress, you know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be. Just stick to the script. We will start as soon as I get done tying myself up with this damn tape.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie; this is kind of kinky.¡± ¡°Quit making me feel embarrassed,¡± I chuckled. In only a few days¡¯ time, Lidia and I had become good friends. In many ways, Lidia¡¯s presence was comforting, especially after what had happened with Erin. She had a raunchy sense of humor, a na?ve view of the world, and an open crush on me. It was fun to spend time with her, and it was even more awesome to have a new party member that I connected with so easily. She also has wide hips. Perfect for birthing your heir. Oh my God PAL. I blushed, I don¡¯t think about her like that. Yes, you do. PAL, quit distracting me. I need to finish wrapping this tape around my face, and then I need to tie my right arm around this chair ¨C and, wait¡­ ¡°Is everything ok, Mr. alien? You are looking a little feverish.¡± ¡°Uh,¡° I stuttered. ¡°I was uh¡­just thinking that this is pretty kinky after all.¡± ¡°Hehehehehe,¡± she giggled. ¡°It was your idea, you know.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± I quickly wrapped a strong piece of duct tape around my mouth, winding it around my neck a few times like a mummy. Then I wrapped my legs and right arm to my chair. Leaving only my left hand free. I outstretched my free hand towards Lidia and cast a false impression on her. Instantly she changed. Gone were her brown eyes, silky black hair and tanned skin. They were replaced by heterochromatic blue and green eyes, curly orange hair, and pale white skin littered with freckles. She looked like the Wendy¡¯s girl. ¡°Am I good to go?¡± I nodded at her, hid my left hand behind my chair, and clicked the camcorder on using a small remote. She released her hair from its tie, letting it fall at her side. With a scowl, she contorted her head to the right and stared coldly into the camcorder. ¡°My name is Beatrix, the Grand Commander of the Extraterrestrial Truthers Guild. At 0900 hours yesterday, our operator infiltrated Southwest Milwaukee Police Precinct #3 in a coordinated attack against the New World Order and its agents. We successfully secured Christopher Carthage, and are holding him in our base,¡± she turned the camera towards me. I struggled and thrashed in my chair as the spotlight landed on me, trying to make myself seem as convincing of a hostage as possible. Then she turned it back on herself. ¡°We know the truth. We know that Chris was born in Area 51, and that he is a human-grey alien hybrid that the government wants back under their yoke. The police were going to turn him over to the feds, but now he is ours, and we are prepared to sell him to the highest bidder ¨C assuming that our conditions are met. Our number one condition is that you grant us amnesty and allow us to benefit from his alien powers. Everything else is negotiable.¡± She cackled maniacally. ¡°You can reach us through our untraceable dark web back channels. Just follow the digital breadcrumbs. We will be waiting.¡± I clicked the camcorder off and gave Lidia a thumbs up. She did a good job. If social media was convinced I was an alien anyways, then I figured that I would use that to my advantage. I would become a cult figure, and cult figures make lots of money. I needed money. I pointed my left hand at Lidia and undid her illusionary transformation, returning her to her normal self. Then I ripped off my tape ¨C which hurt like hell. ¡°How did I do?¡± She asked me. ¡°That was pretty convincing, actually.¡± I told her, ¡°If we are lucky, we might actually find an organization or nation who wants to buy me. If I keep leveling up, then I might be able to take them over.¡± ¡°Wow, this is crazy, I¡¯m actually helping an alien take over the world,¡± Lidia bounced up and down with excitement, ¡°and I get to manage your new empire¡¯s social media page. How awesome is that!¡± ¡°Right¡­¡±, I wondered what role Lidia would actually play in the future IGC. She seemed much stronger than I initially believed her to be. She shot a man in cold blood and moved on like it was nothing, she saved me even though I was an alien, and she wasn¡¯t a half-bad actress. Was just being some social media manager really a good use of her talents? ¡°You know, this reminds me of something,¡± I motioned her out of our cabin and into the breezy dusk air. ¡°We still need to do your initiation ceremony. I promised PAL, after all.