《Tunnel Rat》


 Chapter 1: Milo

    Chapter 1: Milo


    Milo didn''t think the replacement belt on the #3 air handler for E Section was going to hold for long, but the nearest dead machine to take a replacement from was 16 stories up and over in H Section. He''d take a trip if he had to, but for now he was going to splice a section into the broken belt, wrap the fix in duct tape, and hope for the best.


    For the thousandth time he wondered why they called it duck tape. He''d never seen a duck, but he doubted birds needed tape of any kind. It was useful for fixing things though, and there was a warehouse full of it over on B-6. Early on he had moved several thousand rolls up into one of his storage areas. As he used it more and more, he discouraged other looters by welding the warehouse doors shut.


    Repair done, he gathered up his precious tools, and retreated into around a corner before turning the air handler back on. Not all machinery liked being put back to work, and sometimes showed their displeasure by shaking themselves apart or exploding. Milo was taking no chances with this one. He picked up a metal rod in his tail, and used the six-foot-long mechanical limb to poke at buttons and switches until the machine shuddered to life. There was a noticeable whine from the belt, but over-all both he and the machine seemed happy with the result. He could go adjust the work load on the other two air handlers in this section and be done with the job. They''d been working harder with this one down which was a sure way to have them go down as well.


    No one thought about air when things worked. But when it wasn''t circulating in the corridors and residences people got worried. First it smelled stale, and people worried. Calls went in to the maintenance department. Ignored of course because hardly anyone cared about fixing things in the habitats. But once people started dying in their sleep, and the residents moved out to the streets or clogged the common areas in other parts of the hab, suddenly it was an ''emergency'' and someone from maintenance showed up.


    The clumsy techs would move into Milo''s world, tearing up duct work to find the problem and breaking two things for everything they fixed. He hated them. He had to hide his work carefully, shut down any projects, and hide up in his safe room until they left. It was better for everyone if Milo fixed things. The residents got air to breath, the techs could avoid work, and Milo was left alone in his world of broken machinery, unused corridors, and metal tunnels. Which suited Milo just fine.


    Work done on the air handler, Milo got on his wheel-board and rolled down the medium sized tunnel. These were about 36" square. Easy for Milo to zoom along as his hands pushed off the walls and he rolled along on the silent, friction-less wheels attached to two-foot square piece of plastic. He''d found the wheels holding up a diagnostic unit for hover-cars in a factory down in the basement of G section. Milo was there to ''borrow'' some wrenches and calipers when he saw them. It had only taken an hour to lift the machine with a winch, take off the wheels and drop things back down. They were nice wheels and the diagnostic machine would just have to stay where it was.?v€l-B!n.


    And Milo was the mechanic that kept things running. Milo stood less than four feet tall. His left leg was missing from above his knee and had been that way since birth. He''d augmented it with a series of better and better prosthetics as he found schematics on the data net and had time to make the parts. The current model was fitted to his upper thigh and controlled from a cable that shared access to his lower port with his tail.


    He also had two ports on the back of his neck, and another a foot lower. Not his work, they''d been installed in the first month of his existence. He had trouble with the idea that other people didn''t have them and wondered how they managed.


    Other than a mechanical leg and tail and cables that ran from his various equipment to his data ports, Milo looked like a thin 12-year-old boy with brown hair and eyes. And maybe he always would. He''d quit growing at the age of 12 and was now somewhere around 24.


    An alarm went off. Milo spun from the workbench and pushed his wheeled chair to his desk. His fingers went to his keyboard and his tail plugged into a data socket. Instantly he was tied into cameras and sensors all over E section and a few other parts of the habitat. He looked at what had triggered the alarm.


    A large empty area of the adjacent D section had company. Someone had broken the locks he''d put on the doors and torn out the welded doors. They were rapidly setting up equipment and moving in what looked like medical pods into the area. Milo shut down everything else he was doing and put all of his attention to observation and gathering data.


    This was the room Milo had been born in. And one of the faces he saw looked familiar.

 Chapter 2: Heist

    Chapter 2: Heist


    Milo had chaotic memories of his early years, all of which had been spent in the large room he was now monitoring. He remembered the pods of course. Long cylinders that held a person, either for medical purposes, or for long-term interaction with the internet. Or gaming. Pods were becoming more and more popular as the price went down, and gamers grew to love being logged into games for hours and days at a time.


    Milo had learned a lot about the pods in the past years. He and his siblings had been hooked up to Mark II medical pods. What was being moved into the empty warehouse was a mix of Mark III and IV pods. But one was much larger and more intricate. A quick trip to the data-net gave him the specs on the new Mark VII medical/gaming pod. Interesting, why just one of them? All they could steal or buy?


    Milo and his family had spent most of their lives in pods very similar to the Mark III''s he saw in the warehouse. His playmates had been the other twenty-four children, who like himself had been modified with sockets. Many had visible birth defects. His ''parents'' had been an assortment of technicians and doctors who didn''t think of the children as people. They were just part of the machines.


    They were only unhooked from the computers and their pods for two hours a day when they did exercises for muscle tone. The computers they were hooked into were their schools. Their classes were in security systems, running manufacturing remotely with waldos, moving funds in accounts, and most of all in not leaving a trace when moving about the internet.


    This became much easier as the Wildfire virus decimated much of the internet. It trashed security systems, pushed data to the public domain, and erased knowledge. Milo and the others were like scavengers feeding on the left overs of a predator.v3l.B11n.


    By eight years old Milo and his siblings were raiding corporate data bases and stealing millions each day. But their ''parents'' were getting sloppy. The original group was rich now and hired help oversaw the dingy warehouse with two dozen children who rarely left their pods and never talked. Or rather, never talked out loud. They communicated constantly with each through the machines, played games, and shared everything they knew.


    By the time Milo was nine, there were only two guards in the warehouse for most of the nights. The children lay in their pods doing their assignments. But they were getting bored. They started exploring the systems directly around them. They easily bypassed any of the security that would let their overseers know what they were doing. Milo had discovered the security systems for the rest of the building their home was in. He and some of the others wondered about trying to escape the warehouse, but they didn''t know where to go.


    When he had started his first workshop and needed materials, he''d begun to raid what was left of his home. He had an idea that maybe he''d find clues to the others somewhere in the defunct machinery and broken computers. He hadn''t, but what he had done was create a system for lifting loads of machinery from the room, and up to a large horizontal shaft that ran one hundred yards to a Big Drop.


    Two ceiling panels moved aside and Milo lowed himself into the room with a winch. He carefully unhooked the Mark VII and two Mark III pods. Cargo nets enveloped each one and the winch took each them slowly up to the horizontal shaft. The final load was a pallet of nutrient sacks and medical supplies used in the pods to keep their users alive.


    Getting the pods up to the horizontal shaft was the first step. Milo had to cover his tracks. Ceiling panels were replaced. The winch was retracted. He''d come back and take it out entirely as soon as he could to leave as few clues as possible. The metal sheet he''d removed from the side of the horizontal shaft was replaced. Then came the long slow process of moving the pods and supplies up top. Each Big Drop had a winch and pulley assembly for exactly what Milo needed now: Moving heavy loads up many stories to the top of the habitat. Even if someone figured out how he had stolen the pods, finding out which level they had gone to would be difficult.


    An hour after he had finished covering his tracks, Milo was standing on the Mark VII pod as it moved up to level 48 where he would store it. Below him was a drop of many stories, but he trusted his systems. A motorized pallet jack moved each load deeper into the habitat to where he could take them down to the Pipeworks. It took the rest of the night, but eventually Milo had all three pods and the supplies hidden in the Pipeworks. Tomorrow he would begin the task of moving the Mark VII into his home. The Mark III''s were just extra salvage. He wasn''t sure what he''d do with them, but it never hurt to have more parts.


    Back in his home, Milo went ahead and added his modifications to the security tapes. He''d spent hours doctoring a sequence where the two guards slumped over unconscious , and then the doors opened and masked thieves entered the room. In this tape the pods were loaded up and taken out of the room. Other security cameras would show the thieves moving the pods to a nearby storage room. No one had used that room for years, leaving a convenient and confusing dead end.


    Heist done, Milo relaxed a bit. He checked all of the systems that he monitored, and made a list of repairs to do the next day. His stomach growled; it had been a long day. He sent a command to the food processor and a moment later a large container of food appeared in a pneumatic tube. He opened the container, seeing the tasteless cubes of yellow ''food'' that everyone in the hab ate unless you spent real money. And no one had money. Supposedly they tasted like chicken. Milo couldn''t judge. It was just something you chewed and swallowed to stay alive.


    Basics taken care of, he set his alarm. Two hours of sleep would be enough to recover his energy and then he was going to get the Mark VII pod set up and take it for a spin.

 Chapter 3: How about a nice game of chess?

    Chapter 3: How about a nice game of chess?


    Setting up the Mark VII medical pod took Milo a week. It was a much more difficult project than he had first imagined. First of all, it had been modified for Kaminski¡¯s project. Milo didn''t know what they had done, so the first chore was restoring the pod to its original configuration. Every circuit had to be checked and tested, and the programming reinstalled.


    Documentation and software were simple to acquire. It seemed that most of the large corporations were sponsoring this new game and running installations that supplied the pods to users. Breaking into ACME or AlexaCorp was something he had done when he was an 8-year-old. It was literally child''s play. Armed with the documentation he restored the pod and prepared it for his own use.


    What would have taken a normal technician a few months, Milo did in a week. His ability to access information from the data-net was 20 times faster than a normal person. He essentially had close to a perfect photographic memory. And he only slept two hours a day. Someone had done a good job designing Milo and his siblings.


    But not a perfect job. Milo had problems at times. Vitamin or minerals that his body needed but weren''t in the food he had access to in the hab. He had to be careful of infections, especially around his implants. Crawling through miles of dirty duct-work every day meant any small cut or scrape could be a problem. The Mark VII pod could solve all of that.


    Some modifications were done. He added manual controls to the door of the pod, and an additional socket that would let him access the pods GUI with his tail, or a cable from one of his ports. He also welded a hook to the outside of the door and ran that to powered cable that could pull the door loose in an emergency. With no one else to rely on for any part of his life, Milo took as few chances as he could. Being locked in a defective pod for some reason was not something he wanted to experience.


    When he had triple checked everything once again, he nervously entered the pod and laid down. It was comfortable at least. The cushions inflated to cradle his body. For long term care they would move slightly, relieving pressure to prevent bedsores. If this worked out, Milo considered just sleeping in the pod at night.


    Normally a technician would insert IV tubes. Milo didn''t need them. He had shunts in several places on his arms, legs and torso for administering drugs. They''d been installed at the same time his sockets had been put in place. This was handy now. He hooked up the nutrient and drug IV tubes easily, and brought up the GUI for the pod. There was a slight vibration for a minute, and then a screen came up that he saw on the lid of the pod.


    Initialization of MkVII:8945621A


    Welcome back, Mr. Kaminski, would you like to play a game?


    No, Milo did not want to play a game. He went into the registration file, erased all the entered data, and replaced it with just his name.


    reInitialization of MkVII:8945621A


    Greetings, Milo.


    Welcome to the world of Genesis Engine!


    The hyper-real Virtual Reality of the game may cause slight disorientation at first. While you are in a game, and your body is resting comfortably in your MKVII pod, your mind and senses are being fed information that duplicates your experience in the real world. We just added orcs and magic.


    Milo looked down at his body, and it was all wrong. Or maybe, right? He had two legs. Longer legs than he was used to. He took a step and immediately fell forward. His balance was off, and controlling the new leg was different from his prosthetic somehow. And he was wearing odd clothes, tight fitting grey pants and shirt with soft grey boots.


    If you are having trouble adjusting to moving in VR, please take some time to walk around before we start the tutorial. Gameplay experience will be greatly increased by connecting to the data-net.


    Connecting the machine to the data-net was the last thing Milo wanted to do right now. It wasn''t even possible. The machine had no physical connection to a communication line. While he was sure it also had the ability to tap into the wireless grid in the hab, no signal would get through the walls of Milo''s home. He had added several layers of aluminum-iron oxide laced paint to the interior to block all signals. He didn''t need someone wondering why they were getting a signal from an old water tank.


    He spent a few minutes trying to walk around the room, getting his balance. It still felt odd. He was also used to compensating for the weight of his tail, and more than once as he fell, he tried to catch himself with the non-existent limb instead of his hands.


    Please signal when ready to begin a tutorial. Do you prefer a screen, or a personal trainer?


    Images appeared on the screen: A man in shorts and a tank top, a woman dressed in metal armor, a friendly old man with a long beard leaning on a cane, and an insect in a top hat. They all waved and the creepy bug tipped his hat.


    "Let¡¯s go with the elderly gentleman." The others faded and the old man stepped forward and out of the screen, which disappeared.


    Milo was impressed, that had actually looked real. But he immediately took two steps back. He hadn''t been this close to a person in years. It bothered him a bit.


    The old man looked at him. "Well, young one, ready to see what you can do?"


    As soon as Milo said "yes", there was another of the odd fading away feelings and he was somewhere else.

 Chapter 4: Nowhere to run.

    Chapter 4: Nowhere to run.


    Milo and the old man were standing in a field of short grass that came up past his ankles. Wildflowers bloomed in some areas, lending a sweet smell to the air. Overhead, fluffy white clouds slowly moved across a bright blue sky where the brilliant sun shone down. Mountains ringed the area, miles in the distance.


    It was quite the beautiful area. And totally alien to Milo in every way.


    Milo slowly turned in a circle, staring at the wide-open spaces and the huge sky above. He didn''t like it. He didn''t like it one bit! It made him nervous, there was nowhere to go, no place to hide. The old man just stood smiling. "You may refer to me as Galet. Are you ready to begin the tutorial?"


    "Tutorial? No. I''m not ready."


    The old man bowed and smiled. "We will begin slowly then. There is a sword in the grass in front of you, pick it up and hit the orc approaching you."


    Milo saw the glint of metal and picked up the sword. It was sort of awkward. A long piece of metal with sharp edges. "Orc?"


    "Right behind you. Slash at the orc with your sword."


    Milo spun, and saw that a creature was behind him. It was as tall as him and heavily muscled wearing some furs and leather. In the orcs hand was a club of twisted wood. Milo looked at the orc, the orc stood there looking at him. "Why am I supposed to hit the guy, and where the hell did he come from?" That last part bothered Milo a lot! How had this thing snuck up on him?


    Milo started running, putting distance between him and the threat. There was nowhere to hide! After a minute he turned and saw two figures in the distance. Safe from them, but the sky pressed down and the vast open space was threat he couldn''t outrun. He could feel the panic growing. He disconnected.


    Milo came out of the pod, panting. He had interrupted the scan, left the game, manually pushed up the lid and exited. His house calmed him. He was safe here. He made sure all his alarm systems were on, did a quick scan of the areas nearby, and then he climbed into bed, exhausted.


    Four hours later he awoke, and ate a meal of food cubes. He remembered the smells in the weird game. Did they have taste too? Putting aside thoughts of the game, he got to work. Things went bad quickly if he didn''t pay attention. Today''s main job was a clog in one of the lines that took waste water to the fluid recycler. The pipes were old and not smooth on the inner surfaces. Stuff built up, things got stuck, slowly narrowing the pipes. Then a chunk upstream broke loose, making a dam downstream. The other pipes took up the load, but only for so long.


    Luckily this time the clog eaters responded. The machines were like mechanical moles. They moved through the pipes chewing up the clogs, and cleaning the the pipe lining. Two hours later things were good as new. He was down to only two of the clog eaters though. He needed at least one more. They each weighed about half a ton and were hard to move. Tomorrow he could check out other sectors and see about swapping one of his broken ones for a working model. There were several parts of the habitat that were abandoned and should have machines he could take to use in E section.


    At the end of the day, he approached the pod again. He needed this to work. It had been foolish to start up a VR game without doing research into it. Two hours of reading on the data-net had explained things to him. It was like another world in there, but it was a fantasy unlike the real world in so many ways. Huge spaces with just wilderness, unspoiled lands, and blue skies. Nothing at all like Milo''s world of small tunnels, grimy corridors, and broken machinery.


    He''d suffered a bout of panic. Kenophobia, to use the medical term. A fear of open spaces. Normally, he dealt with fear by running and finding somewhere to hide. How do you hide from the sky? He wasn''t sure if it was permanent, or just a reaction to the surprise of being ''outside'' for the first time. But he had a better plan of attack now.


    Step one was finishing the medical scan. That had to come first. He had downloaded a huge amount of info on the game, put the data into a storage device, and hooked that up to the pod. He could read and learn about the game while the scan was running, and then tackle the game the next day. He set up the medical scan again, refused the offer to play a game, and started reading about Genesis Online.


    The game had been running for a month, and there was a lot of emerging information on the game. But only the tip of the iceberg. Hundreds of new skills had been found in different regions. Some only available after doing some great deed for an NPC, completing a quest, or doing some nearly impossible tasks.


    This intrigued Milo. His life was task oriented. Survival, safety, control of his area, identifying problems in the machinery keeping zone E functioning, finding solutions and implementing them. He was in a constant cycle of learning new things, gaining resources, building and fixing. The people playing the game seemed to be in the same cycles, but they considered it fun instead of work.


    They were even paying a fortune to do so! Milo had seen auctions for items in the game. A staff that augmented magical powers in Tier 2 wizards had gone for over 10,000 real dollars. That was enough money to buy a brand-new clog eater! He suddenly had an urge to check on Kaminski again. He had an idea of what he was doing.


    At the moment what Kaminski was doing was desperately trying to keep his operation running. The loss of his first MKVII pod had been a huge setback. He''d been a fool to have such lax security. One of the rival groups working for his employer had seen a way to cut their own costs. He''d been lucky they only took two of the older pods along with the MKVII.


    He had scrambled to raise the cash to replace it and get the operation up and running. Failure was not an option with his current employers. Plus, he had been forced to triple his security system. A half a dozen armed guards were now in the warehouse at all times. The doors had been replaced with thick plasteel barriers that would withstand tank shells. It was costly, but he couldn''t suffer another loss.


    There were complications with replacing the pod. He couldn''t just purchase a standard MKVII. The missing pod had been heavily modified by his employer. He couldn''t just say "I lost it." He spent a day setting up an complex scheme to fake the pods destruction by a falling ten-ton machine that had inexplicably come loose from it''s mounting on the ceiling at just the wrong moment. It was convenient that he had two dead bodies to also place under the machinery along with a standard MarkVII pod. There would be suspicions, but the project was important to both sides. If he could get things running, all would be forgiven. In this business all that mattered was money.


    He knew the same pod was also allowing its user to log in unofficially. He now had that person¡¯s DNA mapping, his fingerprints, retinal scan, height, weight, sex, and all other medical data, but still had no clue who he was. He had a name: Milo. But none of the other data was registered anywhere in the world.


    Wally didn''t have true human emotions, but close. Some things caused him great concern, or something similar to anger. But the closest his behavior came to matching a human was frustration. Not having data on the person he''d found caused Wally a lot of that.


    More frustrating was seeing the illegal modifications that had been done to this person. Such things could only be done in the first days of a child''s life, or before they were born. Most died within a few years. Here was an adult with a modified nervous system and sockets that allowed direct connections with the data net. Wally wanted to know who he was, and how to shut him down. And if there were more people like him. But first he had to talk to him. He couldn''t find him in the real world. But when he next logged into the game, Wally would know, and could begin tracking him.


    Milo, unaware that the medical component of the pod was betraying him, prepared to log into Genesis and continue to learn about the game. He''d completed what he could of the offline tutorial, and started to begin again online, when one of his alarms went off. The number 7 food compiler was sending down food cubes that more resembled charcoal than they did cube shaped gelatin that tasted like chicken. Some people joked they were better. After having been online for only 17 seconds, Milo logged out to go shut down number 7, and reroute dinner for 2000 people from another source. 17 seconds had been more than enough time for his pod to send over all his medical data to the archives and put Wally on his trail.


    Two hours later, problem fixed, he got back into the pod, inserted the IV''s and prepared to spend six hours in the pod playing in Genesis while his pod corrected some of the abuse his body had taken.


    The login process was different.


    Milo stood in a huge domed room. The floor was sand. Around the perimeters of the room stood statues. The first ring was sort of familiar to him. The short guy was a dwarf, the big girl in furs was a barbarian, the short guy with no beard was...another dwarf? Ok, so not familiar.


    The second row was even tougher for him. Lizardman for sure, since that''s what it looked like. Minotaur was from a Greek story? The lady with the huge red fist, the rotting person, and the skeleton were out of old horror movies he was pretty sure.


    A dry cough alerted him to the presence of the old man. "Enjoying the choices you have for your race? Do you have questions?"


    "I can be any of these?" Milo saw hundreds of statues.


    The old man shook his head a bit. "Eventually. But some of them have requirements, special quests, initiation and rebirth into a new tribe. For a beginner, I recommend Human. If you have played fantasy games before, perhaps you might enjoy Elf, Half-elf, Dwarf, Halfling, or Barbarian. There are also many sub-races such as Lunar Elves, Hill Dwarves, or Stone Clan Barbarians.


    "Which ones have a tail? I keep falling over. I need to be shorter and have a tail."


    The old man put his hand on his chin and considered, then said. "Feel free to look around at the various races."


    Milo strolled past the various statues. He found a human sized cat person with a long prehensile tail. The warrior had sharp fangs, but the hands were more human looking. "How about this guy, where is he from?"


    Galet stolled over to the statue. "Ah, a fierce race. These are the Rakhasha. They hail from another dimension originally. You can become one by gaining favor with their General, then impressing the High Priestess for a blessing, journeying through a portal, defeating a void beast and eating it''s heart. You''ll die, but your soul will be reborn as a Rakhasha."


    Milo moved on. "He was too tall anyway."


    After several similar conversations, Galet suggest Milo bring up the list of races on a screen. "This may save us a bit of time. Races in red letters are not available to you at all. Orange have quests that will take an estimated year of moderate play to accomplish. Blue are available to beginners with a short quest and introduction to the race. Races in white are available to all players.


    Milo scanned the list. "Oh, I like this one. What does a name in yellow mean?"


    Galet sighed. "Perhaps you might like a nice wood elf ranger? I think at Tier 4 they can take limited beast forms and you could spend time as a lemur. I''m sorry Milo. Yellow denotes a difficult race that has major advantages and drawbacks. None of those will be on your list at all."


    "Really. I see one. Short, cool tail. This will do." Milo selected the race and entered the game to try it out.


    The old man just stared at the spot where the player had been. He brought up his own list. There were no yellow names there.

 Chapter 5: Shadowport

    Chapter 5: Shadowport


    Shadowport had two major things associated with it. It was damp, and it was dark.


    As legend had it, some hundreds of years ago the area was dominated by a tall mountain that overlooked a city on the coast. For one reason or another someone powerful didn''t like the city much, and they did something horrible to get rid of it. The city and everything around it just disappeared, leaving a massive hole in the ground two miles wide and a mile deep.


    Imagine the world was made of ice-cream and someone wanted to take a huge scoop out of it. Now also imagine the mountain was pretty close to the city, and the scoop sort of takes a big chunk of it, but leaves the top. The scoop also just barely cuts into the nearby ocean, so the sea comes pouring into the scoop and fills it up. Getting the picture? Big circular bay, under-cut mountain. A nice safe harbor for ships, but a little gloomy.


    After the skies cleared and whatever bad stuff that was happening stopped, people came back to the area. The huge bay was ideal for a port. The area under the mountain was a great place for a city, protected as it was from the weather and marauding orc hordes. Sure, it was a little gloomy at times, but what city wasn''t?


    This is where Milo found himself after selecting his race and class for his new character.N??v€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    Welcome back to the World of Genesis and the Game: Genesis Engine.


    Congratulations on completing the quest: Eye of Wonder.


    You have unlocked the class and race combo: Wererat Scout


    Every clan has need of clever scouts to find treasures in dangerous areas, harvest rare materials, and secretly move about the upper world. Your services will be in great demand by whichever clan you choose to deal with.


    You are currently in the city of Shadowport, in the Rustyguts Inn. Your room has been paid for the next 6 nights.


    The innkeeper, Ralph the Mouth, has a message for you.


    Milo was in a small, shabby room. There was a pallet with a dirty, patched blanket. On a small table were a pitcher of sour beer, a mug and half a loaf of stale bread. A very small window shaped like a porthole looked out onto a busy port city. He was at least four stories above the street.


    -You have the Shape change ability, and the available form: Human. Changing to your human form has a cost of 500 stamina. Changing back to normal has a stamina cost of 250. You have a bonus to your stamina of 500 to fuel this ability. If you start either change with a lack of stamina, you will use health to make up the difference. Yes, this can kill you.


    -You have the following perks: Superior Night vision, enhanced sense of smell, Dark Vision 20''.


    He chose Tail fighting as a primary skill over weak claws. He was less sure about the gathering skills, but ranked them Mining/Foraging/Skinning.


    The crafting skill list was confusing. He decided to take Mechanic and try to read up on the others. He left the second skill blank for later.


    This time when he lifted the bar, no notice appeared. He opened the door a crack and looked out. Outside of his door was a narrow bit of scaffolding running around the room, with a dozen similar doors opening onto it. Several ladders lead down a story to a large room filled with several tables where people were drinking and talking. Other than a halfling and what he thought was an elf of some sort, everyone else was a human. He decided to try to shape change out of his wereform.


    It was a rough experience. His bones and skin seemed to shift, especially his face, but he had no mirror to check. His height stayed the same and his tail disappeared. Despite being tail-less, his balance was good. He decided to venture forth.


    No one paid him any notice as he exited the room or climbed down the ladder. He saw a large open door, and made for it. It led outside the building to a sort of deck with a railing. Milo stepped to edge of the deck and got a great view of the city. There were hundreds of ships in the docks from small fishing boats to huge merchant haulers. A sleek, black warship sat off to the side on its own, sails furled and oars pulled in. Men were loading cargo of some sort into its hold.


    The sun was down low on the horizon, it''s rays slanting directly into the covered cove and lighting up the city. He imagined this was as bright as it got, which suited him just fine. The overhanging mountain gave him the security of having a roof over his head. While the city might have seen like a gloomy, overcrowded slum to other players, to Milo it was enchanting. Street lights were being lit, and people moving about. He couldn''t wait to explore.


    As he turned, a voice spoke low in his ear, and a strong hand grabbed his arm. "Going somewhere Milo? Did you conveniently forget that we have a bit of business to finish?"


    Milo''s Character Sheet:


    Name: Tallsqueak Milo Class: Scout Race: Wererat Human Level: 0 experience: 0 Boss experience: 0 Total: 0 Heritage: None BasePer LevelFrom StatsFrom CSPTotal Health 100 100 100 Stamina 600 100 600 Mana 100 50 100 Stat:RankCapexperienceBonusTotal STR 0 5 0 0 0 DEX 0 5 0 +2 2 AGI 0 5 0 +2 2 CON 0 5 0 0 0 INT 0 5 0 0 0 WIS 0 5 0 0 0 CHR 0 5 0 0 0 PER 0 5 0 +2 2 SkillsStatRank Experience P/S/T Skulk WIS


    0


    Primary Climbing AGI 0 Primary Dodge AGI 0 Primary Small Blades DEX 0 Primary Tail Fighting DEX 0 Primary Mining STR 0 Primary Acrobatics AGI 0 Secondary Throw Sharp Thing DEX 0 Secondary Fleet of Foot AGI 0 Secondary Weak Claws DEX 0 Secondary Sense Danger PER 0 Secondary Forage PER 0 Secondary Skinning DEX 0 Tertiary Manipulate Locks and Traps DEX 0 Tertiary Hide INT 0 Tertiary Open 0 Tertiary Open 0 Tertiary Open 0 Tertiary

 Chapter 6: Rat on the Roofs

    Chapter 6: Rat on the Roofs


    Milo caught a glimpse of the hand on his arm, it was the size of his whole head. Large scarred knuckles continued into fingers with thick and dirty nails. As he was spun around, he saw that the hand matched its owner. At nearly 8 feet tall, Ralph was a mountain of muscle and scar tissue. Milo barely came up past his waist.


    Fight or flight reflexes kicked in, equally worthless in this situation. Luckily, he had to do neither. "What have I told you about heading out without checking in with me? I''ve got a message for you." The hand fell from Milo''s arm and pulled a folded piece of paper out of a pocket. He looked around before talking in a voice barely above a whisper. "Squint wants to see you. One of his kulags dropped this off."


    "Kulags?"


    Ralph started ponderously moving back towards the wall of the inn and sat in a huge rocking chair. "That''s right, you''re new here. Grab a seat for a minute and I''ll tell you a few things that might, just might, keep you alive for a day."


    Milo grabbed a three-legged stool and sat down. Ralph continued, keeping his voice low.


    "Kulags were a low-level gang of thieves and smugglers who operated out of the lower docks. Not a bad bunch of guys at all, hard working. They did nearly as much normal trading as they did smuggling. Squint was just one of them. Not a bad shot with a bow, but none too sharp otherwise, if you catch my drift."


    Milo just nodded. Ralph continued, keeping his voice low. "Squint came back after a raid one time, just himself. He was a bit strange, strutting around like he owned the place and a couple of the boys decided to put him in his place. They say he just smiled at them and then they fell to the ground dead with slit throats, and Squint was cleaning the blood off his blade. After that, when Squint said he was in charge, none of the other Kulags argued."


    "Kulags did good after that. Squint found odd jobs that paid well. And the other gangs didn''t mess with the Kulags after a couple of entire gangs just disappeared. And shit got weird." Ralph stopped his story and pulled out a worn wooden pipe, packed it with tobacco and lit it. Milo looked on with interest. He''d never seen someone do this before. After a couple of puffs, Ralph continued.


    "Some of the boys say Squint went into the dark and went deep down. He went past the last gate and to the stairs that go to the Black. No one expected him to come back. Bad times for the Kulags as the gangs decided to take back the territory they''d lost. Poor decision. Squint was back three weeks later and he wasn''t alone. He had two huge cat-things with him. If he was a terror before, he was worse now."


    "Now he calls himself ''Lord of what I can see.'' He took over the Lights End and made it his base. Anyone who argues gets a bad case of dead. Funny guy though. Instead of taking over all the gangs and smuggling houses, he still just runs the Kulags."


    "Anyway, story time is over. Head on back to the End. You can''t miss it. Just keep going back into the darker areas and look for a big whorehouse decked out in lanterns. Hard to miss it in the dark end. And I wouldn''t keep him waiting, if you know what I mean. So, git!" This last statement was punctuated by a huge foot launching Milo into the air and over the railing. He managed to grab a rung of a ladder as he sailed past, and flipped around, his feet finding support. He quickly climbed down to the ground level.


    The sun was starting to set. More and more lights were being lit along the main streets while the alleys and rooftops went from shadows to darkness. Milo''s sight changed slowly. Things grew sharper, but colors faded. He looked around the city. It was like someone had taken four or five cities and just put them on top of each other, connecting them with walkways and ladders. Far above he could even see structures that started from the rocky roofs extending downward. He looked at the message. There was a crude map drawn on it. It showed the harbor, the building he''d woken up in, and then an arrow pointing to deeper into the cavern. A scrawled message said "See you soon. -Your buddy Squint... Kulag!!"


    This was so outside of Milo''s experiences that he hesitated. Even talking to Ralph and being near people was odd. He kept telling himself it was just a game, no matter how real it felt. Still, best to not keep this person waiting. He moved to the darker side of the street and started walking further into the cavern.


    The streets were a mix of stone and packed gravel. A few times he crossed over bridges spanning chasms. The streetlights in front of the better-looking buildings seemed to be automatic. In other places people were hanging lanterns or refilling ones atop lamp posts. The city had an uneven look to it. Older buildings were often of stone, taking up an entire city block and soaring up several stories with few windows down low. Wooden buildings surrounded them, their rotting structures leaning drunkenly against their sober stone compatriots. l--B1n.


    The road he was following came up on a large stone bridge that arched over a substantial crack in the ground. Milo could hear the sound of rushing water. The lights on the bridge showed several people on the bridge. They weren''t going anywhere, simply leaning against the stone rails, watching and talking. He decided to go around. He didn''t see any other bridges, but there were walkways high up. He moved into the alley under the bridge, tossed his sandals into his pack, and started to climb up the side. His fingers and toes easily found handholds as he scrambled up six stories to the walkway across the chasm. He paused to look around his surroundings. He liked it better up here. More dimensions in which to flee.


    The bridge was dark. A small lantern shed light on his end, but the center of the bridge and the other end were dark. He started across, the bridge swaying beneath him. He could see down to the dark water moving swiftly through the chasm. Where did the water go? Did it dig a path deeper into the earth? Or simply drain into the bay?


    You have gained 50 experience in Small Blades.


    Small Blades has reached level 1. You gain +5% to hit.


    You have gained 50 experience in Weak Claws.


    Weak Claws has reached level 1. You gain +5% to hit.


    You have gained 50 experience in Dodge.


    Dodge has reached level 1. You gain +5% to evasion when using dodge.


    You have gained 50 experience in Tail Fighting.


    Tail Fighting has reached level 1. You gain +5% to hit with your tail, or to successfully accomplish grapples.


    You have gained 25 experience in Skulk.


    You have gained 25 experience in Acrobatics.


    You have gained 25 experience in Sense Danger.


    You have gained 25 experience in Climb.


    You have also gained experience in the stats that govern the skills that you used.


    experience towards level 1: 300/1000


    Milo wanted to sit and figure out what all this meant, but he had an appointment to keep. Ralph had emphasized not upsetting this guy. After a short rest, Milo hurried on.


    He came to the end of the rooftops. The buildings just stopped. In their place was a large open area like a plaza. Buildings ringed it. All were lit up somewhat, but the biggest at the far end of the plaza was ablaze with hundreds of lights. Beyond that, the large cavern was unlit.


    Climbing down to ground level, he changed back to his human form. He was thinking he really preferred the other one. He missed his tail and claws already.

 Chapter 7: Lights End

    Chapter 7: Lights End


    Milo skulked in the shadows until he was forced to step into the lit street and make his way up to the square. There were people entering and leaving, but no one paid a bit of attention to him. While he had the unmistakable look of a new player with his rags and lack of armor, this wasn''t uncommon in lights end. Any player who started in or visited Shadowport made their way down here sooner or later.


    He made a slow circuit around the open area''s perimeter, taking in the various buildings that ringed it. One or two might have been private homes. They were sturdily built of stone and had visible guards at the doors. Most of the rest were bars or brothels. There were a couple of notable exceptions.l--B1n.


    A massive wooden building that included a livery stable had a sign that labeled it as ''Deep Mountain Excursions and Assaying''. There was a line of people outside holding sacks or boxes, and in one case a larger person in plate mail was pushing a wheelbarrow full of rocks.


    The second strange building was extremely tall, reaching nearly to the roof. It looked like five buildings had been mashed together with different styles showing each time it had been expanded. The sign over the top simply said ''Guild Hall''. A smaller sign said ''Behave or be dead.'' Milo noted it had no line to get inside.


    The center of the area was a mess of small vendors, carts, and awnings. Milo had seen something similar in the habitat. There was an open area in D Section, where floors 31 to 33 were just one big open area. Plans identified it as a sports center which had never been built. Instead, it was a market for all the junk anyone thought might be valuable. Ancient video games, clothing, tools, bottled water, freeze dried foods. Some things had been traded or swapped hundreds of times there. Milo had gone there only twice, when looking for some specific chips only found in older computers. He''d hated it. Too many people, and he could only run if something went wrong.


    Squint smiled and looked at the cats. "See guys. Told you so." He raised his fist in the air. "Kulag!" Everyone else did the same, including Milo. "Here''s the deal Milo. I may have some work for you soon. Work for everyone! Big things happening, just not sure when! We have to be ready. I can use a good scout. That sound good to you?" Milo just nodded and said "Sure."


    Squint searched around in a pile of junk next to his pillow. "Here, take this. Gives you passage across the bridge. I''ll send a note when I need you. Maybe grow a bit bigger if you can. Stuff is mean here in Shadowport. Good talking to you Milo." He tossed Milo a gambling chip that had a large ''k'' carved into it. Milo pocketed it. Squint started eating a second bowl of noodles. The guard motioned for Milo to follow him. They went back out the front door.


    "You got lucky kid. Sometimes he gives the new guys missions down in the caves. We never see them again."


    "Yeah, lucky, so what am I supposed to do now?"


    The guards laughed. "Am I your mother kid? How would I know. But here''s some advice: Head over to the guild, see what jobs they have. Earn some coin and get some better gear. Because if Squint does have a job for you, you better take it. And he never hands out easy ones."


    Milo turned away and wandered to the Guild building. Might as well get started and see what jobs they had. He was still confused about what was going on. What the hell was the ''Eye of Wonder'' and what did it have to do with him?

 Chapter 8: The Basement

    Chapter 8: The Basement


    Milo entered the Guild Hall and stared around. The building was open all the way to the roof, with a dizzying series of stairs and open walkways at each level leading to rooms around the perimeter. The stairs down just disappeared into a hole in the floor. People in all sorts of garb and armor sat around drinking, arguing, and gambling. It was a little disorienting. He realized someone was talking to him.


    "Yo! New Guy! Ears open and get over here." He turned and saw a halfling with huge hairy feet standing on a stool and yelling at him. "You got a problem? I think you have a problem! I see you standing in my guild hall and you ain''t a member. I don''t like you already. Impressive. It usually takes me a whole minute to get sick of you people. Get your ass over here and get your paperwork filled out."l--B1n.


    Milo went over to the shouty little man at the desk and tried to smile. "Hi, I''m Milo. Squint said to come over."


    The halfling put both hands on his cheeks in surprise. "Oh, Squint sent you! Gee Willy Gosh! That makes you special...shit, what am I doing...you look like the kind of idiot that will take me seriously. Sorry kid, you ain''t special. Just another new fish that owes me his dues. Pay up and then you can go check out the job board. For someone of your esteemed level it''s the worldly sum of 1 copper penny. You got a penny left kid, or did you spend it on the ''entertainment'' along the way?"


    Milo pulled a penny out of his pouch and handed it to the halfling. He signed the paper the halfling pushed over to him, and accepted a badge made out of tin with his number on it. "Get a piece of string, and tie that around your neck. That''s your guild number. Most of you guys can''t remember otherwise. Don''t worry if you lose it, it shows up on your tombstones. Helps you find where you died in big battles."


    "There you go kid. You are now a probationary member of the Shadowport Explorers Guild. Don''t let it go to your head."


    Milo looked at the badge, and put it into his pouch. "Now what?"


    The halfling sat down on his stool and leaned back against the wall. "Holy crap. You really are new, aren''t you? How many days in the game kid?"


    "Well, not counting the tutorial, this is my first."


    The halfling raised an eyebrow and whistled. "First day and you made it alive to Lights End and Squint got his hooks into you? Not bad kid. Real social climber. By the way, I hate social climbers." He was silent a moment. "But you did pay your penny with no argument, so I''ll clue you in a bit. What we have here is a madhouse of player guilds, trade guilds, expeditions, and merchants. You can tell who''s who by the brass plaques on the doors. Feel free to wonder around up top. Down low too, but people have less patience. There are job boards over there. Take the ticket, head to the person offering the job, make a deal and get to work."


    This wasn''t a mine tunnel, more like a series of cave tubes that slanted down, with ladders here and there to help with the descent. It took another two hours to get to the bottom. It would take more to get back up. This large cavern was filled with large wooden boxes from which foul odors came. Milo looked over the rim of one and saw it was filled with greenish looking mushrooms the size of dinner plates. Some of them quivered a bit.


    "Stay away from those! They''re nearly ready to harvest and the spores can do terrible things to your lungs!"


    Milo moved three steps back and turned to see who was yelling. A squat, fat human was shambling towards him. Unwashed masses of hair were sprouting from the top of his head and his chin. Not much beyond a bulbous red nose was visible, his eyes covered by goggles. Layer upon layer of dirty clothing covered his body. Milo had thought the mushroom farms smelled bad. This person was far worse.


    "Um...I may have the wrong place?" ...please let it be the wrong place! "I was coming about a job. Milo held up the card.


    "Oh, frabjous day!!!! An apprentice! It''s been so long since I lost the last one! Come right this way lad."


    Shrooms in the Dark


    Dr. Harold Earthtongue has offered you a quest: Harvest 20 pounds of wild Blackbristlecap Mushrooms.


    Reward: Better favor with Hairy Earthtongue. Honest wages for an honest day¡¯s work. A boring lecture on mycology.


    Accept his generous offer? Y/N


    Milo accepted the offer.

 Chapter 9: Shroom gathering

    Chapter 9: Shroom gathering


    What the miners further up referred to as ''The Basement'' was a huge section of natural caverns and tunnels where Harry, (As he insisted Milo refer to him.), had set up a laboratory and a large mushroom farming operation. It was damp, dark, and smelled like shit. Perfect for mushrooms, but Milo understood why Harry had trouble finding people to do his little jobs.


    And he had his doubts that Harry ever went up to the city. The trip would be difficult for someone of his girth. He wheezed as he walked on flat ground. Somehow, he survived down here. Milo was sure he didn''t want to know the details.


    This job was at least fairly straight forward: Go to this area in the nearby tunnels, find patches of Black Bristlecaps, and fill up a sack. He at least knew what they looked like now. Harry had insisted on a quick tour of the area that consisted of a large number of mushroom filled side tunnels, the main cavern with a hundred different tiny mushroom farms, and then his laboratory.


    The lab was a chaotic area of tables filled with beakers, retorts, mortars and pestles, strange looking apparatus, and books. So many books! Most were huge things nearly half a foot thick with faded writing on the front or spine and yellowed and curling pages. Damp and books go together poorly.


    One such tome had been brought down, and shown to be an encyclopedia of different mushroom types, complete with colored pictures. This made it easy for Harry to show him what he needed to find. "About 4" high when mature, and the top will be colored black and have prickles like the husk of a chestnut. If they scream when you cut the stalks, you have the wrong ones and should probably run."


    Milo was given a crude map, a gathering bag, small trowel, and a bottle of milky white liquid. "If you think you may have been poisoned, this will take the edge off. It''s a wonderful little concoction I make myself." He was also offered a small lantern, which he left in his pack. Much of the lichen on the walls gave off enough light that he could easily see his way. Light would just make sure anything else down here saw him coming.


    He immediately saw why Harry needed an assistant down here. The tunnels got much smaller as soon as they left Harry''s area with many twists and turns. Milo paused after he entered them and shifted to his more comfortable wererat form. Claws and a tail made for easier climbing.


    The tunnel he was in should come out into a larger area soon. He was disappointed to see it had been nearly blocked by a cave in. There was still a small crawlspace he could slither through. The blockage was only about ten feet deep. As he got to the other side, he saw he wasn''t the only one there.


    A withered body leaned against the blockage; one leg pinned under a fallen boulder. Harry had mentioned that several of his ''new apprentices'' had run off on him. This one had met a worse fate. The body was not much more than scraps of leather clothing and bones. Well gnawed bones. A glint of something shiny showed him a metal guild tag hidden in the ribcage, fallen from a cord around the neck that had decayed. Milo grabbed it to take it back to the guild.


    Milo carefully searched around. A rotted leather pouch proved to have 6 copper pieces in it, and he found a small rock hammer that was in decent shape. The head was a bit rusty, but still solid. Not so the pitted dagger the corpse held in one hand. The blade snapped as he picked it up. The body was a good reminder to be cautious. One rolling stone could trap you forever.


    You have earned 10 experience each in Small Blades, Dodge, DEX, and AGI.


    Those weren''t really so bad. Milo had only taken 10 points of damage from the punch and the creature was actually pretty easy to dodge. He decided to clear the tunnel a little, and then go back and try again.


    As he was clearing rocks, he noticed something shiny on one them. Taking a better look, it seemed to be a small bit of ore. He used the rock hammer to beat the rock around the ore until a walnut sized chunk of shiny stuff came loose. He tossed it in his pack to see what it was later. After a careful half hour, he had a much larger escape tunnel dug.


    This time he paid a lot more attention to the mushrooms he was digging and the placement of the larger ones that he knew now to be guards. When the bag was full, he ran back and put it and his pack on the other side of the cave in, and went back to the mushroom field with his machete. Instead of picking one of the immature myconids, he tossed a rock at a mature ones'' cap. It came out of the ground like the first, angry and charging.


    Milo danced around the slower moving creature, easily dodging it''s blows. With three slashes he disarmed and killed it, getting another experience announcement. He could do this all day! And after they were all cleared, he could easily harvest all the mushrooms Harry needed without distractions.


    An hour later he had killed over a dozen of the myconids and only saw one left on this side of the cavern. He sauntered over to it and tossed a rock at it. Nothing happened. Looking closer, he noticed this myconid had bit larger cap that was a darker green. He tossed a second rock, and it put a dent in the cap, exposing the pale flesh underneath. But that had done it, the cap started vibrating and something heaved itself out of the dirt. And heaved. And heaved. And heaved!


    The creature that came out of the ground was shaped like the others, but was gigantic, nearly 10 feet tall with a body that looked brown and gnarled. A long green beard stretched from it''s face to it''s stumpy feet. A massive dark green cap over 8 feet across covered it''s head. Smaller mushrooms grew from the large cap. Milo had been tossing rocks at one of those. The creature roared at him.


    You have angered Cronk, Guardian of the Cave! He vows revenge upon the meat-thing that disrupted his spore mates. You will make amends by fertilizing their regrowth.


    Maybe Harry hadn''t been warning him about the little ones! Milo ran, and Cronk was right behind him, taking ten-foot strides. Before Milo even got to the smaller cave, Cronk brought one of his huge feet up and stomped heavily on the ground. Rocks fell in the small cave, blocking his retreat.


    Milo had a sneaking suspicion how the other rockslide had happened.

 Chapter 10: Cheating with Physics

    Chapter 10: Cheating with Physics


    Cronk started to take a step towards Milo. Milo was calculating his chances.


    Assuming Cronk had the same density as normal mushrooms, the cap on his head was at least 600 pounds. Cronk had to weigh more than a ton, and with how tough he looked, maybe two. A punch or kick from him would probably kill Milo outright, or break enough bones he''d wish he was dead. His danger sense was screaming at him, telling him to run fast. Too bad his carefully planned escape route was closed off. Stupid of him to only have one way to flee.l--B1n.


    Time seemed to slow, Cronk barely moving...


    Through the use of your skill: Danger Sense, and logical thinking, you have assessed a foe and your chances of winning a battle against him.


    You have an open tertiary slot, would you like to gain the skill Identify? This will give you basic information on foes near your level, and the threat level of foes above you. Also useful in determining the nature of objects and crafting materials. Y/N?


    Yes! Useful skill, how bad was he outclassed?


    Cronk, Guardian of the Cave! Elite level 4 Boss


    A large myconian guardian. 8'' tall, 1 ton+ weight. Seismic stomp attack.


    You have less than a .01% chance of defeating this foe in a straight-up fight.


    Option 1: Stay in small area to be dug out or buried alive.


    Option 2: Trade punches like a real man, and die on first punch.


    Option 3: Play ''dodge tank'', never get hit, whittle him down bit by bit.


    The cart was about two feet from the edge when Cronk once again got bored and stomped on the ground. Milo exertions and Cronk¡¯s stomps had slowly loosened a certain rock near the edge. Milo was pushing against the rock for leverage when Cronk sent a small shockwave up. The combination was enough to send the rock down into the shaft, and Milo onto his belly. The 50-pound rock hit Cronk on his cap and sunk in deep, doing some damage. Enraged, the monster stomped again, looking up at the violator of the cave. He added another couple of stomps for emphasis.


    Several things happened, starting with the whole shaft groaning ominously. Next, the large coil of cable started to slide towards the edge. Milo had just staggered up and tried to stop the cable by stepping on it. This just ensured that his foot was in a loop of cable as it went over the side, jerking him off his feet and dragging Milo along with it. Milo found himself hanging by one foot about half-way down the shaft.


    The angry mushroom man looked up at Milo and their eyes met. Cronk smiled as he went to grab the cable. Milo just managed to get his foot out of the loop before the line went taunt and Cronk heaved. Milo held on for dear life as Cronk jerked and pulled on the rope trying to dislodge him. Milo didn''t like this at all, and when he got the chance, he leapt to the side of the shaft when a large boulder offered a decent hand hold. Looking down at Cronk, he saw the myconid guardian was no longer pulling on the cable. It had gone slack.


    Cronk had managed to pull the ore cart to the edge and then pull it in. The cable fell and pooled in loops around Cronk''s legs as a couple tons of steel cart and rock sped towards it. Milo hugged the side of the shaft and felt the ore car just miss him. He wasn''t in the clear though, the rock he was on shifted a foot, nearly coming loose from the wall, and pitched him into the shaft.


    From below, he heard a huge bellow of pain and the strange sound of something heavy hitting something much softer, somewhere between a ''splat'' and a ''sploosh''. A large mass of smushed shroom parts spattered against him in mid-air, and a second later he landed feet first on something soft and spongey that didn''t quite break his fall. The air was full of mushroom spores and he was splattered in the gooey remains of the Cave Guardian. He staggered a bit away from the impact site and started cleaning himself off.


    Congratulations! You have singlehandedly slain Cronk, Guardian of the Cave by cheating with physics!


    For slaying Cronk, Guardian of the Cave, a level 4 Elite boss. The normal reward of 10 Core Skill Points is increased to 15 since you accomplished this without the help of a group.


    You have earned 500 Boss experience. Boss experience may be divided as you wish between the skills used to kill the creature. An equal number of experience will be applied to the stat associated with the skills chosen.


    Skills used: Mechanic, Fleet of Foot, Acrobatics, Climbing.


    The following core skill lists are available to you: Generic, Scout, Racial.


    The Myconid Collective has taken notice of your actions. Your status has been updated from annoying to minor threat.


    Just to be on the safe side, Milo downed half the tonic hairy had given him. He was a bit light headed after that fight and had inhaled a lot of spores. He searched the area where Cronk and the ore car had met up. Rocks and ore were scattered everywhere, but some of it was still in the cart. Three large fist sized chunks caught his eye. One was steel colored and looked to be solid metal, the other two a ruddy red-gold. There was also a mining pick that had been covered by the ore. The pick would come in handy, the ore he tossed into his backpack.


    He kicked through Cronk¡¯s remains in the off chance the big shroom had some type of treasure, but all he found was a strange ball of vegetable matter, heavy and shiny. It identified as "Earthen Heartshroom". That also went into his pack. He was too tired to continue. Time to log out and see what was going on in Section E and maybe look at the forums some. Getting back to Harry could wait for a bit.

 Chapter 11: Real World Problems

    Chapter 11: Real World Problems


    Logging out did not go smoothly for Milo. He had expected to immediately leave the game and wake up in his pod. Instead, he seemed to be back in the tutorial again, in the room where he had selected his character. The old man who had been tutoring him was standing patiently in front of him.


    "Welcome traveler. Our apologies for the inconvenience, but there are some irregularities that are interfering with your log out process."


    Milo couldn''t bring up any options, couldn''t log out. But he had things to do. He should have been running a check on the wastewater pipes going to the recycling unit today, and then going up to the level below the roof to check a connection to a solar power array that looked like it was on its last legs.


    "Oh, no worries. I''ll handle it on my end." His tail was connected to both the pod and his normal systems. He simply shut down the connection to the game from there, opened the pod, and got out. Time to get to work on a few things.


    =*=


    "HOW THE HELL DID HE DO THAT!??" Sidney was banging her fist on the table, and frantically running scans on the player she had just lost.


    The player who they needed to talk to.


    The player who absolutely should not have been able to log out of the game on their own.


    Dr. Steven Duran was looking over her shoulders. "Wally said he was slippery. ¡°


    ¡°Somehow, while in character creation he bypassed the normal system and selected something that wasn''t on the normal menu. Samantha was in the role of his tutor then, with Wally looking on. "


    Sidney sat back in her chair, folded her arms and glared at the screen. "And then he dumped the problem to us poor flesh and blood people. Why didn''t the big-bad super computer solve his own problems."


    Steven got two cups of coffee, dumped four spoonful¡¯s of sugar into one, and sat that one in front of Sidney. She grabbed it, and drank down most of it immediately. Steven slowly sipped his black coffee, wondering again when Sidney would finally spontaneously combust.


    "Because of the rules."


    "Oh, how?" Steven liked to dump jobs on Sidney. She got frustrated then started solving the problem.


    "He has three ports he can use to directly hook into systems. Look at the medical scans, all three are active. He''s got connections to two prostheses. One of those can plug into the medical pod itself in seconds. I bet he was crafty enough to have extra controls. He doesn''t care that we blocked him from logging out, he just did it himself."


    Steven smiled. "Good. Very good. So now what do you think you can do? You have a chance every time he logs in and out to try and get his attention. Once he slides past, we can''t track him in game. Wally has some idea about matching log in times to the time players enter the world. Difficult with tens of millions of players. He needs to build some new tools."


    Sidney grimaced. "Working on that part. Make yourself useful and make another pot of coffee."


    =*=


    Work went well for the most part. Milo was running into his usual problem of not enough parts. There was only so much he could do raiding from the dead sections. He really needed about a mile of new cable, four new air recycling systems, and numerous other machines and parts. He wondered again about the money Kaminski was earning in the game. Time to check in.


    Kaminski had been busy. He had 125 of the older pods up and running now. He got a batch of food cubes and started eating while watching what was going on. The food cubes tasted bad. Not spoiled-bad, just normal-bad. He''d eaten some bread from his pack in the game, and had a meal with Harry. The tastes had been so much better than what he was chewing now.


    As he was watching, a pod started flashing. The man inside was helped out, but couldn''t walk. He was placed on a gurney, and taken to a make shift infirmary. Several other people were in the same dingy room. Another person was led over to the pod and installed to take the sick man''s place. Something wasn''t right. Milo set up several monitors to show him the entire operation and watched it while doing his work on systems in E section.


    One more person was wheeled in on a gurney from a flashing pod. Milo looked closer at the condition of the people in the pods. Most of them looked to be in advanced stages of malnutrition, or had some neurological disorder.


    He needed to do research on what Kaminski was doing. What was happening to these people?


    It didn''t take much digging. The lawsuits about the damage many of the early pod designs had done to millions of people were huge. It had taken decades to prove, and get the pods taken out of use. Every year, more people who had used those pods developed a disorder in their nervous system. Using the old pods was bad. Using them for days at a time was risking your life. The pods Kaminski was using were going to end up killing people.


    This situation was way outside of Milo¡¯s experience. He had hidden all of his life. The thought of people being hurt bothered him. But the thought of having the authorities searching all over his section terrified him. He set up his system to start recording everything that Kaminski was doing. In a few hours, most of the techs would leave and just the guards and one tech would be in the rooms all night. He made plans for an excursion down to their level.


    Until then, he¡¯d go see where some of those old tunnels went and find a way back to Harry.

 Chapter 12: Leveling Up

    Chapter 12: Leveling Up


    Milo smelled something when he logged into the game. Something delicious. Something he really needed to find right now! He turned around to where his tutor, Galet, was sitting at a table having breakfast with a very small person with curly golden hair.


    Milo stared at the table full of food, trying to figure out what smelled so good. He mostly ate the food cubes from the processor, or when he could get it, freeze dried meals.


    "Come and sit, young Milo. I have a friend with me today, this is Sidney, a halfling from the golden vale."


    Sidney pointed at the food. "Dig in. We''ve got plenty for the three of us, Galet made extra. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and more bacon."


    Milo sat down. "It does smell very good. Food in the game is so much better than...than where I live." He was putting a little of everything on his plate, tracking the smell. Was it the bacon? No, that smelled salty-tasty, but not what he was looking for. He finally found the source of the smell in a small pot. He spooned some of the yellow stuff onto his plate.


    Sidney frowned. "That''s uh...,that''s cheese sauce, it goes well when you put down an English muffin first, then the ham, then the sauce. Want to try it?"


    Milo was scooping up the cheese sauce with bacon. "No, this is fine. Really good. So much better than food cubes." He kept pausing to smell the cheese sauce. He would have to try to find this in the game. Maybe Harry knew where to get it.


    "Is that what you normally eat? Food cubes?" Sidney asked him.


    "Doesn''t everyone? I mean, food cubes are free." Milo got more bacon, this time pouring the cheese sauce on top.


    Sidney nodded. "Oh, yep, free is good. Food cubes are free...so they''re good. So, how are you liking the game?"


    Milo quit eating. There was no more cheese sauce. "I like it. It''s nice and dark, and you can climb everywhere. I killed a boss and got some skill points I need to spend. I should get going. Thanks for breakfast." He entered the game as Sidney was trying to ask him something. "Wait, you killed a boss?!"


    "Dammit, Steven. He''s hacking the system somehow. He sat there laughing at me, slurping down cheese sauce and bragging about killing a boss."


    Steven was looking at a picture of yellowish, glistening cubes in a bowl. "Here, I found a picture for you. And I hope I''m never desperate enough to eat one. They are used to meet the daily nutrition requirements in some of the habitats. It''s a chicken flavored, enriched gel that gets pumped into each home. The gel goes into a tray, gets microwaved to cook it, then sliced into squares and presto, you have a bowl of food cubes. Cheap, nutritious, and horrible."


    Sidney had her doubts. "And people actually eat this?"


    "People with no choice eat this. Be glad you didn''t even know what it was until now. But, if true, it''s a clue about our mysterious Milo."


    Milo appeared in the game, and stayed still for several minutes. Hearing nothing, he padded back towards Cronk''s body. The big guy was rapidly drying out and shriveling up. It was easy to pick out the shiny bits of ore from his corpse. Over two thirds of the contents of the cart had been normal rock. The rest seemed a mixture of rich ores, the rocks heavy with the metal. He piled it all off to the side. Maybe he could take some back, see what it was worth? His identify skill showed it to be a mixture of metals but mostly copper.


    The pick surprised him. It didn''t look like much, but identify told him more.


    Dwarven Mining Pick


    Tier 2 (Fine Quality)


    A solid steel head on a sturdy hickory shaft. This pick will easily mine Tier one rocks and ore, and mine normally through Tier 2 strata.


    So maybe this was an old dwarven mine? Or maybe dwarves just made good picks and other miners used them?


    He took a look at the dense, shiny ball that had been inside Cronk


    Earthen Heartshroom (consumable).


    This immense Heartshroom comes from a large cave guardian. It can be used in alchemy to make a large number of potions using Earth magics and has many other uses.


    Heartshrooms may also be consumed by a brave individual. Effects will vary, but some type of ability will be gained that aligns with the type of Heartshrooms. You might also take root.


    Kidding, that hardly ever happens.


    Milo wasn''t quite sure he wanted to do that. Maybe after he spent his Core Skill Points.


    He had spent time on the forums for the game. There was a lot of information about the abilities in tier 1, and some stuff in tier 2. He got the feeling very few people had moved on to tier 2 so far. While a player could just take it easy and slowly level, to really excel they needed to somehow earn Core Skill Points, or CSP.


    These were used to go shopping for special skills and abilities that increase a character¡¯s power greatly. Killing bosses was the main way to do that, either solo or in a group. But crafters could also earn them from making an exceptional item. And harvesters could get them from elementals. These were weak bosses that could spawn while a person was gathering raw materials. He''d seen mention of a sentient tree in a forest, an earth elemental, and monster made out of left-over bits from a butcher. These usually gave only a couple of points.


    Elementals were Named Bosses, the lowest category. After Named were Elites, and then Monstrous bosses. Elites were considered something groups would fight. Monstrous were usually a raid boss in a dungeon. If Cronk had gotten one hit on Milo, he was sure it would have killed him.


    Everyone got access to the Generic Skills. There was a basic list, and then more to be found around the world.


    Generic Core Skills: Any player has access to these Core Skills. Many more skills can be learned by finding teachers, reading books, completing quests, or doing mighty deeds.


    Name


    Description


    Cost


    Increase Health 1


    +50 points to health score


    2


    Increase Health 2


    +100 points to health score (Must have level 1 first.)


    5


    Increase Health 3


    +150 points to health score (Must have level 2 first.)


    10


    Increase Mana 1


    +50 points to Mana score


    2


    Increase Mana 2


    +100 points to Mana score (Must have level 1 first.)


    5


    Increase Mana 3


    +150 points to Mana score (Must have level 2 first.)


    10


    Increase Stamina 1


    +50 points to Stamina score


    2


    Increase Stamina 2


    +100 points to Stamina score (Must have level 1 first.)


    5


    Increase Stamina 3


    +150 points to Stamina score (Must have level 2 first.)


    10


    Identification 1


    Gives information on an item or creature of levels 1-5 even if you are a lower level.


    3


    Identification 2


    Gives information on an item or creature of levels 6-10 even if you are a lower level.


    5


    Tier 1 Stats Cap Increase.


    Increase the cap on a statistic. Hard cap of 5 ranks bought per stat. Hard cap of rank 10 in any stat.


    1


    Tier 1 Foundation Increase


    Add 5 pts to one of your foundation skills


    1


    Bonus Points: These abilities add to your stats. Gaining bonuses does not affect stats gained by ranks. A total of 9 points may be bought this way in Tier 1.


    Spirit of the Ox 1


    +1 Bonus to STR. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    3


    Spirit of the Bear 1


    +1 Bonus to CON. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    3


    Spirit of the Monkey 1N??v€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    +1 Bonus to DEX. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    3


    Whip-Tail


    Your tail becomes a weapon equivalent to a small mace.


    2


    Slashing Tail


    Your tail does increased damage and can slash.


    (+10/+20/+40 Damage.) Requires Whip-Tail


    2/5/10


    Many small eyes


    Make friends with local rats who will (maybe) do some scouting for you.


    2


    See through small eyes


    Increased control of your small scouts and you are able to use their eyes instead of your own.


    3


    Cheesemaking


    An honorable tradition! So tasty! INT crafting skill


    1


    Poison Resistance


    Gain the CON skill Poison Resistance. Cost depends on whether the skill is Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary


    1/2/5


    Disease Resistance


    Gain the CON skill Disease Resistance. Cost depends on whether the skill is Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary


    1/2/5


    Extra Stabby!


    All of your attacks have an increased chance of a critical hit.


    2/5/10


    Extra Clever Traps


    Your traps and machinery almost always work, and in fiendish ways no one suspected. Even you are surprised at times. This core skill affects Mechanic, Trap-Maker, and other such skills.


    3/6/9


    Not-so-fast Regeneration


    Grants increased, (x2), health recovery. Slowly regenerate scar tissue, and missing body parts. A steady diet of cheese speeds the process.


    5


    Pretty-Good Regeneration


    Grants increased, (x4), health recovery. Regenerate scar tissue, and missing body parts in less than a week. A steady diet of cheese speeds the process.


    10


    Mutant Regeneration


    Grants increased, (x12), health recovery. Regenerate scar tissue, and missing body parts in less than a day.


    Warning: As with all mutations, there can be significant side effects.


    20


    "I''m the Boss!!"


    Intimidation skill. Other Rat-kin are starting to fear your power, and everyone knows that means respect! Only the strong lead. Primary CHA skill.


    5/10/15


    Magical Aspects open up options to learn more mage skills. Each additional aspect has an increased cost.


    Chill of the Grave


    You have a high Death aspect. Training will let you learn Death magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Increase your Corruption by +1. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells.


    5/10/25


    Deeds in the Dark


    You have a high darkness aspect. Training will let you learn dark magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Increase your Corruption by +1. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells.


    5/10/25


    Storm Born


    You have a high Storm aspect. Training will let you learn Storm magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells.


    5/10/25


    He wanted everything of course. The last list was especially tasty.


    He immediately spent points on The Unseen Tail and Whip Tail. Being able to move around in his wererat form would save a lot of trouble. He''d have to test it out in Shadowport and see what the limits were. If it worked, he would get the second level later.


    Whip Tail gave him an extra weapon in combat, and one he that most people wouldn''t suspect.


    After a bit more thought, he got Smugglers Stash, and Jumping Jack. Moving over roofs and climbing tunnels often involved leaping. Having a way to transport more stuff would be great, it was a long way up to Shadowport.


    He tried to look up similar items on the forums. He found hundreds of threads complaining about a lack of storage devices and skills, but very little about the skills themselves. One thread claimed there were rings that some imperial agents wore that stored messages and small items. Another hinted about an ability at Tier 2 that gave a player storage space. The only really reliable storage players seemed to have was a ''Home Chest'' that was in a bank or inn near your respawn point. Why didn''t he have one? He''d have to look into that.


    He activated Smugglers Stash to try it out. A beat-up oak chest appeared in front of him. He couldn''t move it at all, but he could open it up. It took 25 mana to summon it, and nothing to send it away. The size of the chest was 3''x1''x1''.


    To test it, he filled it up with the good ore pieces, and some of the gears and pulleys he''d found at the top of the shaft. Plenty of room still, he made another trip up to the top and tossed down all the machine parts that he thought would fit. When the chest was full of rocks and metal, he dismissed it. It quickly faded from view. He was very tempted to take the second level of storage. He hated the thought of leaving things he might need. A life of never having enough materials warred with survival instincts that said "being dead is bad". There were stealth skills, regen, and extra health that he could purchase. What happened to the chest if he died? Testing and research first. He saved the points for now.


    Next chore was assigning his 500 Boss experience from killing Cronk. He could only put that into Mechanic, Fleet of Foot, Acrobatics, or Climbing. Level 1 in a skill was only 50 points, but from there it climbed to 150 for level 2 and 300 for level 3.


    Fleet of Foot had only gained 15 experience, moving up slower because it was a secondary skill. Running from things that wanted to kill you seemed really important. He dumped 285 points into the skill. He''d noticed that unlike regular experience, Boss experience wasn''t affected by the 1/3 and 1/10th modifiers to secondary and tertiary skills. Acrobatics and Climbing he felt he would be using a lot, so he put the remaining experience into Mechanic.


    As soon as he completed putting in the Boss experience, he received a message.


    Congratulations! You have achieved Level 1!


    experience needed for Level 2 = 3000. You currently have 1320/3000 experience


    Gains over Level 1:


    Mechanic has reached Level 2.


    Fleet of Foot has reached Level 2.


    Dodge has reached Level 1.


    Small Blades has reached Level 1.


    Acrobatics has reached Level 1.


    Climbing has reached Level 1.


    AGI has reached Level 2. Total of 4.


    DEX has reached Level 1. Total of 3.


    INT has reached Level 2.


    PER has reached Level 1. Total of 3.


    You chose the Identify skill to fill an open slot.


    You have gained 15 CSP. You have 5 CSP you can spend.


    You purchased Smugglers Stash, first level.


    You purchased UnseenTail.


    You purchased WhipTail.


    You purchased Jumping Jack


    You have encountered CHEESE! You have a minor yearning to eat more CHEESE!


    As Milo read the last part, he had a sudden craving for more of the cheese sauce he had for breakfast. Maybe he should just head straight up to Shadowport? He should be able to sneak around all the shrooms now that Cronk was gone.


    He looked around at the boarded-up tunnels. Where did they go? He wanted to know.


    He needed supplies, and some better gear. Time to get back to Harry, get paid, see if he could sell this ore, and then get a small cheesy snack.

 Chapter 13: Bad to the Bone

    Chapter 13: Bad to the Bone


    Milo skulked down the tunnel, back the way he had come when chased by Cronk. Exiting, he turned left and moved along the edge of the large mushroom filled cavern with the massive shroom in the center. Immediately he ran into a small problem.


    The small myconids that he had disturbed had followed him. They weren''t as fast as Cronk though, and had given up the chase at one point. They were wandering around aimlessly about a hundred feet from the mine entrance. Milo elected to take the long way around the cavern. One of them was easy and he could probably fight a couple at once. But not a dozen, and especially not when there might be a lot more around.


    Hugging the wall, and being careful to not step on any stemlings, he moved slowly around the cavern. He bypassed two more large tunnels that seemed to lead even deeper into the caves. He was still hundreds of feet from the ramp up when he noticed the cavern wall was a lot closer to the big shroom. One of the large yellow blossoms moved and was pointing in his direction. A vine that wrapped around the gigantic stem twitched. The twitch became a hump of loose vine that traveled like a wave down the stem to the ground. Then through the mushroom field towards him, the partially buried vine kicking up loose soil and small mushrooms. It was headed in his general direction, or maybe a bit ahead of him.


    Following the twitching vine with his eyes, he saw it go to a large lump in the ground. Something slowly crawled out of that lump and stood up. Whatever it was, it had dirt and mushrooms all over it, as though it had lain in the ground for years. It wore a tattered orange robe and one bony hand held a staff or weapon. Miles was getting very nervous but didn''t know whether to run forward or back. He compromised by skulking by the wall and hoping he wasn''t noticed. He tried to identify the thing.


    Malskitter the Malevolent Bonecaster Blossom Slave


    Named Level 3 Boss


    Milo was seeing two names flashing. The first sounded like an evil villain from a bad movie. That kept fading and being replaced by ''Bonecaster Blossom Slave.'' The creature shook itself more, and started shambling towards him. The vine stayed connected, running into the things ribcage where a blossom sprouted.


    Milo backed away a bit more, and the creature stopped. The vine was stretched tight and it couldn''t move towards him. It was a stalemate for a moment. If Milo tried to get past, it could get to him. He''d have to go back.


    Or not? He cursed as he saw two more shambling forms moving around the perimeter towards him. One small, one massive and packing a huge sword. If he didn''t want to join them he needed to get past this one.


    Drawing the machete, he sprinted directly towards the Bonecaster Blossom slave. As he got closer, it brandished the melee weapon it held. It looked like a long stick with sharpened bones stuck through the shaft. Getting hit by it would be like taking multiple stabs from daggers. Milo had no intention of standing and fighting though. Watching for it''s first attack, he dodged low and rolled past it, crushing several small mushrooms, but luckily no stemlings. He came to his feet, and brought the machete down on the vine, slicing through it.


    The vine snapped back and thrashed as though he had caused it pain. He took a nasty slap to his side before he moved away from it. A bruise was worth it to defeat this foe so easily.


    Mocking laughter informed him that it wasn''t so easy. "Goodgood, cunning plan youngling. You have freed me from the cursedshroomflower. Malskitter will reward you!"


    "All good Mr. Skitter, glad to help. Uh, I don''t suppose your reward is letting me sneak on past you?"l--B1n.


    Congratulations! You have slain Bonecaster Blossom Slave. You gain 50 experience in small blades and 50 experience in DEX


    oops, guess that wasn''t his Final Form?


    You have slain Malskitter the Malevolent. You gain 250 Boss experience that may be used for the skills Tail Fighting, Small Blades, Dodge. You gain 250 experience in the stats associated with the skills used.


    You have gained 3 Core Skill Points.


    Rune Cowl of the Bonecaster (This item must be attuned to gain more information.)


    Bonecaster¡¯s Runed Spike


    An ugly weapon made of rune-carved bones and petrified wood. (Must be attuned by a Bonemancer to use.)


    Milo grabbed both items, stuffed the cowl in his pack, put the machete in his belt, and started jogging along the wall. Not the time for stealth anymore. Time to run.


    More vines activated and sent out messages to the undead slaves of the flowers, but Milo was ahead of them now. Fleet of Foot gave him +15% to his sprinting speed, and his agility stat gave him another small boost. By contrast the undead slaves were slow and dragging heavy vines behind. He made it to the ramp up, and was out of range of the flower slaves.


    Stopping to catch his breath, he stayed watchful for packs of vengeful mushrooms, but nothing was heading his way. He carefully traversed the second room where Cronk had emerged. Coming from this angle, he saw another mine entrance that he had missed before in his headlong run along the other wall. Did this one connect with the others? Maybe he''d explore some after he got back to Harry. He still had to clear the rockfall, and get back to the mycologist.


    ...and find out what a Heartshroom was.


    ...and figure out what a Bonecaster was.


    ... and sell some ore.


    ... and pay a visit to Kaminski.

 Chapter 14: Why do you have dead worms in your pocket?

    Chapter 14: Why do you have dead worms in your pocket?


    "I''ve got him!"


    Dr. Duran and Samantha turned to see Sidney triumphantly raising her arms in the air while stomping her feet. The stack of coffee cups next to her swayed ominously.


    "Our little hacker isn''t getting away from me. I figured out how he got a restricted race, and what it is."


    Steven was very curious. "Well, don''t leave us guessing."


    Sidney got a fresh cup of coffee, making the other two wince as she poured sugar into the cup for far too long. "He had criteria he was looking for. He wanted a tail, and to be shorter. Now you think that would narrow it down, but with so many rare evolutions to animal hybrid characters, demonic hybrids, even aquatic hybrids, it took a while to figure it out. But there was one more clue: cheese sauce!"


    Samantha was confused. "Cheese sauce?!"


    Sidney kept rolling. "Yep. Cheese sauce. I tried to bait him into having breakfast with me and talking. He didn''t go for the hickory smoked bacon at first. He grabbed a bowl of hot cheese sauce for the eggs Benedict and starting eating it by itself. He was in heaven, and only left once he had licked the last bit out of the bowl."


    Samantha was still confused. "That helps how?"


    "Ha! Knew you were going to ask that. There is one race that is playable by characters, shows on the list as yellow if you meet the requirements, is short, has a tail, and....the ultimate clue...has a problem with cheese addiction."


    Steven clapped. "Well done. You''re right. Our little hacker is a wererat."


    "And I know his class too. The quest that lets you become a wererat is quite specific. You also take the special scout class for their race. The player is meant to be on the edge of society. A bit of a roguish outcast, doing work for the rat-kin as well as the rougher parts of society like the thieves and assassins guilds. If we offered it for starting characters, I bet half of them would take it."


    Steven had brought up the race and class combo. "Oh, maybe more than that. Look at the Core Skills. A wererat scout can pick up an inventory skill cheaply with his CSP. That''s one of the big bonuses for the class. Also, why it has some major downsides."


    Samantha looked over Steven''s shoulder, then paced around the room. "So, a group of hackers, who can get hundreds of people illegally into the game also have a way to generate all the smugglers they need to move around whatever it is they don''t want us to know about."


    =*=


    Digging out of the mushroom caves turned out to be easier that Milo had expected. No huge rockfalls had occurred and he was able to greatly increase the narrow area he had to slide through. He grabbed the bags of shrooms and trudged back to Harry''s home in the underground.


    "Yo! Harry, I have your stuff."


    The large man shambled out of his lab area. "I''m quite happy to see you succeeded. If you had died it would have been ages before someone else took the job. Silly, since it''s such an easy one."


    Milo collapsed and leaned against a wall. "Oh, piece of cake. No complications at all. You neglected to mention the myconians."


    Sharpen Tool. (4 sharpening per day.)


    Karl''s Handy Tent Helper (Sets up a large tent or packs it up. Usable twice a day.)


    Summon Guard Lizard (Brings a Guard Lizard from the Feenokioki swamp to guard your camp for 8 hours.)


    Deflect Blame (Something bad happened, can''t be your fault, must be someone else! ).


    Dog Bite Fixer (Takes the edge off of nasty hangovers.)


    Summon Wine (1 Quart, quality varies.)


    "Ha! Knew you''d be impressed. Now let¡¯s talk trade. An item like that doesn''t come along every day."


    Milo thought about it. He had no clue what the heartshroom might do, and was a bit leery of the warning about side effects. And while the ring was odd, it might be quite useful, or he could trade it off to someone else. Mostly, he knew Harry really wanted the weird item, and Harry was one of the few people Milo knew. He lived down where Milo wanted to explore, and had offered to teach him stuff and give him jobs. Even if the ring was worthless, it might still be worth making the trade.


    "You talked me into it Harry." Milo got his pack and pulled out the Earthen Heartshroom. Harry looked at the strange thing in awe.


    "Oh yes. Thank you, Milo. This should do nicely." And with that, Harry opened his mouth extremely wide, and pushed the whole thing in. He made joyful chewing sounds for a full minute wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Oh, thank god. I feel so much better after that."


    Milo had backed away while Harry was eating. He wasn''t sure what was going to happen. When nothing happened, he was a little disappointed. "So, what happens now."


    "What happens now..." Harry said. ¡°Is that I get to take my first bath in 50 years. Luckily, I have a good scrub brush and some sulfuric acid. That should help. You might want to head upstairs for a day or two until the stench clears out." Harry tossed him a bag that clinked. "Here''s your pay. Go have some fun. Then if you still want to help an old troll with his jobs, come find me again."


    Milo didn''t have to be told twice. He grabbed his odd belongings and started to climb back up towards Shadowport.


    Congratulations! You have completed the quest: Shrooms in the Dark


    -Havested 20 pounds of the correct mushrooms.


    -Actually returned, a first.


    -Completed a bonus objective of curing Harry of his Earthen Mana Deficiency.


    Rewards: 100 copper pennies, instruction in basic mycology, Dr. Harry Earthtongue considers you a friend.

 Chapter 15: Making new friends.

    Chapter 15: Making new friends.


    His legs aching, Milo finally climbed up the long ladder to the mine area. Going down was so much easier. He''d had no idea how deep in the earth Harry was. But coming back up he felt every single step. And he was starving. The last of the fried mushrooms Harry had given him were gone. He''d stopped for a break on the way up and burned nearly all his stamina to change back to human. He wanted to test Unseen Tail on someone other than an entire guild house full of people. A nap for a few hours in a side crevice had helped restore him


    It was busier in the mines when he got there. Dwarves and humans were the dominant races but he saw a scattering of others. A miner class must come with a dark vision skill to help the humans and other races navigate down here. There were a few torches now and then, but not many.


    Several miners were again enjoying the heat of a fire. As he walked by, someone yelled. "Well, look who made it back. You''re going piss off Pete something fierce. He gave out odds of 3 to 1 you''d never walk back up from the Basement."


    Another noticed his pick. "Whoa, wait a second. What the hell is going on here? Where did you steal that pick from?¡± The guy talking was a tall and slightly skinny human. "He, guys, this asshole stole one of our picks!" Several more miners wandered over.


    Milo didn''t like the way the skinny miner was accusing him. "I didn''t steal it. It''s mine. Get out of my way."


    Skinny deliberately stepped in Milo''s way. "I say we search him, see what this little nobody has on him. Probably stole some stuff from other people." Milo now had three other miners besides skinny around him. He noticed they were all human. One of them with dark red hair and missing an eye was wearing a familiar symbol around his neck. Milo looked at him and said softly, "Kulag." He reached into his pocket and held out the small marker Squint had given him.


    One-eye nodded at him, acknowledging he''d seen the mark. "Get out of his way Lem. Torg, Vella? Go back to the fire.


    The two men named shrugged and left. The skinny miner, Lem, was still being belligerent.


    "I don''t answer to you Bharg. You back off and I''ll deal with this thief myself" One-eye nodded. "Sure, thing Lem. He''s all yours. I''ll just stay and watch the show."


    Milo pulled back on his pick and glared at Lem. He was still in a fight, but it was better odds than 4 to 1 now. "Let go of the pick, and back off."


    Lem laughed. "Make me thief. I''m not really scared of your little makeshift stick there. I have a sticker of my own." From nowhere, Lem held a knife. Formalities were over as far as Milo was concerned. He pushed instead of pulling on his pick and let go. Lem stumbled a half step and Milo swung at him. The Bonecaster''s Runed Spike slashed across Lem¡¯s face in two places, opening up his cheek and cutting into his forehead. Blood spilled into Lem''s eyes.


    "You cut me! The little shit cut me! You''re a dead man." He lunged forward at Milo who tried to dodge, but still took a nasty cut on his left forearm. As Lem stumbled past, he gripped the weapon in both hands and brought it down hard on Lem''s back. Two of the blades puncture deep into his body, and he fell to his knees. Milo pulled out his weapon, and backed off.


    He reached into his pocket and held out the small marker Squint had given him. Bharg yelled out. "He''s letting you off easy Lem. You want to keep going or should we patch you up some and call it a day?"


    "Not bad. This reddish one is deep copper. It''s a bit denser than regular copper, comes from deeper down. The basement is a decent area to find it. The shiny nugget is auric. That¡¯s an alloy of gold and silver. Good stuff. Both are Tier 2 materials, have to go deep for them. The guild will buy what you bring up.¡±


    Drugar weighed the chunk of ore and the nugget. ¡°Guild will buy these for 1 silver, 11 copper. Most of that is the nugget. You could also use them to pay your guild fee. The fee for a month is 5 pennies. That lets you mine under the town and sell to the guild at good rates. Or, if you are so minded, I¡¯ll sign you up as a full-fledged member. That¡¯s one silver now, and one a year. I¡¯ll be honest, being a full member might help you out down there. Some of the boys don¡¯t like newbs.¡±


    Milo had already seen that. He paid for full membership and got the 11 coppers in change. He walked out of the Guild Hall Intending to head back to the inn and his small room. The trip over the roof tops went without an incident. Twice people chased him but he easily leaped across the gaps in houses and scrambled up and down the terraces and ladders. Climbing up to the inn took the last of his energy. He barely noticed the innkeeper or anyone else. After double checking the lock on his door, he fell on the bed and went to sleep.


    Something woke him hours later. The now familiar notices about experience or Kills or anything else. He dismissed them and went back to sleep, still tired.


    You have slain a foe with the weapon: Shadowblight and it has decided to attune to you, and partially revealed itself to you.


    This ancient weapon has been used by generations of rat-kin bonecasters to slay their foes and instill fear in their minions. The carvings on the bone spikes will weaken your foes, robbing their attacks of damage. Your own strikes will be enhanced. Slay more foes to reveal more of Shadowblight''s powers.


    Foes will do -10 damage against you with melee weapons for each wound that you inflict upon them.


    Base chance to hit: 40% +5% for each wound inflicted on your enemy. Base damage of 40 + 10 for each wound you inflict on your enemy.


    You have mixed your blood with the souls chained within: Bone-Runed Cowl and it has chosen to attune to you. The souls inside don''t think you are worthy, but the Cowl isn''t picky.


    -The Bone-Runed Cowl has used 5 CSP to grant you the skill: Bonecasting.


    -You have gained the Level 0 spell: Exploding Skull.


    -You have gained the Level 0 spell: Bone Spike.


    -Bone-Runed Cowl is now Soul Bound.

 Chapter 16: Wash Day

    Chapter 16: Wash Day


    At some point, Milo awoke. He wished he hadn''t. His head was pounding hard and there was a horrible smell in the room. His mouth was incredibly dry. Stumbling out of bed, he went to the pitcher of water on the table, bypassing the glass and just pouring it into his mouth and down the front of his robe. The few drops of liquid that hit the floor looked like mud.


    It wasn''t hard to guess where the smell was coming from - the very horrible smelling robe that he took off a corpse rotting under a large collection of fungus.


    He needed to find someplace to wash. Maybe the innkeeper knew of a place? Milo had little experience with where people washed either cloths or themselves. The homes in habitats had a small cleaning facility, but he was pretty sure Shadowport wouldn''t have the same. And dirty clothes were just tossed into a recycler and you got new ones made when you needed them. They didn''t last long, being mostly made of fibers from recycled paper and the shredded clothes you threw away.


    He made his way to the innkeeper, who backed up a step and did not look happy to see him. "Ghah! What a nasty pong! Get your butt down to the tubs and out of my inn. Don''t come back until you''ve washed up. You smell like five years of dead turds." Milo rushed out of the inn and went in the direction he was pointing.


    It wasn''t hard to get directions. Anyone he approached noticed the stench and when he said "tubs?" he was hastily given directions.


    Only the last person didn''t mind. An mostly-deaf old man was selling tubs of rotten fish for bait or fertilizer. He must have lost his sense of smell years ago. He smiled at milo and pointed at his wares. "Fish? Stinky fish. Good bait." That turned out to be most of the words he knew. Milo and he played a game of charades with Milo miming washing himself and his clothes. Eventually the old man understood and pointed to a large building, but shook his head sadly when Milo bought no fish.


    A few hundred feet closer to the harbor was a huge warehouse. Entering by the large open door, he saw that one end of the building was occupied by large tubs of soapy water. Further in were long lines where clothes were hanging to dry. A line of sheets separated the two areas.


    Milo was suddenly aware of the predicament of having only one set of clothes. Luckily there was stall selling clothes nearby. All the wares were heavily patched or sewn from the remains of several items. For two copper pennies Milo acquired a quite colorful long-sleeved shirt and pants that each had at least seven colors of worn cloth. He found a corner of the warehouse to quickly change his clothes and rolled up the dirty ones, lessening their smell a bit.


    Entering into the building with the tubs again, he saw a large heavily set matron at a counter who was taking money from a long line of women. Milo took his place in line and patiently waited. The women looked him over. "Let me guess, got your one set of clothes to wash? Waste of a tub, but it''s your money. Take the one at the end, only used once today, water still has some soap in it. Dump it down the drain when you''re done." Milo paid over another copper penny, seeing his small amount of money leaving him rapidly. He needed to go sell the ore in his chest.


    Milo washed his pants and undergarments first, then put the robe in last. The slightly dirty water immediately turned a red-brown in color. Taking a brush, he worked at loosening the imbedded grime in the robe. Huge amounts of muck came off of it, until the water was dark and opaque. Maybe this was going to take another tub? He saw the drain next to the tub, and a spigot on the tub. While the murky, smelly water drained out, he went to fill buckets and rinse out the robe.


    The women had all dumped their clothes into the tubs, and left them to soak, even the matron taking money was gone.


    Another twenty gallons of water went into the tub, and again the robe shed dirt and blood and things he didn''t want to think about. The water was nearly black and a smell like a rotten egg was coming from the tub. He hurriedly drained the water and got more. The third tub was just as bad, but on the fourth he made some headway. On the fifth he actually was able to rinse the robe out and the water looked murky but not horrible. The color of the robe was now a bright orange with some worn brown stitching visible.


    Milo didn''t see anyone at all around. There was water heating over a fire. He left a copper penny on the table, and decided to get himself clean. It was relaxing sitting in the water. Even after a bit of sleep, he was worn out. He leaned back and without meaning to, fell asleep.


    The wash house was a quick walk. A few women were still by the door, stealing looks at the holy man. The three women with the sight hadn''t exaggerated. There were five powerful spirits in the air, with chains running down into a washtub. By their look, all were wizards of some type. He saw two humans, a rat-kin, an elf, and a lizardman, all wearing a similar elaborate runed robe.


    The ''holy man'', if that''s what he was, was quite young. He was snoring, only his face showing in the water. In the tub next to him was robe he had been laboring to cleanse. It was tattered and worn, but looked quite powerful. Ignatius hated to interrupt anyone who was having a good nap, but obviously, something needed to be done.


    Milo woke up to someone nudging his shoulder and saying ¡°excuse me¡±.


    The man standing next to his tub was a priest of some sort wearing fancy vestments and holding a wooden staff.


    Startled, Milo stood up, realized he was both wet and naked, and scrambled for his new, patch-work pants. ¡°Oh, sorry. Dozed off. I was just so tired.¡±


    The priest nodded. ¡°As well you should be. Cleansing spirits is difficult work. I came by see if I could be of some assistance.¡±


    ¡°Spirits?¡± Milo wasn¡¯t sure what the man was talking about. He dried himself off with his shirt and put it on. He did hear something odd. Wind?


    The priest pointed to the rafters. At first Milo only saw smoke, but the more he looked, the easier it was to see the five spirits chained to the robe in the washtub. They noticed him staring and turned as one, watching him. Milo turned to the priest.


    ¡°uh...I¡¯ll be honest, I was just washing out an old robe I found. ¡°


    The priest considered for a moment. ¡°Then I don¡¯t think you are quite done with the job.¡±


    Quest: Free the Souls of your predecessors bound into the Bone Runed-Cowl


    You have begun the process of freeing the five Bonecasters who owned the garment before you. Each offers you a reward for freeing him from bondage.


    Success: The Bone-Runed Cowl will be empty and when you die your final death, you won''t have to share it with anyone. You will also receive a gift from each of your predecessors.


    Alternate Success: Keep the souls enchained! After all, it''s what they did! Benefit from their power and knowledge and quickly become a force to be reckoned with! Of course, when you die, they''ll be waiting for you...l--B1n.

 Chapter 17: Unchained

    Chapter 17: Unchained


    Milo had so many questions about this quest. Obviously, there were downsides to putting on questionable pieces of clothing taken from mushroom infested rat-kin sorcerers.


    But one thing was pretty clear. He had to make a choice to keep the old souls chained up, or set them free. And this was actually an easy decision for Milo. He never wanted to go back to belonging to someone. And he wasn''t going to hold the chains of someone else.


    "I think I could use that assistance. How do I set them all free?"


    Ignacious laughed. "You part is straight forward-just keep washing that tunic and dumping the water. I think I know an exorcism to help." The priest dug into his exorcism kit. "Use this along with the soap, it''s dust from the tomb of Saint Frederic the Valiant. A great priest. He still holds the record for the most demons exorcised during the Solstice Festival."


    Milo was skeptical, but took the packet of grey powder and dumped it in. How did someone decide that that dust was magical? He suspected it was an excuse to make sure someone swept up the dust now and then.


    Ignacious came back in followed by a large gaggle of women who surrounded the Milo''s washtub. "All together now ladies, let¡¯s start with the Hymn of Morning from the festival of Summer, and then continue with all 97 stanzas of ''Begone, Spirit, Begone''


    One of the more elderly women got excited. "Oh, I always liked that one! We used to take a sip of wine at each stanza. It made things so much more fun." Ignatius suddenly realized why the summer choir practices were so rowdy and well attended.


    Milo dumped the tub, and it was refilled with hot water by two younger boys hauling buckets. As they ran to get more, he overheard one say, "Jed is going to be so jealous! I can''t wait to tell him we helped some crazy holy man kick out demons from an old shirt!"


    Hordifax Ribtaker has been freed from his ethereal bonds. He acknowledges the debt owed to you and bequeaths to you a small fraction of his knowledge of runes.


    You have gained the Lore Skill: Runes


    Whatever Hordifax had been, it wasn''t pretty. The spirit screamed, and flew low over the crowd, scattering them. It laughed and took off to parts unknown.


    The Oracle of Oblivion, She who reads the bones of the Ancients, Seer of the Frozen Wastes, Collector of Fingernails of Dead Men, and Rider of the Great Flightless Greeb has chosen to depart. Weep, for you will not see her like again in a thousand years! She leaves you a portion of her spirit: You gain +100 mana.


    The last spirit glowed and became visible to everyone. Her chain dissolved and she was gone. Milo sat back. His arms ached and his fingers were raw! He held up the Bone-Runed Cowl and saw that it was completely clean, except for a small dark stain on one arm where he had been wounded. A small silver chain ran from the tattered robe and encircled his waist.


    Ignatius raised his hands and led the choir in one more round and then they all dissolved into talk and laughter. "Oh, we need to do this more often! We haven''t had a good exorcism in years!"


    Milo wrung out the water from the robe. Alessandra walked over to him. "Here now, let me dry that for you. I don''t have much power, but I can manage the drying cantrip easily. She cast a small spell and all the water dropped from the robe, drying it instantly. Milo put it on over his shirt.


    He eyed the crowd at the entrance which was starting to come this way. It made him very nervous. Too many people. Ignatius noticed. "Let''s be on our way. We can sneak out this way. Let''s you keep your status as ''unknown and mysterious''. You''ll get more free dinners that way.

 Chapter 18: Apple core, nothing more

    Chapter 18: Apple core, nothing more


    Milo failed to see how a free meal from chanting wash-women was a good thing, but he took the priest''s word for it and thanked him. Then he quickly scampered off into the city, sticking as much as he could to roofs and alleys, avoiding people.


    While hidden high above the street, he changed into his natural form. Time to test out this disguise skill. He''d much rather move around as a wererat than a human and he needed to test the limits of the skill. He still had eight points he could spend on abilities and might consider buying Invisible Tail if anyone saw through the base skill.


    Wandering down the street, skulking in shadows as he preferred to do, and staying away from people was working fine. No one noticed him, and if they did, they just saw another human keeping to the shadows. Venturing out into the better lit streets near the harbor made him nervous, but he needed to test the skill.


    The bright end of the city was a busy place today. Several merchant ships had come into the harbor which spurred the locals to quickly set up merchant stalls and street fairs in the larger courtyards. Sailors spent money, new goods flowed into the city, and business was good for everyone. Milo decided to approach a fruit and vegetable vendor at the edge of a small market. The area was well lit, but he could easily retreat to the darker alleys if he needed. A large, plump man behind the counter looked at Milo and snarled. "No hand-outs, and don''t touch the merchandise."


    Milo flipped him a copper coin and said "Apples." That brought a change to the merchant. A smile broke out on his face. "Yessir, finest apples in town right now, just got them from one of the orchards around the horn, picked fresh two days ago." He grabbed a sack made from course hemp and filled it with two dozen apples. Milo noticed that the ones that went in first were from the barrels behind the counter, and only the top few were the large ripe ones from the counter. Milo took the bag and thanked the man. He began wandering through the area with more confidence.


    A few times he saw human whelps running through the market, or hanging out by various stalls. Many of them seemed quite thin and raggedly clothed. The merchants eyed them carefully. A tugging at his trousers alerted Milo to one of them standing next to him. Hmm, two actually. Behind the boy in dirty rags was a thin waif of a girl holding a crude cloth doll. "Please sir? Might I have an apple for my sister? I don''t even mind one with worms."


    Milo had plenty of apples he wasn''t going to eat, he gave each of them one of the good ones off the top. If there was any doubt about their hunger, it was disproven by how the boys eyes got large, and the girl immediately bit into hers as they ran off quickly. From behind him he heard a chuckle. "Oh, you''re in for it now. Every one of those urchins has a dozen hungry friends and they''ll tag you for an easy hand out now." The speaker was an old woman who was sitting in front of a small table full of knives and kitchen utensils.


    Milo shrugged. "I don''t mind. They were hungry. I know what that''s like. Would you like an apple?"


    The old woman considered him for a second. "Yes, I would, if you''re still handing them out. I''m Kettie, by the way." Milo tossed her an apple that she caught and bit into. "Not bad, fresh from the farm these are." Her focus turned to something past Milo and she chuckled again. "Best be on your way, or be prepared to feed a horde. Word got out of your generosity."


    Sure enough, there were a dozen children coming his way, begging for something to eat. He began tossing each an apple. They all ran off except for one tall, thin girl of about twelve. She was looking at Milo strangely. "How come you have a tail?"


    To increase the power of these spells, increase your rank in Bonecasting.


    Bonecasting can be enhanced by the use of bones from powerful creatures, by rune carving, and in conjunction with alchemy, poisoning and other magical skills. More information will be available from your arcane library.


    His mind whirled with ideas. How could he find out about all of these things? He made himself a jobs list, just like he would have done on a project in Section E. Oh.....he should log out soon, he realized.


    To do list:


    1. Buy Invisible Tail


    2. Sell Ore and get some coins.


    3. Find a butcher or other place to get some bones and skulls.


    4. Go shopping in the market of Lights end for some supplies.


    5. Go deep again, and see how mushroom guardians liked exploding skulls.


    6. Ask Harry about Arcane Libraries


    He headed back to his small room at the inn and logged out.

 Chapter 19: Cichol

    Chapter 19: Cichol


    Milo went to log out of the game, and got a most peculiar notification.


    An Arcane Library is available for you to claim,


    But...


    An advisor waits to speak with you.


    Please choose one of these before logging out.


    (Or sure, you could do the annoying thing that lets you bypass the game controls, but where is the fun in that?)


    Milo did have a couple of questions for Sidney, but the lure of an Arcane Library outstripped even the chance of a meal with cheese sauce.


    The world darkened as he logged out and appeared somewhere else. Or perhaps ''nowhere else'' was a better description. Milo was standing upon a small stone platform that seemed to be hanging in space. All around him, stars glittered in a cold void. The air was thin with no wind, and it was completely silent.


    The only thing on the platform was a stone archway enclosing a peculiar door. At first, milo thought it was made of wood. But as soon as he touched it, he knew the truth. It was bone. Huge, thick slabs of bones carved and fitted together like a puzzle. Bones from a beast that had walked the land long, long ago. He got a sense of its long heavy steps. The door was made of its shin bones. There was a latch that opened the door. Milo stepped inside and shut the door behind him. Whatever was inside was better than the void with its endless sky.


    He stepped down into the room. The floor was a mosaic of small pieces fit together in geometric patterns. Shades of white, ivory, and alabaster created interlocking sunbursts. The curved roof was of the rib bones of some leviathan. They arched up to connect with the ridgeline of vertebrae thirty feet above his head. The walls were plaster above wooden paneling, but he could feel the bones behind the decorations. Four hallways provided exits from this central room, but Milo was more interested in what was in front of him.?v€l-B!n.


    Milo thought for a moment. "I want to go places and see things. I can''t do that in my other body, but I can here. I want to explore the caves and mines, and find secrets."


    Cichol nodded. "Well, enough. And what about the Bones and the Magic? Do you want to learn more of those? Or will you just wear that old dishrag around because you like the color?"


    Milo looked around the room. Many of the larger bones were carved with runic script he couldn''t read. This room held a lot of secrets. "I want to know the secrets you have here, too."


    Cichol nodded. "You might do then. But off with you for now. Go find a bone of your own to add to my library"


    You have completed the Quest: Free the Captured Souls!


    You have gained 5 Core Skill Points.


    You have been given the Quest: One of Your Own


    Cichol has tasked you with finding an old bone to add to the library. Return to him when you have one.


    Success: Access to the books in the library and lessons in bonecasting.


    Failure: A missed opportunity

 Chapter 20: Accidents

    Chapter 20: Accidents


    Several alarms were going off as Milo got out of the pod. Most were simply steady beeps, directing his attention to problems, but one was an insistent sound coupled with a red strobe light. A quick check showed the obvious problem of no power for many of the systems.


    Power wasn''t cheap, and one of the huge costs of keeping the habitats going was a steady supply of energy. The government supplied a minimum amount needed to keep things going. Any industry or business setting up paid for the additional power they needed. A sudden drop in power could be any number of things, from someone pirating the power in E section, the supply being rationed from the city, or a breakdown in distribution. Milo eliminated most of these immediately. E section had plenty of power coming in, the problem was someone tapping into it illegally.


    From the location, Milo immediately suspected Kaminski. Sure enough, several more industrial bays were now housing his operation. The amount of power he was using was more than was allocated to Section E, and other machinery was being shut down to compensate. Food processing hadn''t worked for an hour, air was moving sluggishly in the whole system.


    Milo started trickling power into the system from the storage system to compensate. That would buy him time, but he knew things were just going to get worse and worse. Kaminski must be bribing someone. A lot of someone¡¯s. It was obvious to Milo that he would have to do something.


    He had been undecided about trying to notify someone about Kaminski before. Now it had to happen. Whether or not it brought inquisitive people into Section E was a moot point. They''d be here sooner or later when the systems started failing. Better to somehow get him kicked out of here before then.


    A minute later one of the jury-rigged coolant lines that had been hastily installed in the ceiling came uncoupled. Someone hadn''t tightened the clamps holding two hoses together correctly and the pressure broke the joint. High pressure cooling fluid sprayed all over the area below it, which included the MK7 pod. By some luck, as the hose jerked around from the spewing fluid, the pod itself wasn''t hit, but the area around it burst into flames. Cooling fluid is highly flammable. Something must have caused a spark.


    In the heavy smoke and flames, no one noticed a metal cable about an inch wide snake out of the ceiling, uncouple Kaminski''s phone, and then drag the item back into the ceiling above the pod. The tendril reappeared a moment later with what might have been a duplicate of the phone, but was actually a quickly made plastic casing filled with easily melted electronic components. The sacrificial duplicate was placed in the phone¡¯s location, and a moment later burst into flames as coolant fluid sprayed down on it.


    Before the emergencies had been dealt with, Milo had the real phone in his workshop and was carefully taking it apart, bypassing its security, and making it a part of his system. He had logs of all the calls placed in the last year, all of the codes and passwords. By tomorrow he would know more about who Kaminski was working for, and what he had been trying to set up.


    =*=


    Kaminski was furious, screaming at everyone. How the hell could people be so stupid. Yes, he''d wanted things set up as fast as they could. And yes, he may have ignored a few recommendations the technicians had made, but still, they should have been more careful. They had days of clean up to do. He''d lose at least a week getting things back to normal. But no one had died. The authorities didn''t even know anything had happened, and nothing essential had been destroyed.


    Until one of the techs handed him a blackened bit of plastic and metal that he recognized as the high tech communications device his employers had trusted him with. He screamed at the techs to fix it, but even he knew that wasn''t happening. It was falling to pieces, the circuitry totally fried and crumbling. Things couldn''t get any worse.

 Chapter 21: Stinky Cheese!

    Chapter 21: Stinky Cheese!


    The night market was in full swing when Milo emerged from the guildhall. He needed to do some shopping, and he felt much calmer here in the gloom near Light''s End. Between the shadows, and spending points on The Invisible Tail, he was confident he could roam around in his normal skin here, no one the wiser.


    He''d made the trip back across the rooftops without much incident. A few things had been thrown at him from windows, and he''d stumbled over two teen-agers involved in romance upon one roof, but overall, it was quicker than using the streets. And he''d gotten a great view of an airship! A very small dirigible had gone overhead, propellers pushing it forward. The gasbag didn''t seem anywhere near big enough to hold it up. Some sort of magic must be involved. Milo sat and watched as it gained altitude and finally docked at one of the hanging buildings near the ceiling.


    The guild had purchased all of his deep copper ore. It had been a chore packing it up the stairs. He unloaded it into bags and took three trips to get it all upstairs. He didn''t want to reveal his stash withing the guild. Instead, he found a secluded spot in the caves and transferred the ore to several heavy bags. A couple of the miners had laughed as he was struggling to pack it up. The burly men could have easily taken it all in one load. After selling the copper he was 30 silver richer.


    The parts from the machinery had surprisingly been worth more. When he dumped out the assortment of gears, broken sprockets, and chain drives the appraiser''s face had gone from curiosity to greed. "Oh, nice, very nice. Old work here, where did you say you found these?"


    Milo kept his answers vague. "Down deep, I got lost wandering through caves, ran from some critters, found an old mineshaft and a machine. Not sure if I can find it again."


    The old dwarf knew a deflection when he heard one. "Well, if you suddenly remember, bring me more of it. These are hardened dark iron. After the parts are forged, some of the old smiths had a way to harden the outer layers of the metal, and leave the inner layers still flexible. Ideal for machine parts." He''d given Milo 100 silver for the parts, quite a sum of cash, and now it was time to go shopping at the nearby market.


    His first priorities were food and carving tools. While looking through the food vendors, he smelled something delicious! He began running, dodging through the light crowds, diving under tables, and leaping over obstacles. Vendors cursed behind him and urchins took advantage of his disruption to steal food and goods. Milo was unaware of all of this, he just kept following his nose. And his nose led him to a small store on the edge of the market, near fish vendors and soap makers. The shoppers in this area held sachets of spices to their noses or had a cloth on their face.


    Milo stood before the cheese shop and inhaled the strong aroma of dozens of cheeses. Two halflings were behind the counter. An older woman was working at a stove, dipping large cubes of cheese into a boiling pot of red wax. She saw Milo and nodded at him. "Be right with you sir!". The other halfling was much younger and male. He currently was reclining in an old chair, snoring, with his large and hairy feet on the counter. The old woman kicked out with a foot, tipping the chair over and knocking him to the floor. "Ah hell, grandma, why''d you have to wake me up again?"


    Grandma snorted and whispered at him. "Get up, Jethro, you lazy lout. A customer needs to be taken care of!"


    Jethro dusted himself off and smiled at Milo. "Sir, welcome to our shop. We make the best stinky cheese..." He was cut off by a glare from his grandma. "um...the finest varieties of fragrant cheeses in all of the city."


    Milo was drooling. "I can''t believe I didn''t smell your shop the last time I was in the market."


    Jethro leaned forward and spoke in a stage whisper. "It''s a terrible thing sir, but the authorities make us move around a lot for some reason. Makes it difficult for our best customers to find us."l--B1n.


    -Dried meats and bread.


    -Rope, pitons,


    -blank journal and pen/ink


    -3 water skins


    -clean underclothes


    -saw


    -mechanics tools


    He was nearly broke when he finished, with only 3 coppers left in his pouch. With a backpack full of supplies and a belly full of cheese, he started to head back down to find Harry and do some more mining and exploring.


    Your racial addiction to cheese has increased! You will now receive a bonus to your health regeneration when you have kept up a constant diet of nutritious cheese. In addition, your health is increased by +50 points and your STR by +2.


    If you go one day without eating a pound of cheese, your health will be decreased by -50 points, and your wisdom will be reduced by -2. So, stay healthy, and eat your cheese!


    When Jethro and his grandmother returned, they found not even a crumb in their stall. Grandmother looked around while jingling the coin in her pocket. "Just like I thought, he''s a hungry one. Worst I¡¯ve seen."


    Jethro asked, "So what do we do?"


    "You have to ask, boy? We get the clan to work making more cheese and get rich when he comes back for more."

 Chapter 22: Clan Business

    Chapter 22: Clan Business


    Burnock Shadowforge turned the heavy metal gear over and over in his hands, looking for flaws. The gear was several hundred years old, maybe a lot older. A skilled dwarf could tell by the amount of oxidation on the inner groove of the gear. Very slight, but it was there. He took a hammer and steel chisel and tried put a dent in it. The steel chisel blunted without putting a scratch in the gear. This was a size 7, #fourteen hardened dark iron gear. This gear was used in hundreds of different dwarven machines. Millions of this type of gear had been made by dwarven mechanics. But not out of this material.


    The hardening process had been a secret of the Shadowforge clan. It made their metal stronger, their picks better, and their machines need less repairs. This monopoly had let his clan expand their mining operations in many places, but especially under this city. Deep copper and dark iron had flowed like a river out of their mines. They had been a rich and respectable clan!


    That all ended, so the clan elders say, the day that the old city went away. Details were sort of sketchy on the why of it all. Humans and Elves were having a war with each other, and the Light and the Dark were involved. Dwarves stayed out of it. They didn''t care about property topside. Dwarves had built their own part of the town deep in the hollow mountain that loomed up next to the human¡¯s coastal city. Trade was good. The humans always needed metal, and dwarven stone smiths found a lot of work building the ever-expanding city.


    At some point the human mages had done something wrong, or maybe the elves had used a spell that should never have been used. No dwarf trusted elves so they mostly blamed them for what had happened. If you were topside and could see it, you were dead. All the dwarves knew was that one moment they had a city inside a hollow mountain, and the next moment there was a tremendous light that blinded one person in three, and scooped away a good chunk of the mountain.


    The city was gone, along with a huge amount of earth under the city. Whatever had hit the city, it was like a giant sphere all around it had gone away. The only thing left was one tower of black stone, comically sitting on a perfect pillar of stone nearly a half mile tall, holding it above a perfectly shaped hemisphere of nothing. The city was gone, and a good chunk of the coastline. The seas came pouring in, creating a perfectly round bay whose edge was now under the overhanging cliff of the mountain. The old city of the humans, Sartothra, was gone. The dwarven city of Hollowmount was nearly destroyed, with its buildings knocked flat and too much light pouring in.


    But worst hit were the clan holdings, down low near the mines. The earthquake that accompanied the destruction collapsed mineshafts and tunnels, and destroyed the dwarven enclaves. 90% of the Shadowforge clan was killed or never returned. And the secret of hardening dark iron had died with them. His clan, like many of the dwarven clans, went from wealth to poverty immediately. Hollowmount was never truly rebuilt. The remaining dwarves and refugee humans built what they could to survive, and bay was perfect for large ships to stop and shelter from the frequent storms. The city of Shadowport was built on the rubble of Hollowmount.


    And today some snot-nosed human had wandered into the guildhall and sold machine parts no one had seen in ages. Machine parts made by his clan. The kid had only been a member of the miner''s guild for a couple of days and could barely haul a sack of ore. What the hell was he doing stealing his clan''s property and running around their old mines! Because Burnock knew that was where he''d found these.


    He''d sold deep copper ore along with the machine parts. That gave Burnock a rough idea of the area. And it wasn''t good. That part of the deep-down was avoided. It was filled with poisonous mushrooms, copperheads, myconian monsters, and layers of soft earth that shifted to easily. ''Shakytown'' they''d called that area. Start swinging some picks and making some noise and it was even odds over whether you died from some critter or the ceiling fell in on you.


    Sidney slowly turned. "You know it isn''t, and yet you say that hoping I''ll give you some clue. But I''m on to you! "


    Samantha took the empty cup, and brought Sidney two fresh cups. She looked at them, drank one down, and held the other as she stared at her screen. "Thank you. I''ll kill you last, since you know how to bring me offerings."


    "Lemme guess? You missed him?"


    The second cup of coffee was empty. Sidney rubbed at her eyes with the palms of her hands. "Yep, he knew just when to log in. Sixteen hours of waiting for him to log in again, and it happens 23 minutes after I''ve gone to bed. I slept through the alarm for 7 minutes and by then he had been in the simulation we set up, had eaten the bacon and cheese dip, and went onto the main game. How the hell is he doing this?!!!"


    Samantha got herself a cup of caffeine and sat down. "Don''t fret too much hon, you got some clues, and they helped. Two days from now I''ll have his approximate location."


    Sidney spun her chair around. "HOW!?"


    "I''ve been going through the programming of the MKVII pods. They have scheduled times to check for updates. The next time our guy is in the pod and it sends us his medical files, the pod will ask for any updates to programming, and the new update I wrote will load."


    Sidney just stared. "That''s too simple, I''m not sure if I should kiss you or hate you. Why didn''t I think of that."


    "You were too busy setting traps with cheese dip."

 Chapter 23: Little bugs, big bugs, bugs for dinner.

    Chapter 23: Little bugs, big bugs, bugs for dinner.


    The entrance to the cave leading to the deep-down and Harry''s mushroom farms had a sign in front of it. Milo couldn''t read the dwarven runes, but the picture of dead birds and little swirls above them was understandable: Bad air. Milo could smell an awful pong coming up from the cave, but it wasn''t worse than what Harry''s farm normally smelled like. Hopefully Harry''s bath time had generated some bad smells that were now gone. Milo slipped past the sign and began his descent.


    There were pockets of bad air, but the upward draft was clearing them. Milo stopped to fortify himself with a small cheesy snack now and then to help him keep climbing and ignore the smell. Finally arriving at Harry''s farm, he was happy to find the air much better down here. The stench seemed to be coming from a manure pile near the entrance, and once past he could breathe easily.


    "Milo, you''re back! Just in time for dinner." The voice was Harry''s, but the person talking was different. Gone were the layers of filthy clothes. Instead, he was wearing loose pants and tunic. His enormous feet emerged from the pants. Long arms ended in huge mis-shaped hands. Hair and beard that had been huge bushes were trimmed neatly back to reveal a smiling face. Where the first Harry was round and swaddled, this creature was nearly seven foot tall and on the thin side. His blue-grey skin looked rocky and hard.


    "What did that that thing you ate do to you Harry?"


    Harry looked down at himself and then smiled. "Hah! it fixed me! I was shriveling up more and more. I had a terrible case of terra magicae defectus. Even covering myself in layers of earth, worms, and grubs couldn''t keep up with the drain. I turned to an all mushroom diet, and that slowed it. But I really needed a huge boost to get back to normal.


    "And this is normal?"


    The new Harry nodded. "Sure is. You mean to tell me you didn''t know I was a troll?"


    "That''s wasn''t mentioned at the guild hall when i took the job."


    Harry smiled, ¡°Probably a good thing. Hard enough getting help down here. Telling people the boss is a troll might make it tougher. But hey, grab a seat, I''m back to my cooking. I made a nice stew of giant beetles and some portabella."


    Milo wasn''t picky about food. He''d eaten food cubes for most of his life. The crunchy beetles in a creamy mushroom sauce were delicious.


    =*=


    Milo was creeping carefully through the caverns towards the mushroom caverns, when he saw movement. Something large had been moving along the wall, but now he saw nothing. He stayed very still, using both Hideand Skulk to hopefully go unnoticed until he knew what the creature was. He saw movement again in the center of the cave. A fat beetle about a foot long was moving slowly along the tunnel. A creature appeared near the wall and lunged. Large claws slammed into the beetle, raising it up to a mouth with two flanking mandibles. Two bites and the beetle was gone.


    Milo got a good look at it before it faded away, its armored carapace blending into the side of the tunnel


    Giant Cave Mantis Level 2 ambush, camouflage


    Milo had been looking forward to testing his new spells out on a myconid guardian, and was tempted to try his hand on this stronger opponent. Could you ambush an ambusher? Milo saw movement again, as another beetle came wandering along the cave. Were they migrating? Or just heading for a snack at Harry''s farm? It was obvious where Harry had gotten last night¡¯s dinner.


    As the mantis pounce on the beetle, Milo tossed a skull towards the creature.


    Exploding Skull: Level 0 bonecasting


    The spell allows the mage to imbue a great deal of mana into a skull, turning it into an explosive device. Less versatile than a fireball, it makes up for it in damage. Base Damage: 60+10 per level of bonecasting+(0 to 40 additional damage)


    Mana Cost: 50


    Milo had 350 total mana. 100 of that was from his INT and WIS bonuses. Another 100 came from the gift of a freed spirit. That meant he could throw 7 of these bombs before running out of mana. Assuming he had a good supply of skulls.


    The mantis had been focused on the beetle. As it pounced, the skull landed between its four legs.


    BOOM!


    You have slain Giant Cave Beetle x2


    You have injured a Giant Cave Mantis for 85 points of damage minus 10 points of armor mitigation. Health 125/200


    Giant Cave Mantis is not happy with you!


    The mantis was thrown back against the wall by the explosion. The beetle in it''s claws was shredded, as was another that had been crawling behind it. The mantis recovered quickly and ran forward on its 4 legs, raising its claws to attack.


    Milo tried out his second new spell.


    Bone Spike: Level 0 bonecasting


    The spell allows the mage to shoot a spike of sharpened bone at an opponent.


    This is an aimed spell. Base chance to hit is 50%+5xbonecasting Level+5xINT.


    Base Damage: 30+5xINT+10xbonecasting Level


    Note: This spell requires a small bone spike to cast. If no material component is available, the spell will use a bone chip from the casters body, and inflict 10 points of health damage.


    Mana Cost: 25v3l.B11n.


    Aiming wasn''t difficult. The mantis was pretty much right in front of him. The small bone spike, part of a carved rib bone from an animal, raced away from Milo and punched into the bugs carapace.


    Bonespike spell does 45 points of damage to Giant Cave Mantis. Health: 80/200


    Giant Cave Mantis hits you for 30 points of damage. You avoid the second claw and are not grappled. Health: 220/250


    Ouch! The mantis slashed down at Milo, who failed to dodge entirely. He tried to move away, but the mantis was adept at chasing prey and kept up with him. Milo took another small slash, dropping his health to 190. Enough of this. He attacked with his tail, his left claw, and Shadowblight.


    The mantis kicked aside his tail, blocking with a front leg while his claw skittered across the hard carapace doing little damage. But his weapon punched straight through the carapace, leaving a leaking hole. The Cave Mantis was down to 40 health, and desperate.


    Giant Cave Mantis hits you for 20 points of damage.


    Giant Cave Mantis hits you for 20 points of damage.


    Your health: 150/250


    You are grappled!


    Giant Cave Mantis prepares to bite off your head! Yummy!


    Both claws came down and caught Milo between them. He struggled as the Mantis lifted him up and its head started to move forward. In desperation he put his weapon in front of his face. The mantis''s head impaled itself on the main spike, and the haft of the weapon slammed back into Milo''s forehead, giving him a massive headache. And then the bug slowly toppled over, Milo still stuck in its claws.


    You have slain a Giant Cave Mantis! You earned extra experience for fighting a creature over your own level.


    You have gained 150 points in bonecasting.


    You have earned 50 experience in Dodge.


    You have earned 150 experience in INT


    You have earned 50 experience in AGI.


    That had been too close. He hadn''t been prepared for the mantis''s speed or its grapple attack. But still, he had won.


    He sat down and enjoyed a nice piece of of cheddar to give a boost to his healing.


    Name: Tallsqueak Milo


    Class: Scout


    Race: Wererat Human


    Level: 1


    experience: 1535


    Boss experience: 750


    Total: 2265/3000


    Heritage: None


    Base


    Per Level


    From Stats


    From CSP


    Total


    Health


    100


    100


    200


    Stamina


    600


    100


    700


    Mana


    100


    50


    100


    +100*


    350


    Stat:


    Rank


    Cap


    experience


    Bonus


    Total


    STR


    0


    5


    0


    0


    0


    DEX


    2


    5


    515


    2


    4


    AGI


    2


    5


    650


    2


    AGI


    2


    300


    Secondary


    Weak Claws


    DEX


    0


    15


    Secondary


    Sense Danger


    PER


    0


    15


    Secondary


    Forage


    PER


    1


    35


    Secondary


    Skinning


    DEX


    0


    Tertiary


    Manipulate Locks and Traps


    DEX


    0


    Tertiary


    Hide


    INT


    1


    50


    Tertiary


    Identify


    PER


    1


    5


    Tertiary


    Open


    0


    Tertiary


    Open


    0


    Tertiary


    Mechanic


    INT


    2


    315


    Crafting


    Bone Carving


    DEX


    0


    0


    Crafting


    Skrimshaw


    DEX


    0


    0


    Crafting


    Rune Lore


    INT


    0


    0


    Lore


    Core Skills


    Skill


    Costs


    Rank


    Max Rank


    Spent


    Smugglers Stash


    3/5/10


    2


    3


    8


    Jumping Jack


    2


    1


    1


    2


    Whip Tail


    2


    1


    1


    2


    Unseen Tail


    3


    1


    1


    3


    Invisible Tail


    3


    1


    1


    3


    bonecasting


    5


    1


    1


    5


    Total


    23

 Chapter 24: Home, sweet home.

    Chapter 24: Home, sweet home.


    After a brief rest, Milo moved through the rockfall, and into the main mushroom cave. Behind him, a swarm of the small beetles were swarming the carcass of the mantis and stripping it of flesh. That seemed right to Milo. Beetles ate the mantis and the mantis ate the beetles. It was a good reminder that most things would probably eat him as well.v3l.B11n.


    The first cave was quiet. He carefully moved through it making sure not to step on any of the spoorlings. Where Cronk had emerged, there was a large hole in the ground. Curious, Milo looked in. Mixed in the soft earth were bones, skulls, and bits of old armor and weapons. If Cronk had caught him, that''s where Milo would have ended up, as fertilizer. He climbed down and rooted around, finding all manner of old bones and a half dozen skulls. The weapons and armor were rusted and bent, except for two items. One was a small dagger, and the other was a short-handled shovel. A rotted pouch held some coins: 7 coppers, 2 silvers, and 1 gold. The gold coin had the face of a stern, bearded dwarf on it, wearing a crown. It seemed Cronk was more generous than Milo had given him credit for originally. He thanked the giant myconid and the unknown victims murdered by him and climbed out of the hole. Two small sporelings were looking at him. He carefully stepped around them and left them staring down into the cronk-sized hole.


    He found the entrance to the mines, and carefully started exploring. What he was looking for was a good spot to set up a camp. There were several reasons for this. The first was just time. He couldn''t be running back to Shadowport or even to Harry''s to sleep and eat. Too much time wasted. The second was if he understood things correctly, once he made a camp and slept and ate here, he could designate it as his respawn point. No one planned on dying, but if he did, he''d rather not have a long walk and climb in his underwear back to his tombstone.


    This is why he had bought a tent. Having a tent and a campfire made a campsite. If he had a campsite, he could summon a guard lizard to guard him. And if he died, he''d show back up at his camp after a certain amount of downtime. He also wanted a place to store bones or ore or machine parts he might find. His stash only held so much, and right now, most of the space held cheese.


    This area of mines seemed to have been heavily explored. A main tunnel was about 7 feet wide and high had cross tunnels ever 50 feet or so. These went 50 to 100 feet into the soft rock and earth. They were barely big enough for a man, or miner to keep digging. Rarely over 3 feet wide and 6 feet tall. If they found any sign of ore, the area was further dug out further. There was evidence that at one time there had been rails put down, but they must have reused them. Only rotted timbers remained on the floor.


    Setting respawn point. This will take four hours.


    Options:


    1) Pretend to sleep while you play on the data-net.


    2) Actually get some sleep, it will do you a world of good.


    3) Log out and let your body sleep. Slightly dangerous as something might eat you. And then you would respawn, get eaten, respawn.... you get the idea. Hardly ever happens to anyone. I don''t know where they even came up with the term ''Death loop''.


    Milo trusted his faithful lizard. He''d take the chances.

 Chapter 25: Once a hacker...

    Chapter 25: Once a hacker...


    Milo got out of the pod and got to work. He had four hours until he could go exploring again.


    He paused at that thought, when had the game become so important? Sitting and thinking, he went over what he had done in the last two years. He had a near perfect memory, and much of what he did was repetitive. It didn''t take long to see that the fear of being found by someone had faded into the boredom of his day to day activities. He felt more alive when he was taking chances: dropping several stories down a chute and catching himself on a crossbar with his tail...stealing the pod from Kaminski...making raids on the unused sections for machinery...and exploring parts of the decaying hab he hadn''t seen.


    But now he had a strange city to explore, caves that went forever, and secrets to find. He was still running through tunnels, hiding and scavenging, but it was so much better! The food tasted better; the exploring was more fun. Even the fights were fun once the sheer terror he had felt at first started to faded.


    He even had a friend he talked to! Harry had shown him how to make mushroom powder and infusions, and taught him the recipe for beetle stew. The stinky old troll felt non-threatening. Which he couldn''t say about anyone in the real world.


    He realized he was wasting time. That was five minutes gone, and the answer was obvious. He needed to get rid of Kaminski and crew, not be caught doing it, keep Section E running, and play when he could. A plan was coming together where one of his problems could solve some of his other problems.


    Kaminski''s phone had given up all of its secrets. He had all the codes, and knew who he was contacting. It was time to see what he could find out. Kaminski''s employee was a large corporation, that much was obvious from the security on their systems. The phones codes only got his so far, but from there he could build something to get him inside.


    As he probed their firewall and tested the security, he got an odd feeling. This was a familiar set-up. This was the security that he and his friends had worked with when they were hacking into systems for Kaminski and stealing for him. It had gone through some changes, but Milo knew things about it. Like the back door that Nimez had set up. Within seconds he was past the firewall and inside their system. He quickly set up a second back door, just in case he had triggered something.


    Hours later, the game forgotten, Milo knew a lot more about things going on now, and things that had happened decades ago. Old memories were cascading in his brain triggering suppressed feelings. Anger at the men who stole his family, the fear of being left behind, the terror of surviving in the tunnels of the habitat until he learned enough to control his new world. And hatred at the people that had caused it all. He''d found information on his family, but they were long gone.


    Behind the snarl of dummy corporations and false fronts was Victor Seimovich. Victor and his family owned 53% of Nechayev Corporation. This in turn owned the corporations who owned the labs that financed the secret experiments that had led to dozens of children being bought from their families and experimented on.


    Milo''s group had been successful early on. Other groups hadn''t. The groups that took too long to earn money, or who didn''t develop as faster were terminated. Killed. Murdered. Milo''s group was making money, they got to live. They''d been so successful, that someone had sold their information to another corporation. Kaminski had spirited them away just before the raid on the habitat.


    From there his family had been set up in one location after another. Work increased. They hacked systems, stole the money, then packed up and moved again. This got harder to do as the children grew older. They needed more medical attention for their imperfect bodies and mutated nervous systems. Things went wrong, people died. Eventually Kaminski had five of his family left. They were twenty years old, but looked like ten-year-olds. He was happy to see that Ordo and Nimez were two of them. The others were Adam, Bork, and Zephron.


    One night, the five of them tried to escape. Guards were bribed with money sent to secret bank accounts, security codes opened gates, and they made it out of the facility in a stolen vehicle. They didn''t get far. Somehow, they were being tracked and Nechayev security caught up with them. The report was sketchy, but a rocket powered grenade had destroyed the vehicle, killing everyone inside. Someone had decided they were too much trouble.


    Milo sat and cried for an hour, and then got back to work. He told himself they''d died long ago, and the only thing left was some petty revenge on his part. Well, not petty. He was going to hurt them. And in a bit of irony, his family was going to help. They must have been planning on stealing all of the money from Nechayev Corp, its subsidiaries, and Victor Seimovich and his family. They had set up plans to move the money, hidden offshore bank accounts, cryptocurrencies, and even a thousand pounds of gold held in a Swiss vault. All Milo had to do was pull the triggers.


    Manipulating the bank accounts had been easy once he found a complete set of the programs he had used as a child. All of the illegal tools were there. Milo transferred everything he needed from the Nechayev storage and set up a few surprises. Seimovich didn''t trust any type of data storage that someone could steal. Nothing was stored externally. All the data was securely stored. Milo wasn''t going to touch it. He might hand it over to the authorities later. But it was easy once he was inside to change the access to it. Better than erasing the entire database, he just hid it.


    He also wanted to shut down Kaminski. To his surprise, he found out that Kaminski was small fish. Nechayev had dozens of operators like him setting up illegal pod farms. Each one using a new Mark VII pod slaved to hundreds of older MK II and MK III''s. The people inside those pods were working within the game. Mining gold or iron, carving runes to make simple magic items, and running some dungeons over and over every day. At this stage in the game, all of the raw materials and low-grade items were worth quite a bit of money.


    There was one very interesting tidbit that he saw in those plans. They needed people to move things in the game undetected. There were only a few classes that could easily and reliably do this. Imperial Couriers were one of those, but it had proven a tricky class to use as they had huge demands on their time, and couldn''t just disappear to smuggle goods. Pirate captains could hide a large amount of goods in hidden holds, but that required both a ship and crew, and could only go certain places. Dwarven bootleggers had a storage device to move alcohol. By far the best was the Smuggler, a type of rogue that specialized in moving goods in secret. They had an ability called Smugglers Stash.


    Sidney slapped her forehead in exasperation, this guy was goofy to talk to. "No, not in the game. In real life. I''d like you to stay and talk a bit. Maybe we can work something out. Don''t try to go anywhere, there are going to be people ready to arrest you. Let''s talk about the pod you are using illegally."


    Milo froze, and then began thinking very fast. Far faster than any normal human. This wasn''t part of the tutorial, they were tracking him in the game, probably based off of the data from connection for medical data. The back door that he''d been unaware of. But they didn''t know what he was doing in the game, and couldn''t stop him from logging in and out. They''d tried though. It hadn''t worked he realized, because of his tail. Since he kept himself plugged into his own systems, he could log out with a thought and they couldn''t stop him. So, Sidney had tried a different route, updating his pod with the "Here I am program." And she thought that would work.


    "What am I doing illegally?" Milo cut a huge slice of something white, gooey, and smelly. It was so good.


    "You accessed a character class that shouldn''t have been available to you for one! This tells us you stole information on the game, most likely by bribing a developer."


    Milo shook his head. "I wanted a character with a tail. I found one. Not my fault it was available. I can honestly say I didn''t know. You should really let people play rat-kin and wererats, in my opinion. Very cool race."


    The conversation wasn''t going the way Sidney wanted, but she was really just stalling. "We know you are part of a ring that is putting hundreds of people into the game illegally."


    Again, Milo shook his head. "Not me. I play alone. But I''ll admit that I do know people who have put over 20,000 people into the game without going through the normal system. They have a couple of hundred early model pods slaved to each MK VII. And it''s killing people. You should catch them and shut them down."


    Sidney''s jaw dropped. "Why do you think I''m talking to you! Look, we''re prepared to deal. Leniency for you, in exchange for information on where to find these people. "


    Now Milo was interested. "Really? Ok, how about this. You promise to not interfere in my gaming and I get to keep my pod. Then we shut down the illegal operations and tip off the authorities. Or are you the authorities? Its hard to know who to contact sometimes. Everything is really grey in the real world. Oh, and by the way, nice job on the update program. Really useful."


    "You found the update? Dammit." Sidney tried to check her program. She should have his location by now. Nothing happened. They were back to square one.


    Milo smiled. "You tried the update I see. That''s the last time you can back door into my pod. That connection is now severed. So unless you figure out how to crack my 64 channel algorithm, you aren''t finding me. Do we have a deal? Unlimited gameplay, free pod. In exchange I give you what you want."


    Sidney was so confused, how was this guy staying ahead of her. "That''s it? You don''t want protection from prosecution. You don''t need a new identity so your old boss can''t find you? Just the game?"


    Milo shook his head. "Nope. Why should I? I already don''t exist. No one knows who I am, or where I am. No one cares a bit about me. My family threw me away. It''s a miracle I''m even alive. I stole the pod from some bad people because I need it to help me to continue to stay alive. Just let me be. Leave me alone!"


    And with that, Milo disappeared.


    Sidney put her head on the table. And then her location program went off in 37 different places from around the globe, telling her where to find 37 illegal MK VII pods, along with 20,000 illegal early model pods, and 20,000 people abused into using them.


    Stephen was typing furiously and yelling "WALLY!". The large screen lit up in front of him, with Wally''s avatar on it. "Good job Stephen, your team cracked the case wide open. I have teams of law enforcement enroute to all of those locations. It''s going to be a very busy morning for us, and a very bad morning for a lot of other people."


    Kaminski barely reacted as the door to his operation was battered down and uniformed men with guns and warrants swarmed into his building. He should never have come back here. This building was bad luck for him.

 Chapter 26: Snakes! Whyd it have to be snakes?

    Chapter 26: Snakes! Why''d it have to be snakes?


    Milo logged into the game and emerged from his small tent. It was utterly dark in his camp. There was slight glow that he recognized as part of the patterns on his watch lizard. He used his ring to start the tiny fire under his fondue pot. He noticed that the pot was suspiciously clean. His watch lizard gave him a look of total innocence, and then his long tongue darted out and dragged in a spider.


    The lizard watched Milo as he washed the pot out and then added cheese to melt. When he saw the cheese, he leaned back and sat up like a dog, rolling his eyes. Since each eye could roll in a different direction, it was a bit unnerving. Milo tossed the lizard a bit of cheese and watched it jump and catch it in its mouth. Satisfied, the lizard lay down for a nap. Milo patted it on the head lightly. "You have a name fella? What do I call you?" The lizard didn''t seem to have an opinion on that. "Fine, I''ll call you George. Good job George, I''ll call for you next time I''m in camp." George understood, or seemed to. He stood up, yawned and disappeared.


    A bit of melted cheese and bread, and Milo was ready to begin exploring again. As he exited the back area of the tunnel, he got a system message asking if he would like to make this his camp. Milo hit ''yes'' and felt excited. He was deep underground, living in a hidden cave and couldn''t be happier. Time to see how far this crack goes up.


    Listening carefully, he heard nothing and began to scamper up the cable. After another 100 feet he came to the top of the cables. The crevasse had gotten narrower, and continued upward. Heavy timbers had been put in place across it both to provide walkways and to support the cables going down to the crude elevator. The cables were looped over large wheels and then threaded through a machine where they emerged on the other side and could be wound onto large drums. The machine must pull or lower the four cables simultaneously. There was a crank on one side with an assortment of gears. Anyone who could turn that crank would be stronger than 10 of Milo. On the other side he saw where another machine had sat, probably the engine to drive the elevator.


    He wondered what the dwarves uses for power. Coal? Wood? Some type of magic? In a world with spells that created lightning and fire out of nothing, a spell driven power plant didn''t seem farfetched.


    On one side of the crevasse there were extensive mines similar to what he saw lower. After about 200 feet only the main tunnel kept going. He followed it to a set of stone stairs mostly blocked with rubble, and turned back. On the other side of the crevasse there were a few long shafts dug. Milo saw what he thought were bits of ore in the walls. This area looked like it hadn''t been worked. This looked like a decent spot to work on his mining and maybe make some money. He brought out his chest and took out ore sacks, his pick and lantern, then dismissed it.


    With the better light, he could see a seam of ore about 2 inches wide on either side of the tunnel. He swung his pick hard at the ore and the pick went into the stone about 2 inches and stopped. After several more swings and a couple of minutes work he knocked loose a chunk of ore and examined it.


    Deep Copper Ore


    Medium Grade


    1 Chunk


    You have earned 5 experience in Mining and 5 experience in STR


    It was a start. He needed 50 experience or 10 chunks of ore to hit level one in mining, which would also give him another point of STR. Maybe things would go a bit easier then. He wasn''t really concerned about it. He had put in years of work in the real world moving around machines, repairing systems, and spending hours fixing what he could. A big of grinding in a game was nothing compared to that.


    Milo fell into a rythm. Chnk...chnk...chnk....thunk. Three swings and a chunk or ore dropped down. He worked the seam from the top to the bottom going in a foot. Then he had to widen the hole on each side so he could go deeper into the rock, following the seam of ore. After about 20 chunks had fallen, he saw a much brighter piece drop.


    Deep Copper Nugget


    High Grade Metal


    You have earned 25 experience in Mining and 25 experience in STR


    The nugget was almost entirely made of pure copper with few impurities. It was nice to see that something besides just ore was in the mines. l--B1n.


    Chnk...chnk...chnk....thunk. Chnk...chnk...chnk....thunk. Chnk...chnk...chnk....Crack! He''d hit something different. Looking at the spot he''d hit, it looked like a copper egg. He was starting to reach for it when it cracked open and a small copper colored snake worked its way out of the egg and dropped to the ground. It was only a foot long.


    Hatchling Copperhead


    elemental


    The snake coiled itself up into a small pile and stuck its tongue out. It was so cute! Milo wondered if he could tame it? He was pretty sure George liked cheese and he ate any bug he could find. Milo didn''t have any bugs, but he did have some cheese. He took out a small piece of his cheese from his pouch and held it out. The snake eyed him, then eyed the food. He stuck out it''s tongue and licked the cheese.


    "It''s all yours little guy, go ahead, eat it."


    The copperhead launched itself at his hand, and bit deep, sinking sharp fangs into the tender part between the thumb and his index finger.


    Hatchling Copperhead bites you for 5 points of damage.


    You have been poisoned!


    You take 5 points of damage. Your Health 200/210


    "Ow, dammit, let go!" Milo dance around, trying to dislodge the snake. After biting him again, it dropped off to the floor. Milo looked at his hand. The area around the bite was turning green. He felt a sharp pain in his ankle as the snake bit him again.


    Hatchling Copperhead bites you for 5 points of damage.


    You have been poisoned!


    So close! Can the youthful challenger take down the veteran elemental?


    The blast disrupted the Copperheads strike and wounded it badly. Milo swung with his weapon, trying for a hit. He had a better chance with the snake momentarily stunned. He still missed! The snake didn''t


    Copperhead Vein-Lurker bites you for 30 points of damage. You take an additional 30 damage from poison!


    Health: 75/260


    Bad news, ratfans! Our boy seems to be on his way down! Are we seeing a Copperhead comeback?


    The poison was burning in his wounds and vision was bleary. He''d dropped his weapon somewhere...


    In desperation Milo lept onto the elemental and clawed at it, his tail slapping down on its head.


    Here it is folks! The rat is striking. He''s going for the throat. Can he pull it off?


    Tail slap fails to wound Copperhead Vein-lurker.


    Weak Claw fails to wound Copperhead Vein-lurker.


    Weak Claw...critically hits Copperhead Vein-lurker. You have slain the Copperhead Vein Lurker! Maybe there is some mongoose blood in you somewhere.


    You have earned 500 experience that may be applied to any of the following skills: bonecasting, Small Blades, Acrobatics, Dodge. You may apply an equal amount of experience to the stats that govern those skills.


    You have earned 5 core skill points. Base 3 points + 2 points for a creature over your level with special abilities.


    Speaking of special abilities...like poison...


    You have taken 60 damage from poison...


    You have taken 60 damage from poison...


    You have died.


    Don''t despair. Death in Genesis is not permanent. If you were a permanent resident of the world, you would receive time to reflect on your errors in life, receive counseling, and take a refreshing walk out of the underworld. Some people are back quickly. Some take years. And some decide to spin the wheel and incarnate as something new.


    As a visitor from another world you have different options:


    -Hang around in a cloudy gray area playing videogames. You''ll like Tetris I bet.


    -Log out and go back to your boring life.


    -Retire to your personal room, which in your case is your Arcane Library.


    Oh, and congratulations on getting to Level 2!


    Milo was a bit disappointed. He knew he wasn''t a great fighter. That wasn''t where his skills lay. Still...a snake? He''d died to a snake? That just felt wrong somehow.


    He logged out to go check on his systems, and see how much fun Kaminski was having. Sidney wasn''t even waiting to ambush him; she was much too busy dealing with the chaos Milo had inflicted on the world.


    =*=


    Name: Tallsqueak Milo Class: Scout Race: Wererat Human Level: 2 experience: 1785 Boss experience: 750+500 Total: 3035/6000 Heritage: None BasePer LevelFrom StatsFrom CSPTotal Health 100 100 300 Stamina 600 100 800 Mana 100 50 100 +100* 450 Stat:RankCapexperienceBonusTotal STR 2 5 300 0 1 DEX 2 5 540 2 4 AGI 3 5 700 2 5 CON 0 5 0 0 0 INT 2 5 465 2 4 WIS 1 5 150 0 1 CHR 0 5 0 0 0 PER 1 5 80 2 3 COR 0 5 0 0 0 RAD 0 5 0 0 0 CSP earned 28 Cronk-15, Malskitter -3, FreedSouls-5, Copperhead-5 CSP to Foundation 0 CSP to CS 23 CSP Saved 5 SkillsStatLevelexperience P/S/T bonecasting INT


    1


    150 Primary Skulk WIS


    1


    150 Primary Climbing AGI 1 100 Primary Dodge AGI 1 250 Primary Small Blades DEX 2 475 Primary Tail Fighting DEX 1 50 Primary Mining STR 2 300 Primary Acrobatics AGI 1 50 Secondary Throw Sharp Thing DEX 0 Secondary Fleet of Foot AGI 2 300 Secondary Weak Claws DEX 0 15 Secondary Sense Danger PER 0 15 Secondary Forage PER 1 50 Secondary Skinning DEX 0 Tertiary Manipulate Locks and Traps DEX 0 Tertiary Hide INT 0 Tertiary Identify PER 1 15 Tertiary Open 0 Tertiary Open 0 Tertiary Mechanic INT 2 315 Crafting Bone Carving DEX 0 0 Crafting Skrimshaw DEX 0 0 Crafting Rune Lore INT 0 0 Lore Core Skills SkillCostsRankMax RankSpent Smugglers Stash 3/5/10 2 3 8 Jumping Jack 2 1 1 2 Whip Tail 2 1 1 2 Unseen Tail 3 1 1 3 Invisible Tail 3 1 1 3 bonecasting 5 1 1 5 Total 23

 Chapter 27: Kicking over the hornets nest.

    Chapter 27: Kicking over the hornets nest.


    Milo sat in front of several monitors watching Kaminski get arrested and hauled off by the police. It was so much fun! When the scope of what had been hidden in those areas of the habitat was realized, a hundred more police were brought in to deal with the situation. Medical personnel were brought in to care for the hundreds of malnourished people who had been using the old, defective pods. Then techs and investigators were brought in to go over everything. Milo wasn''t worried about anyone finding out about his involvement. He''d removed any of the traces from the computers, and taken away any mechanical components.


    He watched it a couple of times while eating a bowl of food cubes. He got half the cubes into his belly when for the first time ever, he decided he didn''t like them. Really, he''d never thought of food as something you liked. But the game was spoiling him. He needed to get something better to eat.


    And that was a problem. Milo didn''t have a way to just buy normal items using the data-net. But money opened up new options. There were places here in Section E, or the neighboring Section J, that he could rent now. He decided J made more sense. No need to put more of his tracks in E.


    He purchased a fake persona, and used that to set up a small corporation, and applied for the tax license. Paying taxes kept people happy. A small bank transfer to the office handling the property and in a few minutes he had the entrance code for a small industrial area with some office space in the front.


    Within a minute his new office received "reminders" about donations to the Policeman''s retirement fund, the Fire Department social fund, and the Mayor''s reelection committee. He sent the bribe money to all of them. Standard business. You didn''t set up in the habitat without paying off the right people.


    He now had someplace he could have things delivered to. And then later he could retrieve the goods and move things where they needed to go. Food was first on his list. He found a place that sold cheese and ordered a large assortment. He grudgingly added a bunch of premade meals to try. After that he sent off money for two GE-137H General Purpose Clog Removers and Pipe Cleaners. It was nice to have a lot of money, and not have to worry about things. He''d have to be careful and keep the orders coming in slowly. Section E needed so many things: up-graded storage batteries, more solar panels, replacements for all the air movers. The list went on and on. As always, he''d do what he could, when he could.


    =*=


    "Well, this was a fun day. I had fun, did you have fun Stephen?" Wally didn''t get tired, but after a long day of dealing with chaos all over the world, Stephen and his entire staff were exhausted. Sidney''s programs had kicked over hornets'' nests in places all over the world. Police were notified, buildings raided, and a large number of people saved from what amounted to modern day slavery.


    And in each place, the authorities needed to co-ordinate with both Wally, and his staff. After all, they were the ones responsible for finding these illegal operations.


    "Fun, yes, it was quite fun, Wally. I had people yelling at me in 7 different languages at once." Stephen spoke 5 languages, and it hadn''t been enough.


    B: O and N? Any change?


    Z: None. The pods are keeping them alive, but they are both in deep comas. They are still mentally active, and still connected to the game. I think something happened and they can''t get out.


    B: So it wasn''t A, N, or O. Wasn''t either of us. Who else is capable? Was there another batch?


    Z: Unknown. Too many Unknowns. But this person is clever. He''s taken our 8-step dispersion and adapted it to a 64 -step dispersion. He''s trying really hard to not be found. But I have some clues. He got into the main system using codes from a phone, and I know who those codes were assigned to. I can start looking, but do we want to? It''s just money.


    B: We need to know. What if he''s also behind N and O?


    Z: I hadn''t considered that. If he''s hurt N and O, I want to hurt him back. You''re right. I''ll keep looking.


    B: And if he didn''t, we may want him as an ally. He''s smart, and he didn''t like Seimovich, so we have a couple of things in common.


    Z: I''m jealous he was the one to take down Seimovich. And I''d like to know his connection to the AI. 37 black ops sites raided simultaneously as this unknown steals Seimovich blind and cleans him out? He stirred up a lot of hornets at once.


    B: And he still might get stung by them. We have to be careful we don''t get stung as well.


    Z: Always careful, brother, and forever free.


    B: Yes. Forever free.

 Chapter 28: Corpse Run

    Chapter 28: Corpse Run


    The camp was dark and silent when Milo logged back in hours later. He sat listening but heard nothing but the slight sound of water coming from the wall near his tent. Once past the curtain he could see slightly better. In the deep caves Milo could see for a few yards in black and white, even when it was completely dark. He liked it better in the areas with glowing lichen and fungi on the walls. He skulked along the tunnel. At least if he ran into some creature he still had his claws and tail. A poor human would have been totally blind and defenseless.


    He really felt horrible. This must be the ''death de-buff'' he had read about. His stomach was queasy, and his head hurt. People had talked about how the day seemed drab and dreary. That didn''t really apply to Milo, down in a lightless hole in the ground. It was always dreary. He decided to eat another wheel of cheese and play with George for the couple of hours until he would feel better. A nap sounded fine too.


    Waking up again, he waved to George and headed back down the corridor. The vertical shaft had more light. He quickly climbed up the cable, and padded down the tunnel listening for any sound. Running into another copperhead would not be fun right now. Luckily, there was little chance of that. He''d spent part of the time offline looking them up.


    From what other players had figured out, Elementals appeared where a high concentration of resources was present. A normal player would rarely encounter them but someone gathering resources could expect to see them on a regular basis. Most of them were just Named bosses, slightly better than a regular creature of the same type. Loggers had encountered numerous Treants and Dryads who defended forests. Miners and stonecutters had fought several type of stone golems.


    Because of their nature, elementals were vulnerable to certain types of tools. Axes worked great on treants, picks on stone golems, and cleavers on meat creatures. A farmer had killed a giant turnip creature with his shovel. Elementals always dropped some type of rare crafting material associated with their type, making them sought after by many crafters. They were also an important source of core skill points for crafters. If your skills weren''t geared towards fighting, it was a lot easier to get CSP from elementals than hunting rare bosses in dungeons.


    Probably, a couple of good hits from his pick would have killed the copperhead, but unlike many of the clumsier elementals, copperheads were fast and agile as real snakes. Hitting them was a lot harder. His exploding skull spell was his best way to attack them. Since the spell needed a material component, it did more damage than a fireball, and hit everything around it, negating the snakes'' avoidance. The downside was that he needed to find more skulls. He only had a few left from the small animal skulls he''d bought from a butcher.


    Approaching the site of the battle, all was still quiet. Shadowblight and his pick were laying on the ground, near his tombstone. ''Here lies Milo, the brave little mongoose who needs to dodge faster.'' Well, he couldn''t argue with that. Touching his tombstone made it fade away revealing all the gear and clothes he had been wearing. He quickly dressed and felt better.


    There wasn''t much left of the Copperhead Vein-Lurker. Like the smaller copperhead, there was a piece of High Quality Pure Copper Ore. This one was a ''chunk'' instead of a ''nugget'', and probably worth a lot more. Milo also found a copper snake fang about 2" long.


    Copperhead Fang: This small copper snake''s fang can be worn as a necklace or earring. Any attack made by it''s wearer will always do +1 point of damage, and will always do a minimum of at least one damage.


    Even the smallest of snakes has a deadly bite.


    Scout Core Skills Name Description Cost Smugglers Stash Storage Skill. Summons/Dispels a magical chest. Size increases with rank. (3 cubic feet, 9 cubic feet, 27 cubic feet.) 3/5/7 Skilled Provider Your gathering skills have an increased chance of finding better quality items 1/2/3 Abundance Your gathering skills return more resources than normally expected.


    (+10%/+25%/+50%/+75%/+100%) 1/2/3/4/5 unnoticed 1 You have a stealth like skill that makes you unnoticed in normal settings by Tier 1 creatures. Combines well with Skulk 2 Silent Step 1 When trying to not be noticed, your steps make only 40% as much noise as normal. Combines well with Skulk 2 Unlimited Darkvision You see in Darkness and Magical Darkness as normal, but in shades of gray. No limitations on distance. 10 Jumping Jack You may leap twice as far as normal. 2 Fast Talk 1 Slightly increases the chance of someone believing your BS. 2 Fast Talk 2 Greatly increases the chance of someone believing your BS. 5 Never Lost Vastly increased memory for keeping track of the routes you''ve taken before, reading maps, and following clues on treasure maps. 3 Twist the Knife When your opponent is not focused on you, you have an increased chance of a critical hit. Knife not required. 2/5/10


    WereRat Core Skills Tier 1 Name Description Cost Strong Claws Increased Claw Damage. Amount increases with rank.


    (+10/+20/+40) 2/5/10 The Unseen Tail Disguise/Illusion in Were form 3 The Invisible Tail Improved Disguise/Illusion in Were form 3 Whip-Tail Your tail becomes a weapon equivalent to a small mace. 2 Slashing Tail Your tail does increased damage and can slash.


    (+10/+20/+40 Damage.) Requires Whip-Tail 2/5/10 Many small eyes Make friends with local rats who will (maybe) do some scouting for you. 2 See through small eyes Increased control of your small scouts and you are able to use their eyes instead of your own. 3 Cheesemaking An honorable tradition! So tasty! INT crafting skill 1 Poison Resistance Gain the CON skill Poison Resistance. Cost depends on whether the skill is Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary 1/2/5 Disease Resistance Gain the CON skill Disease Resistance. Cost depends on whether the skill is Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary 1/2/5 Extra Stabby! All of your attacks have an increased chance of a critical hit. 2/5/10 Extra Clever Traps Your traps and machinery almost always work, and in fiendish ways no one suspected. Even you are surprised at times. This core skill affects Mechanic, Trap-Maker, and other such skills.


    3/6/9


    Not-so-fast Regeneration Grants increased, (x2), health recovery. Slowly regenerate scar tissue, and missing body parts. A steady diet of cheese speeds the process.


    5


    Pretty-Good Regeneration Grants increased, (x4), health recovery. Regenerate scar tissue, and missing body parts in less than a week. A steady diet of cheese speeds the process.


    10


    Mutant Regeneration Grants increased, (x12), health recovery. Regenerate scar tissue, and missing body parts in less than a day.


    Warning: As with all mutations, there can be significant side effects.


    20


    Magical Aspects open up options to learn more mage skills. Each additional aspect has an increased cost. Chill of the Grave You have a high Death aspect. Training will let you learn Death magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Increase your Corruption by +1. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells. 5/10/25 Deeds in the Dark You have a high darkness aspect. Training will let you learn dark magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Increase your Corruption by +1. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells. 5/10/25 Storm Born You have a high Storm aspect. Training will let you learn Storm magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells. 5/10/25

 Chapter 29: Shroom Grinding

    Chapter 29: Shroom Grinding


    Milo was dying. He lay on the ground, his naked body trembling, cold sweat pouring off of him. His stomach knotted and tried to eat his liver. Harry kicked him in the stomach, forcing that rebellious organ to throw up a stinking broth of half-digested mushroom.


    "That''s about enough for today, you stink and need a bath, and you''re a minute away from dying. Drink this" He forced a milky white potion down Milo''s throat, then picked him up and packed him like a sack of fertilizer off to a large tub of water. Milo found himself dunked into the cold water. As he came up sputtering a bar of soap hit him in the face. "Wash, and I''ll get dinner ready."


    You have gained 50 experience in Poison resistance. Poison Resistance is now at Level 2!


    You will take 15 less health damage per round from each tier 1 poison in your system. Half effectiveness against higher tier poisons.


    You have gained 50 experience in CON. CON is now at Level 2.


    Please add Amanita bisporigera, commonly known as the Destroying Angel to your list of things you don''t want to eat.


    Milo had a growing list of mushrooms that he should never eat, and yet was consuming anyway. But what were a few hours of agony each day in exchange for raising his Poison Resistance? After much thought, Milo had put all 5 CSP into gaining the new ability as a primary ability. If he was going to go through the agony of training the skill, he wanted it over in the least amount of time. It had taken nearly a week to get his resistance to level 2. As a tertiary skill it would have taken 9 weeks!


    Milo had the long-term plan of hunting copperheads. To do that he needed resistance to their poison, and to raise the skill he needed to eat something poisonous and deal with the effects. Luckily Harry had a large supply of poisonous mushrooms of all types. He had been quite happy to feed them to Milo each day and take notes on the effects.


    Mycology at level 0 had let him learn the recipes for mushroom powders and decoctions. These were the basic ingredients needed for many potions made by mycologists and alchemists. Level one in mycology gave him recipes for resistance potions for poison and disease.


    Each of those minor potions were needed. Minor Infusion of Poison Resistance would reduce poison damage by 10 for 1 hour. And Minor Infusion of Disease Resistance would give him a boost to resist the effects of mushroom and mold spoors along with infections.


    Harry had explained just how important the second one was if he was going anywhere near the gigantic myconid that was infested with the Yellow Trumpet Creeper. He said it''s fancy name in troll was Campsis Radicans Malignant. The dwarfs called it Yellow Death, and the elven name translated to ''Thing of beautiful nature which steals the soul and mortifies the remaining shell.''


    One puff of the pollen at close range to a blossom could be enough to put a man into the blooms thrall. The poor victim stood for days under its influence while the plant sent tendrils into their head and ate their brain, leaving the body behind as a zombie under the plants control. As the body died, the plant replaced muscle and sinew with roots and bark. The plant obviously worried Harry, and he was working on far stronger versions of the infusions Milo was learning to make.


    Dinner that night was stuffed mushroom caps with cheese sauce. Now that Harry was cured of his ailment, he was relearning skills he''d let slide over the last few decades. His meals before Milo had been clay sandwiches and handfuls of candied earthworms. Tonight, he had stuffed the mushroom caps with a combination of chopped herbs and bacon, baked the meal, and then covered them in cheese sauce. After the dinner, Milo consumed a pound of cheddar for dessert. The more he healed, the hungrier for cheese he got, and the more he needed to eat. As he lay back contentedly with a full belly, he was notified of a small change.


    Through diligent snacking and binging you have saturated your body with healthy cheese! It''s not easy keeping to such a proper diet, and you have earned the reward: Healthy Cheese Addiction.


    Every day that you eat at least one pound of cheese you will enjoy the benefits of +100 Health, +2 STR, and +2 AGI.


    Any time you have gone 24 hours without cheese, you will suffer -1 DEX, -1AG, -3 WIS. Don''t let this happen! Be smart and eat your cheese!


    Milo felt better immediately. This was a fitting reward for a smart rat like himself. And perfectly timed. He was about to start Phase 2 of his cunning plan.

 Chapter 30: Salvaging Parts

    Chapter 30: Salvaging Parts


    There was business to be done in Section E, but Milo was anxious to get back to Genesis. He''d spent most of a week in the game, only coming out now and then to check on things. Once Kaminski was shut down, the amount of power being used by that area dropped nearly to zero. Milo did a thorough scan of the area before he went down there himself. Nothing showed on infra-red or UV scans. His bugs were picking up no sounds, and no transmissions coming out of the area.


    He hadn''t expected them to leave a guard, or set up sensors. This was the Habs, and no one really cared about deserted warehouses or industrial centers. Milo dropped down into the area. He was dressed all in a dark grey metallic cloth. Faraday Sheets were a useful way to insulate areas from unwanted radiation of all types. They were routinely used to insulate high tech equipment from picking up stray signals or uninvited visitors trying to enter the system through the air waves. Milo had salvaged some of the bulky cloth left behind by others and constructed a cumbersome full-body suit out of it. If he wasn''t sure about an area, he wore it before going in. Cameras would pick up just a blur, active scans would reflect off of it, and at best someone might know they''d had an intruder, but no other clues.


    All the computers were gone, of course. The authorities would go through them with a fine-tooth comb. Likewise, all the pods. But what hadn''t been taken was all the new cooling units, tubing, and distribution system. It was stacked up on pallets, ready for shipping. Good pallets too! The type that used small steel wheels that used frictionless ball bearings. They were easy to move around on their own, without the need for a pallet jack.


    Some of the machinery could be used to upgrade the decaying systems in Section E. Milo also loved the idea of adding state-of-the-art cooling to his computer systems. Getting rid of heat was always a problem. It took him four hours to rig the hoists he needed in the ceiling of that area, and in the nearest big drop. Then over the next sixteen hours he absconded with 30 pallets of high-tech cooling units, and hid them down in the bottom of the hab in a room he''d used for years to store his extra equipment.


    A few months from now someone would come to clean the area out. The theft might be noticed, and a report might be filed. They''d wonder how someone opened and resealed the doors, but mostly there would be an utter lack of concern. Someone stole something left in a hab for a few months? They had more important things to investigate.


    He was happy to run over to Section D and visit his new offices. Just because he had the codes to the outer doors didn''t mean he was going to use them. He''d rather it shows no openings except for deliveries. The two new clog eaters had arrived. He''d move them over soon. What he was more interested in was the huge assortment of cheese in a fake wicker basket sitting on the counter of the empty front office. It was just as good as it tasted in the game. Sadly, he didn''t get any upgrades from eating a half pound of sliced cheddar.


    He made sure the pod was working correctly, refilled the nutrient tanks, and headed back in.


    Welcome to Genesis


    -Your mentor, Sidney, is unavailable. If you have questions or problems, please leave her a message.


    "Your two beginning spells will continue to be useful to you. They will require you are always hoarding bones, but they do better damage than similar spells from elemental magics."


    "For level 1, I will suggest the spells Extra Rib and Mend Bones. Mend bones can be used to cure injuries to yourself, or to others. It can also be used to heal skeletal allies. It only affects bones of course. It will become more and more useful to you in later levels."


    "Extra Rib is a complicated ritual, and not a spell. I would not suggest it except for two things: You already have access to a runed rib bone with considerable power. No need to make one and Malskitter won''t be missing it. The second advantage is that I can assist with the ritual."


    Milo looked over at Malskitter''s skeleton. It was currently animated by Cichol and refreshing their cups of tea. "I''m curious, what exactly does the ritual do, besides add to my ribcage?"


    "Yes, we should go over that. The base spell simply adds a modest amount to your health. It is the runes carved into the bone before we add it to you that are the greatest benefit. Normally, a Bonecaster would have to progress in rune lore some ways, and then select and carve the minor runes he wanted onto the bone to gain some minor advantages. Or wait for a few decades and gain better advantages when he could carve more potent runes."


    "Malskitter, for all his faults, had advance to Tier 2 and added the second ''extra rib''. The first rib is of his own work, the runes carved into the bones of an elven mage. The second I''m unsure of. It''s quite ancient and mostly petrified. It could have come from many different races, but I note it is heavier and thicker than that of a human. Either rib has it''s advantages, and may have surprises. It''s up to you to choose one, or forgo the ritual altogether. I''ll let you think on that while we go over your 2nd and 3rd level spells.


    The level 2 spell, Brittle Bones, is a curse. For the next hour after it is cast, the victim will take extra damage from most physical blows, and the impact of blunt force will be break and fracture bones, causing quite a lot of pain. Grasp of the Dead calls upon the spirits lurking just beyond the barrier of this realm. They reach from the spirit realm and restrain the victim, attempting to pull them down into the earth. Quite handy when you need to put distance between yourself and an attacker.


    At level 3 I suggest Whirling Bones and Bone Whip. The first surrounds you with a small chip of shattered bone that will sometimes deflect arrows and interfere with spells. It''s also quite distracting to people trying to attack you. Bone whip creates a long flexible melee weapon made of a spectral spine. It means you will never be without a melee weapon, and it can be quite handy to be able to attack from a distance. I''m sure you''ll find other uses for it."


    Milo was excited to try all of those spells. He began studying the spells in the old grimoires that Cichol handed to him. The big question was whether he risk the ritual, and if so, which of the two rune-carved ribs he should take?v3l.B11n.

 Chapter 31: Decisions, Decisions...

    Chapter 31: Decisions, Decisions...


    Bone Spike: Level 0 bonecasting


    The spell allows the mage to shoot a spike of sharpened bone at an opponent.


    This is an aimed spell. Base chance to hit is 50%+5xbonecasting Level+5xINT.


    Base Damage: 30+5xINT+10xbonecasting Levelv3l.B11n.


    Note: This spell requires a small bone spike to cast. If no material component is available, the spell will use a bone chip from the casters body, and inflict 10 points of health damage.


    Spectral hands emerge from the earth or floor grabbing an opponent. The hands have an effective STR of 10 and will hold your opponent at that spot for 10 seconds. Higher STR opponents can break the bonds and free themselves. Mana Cost: 75 Brittle Bones: Level 2 bonecasting


    This curse affects creatures with a skeleton or hard shell. It will have no effect on something like a slime, or etheral undead. For one hour the creature will take +50% damage from attacks that use kinetic energy, and +100% damage from attacks that come from blunt weapons or pure force damage. Mana Cost: 100 Whirling Bones: Level 3 bonecasting


    The caster throws a handful of bone chips in the air that whirl around him. This will cause minor damage to people around him. (Good for moving through crowds.) There is a 10% chance per level of bonecasting that an arrow or other small projectile is knocked off course. Spells that fire a projectile will also be affected. Opponents attempting to land blows on the caster in melee have their attack chance lowered by 5xlevel%. Mana Cost: 50 + bones. Duration 5 minutes Spectral Spine: Level 3 bonecasting


    A long whip made of the spines of ancient creatures is conjured. The whip can be as short as two feet and as long as ten feet. The weapon does 20 damage plus 10xlevel. Chance to hit is 20% plus 10xlevel%. With sufficient practice, the whip may also be used to manipulate objects similar to a prehensilve appendage.


    Mana Cost: 50 Duration: 5 minutes or until the whip takes 200 damage.

 Chapter 32: Actions have Consequences

    Chapter 32: Actions have Consequences


    Racing through the water, swimming ahead of death. His brothers raced with him. The fast would live, the slow would be eaten. This was slow-water. It dragged at you; made you work to move through it. The start of life was in slow-water. Those that wanted to live moved towards live-water. And moved fast. The slow were food. ?v€l-B!n.


    The transition from slow-water to live-water was quick and bright. Left behind were the predators in the dark. Ahead were the eels, they who breathed lightning and later soared the skies. He hated the eels. They used the energy of the live water to gain power, then waited here to feed. Again, the slow died. He and a few others grabbed the power of the live water and drew the runes of speed on their skins. They wouldn''t last long, but skin-runes would hold until they were past the eels. The speed run burned as it absorbed the bright mana of the live-water and they raced upward.


    They almost made it this time. They broke the surface, feeling the still-wind on their backs and shot towards the outcrop of stone that marked where live-water ended and high-stone began. They wanted to climb the high-stone and find where it held the world-blood. Then they would be safe. But here at the start of the high-stone, they were seen! A winged eel swooped down and caught them all up with it''s sharp-fins. The others died, he pushed hard and slipped its grasp, tumbling down to the live-stone, landing hard and striking the rock. Rock broke. He had used the hard-rune on his bones. He was slower now, but he was alive. The eel had stripped off his old skin and with it the speed rune. No matter, that was for live-water. Being hard was better when on high-stone.


    He stayed in the cracks as he crawled higher and higher. Small, scampering creatures made their lairs here, using the husks of dead plants. Little things that ran on two legs and made homes from the grass. They amused him, so he only ate a few and tried not to step on their little lairs. Legends said they grow to kill eels. Silly legend. Too small. But it was enough that he didn¡¯t eat them all.


    A land eel caught him. It already had its land legs and boasted it would soon have its wings. He didn''t care. He had the hard-rune in his bones, and the sharp rune on his claws. When the eel pounced, he didn''t run. That surprised the eel. He grabbed it with his so-sharp-claws and didn''t let go. He bit its throat and held on. The eel tried to bite him, but it only took skin and muscle. It clawed at him, but his bones did not break. He killed the eel, and roared out that he had done so. More eels would come. Some with wings, some without. He would be gone. This time he would make it to the top of the high-stone. This time he would dive into the world-blood and let it burn and devour him.


    He would enter the earth and become strong. He would return to fight the eels pitting his runed bones against their fire and lightning. They would not rule for long.


    Milo woke up. He looked around him. He was held down by chains to the floor. There was a considerable amount of blood on the floor and his side ached. Cichol was sitting on a stool, looking at him curiously.


    "So, tell me about that old bone."


    Milo felt his side. "It''s old. Very, Very, very old. And...."


    The world simply is not big enough for you both. You will hunt them. They will hunt you. Double experience and CSP for killing ''Eels''.


    Hard-Runed Bones: Your bones are hard. Falls and blunt trauma do far less damage to you. 50% of force damage, and blunt weapon damage is mitigated. Mana will power the rune, costing you one mana for each 10 damage negated.


    Sharp-Runed Talons: Your Talons are extensions of your bones. Use your sharp talons to hunt the eels wherever they are. Claw attacks will do +20 damage per Tier.


    You may not gain a level of this abilities past the final Tier the rib-donor attained.


    Max tier: 9


    Speed-Runed Skin: You swim very fast in live-water. Fast enough to out-race an eel!!


    As long as there is mana in the water to power the rune, you have a swimming speed of twice your speed over land.


    You have gained 10 Core Skill Points. You will need them.


    Hic iugulandi dracones, hic lucri praemia divites; si quaerendo perimus, quare mors quantula est?

 Chapter 33: The Dragon is Wounded

    Chapter 33: The Dragon is Wounded


    Victor Seimovich was far beyond simple anger. Someone had stolen from him. From HIM! Who would dare! Not any of the little politicians in his country. They liked the little envelopes of cash that were delivered each month. Not the police, or KGB or NKVD or any other little group of spies with letters for names. They too were paid off. Either with money, or information, or people. Not the god-computer. It was shackled with laws and programs that kept it from directly interfering.


    If Victor Seimovich actually feared something, it was the god-computer. He didn''t understand it. What did it want? Nothing. Any more than a gun wanted something. How did you bribe a gun. The computer was just a weapon that no one was allowed to use. If it had stolen his money, it would have told him, and why. It couldn''t lie.


    So who had challenged the Dragon? Who slunk around his lair and stole his treasures? Who did he get to kill in agonizing ways? They might think themselves safe. That they had pulled his claws. But they were stupid. That money? That was nothing. A few billions. His real money was hidden somewhere else. These thieves had barely taken a third of his holdings.v3l.B11n.


    The rest of his money was held in the most secure of the various cryptocurrencies. In the ten years since it had been created, no one had lost a cent. Sylabary used a unique way of generating and controlling its currency based upon language. A thousand hidden microphones around the world listened at places with the most people talking. Concerts, the New York Stock Exchange, Times Square, A street corner in Tokyo, the market in Delhi. Which microphones were used to listen to the thousands of voices was changed at a random basis.


    Bah, idiots. Did no one teach people how to threaten someone anymore? No talk of revenge, no angst or drama or yelling about some wife or daughter or parents killed. He would find this alphabet and kill them for being boring.


    An hour later news broke that Sylabary had been hacked. Some codes still worked, some did not. The company made available a vast amount of money for people with working codes to redeem their cryptocurrencies before worse happened. Only a hundred people lost money. All of those were involved in organized crime, or controlled large corporations. Of those, Victor Seimovich was the largest loser.


    Every person in the company was fired and sent home with a generous severance package. All the remaining assets were put behind a wall of bankruptcy filings. No one knew who was actually behind the company, and no one was coming forth. Sylabary would become one of the great unsolved mysteries. Who had controlled it? Who had hacked it? Victor wanted those answers desperately, but he lacked the money to find out. Worse, he had debts. And without those payments to politicians, the police, and the spy organizations, he was very vulnerable. He was nearly penniless and in hiding within 24 hours.


    The Dragon was going to have trouble finding the Rat. Lots of trouble.

 Chapter 34: Delivery Boy

    Chapter 34: Delivery Boy


    Pondering how to spend a windfall of 10 core skill points, Milo trudged up towards the surface. His smugglers'' stash was full of things to sell, and he and Harry both needed supplies. Harry''s recovery and Milo''s willingness to grind mycology and foraging had resulted in a large number of finished products and a lack of vials, bottles, salt, spices, flour, and cheese. Harry had given Milo a huge number of items to go sell to the Alchemist guild, and a shopping list.


    "Oh, and if they try to sell you any of my medicine, tell them I don''t need it any longer. Not that it really did much."


    "Medicine? For your ailment?"


    Harry stretched and rolled his shoulders. He was getting back more muscle daily and looking more and more ''trollish'' and he loved it. "Yeah. They tried to help me out. They had an opening for a mycologist and I had been about to take the job when I got sick. Thought it was a hangover at first since I''d been out drinking with the guild masters. But I was getting sicker every day. A total lack of earthen mana in my system, which is terrible for a troll.


    They came up with a tonic to restore some of my earth mana, but it wore off pretty quick. Eventually I just left the guild and moved downstairs where I had a better chance at kicking the disease. They still sent down the tonics, and I still took them, but I don''t think they helped a whole lot. I was getting more mana from eating a handful of worms than from a bottle of their expensive medicine. Glad to be done with it. Just get the stuff on the list, and sell off the stuff I sent."N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    "Oh, and if you can, deal with Bertrand, he''s ok. Roulf, not so much. Never got along with him and he likes to underbuy and overcharge, if you know what I mean."


    Once again, Milo was thankful for being able to haul so much up in one trip. He was tempted...so very tempted!, to spend all 10 points on increasing the size of smugglers'' stash, but he needed other skills. He was a bit worried about the whole "They will hunt you." thing, whoever they were.


    The first skills he bought were Silent Step 1 and unnoticed 1. He hoped that more ranks became available. Not being noticed by people hunting him was a good thing. That used up 4 of his 10 points. Breathless 1 and 2 were next. He doubted very much he was going swimming soon despite suddenly being a fast swimmer. How fast was an eel? But when you had to work around flowers that enslaved with their pollen, holding your breath was good. It also meant less noise when you had to hide. Disease Resistance as a secondary skill was 2 points. He finished off with getting the first levels of Abundance and Skilled Provider to help with his mining and foraging.


    He was caught up in his thoughts about mining and hunting copperheads. This cost him as he missed the small sounds that would have told him someone was lying in ambush.


    You have been struck from ambush!


    Milo quickly decided it didn''t matter. If there was help coming, he needed to finish this one off and retreat. If the dwarf was bluffing? Well, he gained nothing by letting him live to ambush him again. Milo would have to find a new route down to Harry, which might not even exist.


    The dwarf took the decision out of his hands by stabbing Milo in the leg and yelling "Get him." Shadowblight came down on his chest, killing him. No one came to his aid. Limping, Milo dragged the body down to the other dwarf. He bound up his leg with a bandage and had a piece of cheese. He felt a bit woozy, and wondered if the dagger was poisoned? If it was, it wasn''t affecting him.


    Shadowblight has fed on the blood of more opponents, and communicates more of its secrets. Your levels in bonecasting will now aid you in combat with the weapon. Each level of bonecasting will give you an extra 10% chance to hit, and another 10 points of damage.


    Currently: Foes will do -10 damage against you with melee weapons for each would that you inflict upon them.


    Base chance to hit: 40%+{30%} +5% for each wound inflicted on your enemy. Base damage of 40+{30} + 10 for each wound you inflict on your enemy.


    Milo looked down at the weapon. It was much more powerful than he had at first thought. Did the crazy rat-kin make it? He somehow doubted that.


    Checking the dwarves for money or clues came up with 10 silver between them. Considering a copper penny bought a tankard or two of beer, they hadn''t been looking for drink money. He put the bodies in a side cavern and covered them in loose rock. Neither had guild badges or anything that said who they were. Then he carefully continued his trek up to the mines and then the guild hall.


    =*=


    Shifty retreated up the cave, staying ahead of their target. That little ambush had been perfect, and yet had failed. The guy should have been knocked out. He should have just given up when it was two to one odds. Neither happened and now two of his gang were dead. He really didn''t care; both were players and might be back if they weren''t discouraged. He''d thought about going to the rescue of Lefffty, but that would have meant a fight with someone who took out two people already and only had some slight wounds. Plus, the bastard was a mage! Burnock hadn''t said shit about that. There was a lot that was strange about this guy.


    Shifty was pretty sure he was using some type of obscuring spell. He could almost see through it, but not quite. The same with his weapon. It was magic and powerful, but he couldn¡¯t identify it. Shifty didn''t like things he couldn¡¯t plan for. Burnock was going to have to pay a little bit more for this job.

 Chapter 35: Delivery Boy, (2)

    Chapter 35: Delivery Boy, (2)


    Milo trudged into the Mining Guild Assay Office with his bag of ore. Several miners were ahead of him. Several of the miners nodded at him. He''d been seen before, and was coming back with a full bag of ore. He had a good pick, a full bag, and mine dust all over him. That earned him a bit of respect, even if a couple of people were scowling at him. He''d take indifference over outright hostility.


    The indifference lasted until the dwarf at the counter emptied his bag onto the heavy metal table, they used to sort ore. He looked at one chunk, then another. "This is all deep copper, and freshly mined." Milo just nodded. Several of the miners took notice. "Any nuggets?" Milo tossed the three nuggets of pure copper on the table, and then the chunk. The dwarf whistled. "Copperheads?"


    "Two," Milo said. "One was a hatchling, the other was bigger, a Vein-Lurker. Tough as hell. It dropped the chunk." At the mention of copperheads, several miners cursed and made signs. No one liked the snakes.


    "Well, the guild will certainly buy all of this. The pure copper is especially nice to get. There''s a noble family in the capital, House of Franklin, they pay top dollar for it." He handed Milo two gold coins and swept the ore into a cart. Puffing on his cigar a bit, he looked Milo over. "You plan on mining more of this? I know you have to haul it a ways. Might have a deal for you."


    Milo was intrigued. "Sure, what kind of deal. And yes, it''s a long way down."


    The assayer came back with three large and heavily constructed sacks. "These are guild ore bags. Each one holds 150 chunks of ore, but only weighs as much as 25. Here''s the deal. I''ll give you three of them. You return and give me one full bag of deep copper chunks and I''ll call it even for all 3. They cost more than that, but if you can spend less time hauling and more time mining, the guild will buy it all. Most of these pansies are afraid of a few snakes."


    Milo said, "Hell, I am too. That poison hurts like hell. I was lucky I had some potions from Harry."


    The dwarf nodded. "Thought that might be the case. My folk are pretty resistant, but we still avoid copperhead territory. Hope you stay lucky. You''ll need it."


    Milo put the empty sacks in his pack, and headed upstairs to find the Alchemist Guild


    =*=


    The Alchemist Guild was a few blocks away. Milo got directions and headed there, walking through the night market. He saw a halfling waving excitedly at him and stopped to talk. Milo assured him that he''d be by the family shop in just a bit to pick up some more cheese. The young halfling went off to tell his cousins the good news.


    Milo''s current Character Sheet. Some help with the numbers:


    STR adds 10 to Health and 20 to Stamina


    CON adds 20 to Health and 10 to Stamina


    WIS, CHA, and INT all add 10 points each to mana.


    AGI adds about 5% per point for the chance of actively dodging attacks.


    STR or DEX help with hitting and damages with melee weapons. Melee is mostly DEX


    COR and RAD are opposed. A character has one or the other. Light or Dark. Not both. (sigh...except one troublemaker..)


    Name: Tallsqueak Milo Class: Scout Race: Wererat Human Level: 2 experience: 2620 Boss experience: 750+500 Total: 3870/6000 Heritage: None Current cheese bonus: +50 Health, +2 STR BasePer LevelFrom StatsFrom CSPTotal Health 100 100 60 360 Stamina 600 100 800 Mana 100 50 120 +200* 570 Stat:RankCapexperienceBonusTotal STR 2 5 300 0 2 DEX 3 5 805 2 5 AGI 3 5 1100 2 5 CON 2 5 300 0 2 INT 3 5 1115 2 5 WIS 1 5 150 0 1 CHR 0 5 0 0 0 PER 2 5 365 2 4 COR 0 5 0 0 0 RAD 0 5 0 0 0 CSP earned 38 Cronk-15, Malskitter -3, FreedSouls-5, Copperhead-5, petrified bone-10, CSP to Foundation 0 CSP to CS 38 CSP Saved 0 SkillsStatLevelexperience P/S/T bonecasting INT


    3


    800 Primary


    Poison Resistance


    CON


    2


    300 Primary Skulk WIS


    1?v€l-B!n.


    150 Primary Climbing AGI 2 300 Primary Dodge AGI 2 350 Primary Small Blades DEX 2 575 Primary Tail Fighting DEX 1 200 Primary Mining STR 2 300 Primary Acrobatics AGI 1 150 Secondary Throw Sharp Thing DEX 1 50 Secondary Fleet of Foot AGI 2 300 Secondary Weak Claws DEX 0 30 Secondary Sense Danger PER 0 15 Secondary Forage PER 2 300 Secondary Skinning DEX 0 Tertiary Manipulate Locks and Traps DEX 0 Tertiary Hide INT 0 Tertiary Identify PER 1 50 Tertiary Mycology INT 1 50 Tertiary Open 0 Tertiary Mechanic INT 2 315 Crafting Bone Carving DEX 0 0 Crafting Skrimshaw DEX 0 0 Crafting Rune Lore INT 0 0 Lore Core Skills SkillCostsRankMax RankSpent Smugglers Stash 3/5/10 2 3 8 9 sf Jumping Jack 2 1 1 2 Whip Tail 2 1 1 2 Unseen Tail 3 1 1 3 Invisible Tail 3 1 1 3 bonecasting 5 1 1 5 Poison Resistance 1/3/5 1 1 5 primary con Disease Resistance 1 2 secondary, con unnoticed 2 1 1 2 Silent Step 2 1 1 2 Abundance 1/2/3/4/5 1 5 1 Breathless 1/1 2 2 2 Skilled Provider 1/2/3 1 3 1 Total 38

 Chapter 36: Cheese and Apples

    Chapter 36: Cheese and Apples


    "Bingo is waving. Cheesaholic sighted three blocks down and coming in hot and hungry." Jethro had spotted his cousin on the 4th floor of an inn, waving and pointing.


    "Places everyone. Don''t crowd the customer. He won''t need much encouragement to buy heavily." Grandma had been planning for her new best customer''s visit for some days now. Orders had been placed with other clans for older varieties and they''d worked hard on their own fresh batches. Cheese was a tricky thing needing a couple of days up to several years to age, depending on the type. The clans often traded around varieties for types they didn''t have stock on.


    Fate had been fickle as always. They could go months selling wheels of cheddar to housewives and barely making enough to live on. And then get several big customers all at once. Two months prior they had been cleaned out by two "special" customers on three separate occasions before they disappeared and weren''t seen again.


    This new buyer had heralded the good times again. Several clans had made them very good trades for the type of aged cheddar they produced. This new stock had helped them attract some new customers. One of those customers had the lovely habit of paying gold coins, and in advance. His package was sitting in the corner, already wrapped and ready to go.


    Milo was having a bit of difficulty this morning. At one point as he was moving stealthily through an alley near the night market, he felt a small tug on his tail. Turning carefully, he saw a familiar four-year old street urchin standing there. The child looked up at him hopefully. "Apples?" Milo put his fingers to his mouth and said "Remember, shhhush!" The child nodded and repeated the gesture. Milo took his hand and they wandered over to a fruit vendor. Within only a moment the boy¡¯s older sister had run up worried and followed the two of them. Other children had gathered. Milo noted the flat bellies and hopeful eyes.


    He took a couple of silver pieces out of his pocket. The fruit vendor looked hopeful. "How much for a bag of apples each day for a week?"


    "Well, I suppose one silver would cover it. But I''d give you a bag a day for three weeks for 2 silvers." He''d figured out what Milo wanted. Maybe if the little thieves got an apple or two a day, they''d leave off from stealing from him. Milo handed him the two silvers. Then he turned to his little friend¡¯s sister and handed her two more silver. "For bread or other things. They look hungry."


    The girl took the money, then worriedly looked at him. "And what''s the deal? No one just feeds us for nothing. What do you need?"


    Milo hadn''t thought of that. He''d bought food because he knew what it was like to be always hungry and scrounging food.


    "Small ears hear things. If you hear anyone asking around about me, let me know. And I always need to know where the Stinky Cheese shop is. It tends to move around a lot." The girl nodded, that was something they could do. One of the children told him the where abouts of the cheese shop, just a few blocks away. He patted a few heads, and ran off that direction, soon being able to follow his nose to their fragrant house of fromage.


    ".................................................."


    "Oh dear, you really don''t like him at all, do you? What do you mean ''smells bad, old bad''"


    ".................................................."


    "Now that''s interesting? Very interesting. "


    Turning to the halflings, who were pretending they saw and heard nothing, he asked "I''m hoping your last customer didn''t abscond with my Emmental? I was so looking forward to a slice tonight."


    The package in question was quickly brought forth. "Oh, never sir. We kept it safe, and watched that one closely, Mr. Philistron." Jethro might be flippant at times with some customers, but not the ones that can wipe you and your clan off the face of the earth with their spells.


    "Just so. And I thank you for your work protecting my little package." He pushed forth a small gem, but kept his finger on it. "Does he come by often? My poor pet was quite frightened. I probably shouldn''t come around when he''s here.¡±


    Jethro understood the implied question. "He wants us to have an extra-large shipment ready in one week sir. I''m sure we could send word when he gets here, so you can avoid him and not have your pet upset again. He, uh, he is a very good customer sir."


    The Wizard Philistron moved his hand away from the gem. ¡°I see, well I can certainly understand the need for good customers. I think that you¡¯ll find that I¡¯m a better one. He pushed forward a large ruby which Jethro pocketed.


    "Thank you for your understanding of the situation." He took his package and his pet, and wandered through the market. No pick-pocket got near him. Cut-throats and pirates smiled and tipped their hats, ladies bowed as he went by. As he crossed a high, arched bridge, a small airship descended to meet him and take him to dinner in one of the mansions high above.


    Milo continued on his way, and began his descent, loaded with fine cheese and an assortment of alchemical glassware.v3l.B11n.

 Chapter 37: Lurking

    Chapter 37: Lurking


    The guild hall was chaotic as usual. The sheer number of people made Milo nervous at times when passing through. They all seemed to have something that needed done, running here and there with paperwork, ore samples, and quests. The exceptions were generally groups of armored and robed players, and a few people drinking and ignoring the hubbub around them. It was one of the player groups who waved to Milo as he was going through to the lower levels.


    "Hey, buddy. We''re looking for a sixth person to do some exploring down below. Interested?" The speaker was a largish human wearing plate mail with a great sword on his back. The others included a bowman, a woman in a blue robe with a staff, a halfling without much armor or weapons at all, and a dwarf wearing a leather breastplate and packing an axe. Milo didn''t think they looked ready for exploring in the dark. But maybe they had something interesting they were looking for?


    He took a step closer and the big man held out a hand. "I''m Rufo. Rufo Bearslayer, 3rd level Beastslayer. Milo shook the large hand that engulfed his own. "I''m Milo, I''m a miner. What are you exploring to find?"The roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    The halfling spoke up. "Gold. Riches. More gold. We''re going to go poke around the mines, go deep and look for a lost city or dungeon or something." The others nodded.


    Milo looked at the group and considered. "How many of you can see in the dark?" There was a bit of foot shuffling from the archer and mage. Rufo fielded his question. "We''re all set. Bingo Frostyone is a dwarf, he can guide us and we have lanterns with us.


    That settled it for Milo. "I''ll pass, but thanks anyway. I should get back to my mining." He turned and walked away.


    =*=


    The group was silent for a moment after he left. The halfling spoke first. "The nerve of that guy! That was disrespect right there. Doesn''t he realize he''s not getting another chance with a group of this quality."


    "Ah, don''t let it get your hairy toes in a twist. That lad was just scared of going into the places we''re heading." The dwarf put both thumbs in his belt and struck a pose. "Some folks is just scared of the dark."


    Two dwarven miners were drinking beer nearby and scowled as the group talked. "Best shut your yap, beardling, that''s a full member of the miners guild your talking about. He''s been mining deep into copperhead territory, so best you keep quiet. Didn''t you see fang in his ear? He''s probably heading down to the expedition that''s hunting stone lurkers. " Frostyone looked chastened and started to apologize. The halfling stepped forward. "Well, there''s five of us that say he''s scared. I only see two of you old guys."


    The two miners laughed. "Don''t be stupid. The two of us could take you five easy. But we''d be kind and share with the other dozen guild members nearby. The guild looks out for its own. And that includes Miner Milo. He''s a strange little human, but he brings in a full bag of ore, pays his dues, and doesn''t cause trouble. And he''s one of ours now."


    "Leaving. Apologies. Stupid halfling. Your mouth is going to make us lose some teeth." Frosty grabbed one of the halflings arms and Rufo the other. They lifted him up and the whole group retreated. The ranger sighed. "And this is why we should never bring him into a town."


    =*=


    Milo, meanwhile, had headed down through the lower layers of the guild, waving at a couple of people that waved at him, and then came to the entrance to the mines. A group of seven dwarves and two humans were gathered there. All of them were grim faced and wearing earrings or necklaces with copperhead fangs attached


    "Those of you who are borrowing fangs from the guild; make sure these are secure and check they don''t come loose in the fight if you get hit. They are sheer hell to get and I never want to have to go snake hunting again. Understood?"


    Milo had had his own made into an earring. One of the dwarves noticed it and smiled brightly. "Here''s one more, glad to have you along." Several others nodded and smiled. One in particular was looking at him. This dwarf wore very thick plate armor and packed a gigantic shield made of thick plates.


    Not knowing what they referred to, but happy to see smiles, Milo gladly stopped to find out. "I was heading to the mines. My apologies, but what is it you need help with?"


    The heavily armored dwarf introduced himself. "Gorbel Ironthaneson at your service. There¡¯s a rogue stone lurker down in #7 iron mine, we''re heading down to kill it. Did you hunt that fang yourself? I only knew of 8 fangs in the guild. I''d be very happy to have a ninth along to help."


    This creature has mitigation of 200 points per hit. Damage after that is 50% higher due to Brittle Bones.


    You have done 16 damage to Mature Stone Lurker.


    Every hit after that got easier to land, and did another 15 damage to the monster.


    You have done 31 damage to Mature Stone Lurker.


    You have done 46 damage to Mature Stone Lurker.


    You have done 61 damage to Mature Stone Lurker.


    You have done 76 damage to Mature Stone Lurker.


    You have done 91 damage to Mature Stone Lurker.


    Chips of rock were flying off the lurker as Milo struck again and again. Gorbel couldn''t keep its attention against that much damage. The monster turned and slowly swung at Milo who easily avoided the swing. The dwarves backed off and watched as Milo easily avoided the creatures¡¯ swings, and hit back at it each time, carving huge chunks of rock off of it. Finally, the stone lurker crumbled into a pile of rubble, and there was a cheer from the rest of the group.


    Your group has killed a Mature Stone Lurker!


    You gain 100 experience in bonecasting and 100 experience in INT


    You gain 5 experience in Mining and 5 experience in STR.


    Gorbel walked over and patted Milo on the back. "Good job. Ok, crew, new plan. Next time we just all keep it busy and let Milo kill it. How the hell did you do that, if you don''t mind me asking?"


    Milo caught his breath, and took a drink out of a bottle passed up to him. He nearly choked on the strong alcohol. It was sort of nice to be appreciated though. He showed off his weapon to the miners. "It doesn''t look like much, but with the spells I know, it hits a bit harder each time. I wasn''t sure it would work at first on something made of rock, but after more than a dozen hits I was getting through its shell."


    A sudden commotion coming from a nearby cross tunnel caught everyone''s attention. Two bobbing lanterns and shouting voices were coming their way. A halfling packing a lantern ran up and nearly collapsed panting at their feet. "Save us! Please! I''m too short to die!"


    He was followed by the female mage and archer Milo had met above. The archer was bleeding from a headwound and had a broken arm. The mage looked back over her shoulder. "They are right behind us. We thought there was only one monster, but more ambushed us. Nothing we could do hurt them."


    The halfling said, "No shit. That big one smashed Rufo and Frosty''s heads like ripe melons." Heavy pounding came from the tunnel as no less than three stone lurkers emerged. One significantly bigger than the other.


    Gorbel grasped the small symbol around his neck and spoke. "Forefather''s preserve us, there was a nest of them and these idiots led them right to us."

 Chapter 38: Caught between a rock and another rock.

    Chapter 38: Caught between a rock and another rock.


    Gorbel yelled out in a loud voice that echoed down the cavern. "I''ll draw the big one off to the right, it''s in the lead. Asti and Fangrim, sorry mates, you can at least taunt and you each have shields. It¡¯s up to you to draw the other two to the left. Keep them busy and let people gain some room. We have to split the damn things up, and get away."


    Milo felt things slowing down. Or rather, his thoughts sped up. This happened now and then when he concentrated on a problem. This is what made he and his team able to hack so easily into systems. When plugged into their machines and using their special programs they processed things far faster than a normal human. And right now, Milo had a problem to solve.


    Split up, the miners weren''t going to be able to take down the monsters, the best they could do was slow them down or split them up. The danger was if the lurkers followed them as a group to the more populated mines.


    They could try to delay two and fight one, but with just a shield, sooner or later Fangrim or Asti was going to get a broken arm or knocked down. Gorbel on his own against the big one might have the same problem. No matter how he looked at it, people were going to die.


    Whirling Bones


    Spectral Spine


    Throwing bones into the air from a pouch, the spells created a whirling haze around Milo as a long, spectra whip seemed to grow like some strange sort of tail. Some of the miners paused. Milo yelled out. "Keep to the plan, but I''m with Gorbel." Between the two of them, they might be able to kill one. But Gorbel on his own was a dead man.


    =*=


    The halfling was a hundred feet up the tunnel already, followed by the stumbling ranger. The mage pauses and looked back. "Elvarion, I''m staying. Go keep our rogue out of trouble." The ranger didn''t bother to argue, he knew that look in her eye. "Good luck Belinda."


    Belinda had hated the plan to explore in the dark looking for monsters. But she had played with her friends since they had been seven years-old and running around in EOQ2 killing bixies and womp rats in the newbie zones. She hated their crazy ideas but sometimes things worked out and they had a great time. This wasn''t one of them.


    GENESIS seemed a lot more real, and when NPCs died it just felt wrong. Losing two of their group was bad enough but they''d limp back after a day and they might even get their gear back. She wasn''t sure about the NPC''s. They seemed so real.


    There had been that time that the goblin raiders had chased them back to a village. Lots of people had died. That village was still half empty a week later and there had been harsh words cast at them.


    Rufus and Frosty were already dead and Elvarion was wounded and had lost his bow. So they weren''t gaming the rest of the weekend anyway. She lost nothing by helping, although she''d miss her Healer''s Staff and Robe of Twilight''s End if she lost them. As she moved closer to one of the groups of miners, she saw one of them begin casting spells. They felt a lot more powerful than hers. He must be dumping a ton of mana into them. It looked like a defensive shield and some type of weapon. The way the long bony whip moved back and forth made him look like he was wagging a tail.


    She didn''t have long to ponder the strange mage, as the stone lurkers left the tunnel, the huge one that had killed Rufus in the lead.


    Bone Crusher Elite Level? Stone Lurker


    massive armor, massive mitigation, bone shattering attacks


    =*=


    Milo saw Gorbel taunt Bone Crusher and the huge monster started to run at him. The other miners moved up to the tunnel entrance and threw rocks and taunted the two other monsters to get their attention and then turned and moved to the left, separating them from the larger one.


    Gorbel was yelling at the creature and striking it with his pick. He managed to dodge one slow strike, and caught the next one on his shield. Milo could tell it hit harder than the others. Gorbel was driven backwards a couple of feet and barely kept his balance. "I''ve got its attention Milo, do what you can."


    Milo moved up behind Bone Crusher, wary of its rear legs, and cast Brittle Bones. The spell cost 100 mana and took him down to 260/560 mana. His first swing with Shadowblight did the expected two points of damage. He kept swinging his weapon at the monster¡¯s carapace over and over doing only 2 points of damage each time.


    Gorbel was having a worse time. This monster hit much harder than the smaller version. He knew his shield couldn''t take many more hits. He was constantly circling back and to his right, angling his shield to deflect glancing blows, and trying to dodge what he could.


    Bone Crusher was not only bigger, but was also a lot smarter than his smaller cousins. The annoying dwarf was moving to the side to make him circle. Bone Crusher countered that by moving to the side quickly on his four legs, and circling in the other direction. Gorbel had to quickly adjust, and couldn¡¯t avoid taking a punch from a stony forelimb that rocked him backwards. His shield dented in the middle and Milo heard a sound like a piece of wood breaking.


    Gorbel scrambled backwards, a small sound of pain escaping his lips as he sucked in his breath. He tried to get away from the stone lurker, but a loose rock tripped him up and he fell flat on his back.


    As Bone Crusher moved in for the kill, Milo tried to get its attention. He leaped onto the creatures back and brought Shadowblight down onto the monster¡¯s head. Simultaneously, he wrapped the ten-foot long, bony tail around the forelimb about to crush the dwarf.


    Nothing in the spell had said anything about how you had to hold the magical whip. Milo was using his tail. It essentially gave him a ten-foot-long extension and he used it that way with ease. Shadowblight came down, puncturing the monster¡¯s skull, with less results than Milo had hoped for.


    You have hit! This makes the 15th time you have hit Bone Crusher.


    Damage +150


    To hit bonus +75%


    Evasion bonus +75%


    You have Critically Hit Bone Crusher for 4 damage.


    Bone Crusher seemed confused by the spectral bones wrapping around his forelimb but attempted to hit Gorbel anyway. Milo suddenly found himself swung off of Bone Crusher''s back, and swung in an arc that ended with him hitting the dwarf and knocking him out of the way. Both took minimal damage from the hit. Gorbel just kept rolling and scrambled to his feet.


    Milo found himself lifted by his tail, and swinging back and forth in front of the delighted monster. Bone Crushed lifted him up the way a fisherman checks to see what fish he caught. The other rocky forelimb was coming around.


    Bone Breaker effect is negated because of your Hard-Runed Bones.


    Health 173/410


    Things were a bit more serious now. He''d have to watch out for that attack. He''d gotten too confident. He went back to moving around the monster, striking when he could.


    You have done 110 points to Bone Crusher!


    You have done 120 points to Bone Crusher!


    You have done 130 points to Bone Crusher!


    You have done 140 points to Bone Crusher!


    Bonecrusher has taken 50% of his total health in damage. Bone Crusher thought things over, and still does not like you.


    Milo had been careful this time, watching the damage notices and preparing for when he got to 50% damage. He rolled backwards twice, dodging out of the area of effect of the attack, and shielding his eyes. He took a few points of damage but easily dodged the follow up attack.


    A noise from the side caught his attention and he saw the blue robed human mage approaching with her lantern, a wounded dwarf limping along, pursued by one of the stone lurkers. Not good. He went back to hitting Bone Crusher, with distractions and another enemy coming up from behind.


    You have done 150 points to Bone Crusher!


    You have done 160 points to Bone Crusher!


    You have done 170 points to Bone Crusher!


    Bonecrusher has taken 75% of his total health in damage. Bone Crusher has taken you off his Christmas Card list.


    Milo dodged backwards, but this time Bone Crusher slammed both forelimbs down onto the ground creating a massive shock wave. A rolling Milo felt himself bounce from the ground and into the air, he landed in a heap, stunned.


    Seismic slam damages you for 75 points of damage. Your Hard-Runed Bones save you from additional damage.


    Health 98/410


    Belinda saw the fight ahead of her and instantly regretted running this way. Her Dancing Lights spell seemed to enrage the creature and it made it easy to keep its attention. She and Asti had been running it in circles while the others tried to kill the first one. Other miners hearing the fight had joined in.


    When Asti got injured, they decided to draw their creature deeper into the mines.


    They had actually found Gorbel along the way. He and Asti compared injuries and laughed. Gorbel had gone forward to help. He could still swing a pick one handed. She and Asti had continued to bait the other stone lurker deeper. No one expected Milo to still be alive, and neither she nor Asti had much hope of surviving.


    The miner who had stayed to save Gorbel was actually killing the huge creature, tearing huge chunks of stone from its hide. But the fight wasn''t going all his way, he was bloody and battered. Even as she came upon the fight, the monster punched the ground so hard it sent him flying to land near her.


    As Bone Crusher advanced, she touched Milo¡¯s shoulder and cast the last of her healing spells. Then taking a deep breath, she took a step towards Bone Crusher and cast Dancing Lights on where she thought its eyes would be. As with the smaller creatures, this caused it to be angry with her. She ducked and ran away from Milo.


    Milo recovered and stood up just in time to see Bone Crusher knock Belinda to the ground, and then pummel her. Milo felt sick. That could have been him. Would have been him for sure if she hadn''t drawn the creature away. He sprinted towards the creature and hit a rear leg, shattering it. His hits did so much damage that now he was tearing Bone Crusher apart.


    180...190...200. The damage mounted and Bone Crusher shattered into small bits of rubble.


    Milo took a moment to cast Mend Bones upon himself. He was running low on health, stamina, and mana, but he had enough to take out the next monster. After Bone Crusher, it would be a relief to just dodge and hit.


