Singularity Page 20

  Cadan led us to a conference room, a cozy round space with large windows that looked out on the massive hangar. The table in the center looked like a large circular slice of one of the local asteroids. It was polished to perfection, and gleaming veins of the rich black ore shimmered on the surface. I watched as workers in fuel trucks drove across the hangar and started uncoiling a fuel hose to attached to the bottom of Ether Rogue.

  “Okay. Kyle, if you’d like to talk one-on-one about why I paid a bounty hunter to connect you with me, I’d be happy to oblige and give you privacy, otherwise, I’ll let you know now,” Cadan said as we took our seats opposite from him.

  I didn’t have to consider. “You can let me know now, Cadan. But first, I would appreciate if you could answer a couple questions for Fen about the bounty hunter.”

  He nodded, seeming hesitant, but waited politely for Fen to speak.

  The yōkai woman cleared her throat, speaking through her glass-like mask. “As you probably know, Mr. Graves, the yōkai race see in the full spectrum. The bounty hunter who completed your contract to give your information to Kyle was also trying to capture Gwen and turn her over to Dalthaxian forces. I saw the emblem of the Black Lotus Cartel on the shoulder plate of his commando armor printed in UV spot ink. Gwen was able to gather some data snippets during our brief encounter with the man, but our ship’s AI was unable to parse it and extract anything meaningful. We were hoping you might have more information so we know what we are dealing with.”

  Cadan nodded. “Of course, it isn’t an issue and I’ll be happy to tell you all I can so you get some answers. Bounty Net is an anonymous system running as a third-party intermediary between agents and principals, and there isn’t any way I can pull information on the man who completed my contract. If you saw the Black Lotus Cartel emblem, then it was probably there. It’s very likely that Dalthaxia just opened up the contract on Bounty Net to try to get it accomplished faster and cheaper, but it is also very possible that the Black Lotus Cartel might start working for Dalthaxia directly as this war progresses.”

  “And do you have any relation with them?” I asked Cadan, hoping to get straight answers. As an anomaly, he had the ultimate poker face due to the fact that he had no face. I could see why someone like him would pick the race he had, especially in his position of power within his guild.

  “We have a very limited relationship strictly in trade. We sell processed titanium fiber from the asteroid belt and compressed raw deuterium from our system’s star to their cartel. It’s strictly business, and as far as I’m concerned, the Black Lotus Cartel isn’t my enemy unless they side with Dalthaxia further down the line—at which point our professional relationship will end abruptly and we will have no choice but to consider them an enemy of the state.”

  I didn’t like the way Cadan was referring to his organization as the state. It was clear he wasn’t aligned to the Salgon Empire either, and his brutal attack on one of the strongest Dalthaxian Navy fleets left no question of his feelings toward the Alliance.

  “You do not understand what they are capable of. They kill thousands and leave entire stations dying in their wake,” Fen said, choking up with the words. Her head dipped and she remained quiet. I knew she wasn’t talking about Eternity Online now. The Black Lotus Cartel was a big problem in the real world to the point where the Dalthaxian Alliance couldn’t do much to stifle their organizational efforts and underground black market dealings. With the incredible privacy mechanics and right-to-play systems in place in the Eternity War, it made sense that the Cartel would be able to seize a strong foothold in the game world from the start.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Dark Eternity doesn’t share their values, but we need to keep the cash flows coming. I hope this won’t negatively impact our potential business together,” Cadan said.

  “Do you have any more questions for him, Fen?” I asked. She shook her head, remaining silent. “What’s the deuterium used for?” I asked, unsure of whether or not it was used in nuclear reactors like it was in real life. I was still learning about the extensive crafting and manufacturing skills in Eternity Online, and though all of my coworkers on Tiyvan IV had a lot more insight into those than me, I was more or less in the dark. I made a mental note to ask my coworkers some questions next time we were eating in the HAB’s mess hall in the real world.