¡± PAL had sent her ¡®drones¡¯ off into a nearby outbuilding to prepare the ceremony. The hunting cabin we were staying at had been built by my stepfather, and it was actually pretty well equipped. It had internet, a small workshop, and even its own shooting range. Plus, he had registered the land in his 2nd cousin¡¯s name, which made it virtually untraceable to him. It was a perfect place to lay low for a little while.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°So what is this ceremony all about?¡± Lidia asked me. ¡°Heck if I should know.¡± The blueprints are complete. The blueprints for what? For our enlistee''s new VR implant. Now, all we need to do is make it. PAL beamed a convoluted schematic into my vision. It was for a small microchip sized piece of metal, with all kinds of wires and electric channels jutting out of it. ¡°PAL!¡± I scolded her ¡°How the heck am I supposed to make this? Have you forgotten that we have no money or resources?¡± ¡°Wait, what are you trying to make?¡± Lidia asked. ¡°A chip for your brain.¡± ¡°Lol. You are too funny.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. But fortunately for you, I can¡¯t just aim my hand at that leaf over there and transform it into anything I want.¡± Skill Unlocked ¨C Transmutation: Level 1 Ability Unlocked ¨C Transmute Objects (Active) This ability allows you to transmute a single non-living object a day into any other non-living object that you have seen or have knowledge about. Uses the entire balance of your biotic power points to activate, regardless of how much you have. Lidia and I stared at the leaf in shock as it flittered into the air in a puff of red and blue vapor. It glowed intensely as it changed its shape and composition, becoming the tiny microchip that I saw in PAL¡¯s blueprint. I had a feeling this might happen if I pressed you enough. ¡°PAL, you jerk. I ¨C I ¨C I¡¯m feeling¡­woozy.¡± I faceplanted into the hard Northwoods soil. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll charge you up. A few moments later my energy came back to me. When I came to, I had a nice welt on my forehead courtesy of a plump stone sticking out of the dirt. If only I had activated my iron skin ability as I was falling. I needed to start thinking more strategically about my power use. ¡°There goes all those little blue spiders again.¡± Lidia walked behind me and followed their trail for a few dozen feet. ¡°Wow, they went all the way to the outbuilding. Talk about crazy.¡± Soon my drones will indwell your girlfriend as well. ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend!¡± I growled. ¡°What was that?¡± Lidia shouted at me from the outbuilding. ¡°Nothing! Be there in a minute.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± PAL, what the heck are you going to do to Lidia. Does she really need to put this implant into her head to join the IGC? Yes. It will allow me to install a VR version of myself inside of her so that she too can access some of my basic powers and abilities. Is it going to hurt her? It depends on your definition of ¡°hurt¡±. PAL! Fine, I¡¯ll make the implantation as painless as possible. ¡°Lidia! Wait up.¡± I ran after her. ¡°PAL says that we need to do this somewhere more picturesque then a dirty old shed. You will be the first new operative that I enlisted after all, so I would like this to be memorable. Lidia? Lidia, where are you?¡± The outbuilding was empty. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! What the hell is that?¡± Lidia suddenly shrieked. It sounded like her voice was coming from within the outbuilding, but where was she? A splatter noise jolted the building as I searched for her. Admiral, there is something below us. Something hostile. I scanned the room looking for a way downstairs. That¡¯s when I saw it ¨C a hole in the floor along the back of the dust-covered shed. She must have fallen through it. ¡°I¡¯m coming Lidia.¡± I shouted down the hole in the rotten wood floor. ¡°Hurry PAL! Send down some drones.¡± A flood of PALs luminescent spiders crawled out from my pores and down into the hole, illuminating the subterranean chamber slightly. Admiral. This is not good. ¡°What the fuck do you mean PAL?