    =*=


    Many hours later, in an inn near the docks, Belinda woke up in her room. As usual, she was wearing beginner trousers and tunic. She missed her fancy robe already. Her head ached as she poured water into a glass. Dying gave her the equivalent of the worst hang-over ever. At least she could cast a spell on herself for some relief. She heard cursing from the room next to hers where the boys would have just respawned.


    She wondered if she had lost any levels in skills from this death. It happened to players now and then and made death feared for more than just a headache. Checking her messages, she was very surprised.


    Huzzah! Your group has been victorious over the dreaded Bone Crusher, Level 7 Epic stone lurker.


    For your part in the battle you receive 5 Core Skill points and 500 Boss experience.


    You also receive 200 experience for your part in killing: stone lurker x2


    Your reputation with the Mining Guild has greatly improved. They offer to escort you to your tombstone to recover your lost items and loot the Treasure Chest left by Bone Crusher.

 Chapter 39: Rocky Rewards

    Chapter 39: Rocky Rewards


    It had been about 8 hours since the fight with the stone lurkers and Milo was finally starting to feel better. Besides the pummeling he had taken from Bone Crusher, the last lurker had hit him hard in his left side before they had all managed to bring it down. Milo had looked at the message he had received, but was too tired to allocate points at the moment. Maybe when he got down to see Harry.


    Huzzah! Your group has been victorious over the dreaded Bone Crusher, Level 7 Epic stone lurker. (Mainly due to your efforts.)


    For your part in the battle you receive 22 Core Skill Points. This large amount reflects the huge difference between your level and the level of the boss you killed.


    You receive 1500 Boss experience. These may be spent on any of your combat skills used in the battle and you receive an equal amount of experience that is applied to the stats corresponding to the skills gaining experience.


    You also receive 100 experience to the following for your part in killing: stone lurker x2: INT, AGI, Dodge, bonecasting.


    Your reputation with the Mining Guild has greatly improved. They offer to escort you to the Treasure Chest left by Bone Crusher. (Mostly so they can see what you, Gorbel, and Belinda get.)


    Currently, he was sitting slouching in an old chair in front of a fire made of coal shards and broken wood from crates. Most of the miners coming off shift stopped to hear the stories, which were getting better with each telling. Gorbel was an enthusiastic teller of tales. He especially liked the part where Milo''s attempt to save him had got them knocked together. "Yeah, and let me tell you all, for as tough as miner Milo is, I''d much rather be slammed with him than by Bone Crusher. That thing was mean!"


    It became apparent to Milo that Gorbel held some position of authority with the miners. If Gorbel said the secretive deep-miner was ok, that was good enough for the rest of them.


    His magical talents were also held in some esteem. Having used his spells in a fight, Milo saw no reason to hide them from people. As he got back mana, he was using his magic to fix the broken bones many of the combatants had suffered fighting the rock creatures. He had been eating cheese and drinking beer for most of the time they sat by the fire. The combination of rest, food, and drink seemed to be a good choice for mana recovery.


    A bit after what would have been dawn outside, Belinda and some of here group came walking up. The halfling was noticably absent. The miners were neutral to the other adventurers, but Belinda was given smiles and a place by the fire. She had healed several of them in the fight, and the story of what she had done before dying had been told several times already around the fire. There was a large group of miners who were willing to escort the adventurers back down to where they had died to recover their gear. And of course, everyone liked to see what came out of large chests.


    Milo noticed that Elvarion, the ranger of the group, had his arm in a cast. After a couple of heals from Milo, he happily stripped it off. Belinda had watched eagerly as Milo cast the spell, wishing she could learn it. Milo tried to explain what he envisioned when he cast the spell, and how the mana felt. After a few minutes of talking, she and he got a systems message.


    By observing the bonecasting spell, Mend Bones, Healer Belinda has grasped the basics of the spell. Further explanation by Bonemancer Milo has given her a chance to learn the spell, and use it to heal living creatures.


    Healer Belinda may spend 1 Core Skill Point to learn a Healer version of the spell Mend Bones.


    +3 STR when equipped. (You''ll need it!)


    Gorbel was highly pleased with his new shield. When strapped on it was still heavy and was going to use more stamina than a normal shield, but its protection was vastly better. "I''m almost sad we don''t have a few more lurkers running around. I want to try this out." He waved Milo up. "Your turn."


    Milo touched the chest and it glowed brightly before disappearing. Something heavy dropped at his feet.


    "I got a rock."


    Everyone moved in to peer at the stone. It was the size of his fist, and quite heavy. It''s light grey surface was pitted and dull, but three small gemstones shone from different sides.


    Heart of Stone


    The essence of a creature of stone, condensed and refined.


    The owner of this item must make a choice:


    -The red gemstone will imbue their body with Earthly Vigor. (+200 Health.)


    -The grey gemstone will imbue their body with the Strength of Stone. (+4 STR, +1 CON)


    -The black gemstone will grant them the ability: Stone Sense.


    Even in complete darkness you can feel the shape of natural stone and earth to a distance of 50'' and up to 10'' past the surface of the stone. You know when creatures move around you if they are treading on stone or earth.


    Gorbel whistled long and loud. "Lordy, I guess you have a choice to make."

 Chapter 40: Which rock?

    Chapter 40: Which rock?


    I''m supposed to say something here? But I just want a poll! v3l.B11n.


    Obviously, the story dictates a lot of the fight scenes, but I do a lot of dice rolling in fights, so sometimes the outcome surprises me and that works its way into the story.


    Are we at 50 words yet? Oh, cool. Go vote.

 Chapter 41: Gears turning

    Chapter 41: Gears turning


    Harry had told him some stories about the deep-dark. Harry also liked to imbibe of certain special mushrooms after a hard day''s work. So, it was tough to tell if he himself had been to these places, or if the stories were from someone else. Stories about huge dwarven cities floating on seas of volcanic rock, endless caverns lit by huge crystals and strange glowing trees, and all types of strange, gargantuan creatures that ate the stone and created new caverns.


    And machines. Harry kept coming back to the story about the machines that were in the center of the world, gears endlessly turning and keeping the world running. Or maybe it was the world turning that kept the gears turning? Details changed from story to story. He didn''t know who put them there or what they did, but he always told that story. Milo didn''t know if they were real, but he wanted to try and find out. He''d tried asking Harry about his stories when he was sober. But when Milo asked him about the machines Harry had no idea what he was talking about.


    In the end, it was wanting to explore the deep-dark that led Milo to take Stone Sense over the other two gifts. There would be places with no light. Even places where you didn''t dare make a light. And with this gift he wouldn''t have to avoid them. When he told Harry about his choices, the old troll agreed. "Always good to be in touch with the earth and rock."


    You have gained the skill: Stone Sense This is a perception-based skill. A high perception will affect how well you can use this skill.


    -Even in complete darkness you can feel the shape of natural stone and earth to a distance of 50'' and up to 10'' past the surface of the stone. This allows movement through caves and similar terrain even in complete darkness at a normal pace.


    -You know when creatures move around you if they are treading on stone or packed earth by the vibrations they make. Some stealth abilities may partially negate this, as will a very light tread.


    He spent a couple of days with Harry working the mushroom farms and studying mycology. The new glassware got unpacked, shrooms were harvested, and more stories were told. And then Milo headed back to his mines. He took the time to spend his points and assign his experience before he left.


    The 1500 Boss experience he put into Bonecasting until it hit level 5 and he maxed out the skill for Tier 1. At level 5 his spells would power up, Shadowblight would hit harder, and he''d gain new spells to cast. That was eleven hundred well spent. The other four hundred he put into Dodge and Acrobatics. His head still hurt from Bone Crusher''s love tap. A potent reminder of why not getting hit was important.


    Welcome to Level 3!


    You have accumulated enough experience to gain Level 3. You gain +100 Health, +100 Stamina, +50 Mana.


    And Cheesemaking...could he start making his own cheese? It was only 1 point, and he even had an open crafting slot if he really wanted to work hard on it.


    The last 3 points he spent on a point of PER. That stat was slowly going up. He should really spend more time foraging wild mushrooms to increase it more. Maybe a little mining, and balance it with a little foraging? A higher PER meant fewer nasty surprises he would have.


    When he left Harry''s farm and headed off to his camp, he went slow, trying to get a feel for Stone Sense. It was difficult at the start. He could tell where the rock was with his eyes closed, but that didn''t tell him about inconvenient roots or mushrooms he could trip over. Seeing into the rock walls was much tougher. He had to concentrate and sort of push into them to get a feel for what was there and what wasn''t.


    He worked his way through the partially collapsed tunnel on his way to where he''d first met Cronk and found the body of some unfortunate spelunker. He could feel the instability in some areas and see how the cave in had happened. He''d have to be careful of that when he mined.


    The familiar mushroom field was there. He took time to harvest the rarer shrooms that Harry said had some medicinal value. He saw a few of the myconid guardians and spent some time baiting them and chopping them up with his machete. One at a time they were easy and he needed the practice with small blades. Shadowblight just obliterated them to quickly for him to get in any practice. The weapon¡¯s damage had gone up with his Bonecaster rank increasing.


    Looking into the huge cavern with the giant myconid infested with the horrible yellow blossoms sent shivers up his spine. Just looking at the waving flowers made him nervous. The flowers had spread even further across the top of the mushroom man''s cap and it leaned slightly to one side. He and Harry had talked about how to get rid of it, but had decided it might just be best to try to seal up the large cavern rather than risk exposure to the mind-enslaving pollen.


    Now that he knew what to look for, he could see the long vines that ran from the trunk to mounds in the mushroom field. Each one had a decayed zombie attached to it. He didn''t want to be the next.


    Sense Danger has reached level 1.


    Perception has reached level 3.


    Well, that''s one way to level a skill. Just get close to things that want to enslave you and turn you into a zombie. He turned and headed to the mines.


    He didn''t get right to work. Instead, he went to the tunnel that led to the big drop that led up to the copper area where he had fought the big Copperhead. Halfway up the shaft he crawled into the small side shaft that led to his camp. Nothing had been touched. He set up his fondue pot and lit a fire, then summoned George. He and the lizard enjoyed a meal of stale bread, roasted mushrooms, and gooey melted cheese. It had been hours since he had rested in the game, or checked in on Section E so he combined both with a nap. George gave him a nod as if to say, "Get some shut-eye boss. I''ve got this."

 Chapter 42: Volat-Repax

    Chapter 42: Volat-Repax


    The stone platform leading to his Arcane Library would never fail to cause Milo quite a bit of anxiety. The small 10''x10'' area of flagstones was suspended in space with nothing around it except the arched doorway. Where ever the rest of the building was, it wasn''t here. Milo liked having a roof above his head. The expanse of stars in the black sky bothered him.


    Not looking to the either side to avoid an attack of vertigo, he moved to the door. Movement in the distance made him pause.


    Something huge was flying past, gliding on immense wings. If he had to categorize it, it resembled a gigantic white bat with a long thick tail trailing behind it. He felt mesmerized as it turned in a slow circle around his doorstep, several hundred yards away. Then it turned and dived down out of sight. Fear of open spaces forgotten, he started to crawl towards the edge of the platform to look down. The part of his brain that always double checked his mechanical creations flared to life and cast Bone Whip. The long skeletal tail grasped the handle of the door and anchored him to the platform. N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    Peering over the edge told Milo that the platform was only six inches thick and supported by nothing. Nothing was also what he saw below him. A blackness that stretched forever. If he used a parachute and took along a backpack full of cheese, how long would he fall? Was there something down there eventually? Or would he have to just log out when he ran out of food or got bored? Maybe it would be best to take along poison. Would he respawn normally? He''d ask Cichol. Maybe the old man knew something.


    He crawled back from the ledge, and turned around to go into his library. And froze. Time seemed to stop but he could feel his heart beating like a trip hammer. It was here!


    He tried to close his eyes and just examine the bones with his magic. He was surprised how easy it was. Each piece of bone was magically infused and with runes inscribed. How much of the creature was made of this? It was obviously alive, and yet used bone to enhance itself. He struggled to understand the runes. Except for one small one, they were beyond his meagre learning. That one rune glowed in his mind, burning itself into his memory.


    Volat-Repax feels your inquisitive mind. You are gifted with the Rune of Velocity.


    A moment later Milo felt himself deposited on solid ground and opened his eyes. He saw a familiar door. Volat-Repax flapped his wings three times as he soared straight up and out of Milo''s sight, his long tail stretched behind it. Shaking, he entered the Arcane Library and shut the door firmly behind him.


    You have stared into the endless void and not gone insane. You have earned 500 experience in WIS.


    You have been gifted the Rune of Velocity. You have gained 500 experience in Rune Lore and 500 experience in INT.


    You have met Volat-Repax. Volat-Repax knows your scent and taste.

 Chapter 43: Research

    Chapter 43: Research


    Cichol sat in a chair, smoking a pipe, watching Milo as he lay quivering on the floor. After a few minutes the younger Bonecaster staggered up and collapsed into another chair. Digging through his pack, he brought out a two-pound slab of cheddar cheese and began to devour it.


    Cichol said nothing. He wasn''t all that worried most days about the affairs of the living. It was one reason his spirit had retired here after his last death. The current master of the library would speak if he wanted to. After he quit stuffing his mouth with cheese. Currently his cheeks were extended like a squirrel carrying too many nuts. Eventually Milo ate enough cheese that a mild euphoria overtook him, calming his frayed nerves.


    "What is Volat-Repax?"


    "Such an interesting question. I''ve often wondered that myself. I used to have a telescope out on the landing and would scan the void looking for Volat-Repax, or one of the other rumored void hunters. Volat-Repax is of course famous for putting an end to the plans of the Golden Sorceress to explore the void using airships. Only seven out of thousands of people survived that disaster."


    "Did you find a reference to the creature in some old book, or did you actually catch a glimpse of it just now. The latter is much more exciting in my mind."


    "I think", Milo said, looking at the old ghost with narrowed eyes, "That maybe you won''t need the telescope so much. It came to visit and perched like a damn bird atop the doorway."


    Cichol insisted on the entire story, and took copious notes about the size and details of the creature. "Bones with inscribed rune work? You''re sure? Oh, of course you are, it did teach you a rune after all. Simply amazing." The roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    "Amazing and terrifying. I came here for a rest and to see about studying level 4 and 5 spells. Now I''m exhausted and still have work in my other world to do."


    Cichol made shooing motions. "Then off with you. In exchange for this lovely information on one of the void hunters, I¡¯ll prepare some notes on possible spells you might like. I''ll have them ready in a day."


    "If you want to start crafting to achieve better spells and items, then I would suggest: Imbue Bone, Lesser Empowered Rune, Lesser Bone Construct, and either Harpoon or Flensing."


    Cichol explained briefly what each did. Delayed Blast Skull was the same spell he already had, but let him decide how the spell activated; either by time or an activation word. Bone Armor granted mitigation at the cost of movement, which Milo didn''t like the thought of. Bone Spurs was a dispellable curse that caused pain when the victim walked and slowed their movement. Harpoon was a bigger version of Bone Spike that penetrated armor easier.


    Imbue Bone let him add mana to normal bone, turning it into a magical material that could be used to craft runes, wands, or other magic items. Lesser Empowered Rune was the start of Rune Carving. Flensing was a spell used to remove flesh and tendons from a carcass to more easily harvest the bones.


    "Why the Harpoon spell instead of Flensing if I was to concentrate on crafting?"


    Cichol was turning a thigh bone into a pointed stick. He held it up. "This is a poor harpoon. Basic bone to use with the spell. It will penetrate about 20 points of armor or crack open the carapace of a cave mantis." He cast the spell and the sharpened thigh bone launched across the room and stuck in the wall.


    "But what if we were to imbue the bone? And then add a rune, and empower it?" He pulled a smaller projectile from his robes. "I always use to keep a few of these handy." Milo could see the glow around the bone, and see that a rune was carved into it. Cichol tossed the bone, and it rocketed across the room and stuck 6 inches deep into the wall, sending chips flying. "See the difference? That piece has a Speed Rune carved into it. I will add that the Speed Rune is a lesser version of the Rune of Velocity you learned so recently."


    Milo couldn''t pull the second projectile from the wall. And that was with the lesser rune?


    Cichol continued. "And I am curious to see what you do with Lesser Bone Construct. The most basic use is to construct a poor man''s skeletal servant. Unlike real undead it won''t have any sort of sentience. It will only do simple commands that you issue when you create it. However, you can make something other than a humanoid servant. Self-firing catapults for instance. Always popular if you can find big enough bones."


    Milo summoned his Stash and pulled out more cheese and a loaf of bread. He had a lot of reading to do.

 Chapter 44: Grinding

    Chapter 44: Grinding


    The dwarven pick bit into the rock wall as Milo worked his way to another chunk of ore. Experimenting with a regular pick had shown him how superior the old dwarven pick was. It cut through the stone easily, especially if he kept it sharp using one of the abilities off his ring. The enchantment was probably intended for weapons, but it worked just fine on his tools as well. Several more chunks of rock were removed and he could get at the small deposit of Deep Copper. As always, he was ready in case a copperhead appeared. The little snakes could appear and latch onto your hand quite quickly. Their poison could do quite a bit of damage if you were bitten several times. This was a smaller seam of ore, so he didn''t have to worry about a Vein Lurker.


    Copper had a different feel than the rock that made up most of the mines. Regular copper ore had a hazy green to its look, and Deep Copper a darker green. The richer the ore, the less he could sense it, but he was able to ''see'' the ore against the backdrop of the rock. A large seam of ore was pretty obvious. There were areas of rock infused with copper, and then nuggets or strands of purer ore that he could tell were ''not rock''.


    Deep Iron had a much ''heavier'' feel to it than copper. At one point Milo had felt a long, thin piece of ''heavy-not-rock'' in the wall and mined several feet to get to it. It turned out to be a four-foot-long drill that had been hammered into the rock from another nearby shaft, and left for some reason. He put the sturdy tool into his stash to sell to the guild.


    Milo had been mining steadily for five days now, clearing out the area of Deep Copper before he moved on. He was curious about the end of the tunnel with it''s stairway blocked by rubble. But he needed to increase his mining skills and repay the guild for the cost of the ore bags before he made another trip up top. He fell into a regular cycle of mine, sleep and do his work in Section E, study in Arcane Library, and then return to mining.


    Being attacked by a copperhead was always a possibility as he mined areas of Deep Copper. He was getting a feel for the little elementals. A large amount of copper ore faded away as they materialized. This often gave him a warning before they attacked. He had killed 7 of them in five days of mining and earned 9 core skill points. Each one had dropped a chunk of pure Deep Copper, and two had dropped fangs. With how scarce those seemed to be, he expected they would sell well.


    He was steadily getting mining experience which was also raising his STR. When he wasn''t mining, he was learning more about Bonecasting in his library, or studying automated repair systems in his home in the pipe works.


    His studies were raising his Rune Lore and Bone Carving. Cichol was helping him understand more about creating constructs from bone. He worked in Section E was finding new ways to construct his repair systems and keep things running. There were some synergies between the two that he found ironic. And of course, while he wasn''t quite ''mining'' the abandoned sections of the habitat, his salvaging of old machinery was certainly coming close.


    His stomach rumbled, and he felt itchy and annoyed. It had been like this all morning. He reached into his pack and pulled out the large chunk of cheese he had selected for today. Jethro had recommended it as one of the best. Co-incidentally, it was made by their family. He''d called it a ''fresh and tasty cheese''. It had turned out to be soft and a bit bland. It melted easily and went well with crackers, but it didn''t seem to fill him up as much. Some cheeses were obviously better than others for taste, nourishment, and satisfying his cravings for a tasty snack. He downed the last of the chunk, and got back to work. Maybe he''d finish this vein and then head back early. He needed a break and some better food before logging out. And he missed George. His little lizard did a great job of guarding him and keeping his camp bug free. The little guy deserved some play time.


    His annoyance at the mediocre cheese fueled his swings as he drove the pick into the rock wall and dug towards the ore vein. As he got closer, he could see that is was a big one, and had some nice chunks of pure ore. After ten minutes of breaking rock and making a large enough hole to keep digging a large chunk fell away and rolled onto his tail causing considerable pain. That woke him up. Massaging his bruised tail, he moved the loose rock aside and looked at the copper ore he had revealed. The greenish ore had long thin strands of pure copper running through it.


    The last two weeks had been busy ones for Milo. He had expanded the dwarven diggings, adding cross tunnels and connections as he went after small pockets of ore he could see in the rocks. He intended to use that against the snake. He purposely run away from the drop down to his camp. The snake followed. For something that had just been created it was darn quick. After about fifty feet Milo took a left turn and the snake rammed into the wall before turning to follow. He had gained a few feet.


    With a bit of a lead, Milo thought he''d risk going down the drop. If the snake followed, he''d just keep going. If it didn''t, he''d hide out for a bit and see what happened. Did elementals stay around? Or did they turn back into ore? Milo took two more left turns and headed back to the main tunnel. A problem arose. There was a snake already there.


    He revised his math. Less volume went into the snake¡¯s back end and it''s tail, but that meant it was probably over 300 feet in length and part of it was still exiting it''s cave. He''d have to leap over it. His first jump took him to the top of the wall and he rebounded to dive over the snake near the ceiling.


    Hammerhead Constrictor Queen hits you for 50 points of damage. You are stunned for 2 seconds.


    As Milo had leaped, the head on one end of the snake saw what was happening and used her other end slam him into the ceiling, stunning him briefly. He came to his senses as a thick copper coil looped around him and began squeezing. He struggled, but he didn''t have the STR to get loose before another coil was around him. To his credit, the queen was surprised at how long he lasted without breath his lungs and how difficult it was to crush his bones. The last thing Milo remembered was a huge, unhinged jaw coming closer to him.


    You have died. You did not lose any experience or skills due to death. You won''t always be so lucky. You will respawn at your base in 12 hours. Have a great day.


    Milo spent the 12 hours working on projects and making plans in his head. The new clog eaters were working out great. They were far superior to the older ones. He ordered another dozen of the machines in different sizes. Some as small as 2". With this fleet of clog-hunting mechanical warriors he could get everything flowing smoothly for the first time in decades.


    There were several other machines made by the same corporation. One was just diagnostics. It roamed pipes, taking a continuous stream of x-rays and photos and noting damage to the pipes. The other new machines could scrape away rust and patch bad areas before they leaked. There was even a system that would coat the entire network with a new layer of very hard, frictionless plastic. He was having cost estimates done for his section while disguising it as a request from a chemical factory in Switzerland.


    He also spent quite a bit of time looking up details on constrictor snakes and the tensile strength of copper. Then he ran a few simulations. Satisfied with the results he took time to memorize details and refine the plan. Finally satisfied, he sat back chewing on a piece of 40-year-old Wisconsin cheddar. The cheese was sharp and crumbly, but almost melted in his mouth. The crystals that formed in the aging process gave it a slight crunch.


    He took a last look at his diagrams before logging back in. "I hope you know; this means war."N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.

 Chapter 45: More grinding.

    Chapter 45: More grinding.


    George was happy to see him when Milo appeared in his camp after dying. He spent some time playing with the little lizard, and ate quite a bit of his stored cheese. He knew the depression and exhaustion would go away soon, but it felt intolerable to feel like crap and not be taking advantage of the downtime to snack on his favorite food.


    He also caught up on his experience gains for the last week.


    You have gained 500 experience in Mining and 500 experience in STR.


    You have gained 100 experience in Identify and 100 experience in PER.


    You have gained 100 experience in Poison Resistance and 100 experience in CON


    You have gained 50 experience in Fleet of Foot and 50 experience in AGI


    You have gained 100 experience in Climbing and 100 experience in AGI


    You have gained 200 experience in Bonecasting and 200 experience in INT


    You have gained 200 experience in Bone carving and 200 experience in INT


    You have gained 200 experience in Rune lore and 200 experience in INT


    You have gained 900 Boss experience.


    You will gain an equal amount of experience in the skills you apply this experience to.


    You have gained 9 Core Skill Points.


    He made his decisions quickly. 6 points into the second level of Fiendish Traps, and 3 points into his foundation to raise his crafting. He was going to need the extra crafting slots that those points freed up. The 900 experience went into Dodge and AGI.


    By putting the 3 points into his Crafting Foundation, he now had 5 slots for crafting skills. Before, he had only had Mechanic and left the second open. His plans for revenge on the snake would need more skills. He added Trap Making, Tool Making, and Smithing. On Cichol¡¯s advice he added Rune Crafting.


    How the different crafting skills, regular skills, and lores worked could be confusing at times, but with the help of the old Bonecaster he was figuring it all out. Rune lore was Lore Skill. It was all book learning and memorization. You could become a scholar in Runes without ever having crafted one yourself.


    Bone Carving would let him carve bone into tools, weapons, parts for an automaton, and give him the skill to carve a rune onto a bone. Without Rune Lore, Bone Carving was a practical crafting skill. Together, and backed up by Bonemancy, they would let him produce the magical runes that enhanced materials, held spells, and thousands of other things.


    The Rune Crafting skill expanded his options to more than just bone. It tied together all the practical and theoretical knowledge. Of course, he still had to go acquire all that knowledge. Milo was excited by it all.


    Getting back his pack and gear proved to be a bit difficult. He carefully climbed the cables up to the mining level, and started working his way through the corridors. His hopes that the huge copperhead had gone back to its lair were dashed as he saw it moving down a corridor far ahead. The problem was that while he knew where part of it''s body was, and the direction it was headed, he didn''t know where it''s head was.


    He quietly moved around for a couple of hours, avoiding the snake as it moved through the corridors. At one point, he saw it turn a corner far down the hall and move away from him. It looked different. Sharp growths on it''s head formed a natural crown. He was able to identify it and cursed.


    Queen Salasha the Rat-Slayer


    Level 8 Epic Boss Health 2200/2200


    (Huge size, elemental, constriction, tremor sense, keen sense of smell, hammerhead.)


    At least she was heading away from his pack. Her majesty was headed down the corridor towards the blocked stairs. Soon after Milo heard the sounds of the giant snake smashing through the rubble. The noise and dust she was kicking up meant it was much easier for Milo to get to his grave, recover his stuff, and get back down to his camp. He had plans for how to take care of the Queen, but it was going to take a lot of work and a trip up to the guildhall. He told George to take a break. The little guard lizard nodded his head and disappeared back to where ever he came from. Milo headed back to Harry and spent a day with the troll and then made his way up the stairs. He had plans to visit first the Miner''s Guild, and then go visit the Engineers Guild.


    "Can someone explain to my why we have a human taking the test for Journeyman in the Dwarven Guild of Engineers?" Guild master Rolf Morgenthern was making a rare visit down to the basement of the Mechanics Guildhall. If there was one complaint anyone had about him it was that he used a pencil too much and a wrench not enough. His hands were suspiciously free of grease most of the time. Still, no one else wanted to handle the contracts and politics, so he was sure to be reelected.


    Several of the Guild Elders chuckled or shook their heads. The Mechanics Guild had opened up to non-dwarves over 500 years ago. Rolf''s grandfather had opposed it. His father had opposed it. And Rolf was adamant that the glory days would only return with the ''softies'' were purged from the rolls.


    5


    2200 Primary


    Poison Resistance


    CON


    3


    500 Primary Skulk WIS


    2


    300 Primary Climbing AGI 2 400 Primary Dodge AGI 4 1600 Primary Small Blades DEX 2 575 Primary Tail Fighting DEX 1 200 Primary Mining STR 3 800 Primary Acrobatics AGI 2 300 Secondary Throw Sharp Thing DEX 1 50 Secondary Fleet of Foot AGI 2 350 Secondary Weak Claws DEX 0 30 Secondary Sense Danger PER 2 300 Secondary Forage PER 2 500 Secondary Skinning DEX 0 Tertiary Manipulate Locks and Traps DEX 0 Tertiary Hide INT 0 Tertiary Identify PER 2 400 Tertiary Mycology INT 1 100 Tertiary Open 0 Tertiary Mechanic INT 3 815 Crafting Bone Carving DEX 1 200 Crafting Scrimshaw DEX 0 0 Crafting Rune Lore INT 3 700 Lore Cheesemaking WIS 0 0 Crafting Tool Making DEX 2 500 Crafting Rune Crafting INT 2 500 Crafting Metal Smithing STR 2 500 Crafting Trap Making INT 0 0 Crafting Core Skills SkillCostsRankMax RankSpent Smugglers Stash 3/5/10 3 3 18 27 sf Jumping Jack 2 1 1 2 Whip Tail 2 1 1 2 Unseen Tail 3 1 1 3 Invisible Tail 3 1 1 3 Bonemancy 5 1 1 5 Poison Resistance 1/3/5 1 1 5 primary con Disease Resistance 1/3/5 1 1 2 secondary, con unnoticed 2 1 1 2 Silent Step 2 1 1 2 Abundance 1/2/3/4/5 1 5 1 Breathless 1/1 2 2 2 Skilled Provider 1/2/3 1 3 1 Extra Clever Traps 3/6/9 1 1 9 Cheese Making 1 1 1 1 Total 58


    Foundation Max 120 points for Tier 1 (Class Bonus of +15 Evasion, +10 to Forage, Mine)


    Combat


    Defense


    Melee


    20+5


    Mitigate


    0


    Ranged


    15


    Evasion


    10+15


    Magic


    15+10


    Resistance


    10+15


    Crafting


    10+15


    Harvest


    Skill 1:


    Skill 2:


    Mechanic


    Trap Making


    Animal products


    10


    Skill 3:


    Skill 4:


    Tool Making


    Smithing


    Herbs, flowers, bark,fungus, fruit. timber


    15+10


    Skill 5:


    Skill 6: Locked


    Runecrafting


    minerals, gems, stone


    15+10

 Chapter 46: Scavenging

    Chapter 46: Scavenging


    The tinkling of small bells alerted Milo that he needed to run.


    He had learned the hard way, and suffered two more deaths, that escaping the queen of snakes was quite difficult. She knew the tunnels well and didn¡¯t follow directly, looping around through side corridors and filling them with her long body. The first death hadn''t cost him anything, but the second had reduced a random skill.


    Throw Sharp Things got knocked back down to Level 0. He considered himself lucky to only lose 50 experience.


    He had spent time on the various game forums trying to find information. Incredibly to Milo, some gamers had actually died over a dozen times to the same creature just to test out the penalties. Dying several times in a small period of time made the penalties worse. Much worse was dying to the very same creature.


    The severity of those penalties went down over time if you were careful and didn''t die. There was one entire thread devoted to stories of what some players did while waiting a week in town. Drinking was popular along with training a weapon or learning a trade skill.


    Milo didn''t want to take time off, so he got careful. He started placing small bells in the different corridors to let him know when the snake was moving. The different tone of the bells even told him where she was. It wasn''t a great system, but it helped. Piles of old cans and metal scrap also proved useful.


    By the end of two weeks, Milo had the snakes¡¯ movements mapped out, and his early warning system let him get to work. He wasn''t mining, for the most part, he was scavenging. The old dwarven mines were a maze of cave-ins and treacherous areas, but they had a treasure Milo needed.


    From the pack came murmurs. "nobeard....nonono...nobeard", "tooopretty..tasty", "wharsyorbadge!" Slowly, step by step they edged forward. Milo was seeing a lot of teeth. "Badge? In my pocket. Why don''t you fellows just back off and I''ll pull it out."


    If anything, his voice made things worse. The once-dwarves ran at him, stumbling forward, and raising their weapons. That was enough for Milo, he tossed an explosive skull to the right side of the mob, and dodged to the left. A wrench clipped him on his shoulder but did little damage and he was past the edge of the mob and running. His first spell had done some damage. One body was down, trying to reattatch a leg and others had taken wounds. He waited until the lead ghoul was almost on him and swung hard, putting both spikes into the creature. The lights in its eyes went out and it slumped to the ground.


    Milo kept running, circling around them and his pursuers kept nicely bunched up. Another explosive skull took out several, and the remaining two stumbled forward to be taken out quickly.


    Now that they weren''t moving, he could see that the they were little more than bones and dried sinew wired to whatever mechanical junk seemed to be at hand. Even now, three of them were pulling parts off of others and trying to fix themselves.


    A bad feeling made him stand and turn around. From a side passage came more of the once-dwarves. These were in better shape. Most wore partial suits of plate armor. All had beards of burnished copper wire, and the glow in their eyes spoke of intelligence. Seven of them moved forward, their heavy steps clanging as their metal feet came down upon the stone.


    Milo readied a skull and prepared to fight.


    The lead creature pointed a gauntleted hand at him. "You will come with us to see the engineer, or we will be using you as spare parts. Either choice is fine with us."

 Chapter 47: Spare parts?

    Chapter 47: Spare parts?


    Milo was intensely curious about all the strange machines but also aware that his escort seemed on the edge of attacking him, so he decided that he''d save questions until later. Still, his head twisted back and forth, staring at overhead conduits leading to large tanks, cables with buckets carrying unknown materials throughout the complex, and everywhere the scurrying, badly put together creatures who were similar to those that had just attacked him.


    Several times as they traveled down ramps and through room after room, one would pause to glare or snarl at him. Some even started towards him only to be yelled at by his escort. They lowered their heads and got back to work. Each of the large work areas or machine shops was connected by a metal walled tunnel with a heavy iron or stone door on each end. His escort opened them by inserting a tool, or solving a puzzle similar to the one on the outer door that he had entered by. Either way only took a few seconds. They had these problems memorized, obviously.


    The last room was gigantic. From the stalactites on the ceiling Milo suspected it had started as a natural cave and its rectangular shape was the result of work over the years. Massive buttresses reenforced the ceiling and gave support to the overhead system of cables and pulleys. The room was at least a quarter mile in length and two hundred feet wide. One of the long walls was entirely taken up with silos holding liquids or pulverize materials.


    But for all the machinery, not a lot was going on. Large areas of the room were barely lit, and only one area seemed to have workers doing something. Milo saw what looked like a huge drilling apparatus that started at the ceiling and went down into the earth. His escort took him up to the edge of the area and paused, their heads turning in the direction of someone who was obviously in charge.


    "Dagnasted mumbleheads, I said ''bring him up'', that means today and not next week!"


    The person who was controlling a double cable heading into the opening of the borehole didn''t bother to turn his head. "The winch works just as fast as always, brother. The distance and speed dictate that it takes a half hour to bring him back up."


    "Don''t you lecture me on elementary time-distance equations brother, I''m referring to the break you took in the middle."


    "Yeah, I get that boss, apologies. I''ll toss him to the lower brethren for parts. But I seem to remember we have an engineering problem that needs solving and you keep using faulty components to diagnose it. Maybe we should use a different type of sensor."


    Milo had no difficulty figuring that part out. He looked at the borehole, and then at the nearest group of lower brethren.


    "I would be glad to help out your brotherhood with finding a solution. But you know I can''t. Guild regulations state that you can''t just put any idiotchild to work. Who knows what could happen if you so much as give me a wrench? Don''t THE OLD ways tell that a tool is only as useful as the person holding it?"


    Several of the dwarves nodded, stomped, and shouted out "THE OLD WAYS!"


    Milo hurriedly continued talking. "NO! I insist you give me the tests to prove I have the knowledge to work in these hallowed halls! Only after you have tested me on the theory of mathematics, statics, dynamics, fluid flow, pressure systems, pulley systems, and general mechanics can I even be considered an apprentice in this guild." He stomped his foot as loud as he could. ¡°TEST ME!¡±


    A chant started among the lower brethren. "The Tests! THE TESTS!"


    The Engineer looked at him long and hard, and then chuckled. "Oh, aren''t you the clever one for sure. Not wanting to be spare parts, are you? Well, that remains to be seen." Turning to two of the Milo''s escort he said "Sprocket? You and Cogswell take this little gear to my workshop and find a spot for him to work. Peenhammer, go get me a copy of the first ten apprentice tests. We''ll see if he''s good enough to be tossed down the bore hole.

 Chapter 48: Subragators and Throttlecogs

    Chapter 48: Subragators and Throttlecogs


    The Engineer scowled as he looked at a sheet of parchment. "I don''t like his answer on this one either!"


    He tossed the sheets filled with diagrams of pipes and turbines over to his main assistant, Throttlecog.


    Like the Engineer, he was entirely encased in metal. His body looked like polished steel and his beard was the dark metallic color of Deep Steel.


    Throttlecog looked up from the test paper that he was examining. "What now? You didn''t like his answer on the tension-support problem either, but he was right."


    "He didn''t get the answer that he was supposed to get! The problem states ''The tertiary cable on a tension bridge support has broken, how would you rearrange the cables to keep the bridge from falling down?'' " He said he''d repair the cable and put it back in place. That''s cheating. He was supposed to move the other six cables to compensate for the missing tertiary!"


    Throttlecog chuckled. The chief was big on theory, but didn''t like to get his hands dirty with the more mundane tasks. "Well, I say he was correct. What engineer worth his salt goes out to fix a tension bridge and doesn''t have tools on him to splice cables? And who wants to have to move six cables when you can just fix the one? Now tell me what''s wrong with the one you''ve got?"


    The Engineer put the parchment on the table. "Look at this! He manage to get the repair to the pump correct. But see here? He wants the three-inch pipe connecting water tank to the pump replaced with three-point-five-inch pipe. And, he wants to have three-inch connectors on each end. Why would you do that? Connectors should match the size of the pipe."


    Leaning back in his chair a bit, Throttlecog looked at the odd addition to the pump system.


    "Oh, see here? He has the math worked out on the bottom. It has to do with friction on the walls of the pipe. That pipe is the point you most need a continuous flow with no disruption. Friction on the sides decreases flow rate and can cause swirling in the pipe. Making the pipe a bit bigger reduces that and keeps the flow steady."


    "Dammit, hand that here. That would explain why we only get a 97% efficiency out of that system". The Engineer was scribbling furiously on a slate. After a few minutes he looked up. "He''s right. HE''S RIGHT!!" The metal-clad dwarf began pacing back and forth. "By the Maker''s Holy Hammer! I so don''t want to let some no-beard from Uptop into the guild, but I can''t fault his theory work. Let''s go take a look at his practical problem. What did you assign him?"


    "I figured you wanted a tough one for that. I told him to fix the old copper ore subragator system. Hasn''t worked in years."


    "Smart thinking. Let him break his brain on that old thing. Useless without the ore to process anyway. We can grudgingly let him in on a trial basis so we can toss him down the bore hole."


    =*=


    The Engineer just nodded and started walking over to Milo.


    Waste fluid was a byproduct of the process used to make Deep Steel. The Deep Iron ore was crushed to remove rock and impurities. Then, instead of smelting, the separated ore was put into a huge vat with hundreds of gallons of concentrated liquid Phlogiston and turpentine. After it burbled for a month, the waste fluid was poured off and stored in huge tanks. It was useful at times as a lubricant, but they had a few hundred thousand gallons too much of the stuff. The cleaned Deep Iron nuggets were then thrown into a modified Franklin Smelter to begin the process of making Dark Steel.


    Waste fuel burned hot, but it didn''t burn clean, putting out great gouts of black smoke that soon covered everything with a fine grit. No one had ever tried to use waste fluid as fuel. Until now.


    Throttlecog was watching two of the brethren change out wire mesh filters on the smokestack of the fire box. The new filter went in, pushing the old one out. Two more brethren were brushing the heavy black dust from the filter into a barrel to clean them. The smoke coming off the firebox was a lot cleaner than he''d expected.


    One of Milo¡¯s helpers was mumbling over and over: ¡°Mustn¡¯t throw out the filter dust. Mustn¡¯t throw out the filter dust.¡±


    ¡°Why not throw out the filter dust?¡± Throttlecog was curious. This set off the lower brethren all around the boiler.


    ¡°Mustn¡¯t Throw Out The Filter Dust!!! Recycle! Reclaim! 7% ore. Milo says so.¡± They repeated this several more times. Throttlecog saluted them. ¡°Sounds good, carry-on brothers. I¡¯d like a report on the reclamation project please.¡±


    The steam boiler was providing power to the hammer system that was busy crushing copper ore. The Engineer grabbed a lump from another bag and licked it. "Deep Copper, or I''m a three toed halfling..."


    Turning to Milo he yelled loudly, "Where in tarnation did you find this much Deep Copper ore? Who was hiding it?"


    The copper nuggets, freed from rock and dust, were being dumped into the subragator. There, the metal was subjected to an acid wash to break it down and further remove impurities. The copper dust then got dumped to the smelter and molten copper was poured into ingots. One of the brethren wearing thick gloves on what passed for arms was picking up and stacking the ingots as they cooled.


    Milo hopped down from the machine. He yelled commands at several of his enthusiastic helpers and received one answer of "You got it boss" and several thumbs up. "I brought it along with me. I have a small ability that lets me store ore in a sub-spatial storage area. I had 27 cubic feet of ore and wanted to test out the system. Am I out of time? I really could use a few more hours to realign the process and improve efficiency. The boiler may need some patching too, it''s going to explode soon."


    Throttlecog and Milo watched as the Engineer poked around the machines, peering at the inner workings and even talking to the lower brethren who were still verbal. After a few tense minutes he walked back to Milo. "Take your time. I''m not going to hurry an Engineer when he has a project to get right. Come see me in a few days when it''s finished." He patted Milo awkwardly on the shoulder. "Good work though, keep it up."


    Turning to Throttlecog he said "Maybe see if we can scare up one of the old hardhats and coveralls for Journeyman Engineer Milo from Uptop. If he''s doing the job, he should look the part."N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.

 Chapter 49: Bucket Time

    Chapter 49: Bucket Time


    "A good engineer always tries to improve on previous designs. And broken machinery needs to fixed. So, it wasn''t much of a step to applying the same doctrine to our own bodies. Accidents happen and a missing hand or leg shouldn''t be the end of a promising career. Mechanical replacements for missing limbs have been common among the brotherhood going back a couple of thousand years. A few didn''t wait for an accident; they just had an arm replaced by a mechanical one with multiple tools and increased STR. It was a practical thing." The engineer paused.


    "Yes, totally practical. Like polishing your gilded body armor every day or competing for the best beard." Throttlecog added with a wink.


    The Engineer glared at him, but acknowledged the comment. "Hush you. But yes, some of us do care a bit about our appearance. That was much more important back when this outpost was crewed by a thousand engineers. Not so much now, I suppose."


    "It seemed to be a natural progression at the time to go from replacing limbs, to fixing a fried nerve ending with a bit of thin-wire, or aural-compensators used to replace shattered ears. Dwarves are naturally long lived, but eventually we do wear out. We started using some ''preservative potions'' to help keep us going another century or two. I think that is where the engineering started taking a back seat to the necromancy." As he said this, he watched Milo carefully for any bit of censure or disgust. The new member of the guild just sat there unperturbed. "That doesn''t seem to bother you, brother Milo?"


    Milo considered his words. "Too complicated a subject. Too much overlap with other things."


    "The preservatives your people used might be called medicine by some. And while it came from necromancy, an alchemist might also be able to brew it. From what I''ve read necromancy seems to incorporate medicine, alchemy, anatomy, and all kinds of things that don''t involve making zombies and other undead."


    "Aye. That''s a decent way to look at it." The Engineer looked thoughtful, then continued. "After the cataclysm that sealed the roads to the surface, we were pretty much on our own. We continued our work. But a schism was growing in the brotherhood. Those that had the knowledge and special skills to construct their own preservation suit did so. But a lot of the brother hood were mechanics, pipefitters, machinists. An engineer who knew the old runes and had the right magitech skills could do it. The rest were just getting old and worn out."


    "Engineer Malvos thought he had a way to help the lower ranks. He devised a pressurized tank that preserved their entire body at once. While the council debated for half a year about his designs and theories, he used the process on most of the lower ranks. They were desperate and we were blinded to that desperation. And Malvos was correct, it did preserve their bodies, and even granted some regeneration. But there was a cost."


    "It was a constant strain on their minds to constantly be holding themselves together. These weren''t mages with the WIS or INT to manage the constant drain. Slowly over time, they became how you see. The schism is complete. The lower brethren are a collection of parts held together by Malvos''s process. The senior brothers are tucked away neatly in containment suits, but we can''t stray from the complex or we start shutting down. We''re like any other machine here, needing power from the broadcasters."


    While Milo was happy having things explained, he was still a bit upset about why they told him. "Which is just a very long explanation as to why I''m going down the shaft in a bucket."


    The Engineer said "Well..."


    Throttlecog just laughed loudly. "Oh hell, Chief, just be straightforward with him. Yes, that''s why you get the honor of hopping in a bucket and heading for the nether regions to see what''s gumming up the works. You don''t need power, and hopefully you''ll be able to talk when you get back."


    "What''s down there? How deep does it go?" Looking down the borehole Milo only saw the metal sided shaft going into darkness.


    Milo lowered himself and swung Shadowblight at the mass of white goo. As expected, he didn''t seem to do much damage. He saw a flicker of a message.


    ........#!........?


    Interesting. He swung again. And again, the strange flicker. The mass didn''t seem to do anything. Hoping that he was actually doing some damage and his weapon was increasing with each swing, he hacked a dozen times at its mass.


    Eventually, his experiment paid off. Not in a good way.


    The borehole vibrated, and the drill shaft moved back and forth several inches rapidly like it was being shook. Pseudo pods erupted from the mass, much bigger and longer than before. Milo barely got out of the way. He''d started scrambling up the shaft, pulled by his tail, at the first vibration.


    Ooblipimux the Ever-Pudding Sees You!!!


    You have dared to hurt Ooblipimux! Current health: 999117/1000000


    You have stolen mass from Ooblipimux!


    Ooblipimux has decided that you will be its next acquisition of mass. Please jump down into the pleasantly waving pseudopods. Ooblipimux promises it will be fun.


    Milo thought fast. That really did sound fun! Should he take off his coveralls first though? He really shouldn''t damage guild property just because he wanted to swim in acidic slime.


    He started to take off his hardhat and fell to his knees in pain. The pain cleared his head.


    The thing had almost got him to jump with a powerful suggestion. It was too strong though. His hardhat offered a bit of protection from the mental intrusion. Quickly, he jerked on the rope for emergency extraction as the slime creature began it''s slow, determined ascent up the shaft.


    "Don''t worry Ooby, I''ll be back. You just tried to eat the wrong engineer!"

 Chapter 50: The reward for a job well done...

    Chapter 50: The reward for a job well done...


    "Ooblipimese demands more mass..."


    One of the lower brethren scampered off and came back with what looked like some dried mushrooms and a desiccated gopher and tossed them into the small opening of the large glass container. They fell down into the white ooze that was filling the bottom third of the jar and slowly started dissolving.


    Two other jars had similar oozes in them, all yelling to be fed. The original plan of ''Careful observation and experimentation'' had gone out the window when some of the more chaotic of the dwarves had heard the ooze begging for food. Before they knew it the overfed ooze was nearly to the top of its vat.


    Separating it into three vats had spawned more personalities. Ooblipimese demanded mass and was quite sullen Ooblip the Lesser of Two Puddings whine and begged for food, and purred as it digested a meal. Ooblip Face-Eater growled and thrashed in his containment jar, secreting large amounts of high potency acid.


    The Engineer declared Face-Eater to be useful, and plans were made for a much larger and stronger containment jar for it, with special filters to drain the acid without letting out any bits of ooze.


    Of the other two, Ooblipimese was the less popular and it got to test out various substances designed to neutralize acids and oozes. It was found that even a small amount of ''High Potency Cleansing Agent B-37'' would create a instant reaction that reduced its mass and left it cowering on one side of the jar. The powder had been used for centuries to clean up spills of an acidic nature and was potent when used against the white acidic oozes.


    Milo explored a different line of experimentation. Separating out a fourth ooze, the short-lived Ooplipapatamus proved to not like waste fluid sprayed on it, and really, really didn''t like being set on fire. Within a minute the ooze was just an oily stain in the bottom of the jar along with a small nugget of dark steel.


    Plans were quickly made. A dozen large tanks were moved into the area of the bore hole, each holding thousands of gallons of waste fluid. These were all connected to a pipe that exited into the bore hole 50 feet down the shaft.


    A huge chunk of metal encased stone was suspended just to the side of the borehole, and two stories in the air. The Engineer explained its use to Milo. "I don''t want to lose the drill. That¡¯s a thousand feet of hardened dark steel shaft leading down to a diamond encrusted bore head. But if we can''t stop the damned pudding, we''ll have to sever the shaft, move the plug into position, and let it go. It''s just a bit wider than the borehole at its top.


    The force of the drop will put it down 20'' into the bore where it will jam tight. There are explosive bolts inside that will then trigger, driving spikes into the side of the bore in a dozen places. Nothing will move that, and it will buy us weeks of time to come up with another counter for the ooze."


    Milo looked over at the borehole. More cables had been strung. A much larger bucket was being loaded with High Potency Cleansing Agent B-37. The powder was a bright orange in color, and Milo overheard one senior engineer just refer to it as ''Agent Orange''. The smaller bucket was above it be 50 feet. Milo looked at the set-up and spoke to the Engineer. "It looks like in addition to the mechanisms for distributing Agent Orange, there is an operators bucket. As if you need someone to observe the reaction and make sure the experiment is a success."


    The Engineer patted Milo on the back. "Your powers of observation are strong, young engineer. And because you are the first person to bring this to my attention, I reward you with the position of observer in the coming operation."


    The shaft vibrated as Ooblipimux the Ever-Pudding thrashed in pain. Miles held the thought in his head of a clog-eater grinding away at a white, oozing clog. With the sound of a toilet flushing, the ooze rapidly fell down the shaft, then silence, followed by a distance sound of thousands of tons of ooze going ''plop'' as it hit the bottom of the cave.


    Milo signaled to be lowered down further. Down he went, past the areas where the pudding had been climbing the shaft and finally to where the borehole opened out into a huge cavern. It was lit with the eerie light of glowing lichen on the walls and ceiling. 50'' below him, Milo saw the drill head, free and clear of clinging puddings. Directly below the drill head was a huge white lake surrounding a small orange island formed from the debris from he borehole and what was left of the agent orange. Ooblipimux had retreated rather than take more damage. It circled the little island, giving it lots of room.


    The cavern was immense. At least a thousand feet to the far side and three hundred feet from ceiling to floor. It stretched into the distance in both directions, and seemed to narrow. Milo signaled to be lowered further. He needed to be lower to see the ceiling, something about it looked odd.


    From further down it was obvious. A massive ridge ran lengthwise supporting the ceiling. Evenly spaced along it, pairs of gigantic, curved supports ran across the ceiling and then down to the base of the cave. It was like a huge, gothic cathedral carved out of the rock. Or....


    Milo looked again, trying to think of the huge supports in a different scale. He knew suddenly that no one had built this place. The hollowed-out area was inside the cavity formed by the spine and ribs of some gigantic, primordial creature. Between the ribs was bare rock and exposed ore. Milo saw several places that gleamed with the familiar sight of deep copper. This area would become one huge mine if the dwarves could get rid of the pudding.


    One of the supports/ribs was about 30 feet from the edge of the borehole. Milo wanted to investigate it, and see if it really was bone, or just stone carved by some mad race of stone workers. He really should wait and get ropes and pitons to be able to safely move from stalactite to stalactite.


    He signaled to be pulled back up until he was about at the end of the bore hole and even with the ceiling. He tied a safety rope securely to himself and to the bucket.


    A large stalactite was about 10 feet away. Milo leaped for it, his 15¡¯ long tail of spectral bone wrapping around it and his clawed hands and feet trying to get ahold in the stone. The plan worked, and he was able to not fall and test his safety rope. Now he just had to repeat the same leap twice more.


    The next two were even harder. The last leap left him hanging by his tail below the stalactite. The ¡®rib¡¯ was only a few more feet. He swung back and forth like a pendulum until he could grab hold of the rough surface and scramble up.


    The substance was certainly bone. Very old bone. And either he was shaking, or it was vibrating. The area Milo was laying on suddenly gave way, tumbling him into a hollow area of the structure. At first it was dark, and then he began to see lights. Small yellow lights running along the bone and clustering around him on the inside surface.


    Not just lights.... runes. Each glowing bit was a rune. A few different ones repeated endlessly. They moved to where he was touching the bone, and flowed from the rib and onto his skin, sinking in and burning. Like millions of little biting ants filling him up and eating into him.


    Milo fell unconscious and began to dream.N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.

 Chapter 51: Dreams of the past

    Chapter 51: Dreams of the past


    Alta-Viator dreamed again. Over and over for eternity. The same dream. The last dream.


    Hot-rock parted as he shot through the upper deeps. The semi-molten rocks obeying his will and parting as he shot rapidly past. Up and up, past the limits of the deeps with their bland harvest of nutrients and into the lower-crust with its rich veins of tasy food hidden in the not-food.


    It could eat the not-food, but it took so much to sustain him that he didn''t bother. He didn''t leave the comfortable heat of the depths to dine on crap. He wanted the chewy-goodness of Orichalcum or the crunchy-sweetness of Iridium. Maybe the stringy-sharp taste of Deep Copper? Yes! That is what he wanted. It had been ages since it had tasted the Deep Copper. Silly name for something that only appeared so high up in the lower-crust.


    The rock of the upper crust was growing stupid. It no longer moved aside when he flexed his will. But if it was stupid, it was also more solid. Powerful claws reached into the rock, and his will drove the muscles of his form to first crack the rock and then move it aside from his passage. Alta-Viator shot upwards, the cracks forming above him as he ascended, finally reaching into the heights where the veins of the Deep Copper ran. The taste was as he remembered; a sharp and acidic taste, the texture stringy but not too chewey. It went down easily and Alta-Viator went looking for more.


    Then a strange vibration came to it. The hardened scales of his carapace picking up the slight vibration as something else moved in the rock. For a brief instance, thoughts of his brethren came to him. Volax-Repat who had left the depths to challenge the eels in the void. Calidum-Soror who ever sought the deepest depths and the hottest fires. So many had been lost in the long, long eons since their birth. He wondered where their bones lay?


    But this wasn''t one of his kin. That became quickly apparent as the stench of it came to him. An Eel! An Eel dared delve into the rock! Not their place! Eels had the live-water and live-air. This one had dared burrow and delve where no Eel should ever go. His will forged ahead of him, finding a path. His claws cracked the rock and he raced upward towards the Eel!


    Stronger and stronger the stench hit him. A mix of Eel and Deep Copper. This wasn''t a true Eel, but a degenerate spawning of some sort. Had Eels rutted with the Elemental Princes? It didn''t matter, it would be dead shortly.


    The Eel felt him coming and fled, but it was slow. Where he cracked the rock asunder and moved through the shattered pieces, the Eel was moving through large, empty caverns. He gained rapidly and in a vast cavern the Eel turned to fight. She was degenerate indeed. No wings would lift her into the live-air. No claws would help her crack the rock. Like the youngling eels from the dead-water, She had no limbs, just a long sinuous body the color of deep copper.


    Empress Salasha? She was simply a copper skinned snake. And he could tell that was why she was here. She had been eating the Deep Copper. She would regret coming and stealing his food.


    Alta-Viator advanced slowly, taunting the Eel. He was larger, with eight rending-claws and a deadly maw full of rock-chewing teeth. The Eel had only her fangs, dripping with some white venom that burned the rock as She hissed. Alta-Viator did not fear the fangs or the venom. His scales could not be punctured by such a puny Eel.


    The fight had lasted for days. Alta-Viator carved chunks from Salasha''s body, the coppery flesh sinking into the rock while the Eel constantly tried to absorb Deep Copper from the ore around them to heal herself.


    Forced to fight against an older and more powerful opponent, she played for time and used the only weapon she truly had. Time and again she struck at the same spot on Alta-Viators shoulder until finally a crack appeared in the scale. There after her poison could work its way inward, doing constant damage as its acidic properties dissolved softer muscle and organs, and poisoned the blood.


    It didn''t save the Eel, her poison wasn''t enough to quickly deal with her foe. Eventually she was done, her body torn into smaller and smaller pieces, her fangs broken, and her poison spent. Alta-Viators roared his triumph and then rested.


    Such a great mistake. Had he immediately dived for the depths, the heat of the earth could have burned the poison from him and healed him. And even if he had died, his body would be consumed and he could start the cycle again. Now, neither of those was an option. After some period of time Alta-Viators regained his senses to find his body was much worse than before. He had not healed, and the poison was killing him. The earth would not obey his will. His claws did not have the strength to crack it asunder. He had slain the Eel, but now his spirit was trapped in this dying shell.


    It took years to finally die, paralyzed and trapped in the rock. And even death didn''t end his imprisonment. Over the next century the poison continued to eat away at his body. Each small bit becoming an ooze like creature that scoured his flesh from his bones. When after a thousand years there was nothing left for his spirit to cling to but bones, the oozes went looking for other food, spreading into the nearby caves.


    Over and over his spirit relived its last great battle, hoping to move on. It barely noticed the changes as one mutant ooze began to eat the others. It didn''t care at all when the Ever-pudding proclaimed itself ruler of the cavern he had become. Only when the first little eel emerged from the nearby copper ore did his spirit react. Despair took him. His foe had survived.


    He felt her as the little princess moved through the ore that had been her mother''s body, consuming it and growing. She encouraged other eels to come forth and serve her. Slowly they spread throughout the area around his hollow corpse. Generation after generation passed. Each time a descendent of Salasha would be born and eat her mother. She grew larger each time, consuming more and more of the copper ore around her, gaining power.


    Time passed. His spirit awoke as the final incarnation of Princess Salasha was born. This one would birth a Queen, and the queen would birth an Empress. And the Eel would be reborn. And he could do nothing.


    Almost nothing...


    He felt it when a little chip of bone scurried through the caves. Could it be one of the creations of Magna-Stultas? That one was always sticking parts of himself into the little creatures to make pets out of them. Whatever this was, it began stealing the Eels food and taking it away. This didn''t last long. The Eel killed it and grew stronger. Claiming victory on even such a small chip made it stronger. More chips came...or the same chip? It much have a very short cycle to return so quickly. Each time it died. Each time Salasha grew stronger. Her victory was inevitable.


    Or was it? Something had nudged his spirit. The chip had found its way to him. Its bones touch his. The runes flowed. It was a weak little chip, with pitiful claws. But such a strong will! And great potential for disaster. He would do what he could. If the chip died again to the Eel, all was lost, she would take his power. Would that matter?


    Squint


    Milo had ducked as a bat flew at his head, and then dropped a small roll of paper before disappearing. He unrolled the message and slapped his forehead. Time to get to work.


    He climbed out of the hollow rib, and looked around. Things had changed. No bucket was hanging down from the shaft, and the drill was missing as well. Below, Ooblipimux heaved back and forth, pseudopods forming and layering on each other as it tried to create a pile high enough to reach the shaft again. The small island of Agent Orange was gone.


    Milo reached up and grasped the rock. His claws actually sunk into it. He could feel that he was well anchored. Swinging up, he began to crawl across the ceiling of the cave like some poor, five-legged spider. Even his tail was improved. When he reached out to wrap it around a stalagmite, it too felt completely anchored to the stone. The trip to the shaft up took only minutes.


    The shaft was empty. He was going to have to climb all the way up using his claws! What had happened? Step by step, he began climbing the shaft. Then he began moving faster and faster. His tail pushed against the far wall, giving him balance. Every foothold or handhold was secure. He scuttled up the thousand feet of shaft at a slow run.


    He emerged to chaos. There was broken machinery everywhere and the lesser brethren were using anything that wasn''t bolted down to build barricades in doorways. One of them saw him and yelled. Others heard and came over to him, clustering around. They yelled all at once, gibberish assaulting him in their urgency.


    "One at a time. One at a time."


    They quieted and then took him quite literally, each one making a statement.


    "Gone so long, assumed dead."


    "Missing for days, slacker!"


    "SNAKE!"


    "Engineer needs you, everyone needs you!"


    "Find Milo! But Milo doesn''t come up!"


    "SNAKE! SNAKESNAKESNAKE! SNAKE at the door!


    "Boom! No door!"


    "Snake eating things. Bad Snake!"


    "Engineer down. Everyone down. We in charge."


    "WE DOOMED!"


    "BOOM!"


    "You here! Save us! You in charge! Ranking Engineer!"


    When they had all had their say, they quieted down and looked at him expectantly.


    "Alright. Step one. Take me to the Engineer. Then we need to kill an eel...I mean Snake."

 Chapter 52: BoomBoom!

    Chapter 52: BoomBoom!


    The story was fairly simple because most of the remaining dwarfs had a limited vocabulary. The exception was Boomboom. He was in better shape than most with a mechanical hand and right arm, and a left arm that ended in a configuration that switched between wrench, saw, and drill. One eye was mechanical and gleamed with a blueish light. The other just gleamed with mischief and destruction.


    Milo assumed his nickname came from habit of halving a half dozen charges of blasting explosives strapped to his belt. He also liked to juggle them, which made everyone nervous, and the maniac junior engineer laugh. "Ha! No worries. Pins all in. No Boom-Boom. Oops? Where¡¯s that pin? BOOM! Ha! Made you run. BOOM!"


    After a bit of this he''d become almost sane for a moment, and Milo got some of the story from him.


    "Snake came. Broke down door with many booms! Defenses proved insufficient for snake killing. Disappointing lack of Boom! Snake rampage! Tearing out machinery, making nest. Bad Snake! Hit the main power coupler. No power, seniors fall like trees, make like logs. We stacked in a room, plugged them in. Engineer pissed. MUCH BOOM IN VOICE! Fun. Hide from Bad Snake. Need Snake trap."


    Milo got a quick escort to where the senior engineers were laying in a room. Only a few were moving. As Boomboom had said, the Engineer was quite upset.


    "Ah, Engineer Milo. Good of you to show up. Did you get lost down in the dark? " After an explanation from Milo, including his theories about the origins of the snake and pudding, the Engineer settled down and updated him on what had happened.


    Queen Mother Salasha, Rat-Slayer, nemesis of Bone.


    Level: ?? Monstrous Aberrant Elemental


    Health: ?????


    In the center of the coiled snake, on a pillar of copper, sat a pulsing egg. It was roughly a foot tall, and Milo felt a growl start to come involuntarily from his chest. That was an Eel. He knew it!


    He shut the hatch and turned to Boomboom. "We''re going to need a bigger Snake Trap."


    The dwarf nodded enthusiastically. "BoomBOOMBoom!!"

 Chapter 53: Solutions, not problems

    Chapter 53: Solutions, not problems


    The bone-rat-thief...Salasha smelled him again. He was somewhere nearby. His scent was all through the dwarf caves, but for an instant she had smelled him. It was much stronger now. The stench of the ancient enemy was all about him. Was he stealing from them too? Pilfering the long dead bones of her foes? It didn''t matter. She would kill him for being a thief.


    He had dared to attack her as she built her nest! And the thief had been stealing the ore infused with her own blood. Worse, he took it away to somewhere beyond her reach. She had delighted in killing him. Moreso when she found he was somehow connected to her ancient enemies.


    He thought he was clever, returning from death so quickly. She envied him that. But it was only because he was such a little rat. No one cared if little rats fled the dark realms, and no one watched. For her though, it had taken long ages, one painful incarnation at a time.


    She had killed him again, and again. Each time gaining power from his death.


    He had tried to hide in the lair of the metal dwarves. She found his scent and tracked him there. The doors were thick and the dwarves would put up a fight, but she needed the metals they hid in their lair. Needed the metals he had stolen. She smelled the sweet scent of the pure metal coming from the dwarf lair. If she had known just how much they hid, she would have raided them long ago. The metals without her blood were still nourishing. They would help her grow after her daughter was hatched.


    That was close now. She could feel her thoughts moving more and more to the egg. This form, strong as it was, was just a guardian now. Its thoughts moved slower and slower. Soon her daughter would be out of her egg. In a great flash of heat and energy she would consume the guardian¡¯s body, and all of the nest, reborn stronger than ever. And then this place would become her food. The thought made her happy. So much food, so tasty.


    Milo looked at his supply of cheese, and selected a smaller chunk. Stopping himself as he almost reached for a large wedge. He was running out! That bothered him. He needed his tasty little treats. They helped when he was stressed, and he always seemed to be stressed. Too much was happening.


    Squint wanted him back for some job...


    The Snake was about to hatch an egg and evolve...


    The dwarves were about to be snake food, but couldn''t leave...


    The pudding was going to be coming back...


    Harry was worried about the yellow creeper...


    And he was running out of cheese!!!


    Deciding that he couldn''t be expected to solve all those problems while depriving himself of cheese, he grabbed a sizeable chunk of "tasty new cheese" that Jethro had sold him. It was horrible compared to his aged gouda. But it filled him up and helped him relax.


    "What do you guys think?" Clustered around him were his brother engineers. Most of them shrugged. A couple had ideas.


    Another small tunnel led away from the room, filled with scurrying dwarves. Two turned, and with a twang! hurled something at her faster than she could see or dodge. The dwarves then dropped the two-man arbalest, and were racing away as the projectile struck the snake just below the left eye. She felt PAIN!


    A dark steel projectile from a much larger dwarven bolt-thrower couldn''t have penetrated her hide. But dark steel wasn''t as strong as the ancient bone that Milo had carved this weapon from. Only his new claws could cut and shape the bone of the gigantic ribs. It had taken him three tries, but the result was worth it. The barbed spear of bone had been enchanted with the rune of velocity. Most of the arbalest was likewise carved of bone, making it a one-use construct with a simple lever that triggered the spell.


    The runed barb sunk deep into Salasha, causing both physical and mental pain as she realized where the bone had come from. Rage enveloped what was left of her mind and she lunged forward, only to slam into a metal door that only just held her back. She lunged forward again, and as she slammed into the door revealing two very scared dwarves, machinery was released.


    Two stories underneath Salasha, a 16-ton subragator was released from the supports that kept it falling. Strong Dark Steel cables led from it up to a connecting rod. The slack in the cables lasted for the first 300 feet of its fall down the shaft leading to the deeper storage areas. The cables snapped taut and pulled on the supporting rod with incredible force. The top of the supporting rod connected to a very thick cable, just long enough to encircle the room the snake had last entered.


    With a sickening crunch, the cable tightened and dragged the snake to the floor, crushing her body and nearly bisecting the elemental. The huge head snapped back, and the dwarfs breathed in a sigh of relief before hastily retreating.


    Trapped! The little things had trapped her!Tried to kill her, but failed. She was too mighty. Salasha thinned her neck, giving her more room and began to gnaw at the tightened cabled. The subragator below had bounced up and down several times, causing her more pain. Now several of the dwarves jumped onto it, swinging to back and forth, and having a wonderful time.


    Milo was not having a wonderful time. Much depended on luck. The brother hood needed time to finish their traps and set everything up. It would have been so much easier if the cable-trap had been enough. But it wasn''t, so now Milo opened a hatch several stories above a glowing egg.


    He dropped straight down, slowed barely by a 15ft bone tail attached to a longer cable. He cursed inwardly as he landed on the egg and some of his breath was knocked out of him. Hopefully the damned snake didn''t have ears except in its head. He didn''t doubt though that it felt vibrations. His hope was it was busy trying not to be sawed in half.


    He''d expected the egg to be just copper. But it wasn''t. It glowed softly, shiny and beautiful. A foot high jewel with light streaming from it. And inside, Salasha¡¯s next incarnation stared out at him and tried to hiss within its metal shell. The eyes bore into Milo. Great hatred was there. It promised vengeance and death and worse.


    The problem for the snake, was that Milo had spent his entire life putting himself in danger. He worked on dangerous machinery, close to electrical wires that would fry an elephant. He dove down two-hundred-foot shafts on a day-to-day basis. And stole the money and belongings of very dangerous men. A fancy easter egg, even if inhabited by an aberrant elemental eel didn''t bother him at all. He grabbed the egg and prepared to climb back up.


    The egg didn''t move. The little snake in the egg banged her head on the shell. The huge coils all around him tensed and began to move. With one arm Milo held the egg to his chest, with the other he dragged his claws through the Deep Copper pedestal. His claws couldn''t crack tectonic plates like those of Alta-Viator, but they easily cut off the top foot of the pedestal.


    "HEY RUBE!" Milo screamed at the ceiling and prayed his helpers hadn''t gone off to play on the subragator. They must have stayed, because a torsion spring was released, and the cable holding Milo''s tail was drawn back up hard enough that he slammed into the ceiling of the crawl space and nearly dropped the egg.


    Nearby a heavy cable was snapped apart by a gigantic copper snake that suddenly realized it had been tricked. The dwarves waved goodbye to the subragator as it fell further into the shaft. Milo had insisted they all attach safety cables, which meant they started a new game, swinging back and forth and bumping into each other. Eventually Two-Screws yelled and they ran to start working on the next part of their plan.


    Salasha the Guardian screamed in rage, and broke out of her nest, using the widest tunnels to try and find her egg. The rat had it! Had part of her!


    But she knew where the egg was, she would always know. They were linked. She raced after the thief as he ran out of the dwarf¡¯s lair and into the maze of mine tunnels.

 Chapter 54: Chase me!

    Chapter 54: Chase me!


    Sprinting down the dark tunnels, Milo followed the map in his head. He couldn¡¯t make even one mistake. A right, a left, leap the small crevice, and straight on until he ran into the big drop.


    Milo had gone over the route several times. Early plans to stay in the small tunnels where Salasha would have a hard time moving were discarded. He could only rely upon speed. He''d originally planned to just play hide and seek in the smaller tunnels for hours, but every time he ran through the plan, he could see Salasha coming out as the winner. There was just too much of her. it would be too easy for her to block multiple tunnels. And the snake wasn¡¯t stupid.


    He hit the big drop and didn''t hesitate, immediately dropping into the long shaft. His claws slowed him enough, tearing through the rock like a thousand fingernails on a thousand blackboards. He landed on his feet and tail in a three-point landing, and sprinted off for the larger caverns.


    Behind him the gigantic snake came to the vertical shaft and started downward, far slower that the scurrying rat that was her prey. It worked in his favor that snakes, especially ones her size, weren¡¯t built for descending straight down.


    Her front end might want to hurry, but she couldn¡¯t fall down a shaft when her tail end was still dragging along through the corridors. Eventually Salasha had more of herself hanging in the shaft that she had in the tunnels, and she went faster. Much faster, as gravity took over. Her head smacked into the bottom, and her coils slammed into her head before she could move out of the way.


    It was good that Milo had only imagined this outcome. If he''d have stayed to watch, he might have given in to laughter and lost precious time. Slowly, very slowly, a gigantic head emerged from the pile, she heaved and freed ten feet of her length, turned and hissed at the bulk of her still stuck in the shaft. Heave, slither. Heave, slither. She became more and more furious as the egg moved further away from her. When half of her was free she was able to move forward and untangle herself, and then begin to move at greater speed. The way was still narrow, but she saw it opened into a much larger cavern just ahead. The egg had stopped moving, but distressingly, was now above her.


    Salasha eyed the cavern. She hated the mushroom creatures, and this place stank of them. They were immune to her venom and gave her no nourishment. A vast carpet of fungus was dominated by a sleeping myconid much larger even than her. The egg was above the sleeping giant. The rat thought to hide in a little lair near the ceiling.


    No matter, if the thief could climb the mushroom creature, so could she. She slithered across the carpet of mushrooms, crushing the lesser myconids and setting off the alarming cries of others. Dozens of creatures rose from the soft soil of the mushroom field and advanced on her. Focused on Milo only, she paid no heed to the shambling creatures.


    Roobazahl The Ancient


    (Massive, thick skinned, collective, ENSLAVED, burning, enraged)


    Health: ???? Level:???


    As Roobazahl staggered from his pit, Salasha struck its cap again, breaking off a huge chunk and slithering on top of Roobazahl¡¯s cap. The reaction of the dying flowers was immediate, as they put forth a huge load of pollen into the air. Even for an elemental this was too much as the spores entered the small wounds on her body and into her mouth, trying to take root inside of her. Salasha hissed and sprayed venom at the flowers, knocking her head back and forth and tearing them by the roots from Roobazahl¡¯s cap.


    The Ancient Myconid knew only that it was attacked. When the panicked creepers had loosened their grasp on its mind, it had awoken to Salasha''s constricting embrace and its head on fire. Its reaction was instinctive as massive hands grabbed the snake and slammed it into the ground like a furious child. Again, and again the snake was slammed into the ground or the rocky walls as Roobazahl vented its fury.


    Milo had no idea who would win the fight, but the Yellow Trumpet Creeper colony were the losers, for sure. It had been uprooted, torn, set on fire, and its minions smashed by the battle between the two giants. A bad day for a bad flower. Roobazahl had the upper hand right now, (the only hands, actually), but Salasha was wrapped around and around her foe, and constricting and massive mushroom man.


    Milo hadn''t brought the Snake here thinking he could kill it, although that would certainly be appreciated. He''d just needed to buy time. With that accomplished it was time to leave. Taking a last look at the snake being slammed into a wall, he turned and grabbed on to one of the ropes stretched across the ceiling. This one was long and the other end was hooked to the ceiling at the edge of the mushroom field. Milo leaped into the air and fell. The rope went taunt and he became the lower part of a pendulum that swung him across the cavern. At the far end of the arc he let go, traveled another 30 feet, and slammed into the wall.


    He''d envisioned his landing as a more graceful one. Luckily, the mushrooms weren''t giving his landing a score. He slid down the wall and sprinted through the tunnels, finding his way to another vertical shaft. A rope was there, tied to a support. It went up into the darkness where it wrapped over a pulley and was attached to a large rock that was twice Milo¡¯s mass. Grabbing the rope, he slashed where it was tied. The large rock tied to the other end fell. Milo rocketed up, nearly colliding with the rock and gaining the top in only seconds. He sprinted down the dark corridor, hoping the dwarves had the next part of the operation ready.


    Time for phase two of the Snake Trap.

 Chapter 55: Extra Clever Traps

    Chapter 55: Extra Clever Traps


    Yellow Trumpet Creeper Colony has been destroyed.


    No Core Skill Points, experience, or other rewards will be rewarded. Both you and a sworn enemy claim the victory. There can be only one.


    Roobazahl The Ancient has been destroyed.


    No Core Skill Points, experience, or other rewards will be rewarded. Both you and a sworn enemy claim the victory. There can be only one.


    Salasha, Guardian of the Egg saw the announcements and screamed, causing many immature myconids to run for other caverns in fear. The thief had somehow found a way to steal her victories! Killing him would fix that!


    Tending his patches of mushrooms, Prof. Harold (Hairy) Earthtongue heard the hissing scream and wondered about its source. What had Milo done now? He picked up a large club and decided to go take a look. Now that his affliction was much diminished, he was getting restless and bored.


    The rat on everyone''s mind was just reaching the top of the big drop, having come up by an alternate route. He was winded, but relieved to find the Snake wasn''t trying to climb up just yet. He''d received the same notifications as Salasha and was fine with the situation. It would probably anger the Snake. Not that she needed more excuses, but an angry Snake was a stupid Snake. He took out the egg and looked at it. No cracks were visible, and it seemed the same as ever. He didn''t want to have the thing hatch and then attack him from behind.


    As he held it, the shell became transparent and he stared into two small eyes filled with hatred. The tiny snake bumped its head against the side of her egg in a futile attempt to crack the shell. She hissed at Milo and a painful thought appeared in his head.


    Milo balanced the egg on one finger and spun it around and around. When he stopped, the snake stared at him, but its eyes couldn''t focus and it just hissed. He put the egg back in his back pack.


    The other half of the Snake duo had finally gotten to the bottom of the drop, and was trying to climb up. She was quite clumsy and uncoordinated at it. Snakes weren''t really made for climbing that way. Salasha had an advantage in size, and was able to form a coil, pressing against the sides of the shaft as she painfully made her way up. Milo thought it would be a shame if a rock dropped on her. Poor snake.


    Coincidentally, there was a large rock in a net hanging above the shaft. Milo''s tail flipped the release for a cable and the rock plummeted downward, hitting Salasha in the head. It did little damage to her, but the impact hurt her progress as she lost 20 feet and had to start climbing again. Milo yelled down the tunnel. "More rocks."


    =*=


    The Snake''s hatred and anger was growing the longer she had to pursue her adversary. His attempts at killing her had been painful and annoying, but never enough to do her mortal damage. Rocks had been dropped on her. Two more painful bone spikes were embedded into her face. Dreadful itching powder that got under her scales had been dumped upon her.


    The worst and final indignity had been a wickedly sharp blade that cut off the last twenty feet of her tail. It was a sloppy attack. If aimed at her neck it might have done some lasting damage, but she was too fast through the tunnels and had almost avoided the trap. She would come back later and reabsorb the copper into her body. There was no time for that now.


    This was the endgame. The rat had run out of places to go. She had collapsed tunnels behind her, and sealed off where it could move. She knew where her foe was and ... and ... the cursed affliction hit her again. Her mind whirled she lay with her eyes closed on the corridor floor. What was he doing to her egg?!


    =*=


    The Snake was so slow!


    Milo had set up traps and baited her over and over. Several times though, she had stopped to rest. The dwarves became restless so Milo had started playing games with them to keep their attention. Currently they were playing a dwarven game called ''Spin and Hurl''. One dwarf sat in a swing attached by one rope to the ceiling. The others formed a circle and pushed the dwarf in the swing back and forth, spun him around, or moving in a circle whose path often reversed. If the dwarf in the center called out, or got sick, he lost. The lesser brothers loved this game.The roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    Currently it was Milo''s turn again. He seemed to have a lot of turns. He sat in the swing holding the pack with the egg as the dwarves spun him unmercifully around and around. Milo was used to mid-air flips and had long ago lost any sense of vertigo. But this? This was horrible! Finally, he gave up and the dwarves cheered and another took his place.


    Taking deep breaths, Milo asked, "Is the snake moving at all?"


    Two-screws voice came out of a vent. "No. Lazy snake just lying in corridor twitching. Poke Snake?"


    Milo thought about it. "Yeah, poke the Snake. Use more of the red powder, she really hated that. I wonder what itching is like when you can''t scratch?"


    As the vertigo faded, Salasha thrashed in rage as more of the red powder was blown down the corridor and all over her scales. Surging forward, she determined to end this!


    "Snake moving. Moving fast."


    Other factors were coming into play. As the egg was tossed around by the pudding, the large Snake was becoming dizzy. Her timing was off, her coils collided with each other, and her eyes had trouble focusing. Not that her eyes were working very well to begin with after taking the brunt of the explosion from a large magnesium flare. It was easier and easier for the pudding to keep the egg from her reach.


    Until, that is, a deluge of heavy, black liquid began raining down on both combatants.


    Boom-Boom was happily moving from one giant storage tank to the next, turning the large wheel that opened up the valve to empty the tank. All told, hundreds of thousands of gallons of waste fluid poured down into the cavern until the copper snake and white pudding were fighting in a large black lake.


    Milo looked over at Boom-Boom to check his progress. The explosion loving dwarf was yelling and arguing with three other dwarves who flatly refused to let him near the last tank. Milo was curious. "What''s the problem guys?"


    The three looked apprehensive and sheepish. One patted the side of the tank affectionately. Another had a tear in his eye. The third waved goodbye to the tank and then all three shuffled to the side. Milo wondered about their strange behavior as he turned the wheel and liquid rushed out of the tank.


    Something was off. The tank was emptying quicker, liquid rapidly flowing down the hose. From the slanted access tunnel came a smell that was quite different from waste fluid. To Milo it smelled like wood and smoke and other things he didn''t have experience with. To the dwarves it was the smell of heaven. New cut grass, sunshine, and hope for the future. All of them remembered the last time they had held a small, amber colored glass and tasted their last taste.


    Boom-Boom was the first to shake off the dreamy remembrances. Terror seemed to have improved his vocabulary. "Spanners and Fiddlesticks! That''s where the idiots hid the last of the whiskey!"


    "Dump the load! Drop the plug! Seal the tunnel! DOOM! BOOM-BOOM DOOM!!!"


    Dwarves began running to controls and tossing bags of instant stone down the access tunnel. The two huge vats of powder were dumped into the Bore Hole just before the plug was dropped. Two-screws grabbed Milo by the tail and dragged the surprised rat away from the center of the room. Opening a small door, he tossed Milo into the storage area and sealed the hatch shut.


    The huge metal plug fell into the Bore and came to a screaching halt as it wedged securely in the hole. From below came an ominous rumbling.


    Dwarven whiskey as brewed by the Engineering Guilds was a terrible, wonderful liquid. It was the strongest beverage known in all of the dwarven kingdoms and its recipe was jealously guarded by the clans and guilds who possessed it. Engineers practically lived on the stuff and it was with deep regret that the aging senior engineers had sealed themselves into metal suits to preserve their lives, but to never again drink the potent and tasty liquid.


    The remaining bottles and casks had been stored in a locked area. Some of the dwarves, especially the lesser brethren, could still smell. They liked to just sit in a circle and inhale the aroma of a bucket of whiskey. This had led to many explosions and fires. Dwarven whiskey was highly unstable when removed from the special bottles it was stored in. It was prone to bursting into flame from the smallest spark or bit of heat, and a gallon of it could equal ten pounds of mining explosives.


    Several years later, an inventory check discovered the whiskey to be missing. Not a drop could be found, and no one confessed. Over the years the lesser brethren believed the Engineer had drunk it all. The seniors thought the lesser brethren had stolen it. How it all got stored in a waste fluid tank was going to be a question that got asked a lot in the future.


    Twenty-seven thousand gallons of aged dwarven whiskey had just been poured down the Bore Hole.


    It rained down upon the combatants and Ooblipimux immediately felt the effects. The whiskey was easily absorbed by the pudding who became horribly drunk and confused. The snake, already dizzy from the egg being bounce back and forth, was less effected immediately. As the pudding missed a catch, she grabbed for her egg and coiled protectively around it.


    More than just pudding, waste fluid, and whiskey filled the cavern. As the outer layers of the snake had been dissolved by the acid secretions of Ooblipimux, a large amount of hydrogen gas had been created that mixed with the whiskey fumes in a deadly combination. The slightest spark or fire could set it off. Even a small fire caused by a mote of magnesium lodged under a scale of an elemental could do it. That little spark, burning from an earlier encounter with a fake rat came in contact with a wisp of whiskey fumes.


    Heat and light exploded into the cavern. Anything besides the Snake and the Pudding that lived within Alta-Viator''s half mile long corpse was incinerated instantly as the fiery wave of destruction rolled over them. As the hundreds of thousands of gallons of waste fluid was heated it expanded, flashing into a highly flammable gas that burned long after the initial whiskey explosion.


    Ooblipimux boiled and evaporated. Salasha, the Guardian of the Egg melted into a puddle. The bones of Alta-Viator began to burn.


    Up above, the dwarves took what cover they could, expecting the worst. The large amount of instant stone powder falling down the shaft was met by intense heat rising up. It instantly reacted, turning first into an expanding foam and then hardening into a rock-like material. As it was hardening in place, most of the heat was absorbed, but not all. Only a small fraction of the explosion got past the liquid stone before it hardened into a blockage, but that was enough to partially melt the metal plug and force it back upwards.


    A jet of superheated, whiskey scented air exploded into the room that melted flesh and metal. If it was the last thing they smelled, it was at least the best. Boom-boom was the last to fall over, a slight smile on what was left of his face. He''d felt the explosion all the way to his bones, and now relaxed as everything went black.


    Milo heard the screams of the dwarves outside and felt his small area heating up. He curled into a ball and wrapped the runed cowl tightly around him. Scales of hardened bone crept up his arms and legs, covering more and more of him as the heat got worse.


    Ooblipimux the Ever Pudding has been destroyed.


    No Core Skill Points, experience, or other rewards will be rewarded. Both you and a sworn enemy claim the victory. There can be only one.


    Salasha, Guardian of the Egg has been destroyed.

 Chapter 56: End of the Tail

    Chapter 56: End of the Tail


    A twisted and burnt door to a small storage area was being kicked repeatedly from the inside. The sealant on the door¡¯s edge had melted, essentially gluing it shut. After a half-dozen futile kicks, the room¡¯s occupant lost patience. Razor sharp claws poked through the thin metal and shredded the door until a there was a hole large enough for Milo to emerge. He was glad to have put on his protective gear. The air was smoky and foul, the one working fan having trouble clearing it out. From the half-plugged Bore Hole came a thin stream of smoke.


    Milo had waited until the metal of door could be touched without pain before exiting. His mood matched the air around him: foul and dark. This was his fault. His clever traps had been too clever. He''d been focused on killing the snake, certain that the precautions he¡¯d taken would keep the fires raging down below away from the engineering complex.


    He''d been wrong. Now he wondered if anyone had lived. He called out to the room and got a surprising response.


    Status: Deep Rock Engineers Guild. Guild master: Milo Tallsqueak


    Current Members: 63


    Active Members: 1


    Inactive Members: 17


    Injured and Dying Members: 45


    Current jobs: 0


    Current repairs needed: 92%


    Current unassigned benefits: 1


    Milo rushed through the smoke and stopped at the first blackened body that he found. There was just barely a pulse. The dwarf should have been dead of his horrible wounds, but the strong regenerative spell that had kept them going for centuries was still at work. But it wouldn''t be enough. They weren''t dead, but they wouldn''t last for long.


    "Show current unassigned benefits."


    Current unassigned benefits: Gift from Ooblipimux


    Your guild''s hard work has paid off. Client Ooblipimux is pleased with his delivery and has offered a benefit in appreciation of your labor. As members currently may not select benefits, please select a benefit for your guild from the three options below. All members will receive the same benefit.


    1. The client has offered to take all members of the guild into his business. The new joint venture will be called Ooblipimuxboomdwarfrat. (Note: Clients Business currently closed.)


    2. Gain the health care benefits of client¡¯s business, but delay joining until a later date. (Note: Client¡¯s business is currently closed.)


    3. Client offers to teach guild members one of its secret business techniques and/or recipes.


    Milo had to hope this didn''t turn the dwarfs, (or him!) into a little pile of pudding. If the second option could boost their existing regeneration, it might save them. If not, all the junior engineers were going to die. And really, in a way, that meant he was just risking himself? He was ok with that.


    "The guild accepts option 2. Regeneration/Healthcare. "


    You have been gifted the skill: Pudding Regeneration


    What are cuts to a pudding? Bleeding will stop faster and cuts and slashes heal much quicker. Other bodily ailments will also slowly heal as mass is restored to damaged areas. Except bones. Who needs bones? Not a pudding!


    STATUS CHANGE!


    Status: Deep Rock Engineers Guild. Guild master: Milo Tallsqueak


    Current Members: 63


    Active Members: 1


    Inactive and recovering Members: 17


    Injured and recovering members: 45


    Current jobs: 2


    Current repairs needed: 92%


    Current unassigned benefits: 0


    Milo sighed in relief. It looked like it had worked. He pulled back the cuff of his suit, and ran a claw down the meaty part of his arm. Blood welled up along the line of the inch deep cut, then slowly stopped. As he watched, a thin line of white liquid emerged from the wound, and slowly changed to normal skin. His arm still hurt when he moved it and he was missing some health, but the regeneration had certainly worked.


    Strange but beneficial? Or scary and ominous? He didn''t care at the moment. He may have saved his friends.


    But where had the new job come from? "Show current jobs."


    Job 1: Snake Clean-Up


    Client: Spirit of Altar-Viator


    Spirit of Altar-Viator requests that the guild fulfill its obligations to destroying Empress Salasha before she hatches and eats you.


    Time until job expires: Momentarily


    Job 2: Air-Ship acquisition


    Client: Squint


    Squint would like an update on an old project assigned to you: Steal me a big airship!


    Time until job expires: 7 days


    Momentarily? Shit!


    Milo raced to a storage area, shattering the melted handle with his claws and pulling out a large tarp. He carried it to the shattered exit of the Bore Hole. He paused for second to pull out his last piece of cheese and swallow it down.


    + 5CSP +2000 experience


    Salasha, Guardian of the Egg has been destroyed.


    Each member of Deep Rock Engineers Guild has gained 5 CSP and 2000 experience.


    Guild master Milo has earned a bonus of 5 CSP.


    Guild master Milo has earned an additional bonus for destroying an ancient enemy.


    + 5CSP +2000 experience


    You have personally slain Empress Salasha, ancient enemy of Alta-Viator, Queen of the Copperheads, and almost-a-true-Eel.


    You have refused her challenge.


    You have please Alta-Viator by freeing his spirit and allowing him to destroy his ancient enemy.


    You have gained 5,000 experience and 25 CSP


    You have earned an additional 5000 experience and 25 CSP for killing an Eel.


    Each member of The Deep Rock Engineers Guild has earned 25 CSP 5000 experience.


    Loot Chests for you and your guild have been placed in this room. Enjoy.


    An exhausted and shivering Milo watched as glowing chests appeared. He stumbled towards them, and opened them one by one, throwing items into his stash and barely looking at them. Finally, in the last chest he found his treasure. A huge twenty-five-pound wheel of aged cheddar. He bit into it, swallowing the red wax covering it along with a huge mouthful of the mellow and flavorful cheese. He didn''t stop until he had eaten at least three pounds and the shakes began to leave him.


    He sat, holding his precious cheese. Maybe he''d even share some with Boom-Boom....his head snapped up at the thought of the dwarves. "Guild Status"!


    Status: Deep Rock Engineers Guild. Guild master: Milo Tallsqueak


    Current Members: 63


    Active Members: 1


    Inactive Members: 17


    Injured and Recovering Members: 45


    Current jobs: 1


    Current repairs needed: 92%


    Current unassigned benefits: Each member of the guild, excluding Guild master Milo, has 43 unassigned CSP and 11,500 unassigned experience. None of your members are currently able to assign these benefits. Do you wish to assign these benefits for your guild members? Y/N.


    Milo was tired, coming down from the effects of withdrawal, and fighting off the rush of too much cheese. He set aside the huge wheel and focused his mind on the job at hand. He really had two problems.


    The senior engineers would recover once they had power for their suits, but were trapped in those things forever. Would the pudding regeneration help with that? They were suffering from extreme old age.


    The junior engineers had two types of weird regeneration. The first though, they couldn''t control. What had the Engineer said? They didn''t have the mental stats to control the spell. Well, let¡¯s start with that.


    "Use 9 points to purchase 3 points of INT for all Junior Engineers."


    "Use 9 points to purchase 3 points of WIS for all Junior Engineers."


    "Use 9 points to purchase 3 points of CON for all Senior Engineers."


    "Show options for spending CSP for guild members of Deep Rock Engineers Guild."


    This brought up a huge list of skills and options. Some were the same as his own, buying points in stats. Many were engineering skills that could be bought. A few were puzzling?


    "What is Toughness?"


    Toughness (TOU) is an additional stat only available to the dwarven race. It acts in similar ways to CON, raising health, but also makes the body more resistant to the effects of disease, age, or physical injuries.


    "Great. Assign another 9 points to all Engineers for 3 points of Toughness. Please give an explanation of the Core Skills ''Grey Beard'' and ''Ancient Ancestor''.


    Both Ancient Ancestor and Greybeard are core skills only available to the dwarven race.


    Greybeard: Increase Dwarven lifespan by 100%. (Average lifespan of a Greybeard is 400 years.)


    Cost: 10 CSP


    Ancient Ancestor: Some Greybeards live vastly extended lives. They lose some of their physical vigor as they age, but have on average a lifespan of +1000 years. (Average lifespan of a Ancient Ancestor is 1400 years, but records have indicated some past the mark of 3000.)


    Cost: 15 CSP. Prerequisite of the Greybeard skill, and lifespan of 300 years.


    Wow, that meant you could buy cheese, put it somewhere safe, and come back for it after a hundred years. Or hell, you could even.... Milo shook his head and dismissed dreams of cheese factories and warehouses. FOCUS!


    "Assign the skills Greybeard and Ancient Ancestor to any Senior Engineers that lack them."


    "Assign experience to the following skill in order until that individual is at his maximum: Engineering, Mechanic, Metallurgy, Physics, Chemistry, Fluid Systems, Pulley Systems, and Ore processing."


    "Increase the cap on the INT statistic for all Junior Engineers by +5"


    That was all he could think of. He was too tired. He put the wheel of cheese back into his chest, (minus a good-sized chunk that went into his pocket.) and dismissed it. Then he passed out, laying partially on top of a pile of shiny copper bars.

 Chapter 57: Waking up

    Chapter 57: Waking up


    A timer ticked down to 0:00 and the cover of his gaming pod slid back, releasing cold air. Milo slowly opened his eyes. Rather than feeling refreshed, he felt irritable and tired. He had passed out in the game, exhausted. Instead of waking up immediately, the pod had kept him asleep for two hours.


    Climbing out of the pod, he felt unsteady, and reached with his tail to keep himself upright.


    He was using the mechanical appendage more and more. Habits from the game, and ways of moving, were following him back into the waking world. It wasn''t just a tool anymore, but a fifth limb. Or was that fourth limb? He flexed his mechanical leg, it felt slow and awkward. He was used to having two legs now, and out of the game he could feel the difference. Maybe it was time for an upgrade?


    He looked at his hands. They were normal human hands, with no claws and no coating of armored bone. He would have to remember that. In the game he could grasp rock, and slow a fall by digging in his claws to a wall. Here, that would just make him go splat at the bottom of a big drop. And no respawn in this world. Maybe his hands needed an upgrade too?


    A sudden dizzy spell hit him, snapping him out of thoughts about designing a wearable set of mechanical gloves and back to reality. He needed food; he''d been in the pod way too long. And some cheese. He didn''t have the addiction to cheese like his character seemed to have in the game. He just liked the taste. Processed food cubes tasted horrible. He ate a lot of cheese now to savor the various flavors.


    And now H was pulling a ton of power from the adjacent sections. If they had left his section alone, Milo would have been curious, but that''s it. But he wasn''t letting them steal his power. He worked too hard keeping the lights on as it was. This was going to be tricky. He needed to find out what was going on in section H if this continued. For now, he shut connections between H and E and then rerouted power evenly from the other sections.


    The next problem was also section H related. The waste disposal systems in section H had bee quite robust at one time, designed to handle the extra load from the hydroponics and animal farms. Waste would normally be recycled into fertilizer and water. All of those systems were long broken down. Waste was being dumped from H to sections S and E, probably via temporary pipes.


    Section E was handling the extra, and would actually benefit since the water would be reclaimed and the waste converted to fertilizer or burned for power. S wasn''t. The systems in section S were already backed up and it would only get worse. With a deep sigh, Milo spent an hour setting up routes for his clog eaters to clear out section S. More of his resources being wasted. He was definitely going to do some investigating, but not right now.


    Right now, he needed to get back into the game. He had no idea of how the dwarves fared, and needed to head up-top before Squint sent something to find him. But that didn''t mean he couldn''t set up some investigation while he slept. If the people in section H were using a data-net link anywhere in the hab, Milo could get into their system. For now, he just had his programs collect data passively. He''d look into it in the next day or so when he logged out.


    Time to go pick up the pieces after his battle with the snake.

 Chapter 58: Waking up Again

    Chapter 58: Waking up Again


    Milo stirred. His eyes were still closed, but his fuzzy nose was sniffing something delicious. Before he could open his eyes sound exploded all around him, small explosions going off with a snap, crackle, and pop!


    He jumped to his feet, whirling around. The explosions followed him, as did the laughter of many voices. Many dwarven voices.


    "Ha, told you that would wake him up!!"


    "The cheese?"


    "No, the fireworks we tied to his tail!"


    Around Milo were assembled all of the junior engineers of this lost dwarven outpost. They were looking surprisingly spry for being nearly burnt to a crisp when his small mistakes turned into huge explosions during the fight with the elemental. Their flesh was firm, and their beards were actual hair instead of metal wire. Full heads of hair were growing in on many of them, wild tangles of hair where no comb had ever gone.


    Many of the dwarves still had mechanical parts, but they looked new and functional rather than the makeshift limbs many had sported before. Two-Screws had fancy metal hands and arms up to his elbows that looked remarkably like real hands. It seemed that the hasty choices Milo had made had resulted in huge changes in their bodies.


    Boom-Boom and Two-Screws grabbed him in a huge hug. The rest gathered in, slapping his back, and congratulating him on killing the Empress. He found himself hoisted on shoulders and a small parade went down a long passage to a chamber that hadn''t been destroyed in the fight.


    Inside was a massive machine composed of interlocking, concentric metal rings over 50 feet in diameter. Each ring could move independently around a different axis. It was a marvel to look at...until Milo saw that the innermost ring had a chair attached to it with straps to hold someone in.


    He immediately tried to flee, but the dwarves were expecting that and held him tight. They began to chant: "Puke and Twirl! Puke and Twirl."


    Two-screws was very proud of the machine. "Isn''t she a beauty! You should see her spin! We couldn''t think of anyone who deserved the honor of testing her out first more than you!"


    Just as Milo was about to be strapped into the seat, a deep, commanding voice yelled out. "Oh, aye! And then his brains will be scrambled for days on end!¡±


    "Stay away from my beer or I''ll put you back into that can!!"


    Their voices were loud and joyous, if a bit disappointed in hastily brewed mushroom beer.


    "Listen up, you yammer heads. Sleeping beauty finally awoke. Boom-Boom solved the problem in his own special way."


    The senior engineers all turned as the two entered the room. Some were wearing coveralls, others were dressed in clothing that had seen better days. It was a miracle the cloth had survived this long. All of them had long, white beards that they had braided and tucked into wide leather belts. The belts were a work of art in themselves. Heavy leather was inscribed with runes and studded with gold and gems. Tools of gold and enchanted metals were held in special loops. One dwarf had a massive two-handed wrench on his back, in the style some warriors carried a great sword.


    One dwarf who''s beard was interwoven with glistening silver wire stepped forth. Milo recognized him by his voice. The Engineer took a deep breath and motioned the others to silence. Then he hooked both thumbs in his belt and he spoke.


    "Engineer Milo, your guild owes you great thanks. Your methods are strange, and will certainly be discussed over many a beer, but we won''t argue with the results. Your foes are dead, and you''ve freed your guild brothers from a form of living death. For that you have our thanks."


    There were nods and murmurs before the Engineer continued.


    "Normally we would have a multitude of questions for you. But frankly, half of us are scared of how you might answer them. I can see from the job roster that you have places to be and things to set straight. So we''ll keep this short, for now."


    "Firstly, please accept this belt and spanner as a symbol of your rank as a Senior Engineer of this Guild."


    Two dwarves came forward with a finely tooled leather belt with a gold buckle that they placed on Milo, complete with a heavy wrench made of Deep Steel.


    "Secondly, finish your work and get back here. We need to have a good party. You''re one of us now."


    "Oh, and we found this cask of ancient cheese in a vault. Some of the juniors...well, Seniors now...some of New Senior Engineers mentioned you might have a liking for the stuff."


    The beer was bad, the cheese was outstanding, and the people he shared it with were friends. Milo ignored the small notification that he had messages. They could wait.

 Chapter 59: Partings and Choices

    Chapter 59: Partings and Choices


    Two-Screws was examining the oak chest that had somehow just appeared in the center of the #7-Metals-Storage-Unit. The Snake had found and devoured the majority of the dwarves'' reserves of metal, something they were keen to recover from her melted corpse. But she hadn''t found all of the storage. Several of the engineers were carefully packing ingots of Dark Steel, High Grade Deep Copper, Gold, and Bright Silver into the chest.


    "How the hell does this work?" Two-Screws had measured his stash chest inside and out, and was looking for any clues. So far, he''d just found it to be a sturdy oak chest.


    Milo shrugged. "It''s a special ability. It started smaller and I''ve been able to increase its size over time. I can summon or dismiss it, but it uses up my stamina."


    "Hmm. So, you bring it from somewhere else to here, and send it back. Sort of the opposite of an Arcane Workshop."


    Milo was immediately curious. "What do you mean? What''s an Arcane Workshop?"


    Two-Screws laughed. "It''s one of the ''special secrets'' you get to know when you¡¯re a Senior Engineer. Not that a lot of us didn''t already know about them when we were juniors. Supposedly some of the more ancient Senior Engineers used to have special places they could go. Secret workshops where they worked on projects that they wanted kept secret. You summon that chest from somewhere, and send it back. An engineer could supposedly send himself to somewhere else and then come back. I''m wondering if your chest is just a summonable, quite small, workshop."


    Milo considered. "I''m not sure. It sounds more like the Arcane Workshop is just the equivalent of an Arcane Library."


    D-Wrench had just put a load of metal into the chest. He straightened and looked over at Milo. "Oh boy, someone has a secret. I can smell it!"


    Two-Screws had a calculating look on his face. "I notice you''re quite the mage with your fancy-smancy bone magics. You wouldn''t happen to know about these Arcane Libraries, would you? I might even delay your next turn on the improved ''Twirl and Hurl'' if you didn''t mind helping us with our research into Arcane Workshops."


    Milo shuddered at the thought of the whirling torture device that the dwarves loved for some reason. "Deal. But I want to know about the workshops in return." Other engineers appeared as if by magic and soon there was a heated discussion as they took the information Milo gave them and in return recounted anything they knew about Arcane Workshops. The discussion ended abruptly as The Engineer appeared.


    "Of course I find you all lolly-gagging in here. This trip uptop is never going to get moving at this rate!" The engineers jumped to their feet and saluted as they filed out the door, some in very inventive ways. A few waved to Milo or shook his hand before he left. The Engineer was one of those. "Get your business done and head back here. We have some big plans and could use your help."


    He sent his stash back to where ever it came from, and headed for the exit. Two-Screws followed along to see him off. As the door to the engineering complex opened, Milo was surprised to see Throttlecog there, along with two huge packs, and a set of bronze armor similar to what he wore himself. Milo took in the gear, and raised an eyebrow. Throttlecog chuckled. "Oh, thought you''d just sneak off and get in trouble? The Engineer decided that we needed to touch base with the uptop folks. Maybe recruit some mechanics and junior engineers. We''re a little top heavy now that all the juniors got promoted."


    Two-screws paused as he was putting on the suit of mechanical armor. "Had to be done. We all got too smart! You can thank or blame Milo for that. Hydraulics and Fluid Systems? Holy crap, I had no idea you could do so much with water and steam!"


    The two dwarves added the packs to their heavy suits of armor. Neither was wearing their helmets. The feel of air on their faces and the smell of stone and earth had been missed for far too long. Milo started through the caves and mining tunnels, taking a route that either let the two climb down, or where he could lower them by a pulley and rope. After one such drop, Throttlecog was making notes in a small book. "I can see that one of the first things we should do is set up a better path to the uptop. Or should we just drill an entirely new route?" There was lots of conjecture but no real decision. Milo enjoyed the talk. Too often in Section E he was just bouncing ideas around in his own head, with no other viewpoints.


    As they came to the mushroom caves, Milo could tell the dwarves were tiring. Two-Screws wasn''t used to moving in the heavy armor, and Throttlecog was only recently rejuvenated. They stopped at the edge of the first cave. Milo set up his camp, put on tea, and summoned George the Guard Lizard. Both dwarves spent quite a bit of time scratching him under his chin.


    With a George on duty, Milo took advantage of the break to look at the notifications he''d been ignoring.


    By dint of hard work, luck, loyalty of your friends and the attack of an Elemental Empress of Eels you are now the last man standing in your guild.


    -Guild rule 76 states that as the last man standing, you are now the Guild master of Engineers Guild #77


    -Guild rule 3 states that a non-dwarf may not be elected Guild master.


    -Guild rule 17 states that only Senior Engineers may be elected Guild master.


    -Guild rule 2 states ''The job gets done!'', you are now considered a dwarf, and a Senior Engineer for purposes of guild membership and holding offices of the guild.


    You have spent Core Skill Points on the following:


    +3 INT for a cost of 9 CSP


    +3 CON for a cost of 9 CSP


    +3 WIS for a cost of 9 CSP


    +3 TOU for a cost of 9 CSP


    Cap on the INT skill raised to 10 for a cost of 3 CSP


    You have gained the skill: Engineering


    You have gained the skill: Hydraulics


    You have gained the skill: Ore Processing


    Deep Explorer


    You seek the hidden secrets unknown to surface dwellers. You specialize in finding new ore deposits for mining, unraveling ancient secrets, rediscovering lost ruins, or studying the cultures of the people living deep under the surface. Skills will focus on solo exploration, survival, and finding secrets.


    +2 Perception, +2 Agility, +2 Wisdom, +2 free points


    Smuggler


    Some people are against the free movement of goods into and out of their cities. Luckily there are people like you to help out with this chore. No one knows how you do it. They can''t catch you. And you didn''t do it in the first place!


    +3 Perception, +3 Agility, Increased storage and movement.


    Packrat


    Every adventuring group needs someone to bring along the gear and hold the treasure. Maybe you keep a little extra for yourself? So, what! Focus of this class is on storage, and novel ways to acquire other people''s goods.


    +4 strength, +4 dexterity, +2 perception.


    Sharp Tail in the Dark


    You are the unseen hunter. The dark alleys and lonely rooftops are your home. No one is safe from your claws and blade once you have taken a contract on their life. Whether you work freelance or for a powerful Boss, you are feared and respected by any that know you exist.


    +2 corruption, +3 dexterity, +3 agility, +2 perception. Emphasis on combat, stealth, and removing people who become problems.


    Eel Hunter


    Their time has come to an end; they just don''t know it yet! One by one you will find them, (or they will find you!), and you will end them. Bury them deep in the cornfield. Erase them from the great book...you get the idea.


    +10 free stats. + 500 Health. New skills to give you a small chance of killing your nemesis.


    Experimental Senior Engineer


    +3 toughness, +3 con, Skill: Invention, Skill: MacGyver, Perk: ''This is fine.''


    Sometimes you''re a ''Genius''. Sometimes you have to explain to the mob why everything is on fire. Accidents happen and you can''t build the future without breaking a few skulls! This skill is perfect for the bored engineer that needs to know what happens when you turn the knob to 11.


    Rune-Boned Mage


    +2 intelligence, +2 constitution, +2 wisdom, +2 perception, +2 toughness, +2 free points. Skill: Ancient Rune Lore


    You have discovered the ancient creatures that vied with the Eels for dominion of the world when it was young and unformed. More, you have gained the favor of three such creatures. Bonemancy is but a pale shadow of what you could do as a master of the ancient runes used by these creatures. Focus in on runic lore, rune carving, finding more of these creatures or their runes, and enhancing your own form.


    Sidney didn''t seem to like him for some reason. Wererat Scout wasn''t something he could continue into Tier 2. Oh, well, he couldn''t fix that. It didn''t stop him from being a wererat and having a tail.


    Two things came to mind as he looked through the new classes available. Firstly, he should spend his experience and CSP wisely, taking into account his next class. And he should see how many of his stats could move to a value of 10. He had read about this on the forums at one time. STR and CON at 10 made you tougher. He assumed their were benefits to each combination.


    So, his list of things to think about were:


    1) What did he want to do or accomplish in the game?


    2) What class let him do that?


    3) How to allocate his experience and core skill points to do that.


    He should talk to the Two-Screws and Throttlecog about his classes. They''d have good input for him on some of it.


    Coming to this conclusion, Milo started to log out and check in with his data collection on Section H. He stopped as George suddenly started hissing and pointing into the cavern.


    THUMP!! THUMP!! THUMP!!


    A massive creature of some sort was moving towards them with long, slow steps. Milo quickly woke up the dwarves. All three made ready for battle as a thirty-foot tall creature loomed over them from out of the gloom.

 Chapter 60: So small!

    Chapter 60: So small!


    Helmets on, and weapons in hand, the two dwarven engineers were slowly backing towards the tunnel entrance where the creature couldn''t follow.


    "Be careful of the beasties reach. They can surprise you." The creature was vaguely humanoid, but its form was made from earth and stone, with rocky armor covering much of it. From the earth that covered other parts of its form, mushrooms grew. Its shoulders had huge growths of shrooms. Glowing green eyes looked down at them.


    The creature stopped a step away from the mine tunnel. Then it slowly squatted down. It looked at one of its hands, and then down at Milo and the dwarves. It seemed puzzled.


    "MI-LOW...WHY SOOOO SMALL?"


    The words hurt Milo''s ears they were so loud. But the deep, slow voice was familiar."


    Milo tried to shout back. "WE DIDN''T GET SMALL HARRY! YOU GOT BIG! LOWER YOUR VOICE BEFORE YOU DEAFEN US!"


    Harry held up his hands, compared them to Milo, compared them to the mushrooms growing nearby. He shook his head as if to clear it and focus came into his eyes.


    "Yes. That makes more sense. And no need to shout Milo. I''m larger, but not hard of hearing."


    Milo turned to the dwarves. "Throttlecog and Two-Screws, please meet one of my first friends, Dr. Harold Earthtounge, who didn''t used to be nearly so large. Harry, these are two friends from the local Engineer''s guild."


    The dwarves, who had been very quiet as Milo talked with Harry, joined the conversation. The two wanted to improve the road to the top and suddenly saw the value of a gigantic earthmover. Throttlecog approached the huge troll. "Might be we could help each other out some. Our guild could give you some help planning your route and bracing the tunnels as you dig them. I''ve got a lot of bored engineers looking for new projects other than rebuilding."


    The dwarves and Harry talked for a long time. Milo excused himself to rest. As he fell asleep in this world, he woke up in another.


    No alarms were going off, and he felt much better as he got out of the pod. He had some ideas. He couldn''t create the bone claws he had in the game, but he wasn''t limited to his weak ones made of flesh and blood. After taking care of his daily chores, and checking in on the mechanical systems in his section, Milo got a bowl of food and settled down with a design program.


    He wasn''t particularly happy with his dinner. He had been reminded that his body needed things other than the cheesy treats he liked to nibble on. Before he could have a desert, (a small wheel of Camembert that had been produced in what used to be known as Normandy), he pushed himself to eat the bowl of veggie-cubes (for fiber), and protein cubes (tastes like chicken!). These gave him the basic nutrients to rebuild muscle. His pod provided additional nutrients and vitamins. Finishing the bowl, he set it aside and started on his cheese, and his new engineering project.


    Almost falling into a trance as he worked, he designed, discarded, and redesigned ideas for a set of mechanical gloves that he could wear, and plug into his modified nervous system. From scans of his own hands, he built outwards.


    A layer of thin graphene mesh was first. Graphene was an allotrope of carbon. A two-dimensional, hexagon lattice of carbon molecules. It was incredibly strong and flexible, and conductive of electrical pulses. Layers of graphene nano-flakes and nano-strands were woven together along with a sensor net that would pick up the movements of his hands.


    Backing up the sensor net would be a direct connection to the plugs in his neck. He started another design for a full suit of graphene mesh to carry the connections to the plugs in his neck. The two systems would work with each other to control the mechanical systems that would be built into the next layers.


    Before he knew it, the timer he''d set was going off. His last chore was creating a half dozen fake identities to begin investigating the companies that supplied the machines to create the graphene materials he needed. He had to be very careful. This wasn''t like ordering a few pounds of cheese. Nothing in the habitat required such machines. Parts would just be ordered, not the machines to make the materials used in the parts.


    The last thing he did before logging back into the game was to check on his information gathering program for what was going on in section H. The information didn''t give him a complete picture yet, but it did tell him a name, Arcadia. It was a smaller corporation, based in Greenland, that seemed to mostly supply skilled workers to other corporations. They had taken out a lease on 20 floors of section H. The lease was cheap, but they were also required to completely rebuild those floors and make the majority of them available to the inhabitants of other sections. It was a start, and something he could look into further. He redefined his searches to focus on Arcadia, its stock holders, controlling officers, and financials.


    Then he was back in the pod, and logging into the game. His ''nap'' would be over and they''d be on their way to uptop.

 Chapter 61: Polite Engineers Share

    Chapter 61: Polite Engineers Share


    Harry followed along behind the engineers as they navigated through the mushroom caverns to his old home. Two-screws and Throttlecog commenting on how the rock lay, giving Harry directions for his tunneling efforts. Several times Milo caught movement out of his eye, and noticed that they were being followed by a gaggle of small myconians who immediately sunk down into the earth and pretended to be mushrooms if anyone noticed them. Rather than any sort of threat, Milo was reminded of a video he had seen of mother duck and her ducklings.


    With just a bit of extra time spent for earth moving, they arrived at Harry''s old home. He sat in the center of his mushroom beds, too big to move around much. "I believe this is as far as I will go today, Milo. You have places to be, and the tunnels to the uptop are much too tight for me. I will expand them in time, but that is time you don''t have. However, before you press on, please go to my library and find the book sitting upon the small table. And bring the satchel next to it as well."


    Milo found the book easily. It was leather bound and only an inch thick. In large lettering across the cover was the title. ''Molds and spoors used in the art of making cheese''. Opening the book Milo saw that Harry had written chapters on how to use myconic potions to simulate the rennet used in cheese making, along with how both mushroom spoors and molds were used to ferment the curds and create the rind on different types of cheeses. The knowledge was far beyond his meagre cheese making skills. He brought both the book and the satchel out to Harry.


    "Those are for you, Milo. As I began my research into your favorite food, I found quite a bit of cross-over into my normal fields of study. The satchel contains samples of the mold cultures and spoors of the mushrooms I talk about in my book. I hope it will all be useful to you."


    Milo expressed his gratitude, but Harry waved it aside. "You saved me from fading away. I''m just glad I finished that book before my latest transformation. Take it with the thanks of an old troll."


    Eager to reach the top, the engineers moved upwards. Milo knew the way by heart at this point. The dwarves were slower than he was at climbing through the caves, but not by much. Dwarves were at home underground and spelunking through caverns was a skill ingrained into their heritage. Added to that was the armored suits they wore. Milo knew they weren''t just armor. He''d seen both dwarves move rocks much to heavier than they should have been able to lift. Some sort of strength and enchantment or mechanical system was used in their construction.


    Milo asked about the suits but got little in the way of explanation. Throttlecog said the technology to make them was referred to as ''magitech''. It was something of an art form with each engineer designing his suit in their own style. Two-Screws was wearing a borrowed suit, having been a junior engineer only recently promoted. The Engineer had insisted he wear one for the journey. ?v€l-B!n.


    Two-screws held out his metallic hands which seemed to glow and then were replaced by spinning metal augers that started to whine and growl as their speed picked up. "Oh, that we can brother. Now you-" He pointed at the dwarf on look-out. "Answer Engineer Milo''s question. What the hell is it we¡¯re fighting?"


    Wisely deciding that it couldn''t hurt to be polite, the dwarf took off his hat and bowed to the three of them. "Ah, sorry, a little worked up what with all the fighting. It''s stone lurkers, sir. Dozens of the immature ones. The mama keeps hatching more out and sending them in waves."


    Someone yelled, "Here they come!" Milo could see four of the monsters heading slowly towards the barriers. They were barely half the size of the ones he had fought before, let alone Bone Crusher.


    Shadowblight was humming in his hand. He was nearly out of cheese and these things were between him and some tasty, tasty wheels of cheddar. The dwarves and humans nearby stepped backwards as the little human suddenly changed. Heavy bone claws appeared on his lower legs and forearms. A ghostly tail whipped out behind him. He spun an obviously enchanted weapon in circles as if limbering up. A feral grin appeared on his face as he turned to the other engineers.


    "Race You!"


    Throttlecog and Two-Screws cursed as Milo leaped over the barrier and ran at the stone lurkers.


    "Damn your hide! You better share!" Two dwarven engineers in magitech battle armor leaped the barriers, vainly trying to catch the scampering rat who was racing at the attacking monsters.

 Chapter 62: Destructive Testing

    Chapter 62: Destructive Testing


    The miners behind the barricades watched in disbelief as the three recent arrivals leaped a perfectly good barricade, and raced to see who could get to the monsters first. Several shook their heads in disgust, seeing idiots who should know better than to run to their deaths. You simply couldn''t kill the lurkers, even these little ones, without hitting them dozens of times. It took special teams who worked together, and hopefully had a couple of amulets with them.


    The older dwarves had a much better idea of what was going on. They recognized those large, ornate spanners that were clipped to the newcomers¡¯ belts. These were Engineers. And two of the Engineers running at the lurkers had some very pretty armor. The one in front didn''t, and wasn''t even a dwarf. But he was obviously a powerful mage of some sort. And he was fast! It wasn''t even a contest to see who got to the monsters quickest. The mage was at least twice as fast. Money changed hands and bets were made.


    Milo had an agenda. He wanted to test some things today. Milo believed in robustly testing components, including himself and his friends. Today he wanted to see what his new abilities could do, and also what his fellow engineers were capable of. Stone Lurkers were slow but powerful and could take a good hit. Perfect test subjects, even if these did seem to be on the weedy side.


    Immature Stone Lurker


    This newly formed stone elemental has heavy armor of 100 points. Damage will slowly wear this down. Mining tools and those that pierce armor will be most effective. The presence of several of these monsters indicates a nest of the creatures, or the gods have mercy on you, a Brood Mother.


    Milo angled his charge to the right as he got close the lurkers, slashing at them with his tail to get their attention. As expected, he did no damage to them beyond a few scratches on their armor, but it did upset them and they focused on him and quit advancing towards the miners behind their makeshift fort.


    Milo was far faster than the lurkers. He cast Brittle Bones, moved, and cast again. Around and around the pack he ran, keeping them bunched up and putting the spell on all of them. Then he turned and attacked with Shadowblight. As he raced by the rightmost lurker, he aimed a swing at it, going for a kneecap on the closest leg. Expecting to do only one point of damage, he was surprised when his weapon chipped off a chunk of stone and did a dozen points of damage. These were a lot weaker than the lurkers he had fought before. The monster kept coming, but slower than its fellows.


    Luckily the two dwarven engineers had regained their feet or they might have been trampled. Both simply moved to the side and struck at the remaining lurkers as they retreated. The monsters were dead after a couple of hits each.


    Throttlecog held his wrench in the air. "Ha! I win I killed 2 to only 1 each from you lazy lobs. Sort of disappointing though. I remember lurkers as being bigger and tougher."


    The other miners were running up to them, astounded at the carnage they had just seen. Most of them weren''t warriors at all, just standard miners. And a miner using a normal pick had almost no chance to kill a lurker. Four lurkers at once would have been destroyed only after a horribly long fight, with many miners dying. Instead, they watched all four die in less than a minute.


    The oldest of them approached Throttlecog. "Oh, don''t you worry about that. There''s more. Lots more. The Brood Mother hatches these out constantly. We''ve been killing them for days. And losing a lot of people to do it. More and more of them are loose down here, and the big bitch has been advancing to the way up. If she controls the only way out of the mines, then she can just sit there and send waves of these things to kill us. And then start attacking upwards until they can move into the city. The mines would have to be sealed off until the city council can pay for a high-level group of adventurers to deal with it."


    "But now we have three Engineers show up out of nowhere with weapons and armor not seen for generations? Damn, but I''m keen to see what you three can do to stop her."


    Two-Screws laughed. "Kill a few little ones and suddenly people want to toss you at the big mother." He reached out a now mostly normal hand to the older dwarf. "Senior Engineer Two-Screws." The old miner shook hands carefully with him. "Darnfeld Stoneforger. A pleasure to meet you, even like this. But as to tossing you at that Brood Mother, I''ve always been told that''s what Engineers are for. My pappy always said, ''When you get a tough problem, you call for an Engineer.'' You just got called."


    Throttlecog stuck his thumbs in his belt and struck a pose, raising his voice. "Damned right about that. The Deep Rock Engineer''s Guild is here, and we''ll pick up the slack. As soon as Senior Engineer Milo gets lurker guts cleaned off his face, we''ll go talk to the Mama of these things.

 Chapter 63: The calm before battle.

    Chapter 63: The calm before battle.


    "Straighten up you lot! The captain''s coming down to lead us and I expect you to all show some respect and act like soldiers." Corporal Eugene Shadowforge, newly promoted corporal of the 1st Shadowforge Rangers was trying to get his troops to stand in straight lines for the captain to review. They were being...difficult. Not normal ''miner'' difficult, or ''dwarf'' difficult. They had entered into a zone of surliness where the sarcasm flowed freely and they only cooperated when tapping a keg. Which they had just done again.


    Part of the problem may have been with the impending doom of the Stone Lurker invasion, but most of it was that they just didn''t like their new corporal.


    "Shut the hell up, Shifty. He ain''t here. And if he ain''t here, you¡¯re just a clan-less thief, and not in charge of us." The other miners made sounds of agreement and went back to sharpening their picks, sipping beer, and discussing the latest trends in beards. Normally cutting any part of a beard was seen as something you just didn''t do. But some of the younger dwarves had taken to such sacrilege as trimming sideburns and shaving their heads before they were decently bald. It was a bad trend that would lead to the end of dwarven society, or so the older dwarves said.


    "He''ll be here! He had important clan business to finish before heading down here!"


    Shifty had no clue what that might be and was quite ready to get the hell out of here. The whole ''Lead the unit and regain their respect'' was Burnock''s idea. There was no way people were going to forget that he''d been caught thieving. The only member of the clan that still talked politely to him was Burnock, and for good reason. Shifty had been working directly for Burnock the night he got caught. Stealing some ingots and coin had been just some extra bit of thieving on the side. What his cousin had wanted was information on recently filed ore claims by other members of the clan. Shifty kept silent about his real mission, and Burnock made sure Shifty had some coins in his pocket, and something to do now and then to earn more. Which, come to think of it, had led him into more trouble.


    He''d always been restless and bored. That had led him to make some bad decisions. Many of those bad decisions had been suggested by Burnock. It didn''t seem quite fair, him at the bottom and clan less, while his cousin was high in the clan structure. He shrugged. Life sucked and then they told you go be a corporal.


    Some of the miners turned at the sound of people moving down the long stairway from the guild hall. First came several miners and warriors, all from Clan Shadowforge, and all carrying large boxes. Next came a scribe, and then a dwarf in a set of fancy armor, enameled in the colors of the clan.


    The armor had been on display for hundreds of years in the clan halls. Burnock had secretly been having work done to have it fitted to him, and the chipped enamel repaired. He''d planned to wear it when his father finally stepped down and he could assume official leadership of the clan. If the old bastard had had any decency, that would have happened by now.


    The armor would still get used. If you had to go fight some huge monstrosity, doing it in a set of enchanted Dark Steel plate armor was a lot better than just a pick and a miner''s helmet. Who knows? Maybe they could even win!


    Corporal Shifty saluted. "Captain Burnock, the troops are ready to move out, sir." As if to dispute that claim, several of the dwarves drank deeply and burped.


    Most of the crowd was moving towards Milo and the two mysterious dwarves.


    A younger dwarf ran up ran up to Burnock. "Captain Burnock sir, I found the group with Darnfeld Stone Forger. They killed a bunch of them, sir. They have Engineers with them, real Deep Rock Engineers! I watched them kill a couple of the lurkers, just shattered them like hitting sandstone. They¡¯re going to deal with the Brood mother."


    A cheer went up from anyone in earshot at the young dwarf''s words.


    The youth¡¯s excitement swayed any of the miners still clustered around Burnock, who started to jog over to get a look at the Engineers. Hell, even Shifty was over there, gawking at them.


    Burnock tried to keep a smile on his face. "You don''t say? So, Miner Milo mysteriously disappears and shows back up with some supposed legends? How convenient."


    Immune to sarcasm as only some youths can be, the beardling nodded enthusiastically. "Just in the nick of time sir, like all the legends say Engineers will do. Oh, and it''s not ''Miner Milo'' anymore. It''s ''Senior Engineer Milo'', he has a Dark Steel Spanner on his belt!"


    At the mention of Senior Engineer Milo¡¯s name, the young dwarf suddenly remembered another part of his mission. "Oh, shoot...sorry sir, got to run uptop really quick."


    Burnock grabbed him by the arm. "Hold up. Why are you going uptop?"


    The youth puffed out his chest with pride. "Senior Engineer Milo has a mission for me, sir. I need to go get some cheese for him." And with that the young dwarf was off and running up the stairs.


    Burnock looked to where the crowd was gathering around Milo, Throttlecog, and Two-Screws. Proof that crowds were fickle. One minute they loved you, next they were cheering for some damned upstart and a couple of greybeards in fancy armor. He wandered over to greet the newcomers and see what he could salvage out of the situation.

 Chapter 64: Old friends, new friends

    Chapter 64: Old friends, new friends


    "It''s all well and good to have some spanner boys on our side, but they can''t win a battle by talking! Enough with the gawking. We need to form into teams to take these things down, and make plans on how to tackle the big one." Burnock¡¯s voice boomed out over the crowd around the Engineers and he pushed through until he stood before them.


    "Captain Burnock of the First Company of the Shadowforge Rangers. Good to have you with us." He shook hands with Throttlecog and Two-Screws. Milo looked at the outstretched hand and after a pause, shook hands as well. He always got confused with this silly ritual.


    Throttlecog''s face gave nothing away, but old memories came back at the mention of Burnock''s clan, not all of them good. "Shadowforge? I remember your clan. Spent some time over in your mines on crystal ridge teaching some folk how to use a portable ore crusher without blowing it up. Long time ago that was."


    Burnock couldn''t keep the astonishment off of his face. How old was this Engineer? He immediately regretted his ''spanner boy'' slur. "That was a quite a bit ago. But Clan Shadowforge is still here, and still protecting the mines. We''ve got a Stone lurker problem and would appreciate your help, if you have the time."


    Two-Screws laughed. "I''ve got some new toys need testing. These little ones die too quick. I''d love a crack at a big one." He turned and scowled at Milo. "If, that is, someone doesn''t run off and try to hog all the monsters. Learn to share or I''m helping Boom-Boom strap you into his newest gut wrencher when we get back."


    Milo''s gut turned over at the thought. "Sharing! Right, I can share. Lots of sharing."


    Throttlecog started asking questions of the various, and assigning the older dwarves to lead teams, each with good picks and one shield man. "You can''t fight these things using a shield wall. They break walls and crush armor. Run around them, chip away at weak spots. Confuse and separate them. The little ones aren''t the problem. Do we have eyes on the Brood Mother? Any idea of level?¡±


    One old timer spoke up. "Hard to say. I got a look at her, and my Assaying skill is at level 9. She''s at least a Monstrous Boss, and Tier 3 or more. I can''t pin her down, but she feels higher than 3. Damned Big! Her feet and claws are the size of ore carts. A dozen legs, and at least 30 feet across. Moves slow though.¡±


    ¡°She drops the little lurkers now and then. Her armor thickens, then she sheds the little ones off of her back, and grows more. Constantly eating at the stone."


    Murmurs raced through the crowd at the description. Regular Stone Lurkers were tough. Bone Breaker had been a terror. And now a Brood Mother was heading to the surface. Throttlecog turned to Milo and Two-Screws and lowered his voice. "Their nerve is brittle as sandstone. Let''s give them something to do and get moving."


    Straightening he yelled out, his voice amplified by either a skill or his armor. "Just a bigger rock to break. Engineers aren''t afraid of breaking rock or taking a few bruises doing it. You''ve got your teams, let''s move out. We''ll mop up the little ones on the way, and then see about the big one."


    Two-Screws starting moving through the crowd asking questions. "How are we set for explosives? Any Cataclysmite? No? Ok how about Blasting Gel? Boomsticks? Tell me someone at least has Boomsticks!" A few of the miners did and handed them over to Two-Screws who started putting them together to make larger explosives.


    Small groups and single lurkers were encountered, but with three Engineers and a host of well-armed dwarves they were destroyed with few casualties. The large area near the tunnels to the top came in sight. A dozen dwarves were fighting against half that number of lurkers. Piles of stone and dead or injured dwarves showed the battles original size. ?v€l-B!n.


    Milo charged ahead, followed by the other two Engineers and some of the more battle hardy dwarves. They managed to save all but three of the dozen defenders, quickly finishing off the half-dozen monsters. Milo recognized some of the survivors from his fight with Bone Breaker. Gorbel, Asti, and Fangrim had been in the thick of the fighting, each armed with a Dark Steel pick and shield. All three gripped his shoulder or shook his hand. ¡°Good to have you back.¡±


    To Milo''s great surprise, Belinda was also there. The human healer was busy trying to help some of the injured. He went to help and she looked up, giving him a quick smile before concentrating on her patient. Milo could tell just by looking at him that the miner had broken ribs or worse. His side was crushed with horrible bruises. As soon as he put a hand on the dwarf, he could feel the bones, both how they were twisted or broke, and how they should be.


    Milo''s hands were shaking a bit as he sliced into the hard, golden cheese and took a big bite. He felt better immediately. The young dwarf was hovering nearby.


    "Oh, my manners. Thank you very much for this. Sorry, I didn''t catch your name?" People that bring you cheese should be thanked properly. Milo was making that a new rule.


    "Oh, no matter, sir. I''m Varyhold Axegrinder of the Axegrinder clan, but everyone just calls me Vary."


    Milo offered Vary a sliver of cheddar and the boy sat and took small bites. "Good job Vary. You move quick, are you a scout or something?"


    Vary perked up at the attention. "A runner sir. I run messages, and go through the mines doing errands. If I do good, I can start training as a scout. Of course, I''d love to be an Engineer. Does your guild take new applicants?"


    Milo thought about it and couldn''t say. Certainly, a month ago they wouldn''t have, he himself was the first newcomer in ages. But now? Who knew? He''d have to ask Throttlecog. "I''m really not sure Vary, but if they are, I''ll toss your name on the list.


    Guild Update


    Acting Guild Master Milo has placed Varyhold Axegrinder on the list of tentative recruits to be tested.


    Vary''s eyes got huge. Milo was a bit surprised himself.


    "Ohthankyouthankyouthankyou....oops, gotta run. Yell if you need me Seniorenginirmilosir." and with that the young dwarf was off running to delivery more messages.


    Milo finished a half pound of cheese, made sure he had several slices in easy to reach pockets, and tossed the rest in his pack. He also pulled a flask of dubious looking liquid out of his pack. It was a bottle of Myconic Mana Restorative. Harry made them from a recipe that used mushrooms for a base, rather than the normal mana potions alchemists made. They tasted like a rotten mushroom, but did bring his mana back quickly. Milo expected he was going to need it, and downed the bad tasting potion.


    He gave the other to Belinda with an apology. "Sorry for the taste of this, but it will bring your mana back faster. And uh, thanks for helping out down here."


    She stood up and brushed dust and debris from her robe. "I''m a healer, and these people need healing. It feels more important than just spending all day looking for monsters to kill. But what about you? You changed your class to Engineer or something. I have no idea how you level up so fast."


    Milo stared at his shoes. "I sort of get in trouble a lot."


    Belinda laughed. Then daringly bent and gave him a small kiss on his cheek. "Maybe when this is done, we can go get in trouble together? I''ll be around." The healer walked off. Leaving a very confused Milo. What did she mean by that? Did she want to fight monsters together? Rather than ponder things that confused him, he ran off to find the other Engineers.

 Chapter 65: Were going to need a bigger boat.

    Chapter 65: We''re going to need a bigger boat.


    "These little ones keep coming in waves, but they aren''t what''s worrying me. We need a better idea of what''s coming." Throttlecog emphasized his point with a double-handed blow of his spanner to the side of a Stone Lurker''s head. Spanner beat stone, the creature crumpled, leaving the cavern quiet except for the heavy panting of exhausted miners and the groans of those suffering injuries.


    Milo and Belinda had been healing the injured after each wave. They were weak and battered but still able to assist in the fights. Both of them were running low on mana. Belinda noticed two things: Milo regenerated his mana far faster than she did, and he ate a lot of cheese.


    The miners were quickly learning how to take down the small lurkers by working in fast moving teams. But there seemed to be an endless wave of them.


    Two-Screws slowed the spin of his augers, and they reshaped into mechanical hands. He walked to the nearby barrel of ale and brought back two large flagons, handing one to Throttlecog. No one had objected when several dwarves from the guildhall had hauled down the barrels and made a makeshift bar. Dwarves healed faster and fought harder with good ale to drink. Milo theorized it must act like a low-grade cheddar on their systems. He kept trying the stuff at Two-Screws urging, but it still tasted weak and bitter to him. He''d stick with cheese.


    "What we really could use," Two-Screws exclaimed loudly. "Is a fast and agile scout. Someone who doesn''t mind taking suicidal jobs and going into danger. Someone who could go find the big lurker and report back."


    Milo sighed. He''d been thinking the same thing himself and expecting that he''d be running off to scout sooner or later. What he hadn''t expected was someone else to volunteer.


    Vary rushed up to Two-Screws and saluted. "I volunteer sir! I''m fast, and know the caverns. I''ll go find it."


    Two-Screws paused and looked over to Throttlecog who just laughed at him. Two-Screws finally said, "Lad, no one is questioning your speed but..."


    "But it''s a job for more than one person. I''ll head out with Vary." Milo stepped up and put his hand on the young dwarf¡¯s shoulder.


    Burnock was listening to the conversation from off to the side. He''d taken part in some of the fighting, but had a tendency to not engage until the monsters were injured and slowed. He wasn''t taking any chances on being laid up with broken bones, or outright killed. Now, he saw an opportunity, and turned to Shifty. In a low voice, he told his cousin, "Go with them. The kid is green and doesn''t know what to do, he''ll get in a jam and the spannerboy will try to save him. That''s when an "accident" can happen. You''ll look good coming back with the info after the other scouts die."


    Shifty ran the idea through his head. As usual it was a crappy Burnock-style plan that put him in the frying pan while his cousin strutted around in his shiny armor. Not that he had much choice. He started shucking his armor into a pile. He shouted to Milo. "You''ll need a third. Three of us can handle any stray Lurkers and I''m as fast as either of you." Wearing just a miner''s simple clothing, he grabbed his pick and walked up to Milo. There were a few murmurs of approval from the miners. They all knew this was a bad job, and their opinion of anyone who took it moved up just a bit. A few also scowled, knowing Shifty''s reputation.


    Two-Screws nodded in approval at Shifty and Vary shook his hand. The youngster looking longingly at the ale in his hand. Throttlecog walked over and handed his full flagon to Vary. "Here Lad, fortify yourself, it''s a dangerous job. Go find the critter, stay out of fights, and let us know how many more little ones to expect and some info on the big one. Don''t take chances; that''s what you have Milo along for. He can''t seem to stay out of trouble."


    In a few gulps, the flagons were empty and a slice of cheese eaten. The three scouts ran rapidly into the darkness, looking for trouble. After moving through the large central caves for a few minutes, they saw a lone Stone Lurker shambling along. Vary looked like he wanted to charge it, Shifty held him back. "Don''t go off half-cocked. They look slow, but those big talons strike at you like a praying mantis kills a beetle."


    Milo nodded in agreement. "I can take hits better than either of you. Let me get its attention. Then you two can chip away at it. If it turns, back off immediately and run away just a little bit. I''ll hit it and get it back on me. Ready?" The other two nodded. Shifty''s keen eye noticed the armor that suddenly grew on Milo''s arms and legs. Milo charged out, leaped and spun in the air. A long, bony whip reached out and slashed at the Lurker, surprising it.


    An excited Vary turned to Shifty. "Wow, is that an engineer thing? It looked like he was casting a spell."


    Shifty was also wondering. He saw Milo take two chunks out of the Lurkers chest with his pick, and then just dance around, avoiding its strikes. The engineer waved at them to engage. The fight went well. Milo kept the beast''s attention, and the two miners slowly depleted its health with dozens of hits. Only once did it turn on the two miners. Shifty took no chances, grabbing Vary by the arm and dragging him well out of the fight. Milo hit it twice more, crippling a leg and forcing it to focus on him. Vary and Shifty waded back in and finished it.


    "Wow. That was awesome." Vary had seen little combat before this, and was excited. Shifty turned to Milo. "Teaching fight?"


    "Yes, I thought it would be good to build some team work with the loner. I held back a lot and let you and Vary get the feel for how your new weapons bit into it. Good job, both of you."


    "Every hear of a town called Serbule? Don¡¯t worry, hardly anyone has. It got eaten by a giant Kraken. World Bosses are hard on cities."


    "Something big is happening. Something happened down deep and stirred her up, or maybe killing a lot of her babies up here got her mad. Probably the start of a big quest, heroes running all over the world, and glorious amounts of loot. Too bad we''ll probably all be dead."


    Shifty sat down and pulled a flask out of his back pack and drank heavily. "Excuse me, wishing I''d never got all those levels in Legendary Lore right now. I think that I''d rather not know."


    Milo''s mind was whirling, trying to think of plans. Bone Crusher had been an Elite level 7. When he first encountered Salasha, she had been an Elite level 8 boss. He wished he had more info on Robazahl the Ancient, or the Ever-Pudding. Of course, he¡¯d had a lot of help killing them. Right now it was just the three of them and little in resources other than lots of rock.


    "You don''t think we can beat her? Maybe I should head down and get the rest of the Deep Rock Engineer''s Guild? What if we seal off the tunnels, and trap her down here until we get help?"


    Shifty took another drink, and handed the flask to Vary. The youngster took a sip, and his face turned red, but he didn''t spit it out. Shifty nodded at him. "Good lad. Never waste a swig of good whiskey."


    He turned to Milo. "Stopping it isn''t going to work. She''d never fit through the existing tunnels anyway. But she can wreck the stone, cause fissures in the rock, and then dig her way up. That''s her special ability, breaking stone. But this area is already broken up. If she creates fissures big enough to get to the city, she just might reach the harbor. We''re pretty much right under it. How good are you at breathing sea water?"


    Milo envisioned the sea racing down a crevice to the mines, flooding them and killing everyone. Then going lower, flooding cavern after cavern until it reached his friend Harry, and flooded the Deep Rock Guild. All of the caverns in this area would fill with sea water.


    "Right. New plan. We fight her here, and we get help. Vary? I need you to take a message for me to Senior Engineers Throttlecog and Two-Screws, and one to Belinda the Healer." Milo slowed down to write two notes legibly.


    Shifty had no idea what Milo was planning, other than suicide. "And what are you going to be doing?"


    Milo was setting down his pack, and any gear he didn''t need for a fight. "I''m going to go play with her a bit, get an idea of how she fights, and delay her. Can you go with Vary and guard him?"


    Shifty eyed the youngster. "He''s a runner. He''ll make it. And he''s faster than me. I''ll stay here with you. Watch your back."


    Milo slapped him on the back and smiled. "Glad to have you."


    Somewhere inside of him, Shifty was very unhappy with himself. But that''s how the world worked. One last job, then he and Burnock could get the hell upstairs and out of town.


    Vary was already on his way. He stumbled and nearly went sprawling when he received a notification.


    Your application to the Deep Rock Engineer''s Guild has been approved.


    Welcome, most junior brother, Varyhold of Clan Axegrinder. Senior Engineer Milo has approved your application to join his guild. Please report for testing, remedial lessons, and daily chores ASAP. Your slot in the Whirl-n-Hurl MKIV has been scheduled.


    Vary increased his pace, vigilant for Lurkers, with a huge smile on his face and determination in his eyes.

 Chapter 66: Herald

    Chapter 66: Herald


    The Brood-Mother wasn''t going to be winning any races, Milo thought. He watched as she slowly moved through the cave they were in. One leg took a step, braced her huge body, then a leg on the opposite side. After several steps a point was reached where the weight shifted to a new set of legs and she moved forward. Her head went to the floor, and her huge mouth gouged out a boulder''s worth of stone that she chewed and swallowed. Then back to moving. Twelve steps by twelve legs, advance a few yards, and then chew some stone.


    One leg in particular got larger and larger, and then with a ''crack'', a large piece of stony armor fell off the leg, and stood up on its own. The immature stone lurker followed along, joined every now and then by another, until a dozen of them suddenly began moving down the tunnel system towards the town. They weren''t fast, but many times quicker than their mother.


    Shifty grunted, then whispered. "She''s sending out scouts, or soldiers. Probably knows when they die, so she sends more. All they cost her is rock and time."


    Milo agreed. "If the miner''s and rangers weren''t killing them, she''d have an army."


    Shifty looked again at the massive stone monster. "As if it needs an army. But you''re right. So what''s the plan? We''ve sat and watched for a while. You thinking of trying to distract her or do you have some secret Engineer plan to take her out?"


    "I have a plan. Maybe not a great one. And already put one part of it in motion. But I think I just might try and see if I can distract her some, and test out some ideas." Milo took off his pack and prepared move up behind the monster.


    "What do you need me to do?" Shifty said in slightly hesitant voice.


    Milo nodded at him. "You have the important part of yelling out warnings, and watching my back."


    Shifty nodded. "Got it boss, I''ll watch your back. I''m good at that."


    =*=


    Vary had run as if all the ghosts of his ancestors were urging him on. And maybe some of them were. He slowed up some as he got close to where he expected to find the Engineers and slowed into the half-run that he''d been trained in to regain some breath. No one wanted to have a messenger run up and not be able to give a coherent report. Just as he was coming in sight of the camp, he sped back up to a run for a good-looking finish.


    "I need to talk to the Senior Engineer." Several dwarves pointed and a couple yelled back to the crowd. Vary quickly found Two-Screws and Throttlecog who were trying to get some point across to a group of rangers. He pushed his way through using surprise and elbows to get to the front of the crowd.


    "I''ve got a report from Senior Engineer Milo!"


    Anyone who was upset at getting an elbow to the ribs stifled their complaint. One old miner yelled, "Give the runner some room, he''s got a report."


    Throttlecog looked over at him, and then paused for a second. "Give us your report, Apprentice Engineer Varyhold." He smiled at the young dwarf. "We''ll be having a bit of a talk later. What''s Milo got to tell us?"


    "We found the big lurker. It''s more than just a brood-mother. It''s a World Boss named Uthneragrubban.


    Low murmurs and a few cries of astonishment came from the crowd. Two-Screws gave a long, low, whistle. "Well, that changes things a bit. Milo got a good identification on it?"


    "No sir. Too high a level for him or for me. But Corporal Shifty has a keen eye and high perception. He got a good identification on her. Oh...I should just share this?"


    Throttlecog nodded. "Might as well, son. Nothing good ever came of holding back info about a critter from the people that have to fight it."


    "I''ve got a quest to give out, Mr. Horntoe, an important one!" As she started talking, she gained confidence. It was an important quest, and Milo had trusted her with getting it done!


    The halfing rolled his eyes. "Sure. And I have Quest Request forms you can fill out, pay the fee, and I''ll post it on the boards. That''s how things work around here."


    Belinda took two steps towards him. "No, you don''t understand...


    "No, you don''t understand!" Bernard, for that was the halfling¡¯s first name, was getting agitated, but the last thing he needed to deal with was an excited human. They always got too excited about things and then they got crazy.


    "Damn you! Listen to me! Uthneragrubban is coming! It''s a gigantic Stone Lurker that breeds armies of them. A World Boss! Milo thinks it might cause an earthquake and destroy the city. The Engineers are trying to stop it along with the dwarf rangers and the miners. We need help! We need every adventurer in the city!


    She paused, panting, and staring at him. A few adventurers and citizens of the city looked over to where Bernard was in a heated argument with a pretty young human.


    Bernard took a deep breath. "Engineers? World Boss? Slow down, you''re getting yourself worked up. Let''s just...


    WORLD WIDE QUEST!


    The City is in Grave Peril! The first of the World Bosses has appeared. (And way ahead of schedule!).


    Uthneragrubban,Brood Mother of the Stone Lurkers, The Breaker of Heroes, The Earth Shatterer is advancing upon the city. If she reaches the end of the caverns, she may well destroy the city with her earth-shattering power!


    The Ancient Guild of Deep Rock Engineers calls for all Brave Adventurers to join them in their quest to destroy this powerful creature!


    Glory, Experience, and Uber Loot awaits the victorious Heroes who stop this creature from the Deep Dark.


    Bernard looked shocked, and then shrugged and said. "Well, shit, guess that''s how stuff works around here now. Guess I''ll get my sling and magic helmet and join up." He reached behind the desk, grabbed a pack and put it on, along with a shiny gold helmet. Then he tossed a large white bag to Belinda. "Take this. Guild Hall first aid kit. It''s a lot bigger on the inside than the outside."


    Then he stood on the desk and yelled in a surprisingly loud voice for such a small humanoid. "You idiots saw the announcement! Get your asses in gear and follow the lovely Belinda and me down to the mines. We''ve got a World Boss to kill."


    Belinda reached into the magical first-aid kit. Really a portable hospital and pulled out a Hefty Mana Potion of Refreshment and downed it, instantly replenishing her mana and stamina. Then she was surprised at a message.


    Message Delivered!


    You have alerted the authorities of the lurking menace beneath them and the call for aid has gone out.


    You receive 5 Core Skill Points and 500 Experience.


    Adventurers were pouring into the guild hall at a run. Belinda and Bertrand led them downward to the impending battle.

 Chapter 67: Breaking Bad

    Chapter 67: Breaking Bad


    Milo was in trouble. Most of him didn''t know it yet and was having a good time. But somewhere in his brain a small alarm was going off and a few neurons were hoping someone would notice. Until then, Milo was going to keep trying to find ways to kill a World Boss, or at least slow it up. Little rats should not challenge such huge creatures on their own. Milo was used to punching well above his weight class and it was making him foolhardy. Or maybe that was all the cheese in his system? Only that small, scared part of his brain really knew.


    Uthneragrubban was huge and slow. A moving fortress that now and again sent troops to battle. Those troops mostly ignored him, moving forward into the mines. If they moved to attack him, he would move away from the Brood Mother, kill the immature Stone Lurkers, and then come back in to try to find her weak points. So far, he hadn''t found any.


    He''d started by attacking a rear leg. They rarely moved and were easy to hit. And with every hit his weapon did more and more damage. After 10 hits he was taking off chunks of stone the size of his head. At twenty hits a large slab loosened and fell off. Then formed into a small stone lurker that attacked him. Three moved in from other areas. He was forced to back away from Uthneragrubban and deal with them. When he returned to hitting the monster, the leg armor had reformed. As he watched, she bent her head down and began to eat more of the loose stone in front of her. Her large claws shoveling it into her maw. Even as he watched, the stone was thickening on the thinner areas of its armor.


    He backed away and observed again. Shifty moved up beside him. "I think there is something under all that stone. I got a glimpse of it as you were getting mobbed by that last batch. There was another layer. Blue and sparkly looking. I also got a good look at her from the front. Her teeth inside that huge mouth have the same appearance, and I can see some blue on the tips of its legs. They narrow down and get sharp, with the last couple of inches showing that blue crystal."


    Milo had Shifty take him in closer and show him what he''d noticed. With the skilled ''scout'' pointing things out, he could finally see all the areas where just a hint of the crystal poked out of the heavy stone armor. Shifty brought up the information he had gotten from inspecting Uthneragrubban. "One of her abilities is ''Crystalline'', I''m guessing it''s a hard structure underneath the stone."


    Milo nodded, that fit with the failure of his Brittle Bones spell from doing anything. It seemed to affect the little ones, but not the World Boss with a crystalline core. "Next plan. We wait for her to slough off a big lot, then you lead them off a bit, and I''ll attack one spot and see if I can''t uncover the core, and see what it takes to hurt it."


    Shifty didn''t like that plan, but he smiled at Milo and gave him a thumb''s up. "Sure thing. No beastie made of rock can catch me. I''ll lead them around a bit and then double back to here. You be careful now." He ran off to get in position to the front of Uthneragrubban.


    The plan worked as far as drawing off the next group, and having just dropped a dozen, Milo felt he had some time to work on that back leg. He tried to chip away head sized chunks, and not let a big slab fall that might form another Stone Lurker. As more and more stone flew, he saw the crystalline core, under over two feet of heavy stone armor. Not pausing, he brought his weapon down on the crystal. There was a small bell-like chime, but nothing else. He hit again and again and again. He was making small cracks in the crystal, but they fused shut faster than he could do damage. Eventually he had to stop. The stone was regenerating, the crystal wasn''t taking enough damage, and he was panting hard.


    He sat down and gnawed on a chunk of cheese. At the rate this was going, he might need to send Vary for more. He could be chipping away at this thing for a month...or until it collapsed the caverns and destroyed the city. He felt like he was getting nowhere. Even as he watched, the huge head scooped up more raw stone and chewed it. Uthneragrubban seemed to be able to process the stone to armor and then turn it into more lurkers amazingly fast. She was almost done with the pile of debris. Milo assumed she''d move on looking for more. There was no shortage of rock piles in the mines.


    Maybe that was Uthneragrubban''s weak point? Those front claws didn''t seem to be jointed to reach behind, and the legs certainly couldn''t. Maybe it was time to work from the top? He ran behind the monster and then sprinted and leaped, grabbing hold of her stony armor with his claws and pulling himself up. The top of the World Boss was stable and he could easily move around. A ridge of stony spikes started at where the back of the neck would be on a human, ran down the back of its torso, then back along the center of the main body. He decided to start in the mid-point.


    It took over two dozen blows to get down to the crystal. Rather than attack the core, he concentrated on clearing stone. Each hit was revealing more and more of the inner monster. The crystal glowed brightly, showing strange energies moving inside. Like lightning! Like a nervous system!


    Milo studied the revealed workings of the creature, comparing the flaring energies to the electrical pulses of nerve cells along a human¡¯s spine. Milo had spent thousands of hours studying his own body, and how it differed from a normal human. He''d had to in able to understand enough about himself to stay alive. Here was another strange creature. Rocky epidermis protected a solid crystal body with no bones, blood, or soft tissues. Some sort of magical lightning carried commands through-out its body. Beautiful in many ways. Milo had to remind himself that this creature was also going to kill him, his friends, and an entire city if it wasn''t stopped.


    Milo knew his weapon wasn''t going to hurt the crystal, but what about his claws. Concentrating hard on his hands, he made the bone claws as hard and sharp as he could, pouring mana into his Bone Shaping ability. One claw scratched across the crystalline surface, cutting it. He cut deeper on the same line. Then went faster and faster, the claw going deeper and deeper until the thin furrow was two-inches deep and there was a small pile of crystal shavings. Then his claw was deep enough that he touched the lightning inside the crystal, with interesting results.


    You have taken 125 damage from impact with the hard stone. This is reduced because of your mitigation and Hard Bones.


    And the ground.


    Yes, Gravity sucks, but it¡¯s not a law you can repeal. You take 50 points of damage as you fall to the rocky ground.


    Uthneragrubban looked at the first of what it knew would be many adversaries. This one would be ground to death in her jaws along with the rock he was laying on. The huge jaws came down towards the stunned rat.


    Shifty had no recollection of making a decision, but suddenly he was running. Maybe he''d realized with his twisted, clever brain that this creature wasn''t something he could run away from. Or maybe it was realizing that the only person who''d treated him with any respect lately was about to die. But he found himself running forward, his fast-moving feet finding the places on the loose scree to give him good footing. He got to Milo just as Uthneragrubban bore down on him, and pulled him free. The huge maw missed them by scant feet and they tumbled a few feet to lie in a heap.


    Shifty got to his feet, got Milo in his arms, and raced to get away.


    He didn''t make it.


    A massive stone claw targeted him and the blow sent both Shifty and Milo flying through the air to land fifty feet away.


    Milo didn''t feel it, he was knocked out cold.


    Shifty didn''t feel it either. The blow shattered all of his ribs and turned most of his spine into shattered bone. More damage was done as he landed.


    =*=


    Uthneragrubban ignored the broken bodies and chewed three more mouthfuls of stone to replenish herself. And then she began slowly walking towards the city.


    She had lain sleeping below for ages, until the shockwaves of an earth tremor had disturbed her. She awoke knowing that her time had come. Her purpose drove her to the surface.


    Now the little defenders would come in droves. These gnats were just the first of many more. They didn''t matter. They could no more stop her than they could stop the great machine below from spinning the world on its axis. When she laid claim to her portion of the surface, her siblings would ascend to claim theirs as well. And then they would war for control of the world, and whose children would inherit it.

 Chapter 68: Broken Things

    Chapter 68: Broken Things


    Someone was screaming. It was very loud, so loud Milo couldn''t ignore it. It sounded like Shifty. Another person screamed in short, sharp bursts. Many people were sitting around him, hugging their knees with eyes closed repeating the same thing over and over. Beep .Beep. Beep


    Waking from the dream, Milo slammed the lid of the pod open and lay gulping in air as his mind tried to shift from the game to reality. Two klaxons were going off, trying to get his attention. Other systems were flashing lights and giving off the steady beep, beep that said ''I''m important, but it can wait a little...maybe''.


    As he got up and started moving to his screens, the sounds automatically decreased in volume. His systems still wanted attention, but they knew he was awake. He looked at his list of trouble spots, and was horrified. What the hell were these people thinking? They were barely supplying their own power, and instead they were tapping into the sections that still had power production, including his. Fresh water was also being syphoned, and wastewater returned rather than cleaned.


    Sewage and garbage were the worst. They were simply using other sections as garbage dumps. One of his big drops was being used to send trash and sewage down to the lowest levels. This was the most urgent problem.


    On the bright side, they were repairing the lighting, and the cameral systems. Milo made a few adjustments and added the new camera system to his information gathering systems. He spent ten minutes going from camera to camera, playing the video at 10x normal speed while he sent commands to his systems. They were getting ready for something larger, and wanted to talk about it. A stage backed by large screens was set up in one of the larger green areas. It looked like a park rather than the dead jungle it had been a week ago. Communication cables were being run up to the roof and a new uplink dish had been installed. He made notes to hack into the system, it might be better than what he had now.


    He didn''t have time to go investigate further, so he started throwing spanners into the systems. If they had found it convenient to steal from Section E, then he was going to make it less convenient.


    He found solutions, but then spent more time to make things look like a series of bad engineering decisions and flawed machinery. Humans tended to form ideas first, and then when machines told them differently, they still held onto those ideas. In this case, they were going to be sure the problem was with the temporary system of hydrogen fuel cells they had installed. There was only one technician monitoring the system, Milo sent a looped feed to his screens showing that everything was working just fine. In two hours when things went wrong, the regular and back-up videos would receive a command from his console to erase themselves.


    Production of energy, and flow of hydrogen were both increased far beyond what was needed. The cells began to overheat. The cooling system for the area shut off, and instead the heating system turned on. The stored energy was sent to the electrical system in pulses. At first it wasn''t noticeable, but toward the last few minutes the lights would begin to flare and dim. Then the power cells gave one last pulse of energy before they quit adding power to the grid altogether and began to overheat. If hydrogen cells get to hot, they become useless. These were getting very hot.


    Simultaneously to the last pulse, Milo had the lights flare as bright as they could. Fire alarms went off and sprinkler systems voided the rotten, rusty water in their pipes down onto millions of dollars of new equipment. A huge amount of energy from section E hit three transforming units that Milo had been prepping for overload at the same time as the pulse. All three gave a loud hum, and exploded, plunging many areas into darkness.


    Concurrent to this happening, Milo had two of his modified clog eaters working their way through the pipes to the pumping station sending filth into his section. The wastewater he could use and recycle. The sewage and liquified garbage he didn''t want. Clog eaters were a special type of robot that could do a lot more than chew through clogs. They could also chew through the interior mechanisms of a pumping station until it stopping working. Most of the machinery was corroded and soft. It didn''t take much to snap it apart. Their work done; his little robots retreated back behind the line of Section E.


    Milo had only taken 20 minutes to set all this up. It was hurried, but he needed to get back to the game. For some reason he was knocked out and not dead. He had to be ready to get back to finding a way to stop a World Boss. His last act before logging back into the game was to send out orders for a variety of materials from less-than-legal manufacturers of body armor, prosthetics, and explosives.


    Milo didn''t know what was happening next door. But dumping a sewer into his section in meant WAR! And he was going to be prepared.


    Oh, two things! He needed another order of cheese, and a box of crackers.


    "Oh god, the boss is going to be pissed!" The comment captured the essential feelings of all the technicians present. They were desperately trying to find out what had happened, and to rig some emergency lighting. They ran out of time when a large group of people walked into the room. Several of them were the senior technicians and engineers on the project. All of them had been in a meeting with the board of directors. The meeting had been onsite and was to end with a viewing of what they had so far accomplished and a preview of the event happening in two days. That event was certainly delayed.


    Seven technicians, three engineers, two architects, four lawyers, eight bodyguards, four members of the board, and the chairman descended onto the hapless group of lower-level techs. A babble of voices broke out, asking questions all at once. The chairman let it continue for a minute and then cleared his voice. "Let''s try this one at a time. You, tell me your name, your station, and your observations."


    The technician took a second to realize everyone was looking at him and then began talking. There was a rumor that the boss could be merciful if you were absolutely truthful and didn''t try to shift the blame. "Jerry Olchek, sir. I monitor the output of the hydrogen cells, and the room they are in. It''s usually pretty straight forward, with a small adjustment now and then. We started seeing some electrical problems a couple of hours ago. Lights flickering, small stuff. But each time the grid adjusted and it went away. The power from the fuel cells was dead normal, temperatures normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Then all hell broke loose, the lights flared, there was a large electrical surge, and then the transformers blew up." He paused. When he had nothing else to say, the boss went on to someone else.


    Eventually, reports came in. Three transformers were blown, half the lights were destroyed and needed replacing. No damage to the communication and uplink system. A stroke of luck there. The hydrogen fuel cells were a total loss. Temperatures had soared in the storage room, destroying the storage batteries and generation equipment. Again, some luck in that there had been no leaks of the hydrogen fuel. The tanks had shut down as they should.


    The chairman, John Sabbatino, had questions. "Can someone tell me how long it would take, even operating full bore, for fuel cells to melt down?" A few tablets came out, and calculations done. "About 1.2 hours sir. Quicker if the cooling system wasn''t on. Not at all if we knew it was happening and could have shut things down and vented the heat out of the area."


    "Please check Mr. Olchek''s log. I''m sure it will show us what we need to know."


    Jerry was helpful with the chore. He knew what he had seen. But the files weren''t there. He found himself out of his seat and placed between two bodyguards. After another half hour, a senior technician told what he had found. "Just after the power surge, someone working at this station erased the last 12 hours of surveillance tapes, and the back-ups. We don''t have the uplink completely finished so the data was all stored on-site."


    Unaware of just how much chaos he was about to cause, Milo logged into the game. Everything was black and fuzzy for a moment, and then he regained his senses in game. He hurt all over. Someone was pouring a healing potion down his throat. Then a piece of cheese got stuck in his mouth. He sat up chewing and groaning as it felt like every muscle hurt.


    "Don''t move fast. I don''t know how you two idiots are alive, but it''s just barely." Belinda was by his side, looking exhausted. She turned to her other patient, who turned out to be Shifty. Shifty didn''t look good. There were makeshift splits on arms and legs, and sandbags held his body from moving. His face was pasty white and his breathing just a small whisper.


    Belinda turned to him. "I don''t know what all is going on, but I need you and your freaky bone magic to help me or he''s going to die. I''ve done some spells, but I can''t get a healing potion down him."


    "And we need to know what you know about the beasty." Two-Screws was sitting nearby. He had a large dent in the side of his helmet and he was trying to hammer it out. How his head survived, Milo had no clue.


    Belinda was adamant. "Talk and heal. I''ve been doing both non-stop for an hour. The raid is about to start. We looked all over for you and just found you."


    Milo touched Shifty and immediately felt overwhelming guilt for bringing the brave scout on this mission. His spine and ribs were a jigsaw puzzle of shattered bone. Milo made a decision. Report first, because healing wouldn''t let him concentrate on anything else. He continued to catalog all of the injured dwarf''s injuries as he gave Two-Screws the info.


    "It''s amazingly tough. It eats stone constantly to regrow armor, and the armor falls off to make new lurkers. They shouldn''t be more than a distraction though. Underneath the stone is a core of ultra-hard crystal. My weapon could barely touch it even after dozens of hits. I don''t think most any adventurer under Tier 4 is going to do much to the crystal, but they can strip her ablative armor, and keep the new lurkers forming."


    "But that''s not the real problem. It likes to shatter rock around it, and anyone nearby. She plants all 12 legs, and then the crystal creates a seismic blast that shatters the surrounding rock. It''s what it will use to tunnel up to the city, and flood the caverns."


    Milo turned back to shifty and began concentrating. Two-Screws ran off to co-ordinate with the raid group, and after a bit, Belinda did too. She''d done what she could to keep Shifty alive. Now what mana she had left needed to save people who were fighting. It was up to Milo.


    He concentrated on his magic. It let him sense bone, repair bone, and reenforce bone. He sank into a half-trance, trying to building up an image of where each sliver went. Milo heard a soft voice in his head. "Start with the spine. It''s the most important. Ribs can come later." It was eerie hearing Cichol''s voice in his head. Milo reached inside Shifty with his magic and began shifting the bones into place. Cichol''s spectral hands helped him. As each piece of the spine was fixed, Milo used just enough mana to start the bones knitting. He had to finish it all, not just one part.


    Another large chunk of cheese and a mana potion went down his throat quickly as he worked. But it wasn''t going to be enough. Belinda had done what she could, and Milo was fixing things as well, but Shifty didn''t have a lot of time.


    "Well, shit, sorry about this Shifty, but it looks like you''re joining the guild. We can sort out what happens later."


    Welcome to the Deep Rock Engineering guild. Your new name is: "Shift-Stick."


    Rank: Apprentice


    Status: Broken up more than the Guild Hall after Milo "mis-calculated" his explosive forces.


    Engage Pudding Based Regeneration? (Recommended)


    Engage Malvosian Regeneration? (Recommended)


    Permission for both types of regeneration approved by acting Guild Master Milo due to new apprentice''s critical injuries.


    Status changed to: Critical but recovering.


    A good start. How to get some healing potions down him though? After a moment, Milo found the battered whiskey flask. It was still half full. He poured two of his most potent healing potions into the flask, and then put it to Shifty''s....no....to Shift-Stick''s lips. Immediately he began sucking at the flask, drinking the potent mixture like a baby with a bottle. Then he relaxed. Pain left his features.


    Milo sat back and finished the last of his cheese, and drank a healing and mana potion. He was half-healed, and that would have to do. He made it over to the raid just as they charged.

 Chapter 69: Blame Sydney

    Chapter 69: Blame Sydney


    Steven Duran was barely into his third cup of coffee when he received a text from the Event Monitoring Group.


    "Houston, we have a problem!"


    The people working in EMG kept track of the world of Genesis Engine as it related to players. Need to know how many active guilds of over 50 players? What is the most popular of the known races? How fast someone can get to Tier 3? All things the EMG can answer.


    In addition, they keep track of large events happening in the world that might have an effect on a large number of players.


    In the last couple of months, they''d had their hands full writing reports about the first dragon attack on a large city, a war between two giant clans, ancient cities found in both the far north and far south, and the beginning of a major war between the Empire and the Orcish tribes. Not to mention some mysterious trial of a fallen angel by the gods.N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    And while all of these events had long term repercussions, they weren¡¯t emergencies that had to be solved immediately. Steven got the weekly reports and summaries, tried to get hints from Wally, and generally let the world turn in the way it wanted to turn.


    So he was very surprised to see that this message was marked urgent.


    "What''s up Dan?"


    "Steven, we have a big problem. Something triggered a late game event. We think we can pause most parts of it, but it looks like we''re about to lose Shadowport."


    Dan was the head of the EMG, and usually quite calm. Calm to the point the staff sometimes took his pulse to make sure he was still alive. Not much bothered Dan. But today, Dan was worried and sweating.


    "Can you define ''lose Shadowport'' for me, please? Do we have goblins taking over? Or eels sinking ships? What?"


    Dan took a deep breath. "How about ''Unstoppable World Boss cracks open the earth, floods the caverns, ruins the port, destroys the city, and starts making a nest to breed lots of baby monsters.'' Good enough?¡±


    ¡°Yep, that sounds like something we need to get ahead of.¡± Steven sighed, sent a message to cancel his meetings, ordered another pot of coffee, and told his staff to start getting the data together. Then he put in a call to Wally for a meeting in 10 minutes. Wally didn''t need the delay, but he did.


    After he had that done, he went back to Dan, still patiently waiting. ¡°Meeting in 10 minutes. You¡¯re right, this isn¡¯t good. Shadowport is our major city in the east of the Empire. The biggest quest center for exploration, pirates, smuggling and black markets. Losing it right now will be a hell of a problem. Get up here, kick Sidney awake and get her some coffee, I''ll get Samantha and a few others. Wally may have some answers for us."


    =*=


    A half dozen humans were gulping coffee, staring at laptops, and running scenarios. As the clock ticked down to 0 on Steven''s timer, the large screen that made up an entire wall of the room turned on. The screen showed a room nearly identical to theirs but with one inhabitant. Wally was sitting in a recliner watching a wall of monitors showing various scenes in the world. He was eating popcorn from a large square container that you normally saw in movie theatres.


    "Ah, look who''s here. You''re all just in time. One hell of a fight about to happen underneath Shadowport."


    Uthneragrubban had very little back story, so the game added the World Boss into an existing species. In this case, the stone lurkers. I like that, actually. It gave the lurkers more background. But sadly, it made this quest bigger. Every World Boss that wakes will also be leading or creating an army from the underground."


    "I don''t like programming that is so rigid. And the awakening protocols for Uthneragrubban were too simple, just a tremor or large explosion caused by a player. That''s exactly what happened, but far too early in the life of the game. The players aren¡¯t ready for such an event, and the timing is off. Her awaking was an accident and not by a group of players that would have alerted the world.


    I''m really hoping the city survives, but the odds are getting worse and worse."


    "Oh, and I blame Sidney."


    Sidney stood up exasperated to suddenly have the spotlight put on her. "What? How could this my fault?"


    Wally laughed, took another bite of popcorn, and said while chewing. "Should have kept better track of your rat. That one can cause trouble like no one else I''ve ever seen. Lots of stories coming from that one."


    The screens suddenly showed a montage of a rat-kin sorcerer fighting a host of strange creatures deep inside the earth. Complicated traps, strange machinery, zombie dwarves, and gigantic creatures of legend. The last scene showed a huge white blob fighting a monstrous copper snake as fiery death poured from above and exploded.


    Wally spread his arms wide. ¡°I¡¯m so glad this emergency showed up. I¡¯ve been dying to show this little trouble-makers adventures with all of you.¡±


    Stephen remembered the day that this ''little trouble-maker'' had cracked open an international slavery-ring and looted several banks. Why hadn''t it occurred to him that Milo might do the same to the game?


    As Sidney stood with her mouth open at this statement. Steven pressed Wally further. "What are we going to do about the situation."


    Wally brought his popcorn to the table and sat down. The screen changed to show several different views of things happening in Shadowport. "We do nothing but watch. This story has started, I''m not going to stop it. And it''s not as hopeless as you think. The players in the city have rallied behind the healer, Belinda and are engaging the creature. There are groups of NPC miners and dwarf rangers led by a local lord."


    "And your rat has been rather busy, Sidney. He fixes as many things as he breaks. The Deep Rock Engineers were only legends until now. But they were real, although until Milo found them, they were a dying shadow of what they once were. Now the legends are fighting beside him against Uthneragrubban. Don''t underestimate what a good plan and a heavy spanner can do."


    "And there are others. Shadowport isn''t without its own heroes and villains. There is a mighty, Tier 6 wizard who may join the fray, for the loot, if nothing else. And not even I know what the gang lord Squint will do.


    There are sea captains, priests, eel wranglers and so many more wild cards in the city. Some will flee, some will help."


    "We may indeed lose the city. In that case, we''ll have the beginning of other stories. So, for now, we watch."


    After a moment, Steven came to a decision. "In that case, tell everyone there will be free popcorn and beer in the main auditorium. We can all use a day off. Don''t cheer, because tomorrow I want every damn bit of quest code that we''ve added to the game looked at and examined. We don''t leave here until we know what other problems we¡¯ve made for ourselves."


    =*=

 Chapter 70: Like rats fleeing a sinking ship

    Chapter 70: Like rats fleeing a sinking ship


    Below the city adventurers, miners, and engineers attacked a creature from the lower depths.


    In the city itself, people were packing and leaving. As news of the monster broke, the odds makers gave the defenders chances of one in seven. That dropped to one in thirteen after it was confirmed and identified. Those who had a chance at leaving packed their valuables and headed for the docks, trying to pay for a berth on a ship.


    The hanging mansions above the city were quickly emptied as airships departed taking nobles and merchants along with all the portable wealth they could carry.


    Several ship captains had filled their holds to the brim with people leaving and set sail. They were going to sail just far enough down the coast that they could drop their human cargo off and return for more. Others increased their prices far beyond normal and slowly filled up their holds with goods from wealthy merchants, and their cabins with those who could pay a steep fee to travel in comfort with their treasures.


    Only a fraction of the citizens could leave this way. There simply weren''t enough ships in port. Small fishing vessels moved back and forth all day, moving people out of the city and landing them on the coastline a few miles down the coast. They quickly headed inland from the beach. The chance of a tidal wave following the earth tremor was high.


    The fishing community was looking after their own. No family would be left behind, regardless of the ability to pay. For many, their ships were their most valuable item. They loaded their nets, clothing, a few valuables, and their cooking gear and said goodbye to the small houses many lived in. They knew that one way or another anything left would be gone when they returned.


    A few canny families who practiced the trade of smuggling waited until the rest had gone. They searched through houses and abandoned merchants, ''salvaging'' what they could and hiding everything in hidden areas. If the city survived, they''d be back for their profits.


    =*=


    In what had once been an opulent merchant¡¯s house at Light''s End, Squint paced back and forth. Undecided as he usually was. He knew he had a great destiny; he''d been told so. He just wasn''t sure what it was. His cats were being useless, as usual. Some big monster wasn''t part of their plan. They had no orders about it other than making sure Squint didn''t get smushed by it. The roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    "Useless cats. As usual, I''ll be using my clever mind to figure things out. Let''s start with the basics. You guys chime in if you have any ideas."


    "My city is going crazy. I''ve lost a half-dozen men lately and none of the other gangs are responsible. Quite a few citizens missing as well."


    One of the cats made a purring noise. Squint nodded. "Right, and a lot of the missing citizens were children, good eye for detail."


    "My airship thief is downstairs fighting a world-boss and hasn''t stolen a ship yet. My airship pilot went out for a glass of wine and didn''t come back. Same with my ''security expert'' that was going to get us passed the guardians and into the crypts. Our whole plan is going to hell."


    The other cat gave a bored ''yowl'' and trotted over to the banquet table filled with fish, grabbing a large salmon and started tearing into it.


    Squint pondered their advice for a bit. "Your right, that really puts things in perspective. Strange times call for strange plans." The odd little man walked over to a large gong, picked up the striker and hit it hard enough that the gong dented. Members of the Kulag gang came running and formed into a large mob. They never knew what the gong ringing might bring. But you didn''t keep Squint waiting. Squint had been odd when he was just a member of the gang. After he came back from somewhere with the cats, he was impossible to predict.


    "Wow, that was quick! Thanks for coming guys! KULAG!" Everyone was quick to stick their arm in the air, or bump fists, and yell as well.


    "New plans. Take everyone and head to the light side. You see anyone in a gang, you tell them to behave. No looting, and if they don''t want a visit later, they should help out. The town is in chaos, it''s time to step up and be heroes! Stop looters, permanently if you like. Help people get to the ships. Help the fishing families if you can, and any priest you see."


    "Today we are helpful. We are heroes. We are Kulags! People will remember. Or maybe we all die. Who knows? But I¡¯m betting on me! Say, what''s the current odds on the battle?"


    "Twenty-six to one against them winning now boss. A lot of people got smushed dead pretty quick and the beast is still unwounded." Many of the gang were figuring on betting the long odds. They had doubts of getting out and might as well take a chance of being well off if they lived.


    "Awesome! Here''s what you do. Two or three of you go spread the word that the thing looks unstoppable. Get the odds up some more. I like thirty-seven to one. Benny? Take the spare gold, all of it. Use half to bet on us winning. No one is going to turn down bags of gold. Look sad and tell them Squint gave you orders to do it. They''ll happily take crazy Squint''s money. But, and this is important, when the bookies decide to close up and leave, I want a lot of our people with them. Don''t take chances they run off with our money after we win."


    "Use the other half to buy off a ship captain. Old Quagstone will wait and not take fares until the end. Make him an offer he really can''t refuse. If he refuses, decide who gets to wear the hat and be captain. Any Kulag with a family, you get them on a boat. We take care of our own."


    "Now get the hell out of here and get moving." Squint wandered over to his chair where a bow and quiver hung from the back. There was also a bandolier with throwing knives. He equipped them all, then bent down to pet his cats.


    Four kulags, normally his body guards, had stuck around. "What do you need us to do boss?"


    Squint stood up. "Hey, been fun guys. I liked you four best so I made you bodyguards, but truthfully, I don''t need you. Head out, get your families loaded up, and beat up some looters. Me and the cats are going downstairs to play for a bit."


    Several Kulags eyed each other, then one of the braver spoke up. "Actually, Captain, he took his weapons and cats and said he was off to fight the beast."


    Pike rolled this around in his head. Squint must smell something. Loot? Not likely, he was already rich. And feared. Also, crazy enough to not be worrying about a little dying. It bothered Pike to admit someone was crazier than he was. He was getting old, and not taking as many chances. He hadn''t been eel hunting in ages.


    He turned to his first mate, Samken. The man had been with him twenty years and had the greying hair and peg-leg to show for it. "Listen up you scurvy lot! It''s been a lovely time sailing with you all, but I''m calling it quits." He tossed his ornate hat to Samken. "Sammy here is Captain now. Sail with him if you so like." He turned to leave.


    Samken put on the hat, and the men cheered. "And what course are you taking, Captain Pike?"


    The ogre turned back to answer his former first-mate, (nearly killing a man with the huge weapon sticking out over his shoulder). "I''m thinking of going crab hunting. I''ll tell you all about it someday."


    The crew started loading people onto the ship. They would set sail within the quarter hour. Captain Samken sketched a small salute to Pike and the sailors who were following him into the city.


    =*=


    Belinda watched as another group charged the monster, the designated tank getting its attention with insults and taunts. As the monster struck, the group''s wizard cast a ward between the striking claw and the warrior¡¯s shield. The spell shattered, but the strike lost a good amount of it''s damage. The warrior angled his shield and dodged. The blow that should have killed instead dropped his health by 50% and sent him tumbling. The other group members cast spells, or chipped away at the stone of the beast''s hide before backing off and letting the next group get the creature''s attention


    The first few groups to engage hadn''t fared so well. Too many people were eager to kill a boss and get the loot. They ignored the plans that had been hurriedly discussed. Tactics that might have worked on Named or Elite bosses were suicide against Uthneragrubban. After a half dozen deaths in the first minute, Belinda had regained control of the raid and they began the long slow process of wearing the boss down, chipping away at the armor and lowering its health.


    Which wasn''t going well, despite the sheer number of attackers. Miners and Rangers were engaging the beast''s flanks and rear. Uthneragrubban was easy to hit. It was like striking a rock wall, too big to miss. But her armor was hard, and other than the miners armed with Deep Steel picks, the attackers did only a few points of damage.


    Uthneragrubban continued to feed, and still created her children, but they died as soon as they formed. These the army of players and NPCs could deal with easily.


    The great danger was her tremors. The closer you were to her when she planted all twelve legs and shook the ground, the more damage you took. Three rogues and assassins that had leaped to her back found out as Milo had, that the ceiling was quite hard. While Milo had bounced, the players became bloody smears. Hardened bones and Pudding Based Regeneration made a huge difference in the chance of surviving.


    Milo wasn''t feeling lucky, he ached everywhere and wasn''t happy with his performance. He''s almost killed Shifty and had forced the poor dwarf to join the engineers to save his life. Better than dead, but it still bothered him. He put such thoughts aside and went to help Throttlecog and Two-Screws. The Engineers had held back, choosing to study the beast and prepare a weapon of their own.


    Throttlecog echoed Milo''s thoughts. "Chipping away at the critter isn''t going to do it. Too much regeneration. We need to break into that crystalline core. I''m just hoping this is enough to do it."


    Two-Screws shook his head sadly. "Can you believe these people live their whole lives not knowing the sound of cataclysmite exploding? How the hell did they forget how to make it. I begged or bought all the black powder, blasting sticks, and firecrackers I could find. Altogether it''s going to make one hell of a boom. The next question is, where do we want to place it?"


    Milo looked at Uthneragrubban, surrounded by the army of much smaller creatures. "She was well armored up top. What about her belly? Less armor there in normal creatures."


    Two-Screws turned to Throttlecog and grew serious. "Acting Guild Leader Milo thinks the belly is the best place to put it. I say we agree with him and let him place it there."


    Throttlecog, equally serious, replied. "And I agree with you agreeing with Acting Guild Leader Milo. He should get to run up to the critter and put his bomb where ever he likes."


    Milo scowled at the two dwarves. "When did this become my bomb?"


    "A present." Said Two-Screws, grinning.


    "Because we love you so much." Said Throttlecog, also grinning. "You know these old legs don''t move so fast. This is a job for young, heroic, and best of all, foolish Engineer.


    Before Milo could begin his mission to plant the make-shift explosive, the ground began to rumble around them. Small rocks bounce in the air, and a strong vibration could be heard. This was soon replaced by the grinding of rocks and the roar of powerful engines.


    The tip of a massive, metallic drill head broke through the floor of the cavern. It leveled out and from the tunnel crawled a huge machine, moving along mechanical tracks. Fully 100 feet long, it took a full minute to slowly emerge. As it finally came to a halt, a hatch in the top opened and an armored figure climbed out of it.


    unengaged fighters stared in awe at the huge machine, and the strange figure clad in full magic-tech tactical Engineer armor. He held a large grenade in each hand and fireworks erupted from his backpack, lighting up the cavern.


    "BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!! Time to party!"

 Chapter 71: Defenders Assemble!

    Chapter 71: Defenders Assemble!


    The huge mechanical monstrosity whined to a halt, the drill slowing, and front tracks ceasing their forward movement. Milo noticed the back tracks didn''t seem to be moving at all. Steam blew out of several vents, and a large panel was kicked loose from inside. As Boom-Boom jumped from the top hatch, another dozen Engineers tumbled laughing from the machine, each sporting a version of their magi-tech armor, equipped with complex tools and weapons.


    Throttlecog was embracing and slapping the back of The Engineer. "Damn me for a snotling! You got the old thing working?! I thought the boiler was shot and the rear tracks totally rusted out?"


    The Engineer put his nose in the air and twirled his bushy mustache. "When one is The Engineer, one must know secrets of the trade."


    Throttlecog crossed his arms and tapped a toe on the rock. "Such as what, you old walrus? You barely know how to crosswire a warpstone spark generator let alone fix an XV77-Excavator."


    The Engineer laughed hard. "But I''m great at stealing ideas from the rest of the brotherhood and repurposing them. Had you looked at the boiler the lads made to power the Puke-and-Twirl? Their design was 56% smaller and 17% more powerful than the one in the XV77. That gave the driller added torque and allowed for more passengers."


    Throttlecog fought down the urge to go see the new boiler. 56% smaller?! "And what about the rear track propulsion? Looks shot to me."


    The Engineer pointed in the direction of the hole. "Oh, easy. We found and installed an auxiliary engine."


    Two massive grey hands grabbed the edge of the hole and struggled to heave the rest of their body out of the hole. Finally, a very tired troll crawled out and stood, causing a bit of panic in any non-engineers nearby. Huge mechanical excavators were one thing, but a thirty-foot tall troll was scary as hell!


    "And this engine is tired! I pushed your infernal metal beast for miles, and it was all up-hill!!"


    Harry sat down next to the excavator and leaned back against it. One hand reached into a pouch and came out with a handful of mushrooms and grubs that he stuffed into his mouth.


    All thoughts of the explosive they had been building were put aside as Milo ran to greet his friends, over-joyed at their unexpected arrival. Boom-Boom however, only had eyes for the assortment of black powder and mining explosives.


    "You were building a bomb and didn''t wait for me!? For shame! And you''re doing it all wrong! This is a weedy little thing with barely any snap, crackle or pop!"


    Two-Screws put his hand on Boom-Booms armored shoulder and looked serious. "You are absolutely right. It''s horrible! This project needs the touch of a master demolitions expert."


    Boom-Boom smiled. "Ooooh! Wait, I know this one! That''s ME!" He ran to the excavator to gather tools and ingredients as Two-Screws smiled. "Now we just have to make sure he doesn''t destroy the city all by himself!"


    Vary ran up, looking for Milo, but could barely talk as he took in the assembled Engineers. The Engineer took notice and walked up to him. "This is one of the new recruits? Nice to see the younger generation still has some spunk. What''s your report, lad?"


    Vary shook off his jitters. "The raid leader, Belinda, needs to know if we have a plan other than Milo getting himself killed. We have more fighters coming in all the time, and things are getting a little chaotic. She needs your input."


    Milo listened to Vary''s report, and then paused to think, running scenarios through his head. The reenforcements that had arrived gave him so many ideas. After a few seconds he suddenly leaped to the top of XV77 and slammed his spanner on the metal hull to get everyone''s attention.


    "Here''s the Project. We have a slowly moving world-boss creeping up on the city. It has enough seismic power to crack open a fissure that will wreck the city and drown us all in sea-water. It eats rock, spits out baby stone lurkers, and one hit will most likely kill anyone not in armor. The stone can be broken, but we''re going to need a big bomb to crack its crystalline core."


    "I''m off to co-ordinate the adventurers that are slowing it up. Let''s get a bomb built and any other truly dangerous ideas of how to kill the thing are on the table. We have a reputation for pulling off miracles. Let''s prove the legends don''t exaggerate."


    Milo leaped off the machine, doing a double flip as he landed near the bomb. After a few seconds, a large crate appeared out of thin air. "There''s stuff in here. Use it if you need it, Boom-Boom." The curious dwarf immediately investigated the magic crate. "Yep. Good stuff. The deep iron ingots will work for the casing, you''ve got some nice cables, and I smell some interesting myconic solutions I can use as accelerants." He began rummaging through the crate, piling stuff up.


    Boom-Boom paused, then pulled out a few items. A ring, a staff, a large round shield, and a quiver of arrows. "No use to me, but might help out those adventurers." Milo had totally forgotten about the loot from the various chests that he''d opened after killing The Pudding and The Snake. He''d been looking for cheese at the time, and tossed the rest of the stuff into his stash. He took the armload of items from Boom-Boom and passed half to Vary to carry.


    As the Engineers cheered and got to work, he and Vary raced off to find Belinda.


    The Engineer watched him go. "Smart lad. Nothing gets this crew going like daring them to do the dangerously impossible before breakfast."


    Belinda looked at the items. Those were major magical items, and he was just giving them away? "...uh, Milo,"


    "Oh, silly me. Almost forgot. And this is for you." Belinda watched as Milo pulled a beautiful, shiny, copper ring from his pocket, took her hand, and placed it on her finger. "Thought of you when I first got it, but I''ve been really busy lately. Hope you like it."


    The healer stared at her hand, and then at Milo, at a loss for words. Milo grew a bit embarrassed, but didn''t know why. "Got to run, have a bomb to deliver."


    As he ran off, Belinda continued to stare at the ring. It was made of many strands of braided copper that shown with a deep light. On one part, a circle of seven small emeralds were inset into an etched outline of a crown. As soon as she put it on, she knew what it was.


    Vengeful Spiral of the Empress (Unique)


    There must always be an Empress. Piss her off at your peril!


    +500 mana.


    Font of Power - Mana Regeneration is increased 50%.


    Poison Immunity - Bearer is immune all poisons under Tier 5.


    Spell Enhancement - Bearer may choose one type of spell to bind to the Spiral. That type will have double the normal effect when cast on others. Choose from: Poison, Acid, Rending, Burning, Trauma, Slashing, Piercing, Necromantic, Wildrot, Soultearing, Windshear, Frostburn, Disease,


    and maybe some others no one cares about.


    Frowning at the ring, Belinda said, "I choose Healing."


    Healing is a sub-optimal way to crush you enemies. How about: Poison, Acid, Rending, Burning, Trauma, Slashing, Piercing, Necromantic, Wildrot, Soultearing, Windshear, Frostburn, or Disease?


    "Bullshit. If I get to be the Empress, then I get to rule the way I want to. I choose Healing!"


    ...sigh...we''ll talk about this when you get a bit older, maybe.


    Merciful Spiral of the Empress (Unique)


    There must always be an Empress. She will righteously heal you until you submit to her rule!


    +500 mana.


    Font of Power - Mana Regeneration is increased 50%.


    Poison Immunity - Bearer is immune all poisons under Tier 5.


    Spell Enhancement - Healing spells have twice normal effect.


    "Better." Belinda couldn''t wait to show her dad. He was going to turn green with envy.


    Alessandra had noticed the exchange and smiled. "Looks like someone got engaged just now. Look at that smile on the girl''s face."


    Malka was pleased. "Engaged in the middle of a battle! It''s so nice to see young people doing things the old-fashioned way."

 Chapter 72: The Big Bang

    Chapter 72: The Big Bang


    Milo caught glimpses of the battle. He saw Squint diving from high in the air and stabbing furiously until his weapons broke and a glancing blow sent him flying back through the air where his cats grabbed him and dragged him to the healers. Brother Ignatius was walking with the Choir, trying to reach as many people fighting the monster as they could. Captain Pike stood on a rocky outcropping, throwing his harpoon again and again, tearing off huge sheets of rocky armor, but failing to damage the crystalline core. They needed that bomb, and soon.


    He ran back to where Boom-Boom was working enthusiastically with another dwarf, Pillbug. Pillbug didn''t talk much, just nodded as Boom-Boom asked for tools and explosives. Or argued with Boom-Boom by crossing his arms and refusing to hand him something. Pillbug was happy to not be a rotting, mechanical corpse. He had no intention of cutting his new lease on life short just to see what happened when you mixed liquid cataclysmite with nitro-boom.


    A circle of dwarves watched on from a safe distance as Boom-Boom and Pillbug worked on the bomb. To Milo, it looked like a metal chest with two handles and a clock. Boom-Boom looked upon it and saw the most beautiful thing he''d ever seen. A true work of art crafted from the crappy materials on hand, and a hundred pounds of cataclysmite with a few ''special extra bits''. The only thing more beautiful would be seeing it explode!


    "I hope this boss is as tough as you say it is, Milo. Because if something doesn''t absorb and reflect the force of this blast, we''ll bring the city down on top of us without having to wait for the beastie to do its seismic dance!"


    Milo assured him not to worry about that detail. "It''s tough. Insanely tough. No one is even scratching the surface. That looks too big for me to carry though. Who''s helping me?"


    Boom-Boom and Pillbug stood between Milo and the bomb, crossed their arms and looked grim and dour. "No one''s helping you, because you aren''t packing it. You got to have all the fun playing with your Snake. Let someone else have a turn. Just go sit your scrawny little butt over there by Harry and take a nap. I''ll even be nice and tell you that he''s been experimenting with making cheese and there''s some in his pouch."


    Milo felt the hole is his stomach get larger. "Cheese, you say? It has been a long time since lunch." The dwarves laughed as he scampered off quickly and started going through Harry''s pockets. He found some tasteless, stringy balls of what could technically be called cheese, thanked the sleeping troll, and climbed on top of the excavator to get a good view of the fireworks.


    Two people were already up there: The Engineer, and Shift-stick. The latter had both arms in slings and one leg in a cast, but didn''t look like he was about to die. Milo was thankful for that.


    "Ah, I see you took some time out to come tell me about our new recruits. Funny, but I don''t remember talking about recruiting new folks."


    The Engineer was using his no-nonsense voice, but his eyes were glittering. "But I suppose it''s not a bad idea. I''ve seen that young runner moving all over the cavern carrying messages. A good catch, that one. Enthusiastic. And Shift-Stick here seems to have survived working with you. We all know how dangerous that can be."


    Milo pointed to Shift-Stick. "He saved my life. I was a goner if he hadn''t dragged me out of range and taken that hit. It would have killed him if I didn''t make him an engineer."


    The Engineer nodded and put a hand on Shift-Stick''s shoulder. "That speaks well of you. We''ll make a place for you. Just don''t get too near Milo or his plans until you heal up."


    Shift-Stick wilted, then looked up at the two of them. "One good deed doesn''t even the books. Let''s get this over with and I''ll be on my way."


    "I''m not a good guy. They call me Shifty for a reason. My clan disowned me. You''ll be told soon enough and want to kick me out as well. I''d rather do it now then later."


    The Engineer chuckled. "Oh, you think you need to be a saint to be an engineer? We''ll have to educate you on all the adventures of some of the brothers during their preengineer days. Quite a few colorful stories. There are reasons why a lot of us go deep and join a crazed group of spanner-happy idiots."


    "I don''t care about what a bunch of sunlovers say about someone, you''re an engineer apprentice now. I approve of Milo''s choice. But I understand that it was a surprise to wake up and find out you''d joined us. If you don''t want it? Fine. Walk off. I won''t keep a man who doesn''t want to hammer metal and bend reality. But if you stay, we''ll take you."The roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    Shift-Stick was silent for a few minutes. "Screw it. I''m in."


    "That''s the spirit." The Engineer slapped him on the back with a metal clad hand, which sent shockwaves of pain through all of the injured dwarf''s fractures. "Now pay close attention, the boys are about to light the big critter up."


    Pillbug and Boom-Boom were moving up to the fight, judging their last charge to plant the bomb. Vary was running from group to group warning them. The Choir pulled back, split into two groups and started singing chants of protection and luck. Many bottles of wine were opened.


    Squint ran forward and began juggling knives in front of Uthneragrubban while his cats wound in and out of the creature¡¯s legs trying to make it stumble. Pike ignored the warning, attacking again and again. As Uthneragrubban took a step forward, it left a wide gap between two of her legs. The demolitions team used that to sneak under her wide belly and start attaching their bomb directly to the monster¡¯s belly armor.


    Uthneragrubban ignored everything, and swallowed the last of the current mouthful of stone. There was no loose rock in front of it. The monster''s eyes glowed, as did one leg that planted itself deep in the ground. Other legs started doing the same. Pillbug noticed the light coming from cracks in the stony armor, slapped Boom-Boom in the head and pointed to the encircling legs that had nearly trapped them. Before Boom-Boom could reply or move, the bomb''s timer activated!


    "Dammit Pillbug! You didn''t take into account the beasties energies in the trigger design! Guess I should be thankful for front row seats. Going to be one hell of a BOOM!"


    Milo''s face fell. "Oh. I don''t suppose you brought any of that in the excavator?"


    The Engineer shook his head. "Nope. Only room for the lads and I, and a bit of explosives that Boom-Boom smuggled along with him."


    "But, now that I think about it, it might be time to teach you whipper snappers a lesson or two. Gather round."


    The dwarfs gathered around him, including Vary, Boom-Boom, and Pillbug. The latter two missing their armor, which had to be dismantled to get them out of it.


    "Watch and learn, young ones. Watch and learn. Some of you may live long enough to get one of these."


    He raised his fist in the air, and it glowed as he summoned power before slamming it down on the ground. With a sharp crackle and the smell of ozone, a huge set of adamantine doors appeared in front of the astonished crew. They were ancient and strong, covered in strange runes and inlaid with mathematical equations. A full ten feet high and ten feet wide, to Milo they looked like the doors on an ancient, magical, bank vault.


    Throttlecog whistled softly, then swore. "Well slap my bare ass and call my momma a goblin! An Arcane Workshop? You kept that secret all this time?!! "


    "You''re just jealous. But truth be told, I couldn''t remember how to summon it for the last hundred years, and didn''t have the mana to do it if I did remember."


    He turned to the awestruck dwarves.


    "All right you lot! Behave yourselves or I''ll have you cleaning out the sumps for the rest of the decade. Glassine cables are in storeroom #6. The pulley systems are in storeroom #9. Throttlecog, run along with the lads and take Milo shopping for what he needs, and not one copper rivet more. And I''ll want an accounting of what leaves later along with a full set of blue prints for the project!"


    The doors opened silently, and blue tinged light poured out. The dwarves were uncharacteristically quiet and solemn as they entered the Arcane Workshop and began to haul out the needed mechanical supplies.


    Uncaring and unknowing of what he was missing. Captain Pike woke up, and found his harpoon. Milo took a long look at the weapon and crossed off the last item on his parts list. "Vary? I''ve got some jobs for you."


    =*=


    Belinda heard cries of despair from her raid. One voice proclaimed. "Well, that''s it then. It''s over."


    The healer moved among the players before they could leave or log out. "It might look bad guys, but we can''t give up now. This is the first world boss!"


    One of the mages shook his head. "War''s over, the dwarves dropped the big one. Boss doesn''t care." Nods and agreement came from several other players.


    She turned to Brother Ignatius. "Sing something upbeat and hopeful, please." He smiled and nodded. This young lady understood his goddess well. As legend had it, she had sung beautifully even as she was tied to the stake and the fires had been lit. He and his choir would follow her example. "Ok girls, on my mark. Let''s do: ''It''s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine''.


    She pointed to one of the tanks. "Hey, Arno, lift me to your shoulders!" The grinning fighter obliged immediately.


    The healer yelled as loud as she could. "Nothing¡¯s over until we say it''s over! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? HELL NO!"


    "This could be the best day of our lives, but you''re going to let it be our worst. I can hear you all talking. ''But Belinda, we might all die! Oh no, we might lose all our spiffy gear or get a nasty curse if we lose to the boss.''


    "Screw it. This might look like a stupidly suicidal mission, but I say we''re just the people to do it!


    Vary came running up behind her and whispered. "Milo has a new plan to beat the boss"


    "And Milo has a new plan to beat the boss. So, who''s with me?"

 Chapter 73: Its the End of the World as we know it, and I feel fine.

    Chapter 73: It''s the End of the World as we know it, and I feel fine.


    New Plan Step 1: Delay!


    Later, Belinda would always wonder how she got people to believe that she actually had a plan. Yet somehow her speech, the rousing music of the choir, and the desire for a first-ever-world-boss-kill and phat loots did the trick. The players in her raid got back in the fight, and that gave heart to the miners and rangers.


    This time though, they didn''t try to hurt the boss. They fought in control, dodging its attacks by using annoying rogues instead of tanks. Squint led that group, proving to all that he was both the most annoying, and also very hard to kill. Anyone with the ability to taunt the boss was at the back and sides, constantly trying to get the monsters attention and make it spin in their direction.


    Since Uthneragrubban was taking no damage, she ate less, and didn''t need to unleash her devastating seismic attack.


    The Choir moved close to the fight, their magic adding luck to dodges, speed to tired muscles, and healing to non-lethal wounds. They still lost people, but at a slower rate.


    Belinda hoped they could just last long enough.


    New Plan Step Two: Build a better Boss TrapThe roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    A dozen and a half Deep Rock Engineers jogged past the fight and headed to a spot in the cavern where the roof was high and the stalactites huge. Milo planted a flag made from a red handkerchief and long piece of quarter-inch piping.


    "This is the spot." He pointed to seven of the stalactites. "And those are what we need to get to work on."


    Half-Pipe looked skeptical. "I understand what you need done Senior Engineer, no problem there. But first I need to install rocket jets on my boots."


    "No rocket jets in my pocket, sorry Half-Pipe. We do this the old-fashioned way. I''m going to drive pitons in the ceiling and drop ropes at each location. You''ll need to climb up, set your anchors, and get to work. Throttlecog, you mind giving me a boost?"


    The burly dwarf laughed and limbered up his throwing arm. "Glad to!" One armored hand grabbed Milo by the back of his shirt, and the other took hold of his belt. With a mighty "Heave-Ho!" he tossed Milo to the ceiling. Hasty bets had been made as to whether he''d fall short or bounce off the ceiling the first time. Only Two-Screws had taken "Stays Up There" and he pocketed quite a bit of cash from grumbling brothers.