  “Raw deuterium can be processed into reactor and jump drive fuel for immense planetary, station, and capital-class infrastructure. It also is used in the production of a lot of stims and consumables, amplifying the effects of the drugs and extending the shelf life of some of the more volatile compounds. With a brown dwarf star in our system, we have nearly unlimited access to deuterium—the only constraint is shipping logistics and how fast we can harvest it.”

  It explained part of why Dark Eternity appeared to be doing so well financially. “Okay. You can tell us about why you wanted to talk to me so badly that you were willing to contract it out for what we consider to be a huge sum of credits,” I continued, turning back to face Cadan.

  Cadan folded his hands together on the surface of the table, brilliant novas and nebulas cascading over his crystalline skin. “Sure. Two months ago in real life, I was shot in an alleyway by an assassin contracted out by the Dalthaxian Alliance. They were trying to get rid of me for my association with Project Eternity to silence the echoes of a successful initiative and erase it from the narrative of the next generation of warfare. They wanted to staunch attempts by the liberal party to initiate another mass exodus of several of the larger stations in the Alliance, which would harm Dalthaxia’s position in this war. As coordinator of all efforts of the project on Salgon, I was a crucial cog in the project leadership landscape in ensuring the digital war would commence.”

  “And you had the woman I loved frame me for a murder I didn’t commit,” I spat, interrupting him. The words leaked like venom without my control. Gwen placed a hand on my leg under the table, trying to calm, caution, or comfort me—maybe all three.

  He nodded, waiting to make sure I was done before continuing. “Yes, and that’s part of why I wanted to talk with you. Most other agents that were responsible for missions involved in Dalthaxia’s Project Eternity are missing or dead. Scapegoats like yourself who were former Salgonian citizens have also started to go missing or are dying on Dalthaxia. As I said earlier, Stacy is alive, and she’s under my protection in Eternity Online and in real life in an undisclosed location. I’m trying to keep the corrupt leaders of Dalthaxia from killing people who so valiantly and selflessly served the real Alliance.”

  “So you think I’m at risk of going missing or dying in the real world for my role in shadow ops I know almost nothing about?” I asked, knowing damn well Dalthaxia had my employment records—or at least could convince Rollings Mining to pull them and send all my personal data over on a golden platter.

  “Exactly. And I don’t want that to happen. I made a terrible mistake. I couldn’t—or I refused to—see and acknowledge the corruption that was right in front of me this whole time. I lived through my execution attempt, but I’ll never walk again outside of Eternity Online. I’m living underground like a rat now, doped up on painkillers and stuffed in a stasis pod to play Eternity Online as a Sleeper. It’s poetic justice, actually.” He laughed—it was a harsh metallic sound.

  “So you almost die, have a life-changing wake-up call, and now you’ve devoted your life to helping the survivors you ruined and left in your wake of death?” I asked, my voice taking on a cruel tone. Anger and scorn were burning underneath the surface of my emotions like a furnace, consuming everything else. All of the buried, dormant pain was slipping through, igniting as it struck the scorched surface. But something else surfaced with it.

  “I’d say that about sums it up. I want to save you, Kyle. But I can’t do that if you don’t want to be saved. With Dark Eternity, I can save our system. Dalthaxia and Salgon are dying—have been for a long time. Eternity is the equalizer to this differential—
it’s a clean slate. I can make the traitors to our once-great Alliance pay for what they’ve done. I can erase the corruption. I want to help you and your friends have better lives too. It’s only a matter of time until Dalthaxia starts looking for you in real life, and when that happens, they’re not going to stop until they can put a bullet or blaster bolt through your brain and erase your entire history from existence. I don’t want that to happen.”

  “Wait. I got a message from Stacy only a couple days ago. It was sent from the Dalthaxian Supreme Emissary on Salgon along with some sort of activation key for Eternity Online. Do you think there is any chance that was actually sent by her?” I asked Cadan, most of my anger shifting to cold fear.