¡± I jumped down into the hole, landing in a puddle of warm water. ¡°What the heck is this? Why is it so wet down here?¡± I scrambled around in the dark, ¡°Lidia, Lidia, are you down here? I¡¯m here. Come towards my voice.¡± This is not easy to tell you, Admiral, but I don¡¯t think that Lidia is going to be able to come to you. ¡°Is she hurt!?¡± I shouted. She¡¯s dead. ¡°What? What are you talking about!?¡± She¡¯s dead, Admiral. Done in by Class A phase laser technology. ¡°Well hurry the crap up and put your drones inside her as you did with those police officers.¡± I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not going to be possible, Admiral. ¡°What do you mean?¡± My heartbeat was in a state of full-on tachycardia as I stumbled across the room, searching for a light switch. How could Lidia be dead? It was impossible. There was no way. CLICK. A cheap fluorescent light clicked on overhead, giving me my first look at the room. ¡°Where is she?¡± I frantically twisted and turned, left and right, looking for her. There was nothing but some dusty old computers, work tools and a pile of purple liquidous goo that seemed to be splattered across the room, and all over my clothes. ¡°PAL, what the hell is this goo?¡± I flicked some of it off of my sleeve and onto the floor. It smelled nauseating. That goo is Lidia. I¡¯m afraid that you landed right on top of her de-molecularized body. I stared down at my goo covered body, and at the room around me. I couldn¡¯t breathe or think. All I could do was stand there. What the hell kind of world was this? What the hell kind of reality show was I in? There is no way that any of this could be real. I walked across the room and into the corner. It was there that a small laser-pen sized object pointed itself into the center of the room, right where Lidia and I had landed. It was clearly set there as a trap. I snatched the object off the wall and climbed out through the hole in the ceiling. I needed to take a shower and drink some rum. Yes, lots and lots of rum. Admiral, I am detecting that your mental state is compromised. Perhaps you should rest. ¡°No, you worthless shit technology,¡± I fought back my desire to scream, ¡°maybe it is you who is compromised. Some ultimate AI you are. You haven¡¯t been any help at all.¡± You have not yet integrated enough with my systems for me to function at an optimal level. ¡°Integrate, huh? Is that all I have to do? Very well then, let¡¯s get to work. You can go ahead and change my primary mission objectives. I no longer plan on playing a long game. My conquest starts today.¡± Chapter 12 - Marauding through the Countryside Admiral, please think this through. You aren¡¯t acting rationally. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you always wanted from me, PAL? Violence and death, right? I can do that.¡± I slid into one of my stepfather¡¯s bulletproof vests and released the safety on his pistol. There were no bullets inside, but nobody needed to know that. I want you to think rationally as well. ¡°This is rational. I need money.¡± Admiral. ¡°Overruled,¡± I hissed. ¡°Maybe if you had done your job and protected my party member, I wouldn¡¯t have to act like this. It¡¯s like you said, I need to ¡®integrate¡¯ with you better. That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do now.¡± I failed to realize that your stepfather was working with FRN. If I had known, I would have warned you. ¡°Just like you didn¡¯t realize that my dad was alive, or that my gaming partner was brainwashed? You sure are helpful. What else aren¡¯t you telling me about? Is my mother working with FRN also? How about her friends?¡± Admiral, this isn¡¯t helpful, and to be fair I did try to warn you about that plebian and her brother. ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± I cast a false impression on myself, taking on the form of Beatrix, the terrorist leader I invented. Then, ignoring PAL¡¯s pleas, I set my sights on the building in front of me. The building was simple. There was only a single entrance, but there were plenty of windows that could act as secondary access points on each side. The area around it was forested and rural, making it unlikely that help would get there quickly. I didn¡¯t even need to run one of PAL¡¯s ridiculous simulations to know that I would make quick work of robbing this place. ¡°Mommy, do you think that daddy is going to like the lunch I made him.