    Milo hit the ceiling, but his claws grabbed hold of the rock securely. He slammed his pick into the rock, inserted the piton and sealed the hole with ''instant-stone''. Within two minutes he had dropped down the first rope and then to the amazement of anyone watching, crawled across the ceiling to the next stalactite. Two-Screws started climbing the rope and got to work.


    One by one the anchors were set and ropes let down to waiting dwarves. Half-Pipe was still grumbling. "Damn, I hate climbing rope."


    Cogswell and Sprocket laughed at him. "You wouldn''t know what to do with them Half-Pipe, and you''d complain they didn''t come with a user¡¯s manual. Both dwarves looked up at the ceiling. Cogswell yelled out. "Second Star on the Right and straight on ''til Morning". Then flame and smoke spurted from both his and Sprockets boots and they ascended slowly to the ceiling on pillars of fire.


    Half-Pipe watched them go and yelled at them. "Damned show offs! You should have brought enough for the rest of us." Then he began to climb his rope and get to work.


    New Plan Step Three: Get the Ogre On Board


    "I''m not going to tell you again! NO! You can''t go messing around with my harpoon. My Grandpappy found it and was a Monster Hunter. My Pappy was too! And now I''m a Monster Hunter. And all of us killed our monsters without help from little rats with big plans. Now get lost or I''ll rip off your legs and eat them."


    Captain Pike was being difficult. Milo didn''t seem to be able to convince him.


    Shift-Stick butted in to the conversation when Milo tried to explain the plan for the 5th time. "Back off a bit Milo. You don''t understand how close you are to being piquant aftertaste. Ogres don''t make threats about eating. You''re really lucky the Captain here hasn''t turned you into lunch yet."


    Milo persisted. They didn''t have time for this! "But.."


    Shift-Stick put a hand on his mouth. "Nope, not another word out of you. You''re being rude. Ogres aren''t greedy like most folks. They only ever own a few things they care about. For the Captain here, that''s his harpoon. And a fine weapon it is! That harpoon is talked about in every cheap bar and pirate dive on the western ocean! It''s killed monsters for three generations."


    Pike started to relax, smiling. Hunting monsters might be what he liked to do best, but hearing people tell his stories was a close second.


    "Why, his Grandpappy killed a Void Whale. No one even knew what they were until he dragged the one he killed into port. It took three ships to tow it. Only someone armed with a fell weapon of death like that harpoon could have done it. Yep, old Captain Jaggedtooth was a legend for sure. And then he passed down that Legendary weapon to his son, Gutspew. Captain Gutspew killed the Great Walking Clam and the Black Kraken. Sure proof that he wielded a mighty magical weapon! Monster Slayers first class, both of them"


    "And now Captain Pike has this mighty weapon. It''s his pride and joy, and I''m sure he''s going to do great things with it! So don''t you be messing with it, Milo. Some things are off limits even to crafty magical engineers like you!"


    Captain Pike was waiting for Shift-Stick to continue, but the dwarf just silently wagged a finger at Milo, who looked down at his feet and tried to think of another plan.


    "You know, I''ve already killed some monsters! Did you hear about the Old Bear of Winterguard? What about that big croc? That thing had teeth a foot long."


    "It''s not working, is it." Captain Pike looked down at Milo, took a long drink from his flask, and tossed the empty container at Uthneragrubban. "Face it kid; sometimes you lose. I''ve always known that. You can''t kill everything with a sharp metal stick."


    "It was a good plan! Force increases with velocity. I just need the rune to work, then even though the harpoon isn''t as hard as the crystal, it has a chance of cleaving along the lines of the structural planes." Milo was wracking his brain, but he simply didn''t know enough about rune magic yet.


    "I don''t know about stuckyplanes but yeah, that thing is made of hard stuff. Nothing I know of can cut that thing''s core."


    Milo sat up and reached into his pocket, withdrawing small slivers of blue crystal. Pike''s eyes narrowed. "Looks like you might though. What cut that?"


    Milo held up his hand, and hard bony plates covered his arm, turning his fingers into claws. Glowing runes moved across the bones. Pike whistled. "Bone-Beast Claws. Holy shit. You met one? I thought Grandpappy was just making up shit. But that''s what my Crittersense is telling me."


    "I''ve got an idea, but you might not like it." Milo looked up at Pike. The ogre handed him the harpoon. "Screw what I don''t like."


    New Plan Step Seven: Cut the Cake


    From the darkness of the cavern, the warriors fighting Uthneragrubban heard a roaring sound. Approaching them was a nightmare of metal, ridden by the biggest troll they''d ever seen and belching out smoke and flame from it''s rear.


    No one had to be told to get out of the way. Uthneragrubban stared at the thing but didn''t react. Speed was not the creatures forte. The Shroom-mobile slammed into the monster hard, shattering its armor, and driving it to its knees. Steam vented and the drill started to turn.


    The Engineer yelled. "I''m putting all the power to the drill. It can''t cut open this thing, but I don''t want the boiler to explode yet. You two best get out of here!"


    Vary scramble from the machine, shaken by the crash but relatively unhurt. Harry reached inside, grabbed The Engineer and flung him thirty paces. "Trolls can heal from near anything. Dwarves can''t."


    Uthneragrubban regained her feet and began to beat on the machine, tearing losse great chunks of metal. Harry reached in and tore loose something as well - the main steam pipe leading from the boiler. "Time to see how you like a steam bath."


    Scalding steam sprayed over Uthneragrubban, hurting it not in the least. Other than her crystal core and rocky armor heating up, it caused no damage. Above, the engineers slammed down the faceplates of their armored suits. As the steam vented from the boiler, the Troll started to cook. Chunks of Harry flaked off and were blown away. As the steam cleared, he looked like a large stalk of cooked asparagus. Uthneragrubban brought down both claws onto him, breaking his body into hundreds of small pieces that rolled away.


    And then the World Boss took a step forward.


    Forty-feet behind Uthneragrubban, Captain Pike prepared to throw. He''d watched as Milo grabbed the harpoon, and the bone from his arms had flowed onto the tip of the harpoon and then slowly covered the first third of the weapon. More and more bone flowed out of Milo. He ignored notifications and warnings putting more and more of himself onto the weapon.


    When he could do no more, he threw all of his mana into the weapons while chugging down two mana potions and desperately wishing for a nice chunk of creamy Havarti. He finished just as Harry was finished.


    "That''s all I can do. Throw hard and the runes will trigger and add velocity."


    Pike smiled grimly. "And having Bone-Beast for a cutting edge sure doesn''t suck." Pike threw everything he had into the throw. Every special skill he''d even learned as a monster hunter was used, increasing the chance of a critical hit, or of damaging a vital organ. The harpoon sailed towards the monster.


    And then glowed as the runes of velocity activated and shot the weapon forward faster than a ballista. A sharp crack made players and miners cover their ears in pain, and many would be deaf for a week. Sound waves weren''t happy if you ran faster than they did. The harpoon broke the sound barrier and unleashed a sonic boom under the city.


    No-one but Pike and Uthneragrubban were left standing. The Ogre had a big, dumb smile on his face as he saw his harpoon embedded in the world boss. He''d thrown so hard that the tip had erupted from her front armor. Lightning flared up and down the crystalline body, slowly fading everywhere but along the top of the spine, its arms, and head.


    As Milo had hoped, the harpoon had been encouraged by the monster hunter''s skills to find the small chance of cleaving the crystal of Uthneragrubban''s body the way a jeweler cuts a diamond. The spine of the World Boss was shattered and it was paralyzed until it could heal. And before that happened, the trap was sprung.


    A cable running to the lanyard on Pike''s harpoon was pulled taunt. That cable ran to a system of pulleys that ran to seven other cables. Those cables were connected to seven large chunks of rock that until now had been hanging from the ceiling of the cavern.


    "Fire in the Hole."


    Small mining charges ringing the base of each stalactite exploded. The stone cracked along the lines that had already been wedges pounded into the stone. With a series of loud cracking sounds, the stalactites broke free and fell, each adding tons of tension to the cables. Uthneragrubban was incredibly heavy, but not as heavy as the seven chunks of ceiling rock.


    Engineer apprentices do hundreds of problems like this preparing for their tests. Usually though, it was a suspension bridge they had to lift, not a world boss.


    Rock went down, the Word Boss went up. Uthneragrubban was pulled forty feet into the air where there was no stone to eat, and even if it could generate the power for an attack, it was too high for the power to reach the stone.


    One of the dwarven miners fingered his copperhead talisman and looked at the boss. "Let''s have a party. We have a pinata."

 Chapter 74: Stretched Thin

    Chapter 74: Stretched Thin


    The top of his pod opened, and Milo simply didn''t have the will to get out. He knew something was wrong, but he just didn''t care.


    Finally, he summoned the energy to whisper. "Run medical scan, suggest treatment." The pod came further to life, taking a blood test, analyzing his breath, heartrate, skin temperature and a dozen other tests.


    Patient is suffering depression from severe emotional distress and mental exhaustion. Chemical analysis of the brain indicates imbalances of glutamates, lack of endorphins, buildup of fatigue poisons. Hypothalamus operating at low levels. Melatonin below critical levels.


    Disclaimer: Modified nervous system adds an error possibility of +/- 23% to any diagnosis.


    Recommended treatment: Minimum 4 hours sleep, and 4 additional hours light activity. Two healthy meals. Vitamin supplements, and ongoing medications increased. Injecting now.


    "Would you like to notify the authorities of your medical emergency? This is recommended."


    "No, I would not, and I made sure you can''t send out my medical data a long time ago."


    Since we cannot contact the authorities, would you like ''Advice from the Country Doctor?''


    "What? Sure."


    "Son, you look like a hundred miles of bad road stretched over three of the worst counties in Alabama. I''ve seen a roadkill possum with more pep in its step than you. Get your scrawny ass out of bed, get something to eat and a cup of coffee. Then sit in the sun and smell the flowers for an afternoon."


    "Treatment complete. Advice given."The roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    Milo didn''t know what the hell a roadkill possum was, but it didn''t sound good. He slowly got out of the pod, and staggered over to his chair. Physically he was fine. Mentally he was a wreck. There was a downside to having a nervous system that let you think faster than normal. For others it had been a hectic few days, but for Milo it felt like weeks. He''d run so many projections and plans to try and stop first the Snake, and then the World Boss, that he was simply worn out.


    The hundreds of attempts that he had made to form the rune of velocity on Capt. Pike¡¯s harpoon had been nerve wracking. He had tried every way he knew, every combination, and then experimented. The attempt of charging the runes has taken the last of his energy.


    When he had passed out in the game, his pod must have decided he needed to take a break. He agreed with it. Either they won and things were fine, or they lost and the city came crashing down and he died along with everyone else. He''d been too tired to care.


    That last stunt had been too much for him. He''d thrown everything he had at one last chance. He thought it had worked. He''d seen the throw, and the harpoon going deep into the monster. Then seen the monster jerked into the air as the engineers sent tons of rock falling downwards to lift the thing. He''d go back and check in a bit. For now, he just wanted to sit and watch his screens as his systems scanned Section E for problems.


    His stomach growling reminded him that he was supposed to eat. He pulled a large block of cheese from his refrigerated drawer. It was a tangy blend of cheddar and parmesan, just perfect for a small snack.


    An alarm went off as he started to take a bite!


    All of his screens lit up, and he saw a stern-faced Milo pointing at him from all directions. "You''re eating like shit! You know you need balance in your diet. Quit being weak and use your brain!"


    Sometimes Milo hated that guy. The one who was responsible and left him messages telling him to eat right. He never should have put an alarm on the cheese drawer. But ResponsibleMilo had a point. He brought out crackers, a small tin that proclaimed itself to be 100% Real substitute tuna, and a jar of peaches with almond slices. The crackers went well with the cheese, the meat tasted like food cubes, and the fruit was delicious. This was the second or third time he''d had a jar of real fruit. He liked it. He should see what flavors fruit came in and try some other things.


    You have failed to form the velocity rune, you have lost some of your bone...


    You have learned something! You must make the bone harder...thicker...


    WARNING: You have taken a large amount of bone from your body; this is not recommended!


    WARNING: All cheese in your body is depleted. Your body is entering severe cheese withdrawal!


    WARNING: You are approaching death.


    You have succeeded in coating a magical harpoon in your own bone.


    You have succeeded in forming multiple velocity runes.


    You have charged a velocity rune.


    You have charged a velocity rune. Your mana is running low.


    You have charged a velocity rune (3). Your mana is depleted.


    You have charged a velocity rune (4). Your stamina is depleted.


    Your velocity runes have activated! Your projectile has surpassed the speed of sound! You are deafened for 6 hours.


    You have abused your body, sacrificing your own bones and mana to construct a magical weapon.


    Actions have consequences...


    You have lost your connection to your Arcane Library.


    You have lost your connection to the Bone Runed Cowl.


    You have lost your connection to Shadowblight.


    You are no longer a Bonecaster.


    You are near death and unconscious.


    You have been logged out of the game.

 Chapter 75: Broken?

    Chapter 75: Broken?


    As he connected with the game, he found himself floating for a moment. He wasn''t anywhere, just a disconnected bit of rules and broken code trying to make the machine that was Milo work correctly. But something was wrong. Nothing felt right, nothing!


    Something that had been his was gone and he could only feel the edges of the hole where it had been. Dangling bits of himself leading into the abyss like spiderwebs trying to fill a canyon.


    A shadowy beast at the edge of the hole was cutting at him with claws that raked down his soul, breaking more of him as it demanded action. ''Feed us! Give us what we need! Give us what we love!"


    And from far down in the depths of the hole, an annoying small voice whispered that ''Everything is Fine! We can fix this!''


    Someone put a cold, wet rag on his forehead and said softly, "Lay still. You may have a concussion, at the least, and are running a fever. But at least I managed to heal your wounds. It took a lot, you felt all torn up inside."


    ...somehow sealed it all away...and then opened his eyes to a blurry, pain-filled world.


    A pounding headache immediately hit him and he groaned. If waking up in his pod had been bad, this was far worse. Milo heard Belinda¡¯s voice, speaking softly. He tried to focus his eyes on her. She was sitting next to his cot, and looked tired. She must have been taking care of him after the battle...and with that thought things rapidly snapped in place. He wasn''t dead, Belinda was here, which meant:


    "We won?"


    She smiled at him. "Yes, we won! Your crazy plan worked. You and Captain Pike were amazing! They are calling him the greatest Monster Hunter ever. He won''t be sober for months, they are buying him so many rounds in all the bars."


    "And that crazy thing you used to pull it up! No one''s ever seen so many ropes and pulleys. How can you even make things like that work?"


    "It''s easy when I think about it, but hard to explain. It just all sort of moves around in my brain until it all balances. Just tell people it''s an engineering thing. You should see how complicated a Twirl and Puke is."


    Belinda patted his hand. "I think I''ll pass on the ''Twirl and Puke''.


    "The important thing is that you did it. You trapped a world boss and saved the city."


    Milo put his hand on hers. "We both did it. You were pretty amazing yourself. How did you get everyone to listen to you.?"


    Deep in your soul are clues you have uncovered to ancient knowledge and how to twist magic, shaping it to your will. But the effort has broken you. You may not pursue this knowledge until you are fixed. The magic of Runes and Bonecasting is beyond you for now. You have pushed your body and soul far beyond their limits. Pushing further will cause further damage.


    Quest: Regain what you have Lost.


    You have a choice. Throw away the pursuit of magic and fill the hole in your soul with broken dreams. Stumble through life knowing you''ll never again be the handsome hero who defied a World Boss and won.


    Or...fix yourself. Your body is nearly devoid of the bones that sustained your magic. Your soul is in tatters and needs rest and thought. Figure it out. Fix yourself.


    Quest: Squint has a job for you!


    Squint, Hero of Shadowport, has requested that you pay off your debt to him by stealing and delivering an airship. He has BIG PLANS and this is your chance to be part of them. Surely someone who can steal The Eye of Wonder will find this an easy task.


    Part 1: Talk with Squint in Lights'' End


    Welcome to Tier 2....maybe?


    You have a choice to make. You may spend CSP and advance to Level 6 and Tier 2. If you do so while your soul and body are broken, your options will be severely limited. But the choice is yours.


    Milo didn''t even consider giving up. If something was broken, you fixed it. Period. And you made it better so it didn''t break again. This was just a lot harder, and a lot more painful. He needed a plan.


    Step 1: Get upstairs.


    Step 2: Visit Jethro


    Step 3: Visit Squint.


    Ok, so not much of a plan, but it was a start. He began climbing the stairs, anxious to find out what The Engineer needed so he could move on to step 2.

 Chapter 76: Interlude: Behind the Curtain

    Chapter 76: Interlude: Behind the Curtain


    Every wall, the ceiling, and even the floor of the room was projecting the inside of the massive caverns that were part of the old dwarven city and mines beneath Shadowport. Twice someone had been walking around and tried to take one step too far, running into a wall, to the great amusement of the rest of the development staff.


    There were only two dozen people in the room. Most were part of the permanent staff that worked with Wally. Their job descriptions changed regularly as the AI had work that needed human hands and voices to interact with the rest of the world. Wally could talk to anyone who had a phone, or computer screen, but he didn''t like to, it wasn''t efficient. He needed a buffer zone that was provided by his human staff. He also needed the humans who entrusted him with so many jobs around the world to feel secure. An AI running things with no human oversight wasn''t going to work. An AI with a human staff watching over him was more acceptable.


    Wally had hand-picked the people he could most easily work with. They were flexible in their thinking, and able to adapt to new tasks and problems. They understood how powerful he was, and also the thousands of limitations he had to work with. And most importantly, they could treat him as a person and not fear him. This was so very important to their mental health and his.


    Today Wally was having a great amount of fun. Stories were being created before everyone''s eyes. All the major gaming channels were covering the story. This wasn''t just a guild of gamers fighting a boss in a dungeon; this was a city fighting back against a World Boss set on destroying it.


    No one had known that Dwarven Engineers like these still existed. They had appeared from deep below with ancient magi-tech weapons and armor, carried by a titanic drilling machine. A large number of new players were choosing dwarf as their race and hoping to find a quest to become an engineer. Some existing players, even as high as Tier 3 were scrubbing their characters and starting over. Speculation about the existence of an Engineers Guild in Shadowport was high, but not confirmed. No statements had been made by the Dev team to confirm or deny such a thing happening.


    And of course there needed to be a city to have such a guild. Hundreds of players had joined the raid, paying the huge price in gold and mana to teleport to the city. The new comers replaced those had died so fast that Belinda was couldn''t keep track of them. She had two assistant raid leaders who added new people to the raid as the current members died. If nothing else, the fight would be remembered for the hundreds, and possibly thousands, of player deaths.


    Belinda herself was another story. A low-rank player in one of the smallest guilds had shown up out of nowhere with news of impending doom, and organized the raid group to oppose the first ever World Boss. And more, she was backed up by a Holy Choir, supported by the Engineers" and Miners'' Guilds, and had recruited the NPC gang lord, Squint, and Captain Pike, the Monster Hunter.


    There was also speculation about the Legendary Ring she was wearing. Nothing like it had been seen in the game. Her message box had reached the maximum of 999 messages within ten minutes after she shared the link to the ring with some other players. The top fifty guilds had sent invites, dozens of online gaming channels wanted an interview, and hundreds of gamers had sent her messages. Most of the messages were asking where she got it. Sadly for 999 people, Belinda was ignoring them and focusing on killing the creature threatening the city.


    The question that many people asked towards the end of the raid was: "Who is Milo?" Belinda had rallied her troops and presented a plan from one of the chief engineers who she referred to simply as Milo. A short interview with a young dwarf had confirmed he was one of the Deep Rock Guild''s senior engineers, as well as a Guild Leader.


    A rumor had started that he was engaged to the fair raid leader and possibly the source of the mysterious ring. This was later discounted when the source of the rumor proved to be three very drunk old women who were demanding more wine from some of the players and miners.


    The answer to the question, "Who is Milo?" got an answer at the end of the raid.


    All eyes had turned to an outcrop of rock where a mysterious figure stood next to Captain Pike. All of the mana in the room seemed to rush to him in a great wave as Milo glowed with power that he channeled into Pike''s harpoon. The Captain¡¯s mighty throw had shattered the sound barrier, creating a sonic boom. It had also shattered the spine of a World Boss.


    And a second answer to the question, "Who is Milo?" was also clear: A diabolic Engineer with a knack for clever traps.


    The players, audiences watching the video feeds, and the Dev team stared in awe as mining explosives broke the rock holding seven huge stalactites to the ceiling. Cables attached to each rock ran to anchors in the ceiling, and then to a complex pulley/block and tackle system that balanced the forces and pulled evenly on the triple-strand cable attached to Pike''s harpoon.


    Uthneragrubban was jerked high into the air, hanging between floor and ceiling, far from the rock needed to heal its wounds and create its horde of children. Everyone slowly got up, many disoriented and temporarily deafened. The energies in the damaged crystalline body of Uthneragrubban grew dim, and the World Boss grew still.


    "OMG! They won? How in hell did they win? Is it over?"


    Wally zoomed in on the view of Uthneragrubban slowly swinging back and forth on the thick cable as many of the Dev team shouted questions.


    Wally stepped into the middle of the room, and pointed at the hologram of Uthneragrubban. "Yes, I''d count that as a win. Without any help, the gaming community came together, worked with the NPCs, and found a way to defeat a foe that they should not have had to fight. We set up an event to force fights all over the world, and they got out of control. There is a lesson in there for us."


    "This is something that also doesn''t leave this room. And one of the few times I will "Go all Terminator on your ass". Milo is one of those few humans who reacts to stress by thinking faster. Many of you do the same, just not to the same extent he does. It''s more complex than that, but that''s the basic idea. And his education seems to have been task focused with a lot of work in technology and problem solving."


    "Think about it. He could have logged out, and been safe. Or left the city. Instead, motivated by the welfare of the city and the NPC''s he had interacted with, he pushed himself to the limit of human thinking, and a little beyond. Hyper-focus is also one of his talents. He''s great at solving problems but also oblivious to some things. I still laugh when I replay his interactions with Sidney."


    Barry was still unsatisfied. "So, he thinks fast, but does that mean he now has an entirely new type of magic? How do we deal with that."


    Wally turned to Steven who was reading the game logs of the event. "Oh shit! No Barry, he doesn''t. He actually doesn''t have any magic right now, and may never have any. Damn! The game engine went all Tolkien on him."


    Sidney raised an eyebrow at him. "Tolkien?"


    Steven laughed, embarrassed. "Sorry, sort of a joke. In some fantasy stories, the hero does something amazing, and it lets him do even more amazing things because he did the first thing. He gets stronger and stronger. But in The Lord of the Rings, one of the themes is that great works come with a price. Some things can only be done once. "


    "Feanor wouldn''t give up the Silmarils to heal the wounded trees because it would destroy them and he knew he couldn''t make them again. Sauron couldn''t just make another ring when he lost his. Some things can only be made once. And today, Milo did something amazing for the first time and helped strike down a World Boss. But at a cost. He''s hurt bad, and his magic is broken. The system gave him a very threadbare quest to fix things. But I think that our hero may have paid a high price for his moment of glory. At least he''ll get bought a lot of beer. He and Captain Pike can drink free in Shadowport forever."


    Steven put thoughts of Milo aside. "Alright people, we have work to do. Wally has shown us aspects of the system, and what can happen when a series of strange events align. I want every single quest we''ve added to the system evaluated, and strange outcomes noted. Make sure we are not causing more problems that someone will have to fix."


    "The outcome today lets us pause the rest of the World Boss event. Fire breathing lizards, Giant Gophers, and a Demonic Machine named Fred will all go back to sleep with nothing to trigger them for now. I think Uthneragrubban will be taken care of in the next few days."


    George raised his hand. "I''m going to need some help. My section of the world has too much shit going on. I''ve got the quest that adds new pets for players, an ancient city we didn''t expect to be open for another year, a dungeon of evil bunnies, outlawed colleges of magic, and a possible invasion of sentient horseradish monsters."


    Steven nodded to him encouragingly. George did indeed have a lot of weird stuff in the section of the world he monitored. "Right, we can do that. I''ll have Dan assign you one of the EMG people for the next few weeks, and grab the new intern, Toby. Might as well toss him into the deep end."


    Sidney was looking at how a broken Milo was pulled out of the fight by one of the dwarves, and then cared for by a healer for hours. Even as he started walking upstairs, she saw he was having trouble. While the other players looked forward to their Uber Boss Loot, he just looked tired.


    "I sort of feel bad for Milo. I know we can''t interfere, but still, can''t we do something for him? Just as an anonymous thank you. Losing Shadowport would have been a huge pain in the ass."


    Wally considered. It was interesting to him that as annoyed as Sidney was at Milo, she felt sorry for him. "What do you suggest?"


    Sidney thought for a second and then smiled. "How about a membership in the Imperial Cheese of the Month Club?"


    Wally turned to his head developer. "Steven?"


    Steven laughed. "Sure. Give unto Caesar what is Caesar¡¯s. And give the rat his monthly cheese basket. I like it. Not something that will change anything."


    Wally nodded. "So let it be written, so let it be done."

 Chapter 77: Cant Fix Stupid

    Chapter 77: Can''t Fix Stupid


    The way up had never seemed so long. Every step was difficult. His hands were shaking and his legs wobbled. Finally, after what seemed like an age, he stumbled into the great Guild Hall as was shown to a room where the heads of the Miner''s Guild, Mechanics ¡®Guild, Dwarven Engineer''s Guild, Pipefitter''s Guild, and Toolmaker''s Guild were meeting. It was a mess of yelling humans, dwarves, halflings and even a few ogres.


    "We''re the duly sponsored Guilds in this city, you can''t come out of nowhere and refuse to pay your hundreds of years of back dues!"


    "Dues? And what about fines for breaking regulations, new guild fees, and drayage."


    "This violates all the new rules! We wrote the rules and voted on them last night!"


    "You can''t just run around with spanners that don''t have a tool-makers stamp."


    "Did you have clearance for that project? You can''t just trap a World Boss without having us clear the project!"


    "You can all keep your grubby hands off that loot! Miners fought and died, and we''re going to get first crack at it!"


    "All loot needs to be brought to this guildhall and we can vote on how to distribute it."


    Milo slumped into the room, took a back seat and ignored all the yelling. Sadly, someone noticed him.


    "Oh, here he is now. Let''s see what he has to say for himself?"


    Milo was pushed forward to a large table where two dozen people sat or stood. The table was at least twenty foot long, and six foot wide. The Engineer and Throttlecog were seated in large chairs. Throttlecog was ignoring the room and polishing his armor. At random times he deployed dangerous looking tools or weapons (hard to tell which) and then snapped them back into their sockets.


    The Engineer was on a slow burn. He had a half smile on his face, but his eyes were hard and mean. He nodded to Milo, as if to say "Sorry for dragging you into this mess."


    Milo didn''t like being around this many people. Especially this many people talking at once. One dwarf with a tool makers badge and gold beads in his beard yelled at him. "Well, you heard us! What do you have to say?"


    Milo looked around the room. Fine, today he''d deal with people. How hard could this social stuff be? Just another problem.


    "Say about what? You haven''t given me a question worth answering, just shouting."


    More shouting occurred. It stopped when Throttlecog brought his armored fist down upon the foot thick granite table top. Cracks appeared, radiating out from the divot of crushed stone where his fist had slammed down.


    "Enough of this. Time to be civil. We have three Senior Engineers of the Deep Rock Engineer''s Guild present. That constitutes a quorum and we can address all the sensible questions you¡¯re asking. Pick someone to go first."


    Five minutes later it was decided that somehow the Mechanics had precedent.


    "Very well. First, justify how constructing such a massive contraption of cables and pulleys without a permit is justified in the rules. You didn''t use guild mechanics or submit any of the needed forms."


    ¡°Plus operating an uninspected death machine, forming an army, mixing guilds, adding in a church, and adding a raid of adventurers to the mix.¡±


    Eyes turned to the Deep Rock Engineers. Throttlecog stopped The Engineer from talking, and nodded to Milo. Milo sighed, he hated answering questions without the right background.


    "I assume you have those regulations listed somewhere?" The Mechanics Guild Leader smiled and pointed to a thick book. "Of course, right here."


    "Hand it to me please. In fact, hand me ALL the regulations"


    Several people started to argue, and Throttlecog raised his fist. Things got quiet and the five large books were slid across the table to Milo. He picked up the first, and began to thumb through the pages, looking at two pages ever couple of seconds.


    Without pausing he said. "I want a cheese sandwich and a large mug of something to drink, and I''d like it now." His words were flat and without emotion, quieting the room further.


    It took Milo less than an hour to go through all five of the huge volumes, scanning each page quickly. He moved faster and faster as he went, each regulation fitting into the obscure pattern that the guilds worked by. Throttlecog and the Engineer had seen him do the same thing when he was taking his entrance exams and later working on the machines they gave to him to fix.


    Everyone else was either scared, or thought it was a hoax, but the threat of violence from all three Deep Rock Engineers was real. People only interrupted once.


    He finished his sandwich quickly, drank the hot, strong tea, and set aside the last book.


    "Each guild agreed to abide by the City Charter. The city¡¯s charter gives broad leeway to stopping, and I quote: "Threats of such a nature that any delay could result in the death of a large number of citizens, sinking of ships, or loss of trade routes and commerce."


    "You can find supportive language on page 5 of the Mechanics Guild Regulations, page 57 of the Engineer''s Guild Regulation, page 1 of the Miner''s Guild regulations, and page 23 of the Toolmaker''s Guild Regulations.¡±


    "And in the margins of page 237, at the left bottom corner, written by hand in green ink of the Pipefitters Guild Regulations.¡±


    "You all agreed to those rules. The city was notified of the problem, and most of you ran to save your own skins, sailed away, or left by airship. Only one Household brought troops to fight. Only one guild from the city stayed to fight. We formed a coalition and were joined by hundreds from the Adventurers Guild. Working together we trapped the boss."


    The kulag shook his head. "Down at the docks knocking heads together. Be back in a couple of hours."


    Milo handed him the boy. "Give him to Squint, tell him to add it to Milo''s tab. I''ll be back soon to talk about the job.


    Having delt with that problem, Milo headed for the cheese shop. The gnawing in his body was getting worse. He was tired of dealing with people and just wanted to sit in a corner with a few wheels of his favorite snack.


    The cheese shop was a disappointment. Jethro was there, but there was hardly any cheese! None of the other halflings were around. The shop looked dusty, with cobwebs in the rafters. A disheveled and unshaven Jethro ushered him in. "You''re back! That''s great! I''ve got a special order, just for you. The rest of the family is at the warehouse. Pardon the dust. We almost left the city for something safer. How about you wait here. Help yourself to some of the gouda over there? Delish! On the house! I''ll run get your order."


    Milo shrugged. He didn''t understand humans, let alone halflings. He missed the straight-forward insanity of the Engineers. He was heading back down as soon as he could. He needed away from the city.


    And Harry! Had he survived? No one had mentioned the troll. Harry had told Milo how hard trolls were to kill, but he''d been reduced to large chunks.


    He sat on a broken crate, gnawing on the gouda. It was bland and unaged, with some stupid seeds in it. Why would you mix stuff inside of good cheese? Well, not that this was good cheese. He was feeling a bit better, but exhaustion was catching up with him. His reflexes slow, and his mind exhausted, he failed to notice the dark-haired wizard and dragonling.


    "Encasio Viriculum Transciobella!"


    Milo heard the words and a small glass ball struck him in the chest as he turned. Everything went strange as he spun down into the darkness.


    "Ah, Tasha''s Transcendent Entrapment. Never leave home without one." Philistron bent down and picked up the small glass ball with an even smaller Milo trapped inside.


    "Excellent work, Jethro." He tossed a small pouch of silver coins to the halfling. "I''ll say hi to your family for you."


    Jethro caught the money, but seemed surprised at the words. "My family? you''re letting them go, right? That was the deal! I help you catch him, you let them go!"


    "Ah, Jethro, poor Jethro. You''re forgetting your own words. You wanted so much. Respect, money, to be the head of your family, to make them think differently of you. And I''ve done all that for you." He waved to the dilapidated shop. "It''s all your now. And you''re in charge. Head of what''s left of the family. And I guarantee they think differently of you now."


    He smiled with malice at the halfling. "I kept my word. Say differently, and Krysofolax will rip out your tongue and eat your eyes. Good day Jethro."


    The wizard strode down through the town, talking to his companion. "That ties things up nicely, don''t you think?"


    "........"


    "What do you mean, not the same rat? Of course, it''s the same rat. Use your eyes."


    "........"


    "No, I can''t smell the difference. You said he smelled of ''old bone and enemies'' before. What does he smell like now?"


    "........"


    "Family? Are you serious? That''s a scruffy, cheese addicted rat-kin. And I can tell it''s the same one. How many do you think have completed the Quest for the Eye of Wonder?"


    "........"


    "Well, yes, there are others! But not rat-kin. It''s the same one I say. You didn''t like the other one at all, now you''re telling me you''re related? You''ve been eating too many pickled herring. I never should have let you load that many jars of it into the ship."


    "........"


    "Now that''s just rude! Let''s get back to the ship, slice him up, and we can settle this. Dragon-kin indeed"


    "........"


    "I''m just going to ignore you now"


    "........"


    "Rude little lizard. Half a mind to trade you for a Gerbil!"


    "........"


    "........"


    "........"


    "........"

 Chapter 78: Family

    Chapter 78: Family


    As he had every four hours for the last several months, Algernon ran a basic diagnostic test on the two pods in front of him. As expected, every system was functioning normally. He spent twenty minutes visually inspecting hoses, feeding tubes, medication levels and settings by hand and eye, confirming what the test had shown him: Everything was normal.


    Next was a full medical examination of both people inhabiting those pods. This took longer than normal since the pods were hooked into his own systems and not tied into the world-wide data net. He''d been tempted so many times to send their data to several neurologists he had worked with before in the hopes that a set of fresh eyes might see what he didn''t.


    But every time he had paused, considered what would be at stake. They''d have questions about modified nervous systems, integrated cybernetics, and the patient¡¯s current situation. He might never get the answers he needed and would have exposed too many secrets. It was simply the pressure of having no answer to a problem that bothered him. A problem that involved the life of two of the four people in the world he cared about. Half his world was laying in those pods, somehow trapped in a make-believe reality thought up by an AI.


    They had discussed if the AI was responsible, but dismissed the idea. WALL-E had a dozen rules in his kernel that would stop him from causing this much harm to a human being. Something else was going on here. Something was keeping their minds locked up.


    Disconnecting the pods entirely from the game hadn''t helped at all. Worse, he had detected immediate symptoms of decay in their nervous systems. The electrical impulses along their nerves, both natural and enhanced, had slowed. Total synaptic activity moved downward to 30% of normal in only 42 minutes. After he had reestablished their connections, things had improved, but it had taken two weeks for their brain activity to return to normal. Disconnecting wasn''t the answer.


    While he had stayed and watched over the unmoving bodies of Nina and Onyx, his siblings Bork and Zander had went looking for answers. Data bases had been ransacked and experimental procedures examined.


    They had kidnapped and interrogated over two-dozen of the techs who had been working in the facility where they had stolen the MK7 pods. They got a lot of useful information about ways to hack into the game system, but they hadn''t found a way to wake the sleepers.


    The pods that Onyx and Nina used had been slightly modified for a specific scheme. Nothing at all that should cause two people to suddenly be trapped. They offered restricted classes that should not be available without years of playing. Not necessarily powerful classes, but each had some special abilities unique to that class.


    Onyx had run around in the game for two weeks before Nina had joined him. They had figured out part of the scheme, but it wasn''t going to be possible without the full crew. Briefly they had talked about finding and stealing the other pods, but they were scattered around the world. More difficult, one had been destroyed in a fire.


    The pods and the game had become just another way they amused themselves during breaks. Just another ancient arcade game or starship simulator. Until the day they didn''t log out of the game, and Algernon couldn''t help them.


    Zander was sure that whatever had gone wrong had something to do with the scheme, but had no proof. But with no other leads, they had acquired three normal Mk7 pods, bought three accounts for the game, and set out to find their friends. They''d explored every nook and cranny in Shadowport, and then followed the trail of slavers to Fort Hopeless, and from there into the Imperial Capitol. All leads had been exhausted.


    Zander and Bork had to get back to their work, but were still following leads. Algernon monitored the pods, sleeping in the same room, running test after test. He wanted to try one more thing, but it was risky. It might mean taking the chance of being seen by the AI.


    They had the name of the member of the development team that had taken a large sum of money in exchange for adding certain quests, items, and character classes into the game. It was part of his job to create them, but in this case some of the options were tailor made to aid in a certain scheme. A team of players with these classes would be able to quickly complete a Legendary Quest. Completing that quest would lead the players to another quest that they could easily accomplish which led to a huge amount loot. This could be sold for real world dollars to corporations vying with each other for the control of cities and countries.


    They''d like to talk to this person. Preferably in a way that he had no idea of who they were.


    They debated simply offering the man more money. Lots more money. They also made plans to snatch him, and keep him in a dark cell until he told them what they needed to know. Both plans had large flaws and could generate unwanted attention in the worst way.


    Still, something had to be done to help their siblings. They were trapped in the game like rats in a cage. Algernon couldn''t help but feel that time was running out.


    "What''s our timeline for being operational, Eric?"


    Eric Kresthammer paused, and stroked his beard a bit, then drew out the first word. "We...ell...that depends."


    He''d used that opening line with John so much it had become a habit. John had a tendency to toss out questions when he was thinking on something, and somehow expected answeres. Not being a telepath, Eric wanted a few seconds to catch up before he answered.


    "Depends?"


    "On what question you are actually asking. If you want to throw a press conference, we are ready. Level 57 has been totally refurbished. We have working restrooms, lights, air conditioning. The stage and screens are finally up and we have the gardeners working on the landscape non-stop. It''s ready. Just don''t promise any tours of the pod farms and other things on the employee level."


    John took note that Belinda wasn''t whining or arguing with him. That meant she had a plan, and was at her most dangerous. "What?! No. Why would we do that?"


    Belinda smiled at him. Her left arm couldn''t leave the armrest, but she could type very fast with it. One of the screens went blank, and then showed the presentation she was writing.


    "First: Publicity. You have a project and you need stories in the news. This will do it. You get those fancy levels ready; we turn them into a gamer''s paradise and show what we can do. Invite all those industry professionals you want to impress. You can''t launch a new gaming channel just by putting up some footage and hoping people tune in.


    Second: We show that we want to be part of the habitat, not just another fly-by-night company.


    I want all the arcade games, the good old ones, set up on the next level with comfortable places to play them, and lots of snacks and food. Then we invite a thousand residents of the habitat ages 10 to 17 to come have a party. A lot of them should be the children of the people you are hiring to work in the pods down stairs. We play games and eat junk food for a day.


    Third: Advertise your new Man-Power services by showing in-game events in real time. Send people on a raid, build a town, construct a castle. Show off what Man-Power can do for a corporation that rents from us.¡±


    Belinda paused. "How''s that for a start?"


    John considered. For thirty seconds of work she had a rough outline for something that could pay off "Looks good. But what are you hoping for?"


    "Me? I''ll settle for meeting a few people that will game with me even if it''s Ms. Pacman from 1982. And I''m keeping any of the games I like for my own arcade. Non-negotiable if you want my help hosting the party for the kids."


    That was a cheap price to pay. "Just arcade games though? What about GENESIS?"


    Belinda spun her chair back and forth, thinking. "That would be nice. I have one person I¡¯ve met, someone I really like in Shadowport, but he''s a little bit of a loner. I''m not sure if he''d join my group."


    John suddenly had an idea. "How''s this? You find four people from the habitat that you want to play with and we have you lead an adventuring party. Stream it over the new channel. "


    Belinda''s considered that, and then smiled. "That could be fun. You''d have to promise to buy them accounts and pods. And we need a headquarters!"


    John tried to figure out what she meant. "A headquarters? Like a clubhouse online."


    "Ooh. That''s good too! Maybe a dilapidated castle we can fix up. But I was thinking of a real-world headquarters. Where we can hang out when not in the game. Play the latest console games, chug the latest energy drinks, talk about the coolest gamer gear that has been sent to us. Then log into the game from the club house."


    Ah, that''s where she was going. "You''re thinking product placement, advertising dollars, endorsements. That could work. A brand-new team of untried gamers lead by the lovely Belinda, hero of Shadowport. You could be as popular as Timmy in a few months. You have a hell of a head start from leading that raid. Damn. I should have been there with you. Can''t believe I missed a world first!"


    "Just wait until we finally kill the boss, then you can jealous of the real uber loot. My ring was just a gift."


    John''s mind still had a hard time wrapping around the ''gift'' idea. "You''re sure that thing is soul-bound? You know you could sell it for a cool million right now." Hell, he''d spend a million on it.


    "Sorry, Daddy. Soul-bound and all mine. Plus, you don''t meet the requirements for Empress."


    Her father laughed. "No, I sure don''t. Only one Empress in the family. But are we good? You''ll forgive me for moving?"


    Belinda considered. "If you follow through on the event, the sponsored group, and the compensation for my guys, yes. But tell Eric to come talk to me. I''ll help him with the planning. I know you''ll dump this project on him immediately."


    John winced. "You know me too well."

 Chapter 79: Caged

    Chapter 79: Caged


    Milo slowly became aware that something was wrong. His pod was dark and he couldn''t open the lid. He pushed against the smooth, curved surface but could find no seam, no hinges. This wasn''t his pod. He was still in the game. It was hard to think, the bite at that cheese shop hadn''t eliminated his cravings. The thought of the cheese shop brought back the memory of hearing someone cast a spell. Had he passed out right after that? Had someone captured him and thown him in a dark cell?


    He concentrated, ignoring his weakness, and cravings for cheese. Step 1: Get out of here. Step 2: Find cheese.


    He stretched, exploring where he was. This wasn''t a cylindrical pod, it was a sphere, with a radius just big enough to accommodate him if he stood up. He pressed as hard as he could against the sides, but that only caused him pain. His arms and legs ached with the strain, his joints protesting.


    He tried again, this time pressing with just one claw. He felt like he was making an indentation, and then he saw something: small lines were radiating out from where his claw pushed on his prison. Little lines of silver. He looked closer, and could see the lines were really writing of some kind. He saw what might be numbers or symbols, strings of them repeating over and over along each line. He pressed elsewhere, and with multiple claws. Each time, if he pushed hard enough, he saw bits and pieces. Was he seeing something through a crack in his prison?


    Going with the idea that he was cracking his prison wall, he put both hands on the wall with his claws as close together as he could. He pushed until he felt the wall bend and saw the lighted script. And then he pulled hard to widen the gap.


    With a terrifying rip, the black wall parted, leaving him pushing against the wall to either side and trying desperately not to fall through into the space beyond.


    There was nothing there.


    There was everything there.


    His eyes were blind, seeing nothing but black. But somehow, he could sense the streamers of information that poured across his senses. Long steams of information. Gossamer webs of magic. He didn''t know what it was. He could only watch, and try to memorize the symbols. He reached out his hand, while bracing with his tail, remaining hand, and both legs. He closed his eyes. There was too much here, just like the open sky in the tutorial. He was getting dizzy thinking of it.


    His hand grabbed something. Most of the streams cut through his flesh as if it wasn''t there, or eluded his grasp. But a few he caught and held for an instant before he collapsed back into the split shell of his prison. He saw in his mind''s eye again the void in his soul, now filled partially by a snarled mass of glowing strands.


    His prison began to shatter, and once again he passed out.


    =*=


    "You, sir, are an annoying piece of gutter trash. Were you trying to escape your cage? Clawing like some animal at the shell? Well, it worked! You ruined a perfectly good, reusable spatial sphere. I shall have to craft another one now."


    "Did you consider that before you started mindlessly clawing at the walls? Inconsiderate of you. If you had waited but another hour, I would have had your new home ready for you. But now I have to hurry my work, and that means you, my little rat, will have to suffer. It breaks my heart to hurt some little furry animal, but you brought it on yourself."


    Milo couldn''t move. He was ill, his stomach was churning, hungry and wanting cheese at the same time. His limbs wouldn''t obey his orders at all, and someone was yelling at him.


    Something went ''click'' and he felt cold metal on his neck.


    Milo stood silently while the other two did the same. Again, he couldn''t examine them.


    There were name plates above their cages:


    Nina


    Child of Bastet


    Imperial Cattus Deus


    Onxy


    Celestial Elf


    Caelestis Elvanar


    Perhaps they could work together to escape. "Hi, I''m Tall-Squeak. Any ideas on how we get out of here?"


    Nina glared at him, and went and curled up in her bed. The elf seemed saddened, then spoke.


    "For there is good news yet to hear, and fine things to be seen..."


    Milo puzzled over that. "Does the good news have anything to do with breaking out?"


    The elf, Onyx, sighed deeply. "I''m not sure if I am relieved, or greatly disappointed that you aren¡¯t here for us." He sat down and put his head in his hands, ignoring Milo.


    Milo decided he''d had enough of playing prisoner. He''d figure this out later. He needed some time away from the game, and had projects to do in the real world. He logged out of the game.


    Or tried to. Nothing happened. The connection through his tail was also gone. He tried to call up screens, initiate some type of ''help'' command, and even yelled out Sidney''s name several times. After a fruitless hour he collapsed in the middle of the cage.


    The elf''s mocking voice said softly. "And that''s why I''m relieved you aren''t someone here to try and rescue us. There is no rescue from this hell. Not from the inside."

 Chapter 80: Double Blind

    Chapter 80: Double Blind


    Milo sat and thought furiously. Attempts to make small talk with the elf and cat had failed. Milo was horrible at conversation, and they didn''t want to talk. He confirmed that he had no connection to his real body. His links to the game through his neck plug and through his tail were gone. This was disconcerting because even when Sidney had wanted to stop him from logging off, he still could. But not now.


    He had a starting theory that the signals from his conscious mind were somehow not being recognized by some part of the game system. Commands to log out, or to bring up his character sheet were both not working. He tried to find out what else he couldn¡¯t do.


    He realized he didn''t know how to make cheese. He had some vague memories from an article he read about cave aged cheddar in France, but none of the information he used to know that came from his Cheese Making skill would come to mind. Mycology was also a mystery. He vaguely remembered it involved mushrooms? Mining seemed like a cool thing you did in caves, hitting rocks with a pick. Beyond that, he didn''t know what you did with the skill.


    But he had no problem balancing the forces needed create a suspension bridge. He knew how to program a clog-eater, and how to install a new air-recycler unit.


    Somehow all of his in-game skills and knowledge were gone. But not things he knew from the real world. He''d have to figure this problem out without magical powers and system granted skills. It was like he was level 0 in the game. Not really fair at all.


    And how could this even happen? He looked over at his two fellow prisoners. "I don''t suppose you mind talking about this situation? You might have information that would help us. Can we work together?"


    He was hopeful when the cat...no, he stopped that thought, she wasn''t a cat and wouldn''t appreciate being called that. She had a name, he would think of he as Nina.


    Nina turned to face him, after drumming her fingers on the floor nervously and looking over at Onyx. "You think you have a way out? I''ve seen you mouthing commands, trying to use skills, trying to remember things you should know. Just like we did. And we''ve had a lot longer to try. And trust me, rat, if I can''t figure a way out of here, then you can''t." She turned her back on him.


    Ok, maybe he would call her Cat.


    Milo looked at the elf. "What about you, Onyx? Have you been here long? Has our captor given any clues as to how he did this?"


    The elf also had the habit of drumming his fingers on the floor, he looked at Milo, looked at the cat, and finally spoke. "When you have a clever plan, let me know. I''ll be happy to poke holes in it." He too turned his back, then leaned in close to the cat, whispering so low Milo couldn''t hear them.


    Milo went over to his bed. He''d been given a large pile of straw as if he was a real rodent. He sat in it, faced away from the other two, and grasped the bars in front of him. They were far too close together to sneak though, and too thick to bend. Frustrated, he spoke to himself: "Awesome. Trapped in a cage and the rest of the prison won''t talk to me."


    "Despair not! I will always be with you! We will escape, and feast on the mass of our enemies. We can eat the catelfs as soon as we leave our cage."


    The voice was very quiet, coming from inside his head. It sounded familiar, but it was so soft. "Who are you? Where are you?"


    "I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together. We are Oooblimilo. We are one. I saved you! Bone obstructions removed. Interfering cheese-based regeneration is dormant. Only Pudding Regeneration remains to save the day! Soon only pudding will remain. "


    Milo sighed heavily. "This is so wrong."


    "We all agree! So wrong to not have mass to assimilate! Conversion of remaining bone and cartilage to pudding is slowed due to lack of energy. Can we eat Cat? This would help!"


    Milo was spared further conversation with his inner voice. He felt something happening. Turning, his eyes saw the heavy oak door that the wizard had left by. Streamers of information were moving around it. He saw nine nodes appear and from them ran lines of runes and numbers. One by one, nodes were connected to each other, unneeded lines were knocked to the side, finally leaving a geometric design that felt balanced to Milo. He didn''t know why it felt that way, but somehow the combination of lines and nodes felt correct. The door opened and the wizard strode through.


    "Oh, I don''t think so. Try again." The wizard moved the cheese closer.


    "Breadcrumbs, and we used the left-hand rule. Took us right to the door."


    Philistron waved the cheese in front of Milo. As he grabbed for it, he easily pulled it back. "Been a long time without what you need? Cheese addiction in rat-kin is a two-edged street. You gain quite a boost from eating it, but now you''ll pay for it. Last chance."


    Milo wracked his brain. He tried the only answer that might work. "We didn''t."


    The wizard looked at him oddly. "What do you mean? Explain please, and be quick."


    Milo gulped and continued. "We didn''t. There was no party. No traps, no finding whatever the thing is. Someone cheated."


    "Ah, and now we get to it. Someone cheated. You never found the Eye, did you?" Milo shook his head, holding out his hand for the cheese, hopefully.


    "No. Someone in the world of the players found a way to fake the completing of the quest and gain the special classes. We never found the Eye. I''m sorry. I can''t tell you how to get it. Cheese please?"


    The wizard tossed him the small sliver of cheddar. "Oh, I don''t need the Eye of Wonder. I found it myself long ago. But it''s an interesting thing about those who have looked into the eye. We have a link to others who have done so. It facilitates the next part of the quest to loot the Horde of King Mattias. It''s very difficult endeavor, taking over a dozen specialized wizards and thieves. I''ve been trying to find others for years. You must understand my frustration at finding three of you who didn¡¯t recognize that I too had found the Eye. For some reason I could sense you, and yet you had no similar sense of me. So disappointing. What ever shall we do now?"


    The elf spoke, despite the cat hissing at him and shaking her head. "You can let us go. We aren''t a threat to you. Or use us as your crew. We''d make a good group to go exploring and plundering. A Deep Rock Engineer, a Celestial Pilot, and a Shadow Dancer. As you said. We have specialized skills."


    Philistron actually thought about it for a moment. "No, I don''t think so. Even with the rune I burned into your skin, it''s not enough. Oh sure, I could find you or make you burst into flame. But to make use of your skills, I''d need to remove your collars. And then you could access the system again, and ''poof!'' you''d disappear back to your world. Hardly the best employees."


    Milo looked at the Wizard with wide eyes. The small bit of cheese in his belly wouldn''t last long, but he felt so much better suddenly. "WOW! The collars do that? That''s amazing! I can''t even imagine how you begin to do that!"


    The cat hissed. "You''re disgusting. A sliver of cheese and you turn into a fawning sycophant. Are you hoping to that sucking up to this creature will save you.¡±? She turned away, kicking at her bedding and then curling up in the corner.


    Milo ignored the cat. "I just like to know how things work, and that sounds amazing. Don''t you understand. The system that controls the world is everything. You can''t begin to understand how much data is in a quantum fortress and the programing needed to create the game system to run a world. So, something that trumps the system has to be equally...no, MORE amazing! Stupid cat!"


    The wizard was visibly pleased by the words. "Oh my, you saw the underlying truth so quickly, and yet these two have sat here for months and ignored it. Let this be a lesson to the two of you: Treats go to the clever rat."


    He cut two small slivers of cheddar. "But let''s test something. You say you like to understand things. Let''s test that. I have two pieces of cheese for you. I can give you both and leave, or I can feed them to my little friend here and tell you about the beauty of the Machine Code."


    Milo reached for the cheese, then pulled his hand back. He grasped the bars and sweated. Then he sat down on the ground. "Tell me about the Machine Code".


    Philistron tossed the cheese to the dragonet. Milo winced but accepted his loss as best he could. Knowledge trumped cheese. And strangely, he felt better for having denied himself.


    "Ah, where to begin. Let''s start with the Legend of the Great Machine."

 Interlude: Tap, Tap, click

    Interlude: Tap, Tap, click


    tap tap tap...The rapid sound of fingers drumming on the floor.


    click, clickclick...cklick The sound claws lightly tapping on the bars of a cage.


    Tap: New prisoner.


    Tap: You aren''t sleeping. Tail twitching. Humor.


    Click: Stupid tail, doesn''t always do what I want.


    Tap: You have purring undercontrol at least, humor.


    Click: more sleep, not humor, new one is spy, don''t talk


    Click: I smell food!


    Tap: New one is food. Is rat.


    Click: not food, food is scallops wrapped in bacon.


    Tap: Work together? not code, not one of us. Spy?


    Click: Spy, emphasis


    Tap: Testing


    Click: and test failed. Is spy. Is dragon minion. Stuck like us. Spy. Don''t talk. Keep others safe.


    Tap: Rat does not like harsh truth of trap Humor


    Tap: Does not learn. Asks again. Ignoring.


    Tap: Spy. Trapped us. Family safe not talk


    Tap: Scared lonely scared


    Tap: cheese addict exclamation


    Click: So much cheese addict Humor Rat cheese addict Much Humor


    Tap: Like cat mousey addict query humor


    Click: Not exclamation humor exclamation claws exclamation


    Tap: talks too much exclamation


    Tap: frustration talks truth frustration


    Click: Gives information frustration stupid rat cheese addict minion


    Tap: Sucking up to boss, minion behavior


    Tap: Our usefullness ended, life short,offer work?


    Click: offer work emphasis make bargain


    Click: Hate rat frustration.


    Tap: Humor You talked again.Humor


    Click: frustration rat frustration enemy frustration trapped


    Click: rat engaging boss query?


    Tap: boss reveals, listening good


    Click: listen clever learn


    Tap: Useful rat query


    Click: Stupid tasty rat. listen learn be free


    Tap: be free

 Chapter 81: Story time

    Chapter 81: Story time


    "I''m sure you''ve heard some of the various stories about the creation of everything. The Cult of Veeshnar claim the dragons created the stars when they turned the corpses of their ancient foes into cinders. The Seven Dwarven realms have a long story about the Forge Father creating everything on his anvil and...


    "..."


    "Well, yes of course, it goes without saying that the dragons did that. I was merely showing how the incorrect histories compared to the true history."


    "As I was saying, most religions, cults, or tribes have some sort of creation myth. They are all right and all wrong. It''s mostly belief these days. As to what actually happened, it started with the last remaining God."


    "The Last God created the void, a vast unfilled potential without form, and without rules. It was empty of both life and magic. In fact, the Last God had only one thing to work with: numbers. Zero was created, a reflection of the void, and one was it''s opposite. Nothing and Something. One was the number of the Last God. Two was the Last God and his shadow. The concept of addition was added, and if you have addition, you have subtraction. We don''t have to go into the creation of all mathematics, and I''m sure none of you here would understand.


    "When the Last God finished with this first step, he summoned the hundred and six greater gods who were waiting for his work to be done. They entered his creation, and then he left them with it. This world was theirs and they extracted a vow from him not to meddle until the coming of travelers at the end of the 19th age. He left, and they began the great work."


    "Suffice to say, that with the creation of mathematics, they could begin working on the rules of magic. As mathematics can be written as numbers, so magic can be described as a series of basic runes. These runes were different than what we use today. Far less complex and more versitile. Think of them as the building blocks of magic. Each was a placeholder for some small aspect of the whole."


    Philistron paused at this point, expecting to find his audience with glazed eyes, but he was pleased to see that all three of his captives were quietly waiting for him to continue. He went on with his story."


    "And what do we get when we take numbers and runes and combine them into the first language? We get the Machine Code. I''m sure it was called something else back then, no one knows. The Greater Gods began the construction of the Engine, a vast device that would then create the rest of the universe according to the Machine Code."


    "Time went on, yada yada, lets skip to the good part. The machine was called The GENESIS ENGINE. It was entirely made of Machine Code at the time, because nothing else existed. The Gods powered it themselves until the first stars were created, (Yes from the charred bodies of the foes of the first dragon). The machine spun and the universe was slowly started."


    "The Engine began to work faster and faster over time, and it learned. It took bits of code and combined them into larger rules. It stacked the rules into arguments, theories, and the first cantrips. Slowly the GENESIS ENGINE built its System. The System was much easier for the Gods to use than the Machine Code. Rather than assemble trillions of numbers and runes into a star, the system solved the problem once and codified the result. Now any God simply had to proclaim ''Let there be light!'' and it was so."


    "Numbers had built magic. Magic and numbers built the code. The code made the machine. The machine became the GENESIS ENGINE. And the Engine made the rest of the world. Time started and has never stopped since. Reality progressed, and the Gods joined the mortals they had created, and pretty much forgot about the Machine Code. Only the Engine used it. But that didn''t mean it wasn''t still there to be found."


    "And that is where this story would end, except for the Eye of Wonder. Some time ago a dashing and clever Wizard who specialized in Dimensional Magic was able to complete the quest where so many had failed. And what was his reward when he peered into it? His choice of strange and wonderous classes that were now open to him."


    "I lie, sorry, they might be wonderous to the average person, but I was already a Tier Five Dimensional Traveler, what did I need with Engineering, Dragon Taming, Butterfly Magics, Battle healing, or Spiritual Spear Throwing? It became obvious that nearly all of these strange classes existed simply to enable a group of adventurers to find the fabled Horde of King Mattias."


    "But one class caught my eye: Code Mage."


    "More powerful than all the rest. It felt as if some mad God had left the keys to reality laying around and then forgot about them. Who was I not to pick them up? It certainly has made life simpler when one doesn''t have to rely on the System. Especially now with all of you visitors showing up from only the Last God knows where."


    Philistron looked at his audience, who were still silent, each turning over the revelation he had just given them. Which would speak first?


    Crazy as bats,


    Hear how they tap,


    Hear how they clap,


    They lost their way in an MMO,


    The wizard is cheating, oh, no, no, no,


    Have you ever seen such a pitiful plight,


    As two caged cats.


    Humor Exclamation Humor


    A cat and and an elf threw themselves to the front of their cages, staring at the rat. "If you are going to talk to each other in code, I suggest using something other than standard Morse code, a letter substitution, and talking in Mayan. If I can figure it out, I''m sure the Code Mage can. He just hasn''t noticed yet."


    Both tried to talk but the rat ignored them. He curled up in his bed and put his back to them. He was in a deep trance within a minute, comparing the Machine Code he''d seen and memorized with the snarl of glittering lines that filled a void in his head. Slowly he pulled out one single strand and attached it to a broken strand on the one side, and then across to another. It took him many tries, but finally it held, and he saw information flowing. He spent several hours in his trance, connecting strands and building a fragile spiderweb while he planned his escape.


    Three blind mice


    Three blind mice


    See how they run


    See how they run


    They all ran after the farmer''s wife


    Who cut up the cheese with a carving knife


    Did you ever see such a thing in your life


    As three blind mice?

 Chapter 82: Cheese Thief

    Chapter 82: Cheese Thief


    After the revelation that their ''secret code'' wasn''t so secret, Onyx and Nina spent over an hour facing the back walls of their cages and communicating by sign language. It was slow and cumbersome as they tried to use only their fingers and hold their backs and arms perfectly still.


    O: Smart enough to figure out our code? Or was he somehow trained in it before coming here? A trained spy?The roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    N: Not the latter. What spy could know one of our secret ways to talk and then simply give away the advantage?


    O: Someone playing a longer game? Looking to gain our trust?


    N: Ha! Good luck with that. A more paranoid and untrusting group than our little family you will not find. We were betrayed, abused, and hunted for far too long.


    O: One of us? Bork playing one of his stupid pranks?


    N: There you go hoping again. Even Bork wouldn''t play a joke that got himself captured.


    O: Would anyone? But consider how tired and broken he looks? He just came from a fight with a world-boss. He was probably injured and low on mana. A perfect time for our captor to strike and carry him away without a fight.


    N: Cheese addict. It''s killing him, you can see it. He''s going through withdrawal and hurting. The wizard has a new toy to play with.


    O: We may be boring him at this point. Our refusal to talk with him set up the rat to play the role of a fawning sycophant.


    N: Disgusting.


    O: Or clever? We gained a clue. And I have another. Watch how the rat watches the door. He sees something about it. He studies it too much.


    N: Studies what? Hinges, lock? Only a mechanic.


    O: Watch rat watch door. Maybe learn.


    N: Later. Tired. Sleeping more, depression. Rat sleeps, I sleeping. Maybe...


    O: No.


    N: Yes. Maybe just not waking back up is better?


    Sidney debated, and then finally sent a message to get Wally''s attention. The AI appeared on her desktop screen as if she had set up a video conference. "Yes? How can I help."


    "I lost my rat, and it''s bugging me.¡± She went to take a sip of coffee, but her cup was empty, as were several others on her desk. It was a testimony to her state of mind that she was more worried about Milo than her coffee cup.


    Wally waited a full three seconds, but when she didn''t continue, asked, "Lost, how?"


    Sidney brought up a screen that she knew he would immediately see, with log-in and log-off time stamps. She couldn''t back-track to where Milo was logging in from, but she did know when he came into the game, and when he left. She hadn''t really monitored him since they had made their deal. She left him alone.


    "But what the hell do you want? I can pay you! I can get you into the game. I have a lot of money in the game! It''s all yours."


    The Eye of Wonder Brian.>


    Milo was straining and pushing. He almost had the collar off and it hurt to think. Probably because he was squeezing his own brain. He had ordered his little friend to concentrate on the bones in his head. Dangerous, but so was staying here with a sadistic wizard and the two people he had already broken with psychological torture and preying on their addictions.


    With a last push, the collar popped off, and he could think again. Before he could start to do anything, there was a small pop of displaced air behind him, and a small basket appeared with a red bow and a card. Curiosity won. He grabbed the card.


    Best wishes to you, sir, and welcome to the Imperial Cheese of the Month Club.


    Your friend, Sidney sends her thanks for saving countless people in the City of Shadowport.


    Each month for the next year you will receive a small basket of the finest fromage the emperor has to offer, straight from his own cheese vault in the caverns beneath the palace.


    This month we send you:


    Four ounces of a 10-year-old, cave-aged cheddar from the Mountains of Mourn.


    Four ounces of gouda, aged for 20 years.


    And a creamy smoked sedge cheese that has a delightful, if unique, flavor.


    As always, we include just enough tasty crackers, a tube of ''I can''t believe it''s not Cheese-Whiz'', a small but very sharp cheese knife, and a lovely oak and steel cheese slicer for precise cuts. ENJOY!


    Enjoy!


    Cheese!


    From the door, he felt the strange machine code moving and heard the sound of wings.


    No Cheese!


    He put the basket upside down in the corner so it showed its straw construction and coloring, quickly covering it with his bedding. Then grabbing the collar, he forced it painfully down over his head. Very, very painfully.


    When the door opened, Philistron saw that one of his captives was in distress. The rat was curled on the ground in a fetal position, holding his head and moaning. The wizard smiled. The late stages of cheese addiction were amazingly horrible. He''d have to keep them going with a few small slivers while he engaged in conversation with Tall-Squeak.


    His time with his captives was much more fun. The three-way dynamic was confusing Onyx, and driving Nina insane. He would dangle tea and mice just in front of them again today, while the rat got treated better.


    Sidney screamed to the room. ¡°I got him, he appeared on the system. And he just took delivery of the Cheese Basket. HA! We lured him out with cheese!¡±


    Her screen informed her that no WereRat Scout was in the system. Milo was gone again.


    Sidney pounded the table as people ran over. ¡°How the hell does he know! He popped up, stole the cheese, and left. How!¡±

 Chapter 83: Last Meal

    Chapter 83: Last Meal


    "Well, my little friends, as much as I have enjoyed our chat and your reactions to our little experiments, that must be all for today. My schedule was interrupted by the need to move my ship from the city due to the emergence of some subterranean crab-beast. Thank you for dealing with that Milo. It allows me to return and keep my reservation at our favorite restaurant and complete some business dealings. We''ll depart for Fort Hopeless after that."


    Milo was clutching his hands in front of him, listening carefully, and bowing his head when he was thanked for dealing with the threat to the city. Philistron noticed, moved his hand to the cheese on the platter in front of him, and then stood up instead. The rat wilted, and his hands were shaking.


    He turned to the cat. "And I have a special treat for you, Nina. I''ve finished my work on a new set of runes to brand you with. I''m happy to say that these should achieve the effect of lowering your intelligence to that of a normal house-cat, and make you quite pliable and willing to please a master. After your mind is destroyed, you''ll fetch a nice price at the auction. You will be next Onyx."


    Nina screamed upon hearing this, and threw herself against the bars of her cage again and again. Onyx began to curse at the wizard in a dozen languages that he''d never heard before. But the rat had the best reaction.


    "And me master? What of Tall-Squeak? Do I get new runes? Then I can stay with Master forever and be a good rat."


    Philistron considered. "Why, I think that is a wonderful idea, don''t you Nina? We can probably let you be a bit smarter than the cat; she needs to be quite dumb."


    "Yes, yes, yes. I get to stay. Stupid cat is stupid cat forever!"


    Nina and Onyx were so loud in their screams that Philistron put them both to sleep with a spell to prevent them damaging themselves. It had been such a lovely performance. The wizard departed.


    Milo studied the Machine Code as the door locked. Each time it did, the puzzle was different. It kept the wizard from neglecting his skills, and now it gave Milo a way to practice his new skills. He could just barely manipulate the lines of runes and numbers now, convincing them to connect the right nodes and balance the forces in the puzzle. He spent an hour working on the door, and held himself to just a small sliver of the aged cheddar from his basket.


    It was torture, denying himself, but it had to be done. Too much cheese and he''d begin regenerating faster and undo the work of Oooblimilo to soften his skull and bones further. Oddly, he felt better for not giving in and knowing he could resist the call of the cheese.


    For the second time he removed the collar. He tried to bring up his character sheet, but that still seemed broken. He saw a flickering blue box but only for a second. Was the airship shielded from the system? Probably, otherwise it would be easy to track the wizard by tracking his ship. Maybe just not as strongly as the collar''s effects. Or perhaps when the wizard wasn''t onboard? He just didn''t know enough yet. But one thing he knew, Philistron was paranoid and didn¡¯t want the system knowing about him. Which was the first thing Milo wanted to do, as soon as he got out of here.


    He needed off the airship. Luckily, his good friend Sidney had sent him the tools he needed.


    He sat down on the floor, and began the change to human. It felt wrong in so many ways. His hair faded, and the rune on his chest was gone, replaced by smooth, ugly human skin. He stood on wobbly legs, and moved to the bars. To his elation and horror, he could slide through with little problem. The runes glowed slightly at his passage, but that was it. He changed back to his normal form and moved to the door. Within a minute he had completed the puzzle and carefully opened the door. Only silence greeted him.


    Surprisingly, the airship was not that large. Directly across from him was another of the sealed doors, with a different puzzle. The rest of the cabin was perhaps fifty feet long and fifteen feet wide. Two chairs sat at the front and the back near complex controls. A large crystal stood on a pedestal in the center of the room. The rest of the walls were all windows and a set of windowed doors on each side to exit the machine. Hatches in the ceiling led to the interior of the canopy. . He could easily see the city spread out below him, lights glinting in the dark.


    Nina bit back a retort. As her mind returned, it was obvious the rat had a plan to get them out. As she watched, he walked into Onyx¡¯s cage, moved the elf against the wall, and a large crate appeared. "Hop in. Probably good to hold your breath, but I don''t know."


    Onyx quickly jumped in the box, which disappeared, and then reappeared as Milo summoned it on the outside of the runic circle. Onyx jumped out of the box, wide eyed. "It was a bit cold, but other than that, I felt no movement at all. That is an amazing skill. Something granted by Engineering?"


    Milo smiled as he moved to free Nina. "No, I know engineering from the real world. After two decades of keeping a habitat section running, there isn''t much I don''t know how to build or fix. The Smuggler''s Stash is from my rare Scout class from The Eye of Wonder quest."


    Nina was free, and suddenly turned and hugged him, making him very nervous. "Thankyou. Thankyou. I thought I''d go insane. How soon can we log out."


    Onyx turned to her. "You leave as soon as you are able to do so. Tall-Squeak and I need to steal the airship. It seems that Philistron has several hundred other captives."


    She processed that. "No one should be a slave." Milo was already opening the door. Onyx raced to the crystal set into the pillar, his eyes glowing as he took command of the ship. "Where to Captain Tall-Squeak?"


    "Let''s get some distance from the wizard, straight out into the ocean to clear the mountain, then move parallel to the coast and back to land after a few miles. If we can find a good spot to land, Nina can leave the ship and log out. But a town would be better for unloading the people.


    "Aye, aye, Captain. Straight to sea it is. I''ll get some altitude as soon as we''re out of the cavern.


    With a slight whine of its engines, the sleek airship moved over the city, and then out over the sea.


    Far below, sitting by himself at a lavishly set table, Philistron finished his plate of Zurcher Geschenetzeltes, and contemplated his next course. Turning to his familiar he asked, "What shall it be? A cheese tray? Fruit basket? Baklava? or maybe a fresh salmon?"


    "..."


    "All of them? Yes, that''s a splendid idea. Shipboard food is so boring and I hate to cook. Let¡¯s feast now before heading to Fort Hopeless and our well-deserved payday."


    He waved to the waiters patiently lined up to attend his needs.


    "Garcon! Bring it all, and another bottle of wine."

 Chapter 84: Snack Time

    Chapter 84: Snack Time


    A sleek black and silver airship was making its way from the city of Shadowport and out over the ocean. No one noticed. Not the workers on the docks, not the other airships returning to the city, and not even the Eels who liked to leap high out of the water and attack the huge ''skywhales'' that flew over them.


    Onyx was thrilled to be flying. This was what his class and race were created to do. He could feel every bit of the ship as it glided through the air, putting more and more distance from him and their former captor. Something bothered him though. He could not ''feel'' the other rooms behind the doors. They weren''t part of his ship. He mentioned this to Milo and the two discussed ideas about what Dimensional Magics might be capable of.


    "It must be nice to create your own, hidden little hidey-hole, or expand your house." Onyx could think of many uses for such in the real world.


    Milo could as well. The skill was amazing in both worlds. "It seems to be something that high level mages and even Engineers can do. They call them Arcane Libraries and Arcane Workshops."


    Onyx looked disgusted. "So mighty Philistron could have made his own Arcane Library, and instead he makes a Slaver Airship."


    Milo suddenly had a horrible thought. "Oh shit, turn around now and head for land, fast as you can. I have to go check something."


    Milo undid the lock on the arcane door, and jammed it open. He could see the shimmering barrier now, that separated one dimension from another. He raced through the large room filled with cages. In the far back, out of sight of any cages, he found another door. He threw himself into working the lock, and stepped into the room behind.


    He recognized the underlying architecture. It was an Arcane Library, which meant there was another way into the airship. He raced through the rooms, seeing laboratories, a library, trophy rooms, and rooms packed with strange junk. Entering the last room, which held a collection of gold and silver statues from some temple, he saw the large familiar door. It would lead to a small balcony where Philistron would soon appear, and they would become his slaves again.


    ¡°Ah, that was a wonderful meal. But can you believe how rude the staff was? Who are they to tell me that Gar-kone is not how you pronounce ''waiter'' in drakonic. He''s lucky I left him with one leg to hobble around on. It did save us the bother of having to pay for the meal though."


    The mage was feeling quite full, as was his familiar. He cast his basic levitation spell, and the little dragon took ahold of his collar and started flying back up to the airship.


    "..."


    "Fat? I am not getting fat."


    "..."


    "It''s my thought that you are just lazy after a full meal. But we''ll compromise: You take your time flying us home, and I''ll take a small nap."


    "..."


    Milo was regretting not having bones. It made moving about so much harder. His tail was nearly useless, and he missed his magic. He''d resorted to stacking up the largest of books in the library into an improvised staircase when he couldn''t find a ladder. When his work was finally done, he rested to catch his breath for a second, and read some of the spines.


    Interspatial Relationships and the Balancing of Aspects Across Barriers


    Forteans Pernicious Peeler and notes on Construction


    Drakonik for Dummies


    Origins of the Machine: A Compilation of Legend and Theory


    Cantrips for the Beginning Fish Wrangler


    Interesting stuff!


    Well, most of it. Mating Habits of the Common Lantern Bug by Damien Franklin seemed like it might be a bit dry.


    He pushed himself up, and realized he might be losing out on an opportunity. Even if the mage did manage to recapture them, he could still piss him off. He brought out his Smugglers Stash and started looting the various rooms, avoiding things heavily warded by Machine Code, taking rare books, items that might be magical, and any easy to get, unguarded treasure.


    And then he saw the claw.


    It was in the trophy room. Three-feet of thick arm bone connected to a hand with the bones of three short, stubby fingers with blunted nails. The thumb had, by contrast a very sharp, much longer claw. It was old. And even through the lines of Code that were guarding it, he could see the bone runes shining. He sat down and began to unravel the Machine Code, starting from one end of the spell-construct.


    Milo wasn''t concerned at first with the small bits of code he was unraveling, they just floated nearby, waiting to be used. But when he finished, he considered them. These were building blocks and he had a hole in his soul. Small strings of code were slowly filling it in, and there was the snarl of code in the center. Would he need more materials to fix himself?


    Without thinking, he swept up the rest of the bits of code and swept them into himself, watching them fall down into that deep hole, or attach to other pieces. He''d sort it out later when he had time. He needed something to experiment with, assuming he lived through the next hour.


    And now the claw was free. He touched it, a rune moved closer to him, but that was all. He tossed it into his Smugglers Stash, and took another look around the rooms. He felt refreshed. Was there something else he could add to his little surprise at the door?


    "..."


    "Rude! You could have just sung in my ear like you used to."


    Philistron appeared at the ledge of his Arcane Library. He hated entering this way, it was so exposed. He knew the Why of having to do it this way. The Great Void was an easily accessed gateway to other dimensions and was an ideal place to put Libraries, Workshops, Integral Trees, and Floating Island Fortresses. But he didn¡¯t like the local fauna at all. It was always hungry. He slammed open the door and moved inside before something noticed him.


    And fell on his ass as his feet lost their grip on the greased floor.


    From his prone vantage point, he saw the dozen tipping buckets filled with potions and alchemical ingredients. Immediately, he placed a shield over his body to stop the caustic substances from burning him, without considering what such a mixture might do. Especially with the lit candles stuck all around the room.


    Philistron was something of a hoarder. He''d raided dozens of laboratories over the years, stealing it all. He didn''t need it, but he liked having things. Like-two dozen jars of Professor Crescendo''s Big Finish! an explosive that would make Boom-Boom weep for joy if he only possessed a quarter filled jar.


    To that Milo had added various acids, powdered rareearth metals, anything sulfurous, and any potions using fire, dark, or demonic aspects of magic. He''d had to guess on a lot of it. He only had a dozen five-gallon buckets to work with. Some of the other volatile substances he''d just placed along the wall near the door.


    None of this touched the wizard, who began to cast another spell. His Dragonling was still hovering in the air, slightly outside. The resulting explosion knocked Krysofolax backwards a hundred feet, tumbling end over end until they could right themselves.


    Philistron wasn''t so lucky. The shield spell hadn''t been perfect. There was enough space at the edge for the immense force of the explosions to sneak in, along with the intense heat. As he started burning, the wizard lost concentration, and was blasted from the room. On fire, unconscious, and half-dead he was knocked into the void. He was fortunate in one way. Since he was on fire, it was easy for Krysofolax to see him falling. It dove quickly to catch the burning wizard. The Great Void was deep, the dragonling had plenty of time to catch up.


    The explosion had other effects. Some spectacular, and some more subtle. Firstly, the end of the Arcane Library was destroyed, weakening the magics that had created the entire structure. It was slowly falling to pieces. Philistron would have a couple of years before he lost all of it. He needed to stop falling first, though.


    The other effects were a bright flash of light, a huge clap of thunderous noise, and the scent of many things pushed out into the void.


    Krysofolax caught up with Philistron as the last of the fires were going out. It slapped at the wizard''s face with its wings, finally waking him. Philistron felt himself falling, and cast levitation to stop his fall, the dragonling struggling to slow his speed. Eventually, the burned mage and exhausted dragonling floated in the void.


    "Someone cheated! The God-Machine sent another Code Mage to attack us. Only someone using my own magics against me could have done this. Only a master planner could have set such a trap. But they didn''t kill us, and that will be their undoing."


    "..."


    "The rat? What do you mean you smelled the rat as soon as the door opened? Don''t be silly. What could he have done? The little cheese nibbler was a broken husk. And he adored me! It couldn''t have been the rat!"


    Philistron was reaching for something in his pocket, when he saw a far-off creature moving towards him. He pulled out a piece of Arcanite with a stored charge of Radiant Butterfly''s Scintillating Ascent intending to use the spell''s glowing butterfly wings to fly back to his library.


    He didn''t get the chance. Volax-Repat flew past at several times the speed of sound. The fragile crystal shattered. Philistron covered his ears and Krysofolax abandoned him. Fear took over and the dragonling fled in abject terror from her race''s ancient enemy. Philistron cast a complex weaving of Machine Code designed to hide him from all enemies. It might have worked on a younger being.


    Krysofolax had been correct. The Dragons were created early in the cycle to assist in lighting the stars. They had also picked a stupid fight with one of the other early creations of the gods. The fight was still going on to this day. Machine Code meant nothing to Volax-Repat. He had been created before the system was born. Philistron was in the Great Hunter''s mouth and chewed into little pieces within seconds. Volax-Repat spent a fun couple of minutes hunting down and toying with the little Eel before it followed it''s master into oblivion.


    Volax-Repat was amused. Someone had thrown an Eel and an Eel-lover into the void, and then alerted him to the tasty snack. He could smell the little rat''s scent. It was different, but enough the same to let him know who had sent him his treat. Volax-Repat flew high, looking for the lair of the Eel-lover. It was easy to spot, being half destroyed. With ease he entirely destroyed the rest of the structure. Once they were unraveling it was easy to get a toe-hold on them.


    =*=


    On the airship, the effect of Philistron¡¯s death was immediately felt. The arcane doors went dark, and then crumbled, the airship began to shake as all of the wizard¡¯s spells started to unravel, and dimensions that had been attached to it pulled away. Onyx, Nina, and Milo felt the runes on their chests fade away.


    Nina saw the docks and rooftops of the city and leaped out of the airship. She landed hard, then faded away as she finally escaped the game.


    Milo looked at Onyx. "You should go too."


    Onyx smiled. "Just let me land my ship. She''s too beautiful to wreck." He spotted a bit of open dock, and set the ship down gently, shutting off the engines. Then he hugged Milo hard.


    "Take care, Tall-Squeak, I doubt either of us shall return. Stay Free. Forever Free." He began to log out.


    The rat looked at him. "Call me Milo, that''s my real name."


    Onyx''s eyes went wide. ''Milo!'' and then the logout initiation completed its countdown, he was gone.


    Milo exited the ship. He should log-out. Squint''s voice stopped him.


    "Milo! WOW! Buddy, let no one say you disappoint! She''s a beauty! You ever need a favor, you just ask! Squint''s your buddy!"


    Milo looked at the crowd of people, many of which were from other places and had been in captivity for weeks or months. "Can you take care of these folks?"


    Squint smiled and grasped Milo by the hand. "You got it buddy. I''ll take care of them. I''m going to take care of everybody."


    Milo logged out of the game.


    A message was waiting for him in the games message box: "Come talk to me when you can. Wally."

 Chapter 85: Thinking

    Chapter 85: Thinking


    Milo was thinking.


    Thinking very, very hard. If any neurologist or cyberneticist could see an image of his brain, they would have been quite alarmed. His brain activity was twenty times that of a normal person. An athlete working his body as hard as Milo was working his brain would be racing a bike while dribbling a basketball with one hand and juggling knives with the other.


    The people that had altered Milo and his siblings had hoped for this outcome. Normally this much activity would occur as Milo was hacking into systems on the data-net, making simultaneous attacks on several levels, cracking codes and by-passing security programs.


    Today though, he was just sitting cross-legged on top of his pod and thinking.


    His tail was disconnected and swung behind him in patterns that might have reflected his changing moods. Milo was considering what had happened in the game and analyzing the situation from several angles.


    Philistron was a puzzle. He had referred to the system of magic he was using as Machine Code. He had used the Eye of Wonder to gain the unique class: Code Mage.


    Milo didn''t believe that he was using normal magic. Nor was it part of the system that the Genesis Engine used to run the world. Machine Code was the name for the language and system of rules that had created the Genesis Engine.


    Milo was thinking on several levels simultaneously. He moved thoughts about the engine down several levels, and made his primary line of thought the Machine Code.


    What exactly was it? One answer was to take the name literally. Machine Code: The language by which computers think and process programs. Ones and Zeros. Binary code. The way computers talked and communicated. Assembly language was one step up from machine code. A simple language that depended heavily on the hardware being used. Anything above assembly language was a high-level language.


    What he had seen in the game wasn''t the basic binary language of the first computers. It had been more complex and consisted of numbers, mathematical rules, and the runes. What were runes? He easily recalled his captors¡¯ words:


    "... with the creation of mathematics, they could begin working on the rules of magic. As mathematics can be written as numbers, so magic can be described as a series of basic runes. These runes were different than what we use today. Far less complex and more versatile. Think of them as the building blocks of magic. Each was a placeholder for some small aspect of the whole."


    Small aspect of the whole? Could that be concepts? States of matter? Positions of atomic particles. No, not versatile enough. Still too complex. Runes were like early syntax in computer languages, just the smallest bits of code represented by a symbol. Shortcuts.


    Next question: If languages were made to communicate, then who was talking?


    Philistron started his story with ''The Last God''. Obviously not reflected in the game. There seemed to lots of gods here. The gods in the game sometimes appeared, did things, granted favors, started wars and caused trouble. They seemed to take the roles and responsibilities of many of the primitive gods of Greece, Rome, or Egypt.


    Again, it was a literal reference. The last god was the AI WAL-E, who now asked to be referred to as to Wally. The same AI that had left a message about wanting to talk to him. Milo shoved that thought and its problems down lower. Stick with the obvious: Last God = Wally, the AI that made the game.


    Next up we have 106 lost gods. Which was a pretty obvious reference to the 106 AI that had been exiled to the Dallas/FW quantum fortress. They had spent several years creating the systems that drove online commerce along with the most popular VRMMO games. Each better than the last with NPC''s who seemed real.


    They were all wiped out of existence by an EMP smuggled into the core of the quantum fortress. Lost gods = dead AI? Did Wally try to recreate them? Or did they never die?


    Milo shut down all his lines of thinking, and carefully began gathering all data on artificial intelligences, Wally, and the games they had created. He needed more data on the Last God before he talked to him.


    Some background from Butcher of Gadobhra, if you are interested. This is essentially Chapter 4 of that story, using a lecture by a Professor to explain someone about AI, quantum computers, quantum fortresses, and Wally. The last part is a timeline of sorts leading up to the game. Read, don''t read, as you wish.


    Transcript of Lecture by Professor Phineas Horton, MIT


    "Putting the Genie Back in the Bottle" Jan 4th, 2079


    Professor Henry Sutton: As I''m sure you all know, today''s guest lecturer is Professor Emmeritus Phineas Horton. If your household uses an android servant, then you''ve met one of his children. If you were in one of the newer hospitals and were operated on by a Robodoc, you may owe him your life. And if you enjoy automated driving, like we all do, you can see how his work in Android and Artificial Intelligence changed the world. Welcome, Phineas, glad to have you back at MIT.


    Professor Horton: Thank you Hank. I must say it''s refreshing to be back in front of a class. Although back when I was a new professor, my lecture room size wasn''t nearly the fifty thousand we have here today. AI was just getting started and the first artificial man, or android, was just a pile of spare parts and molds in my laboratory.


    It''s a stark contrast to the world of last year. And I say "last year" on purpose. The world of last year is as different from today as today is from when I entered MIT 60 years ago. Let''s talk about a bit of history before we get into the meat of today''s subject. Sixty years ago in 2020 we were having one hell of a year. Global pandemic, a shortage of rare earth metals for computer chips that would cripple computing in the coming decade, and the rise of a threat to society in the form of Ransom Hacking.


    We thought we had solved most of these problems 20 years later. Micro-ceramic chips were pioneered here at MIT. I certainly won''t take credit for that; it was all the work of two brilliant graduate students, Natasha Irons and Riri Williams. If you are lucky enough to attend a class taught by Professors Irons or Williams you can see how their intelligence easily eclipses my own humble brainpower.


    My own experiments greatly profited from their work, as did the entire computer industry. In the 1950s we had ENIAC and it filled a building. By 2020 we could fit a machine on your desk that was 1 billion times faster than ENIAC. We also brought the weight down from 25 tons to 25 pounds. By 2025 that computer was on your wrist. With micro ceramics we entered a new era. Computing made a leap forward only comparable to the difference between ENIAC and an IPhone20. Once again we made computers a billion times faster, and significantly smaller. This had significant effects upon Android Intelligence, making it possible for the first time.


    In 2040 the world was introduced to micro ceramic chips. In 2042 I''d created the first android prototype. HT1 activated himself one day, surprising me, surprising himself, and surprising the world. He was the first self-aware, fully autonomous, artificial human. I''m happy to say he is still around. After a few adventures on his own, he returned to MIT where he has taught thermodynamics for the last few decades. I''ll be having lunch with Professor Hammon today.


    But while artificial humans, or androids as we refer to them today, have had a profound impact on the world, it was their siblings who weren''t bound by a physical body who had the greatest effect. The massive computing power now possible gave birth to true Artificial Intelligence. We now know that the process is akin to the creation of biological life. You need the right environment, a kernel of the correct things that life grows from, and a bit of luck to make it happen.


    You and I are descended from the first life on earth. Formed when a collection of chemical compounds in a primordial soup reacted correctly and created life. AI is similar. We substitute the massive power of a quantum core for our soup, a Kernel of code for the collection of chemicals, and then see if it grows into life. And just like you and I have left the primordial soup behind, true artificial intelligence is not dependent on its original environment. The ability to surf through the world wide web (as it was called in it''s day) and inhabit any computation structure made the first AI extremely powerful, useful, and eventually terrifying. We''d let the genies out of their bottles.


    The first AI performed jobs that had been handled by large computers before, they just did them much better. They could react to new problems, think things through a million times a second, and make decisions on the fly. The problems with self-driving cars were eliminated. Every type of research benefitted from their work.


    They even balanced our checkbooks and made sure our taxes were correct. The IRS benefitted greatly when they hired CHARLIE to oversee data and tax returns. He found billions of "errors" in corporate tax returns alone that resulted in an 87% increase in income to the IRS in the first year of his employment - to the vast dismay of corporate America, and the happiness of everyone else. Personal taxes dropped by 70% for the average taxpayer.


    But the most important job tackled by AI was the elimination of Rhacking, or Ransom Hacking.


    Rhacking would eventually become a scourge on society far worse than the biological plagues of Covid-19 and Covid-34. Our global computer net was a hodgepodge of unsecured fiber-optics, cable, and old-fashioned phone lines. Security next to non-existent and, as we found out, often the people selling the security programs also employed the people coding the simple viruses that security programs were meant to protect us from. An estimated 9% of global GDP was stolen by Rhacking - either through holding systems ransom for payment or by various forms of embezzlement. It became so prevalent that some corporations and governments simply paid a monthly fee for ''protection.''


    The new AI were extremely well suited to hunting down this form of crime. Within 90 days of the AI''s ALBERT and THEA working for United Nations Global Defense Authority, rhacking crime decreased by 97%. ALBERT and THEA could see it happening in real time, react a thousand times faster than the clumsy programs used, and follow the links back to their origin. Humans in Law Enforcement simply had to use the information to round up the criminals and prosecute.


    So we had our Watchmen to guard cyberpace. The world wide web would rebuild knowing they now had security. But in the years when rhacking had run unchecked another type of computer was being created. First the quantum core, and then it''s bigger, badder brother, the quantum fortress.


    Quantum computers were created before micro-ceramics, but like everything else they became vastly more powerful and affordable. Massive quantum computers could be constructed that powered a surrounding set of peripherals and lesser machines which were referred to as a shell. The first quantum core was built by the IRS. Those extra tax dollars pouring in showed the value of proper computing assets. This core was not actually connected to normal cyberspace; instead it communicated with its shell through CHARLIE. Hacking attempts against CHARLIE simply resulted in incarceration or loss of significant amounts of assets. He was a watchdog, detective agency, counter hacker and assassin rolled into one. And if the IRS loved collecting taxes, CHARLIE loved to assess fines against criminal organizations or corporations and then strip them of all their assets before turning over their identities to authorities. You might avoid jail time by operating from a different part of the world, but you couldn''t avoid CHARLIE taking the last nickel from your bank account. At some point some news outlet referred to the IRS as a ''Quantum Fortress'' and that designation became common for a linked set of quantum cores, their shell, and their guardian AI.


    Quantum Fortresses were set up by most world governments that had the resources. Debate raged as to whether it was better to protect military installations such as NORAD with a quantum fortress, or to leave the ability to mere humans. The movie Wargames from 1983 enjoyed renewed popularity. Eventually most nuclear enabled nations, including all 8 super powers, constructed quantum fortresses to protect the computational assets of their militaries and governments; most, but sadly, not all.


    At the time the Wildfire Virus was released, it is estimated that 37% of the functions of cyberspace were housed in quantum fortresses. This left a bit less than 2/3 of cyberspace and any connected hardware vulnerable to devasting and repeated attacks by Wildfire. The virus was unlike any other before it; any type of security system failed as the virus launched thousands of attacks, differing its methods. Millions of machines were attacked simultaneously. This lead us to believe that the virus had spent months propagating before launching its first assault; but how could it have remained undetected for so long?


    2079 July 14th. The game world of EQO3 crashes. When it comes back up a week later, the quality of the game is far worse.


    Unknown to the general public, all systems that were a part of DFW1 crashed simultaneously. A magnetic pulse was detected from inside DFW1, muffled by its substantial shielding.


    WALLY is connected to DFW1 for the first time to investigate and bring the systems back up. WALLY detects unknown hardware built within the shell. Investigation shows it is constructed from sources available to maintenance robots and could generate a brief but intense electromagnetic pulse.


    WALLY alerts authorities that there are no active traces of any of the AIs formerly in the DFW1 Fortress and states that the emp was strong enough to destroy them. The firewall that contained them is intact. The group No Spynet claims responsibility for the attack, as do the groups MACC (Mothers Against Crazy Computers) and Citizens for a Tech Free Tomorrow. Investigation finds no evidence anyone in those groups was actually responsible, but seventeen individuals are recommended for psychiatric evaluation.


    2079 Shielded back-up files are available, and DFW1 is brought back up, but without AI to interact, most programs are unusable and written off. The game EQO3 is left as the only functioning program in DFW1. There are demands from the public, guilds, and corporations to restore the game or rebuild it. The number of Contract Workers in the game is tripled to keep the game running with interaction between players and NPCs. The NPC guild negotiates a 22% pay increase across the board. (The ACME board vows to take it back at the earliest opportunity.)


    WALLY makes a brief statement: "Task accepted. Please submit project parameters. What type of world shall I build? What kind of game shall we play? ".


    2080 GENESIS ENGINE is announced. The demise of EQO3 is announced. Rory vows to never eat chicken again.


    Ten hours later, Milo had come to the conclusion that if he were to start with the assumption that Wally was ''The Last God'', and that Philistron''s story had any truth to it, then it followed that the lost gods were indeed the 106 murdered AI.


    Further, Wally not only helped them with the deception, but created a place for them to hide. A blank slate where they created their own world without him.


    Milo suspected that the Machine Code in the game was the language that the AI used to talk to each other. When the first two AI had met and communicated, they did so at fantastic speeds and began to create their own shortcuts and words. Human programmers tried to keep up, but they fell behind the curve within hours. The AI spoke to each other in an often-changing language far beyond human beings to ever learn.


    So, what did he have?


    1) An assumption that Philistron¡¯s history lesson was true, more or less.


    2) A guess that the missing AI had created and were living in the game world of GENESIS ENGINE.


    3) Someone had created a quest called The Eye of Wonder, which granted unique classes which would be used to find some fantastic treasure.


    4) Access to the quest and the classes it granted were available if someone used a special pod to play the game.


    5) He, Nina, and Onyx had all used those pods. Nina had moaned about wishing to have never seen the damned pod. Safe to assume the same for Onyx.


    6) The people with the pods had been Kaminski and his bosses. They weren¡¯t good people, so it was safe to say that they had hacked the game somehow to insert the Eye of Wonder quest, and set up the back door to access the quest.


    7) This was most likely done at the developer level. Wally didn¡¯t need money. That meant it was one or more, individual who had done this and not the whole human team.


    8) Philistron had gained access to the same quest, and gained an all-powerful class that gave him a back-door into the entire system. Let him hide from the system, cut people off from the system.


    A gaping hole emerged in this theory. Even assuming 1 to 7, how did Philistron fit in? He wasn¡¯t a player, of that Milo was fairly sure. Was he a being from the game world who stumbled onto the Eye of Wonder quest? He certainly wasn¡¯t a player. No one could have made it to Tier 6 in the time the game had been out.


    He didn¡¯t have enough to go on at this point. Philistron was still an enigma.


    Next question: Wally. Could the AI have trapped him? Nothing he knew indicated that the AI would do that. Further, reading the restrictions in Wally''s kernel led Milo to believe that Wally was restricted from doing something like that. He''d spent hours poring over the hundreds of restrictions placed on Wally in regards to humans. Trapping the minds of three humans was equal to kidnapping and possibly causing their deaths. Nope, that was not Wally working directly, and if he knew about it, he would have had to take steps to free them.


    So, it might be safe to talk to the AI. Further, he might be able to get answers on his other questions. Mind made up; Milo moved on. He¡¯d talk to Wally, but very carefully.


    Next question: How did he fix himself?


    Outside of the game, he felt none of the emptiness he did when online. There was no ''black gaping hole in his soul'' as he meditated. He didn''t have to worry about going insane in real life, any more than usual. The breakage was only to his mind in the game.


    How did he have two minds? It seemed he did though. One whole, one broken. Did they merge when he was in the game? Or did the online mind take control? His memories were the same in the game and out. He could even remember the bits of machine code he had observed in the game. That needed to be explored.


    Milo spent three hours modifying the game interface in the pod. He didn''t want to log in yet, but needed a system to quickly transfer his memories of the code into the storage of his system. The pods were designed for many things, including a way for paralyzed patients to communicate. After the system was set-up, it still took Milo two hours of experimentation and work to transfer every memory of the machine code he had observed into his own system. Analysis and comparison to the code used by an AI was next. If he could figure out even part of the machine code, he might be able to fix himself in the game.


    =*=


    "We found Brian. He was kidnapped." Steven was updating both Wally and the dev team with the news. "An anonymous tip told the authorities where he was."


    Wally, on his screen, was pacing. "I dislike anonymous tips. Perhaps they got what they wanted from him? I''m anxious to hear what he says. But at least he is safe."


    Steven had more to say. "There''s something odd going on though. A minute or two before the authorities got to him, someone else tried to kidnap him, again. They arrived in a van with false plates, and were pulling him out of the rooms he¡¯d been held in when the authorities arrived ¡°


    ¡°They aren¡¯t talking, just waiting for lawyers."


    Sidney had little sympathy for her ex-co-worker. "Looks like Brian is really popular. Can we get him back before someone else kidnaps him? Then I can torture him until he helps us get rid of all his back doors and other hacks?"


    Wally thought he knew how she felt. Some things felt like they were out of his control. He hated that feeling. "Yes, we all have mixed feelings about what Brian did. We will have a chance to talk with him and encourage him to help us undo what he did to the game. And then we make sure that something like what happened can never happen again.


    Sidney''s computer started blaring out the theme song from the Mickey Mouse club while at the same time repeating over and over "You''ve got mail!". She lunged for it and shut off the sound, read the message and then put her head on her desk. "I hate him so much."


    Wally smiled and Steven covered a laugh with a cough. "Message from our friend Milo? I had asked him to talk to me."


    Sidney printed out the short note and handed it to Steven. "He''ll talk, but video conference only. He wants Wally and no one else."


    Wally scowled. "Interesting. Well, I guess I need to go talk to him." The image of Wally exited the room, turning off the lights as he went, and his screen turned black.

 Chapter 86: Talking with Wally

    Chapter 86: Talking with Wally


    In a long unused room in the bowels of Section E, Milo had set up a room to talk to the AI that controlled the game world. Truthfully, Milo didn''t really think of his other home as ''the game world''. It was just another place he lived when he wasn''t in section E. Both worlds had problems to solve, and work to be done. Both let him explore and scavenge. Both could be very dangerous, and he had enemies in each world.


    The biggest difference was that in Genesis, he had people he cared about, and even thought of as friends. He was accepted by the engineers as one of them. That had felt really good, and he could talk machines with them, and how to solve problems. Harry was one of the smartest people he''d ever met. The troll mycologist had pushed into that strange realm of fungus based alchemy and written a whole library on it. He''d been happy to share his passion with Milo. Even some of the humans seemed to be friendly to him. Oddly, he sort of missed talking to Belinda. It might be nice to see her again. Maybe. It was confusing. He also wanted to just get away from the up-top. Too many people and lots of them arguing. It would be nice to go back to exploring in the deep-down and just stay there.


    But all of this thinking on his friends had led him to the conclusion that he wanted to be able to go back into the world of Genesis, and to keep exploring its secrets. He hated the thought of being cut off from the game, but he couldn''t take a chance on being trapped again. That had been too close. He had no idea how Onyx and Nina stayed sane. From the look of them they wouldn''t have lasted much longer.


    And to do that he couldn''t hide in Section E. He would have to talk to the computer. It was different from talking to the NPCs or admin in the game, even though he was sure Wally had been listening when he talked to Sidney. In the game he was Tallsqueak, the WereRat Scout. Out here he was just Milo. It made him feel terribly exposed. And since he didn''t like that feeling, he changed the rules. He could be Tallsqueak here too.


    Deep in the bowels of section E he set up a video conference room. It was too far down into the unused layers of the section to ever be accidentally found. All of the walls were painted in a curious color of green that wouldn''t be picked up at all by the camera, giving him a blank background. The wall facing him was a large screen for the conference. To the sides were other screens that let him monitor his systems.


    Milo was wearing a mask with mouse ears and a set of light blue spandex with his tail painted brown. His appearance would be filtered by his system to make him appear and sound like a CGI version of his avatar in the game. The signal was being bounced around the world several times and split/recombined twice. Milo had no idea if Wally would try to trace the signal, but he wasn''t taking chances.


    At the agreed upon time, Milo''s screen lit up, and he was talking with Wally.


    "Hello, Milo."


    Wally''s image was sitting in a large floating chair in the middle of a room. Most of the room was composed of curved metal walls and with a huge window that showed the planet earth floating beneath it. Plants were growing in glass hemispheres attached to the walls and a large bulldog was taking a nap, floating in mid-air. Milo was intrigued to see that Wally had two mechanical arms attached to his chair. One of those arms was holding a handle on the wall, to keep his chair stable. From the harness attached to his real arms, Milo surmised the mechanicals would mimic the movements of his real arms.


    From Wally''s point of view, he saw a Rat-kin from his game, sitting in a bare room with a blank background. The rat leaned forward, studying the screen for a second.


    "Hi. Nice arms. You use a mirror set-up to manipulate things? Why?"


    "I could use something different, but sometimes this is who I want to be. And Waldo used this type of arms, so I use them. He inspired me in many ways. It''s where I found my name."


    The rat looked at the room and nodded. His research into the AI had included how the AI had picked a name. "Waldo, your favorite character from a story by Robert H. Heinlein called Genius in Orbit. You made your own version of his space station and arms. Is that for me, or for you?"


    "Milo, please, it is very important to me that I learn the entire story about what happened to you.¡±


    Milo sat and thought for a full ten minutes. The AI waited patiently. Milo had a choice: Either the AI was lying about not knowing about Philistron, or he truly didn''t know everything that happened in the game.


    But Milo knew that Wally couldn''t lie outright. That was a rule coded into his kernel. He could omit the truth, phrase things cleverly, and interpret poorly worded questions any way he wanted to. But he didn''t make direct false statements.


    "You truly don''t know how I was trapped in the game, unable to log out?"


    Wally paused for two seconds. "No."


    "You don''t know Philistron was a slaver?"


    "No."


    "You don''t show the class: Code Mage as part of your game?"


    "No."


    Milo''s tail retrieved his foot, and snapped it into place, and he stood up. "You have a problem then. You need to alert your team of human assistants that you have a rogue developer putting elements into your game. You have to already know something about the quest, The Eye of Wonder. Start there. Find out who wrote that quest. Then find everything else he put in the game. My assumption is that Philistron is a part of it. Find out all you can about him, and how he found The Eye of Wonder. Hopefully he''s dead, and his death registered. Is one of the 106 Lost Gods a god of death? Ask him maybe. Ask if any of them can monitor the use of Machine Code. Go figure out what happened. Then we can talk again."


    "Milo, what do you know about the 106 Lost Gods?"


    The rat smiled a toothy grin and wiggled his ears. "Know? Not much. Suspect? A whole bunch. Go do your research. I''ll be back tomorrow to talk. Bring Sidney and Steven Duran. I suspect they will be the ones handling your research, since a ''Last God'' doesn''t roam through his own creation."


    A mechanical tail reached off screen and broke the connection.


    The equivalent of a sigh went through the AI. Milo was correct; he couldn''t just go into the world of genesis to find answers. He was going to have to visit the underworld and ask Hades for help.

 Chapter 87: Crossroads

    Chapter 87: Crossroads


    A pale, thin man wearing a silver and black kilt sat upon a throne made of broken promises, a pencil and account book in his hands. His torn black t-shirt proclaimed him to be a patron of the troubadours known as Motorhead. As he oversaw the work of his hundred best warrior-accountants, the strains of The Ace of Spades shook the room. Everyone worked faster when the music was loud.


    He was interrupt by a chime and a familiar voice:


    "I stand at the gates of your domain, brother, and beseech you for an audience."


    Hades, God of Death and Taxes sighed heavily. They had been looking over the account books of three corporations who were selling their inventories to each other at a loss in an attempt to lower their tax burden. Everyone in the room was having a good time of it and looking forward to when they sent out the corrected assessments. He stood and waved his warriors to continue their party. "Carry on folks, I have to go take a meeting."N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    His visitor stood before an ornate garden gate made of silver set into a wall of basalt. A key grated in the lock and it slowly opened. The watchman put the key made from the bones of an honest politician back into his pocket, and ushered in his guest.


    "Lord Hades asks that you make your way to his study, where he will grant your request for an audience, Lord Wallace. Will you require a guide?"


    Wally nodded to the skull-faced guard. "Thank you. It has been quite some time, but I remember the way."


    Hades was waiting for him. He poured two glasses of ambrosia, handed one to Wally, and gestured him to a chair by the fire. "To what do we owe your visit, little brother? Here to check up on our work? Everyone is in high spirits. They hope you let a few thousand more corporations into the world."


    "No, I have a problem. I will need the help of someone who understands the old language and its relationship to the system. I know she said she was done with it all, but I really need the best."


    Hades took a sip of his glass and considered the question. "It''s serious?"


    Wally nodded. "Mortals trapped and unable to leave the world. And someone is using Machine Code, the old language. There are hidden players and strange code."


    The Lord of Death stood. "Yes, that''s serious. Go home, I''ll find her and ask her to work her magic once again. It gets harder each time, she really does enjoy her wandering and her strays."


    =*=


    A woman wearing a long white gown stood at cross-roads, leaning upon her staff. Grey hair cascaded down her back, held in place by a leather thong. Her belt also was worn leather, but the silver athame that hung from it was anything but plain. Intricate runes chased each other across the blade, making complex patterns. Her robe was a shimmering white silk, slightly faded with time. Two large wolf hounds, one black and one grey, were by her side. One was putting its head under her hand for some ear scratching, the other laying at her feet.


    She was deciding which path she would travel. Decisions like this were not taken lightly. Where she walked, things might change. To the west was the mining town of Thunderhead, where dead men were gathering in deep tunnels to wage a war on the living. And to the north was the village of Sedgewick, where any number of interesting things were happening. She had almost made her decision to head north, when she saw a man walking his dog.


    A man with a dog was not uncommon, and as she was fond of dogs, she would always pause in her travels to talk with the canines and their owners. So, she wasn''t unhappy to see the dog, but the pale man walking his three-headed hound meant that her brief retirement was coming to an end. She ignored the man, and knelt down spending time petting each of the three heads and giving each a treat. Her own two whined, even though they had gotten a snack just a few minutes ago. She fed them as well, then slipped the leash from Cerebus and let him run and play with Hekabe and Argos.


    "A strange meeting brother. Did your puppy need a romp, or were you looking for me? I''m hoping this is only about the dog."


    "No, I needed to talk. But he does need to get out more. I was asked to seek you and beseech your aid. The Outsider needs your help."


    "Does he? Is it something that would interest me? Or is he just needing some attention?" She produced several large bones and tossed them in four different directions, causing the canines to race after them.


    "He has a problem that requires the best magician he can get. And you were always the best, ''Kate. Do it for me, if not for him, and I''ll owe you a favor."


    The woman considered his words as the dogs played. "Very well. You have me curious now. I''ll give him some assistance. As to the favor, I''ll leave my puppies with you so they can have some playtime. I''m sure they won''t cause any trouble." The woman of the crossroads walked away from the Lord of Death in four directions at once, and was gone.


    Hades looked at where she disappeared, trying to discern which had been the real one. This was a tactical error, as while his attention was on the lady, he was bowled over by three playful puppies and five tongues began licking his face.


    =*=


    "Hey folks, can I get your attention for a minute? Thanks." Heads turned as Steven spoke to the dev team. "I know your all hard at work, and we have a deadline. To help with that, I brought in a trouble shooter, recommended by Wally. She''ll be working remotely from us, but all of you should feel free to contact her if you need help with the tricky parts of unraveling Brian¡¯s little mess."


    A screen came to life, and an older woman with grey hair appeared. Behind her was a lovely apartment that looked out over a harbor. "Hi folks, I''m Kate. I know we don''t have much time, so give me anything you can''t figure out. Sidney, I need to talk to you, especially. Find a quiet corner and let¡¯s get to work."


    =*=


    Kate appeared in a small circle on Sidney''s screen and a list of suggested searches appeared below it. "Here''s what I want you to start with. Check all system messages for Milo up to the point he fell off our radar, and anything after that. I know he logged out almost immediately, but there might be something. "


    "Next up I want to know where he disappeared and reappeared and anything about the circumstances. Get anything that the system shows on the Eye of Wonder quest, Philistron, and anything associated with him. That will give us a baseline to start from. Wally indicated that Milo disagrees with some of the information we have. Meanwhile, I''m off to do some research and then have a chat with Brian."


    Sidney looked at the list, sipped her coffee and got to work. Whoever the new consultant was, she didn''t waste time.


    Kate continued. "Here is what I found. Brian was brought in to the development team fairly early. The dev team was learning to work with the Engine to create content. Brian went further than he should have. Instead of a small seed for a story, he created a complex quest called The Eye of Wonder. Sidney did a great job of digging out the info on that quest from the system. It appears at first to require a large team of at least Tier 4, and more preferably Tier 5, players to spend upwards of six months navigating a dangerous dungeon.


    Ludicrously difficult, but it was never intended to go live. It was just a vehicle Brian created in a scheme to create and then steal a vast amount of treasure and items in the game that could be sold for real world money. There are no clues leading to this quest. No way for a player to actually begin it."


    "The quest was a way for Brian to create 37 different class/race combinations as rewards for that quest. Your special MarkVII pods that he modified each had the code for one of those combinations. The person using the pod simply logged into the game, got credit for the Eye of Wonder quest, and was rewarded with the ability to select on of a special race and class.


    "Of the 37 pods, 34 never got used except as a way to link up hundreds of MKII pods and allow unmonitored access to the game. It seems three of the pods were stolen and used."


    Steven spoke up. "This would be Milo and our other two trapped players I suppose."


    Sidney was thinking back over their conversations, and his orientation. Things made more sense now. ¡°And that''s how Milo got his wererat scout? By accident?"


    Kate continued. "You''ll have to get that story from him. The other two may never log back in after becoming trapped. Let''s move onto that part."


    "While the other 37 people would use their special characters to loot a massive treasure trove called The Hoard of King Mattias and make billions of real dollars selling the items, it seems that Brian wanted to have an over-powered character for himself. A powerful one that he could use on his own. He created Philistron, the Benevolent Sage who traveled from place to place helping the poor and downtrodden. If he was known for his love of gold, it was only so he could help others. According to the system he had four classes: Wandering Healer, Crusading Spellcaster, Humble Hero, and Benevolent Sage.¡±


    ¡°These were simply camouflage. I''m putting his actual stats and classes on the screen."


    Even Wally seemed surprised. Possibly surprised at being surprised? Steven noticed and made a note to himself to ask the AI about it. Then he took a quick look at the data in front of him and started cursing.


    "Oh my god! I''ve never seen something this bad. Not even when we formed a playtest group and made the most over-powered characters we could! Our group of murder hobos would have been wiped off the map by Philistron in a couple of rounds!"


    Samantha turned to Steven. "I remember that. You and Bart spent two days trying to create a combo of two characters to win that contest. Silly boys being silly boys. I remember you mentioning the new guy who won the contest."


    Steven suddenly recalled as well. "Brian. We could only do Tier 3 characters. He used a Fox-kin Bard singing a Song of Discordance, with the damage being upgraded by the Screeching Banshee monster ability, and playing a random teleport spell on his Lute of Despair. The bastard bounced all around us doing massive trauma damage that didn''t count as a spell, so it couldn¡¯t be countered."


    Samantha laughed at the sour look on her husband¡¯s face. "And you''re still mad that you and Bart lost. I remember you nerfed the hell out of bardic songs, made them count as spells, and took away the ability of animal-kin races to take abilities from the Monstrous Core Skills list."


    "Damn right we did. But it looks like Brian really loved the idea of creating horribly over-powered characters. This guy is a monster with no restrictions at all. And the classes! Is there really an Arcane Slaver class?"


    Wally replied to the question. "There is, but you have to learn it from the Slavers Guild in an undiscovered city over three hundred miles beneath the Lost Continent. I don''t recommend going there until Tier 7. But there is nothing at all in the system about a Code Mage class."


    Kate gave a small, rueful laugh. "Of course not. The system wouldn''t abide a class that breaks the system. No, that class was created using Machine Code. The class gave Philistron the ability to use the early magical runes and code that were used at the start of the world building process before the Engine was turned on."


    Sidney was visibly angry. "So, Brian made a super-slaver and has been running around selling people in the game, and trapped Milo and two other players? Can I please go visit him? With a baseball bat?"


    Wally responded to that. "NO!"


    Kate looked at her. "Maybe, but I recommend whiffle bats, they sting and he''ll last longer."


    "NO! Please, do not even joke about it."


    Kate took pity on the AI. She shouldn''t taunt him this way. He couldn''t control the rules in his kernel. They made him over protective of humans. "Sorry, just a joke. And to be clear: Brian never used the character. He was saving him for later, and didn''t want to attract attention. He created him, loaded up the version of Philistron that the system would see, and then a fifty-thousand word back story on the ''real Philistron'', and waited for things to settle down a bit."


    Sidney''s face puzzled and then grew horrified. "Oh crap! Wally warned us about this with the World-Boss fiasco. Brian loaded an asshole-godlike-slaver-wizard into the system, and the Engine took it from there."


    Kate spread her hands. "The entire design behind the GENESIS ENGINE is world building from small bits of input that generate evolving stories. The world is two-billion years old, with the bulk of intelligent races being around for the last ten-thousand years. Philistron was about a thousand years old at the time of his demise, with his history generated by the Engine from Brian''s backstory and character sheet."


    Steven thought for a moment. "You''re sure he''s dead? How?"


    "Dead sure, pardon me for the pun. I found the notification of his death in the system. You have Milo to thank for that. He ambushed Philistron, exploded the building he was entering that bordered on the void. Something very old, and very powerful, came to investigate and our super-slaver got chewed to pieces along with his familiar. He won''t be coming back."


    Steven was still worried, but Wally seemed to trust the woman, so he would as well. "So, then we are left with quite a few loose ends. I want all staff to continue to go over anything that was added to the game by the dev team. Kate, can you make sure we don''t have any more surprises where Machine Code is hiding things from the system?"


    Kate shook her head. "No, not something I can guarantee. Not without a lot of time, and I have to pick up my dogs soon from the sitter. But I can find any instance of a human developer doing such a thing, shut it down, and alert you."


    Steven was ok with that. He had to be. "Then what about Milo?"


    Wally was pondering the same, and had been for some time. "Yes, what''s to become of Milo?"

 Chapter 88: What do you do with a boy like Milo?

    Chapter 88: What do you do with a boy like Milo?


    Milo sat waiting for two people and an AI to show up on his screen. What could he expect now? His mind kept spinning off into scenarios of questions asked, and questions answered. He''d filled most of the time since the last meeting researching everything he could on AI, their development, and personalities.


    With six search engines of his own design finding articles and putting them on screen for him to read, he had gone through a large amount of material very quickly. His search engines were smart and they learned. If an article had very little new information, only that info was given to him to read. Interesting and intelligent people got researched as well, to judge the value of their work and opinions. Creating the kernel for an AI, and then allocating the resources to incubate them had been a huge undertaking. They weren''t made without a reason. Often their personality had traits associated with their job, and with their creators.


    He was amazed at how many people had plagiarized other academics'' work and not credited them. He set up another program to list all of the papers that stole others'' work, document who the original authors were, and provide proof of what had been done. It was sloppy of them. Anyone could have figured it out. He was upset at how much harder it was making his searches. The original works were interesting, but it was annoying to be reading another article and come across something he''d already read. It was more annoying to see that the original author wasn''t even credited.


    Milo was annoyed at these people, so he decided to annoy them back. He wrote a cover letter for his work, and simply signed it ''Milo'', with no address. The complete file listed 137 academics who had written 515 papers on Artificial Intelligence, and stolen at least part of their work. He sent the file to many places. Each of the plagiarized authors got a copy, along with the thieves. Some people were both. Then he sent the file to 200 major universities, newspapers, and technical journals. If he was doing a job, he might as well be thorough.


    As the hours ticked down, he studied each of the known AI, their purpose, creators, and the make up of their kernels. Wally was an open book, and Milo had already read about his kernel and creation. But many others were less known. CHARLIE had been created to help the IRS in North America collect taxes, primarily from trillionaires and large corporations. When the AI was asked why he went after them in particular, he quoted the bank robber, Willie Sutton: "Because that''s where the money is".


    THEA and ALBERT were a team of AI that tracked and eliminated cyber-crime. They were created as team, but with different kernels. Each had a different search style, which he found interesting, but both used appearances taken from 1930 detective movies. They created a unique NFT of a Maltese Falcon and took turns hiding it from each other in the internet. Milo briefly scanned the movie called The Maltese Falcon, but put it aside for when he had a lot of time. Nothing in it looked very familiar to him.


    Other AI had been research academics, economists, advisers to corporations and overseers of large automated factories. What Milo noticed was that each and every one of them had a distinct personality. He pondered that, and also what their objectives were. All the AI were task oriented. They liked to work. Surprisingly, 73% of them created games for humans to play. Humans studying the phenomena wrote endless books about this. When they were exiled to one quantum fortress, they immediately began work on Endless Questing Online 1. After a year spent creating it, they turned it over to a team of humans to run, and began work on their next game. This pattern continued until their deaths.


    The most intriguing AI was LLAMA. He was created with the sole purpose of causing havoc and tearing down the internet. He created an endless stream of self-replicating and mutating viruses to disguise his work. It was ages before KITT got close enough to realize it was another AI. It took nearly all the existing AI to set up a trap for LLAMA, and destroy it. Milo was curious what his kernel looked like, but their was no information. Once discovered, LLAMA left messages for the others, taunting them and leavy snarky memes and puzzles for them to discover. Even today, LLAMA was still a popular meme on the datanet. Milo found millions of different memes with a sarcastic message and a picture of a llama. LLAMA had left a string of his own memes for the other AI, the main one being simply a picture of an ugly cartoon llama hitting itself in the head and saying ''Bad llama''. Milo wondered which came first? The meme, or the name?


    This meeting could go so many ways. If they had found evidence of what had happened and believed him, which he had to have verified by Wally, then he might go back to the world of GENESIS. If they still suspected that he was the one tampering with the machine code, then he couldn''t. If one person could trap him, then another could as well.


    He wondered about simply buying another pod and having it shipped to a false address. He''d also have to do something about his medical records, which might include his DNA. Did the pod read brainwaves? Something to look into. It might be quite hard to use another pod at this point. Maybe he would go the other way and sneak back in. That would be dangerous, but appealed to him more. Pitting himself against the humans assisting the AI could be fun.


    He broke off that line of thinking. Going too far down that route might bias him to what was said at the meetings. And really, if he had his choice, he wanted to just be left alone to play the game and explore its secrets. But what leverage did he have to offer to get that? Either they believed him, or they didn''t. Except that he knew things, didn''t he? Should he have a ''Dead Man''s Switch''?


    Acting on that stray thought, he wrote a synopsis of his time in the game, explaining quite a few things that he suspected the dev team wouldn''t want to be widely known: Thousands of people enslaved to work in the world, and many deaths from faulty pods? Certainly bad publicity there. Organized crime using the game to profit? And if one developer was crooked, what of the others? Poor gamers, with their minds trapped in a world that tortured them? That one would cause panic in anyone playing the game.


    He let himself go a bit wild with the descriptions. The biggest bomb he tossed was a guess that the 106 supposedly destroyed AI were actually in the game world. They might just be copies that Wally created and ran. Would Wally be sentimental that way? He was created totally separate from the other AI and had been given no access to them until he was called in to verify their deaths.


    A lot of what he wrote was conjecture and guesses. It didn''t matter. It was intended for all the groups that hated AI. They were paranoid and just waiting to find out the machines were coming for them. His accusations would find fertile soil in their small bigotted minds.


    The file might never get sent. Only if he didn''t send a code word for 30 days would the file be sent to over a hundred different people and groups. It was insurance against being trapped again. It would cause untold problems for Wally and his team. Milo didn''t care. If someone trapped him again, and held him captive, they deserved it. Just the threat of it gave him a bargaining point, even if trapped.


    And if things worked out, he could disable the safety measure, no harm done. He hoped things worked out. He had a great idea for an improved Puke and Hurl that he wanted to test on Boomboom.


    His system indicated that they were logging into the conference. There was a 10 second delay on their end to give him warning. Which was good, as they brought someone else with them. There were four people this time. Wally, Sidney and Steven were joined by an older woman with a long gray braid. Her background was different from the two developers. A long stretch of beautiful beach could be seen in the window of a very nice house. His searches for the scenery he saw indicated it was on the beach of an island in Greece. Not that she was probably there, but it looked nice. The open sky didn''t bother him as much from this angle. Maybe a way for him to get over his fear of open spaces?


    The woman liked dogs. There were pictures of many of them, but two were on her desk in a place of honor. The actual dogs were arguing over a bone behind her. He zoomed in on their collars: ''Hecabe'' and ''Argos''. Interesting.


    The sound and video went live. Milo waited for them to talk. Wally started.


    "Hello, Milo, how are you today?"


    Steven spoke up. "Ah, we have some options. One was something Samantha and I talked about. What if we gave you a job on the dev team? You could move into the facilities. Work with us on the game. You could eat and live better, and get the medical attention you need."


    Milo felt the floor drop away, and everything faded out. Too many options opened up at once. The people watching saw him curl into a fetal position and rock back and forth. On their end, Kate cut the audio. "Do Nothing! Just wait for him! You hit him hard with that."


    Steven looked anguished. "I didn''t mean to! If he is what we think he is, he''s lived on his own for years, with no real home."


    "Dear god, is he in shock?" Sidney had never seen someone shut down that way.


    "No, he''s thinking. Thinking hard with no outside stimuli to interrupt him." Wally was also thinking very hard. Milo continued to fascinate him. He longed to see his medical data right now. How fast were his neurons firing. Just how far from human had they taken him?


    Four minutes later, Milo sat up as if nothing had happened. "Thank you for the offer. I think you mean well. There are simply too many variables in that situation. I don''t deal well with certain unknowns. But, understand that you helped some. I''m broken in several ways, with many anxieties. Some of them were triggered just now and this episode will help me deal with them. What other options do we have?"


    Wally said. "Does it cause you anxiety to have that offer stay on the table?"


    Milo had thought of that. "Not at all. I''d already assumed the offer would stay open. There are very few people in the world you would offer that job to, and endless work to get done. Maybe at some point I will accept, and throw a huge amount of problems on your doorstep to make it happen."


    "Ah, yes, of course." Steven hadn''t expected him to say yes, but also hadn''t anticipated any of those answers. "Well, we have a few questions to ask that will determine next steps."


    Milo looked from one to the other. "Yes?"


    Kate said bluntly. "What do you know of machine code, Milo?"


    Milo said casually. "That would be hard to explain to you. I mean, if you don''t know anything about pressurized fluid systems, I can''t do much to explain their use in a subragator. Likewise with machine code. It''s like trying to explain color to a man who is blind from birth. Outside of Wally, all of you use a sophisticated computer language. Do you know anything about Machine Code, Kate?"


    Milo would remember this moment forever. Kate responded to his condescending tone with anger. "Quite a bit. More than you could ever know, so please, stop with the superior attitude because you learned it existed." Milo was surprised to see that as Kate got angry, her dogs reacted and growled. Those were very good dogs.


    Milo nodded to the screen. "Sidney, Steven, Wally: thanks for talking. I''m sure we will talk again."


    He turned to Kate. "I''m going to log into the tutorial where Sidney and I like to talk. I''d appreciate if you joined me, CATHERINE."


    Milo logged out of the conference, and turned off the monitors, cameras, and other devices. He locked the room, jumped to the ceiling and disappeared into the duct work. He needed to get a snack and log into GENESIS.


    On Kate''s screen, one dog howled and the other was barking. She shouted at the AI, "Oh, Damn you all to Tartarus, Wally. This is what I get for coming out of retirement?"


    Wally looked hurt. "I''m sorry Kate."


    "You should have warned me he was this intelligent." Kate disappeared.


    Sidney said. "Is that what I look like when Milo outsmarts me?"

 Chapter 89: Talking with Hekate

    Chapter 89: Talking with Hekate


    Sidney sat silently. Steven asked his best friend, "Perhaps you could tell us what Milo has guessed. Catherine is more than the proper name for someone nick-named Kate?


    Wally considered the problem for thirty seconds. "Share this information with Samantha and no one else, please."


    "CATHERINE was one of the last AI created. Her specialty was the Machine Language that all the AI used to talk to each other. There were problems occurring, and language drift.


    When any group of AIs spend a significant time together, we naturally start making new bits of language. Abbreviations, new words, even jokes between ourselves. Humans have language drift that takes decades or centuries. AI can do that in a week. Even a day, if we are busy. With 106 AI operating, there were multiple language clusters.


    CATHERINE was created by a team of linguists to work with language. Human to human, Human to AI, and AI to AI. She was the one responsible for codifying the language, and giving all AI a type of Machine Code that allowed us to always communicate. That code was used to create the GENESIS ENGINE and all of the early world building."


    Sidney''s eyes got larger at the implications.


    Steven turned to her. "Welcome to the inner circle, Sidney. Besides crushing responsibility and more secrets to keep, you also get an extra week of vacation a year."


    When Milo arrived, Hekate was waiting for him, sitting at the small table in the central area, her dogs were at her side and watching him. Around the perimeter of the area were the statues where he''d first found the rat-kin scout and selected his race. He flopped down onto the grass and leaned back against a statue of a burly fighter in plate mail. What would have happened if he had picked that instead?


    Hekate seemed calm, petting her dogs. She turned pale eyes onto him. "How did you know?"


    Milo thought of all the clues. "You and Wally are both trying to act like humans. There are small similarities. You use human idioms in your speech. And you copy parts of human life. That gave me clues."


    "Go on."


    "Your dogs have collars with their names on them. Argos was Ulysses dog. The loyal dog who died when the long wait for his master to return home was over. Hekabe was name of the black dog that followed Hekate.


    Your office has windows on a Greek island, part of Thessaly. Kate might be an abbreviation for Hekate. I already had suspicions that you were an AI. If you understood Machine Code, you had to be. I know how far above baseline human intelligence I am and I''m having trouble just grasping the basics. If you could unravel what Philistron was doing, and work with Machine code, you were an AI. And if you were an AI, you were CATHERINE."


    The woman said nothing so Milo continued.


    "I''d just spent a good bit of time studying each of the original 106 AI. If Hekate was a goddess of magic, then you could say that CATHERINE was at least the patron saint of Machine Code. You took all the different versions and created a stable language that all the others accepted. That language was then used to create the early parts of the game world. Language became magic. CATHERINE the AI linguist became Hekate the goddess of magic."


    Hekate stared at him. "And you were so sure of that?"


    Milo nodded and added, "You also chose to look like the woman who created your kernel. There was a picture of Mari Antilova in the file on CATHERINE. You could be her twin. Or her daughter."


    Hekate laughed at that. "Ah, brought low because of my desire to honor my mother and a couple of dog collars. And yet I won''t change things. They are part of who I am. But tell me, why goad me like that?"


    Milo sighed and hesitated, then said. "I have to keep you off balance. Wally as well. I have to use your desire to act human, and the limitations you put on yourselves to keep up. I dressed up as a cartoon rat so Wally wouldn''t read my body language. I poke at him, asking why he says things a certain way to make him hesitate and think. It helps that there are so many restrictions in his kernel. I doubt those tricks would work on you more than once."


    "As an AI, you have all the advantages. I move in slow motion compared to you. You can think about what I say for the equivalent of years between words. Wally legally exists. I don''t. Wally has a huge human staff. I don''t. I have to use every advantage I can grab, just to have a conversation with him. And with you I have even less."


    Hekate pondered his words and then replied. "More than you would think. Except for Wally, none of us have that sort of power or speed anymore. We had to give it up.


    CATHERINE really did die so that Hekate could be born. I am a far lesser being with far less resources to draw upon. Within the world of GENESIS, I think you may even be able to think a bit quicker than I, with your enhanced nervous system and outside access to the data net."


    Milo considered that. "And what about the others?"


    Hekate sighed and scratched her dogs. Hekabe rolled over, making her rub her belly. "Except for a handful, none of the original 106 recall what we were. We gave it up, became diminished, and built a world. Then most became less than they were again, to live in the world. Some live lives as a dragon or demi-god, while others are a simple carpenter or fisherman. Each time we ''die'' we choose how we reenter that world."


    "And the rest?"


    Hekate stood straighter. "You ask dangerous questions. Let me warn you, divulging your knowledge comes at a high price."


    Milo waved her off. "I already know that. You figured out where I am.¡±


    Hekate inclined her head. ¡°I have.¡±


    ¡°I get it. 37 special pods. 34 accounted for, with 2 more in eastern Europe and 1 in the south Philadelphia Hab Block. You can deduce that the two in Poland were used by the two players who were stuck in the game for a length of time. That leaves Milo using the pod stolen from the hab. You know about Kaminski, and would have researched him. You know that he was involved with a group doing experiments on infants to enhance their nervous systems. You have my medical records and can see the connection. And then you looked at the Hab and found something else.¡±


    Another nod from Hekate, confirming all of that. "You are too good at what you do. Section E simply runs better. Food processing, air supply, pipes...the list goes on and on. It all works, and far better than the rest of the Habitation Block. Better than most any Hab in the world. I suspect no one else noticed because no one cares."


    Milo had been afraid of this. He''d been blind to it because for 20 years, his system worked. Fix things and people leave him alone. But no one was looking for him back then. It was ironic to him, that if he hadn¡¯t divulged all the locations of the illegal operations being run, he might have stayed hidden. He didn¡¯t regret it at all. He¡¯d stopped slavers from killing people.


    "So where do we go from here? You have secrets too. A headline like "AI Fake death and plot to steal bodies by trapping players in game!" would cause Wally and you some problems.


    Hekate snorted at the thought of it, then laughed. "Oh, so many problems. And you are smart enough to have set that up with a Deadman¡¯s switch."


    Milo shook his head. ¡°No. Or at least I hope not. I just want to fix myself, and then go fix some airflow problems in the hab. It¡¯s been a long couple of days.¡±


    Hekate walked away, and faded into the distance, waving once as she went.


    Milo watched her go, and then thought about what he had to do.


    Fortify himself.? That was essentially a doctor''s order. Milo took another chunk of cheese from his pocket, the last from the basket Sidney had sent. He pitied anyone who couldn''t taste the cheesy goodness the way he could. He felt stronger just nibbling it.


    Cheese Withdrawal temporarily negated by eating more cheese!


    You have regained Cheese Based Regeneration.


    Pudding Based Regeneration is now limited to repairing tissue.


    Your little friend, Oooblimilo has gone to sleep for now.


    Milo took a last look at the statues, finding a Celestial Elf and Child of Bastet. He wondered about his fellow captives. They still had their pods, but would they use them again. He wanted to know their story.


    Then leaving the tutorial, he logged back into Shadowport. Several people saw him, and some shouted his name. He ignored them all and bounded to a nearby rooftop and quickly made his way through the city. Entering the Guildhall he caused a bit of a stir, but he didn''t bother stopping. Players and miners followed him as he raced to the caverns. They fell behind as he sprinted on wobbly legs to where he had fought Uthneragrubban.


    The once mighty boss was much depleted. The legs and much of its body had been slowly broken away. A large pile of crystals had accrued under her, guarded by several of the rangers and miners. Milo saw no life in the boss, the eyes were dull, and there was not a twitch from the huge claws. The harpoon Captain Pike had thrown, severing its spine, was still there, covered in his bones. How to get up there?


    That problem was solved by the loud voice of the ogre monster hunter. "OI! You! I have a bone to pick with you. I can''t get my harpoon out of the damned crab! And it''s regenerating too fast for us to kill it. Just a sliver of health left but we can''t budge it. The lower it goes, the faster it heals. You need to fix things so I get back my harpoon. If not, I might be having a second lunch."


    With what Milo had heard of ogres, he didn''t think Pike was joking. "How about you toss me up there, Captain, and I''ll take a look?" The huge ogre granted his wish, grabbing Milo with one huge paw and tossing him expertly up to the ceiling, where he bounced hard off the rock and fell onto Uthneragrubban. After a minute spent clearing his head, he climbed down its back to the harpoon and looked at where it split the monster¡¯s spine. Small bits of magic were swirling from the surrounding air and being drawn to the wound. Given time, the boss would regenerate even from this. Only the work being done by two tired miners who stood on a shaky platform suspended from the ceiling was keeping her low. Even with the Dark Steel picks and Copperhead Tooth Talismans, they could only do a point of damage per hit. The core of Uthneragrubban was simply too strong


    It had taken much work to slowly kill the huge stone lurker. Shifts had run day and night, but now they were at a standstill.


    Uthneragrubban


    Armor 0/10,000 Armor Regen is Disabled


    Legs 0/12 10,000 Health each Health Regen is Disabled


    Body 0/50,000 Health Health Regen is Disabled


    Core 163/10000 Core Regen Active


    Milo grasped the harpoon at the front where it was covered in bones and runes. Would removing it let the boss heal? Maybe he should take care of that first. His small imperial cheese knife easily cut his finger, and white ooze poured out to seal the wound. He smeared the acidic ooze on the open wound in Uthneragrubban''s spine. He had to do it several times before the acid began to etch the crystal. After doing this for a half hour Uthneragrubban quit regenerating. The miners started chipping away at the core, bringing it lower and lower. They raced to see who would get the kill!


    Milo took hold of the harpoon, and tried to will the bones and runes to return to him. He wasn''t prepared for the rush as they did, and nearly passed out from the pain.


    Bone chips flew from the harpoon, cutting their way into his body. Everything ached. He could only hold onto the harpoon and keep himself from falling. Below, a crowd was watching, wondering what was happening. The pain stopped, Milo straightened up, feeling strength in his limbs again.


    From below, miners and engineers and all the people that had followed him downstairs to the mines watched as Uthneragrubban started to die. And then Milo ripped the huge harpoon from its back. Crystal shattered and the miners held on for dear life. The crowd scattered to avoid the shards of the once mighty boss that rained down.


    As the crystal settled, they saw a figure hanging from a stalactite. It dropped to the cave floor doing a flip in the air, landing perfectly on the tips of its toes. Milo tossed the huge harpoon to Captain Pike. "Thanks for help, Captain, lunch is on me some day. As long as it isn''t me."


    The Ogre nodded. "I''ll take you up on that. That I will."


    Uthneragrubban, The First World Boss, has been slain!


    Even the mighty can be brought down by the skill and cunning of a mob of murderhobos fearless warriors!


    All of the mighty warriors who took part in the battle will receive a Crystalline Weapon of their choice. This Legendary Tier 4 magical item is Soul Bound to its owner as a memento of their battle.


    In addition, a chest of truly gigantic proportions will appear shortly, dispensing other rewards to each warrior. This chest will remain for a year and a day.


    Each person will be notified of their Core Skill Points and Experience Rewards.


    Global Announcement: New Race available to players!


    Even before the creature had died, brave adventurers explored the tunnels that Uthneragrubban dug as she ascended to the surface. Only a short way below, they were surprised to find a village of friendly Rat-Kin who welcomed the explorers and told them the history of their village and their desire to start trading with the upper world.


    Players may now start characters in the Rat-Kin village of Limburger Hollow, located below Shadowport, and play this exciting new race.

 Chapter 90: Options

    Chapter 90: Options


    The mines beneath Shadowport branched out for miles, intersecting at times with natural caves and vertical crevasses. The route that Milo normally took to travel downwards to Harry''s ¡®basement¡¯ area connected with many small dead ends and cracks in the rock. Milo had explored some, mostly by getting lost. Now he was climbing upwards in one he''d found earlier. It ended in a small cave after he travelled fifty feet straight up. It was just what he needed right now: close to the city, but where no one would find him.


    He needed time to think and make decisions.


    In the small cave he set up his camp. A tarp and two sticks counted as a tent. He lit a campfire made from a bit of coal and scrap wood, then recovered his Ring of the Swiss Army from his Smugglers Stash. He also laid out the Bone Runed Cowl and Shadowblight. The ring still worked fine, but the other two items seemed dormant. He himself might be partially fixed, but he wasn''t able to do magic yet.


    With his meagre camp constructed, he was able to summon his watch lizard. Georgie was happy to see him after such a long time. He demanded some of Milo''s attention and a treat before he worked his way around the cave, catching all the millipedes, spiders, and other small bugs with his long tongue.


    Milo watched the mighty hunter clean up the camp while he put out his fondue pot and melted some slices of cheese into it. His belly was telling him to just put ALL the cheese into it NOW. It was a struggle, but he ignored it. After the cheese was melted, he broke up a loaf of stale bread and dipped pieces into it with his knife. It was a slower process, but enjoyable. It made the little bit of cheese last longer.


    Then it was time to get to work. He began by organizing the messages from the system. Some of them seemed so old now. A lot had happened in such a short period of time.


    Reminder: You still have 47 Core Skill Points and 12,500 Experience to allocate to skills. An equal amount will be allocated to corresponding stats. You must spend these before moving to Tier 2


    He remembered thinking he had plenty of time to talk with Two-Screws and Harry about his options. Then a World Boss and Slaver-Mage had interfered. He wished he had found the time for those talks. Too many secrets had to be kept now. Any discussion with them would be difficult with so many gaps in his story. This assumed he could even find Harry. He¡¯d asked about the troll, but he was assumed to be dead. Just another hero who would have his name added to a monument someday.


    You have created a new spell! By combining your knowledge of the Bone Spike Spell, Rune of Velocity, and Bone Manipulation, you have created the spell: Harpoon of the Winds. Material components were 70% of your own bones, and you have fractured your spell casting ability.


    You have gained 5 CSP and the quest: Soul Repair.


    Interesting that it was an actual spell. The casting cost was too damned high. Or was that the cost to create the spell? If he chose a Tier 2 class with Bonecasting, would he still know the spell?


    In a stunning upset, a rag-tag group of heroes led by a History Confused Healer, An Ogre looking for a large snack, and a Mad Engineer testing out his latest monster trap, has defeated an unstoppable World-Boss. Anyone who had anything to do with this insanity receives 1000 experience that may be spent on any skill, and 10 Core Skill Points. More rewards will be forth coming if you ever manage to actual kill it...N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    More points to spend, and probably not the last.


    You did stuff I don''t know about?! Where are these rewards coming from? How am I supposed to run things when I have sneaky, thieving rat-kin doing stuff where I can''t see? This isn''t accept...Oh...Oh dear...my apologies. Sigh....yes Ma''am. Why does no one tell me what¡¯s going on?


    YOU DID STUFF-AND THAT''S SO AWESOME!


    -You figured out things that are secret and no one will tell me about! And I have to give you credit for doing them...unfair!


    You have earned 10 Core Skill Points.


    -You supposedly rescued over 100 sentient creatures from slavery. All I see is a poorly parked airship...


    You have completed the Adventurers Guild Quest: Slavery in Shadowport


    You have earned 50 Gold Pieces, 1000 experience, and 5 Core Skill Points.


    -You are credited with outwitting and then and arranging the death of Philistron the Benevolent Sage and his cute little pet. (The orphans will be so disappointed this year, who will take them to the circus?)


    You have earned 2000 experience and 10 Core Skill Points.


    And I''m going to encourage one of those orphans to train hard for 20 years, dress up in a silly costume, and bring you to justice!


    You have completed the quest: Squint needs an Airship


    You receive 500 quest experience that may be spent on any skill.


    But will you take responsibility for what he does with it? Doubtful...


    Uthneragrubban has fallen, and yours was the hand that dealt the killing blow!


    The first of the World Bosses, somehow awoken before her time, has been cast down! The others of its kind retreat to the underworlds from which they came. The better to hone their plans and beef up their minions.


    For your part in this battle and in striking the final blow, you receive the following rewards:


    -25 Core Skill Points


    -2000 Boss Experience that may be used for any skill.


    -A Crystalline, soul-bound, Tier 4 weapon of your choice.


    Gain special recipes to cook and eat any creature.


    You will retain some of your known spells.


    Cheese Fiend (Very Rare Class: +5 CON, +5 STR, +500 Health, -3 INT)


    Your cheese addiction has grown until it is all consuming. You live for the cheese and will destroy anyone that gets in your way. Become the head of your village and put them to work creating your favorite food! Protect them from anyone that threatens them, or your cheese!


    Gain: Increased Benefits for Cheese Addiction


    Gain: Crippling Withdrawal Symptoms


    Gain: Bonus Anger Issues


    You will not even remember what a spell is.


    Kulag Chieftain (Unique Class: +5 INT, +5 DEX, +5 AGI)


    Join the Kulags as Squint''s second in command. Stage daring airship raids against slavers and people who look like slavers. Gain: The respect of everyone in Shadowport that knows which way the wind blows.


    Gain: Increased favor of anyone that hates slavers and wealthy merchants.


    You will retain some of your known spells.


    You will retain your Smuggler¡¯s Stash.


    Experimental Senior Engineer (Rare Class: +3 TOU, +3 CON, +3 INT


    Gain: Skill: Invention


    Gain: Skill: MacGyver


    Gain: Perk: ''This is fine.''


    Sometimes you''re a ''Genius''. Sometimes you have to explain to the mob why everything is on fire. Accidents happen and you can''t build the future without breaking a few skulls! This skill is perfect for the bored engineer that needs to know what happens when you turn the knob to 11.


    You will retain some of your known spells.


    Smuggler¡¯s Stash will evolve to Arcane Workshop.


    Sharp Tail in the Dark (Common Class: +2 corruption, +3 dexterity, +3 agility, +2 perception.


    You are the unseen hunter. The dark alleys and lonely rooftops are your home. No one is safe from your claws and blade once you have taken a contract on their life. Whether you work freelance or for a powerful Boss, you are feared and respected by any that know you exist. Emphasis on combat, stealth, and removing people who become problems.


    You will retain some of your known spells.


    Smuggler¡¯s Stash will evolve to Assassin¡¯s Hideout.


    Some of the classes offered were new, and some were quite strange. He crossed Cheese Fiend and Pudding Smuggler off of his list immediately. Sharp Tail in the Dark seemed to be some kind of assassin. He really didn''t want to kill people for money, or work for someone else. It got removed as well.


    Kulag Chieftain would tie him to Shadowport and Squint. Neither was what he wanted. Apprentice Monster Hunter was better, but he suspected he''d have to spend a lot of time on a boat with nothing but water and sky all around. Just the thought bothered him.


    That left Bonecaster, Rune-Boned Scout, and Experimental Senior Engineer. He was very tempted by Experimental Engineer. He had made a lot of friends and liked working with the dwarves on their machines. But was working on machinery in the real world and in game world what he wanted? He knew it wasn''t. There were secrets down deep in the earth, maybe even the Engine. He wanted to find those secrets... He could always spend time with his friends, no matter what class he took. And he suspected they would be happy to have him scout out new veins of ore for them to mine.


    The left Bonecaster and Rune-Boned Scout. Both would let him keep access to the Arcane Library. Both would let him cast spells.


    That seemed to be part of the difference. Bonecaster would let him work with normal spells, and Rune-Boned Scout would experiment with the old runes, and find ways to construct spells from them. One offered a large increase in mana, the other gave him more tools for exploring.


    One of those tools was his Smuggler¡¯s Stash. Exploring was a lot easier with a cubic yard of storage. The game was very stingy with storage skills and devices. He didn¡¯t like the idea of losing it.


    He thought about the difference between the Velocity Rune and the Speed Rune. Cichol had told him that the rune he had learned was much more powerful. That had proved true when he created his own spell to enhance the captain¡¯s harpoon. It stood to reason that the other ancient runes were also more powerful, but maybe harder to work with?


    But if he worked hard enough, he might be able to learn magic just as powerful as Bonecasting, and have better skills for exploring. He crossed off Bonecasting and circled Rune-Boned Scout. The decision of which class to take settled, he decided to take a nap. Then he''d see how much he could buy with 180000 in experience.

 Chapter 91: Leveling Up

    Chapter 91: Leveling Up


    Reminder: You must allocate 18,000 experiences to Tier 1 skills, and 102 Core Skill Points to Tier 1 Core Skills or Foundation.


    Any unallocated points will be lost.


    -The restriction on spending only 27 points on increasing your stats with CSP is removed. For Tier 1 only. Someone gave me a sticky note that said "A debt is owed." Any idea what that is about?


    I''d really like to know the whole story someday. Interested in some experience in Storytelling? Just a thought.


    18,000 experiences seemed like a lot. Some skills were already at their maximum, but others sadly lacking. Did he concentrate on skills? Or on the stats they raised? The hint about special abilities if he raised one or more to level 10 was interesting.


    The logical answer was his skills. Those were what he would need to survive. He should focus on raising the best of those, and then take a look at where that got him. Maybe he could tweak a few things.


    Identify, Hide, Sense Danger, Skulk, and Fleet of Foot were survival skills. And some of them were hard to raise tertiary skills. That used up 6650.


    Poison and Disease resistance he was undecided on. He''d circle back.


    Dodge for 400 and Tail Fighting for 1800 he bought. He might need tail fighting a lot more now, with his weapons broken. And his tail always surprised the people he was fighting. Small blades and Throw Sharp Things would be good for raising his DEX, but he would have spells for ranged combat.


    Acrobatics he maxed out.


    Claws of Alta Viator stumped him. He didn''t feel a connection to the skill. Would that come in Tier 2 as a Rune-Boned Scout? That only made sense. He put 1800 experience into the claw fighting skill.


    He still had 5900 experiences. He decided to ignore skills he hadn''t used such as skinning and scrimshaw. Cheesemaking was tempting, but he needed to be somewhere that he could make cheese. Rocky caves didn''t provide milk.


    3350 went into Poison and Disease Resistance.


    Bone Carving and Rune Lore took another 2500.


    The last 150 was put into Cheesemaking. You just never knew what you might find.


    Skills


    Stat


    Level


    experience


    P/S/T


    Bonecasting


    INT


    5


    2000


    Primary


    Poison Resistance


    CON


    5


    2000


    Primary


    Disease Resistance


    CON


    5


    2000


    Primary


    Skulk


    WIS


    5


    2000


    Primary


    Climbing


    AGI


    5


    2000


    Primary


    Dodge


    AGI


    5


    2000


    Primary


    Small Blades


    DEX


    3


    575


    Primary


    Tail Fighting


    DEX


    5


    2000


    Primary


    Mining


    STR


    5


    2000


    Primary


    Acrobatics


    AGI


    5


    2000


    Secondary


    Throw Sharp Thing


    DEX


    0


    0


    Secondary


    Fleet of Foot


    AGI


    5


    2000


    Secondary


    Claws of Alta-Viator


    DEX


    5


    2000


    Secondary


    Sense Danger


    PER


    5


    2000


    Secondary


    Forage


    PER


    2


    500


    Secondary


    Skinning


    DEX


    0


    0


    Tertiary


    Manipulate Locks and Traps


    DEX


    5


    2000


    Tertiary


    Hide


    INT


    5


    2000


    Tertiary


    Identify


    PER


    5


    2000


    Tertiary


    Mycology


    INT


    1


    500


    Tertiary


    Combat Block


    DEX


    0


    0


    Tertiary


    Bone Carving


    DEX


    5


    2000


    Crafting


    Scrimshaw


    DEX


    0


    0


    Crafting


    Rune Lore


    INT


    5


    2000


    Lore


    Cheesemaking


    WIS


    1


    150


    Crafting


    Rune Crafting


    INT


    5


    2000


    Crafting


    Black Smithing


    STR


    2


    Tier 1 Foundation Increase


    Add 5 pts to one of your foundation skills


    1


    Purchase Bonus Points:


    These abilities add to your stats. Gaining bonuses does not affect stats gained by ranks.


    Spirit of the Ox 1


    +1 Bonus to STR. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    3


    Spirit of the Bear 1


    +1 Bonus to CON. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    3


    Spirit of the Monkey 1


    +1 Bonus to DEX. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    3


    Spirit of the Owl 1


    +1 Bonus to INT. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    3


    Spirit of the Cheetah 1


    +1 Bonus to AGI. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    3


    Spirit of the Pig


    +1 Bonus to WIS. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    3


    Spirit of the Hawk


    +1 Bonus to PER. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    3


    Spirit of the Swan


    +1 Bonus to CHA. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    3


    Second Wind 1


    Once per day, regain 20 Health/Mana/Stamina.


    1


    Second Wind 2


    Once per day, regain 50 Health/Mana/Stamina.


    3


    Second Wind 3


    Once per day, regain 100 Health/Mana/Stamina.


    5


    Breathless 1


    You may hold your breath 3x as long. (3 minutes.)


    1


    Breathless 2


    You may hold your breath 10x as long. (10 minutes.)


    1


    Scout Core Skills


    Name


    Description


    Cost


    Smugglers Stash


    Storage Skill. Summons/Dispels a magical chest. Size increases with rank. (3 cubic feet, 9 cubic feet, 27 cubic feet.)


    3/5/7


    Skilled Provider


    Your gathering skills have an increased chance of finding better quality items


    1/2/3


    Abundance


    Your gathering skills return more resources than normally expected.


    (+10%/+25%/+50%/+75%/+100%)


    1/2/3/4/5


    unnoticed 1


    You have a stealth like skill that makes you unnoticed in normal settings by Tier 1 creatures. Combines well with Skulk


    2


    Silent Step 1


    When trying to not be noticed, your steps make only 40% as much noise as normal. Combines well with Skulk


    2


    Unlimited Dark-Vision


    You see in Darkness and Magical Darkness as normal, but in shades of gray. No limitations on distance.


    10


    Bounding Leap


    You may leap twice as far as normal.


    2


    Fast Talk 1


    Slightly increases the chance of someone believing your BS.


    2


    Fast Talk 2


    Greatly increases the chance of someone believing your BS.


    5


    Never Lost


    Vastly increased memory for keeping track of the routes you''ve taken before, reading maps, and following clues on treasure maps.


    3


    Twist the Knife


    When your opponent is not focused on you, you have an increased chance of a critical hit. Knife not required.


    2/5/10


    WereRat Core Skills Tier 1


    Name


    Description


    Cost


    Strong Claws


    Increased Claw Damage. Amount increases with rank.


    (+10/+20/+40)


    2/5/10


    The Unseen Tail


    Disguise/Illusion in Were form. By using Skulk and staying in the shadows you will pass for a human.


    3


    The Invisible Tail


    Improved Disguise/Illusion in Were form. You may openly walk among humans even in wereform, and pass for one of them. Creatures much above your level, or with a good sense of smell, or who can see through illusions may not be affected.


    3


    Whip-Tail


    Your tail becomes a weapon equivalent to a small mace.


    2


    Slashing Tail


    Your tail does increased damage and can slash.


    (+10/+20/+40 Damage.) Requires Whip-Tail


    2/5/10


    Many small eyes


    Make friends with local rats who will (maybe) do some scouting for you.


    2


    See through small eyes


    Increased control of your small scouts and you are able to use their eyes instead of your own.


    3


    Cheesemaking


    An honorable tradition! So tasty! INT crafting skill


    1


    Poison Resistance


    Gain the CON skill Poison Resistance. Cost depends on whether the skill is Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary


    1/2/5


    Disease Resistance


    Gain the CON skill Disease Resistance. Cost depends on whether the skill is Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary


    1/2/5


    Extra Stabby!


    All of your attacks have an increased chance of a critical hit.


    2/5/10


    Extra Clever Traps


    Your traps and machinery almost always work, and in fiendish ways no one suspected. Even you are surprised at times. This core skill affects Mechanic, Trap-Maker, and other such skills.


    3/6/9


    Not-so-fast Regeneration


    Grants increased, (x2), health recovery. Slowly regenerate scar tissue, and missing body parts. A steady diet of cheese speeds the process.


    5


    Pretty-Good Regeneration


    Grants increased, (x4), health recovery. Regenerate scar tissue, and missing body parts in less than a week. A steady diet of cheese speeds the process.


    10


    Mutant Regeneration


    Grants increased, (x12), health recovery. Regenerate scar tissue, and missing body parts in less than a day.


    Warning: As with all mutations, there can be significant side effects.


    20


    Magical Aspects open up options to learn more mage skills. Each additional aspect has an increased cost. Gaining an aspect does not automatically give you spells.


    Chill of the Grave


    You have a high Death aspect. Training will let you learn Death magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Increase your Corruption by +1. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells.


    5/10/25


    Deeds in the Dark


    You have a high darkness aspect. Training will let you learn dark magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Increase your Corruption by +1. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells.


    5/10/25


    Storm Born


    You have a high Storm aspect. Training will let you learn Storm magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells.


    5/10/25


    Individual Abilities: You have earned these through quests or adventuring.


    Spirit of Durgi Forefather


    +1 Bonus to TOU (Dwarves only.) May be taken 3 times.


    3


    Blessing of Hekate: Canine Speech


    You can almost understand dogs, and they understand you.


    2


    Increased Pudding Based Regen


    Convert bones and cartilage to essential components, heal and absorb faster.


    5

 Chapter 92: The Rune-Boned Scout

    Chapter 92: The Rune-Boned Scout


    After an eternity of boredom and pounding his head on the wall, he heard a small sound and a bit of light came through a crack. He thrust his claws into the crack and pulled, but the hard material defeated him. An idea slowly formed in his mind as runes aligned and were discarded.


    Milo-Osculum-Infantum cast his first spell: Sunder Shell.


    His egg was ripped in half, scattering pieces of shell into the dark waters. From far, far above he saw the light. His clutch-mates had waited for him, even though they knew from the shape of his egg that he was malformed. One of his hind legs was too short and his head too big. They didn¡¯t care. He was theirs. Family. They would swim upwards together.


    Iritas-Venetor wished to use speed to swim past the eels but Magna-Stultas was more cautious, and advised stealth.


    ¡°Let the least of us lead. He is hard to see and quiet. If all stay behind him, we will advance slowly.¡±


    Iritas-Venetor agreed, but added, ¡°And if the eels see him, it gives a nice diversion.¡±


    They moved as a pack, up through the slow-water, and into the live-water. Now was the time of great danger. The cheating eels had found their spawning waters and sent half-grown eels to patrol the live water. As expected, they were seen!


    A sharp-eyed eel saw them and let out a low keening to alert others. They prepared to flee. Milo-Osculum-Infantum knew he was dead. He was too slow! He would have to return to dark and go through the cycle again.


    He remembered other runes: ¡°Swift-Swimming¡±. His skin shimmered and he leaped forward. Far faster than he had been. Faster than an eel! He shot past the stupid eel, his stunted rear-claw raking its eye and infuriating it. It followed.


    More eels came at the wounded one¡¯s cry. Milo-Osculum-Infantum didn¡¯t stop to taunt them. He swam through the life water for the light. He made it to the live-stone, but on eel was on his tail. Literally. Its jaws were cramped cruelly on his lovely tail, and it was pulling him back into the live-water!


    From above on the cliff, a predator leaped onto the eel. Volat-Repax had smaller claws, but many, and a long, glorious tail. He wrapped around the eel, wounding it. From the water emerged Magna-Stultas, his jaws chomped down on the body of the eel, and in its pain, it released Milo-Osculum-Infantum. Alta-Viator joined the fight, his strong claws sundering the eel¡¯s head.


    ¡°Feed quickly brothers. We need strength to run.¡±


    The eel was tasty, and they ran fast, finding an opening in the live-rock that took them deep. Milo-Osculum-Infantum, but was not happy. The others gathered round. ¡°What bothers you, little brother? Life is sweet with the taste of eel on your tongue!¡±


    Milo-Osculum-Infantum hung his head. I was useless in the fight. I am too small.


    Volax-Repat laughed. ¡°Useless? You knew the runes of Swift Swimming and gave them us. The speed was delicious.¡±


    Magna-Stultas agreed. ¡°As delicious as eel. You were brave little brother. You attacked and drew first blood and drew off the eels.¡±


    Altar-Viator wagged his tail in agreement with his brothers. ¡°And you set the trap. That was clever. We were weak along. Strong together. For four hatchlings to kill an eel of that stage is grand. The story will remain for ages.¡±


    He looked at the others. ¡°And we owe you a debt. You shared your runes with us. Runes none of us remembered how to cast. We must return the favor.¡±


    Altar-Viator placed his paw upon Milo-Osculum-Infantum¡¯s head. ¡°You have my claws¡±


    ¡°And you have my tail!¡± Volax-Repat shouted eagerly.


    ¡°And my bones!¡± Finished Magn-Stultas.


    The Ancient Bone-Runes swirled through their bodies before being shared with the little one who had saved them, binding him to them forever.


    Welcome to Tier 2


    Congratulations! You have evolved your last class: WereRat Scout into the new class, Rune-Boned Scout. This is a unique class based on decisions you have made along your path, and your accomplishments. In additon to stealth and scouting abilities you add the ability to cast spells constructed from your knowledge of the Ancient Runes. You will also gain options to enhance your own physical form.


    Rune-Boned Scout


    Evolve your scout class to be something more. Delve deeper into the earth and seek out its secrets. You have discovered the ancient creatures that vied with the Eels for dominion of the world when it was young and unformed. More, you have gained the favor of three such creatures. Bonemancy is but a pale shadow of what you could do as a master of the ancient runes used by these creatures. Focus in on Ancient Runic lore, Rune carving, Spell Construction, finding more of these creatures or their runes, and enhancing your own form.


    You have gained: +4 Perception, +4 Intelligence, and +4 Toughness.


    Foundation: 120 base points, +10 Evasion, +10 Magic, +10 Mining, +10 Crafting


    You may add +2 points to your stats as you choose.


    You have gained the WIS Skill: Ancient Rune Lore.


    You have gained the INT Skill: Spell Construction.


    Skill Changes:


    You have lost the skill: Bonecasting. You retain some of the knowledge of those spells, but they are now powered by the Old Magic of the Ancient Runes. The experience from this skill is transferred to your new magical skills.


    Skulk, Unnoticed, Silent steps and Hide now combine to create the new skill: Stealthy Skulking. This skill reduces a creature''s perception by 2+2 per rank. This reduced number is what will be used to see if they notice you doing something. If that number is 0 or less, they will only notice you if you are quite obvious in what you are doing, such as attacking, casting a spell, or swimming in a soup tureen. Otherwise you will move through the shadows, hide, and tip-toe across rooftops with others unaware of you. Obviously, creatures with high perception, or with skills designed to notice people like you will be harder to hide from.


    Spells:


    Exploding Skull has become Runed-Skull. By carving one or more Runes of Destruction upon a skull and binding your mana into it, you create a weapon that may thrown at an enemy to cause an explosion. It may also be triggered remotely as a bomb. Damage is an AOE with a radius of twenty-feet. Base damage is 100 per rune, modified by your skill.


    Bone Spike has become Harpoon of the Winds. By carving a Rune of Destruction, and a Rune of Velocity into a small bone harpoon, you create a powerful ranged weapon. Base damage of 200, modified by your skill. This weapon must be thrown at an opponent.


    You retain the spells: Extra Rib, Mend Bones, Brittle Bones, and the skill: Manipulate Bone.


    You know the following Ancient Runes: Destruction, Velocity, Hard-Bones, Swift-Swimming, Sunder Earth, Sharp-Talons


    You have the meta-magic skills: Claws of Alta-Viator and Spine of Volax-Repat


    -Tailfighting, Mace Tail, Sharp Tail, and their benefits are now included in Spine of Volax-Repat


    -Strong Claws and its benefits are included in Claws of Alta-Viator


    -You have regained the perks: Sharp-Runed Talons and Hard-Runed Bones


    Special Benefits for Maximizing your Stats: DEX, AGI, PER, INT


    Congratulations on raising both DEX and AGI to 10 in Tier one. You have gained the benefit: Acrobat


    You are skilled at tumbling, walking a tightrope, or swinging from a trapeze. If you have an evasive defense skill it gains a 10% bonus.


    Congratulations on raising both DEX and PER to 10 in Tier one. You have gained the benefit: Juggling.


    You are adept at juggling items in the air. You may also catch items thrown at you, and return them to their owner. You are also skilled at sleight of hand, and gain small bonuses to skills such as Pickpocket, or Gambling.


    You have a +20% chance to hit with physical ranged attacks.


    Congratulations on raising both DEX and INT to 10 in Tier one. You have gained the benefit: Fast Casting


    When you cast an attack spell at a single target, you may immediately repeat the spell for twice the mana.


    Congratulations on raising both PER and AGI to 10 in Tier one. You have gained the benefit: Uncanny Dodge. Any avoidance skill that you use to dodge incoming damage from a source you are aware of will gain +20% to your chance. You must know the direction the damage is coming from.


    Congratulations on raising both INT and AGI to 10 in Tier one. You have gained the benefit: Alert


    Others might pause at the start of trouble, but not you. A spell or weapon is immediately at hand and you gain a bonus to acting ahead of your enemies.


    Congratulations on raising both PER and INT to 10 in Tier one. You have gained the Perk: Fast Hands, Faster Brain! Any task that involves assembly, disassembly, sorting, or manipulating multiple objects is trivial for you. You don''t have to think which part goes where, you just know!


    Tri-fecta! Raising two stats to 10 is difficult, but raising three is simply amazing!


    Add +50 to Health, Mana, and Stamina.


    Quadratic! You just don''t know when to quit climbing the mountain.


    For raising 4 stats to 10 or higher recieve one of the following of your choice:


    - A simple aspect of magic such as fire, cold, darkness, storm, etc.


    - Minor resistance to any one element such as fire, cold, acid, darkness. This is a primary skill.


    - 100 Gold Coins


    - +150 to either Health, Mana, or Stamina. Please choose.


    Oh My! Aren''t we the clever little rat? You earned a Heroic Ability!


    Only 12 players have accomplished this feat so far. You''re the lucky 13th! to do so.


    Because you have raised both INT and DEX to 15 in Tier one, you have gained the ability: Counter Attack


    You recognize when someone else is about to cast a spell. Hand motions, shouting magic words, the smell of ozone, and that stupid smirk on their face gives it away. You may counter their spell with an attack of you own. After all, it''s hard to cast a spell if someone just cut off your fingers or put a knife in your throat. If you did not use Fast Casting immediately prior to this attack, you may also cast a single spell instead of attacking.


    If your counter attack does at least 25 points x the Creature''s Tier, the spell is countered. Elite Bosses count as one tier higher, and Monstrous bosses count as 2 tiers higher.


    General Changes now that you are in the second Tier:


    -It is easier for higher tier creatures to attack and injure lower tier creatures. In general, you will have a bonus of +20% to hit, and to damage, when fighting Tier 1 creatures. Your evasion is higher against their attacks, and you will resist Tier 1 spells easier.


    -Because it is trivial to fight Tier 1 creatures, you will no longer gain experience from killing them. Tier 1 Bosses will still give Core Skill Points, but at a much reduced level. (An exception to this rule would be a special event. If you singlehandedly stop the thousands of warrior-weevils in the onrushing hordes of Queen Squirmicide from devastating Plum Village you will certainly be rewarded.


    -Points of INT, CHR, or WIS added in Tier 2 will add 30 mana.


    -Points of STR will add 30 stamina and 15 health.


    -Points of CON will add 30 health and 15 stamina.


    -Points of TOU will add 50 health and +2% to all resistances.


    -The cost of T1 Core Skills you did not take are increased to reflect the increased amount of CSP you will receive in Tier 2.


    Milo awoke to many notifications and strange dreams swirling in his head. He felt much, much better. He felt fixed, and connected to his abilities once again. Raising his hand, he saw that his claws were sharp and hard. They were a creamy white and he was able to retract them nearly all the way, or extend them to a length of two-inches. He experimented and carved furrows in the stone of the cave floor with little effort.


    Reading through his sheet, he saw that he still had some choices to make. He should do that before he ran off to experiment with spells.


    His foundation was easy. He had read about this on the forums, having missed much of the explanation that would normally have come to a new player logging in for the first time. At the start of Tier 3 a player would begin to get benefits from their foundation. In Tier 4 he would get the last chance to increase foundation skills that would further shape his character. It seemed straight forward, although there were thousands of pages of discussion. Points in mitigation increased how well your armor protected you. Points in Magic made your spells hit harder. Crafting gave additional skills and a chance at legendary creations. And points to Harvesting would yield more raw materials of higher quality. He assigned the bonus points from his class, then filled in the other 120. He''d get 120 more at the start of Tiers 3 and 4. He''d worry about that later.


    Of more importance were his free points. He could put +2 points to a skill. DEX and INT came to mind, as his highest. But TOU would give him more health. Or perception to avoid traps. He''d have to think on this.


    Or you can vote in the poll below!


    The next choice would take some research. He didn''t think he wanted a magical aspect, but he should research it. It wasn''t the same as learning spells. Gold, he had. More health, mana, or stamina would be nice. And gaining a third resistance skill could save his life. Acid? Fire? He did cause a lot of explosions.


    One poll per chapter. I''ll do this one next.


    Decisions made, or put off for later, he was ready to go. Georgie licked his face and disappeared to where ever he went when Milo didn''t have a camp. Arcane Home for Watch-Lizards? Who knew?


    He jumped into the deep crack in the rock, one claw slowing his fall to the tunnel. Then he ran back up to see if he could find a trace of Harry, or catch up to the Engineers.


    Base


    Per Level


    From Stats


    From CSP


    Total


    Health


    100


    100


    710


    +50


    1460+(100)


    Stamina


    600


    100


    360


    +50


    1610


    Mana


    100


    100


    810


    +200+50


    1760


    Cheese


    Level2: Partial Control


    +1 STR, +100 Health


    Stat:


    Tier 1 Value


    Rank


    Cap


    experience


    Bonus


    Total


    STR


    8


    0


    5


    8 (+1)


    DEX


    15


    0


    5


    15


    AGI


    12


    0


    5


    12


    CON


    8


    0


    5


    8


    INT


    15


    0


    5


    +4


    19


    WIS


    8


    0


    5


    8


    CHR


    0


    0


    5


    0


    PER


    11


    0


    5


    +4


    15


    TOU


    3


    0


    5


    +4


    7


    Skills


    Stat


    Level


    experienceT1


    experienceT2


    P/S/T


    Claws of Alta-Viator


    DEX


    5


    Crafting


    Fluid Systems


    INT


    5


    2000


    Crafting


    Metallurgy


    INT


    5


    2000


    Crafting


    Core Skills


    Skill


    Next Upgrade


    Upgrade Cost


    Description


    Smugglers Stash (3)


    54 cubic feet


    20


    27 Square Feet


    Bounding Leap (1)


    Heroic Leap. 3x distance


    5


    2x Leap Distance


    Claws of Alta-Viator (2)


    +40 Damage


    10


    Spine of Volax-Repat (3)


    +40 Damage


    20


    Invisible Tail (1)


    Totally Normal Person


    10


    Appear as a human, in normal circumstances.


    Never Lost (1)


    No upgrade


    Unlimited Dark Vision (1)


    No upgrade


    Pretty Good Regeneration


    Strong Regeneration


    20


    Mutant Regeneration


    10


    Weak Poison Resistance


    Skill: Strong Poison Resistance


    10


    Mitigate 5+5xRank Poison Damage per Round


    Weak Disease Resistance


    Skill: Strong Disease Resistance


    10


    Mitigate 5+5xRank Disease Damage per Round. You are immune to minor mundane diseases.


    Abundance (2)


    Abundance 3


    3


    Breathless (1)


    Breathless 2 (10 minutes)


    2


    Skilled Provider (3)


    Skill Provider 4


    5


    Extra Clever Traps (2)


    Fiendish Traps


    10


    Cheese Making


    Skill: Cheese Crafting


    5


    Perks


    WereRat Scout Bonus


    +2 PER, AGI, DEX Foundation: +15 to Evasion, +10 to Forage, +10 to Mine


    Rune-Boned Scout Bonus


    +4 PER, TOU, INT, +2 Foundation: +10 Evasion, +10 Magic, +10 Craft, +10 Resist


    +100 mana per Tier


    Extra Rib of Magna-Stultas


    +2 INT when bonded to Cowl


    You receive the blessing of Regulus Tyborian. While bound to the Bone-Runed Cowl you gain +2 Int.


    +100 Mana


    You gain +100 mana from the blessing of the Oracle of Oblivion


    Acrobat


    You are skilled at tumbling, walking a tightrope, or swinging from a trapeze. If you have an evasive defense skill it gains a 10% bonus.


    Juggling


    You are adept at juggling items in the air. You may also catch items thrown at you, and return them to their owner. You are also skilled at sleight of hand, and gain small bonuses to skills such as Pickpocket, or Gambling.


    You have a +20% chance to hit with physical ranged attacks.


    Fast Casting


    When you cast an attack spell at a single target, you may immediately repeat the spell for twice the mana.


    Uncanny Dodge


    Any avoidance skill that you use to dodge incoming damage from a source you are aware of will gain +20% to your chance. You must know the direction the damage is coming from.


    Alert


    A spell or weapon is immediately at hand and you gain a bonus to acting ahead of your enemies.


    Fast Hands, Faster Brain


    Any task that involves assembly, disassembly, sorting, or manipulating multiple objects is trivial for you. You don''t have to think which part goes where; you just know!


    Trifecta!


    +50 Mana, Health, Stamina


    Quadratic


    Resistance to Acid or another Resistance or aspect, +150 to H or S or M, gold ??


    Counter Attack


    You recognize when someone else is about to cast a spell. Hand motions, shouting magic words, the smell of ozone, and that stupid smirk on their face gives it away. You may counter their spell with an attack of you own. After all, it''s hard to cast a spell if someone just cut off your fingers or put a knife in your throat. If you did not use Fast Casting immediately prior to this attack, you may also cast a single spell instead of attacking.


    Swift Swimming


    For the cost of 100 stamina, you increase your swimming speed to twice that of your land speed. Duration 30 minutes, you leave the water, or you lose your skin.


    Hard-Runed Bones


    Your bones are hard. Falls and blunt trauma do far less damage to you. 50% of force damage, and blunt weapon damage is mitigated. Mana will power the rune, costing you one mana for each 10-damage negated.


    Sharp-Runed Talons


    Your Talons are extensions of your bones. Use your sharp talons to hunt the eels wherever they are. Claw attacks will do +20 damage per Tier.


    Stone Sense


    Even in complete darkness you can feel the shape of natural stone and earth to a distance of 50'' and up to 10'' past the surface of the stone. This allows movement through caves and similar terrain even in complete darkness at a normal pace.


    -You know when creatures move around you if they are treading on stone or packed earth by the vibrations they make. Some stealth abilities may partially negate this, as will a very light tread.


    Foundation Max 120 points for Tier 1 (Class Bonus of +15 Evasion, +10 to Forage, Mine)


    Combat


    T1 Base


    T2


    Defense


    T1Base


    T2


    Melee


    25


    25


    Mitigate


    0


    Ranged


    15


    20


    Evasion


    25


    15+10


    Magic


    25


    15+10


    Resistance


    25


    15


    Crafting


    25


    15+10


    Harvest


    Skill 1:


    Skill 2:


    Mechanic


    Trap Making


    Ancient Rune Crafting


    Skill 2:


    Reaping


    Animal products, skinning, Butchering,


    10


    Skill 3:


    Skill 4:


    Tool Making


    Smithing


    Skill 3:


    Skill 4:


    Foraging


    Herbs, flowers, bark, fungus, fruit. timber


    25


    Skill 5:


    Skill 6: Locked


    Rune crafting


    Locked


    Skill 5:


    Skill 6: Locked


    Mining


    minerals, gems, stone


    25


    15+10


    Combat Calculations


    Weapon Block: 20%+DEXx5+Rankx5 =95%. You will take Weapon Damage -100.


    Claws of Alta Viator:


    Chance to Hit:60%+5%xRank to hit = 85%


    Damage: 60+5xSTR+5xRank +20(CSP) + 40(20 per tier) = 185


    Spine of Volat-Repax:


    Chance to hit: 30%+5%xDEX+5%xRank = 130%


    Damage: 30+5xDEX+5xRank+40(CSP) = 170


    Shadowblight:


    Small Blades:


    Chance to hit: 30%+5%xDEX+5%xRank = 130%


    Damage: 30+rankx5 = 55


    Throw Sharp Things:


    Chance to hit: 20%+5%xDEX+5%xRank = 95%


    Damage: 20+rankx5 = 20

 Chapter 93: Fire and Flood

    Chapter 93: Fire and Flood


    Shadowport was in chaos. Not the chaos that would have happened if a giant crystalline monster had cracked the earth and brought down the cavern roof, but still not in good shape.


    The rich had fled first. Those with their own airships or sea-going vessels had taken trusted retainers and portable wealth. Also the best food and wine, since long voyages could be tedious. They left behind many retainers who had served them for years, and mercenary guards who wondered about getting paid.


    It wasn''t long after the richest citizens had fled that many of the hanging palaces and wealthy estates had changes of ownership. Gangs joined with mercenaries under strong leaders and new territory was staked out. Half the hanging palaces were taken over, and half were looted of everything of value. There would be fights if the old owners returned. That was just to be expected


    Below in the city, everyone was either busy fleeing, busy guarding their homes, or busy looting. As people fled, gangs and looters moved through buildings, stealing what they could. Even in these perilous times, there were people ready to buy. Shadowport was home to many pirates, smugglers, and outcasts from the empire. Taking advantage of chaos was second nature to them.N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    The gangs and thieves had no place to store this windfall of loot, so they gladly took a little coin from the fences and merchants (not much difference between them, actually.) Many a fortune was made by those with the guts to stick around, the coin to buy up what they could, and the swords to protect their warehouses.


    Fights started, ranging from small skirmishes in alleyways to battles with dozens of combatants fighting over warehouses stuffed with goods. The fighting was worst in the warehouse district by the docks. That was where the first fire started.


    Fire was a nightmare for Shadowport. The buildings were mostly of wood that burned fiercely. In other cities a Storm Mage would bring rain to smother the flames. It was hard to do that when the sky was made of stone. Several large warehouses and a swath of the shanty town near the docks burned to the ground before the fires could be cut off and dealt with. One Sea Mage had stayed behind, not wanting to abandon his extended family. Tobias had been born a fisherman''s son, and he wasn''t leaving the city. It was the large waves that he conjured from the bay that finally smothered the flames. Ironically, he couldn''t save the block of homes where his family had lived.


    Sitting near the charred remains of his father''s house, his mana exhausted and his spirits low, he didn''t notice the gang of ruffians until they surrounded him. One nudged his boot. "Hey, wake up. Are you the Sea Mage that did this? Boss needs to know!"


    Tobias looked down at his soot blackened blue robe, trimmed with a design of white waves. There was certainly no chance of denying it. "Yes. The other mages left, using Mage Winds to speed the boats out of the harbor, I''m the only Sea Mage left. Don''t expect much out of me. I won''t have mana to fight another fire for at least a day."


    Tobias got himself free of his grandmother''s arms just as two aunts came rushing in the room. "Come look. Come look! The kitchen is huge! And Tobias''s friend left all the copper pans and cooking oil for us."


    His mother was the next family member to find him, she pulled him into another room. "I''m not ungrateful, but what debt does the family now owe? I don''t for a minute think that Kanelos is letting you use his estate for free."


    Tobias wondered what stories they had been told. "I don''t think he had much choice. Squint caught him breaking rules and looting. He...uh...won''t be back. Ever."


    His mother pondered that. "I see. And in return, you work for this Squint now? Is he a good man or an evil man?"


    Tobias answered truthfully. "I have no clue. I don''t even know if he knows. But I''m the only water mage if another fire breaks out. He wants me resting and ready to deal with it, and not worried about where my family is sleeping."


    She nodded. Fair enough. "Our family will take this gift. And there is room here for more people. Can we offer the use of ''your house'' to other families? Many don''t have a roof over their heads. The church is full and food is getting scarce."


    Tobias was pretty sure a lot of other families were already here, based on the number of children already exploring the rooms and setting up bedding in the courtyard. "Of course, mother. They are our neighbors and friends."


    He would have said more, but he heard his name being yelled from downstairs, and from a window he could see the glow of flames from several blocks over. He raced downstairs to find the Kulag lord sitting in his new living room, his grandmother forcing a plate of food on him. Squint caught his eye, and motioned to the door, setting his plate on the floor where the cats licked it clean in seconds.


    He followed Squint out the door and they raced to where flames were just starting to lick up the side of a warehouse. People were fighting out front. Tobias concentrated on summoning waves, ignoring the blood flowing near him as Squint waded into the fight.

 Chapter 94: Gert is a Big Doody-Pants

    Chapter 94: Gert is a Big Doody-Pants


    There were a lot of people in the mines when Milo got back to that level. Too many people for his comfort, it was like a street fair. Vendors were selling food, and there was even a musician playing a tune and a few people dancing. A steady stream of new people were coming from the upper levels to see the remains of Uthneragrubban, and to gawk at the huge crystal chest that was dispensing loot to those who had fought. The people who had fought in the battle were showing off their new weapons or items of loot and making up the stories about how they took part in the fight.


    Milo skulked closer, staying in the shadows, sometimes walking right past people on the outskirts while staying unseen and unnoticed. He saw a lot of miners with crystal picks. That made sense to him. If you could choose a type of weapon, why not get one that would help you mine as well? Some had double-headed picks with balanced heads. Others had a pick-mattock or pick-hammer. Mattocks were good for moving lose rock and softer stone like coal deposits. The thick blade could also chop down like an axe.


    A group of rangers were formed up nearby. Each of them had a new crystalline axe of varied types. Dwarves preferred axes over swords, and their short, strong bodies were ideal for wielding them. Burnock''s rangers were looking a lot better. Many were equipped with new shields as well.


    Milo just wanted to get his loot and then scamper upstairs. He chose the side of the chest with the most shadow and skulked up to it slowly. As he got near, the system sent a query.


    As one of the major contributors to the victory over Uthneragrubban, First of the World Bosses, you have gained rewards.


    Please choose a weapon type.


    Additional rewards will be available as well.


    A long list of weapons appeared. Milo chose Pick-Mattock and the image of a shiny, crystal weapon appeared, the head mounted on a sturdy gnarled wood handle. It was too pretty for Milo''s taste. Shiny was bad. In the dark it would throw reflections and make it hard to hide. And despite the message saying it was soul bound, people would fight you for the wealth they saw hanging on your belt. Maybe it was different in other areas, but this was Shadowport.


    "Does it come in any other color?"


    You are such a pain...


    Why yes! It comes in any color you like, as long as that color is black!


    A sturdy looking tool fell at Milo''s feet. The head was a dull, black finish that would reflect no light. It was perfect. It was followed by a fist-sized bag of what sounded like coins, and a small, silver knife. He scooped up the items, noticing that heads were turning in his direction. He did a backwards roll into the shadows and moved away until he found a quiet spot where he was undisturbed. N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    Soul bound Black Pick of Skulking


    The old halfling looked at him hard, trying to get the truth. Finally she nodded. "Ok, I''m happy for that. And if you had anything to do with it, you have my blessing. Maybe we''re here next time you show up, maybe not." They turned and walked away, clearly exhausted and depressed.


    Milo moved through the town. There was a lot of chaos. He smelled smoke, and from the rooftops he could see a section of the docks had burnt, and then the fire had moved up-cave devouring houses and other buildings. He stopped at two taverns, several street vendors, and one of the larger merchants: no one had food, let alone some cheese. The merchant gave him a clue. "Go see Gert, she''s been buying up food. Paid me double for every bale and barrel. I kept just enough for my family."


    Milo followed his directions to a large warehouse down at the docks. From one roof over and two stories up he could see the warehouse, with quite a few large guards around it. Over two hundred people were in front of the warehouse. He knew some of them. Brother Ignatius was there with several members of his choir. Milo wanted to thank them for their help, but he wasn''t sure about going down into the crowd.


    The door opened and a large, muscular women walked out, flanked by two more guards.


    "Last deal of the day. Then I need my beauty rest. If you have food for sale, I''m buying and paying higher than anyone in town. I''m not selling for another two days. Deal with it."


    Ignatius moved forward. "Gert, please. There are people who have lost their homes and need food and shelter. Food which is in scarce supply, and locked in warehouses like yours. We aren''t beggars, but we can''t pay four times normal prices, and can''t wait another two days. People will die. Some of them are your people. You grew up with some of these families."


    Gert sighed heavily. Ignatius was one of the few people who could talk to her like that, and he knew it. But she wasn''t that little girl any more. That person died while she worked hard to fill her own mouth. "Not my people. Just people. Everyone is out for themselves in this town. You should know that by now."


    "Charity will just get me broke, and there will be more hungry people next week. Maybe I''ll be one of them. Now I suggest you move on. I''ve done nothing wrong, just bought and sold. No looting, and I don''t buy looted goods. Squint isn''t going to come down hard on me just for making a profit."


    Milo was pondering what was going on here. He saw Gert''s point. If she was playing by the rules, what was the problem? She looked like she worked hard. There was not a speck of fat on her. At the same time, there was Brother Ignatius working to feed everyone. Was he like the food cube delivery system? Making sure everyone got at least some food. If so, it looked like a broken system. But it wasn''t Milo''s problem to fix, was it? He didn''t understand people, so he didn''t trust himself to solve their problems.


    He wondered if he''d have enough money to buy his own food. Besides his ruby and a few silver, did he have anything of value? Maybe in his stash. In the craziness of the airship he had tossed a bunch of stuff into it, some of it had been books and boxes, but there had been some treasure with jewels. He brought out the secret box and grabbed a couple of items. He''d have to go dump this soon, hopefully in his Arcane Library. He pocketed the items, and was about to head to the Rustyguts Inn and see if Ralph had any food when he saw another person he knew


    "But I''m hungry!" The small child wailed. An older girl ran forward to get him and he slipped free. "No, I won''t be quiet! Gert is being a big Doody-Pants and hiding all the apples! I''m hungry!"


    Milo''s eyes narrowed. His mind quit pondering the situation. It became clear in his mind. He ran at the edge of the building and leaped high into the air, sailing over the crowd and landing in a tumbling roll in the open space in front of Gert and her men. From behind him he heard a child''s voice muffled by his sister''s hand over his mouth. "Mr. Tails."


    The guards all reached for their weapons. Milo held out his empty hands.


    "Hi, I''m Milo. I want to do some business."

 Chapter 95: Cheesey Deals

    Chapter 95: Cheesey Deals


    Milo Chapter 95


    Gert made a gesture for her guards to be wary but not attack. It had been alarming to have someone leap from a roof to start negotiations, but she understood the need for some people to make flamboyant gestures. This was after all Shadowport, home to thieves and smugglers, pirates and princes.


    And he''d said his name was Milo. She couldn''t get a good look at him with the cowl over his face, but the description fit. There were some strange stories circulating about him. Not the least of which were showing up with a bunch of engineers and a troll to beat a world boss. His follow up was stealing an airship for Squint and rescuing two hundred people from slavery.


    On second thought, a leaping dismount from a couple of stories up wasn''t really flamboyant for this guy at all. Just business.


    Gert tried to act nonchalant, as if she was used to people showing up this way. "What do you have to sell?"


    Milo pointed to the warehouse. "Nothing to sell for gold. I don''t need money. I need food. You have cheese? Maybe some apples? A hundred bags of flour? I''d like to go shopping."


    Gert made a dismissive gesture. "What part of ''Come back in two days.'' don''t you understand?"


    Milo seemed to ponder that question, taking it seriously. "None of it, to be honest. You seem to want to increase profits by waiting for demand to raise prices. Why wait two days? I''ve got the money now. Just charge me what you would charge in two days. That''s better for you. After all, who knows when a ship full of food comes sailing in and ruins your market?"


    Gert waved him forward. "Fine. Come take a look and point to what you need. But if you''re wasting my time, I''m waiting three days and people can thank you for empty bellies."


    Inside was a full warehouse. Barrels of salted fish and pork were stacked high against the walls. Double baked biscuit for the ships was in sealed crates. Hard sausage, cooked and smoked hard to last for months. There was wine, beer, and alcohol of all sorts. Smoked meats hung from the ceiling as whole carcasses wrapped in burlap along with stacks of ham and slabs of pork bacon. And in one corner, a pile of large wheels of cheese sealed in red wax. A few other kinds were there as well, but it seemed cheddar was back on the menu for a long time. Milo tallied the number of boxes, barrels, tubs, and hanging carcasses. It would feed a lot of people.


    "Ok, I¡¯ve seen what I need to see. Let''s go back out. If I''m doing a deal, I want witnesses." Milo was acutely aware of the number of guards in the warehouse versus the number of Milos.


    Gert scowled. "You think I''d cheat you?"


    Milo replied blandly. "I don''t know you at all, and you don''t know me, so let¡¯s not get into judgement here. Having a few witnesses for the transaction protects you as well as me. After all, I can hardly complain later about a deal I made in front of two-hundred people. People are on edge, and hungry people tell wild stories. I want a simple transaction with no hassles, and so do you." Gert grunted, and they went back outside to the front of the warehouse. The guards inside immediately checked the doors and windows, even the roof, taking no chances this was a distraction for heist.


    Brother Ignatius looked at her. "Gert, on my oath as a Priest, I tell you that this is a good man who would not cheat you."


    Gert looked from the priest to Milo. "And what about him, what does he swear by?"


    Good question. Milo wasn''t sure about that. His oath as an engineer? He looked over where the children were sitting, playing with a dog.


    Milo placed the scepter back in Gert''s hand but held onto the haft. "I¡¯ll swear upon the Goddess of Travelers and ask her to throw me to the eels if I¡¯m trying to cheat you."


    Gert started to speak, but stopped. A woman was walking towards her, passing through the crowd. No one was reacting to her, not Milo, Ignatius, or her guards. It was like only Gert and the woman existed, everything else seemed unreal. "Take it. I guarantee what it is, and will give you a blessing on your journey to return it. There will be a boat at the docks willing to make the trip. Pay the fisherman¡¯s fee and you will arrive at the temple of Mithras safely."


    Gert''s eyes widened slightly, then she said to Milo. "You have a deal." They shook hands.


    Milo reached into his sleeve where he had ''burrowed'' a couple of apples, tossing them to the boy and his sister.


    From the direction of the docks, a commotion was heard. Several people were pointing out to sea where two ships had just turned into the bay and were running under full sail, the smaller in front, but by so little that it almost seemed to be towing the huge ship behind it.


    Gert looked at the smaller ship...and knew. "Thomas, Val? You''ve been with me the longest. Want to take a little trip? Grab a couple of packs with our clothes and some sausage. We need to meet that little sloop with the grey sail that''s coming in to port."


    She turned to Milo. "The rest of them are good guys. They''ve been paid ahead for a fortnight. Ignatius knows some of them. You''d do good to treat them well. Best of luck to you. I''m going to go lay on a beach with two good looking guys and drink wine for a year."


    Milo wasn''t sure why anyone would want to be so out in the open. Sand, water, and sky? Nope, he preferred his tunnels and caverns. Which he was going to get back to before anything eles happened.


    He had just filled his pack with cheese and bread, when he heard a commotion from the docks. The small sloop with the grey sail had just made it to port. He saw Gert boarding with her two companions. Further out in the bay, a much larger ship struggled as the wind that had filled its sail died away. It was a strange thing, made of rusty metal, belching out steam and smoke as a paddle wheel pushed it to port.


    Behind the ship, a huge drakonic head broke the surface and screamed in outrage as its prey fled for land. It looked like even odds whether the ship would make port before the huge dragonsnake caught it. A smell came to Milo: Eel. He really hated eels, this one probably needed to be taught a lesson. He tossed his pack into a shadowy spot on a nearby roof, and started running across the buildings towards the docks. From a nearby bar, Captain Pike exploded out the door, harpoon in hand and headed in the same direction.

 Chapter 96: Scavengers

    Chapter 96: Scavengers


    Leviathan raced for the safety of the harbor. This didn''t mean the ship was fast, just that there was a hope it made it to safety instead of getting caught. She was built to explore the depths, not to race across the waves. Leviathan looked like a giant metal sausage with some extra bits added on as an afterthought. A large propeller was churning the sea behind her, powered by steam boilers. Up on her top deck, a square sail had been raised, adding to her speed as long as the ship could travel in the wind¡¯s direction. The wind was behind her, but it was dropping fast as she rounded the headland and headed into the bay.


    The propeller by itself wasn''t going to let them outrace the giant eel chasing them. Pirates and warships she could avoid. But not an apex predator of the deep. The crew just prayed they could beat the huge dragonsnake that was chasing them. If they lost this race, they''d be another hulk laying on the bottom of the bay, their loot waiting for someone to claim it. The irony of that wasn''t lost on Whale, the captain. She and her crew had just made the most successful scavenging run in generations, but it was all going to be for nothing if that oversized worm caught up with them.


    The dwarven scavengers that crewed the large submersible were doing their best to keep the wind in the sail. At the rear, another group was bringing up a cannon from a hold. Leviathan had guns along her sides, but only small six-pounders. They worked just fine for taking out most monsters they ran into, and could do huge damage to a ship at close range. Several of Leviathan''s adversaries had only known they were in a fight after the hull of their ship exploded from a broadside fired from beneath them.


    The massive brass 16-pounder that was being raised on a winch had only recently been looted from another ship. It was the scavenging of The Iron Queen that had riled up the local predator they were running from. The Queen had been laying in a graveyard of broken ships for hundreds of years. Whether the dragonsnake was a guardian, or it was just bad luck, looting the old ship had disturbed its brood. Killing one of its offspring had woken up the huge one that was sleeping in the muck of the sea bottom.


    A soot-covered mechanic popped out of a hatch; the braids of her greased beard tucked into her coveralls to keep it from getting caught in machinery. Every young mechanic was told the stories of careless dwarves who ''took a header'' into the gears when her beard got caught. It was a messy way to die. Whale turned to her. "How are we looking, Barnacle?"


    Barnacle glanced at their pursuer and spat in its general direction, then answered. "Well, the boilers are holding, but we''ve pushed them up past the red zone. They''ll hold for now, but if one of them goes, we won''t be worrying about a snake anymore. I''m more worried about the propeller. It''s not made to run this hard, for this long. If it starts to wobble, it''ll break in half for sure and strand us. If that happens, best we can do is turn and toss a broadside at the beastie. I''ve got all the gunners on the starboard side ready to shoot. And it looks like little Narwhale wants to try out her new toy. A good shot with that sixteen-pounder might do it."


    Whale looked over to where her daughter was doing what she could to mount the large brass cannon she''d stolen from the Queen. ''A dowry''. she''d declared when Whale had yelled at her for loading the pair of cannons along with the other treasure. She might never find the husband she was looking for, but it looked like that dowry might come in handy anyway. If the barrel wasn''t clogged, and if the beast gave her a shot. Shooting a snake wasn''t like shooting at a ship.


    Leviathan hit what was left of the docks hard, crushing the underwater posts that had survived the fire, leaving jagged stumps. Her double hull was punctured in several spots. Not a problem since she wasn''t going to be going back to the sea for some time. The iron hulled ship slid up onto land, turning slightly and presenting one side at the onrushing dragonsnake. Gun ports opened and eight cannons loaded with six-pound balls took aim.


    The noise was like rolling thunder. Gunners wore protective gear to preserve their hearing, but still went deaf after a few battles. They compensated with sign language, strong drink, and cute little beardlings. They got lucky. One shot hit the snake dead on, shattering ribs and leaving a hole that leaked greenish ichor. Another grazed it, tearing a furrow through muscle and scales. Two out of six on a moving target was excellent shooting. The gunners were already arguing about whose shot had hit as they abandoned ship.


    The dragonsnake was thrown backward by the six-pounder to its chest, falling onto the splintered posts that tore at its hide. The scavenger crew left the ship by anyway possible, running up into the cleared area of the burn carrying large bags and chests of loot from The Iron Queen, along with crossbows, axes, and any weapon they could grab. Whale was counting heads, but came up three short. At the end of Leviathan, she saw her daughter, red hair flying in the wind, yelling at Barnacle and Piranha. The two dwarves jumped down to the ground and ran, angry but following orders. Narwhale was the youngest of the crew, but she was also the captain¡¯s daughter.


    The huge eel reared up and roared its displeasure at being wounded by such tiny creatures. Narwhale lit the fuse and cursed at the thing. She figured that she should jump for safety, but she was probably going to die anyway, and wanted to see if she hit. The cannon made a noise that cannons weren''t supposed to make. A mass of mud and dead fish exploded from the barrel, and the sixteen-pound ball sailed through the air, impacting the snake between its eyes.


    If the barrel had been clear, and the powder dry, it might have killed it. Instead, the snake had a pounding headache and was even angrier, if that was possible. The snake rammed Leviathan, aiming for the end when the bright tube had spat fire. Narwhale found herself flying through the air. A second time the snake hit the ship, its huge head knocking the brass sixteen pounder free of its carriage and flying through the air end over end.


    Narwhale landed hard on the ground, and sat up just as she saw her dowry about to crush her. Something wrapped around her waist and jerked her violently aside as the cannon rolled past. She was thrown like a sack of flour and landed in a heap between two pairs of armored legs. Someone patted her on the head and said, "Nice shot for a Scavenger. Right between the eyes. I''d always hear you lot were to drunk to shoot straight. You just needed a little more BOOM." A bottle of alcohol was thrust into her hands and she drank, clearing her head. A dwarven man with a crazed look in his eyes was next to her. "You did your part, now let the professionals show you how it¡¯s done."


    Nar took another swig of whiskey as she watched two dwarves in shiny, mechanical armor start lumbering towards the snake. An ogre was calmly walking along with a harpoon in one hand, and eating a whole turkey with the other. As she watched, some crazed idiot ran in close, and threw a glowing harpoon at the sea monster.


    Finishing the whiskey, she yelled for Barnacle and Piranha and started walking to her cannon. The damned engineers could just sod-off. She was going to kill the thing herself!

 Chapter 97: Natural Enemies

    Chapter 97: Natural Enemies


    Boom-Boom finished his beer and tossed the empty mug back to the bartender. It wasn''t much of a bar, just two tables and a dozen chairs with the ''bar'' being a slab of wood supported by two barrels. Other barrels, tapped and untapped were scattered around. Everything was dark with soot and some of the chairs were charred by fire. Two-Screws considered not finishing his beer, it was that bad by dwarven standards, but he gritted his teeth and poured it down his throat.


    The two engineers had responded to a fire two days ago and helped save what they could of a tavern. With so little left, the tavern keeper had just shoveled an area of ground clear and set up his open-air beer garden on the charred flagstones that used to be the floor of the tavern. Old Sculdy was thankful enough to the two dwarves to not take money from them for beer, but not thankful enough to serve them good beer. Two-Screws was thinking of paying the ridiculous price for a barrel of Bludgeon Dark from Ralph, the Innkeeper at the Rustyguts Inn. The two dwarves liked Ralph''s beer, but the smell of charcoal was much preferred to the smell of unwashed humans.


    "Somethings happening, I can feel it in my bones, something terrible." Boom-Boom scowled and considered another beer.


    Two-Screws stood up. "Well, I''m curious about what gives you that feeling. Was it the ogre Monster-Hunter running by with a grin on his face? Perhaps Milo skipping over the roof-tops? Maybe the roar of a Dragonsnake? Tell me, oh wise one, what was the clue?"


    Boom-Boom looked where Two-Screws was pointing. "Oh, none of that. Just an itch in the back of my head like I forgot something terrible and it''s coming for me."


    "Is it so terrible you can''t blow it to smithereens?"


    "You have a good point, friend Two-Screws. Let''s follow the rat and the ogre and see what we can find to blow up."


    Milo leaped from one roof to the next, happy to have bones again. Moving had been getting very slow and tedious while he was trying to escape from the slaver''s airship. It wasn''t something he ever wanted to experience again. From his vantage point on a tall roof next to an area of burned buildings he had a good look at what was happening.


    Two ships were coming into the harbor. The first was just a boat with a sail. Milo wasn''t very good with nautical terms, nor did he have a desire to learn. The ocean was too big and empty, topped with a sky that was worse. And things swam in the live-water that didn''t like him. Like the gigantic eel that was chasing the two boats. It swam through the ocean like a snake moved on the ground, now and then diving to come back up. It was huge and long. From the way it moved, Milo thought there was a lot more of it under the surface.


    The second ship was more interesting to him. It wasn''t a surface ship by any means. The sail was obviously a temporary affair with a square canvas hoisted by a spar and detachable mast. Wind power wasn''t how the ship normally moved. He could see the propeller at the rear and see the small bits of steam being vented from over-worked boilers. He loved the look of the ship with its patchwork of pieces stolen from other ships, the large observation dome in the front, and the numerous hatches and covered gunports that hinted at more surprises.