  The color and star patterns faded from Cadan’s face leaving only shining chrome before they returned. “There is zero chance she sent that. Please tell me you didn’t open it. This means Dalthaxia is trying to keep an eye on you to decide what to do with you in the real world.”

  I shook my head, feeling a chill go down my spine at the thought of how close I’d been to accepting that activation key. “No, I didn’t open it. I’ll do everything I can to keep them from linking me to the events at Vrenn today. I could be tried as a criminal under real Dalthaxian law, so there’s that.”

  “This is all too much,” Gwen said, shaking her head. She didn’t know everything I did about the past—only what I’d told her so far. I could see how overwhelmed she was, and though Fen had no facial expressions to show through the mask shrouding her face, she looked uncomfortable too. How much more would they be able to handle before they decided me and Brandon were too great of a risk to have as partners? “I think we’re done here, this is crazy,” Gwen finished.

  Cadan shrugged. “It’s all the truth. I’m just trying to amend my past, and I’m trying to fix the wrongdoing of the Alliance I love. The corrupt remains of Dalthaxia know what you have, Ms. Delarine. I know what you have. That Strexian map fragment is yours. I’m not going to take it or harm you. In fact, if you want the assistance, I’m willing to devote Dark Eternity’s resources into helping you with your planned expedition as well as protecting you in real life until this war is finished. All that I ask in return is that you give my guild the first right of refusal on anything you find on your expedition. We’ll be prepared to make you a substantial offer.”

  “And if we refuse your offer?” I demanded, adrenaline spiking through my veins at how wrong this could all go at a moment’s notice. Every scenario that played through my head didn’t end well if Cadan decided to simply take what we had and remove us through the equation. Then this would have all been for nothing.

  “You have to understand, Kyle. I have a vested interest in making sure Dark Eternity acquires what you find and I am able to keep it out of Dalthaxia’s hands. I don’t know what’s waiting for you wherever that fragment takes you—but I’m certain it’s important to the outcome of this war.”

  Gwen looked severely uncomfortable, but she wasn’t registering surprise at the fact Cadan knew about the map fragment. Cadan could kill us all and take the fragment before we’d even come close to escaping. Gwen took a deep breath, exhaling slowly and collecting herself. “What kind of help are you offering, Cadan?”

  28

  “We have an agreement, then?” Cadan asked, extending his hand for each of us to shake.

  My pride wanted me to walk away and cut Cadan out of my life—my past demanded it. Only, what option did I have but to take the deal? We wouldn’t be able to escape Dark Eternity’s clutches if Cadan decided to turn on us. How could I resist an opportunity to make us all rich, even if I didn’t believe Cadan was fully honest with his intentions with us?

  If we failed our expedition and lost the map fragment, Cadan would lose his opportunity to buy whatever treasure was waiting for us in the Strexian temple. It didn't make sense that he would just let us walk away from this situation knowing what we had, if he needed it that badly, unless he really was trying to do the right thing. We are still in Cadan’s grasp, I reminded myself, knowing that everything could collapse in a single moment.

  I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, not quite believing I was about to make another deal with Cadan Graves after all I had been through. We were in the big leagues now, and assuming Cadan didn’t try to screw us over, we could be set for the rest of our lives.

  “We have a deal, Mr. Graves,” Gwen said before I could convince myself to walk away from it all. She shook Cadan’s hand first, then the rest of us followed.

  I met Cadan’s sleek, faceless head. Shaking his hand and clearly recalling what his face looked like in real life. I hated this man, and that wasn't something that was going to change anytime soon. But I pushed all of that aside for the greater good—for Brandon and his sister, and for Gwen and Fen, my new friends.

  Cadan clapped his hands together in excitement. “Great, I’ll just need your signatures here on this contract, and I’ll take you to the armory and our best splicer to get your gear and any cybernetic augmentations you might want. You can split the 100k for gear and ability uploads however you’d like, and I’m offering fair market prices on everything we have in stock.”