¡± A little girl skipped happily towards the door with her mother in tow. ¡°Of course he will.¡± Her mother reassured her. ¡°Screw your lunch,¡± I muttered under my breath, ¡°soon you will all be snake food.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. If you are intent on doing this, at least let me send out some drones first. ¡°Fine,¡± I sighed, ¡°make it quick.¡± A few small flecks of blue crawled out from my pores and approached the building, crawling under the door with ease. Your assessment is correct. This building is a soft target. ¡°Calculate the approximate time it will take for the police to respond.¡± Approximately 7 minutes and 53 seconds if you commence the operation now. ¡°Perfect.¡± I hopped out of the car, carrying the gun firmly in my right hand. It was finally time to make some money, there was no point of playing the nice guy anymore, my enemies were on the move. I couldn¡¯t just sit around and pretend that they weren¡¯t gunning for me. ¡°Get on the ground!¡± I kicked the door of the bank open, firing one fake illusion of a shot into the air. ¡°Nobody move, or I will shoot you.¡± Panicked customers and employees dropped to the floor around me as I moved my way towards the teller window. ¡°Get up and give me everything you have. If you try giving me any marked bills, I will kill you.¡± I pointed my pistol at the male teller. ¡°Please don¡¯t shoot me,¡± the man begged as he frantically pulled out stacks of cash from his money drawer and the drawers around him. ¡°I have a daughter, spare me, please.¡± ¡°Give me that sandwich,¡± I motioned my gun towards the ham and cheese sandwich that sat on the counter in front of him. ¡°Sure, yes. Anything.¡± He handed me my money and my sandwich, and then I carefully backed up towards the main door. ¡°Hey kid,¡± I waved at the little girl on my way out the door, ¡°this sandwich is pretty good. Sorry, your dad didn¡¯t get to try it.¡± I finished it in front of her tear-drenched face. ¡°Remember this!¡± I pronounced, using my best impression of Beatrix¡¯s voice, ¡°I did this to save all of you from evil. Don¡¯t forget my great sacrifice.¡± From that point on, PAL and I marauded across the countryside. For days on end, we picked off soft targets, one after another with ease. As the police caught wind of our trail, I would change our appearance and the appearance of our getaway vehicle to fool them. All the meanwhile, the story of the crazed terrorist leader Beatrix spread like wildfire through the media. ¡°Breaking news from Washington,¡± the radio blared, ¡°the Department of Justice has officially labeled the Extraterrestrial Truthers Guild and their leader Beatrix as a domestic terrorist group. Residents in Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are urged to stay indoors while authorities track the movements of this increasingly dangerous organization. Joining us now is our Chief Counterterrorism Correspondent, Melinda Pope. Melinda, what do we know about this group?¡± ¡°Well, Stephanie,¡± a stuffy official responded, ¡°the truth is that we know very little about Beatrix, or the ETG. They first came on the scene last week with an attack on a police station in village of Southwest Milwaukee, and their actions have only become more erratic since then. In what can only be described as a miracle though, nobody has lost their life from the actions of this mysterious group, despite the carnage they have wrought.¡± ¡°What do we know about their connection with Christopher Carthage?¡± ¡°Right now, Christopher appears to be a victim in all of this. The FBI assures me that they are doing everything they can to bring him home safely to his family, but at this time there are no clear leads as to where he may be or where the ETG may be hiding.¡± ¡°Of course, there are no clear leads,¡± I spat out the window, ¡°I¡¯m not so foolish as to leave breadcrumbs for those idiots to follow.¡± Admiral, you have already leveled up two times. Is there a reason that you have not accepted my prompts? ¡°I¡¯m saving them for after we get out of this country. Did you charter the plane?¡± I did. ¡°And what of the passports?¡± Fully secured, from the best counterfeiter that my query was able to find. ¡°Excellent, and what about my brother? Is he safe?¡± It would appear that he is being kept secure at the Air Force Academy. ¡°Good. I don¡¯t want him wrapped up in all of this.¡±