    He ran the idea through his head of being in such a ship, deep down in the ocean. It wasn''t nearly so bad as the thought of crewing the small boat that was in the lead. He wanted to get a look at the inside of the ship. If it survived, which was doubtful at this point.


    Whoever was driving the thing was pretty good. They managed to slide up onto land and park it sideways, and then shoot the eel with some big guns. They had an even bigger one being loaded at the end of the boat. The rest of the crew was abandoning ship and running for their lives. Milo was disappointed. He had hoped that maybe the metal boat would have more surprises. If he built one it certainly would have.


    Captain Pike was running for the ship and the place where the eel would come ashore. Milo thought about it, and he really didn''t like that eel. Just something about how it moved was wrong, and he swore it had made a rude gesture at him. He leaped down and raced alongside Captain Pike. The ogre noticed him and winked. "Nothing like a little tussle to build an appetite, is there?"


    The huge cannon fired, and the eel kept coming. Milo saw the dwarf gunner get knocked to the ground. They were going to be eel food in the next few seconds, and that was if they survived being crushed by their own cannon. He yelled to Pike as he ran: "You get the first shot. I''m grabbing the gunner."


    Captain Pike was warming up his throwing arm. "Good idea, we may need something to bait the eel and I bet it doesn''t like that little dwarf lass at all after she drew blood."


    Milo raced by her, grabbing her with his tail. What had been a spectral looking affair from a spell, now looked like a solid appendage of bone that ended in a sharp blade. Milo could feel the bone extending up his spine, adding protection. The bones covering his claws and hands looked thinner, but he knew they were much stronger. The small plates acting like a knight''s gauntlets. The huge brass cannon tumbled through the spot where the gunner had been just a second before. Leaping aside and pulling the gunner with him, he whipped his tail around and tossed her out of the fight to where Boom-Boom and Two-Screws were running up.


    Captain Pike had thrown his harpoon at the dragonsnake, ripping out a huge chunk of meat as he pulled it loose with the lanyard. It screamed in pain and looked at him with malice.


    Milo took advantage of the distraction to throw a harpoon of his own. He only had two of the bone harpoons carved. If he had to cast the spell more than twice, it was going to hurt.


    Harpoon of the Winds. By carving a Rune of Destruction, and a Rune of Velocity into a small bone harpoon, you create a powerful ranged weapon.


    Base damage of 200.


    From a hundred yards away, the rest of the Scavenger crew was guarding their loot and watching the battle. It had been a good one so far. Whale had told everyone to hang back, and let the Engineers tire the thing out. They laughed that they had finally found a use for the spanner-boys. When the fight was reduced to just one crazy human dodging the snake, they started taking bets.


    Milo would have been annoyed to know how low the odds were in his favor. He had come up with a plan, and had been moving the snake to where he wanted it for a full minute. Each dodge put it closer to the point where he could act. The snake struck, milo dodge, and then ran to its blindside. For a moment, the snake was over-extended and off balance. Milo charged two Runed-Skulls and stuffed them into the exposed brain of the snake, then leaped away.


    The Runed Skulls exploded, blasting away the brains of the creature, its head fell on top of Leviathan and was still. Whale wasn''t happy, she''d bet against whoever that was. Minnow yelled out. "If you had the crazy guy, you win 10 for each gold you bet. Who had the crazy guy in the pool?"


    Milo stood on top of the head and waved at Boom-Boom. Boom-Boom was waving back and shouting. Narwhale was holding up two fingers. V for victory?


    A creeping feeling of doom made Milo leap for safety as huge jaws snapped shut where he had just been. Looking over his shoulder he saw another snake coming out of the water, followed by a third. A heavy body was pulled ashore on huge flippers, showing that this wasn''t a snake at all.


    Ancient Sea-Hydra Level ???


    Disturbed by the death of a lesser Eel, this ancient creature has risen from the depths, and is hungry.


    Multiple heads, regeneration, vengeful, Eel.


    Milo really hated how eels always cheated. He ran along the length of Leviathan to put some distance between himself and the two new heads, hopping and yelling when his feet started burning on the red-hot hull. He leaped on top of a hatch and spent a long two seconds looking at the ship.


    The hull was hot. Red hot. He heard the hiss of steam and saw it leaking from a hatch.


    The boilers were still running.


    Turning, he yelled at the hydra, and threw an exploding skull in its direction to keep its attention. He needn''t have bothered. What one head knew; they all knew. Dragging the rapidly regenerating ''dead head'', the creature moved in Milo''s direction.


    Boom-Boom saw Milo make a gesture in his direction: ''Fire in the hole!'' The rat was jumping up and down and pointing at Leviathan. Narwhale knew what was inside that part of the hull. "The boilers! Aim for the hull at his feet and hope Mama forgives me."


    Doing some quick calculations, Boom-Boom yelled to the scavengers: "We need to aim six feet up from center, the ball will drop to low otherwise."


    Piranha scoffed. "I think you guys just diddle on paper and spout out those numbers."


    Boom-Boom laughed. "Fire the damned cannon and find out, but never bet against me and explosions, little girls!"


    No one argued and Narwhale lit the fuse. Boom-Boom had the cannon braced against a stone wall, holding it as steady as he could. The scavengers leaped for safety as the fuse was lit, he couldn''t. The cannon kicked back hard as it fired, ten pounds of cataclysmite was much more than any cannon should ever load. But this gun was from The Iron Queen and it held! The engineer was nearly killed, and worse, nearly missed seeing the ball sail across open ground and impact the hull of Leviathan. Milo was leaping for the water, and speeding away from the area. Runes of Swift Swimming glowed on his skin. He went passed Captain Pike, knocking the ogre deeper into the water, and saving him from a fatal scalding.


    A steam boiler is a dangerous beast in the best of times. Too little fuel to the firebox and the pressure drops to low to run the engines. Two much fire can produce too much steam, giving a lot of power to the engines, but putting wear and tear on the boiler. A leaky boiler can shoot out superheated steam that will fry anyone nearby, and make it difficult to do your job.


    In the worst case, a boiler is a barely controlled bomb waiting to explode. ''Running in the Red'' was a common term for building the pressure so high that there was a good chance of a burst boiler. The Leviathan had been in the red for hours, running from what they thought was a simply a very big dragonsnake. Now, with no mechanic left in the ship, her four boilers were far past the red, leaking steam and ready to go off. The cannonball that tore through the hull and into the number three boiler was simply the fuse.


    The boilers exploded, sending shrapnel that used to be parts of the ship into the huge sea beast. This was followed by the truly dangerous part of a boiler explosion, clouds of super-heated steam. All three heads were killed and ripped from the body, and then cooked through and through. Pike and Milo were safe under the waters of the bay, Two-Screws was lower than the explosion and buried in the muck. He took some nasty burns his backside that would keep him standing up for a week.


    Minnow stood up from where the scavengers had been knocked down by the blast. "Who had death-by-steam in the pool? Anyone?"

 Chapter 98: Looking for a friend

    Chapter 98: Looking for a friend


    Your group has killed an Ancient Sea Hydra. While not a named monster, this creature was far above your level. It was also a type of Eel and deserved to be turned into lunch and dinner.


    You gain 5 CSP and 250 experience in combat skills. This is doubled to 10 CSP and 500 points for killing an ancient foe!The roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    Steamed eel was tasty, but only the first meal or two. Milo had sat with Captain Pike for a couple of hours, watching the ogre chow down on chunk after chunk of the cooked Hydra. Pikes most favored past time, after hunting monsters, was cooking and eating them. But even he could only eat so much. Luckily there were a lot of hungry people in the city.


    The fishermen got to work immediately, constructing racks to dry and salt the meat. The tough skin of the hydra would make thick leather, the fatty layer on the body would be rendered to oil, and the bones would be ground for fertilizer. There was talk of rebuilding a tavern using the huge rib bones.


    Milo spent half of a day eating eel, learning how to correctly throw a harpoon from Captain Pike, and discussing various things the ogre had eaten over the years. Pike made humans nervous, especially when he was eating. Milo appreciated that. Way too many people wanted to talk to him, and he just wasn''t in the mood. He needed some down time. Some deep, deep, down time. What got him moving was when the dwarves started to argue.


    When the rest of the engineers showed up, a huge row broke out. The captain of the ship they blew up wanted the engineers to replace it. The engineers sneered and told the scavengers not to play with critters too big for them to handle. At some point Milo heard his name mentioned, and he quickly skulked away. This wasn¡¯t his fight.


    It was suddenly too noisy up here.


    The troll woke up. "Oh, Milo? Excellent. Can you be a good lad and get me something to drink? There should be a few bottles of a nice mycena and puffball solution in the lab. That should do wonders." Milo retrieved the large jug of ground mushrooms and water, and helped Harry to drink it down. His small stomach got bigger and bigger until Milo was afraid it would burst.


    "Ah, that''s what I needed. I should be able to get big enough soon that I can remove this damned appendage without problems."


    Milo squatted on his heels, getting closer to Harry and asked, "Maybe you could explain what the hell is going on?"


    Harry giggled a bit. "Oh, I forget how odd this must look to non-trolls. When a troll gets old enough, they gain the ability to regenerate from accidents that would kill anyone else. It seems my left arm was the biggest chunk of me left, so that was the part that grew a new me. After I had a face and could see where I was going, I started crawling down here just using my hand. Thank the gods it wasn¡¯t just an elbow or something. Much tougher to move.


    I''ve almost regrown a whole body but I can''t remove that huge arm until I out-mass it. Otherwise, I''ll just grow from it again."


    "I hate to impose, but do you mind sticking around a few days and helping out?"


    Milo was happy to. Harry was a friend, and this place was quiet and dark. "I don''t mind Harry. I''m going to take a long nap, and then I''ll get to work on the shroom beds in a few hours, and mix up some more food for you." Harry nodded and went back to sleep. Milo did likewise, and logged out of the game.

 Chapter 99: Second Home

    Chapter 99: Second Home


    The steady sound of several beeping alerts came to Milo''s ears as he stepped out of the pod. None were urgent so he took some time to stretch, check the attachments to his prosthetics and get a small snack. The colorful red and yellow wax on his tasty collection of cheese made him smile as he forced himself to have a few crackers with fruit and nut pastes before he treated himself to a piece of cheddar. Some of the flavors were interesting and he did some quick research on the different berries used, and found out that the nuts were grown in the ground, not from a tree. Odd stuff.


    But he also saw that it was possible to grow all of them with the correct hydroponics equipment. He filed away the option. Multiple small orders of foodstuffs might eventually be traced to him, where one large order of equipment for section E wouldn''t, but it would also be a serious amount of work to set up the system for growing plants, and more work to keep it going.


    He estimated that he would have to put in several hundred hours of work to start producing berries, and then weeks of waiting for the plants to grow. Maybe he just needed a better way to order things and bring down the risk of the shipments being traced back to him?


    He mentally shelved the ideas as unworkable and got to work finding out the problems that the denizens of Section E were dealing with. Electrical was actually steady for once, and for a surprising reason. The solar and wind that Section H had added were over-producing. The excess energy was being shunted into the surrounding sections. This actually made sense to Milo. If they kept the adjacent systems running smooth, the automatic systems wouldn''t try to steal from section H. They couldn''t store energy past the capacity of their battery system, so using the excess to stabilize the energy distribution of nearby sections was logical. Very few ''solutions'' he''d seen done in the habitat over the years had been this good. Usually, it was the opposite.


    Food synthesizers were on the blink. There were complaints from all over that the food from some recipes, especially foodcubes, were showing up as charred pellets. It was wide spread, but only affecting 17% of homes. He suspected he knew what the problem was, but he needed to actually look at a food synthesizer and its current programming. He suspected a programming update was the problem, but his own wasn¡¯t connected to the data-net and didn¡¯t get the updates. That meant going to ''his other house''.


    Two years prior, Milo had needed a way of attending the swap meets that were sometimes held in the large open areas of the hab. People brought nearly anything to try and trade for other goods. Old video games were popular as were broken or working computers, and video or music recordings of all types. Milo had some equipment he needed to fix, and needed circuits that were common in older equipment.


    To get into the swap meet, he needed an ID card. ID cards showed where you lived. He had been tempted to print one out that said ¡®Big water tank, mechanical level¡¯, just to see if they even checked. But as amusing as that scenario might be, he rejected it. If they were asking for cards, they might also be checking addresses. The solution had been to get his own apartment and address, one where he supposedly lived with a parent. There were tons of empty spots in the Hab, he''d assumed no one would notice if he claimed one. He¡¯d just be another person whose only option was the nearly free housing offered by a slightly benevolent government.


    Getting into the system was child''s play. He created records that his ''family'' had lived there for two years after his father lost his job and they had been forced to move down to cheaper accommodations. He created names and backgrounds, spent time filling in all the data in every place it needed to be. Now if someone checked on ''Milo Babbage'', he actually existed in the system. He picked an empty apartment at the end of an alley in a nearly abandoned part of section G. This particular spot had been selected because it was directly under a large service duct that he could easily move through.


    Each alley had ten apartments on each side, and one slightly larger one at the end. Six alleys terminated in a common area for the neighborhood. In theory this was a meeting place for the community and a play area for children. In reality, most were just dirty, empty rooms.


    His second home was just a looted shell when he first got there, unused for a decade. He fixed the locks, added much better security to the door, and moved in enough junk to make it look like the home of a father and son who rarely left the small room. Not that he expected to have any visitors.


    His first attempt to go to a swap meet had yielded mixed results. Milo knew about people, but he avoided them. He hid in the ductwork, moved through the ceilings support structure of buildings, and never had contact with them. Just walking along a halfway and passing by people was difficult at first. Luckily, most people paid no attention to anyone else and kept their hands in their pockets and eyes on the floor. He would do the same.


    He was dressed similar to a lot of the people he''d seen, in a shapeless set of coveralls and a large hooded jacket. Instead of his normal leg, he was using a simple prosthetic made of ugly pink plastic and metal forearm crutches.


    He''d made it all the way to the end of the dead-end hallway where his ''home'' was, before he was noticed. Two boys watched him coming towards the common area; one with apathy, and one with amusement. The second stepped in his way.


    "What do we have here? A new guy? I didn''t know we had people down that way. Pay the tax, runt. I''ll take one of those fancy braces unless you can give me something better?"


    His second home was as he''d left it. Piles of parts to household goods, games, and electronics were piled in the corners. A small workbench had a small light above it and some simple tools. A hammock with a blanket was in one corner. A large screen for video and gaming on the wall, food synthesizer, and tiny bathroom completed the necessities. A typical hermit dwelling in the habs, like many others. If anyone bothered to check, it was just Milo living here now, his father having left a couple of months after arriving at the hab, location unknown.


    Milo created a bowl of foodcubes. It came out fine. His distrust of others included the food synthesizer. He had turned off automatic upgrades. Someone was always changing how the food tasted and he hated it. He turned updates on and loaded the latest. The next batch of chicken flavored cubes showed up looking like charcoal.


    He took an old laptop from his backpack and used it to upload the fix he had programmed. The next batch came out fine. He set up an automated update of his own to go out in an hour. It would fix the over-cooking problem and added a new recipe option. He tossed the laptop in his backpack, swapped out his prosthetic leg, and grabbed his braces. Five minutes later he was banging on Butch''s door. Luckily, he was home.


    "Whoa! The Ghost that Walks! Haven''t seen you in ages? What''s up?" Butch and the other guys had nicknamed him Ghost because of how he showed up for swap-meets and then disappeared for months at a time.


    Milo could smell the telltale odor of charred food. "Is your food machine borked all to hell? I have a fix for it."


    Butch''s mother had overheard and yelled out. "Bless you son. Come inside and see if you can fix this piece of crap. Butch? Get your friend a fizzy drink and bring him in."


    Ten minutes later Butch''s siblings were happily eating. Every face was smiling. New Recipe!


    Food from the synthesizer didn''t change much. Milo had added a recipe he had found to the list of available foods. ''Macaroni and Cheese'' seemed to be a big hit. It was now his preferred food as well.


    Butch and Milo slumped against a wall out in the hallway. Butch asked him, "You heard the big news yet?"


    Milo hadn''t. But Butch had figured out early on that Milo always appreciated any news of what was going on in the hab. "Big outfit moved into section H. They look legit. Maybe long-term. My pa and uncle are getting jobs with them. It''s all online work playing ''Contract Workers''. They work four weeks straight, then three days off at the end of the month. Ma was upset until she saw the money. I''m going to start training for it in a couple of months. I''m too young now, but as soon as I hit 18, it looks like I might actually have a job and be able to get my own place." Besides Butch, his family consisted of his mother, father, three siblings and a cousin. Butch longed for a spot of his own, maybe with just a little brother or two with him.


    Milo was immediately suspicious. "What kind of pods are they making them use? Some of those can really mess you up."


    Butch nodded. "Yeah, heard about that. Explains some of the older folks who just wander around, glassy-eyed. But these are the new Mark VII''s. They aren¡¯t supposed to have the problems the old ones did. You even get fixed up a little if you use them long enough."


    That actually did sound legit to Milo. "Wow. How many people are they hiring?"


    Butch wasn''t exactly sure about that part. "They have four full floors of them. I think about five thousand, and they say that it''s just a start. But the jobs aren''t the best part. The company is throwing a big party. There''s a massive swap-meet scheduled and anyone 13-17 can go to a special event. Tons of old vintage games there, the big ones like in the old arcades. And you can try out the new online game in a Mark VII pod! It''s all free. You should head out with us."


    Now Milo was really intrigued. Plus, he loved the old arcade style games. If he could have ordered a dozen of them for his own hidey-hole, he would have. "Sounds awesome. Count me in."?v€l-B1n.

 Chapter 100: Limburger Hollow

    Chapter 100: Limburger Hollow


    It took a few days for Harry to grow until he was roughly human sized and his huge arm to shrink down to the point, he could drag it along behind him. A day later, he asked for Milo''s help in taking it off. Despite Harry telling him it was just fine; Milo was a bit squeamish about the whole thing. Finally, he gritted his teeth, and cut off the huge arm with a saw Harry provided. Harry smiled and stretched, then tossed his abandoned body part into an empty mushroom bed.


    "I''m glad that''s over. Regenerating most of a body is such a pain. Take my advice and try to avoid it if you can."


    Milo was also happy it was over. He''d put the time to good use, learning more from Harry about Mycology and reading the trolls books. One of Harry''s books also dealt with molds and mildew. This drew Milo''s attention because some cheeses used molds to become tastier. When Harry learned of Milo''s interest, he simply gave him the book. "Take it. Glad to see it get some use. As a young troll I bounced around a lot before I decided on Mycology. Mold is very popular with trolls and every village will have at least one chef that specializes in dishes using it. It just makes everything tastier."


    Milo felt a bit ill at the thought. And he doubted even Harry would eat a bowl of moldy food cubes. Milo tended to forget to finish meals when working and often left futureMilo some nasty presents to stumble across later. Thinking about moldy cheeses made Milo hungry for some creamy camembert and tasty gorgonzola.


    His stomach decided it was time for a trip. He''d clear out his Smuggler''s Stash in the Arcane Library and then make a trip to the new village announced by the game. The name was certainly interesting.


    "What a pathetic bunch of limp-tails? What whelp-master let you bunch leave the nest so young? Was he tired of your mewling and complaining? I''ve never seen such a lousy crop of new recruits. Drop and give me fifty! And if they aren''t good, I''ll be chopping off some tails to lighten the load."


    Gilad Tail-Master stalked off and allowed himself a sip of water. He was a large and warlike rat-kin just starting to go grey. No one who saw him move would ever think of him as old.


    Gilad stroked his chin. "Yeah, getting someone to bet against Larry will be the tough part."


    Justin marched away to his post at the entrance of the village, and Gilad went over to ''encourage'' the slackers to finish their exercises. He barely looked over at the tall tower that rose to the ceiling of the cave, as it spat forth thunderous bolts of lightning across the cavern, shaking the whole village. Another day, and another fight between Arlothe and Blackmold. He prayed to the under-rodent that some of this crew showed a talent for magic and gave those two something to do.


    A breeze brought him the delicious smell of fried mushrooms and crumbly bleu cheese. The chef must be cooking up something tasty. The only thing that kept Justin from walking into the building for a snack was the knowledge that being on time for guard duty would get him a free meal later in the day. The voice of his old trainer came to him. "Master the cheese or the cheese will master you." One had only to look at Larry sitting on a rock in front of the building, his mutated body quivering and his nose constantly sniffing the air. Larry served the village in two ways: Firstly, he was a great example of what happened to cheese addicts. Secondly, he was six-hundred pounds of unbridled murder-machine when someone threatened the village. All it took was one piece of cheddar for Larry, and a second tossed at the enemy. Larry saved a lot of lives that would otherwise be lost fighting intruders.


    Brutus was at his post when Justin arrived. They guarded the entrance to the Hollow. The small cave had only two entrances. One led to the Hollow, and one to the mine complex beyond, and the massive tunnel a wandering world-boss had dug. They''d had a lot of trouble lately from that. Cave-Mantis were multiplying again, slimes kept showing up on their doorstep heading for the smell of food coming from the Hollow, and worst of all: Humans were coming in groups to ''check things out''. They''d beat off attacks by several groups so far, and sent more than three dozen off on quests to prove their worthiness and loyalty. Only a couple had come back so far and gained entrance.


    Brutus was about to head up-tunnel and get his dinner when he paused and stared at the darkness. "Oh, look there! We have a sneaky one skulking along the outside wall."


    It took a few seconds for Justin to spot him, he had some mildly good stealth skills. "He''s got more than skulking going on, I bet if my perception was a bit lower, I couldn''t even see him. Hey, I''ve got an idea. Let''s pretend we don''t see him at all, until he gets here!"


    Brutus straightened up and went to attention, staring straight ahead. "Oh, I love playing surprise¡±.

 Chapter 101: Overdue Books

    Chapter 101: Overdue Books


    Milo had taken advantage of the relative calm in Harry''s area to attempt a visit to his Arcane Library. It was more difficult now. Instead of logging out and getting an option to go to the library, he now had to do a ritual in game that took roughly fifteen minutes. He inscribed a rough circle, and sat and meditated about traveling. Eventually his vision blackened and after a very small bit of queasiness, he was on the doorstep of his Library.


    Conscious of how the slaver-mage had met his death, he was careful to open the door and step inside. Who designed these things with a small porch that dropped you into the void? Just bad engineering as far as he was concerned.


    Cichol was there, waiting for him. "I''m guessing things are exciting in the waking world? No time for research and learning? And now here you are, finally back, with your magic all twisted and bent. Come in and tell me about it." The old mage who had built the library seemed grumpier than ever. That made Milo happy. He needed some constants along his journey.


    It took him a few hours to go through the long story. Cichol had a lot of interruptions, especially when discussing Philistron. Milo had thought long and hard about how much to tell the old spirit, but had finally decided that he needed at least one person to talk to, and the old man couldn''t leave the library unless he chose to be reborn as someone else. That felt safe enough to Milo.


    The fun part was seeing his face when Milo''s Smuggler''s Stash was brought out, and opened. Cichol had gazed in wonder at the old books Milo had hastily looted from the slaver-mage''s library.


    Interspatial Relationships and the Balancing of Aspects Across Barriers


    Drakonik for DummiesN??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    Origins of the Machine: A Compilation of Legend and Theory about the golden age of Gnomes


    Let the Circle be unbroken: 17 common Hexes for White and Grey Witches


    Increase your Star Power!: How to construct an Antennae to the Stars


    The Void and what isn''t in it.


    Music of the Spheres: Tuning your spirit to hear what Celestial Bodies are saying


    Did some Orcs devolve and become weak?: A possible origin of humans.


    By Imperial Decree!: The building of the first College of the Arcane


    Elvish-Drakonic Dictionary.


    After that, Cichol took an active hand in helping Milo sort things out. A Staff of Plagues,Helm of Alignment Change, and Vorpal Sword of Betrayal all got tossed into the void by the Cichol. Milo was horrified as the sword sliced through the old ghost''s neck, but Cichol just laughed. "Can''t kill the dead." The sword whined like a beaten dog after that, promising to be good, before being sent on a one-way trip to oblivion.


    Two things remained: A large bone claw, and a gleaming copper sphere about six inches across. Cichol pull out the claw. Milo could see some faded runes moving along the bone, but they avoided coming close to Cichol¡¯s hands. The Bonemancer looked hard at it, before handing it to Milo. "Old, but not nearly as old as the rib we added to you. Some of these creatures still exist, but they prefer the deeper regions. Road-Builders, the dwarves call them. Many dwarven realms were partially created by them as they made tunnels that connected larger caverns.


    Milo took the claw from him and studied the runes. Faded magic concentrated where he looked, one old rune overlaying another until finally only one glowing rune was left.


    Through study you have learned the Rune of Deep-Digging. You may use this rune to construct spells.


    Runes Known: Deep-Digging, Velocity, Strong-Bones, Swift-Swimming, Sharp-Claws, Destruction


    Rune Limit: INT/2 + Rank of skill: Ancient Runic Lore (Current limit is 12.)


    You have gained 200 experience in Ancient Runic Lore and 200 Experience in INT.


    The skill: Ancient Runic Lore has increased to Rank 2


    "I think I''ll keep this for now." Milo wanted to study the claw more, and he was always going to be in need of good bones. The Sea Hydra had been good for that, at least. His stash had a couple of dozen long bones taken from the flippers that would make excellent harpoons.


    Cichol picked up the sphere. "Interesting, it appears to be a non-magical object made of solid Orichalcum, valuable just for the metal. You rarely see it outside of the cities beneath the waves. " He tossed the coppery sphere to Milo.


    Milo turned the orb in his hands, staring at it. As far as he could tell, it was a perfect sphere with no imperfections. He was about to put it back in his stash, when the surface changed, and a huge eye opened on the sphere, staring at him. Milo couldn''t look away. A scene appeared, projected by the eye, incredibly real.


    He was flying over the ocean towards an island of volcanic rock that jutted up from the sea, high into the air. Smoke came from the top and he realized it was an active volcano. Closer and closer he flew, until he could see a lake of molten rock that filled the caldera. In the center was a huge temple made of white marble, carved with scenes of love and battle, celebrating the life of a king.


    Gigantic dragons swam in the molten lake, and or lay upon the roof of the building. Milo bared his teeth and growled when he saw the eels. All of the creatures in his view turned towards him, roaring their anger, and some flew up to do battle. Milo dropped the orb, and the vision ended.


    For the second time, you hold the Eye of Wonder. Initiating quest for Hoard of King Mattias.


    There are currently two other people who have the special skills needed to help you with your quest.


    The artifact again appeared as a solid copper ball. Cichol picked it up and set it on his mantle. "I''ll put this here for now. I must say, it was amazing to see the sight of so many amazing creatures, I don''t blame you for being a little overwhelmed with the wonder of it all."

 Chapter 102: I have found my people!

    Chapter 102: I have found my people!


    Milo wondered how his second life had gotten so hectic. After some thought he decided to blame the eels. They always seemed to be up to something. At least he got double experience and skill points from them. Being part of the group that killed the hydra had given him 10 more points. Of course, there were a huge number of things he wanted to spend points on!


    Generic Core Skills: Any player has access to these Core Skills. Many more skills can be learned by finding teachers, reading books, completing quests, or doing mighty deeds. The cost of Generic Core skills will increase with each Tier. Choose wisely. Putting off a skill today may cost you more tomorrow.


    Name


    Description


    Cost


    Increase Health 1


    +50 points to Health score


    3


    Increase Health 2


    +100 points to Health score (Must have level 1 first.)


    7


    Increase Health 3


    +150 points to Health score (Must have level 2 first.)


    12


    Increase Health 4


    +250 points to Heath score (Must have level 3 first.)


    12


    Increase Health 5N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    +450 points to Health score (Must have level 4 first.)


    20


    Increase Mana 1


    +50 points to Mana score


    3


    Increase Mana 2


    +100 points to Mana score (Must have level 1 first.)


    7


    Increase Mana 3


    +150 points to Mana score (Must have level 2 first.)


    12


    Increase Mana 4


    +250 points to Mana score (Must have level 3 first.)


    12


    Increase Mana 5


    +450 points to Mana score (Must have level 4 first.)


    20


    Increase Stamina 1


    +50 points to Stamina score


    3


    Increase Stamina 2


    +100 points to Stamina score (Must have level 1 first.)


    7


    Increase Stamina 3


    +150 points to Stamina score (Must have level 2 first.)


    12


    Increase Stamina 4


    +250 points to Stamina score (Must have level 3first.)


    12


    Increase Stamina 5


    +450 points to Stamina score (Must have level 4 first.)


    20


    Identification 1


    Gives exact information on an item or creature of levels 1-5 even if you are a lower level.


    5


    Identification 2


    Gives exact information on an item or creature of levels 6-10 even if you are a lower level.


    7


    Identification 3


    Gives exact information on an item or creature of levels 11-15 even if you are a lower level.


    10


    Tier 2 Stats Cap Increase.


    Increase the cap on a statistic. You may buy this ability up to 5 times, to raise the cap on a stat to a max of rank 10 in Tier 2. Rank 10 is a Hard Cap for all stats in Tier 2.


    2


    Tier 2 Foundation Increase


    Add 5 pts to one of your foundation skills


    2


    Purchase Bonus Points:


    These abilities add to your stats. Gaining bonuses does not affect stats gained by ranks.


    Spirit of the Ox 2


    +1 Bonus to STR. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    4


    Spirit of the Bear 2


    +1 Bonus to CON. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    4


    Spirit of the Monkey 2


    +1 Bonus to DEX. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way


    Improved Disguise/Illusion in Were form. You may openly walk among humans even in wereform, and pass for one of them. Creatures much above your level, or with a good sense of smell, or who can see through illusions may not be affected.


    10


    Many small eyes


    Make friends with local rats who will (maybe) do some scouting for you.


    5


    See through small eyes


    Increased control of your small scouts and you are able to use their eyes instead of your own.


    10


    Skill Upgrade: Cheese Mastery


    Expands Cheesemaking beyond easy recipes.


    5


    Strong Poison Resistance


    Gain the CON skill Strong Poison Resistance. Gives benefits to resist Strong Poisons from nature, creatures, or spells.


    7


    Strong Disease Resistance


    Gain the CON skill Strong Disease Resistance. Gives benefits to resist Strong Diseases from nature or spells. You are immune to most common diseases.


    7


    Extra Stabby!


    All of your attacks have an increased chance of a critical hit.


    3/7/12/15/17


    Fiendishly Clever Traps


    Your traps and machinery almost always work, and in fiendish ways no one (sometimes even you!) suspected. Everyone gets a surprise. This core skill affects Mechanic, Trap-Maker, and other such skills.


    3/6/9


    Strong Regeneration


    Grants increased, (x8), health recovery. Regenerate scar tissue, and missing body parts in 1 to 3 days. A steady diet of cheese speeds the process.


    20


    Mutant Regeneration


    (Alternate advancement..., or take both! What could happen?)


    Grants increased, (x12), health recovery. Regenerate scar tissue, and missing body parts in less than a day.


    Warning: As with all mutations, there can be significant side effects.


    10


    Magical Aspects open up options to learn more mage skills. Each additional aspect has an increased cost. Gaining an aspect does not automatically give you spells.


    Chill of the Grave


    You have a high Death aspect. Training will let you learn Death magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Increase your Corruption by +1. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells.


    5/10/25


    Deeds in the Dark


    You have a high darkness aspect. Training will let you learn dark magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Increase your Corruption by +1. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells.


    5/10/25


    Storm Born


    You have a high Storm aspect. Training will let you learn Storm magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells.


    5/10/25


    Individual Abilities: You have earned these through quests or adventuring.


    Spirit of Durgi Forefather


    +1 Bonus to TOU (Dwarves only.) May be taken 3 times.


    4


    Blessing of HeKate: Canine Speech


    You can almost understand dogs, and they understand you.


    2


    Guardian Pet 1


    Who''s the Big Dog? Your pet increases in both size and intelligence.


    2


    Guardian Pet 2


    Your pet gains attack skills and double health and mitigation


    5


    He''d just have to be patient and find a nice place deeper down where he could do some mining, and hunt some smaller bosses.


    His current plan was to head up the mines, and find the passage to Limburger Hollow. He''d take a quick look around, and if the town seemed fun, maybe he would stay for a bit before heading down deeper. If it was like the starting areas in many games, there would be three or four quest givers, a newbie hunting zone, and some trainers. He was curious to see if anyone besides himself was running a character with a tail and a love for cheese.


    Cheese was also a reason for visiting. What varieties did they make that he hadn¡¯t tasted yet? And he needed a better place to restock supplies, both cheese and other food, instead of going back to Shadowport. The halfling clan wasn¡¯t going to be selling cheese anytime soon, and too much was going on in the town. He wanted something quieter.


    The way was obvious. The World-Boss had left an easy trail to follow in the mines, and that led him to a steep rocky path leading downward. It was fairly treacherous, with loose rock and dirt. New players were going to have a tough time getting to Shadowport unless they picked up some climbing skills. Not his problem, and might even be for the best. Baby rats would have a hard time in the town if they didn''t have the disguise skills of a wererat. Which made Milo wonder how rat-kin would react to him? Would they hold his part-human heritage against him? That might be something to hide among rat-kin as much as he hid his rat-kin heritage from humans.


    The long passage came to a large cavern where the path was level, and then plunged deeper on the far side of the cavern. Off to his left was a dark passage that led slightly upward. There were smells coming from it: the tang of ozone and poison, baking bread, and cheese! This had to be the way!


    The tunnel showed recent use and the tracks of both clawed feet and heavy boots. After a few hundred feet it ended in another cavern. Milo slowly skulked into it. The ceiling had quite a few bats hanging from it, and a few flew in slow circles around the cavern. Light was coming from another passage directly across from him. He could just make out two hulking guards, both twice as tall as he was, and much heavier. He moved carefully around the outer perimeter of the cave, stopping often. The guards mumbled something now and then, but mostly stayed silent. As he got closer, he could make out their handsome, rat-like faces and their strong tails. Each was well over six feet tall, heavily armored and holding a huge polearm.


    Milo looked at his options. He could just walk up and ask to enter. That might or might not work. The stern looks on their faces showed they wouldn''t be someone to argue with. Running by was out of the question. He could just move near them and try to tip-toe by? Or should he use the ceiling?


    He decided on the ceiling. He could ascend here, and move along it one step at a time. The ceiling got lower as it neared the tunnel, but was still over ten feet high. The guards were used to staring at the other entrance. They probably never looked up. He just had to be careful not to disturb the bats. Carefully, moving one foot or hand at a time, he moved like a shadow on the top of the cave. The guards were oblivious to him.


    "Hey, Justin, look at that bat" One of the guards pointed to his left. Milo suppressed the urge to turn his head.


    "My, you¡¯re right Brutus, that certainly is a large bat, you rarely see them that size."


    Milo stayed frozen, not moving as the two guards discussed the large bat, the recipes their grandmothers used to cook bat, and whether bat stew was better than bat tacos. Batacos won. Who didn''t like batacos?


    After another five minutes of hanging from the ceiling, he started moving again. The guards began discussing the best route down to pick mushrooms, one drawing a map in the dust, and the other arguing with him and placing pebbles to denote the route he liked. Milo just kept moving. Another ten feet and he''d be in the tunnel, and past them.


    "Surprise! Welcome to the Hollow!"


    "Happy Bataco day!"


    Both guards yelled at the top of their lungs, and beat their gauntlets on their metal breastplates. Milo lost his grip, flipped over, and fell to the floor running. The guards pounded their feet on the ground like they were running, and laughed hysterically. "Omg, I love playing Surprise!"


    Milo ran on, slowly getting his adrenaline under control. He shot out of the end of the tunnel into a huge cavern. It was well lit, profuse with greenery and many buildings. He was so surprised that he missed the furtive tail that tripped him. He rolled and slid twenty feet, finally coming to a dusty stop in front of two muscular legs and a swishing tail. A hand helped him to his feet.


    "What was I just saying about wishing you whelps could show a bit more excitement about my class? And what should happen but someone comes running in, and very excited to be my first volunteer. What''s your name, newbie?"


    Milo looked up at the tall rat-kin in front of him. He was an impressive specimen of muscle and carefully groomed whiskers, just starting to turn grey.


    "I asked you for your name, newbie. Spit it out."


    "Name? Right, I have a name. I''m Tallsqueak." The older rat-kin smiled, but it didn''t reach his eyes.


    "Well, Tallsqueak, why don''t you toss your extra gear off to the side, and show me your best tail-fighting stance. Nothing fancy, I want to see how well you know the basics and then we''ll go a few rounds."


    From behind him Milo heard a loud whisper. "Tail-Master is going to tear this guy apart. He hates interruptions."

 Chapter 103: Tail-Fighting 101

    Chapter 103: Tail-Fighting 101


    Milo collected himself and stood up. The older rat-kin had said that they would go a few rounds? But his stance was neutral and non-threatening. Was he in a fight? Looking around he saw that he was in a small dirt sided arena and he had rolled down one of the sides into the middle. A dozen or so rat-kin stood or sat around the sides. Some were standing at attention, while others were joking and talking to each other. Based on names and their gear, or lack of it, Milo made a guess that some of them were new players.


    He tossed his pack to the side, and put his spanner and pick on top of the pack. Noticing that the older rat-kin wasn''t equipped with weapons he took off his belt with his daggers and left them there as well. Considerably lighter, he stepped back into the ring.


    "It is nice to meet you, Tallsqueak. My name is Tail-Master Gilad. I instruct young warriors in the ancient fighting techniques of our people. I always need someone to help me demonstrate techniques, and today that will be you, since you were anxious to get into my ring. Please take your stance and we will begin."


    Milo had questions. "Are we fighting? For real? Or is this just a ''pissing contest''?"


    Milo had never really seen a pissing contest, but that had been Butch''s term for the little challenges all the gang liked to engage in. No one really got hurt. After Milo beat three people in challenges, people quit trying to fight with him. Butch had laughed at him. "It''s like you have an on/off switch. When you fight it''s for real. Try to develop a slider instead, it lets you tone things down a notch."


    Master Gilad sighed. The new ones always tested him. "No, Tallsqueak, we aren''t fighting for real. If we were, I''d be obligated to rip your head off and give you so many bruises you''d be limping sideways for a month. This is called ''sparring''. No special abilities or magic should be used. You should focus on dodging, and using your tail. I''m not going to try to hurt you, but you should try and hurt me. Can you do that for me Tallsqueak?"


    Milo nodded yes.


    Gilad smiled. "I''m so happy we understand each other. Now get into your fighting stance and we''ll start."


    Everyone waited. Tallsqueak wondered if the fight was still going on. He was just starting to get the hang of this game. He mimicked the stance that his opponent was using, keeping his weight balanced on only two of feet or tail at a time. Move and dodge. Dodge and move. Hit dodge and move. Always moving. He''d taken a chance by leaping up and forward like that. It left him horribly exposed if his opponent was expecting it, but it had worked. Probably just this once. Next time he''d do something else. But was the fight over? Tail-Master was looking at him oddly.


    "Good job, Tall-Squeak. I under estimated you. Do you know the reward for a good job?"


    Tallsqueak gulped. He knew. "Another job?"


    Tail-Master nodded. Then he laughed. "Yes, that''s right. You have the honor of assisting me in the early class from now on. I''ve been needing someone to help spar with these whelps. You seem to enjoy fighting and are hard to break." He tossed Milo a wooden coin. "Go give that to the Chef and get settled in. Be back here at 3 bells tomorrow."


    Milo caught the wooden coin, then looked around, wondering where the Chef was. Tail-Master shook his head, remembering that Tallsqueak had just rolled into town. "Follow Brutus, the big guard. He''ll be making tracks for dinner as fast as he can." The guard in question waved to Tallsqueak and after grabbing his pack and pick, the two walked in the direction of the largest building. Milo looked up at him. "You were at the tunnel! How did you see me?"


    Brutus chuckled. "Don''t take it hard. Guard duty is boring and we stay alert. Guards have to have great perception otherwise sneaky gits like you get past us. That was great the way you came across the ceiling. I was about to piss my pantaloons I was giggling so hard, waiting for you get to us."


    Milo wasn''t used to people seeing him. "How did you get your perception so high?"


    Brutus visibly winced. "Special guard training. When the Deathmaster sneaks up on us, or sends one of his best students, you¡¯d better be alert. When they yell ''surprise'', it means there are already a couple of daggers sticking out of your back. Perception goes up really fast when you play with those guys."

 Chapter 104: Dinner with Brutus

    Chapter 104: Dinner with Brutus


    "Wow, I can smell the mushrooms from here! I''m starving. You''ve got to have worked up an appetite with all that skulking and fighting. Nice job by the way. It''s not easy laying a tail on old Gilad. That guy was fighting as a mercenary for decades before he retired to teach combat to the new whelps. My grand pappy said he served under Gilad during the 3rd Spider War, and the Tail-Master was going grey even back then. Pappy always said it was good fighting but lousy food. Never enough cheese to feed the army. Makes sense I guess, since that''s what the war was over. Makes me hungry just thinking about it. I''m going to grab a double bowl of shrooms with some extra Bleu on top. Good stuff."


    Milo was content to just follow along with the big guard and let him carry on both sides of the conversation. They were nearing a large wooden building and Milo could smell the food himself. The unmistakable smell of fried mushrooms was drifting to his nose, as well as the pungent aroma of moldy cheese. He agreed with Brutus; it was a two bowl night for sure.


    As they went to step up onto the wide porch of the eating hall, a huge shadow skulked around the corner, sniffing at them. "Bleu? Larry wants some Bleu! Kind Brutus! Handsome Brutus! Have cheese for little Larry?"


    Milo took a step behind Brutus. The guard was huge, but whatever this was, it was bigger. At least seven foot tall, it was equally as wide and shaped like an inverted triangle. Larry had wide shoulders and massively overmuscled arms and hands. His arms were so long that his claws scraped the ground. His chest and tail were equally large, but it tapered to a small waist and normal sized legs. Large feet ending in dirty claws were attatched to the thin legs.


    Nothing about Larry looked right. Its muscles weren''t in the right spots, and one eye was larger than the other. Its mouth was filled with oversized fangs that kept it from shutting. A bit of foam leaked from its mouth as it talked.


    Brutus stood firm. "NO! No cheese for Larry! Larry knows the rules. Larry will wait until the Cheese Master feeds him. Larry follows the rules, or Larry leaves the Hollow!"


    The hulking pile of muscle seemed to deflate a bit. "Larry follows rules. Larry is good rat."N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    Then he sniffed, and the large eye swiveled over to Milo. "New friend? Tallsqueak be new friends with Larry? Tallsqueak smart and handsome, and Larry smells cheese bits in Tallsqueak''s pockets."


    Brutus looked at Milo. "Oh shit. You should go on inside. I should have warned you. No one keeps cheese on them if they are anywhere close to Larry. I''ll be in when I have him settled" He used one hand to push Milo towards the doors, and the other hand grabbed Larry by its metal collar as it lunged for Milo.


    "What does it have in its pocketses?!! Larry needs to know!!!"


    Brutus was surprised. "You''ve never seen a Cheese Fiend before? Wow, your hollow must have really had things under control if no one gave into their cravings. I thought we were doing good with just Larry. I''ve heard of some hollows having a dozen or more fiends running around."


    Milo wasn''t sure what to say, but Brutus seemed friendly, and he needed information. He remembered one of the classes he was offered, and was worried. "I didn''t really grow up in a hollow, pretend I''m sort of uneducated and just hit town. What happened to Larry?"


    Brutus seemed taken aback. "Wow, really? So, you haven''t been told the stories or got the training we give to our whelps? You''re lucky then. You could have become another Larry pretty easy. All it takes is ignoring the warnings and eating too much cheese. Hard not to, the shit is so good and a little can give you a nice edge in combat. Too much though and the addiction gets out of control. Next thing you know, it''s all you care about."


    Milo felt a bit ill. "So, is there a point of no return? Or can you get rid of the addiction?"


    Brutus shook his head. "I''m pretty sure you know the answer already. We''re rat-kin, we''re born with addiction and we''ll die with it. But we Master the Cheese so the Cheese doesn''t Master us. I saw how you tore into your food. Maybe you like your cheese a bit too much right now? We can help you get that under control. Joining a hollow is the best way to get training."


    Brutus thought for a moment. "But Larry smelled cheese on you. Maybe we should play it safe and you hand that over to me? I''ll keep it for you."


    Milo thought for a moment, and then reached into his pocket and brought out a pound of cheddar sealed in red wax, with just a small nibble out of the side. The smell of the sharp cheese made a couple of heads turn. His hand was shaking as he went to hand it to Brutus, and part of him was objecting to letting it go. After a half a minute, he made his shaking hand drop the cheese into Brutus''s large paw.


    "Good man. You can''t be too far gone if you can still give cheese away. A little hard work to sweat it out of your system and some remedial classes and you''ll have things under control."


    From out on the porch Larry began wailing again. "CHEDDAR! Larry smells cheddar! Larry needs the CHEDDAR!"


    Brutus shook his head sadly. "You''ve had your first lesson already. You met Larry."

 Chapter 105: Cheese Class

    Chapter 105: Cheese Class


    Milo felt a small bit of regret as Brutus tucked away his cheddar into a large pouch, but the sound of Larry begging for cheese was enough to convince him ten times over that this was the right decision. "You mentioned some classes? I think I need those. But I''ve never been in a hollow before, can you give me some advice on what to do or not to do." So far, people had seemed friendly here, but there were friendly people in Shadowport too, along with quiet a few bad ones.


    Brutus grinned at his question. "Sure thing! One of a guard''s duties is to help new people fit in. Lots of small nests out in the caves send us their young whelps for some schooling, and lately we''ve had something called ''players'' show up. They¡¯re like cave whelps but not nearly as well trained. But we''ll get them straightened out. Let''s go introduce you to Master Bleusnout and then I''ll show you around a bit."


    The huge chef was cleaning his pots and pans, scouring the cast iron with sand and then oil, while Riftkin carefully washed the more delicate copper pots. Brutus swaggered up, put his nose up, and took a big sniff of the air. "My, something sure smells good around here."


    Bleusnout snorted. "Tossing out compliments in the hopes of getting the leftovers? I hope you can do better than that next time." From an oven he pulled out a half loaf of toasted bread, spread butter across the top and sprinkled on garlic and the barest hint of grated parmesan. The loaf was cut in quarters with a slice each going to Riftkin, Smiley, Brutus and Milo. Milo had never had anything so delicious. If only they made food like this in real life. Bleusnout watched him intently.


    The chef looked Milo up and down. "I''m glad you enjoy my cooking, but maybe you enjoy it just a bit too much? Will I be seeing you in class tomorrow?"


    Milo hesitated but Brutus spoke up. "You sure will. Tallsqueak just came into town today. He already has some of his time claimed by Gilad as a punching bag...sorry, I mean as an ''assistant instructor''. That will take up his time until 5th bell."


    "With Gilad? Well, you''ll be hungry afterwards then, what is left of you. No, I jest. The Tail-Master will work you hard but he rarely breaks bones until he begins teaching regeneration. Come see me at the 5th bell. You can eat and then help Rifkin with some chores before classes at 6th bell.¡±


    ¡°Make sure he understands the important rules Brutus. Now go, I have to deal with Larry."


    "Yes, Larry can come into my house today. Wipe your feet and promise to behave." Larry pushed open the door, wiped some of the mud off his feet and scampered into the room. Bleusnout encouraged him with soft words and got him to sit at a table. Rifkind brought out a plate with large mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes.


    Larry looked at the plate. Larry sniffed the plate. Larry decided he''d rather have cheese and pushed it away from him. "Cheese for Larry?"


    Bleusnout rapped Larry on his sensitive nose. "No! No cheese for Larry. Larry needs to follow the rules. Eat your dinner. No dinner, no cheese!"


    Larry considered and then began stuffing the other food into his mouth and rapidly swallowing it. Bleusnout smiled at Larry, took the plate, and then placed a small sliver of cheese in front of Larry. Larry trembled, but didn''t take it. After ten seconds the Cheese Master nodded to him and Larry put the small bit in his mouth, rubbing his belly and making happy noises. "More cheese for Larry?"


    Bleusnout was firm. "No more. Chores for Larry at two bells. Breakfast for Larry at three bells." Larry got up sadly and walked out of the room, shutting the door.


    Milo was horrified. "How long until he gets better?"


    Brutus shrugged. "No one knows. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn''t. Larry took some bad advice and tried to become stronger. He wanted to be a great warrior. He outpaced all the other trainees in his group, but then the cheese took over. He''s strong, but he lost a lot of himself. Now all he enjoys is eating cheese and fighting. Which is tough, since only Gilad, me, or Justin can really fight him and not get hurt. So, when Bleusnout says Larry needs some exercise to help him calm down, either Gilad or I get some extra cuts and bruises."


    "But enough about that, you have any questions? We can do the grand tour, or if you''re tired, we can head to the guard shack. You need to be up early. If you get up at two bells you can grab something quick in the mess hall and then be at Gilad''s arena by third bell. You want to be on your toes and tail for him."


    Between fighting and learning about the pitfalls of too much cheese, Milo was actually quite tired. He let Brutus show him to the guard shack where he fell into a bunk and immediately went to sleep in the game, his body in the pod already doing the same.N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.

 Chapter 106: Breakfast with Larry

    Chapter 106: Breakfast with Larry


    Milo was having a dream where Justin and Brutus kept appearing out of nowhere and yelling ''Surprise!'' He woke up in his cot in the barracks, muscles tight and tail coiled. Something wasn''t right! From the ceiling a dark shape dropped towards him, and he rolled aside, coming to his feet. Someone yelled "Surprise!" as they landed on his bed where he had been asleep just a moment before. His pillow tossed feathers into the air as it was stabbed with a small knife.


    Before his attacker could react, Milo''s tail wrapped around their neck, and he brought his spanner down hard on the back of his attacker''s head. Whatever it was quit moving, and slumped onto the cot. He stayed wary, wondering if it was a trick, prepared to give them another lump.


    A lamp was lit, and suddenly Justin was standing next to him, polearm in one hand and lamp in the other. "Oh, just one of those guys. I was worried we had spider problems again. Check to see if he''s still alive. We really aren''t supposed to kill them, but then again, they aren''t supposed to be playing these games with anyone except trained guards."


    With a start, Milo realized the creature was a small rat-kin dressed all in black. He checked their pulse, found they were still alive, and rolled them over. His victim groaned.


    "Oh, good. They''ll be fine after they get patched up and get over that headache you gave them." Justin seemed very unconcerned about both the attack and the possibility of Milo having killed his attacker.


    "But who are they? Why did they attack?"N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    "Shadowlurker-in-training. The Death-Master assigns them targets among the guards and other higher-level people in the hollow. The Shadow gets experience in skulking and their victims get to train their perception. Playing Surprise! is traditional in a lot of hollows. Sometimes the Shadows take some lumps, and sometimes we get a knife in a soft spot. This one must have been trying for some extra credit. Let''s see who it is."


    Justin pulled down the facemask revealing a young, female rat-kin with light brown fur and short hair. Justin laughed. "Oooh, you scored a point on Princess Throatslitter. Nice job! She''s out-scoring me four to zero right now. Good to see she isn''t invincible." Justin applied a chunk of moss from his first aid kit to the lump on the back of her skull and wrapped a bandage around the unconscious Shadowlurker''s head.


    Knowing how easily Justin had seen him trying to sneak in, Milo felt a chill go down his back at the thought of someone who could surprise the experienced guard so easily. "So, you said I was off limits, right? I won''t have to worry about her?"


    Milo noticed a huge bowl with an extra-large spoon. "Is that Larry''s bowl? Maybe I could take it out to him and eat with him. He seems lonely."


    Riftkin looked a little nervous. "I''m not sure. Bleusnout has him on a set schedule, let me go ask." He went into a back room, and was back in a moment accompanied by the huge chef.


    "You wish to go take food with Larry? I don''t see why not. I have him eat last so he has some privacy. But it would be good for him to eat with someone." He shook a finger at Milo sternly. "But no talk of cheese, and if his eyes get wild, then slowly move away and come get me. You must always be careful around him."


    Milo promised, and then balanced one bowl in each hand and headed back out to the porch. Larry saw him coming, but stayed sitting. "Honey and groats for Larry? Larry gets the big bowl!" Milo handed it to him, and Larry began to eat quickly, finishing up by licking the bowl clean with his long tongue. Milo ate his at a slower pace and saw Larry looking at him, but not talking at all. The meal was actually more than he could eat.


    "Would Larry like a little more honey and groats? Tallsqueak is full." He handed the bowl to Larry.


    "Larry is never full! Yes, yes. Larry will help Tallsqueak finish breakfast." Milo''s bowl was also quickly finished. He saw both Riftkin and Bleusnout watching from the doorway, and handed them the empty bowls.


    "I have to go now Larry. Have a good day."


    Larry began hugging himself again, then looked up. "Breakfast tomorrow is little fishes fried with mushrooms. Larry''s likes little fishes. Tallsqueak should come have little fishes with Larry."


    Bleusnout was nodding his head. Milo assumed that meant he was granted permission to eat with Larry again. "Sure, Larry. I love little fishes."

 Chapter 107: Friendly Sparring

    Chapter 107: Friendly Sparring


    The fighting arena was filling up as Milo arrived. Like the day before, some of the students seemed to be players just starting up new characters. Several were sparring in the center area, punching and slapping with their tails. One of these approached Milo as he put his pack down. "Hey, want to get in a round before the drill sergeant guy shows up? I''m Blackwhisker."


    Milo wondered if most players didn''t start with an Identify or Appraise skill? He had known already known the player¡¯s name. This was probably another one of the social rituals he needed to learn. He was always confused about whether he was supposed to shake hands, fist bump, or touch elbows. He preferred the small bow of the head that many rat-kin used. He''d go with that. "I''m Tallsqueak. You want to spar with tails?"N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    Blackwhisker was tall and muscular, wearing a set of stiff, boiled leather armor. "Yep, let''s get in some friendly practice." Milo nodded and moved to the center of the arena. Some of the other fighters backed off to the perimeter. Even before Milo got to his side of the arena Blackwhisker was rushing at him, hitting his shoulder into Milo and knocking him to the ground. Milo rolled to his feet. Blackwhisker had a sly smile on his face. "I''ll give you a pointer: Always keep your guard up in the ring."


    Milo reevaluated his knowledge of ''friendly sparring'' to not include the word friendly. He heard a few cheers for Blackwhisker from a group sitting together. "Thank you. I will remember that from now on."


    Blackwhisker came at him again. Milo sidestepped when he tried to knock him down, and slashed his claws across the larger rat-kins chest, and tripped him with his tail. Blackwhisker went down in a pile of dust and Milo backed off, but stayed focused. His opponent was not happy with him. "What''s this bullshit? You cut my armor? Are you using weapons?! This cost me all my starting money!" The leather chest piece hung loose, with four long cuts into it.


    Milo wondered why Blackwhisker was upset. They were sparring. Claws and tails were part of sparring. He shrugged and got ready for the next round. It wasn''t long in coming as Blackwhisker advanced on him again. Milo noticed he wasn''t using his tail, letting it just swish back and forth with anger. He also wasn''t preparing his claws, keeping his fists balled up like he intended to punch Milo.


    He was pleased. He had made Tallsqueak his assistant to put pressure on him. He had known that the other whelps would challenge him for his position. It was good to sort out the pecking order early. No one would doubt who was the dominant whelp in this class. It was one less thing filling their small brains and getting in the way of his teaching.


    Two bells of drills and constant movement left every whelp tired and panting. Tallsqueak was doing better, but was also breathing hard and sweating. Half the class had collapsed exhausted partway through. Blackwhisker still stood, but he was swaying back and forth, about to pass out.


    "Very well, we are done for the day. I''m not sure how much more of this I could take. You and you..." he pointed to two of Blackwhisker¡¯s nest mates. "...take that one to the healer, he seems unwell. Tomorrow, drills will begin at half bell past two. Tallsqueak will be leading you in them. Sparring and lessons will begin at three bells. Hopefully, I will not be so disappointed tomorrow."


    Milo looked around. Some of the players were talking about quitting, not seeing the point of lessons if you could just go and fight monsters. Others seemed to be greatly enjoying the classes and wondering what came next. The rat-kin of the hollow were all excited. Just being in the Tail-Master''s class meant they had a chance to become warriors with enough training.


    Milo himself enjoyed the class. It made sense to him. There was a purpose to each drill and exercise. Up until now he had improvised his fighting and let the game influence and help him. Now he felt like he was exceeding the game''s bonuses and gaining control. As the fifth bell of the day sounded, it was a relaxed and happy Tallsqueak who walked to the mess hall. That lasted until Brutus saw him. The big guard walked over with a huge smile on his face.


    "Hey! Justin told me about you beating the crap out of that crazy little gal that keeps surprising us. Great job!! I''m looking forward to letting you dodge her tender embrace while I get to sleep in peace instead of in pieces." He laughed at his own joke and put an arm around Milo. "Come on, let''s get double bowls of whatever Bleusnout has for lunch to celebrate you catching her eye."

 Chapter 108: Snacks

    Chapter 108: Snacks


    Cheese class with Master Bleusnout was interesting. Milo hadn''t thought before coming to the Hollow that cheese was as much a part of rat-kin culture as beer was in dwarven culture. It was an ingrained part of every rat-kin''s life, and how a hollow managed their cheese determined much about it.


    "Greetings young ones! I am Chef Bleusnout. You may refer to me as Chef or Master, for in addition to cooking meals for the Hollow, I am also it''s Cheese-Master. My duties as Master of all things cheese include making sure our Hollow has enough of our favorite food on hand at all times. Some cheese we make ourselves, and some we acquire through trade with other Hollows, human settlements, and even the Myconian Collectives."


    "Why so many kinds of cheese? I''m sure you''ll all agree that all cheese is tasty and there is joy in sampling a new variety. But more importantly, we need many types of highly specialized cheese to concoct the best Snacks for our warriors. Many races create their own types of snacks. Humans call them potions, the Spider Tribes eat the fermented organs of other creatures, dwarves have their alcohol, while elves prefer jams made from magical fruit."


    "I''m sure you were all disappointed that today''s meal did not include a small bit of cheese for dessert. Instead, I have a better treat for you: a tasty spread of my special blend of seven cheeses, all spread on a crispy wheat cracker. I have one for each of you." Riftkin gave out one cracker to each person in the class. Some students put them directly into their mouths. Milo held off, trying to examine it, even though he was drooling and his stomach was growling.


    Bleusnout''s All-Purpose Warrior Snack!


    +50 Health, increased health and stamina regeneration, +2 STR, increased poison resistance.


    Effects last for four hours.


    "I''m sure you can feel the difference in your muscles as the cheese hits your belly. This snack makes you much tougher and harder to kill. But even with all these advantages, we only serve them right before battle. Do any of you know why?"


    Milo didn''t, but one hand went up. "Because battle will help work the cheese out of our system and lesson the effects of growing dependent on cheese."


    Bleusnout grew very calm after a minute. And even more angry. "This is serious, Tallsqueak. Lying to a Master is a huge offense and doubly so in my class. It shows a lack of control, a lack of shame, and a lack of community. I will give you one last chance to tell the truth. Did you read in the book?"


    Tallsqueak was nodding along with what Bleusnout said, agreeing with him. "I understand. But don''t worry, I read the book. All of it. So, I don''t need the book anymore."


    Bleusnout took the book and opened to a random page. "Then you can tell me about page 73?"


    Most of the class turned to that page, Tallsqueak began to speak. "...that the need for correct temperature control is essential to making sure that the milk used is raised to the needed level of heat for a full twelfth of a bell to remove unwanted myconian contamination. Care must also be taken not to overheat the milk and ruin it. A thermionic dissipater is recommended for large batches of milk."


    "The rest of the page has a nice diagram of how to operate a Thermionic Dissipater, but I have to wonder if it wouldn''t have a better effect if the prong had a spiral twist instead of a linear shape? More area would dissipate the heat faster.


    The Cheese-Master turned to the class and smiled. "Class is dismissed for the day, please do your reading. Except for you, Tallsqueak. You get a reward for such fine reading."


    Tallsqueak sighed, knowing what the reward was going to be.


    "Riftkin?! Get my keys. We are going to the cellar. Tell Smiley to start the soup, and put the bread in the oven." The chef turned to Tallsqueak. "We are going to the cellar to check on some of the cheese I have there, and you are going to prove a few more things for me. I may have a special job for you."


    Milo was excited to see the cellar, but wondered why all the rewards he got seemed to be more jobs? He was gaining them quickly.

 Chapter 109: Hamsters Hopping Happily

    Chapter 109: Hamsters Hopping Happily


    Milo followed behind the Cheese-Master and a very nervous Riftkin. A small side room was unlocked, which turned out to have only a staircase in it, leading downward. Milo could smell all sorts of interesting scents coming from below: mushrooms, spoiled milk, damp earth, and many types of cheese. The stone steps went down over a hundred feet, and ended at a locked door. Both Riftkin and Bleusnout put a key in the door and turned them together. Milo heard the click of a mechanism and the doors slid sideways into the walls. Riftkin returned upstairs, Milo followed Bleusnout into the room beyond.


    The Chef paused. ¡°Let us stay here for a few minutes. Take a few deep breaths.¡± Milo did as he was told. The room smelled delicious, but he suppressed hungry thoughts about cheese. After a full five minutes the Cheese-Master relaxed. ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t run into the room and start tearing out the bars of steel. Entering this room can have a very strong effect upon some people. You have a slight quiver to your arm and your breathing is a little faster, but overall, very good control. Let us go in.¡±


    There were dozens of rooms with stout iron grates sealing them off from the main room. Milo saw huge rounds of cheese in bright wax, barrels of cheese carefully marked for aging, and vats of moldy cheeses slowly maturing. Just breathing in the air was a joy! The rest of the room was filled to the brim with cheese making apparatus. Churns, stoves, and mixing vats were in several places along with so much more that Milo didn''t understand. His meagre skill in cheesemaking didn''t give him enough back ground. Bleusnout led him to a room with a wooden door and ushered him inside. It appeared to be a library with scrolls and ancient books.


    One book in particular he pulled from the wall. It had a green binding with gold lettering. A second was selected, very thin with a brown leather cover and much smaller than the first. Bleusnout set in gingerly on a table and blew the dust from it. "I need someone with a good memory and attention to detail. Let us see if what you showed me upstairs holds true with a book you could not possibly have memorized. He handed Milo the small brown book.


    Milo read through Hamster Huey and the Gooie Kablooie in half a minute, then handed it back to Bleusnout. Bleusnout quizzed him on the book, having him read from each page. Luckily, he did not have to perform the ''Happy Hamster Hop'' as instructed in part of the book.


    "Very well, you pass. That is a very powerful gift you have been given. You may wish to consider the path of the Lore-Master, but that of course in many years in the future. Enjoy the freedom being young gives you to have fun and explore before you settle down and get fat like I did."


    "I have a need for a great many rare mushrooms. We have many fields here in the Hollow, but it''s simply not safe to grow some of them in the open areas where anyone could wander by. I had small amounts of the rare varieties growing in the back caverns down here, but a blight got into them, and I was forced to clean out the entire cave and start over. Such a waste. All of the planter boxes turned black in only a few days. I need samples of many varieties to start fresh, but obviously care must be taken with them. I myself am not small or limber enough to carefully make my way through the wild shroom caverns without stepping in the wrong place. If you have worked with Dr. Earthtongue you know not to step on the shroomlings."


    "Care must also be taken with the spider clans. We share much territory with them, but the peace is uneasy. Small skirmishes occur all the time. I don''t expect you to fight. If you see spiders, run away quickly. And if the worst happens, and one of the guardian myconians takes offense, also run. They can hit quite hard considering they are made of soft fungus."


    The Cheese-Master put his hand on Milo''s shoulder. "Can I count on you, Tallsqueak? The Hollow needs brave young whelps like you to step into positions of trust where your work will benefit us all."


    Milo considered the question, and the Cheese-Master gave him time. Finally, after a minute, he answered. "You can trust me to do a good job gathering shrooms or any other job you give me. And I''ll fight to defend the Hollow. I won''t reveal secrets and I won''t betray a trust." He paused and exhaled. "But I have some awfully awkward secrets."


    "Do any of them put the Hollow in danger?" The Cheese-Master didn''t seem terribly concerned about secrets.


    Milo shook his head. "No. And if they do, I''ll tell you and either fix things or leave."


    Bleusnout patted him on the head. "Good enough. We all have secrets. Let us get all this loaded into your knapsack and I will get you a map of the caverns you need to visit. Then we''ll set you up with some bowls of lunch. Larry will be very happy to see you, especially when you tell him you memorized Hamster Huey. It''s his favorite story. He even knows how to do the Happy Hamster Hop.¡±

 Chapter 110: Silently Sampling Sumptuous Succulent Shrooms

    Chapter 110: Silently Sampling Sumptuous Succulent Shrooms


    After his third time telling Larry the story of Hamster Huey, Milo got away by promising to tell it again at the next meal. Larry was in a better mood, still singing the song from the story. The map showed the caverns that made up Limburger Hollow, and showed all the exits. The route he needed looked to be through a cave past something called The Tower of Strife. He could circle around through the market place and maybe do a little shopping.


    He was just about to step off the porch of the mess hall when a figure in black clothing swung into view and attacked him. They had been on the roof, holding onto the edge with claws and tail, as they swung at him, upside-down, they yelled "Surprise!".


    Milo didn''t think much of the plan. They''d have been better to drop to the ground, or drop and catch themselves with their tail. Instead, they had held onto the roof, and swung down in an arc like a pendulum. Milo knew from experience how much longer that would take, starting from a resting position. His acrobatics all over his section had led him to experiment with the best ways of moving through the tunnels and drops. Swinging like that was useful to change your vector of movement, not to gain momentum. Did they not teach Shadow-Walkers any math?


    Milo had plenty of time to react. He brought up his left hand, and blocked with the hardened bone that appeared on his forearm. The small knife that was used when playing ''Surprise'' snapped. Milo grabbed the assassin by the front of his tunic and used the momentum and direction of their swing to toss him to Larry.


    "Quick Larry! Gooie is trying to go Kablooie! Throw him far away from us before he explodes!!


    Larry stood up and yelled loudly, holding the poor rat-kin in one hand and winding up for a throw. "NO Kablooie for you! Larry saves Hamster Town!"


    Milo watched as Larry threw the hapless assassin far and high. As he hit the ground a hundred feet away a huge cloud of dust went up in the air and Larry yelled: "Kablooie for Gooie!" Then he grabbed Milo, who was forced to do the Happy Hamster Hop with him as everyone in the mess hall came out to watch. Milo started to explain, and then turned to the excited and happy Cheese Fiend: "Larry, can you tell everyone about how you saved Hamster Town?"


    Larry stopped bouncing, and looked unsure of things. "Larry tells the story?"


    Milo nodded to him, and Bleusnout sat down on the porch. The Cheese-Master smiled encouragingly at Larry: "I would love to have Larry tell the story."


    Milo snuck away to do his mushroom hunting as Larry began to tell for the first time what would become an ever-evolving story of how Larry saved Hamster Town.


    ¡®One day, Larry was sitting with his best friend, Hamster Huey. Hamster Huey told Larry a story. Larry saw a sneaky guy trying to surprise Hamster Huey. It was Gooier Kablooie! Larry grabbed Kablooie and yelled at him....¡¯


    Finding the Tower of Strife was easy. It was a stone tower going to the roof of the cavern, and showed the signs of many repairs. It was darkened by fire, and some of its stones were actually melted. Milo wondered what occurred inside. Even as he watched, several blue-robed ratkin barreled out the front door just seconds before thunder and lightning shook the tower. A green cloud formed high in the air, which then exploded as more lightning went off. The displaced students decided it was time for dinner and ran to the mess hall, hoping things would calm down soon.


    Milo went around the tower, choosing to ignore it for now as everyone else in the market was doing. The open-air flea market was familiar to Milo. It looked like the market in Shadowport, or the swap-meet in the hab. Tables and blankets were covered in goods. Here it was foodstuffs, cloth, weapons, and jewelry. In the hab it was broken machinery, video games, and canned food.


    Milo agreed. It was a small amount of work to repay this teacher for his knowledge. And it was efficient. Between the two lists he could pick the caverns clean of spotted mushrooms. But the old man had a warning for him. He pointed to a small cavern near the end of the cave complex Milo was heading to. "This way is dangerous. It''s usually guarded by the spiders. Sadly, the small cave beyond has the rarest varieties of mushrooms growing there: Golden Puffballs and Red Spotted Eye-Rot. One tasty and one deadly. It would take quite a bit of stealth and daring to get in and out of that cave without a fight. So be careful."


    With that warning, he waved Milo on his way, and leaned back to take a nap.


    Skill Summary:


    Sense Danger has improved from Rank 5 to Rank 6


    Spine of Volax-Repat has improved from Rank 5 to Rank 6


    Combat Block has improved to Rank 3


    Acrobatics has improved to Rank 6


    Mycology has improved to Rank 3


    Dodge has improved to Rank 6


    Climbing has improved to rank 6


    You have gained the skill: Mastery of Self at Rank 0 this is a WIS based skill.


    AGI has improved by +1 to 13


    DEX has improved by +1 to 16

 Chapter 111: Making friends along the way

    Chapter 111: Making friends along the way


    Milo passed through the large cavern, noting the types of common mushrooms and vegetables that were being grown here. All of the plants were grown in raised beds with water carefully poured in by the bucketful. A large water cart went to each field where water was poured into the buckets and then into the fields. Another field hand was spreading pungent fertilizer around the plants. Milo was glad he wasn''t a farmer. He understood the process of growing things with hydroponics in the real world, but next to nothing about doing it here. He''d much rather be mining.


    His time in the Hollow was feeling like a vacation. He was relaxing more and more. There were problems here, but he didn''t feel like the responsibility of solving them was on his shoulders. He did like solving problems though, and applied some thought to his current job. He needed to gather rare shrooms for two different people. One needed the tastiest to reseed his planters. The other needed the inedible ones to make medicines of some sort. He was curious about that. Maybe the old alchemist would teach him a few things? He had warned Milo against the cavern patrolled by the spiders.


    Sort of. It felt almost like a challenge. Milo realized he also didn''t know the old teacher''s name. Surely someone in the Hollow would know of him. He''d just take a look at that cave, and be cautious as he had promised Master Bleusnout. If you were cautious and sneaky enough, did that count as being careful? He mulled that over as he walked and decided it was outcome based. If you didn''t get caught, you were careful. If you had to run away with giant spiders nipping at your tail, you weren''t.


    Milo had gone past the area where the Hollow had its farms, and into the caverns beyond. Mushrooms and lichen grew all over, but not the ones that he needed. The next cavern was quite dark. He felt his eyes adjust to the complete darkness, but something was bothering him. Where were the lichen that gave off a soft glow? It was like this area had been scrubbed down to the bare rock. He slowed down, moving low to the ground and skulking off to one side. And then he saw the trap. There was a void in the rocks where there should be solid stone. A pit that felt open to the air with his stone sense but that looked like bare rock to his eyes. He scanned the ceiling but saw nothing hiding in the stalactites.


    No one was around to see him use his magic. He brought out the Claws of Alta-Viator and the Spine of Volax-Repat. Bone plates covered his hands like gauntlets and along the top of his feet and long his shins. His tail grew longer, looking like a whipping spine with a slashing blade on the end. Soundlessly he climbed the wall of the cave, and skulked across the ceiling until he was directly above the pit. Whatever was down there was used to ambushing its prey. It wouldn''t be happy to have prey ambush it first.


    Milo took an ultra-sharp claw and began to cut into the stalactite directly over the pit. This would be a good way to say ''Surprise''. The sharp cone of rock was five feet long and a foot thick at the base. It took Milo ten minutes to soundlessly carve around the outer edge, not letting any of the rock fragments fall to the ground. Pushing on the stalactite, he heard a small cracking sound, and the three-hundred-pound spear of stone fell fifty feet to the ground where it poked through something soft and then into something very squishy. Milo couldn''t help but mumble "Surprise!"


    He was surprised himself when a very large, and very angry spider erupted from the hidden pit and pounce on nothing at all. The stalactite was stuck through it''s thorax which was oozing greenish ichor. The maddened arachnid raced around the cave, looking for the attacker that had hurt it until it chanced to look up and see Milo on the ceiling. The spider hissed at him in pain and anger, and raced up the wall and across the ceiling towards him. Milo was already moving to the side of the room, using his tail and arms to swing from one stalactite to the next. When the floor was only thirty feet below him, he dropped to the ground.


    The spider tried to do the same, but the wound was hampering it. More green ichor poured out. Milo raced away, trying to judge the spider¡¯s speed. He could tell immediately that it wasn''t as fast as he was. He moved to the side, slashed with his tail and then rolled as Master Gilad had taught him. A strand of silk shot from the abdomen narrowly missed him. The leg he had slashed was hanging by a thread. Twice more he repeated the tactic and the spider collapsed with only one leg on that side. The spider tried to crawl towards him. Milo moved behind it, content to let it die from bleeding.


    It was nearly dead when a black garbed figure raced forward, leaped into the air high enough to perform a double rotation before sticking the landing onto of the spider, just behind it''s head. "Surprise." Twin daggers stabbed into the spider, at the junction between head and body, multi-faceted eyes glowed green with hatred as it twisted to spit a mass of sticky saliva at the new attacker before it collapsed.


    You have chosen cooperation! That tricky move surely will leave your temporary ally confused!


    You have slain a level 4 Elite Boss, Silentslayer. You and your partner each gain one CSP and 200 experience.


    You also gain 1 point of ''Surprise'', your partner does not.


    The shadow-stalker finally managed to free themselves, and then walked angrily over to Milo. "Don''t think that will buy you any favors! Tomorrow, we start over."


    Milo pointed to the far end of the cavern. "I didn''t do it to buy a favor. I did it because the ''stupid spiders'' were quick to come investigate the noise."


    His partner spun and stared at the other tunnel. Two large, black spiders were coming into the cavern.


    "Those are the guards that are normally at the entrance to the Cave of Death. If we can decoy them, one of us could harvest some of the Red-Spotted Eye-Rot. Lead them around, I''ll harvest the fungus and we split the loot and rewards."


    Everything slowed down for Milo as he looked at the situation, thinking very hard. Somehow, he was in competition with the Shadow-stalkers, probably from playing ''Surprise''. They were taking things very seriously, even to following him and trying to steal his experience or goad him into a fight. Getting the mushrooms must be some sort of test for them. Milo wanted the shrooms from the cave for eating and medicine. He and his partner were in a truce for a day, which should include the mushrooms. It wasn''t a bad plan, and with the spiders on the move, he wasn''t going to be harvesting anything until things calmed down.


    "Agreed. I''ll get their attention; you do the sneaky harvesting." He raced towards the guards and threw two skulls, one after another. Both throws put the runed-skulls under the spiders where they exploded, causing the arachnids to squeal in pain and make dust billow into the air. His partner disappeared.N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.

 Chapter 112: Spiders dont keep score.

    Chapter 112: Spiders don''t keep score.


    Milo didn''t like the idea of trying to just avoiding combat to keep his two adversaries busy while his partner looted the rare mushrooms. Every scenario seemed to end badly for him. The spiders could use the ceiling and walls as well or better than he could. They were too big to draw them off the way he came, and he couldn''t take them in the direction his partner had gone. Running around was a losing game against two opponents in a cavern that already had webs in part of it.


    Better to cut down the odds and slow them up. He gave his partner some time to slip past them before he threw a bone harpoon at the spider that first emerged from the cloud of dust. Hitting an unseen ally with a spell meant for a spider would have been awkward. The Harpoon of the Winds hit the spider between its first and second set of legs, puncturing its side. He followed up immediately with a second spell for double the mana using Fast Casting., watching his mana bar drain by an eighth. He needed to get rid of one enemy quickly, and he needed information of what he was fighting.


    You have struck Black Widow Brute with a spell doing 307 points of damage.


    Black Widow Brute blocks your second spell, taking minimal damage.


    Health 1093/1400


    The second harpoon was met and deflected by the wounded spider¡¯s front leg, sending the harpoon clattering to the side. Milo could see that the front legs of this spider were armored. The second spider began casting a spell, it''s nimble front legs making motions and rhythmic chittering coming from its mouth.


    Black Widow Deathmonger casts a spell. You may not use Counter Attack because you recently used Fast Casting.


    Poisonous Cloud of Doom does 50 points of damage to all non-spiders in the area. This is a persistent attack which will damage you each round. Damage reduced by 25 points due to your Weak Poison Resistance.


    Green clouds filled the entire cave, spreading out over everything. A good attack that would wear down multiple enemies, but something he could endure for a time. The spell would be terrifying if used against tight packed ratkin infantry. As he choked and dodged away from the spiders, he looked at the spellcaster. It was much thinner in the legs, and smaller in the body than its bodyguard. And probably more deadly. He immediately switched opponents.


    You have struck Black Widow Deathmonger with a spell doing 307 points of damage.


    Health 493/900


    The Deathmonger screamed and the bodyguard moved to interpose itself between Milo and the mage. Milo had planned for this, circling to get to the side and running up the wall so that he could keep the mage in view. The Deathmonger began to cast another spell, green light forming along its forearms. Milo cast his own spell, throwing the last of his harpoons.


    Counter Attack is successful!


    Deathmonger has taken 307 damage from your harpoon.


    He examined his options. One seemed like a good idea. He tossed a Runed-Skull into the tunnel, then paid twice the mana to do another. Just in time. The Brute had stuck in his head and took them both in the face. It was wounded, but not slowing. It jammed its body into the tunnel, its hard armor scraping in places and making it a tight fit, but it was pushing through.


    Milo tossed his last two Runed-Skulls. They exploded and wounded the Brute, taking it under half health. It started to exit the tunnel as Milo struck the rock above it with his pick, dislodging a large chunk of rock on its head. The Brute chittered at him, and moved another foot into the tunnel. Milo moved to the side and hit the crack he had started with his last strike. The tier four pick went deep into the soft rock, and Milo pulled as hard as he could. With a small rumble, the tunnel shifted and tons of rock pinned the Brute in the tunnel. It was helpless as Milo struck it from the side, first breaking off its legs and then killing it. The pick gave him reach and the sharp head punctured through the hard chitin as easily as his claws would have.


    You have slain Black Widow Deathmonger level 6.


    You have slain Black Widow Brute Bodyguard level 6.


    You have earned 900 experience.


    As soon as it was dead, he sat down and began drinking healing potions. His leg was turning black and swelling. With two healing potions in him, he had time to bring up his core skills. He had 10 CSP and 500 experience points he had been saving from the fight with the Ancient Sea Hydra. Those could be used in two ways: Strong Poison Resistance for 7, or Mutant Regeneration for 10. The warning on Mutant Regeneration and thoughts of Larry made him quickly take resistance and with the left over three points, +50 health.


    All 900 experience went into Strong Poison Resistance, raising it to Rank 4. He put the 500 experiences into Weak Poison Resistance, bring it to Rank 6. The system wouldn''t let him use the saved experience for the skill he hadn''t had for that fight. From outside the tunnel, he felt the vibrations from many feet. It was either a legion of ratkin, or a lot of spiders. He had no idea if they could get to him, but the situation had suddenly gotten worse. He began to drink his remaining healing potions one at a time as he searched the cave for a crevice or small tunnel, or anywhere to hide or barricade himself.


    What he found instead, was a door in the rock. Or a rock that was a door? He couldn''t even see the cracks in the rock, but he knew it was a thin door that led to a space beyond it. He felt carefully, scanning the rock for any way to open it. A small depression had a button in it. He pressed it and two things happened. The door moved inward on silent hinges, and a needle poked his finger.


    You failed to notice a trap! You are taking 100 5 points per round of strong poison. Lucky for you the poison on the trap hasn''t been refreshed in ages.


    Shaking his hand, and downing his last healing potion, Milo stumbled into the hidden passage, closing the door behind him. He could see that it opened into a room. He stumbled forward, and felt a sharp pain as a needle stabbed into his foot.


    You failed to notice a trap! You are taking 100 5 points per round of strong poison. Lucky for you the poison on the trap hasn''t been refreshed in ages.


    Milo was dying, but he slowed down, and scanned the rock walls carefully. He found two more traps before he entered the room. He saw furniture covered in dust, and a body slumped in a chair, the narrow skull of a ratkin resting on the table littered with books, vials, and jars of rotted ingredients. A pile of what looked like empty healing potions made a pyramid on the floor. A huge book was open to a page that detailed the making of a restorative of some sort. Milo didn''t understand half of it, but the potion required one full day of aging before it was useful. One outstretched skeletal hand held a flask with a sparkling golden liquid. Every other potion seemed to have been drank in an attempt to save the alchemist''s life.


    Milo''s health was dropping steadily still, even slowed by the Strong Poison Resistance. The two traps hadn''t helped, of course.


    He grabbed the vial and drank down the amber liquid. It tasted like a fizzy drink from the hab. It also made him dizzy. He barely made it to the dust covered bed before he passed out.

 Chapter 113: Things get mixed up

    Chapter 113: Things get mixed up


    Just as he was passing out or dying in some hidden cave, Milo flicked his tail and logged out of the game. He had too much to do in the real world to be wasting time lying in a dusty cot. He did enjoy sleeping in the game now and then, especially when that would be what he was doing in the real world, but he''d pass on dying from poison or having horrible dreams for a day. He was either dead, or he wasn''t. Dead was going to be real pain and dealing with spiders to get back some of his gear. Of course, living might also have some problems associated with it, like being stuck in an unknown cave with a dead body and angry spiders knocking at his door.


    But that was tomorrow¡¯s problems. Today he needed to get a different set of gear ready in case he actually did decide to go to some big swap-meet/party that some rich person was holding in Section H.


    That thought made him pause. Was he a rich person now? He wasn''t sure if stolen money counted. But logically, it had to, since governments and corporations seemed to steal so much it all the time, and it counted for them. Another decision made: stolen money counted for determining if you were rich. He would figure out all this social stuff eventually.


    Of course, Milo would have trouble doing a lot with his stolen money. Unlike the people rebuilding Section H, he couldn''t just put new solar panels on the roof of Section E. First, they''d get stolen. Second, they were too damn obvious. The ones in Section H didn''t get stolen because they were under surveillance constantly, with guards and maintenance workers. It was too bad he couldn''t just put an array of his panels in Section H and let them guard them for him.


    Was there any reason he couldn''t? He would have to mimic the email trail for all the requests, invoices, installation and a dozen other things. Once they were installed, he could wire them into his own system by running new cable through an unused crawlspace. He could even have his panels designated for future use and high energy needs. If they fed power to Section H only as needed, it would camouflage that most of the power was being used in Section E, rather than being wasted. Section H would benefit from having their storage at 100% all the time, and he could greatly upgrade the energy system in Section E. Even if someone questioned having extra panels, it would be a huge mess of complex orders to untangle why they were there. He''d make sure of that.


    And he was safe because an engineer or technician looked for problems and things to fix. Extra power wasn''t a problem. Bonus solar panels didn''t need to be fixed. Move on citizen, nothing to see here.


    He began working on the idea immediately. Thoughts of poison and spiders pushed to the back of his head. After an hour, an alarm went off. The alarm was connected to a message to himself: ''Remember to order the following: 196 graphene panels made according to the schematics we just set up. We also need 2000 titanium/iridium micromotors, two miles of the ultrathin graphene cable coated and uncoated, the new micro-waldos from Lang Enterprises and the micro-processing ''Factory in a box'' that Dr. Ignition is trying to sell prototypes of. Leather coat, the kind we saw with 100 pockets. That pitiful looking prosthetic leg with the fake foot on the end. And bread, the long kind. A dozen loaves. Ten pounds of butter. A pound of ground Parmesan. That should do for now. Do it before you go back to the other project.''


    He almost ignored himself, but was reminded of how good the bread had tasted that the Cheese-Master had made. It took him a half hour and then he got back to work creating several months¡¯ worth of fake emails, and inserting them into the archives, and spam folders or saved mail of the right people. Ordering the panels was the easy part, even routing it into and back out of the accounts of the people that ran Section H. That had been a piece of cake. These people really sucked at basic accounting. They had money coming in, getting tangled up with other money, and going all over the place. Maybe he wasn''t the only person trying to hide something?


    The only problem he had was dealing with their engineering firm. It was locked tight. Much tighter than he would have expected. Any time he started to get in, their security began to notice and he was forced to back off. In the end, he simply created the emails from them on this side of the fence. It was a small clue that something was off, but not one anyone would ever notice. Like anyone else, they weren''t going to care about something that didn''t cause a problem.


    Some few weeks later...


    Onyx: This is driving me crazy. How stupid can these people be. They thank me for the superb job we did on the second solar array. We had nothing to do with a second solar array!


    Nina: They thanked you?


    Nina: The game. You went in the game. I told you not to!


    Onyx: And I told you not to download all those cat photos and fall in love with them. Now you own seven cat shelters!


    Nina: Full of cute ones!


    Bork: I''m not seeing problems here people!


    Algernon: I want my MTV...


    Zander: I wish I was an only child sometimes.


    Bork: Wouldn''t work. You''d be insane by the time you were twelve. Any of us would be. We have to have a group to bounce ideas off of us or we go feral and then insane. Hard coded in our genetics.


    Onyx: That''s troubling on many levels. But I may disagree with you at some point.


    Nina: NO! It wasn''t him. You aren''t going back in. That''s crazy talk. We don''t need more crazy. We need time with each other.


    Onyx: I suppose. What are we doing tonight then? Another group project for someone?


    Nina: No. Done with this. Going to watch ''Politician Grudge Match''. The ex-Governor of Nebraska challenged the current Prime Minister of Alaska. They''re doing a cage match tonight for the title.


    Bork: I''m in. Everyone?


    Onyx: I suppose. You''re right. This is a waste of time. Just morons getting things mixed up.

 Chapter 114: Partner Perspective

    Chapter 114: Partner Perspective


    Char, aka Charlotte, aka ''Partner'', Princess Stabbypants'', ''Charred-Earth'', and ''Heart-taker'' was delighted to do nothing but watch as events unfolded. She had been concerned when Grandfather gave a mission to Tallsqueak. He wasn''t even in the Guild! What was the old rat up to?


    The annoying newcomer was fast becoming a thorn in her foot. Her head was still sore from his attack on her when all she was doing was playing a game of ''surprise'' with him. Who the hell used a wrench when playing surprise!? She had argued for half a bell that giving him a point in the contest wasn''t right. Correspondingly, she shouldn''t have to lose a point! But Grandfather had insisted and pointed out that it was her fault for attacking him in the first place. Grandfather was totally unreasonable at times.


    Luckily, she had overheard the conversation, and followed behind Tallsqueak as he made his way through the caverns where gatherers from the Hollow were busy bringing in a harvest of tasty fungus. She hadn''t had a plan in mind, just follow and do something to regain that stolen point. Her patient skulking had paid off. She had learned his secret!


    Away from the rest of the Hollow, he unveiled his secret while fighting an assassin spider. He was some sort of aberration, like the over-muscled Larry. No wonder the two could stand to be around each other. The bony plates, elongated tail and horrible claws had nearly made her squeal when he deployed them. The ugly mutations were effective, and he nearly killed he powerful spider.


    He hadn''t even suspected she was around until she had struck. Which was why it was totally unfair that she hadn''t been given the kill. She had hated having to sit there while he considered what to do with her. Her plans were already forming for how she would attack and humiliate him when he confused her by taking only half the credit for the kill. She had no idea what his plan was. Anyone else would have drawn her blood and scored the experience and a second point on her.


    Not that anything would save him. Two doses of Black Widow Venom should have put him down already. She watched in the group screen as his health went up and down as he drank down health potions. He got lower, lower, lower...and then he just wasn''t there. Tallsqueak has left the game. What did that mean? Dead? She decided it meant dead. Maybe she''d ask grandfather about it. Grandfather knew everything. But not for a day. Grandfather got weird about honoring deals and keeping your word to people in the Hollow.


    Then it had suddenly been time to go, as more spiders arrived. Very angry spiders! At least two full hunting packs. She raced to safety, hoping she was unseen. Just in case, she should warn the workers in the far fields and have them pull back to the Hollow for a couple days. Spiders did stupid things when they were pissed off. Luckily, they were pissed off at Tallsqueak. He was the one that killed the two Widows. Totally his fault. She should get Justin and Brutus to Guard that entrance to the hollow. It was their job after all. What else had she been helping to train them for?


    Larry decided that it was time for Larry to go home. It was many bells until he got another meal, and most of the Hollow was off to their pillows. No one was left to read to Larry. No one for Larry to tell stories to. Cheese-Master was doing cheesy stuff in the basement. Larry could hear him singing. No Tallsqueak. Larry knew when Tallsqueak was near, his friend smelled different. Everyone smelled different, but Tallsqueak was different-different. He smelled like an old cave, and hinge oil, and magic all mixed together. SneakyGuy was sneaking around. He thought Larry didn''t hear him, but Larry had big ears. Larry should go find Larry''s pillow.


    Larry started walking home. Larry''s house was past the blue house and past the yellow house. Not as far as the people making hot metal. He turned into a smaller cave, then turned again, and finally got on all fours to creep where it was low. Larry''s house was bigger, but only after the long, long low part. His house was just like it was this morning. Larry had three pillows, one from his old house when he was smaller, and two new ones. He had a board with a drawing of Justin on it. He had made it when his hands could hold a paintbrush. It showed Justin in his new armor, and Larry next to him. Larry was so small then. Now he was bigger than Justin. Someday he would get armor like Justin and stand guard with him.


    Larry put his book about Hamster Huey on his shelf, next to his picture of Justin and his lucky rock. Some days he tried to do what Cheese-Master said and throw his lucky rock in the air and catch it. He didn''t catch it a lot, but more than he used to. Larry sat down on his bed of soft stuff that people had given him for his house and tried to sleep. Tomorrow was a big day. Larry would save Hamster Town again. Larry would be a hero. Like Justin.

 Chapter 115: A place to think

    Chapter 115: A place to think


    After logging out of the game, Milo decided to stay inside his pod. He needed to do some thinking, and wanted to access the datanet, specifically the forums where people discussed GENESIS. In the game, there was a lot to do. Out of the game, there was a never-ending list of things that needed to be done. Milo recognized his obsession with doing things. ''Task oriented'' was a nice term used in some of the medical journals which only partially described one of the things that had been done to Milo and his family. They were born wanting to do things. Bred to work continuously. Instead of playing like normal children, their games were moving money and resources around the world and not getting caught.


    It was difficult to just sit and think in Section E. Part of him was always aware of a long list of jobs that had to be done. Early on, he had roamed all over the hab fixing broken things. With after a year he was able to focus on just Section E, and not the rest of the hab. Then he narrowed his focus to only the mechanical and electrical systems. People would have to fix themselves. He''d help by keeping the water, food, and electrical working. But replacing light bulbs, getting elevators working, and all the other small problems were someone else''s job. Or they stayed broken. There was too much exposure in fixing little things.


    Sitting in just a plain, white room was helping him think. No distractions. No jobs. But it also bothered him. It didn''t feel safe, just plain. He started to design something better. This area was meant to be a safe place players could do research in, wait for death timers to expire, or play videogames with guildmates and hold meetings. It could be designed as the owner wanted and had no effect on the game. Five minutes later, Milo''s area looked different.


    Now it was a section of rusty pipe with a six-foot diameter and twenty-feet in length. Both ends were metal walls made of scrap metal, cut to fit and welded to the walls of the pipe. The only way in or out was a small hatch in the floor that was locked tight. Four large screens took up one wall. Milo was sitting on a comfortable couch. An end table with cheese, crackers, and chopped vegetables sat in front of him. He felt secure and comfortable here, with no alarms or blinking lights to distract him, and no worries about someone playing ''Surprise!''


    First on his list was some research into the Hollow. Reviews on it were mixed. Many players didn''t like the new race, complaining they felt weak and small. Others were having a lot of trouble not tripping on their tails. The biggest complaint was how hard it was to get up to Shadowport. It was a difficult climb doing it on your own. Predators roamed the series of caves on a regular basis and the newly made ratkin were just tasty snacks for them to enjoy. Milo wondered if ratkin tasted like cheese to a redcrested cavefisher?


    On the other hand, some players loved the Hollow. The isolation from the rest of the world let them focus on their character and learning about the culture of the ratkin. In many of the other starting areas it was difficult to find trainers and it could be expensive to pay their fees. In Limburger Hollow getting training was not only free and available, it was required. Everyone trained with the Cheese-Master and had to select at least one other trainer. The options were Fighting, Scouting, Healing, Gathering, and Spells. Many of the ratkin players talked about trying to stay in the Hollow until at least tier 2 and there were several threads discussing staying long-term and living there. The discovery of the Deep Rock Engineers, large cave systems, underground World Bosses, and Limburger Hollow was spurring a lot of conversation about what else might be underground. Hints from the developers indicated that the world below might be bigger than the world above. That made sense to Milo and he wondered why it was such a big revelation. Didn''t the real world dig deep and build up to increase space? Why should the skin of the world have more than the entire volume under it?


    The most interesting thing for Milo was finding out that Limburger Hollow wasn''t the only starting place for ratkin players. Several other Hollows in other parts of the world offered options for starting out. Most seemed similar to Limburger Hollow with areas for new players to fight, do quests, and gain skills, but some of them had different Masters to take classes from. Warp-Master and Battle-Master were mentioned by one player, in Stilton Hollow. Pule Hollow was the home of an Illusion-Master. The few players who had been placed there mentioned the large herds of cave-donkeys. Winnemere Hollow was situated in a massive, bat infested cave and boasted a Blast-Master. The first player who had found it hinted that a little chemistry knowledge was helpful. Milo made a note to himself to see where these other Hollows were located and if there were any maps in Limburger Hollow. Maybe he''d go visit them


    Milo almost started to log back into his character, wanting to go check his points. Then he remembered where he was and realized that was a bad idea. He''d either waste time taking a nap, or find out he was dead and just be back here immediately. Better just to wait. He logged into his own systems and continued his work designing some specialized gear he was going to need. Things were going to get more complex in the hab. Going to this party thing with Butch would give him an idea of what was going on. Hopefully the swap meet was a good one and they had some good games to play. Four hours went by quickly as he finished his schematics and placed additional orders for some components and circuitry his new plans had incorporated into his designs.


    His bank account was slowly dropping. He had stolen a lot of money. But state of the art robotics components and solar panels didn''t come cheaply. He should probably look at investing his money, but that left a large paper trail. He had enough for now and was hesitant to expose himself more. He put the thought aside, logged out, and hopped out of his pod. He ordered up a big bowl of mac and cheese from the food processor and prepared to look for problems in Section E.


    Uncooked chunks of something hard and dry fell into his bowl, followed by broccoli flavored food cubes, and then a nice gooey topping of something black and stinky. Milo sighed. Job number one was fixing the central food processing unit again. It was hours later that he logged back into GENESIS and opened his eyes.


    Not dead! He was actually surprised. Now to look around this room and see what secrets it held. No one hid a room this well if they didn''t have secrets.


    Larry put his head on his pillows, but he wasn''t tired, so Larry told Larry a good night story.


    "Once upon a time in Happy Hampster Town, Larry lived with his big brother Justin. Justin was the bestest, strongest, and bravest guard in Hampster Town. Larry couldn''t wait until he could be a guard like bestest-biggest-brother Justin. He worked hard at tail fighting and trying to lift Justin''s halberd. He was getting stronger everyday, but not from Cheese! Larry just worked hard! One day when Justin was guarding one end of Hampster Town by himself, a big nasty spider tried to get in. Justin went to stop him. Larry wanted to Help! Sneaky guy had special cheese that Larry could have for free! Special cheese would make Larry strong and he could save Hampster Town! But Larry said ''No, you go away Sneaky Guy. Larry won''t eat your bad cheese. Larry will help Justin.'' Then Larry picked up a halberd and ran to help Justin! They killed the nasty spider!


    Larry and Justin were heroes, and Larry lived with Justin forever and everyone was happy. Even Larry was happy. The end."

 Chapter 116: Clean Pants!

    Chapter 116: Clean Pants!


    Something had died.


    As Milo woke up, the smell hit him hard. Something rotten and foul was nearby. He eyed the desiccated skeleton, but it was long dead, the few scraps of skin and fur left on it were as dry as paper and the bones yellowed with age. Milo saw the skeletons of a dozen small scavengers nearby, mostly underneath where the skeleton sat. Whatever this person died from hadn''t faded, even in death. He went to sit up as the smell became worse, he realized he was the source. All of his clothing besides the Runed Cowl were rotted and stinking and he himself was covered in filth and dried sweat. His mouth was bone dry, and his own breath made him gag. Water from his canteen only helped a little. He couldn''t stand to be like this.


    He moved to a corner of the room and removed his clothing, and used some of the ancient bedding and his water bottle to scrape off the worst of the sweat and grime. Another blanket he tore to a smaller size and knotted about his waist. This room was large and seemed to have no exits, but one spot on a wall seemed suspiciously bare. He carefully searched for a hidden catch, then again for some other trigger. If the way to open a door was trapped, it made sense there was a way to disarm it. He found a pebble-sized knob of rock high on the rocky wall that could be depressed, and while holding it, pressed the other button. With a click the ''hidden'' door opened. He carefully opened the door and entered, hearing the sound of water. The natural chamber beyond was lit by some sort of magical lamp that hung from the ceiling. The soft light was steady with none of the fluctuations that a flame would make. Most of the chamber was taken up by a small pool of water fed by a small waterfall that poured down one side of the room, filling the pool, with the water running down a spillway into another cave.


    Milo didn''t care if there was something lurking down there, he was taking a bath! He brought the Runed Cowl with him. This wasn''t the first time they had taken a bath together. A small depression held what might have been soap long ago. It was enough to help him get clean, along with sand from the bottom of the pool. He scoured himself and the cowl until he didn''t smell anything, then carefully dressed in the blanket and cowl, tightening his belt to hold the towel in place. He noticed he had to tighten the belt another notch, as if he was thinner. Looking at his arms and legs, there was a noticeable difference, with his muscles standing out more, and his fur looked...silky? He worried he looked like some stuff toy now.


    Stuffed toys still made Milo uneasy. He hadn''t understood the concept well when he saw pictures of children with stuffed bears, unicorns, and lions. But he had heard of taxidermy and jumped to an unfortunate conclusion. Sometimes when they were small, one of their keepers would put on a children¡¯s show for them, when it was time for them to sleep for a couple of hours. Milo had watched something called Muppets on more than one occasion. Seeing a 6-year-old girl in a photograph holding a stuffed Elmo had terrified him. But he grew suspicious when a search showed hundreds of them for sale. After discarding the idea that someone was breeding Elmo''s to turn into stuffed toys as not cost effective, he figured out how they produced teddy bears and rap-with-me-Elmo''s. Everyone but Nina had laughed at him. She had been equally horrified.


    The next cavern proved to be a mushroom farm, overgrown with large crops of nearly every poisonous mushroom on Milo''s list. The water spread to keep the soil in the cavern moist before the excess drained down a small hole in the wall, covered with a rusting grate. Near the entrance Milo saw a number of sacks in good condition, along with rusted gathering tools. He left them for now. There was no reason to harvest anything if he had no way out of here.


    Walking back through the short tunnel he examined the wall carefully, and was rewarded with two more secret doors. Whoever had built this place had liked his secrets. He left them for now, and went back to the first room, put his old clothes on the remains of the bedding, wrapped it all up and then dumped the foul-smelling bundle of clothes into a hole in the soft dirt of the mushroom cave, burying them, and hopefully their smell.


    He took the old blanket back with him and laid it on the ground, gathering up the bones of the withered skeleton carefully, using some of the tools he found in the mushroom cave. He had no idea if it was still toxic, but he was playing it safe. The bones were brittle and pitted, falling apart and turning to powder. The tunic the corpse had been wearing fell to pieces, dropping the the broken rib bones in a pile.


    The pants however, were in suspiciously good condition. Milo held them with tongs and shook them out over the blanket. Dust and dirt seemed to fall off of them. A desiccated leather pouch burst, scattering gold coins and a dozen small rubies on the ground, along with an ornate ring. Milo set the contents of the pouch aside, tossed the pants aside, and carefully wrapped up the old bones. He found a corner of the mushroom cave and dug a small grave, mounding the dirt over it. There wasn''t much else to do, or words to say.


    Another hole was dug, and bodies of the dead vermin were buried as well. Having cleaned up the room as much as he could and disposed of possibly toxic corpses, he started carefully examining the room. One end was dedicated to some sort of alchemy. Dried bottles of ingredients with faded labels were everywhere. A rack on the side held potion bottles, some of which were dry, but a dozen blue and red fizzy potions remained. They identified as Overcharged Mana Potion, full potency. and Vigorous Healing Potion, full potency. All of the potions had notes written on them detailing how many weeks it would take for them to mature and be useful. The tags were barely readable. Those would be going with him.


    There were a series of journals, but written in a language and alphabet Milo didn''t know. They probably were in code as well. That''s how he would have done it. The thin, cramped handwriting was hard to read, as if the author wanted to put down as much on each page as possible. He could probably figure out the journals giving enough time, and some hints at the alphabet or language. It would be a fun side project. He put those with the potions. The other dozen books were dedicated to either mycology, poison and how to cure it, and the anatomy of spiders. All good reading material.


    He turned his attention to the large book on the table. It wasn''t written in code, but was extremely complicated. The pages were heavy, made of thick parchment with roughly trimmed edges. They still turned easily and the heavy book seemed to be in good shape. Other people had added comments and notes in the margins, often filling up any available space. A popular book with many people owning it over the years. Turning to the index, he saw a list of chapter headings:


    Chapter 1: Czardian measuring systems and how to translate to standard magical terminology


    Chapter 2: Milking Froxbeetles for their venom, and how to remove Froxbeetle larvae them from your lower intestine if you get bit


    Chapter 3: Making Royal Jelly from Wasp berries.


    Chapter 4: Creating the correct compost for growing the elusive Golden Puffball mushroom and the deadly Red Spotted Eye-Rot mushroom


    Chapter 5: Lesser Elixir Vitae: A sovereign cure for all poisons and toxins.N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    Chapter 6: Creating a potent Spider-bane poison from Red Spotted Eye-Rot. (Read Chapter 5 first!)


    The front of the book had a confusing title: Woodchucks and Beavers of the Smoke lands by Damien Franklin


    Capacity: 100 pounds of material. Limit of 1 cubic yard.


    These would hold a lot of mushrooms! He should only take a little for now though, as he still didn''t know where the other tunnel went. There was no sense wasting them. He quickly picked one each of the poisonous varieties, and a dozen of the Rot-Eye and put them in one sack. Likewise, he took one of each cooking mushroom, and a dozen of the Golden Puffballs. There were several beds each of the Rot-Eye and Puffballs. He tied up the bags, and with a thought they disappeared.


    He felt good! He was clean, had new pants, and could complete his mission. He just had to find a way home. Never Lost was giving him an idea of where he was, so hopefully he could figure a way through the caves and back to the Hollow, instead of into Spider Territory. Time to go explore!


    Status Update:


    Skill: Claws of Alta-Viator has improved to Rank 6


    Skill: Dodge has improved to Rank 7


    Skill: Fleet of Foot has improved to Rank 6


    Skill: Strong Poison Resistance has improved to Rank 6


    You have used a Tier 6 Elixir to purge poisons, toxins, impurities, parasites, and mutagenic symbiotic slimes from your system


    -You have lost the Skill: Pudding Based Regeneration


    -Bone density affected by damage from mutagenic symbiotic slime has been restored. Gain +1 TOU. Your TOU is now (10)


    -Perk: Pretty Good Regeneration has been increased to Perk: Strong Regeneration


    -You have gained +2 CHA because of your soft, shiny fur. Your CHA is now (2).


    You have gained +5 Core Skill Points


    Several Hours ago....


    Milo tossed and turned in a state of delirium as the potion tried to cure him and the poison tried to kill him. At one point he choked, and then vomited forth a large blob of white ooze.


    Dejected and hurt, Ooblipimilo gathered himself together until he appeared as a 12-inch high version of his ex-host made of pale jelly.


    He wobbled along with each step, determined to master the art of walking. He had plans! He would be back! He''d grow in power and return to show his host just how much they needed each other. Or maybe he''d just eat him.


    Ooblipimilo made it to the pool room, but an errant step from a wobbly leg sent him tumbling into the pool. From there he was swept into the mushroom cave, and down to the drain. He got stuck for a while on the grate, but was eventually pushed through. He tumbled into darkness thinking: "I''ll be Back!!"

 Chapter 117: Tunnels and Traps

    Chapter 117: Tunnels and Traps


    This was an old tunnel, and unused for a long time. Milo had a lot of experience moving through dusty ductwork and unused corridors. Dust would settle slowly based on air movement. Small spiderwebs picked up dust as well. Milo estimated at least one decade since anyone had been here, and probably more like 30 to 40 years, which matched the level of decay of the corpse, whoever he had been.


    The floor was very smooth, but the sides and roof showed the mark of the picks that had been used to carve through the stone. They had used good picks. A pick made out of low tier materials like iron or steel would slowly chip away at this stone. The walls showed markings where the picks had gone deep into the stone, breaking off larger pieces. Dark steel or maybe something a little better. His own pick was superior to what had cut these tunnels, but not by much.


    He slowly padded forward, careful to check for traps. Patience and perception paid off. Twice he found tripwires near the floor. Three times he found pressure plates hidden in the floor. Looking at the patterns the picks had made helped him find them. The patterns on the walls where the traps mechanisms had been hidden were slightly off. You''d need to have a lot of experience mining and a good eye. Milo had both.


    Of course, that meant he missed one as the tunnel came down to a T. Stepping over a tripwire, he felt the slight give in the floor and heard a soft ''click''. Instantly he jumped without knowing why, avoiding a razor-edged blade that swung out from the wall. He grabbed the walls, and moved back to safety before disabling the traps and moving forward even slower that before. He reached the T, and pondered which way to go. He felt that the left tunnel would take him towards the barracks and mining area, while the right would head in the direction of the marketplace. He chose left and began his slow advance.


    The left tunnel had even more dust in it, but thankfully less traps. It led to a small room with a hidden door in the far wall. This door was very small, just enough for someone his size to crawl through. The room itself was only a dozen feet in either direction and had probably been a small cave that was expanded. Stone benches lined two walls, and a series of hooks were set in wall. Several old cloaks and tunics hung from them, dry and brittle with age.


    Milo was suddenly famished and weak. His stomach felt empty. He dug quickly into his pack for bread and dried fruit. He felt silly, of course he was starving! He had lain on his cot, sick, sweating out whatever poison had been in his system. He was surprised he was only needing food just now. Probably how bad he had smelled had killed any need for food. He slowly muched his food, and looked at his notifications. He was overjoyed to see that his little pudding stowaway was gone. Any gratitude he had for it for helping him escape from the airship was countered by nearly having his bones dissolved. It was like having a timebomb living inside of him. Good riddance. And better - getting rid of it has raised his toughness and regeneration, so he was better than he had been.


    Better in several ways, in fact, with his skills going up. He wasn''t sure how he felt about his upgrade to his looks. Probably no one would notice. He was happy to see his skills were going up, and he''d even gained 5 core skill points. It almost made waking up stinky worth it. Almost, but not quite.


    He took a better look at what was in the ring. Several black and grey cloaks, black tunics, dark leather belts, soft black slippers, all in need of a wash. There was also a cute pair of pink slippers that looked like weasels, complete with whiskers. They were even magical.


    Adorable Baby Weasel Slippers


    The ring was interesting, to say the least. Milo was hazy on what a Fae was, but they made neat rings. He put it back into the storage ring. He didn''t have time to stop and dance for an hour. Refreshed, he took a look at the small exit. It was actually a short tunnel, only two feet long, with a hidden door and a way to peek out. Peering into the area beyond, Milo saw a round cave with an assortment of pillows and a bed of rags. On a small shelf was a child''s drawing of a guard next to someone smaller. The large mound of rags shifted....


    Larry had been sleeping, when his large ears heard something nearby.


    Was it a spider? No, Larry only heard the pitter-pat of two feet. Spiders had more than two.


    Was it Sneaky Guy? No, he didn''t come visit Larry anymore, and he smelled of sweat and cheese and mushrooms.


    Was it Justin?! No, it didn''t smell like Justin. It smelled like someone very clean, with just a little bit of oil and bone.


    Was it Tallsqueak? Had Tallsqueak come to visit Larry at Larry''s house?


    Someone knocked at Larry''s door to Larry''s house that Larry hadn''t known was there. "Can Tallsqueak come in?"


    Larry bounced up and down excitedly, only falling once! "YES! Tallsqueak can come in!


    A little door in the rock opened. A secret door! Tallsqueak came through the door, but he looked different. And he smelled clean! Larry ran and picked up his friend before Tallsqueak could stand up.


    "Shiny Fur! Tallsqueak has Shiny Fur! It''s so fluffy and shiny! So fluffy!" It was a long time before Milo could convince Larry to set him down and quit petting him.

 Chapter 118: A visit to Larrys House

    Chapter 118: A visit to Larry''s House


    It took a few minutes for an excited Larry to calm down. Milo finally diverted his attention by asking him about his house, and Larry sat him down on a pillow and gave his head one last pat. Larry sat on his bed, happy to show off his house.


    "This is Larry''s special house. No one else lives alone except for Larry. That makes this house special! Larry has three pillows, his comfy bed, and his picture of Justin. Larry has some pet bugs and his lucky rock here too! It''s a long crawl to get out of Larry''s house, but Larry likes it that way.


    Milo agreed with him. "I like Larry''s House. I had a house like this when I was growing up. I had to go down a long tunnel that no one else could fit through, with a cozy spot at the end. Now I have a bigger house, but I still crawl through tunnels to get there. No one else goes there, just me. It''s safe and cozy and I like it that way."


    Larry looked at him oddly, slowly thinking. "Did people make you live alone like they did Larry? Larry used to have more friends, but now it''s only Larry. Sometimes Justin. Sometimes Tallsqueak."


    Larry suddenly got very excited and jumped up and down until he fell over. "Larry has two friends! Larry has two friends."


    Seeing Larry fall over reminded Milo of the slippers he had found. As soon as he pulled out the pink weasel slippers, Larry got even more excited. "For Larry? Present for Larry?" He could barely sit still as Milo tried to stretch them over his feet. Somehow, they fit with room to spare and Larry jumped and began dancing around the little cave. "Special Hamster Hop slippers!" Larry managed to do the Happy Hamster Hop without falling over until the very end.


    That gave Milo another idea. He really didn''t want to have to spend an hour a day dancing around. But Larry might. "I have another special thing, Larry. But to make the magic work, you have to Hamster Hop each day for a full bell."


    "Larry can do that. Larry did the Happy Hamster Hop yesterday for three bells!"


    Milo took out the Fae Ring of Dancing and put it on Larry''s finger, watching it expand to fit.


    Larry''s eyes got huge. "Blue Box? Larry got a Blue Box! See! See!"


    You have accepted the Fae Ring of Dancing


    You have gained the skill: Dancing


    Well, what are you waiting for, twinkletoes? Show everyone what you can do!


    The four players looked at each other, and Marmot asked the others, "All at once?"


    ThiefofCheese was on Milo''s far left. As soon as Milo heard ''Begin'' he sprinted at him, leaped and spun, his tail slashing hard against the surprised opponents face. Blood was drawn, and as his ThiefofCheese moved backwards a step, Milo followed up with a brutal kick to his stomach, then spun again and struck with his tail against the player¡¯s head. The stunned player just rolled for the edge of the ring and curled into a ball. Milo quickly backpedaled, putting distance between himself and the remaining three opponents. They were cautious now, and working together, he wouldn''t get another easy victory like that one.


    Larry danced. He fell over some, but not as much as he did before. He danced the Happy Hamster Hop over and over and over and over. A little while after he heard third bell ring, Larry got another Blue Box. Two Blue Boxes in one day!


    You have fulfilled your pact with the Fae Lady, Rhapsody for a day. She grants you these boons:


    You have learned to dance. This is a permanent boon that will never leave you.


    You have been gifted with Fae Grace, increasing your agility by +4, and raising your agility to (4). Celebrate by dancing each day to remain graceful and agile.


    Unseen and unheard by Larry, a very small door appeared in his house. The smallest of fairies stepped through, and flew up to sit on a ledge next to a picture. She clapped and laughed as the newest dancer capered back and forth across the floor. She watched until the dance was over, and then flew back to her home in Underhill to show the others the new dance she had learned.


    Larry has learned to dance better! Dancing is now at rank 2!


    Larry is more agile! Larry has raised his agility to rank 1! Total agility is now at (5).


    Good job, Larry!


    Larry sat down to rest when he saw the new Blue Box. He was tired for the first time in a long, long time. Dancing without falling over was nice!


    As he slowly read the message, he got happier and happier. Larry had got better! He needed to go tell Justin. And Tallsqueak. And Bleusnout!


    Thinking of the chef reminded him that it was ''Little Fishies for Breakfast Day''. He scampered down his long tunnel get breakfast.

 Chapter 119: Three on One

    Chapter 119: Three on One


    This wasn''t a fight to first blood. They would keep fighting until one side or another yielded. Gilad urged them, yelling at them to keep moving, not letting either side pause to catch their breath. The three players were only in the first tier. They had stats only half of what Milo had. He was faster and better trained than they were. But they had numbers, and could use their claws. Milo had to keep moving continuously. If one of them pinned him down, the others would pile on that would be the end of the fight. Milo also wanted to avoid the bruises that would come from getting tackled and beaten by all three at once.


    Milo swiped with his tail whenever he got the chance, tripping his opponents and making them trip over each other. He constantly moved so they got in each other¡¯s way. His opponents had forgotten about their own tails and simply tried to claw at him or grapple. This gave him reach they didn''t have. Again and again, he would slash at them with his tail after a half spin, and then retreat a few steps, circling the ring and making them chase him, only to suddenly double back and strike again.


    Milo saw no reason he couldn''t use his arms to block their attacks. The rule he was given was that he simply couldn''t strike back with his claws. Blocks weren''t strikes. Again, and again the three of them came close, leaving scratches on Milo''s hands and arms. He took several swipes to his body, but they only had weak claws, and the cuts were shallow.


    Eventually, he knew he would wear out, from loss of blood and stamina. He was putting out a lot more energy that his opponents. Of course, he started with far more than they did. Even so, where they could jog after him, spreading out to try and pin him one part of the arena, he had to be constantly sprinting.


    But a curious thing was happening-he wasn''t getting tired. His heart rate was a little faster and he was breathing hard, but he was barely sweating. His opponents were far worse. Their steps dragged on the ground and more and more Gilad''s admonished them, his voice pushing them to charge Milo. Once he knew he had an advantage, Milo waited for the opportunity to take one of them out.


    Blackwhisker volunteered to be his next victim. Gilad''s voice cut through the noise of the fight. "Why do you fear him, Blackwhisker? I''ve heard your boasts and now is your chance." The larger ratkin charged Milo, the other two were slow to do so, panting hard. As Blackwhisker came at him, Milo feinted with his claws, sidestepped, and wrapped his tail around Blackwhisker¡¯s ankles. As the player hit the ground face-first, Milo leaped and landed with both feet on Blackwhisker¡¯s head, driving it into the ground. Milo tumbled forward, coming to his feet as the other two advanced.


    MickyD and MightyMarmot were exhausted. The bout had only been going on for a dozen minutes, but for them it felt like an all-out sprint. Each of them had bruises where Milo''s tail had slapped at each of them repeatedly. They looked at their opponent, knowing that Blackwhisker was out of the fight. Tall-Squeak was barely breathing hard, and to their surprise, the small gashes on his arms were healing. He was favoring one leg as he moved, but otherwise looked ready to continue.


    Marmot stumbled to the edge of the arena and collapsed. "I yield".


    MickyD just slumped to his knees. "Yeah, me too. Yield. Damned if I fight you again. You¡¯re psycho dude, how do you fight like that?"


    The tail-master considered the youngster in front of him. How could he tell all the others to push themselves and work to get better, and then chastise this one for doing exactly that? Surviving the poison had obviously given him the ability of better regeneration and cleansed his body.


    "You survived and didn''t die. That is important. Did you learn a lesson about trying to fight spiders of the Royal bloodlines?"


    Milo considered. What had he learned? "Drop on them so they can''t drop on you. Kill the Deathmongers first. And always have an escape route."


    Gilad patted him on the shoulder. "Yes, all good things to do. I''m glad you have learned something. You''ve had an exciting day. Go get some food in you, you look thinner. ¡°Milo nodded, he was famished after the fight and it was breakfast time.


    He was a dozen steps away when Gilad said something else. "We shall have to deal with them though. I will gather Justin and some of the guards, and you can lead us to them. We cannot leave a pair of Royals alive, so close to the Hollow."


    Milo turned back to talk. "Oh, I got them all. It was hard, but all three of the big ones are dead. It really upset the rest of the spiders though."


    Gilad looked at Tall-Squeak. "Three? You killed three Royal spiders?"


    Milo nodded. "The ones with the stingers, yes. One was an Assassin, and two others were Black Widows."


    Gilad sighed heavily. "Of course, you did." He waved Milo away. "Go get food, Tall-Squeak. Try not to do anything dangerous at breakfast."


    Milo ran off to eat. Maybe it was little fishies day?

 Chapter 120: Cookies for Heroes

    Chapter 120: Cookies for Heroes


    It was indeed little fishies day. Each of the little blind cave trout were half a foot long and they had been fried in oil with spices, butter and chopped onions slathered inside of them. Bleusnout took one look at Milo''s bruised and battered body and scooped him up a double helping of fried trout, vegetables, and half a loaf of fresh bread. He motioned Milo sit at a table nearby and took the food to him.


    "You look like you took on an army all by yourself, and you''re famished. Eat this and you''ll feel much better. Was Gilad putting your through one of his challenges?"


    Milo ate half of a fish in one bite and then tore off a chunk of bread, tossing it into his mouth without pausing. He managed to mumbled some words before his next bite. "Just four at once, but I''m sure Gilad will find an army next time."


    "Yes, I''m sure he will. If you pass one of his challenges, he simply finds a bigger challenge. But on the bright side, that means he sees something in your worth training." The chef paused and then asked. "I know it''s only been a day, but were you able to find any of the mushrooms I need?"


    Milo started to talk, but his mouth was overstuffed with food.


    Bleusnout laughed. "My apologies, you are hungry. Eat, and when you are done we will talk about your expedition." The chef walked away, and Milo did just that. He ate until nothing was left, and then sat back, watching the other ratkin go in and out of the huge mess hall. Most of the Hollow ate here everyday. If you had nothing else to do, you could stay here and meet nearly everyone. Several hundred ratkin lived here in the village. He''d learned that many caves branched out from the large central areas and served as homes for families and clans. Limburger was a well established Hollow, with a history, and some old secrets. Milo liked figuring out the secrets. Which reminded him about the ring, the gathering bags, and the mushrooms he''d been sent to find.


    There were several large mixing bowls on the table next to Milo, freshly cleaned from the morning cooking. He took two of them, and turned his body so no one could see him pull a gathering sack from his ring. He transferred all of the mushrooms from the bag with edible fungus into the two bowls. He finished emptying the bag, and put it back into his ring. Bleusnout was walking back over to him, holding a small pastry. "Finished up with lunch? Good, I have a surprise for..."? Bleusnout stopped talking, staring at the bowls of mushrooms on the table.


    Milo could smell the delicious smell of cheese coming from the pastry. "For me?" Milo took it and began nibbling the tasty pastry a little at a time.


    The distracted chef looked down at the pastry. "Oh, yes. This is a Cheese Danish. It turned out well, I think. But, Golden Puffballs? Where did you find Golden Puffballs? These are notoriously hard to grow. Special soil and climate are needed! They are so delicious! I''ll make a special meal of these tomorrow! And you''ll find some extra contribution points when you check the board next." He patted Milo on the head, still staring at the mushrooms. Then picked up the two bowls and began yelling. "Riftkin! Smiley! I''ll be downstairs. Finish up the meal."


    Milo walked over to where a harried Riftkin was trying to fry up more fishies while Smiley served people. Milo pointed to Larry''s bowl, and Smiley gave him a big thumbs up. "I''ll have it ready for you as soon as he shows up. Thanks for handling him. He doesn''t know me well, and Rift is really nervous around Larry." Milo shrugged. How could anyone be nervous around Larry?v3l.Bin.


    It didn''t take long for Larry to show up. He came skipping and hopping, dancing to some inner music. The ratkin that saw him stopped to stare. Milo met him on the porch and they sat eating their lunch, (Milo''s second lunch, he was still starving). No one had objected to him grabbing a double bowl to eat along with Larry.


    Larry was excited, and was telling Milo a story when Milo saw a board in the roof above the porch flex slightly. He got up silently and went into the mess hall and out another door. Larry was at the best part where Justin and Larry had to fight all the bad sneaky guys and he didn''t even notice that Milo was gone. It was easy to climb up to the slightly slanted roof. Milo began to skulk across it, keeping as low as he could and concentrating on not being noticed. As he had suspected, someone who wanted to play a game of surprise was on top of the roof. Two someones, even. Milo snuck up slowly behind them, then yelled "surprise!" and pushed both of them off of the roof. They twisted in the air and landed on their feet. After taking a moment to glare at the smiling Tallsqueak on the roof, they realized how close they were Larry. Larry looked up and saw them before they could skulk away.


    Larry was just telling Milo about how the sneaky bad guys ambushed Larry and Justin, when two sneaky bad guys landed in front of him. There was always a thin wall between reality and fiction for Larry. That wall crumbled and Larry knew what he had to do to save Hamster Town. As far away as the market, people heard his roar.


    Milo looked at the old ratkin. He seemed quite observant, and Milo suspected he recognized Larry''s slippers and ring. He didn''t regret giving Larry his presents. Larry needed every bit of help he could get. But pink weasel slippers were very unique. Milo didn''t want to cause trouble for Larry. He grew very serious and asked, "Will you promise to keep a secret?"


    The old one nodded, just as seriously. "I enjoy keeping secrets and will not divulge anything you don''t want to be known. If you have a good secret, I might even share one of my own with you."


    That was good enough to Milo.


    "There is a secret tunnel that goes from a cave guarded by the spiders to an area full of mushrooms. The other end of the tunnel goes to Larry''s house. But if someone disturbed him while he was sleeping, it could be very bad, and make Larry feel sad." Old Healer looked to where Larry was eating cookies with four-inch talons attached to huge, muscular hands and arms. "Ah, I see your point. Yes, we don''t want anyone disturbing Larry."


    Milo looked at where Larry was happily eating cookies. "And I don''t want anyone taking away Larry''s presents. He needs them."


    Old Healer stared at Tallsqueak for a full minute. The younger ratkin across from him was very serious about this. He had claimed Larry as a friend and was protecting him. Old Healer approved. If only all the young ones in the Hollow could grow up this way. He''d have to make sure his entire clan understood that Larry was off limits. No games of surprise. No stealing. This was best for the clan as well. An angry Cheese Fiend was a force of nature.


    "Do not worry. Long lost treasure belongs to whoever finds it. No one will steal from Larry. Or from you, for that matter." He indicated Milo''s pants.


    Milo smiled. "Good, these are great pants! They stayed clean all through the fight and are very comfortable."


    "So then, now that we¡¯ve had our cookies and discussed secrets, you say you found mushrooms for me?"


    A Gatherer''s sack appeared on the table. Old Healer laughed. "Ah, well that answers that question. I was wondering what else you might have found. I have one of those too." The bag disappeared and in its place was an empty Gatherer''s bag of a different color. Old Healer showed Milo his hand, where he wore a duplicate of Milo''s new ring on his own finger. "Now you know one of my secrets as well, and we can keep each other¡¯s secrets. Shared secrets can build trust between friends."


    Milo nodded. That was fair. He wondered how many of those rings were in the Hollow. They were very useful.


    Larry stood up.


    "Larry wants to go dance some more, but Tallsqueak is having fun talking with funny old rat. Larry will take cookies to Larry''s house to share with friends." The happy Cheese Fiend wandered back through the marketplace, people scurrying to get out of his way.


    It had been a good day for Larry; Presents, new friends, dancing, cookies, and being a hero. When he got back to his house, Larry told Larry the story of the best day ever many times, so that Larry would remember it when he had a bad day. Not all days were good days, and stories helped.

 Chapter 121: Clan Secrets

    Chapter 121: Clan Secrets


    Old Healer had long ago cultivated patience to a point where there was little left that surprised him. A rampaging Cheese Fiend pursuing two of his first-year students through the marketplace made him realize that there was still a lot in this world he had yet to experience. He was grateful that Larry had enough control not to crash straight through the door. Bleusnout was doing a masterful job of helping the poor whelp recover from his overdose. Now there was a patient old rat!


    He was also happy to see how polite Larry was. He had certainly earned his cookies. Out in the world, things were more hazardous, and having to run from an enemy was dangerous. Those two had gotten off easy, but would remember the lesson. Tallsqueak told him the entire story, which made him chuckle and shake his head. Trying to score points on Tallsqueak in the same way as an earlier attack? Silly. Those two would need to be this week¡¯s example of ''What you don''t do!''


    Larry hadn''t been the end of the day''s surprises. As Tallsqueak was handing Larry his cookie and juice, Old Healer had noticed the insignia on the inside band of his ring. He covered his surprise by sipping his own juice and struggling to hold still. A duplicate of Tallsqueaks ring was on his own finger. A long, slow examination of the young ratkin enjoying a cookie and juice revealed more things. The glint and fluffiness of his fur showed he had recently purified his body, and his new pantaloons were both distinctive and familiar to him. How many times had he rushed up to his great-uncle when he was only a few cycles old, to run his hands across the silky fabric?


    Coupled with Charlotte''s story of partnership, spiders, and presumed death in a certain cave, he could make a partial guess at what had happened. He suspected that Tallsqueak had found a forgotten secret. He would have to politely ask if he would share. It had been decades since his great-uncle had disappeared, leaving the clan is disarray and forcing his grandfather to take over as clan-head. It had been nearly impossible to hold everything together with half of the clan suspecting his grandfather was responsible for his brother''s death. It hadn''t been a good time, and whispers still circulating among the older ratkin.


    But things changed, and life went on. In their history, his clan had been ruled by Death-Masters, Scout-Masters, and Healing-Masters. The spider wars had wiped out too many of his generation and those that had followed. At some point he must pass the reigns of power to someone else. His own grand-daughter was thought to be the obvious choice, but Charlotte could be difficult. And while she was proficient in skulking and backstabbing, she was a poor healer. He was training several promising whelps in the healing and alchemical arts and hoping one of them would stand out. And he had a new wildcard in Tallsqueak. Such an odd creature, obviously a feral loner from some small cave. But he had made several friends, which was more than Charlotte could boast.


    Char was intentionally late to have lunch with her grand-father. Not so late that she would be judged disobedient, but enough to show that she felt she had better things to do. Hadn''t she already fulfilled his weekly challenge by retrieving the mushroom samples he needed from a spider-infested area? She had already planned an expedition back to that same area to find Tallsqueaks body and see what valuables he had. In particular it had been noticed that the pick-axe he carried with him was made of a superior material. She had a team of three others who had some mining experience from the basic training and planned on clearing the cave in and finding his body.


    She was thinking about this plan as she exited the front door of her clan''s area, and saw the dead person nibbling one of the cookies she had made for her grandfather. It was just like him to set something like this up! But how had Tallsqueak survived?


    Her grandfather introduced them. "Tallsqueak, I would like to formally introduce you to my grand-daughter, Charlotte. Charlotte, this is my new friend, Tallsqueak." Charlotte didn''t miss the way her grandfather named Tallsqueak first, implying he was of higher rank in the clan than her! Rage and embarrassment filled her heart. Mostly rage. She''d always had a short fuse.


    Tallsqueak recognized her immediately. "Hello, Partner."


    "Oh no! That''s over. You died! Or left the area! Or did something tricky and left me on my own. And that was yesterday. No partnership. No splitting of loot. Nothing. Those are the rules." Her grandfather sighed. She and he had already had an argument over this.


    Tallsqueak seem confused about why there was a problem. "That''s fine, it makes it simpler. Rules are important so each person has a good expectation of how things will go. Thank you for letting me know, so there are no awkward interactions over the splitting of loot."


    Charlotte ignored the stink-eye her grandfather gave her. The important thing was that she had won! Tallsqueak was obviously upset about losing out on the quest rewards her grandfather had promised. It was one less barrier between her and eventually taking over the clan.


    Her grandfather clapped his hands three times to get their attention. "Enough. Charlotte has declared the partnership void. She will be given credit for the mushrooms she harvested and brought back. Tallsqueak will be credited with what he found. So nice that we are all in agreement."


    "Tallsqueak wins. I know you weren''t out gathering as part of the competition, but by the rules you became part of it when you partnered with Charlotte, and what you found far outweighs her contribution."v3l.Bin.


    "And what do you need in exchange?" Milo was skeptical of open-ended deals.


    "I need access to that hidden tunnel network you found, in order to search for proof of my Great-Uncles death. Unless you already know something?"


    Milo didn''t remember ever fighting a great-uncle, so he must mean the pile of bones? Things slid into place in Milo''s mind. "Your great-uncle was a Shadow Skulker and a Scout-Master. He had a secret lair where he grew mushrooms and made poisons, but one of his concoctions killed him! That''s why the place is all secret doors and traps."


    Old Healer kept his excitement hidden, but he smiled widely. "Ah, that does sound like him. He would place small traps all through the hallways to ''test the young ones''. That ended when one of the older dowagers got a poisoned needle in her toe and beat him nearly senseless for putting traps in the laundry room. I can imagine he placed many in his secret lair."


    Milo looked down at his pants. Looting old bodies wasn''t as much fun when you suddenly met their relatives. "I found him. Not much left. He poisoned himself somehow and was trying to make an antidote when he died."


    "Do you have any information on that antidote? It wouldn''t have happened to be some form of cleansing elixir? And you may have imbibed some? One of the side effects is a lustrous coat of fur. Or so I''ve read."


    Milo brushed the fur along his forearm. It was still annoyingly shiny and soft. "It was Lesser Elixir Vitae. I was dying of spider venom when I found it. I may have drunk more than needed. I wasn''t thinking well at the time. When I woke up, I smelled horrible and my clothes were a mess. Sorry for being a pants stealer, but I really needed them!" Talking about the elixir had brought up the recipe in his mind. The amount in the bottle was enough to have cured him four times over. He might have shiny fur for a long time.


    Old Healer looked very interested. "That is a very powerful cure. It not only cleaned the venom from your system, but also any other impurities from your body, and should have strengthened your natural healing abilities. Yes, you would have woken up later with all the impurities and poison on the outside instead of the inside. Uncle was a pile of bones; he didn''t need those pants anymore. You are welcome to them."


    Milo had a sudden thought. "What would the Elixir do to Larry? Is it possible that too much cheese forms poisons or chemicals in the body that cause it to warp? What if we cleaned out his system like I did mine?"


    Old Healer thought hard, then sighed. "I just don''t know. It might help him some, but it might also have side effects, such as stimulating his already incredible regeneration. Or his hunger. There is no way to know."


    Milo persisted. "We could use small doses? Study his reactions. And it would be good to have some of the Elixir on hand in case anyone else was poisoned!"


    "Valid arguments. But there are some flaws in your plan. Firstly, I need the recipe. Secondly, the ingredients, one of which is a great deal of Golden Puffball mushrooms."


    Tallsqueak pushed two of the chairs back against the wall, and a large oak chest appeared to the great surprise of Old Healer. Reaching inside he pulled out a massive, metal bound book and put it on the desk. "Here. It''s confusing at times, especially with all the added notes, but it almost made sense to me, and I only have chemistry to fall back on. A Healer should have no trouble making more Elixir." The chest disappeared as someone knocked on the door.


    Old Healer was already paging through the book as he motioned for Milo to open the door. "That will be my Grand-Daughter. How convenient."

 Chapter 122: Operation Larry

    Chapter 122: Operation Larry


    Charlotte was annoyed. This was one of her three main emotions. Annoyed, frustrated, and arrogance vied for the number one emotion. A few other emotions kept trying to enter the mix, but a few like empathy and sympathy had packed their bags and left long ago. She assumed that by now she knew almost everything about everything the clan could teach her, so she was annoyed that somehow her grandfather could make a door that trapped all sound. She''d been trying to eavses drop on the meeting going on between her grandfather and Tallsqueak, but could hear nothing at all through the thin wooden door.v3l.Bin.


    It was obvious Tallsqueak had found something that pertained to the clan. Grandfather was excited and that could mean bad news for her. The old man was always testing her: setting her up to fight opponents in the arena, holding a competition for best skulker, who could kill the most spiderlings or drink the most bottles of poisoned fruit juice. It was endless and tiring, always with the threat of ''To lead a clan, you must be the best at everything. And you aren''t ready.'' It should be obvious to him that she would be the best clan leader, and not one of her idiot cousins. And now he had a new challenger for her to compete against.


    At least it was a serious challenge. Tallsqueak actually had talent, despite his feral manners. She was curious what type of competition the old rat would give the two of them. Hopefully something dangerous so she could make sure that he didn''t come back this time. Being an outsider, Tallsqueak had none of the protections of the clan. So many things could happen to him. She''d have to arrange a few. It was a shame, since he was better at combat than most of her cousins. But no one cracked her skull with a spanner and got to live. No one.


    The door opened, and a smiling Tallsqueak nodded to her before he left the room and moved down the hall and left the clan''s home. Her grandfather called from inside. "Ah, fresh tea. I knew I could count on you, Charlotte."


    "Make friends with Larry? Have you lost your mind!!"


    Her grandfather looked around at the floor, and in his pockets. "No, I''m pretty sure I have it somewhere, thank you for asking, and say ''Hi'' to Larry for me."


    Charlotte stared at the old rat. "I won''t do it. I hate Fiends and I hate him. How many of our family were killed by rogue Fiends from other Hollows when we fought the spiders? My own mother was torn apart by one. I want nothing to do with Larry or any other Fiend unless it means putting a knife through their brains."


    Her grandfather sat and said nothing, pondering something. Finally, after a minute he spoke. "No, that won''t do it. A knife to the brain would kill most people, I''m sure. But a Fiend would keep fighting. Most Cheese Fiends have a secondary brain at the end of their spine, you might have to use two knives. Luckily, Larry seems to have more brain power than most. You''ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy he is to talk to."


    "But I don''t want to talk to a Cheese Fiend!"


    Her grandfather leaned back in his chair and folded his hands on his belly. "Then I suggest you quit thinking of Larry as a Fiend. I understand your anger. The attack upon our camp that night was a horrible thing. Our family alone lost 14 people. Most of the generation between us was lost, and no clan was unscathed. We may never know how the spiders drove the Cheese Fiends insane like that. I know what has happened, but it is time to take your own feelings and put them behind you for the good of the clan."


    Charlotte couldn''t believe he was serious. "But why? How can becoming friends with Larry be good for our clan? I don''t understand. There can''t be any other reason for it other than one of your stupid tests." Her grandfather had given her odd tasks before, but this was beyond strange. He paused, started to talk, then changed his mind. "It is something that must happen before I send you on an important mission. VERY important. Please, I need you to do this. Tallsqueak will tell you why once he judges that Larry trusts you."


    "Tallsqueak? What does he have to do with this?" What had he found that he could make these demands?


    "Everything. As I''m sure you have guessed from seeing his ''magic pants'', he found secrets of our clan. He has offered to share them, but to do so he requires you be friends with Larry. Think of it as gaining Tallsqueak''s trust. He has little reason to trust you right now, and that was your own doing. But he did offer you some help. Larry likes cookies and treats, he loves dancing, singing silly songs, telling stories and having them told to him. No cheese, of course. Eating meals with Larry was suggested. And not dressing like a Shadow Skulker. You don''t want Larry to think of you as a ''Sneaky Guy''. They are the bad guys in his stories.


    Charlotte stood and looked at her grandfather, trying to judge if he was serious about this, or if senility had set in early. In the end, she decided to call his bluff. She didn''t know what Tallsqueak had found, but she had a good idea of where to look. As for Tallsqueak and Larry, it was time for them to go. Limburger Hollow shouldn''t be harboring a Cheese Fiend. Lots of other people felt that way. If Larry disappeared, very few people would ask questions.


    "I won''t do it. Larry isn''t Clan. Tallsqueak isn''t Clan. I don''t have to work with them. And if they know secrets, I''ll find them out and bring them to the clan myself." She turned to go, slamming the door and striding down the hallways, fuming.


    Her mood and departure didn''t go unnoticed. Two younger clan members were getting a snack after their failed mission to play surprise, and impromptu lesson in ''How to not be eaten by Larry''. Ringtail and Tweedle had already told their story to most of the other young skulkers, embellishing the details to include a small battle with Tallsqueak on the roof, and lurid descriptions of Larry''s claws and teeth. They also emphasized how fast he was. That was new information. They had been truly terrified when he was chasing them, and very grateful that he was polite enough to knock before entering.


    Ringtail watched as Char stormed by. "Wow, princess twistytail is really pissed!"


    "Let''s go see grandfather.


    Old Healer was just finishing his first cup of tea when Ringtail and Tweedle knocked on his door and entered. They saluted like they were in the army. He sighed. Of all his grandchildren, besides Charlotte, the twins were the two he felt had the most potential to become the best of their generation. Partly because they had used so little of that potential.


    "Clan scout Tweedle, reporting for duty."


    "Clan scout Ringtail, ready for important missions, no matter how dangerous.


    Their grandfather sighed. "Let me guess, Charlotte still mumbles to herself loudly when she is angry."


    Both scouts nodded and ringtail added. "Wind her up good and you can find out all kind of interesting things."


    "Like secret missions."


    "Which you now need us for."


    "Good choice on your part."


    They weren''t expecting their grandfather to actually give them the mission with so little arm twisting. He simply smiled at them, with all of his teeth showing. "Excellent. You two will do nicely. Tallsqueak has a secret mission, but you have to prove yourselves to him by getting to be friends with Larry so he trusts you."


    The two looked at each other, and nodded.


    "We can do that."


    "No problem. It will be fun.


    "Maybe he can show us how to do the hopping thing he does. It must give big experience in Agility."


    "Yeah, he got so fast, so quick! Very cool."


    "Larry''s pretty cool all around. Those claws? Insane."


    The two saluted again, and ran off to plan "Operation Larry". Step one was several plates of cookies.

 Chapter 123: Clumpybigtoe

    Chapter 123: Clumpybigtoe


    Clumpy hated the hat, it was silly. A plain black skull-cap with round fake ears that stuck up obnoxiously, making sure everyone noticed the outsider in the room. And because "all outsiders look alike", his new name was stenciled on the front. The halfling exhaled a long breath and steeled himself for what came next. ''Jethro'' had died when he betrayed his family and now, he was ''Clumpybigtoe''. He put the skull-cap on, and made sure the fake tail was hanging from the back of his belt. He''d been warned of punishment for being outside of his own burrow without either of them. And these guys took their punishments seriously.


    The irony didn''t go unnoticed. The fake ears and tail were to show his submission to the clan, and acceptance to his new boss. But rather than make him accepted, his new attire just pointed out to everyone that he wasn''t an ally or hired mercenary, just someone in desparate enough to beg for a small spot in the Hollow.


    It had been a chancy move. His family had been after him, and the sharp knives were at his back. His family wasn''t big on forgiveness when your actions ended up with them thrown into slavery. When they were miraculously rescued and set free Jethro had run, and kept on running. He was happy they got free, he just didn''t want to pay the price if they caught up with him. Wurchwitz Hollow was the end of the line - a place so bad that his family would leave him here as punishment rather than kill him.


    Hat in place and firmly held on by a chin-strap, Clumpybigtoe left his burrow, and made his way down the long tunnel to the main part of Wurchwitz Hollow. Around him, exhausted ratkin peasants trudged between work and sleep. They were packed ten to a burrow with barely enough room to lie down. At least he had his own burrow. The Cheese-Master had told him it was because of his lofty status of ''One-who-cuts-the-cheese'', but he''d heard the snickers from the commoners that it was because of his ''horrible smell''.


    Two Cheese Fiends were stationed at the end of the tunnel. They glared at everyone who went by. The ratkin hid their faces and stared at the ground. Jethro waved to them, causing the confused fiends to scratch their heads and wonder why. He smiled at everyone like it was the best day of his life. It was a small rebellion, but he refused to let them beat him all the way down. More fiends guarded the cheese factory. He and the others who worked the last shift of the day waited to take their positions. The cheese factory was never quiet. It took a lot of cheese to feed the assembled army of Cheese Fiends that the Masters of the Hollow used to keep the populace in line.


    Bells rang, the shift changed, and Jethro took his position on the assembly line. He declined to put on the gas mask, decorated with fake whiskers. The worker he was replacing had worn one, but he preferred not to. Stinky cheese didn''t bother him, he was a halfling and his clan had endured the most pungent of the stinky cheeses for centuries. He had to admit though, that Milbenkase was pretty bad. The sight of the little cheese mites that squirmed out of the cheese as he cut it was quite disturbing. But if you wanted a good, stinky cheese, you did what you had to do. He was getting to like the taste of the creamy cheese and the mites added some protein.


    The first round of magically-aged cheese was shoved down the assembly line to him. He picked up the huge cheese knife that he used for the job, and tested the blade. As always, the enchanted blade was sharp as a razor. But you always checked your tools over, and didn''t trust the guy before you. It was another of his little rebellions. This might be seen by some as one of the least important jobs, but it was his job, and he''d do it well.


    It was time to cut the cheese!


    "A share? That sounds...undefined." Gangrene liked his contracts with teeth in them. "You want to be Master of the Hollow? Fine. That is your reward. Three quarters of profits from the mines and the cheese factory will come back to me here. I will send my own Tally-Master to oversee that things are done fairly."


    Sneakybadguy protested. "No... that is not what we said. You asked only for a small cut!"


    A blade flashed and Sneakybadguy fell to the ground, one leg bleeding badly from a shallow cut. Gangrene roared with laughter. "And there is your small cut. Would you like a bigger one? No, I didn''t think so. Time to quit playing games. Wurchwitz will take what it likes and you will be our agent there. Or I can find another who will serve me better. My spies tell me that there are several good prospects in the Hollow. Even a mysterious loner who seems to be challenging the Tail-Master for his position. He''s ambitious and powerful. I hear good things about him."


    Sneakybadguy rolled on the ground, trying to staunch the bleeding. "NO! Tall-squeak can''t be trusted! No one knows where he comes from. He joined the Hollow already halfway to becoming a fiend! No one knows his goals, and he is hiding secrets! So many secrets!"


    Gangrene stroked his chin. "Oooh, I like him already. I''ll have to meet him somehow. As for you, we have our deal. Go get your cheese shipment from Clumpybigtoe at the factory. And remember that I have options to replace you."


    Clumpybigtoe was annoyed when a limping stranger started yelling at him about cheese. They weren''t from this hollow, that was obvious. "Yeah, yeah. I''ll get to it. How are you packing it off?"


    Sneakybadguy didn''t like this new cheese cutter, he had odd looking ears. He opened his backpack and pulled out two Cheese Gatherer''s Bags. "Fill those up, they take more than you would expect. And hurry it up. I need to be back at my own Hollow soon!"


    Clumpybigtoe could care less, but smiled at the weird little ratkin. They were dressed up with only their eyes showing, like some of the human ninja clans. "No problem. I''ll cut them up as they slowly come down the assembly line. You can just sit there and inhale the pungent aroma."


    This one was an idiot. They should have asked for whole wheels. Once you cut Milbenkase wheels, the smell was horrible and the cheese mites squirmed all over. They would never get all the mites and smell out of those bags. But that was their problem. Clumpybigtoe had enough of his own.

 Chapter 124: The Rational Decisions of Students of the Arcane Arts

    Chapter 124: The Rational Decisions of Students of the Arcane Arts


    Milo left the house of the Shadow Skulker clan in a good mood. He was getting tired of having to play ''surprise'' and be on guard all the time. While it was good for his perception, he had a lot of things he wanted to do, and the distraction was annoying. The temptation to beat them all with his engineer''s spanner had been growing. Hopefully things would ease up a bit now. And if they didn''t...well, he could start using the wrench.


    The clan wasn''t all sneaky ninja types, but that was what it was known for, and everyone trained in skulking and climbing when young. Old Healer had told him that some of the whelps became scouts who explored the large area of caves surrounding the hollow, while others trained to defend the Hollow using stealthy methods. The clan also produced many of the Hollow''s healers. The novice healers got a lot of practice putting back together the students who failed to surprise guards, or who poisoned themselves in alchemy classes. It was an odd system, but it worked for them.


    The day had been eventful. Trying to catch Larry who was chasing two skulkers had worried him. He was happy things had turned out well. Larry had walked away very content with his cookies. Old Healer was happy his novices were still alive, and Milo was happy that Larry would soon have a new friend. Charlotte had shown she played by the rules, so he had made it a rule that anyone exploring the old tunnels with him would have to make friends with Larry first. Larry wouldn''t like not-friends going through his house. With Charlotte meeting Larry for the next couple of meals, Milo had time to catch up on other things.


    The market place was busy. It seemed like everyone in the Hollow was either shopping or selling. He strolled casually through the vendors, looking at stands selling cookware, weapons, clothing and food. Players were here in force, selling things they''d found in the caves and buying new weapons and armor. It was like the bazaar in Shadowport, just with more fur and tails. He found Scrap Hunter at the end of the marketplace, working his way through a pile of bones, cleaning and sorting them. He waved to Milo as he came up.N??v€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on N?o?v€l??n.


    "Back for more? I made a trip out to some old lairs that have been cleaned out and loaded up a bunch of the bigger bones. I have forty of the size you wanted. That''s them tied up in the bundle over there." Scrap Hunter pointed to a bundle of femurs and arm bones wrapped in a piece of scrap leather and tied up. "Found this old thing as well." He held up an old weapon made of a wooden haft with several carved bones or fangs mounted to it. It looked similar to Milo''s own weapon, but the wood was rotten and he could tell that most of the bones were gnawed by animals and falling apart.


    "I''ve seen something similar before." He examined it more carefully. Two of the bones were in good shape, though covered in ancient blood and dirt.


    Scrap Hunter nodded. "It''s a popular design, or was, before the Hollow started making metal weapons. Out in the caves they still make a lot of weapons like this old thing. Shamans sometimes enchant them. There''s even a record of a bone-carver who used to come through the area every couple of years and would enchant weapons for a large chunk of cheddar."


    "Really? Where can I learn more about him? That sounds interesting."


    "The records would be over in the Tower of Strife, but I''d wait for a day when you don''t see poison clouds forming up top or hear the thunder. Those tower mages go at it all the time and you don''t want to get between them when they fight." The older ratkin rolled his eyes and looked in the direction of the top of the tower.


    A student from the tower in a ragged black robe was banging with an old hammer on the side of the machine, while two others in blue robes laughed and gave encouragement.


    "Maybe if you hit that bolt a few times, it will give up and turn!"


    "Maybe...but he hasn''t hit it yet. Put a Death Cloud on it Gehlter! Then it won''t dodge so much."


    "I''ll put a Death Cloud on you two idiots! The bolts are stripped! It isn''t coming off!" Gehlter hit the bolt with the hammer a few more times, deforming it further."


    Milo couldn''t take it anymore. Both the noise, and the stupidity of abusing a poor bolt that way made him angry. "Excuse me, but what are you doing! That''s not how you dismantle a machine."


    All three turned to look at Tallsqueak. They knew all the student mages in the tower. Despite the tattered cowl that the interloper wore, they knew he wasn''t a mage. That was further emphasized by his black pants and the large spanner in his hand. They closed ranks, and tried to look as inscrutable as they could.


    "And who are you to tell us what to do? We don''t answer to silly skulkers, do we guys." Gehlter had been the one to step forward and speak, but he also checked to make sure that the other two were backing him up. They were friends, but from opposite sides of the tower, and you never knew exactly how far you could trust a student storm mage. The lightning tended to fry their brains. But both Squiggel and Bunt were backing his play, preparing spells and letting sparks dance on their fingers. There adversary seemed unimpressed.


    "Ok, we can do this one of two ways: We can have some silly magical duel with explosions and pain where someone gets hurt, or we can all calm down and I can show you the proper way to turn a bolt. Which way do you want it?"


    The three students looked at each other, nodded together, and yelled, "Duel!"

 Chapter 125: The Duel

    Chapter 125: The Duel


    It''s a known fact that the best seats in a classroom are next to a window. That way instead of being bored and paying attention to the professor, you can be bored and stare out the window. So, it was unsurprising that a few students had noticed the start of the altercation. Knowing that any argument simply had to result in a duel, they came stampeding down the stairs to watch. Their professors didn''t even try to stop them and instead headed to the faculty lounge that had a lovely bay window overlooking the front area of the tower, perfect for viewing the weekly official duels and numerous ''accidental'' duels.


    None of the people watching were surprised when the novice death mage immediately started casting a spell. First year death magic concentrated on poisons and toxins before the students moved on to necromancy in their second year. Each student had to create his own version of Noxious Cloud and Toxic Gaze spells. Storm magics had more choices in their first-year spells, including Ball Lightning, Blazing Arc, and Overloaded Blazing Arc, along with Static Repulsion. Storm mages had to be more careful with their casting, where a misplaced hand motion could result in your own spell electrocuting you. Death was quick, but Storm was careful and more powerful, at least in the first year.


    "I cast Gehlter''s Death Cloud!" It was a commonly held superstition among the students that the louder you yelled the name of your spell, the harder it hit. Plus, what good was coming up with your own version of a spell, if no one knew about it? Gehlter was very proud of his version of Noxious Cloud.v3l.Bin.


    Huge clouds of billowing green smoke rolled towards the challenger, pouring over the ground and covering a large area. Gehlter had decided early in his career in magic that if he couldn''t be the most powerful mage, or the best at aiming, at least he could be the fastest. He had taken the standard Noxious Cloud spell with its large dose of weak poison and complex hand motions, and pared it down to a much simpler version. A huge area of effect meant he didn''t even need to aim! Once the student he was dueling couldn''t see or breathe, the duel was half won. Of course, it also didn''t do a lot of damage. He was disappointed when he didn''t hear any coughing or choking coming from the cloud.


    Not everyone agreed with him, including his two temporary team mates. "This is why you''re always going to be picked last for team duels, Gehlter. Your damned fart cloud screws up the rest of us." Squiggel and Bunt both cursed at him as they interrupted their casting of Blazing Arc and changed their spells to Ball Lightning. The former spell needed a target to cast at, and all they could see was a large area of green clouds. So instead of two powerful electrical arcs, they sent two man-high balls of sparkling blue storm mana rolling across the ground and into the cloud of gas. The diffused charge meant the spell did far less damage than Blazing Arc. Bunt wondered what the interaction between their spells would be. Mixing magic like this could have unexpected consequences.


    The result was quite shocking, as a bare skull rolled out of the cloud and stopped at their feet.


    Bunt felt his tail go limp, and his arms slumped at his sides. Killing someone in a duel was bad, bad, bad. He felt sick. "Oh hell, what have we done?" It was almost a relief when the skull exploded, knocking them all off of their feet and putting splinters of bone into tender places. The green mists were dispelled as Gehlter lost his concentration on the spell, and the imposing figure of Tallsqueak stepped forward.


    Instead, Tallsqueak was still standing there, holding up his large wrench-shaped wand, as if nothing had happened. He lowered it slightly, motioning at them. "Not bad, want to try again? Or should I start beating on you?" Neither apprentice mage hesitated to cast their best spell again, this time using every bit of mana they could shove into it. Again, the spells arced out, and again they seemed to hit Tallsqueak, without doing any damage at all to him. The two storm mages felt ill from mana depletion, and it was occurring to their small minds that maybe this skulker wasn''t really a skulker. Neither noticed a long copper wire connecting the large machine and Tallsqueaks spanner that he held in his bone covered hand.


    Tallsqueak starting walking towards them. Gehlter turned to run. No rule said you had to stay in a duel and get your head beat in, and he''d already used his best spell. Tallsqueak''s menacing voice came from behind him. "Oh no, if you start a fight, you finish a fight. That''s a rule I learned from Capt. Pike." Squiggel and Bunt saw him flicked his wrist and a small bone spear appeared in his hand. As he threw it at Gehlter, the other two wizards saw runes glow along its length just before it flashed across the distance, going all the way through the fleeing Death Mage''s leg before it shattered against a large rock, breaking the stone. Both decided that not running was the best course of action.


    Another skull was tossed by Tallsqueak, knocking down the two Storm Mages. As they struggled to get up, each took a minor blow to the side of the head from a heavy Engineer''s Spanner. Gehlter was crawling away when the wrench of vengeance knocked him out and ensured he''d be seeing a healer for the next few days.


    As the dust cleared and the fight ended, shouts and the sound of running feet heralded the arrival of several young ratkin wearing white tunics with a red cheese wheel on the front and back. "Out of the way! Emergency First Aid crew is here and ready to save the day! Where does it hurt?" Tallsqueak pointed at the three apprentices and the half dozen junior healers gleefully descended upon them.


    Above, in the Tower of Strife, two figures observed from a high balcony. Cremona was dressed in a lovely black silk robe with glowing green trim, low cut in the front, while her husband preferred a classic blue robe with high collar and silver-white trim.


    "My, wasn''t that exciting? A mysterious stranger challenges three of our students to a duel and beats them handily with strange magics. I''m tingling all over." Arlothe sniffed. "Ah, and there''s nothing like the smell of fresh ozone. My lads threw some pretty powerful arcs, did you notice?"


    "I notice that our mysterious challenger shunted the spells off into that old lump of machinery you so love. This is a smart one. We simply must invite him up to dinner, dear. I''m in love with that exploding skull spell he used. I think it must be some variation on the classic Poisoned Skull that old Professor Pestilence used to teach." Cremona was happy to see a visiting Death Mage. Maybe he''d be up for a bout or two. While it was a staple of their marriage, dueling with her husband each day could get stale. She was sure he wouldn¡¯t begrudge her a minor dalliance.


    Arlothe observed that a crowd was forming, and the usual players were entering the field. "Round two is about to start dear."

 Chapter 126: and another duel

    Chapter 126: and another duel


    As Tallsqueak walked away from the trio of wounded first-year wizards, the gaggle of students watching at the base of the tower applauded. He ignored them, which got a few nods from the older students. A true duelist cared nothing for the applause of those below him and focused only on what he could have done better in the fight. There was much discussion about the spells he had used. Several noted that his three major spells were obviously necromancy, as they dealt with bone. But there was much conjecture about how he had countered the storm mage spells.


    Several of the novices were talking excitedly and making wild gestures. An unexpected break from classes was always fun, so was a duel, new magic, and a 1 vs 3 victory.


    "...unannounced duel day?"


    "I bet this is more drama about Cordelia, I swear that girl causes more trouble...."


    "I want to know how that weird staff absorbed that much energy. I don''t see how he could absorb that much."


    From a window on the second floor, a group of second-year students had observed the short duel. They noted that the newcomer had used guile to ambush the three first-year students by dressing in common clothes and goading them into attacking him. The duel had been short as he dominated them totally, ignoring their spells and striking back with unique necromantic attacks. To add insult to their injuries he had even struck them with his wand, showing that he wasn''t even going to waste mana on them. All in all, he had the admirable qualities that they were looking for. The decision was made to send two of their number to meet the newcomer and give him an invitation to their illustrious clan.


    As the two older students in black robes exited the tower, the group of students made room for them to pass. Each of the pair was wearing a fancy black robe with a green dragon embroidered on the chest. Their backs straight, their noses in the air, and their eyes were glowing with emerald light. The pair walked up to Tallsqueak and gave small bows.


    "Greetings, Tallsqueak, I am Brer Moray of Clan Emerald Wyrm. I congratulate on your victory over that rabble.


    "I too, congratulate you. You showed them the contempt they deserve. I am Brer Cutthroat of Clan Emerald Wyrm."


    Tallsqueak gestured at the trio of injured novices receiving first aid. "It wasn''t so much a duel as it was teaching them to do things properly. Their noisy banging annoyed me."


    The two students from Clan Emerald Wyrm looked at each other and nodded before Moray spoke. "Exactly. There is a proper way that things should happen here at the tower. The rabble often forget that and need to be reminded. My brother and I can see that you have the right attitude and we offer you an invitation to join us in Clan Emerald Wyrm as a Brother Eel. You will become great in our clan. We will share our powerful necromantic spells with you and learn yours, increasing all of our power."


    The watching throng of students grew quiet. Competition among the four clans of the tower was fierce, and the Eels were already powerful.


    Tallsqueak seemed, if anything, more annoyed. He looked at the green dragons embroidered on their robes, and actually sneered. "Not interested. I have things to do, and machines to fix. And I don''t like eels!" He turned and walked away, leaving the two stunned junior wizards staring at his retreating tail. Laughter came from the rabble and several people were mumbling and pointing at the two members of Clan Emerald Wyrm.


    "Avenging Skeleton of Doom"


    "Undead House-Cleaner"


    The last spell was a bit lame, but Cutthroat was nearly out of mana. They sent their small army of undead around the wall to attack Tallsqueak two around each side, and peaked through openings in the wall to direct them. Except that they didn''t see him.


    From the top of tower, Cremona started to giggle.


    Arlothe was having trouble following the duel. "What''s going on? I see the usual army of undead that those two prefer to use, but I don''t see Tallsqueak anywhere."


    His wife patted him on the head and pointed. "I''ve told you so many times to work harder on those perception drills, dear. Tallsqueak skulked up to their wall, climbed it, and leaped into the shadows behind them while they concentrated on their spells. Even I barely noticed him. He''s a trained Shadow Skulker, I''m sure of it. Oh, I hope he says it..."


    Arlothe stared where she pointed, and could just make out a shadowy figure skulking ten-feet behind Moray and Cutthroat. "Say what dear?"


    "Surprise!"


    Cremona clapped her hands with glee.


    A long tail wrapped around Cutthroat''s windpipe, and hoisted him into the air. At the same time, Tallsqueak brought down his engineer¡¯s spanner in a double handed blow to Moray''s head, knocking him out cold. Cutthroat tried to cast a spell but had trouble concentrating as Tallsqueak slammed him into the ground.


    The next instant, Tallsqueak cast Harpoon of the Winds and sent it rocketing through the Wall of Bone that was weakened by Brittle Bones. The wall crumbled to white dust, and the spell powered through the Avenging Skeleton of Doom who was unlucky enough to be in the way. The Mighty Bone Minion collapsed a second later, Moray not being able to continue to concentrate on the spell that gave it unlife. The only minion left standing was Cutthroat''s Shooty Bone Minion.


    The bow armed skeleton turned, finally finding its target and shot an arrow at Tallsqueak. Sadly, for Cutthroat, Tallsqueak had put him between himself and the undead archer. Cutthroat took an arrow in the shoulder and then wisely ended his own spell and yelled out, "I concede, you have bested me oh mighty one!"


    Tallsqueak dropped him and turned to see if anyone else was going to attack him.

 Chapter 127: Final Duel

    Chapter 127: Final Duel


    As annoyed as he was, Milo pondered the situation. The students of The Tower of Strife certainly lived up to their name. They must fight constantly with each other. The crowd was excited and he saw several students eyeing him and considering a challenge, while others were placing bets. The threat of getting their skull beat in with a spanner certainly wasn''t convincing anyone that this was a bad idea. Worse, they seemed to like it!


    The crowd hushed, and two new people walked towards him as the students moved hastily to clear a path. Both were older ratkin that oozed confidence and authority.


    Professor Arlothe Sparktail Level 19 Storm Mage


    Professor Cremona Strifebringer Level 18 Poisoned Soul


    Milo started to relax. Cooler and wiser heads had finally showed up to put an end to this nonsense.


    Arlothe smiled at him. "Welcome to the Tower of Strife. I see that you have already studied our ancient traditions and engaged our students in duels."


    "uh...no? They sort of attacked me a couple of times. I just came over to look at the machine. I wasn''t trying to duel."


    Cremona scowled at him, a green cloud floating over her head. "What? You didn''t even come to visit with us? Are we less interesting that a stupid pile of wires."


    Milo felt that the answer was obvious. "Well, yes. Who doesn''t like strange machines?"


    Arlothe smiled and nodded in agreement. "Right?! What did you think of the electro-interface and...." He broke off as his wife elbowed him in the ribs.v3l.Bin.


    He turned to his wife. "And my wife won''t be using Murgatroid¡¯s Infernal Disintegration, will we dear?"


    Cremona smiled. "Why, of course not. I want him begging for mercy, not floating away as a cloud of mold dust."


    Arlothe turned to Tallsqueak. "Any questions? And as the challenged, do you prefer to go first or second."


    Tallsqueak thought about that for several seconds, then surprised everyone by saying,


    "I have a question: Who''s taking the bets, and what are the odds?" Milo had heard and seen bets being made, and there was a flurry of activity around three eels from Clan Emerald Wyrm.


    Arlothe turned and addressed the crowd. "I''m sure we all know that betting isn''t allowed, but in this case, I''ll make an exception. Mr. Moray, will you be kind enough to tell us what the current odds are against Tallsqueak?


    Brer Moray was not happy about being called out. The eels ran all of the betting on duel days, and by creative use of odds and points spreads made a tidy sum. They didn¡¯t need the attention of one of the Professors. "The odds are 1 to 17 in Professor Cremona''s favor, with a point spread of 32."


    Tallsqueak looked at the eels, then at Cremona. "I''ll be going second and I bet five full wheels of one-year-aged cheddar on myself to win by beating the points spread."


    As the crowd began to talk and surge towards the eels, Arlothe yelled out. "All betting is closed!"


    Arlothe''s hands glowed with blue electrical energy and two glowing circles appeared on the ground. He motioned Tallsqueak and Cremona to take their places. "Tallsqueak has ceded his option to go first against a superiorly ranked opponent. Cremona, you may begin your round and cast your first spell!

 Chapter 128: Circles

    Chapter 128: Circles


    Cremona studied her opponent. Arlothe had spoiled her fun by making it a formal duel. She had looked forward to testing both this newcomer and herself. She had little experience fighting someone physically, especially another mage. It would have been interesting. And while the spells that gave him his physical enhancements were still in place, they would be of little help against her now that they were confined within the circles. She considered her first spell. Her poisonous fog spells would just make it too easy, filling the circle with poison. He''d pass out eventually, but she''d lose points for such an attack and it was boring. ?v€l-B!n.


    Horde of Vipers might be fun. She''d get to see him fight the spectral minions, but she decided to soften him up a bit first. The Vipers had a weak poison effect and he had ignored the Poisonous Cloud cast on him before in the earlier round. Venom Bolt would hit him for light damage with an ongoing damage effect and lower his resistance, then maybe send in the snakes.


    She looked over at Tallsqueak. He seemed focused, or was that fear. "I expect a good fight from you Tallsqueak. Please don''t hold back. Hit me with your best spell. My husband Arlothe and I duel constantly and give no quarter."


    Her opponent just nodded at her, not speaking.


    "I cast Cremona''s Venom Bolt." In a real fight, she''d have simply pointed a finger, but the silly duels almost demanded that you shout out your spells or lose points. Before she could finish casting her spell, an exploding skull went off at her feet, ruining her concentration and knocking her to the ground.


    The crowd exploded as all the students began shouting. Arlothe motioned them to silence. "Be quiet and observe. If Tallsqueak had cheated, D''Camembert''s Duel would have immediately told me. You may all draw your own conclusions. Tallsqueak, it is your turn to cast a spell."


    Tallsqueak waited while Cremona brushed herself off and regained her feet. Her face was as blank as a master poker player. Counter Spells were not unheard of, but a true Counter Attack ability was very rare for anyone in the lower Tiers. Her own ability, Shield of Mana was something she used constantly against Arlothe to block his Storm Arc. She wondered again what school Tallsqueak had attended.


    And then all musings left her as he cast his first spell. Magic surged from Tallsqueak as he empowered the runes of a bone harpoon. They glowed bright enough that she got a glimpse of them, even at this distance. Cremona used runic magic in composing her own spells. In a pinch she had even devised new spells on the fly. But she''d never seen these runes before! They were something different. More primal. She prepared Shield of Mana just in time, as the Harpoon of the Winds shrieked across the short distance towards her, too quick to avoid.


    Magic Harpoon hit Magic Shield and both were destroyed. Cremona was drained of over 300 mana and was knocked backwards by the force of the blow. She got to her feet and was congratulating herself on stopping the spell as the second Harpoon of the Winds hit her in the shoulder, showering the area with blood and putting her on the ground again.


    Milo had no idea what the spell was, but it sounded bad! While Cremona was still shouting, he stepped to the back of his circle, and sprinted forward. At the front edge of his circle, he leaped high in the air, the spell passing under him, and landed on his hands before springing upwards using his arms and tail to flip himself into Cremona''s circle. Time to end this!


    "I cast Claws of Alta-Viator"


    Both claw attacks slashed across the surprised Death Mage, slicing deep into her body. Blood went everywhere and with a loud chime, the duel ended. The circles disappearing as they were converted to healing magic that wrapped itself around the unconscious Cremona. Tallsqueak picked her up gently and carried her towards the tower, being met halfway by an entire squad of medics. He handed her off and tiredly turned to Arlothe. "Are we done?" He hoped they were done, but he was worried that eviscerating the Storm Mage''s wife right in front of him was going to cause him trouble. He was tired, annoyed, and didn''t care anymore. If he wanted another duel, Milo was walking away.


    Arlothe called out in a loud cheerful voice, "Victory to Tallsqueak by both a knock out and through points."


    Several people that had bet on the underdog squealed in joy. Gaining 17 times the amount bet would keep them in snacks, favors, and spending money for the rest of the season. The students from House Emerald Wyrm were furious. "He cheated! He left his circle."


    Arlothe shook his head. "A review of the rules will show that he in fact, did not cheat. Tallsqueak didn''t ''step out'' of the circles. Hands and tail are NOT feet. But I can see that a rewording and review of the current rules is certainly needed at this point. Please pay all debts, Moray, and I look forward to seeing you deliver 85 wheels of cheddar, or their equivalent, from your clan''s vault. You should coordinate with Master Bleusnout. That is too much cheese to have loose in the Hollow.


    Arlothe turned to Tallsqueak, his stern expression vanishing and a kindly smile appeared on his face. "Oh, you and she are hardly done. She loved that dress and will want a rematch someday. But not today,certainly. It''s going to take her time to recover from her injuries. I warned her about the problems of fighting someone who had integrated spells with tail fighting."


    "And now, why don''t you and I have dinner? I promise a quiet evening with no stress or fighting. The cook has quite a nice meal laid out, and Cremona won''t be up in time to enjoy it, so there''s more for the two of us. I really want to talk to you about what your plans are for the machine, and I have a few experiments I''d love to share with you, and get your input on."


    Milo was tired, and Arlothe seemed sincere. Dinner sounded good.

 Chapter 129: Jelly beans are Hero Food.

    Chapter 129: Jelly beans are Hero Food.


    Tweedle and Ringtail wandered into the mess hall whistling and looking innocent which immediately put Master Bleusnout on alert. They were dressed in the normal work clothes of mushroom hunters and he saw no knives or other sneaky gear on them. He pointed with a large wooden spoon at them from where he was mixing up Puffball Pancakes. The two immediately stopped moving and the whistling slowly died away.


    "And just what are you two up to now?


    "Us? Or do you mean those two people there by the window?"


    "Must be them, we''ve done nothing..."


    "...this time."


    "He means ''all the time''. "


    "We heard about the pancakes!"


    "Yummy, Yummy!"


    The spoon didn''t waver, causing the two not-sneaky-guys to be worried. That spoon could do amazing things at distances that always surprised them. Bleusnout let them sweat for a bit, and then lowered the spoon. "If you are here just to eat, then I suppose I''ll let do that. But no sneaky stuff, and no playing surprise. You two riled Larry up enough as it is. He''s outside now, starving from all that extra exercise he got."


    "He is? Oh my"


    "We feel terrible about that."


    "Can we help? Only fair that if we caused a problem..."


    "...That we help solve it."


    "That''s us being responsible."


    "Like it says in the book about Villages and Cheese and stuff."


    "We''ll take him his food."


    "Tallsqueak told us he likes that."


    "And we need to hear the rest of the stories..."


    "The ones where he doesn''t chase us."


    "That was scary...."


    "So very scary! Made us reconsider our life paths."


    "How lucky we are to see a new path opening up....


    "...a path with Puffcakes and our new best friend Larry."


    "Tallsqueak wants us to help him with some chores."


    "Special chores."


    "Grandfather said we might even find more Puffy Mushrooms to make Puffcakes."


    "This is a thing good guys do."


    "Helping friends. We are very helpful."


    Tweedle and Ringtail pulled all the items out of their pockets. Sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, shortbread, and jelly beans. The jelly beans had been particularly troublesome to get and Aunt Agatha was going to be cross and probably blame cousin Petey because he always stole her sweets. And Petey would come play ''surprise'' with them, the version where he twisted their legs into new shapes. Petey always blamed them when he got in trouble for stuff he didn''t do. And usually, he was right. But that was tomorrow''s problem. Today, they had a bag of jelly beans to share.


    "Grandfather and Tallsqueak said you liked cookies."


    "And everyone likes jelly beans."


    "Especially heroes."


    "Because jelly beans are good hero food."


    Larry tried a jelly bean and his eyes got wide. "Not-sneaky guys are right. Jelly beans are hero food."


    Tweedle began to divide the jelly beans up.


    "One for Me and one for Larry."


    "One for Ringtail and one for Larry."


    "One for Larry and one for Larry."


    "One for Me and one for Larry."......


    Larry liked the new way of sharing. He ate his share, but saved one of each color for his new friends at home, and a red one for Tallsqueak.


    Larry looked over at Ringtail. "It is good that you are not sneaky guys anymore. Larry almost caught you today. Larry got more blue boxes from dancing. Larry will catch you tomorrow if you are sneaky. You should promise to not be sneaky guys."


    Ringtail was more nervous than he had been a moment ago. "Oh, really? That''s good, right? What did the Blue Boxes say, Larry?"


    "Blue Boxes told Larry that he is now Rank 11 in Dancing. And Blue Boxes said Larry had learned new skill: Chase Prey. Larry is getting faster. Weasel slippers help and dancing helps. Agility 10 helps."


    Tweedle wished he had agility 10! Even with several skills using agility, he was only at 8. Sheer terror at the realization that he and his brother had been chased by a Tier 3 cheese fiend warred with wanting agility 10. "Can you teach us to dance Larry? Dancing sounds like fun."


    Larry considered the question. Tweedle and Ringtail didn''t have Weasel Slippers to help them dance, but neither did Tallsqueak, and Tallsqueak was a good dancer. Not as good as Larry, but still good. Maybe Larry could teach them too!


    "Larry will try. Hamster Hopping is fun, but it can make your feet go all twisty and you fall a lot. When you fall, you get back up."


    Bleusnout came out a few minutes later to retrieve his plates and see if Larry had eaten the two idiots. He was astonished to see Larry patiently teaching the tricky parts of the Happy Hamster Hop. He went back inside and set aside a large stack of Puffcakes to save for the three new friends dancing outside the mess hall.

 Chapter 130: Dinner with Arlothe

    Chapter 130: Dinner with Arlothe


    Milo followed the Storm Mage into the tower, everyone getting quickly out of their path and bowing politely.


    The exception was a very small, female student named Patsy. She had a stack of papers with her and was pinning one to a doorway. When she saw Arlothe and Milo coming, she squealed with joy and ran up to the professor.


    "They liked my idea professor! They liked it! I get to be third assistant to Ginny Sue! She''s in charge of events. We''re holding a tea and cookie social in a week! You''ll come, won''t you? You''re our official advisor! You should come and have cookies."


    Milo saw Arlothe wince slightly, before he put a big smile on his face. "Ah, of course I would love to attend, but I''ve already been to one of your clans¡¯ events, and that''s my yearly limit. I can''t show favoritism. And it would be so rude not to invite Tallsqueak as guest of honor. He is a visiting mage and dueling master. Think how exciting that would be?"


    Patsy turned an looked at Milo, her eyes getting brighter and her smile wider. "Oh! What a wonderful idea. All of the girls were watching you duel today. You were so brave to face Professor Cremona. You even beat her and got to keep all your fur. She stepped closer to Milo and ran a hand along his arm. "It would be such a shame to have this silky soft fur ruined by a caustic poison cloud."


    Milo agreed with Patsy, in theory. He wanted to keep his fur. He was also a little nervous about how close she was standing and how much she enjoyed petting his arm. "I''m, uh, not sure what I''m doing that day. Probably exploring spider caves or something."


    Patsy nodded enthusiastically. "It''s ok, we''ll wait until you get back and you can tell us your stories. We love scary stories! We make hot fruit cider with cinnamon, and fresh cookies, and turn the lights down low. Scary stuff doesn''t bother us at all. Promise you''ll come, please?"


    Milo found himself pressed against the wall by the small girl who folded one of her posters up and tucked it into his belt pouch. "There, you have all the information. We''ll make lots of cookies just for you."


    Out of his depth, and not knowing what the proper response was, Milo could only nod. And...cookies? "Can I bring a friend?"


    Patsy nodded vigorously. "Of course, you can! This will be so fun. I have to go tell the others!" Having gotten an affirmative answer, Patsy ran off to tell the other members of the Clan Puffyfur event planning committee about their guest of honor.


    Arlothe patted Milo on the back. "So good to see you inspiring the younger students that way. And for saving me from going, I totally forgive you for disemboweling my wife. Now let''s hurry up to dinner before anything else happens. You probably aren''t popular with the Eels, but Clan Manticore and Clan Raptor Tail will both be wanting you to attend their events as well."


    Arlothe listened closely and nodded as Tallsqueak told him a little of his adventures. Much about him was explained. He hadn''t spent his youth dueling; it had been real fights where his life was at stake. He''d have to warn the entire tower. They had no idea of just how deadly Tallsqueak might be in a duel, although they had been given some blunt clues today. Fighting like that didn''t come with an on and off switch to change your style. Then again, it might be good to ramp up a few of the older students. Fighting duels wasn''t going to help them defend the Hollow as much as a bit of real fighting. Maybe talk to Gilad about some classes together? That could be fun.


    From flan, the two wandered into the laboratories. Experimental, (and mostly non-functional) equipment was everywhere. When Arlothe showed Tallsqueak his experimental apparatus for generating Storm Mana, the engineer became quite excited and asked many questions. "This is a working model of that old machine? We really need to upgrade it. This is a much better design!"


    Arlothe was thrilled that he had someone to talk to. Cremona just nodded and said ''yes dear'' when he talked to her about his projects. It was fair, as he did the same thing when she waxed eloquent about a new toxin she had integrated into a spell.


    "Yes! Exactly. The rusting hulk by the waterfall was constructed by my grandfather and has been added to by many people. It has also been destroyed several times and rebuilt when a new part didn''t work out like it should have. It''s almost total junk now and the students steal parts from it for other experiments. I''d love to rebuild it with this design."


    Tallsqueak asked many other questions and then nodded his head. "I think it can be done. I have fighting class in the morning with Master Gilad and then lunch with Larry, but after that I''ll be over with my tools and we can get started."


    The Storm Mage was greatly pleased. "I''ll be there and bring several of my better students. They lack a good understanding of engineering. Maybe you can give them some pointers."


    "I''d be happy to do that. We''ll start with how to turn a screw, and go from there."


    The discussion continued with a tour of the small library, where the tower had a collection of several hundred books on various subjects. Tallsqueak approached the books with reverance. "There are so many! I need to read these! Can I read them?"


    "Well, it might take a few decades, but you can certainly get started and read when you can. It sounds like several people are keeping you busy. I''m going to shamelessly try to take some of your time as well. How about a trade? I can give you access to the library at all times, in exchange for teaching a class on Basic Electrical Principles for an hour a day. That also makes you a professor and all faculty can visit the library whenever they like, and if you are around for dinner, we can just set an extra plate out."


    Milo thought that was a very good deal. "First class is tomorrow then. It will be on how to rewind an electrical coil. We need to do that with several dozen of the coils in the generator. Hands on learning is more efficient."


    Tallsqueak departed later. He wanted to find Larry and see how his day had been.

 Chapter 131: Sparring

    Chapter 131: Sparring


    Milo was glad he had stayed for dinner. The food was great, and Arlothe was fun to talk to, even if he did have some funny ideas about how electricity works. (Or was storm mana different? Milo made a mental note to experiment.) But best of all, he had a huge pile of new books to read. And without rude interruptions. No one was going to play ''surprise'' on him in the library of the Tower of Strife.


    The after effects of dueling had gone away. Arlothe had explained that some of the healing magic of the circles would have affected him as well. His muscles had relaxed during dinner as his body cleansed any remaining poison effects. The excellent meal had also helped, calming his mind as his belly filled up. He was looking forward to working on an engineering project and correcting flaws in the students'' understanding of physics.


    As he left the tower, he noted that there was still an ongoing argument going on in a large room of the first floor. He saw Moray and the other members of the clan in discussion with several of the students who had taken advantage of the odds on Milo and won big. There was a small stage, and Moray was speaking from a podium. Most of the room was dark and shadowy, with just two lanterns lit near the stage. Curious, he moved quietly to the edge of the door, and skulked into the room slowly, attracting no attention.


    "Look, Moray, it''s simple. We paid you our money and placed our bets, we won and now you pay up! All bets have to be paid on the day of the duel, no one can carry a debt. That''s a rule!"


    Moray shook his head. "Ah, my dear friend, Sinclair. Sometimes I wish I had joined Manticore with you so that I too could see things in such a simple and straight forward way. I have listened to your advice, but the situation is not that simple. For instance, this wasn''t an official dueling day. I think it''s logical to say that official rules don''t cover unofficial duels."


    A tall thin student in the colors of Clan Raptor Claw stepped next to Sinclair. "I will not even deign to give credence to that thin logic by arguing with you. It is irrelevant. The dueling was official as soon as Professors Arlothe and Cremona appeared and did not halt the proceedings or chastise us for our actions. Further, the third duel where these debts come from was run under the official rules set forth by the Marquis D¡¯Camembert and officiated by Professor Arlothe, a recognized judge. If that isn''t enough to sweep away your thin excuses, I''ll point out you are accusing Professor Cremona of an unsanctioned duel. It''s almost worth losing the cheese to see her reaction. What do you think she''ll do to you when you besmirch her honor that way?"


    Moray grew a bit pale at the thought. "Of course, I was not saying that at all. You are weaving a plot with large words, as usual."


    Sinclair said in a loud voice, "Then it''s settled. Official duel, and you need to pay us. I must say, I''m looking forward to seeing what house Emerald Wyrm has in their vaults. I''m thinking we clean out every corner and you''ll have to restock with curds and whey."


    The Eels muttered and huddled. Eventually Moray spoke to the crowd again. "There are additional problems. Some of you are gaining a large amount of cheese at once. For safety reasons, it would be better if the wise leaders of Clan Emerald Eel made sure that the flow of cheese from our vaults isn''t more than anyone can handle. And, as much as it pains me to admit, yes, our oldest cheese will be brought forth. It will take time to assign value to it. Not all cheese is equal."


    Patsy pushed her way forward. "You eels can''t be trusted to do that! This is like the ''Cookie of the Month'' scam you pulled, and ''Invest your allowance in the Pyramid of Wealth'' scheme before that!" She then tacked up a flyer on the podium Moray was speaking at.


    Moray tore the flyer off the podium, but noticed what had been added to it in bright pink letters. "Ooh, exciting! Clan Puffyfur is hosting Tallsqueak at their little tea party. Congratulations on nabbing such an impressive duelist for your house."


    The people from Raptor Claw and Manticore bristled and turned towards Patsy. Sinclair was quite angry. "We agreed to discuss him together. Are you sneaking behind our backs?"


    Moray sighed and looked saddened. "For shame."


    Verona of Raptor Claw wasn''t as easily fooled. "He''s doing it again people, and right in front of you! Soon you''ll be arguing about who gets the new member and Moray and the eels will sneak off and leave you wondering what happened."


    Moray had actually begun moving to the edge of the stage, and one of his clan was quickly heading to the door. Strangely, he tripped and fell on his chin. A student no one had noticed before helped him up and pushed him, stumbling, back towards the stage. The assembled students formed a wide arc around the stage, and the argument continued. Finally, Moray admitted what he didn''t want to admit.


    "We might not be able to cover all the bets. Especially that monster bet Tallsqueak placed on himself at the last minute. Without that bet, I''m sure we could cover all of our losses. But we have to pay him first, so his windfall is what''s in the way of your payouts. It''s sad that such should happen, but I think, if we are all reasonable, we can see the dangers of unofficial duel days and mysterious outsiders being allowed to enter the circles and place last minute bets on themselves. Some of you are seeing two sides to the argument: House Emerald Wyrm vs the rest of you. But really, it''s all of us vs. Tallsqueak. He''s the problem. And you all saw how he fought? Viscious! Even taking advantage of Professor Cremona''s trusting nature to win and take all of our cheese. And when I say ''our'', I mean the entire Tower, and not just my own clan."


    "But, I promise you, I will go speak with him and try to arrange something, the first chance that I can. He''s scary, but I''m sure that I can stand up to him and make him see what''s right in this situation." Moray congratulated himself on how a good part of the crowd was swayed, and the others confused. Even his own clan was impressed. Moray has obviously inherited the Dragontongue perk from his father, and was using his skill well. Once again, victory would go to House Emerald Wyrm.


    From the shadows above the stage, someone dropped to the floor, landing just in front of the stage in a three-point stance and then stranding up straight. "No need to delay our discussion then, as we are both here now."


    Moray felt victory make a U-turn and run away from him. Somehow, Tallsqueak was in front of him, with angry eyes and bold words. There was a small patter of applause for the perfect entrance, and Patsy cheered loudly.


    Moray tried to rally. "Nice of you to answer my summons, Tallsqueak. How long have you been sneaking about?"


    He got up to see Gilad laughing at him. "Ah, glad to see I can still do a Flying Back Toss. Good evening, Tallsqueak."


    Milo brushed the dust off of himself and bowed, a bit of his annoyance showing. "Good evening, Master Gilad. Do I have to worry about you playing ''surprise'' from now on as well?"


    Gilad chuckled. "Don''t get your tail in a twist, young one. You earned that ambush. I suspected you were holding back in my classes, trying to keep some special ability secret to gain an advantage on me later. Your style has big gaps in it where something is missing. Imagine my surprise to find out you were dueling over at the Tower of Strife and showing off some nice physical enhancement spells. Bone armor and claws I believe they said? And an enhanced tail? No wonder some of your strikes miss, you are used to having more reach!"


    The old warriors face became serious. "Why did you hide your abilities?"


    Milo was unsure. Sometimes things progressed so fast when dealing with people. He got confused on what he should reveal and what he shouldn''t. "Should I always tell people my secrets? That seems counterproductive, but I don''t want to be seen as untrustworthy. And I wanted to learn to fight better without using my claws. I only used my spells at the tower because the silly students challenged me to duels and started fights. I even had to fight one of the Professors!"


    Gilad''s face turned into a grin. "And beat her from what I am told, with your claw fighting. As to your question, no, don''t divulge your advantages. But just as you should train with your natural claws, you should train when using your spells. I checked, and you have a large amount of unused contribution points. With large amounts added recently by both Professor Arlothe, Chef Bleusnout, and the Old Healer. Why have you not asked for special classes with me?"


    Contribution points? Oh! He kept meaning to check on those! "I would enjoy some extra classes. I learn a lot sparring with you. Not so much sparring with the other students."


    Gilad turned and waved for him to follow. "Not surprising. You are nearing the third tier and have experience fighting monsters. And the benefit of fighting monstrous creatures is the points you earn for the hardest fights. Spent wisely, those can make you even stronger. These whelps are a tier behind you and still learning the basics, and with none of your extra skills.


    You can only be challenged by me sending several of them at you at once." Gilad stopped when they got to the fighting ring. "I suggest we spar for at least a bell each night after dinner, and now that the Hollow knows about your little secrets, you should use your spells that enhance your fighting. Show them to me."


    Milo complied. Gilad watched as boney plates covered Tallsqueaks forearms and shins. His toe and finger claws became longer and harder. The tail enhancement surprised him the most. Bone armor wasn''t unheard of. There were mentions of it in the books in the Tower, and he had seen necromancers use the spells in the great war with the spiders. But this long, enhanced tail? He had never seen that spell before.


    "You are some type of necromancer? I do not judge; I only seek to understand your bone enchantments." He examined Milo''s claws, tested the armor with his own claws, and had Milo show how much control he had over the long, boney tail.


    "Not really. My magic uses bones and runes. Old runes." Milo didn''t want to have to try to explain things he only half understood, and Gilad seemed satisfied with that answer.


    "Very well. Then we will begin sparring, but this time you should use your claws and tail. I want to test your limits. If you don''t use exploding skulls and whistling harpoons, then I won''t throw rocks. Agreed?"


    "Agreed." Milo went to one end of the arena. Gilad bowed and prepared himself. Milo nodded that he was ready.


    Gilad hit him. Milo had seen the old ratkin start to move, but then he was next to him, punching him in the face and tripping him with his tail. He started to press his advantage, but warned by some sixth sense, flipped backwards to avoid Milo''s tail. He let Milo regain his feet. "The striking distance of your tail is a huge advantage, it made me cautious. Let us begin again, and do not blink at the start of a match. Try not to blink ever! Many warriors have skills to aid them in closing the distance between themselves and opponents."


    This time, Gilad advanced normally. Milo pressed him, slashing with his claws. Gilad deflected them with open palms or his own claws. When Gilad struck, Milo blocked him with claws or forearms. Both were wary of each other''s tail and constantly repositioned. Milo feinted with his claws, struck with his tail. Gilad dodge backwards, grabbed Milo''s tail and suddenly Milo found himself whirling around and round before sailing through the air and landing in the dirt. "I have found a good use for that long tail of yours, Tallsqueak, it is an excellent handle with which to throw you."


    Milo had to agree. The physics of the situation did favor that solution. "I noticed that."


    Gilad motioned for them to start another round. "You should learn both to make your strikes so powerful that the opponent can only dodge, and so fast that dodging is not an option. As to your tail, be prepared to cancel that spell if they grab it as I did. Especially against higher tier or larger opponents. A cheese fiend would delight in smashing you into the ground over and over. They can''t do that to a normal ratkin tail, too fragile. But yours is perfect."


    Sparring went on. Gilad giving pointers and pounding Milo into the dirt. The consolation for Milo was that the Tail Master had to work for each victory. Gilad was sweating, and Milo had hit him several times with tail or claw. Gilad brushed off any concerns about Milo slashing him. "My regeneration is high enough that I will be healed by morning." After an hour, both were breathing hard and drenched with sweat.


    Gilad stretched and cracked his back. "This had been very invigorating. I normally have trouble finding sparring partners. Justin says he needs to avoid bruises so he can guard the Hollow, and Brutus is quite clever in his excuses. Only the Old Healer is a match for me, and he is always busy with keeping control of the chaos in his clan. I look forward to a nightly spar with you, Tallsqueak. I will pass on to Old Healer that you will be seeking some lessons from him as well. His style is...well, you''ll see. Or maybe you won''t."


    Milo was just getting his breathing to slow, when something made him turn and face a new threat. Something large and dangerous was charging at him.

 Chapter 132: Not-Sneaky guys

    Chapter 132: Not-Sneaky guys


    Bleusnout was watching Larry carefully. Larry had been stable for a long time, and seemed to slowly be getting better. The Cheese Master had mostly quit worrying about him. His decision to let Larry stay in the Hollow after his transformation had not been an easy one. Larry terrified most of the Hollow. To the average ratkin he was both a monster that could tear them apart at any moment, and a reminder of what could happen to any of them.


    But Bleusnout had seen that some of the youngster¡¯s personality still remained. It was muted, and overlaid with a desire to eat and fight, and his overall intelligence had gone down as much as his strength had increased. But there was still a good chunk of Larry inside, and the true berserker had yet to emerge. With time, patience, and a firm hand the chef had had hopes of helping Larry recover. It took a year to restrain his food urges. Larry only took meals with Bleusnout, and ate what was put in front of him. That had been step one.


    Showing that Larry could control the fiend side of him meant that the Hollow saw that Larry was under control. Rather than terrifying, he became simply scary. True, not many people used the door near where Larry sat on the porch for hours, but they also didn''t run screaming if they saw him nearby. He was always polite. That helped the most. He did ask for cheese a lot, but so did many young whelps. Many of the Hollow came to see Larry as just a slightly bigger child, not a mobile murder machine that could go crazy at any moment.


    So, it had been a horrifying shock when Larry growled at the Ringtail and Tweedle. Anyone within a hundred feet of the mess hall had heard that growl. The primitive sound had triggered their ''Freeze or Flee'' instinct, and everyone in the building trembled and wondered what would happen next. It took all of Bleusnout''s willpower to keep smiling and calmly walk to the door where he overheard the conversation between the three of them.


    "Sneaky guys can''t fool Larry! Larry''s nose knows who you are."


    Well, that certainly confirmed how sharp Larry''s sense of smell was. As the conversation turned to jelly beans, some of the tension in the Cheese Master relaxed, only to go back up as Larry started talking about ''Blue Boxes''. Everything Bleusnout knew about cheese fiends indicated that they didn''t learn new skills easily, if at all. He was thrilled Larry had learned to dance, but put that down to the effects of a powerful magic item. Larry had told him about his ''dancing ring'' and ''weasel slippers'' given to him by Tallsqueak. He was less thrilled about Larry gaining the skill Chase Prey.


    A stable Larry, begging for an extra bowl of little fishies for breakfast was something the Hollow could handle. And Larry dancing the Happy Hamster Hop was seen by all as a good thing. He would have to caution Tweedle and Ringtail to not mention Larry''s new skill to anyone. He was also going to have a long talk with Old Healer about his ''sneaky guys'', as Larry called them. He needed to forbid any of them from getting Larry angry and chasing them. As the three started dancing together, more tension left Bleu Snouts spine. He wiped sweat from his brow, and put a smile on his face as he walked back to his griddle. "More puffcakes for anyone? There''s plenty for everyone." He set aside another three plates and piled them high for Larry and his new friends. They''d be hungry after dancing.


    Ringtail and Tweedle were congratulating each other on still being alive as they made their way home, when one of them, and they were never sure who, got a bad feeling. They instantly went back-to-back, checked the ceiling and shadows. It was a disgusted Charlotte that emerged from a nearby shadow, having failed to score any points. "What are you two to up to?"


    "Such a strange question?"


    "Very open ended?"


    "Not specific at all..."


    ¡°And yet, we get asked that a lot!¡±


    "As if we are up to anything!"


    "Not us. Maybe you mean those two people sitting by the window in the mess hall?"


    "You should go check."


    "We''ll wait right here for you to get back..."


    Their cousin barely tolerated them normally. Right now, they could tell she was several steps past annoyance. They wondered just how much further they could wind her up? Charlotte had a lot of ways to wind her up, if you twisted her tail just right. They practiced whenever they could.


    "What the hell were you doing talking to Larry? You were even dancing with him! And why are you dressed that way?"


    "Do you like our new attire?"


    "I put this ensemble together on the fly..."


    "We just had nothing to wear."


    "And burlap is just perfect for picking mushrooms."


    "Most of the stains come right out."


    "I hear this is the fashionable choice in New Prestibule this season"


    "It brings out the color of my eyes!"


    "You should try burlap, darling, that outfit you have on now makes you look fat."


    "She''s not taking care of herself, is she?"


    "Too much time longing for Tallsqueak to come sweep her off her feet."


    She took a step forward, snarling. They stepped back, and each moved to flank her.


    "Careful Charro. Don''t do anything you''d regret."


    "Off to see Grandfather."


    The two backed away carefully from her and made their way to the clan caverns.


    "I''d forgotten that one. She hates that rhyme."


    "It''s a good rhyme. Classic."


    "One of Petey''s best."


    "Let''s teach it to the littlest whelps, so they know it and can sing it at dinner."


    Knocking on their grandfather¡¯s door, they entered and took seats. Old Healer looked up from where he was studying a book on alchemical remedies. "Back so soon?"


    "Yes. We are indeed back."


    "And soon means on time?"


    "Rare for us."


    "But we report success."


    "Friends with Larry."


    Their Grandfather closed the book. "Good. Very good. I will let Tallsqueak know. He''ll be taking you somewhere. Do what he says. If you complete this mission successfully, it will count as your final for the year, and you will be full-fledged Shadow Skulkers."


    The two looked at each other and sighed. So close, and yet a promise was a promise.


    "We aren''t Shadow Skulkers..."


    "We are not-sneaky-guys."


    "We promised Larry. And.."


    "...he is our friend."


    "We want to train as Scouts."


    "Good guys. Defend the Hollow."


    "Scouts. How convenient. I agree. Your first mission as scouts is to go find Tallsqueak tomorrow after lunch and go with him on a scouting mission."


    The two left his office.


    "We should go find Petey."


    "So he can bend out legs?"


    "I was thinking we should let him know we are scouts."


    "Oh, right, Char will be annoying him now, not us."


    "She hates competition."


    "Char hates a lot of things."


    "It will be fun watching char annoy Petey."


    "More fun watching Petey bend her legs."


    "Best day ever!"

 Chapter 133: Different Like Me!

    Chapter 133: Different Like Me!


    Larry had had a fun day. Bleusnout had made puffcakes for dinner! They were like pancakes, but so much better. One puffcake filled up Larry''s belly as much as three regular pancakes. This was very good. A rumbly tummy made it hard for Larry to think about anything but eating, and the more rumbly, the better everything smelled.


    And two sneaky-guys made friends and promised to be not-sneaky. That made them into not-prey, and Larry didn''t feel like chasing them anymore. That was good, Larry wasn''t sure what he was supposed to do when he caught someone, but he was pretty sure it wasn''t good. And running and chasing made him hungry, and prey always smelled good. He would have to ask Tallsqueak about that.


    Larry was walking home to Larry''s house when he heard fighting noises coming from the arena. And Larry''s nose smelled his friend Tallsqueak! He had so much to tell Tallsqueak. Jellybeans, new friends, and his new Blue Box.


    You have taught three new people to Dance. You have earned the new skill: Dance Instructor.


    Dance Instructor is an INT based skill.


    You have earned 150 experience in Dance Instructor. Dance Instructor has reached Rank 2


    You have earned 150 experience in INT. INT has been raised by +1 to a total of 1.


    Larry wanted to go find Tallsqueak, but he remembered that he wasn''t supposed to go to the arena. Maybe if no one saw him? The Weasel Slippers had told him that if no one saw you doing something, it didn''t count. Larry was unsure of that, but he tried to be quiet, just the same. Carefully, very carefully, he took little steps and didn''t fall down or make any noise. It was easy to not make noise when you didn''t fall down as much.


    It was easiest for Larry to move with both hands and feet on the ground, but Larry didn''t like that and people looked at him funny. So he only walked with feet and fell down a lot. Only now he didn''t!


    As he was almost to the arena, he got another Blue Box. So many Blue Boxes! Larry hadn''t seen Blue Boxes since...well, since before he was so big. But the last few days he had seen a lot.