  Contractual Agreement

  Date: April 1st, 3146.

  Principal: Cadan Graves — Dark Eternity Guild

  Agents: Brandon, Fen, Gwen, Kyle. (player public contact connection key and IDs encrypted.)

  Contract Terms:

  The agents listed in this contract agree to give the Right of First Refusal on any property acquired from their expedition to the locational data on their Strexian Map fragment (item transcription embedded on contract security hash) including, but not limited to: foreign currencies, relics, weapons, artifacts, equipment, starships, transports, luxury goods, oddities, and miscellaneous goods.

  This contract does not extend Right of First Refusal to anything acquired anywhere else along the journey unless it is of Strexian origin.

  In exchange for this right, Cadan Graves of Dark Eternity is issuing the following one-time terms as consideration:

  ● Up to 100,000 eCr of weapons, armor, equipment, and ability uploads from Dark Eternity’s armory. Dark Eternity will issue the fair market price on all items tendered using market standard prices across Eternity Online.

  ● Up to 50,000 eCr of ship modifications and modules installed by Dark Eternity shipwrights.

  ● Up to 30,000 eCr worth of crafting materials and schematics.

  ● Full insurance coverage on Ether Rogue and all carried cargo logged following the transfer of all prior lines of consideration on this contract (ship transcription embedded on contract security hash). This insurance policy will be considered valid until Dark Eternity’s Right of First Refusal is completed.

  Contract completion, expiration, and termination:

  If completed, this contract is considered void in its entirety. Aforementioned agents are entitled to keep all items of consideration excluding the insurance policy of Ether Rogue and all cargo logged at the completion of this contract signing. This contract will expire if the Eternity Online war ends. Agents will be considered in breach of contract if Right of First Refusal is not given to Cadan Graves and Dark Eternity.

  This contract is non-transferable by agents but can be transferred by Cadan Graves to any Dark Eternity member with a vested interest in the terms set forth in this contract.

  We all signed, knowing that the contract wasn’t backed by Dalthaxian or Salgonian law, but rather was a loose ‘gentleman’s agreement’ between Dark Eternity and our ragtag party.

  The agreement gave us an insane amount of money up front, and I looked forward to developing and gearing my character. I doubted Cadan would have much in terms of spell uploads that I could, learn especially due to how rare Strexian magic was in Eternity Online. My EoeTech light blaster pistol was great, but it wasn’t anything like Brandon’s prestige-quality shotgun he had gained from the one fateful quest that had secured a great start for the both of us.


  I was due for gear upgrades, especially since we hit character level 5 and I wasn’t currently using anything that required above character level 2. With our upcoming shopping spree, it was important to plan our purchases with how we wanted to spend our first class points that we had earned.

  Cadan closed the document after adding his own signature. “Great, I’m wiring a copy to each of you to keep on record. Let’s get you to the armory and splicer so you can shop. You’re welcome to trade in any equipment you’d like for fair sell value to improve your contractual allotment if you’d like. I don’t want there to be any question of the fact that I’d like to see you all succeed, though I understand why you want to do this yourselves.”

  I took the opportunity to review my basic character sheet as a distant hover car sped across the hangar to pick us up and take us to the armory, knowing from what I’d read about classes that I would need to spend my character point before choosing my class path in order to get the most value out of it.

  Kyle Gennan

  Level 5 Human (Classless)

  - XP: 7/160 (96% XP remaining until next level.)

  - 1 Class Point available!

  Resources

  - 30/30 HP (10 base + 20 from attributes)

  - Mana (active): 45/45 (5 base + 40 from attributes)

  Defenses

  - Armor: 15

  - Evasion: 5

  - Shield: 0

  Primary Attributes (1 Attribute Point available!)

  - Body: 0 (10 HP and 5 active resource per point invested in Body.)

  - Mind: 3 (10 active resource and 5 HP per point invested in Mind.)