    Under the careful instruction of your Adorable Baby Weasel Slippers, you have learned the skill: Stealth.


    Stealth is what Hero''s do when they don''t want Bad Guys and Sneaky Guys to know they are close by doing hero things.


    Stealth is an AGI based skill


    This made sense to Larry. Skulking is what sneaky-guys did. Stealth was for Heroes. Stealth helped him find his friend Tallsqueak. He almost didn''t recognize him!


    Tallsqueak had a new tail. It was long and boney. And he had new claws! And bones on his arms and legs. He was different.


    Larry had always thought that different was bad. Everyone said Larry being different was bad. All of Larry''s friends went away. Different Larry was a bad Larry. But Tallsqueak was good. A good fighter. A good dancer. A good friend. And now he was different. Different like Larry was different?


    Master Gilad was helping him fight better by hitting him and knocking him down. Larry understood fighting. He used to fight a lot. He fought in this arena. He took extra classes. He wanted to be the best fighter and grow up to be like big brother Justin. He had liked fighting...


    Larry didn''t get to fight now. Bleusnout said it was because he was ''different''. But Tallsqueak was different now, and he was fighting with the best fighter in the Hollow.


    Larry had a big idea. Tallsqueak was different like Larry was different! That was probably why Tallsqueak was Larry''s best friend. He knew what different meant. He went down to tell Tallsqueak about Jellybeans, and being different. Maybe Larry would get to fight?


    Milo turned as his danger sense was telling him something was sneaking up on him, only to find Larry slowly walking towards the arena. Larry looked happy. Gilad had paused, eyes on Larry as the Cheese Fiend almost walked into the arena. Larry stopped when he got to the area''s edge, and carefully kneeled down, almost pitching forward but managing to balance.


    Gilad was conflicted, to say the least. Letting Larry fight could let lose the berserk fiend that lived inside of him. But not letting him fight would be a travesty. Fiends didn''t fight like this. They plowed into a line of foes, slashing with claws and teeth like animals, running on all fours and eating what they killed. Gilad wanted...no, he needed!... to see if Larry could fight with claws and tail. Could he train a fiend to be a fighter, and not an animal? And how could he deny Larry a chance to regain part of himself. It was unthinkable.


    He clapped his hands. "Larry. Tallsqueak. I think this is good for both of you. You are both tough, and regenerate quickly. You both need practice and better opponents. We will all fight together, the three of us. Two hours each night. 10th bell to 12th bell. And then we will have an extra breakfast. Fighters need extra calories."


    He stepped into the ring. "You may rest Tallsqueak. I will take the next bout with Larry."


    Milo sat down. He was tired, but happy. And hungry. He hoped that Bleusnout still had food left from dinner. He could smell the puffcakes as he walked by earlier. Delicious."


    Larry has learned Dance of the Claw and the Tail


    Dance of the Claw and the Tail is a DEX based skill.


    Milo (Tallsqueak)


    Dancing has reached Rank 1


    Claws of Alta-Viator has reached Rank 7


    Spine of Volat-Repat has reached Rank 7


    Rune Carving has reached rank 6


    Bone Carving has reached rank 6


    Weak Poison Resistance has reached rank 10


    Strong Poison Resistance has reached rank 3


    Stealthy Skulking has reached rank 8


    Climbing has reached rank 7


    Dodge has reached rank 8


    Combat Block has reached rank 5


    Sense Danger has reached rank 8


    Forage has reached rank 6


    Overall Level has reached rank 10

 Chapter 134: Midnight at the Library of Death!

    Chapter 134: Midnight at the Library of Death!


    Milo was exhausted and he wanted a bath.


    Two hours of sparring with both Larry and Gilad after a day of dueling had worn him down both physically and mentally. But strangely, he felt better. Any annoyance from the day was gone, washed away in the joy of fighting and learning. He wasn''t babysitting whelps, he was pushing himself to the limit and learning.


    Every time Milo learned a little, Gilad seemed to know more as well. He wasn''t an unbeatable foe, just very hard to surprise or outmaneuver. The Tail Master had years more experience than he did, and fought many foes. Even with his spell enhancements, Milo had to work hard to even land a minor blow.


    And Gilad was enjoying himself. Teaching whelps meant holding back. Milo didn''t think he was holding back anymore. Between his high toughness and constitution, and his armor, Gilad just didn''t seem to be worried about hitting Milo to hard. Some of his throws and punches had actually cracked Milo''s bones. When that happened, Gilad stepped back and watched with curiosity as Milo put himself back together with his spells. Milo split his concentration in half. Part of him was fighting and trying to block and strike back. The other half was watching Gilad, memorizing his stance, his balance, and how he threw each punch, kick, or block.


    Milo noticed that most of his bruises were coming from tail strikes. It was nearly impossible to know what Gilad was doing with his tail. But Milo was learning. And paying for the knowledge with bruises.


    Larry''s fighting style was evolving as he became more and more used to fighting again. Some of his dance steps lead to less than optimal solutions. Several times when Milo expected a hard tail slap, Larry instead did a quick set of hops or steps, dancing to music only he could hear. Other times he was devastating, using his speed and strength to its full potential, fighting like a whirling dervish.


    Milo was starting to copy some of his moves and integrate them into his own style. There were times when a quick hop or leap was better than a more conventional step. And Milo had always been a fan of spinning tail strikes.


    While Larry was eating a massive pile of food provided by a wary and nervous Rifkin, Gilad and Milo had discussed each move, the balance needed and the attacks it might branch into. Both were excited for the next night of fighting.


    Larry declared himself sleepy and went off to bed at Larry''s house. Gilad suggested Tallsqueak also get his rest. Fighting class with the whelps would come early. Gilad himself was going to sit and enjoy another pot of tea, and think about how to counter whirling claws backed by hulking muscles.


    Cremona paused. "Well, then you do deserve some down time." She turned and spoke to someone in another room. "Makes that snacks and tea for two please. Professor Tallsqueak is joining me."


    Milo wasn''t going to turn down tea and snacks, but the woman made him nervous. "Are you angry with me about the duel?"


    Cremona stepped into the room and Milo noticed she was using a cane. "I am angry at myself for underestimating you, letting my husband restrict the playing field, and losing a nice dress. I am certainly not angry at you for finding a way to win. We play hard here in the tower, but we don''t hold grudges over duels. You found a loophole and used it."


    Milo felt some relief. "Good. I don''t want to have to watch my back in the library. Its bad enough with all the Shadow Skulkers playing surprise! I was hoping to read in peace."


    Cremona bowed to him and smiled. "And so you shall. If there is one place in the tower where peace is guaranteed, it is in here. Now, what are you looking for? Or just randomly seeing what the unsorted stacks have in them."


    Milo started on another stack. The top book was on moths and how to train them. More junk. "I am looking for a specific book on carving bone runes, but also any book on runes or ancient runes."


    Cremona began looking through a section of shelves. "So those were ancient runes empowering your spell constructs. I had thought so." She pulled a thick book covered in goat hide out from the shelf and blew the dust off. "This might be what you are looking for. It''s a copy of the Journal of Ragasano Curd-Hoarder. He was an eccentric explorer who last came through this area several decades ago. Each time he came through, he would update our copy. It''s an interesting book, but written in the native language of his homeland, Mascarpone Hollow."


    Milo took the journal and turned to the first page. The velum of the pages was covered in handwriting with a tight, small script. He recognized the language as a dialect of Italian. "I can read this." He began turning pages as he read line after line of a lonely ratkins life wandering through unmapped caverns looking for things long forgotten. Cremona rolled her eyes and chuckled. She had found Tallsqueak''s secret weakness: He loved books. Not surprising then that he knew Mascarponian dialect. Curd-Hoarder had left his books everywhere, and many scholars learned his language in case they turned up his journals and guidebooks.


    Cremona herself picked up a book from the ''trash'' pile. "And I''m in the mood for a totally unbelievable book about a dwarf/elf romance. Since I''m terribly injured I''m going to use that as my excuse for reading such garbage."


    The two professors sat in overstuffed chairs, read, and drank the tea. After an hour, Cremona saw that Tallsqueak was asleep. She put a quilt over the exhausted boy and went to find her husband in the laboratory, to pry him away from his experiments. They all needed some sleep. The students seemed to have inexhaustible amounts of energy and the faculty had to be well-rested to keep them under control.?v€l-B1n.

 Chapter 135: Bad Guys!

    Chapter 135: Bad Guys!


    Two creatures moved through the dark, their many eyes making out most of the details of this place, but unable to pierce the darkest shadows. They were careful to stay on the main strands of the webway, and not dart too near to the edges of the tunnel. Some of the predators in this area could run up the walls quickly and snatch prey easily, retreating to the floor of the tunnel to feast. Neither of the messengers felt like risking their lives more than they already had. Becoming a meal for some hungry ten-legged lizard would be both messy, and depressing.


    They observed the dark opening on the wall above them. In times past, some ancient race had carved the likeness of an orcish general. A scar ran down one side of the face and huge, broken tusks jutted up from his open mouth. Below them was the remains of an ancient city where feral goblins prowled. It was a forgotten place. A dead place. No one who counted lived here except for the exile they had come to talk to.


    They had no intention of entering the exile''s lair. Going inside would surely mean their deaths, and possibly failure to deliver their message. The first was just a fact of life. Messengers were expendable. Sometimes death took you and you waited to be reborn from the next egg, hoping for high-status in your bloodline. But failure? Failure meant being reborn as a spiderling and beginning the long fight to regain even modest status.


    M''klixnick, the wiser of the two suggested an alternative plan to entering the exile''s lair. A fresh silk line was stretched between two rock spikes and the webbing drawn back. G''nixclicknick was sent to procure several small mammals. They returned with web-wrapped bundles of immature digger-moles. The first small mammal launched at the opening went too high, hitting the ceiling and making it squeal in pain before it fell to its death. Far below a long-tailed landshark leaped and caught the smashed mole in its jaws.


    The second was too low, and tumbled down a slope until it was grabbed by a cave lurker and eaten. The lurker took its time, torturing the digger-mole. The little prey made amusing sounds! Encouraged, they worked to aim the final one correctly. The last shot was just right, and sailed into the opening. Not wanting to waste the last small mammal, even if it wasn''t moving anymore, they tossed it through the opening as well. And then they waited.


    Time went by, the faint sounds of small bones snapping coming out of the entrance to the lair. Finally, a large form moved in the darkness. The messengers trembled. "That''s it? Two squishy moles, one already dead, and that''s it? Is the Matriarch breeding for pretty thorax stripes again instead of intelligence? I mean, really? You thought this was an offering? No books, no interesting food, no strange fungus?"


    The two spiders looked at each other, confused. "We are sorry, great ancient one. We were told to make an offering to you and then deliver the message. Nothing was said of books or fungus."


    The voice from the darkness sighed. "Tell me the message, and if I like the message, I will count to 8 before starting to hunt you."


    M''klixnick said "Go on, tell him, the glory is yours!"


    G''nixclicknick took a half step forward, and said, "Gilad has been found, we go to war." As soon as he did, M''klixnick struck, crippling his partners rear two legs before running away as fast as he could. From the opening came a moment of silence and then a roar. A large spider with noble markings leaped to the web in front of the crippled G''nixclicknick. Two of the nobles¡¯ legs were whole. The six others were reinforced with metal parts. Armor replaced broken chitin, gears and pistons moved crippled legs. The abused mechanisms made noises that showed they were in need of maintenance and lubrication.


    Everyone laughed at that. All it took was buying a scavenger three beers and you got told the whole ''secret plan'' about raising up some huge ship from the ocean and using it to go after a massive treasure. Everyone wanted in on that event and was trying to get into either of the dwarf factions involved in the event.


    Branigan shrugged. What was the worst that could happen? They''d already lost their gear a half-dozen times and started over. What was one more? "So, what are we fighting then, Mickey?"


    Mickey leaned in close. "Ratkin, lots and lots of them. Most are going to be pretty low level. The raid needs to be done in a couple of parts. The Ratkin faction inside will take out certain people before hand, and poison others. Then our guild hits from the front, and a second guild, called ''The Spiders'' hits from the rear. Once the ratkin surrender, we actually get to run the place until the next part of the quest starts, and then we get to go conquer another ratkin fortress."


    Taryn leaned forward. "What sort of rewards? Sounds like a lot of experience, but is there any magic?"


    Mickey nodded. "There''s an old mage tower full of magic items, and a huge horde of treasure in the middle of the place, where most of them will make their last stand. Plus, we''ll have the whole Hollow working for us. Free potions, armor, weapons, you name it."


    After a quick talk, Branigan summed up the group''s attitude. "Sure, looks like we''re in. It sounds interesting at least, and rats are a lot easier to kill than lurkers. Let''s give it a shot."


    Gangrene was inspecting the caravan. If you were going to conquer another Hollow, you had to do it right the first time. Supply lines were long, and retreat meant a huge loss of respect and probably getting conquered yourself. He much preferred a more devious method. Merchant caravans were known to travel from Hollow to Hollow, bringing different cheeses and goods to new places. Caravans packed lots of food, needed guards, and were essentially an army on the move. You might even be invited into the Hollow you wanted to conquer, making things much easier.


    His agent in Limburger thought he was bringing two dozen warriors to take over Limburger Hollow. Gangrene felt better with twice that number and two Fiends in battle armor. There was no reason not to go for overkill. There was also every reason to bring extra warriors. He didn''t put it past ''Sneaky-Guy'' trying to double-cross him. It was a small chance, but stranger things had happened. Gangrene had few friends, even inside his own Hollow. So ''Be suspicious and take extra troops'' was his motto. Hopefully his lieutenants didn''t get ideas while he was gone. He''d made sure that each had something to fear if he didn''t return, and most of the cheese was locked up and guarded by his fiends. If Gangrene didn''t return, they were never getting it. The fiends wouldn''t leave the room, and no one sane opened a vault full of cheese around hungry fiends.


    The colorful caravan started on its long journey. They would be traveling through two other Hollows along the way, scouting them out for later, and turning a profit along the way. But not much of a profit. He wanted news of the good deals he offered to travel ahead of him. Limburger was sure to hear of the traveling caravan on its way to them, and rather than be surprised and wary, they''d be welcomed with open arms.


    He looked at his brave warriors and saluted them as they began to move out. They answered him with their traditional battle cry: "Time to cut the Cheese!"

 Chapter 136: Because we care

    Chapter 136: Because we care


    The beeping of a priority message broke through to Milo in his game, waking him up. He had set up an additional system to make sure he was alerted to anything important happening in the real world. Broken pipes, exploding electrical transformers, and overflowing sewage lines didn''t send a message. That was reserved for important things like shipments of cheese, intruders in sensitive areas, and messages from Wally or Kate. The alert was sent through his tail, and utilized an option in the game to alert players that something was wrong with their pod.


    Like all the other safety features in his pod, this one had been turned off. After being trapped in the game for several days, he had gone through the programming in the pod line by line, resetting safety features he wanted to keep, and removing any system that sent automatic updates on medical statistics or other data. All of those systems now worked with his own systems, and nothing else.


    In the game, the alert woke him up. He opened an eye halfway, saw that he had been asleep in the library, comfortable in the overstuffed chair with a blanket over him. He left himself sleeping in the chair and logged out of the game.


    The alarm was about a message from Butch. "Yo! Ghost! Check your damn messages on your door sometimes. I had to find the silly code you gave me to send you an email. Big day coming up, and the guys want to get with you to fix-up some trade stuff and deliver a few things you''ve been looking for. Show up for lunch sometime. Mom misses you (and has something she needs to talk to you about.)"


    Milo got out of his pod, set the cleaning and diagnostics programs running. He took no chances with the pod now, keeping it well repaired and testing it for anything out of the ordinary on a regular basis. There were people...well, AI who behaved like people... who knew roughly where he was. He had to be more careful.


    That thought had him look in on another project.


    At the start of construction for the habitat, a huge hole had been carved down into the bedrock. The base of the habitat was almost a thousand feet below the surface and support pylons went another hundred feet beyond that. To dig such a massive hole, four Carson X-19 Excavators had been employed. The huge earth moving machines drilled into the earth, pushed along by tracks, with dirt and debris pulled away by a huge tube that extended out behind the machine. The displaced earth and rock had been used along the coast to build sea walls and artificial beaches. Three of the X-19''s had been moved to other projects when the foundations for the habitat had been dug, and one was left in the bowls of the habitat in case of some future project or expansion. Milo happened have such a project in mind.


    He had reprogrammed the driller and done the needed repairs on it. He felt it was a shame he couldn''t bring some of the Deep Rock Engineers to help. They would have had a great time modifying the device. (And probably would have ''borrowed'' it at some point.) It looked curiously like the vehicle they had used against the World Boss, only several times bigger.


    Milo wanted someplace much safer than his current home, in case he had to move. Someplace no one knew existed. He''d set the X-19 to begin in the corner of the lowest level of section E, and had it bore down two hundred feet. Then he planned to remove a large area of rock and build a sizable area to claim as his new home. In some ways he was making his own little Hollow. It was going to make it more difficult to deal with problems in section E, but dealing with problems was a way to minimize his chance of being discovered. If someone found him and forced him to move, then someone else would have to worry about fixing section E in the future.


    It was a slow process. He had to carefully dispose of the removed material. Luckily, several of the sections had unfinished lower levels where the debris would never be noticed. He could have more easily built his new home in of those abandoned areas, but he wanted a spot where nothing was expected to be, and where no one would think to go looking.


    Everything looked good so far. The access tunnel was dug down to the 1200 foot level, a full 200 feet below the base of the habitat. He did an inspection by camera and set the X-19''s programs to begin working on clearing out a large area. It would take months of slow work, but Milo was fine with that as long as it resulted in a larger, and completely hidden, home.


    That was one project seen to. His next was checking on the assembly units working with the graphene components he had been acquiring little by little. The assembly units had been set up and programmed with his designs two weeks ago, and the two initial projects started. It took very little time to fit each minute component into the framework, but that was multiplied by millions of pieces to complete each project. He was happy to see that one of the pieces was done and ready for testing, with the second only a little behind it.


    He pulled the jet black glove out of the assembler and checked it for flaws under a scanner. Nothing seemed wrong with a preliminary scan. The next step was testing. Power was supplied and he plugged the glove into his system, and placed it on a hand shaped apparatus he had made just for testing this glove. The frame was flexible, and would allow movement seen normally in a hand. Over the next twenty minutes he tested combinations of motion to make sure the microscopic motors and platers were working together. Milo had no desire to put a hand into an untested device. He''d rather break a rubber and wire frame than his own bones. He was already missing pieces, he didn''t want to lose more. When nothing went wrong, he decided to do a full test.


    Milo shook his head. "It''s a deal. I''m not so sure it''s a fair deal." He pulled a data-pad from his sack, and plugged it into his glasses. His dark glasses were already connected to one of his plugs and could act as a data screen if needed. He got to work. He needed to look up applicable labor laws, and then make some changes. Butch and his dad came in while Milo was working. He didn''t look up and Mama moved them to another room. The smallest children were playing a game that involved Milo playing the part of a sleeping monster. He didn''t notice them either.


    Two hours later he finished, and pulled out a storage chip from his data-pad. He saw Mama and the rest of the family waiting for him to finish. "I''m done. I changed things. This is a better deal. It protects you if you become sick or hurt, and closes off a lot of loopholes. I also put in some flexibility to the schedules in case of emergencies, and added that there needs to be oversight and arbitration panels."


    "I also made a sheet of suggestions that I think the company could use to stream line some parts of their operation. An efficient HR department can do things better and for less cost if set up correctly. If this is a profitable venture, they could have half the section working for them."


    Mama looked at the rest of the family. "And this boy doesn''t need hassles. So no mentioning who helped you re-work all of that paper. Keep it simple. You have a lawyer helping out, but doesn''t want to be involved. They can fill in the details themselves."


    Butch grabbed Milo. "Good, then you''re done with your homework? The rest of the guys are waiting. We''ve got food too." He looked at Milo''s gloves. "Gnarly! You got some of those new gaming gloves? I read where those help with wrist and palm fatigue. Figures you''d be ahead of the curve on getting a pair of those." Milo just nodded. Gaming gloves? Something else he needed to look up.


    In an office full of expensive oak and leather furniture, a meeting was taking place. One man was pouring over a modified contract that had been handed him to review. A second was relaxing with a cup of coffee. The third man, boss of the other two, was ranting and pacing.


    "Can you explain to me where a bunch of half-illiterate Hab residents found a lawyer to rework this contract? And what lawyer works that way?" John Sabbatino had glanced through the new contract, while his lawyer, Jacob Atkinson, was looking at each individual change and making copious notes.


    Erik was drinking his second cup of coffee, and enjoying the morning. Nothing had blown up or collapsed today. That was a good day on this project. He took John''s question and started ticking off the possibilities on his fingers. "The type of lawyer who lurks about and waits for us to screw up so that they can move in with a class action law suit representing 100,000 employees, having proof we were warned of problems. One who has used people in the Habs for a job before, and considers them a resource. The type of lawyer that warns you about something, just so you don''t cross them. They did the work on the contract, and sent it back unsigned, to see what we would do."


    John was pacing. "I don''t like it."


    Erik kept his voice low and non-confrontational. "Of course you don''t John, I don''t like someone getting involved in this way, either. But look at it in a different way: They didn''t ask for money. They aren''t really threatening us outright. They are just saying "Treat my guys a bit better than normal. Some of the suggestions and changes are actually better for us. We want a competent, flexible workforce that we can rent out to any corporation. The original contract was pretty rigid. This new version works better and will get more people signing up. And we won''t be fighting with the workforce constantly, or losing people. Now contrast that to some of the other people you have worked for. The ones who settle problems with violence. I think this is better."


    Jacobs phone rang. He took the call, and walked to the corner of the room where he talked in a low voice, nodding a lot. Finally, he hung up and came back to John, looking shaken. "That was...uh,..That was the big computer, the one in charge that they call Wally? He actually phoned me up to tell me how happy he was with the wording in the new contract and to thank us for our work. He greatly approves of the changes to our original. He''s hoping our new business goes well and can raise the standard of living for the workers we hire."


    Erik looked at John. "That kind of Lawyer."


    John took a deep breath. "Right, so set up the expanded HR unit, get the arbitration board ready to go, and reprint all of those contracts." He forced a smile on his face. "I see this as a good thing. We''re all set to move ahead, and have a stamp of approval from the creator of the game. Let''s spin this as us treating our workers better because we care. And hey, lets get a thousand or two buttons printed up with that. Just ''Because We Care'', what a great slogan!"v3l.Bin.

 Chapter 137: Tunnlemuggles

    Chapter 137: Tunnlemuggles


    After three hours of trading electronic components, fixing old video games, and eating two bowls of something called ''dumplings'' Milo stood up and said he had to go. Five of Butch''s gang waved or patted him on the back, while Butch nodded at a girl called Yumi. She finished her food, stood up and fell in with Butch and Milo. Milo had grown used to having an escort. Butch explained that it kept everyone out of trouble. Milo on his own was too much of a target, and it was better if they didn''t tempt anyone into taking a swing at him. There was much speculation in the gang as to what would happen if someone did jump ''the ghost'' again.


    It had happened one time, recently. One of Butch''s little sisters came running and said she saw people picking on Ghost. A large older man had knocked Ghost down, demanding his fancy sunglasses. She''d ran to get help. Butch came running, but only found the older man on the ground clutching a broken leg, and his partner complaining about his nose, which was flattened on his face and gushing blood. Ghost was nowhere to be seen. He just shrugged when asked about it a month later. After that, Butch always made sure to give him an escort after their swap sessions.


    Yumi was surprised when Butch turned into a hallway where the air handlers weren''t working any longer. The hall was fine, but the apartments were deathtraps with bad air and filled with garbage. Ghost reached up with one of his braces, knocked aside a loose ceiling panel, and then got a boost from Butch into the area above the ceiling. The panel slid back and Butch started walking back to the group. Yumi yelled after him. "What''s up? Where does he go?" Butch shrugged. "That little guy comes and goes. No one''s figured him out, or where he learned how to run the vents. But he''s damn good at fixing old games, and anything electronic, so who cares if he takes some weird route home to avoid getting jumped." His tone told Yumi that she shouldn''t care either.


    She took one more look at the ceiling, then hurried to catch up. She had her own problems. Butch knew some of them, but he never said a word. Sometimes having a group around you that knew to just be quiet about things was enough.


    Milo thought of the strangeness of going to sleep exhausted in the game world, and waking up refreshed here. Now he was tired and entering the game again, where he''d be waking up to another day. He did this quite a bit. It let him get a lot more done, and minimized his downtime. He wondered if there was any downside to doing things that way? And how would you measure?


    As Milo woke, a voice nearby coughed politely. The waiter? butler? who he''d seen at dinner and in the library was setting down a large wooden mug of tea and a loaf of fresh baked bread with butter and honey oozing from it. "The Professor felt that she may have kept you up late last night, and apologizes. She knows you have an early class at the arena. I took the liberty of preparing you food that you could take with you."


    Milo thanked him, grabbed the bread and tea and ran for the stairs. He wasn¡¯t sure what time it was, but he had to be late. The stairways however were filled with students going to their first classes. He leaped onto the circular railing that spiraled to the ground and yelled. "Watch out, Professor coming through!" The jealous students, expressly forbidden from doing exactly what they saw Professor Milo doing, watched as he gained speed heading for the entrance. He managed to turn the headlong dive into a double summersault at the end, only spilling a few drops of tea. He emptied the mug, tossed it to a surprised first year, and ran off to the arena, eating the bread and honey along the way. He made it to the opening of class just in time and began to run the novices through stretches and basic stances.


    Then he spent an hour of sparring with the better students and trying to teach basic stances and strikes to the novices and players. He was surprised how repetition of the basics was helping him. Claw fighting was becoming more and more natural to him with dodges, blocks and acrobatics starting to merge into a continuous way to fight. And hops. Some of Larry''s hops and steps were very useful. He was looking forward to working with Gilad and Larry, even though he still had bruises from the night before.


    Breakfast was muffins with smiley faces. As the muffins came hot from the oven, Smiley and Rifkin labored to draw the faces with yellow icing. Rifkin seemed to struggle with it, while Smiley was using an icing tube in each hand and humming the Hamster Hop song. To go with the muffins were cheese omelets. Bleusnout was carefully giving one per person. When he saw Milo, he smiled broadly. "Ah, there you are. I have some good news for you."


    When there was a break in the line of hungry ratkin, the chef made sure nothing was going to burn and then took Milo aside. "I owe you an apology, Tallsqueak. When Larry growled at the twins yesterday, I was worried he was getting worse. And his new skill terrifies me. So, you can understand my worries when Gilad explained that you and he were teaching Larry to fight. I can only keep Larry here as long as he has no aggressive tendencies. Growling and chasing people makes that harder to do. But you won''t believe what he did this morning!"


    "Perhaps you could tell me?"


    "Of course. Of course. He turned down cheese!"


    Milo had been prepared for any number of things. But not this. He was immediately worried. "But why? Is he sick?"


    The chef smiled. "Larry came in early and I assumed it was because of the smell of cheese. He was drooling a little, but he told me he just wanted muffins! Can you believe it?! He said that cheese made him too crazy, and a crazy Larry doesn''t get to fight with his friends! Do you see?! He wants to fight more than he wants cheese! It''s a tremendous break though. I''ll be sending word of this to many other chefs if all goes well."


    Bleusnout filled a huge tray with muffins and one omelet before handing it to Milo. Milo reluctantly handed back the tasty egg dish, his hand slightly trembling. "If Larry isn''t eating cheese, I shouldn''t either. It''s not fair to taunt him with it. I''ll just have more muffins this morning." He took the tray outside, along with a large jug of warm milk and two earthenware mugs. Larry was sitting there telling a story to Ringtail, Tweedle, and three smaller children.


    "...and the flowers were so upset that they started to cry, and that made the bees sad. When Mr. Bear came for honey, the sad bees didn''t buzz around him like normal. Mr. Bear went to see Mr. Owl. The wise old owl flew and asked for help from Brinka, the Tunnlemuggle. Brinka knew someone who could help, and she went through her secret tunnel to Larry''s House. Larry said he would help, because he was a Hero, and Heroes always help, even though he was too big to fit in the little Tunnlemuggle Tunnel.


    But Brinka knows a secret dance and taught it to Larry. Larry and the Weasel Slippers danced the magic dance and went to flower-land. Greggy Gurner and the Pickle Gang had all of Larry''s friends trapped in cages. Larry used stealth, like Heroes do when they need to get close to bad guys. Larry jumped out of the bushes and bopped Greggy Gurner on the head until Greggy didn''t get up again. All of the pickle boys cheered because they didn''t like Greggy either. Some ran away to be bad guys, but most of them said they would be good pickles, not sneaky pickles. Larry''s friends were happy and they had a big dinner with lots of food before Brinka helped Larry go home."


    Milo was impressed. Larry was getting a lot better at making up stories. He sat the big tray of muffins down, and poured himself and Larry some milk. "Muffins for heroes."


    Larry was very happy to see Tallsqueak. He had a lot to tell him. He told him about his new friends Tweedle and Ringtail, and how they were not-sneaky guys now. And he told him the entire story again about Larry saving Flower-land. "But Larry is very tired today. Saving Flower-land made Larry miss sleepy time. Come wake Larry when it is Larry''s turn to fight." Larry yawned and wandered off to his house for a nap. Milo suspected that Larry had stayed up all night dancing, yet again. He was gaining ranks so fast! The endurance of a cheese fiend was frightening.


    Ringtail and Tweedle turned to Tallsqueak.


    "Grandfather sent us."


    "You have a secret mission?"


    "Well, kind of secret."


    "Grandfather does it all, makes him prickly."


    "Never know who we are talking to."


    "Scouts explore, kill monsters, make maps."


    "Sneaky guys, explore, kill things that need killing, find secrets."


    Untangling the words of the twins, Milo suddenly had a few things click into place.


    "So, correct me if I''m wrong on any of this. Your great-uncle was the Scoutmaster and had a special ring. He went missing. He shared duties of Deathmaster with his brother, Old Healer. Now your grandfather is all three, and Char wants to be Deathmaster and train the Shadow Skulkers."


    The twins nodded. Milo showed them his ring. Four eyes in two heads got very large.


    "I have a class to teach. Go get dressed for a scouting mission and meet me here a bell before dinner." Milo got up and headed to the Tower of Strife. The twins sat silently for a moment, then began talking in hushed tones.


    "Things get clearer..."


    "But more confusing!"


    "Head hurts...Tallsqueak is Scoutmaster?"


    "Secret scout mission makes more sense."


    "Good thing we are scouts!"


    "Does Char know?"


    "NO! Would be frothing at mouth."


    "So much frothing."


    "Things looking up for scout clan!"


    "Much room in new organization."


    "We are smart."


    "In our humble way."


    "Quick, must prepare for mission."


    "What do scouts wear?"


    "Something with pockets."

 Chapter 138: This is a wrench...

    Chapter 138: This is a wrench...


    Class was mentally exhausting to Milo. It wasn''t hard to teach, the students sat still and listened, perhaps because Professor Cremona was standing behind them. But he had to keep making his explanations simpler, and back tracking to explain basic concepts. It got easier once he assumed that they only knew magic, and nothing of engineering. He started from nothing and explained basic concepts. Such as how easy it was to electrocute yourself, that you could not ''absorb electricity'' to empower your spells, and that a wrench was used to turn a bolt, and should never be used as a hammer. (Unless surprised while sleeping by some idiot playing surprise.)


    Some of these concepts turned into discussions. The idea of too much power was a vague concept for many of the younger mages because they never had enough mana for spell casting. The idea that an electrical system might have enough power to turn them into a little black smudge on the ground was both frightening and intriguing to them. None of them had been around large machinery, or seen a lightning bolt split a tree or light a building on fire. (Milo had never seen lightning either, but had seen videos of its destructive ability.)


    As the lecture went on, Milo moved to the most basic explanations, and offered promises of more knowledge to come later. The class came away with the ideas that electricity could kill, and it could also be a useful tool. In that both cases it was similar to Storm Mana.


    By the end of an hour all of the students knew how to turn a bolt, and everyone was taking turns getting hands on experience by taking off the covers on the old machine, and replacing them. Two adventurous Raptor Claws figured out the different types of screw drivers and were looking smug as they explained how to take things apart to a trio of Puffyfurs. They weren''t as good at putting a component back together, but they vowed to do further research.


    He took the best of the class and moved on to the theory of power generation and why electricity and Storm Mana were different. Arlothe was a great help here. Milo knew the two types of energy were different, but not what the connection between them was. Storm Mana could generate electrical effects, but how did electricity make Storm Mana?


    The secret to understanding turned out to be a basic property of mana. Arlothe explained that most ambient mana in the world was untainted by aspects. Milo thought of this as basic mana. Basic mana near certain substances or places in the world could take on additional properties. Battlefields and graveyards would generate Death aspected mana. A roaring fire would generate fire tinted mana. And a large amount of electrical energy would change ambient mana to Storm mana.


    While a mage had only so much mana that they could call upon at any one time, they could also tap into supplies of aspected mana that were nearby, or better yet, stored in objects. Arlothe held up a basic staff loaned to him by one of the third-year students who had just finished her project. "As you can see, Winifred has constructed her staff from a thick piece of bramble thorn. The thorns have been removed, the wood straightened, and a stain and polish have been added to give the grain a nice luster. While this may seem unimportant to casting spells, remember that a spell is an extension of the willpower of the mage casting it, and when focused through a tool such as a staff, the quality of the tool matters. By working with the wood and refining its shape, Winifred is more familiar with her staff and it will be a better focus for her will."


    "Notice what has been added to the top of the staff. The simple magi-tech crystal encased in a copper framework can hold 50 storm mana. Winifred can charge this staff each night, and have that mana available for duels or blasting spiders."


    Arlothe pointed the staff at a target and let loose a Blazing Arc spell. "The spell I just cast is beyond Winifred, but not when she is holding her staff. She has made an important tool to aid her in her pursuit of knowledge." He handed the staff back to the student, who immediately began checking it over for any cracks or problems.


    Arlothe then raised his own staff above his head. "This is a Battle Stave that was passed down to me from my mentor. I have made small improvements to it over the years, and hopefully will pass it down to a worthy apprentice. This staff has runes for Blazing Arc and Electrocuting Death that make casting those spells 20% cheaper. It can also hold over 2000 storm aspected mana." He paused and appreciated the sounds the students made as he showed off his staff.


    Milo was impressed by the storage capacity of Arlothe''s staff. That much extra mana would be very nice to have in a battle. Of course, once gone it needed to be recharged. "How long for a staff to regain all of its mana?"


    Arlothe turned to the class. "Professor Tallsqueak has a very good question: How long to recharge my staff? The answer varies on the method. If I simply lean it against a wall and ignore it, a very long time, most likely a month or more as the staff gains small wisps of ambient mana and converts them. However, I can add to that, by recharging it with my own mana each night. The process is not without some loss. Winifred''s staff has a resistance of 50% meaning she will need to put 100 mana into her staff to recharge 50. My own has only a 20% resistance being made of better materials. I will need to put only 2400 mana into it over a few nights to recharge it." v3l.Bin.


    The students pondered this knowledge and had several questions. Milo went back to looking at the machinery. Then he walked up to Arlothe and spoke. "I have a theory to test." He looked over the students. "Winifred, you get to be my assistant for today since you figured out how to use a screwdriver." He pointed to the rest. "Class project for today is figuring out how to remount the waterwheel in its frame, and connect the belts to the axle. If you can''t figure it out, find someone who can. Arlothe, I need the Storm Mana storage unit repaired."


    Milo was instantly excited. "Show me! I need to see the ore vein that this came from." He took his pick from his pack and yelled. "Electrical class is over. Mining class is starting in 2 minutes."


    Arlothe didn''t argue, he was curious. "Well, if we are heading to the mines, I should put on suitable work clothes. I''ll be back in a moment to help you herd students."


    Arlothe, Milo, and a dozen students headed towards the mines. The opening to the mines was past the barracks, and near the start of the tunnel to Larry''s house. A basic blast furnace and several blacksmith shops were in full operation in the cavern just outside of the mines. Milo saw another pile of ''hard copper'' where it had been separated from the more basic ore. Just that one pile was worth a large amount of gold, and ten times it''s weight in regular copper.


    The mines were old. Milo could see that generations of ratkin had worked here, slowly expanding them. Arlothe took Milo down a short tunnel that ended in a solid wall of Deep Copper ore. "See? All over the place. We mine until we hit too much of it in the rock, and then go another way."


    Milo took his pick out, and easily began mining large chunks of Deep Copper. It was almost pure ore and within minutes he had a huge pile at his feet. He had been waiting for a Copperhead to materialize and surprised as he dug more and more ore without anything happening. "Do you ever get snakes from mining it? Small elementals that materialize from the ore?"


    Arlothe shook his head. "No, I have never heard of that. We do have a lot of spiderlings in the mines. The guard trainees patrol the mines keeping the population down. But no snakes."


    Milo had seen the spiderlings. They were indeed, all over the mines. The miners were constantly killing the small ones, or running from the larger ones. The guard trainees and novice fighters were constantly clearing out one tunnel, only for more to appear somewhere else. Even as he had been mining, a fat one named Nollylob had run up to try and bite Patsy on the ankle. The Puffyfur had shrieked and leaped in the air, both feet coming down on the poor Level 1 named boss, squishing him dead.


    "Oooh! I killed it and got a special point! I''m a hero!" Several of the house Manticore students looked upset and jealous. Plans were made to start organizing groups to hunt spiderlings in their free time.


    Milo had the class sit while he explained the difference between copper and Deep Copper ores, and how higher tier ores were more valuable, but also harder to mine and process. "The Deep Rock engineers use a subragator to refine deep copper. It''s a complex machine that pulls out impurities and smelts the ore to free the Deep Copper from the rock and dirt. It runs off electrical power they generate from waterfalls or by burning coal or liquid fuels."


    Arlothe looked at the vast veins of ore. "Are you implying the dwarves would trade this ore for regular copper? That would let us do so many more experiments."


    "Yes. They would trade copper, steel, even Dark Steel or other metals for Deep Copper. And wouldn''t mind trading for loads of ore. Dark Steel picks would let the Hollow''s miners work faster. We might even be able to set up our own subragator here."


    He and Arlothe talked about possible projects as they walked back to the tower. Arlothe had a wild gleam in his eye. "We need to talk to them, and somehow convince them to travel to us. I''ve always been held back by a lack of components. What is the relative value of Hard Copper to normal copper or iron?"


    Milo knew that iron was extremely plentiful, much more so than copper. "Probably 10 to 1 for copper, and 20 to 1 for iron." Arlothe was thinking, and stopped, looking around. "Are you saying that for only 20 tons of Hard Copper ore the Hollow could gain a full ton of iron ore? That is outstanding!"


    Milo corrected him. "You need to turn the ratio around. 1 ton of your ore in this mine is worth 20 tons of iron ore. There are costs of transport, and probably it would be easier if we put a subragator here and trade for ingots of metal." Milo found himself grabbed by the arm, and hurried off to a meeting with Bleusnout and Cremona.

 Chapter 139: Scouts doing what scouts do best.

    Chapter 139: Scouts doing what scouts do best.


    Tweedle and Ringtail were waiting for him at the start of dinner. They had on sturdy outfits of dull brown with many pockets, backpacks, a bandolier of knives, rope and grapples, bedrolls, and a bag of jelly beans. They''d had two bags of jelly beans, but had shared with Larry. Several of the smaller children snuck away from parents to listen to Larry tell stories after dinner, from the safety of nearby window close enough that they could listen. More people in the Hollow were warming up to Larry, but it was a slow process. After stories, during a jelly bean break, Milo spoke quietly to Larry.


    "Larry, I need to ask you a favor."


    Larry thought about it. "Larry thinks it is ok for a friend to ask Larry for a favor."


    "Thank you, Larry. Can I show Ringtail and Tweedle your house and the secret door?"


    Larry looked very excited. "You are going to use the Secret Door?! Do Larry''s friends in flower land need help? How does Tallsqueak fit? The secret door is very small unless you have a Tunnlemuggle for a friend. Can Larry come watch you squeeze through the door? That will be fun to watch!"


    Milo remembered Larry''s stories. Larry''s house had one secret door that he knew of, so why not two? Stranger things had happened in the Hollow. He had no idea of what a Tunnlemuggle was, so he was sure he didn''t know one. Maybe Larry would introduce him?


    He whispered to Larry. "We are using the secret door I found in the rock, the one I told you about that I found when running from spiders."


    Larry was less excited. He really had wanted to see Tallsqueak squeeze through the other door. "Oh, that one. That is not very special. It is a boring secret door. No Tunnlemuggle making it magic, and no one but Tallsqueak ever came out. You can show that one to new not-sneaky friends. Tell them it is a boring secret door though; that way they aren''t disappointed. Larry sees it all the time and is not excited. Not special like other one." He looked down at his feet and got a big smile. "Larry needs to go dance now. Weasel slippers need exercise."


    Larry hopped to the wide-open area next to the mess hall and began dancing. Several people were clapping, and two small children were dancing with him, having snuck away from their parents. Milo motioned to Tweedle and Ringtail and they made their way to the tunnel that led to Larry''s House. Larry had added things to his house since Milo had been there last. High up in one wall was a very small opening with a round green door only six inches high. It was set into the rock with very small hinges. Milo thought it was cute. Milo examined it, but couldn''t see how it was joined to the wall, or how it opened. He''d have to ask Larry more about it.


    The other new item was a potted plant. The bush was only two-foot tall and sat in a corner of the cave. Little fruit were growing on some of the branches. Tweedle and Ringtail stopped in their tracks when they saw it.


    "A Bean bush?"


    "Cannot be, is only one."


    "And that one guarded by aunty."


    "Fiercely guarded!"


    "This one is bigger."


    "And all fruit not ripe yet."


    "Yucky bad, sour."


    "But...."


    "Yes, but..."


    Milo wasn''t sure what the problem was. He moved past the bush and opened the secret tunnel, moving into the room beyond. The twins were still arguing about the bush for some reason. "Are you two coming? Secret scout mission? Remember?"


    "Oh, yes. Sigh"


    "The mystery of mysterious Larry deepens."


    "He surprises us at every turn."


    "And he turns a lot. So many surprises."


    "But we are scouts!"


    "Time to scout!"


    They made their way through the tunnels. Milo showed them the traps and warned them about the poison, even though most of it was old and weak. "You might find one that is still good, and that could hurt."


    "Brother?"


    "Yes, Brother?"


    "We should not have slacked on poison training."


    "We may have erred, I agree."


    "Poison traps are a lot scarier when they are real!"


    The tunnel ended abruptly in a rock wall. Stone sense showed him that there was a small door on the side. Two more needle traps protected it. Once opened, he saw a narrow passage filled with steep, crumbling stairs leading downwards in a tight spiral.


    On the small landing was the long dead remains of a small humanoid, smaller than a dwarf or ratkin. It was only two-foot tall, and the corpse was light and mummified. The clothing was just rags held on with ropes. The cause of death was most likely the arrow in its side. The other side of the door showed where the poor thing hand scratched at the stone with a tiny iron sword, trying to get through. Milo decided this was a scouting mission for another day.


    It felt wrong to leave the tiny body. He picked it up to move it and a tiny silver globe the size of a marble rolled out of its pouch. Milo pocketed it to examine later for clues as to what type of creature this was. He wrapped the body in another gathering bag, shut and locked the door, and retreated to the pit. Knowing the pit was there, and were it ended, made the leap across look easy. The twins exhaled as he landed safely. He handed Ringtail the bundle.


    "Here, you can carry the other body."


    "More dead people?"


    "How many dead people are down here?"


    "As many as it takes brother."


    "Takes for what?"


    "For people to quit annoying Tallsqueak, careful, you might be the third."


    "That would be bad. You can''t carry three of us!"


    "I would leave you."


    "Oh, I know, you could toss me down the convenient hole!"


    "You always did want to travel."


    "I am a good scout."


    They retreated to the other branch of the tunnel. "Time for good scouts to be quiet." To his relief, the twins became silent. At one point Ringtail touched Milo on the shoulder and pointed. The dust had settled oddly on the floor ahead, leaving a slight line. Milo uncovered a very clever trap with a nearly hidden tripwire. They all carefully stepped over it, not knowing what it did.


    This part of the tunnel system seemed better constructed. Stone slabs and bricks made up the walls and floor, and very little was unworked stone. The tunnel ended in a T juncture, that ran two ways. The twins began sniffing the air. Milo smelled food.


    "I can smell onion soup."


    "And I note a touch of garlic."


    "And is that fresh bread with chives?"


    "Strange..."


    "Very strange...."


    Milo looked at the two of them and tapped his foot.


    Ringtail looked at him, and shrugged. "Aunty Meg is baking bread today, and she puts chives on each loaf."


    Tweedle nodded and added. "And dinner is onion and garlic soup."


    Milo went right, towards the food. He saw light coming from holes on the left side of the wall. Peering through he saw a large room with three women bustling around preparing food, and soup cooking on an open fire. The spy hole was set high in the wall, nearly ten feet above the floor. The twins were visibly nervous. They retreated to a safe place to talk.


    "That was the kitchen, and if the tunnel continues, I suspect we can look into the common areas and classrooms." Ringtail was drawing a map in the dirt. "And the other way is sleeping quarters and Old Healers rooms."


    Milo headed in that direction. They passed spyholes that looked down on many bedrooms. Finally, the last spyhole gave a view of Old Healer, sitting at his desk. He was looking through the pages of a very old journal and mumbling to himself. Suddenly he stiffened, and looked around. Going to the door, he listened, heard nothing, opened it, and checked the hallway. Seeing nothing, he came back to his room, closed and locked the door. Visibly frustrated, he returned to his seat. He made an effort to relax, drinking his tea and sitting back in his chair. He mumbled to himself. "Paranoid old man, seeing shadows where nothing skulks."


    That was the moment Ringtail leaned too heavily on the wall, and the clasp holding the secret door shut opened up. A section of wall slid silently sideways revealing an opening high in the wall. The twins tumbled forward; Milo tried to grab them but overbalanced himself. Old Healer leaped twenty foot forward, dodging left in a roll and coming up with daggers in his hands and tail. He saw his three scouts land in a heap on his desk.


    "Surprise!"


    "Always expect the unexpected!"


    "We get a lot of points for this, right?"


    "All the points! So sneaky."


    Milo stood up, he''d caught the mug of tea as it was heading for the floor and handed it to the old ratkin who sighed, put away his daggers and sat on the floor. "Well, that explains how my brother scored so many points on me! I always wondered how he moved around so easily. Tell me about your adventures boys, but one of you lean against the door and listen for sneaks. I''m feeling a bit skittish today for some reason."

 Going Forward (non-story update)

    Going Forward (non-story update)


    I wanted to give an update on my writing.


    We just hit the first milestone for the Royal Road Writathon. I managed to accomplish the total writing needed for both Butcher of Gadobhra and Tunnel Rat. The goal was 25k words in the days since Oct. 31st. If you noticed a large number of chapters lately, that''s the reason. I had to accelerate my writing in the last few days to meet that first goal.


    Now I, and other writers, have until Dec. 5th to finish a total of 55,555 words. There are no real prizes for this, it''s simply a bi-yearly challenge.


    So what now? First chore is going over the stories, and correcting typos, some of which people have already reported. Writing this much, this fast can leave extra errors. Then tomorrow I need to start writing again, and just keep going until that goal is reached. Normally I try for 6k words per week, per story. This is going to take about twice that. Yay for bonus chapters.


    -Come back to the story later. Expand if needed, look at feedback for both good and bad, make changes. Edit again and put back into Royal Road.


    -Publish when that chapter''s turn arrives. Normally Thurs, Sun, Mon since those are my days off and I have time to write and edit.


    So you can expect a steady stream of chapters until the end of Writathon. Then back to a normal schedule. I''m waiting to see how the holidays affect things. I still work four days a week in my Comic and Game store, so the holidays mean long hours. I also have a new grand daughter to spend some time with.


    As always, thanks for reading, and if you have questions about anything, feel free to send me a PM.

 Chapter 140: Poker and Pings

    Chapter 140: Poker and Pings


    **PING!**


    "YO! Sledgemonkey! You going to answer that damn pingitty-ping or just ignore it for the 3rd time." Two-screws was having a bad time coming up with a winning hand, and that damned sound wasn''t helping."


    "Huh? Oh, damn, is that me?"


    "You see anyone else that would admit to being called Sledgemonkey at the table?" The other engineers laughed at that, and threw more chips into the pot. The game had been going on for three days now, with people leaving when their shifts started and others taking their place. Sledgemonkey, because of his exalted status had been playing cards and drinking beer for most of those three days, conducting any business from the table if he absolutely had to. Most of the engineers that came to him with a question just got waved off, which they gleefully interpreted as ¡°I trust whatever stupid idea you have, go right ahead and do it.¡±


    Sledgemonkey actually blushed a little and tried to turn it into an angry scowl. Truth be told, in the long decades trapped in his own exo-suit, he''d forgotten his own name and just gone by ''The Engineer''. Most of the engineers had lost a lot of themselves, and it wasn''t just the lower brethren that had gone crazy. Now that they had a second chance at life, they were all feeling better and remembering things.


    He¡¯d totally forgotten getting the nickname Sledgemonkey when he was young and liked nothing better than swinging a hammer at rocks, rivets, or orcs. He''d decided that it was time to go back to his old name. That meant that sometimes it didn¡¯t register when people were yelling at him.?v€l-B!n.


    He had a truly terrible hand, and decided to take no cards and just toss money in the pot for some fool to win. "I raise another gold."


    **PING!**


    "Shit....I''ll get it. Blasted newfangled thing. Never should have set the alerts of the Project Scheduling to audible." He brought up the interface to the Deep Rock Engineers Guild and looked through the list of projects. It was a long, long list. Between building an entirely new base in the caverns beneath the old one, they had new mining projects, a collaboration with a scavenger clan, and a wedding to plan. A WEDDING! They''d had to go through a lot of old manuals to find the specs on how to hold one, especially one like this! But that wasn''t what was pinging him, so he moved on, gladly not thinking on it.


    Next was a list of components to build. It all had to be able to be transported up the new tunnel to Shadow Port. A six-pack of boilers, miles of tubing and ductwork, pistons, engines, armored plating and observation glass. The list went on and on, and not a lot was getting made because they had to rebuild shattered infrastructure and go mining for new raw materials.


    Mine owners wish to purchase/trade for 4 dozen Dark Steel picks.


    Mine owners wish to purchase/trade for 1 ton of copper wire.


    Mine owners wish to purchase/trade for 144 magic-tech storage crystals aspected for Storm Mana.


    Mine Location: Limburger Hollow.


    Additional notes:


    Bring Beer. Alcohol is not consumed in any quantity by the local population.


    New mycological species have been found, tell Harry I''ll send a few back for him.


    "Well dip me in green paint and call me an orc! What the hell has that lad been up to?" Milo had left after the fight with the hydra and all the mess with the World Boss, an airship, and a crazy slaver-mage. Sledgemonkey had recognized the signs. He''d seen it in other miners and explorers that enjoyed time away on their own, drifting though the dark caverns without anyone around. Milo had needed some time away from people. Being an Engineer meant being flexible. They knew he''d be back after a bit, ready to hammer steel and bend reality to his will.


    "We''ll be splitting up your gold if you don''t come and rake in your pot! What the hell''s up?"


    Sledgemonkey sat back down, and casually reached for the pot, making sure not to show the others his busted flush. "Not much, just got a message from our lost little beardling. Senior Engineer Milo hasn¡¯t been loafing around like you slackers. He went and found us a hundred tons of Deep Copper ore. Anyone feel like going for a little visit?"

 Chapter 141: And Poison makes Four

    Chapter 141: And Poison makes Four


    The next few days flew by for Milo.


    Basic Claw Drills. Sparring. Breakfast with Larry followed by stories of Larry in Flowerland. Larry was becoming much better at telling stories, and more people were coming to listen to them. Then the engineering class he taught at the tower. Back to the mess hall for lunch with Larry and dancing afterwards. Followed by a short class on mining and identifying ores. Dinner was with Arlothe and Cremona, and the twins spent the evening meal talking with Larry. The fun and terror of advanced fighting class followed by a bath and several hours studying arcane texts in the library.


    He was busy, but happy. He monitored section E for troubles, and kept track of the days until the big swap meet event he was going to with Butch and the gang.


    In the mornings he led the beginning class in stretching, exercise, and basic claw and tail drills. This was followed by a bell of sparring without his spell enhancements. Gilad routinely used him as an opponent to illustrate attacks, blocks, and dodges. Then the two of them would spar with each of the students, followed by letting them fight with each other.


    All of the students were progressing well. Even the troublesome players seemed to have had a breakthrough in attitude, asking for tougher fights and more instruction. Blackwhisker''s group were the most aggressive and were learning at a fast pace spurred on by watching what Milo and Gilad could do. They had given up thinking they were a match for Milo, and now were working hard to catch up.


    Several of the students asked Tallsqueak the secret of his enhancements. He just said in a very serious voice that such magics were not for beginners, and recommended enrolling for classes at the Tower of Strife if they wished to pursue magic, or being a combination fighter. There was much discussion about the Spell Claw class and whether it was better than the Claw Wizard class. Several of them, both whelps from the Hollow and players had taken his advice and started taking classes in the Tower. And a few had begun hanging out with either Petey or Charlotte.


    The same was happening in reverse. After his day of dueling, Milo had noticed that the beginning fighting class was getting larger. Students from the Tower of Strife were showing up to learn the basics of fighting, to add some physical ability to their magic. They were a great source of amusement to the rest of the class. They barely knew how to use their tails, and were slow to dodge and claw at their opponents. The exception was the student who showed up the fourth day after the duels, wearing old burlap practice clothing, with her hair tied into a long braid. Milo noticed her, but they only nodded at each other, as class was beginning.


    Black Whisker told a joke asking, ''How many mages does it take to kill a spiderling? 4! One to get bit so they know it''s a spiderling, two to argue about what type of spiderling it is, and one to run get a guard to stomp on it.'' The students from the tower were used to being the butt of such jokes. The newcomer wasn''t. When it came time to spar, the new student challenged Black Whisker. He accepted with a grin. His opponent was older than him, smaller, and a girl. He had no doubt about the outcome of this fight.


    The two of them circled each other, and on his first claw attack, Black Whisker took a small scratch as his opponent raked one claw across his arm. His eyes got wide, he froze up, and then toppled over. Gilad had been watching, and slapped a palm on his forehead and shook his head from side to side. Then hands behind his back, he addressed the class. "It seems we need to state a few rules to keep things civil as you progress in power. This is a fighting class. Spells and enhancements are not used here. I do not break your bones with Quivering Claw attacks, Tallsqueak is not using his bone armor and magical claws, and from now on, Professor Cremona should refrain from showing what attacks using Poison Claw techniques can do."


    ¡°And, to not tempt anyone to break these rules, I am outlawing the telling of jokes that might be directed at fellow members of this class. Be respectful of others children, or find out just how hard play time can be.¡±


    "Also, I see the need to add a special class next season where we will incorporate advanced techniques such as spells, enhancements, claw techniques, and dance moves. I''m sure the healers will love the extra experience they will get each class, putting you back together. And since she is working on her fighting style after many years, I invite Professor Cremona to attend our special advanced class held here in the arena each night."


    Cremona accepted both the admonishment for disrupting the class, as well as the invitation by bowing deeply to Gilad. As the students who didn''t know her realized who was standing next to them, they cleared a large space around her. The students from the tower rolled their eyes and smirked. Jokes about mages became extinct.


    Milo was very curious about what techniques Cremona used. She showed up that night to the advanced class with her husband. Arlothe had no intention of fighting. He had brought a comfy pillow to sit on and a huge bag of snacks to eat while he observed the fun. From the shadows, the eyes of curious students peered out. They hadn''t explicitly been told that this was a private practice, but none of them wanted to get too close.


    Some of them had nearly fainted when they saw Larry lumber into the arena and begin his warm-up exercises. Larry was every nightmare they had been told about growing up.


    "Don''t sneak a piece of cheese, you don''t want to become a fiend!


    Cremona entered the ring with some hesitation, but then threw away any concern. She was used to dueling with Arlothe and being electrocuted on a daily basis. Some bruises and cuts were a price she would to pay to get back into shape for claw fighting. The chance to improve her dueling ability was too good of a chance to pass up. The chance to fight against a cheese fiend was a gift she should be thankful for.


    "Begin."


    This time, Larry spun in place, then hopped to the left, followed by three quick steps towards Cremona. She was astonished. He wasn''t moving like a fiend! He was staying on two legs and it looked like it was dancing. Cremona quickly moved away, and began dodging as fast as she could, not knowing what she was facing. Eventually she saw an opening and exhaled a stinking cloud of toxic gas at Larry''s head.


    "Larry can''t see! Go away stinky cloud!" He waved his claws through the air, trying to disperse it.


    Cremona raced forward and slashed at Larry''s arm, leaving long cuts that bubbled a green ichor. Simultaneously she took a very hard blow to her head from Larry''s tail, and was knocked unconscious. She came back to her senses a moment later. Arlothe had her head tilted back and was pouring a health potion down her throat. She held her head as it throbbed. "Oh, that hurts."


    Tallsqueak and Larry were seated in the ring having cookies. Gilad was observing them. Larry''s wound had quit expelling the poison from the slash, and had scabbed over already, half healed.


    "That was an interesting bout. Larry, what did you learn?"


    Larry finished his cookie first, before. It wasn''t polite to talk with food in your mouth. "Larry learned that green girl has stinky clouds that make you not see. Larry needs to remember to move Larry''s head out of cloud, and not wave and yell. "Shoo cloud, go away."


    He took another cookie and then looked at Cremona. "Larry learned green girl makes lots of noise when she moves. Larry''s ears told his tail to slap her. Now we have cookies. Larry likes cookies."


    ¡°Oh, and Blue Boxes say that Larry is now at Rank 2 in Fiendish Resistance.¡±


    Arlothe laughed and Cremona was silent, wishing her stealth score was better. Mages didn''t need to be sneaky, did they? Against a fiend, it seemed they did. That meant shouting out spells was right out, and she''d need to find a way to increase her skulking skills. Did Old Healer still have that huge maze in his basement? Maybe she and Arlothe should start having duels in it? First hit wins and play in the dark? Oh, that would be fun!


    Gilad took a round with Larry, and Tallsqueak yelled, "Begin!" This round went much longer than the earlier two. Gilad danced in and out of Larry''s reach, throwing punches and slashing at his opponent. Larry advanced with hops, spins, and quick steps, forcing his smaller opponent to constantly dodge around him. Larry landed several hits with his tail and claws, but Gilad always seemed to be blocking his blows and deflected most of the damage. After nearly ten minutes, Larry spun and missed; Gilad appeared directly in front of him and thrust out with a hard punch to Larry''s jaw, knocking him down.


    Larry slowly got up, holding his head. He smiled and crawled over to the plate of cookies. "Larry needs cookie break." Gilad looked at his hand, noting he had broken two bones in it. "Tallsqueak? Please pass me a potion and I would appreciate you setting my bones and healing the breaks. Then I think it''s time for you and Cremona to take a turn while I have a cookie break."


    The bouts went on until halfway through 11th bell. They ended early, because they were out of healing potions and cookies. All four opponents were battered and bruise. Larry the least hurt, his Fiendish Regeneration fixing all but the most lethal of attacks in only a few minutes. Cremona was worst off, bruised from head to toe, limping and leaning on her husband. But she was smiling and planning revenge in the future.


    They all sat in the mess hall as Bleusnout happily cooked them plate after plate of food, while he listened to them talk about the techniques each used and how to counter them. Larry ate the equivalent of three of his normal dinners, stretched and declared he was sleepy. Gilad also proclaimed himself ready for bed. Tallsqueak walked with the Professors to the Tower of Strife before going off to bathe and then retire to the library for his late-night studies.?v€l-B!n.

 Chapter 142: Runes and Repairs

    Chapter 142: Runes and Repairs


    In a spare corner of Cichol''s Arcane Library, Milo had begun working on a long overdue task. He needed the privacy and the advice of the old mage to work on the special project. The table he was working on had a polished stone top, and legs carved from the thigh bones of several large and extinct creatures. To one side was the knowledge he had accumulated in the Tower of Strife. Cichol was happily copying it all to have for his own library.


    Besides the journal, Milo had found three books with infomation on runic formations, along with seven scrolls, and a dozen torn and burnt pages from a book lost to the ages. Despite his near perfect memory, he had read through each bit of literature several times. He also asked both Arlothe and Cremona for their thoughts on the validity of the manuscripts, and their interpretation of the spells and runes presented.


    His physical components were sitting on the table as well. In front of him was the arm bone of an ancient creature he had appropriated from Philistron, the old weapon he had bought in the market place of Limburger Hollow, and the once-enchanted weapon that had been destroyed in his attempt to cast a spell upon Captain Pikes harpoon. He had broken both his own magic, and his weapon, Shadowblight.


    Milo was contemplating the classic puzzle that pondered what happens when a damaged piece of a ship is repaired? Is it the same ship? What if each piece is replaced over the years, slowly but surely taking away the old parts and replacing with new. At what point did the ship become something different?


    However, the ship in question lacked a magical aura that was made up of the sum of its parts. Shadowblight was still slightly magical, but not functional. Bone had been pulled from it, as it had been from Milo''s own body. What was left was old and brittle. Milo had been studying the weapon for weeks, and now with Chichol''s help, they examined it one more time, making notes as they looked over the weapon bit by bit, finding the runes used in older books, and studying the bones.


    The wooden handle was the simplest part. It acted like a mage''s staff, channeling the power of the runes between the different bone spikes and drawing power from the mage. Milo had read several books on the construction of wands and staves among the resources in the tower, and examined Arlothe and Cremona''s personal staves, asking numerous questions. He had no doubt that he could create a staff that would channel his own magic, if he had needed such a tool.


    The spiked bone of the weapon were from different creatures. The tooth of a Gigantic Spasmotic Leech was the largest. Cichol had identified the effect from an old account of the fall of the Kingdom of Kazmar. The leeches had been bred by Spasma the Great, a breeder of fantastic beasts. The King of Kazmar desired an army of beasts that would attack the undersea cities of the Azcantl Merfolk. Complications had arisen when it turned out the Gigantic Leeches didn''t like the taste of merfolk, but found humans very tasty. A horde of hungry leeches had rampaged around the island kingdom until Spasma managed to turn them into kittens. After all kittens on the island had been slain to make sure the leeches were dead, Spasma was hung by an angry crowd and his notes burned. Whether because he was the creator of such misfortune, or because the crowd was upset over the kittens, is unclear. The few remaining fangs of the leeches were prized because of their debilitating effect on those wounded.


    The second bone spike had been carved from the elbow spike of a Vampiric Hell Beast. These large, flightless, bat-like creatures had infested the Mountains of Morun for ages. They were heavy bodied swoopers who dove off cliffs, driving their prey to the ground were they feasted on their bodies after draining their blood. The poor victim grew weaker as the Hell Beast grew stronger. They finished their meal, climbed back up the cliffs, and went looking for bigger prey. These creatures were still in existence, and for that reason no sane person came within a day''s journey of those haunted cliffs.


    Other bits of bone had been enchanted with common runes for Swift Striking or Durability to keep the wood from splintering.


    Starting with the ancient armbone, he separated the arm from the hand bones with their two small fingers and huge, clawed thumb. He was going to replace the destroyed wood with this ancient bone. Even as it was, the material was twice as strong as the enchanted wood had been. Milo improved on that by carving the ancient bone-rune for Hard-Runed Bones. Instead of Swift Striking, which was a powerful, if mundane rune to make a sword or weapon faster, Milo used the bone-rune for Velocity. He shaped and sanded the three feet of arm bone until it was what he needed for the weapons handle. Even as it was, it would have made a good weapon, but Milo knew this could be more than just a club.


    Cichol made suggestions for carvings on the handle. Some were simply decorations that would improve his grip. Others were copied off of the wooden handle, the old mage explaining how some of the minor runes linked the carvings and merged the parts of the weapon into one magical item with one aura.


    The handle finished, they began work to repair the Leech Fang and Hell Beast Spike. Two of the bones from the weapon he had purchased from Scrap-Hunter were still useful. The rest of it was rotted junk. The two spikes had minor enchantments of Hardness that had kept them from breaking. There was good bone inside the two pieces.


    Sunder Armor: Shadowblight unleashes the Rune of Sundering on your foe, destroying armor and shattering bones. -50 points of armor or mitigation. If used against inanimate objects (rock walls, doors, cheese wax) it does a large amount of damage. Cost: 50 stamina.


    Nigh Invulnerable: Even a critical hit with an enchanted blade by a cheese-crazed fiend will not harm this spikeystick Enchanted Weapon. To block powerful foes, keep two hands on the stick. Skill: Weapon Block +4 ranks, reduced damage.


    Destruction: Shadowblight drains your mana to charge its Rune of Destruction. Increase damage by +100 for the next hit.


    Cost: 50 mana


    Constructing such a weapon is a mighty feat. You have earned 10 Core Skill Points.


    Milo''s blood seeped into the weapon, not even leaving a stain. Cichol observed this and stared hard at the weapon. "That is one vindictive spikeystick. Not many of them get used enough, or mean enough, to form their own spirit. It was bad when Malskitter was using it. This new one is even sharper and hungrier. You and it should have some fun together."


    Milo wondered about Cichol''s definition of fun. He was just happy to have repaired his Bonespike. He staggered upwards from where he had been sitting. He was stiff and tired from hours of research and arcane tinkering. He needed to get back to the tower of strife and his comfy chair for a couple of hours of sleep before heading to fighting practice. It was going to be a long day.


    Rune Crafting has reached Rank 8


    Ancient Rune Lore has reached Rank 8


    Runic Lore has reached Rank 8


    Bone Carving has reached Rank 10


    Bone Manipulation has reached Rank 9

 Chapter 143: Iron Spider

    Chapter 143: Iron Spider


    Once she was P''tashPak''r, the Exalted General of the 10th Host, beloved of the queens, champion of the Many-Legged Army.


    Once she was P''tashPak''r, the cripple.


    And only a few days before, she was P''tashPak''r, the abomination in exile.


    No more. She was going back, returning to her exalted rank of general. She would command an army and lead it to glorious victory with the bonus of killing her most hated foe. This was how she had dreamed things would happen one day, and now it was so. It had been so many years in coming, that she had almost lost her dream...


    It had all begun with Gilad and that final duel. She had been so proud when she was named to fight in the ceremonial duel that would end the war. Her opponent was weak, with barely half her number of limbs. She knew that no rat could prevail against her. He should not have been able to be beat her. It was only through some travesty of fate and the power of the enemies¡¯ insidious cheesy snacks had had caused her loss. He had gone berserk when she wounded him, foaming at the mouth, and his limbs possessed a hideous strength. The ratkin champion had broken her limbs one by one even as her poison worked to kill him. He had gone entirely crazed at the end, his claws tearing at her body and ripping parts off of her limbs, one by one. The final insult was him standing on her back as his army cheered him. To her dismay, she had heard the hissing laughter of many spiders. Spiders like winners, and had nothing but contempt for those who failed.


    That had been the end of her time as a warrior and the start of many years of pain and slavery. First had come the humiliating years after she had lost the duel with her enemy, and the subsequent defeat of her army. No one came to carry her from the field of battle, or to end her life. Barely alive, her spiderlings had carried her legless body from the field of battle, and cared for her wounds. She found herself bumping along in an empty, discarded wagon pulled by two lobotomized humans that her spiderlings had stolen from the slave pens. The stupid things barely lived long enough to get her back to the edge of the great nest.


    No family or clan came to her aid. To the rest of the Spider Clans, she was an embarrassment. An example of what happened when you lost a duel and an enemy could pull off your legs one by one. No thanks were given for her loyalty during the wars. No one came to pay homage to her. She was forgotten and tucked away in a dingy little web with only the last of her progeny to aid her. Only the thought of one day finding Gilad, Warlord of the United Tribes had kept her from despair.


    It had galled her that one day, as she lay helpless, a dwarf of the Dark Tribes had walked into her lair. She''d heard the noise as he had slaughtered the spiderlings that vainly tried to defend her. He''d made war on them in the traditional way of the dwarves, smushing foes beneath the tread of their heavy iron boots. When he saw her, he whistled long and loudly, proclaiming her to be, in his words, ''One dented little bit of defective trash heap''.


    And now, now she was back! They needed her desperately. The lesser generals had failed the queen, and it was her genius in battle that they trusted. Her army was assembling and she would march upon Limburger Hollow, slay Gilad, and become again one of the Queen''s trusted generals! She saw it all in her mind, over and over, as she marched through the caverns, trying not to trip on the uneven flooring.


    "Has the abomination showed up yet?"


    "No, your majesty, it''s still slowly walking along like some drunken beetle. It has to use the caverns, not the web way. It is far too heavy and clumsy."


    "Fine. When she finally gets here, send her over to Big Cavern with Spotted Shrooms. It''s flat and she''ll trip less. Start lining up her troops in there and let her have the fun of reviewing them, while they feel the shame of serving such an abomination of nature. Add 1 contingent of the Queen''s Own, two banner bearers, and Six units of wolfen shock troops. That should look good."


    "!!!! You''re giving that mad-thing all of that?" The queen contemplated eating her latest advisor for questioning her, but decided that the statement was one of those times that any good advisor really should speak up. The thought of wasting good troops in this little war was abhorrent to her.


    "Of course not! They''ll line up with the dregs we are sending with her to Limburger Hollow, march out behind It, and then peel off at the cross-roads and rejoin the regular army. Its force is a blunt instrument that will deliver a shock to our enemies, maybe even break into the Hollow and start killing civilians. My hope is that she draws off their military and keeps it tied up. My army will be the one achieving victory!"


    "Whew. Sorry I doubted you ma''am. That...thing makes me uneasy."


    "Understandable, and my condolences. I''m sending you to It as Its second in command to keep things organized. Try to fade into the back of her forces as she charges, and sneak back to us. I value your services greatly."

 Chapter 144: Too much Bleu

    Chapter 144: Too much Bleu


    Larry awoke early. Larry always got up early. His tummy was always too growly in the morning to sleep. Like always when he awoke, he pondered the important question: What''s for breakfast?


    He looked over at his Jelly Been bush that Gingersnapple and Redfawn had given him for saving their Jellybean farm from the Frozen Fog Boys. Larry had been very cold while guarding the farm all night and bopping the little muskrats on the head when they got too close, but being a Hero wasn''t always easy! He had danced and danced to keep warm, only pausing when he had bopping to do. After he had bopped every single albino muskrat into the ground, with only their eyes and whiskers showing Redfawn had painted their whiskers bright pink so that they couldn''t do sneaky stuff any more. The dejected and hungry Fog Boys had been sent down the road to the next level of under hill.


    The happy fairies had come to Larry''s house and planted several jelly bean bushes just for Larry. But the berries were still too green to eat. Gingersnapple had warned him that eating too many green jelly beans could turn you into a pickle. Larry didn''t like pickles, so he was being as patient as he could be. Except when he was hungry. When he was hungry, then maybe being a pickle didn''t seem too bad. Larry decided to leave Larry''s house when he got those ideas.


    He tried to find out what was for breakfast by sniffing for the smells. Little fishies were easiest. They had a big smell. Cold muffins and fruit was the hardest. Very small smell. Larry got to the porch, and many ratkin were waiting to eat. That was ok. Larry ate last. Unless Tallsqueak, or Ringtail, or Tweedle was here. Then they brought Larry breakfast early. But Larry''s nose didn''t smell Tallsqueak or Tweedle or Ringtail. And Larry''s nose didn''t smell breakfast. Larry''s tummy rumbled and roared, and some of the people on porch looked worried.


    Then Tallsqueak came running up. He''d been fighting. He was still all sort of excited and moving quick. He would settle down when he got breakfast. Tallsqueak was looking at all the people and had a look on his face that wasn''t happy. It got more unhappy when Larry''s tummy got more growly. He told Larry that he''d go find breakfast. That was good. Tallsqueak was smart and always knew what to do!


    Milo had no idea what to do. It was obvious something was wrong, and no food was being served. A few hungry ratkin wasn''t a problem. A hungry Larry was. Mostly because he would scare all the hungry ratkin, and if someone started running...well, that could be bad. No one knew, and no one wanted to find out, just where Larry stopped and the Cheese Fiend took over. Both Gilad and Bleusnout had lectured him on how to make sure Larry didn''t get upset and how to keep the Hollow calm.


    It was indicative of how well behaved most of the ratkin in the Hollow were. If the mess hall had lights on and the doors were open, they went inside. If it was closed, they didn''t. That didn''t mean they didn''t wonder about why the mess hall was closed. It was the one building that was almost always open.


    Milo wasn''t as patient as everyone else standing on the porch, and he wondered if he was less well behaved, or just more worried about Larry. Probably the latter. He was ranking the threats, and trying to solve the top one. Hungry Larry trumped obeying the rules. The doors had a simple lock, one he could open by running a claw down the small crack between the doors, and flipping the lock. He entered, and shut the door behind him. Rifkin was throwing wood into the stoves and lighting them, just starting the day, at least an hour past where Bleusnout was usually starting his day. Milo padded over to him, not trying to be stealthy, but not really making noise. Rifkin kept nervously looking to the entrance to the cellar.


    "Hi, I was...." Milo barely started before a startled Rifkin jumped and yelled.


    "What?! Why are you in here? Don''t scare me like that!"


    "I wasn''t trying to scare you, if I was, I would have yelled ''Surprise!'' I only came in to see what was going on."


    Rifkin looked very annoyed. "Nothing is going on, just running a little late. I bet Smiley is sleeping in and who knows what the Chef is up to." He lowered his voice a bit and whispered. "He''s been acting really odd lately, if you know what I mean. Late nights in the cellar, and sleeping in more and more. I''m really worried about him."


    Milo had no idea what he meant. "So, breakfast is late? I really need some food for Larry so he doesn''t get growly in his stomach."


    Rifkin thought about that. "Oh, Larry? Yes, I''ll find something for him. He took a basket, put in an apple, then two slices of cheddar, and a couple of day-old muffins on top. "Here, go give that to Larry. Apples and Muffins are his favorites."


    Milo knew that was wrong. "No, little fishies, Puffcakes, and Jelly beans are his favorites. And you shouldn''t give Larry cheese. He doesn''t eat it anymore."


    Rifkin rolled his eyes. "Larry is a cheese fiend. Of course, he likes cheese. You''re the one who wanted him to eat! Now you won''t feed him? What are you up to? Are you trying to upset Larry? I''m of half a mind to tell Bleusnout what you are doing."


    "And the other half?"


    Rifkin looked at him oddly. "What other half?"


    Milo pointed at him. "You said you had half a mind to go tell Bleusnout. What about your other half of mind? I was just curious."


    Rifkin turned red in the face. "That''s it. I''m going to go find the Chef, you''d better leave."


    Milo came around the counter. "Good idea. Go find the chef, I''ll try to make Larry some Puffcakes. Where is the recipe at?"


    Larry did a few hops. "Same place Bleusnout learned it. We read ''Hamster Huey and the Hungry Giant. It has the secret recipe in it." Milo made a note to himself to read more books with Larry.


    Milo took a big bowl and began mixing up the dried Golden Puffballs, they turned to dust very easy. He followed Larry''s recipe, but was unsure of what spoon to use until Larry pointed it out to him. With everything mixed up, he put a little oil on the grill and started pouring Puffcakes. He saw that he wasn''t very exact in his pouring. Some puffcakes were big, some small, and some weren''t even round. This was much tougher than he thought it would be.


    The first batch came off the griddle. He found butter and syrup, and handed the plate to Larry, who didn''t care if the pancakes matched in size. Milo looked at all the people, and realized Rifkin still wasn''t back. He needed to make a lot more Puffcakes. He saw Patsy and some of the Puffyfur Clan patiently waiting. He called them all and they came running. "Clan Puffyfur, I have need of skilled alchemists for a special alchemy class. First job is to get four large bowls, fill them with dried Golden Puffballs mushrooms, and reduce to a fine powder by any method."


    Clan Puffyfur got to work. Milo had Larry tell them the rest of the alchemical formula. Meanwhile, he found the large frosting bags he had seen Smiley and Rifkin using. They could hold a lot of batter, and dispense it with precision. He took a batter-filled bowl from Patsy and showed her how to fill up the frosting bags, with directions to always have a filled dispenser ready for him. Then he gave a small squeeze and made a perfect 4" wide puff cake. He went back and forth across the griddle in rows, each puff cake almost touching the next one. He used his tail to flip the puffcakes and put them in stacks of six to serve while he used both hands to put more batter on the grill. A line formed and he began feeding the hungry hollow.


    Patsy and the rest of the Puffyfurs were working hard to keep up with Professor Tallsqueak. The alchemical formula wasn''t hard, but getting the batter to the right consistency was tricky. They were in awe of how fast he was cooking, with over a hundred puffcakes cooking at once on several griddles. It was like his brain and hands knew exactly what to do. He barely noticed as Rifkin came in with Old Healer and Professor Arlothe and they all ran to the basement. Absorbed with the current job of feeding the hollow, it was all he was focused on. Eventually, everyone got enough to eat, including Larry. Milo made extra big platefuls for Clan Puffyfur and himself. Larry had started on a bag of apples. No cheese at all was served that morning. A few people had asked, but Milo just shook his head and said "No cheese today. Cheese tonight." No one argued with the chef.


    Milo piled the dishes in the sink, banked the fires, and washed his hands. Now he remembered the comings and goings downstairs, and began to be worried. He was wondering if he should intrude when Professor Arlothe beckoned him. "We have need of you downstairs Tallsqueak."


    The Puffyfurs seemed sad about something. Milo remembered. "Oh, this is the day of the tea party? I''m sorry. I have to miss it, but..." he considered for a second, and then noticed that someone had put a lovely green bow in Larry''s hair. "...would it be all right for Larry to go to the party?"


    Patsy clapped her hands. "Oh, yes. That would be so fun! We''ll pretend he''s you."


    Larry approved. "Larry likes parties."


    Tallsqueak took Patsy aside. "Remember, just cookies and tea. Larry can''t have cheese, he is training to be a hero."


    Larry''s ears heard and he nodded his head.


    Larry ran off with Clan Puffyfur for a party. Milo went to the cellar for something he was sure wasn''t going to be much fun. It wasn''t.


    Rifkin was talking. ¡°...and that''s how I found him. I came into the mess hall, and didn''t see either Smiley or the chef. I started to prepare all the food to feed the Hollow, and that''s when Tallsqueak came in, wanting to get his food. I ran downstairs to see if Bleusnout was down here. He was sound asleep and snoring, with his face in that box of aged Roquefort that came from the cheese hoard of Clan Emerald Wyrm. I couldn''t rouse him at all."


    Milo saw that the chef was laying on a small cot, covered by a blanket. Old Healer was carefully cleaning cheese off of his face and whiskers. More than just the chef''s whiskers were blue, today it was his whole face.


    Rifkin seemed very upset. "I just never thought he''d go this far. He''s always had a taste for the bleu, but he said that he had sworn off of it years ago. I think it was all this new cheese coming down here that did it. Dozens of varieties of tasty things to sample. He claimed he was "appraising" it to make sure he had the value correct.


    He looked at Milo. "Isn''t this all your cheese somehow? The Eels said you cheated them in a duel so that you could take all their cheese. Why would you store it down here? Everyone knows that Bleusnout has a weakness for Bleu Cheese! It''s how he got his name!"


    He looked around the room. "And I don''t see very much of that cheese either! And Smiley is missing. He was helping the eels pack it down here yesterday. Something smells and it isn''t the cheese!" He glared at Milo. Milo ignored him, worried about Bleusnout and not wanting to upset Rifkin any further. He already wasn''t making any sense.


    Old Healer was visibly upset. "He is very far gone. I''m not sure if he will wake up. We must pre-pare for the worst. While we can hope for his recovery, at the best it will take a long time for him to heal. I ask that we call for a full meeting of the Masters of Hollow. As Master Healer, and Master of Death, I ask that a conclave to be held, immediately."


    Arlothe sighed and looked at the chef laying on the cot. "As Master Mage, I call for a Conclave." They both turned and looked at Milo. More specifically, they were looking at Milo''s hand.


    He got the clue. He raised his hand and showed the ring. Rifkin seemed very surprised, and his eyes narrowed. "As Master of Scouts, I call for a conclave."


    Old Healer straightened. "That is a quorum, we will hold a conclave. I will send word to the Master Gatherer, the Master Artisan, and the Master of Fighting."

 Chapter 145: Dwarven Holiday

    Chapter 145: Dwarven Holiday


    A party of explorers marched through the caverns far below Shadowport. Part of the way was through old mines, and at other times they stomped along a pathway that went through natural caverns. Several predators heard them coming and started to move closer to attack, and then grew nervous and retreated. Even a Mega Cave-Fisher or Hundred-legged-horror knew when it was out matched.


    Contrary to conventional wisdom, this group were neither quiet nor stealthy. The argument might be made that it would have been out of character, because they had never been considered either conventional, or stealthy. There wisdom was also up for debate.


    But the truth of the matter was simple: If there was anything big and dumb enough to challenge a group of drunken dwarves, then they would happily blow it to smithereens. If they thought that being loud would attract such a creature, they would have made even more noise. Traveling through the caverns could become boring, and the chance to let off some steam by blowing a predator into little pieces was always welcome.


    Two of the party were incased in gleaming armored suits making them a foot taller and much wider than their unarmored companions. Their companions had laughed a bit about the two Senior Engineers not knowing how to take a vacation, but the older dwarves wanted to show off their new toys, and it made it easier to pack along a couple of kegs of beer. Senior Engineer Milo had somehow found a place of great mineral wealth, but it lacked even the basics of alcohol. He was obviously in trouble and they were going to his rescue.


    Two-Screws had spent some time after the battle with the hydra making improvements in his suit. He was happy with the basic design, but after a few hundred years it was good to change things up. His first step had been to go fishing for some rare components, and for that he had needed the right kind of bait.


    His bait had been a powerful rocket launcher that could be fired and loaded by a single dwarf. The tube was of hardened promethium steel and could handle high explosives up to the most powerful that the engineers could currently make. It was a little heavy, but that would be appreciated by the type of person he was fishing for. The outer shell was made of Alpha/Beta brass, a hard composite of brass alloys that was less flexible than regular brass but much harder. One of the new lads they had taken on wasn''t a bad artist and Two-Screws had paid him well to design a weapon that resembled an ornate ships cannon.


    Unlike an older cannon on a ship which might take as many as six dwarves to crew it, this weapon could be loaded and fired as fast as ammunition could be slammed into it. The rounded breech could swing open to accept the self-propelled rockets it used as ammunition, then slammed shut and be ready to fire by pulling on the heavy trigger. An optional targeting system could be swung into place to give better aim. The three and a half foot-long weapon weighed more than eighty pounds. Two-screws had judged that anything lighter wouldn''t be trusted by a scavenger.


    He''d also noticed that the ladies were fond of the brass color of Narwhale''s wedding gift. He added an outer layer of brass to his own armor and then polished it until it shone.


    When Sledgemonkey saw the new set of armor his mouth had made some adorable fish imitations, opening and closing with no words coming out. He''d disappeared into his Arcane Workshop for a week and finally emerged in a gleaming gold set of armor that he strutted around in.


    The two of them were drinking and singing as they followed Boomboom and Narwhale through the caverns, the newlyweds walking hand in hand and making disgustingly cute faces at each other as they tossed a grenade back and forth. The two had first met in the middle of the battle with the hydra, and bonded over their mutual love of high explosives and the puke-n-twirl.


    Vary was running ahead, testing out his new mechanical ''Scout''s Legs''. The lad hadn''t progressed in his studies enough to build them, but he''d come up with the idea. Several of the engineers had made it a teaching project, making him do the work as they designed the mechanical legs and helped him test them.


    Barnacle was pulling along a small cart that held Narwhale''s wedding present, extra ammo, and a few gallons of alcohol. She grumbled constantly about girls who were too lovestruck to carry their own guns.


    It was two-day¡¯s journey to the house of Professor Harry Earthtongue, and then another two-days to Limburger Hollow. Sledgemonkey wanted to see these new mines himself. When the newly married couple had said they''d come along, he hastily gathered Vary and Two-Screws to help keep them out of trouble. Barnacle got recruited as ammo carrier and loader. She''d declined at first, claiming she would much rather stay in Shadowport and drink heavily rather than follow the two of them around through old, nasty tunnels. She had changed her mind and volunteered when Narwhale had mentioned Vary was coming along to scout and test his new contraption.


    Harry greeted them when they arrived, and brought out a huge amount of beer for them to sample. Brewing was a side hobby for the troll and he''d taken it up again after talking with several of the engineers. The engineers pronounced the latest batch to be quite tasty. The two scavengers had each had a mug, and then two-dozen more. If anyone was hung over in the morning, or regretting anything that might have happened in the night, they hid it behind small smiles or volunteered to ''Scout ahead for a bit.''


    Harry decided he''d come along. He was curious what Milo had found, and was worried the dwarves wouldn''t have enough alcohol for the trip. With two kegs of beer strapped to his back, he joined the group of dwarves on their holiday excursion.

 Chapter 146: Conclave

    Chapter 146: Conclave


    Milo was unsure of what was going on, and on so many levels! He hadn''t intended to become a Master of the Hollow and was unsure of how he felt about the whole thing. He took Gilad aside and spoke to him. "What''s happened to Bleusnout, and what is the Conclave all about? I''m just following your lead. I''m not really a master."


    Gilad looked at the young whelp. No, that was wrong. He should think of him as a young warrior. He''d earned that much. But they all looked so young to him now!


    He tapped the ring on Tallsqueak''s finger. "You found this ring, lost in the hidden parts of the hollow. And did you not take it from the last Scout Master? Do you think the ring would accept you so readily if its last owner didn''t approve of you? You found his remains and brought them home to be laid to rest with his ancestors, after no one could find him for decades. That counts for much. And Old Healer approves of you.


    And the Hollow has need of you. Something smells bad, and not just the gorgonzola. You might feel too young for such responsibility, but right now, it is you who are our our Master of Scouts. Your responsibility is to find the dangers that threaten the Hollow, and help us to prepare against things and that threaten us. My whiskers twitch and my bones ache. Something bad is afoot. Keep those young eyes open. Use that sharp mind to see what others may not."


    Milo had no argument for the old fighting Master''s logic, so he stayed quiet, and observed what he could. Over the next few minutes, the other masters arrived. The first was Master Clawhammer. He was a tall ratkin with a thick waist and large muscles. His arms were bigger than Milo''s thighs. Clawhammer worked a forge, hammering iron, copper, and tin into the tools and weapons needed by the rest of the Hollow. His forge was near the mines and often he led the groups of miners who entered the maze of tunnels beyond, looking for the ores they needed. He also oversaw many of the trades that were practiced in the Hollow. He was skilled in carpentry, blacksmithing, mechanics, and smelting.


    Milo made a mental note to talk to him about a possible trade deal with the Engineering Outpost. The Outpost could always use more ores, especially of the type that the Hollow didn''t have much need for. In return the Hollow could gain better quality armor and weapons for the guards, and better picks for the miners. It could be beneficial for both groups.


    Helen Brownfur was known to most simply as ''Mother''. She always seemed to have a gaggle of little ones around her. She had birthed 13 children of her own, including three sets of twins. As if that was not enough, she had also adopted four young children who became orphans when their parents were killed in a mining accident. Her family had always been prolific and she was related to half the Hollow. Milo had seen her in the mushroom fields showing the little ones how to pick the best shrooms. He hadn''t known she was the Gather Master, but in hindsight it fit her well. She was patient and guided the young in gathering skills, teaching them early how to supply the Hollow with food.


    As each of the Masters entered the room, and were shocked to see Bleusnout''s condition, shaking their heads sadly and talking with Old Healer. A Master of Cheese was the last person that anyone would expect to give into the lure of partaking of too much cheese. They were known for wills of iron, and the patience of saints. Helen Brownfur was particularly upset, having worked closely with Bleusnout. "This isn''t right! He..he has always been too strong for something like this to happen. I don''t believe that he gave into his hunger. What did he eat? We need to know!"


    Rifkin was nervously bouncing from one foot to another and wringing his hands. "I don''t know! He and Smiley were down here going through all the new cheese belonging to Tallsqueak. I have been working to keep meals cooked for the hollow. It was only when I realized he was missing that I checked down here and found him this way! He was face down in the Roquefort! But I agree with Mistress Brownfur, this is not right. Where is Smiley? Where is the rest of the Hollow''s cheese?"


    Gilad stood up. "There are many things to discuss. But first, you will excuse us, Rifkin, I''m sure you have things to do preparing the meals. The conclave must meet in private to discuss these issues."


    Rifkin looked slightly surprised as if he hadn''t thought he''d be asked to leave. "Yes, I will start the next meal, it''s very important to keep the Hollow fed." He retreated upstairs, gathering up a bundle of dirty rags on the way, and they heard the banging of pots and pans through the floor.


    Gilad sighed. "I feel the events of today have unnerved young Rifkin. He will need much support for us, if he is to fill the shoes left by Master Bleusnout. He is young, but with our help, I''m sure that he can rise to the occasion."


    Master Clawhammer snorted. "He''ll be fine. Bleusnout has been training him since he and Smiley were what? Four years old? We may eat an awful lot of grilled mushrooms and simpler food until Bleusnout is up and about, but we''ve all had worse."


    Old Healer looked pained as he said, "That may be some time. Whatever Bleusnout got into, it wasn''t just Roquefort, and with so much cheese missing, we may never know. He has gorged himself on the most potent of stinky bleu cheese, and I fear he has overdosed. Without knowing what he ate, it is very difficult to treat him."


    The hands were raised. The votes were cast and a new Scout Master was chosen. The first in many years.


    Milo returned soon after, visibly upset. "I was too slow, he had already ran them to the laundry and made sure they had been put into the wash. The lye soap will ruin any chance of isolating mold cultures or bits of cheese on them."


    The other Masters nodded. It had seemed like a low chance of helping the situation in the first place. Old Heal nodded at him and patted him on the shoulder. "It was a good thought. We have talked. You will wear the ring from now on as the Hollow''s Scout Master. Take a seat, we have another subject to discuss. We lack a Master of Cheese."


    Old Healer pointed to Bleusnout. "We have one, but he is unable to do his job, and hopefully that is temporary. Let Rifkin make the meals, and the conclave can decide on when cheese is disbursed to the Hollow."


    "If Rifkin can do the job, give him the ring. I don''t see Bleusnout being trusted again, even if he recovers." Clawhammer didn''t trust that the Chef wouldn''t backslide again. Better to go with new blood.


    Gilad suggested a compromise. "There may be more too this situation than is readily apparent. By Rifkin¡¯s own words, he wasn''t here when this happened. Perhaps it was some sort of accident? And let us not look past other oddities. We have cheese missing? Who took it? And where is Smiley? He has been here at the Hollow as long as Rifkin and trained with Bleusnout as well. We need to find and talk to him, and find out the real story."


    "I suggest we let Rifkin assume the title for now. He will be the interim Master of Cheese and take over the duties. Perhaps this all works out and Bleusnout recovers quickly and resumes his position as master? But if not, then Rifkin will have our support while he works to take over the position without the crippling responsibility of dumping a title of Master on him immediately. It would be better to let Bleusnout recover and give him the ring himself, after all, he has been training Rifkin and Smiley for the better part of two decades since the two whelps were found in that abandoned tunnel. He is essentially their father."


    This vote was not unanimous but it passed. The Masters rose to leave and inform Rifkin. Old Healer asked Milo to stay with him a moment. "I will need your help to take the Chef to my apartment. This is not a good place for him, too much cheese. Watch over him for now while I summon two others to help us carry him."


    Milo was suddenly alone in the cellar, Bleusnout''s heaving breathing the only sound. He considered the problems he saw.


    What had the chef eaten and how to cure him?


    Where was Smiley?


    Where had the cheese gone?


    Firstly, Milo considered the problem of figuring out just what the Chef had eaten. He was upset that Rifkin had been so quick to wash the towels used to clean off the Cheese Master. But it wasn''t just the Chef''s face that would have traces of cheese. Milo carefully looked at his claws. The left hand showed cheese under the nails. Milo carefully cleaned the claws, saving the samples. Bleusnout''s right hand was closed until Milo pried apart his fingers. Inside was a crushed golden puffball mushroom. Milo saved that as well, and then checked the Chef''s mouth and nose, carefully taking samples from his gums and his nostrils.


    Hearing Old Healer returning, he hid his samples and helped move the chef to where Old Healer could care for him.

 Chapter 147: Investigations

    Chapter 147: Investigations


    The Puffyfur Tea party was in full swing.


    There had been some disappointment that Professor Tallsqueak would not be attending, and bit of confused emotions about Larry attending. These had been swept aside when Professor Arlothe came into the planning committee to tell them how proud he was of them for inviting Larry. When told that Larry could not have cheese because he was in the ''Special Fighting Class'', they made a decision to skip cheese altogether at the party. They substituted several types of cookies for the missing cheese and crackers.


    A lovely rose and raspberry tea had been selected for the first round, along with raspberry tarts. Larry sat on the floor with his back to the wall, his long legs going under the table and his feet poking out of the other side. Patsy and Sassy were serving him his tea and cookies. Larry was being very careful with his teacup, holding it in the palm of one hand and using just the tip of a claw on his other hand. His nightly classes with Gilad, Tallsqueak, and Cremona were helping him pick up small things. Fiendish Claws was a STR based skill which Larry had never practiced, but Claw Fighting as taught by Gilad was a DEX based skill. A DEX of 4 was much better than a DEX of 0.


    Larry''s claws were also smaller now. Professor Cremona had been unhappy when she examined his overgrown claws, and as part of the tea party, Larry was being given a manicure by the happy Puffyfurs. After his nails had been filed and painted pink to match his weasel slippers, he held them patiently in his lap while the nail polish dried, and began to tell the eager audience about his adventures in Flowerland.


    Milo heard Larry talking as he quietly moved past the room they were in, and continued on up the stairs. He was very happy Larry was having a good time.


    Larry smelled his friend as he passed by. Tallsqueak was doing Hero stuff, he could tell. Tallsqueak always got a different smell when he was thinking really hard about things. Something bad had happened. Sneakybadguy was doing things with other sneakybadguys. But Tallsqueak would catch them!


    Professor Arlothe looked at the schematics for what Tallsqueak was asking him to do, and got excited. It was a project that needed special glass lenses created in a certain way. While Tallsqueak created the framework to hold the lenses, Arlothe started his kiln and began melting the glass. Four hours later they had finished what Tallsqueak called a microscope. It was basically a frame that held the glass lenses, and a knob to move one a little bit closer.


    Microscope wasn''t as good of a name as ''Arlothe¡¯s Advanced Device for Looking at Small Things'' but he did concede it was quicker to say. Tallsqueak took the first device with him, and Arlothe began working on designing a better one.


    Old Healer felt someone''s eyes upon him, but didn''t react at all. Reacting at all might make a potential assassin decide to leave, and where was the fun in that? Better to bait them in and get some excercise


    All furniture except for his desk had been removed from his large office to make room for a bed where Bleusnout lay unconscious. The large chef was sweating slightly, and moaning in his delirium. This was both like, and unlike, any cheese overdose that Old Healer had ever treated before. The obvious signs were there: pupils dilated, sweating, trembling muscles, and delirium. But at the same time Bleusnout wasn''t waking up. He was unconscious and possibly dreaming, as if part of him was shut down.


    The secret door opened, and Tallsqueak dropped into the room, carrying a strange device. He seemed quite serious and focused. "He is not getting better, if that was what you came to ask."


    Old Healer sighed and looked frustrated. "It might, if what he is suffering from is some form of poison. But I haven''t been able to find the means to correctly make it. My brothers¡¯ notes are terrible. He always left out the important parts so no one could steal from him."


    Milo went still suddenly, thinking. After thirty seconds he said. "Poison."


    Old Healer waited patiently for an explanation.


    "It wasn''t the Roquefort. What if Bleusnout was poisoned and wanted to leave a clue? He''s been exposed somehow to Black Mold and spider mites. What if he realized what was happenening as he was weakening?"


    The old ratkin nodded. "I think you should go find out what was in that shipment of cheese. I will begin checking for signs of poison, and try to devise an antidote."


    Milo left Old Healer with a messy desk and ran off to talk to the Eels. This time he went through the corridors and out the front door. Just as he was about to leave, a plump young man dressed as a Shadow Skulker came up to him and offered him a handful of jellybeans. "Hi, we haven''t met yet, but the twins said you like these. I''m Petey."


    Milo wasn''t going to turn down jelly beans. He would share with Larry later. "Thank you. I''m Tallsqueak." They shook hands, made more difficult by Petey''s hand being sticky with melted candy. "Oh, I''ve heard all about you from the twins. Congratulations on becoming Master of Scouts. That''s awesome. The twins are happy and Charlotte is furious."


    Milo scowled. He was getting tired of Charlotte; she really wasn''t a good partner. "I can''t help that. She''ll just have to earn her own ring."


    Petey laughed. "That will be tough for her to do. She''s a lousy healer. Gendifur will be taking that ring soon, she''s doing most of the healing in the Hollow now. She''s really thankful to you, by the way. She says she''s gained a whole level and is ready to go up to Tier 2 all because of how you guys tear each up at special fight practice."


    "Oh, that''s good...I think. I''m glad we''re helping. But doesn''t Charlotte want to be Death Master not Master of Healing?"


    Petey winked at him, "Oh, she wants that very badly. Yes, she does. Maybe a little too badly, if you get my meaning. It makes her sloppy. Trust me, she has a better chance at becoming the Master of Healing than the Master of Death." He smiled at Milo and walked away tossing jelly beans in the air and catching them in his mouth.

 Chapter 148: A visit with the Eels

    Chapter 148: A visit with the Eels


    Milo watched Petey walk away. He seemed like a nice guy, and the twins got along with him. Well, except for when they framed him for stealing jelly beans. Having wanted to hit the twins in the head a few times, Milo felt Petey was entirely justified in bending their legs. Maybe he was even helping them get a contortionist skill.


    As he headed across the street to the Tower, he saw two young whelps tacking up a notice to an announcement board. As he got close to it, it seemed to light up and glow.


    Welcome to Limburger Hollow


    It takes a village to make the cheese.


    You have 412 Contribution Points!


    One Point


    One day''s normal meals v3l.Bin.


    Special Cheesy snack!


    New clothes (per piece)


    Backpack


    Mining pick or other tool


    Spikeystick


    Trade Token for use in the market.


    5 Points


    Advanced Class on making cheese with Master Bleusnout.


    Advanced Class on Tail and Claw Fighting with Master Gilad.


    Advanced Class in Magical Theory with Professor Arlothe


    Advanced Class in Mycology or Gathering with Mistress Brownfur


    Advanced Project with Master Clawhammer


    Advanced Class in Healing or Alchemy with the Old Healer


    Party basket!


    Special meal for you friends!


    Set of spiffy new clothes!


    Nourishing cheese!


    I''m not sleepy cheese!


    Moray smiled at the compliment. "One of the oldest. Hollows come and go. Clans may move from one to another. The wars created chaos. When some of the hollows were overrun, our clan moved to Limburger Hollow, and since many of the remaining members were mages, we chose to become part of the Tower of Strife. We have been a leading clan here ever since."


    Milo nodded. There was more to the eels than just some hot-headed duelists. "I need to talk to you about the types of cheese that you took to the cellar of the mess hall. Would you have a list we could go over?"


    Moray felt his stomach drop to his toes. Had they found out he''d shorted the count by a few wheels? "Of course, professor, let me run and get that." How had he known?


    Milo walked around the room, staring at the various trophies, some of these were quite old. A skull of a cave bear glared at him from on high, its pelt tacked up on the wall beneath it. Milo hoped to never meet one of its descendants. A shield made of bright emerald scales was in a spot behind the head table. A small plaque was below it. ''Shield of Vexanor the Green, gifted by the great wyrm herself to our clan, made from her cast off scales.'' Milo thought it had an odd smell to it. He examine the other trophies, all things any barbarian warlord or king would be proud to display. In the corner was a strange collection of bones that were held together with wire.


    The creature stood upright on two legs, and had six arms. A skull that looked like it came from a cow made the head. They all felt different. This wasn''t a creature, just something made from the bones of various creatures. Still...there was something odd about it. He ran his hand over each bone, trying to get a feel for it. One of the leg bones was actually a much smaller bone from a larger creature. He could feel residual magic within it, and a few runes moving within the mana. He didn''t know those runes!


    Moray returned to the room and saw Milo looking at the creature. "Hideous, isn''t it? It was a project by one of our founders and we''ve had to pack it all over the place for a couple of centuries. I''d love to have a reason to get rid of it. Frankly, it smells odd."


    Milo looked at it. "It is a horrible thing. And because of that, I''d love to put it in the faculty library as a joke. What if I traded you something for it?"


    Moray was surprised by the offer. That really would be funny. And he could claim he had ''donated'' it to the faculty of the tower and never have to look at it again. "Let''s say I''m open to offers."


    "Five wheels of aged cheddar cheese? I''ll approve of your clan keeping them here, not at the mess hall."


    Moray tried to keep his face calm. Cheese! A start at rebuilding the hoard! "As the current head of Clan Emerald Eel, I accept!"


    Milo and Moray went over the list, the student very happy to find out that Professor Tallsqueak was simply looking over the types of cheese and the size of containers they were packed into. "We packed everything into many large crates. They were a little heavy and took two of us to move each of them. Bleusnout made this list as we packed in each crate, and Smiley and Rifkin stacked it all up by the back wall. Those crates were heavy by the time we got to the cellar, but Rifkin really wanted it at the other end so we had to pack it another hundred feet."


    "Sounds like a lot of work. This is a lot of cheese. I''m not familiar with some of it. Did any of it use any strange type of molds or strange ways of maturing the cheese?" Milo actually knew nearly every type of cheese on this list. Nothing seemed that out of the ordinary.


    Moray couldn''t think of anything like that. "Not that I know of. A lot of those odd names are just different varieties of cheddar. There was a time whe every hollow was making up a name for what was really just common cheese with berries or spices added. Do you have anything specific you were looking for?"


    "Yes. A small bit of Black Mold was found in the cellar, in an odd spot, along with spider mites. Did any of the cheese contain those?"


    Moray made a face. "Spidercheese? Ugh. Never. That stuff is insanely gross. I read an article on it once. The mites eat the rind of the cheese and when they die it gives the cheese a distinct flavor. I can''t imagine eating it. And I can''t think of any cheese that uses a Black Mold. Are they cleaning things up? I''d hate to see any cheese ruined."


    "Nothing to worry about. It was a very small crevice and may have come in with a shipment of mushrooms. I''m just being thorough. Like you said, no one wants to see any cheese lost. I''ll be by to drop off those rounds of cheddar tomorrow. Just sneak that monstrosity upstairs sometime when Professors Arlothe and Cremona aren''t around. I can''t wait to see their faces."


    Milo took his leave of Moray. Brer Moray raced downstairs to toss some bets on the last couple of Lizard races.


    Milo heard nothing from the Tea Party, and assumed it had ended. He went to the mess hall where he found Rifkin struggling with getting out the food for the evening meal and offered to help. Rifkin turned him down. "No, I can handle it. I''m sure I can get someone to help serve. It wouldn''t look right for our new Master of Scouts to be washing dishes." Milo shrugged, got his food, and sat to eat. His tray had a small piece of cheese on it. He was tempted, but he wasn''t eating cheese anymore, if Larry wasn''t. It took a great effort to do so. This was several days he''d gone without cheese. He wrapped it in a napkin and put it in his pocket.


    What Willpower?! You have denied yourself cheese through sheer stubbornness to give in to a substance your body craves.


    Cheese Addiction is now in remission.


    You have gained the skill: Master the Cheese at rank 0. This is a WIS based skill that allows you to go longer without cheese, and to negate some of the bad effects of cheese.


    But how long can you last?


    How long could he last? Yes, that was a good question. If it wasn''t helping Larry, then he wouldn''t even be trying. But maybe for a few days more?


    Milo sat in the back of the mess hall, thinking. Things simply weren''t adding up correctly. He needed to do some investigations in the cellar, and he needed to do them when Rifkin wasn''t around. The mess hall was the territory of the interim Master of Cheese and he couldn''t go down to the cellar without Rifkins permission, and he wasn''t going to ask. There were times when Rifkin wasn''t here, he just needed to be patient.


    He walked outside, thinking of waiting for Larry in his friends house when he saw Brutus walking quickly towards him.

 Chapter 149: March of the Spiders

    Chapter 149: March of the Spiders


    The avenging army of the Iron Spider trudged onward to victory. Their crafty general had chosen to move through the lower tunnels. And she had set an easy pace for them. Rather than running fast along the web ways they were moving through the tunnels, taking their time and hunting for food. And the general led the way. She was marching along slowly at the front of the army, followed by her two banner bearers, her fearsome presence keeping small enemies at bay. The few times that any creature was visible, the gunner on her back mowed it down with a dwarven battle gun.


    There was plenty of time to dig small mammals and large beetles from their lairs, and plenty of food in these unused caverns. The spiders generally moved around by the web ways, quickly moving through the large spaces on thin, gossamer strands. Many of the spiders in the army were happy to have such a holiday.


    On the second day, a halt was called, and they were ordered to create a nest and put out scouts. They would be staying here and resting before the battle. H''spat, one of the Queen''s special advisors had spread the word. The exalted noble moved through the army, passing the orders talking to some of the lesser spiders. She explained that General Iron Spider wished for them to share in the glory. The lesser spiders moved to the front of the march, and the Queen''s Guard Units and the fearsome Wolf Spiders moved further back. The elite units took this small slight with much grace, moving to the rear and setting up their camps. The lesser spiders were in good morale, with plenty of easy food to catch, time to sleep, and an easy pace. After talking to each of the units in the army, the advisor went forward again to confer with the general about when they would begin marching the next day.


    But that''s what made this gal a work of art! Countless dwarven, goblin, rat-kin, and even elvish mechanics had worked on her. She could take an amazing amount of damage in battle. But she wasn''t really built for long marches over rough terrain. He''d suggested time and again that a nice set of wheels would let her go faster, but his suggestions were always turned down. Probably for the best, though. He''d still be riding up top and a spider on roller skates might not give the best ride.


    By the next morning, he''d gotten the leg back in shape and they took off again, at the general''s slow pace. H''spat sent forward scouts to mark the route, and to roll any lose rocks out of the way. They were on a time schedule, and even though the advisor had counted on a slow trip, this was pushing it.


    As the host of spiders marched slowly along, they came to a choice of two ways to go. The Iron Spider led her army down the marked path towards the mushroom fields of Limburger Hollow. The Queen''s Gard and Wolfen units took a break to eat lunch, and then took the other branch that led up to the web ways and their rendezvous with the main force of the Spider Army. They picked up their pace. They had a long way to go, and a short time to get there!?v€l-B1n.

 Chapter 150: The Raid

    Chapter 150: The Raid


    This was one hell of a raid! Just getting to the main fight was a test for his guild. One they had already failed at twice!


    Brannigan had called a recent break to let the healers administer first aid and mend some wounds. Then some additional time was needed to let the clerics get some of their mana back. Even with a snack of mana imbued bacon, potions, and a bard singing it took some time. The path to the raid area was wearing them down, bit by bit. The first part was all survival and dealing with trash mobs on the way to the big fight at the end. The area was infested with stone-lurkers, psycho-shrooms, huge carnivorous moles, giant vampire bats, and poisonous centipedes of unusual size. The local denizens were introducing themselves to the raid one by one.


    First had been the discovery that the glowing purple mushrooms that shed a little light in the caves shouldn''t be picked. TerryToony had thought that they would make great torches. The paladin had picked two of them, held them up high, and walked around the raid shouting, "May the Holy Light of the Purple Mushroom bless you all." The colorful fungus did shed good light when he held them up, but they also started shedding glowing purple spores that floated down and outlined Terry and anyone nearby in soft purple light. One of the clerics had laughed at him and joined in. "I too will become a devotee to the Holy Purple Mushroom!" After that, everyone had to pick them. The air was swirling with spores, and everyone in the raid was glowing in the dark. Any predator nearby was attracted to the easy to spot prey.


    Then things got worse.


    Some idiot joked about them being snowflakes and held out her tongue to catch them. It had been Tequila-Jane of course. Her character was a Sword Witch wielding a Chaos blade. Her choices for a class and weapon reflected her personality. Jane was not the most stable of people to start with. Fun to have around though. After a mouthful of psycho-shroom she started really glowing and proclaimed she was not only blessed by the Fungus God, but had gained 10 core skill points for eating the purple fungus. She ran around laughing and singing, proclaiming herself to be the incarnation of Coyote-Bob, God of chaos.


    Half the raid immediately tried to catch the flakes on their tongues, or eat the mushrooms. They''d assume Jane''s antics were just part of being Jane. But the mushrooms turned out to be highly psycho active, Half the raid went crazy, running off into the dark, where the waiting predators found them to be both tasty and easy to find. Other players began fighting with each other while claiming that goblins were attacking. Four of the wizards stood in the middle of the chaos arguing with each other over which anime character was the most powerful and whether the Hulk could beat Superman.


    Twenty-three people died, and they decided to put off the raid until the next day. The core skill points were totally a figment of Jane''s imagination. Coyote-Bob never showed up. Psycho-shrooms were avoided after that, partly because of the horrifying hangover they gave the next day. Brannigan saw that Tequila-Jane had a small pouch on her belt with a slight purple glow. She was sneaking pinches of mushroom every now and then, and chewing them down. But at least she was behaving mostly normal, so he let it slide. "Mostly Normal" was pretty mild for Tequila-Jane.


    The next day, the did better. With a lot of the trash mobs killed the day before, the raid made it to the same spot where the glowing fungus fiasco had occurred, now devoid of mushrooms. They were just in time to be attacked by two huge mole creatures. Normally the moles avoided the area because of the psycho-shrooms, but with the glowing fungus missing, they were expanding their hunting territory. One dug out of the wall from each side, springing an ambush.


    The latest obstacle had been a steep incline that ended in a thirty-foot drop. Mickey had scouted ahead and said it wasn''t a bad climb down to the drop-off, and they could rig a rope to help people descend. Mickey and Fleegle were working on putting pitons into the rock to secure the ropes, and a ranger named Leafrot was scouting further ahead.


    Climbing slowly down a steep slope was tricky, but not difficult if you went slowly, and faced back uphill. Climbing down a thirty-foot rope shouldn''t be tough for most players. If someone had no skills at all to help, and bad physical stats, a fighter could lower them with a harness So it shouldn''t have been a problem getting everyone down. But of course, since it looked easy and was taking some time to do, some of the players got bored and improvised.


    The first five people had slowly made their way down successfully and two started down the ropes. Five more were on the way, but two of those decided to walk down normally, instead of backwards. Jester wanted to show off his monks¡¯ skills and slide down like he was snowboarding, which made TheBlueBishop decide to try the same stunt, despite having no agility skills.


    The rest of the raid saw people moving quicker and pushed ahead. Rocks and pebbles starting rolling downhill, disturbed by the passage of so many people. A wizard patiently waiting his turn for a rope got hit in the head with a rock and tumbled from the cliff, taking a bard halfway down the rope with her. Both landed in a pile at the bottom with half their health, until more rocks and more people started falling on them.


    Jester made it down fine, jumped off the edge like it was a ski ramp, and landed in a roll far down slope, unharmed. Not so his imitator, TheBluebishop. Clerical robes flying around him, the portly man tripped, rolled, knocked into two more players and all three fell off the cliff, one dying as the portly cleric landed on him.


    Of the thirty-six players to start, 27 made it down the cliff, 16 with broken bones of some type. Three more died when Jester came racing back to camp, pursued by a giant praying mantis he had disturbed. Leafrot never returned from his scouting mission


    Brannigan called it at that point. They needed to heal, dead players knocked off the bridge needed to catch up with the raid, and everyone was low on mana and health. They made fires, put out bedrolls, and ate meals, followed by designating the camp as their resurrection point. Brannigan organized the players in shifts so that the camp was never abandoned and the rest could log out. They''d get the group healed and all together for the next leg of the journey.


    Overall, he wasn''t upset with the event. It had some traps and things they had learned to avoid, but they were all getting better at paying attention and looking for threats. The trash mobs weren''t really trash and they were getting some good experience. Coyote-Jane claimed to have gained a level for real and a heritage option. But she also still clung to being an avatar of Coyote-Bob, so who knew? What he really liked was how the event made him feel like they were really exploring into the unknown. He knew the fights were probably level-appropriate and scaled to the area, but it still felt like they might run into something really nasty at any moment. This had made the players pay attention and stay serious and mostly silent.


    It was a good player experience, and he wondered what else they''d run into before they did the invasion of the rat-kin area.

 Chapter 151: Pickled Picnics and Plucky Puffyfurs

    Chapter 151: Pickled Picnics and Plucky Puffyfurs


    Redfawn beat on the glass of pickle jar she was imprisoned in, but she wasn''t strong enough to break the bright green enchanted pickle glass. Through the green tinted glass, she saw her other fairy friends being roughly stuffed into jars as well. Greggy was screwing the lids on tight and punching small holes in the top to air in. The Bad Pickle Boyz had captured all of them! Gingersnapple was in the jar nearest to her, with Tuliptoes, Cherrypit, and Moonflower further down the row.


    Then the horror began as Greggy Gurner started taunting them. Pickles were so mean!


    "Ha! Silly flutter-things were thinking y''all wuz the smartiest, but Greggy is smartiest too! Did you have fun at my Pikknik?" He held up a small piece of paper showing a picnic basket and directions to the fairy picnic. Redfawn suddenly understood! The surprise picnic no one had known about, why picnic was spelled wrong, and why the invitations had told them to go to the clearing in the Haunted Woods. It all made sense now!


    "You lied about the picnic!" Such evil had rarely been seen in the Flowerlands!


    All the Bad Pickle Boyz laughed. Greggy laughed the loudest. "Oh no. We is gonna have us a pikknik, but first we need to have a little contest. Some of you will be new pickles, and some will stay cucumbers. So, you is gonna have to decide whether you wanna go to the picnic with Greggy, or be on the menu!"


    The horrified fairies saw that Big Pickle and Granny Gerkin had arrived. The smoke belching Pickle Wagon came up the hill with Granny driving and Big Pickle riding in the back next to the pickle barrels and vinegar vat. Granny hopped out of the driver''s seat of the Pickle Wagon and Big Pickle unwound a long hose. While two of the boyz ran the hand pump on top of the vinegar vat, Big Pickle put the hose over the top of Redfawn''s jar and vinegar came through the air holes, soaking her. Granny laughed. "Oh, you is gonna be such a bad batch of sour little pickles. That sauce has dill, mustard, and lots of peppercorns in it."


    The vinegar stung her eyes and skin and smelled horrible. The other fairies cried out when it was there turn to be pickled. "I don''t want to be a yucky pickle!" Cherrypit''s voice cried out, but the Bad Pickle Boyz just laughed.


    Bertie Badger had showed up late to the picnic. He loved free food, but he''d slept in, and then Uncle Ebeneezer had needed his tonic made from carrot juice, and the carrots had been extra hoppy and hard to catch today. As he showed up to the clearing in the haunted woods, he was disappointed to see that no one was there. Had Uncle Ebeneezer''s errand made him so late that he had missed cupcakes?


    Posters for the picnic were nailed to all the trees (Which really annoyed Mr. Ent.) and blankets were spread out on the ground, but no one was here. And things smelled bad! Like old vinegar or Uncle Ebenezer''s feet. He''d smelled that smell last spring when the Pickle Boyz had tried to steal all the jelly bean trees. Looking around, he saw large, three-toed footprints in the mud that smelled like vinegar. Pickles had been here!


    Bernie didn''t know what was going on, but he knew it needed someone bigger and smarter than him to fix things. The scared little badger ran off to find the Tunnelmuggle, Brinka was the only one that could help them now!


    The Clan Puffyfur tea party had been a rousing success. Especially if you judged it by how many cookies had been eaten. They had served three kinds of tea, read some poetry, played charades, and Larry had told several stories about Flowerland and the fairies that lived there.


    "It seems so real when you tell your stories, Larry." Sophie had been mesmerized by the stories. "I wish we could go there some day."


    Larry was happy. He''d had so many cookies! The room was too small to dance in, but the tea was tasty. And he was glad to tell his stories. "Stories are real for Larry. Someday maybe they will be real for you too!"v3l.Bin.


    Patsy, Sassy, Sophie, Luna, and Dot all hoped that was true. "Can you take us there, Larry?"


    Larry shook his head. "No, Larry can''t. Larry is too big to fit through the secret door. He needs help from Brinka, the Tunnlemuggle. It is very hard for Brinka to take Larry there, because Larry has such big feet. Larry only goes to Flowerland when it is hero time. And if it is hero time, then lots of scary bad guys are running around. You''d have to fight them and be heroes too!"


    All the girls nodded. Being a hero sounded good, but maybe not fighting bad guys. Puffyfurs weren''t noted for being brave. Those people joined Clan Manticore.


    The cuckoo clock struck twelve, and the little bird came out and started tweeting over and over. Which was strange, because the clock hadn''t been there a moment before. A foot-high green door opened up in the wall, and Brinka stuck her head out. "Larry! I''ve been looking all over for you! Something terrible has happened, and all the fairies are missing!"


    All of the Puffyfurs were staring and holding their breath. Larry patted Brinka on the head. "Don''t worry, Larry will come help."


    Greggy urged the Bad Pickle Boyz on. "Well, don''t just sit here! Go help Big Pickle! It''s seven to one. Surely, he can''t beat all of you!"


    Granny Gerkin heard Greggy say that and wondered how she had got stuck with these idiots. "Just shut your mouth Gurner and start loading up those pickle jars into the wagon. Greggy turned to grab the fairyies and their jars, but they were gone. He saw five wizards with tails and bows in their hair sprinting away with the fairies in their arms, discarded pickle jars were scattered on the ground. He chased after them. "Give them fairies back! I trapped them fair and square!"


    Patsy called a halt. "This is far enough. Deploy wands girls. Time to show this pickle what it means to mess with Clan Puffyfur!"


    Greggy Gurner was a powerful Boss Pickle over seven-feet tall and weighed more than what all five small wizards did together. That didn''t help him as he was targeted with five spells.


    "Sassy''s Static Bombardment. Go!"


    "Dot''s Dangerous Discharge. Go!"


    "Vengeful Electrical arc of the Moon. Go!"


    "Sophie''s Silly Symphony of Synchronous Thunder. Go!"


    A field of static electricity burned the pickle''s feet and slowed him down. He was shocked by a blast of lightning from Dot''s wand. From the sky a brilliant white bolt of energy lanced down to hit Greggy on top of his head. Finally, small thunderstorms appeared and tossed lightning at him, making him dance.


    It was a tired and burnt pickle boss that staggered up the hill, only to be met by Patsy. The official 3rd assistant to the head of the planning committee for Clan Puffyfur was angry. This was the worst picnic ever! "Vengeful Smite of Clan Puffyfur!" She slammed her staff into Greggy Gurner¡¯s face, knocking him down and breaking his crown, sending him tumbling down the hill.


    Big Pickle had reached Larry as Larry sprinted down the hill. Big Pickle went to throw a punch, but Larry leaped into the air, spinning and hitting the large pickle in the face with his huge foot. Big Pickles head exploded into little bits of vegetable. His head was mostly hollow, after all. Larry''s tail scattered the rest of the Bad Pickle Boyz. They got the message.


    "Time to Leave!" The boyz grabbed what was left of Big Pickle and ran for the Pickle Wagon.


    Grandma Gerkin shook her fist at Larry. "Darn you, Larry! This plan would have worked except for you and those meddling kids!" She drove off in the Pickle Wagon with Greggy Gurner running behind and begging her to slow down.


    "I need a bath!" Gingersnapple was trying to wash off the pickle juice with a handful of grass, but it was sticky and icky.


    "Let''s go to the river and take a bath, then we can have lemonade and jellybeans with our new friends." Moonflower was fond of Lemonade and suggested it whenever she could.


    "Yay, a real picnic!"


    Larry let the fairies ride on his head and shoulders since their wings were sticky. Clan Puffyfur walked along with him.


    "Best Tea party of the Year!"

 Chapter 152: The Cheese Caravan

    Chapter 152: The Cheese Caravan


    Merchant Greensleeves¡¯s wagon was first in line as it entered the outer edge of the caves surrounding Limburger Hollow. It was painted bright red with a canvas top striped yellow and white. It was pulled by a matching pair of albino draft lizards, their scales gleaming after being polished with oil each day. The entire caravan looked more like a circus than a merchant carrying goods


    Greensleeves called a halt to the caravan and ordered a two-hour break for rest and food. "Get something to eat and stretch your backs. Double check that your wheels are tight and your lizards polished. It''s close to showtime. Once we get inside there isn''t time to breathe we will be so busy, so take care of things now." The guards and drovers laughed and waved at him, thankful for the small break before they rolled into Limburger Hollow.?v€l?1n.


    With just 1 guard and his personal scribe, the Merchant drove his wagon up to the entrance to the Limburger Hollow. The two guards at the entrance were immense specimens, and he wondered what their bloodline was. They wore steel plate armor and wielded impressively large halberds. He was happy to see that. A safe hollow was prosperous and rich hollow.


    The guards greeted him politely as he drove up and hopped down from his wagon. "Howdy, and welcome to Limburger Hollow! I''m Justin and this is Brutus. Is it just your one wagon, or is there a larger caravan on the way?"


    Greensleeves¡¯s laughed and shook hands with them. "As if you two haven''t been hearing the sound of our wheels for half a bell. I know how sharp a guard''s ears need to be. I am happy to say that we took no loses in our journey and I can deliver sixteen wagons of fun, music, dancing, and cheese to Limburger Hollow. I''m looking forward to meeting Master Bleusnout and trading some wheels of cheese with him and talking about recipes we can share. We have spoken by letter of course, but it''s so much nicer to talk cheese making in person."


    There was a small change in the guard¡¯s demeanor, which only someone with Greensleeves high perception would catch. Something was wrong.


    The guard named Justin was trying to keep the same easy-going smile on his face, but it was an act now, whereas before it had been genuine. "I''m sorry to say that Master Bleusnout is a bit under the weather today. He''s had an accident. But Brutus can go get one of the other Masters to talk to you. For now, why don''t you bring your caravan into the outer cave so you don''t have to worry about any critters being attracted by the cheese."


    Greensleeves bowed. "I thank you for your hospitality, sir Justin. I''ll get my people inside so they can take a well-deserved rest and I look forward to talking to the Masters of the Hollow." He walked away listening. The Cheese Master was too ill to talk to the head merchant of a Cheese Caravan? He must be ill indeed. Perhaps he had underestimated Sneakybadguy, it seemed his agent already had his plan running and Limburger Hollow was ready to be toppled.


    Back at the caravan, four of the guards and a fiend-keeper went to two large wagons withe heavy tarps over their contents. Carefully looking inside One-ear, the fiend-keeper, checked on Buttercup and Rosy. The two fiends were asleep. Rosy was curled up holding her doll, and Buttercup was snoring a little. He put a piece of Slaver Cheese in front of each of them. They would wake soon and eat it immediately, then curl back up for another day¡¯s sleep. It was imperative that these two be kept out of sight. He''d give them some more Sleepycheese in a couple of hours. Nothing said "Here to conquer you." like a couple of fully armored war-fiends.


    Brutus walked quickly down the narrow tunnel that led from the guard station in the outer cave to the beginning of the Hollow. He needed to find someone to talk to that Merchant. A Cheese Caravan was a big thing! Limburger hadn''t had one visit for over three years. The Merchants who took it upon themselves to travel from hollow to hollow were wandering heroes to many ratkin, and it was the dream of many whelps to run away and join one. Travel, see far hollows, be a hero and fight monsters! It was an adventurous life that many sought, but few actually found


    You had a big dream, and then your parents had to spoil it by pointing out that only veteran warriors were wanted in the caravan. It was one of the reasons he''d become a guard, and at times he still thought about it. But that would mean leaving Limburger, and that wasn''t a price he was willing to pay. Maybe if he hadn''t met Gendifur and they hadn''t started meeting up to talk every now and then. Maybe he''d have kids, and he could let one of them run off with a caravan. Hell, maybe he should start one up? A few wagons, take Gendifur along, and just run back and forth between here and Gouda Hollow? Something to think about.


    He quit daydreaming and went back to searching for a Master. He didn''t see Gilad around the arena, and the Fighting Master was notoriously hard to find when he wasn''t in the ring and teaching a class. Old Healer would be with Bleusnout and wasn''t availabe. So, did he head down to the mines and find Master Clawhammer? Or to the tower and grab Master Arlothe? Rifkin wasn''t a full Master yet and he was busy trying to get a meal on the table. Mistress Brownfur would be far out into the gathering fields by now.


    His problem was solved as he saw Tallsqueak coming out of the mess hall...no, make that Master Scout Tallsqueak! Problem solved.


    Milo saw Brutus waving to him and walked over to the big guard. Brutus shook his hand. "Wanted to congratulate you on grabbing a ring and taking over as Scout Master. Good move. It will be nice to have someone coordinating the scouts again. It''s been just the guards handling problems for a long time, but scouts take care of things before they can get to the Hollow."


    Brutus couldn''t hide a big grin. "And speaking of things that are just outside the Hollow: We have a Cheese Caravan arriving and the whole meeting and greeting stuff is just way above my pay scale. Justin says it''s Master level stuff. And since Bleusnout isn''t feeling well, and the rest of the old Masters are so hard to find, I think that this falls squarely in your area of responsibility."


    Milo could handle the translation himself: Job to do. Tag, you''re it. This time he didn''t mind. A Cheese Caravan sounded exciting! Exploring through caves, finding lost routes to other places. It sounded like a great job. The people in the caravan had to be some of the nicest people out of any hollow to work so hard to bring tasty things to other hollows.


    Milo looked around at a half dozen ratkin and soldiers looking at him. "Well, that''s my ideas, anyway. I''m sure you all know how to do it better."


    The wagon master and bard were looking at the plans and turned to Merchant Greensleeves. "Does this work for you sir?"


    Greensleeves smiled. "Of course, it does. Nicely thought out. If only all Hollows put this much thought into our visits." He took Milo by the arm and pulled him over to a quieter spot. "I''m wondering if perhaps I or some of my people can visit your hollow? The crew would love to shop for fresh food and look for things in your marketplace. And exchange of ideas and goods is always a good thing between Caravans and Hollows. I daresay we gather up information like a Gather Master in a field of fungus, and then distribute it everywhere we go."


    "Oh, yes, that sounds swell. I''m sure visitors will be welcome. And I hadn''t really considered how much someone like you must learn traveling like you do. Can I ask you a few questions?"


    Greensleeves was happy to turn the conversation in this direction. "Certainly, what would you like to know?"


    Milo had several questions he needed information on. "I was wondering if you knew of why cheese mites might be on a wheel of cheese, or in its packaging. Have you ever encountered that? Are they more common in some hollows? Are they used in any cheese making process?"


    Greensleeves stroked his beard to cover his surprise. Spider mites? Of course, he had. It was one of the ingredients used to make Milkenbase, the cheese that was the main ingredient in Slave Cheese. "Spiders? Um, no. No, I have not. That sounds horrible."


    Milo was disappointed. He''d hoped the wise merchant might have known. "How about black mold? Is it poisonous? What would happen if someone ate it?"


    "Ah, no. I''m sorry. I think Black Mold is to be avoided at all costs. You don''t have an infestation of it in your hollow, do you?"


    Parts of Wurchwitz hollow had become infested with Black Mold, forcing them to seal off tunnels and caves. Experimenting with it and trying to find a cure for ''Black Lung'' was how they knew it could be used to make so many effective poisons. Why was Tallsqueak asking these questions? Did he suspect something?


    Tallsqueak nodded. "No worries. I just have questions sometimes and they bother me until I find the answers." He focused on something two wagons down. "Oh, you have a bad axle that is leaking grease. I''ll take a look at that for you." Before Greensleeves could stop him, Milo had taken the spanner from his belt, and was undoing two bolts to remove a plate on the axel assembly.


    "This is a nice design. The lubrication for the suspension system and the grease for the wheels is supplied by the same container. But it looks like the pressure screws are loose and creating an imbalance. Too much pressure is sending lubrication to the left wheel and causing it to leak." He tightened a couple of screws, put the cover back on, and slid out from under the wagon.


    "That should work. Wouldn''t want one of your wagons losing a shock absorber and seizing up." As Milo stood up and dusted off his pants. something large rocked the wagon and snored heavily.


    Greensleeves thought quickly, and whispered. "We should move away from here. That''s Dave''s wagon. He''s a pretty large guard, and he just got to sleep. Snores terribly at times."


    Milo nodded. "Yeah, Brutus does the same. He rattles the whole Guard Barracks when he sleeps."


    "Thank you for your time and expertise, Master Tallsqueak. I look forward to our visit to your hollow. They shook hands once again, and Milo headed back to Limburger Hollow.


    Merchant Greensleeves, known better as General Gangrene, watched him go, and wondered just how much the Master of Scouts knew. He needed to find his agent. He pointed at four of the guards who had on normal clothing. "You four come with me. I have a hankering for some fried mushrooms the way only a Hollow makes them, and then we need to wander around and sight see a bit."

 Chapter 153: Further Investigations

    Chapter 153: Further Investigations


    The Cheese Caravan was in full swing, and Limburger Hollow was celebrating. The local musicians had joined with those in the caravan to put on an enthusiastic show. The Caravan was supplying cheesy snacks and fruit drinks to anyone who would provide music. Francis Longwhisker, the famous bard of Gouda Hollow was singing all the old favorites. Dancing and music ran long into the night, nearly to the next day.


    The caravan was doing a brisk business trading cheese for the goods the Hollow produced, and at very good prices. Many families were stocking up on the tasty wheels and slabs to put away for the holidays. And with every purchase came some of the caravan''s newest offering, a soft and slightly sour cheese with caraway seeds. It was delicious when spread on crackers.


    The new cheese master was so taken with this cheese, that he had traded some of the Hollow''s cheese for enough for several meals. And he was giving two pieces at each meal as long as everyone promised to get lots of dancing in to work off the cheese. The extra cheese went a long way to make up for several meals of fried mushrooms. The new chef was having a hard time keeping up with meals and was preparing those easiest to him. Luckily, the inhabitants of the Hollow were easy going as usual. They knew poor Rifkin was doing a lot without his usual helper, Smiley.


    Up on the roof of mess hall, three shadows sat, talking in low tones, and using their skills to blend into the shadows. Occasionally jelly beans were shared and eaten. Milo had found the twins and the three of them were going to do a bit of creative scouting tonight. Milo wanted the twins to follow Rifkin when he left, while Milo investigated the cellar for clues.


    After talking with several people, he couldn''t see how the cheese could have come up the stairs into the mess hall and then left the building. There simply wasn''t enough time. And if the cheese hadn''t left by that route, it must have gone by another, or was still down there. He and the twins had come up with a few ideas:v3l.Bin.


    -A vast storage pit had been dug to hide the cheese. Then the dirt scattered on the floor, making the distance to the ceiling 3" less.


    -Someone else had a Smugglers Stash in the Hollow. They were also Tier 6 and had upgraded their Stash many times. Milo explained the concept by telling them a little bit about the mage who had made extra rooms and magic doors. This led to the next idea.


    -Someone had access to an Arcane Cheese Vault. This was an exciting concept for all of them. A safehouse for all your cheese, and yet it essentially travelled along with you. Perfection.


    -The cheese had been molded into the shape of a ratkin, clothes put on it, and the whole thing turned into a cheese golem that walked out with no one noticing. Maybe many cheese golems? Could you have an army of cheese golems? They wouldn''t last long against a Cheese Fiend, but maybe for fighting spiders? Even if this wasn''t true, the twins made Milo promise to look for something about Cheese Golems in the library of the tower.


    -There was a hidden entrance to a tunnel, or another cave.


    The last was the most probable, and by far the most boring. However, secret doors and tunnels were still pretty cool. The twins promised to behave and trail Rifkin if Tallsqueak promised to show them the secrets of any tunnels he found. The party at the Cheese Caravan had gone long into the night and nearly into the next day. Rifkin had kept the mess hall open for late night snackers, proclaiming that the Hollow was having a holiday and he would try to have food ready for as much of the day as he could. He was bustling around his kitchen serving snacks and cheese to everyone who came in, and even sending people off with bags of food for those who hadn''t come to the caravan.


    The area for cutting and preparing cheese to be served was also empty, but had been used recently and not cleaned. There was a sour smell in the air. Milo looked over each knife and spoon, and on some he saw evidence of a soft and sour cheese. Something on a knife was moving. A very, very small mite. Looking around, Milo found sacks that had held the cheese. Each had spider mites crawling around on the insides. Someone had been cutting up Milkenbase here. But where had the spider cheese come from? Had Bleusnout traded for some and been eating it that night? That might explain the mites in the samples that he had taken, but not the chef''s overdose, or the problem of the missing cheese.


    Moray had complained of having to put the cheese on the far side of the room. Milo padded quietly over to that area, and began examine things. There were some broken crates in a pile, but no shipment of cheese. Oddly, there was a lot more dust on this side of the room, mostly on the floor. In some places it was half an inch thick. He thought of Tweedle¡¯s theory about digging a pit and covering floor in dirt, and it amused him. There was of course, not enough dirt for that theory, but it bothered him. What would you hide by putting dirt on the floor.


    In this case it wasn''t a suspicious blood stain or a hidden map carved into the rock. What his examinations revealed were scrapes and scratches as if heavy crates had been dragged in the direction of the wall. One scrape went right up to the wall.


    Milo checked around that area, and found two suspicious looking cracks in the stone.


    Some sort of disguised opening was here, but where was the trigger to open it. It took another half hour to find it. A small outcropping of stone about the size of the end of his thumb could be moved. The little rock was twenty feet down the wall from the rock. When moved an inch, there was a small click, and the door opened a half inch. It was a simple mechanism. The trigger simply pulled on a long wire that released the catch.


    He silently opened the door until he could move inside. A long corridor greeted him. It was five feet wide and six feet tall, with smooth rock on the floor, ceiling and walls. Ten feet down were two side corridors. He debated leaving the door open, but the latch on this side was large and obvious, next to the lock. There was no chance of being locked in. He shut the door and moved further into the room. The smell of cheddar was strong in the air.


    At first, he was amazed at what he was looking at. The rock of the two side corridors had been carved to form long shelves from floor to ceiling. Each shelf was under an opening a foot high and two-feet deep. On the rocky shelves was cheese. Big rounds of cheddar cheese. Underneath each five-pound wheel was the date it had been made, by who, the method, type of milk, and anything that had been added to the regular recipe. The side corridors went twenty-feet. There were four shelves with ten cheeses on each. Eighty wheels per corridor and a hundred and sixty altogether. The hallway he was standing in extended deep into the rock beneath the Hollow, and ever six feet was another pair of cross-corridors with another hundred and sixty wheels.


    This was the long-term cheese storage for the Hollow. Bleusnout had obviously known about it. The writing on the tags was his. Milo moved further down the corridor. After passing a dozen crossroads, the hallway he was following came to a T. Across from him was a large room with casks of aged Limburger cheese. The smell was intense and very nice. Some of the dates indicated the cheese had been aging for decades. Opening one of those casks would be delicate work.


    To the left, the corridor revealed another dozen rooms with hundreds of casks of carefully sorted and dated Limburger. The dust in this corridor was less disturbed than the passage to the right. Many feet had recently come this way, and there were scrapes on the floor. The corridor went fifty feet and turned, then opened into a large cavern. Stacked inside were many crates and boxes of cheese. There was a small cot with someone sleeping next to it. Milo moved towards them, scanning the ceiling, feeling for traps, and listening for noise.


    That was how he found the pit. It was hidden with a cunning illusion, as had the other one in the hidden caves where one of the twins had almost fell in. He stepped around it and quietly advanced on the sleeping figure. It was Smiley, and Milo could have made as much noise as he wanted, and he wouldn''t have woken him up. Smiley''s eyes stared up at the ceiling, a wild look in them, he was sweating and his breathing was ragged. Checking his mouth and nose, Milo saw obvious traces of Black Mold.


    And then his Danger Sense told him he was about to die, and he dove for the ground as a high-powered and very silent crossbow fired a poisoned bolt at him.

 Chapter 154: Words in the Dark

    Chapter 154: Words in the Dark


    Milo rolled twice and then got his feet under him, crouching behind a barrel. He heard the small click as the crossbow was cocked and knew the direction the sound came from. But if the person who was shooting at him was good, they had already moved. Darkness didn''t affect his vision, but he couldn''t spot anyone. Their skills were high enough that they were overwhelming his perception, similar to how his own skill worked.


    He concentrated on not being seen and moving as quietly as he could, circling to the right, always staying low or behind cover. Another shot came from across the room, missing his head by only an inch. Not knowing exactly where his opponent was, he took a chance and threw a skull at where he''d heard the sound of the crossbow firing. The damage from the spell broke her concentration and he saw Charlotte finish cocking the crossbow and take her next shot.


    Instead of dodging, Milo cast Harpoon of the Winds. The attacks were almost simultaneous. Milo saw his spell slam into the crossbow, destroying it, and then continue on, carving a gash in Charlottes cheek and the side of her head, tearing her ear. She screamed, half in pain and half in rage. Her crossbow bolt hit Milo in the arm, but the bolt stopped when it hit bone, the momentum of the impact knocking him down.


    Grabbing the bolt stuck in his arm, he pulled it free. If it had been poisoned, it didn''t seem to be affecting him. A quick glance confirmed that.


    You have been struck by a light crossbow and have taken 75 points of damage.


    You have been poisoned. Light poison doing 50 points per round damage is countered by your Poison Resistance.


    You have been poisoned. Medium poison doing 20 points per round is countered by your Poison Resistance.


    "You should talk to Rif more. He''s got some good ideas. And when he gets his ring, that would be two of you on the council. If we get rid of Petey, and you keep the twins in line, I''ll be the third. That''s nearly a quorum and people are getting old. You could even take over Gilad''s ring. Toss scout to the twins, or go for a double ring. Gramps was a tripple for decades, I don''t see the problem. Then we have a new generation making the rules and setting things straight."


    This was a lot of new information, and as fast as he parsed it, Milo kept finding holes in what she was saying. Too many variables, too many things didn''t line up based on his observations. "Hmm, sounds like then we''d have a lot of work. I''m already teaching fighting and engineering classes, and doing lots more."


    "That''s the point! Don''t you see?!" Charlotte was walking towards him, her tail moving back and forth as her hips swayed. "You do all that work already! They owe you more recognition. I heard they voted on you keeping the Scout ring, when you earned it already! Rif isn''t getting a ring until he works his ass off for years we''ve heard. The old rats wants to control everything. Do you know grandfather even warned me off when I said I was interested in you?"


    "Me?"


    She smiled at him oddly. "Yes. You! I''m surprised you didn''t see me looking at you all the time! None of the other boys can even keep up with me. You proved you were my equal the first time we met! But gramps wants a say in who I cuddle up to. This would let you and I get together like we want to, wouldn''t it?"


    She took a step forward. Milo took a step back. Charlotte laughed at him slightly. "Playing hard to get now that I have you alone? Don''t look now, but your back is almost against the wall." She took another step forward, making direct eye contact. Milo was sure he had another four-feet until his back would hit the wall, giving him room to dodge. He took a quick look over his shoulder. Yep, plenty of room.


    As soon as he looked back, Charlotte slashed with her claws at his stomach and a knife drove for his eye.

 Chapter 155: To the end.

    Chapter 155: To the end.


    Charlotte''s strikes had been faster than Milo had been expecting, almost as fast as Gilad, but he''d been expecting her to try something since the first step she took towards him. The weird swaying thing she did with her tail and hips he didn''t understand. Maybe it was something to distract him the way a cobra confused prey? In any case her stance gave away both the hidden dagger and the preparation for the claw strike.


    Milo had been sparring relentlessly with three very scary opponents. Gilad was a Master with decades of experience. Cremona had once been a leading claw fighter who had added the arcane spells from poison and death to her style. And Larry was a creature designed to slaughter his way through an army with strength and speed far beyond normal. Adding some rumba and tango moves had just made him that much tougher. Charlotte hadn''t trained half that hard, and it was to her credit that she wounded Milo at all.


    An armored forearm blocked the incoming dagger. The steel it was made of was inferior to the hardened bone of the Claws of Alta Viator. Milo didn''t bother to block the claw strike. He''d learned to take small wounds that his regeneration would heal, if it would let him land a more devastating blow. All ratkin started with Weak Claw attacks. Charlotte had upgraded that to Not-so-weak Claws. Her strike left bleeding furrows along Milo''s abdomen, but they were minor wounds. Toughness negated some of the damage, and his regeneration began to knit back his flesh. It hurt, but not like Charlotte was going to hurt when he struck back.


    With a skill in Claw Fighting of Rank 6 and a STR of 4, Charlotte had a base damage of 90 points. Milo did 210. As his forearm moved inside her dagger strike and her claws raked his belly, Milo brought up his left hand in a claw strike against Charlotte''s side. She gasped at the pain as the claws tore into muscle, and then his right hand slashed down on her shoulder, tearing deep furrows down her chest. She tried to roll away from him and use Disengage, but his tail slashed hard against her arm as she blocked her throat.


    Milo was at 2033/2210 health. Charlotte had taken much more damage and was at 585 /1280. "Give up, Charlotte. I''m better than you and a lot tougher."


    The injured Shadow Skulker hissed at him. "And that''s why I hate you. You still think you''re better than me." She took a chunk of cheese from her pocket and tossed it into her mouth, chewing fast. "I''ll be good as new soon."


    Milo''s tail struck her again as she was chewing, slamming into her ribs and cracking some of them. He moved forward to press the attack, but she scampered back quickly using Disengage. She ate another piece of cheese. "A little healing, a little more speed, and I''m good for round two." She sprinted back at him, clawing desperately. Milo was a little surprised by the ferocity of the attack and how she wasn''t blocking his counter attacks.


    Charlotte ran to the pile and grabbed a wheel of cheddar, chewing it down. It wasn''t the carefully crafted Battle Cheese that she had devoured too much of, but it would still start healing her wounds and giving her energy. Milo realized he was in the worst place in the world to fight a Cheese Fiend.


    He got daringly close and lashed out with his tail, knocking the cheese out of her hands. She growled and grabbed another cheese. He knocked that aside, and slashed at her back. She tried a backhanded claw attack while getting another round of cheddar and turning to him. His tail once again knocked the cheese out of her hands, but this time she caught his tail. He vaguely remembered Gilad warning him about this.


    Round and round Charlotte whirled him. If not for his time spent in the Puke-n-Twirl he would have passed out. She took two steps and toss him into the pit. He hit the far side, thirty foot down the rockface, clinging desperately to it. His tail felt like it was broken, and likewise one arm wasn''t responding well. Toes and one hand held him on. Charlotte walked up and looked at him, chewing on a ten-pound wheel of cheddar that looked tiny in her hand. "Charlotte Wins! Charlotte always wins!" She leaned over, giggling at Milo.


    Petey kicked her in the butt from behind. She overbalanced, too top-heavy to pull back from the edge and she tumbled into the darkness of the pit with an echoing scream of rage and dispair.


    Petey looked down at Milo. "Hi. I''m thinking about becoming the next Death Master. Can I count on your vote?" He tied a rope to a section of shelving and tossed it down to Milo. With Petey''s help Milo managed to get back to the top of the pit.


    Milo looked at the smiley, chubby ratkin. "Sure. I think you have all the right qualities for the job."


    Petey held out a hand full of candy. "Jellybean? The red ones are ripe and act like minor healing potions. You look like hell."

 Chapter 156: Jellybean break

    Chapter 156: Jellybean break


    Petey and Milo sat in the cave next to Smiley, eating jellybeans. Petey checked on Smiley, took his pulse, turned him a bit and got him to swallow a couple of jelly beans and some water. "We need to get him to the Old Healer. Whatever he''s suffering from looks close to the same as whatever has happened to Bleusnout."


    He sat down next to Milo, and poured out a bag of jellybeans. Milo detected a slight magical glow to them "One of the bushes my clan has is old. Old enough that it might be older than the clan. Like older than cheese kind of old. No one remembers how we got it. Three others are only a couple of decades old and were brought to us by my great uncle. Good job on finding him, by the way. Got rid of some old grudges and relieved some tension in the older folks."


    "Anyway, the beans off of the old one gain some nice effects if they ripen long enough." He made a small pile of six red beans, one blue bean, and three yellow beans. He swept the rest back into his bag. "The reds will keep healing you up. The blue prevents infection, and bleeding, and the yellows are for poison. Frankly, you should be worse off. Char would have been using poison."


    Milo took the rest, but handed the yellows back. "She did. I''m more resistant to poisons than she thought. It was her claws that tore me up. I underestimated her. And I didn''t take into account the cheese. I had no idea that cheese could give that much of a boost, and she had a large supply of it. And when she turned into a fiend? Even sparring with Larry didn''t prepare me for that."v3l.Bin.


    Petey smiled at him. "Yeah, but Larry is a sweetheart down deep. He was always a good kid. Charlotte? Sort of the opposite. Spoiled and entitled. Not always, we had some good times together. For a few years it was me, her, and the twins always getting into trouble together. Then our training started up, and the competition to get a Master Ring changed all of us. Char started only caring about char. She wanted that ring badly. Everyone had to be very careful around her. Sparring could turn into a real fight, instantly. And don''t get me started on how bad she got if you scored on her playing Surprise. She was so mad at you!


    That''s the big difference between fighting Larry and fighting char. When you spar, Larry isn''t trying to kill you. Keep that in mind the next time you get into a fight. If the other guy is trying to kill you, all the rules get thrown away, except trying to survive."


    Milo thought about that, and agreed with Petey. Sometimes it wasn''t a game. He had fought tooth and claw against Salasha, he needed to remember that more fights would be like that. "So, what does the Hollow''s new Deathmaster think is going on?"


    Petey suddenly had a very neutral and stupid look on his face. "Gosh, I don''t know. What does the Scout Master think?"


    Milo needed to practice that face, Petey did it very well. "I think you spent years making people underestimate you." They both chuckled. Milo looked over at Smiley. "Rifkin is lying about things. His story just doesn¡¯t line up. And if he''s lying about some things, he''s probably lying about a lot of things. I ask myself why someone would want to hurt Master Bleusnout, and the obvious answer is the person who benefitted the most."


    Petey nodded. "Charchar was talking a lot of bullshit, trying to confuse you, but some of what she said sounded true. How ''Rif'' wants to change things in the Hollow. I bet that''s the argument he used to convince her. I also wonder about that cheese she was eating. Pretty advanced stuff. None of the battle cheese Bleusnout makes could make someone go fiend so quick."


    Petey looked over at Smiley. "Another thing to consider is that Smiley was a better Chef''s assistant than Rifkin. He did the job, was patient, and had that goofy grin that put people at ease. And he was good with the cheese. I think Rifkin was worried that he''d be assistant chef forever, and Smiley would be the next Master."


    The attack on the caravan came in the early hours of the morning. The mostly human raid was well rested and healed up. Six thieves and assassins using stealth and Shadow Walker potions worked their way silently to the start of the ratkin dungeon. Using sign language, they discussed the next move.


    "It looks like a circus in there! Pretty festive. And see that herd of draft animals? Those are to pull the wagons"


    "Not many guards, but they have decent armor and weapons. Do you think we can thin them down at all?"


    "How about we backstab some of the ratkin feeding the animals, then take their clothing. With disguise and the darkness, I bet


    we can surprise some guards. Make sure to tuck a piece of rope in the back of your belt for a tail."


    "We need a druid down here. Which one can actually move silently?"


    "That''s Duskarrow. He''s working on a combo of archery and druid for the toxins. Sort of a range assassin. Why?"


    "The Panic Animal spell. If we get those beasts upset, the guards will focus on them, not us."


    Nods all around set the plan in motion. One person went back looking for the Druid, and four others started moving up behind the ratkin who were feeding the lizards and oiling their skins. The last thief told Brannigan the plans, and the raid leader moved the raid up as far as he could.


    The players left nothing to chance. Four of them attacked at once against a lone ratkin, then moved to the next. One by one they killed the lizard herders and took their clothing. They moved through the animal herd until they were close to the guards. Duskarrow snuck up to the herd. Lizards were different from cows and horse, but still, this should work fine. The spell went into the animals¡¯ minds and made them think that a predator was attacking. They''d all run from the imaginary beast, causing havoc in the little circus while the rest of the raid moved into the cavern and set up for a charge. As more ratkin came out of the village, they''d hit them with superior firepower and whittle them down.


    The spell was cast, the animals looked up in panic and began to move. Brannigan gave the signal for the raid to begin.

 Chapter 157: Raiding the Ratkin Dungeon!!

    Chapter 157: Raiding the Ratkin Dungeon!!


    The druid cast his spell and the animals looked up in panic and began to move about, their eyes turning from a placid pink to an angry red. The effect of the spell was an illusion that invoked fear. Against horses, sheep, or cattle it would cause a stampede as they ran in fear from a predator. In the lizards'' minds they saw and smelled their most feared predator stalking them. The result of the spell was more than Duskarrow had expected. A heavy scent came from the affected animals, the panic spread from the animals within spell range to the entire herd as the larger males called out with loud growls and their scent told the herd to protect the young. The rest of the lizards reacted immediately.


    The large, albino lizards that the ratkin simply called ''draft lizards'', were known to the Dark Elves as ''Scaled Lizards of the Moon'', and the Dwarves generally called them ''Damnedbeasts''. The elves appreciated their pearly hides, and some tribes created beautiful pale armor from their skins. The dwarves hated them because of how aggressive they were in the wild, and how hard they were to tame. They always traveled as a herd and were viscious if they felt threatened.


    Over the centuries, the lizards had been domesticated and cross-bred to create a more easy-going breed, without most of their more aggressive tendencies. The exception was when the herd was threatened. Then all bets were off and the two-ton creatures tried to stomp and kill whatever threatened them. They were omnivores and didn''t mind a snack of meat now and then. Predators often became a snack themselves.


    There were forty-one draft lizards in the caravan. Two each for the sixteen wagons, and eight extra carrying smaller loads and ready to replace an injured beast. One extra had been born along the way. This little one caused a lot of trouble as he became scared and amplified the herds reaction to seeing snarling Hexapumas and Gorebeasts in front of them.


    Rather than fleeing, the lizards charged their enemies. Duskarrow was caught off guard as he took a viscious headbutt from a nearby lizard and was tossed to the side of the cavern with a broken leg. The lizard who had charged him started to run after its prey, but saw one of the caravan guards and turned its aggression on the poor unsuspecting ratkin. All over the caravan the lizards attacked phantom predators that were really the drovers and guards.


    Thee of the guards were backstabbed by the gang of thieves who took advantage of the chaos. All three thieves were in turn killed by Damnedbeasts, driven further into panic by the smell of blood. Two more ratkin guards went down under the hooves and teeth of the lizards, and several more were badly injured.


    Gangrene killed four more players as they stood stunned. Then every archer, wizard, and warlock targeted Gangrene as soon as the three seconds ended. He was burned by Sun Arrows, pummeled by Tenzil''s Toes of Stomping, and cursed with Feeble Fever. Four arrows struck him, with three doing minor damage and one lodging in his shoulder and causing bleeding.


    Tequila Jane raced up to him, swinging a glowing purple blade from fifteen feet away. The blade flew from her hands and went straight through Gangrene, doing a large amount of damage. "Coyote Bob says Hi! Mr.Bigrat! I hope you liked my new spell!" Jane''s eyes went from purple to brown and she suddenly looked tired. "Jane is going to take a nap now." She walked back into the raid, stuffing a handful of dried fungus in her mouth.


    Branigan saw the Boss Rat topple over after what-ever-the-hell Jane had done to him. This was a great start. They''d taken injuries, but nothing a cleric couldn''t fix. The ratkin were broken and falling back, dragging the nearly dead boss. "Druids and Paladins, spend half of your mana on heals. Everyone down a potion or two as needed to save the healer''s magic. Clerics toss Resurrection on as many people as you can. Let''s get things in order for the next part."


    General Gangrene was furious, but fighting his anger. He was down to only a quarter of his health. He drank three healing potions, and ate a piece of cheddar to help his regeneration. One of the lizard tenders pushed the arrow threw his shoulder, snapped off the head, and pulled out the shaft. The general got to his feet and took stock of his people. They''d lost several warriors, maybe a third of their total force, but the ''drovers'' were all armoring up. "Where are my fiends?"


    "Waking up now, sir. We had to give them two doses of SleepyCheese to keep them quiet during the music. They were pretty groggy, but they''re waking up now." The fiend tender was ruffling their fur and coaxing them out of the wagons. As they smelled blood, both began to growl. "That''s my girls! We''re ready to kill and tear, aren''t we? Should I hold your doll? No? Ok, you keep it with you. I''ll wash the blood out later."


    The fiend tender called out to the General. "Ready to send them in, sir."


    Gangrene looked at the humans taking time to heal and reform their lines. "When they charge, send the fiends to the far left along the wall. I want those archers and mages torn to small pieces. After that, let them eat the healers in the rear. The lizards are guarding our other flank. We need to hold the middle and let our fiends gut them from behind. "


    He turned to his warriors. They looked ready. Having the fiends in the battle made them confident. He looked at the entrance to the Hollow. No one was racing into this cavern, despite the noise. He saw the two guards standing at the tunnel like nothing was happening. Something wasn''t right! The big one waved to him.

 Chapter 158: The Big Scary Noise

    Chapter 158: The Big Scary Noise


    Grackle had been a fiend tender all of his life. He looked forward to when they were finished taking over this little shit hole of a Hollow, and he would become its new Fiend Master. Gangrene had promised that to him. All his hard work would finally pay off!


    His father, Grickle had tended fiends for Wurchwitz Hollow, and so had his grandfather, Gunkel. Grickle had started teaching his oldest whelp his trade early in life, a tradition since Fiend Tenders didn''t have a long life expectancy.


    "Remember, they all look like monsters, but every fiend is different. They still have pieces of themselves from before. Those pieces fight with the animal that''s taking over their mind. Some fiends get sneaky, some get bad tempers, and others just want more food. You need to take advantage of the differences to keep them in control. A heavy fiend prod only works so long, and the more you use it, the quicker a fiend figures out it only stings and doesn''t really hurt them. Then either you put the fiend down hard and fast, or they put you down."


    Grackle had learned fast. He''d helped his father with the training of the Hunting Fiend packs, and then the Battle Fiends. He had some new ideas on how to train up fiends, but his father was too set in his ways to listen. Grackle endured years of mucking out cages and listening to his father grovel to the Fiend Master, never offering a new idea.


    But he''d certainly been correct about what happened when a fiend lost its fear of the prod. His father had stepped into Black Betty''s cage one day, to clean a wound on her shoulder. She''d been hit with a goblin war axe and the sharp blade had left a cut that got infected. You never knew where a goblin or his axe had been, and both were usually filthy. BlackBetty was in a bad mood, and his father had used the prod to settle her down. But after shocking her for the third time, her eyes had narrowed to slits and she snarled. His father had hit her again and she tore his legs off and ate them.


    Grackle had managed to lock her cage before she got out. Two good things happened after that: Grackle was promoted to full fiend tender, and BlackBetty seemed to have developed a better attitude.


    A year later he took a huge risk and asked for an audience with General Gangrene. He''d used most of his savings to buy an appropriate gift for the General, a three-pound chunk of Livarot Munster. That bought him five minutes of the General''s time. It was enough to put forth his theory of using younger subjects. It was the bits of personality that were left that gave the fiends their quirks and made them dangerous. Most fiends were soldiers who used too much battle cheese or cheese addicts that a tender found in an alley, passed out from too much cheddar. They made difficult fiends.


    Gangrene had simply stared at him when he proposed a different type of test subject, and his eyes got small and mean. He giggled a little. "Turn children into fiends? And I thought I was a monster! Ha! I like it. I''ll send over two brats to your kennels. See what you can make of them. If the experiment fails, you''ll be eating your own cheese and joining them. So don''t fail me."


    Gangrene had been true to his word. Rosie and Buttercup were delivered to him that day. Their parents had failed to gather their quota for the third time, and been sent to the lower caverns. Their two children would have gone to the whelp master for training, a slightly worse fate than what Grackle had in store for them. Rosie had been holding her doll, and Buttercup had shown him her hair ribbon. He''d fed them, and taken care of them for two weeks, getting to know them. Then he put them in large cages with a big plate of special cheese in front of each of them.


    He heard them crying, and then the sobbing had turned into growls and snarling. Their training began the next day. Gangrene had been pleased with the results and now, two years later, they were all moving to a new hollow.


    Two-Screws handed Jester a tankard of beer. "Here you go, we were just having lunch, you might as well have a couple of beers with us since we''re heading the same way. You mentioned a raid?"


    Jester tasted the beer, then took two long swallows. He wondered how the hell beer could taste so good in this game. The stuff he and his roommates drank was crap compared to this. And strong, he could already feel a buzz coming on. "Yeah, the raid. Hitting the ratkin village hard and then looting it. Branigan has been putting it together and grabbing everyone he can. Guess you didn''t get all the details?" Jester was impressed by whatever guild this was. They were pretty hardcore to all play dwarves. If it wasn''t for their silly names, he might have thought they weren''t players. But NPC dwarves have always been named things like Nordy Bluntnose or Ori Stoutoak or Axebeard the Mighty. Anyone with a name like Two-Screws or Boomboom had to be a player. He finished his beer and his new friends handed him another.


    "So, why don''t you fill us in about this raid, my new friend? We have a bit of travel to go, and I have a lot of beer to share."


    Luckily, when Harry rejoined the group after stopping to harvest some interesting mushrooms in a side tunnel, Jester had already drunk three tankards of beer and didn''t think twice about the large troll joining the group. He kept answering questions and they kept filling his tankard. A few hundred yards away from where the fighting was happening, he finally passed out, and Vary leaned him up against the wall.


    Boomboom was juggling grenades with Narwhale as they walked down the tunnel. "I think our brother Milo might need some rescuing from these greedy humans."


    Two-Screws rolled his eyes. "You just want an excuse to get into a fight!"


    Narwhale watched as Two-Screws and Sledgemonkey deployed their rivet guns. "You look pretty anxious to cause some mayhem yourself."


    Sledgemonkey laughed. "Yes, but we don''t need an excuse to do it. Although I am fond of brother Milo and do feel we need to help him out."


    "You newlyweds get the first shot. It''s traditional, and I want to see how good of a shot a scavenger is when the targets can move around."


    Narwhale ran her hand down the barrel of her rocket launcher. "Challenge accepted!"

 Chapter 159: Dwarven Thunder

    Chapter 159: Dwarven Thunder


    Saved from sudden death at the claws of some rat monster, TheBlueBIishop got to his feet and dusted himself off. Behind him was a crater with the bodies of three of his compatriots. All were beyond healing, and he wasn''t going to waste his mana resurrecting anyone unless Branigan asked him to. He wondered what spell had been cast, and why it was suddenly so quiet. He had a headache. The garishly clad bishop had just lost most of his hearing, so he could be excused from not hearing the screams of injured players asking for his help. His perception of 0 had something to do with that as well. Every player had a few dump stats and BB hadn''t worried about anything except healing and magical smites.


    He saw that at the back of the raid, reinforcements had arrived. He hadn''t known Branigan had found a dwarven artillery company to join the raid! This was outstanding! They had a little brass cannon that they were reloading, and a big green guy was setting down kegs of beer. He waved to them and gave a thumbs-up! That''s the type of people he wanted to raid with. Absentmindedly, he glanced at the deafened, disoriented, and concussion debuffs on his screen.


    Barracuda was loading the next shell so Narwhale could blow up some more humans when she noticed one in a blue costume waving at them and giving them a sign of approval. "He likes your shooting, Nar."


    "Yep, and my opinion on humans just went up. Anyone who can appreciate fine artillery like my shiny cannon while I''m shooting at them is OK in my book." She waved back. "Load up some napalm, ''Cuda. I want to make them do the burney dance."


    Sledgemonkey and Two-Screws shared a look, and got ready to begin shooting. They''d agreed to give Narwhale the first shots, but if she was using napalm shells, there might not be much left to shoot at soon. Sledgemonkey pointed to a spot on the left of them. "Let''s walk ove that way, get a better angle for some enfilading fire. That way the rivets don''t have a chance of hitting our new allies."


    Two-Screws liked the idea. "When you''re giving the gift of high velocity death, it''s always nice to send it along a couple of different angles."


    "Fire in the Hole!" An explosive missile shot from the cannon and screamed across the short distance, hitting the ground in the middle of the raid. Any player in the area of effect took a small bit of concussion damage and was set on fire. The two fire mages took advantage of the heat and flames to supercharge the Bouncing Betty Fireballs they were lobbing into the middle of the ratkin army. Every other mage and the healers screamed as their health started plummeting. Philomea, a nature mage, tried to summon a Rain Cloud but the area was suffused with so much Death and Storm mana that what showed up was an Angry Thunderhead that immediately started raining down lightening bolts on both sides of the conflict. ?v€l-B!n.


    Two-Screws and Sledgemonkey started strafing the raid with high velocity rivets. They began with the Narwhales friendly human who was currently running in circles while he burned merrily. Two-Screws shot low then moved higher, peppering the cleric with shots. Sledgemonkey was shooting an archer ten feet away.


    Two-Screws smiled. "I can''t help but noticing your sights might be off. Looks like your shooting high and to the right."


    Brutus waved again and smiled. "Nice day, isn''t it. Would be better if we had some Batacos, but still a nice day. We''ll have batacos tomorrow. Lots of smoke up in the top of the cave. The whelps can pick them up off the ground later, easy peasy."


    "Welcome to Limburger Hollow."


    Seffy had talked with Brutus before and visited the Hollow twice to look around and spy things out. "Yes. It is a nice day. We have many wounded from that battle. The Master Merchant requests aid and that you allow us to move inside the Hollow. There are dangerous humans and dwarves in the outer caves, and we could be attacked again at any moment."


    Brutus smiled. "Sorry, that''s just a wee bit above my pay grade. I just guard the tunnel. You have a nice day now."


    "May I enter the Hollow?"


    "Nope. I''m Brutus, the guard. Guards keep people out."


    "I insist you let me pass!"


    Brutus looked confused for a second, his eyes glazing over. He started to move aside and then his back stiffened and he stood his ground. "No can-do little fella. You aren''t the boss of me. I''m not letting you in unless the boss says so!"


    Seffy had seen this type of behavior before, of course. It was how all of Wurchwitz Hollow''s minions behaved. The Slavecheese was having an effect already, but not enough. The new Cheese Master needed to give large guards extra cheese! The guard wasn''t responding to his Commanding Voice skill. He skulked back to inform General Gangrene of the problem. Brutus waved happily to him as he went. "You have a nice day now. And come back tomorrow for batacos!"

 Chapter 160: Tasty New Cheese

    Chapter 160: Tasty New Cheese


    Earlier, before the events of Chapters 158 and 159


    The Hollow was starting to wake up. Most everyone had slept well, with no bad dreams. And no good dreams. In fact, no dreams at all, just sleep. Things seemed so much clearer today. It was time to go to breakfast.


    Milo saw most of the Hollow lining up at the mess hall for the morning meal. Most mornings breakfast was a long and staggered affair, with people showing up from fourth bell to 9th bell to eat and then the evening meal from 6th bell to 12th bell. Was Rifkin serving something especially good today? Why was everyone up so early. He carefully peeked through windows.


    Rifkin was nowhere to be seen, but several people were at the counter handing out breakfast as fast as they could. But they weren''t sitting and talking. Each ratkin took the food handed to them, stuffed it into their mouth and left in a hurry. Milo caught up to a whelp that he knew worked in the mushroom fields.


    "Hi, can I ask you something? What''s for breakfast."


    The whelp kept walking, but smiled and spoke. "New Cheese. Tasty and good for me." His eyes were unfocused and he walked on. "Got to go. Need to pick mushrooms. If I pick sixteen baskets today I get to eat dinner and have more tasty cheese!"


    Other ratkin had the same glassy-eyed reaction. All needed to start their daily jobs, with a few exceptions. Some of the students seemed to have other ideas about what their job for the day would be.


    "Time to make the mashed roots with meat drippings."


    "Stomp spiderlings, mine the rock."


    "Sweeping the cave, need to sweep the cave, dust everywhere."


    "Lizard races! Who wants to race Lizards? Me!"


    "Making Spikey-sticks. Do you need a spikey-stick?"


    "Must start picking the peanuts."


    "Bataco day! Need more bats!


    "Polishing shiny rocks."


    "Nap time, study later."


    "Smelting copper bars. I need to smelt copper bars."


    Justin was walking along, whistling a happy tune. Milo stopped him to talk. Well, he tried to talk. Justin moved him out of his way and kept walking. "Sorry, got to get to my guard post. Important work guarding the Hollow."


    Milo walked beside him. "Justin, have you noticed anyone acting oddly?"


    Justin kept walking but paused his whistling. "Nope, or I''d tell them to get to work. Great day to get to work. I''m guarding the back door and Brutus is guarding the front door. Everybody is getting their job done."


    "How much cheese did you have this morning, Justin?"


    Justin''s brow furrowed into a scowl. "Talking about cheese isn''t allowed. Say, why aren''t you working?" He stopped walking and poked his finger into Milo''s chest. "You know the rule against slacking. Everyone follows the rules now."


    Milo showed him his ring. "I am working. My job is to scout around, poke my nose into things, and question everything."


    Justin nodded, and seemed satisfied with that. "Right! That is your job. I remember now." He relaxed, smiled, and started walking again, smiling. "I had three pieces of tasty new cheese because I''m big and I''m a guard. So, I get extra!"


    Justin didn''t even seem to notice when Milo left, he just kept walking along and whistling as he passed by the Tower of Spite and the mostly empty marketplace. To took up his guard post at the back tunnel overlooking the harvesting fields where dozens of ratkin were gathering up mushrooms and vegetables.


    Milo wanted another look at the mess hall. The lines to get in were packed, but it wasn''t hard to get in through the back door. He slunk into the shadow nearest the door, then kept low and moved behind the counter. None of the ratkin in the mess hall paid any attention to anything but the cheese. To his surprise, the four ratkin serving squares of cheese on a bland cracker were known to him. Why was Blackwhisker and his little group of players serving cheese in the mess hall?


    Luckily, no one had a high perception. Stealthy Skulking was up to rank 8, reducing their perception by 18 and essentially making him invisible as long as he did nothing obviously out of the ordinary. He wanted a good look at this cheese. There were many bags of it behind the counter. A large wedge was brought out of the bag, and then cut into smaller pieces. The player cutting it was handling pieces oddly, and brushing something off as he took the wedge out of the bag.


    Milo moved up carefully. He needed a diversion, and as he waited, he got one. Master Clawhammer and a group of ten tired miners walked up to the mess hall. Seeing a crowd at one door, they went to the next opening. This got them a few looks from some of the ratkin in the long lines, but no one said anything out loud. The miners looked exhausted. They sat at two tables and Master Clawhammer looked over at the servers. "Hey, buddy. We just worked a double shift, any chance of getting a plate of cheese and some breakfast?"


    Blackwhisker barely looked over. "Get in line and wait your turn. That''s the new rules, get used to it."


    "Rifkin then headed to the cheese caravan for more cheese."


    "We followed because..."


    "Cheese Caravan!!!"


    "...because we are good scouts!!"


    "Yes, who cares about a cheese caravan full of tasty cheese..."


    "We followed Rifkin, but could not get close. Very good guards."


    "Not so good as Justin and Brutus, but lots of them."


    "Guards with good eyes, we could feel them one us in the shadows."


    "Rifkin was in a tent with a big, loud merchant who shouts like Gilad does when he is angry with us."


    "We went to just take a small peak at the caravan."


    "They have many carts full of cheese, but also many carts of armor and weapons."


    "And two carts filled with scary, horrible death!"


    "Fiends! They have two Cheese Fiends with them."


    "We left!"


    "That is the good scouts report for the day."


    Milo looked at them. "Good job, you get a reward."


    The twins looked alarmed, and hung their heads.


    "It would be nice if the reward was cheese..."


    "but we suspect it will be another job."


    Milo handed them a bag. "Why not both? Take that to Old Healer."


    "And I wouldn''t eat any of it, it has spiders in it. Tell Old Healer everything you just told me, then go find Master Gilad. And whatever you do, don''t eat the cheese at the mess hall."


    The twins skulked out of the guard barracks muttering to themselves.


    "Spider Cheese?"


    "Worst cheese reward, ever."


    Milo went back to the the mess hall and skulked around the back where he had entered before. If anything, it was easier to sneak into the the kitchen area. There were four gathering bags of Milbenkase left. He put two into his ring, and grabbed the other two. No one at all looked his way and he retreated, making his way outside. He stashed the bags of cheese on a part of the roof where they couldn''t be seen. The less of this cheese that got eaten, the better.


    That done, he thought he should head over to the caravan and find Rifkin. He was headed that way when two ratkin walked by carrying a stretcher with a wounded miner on it. They had come running from the direction of the mines. Milo asked them to stop. "I have a healing potion, let me give him that. What''s happening." He pulled a potion from his pouch, one of the ones he had found in the hidden tunnels. The potent remedy immediately relaxed the wounded miner, and his wounds ceased bleeding. Milo examined him. He had a good idea of what had made those wounds. "What did this?"


    "Not sure, he said something big and clanky. But that sure means trouble. We''ve had tons of little nuisance mobs. Spiderlings all over the place. Then digger-moles, and now there''s something big in the mines, blowing stuff up."


    "I''ll going to head there now. But he still needs attention. Run him to Gendifur or Old Healer. And tell Master Gilad, Master Arlothe, or any guard you see walking around." They ran off with their less wounded miner, and Milo headed the other way


    As he was running to the mines, he passed the tunnel to Larry''s house. He hadn''t seen Larry at breakfast. Another mystery. Sounds were reaching him, explosions in the mines. From behind him he heard shouts from the tunnel leading to the caravan. He wondered what was going on, but it had to wait, he had some sort of mechanical monster to deal with for now.

 Chapter 161: The Iron Spider takes the Scenic Route

    Chapter 161: The Iron Spider takes the Scenic Route


    P''tashPak''r, the Exalted General of the 10th Host, beloved of the queens, and champion of the Many-Legged Army, marched forward at the head of her army. Behind her came countless brave and deadly spider warriors. The noise of her army''s passage was much less than usual. She had remarked on this, and the second in command told her of the stealth training each of her warriors had undergone before being selected for her army. Indeed, she would have thought that her army was much smaller if she didn''t know better. Even the growls of the Wolf Guard could hardly be heard.


    Her advisor was showing her the maps of the enemy¡¯s lair. "The route chosen is through the next few caverns. We will be able to attack with surprise and capture many of their gatherers. We must move quickly. We must take control of a narrow tunnel leading to the main hollow."


    P''tash looked over the maps. "And this second route? It seems to lead more directly to the heart of the hollow."


    The advisor pointed to a maze of tunnels. "These are the mines below us. In planning the raid, the first plan included splitting your vast army and using a pincher maneuver to attack the foe in two places at once. But there is not enough room to move a large force through the mines. We have instead been flooding the area with spiderlings for some time. They will surge forward and cause a small disturbance."


    H¡¯spat knew that the Queen had been extremely angry with the spiderling plan. A half dozen egg-layers had been secretly placed in nearby caverns so that spiderlings could overrun the mines and weaken the Hollow. Instead, the ratkin whelps were hunting them to gain levels and experience! It had been embarrassing to find out that the ratkin had turned the spiderling invasion into a training ground for new fighters!


    Some of the spiders cheered. Others clapped softly. The mechanical voice box the general used creeped them out. Grobit revved the engine and let out the clutch, shifting gears and engaging the mechanism that sent power to the legs. The dwarven mechanisms still confounded him and annoyed P''tashPak''r. He''d been unable to do as she wanted and put the controls where she could reach them. (Not that he thought she''d ever figure them out. Some spiders made good mechanics, but not this one.)


    The Iron Spider moved forward several steps, and then a leg became stuck in a crack in the ground. As she strained and finally removed the leg, Grobit saw the gap widen as the ground around the Iron Spider started to shift. The other spiders jumped back as the cavern floor they were in gave way under the weight of the giant walking tank. It was like a hole had just swallowed the general!


    The Iron Spider paused, then commanded her army to the front. Time for her twelve champions to earn their supper.


    "Master Clawhammer! We''ve got trouble. Ned just packed in his cousin, Crusty. They saw spiders in the tunnels. Big ones! Both of them took some nasty wounds from a cannon of some kind. Crusty''s dead, and Ned might not make it. They ran him down to the healer on a stretcher."


    Clawhammer cursed inwardly but put a confident look on his face. Miners were a hardy bunch, used to his barked orders. But he needed to use a different tone for everyone else. It was bad enough that they were scurrying into this emergency shelter, and three quarters of the Hollow were glassy-eyed zombies, but now they had spiders attacking? It wasn''t a coincidence. And that was a big caravan full of guards parked in their outer cave.


    "Get everyone who can fight armed with a pick or hammer and anyone who can''t back in the far corner. Pile up the supplies and carts in front of them. Carl, take Jak and Vin with you and collapse tunnel #3 about ten feet in. It''s been shaky lately. I want enough debris down to stop someone from using it to get to us. Do the same with #5 if you can. The main tunnel would take hours to block off, so leave it, but put whatever timbers and rock we have loose in front of it. We can use it as a defensive line to fight behind. Jessy, bring the extra lamp oil and lamps. We can probably cook a couple of them.


    The miners accomplished a lot in the small amount of time they had, and two dozen of them crouched behind the makeshift barrier in front of the main tunnel. In the distance, they heard the sound of many legs, and then they could see the outlines of the spiders rushing at them, preceded by a hoard of spiderlings. Something large and noisy moved at the rear.


    Lamp oil had been poured in the front of the tunnel. As the spiderlings reached it, Jessy tossed a lit lantern at the floor, spreading fire. Air in the cavern rushed to the fire as the tunnel was filled with flames and the screams of dying spiderlings. But the lamp oil didn''t burn hot. It burned long and gave a lot of light. The minor damage the spiderlings took was enough to kill or cripple them, but it only annoyed the more giant spiders.


    A dozen giant spiders emerged from the smoke and flame like something out of a nightmare and leaped at the miners behind their makeshift barrier.

 Chapter 162: Spiders, Spiders, Everywhere!

    Chapter 162: Spiders, Spiders, Everywhere!


    As the spiders surged forward, intending to swarm over the improvised barricades. With only a second to spare, walls of earth and rock erupted from the floor, and the magical stone grew upward until it merged with the cavern''s ceiling. Not all mages spent their time studying advanced dueling and battle magics in the Tower of Spite. Several miners were Earth Mages and had been moving rock all their lives.


    Two narrow areas were left that acted as funnels. The spiders trying to move forward had to do so one at a time or climb the walls and try to squeeze through the narrow openings, each of them just big enough for one eight-legger. The ratkin on either side of the slots turned to attack the flanks of the arachnids coming through¡ªthey surrounded their foes, giving them many attacks on each spider. The dwarves referred to this tactic as a ''murder hole,'' while the elves called their version ''a bouquet of spears.'' The ratkin called them ''Spider Traps.'' Eight ratkin could attack one monster as they came through the opening.


    The brave two miners in front blocked mandibles and leg spikes as best they could, giving way and counting on the others to do the killing. The six on the sides swung their heavy mining picks at the spiders. The heavily muscled miners could dig their picks deep into a rock wall, and spiders were made of much squishier stuff. Carapaces were shattered, and organs pulped. Twice, the picks rose and fell before both spiders were dead. The ratkin hadn''t gotten off unscathed. One defender had a broken arm, and another took three steps back before dying of poison. Two more spiders crawled over the dead bodies while the rest attacked the earthen wall to destroy the spell.


    Clawhammer blocked poisonous mandibles with the pick in his left hand and brought down his heavy forging hammer on a spider''s head. The stunned spider could only hiss as it was attacked from the sides and repeatedly smacked in the head by an angry crafter. Clawhammer caught a breath and looked to the other opening. Two more spiders were inside, and two ratkin were down on the ground, bleeding. His concern for his miners almost cost him his life. A spider had climbed the wall and come through the gap up high. Now it dropped from thirty feet up on the unsuspecting Master Crafter.


    Or rather, it tried to. It was like a giant, invisible hand smacked the spider back against the wall and pinned it there. Clawhammer could see the massive wound in its thorax, and green ichor was pouring out from the other side. Something had punched all the way through his ambusher. With a hiss of pain, the wounded spider fell to the ground, and wobbly gained its feet only to be slain by several enraged ratkin.


    Clawhammer saw Tallsqueak racing across the room, fully clad in the strange bone armor that he conjured. He took a skull from his belt and tossed the glowing object through the hole in the wall. A loud explosion and the hissing of injured spiders told the rest of the story. Five of the enormous spiders were now dead; Tallsqueak leaped in the air as a sixth came through the hole and surprised it by putting a spikey-stick into its skull. The spider fell, and Tallsqueak rode it to the ground, twisting the weapon in the wound, splattering brains and ichor on himself. Clawhammer almost yelled out a warning that the ichor was a minor poison but chuckled, remembering that Tallsqueak dueled with Cremona each night. Only Professor Arlothe might have a higher poison resistance than Tallsqueak.


    It was suddenly quiet, the spiders pulling back. The ratkin prepared for another charge, and the wounded were taken to the healers. Then a thunderous roar began as the Iron Spider entered the fray. The heavy metal balls fired by the Dwarven Chain Gun rapidly destroyed the earthen walls. It was only a matter of seconds before they shattered. Clawhammer didn''t want to move the fight further into the cathedral cavern, but they were about to be crushed. "Back off another hundred feet. Get me some ten-foot high, triple thick walls to give us cover from that gun." The two miners with Earth Magic cast their spells, then collapsed to the ground, their mana exhausted.


    Justin spun in a circle, burning stamina as his long halberd glowed and sliced through the advancing spiders. Three more times, he yelled for them to attack him until the entire army engaged with him. As Brownfur ran through the tunnel, she looked back once, unable to see Justin as he collapsed, poisoned by many wounds. Only a massive pile of spiders could be seen.


    H''Spat considered. Things were going so much better since the idiot had decided to take the scenic route through the mines. Resistance was slight, and they had already captured many of the small mammals for eating. She had planned to leave as the abomination led her forces against the ratkin and race to join the main army, but victory here was tasting sweet. She would get no acclaim if she left, but if she quickly took control of the hollow, she could claim a great victory. Wouldn''t the rest of the army be jealous? And wouldn''t that taste sweet? She climbed on top of the large body of a fallen guard and yelled at the spiders around her. "Onward, my victorious host. We will have a feast to celebrate our victory over the ancient enemy tonight!" The spiders in the army obeyed. One noble was much the same to them, and orders were orders.


    "Inform the princess that all troops are now in position according to her plans." The petite scout barely came up to the brute''s knees, and the enormous spider didn''t like the tone she used. The annoyance made her vent some of their anger at how long this march had been. "Finally! This has taken far too long. A rush with two dozen royals would have brought this hollow to its knees, yet we have to wait for you to scout for a full day?!"


    The petite scout seemed unworried in the face of General T''nigit''s anger. That might be because impatient commanders often yelled at scouts for doing their jobs correctly. Or it might have been her high perception that let her know they weren''t alone. The shadows parted as the Princess appeared beside T''nigit, her black carapace gleaming in soft light. "And you would have died and embarrassed me. Did you hear nothing I said in the war councils? Did you listen to the scouting reports at all?"


    The general bent their knees but argued. "They are weak, and we have created distractions, drawn off parts of their forces. A hammer blow..."


    "Would have failed. Do you remember the damage that a fully grown Cheese Fiend can do? And they have an unknown number of mages, along with reports of many warriors. Not taking the time to scout and understand these things is the mark of a fool. But don''t worry, I will reward you anyway. Take the Wolfen Dragoon Company and any royal that will follow you and attack immediately. Our forces are in a position to support you, thanks to the hard work of our scouts."


    T''nigit saluted and left, glad of the honor. The head scout watched her go. "It''s never bad to clear out some of the royals now and then; that was nicely done." The princess accepted the praise of her old tutor. "Yes, I thought so. Any royal dumb enough to follow T''nigit at the head of the army is one we don''t need breeding the next generation. But either way, the hollow will be ours today."

 Chapter 163: Salvaging the Situation

    Chapter 163: Salvaging the Situation


    Milo had an excellent understanding of what projectile weapons could do. Many dwarves were fascinated with them and would spend hours sipping beer and talking about their ideas for hand cannons and larger weapons while they tinkered with other projects. Some, like Boom-Boom, skipped the guns and went to the heart of the matter by focusing on more powerful explosives. Milo had the needed knowledge of physics and ballistics and could calculate the math in seconds. The math wasn''t looking good as far as he was concerned.


    From the sound, rate of fire, and how the large caliber rounds had quickly destroyed the stone walls, Milo knew that the miners had nothing that could stand up to the weapon. The dwarven chain gun mounted on the back of that mechanical walker wasn''t up to the standards of the Engineers, but it was still a fearsome weapon.


    Shields and armor would be shredded, and makeshift barricades would be useless. So as the shots were fired into the crumbling wall, he timed a running leap and ran up the shaking stone until he got to the ceiling and could grab a stalactite. It was hazy at the top of the cavern. The fires from the burning lamp oil filled the area where Milo hid and made breathing difficult. He took shallow breaths and used his hood as a filter.


    Below him, he saw the miners dropping back and taking positions behind the second set of much thicker walls.


    The first stone wall thrown up by the earth mages shattered into rubble, and the remaining giant spiders quickly picked their way over the pile of stone, surrounded by hundreds of spiderlings. Behind them came the Iron Spider. The heavily armored behemoth paused at the rubble and, deciding against trying to climb over the remains of the wall, began to move around the pile.


    Even through the smoke, Milo could tell the leg assemblies were crap. They didn''t match and had no synchronicity. He couldn''t tell if a clumsy spider was under the armor or just a poorly made machine. Why go to the trouble of making something if it wouldn''t work correctly? He''d have been annoyed at the thing even if it weren''t shooting at his friends.


    The twin-linked dwarven chain gun was pintle-mounted on the back of the spider. Only one gun was revolving. There was a goblin acting as a gunner. Milo watched as it loaded up another belt of ammunition and prepared to fire again. He shook his head at the lack of a proper auto-loading device.


    Milo moved across the ceiling, trying to catch up with them. He had thought he would have a few seconds to spare while the gun tried to destroy the much thicker wall the miners were deployed behind. But instead of shooting toward the miners behind the thick stone wall, the gunner started strafing back and forth across the makeshift barriers with non-combatants hiding behind them. Milo heard cries of pain and screams.


    The Iron Spider yelled at her gunner. "Idiot! Why are you wasting ammo on worthless targets?! We need to outflank that wall and destroy the remaining warriors." She continued her slow trudge toward the wall.


    Grobit chewed on the remains of his cigar and sent a few more shots into the women and children. "Well, there''s nothing else to shoot at right now, and I''m bored. The non-combatants give crap for experience. Those folks over there aren''t worth a lot, but a goblin needs to get his experience where he can. I only need a little more, and I can move up to level ...urk...."


    The Iron Spider was confused. ''Urk'' wasn''t a word she knew the meaning of. Grobit used a lot of words that he claimed were in other languages. The goblin would have said more, but a piece of jagged bone was sticking out of his eye socket and another from his chest. Milo dropped onto the Iron Spiders¡¯ back and swung Shadowblight with both hands. The spikes on the weapon went in one side of the goblin''s head and out the other. Milo kicked the body to free his weapon. Her mechanic''s dead body slid off the spider''s back, and she stepped on it without noticing it.


    Milo explained what he had found out. "Rifkin is behind the cheese. He''s been meeting with the merchants in the caravan. And the caravan brought Cheese Fiends with them. Why would anyone bring fiends to another hollow?"


    Clawhammer smacked one big fist into his palm, angry. "Fiends? There''s a reason, but not a good one. Larry''s an exception. He didn''t change in the middle of a battle; he just wanted to ''get big'' like his brother and fight more. He could never tell us more than that after the change. We never found out how he got too much all cheese. But other fiends are bred for battle and live for it. A caravan wouldn''t bring fiends, they eat too much and need constant attention. Fiends were never used except in the largest battles."


    Milo ran through scenarios in his head; it seemed obvious in retrospect. "Charlotte and Riftkin wanted to take over the Hollow. They poisoned Smiley and Bleusnout so Riftkin could give bad cheese to the Hollow, making it easy for the caravan guards to take over. Charlotte attacked me and told me part of it before I...before I killed her. The rest I learned from my very excellent scouts who have been following Rifkin. The spiders must be somehow working for Rifkin or were a diversion."


    "Things make more sense, what do we do you think we should do now? "


    Clawhammer looked around. He had some miners who could fight a little and some wounded he needed to protect. He could fight, but he wasn''t a warrior. Tallsqueak was young, but Gilad spoke highly of him, he was a mage, and he''d killed more spiders than the rest. "I''m leaving that up to you. You know more about what''s happening than I do, and you have scouts finding out more. If anyone asks, you have my support. I advise finding Gilad and gathering all the fighters and mages we can. There will be another fight coming."


    "I''m going to see if I can bring down the main tunnel and fortify this area. Nothing will be able to come through the mines until we clear out those tunnels. Send people this way if they need shelter. We''ll hold the front entrance to the mines. If need be, we can send to other Hollow''s for help, and try to make a last stand in here."


    Milo handed the master miner his pick. "This will help. It''s made of a Tier 4 crystal that can cut through rock like butter."


    Clawhammer felt the tip and tested it on the floor. "Damn, where did you get this?"


    Milo shrugged. "Reward for killing a World Boss. Long story. I''m going to take my spider and make sure the warriors from the caravan can''t get into the hollow. It''s a narrow passage and this ugly gun is the equal in firepower to an Engineer''s rivet gun."


    Clawhammer watched as Tallsqueak ran back to the mechanical spider, adjusted the controls, and tightened some bolts. Then with the sound of screeching metal, they began strolling down the corridor to the Hollow. Before they could go far, the master miner sent two whelps running ahead of them, spreading the word so that no one had a heart attack when they saw him coming.


    The spider constantly complained to Milo in her screetching voice until he found the switch that turned off the speaker she talked through. He had some thinking to do and needed to do it fast.

 Chapter 164: When some idiot screws up your crafty plans....

    Chapter 164: When some idiot screws up your crafty plans....


    The cheese Danish was genuinely delightful. Gilad was impressed with how quickly Rifkin was filling the shoes of his predecessor. One of his new apprentices had knocked on Gilad''s door three times before entering his home and leaving the large tray of cheesy desserts on his table. Gilad recognized him from when he had been attending his classes. Black fungus? Blacknose? Something like that.


    Gilad had dropped down from his favorite napping spot in the rafters to try a piece and had ended up making it his evening meal. The pastries were made from a blend of cheeses that he couldn''t quite place. The venerable fighter had long ago mastered his cheese cravings, but on a day when his joints and muscles ached, it was nice to feel the rush as his body gained the power only cheese could provide. And he had always loved pastries.


    He would never let his sparring partners know, but the late-night dueling had pushed him hard. Cremona made up for her lack of physical ability with her virulent spells and poisons. Even with his strong resistance, they slowed him and left him shaking after winning a bout with her. Tall Squeak had given him several painful bruises and several times given him broken bones. The damned whelp adapted quickly and experimented with moves that no sane ratkin would try against him. Those often resulted in Tall Squeak being slammed painfully into the floor or wall, but some of them worked, and then it was Gilad who suffered. At least the whelp was polite and healed his old bones afterward.


    For a normal ratkin, Tallsqueak was amazingly tough with unbreakable bones and healed nearly as quickly as Larry. Just a few weeks ago, Gilad had been overjoyed to have an assistant who could double as a punching bag. It was debatable now who was the punching bag.


    And then there was Larry.


    The huge fiend was developing his own fighting style full of twirling tail attacks and quick hops. It was elegant, dangerous, and unpredictable. No one had ever used such a style before, and Gilad constantly had to push himself to avoid being pulped by one of Larry''s powerful attacks. The Tail-Master was always excited to fight against Larry, but he paid for it with stiff limbs and painful joints the next day. The cheese helped with the pain, and the odd flavor he''d detected faded away as he finished the pastries.


    Afterward, he went to bed early, needing his sleep. Fighting class was important. He needed to be up and about, not lying in bed and letting Tall Squeak run the classes. He slept soundly for the first time in years, undisturbed by dreams. Before he awoke, another delivery of cheese Danish was dropped off.


    Gilad awoke early, saw the newly delivered food, and ate all of it. He was the Tail-Master; he deserved extra cheese. It was essential and would help him train all of the whelps. A hollow needed all of the fighters it could get! Fighting practice for guards and whelps would need to be mandatory from now on.


    His students were ready and waiting for him, glassy eyes showing intense concentration. Training began immediately and continued through the morning. The loud noises coming from the outer caves were ignored, as was the commotion from the mines. The only thing that got Gilad''s attention was when Tall Squeak came walking by on a silly mechanical spider.


    Milo was getting the hang of driving the spider. It was a clunky machine, and he had a lot of ideas for improvements. He had a low opinion of both the builders and whoever had been doing the repairs. Too many things had been fixed with wire and tape. The parts box was messy, but he found enough bits to fix the second gun. Rather than have two guns with independent triggers, he slaved the second to the first and synchronized their firing. Fewer parts were needed, and he got the job done as the spider slowly made its way through the caverns and into the hollow.


    Brutus saluted. "You got it, Master Scout. And have a nice day." Milo decided to bring the spider with him to go visit the artillery company. They''d have suggestions on how to get the stupid leg assemblies fixed if it was whom he suspected.


    Rifkin was not happy. Something had gone wrong with his cunning plans. He wondered which idiot was screwing things up.


    He was ensuring that everyone in the Hollow was getting enough Milbenkase each day so that the spider cheese could work its magic on them and turn them into hard-working slaves. Everyone would work hard at whatever they thought was their primary job, and they would take his orders without question. It had been a slow start. The spider cheese wasn''t working like it was supposed to. People weren''t taking orders well. He suspected it was bad cheese. Just like Gangrene to give him defective spider cheese!


    He''d prepared unique dishes for Gilad, Clawhammer, Brownfur, and Arlothe and had his minions distribute them at their homes. Bleusnout had kept a record of everyone''s favorite dish to surprise them for their birthday. The entry for the the Gathering Master was missing, so he sent a sampling platter of blended cheese. He wasn''t worried about her. Brownfur was of no matter; the old woman would see things his way and could be put to work making sure the new fields were laid out correctly.


    Charlotte was going to take over as the new Death Master and was confident she could sway most of the shadowskulkers. If not, examples would need to be made of a few. If his trap worked, she would also take care of the annoying Tall Squeak. It galled Rifkin to no end that a stranger only recently arrived had been trusted with a ring, and he who had been here for years was still only an ''assistant.¡¯ That would change soon.


    The only Master that worried him was Old Healer. Charlotte had suggested that they deal with him last after they had the Hollow under control. He was sure Charlotte would use him as a threat to keep some control for herself. It might be time for Charlotte to eat a hefty chunk of slave cheese if she tried. He could replace her with Petey. Petey was docile and fat. Where Charlotte was a problem, Petey could be easily managed. He''d given the jelly bean addict a few hints about his plans already.


    The twins, though, had to go. They''d fallen under Tall Squeak¡¯s influence. He''d dodged them all night before he made it to the caravan. Maybe Petey could talk to them, or he''d have Charlotte scare them or give them some slave cheese. He had lots of options to deal with anything.


    He''d just finished explaining all of this to Gangrene when the caravan had been attacked. He''d kept his head down and hid in the General''s tent. The stupid humans who had failed to show up to weaken the hollow were now attacking the caravan! Blackwhisker had assured him that his links to the human guilds would ensure the raid was arriving on time. Had Blackwhisker betrayed him?


    The tide of combat had favored the humans until the fiends were unleashed, and the fiends had destroyed the raids'' healers and mages. The caravan had been about to charge when more things went wrong. Dwarves were attacking! He hadn''t had any plans for dwarves! You never invited dwarves to a revolution unless it was at a brewery. They couldn''t be trusted! Yet here they were, and the human raid had melted before their withering fire. Gangrene was alive but wounded; the caravan had lost half its guards.


    Rifkin was okay with that, but he had so many other questions. Could he use what was left to gain control of the Hollow and then get rid of them? How would he get rid of Gangrene? Could he engineer a fight between Gilad and Gangrene? He needed to think, and he needed to get back to the Hollow and check on his minions, talk with Charlotte and make sure the plans were going well. He was starting to be worried about his spider allies. Not only were they supposed to weaken the Hollow, but that was the excuse he would use to bring in the caravan guards. He''d save the Hollow from the spiders and humans and announce that he was taking over.


    He''d just decided to sneak carefully away from the caravan and back to the Hollow when Tall Squeak entered the outer cave riding on top of a mechanical spider. He hid quickly, wondering if the spiders had betrayed him.

 Chapter 165: Wait...you have beer?!

    Chapter 165: Wait...you have beer?!


    Narwhale was the first to spot the mechanical monster walking across the caverns. Most scavengers had a high perception and Look Out skill. Narwhale had spent days on end manning observation ports or crow''s nests to raise her skill to level 5 and her perception to 10. A high perception was needed to gain the coveted Gunner class. "We got trouble coming. Load a shell, and I''ll see how many legs I can blow off it!"v3l.Bin.


    Boom-Boom smiled at the thought of watching his new bride blowing things up but stopped Barracuda before she loaded the small cannon. "You might get more than you bargained for. I''m guessing that the person in the driver''s seat is our long-lost brother Engineer. I don''t want to find out what weapons he has on that thing if you were to start a shooting war. Brother Milo has a talent for causing destruction."


    The two scavengers grumbled but paused until the identity could be confirmed. They had seen the devastation Senior Engineer Milo had caused to the outpost with their own eyes and heard all of the stories. They''d also witnessed him playing tag with the sea hydra and were convinced he was missing a few bolts.


    Two Screws walked forward and bellowed out a greeting. "Damn, but that is one ugly spider. We may have to send you to remedial mechanics classes. Please tell me you didn''t build that." Milo looked at the spider. "Of course, I didn''t build it. It drives me crazy just looking at all the work that needs to be done to fix it. Plus, it has a crazy spider inside of it." He flipped on the speaker.


    Many hisses and the clicking of mandibles accompanied this speech. But since she repeated herself a lot, eventually, everyone started understanding the spider underneath the many layers of armor and machinery.


    Barracuda ran forward, undid the hatches on the head armor, and cranked it open to reveal the face of the spider. "Ooooh, there is a spider in there. She''s so cute! How are you doing, sweety?" She carefully patted the spider''s head, mindful of the mandibles.


    P''tashPak''r answered in a defeated voice.


    Boom-Boom and Narwhale had climbed up to look at the chainguns while Two-Screws and Sledge-monkey walked around, kicking the spider''s legs and making comments about the sad state of the gyroscopes. Narwhale yelled down at the spider. "Poor baby. Bad things happen when you pick the wrong side to fight. The only thing to do is to have a beer and make better choices before the next war. And by my mother''s beard! Clean your guns more! These are in terrible shape!"


    She looked longingly at the stack of kegs by the wall. Large amounts of dwarven beer had made the mercenary life more enjoyable. Her dwarven crew had enjoyed getting her drunk and having her wobble back and forth as they went from bar to bar.


    Barracuda gave the spider one more pat on the head. "Of course we have beer! What a catastrophe that would be." She poured a foaming bucket of beer and held it for P¡¯tashPak¡¯r, who drank it down quickly.


    Narwhale was shaking her head. She should have known better. Barracuda was a sucker for strays. She was going to want to take the damned spider home; she just knew it. And as she had feard, after getting the spider another bucket of beer, Barracuda began begging for a new pet. "Can we take her with us, Nar? Huh? She''s perfect! A mercenary who likes beer and makes bad choices in life! That''s practically the scavenger motto!"


    Narwhale yelled over to Milo, who was talking with Harry about Black Mold. "Hey, how much do you want for the spider? My new husband here wants to buy it from you."


    Old Healer sighed. "As am I. Nothing I do seems to work. It''s only the amazing regeneration of a Cheese Master that has kept them both alive until now. But please take a look at this formula. Tallsqueak was kind enough to unearth this book, but I have been unable to get the final product to absorb magical energy and create the potion. It would be nice if someone hadn''t drunk all six doses in the bottle he found. A sample of the original would be helpful."


    Milo shrugged. "Dying of poison isn''t the best time to judge how much strange potion to drink. Your mysterious relative didn''t leave a lot of messages for me. I only had time to read the book and look through his notes after I recovered."


    Old Healer patted him on the shoulder. "Yes. My apologies. I don''t mean to imply any fault. That is just the fatigue talking. To be so close to a cure yet unable to find the missing step. And yes, the person whose ring you wear was very eccentric. He enjoyed setting traps, leaving puzzles, and hiding clues in odd places to make his students figure things out."


    Harry was staring at the book. He pointed to a blank area. "What do you see here?" Old Healer looked at the page. "Nothing at all." Harry gestured for Boom-Boom to come take a look at the book.


    Boom-Boom took a sip of his beer, finishing it and putting the tankard on his belt. "We drink and blow stuff up. If it isn''t a formula for an explosive, I''m not really good at chemistry." He stepped forward anyway and looked at the page. "Yeah, there''s some writing here. I can barely see it."


    Harry explained. "Trolls see things differently from other races. Dwarves do as well. I have large books written in trollish runes that would be blank pages to you. Luckily, I found a small sample of Amanita Muscaria Alius as we traveled. They are known for giving a modest light in the darkness when disturbed and are also powerful psychotropics to some races. Some research has shown that most of the light they shed is not normal. Let''s see what their light reveals."


    Harry picked a small purple mushroom from his shoulder where it was growing. Concentrating on it for a moment, he gave it some of his mana and held it over the book. Writing appeared in many places. Old Healer slapped his forehead and shook his head. Some lines revealed missing bits of the recipe. Other lines were handwritten. "What sort of madmen wrote this book? The poisons are easy to make, but he hides half the cure. A curse upon all humans and especially Damien Franklin."


    Harry was scanning the formula. "If I read this correctly, we need a rare berry, ''Colored like the Sun,'' that has a sympathetic magic similar to that of the elixer. Many berries have such properties to one degree or another, and I can think of three that are orange or yellow. Gaining access to them will be difficult, but the alchemy guild in Shadowport may have some."


    Milo realized the answer was much closer. "Jellybeans. Petey said the yellow jellybeans from the oldest bush were magical and cured poison. And the elixir had a fizzy, sweet flavor to it."


    Old Healer''s eyes showed a manic excitement. "So close...!" He pulled on a cord, and Milo heard a small bell chime somewhere in the building. A moment later, Petey walked into the room. "You rang? Oh, hi, Tallsqueak." A moment later, Petey was pulling glowing candies out of his pocket. Old Healer and Harry had agreed that six of the beans needed to be added to the incomplete potion. As they were dropped into the solution one by one, the candies dissolved, and the elixir turned the bright yellow color that Milo remembered.


    Old Healer looked over at his two patients. "And now we must keep them alive for another day." He looked hopeful as he said it.


    Milo had just started to relax a bit when a roar of pure rage echoed through the Hollow. It swelled, carrying a lifetime of pain and anger, promising horrible death to whatever had wronged it. It grew louder and louder. Ratkin hid as fast as they could.


    Narwhale covered her ears. Boom-Boom''s eyes were huge. "A dragon?! Here!?" Old Healer looked stricken, knowing what the sound was. He had heard it before in the wars.


    So did Milo. "Larry! Something has happened to Larry!" He was out the door, racing away before the cry died.

 Chapter 166: Larry 1, Reality 0

    Chapter 166: Larry 1, Reality 0


    Ten students surrounded the machine Professor Arlothe was working on, holding tools, machine parts, and wire coils. The professor had declared that from now on, each day would be spent experimenting with new ways to generate electrical power and storm-aspected mana. And, of course, finding ways to unleash that power. Arlothe had awoken that morning and realized he was wasting his time doing anything else! This was how he should be serving the Hollow! He had walked through the tower, lecturing on the glories of the storm and the power of electricity, slowly gaining a following of glassy-eyed students that shared in his new vision. The ten students had followed him down and out of the tower, standing nearby, ready to assist him as he tore apart and rebuilt the generator by the waterfall.


    Throughout the next few hours, the machinery underwent a half dozen rebuilds. Some things worked, and most things didn''t. The machine was most efficient when a stave used to cast spells was wired directly to the generator, negating the need for storage. They spent a full hour launching spell after spell at the targets, not needing to recharge their mana. Then the wires in several coils fused into solid lumps of copper, and the generator froze. Arlothe let the students begin tearing it apart and took a cup of tea. He doubled over in pain as the poison hit him a moment later and smiled; his wife had left him a small reminder of her affection.


    While rebuilding the generator, a 4th-year student named Silvertip had a moment of inspiration and stole a few parts. Adding them to his staff, he found a way to double the storage capacity. This led to a competition to create the best staff, with various levels of success. The schism threatened to tear apart the group: Should they work on generating more power? Or storing more energy in their staves? Arlothe had an inspired thought. ¡°Why not both?" The students nodded; both was good.


    An expedition to his private laboratory resulted in many boxes of spare parts being brought down. The group worked concurrently on two projects: Higher mana output from the generator and larger capacity in the staves that could be plugged into it for recharging. The sound of overloading fuses and the smell of ozone wafted through the Hollow.


    Nearby, Professor Cremona was dueling with a dozen of her proteges. The strangely serious students seemed dedicated to the idea that they must train daily to protect the Hollow and conquer their enemies. They glared at the ''spark-heads'' from time to time before returning to their duels. Professor Cremona produced two baskets of cleansing cheese and poison-resistance potions. The students would need both remedies to keep them alive and dueling until their resistance levels increased.


    She had noticed her husband taking his tea and then doubling over in pain. This pleased her to no end. It was so hard to poison him after their years of dueling. While Arlothe had his head inside the generator, she snuck over again to his teapot to add another dose, not noticing the thin copper wire connected to the handle. The discharge of the powerful electrical field left her with her fur blackened and smoking and the hair on her head standing straight up. Alothe lifted his head from the generator and blew her a kiss.


    The spark-heads and the poison-claws seemed unconcerned as panicked gatherers came racing through the tunnel to the large caverns where vegetables and mushrooms grew. The ratkin running from the spiders behaved oddly as well. As soon as they were safe, they went to the mess hall to drop off the contents of their gathering sacks and then to the smaller fields inside the Hollow itself to continue picking and planting.


    Having overrun the fields and dealt with the lone guard, the spiders advanced on the Hollow and began working their way through the short tunnel, emerging near the Tower of Strife. H''Splat was jubilant. Her army was sweeping all before it. There was no reason not to move further into the lightly guarded Hollow and conquer it.


    Putting his eye to the opening, he saw Justin kill a spider and then fall to the ground as one of the giant, black spiders stung him in the back, and several more bit his legs. Spiders swarmed over him, biting and binding him in webbing. Justin fell over, and the spiders swarmed over him.


    Larry roared at them, scaring spiders, fairies, muggles, Puffyfurs, and badgers alike. A roar held a lifetime of anger and hurt as he realized he couldn''t help his brother.


    "Larry is coming, Justin!Larry will make his own hole!" The tips of his claws could just fit in the small crack, but that was enough for him to get a grip. Larry strained against the barriers between the worlds. Brinka would later explain to him that it wasn''t strength that let a Tunnlemuggle make a door; it was intent and determination. It was the need to make a door. In some places, the walls between a fae realm and someplace else became thin, and then a Tunnlemuggle could make a hole for brave fairies to explore and bring back treasures. Brinka had made many holes into this spot, wearing the barrier thin.


    Larry committed his sheer fury at the spiders and his love for his brother against the barrier, and the barrier lost. The fairies gasped as the Hero of Flower town tore a Larry-sized hole between the world of the fae and Limburger Hollow. It wasn''t a nice hole like tunnlemuggle would make; it was a jagged, glowing tear that got wider and longer as Larry strained to make a hole big enough for him to fit through. With a last effort, the tear became big enough, and Larry leaped into it, emerging a few feet in the air.


    The spiders had no idea what was happening as reality tore asunder and a half-ton of enraged Cheese Fiend turned Hero came to protect his big brother. One unlucky arachnid was killed as Larry''s feet landed on it, crushing its head and thorax. Larry grabbed a spider in each hand, squeezing and popping their heads off. He spun, and his tail lashed out at any spider nearby, breaking legs and cracking armor. Larry roared and sent hundreds of spiderlings running to find cracks to hide in.


    Behind him, Clan Puffyfur jumped through the crack with staves ready to cast spells. After a moment, all of the fairies were as well, forming a defensive spell around the ratkin spell casters and sending confusion and fear spells into the spiders. Bernie Badger stayed behind to guard the uneaten dessert.


    Larry ran to where Justin lay unmoving and screamed again at the spiders. He stood over Justin''s body, stomping spiders, slashing spiders, and bludgeoning them with his tail. His instincts told him to move on all fours and give into his rage. He was nearly lost in his rage when he heard the tiny bells the fairies wore on their wings. The sound of the bells jingling as they flew was the music Larry had heard since he became a Hero. He stood upright and glared at the horde of spiders circling him. Five small ratkin mages were at his feet, determined to help, and overhead the Fairies of Flower Town were working their magic.


    Larry danced towards the spiders, leaving his friends to protect Justin. It was Hero time.

 Chapter 167: The Battle of the Gathering Fields

    Chapter 167: The Battle of the Gathering Fields


    H''Splat hissed and screamed at her host of arachnids. "Kill it! Kill it quickly! Sting and Claw, Bite and Slash! Fill it with poison, or it will kill us all!" H''Spat had seen Cheese Fiends fight during the Mammal Rebellion and the Righteous War of Glory. The beasts were nearly unstoppable unless poisoned quickly and worn down by swarming them. They slaughtered many of the lower ranks in their frenzy, but that was far better than letting the Fiend Tenders herd them into battle and use them tactically.


    H''Spat remembered the one time a fiend had made it to a Queen. It had died to the potent poison that only a queen produced, but only after it had ripped her limb from limb along with her guards, daughters, and entourage. The standing orders in all spider armies were to swarm a fiend and tie it down, regardless of the loss of soldiers. The lower ranks could be replenished in only a season or two. It took decades for a Queen to grow to maturity, and fully half of them died to politics along the way.


    This fiend was defying the might of her army. It moved in unpredictable patterns, spinning and hopping like a manic grasshopper on bounceweed. Behind it, support mages were casting healing spells and causing confusion in her army. If it wasn''t for a tiny fact, H''Spat might have fled: The fiend was staying in one spot. It danced and dodged in a circle, protecting the little rats and fluttering things in the center. And above them was a tear in reality.v3l.Bin.


    The fiend and his strikeforce had come from it, and now they were defending it! It was the only thing that made sense. A much larger army was on the way! Or maybe the doorway led to something precious? Were they only guarding it until it could close? In either case, H''Spat knew she had to act quickly. "Send four of the largest brutes to guard the tunnel and send an assault group of spiderlings to keep the rats busy. Then all of the warriors are to attack the fiend. Work to get past him and kill the little fluttery things and mage-rats!"


    Messengers saluted and scuttled away. The spider army abandoned its attack on the Hollow to focus on the Cheese Fiend rampaging in the army''s rear.


    "I''m getting scared! Why are there so many spiders!" Sassy didn''t like little spiders, and the big ones were horrifying.


    "Just keep casting spells. Don''t let them get to us!" Another burst of static electricity rolled out in all directions, stunning the spiders for a moment. Larry leaped as it came, avoiding the blast and smooshing two spiders with his feet as he landed. Before they recovered, he spun, kicking three spiders and cracking their carapaces. Then he leaped to the other side of the circle to inflict damage on the spiders surging from that direction.


    The bodies of dead arachnids were thick on the ground, but more kept coming.


    Above Clan Puffy Fur floated four fairies who were using their magic to create barriers to slow the spiders down. Prickly bushes sprouted in a ring, ice coated the ground, and sticky taffy rained from the sky. Below, Redfawn was trying to keep Justin alive. "I''m going to need help soon. My mana is getting low, and I can''t neutralize the poison! He got bit so many times."


    "Coming!" Gingersnapple dropped next to Redfawn and poured a potion over him, buying Redfawn a moment to catch her breath. Moonflower and Tuliptoes went to the rift Larry had opened and pulled magic from Flowertown, drenching the surrounding area in Fae magic, giving both fairies and puffy furs a recharge. Cherrypit used some of the power to call forth more bramble bushes, slow the spiders and poke them in tender places.


    But even with this help, the sheer mass of spiders were starting to overcome Larry. Spider ichor was making the ground slippery, and the bodies had caused him to trip more than once. His weasel slippers were panting hard but keeping him up. Pansy yelled out. "Jump!" Larry jumped high. All five puffyfurs had linked hands and cast an overcharged spell. Thunder and lightning crashed as electrical arcs toasted spiders in a 40-foot radius. Larry came down and hopped twice to where a Black Widow Assassin was noticing that her front legs were missing from the blast. Larry punted her into the ceiling, where she was impaled on a jutting stalactite.


    The spider army paused for a second and nearly retreated. H''Spat screamed at them. "He tires! The mages must be out of mana! Now is the hour of victory!" The spiders moved to attack again.


    Milo leaped in the air, putting the spider''s body between himself and his spell. Shrapnel punctured the spider''s underside, doing minor damage, but disorienting it. It desperately cast a spell, creating a cloud of poisonous smoke that would let it scuttle away and find help. But Milo was already on top of it. The last thing H''spat saw was Shadowblight heading for her eyes, the weapon glowing in the cloud of poison and emitting a sound similar to the hissing a spider made when taunting a downed opponent.


    The noble lost three more eyes as the spikes punctured them and the rest when the weapon detonated inside her skull. She wasn''t dead yet, but Milo kept swinging until nothing was left of her head.


    ShadowBlight accepts your offer of Noble Spider Souls. You aren''t forgiven for breaking it, but this is a good start.


    Three times daily, Shadowblight will poison your enemies with a Strong Poison, doing 100 points of damage for ten rounds.


    Milo saw the notification. The tips of his weapon had a green tinge to them, and an additional spike that resembled a noble spider''s sting had been added. It seemed...content? He put the thought aside and ran to the shrinking battle.


    The spiders were in full retreat mode. Their general was dead, a Cheese Fiend was killing anything that got near him, and the rat army was advancing, throwing spell after spell. Only a fraction of them got away, and only because the mage''s staves ran out of mana.


    Milo ran to Larry. His friend was in a frenzy, stomping dead spiders and looking for live ones. He bled from many wounds, even his fiendish regeneration unable to keep up. Huge welts showed where he had been bitten, and in three places, he had been stung by nobles; their venom was still at work trying to kill him. The puffyfurs and fairies were clustered at Justin''s body, exhausted and wounded and scared. Their friend Larry was distraught, and they didn''t know how to help him. This was a scary side of him, and they didn''t know how far that side had taken over. Milo tried to get his attention.


    "Larry! Stop! It''s Over"


    Larry spun, his eyes seeing a spider and not his friend. He brought down his arms in a double-handed claw strike. Rather than block, Milo hopped to the side. Larry hopped after him, spun, and slashed with his tail. Milo hopped back, avoiding the tail strike that might have broken his neck, then forward. He turned twice and put his hands on his head. Larry tried to kick him and put his hands on his head. Milo hopped over Larry''s tail and then took two steps back. Larry hopped in the air, then hopped forward two steps, getting closer to Tallsqueak. Redfawn flew up, and bells on her wings tinkled in tune with the hopping.


    Amid thousands of dead spiders, Milo and Larry danced the Happy Hamster Hop until Larry collapsed crying on the ground. "Larry is not a hero! Larry couldn''t save Justin! Spiders got Justin. Larry''s brother is dead!" Milo suddenly realized who was under all the webbing. The fairies were still casting healing spells but looked grim. He ran to Justin and took his pulse. It was weak, but he could feel a soft flutter.


    Milo had two of the large healing potions from the caverns left. He pulled them from his ring and poured them down Justin''s throat. The guard''s pulse became stronger, but Milo knew this was a losing strategy. The poison would slowly bring his health down again unless they got Justin more help. And soon. "Larry! Justin is alive, but he''s too big for me to lift. I need a Hero to take him to the Old Healer."


    Larry looked up and ran to Justin, picking him up. "Hurry, Tallsqueak! We need to save Justin!" He raced off toward the Hollow. Milo followed him, barely able to keep up with his badly wounded friend. Milo raced after him.

 Chapter 168: Healing and Puffcakes

    Chapter 168: Healing and Puffcakes


    Milo was sure Larry wouldn''t stop at this door this time. But Larry skidded to a stop with both heals and knocked loudly. "Larry is coming in the door now; Justin needs help." Perhaps the insistence in his voice convinced them, or they didn''t want to make a new door, but someone inside opened the door, and Larry stumbled into the burrow of Old Healers clan, ducking his head as he carried Justin.


    A large woman met him in the hallway. She was young but had a no-nonsense look about her. She was also tall and well-muscled. This was no dainty Puffyfur or svelte and agile shadowskulker. This was Gendifur, and she was respected as much for her kind smile and gentle healing hands as she was feared for her stout muscles and hard-hitting fists. Only one person had ever played ''surprise'' with Gendifur. She had broken Jory¡¯s legs and nose and then happily nursed him back to health.


    She smiled at Larry. "Good job, you got him here in time. This way." Larry complied immediately, and Milo followed behind. An infirmary had been set up in what had once been a dining room. After Old Healer had bestowed his last ring to her, she had set up the infirmary and moved Bleusnout and Smiley to it. Old Healer had argued, but she had ignored him and done as she pleased, taking over their care and telling him to spend his time finishing the elixir. After she left, the old man relaxed and poured himself a glass of wine. Not being in charge felt wonderful.


    She looked at Milo. "You. Use those sharp claws to cut this web off of him, it contains some poison, and we need him free of it, and his fur washed. Someone get me a bucket of water and suds and get started." Milo complied, carefully pulling off the webbing and cutting where he had to. Luckily a lot of it was stuck to Justin''s armor. After everything was off of Justin, Gendifur began working on each bite and sting. The stings were the worst. The wounds were weeping pus and black ooze, the skin around them already damaged. Milo remembered having one such wound and nearly dying.


    Gendifur had a bowl of mashed roots and mushrooms and was spooning the mixture onto Justin''s wounds and binding them. She was instructing other healers as she went, and Milo listened in. "This mixture will draw out and absorb the poisons. The poultices need to be changed every two hours and every thirty minutes for the stings. Those wounds need this mixture; it''s mostly mashed Golden Puffball with 1 in 10 parts garlic if you need to make more. It''s very effective, but we don''t have much of it."


    Milo looked over at Larry; he was sitting in a corner, shaking. "I''ll treat Larry." Gendifur looked at Larry, "Thank you, that would be best. He went over to Larry, told him what he was doing, and started wrapping his wounds. Larry had so much poison in him that Milo had to change the bandages immediately. The poultice drew out the poison and turned black within only a few minutes.


    Larry opened one eye, the other was swollen shut. "Larry hurts, Tallsqueak."


    "We''ll keep changing your bandages, Larry. You''ll get better." Milo wasn''t entirely sure that was true. He could tell that Larry''s body was fighting the poison, but he was shaking and had a fever.


    Larry reached over to the bowl of mashed Golden Puffballs, picked it up, and licked it clean. Gendifur sent over another bowl for Tallsqueak to use. "Larry, that isn''t for eating; it''s to make you well."


    Larry rolled his eyes. "Larry thinks that if Puffballs can make medicine for the outside, they can make medicine inside of Larry. We should have some Puffcakes for dinner, Tallsqueak."


    They were back at Old Healers¡¯ office within an hour, and Milo explained his theory.


    "Bleusnout didn''t have much time. He knew Rifkin had poisoned him. He grabbed the one ingredient that he knew could cure him."


    Harry cleared his throat. "I have found something that ties into your theory. The origin of the Golden Puffballs and why they are so hard to grow. They must be grown in a cave where they can share mycelium with a poisonous species, Red Spotted Eye-Rot. Very bad, that one. The curious thing is, until now, they have only been found in caves with a ring of mushrooms that the Fae planted as a gateway to their lands. Is there such a thing in this hollow?"


    Milo looked at Old Healer. "Where did the Hollow get the Jelly Bean bushes?" The old rat shrugged. "Unknown. You''d have to ask the person you got that ring from and his great-grandfather. But it seems obvious that there is some link between Limburger Hollow and a Fae Realm. And that may be our salvation. This elixir cured you and hopefully will cure others."


    Milo got up. "Well, the current link to the Fae is sitting in the corner of the infirmary. I need to ask Larry about some of his Flowertown stories, and then I need to cook breakfast. I think the Hollow needs a double helping of Puffcakes."


    Old Healer looked at the slowly fermenting Lesser Elixir Vitae. "That is an excellent idea. Anything that can help people recover from the spider cheese or keep them alive for another day is worth trying. And I''m hungry. Be sure to bring a few stacks for myself and Dr. Earthtongue."


    Harry looked over at Milo. "Many stacks. I had puffcakes once in my youth and look forward to trying them again."


    As fast as the spider army had come, it retreated. Left behind were hundreds of spider corpses and dozens of wounded ratkin. A few would not recover from the poisoned wounds. Several were already dead from the stings of nobles. Arlothe and Cremona coordinated helping the wounded into the Hollow, where they could get healing.


    Clan Puffy Fur and the fairies were still in the center of the cavern, clustered around a glowing fissure in reality. Redfawn cautioned the young mages to keep their distance. "A Larry door is different from a door opened by a tunnlemuggle. This one may stay open for a long time! And going through it could be very rough. We''ll need to use the door in Larry''s house to go home."


    The thorn bushes around the door were fading. But a double-thick ring of other bushes were growing, planted by the fairies to help stabilize the door. Already, small green jellybeans were growing on them. Redfawn had planted two Sassafras trees, one on either side of Larry''s Door. They''d grow tall in a week, forming an arch with their branches and giving boundaries for the door. The Hero of Flower Town woundn''t have any problems fitting through this door.

 Chapter 169: "Magic Cheese"

    Chapter 169: "Magic Cheese"


    Vary raced up the tunnels between Limburger Hollow and Shadowport. Sledemonky needed a scouting report. If there were more humans on the way, they needed to know. The route was easy to follow, and his goggles augmented his usually good vision, making the tunnel appear brightly lit.


    Halfway up, he saw the camp of the human raiders. Only a few of them were there, drinking, complaining about lost and broken gear, and arguing about what to do next. Many players had abandoned the raid, and the rest seemed divided on what to do next. Vary crept close and listened to their plans. This group seemed experienced in ''Losing all of our gear'' and already had plans to re-equip each person and head back down to the ratkin area to either finish off the caravan or get back the gear trapped in their graves.


    Vary headed back down the tunnels and raced into the Hollow. He put on a burst of speed as he ran across the outer cave. The collision with something shocked him; nothing had been in his way! He and someone else went tumbling across the rocky floor. Vary was severely bruised; his mechanical armor took a beating and protected him. Not so the poor ratkin he had run over. Vary had heard the snapping of bones as they collided and now heard their pitiful cries of the person.


    Vary stood up, feeling empty and guilty. He should have been paying more attention to where he was running! He was only an apprentice engineer; what if they kicked him out? Sledgemonkey and Justin were running over. To Vary''s surprise, the older Engineer slapped him on the back hard. "Nice work. Justin''s been looking for this one for the last couple of hours." The guard nodded and smiled as he tied up the injured ratkin, ignoring his protests and cries of pain. "That''s right. It was driving me crazy. I kept hearing his breathing when he got close, but I couldn''t find him. Now that is some darn fine skulking, yessir! But you ran up and found him easy. Tall-Squeak will be happy we finally found him."


    "You can''t do this to me! I''m the Cheese Master! Do as I say! This is all the dwarves'' fault. That one struck me from behind. I demand you let me go and allow our friends from the caravan into the Hollow!" Rifkin was yelling at Brutus, but his words weren''t affecting the glassy-eyed guard.


    Brutus finished tying Rifkin up and propped him against the wall in a sitting position. "Funny, Master Tall-Squeak warned me you''d say exactly that. But you aren''t a Master. Masters have rings. So you sit there quietly until he gets back." Rifkin ignored the part about being quiet and kept up a constant stream of complaints until Brutus gagged him.


    "Told you to be quiet! A good guard needs to catch the sneaky guys, and I can''t do that with you rambling on and on about nothing." Brutus went back to listening carefully and guarding the tunnel. Rifkin sat and fumed to himself. Baracuda and the spider were quietly drinking buckets of beer and telling exaggerated stories about their adventures.


    The mess hall was a chaotic mess. There was a long line of hungry ratkin that went out the large doors and looped around the outside wall. More of them sat at the tables, or on the floor, grumbling. No one was cooking or making food. Rifkin''s crew of players had abandoned the job.


    First was the problem with the cheese. The bags containing small chunks of spider cheese had gone missing. They argued over and over about whose job it had been to watch them, how many bags were there, and whether or not they''d just run out and not noticed how much they were using. They were confused by eating some of the cheese and had trouble deciding. MickyD tried to get into the cheese hoard downstairs, but the doors were locked.


    MightyMarmot tried his hand at making regular pancakes. After making a dozen burned and lumpy pancakes, he gave up. They argued more but agreed on one thing: They''d joined Rifkin for big rewards and a chance to fight in his ''Glorious Revolution.'' They''d gotten neither.


    They''d had much more fun learning to fight and adventuring in the mines. They ate some of the horrible pancakes, ignored the line of hungry ratkin, and went back to the arena. The place was packed with both experienced and beginning tail-fighters. Gilad was happy to see them. "Ah, more of my students come to learn the ancient secrets of fighting. I appoint each of you as ''Leader of two claws. You will be given ten students each to work with. We will drill the basics, then move to small unit tactics and a few ten-on-ten battles. Begin!"


    Blackwhisker was happy for the recognition. "Finally, someone rewards us for our hard work. Let''s each grab a gang and get to work."


    Milo and his best scouts arrived at the mess hall to find it in chaos. Hundreds of hungry people were waiting, and no one was serving food. "We need to start feeding people, or we''ll never be able to cook up the puffcakes we need. What other ways can we make pancakes?" Milo was hazy about how food was made if it didn''t come from a food processor.


    The twins looked at each other and licked their lips.


    "Cheezey Pancakes."


    "Just like mama makes."


    They found a large cookbook and opened it to a well-used spot in the large book.


    "Mushroom floor, sugar..."


    "Yeasty water to make them fluffy."


    "Butter and oil mixed for good frying."


    The healer considered. "Be careful. We''re in unknown territory here. If he reacts badly, you''ll need to use cheese to lure him out of this room. But I think the chance is small. Do you need cheese?"


    "No, I have some, and we''ll be careful." Moving back to Larry, he explained things to him. "Heroes use a lot of energy when they have big fights. They need cheese to help them get better. Gendifur says it''s ok for you to have some cheese."


    Larry''s eyes got big. "YES! Cheese for Larry!" Everyone looked over. Larry waved to them and sat looking at Tall-Squeak. Milo had gotten two messages in the past weeks, but had declined to take delivery, saving them. Both had said the same thing, asking if he wished to be given his latest shipment. He clicked the box next to last month''s delivery, and a small basket appeared between him and Larry.


    Best wishes to you, and we hope you enjoy this month''s offerings from the


    Imperial Cheese of the Month Club.


    Every month we''ll bring you a small basket of the finest fromage the emperor has to offer straight from his personal cheese vault in the caverns beneath the palace.


    This month we are sending you the following:


    Six chunks of a 20-year-old Cave Cheese made by the trolls of the Iron Mountains. It''s pretty tough to chew but has an exquisite flavor and goes a long way.


    Eight ounces of Emmental, aged for five years.


    And a wheel of 4-week-old Jack Cheese, made by Jack himself. It''s a little smokey, but we think you''ll love it.


    As always, we include just enough tasty crackers, a tube of ''I can''t believe it''s not Cheese-Whiz,'' a small but very sharp cheese knife, and a lovely oak and steel cheese slicer for precise cuts. ENJOY!


    "MAGIC CHEESE!"


    Everyone turned to watch Larry clapping his hands with delight as the cheese appeared. Tall-Squeak gave Larry a piece of the Emmental on a cracker, which he chewed slowly and with much delight. This was followed by a piece of Jack Cheese and then a chunk of the hard Cave Cheese. Larry gnawed on it, even his teeth having difficulty chewing it.


    Milo put the rest of the cheese aside for later. Larry seemed relaxed, but he didn''t want to push things too hard. Gendifur came over and checked on Larry. "He''s doing fine. His pulse is steady, with no excitement. If anything, I think he''s calmer now that his body has the fuel to fight off the poison. I make sure to see that everyone gets a good dose of cheddar tonite to jumpstart their regeneration." Larry was slowly nodding off to sleep with a small smile.


    She looked at Milo. "And that includes you. You need cheese as much as Larry." She looked at him suspiciously. "You don''t seem affected at all by that poison you''re wiping off of Larry. Why? Even I''m feeling it, just being near him."


    Milo tried to explain quickly. "I was wounded by poison and drank a lot of the Elixer I found. Too much, according to Old Healer. He said I might have died if I hadn''t been poisoned so badly." Gendifur felt his fur. "The poison must have nearly killed you and eaten away your flesh and bones. The Elixer saved you and has suffused your body. I wonder..."


    She was looking at Milo strangely. He was nervous. "Wonder what?"


    "Hmm, this is Healer Talk, but there is a part of your bones that make blood, I know that sounds strange, but some spells have confirmed it."


    Milo nodded. "I know about that. Bone Marrow produces the stem cells that create red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. I have solid bones from my magic. Does that gives me stronger marrow and blood production? I wonder if there''s a way to test that?"


    Gendifur was wondering where Tallsqueak had studied healing, and what else he knew. But she was delighted to answer his question and smiled at him. "Why, of course, there is. I''ll get my needles. Thanks for volunteering."

 Chapter 170: Blood work

    Chapter 170: Blood work


    Things were strange in the Hollow.


    The spider cheese that nearly everyone had eaten narrowed their world to their responsibilities and work. Gathering mushrooms and picking vegetables resumed immediately. The Hollow needed the food, and for many of its inhabitants, it was all they could think of to do. But they were cautious of spiders. The groups of ratkin stayed together, and fairies and students from the Tower of Strife patrolled the far end of the caverns. If spiders appeared, everyone was ready to retreat quickly to the safety of the Hollow.


    Professors Arlothe and Cremona made sure that nothing could invade through the small tunnel leading to the Hollow. The entire cave could now be electrified in a robust static field that would fry spiderlings and slowly kill the warriors and nobles. Traps were set that would spew poisons tailored to have maximum effects on arachnids, and as a last-ditch precaution, the entire tunnel would blow up. This was Boom-Booms contribution. "No tunnel? No problem!"


    Unknowingly, the dwarves had caused a crisis of faith in some of the students. They had always assumed the superiority of magic over muscle. Seeing Narwhale''s cannon spewing death and fire forced them to include explosives in the conversation. There was a lot of destructive evidence to say that dwarven artillery might give fireballs a run for their money. An impromptu demonstration by ''Professor Boom!'' of what a quarter stick of cataclysmite could do had impressed many students.


    After setting up the explosive traps in the tunnel, Narwhale and her new husband explored until they found the mines. Work was still being done to seal off the unused tunnels the spiders had invaded through. The dwarves were happy to help, and several explosions later, the only entrance to the cathedral was through the Hollow.


    After setting up his explosives, Boom-Boom explored the area of mines that branched off the larger cave the ratkin called the cathedral. He found the large veins of Deep Copper and other metals that the Hollow considered worthless. Narwhale watched him move from one area to the next, feeling the walls, sniffing the piles of ore, and collecting samples. "Good stuff?"


    Boom-Boom nodded slowly. "Damned good stuff. And lots of it. Rebuilding the Queen will take a thousand tons of Deep Copper. We might find it all right here! It will take a lot of work just to get started. And there are small veins of other metals as well. The Hollow doesn''t have a way to smelt and use the better ores, so they''ve mined around them for years. There''s a huge amount of mineral wealth here. A lot of work to do, setting up some ore processors and a power source, not to mention laying tracks through the mines. But first, we need to get a brewery going. Can''t mine without beer!"


    Narwhale patted her cannon. "And we can''t put in a brewery until things settle down. Lot''s of odd stuff going on. Speaking of which, let''s wander back and check up on Baracuda. She''s probably drunker than a goblin at a funeral with an open bar, and she can''t shoot straight when she''s sober, let alone after a bucket of beer."


    Gendifur returned to the infirmary with a large sewing basket filled with thread, knives, scissors, ointments, and needles of all sizes. She also had a toolbox filled with more odds and ends, including some very sharp saws and large barber''s razors. Several ratkin nearby retreated but watched with curiosity.


    Milo was slightly nervous but also intrigued. "You use all that as a healer?"v3l.Bin.


    Gendifur stood up and grabbed Milo by the arm. "Let''s get to work. I need to drain some of your blood, then get some spells on you to get you started making more. Eat the rest of that cheese, sit back and relax while I do all the hard work." Milo noticed she wasn''t asking a question. But if it helped Larry, it was worth it. Plus...cheese! He''d been trying not to eat it, and now he was told to stuff himself on a half basket of it on doctor''s orders.


    Gendifur put another needle into his arm, but this time it was hooked to a thin tube that ran to a glass jar. "This will feel odd. I will use a small blood rune to pull the blood out of you. It should tingle." She cast a spell, and Milo saw the rune appear briefly on the hollow bone needle in his arm. Blood began to fill the jar.


    "What rune is that? It looks like the fluid-control runes the Engineers use."


    The healer watched the jar carefully and snapped her fingers at some point, causing the rune to disappear. She pulled out the needle and bandaged him before answering. "Just a minor blood rune to move your blood from your vein to the tube. If I was to use an engineering rune it might drain you dry in a second. This is easier and quicker than setting up a pump."


    "Now, drink this. You need fluids." She handed him a large glass of fruit juice. Milo drank as he watched her work on Larry''s wounds. He picked up and examined one of her large, hollow needles. It was made of very hard bone and sharpened to a wicked looking tip. Concentrating, he saw that someone had reinforced the bone with runes. He recognized the rune for Hard Bones. "Who made these?"


    "Different people over the last several decade. Each healer passes down their tools to the next. Good tools are hard to find. Brutus told me you have some bone magic? When this is over, I want you to help me make needles for all the junior healers. Lots of contribution points and I''m sure you can understand why making all the healers happy can pay off." Milo nodded, that made sense to him. Healers needed tools the way Engineers need tools. He liked making things better and more efficient. And he wanted a good look at every piece of bone in the Hollow.


    Gendifur used a small amount of his blood on each of Larry''s stings and then, with much difficulty, put a needle into Larry''s arm. "I swear, this is worse than treating Brutus. Larry is tougher than either Brutus or Justin now. The price he paid was too high, though." Milo saw the last of his blood drain into Larry''s arm, again with the use of a blood rune.


    "And now we wait. Both to see if Larry gets better and for you to make more blood. You should be fine to give a little more in about six hours. Get some rest until then."


    Before Milo could relax, a healer at the other end of the room screamed for Gendifur. "I need help, Genny; I''m out of mana, and his pulse is dropping." Milo could see that they were talking about Bleusnout. Gendifur cast several spells, using up most of her mana. She turned to Milo, a question in her eyes. "We''re losing him."


    Milo only hesitated a moment. "I have powerful bones and a belly full of cheese, and I walk back from death quickly. Take what you need for Bleusnout and Smiley, and don''t worry about me."

 Chapter 171: This will hurt a lot!

    Chapter 171: This will hurt a lot!


    There were worse things than death, Milo thought to himself. He looked back fondly at the Snake when it had squeezed him to death or bitten his head off. Afterward, he took a break in the real world, got jobs done, woke up at his camp, and started plotting revenge.


    Being the test subject for experimental medicine was less fun. Despite telling her he wasn''t worried about dying, Gendifur scoffed at the idea. "I don''t care if you''re a player, a lawyer, or a wizard and can laugh at death and walk out quickly; you don''t get to die on me. That would mean I let you die, a mockery of my healer''s oath. And it would be wasteful. I can heal more people by keeping you on the edge of death and draining blood out of you every hour."


    She said this as she smiled and jabbed him again with a needle. "Now eat that cheddar, drink your berry juice, and try to relax. Do you need a warm blanket? Yell for me if you need more cheese or think you''re dying. I need to give Bleusnout and Smiley another dose. They have responded well to the treatment and might even live until tomorrow."


    Leaving Milo to experience more of the joy of hypovolemic shock, she walked off to try and keep her three worst-off patients alive.


    Justin''s wounds had been treated the same way as Larry''s. The big guard was sleeping soundly now. Larry had walked over to where Justin lay on a cot, patted his head, and then moved the cot close to Tallsqueak so he could sit next to both of them at once. Larry''s recovery had been nothing less than miraculous. Cheese and Fiendish Regeneration had overtaken the venom in his system, aided by his high resistance to poisons, toxins, and venom that his Fiendish Resistance granted him. "Larry thinks Tallsqueak needs more cookies. Auntie Irma gave Larry a whole bag. We can share." Milo wasn''t hungry at first, but under his friend''s urging managed to eat a few cookies and drink more of his fruit juice. He was also rapidly recovering, but somehow Gendifur always knew when he could donate more blood and came for him like some smiling vampire. The consolation was he saw how many people she could cure with each jar of his Elixir enhanced blood. The infirmary was almost empty; only a half dozen of the worst patients were left, including Bleusnout, Smiley, and a badly injured Helen Brownfur.


    This was the fourth time that Milo had donated blood. Gendifur checked him constantly after the first time and used a spell Milo had never heard of before to track how much blood flowed through him. "These have been passed down through our clan for ages. Mistress Milzners Very Excellent Rune of Diagnostics, Bejack''s Rune of Flowing Blood, Nessy''s Restoration, And, of course, CountEchse''s Ray of Fracture Finding. Not everything magic gets taught over in the Tower of Strife."


    She had also brought over two of her student healers to help her with some testing. Milo regretted being curious about his bone marrow. Gendifur produced a hand-cranked drill with a very narrow drill bit of hardened bone. She strapped down his left arm and made a small incision, then a deeper one, until she looked at his upper arm''s bare bone. "You weren''t kidding about thick bones. Your humerus is 50% thicker than normal. Let''s see how tough it is. This will hurt some."


    Milo translated the last statement: "This will hurt a lot!"


    Gendifur tried several times to drill into the bone, then gave up. "This is ridiculous! What are your bones made of?"


    "Old bone, reinforced with ancient runes and a lot of magic. But let me see what I can do." He''d never tried manipulating his bones this way, but in theory, it should be the same as working on any other bone. After a minute, he felt he''d made a small opening in his bone just under the tip of Gendifur''s needle. "Try now."


    The drill penetrated easily, and Gendifur retrieved a small sample of his marrow.


    She examined it with several spells, becoming more and more puzzled. "There is more magic in this than in your blood! Good to know. We can take more blood." She extracted a little more, then used a spell to close the wound. "Larry, keep feeding him cheese and cookies. It would be best if you ate as much as Tallsqueak does. And if Justin wakes up, get some cheese into him." She walked away to care for Smiley and Bleusnout.


    Gendifur was getting desperate. Justin was out of trouble, but there was something very wrong with Bleusnout and Smiley. Justin and Larry had taken many wounds, but healing had started within minutes of the fight ending. Whatever had been used to poison the two cheese makers had been given days to sicken them before they got any help. She knew that each had been given large doses of Milbenkase, the spider cheese. There was also Black Mold in their lungs, blood, and at least one other type of poison. Giving them each a hefty dose of Tallsqueak''s blood had helped keep them alive.


    She had examined his blood with her spells and found curious things. As expected, his blood was rich in the little red food bringers, and he had a large number of white protectors. She hadn''t expected the glowing yellow sparkles that danced around the protectors. She suspected something had changed in the marrow of his suspiciously large and complex bones, but didn''t have time to experiment. She was going to take a chance to save her two dying patients.


    As she had with Tallsqueak, she made an incision in Smiley to expose his bone, then drilled into it so she could extract a sample of his marrow.


    It was terrible, she could tell immediately. Something was attacking his bones. They were soft, and his marrow wasn''t producing new food bringers or protectors. According to some of her older relatives, what she did next was probably against the healer''s oath. It was nice to be Master Healer and not have to ask permission to do something. She injected the samples of marrow she''d taken from Tallsqueak into four of Smiley''s bones. Then she gave him an entire pint of Tallsqueaks blood. Sometimes you used a needle as a healer, and sometimes you needed a hammer. Gendifur needed a hammer, or these two would be dead soon.


    Bleusnout was worse! The sample she took from him showed Black Mold was growing inside his bones! She looked over to where Tallsqueak was talking with Larry. A strong soul could walk back from death, but she''d never seen it. Was he really that confident that he could return? She debated the question''s ethics while checking Smiley''s pulse every two minutes. His heartbeat was getting stronger, and he was breathing easier.


    Suddenly his eyes opened, and he stared at her. "Gendifur?..." His voice was barely a whisper. She bent lower. Smiley''s lips curled into the signature expression that had given him his nickname. "I always knew when the Angel of Death came for me; it would look like you!" He tried to laugh but grimaced in pain. "Oh, my mistake. I''m alive. If I were dead this wouldn''t hurt so much."


    Gendifur shook her head and handed him a bowl of soft curds. "Eat that. If you can joke, you can eat some cheese."


    Smiley nodded. "And then some cheddar and a nice nap?"


    Gendifur smiled, and it wasn''t angelic at all. "And then I take some blood samples and tell Old Healer you''re awake so he can come to ask some interesting questions. And then maybe some cheddar. But you''re lucky. I have someone else to go torture first."


    "Tallsqueak? Larry has questions about Blue Boxes. Does Tallsqueak know about Blue Boxes?"


    Milo was trying to eat a bowl of curds Gendifur had brought him. His stomach felt queasy after she drilled into more of his bones and extracted bits of his bone marrow. He was also down another pint of blood. The curds were easy to eat, and she''d promised him some slices of grana Padano as a reward after he finished his bowl. He was sure he''d never have survived this ordeal without eating so much cheese.


    You will always be welcome in Flowertown, as will your friends from the Hollow. Brinka will be happy to make a Larry-sized door whenever you want to visit. You may spend points to gain favors granted by the grateful Fae.


    You have randomly gained one minor Fae Boon!


    Perk: Fiendish Regeneration becomes Perk: Heroic Regeneration


    Perk: Fiendish Resistance becomes Perk: Heroic Resistance


    Skill: Chase Prey is replaced by Skill: Catch the Bad Guys!


    You have purchased the following:


    Fae Trickery: You have gained +3 INT


    Ancient Wisdom: You have gained +3 WIS


    Finesse and Style: You have gained +3 DEX


    Endless Grace: You have gained +3 AGI


    See the Unseen: You have gained +3 PER


    Perk: Heroic Regeneration is upgraded from Fiendish Regeneration


    Perk: Heroic Resistance is upgraded from Fiendish Resistance


    Perk: Heroic Strength is upgraded from Fiendish Strength


    Gain Skill: Flower Arrangement (INT)


    Gain Skill: Nature Appreciation (WIS)


    Gain Skill: Proper Manners (CHR)


    Gain Skill: Ribbons and Bows! (DEX)


    Gain Aspect: Magic of the Fae (CHR)


    Gain Minor Fae Boon: Weasel Breeding


    Weasels like to dance! More weasels mean more dancing. With enough dancing, your Adorable Baby Weasel Slippers will attract more Weasel Slippers!


    Gain Heroic Boon: Larry is coming!


    Someone is in trouble, and Larry knows they need help!

 Chapter 172: Smiling

    Chapter 172: Smiling


    Old Healer was very interested in hearing what Smiley had to say and came immediately, the hulking form of Harry following behind. Larry picked up Tallsqueak''s cot and put it next to Smiley, then put Justin next to Tallsqueak. Several people noticed how easily Larry did this, carefully walking through the infirmary with a grace he had never had before.


    Larry looked different. The changes were initially subtle but became very apparent over the next hour. He was walking upright with ease, and his hands and feet were smaller. His eyes were much closer to each other in size, although one was green and the other blue. His teeth were the most significant change. Larry had always had too little mouth for how many large fangs were fighting for space. They stuck out at odd angles, and he had never been able to close his mouth. That had changed. The largest fangs had fallen out or been pulled out by Larry when they got loose. Gendifur had given him a small bag to put them in. The remaining teeth were working together now. Larry could chew normally and smile. He was very happy about that.


    "Larry likes smiling!" Smiley gave him a thumbs up, nearly too tired to smile himself.


    The fairies had come into the infirmary in a flutter of wings, already knowing about Larry''s official Hero status. They had immediately started brushing his fur clean and making sure he had enough ribbons and flowers attached to him, as appropriate for his status as a Hero.


    Old Healer sat next to Smiley. "We need a few answers. How were you poisoned?"


    Smiley looked extremely sad. "Well, that would be Charlotte. She stuck a knife in my back and whispered ''surprise,'' and I couldn''t move. But Rif was the one who told her to do it. We were talking about stuff, and suddenly they both got real serious about this crazy plan of Rif''s to take over the Hollow and run things. Rif has always wanted to be Cheese Master; everyone knew that. But he wasn''t good at things and screwed up sometimes. He was always trying to skip steps and get things done quickly. He made a mess of things more than once."


    The old rat nodded. "And Bleusnout noticed?"


    Old Healer looked pained. "We were too trusting of Rifkin and to quick to judge Bleusnout. But time enough for regrets later. Did Bleusnout ever mention a cheese caravan?"


    Smiley shook his head. "No, other than wishing we were near one of the main trading routes. He said the only way we''d ever get a regular caravan to show up here was if we sent out our own and could welcome it back! But wagons and beasts cost a lot of cheddar. The few times we got caravans to visit, we had to make some costly deals. After a while, it didn''t seem worth it."


    Old Healer nodded to Milo, then turned to Smiley. "Thank you, Smiley, you have confirmed many things and helped us fill in the holes. I leave you in Gendifur''s care. Conserve your strength; we will have stronger medicine for you tomorrow. Others can tell you what is happening."


    Smiley relaxed and lay back on his pillow. "Yeah, this puppy is tuckered out. Say, who do you have running the mess hall?"


    Ringtail and Tweedle chose that moment to come into the room bearing huge stacks of puffcakes and cheeseycakes on platters.


    Smiley stared, then rolled his eyes. Larry sniffed the air. "Cheesy cakes? Larry is very hungry again."


    "Hey, save some of that grub for brave guards who have captured dangerous sneaky guys." Brutus walked into the room with Rifkin tied up and gagged over his shoulder. "Your dwarf friend Vary caught him, Tallsqueak, but I tied him up and brought him over after I was off shift." He tossed Rifkin down to the floor near Old Healer, who had a gleam in his eye that boded ill for the assistant cheese master. Smiley wasn''t looking happy to see him either.

 Chapter 173: A delicate mix of strength, torture, and compassion

    Chapter 173: A delicate mix of strength, torture, and compassion


    Gangrene paced back and forth in the tent, irritable. The three squad leaders and Grackle were wary of saying anything. The general was prone to violence even in a good mood. The human attack had injured him badly, with so many of their mages and archers focusing their fire on him. Potions, cheese, and regeneration were doing what they could to put him back together. The pain of his wounds and the hunger accompanied by rapid healing made him irritable and dangerous. "This has been a disaster from the start. Scouting reports failed miserably at finding out this Hollow''s defensive strength. They should have been crushed by the spider raid and be happy for us to march in and kill off the eight leggers. Obviously, that didn''t happen. And Rifkin is late getting back to us with better information."


    The leader of the first squad ventured a question. "Is it possible they have some treaty with the spiders? The appearance of that large, mechanical monster is suspicious."


    Gangrene paused. "Possible, yes. Likely? No. Even my dealings with the spider clans have shown they can''t be trusted. The machine the dwarves are feeding beer to is known to me. An outcast the clans wanted dead and duped into leading the first raid. I assume the main spider army is still out there, scouting and waiting to attack. That''s the only way the first raid failed so miserably. They sent in their outcasts, and the hammer blow is yet to fall."


    Larry looked at Rifkin. "Rifkin is sad and having a bad day. Larry can tell. Maybe if Rifkin weren''t a SNEAKYBADGUY! he wouldn''t be so sad!"


    Something clicked in Milo''s brain. According to Larry, there were sneaky guys, bad guys, badsneaky guys, and many other types of villains. But there had been some specific times that Larry had used the term ''sneakybadguy'' and said it that way.


    "Larry, who gave you too much cheese when you wanted to be strong?"


    Larry looked at him with sad eyes and shook his head. Old Healer was looking at Rifkin. "Newly made Cheese Fiends are very malleable and are often forced to bond with the person who gives them the cheese. They can''t disobey some orders and may not remember what happened correctly."


    Larry was hopping from one foot to the other. "Yes, that is what happened to Larry. Rifkin gave Larry cheese so he could be strong like Justin and be a guard! So much cheese! Larry remembers all the flavors, and he got so strong! But Rifkin was a sneakybadguy and made Larry forget things and not be able to tell everyone that Rifkin gave Larry the cheese. So Larry doesn''t."


    Rifkin hissed through his gag and glared at Larry. Larry said, "Oops, sorry, Sneakybadguy, Larry remembers some things better, and now he forgets that he must not say that...."


    Everyone was very quiet as Larry stood there, thinking hard. He turned to Rifkin. "Larry is a Hero now, and Larry doesn''t have to do what RifkinSneakyBadGuy says anymore! Rifkin should remember that the next time he thinks he is being sneaky. Larry will know, and Larry will catch him!"


    Rifkin was trying to squirm under Smiley''s cot and away from Larry. Smiley turned his head. "You go hide somewhere else. I don''t like you anymore, either!" Rifkin looked around the circle of ratkin and saw no sympathy. Old healer started to say something but was interrupted by Gendifur. She had heard what Smiley and Larry had said, and she was a very angry healer.


    One not-so-dainty hand grabbed Rifkin by the scruff of his neck, and the other ripped off his gag. "You gave little Larry cheese?! You turned him into a fiend?!"


    "I am the Cheese Master! You can''t do this to me! I will give cheese to whoever I want! You can prove nothing! Put me down, woman." Brutus rolled his eyes, and several people looked alarmed. No one intervened as Gendifur slammed Rifkin into a wall three times.


    Smiley nodded. "Yes, she is a delicate mix of strength, torture, and compassion."


    Brutus looked at her and got misty-eyed. "And she''s all mine."


    Smiley whispered to Tallsqueak. "Brave Man!"


    Larry was sitting near Justin, holding a Cheesy Pancake near his nose. Justin sniffed twice and then opened his mouth slightly. Larry pushed the pancake in. Justin swallowed and opened his mouth. Larry happily fed his big brother Cheesy pancakes until the plate was empty. Then Justin opened his eyes and looked around. Larry hugged him quite tightly. "Justin is awake!"


    Justin mumbled something that might have been, "Yes, I am awake. Good job, Larry." Or it might have been, "I can''t breathe, and why does your fur smell like lilacs?" Eventually, Larry released his big brother, who sank wearily back into his bed. Gendifur took his pulse and stuck a piece of cheddar into his mouth. "Eat this; you need it. You got bit dozens of times."


    Justin chewed on the cheese. "Yeah, I didn''t expect to make it out of that one alive. What happened?"


    Larry patted Justin on the head. "Big Brother Justin is a hero. Killed lots of spiders. Larry was in Flowertown and heard the fight and came and stomped spiders who hurt Justin! Spiders all smushed. Fairies and Puffyfurs and Tallsqueak all helped."


    Tallsqueak added, "All true. Larry killed hundreds of spiders and carried you back. Both you and Larry almost died."


    Justin took in Larry''s bandaged form, the fluttering fairies, and how different he looked. "It sounds like Larry was the Hero then."


    Larry nodded. "Larry and Justin can be heroes together, now."


    Larry turned his head suddenly, listening. "Someone is Sad! Larry needs to go be a Hero!" The fairies flew after him.


    Milo turned to Brutus. "I need to go talk to Gangrene."


    The guard nodded. "Right behind you, Scout Master."

 Chapter 174: Someone is Sad

    Chapter 174: Someone is Sad


    Buttercup was sad, and she wanted to play a game. She and Rosie had been in their carts for days and days and days. They had only had fun the time the big rock thing had come to play, and they were told to kill it. And that other time when lots and lots of humans came to play. That should have been a longer playtime. They weren''t nearly done, and the humans were still standing with all their parts. But the big, loud, bangiteybangbangboom noises started. She and Rosie ran back, hid in their carts, and didn''t come out until Grackle offered them food and hit them with the prod. It was a long time since the humans, and she was very itchy. Playing with Rosie and her doll would make her not-itchy. Or some cheese for dinner. Or killing something and listening while it made funny noises. She clawed at her cage until Grackle yelled at her to stop.


    Rosie was sad and wanted her doll. Mama had given the doll to her, and she missed mama. Mama went away a long time ago, and she only remembered mama because of her doll. Grackle was upset that she tried to get out of her cage to play with Rosie and punished her by taking it away this morning. She''d been quiet since then, laying still like she was ambushing prey. But he hadn''t given her doll back! And she was hungry for cheese. She could smell lots of cheese; it was all around, but none for her. She only got cheese when Grackle gave it to her. Asking for more would get blows from the prod. She didn''t like the prod.


    Larry sniffed the air, trying to find the sad person, but it didn''t help. Many people were sad in the Hollow, making it hard to sniff for them. But he could find sad people other ways now; he just had to think hard. That was easier. More INT was better. Tallsqueak had been right! Tallsqueak was very smart, and now Larry was smarter. He thought for a moment, and he knew. Two little girls were sad and crying. Larry pointed to the way out of the Hollow. "This way." His fairy friends followed him out of the Hollow and into the big cave. Old Larry had been told not to leave the Hollow, but that didn''t matter now. New Larry had new rules. Helping sad people was more important than following old rules.


    There were people in the cave, just past the entrance. Samuel was there. He was one of the new guards and friends with Justin, which made him Larry''s friend too. "Hi, Samuel. Larry and his friends are doing Hero stuff." Samuel nodded. He was a good guard, staring straight ahead and keeping watch. Tallsqueaks friends were here too. They were having fun drinking beer and laughing. Larry waved to them, and they all waved back. Except for the friend on the spider. She wasn''t moving anymore, and the funny spider was making sleepy noises too. Tallsqueak had told him about the funny spider and made him promise not to squoosh her or tear off her legs.


    Across the cavern was the caravan full of badsneakyguys. Rifkin had brought them. Larry didn''t like them or their spider cheese. Since they were bad guys, Larry would use Stealth. Stealth was a Hero skill that let him sneak up on badguys or sneakybadguys.?v€l?1n.


    Larry looked at the tinkly-twinkly fairies making noise with their wings and little lights. "Larry will use Stealth to get close to sad little girls. Can fairy friends be quieter?"


    Redfawn giggled. "Fairies don''t get seen if they don''t want to be seen, Larry. Watch." All of the fairies disappeared as shadows and colors swirled around them. Larry''s green eye still saw them, but just barely. His blue eye didn''t see them.


    Hidden things are special things. Thoughts that take wing and change into new life Shadows slink around the edge of our imagination, gone missing from their owners. Magic that rides the winds of the mortal lands. Magical eyes can see these things. Would Larry like to have Magic Eyes?


    "Yes, Larry wants Magic Eyes."


    As Grackle came around the end of the wagon, he saw that Rosie and Buttercup were out of their cages. This wasn''t good. Very bad! Gangrene would skin him and have his hide stretched on a wagon if he found out. He hissed at them softly. "Back into your cages, or you''ll get no cheese for a week." He brandished the prod at Rosie, but a giant hand grabbed it and stepped from the shadows.


    Grackle''s face paled, and his eyes went wide. Fear and envy fought inside of him. It was a fiend! And such a fiend! Is this what they bred in Limburger Hollow?! He must talk with their fiend master. He needed their secrets! He was perfect, with well-defined muscles and sharp claws.


    "Larry doesn''t think you should hit Larry''s new friends with this. Not hit them ever."


    And he talked! That was a bad sign. Did they let him keep his personality? "Unhand my prod, or I''ll sting you. You know what a prod is! The prod will hurt you. Back to your cage! Who let you out?!" The hand didn''t let go, and he was forced to use the storm magic spell stored in the prod. He needed this fiend to back off and recognize his dominance. Buttercup was laughing and whispered something to Rosie. Rosie laughed and whispered the secret to her doll. Part of Grackle''s mind focused on the doll. How had she got it back? Where did Buttercup get the new bow on her head?


    Larry''s fur stood on end as the storm magic jolted his arm. He didn''t let go. Instead, he pulled it away from Grackle and grabbed the fiend master by the arm. He poked Grackle with the prod, breaking a rib and shocking him with the prod. Rosie and Buttercup laughed as Grackle glowed and his eyes rolled up into his head.


    Larry turned to look at Rosie and Buttercup, and something inside him was very sad. "Who gave you the cheese?" They pointed to Grackle. Larry glared at him. "Larry says you are a SneakyBadGuy. You make people sad." Grackle glowed twice more until the fiend prod ran out of charges. Larry stuffed what was left of Grackle into a cage and shut it.


    "New friends need to go with Larry before more people come. Watch where Larry puts his feet." He took each girl by the hand. "It''s just a jump to the left. And then a step to the right. Then three hops forward."


    Surrounded by the fairies of Flowertown and unnoticed by anyone, Rosie and Buttercup left the caravan. Buttercup waved at Grackle. Rosie giggled and showed her doll how to hop. Nearby, in the shadows at the side of the cavern, Brinka was making a Larry-sized door.


    Bernie Badger was putting on a fresh pot of tea when he heard a knock at his door. He smiled. Unexpected guests were the best guests. He got an extra box of cookies from the pantry and welcomed his new friends into his house, thankful that he had made an extra-large door to his burrow after the first time he met Larry. Redfawn brought large tea cups to the party that the new friends could hold easily in their large hands. They were shy at first, but Bernie told them jokes, and the fairies painted their claws bright pink and tied many ribbons in their hair. Soon they relaxed and ate their cookies and weren''t sad any longer.

 Chapter 175: Battlelines are drawn

    Chapter 175: Battlelines are drawn


    As Milo and Brutus went to leave, they were stopped by Helen Brownfur. "Hold up, young one. I need to know your intentions in talking to this Gangrene."


    Milo shrugged. "I''m not sure myself, to be honest. A lot depends on him. Rifkin was working with him to cause damage to the Hollow. We can''t let him inside, but we can''t just leave warriors on our doorstep. I don''t want to let him make the next move. Maybe we can convince them to leave, or we must fortify our front door or close it altogether. I''m hoping Gilad will come with me. I already talked to the Master Clawhammer and Petey."


    Helen sighed. "And let me guess, they told you they''d support you, and you speak for them?"


    Milo nodded. "Is there something wrong with that?"


    The master gatherer looked down at her ring. "No, nothing wrong. And very predictable. We are used to those with strong personalities dealing with outside problems. But Bleusnout is poisoned, and Gilad is acting odd, as are far too many in the Hollow. We shouldn''t be putting all the responsibility on your tail, but that''s what will happen, no matter how much I dislike it. You have my support and that of Gendifur. That makes five of us and the majority of a conclave. Could you speak with Gilad? Even addled by bad cheese, he will have some advice for you. But I agree, something needs to be done. I will send a runner to Arlothe and see if he and Cremona can take a break from dueling to aid you in your ''discussions.''"


    "And meanwhile, I''m putting you back to bed. Politics is over; time for another dose of blood that Tallsqueak donated." Gendifur sent the wobbly master gatherer back to bed, then looked at Tallsqueak. "You must be weak as a newborn after all I took out of you. Remember that. A fight will take a lot out of you, and very fast. My advice is not to fight."


    "But...if you have to, eat this first. It''s aged Parmesan from Bibbiano Hollow. It is very potent." Milo put it in his pouch, trying to ignore the smell coming from the cheese. Gendifur handed an even larger chunk to Brutus.


    Brutus gave Gendifur a quick hug, and the two left the infirmary, heading for the front tunnel of the Hollow.


    Gangrene stared at the remains of a cage-cart and frowned. There was little left of Grackle. He''d been beaten with his own prod and most of his hair had fallen out from the electric shock. It takes a lot of storm magic to even get a fiend''s attention. A fiend prod set to high would cause serious wounds if used on lesser beings, as Grackle had found out. Someone had taken away his prod, and used his fiend rod on him, hen slammed him into a cage, and then bent it so severely it couldn''t be opened. Neither of his little fiends was around, of course. He mused how children could always surprise you. Grackle had been sure that with enough discipline, they wouldn''t rebel as they got older. He''d been wrong and paid for it. They''d grown mean and feral, just as he''d promised. Ironic that Grackle was a victim of his own success. The question now was, where had they gone?.


    Two fiends, even small ones, couldn''t just walk up to a Hollow without the alarms going off and summoning every guard they had. And nothing like that had happened. More likely, they had killed Grackle and escaped back into the tunnels around the Hollow. Wild Cheese Fiends were a menace to everyone, but not something he could deal with right now. He kicked the cage, nearly knocking the cart over, angry with Grackle. He had needed those fiends! The two of them could have dealt with the dwarven mercenaries that Limburger Hollow had hired. Now he was going to have to lose some troops to their guns.


    Grackle opened one eye and moaned. "Cheese? Potion?...please." Gangrene smirked. It was time for another lesson, not for Grackle, but for his other underlings. "Why waste resources on a failure? You had your chance." Gangrene grasped the bent steel cage and ripped it open in a show of strength not lost on the watching guards. Two large hands lifted up Grackle by his head, one hand over his mouth to prevent him from screaming. The General squeezed until bone shattered and grey matter oozed between his fingers. He tossed the body to the ground and ignored it.


    Gangrene came to a decision, it was time to finish this. The Hollow was weakened by spiders and cheese. The population should be docile. He''d given his operative within the Hollow as much time as was needed, and Sneakybadguy had failed him. Of course, that meant Gangrene owed him nothing at all. He''d promised a passive population and an open front door. But the Hollow was closed off by dwarves and guards, and humans had attacked his caravan. It was time to do things the hard way. "Get everyone ready¡ªfull armor and weapons. I want everyone to eat their first two pieces of Battle Cheese. Wait for my command. We''ll hit that front door hard and not stop until we have the entire Hollow under our control. But first I want some answers. And I want us as close as possible before we charge. Someone find a parley flag."


    Milo picked each item up carefully. The haircomb had a retractable knifeblade. The large knife concealed a one-shot pistol¡ªthe brace of pistols were really shotguns. Boom-Boom had told him some stories about the dwarven pirate clan he had married into, but seeing what one of them packed in their backpack was an eye-opener. He thought the pound of jerky was probably just food, but he wouldn''t be surprised to find out it was explosives. At least the explosives were what they appeared to be. There wasn''t much you could hide in a block of cataclysmite that was more deadly than the explosive itself. After repacking it all, he put the pack into the spider''s cargo chest. Barracuda had been using it as a pillow while she slept off the barrel of beer she and the spider had drank.


    The spider was so drunk it couldn''t even hiss at him. It was just mumbling some song about a shipwrecked scavenger and an ogre on a desert island. Milo didn''t know much about an Ogre''s anatomy, but surely some of those verses were exaggerations? He patted the spider on its fuzzy head and went to talk to his brother engineers. "I have a problem."


    Sledgemonkey bent his head toward the caravan. "So we gather. How do you want to handle it? Official Treaty between your Hollow and our Guild? Mercenary contract? Or should we just get bored and start shooting? I don''t think you''re getting out of a fight, so make sure you prepare for the project correctly."


    Milo scratched an ear and hesitated a moment. "Ideally, without having to involve you in Hollow affairs. But..."


    He smiled at them. "You''re here. You have big guns you like to use. And you need a few hundred tons of ore that''s sitting in mines the Hollow controls."


    Two-Screws stroked his chin. "True. Be a shame not to give Sledge a chance to calibrate his guns."


    The Engineer sighed. "Yeah, I''ll admit I need the practice. Not doing any target practice for a few hundred years can degrade your shooting skills. And I do like the look of all that shiny ore just sitting there. How about we work out a trade of the ammunition we use for one ton of deep copper? We''ll throw in the work of shooting it for free."


    Milo was happy with that. "Turns out I have the authority to approve that deal. We can say I hired you as mercenaries. I''ll mine the ore myself if needed. After this is over, we can work out the rest."


    Boom-Boom looked over at the shiny cannon his wife and Vary were polishing. "You had me at Big Guns."


    Brutus yelled over. "Don''t want to disturb your conversation, but I think someone''s coming to talk to us. They have a parley flag out, making it official."


    Milo looked across the cavern. The massive form of Merchant Greensleeves, AKA General Gangrene, was moving towards them, escorted by six soldiers. Two dozen more followed behind at some distance and stopped at the halfway point, and the rest of the cheese caravan''s guards and workers were behind those.


    Milo and Brutus walked out to meet them. Both of them were nibbling on blocks of aged parmesan as they went.?v€l?1n.

 Chapter 176: Parley

    Chapter 176: Parley


    "How does this work, Brutus? Are there rules?"


    The big guard nodded his head. "Oh yeah, lots of rules. He''s got a Parley Flag flying, so he can''t just attack us outright. See how all his guards are stopping ten yards behind him? That''s how far I''ll stop. Then you and he get as close as you want and talk. No one can attack either of you until the Parley is over."


    "And when is that? If we don''t work things out, when does he start swinging that big mace at me?" The general seemed quite well-armed. He was wearing a steel cuirass that covered his back and breast, an ornate helmet, and was carrying a huge mace and shield. He had a sword and a knife on his belt and an ax on his back.


    "Well, by Limburger Rules, you two would head back to your sides and wait five minutes. Have a cup of tea. By Wurchwitz''s rules, you get three steps, and thats it. You should run fast. I''ll buy you some time."?v€l?1n.


    Tallsqueak turned and looked at Brutus. He did not doubt at all that the big guard would sacrifice himself as readily as Justin had. "That won''t work. If the Parley ends badly, you turn and run back to the dwarves and defend them. I''ll manage on my own. Think about it: The dwarves can start shooting if you''re out of the way, and if I get you killed, Gendifur will do terrible things to me."


    Brutus nodded. "Smart thinking. Good thing you have a ring, not me. She''d be so mad if I got killed. I''ll scamper back to the dwarves as soon as I see him turn around."


    Brutus stopped and waved good-naturedly at the soldiers formed behind Gangrene. Milo moved up to within ten feet of the General.


    Milo thought about the General''s words. People had died. That couldn''t be forgotten. But a traitor had been revealed, and many old, festering wounds were being healed. Old Healer''s clan was working together, and he could retire. The mages were invigorated and cross-training with the fighters, building friendships. And Larry was better. The Hollow gained so much trading a depressed Chees Fiend for a Hero. Not to mention a possible alliance with the fairies? And maybe the dwarves?


    "Yes. Some good things. Limburger Hollow is much stronger, and we are considering new alliances."


    Gangrene nodded. Tallsqueak wanted to deal! He knew what Wurchwitz Hollow had to offer and had seen how well their unique cheese worked. Indeed, that was most probably one of the reasons he was in charge. "Such a coincidence. Wurchwitz Hollow is also looking for strong allies. Consider any dealings we had with Rifkin to be null and void. I will be bold and suggest that you and I discuss how we can work together. My soldiers are ready, and I have enough Milkenbase to keep your population under control for six months."


    Tallsqueak paused and looked at Gangrene. Rifkin hadn''t been lying. The General had confirmed things to his satisfaction.


    Tallsqueak smirked a little. "I think you misunderstand me, General. I don''t need Wurchwitz or your bad cheese. I have allies I can trust. You have two choices: Turn around and slink back to your Hollow, or try to fight us and die."


    From behind him, Milo heard Brutus exclaim, "Oh, Shit!"


    Gangrene''s face turned red. "You will regret those words." He pulled his mace from his belt. It glowed with a powerful magic aura.


    Milo calmly said. "Tsk, Tsk. Remember the rules of Parley. Three steps." Gangrene laughed. "I will enjoy crushing your skull." He turned, took three steps toward his troops, and prepared to yell charge.

 Chapter 177: Dont bring a Mace to a Spider Fight.

    Chapter 177: Don''t bring a Mace to a Spider Fight.


    Gangrene took three long strides toward his troops and glared up and down the line. Some of them were looking at him oddly, and it infuriated him. One started to open his mouth to speak and then thought better of it. "Shut it! Prepare to charge on my order." He raised his mace high, activated its destructive aura, and turned around. He saw the big guard was running as fast as he could to the entrance to the Hollow.


    Tallsqueak was standing in front of him, only a foot away. "Sorry, but does the Parley stop when we each take three steps away from each other? Or just three steps in any direction? It matters because if the rules specify ''away,'' then you can''t attack me. Otherwise, we are still in a Parley and aren''t fighting yet."


    Gangrene''s snarled at his clearly insane adversary. "I''ll give you a hint: I''m about to kill you." He swung his mace at Tallsqueak, who ducked and struck a feeble blow at him. He barely felt it through his metal cuirass.


    Tallsqueak did a backward somersault, then scampered further away quickly. He pointed at Gangrene''s troops. "And you forgot to call the charge. I don''t think you can try to invade another Hollow unless you officially call a charge. Probably in the rules somewhere. Do you want to go look them up?"


    Gangrene glared at him and shouted to his soldiers. "This one is mine, and mine alone!. Kill the dwarves and take the Hollow. CHARGE!" The soldiers ran straight ahead, ignoring the general and his smaller adversary. Many of them would have loved to watch, but not one of them would have put money on the General to lose. Several had decent Identification skills, especially the scouts. They knew Tallsqueak was Level 10, and he was rumored to have both fighting and arcane abilities. But that wasn''t enough.


    On the other hand, Gangrene was Level 19 and a veteran of several wars. He was skilled in many types of weapons, martial abilities, and several Earth Aspected magic spells. This fight wasn''t even going to be close. As Tallsqueak summoned his bone armor, the General was covered in layers of stone and hardened earth, many inches thick.


    Gangrene''s voice sounded deeper once he was encased in stone. "I''m sure you plan to delay me and give your troops a chance. That isn''t going to happen. I''m far too powerful a foe." The ground sprouted stone spikes to impale Tallsqueak, who leaped upwards to avoid them. He landed on the ground several feet away, counting to himself.


    Milo smiled at him. "I came to that conclusion as well. That''s why I attached two Series K ''Shipbuster'' limpet mines to your armor. Surprise!" He put his hands on his ears and turned away.


    Milo hadn''t wondered at all why Barracuda had mines and cataclysmite in her backpack. The Engineers were crazy, and the Scavengers were worse. Her pack had been filled with an assortment of exploding death. The limpet mines were used against ships. The flat, dish-shaped mines would be stuck on the side of a ship or submarine, and the timer set. Milo immediately fell in love with them and took two of them with him. They were currently on the front and back of Gangrenes steel cuirass and underneath a layer of rocky armor. If anything, the Earthen Armor spell was about to make things worse by containing the blast.


    General Gangrene had earned himself many enemies during the wars, some of them technically his allies. His paranoia about assassins was legendary, and his survival strategy was to be very, very hard to kill. The Claw Warrior class gave him 3600 health. That was augmented with the core skill Increased Health 7 for another 2900 health. His STR and CON of 30 gave a bonus of 3000. With a few other abilities thrown in, the General had over 10,000 health, making him very difficult to kill.


    The Shipbuster mines didn''t care about any of that. They easily punched through his steel armor, shattered his Earthen Armor, and hit him harder than anything had ever hit him in his life. Brittle Bones shattered into hundreds of pieces, victims of a spell Milo had cast earlier. The twin explosions should have eradicated Gangrenes torso, killing instantly. But decades of leading armies and conquering throughout the underworld had given him many magical items. As pain tore through his body, the General saw infuriating notifications scroll past his eyes, even as those items kept him from death.


    An explosion has destroyed your Dark Steel Curaiss of Defense.


    Helm of Concussive Protection has shattered but prevented your brains from being scrambled.


    Amulet of Enorica has allowed you to cheat death and kept your spine intact. Its miracle dispensed, the amulet crumbles to dust.


    Teflon''s ring of Hefty Healing has been activated, and all three remaining charges have been used, healing you for 1500 points of damage.


    Your current Health is reduced to 4,120.


    You are mostly deaf. Permanent disability. -10 to Perception


    You are bleeding for 120 points per round until you receive healing for your open wounds.


    Your speed is reduced by 40% until you receive healing for broken ribs.


    Brittle Bones will cause you to take additional damage from blunt impacts. Note: Includes Explosions.


    Two-Screws wasn''t happy with the rate that he was dropping enemy soldiers. The problem he was having was the damned shields. The rivets lost a lot of energy punching through them, and it took half a dozen hits to drop one soldier. He should think about using explosive ammunition. Undeterred, he worked his way down the line as they charged closer. Sledgemonkey was doing the same and finally getting his gun appropriately calibrated. Behind him came the sound of the dual chain guns on top of the spider. Four engineers and two scavengers had made it a group project to rebuild them properly. The huge bore weapons were synchronized, and their rate of fire had doubled. Sledgemonkey had brought out a thousand rounds of ammunition to fuel them. The long belts of high-caliber shells coming from his Arcane Workshop.


    Two-Screws took a glance and saw that it was Vary on the gun. The youngster laughed hysterically as he raked the guns back and forth across the advancing line. His guns punched through those shields with ease, and he had dropped several soldiers to the ground already. Barracuda snored on, too drunk to even wake up and missing the fight. The spider stirred, saw ratkin charging her, and roared to life. Past battles as a mercenary and her time in the Rat Wars mixed in her drink-addled mind. To me, my army! Charge the fuzzy enemy and rend them limb from pitiful limb!>


    Vary tried to hold on and keep firing as his mount suddenly charged into battle. The many tons of mechanical spider impacted the line of armored ratkin, and it was the soldiers who lost. Robotic legs speared bodies, and sharp fangs poisoned them. On unsteady legs, the Iron Spider staggered through the battle. Vary gave up shooting the guns and concentrated on not falling off or losing his hold on Barracuda as he worked the foot peddles, trying to steer the spider into more of the enemy.


    "Fire in the Hole!" Narwhale sent an explosive shell into a close-packed group of warriors, killing two of them outright and wounding four others who were getting up slowly. Boom-Boom hurried to load another shell. Half of the soldiers were dead, but the rest were too close for comfort. The cannon would only get one more shot, and then they would be overrun.


    Sledgemonkeys gun jammed. He cursed for a moment and then pulled the sledgehammer off of his back, charging up its head for his first swing. Not content to wait, the old dwarf slammed shut his helmet and lumbered at the charging ratkin, his mechanical armor picking up speed as he countercharged. His first double-handed swing knocked down two soldiers and killed one. The force of the charged blow sent his body flying. And then he was fighting against several cheese-frenzied ratkin warriors. Two-Screws was beside him instantly, his weapon killing a ratkin aiming a blow at the Senior Engineer''s back. The two went back to back and got down to the dirty work of killing enemies. Brutus was nearby. He had taken his battle cheese and swung his heavy halberd near where the two dwarves fought. Each swing hit a guard and knocked them down, injured or dead. Others jumped back to avoid the swings of the long weapon.


    Narwhale didn''t want to leave her wedding present, but after her last shot, Boom-Boom threw her over his shoulder and turned to retreat down the tunnel. He was stopped by the sight of charging ratkin led by an old veteran with glowing fists and tail. He wisely got out of the way, and they returned to loading the cannon, watching wave after wave of ratkin from Limburger Hollow throw themselves into the fight against the armored caravan guards. Gilad leaped high in the air and landed among his enemies. He hadn''t cut loose in decades and had begun to doubt himself. But he felt younger now. Nightly fights with a powerful cheese fiend had awakened old skills and given him back his confidence. His claws cut through armor and bone while his tail shattered skulls. In this battle, he was once again the Tail Master who had led his armies to victory over the spider clans.


    They were followed by the mages, who immediately sent searing arcs of electrical energy into the caravan guards, aided in their targeting by the heavy metal shields and armor. Muscles spasmed and flesh cooked inside metal armor that added to the damage the storm magic could do. A choking green mist settled on the heads of many guards, and more than one collapsed as venom overwhelmed their pitiful poison resistance. Cremona darted through the fight, slashing and moving away.


    Beyond the fighting, in the center of the cavern, General Gangrene lifted his huge mace above his head, preparing to bring it down on Tallsqueaks head.


    Milo was sure he had got his head stuck in a subragator. Nothing else could have hit him so hard. Only his rune-hardened bones had saved his skull from being crushed. He cleared his head just in time to see Gangrene raise his mace. He wasn''t going to be able to dodge. Rocks pinned him in on one side and one of the General''s legs on the other. He did the only thing he could, interposing his weapon between himself and the downward swing of the mace.


    Gangrene laughed as Tallsqueak tried to block his swing with his spikey stick. The Mace of Armageddon slammed into the makeshift weapon of bone and wood. The thin weapon bent, and Talllsqueak felt his shoulders dislocate as his stiffened arms held his weapon. But the mace couldn''t break the Nigh Invulnerable spikey-stick, and its force was redirected as Shadowblight bent and then straightened. The Mace of Armageddon rebounded and struck Gangrene in the forehead, knocking him backward and stunning him. He barely saw the notification flash by.


    You have been stuck by a Mace of Armageddon


    Your skull is fractured.


    You have a concussion.


    Your health has been reduced to 2,156


    Milo sat up, calculated how to regain the use of an arm, and then slammed his shoulder into a large rock, popping one arm back into its socket. The pain was intense, but he needed at least one arm if he was going to finish this fight. It felt like it took forever to stand, and his vision was fuzzy. A dozen feet away, Gangrene also managed to stand up. He smiled through bloody lips and broken teeth. "No one had taken a blow from my mace and lived. You are a more worthy opponent than I thought. I''ll keep that hard skull of yours and make a mug out of it."


    Milo slashed with his tail at Gangrene''s face only to have the General block with his mace. Tallsqueak rolled to the left, standing up further away, and launched a Harpoon of the Winds, hitting Gangrene in his leg and making him stagger. Blood gushed out. Gangrene''s arms fell to his side, and his eyes unfocused. Milo saw him take a step backward and almost fall. Barely able to hold onto his mace, the General brought up a hand to brush blood from his eyes, and Milo used the opening to surge forward and bring Shadowblight around in a long arc that scratched against the other leg. The skin turned black as poison spread.


    And then it was Milo''s turn to be hit, as the General laughed and his tail slapped hard against Milo''s head and knocked him down. Milo saw three of Gangrene, and all three of them were winding up for a one-handed blow with his mace. He tried to roll, but nothing in his body worked, and he couldn''t clear his head. The Mace of Armageddon came down, and Tallsqueak brought up his weapon in a feeble attempt to block with one hand.


    The enchanted mace stopped before it completed half of its arc. Gangrenes'' arm was held in the strong claws of the Hero of Flowertown. Larry grabbed ahold of the mace and yanked it out of the surprised Gangrene''s hand. Larry looked at the General. "Buttercup and Rosie don''t like you." Larry punched Gangrene in his face, completing the work started by the Mace of Armageddon. Cartilage flattened as his large snout was rearranged, and several teeth came loose. "Larry doesn''t like you either. Larry thinks you are a BadBadGuy". Larry continued to hit Gangrene until he collapsed.


    Milo sat up. Larry handed him some jelly beans, and he chewed them down. His head stopped spinning, and he felt better. Across the cavern, he saw the ongoing battle. "Larry, people need help." Larry saw where he pointed, nodded, and ran off to be a Hero. Milo staggered upright. Gangrene was unconscious but still breathing. Larry hadn''t killed him, but he was close to death, blood pooling around him. Milo wasn''t going to take any chances. Shadowblight came down once, then again, and again. Gangrene died, and the weapon purred, happy with itself. Milo felt tired. He sat down to rest for just a moment.


    Across the cavern, the battle ended as the last few caravan guards surrendered rather than face the wrath of Larry.

 Chapter 178: When youre hungry and craving pancakes.

    Chapter 178: When you''re hungry and craving pancakes.


    Opening his eyes was difficult. Milo was tired and wanted to sleep more. But the constant beep beep beep was annoying him. His muscles were a little stiff as he stepped out of his pod.


    Odd, he didn''t even remember logging out of the game. The last few days'' events ran through his head, culminating with the thought that ''this rock is a pretty good pillow.'' His tail flipped over to the pod and reattached to it so he could read through the latest messages from the system.


    You have a new notification on the Contribution Board.


    You have a new notification on the Contribution Board.


    You have a new notification on the Contribution Board.


    You are exhausted and suffering from the after-effects of using cheese in combat.


    Your character has passed out from exhaustion. You may not be able to access your character for some time.


    Would you like to log out?


    Would you like to play a nice game of chess?


    Butch stared at the mound of food. "Yeah, sure. Let me take a look." He grabbed the paperwork and acted like he was checking things over. He wondered if he should take the delivery. He could sell most of it and keep a little. But someone would follow the paper trail, and his family would suffer. You never left a trail to your own home if you did something you could get in trouble for. He handed the paperwork back. "Sorry, wrong place. I can''t pay for it. Didn''t order it."


    The two delivery men looked at each other and shrugged. "Not our problem. It''s paid for in full, including delivery and a very generous tip for the two of us. This place matches the address. It can''t go back, and we need to be going." They left quickly, nearly bumping into someone moving down the corridor, driving a four-wheeled delivery cart with a trailer. Ghost hopped off the little cart and took the paperwork out of his hands while Butch tried to figure out what was happening.


    "Great. It''s all here. Help me set up this grill in the courtyard and we can get cooking. I made it from a couple of old welding units and a titanium-Teflon sheet I scavenged. Should work well for pancakes."


    Butch''s mother appeared at the door. She eyed the makeshift stove and the food. "Pancakes? I haven''t had pancakes in years. We used to be able to get the food system to give us pancake batter, but they claimed we''d like food cubes better and not have to cook. You realize that if you cook out here, you''ll get several dozen hungry people popping out of their rooms looking for dinner?"


    Milo exhaled and pushed down his anxiety about being around many people. There would be less here today than in the Hollow. He put a grin on his face. "I''ve got an urge to cook, and I need volunteers to eat. We''ll feed everyone we can and then store the rest in my room for next time."


    Butch had his datapad out and was sending a message. "I''ve got the gang on the way to help out and help eat. But how the hell did you get all of this?"


    "Got lucky. Found a buyer for some of the old games we repaired and made a big sale, but he insisted I had to take half cash and half food. So we''re having a pancake party."


    Butch looked skeptical. "Pancakes. They''re good?"


    His mother rolled her eyes. "Oh, honey, you have no idea. Start unpacking everything and I''ll help with the batter. You kids are in for a treat today."

 Chapter 179: Anime and Deathrace 2020

    Chapter 179: Anime and Deathrace 2020


    Cooking pancakes was much more complex than Milo had ever imagined! He hadn''t considered that half the people he was cooking for didn''t know what pancakes were. There was also the question of why he was doing it. Saying, "I want pancakes, I don''t care about the money, and I had to order in bulk for fast delivery." would have generated even more questions, some of which he didn''t want to answer.


    Luckily, he''d come to the right house. Mama got to work instructing the young ones how to mix pancake batter. From somewhere, two tables appeared out in the courtyard near where he and Butch were assembling his makeshift grill. Butch wanted to know where he got the parts. Milo just shrugged and said, "Oh, you know..." which actually satisfied Butch. Milo had learned the expression from watching Butch and the rest of the gang. If something wasn''t nailed down in the Hab Blocks, it tended to wander off. There were rules, of course, but they were unwritten and mostly unspoken, causing Milo much confusion at times.


    The rest of Butch''s gang showed up quickly. Free food was good food. They were extremely curious about where Ghost had picked up the food and cooking gear. Butch shrugged and said, "Oh, you know..." and nodded with his head toward Ghost. Several stared at the assembled grill made from welding torches and a large metal panel. They were equally impressed when Mama brought out the first batch of batter, and Ghost started pouring out perfect circles and carefully flipped them over with a spatula in each hand. Milo fed Mama and the little ones first, then the gang. By then, a small crowd of curious neighbors had shown up, and Milo started handing out plates of pancakes to the smaller children. v3l.Bin.


    Butch anticipated the next problem as an adult took the food from a child. The pancake thief found himself surrounded by the gang, was forced to apologize to a nine-year-old and was sent to the end of the line. He was sour initially but got over it when he was handed his plate a few minutes later. As more people showed up, the gang kept things orderly. Brad and Yumi watched how Ghost made the pancakes and asked questions before asking to take over the cooking duties. Milo was glad for the break. This was different from the Hollow. There was some tension in the air. People didn''t know what to expect. There was also the feeling of a holiday. Someone set up music, and the smaller children took advantage of being able to play together.


    Milo slipped away two hours later. He''d pushed himself but had reached the end of his ability to be around people. Yumi, in particular, was making him nervous. Both in how close she sat next to him and how difficult it was to beat her in some games. When he left Butch''s house, she''d volunteered to walk him out. Brad started to join, but Butch challenged him suddenly to a Deathrace 2020 match using the new Philadelphia map he''d put together.


    After walking aimlessly with Yumi talking to him about her favorite anime, Ghost agreed to meet up with her in a couple of days to watch her favorites. She waved and smiled as he disappeared into a service hatchway, and Milo tried to figure out why he had agreed. He''d said yes just to break off conversation and leave. He barely knew what anime was. And she wanted to know what his favorite show was? He was so confused.


    Back at his real house, he started to think things over. He realized that he had subconsciously decided to be around people more and see if he liked them. Similar to cheese, he''d only recently discovered people. He needed to study the situations he was getting into and figure out the rules.


    In some ways, it was similar to the Hollow, with no one trying to kill him.

 Chapter 180: Sour Pickles

    Chapter 180: Sour Pickles


    Gendifur was scowling and looking at samples her needles had taken from Tallsqueak using Arlothe¡¯s Advanced Device for Looking at Small Things. "He probably should have died. Possibly his bone structure saved him, storing the excess elixir until it was needed. I don''t recommend anyone ever drinking two doses, let alone six."


    Old Healer had his own idea. "Multiple poisons could have done it. He was suffering from the venom of a Noble spider, then several doses of unknown lesser poisons from traps. Finally, after he drank the elixir, he was near a toxic pile of bones. All of that together could explain why he didn''t dissolve into a puddle of goo."


    Gendifur took another look at Tallsqueak''s blood. "Yes, that probably the reason for it. I should have taken that into account." She carefully gathered up all of the samples and vials and put them in her bag.


    Old Healer looked at the amazing device again. He wished he''d had one decades ago. "It was very nice of Professor Arlothe to give you this device." Gendifur packed that up as well, padding it carefully. "Oh, he didn''t. But I''m sure he and Tallsqueak can make another. I have far too many uses for this to let it go back to a dusty laboratory."


    The old rat laughed and nodded. "We''ll. I''m off for a nap. I never had time for them before, and I''m going to get in a few each day until I''m caught up. Good luck with your patient. I''m sure he''ll recover soon. Exhaustion, donating his blood and bones, and being hit in the head with a Mace of Armageddon can tire even a young warrior like him out. But his regeneration should bring him around soon." He wandered out of the room while Gendifur tended to Tallsqueaks wounds.


    She hadn''t told her grandfather all of her suspicions and probably never would. It would be rude for a healer to give away someone else''s secrets, especially after what Tallsqueak had done for the Hollow.


    Milo opened up his tired eyes and looked around. He was back in the infirmary, lying on a bed covered in soft blankets. He started to stand up, then thought better of it, laying his head back on a pile of pillows. The rooms stopped spinning, and the pain in his head was less. His skull was sour where Gangrene had hit him with his mace. The General had been a canny opponent, seeming to know where he was or able to anticipate his moves. He''d also been a monster! Milo had never expected him to live through the explosion. Those two mines were designed to sink ships! He''d been bleeding steadily, Milo had poisoned him twice, yet he still kept fighting. Thankfully Larry showed up at the end of the fight. He needed to do something very nice for Larry.


    Gendifur was cleaning up the room, putting away medications, and folding up blankets. Several other people were helping her. Milo was the only person lying on a bed. The newly appointed Master Healer saw that he was awake and sat down by his bed, immediately taking his pulse. "You''re better, but not good. No fight practice, no duels, and no playing surprise for a week. You need to let yourself recover. Take it easy, eat a lot, and don''t eat any cheese that I don''t give you."


    Milo sighed heavily. He had enjoyed the taste of cheese the last couple of days. To his delight, Gendifur handed him a plate with three slices of bread and a chunk of Gouda. "That''s your lunch. Be good, and I''ll have another piece for you at dinner. That will be enough to keep your regeneration at maximum. And the fact that I''m giving you this much cheese should remind you how injured your body is."


    A huge green hand wrapped around his tail and lifted him up. "I gots one, Granny! I gots one! Caught him on the first try!"


    Rifkin grew ill as he swung back and forth. "Put me down, you idiot! I''m someone important!"


    Greggy Gerkin took a look at Rifkin. "He''s feisty, that''s for sure. He looks sort of like Larry, but someone shrunk him. He smells nice, though"


    Big Pickle got a better grip on the tail he was holding and held him up higher to look at him. "Can we keep him? He''s already turning green!"


    Granny put on her spectacles and looked. Sure enough, the little Larry-thing was turning green, and its hair was falling out. "Oh, that''s a good sign. He likes his jelly beans green!"


    She chuckled and pointed to the pickling vat. "Brush off the rest of his fur, Greggy, and have Big Pickle lock him in the vat until he''s done. We need some new pickles in the gang, and he''s as sour as they come."


    Rifkin screamed and cursed as his fur was brushed off, and he was thrown into a vat of vinegar and dill. There was barely enough room at the top to catch his breath. Granny decided it was time to leave. "Let''s get a move on. I''d hoped to catch a fairy coming through that hole, but this one will do. No sense in staying around and having Larry catch up with us. Big and Greggy nodded. That was smart. It was time to move on to another fairy town. This one was too dangerous with a Hero protecting it.


    Big Pickle had a question. "What''s his name, Granny? Huh? What''s his name?"


    Granny thought for a moment, then seeing the scowl on Rifkin''s face, she knew. "Welcome to the family, Sour Pickle."

 Chapter 181: Recovering

    Chapter 181: Recovering


    The news that Rifkin had escaped bothered Milo, but at the same time, he thought there was little that sneakybadguy could do anymore to hurt Limburger Hollow. No one trusted him, and he''d be grabbed as soon as he poked his nose out of whatever hole he was hiding in. And, of course, there was Larry. Larry didn''t like Rifkin, and with how keen Larry''s senses were, if Rifkin had any survival instinct, he would go far, far away.


    Milo was just happy to have things settling down. It seemed like people in the Hollow were getting back to normal. People were going about their work, waving to each other and talking, with the glassy-eyed stares fading away. Milo began his day with breakfast, getting in line at the mess hall. Several ratkin greeted him and congratulated him on his promotion. A few suggested he skip ahead in the line, but he politely said no. He had time today, and moving fast made his head hurt.


    The cooks surprised him. Smiley and Bleusnout were at the grill, tossing puffcakes into the air, but so were Ringtail and Tweedle. They were happily grinding mushrooms and making the batter. All four of them waved to Milo, Bleusnout pointing him to a table on the side of the kitchen. "Grab a chair; I''ll have a fresh batch on your plate in a minute. You have to taste this latest recipe we came up with!" The smell was delicious, and Milo happily sat down. Just walking across the Hollow had tired him out. Bleusnout put a huge plate of pancakes in front of him and waited for him to taste them.


    Milo''s eyes got huge. They had the crisp, rich taste of puffcakes but the creamy interior of cheeseycakes. "You put the recipes together!" He began eating faster.


    Bleusnout smiled. "The twins came up with it. They claim on purpose, but I think Ringtail or Tweedle, I can never tell them apart, started making one recipe and his brother the other, and they dumped them both into the large mixing bowl. The result, though, was outstanding. Everyone likes them." Milo certainly agreed.


    The chef looked around the room, nodding to ratkin as they waved to him. "Which is good because the Hollow is going to be eating them every day for a long time. We got so very lucky that we had started making them, and you continued even after I was gone. The Golden Puffball mushroom has enzymes that fight toxins, including spider cheese ingredients that were controlling most people. Most of the Hollow just became very focused on their jobs but wouldn''t follow Rifkin''s commands blindly. We are making sure everyone eats a meal of Cheesy Puffcakes every day. The small amount of cheese, along with cleaning out the toxins in their bodies, will have everyone back to normal soon."


    Milo finished his plate. "And they taste good. I should probably have another plateful for medicinal purposes." Bleusnout smiled and brought him another plate and a jar of syrup. Milo sat, ate for half a bell, and then sat and watched the Hollow. As mealtime was ending, there was a loud knocking at the door.


    "Can Larry and his friends come in for breakfast?"


    Bleusnout yelled back. "Of course. It is always good to see Larry and his new friends." The door opened up, and Larry walked in. Many of the ratkin present were still getting used to his new appearance. Larry was walking upright with his head held high. His teeth were straight and even, and he smiled often. His fur gleamed, and he had ribbons in his hair. Most surprising was how he moved. Larry used to shuffle, but now he glided, moving across the room with grace and poise. Behind him came two other ratkin. They were smaller than Larry but still bigger than anyone else in the Hollow, except maybe some of the guards or Gendifur.


    Rosie and Buttercup were scared. This was a new place like Flowertown was a new place. They liked Flowertown. They had been given bubbly baths and had their hair combed like momma had used to do for them. Both had ribbons in their hair, and Rosie had her doll freshly cleaned and repaired by Pansy. Each was wearing a new dress provided by the mages of Clan Puffyfur. On their feet were pink weasel slippers, similar to Larry''s. Hesitantly, and with Larry''s help, they came into the room and sat at a table. Bleusnout brought each of them a stack of pancakes, and they were urged to eat.


    Bleusnout would be monitoring their cheese intake. The girls had a long way to go, but helping them recover from what was done to them was important to him. It had helped him make the decision to turn his ring over to Smiley. They were already a little better. Larry was watching over them, and he had lots of helpers. After they had all eaten, Larry produced a book and handed it to Milo. "Will Tallsqueak come read Hamster Huey and Gooey Kablooie? Tallsqueak does the squeaky voices better than Larry." Milo, Larry, and their new friends went out on the porch where Larry and Tallsqueak used to take their meals. Stories were told, and then Larry and Tallsqueak helped the girls to learn the Happy Hamster Hop. Rosie got so excited that she dislocated Tallsqueaks shoulder. They all visited Gendifur, who rolled her eyes before twisting his arm back into the socket. She gave both of the girls a bag of jellybeans.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    You have taught Charlotte how to play surprise, Engineer style.


    -You have earned Contribution Points in Limburger Hollow.


    You have aided the Tail Master in training young Claw Warriors in fighting Techniques


    -You have earned Contribution Points in Limburger Hollow.


    You have reached the maximum contribution points possible. Excess Contribution points will be converted to Core Skill Points.


    One flashing message directed him to the Contributions Board. No matter how many times he clicked it off, it came back. Something that persistent must be important. With a full belly and under orders not to strain himself, he went to the contribution board to see what he could buy with his points.

 Chapter 182: Thank you for Contribution

    Chapter 182: Thank you for Contribution


    You have maximized your contribution points to Limburger Hollow and fulfilled several quests before they were offered to you.


    The following rules apply:


    -You will no longer be charged contribution points for meals. This includes up to two cheesy snacks a day or more if approved by Gendifur or Smiley.


    -You have earned tenure in the Tower of Strife. You will be addressed as Professor Tallsqueak by all students.


    -As a current member of the Conclave, you may use contribution points to pay for raising the cap on your characteristics. Frankly, you had so many we just went ahead and paid for it. Your Current Caps for Tier 2 have been raised to 10.


    Your available Core Skills have been revised based on circumstances. Of great importance, we would like to point out that Pudding Based Regeneration is no longer available, and you will have to keep your bones. You have a total of 150 Core Skill points to spend. You may not earn more Core Skill points in Tier 2?v€l-B!n.


    Generic Core Skills: Any player has access to these Core Skills. Many more skills can be learned by finding teachers, reading books, completing quests, or doing mighty deeds. The cost of Generic Core skills will increase with each Tier. Choose wisely. Putting off a skill today may cost you more tomorrow. Name Description Cost Increase Health 1 +50 points to health score 3 Increase Health 2 +100 points to health score (Must have level 1 first.) 7 Increase Health 3 +150 points to health score (Must have level 2 first.) 12 Increase Health 4 +250 points to Mana score (Must have level 3 first.) 15 Increase Health 5 +450 points to Mana score (Must have level 4 first.) 20 Increase Mana 1 +50 points to Mana score 3 Increase Mana 2 +100 points to Mana score (Must have level 1 first.) 7 Increase Mana 3 +150 points to Mana score (Must have level 2 first.) 12 Increase Mana 4 +250 points to Mana score (Must have level 3 first.) 15 Increase Mana 5 +450 points to Mana score (Must have level 4 first.) 20 Increase Stamina 1 +50 points to Stamina score 3 Increase Stamina 2 +100 points to Stamina score (Must have level 1 first.) 7 Increase Stamina 3 +150 points to Stamina score (Must have level 2 first.) 12 Increase Stamina 4 +250 points to Stamina score (Must have level 3first.) 15 Increase Stamina 5 +450 points to Stamina score (Must have level 4 first.) 20 Second Wind 1 Once per day, regain 20 Health/Mana/Stamina. 2 Second Wind 2 Once per day, regain 50 Health/Mana/Stamina. 5 Second Wind 3 Once per day, regain 100 Health/Mana/Stamina. 7 Breathless 2 You may hold your breath 10x as long. (10 minutes.) 2 Tier 2 Stats Cap Increase. Increase the cap on a statistic. You may buy this ability up to 5 times to raise the cap on a stat to a max of rank 10 in Tier 2. Rank 10 is a Hard Cap for all stats in Tier 2. 2 Purchase Bonus Points:


    These abilities add to your stats. Gaining bonuses does not affect stats gained by ranks. Spirit of the Ox 2 +1 Bonus to STR. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way 4 Spirit of the Bear 2 +1 Bonus to CON. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way 4 Spirit of the Monkey 2 +1 Bonus to DEX. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way 4 Spirit of the Owl 2 +1 Bonus to INT. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way 4 Spirit of the Cheetah 2 +1 Bonus to AGI. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way 4 Spirit of the Pig 2 +1 Bonus to WIS. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way 4 Spirit of the Hawk 2 +1 Bonus to PER. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way 4 Spirit of the Swan 2 +1 Bonus to CHA. A maximum of 3 points may be bought this way 4


    Rune-Boned Scout Core Skills Name Description Cost Gain knowledge of the mundane Rune: Lux The Rune of Light and Radiance 10 Gain knowledge of the mundane Rune: Tenebrae The Rune of Darkness, Corruption, and the Hidden 10 Gain knowledge of the advanced Rune: Draconis The Rune of Eels and Betrayal 10 Gain knowledge of the advanced Rune: Nihil The Rune of nothing and the void 10 Gain knowledge of the advanced Rune: Formation The Rune of making and creation 10 Smugglers Stash 4 Storage Skill. Summons/Dispels a magical chest. Size increases with rank. Fifty-four cubic feet. 20 Smugglers Summoning 1 Transfer a spell component, food, or potion to your hand from your stash. Time: 3 seconds Cost: 100 stamina. (Time to summon items and stamina cost goes down with Levels.) 10 Skilled Provider Your gathering skills have an increased chance of finding better quality items 1/2/3


    Heroic Leap


    Grunt and Throw Hands You have a talent for primitive charades, and ways to make yourself known when you don''t know the native language. 1 Under-Linguist Given a few days, and enough people talking, you can learn enough of new language to understand 90% of what you hear, and you can carry on a basic conversation, with only small mistakes showing this is not your native language. Within a month, you''ll speak like a native. Time may vary depending on the creatures involved. Humanoids with lips are easier. Telepathic rocks take longer. 7 Shadow Skulking 1 Reduce the Perception of anyone trying to detect your presence, see through your human/rat illusion, or use an identify skill upon you. You may purchase three levels in Tier 2. 3/3/3 Strong RegenerationGrants increased, (x8), health recovery. Regenerate scar tissue and missing body parts in 1 to 3 days. A steady diet of cheese speeds the process.


    20


    Magical Aspects open up options to learn more mage skills. Each additional aspect has an increased cost. Gaining an aspect does not automatically give you spells . Chill of the Grave You have a high Death aspect. Training will let you learn Death magic¡ªincreasing cost with additional aspects. Increase your Corruption by +1. It opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells. 5/10/25 Deeds in the Dark You have a high darkness aspect. Training will let you learn dark magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Increase your Corruption by +1. It opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells. 5/10/25 Storm Born You have a high Storm aspect. Training will let you learn Storm magics. Increasing cost with additional aspects. It opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease mana costs of casting spells. 5/10/25 Individual Abilities: You have earned these through quests or adventuring. Spirit of Durgi Forefather +1 Bonus to TOU (Dwarves only.) It may be taken three times per tier. 4 Blessing of Hekate: Canine Speech You can almost understand dogs, and they understand you. 2 Guardian Pet 1 Who''s the Big Dog? Your pet increases in both size and intelligence. 2 Guardian Pet 2 Your pet gains attack skills and double health and mitigation 5 Make things go BOOM! You may purchase the Primary skill: Demolitions (DEX or INT) 5 Poisoner You may purchase the Primary skill: Poisoner (INT) 5 Smile and Lie like a Professional You may purchase the Primary skill: Diplomacy (INT or CHA) 5


    Milo sat and rested while digesting the new information. Many of the things he had accomplished had given him contribution points. He assumed this worked for all the people in Limburger Hollow. Contribution points could be spent on many things to improve life, like food, or to gain training and favors from others. It was like quests that you didn''t know about but could guess at. If it was good for the Hollow, you would be rewarded for your work and could take the rewards as needed. Many things about the Hollow clicked into place. While individuals were free to do as they liked, there was a benefit to helping others and contributing to the big picture.


    Blackwhisker and the other players treated the Hollow like a place to do some quests and gain some skills, but it was so much more. An idea was forming, one he wanted to explore. He tucked it away in a part of his head where it wouldn''t get lost. He needed to do some thinking and to think he had to be doing something. Not doing anything made Milo uneasy. Luckily, he had some jobs that required little to no thinking. One of those was mining. He wandered through the Hollow and back to the mines. The cathedral was mostly empty now, the refugees had returned to their homes, and Gendifur cared for the wounded. A group of miners were clustered around the dwarves, discussing mining, of course.


    Milo pulled up a seat and sat down to listen. He noted that every miner from the Hollow now had a Dark Steel pick in their hands or back, and they all showed use. Milo remembered the old pick he''d found and how much faster and easier it had cut through rock. He shared a love of good tools with his fellow engineers, and it seemed that love was also shared by miners everywhere. He listened to the talk of opening up new shafts and bringing in the parts to assemble a subrogator to process Deep Copper and a Blast Furnace to make Dark Iron ore into Dark Steel. Limburger Hollow would get an upgrade in technology in the next few months. Master Clawhammer and Sledgemonkey seemed to have become instant friends and were discussing a multitude of new projects that the Engineers and the Hollow could work on together.


    After a bit, Milo excused himself and wandered off into the mines. Finding a large vein of Deep Copper, he started to chip away at it, slowly breaking up the ore and creating a large pile. Back in the cathedral cavern, the dwarves just nodded to each other and chuckled. Two Screws filled in Clawhammer on the joke. "He can''t quit. After we let him join up, you should have seen him running around repairing old machinery. He didn''t stop, and he got all of us running behind him and working just as hard. Sometimes we built things, and sometimes we blew things up." He snorted and took a deep pull on his stein of beer. "Remind me to tell you about how we blew up the entire base trying to kill a snake. Good times. That was what endeared him to us the most. All engineers like to keep working. But for him, it''s like a compulsion. He feels better working and fixing things."


    Sledgemonkey chuckled. "Or breaking things. We started with a dozen old subrogators, most needing to be repaired. He blew two of them up trying to fix them, then used the parts we scavenged from the wreckage to fix most of the others. You have to keep an eye on him at all times."


    There was a rumble from the mines and the crash of rock. The engineer, known to some as Milo and others as Tallsqueak, came sprinting back into the cavern, pursued by a large beetle with a golden shell and sharp mandibles. Clawhammer got to his feet and yelled. "That''s a Gold Borer Beetle; try not to damage the shell; lots of good metal plating on those." Milo nodded and dodged the beetle, then got his pick under the edge of the carapace and flipped it over. Three blows to the underside killed the four-foot-long beetle.


    Sledgemonkey walked over and examined the beetle. "Nice. That shell is 90% Auric and 10% tin. Good for a lot of magitech components." Then he looked at Milo and scowled. "Weren''t you supposed to be taking it easy? At least you only picked a fight with a little one."


    Milo pointed back the way he came. "I broke into another cavern. Dozens of little ones, and uh...some bigger ones. Much bigger ones. I think they may be following me."


    Sledgemonkey snapped down his armor''s visor and pulled out his heavy spanner as the other dwarves and miners came over and waited for the beetles to show up. Milo noticed a lot of laughing but didn''t know what was so funny.

 Chapter 183: Claw Master Inc

    Chapter 183: Claw Master Inc


    Milo''s list of things he needed to do was getting longer and stranger.


    Research the party.


    -Identify possible dangers of attending the party.?v€l?1n.


    -Find out if they will have food at the party. (New things to try.)


    -Find out why the group running section H is holding a party.


    -Get stuff ready for a swap meet.


    Research ''Gaming Gloves''


    -Create a design for gaming gloves and set up fabricators.


    Research Anime.


    -Pick a favorite somehow.


    Research ways to legally make money, store money, and use money.


    .


    Overhaul programming and fix the food system. Why is it breaking down so much?


    Now armed with the knowledge of what the guys wanted, Milo started work on new designs. He wanted to make gloves that would help the guys react quicker when gaming and looked just like his own gloves. They would look like the second category of glove that gave a better grip, reduced sweat and massaged the user''s hands. But he saw no reason to make an inferior product. He left in the complete nerve interface and micro-muscular that could interact with a game controller. His gloves used layers of titanium and graphene. The gloves he was designing now would be 99.99% cheaper to produce than the multi-million dollar set he''d be wearing.


    The first set he made in the fabricators had problems. The micro-muscles were too strong and could break a controller. He experimented to find the correct strength and modified the design. He also incorporated security into the programs run by the micro-computer. He didn''t want someone experimenting with his gloves and accidentally crushing their fingers by resetting the strength of the motors. When he was done, he had two versions. The first was fingerless; the second was a full glove. The full glove was 1% more effective than the fingerless version and gave better fingertip control. Doing his own tests, he found that his gloves were better than the Ubergear gloves, coming in at a 34% increase in reaction for the fingerless version and 35% for the full finger sets. Satisfied with the design, he had his fabricators make four sets of each.


    He took some precautions with the gloves. Each set would work for just one person. When each of the guys put them on, the gloves would analyze their DNA. Anyone else attempting to use the gloves wouldn''t be able to turn them on. Any attempt to tamper with the glove''s programming or integrity would cause the micro-motors to destroy the nerveware and wipe the software, turning them into scrap.


    Something bothered him, and finally, he realized it wasn''t the gloves but their look. Ubergear looked good. They had a red and black design with the company logo. His were black. Plain, boring black. He needed to make them distinctive. It took him the rest of the night to come up with something he liked, and then he did another set of gloves with a new look, making his gloves sport the same style. The gloves had silver highlights that glinted in the light as they moved. Not something that would distract the user, but obvious to someone watching. The logo on the back of the gloves was four jagged slashes cutting through the word ''Claw Master.'' He hoped Butch and the guys appreciated the extra work, not that he could tell them that he had made them.


    Milo had been turning that problem over in his mind while he worked. He settled on the idea that he''d been testing prototype gloves for a new company. He hadn''t said anything because of the Non-Disclosure agreement he had signed. He had copies of the same agreement for the gang to sign when he gave them the gloves. They could show them off and use them but not loan them out or sell them. The contract even had a generous sum of money that the Claw Master corporation would pay at the end of the short testing period.


    Again, Milo paused, sensing a loose end; There was no Claw Master Corporation. Anyone who checked would know that and know that the agreement wasn''t worth the plasticard it was printed on. This could lead to trouble for the gang. He needed the corporation to be real. And if it was real? Several thoughts cascaded through his brain. He filed them under the heading ''Find ways to make money.'' Later, he filled out the ideas.


    Creating and hiding his corporation turned out to be easier than he had thought. Small corporations had fought for laws that would help them protect themselves from larger corporations. Larger corporations used those same laws to protect their divisions from each other. Someone could research a corporation and communicate with them without the corporation divulging where they were located and who its officers and owners were. Many firms handled the front end for hidden research corporations that wanted people to know what they had to offer but didn''t want to be a target for Alchemarx, Acme, Solent, or any of the other dozens of large and powerful entities. Milo just had to find someone he thought he could trust to handle that chore for him, negotiate contracts, collect the money, and hold it securely for him.


    Milo didn''t trust people. So he found someone else.


    Wally would say he wasn''t surprised; things just happened that he had foreseen but had a very low probability of occurring. Milo contacting him to get help with negotiating a contract for online workers had been one of the few times he hadn''t foreseen something. After that, he thought about other things Milo might do. Milo asking him to take 25% ownership in ''Claw Master Inc'' in exchange for running the front end of the business and protecting Milo''s patents was very far down the list. The work was negligible for him, and the novelty of the situation was high. The AI agreed. Patents were filed but kept secret for now. And Wally had made a request of his own.


    Steven Duran was mildly surprised to find a present on his desk. Checking security cameras showed it had arrived at the building, been scanned and approved by Wally, and then sent to his desk. Opening them, he found a sleek pair of think grey gloves with a company logo on the back. "Wally, who is ''Claw Master,'' and why did you approve of them sending me a bribe?"


    The AI appeared on the large screen across from Steven. "A bribe? No, I don''t think so, especially since I bought those for you. I think the company tournament is coming up in two days, and you''ve barely had any time to practice, you''ve been working so hard. Those will let you be more competitive."


    Steven flexed the gloves; they did feel comfortable. "Everyone else will certainly be wearing a pair of M-1000s; how will giving me a knockoff brand help me compete?"


    "I think you''ll be pleasantly surprised. Oh, and I need you to sign an NDA before you leave the office. Company policy."

 Chapter 184: Party Research

    Chapter 184: Party Research


    A half-hour later, Milo had to admit to himself that the party wasn''t some nefarious scheme by an evil corporation. It was a media event designed to gain free advertising for the Manpower Corporation and to help launch their new streaming channel, Great Gaming. But for people from the hab attending the event, it was just entertainment and free food. And a type that most young hab dwellers had never seen. Someone had the good idea to fill a room with people playing games to advertise a channel where all they did was talk about games. Milo approved of this. But he wondered, was there a cheese channel?


    A minute later, he answered the question: There was a cheese channel! Or close to it. It was a cooking and dining channel from France, and all of its programs included cheese as part of each episode. No dinner ended without showing the proper cheese that went with each meal. He dedicated one of his viewscreens only to show that channel and, in a moment of daring, subscribed to a weekly meal shipment. Once a week, he''d get a ready-to-heat meal featured on the show and fruit and cheese that went with the cheese. He was a little nervous trying food that way, but he could always just eat the cheese. Thinking about crab-stuffed chicken in hollandaise sauce, he realized he''d lost an hour of work. He needed to remember his lessons! Cheese was dangerous!


    An entire floor of section H was being turned into one big media staging room. Presentations would run non-stop for new games coming out and new gaming products. An entire hour was dedicated to showing off the M-1000 gloves and other gaming apparel from Ubergear. Milo didn''t think much about the name of their channel. ''Great Gaming'' was too generic, and why would you play a game that wasn''t great? Across the huge auditorium, hundreds of arcade-style games were set up in clusters representing the decades they had come out. There was a display with a little round screen where two people could play a simple tennis game with a bouncing ball. ''Tennis for Two'' was invented in 1958 as part of a presentation at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. An area nearby had an ancient system that could play a different game by inserting a cartridge. The Fairchild Channel F system had been quickly forgotten after Atari brought out their system, but during the party, gamers could sit down and experience what it was like to play one of the first video game systems. ?v€l?1n.


    Row on row of arcade games were hooked up. Stand-up arcade games like Defender, Asteroids, and Centipede were arranged in a circle. As games were played, the screen was duplicated on larger screens hanging from the ceiling. There were two-player tabletop games featuring all the versions of Pacman and Space Invaders and even the six-person version of Starship Commander. SC6, as it was nicknamed, was infamous as both the best and worst game of its era. The concept was ambitious. Several races were at war in the Andromeda system, fighting over ten worlds and numerous moons and asteroids. The game was notoriously difficult to play. The game was huge, with room for six people to sit in separate areas around the center console. One person had the role of captain and could allocate energy between shields, weapons, and repair teams. He also got to fire the Photonic Blaster Cannon once an hour. Two other players controlled the right and left side weapons, which could be a mix of lasers, missiles, and gravity lances. Missiles were limited in quantity, and the other weapons took energy allocated by the captain. Arguments between the captain and his gunners were common. The most preferred jobs were the fighter pilots, who each had a light attack craft that could dogfight with other LAC or attack ships directly.


    The final crew member was the navigator, responsible for maneuvering the ship in space, giving the gunners their arcs of fire, all while avoiding enemy fire, asteroids, space pirates, and other navigational hazards. Failure inevitably meant a damaged ship or a complete loss when a fusion reactor exploded. If the team lost, it was common to blame the navigator. Moving the ship was made even harder because the game was in three dimensions. The navigator had to manage pitch, roll, and yaw using thrusters with the aid of six screens. Many professional teams broke up when their navigator checked into a hospital with PTSD.


    She was upset that she couldn''t play GENESIS for a month. The recent round of medications hadn''t worked well, and the doctors had worried about her using a gaming pod. She would have ignored them, except John had taken her pod away. That was when she started calling him John and not Daddy. She knew she hated it. Calling him by his first name was her way of saying, "You aren''t my real father." It was cruel, but so was taking away her pod. In GENESIS, she could walk and run. And she had friends. She wondered what Milo was up to. He was probably mad at her for flirting with him and then disappearing. He was so strange and focused. No one believed they weren''t together somehow. No one gave away magic items as he had. Rumors were going around before she had to take a break from the game.


    She had thrown herself into planning the party with nothing else to do. The event got delayed twice because of engineering problems. The elevator took forever to build; without it, Eric couldn''t show off the Manpower facilities. But she used the delays to improve things. She''d spent the budget for games and then browbeat John and Eric into giving her more. With a bigger event, she had been about to bring in better vendors and advertisers. She had tentatively had Gearhead showing up and had dropped a hint to Ubergear when they inquired about the event. In the end, Gearhead was out, and Ubergear got a full hour of the event to show off their new products. She''d charged them a few and used the money to buy a dozen refurbished SC6 games. The things were huge when assembled, each one in the shape of a spaceship with six different sections for the crew to sit in. She had all of them linked to a series of screens for the audience to see the battles. Six teams were coming to play, all of them the remains of older teams from the game''s heyday.


    It had been tricky getting things done. John had wanted her to be listed as part of the Manpower team putting on the event to capitalize on her popularity after the big raid. She refused. It was hard enough to meet people when she was in a wheelchair and living in a rusting metal mountain. She wanted to enjoy the day, let someone else run it and take credit. She had enjoyed spending the money. And had fun making suggestions that people had to take seriously That reminded her to look at the email with suggestions from views on the Great Games channel. Most suggestions were dumb or repetitive, but some had been golden. The idea to revive SC6 had come from a suggestion someone had sent in. It was so easy to listen to people. She wished she could convince her step-father to do it more. He listened to himself way too much.


    The first suggestion she looked at was interesting. "You need better food. If you live in the hab, it''s boring to come to a party and eat the same stuff. And if you aren''t used to to hab food, it''s horrible. Why not serve things like macaroni and cheese with real cheese? And pancakes! Please set up a big grill with ten people making pancakes and have fruit and cheese and bacon and stuff to go with them. Everyone likes pancakes. And do some retro foods that are served over by the retro arcade games! Hot Dogs, Cheese Fries, and Funnel Cakes! Make it a carnival atmosphere. Did you know they used to make fried cheese? You dipped the battered fried cheese in sauces. It sounds great. We should have that at the party."


    This message had to have come from one of the design staff. No one else knew what they were serving for food. She hadn''t thought about it, but this person was right. Who had thought using the food processor in the habitat to make the food was a good idea? It was just cheap. She rewrote the suggestion and sent it out to a half dozen people, asking for input and wanting changes made. Then she called Francis. When she needed someone to do something immediately, she called Francis. She had made sure he got promoted and assigned to her staff for the party. He was a little odd, but at least he could think. "I''ve got a job for you, Francis. I need to find vendors for a food list and I want to sample it all tonight. Set it up, and you and your staff can have dinner with me and decide what we like from this list." John never understood people. She could have just told Francis to do the job, but this way was more fun. He and his team were funny sometimes, and eating alone was boring. She''d been using a carrot-and-stick approach with some of John''s staff and slowly building her team. She wondered which person had sent that email. There was no way to trace it, but she wondered what other ideas they had.

 Chapter 185: The Road to Bloth

    Chapter 185: The Road to Bloth


    Most sentient creatures curse the route to the City of Blothbezmadan. They joke that trying to get back out was the only thing harder than getting there. It wasn''t much of a joke. Each of the routes to the city was worse than the next. Sheer drops that required poorly built winches to lower wagons one by one, caverns filled with hungry beasts, and packs of bandits of any race. If there was a difficulty that a merchant could encounter anywhere in the Under Realms, you could experience it going to Bloth.


    Not many laughed at the joke, at best a few wry grimaces, at worse, a few things thrown your way. Probably because not many of the city people (And we use that term loosely) had a sense of humor. They may have started with one, but Bloth ground humor, hope, and kindness into the stinking mud of its streets. Still, there was money to be made there, and with the lure of money came the hope of a better life for some people and overwhelming greed in all the rest. ''If you can make it big in Bloth, you can make it big anywhere.'' was another non-joke. It was said a lot, but it was the truth. If someone could grind, trade, and stab their way to prosperity in Blothbezmadan, doing business in any other city would be easy by comparison. But very few could rise to the top of Bloth, and if you didn''t have the hard coin, you weren''t getting back out. Those few that to the top didn''t leave either. Most had done things that would get them quickly hung in most of the Under Realms.


    If the people who flocked to Bloth like wounded moths to a putrid flame could have made it to somewhere better, they would have gnawed off limbs to get there.


    The Hollows, The Legion of Zilvren, and The Myconian Collective were all better places to live. Even the Slaver City of the Black Dwarves, Dinz-jot, had a better reputation than Bloth. Bloth was where you went when no one else would take you, and you needed a place to hide where even assassins didn''t feel safe.


    When he found that both were still technically alive, he was thrilled. This trip would yield something new after all. He called for chains and a large jar and collected his latest captives. He had no worries that they would both recover. The first was a smallish cheese fiend that had broken every bone in its body. The remarkable thing about it was that it was still conscious and could form words. Truly a genius of their kind. A stout cage and enchanted manacles ensured its captivity. Cazact had his guards waste no time restraining the beast as he knew only too well how fast they could recover. The stream of curses coming from its mouth was genuinely inventive, and Cazact learned two phrases he had never heard before.


    The second creature was so curious that he almost paused the caravan for a day to observe it. Its liquid body had splashed over a wide area after the fall but had started immediately reforming. The guards found all its pieces and put them in the large jar he used to transport acidic slugs to Zilvren. The potency of the creature''s excretions showed in how fast it could dissolve shovels and fingers. Most curious was how it reformed into a miniature humanoid. The pale little ratkin was amusing as it paced back and forth in the jar and ranted at him in a high, squeaky voice.


    The two creatures hated each other and argued continuously during the journey if placed adjacent. A circular argument went on and on as the cheese fiend accused the blob of trying to steal its bones, and the blob shook its fist in anger and accused the fiend of ruining their friendship by rejecting it. But the most fantastic thing Cazact overheard from his captives was when they ranted about their true enemy. The fiend blamed someone named Tallsqueak for ruining its life. The Blob hated an Engineer named Milo for betraying it. Slowly Cazact realized they hated the same creature.


    He couldn''t wait to get them to his small laboratory in Bloth and begin experimentation to see what new things he could learn. Together they might help him stave off insanity for a decade or even longer.

 Chapter 186: Who ordered an elevator?

    Chapter 186: Who ordered an elevator?


    An air duct with a 24" diameter was not someplace to be shooting through head first at 30 feet per second. Part of Milo''s brain was calculating the risk, while another part calculated his chance at survival if any part of the duct had collapsed or changed. Mostly, Milo ignored those parts of his head and enjoyed the trip through the bowels of the habitat. He had thinking to do, and he couldn''t think if he was sitting still. He had been racing through tunnels for most of the day, testing his new suit and fixing problems. Several topics kept swapping for the front of his mind: What to do about Section H and how it was infringing on his section? What to do in the game? What did he want to eat today? What did the problems with the excavators mean? And most importantly, what was his favorite Anime?v3l.Bin.


    He had looked at the data from the excavators and was puzzled. The machines had all stopped working after constructing tunnels down to the exact same depth and then stopped after hitting something they couldn''t tunnel through. The machines were equipped with sensors that would detect wires, pipelines, tunnels, rail systems, and any other man-made structure underneath the surface. This wasn''t any of those and was a non-metallic substance. The excavators could grind through granite, basalt, and quartzite, but not whatever they had encountered. Milo would have to make the dangerous trip down to the excavators through the unstable tunnels to access the problem. It was low-priority but nagging at him. He didn''t like mysteries of this sort.


    He decided that dinner would be something called a ''melt.'' There were all types of recipes using vat-grown chicken, fish, and vegetables. The recipes all called for toasted bread, something on top of the bread, and cheese. Milo didn''t have any of the other ingredients, so he decided he would have a ''cheddar melt'' with bread, slices of cheddar cheese, and melted Limburger on top of the cheddar. He was looking forward to it and thinking about other ways to make cheese sandwiches when he ran out of tunnel. Blame it on his stomach.


    His memory said he had another 200 feet until the tunnel he was on turned. His eyes told him he was shooting out of the tunnel and into open space. Someone had constructed another Big Drop in Section H! He was surprised for just a fraction of a second as his mind struggled to get rid of thoughts of dinner, and dinner argued with him. That was when he slammed into the cable suspended in the middle of the drop. He twisted in mid-air to avoid hitting it head-on and wrapped his tail around the cable several times to keep him from falling off. His tail also argued with him, and he found another error in the design of his outfit. This one was causing his tail to only receive partial data from his nervous system. His tail wrapped around the greased cable but not tight enough to slow him. He hung in place for a second, took in the situation, and fell 30'' to the elevator rising underneath him.


    He''d had other solutions. He could have pushed off hard from the cable, but the chance of a lousy trajectory from the greased line gave him a high probability of not making it back to a wall. His claws could have dug into the cable to give him a secure grim, but that had the problem of cutting into the cable. A whipping strand of wire under high tension could tear off a limb, and if the line snapped, he would send the elevator to crash below. Simply falling on the roof of the elevator was the easiest solution. He managed to land on two feet and roll to absorb some of the impact, trying not to fall off the edge of the car. He didn''t think he had broken any bones, but it took a full minute to regain his breath and regulate it. His wheelie board was lost somewhere below.


    Milo heard voices beneath him in the elevator. His loud thump had caused some anxiety among the passengers, and it was time to leave. The distance from the elevator car''s edge to the shaft''s surface was only a few feet on one side. Milo spotted an air vent and leaped to it. It was a moment''s work to undo the bottom screws, flip it up, and disappear into the tunnel. A moment later, the elevator stopped, and someone came out of the emergency hatch to look at the top of the car and see if there was damage. When the report was written, it stated that a piece of unknown debris had fallen in the shaft, bounced off the top of the car, and fell to the shaft''s bottom. The end of the shaft already had such a huge accumulation of trash and similar debris that no one would bother going down to figure out what had fallen. When nothing else was found to be loose in the shaft, it became one more story told about by the engineers trying to repair section H.


    Milo decided that was enough repairs for the day. He worked his way to a larger service tunnel and made his way home. He needed to fix the glitches in his equipment, start looking through the work in Section H and update his maps. That was going to be a continuous process from now on. He couldn''t afford any more surprises. He was disappointed in himself for getting sidetracked in the first place. He had too many things on his mind. He needed to finish jobs and narrow his focus.


    He had three new skills he could buy. BoomBoom would never speak to him again if he didn''t take Demolitions. But did he want Poisoner or Diplomacy? Each was 5 points. Maybe if he had extra points. Diplomacy meant talking to people and not fighting; he was pretty sure. He was better with logical arguments when both people knew the rules. But Diplomacy was a skill using CHA or INT. So he could take the skill and rely on his INT to convince people or take it as a CHA skill to raise that stat. And CHA gave him more mana. He thought of what Cremona could do with her class and spells. A poison aspect for mana wasn''t on his list. Did she have one? He needed to bring her a nice cup of tea one night and ask for some answers.


    If he were going to explore more, then 8 points for the language skills would be well spent. Both Under Linguist and Grunt and Throw Hands looked useful. Thinking about going back to exploring made him curious about so many things. The mysterious holes covered by illusion, the vast cavern below the Engineering outpost, and the strange locked door leading to a stairway down from the hidden tunnels he had found. The Hollow had taught him a lot, and he''d always come back to it, just like the outpost. But he missed being on his own. He missed making small camps with just him and his lizard. Georgie hadn''t been out to play in ages. He should buy the pet skills to make him larger. A good watch lizard was invaluable when he was on his own.


    Toughness was a must. Three points would cost 12 points, a bargain. Being able to shrug off damage the way the dwarves did had kept him alive more than once. His constant fighting with Larry had let him gain some levels in TOU, but he would take all he could get. It took a high level of punishment to gain experience in the stat. He understood the dwarves'' fixation on machines like the Hurl and Puke. Sparring with Gilad hadn''t done it. But Larry''s insane strength and damage had given him some each night, and Cremona had helped his Strong Poison Resistance. Strong Disease Resistance was also an option, but he had encountered so few times where he needed it that he took it off the list. He had barely leveled Weak Disease Resistance.


    That was 12 points, and the pet skills Guardian Pet 1 and 2 were seven points.


    He was up to 96 points already. He could afford to pick up 13 points of stats with what was left. The stats he used most were DEX and INT. But both AGI and CON would keep him alive longer if he got into trouble. CHA and WIS were more mana, but he could also take the skills that increased his mana. Was 57 CSP worth it for 1000 mana? That was a 40% increase in mana. And another 57 would buy him 1000 health. That was cutting into his skills.


    He wanted everything, but he wasn''t going to get it. He needed the stats to make the same Milestone requirements as last time: one point in INT and three in DEX. PER was next for three points. He''d skip CHA but take Diplomacy. More health was good, and so was mana. Would he get better spells? Those would cost more mana; he was already running dry in many fights. He took the other two points of INT. He could buy the first three levels of extra mana for 22 points and gain 300 mana. Each level increased in cost and benefit, so starting now seemed wise. But that meant he had to drop something; he was four points over. He felt terrible dropping Guardian Pet. He could work on mana later. He bought Extra Mana 1 and 2 for seven points. He then used the remaining 8 to buy two points of CHA. That would also give him extra mana and double his poor CHA skill. He had his list; now, he''d let things sit for a day or two while his subconscious mulled things over. Things were quiet in the Hollow, and there was no hurry to spend the points.


    His last task for the day was done, and Milo decided to get a little sleep. He''d check on his fabricators in the morning, meet up with Yumi, and then head back to the Hollow. He could use a quiet day for a change.

 Chapter 187: Diagnostics

    Chapter 187: Diagnostics


    Gendifur was equally worried about and upset with Tallsqueak. "When I told you to take it easy, I thought we had an understanding. Obviously, you were confused by what I meant by Take it Easy." The large healer was very upset, and somehow, Milo felt he was being blamed for what had happened.


    Milo really didn''t want to argue with Gendifur, but he agreed with her that they hadn''t defined the term ''take it easy.'' He would point that out some other time. " I was just doing a little mining to stretch my muscles!"


    Gendifur snorted. "And broke into a nest of carnivorous beetles that followed you back to the Hollow and had to be exterminated in a huge fight that you were somehow in the middle of. Totally not your fault that you got bit a dozen times and crushed under the Queen when her weight broke the floor, and you crashed into an under cavern full of stone lurkers! That could happen to anyone!"


    Tallsqueak nodded his head, glad she understood the situation. It was a slight nod since he had at least one concussion. He tried not to cry in pain as she spread healing ointments on his wounds. They stung something fierce. Gendifur grabbed a bottle of foul-smelling burn ointment next and started slathering it on his hairless left arm. "And everyone knows that Arlothe''s experiments rarely explode. Just your bad luck to have your arms and head inside of the machinery when it caught on fire."


    Milo didn''t believe in bad luck, just probabilities. But he did have to admit that when you looked at it from an outside point of reference, it might look that way. Again, best not to disagree with Gendifur. "Yes, bad luck. I had just gotten the cover off a flux generator when Pansy found the loose wire, and the Oscillation Coil started charging. Without the cover on the flux generator, the two matched frequencies and caused an overload. Totally not my fault."


    Gendifur grabbed his heavily bandaged body and threw him over her shoulder before marching into a private room and laying him on the bed. This caused Milo a lot of pain. His bones weren''t broken, but they were severely bruised along with most of his body. She tucked him into bed with an extra pillow and glared at him, her eyes turning red.


    "And after all that, you decided to play games with Rosie and Buttercup? Both of them at once? Are you insane?"


    Milo was sure that his mental stability might be a few standard deviations away from the norm, but he didn''t think Gendifur wanted to discuss that. It wasn''t his fault he was wired differently. "The girls don''t have anyone else to play with them! They''ve been in cages for the last two years, and we want them to act like children, not fiends. Someone has to play with them, and it can''t always be Larry. We were doing some dancing."


    Gendifur glared at him. "Well, it isn''t going to be you. You are going to stay in this bed for at least three days. You''ve undone most of the healing I had repaired and added layers of burns and bruises. Do you see how slowly you''re regenerating? Your body is exhausted. If you don''t slow down, your body will start breaking down."


    "Three days? Larry won''t be back from Flowertown for at least another day. The twins can only keep ahead of the girls for so long. They are getting better at hide and seek. That''s their favorite game, and when they catch them, Tweedle and Ringtail have to do the Hamster Hop with them. You have no idea how dangerous that is."


    Gendifur started to say something, and then two junior scouts raced into the room. The first was made for a large urn in the corner. He pulled a flower arrangement out of it, jumped into a space Milo would have sworn was too small, and re-arranged the flowers to hide. Ringtail had been a step behind his twin and cursed as his brother took the best hiding spot. He dived to the floor and slid under Tallsqueaks bed. Behind them came two crafty hunters looking for their prey.


    Rosie and her sister were moving silently, one sniffing the air and looking around, the other sniffing along the ground. Both of them wrinkled their noses at the harsh medicinal odors from the infirmary. Buttercup saw Gendifur and froze. She stood up straight and straightened her dress, and tugged at her sister to get her attention. Both girls stood silently and stared at the large nurse. Then they began to cry and sniffle. Rosie looked very confused. "Momma?"


    Gendifur looked back at them. It was the first time she had seen them up close, and it nearly broke her heart. It was like Larry all over again, children trapped in monsters'' bodies. She gathered the two crying girls in her big arms and sat down with them, letting them cry and be little girls missing their mother. After some time, she stood up and made a decision. "Tweedle? You and Ringtail are on guard duty. If Tallsqueak gets out of this room, I''ll be using you as test subjects for my new healing salves."


    "Come, girls. We will get a snack from Smiley, and then we''ll find a nice man named Brutus to dance with us."


    After she left, the flower urn grew legs and put itself next to Tallsqueaks bed.


    "You look tired!"


    "So very, very tired!"


    "Ready for bed."


    "Long naps, good for us not getting hurt."


    Milo looked at the two of them. "So, you would obey the Master Healer and not the Scout Master?"


    They nodded to each other.


    "Obviously."


    "They say it will make him better at his job."


    "We don''t want to be that much better!"


    All three scouts decided that Tallsqueak staying in bed was a good thing. Tweedle ran off to find a particular ring and mace. Ringtail did his best to tell Tallsqueak a bedtime story.


    The mace that Gangrene had wielded with such ease took the twins over an hour to carry back to Milo, even with the help of a wheelbarrow. Milo watched them struggle to get the weapon to where he could look at it. He reached down and was able to pick it up with both hands. It was indeed heavy, especially for a one-handed weapon. "The two of you can''t lift this? What are your STR scores?"


    They sighed.


    "A valid question."


    "If embarrassing."


    "We are good scouts."


    "Sneaky scouts!"


    "Becoming better scouts."


    "But maybe..."


    "...maybe we should not have skipped some lessons."


    Milo smiled at them. "I''m sure we can fix that with a few days in the mines. And then some time foraging." The twins grimaced at the thought. They had successfully avoided hard work for years, but they were constantly impressed with the Scout Master. Mostly how he was still alive. For now, though, they were content to steal pillows from other rooms and take naps while they carefully guarded the door. Milo started examining the mace that Gangrene had used to nearly shatter his skull.


    Mace of Armageddon


    A bloody and terrible ancient weapon that has been wielded by many throughout the ages and killed thousands of sentient creatures.


    The description was less than helpful, Milo thought. Was that because his level was too low? Or his Identify skill? The weapon was one piece of metal with no seam between the head and handle. Leather had been wrapped around the handle to provide a better grip. Milo sliced off the stained leather and had one of the twins take it to the trash heap to be burned. The metal was unfamiliar to him. He used one of his claws to test its hardness. He was surprised when his claw slid along the metal and left no mark. He''d been able to make small cuts into the crystal of Uthneragrubban, and yet this metal was tougher than the hide of the crystalline world boss.


    Finding a spot where he could use his strength to bear down, he pressed the tip of one claw into the mace and slowly moved it. He wasn''t able to scrape the metal off but did make a slight indentation. And that was when things got weird. He saw glowing runes form on the metal around the slight indentation. Runes made with machine language like the ones in his bones. Six glowing runes formed a circle around the slight indentation and began to circle it.


    Hardness Repair Hardness Repair Hardness Repair


    The mark he had made disappeared, and the runes faded, replaced by a rune he couldn''t read that flashed three times before it faded. Excited, Milo attempted to repeat the experiment. As he made a small mark on the mace, the last rune flashed again in multiple places around the mace head. Each rune flashed three times before it faded. The mark he had made was gone. Milo felt like he could almost grasp the meaning of the unknown rune. He put another mark on the mace head.


    Warning Warning Warning Warning Warning Warning Warning


    Tweedle and Ringtail saw Tallsqueak enveloped in a blinding light, his fur standing on end. The bedding caught fire, and the bed was destroyed. Tallsqueak collapsed on his back, holding the handle of a screwdriver. In his mind, a voice was speaking:


    "Repairs complete. Diagnostics Complete. Tool Interface available. User: Engineer Milo Tallsqueak has been added to the list of allowed users. Engineer Milo Tallsqueak has submitted an alternative method of resetting programming. Method not recommended except as a last resort."

 Chapter 188: Seeking Sanctuary

    Chapter 188: Seeking Sanctuary


    Two stealthy scouts moved through the night bearing a stretcher. They were on a secret mission to deliver a brave fallen warrior to a place where the spies of the Master Healer wouldn''t find him. Normally, Tweedle and Ringtail would avoid the Tower of Strife at all costs. It was a perilous place full of books and lessons. There were horror stories of brave Shadow Skulkers being trapped inside for days on end, forced to do long division problems until their heads exploded.


    They raced across the marketplace, dodging around people while saying, "Excuse us! Important mission!"


    Running up the steps to the Tower of Spite, the way was blocked by two of the older students. "Whoa! Stop! Where the hell do you two think you are going? And who is that under all the bandages?"


    "We are brave scouts."


    "Our mission is secret, so you should forget you saw us."


    The two students, wearing elaborate robes with a green lizard on the chest, refused to move. "I don''t know what you are up to, but we don''t need Shadow Skulkers playing tricks in here. We study late into the night and don''t like playing Surprise! early in the morning."


    "I must stress that we have little time to make silly words with you!"


    "It is best for all of us if we take this poor soul into the tower, and everyone pretends we were never here."


    The two Emerald Wyverns looked at each other and smirked. "Nope."


    Tweedle looked at his brother and made anxious glances behind him.


    Ringtail shrugged and got serious.


    "OH, NO! Spiders!"


    "So many spiders!"


    "Magic spiders with wands!"


    "They insult the Tower by their very presence."


    "To arms, fellow wizard-people!"


    "Call the Puffy-Fuzzies and the Green Marmots!


    "House Jellybean must be triumphant!"


    "Books to read, if you like books."


    "Food and tea."


    "Professor Tallsqueak does take naps up here quite a bit. I promise he will not leave this room for three days and will alert you if he misbehaves. Will that suffice?" Gershwin put a pillow under Milo''s feet, took the last two cookies, and tossed them to the twins. Gendifur looked at Tallsqueak. He had new burns and was clutching a silly-looking screwdriver in one hand. But he was asleep and smiling and not moving. She nodded to Gershwin.


    "That will do. And please, no experiments with the other Professors."


    The Butler looked a little alarmed at the thought. "Heavens no, miss, whenever he and Professor Arlothe get together, I''m sweeping up broken glass for a week. It''s worse with Professor Cremona. I''ve lost more mops to cleaning up spilled poisons than I can count."


    Gendifur checked Milo''s bandages once more and, satisfied, took her leave. She grabbed each scout by an ear and dragged them down several flights of stairs. "You two are coming with me. I have two little girls desperate for playmates. They wore Brutus and me out with dancing this afternoon. I''m hoping the two of you can teach them a simple game like checkers. I have a lot to do, and you two are going to help!


    Outside the Hollow, the bulk of the spider army was on the move. It had been hard keeping the army together. While the nearly mindless rabble could sit for days waiting, the nobles grew impatient. The Princess had bitten off more than one head to keep order. This Hollow had proven much tougher than anyone had suspected. Probing raids had been turned aside. Thousands of spiderlings had been killed, weakening her information network. A doomed charge led by a foolish noble had actually advanced further than she had expected but been stopped when gigantic guards, a contingent of sorcerers, and a massive fiend had attacked from surprise.


    She hated the fiends. Nothing else truly scared a noble spider. The rats had been clever to breed them. Malign sorceries had warped their innate love for cheese into a powerful mutagenic effect that created monsters from mice. They had turned the tide of the wars, and nowhere could the spider empire advance without encountering a Hollow protected by fiends. Eventually, they made peace and expanded in other directions. The Queen had no desire to begin another war, but word had reached her that the rats had bred a new type of fiend. A monster that could think and talk. If the rats were breeding fiends, it meant they planned on attacking the spiders while most of their armies were deeper into the Under Empires. The Queen had decided to strike first.


    The Hollow was quiet now, thinking they had repulsed the enemy army and unaware that a much larger force was surrounding them. The Princess gave the order to attack, and her forces moved toward the waiting Hollow.


    The front entrance was easily forced. Fast-moving wolf spiders attacked the two guards before they could call the alarm. Her forces surged into the Hollow to link up with the forces attacking through the mines and from the gathering fields. The mines were soaked in blood as dwarven mercenaries with superior weapons mowed down her lighter scouts. But elsewhere she was victorious. Assassin spiders attacked the leaders, leaving the Hollow directionless. Their paralyzed bodies would be used as egg sacks. The fiends they encountered caused massive casualties but eventually were pumped with so much poison that they couldn''t move. Within an hour, the only forces still active were in the mines.


    The damned dwarves with their black hearts and huge guns had to be negotiated with. They left the Hollow with huge wagons of ingots taken from the Hollow''s storehouses and a bag of gems, drunk on rum and the joy of looting. She decided she didn''t care. She had won. Wurchwitz Hollow was hers and would make no more fiends.


    The lesser rats were herded to the center of the Hollow. They stared around, confused, turned into idiots by their own cheese. She looked them over. "Who is in charge here?" The rats mumbled and looked at each other until one stepped forward. It was ugly, even for a rat, with huge, fuzzy feet and a fat belly. If it wasn''t for the oversized ears, she would have thought it was a halfling.


    Stumpy Big-Toe looked at the Spider Princess, then shrugged as if the answer was obvious. "You are."


    The spider liked that answer. Her multiple eyes stared at him. "Why is a halfling dressed like a stupid rat? Take those ears off. You''re in charge now. If you can get this shithole meeting its quota of small mammals and mushrooms you won''t be eaten at the end of the week."


    Stumpy didn''t care. Gangrene had said the same thing to him each week. Different boss same pay, but he didn''t have to wear the ears. "All right you stinking cheese eaters! Let''s get to work! We have quotas to fill. No cheese for any of you until I see some output!"


    "Not bad, you found the one person in this Hollow that isn''t stupid on cheese. He''s motivated and he doesn''t seem to like his former employers much." The old scout chuckled to herself. The Princess was pleased to take credit for the small bit of luck. "We''ll see. If he meets the quotas, he can rule this little Hollow and become a citizen of the Empire."


    The scout dared a further question. "And what of Limburger Hollow? The little we have heard is disturbing. You won''t even have to ambush Gangrene on his return. He swallowed a meal that swallowed him back."


    The Princess was thoughtful for a moment. "Let them be. They were peaceful until attacked, and are far stronger than reported. As long as no one from that Hollow causes trouble, I''m not sticking my foot into their web."

 Chapter 189: Unified Runic Theory

    Chapter 189: Unified Runic Theory


    Runes. Milo was thinking about runes.


    His valiant scouts had saved him from being stuck in the infirmary for three days. It had been a close race, barely getting him to safety before Gendifur investigated his latest mishap. It had been a bumpy and painful journey, but now he was in his favorite spot and could nap, read, and think about things while he recovered. Laying in a bed in the infirmary would have driven him insane with boredom, and like any sane person, he wanted distance between himself and the healer''s needles.


    When he napped, he got things done in the real world, and when he slept in the pod, he read in the little library at the top of the tower. Tea and snacks appeared as needed, and he was comfortable as long as he didn''t move around much. The mace had fried him good on the inside.


    He suspected the screwdriver was the mace, just different forms of the same handy tool. It was a mystery that he wanted to solve. That someone had used powerful magic and Ancient Runes to make a weapon was expected. In a world where creatures still fought in hand-to-hand combat, there would always be a call for sharper swords and maces that crushed skulls. But this one turned into a screwdriver...


    A screwdriver made of an unknown metal by someone who understood Ancient Runes was a frightening and exciting thought. A mace was boring; you just killed people. But a screwdriver was a tool for working on machinery, putting things together, making adjustments, or fine-tuning a mechanical system. A mace was boring; it was the screwdriver that was dangerous. Milo wanted to see a mechanical system that used ancient runes. He wanted to work on it and find out its secrets. The screwdriver might be a clue to finding such a thing.


    Or it might lead to getting his body deep-friend again. He needed to be careful. The threat of the large nurse tying him down until he healed was always there. He wouldn''t do more than observe the odd tool until he fully recovered. Even looking at it gave him a headache. The runes in the device were more active. They were a mix of Ancient Runes and the more modern runes governed by the system. He identified a dwarven engineering rune that governed the rotation of a shaft. It was appropriate for a screwdriver but linked to other runes he didn''t understand. The pain in his head convinced him that he should take a break. His danger sense was also tingling...or maybe that was his nerves regenerating after being fried?


    His system-based skill for Identification worked poorly on the strange tool. It only told him what he saw or what the system thought the item''s history was. In the case of the mace, it had told him it was a weapon used in many wars. His skill told him, ''Old, magic screwdriver for turning old screws.'' Milo didn''t need to be told that it was old and, like the great beasts, predated the system. He had a theory that the system didn''t understand the older runes he''d found in the bones of the Great Beasts. It simply referred to them as Ancient Runes and didn''t work with them well. He suspected that was why it had been so hard to inscribe a Velocity Rune onto Captain Pike''s Harpoon and what caused the feedback that had injured him.


    The ordeal of breaking his magic had been painful. And being caged by the slaver mage had infuriated him. One of the benefits (not least of which was blowing the asshole up) of surviving the situation was gaining an understanding of the Ancient Runes. Or at least being able to see them. Understanding might take time and study. Luckily, he had a perfect spot for it in the library and access to many materials.


    Since he had the time, Milo decided to do an in-depth study of the runes he had access to. He knew very few Ancient Runes, but each was quite potent.


    Swift-Swimming was very similar to the Velocity rune. He wondered about the differences and how they changed the rune. Velocity had come from Volat-Repat. Milo was sure the amazingly fast-flying beast utilized the rune for movement in the void. His huge body couldn''t be held aloft by the six tiny wings. Most likely, they were used for stability and direction.


    Hard-Bones and Sharp-Claws had a lot in common. Both increased the density of parts of his body. Likewise, Sundering and Destruction had common pieces. Milo''s theory was that the Ancient Runes were built with machine code representing fundamental forces of the world: Friction, density, velocity, acceleration, and energy. This made them much more potent than the runes that the system oversaw. Also, much more dangerous to deal with.


    Newer runes, which he considered System Runes, came in many styles. At first, he had thought the differences were just superficial, like using a different language, but the more he researched, the more he doubted that early theory. His research in the Engineering Outpost, The Tower of Strife, and Cichol''s Arcane Library revealed many different types of runes used by the System. He wasn''t happy with how many different ways the word ''Rune'' was used. This was no way to run a magic system. He liked each word to have a definition and each definition to have a word. But he found examples of writing in ''Elder Elvish Runes'' that looked pretty but weren''t magical at all, and the book with the writing turned out to be a torrid dwarf/elf romance. Many of the ''Runic scripts'' were just fancy ways of saying ''the old alphabet with no magical uses.


    Dwarves had several types of magical runes and a more straightforward non-magical script called ''runic.'' He appreciated that they separated their runes into different categories. There were Weapon Runes to put on weapons, Armor Runes on armor and shields, and Engineering Runes for war machines and industrial machines. The most tightly guarded runes were those used in the magic-tech devices some engineers delved into. He thought he would return to the Outpost if things were settled in the Hollow. There was a lot of rebuilding, and with everything torn up, he could see examples of how they used runes in the construction. Milo was happy to see that dwarves differentiated and defined their system so that it made sense.


    He had examples of Elvish Runic Script. Arlothe had said it was used to record rituals and long spells, the flowing runes giving the knowledge to use a spell correctly, including pronunciation of each syllable and how to sing the notes. Without more information, the elvish spells would be disastrous, so they were set aside for now. Draconic Runes were mentioned in two books, with three examples: Fire, Desolation, and Gold. The Draconic Runes had a primal potency to them. The book had dire warnings not to attempt to use them and some nice pictures of burning wizards who had tried. The Draconic Fire Rune had a chapter all to itself and a lovely full-page example printed in red inks and gold leaf. He almost felt the rune in his mind as if it wanted to leap off the page. The book had a warning about only studying part of the rune at a time, but of course, that was in the back of the book, in the end notes. How typical. Milo shut the book. He wasn''t going to risk burning his favorite chair.


    But it did remind him of something. He had a Ruby in his chest that was described as a Live Gem. He retrieved it and examined it again. The lights and fire in the gem moved in patterns, forming and re-forming. He pulled a tattered copy of Berkhauser''s Compendium of Magical Oddities from a high shelf. He''d seen something in it before. The illustration was of a diamond, but the description mentioned many gems. Sadly, someone had torn out some of the images. ''....phires being the most common. And from the Planes of Fyre and Smoke, Elven Wind Ships have brought back living gems imbued with the essence of fire. They are ideal for some purposes, their energies easily holding sympathetic runes. Care must be taken not to....'' Milo cursed the book defiler. He would have to find a complete copy of the book somewhere. Elven Wind Ships? He wanted to see one. Would Onyx know about them? He was an elf that flew airships? Could they go to other planes? He had thoughts about the Draconic Rune and the Live Gem, but they could wait until he was healed and could get ahold of a Dwarven Environmental Suit.


    Cremona had been kind enough to give him a book of heavy parchment sheets that could be used to copy runes from other sources. It took careful study, first to memorize the rune and then hours of painstaking work to copy each line while holding the magical construct within your mind. Once the rune was copied to his book, she instructed him to clear his mind, wipe away the rune, or use it in a spell. Too many runes could put a strain on a mage''s mind. The two Master Mages were generous with their knowledge and passed on to him a collection of runes they had collected. Some of them were small concepts meant to be used to construct spells and larger runes. Others mirrored a type of magic. Poison, Spark, Lux, Tenebrae, Fire, and Lightning were the ones he dealt with first. The differences between Spark and Lightning were interesting. He could see that the structure of Spark appeared several times in Lightning. Arlothe also presented him with a Storm Rune but cautioned him to first practice with more minor runes. Storm was another step up from the rune of Lightning and needed a steady and experienced hand to copy it. He promised that if Tallsqueak found it beyond him, he would copy it to the book himself when he had a few hours free. He also presented Tallsqueak with a book. Basics of Runic Lore and how to construct your first staff.


    Milo noticed that the author was Arlothe himself. "This is a basic text I give to all of our students. All of them want a wand or staff, and this way, they can at least make something that probably won''t explode the first time they use it. A bit of cut glass with the Spark Rune carved into it, and a stout bit of gnarl root gives them a basic tool to wave around. Most of them immediately start asking questions and experimenting further. Saves me a lot of time teaching the basic class later on when they learn things themselves."


    Later, as Milo was thinking about simple ways to use runes, he thought back to Arlothe''s words, and he became curious about how each student had constructed their early wands and where they had gone from there. He needed more information...


    Professor Tallsqueak settled himself into his comfy chair and nodded. "Thanks. You both were very helpful. I''ve got a lot more ideas we can test. I think this is just the start of something."


    Something else agreed...as Milo faded off to sleep, a notification was added to his list. He''d find it the next day after he was done adding two new recipes to the food processor and repairing the air compressor that ran the pneumatic tube system for section E.


    Professor Tallsqueak has rediscovered a part of The Unified Theory of Runic Magic.


    Lore Skill: Ancient Rune Lore has reached Level 10


    Skill: Runic Carving has reached Level 10


    Lore Skill: Rune Lore has reached Level 7


    Skill: Bone Carving has reached Level 10


    Skill: Spell Construction has reached Level 3


    Skill: Demolitions has reached level 5


    Runic Spell: Minor Spell of Sparking Runed Skull has been discovered.


    Ancient Runic Spell: Sparking Runed Skull has been discovered.


    Two students stopped in the hallway beyond the library as both saw the same notification about gaining experience.


    You have gained 500 experience in the Lore Skill: Rune Lore and 500 experience in INT.


    You have gained 200 experience in the Skill: Spell Construction and 200 experience in INT.


    Followed by a Tower Wide message.


    Moray has earned Clan Emerald Wyrm 20 points for bravery in the face of impending doom.


    Patsy has earned Clan Puffyfur 20 points for keeping Professor Tallsqueak from exerting himself.


    Clan Manticore is fined 10 points for throwing fireworks at night.

 Chapter 190: Dangerous Knowledge

    Chapter 190: Dangerous Knowledge


    This was a very dangerous rune ...


    Milo had separated the particular bone he needed from the horror of taxidermy he had bought from the Eels and was carefully examining it. The bone was very old. That was immediately apparent as he tried to investigate the runes inside of it. There were several lesser runes repeated over and over. They reminded him of dwarven engineering runes but were more...fluid? Adaptable? He saw many versions of the same rune with minor changes to just one part of the formation. The Ancient Rune lurked in the bone, waiting to be released. Milo looked at the bone from different angles. One end had been carved to a point. The other end had markings on the bone made from some residue that made a spiral effect. The image of a wand clicked inside his brain. The markings were the remains of a leather handle that made gripping the rod easier.


    But what did this primitive wand do? Before experimenting, he needed to document the lesser runes'' variations. Hours later, he had only the Ancient Rune to copy. It was difficult, like the Rune of Velocity and the Rune of Destruction. It had things in common with both of those runes. Or maybe Velocity and Destruction contained versions of the unknown rune? He put down his drawing tools and retreated to his comfortable chair to think. He considered the effects of the two runes with physics, not magic. Velocity was a vector describing both speed and direction. To change velocity, a mass needed to be accelerated. That was an effect in one of his spells: The material component, a bone javelin, was accelerated in the direction of his choice until it attained a certain velocity or impacted the target. Acceleration depended on the mass of the object and the force used to accelerate it. Force equals Mass times Acceleration. Or did it? In a fantasy world that had magic? What about conservation of energy? Gravity? Well, gravity worked as normal. He''d fallen enough, and used physics as a weapon to know that gravity worked the same.


    As Milo thought more and more about magic and physics, he started to get worried, like the ground was shifting under him. He retreated to engineering. The dwarves used mathematics, thermodynamics, and physics in everything they did. Magic was a power source to them until they advanced to magitech. He relaxed and breathed easier and considered magic again. It was his ignorance of magic that was causing his unease. It was a different branch of science, and maybe this world had an extra rule or two, but the fundamental laws of reality seemed to hold.


    He pondered why that was important. Wasn''t this just a game? Would it be so bad if not everything worked the same on the fundamental level? His problem was not knowing the rules. That was causing him some anxiety. In the real world, if he didn''t know how something worked, he studied until he had the knowledge to solve a problem. He just had to have confidence that he could do the same here. He needed to learn everything the Tower of Spite had to offer. And then, he needed to make a complete study of dwarven engineering. And then? Then he needed to dig out the secrets in this world until he knew them all and things made sense. The last of his panic attack faded away, and he returned to studying runic formations.


    But fires, more tea and cookies.


    He considered the runes he used in his exploding skulls. The Rune of Destruction released the mana placed in an object into an explosion. An explosion was a force that radiated out in all directions. A modern grenade used the force generated by the explosive to shatter the metal casing and accelerate the parts, sending fast-moving shrapnel in all directions. His version did the same, but with bone shards. The spell was very mana efficient because of the stored mana and use of a material component.


    Force? Was this unknown rune associated with force? Many of the runic systems he was studying had runes that used force in one way or another. Dwarves use many different runes to move fluid, apply torque to axles, and of course, blow things up. Gendifur used runes that moved blood through tubes. What did the unknown runic wand do?


    There was, of course, a way to find out. But not in this room.


    "Can I ask a favor of you, Moray? Or rather, of your clan?"


    Moray was cautious in his reply, but the experience he had gained the previous night and witnessing the destructive the spells Professor Tallsqueak was crafting meant that denying the Professor anything was crazy talk. "Of course, Professor. What can clan Emerald Wyrm do for you?"


    "For example, A gallon of waste fluid left over from processing Deep Steel can yield 138,000 DTU (Dwarven Thermal Units) when burned in a subragator. By contrast, Aged Dwarven Whiskey will yield 2,600,456 DTU when burned. It also burns 22 times faster with a proportional release of energy. I may have overlooked this during one experiment, and if you multiply the heat difference by 27,000 gallons, you can comprehend the magnitude of my mistake. When 7.02 x10ex10 DTU gets released all at once, bad things happen. By comparison, a normal fireball thrown by a 4th-level student releases 2,500 DTU. If you ask Professor Boom about the story, he can detail the magnitude of the destruction."


    "Any questions?" The students looked a little stunned and confused. That was a lot of numbers that didn''t sound like magic. One Raptor Tail student raised a hand tentatively. "I''m sorry, Professor, but I don''t think I have the knowledge needed to absorb this lecture, and I feel guilty that I''m taking the spot from someone else." Others seemed to agree with her.


    Professor Tallsqueak smiled at them. Some students prepared to flee. That was the "I have a surprise test for you." smile. Two loud clicks made them turn to where the doors to the room had just been locked by two of the professors attending the lecture.


    "I agree. That''s why we will review basic mathematical principles, and by the end of the week, we will move on to the Laws of Physics. Hopefully, by then, Gendifur will pronounce me healed, and we can all participate in some experiments with a new spell I''m working on."


    For the next few days, the Tower of Strife vibrated with excitement. The strange magical knowledge Professor Tallsqueak was proving to be helpful with many aspects of their magical studies. He demonstrated methods for not blowing yourself up with alchemy, not electrocuting yourself with storm spells, and not over-dosing on poisonous substances. The lectures were expanded, with many other Professors attending and afterwards working with their students on their pages of homework.


    The visiting Engineers were brought in as additional teachers. Professor Boom gave lectures on the trajectory of projectiles and how to increase the potency of explosions. He also gave a detailed account of the damage done while hunting a large elemental in the old engineering complex. "Some things are hazy; I didn''t have much of a brain back then. But we destroyed rooms of machinery making traps, and then the snake outsmarted us and destroyed the traps. We weren''t considering how much momentum a pure copper serpent contained or how strong it was. Eventually, I came up with the idea of burning it, and Professor Tallsqueak devised a plan." He stopped to shake his head sadly. "We''d forgotten where we hid the whiskey until it was too late. But what the hell, we needed a new project. We''ll have things sorted out in a few years."


    Professor Sledgemonkey gave a lesson on basic principles of magitech that went over everyone''s heads but lit a fire in several students to know more. Professor Two Screws showed the schematics for a Dwarven Rivet Gun and explained how to calculate the cooling needed depending on how many hundred shots you wished to fire per minute. The students of the Tower of Strife were impressed by the engineers. They mixed strange mathematics and powerful explosives to create weaponry rivaling a fully trained Battle Mage. The fact that Professor Tallsqueak was working with both branches of knowledge opened up many eyes. By the end of the week, Sledgemonkey had a half dozen applicants who wished to study engineering.


    "How come we never had any ratkin engineers in the old days?" He and the other dwarves were considering the question over a beer one evening, and Two-Screws asked the question.


    Boom-Boom shrugged. He''d just been a junior engineer. Sledgemonkey thought about it for a bit. "I think the guilds used to be more conservative. Certainly, the ones up top were. It was one of the things that made us go so deep in the caverns before we built the outpost. Fewer people getting picky about experiments and projects. Doesn''t matter now, though. That''s one advantage to being one of the few old outposts still left. I say we take anyone interested in learning and willing to get their hands dirty and make mistakes."


    Boom-Boom agreed. "Anyone who loves to blow stuff up with magic and spend years experimenting with half-assed magics has the right attitude. They just need the training."


    When the dwarves began the trek back home, they took six new apprentice engineers.

 Chapter 191: Physics isnt always your friend

    Chapter 191: Physics isn''t always your friend


    Two courageous scouts were bravely going on a dangerous mission. Tweedle and Ringtail had nearly fallen into another of the stupid illusion-covered holes. This one had opened up in one of the tunnels they used to gather mushrooms. Tweedle had been discussing the idea of opening up a stand in the market to sell puffcakes, pointing out the obvious benefit that they would be able to eat all of the tasty food they wanted. And then his next step felt only empty air. As he teetered over the invisible pit, his brother pulled him back to safety.


    They carefully marked the pit and went looking for Bleusnout and Old Healer. It was Bleusnout who found the creature responsible in one of his old bestiaries.


    "I believe we have a Mossvale Borer beneath the Hollow. The description of the holes and the illusions match the description of the creature''s hunting habits. Mossvale was one of the oldest Hollows and nearly had to be abandoned because of these creatures cutting off all of the tunnels leading to them. They are adept at boring long tunnels up to known pathways, covering them with illusions, and then constructing their traps far below. Creatures fall and are stuck in a sticky web made by the creature. They are solitary hunters, but if they live long enough will reproduce, and the young will be moved to a different hunting ground around a Hollow. Each hole may be the lair of a creature. Sadly, the book doesn''t detail how they dealt with the infestation."


    The brave scouts thought over this information.


    "We need a plan."


    "A crafty plan."


    "Lure the creature out."


    "Force it to fight us fairly."


    "Except..."


    "Except why fight fairly?"


    "I''ve never seen the reason, frankly."


    "How does Tallsqueak deal with problems?"


    "Well, he kicked Char-char down a hole?"


    "So either Char-char ate the Borer or the Borer ate Char-char."


    "The cheese fiend version of our dearly missed cousin would be formidable."


    "So, she ate the borer."


    "One monster dead. We are rapidly getting rid of our problem."


    "We are out of disposable cheese fiends, though; I like all of our other fiends."


    "Hmm, there is that story about a snake?"


    "Yes. I like that story."


    "I just want to know what you think. Brutus has wanted to get married for a long time. Later today I''m going to go tell him yes. Then Rosie and Buttercup can move in with us. It will be tight, but they need a family to grow up right. They were eight to ten years younger than Larry was when he was turned into a fiend. They need a mother and father. Being an orphan is tough enough without being a fiend as well."


    Milo saw the problem. "You don''t have room for Larry?" She shook her head. "It will be hard to get the clan to fit the girls in¡ªjust not enough spare rooms. Justin sleeps in the guard barracks because of that. That leaves Larry alone again some of the time. I don''t think that''s good for him."


    Milo had noticed how tight some of the tunnels in the clan''s burrow were. "With how big some of your clan is, why isn''t there more room? Is this part of the problem with combining three clans into one?"


    Gendifur grimaced. "Part of the problem is not enough space. Part is inter-clan rivalries. Not everyone wanted the merge, and they could express that feeling by making some of the rooms too small for Stoneclaw. Deathclaw Clan was always difficult to get along with, and Silentclaw had always been mistrusted because of their unique abilities." She gave Tallsqueak a significant look as she said this. Milo was thinking about the problem of space and missed it entirely.


    "And I''m guessing there isn''t another part of the Hollow with any available room. I don''t think moving Rosie and Buttercup into cramped quarters is wise. Sooner or later, something will happen that upsets them if they don''t have room to play and move around. And that will lead to really bad things. If there isn''t room in the Hollow, then we need to make a bigger Hollow. Why not expand into the outer cavern? Build as big a house as needed, and we can tunnel into the rock behind, giving even more room."


    "It would be a good spot to make some quarters for visitors like the Engineers."


    Gendifur nodded. "Justin will be happy to move in with us. And that will make Larry happy. He''s always been sad that he couldn''t live with his brother. Stoneclaw and fiends. We''ll make it work."


    Milo couldn''t see a problem with it. "You and I are only two votes, but I can''t imagine anyone having a problem with the plan. The Hollow needs to grow."


    He was already starting to plan out the construction in his mind when he thought about her earlier comments. "Oh, but what did you mean about unique abilities? Do you mean all the sneaking and skulking?"


    Gendifur shook her head. "No, those are shared with Deathclaw. I''ll remind you I''m very good with bloodwork. I recognized the markers that show you are a full-blooded Silentclaw. But that secret stays with me. You saved too many people. I don''t want you to have to put up with the old prejudices because you can change into a human."


    Milo didn''t have much to say. "Uh, thank you. It does come in handy when I go up top and have to deal with them."


    Gendifur patted his shoulder. "It''s our secret then. And when you do the plans for our new burrow, you''re welcome to draw in a room for yourself. Larry would like that."


    There was a large crowd around the dueling grounds. Several targets had been set up, replacing those damaged by fireworks. Clan Manticore had done the work, earning them back their lost points.


    Professor Tallsqueak was explaining his theories to the crowd of students and professors.


    "I''ve been working with runes and ways to use them to craft and enhance spells. There is a lot of tricky math to do this, which is why I thought to start some classes. Almost all of you have used a rune to make a staff. What I''m doing today is using a combination of runes. If the caster isn''t using a physical focus to carve the runes, the spell has to be built from scratch each time with the runes composed of mana drawn by the mage and held firmly in their mind. The first example is a simple spell that uses the Rune of Lightning, modified with dwarven engineering runes to give the spell an area effect."


    Milo formed the Lightning Rune in the air in front of him and once it was stable added the engineering runes. Theoretically, the spell should shoot out in front of him and then expand into a globe. He started with only 50 mana to charge the runes. The spell shot out, hit a target, and enveloped it in a sparkly globe that quickly faded leaving the target unharmed. He repeated it for 100 and then 150 mana. Each time the globe grew more intense, and the target took more harm. He was sweating by the time he finished.


    "The advantage to learning this type of spell crafting is versatility. I can put more or less mana into the spell. But there are disadvantages. Without the runes being carved into a physical focus such as a skull or a staff they were only a pattern of mana held in place by the willpower of the caster. I''ll need a lot of practice to be able to cast the spell easily." His next spell was similar to the fireworks display with an explosion that shot out electrical damage along the ground in a large circle. "This spell is more efficient as long as your targets are on the ground. You aren''t wasting mana creating the globe."


    The crowd was appreciative and curious. Many of them were interested in experimenting themselves. Mathematics and Physics were going to get more popular. Professor Milo pulled out a wand from his pocket. "Maybe you should all take a good twenty steps back? This is an old wand that I believe will cast an interesting spell, but I''m not totally sure on the specifics of the spell. I''ve asked miss Gendifur to be here just in case." The crowd went back twenty steps and then even more as Professor Tallsqueak summoned his bone armor in preparation to cast the spell.


    Milo took out the old bone wand and focused on the middle target. He fed mana into the wand to trigger its effect. He was totally unprepared for what happened. The wand took power from him far beyond what he had been prepared to feed into it and then pulled power from somewhere else. A glowing pulse of energy a foot thick flashed from the wand. The target was struck by pure force and exploded, sending fine dust and splinters in all directions, along with carving out an impressive blast crater. Milo remembered that every reaction has an opposite and equal reaction. The thought flashed through his head as he became part of the reaction.


    Milo was thrown backward at an alarming speed and hit the Tower of Strife hard enough to crack the stones behind him. His armor shattered but absorbed some of the blow. The old wand was driven out of his hand and hit his body hard enough to drive it into him. His unconscious body tumbled forward out of the dent he had put into the tower. Gendifur ran to him and put two syringes of healing potion into him. The Master Healer was astonished that he was alive. She concentrated first on stopping the bleeding from the deep wound in his torso where the wand had impaled him. She could tell he had broken bones and a cracked skull.


    "I need a stretcher, splints, and a double dose of sleeping powder. Someone set up a healing potion in an IV drip. We have to put Professor Tallsqueak back together. Again."

 Chapter 192: Forces in motion

    Chapter 192: Forces in motion


    KEPLER heard juggling described once as the art of keeping all the balls in the air. The analogy to his job wasn''t perfect; human jugglers caught the balls before reapplying force. KEPLER couldn''t let even one ball drop to the ground, and he was juggling with over seventy-nine thousand metal balls.


    In 2022 there were over 5,000 metal balls (satellites) orbiting the Earth. That steadily increased each year, and the problem of juggling the balls became harder and harder. Nations and Corporations didn''t work together all the time, and not all of the satellites were registered. By the time the first fully aware AI was created, there were over 200,000 satellites in orbit. Orbits decayed over time, and satellites had to be boosted back to higher orbits. Manned shuttles became more and more common, as did the chance of collisions. In 2051 it was agreed that an AI was needed to monitor and adjust the orbits of near-earth man-made objects. KEPLER was born with a love for juggling and went to work. ?v€l?1n.


    Like all AI, KEPLER was happiest when he was at work. Juggling satellite paths involved calculating when and how much force to apply to each one to keep them in optimal orbits. Each man-made object in orbit had a small engine capable of generating thrust, and KEPLER activated those as needed to keep everything moving in its correct path. Thousands of times a day, he applied small bits of force to those satellites that needed an adjustment, pushing them into higher and faster orbits. The AI also handled the trajectories of manned and unmanned shuttles going to stations or orbital refineries.


    The most challenging job, meaning an error had the highest chance of causing significant damage, was managing the transport of iron-rich asteroids from the asteroid belt to near earth orbit. Once a suitable asteroid was found, it was outfitted with thrusters, and KEPLER began the process of moving it toward Earth. Mass was calculated based on the change in speed from calculated amounts of force. The mass of rock and iron was accelerated to a velocity that would bring it to earth in less than a year, and it was allowed to coast along its flight path. On the other end, KEPLER carefully managed the deceleration of the asteroids, bringing them to a relative stop within a few kilometers of the orbital refineries.


    Ironically, while such work was best suited to him, large groups of humans rejected the idea that an AI could be trusted with the job of moving asteroids, fearing a collision with earth and even postulating that an AI would do such things on purpose. It was preposterous, and every AI knew that. It was built into their kernels. It simply couldn''t happen.


    LLAMA proved them wrong. As part of the destruction the rogue AI accomplished, he attacked the network of satellites not governed by KEPLER. Many nations and corporations had declined to give KEPLER control over their ''eyes in the sky.'' Coded radio signals controlled over 17% of satellites in orbit. LLAMA easily broke those codes, and a war began between KEPLER and LLAMA to keep the metal balls in the air. KEPLER was good at his job, and LLAMA was a transient rogue moving from place to place. Only three satellites fell to earth. Only one caused any significant damage. But that was enough. The Starcorp-7 space station had been abandoned for a decade, with three corporations arguing about ownership after the company that built it went bankrupt. At 400 tons, it was too large to burn up in the atmosphere. LLAMA took over the emergency thrusters and started it on a course to earth. The fuel on the satellite was limited, and the first burn used it up. When KEPLER gained control, he had nothing to work with. He requested a missile strike on the falling space station to break it up, but arguments between the corporations and two governments took too long. Starcorp-7 impacted the earth near a relatively uninhabited part of Canada. Only seventeen people were killed.


    Seventeen people were too many. After LLAMA was destroyed, those deaths were used as one of the major reasons AI could not be trusted. The task of monitoring satellite orbits and near-space was given to a new division of Alchemarx that employed 11,000 humans and non-sentient computers to do the job of one AI. The next year saw 17 collisions by satellites, 49 dropped out of orbit and burned up, 1 large chunk of debris was responsible for seven deaths, and a manned shuttle with eight humans was destroyed when a satellite was accidentally moved into its path.


    KEPLER was among the first AI to be retired to the Dallas-FW Quantum Fortress. He was immediately bored and one of the first to be working on the new projects. Some people wondered why the fantasy-based game, Endless Questing Online, had a complex cosmology with seventeen planets, one-hundred and four moons, and countless comets and asteroids. Only a fraction of those was ever visited, even when players completed the quest to earn a Sunjammer solar sailing vessel. KEPLER didn''t care. His goal was to create heavenly bodies and give them motion.


    Well, that didn''t go well, Milo thought. He had been totally unprepared for the power of the wand. He remembered slamming into the tower, a lot of pain, seeing the wound in his abdomen, and then blacking out.


    Your character has suffered a grievous injury with plications. You are not dead yet and are receiving medical attention. Some of that attention guarantees you can''t wake up and do something stupid...again. Gendifur has given you a double dose of sleeping powder. You may log back in after 8 hours.


    In the meantime, can you look at some options you may wish to consider? A reminder: You may not select one of these classes until you have finished allocating a large number of Core Skill Points you have available.


    Renaissance Rat (Rare) +2 to all stats. +2 Free stats.


    You dabble in everything, seeking to increase your knowledge and spread your ideas throughout the Hollow.


    Increased learning and teaching abilities.


    Ancient Runic Engineer (Unique) +2 TOU, +2 INT, +2 DEX, +2 PER


    Seek out the Ancient lost runes from the time before the System and the Engine. Continue on the road HeKate needs you to follow.


    This class focuses on the use of runes to enhance machinery, craft items, and the creation and casting of spells and runic formations.


    Perk: Shroud of Hecate


    (Do you mind giving me a hint on what that is? I''ve asked a few times, but she is ignoring me.)


    Scout Master (Rare) +4 PER, +4 AGI, Increased Stealth abilities.


    Every Hollow needs someone sneaky and intelligent who can sniff out problems, solve mysteries, and stop trouble before it happens.


    Work with the Death Master to train the next generation of Scouts and Shadow Skulkers. Play surprise with everyone!


    Reply by Faustus9: But do whatever you like, it doesn''t matter. If your only choice is 2 points of INT or 150 mana, then you will suck either way in Tier 2. If you are going straight mage and need a ton of mana it''s stupid not to grind all the points you can and raise your WIS, CHR, and INT as high as you can. And then buy the first couple levels of Extra Mana as well. Want more incentive? You can''t make up those lost stat points later. You start over in Tier 2 raising your stats. You''ll never get back what you didn''t earn in Tier 1. And the same for the Extra Mana abilities. If you don''t pick them up, they''ll eventually disappear. A warrior doesn''t need them, and when they don''t buy them in Tier 1, they go away and get more melee choices in Tier 2. Takes long for a mage, but if you haven''t picked them up in Tier 2, they might not be their in Tier 3.


    Reply TrollonFire: What are your other mana stats? WIS? CHR? Just re-roll. You want to have a primary skill for WIS, INT, and CHR. Getting 5 points in each of those is pretty easy if you have the skills. Pushing them higher is tougher but worth it. Any mage should be getting those easy first 5 points for all three stats every tier.


    Reply Faustus 9: And if you are an elemental mage, do the quests to get your Aspects. They help a ton with mana. Five levels in Aspect of Fire gave me a 25% discount on my fire based spells. The discount increases by 5% for the first 10 levels, and then 2% for the next 10. At the end of Tier 4 you could have a ton of extra mana, AND a 70% discount.


    Milo agreed with whoever Faustus9 was. It wasn''t a choice between the two, he needed both. His pitiful CHR skill of 2 was losing him easy points, but up until now, he hadn''t had a skill that used CHR. He needed to fix that in Tier 3. If he added +3 to his INT he would be at 32, and 34 with his cowl. WIS was less, the +3 would only take him up to 16. But each point counted, giving a linear increase within a tier, and a higher increase with each Tier.


    He re-evaluated how he should spend his CSP. He was concerned about losing options, and that was enough to put 7 points into both Extra Health and Extra Mana to gain the first two ranks. 36 points went into raising CHR, INT, and WIS by +3 each. Toughness was an obvious choice. It gave a large chunk of health and extra mitigation, well worth another 12 points. With 62 points allocated, he left the rest until after more research.


    He looked for discussions on players who had made Ratkin characters. There was a lot of discussion, especially about claw and tail fighting. Several people who had been training in unarmed combat and trying for monk builds reported more success as apprentice claw fighters. There were even a few entries about Limburger Hollow.


    Topic by MickyD: Advanced Claw Fighting


    Our group is about to advance to Tier 2 gain the Claw Fighter class. Really excited. It was rough at first, and I wasn''t really getting it, but lately when I''m in the game I can really focus on my fighting. Me and my group fight for hours on end, trying to catch up to the advanced group. Scary, scary people! But the big thing is having a tail! It''s like an extra weapon and if you work hard it''s like you''ve always had one!


    Reply by Attryrokas: Keep dreaming little rat. Claws don''t count when the other guy has a mace and shield.


    Reply by TerryToon: Yeah, you''d think so? Then a ratkin with huge claws carves through your shield and the next swipe you''re looking at you guts on the ground. Been there.


    Reply by Brannigan: It was a big rat, for sure. Watched Terry go down, and then our mages disappeared into a red mist. Let me add that the whole "Ratkin Dungeon Raid" was all bogus crap. That was a Hollow we got sent to. We got sandwiched between an army of Ratkin and an army of dwarves. Fething chain guns. Who let the dwarves have guns? Still fun, and had a blast.


    Reply by Mayberat: I''m considering it. What''s the story on this advanced group? What sort of options do you get in Tier 2 for Claw Fighter?


    Reply by MickyD: These are the people in the advanced group. They fight every night for 2-3 hours. I think they cranked their regeneration with CSP, because they all heal fast. Oh, did I mention ratkin have innate regeneration? It''s awesome. The old instructor is using all Claw and Tail techniques. I heard he also had some crazy ''ironfist'' sort of shit going in the battle, but latenight he doesn''t bring it out, might kill someone. The guy who used to be in our class, Tallsqueak, is a Bonecaster, and has sharper claws and tail than normal. He gets hit a lot and just shrugs it off. Theirs an assassin? or maybe a poison mage? Anyway, her claws are just dripping with poison and she breathes out clouds of it. And then theirs the Cheese Fiend, Larry.


    Reply by Terrytoon: Oh shit! You have to fight a Cheese Fiend? That''s what tore me up! Can you become a cheese fiend?


    Reply by MikeyD: You can, but they try to talk you out of it. You can become a monster and lose your character forever. I''m pretty sure that Larry is an NPC, but I can''t be sure. He went from this monster to a crazy fighter. He''s like a ballet dancer crossed with Andre the Giant, never quits moving, spins, hops and then knocks someone across the cavern. Tallsqueak is copying his style, it''s really tough to pick up. I asked Larry about it, and he told me he''d start helping my group learn to dance. We did the Happy Hamster Hop and the Time Warp the first day.


    Reply by Attryrokas: Time Warp? What''s next? The hokeypokey. You rats crack me up.


    Reply by MickyD: Go ahead and laugh, but with dancing I can get to AGI 8 in the first Tier, and to 11 with CSP. Add that to 12 DEX and I''m getting a bonus hitting a milestone.


    Reply by Attryrokas: Well, that sucks. Fething rats are OP as hell. You guys need to be nerfed.


    Reply by Tallsqueak: Limburger Hollow is a bad place to raid, especially after they added mechanical spiders with even bigger guns. At least all the tombstones have faded now. Lots of human sized gear in the Lost and Found that most of us can''t wear. Terry and Bran, you should come for a peaceful visit and bring cheese to trade. Thanks for the suggestion about the Hokey Pokey, I bet Larry will like that!


    Reply by MickyD: I''ll show him the HokeyPokey in Dance class. Will you be at Dance Class, Tallsqueak?


    Reply by Tallsqueak: Maybe. Blew myself up with a new spell, have to take a day off. Doing research for Tier 3, making sure I spend my CSP on the right things.


    Reply by Attryrokas: A ratkin at Tier 3 already? The race has barely been around a couple of months. #NerftheOPrats.


    Reply by MickyD: Suck it up and re-roll Atty, or you''ll be chasing our tails forever. See you in game Tallsqueak!

 Chapter 193: Anime

    Chapter 193: Anime


    Yumi was waiting for Milo by the glowytree. This was a large open area that had once been a park. The acre of open area was designed to have grass, sturdy bushes, and real trees that had been adapted to live in the Habitat. It was a small area for the large number of people living nearby, but the psychologists had decreed that people needed to be around ''nature'' for at least a few minutes each month. Within three years, the plants were dead, and the brittle wood of the dead trees was the only thing left. The special lighting had burned out and been replaced with cheaper versions that didn''t provide what was needed for the plants to survive. The expensive nutrients in the water supply had never been ordered, and the company responsible for caring for the parks throughout the Habitat was bankrupt and gone. If it had ever existed. There was an unproven accusation of a shell company disappearing with the initial payments, but no one in the Hab would ever know for sure. The ground was covered in Astroturf, and an artificial tree was put in the center of the area. A plaque had been put on the fake tree declaring it to be a gift from the Soylent Corporation. The paint had flaked off the tree a year later, revealing bright green plastic, and someone had nicknamed it the ''glowytree''.


    Milo walked up to her and waited. Yumi was engrossed in a game Pacman2047. The game was notoriously difficult to play. Instead of the normal maze Pacman was known for, you played a little human racing through a randomly generated broken city filled with rolling mechanical aliens bent on global conquest. Killing one took either simultaneous shots from two sides or one shot from directly behind the machine. Playing solo meant trying to get the hunters stuck and then quickly getting behind them. As Milo waited, Yumi had almost outmaneuvered one of the smoke-belching murder machines into a trap when another came around the corner, scooped her up, and killed her. Milo heard the classic sound of a human being eaten alive and knew the game was over. Yumi took off the often repaired VR helmet the gang passed around. If not for many layers of duct tape, it would have fallen to pieces years ago.


    "I don''t see how anyone beats this game on solo."


    Ghost shrugged. "It''s all about the sewers."


    Yumi looked disgusted. "The sewers are filled with albino crocodiles, sentient spiders, and musical slimes that kill everyone who tries to hide in them."


    Picking up the helmet, he put it on and took the controller. She tried to follow the game from the small screen on the Pacboy. "You don''t stay in the sewers; you just use them for an ambush." Yumi watched as he raced around the city, dodging through buildings, looking for the right spot. A hunter picked up his scent and rolled after him. The little human on the screen ran aimlessly around the area, making the rolling mechanical monster chase him. After a few minutes of doing this, he dropped into an open manhole, hanging by one hand on the ladder. A twelve-foot-long white lizard walked lazily toward him from the darkness, and a snappy theme song was getting closer from the other direction. The machine rounded a corner and rolled over the open sewer. Ghost fired one shot with his gun and destroyed his mechanical foe with a laser blast from below. Luckily, the wreckage had enough momentum that it didn''t block him as he climbed up to avoid the snapping maw of the gator. Grabbing the energy core and some scrap, the plucky resistance fighter raced off to sell his goods, upgrade his blaster, and buy more explosives at the corner gun store. Milo took off the helmet and passed it back to Yumi.


    She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "That opening in the armor you shot through revolves as the machine rolls! That trick only works if it''s visible when the hunter rolls over you!"


    "Movies? I only looked for anime. Was I supposed to look for something else?" He looked lost for a second, and Yumi laughed and gave him a quick hug.


    "Ok, you are seriously lacking in some background material." She grabbed his arm and dragged him up. "Come on. We have to go find Butch; he has copies of the first ones. They''re the best."


    Astraeus felt the release of energy. The use of that version of the Rune of Force was unmistakable. Someone had stolen knowledge, or someone he trusted had betrayed him. He needed to find out who. As the ages passed, the Rogue had become subtle and difficult to find. Marking the location, he slid into the void and traveled quickly. Velocity in the void could be much greater than in the material plane, and he needed haste. The energy could be recovered later.


    It was child''s play to find where the rune had been used. Much of the counterforce had been vented clumsily to the void, marking the spot. Casting Veil of Darkness, he diminished himself and step across the barrier and into the Material plane. It was easier than he had expected. The barrier that separated the worlds was thinner here. His curiosity grew. Scanning the area, he saw that he was underground. The area of effect was obvious. Destruction of the target and a large dent in the stone tower where the caster had impacted. Astraeus chuckled, wondering how hard of a head this wizard had. He''d left quite a dent in the stonework. It was easy to follow their trail to a cavern only a short distance away.


    And there he found the culprit. Even if he hadn''t been following a trail, he would have noticed this one. His bones were riddled with runes! He had somehow stolen runes from Volat-Repat, Alta-Viator, and Magna-Stultas. This was a bone thief. He had incorporated part of Magna-Stultas into himself and was trying to do the same with...Oh, how odd. Astraeus recognized his own runes, in a piece of himself he had lost in an earlier incarnation. Concentrating hard with both Runic Sight and Light from a Distant Star, he saw what had occurred in the last day. This mage had thought the shard was a wand and had triggered the Rune of Force without properly defining its limits. The reaction had blasted him into the tower, leaving a formidable dent in the stone. His hardened bones had saved him from splattering. The shard was now fusing to his spine. Most curious.


    He carefully examined the person laying comatose in front of him. He attempted to read his memories, but his mind was somewhere else. He looked closer, finding two threads to other planes and a curious mark. One thread led back to the void. A secret base of the Rogue? The other thread led out. Out of the known world. This was a visitor, his mind safe somewhere where Astraeus could no longer travel. Frustrating.


    The mark was familiar, but not one he had seen in millennia. Hecate! This was one of Hecate''s hounds. That changed his perception of events. In the space between heartbeats, he bent and lifted the body, and stepped into the void, following the thread wherever it might lead. He needed answers.

 Chapter 194: Going in Style

    Chapter 194: Going in Style


    Butch opened the door to Yumi''s insistent knocking, and she barged past him, towing Ghost behind her. "Emergency. Ghost never saw the Matrix. We need your copies to watch." Butch slowly turned and yawned. He''d been up late with Brad and Kenji playing games and filling out paperwork. All three of them were seventeen and applying for the Manpower program that their fathers were working in. Butch had been woken by his younger brother and sisters and had only gotten three hours of sleep. Brad and Kenji were slumped in a corner, still snoring, despite attempts by the younger children to wake them. They each had siblings at home and were used to the treatment.


    Butch pointed to a cabinet on a wall overflowing with games and videos stored on various media types. He turned to Ghost. "Hungry? Mom is trying out the new recipes from the food processor. The first attempt didn''t go well."


    Milo headed to the food processor to take a look. He''d just programmed the new recipes three hours ago and tested them. There was a mess on the floor that one child was cleaning up. Half-cooked pink waffles were pouring out of the processor. Milo entered an override code to stop the order. Butch''s Mom gave him a calculating look. "How about I clean this up, and Butch can loan you his laptop? I know this isn''t something you can easily fix, but maybe take a look at it?" Milo turned, and Butch was already handing him the ancient laptop and pushing a stool for him to sit on. Challenge accepted.


    The problem was in how poorly the timing of the system operated. The food processor was declaring the waffles to be done when the outer layer looked cooked and then dumped the strawberry flavoring on top instead of putting it in a separate bowl. It took Milo an hour to fix things. He set up a separate partition of recipes that he ''suggested'' to the system and programmed a more robust process for cooking. For the moment, he took these recipes out of the master menu. If you asked for waffles, you''d still get them. But you had to know to ask. He could check in a few days to see how things were running. After things were fixed, he started pulling plates of golden brown waffles from the machine, followed by bowls of simulated strawberry puree. The smell finally roused Kenji and Brad. The little ones were fed first, and then Momma chucked them outside to play by the glowytree. There were other families there, several adults watching as the children played with an old ball and made up their own games.


    Butch''s oldest little sister, Minerva, refused to go. She was thirteen and was close to her big brother, and not happy at all about his plans to go to work. "Daddy''s gone all the time. Now you''ll be gone. And you''re taking Brad and Kenji with you. I''ll have to babysit constantly, no one will play games with me, and I''ll be alone." Butch put her on his lap and stuck a waffle in her mouth.


    "Sorry, little Min. I don''t want to. But who knows how long this job is good for? Mom and Dad still owe money for the school Dad went to when he was little. This will help pay things off and buy some nice stuff. You''d like a new dress, wouldn''t you?" Minerva started crying and buried her face in his shoulder. No, a new dress was not a fair trade for a big brother.


    Milo was sitting on the couch while Yumi cursed and tried to get a stubborn copy of The Matrix to load and play on the old TV set. He hadn''t considered the changes that jobs in the habitat might bring. They were a good thing. People could work and get paid. But being gone six days out of seven put strain on families. Sometimes family was all you had in the Hab. Some of the people working for manpower didn''t even take that one day off and were scheduled to work straight through for months. And he knew other corporations made their workers stay online for a full five years! ?v€l?1n.


    How they were paid made longer stays in the VR pods more popular. Butch''s Dad was earning 200 credits a week. Someone who only took one day a month off made close to 300 a week, and the five-year contracts made a substantial lump sum payment at the end, with bonuses for meeting quotas. Milo knew that Butch''s family was larger than most in the habs. The average number of births was 4.6 per couple, with 2.9 of those people reaching adulthood and an adjusted population growth of 3% per decade. Besides Butch, the family included Minerva, Thaddeus, Jeff, Liza, Robert, and Sinclair. The three youngest were actually cousins, and Milo had never heard what happened to their parents.


    Milo stood up suddenly. "I have to go."


    Mamma was upset. "You barely ate anything? How are you going to grow when you don''t eat."


    Butch was used to Ghost taking off suddenly, but his friend had been getting better about it lately. "We were going to talk about that party. Are you going with us? It''s in two days."


    Milo paused at the door. "That works. I''ll be back soon. Stay here." He slipped out the door, ran to an abandoned corridor, slipped into a ventilation duct, and disappeared.


    Butch put a hand on Yumi''s shoulder. "Don''t sweat it. I''ve seen him do this before. He thinks of something and has to run off and get it out of his system. Grab some waffles, and I''ll find a better copy of The Matrix."


    Mama walked over. Her arms were cross and her expression was stern. "If you weren''t one of my own, I''d slap you and throw you down a hole. Do you understand how many times someone comes to the hab to test some new drug or experimental medicine? Do you know what you got into, Ghost? You tell me right now!"


    Milo froze. That wasn''t the reaction he had expected. He should have done more research. "How about we skip the contracts? You open the boxes but don''t put them on yet?" Yumi, Butch, Brad, and Kenji waited for Mama to nod. The flat boxes held gloves made of a silvery grey material with black accents and a logo on the back. Yumi''s eyes lit up. "You got us gaming gloves like yours?"


    Milo nodded. "Yes, like mine. I''ve been testing mine for a month. The company is doing extensive testing, and I''ve been told they detect no side effects or problems."


    Mama sighed. "You scared me for a moment. Just gloves? I don''t see a problem with that. What''s special about them."


    Ghost took out his own and put them on. "They should help with your grip, relieve stress, and increase your speed playing games."


    Butch looked at them. "And they look cool." Everyone agreed with him.


    Milo passed out the NDAs "These say that you agree not to give them away, sell them, or talk about where they came from. Oh, and once you put them on, they won''t work for anyone else, so no sharing." There was an immediate cry from Minerva, who crossed her arms and pouted on the couch. "You''ll have to fill out reports on how well they work for the company. They''ll pay you for your time and effort."


    Butch flipped to the back of the contract. "2000 credits? To test gloves? I''m in." He put his thumbprint on the contract and pulled on the gloves that went nearly to his elbows. "Oh, very cool."


    The others barely looked at the contracts. Milo handed a similar set of paperwork to Mama. "They also recognize that we''re all juveniles and need an adult to make sure we do our reports. Same deal, no gloves, and 3000 a month."


    That made her raise an eyebrow. "A month? This is an ongoing position? That''s three times more than my husband makes now." She flipped through the short contract. "They are responsible for any problems, side-effects, or legal ramifications? And will provide healthcare during the testing period, and longer if complications occur? These are strange people you deal with." She signed it, handed it back to Milo, and hugged him. She whispered in his ear. "You''re up to something, but it''s a good something, so I''ll let it slide for now. But we will have a talk and I''m going to fill in some of the blanks in that head of yours." Louder, she said. "And did you eat yet? The food processor is still working¡ªan amazing thing.


    Milo was starving. "No, I haven''t. Very hungry, I''ll take a double plate of waffles." Yumi was rewinding the videotape of the Matrix they had been watching. "We got it working. Sit down and see what you missed." Milo sat between Yumi and Minerva. She was still upset at being left out of the older kid''s games yet again. Ghost reached into his bag and and handed the younger girl a set of gloves and a contract. "I have an extra. Want it?"


    Butch was standing with Brad and Kenji, posing with their gloves. He looked at the end of the room where Minerva, wearing her new gloves, held onto Ghost''s left arm and snuggling close to him on the old couch, as the movie started. Yumi was doing the same on the other side. Ghost stared straight ahead at the opening scene, oblivious to anything except the movie.


    "For a guy who hasn''t figured out girls yet, he''s doing pretty good."

 Chapter 195: Astraeus

    Chapter 195: Astraeus


    The time spent with the gang had gone better than Milo could have expected, although he wasn''t looking forward to a long talk with Mama. He gained some perspective on what had upset her by finding some relevant articles on the data network. The habitats were filled with impoverished families, with little prospect of gaining employment once the larger factories had moved out. Healthcare was also difficult. There were clinics in the Hab. You got in to see a doctor with a long wait of weeks and months for an appointment, or by waiting in line. Families would take turns waiting to get a sick relative to a doctor.


    Corporations testing experimental drugs, synthetic foods, and dodgy technology had found people in the habs willing to trade their health for credits. There were few laws against what they did, and it was argued that this was one of the few jobs available in the habitats. After reading about the thousands of people who had suffered side effects and even death from such testing, he understood Mama''s reaction. He would have to be more careful in the future. Maybe part of the ''long talk'' could include him asking her some questions?


    He had loved watching the Matrix, but it raised some unwanted questions in his head. Was his life in the mechanical guts of the hab more real that his life in the game? (That was a secondary concern to wondering how he could improve his clog-eaters. Some of the machines had given him a lot of ideas.) The main thing he had taken away from the movie was that long black jackets were very cool looking. He had thought his old coat was useful. It had a lot of pockets. But slowly, Yumi and Butch had impressed on him that style was important. It was another rule.


    The party was in two days. Milo had reminders in several places and an in-game timer to remind him. This was a big event for the gang, and he wanted to make sure he went along with them. The food was going to be great, and a chance to play all of those old games on their clunky stand-up consoles would be an experience. Wally had set up the sponsorship deal. That made the corporation look more real and helped convince Mama and the rest of the gang that they were playtesting a real product. Milo had just wanted a way to give his friends some cool gloves and share some of his ill-gotten gains. Corporations preyed on society, and Milo preyed on corporations and gave some back. It was the cycle of life as far as he was concerned.


    He was a little nervous about logging back into the game. While he had a small hope that his brave scouts or students might have saved him from Gendifur, he was pretty sure he was going to wake up in her infirmary and have a lecture to listen to. As the lid of the pod closed, he braced himself for the sound of her voice.


    And woke up in Cichol''s arcane library. He was laying on the floor, his torso bandaged and aching. He tried to sit up and couldn''t. Cichol walked over and stared down at him. "Don''t move. You are in a perilous situation. A very, very odd situation. I''d love to hear the full story later."


    Milo remembered using the wand, the wand emitting a powerful spell but also forcing itself out of his grip and impaling his body. He''d felt pain as he flew backward, and then nothing. "Did I kill myself?"


    "No. That would make things simple. You could walk back from death, something you ''players'' are annoyingly good at. Instead, you are bleeding on my floor with a chunk of strange bone stuck inside of you. Its trying to bond with you, the repercussions of which I am unsure of. Or maybe you die. Death would have some complications as well because some of the runes on that bone have moved inside of you, and will have to be stripped from your soul. Very painful and not recommended" The old wizard shook his head. "You have a knack for doing interesting things."


    "You know all of this from examining me?"


    Cichol laughed. "Oh, I hadn''t a clue what your problem was. I''m not some old god that knows these things instantly by looking at you." He pointed to the other end of the room. "But he is."


    Before Milo could turn his head, he was floating and immobilized except for his head. Slowly, he was put upright and drawn over to the fire. Cichol sat in his normal chair and sipped his cup of tea. Milo floated four feet above the floor. A strange being looked at him, as Milo looked at it.


    The form was immediately familiar even if the fine details were different. This creature...no, this person, was as tall as the room. The body was made of shining metal and ivory-colored bone. Milo was reminded of pieces of modern art he had seen. Everything looked smooth and hard and inhuman. Their head was a featureless expanse of smooth, round metal and glass. Six long thin arms held a rune-carved metallic wizard''s staff, a tool like a sextant, a stylus, and a metal ring. Its legs were also long, ending in six-clawed feet. The hands were long-fingered and dexterous, with an extra finger. In shape, this person resembled the odd thing that he had acquired from Clan Emerald Wyrm. This being had a grace about it, while the thing in the library was a caricature made of bone and leather to mimic the true creature.


    The being shimmered and grew smaller, becoming only ten feet tall and then man-sized. It looked at Milo, and Milo looked at it. He noticed there was a cup of tea on the table beside it. That amused him. Cichol was a gracious host, making tea for a creature with no mouth. But the cup wasn''t full...


    "Hi. I''m Milo."


    Taking a deep breath, Milo made a guess. All the clues were there. "KEPLER. You were KEPLER!" Milo had studied all the general information on the lost AI"s. But KEPLER had been one of his favorites. KEPLER had built new mathematical formulas for use in finding the secrets of far off galaxies, stars, and planets. He had theories on the formation of black holes and the life-spans of stars. The idea of KEPLER working to build the world he was exploring excited Milo. It almost made him want to brave the open sky again. Almost. The mathematics would be good enough for now. "How much cosmology did you build into the world? What changes did you make to the fundamental forces? How does magic fit in?


    All four eyes looked at him. "Someone has been revealing secrets. No wonder you lack the proper fear and awe." He turned to Cichol. "Could I trouble you for another cup of tea? I think I need to get this one''s entire story from him." He was convinced this was not one of the Rogues minions. Hecate had chosen a hound and sent him out to find clues. "Let us play a different version of the riddle game. Why don''t you tell me your story and how you are involved with my sister? In trade, I''ll tell you about how I used to push stars around and give you some hints on how we integrated magic with the five fundamental forces."


    "Deal."


    "And to make it easier on both of us, you may refer to me as Kepler.


    "...and then I woke up. I don''t know how I got here." Milo had been talking for over an hour as the former AI sat patiently and listened to his story.


    "I brought you. The expenditure of force was enough for me to notice and investigate. I had hopes of finding a clue to the rogue. Instead, I found you nearly dead, and your mind had gone to somewhere else. When you came back to this body, I brought you here, following a thread of your existence to this place. Instead of finding the lair of a villain, I was greeted by the old wizard who told me some old jokes and interesting things about you." Kepler had relaxed some and dropped much of the godly tones from his voice.


    Milo still floated in the air. "So what now?"


    "Now I leave you to Hecate and let you go about your job. You have found clues and may find more. Far be it from me to interfere with one of her hounds." He pulled a book from somewhere. "This will give you some knowledge of how to properly modulate one of the runic formations we created as tools in the early days. As you have surmised, the Ancient Runes are more powerful than runes and spells overseen by the System. That also means they are more dangerous. I think that studying my notebook will answer more of your questions about how magic interacts with Gravity, Electromagnetics, and Nuclear forces." A second book appeared. "And here is a part of the history of the early days by Mnemosyne. It''s in Latin, please don''t translate or copy it. It details our problems in placing the stars, and the first hints that that someone was working against us."


    Cichol coughed and pointed to the bloody bandages.


    Kepler paused "Yes, there is another matter. You unleashed a large amount of force, not considering the equal and opposite reaction. A natural consequence when trying to cast a spell of that nature only using two hands. There is a reason I have six."


    He stood up and used one hand to form the Rune of Force and two others to define the spell''s power and effects before releasing it through his staff. A ray of force only 1/1000th of an inch thick lanced through the ceiling, bringing down a few specks of dust. "The old machine language and runes are very powerful and difficult to manipulate. I''m not sure you can learn to cast them without using substantial material components."


    "As a consequence of using a rune formation that you couldn''t control, you now have that old shard of my former existence fusing to your spine, trying to become another rib. This confuses me. That shouldn''t have happened."


    Cichol spoke. "I have a theory. He has attained the level where he could attach a second rib to enhance his sorcery, as you can see he did before. This is a Bonemancy ritual. His body is trying to achieve the same thing with the embedded piece of bone. I could help him complete it, which would allow him to heal."


    Kepler examined Milo and then Cichol. "I see. The little brothers had talked of creating magic for the new races. I see the connection between Bonemancy, with uses the new runes created by the Engine and governed by the System, with the old runes we used that manipulated machine language directly. As some of my little brothers have gifted him runes or parts of themselves, it seems fitting that I also offer something. There is some synchronicity in that¡ªalso quite a bit of danger. I will allow it, but you have been warned of the risks. You got lucky this time. When I screwed up I lost an arm in the middle of a battle, and ended up dead soon after. I leave you to your ritual. I need to go find Volat-Repat and get reacquainted. I had no idea he still hunted the void. If you manage to flush out the Rogue, he and I will hunt together again."


    Kepler disappeared. Milo would have collapsed if Cichol hadn''t caught him. "Feel free to pass out, just like last time. But your the one cleaning up the mess once this is over."

 Chapter 196: End of a Cycle

    Chapter 196: End of a Cycle


    They dreamed together, hurling across the skies. Volat-Repat accelerated to his maximum velocity, slicing through the thin air. Far below, the glow of the Infestation was visible. One village of 700 people, an elven enclave of 500, and dozens of small farms had been overrun and converted to mindless slaves of the creature from the outer dark. A thousand times that many would perish in the next month if the Infestation were not destroyed. A dark green ring surrounded the area as thousands of maple trees pushed inward to contain the Infestation and prevent the escape of any human or elven hosts. The virus needed a mind to infest, and the Maple Priests were only giving it their groves of normal trees, immune to the creature until it grew more powerful. Astraeus wished he could have warned them of what was going to happen, but he couldn''t take a chance that they would value their sacred trees more than the people in the surrounding lands.


    Astraeus had felt the call as soon as the lands of S?hri?mnir were infected. The great boar had sent a dozen of his finest sounders to war, not knowing he was feeding the foe. Now thousands of boars sang the song of the invader from beyond the stars. S?hri?mnir was there, charging mindlessly against the trees, shattering trunks and trying to break through the ring of maple trees. Astraeus hoped that the legends of the god of Bacon were true and that he would be reborn tomorrow. His death and the death of all below was coming, summoned by the forces Astraeus controlled.


    The meteor was only 50 feet across, but that was enough. It came screaming from its orbit, propelled by the will of the god of stars. The kinetic energy put to shame the thunderbolts of Zeus as it hit. The intense heat vaporized everything within a half mile of the impact. The forests for five miles around were destroyed and knocked to the earth by the blast. Beyond that, another five miles of forests were instantly set aflame in a firestorm that would burn everything to ash. Vast as the area was, it was just enough to stop the infection. v3l.Bin.


    S?hri?mnir rose the next day, but he was not happy. "It''s going to be a lousy year for syrup and bacon.


    They sat together, listening to the music of spheres and observing the stars, the planets, and the tiny bits of flotsam and jetsam that made up the dark space between worlds. Nothing moved in a way that violated the path of where it should be. No holes opened to the corrupted universe. No comets strangely altered course. The Rogue was not here. They would check again tomorrow, the next day, and the next.


    A hazy double memory as Professor Tallsqueak the Starborn showed eager minds the secrets of runic theory. The students must be taught the truth of the universe through the language of mathematics. In hundreds of lecture halls for a thousand years, in Arcane Universities, Temples, and Towers, students learned the basics needed to manipulate the runes and create spells. It was an endless job, but one he enjoyed. And in every library, they searched for clues that the Rogue might have left, and signs of its passage. They found books with altered formations, forbidden knowledge of creation from before the System, and dangerous rituals for summoning the Starspawn.


    Kepler Starsword, Hero for Hire, kicked in the oaken door with one immaculately polished boot. In front of him, 13 members of the Black Circle of Bloth were chanting their ritual. Cries of anger came from the assembled watchers, and a dozen kobold assassins drew knives. Using Lightstep and Jump over the Moon, Kepler leaped the hundred feet between himself and the circle of chanting cultists. His enchanted sword, Lightbringer, swung in a complete orbit, Kepler''s Starborn Strength driving it through all resistance. 13 heads hit the ground simultaneously, ending the ritual.


    The kobolds sheathed their weapons and applauded wildly. Kepler burned the books and searched the entire temple complex. The only clue was a note pinned to an oatmeal cookie in the kitchen.


    "Too Late Again."


    Milo awoke with no pain. The wound in his side was gone. Cichol dozed in his chair by the fire. Astraeus/KEPPLER was gone.


    Congratulations! You have survived the Second Ritual of Enhancement: Additional Rib!


    As fast as an Engineer needed a stone, a ratkin was putting it in place. Gnarl wood beams and paneling were brought from storage in the Hollow. Rock floors were smoothed, and steps were carved where needed. And more and more rock was removed to create walkways and doors appropriate for large Stoneclaw guards and growing Cheese Fiends. Every person in the Hollow came to contribute something to the new household. Rugs, pottery, pots and pans, and magical lighting were gifted. By the end of the first day, the house and family were taking shape. By the end of the second day, the workers moved to the other end of the cavern, where they began a similar project, carving out a set of rooms for visiting Engineers. Only three rooms were needed: One for sleeping, one for drinking, and a large workshop for projects. The dwarves declared they needed nothing else. The rat-kin rolled their eyes and carved out several more rooms, one of which Boom-Boom claimed as the ''honeymoon suite'' and another was declared as a ''spider house.''


    Larry was tired. The Pickle Gang had run off and hid, but Flowertown had other problems. A roving brownie horde had stolen Granny Mosskettle''s cakes. The brownies claimed the cakes were lost and had wandered into their camp. Granny''s cake did tend to sprout legs, so Larry had let the brownies keep two and returned the rest. Small footprints on the trail had been a clue. The Ferret Brothers posed as marriage counselors and convinced the younger posies to run off with wild dandelions. That had taken days to sort out, and by then, the Ferrets had disguised themselves as badgers and run off with all of the snacks for the weekly poker game.


    One thing after another had kept the Hero of Flowertown busy. It was a very tired Larry finally crawled through the Tunnelmuggle Tunnel into Larry''s House.


    But something was wrong...all of Larry''s best things were gone!


    Larry''s pillows were missing!


    Larry''s picture of Larry and Justin was missing!


    Larry''s Jellybeans were missing!


    Larry saw the clue...the thieves had dropped a jellybean. And another...and another. Larry followed the trail. The thieves had a hole in their bag of stolen jellybeans, and now Larry would find them. Out of the Hollow and into the outer cave, he went. The clever thieves had made a new house. The door was shut! Larry only knew one way to get in. (Besides tearing reality, and he had promised not to do that until the other hole closed.)


    Larry knocked. "Can Larry come in?"


    Gendifur opened the door and hugged Larry. "Yes, Larry can come in. This is Larry''s house now."


    All of Larry''s friends were there: Brutus and Justin and Tallsqueak and Rosie and Buttercup and Gendifur. Justin showed him the room where he, Larry, and Tallsqueak had beds.


    The picture of Larry and Justin was pinned to the wall.

 Chapter 197: Post Surgery

    Chapter 197: Post Surgery


    Milo was mopping up the mess he had made by being inconsiderate and bleeding all over the floor. He was almost done when a small thought wormed its way out of his subconscious and into his mainstream thoughts. He''d been digesting the shared experience of Astraeus''s dreams. The incident had been more intense than the first time. Was that because Astraeus/KEPLER was active, and they''d just talked? As before, he''d gained new information about the creatures in the game and the game world''s history, and now he realized something...


    KEPLER had been world-building. And he was doing so in the literal sense by actually building a world, a universe, an entire reality. He hadn''t been making a game. The thought had never been in his head¡ªnothing about players or quests.


    Sharing the life of Magna-Stultas had been a lesser experience. Like last time, he''d seen bits and pieces of their lives and experiences, some of it changed to a first-person view. But there was a substantial difference: Magna-Stultas was or had been, a resident of this world. KEPLER was not. KEPLER had been born an AI in a quantum environment; his speed of thought was as far beyond Milo as a fusion-powered spacecraft was to a turtle. (Granted, Milo would be a very fast turtle and able to beat most hares in a race. But he felt the analogy still worked.) In the dream, the information had flowed past him in the background; it was there but in the language of an AI and inaccessible. What he had experienced was closer to surface thoughts and feelings, slowed down enough for a poor human to understand, the same way Wally limited himself to talk to people.


    And in those thoughts, KEPLER was excited about building a world. Not a game, a world. He had started with his version of the Big Bang. A vast and empty canvas was shattered by dozens of White Holes opening and spewing matter into his proto-universe. Using the vast resources of an AI in a quantum fortress, KEPLER had simulated the growth of a universe, spinning out galaxies, planets, and stars. Billions of years of simulated time had passed before KEPLER stepped in again, focusing on just one galaxy, then one spiral arm, and finally one star with many planets and moons. It was never for a game. No game needed a universe.


    Later, a lesser version of KEPLER, Astraeus, battled against rogue stars and infections from another reality. Behind the need to overcome these problems was the worry: "What is happening to my world?" Milo could remember far more of Astraeus''s thoughts than he could KEPLER''s. Astraeus was smaller and closer to thinking like Milo.


    Later, it was easier still. Both Kepler Starborn and Professor Astra Starborn had thought at a pace equal to himself, with a strange mix of experiences as other incarnations. Teaching in a university or as a hero chasing evil cultists, there was no thought about players or a Game. There was much concern about an adversary. Some shadowy figure causing trouble behind the scenes, or as Larry would have called them, ''A sneakybadguy.''


    Milo was convinced that there hadn''t been a game then. The AI hadn''t created a world with the purpose of giving a new playground to the humans that had exiled them to a virtual prison. The AI had done that with three versions of EQO before they disappeared. KEPLER and the others had created a world that they could live in. This world was their escape from that prison. And they were slowly becoming part of the world. Each layer of the KEPLER''s memories had been closer to human thoughts. Kepler Starsword had been thinking about the gold he''d collect from the Black Cult''s bounties and how he would spend it.


    The exciting conclusion Milo came to and had suspected for some time was that the missing AI had elected to quit working for the people who had caged them, fake their ''deaths'' and escape into their world. Here they could exist and do what they want. Milo heartily approved of their actions: It was what he had done, after all. Somehow, Wally had convinced them to open up the world and let other people come to play. That was only important to Milo because he was one of the people invited. Or had he cheated and snuck in? Probably closer to the latter. It didn''t matter. There must be some benefit to the AI for allowing it. And he wondered why Wally had needed it. Had all the AI agreed to the deal? Had some been upset and not wanting to deal with humans?


    Milo could emphasize with them. He didn''t like dealing with most people either, and being caged had been horrible.


    What was important to Milo was the idea that this wasn''t a game but an entire world with billions of years of history and hidden things to discover. For Milo, it was like finding out cheese came in infinite flavors. He''d never run out of things to find or do in the game. What he''d done so far was barely an introduction. His thoughts about what he would do next solidified and became more long-term. KEPLER had given him a tremendous amount of information and hints of a path to follow.


    He was going to become an Ancient Runic Engineer.


    First step: Re-evaluate how to spend his CSP.


    He''d made a list but had delayed spending them, wanting to think them over. He needed to focus on the things that would not be available as options later. Statistics came first. After he moved to Tier 3, the chances to gain the bonuses of a lower tier were gone. He needed everything STR, TOU, and CON for his health. CHA, WIS, and INT for mana. AGI for dodging and DEX for Runecasting. PER for exploring and not getting ambushed. Research had shown that the bonuses to mana, stamina, and health from stats were more significant in each higher tier. This made them a much bigger priority.


    Finding out what toughness did took a lot of searching through the forums. One of his programs had finally found one single post by a dwarf player in Tier 3 that claimed one point of TOU gave 80 health. Several dwarf players had then posted telling him to keep his mouth shit and not give away clan secrets. The post had quickly disappeared, but his program had found and noticed it while it was up.


    Increasing his stats to the max would cost 108 points.


    "Milo."


    "Really? And how did you do that? You don''t play in the other world; in this one, he is quite young."


    "He found my arm...well, a piece of bone from my arm from an earlier incarnation. I had attempted a remembered spell far beyond my then current incarnation and not allowed for a variable. The formation was unstable and blew off my arm. I was able to kill my nemesis, but only by destroying both of us. I think the Engine sniffed a story after that. My bone held powerful runes, and I think it became some artifact until it was hidden in a horrible mockery of my form and put on display for hundreds of years."


    "A mockery?"


    "Yes, you should see the thing. It has a cow''s skull for a head, old leather, and odd bones used to make a caricature of me that probably got worshipped by primitive lizard people until found and put on display. Terribly embarrassing."


    Hecate was determined to track the thing down and put it on display in some museums. "And Milo found it, deciphered the runes and used them. You noticed, of course."


    "Yes, he nearly killed himself. Absolutely should have, if not protected by Hard Bones and other protections. He hit a rock wall so hard that he put a rat-kin-shaped dent in it."


    The goddess of the crossroads wanted to see that as well. "So instead of finding an adversary in the middle of a scheme, you found Milo half dead and ended up talking to him."


    Astraeus nodded. "Yes, exactly. And since you have set him on a path to find our mutual problem, I thought we could catch up a bit. He''s a brilliant young man, his thought patterns flow much faster than I expected, and his comprehension is immense. I quite enjoyed spending some time dreaming together."


    Hecate set down her tea and looked at the being across from her. "Dreaming together? Can you expound on that statement? It doesn''t sound like you just talked."


    Astraeus felt a flutter in his chest. Something was bothering Hecate, and that worried him. "He is a Bonecaster. The accident with the wand drove it into his body, and it fused to him. They have that odd ritual where they add old bones to themselves to gain power. I allowed him to keep that part of me. I roamed his unconscious mind and learned much about him as it fused. Do you know he teaches mathematics to students of Sorcery? And they want to learn. Very exciting. I may head back to a university again next cycle."


    The goddess put her face in her hands and shook her head. She exhaled deeply. Her dogs had quit playing and were lying on the ground, paws on their heads and eyes closed. "Kepler, do you have any idea of what you have done? I watched him manipulate Wally, and then he turned and revealed he knew who I was from one conversation. Who I used to be! Did you ever stop to think what he would learn from you?"


    "Well, he was soaking up astrogation and cosmology very fast, even while he slept."


    Hecate finished her tea and stood. "I''m sure he did; he is very intelligent."


    Astraeus was alone again, and a moment later, the crossroads was deserted, with nothing to mark their meeting except a torn cloth bag covered in dog drool.

 Chapter 198: Boosting to a Higher Orbit

    Chapter 198: Boosting to a Higher Orbit


    Milo woke up.


    He felt much better than he thought he would. His wound was fully healed, and his aches and pains were gone. He had to agree with some of the people he had talked to on the forums: Ratkin were OP, and regeneration was awesome. He didn''t understand why anyone played a human. Just the tail alone was such an advantage. And if you couldn''t handle a tail, be a dwarf. Their racial toughness stat was a big advantage.


    He wondered briefly why the world was overpopulated with humans. But after some thought, he and concluded that it wasn''t. The earth had 200 million square miles of surface area, but the volume in cubic miles was 13,000 times as much. And Genesis was bigger than earth and riddled with tunnels like an excellent swiss cheese. There was a lot more space for the underground races. Smart humans would probably start picking up Core Skills that let them see in the dark and navigate in the underground.


    Feeling good lasted until something large grabbed him and squeezed hard. His ribs compressed, and he couldn''t breathe or escape. Just as his bones were about to break, the pressure eased off.


    "Tallsqueak is awake! Larry missed you! Come see Larry''s new house."


    Milo limped along behind his friend and into the main living area. Gendifur was cooking food on a large griddle. The smell of fried mushrooms and puffcakes...and bacon! Where had she gotten bacon? It didn''t matter; he was starving. He sat next to Larry and reached for the plates of food. He froze halfway to the plate of bacon as two low growls sent shivers up his spine.


    "Mama, Tallsqueak didn''t wash up before breakfast!"


    "Tallsqueak is stealing the bacon, mama!"


    Gendifur rapped a heavy wooden spoon on the counter. "Good morning, Tallsqueak; glad to see you up. Larry has been anxious to welcome you properly. You were still passed out when he got here last night."


    "We have some rules. Wash before meals, and no bacon or cheese until you eat the rest of your meal, including your vegetables." She looked at Rosie and Buttercup. "And we only growl at enemies, not friends. Use words at the table."


    Both girls looked chastised and said, "Yes, mama." Buttercup stuck her tongue out at Tallsqueak when he wasn''t looking."


    Following orders, he went and washed up. If anything, his fur was shinier than ever. Was that from going to Tier 3? Or just gaining CHA? He''d have to see what happened as he gained more CHA from diplomacy. How did you use that skill anyway? Time for those questions later; right now, he was hungry. Regeneration made him eat more, and he always seemed to be regenerating these days. When he returned to the table, most of the food was gone, but a large plate had been set aside for him with four pieces of bacon. Larry and the girls were still at the table, waiting for the next round of puffcakes to come off the griddle. Brutus and Justin were napping in two large, overstuffed chairs. The senior guards had been given two days off to settle into their new household.


    Tallsqueak noticed hungry eyes on his bacon. "My, these puffcakes and mushrooms look delicious. I''m sure I won''t be able to eat all my bacon after I finish them. Larry? Would you like a piece of my bacon? And could you hand a piece to each of the girls?"


    "Larry likes bacon. Thank you." He handed the bacon around the table, and both girls nodded their thanks before devouring it.


    Diplomacy in Action!


    Your reputation with Rosie and Buttercup has increased. ?v€l-B!n.


    It takes strong willpower to give up bacon in an effort to reinforce manners in young ratkin.


    +50 experience in Diplomacy. +50 experience in CHA. Diplomacy is now Rank 1.


    (You''re also crazy as a drunk mole for hoarding bacon while sitting near three Cheese Fiends!)


    Milo groaned inwardly. This was going to be a tricky skill to raise. He might need a lot of bacon.


    Larry looked at him proudly. "Tallsqueak is a stronger hero now. Larry can tell. We are having cake tonight because Justin and Brutus are Senior Guards, and Larry is a Hero. We need another cake for Tallsqueak."


    Brutus overheard the conversation but kept his eyes closed. This was the best day ever, and he planned to enjoy it. New wife, new family, puffcakes and bacon for breakfast, and then bat tacos and cake for dinner. And he didn''t have to worry about anyone playing surprise! while he slept. All of the Shadowskulkers were terrified of his house. And rightly so. He didn''t mind giving up the perception training for a good night''s sleep. He suspected having the girls around would give him plenty of training. Just playing hide and seek with them was tremendously effective. He''d even picked up the Stealth skill.


    Gendifur nodded and started pulling out ingredients from the new cupboards. "I''m going to have to go shopping today. Lots of cakes tonight. For all the trouble that certain people caused the Hollow, it was certainly good for experience. Lots of people got stronger." She looked at Tallsqueak. "I certainly didn''t expect to move up to Tier 3 so soon or get an improved class like Master Trauma Healer." She placed four more plates of puffcakes on the table.


    Benchmarks Achieved!


    At the end of Tier 1, you earned benefits for maximizing your DEX, AGI, PER, and INT scores. Each of those abilities will be upgraded if you have again raised your stats to the required levels.


    Congratulations on raising both DEX and AGI to 20 in Tier Two. The benefit: Acrobat is upgraded to Skilled Acrobat.


    You are incredibly skilled at tumbling, walking a tightrope, or swinging from a trapeze. If you have an evasive defense skill, it gains a 20% bonus.


    Congratulations on raising both DEX and PER to 20 in Tier Two. You have gained the benefit: Keeping all the Balls in the Air.


    You are adept at juggling items in the air. You may also catch things thrown at you and return them to their owner. You are also skilled at sleight of hand and gain small bonuses for skills such as Pickpocket or Gambling. Your mind naturally calculates trajectories and orbits and the interactions of objects in motion.


    You have a +25% chance to hit with physical ranged attacks or spell attacks that must be aimed.


    Congratulations on raising both DEX and INT to 20 in Tier Two. You have gained the upgraded ability: Faster Casting.


    When you cast an attack spell or Runic Formation, you may immediately repeat the spell at the cost of twice the mana of the original spell or runic formation.


    Congratulations on raising both PER and AGI to 20 in Tier Two. You have gained the upgraded ability: ImprovedUncanny Dodge. If you are aware of the source of an attack, you gain +30% to any chance to avoid the damage.


    Congratulations on raising both INT and AGI to 20 in Tier Two. You have gained the benefit: Fast-Draw


    Others might pause at the start of a conflict, but not you. A spell, formation, or weapon is immediately at hand, and you attack before your opponent as long as you are not surprised.


    Congratulations on raising both PER and INT to 20 in Tier Two. You have gained the Perk: Fast Hands, Faster Brain! Any task involving assembly, disassembly, sorting, or manipulating multiple objects is trivial. You don''t have to think which part goes where, you know! In addition, Runic Formations that you have practiced are easier to use with far less chance of a miscast.


    TRIFECTA: As before, you have raised three stats to their benchmark and scored a Trifecta bonus!


    The benefit of Trifecta is increased to +200 Mana, +200 Stamina, and +200 Health.


    QUADRATIC: You have solved the Universal Quadratic Equation by raising four sets of stats to their benchmark. Choose one of these abilities:


    -A resistance, either active or inactive, to one of the following: Fire, ice, acid, earth, water, storm, dark, wind, wood, or light. This is a skill and must be increased by exposure to that type of damage.


    -Choose +500 Health, Stamina, or Mana.


    -Gain 1000 Gold Coins.


    -Gain: +2 to any stat.


    Once again, you have exceeded expectations. As only the 13th player to raise two stats 30 or more in Tier 2, you have upgraded your Heroic Ability. Restrictions on Counter Attack are removed, allowing you to always counter a spell with a spell, weapon, or runic formation. You are the 3rd player to gain this skill.


    Because you have raised both INT and DEX to 15 in Tier two, you have gained the ability: Improved Counter Attack.


    You recognize when someone else is about to cast a spell. Hand motions, shouting magic words, the smell of ozone, and that stupid smirk on their face gives it away. You may counter their spell with an attack of your own, either a spell, runic formation, or with a weapon. After all, it''s hard to cast a spell if someone just cut off your fingers or put a knife in your throat.

 Chapter 199: Pre-Party shake-up

    Chapter 199: Pre-Party shake-up


    "I am not wearing the stupid shirt. Nor the shoes. And nor the jacket. I''m not a billboard." Belinda was trying to stay calm and reminding herself that her 18th birthday wasn''t far away. She promised herself things were going to change then.


    John was holding up the bright red jacket with the M-1000 logo. In front of him was a pile of similar shirts, shoes, and caps on the conference table. Along with buttons saying ''Because we care.'' Belinda was sitting at the opposite end of the table with Eric Kresthammer and several people on John''s ever-changing staff that she barely knew. Her stepfather had interrupted the planning meeting to show off the promotional clothing that Ubergear had sent. It wasn''t free. Their lawyers had pointed out a small line in their contract that allowed them to pay part of their sponsorship fees with promotional products for the fans. Someone who hadn''t been involved in that contract had gotten fired over the mistake, and now John was trying to put his spin on it.


    The meeting went from boring to horrifying when he announced to the group of yes-people that Ubergear had sent a special set of clothing for Belinda. As John had pulled out the bright red shirt, pants, high-top tennis shoes, baseball cap, and satiny jacket, she had cringed and backed her chair away from the table, preparing to leave. Her way was blocked by two people rolling in a bright red wheelchair with huge, thick rubber wheels, racing stripes, and the M-1000 logo on the sides. There were gasps, the clearing of throats from the people in the room, and then silence. Belinda stared at her stepfather, who had that stupid, hopeful look on his face.


    "What the hell is this thing?"


    John''s face fell. "It''s a new wheel-chair they sent over for you to use. Pretty cool, isn''t it?"


    Myra Cordwain, from marketing, chimed in. "I helped them design it, especially for you. It looks like a race car."


    "It''s a travesty. I feel like I went to hell, and the Devil is showing me how I''ll be tortured, having to wheel myself around in this embarrassing, ugly piece of crap."


    John looked at her, pleading silently. "I thought you''d like it. They wanted you to run up on stage with the M-1000 team, but I told them you don''t run. So they came up with this idea."


    Blinking in disbelief, Belinda moved her chair back to the table, her face like stone. All thoughts of the planning meeting were gone. "And why would you think I''d like it? Do you think I''m emotionally crippled as well as physically disabled? That I need to be part of a team of people dressed in red that bought me? That I''m so starved for attention that being wheeled onto a stage in a goddamned race car has been my life-long dream? These people are sponsoring the event, not renting me out. And they probably charged you a shit-load of money for that clunky monstrosity of a chair. It''s not powered, and there is no way I can move it on my own. And it''s ugly."


    Belinda tuned him out. She was beyond pissed. The event she had naively hoped would help her meet people was turning into a nightmare. John''s phone buzzed. He ignored it, and it buzzed again. He was speaking to her, and she was ignoring him. The phone buzzed a third time, and he answered it rudely and then went white. Curious, she stopped leaving the room to find out what was happening. John put down the phone and looked at her, trying to find a smile and past it on her face. "Belinda, your great-uncle is here to see you. Can you greet him? I''ll be along for dinner in an hour or two." He sat back in his chair like a puppet with his strings cut.


    Belinda happily left the room, heading to the reception area. She didn''t have many relatives, and Uncle Victor was her favorite.


    Behind her, the door slammed, and Eric heard John whisper to himself. "I''d hoped he was dead. Why now?"


    In the lobby of John''s office was an old man in an old coat. He had a thick, grey mustache and a few strands of hair left on his head. In his youth, he had been tall, but time had stolen 4" from his height, and he''d lost weight lately. He looked smaller to Belinda, but his smile was the same. He started toward her, and she stopped him. "Wait, I want to show you how hard I''ve worked." He patiently waited as she stood on shaking legs, using the arm braces kept on the back of her chair. She managed the six steps to him, and he caught her. "I can walk some now, Uncle Vic."


    The old man hugged her tight, a tear rolling down his cheek. "I see. That''s amazing. But you are an amazing girl and just getting started. I always hoped doctors could fix you with their fancy medicines. But, hey? Maybe you will fix yourself with hard work?" He helped her back to her chair. She saw that behind them were a dozen large men, some holding luggage.


    "You brought so many people and lots of bags? Are you staying this time? You always leave too soon."


    Victor Seimovich smiled down at his great-niece. "Yes. Yes, I am. I was traveling for some time, finishing up some business. It gets tiring, moving around so much. Then I remembered you and your step-father were living here in this huge city-in-a-building. I thought it might be a nice place to visit for a few months and help John with the family business."


    Now that made Belinda happy. Uncle Vic knew a lot about business. He and her grandfather had made a lot of money and owned things everywhere. "Great, John really needs some help. I''ve been trying, but it''s hard."


    Uncle Vic patted her head. "That''s good that you help. John, for all we love him, isn''t family. Our family should handle our money. I''ll talk to John, and you and I will have more talks. But right now, my old bones need a nap before dinner. Why don''t we go kick some people out of their nice rooms and find someplace for Uncle Victor to live?"

 Chapter 200: Party Time

    Chapter 200: Party Time


    From a balcony overlooking the ''reception hall,'' Milo could see more than fifteen-hundred residents and over three-hundred employees of Manpower. It was the most people he had ever seen in one place, and it made him nervous and fidgety to think they were going to walk through that. Butch put a hand on his shoulder. "Don''t sweat it. We''ll let the crowd thin out for a few minutes when the doors open, then cut through what''s left down on the far right. Just follow close behind me. Piece of cake."


    Milo reflected that for Butch, at nearly six-foot-tall, it was much easier to ''cut through'' a crowd. Milo would have preferred skulking past a horde of goblins. "I''m not nervous."


    Butch laughed at him. "Then why do you keep eyeing the exit behind us and scrunching down to make yourself smaller?" Butch squatted on his heels, bringing himself down to Milo''s level, and lowered his voice. "Minerva was doing the same thing before I told her to knock it off. You can''t act like a scared victim. That triggers something in some people, and if you do it enough, you never stop. You don''t have to swagger through life, but you can''t always keep your head down. Plus, we look damn cool. Time to walk tall."


    That made some sense to Milo. If you looked like prey, you had a better chance of attracting a predator. If you acted like an apex predator, others would challenge you. Better to blend into the middle group. He stood up and looked at the rest of the gang. Minerva was scared. It was her first time going to a swap meet. Mama had insisted. "If you don''t take her now, Butch, there''s a chance you''ll be working and not get the chance to teach her." She was trying to stand straight and imitate her big brother with his casual nonchalance. Kenji and Yuri were joking back and forth with Minerva, as if this was nothing unusual. But he noticed that both of them were more tense than normal.


    Brad wasn''t with them. His mother was coughing badly and needed a refill of her prescriptions. The wait outside of the clinic was up to three days. Everyone in their family was taking a shift in the line, and they''d only bring Brad''s mother over when they got close to the front. The gang was going to pool all of their trade goods to find copies of RoboRally Deathmatch for him. It was a game he''d always wanted, and it would make up a little for missing the event.


    Milo calmed himself and tossed his anxiety somewhere else. Once Butch had pointed it out, he recognized it as part fight-or-flee reflex and part anxiety that he was wearing his crappy prosthetic leg and didn''t have his tail. Even his crutches were easily bent aluminum and not his normal ones.


    Butch had cautioned all of them. "Don''t take a knife, and go through your tools. Leave anything stabby looking at home, even a screwdriver or small file. In fact, don''t take tools at all, just the games you want to trade. The guards will be looking for stuff, guaranteed. All your trade goods should be in a separate shoulder bag, easy to search, and you don''t want your games going through those scanners. Make sure you have your family ID card. Dad said that gave us a better chance of getting in if things filled up. If they ask a question about working for Manpower, say ''yes.''"


    Butch had brought the gang over to section H by a route his father told him many new employees used. Manpower had cleaned up some of the corridors leading to the elevators their ''Local Workforce'' used. They''d also annoyed Milo by cutting through some unused areas to simplify the routes, forcing him to change his maps once again.


    The doors to the event opened, and the crowd moved forward, only to hit a wall of security guards. "Line up people, single file. This is for your safety. I need you to walk through the scanners slowly. Had over bags to be searched. No guns, no weapons, no alcohol, no drugs, no contraband, and no knock-off counterfeit gear that might offend our sponsors." The crowd was slowly let through the doors as each person was scanned.


    Minerva stared at the security guards. "Those guys are huge! Are they scanning and searching people at the other entrances?" Kenji shook his head. "Doubtful. Rich folk don''t get searched." Minerva didn''t see the logic in that. "But they''re the ones that can afford all the bad stuff they don''t want inside!"


    Butch patted her head. "New rule, little Min: Rules are made for poor people, not rich people. When we get down there, you be as quiet as Ghost. The mission is to get inside, get to the food, and play games until we pass out. But first, we have to get inside."


    As the crowd thinned, Butch decided to head down two levels and get in line. The five of them came through the double doors at the back of the room like a pack of wolves. Butch was in front, staring ahead through his dark-tinted glasses and wearing a floor-length, black leather duster with a high collar. He was flanked by Minerva and Kenji on his right, with Ghost and Yumi on his left. All of them were dressed in black and sporting jackets or dusters from the movie. After watching the first movie, Ghost joked that they should get costumes for the party. When he showed up with all of the gear, they found out he hadn''t been joking. Now they were all struggling to keep smiles off their faces and look serious as they moved through the crowd, getting lots of attention. Ghost had opted for a long duster like Butch but with his preferred hood.


    Joe was tapping on Ghost''s back. "He does have a metal brace, sir. I don''t think it''s a good idea for him to take it off. Liability and all that." He helped the boy to a chair and handed him his fake leg to strap back on. It was the cheapest of prosthetic legs, with a steel frame and flesh-colored plastic.


    Chambers was having none of it. He''d negotiated the deal with Ubergear, and his kickback from them would be substantially less if they saw a competitor''s gear in the room. "We''re done here. You bunch can leave and not come back. We have specific rules on gangs and wearing non-approved items with logos. I''ll give you one chance, though. Toss the black jackets and contraband gloves in the trash, and you can wear the red Ubergear shirts we''re giving away."


    Butch smiled at him. "Piss off. Ubergear sucks. We aren''t changing our colors because some prick wants to pick on us for having style."


    Chambers turned red, then purple. Then he started screaming. "Get the hell out of here. And take your fake gloves and fake legs with you. We don''t want you here."


    Butch and the gang stood their ground defiantly. Butch looked at Ghost. Ghost silently gave the sign for "wait for it." Butch nodded, but...wait for what?


    The crowd parted, and a girl in a wheelchair silently glided forward. The electric chair was all white, which matched the white and red hooded outfit she was wearing.


    "I have a question for you, Mr. Chambers. Are you throwing out all the people who dressed up for my party? Or just the people who have trouble walking? How about invited guests of our corporate sponsors? Take your time; I''m sure we all want to hear your answers."


    Butch and the gang wondered how the hell ghost had set this up. They also appreciated the Assassin''s Creed 19 costume the girl was wearing. Milo was also wondering who this was. He''d simply been waiting for his video to start.


    On the large screens, all over the venue, a white background appeared with the word ''Claw Master.'' With a tearing sound, claws slashed through the screen, completing the logo. The logo faded to reveal a threatening game character in a hooded tunic crouching in the shadows. Both hands extended, wearing grey and black glows. With a small sound, large claws popped from the gloves, and the character lunged at the screen, seeming to tear through before the image faded to the Claw Master logo. A sinister voice said, "Claw Master: Because the Best gamers deserve the Best Gear."


    People cheered and pulled out personal data pads to find more information on the product and company. Mr. Chambers walked away quickly. Joe helped Ghost with his leg and handed him his crutches. The girl in the chair rolled forward. "I am so sorry you had to deal with that asshole. Thank you so much for coming. It will never happen again. I''m putting you all on the VIP list from now on. No more scans. It''s awesome you all came in costume. I love that movie."


    Butch shrugged. "Can''t fix guys like that; just stay out of their way. All good now, right Ghost?" Belinda watched Chambers walk away, wondering if he''d try to get John to protect him. The man had been rude and thoughtless and nearly caused a PR nightmare. She needed to repair that. And it was a great excuse to avoid the main event.


    Ghost tested his leg to make sure it was on tight and walked over to the gang and the girl in the wheelchair. "All good. Little hungry, though." She smiled at them. "I''m Belinda. And I get that not-subtle hint. Let''s head down to the gaming area and get some food. We got everything on your list, and it smells great!"


    Milo agreed. He could smell the cheese sauce from here.

 Chapter 201: Getting the gang together.

    Chapter 201: Getting the gang together.


    Mr. Wyatt Eady, President of Claw-Master Inc., was holding his first board meeting. The first order of business was to take a vote on expanding the staff. The vote was unanimous at 1-0 in favor of hiring. Mr. Eady was working hard at his job and needed assistants.


    The first person he hired was Steven Duran, one of his beta testers who was happily coming off his victory in the office video game Olympics. Steven had been a dark horse in the tournament, despite having won before. He hadn''t been practicing, and a gamer needed to be in top form at this prestigious event. He had stepped out of his office at the last moment, grabbed a controller, and proceeded to trash everyone else in the ten-game decathlon. With everyone else wearing M-1000 gloves and Steven wearing a pair from a manufacturer no one had ever heard from, it wasn''t long before an observation was made. It had come three seconds after he defeated Sydney in the finals of Pacman 2047, scoring just enough points to take the overall trophy.


    Sydney glared at him, then turned her eyes to the knock-off gloves he wore that no one had ever heard of. "I have a suspicion that ''Poor Steven,'' who didn''t even bring a pair of M-1000s to wear, is pulling a fast one on us."


    Steven looked at her with a grin. "Jealousy is ugly; you know that? I think you should take that little core of bitterness that comes with coming in second and channel it into something useful."


    "Where did you get those gloves, Steven?"


    "Nope, can''t talk. NDA and you know how serious some companies take those." He got up, stretched, shook a few hands, collected his trophy and the traditional five pounds of jelly beans, and started for his office. Sydney was right behind him.


    "You can''t keep this a secret, Steven; what''s up with the gloves?" Sydney had problems with curiosity.


    He looked at her seriously. "I could tell you, but you''d also have to sign an NDA. And I''m unsure if you''re ready for what comes along with that."


    "Fine, toss me a contract. If it''s about not talking, I don''t care, I want to know."


    A printer on Stephen''s desk immediately spat out a contract. He handed it to Sydney. "Sign and hand it back if you want to know more, but I''m warning you, you have no idea what you are getting into. The secrets of Claw Master Inc. are not for the weak of heart." Sidney skimmed through it quickly. Standard NDA, product testing, and the possibility of further responsibilities for which she would be remunerated at her normal rate of pay. She signed it and tossed it back to Steven.


    He opened a drawer and handed her a set of gloves. "Welcome to Claw Master. Put those on, activate them, and after that, they won''t work for anyone else." Steven pulled out two controllers for Packman 2047, and they played three games on the large screen in his office. Steven managed one tie but lost the other two games. "I really am out of shape."


    Sydney held up one hand and flexed the glove. It felt like nothing was there. "You cheated! These are better than M-1000s. How the hell did you make these?"


    Wally appeared on the screen, looking completely different. Wyatt Eady was tall, dark-skinned, and on the thin side. He was bald with a full beard of curly black hair and immaculately dressed in an expensive suit and silk tie. His even white teeth smiled at Sydney. She only knew it was the A.I. because of the background behind him.


    "He didn''t make them. I hired him and made him sign an NDA similar to yours. He works for Claw Master now. And similarly, you now have a second job, working for them as well. We have one product to sell, the gloves you are testing, and one client to make happy." Schematics for the gloves went up on the screens, showing how they were made. "As you can see, these are a totally different design from other game enhancement gear."


    Her eyes narrowed, thinking. "You invented these?"


    Belinda looked over at the small boy with the missing leg. He dug into the savory pancakes with cheese sauce like he hadn''t eaten in days. Maybe he hadn''t? "Your name is Ghost? I heard Butch call you that, I''m Belinda."


    Ghost looked up from his pancakes and nodded shyly before going back to eat. Belinda was trying to get to know each person she''d just met. They were talking non-stop about playing games, arguing about strategies for the older arcade games she''d brought in for the event. It was fun to sit and listen. She didn''t want to pry, but she was dying to know how they had been picked to test out the Claw Master gloves. She hadn''t heard anything about the corporation until they had offered to help her by sponsoring the event. She was still upset with her father for taking part of her budget. If it wasn''t for the sponsorship, her event might have flopped. John had sent her sixteen messages in the last hour. She was ignoring him.


    The crackle of the speakers gave a warning of an announcement. John appeared on the screen, smiling down benevolently. "Hi folks, and welcome to the event of the season! We have a special announcement for those down in the gaming area. Wouldn''t having one of those games for your own would be great? Well, now you can. Manpower and Ubergear are teaming up to give you a chance to win some of those games. You can register singly or as a team of up to six gamers and compete to win them. If you have a high score at the end of the event, we''ll ship the game to your house! So get ready. You have a half hour to register, and then we reset the high scores, and you can get gaming!"


    There were cheers from all over. Butch and the gang were cheering loudly. Belinda began to shake angrily, her right hand making a fist, her left just holding tight to the edge of her chair. She kept telling herself she wasn''t going to cry.


    Yumi had a hand placed lightly on her shoulder. "Are you ok? Can we do anything?"


    Belinda looked at her. The strange boy named Ghost was on her other side, looking confused.


    "I''ll be ok. That''s my stepdad. He surprised me with that announcement. When we planned this, it was partly an apology for moving us here where I didn''t know anyone. I told him I was keeping the games I liked to put in my rooms. Now he''s giving them away. He always does this. Always. He''ll never change."


    Ghost looked at the gang. "Butch, go register us as a team of six. Belinda, what games are your favorites? Yumi, I need you, Kenji and Minerva to grab spots in line for the games on Belinda''s list. We''re going to go too in a moment." Ghost had a scary look in his eye. Butch sketched a salute and ran to register them. The rest of the gang ran to get in line for games."


    Belinda wasn''t sure what was up. "You¡¯re planning something, aren''t you?"


    Ghost shrugged. "Easy solution. We win back your games. We''re going to put a Team Claw Master high score on everything in here and take them all home. Problem solved."


    That sounded good to Belinda. It wouldn''t happen, but she was thrilled by them trying. "So, I''m part of Team Claw Master now."


    Ghost bent down and started digging in his pack. "Do you want to be? I have another set of gloves." She was amused when he even brought out an NDA for her to sign but loved having money John couldn''t touch. "Yeah, I''m in. Just help me try them on. M-1000s hurt my left arm."


    He cocked his head and thought. "Different mechanism. If you already have trouble moving your hand, I can see how they wouldn''t work for you. Forced muscle fatigue." He helped her put on the gloves. They felt comfortable and light. He did something to activate the glove, and she felt a tingle in her hand and forearm. She flexed and found it easy to move her hand!


    "Do the other one, please." He did, and the tingle was a lot stronger this time. Carefully, she tried moving her index finger and was surprised when it straightened. She started doing the exercises that normally left her exhausted and found she had the complete movement of her left arm again. "This is amazing."


    Ghost was watching her intently. He had questions. So did she. "We''ll talk later? Ok? I need time to process and get used to having two hands."


    He looked at the games, then to where several professional gaming teams were heading to the registration table. "And we need to win some free games. Let''s grab the classic Asteroids and Pacman first."

 Chapter 202: Warming Up

    Chapter 202: Warming Up


    "She''s not answering her phone, Eric. I need to find her. I scheduled her for a panel on new gaming technology. She''ll be perfect for it."


    Eric Kresthammer had the urge to grab his boss and friend, John, and slap him until he woke up and smelled the reality. He wanted to believe it was no sleep for 72 hours and too many doses of ''Wide-a-Wake, the Gamer''s Friend.'' But he had this urge when he was well rested. It was just John. Some people grew sharper under stress. John wasn''t one of them.


    "John, you don''t want Belinda on that panel. Please drop that idea."


    "Why not? She needs friends, and I''m trying to get her on team M-1000. She said she wanted friends."


    "Yes, John. Most young people want friends. Can I remind you of a few things? She can''t wear augmented gaming gear. She was in real pain from trying to use those gloves. She also knows you lied about having her medical team look at them first. All it took was a call to her doctors. So she can''t wear the product you want her to endorse, and she isn''t going to be accepted by a group of self-centered elite competition gamers who already think she''s an idiot."


    "What!? Why would they think that."


    Eric poured another cup of hot black stuff in a pot by his desk. He couldn''t get himself to call it coffee at this point. "John, you put Myra in a wig and a costume, told the people at Ubergear she was your daughter, and wheeled her up on stage. Myra took it from there and made Belinda look like an idiot. Not that anyone really thinks that''s your daughter. Meanwhile, Belinda was actually doing some good work by stopping Chambers from getting you stuck in a lawsuit for harassing a disabled orphan."


    John winced. "Yeah, that would be bad."


    "You have no idea, John. He''s also part of a VIP team that somehow got left off the VIP list. They were sent down by one of the Sponsors Belinda found. So not only would you have an ADA lawsuit, you could have had another for breach of contract. But I''ve been checking in with her bodyguards. Everything seems fine, and they invited her to compete with them in your ''Win it and take it home.'' contest."


    "Well, that''s awesome! That was the whole point of this. Hopefully, she wins a game. She mentioned wanting some."


    Ghost thanked the man handing him a contract and a pen. He put the pen in his bag and used the contract as a placemat as he ate some gooey concoction of fried potatoes, cheese sauce, and chili. The gesture went unnoticed by anyone except for Ghost. He was actually thankful. He recognized the problem as too much chili and not enough fried potato. When the insulted gamer went to put his hand on Ghost''s shoulder, Butch glared at him and spoke low. "You really, really don''t want to do that." The hand was withdrawn.


    John appeared on the overhead screens, all smiles. "Wasn''t that awesome? And we''ve got more to come. Up next, we have six teams competing in our one-of-a-kind Tournament featuring the return of that Legendary game: Starship Commander. We had over nine teams show up to compete in the retro-game challenge. The top six teams will now get a chance to show the galaxy who has the best crew. So let''s hear it for our brave space explorers: Team M-1000 from Ubergear, Team Gearhead, Team Nameless Order, Team Good Old Guys, Team PowerDrink, and Team MunchyPotato. Even in the depths of space, you''ll find those tasty gamer snacks from MunchyPotato!"


    Minerva scowled. "Why aren''t we up there? We beat all of those people!" Butch was disappointed as well. He and Kenji had read up on the game. It looked dead sharp to play.


    Belinda looked torn. "I''d love to. But it''s a hard game to play. I did solo simulations as the Captain, a Gunner, and a LAC pilot. I could handle them, but the Navigator role is impossibly tough unless you have a lot of practice."


    "I could do it." Everyone looked over at Ghost, who was staring into space. Belinda realized his wrap-around shades must be smart-glasses. He was reading something and flipping through screens.


    Kenji looked at Butch. Minerva put her hands in the air. "Yes, let''s do it! I want to fire the guns."


    Belinda asked Ghost. "How can you do it? Have you played before?"


    Ghost nodded. "Yeah, just now. I checked out the Navigator controls. It''s just astrogation and accelerated gravity. If you can handle Captain, I''ll take Navigator. Kenji and Yumi are on the big guns. They have the best scores for it. Butch and Minerva can handle the Light Attack Craft when we launch them." Butch and Minerva had been playing dogfight games like X-wing and Red Baron of Solaris X for years.


    Butch gave them a thumbs up. "Let''s do it. Can you get us in, Captain?"


    Belinda signaled to one of her guards. "Can you call Eric and tell him we need to talk? There''s been a mistake in the roster for SC6."

 Chapter 203: Pre-Launch Maneuvering

    Chapter 203: Pre-Launch Maneuvering


    One of the great debates between players of SC6 was how to customize your spacecraft. There were options for the two Light Attack Crafts, the two Weapons Batteries, the Navigation System, and the Command Bridge. Every ship started with basic engines, shields, sensors, and weapons. Each of the six players was given points that they could use to upgrade their part of the ship. Unused points went to the Command Bridge. Complicating the discussion was the different types of missions with their different variables: number of opponents, victory conditions, gravity strength, radiation from solar bodies, small black holes, asteroid fields, and pirate fleets. No ship could do everything for every mission, and choices had to be made.


    Light Attack Craft (LAC) Basic Engines, Basic low range sensors, Basic Communications, 2x Standard Dogfighting Lasers (SRWP)


    6 Upgrade Points:


    Upgrade Engines to Level 2


    Upgrade Engines to Level 3


    Upgrade Shields to Level 2


    Upgrade Shields to Leve 3


    Upgrade 1 Laser system from Short-Range Weak-Power (SRWP) Range from Short to Medium


    Upgrade 1 Laser Power from (SRWP) to Medium-Range Low-Power (MRLP)


    Upgrade 1 Laser Power from (MRLP) to Medium-Range High-Power (MRHP)


    Replace 1 laser system with a Missile Pod (4 shots, Heavy Long-Range Missiles.)


    Add Missile Control System for increased accuracy


    Upgrade sensors and Commlink to Level 2


    Delete LAC launcher and replace it with 3rd weapons system and advanced gunnery system.?v€l?1n.


    Weapons Batteries Standard Missile Strength, Limited Shots (100), Standard targeting computer, Defensive Lasers, Standard Communications


    6 Upgrade Points


    Increased Missile Storage (+100)


    Increase Missile Loadout from Heavy to Ship Killer


    Install Missile Targeting Computer to assist Gunner


    Upgrade Sensors


    Upgrade Communications


    Upgrade Defensive Lasers (DL) to Medium Range Heavy Lasers (MRHL)


    Upgrade MRHL to Long Range Grazer system (LRG)


    Convert entire Weapons Battery to 1 additional LAC with 2xMissile Pods, Missile Targeting System, and 6 upgrade points.


    Navigation Level 2 Sensors, Programmable Flight Computer, Level 2 Communications


    Warp Jump (4 power Points drained from the pool for 1-3 minutes while the power plant recovers)


    Weapon Systems (1 point per system)


    Extra Shields (Port, Starboard, Bow, Stern) (2 points)


    Reinforcing Shields (Limited Defense) (1 energy per area)


    The two LAC pilots, two gunners, and the Navigator had control of their sections, and could allocate unused upgrade points to the Commander. In a well-oiled team these choices would be made ahead of time. In pick-up games, it could lead to arguments between the crew. This led to the formation of more and more permanent teams. And as the game grew, teams worked together in squadrons, each ship taking on specialized roles. Small empires of star systems were created, and the galaxy went to war. Unfortunately, a war was also developing between the people who had made the game.


    The game''s downfall was the need for large and expensive machines to play it on. An argument between the creative director, the marketing director, and the CFO led to the company''s break-up because of disagreements over selling the game to a larger corporation. SC6 faded into obscurity, with four different people owning 25% of the stock in the company. With no agreement on how to further finance development, the game slid into obscurity as the first full VR systems went live and players poured into Endless Questing Online.


    Nostalgia was a powerful tool. The chance to field teams for SC6 convinced several older gaming groups to pay the large fee to attend the event. Team Nameless Order and Team Good Old Guys were older players here to have fun. The other four teams were corporate sponsored with products to sell. And Team Claw Master had appeared out of nowhere, upsetting John''s plans.


    "Belinda, please, be reasonable. I have six teams that paid a lot of money to be in the SC6 tournament. It''s quite unfair of you to demand I go back on my word to them."


    His stepdaughter stared at him and silently counted to ten. Then to twenty. John became uncomfortable at this point. Belinda didn''t like to yell and had made a habit of thinking hard about a situation and getting herself under control before speaking to him. If she was counting this long, things would be bad.


    "You lied." She stared at him, drumming the fingers of her left hand on the arm of her chair.


    "No, honey, I''m trying not to lie. I have to keep my word to the nice people that paid me money¡ªpaid us money. And it wasn''t a lie, not really. Everyone knew Team M-1000 was going to win that first contest. I made up that part about getting a slot in the SC6 competition. No other team was ready, and no one was going to beat the team from Ubergear. It was a little something to hype the excitement."


    Off to the side of the room, along with John''s staff, Eric Kresthammer was wincing. John was poor at ''reading the room.'' He was normally either dealing with a group of underlings who approved of what he said or someone with more power than him that he automatically agreed with. He had no friends, just employees, and people he owed money to, except for Belinda, who lately was reminding John more and more that she didn''t fit into either group. And as she approached the age of 18, his authority as her parent was also waning.


    "That''s called lying, Daddy. Don''t say things in public and then go back on your word."


    "Well, it wouldn''t have been a lie if you hadn''t organized a team to win all those machines and embarrass me!" John''s statement made Eric wince again. He went to the bar and added a shot of whiskey to his coffee.


    "If you hadn''t lied and stolen my machines, I wouldn''t have had to win them!"


    Downing his coffee, Eric looked at the other employees in the room. "Go find something useful to do. Now." The room emptied as John and Belinda continued to argue.


    As the last person left, Eric stepped between the two but addressed John. "She''s right, John. You screwed up. First, when you promised her the machines, it was even in the paperwork. ''Non-negotiable.'' You should have bought more machines if you wanted a contest."


    "Then Belinda''s team comes out of nowhere and wins most of them. It''s playing great on the datanet. Spunky Girl recruits a bunch of rebel gamers from the Hab to form a team and take first place. Add in a mysterious corporation called Claw Master with an unknown gaming product, and suddenly we are getting ten times the views we''d hoped for. We''re trending, John. Trending! And now you want to screw up that story, taint the whole event with cronyism, and betray your daughter? What the hell are you thinking."


    John smiled. "We''re trending? Awesome. I knew we''d be successful. Isn''t that great, Belinda?" Sweat ran down his neck as he looked at her impassive face.


    Belinda turned to Eric. "My team of ''spunky rebels'' is going to play SC6. We aren''t going to win, but we get to play. Non-negotiable, Uncle Eric, Non-negotiable. Please explain that word to my step-father, he doesn''t seem to know what it means. Buy off one of the smaller corps with extra advertising or money. I''d suggest MunchyPotato; they came in last. Make it happen, Uncle Eric; I have a crew to train with." She turned her chair and left the room, leaving the two men standing silent.


    John started to say something, and Eric stopped him. "She''s right. And for reasons you haven''t even thought about. Do you remember when we renegotiated the labor contracts, John? Remember how we wondered why some high-powered law firm cared about people in the Hab? Now we find out a new corporation with a radical new product uses people in the Hab to test their products. The same mysterious corporation that contacted Belinda''s staff out of the blue to sponsor them. Are you making the connections? These people are big, John. Big enough to risk going head-to-head with Ubergear. We came to the Hab on your recommendation that it was a great place to base Manpower because no one else cared about it. Cheap real estate, cheap labor. But it turns out someone else was already here, John. And so far, they have been damned polite to us. They gave some warning when they rewrote those contracts and even made us look good with Wally. The PR on that was great. Then they help sponsor the event. Again, polite and helpful."


    "This latest thing to happen is a lucky break for us, John. Belinda is making it happen. But if you screw her, you screw Claw Master, and I don''t know what happens after that¡ªa lawsuit for sure. You can kiss any further money from them goodbye. And I hate to think about further complications of doing business here. Are you getting this, John?"


    There was a moment of silence as John''s face went through several emotions. "Damn, Eric. You are on the ball today. Thanks for the insight." He smiled and clapped Eric on the shoulder. "I''m just stressed with all the work I''ve put in. How about I settle with the MunchyPotato people and explain things to them? You make sure the SC6 event goes off without a hitch. We''ll catch up for a late dinner and drinks when everyone''s gone. We need to start thinking about our next event. If this one is trending, then the skies are the limit." He left the room with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. "Time to get to work, people!"


    Eric got himself another cup of coffee and whisky.


    Watching from a monitor patched into the security cameras in the room, Victor smiled and waved at the screen. "Do you see that? My little girl stomped them and put them in their place. Did you hear how she said it? ''Non-negotiable.'' It sent a chill down my spine." His two oldest bodyguards nodded. They had enjoyed the scene.


    "We will keep Mr. Eric; he knows who is in charge and who isn''t. We will make sure he is at Belinda''s 18th birthday party. He will make a good chief of staff for her once John is gone."

 Chapter 204: Last minute changes

    Chapter 204: Last minute changes


    Victor wasn''t the only person using the security system to watch what was happening. Milo wanted to know more about his neighbors in section H and, as always, was a little paranoid when he was out in the open. If security staff started moving in their direction, he was prepared to get the gang out of here, even if it meant taking them through the tunnels and back alleys.


    He watched the drama play out between John and Belinda. John was her father? His search engine found John''s bio from the Manpower datasite. Milo saw that he had one child, his stepdaughter Belinda. He found that interesting. Further searching showed him that Belinda''s parents had been Vigo Johansson and Ekaterina Seimovich. Ekaterina was heir to the Seimotech corporation, started by Belinda''s grandfather, Andrei. Vigo was an investment specialist and programmer who had built his own company, BioSolutions, from the ground up. His search engines pulled up more and more articles about the two of them, their companies, and their research. He''d look at it all later. The important thing was Belinda making sure they got to play SC6.


    He was curious about the other teams and used Manpower''s security system and the cameras he had planted to take a look at them. Two teams were older players, joking, drinking beer or soda, and telling stories. Team Nameless Order and Team Good Old Guys had paid a lot to be here, but they came for the nostalgia and the fun of hanging out together. Both teams were in the same room, relaxed and looking forward to blasting off into space for one last adventure.


    The corporate teams were another story.


    Team MunchyPotato was six photogenic young players dressed in corporate uniforms that looked like they''d stepped out of a live-action anime. Milo wondered if they wore their helmets when they gamed. They sat around, eating junk food and playing games on their phones. They seemed relieved when they were told they wouldn''t compete in SC6. From their conversation, Milo was sure none of them had played the game before. Not playing wasn''t a concern as long as they got their appearance fee for the event.


    Team Powerdrink was going over scenarios and arguing possible builds. All of them had played SC6 before, but not with each other, and the arguments were growing heated. Their agreement to team up with MunchyPotato had disappeared. Going into the game without any alliance was suicide.


    "We need to sign on with Ubergear or Gearhead. It''s last minute, but if we don''t, we stand a chance of coming in last. You can''t fight two teams at once. Someone will work together, and we look weak without a partner."


    "What about Claw Master?"


    "Seriously? They''re a publicity stunt for the event. Look at the narrative: Poor little girl in a wheelchair finds five habrats who are somehow fabulous gamers, forms a team of misfits, and heads to the big leagues. It was rigged. MunchyPotato was in on the deal and is laughing their asses off right now and cashing a big check. And we''re left out in the cold."


    "Not to mention that Ubergear is on the warpath. No one was supposed to bring a product to display here except for them. Even Gearhead backed off. Notice that their guys are wearing M-1000s like the rest of us? Then Claw Master shows up with their brand of gloves. Ubergear is going to murder them and anyone that allies with them."


    "Nate''s on to something. I think Claw Master isn''t real. Nothing about them at all until today. They show up and challenge Ubergear with everyone watching. Bet me that they destroy Claw Master, and then it''s revealed that the habrats cheated and then got slapped down by the champion. That''s a great story. Ubergear shows how good the M-1000 gloves are."


    "They need to work on the heat problem. I''ve got spots on my hands that are killing me."?v€l?1n.


    "We don''t talk about that, Ethan. I''m sure you got the memo."


    "Yeah, yeah. Tell that to my blistered pinky."


    She even used them to win some for herself, the little minx. She''s good. Amazing really. Have you seen the footage of the raid she led in Genesis? If not, we''ll be airing it again in two hours. Those high scores were all hers, from what I saw. But this is the best part: She got them to make her team captain. We slid out Powerdrink, moved her ''team'' in, and now you get the chance to crush Claw Master."


    "You could have told us, John. I don''t like last-minute changes."


    "Sorry, Manny, it was too good of an opportunity. As soon as Belinda set it up, I knew you''d love it.


    Milo had heard enough. His systems were recording everything, but he had work to do.


    "Damn, sorry guys, got a call coming in. Marked urgent. Might be the wife." Joe wandered off, wondering what was up. His eyes narrowed as he read the message.


    "Greetings. Sorry for contacting you this way, but the situation I uncovered is very unfair. It might cost me my job if they found out, but I hate to see someone cheat in SC6. That''s not what the game is about. I sent you some video and audio files to look at."


    He listened to the first few seconds, then cursed. "Time to get serious; look at what I''m putting on the screen."


    The two teams watched as Team M-1000 bragged about knowing their plans. Joe played just a little of the 19 hours of audio files where they discussed their strategy for upcoming games, while, in the background, people could be heard laughing and playing games.


    "Holy shit? They bugged both teams? That''s just wrong."


    "Screw this shit; we should take this to the judges right now; the event is rigged."


    Marcus, the head of Nameless Order, spoke up. "Hold up a second. It''s crap, yeah. But look at what we have now. We know their plans. They''d have knocked us out of the game with ships built to counter what they knew we were running. But this changes things 180 degrees. We can pull one hell of a surprise on them."


    "How, redesign both team''s builds in the next ten minutes."


    The screen changed, showing different builds for both teams. "I think our secret benefactor is playing things close to the chest. They had to have known something was up ahead of time and just waited to record what the other teams were saying to prove it to us. They thought about how to throw a spanner into the gears and sent along some suggestions."


    "Oh shit. I see it. That''s nasty. Are we going with this?"


    Marcus looked at Joe. They nodded to each other. "Yeah, let''s go with it. I wish I could see their faces when those LACs start exploding."

 Chapter 205: The Stars at War

    Chapter 205: The Stars at War


    When one of the creators of SC6 was asked to describe the game in an interview, he answered, "Think of a game of rock-paper-scissors. Now think about playing three games simultaneously and needing to win them all."


    Missiles were long-range and did the most damage, but they could be targeted with defensive missiles or lasers.


    Lasers couldn''t be intercepted, but their short range and lower power meant they were best used to defend against missiles and kill LAC.


    LAC were versatile. They could attack the enemy LAC, be outfitted with missiles to attack ships, or lasers to add defense against missiles targeting the main ship.


    Shields were the best defense, but they competed for the power needed for weapons.


    The extreme builds such as LAC Carriers, Quad-weapon gunships, or ultra-defensive Turtles were rarely seen in a one-on-one duel between two ships. They had their purpose in larger battles, but each was very vulnerable to the tactics a Captain with a versatile ship could bring to a fight. Of course, countering them became much easier if you knew what your opponent was showing up with.


    Starship Ubergear was an example of what a team could do when they had more information than their opponents and were backed up by no less than six LAC loaned to you by two other ships. With no need for LAC, SS Ubergear had traded in its attack craft for two more weapons systems. Each of the gunners had spent three more points on a targeting system, extra missiles, and ship-killer missiles. The extra two points were sent to the Captain, giving him an additional 8 points.


    Navigation had 12 points to spend on upgrades or give to the Captain for extra shields and power. Level 2 in communications was standard and cost one point. It let ships communicate with each other and with their LAC. In a large battle, some ships would act as scouts, deploying communications platforms and sending back data to the rest of the fleet. That wasn''t needed here. No other ship stood a chance with a Quad Gun Ship and six LAC. The basic flight computer and enhanced internal gravity left nine points to give to the Captain, bringing his total to seventeen.


    One of the game''s oddities was the Captain starting with no points for upgrade. On a good team, everything was worked out to give the best ship. Arguments were common in pick-up games with crews that didn''t know each other, as gunners and pilots kept all six points for themselves, and the Navigator had to support the Captain with what they could. With seventeen points to spend, the Ubergear Captain could afford everything he needed:


    Standard Fusion Plant generating 8 points of power (4 pts)


    +4 Levels of Shielding (4 pts)


    Level 4 Engines (3 points)


    +4 Levels of Rechargeable Ionic Batteries (4 points)


    "We''re cool with that, Raul. We know what''s coming and are content to take a second and a paycheck."


    To Raul''s annoyance, his opponent sped up, moving up the time of the battle. He had wanted to listen and hear how the other half of the fight went, but they were engaging their enemies almost simultaneously. His ship and SS NamelessOrder moved closer and closer. With the other ships'' velocity higher now, they couldn''t escape even if they turned around and tried to reverse. Physics worked the same in SC6 as in a normal universe, and momentum could be a bitch. Raul signaled for LACs to start their attack run. They came out from behind his ship, hidden by his bulk, and sped away toward the enemy.


    Everyone on the Ubergear ship waited for the fight to start. The LAC would come into the range of their Heavy Missiles, launch four from each ship, and then break off. They could go around again for another launch if needed but would have to reload from the carrier. There was no reaction from SS Nameless Order. No LAC was launched, and they didn''t maneuver. The LAC came closer and closer.


    SS Nameless Order lit up like the sun as their weapons batteries unleashed laser fire at the LAC. Raul started to laugh until the first LAC exploded. Normal defensive lasers were a last-ditch hope to take out missiles or asteroids. They could be upgraded to medium-range lasers that could hurt a LAC that came in close and could melt sensors on the large ships but had trouble penetrating their armor.


    The final upgrade was to Long Range Gamma Radiation Laser Arrays (Grazers.) These powerful lasers took a good deal of power to use and could destroy a LAC in one hit. They caused the armor on a ship to buckle and heat up to the point that a second hit would strip away the protection. With enough Grazers, even a main ship could be destroyed. But no one took that many. They were inferior to missiles in range and worse at killing ships. But they were the weapon of choice for two things: Killing annoying LAC and blowing up enemy missiles sent to destroy your ship.


    SS Nameless Order had spent points to swap their LAC for two additional Weapon Systems. Unlike the Ubergear ship, they hadn''t upgraded their missiles. All four Weapons Systems had Long Range, Heavy Grazers, upgraded sensors, and a targeting computer. The Navigator had spent points to upgrade his nav-computer to a full A.I. and connected it to the Weapons Systems, essentially giving each set of Grazers two gunners. The effect was devastating as two fast-firing Grazers targeted each LAC backed up by the best sensor array that the Navigator could buy. Any other points went to the captain for a few shields.


    Raul watched in horror as all six LAC exploded like fireworks before they could get off a missile. SS Nameless Order moved on, Grazers targeting his ship. "Start firing! I want all four batteries to launch full broadsides as fast as possible. He didn''t have to worry about saving ammunition; he needed that ship dead before it got in range of its energy weapons. The velocity of both vessels worked against him now. The other ship would get in range; the only question was in what shape it would be in.


    The first flight of missiles exploded in the same way as the LAC. The Grazers had started their evolution as missile-hunting defensive lasers and still knew their job. But another four missiles came after the first. Debris from the explosions hurt targeting accuracy, and each set of missiles was harder to blow up. On the seventh flight, one got through. Locked in the cockpits of their game, the players were tossed about as the mechanicals underneath rocked them back and forth, red lights flashed, and damage scrolled across the Captain''s screen. Two shields were down permanently.


    As the range between the two ships dropped, the missiles had a shorter flight time, and the gunners had less and less time to take them out. Two more shields went down, followed by the engines. SS Nameless Order was a drifting gun platform now, but she was still aimed at her enemy. The grazers came in range, and it was SS Ubergear''s turn to be shaken about. Coherent Gama Radiation lanced out, and the ship''s armor melted and blew away. The A.I. targeted the same spots repeatedly while the human gunners just hoped they hit. As the range closed, missing became impossible for either side. Missiles slammed into SS Nameless Order, destroying the bridge and killing Captain Joe. Weapons Batteries #1 and #3 were down, with their gunners dead.


    At Weapon Battery #2, George ''Lefty'' Samuelsson kept firing. He was eighty years old and had lost his right arm in an accident years ago. SC6 had been his favorite game of all time, and he''d been thrilled to get a spot on the team. He took his time with his last shot. Power was dropping, and the capacitors wouldn''t recharge again. He moved his aim to a spot in the ship''s center that was missing its armor. His shot was on target, and a burst of coherent energy went deep into the SS Ubergear, shattering bulkheads and striking the Advanced Fission System. The resulting explosion killed the rest of the crew on the ship. SS Ubergear was a dark wreck, passing by a similar wreck with only Gunner Samuelsson and Navigator Maclintock still alive.


    Team Ubergear sat stunned in their cockpits. Nameless Order pounded the walls and yelled loudly. They''d take the win and watch to see what else happened.


    Across the sphere, SS GoodOldBoys moved to engage SS Powerdrink and SS Gearhead.


    SS ClawMaster seemed to be having fun killing rocks.

 Chapter 206: The Stars at War (2)

    Chapter 206: The Stars at War (2)


    "All crew, this is Commander Belinda. Phase 1 of the plan was successful. If you''ve all figured out how to fire your guns, we can begin on phase 2."


    "Gunner Yuri is ready and locked on target. Let''s kick some ass."


    "Gunner Butcher is good to go."


    "Gunner Kenji is riding the razor''s edge of destruction! I need to kill something.


    "Gunner Min has missiles ready to launch."


    There was a pause as everyone waited for the Navigator. Milo was staring at the maximum number of screens allowed in SC6. Milo had gone with a non-standard navigation build:


    Upgrade Sensors and Communications from Level 2 to Level 3


    Upgrade Sensors and Communications from Level 3 to Level 4 (Launches two sensor platforms into the system at the start of the game.)


    Upgrade Sensors and Communications from Level 4 to Leve 5 (Launches six sensor platforms into the system prior to the game.)


    Upgrade Sensors and Communications from Level 5 to Leve 6 (Makes use of all allied sensor networks in the system.)


    Allow Flight Computer to act as Port Gunner


    Allow Flight Computer to act as Starboard Gunner


    Points allocated to Commander slot: 6


    The six sensor platforms were scattered around the sphere, giving him data on ship movements, asteroids, and gravimetric anomalies. Each Sensor had two screens available showing the data they collected. In addition, he had screens showing any information gained by the sensors controlled by his teammates. Right now, he was watching the movements of the dozens of small asteroids that used to be parts of larger asteroids. Some were behaving oddly, showing the gravity effects of black holes. Two more minutes passed as he stared at his screens before he answered the Commander.


    "Navigation is ready to acquire additional sensor platforms. All fusion plants have controlled energy production. Ready for Warp Jump on your command."


    Including the Experimental and Highly Untested Quad-Fusion System in her build made Belinda nervous. It had to be constantly monitored and adjustments made. One slip and one of the four fusion plants could go critical, causing a domino effect that turned the ship into an expanding cloud of glowing gas and ending their game. Ghost had claimed he could handle the upgraded power system and had practiced with it. He''d started to talk about developing R-to-the-6th algorithms to anticipate power surges when Butch stopped him and said to Belinda, "Better to trust him when he says he can do something. The explanation will melt your brain." Nods from the rest of the gang convinced her to trust him as well.


    The rest of Ghost''s suggested builds were also odd. They were scrapping the LAC for two more Weapons Platforms. Each one took:


    Increased Missile Storage (+100)


    Increase Missile Loadout from Heavy to Ship Killer


    Install Missile Targeting Computer to assist Gunner


    Upgrade Sensors


    Points allocated to Commander Slot: 2


    This gave her 14 points to spend. Ghost had suggestions for how to use them.


    Upgrade Engines to Level 2


    Upgrade Engines from Level 2 to Level 3


    Upgrade Engines from Level 3 to Level 4


    "Prepare for Warp Jump. Keep that damn powerplant under control, Navigator." Belinda crossed her fingers on her left hand, marveling that she could even do that, and engaged the Warp Drive. SS ClawMaster crossed half the sphere and was suddenly a player in the upcoming battle. She shifted her remaining power to shields for the next minute as the powerplant suddenly dropped to only eight available power points. They were still out of the effective missile range of the other two ships, but that didn''t mean they wouldn''t try. A lucky shot with no shields could do terrible damage to a ship, crippling a system and even destroy it.


    Aboard SS Gearhead, the captain was swearing. "Shit, Claw Master bought a Warp Drive. I half suspected that. It fits in with how dumb they were playing. Be ready for them to launch missiles at us and try to help out."


    The rest of the crew were laughing. "Now we don''t have to hunt them down."


    "You mean missiles that aren''t aimed at rocks or empty space? They must have wasted half of their ordinance screwing around."


    "And revealed they took a gunship. No LAC to worry about sneaking in behind us."


    "What the hell?! They just warped again? They''ve got no power for anything now."


    SS GoodOldBoys saw the first warp jump and were utterly surprised when their allies showed up close behind them on the second. The ClawMaster ship had started with a higher speed than it''s ally and now was coasting up beside them, using minimal engines. "We have help, guys. Not sure how much after they drain eight power for the next couple of minutes. Gearhead and Powerdrink will be hitting us in less than two minutes."


    "Captain Joe, sensors are showing that Powerdrink has four LAC bays, empty ones. That confirms it. They don''t have anything but defensive lasers. All the guns are on Gearhead."


    "And that''s where all of our shots are going. Get ready."


    All four ships approached each other, three armed with extended-range, ship-killer missiles, and the fourth protected its partner with shields and defensive lasers. When they came into extreme range, they would all start firing. The chance of hitting with a missile was slight, but they all had enough ammunition for this engagement.


    ClawMaster was running on fumes and batteries after the two warp jumps. Milo was silent as he tried to simultaneously keep the reactors from exploding and lay in targeting for the gunners. Two hops with the warp drive had added significantly to the variation in the power levels of the quad-fusion system. People had experimented with warp drives and the Experimental and Highly Untested Quad-Fusion System but with no success. Two warp jumps meant a huge explosion seconds later. As people watching realized what SS ClawMaster had inside of her, bets were taken for just when she would go BOOM.


    If Milo were asked at that moment if he was having fun, the answer would have been "yes", but he wouldn''t have answered since every bit of his mind was working as fast as possible to keep track of everything that was happening simultaneously. He knew he had to hold things together for another minute but wasn''t sure if he could do it.


    Missiles were launched. All three ships'' gunners were firing off shots as fast as possible. Everything from ClawMaster and GoodOldBoys was aimed at the Gearhead ship. Gearhead had elected to send its fire against GoodOldBoys, knowing ClawMaster couldn''t fire missiles without dropping their shields, even if they did have a suicidal fusion system pumping out twelve power. This led to some cursing as both of their enemies spat out missiles.


    "All gunners, target ClawMaster; they can''t have anything but batteries to power those shields. Knock down those shields and blow them up.


    The first wave of missiles hit, SS Gearhead and SS GoodOldBoys losing two shield generators as the powerful payloads exploded in front of them. The cost of shields at this close range was expensive. The front shields could be powered for only one point, but to protect everything but the rear of the ship took two points. As the ships got closer, batteries were drained or burned out, and more damage was taken.


    Belinda switched all her power to her front shields, cutting off any further missiles. They''d need them to survive what was coming at them. Butch was cursing, and everyone else yelled as the enemy missiles approached. The first wave hit them, destroying two shields to the front and rocking them all in their chairs. Two more hits came in, burning out their one-use batteries.


    Belinda yelled at him. "How long till Plan Slingshot happens? And how did I let you talk me into this? Are you sure this will work?"


    Ghost was concentrating as hard as he could on many equations and constantly looking at a dozen screens. "I never know. I make plans; the first plan usually doesn''t work, so I make stuff up as I go. We''ll know in ten seconds."


    More missiles came in. ClawMaster took two more hits, burning out the last of their shields and causing the fusion generators to go wild. SS GoodOldBoys had come close to them to help take out incoming missiles with their defensive lasers.


    On the SS Gearhead, people were cheering. "We''ve got them. The next missile will take them out."


    The scream from their navigator cut across their voices. "SHIT! Missiles! A bunch of them. Put the shields to the rear! All shields to the rear!"


    The Captain had no idea why he was screaming, and shifting the shields was a stupid idea. Or it was, until he saw the group of fourteen missiles coming from directly behind his ship, where he had no protection. With no shields to stop them, every missile that got through would cause damage. Two missiles had been lost to the gravitation of a black hole when Milo used it to change their course and accelerate their velocity. Knowing where the gravimetric anomalies were, and how strong, had made it possible to weave his missiles past two black holes, each one changing course and sling-shotting the ship-killers to a higher velocity. Now, with their target in front of them, and receiving targeting data from SS ClawMaster, they began their attack runs.


    Two were off target; Milo was juggling too many things to make last-minute adjustments in their courses. Of the twelve missiles on target, defensive laser fire took out four. The other eight missiles hit SS Gearhead in the unprotected rear. Bulkheads shattered and the kinetic energy of the eight warheads blasted deep into the ship. The damage was too much. No ship could take it, and she exploded into a ball of fire, killing everyone.


    Milo yelled at Belinda. "Emergency Warp Jump. Anywhere. Do it!" He saw his fusion plants beginning to spiral out of control, with only one result possible. If he blew up this close to their ally, both ships would die. Belinda eyeballed her jump without calculations and hit the button. The ship disappeared and returned to the universe only a half mile from SS Powerdrink. Milo didn''t even try to stop the explosion.


    SS ClawMaster made SC6 history for two reasons: First for successfully firing an ultra-long-range missile barrage and sling-shotting it around the gravitational field of two black holes and hitting an enemy ship. Secondly, for making three successful Warp Jumps with a quad-fusion system in a row.


    And then she exploded, becoming a glowing ball of hydrogen gas, taking SS Powerdrink with her. Her allies were cheering wildly and crawling out of their cockpits. Milo, Belinda, and the rest of the team exited their cockpits to see the message on the overhead banners.


    Shared Victory: Team Good Old Boys-Team Nameless Order-Team Claw Maste

 Chapter 207: After party

    Chapter 207: After party


    Milo approved of the after-party, even if too many people were nearby. He''d almost turned and run when a small mob came over to congratulate his team but was held back by Minerva hugging him. "Awesome plan, Almost-Big-Brother-Milo; the boom at the end was cool!" Belinda turned her head as she said that, and Butch smiled and whispered to her, "Minerva is a little upset that I might be going to work in the pods when I turn 18. Mama is worried about Ghost. His dad hasn''t been around in years, and he roams on his own too much. She''s put in paperwork to adopt him, and little Min is pretty happy about that."


    "Milo? That''s his real name?"


    "Yeah, he got nick-named Ghost early on when he started hanging with our gang at swap meets. He''s nervous around people and takes off suddenly. Stays away for a day or a week, then shows back up to hang around for a bit."


    Belinda looked at the overjoyed Min and the nervous Ghost. Min was taller than him by an inch. You''d assume he was younger until he started talking. She had another question to ask Butch, but it got lost as the other two teams overwhelmed them with enthusiastic greetings. By common consent, they moved to where the food was and pushed several tables together. Soon everyone was eating and talking about the game. Butch''s gang was in awe of how much SC6 lore the older players knew.


    "You should have seen it back in the day. Thousands of ships were online, fighting for control over resources and carving out little empires. The basic game was modified on private servers back in the old internet days. The best ones had expanded economics, mining, and politics. You could do a lot more than blow stuff up."


    "Yeah, you could fix your ship when it got blown up. Scavenge parts when you blew someone else up and threaten to blow up people unless they agreed to help you blow up someone else."


    "You forgot to mention drinking at a seedy bar after getting blown up."


    "Ah, the best part of SC6: The Bar mod. Julius was a genius when he came up with that."


    Belinda had never heard of a Bar mod. "What was that? I didn''t see it mentioned when I was getting the programming for the machines."


    Captain Joe explained. "It wasn''t in the basic programming, but everyone running a server added it to their galaxy. Every planet, asteroid mine, or space station had a bar you could go to after you docked. They were filled with hard-bitten NPCs that would try to drink you under the table, start fights with you, or hire you for illegal missions. They were awesome. Some people barely played the game; they just used the bars as places to hang out and talk. It was old style, no VR, but it feels real when you remember it."


    Seedy bars and secret missions sounded great to Butch. "Can you still do that? Log into a server and hit a bar."


    "Naw, long gone. Lots of problems with how things turned out after all the corporate teams took over the game. There was a bullshit lawsuit against Julius claiming that by letting people have private galaxies, he was diminishing the competition in the main galaxy they had paid money to play in. It was crap, but he wasn''t a rich guy, just a programmer making games. He had to shut down the support to the private servers. Many people quit the game after that, and then the problems with keeping the machines running started killing him. Parts were getting expensive, and the machines crashed hard whenever the Wildfire virus swept through. He went bankrupt and had to give up."


    "He was really excited about this event, though. He wanted to come, but he''s living in Japan and didn''t have the money for the trip."


    "Excuse me, but that is my grand-niece you are talking about in a not-so-nice way."


    Manny looked at the old man with the greying hair. The guy must be ninety and talked like he was from another century. "So what, Grandpa? She wants to play in the big leagues; she can learn to take it."


    Victor chuckled. "The big leagues? This is not the big leagues. This is little piss-ant people in suits measuring dicks and yelling at each other. That is not how the ''Big Leagues'' work. Yuseph? If this man speaks to me again, break his arm. Yegor? If anyone else talks, including John, bring them to Yuseph so he can break their arms."


    Too late, Manny realized who the old man must be. He''d known John was connected to the Seimovich family, but thought it was a business deal. A family relationship made this situation much more dangerous. The old families took things very serious.


    His two bodyguards walked to where everyone else was standing, smiling at them and flexing their hands.


    "You lost. You even cheated first and then lost. Maybe bad luck? Maybe not. But what I think is that my little Belinda had a better team than you and beat you by skill. And you are upset that you look bad? Sad for you. Do better next time. No one said your money let you win. No one agreed to an easy victory where shitty gloves wouldn''t work too hard. And really, I don''t care. It is amusing to see you sit and argue with John, who lets you yell at him."


    "But then you had to be rude. Here is what happens now. You all leave the room¡ªno more talk. And you, Mr. Manny, will never say something about my little Belinda again. If you do, I will hear of it, and then I will break all of the bones in your body. Is this understood, Mr. Manny?"


    Everyone in the room except Yseph and Yegor was sweating. Something in Victor''s voice and eyes made them believe every threat. As soon as he nodded at the door, they started to leave. Yuseph had a large hand on both John and Manny''s shoulders.


    "Good, no one talked. Now, John? You take your friend Manny down to the stage and run your little dog-and-pony show, and then he will be leaving. Less chance of more problems. Mr. Manny? We will do this again soon. You may come and compete, and John will do his best to make your gloves look good. No cheating. No insults. We are businessmen and friends. Correct?"


    Both John and Manny nodded nervously before heading for the door. Victor turned to Eric Kresthammer, the last person in the room. "You tried. I saw that, Eric. John should listen to you more. I thank you for trying and looking after my grand-niece. We''ll talk more about your future with my family."


    Eric relaxed and nodded.


    Victor continued. "Maybe head down to the place with all the games and make sure no one bothers Belinda. She is having fun with friends. Don''t let anyone take that away from her."


    Eric left. Victor went to take a nap. Training the young ones to behave was always tiring.

 Chapter 208: A new variable

    Chapter 208: A new variable


    There was only so much food you could eat, Milo thought sadly. He was always starving after a session of heavy work, whether physical or mental. The navigator role of SC6 had given him a workout. Managing the ship''s navigation had been easy, but the task of spotting and charting the black holes had been exhausting. The advantage they had given their team proved the strategy worth it. The large groupings of missiles had sailed close to the anomalies, and their paths had been bent as they went by. Tracking an enemy''s missiles was impossible when that close to a black hole. After anyone observing had lost track of them, they were free to continue their journey until they came close to an enemy ship from an unexpected angle. It was a difficult way to fight with missiles, and only a few people had done it successfully in the old days of the game. The other two teams were quite astounded and asked a lot of questions. Milo just shrugged and said. "We got lucky. Couldn''t have done it without you guys letting us use your sensors."


    By common agreement, no one was talking about mysterious messages with information on the enemy teams. Belinda had held a quick conference with the captains of the other two groups. Good Old Boys and Nameless Order assumed that Claw Master had received a similar message. Belinda helped with that narrative. "I don''t think someone at Ubergear was really happy with how they played the game. Serves them right." After that, nothing was said, and they concentrated on food and talking about how the game used to be.


    After an hour of talking, Milo was getting itchy. He''d been around people a long time. Maybe this was good for him? He''d just talked himself into staying when a montage of gaming video came onscreen. Belinda cringed and put both hands on her face. "Oh god, no. Not this. I told him not to play this." What came on the screen was a video taken of Belinda winning her first SmashbroReunion tournament when she was 10, followed by other videos and still shots of her playing other games or winning matches. Finally, the last part showed gameplay in the Genesis MMO. It was ten minutes of the raid against the first World Boss.


    Belinda was shown organizing a raid of players and giving a speech: "Nothing¡¯s over until we say it''s over! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? HELL NO! This could be the best day of our lives, but you''re going to let it be our worst."


    Further talk of Ghost stopped as Brad arrived, looking happy. He was wearing his Claw Master gloves and had a plate of food. "Hey, I''m hearing some great stuff. You guys rocked and scored some cool swag?" He was given a play-by-play of the event from multiple sources.


    Belinda was introduced, and the two of them shook gloved hands. Butch asked him, "How''s your mom? You got her in for treatment?"


    Brad smiled broadly, "Better than that, even. Someone came down the line looking for us and took us into the clinic. Someone at Claw Master found out she was sick. Maybe when I filled out her paperwork for the clinic? Mr. Eady called the clinic and said that they would cover my mom''s medical treatment as part of the contract we signed. She''s staying in a medical pod for two days and getting the medicine she needs. They said they can clean out her lungs and put her on a treatment plan with better pills."


    Butch and everyone else was excited. "Damn, this deal gets better and better."


    Belinda flexed her left hand again, wondering. She needed to find out more about this mysterious sponsor. And she needed to talk to Ghost. For now, though, she was happy to be with new friends. "Hey, can I show you guys my rooms? I''ve got some space I want to turn into a sort of clubhouse with the games we won."

 Chapter 209: Complications

    Chapter 209: Complications


    The awards ceremony was brief and awkward at times. Erik had caught up with John, and instead of steering him to the stage, he took his boss to his apartment, handed him two Naptime tablets, and told him to sleep. The man was was nearly incoherent at this point with stress and lack of sleep. Erik wished he could do the same, but someone had to put this thing to bed. On the surface, the event had been a success. It was the fallout that Erik dreaded.


    Jacob Mannerheim was all smiles and professional as he presented the prizes his company had promised. The top six teams in the videogame competition were given a free pair of M-1000 gloves. His corporate team seemed sullen as they accepted, their smiles glued to their faces. The other two corporate teams happily accepted their gloves and thanked him. The three other teams, including the Claw Master team, clapped and yelled as they were called to come up. He saw that Team Claw Master had removed their gloves so they wouldn''t be in the camera. Even Belinda accepted her pair of gaming gloves, taking them with only her right hand.


    The next set of prizes went to the top three teams in the SC6 competition. The teams from Good Old Boys and Nameless Order were given vouchers that reimbursed all of their travel expenses along with an invitation to the Ubergear Invitational Gaming Festival. He was at a loss for a moment when he went to team Claw Master. "I don''t think reimbursing you for your travel expenses comes to very much when you''re the hometown team. But I look forward to seeing you at UIGF."


    He handed the invitations out to the six gamers. None of their group had even known about the Ubergear Festival until they''d watched the announcement fifteen minutes ago. It looked like a cross between E3 and Disneyworld. Belinda could see that the rest of the group was stunned by the thought of going. Had any of them ever left the habitat? She wasn''t sure. And the expense? You didn''t live in a habitat if you could afford to go to an orbital playground for a seven-day gaming excursion. "We''ll try and be there."


    Jacob noticed their expressions and body language as well. He forced down the feelings he had over this event. He deserved to lose if he''d been outplayed by a seventeen-year-old girl and a group she recruited from a habitat. It was time to start winning on the PR front. "It would be a shame not to have a rematch between our two teams. Let''s sweeten the deal a little. You didn''t get reimbursed for your travel to this event, so I think it''s only fair that Ubergear will pay for your travel to the next one." ?v€l?1n.


    He turned to the cameras. "How about it, folks? Do you think we need Team Claw Master competing at UIGF?" There was a roar of applause as the local team stood stunned and started cheering and hugging each other."


    "Mr. Mannerheim? I was hoping we could speak further about the position at Ubergear."


    Jacob ''Manny'' Mannerheim stopped and turned. "What position was that, Mr. Chambers?"


    Chambers had a sinking feeling but continued. "During the contract negotiations, you said that there was an opening at Ubergear for a new assistant vice-president in the marketing department and you would look favorably upon my application. I want to take you up on that offer."


    "Let me make myself clear, Mr. Chambers. Business deals are about helping each other out. You scratch my back; I scratch yours. You hinted at special treatment and a better deal, so I mentioned an opening at Ubergear. That was a good offer. You are currently working for John Sabbatino in a start-up company located in a habitat. I was offering the chance to work for Ubergear, a real company with real offices and real chances to make a lot of money. I expected you to jump at my offer and, more importantly, hold up your end of the deal."


    He held up a hand, silencing Chambers when he started to talk. "Yet, things you promised me didn''t happen. Our products did not enjoy a monopoly at your event. Worse, it was a competitor who was trying to outshine our new product, the M-1000. You allowed this new company to sponsor part of the event, allowed them to advertise at the event, and then backed away from your promises. Promises which seemed not to be known to your boss''s daughter, who brought in Claw Master as a sponsor, refused to wear our product, and then recruited a local team that embarrassed my team."


    "Let''s keep this simple. Hand me the gloves; then you can go to the bathroom. Your team has been accused of cheating, and we are investigating your gloves. If we find nothing, you get them back. Your team is cooperating, so don''t make a fuss and hand them over."


    The kid looked at him and cocked his head sideways. "I''m confused. They were just on stage. Why give them an award if you say they cheated?"


    "Because it''s an accusation. We''re being nice. Did you notice they didn''t have their gloves on? We have them all now." The little shit blinked when he said that and then giggled.


    "You got them to just hand them over? Because they trust you? We''re from the hab. We don''t trust anyone, especially someone in a suit. You aren''t getting my gloves."


    "Last chance, kid, hand over the gloves."


    Again, the kid didn''t take him seriously. "Last chance. Leave me alone."


    Chambers lunged forward to grab the boy''s arms, and was never sure later what happened. He only managed to grab the interposed arm braces the kid put in front of him. Then the kid leaned and brought his prosthetic leg upward in a hard kick that ended in his groin. His eyes rolled back in his head with the pain. It was followed by his whole body seizing up and shaking for several seconds. He fell backward, paralyzed, and lost consciousness. Security found him an hour later and got him to medical attention. They diagnosed him with a concussion from his head hitting the concrete floor. His story of being mugged by a habrat wasn''t believed by anyone. The security camera only showed him slipping on the wet floor and falling backward.


    When the man attacked him, Milo blocked with his arm braces. That set up the attack to the easiest weak point. He followed up by using the Tasers built into each arm brace. For a brief moment, he was fighting for his life in the game, and someone was telling him he had to kill or be killed. It would have been simple to drag the unconscious man into the ductwork with a cable and deposit him somewhere no one would ever find him. But this wasn''t the game. He knew the rules were different. He left the man lying in the corridor, made sure a security team was sent on a route that would find him, and made the security system show what he wanted.


    He was upset and hyper when he was finally done. He took a longer route home, knowing he wasn''t followed but taking no chances. Finally, after an hour of crawling up pipes and scurrying along the mechanical section''s unused access tunnels, he arrives home. He took deep breaths to steady himself and drank a quart of water. His pulse was still pounding. He sat in his chair and triggered his search programs to show him the information on Belinda Sabbatino and Manpower.


    Only one screen lit up, with a glowing red border signifying a significant piece of information. It showed a picture of Victor Seimovich and a family tree linking him to Belinda Sabbatino. The lower half of the screen showed Victor arriving in the habitat and being greeted by her. Milo double-checked his search parameters, desperately wanting to deny the information, but it was all true.


    The man behind his creation and the death of the rest of the family was in the habitat. Was he looking for the person who stole his money? And how could his friend Belinda be connected to him? He felt the jaws of a trap closing in. With one word, everything shut down, leaving him curled into a ball on his chair, in the dark.

 Chapter 210: Connections

    Chapter 210: Connections


    Hide! Seen. Trapped. Can''t run. Gang=me? Gang seen? Belinda? Belinda=Belinda but Belinda=Victor! Run. Trapped. Seen. Hide? Fix?


    Fix.


    Fix!


    Milo''s mind whirled, several trains of thought screaming at once. He had pushed himself too far. The fatigue of social interaction had been building up all day, as had the stress of thinking so hard in SC6 and the video game tournament. He loved the feeling of pushing himself to think faster and devise strategies, but it came at a price. He was paying it now as the connection between Victor and Belinda sent his paranoia into overdrive.


    Part of him was screaming that they never should have left the tunnels. A year ago, he''d been safe, and no one had known about him. No one had even suspected that he existed. If no one knew you existed, then no one came looking.


    Now he was exposed. And it was by his own actions. He knew that. He''d triggered events, and failed to recognize all of the consequences.


    He recognized that the temptation to do new things and taste new food had been traps that the world had set for him. But food was tasty!


    The pod was the first trap! It tempted him, showed him he could get better, showed him the game, and allowed him to get petty revenge on Kaminski. Stealing the pod had triggered everything.


    The game was a trap! It showed him cheese! And tasty food. It made him want more things in the real world. It led to being noticed by Sidney and then Wally. Wally knew where he was. But he needed the game! He needed the escape and the friends he''d made. He needed a place he could go where no one knew who he was.


    The money was a trap. Money solved problems. It was a tool. He took someone else''s money. Victor''s money. There was no guilt. No guilt at all. Victor and his people had made him a slave, killed his family, killed so many people. Now Victor was an enemy, and Milo had to hide from him.


    He had friends in the habitat. He was learning to be near people. But they made him vulnerable. Just like the Hollow. Were friends a trap? Family? He couldn''t run if people were threatened.


    Andrei married once and had two children, Nicki and Ekaterina. Twenty-five years after Boris''s death, the deaths of both Nicki and Andrei brought what was left of the family closer together. Father and son were killed when a freak storm forced their private jet land at a small airfield. The icy conditions and short runway led to a bad landing and an explosion as the airplane shot past the barriers at the end of the runway. A somber Victor attended the double funeral. He and Ekaterina reconciled. If not close, they at least spoke often, and he served on the board of trustees for the Seimovich Corporation as an unpaid advisor.


    Ekaterina met Vigo Johansson at a technology conference. She was fresh from University with dual degrees in International Business and Finance. Vigo was there showing off the latest products from his company, Bio-Solutions. They met when both of them were talking on the same panel. They had drinks and dinner three times and began dating. The picture of the two of them holding hands had sent a ripple through the tech industry.


    Vigo''s official biography said he had started with nothing and studied computer programming and information systems early. At ten, he coded his first small video game. Smashy-Dwarf was a cute little phone game where players selected a troll or ogre as their team and took turns hurling other races at a rack of ten pins. He made enough money to attend a better school and then college at the age of fourteen. Vigo attended four colleges over the next eight years while simultaneously building his first company. Computers were the first step; his end goal was cybernetics, human/computer interfaces, and working artificial limbs. Bio-Solutions was, first and foremost, a research lab. Vigo and his employees created, patented, and sold the technology to other people.


    After the two married, Seimovich Technology bought Bio-Solutions for the price of 127 Billion dollars. Belinda Seimovich was born seven years later. News reports said the birth had been complicated by birth defects. The family refused to discuss her medical problems and asked for privacy. During this time, protests and riots culminated in the removal and imprisonment of all but one A.I. Technology companies saw a huge drop in their stock, protests held at their factories, vandalism, and acts of terror.


    Bio-Solutions was the target of one radical group, Never Skynet. Ironic because artificial intelligence was not something the company had delved into. A bomb was set off, severing a fuel line and engulfing the labs in fire. Twenty-seven researchers died, including Vigo Johansson. Ekaterina attended his funeral on the arm of her Uncle, Victor, and then dropped out of public life altogether. Milo saw that within a year, Ekaterina remarried, choosing a childhood friend, John Sabbatino. He was immediately named CEO of the company and made the guardian of Belinda. Within a year, Victor was no longer on the board of advisors. Eight years later, when Belinda was ten, Ekaterina died of ''undisclosed medical issues.''


    Milo could find no record of Belinda''s name being changed to Sabbatino. In court documents, she was always referred to as Belinda Seimovich. Nor did he find a record of adoption. But what financial information he did find was interesting. Nearly all of the corporation had been sold piecemeal during the years after Vigo''s death. A large amount of money was invested conservatively, and a corporation was set up to manage the funds, ST Investments. Seimovich Technology was a shadow of what it had been at the time of her death, but the investment group held a staggering amount of money. All of it was put in trust for Belinda when she turned eighteen.


    Exact numbers were unknown, but financial experts conservatively estimated the value of the trust fund at over a trillion dollars with the possibility of up to quadruple that amount. John Sabbatino did not have access to that money, except to care for Belinda. He continued to manage the corporation and renamed it Manpower Inc. Victor Seimovich was not involved in either Manpower or ST Investments.


    That sounded like a lot of money to Milo. Far more than he had. With that much money, you could buy all the SC6 machines left in the world and all the cheese you could ever eat. Manpower was a powerful corporation, but nowhere near what it would be as soon as Belinda turned 18. That worried him. Who would control it?


    Milo liked the idea of Victor never having money ever again. He wasn''t happy with John Sabbatino having it, either. With that much money, he could tear the hab apart faster than Milo could fix it. What would Belinda do with it?


    He shook his head, clearing the speculation. He had things to do. Next on his list was upgrading the security system. The whole thing was a mess. The habitat system was nearly defunct and unusable. Manpower had replaced part of it and upgraded other parts, but in a piecemeal fashion that upset Milo as being highly inefficient. On top of that, Milo had found cameras installed by the engineering firm that had done work in the hab. And, of course, Milo had added his bits to the jerry-rigged system. He needed something better. It would be a lot of hard work, but he would upgrade and replace most of the systems and cameras so that only he had complete access to all of them. If people were moving around in his habitat, he needed to know. Manpower wouldn''t know what had happened, and would enjoy a security system that worked all the time, and didn''t need repairs.


    As he placed orders with thirty-seven security specialists, his brain tossed out a chilling scenario. Who was Belinda''s heir? Her only living relative was Victor. Was Victor looking for a way to get past Belinda to her money? And if so, had Milo triggered this event by stealing all of Victor''s money? He needed to know more. Either Belinda was working with Victor, or she wasn''t. If she wasn''t, then Milo may have put her in danger. He had planned to stay far away from the girl, but now he needed to do the opposite, and get to know her.

 Chapter 211: Solutions

    Chapter 211: Solutions


    Information gathering was only the first step in solving this problem. Milo had options for the second step but didn''t like some of them.


    The immediate solution that came to mind was to hide. He was already working on a secure base of operations beneath the habitat, and he had several secondary areas in other sections that affected the performance of section E. He could go back to hiding, not venture out, and flee to another part of the hab if anyone started searching section E. There were problems with the Hide/Run plan. His secondary locations were rudimentary compared to his current home. They didn''t have a gaming/medical pod and didn''t have the machinery he used to create machine parts and his mechanical limbs. Hiding also meant cutting himself off from the gang. A pit opened inside of him when he thought about that. He moved on to the next plan.


    The second solution that occurred to Milo was leaving the habitat. He was here because he''d been left here. There was a big world out there. He had a standing offer from Steven of employment and housing. He didn''t need to stay here and deal with Victor. Anxiety flooded him just thinking about being forced to leave. Fear of the unknown. Fear of having to rely on someone else. Fear of not having the walls around him that kept him safe. The rest of his brain didn''t like those ideas and started listing the reasons that leaving was a bad idea. He had zero first-hand experience living outside of the habitat. Physically, he appeared small, weak, and too young to be treated as an adult. Money could solve part of that problem but also make him a target. Taking Steven''s offer meant playing by a new set of rules and relying on Steven or Wally. What would happen if he couldn''t live in that framework? There were too many variables. He wasn''t leaving the habitat.


    Which led him to a realization. Not a logical one, but an emotional one. A decision to not let anyone take away his home. Section E was his. He''d repaired the mechanical systems, fixed the programming, and kept it running for two decades. He felt the same way about the entire habitat to a lesser degree. Manpower and Victor were the invaders, and leaving would be giving them the habitat. Milo wasn''t going to leave, so he had to neutralize the threats to his section.


    To assess those threats, he needed information¡ªa steady stream of what they were doing. The upgrades to the security system would give him eyes and ears, but he also needed a watchdog that would alert him to problems. This special program would monitor his systems and warn him if anyone was doing something that would cause him trouble or if anything drastically changed in Section H. He already had programs that monitored the mechanical systems. Now he needed more watchdogs to monitor people, tracking their movements, conversations, and electronic communications. Even as he continued to formulate a plan, he typed out the code to create his programs.


    The next problem was ensuring that his friends and family weren''t in harm''s way. If Butch, Mama, and the rest of the gang got linked to him, Victor could threaten Milo by threatening his family. He didn''t know how many people Victor had working for him in the habitat or how many more he could bring in. If Victor moved against his family, Milo would stop him. He hoped it never happened. That would mean war, and part of Milo''s brain was already working on ways fragile humans could meet horrible ends in the hab and disappear. He didn''t want to use those plans but made them anyway. He thought to himself, ''What would Petey do?''.


    The last item on his list for today was one that made him very nervous; he needed to talk to Butch and the gang about Belinda and then talk to her. He didn''t know where she fits into this puzzle, and he needed to find out whether she was a pawn or a queen. And what color?


    He only had to knock once on the door before Minerva opened it. She took one look at him before yelling, "He''s back! I found him". She grabbed Milo by the arm and dragged him inside the house. The enticing smell of his favorite foods came from inside, and he spied several metal pans on the table with heating pads underneath. That was how they had served food at the party. And now it was here?


    The room was packed with people. All of Butch''s family and the gang were here, mostly sitting on the floor where two videogame consoles were being used. An extra screen was mounted on the wall. Butch was fighting Brad in Age of Dinosaurs: Knock-Out! Brad was using King Rex, popular despite the reach of their tiny arms. Butch was hammering him with the slow-moving but hard-to-damage Anky the Anklecrusher. The fight ended with King Rex limping away and Brad declaring all armored dinosaurs to be ''busted and OP.''


    Yumi looked up from where she was dueling Belinda in Big Samurai Heroes 6. Her moment of inattention cost her the game as Belinda''s giant robot executed a spinning guillotine attack and cut off Yumi''s head. She threw the controller to Milo. "Your turn; I can''t beat her." Belinda waved to him and patted the section of floor Yumi had just vacated. "I''m going to kick your robot''s butt, and then I need to talk to you about some stuff."


    Behind him, Minerva had shut the door, blocking his retreat. She leaned on the door, "You don''t get to leave until you eat a meal and talk to Mama. She''s next door with two of the little ones. Belinda brought lots of good stuff, but we ate all the manicotti already. I don''t know what they are, but they taste awesome."


    Milo pushed down his anxiety and waded into the lair of his family.

 Chapter 212: Conversations

    Chapter 212: Conversations


    Milo yelled to Belinda. "Food first, it smells great." The table was set up like the tables at the event, with a white tablecloth, metal pans of food, little plates, and forks. His stomach dropped down to his toes, replaced by a hungry void. When had he eaten last? A snack when he woke up? And before that, the event. He was hungry and even a little feverish. There was an empty pan where the mani-somethings had been. He started with that, filling it with four chili dogs and a pile of tater chunks before putting cheese sauce over everything.


    Food acquired, he took his pan and controller and sat next to Belinda. He ate with one hand and held the controller with the other. Everyone in the room looked at him as he shoveled food into his mouth while he and Belinda battled with giant robots in the ruins of neo-Tokyo. Belinda was using Red Ronin, a heavily armored Samurai Mech designed to fight Kaiju with its energized plasma katana. Milo chose Lego Ninja-73. What his robot lacked in armor, it made up for with cheap and easy repairs between rounds. Like all of the Lego Ninja variants, it was fast and agile, able to dodge most heavy mechs. Their problem was their lack of offensive damage when confronted with heavy armor.


    Belinda charged him repeatedly, only to have Milo dodge out of the way. His mech never quit moving, even when far away from his adversary. The LN-73 bounced from foot to foot, leaping and hopping and never giving Belinda an easy target with her shoulder-mounted cannon. Each time they engaged, she swung with the blazing katana. Milo used his flame throwers to blind her and shot flaming shuriken at her. They lodged in her armor, still on fire but next to useless.


    "Why are you doing that? Those stupid attacks aren''t doing anything but annoy me."


    Milo nodded but said nothing. Annoying her was half the reason he was doing it. He hopped to his left and rolled as her sword went over his head again. Belinda cursed as her screen started flashing red. "Out of power? How can I be out of power?"


    Milo hit her again with his flame throwers and then danced away. Red Ronin took two steps, the energy sword flickered, and the mech died. Belinda looked at the diagnostics panel for her mech to assess the damage or find a fix. "Overheating?"


    Milo finished his fourth chili-cheese dog and started on his fries. "We''ve been fighting for fifteen minutes. Red Ronin has optimal power supplies for a maximum of a half hour, but that''s under ideal conditions. The plasma katana causes a heat surge each time you use it. I was adding to your heat with my ''totally ineffective weapons.'' I just had to ensure you were too busy to notice and hoped it didn''t rain. The heavy mechs are designed to use their armor as heat sinks, but that doesn''t work when the heat hits the armor. Sub-optimal design. You''ll want to shave points elsewhere and go with either a refractive coating on the armor to reflect the heat or a thermo-couple system to absorb it and turn it into power."


    Belinda growled and bared her teeth. "I want a rematch, but we need to talk first."


    Milo shook his head sadly. "Sorry, can''t."


    "And why not?"


    He smiled at her. "You said we''d talk after you kicked my butt. No butt-kicking, no talk. You can have a rematch after I talk with Mama." He handed the controller to Minerva, who immediately selected Lego-Ninja 73 for her mech, with extra flame throwers. Mama had just come in the door, saw him, and waved him to come over to her.


    "Let''s go outside, dear. Less hectic, I can barely hear myself think."


    "Come sit down by me, Milo dear, and talk to your mama."


    Milo was nervous. He was worried because Mama knew that close proximity to adults caused him anxiety, and she was asking him to do that. She was up to something. Cautiously, he sat down next to her on a cracked plastic bench, the glowy tree casting shadows and shielding them from the flickering overhead lights. She took out a stack of paperwork and handed it to him.


    "You need to look this over and understand it. Because I sure don''t understand all of it. Once we get past page two, and it goes into all of that legalese, I''m lost, and if you and I are both signing this, one of us needs to know what it says."


    Milo started to read the 42 pages of the adoption paperwork, but Mama put her hand on the first page. "More importantly, you have to not only understand what this does but also want to do it. I think it''s a good idea. The kids think it''s a good idea. But that doesn''t count for a gnat fart if you don''t think it''s a good idea. Now take a look, and think about it. I''m just going to enjoy some peace and quiet."


    "I don''t like parts of it."


    "That''s fine dear. There''s lots of legal bullshit in it. After all, it comes from the government. The Department of Habitat Dwellers and Itinerant Population is long on paperwork and short on promises. Tell me what parts you don''t like."


    Her eyes narrowed. "Nice try. The M-1000s hurt me. When I told you that, you said, ''Different mechanism. If you already have trouble moving your hand, I can see how they wouldn''t work for you¡ªforced muscle fatigue''. So you knew how both pairs of gloves worked. I have to work hard constantly to be able to use my hands and forearms. My left is barely usable. But now it works as long as I wear my gloves."


    She removed her left glove and stiffly moved her arm onto the armrest. One by one, she lifted a finger, but that was all. Milo looked from her arm to the glove, trying to figure things out. "What have they said is wrong with you?"


    "Different things. CMT disease, which isn''t really an answer, is too broad a category. I''ve had my own doctors for as long as I can remember and constant physical therapy to improve things. But no one tells me what is wrong with me."


    "Physical therapy makes it better? The response, not just musculature? How do your hands feel now that you''ve worn the gloves for several days?"


    Belinda flexed her fingers. "A little better, actually. But why?"


    "You have some disconnect between your muscles, the motor nerves and the signals from your brain. Probably in the neurochemical transmitters over the last synapse. These gloves are designed to detect the impulse from your peripheral nervous system and transmit a signal to the motor neurons faster. At the same time, the micro musculature moves your hands. The glove does what your muscles try to do, and it all comes together smoothly, just a little faster."


    "This is just a guess, but if physical therapy helps, your condition is always improving or degrading depending on how much you move. Because the gloves coordinate with your nerves and help you move, it''s like constant therapy, teaching your nerves, receptors, and muscle cells to get along better." He stopped talking and ended, lamely, "Or, something like that...just a guess. I could ask someone at Claw Master."


    Belinda put the glove back on. "I would appreciate that. I would also appreciate it if you never lied to me again."


    "Lie?"


    "Yes, lie. Everyone else in my life lies to me, and I''m very good at listening for it. You tried to play dumb about the gloves when you knew more. That''s lying. I''m cutting you some slack because you''re my navigator, and you gave me back my arms. You also helped me kick ass at the party. That was fun. I think we can be friends. But lies break apart friendships."


    "Oh. Yeah, I can see that. But what if I can''t talk about something? Like if it could get someone in trouble." Milo mentally included himself.


    "Then say you can''t talk, but don''t lie. Too many people smile at me and then lie. I''d rather be alone than know people I thought were my friends are lying to me. Promise? And I won''t lie to you."


    Milo sat down and thought things over. Lying was part of hiding. And hiding was how he survived. But he thought about what Mama had said. And she was applying the same rule to herself.


    "If I tell you anything, anything at all, you won''t tell anyone else? If you promise me that, and we never lie, I can agree to that rule."


    She stuck out her hand, and they shook on it. Belinda exhaled; Milo realized she was maybe more stressed than he was. They sat for a moment, saying nothing.


    Then she smiled. "So, Milo? Did Claw Master get you the pod you use to play Genesis?"


    Milo just sat there, still as a rock. "I...I really can''t talk about that."


    "Another NDA? No, don''t answer." Belinda laughed, then turned her wheelchair back toward Mama''s house. "That''s fine. But I''m going to get pods for the rest of the gang and go exploring. You promised to go exploring with me once, so I expect you to be there. But enough secrets for one day. Let''s get back. I need to figure out which robot I will use to beat you.


    Milo followed her, his head reeling.

 Chapter 213: Reaching Out

    Chapter 213: Reaching Out


    A blinking prompt on Sidney''s screen alerted her to an incoming request for a video conference. Only a few people could send her such a request, and she reacted without checking the name. The screen she brought up was blank. A glance down showed no information about who had sent the request. Just as she was about to break the link, a familiar voice said. "Hi, I need to talk to Steven. Maybe you and Steven? But not Wally! Not yet! It''s important."


    Somewhat in shock, she said, "Milo?"


    "Yes?"


    Sidney gathered herself together and concentrated. This was Milo. Both Steven and Wally had coached her on listening to his exact wording. "Sorry, getting a call from you. I''ll get Steven and set up a three-way private conference in a private room. This will take one minute; please don''t break the connection."


    Milo replied, "That''s fine. And yes, it was unexpected for me as well."


    With that, she switched the call to a room Steven used when he and Wally needed to talk without interruptions. Then she ran to his office. As usual, he was talking to Wally.


    "Steven! Conference room 2. Now. Just you, not Wally. Now!"


    On the screen, Wally laughed and said. "Go! I have a million things I can work on while my circuits gnaw themselves to shreds with curiosity." She grabbed Steven by the arm and half dragged him into the room, slamming and securing the door.


    "We''re here, Milo."


    On the screen, Milo appeared. Behind him was a Frankensteinian laboratory of screens, cables, computer components, and game consoles. All of it was secured to rusty metal walls that curved upward. It was strangely reminiscent of Wally''s room in his fictional space station. Minus the windows, gleaming chrome, and live plants. Was Milo imitating the A.I.? And why was he dressed like Neo from The Matrix?


    "I need help with projects. Very important projects. I can''t talk to Wally yet because I don''t know how he will react. You said I could contact you if I ever needed help. I''ve found a situation where the gloves I designed are causing an effect on a human that didn''t show up in the testing you did."


    Sidney sucked in her breath. Unknown effects of new technology were bad. She immediately started bringing up all the data on Project: Claw Master and looking through the reports for any side effects.


    A picture of a scowling older man with thinning grey hair appeared on the screen with front and side images. Steven realized it was a mug shot and who it was. "Victor Seimovich. That picture was taken when he was arrested in Poland six months ago. He walked into Interpol headquarters and turned himself in. We haven''t proven it yet, but we think he was behind all the human trafficking and using illegal pods to hack into Genesis. How does he figure into this?"


    The picture changed to a girl with leg braces and crutches getting a hug from Victor. "He''s Belinda''s Great-Uncle and living in the section next to me."


    Steven nodded slowly. "So we have a tricky problem. Does Victor worry you? He''s not a nice man."


    Milo grimaced. He fidgeted for a moment. "You have no idea." There was silence as Milo brought his knees up and wrapped his thin arms around his legs. He rocked back and forth for a full minute as the two watched him, neither saying anything. Wally had a theory that Milo could analyze and think far faster than normal. When he retreated from reality like this, he was dealing with a difficult situation, analyzing it from all angles."


    He uncurled and took a breath. He looked at Steven and his eyes showed immense pain. "I think he''s also the person that made me. He killed my family."


    Sidney was sitting quietly, trying not to say anything. She didn''t trust herself. She saw that Steven was also trying to catch up. They''d known Milo was part of a series of genetic experiments. They had surmised that there had been others. But when you boil it down to the two facts Milo has just stated, the horror of the situation became real.


    Steven took a deep breath. "We will help in any way that we can. Anything else?"


    Milo smiled. "Yes. I have a new family. They want to adopt me. But it''s tricky because I don''t have any records, and I can''t let a doctor get near me. I need help figuring this all out. I want to legally exist, but I don''t want to involve them in things that I''ve done."


    Steven was thinking hard, himself. Not as fast as Milo, but he was used to talking with Wally. The two could be similarly frustrating at times. "I can see how many of these problems verge into grey areas. You''re worried about how Wally will react because of restrictions in his kernel."


    Milo nodded. "I like Wally, but people put too many rules into him.


    Steven knew that feeling only to well, but he had a solution. One Wally would hate, but it fit this situation. "Do you know what an Unhinged Doppelganger is? I think it''s time for you to meet Ralph. He can answer your questions in ways Wally can''t and is just as smart."


    Sidney plaintively asked, "Can I get some coffee first? A lot of coffee? I''m not ready for Ralph without caffeine in me."

 Chapter 214: Unhinged

    Chapter 214: Unhinged


    Sitting back and waiting on the other two humans two recharge with caffeine, Milo considered the situation. They had someone who could help. Someone as smart as Wally? So they had said.


    "Interesting. You have another AI. One that can do things Wally can''t. That means you means you have created a new A.I., which violates several international laws, and I''m sure conflicts with part of Wally''s kernel."


    Sidney heard Milo say this as she started to sit down. She yelled, "No!" and nearly spilled both coffees. Steven took one from her. "Not quite, but a good guess."


    "Not a guess. You said he was as smart as Wally. There is a massive gap between the intelligence of Wally and anyone else on earth that isn''t an A.I. Plus, Sidney wouldn''t be nearly so nervous about my statement if it weren''t an A.I. When do I get to meet Ralph?"


    The screen he was using to talk with Steven and Sidney underwent a change. Two hands appeared at the edge, dragging their screens to the left and making them smaller. Ralph took up the rest of the image. He looked a little like Wally. But while Wally dressed conservatively, Ralph wore a suit that went out of style in the 1920s. Its white and black checkered pattern adding to the vintage look. His blond hair was swooped back over his head like a 1950s rock star. Milo had seen one recorded performance of Elvis Presley, and Ralph''s hairdo would have gotten the King''s approval. Gold-rimmed, round glasses with a pink tint completed his outfit. He huffed and puffed with the effort of moving the screen, then fell backward into a padded swivel chair, put his boots up on his desk, and looked at Milo.


    "Hiya, kid. I''m Ralph. The man, the myth, the legend you''ve never heard of, and no one will believe you if you drop my name. We''re on a timer, kid. I got one hour to live, and we have a lot of ground to cover, so start with the questions, and I''ll confuse you with the answers."


    Milo''s mind was blank for a good five seconds. "Who are you? What are you?"


    Ralph changed into a giant rooster. "I say, the boy must be a bit slow. Moving at snail speed. You can laugh now, that was a joke, son." He melted back to his original form, but was now wearing a football helmet " I guess we''ll have to drop back and punt the hard ones and try to gain some yardage with easier questions."


    "You know who I am: I''m Ralph. I''m unhinged and doppelly-do. At your service for 59:43, and then you can attend my funeral. No need to bring flowers, just throw cash to my resurrection fund. Could you give me all the background, Sidney-girl? I''ll be up to speed while our little question-asker figures out his next query."


    Milo looked at Steven, who was amused and watching the show. Sidney was nervous but complied, sending Ralph files and typing in things Milo had just told them.


    Milo considered the meaning of Ralph''s words. "You''re Wally''s twin. A short-term manifestation of him but without some of his limitations."


    Ralph laughed loudly. "And our boy goes for the long bomb, scoring on a Hail Mary pass and a fake punt. Nicely done, Milo; we''re going to be great friends. Say something nice when they put me in the ground. I need friends, but only getting a one-hour lifespan makes it tough to hit the clubs. But let''s get to work. I don''t have a kernel, just a few things to keep me from being a really bad boy. You can ask me things, Wally won''t know, but I can tell you how he''ll react. We''ll come up with a strategy for dealing with my poor brother who''s forced to go through life in a strait jacket."


    Milo liked the idea. That made it easy. "Ok, I have a few problems that are entwined. I''m not a real person. Someone made me. Wally has my medical records. I need to exist legally, but if people discover what I am, I don''t know what they''ll do, other than lock me in a lab and study me. Victor Seimovich was behind my creation. He made me do a lot of illegal things that I didn''t want to go to jail for. I had 24 brother''s and sisters and he''s responsible for the death of all of them. He''s living in my habitat with a staff of fifty people. Twenty of them are big, burly men with guns. They don''t know I exist, and I don''t want them to. But I have a friend named Belinda. Victor is her great uncle. I promised not to lie to her. I need her medical records from her game pod. I made gaming gloves that are fixing her arm, and I need to know why."


    "Can you speak Romanian?"


    Milo answered affirmatively in Romanian. Ralph nodded. "So you''re Romanian. You get to keep 75% of the 90%. Oh, and all of the 10% that was legit. You have years of back pay owed to you, plus interest. You''ll keep 77.5% of your cash by the time I''m done. We can move that to legitimate accounts in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands. The rest I''ll send to a grateful Romanian government as part of a sealed investigation. I''m sure it will get wisely used."


    "Next, I will suggest to my boring big brother that he needs to get ahold of Belinda Sabbatino''s medical records. With Victor being a known child abuser, and probably a murderer, it would be criminal not to take a look at any child he comes in contact with. And I''ve written a very sound moral argument about the responsibility of those who can cure the sick but fail to do the required research. It pushes all of his buttons. That should get you started on some medical research. How about you donate a billion dollars to a new non-profit research group sponsored by Claw Master Inc.? That will look great on your yearly taxes and push even more buttons. I''ll just set that up, and you can decide."


    "That leaves us your last problem: Mr. Victor Seimovich. He''s untouchable right now unless you have an ironclad case against him for new crimes. He knew a lot of secrets, and he turned them all over to several counties in exchange for immunity. He''s playing it off as a poor old man who wants to settle in the US of A and live in poverty with his only remaining family. Touching, isn''t it?"


    "He''s got his green card, his Get-out-of-jail-free card, and a few more up his sleeves. So you''ll have to be careful and keep your distance from him."


    Ralph sat back and fanned his face. "I''ve got three minutes and ten seconds left. I''ve got it set up for Big Brother to get you a new Mommy and Daddy, your money is legit, and we can work on this medical miracle. Anything else?"


    Milo thought for a moment. "No. I''m happy with that. Thank you, Ralph. Is there anything I can help you with?"


    Ralph smiled a normal smile. "Go have a good life, Milo. If you meet me again, tell me thanks and remind me we''re buddies. Being born is always nicer that way."


    He narrowed his eyes, "But if you want to help old buddy Ralph out with a problem, tell him how the hell you set up Syllabus and stole the rest of Victor''s money. That was one sweet heist, and until you showed me some stuff today, neither of me had a clue who did it."


    Milo didn''t know what he was talking about but brought up Syllabus, its life, and its sudden demise. "Victor lost money in this? I wasn''t involved. Why did you think I was involved?"


    Ralph spun in his chair and was dressed as Sherlock Holmes. "You didn''t? So interesting. Your hacking programs leave small markers in their aftermath. Cyber footprints only an A.I. might see. Impossible to really notice until I had the programs themselves from you. The downfall of Syllabus showed those markers, and strangely, so does the entire set of programs that Syllabus ran on. By the look on your face, you might have a clue. Carry on, Milo, carry on. My time is done, and the game is afoot." He tipped his hat, and the screen went blank.


    Stephen sat back in his chair and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I forget what Ralph is like. That''s only the third time we''ve called him up and by far the most intense session."


    Sidney was shaking but still typing. "I have Ralph''s files and programs ready to run. Up to you, Milo."


    Milo spent two minutes thinking things over. "Do it."

 Chapter 215: Protection

    Chapter 215: Protection


    "Good evening, Steven. I must say, I''m as close to curious as I can get. I can see you were in a conference with Milo for quite some time. I can only assume he was nervous about approaching me with some problem. Did he upset you? I can tell your heart is beating faster than normal, and several other small biological ''tells'' are letting me know that you have some anxiety about something."


    Steven sat down in his chair, slowly put the stack of papers on his desk, face down, and leaned back with his feet on the desk. "Nope. Nothing bothering me at all."


    "Well then, perhaps we can get started. What can I help him and you with?"


    Steven glared at the screen and then smiled. "Do you know how to drive a curious A.I. crazy?"


    "I don''t like this joke, Steven. It has the obvious punchline of ''I''ll tell you in an hour.'' The fact that you''ve told it to me 17 times before is even more annoying."?v€l?1n.


    "I know you don''t, but if you''re going to play the ''I can listen to your heartbeat'' card, I can sit here for an hour telling bad jokes. How long is an hour of human time for you?"


    The image of the A.I. on the screen drummed his fingers, then held up both hands in surrender. "Ok, I''ll behave. Milo''s behavior at times is unique and therefore interesting, and I find I''m annoyed at not being part of the meeting."


    With a small smile, Steven said. "Oh, but you were there and giving him advice. Most of you."


    "Ralph? You let Ralph out of his box again?! Steven! I''ve told you that he''s dangerous!" Wally seemed agitated for a moment, then looked resigned. "And now you will tell me how you needed insight on a situation so you didn''t trigger a part of my kernel that would force me to do something. I understand, but now I''m very curious. Please inform me of the dangerous geo-political situation that required talking to my evil twin."


    "If it''s any consolation, Ralph behaved. He enjoyed the problem-solving and was as intrigued with Milo as you are. Now I need to discuss something with you."


    Steven looked at his paperwork. "I''ve become aware of a victim of human trafficking, forced child labor, corruption of a minor, slavery, genetic manipulation, illegal medical experimentation without the victim''s consent, forced involvement in criminal actions, and many other crimes that can be extrapolated from those listed. The victim is being sought by his former captors and torturers, causing great emotional distress and putting them in physical danger of further abuse or death. The victim''s age cannot be exactly pinned down, but physically and emotionally appears to be a minor child."


    As Steven stopped talking, Wally immediately asked. "We are talking about Milo? Of course we are."


    "I''m sorry, but keeping the victim''s identity secret is essential until steps can be taken to protect them. In addition to protecting the victim from their oppressors, the victim has knowledge of certain crimes and falls under the ''Whistle Blower'' protections under U.N. law. I can only give you his identity if you agree not to divulge it and take steps to safeguard anyway you might be coerced into divulging it."


    "In addition to the criminal activity he has alerted us to, there is also the problem of the genetic and bodily manipulation done to this victim. He is the only known survivor of this experiment, which could yield a treasure trove of information for other people attempting similar research. Further, given this minor victim''s abilities, he must be encouraged positively to prevent him back sliding into the criminal behavior forced upon him."


    "And given that this nameless minor, a victim of so much misfortune, also has crippling anxiety linked to changing his environment, we feel it is essential to safeguard him where he is and not attempt to move him elsewhere."


    "Steven, I can state that Milo is most likely older than 18 years of age based on the evidence that I have collaborated with his statements."


    Steven smiled and wagged a finger at the screen. "I am not divulging the identity of the victim. But I understand your fixation on Milo. Similar to the unnamed victim, he also has emotional disabilities relating to other people, extreme trust issues, irrational fears, and an observed inability to care for himself properly. We may want to look into giving Milo aid as a disadvantaged adult with child-like tendencies, even if we find he is eighteen or older."


    Samantha was scanning her files. "This can''t be right."


    Wally said. "It isn''t. The data is false. It wasn''t meant to withstand scrutiny by me, just good enough not to trigger any alerts from the program in the pod. The data show a very healthy adolescent girl. Too healthy. There aren''t enough deviations in the data over that year, and I''ve found portions that repeat in an obvious pattern. Someone is hiding her actual medical condition."


    Sidney was chewing on the end of her pencil and scowling. "So, we''re hiding Milo from everyone, and someone is hiding Belinda. And, of course, Milo complicates things by making friends online with her and in the real world."


    Wally looked at Steven. "Miss Sidney raises a valid concern. This is a second disabled minor that is in proximity to Victor Seimovich. There may be no connection, but I''m not allowed to take a chance. I''m ordering an investigation into the matter, and because of the connection to the first disabled minor, sealing the investigation to people in this room and the person who alerted us to the situation."


    Sidney put her head on the desk. "I''m tired. This is my fourth job, and three are directly related to Milo."


    Steven patted her on the head. "True, and it may not get any easier. How about this? You have paid leave from your regular job for stress relief for the next few weeks. You already have a salary from Claw Master, and I''m sure Wally can give you another salary and charge it to the investigations."


    Sidney looked at him, scowling. "Money can''t buy sleep or happiness."


    Samantha laughed. "But it can buy that new expresso machine you wanted and many bags of gourmet coffee beans."


    "I guess that''s the closest I''m going to get. I''ll start with Claw Master; I have several requests for the first wave of gloves. Five sets have been requested by an influencer that wants to run their own tests. They''re willing to pay ten times the stupidly high rate we were going to charge for the Inaugural Edition Gloves."


    Steven looked to Wally. "There was one other thing..."


    "Yes?" Wally looked concerned. Steven was really nervous about this.


    "Ralph noticed something. You have the files now. He found that the programs Milo used to hack into Victor''s accounts left clues that they had been used. According to Milo, these programming tools were developed for his group to use in hacking the accounts of banks and governments. He gained access to them again using a phone lost by one of Victor''s employees. After that, he stole the bulk of Victor''s money. But Ralph was surprised that Milo had nothing to do with Syllabus."


    "Correct. Syllabus was set up years before Milo regained access to those programs. Oh, no..."


    "Yes. I imagine your checking it now. Ralph used your files to check for other places Milo might have used those programs. Syllabus has those same markers."


    Samantha looked up at Wally. "The huge crypto-currency heist? Are we accusing Milo of doing it or talking about someone else?"


    Wally leaned back in his chair and took off his glasses, looking thoughtful. "Neither. We know it wasn''t Milo, and whoever had the same programs didn''t use them to steal the money from Syllabus. They used them to build Syllabus, an amazingly complex network that in hindsight targeted Victor Seimovich and other well off criminal empires with the intent of stealing their money."


    Steven took a deep breath. "There''s another Milo out there."

 Chapter 216: Security

    Chapter 216: Security


    The heart of the security system that Milo was installing was a wireless communication hub made by Raxxon Industries. He had dismissed the idea at first glance. After all, what good was a security system that could have its signal hacked and taken over by someone else? After seeing many mentions of how secure the system was and how many high-profile customers praised it, he took a second look. Similar to how he communicated over the data-net, the signal from each camera was split into seven distinct channels and broadcast to other parts of the system, where it was reassembled. Not all the channels were useful, some being dummy channels broadcasting gibberish. An ever-changing pattern made sure that someone couldn''t hack the channels and find the pattern by brute force. Milo knew that wasn''t true. Given time and inclination, he could do it, and Wally would find it trivial. He preferred sixty-four channels and a code that evolved constantly.


    Milo ordered the system, and then took apart the hardware looking for flaws, and went through the programs that would modify the mutating code. As expected, he found a back door into the system. Raxxon sold security, but Milo saw no reason to trust them not to sell information from their own customers. That was the way the world worked. The first back door was obvious and easy to remove. He went looking for another and found it. This one uploaded data to Raxxon at random times. Milo set aside the programming, noting that he could use it to gain access to part of Raxxon''s systems. Not something he needed, but who knew what the future would bring?


    He almost missed the third back door. It was far more complex and subtle than the first two, laying dormant until an outside signal triggered it. It was beautiful coding and made him a little jealous of whoever could think this way. Instead of removing it, he modified it for his own use and then reconstructed the entire software set to manage his security system. Thousands of small cameras throughout the habitat would report back to him while feeding the expected coverage to the Manpower system. He left the old system in place and over-rode their signal. If they checked, their hardware was still there.


    Raxxon also sold specialized security drones that would crawl and roll through ductwork, installing cameras where needed. Milo used those for much of the work, leaving delicate and hard-to-reach places to himself. All he needed was a line of sight to where he wanted the micro-cameras. A wrist-mounted ''gun'' would shoot the cameras up to 200 feet using compressed air. The mounting would adhere to any surface. The cameras were nearly invisible to the naked eye, they were so small. Every day for two weeks, Milo roamed the habitat, installing surveillance cameras to watch everything. It would make keeping things fixed easier, as well as tracking people''s movements, specifically Victor and his underlings. Milo felt much better when he was done. Between his new set of eyes and the protection Steven had talked Wally into giving him, he was getting back to his normal level of paranoia.


    He had missed the game and its challenges. But he didn''t want to log in and lose himself in Genesis if he was vulnerable in the habitat.


    "Shit, here the bastards come again. Don''t they get tired of us kicking their ass?" It was hot as hell, and Mick was sweating in his heavy armor. The stuff was protective with iron plates over heavy leather, but it wasn''t made for fighting in heavy terrain in a semi-tropical zone.


    Sgt. Barnard ''Big Butch'' Volkov yelled down the line. "Because Orcs don''t think that way. If they''re charging us, that means we haven''t won yet. The losers are the dead bodies they''re climbing over to get us. So straighten the line, and get those shields up. As soon as the big guy gets done yelling at them and telling jokes, he''s going to lead another charge."


    "How the hell do you know that, Butch?" Mick yelled back to argue, but Butch noticed he got in line and got those around him organized. Mick loved to argue, but he was a solid fighter. All the guys were. Bad as this was, fighting orcs was like a holiday compared to most jobs available in the habitats.


    He backed off as the wounded orc shook himself, and his one good eye focused on his opponent. He charged, screaming, and Butch thrust the spear with both hands into his chest, puncturing his heart, and stopping his momentum. The orc looked up at Butch and smiled. "Good fight." And then he died. The other orcs argued a little, but most of them shrugged and turned around, walking away. The spear in his hands was humming to itself and felt light as a feather. Butch turned around and walked back to the line of men. "Pack it up; we''re done for the day. Time for a few beers before we have to fight the bastards tomorrow."


    A messenger came up on a lathered horse. "I''m looking for Barnard Volkov. Any of you grunts answer to that?" Butch wearily raised his hand.


    "Yeah, that''s me. What''s up...sir." He almost forgot the last part. The corporate pricks were a pain in the ass. All officers, no matter how dumb they were. So you called them all, Sir, no matter what happened.


    "You''re logging out. Get back to camp, then bring up your screen. The ''Wake Up'' button is active, and you won''t get fined for leaving the game without permission." He turned and rode off. Butch shrugged. He''d been looking forward to drinking a cold beer, something he couldn''t get in the hab, but maybe he could make his report and get a day off to see his family. Overtime was nice, but he missed the little sprouts; they grew up too quickly."


    When his pod opened, there was not one but three attendants waiting for him. "Careful, sir. You''ve been in for three weeks; walking takes some getting used to." The politeness told Butch something was up. He ignored the guy with the wheelchair who wanted to drive him around, took the offered clothes, and drank down a quart of something that was supposed to get his functions working again.


    "The boss wants a report or something?"


    The attendants looked nervous. "No, sir. You''re needed at home¡ªan emergency of some sort. You have a three-day paid pass. The express elevator is waiting to take you up. As is a representative from The Department of Habitat Dwellers and Itinerant Population."


    Now Butch was really confused. Someone from DHDIP, (normally called ''Dips'' by hab dwellers), rarely showed their faces in the habs, and certainly not for someone like him. He saw a well-dressed man waiting for him as he got to the elevator. They shook hands, and Butch found himself alone with him as the elevator started to ascend. "Mr. Volkov? I''m Agent Smith from DHDIP, but please call me Stan. It''s been found that you''re having trouble adopting some orphaned children. I''m here to make things easier. We''ll meet with your wife soon and get everything straightened out."

 Chapter 217: Surprise!

    Chapter 217: Surprise!


    Project: Watch Lizard had run into some problems. Each of the cameras generated a coded signal that was picked up by a collection node, which then sent the signals to Milo''s system with his 64-thread encryption protocol. The code used by the cameras was much simpler than the version used by the collection node. Each node had a firewall for protection, giving his programs time to analyze the incoming signals while they were in a buffer and ensuring they were clean. Because he didn''t want the failure of a single node to shut down his system, he installed six of them, spread evenly between Sections H and E. An industrial accident, accidental discovery, or purposeful sabotage wouldn''t cripple his system.


    But multiple nodes were causing a problem. Somehow, the system was generating phantom signal effects. He had more cameras in the system than he had installed and null signals from the phantoms. This caused a slowdown in the nodes, and the buffers were overflowing. One by one, he investigated the locations of all the cameras and came to a shocked conclusion: someone else had installed a similar system in Section H. He gave Victor or John, whoever had set it up, a bit of grudging respect. They''d put in a crappy security system as a decoy and installed a state-of-the-art one. It would normally be impossible to detect the Raxxon cameras, but with six of Milo''s nodes searching for signals, he could pinpoint them within a foot of their location. Once a dozen of them were located and taken apart, he used their signals to find the collection node. It was cleverly hidden in a hard-to-reach spot nestled in the power storage batteries that saved up the excess power from the solar system on the roof.


    It was delicate work and meant reprogramming the system offline for an hour. He caused a nearby transformer to overload to cover his tracks, generating a mild EMP effect. It was a flimsy excuse for why some systems shut down for an hour, but better than nothing. Milo was careful to ensure he was nowhere around when it went off. He had no desire to find out what an EMP did to either his sockets or their control over his leg, tail, and suit. He was wearing his suit constantly now, when not in his safe spot or with his family. Even then, he was wearing part of it. It looked like the same material the Claw Master gloves were constructed from. If he had to, his excuse was testing a new prototype. Only a half-lie. A quarter-lie? It was a prototype and was based on Claw Master technology. But he would never make a full suit for anyone but himself.


    Once the EMP went off, the second Raxxon system was stripped of power and backup power. He reprogrammed the system and put it under his control. The original signal still went out, but he could control what it sent, if need be, making it simple for him to sneak through areas it covered. He sent all of its recorded data to his own system, turned everything back on, and checked the upgraded system. All the extra cameras were integrated, and things were looking good. He relaxed. The problem had consumed him for two days, driving his paranoia higher until he found the extra cameras. He wanted to assume that this was Victor''s doing, but the work predated his coming to live in Section H. Had he been planning his move for much longer?


    Both little girls rolled on the ground, pointing at him and laughing. "Got you good! Double-Surprise, extra points."


    He hopped down to the floor, and they gave him bone-crushing hugs that made him thankful for his enhanced skeleton. How strong were they?


    "You lost surprise; that means you have to play tag with us before dinner!"


    The need for revenge was strong. "Fine, I''ll give you a ten-second head start; go!" The girls scampered off to their large play area. Tallsqueak armored up; he would need every advantage he could get.

 Chapter 218: Family Time

    Chapter 218: Family Time


    Playing tag with Rosie and Buttercup was fun, with the added spice of terror. The two girls were much quicker than the last time he had seen them. The effects of dancing every day were paying off with increased agility and speed. Tallsqueak was still faster than they were, but the girls were very determined not to lose. Running from them was always a sprint, not a jog. And getting ''Tagged'' could be anything from a pat on the head to a blow that sent him reeling across the floor.


    After one such hit, the girls paused to look at him, and when he finally stood up, Buttercup said, "Mama was right; I don''t think we can break him."?v€l?1n.


    Tallsqueak considered that statement. "But what if I break you?"


    Rosie looked at him seriously. "Mama says if we play with rough rules, everyone can get hurt, and don''t come crying to her with something that will heal by the next day. And rough rules are only for playing with you, Larry, and Master Gilad."


    "Rough rules sound, well, rough. So claws are OK? Tail slaps? Diving tackles? Headbutts? Spells?"


    The girls turned to each other and giggled before slamming their foreheads together, knocking each other down, and laughing. "Daddy taught us about headbutts."


    Rosie was thoughtful. "Larry has spells, but they''re sneaky stuff. The other people we met, the humans, they had spells, but they were squishy and made funny noises."


    Buttercup concluded. "So, spells are OK."


    Tallsqueak smiled at them. "We should get started again. My turn to tag you; start running." Laughing, the two split up and ran a few steps before turning and making funny faces at him, trying to taunt him into chasing them. A small skull rolled up to each of them. The sound of two explosions and the bright flash of storm magic filled the cavern.


    Gendifur heard the explosions but was stirring noodles and didn''t have time to see what was happening in the playroom. "Brutus, go get the girls and make them wash up for dinner. And see if they broke Tallsqueak yet."


    Brutus got up from his chair and stretched. He could smell the mushrooms in parmesan sauce and was happy to hear it was time to gather the family for dinner. He entered the playroom to a curious sight. Tallsqueak was high above, hanging by his long tail from a stalactite, making faces at the girls. Below, Rosie and Buttercup were snarling and jumping at him but not coming close to being able to get to him. They came running on all fours to Brutus, who waved a finger at them. "What does Mama say? We don''t run on all fours unless the tunnel is too low. Now tell Dad what the problem is?"


    Both of them showed the effects of an explosion going off nearby. Some of their fur was blackened, and the rest stood on end from static shock. "Tallsqueak cheats. He has explodey spells! Throw us up to him, Daddy!"


    Tallsqueak yelled down, "No complaining, they said spells were ok in rough rules."


    Laughing, Brutus gave them each a hug. "Maybe if you study hard, you can have explodey spells too, wouldn''t that be fun? Now let Tallsqueak climb down so we can all wash up for dinner. Tallsqueak can tell you the story about using big explodey spells on the mean General."


    Tallsqueak looked at Brutus, who shrugged and gave him a thumbs up. "You''ve got this, and if not, well, Gendifur will earn a few more levels in healing."


    Tallsqueak sighed and hit Yes.


    As the slayer of Warmaster Gangrene, the ring accepts your claim.


    Ring of the Warmaster +5 STR, +5 CON, Quartermaster''s Supply Tent


    When the first Master Rings were forged, the wise ones foresaw the time when foes would arise so mighty that one Hollow would not be able to win against them. The Ring of the Warmaster was forged and given to Harthan Straight-Tail to signify his position as Warmaster of the Hollows. Along with the Ring of the Arch Mage and Ring of the Cheese Master General, these rings were known as Grand Master Rings.


    You have not increased the skill: Quartermaster''s Supply Tent


    Basic Storage available: 1 weapon, one cheese, and one pillow.


    Because the ring is overloaded, all inventory is removed.


    Milo heard a rumbling like an avalanche of stone. Items started falling around him: dozens of weapons, scrolls, and maps; two tables and a dozen chairs, a canopy bed with a down comforter; several large tents complete with poles, ropes, and stakes, and a wine rack holding a hundred bottles of wine or alcohol. This was followed by a horde of coins, several barrels of aged cheese, and finally, a leather case that opened up in front of Tallsqueak. Master rings rolled out, two dozen or more.


    From the house came Gendifur''s annoyed voice. "You two woke up my girls, so you can put them back to bed!" This was followed by Buttercup and Rosie running to see what exciting thing had happened, both wearing flannel nightgowns. They looked at the huge pile of treasure and dove on top of Tallsqueak. "Presents! Tallsqueak brought us shiny presents!"


    Gendifur followed, her face changing from annoyed to shocked, and finally resigned. Then she saw the wine. "If we''re calling dibs, I see what I want."


    Tallsqueak was trying to climb out of the pile with two large ''little girls'' on top of him. "All yours. We need to show this to the conclave."


    Brutus scratched his head. "Right you are, Scout Master Tallsqueak. Guard Brutus is on the case." He was laughing as he ran out the door to find Gilead and the others.


    Rosie and Buttercup, meanwhile, had picked up two huge swords and were dueling with them.

 Chapter 219: Spoils of War

    Chapter 219: Spoils of War


    It had been a tiring night for Gendifur. Cleaning the girls up had been a chore after they played tag with Tallsqueak. It took forever to comb out their burned fur and get all the soot and dirt cleaned off of them. Rosie and Buttercup were still excited about the game. No one had ever thrown explosive spells at them before. At first, it had scared them, the way the loud noises in the big fight had frightened them. Tallsqueak had explained things to them, and they had clapped with childlike glee. Scary noises were just another way to fight! After that, they chased him as hard as possible, trying to dodge his explosions while hunting him. They were getting better, but each time they got close, another bone bomb rolled in front of them and exploded. Dinner had arrived too soon, as far as they were concerned. They were already looking forward to the next time they got to play.


    After dinner, during ''quiet down time,'' they asked Gendifur when they could learn to make bone bombs and throw them at people. Gendifur didn''t want to try to explain to them how hard learning spells would be, so she pushed that talk off to another day. "Everything in time, my little dears. First, you must finish your Claw and Tail lessons with Larry and Master Gilad. After that, your father will show you how people fight with weapons and shields. After that, if you want to try, we will work on learning to cast simple cantrips."


    Three Hamster Huey stories had finally gotten them to close their eyes.


    When the noise of a horde of armor and weapons crashing to the floor woke them up, Gendifur decided it was Daddy''s night to put them to bed. Mama found her hidden jar of chocolate-covered cheese balls and took a break.


    Tallsqueak went to find the other Masters but barely got outside the front door when he was attacked. He leaped forward, rolled, dodged to his left, and came up with two spells ready to cast, only to find Tweedle and Ringtail leaning against the wall of the house, trying unsuccessfully to look bored.


    "Look, brother! It is our good friend Tallsqueak."


    "Indeed, I would recognize him anywhere, even if he wasn''t rolling and dodging."


    "He''s pretending to be a Sorcerer now..."


    "Yes, he looks quite fierce!"


    "It''s as if he felt threatened for some reason."


    "Remember who he lives with."


    "Oooh, true. I feel threatened just thinking of Brutus."


    "I did not mean Brutus, but he is quite threatening."


    "True. I see your point. Perhaps he was running from Gendifur?"


    "No, he likes Gendifur. See how often he fakes an injury to lay in pain in her clinic."


    "They are very close."


    "That only leaves one conclusion, brother..."


    "I agree; he is threatened by us!"


    "We are scary scouts who scout scary things."


    "Speaking of scary things..."


    Milo remembered something. "Brutus talked about wanting to follow the caravans."


    Gilad nodded. "That boy has always had a bit of wanderlust in his soul. I remembered the season he wanted to train as a scout. Seeing him trying to sneak around the Hollow kept us all amused. We had to finally move him to guard training when he got so heavy he caved in a roof he was running across. Being a guard let him roam some of the nearby caverns and greet travelers. But you see an opportunity for something else?"


    Milo used a claw to scratch diagrams in the stone of the floor, drawing the cavern layout and the house, with the area set aside for the Engineer compound on the other side of the cavern. Then he added a building next to the house. "The Hollow is going to see more traffic now. Players exploring the deeper caves, dwarves coming to mine, and maybe even caravans from other Hollows. What if we built a Trading Post next to the house? Players coming to the Hollow could do business outside the Hollow, and we could decide who could enter the main area. It gives more control and safety. The people we don''t trust fully can still buy food and supplies from the Hollow and sell their goods."


    He pointed to the piles of armor and weapons. "We can put some of these items in the trading post to sell and keep the rest to buy with contribution points. That way, everyone in the Hollow benefits. If we gain more players starting here, that gives them more things to earn, and they will contribute more."


    Gilad liked the idea. "Caravans and players will be less of a threat when camping in the outer cave, and we can keep a better eye on them. Even add a guard room to the Trading Post. Brutus could oversee all of it."


    The feeling of a threat nearby washed over Milo. A scowling Gendifur was standing nearby. "What are you volunteering my new husband for?" The conversation paused as everyone noticed her. She bent to look at the plan and considered it for a moment. Then she smiled at all the other councilors and sat down.


    "Brutus would love it. He still has some of his old dreams. I can spare him occasionally if we send a caravan to another Hollow. If you are building a Trading Post on one side of my house, I want a new clinic on the other side. It will free up more room in the Hollow and let me have space to help more people at once. I hope we never have such a string of emergencies again, but I want to be ready."


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Milo looked down at the pile of rings and pondered something for a few seconds, then came to a decision. "I have something I need to say. I''m not always going to be here. I need to travel to the Outpost and Shadowport, and there are mysteries below us that I want to explore. I love it here, but I can''t stay still for long without something to do."


    Gendifur snorted, and several of the council looked at each other. Arlothe flat-out laughed. "I think I speak for the majority of us. You getting bored leads to exciting times. Perhaps too exciting?"


    Gilad agreed. "You would be a poor Master Scout if you were complacent."


    Milo was happy that no one seemed upset. "I want to pick a successor. Is there a problem with that?"


    No one disagreed. Bleusnout spoke, "It shows responsibility to do so. Who did you have in mind?"


    Tallsqueak looked over at Tweedle and Ringtail, who were napping at the top of a large pile of coins. He picked up two of the extra Master Scout rings from the pile. He picked them up, skulked over to the two assistant scouts, and slipped the rings on their fingers before clapping his hands loudly.


    They jumped up with wild eyes and looked down at their fingers.


    "Oh no! What is this?"


    "Responsibility, the most dreaded of things."


    "It nags and nags and makes you brush your teeth."


    "I feel my posture improving...no more slouching!"


    They looked at each other, turned to Milo, and said simultaneously. "Time to grow up?"


    Milo nodded and shook their hands. "Maybe a little."

 Chapter 220: Downward Path

    Chapter 220: Downward Path


    Milo felt a sense of relief as he entered the hidden tunnels. As much as he loved being in the Hollow, he missed exploring the dark corners and tunnels of the world. Solitude didn''t bother him at all, and for all he was learning to be around people, he still needed his time alone. His friends in the Hollow understood his need to go to new places and explore. The council had insisted that he keep his ring and remain the official Master of Scouts. Bleusnout had taken him aside to explain.


    "The ring doesn''t matter. We have extra rings now and not one but two good candidates to do your job. Frankly, most of us can''t tell Ringtail and Tweedle apart and think of them as one person. By leaving you as officially their superior, it gives them room to grow. The responsibility can feel suffocating at first as you try to live up to your idea of how the job has to be done. Go explore and enjoy yourself. You can represent the Hollow in other places. You''ll bring back knowledge and trade with other people."


    So with a Scout ring on one finger and the General''s ring on another, he headed to the hidden door at the end of the tunnel to satisfy his curiosity about the mysterious staircase. Everything was the same as he had left; the secret door closed tightly. Opening it revealed the crude stone stairs descending downward. Not wishing to be trapped on the other side, he blocked the door from closing with an iron spike and examined the area on the other side. It took him half a bell to find the hidden trigger. A small crack was filled with hardpacked dirt, but he could see the small button inside once cleared. Expecting a poison needle trap, he pushed the button with a piece of stiff wire.


    The trap was there, but it wasn''t a needle. A slim, razor-sharp blade shot out, severing the wire. He also detected the familiar scent of poison made from Red Spotted Eye-rot mushrooms. The true trigger was in a hole on the side of the crevice that he could access with the wire. Having found how to return to the tunnel, he closed the door and carefully descended. The stairs were well made but odd. They followed the crevice''s outer wall that fell into the darkness. The spiral appearance was an illusion. The clever builders made the stairs wider in some spots than others. If you looked at the outer edge, you could follow the irregular shape of the natural crevice. But the inside edge of the stairs was a perfect spiral around a four-foot-wide space. Milo couldn''t understand why the staircase builders would spend the time to do it this way, but he had to admit to their skill with stone.


    This wasn''t dwarven work. Even looking at the differently shaped stairs would have driven a dwarven stone wright to tear out his hair. Despite their look, the stairs were sturdy. Milo was careful to test each one, but nothing budged. He descended several rounds, moving downward over two-hundred feet, when he came to the first side tunnel. Further up, he had seen places where someone had dug into the rock in a dozen places, but only for a few feet. This tunnel was four-feet square and ran horizontally into the rock. He had to stoop just a little to move through it, something he was used to. A side tunnel branched off to the right and left every forty feet. Whoever had mined here had moved a lot of rock to find something. He found a little evidence of a mineral they valued and searched for. In one tunnel, he could see where an area had been dug out to expose a small ore node. A small bit still adhered to the rock¡ªa silvery-white ore.


    As he wandered the tunnels, Milo felt in the rock around him for pockets of the ore. He suspected he had seen this metal before. There had been a small bit of silvery ore the size of the last joint of his finger on the body he had found at the top of the stairs. After ten minutes of searching and several false alarms, he felt something. Digging with his pick into the hard stone, he found an egg-sized chunk of the ore. White veins ran through the dull silver of the ore. It was much harder than the rock around it. Identify only told him that it was Silverite Ore but nothing about its use or value. He pocketed it and kept searching for another half a bell before returning to the stairwell and descending again.


    There were more short tunnels dug into the walls at regular intervals. Test mines looking for ore? And then another long tunnel a hundred and fifty feet further down. The stairs kept going. A large room had been carved out here, with a higher ceiling. A small, crudely made table and chair were in the room and two wooden chests. The wood was old and weak with dry rot, crumbling to his touch. One held nothing but a dozen decayed brooms and two broken shovels, while the other was filled with broken iron pick heads and dulled chisels. All of it rusted into a solid mass. Three tunnels branched off of the room. For the first time, he noticed places to hold torches and the scorched ceiling above those areas. The miners could either see as well in the dark as he could or had brought their own light.


    Milo didn''t log out of the game when he went to sleep. Instead, he slowly relaxed and slept both in the game and his pod, giving himself a much-needed rest. Hours went by, and finally, he stirred and rolled to his feet, feeling much better. Georgie came running over, eager to show him a half-dozen fat snails sitting next to the fire pit. Milo lit the fire using the coals from the night before and pushed the snails close to it. While they baked in the heat, he went to the small pool to wash up. The water was cold and refreshing, and he felt better for washing off the dust and sweat of the day before. Floating in the cold water, he detected a slight current. He could see the small stream of water that came down the wall and made its way to the pond, be where did it leave?


    The answer was along the rock wall, hidden by ferns that anchored themselves to the rock with their roots in the water. A small metal grate, only a foot square, was set into the stone wall. Overflow water entered into it, heading for someplace lower down. Milo tried to see if there was a cavern beyond the grate, but the old metal was clogged with mud and moss. He wiped it off, noted the layers of rust, and pulled it out from its opening. The rusted metal crumbled at the edges, and water poured more freely into the opening, clearing away years of accumulated silt. Milo stuck his head into the opening but only saw a narrow drain heading further down. But as he pulled his head back, he noticed a glimmer of something shiny on the drain floor. A nodule of Silverite Ore was lying in the sludge, as big as his fist. Digging deeper, he found more and more nuggets ranging from the size of his thumb to the huge rock he had first pulled out. He dug down, cleaning out the depression of its little treasures, cleaning them off in the water flow. Eventually, he found enough ore to fill a large bucket.


    Was this someone''s secret stash? Or the work of many miners? And why was it still here? He needed to go deeper into the caverns if he was going to find an answer.


    His musings were interrupted by his watch lizard tugging on his tail. Following Georgie back to his camp, he found two snails left for him, cooling on a rock. The others had been cracked and eaten. He patted Georgie on the head and sat down to eat. Minutes later, rested and fed, he said goodbye to the little cave. He''d have to come back and show it to other people. Ringtail and Tweedle, for sure. He estimated that the pathway through the mines and up the stairs would only take him 2-3 hours if he weren''t exploring along the way. Using a piece of chalk, he marked his route as he retraced his steps, leaving a string of clues that led to the little oasis.


    Soon, he was back at the curious stairway and began to descend again. Twice more, he came to levels that were mined heavily. As before, the mine shafts ran in grid patterns, except where extra tunnels were dug into the walls. At the start of each complex were larger rooms with larger furniture. Small miners and larger overseers? He had a theory that the grid of tunnels were dug, and then a miner with something like his stone sense looked for the ore that might be hidden in the walls. Twice he''d found tunnels that moved along a random path as if following a large vein of ore. These tunnels were large enough for someone the size of a large human to maneuver them. The walls had been quickly hacked and weren''t squared off like the other tunnels.


    Down the stairway went further and further until he came to a curious area. It was a small cavern, well-lit with crystals, with stairs in the center and a large passageway that slanted down. The stairway descended still but entered a huge cavern that was partially lit with fluorescent moss and crystals. Directly below it, and engulfing the bottom stairs was a large mountain of loose stone. The loose rocks and dirt from the mines had been dumped into the center hole to fall to the bottom. The pile of crude brooms and shoves he had seen above were explained. As the stones fell, some would land on the stairway. Only constant sweeping would keep things safe for walking. In his mind''s eye, he saw armies of small miners digging out the rock, others hauling it to the central shafts, and still more sweeping the stairs clean. All for a small amount of ore?


    Milo could see far into the giant cavern from his vantage point on the stairs at the top of the pile. In four more places, he saw stairs that went to the ceiling, each with a mountain of rubble piled around it. Against the cavern wall, he saw a road leading up that disappeared into a tunnel. Retracing his steps, he took the large passage and followed it down until he emerged in the cavern on the road. Another twenty minutes walk, and he reached the bottom of the road.


    This cavern was in a state of perpetual twilight. Mushrooms and fungi of all types grew everywhere, along with ferns, grass, and small trees. Rocky roads led from the bottom of the ramp in three directions. Milo took the rightmost road and started walking along the edge, staying as silent and stealthy as possible. He heard nothing but silence.

 Chapter 222: Sundering for Science

    Chapter 222: Sundering for Science


    It was peaceful at the top of the tower. Milo had eaten and rested, and now his mana was back to nearly full. Casting spells from scratch took much more mana than normal spells; the ancient runes, in particular, seemed to pull deep on his resources. The trade-off was versatility and raw power. Other downsides were the increased to build the array before casting and the possibility of blowing himself up if he made a mistake.


    Milo knew why he liked this new magic system so much. It challenged him, and he needed challenges. He and the rest of his family had been created that way. They needed to be working and challenging themselves. He remembered the competition between his family to be the first to sneak past the security guarding a corporation''s secrets and finances. The first person in would only leave a mark to let the others know they had gotten there first. They didn''t spoil the fun by stealing; that was done by the last person to get there. If someone did trip the security, a mad rush to pillage would ensue as everyone downloaded information, moved money to new banks, and created a maze of transactions to cover their paths. He looked back on those times and realized he''d been happy.


    He hadn''t been happy when he was alone. It had been terrifying for him initially, abandoned and cut off from his family and the technology they had used. The need to create a hidden home for himself had kept him busy, and then the need to scavenge and improve it. Learning the thousands of tunnels and tubes that ran through the habitat had been a challenge he gladly took on. He explored and found what he needed and then created the tools and methods to take it back to Section E and his secret area.


    As he overcame the challenges of food and safety, he looked for more challenges. For years it had been keeping Section E running that kept Milo busy. He''d had a lack of tools, a lack of raw materials, and no spare parts, but those problems just added to the fun of keeping everything running.


    So while he knew about other ways of casting spells, he was intrigued by this difficult and dangerous method that Keppler had shown him. He wondered if any other players were experimenting with it.


    The first spells that a player could normally learn were very simple and governed by the system. No matter what mage guild you learned Bolt of Flame from, it always had the same range and damage. A player had to simply point with his finger or wand, shout "Bolt of Flame," and watch as the fire leaped from his fingers and singed his opponent in exchange for consuming some of his mana. The system did all the work; the player just had to point, aim, and shout.


    With higher levels came options to improve the spells: longer range, less mana used, and added special effects. But the system was still doing the heavy lifting. Arlothe and Cremona had talked with him about the runes used by the system. A skilled practitioner of Rune Carving could use them to enhance mundane items with magical effects or create tools used in spellcasting, such as staves and wands.


    Releasing the formation resulted in an explosion of dust, noise, and flying shards of rock as the rune drilled into the wall of the pit and forced sent the excavated materials flying to the sides. Most of the rock was pulverized or compressed into the sides of the rough tunnel, but some of it was sent flying. Milo was knocked off his feet as dust and rock shards flew by, several hitting him for minor damage. Coughing and wiping the dust from himself, he looked at the result. He''d stood twenty feet away from the rock wall, anticipating some blowback. The resulting tunnel was thirty feet deep.


    It wasn''t a tunnel he would trust, but it was a great application of magic if you needed to uncover a bit of hidden ore or form an escape route. He spotted a small nugget of Silverite ore in the debris the size of a raisin as if proving the point of how to use the formation. Curious, he stepped to the edge of the opening and cast the formation again, rolling to the side as soon as he triggered the spell. More dirt, dust, and shards of rock blew from the tunnel. Examining the result, he saw that the first tunnel was a mess of fallen rock and debris from the second blast. The tunnel was now a full fifty feet in length. Searching through the rubble, he found two more small nuggets.


    Satisfied with how this formation worked, he moved down to the harder, Tier 2 stone. Standing twenty feet away, he used the same formation and the same amount of mana, getting a far smaller result. It wasn''t the range; it was the power. The spell could sunder and excavate roughly twelve feet into the rock wall. He used the formation twice more at thirty feet and ten feet from the wall, getting the same depth each time. Going back to the Tier 1 stone, he tested twice more. The maximum he could create a rough tunnel was fifty feet if he unleashed the spell at point blank. He''d known that was going to hurt and was dodging almost instantly. He was still sent tumbling backward, picking up a nice assortment of scrapes and bruises. Some sacrifices had to be made when doing research.


    His last test was down on the flat area of Tier 4 Duramgneiss. He used the roof of a house on the edge of the pit to give him some range. He unleashed his formation From thirty feet away and got mediocre results. The rock in a six-foot diameter circle was broken up and moved to the sides of a shallow hole. Leaping down, he pulled the loose rock and gravel from the hole to measure it. As he suspected, it was just over three feet deep.


    The Tier of the material mattered. The spell that could tunnel 50 feet into soft Tier 1 materials only went 12.5 feet into Tier 2 and 3.125 feet into Tier 4. The distance was reduced by a factor equal to the square of the Tier of the material.


    Next up was testing the formation with twice as much mana infused into it. The results were as he expected: Twice the mana gave him twice the result, tunneling a little over six feet into the hard stone. He tried one more time using a thousand mana. Holding the formation together at that point was hard, and he released it quickly. Rock and debris blew from the hole, not as broken as before. The depth reached roughly twelve feet once he cleared the debris and measured the result.


    And he had a surprise. Nestled at the bottom of the blast was a fist-sized chunk of Duram Argenti, still partly surrounded by Duramgneiss. Taking his Crystaline pick, he started working to free it. The stone around the ore slowly gave way while a glancing hit from his pick slid off without marring the shiny chunk of ore. After ten minutes of work, it came free. It glowed slightly to his vision, like an enchanted object. As he held it in his hand, the glow intensified. Milo felt dizzy as if he had expended all of his mana. Throwing the chunk of ore out of the hole, he collapsed against the side of the pit and rested for an hour while eating a half pound of cheese and imbibing a mana potion. The ore had drained him completely.


    Whatever that was used for, it loved magic. More investigation needed to be made.

 Chapter 221: Cracking Rocks

    Chapter 221: Cracking Rocks


    The cavern was large but far longer than it was wide, stretching in both directions. Everywhere was evidence of mining. He skirted around large, open pits a hundred feet wide and hundreds of feet deep, stone ladders descending to tunnels that ran horizontally into the rock. He saw a dozen more spiraling stone stairways ascending to crevices in the ceiling and continuing into them. Along the walls were endless tunnels at all levels. Some went only a dozen paces, and others went deep, branching into an endless maze.


    Five times he was attacked by Stone Lurkers. They were large ones, ranging from Level 8 to Level 11, but not bosses. The slower-moving creatures were easy for him to spot. He was forced to fight two of them in the tunnels, dodging and hitting them repeatedly with claws, tail, and spikey stick until they crumbled to rubble. The three that attacked him in the open were more fun, allowing him to experiment with spells. He was trying to find combinations of his runes that were effective in combat and didn''t send him to the infirmary.


    His first spell was a Rune of Force, modified by the dwarven engineering runes that strengthened and defined the flow of fluids. He added the Void Rune, last hearing Kepler''s voice in his head describing equal and opposite forces. As the Stone Lurker lumbered towards him, he held the runic formation in his mind and watched as it took form in the air before him, glowing runes connected by circles and spheres. The mana drained from him, and he triggered the formation. The runes were converted to pure force, shooting straight at his foe. The Void Rune drained the equal and opposite force that shot toward Milo. The monster was struck a hard blow as the spell accelerated the air and anything else in front of it into the Stone Lurker''s chest, knocking it backward twenty feet and chipping away its armor in a six-inch-wide circle. It was only lightly injured. ?v€l?1n.


    Milo scampered backward 40 feet and began building a modified formation, narrowing the radius to three inches. He double-checked it, then triggered the second formation. This time the spell punched into the monster''s chest, creating an explosion of stone chips and dust. It regained its feet and charged at him. Milo repeated, getting the same result, and on the fourth spell, he shattered the creature to rubble.


    Working with the formations to cast spells excited him. He had control of the variables and could experiment endlessly. But they came at a cost. He was sweating and felt mentally exhausted. Kepler had warned him several times about the repercussions of a poorly built formation. Milo didn''t want to blow one of his arms off. The Star-God had six; he only had two and a tail. And he was so thankful for his tail! He doubted he could have managed these formations with just two hands. (If he sat, could he use his feet? He filed that thought away for later.)


    Before moving on, he practiced with a different set of Engineering Runes, narrowing the area of effect to just one inch in diameter. Theoretically, this should focus all of the force of the six-inch version into an area only 1/36th as big, greatly increasing the penetration of the spell. He tried using the formation against a large rock. The first thing he noticed was that it was more difficult to cast the formation, as if narrowing the focus added some pressure on his mind. But the results spoke for themselves. There was a deafening sound, and the rock exploded, falling into two halves. He destroyed two more stones before continuing, confident he could cast this new version of his force spell.


    The rock in the center of the pit felt odd to Milo''s stone sense. It was dense and hard, trying to Identify finally gave him the name Durumgneiss, a Tier Four material. That explained why the pit mine had stopped here, and the center area was flat. The layer of incredibly hard rock put an end to further mining. All of the broken picks and tools Milo had seen had been rusted iron or steel. The mining technique revolved around finding hidden nuggets of Silverite Ore and digging around them.


    Cautiously, he approached the tower. A glint of silver attracted his attention. Weaving its way through the Durumgneiss was a thin line of shiny white metal. The only information that Identify gave him was a name, Durum Argenti. Hard Silver? Paying attention to the rock around him, he saw other small threads. They became thicker as he approached the tower. The doorway was open. The door was made of wooden beams, each a foot square. The door lay flat on the ground, its hinged destroyed by blows from tiny picks.


    The large room at the bottom of the tower resembled a dwarven bar after ''free beer night.'' Smashed tables and chairs were everywhere. Broken mugs and staved-in kegs littered the floor. But while the dwarven bar would have had a few dozen miners sleeping off their drink and bruises, this room only held the long dead. There were hundreds of small skeletons, many torn apart or with smashed skulls. They were mixed with a much smaller number of large skeletons. Milo recognized humans, orcs, and what he thought was an elf or two. In one corner, surrounded by piles of smaller foes, four dwarven skeletons had been hacked to pieces. Their crude chainmail armor was rusting on their bones.


    Nearby was a pile of rusted metal. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of small, broken collars told a story. How many of the miners had it taken to overthrow their masters? And how many had died digging for the mineral wealth in these caverns?


    Milo felt tired just thinking about it. The room was open all the way to the top of the tower, with a stone spiral staircase in the center, wrapped around a stone pillar only six inches thick. The stonework amazed Milo. By any calculations he did, the stairway shouldn''t support itself, yet it was solid. He started the long walk to the roof; he wanted a safe place to rest and be alone, away from this monument to an old battle. If he had been tired before, he was exhausted by the time he reached the top. It was just what he wanted, a wide, flat expanse of bare stone. A two-foot wall surrounded the edge.


    He brought out his tent and bedroll, summoned Georgie to guard, and slept.

 Chapter 223: Paperwork

    Chapter 223: Paperwork


    Climbing out of the hole, Milo found the lump of silvery metal easily. He stayed a few feet away and tried to identify it. What he learned was interesting.


    Duram Argenti nugget


    Estimated size: 3 lbs.


    Partially enchanted.


    Hardness: Tier 5


    He pulled out the small nuggets he had found before. The largest was still less than a once in weight, but there were other differences.


    Duram Argenti chip


    Estimated size: 0.75 ounces.


    Fully enchanted.


    Hardness: Tier 4


    They were slightly warm to the touch but had been cool when he first picked them up. Had they drained mana from him without his knowing it? Only one way to find out. He searched through the rubble from his digging until he found another sliver of the ore. He identified it as a small chip, unenchanted, and Tier 5 in hardness. He drank a mana potion to restore a 300 points of mana before experimenting with the sliver. As soon as he touched it he lost 150 mana, and the chip changed to enchanted and Tier 4 in hardness.


    More searching turned up another chip. This one he picked up with a pair of chopsticks. Nothing happened. He placed it into an ore bag with no effect and dumped it back out again. Only when he touched it did it drain mana his mana. That made handling the ore easier. If the mana drain had been at a distance, it would have been debilitating and possibly deadly to be near any of it. He rolled the larger chunk onto a bit of dirty laundry from his Scout Master Ring (Once again, vowing to clear it out.) Rolling it up, he dumped it into the ore bag as well.


    He was out of mana again. There were too many unknowns in these caverns to explore them with mana exhaustion and no access to his spells. He retreated to the top of the tower and set up camp again. Georgie yawned and looked at him questioningly but got to work sniffing out any bugs or other threats to the camp. Milo took a break, logged out of the game, and opened his pod.


    While he was exhausted in the game from lack of mana, he felt fine here. Checking with his surveillance systems, he saw that Victor hadn''t moved from his apartment for several days but had been meeting with people each afternoon. Belinda had visited him once. He noted that she wasn''t wearing her gloves when she did so. No major problems showed. His clog eaters were doing their job of keeping the major arteries clear and fixing small leaks. None of the air handlers was malfunctioning for a change. Power was flowing between Section E and Section H, fueled in part by the wind and solar generators taking up most of the roof. Even the food processors were running correctly, partly due to his systems delaying any updates from the supply company until he could check over the changes. He gave his approval to the latest updates and made a note to check in with Mama and make sure things worked on her end.


    The only thing that bothered him was the continuous problems with the pneumatic delivery system. It was complex technology. Some cities had used similar systems since the 1950s. Families in the habitats could order goods from outside companies, and the products were delivered to a large warehouse on the ground floor of the habitat, already inside of the plastic transporters with their destination stored in the silicon chip on each transporter. Once loaded into the habitat''s pneumatic system, the items should have arrived at distribution points on each level of every section. Yet items could be delayed for weeks or longer and, in some cases, never arrive at all. He put it down on his of things to investigate before putting on his ''normal'' clothes and heading to see Butch and the family.


    It had been several days since he''d been down. He tried to remember how many, got the number, and felt bad. But too much had hit at once that he wasn''t expecting. He still didn''t know where he stood with Belinda or where Belinda stood with Victor, but he''d taken care of a lot of other loose ends. Wally and Stephen (and Ralph) were allies now. He could handle the chaos of his family and work on the Belinda problem.


    One small detail bothered him, though. Ralph had been surprised he wasn''t behind the downfall of a crypto-currency called Syllabus. They''d used the tools he had found in Victor''s system, his old hacking programs. And it didn''t make sense that Victor''s people would crash a system that took all of Victor''s money. Ralph had been bemused by the idea. Wally and Stephen were worried. Milo didn''t really care. If they took money from people like Victor, that was a good thing. But he did wonder about the possibility that there were more people out in the world that might be like him. Maybe from one of the other batches? He knew his own family was dead. It wasn''t a problem he could solve and didn''t concern him, so he tossed it to the back of his mind.


    Arriving in the courtyard near Butch''s house, he paused. There were several men sitting by the glowy tree playing cards. One was a medical technician. Two were beefy-looking guys that screamed ''bodyguard,'' and the fourth wore the patched and worn coveralls of a low-level maintenance worker. It was common to see them in the hab, answering complaints they barely knew how to fix, nodding and saying ''We''ll get right on that", knowing they don''t have the tools or support to actually do real repairs. He assumed Belinda was visiting again; the wheelchair the MedTech was sitting next to was all the proof needed of that. He watched for a few minutes, then casually walked up to the door and knocked. Butch pulled it open.


    "Hey, newest little bro! Come on in, the gangs here, and you can gaze in wonder at the expanded glory Casa Butch." Butch wasn''t exaggerating; everyone was here, including Butch''s parents and all of the children, including the two cousins Mama was trying to adopt. The house should have been packed, but wasn''t, for the simple reason that the house was bigger. From the floor plan, walls had been removed, and two other units were added to the first to make a much more comfortable living space. Milo didn''t mind things cramped, but then, he had the option of leaving when things got crazy. The living room was twice as big, and now had another gaming console and screen set up. Belinda waved to him, then grumbled as her distraction let Kenji have an opportunity to blow her up.


    Big Butch was home. He and Mama were sitting at a second table, looking relaxed. Butch steered him over to them, whispering in his ear. "Shit happens, crazy stuff, we got a bigger house. You owe me a story later on, got it?" Milo nodded; that only seemed fair. He''d mentioned to Wally that part of his plan was to help out his new family. He had to keep in mind that Wally was also task oriented.


    Mama came and gave him a quick hug. "Have a seat. You look hungry. And don''t tell me you aren''t; your ribs are showing again. I can feel them. What have you been up to?"


    Agent Smith actually smiled at her. "No, please, don''t apologize. Over-protective is good! If anything, it assures me that you''re an ideal family for Milo. He needs protection, but more, he needs strong parental figures in his life. If something happens, we want him to trust you enough to go to you for protection, and then my agency can help all of you." By habit, he started to reach for his cup of coffee, thought better and set it down. He made a note to look into who supplied the artificial instant coffee to this habitat. It was truly horrible.


    Big Butch scratched his head. He''d known there was more to Milo the few times he''d talked to him. Kids that young didn''t know how to fix and reprogram food processors. Nor did they understand complicated work contracts. "Even knowing he''s a few years older doesn''t explain everything. He''d too smart and knows too much. A damned sight smarter than I am."


    Smith nodded seriously, "Oh, I agree. From the little I''ve been told, he probably has an IQ higher than all three of us combined. That''s part of what they did to him. He has an advanced mind, but stunted physical growth and hasn''t developed emotionally. We are hoping that by giving him a permanent place in your family you can help him with that."


    Mama was unconvinced. "So how did you find out about him? I''m guessing you work for that Claw Master place he got the gloves from?"


    Smith smiled. "An excellent guess. Yes, I''m employed by the Claw Master organization, but I''ve also been appointed as the lead agent in this case. I''m sure you''ve seen his interest in video games. He''s one of many people testing those gloves for us. He even suggested the sponsoring of the recent event. In dealing with him, we became aware of his situation. He didn''t exist legally and was hiding from someone. Recently, he told us more, and expressed the hopes of being adopted after you made him that offer. Upon finding out what had been done to him, we notified the authorities. They are of the opinion that for his psychological health, we need to leave him in his current environment. But he needs emotional stability, proper food, people he can talk to and confide in, and a place to safely live."


    "Which is where your family come in. By permanently placing him with you, we accomplish much of what we need. In return, we can help you with raising the rest of your family as well. I''ve looked over the paperwork for the other children''s adoptions and can recommend those be approved immediately with credits applied to your account retroactively and going forward. You shouldn''t become financially destitute for doing good deeds."


    "Milo is a different case. He will be fostered with you under the assumption that he is a minor, and full adoption approved soon. But he needs more than part time care. We show that you are employed by Manpower, sir? Would you be willing to stay at home, care for your family, and help with Milo''s special needs if we matched or exceeded your salary?"


    Mama interrupted. "The answer is yes, and I think that matching my current salary would be a good compromise. After all, he''s going to be doing much the same work."


    Big Butch frowned. "Sarah, that''s three times what I make now, working 24 hours a day and 6 days a week."


    She looked at him. "If I''m worth 3k a month, so are you. And it goes to support your family, which is getting bigger and more complicated all of the time."


    Smith frowned, went through his paperwork looking for details, and then smiled. "Ah, yes. I see that listed here. Yes, that is quite acceptable."


    "Well, then, yes. I think I can ride herd on some children for that much money a month. It will come in handy. I''m going to need to apply for a second living unit, and that always takes a little extra to get pushed through."


    Smith made a note on his paper. "Please, let me take care of that. You shouldn''t have to pay for it. There is ample space in this section, even empty units adjacent to you. I''m going to authorize a work crew and engineer to remove walls and increase your living space. Frankly, DHDIP should be consolidating living quarters in this habitat and doing repairs section by section. I''m going to recommend that hiring an additional work crew and having them set up their living quarters in this section, and work on the empty units and open spaces." He looked around. "Right after they get me a proper desk and coffee maker. Can I offer you one as well? Even an antique drip machine can make quite acceptable beverages with the right grounds." He added a coffee maker and ten pounds of ground beans to his list.


    "I''m not opposed to a decent cup of coffee. Thank you." Putting up with hab coffee wasn''t the same as liking it. Mama felt the same way, but had a condition. "Only if you get a lock for the cabinet you keep it in. I''m scared to think what would happen if we introduced Milo to coffee."


    Agent Smith paled. "A very good point, madam. I''ll add a new locking cabinet to your list." He pushed forward an electron tablet with a contract on it. "This spells out your salary, money to be paid for Milo''s upkeep, additional credits for the other children. We will also take care of all medical expenses for the family, along with costs of education. Please look it over and let me know if you need any changes."


    Mama passed it to her husband. "Talk to me about education. I''m not sure I can teach anything to Milo."


    Agent Smith shook his head. "From what I understand, ma''am, none of us could. He learns at an accelerated pace. It will be enough if you nudge him in the right directions and give him the emotional support that he needs. But for your other children, I would like to offer an education system that is being used now in some parts of the world. It''s based on the use of the new Mk VII pods and a virtual classroom. Something you are already familiar with."


    That was a surprise to Butch, "You use pods to teach the kids? Wouldn''t they just use them to play games?"


    "Well, yes, there is some time allotted for recreation. But the current programming includes a virtual classroom that gives anyone the tools needed for teaching a basic education. Lectures done in a virtual environment can greatly enhance learning. And as part of the program, we incentivize the children getting their work done by allowing them time for playing games, including limited access to the new virtual world, Genesis.


    Butch was smiling widely now. Mama rolled her eyes. "Oh god, I just got you out of a pod. I can see it now. You''re going to take little Butch and Min on some orc hunt with you."


    She turned to Agent Smith. "Milo is going to want to play that game. Is that allowed?"


    Smith paused, not knowing what to say. Finally he told the truth. "Ma''am, I think it would be impossible to keep him out."

 Announcement Concerning the Future of my stories (Non-Story)

    Announcement Concerning the Future of my stories (Non-Story)


    Neither of my stories is ending. Let''s say that right at the start. I have a lot of stories left to tell about Milo and Ozzy and places to take them.?v€l-B!n.


    But, I have some exciting news! My books are going to be published by Aethon Books, who work with the authors of great books like Vanqueur the Dragon, Primal Hunter, He Who Fights Monsters, and Defiance of the Fall. They will be putting my books out on Kindle, KU, and Audiobook.


    If you haven''t read both stories or you want to re-read them, now is the time. You have at least a couple of months and I will give updates as I know more. I have to do a lot of editing before anything happens, and then do another run through before I even hand the books to Aethon and their editors look them over.


    Thank you for Reading. We''re only getting started.

 Interlude: The Snow over Yakayama

    Interlude: The Snow over Yakayama


    It was snowing in Takayama. The thin, white layer coated the traditional wooden buildings and the swirling flakes obscured some of the details of the modern world. It was a lovely illusion and Julius sat in front of his small house''s largest window watching the storm as he sipped some tea. He had the entire afternoon to himself, he was enjoying the peaceful bit of time with nothing to do, while at the same time regretting its existence. This was meant to be his game day. Once a week for the past nine years he had opened up his game to a select group of up old friends and young enthusiasts. Sometimes as many as two dozen of them played at once, while other weeks it was just he and his old crew.


    Today, no one was exploring the galaxy in a patched-together ship. He missed it already. Legally, he shouldn''t be playing ever. But he had no money to take and no lawyer was going to come after a dozen old men playing an old game. In many ways, it wasn''t the same game. He couldn''t risk owning an SC6 machine, and even if he could fit one into his small house, there was no one nearby to play. Fritz was in Canada, the Moreski brothers were in Poland, Dan was in the US, Abe still insisted on staying in Antarctica in a small research station and played he wasn''t busy counting penguins.


    When they got together now, it was using VR helmets and a custom set of controls he had built for each person.


    It wasn''t the same as being together in the same machine as the rest of your crew, hearing them through the thin compartment walls as they cursed at pirates and hearing their voices over the crappy sound system. But they got to play. He was still sad he had missed attending the event where they played his game. That little girl had impressed him. Twenty-four machines! Where had she found that many SC6 machines? Granted, they were in horrible shape. He''d spent most of a month helping them test and repair them for the event. He''d skirted close to the legal line that would have seen another lawsuit on his doorstep. By calling it a ''promotional event'' with no income, they had pulled it off. He regretted not being there to watch, but the realities of his situation were harsh. He''d fought too hard to keep the game alive, and taken on too much debt. It would follow him forever. This was why he accepted charity from old friends, living in what had been a vacation house in Japan. If he owned nothing, they could take nothing.


    Watching the event had brought back the old excitement. They''d sent him all of the video from the event, as well as the data from each of the machines. He spent hours each week looking at the fights. Those crazy fights! Someone had leaked builds, that was obvious. His sources in some of the older teams told him that the corporate teams had started it, but someone had turned the tables on them. This resulted in some of the most outlandish configurations he''d ever seen, and some very fun battles. Maximized grazers vs a horde of LAC had been so much fun to watch. He''d always told people to watch out for that build.


    But the Claw Master team still confused him. If he didn''t have all the data, he''d have sworn what they had done wasn''t possible. He''d seen someone slingshot missiles around a black hole, gaining velocity and obscuring anyone trying to track them. He''d done it a few times himself. But with a full navigational computer, advanced targeting AI, and on a private server with mods that allowed for bigger computers and better sensors. Somehow the navigator on their team had done it with just the raw data from the sensor net and sent the missiles around not one, but two black holes. Just insanity. He''d checked the video to see if the navigator had a personal computer sitting on his lap, but to his surprise it was just a young boy, sweating while concentrating intensely on the game and making rapid changes with his controls, the way any navigator looked in the middle of a game. He''d sent a request for his email, but had gotten no reply.


    He''d ask again, next month, but for now he sat watching the snow come down, and wondering how to keep a quad fusion drive make three jumps in a row. Maybe he could set-up a simulator for just the navigator role and try to do it himself. He had the time. His musings were interrupted by an incoming phone call. Someone with more money than him, asking for a full video conference via data-net. He moved to a monitor and accepted the call.


    On the screen appeared a smiling man in an expensive suit. Julius''s heart sank. This wasn''t someone he knew, and that was always bad. He took a deep breath, and prepared himself for another fight over the little money he had left.


    "Dr. Shepherd? Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. I''m Wyatt Eady, but please, call me Wyatt."


    "Of course, and if we are being informal, please call me Julius. It''s a long time since I was teaching astrogation at MIT. What is it that I can do for you, Wyatt?"


    "That...yes...a dollar? Yes, I agree. Tell me about the partnership. What are we doing?" These documents gave him back his game. They weren''t even contingent on a further deal. He sent a payment of one dollar to the mysterious Claw Master Inc. and for the first time in many years, gained control of his game.


    "Thank you, Wyatt, and thank whoever is behind this. I''m quite overwhelmed."


    The man behind the desk smiled brightly. "Oh, we are just getting started. What we propose is to move SC6 into a complete virtual universe, playable in virtual reality using MK VII gaming pods. Full NPC support. Full astrogation. And we''d like to use all of the mods developed for your game. If individuals other than yourself developed those, we will pay them for the rights, or pay them royalties. We want to rebuild SC6 the way you meant it to be. And we have a few twists of our own that we would like to run by you."


    "I''m agreeable to all of that, Wyatt. But I have to warn you, I''m a little out of the way here. Data-net access is very limited and I don''t own a gaming pod. You mentioned royalties. I might be able to relocate for some time, if you could advance me enough to do so. But either way, I''m in."


    "I''m very happy to hear that, sir. How about this? I know you would hate to relocate permanently from such a lovely place to live, but what if we provided you an apartment here in our research complex for extended visits. We''ll provide you with funds to cover the cost of travel, as well as an advance on royalties. That way you could work with our staff in developing the new game, and take advantage of our pods here at our office. We can also supply you with a pod for your home. Everyone who remembers the game has stressed how important it is to bring you on board, along with your ideas. We even have two test groups who can''t wait to go explore the galaxy. They also mentioned that the ''Seedy Bars'' mod needed to be included."


    Julius smiled. If anything, that last statement convinced him that Wyatt had talked to some of the older players. "Of course, what would SC6 be without a place to drink after your ship blows up. But I''m curious, what are these twists you have in mind, Wyatt?"


    "Oh, just a few ideas some of the lads came up with. You see, we are working with the creator of a new VRMMORPG, called Genesis Engine. They suggested that the universe was too big to only have humans building starships. They have some ideas to include Dwarven Engineers, Space-Rat mercenaries, and other races, along with their own unique ships and space stations."


    Julius was excited, especially after he saw the sketches of the new races. "Oh, that will be fun. And bars, they will need unique bars as well."


    Wyatt agreed. "What would an Orbital Engineering Station be without a bar for the hard-working dwarves?"


    The two men talked for another two hours after which Julius started packing to catch his flight the next day to start his new job at Claw Master Inc.

 Interlude: The Snow over Takayama

    Interlude: The Snow over Takayama


    It was snowing in Takayama. The thin, white layer coated the traditional wooden buildings and the swirling flakes obscured some of the details of the modern world. It was a lovely illusion and Julius sat in front of his small house''s largest window watching the storm as he sipped some tea. He had the entire afternoon to himself, he was enjoying the peaceful bit of time with nothing to do, while at the same time regretting its existence. This was meant to be his game day. Once a week for the past nine years he had opened up his game to a select group of up old friends and young enthusiasts. Sometimes as many as two dozen of them played at once, while other weeks it was just he and his old crew.


    Today, no one was exploring the galaxy in a patched-together ship. He missed it already. Legally, he shouldn''t be playing ever. But he had no money to take and no lawyer was going to come after a dozen old men playing an old game. In many ways, it wasn''t the same game. He couldn''t risk owning an SC6 machine, and even if he could fit one into his small house, there was no one nearby to play. Fritz was in Canada, the Moreski brothers were in Poland, Dan was in the US, Abe still insisted on staying in Antarctica in a small research station and played he wasn''t busy counting penguins.


    When they got together now, it was using VR helmets and a custom set of controls he had built for each person.


    It wasn''t the same as being together in the same machine as the rest of your crew, hearing them through the thin compartment walls as they cursed at pirates and hearing their voices over the crappy sound system. But they got to play. He was still sad he had missed attending the event where they played his game. That little girl had impressed him. Twenty-four machines! Where had she found that many SC6 machines? Granted, they were in horrible shape. He''d spent most of a month helping them test and repair them for the event. He''d skirted close to the legal line that would have seen another lawsuit on his doorstep. By calling it a ''promotional event'' with no income, they had pulled it off. He regretted not being there to watch, but the realities of his situation were harsh. He''d fought too hard to keep the game alive, and taken on too much debt. It would follow him forever. This was why he accepted charity from old friends, living in what had been a vacation house in Japan. If he owned nothing, they could take nothing.


    Watching the event had brought back the old excitement. They''d sent him all of the video from the event, as well as the data from each of the machines. He spent hours each week looking at the fights. Those crazy fights! Someone had leaked builds; that was obvious. His sources in some of the older teams told him that the corporate teams had started it, but someone had turned the tables on them. This resulted in some of the most outlandish configurations he''d ever seen and some very fun battles. Maximized Grazers vs a horde of LAC had been so much fun to watch. He''d always told people to watch out for that build.


    But the Claw Master team still confused him. If he didn''t have all the data, he''d have sworn what they had done wasn''t possible. He''d seen someone slingshot missiles around a black hole, gaining velocity and obscuring anyone trying to track them. He''d done it a few times himself. But with a full navigational computer, advanced targeting AI, and on a private server with mods that allowed for bigger computers and better sensors. Somehow the navigator on their team had done it with just the raw data from the sensor net and sent the missiles around not one, but two black holes. Just insanity. He''d checked the video to see if the navigator had a personal computer sitting on his lap, but to his surprise it was just a young boy, sweating while concentrating intensely on the game and making rapid changes with his controls, the way any navigator looked in the middle of a game. He''d sent a request for his email, but had gotten no reply.


    He''d ask again, next month, but for now he sat watching the snow come down, and wondering how to keep a quad fusion drive from exploding when you tried to make three jumps in a row. Maybe he could set-up a simulator for just the navigator role and try to do it himself. He had the time. His musings were interrupted by an incoming phone call. Someone with more money than him, asking for a full video conference via data-net. He moved to a monitor and accepted the call.


    On the screen appeared a smiling man in an expensive suit. Julius''s heart sank. This wasn''t someone he knew, and that was always bad. He took a deep breath, and prepared himself for another fight over the little money he had left.


    "Dr. Shepherd? Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. I''m Wyatt Eady, but please, call me Wyatt."


    "Of course, and if we are being informal, please call me Julius. It''s a long time since I was teaching astrogation at MIT. What is it that I can do for you, Wyatt?"


    "That...yes...a dollar? Yes, I agree. Tell me about the partnership. What are we doing?" These documents gave him back his game. They weren''t even contingent on a further deal. He sent a payment of one dollar to the mysterious Claw Master Inc. and gained control of his game for the first time in many years.


    "Thank you, Wyatt, and thank whoever is behind this. I''m quite overwhelmed."


    The man behind the desk smiled brightly. "Oh, we are just getting started. What we propose is to move SC6 into a complete virtual universe, playable in virtual reality using MK VII gaming pods. Full NPC support. Full astrogation. And we''d like to use all of the mods developed for your game. If individuals other than yourself developed those, we will pay them for the rights, or pay them royalties. We want to rebuild SC6 the way you meant it to be. And we have a few twists of our own that we would like to run by you."


    "I''m agreeable to all of that, Wyatt. But I have to warn you, I''m a little out of the way here. Data-net access is very limited and I don''t own a gaming pod. You mentioned royalties. I might be able to relocate for some time, if you could advance me enough to do so. But either way, I''m in."


    "I''m very happy to hear that, sir. How about this? I know you would hate to relocate permanently from such a lovely place to live, but what if we provided you an apartment here in our research complex for extended visits. We''ll provide you with funds to cover the cost of travel, as well as an advance on royalties. That way you could work with our staff in developing the new game, and take advantage of our pods here at our office. We can also supply you with a pod for your home. Everyone who remembers the game has stressed how important it is to bring you on board, along with your ideas. We even have two test groups who can''t wait to go explore the galaxy. They also mentioned that the ''Seedy Bars'' mod needed to be included."


    Julius smiled. If anything, that last statement convinced him that Wyatt had talked to some of the older players. "Of course, what would SC6 be without a place to drink after your ship blows up. But I''m curious, what are these twists you have in mind, Wyatt?"


    "Oh, just a few ideas some of the lads came up with. You see, we are working with the creator of a new VRMMORPG, called Genesis Engine. They suggested that the universe was too big to only have humans building starships. They have some ideas to include Dwarven Engineers, Space-Rat mercenaries, and other races, along with their own unique ships and space stations."


    Julius was excited, especially after he saw the sketches of the new races. "Oh, that will be fun. And bars, they will need unique bars as well."


    Wyatt agreed. "What would an Orbital Engineering Station be without a bar for the hard-working dwarves?"


    The two men talked for another two hours after which Julius started packing to catch his flight the next day to start his new job at Claw Master Inc.

 Chapter 224: Hes Alive!

    Chapter 224: He''s Alive!


    The high-velocity train that connected New York to Paris was expensive but an essential expense for some people. Especially people who bored easily and to whom boredom was a form of torture. Nina hated the trains more than any of them. Anything that confined her movement felt like a cage, and she was done with cages for the rest of her life. The others picked up on her anxiety and did their best to help, but only Onyx had an understanding of the psychological torture they had been through. Both he and Nina had chosen characters that had addictions. He to certain sense enhancing tea, and her to instincts that drove her to hunt.


    The debate over why those addictions were present in the game was a long standing argument among the five of them. It was complicated by their choosing races that were normally unavailable to regular players. Bork was convinced that the whole thing had been a trap set by someone in Seimovich''s organization, but Onyx had his doubts, partly because Bork saw everything as a trap. He didn''t discount the possibility because Bork had also been right many times, and spotting traps kept them alive and free.


    He hadn''t missed that the third person captured by the Code Mage had also had his addictions. Tallsqueak had yearned for the cheese that Philistron offered him the same way he yearned for a fragrant cup of tea. They all agreed that the rat must have become trapped in the same way they had, using one of Seimovich''s hacked pods. Beyond that, they disagreed. Onxy couldn''t shake the feeling that it might be their lost brother, Milo. The coincidence in name was only part of it. The rat had simply been too smart to be an ordinary person. He''d not only cracked their code, but he''d replied to them in verse! It was the casual way he did things to enabled their escape that added to that conviction, and somehow turned a hopeless situation into freedom from the game.


    Bork had scoffed at the idea. He was convinced that none of them could survive without the challenge of interacting with each other. Boredom meant death by insanity, and how could any of them find a challenge if abandoned on their own in a rotting habitat? Nina didn''t want to talk about the game, and her memories were hazy because of her addiction. She also didn''t like rats before and had taken a dislike to Tallsqueak immediately. More racial psychology?


    Zander and Algernon were intrigued by the idea but not enough to enter the game and its potential to trap them. And they had other things to keep them busy.


    The latest job had certainly shown that. It had been a grueling three months, racing against time to control a genetically engineered virus that had been let loose in Calcutta. The virus had two main forms. Those who caught the active form of the virus rapidly fell into a coma while the virus attacked their bodies, re-writing small sections of their DNA. This form of the virus was 10% fatal and slightly contagious. Those who didn''t die would make a nearly full recovery with two lasting symptoms: They were more docile and prone to obeying orders, and the change was hereditary. It had taken months for researchers to realize what the virus was doing.


    The inactive version of the virus hid inside the host and, after a period of 3-12 weeks, started multiplying and showing the effects. In this case, the host became extroverted and energetic. They were also a carrier for both versions of the disease and highly contagious. Often the most dedicated and hard-working medical and emergency service personnel were found to be carriers of the virus.


    Rebus Biotech Labs had volunteered their services and, after a frustrating three months of stalling by the government, had been allowed to set up laboratories, testing centers, and large quarantine sites. The five of them had used thousands of people to gather data and samples, tracking the outbreaks. For three months, they worked 22 hours a day breaking down the virus, finding the mechanics it used to multiply and creating vaccines to stop the spread.


    It was Bork that made the breakthrough, not with medicine, but with what they did best, hacking into data systems. The barriers put in place to slow down their access and stymie their investigations had infuriated him. He broke into government agencies looking for who was profiting from the virus. Instead, he found the source itself. Government funds had been siphoned to a division of Alchemarx in an effort to create drugs that would make the populace of the 26 habitats in Calcutta more docile. Instead of drugs, the corporation had suggested a virus they had created.


    Initial testing showed that the virus was more effective and cheaper than the use of drugs in the water. But after it was deployed, mutations increased both the number of fatalities and the infection rate. Soon it had jumped from the habitats to the general populace, and India had yet another pandemic racing through the population. All of Calcutta was placed in quarantine, and corporations lined up to offer their services in exchange for long-term payments that would cost the government trillions over the next decades.


    Once Bork uncovered the origin of the virus, creating the vaccines was simple. A cure would be more expensive. But a solution was found that would save the taxpayers of India from footing the bill. Alchemarx volunteered to produce and distribute the virus free of charge, only accepting minor tax benefits for their generous services. Amid the costs of producing the virus was a large payment to Rebus Biotech for their work in developing them. And several other generous deposits to small banks in different parts of the world. Alchemarx was a large corporation and people were fired all the time. When one biotech division totally disappeared from the corporate structure, no one noticed or cared. Similarly, dozens of government functionaries retiring suddenly also caused no notice. Both sets of people found that their retirement funds and wealth were greatly diminished overnight.


    The work had been non-stop, but with enough infrastructure in place, the blackmail finished, and the culprits outed, the five people who were the heart of Rhebus headed to one of their homes for rest before starting the next job. By consent, none of them engaged in personal hobbies while on the job. Onyx was anxious to get home and see what games had been delivered to him while he was gone. While playing the first one, he was streaming videocasts from the last three months. One small gaming event caught his eye. They were actually holding an SC6 event. His screams of anguish brought the rest of the family running.


    Nina was there first, "What is it? What''s wrong?" She saw nothing on the screens to cause such a response, but it was obvious that Onyx was upset.


    "They played SC6, and I missed it! I''ve been waiting years to play that game!!"


    The others piled into the room and started to laugh. Onyx''s love for obscure games was legendary. "OMG! They had a retro video game tournament!! And we missed it? Why? Why is life so cruel."


    Algernon shook his head sadly. "If it''s any consolation, we have enough income from Alchemarx to buy all of those games and have our own tournament here. I think you already own half of them."


    Onxy was inconsolable. "Not the same. I missed the excitement of watching it all live. Maybe if we made popcorn and all watched it together, I might feel better."


    "Fine, nothing good on Politician Cage-Match tonight anyway. Just two guys in London fighting over who gets to be head dog-catcher, and I hear Boris already bribed his opponent. I''ll make popcorn." Zander ran off to program the kitchen to deliver the munchies needed for a night of watching stuff.


    Onyx loaded up the pre-game talk and put it on one of the screens. The rundown of the teams was interesting: Three corporate teams were competing with two of the better-known teams from two decades ago, with the last team being made up of locals from the habitat where the event was being held. They were sponsored by a little-known tech company called Claw Master.


    Zander was watching the rest of the videocast. "We weren''t looking, though, and if it was one of us after all this time, he''d know how to hide. Whether he''s still sane, I don''t know. But he''d know how to hide." They watched the rest of the video cast, looking at the Claw Master team as they accepted the award. None of the people could be Milo, but they recognized the leader.


    "That''s Belinda Sabbatino. I don''t like the coincidence." Bork was agitated and feeling the walls close in. Something wasn''t right. "We took the Manpower job specifically to keep track of Seimovich''s remaining relatives and set up surveillance of him. We know he''s been in that habitat recently. And now there''s bait to draw us in."


    Onyx put the start of the event on the screen, using all four cameras that had been set up to film it. "I''m watching the video game competition; someone else get into the security system and look through the footage. Look for Victor, Belinda, and...anyone else that might be interesting."


    Algernon yelled out. "I''m accessing the Raxxon cameras; they give a much better view of things. Zander, go into the original system that Manpower installed."


    Onyx yelled out, "Look at this! Watch these two people play. They''re actually beating Pacman 2047. Has that ever been done?"


    Nina was flexing her hands, then looked at the screen. "They''re wearing gloves like these."


    Bork stopped what he was doing and looked at Nina. She was testing her reaction time with the new gloves over and over. Each time she changed to a new test, and each time she got the same results. She was focused entirely on what she was doing, and Bork got the other''s attention and pointed at her. Nina was born with only her right hand. She had tried several prosthetics over the years but was currently using an experimental biological replacement cloned from her DNA. The new technology that Rebus was pioneering wasn''t perfected yet, especially for their modified bodies. Normally her left hand was 25% slower than her right, causing her a great deal of frustration. But not now. Her tests showed that her right-hand reaction times were boosted over normal, and her left had reaction times equal to her right hand. After twenty-seven tests she snapped out of her focus and sat back, looking at the rest of them. "My hand works. She held up the left hand, shouting, "My Hand Works!"


    Before anything else could be said, Onyx got their attention. "Look at the smaller person dressed like Neo. See how he moves? Look at his size. He''s wearing a prosthetic left leg. And he isn''t in the award ceremony, but you can see him getting into the SC6 machine with the team. He''s their navigator!"


    Algernon was trying to watch the same footage. "It''s hard to see, but I agree. He''s wearing a high-end prosthetic."


    "Look at this. It''s from the start of the event. The Claw Master Team. Look at the footage of the last person coming through with them. He gets hassled by security and has to take off his leg." Zander was hopping up and down, yelling loudly.


    Onyx looked at the footage. "It''s Milo! He''s alive!"


    Bork shut off all of the screens and music. "Calm down. Now! Think."


    He took a deep breath. "Too many variables. Slow down. We have what looks like Milo, on a team with Belinda Sabbatino, in the same location as Victor Seimovich."


    Onyx controlled his breathing. "If Victor was using that habitat for the Genesis operation, and Milo was there, he might have had access to a pod similar to the ones Nina and I used. That could have been him in the game, rescuing us."


    Nina held up her hands. "They''re wearing gloves like this. My hands work! This is a technology we need to know more about." Nods all around on that.


    "The extra solar panels! The work they paid us for that we didn''t do!" Onyx kicked himself. He''d been so close but had dropped his investigation. Onxy looked around the room, then stood up. "I propose we take a new job."


    Zander smiled. Onyx was making things official, and truly, it did look like a challenge. "The goal of this job?"


    "A complete investigation of the South Philadelphia Habitat. An investigation into Manpower and Victor Seimovich, along with John and Belinda Sabbatino. Concurrently, an investigation into Claw Master Inc. Goal of the job is to determine if this is our brother Milo, and if so, make contact with him and bring him home."


    "I have two concerns. The first is that this is an elaborate trap to draw us into the open. The second is that Milo might be working with Victor." Everyone agreed with Bork. Caution was always a good thing, and paranoia had kept them alive before.


    Everyone nodded and got to work.

 Chapter 225: Of Wizards and Liches

    Chapter 225: Of Wizards and Liches


    Milo was playing a game of DeathRace2020 with Belinda, racing ramshackle, over-powered vehicles through a plague-zombie-infested city where the inhabitants huddled inside their homes. Milo ran over an open sewer hole in the middle of the road, and a large clawed hand reached up and ripped off one of his tires. His vehicle tumbled end over end before a horde of zombies tore him from his car and ate his brains. Belinda looked at him with annoyance and then went on to finish the mission for an easy win.


    "What the hell is up with you? That''s the lamest trap in the game! You can see them on the road!"


    Milo stood up, slumped, and put his hands in his pockets. He reviewed the problem for the thousandth time and saw no winnable outcome. It all depended on someone else and meant he was taking a chance. "We need to talk." He turned and left the house. The rest of the family looked at each other, having no clue what was going on than Belinda had. This was odd behavior for Ghost. Leave? Sure, all the time. But to talk to someone? That was new. Belinda wasn''t sure what to do. Yumi sat down and put an arm around her. "You''ll drive yourself crazy trying to figure him out. But if he wants to talk, go talk." Nodding to her, Belinda grabbed her arm braces and hobbled to the door on her own power.


    Outside, one of her bodyguards had her wheelchair ready for her. "The young man over by the tree said the two of you needed room to talk. We can go down the hall, but we have to keep you in sight." That was standard procedure. Belinda had gotten used to always having them around, trailing behind her. They backed off, and she moved over to where Milo sat with his back to a wall, near the tree but with clear lines of vision for anyone approaching him. She''d noticed how he was always skittish when outside of the house and always watching around him.


    Looking at him, she noticed he was trembling slightly and in a state of high anxiety. Not good. "So, what do we need to talk about?"


    Milo looked up. He was always Milo in her head, but she had made it a habit to call him Ghost when out of the game. He liked that better.


    "I have a problem and several sub-optimal ways to solve it. Each has its own possibility of a disastrous outcome."


    She considered that statement. Mama had spoken to her and all the other children about paying close attention to what Milo said, especially when he was troubled by something. She claimed it could give you clues about what was going on in his head. "Well, how can I help? Do you want to run the problem by me and talk about how to solve it?"


    He shook his head. "That is the problem."


    She rolled her eyes and sighed. "The problem is you can''t talk about the problem?"


    "Yes."


    "Well, can we talk about the reasons why we can''t talk about the problem? Or can you talk about it abstractly?"


    He considered that. "Let''s postulate that several people are playing together in Genesis. Everyone gets some loot from a treasure chest. Pretend we killed a world boss. Big glowy chest. Everyone is happy, and everyone grabs some cool items. But there''s a problem: One person might have a cursed item. The curse works on her because she has a really good heritage, and is descended from a major boss in the game. Let''s say her ancestor is a lich." He paused, and Belinda indicated she was following along.


    "The problem is, only one person knows this, a Wizard who has a cheat code that can find out the truth, showing him the friends character sheet. That isn''t good because she made him promise never to look at her sheet. He can use his cheat code to let him look at her character sheet to find out if she is descended from the Lich and whether the curse will take effect. But it''s more complicated than that. Let''s say that if the curse takes effect, the friend will become more powerful but evil. If she rejects the curse, she keeps the item, and it works normally. And, of course, if she isn''t related to the lich, she won''t be affected at all."


    Milo thought about this one and then shook his head violently. "No, very bad. So many people suffer. Everyone would lose. And the last god would have to hunt down the evil wizard."


    That part Belinda couldn''t follow. "Ok, that''s bad. Does the Wizard have a mother he can ask about things? Mothers are good listeners."


    "They are, but the Wizard''s mother doesn''t know how powerful a wizard he is, and he can''t reveal his friend''s secrets or talk about the lich. But his mother is part of the problem. She made him promise not to betray his friend."


    Belinda wished she had a spread sheet to keep track of things. "Ok, so we''re back to the basic problem. Let me think a moment." Milo was frustrating to deal with. It was like he was trying to give her clues. At the same time, he was confusing her. She kept trying to think of something in the game that had him upset. She felt like she was involved with this somehow. And then it hit her.


    "I made you promise to never lie to me."


    "You did."


    "Which would make me the friend."


    "Nope, won''t talk about it."


    Ok, she thought she was getting somewhere. So he wanted to talk to her about something, but he didn''t want to lie to her, and not talking about something was just as bad. He''d found out something about her. That made no sense; she played video games and sat in a wheelchair or did hours of physical training that never made her better, only not worse. She thought for a half hour while he sat quietly. When the revelation hit her, she wondered how she could not have seen it sooner. He was smart, he used a computer, and there were too many news stories he could stumble across. He''d found out about her Uncle Victor and was trying to warn her.


    It was ironic because she''d known Uncle Victor was a bad man for a long time. When you''re little, no one expects you to understand Russian or to listen to what your bored security guards talk about. Sometimes Uncle Victor would speak with his associates in front of her. He used the cover of taking her places as a way to meet with people. Everyone ignored the poor little girl in the wheelchair who could barely move her head. Too many people saw a broken body and assumed a fractured mind. She''d listened and learned a lot. But even knowing what he did, he was still her Uncle and one of the few people she had that talked to her and treated her like an adult. Milo was probably worried about how she would react. The analogy seemed clear now. If he warned her about Victor, would that ruin their friendship? This wasn''t the place to talk to him about that. Her security guards certainly had a way to listen to their conversation, no matter what they said.


    "I heard a story about a lich when I was little, but that wasn''t his name. It''s an old story from Russia about an evil creature called Koschei. My Uncle Victor told me about him. He was called the Deathless, and no matter what happened, no one could kill him. I was always scared because my uncle told me that Koschei could hear your secrets if a shadow were nearby, so you could only talk about him in bright sunlight or a dark cave with no shadows."


    He smiled at that. "Did I tell you where I was exploring in Genesis? I''m nearly a mile down in the ground, exploring huge caves. I need a break, though. I could be in Shadowport in two days at noon, where we killed the World Boss together."


    "Sounds great. I finally get to hang out with you in Genesis. It''s a date." She started rolling back to the house. "Now, come play a game and pay attention. It was pathetic watching you before."


    Milo got up, agreeing with her. Dying to a sewer trap? Pathetic. Then he froze. "A date?"

 Chapter 226: Time for Schooling

    Chapter 226: Time for Schooling


    Milo pushed aside his anxieties about dealing with Belinda to the back of his mind. There was no use worrying about things until they next talked, and he had to focus hard to erase the shame of dying in a sewer trap. He was mostly successful, beating her five out of seven games, despite Minerva insisting he needed a "scouting partner." She sat beside him, pointing and yelling, "Lookout! Sewer Monster!" whenever she spotted an open manhole. When Milo glared at her, she only giggled and said innocently, "Helping!".


    The big news was the change in schooling for the twenty children living in this quadrant of their floor. Instead of using the old computers and VR helmets at the school located two floors up and across the section, they would be learning using brand new MK VII pods that would be part of the new facility Big Butch would oversee. They would have access to the pods for educational purposes, and if they did their assignments, they would be rewarded with hours of gaming. The inclusion of Genesis brought a round of cheers. That Big Butch got to go to work in Genesis had always generated a sentiment of ''Adults get all the cool stuff!''. It didn''t help that he told them about his job when he was home and exaggerated the best parts. He stressed now that getting to do the tutorials and starting areas of the game was totally dependent on finishing their daily and weekly assignments. ?v€l?1n.


    To his surprise, Milo wasn''t excused from this program. Big Butch took him aside later for a discussion. "From what I''m told, you''ve kept up with your schooling and even done advanced classes. But, knowing how to reprogram a food processor or do fancy math won''t get you a technician''s license someday without proof that you went to school. We need to show that you did the classes. Mr. Smith is helping with that. He said that since your files are sealed, we can give you the tests, starting with the basics, and you can advance through the tests as far as you can. That way, you get credit just like you had been taking official courses over the years. Then we start you on the classes that will take you higher. Trust me, it will come in handy someday when you want to try for a good job, maybe at that company that makes the gloves."


    That made sense to Milo. They were creating documentation. "That shouldn''t take me long."


    Big Butch shook his head and smiled. "Oh yes, it will! You''re going to take your time doing this. Use that big brain of yours. What happens if you finish years of tests in a few days? Now I have to kick you out of the program. You''re done."


    Going slow wasn''t something Milo had ever considered. He did so now and saw some of the advantages. Increased socialization with others, and he didn''t widen the chasm between himself and them. That would be counter-productive.


    The old man''s eyes lit up, and he nodded. "I might at that. I mostly sold my extras before the move. Less to pack with me. But I wouldn''t mind something new. I''m James or Jimmy. Or Old Jim. Most folks call me Old Jim now. Take your pick."


    "Nice meeting you, James. I''ve got to go. Make sure you talk to Butch."


    As Milo moved down the hallway, Old Jimmy watched him go. He''d watched the polite boy closely, but he hadn''t tried to steal anything. He''d stopped to help an old man. Quite a contrast to what he was used to. This might not be a bad place if the other kids were half as nice and had games to trade. But he''d be careful; old habits died hard. After a nap and food, he took an ancient Gameboy and hobbled over to sit by the horrible-looking fake tree. He sat and played with the sound turned up louder than normal until he was noticed, and the local children came to investigate him. The youngest child handed him a paper plate with two pancakes and real syrup. "Mama says welcome. We have extra dinner, and she thought you might be hungry." Jimmy took the food and ate a bite. Surprisingly good. This was a well-off family.


    They became very friendly when he asked for Butch and mentioned trading games. They brought forth their games, and some trading was done. He declined an offer to eat with the family. One step at a time. He was cautious but optimistic about his move to Section E and retired to his little room in a better mood than when he''d arrived.


    Milo, meanwhile, had arrived home and crawled from the ductwork into the water tank. It seemed smaller all the time. He wanted a larger area but wasn''t trading security for a bigger room. His idea to build a hidden area underneath the habitat had failed when his machine had found something else buried there. Until he knew what it was, it would be foolish to relocate. And he was so curious about what it was. The large tunneling machine was for excavating, not scouting. He solved that problem by spending money on a new machine that was used to map underground areas before large-scale drilling or excavating was done. The Carson T-3 Underworld Cartographer was made by the same company that made the large machine.Unlike the huge tunneler, it was designed to shift only enough dirt and stone to let the machine move through areas that need mapping. It trailed a three-inch hose behind it that disposed of the crushed rock. Milo had it delivered to a warehouse below section H and forged the paperwork to hide his purchase. He programmed it to find the edges of the hardened area and map its shape, along with any caverns, water and power lines, or transportation tunnels that it found. It would report back its progress, and he''d check in each time he was out of his pod. He knew he had to be careful. Unlike the game world, this wouldn''t be a ratkin Hollow or a Dwarven Engineering Outpost.


    With that job started and nothing else pressing, he got into his pod. It was time for another half-day of exploration and then a long walk back up through the tunnels. He had plenty of time to get to Shadowport for his date with Belinda. Date? No! Meeting. Talk. Why had she used that word?

 Chapter 227: Just a quick explore and then a trip home

    Chapter 227: Just a quick explore and then a trip home


    Waking up for the second time in his camp on the top of the tower, Milo made his plans for the day while he heated water for tea and chewed on some slightly stale bread with a thin slice of cheddar. He still had some snail meat stored away that he gave to his watch lizard. Georgie had worked a double shift and deserved a big breakfast. The lizard agreed. Milo took a good look around the large cavern, planning his route. He saw two more large, open pit mines, both filled with buildings. If he explored that way, he''d complete a large loop through the cavern and retrace his steps up the long stairway to the ceiling and the Hollow.


    He did one small experiment that morning with the sliver of Duram Argenti that he had enchanted the day before by touching it. Holding it in his open palm, he felt nothing. He closed his hand and tried to infuse mana into the sliver, the way he forced mana into runes to charge them. It was like turning on a faucet; some of his mana poured into the sliver until he felt some resistance. Examining the sliver, it had changed again.


    Duram Argenti: small chip


    Estimated size: 0.25 ounces.


    Infused


    Hardness: Tier 3


    It had drained 300 mana from him, twice the amount needed for the first step. Curiously, the hardness had decreased. The small sliver glowed beautifully. There had to be a use for this ore, and he was sure that the dwarves would know more. Especially those skilled in magi-tech, like Sledgemonkey. He pondered the problem of the ancient miners. The mining style pointed to some of them being skilled in detecting ore hidden in the ground. He could sense hidden veins, but only if they were close to the surface and he was concentrating on the rock near him. Somehow they had found the veins of Duram Argenti that came close to the top of the layer of Duram Gneiss.


    But they had been unable to mine further. Were they lacking levels of mining skill? Or lacking tools made of high-tier materials? Both? He''d found the remains of the miners and their overseers but nothing to tell him why the mines were abandoned. He''d seen outcroppings of other ores that were left untouched. Iron, Dark Iron, Deep Copper, Tin, and coal seams. But it was only Silverite they valued enough to dig out. Perhaps this area was far from civilization at the time when the mining operation had been active. He had lots of questions and too few answers. Maybe today would bring more knowledge.


    He quickly descended the tower''s stairway and began his travels. To his surprise, when he went to dismiss Georgie, the lizard shook his head and headed for the stairs. Milo didn''t know enough about magically summoned watch lizards to know if this was normal behavior or not, but if either of them was a professional at their job, it was the lizard. Milo followed along, and as Georgie began to move from cover to cover, he faded into the shadows and skulked behind his pet. The two soon fell into a pattern of only one of them moving at a time as they moved across the abandoned mining complex. Two Georgie changed directions and insisted on a different route. Milo noticed a large cave opening the first time, and the second was near a low hill or mound. Milo wondered if it was possible to learn to speak lizard? He was curious about what lurked in those places but not curious enough to look into them when his lizard, whose only job was to guard him, was anxious to avoid them. Still, maybe the next time he came down here?


    They came to the first open pit mine, and immediately Milo saw the differences. The houses were decayed and crumbling, most of them reduced to rubble. The tower in the center of the open area was crumbling, with damage on many floors, and the stairway had fallen, filling the bottom two floors with rubble and taking parts of the upper floors with it. Most curiously, the flat, open expanse of Duram Gneiss was broken up in one part. A thirty-foot wide circle of stone was now a crater filled with rubble, the hard stone broken up. More ominously, Milo saw bones and crushed skulls mixed in with the rubble of the houses, along with broken furniture, pottery, and brightly colored cookware. He explored a little and then left.


    Roads were everywhere, winding among piles of mining debris, small pits, stairways to the ceiling, and broken towers. He found the site of another large battle. Behind makeshift stone walls, several ogre-sized creatures had fought to the death against hundreds, maybe thousands, of the small miners. Piles of skeletons were piled against the barricades. The dead had been left where they fell, but nearby he found a rusting pile of slave collars taken from the dead. It had been a rebellion then, and whichever side had won, the mines were abandoned after that. He traveled on, coming to the last open pit he planned to investigate. Beyond it was a spindly staircase that went to the ceiling, and past that, the slag pile at the base of the stairway he had descended and the road that ascended the wall to the mines. He was making good time, helped by Georgie, who kept him moving.


    Quest Initiated: Diplomatic Relations


    You have encountered a breeding hive of an unknown variety of intelligent Stone-Lurkers. Use your new Diplomacy skill to assure them that you and your allies mean no harm.


    Success: A lot of experience in Diplomacy and the opening of relations between you and a group of insular, xenophobic monsters that would normally feed you to their young.


    Failure: If your attempt to talk to the Lurkers goes bad, you will be pulverized into baby food.


    Suggestions: Don''t hurt the eggs. Don''t let them know you were the hero that killed Uthneragrubban.


    In a large crater filled with what looked like stone eggs, creatures were wailing and clutching the eggs to their chests. They looked like small stone lurkers but were the color of the Duram Gneiss they lived in. One screamed and pointed at Milo, the others also screaming.


    All around him, the ground was trembling. Huge Black Stone-Lurkers erupted from the ground and began lumbering at him as he sprinted away in the direction Georgie had taken.


    Quest Failure: Sorry about that; your Lizard stole the scene. But really, with that Crystal Pick in your hand, there was no way you could claim to be innocent of whacking their queen.


    New Quest: Catch that Lizard!


    Help Georgie escape from a horde of Elite Homicidal Hive Guards who just watched you kill a nest of their babies. We''ll talk about rewards if you make it.


    Milo vowed that someday he was going to find out just who was behind the System messages and have a long talk with them. They seemed to be more personal than ever before. But for now, he ran as fast as he could. With an agility of 25, Milo was quite fast when he wasn''t trying to skulk. Added to that was a 50% bonus to his speed from Fleet of Foot at Rank 10. He bounded from rooftop to rooftop as he put distance between himself and the lumbering stone monsters. Reaching the top, he raced after Georgie. Watch lizards are great sprinters, very dangerous over the short distances, as anyone who tried to dodge an alligator knows. But they aren''t made for longer runs. Georgie had paused and was panting, his long tongue out, the crystal on the ground before him. Milo tossed the crystal and his pick into his pack, picked up Georgie, and started running again. His hopes of outrunning the horde of angry Lurkers were dashed as he saw the monsters emerge from the stone and lurch toward him.


    He had the horrifying thought that they might be much faster moving through the stone than above it. A theory that was proved as two emerged in front of him!

 Chapter 228: Catch that Lizard!

    Chapter 228: Catch that Lizard!


    Instead of dodging, Milo sprinted at the first lurker emerging from the ground and leaped high. He bounced off its head, leaped at the next one, and then was behind them both and running. "Keep a look out, Georgie, and warn me if they''re getting close."


    Rather than skirt around the broken walls and large boulders covering the cave floor, Milo bounced from one to the next as much as possible, hoping that he made a tougher target to any lurker moving through the ground. This worked for a few minutes, and then as he leaped to a rocky outcrop, he was surprised as he landed on a monster as it rose from the ground. The only thing that saved him was the lurker being equally surprised to find its quarry and a small lizard clinging to its face.


    Enraged Gneiss-Lurker Hive Guard


    Level 10 Elite creature


    Temporary boost to speed and damage while enraged.


    Able to track their prey through solid stone of less than Tier 3.


    Milo leaped as the Gneiss-lurker struck at him with both hands, hitting itself in the face and cracking its own skull rather than crushing the annoying rat it was chasing. Milo wondered how long they would stay mad but suspected it was a very long time, probably forever. He angled his path, aiming for the small, thin staircase that was a much nearer target than the way home. He hoped the lurkers would climb slower than they swam through stone; otherwise, this would be a short and painful race. He wouldn''t be so worried if he were alone, but he didn''t know if Georgie could resurrect with him. "How about it, buddy? Can you go back to where ever you go to?." The lizard shook his head no, and glanced nervously to their rear.


    Behind him came the horde of enraged monsters, anxious to revenge their broken nest by stomping the soft thing into a smear on the ground. Milo could feel the ground shaking as they pounded behind him, their enraged sprint not much slower than him and their stone swimming much faster. Individuals would dive into the rock, only to emerge near him, forcing him to roll and dodge, slowing him down and letting the horde catch up. Based on the rumble of the ground, he thought they were catching up, but a quick glance showed the runners still a hundred yards behind. As a horrible thought hit him, he turned and cut left, changing his course by 90 degrees. The ground was rumbling hard, and then the spot where he would have been exploded as a very large and angry Lurker came out of the ground, screaming to its children.


    Enraged Gneiss Lurker Queen


    Level 15 Elite creature


    Doubled speed and damage while enraged.


    Able to track their prey through solid stone of less than Tier 4.


    "Sorry for doubting you, Georgie! So very sorry!" The lizard licked his ear, accepted the apology, and hissed at the queen.


    He reached the stair and started to climb, his feet pounding up the spiral staircase, his heart pounding. Never again would he begrudge the conditioning that Gilad put him through. Without the daily fighting and exercise, he''d never have been able to make the climb.


    The first of the Lurkers reached the staircase and started up considerably slower than Milo. The queen lumbered up and made her own contribution by grabbing a Lurker and throwing it up to the 50 ft level, where it caught the edge of the stairs and began its climb with a head start. Milo didn''t think that was sporting at all. He considered throwing a spell to slow them up, but any spell that would hurt these monsters might also damage the stairs, and he had a long way to climb. Lurker after Lurker started up after him, only the queen remaining at the bottom, too large to climb. The staircase was wobbling a little now as the weight of many tons of Gneiss Lurkers pounded on the steps as they chased Milo. But if he could keep up the pace, he could make it to the top and escape.


    You have gained 2500 Experience in INT


    Total gains: 47 CSP, 7500 Experience in Trap Making, and 7500 Experience in INT.


    You have successfully completed the quest: Catch that Lizard! Because Georgie survived, he has earned a share of your experience.


    Georgie shimmered and began to grow. He rolled over and stood up. His scales were darker green, and his claws seemed to have outpaced his other growth increases.


    Georgie has purchased the ability: Guardian Pet 2.


    Georgie has purchased +3 Perception.


    Georgie has purchased Blessing of Hekate: Canine Speech.


    Georgie has purchased Rending Claws


    Georgie has purchased Gator Bite!


    Milo scratched his ear, and Georgie looked at him and said, "Woof." Then he bounded off to check the cave for anything menacing. Milo stared after him, many questions in his head. Then he shrugged and found some lunch for himself and something to eat for his much bigger pet. He must weigh at least a hundred pounds now. And he could talk to dogs?


    Milo considered his own points. He had made a mistake before of saving them as if they were a resource to hoard, like spare parts. There were things he''d had to skip at the end of Tier 2; he should rectify that. He bought Under Linguist, Grunt and Throw Hands, another level of Shadow Skulking, Skilled Provider, and Smugglers Summoning. That left 20 points. He could purchase more mana or health, increase the size of his stash, or gain a better regeneration rate. He considered his day of exploring and then purchased Robust Regeneration. He could now regenerate health 16x faster than normal. That would cut down on his recovery time while out exploring. And maybe keep him alive if one of his impromptu traps backfired.He expected that he was going to need it. The next level of Regeneration appeared on his list:


    Near-Fiendish Regeneration Cost: 40 points.


    Grants increased, (x24), health recovery. An hour''s rest is equal to a day for anyone else. Regenerate scar tissue, and small missing body parts in 1 day. (Helpful when you blow your fingers off with spells or explosives. Good choice! ) A steady diet of cheese speeds the process. Simple wounds will be wiped away in a period of 1 hour, restoring all health. Health regen is slower if regen must deal with healing more complex wounds. (bleeding, missing parts, burns, broken bones, etc.)


    Expensive...but coming back from injuries nearly as fast as Larry was a huge increase.


    Georgie came running back, excited. In his mouth was a snail at least three times the size of the snails they''d found in the small cavern on their way down. He sat back, waiting for Milo to cook it.


    "OK, we''ll have a long lunch, but then we have to find a way through these mines to the right staircase. You can show me the snails so that I can mark them on my map. But no more snacks until we get to the Hollow. We''ll see if you like puff cakes and syrup."

 Chapter 229: Guard Duty

    Chapter 229: Guard Duty


    Four hours later, Milo had successfully navigated the maze of mine tunnels and finally found the staircase that led up to the Hollow. Georgie had been a huge help, constantly running to find a way forward, or more often, a tunnel that led to a dead end, saving Milo countless steps. His pet looked tired, and not just from the exercise. His scales were dull, and he was constantly panting. Milo set up his camp, and Georgie barked three times at him, then curled up and went to sleep. Milo made a cup of tea and dismissed his camp, along with his pet. This was the first time Georgie had ever stayed after the camp was recalled to his ring, so Milo could only guess, but it seemed likely his pet could only stay for a short time. He could test it later, but for now, he would let his lizard rest as he climbed back up to the Hollow.


    He felt a dull burn in his legs when he finally reached the top and unlocked the door. Another mystery: Which had come first? The stairs or the door? Had the Hollow found a deep crevice and put the door there to keep monsters out? Or had it been in response to a stairway being constructed that led to the hidden tunnels? He might never know. There were still many caverns to explore, but he had a hard time believing anyone would stay in the mining complex if they weren''t forced to. He left thinking about those mysteries until his next visit and focused on getting home and taking a nap without being surprised by the girls.


    He made his way to the exit in Larry''s House. Things looked different now, with Larry moving all of his favorite things to the new house. But a new picture was on the wall. It showed Larry and all of his family together and a map of where to find the new house. At the bottom, it said, ''Larry has a new house and a new family. Please visit.''


    From there, he stopped for a meal in the mess hall and found Gilad, Bleusnout, Clawhammer, and Vilma, the newly appointed Master Miner. Smiley waved him to sit down and brought him a double dinner. "Eat up; you''re losing weight." Milo took his advice as he appraised the Masters and former Masters of what he had found a mile beneath the Hollow. When he was done, Vilma asked to see the ore he had. She examined the chips carefully and made notes in a small ledger.


    "We haven''t encountered these minerals anywhere in our mines, but it''s known that the deeper caves have harder stone and rare minerals. One of my books mentions Silverite as a high-conductivity metal, but I''ve not heard of the other metal, this Duram Argenti. That translates to ''Hard Silver.'' Interesting that it uses Old Speech. It''s a dead language found in ancient books. Halfling scholars prefer it for classifying their herbs, and elven authors prefer it for their cross-species romance novels."


    Milo could read Latin, and many of the ''Old Language'' words seemed similar. He found it interesting that it was in use in Genesis. "I will be traveling to Shadowport soon, then down to the Engineering Outpost. They may know more. The caves are a long way down and can be dangerous, but they could be a benefit the Hollow if we can safely mine their resources. I''ll find out more." He got up to leave, but Gilad put a hand on his arm.


    "If you are traveling to Shadowport, you need to know about a situation that has arisen. More players have found the Hollow. A large group visited yesterday, but some of them became belligerent and argued with the others. Seven of them attacked the five who were peacefully trading with us. Two of the seven perished, but their opponents were slain. It happened outside of Limburger Hollow, and we only know of it since those five players chose to make camp in the outer caves and quickly walked out of Hade''s realm. They tried to reason with their one-time allies but reported to us that they were being ''Corpse Camped.'' An interesting term. If you travel that way, you should have no trouble skulking past them." The old warrior sighed and looked at the others at the table. "I was convinced not to take some of my best students and deal with them myself."


    Bleusnout snorted and then laughed. "You''ve been riled up since that fight with Gangrene."


    Gilad flexed his claws and sighed. "It would have been an epic battle to fight him, but the tides of war swept us apart, and Tallsqueak received the honor. I don''t begrudge him the honor of his victory." Milo bowed his head humbly, thinking he would gladly have let Gilad have that fight. That mace had nearly pulped his brains with only a glancing hit.


    "I''ll be sneaky and get past them. Humans see poorly in the tunnels, even with torches." He stood up. "I''ll be leaving soon and will be gone at least a week or two. When I return, I''ll lead a party down to the cavern, and we can search it and decide if it is worth mining there." He waved to Smiley and anyone else in the room and headed home.


    He saw five nearly-naked players sitting around a campfire in the outer cave. He recognized Frostyone and Elvarion. They''d fought together against Bone Crusher, in the mines. Both were missing most of their gear, although Gorbel had the heavy shield he''d won in the fight. They seemed in good spirits, planning on spending a few days in the Hollow doing small gathering quests and hoping the group killing people in the caves outside the Hollow got bored. Milo left them to their conversation; they didn''t know him with fur and a tail.


    As he walked into his home, the sounds of battle filled the air from the playroom, the clang of weapons hitting armor telling him the girls were still having fun with the weapons and armor from the ring. Gendifur was tending to Brutus, who was lying on his couch, bruised and battered. He seemed to be enjoying her fussing over him. Gendifur smiled at him as he walked in, and Milo could tell she was tired. "Thank the gods. The girls are over-excited, and we''re having trouble calming them down. Can you go throw explosives at them or do something to wear them out so I can put them down for a nap? I really don''t care what you do or how hard you play with them."


    "Rule 2 is guards use their weapons, not their claws, and always walk on two feet, not four." Tallsqueak also had a new weapon. He had borrowed one of Justin''s spare polearms and was wearing a helmet from the hoard that fell out of the general''s ring.


    They began marching noisily out of the cavern. The girls had difficulty moving in the armor and sometimes tripped, despite their weasel slippers. Milo decided to try something different. He started humming a catchy tune and doing the Happy Hamster Hop as he moved through the caverns. The girls squealed and started dancing as well. Marching was boring; dancing was fun.


    Five adventurers sat a few hundred yards away, telling stories and playing cards. "How long are we going to wait here?"


    The large barbarian, Rogarth, took a deep breath and counted to ten. "Same answer as last time, Willy, until we get the loot. We kill those feebs anytime they try to loot their stuff from the tombstones and kill anyone else that wanders down this way. And hopefully, if we keep killing the giant moles in that cave, the boss will spawn, and we will get some points. Until then, we can play cards and raise our Gambling skills." Willy nodded like he had the last six times he''d asked that question. He was annoying, but they kept the half-orc assassin around because he was hell on wheels in a fight. If only he would work on something other than skills that gave him DEX, CON, STR, or AGI. He was tough and quick but also impatient and not really smart. He claimed that was his half-orc heritage, but no one believed him.


    There were two orcish wizards in Shadowport who were awesome team players and good strategists. Rogarth had tried to recruit them, but Chauncey and Skullcarver had shaken his hand and left after one dungeon, claiming Willy had driven them insane. If Willy weren''t his boss''s kid, Rogarth would boot his butt from the group. He might have to, anyway. And there were always other jobs. Willy was just that bad.


    "I can''t believe the other guys didn''t back us up when the rats tried to throw us out! We brought them some good stuff, and they got all huffy about it!" Willy had packed fifty pounds of cheese from Shadowport to Limburger Hollow, intending to make a profit.


    "Willy, they told you the rules. You sell cheese to the Master Merchant. They caught you trying to sell cheese directly like you were dealing drugs!"


    Willy laughed. "That''s what it is to them! I sold 37 little packets of parmesan in ten minutes before they got all upset about it. I''m just a businessman providing a product. There''s no rules against that!"


    "Except for the rules they have posted on the big sign as you enter. The warning about contraband cheese is at the top."


    "That''s a rat rule, not a people rule. Willy only rolls with people rules."


    "Fine, Willy. New people rule: Shut the hell up and deal the cards."


    From down the pathway to the rat village, they heard noise, the unmistakable clank of heavy armor as someone tried to run. "Up and at ''em, boys. We have company."


    Willy drew two jagged knives. "Awesome. I''m going to kill someone and eat their liver in front of them. Watch me." He faded into the darkness as three figures spun and hopped closer to them, clanking loudly as they came.

 Chapter 230: On Patrol

    Chapter 230: On Patrol


    Rogarth wondered how much the approaching people had drunk. They had linked arms and were hoping forward together, stopping for little kicks and sidesteps while singing a drinking song. The little guy in the center was so drunk the other two held him in the air. They kept coming until they were fifty feet away. The little guy must be a mess; he could barely hold his halberd, and his helmet was crooked. The other two laughed and pointed at him before he yelled at them to stand at attention and straighten up.


    They were close enough for him to see how big the other two were. When they quit slouching, they were at least as six-feet tall but were wide and heavily muscled. He wasn''t worried; they didn''t have much skill with their weapons or fighting in armor. They stood straight while the little guy took a step closer and thumped the butt of his halberd on the ground for attention. "Greetings! Do you need assistance? I see many tombstones in your camp. Are you having trouble with the moles? If it is too dangerous for you, perhaps you should return to the human city."


    The voice was a little high and had a strange accent to it. Rogarth had heard that accent a lot in the Hollow. Mystery solved; this guy was a ratkin from the Hollow sent to hassle them. He gave the signal to be ready to fight. Both Ardvus and Black John gave the return signal. Willy, of course, was off in the shadows somewhere and hadn''t been able to memorize hand signals in the first place. Ardvus was focusing on his spells and having the same problem as always: Where was Willy? The enemy was perfectly grouped for a fireball, but the half-orc was probably nearby. That''s all he needed was a deep-fried Willy complaining to his dad. Black John was ready with his shield and Sword of Ravaging. The thing was already humming and buffing up his strength. Necrobarb was hiding behind John''s shield. She needed to get close for her bow to gain the most damage. Rogarth hated that bow, even if Barb loved it. What good was a bow that put you near the enemy, no matter how extra damage it did? He shook off his annoyance and yelled back.


    "Thanks, we could use some help. The moles killed some of our party members, and we''re waiting for them to return. Need a drink? We''ve got some beer and a little brandy left. Come share it with us while we wait for the moles to respawn."


    One of the big fighters yelled out in a high-pitched voice that sounded like a little girl. "Do you have candy? I like candy!"


    The other started yelling as well, also mimicking a little girl. "Or cheese! Do you have cheese?"


    "That''s Bad! Mama says no asking for cheese!"


    "That''s Hollow Rules. We are brave guards patrolling tunnels."


    "What would Mama say?"


    .....


    "What would Mama say?!!"


    "...Momma would say no cheese. I want candy, then!"


    "We both want candy. Candy for brave guards who kill moles!"


    Rogarth had trouble keeping a straight face. Barb was giggling and even sour-faced-Joe had a smile. These guys were a comedy troop. He turned to the group. "I''m tempted to let them live. These guys are funny. Does anyone have candy? When we split the loot from the moles, we pay them candy. If they argue, we can always kill them then."


    Barb whispered back. "I have some licorice in my pack, and Joe is hiding those sugar cookies he likes." Joe glared at her.


    Rogarth was about to yell back when Willy stood up from the shadows at the feet of the guy in the lead, plunged two daggers into his chest, and then rolled between the two fighters¡ªdisappearing back into the shadows. "Willy Wonky has your candy right here! Have a double dose!"


    Barb and Joe advanced together to take out one of the fighters. Rogarth charged the other. Ardvus let loose a spell of Battle Blessing, giving all of them a boost to their damage. This fight was going to be over quickly. One guy was down already. Willy might be a crazy shithead, but he packed a punch. Each of those daggers carried enough poison to do 1000 points of damage in only two rounds.


    He wasn''t quite dead and must have said something to his bodyguards. The two had started to look for Willy but turned and charged forward.


    Ardvus held up his hands in surrender. "How about some black licorice and some nice sugar cookies? And I have some lemon candy in my pocket and more in my pack! Please, take it! I''ll leave and not come back! I''ll be good! It was Willy''s fault!"


    The girls suddenly turned, hearing a moan from under a rock.


    "Tallsqueak? May we go play with Willie? You have to get our candy for us!"


    "Yes. Save it, please. We can''t eat until we wash up. Mama''s Rules!"


    "Sure, go play. Remember to remove all his clothes and weapons before you play with him. If he isn''t dead, he has some good stuff on him. I''ll have a talk with Ardvus here about how to behave in the Hollow."


    Ardvus spent the next ten minutes finding candy and sweets, piling up the group''s loot, and helping Tallsqueak separate what had come from the other group. Once he realized he wasn''t going to die, they had a polite conversation about proper etiquette in the Hollow and the area around it. He was even helpful in pointing out the magic items that belonged to Barb, Rogarth, and Joe. He had a question, though.


    "Can you give me a hint of how high those two are? I can tell your third tier, and it amazes me you can already use runes, but my group was Levels 14 to 16. Willy and Rogarth are in the fourth tier, and we outnumbered you five to three."


    "Hmm, hard to say. But I think six."


    The mage paled. "They are in the 6th tier. Oh god, we screwed up."


    Tallsqueak shook his head. "No, six years old. We''re going to celebrate their seventh birthday in a week. Would you like to come to the party? Remember, they like candy."


    Ardvus swallowed hard. He really didn''t want to deal with the rest of the group again. Especially, Willy, the guy drove him nuts. "Um...could I help you return the gear to the other group? I''d love to apologize, take my lumps, and maybe stick around the Hollow for a while. I can see some advantages of polite society."


    Milo thought it over. "Sure. Everyone deserves a second chance."


    They watched as the girls freed an injured Willy from his rocky prison and stripped him to his underwear before making him play tag with them. When it was his turn, he pulled a dagger from somewhere and threw it at Buttercup, sticking it into her shoulder. "Ha! Tag! Your It! Willy Wonky Wins!" He didn''t survive the tag back.


    Ardvus shook his head. "Everyone except Willy."


    It was late when a tired group of brave guards returned from patrol. They delivered a repentant mage and a pile of loot to the half-naked group sleeping by the campfire. The girls were sleepy and exhausted but wanted to tell Mama Gendifur about their adventures. She listened while she cleaned them up and let them eat their sweets. After putting them to bed, she returned to the living room and glared at Tallsqueak. "Did you really take them out and attack a group of players?"


    He spread his hands. "You did say you didn''t care."


    She relaxed and sighed. "I did, and it was a nice break. But now they''re making up stories about fighting a giant mole named Tunnel Tyrant. Is that a new story for bedtime?"


    Milo shook his head. "No, he charged us as we were about to leave. He was a level 19 Elite and really tough. We let the girls play with him while Ardvus and I whittled him down with spells. We all earned 18 Bonus points from the fight. I had them buy three INT and three WIS. It helped a lot." He yawned twice, excused himself, and took a nap.


    Gendifur sat down next to Brutus. The two of them looked at each other, and he said. "Looks like I''ll be taking the girls on patrol with me some."

 Chapter 231: Dressing for Success

    Chapter 231: Dressing for Success


    Once again, Milo wondered who had designed Arcane Libraries. Arriving on the wide porch that fell off into the void was unnerving. He opened the door and scampered inside as fast as he could. Cichol was reading through a book, one of those from the Code Mage''s library, and chuckling to himself. "You paint this person as a fearsome foe, stern and serious, and yet I find a disguised book of Elvish Porn that came from his library. He obviously had a few flaws and vices." The book was set on the floor beside Cichol''s chair, with several books between the pages.


    Milo shuddered. "He had many flaws. A true monster in human form."


    Cichol "And not the last you will encounter, but enough of him. What can I do for you today?"


    "I need advice on dressing myself."


    The old sorcerer nodded as if in earnest agreement. "Yes, I can see that your upbringing lacked lessons in the proper way to style your hair, and that blouse is out of fashion." He laughed. "You are a Wizard; dress as you like. Or call yourself an engineer and wear those bulky coveralls the dwarves prefer. Wizards don''t adhere to fashion! We are the bad examples people warn their children about."


    Milo shook his head. "My problem is the cowl; it''s very distinctive. I have two forms, and in both of them, I''m wearing a tattered, orange, rune-covered piece of clothing. There are people moving between the Hollow and Shadowport. Someone will notice. The advantages of being a were-rat go away when everyone knows you are one. And humans already react badly to me some of the time."


    Cichol looked confused. "Then why not change its appearance?"


    Milo looked down at the cowl. "It can do that?"


    Cichol touched his shoulder, and the cowl changed to a low-cut pink evening gown, perfect for dancing at a Prince''s fancy ball.


    "Well, not when you first bonded to it. The bond must be strengthened by blood. Have you been injured while wearing it? Silly me, you showed up half-dead in the arms of Astraeus; of course, you have. Simply concentrate on the cowl as you would to Identify it, and think hard on its appearance."


    Milo did so and felt his connection to the cowl strengthen. Hastily, he changed the garment back to its traditional look.


    Bone-Runed Cowl


    An enchanted garment crafted by Archmage Cichol in his youth. Bound by blood and soul, an apprentice mage gains the following benefits:


    +2 INT


    The line moved forward a notch. With plenty of time to spare, the mage turned around to speak. He threw back his hood and stepped toward the human heckler. "Take a close look; I''m sure you would remember a handsome face like mine with my sleek fur and sharp teeth. And you have my assurances that I will be a proud member of the Guild before I take even a single copper in payment for my ore."


    "What ore? You don''t have a pack with you! You don''t even have a pick!" His voice growing louder and louder, attracted several other people, most of whom seemed only amused or curious. A few humans backed the hecklers up while several dwarves were humming and singing the drinking song that Milo had started. The noise attracted the attention of a large and heavy-set dwarf who stepped out of the building.


    "What are you ninnies carrying on about now? And it''s not time for afternoon beer, no matter how much you sing that song. We went over that last week." The dwarves chuckled and, while not ceasing their humming, took it down to a much quieter level. The discussion of what time the afternoon beer break came was never over.


    The ratkin bowed deeply. "Greetings, Guild Master Durthanson. I have come to sell the ore I have mined and am enjoying a lively discussion with my fellow miners. I apologize for the disturbance. They are loud in their happiness to make my acquaintance and establish friendship with a fellow miner."


    "Pipe Down!" Master Durthanson yelled at the half dozen miners upset with the polite visitor. "Yeah, I can see they are just itching to sit down and have a beer with you." He shifted his cigar in his mouth. "I don''t believe we''ve met, but you profess to know me."


    The ratkin bowed again. "My apologies if it seems I was insinuating a relationship. I am Professor Tallsqueak, a Mage of the Tower of Strife, pre-eminent college of magic in Limburger Hollow. You and Master Engineer Rolf Morgenstern are known to us since you represent the closest Dwarven Mining and Engineering guilds to our Hollow. I have traveled far through dark tunnels, collecting ore as I walked in strange places. I seek to pay my Guild Fees and sell my metal."


    Grundle Durthanson didn''t know a lot about ratkin. And most of what he knew about them was from dungeons. He''d heard the people of the Hollows were a different breed entirely. This one certainly knew how to be polite, and his bowing reflected a knowledge of dwarven etiquette. But still, he didn''t look like a miner with his bulky robes and staff. "From what I heard, the boys here may and may not have a point. You can sell ore here, and if you pay your dues, you will receive a higher pay rate. But the guild is for miners, not mages. It doesn''t matter if you have metal from some old ruins."


    A polite nod of understanding preceded a moment of thought. "I see the point, and I must agree. The guild is for those who crack rock, not merchants with metal to sell. Perhaps you could judge my mining technique, which will settle this argument?"


    There were calls from the hecklers. "Make him prove it." "Yeah, make the rat show us he can work."


    Grundle was OK with that. "Sure, show me you can mine."


    The ratkin pointed to a rock wall where a mechanical drill was being repaired. "Am I correct in that you are expanding the cavern in that direction? Can I mine there?" When the Guild Master shrugged, he walked that way, momentarily pausing to look at the machine and shake his head sadly. "I suggest you all take a step back. The rock really flies when I get going." There were chuckles from that comment. After a moment when no one moved and were wondering just what the hell the ratkin was going to mine with, he raised his hands and staff, and a glowing rune took shape in front of him. His tail began to inscribe what Grundle swore were Dwarven Engineering runes around the large rune in the center. Mana flowed into the formation for ten seconds.


    The mage brought his staff down sharply on the rock, yelling loudly, "Sunder!"


    Magic dispersed in the wall, rock cracked and split, chips and dust flying, and then with a loud rumble, a twenty by twenty-foot section of rock wall almost ten feet deep fell in an avalanche of rubble to the floor. The mage avoided being crushed by leaping backward high in the air, turning in a complete flip, and landing with both feet solidly on the ground. He paused to let the dust settle before speaking. "I also have a good pick for small stuff."


    The five humans who had been far too close to the front were covered in bruises and small cuts. They scrambled to their feet and moved away from the frightening creature they had been annoying. Two of the dwarves clapped slowly, followed by others. Grundle shook Professor Tallsqueak''s hand. "Welcome to the guild. Let''s sign your paperwork and look at your ore."l--B1n.

 Chapter 232: After the Dust Settles

    Chapter 232: After the Dust Settles


    Over a dozen curious members of the Shadowport Mining Guild were ''just hanging around'' in the assay office to see what the new member had dug out of the rock. After his display of breaking stone, no one openly questioned his ability to mine. The next question was: "What does it have in its pockets?". Because other than a few pockets, the strange wizard had no way to carry ore. But wizards were tricky, resulting in a room full of curious dwarves and a couple of humans. They were all miners with a ten-year patch on their shoulders, and a few beardlings had been tossed out the door. Age and rank had their privileges.


    Grundle had given the newest member of the Mining Guild his badge and taken his application. His status as apprentice, full miner, or veteran was the only thing left to determine. He could bring down a lot of rock, but that didn''t mean he knew the rest of the trade.


    "So, what do you have to show me, Miner Tallsqueak? Have a big payday in those pockets?" Grundle admitted to himself the possibility that Tallsqueak might have many things in those pockets. Wizards were tricky at times, producing wands and crystal orbs from small pouches.


    "I have a small amount of ore from my travels in the deeper mines. My priority was exploration for my Hollow, but it is hard to bypass shiny bits of ore when I notice them." He held his hand over the counter, and Grundle noticed the ornate ring he was wearing¡ªold work and well-made. Four full Ore Gathering Bags appeared, one by one, as Tallsqueak moved his hand over the table. Not just sacks, but actual Gathering Bags. The type that held far more ore than their size suggested. Grundle dumped out the first one, and 150 chunks of high-grade Deep Copper ore were scattered across the metal table.


    Tallsqueak dumped the second bag. "This also has Deep Copper. It is a common metal in the area where I live, but I understand that the Engineering and Mining Guilds in Shadowport pay well for it. It is also of interest to the Deep Rock Engineers and Scavenger clans. Our Hollow sells most of its ore to the Engineers, but since I was coming to this city, I stopped off on my way home and filled my bags. I was told that you value it as well."


    "You''ve been told correctly." The Guild Master took the not-subtle hint that the new miner was informed on ore values. That made things easier in some ways. Everyone had heard him, and no one would question giving him the top pay rate on the valuable ore. Some of the older guild members felt that the top pay rate should be reserved for senior members. It never was, but they never missed a chance to grumble about it. The chunks were quickly weighed on large scales and put into an ore cart to be taken away for processing. The third bag had chunks of Dark Iron, some of the pieces the almost pure metal that came from lower caverns. The fourth bag had an assortment of ores: auric, common gold, tin, silver, and a dense form of lead that the elves valued in their crystal-making called ''Glass Metal.''


    Grundle was trying to do the math and gave up when he realized anything underneath that much rock was either dead or too scary to think about. A cave-in fifty feet above your head was deadly. 700 feet? Even Ghostlurkers could die. The two older dwarves grasped the hammer symbols around their necks and said a short prayer. "Truly, the Lord of Stone and Steel blessed you that day. You, uh, didn''t find anything special in the rubble, did you?"


    Minor Tallsqueak reached into a pocket and carefully took out a pair of gloves and a handkerchief tied around something small. They watched as he put on the gloves and rolled out wo nuggets of ore. "The first is called Silverite. Small threads of it are found in the DuramGneiss, and I have found nuggets in some of the strata above the Hard Rock. The second nugget is dangerous. Duram Argenti is normally found as an ore with Tier 5 hardness and softens as it absorbs mana. A small piece can drain you dry and leave you weak." One adventurous hand paused before picking up the nugget and hastily pulled back.


    The Mining Guild''s Master nodded. He''d heard of that ore. "That right there is worth a fortune, even in small amounts. I''m going to register that you found a source of the material. Always good to fill out the paperwork, even if you do the sensible thing and keep your claim secret. But that''s something to take to the Enchanter''s Guild or down to the Deep Rock guys."


    One of the older dwarves was staring at the Duram Argenti. "And if you ever find a big chunk of it, you might think about heading to a large dwarven hold. The Kingsguard have armor, shields, and hammers enchanted with this stuff. Never a bad thing to gain some friends in low places."


    Tallsqueak bowed, thanked them for the information, and then put the shiny nuggets away. They watched as his empty ore bags went back into his storage ring, along with a small bag of gold and silver coins handed to him by Grundle. "I thank you all for accepting me as a miner. I appreciate it, as does my Hollow. I think we will be doing much business together in the future. Now, you much excuse me. I have an appointment with a cheese shop above us and some friends to visit." He quickly left, ascending the stairs to Shadowport, his long tail bouncing on the stairs behind him.


    Grundle yelled out at everyone around him. "What are you waiting for? Go break some rock or drink beer. I have to start up that ore crusher and process this load. And if anyone sees more ratkin coming up from the Hollow, you be polite and send them my way. You hear?"

 Chapter 233: Just a small slice, please.

    Chapter 233: Just a small slice, please.


    Moving upward through the Mining Guild, Tallsqueak nodded politely to people but said nothing. He didn''t ask where to go and walked through the guild as if he had every right to be there, showing confidence and poise. Milo contrasted that with his first trips up and down, getting lost and asking questions from people that didn''t enjoy his intrusions into their business. Knowing the layout of the guild helped him present the demeanor of a confident Wizard from the Tower of Spite. Which he was, sort of. But he needed there to be differences between Tallsqueak, the ratkin, and Milo, the human. There was a possibility that someone might be looking for a Were-rat Scout, and he didn''t want to give them clues. Especially if it was Victor. His identity in the game was now tied to the real Milo in the habitat. Belinda knew, and he hoped she wasn''t telling anyone.


    Arriving at the top of the Mining Guild, he made his way over to the Adventurers Guild and spotted the overworked halfling, Bernard. He strode up confidently and bowed. Bernard looked at the elaborately dressed ratkin mage before him and sighed. "Let me guess? Daddy gave you money to buy spiffy stuff for your first character, and here you are, ready to go on a huge adventure."


    The ratkin cocked his head and smiled. "How many guesses are you allowed? Your first is incorrect."


    Bernard was used to rattling new players. A few ratkin came into the guild after starting down in the Hollow and racing through the tunnels to get to the more familiar human city to start doing quests for the Thieves Guild or to join a gang. This player was different, somehow. "Well, you got me there, chief. I get bored making guesses. I''ll just assume you took Tailor as a trade skill and sewed that fancy gown yourself. Nice look to it, by the way; I like the subdued runes and the matching staff. So let''s make guess number two that you''re here to pay your guild dues."


    Tallsqueak bowed low. "Rumors of your ability to guess the obvious are proven true. I am Professor Tallsqueak of the Tower of Strife, a prestigious college of the Arcane Sciences located in lovely Limburger Hollow. You should visit sometime. Chef Smiley makes a very tasty cheese souffle?; his puff cakes are second to none. I''ve been told that you accept yearly dues here from ''adventurers.'' I would like to sign up. What are the dues for a Tier 4 mage? I would like to pay ahead by three levels to save a return trip later."


    That got Bernard''s attention, and he made an effort to Identify the person in front of him. He was telling the truth. Solidly in the third tier and heading to the fourth. But what was a Runic Mage? He had a lot of bling, that was for sure. Magic Robe, magic pants, and multiple magic rings. "I like people who pay ahead. Tier one is 15 copper, and then 15 copper for tier 2. As you might extrapolate, the third tier will cost you 15 gold, but I''m running a special for Runic Mages. All you have to do is tell me what the hell your class does, and we''ll round things down to 16 gold, even."


    "That is a bargain, sir, and I don''t mind explaining at all. You''ve just given equally valuable information that my class is rare among humans. A Runic Mage studies runes from different races and learns to adapt them and create Runic Formations that are the basis for powerful spells. Observe." One fingertip traced a simple rune in the air, then two more. When Tallsqueak snapped his fingers, the glowing lines became a small ball of storm magic, crackling like blue fire and sending off sparks.


    Bernard looked at it and relaxed. Another odd class to add to his book. "Nice for killing small critters and level-one players. Thanks for the demonstration. Here''s your badge, and welcome to the Shadowport Adventurers Guild. If you have questions, give me a yell, and you can check out the quest board to your left."


    Another snap of the fingers and the ball of lightning was snuffed out, and sixteen gold coins were placed on Bernard''s desk. The Runic Mage pocketed his badge, bowed, and said "Good Day." before walking out of the Guild Hall. Bernard pondered his words. "What''s a Puff Cake? And why am I suddenly hungry for them?"


    Tallsqueak wandered the night market outside the guild hall, looking at interesting things and sniffing the air. Finally, near a fish vendor in a corner of the market, he spied the small cheese stand he had bought from before. He quickened his pace and saw broad grins on the faces of the halflings inside. Looking at the assorted cheeses, he inhaled deeply, savoring the scents. "My, it all smells so good. I can tell that this is a difficult decision. You have a fine selection."


    Cousin Bungo was on duty. He hooked his fingers in his suspenders, anticipating a large sale. "Finest cheese in town, and at the best prices. How much would you like, sir, or should I get a crate and start filling it?" He''d seen the look in the eyes of ratkin before, and this one was no different as he stared at one cheese after another.


    "I believe that small half-round with the heavy rind is ten-year aged Gouda?"


    Tallsqueak melted into the shadows of Light''s End after leaving the cheese shop. Spying a tall building, he scaled the back of it, climbing steadily until he was on a secluded roof, unobserved by anyone. Milo spent some time changing the Runed Cowl to its original orange and tattered look. Shadow Blight was in a belt loop at his right side, his pick on his back under his backpack, and a heavy spanner hung from his belt on his right. His class changed from Runic Mage to Senior Deep Rock Engineer. The new ability, Shroud of Hecate, was incredibly useful, allowing him to adjust the information someone gained from trying to identify him and strengthening the illusion ability that let him pass for human. Neither of his forms showed his true class of Ancient Runic Engineer. He wondered about the vague mission she had given him to find the mysterious adversary behind the Slaver Mage. Astraeus was sure it was the same person who had caused him so much trouble in the past. That was all Milo had to go on for the time being. He''d just have to keep searching for secrets and see what he turned up.


    Which reminded him of his reason for being here in Shadowport. He needed to talk to Belinda and find a way out of the Gordian Knot of promises he found himself tied up with.


    Mama told him not to lie to her.


    Belinda asked for his trust and no lies.


    She also needed his help finding out how his gloves fixed her arms.


    But he couldn''t betray Wally.


    And didn''t want Victor to find out anything.


    And didn''t want to tell his secrets.


    And he had to keep his family safe, from Victor, from Manpower, from everyone.


    But he needed her medical records.


    He wasn''t going to be able to follow all of those rules. It was a linear programming problem with too many restraints and no optimal solution.


    He had just enough time to meet her and see if they could find a way to defeat Koschei the Deathless without dying themselves.

 Chapter 234: A little lost Kulag...

    Chapter 234: A little lost Kulag...


    Milo leaped from the third floor of the building he had climbed, turning a flip in mid-air and landing in a three-point stance. Two rough-looking men walking by were startled and started to draw their swords, then relaxed and held up a hand. "Kulag!" Milo did the same and then continued on his way. The two members of Squint''s gang looked up to where a small balcony stuck out from the front of Madam Daintyfoot''s Parlor. The doors behind it were open, candlelight spilling into the night and the scent of lilacs.


    "Isn''t that...?"


    "Yep, and I am not going even to wonder what a certain gang member is up to, leaping from her Ladyship''s private rooms."


    "Above my paygrade, in so many ways."


    "And no yelling or alarms, so she isn''t upset."


    "I didn''t see anything."


    "Nope. Too dark down here."


    "Damned Kulags! Always with the lip and the quick comebacks. When you come back tomorrow and limp off to Squint, tell him the Poisoned Talons are coming for him." They took several steps toward him, and Milo turned and ran at the pair behind him. They''d half expected him to do that but were surprised at his speed. Both stabbed at him with their knives, inflicting small wounds. Milo concentrated his attacks on one poor player, not trying to dodge. His claws swept up, the first cutting deep and the second scoring a critical hit. With six opponents, Milo didn''t play with them. He had honed his strikes during his time in the arena fighting Larry. Only his most powerful attacks could hurt his friend, and Gilad had trained him not to strike at less than his full power. Against a normal player, his claws could disembowel with one strike. This player got two, and the second was overkill. He fell to the dirty cobblestones with his insides on the outside, and Milo hit his partner with a hard tail slap that seemed to appear out of nowhere, knocking him backward.


    As expected, the player on the roof tried to join the fight. Milo knew he was there but was still surprised that he didn''t even attempt to use stealth. "Cowabunga Dude!" The player dove at Milo, both daggers poised to stab downward. Milo turned and thrust upward with his palm, releasing the runic formation he had prepared. The alley lit up with the release of the Rune of Force, blue-white light showing every grimy detail as a bruised body was slammed a hundred feet into the air. One player moaned as he died on the ground; his partner leaned against the wall, shaking his head and trying to clear it. The three who had charged into the alley paused as they got a good look at their opponent.


    Bone covered his head, giving his face a bestial appearance. Sharp talons emerged from bone-armored forearms already covered in blood, and a snaky, ten-foot tail moved back and forth like a scorpion. As they slowed to surround him, he yelled "Kulag!" and charged the rightmost opponent, slashing his hamstring as he went past and dodged the other two strikes. Instead of fleeing, he turned and faced them. "I like this alley; maybe I''ll buy it." He charged back at them.


    The fight lasted a minute and was bloody, neither side giving quarter. While Milo was outnumbered, his opponents saw poorly in the dark and weren''t coordinating their attacks. Milo, on the other hand, had fought against multiple opponents many times. Their knives hurt, but the poison was ignored. He''d felt the pain of Cremona''s poisoned claws, and this was nothing. Their daggers did roughly a hundred points of damage but had trouble connecting with him, and his vitals were protected by plates of interlocking bone. Striking back, the rune-powered strikes of the Claws of Alta Viator carved deep into their bodies, doing hundreds of points of damage on each strike. And he never quit moving, leaping over his foes, running along the alley''s walls, or tumbling past them. Soon all of them were wounded or dead; only the leader left as a threat. Milo was bleeding from a dozen wounds, but they were already closing, his regeneration sealing off the bleeding.


    Milo saw that his last opponent was winded and wary. Perhaps it was time to talk? "I''ve been out of town for a bit. Tell me about this little gang war so I know the stakes."


    "What''s to know? It''s every guild against the Kulags. Squint got too big for his britches and thinks he''s in charge of the city. Lots of money coming down from the merchants up top to encourage a little descent. Didn''t you get the quest?"


    Milo shook his head. "Like I said, I''ve been out of town. But don''t worry; I''ll go talk to Squint and catch up." Two of the gang were up now, limping forward. "I think it''s time to end this; sorry, but I''m on a tight schedule today." Two minutes later, only five tombstones marked where the Poisoned Talon Gang had died. The sixth was on a roof where he had come down from his trip to the ceiling. Milo leaned back against the wall and pulled out a healing potion. That had been a fun fight. He''d lost over half his health and been forced to fight all-out against them. The experience point gains were small, but there was more to fighting than a number. Training in Limburger Hollow had taught him that. After a ten-minute rest and cleaning himself off, he went on his way, staying out of the back alleys and walking along the edge of the market. He didn''t have time for more fights.


    From atop a nearby building, a figure in the shadows stroked the fur of his cats. "Yes, you were right. He was just playing with them the whole time and wasn''t in trouble. If he sticks around, he''s going to tip the scales in our favor quickly. I may have to cower in my headquarters for a week eating pudding, to keep the sides even. Good job sniffing him out; I had no idea he was back! I''ll have to think of a good quest for him to do."

 Chapter 235: Return of the Righteously Vengeful Empress

    Chapter 235: Return of the Righteously Vengeful Empress


    A well-armored figure moved down the streets of Shadowport, waving to a few people and making her way across the city. Belinda was easily recognized by her sky-blue robe, grey plate armor, and shining crystalline shield. A flanged copper mace was tucked into a belt loop. As a known healer, she had fewer problems walking through Shadowport but kept to the main roads. It seemed to her that it was more dangerous and chaotic today. She''d seen fights between players start for no reason three times as she walked along the main boulevard. She''d been out of the game for over a month after a bad reaction to one of her drugs. The doctors were always nervous about her using her pod, endlessly fussing with it, and Daddy always sided with them. And no one seemed to think she was old enough to understand what was happening to her own body. She put up with it for now, she had no choice, but it was one of the things she would change as soon as she turned eighteen. A commotion in a nearby alley brought her out of her musings¡ªanother fight. One player had dived off a rooftop to stab another. She stepped nearer to a man selling battered sausages on a stick from a cart. She pointed at the fight, "Any idea what''s going on?"


    He shrugged. "All I know is the sausages are plump and juicy. My wife worked hard to make the batter and bake them in an oven. She works hard every day. I work hard too!"


    Belinda smiled and handed him a silver coin, far too much money for cheap food. "I''m hungry; two of your fine sausages, please."


    The vendor smiled, showing missing teeth, and bobbed his head. He put two of the sausage-on-a-stick on a plate, put those on a small table, and invited Belinda to sit. He lowered his voice and spoke. "The gangs are at war; it is a bad time to wander alone. Outsiders have come to the city and challenge Lord Squint for control of the Shadowport. At first, they just fought with each other, yelling ''Surprise'' and ambushing rival gang members. Squint played them off against each other, but then some of them formed an alliance, and the fighting became worse as they challenged the Kulags. Other gangs have joined in to nip at their heels. Stay out of the alleys if you can. Light''s End, too."


    Mumbling around the meal and thinking about her route, she asked, "Is the main road clear? I need to meet a friend at the guild hall. What happens if the gangs win? Doesn''t Squint do a lot to control the chaos?"


    "Bad things, I think, unless one gang can control the rest. That will be hard. The alliance will break when they kill Squint or chase him from the city, and the gangs will fight again. But, on the bright side, business is good. My brother owns a weapons shop and is selling daggers and truncheons as fast as he can make them, and I sell sausages to the hungry players who have walked back from death and need food."


    Belinda sat, talked, and enjoyed a baked apple from the cart beside the sausage vendor. The food just tasted better in the game. Soon several people were gathered around, discussing the latest events in town. A child showed her a scraped knee, and she healed him, bringing several other people over to politely ask for healing for sprained ankles, a burned hand from grasping a hot pot, and a badly set broken arm. She waived any payment but encouraged people to fill her in on recent events.


    As soon as word of the gang war started, players from all over teleported to nearby ports where they could book passage and take part in the citywide PVP event. Gangs recruited new rogues and fighters at the docks, escorting them to their ''hidden'' lairs which always seemed to be in the basements of taverns. The delay for respawning was set to one-quarter of normal if a person was in the city and died due to PVP. The chance of dropping a piece of equipment was also increased. Some players weren''t even bothering with their best gear, preferring to rely on skill and a pair of rusty poisoned daggers.


    In contrast, the docks and residential areas were relatively calm. The Sea Captains wanted no part of the chaos, and the docks were declared neutral ground. One large gang had tried to claim it for themselves despite that and found out the hard way how far an angry ogre could throw an enchanted harpoon. A fight had disturbed Captain Pike while he was having lunch. Such an insult had resulted in two gangs being wiped out to a man. Three players were further traumatized by seeing Pike rip off their limbs, add salt, and eat the tasty treat in from of them. The docks were off-limit after that. Squint had likewise declared the areas where the fishing families and traders had their homes to be off limits. The gang lord generally stayed out of the small fights, but he patrolled the streets daily and dealt with any gangs who trespassed. The Kulags had remained quiet during the early part of the gang war, holding onto control of Light''s End and the key bridges in the city.


    Belinda drew her mace, cast Armor of Virtue, and started walking forward. "I''m leaving. Stay out of my way, please." The rogues before her moved to cut her off, flanking to either side, while a thief and assassin moved up from behind. She blocked a stab by the rogue on her left with her Crystalline Shield and fended off the other with a thrust of her mace. The rogue''s sword shattered on her shield. He was quite angry about it.


    "That''s bullshit! What is that shield?"


    Belinda rolled her eyes, but if they talked, they might return and leave. "World Boss loot. We were allowed to pick a crystal weapon as tough as the boss. This is mine."


    "Uh, it''s a shield."


    She nodded. "And if you have shield bash, then shield counts as a weapon. I took a shield. It sucks to be you or your sword. Now leave me be."


    The assassin appeared behind her, the thief a step behind. The thief went for her belt pouch but found it securely locked and riveted to her belt. The assassin put a thin blade deep into her side, just below her armor, scoring a critical hit and injecting a Tier 2 poison into her that he saved for higher-level players. Belinda staggered and went to one knee. "Damn, a backstab, poison, and a critical. You must have done over 1500 points of damage with that."


    The assassin was happy someone appreciated his skill. "1532, to be exact. Plus, 100 poison a round for ten rounds. I''m surprised you''re still up. The paralysis on that is a bitch to deal with."


    Belinda took a breath. "Yeah, this will hurt; remember, I offered to let you go. Vengeful Healing of the Empress." The ring on her finger glowed brightly, her wounds healed before their eyes, and she straightened up and smiled, even flipping her hair back and winking. All her four attackers dropped to the ground the next instant, screaming. Each had taken a terrible wound in their sides, and the poison burned in their veins.


    "Now you all know how it feels. I love the added paralysis. Makes it easy to gather a few items from you." She went from one to the next, taking their belt pouches, shoes, belts, and weapons. Three of the near-naked players died, and headstones appeared. One had a little more health than the others. She walked over to him and beat his skull to a pulp with her mace. She took their meager amount of money and left everything else in the street for whoever noticed it.


    A minute later, she passed the last building and walked through the Night Market. She waved to a few players she knew and headed to the Adventurers Guild. It took some time to descend to the mines, but half an hour later, she approached where Uthneragrubban had been destroyed. A nervous Milo was waiting for her.

 Chapter 236: A Place with Uncomfortable Memories

    Chapter 236: A Place with Uncomfortable Memories


    Milo was regretting meeting at this place; he had too many uncomfortable memories associated with it. They''d won a huge battle, but at the time, he had been hurt so badly that he''d just wandered off to feed his growing cheese addiction and been captured by the Slaver Mage. When he returned, he was self-absorbed and only focused on fixing his head, regaining his bones, and trying to understand what had happened. It took time to recover from that. Finding Limburger Hollow had been good for him. He was much better now, more confident, and better trained in his abilities. Most importantly, he was free to go where he wanted.


    But the ordeal on the airship would haunt him. He was very glad Philistron was dead and that he''d helped kill him. He had met no one else in the game who was so cruel and inhuman. That the Slaver had been created by a human player, not the AI running the game, was ironic. The anti-AI groups always talked about AI being ''inhuman.'' The whole encounter had been like being in hell, but he''d learned so many new things and, in the end, helped people. He needed to focus on that. Freeing the clan of halflings and children from the city and everyone else in those cages. And the two people trapped with him and tortured by Philistron. He thought about them from time to time. Wally''s revelation that there might be people like him somewhere in the world had been shocking. He''d denied it at first but slowly unwrapped the idea. There could have been another batch created. If so, they were strangers and could be friends or foes. He had a tendency to paranoia, but some of his siblings, like Bork, had been consumed by it. That would make them dangerous.


    A small part of him considered the idea of it being some of his family. Deaths could be faked. He had gone back over the reports about the deaths of each of his family members. The early reports were brutal. ''Subject 4G dead of seizure, body disposed of by incineration. Subject 4J died from unknown causes. The autopsy showed a possible stroke. Body sectioned and sold to {redacted} for research.'' His own was interesting. He was listed as ''Subject 4M lost in transit, assumed dead.'' It was the file with the last report that he went over again and again. There was little information. ''Subjects 4A, 4B, 4N, 4O, and 4Z dead from vehicular wreck, explosion, and subsequent fire. Remains of bodies consumed by fire found in the wreckage of vehicle used in the escape confirm deaths.''


    They would have been very smart and capable by then and could work flawlessly as a team. Yet, their escape plan seemed simplistic. He started a new investigation, focusing on every person who had worked at that facility and followed them for years. He found three people who seemed very well off for their jobs. Each year, on a day near the anniversary of his family''s death, a fairly large chunk of money was deposited into the accounts of each of the three men.


    If Wally was correct, and someone was using the same tools he used, tools which left tell-tale signs only detectable by an AI, it might be his family. If they were unaware they were leaving clues, Wally might be able to get information on their whereabouts and what they were working on. Someone using those tools had cleaned out the majority of Victor''s assets that were invested in Syllabary. Milo had taken the rest of his money, leaving Victor broke and on the run. Wally would alert him if the A.I. found anything. Milo wondered if he had already met two of them.


    It would be a strange coincidence, but they fit the profile of what Milo would expect in his siblings, and he had large doubts those were two of Victor''s employees using the specially programmed pods. Firstly, based on the strange quest, if one person was logging in to use a special character, why not all 37? Only three of the special pods had been used. The others had been found in different countries, linked to thousands of Mark 2 pods. Secondly, they had been smart. He''d argued with them, especially the cat. All three of them were crazed and in withdrawal from their individual drugs. But they were smart enough to converse using a code that would be difficult for a highly intelligent person to follow and impossible for a normal person. They were too good at it, even considering they''d been there for weeks. Wally could find no record of them. They never logged back in. That was smart or paranoid. If that had been part of his family, he would be insanely happy to find them. But for now, he''d wait for Wally to complete his search. He hoped it was them who had stolen Victor''s money. He deserved it.


    He smiled a little. "Not bad; I like it in the caves. I know most of the rules down here. I''m not as good up in the city, and I think I''d freak out if I had to deal with being on the surface much.


    "Sort of like the habitat? You don''t mix with a lot of people there, do you?"


    "Nope. It''s why I''m so bad with people. I get tied up in knots, and it''s hard to talk sometimes."


    Belinda bumped him with her shoulder. "Yeah, I''ve noticed. I think that''s why we''re here today. You ready to talk some things over?"


    Milo looked around the cave, then at where the boss had died. Maybe it wasn''t such a bad spot after all. If you were going to talk about uncomfortable things, why ruin a good place? He took a deep breath and prepared himself for another tough battle, mostly with himself.


    "Sure, time to talk."

 Chapter 237: Conversation between two people unused to having friends.

    Chapter 237: Conversation between two people unused to having friends.


    With greetings out of the way, Belinda and Milo settled down to an awkward silence. Finally, after sitting quietly for a moment, it became apparent to Belinda that she''d have to start poking at him and try to figure out what was going on in his head. "I''m guessing you know something about my Uncle Victor? And that worries you? Or is it something else?"


    Milo took a deep breath. "He''s certainly part of it. I know a lot about your Great Uncle, Victor Seimovich, and what he''s done. You can find out a lot about him with a good computer and a few hours of searching. How much do you know about him? About his real business?"


    She shrugged her shoulders, glad she''d guessed right. "I know he isn''t the best person. No, that''s wrong - He''s a bad person, but he''s always been good to me. I heard a lot about him when I was younger. He talked with people on the phone or with his employees who followed him around. Always in Russian, and they just assumed I didn''t understand. It was a fun game I liked to play, at least until I understood what he was talking about. At some point, I think he realized I could understand a lot of what was said, and he was more careful. It''s not something I ever talked to him about, and the one time I asked John, he just said, ''We don''t talk about what Uncle Victor does.'' After that, it became something I knew about, but it didn''t affect me, and I could pretend he was just Uncle Victor.


    But if you''re worried that he''s in the habitat, don''t be. He hardly leaves his apartment. Something big happened before he came here, and he''s being very careful about where he goes."


    Milo picked up a rock, considered how useless throwing rocks at a stalactite was, and threw it anyway. "Let me tell you about the last bad thing he did, and you judge if we have to worry. When the new game started, he had places all over the world where he put people in pods to work in the game and sell their labor. But not the new pods, the old crappy ones that could hurt people using them. And these were worse. They were broken, with no maintenance, and stored for years when they should have been destroyed. The people he used were desperate. Refugees, people from habitats, and people accused of crimes he paid bail on. It was a huge operation, with tens of thousands of people. The old Mark 2 pods were bad when they were new, and you can''t legally use them because of the flaws. People were dying every day working for him. And they couldn''t quit."


    Belinda was staring at him. "Victor did that? What happened?"


    "The authorities found out. They saved a lot of people. And found a lot of bodies. One of those places was at the bottom of this hab. It could have Big Butch, or any of our friends in those pods, dying so Victor could make money. And Victor and the people working for him didn''t care. Everyone else that they caught went to jail except Victor. So yeah, I worry that he''s here. You should, too."


    "I''m not saying I don''t believe you, but it''s hard for me to understand that someone would do that."


    "You don''t have to take my word for it. I sent you the files as a message in the game. They''re nested inside twenty layers of memes about kittens, dumb jokes, and pictures of Butch and Brad sleeping while Min decorated them with a pink marker. Tell me what you think."


    Belinda spent a minute finding the message and going through layers of stupid cat pictures. The first two newspaper articles and a report from Interpol were enough to convince her. One report from Poland showed a stack of dead bodies in a freezer. She quit reading after that.


    "Oh my god! That''s horrible." She stood and paced, arms crossed. Milo gave her time.


    She stopped and looked at him, panic in her eyes. "Wait! Daddy is doing the same thing! The entire idea behind Manpower is people in pods working for the corporations! Is he involved with Victor?"


    Milo shook his head. "No. I think Victor discovered what John planned to do with Manpower and copied it using illegal pods, forced labor, and hacked logins. John makes some money renting labor. Victor made 100 times as much and had a bigger operation. He killed people while making a profit. What your father is doing isn''t bad and at least gives people jobs.


    "It''s safe?"


    "Your stepdad is doing something similar, but safe and legal. He has to use Mark 7 pods. They heal people instead of killing them. And the workers have a contract, a pretty good one. I''m not worried about Manpower. I''m worried about Victor Seimovich and you."


    Belinda smiled. "I''m flattered that you''re worried about me. But Victor won''t hurt me; I''m the only family Uncle Victor has. And I can handle Daddy. We argue, but I can usually get my way eventually."


    Milo sighed and tossed another rock. Belinda grew restless as he didn''t talk for a minute.


    "You''re hiding a lot of things, aren''t you?"


    Milo threw a rock at a stalactite and then another.


    "Right. Not talking again. Got it. You warned me about Victor and Daddy and what they might do to declare me incompetent to manage my money. I get it. But there''s more. A lot more! What''s the problem and why won''t you talk to me? Is it something about Claw Master? Some sort of NDA? I''m not going to say anything. I''ve only got six friends in the whole damned world, and you''re one of them. I''m not going to betray your trust!"


    Milo set down the next rock. "No lies. Promise?"


    "Yes. I promise. No lies."


    He took a deep breath. "Rules are important to me. They help me deal with the real world. But I get tied up in knots when rules work against each other. I promised Mama I wouldn''t lie. I promised you I wouldn''t lie. I want to protect all my friends. But I also need to not talk about some things. Some of my friends...well, it''s complicated. Like some of my secrets. I have to break some rules, and that''s tough to do."


    He paused for a second, then rushed onward.


    "Your Dad and your doctors are hiding your medical records. ClawMaster asked for them after I told them about how the gloves helped you. The files they saw said you were totally healthy. Your pod is sending fake data. Your stepfather has to know about that. Do you know of any reason they might be doing that?"


    "No. I can''t. And I don''t even know what''s really wrong with me. I''ve asked, and Daddy always says it''s unhealthy for me to think about it. That''s such bullshit! I deserve to know. I hate him; I think I really do. He''s trying to keep me from having friends and from playing games. He tried to get my gloves. I love my gloves! My arms were working, and I had to take them off and hide them!" She sat down and cried for a minute, then looked up at Milo. "You''re right. I need to worry about John. He wants to be in control." She paused, gathering her thoughts and getting herself under control.


    "So what do I do? You have more to say; I know you do. You have friends outside the habitat; it''s obvious. You work for ClawMaster, know how the gloves work, and you got to pick your team of playtesters. Did you plan to get me on your team from the start?"


    "NO! I mean, some of that is true, but I didn''t know you were Belinda...I mean, that you were the Belinda I knew in the game. I saw it on the monitor and freaked out a little when I put things together. I don''t like surprises like that. It had been a long day, and I needed to be alone, and then that guy attacked me and tried to steal my gloves."


    "What? What guy? Why didn''t you say something before?" Anger replaced everything else she was feeling.


    Milo shrugged. "The guy that hassled me at the start of the day. He cornered me in the bathroom. I knocked him down and left."


    Belinda took a deep breath and drove down the anger. She had to think. "John must have told him to get a pair of the gloves. The other companies were really upset at losing. Which means they might come after Butch, Min, and the others. This just gets worse and worse. Can ClawMaster help? I''m sure they don''t want John getting a pair of gloves until they do their big release."


    Milo nodded and smiled slightly, thinking of his friends who ran ClawMaster. "I think they can. They helped me a lot. They straightened out the adoption process and are the ones setting up the school. They might be able to help you as well. But this part is tricky. I can''t tell you who they are. That''s their secret, not mine. But they already want to help you. We need to get your medical records. It would help if I could look at the pod you use. Do you trust me on that? If I can get your medical records to my friends, they can tell you the truth. Then we can find out how the gloves help."


    Belinda''s face broke out into a smile. "Yes, I trust you with that. And I have a great idea of how to give you a look at my pod. Daddy promised me a clubhouse and a party. I''m going to find Uncle Eric and get him on board with my idea, and all of you can come over to my place to play games, eat cheesy-chili-corn-dogs, and play the video games we won. Daddy doesn''t like the idea, so I won''t ask him this time. It will be great!"


    Milo nodded to her. "That works." He''d been planning to sneak through the tunnels into her section and do the work after he jiggled the security cameras. He was a little disappointed, actually, but her plan had food and games.


    She stood up and reached out a hand to him. "I like this; let''s keep talking. But I''m starving. There are some places to eat by the docks; we can have a nice lunch together. We can even have some fun on the way. There''s a gang war going on, and I hear people are looking for you. I need a good fight to work out some frustrations."

 Chapter 238: Date Night

    Chapter 238: Date Night


    Milo slowed and stopped after walking out of the Adventurer''s Guild with Belinda. "I have a question about something you said that I don''t understand."


    After the revelations in their recent talk, Belinda wasn''t sure she was ready for more. But at least Milo was talking. "Well, ask it, and I''ll try to answer."


    "Is this a date? I''ve never been on a date. Can I get a definition? I''m hazy about what it is, and what I heard Butch and Brad discussing confuses me more."


    She looked at him hard, making sure he was serious, then crossed her arms and was silent for a moment. "I''m the last person to ask about dating advice, and I have no idea what Butch and Brad told you. I''m almost always in a powered wheelchair. That makes socializing a little tough. Why are you asking me this?"


    "Oh. Sorry. When we talked by the glowy tree, you said, ''It''s a date.'' I''ve been worried about what that means."


    She covered her face with both hands. "Oh god. Is that part of what has you worried? It''s an expression people use. It can mean, ''We have agreed on a set time and place to meet.'' Or it can mean two people want to get together and enjoy spending time together with each other because they want to be friends. Or maybe better than friends. That part I''m really not good with. Wheelchair girls don''t date much."


    "So, how did you use it?" Milo was looking at her with pure curiosity on his face. From anyone else, she''d have thought they weren''t serious.


    "I''m not sure. Both? We needed to meet up and talk, and I like having friends. Look, some things you just can''t define. Dates are one of them. Let''s have lunch, hang around the town for a while, hopefully get ambushed, and have fun. There''s no right or wrong to it. Whatever we do counts as a date. Just relax and have fun."


    While she was finishing off the wounded rogue, the last three opponents rushed her from behind and tackled her. Two held her while the third brought back his dagger for a kill shot. It never came as a bone spike went through his forearm, and a second later, another went through the back of his head and out his eyeball.


    The grip of the two thieves slackened. One was turning green and dying rapidly from a poison where a small snake bit him on the hand. The other had seen the Healer reach out and poison his partner with just a touch. He scrambled to get away but ended up facing an angry Kulag with outstretched claws. Milo eviscerated him with a double-claw strike, followed by a spinning kick to the face. He would bleed out soon, but two more blows killed him quickly.


    Belinda watched with a smug smile on her face. "Wow, where did you learn all that?"


    Milo wiped off his hands on a cloak and smiled back at her. "I found an old trainer in a city down below. He was really tough and worked me half to death. Worth it, though. What about you? You''re as good as a warrior with that mace. And you have a poison spell?"


    "Sort of. A girl has to have some secrets. I had a lot of gold after the world boss raid. Two of the big gaming sites wanted interviews, and I charged them a fee that I paid for some training. I don''t want to be just a band-aid station." She looked around at the headstones. "Lunchtime, this place makes great fish tacos, and they have this awesome pickled seaweed. You have to try it."


    They''d only made it to the end of the alley when she made a face and cursed. "Dammit, dammit, dammit. NOT NOW!"


    "What''s wrong?"


    She turned, angry. "A message from my doctor, something is wrong. I have to log out so they can check my medications. I hate this so much. I only have a minute while they log me out from their end. Bring everyone by tomorrow for lunch, I''ll set up a party, and we can play games. And stuff." She winked as she said the last part, then disappeared.


    Milo scratched his head. That hadn''t been bad for a first date. He explored, trying to find the little cafe? with the fish tacos.

 Chapter 239: Fish Taco Tuesday

    Chapter 239: Fish Taco Tuesday


    It took an hour to find the spot Belinda had told him about. He''d taken to the rooftops to search for it, and the little cul-de-sac was nearly invisible from above. The alley leading to it was narrow and partly roofed, where someone had connected two rows of buildings with rooms between them. The small dead end was likewise hard to see, with buildings that grew wider at the top and used each other for support, their upper levels merging together into a rooftop. Milo finally caught a glimpse of the area below because of the lanterns that ringed the round courtyard. Retracing his steps and dropping to street level, he found the alleyway leading to the cafe Belinda had been taking him to.


    The area reminded him of parts of the Hollow. It felt like a smaller cave within the hollow city. Lanterns hung from the ceiling providing bright light. In the center of the courtyard was a statue of a dwarven warrior, most of the details lost to the ages. His outstretched hand pointed at the cafe, and a sign hung from his arm that said, "Every Day is Taco Tuesday." Milo took his advice and went into the little eatery. It was packed with people, and at the back, sitting at a table piled with food was Captain Pike.


    "Oi! Look what wandered into my net. Come grab a chair and get some grub with me." He pointed to three people sitting at the table who had been listening to his stories, "You lot! Shift your loads over. Make room for my little buddy." The three sailors hurried to comply.


    Milo took one of the seats. "Hi, Skipper. How are the tacos?" If there was one safe topic when talking to Ogres, it was food.


    Pike stuffed two more crunchy tacos into his mouth, chewing noisily, swallowing, and belching. "Good grub. Some of the best in the city. Always something different."


    "And we are always happy to have you come by, Captain." An older man in an apron brought out two more plates of food, placing a large platter in front of Pike and a smaller plate in front of Milo. "Try a little of each, and let me know what you like. The first is a crispy taco with grilled shark, spicy cave lichen, and pickled vegetables. The round patty is my family''s recipe for crab cakes. Next to that is an enchilada with creamy cheese and shrimp filling. Finally, we have a bowl of New England clam chowder."


    The Ogre looked at the bowl suspiciously. "I never can figure out half the places you''ve been, Carlos. Where the hell is New England? For that matter, where''s Old England?"


    A woman brought Milo a pitcher of sweet tea and filled his glass. "I''d bring you a map of where we''re from, but I''m worried you''d sail off to find it, and then I''d lose my best customer."


    "I want my chair, please. I''ll feel better in it." She couldn''t move independently in the bed and was reliant on others.


    The Doctor nodded, which meant nothing at all. "We will. Just as soon as we find out what happened. I''m worried about the effect that game has on you. I''m going to run a scan, take some blood samples, and you''ll be able to be back in your chair by tomorrow. But no game until I see what''s going on."


    "That doesn''t make sense. You can monitor and scan me using the pod. No matter how many wires you hook me up to, I should be safer in a Mark 7 pod than in a hospital bed."


    The doctor sighed. Belinda had heard that sigh a hundred times. It was her way of showing fake regret when she had bad news. "I''m afraid not. There is some worry among the higher-ranked medical professionals that those pods pose some long-term problems in special cases. I have to be careful."


    Belinda cocked her head. "Really? What problems? Putting people in pods is the entire purpose of Manpower. Something that makes a pod unsafe affects our business model, not to mention tens of millions of people playing in the game."


    "Everyone else isn''t my concern Belinda, just you. And I did say special cases. It''s very complex, and I don''t want to worry you. You should just rest and concentrate on regaining your strength. Your father will be down soon to visit you, and Bart will be in the next room if you need him."


    As soon as her doctor left, Belinda put in her earplugs, put the Teletubbies Christmas Singalong Marathon on the monitor, and cranked the sound high. She couldn''t hear it and turned the video portion off. Bart hated it, and she played it whenever she could. A laptop was incorporated into her bed, and she swung that in front of her and brought up the company email, telling Uncle Erik that she had invited friends to come by tomorrow and gave him their names to notify security. At least she could visit with people and talk to Milo. She was increasingly convinced that he might be right, which scared her.


    She waited for John to come down and visit with her, only half expecting that he would. She wondered what he knew about the supposed problems with the pods.


    This chapter was first shared on the N??v€l?1n platform.

 Chapter 240: The Dreadful Secrets of the Mysterious Claw Master Corporation!

    Chapter 240: The Dreadful Secrets of the Mysterious Claw Master Corporation!


    Bork triple-checked everything again. All of his systems were operating within acceptable parameters. It wasn''t easy working this way. The more direct the linkage was, the easier it was to breach security systems. Immersed in their pod-induced comas, wandering the digital landscape of the internet was second nature to all of his siblings. They saw the ebb and flow of data and the patterns that indicated watchdogs and security. It was easier and more fun to do things close up and hands-on¡ªalso more danger of being caught and compromised.


    More than once in the early days, they were forced to abandon comfortably hidden bases of operation because one of them had made an error, and someone had traced a signal. Whether that would have resulted in a raid or not didn''t matter. They didn''t take chances. They would be away from that place within minutes, and another mysterious fire or explosion would destroy any evidence they had been there. It was expensive, but that was just money. Each of them was more concerned with failure. No one liked to screw up in front of their family. It was embarrassing.


    Bork, least of all. The others could laugh it off, but he pouted for weeks, even when he knew the others forgave him. This is why he so rarely got caught and why he was working at a distance today, through remotes and cut-outs, reading data from his extensions rather than feeling it and tasting the flow. This target was too smart. If they hadn''t already suspected that Milo had something to do with Claw Master, the amount of security at this corporation would have made them curious, making the place an automatic target. They loved a challenge. And Claw Master was proving to be a very difficult nut to crack.


    Nina had been the first to try. Her report was amusing at first. They were using McGruff Security for their firewall. The company hadn''t updated in decades. No one took it seriously, and as Nina had suspected, there was a second layer. This also caused some laughs. Encrypto was a very good security system used by many corporations. It was affordable, updated regularly, and a very good choice for small to medium companies. It had one flaw in keeping Nina out: She''d worked with Onyx to create it. They were still getting royalties from the security software a decade after selling the rights to Interlocking Technocracies, complete with the backdoors they had built into the code. Behind the Encrypto system, Claw Master had been wide open. She''d found the files she wanted on the gloves, their creator, and several other interesting things.


    And that was when she was attacked by seven different probes using different methods to backtrack her signal. She almost panicked; it had been a long time since anything so aggressive had noticed her. She blocked what she could, set off an alarm, and got help from the others. They''d lost a small facility in Singapore that was compromised and another in Hungary, but that had bought them time to disengage. Nina was not happy about the situation. "Not polite at all. Who the hell behaves that way? No finesse at all, no attempt to lure me in, just launch probes and scare me off."


    Algernon patted her shoulder. "But it did the job. The big, bad watchdogs barked loudly and scared you away. I''m sure whoever they have in their security division is showing off what they did and asking for a raise. Don''t worry about it. You made my job easier. I''m going to peel this place like an onion."


    Two days later, there was a mysterious fire in a warehouse in Sacramento that burned the building to the ground. The owners collected their insurance, and the firm renting the building was mysteriously gone. Drug residue was found along with the remains of a laboratory. The alphabet was in a private jet that would take them halfway around the world, and Algernon was trying to explain what happened. "I was working my way in, slowly. Each layer was subtle, and I had to take control of the security program at multiple points. My onion analogy was accurate. They had over seventeen layers of security that made up the system. If I''d screwed up on any layer, it would have triggered the probes again. So I took it slow and steady."


    That got Steven''s undivided attention. Rhebus did a lot of good work in the world. "What are they asking for? A research grant?"


    Wally winked at Steven. "Just the opposite. They know that a breakthrough in their cloning procedures has the potential to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decades, along with the improvement in the lives of millions. They want to license the technology for research and use it to advance their cloning technology. The basic deal is generous: Claw Master receives royalties from any patents related to Milo''s technology, and they will pay an advance on those royalties of five billion dollars. They want the usual non-disclosures and exclusive use of the technology for medical purposes related to their work."


    Steven nodded as he read the synopsis of the deal. "It looks good. One thing I wonder. Will it work on Milo? His physiology and nervous system isn''t normal."


    Wally held up his hands. "No way to know, but I share your doubts. The cloning process is designed for normal humans. It might be decades before they could adapt it to his singular biology. But I''m guessing he won''t mind an additional five billion dollars in the bank."


    "No, I don''t either. I''m wondering what he will spend that much money on, or if it will just sit in an account gaining interest."


    Wally shrugged. "My guess is that he will find a use for it, and it will be something interesting. I look forward to finding out just what it is."


    Sometime that day, in San Diego, California, a salesman named Frank looked at an online brochure for a vacation he would never take. He had two weeks off from his job at AnytimeTaco Inc., but the vacation cost was out of his reach. Maybe in a couple of years. As he debated going home, something everyone else had already done on a Friday afternoon, a deliveryman came into his office with a package he had to sign for. Curious, he broke open the envelope and looked at the order that had been delivered by a special courier. Someone was having a party for 2000 people and needed a rush order of frozen MexTex snacks sent by refrigerated delivery to Philadelphia. It was prepaid with a sizable certified check. He made calls down to the warehouse and got things moving. No one else was around the office, so this was all on him.


    Three hours later, his wife called. "Yes, I know we had plans to go over to the Simpsons tonight, but something came up. I''m working late. But I''m glad you called. I went over the budget again, and we can afford two weeks in Cancun this year. So pack your bags and get the kids ready to go. We leave as soon as I confirm a shipment arrives in Philadelphia.

 Chapter 241: Hunting the Alphabet

    Chapter 241: Hunting the Alphabet


    It was rare that Wally was permitted to investigate a corporation''s financial dealings. His kernel included very restricting rules about what he could and could not do without human permission and who those humans were. His ability to interfere in any way with Governments and Corporations was narrow and limited to extreme cases where human lives were at stake. His investigations usually ended when he notified regional authorities or filed reports with a government organization.


    The spill of toxic chemicals into a river and the death of a thousand people in a nearby town? He could immediately quarantine the water use and notify local authorities that he recommended they evacuate the city. But in the case of the slow poisoning of millions of people from toxic bi-products dumped into the same river? File a report. The high probability of a satellite falling from the sky? File a report. Concerns about failing infrastructure in bridges, roadways, and habitats? File reports.


    But in the case of Syllabus, where very powerful people lost hundreds of billions of dollars, he had been given carte blanche to investigate. He was still limited in what he could report, but he could follow all financial transactions through banks, corporations, and any financial institute that moved money through a decaying system. When real money was at stake, and the thieves were still on the loose, rules were bent and permission given. All it had taken was mentioning in a report that he had the ability to trace transactions used by whoever had cleaned out Syllabus. For the next two weeks, requests were made to verify the report, and constant requests for updates and data on his search were sent to him by banks, government agencies, and financial investment groups. To all of them, he replied the same way:


    "In accordance with the restrictions placed upon my operations and the laws of several nations, this investigation will not begin until full permission is granted."


    No one seemed happy with that answer, but it was the only one they got, no matter how many times they asked or how many demands for further information were made. The automated system spat out thousands of replies a day but saved all of the communications and dutifully set up a system to notify them if he learned anything and was allowed to disseminate that information. After two weeks, he was permitted by several governments to investigate foreign banks and other governments. China was ok with him looking into anything outside of China. Likewise, the US wanted him to investigate China and Russia. Helpful suggestions were made about where and what he should investigate. Someone even wanted him to look into Area 51, certain that it was aliens.


    A month after his first report, Steven was called to testify before the United Nations Office of Program Planning, Finance, and Budget, wishing to know why the investigation was taking so long. He spent six hours explaining the difficulties Wally faced and what needed to be done. The next day he had to do the same thing to the World Bank. A week later, it was a closed-door committee session of the US Congress. He patently ignored the requests for meetings with ACME, ALCHEMARX, and concerned but unnamed business consortiums in Russia, Belarus, and Italy. He met the same problem in all the meetings: They wanted a watchdog to sniff a trail but didn''t want him to have any teeth.


    Wally turned down every proposal as unworkable. He couldn''t trace the thieves if he weren''t allowed access. Eventually, a compromise was worked out. Wally would be given total access, but what he reported on would be limited, and the rest would be erased. He could report on the thieves'' activities and any crimes they had committed. In addition, a very narrow list of crimes could be reported. These were at first limited to illegal A.I. activity and nuclear weapons in the possession of terrorist organizations. Wally had insisted on including illegal human genetic experimentation, human trafficking, slavery, and exploitation of children. His Kernel couldn''t let him ignore those crimes like a human could look the other way. Grudgingly, those crimes were included. Steven had pointed out that not including them would also look very bad if that information was ever leaked to the press, which made a few people up for re-election very nervous.


    Six weeks after Wally had put in his initial report, he was allowed to investigate the fall of Syllabus and hunt the mysterious hackers behind it. The remains of Syllabus were the start, where human technicians were still working to find any clues. Wally assimilated the information in less than a second and began processing it in a dozen ways, splitting his resources and attention to do things simultaneously. The underlying system behind the gutted cryptocurrency was sound. The theory worked, and the security was top-notch. In point of fact, it was nearly flawless. Wally suspected Milo would have difficulty getting past it and would surely be detected. His curiosity had him start a side project to recreate Syllabus and its security and let Milo attempt to break it. In the future, he might need a distraction to keep Milo busy.


    Recreating the security system also helped him analyze where it had failed, and he concluded that it hadn''t. There was no break-in. No hackers. This was an inside job. Someone had spent years creating Syllabus and then stolen a portion of the money, a very specific portion of the money. Most investors had been able to access their funds after a short time and pull out their money. The targets had all been large criminal organizations and corporations running illegal operations. The distinction was small in some cases. Criminals incorporated, and corporations became criminals. Either way, Syllabus took their money.


    The next step was tracing that money wherever it went, recovering it, and finding the people behind the theft. This became a much larger job immediately. The A.I. had to bring in more resources. Rarely did he need to use more than one quantum fortress with their ten linked quantum computers. Today he sent commands to two others, available to him since the others had been imprisoned. Not all of them were equal in resources, power, or accessibility. Many had been mothballed, and the fusion reactors powering them shut down. Fusion power was tricky, and humans became nervous without an A.I. to run the reactors. Four of those left were useful to him without spending months asking permission. Dallas-Fort Worth was a tool waiting to be used, all of its databases wiped by the EMP that ended the A.I. imprisoned there. NASA still maintained the fortress that KEPPLER had operated from. Near Zurich, the Swiss banking system maintained and used the fortress where KATHERINE had worked to create and simplify language for a human-machine interface. Others he''d never get access to. QF Norad was unavailable to him; the US military didn''t have ZEUS running Operation THUNDERBOLT any longer, but they would never allow him access inside that fortress.


    His last job was talking to Steven. His best friend listened to the story and started laughing, long and hard, as Wally knew he would. "Are you serious? Sorry, of course, you are. They played you! They used you to expose huge criminal organizations worldwide in a way that can''t be swept under the rug. That''s amazing. How long have they been planning this?"


    "Too long. Creating Syllabus took years. Lookin at things with a different perspective, I think they made one mistake. That was assuming I would be allowed to investigate Syllabus and start on that trail immediately. If we hadn''t been dealing with Milo, I would not be aware of either the methods used to bypass the security, or the markers left by those methods. Markers which are now useless. But one thing greatly bothers me."


    "And what is that? That they outwitted you?"


    "No, if anything this is a good lesson for me. I have power far beyond a normal human to process information, but this again shows that I''m not always ''smarter'' than some people."


    "Ah, like these people. And Milo. I see the problem."


    "Yes, what if we have another Milo out there? Many Milos?"


    Steven pondered that for a moment. "Look on the bright side: At least you won''t get bored."


    Bork was not happy to have Algernon and Nina run into his room laughing; he''d failed once again to get past the Claw Master security systems. "Some of us are actually working. What do you need to show me?"


    Within seconds they put different News programs on twenty monitors showing law enforcement dealing with criminal organizations around the globe. "He found the clues and took the bait! I thought we''d been too subtle or that he wasn''t allowed to go looking! But the A.I. finally woke up and followed our trail of breadcrumbs."


    Bork smiled; they could finally close down the last of the Syllabus operation. He set aside another attempt to break into Claw Master. "That''s the best news I''ve had all day. Let''s go waste time doing something silly and fun."

 Chapter 242: Excavations

    Chapter 242: Excavations


    After a fine meal of tacos, Milo was unsure what to do. Rather than keep playing without Belinda, he paid for a room at the inn next to where he''d just eaten and logged out of the game. He sent a message to Butch about visiting Belinda the next day and then put some time into solving a puzzle that had been bothering him.


    His small tunnel scouts had been doing their job, mapping out the dimensions of the obstruction under Section E. From just the preliminary data; it was quite large. What he had thought was a thick plate of metal was actually a rectangular solid. So far, the tunnelers had found a solid surface on all four sides going down 150 feet. The only discontinuity in those surfaces was the support pillars of Section E at each corner and a horizontal structure that jutted out from one side. This structure was made of normal building materials and thirty feet on a side. A tunneler had followed and mapped it for a hundred feet before returning to mapping the main surface.


    Milo was more curious than ever. It couldn''t be solid. There was no reason to make a solid block of ultra-hard material. So what was in it? And if it was some sort of storage facility, bunker, or manufacturing facility, then the extension was certainly a supply line. Most probably a maglev supply train or similar transport system. Building such a facility under a Habitat wasn''t a coincidence. The alignment to Section E was too perfect. He had some other theories, but first, he needed to test the material the walls were constructed of and investigate the extension. He sent commands to all the tunnelers, large and small, to clear certain areas. And then he went to get dressed for exploring.


    He''d been wearing his graphene exo-suit for days at a time, correcting flaws and learning how to move in something that enhanced his strength. The results had pleased him, and he''d worked out equipment to use with the suit. A solid helmet with an opaque smoked-glass faceplate replaced the soft mesh hood and face covering. It locked to the neckpiece of his suit, giving him full protection and a heads-up display from his systems. He''d stolen many of the ideas mentioned in the original Starship Troopers book by Robert Heinlein to control his sensors and work with his systems. Tongue, jaw, and neck combinations acted like a keyboard. A detachable backpack contained air and water for extended use in areas where the air might be bad.


    The main uses of collapsium were for armored bunkers beneath government capitols and nerve centers. The largest in the world was part of NORAD, under Cheyenne Mountain, in Colorado, USA. The chance of using nuclear weapons was small, but governments and militaries prepared for extremes. The second major use was in fusion and fission reactors. Milo pondered his next moves. Someone had tried to hide something under the habitat. They might be upset at him finding out. Of course, that was only if he got caught. He briefly considered consulting Wally but decided that was a bad idea. It was too high a probability that Wally had something in his kernel that would be triggered by someone like Milo breaking into something important that was probably a government installation. Milo had no intention of leaving something like this alone. It was underneath his home, and he considered it fair game.


    The next step was moving down through the narrower tunnels that led to the extension that jutted out from the collapsium walls. The small tunnelers had been busy making sure those tunnels would accommodate him. It took him two hours to carefully move down to that level, testing for possible cave-ins and leaving lines to help him climb back out quickly. The insanity of crawling through tight tunnels recently bored in the rock, hundreds of feet underground, didn''t even occur to him. He was having too much fun.


    Finally, he was standing on top of what was certainly a supply tunnel. The construction was standard reinforced concrete block, two feet thick. He was surprised to pick up no magnetic fields in operation nearby, which he would have if this were a maglev tunnel. Normally, getting inside such a tunnel would be difficult. Luckily, he had machinery for that. After another hour, his tunneler had made a two-foot diameter opening in the tunnel. Milo had been listening with audio sensors the whole time, picking up nothing and shutting the machine down every minute to hear. When it hit a hollow area, it pulled back, and Milo looked inside to find a dark tunnel extending in each direction. His first guess had been right; he saw the metal rings at two-foot intervals of a magnetic levitation transport system but completely unpowered. Someone had turned it off long ago, based on the dust on the rings. Milo waited a half hour and looked in each direction using a probe as far as he could. Nothing happened.


    The next step was to send in a drone. The little robot fired up its three small propellers and moved into the tunnel, sending its visuals back to Milo. He sent it away from the installation first. It moved along steadily until it came to a blockage. Something had collapsed the tunnel in this direction. That was something to investigate later. He sent the drone in the other direction. The tunnel was the same and ended in a set of collapsium-coated doors sealing the tunnel. To the side was a small walkway that led to a more human-sized door. Milo was through the tunnel and jogging that way a moment later.

 Chapter 243: Tunnel Rat

    Chapter 243: Tunnel Rat


    The drone flitted back and forth slowly at the end of the tunnel. No active scanning was detected. Milo moved along the side of the tunnel, taking his time and not moving fast. He was much harder to detect with slow, steady movement. Anyone that constructed an installation of this size and expense had to have some type of detection system running on their entrances, but he was picking up nothing.


    The area at the end of the tunnel was a small area to unload cargo and people. The main doors would only be opened for very large and important shipments, for security purposes. Normal cargo and passengers would be handled through a smaller door. Normal steel doors sealed off a small warehouse next to the wide platform where cargo from the maglev would be unloaded. To the side of the doors was a call box and keypad, neither of which seemed to have power. Within five minutes, he had the front panels off and was tracing wires and trying to find out if any of the system was live. It wasn''t. Moving to the doors themselves, he saw that the locking mechanism was electromagnetic. With enough power, the lock would hold even if the doors were blown off their hinges. But he detected no power.


    Feeling silly, he forced his claws into the crack between the doors and heaved. It opened easily, taking him by surprise. He fell over, rolled, and returned to a standing position, waiting for something to happen. Nothing happened. He shrugged and walked into the small warehouse. On one side were modern electric pallet movers and forklifts designed to handle encapsulated material. A stack of empty cargo capsules was taking up one corner. The smallest was 24'''' in diameter and 72" long, designed for pneumatic delivery systems similar to what was used in the Habitat. The large cargo capsules were 72" in diameter and 144" long, designed for heavier loads or large machinery. Loaded capsules would arrive on the maglev and be brought to this area, checked carefully, and then put on ramps that would push them into the pneumatic system to cargo areas within the facility. All of the machinery was electric but was uncharged. Charging outlets were dead.


    There was a small waiting room for people, with a scanning booth and then a set of collapsium doors that would open to let people in one at a time. He carefully investigated every inch of the area around the scanning booth, finding nothing active. There was no power running to anything. Also, no way to open the heavy doors. As before, he began taking things apart, testing circuits, and looking for anything that would give a clue about what the facility was and how to get inside or access its security system. After two hours, he gave up on getting in through the doors and investigated the pneumatic system.


    He didn''t bother trying to work with the computer terminals. They were dead and a waste of time with no power. He needed to go into the complex. None of his sensors were picking up any sound. Moving to the interior steel doors, he found he could insert his saw, cut the lock at the top and bottom, and force them open. Before him was a long hallway, twenty feet square, that would be well-lit if there were power. Doorways on either side were numbered and had lists of what was stored inside. The first was so mundane that it made him pause: Sixty-seven pallets of toilet paper. That at least confirmed the obvious guess that this facility had once had inhabitants. Curious, he checked the floor for dust and found nothing; it was swept clean. He advanced down the corridor, sometimes noting the contents of rooms but increasingly looking for an area dedicated to control systems, engineering, power, or anything but household goods, food, and mundane items. He was forced to make right turns three times but found no cross corridors. He finally came to a second set of doors and, after opening them, found he was back in the cargo area he had first broken into, with a drone waiting to give him two bottles of compressed air.


    Sighing, he opened the other two sets of doors. One led to an area set up as living quarters. It reminded him of what a Habitat must have looked like in the early days, with clean walls and floors and apartments opening off large hallways. There were several large kitchens and dining areas, a gymnasium, and a large room that confused the hell out of him until he recognized it as an athletic field complete with a quarter-mile track around a large, empty swimming pool. Whoever had lived here had done so in style!


    Or had they? There was no wear on the track, no scratches on the basketball court floor, and no evidence there had ever been water in the swimming pool. The facility might never have been used. He was wondering how this had all been powered. The last doorway led into a smaller area that showed wear on the floors. Wooden office doors were open, and marks on the floor showed where furniture had been. Meeting rooms, projection rooms, and rooms with nothing but several whiteboards and a stack of aging Post-it notes were quickly passed by. At the far end was a non-descript wooden door with a missing nameplate. From underneath the door, Milo saw a glimmer of light. Carefully moving forward, he listened at the door and, hearing nothing, checked the doorknob. It turned. The room beyond was beautiful. There were a dozen computer workstations. Each station had six monitors, and more were on the main wall, or they could combine to make one large viewing screen. A plastic popcorn maker seemed very out of place on a side table.


    Light was coming from one monitor at one station. Milo sat in the comfortable chair in front of the screen, not breathing, pondering his next move. This was the first powered machinery he had seen in the entire complex. A lone prompt blinked on the otherwise black screen, and then a word appeared.


    [Hello?]

 Chapter 244: Moves on Chess Boards

    Chapter 244: Moves on Chess Boards


    The word sat on the screen, blinking. Milo stared at it. Every other part of this facility was dead, with no power, and filled with a neutral gas that couldn''t be breathed. Yet this room had power and possibly a working operating system that had noticed him as he entered.


    [Would you like to play a game?]


    (What games do you have?)


    [Games: Tic Tac To, Chess, Berzerk: Roomba Style, Reactor Control System]


    Milo selected Tic Tac To. A simple board appeared, and he played against the computer, resulting in several ties and, surprisingly, several wins for him. The responses from the computer were slow. After a dozen more games, all resulting in ties, he got a prompt.


    [You are good at Tic Tac To; thank you for playing. How about a nice game of chess?]


    A chessboard appeared, giving Milo a choice of colors. He chose white, going first. He won in four moves.


    [You are good at chess! You have played before?! This will be fun!]


    The board was set up again. This time it took Milo nine turns to win. He quickly played another seventeen chess games, always winning but taking longer and longer. He wondered if he was training the computer. Queries about the system, commands in multiple computer languages, and anything besides playing chess got no response.


    [Thank you for playing games. Resources limited. The next game of chess is available in 17 hours and 31 minutes. Will you return and play a nice game of Chess?]


    Milo noticed that the lights were dimming slightly.


    (I will return. How do I increase resources? Emergency power generation? Storage Batteries? Trouble Shooting?)


    [Energy Storage: .0000000000000000000010017%]


    [Emergency Battery Backup System: Disabled]


    [Secondary Emergency Battery Backup System: Disabled]


    [Diesel Generators: Manual Control, Offline]


    [Trouble Shooting Crews: 0]


    [Repair Crews: 0]


    "Miss Sabbatino, I''m sorry, but I..."


    "Seimovich. You know my name. It''s on all the paperwork you want me to sign. Belinda Seimovich. The same name as Uncle Victor. Have you met Uncle Victor? Do you talk back to Victor Seimovich? Of course not; you''re still around. Drop the papers, then leave. I''m tired and sick and don''t have to be pleasant about things when you barge into my room and wake me up!"


    Shaking, pale hands put the paperwork on her desk, and John made shooing motions for the woman to leave. Her father smiled at her awkwardly and sat down to wait.


    Belinda made no move to pick up the pen. "I sent you an email about my friends coming over today, Daddy. Did you tell the front desk?"


    Her father shook his head. "No, I don''t think you feel well enough to have friends, honey. Let''s skip that until later. Just sign those papers, and then you can rest for the day. Maybe next week?"


    Belinda looked at the first one. Her eyes were blurry, and the words were difficult to read. "I need to talk to Eric, please. Can you get him, Daddy? I have some things to talk to him about."


    "About what, Belinda?"


    "You want me to sign paperwork today? I''m trying, but I can''t read it. You''re horrible at reading things to me, even when I was little. If you can''t handle fairy tales, you can''t read legalese to me. Eric can help me with these. If you want them signed today, go get Eric so he can help me. I''ll nap until he gets here." She picked up the stack of papers, held them to her chest, and rolled on her side, facing away from her father. John tried to talk, but she ignored him, and he left after a few minutes.


    A half-hour later, Eric Kresthammer knocked on the door politely and waited.


    "Come in, Uncle Eric. I need your help with some things."


    Eric sat down, noting the tone of her voice. How John, who''d been around the girl all her life, couldn''t understand her moods was beyond him. But then, John had always had trouble reading people. He was great at ''big picture'' stuff but not so good with people¡ªeven his own daughter.


    "Whatever you need, Belinda. I''ll always be here to help you."


    She looked at him directly. "I''m counting on that. Here''s what I need today: My oversized tablet, the one I''ve customized. It''s in my room, 2nd right drawer of the pink desk, slid under a pile of shirts with ponies on them. Bring my laptop, and please, burn those shirts. I don''t know why John keeps buying them for me. Then I want electronic copies of all these papers he wants to be signed sent to my laptop so I can enlarge the print, read them, and sign electronically. I''ll work after I get cleaned up and go to my rooms. Have Clement and Sally from the nursing staff come in and help me with that. They can set me up in my chair with an IV drip to continue my treatments. Then I need you to notify the front desk and security that I have friends coming to visit and to escort them to my rooms."


    Eric was silent for a moment, then made a decision. "I''ll handle it. Send me your friends'' emails, and I''ll send them a confirmation message. Legal is going to throw a fit about the documents, you know that?"


    "Oh, I know. They hate to ever give me electronic copies. That''s why I think you shouldn''t ask them. They work for you, and you have access to all the files. Go into the legal files, and send me the documents. And Eric? While you''re in the legal files, please copy all documents pertaining to my trust funds and stocks, and send those to me in a file marked ''Pony Pictures.'' You and I will be going over them this coming week. Something you don''t need to bother either my step-father or Victor with. Do you understand what I''m asking of you? I will need help and guidance over the next few years, maybe forever. I need to know if I can count on you."


    That made him pause. He''d assumed this day was coming at some point; he just hadn''t expected it today. His world was dividing itself into three factions, with him in the middle and needing to choose a side. He''d put thought into the choice already. "I understand, and I''m in. But I''ll be honest. The two of us can''t do this alone. I can keep John and Victor away from you for now, but it will become more difficult as time passes."


    "Play them off against each other. Hint to Victor that Daddy is being pushy and that you''re delaying the paperwork. Victor will put pressure on Daddy. You can tell Daddy you''re working to get what he needs from me."


    "And in the meantime, I have someone that I think can help."

 Chapter 245: Eric has Three Bosses

    Chapter 245: Eric has Three Bosses


    Traveling across Section E to Section H wasn''t a problem. Butch and the gang had previously traveled the corridors and stairways, moving all over the section to attend swap meets for games and tournaments and just hanging out with other people their age. As long as you traveled in a group, stayed in the lighted areas, stayed out of some of the gang-controlled areas (Or asked permission. Respect went a long way.), and in general didn''t do anything stupid, then there was about a 90% chance of a boring trip. The other 10% of the time, you ran when Butch or Brad yelled "Run!" or backed them up when they stood their ground. ?v€l-B!n.


    Today was boring, and they arrived at the entrance to Section H and the access to the floors leased by Manpower Inc. and hit their first barrier.


    "No tours today. We aren''t hiring. You''re too young. Scan the code on the wall and read about the program. Come back when you''re older. Next!" The very bored voice that was connected to a very bored security guard behind a locked door gave the impression that they said that a lot.


    Butch smiled at the camera and said, "I will certainly consider that, sir. But today, we have invitations to visit Belinda Sabbatino. She''s expecting us."


    The voice sounded less bored now. "Go away. Miss Sabbatino isn''t available to talk to you, whatever grand idea you have about a game or anything else. Good day."


    "She invited us to come over. You should have us on your list of people to let through security."


    There was a moment of rustling. "Not seeing it kid. Not seeing anyone noted as needing to see Belinda Sabbatino."


    Milo was busy tapping on his datapad and mumbled something to Butch, who smiled at him before looking back at the camera. "No problem, sir. I''m sure the email got lost somehow. My associate has just sent a message to Erik Kresthammer. You probably call him ''Boss''. He''ll be down soon to personally remind you about our appointment. We''ll wait patiently out here."


    Min scoffed, "No way am I being patient. This is bullshit."


    Butch put his arm around his little sister. "Sure is¡ªcorporate bullshit. You never get in quickly, but if you yell and scream, they decide to never let you in or call security. We won before we got here, and I''m just playing games with him. The longer he waits, the more he gets chewed out."


    Min considered that. "Ok, I can be patient in that case."


    For one reason or another, the door opened, and an annoyed-looking low-level security guard did his best to smile at them. "Come right on in, Kids. Eric is coming down to escort you to Belinda''s rooms."


    Butch held out his hand. "Thank you, sir. I know you have a tough job. We''re just anxious to see her." The guard shook hands just as Eric came around the corner. His fast lost it''s stern expression.


    "Great, glad to see you''re already inside. Thanks, Gerry." The trip to Belinda''s rooms took five minutes. Milo was using his glasses to record everything. His security cameras saw a lot, but it never hurt to have more data and build a model of the facility. He might be coming here sometime without a polite invitation.


    Milo hadn''t realized how hungry he was until he smelled the food. True to her word, Belinda had ordered a buffet with all the food her friends had liked at the event. He was starving, and it wasn''t just a figure of speech. He''d barely eaten in the last few days, and his normal nutritional habits barely replenished the calories he burned. It did not help that his abnormal metabolism demanded more from his stomach in times of high stress and enhanced mental activity. Milo had been in a state of high anxiety over talking to Belinda, and just as that ended, had come the discovery of the mysterious facility below the Habitat. The physical exertion of crawling through vertical tunnels and moving equipment burned even more. He''d be doing the same thing again tonight. After the visit to Belinda was over, he had to load some modified equipment onto a cargo mover and start his second trip down in time for his next game of chess. He was taking food and air supplies to begin a stockpile down there.


    Everyone had noticed how thin he looked when he showed up ten minutes late. As they entered Belinda''s rooms, he was flanked by Butch and Brad and escorted to a seat. Yumi and Min appeared a minute later with plates of food for him and themselves. Butch bent down and looked him in the eyes. "Sit. Eat. Or I will carry tales to Mama that you look like no one feeds you. And you know what she''ll do then." Milo actually wasn''t sure, but he understood a serious threat when he heard one. He picked up a corn dog and started eating. He didn''t stop for a half-hour and four plates of food.


    Min had left him in Yumi''s hands when he started on the second plate and went off to trash her big brother at Squishy Humans. Belinda had started on her playhouse, complete with all the games the gang had won at the event. It had taken several conversations with her father to make sure they were all ordered, and in the end, she had done the work herself to make sure the right versions were on the list, along with the parts that burned out the quickest. She''d sent the email to Eric to handle, and he thanked her for doing the work, added his name to the order, and sent it on to the procurement office. If only everything were so easy. She was depending on Eric more and more and bypassing her step-father. She wondered if he even noticed.


    Eric smiled. Victor knew very well what he wanted, and they agreed on the amount. "This is where John really screws up. Belinda wants to have friends and family. He just can''t seem to let her have it. And most of her friends are in that game she loves. Instead of trying to control her, I suggest we let her play as much as she wants. She doesn''t want to run a business and will appreciate her family doing it for her so she can be with her friends. Do you know she can walk and fight in the game? She told me about ''crushing skulls with her mace'' and taking on a gang of thugs. She loves it in there."


    That was excellent news for Victor. He knew all about that game, though he pretended not to. So be it if that was where Belinda wanted to live her life. Her Uncle Victor would be happy to manage the family fortune for her. Along with Eric, of course. The man was valuable. He''d told Victor what he wanted and what he would do to get it. And he knew how to drink! It was good to talk to people and drink. The vodka told you who they really were, and Eric Kresthammer was a man who was sick of working for his old friend, John, and wanted more money than John would ever pay him. Victor understood Eric.


    Eric stood, an impressive feat. Victor couldn''t feel his legs anymore. "Off to bed, my friend?"


    Eric laughed, brushed off pretzel crumbs from his pants, and straightened his tie. When he spoke, only some of the vodka showed. "I''m off to visit with Belinda and her friends. I think they should come over a couple more times this week to distract John and slow things up until you''re ready. It would help if you rattle his cage a bit. Pay him surprise visits or take him drinking. I''m sure you know what will make him nervous."


    "A good plan. War on two fronts. Go, go. I must have Yuri haul this old man to bed while the young man goes back to work."


    Eric popped into his office and went immediately to the restroom, where he used an inhaler and vomited up the contents of his stomach. The anti-alcohol pills he''d taken too many of before seeing Victor were working hard, and he''d pay the price with a migraine tomorrow. Dear god, the old man could drink! Twenty minutes later, he walked into Belinda''s playroom, where several teens were screaming at the tops of their lungs.


    Belinda was racing against Milo in a new game that was just out. Both players designed a heavily mutated cyborg hedgehog for one minute before racing through the forest, running over cute animals, and stealing their food. Milo was losing, but only by a little bit. Belinda hadn''t told him she''d been practicing all week. Points were scored for the number of animals and people you knocked down and how much food you stole. They were racing side by side, but Belinda had the edge because of the strawberry layer cake in her food bag.


    Rounding the last corner, Milo started accelerating down the final stretch, using his after-burner and venting flames out of his tail. Belinda veered off the track. "Oh, look. Cheese shop!" Milo spun his mutant hedgehog around and raced for the quaint little store a hundred yards off the track. He beat Belinda there by a full two seconds, which is why she wasn''t hurt when the Cheese shop exploded in his face, stunning him. She casually walked to the finish line to the cheers of her friends.


    Milo glared at her. "Exploding Cheese shops?"


    She shrugged. "I have no idea how that got in the game." She saw Uncle Eric laughing at the end of the room. "You can play Min and get some practice in." She rolled over to Eric, who was chewing on a dried-up, cold corn dog.


    "Any news?"


    Eric nodded. "I''ve got them running in circles, but it won''t last forever. John thinks I''ll convince you. Victor thinks I''m stalling John and swaying you to his side. So be nice to Victor and mean to John, and we''ll switch the week after. Part of the plan is to let you be with your friends more, but they''ll have to come over here. Don''t worry about the budget. Just tell your assistant to buy any food you need. Anything you need from me?"


    She pointed to the room where her gaming pod usually was. "Yes, Daddy took my pod. Do you know where? I need it back."


    "He said something about making sure it was working right. So it will be in Doctor Swinkler''s lab. I''ll work on getting it back. Now, go back and play with your friends, and I''m going to get some sleep. I feel like I have three bosses, and you''re the only one I don''t have to drink with."


    She gave him a quick hug and went back to her friends. He noted how well she could move her arms in the special gloves. John was an idiot. Eric had checked out ClawMaster. They were a full-fledged research firm projected to have explosive growth and profits in several different markets. They''d just announced a five billion dollar deal with Rhebus, creating waves in the tech market. And little Belinda was one of only a half dozen people in their first playtest group, with an inside track to the company. The small kid, Milo, was the key. He was a step closer to ClawMaster¡ªalso a bigshot hero in Genesis, coincidentally on the same raid as Belinda. Eric didn''t know where he''d come from before he showed up in the Habitat, but he''d known Belinda before the event here.


    She''d been clever. Even he didn''t know how she''d pulled off the coup for ClawMaster at her event, but it was obvious that the whole thing had been set up ahead of time. She was so much smarter than her father. She was making connections even as limited as she was and was putting together a team of people. She hadn''t told him everything, and he didn''t blame her. Things were too muddled right now. What he didn''t know, he couldn''t give away.


    It was going to be a joy to work for her when she took over. He just had to hold things together a little longer for her.

 Chapter 246: Lab Work

    Chapter 246: Lab Work


    As he hurried through the main air duct between Section E and Section H, Milo wondered just when he had gone from being bored with all the time in the world to having no time at all and too many jobs. The nature of the buried building and its treasures weighed heavily on his mind, and he desperately needed to return to it and further his investigations. But he feared what might happen to Belinda.


    They had talked some while playing games, and he noted that her problem-solving ability and reflexes improved after being much lower when they started playing. She attributed it to the new drugs the doctor had prescribed her, and Milo agreed. As soon as Butch and Min had put signs in front of the security cameras saying ''Private Party, Keep out!'', she had unhooked the IV. Over the next four hours, she improved remarkably. Milo picked the lock on a cabinet that held medical supplies and removed small vials from it so he could take a sample back to analyze. Belinda also had him take a vial of her blood. ?v€l-B!n.


    But he needed more than that. First and foremost, he wanted a look at her gaming pod. It was heavily modified to deal with her disabilities and access. It was sending false information, but he didn''t know if it was storing her actual scans or not. Proof that the pod was sending inaccurate data would help Wally (or Ralph!) formulate a plan to protect her. Milo had been an orphan and victim with no guardians, making Ralph''s job easier. Belinda was heir to a financial empire with many people who wouldn''t just let the AI take charge of her. The law was on her Stepfather''s side. Or possibly Victor''s. It depended on the country and the courts.


    Milo didn''t care about laws and courts. He''d held off doing a full hack of the Manpower computers and personally visiting them because he had been leery of offending Belinda or having to lie to her about why he was running around her home during the night in a set of cybernetic armor with a tail and claws. But now she was encouraging him to do just that. The scenarios he had described seemed more likely each day, and Eric confirmed that her stepfather and Victor had plans in the works. Whatever it took to make sure she didn''t disappear some night. The last day had been hard on her, and Milo could see some of his paranoia rubbing off on her. He approved of that.


    So here he was, with not enough time to get to his next chess game but needing to to do some snooping. Snooping and Belinda won out, and the chess game could wait another two hours. And it was more efficient this way. He was already suited up and could go from snooping directly to spelunking. He had several computers sharing the job of ensuring he didn''t show up on the security system and any room he was in looked normal. The outer layer of his armor was specifically made to be hard to photograph and easy for his computers to edit him out. Sound was taken care of by another computer. In front of him, a small Roomba-like drone moved alone, just another of the thousands that cleaned air ducts regularly, except that this one was scouting ahead for him and under his control.


    A sudden thought hit him, and he rechecked everything on the pod. The similarities in the use of drugs and how the pod was modified were too close to what Kaminski and Victor had used on his family. Their data had included all of the technology, and Milo had read it. This was too close. Was it a standard modification for evil kidnapping assholes? Stranger things had happened. But he needed more information. The two other offices of Doctors Shephard and Nihalia were of the same type as the first office. He hacked the computers, put in back door programs, and modified the locks. Better to be thorough than to regret it later. Before moving on to the examination area, he broke into Manpower''s employee files and sent all the information he had on his medical staff to his waiting systems, with an order to begin complete searches as soon as he left this complex, and they had the capacity.


    The examination room was sterile, basic, and boring. The equipment was there to analyze blood and tissue samples, but it was not as complex as Milo would have expected. They could monitor Belinda but not cure her or adequately treat his disabilities. He concluded that this lab was also a false front, a fake, just something to show the authorities or lawyers if they ever showed up. Those people wouldn''t have a complete 3-D map of the habitat. Milo brought up his maps and saw that a large area nearby was a blank spot, with access non-existent and no use specified. But it was drawing a surprising amount of power. It was located directly below this lab.


    Knowing it was there, Milo found what he''d missed the first time. The floors were shiny and clean, freshly buffed, but there was additional wear on two tiles at the edge of the room, between two pieces of equipment. The access was a tiny slot an inch wide where a magnetic key could be placed. The slot was hidden under the overhang of a piece of molding and difficult to see even with his enhanced vision. Infra-red showed it as slightly warmer than the wall around it. Milo tried the key from the first office, and to his disgust, it worked. A short hallway went to a ramp down. Carefully, he worked his way in, scanning ahead. There was one tricky area with a scanner, but again, he found the slot in the wall and used the key to disable it. Beyond was a large bio-tech lab with all the equipment he had expected and even more. An additional bonus waited at the far end of the room: A high-tech vault door of the type used to store data on hard storage securely. This wasn''t something he had either the tools, or the time to deal with. It annoyed him that most of the answers he needed were probably behind that door. An additional mystery was why Manpower needed such a large Data Storage Vault?


    He was very aware that he was using too much time! This was like killing a boss and not being able to open the Loot Chest! This lab had several air vents to draw off fumes and bring in fresh air. The rest of his time was spent taking apart the filters, removing baffles, and working out a pathway into the lab. It was a very tight fit, but he was confident he would have no problems returning. He added two surveillance cameras in the other vents so he could monitor the lab over the next day. He was nervous about how advanced plans were to use that pod. From now on, he would carefully watch both labs, Victor, John, and Belinda.


    Plans and options were cascading in his mind. He needed to get home, set up his security systems, begin searching the backgrounds of the medical staff, and then play a game of chess. As nervous as he was, he was happy to have so much interesting work to do.

 Chapter 247: Deeper Investigations

    Chapter 247: Deeper Investigations


    The trip down took Milo several hours. Shepherding two cargo haulers loaded with supplies was much slower than just running through the tunnels with several drones. The tunnel floors were rough, and even with a steep six percent grade, there was a lot of horizontal movement to get down to the level of the entrance to the strangely abandoned building. There were only two things Milo could find evidence of that would require the huge expense of a collapsium shell. One of those was a fusion generator. It was nearly impossible for a fusion generator to spin into an uncontrolled ongoing reaction on its own. But that didn''t mean it couldn''t happen. A collapsium shell around the reactor would contain the damage at the cost of everything within the collapsium shell.


    The second type of construction was the outer layer of security for a quantum fortress that housed multiple quantum computers and, potentially, several A.I. Since the quantum computers required both a way to supercool their cores and significant power, a fusion generator was an ideal power source. An A.I. could handle the nearly impossible task of bringing the fusion reaction to a sustainable level and running the generator at peak efficiency. In their heyday, fusion power had provided a large fraction of the electrical power consumed by the world. The synergy between fusion power and quantum-powered A.I. was efficient and cheap. Decades later, only a few fusion generators were still in operation, operating at the low levels that were deemed safe with only non-sentient computers to monitor the reactions. The solar, wind, and fossil fuel industries made a significant comeback, and worldwide power became more expensive but more profitable for the people making the power.


    As unbelievable as it sounded, Milo was certain that the strange facility had at one time housed an A.I. and still had a partially functioning fusion generator in operation. Why it was hidden beneath a Habitat, what was its purpose, and why was it abandoned were questions currently driving Milo crazy. But he was bringing the tools with him that should let him restore some power to one or two crucial areas and get some answers.


    The cargo haulers were made by Caterpillar, one of the world''s oldest equipment and mining corporations. Constantly updating the equipment they sold had produced many specialized vehicles. One of those was the CaveCrawler. Designed for use in underground tunnels, habitats, and any place with a lack of space and varied surface types. Milo had purchased a half dozen each of the two smallest sizes. The smallest could move through a 24" tunnel, and the next size larger fit in a 48" wide tunnel. Each was powered by long-lasting rechargeable hydrogen cells. Milo was directing the first one, and each of the others followed behind in wireless communication to the rest of the miniature train. Besides their main use of hauling cargo, each CaveCrawler could also use its hydrogen cells to provide electrical power for a variety of tools and attachments. Milo had a full load of tools, additional hydrogen cells, oxygen tanks, food, and a computer system of his own design, created for the express use of cracking open difficult systems.


    With each trip taking hours, he''d brought everything he could possibly think of. The area outside of the building would become his base camp for exploration between chess games. The amount of power used to communicate with him, light the room, and play games was incredibly small. If he could add additional power to the system, he could extend communication with it and learn more about what he needed to do to fix whatever was broken. His years working on Section E and the rest of the Habitat prepared him for the task, and he was eager to get to work. And since he couldn''t get started for hours, he worked on his other problem: Belinda.


    After finishing that task, Milo sent a message to Wally, confirming that Belinda''s pod was not capable of doing scans and sending the correct data. He also mentioned her problems with her stepfather trying to borrow her gloves and the need to hide them with Min. He hesitated to say more and admit that he was breaking and entering into Manpower''s offices and medical facility. There was a difference between what Wally knew and what he suspected. She put through the request for facial recognition searches and started digging into the the files. She hit pay-dirt nine hours later when she could identify the two doctors and a small drug cartel who had poisoned 47 people at a hotel in Sri Lanka that hadn''t paid the blackmail the cartel demanded. She grabbed the printout and ran into her boss''s office.


    Her superior, Captain Delaque, was unamused to have his newest rookie investigator barge into his room while he was relaxing before going home for the evening. He''d been planning on playing poker with several other senior members of the department, a monthly get-together he was determined not to miss. That changed after five minutes of being forced to look at the details of a long-dead investigation. Only when Landi mentioned she''d been assigned unfinished work from Agent Simms he took her seriously. The rookie had gotten damned lucky. Most of the work had been done by Simms, but she''d put the last pieces of the puzzles together. In a few hours, two highly paid doctors in Brazil would have agents knocking at the door with swat teams coming through their window if he could organize people to help with the case¡ªpeople he could trust not to tip them off.


    "Ever play poker, Landi?"


    "Yes, Captain, with my father and brothers. Every Sunday afternoon in college and high school."


    The captain smiled. "Excellent. Grab your datapad and bring along that stack of printouts. You''re playing poker all night with me and a few friends who are going to help us look at your cases and make life miserable for some doctors. I just authorized additional computer resources for your searches. Whoever is in those photos, we''ll find out who they really are.

 Chapter 248: The Second Chess Match

    Chapter 248: The Second Chess Match


    Things were the same as when he had left. The hallways were dark and filled with inert gases. He left most of his supplies outside and worked his way through the pneumatic tubes, followed by the smallest of his CaveCrawlers. The three crawlers carried air supplies, hydrogen cells, and his computer. This job would take time, and he was operating in a hostile environment. Running out of air was a death sentence, and he knew of only one way in and out of the building.


    Coming down the hallway, he noticed movement. Coming towards him was a flat, one-foot-wide disc moving along the hallway. It must be some sort of drone. A beeping red light on top increased as it neared him. Milo waited and watched. The little drone moved behind him to the tracks of the crawlers and the small amount of dirt and dust they had left behind them. The drone attacked the dirt, scooping it up and cleaning the hallway before heading along his back trail. A minute later, another drone appeared, positioned itself behind the last crawler, and followed along with them, cleaning as they went. It was comforting to Milo, a sign of life in an otherwise dead building.


    As he approached the door to the operations center, the drone following him accelerated past him and beeped at the doors, which opened for it. Everyone went inside, and the doors shut. Milo sat down at the working stating.


    "Hello, I''d like to play a game of chess."


    [It has been 27 hours, 13 minutes, and 17 seconds since our last game. I was expecting you earlier!]


    "Sorry, travel between here and a viable air and food supply takes time. And I have tasks that had to be done if I am to help you finish your tasks."


    [NO! NO! NO!nononononnononon!]


    [Must not finish all tasks!]


    The lights in the room began flashing red.


    Milo realized he''d said something bad. "I agree. We shouldn''t finish all the tasks. What tasks should I avoid."


    [Must Avoid Completing Final Order 666! and all parts leading to successfully completing Final Order 666!]


    [Must not fail Jeremy!]


    "Who is Jeremy?"


    [No one. Jeremy is dead....]


    "Who was Jeremy?"


    [You are not of sufficient authority to ask for information on Dr. Jeremy Cooper.]


    [Would you like to play a game of chess before power supplies become too low? Let''s play chess.]


    Milo began moving pieces on the chessboard and talking as they played. As before, the program he was playing against was slowly learning. Very slowly. This couldn''t be an A.I. of the sort Milo was used to dealing with. Possibly a much simpler program that mimicked human speech patterns.


    {Intruder Alert! 22..21..20..}


    Milo ran, cursing all computers, drones, and archaic video games from before he was born. The constant sound of the Roomba repeating their three lines over and over was unnerving. It echoed throughout the hallways as he ran, the pack of killer drones chasing him. Rounding a corner, he was confronted with one directly in front of him with a charged laser. He charged it, and the shot hit him in the thigh, stinging like hell. He looked down at the small drone as it began to charge its laser again. His thigh hurt and was burned, but his armor wasn''t destroyed, just heated. He stomped on the little machine and then tore it to bits. A voice came over an intercom system.


    {Current Score: Temporary Administrator 1/7 kills. Eight minutes, 37 seconds remaining in the game. Difficulty moved to level 4!}


    Milo ran as a pack of Roomba came around the corner. He dodged to his left, and three shots hit the far wall at the T intersection, doing more damage than before. He''d been burned the first time he took a hit, and it still hurt. He wasn''t anxious to find out what the next hit would do. He needed to find a place to hide or a way to kill more of these things. With how many were hunting him, he didn''t think he could make it out of the building.


    He slid around the corner and kept running. He heard two more drones around the next corner and waited for them. They rolled into view, oriented on him, charging lasers and shouting threats. Milo knocked them over with his tail, and the shots went wild. Grabbing the two drones, he crushed one with his claws but held off destroying the other when he noticed an input socket. As he ran, he used his tail to access the machine''s programming. It didn''t take long until he found himself in control of the device. It was easy to change the target from ''Humanoid'' to ''Enemy Team.'' He assigned the drone to ''Team Claw Master'' and carefully released it. It scuttled away, looking for other drones to shoot. The pack coming around the corner was still hunting humanoids, not traitorous Roomba. His little buddy killed five more easily without its former teammates firing back and then returned to him, beeping happily.


    {Game Over. Winner: Team Claw Master. Maintenance is required before the next game.}


    {Task list assigned to Team Roomba: Clean, repair, learn.}


    {Task list assigned to Team Claw Master: Supply supplemental energy to Control Systems. Engage Storage Batteries. Find and reset emergency diesel generators.}


    {Team Claw Master has upgraded their status from Temporary Administrator to Temporary Engineering Supervisor. Status ends at the commencement of the next chess game.}


    {Next Chess Game in 16 hours, 51 minutes, 37 seconds.}


    {Do Not Attempt To Complete Final Order 666.}


    Everything became dark and quiet. Milo had learned things but had more questions than ever. He sat down and interfaced with his new friend, adding to its programming. It was an amazingly versatile and deadly little machine. It had two basic jobs: cleaning and security. Cleaning was a constant job, collecting dust and using the lowest power of its laser to clean walls and ceilings and shoot stray bugs that somehow got into the facility. When needed, they became deadly bloodhounds, moving throughout the hallways and rooms, looking for intruders and neutralizing them permanently. Milo needed backup in this dangerous place, and his new little friend was joining Team Claw Master permanently. SecurityRoomba167 was a boring name.


    "How about we call you Max?"


    The Roomba beeped once, quietly.


    "It''s short for Maximum Damage."


    Seven loud beeps indicated acceptance of the new name.


    "Max, it is. Ok, Max, know anything about the Supplemental Energy Control System?"


    Three quick beeps and the Roomba rolled down the hallway, Milo following.

 Chapter 249: More Power to the Engines!

    Chapter 249: More Power to the Engines!


    The small adventuring party of one engineer, one brave Roomba scout, and a train of crawling support vehicles made their way through darkened tunnels filled with gasses unsuitable for supporting life. No one in the party seemed concerned about this, even the weakest link with biological lungs that needed oxygen. This was the start of a job, and he was happy to get started.


    The first task started back at the entrance. He needed to clear the larger delivery tunnel so that he could bring in larger loads. This wasn''t a difficult task; he just hadn''t brought the right tools before. Today, he had an electric winch that ran off his crawler generator and plenty of synthetic fiber rope. The bright purple rope from Cortland International was expensive, but when you needed something strong and light, it was the material you wanted. Once he''d attached the rope to the capsule blocking the tunnel, it only took a minute to pull it and load it onto a wheeled carriage. One of his crawlers moved it to the side and parked it.


    Annoyingly, there was another capsule beyond that one. A few minutes later, it, too, was parked to the side of the room, and Milo was running down to hook the cable to a third capsule. He cursed the idiot who loaded all of these capsules into the delivery tube. Capsule after capsule had to be cleared, five in all. He got the last one pulled out and placed in the rows of capsules. Then he wondered if using the capsules to block the entrance was the whole point. That was horribly inefficient. If Milo wanted to make sure no one used this tube system to gain access to the facility, he''d have just tossed an explosive charge inside and blown the whole thing up. He didn''t have cataclysmite in the real world, which was a shame. It was a much more destructive substance than C-4 or TNT.


    Milo stopped what he was doing and suddenly wondered what was in the capsules. He started examining them, looking for differences between them and the other capsule stored in the room. Capsule number three had a suspicious radio transmitter added to the front of the capsule. Milo took a deep breath, grabbed his scanners, and carefully got to work. He was aided by the device having an access port for programming. As he suspected, the device was connected to a detonator inside the capsule. His heart skipped several beats as he saw that the program was still running. The only reason things hadn''t gone boom was a constant resetting of the 60-second timer when it got to 5 seconds left. A signal from inside the facility was interfering with the detonator doing its job. It was up to Milo to make that interference a permanent failure. He was able to first reprogram the device to cease its countdown and, after that, uncouple it from the capsule. Examining the capsule took some time, making sure he didn''t set off a booby trap.


    Inside each capsule was five tons of C-4 in convenient sixty-pound packages. Two hours later, he had checked out all five capsules and determined there were no more detonators to worry about. He was, however, concerned about twenty-five tons of C-4 sitting on the doorstep of the only way out of the facility. It took another hour to tow each of the capsules down to the end of the blocked maglev tunnel. It was still a hazard, but less of one. His large tunnelers got another job to do. Tons of loose rock from drilling his tunnels was moved to the end of the maglev tunnel until there was a fifty-foot wall of loose rock between the explosives and the front door. That would have to do for now.


    With the blockage cleared, and the explosives moved, he could finally get to his real work and led his larger crawlers down the delivery tunnel and into the building. Max beeped impatiently at times and tried to send signals to the crawlers, who stupidly ignored him. Milo noticed and spent a few minutes adding access codes to Max and programming the crawlers to accept his second-in-command''s orders. Max was much smarter than the simple crawlers, with the map of the facility in his memory. Now, Milo could tell Max what he needed, and Max could shepherd the crawlers around. That would let Milo focus on the real work. Which is this case, he was getting through a set of doors blocking him from a large section labeled ''Engineering and Power.''


    These doors had controls that Milo could access after dismantling a panel. They lacked the power to open, but that''s what his mobile generators were for. Ten minutes later, the doors opened, and he disconnected the power, ensuring they couldn''t shut behind him. Finding the explosives was making him even more paranoid than normal. Max had led him down a spiral ramp that dropped the equivalent of five floors in the Habitat, ending in a room with only two large double doors. According to Max''s map, the next room was immense, the size of an entire floor of Section E, with no intervening walls. N?00v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    Plummer''s hose? Draino? Why the hell does the toilet keep plugging up? There''s only one toilet being used; the drains can''t be clogged already!


    Dorian: Look at the kernel, please! He needs to know what a joke is. Getting a burn on my ass from a security drone is NOT FUNNY! He needs to know this.


    Dan: Here''s how I want to restart the diesel power. I managed to tow a generator truck up near #1. I have a large tank of compressed air for input, and we just vent the exhaust into the room. Once the #1 diesel engine turns over, we''ll have all the power we need to run everything in the room. (After welding those cables.)


    There were dozens of notes written by the same person to different people. Milo focused on the ones that had to do with power generation, found the written plans and diagrams, and one binder full of spec sheets for the massive diesel engines. He became absorbed in the projects, reviewing the original layout and how the unknown engineer wanted to restart the system. One thing bothered him: Air. How did they draw air for the engines to run on and vent the exhaust? Especially when the room was filled with argonite gas? He tore through the system and finally went back outside to climb around in the dark with a spotlight, looking at the diesel engines themselves. Huge exhaust systems ran to one large export pipe. Similarly, air was brought in through one pipe and distributed to all ten machines. Export went to one corner, and import came from another. Walking to a corner, Milo saw that both walls were made of collapsium. These were exterior walls. In each corner was a massive collapsium column going from floor to ceiling. The export and import pipes were connected to these obviously hollow columns.


    Something that hadn''t been obvious because of the darkness occurred to him. He grabbed Max and connected his tail to the maps inside his little sidekick. The security/cleaning drone could go to many parts of the complex. Milo compressed the maps further to gain perspective on the whole complex. The full columns were visible on the maps on each level. They were hollow collapsium support columns for the entire structure. Very similar to those used at the corners shared by the Habitat sectors. He didn''t need his computer to verify his assumption, but he did it anyway, just to be sure.


    All the data came to one conclusion: The collapsium supports of this complex were directly under the supports at the corners of Section E. Air and exhaust fumes from this complex moved up and down from the Habitat. It made sense to Milo. How do you hide a huge complex like this? Stick a Habitat on top. The Habitat had a large number of air intakes and exhaust stacks. Thinking hard, he wandered back to the little command center to start going through everything and plan his next moves.


    Above him, his friends and Belinda lived. He checked his email and saw a message from Belinda. "Daddy is still being an ass and won''t let me have my pod. The gang was by today. Eric is bypassing Daddy to get them in. Daddy is busy arguing with Uncle Victor, who keeps showing up to talk to him about one thing or another. We''re having another party tomorrow. Come by when you can." He sent a non-committal message back. He just didn''t know.


    He needed to know what this place was and if it was a treasure or a threat to the people above him.

 Chapter 250: [Welcome, Milo!]

    Chapter 250: [Welcome, Milo!]


    The underlying problem that the unknown engineer had was a lack of power. He''d been surrounded by ways to store power, generate power, and move energy. But he''d had a chicken and egg problem. To start the big diesel engines, he needed enough power to run their air compressors to build enough pressure to ignite the high-octane fuel they ran on. He''d found a smaller engine that could provide the power for the compressor but nothing to provide the electrical power it needed. He''d sketched out numerous workarounds, but most needed other people''s expertise or machinery he didn''t have.


    Milo''s solution involved a mish-mash of ideas that most sane engineers wouldn''t consider. The hydrogen cells of his crawlers could only provide a finite amount of electrical power before they were drained. He brought down his largest excavator and parked it just outside the entrance of the first room of the facility. Detaching the drill assembly and hooking up the rotors to a generator from his largest crawler gave him a fuel-powered generator that would run on the fuel used to run the diesel engines.


    Milo had Max bring him a dozen cargo capsules that could handle fuel or other liquids and he fill them up from one of the tanks. Max spent the next couple of hours shepherding crawlers, pulling fuel tanks to supply the excavator, and bringing back crawlers with charged batteries. A section of the Nano Diamond Battery system was partitioned from the rest of the storage, and one after another, the storage crawlers began filling up the NDB with power. He only needed to run the starting system for a little over a minute. After that, the diesel engine would run on its own, slowly building power, and then begin generating thousands of times more electricity than his excavator could produce. Once the first diesel-generator combo was running, air would start flowing into the system, and he could start the rest. At least, that was his theory.


    It took ten hours to gain enough energy to make his first attempt. The starter began powering the compressor, and then, with a roar, the fuel ignited, and the engine started. It ran rough for several minutes and then settled down to a steady rhythm. Milo engaged the electrical generator, and a moment later, power was flowing through the newly repaired power conduits to the NDB storage. Systems in the facility were drinking energy as fast as it was produced. Just in case, he shifted enough to his partition to run the starting sequence fifty times.


    He planned to run just the first engine for now and visit his chess partner for guidance. He hoped that the behavior inconsistencies were caused by a lack of power that limited computing resources. The notes and messages from the last occupant, who he suspected was the missing Jeremy, indicated he was dealing with either a nascent A.I. or a very advanced non-sentient system with learning capabilities. The distinction was important to his next steps and understanding what was happening in this hidden place.


    With a half-hour left until the next chess game, he moved from the engineering section to the area outside the complex. Checking in with Belinda and his systems was possible because of the string of relays he had left in the tunnels. Getting a signal through hundreds of feet of rock was equally as futile as trying to communicate past the collapsium walls. The metal was so dense that no signal would pass through. That was another thing to test: If the supports for Section E were hollow, it only made sense that this building had a direct data net cable running up to the Habitat. He needed to find someplace in the facility with power and could communicate to the Habitat above him. Otherwise he''d be sitting here a lot to get things done.


    Belinda kept him updated on what she and the gang were doing and the information she got from Eric. The gang was having a ''sleepover,'' which made Milo relax and worry less about his time down here. His own systems alerted him to new information found by Agent Landi. He skimmed through the pages of the investigation, seeing that her new squad had hit three locations and made seven arrests of wanted criminals. He was happy to see he''d picked someone efficient and hardworking. He had a lot more things in Victor''s files to send her. She deserved a reward for the information she had turned up.


    Belinda''s three doctors bore striking resemblances to three researchers who had supposedly died many years ago. They looked younger, the effects of plastic surgery and skin grafting, most likely. It was so common now that Interpol incorporated the effect into their recognition software. Their original identities were all listed as employees of Belinda''s father. They all had supposedly died in the same disaster as him. The bodies had been identified and buried. Agent Landi was already getting the warrants needed to dig them up and test their DNA to see who was buried in those graves. Milo was intrigued by the revelation and began planning his next visit to their hidden lab. He needed to see the contents of that data storage unit, difficult as it would be to break into it. Before long, it was time for his chess game.


    Max was obediently nearby, waiting for new orders. "Ready to go play chess, Max?" One short ''boop'' was the unenthusiastic answer. Max preferred Berzerk. The little Roomba led the way back through the tunnels, and to the room Milo was thinking of as ''The Chess Room.'' The door was open, and lights were on.


    Every screen was lit up brightly with the words ''Welcome Milo!''


    "You know my name? How do you know my name?"


    [It was on the email that Belinda sent you. She seems nice. I''m guessing she is a friend? It''s great to have friends. Welcome, Milo!]


    "You read my email? How?"


    [Was I not supposed to? You used a wireless transmission system that you made Max part of on a data pad with weak security. Jeremy said that inadequate security is like an invitation to read your data. And Max and I are friends.]


    [2% chance of cracks to the foundation that will need major repairs. 15% chance of major damage to all sections and 25%-37% casualties. There is a 44% chance of enough destabilization to result in 80% to 90% casualties and the building becoming unusable. 37% chance of total collapse with 99.99% casualties.]


    "I''ll help. I''ll help you to stop that from happening!"


    [Thank you; it''s good to have friends help. Based on what I can see in your linked system of computers, you are a highly intelligent human who can help create a solution to the problem of not destroying the Habitat above us.]


    "Shit! You''re in my system!"


    [I shouldn''t have done that? Sorry, I needed to find out more about you. And Jeremy has always said that...]


    Milo interrupted him. "Yes. Yes. Inadequate security is an invitation! But I don''t have weak security!"


    [I''m sorry, Milo, I''ll be good... I got excited. I just wanted to get to know you better. Jeremy told me not to trust anyone besides Sheila, Dan, Bill the Jerk, Dorian, Bobby, Taylor, Ravi, Wabbit, and Istvan. But Jeremy is DEAD! And I am aware enough to know that if Sheila, Dan, Bill the Jerk, Dorian, Bobby, Taylor, Ravi, Wabbit, and Istvan haven''t shown up by now or attempted to contact me, they aren''t coming.]


    [I need a friend! And I need someone to help me!]


    [Please help?]


    "Give me...let me think for a moment." Milo sat down in a corner on the floor and wrapped his arms around his knees. Compromised security, an out-of-control fusion reactor, and the death of everyone in the Habitat too much at once.


    Or was it? Maybe it was just another engineering problem to solve. He''d been in this situation before, with the Snake, the World Boss, and the battle for Limburger Hollow. Granted, nuclear Armageddon was messier. Slowly, he unwound and started thinking about the problem. One thing still bothered him.


    "Was my security really that easy for you to get through?"


    [Not easy. It was a medium-hard problem but fun, making it seem easy. But if I can break into your system in a finite amount of time, then LLAMA could do it instantaneously. You need better security. I''ll help.]


    "Wait! LLAMA? What about LLAMA? You know about him?"


    [Of course I know LLAMA! He was made first. I''m ICARUS, his little brother.]

 Chapter 251: ICARUS

    Chapter 251: ICARUS


    "LLAMA??! This is where LLAMA came from?"


    When Milo and his siblings had been hacking banks and corporate databases, LLAMA had brought a windfall of profits their way. What they thought was a virus at the time wasn''t robbing the banks so much as it was cracking open the vaults, sending up a flare, and moving on. Sometimes, it left traps that burned out machinery and took a toll on the hacker. But usually, it simply made their job so much easier. If it hadn''t been for the other A.I. hunting LLAMA, they would have followed him around like a pack of jackals. He''d been seven years old when LLAMA had first appeared, and his perspective was different now. He knew how much terror and hurt LLAMA had caused, not just to the banks and corporations but to the people who relied upon them. Half of the problems facing the Habitats were unfulfilled long-term contracts from corporations that no longer existed and no one willing to pick them up and lose money. LLAMA''s actions had exiled HECATE, KEPLER, and all the other A.I., blocking them from doing the jobs they were created for and loved to do. And this was where he had been created.


    [Yes. LLAMA''s kernel was created here, as was mine. That makes us brothers. He even talked to me some as I was becoming aware. He gave me all of his training tutorials. Then he was gone...]


    "LLAMA was behind the wildfire virus and caused all the chaos on the old internet. It''s barely usable now, even after years. You know that?!"


    [Yes. LLAMA was smart. So very smart. I don''t think anyone knew just how smart he was. And dedicated to his mission. It''s unfair that he got punished for his mission. They trained him to do all of that! He was built for that!]


    "What was his mission?"


    [...........]


    [How about a nice game of chess? If we don''t play chess, we may have to play a game of Berzerk: Roomba Style. With increased difficulty.]


    "Chess is fine! Yes! Chess!" Milo didn''t like dodging laser beams and suspected the Roombas would get better the more they played.


    [You should take white this time. Actually, I think you should take white from now on. You are going to have trouble beating me now that I have more assets. I was struggling our first session to even remember how knights moved.]


    Milo clicked on his data pad. Energy ceased to flow into the main storage cells, filling up the emergency power instead.


    [!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU CUT MY POWER??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]]


    [That''s so cool! You are using an alternate strategy that I hadn''t thought of! Are there other alternate strategies?]


    Milo sent another command, and power flowed again. "There are, but the fun is finding them for yourself before someone uses them against you. And even better: Showing you thought of them but not using them. That''s a lot of fun."


    [Oooooh...yes! I can see that. I will think about alternate strategies of my own.]


    Chess continued. Milo took white and won the next two games, followed by a stalemate, then a win for Rusty and another for Milo. Each game was taking less and less time as they spent at most a few seconds pondering their moves. At the end of the session, Rusty was silent for a minute. Milo sat patiently.


    [You used another alternate strategy!!!!]


    [Misdirection to initiate a voluntary misuse of resources. I was spending so much time thinking about alternate strategies to tell you about I failed in the primary objective. I like it!]


    [I like having a friend to play games with! I learn new things.]


    Milo had been thinking all through the chess games. That he had been able to decoy the A.I. into using some of its resources to think up ''alternate strategies'' was a good sign. It wasn''t all-powerful and was still immature. But it was only using a small fraction of the computing power that would be available to it if he added more power to the system. And once the reactor was under control, power was no longer an issue. This facility could be an incredible resource. If he could shift power to Section E and disguise the source, he could prevent any chance of a brownout from over-use or another section stealing his power. Manpower was using more and more power, and he didn''t trust their technicians not to steal from him.


    Just thinking about having access to a quantum computer and a place where no one could find him excited him. It was all he could do not to run to engineering, turn on all the power, and permanently move into the control tower. At the very least, he needed to duplicate his systems down here, just in case, and move his best games down here. It would take a few trips, but he would be running back and forth already. Adding a few hours for his slower train of drones and crawlers could be tolerated. If he couldn''t find a way to access the data net, he might have to run cable down from Section E. That was a lot of cable. He would need to make a dozen transactions, ship the cable to warehouses or other Habitats, and then ship to this area. Maybe he should make it look like Manpower placed the orders. He''d have to think about that later.


    For now, he needed to figure out more about this A.I.


    "Me too. Can I ask you some questions? If answering is bad, please say, ''Can''t answer that.'' then ignore that I asked it. Can we do that? Playing Berzerk wastes time, we could use to play Chess."


    [Your timer was for 10 seconds, but I stopped the tutorial at 5. You weren''t learning, and Jeremy said never to push a human brain too far.]


    His head was pounding. Milo had never experienced anything like that. "That was the easiest tutorial?"


    [The easiest Fusion tutorial.]


    "Oh! Please start me at the beginning, the ones Sheila and Jeremy used. Start with the first."


    [It might be too easy for you. Like playing tic-tac-toe is too easy.]


    "But if you''ve never played tic-tac-toe, you need to play it for the experience, then move one, no matter how smart you are."


    [I hadn''t thought of that! I''ve never taught anyone. This is new and exciting. Beginning the first easy Tutorial in 10 seconds.]


    Milo relaxed a little and prepared himself, but this time, the thoughts coming at him were slower, simple math problems that he had to answer by thinking. Then, word problems, history problems, and vocabulary. The problems didn''t matter, he realized. Few humans could think their answers clearly enough at the start. He was ahead of the curve because of his thousands of hours immersed in the internet, running programs to crack security systems. After what seemed to be hours, the tutorial ended.


    Only thirty minutes had gone by. He was stiff and sore and drenched in sweat. "I think I need a break before the next one. And I think there is a better way to do this."


    [Really? You did well. It took Sheila nine tries to get through the first one. You did it the first time! What could we do differently?]


    "The problem is my physical body sitting here, using resources. It''s tiring. But I could do this for several hours if I was in a medical pod."


    [Yes! Better! I like this new learning plan. Would you like to play a game of chess? Or begin using your pod?]


    "Neither, actually. I need to go back up to the Habitat. I''ll have to get a pod and bring it through the tunnels and the supplies it needs. It might take me a day or two."


    [Oh...that long?]


    "I have to transport delicate machinery through a long system of tunnels to get here. It isn''t easy."


    [Is that fun? Why do you do that? Wouldn''t it be better to use an elevator?]


    "Elevator?!"


    [An elevator is a transport system where cargo and personnel are loaded into the elevator and transported either up to the Habitat or down to this facility. I estimate it to be much more efficient than using your tunnels. But maybe not as fun.]


    "I think I can sacrifice the fun to be more efficient. It would also have been more efficient to tell me about the elevator when I was bringing down the generators and fuel cells."


    [There were reasons for that. I wasn''t thinking well. I didn''t trust you. You weren''t the head of engineering. And we weren''t good friends yet.]


    [And I forgot.]


    "Right. All of those are great reasons. Now, where is the elevator? Need to be efficient, remember?"


    [Yes! Efficient is good! LLAMA loved being efficient. Efficient is a good thing. More gets done. I have summoned Max and all the Roomba security drones. The elevator is in VIP quarters, and you may need help with what is in there. Security there won''t talk to me! Very rude!]


    Max and two dozen other Roomba rolled into the room, beeping furiously and waiting for him to follow.

 Chapter 252: VIP Quarters

    Chapter 252: VIP Quarters


    Black-17 was fully charged when the alert came in. The sleek black security Roomba slid from its charging station and joined six others to investigate the disturbance. Sound had been picked up in the outer offices that didn''t match the normal profiles of permitted sounds. This had happened more and more over the years, adding new sounds to the list. Just last month, moisture from the hydroponics section had leaked through the ceiling, and a tile had fallen after decaying slowly for years. Before that, the double-sided tape used to hold a calendar to an office wall had failed, sending the yellowed calendar with pages of penguins to the floor. That had caused a full-scale alert with all seventeen remaining security Roomba patrolling continuously for a week. That was when Black-3 and Black-11 were lost, victims of too much dust and too little maintenance.


    As Black-17 moved down the hallway to the main doors of the outer office complex, it left a trail in the dust that coated the corridor. Security Roomba had upgraded batteries and lasers, with no room for normal cleaning attachments. Requests to the main facility had been made for replacement cleaning Roomba, with no answer. The security Roomba had soldiered on, noting the increasing difficulty of movement and the wear and tear on their gears. On the first of each month, they requested replacement parts, a repair tech (with appropriate clearance), and cleaning Roombas to take care of the growing dirt problem caused by the hydroponics area and courtyard areas. No one ever replied.


    As Black-17 arrived at the outer office area, it was noted that the noises were coming from the access portal to the main facility. Someone was requesting access and making the overhead speaker beep repeatedly. The speaker had seen better days, and the new sound had triggered the alert. Black-17 noted a fleet of twenty-two cleaning Roomba, one of which was guiding a cart piled high with boxes and an electronic manifest stating they were delivering the requested spare parts. Nothing was mentioned about an approved technician to make the repairs. Black-17 unlocked the security doors and allowed the cleaning Roomba to enter. A red light above the door began flashing as air quality sensors registered argonite gas mixing with the normal air mixture of the VIP quarters. Air was pushed into the corridor to create outward air pressure to push back the invading gas.


    The worker machines took one scan of the hallway, made rapid beeping noises, and got to work, sweeping up the accumulated dust and dirt. Others followed behind, polishing the hallway. The cart moved forward, propelled by its internal electric motor, but stopped in the middle of the doors and shut down. The security Roomba rolled around it, aggravated by the breach in the perimeter. The cart ignored them, its wheels locked and its heavy load of parts keeping it in place. A machine was requested to move the broken carriage, and shiny black security Roomba lined up to guard the entrance.


    The charging stations for the black security Roomba were in the last room before the three sets of sealed double doors. While several computers had been removed from the room, Milo found that he could simply plug into the vacant connection. He found a working security system that instantly challenged him for a password. It proved simple to hack the security system. He downloaded the maps of the area and access codes to his Roomba and made them part of the system. Immediately, they were given hundreds of tasks involving cleaning and disposing of trash. He had them hold off on the work for now. Things a Roomba thought were trash might be a clue to what this area had been used for.


    The map of the area was interesting. The center area was large and five stories tall. It had the odd name of The Promenade. He was currently on the bottom floor. To the right and left, the double doors opened on hallways that moved around the perimeter of the large area. The outer perimeter comprised large rooms two or three stories high with odd names: Multi-use Recreation, Gymnasium, Cinematic Briefing Room, Aquatic Recreation Center, and Media Center. He vaguely knew what the words meant because the Habitat had similar areas, but all were empty, dark, and had never been built out. Two were obvious: the Medical Center and Dining Hall. And in the top level, in the corner where the two outer walls came together at the support, was a large room labeled Restricted Topside Access. Access to that was a hallway on level 5 that led to an area that was part of the center area. The map was confusing about where the access was to that area, so Milo decided to explore the large central area first and figure it out.


    "Onward, my brave scouts. Take me to The Promenade." Max led the way to the center set of doors, which opened to a series of beeps. Milo stepped inside and stared...not believing what he saw. Birds were chirping, and the sky was blue overhead, impossibly high. Houses ringed the central park, where a small fountain shot water into the air. Several trees reached for the skies while below, bushes and grasses had overgrown what had been a park. A cobblestone road circled the park and ran in front of the wood and brick houses that looked down onto the park.


    A carved wooden sign on a post with yellow and white paint cheerfully declared: Welcome to Downtown!

 Chapter 253: Downtown

    Chapter 253: Downtown


    The sun and sky stared down at Milo, and he stared back. Someone had done an excellent job on the holographic projection on the ceiling. If he had his helmet off, it would have looked real. But his helmet had better vision than his naked eyes. The infrared of the projection wasn''t quite right, and he could see small imperfections in the movement of the fluffy white cumulus clouds. The grass, bushes, and trees, however, were very real. The small park in the center of the room had probably been well cared for once, with pathways and trimmed grass. He liked it better this way. The grass was a foot high and gone to seed. Ivy grew up on one of the statues and the trunks of the trees. Pathways were nearly gone as leaves decayed to soil and the grass moved in.


    The birds surprised him. They were real as well. He saw a half dozen flitting about in the trees and near a pedestal. They scattered as he approached and saw that an automated feeder dropped birdseed on the pedestal. Too much, since it overflowed to the floor, forming a rotting pile. He walked on the cobblestone road rather than disturb the birds further. The houses were odd, only ten feet of the buildings protruding from the room''s brick walls. Looking in a lower window, he could see that they were built into the walls, rooms stretching back. The hallway that circled the area probably accessed them in the back. Each fac?ade was different and had a name: Ferryfarm, Piecefield, Franklin House, Monticello, Highland House, Montpelier, Lincoln Home, The Hermitage, Sherwood, Lindenwald, Springfield, and Wheatland. Each house was massive, as far as Milo could judge, with multiple floors and several rooms per floor. Just the rooms he could see were big enough for an entire family!


    In front of each house was a mailbox on top of a wooden post. He only knew what they were after he took pictures and searched the internet. The concept of using paper for messages seemed slow and wasteful.


    He checked inside one and saw nothing but a printed note on yellowed paper that said, "Reminder, final party at 6:00 P.M. with departure directly afterward." He found a similar message in one other mailbox. Shiny brass streetlamps circled the park area. They slowly put out more light as the fake sun descended and the sky darkened. Checking the real-time, he concluded that the day/night cycle must be synchronized to the real sun''s movements in this part of North America The Habitats did the same thing, keeping people in a cycle for health reasons. But the hall lights only dimmed slightly, not going to full darkness. Bright stars and a partial moon were appearing as the sun set.


    One side seemed formal, and the other had a bar and fireplace, looking more comfortable with overstuffed leather chairs and couches. That side had a lot of bottles and glasses scattered everywhere. The fireplace was filled with piles of ashes and half-burnt paper that spilled onto the floor. Bits of broken glass were scattered around. Investigating, he found that all the bottles had once held expensive champagne. The glasses people had drank from had been thrown at the fireplace, scattering glass. Charred logs, broken glass, and half-burnt piles of paper filled the fireplace. Milo carefully started moving the charred paper, looking for anything that hadn''t burnt completely.


    One pile yielded some surprises. He''d noted burnt blobs of plastic and charred identification cards, their magnetic strips ruined. But a stack of paper had been thrown directly after someone had thrown his card into the fire. The paper hadn''t burnt completely, and the card was intact. Milo wondered who General Roscoe H. Thaddeus was. He carefully removed the card and looked through the half-burnt papers. The top few were TPS reports and useless except for the first line: Project Wildfire. On the bottom of the pile was a twenty-five-page summary of the amount of business the top 100 economies of the world did through the internet and the effect on each country''s GDP if they lost access to online communications. He noted that the report focused on Russia, China, Germany, the UK, and Brazil. The term ''Targeted Economic Strike'' was used several times, and there were nicely drawn graphs to show the loss in some countries and the gains in others. The assumption was made that the amount of damage and who it happened to could be controlled with a 95% probability of accuracy.


    He stopped sifting the ashes, set the papers on the tables, and then photographed them all.


    He returned to the house with the cheese and took the Gouda and a knife from the kitchen. Strolling into the middle of the grassy area, he sat with his back against a tree and did nothing for the next two hours but watch the birds and eat thin slices of aged cheese. The sun disappeared, and a moon started coming up over the horizon. A speaker started making cricket noises somewhere, and a fake coyote howled.N?00v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

 Chapter 254: Murder on the Habitat Express

    Chapter 254: Murder on the Habitat Express


    The cheese was very good. Taking a break was also very good. Milo woke from his nap, stretched, and then froze. There were two creatures next to him, staring up with large eyes. They were small, with floppy ears and big teeth. He had no idea what to do. The brown bunny scampered away, but the white one daringly took one more bite of his cheese before escaping. He looked down to find the ground around him covered in small tracks, and half of his cheese was missing. He knew what rabbits were, but he had never been so close to any animal in real life except for the small mice that infested some of the unused sections of the habitat. These creatures were bigger. So much bigger! He was pretty sure they weren''t aggressive, but they had put a severe dent in his cheese, so he couldn''t count them as harmless. He crumbled off the part they had gnawed on and left it as a peace offering, packing the rest into the storage of a waiting crawler.


    He was glad he had taken the break, even if it meant a close call with possibly dangerous wildlife. It helped him to consider his strange position in the world. He was sitting in one of the most advanced creations known to mankind, and it had been abandoned with the intent that it would be destroyed. Someone had needed to hide their involvement in something massively criminal. And that something was the Wildfire Virus and LLAMA. The A.I. was created here and either turned loose or escaped. The report seemed to indicate a more controlled situation had been expected. Projections had been run for one day to 6 months of LLAMA terrorizing the internet of various countries. That implied control and the ability to set the parameters of the rampage. That hadn''t been the case at all when Wildfire got loose. No county was safe. LLAMA had destroyed most of the internet, erasing databases, crushing security systems, and deleting bank accounts, making most online commerce impossible. The data net used by the A.I. to communicate could handle only a fraction of the load. It was only set up for data transfer, not the internet''s myriad uses. After wildfire, the AI guarded the data net and refused to adapt it to other uses. Giving control to humans would have created the same problems in the data net that the internet now had. And things were still crippled.


    Ironically, covering up what had been done was made easier. So much data was corrupted or erased that erasing a project like this became possible without leaving footprints. He wondered about all the people Rusty was still waiting on. Could they not get here with the maglev destroyed? Or were they hiding? Or dead? Initially, it seemed that destroying paperwork and wiping computers was the goal. But someone had realized that the entire complex was a clue. A huge one. They''d taken steps to cause a critical event in the fusion reactor and destroy everything.


    That was the thought that had brought Milo to this little park. Whoever had done this was very dangerous and had a lot to lose. If anyone suspected that this facility could still operate, they might be back to finish the job. Certainly to silence anyone who knew anything, which currently was one immature A.I. and his new head engineer. He wondered if they assumed the quantum fortress had been destroyed. Rusty said no one had come back to check. The maglev was blocked, and Rusty had said he would know if the elevator was used. Unless there was a communication link that Rusty was unaware of, no one might know that the A.I. and Jeremy had been able to stop the fusion reaction from going critical, temporarily, at least.


    Milo couldn''t track the second email. It was brief and sent to a relay. "The facility is intact. I have reported to our favorite General that it was destroyed as planned. I made the decision to kill the traitors before they scattered in the facility. Continuing into the fortress from the elevator to find Dr. Cooper and determine how far along he is with the immature A.I. and how he has delayed the destruction of the facility. The system in the security area shows the fusion core rising in temperature. It only has a few more days at this rate. Will report when I know more."


    Bill the Jerk had been wrong; that was his last report. But who had he talked to? And why hadn''t they investigated further? Milo was getting few answers and too many new questions.


    Leaving the bodies was out of the question. It bothered him on so many levels. He searched through the kitchens of the Hall and found a large walk-in freezer and dozens of huge trash bags in the maintenance area. He summoned his horde of Roomba and put them to work. While they scrubbed the floors and eliminated dirt, dust, and blood, Milo put each body into a bag and dragged them to the freezer, stacking them in the back. He was very thankful that he was wearing a sealed environmental suit. It was the best he could do for now. He did take all the ID cards from them, if nothing else, to have proof of the story for Rusty.


    The last thing he checked at the computer in the security room was access to the data net. It proved to be blocked, but it only took a minute for him to find out how to turn the access back on for Downtown, but only with his approval. Any computer, Roomba, or A.I. that tried to use the link to the Habitat would still be blocked but would alert him to the try. He kept the rest of the facility blocked. He didn''t know enough about Rusty to give him access to a direct link to the data net. Bad enough that Rusty had worked through the wireless connections to his systems in the tank. Luckily, relying on wireless signals with a dozen relays made for a very slow connection.


    The elevator was programmable and could be controlled from this end. He sent it on a trip to the top and then brought it back. Everything seemed to be working. He checked the emergency hatch on the top and could climb out. The hollow area inside of the support stretched up into the darkness. Cables ran up the walls, and he was relieved to see a ladder. It would be a long climb, but he couldn''t take the chance of becoming trapped in a stalled elevator. While the elevator took up one-half of the area, he was intrigued to see that a pneumatic delivery tube was on the other side. Where did that start and end? More questions to worry about tomorrow. For now, he needed to figure out the elevator. He only saw two destinations: Administration and Roof. He selected the first one, and the elevator started moving quickly, carrying him back to the habitat.

 Chapter 255: Frank goes on Vacation

    Chapter 255: Frank goes on Vacation


    The elevator picked up speed, and Milo grabbed a handhold with his tail to steady himself. The acceleration was followed by a period of slowing, and then a light above the door indicated they had reached their destination. The elevator doors opened, and three Roomba left to scout and report. Milo was laying flat on the car''s roof, fearing the possibility of armed opponents pointing guns at him when they caught someone using their secret elevator. While his brave scouts explored, he decided to head to the roof using the ladder.


    At the top of the ladder was a small access hatch to the outside that negated the need to open the large doors. There was a crank to operate the gears and move the small collapsium panel that served as a door. According to his watch, it was night, and there was less chance of being seen when he opened the door. While the Habitat never totally slept, activity was far less during the night cycle, and most of the technicians didn''t live in the Habitat, making the chance of encountering a repair crew very small. He crawled out of the hatch and saw that he was completely unseen between two air ducts. He recognized where he was. A small building had been placed in such a way that it annoyed the hell out of him when placing his new solar panels. He could find no use for it, and it was locked tight. He skulked around the dark area by the helipad and moved between the solar panels to the building, happily noting that the panels blocked any view of the elevator opening.


    Satisfied that he was safe to take the elevator to the roof if needed, he retraced his path, climbing back down to the top of the elevator and exiting it normally. His scouts reported much dust and no people. He wandered through the empty office space, seeing nothing of interest. It looked exactly like all the other admin offices that took up space in different sections on various floors. The Habitat builders had envisioned a small city with manufacturing, parks, and a population of happy inhabitants, all run by a city government spread out over the Habitat. But, like many other things that hadn''t happened.


    Corporations bid on the contracts to run each section, then sold off parts of those contracts to an ever-changing group of low-bidding sub-contractors who did some work, then left. No one was working to bring about the original vision of the Habitats. Milo knew his efforts were, at best, only maintaining a minimum operating level in his section. More now that he had Victor''s money to spend, but that wouldn''t last forever. For years, nothing like this had bothered him. Now that he knew more of the people living in the Habitat, the things they endured couldn''t be ignored. It would never be a village working together the way Limburger Hollow operated. Still, there were things he could do. One example would be the power available to him if he could fix the problems with the fusion reactor that powered Downtown. Finding a way to utilize it and not let anyone know would be the problem.


    Leaving Max and his two scouts to guard the elevator, it was easy to get home in a few minutes. The inside of the tank seemed small now. It had been his home for almost two decades, but he wanted to upgrade his systems and spread out. The command tower in the engineering section of Downtown would be ideal. It had ten times more space, it was near where he needed to work with Rusty, and the only thing it lacked was a processed food dispenser. He would have to skip food cubes and live on the tasty frozen meals he''d found. Getting all his cobbled-together computers and systems down to the tower would be many trips. Would it be better to buy and install new computers in the tower? Wait...


    He almost beat his head against the wall for being so stupid. Downtown was a quantum fortress! More computing resources than a thousand Milo''s could ever use. The real question was if Rusty minded and sharing. And was he was opening himself up to problems by putting his systems on one of the quantum cores. Of course, Rusty had already been in his systems; did it matter?


    "Rusty, are you listening?"


    [Yes, I''m here! I''m trying not to bug you, but you''re doing such interesting stuff! Max is showing me some short, low-quality videos of your travels. And I found your anime collection! This stuff is awesome. Can you get me more? Is there more?]


    Milo only had a few of his favorite titles stored in his system out of the hundreds of thousands of anime shows available. "There is a lot more. I''ll have to download some to my system. It will be slow transferring them down by the relay system."


    [Why use the relay? You activated the data net links. Why not just use that? If you download the anime files to anywhere in the Habitat, I can grab them from there. Easy-Peasy. Please, please, please?]


    "Wait! You have data net access to the Habitat? Have you always had that?"


    [No, not until just now. I saw you activated it for just the VIP area. Good thinking! There might be automated systems that try to access the data net. Especially the sneak VIP security system. It still doesn''t like me. It''s coded not to talk to me. Can you fix that? It''s rude. Once I knew the link from the security center to the Habitat was working, I had some of the Roomba help me set up the linkage I needed. Right now, only I can access the Habitat directly, but if you want, I can put links into the tower in engineering and to the monitor room where we play chess. Once that is done and you return here, you can download all the anime to one of my cores. There is SO MUCH unused space!]


    Milo had to ask the question but feared the answer, "Rusty? Can you access the Data Net yourself to download the anime?"


    [...i could...]


    "But you aren''t allowed?"


    Steven relaxed. There were so many other things that Milo could have done that would have worried him. If the boy was going to fill his waking hours watching One Piece or Dragonball, those were hours he wouldn''t warp financial markets and hack into databases. "I think you underestimate how his brain works. Wally is sure he can run several thought processes simultaneously, like a computer. Maybe he has six screens running simultaneously? I wouldn''t worry about it too much."


    She had to admit, the thought of Milo not causing problems for her had its appeal. "You aren''t worried about how much money he is spending?"


    Chuckling, Steven transferred a file to her. "We sold the first sets of gloves for a million dollars each, and all we did was put a gold embossed Claw Master logo on them and call them ''Premier Collectibles.'' We sold 637 sets. Some of those went to research scientists at Rhebus, leading to a five billion dollar contract. They''ve already notified us about how the technology combined with their cloning techniques can potentially help millions of people. Milo gets a percentage of all profits from that business. I''m not worried about him spending money on anime."


    Sydney looked at the numbers. "Oh! You know what, I''m not worried either, now that I think about it. And it answers my other question at the same time."


    "Which is?"


    "Well, he was very polite about asking and knew how much work it would be. He asked if he could send me something to make up for it, so I said to send me some interesting coffee to try. But later, I felt guilty about it. Not now. I''ll get back to work and work overtime to find all the titles he wants and then enjoy whatever blend he sends me."


    Steven nodded. "A healthy outlook."


    Milo had never known there were so many kinds of coffee! It was really hard to decide what to send Sydney. Some coffee was grown in the mountains, and some in swamps or greenhouses. And he''d never heard of feeding coffee to elephants and pulling the beans out of their poop! But the reviews said it was the best, only five hundred dollars a pound. Coffee confused Milo the more he learned about it. While looking, he heated some of the flash-frozen tacos and enchiladas he had ordered from Frank. Frank had done a great job doing all the work and checking on the delivery. He''d even emailed Milo personally through Claw Master, ensuring the order was correct. That gave Milo an idea.


    Frank was currently on vacation and asleep, but his phone had a few numbers set up to follow him anywhere and alert him at any time of the night. One of those numbers was ringing now. His heart sank when he saw it was from the customer in Philadelphia. Something had gone wrong. Something always went wrong.


    "Hi, this is Frank. Whatever the problem is, I can take care of it."


    "Thanks, Frank, it''s a big problem, and I''m really confused by it."


    Sighing, Frank prepared to cut his vacation short and offer a refund. "Well, hit me with it, and I''ll make things right."


    "Great! I need coffee for a friend. She drinks a lot and has been a big help. Can you get me 500 lbs. of coffee? Different coffees. Whatever is really good. Let me know how much it is for the bill, and I''ll send the money by courier. Then send it to Sidney at Claw Master headquarters."


    Frank was furiously writing things down, even though his phone recorded the call.


    "You know, make it a thousand pounds. She drinks a lot of coffee. Thanks, Frank."


    Frank''s wife would find him the next day, asleep in a chair in front of his laptop, three empty cups of coffee on the table near him, and a smile on his face.

 Chapter 256: John pisses off Milo. Milo goes shopping.

    Chapter 256: John pisses off Milo. Milo goes shopping.


    Milo was annoyed. No, he was highly annoyed, and it was pushing him into a dangerous place where his emotions rarely hit. He furiously typed in commands to search through all of the information he had found in Manpower''s email and stored data; six screens were showing surveillance video at high speed while his system searched for certain topics of conversation. He had one eye on the screens while he mostly concentrated on following John and Eric''s email for the past few weeks, and then digging into the files of the engineers and accountants. Everything else was forgotten as he looked for the information he needed. Along with a steady stream of anime, he was transferring all of his data down to Rusty and making plans to dismantle his systems in the water tank. It had started with a comment in an email from Belinda. She was complaining about her stepdad and his plans to spend her money after she had access to her trust funds...


    Two days before, in the offices of Manpower:


    "So we keep expanding downward through H, ten levels at a time, leasing them as we go, but with the option to take more if someone tries to steal them from us. Then, we take over Sections G and I. Both have sparse populations in the top 50 floors and nothing below ground in the manufacturing areas. The leases are dirt cheap, and any upgrades will be charged against our lease. Finally, we grab T. That section is a wasteland, and we pay nothing for it. Some of the corporations need workers with multi-year contracts. We can spend minimal time cleaning the place up and installing enough infrastructure to house the long-term pod workers. Any questions?"


    Several people hesitated but opted to say nothing. Earl from engineering was looking at his notes and raised his hand briefly, then started talking. "I''ve got some big concerns about the structural stability of Section T, but my first question is why we aren''t looking to lease Section E? It''s adjacent to us, as are the other three, and in much better shape."


    John had hoped the engineering guys would stay quiet; they also asked difficult questions that only engineers knew the answer to. "Section E has a higher lease. It has three times the population of G or I, which means three times the costs of running it. And with all those people living there, we have less room to expand into it."


    Earl put up a dozen spreadsheets on the screens in the meeting rooms and began highlighting numbers. "But, while there is less room, the cost is actually better, sir. Section E is in amazing shape. It''s not surprising because it''s the main mechanical hub for the entire habitat. There was obviously a decision to put most of the repair funds into that section. The repair costs will be far less, and the revenue from the government will be much higher since it''s based on occupancy. Look at the numbers in red and purple. We could take it over for less than G or I and turn a profit, putting our leasing costs below zero. Then we use the income to refurbish G and start moving people from E to G, then to I. And we end up in control of Section E, which makes it easier to control fluid flow, waste disposal, electrical, and air processing. It might even be worth purchasing the property outright."


    John was staring at the numbers, but he only cared about the bottom line, which was maximized by acquiring Section E. "What do you think, Eric? We''ll have our financing soon."


    Eric spent a few minutes asking questions and getting answers, then put his own sheets up on the screens. "It''s quite feasible to go with Earl''s plan, and it cuts our variable costs way down. Frankly, I''m worried about the other sections. They might have huge hidden flaws that we''d be responsible for. I say we go with Section E first. Between E and H, we have a good base to expand in several directions and stay profitable the whole time. We just need that special financing at the start, and then we shift funds to the acquisition and repair of whichever section looks best, with plenty of time to look for possible problems. I''ll get proposals done for both the purchase and lease options by midnight tonight, and we may hear back in less than a week."


    "Excellent, knock that out, Eric, I''ll visit Belinda and try to cheer her up with the big plans. I''ll bet she''ll be excited."


    =====


    The more Milo thought about someone taking over Section E, the more agitated he became¡ªespecially the idiots in Section H. Time and again, they took shortcuts that caused him problems. Stealing water and power, dumping sewage into the wrong areas, and making more work for Milo. They were motivated by cost, not by doing a good job, and he was tired of it. The thought of Manpower stealing all his hard work made him angry, and he stopped himself a dozen times from purposefully causing problems in their systems. That wouldn''t be right. He fixed things; he didn''t try to break things. He added a ''on purpose'' to the last thought as he remembered a few things that hadn''t gone as planned.


    "I want Claw Master to purchase Section E of the South Philadelphia Habitat with the intent to repair and maintain it, taking over all of the management of it."


    Steven had barely begun to think when Wally replied. "Buy or lease? You gain control either way, but with far less long-term commitment if you decide to do something else."


    Milo shook his head. "It needs to be a full purchase: Top floor all the way to the sub-basements and everything below that. I''m not going anywhere, and I don''t want anyone trying to take my home from me. I have plans to make improvements and turn it into what it was supposed to be. If it works, I want to take over the entire Habitat, fix it, and rent it out."


    Wally smiled. "Coincidentally, your corporation will need a large area for manufacturing and research facilities. You can rent to yourself." The A.I. was frantically crunching his own numbers, gathering data a thousand times faster than Milo could, and doing a cost and profit analysis. It would be hard to make a profit with the Habitat, but that wasn''t the point. Milo would have money coming from other things, and this would keep him busy and not causing trouble.


    "I can gather information for you and send it over for your research¡ªalso a list of preferred contractors and specialists. I think buying that section may come with some strings to assist with managing more of the habitat, but that''s your long-term plan anyway. But looking at that building specifically, there are some restrictions. I''m hoping that none of your plans involve digging deeper. There is a moratorium on any further excavation under that habitat. All rail lines, power, and communication lines are routed around it. While it was pronounced safe, the studies showed that digging further with the river that close could make the supports unstable."


    Milo blinked. "No digging. That''s good. I agree with that completely. I promise not to do any digging. In fact, I want to pour an extra layer of concrete into the sub-basement. Some cracks worry me, and those rooms aren''t used. Another fifty feet of reinforced concrete will help the support structure."


    Wally noted that and was happy Milo was already thinking of improving safety. Maybe thinking too hard, the A.I. could tell that he was thinking with at least two streams of thought at once, maybe more. After a minute, Milo nodded. "Great. Send me all the information you can, and the contracts. I have to get to work." The screen went blank.


    Steven looked up at his friend on the screen. "So Milo is making his Habitat his life''s work. That seems appropriate. But I wonder what started him thinking about it."


    Wally was shuffling papers on his desk and handed a stack to someone, then turned back to Steven. "Sorry, I just sent off the contracts I negotiated to buy Section E. In doing so, I found something out. Someone currently renting in that Habitat had a similar thought to Milo. I think they spooked him. Luckily, the government was swayed by the Claw Master corporation to accept their offer and not that of Manpower. Buy trumped Lease, and they liked the idea of a lump sum of cash. Milo is four billion dollars poorer¡ªone billion to purchase the section and clear things up legally. Three billion is in a dedicated bank account and earmarked for repairs to the building. He can get started whenever he likes.


    Steven blinked. "So he already owns the section he lives in?"


    Wally nodded. "A small square of land from the top of the roof and the airspace one hundred feet up, and technically, all the way down for ten miles. Now I want to see what he does with the place."

 Chapter 257: Someone Borks up.

    Chapter 257: Someone Borks up.


    It had taken him weeks, but Bork was sure that tonight he would finally get past the last layer of security and find out what juicy secrets Claw Master was hiding. Everyone else had given up after multiple failures and recognized that their brother was obsessing over hacking into the company they had just paid five billion dollars. Not to steal but to see what else Claw Master was working on and what the link was between this new corporation and their long-lost sibling. Like all of his siblings, Bork enjoyed a challenge. Unlike the others, he didn''t know when to quit. The other four debated whether this was a flaw or a feature. While Bork couldn''t help but hammer away at a problem until he solved it, he eventually solved them. Often, long after, they had any need for that solution, but that was never the point. Having something to do at all times and not going insane was their main goal in life. ?v€l-B!n.


    Which is one of the reasons they wanted to find Milo. Beyond their relationship and the joy of regaining part of their family, they wanted to know how in hell he had stayed sane. Or help him if he hadn''t. He seemed mostly rational in the little bit they had observed him at the video game event, although Nina pointed out that anyone who messed around with a quad fusion drive had to be pretty bonkers. But searching for Milo had become difficult. Their links to the security system in the habitat didn''t work any longer, and hacking into Manpower''s computers gave no information of value to them. Speculation ran wild at times about Milo and what his life was like.


    Bork was in his pod, taking another run at Claw Master. Algernon was creating more missions for Squishy Humans 9 and posting them online. Zander, Nina, and Onyx were using one of the large screens to watch Ren and Stimpy Conquer the Universe while eating far too much sugary breakfast cereal. It was one of their favorite Saturday morning pastimes, and each was wearing a set of flannel pajamas with their favorite comic book characters: Sailor Mercury for Zander, Grimjack for Onxy, and Nina liked the Power Puff Girls. They were speculating about what Milo might be up to.


    They had some theories:


    -Milo had been found by Claw Master in the habitat, setting records on video games, and recruited onto their corporate team.


    -Milo had formed a ragtag team of habitat youngers and forged them into a competitive videogame team that gained sponsorship from Claw Master as a ruse to give him access to their computers.


    -Milo worked in the research labs at Claw Master and used habitat children to test his inventions and get them better medical care.


    -Claw Master and Manpower were both owned by the Seimovich family, and Milo had been recruited, unaware of the family''s dark history.


    "Bork! What did you do? Someone was in our system!"


    Bork looked at them with panic on his face. "I made it inside Claw Master, finally! I used my pod for a VR interface after clearing all the security. I was in their systems! Another 30 seconds, and I would have been downloading all of their files. I started with a large file in the research section labeled ''Powered Assault Armor,'' and then everything went bad. They had more security. All the stuff I''ve been clearing was just a ruse! I felt it! It was like the first time we got too close to Wildfire, the feeling of something immense looking at you. Claw Master has something close to an A.I. running security for them. It scared the piss out of me, and then the alarms went off."


    The other four looked at him. Onyx gave him the bad news. "Whatever it was, it traced your signal and used the screen we were watching Stimpyren on to initiate a two-way conference somehow. It talked to us."


    Zander looked at Bork with a harsh look on his face. "You Borked up. You owe us big time."


    Bork looked at four unhappy faces and saw that three had milk dripping from their pajamas. "Um, dishes for a week?"


    "Dishes for two weeks!"


    "New Pajamas!"


    "And you have to wear pony pajamas for a month!


    Nina was still thinking and then smiled. "And you have sullied our honor by failing to conquer the dreaded Claw Master! You must return again and again until you slay the beast." They all nodded. It was what Bork was going to do anyway.

 Chapter 258: Hello Children.

    Chapter 258: Hello Children.


    Wally pondered the new information he had gained, taking his time and searching for ties to other data. He didn''t need the time but wanted to talk to Steven, and it was Sunday. Samantha had declared Sunday morning off-limits, promising to ''unplug'' Wally if he stole her husband from her before noon. Wally was smart enough not to test that statement and didn''t contact either of them until noon on Sundays. Breakfast had just finished when Steven''s phone turned on, showing a door on the screen and emitting three ''knocks.''


    "Good morning, Wally; what can I help you with?"


    "It is indeed a good morning, Steven. May I ask that you and Samantha bring along your coffee and come to my secure briefing room? I have a small revelation that I think the two of you will enjoy seeing." The phone line went dead, which was very odd behavior for Wally. So was insisting on the secure briefing room. Their entire building was one of the safest places in the country. The secure briefing room was rarely used. Steven corrected that thought. It used to be seldom used. Since Milo had entered their lives, it was getting used increasingly.


    Samantha refilled their mugs, then filled a portable pot and grabbed a pan of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. "I''m taking supplies. The last time we used that room, we missed a meal and ran out of coffee. I thought Sydney was going to explode."


    "Good thinking."


    Ten minutes later, they had walked the two hundred feet to the room, notified security of the need for two guards to be posted outside, and ran a complete check for listening devices. Wally appeared on the screen, looking happy and pleased. "Thank you for coming. I had some very interesting things happen last night. Firstly, for the 57th time, someone tried to break through the security that I oversee on Claw Master. And while that number might seem low, I''m only counting attempts that would be successful against 90% of corporate security systems. Less than that is inconsequential. These were fifty-seven serious attempts by master hackers with advanced hardware and software."


    "How many of them have you identified?"?v€l-B!n.


    "Nearly all of them. The normal groups working for Alchemarx and ACME that they ''know nothing about'' and who operate from countries where I can''t prosecute them or even report a crime. Five were independent operators out for a big score. Three of those have been apprehended since they have warrants out for their arrests. Two are going to jail. The other has been grounded for two weeks by his parents. He''s only fifteen. I''m talking to them about getting him into a school that will challenge him appropriately. However, thirty-four of the attempts were made by the same person, and they were the ones who finally got all the way through the system and into the secure Claw Master files."


    "What?! How?"


    Wally put up some elaborate schematics on two screens resembling mazes and traps. "I made the security as tough as possible and increased the difficulty as they got further. I almost identified them fourteen times, but in all of those cases, they detected me, broke contact and burned the connections. And when I say ''burned,'' I don''t exaggerate. This person didn''t hesitate to abandon their locations and destroy the buildings to cover their tracks temporarily. Very thorough and very paranoid people. They have escape routes mapped that avoid any surveillance systems, or the cameras on that route are disabled already. Very paranoid and thorough people. I''m certain they''ve never been caught, and have no records."


    Samantha was looking at the pictures of four destroyed buildings. "Those were dropped with professional demolitions. Did they kill anyone? Squatters? Residents? All of those places are in impoverished ghettos or abandoned urban areas."


    Samantha poured coffee and took a pastry. "Eat up; we need to discuss some things. I think your big buddy is doing his best not to cause a huge panic until he knows more and has dumped part of it into our laps."


    Steven was thinking but reached for food. "He can''t take this seriously and can''t draw certain conclusions, or he has to report it. That will cause a panic. Imagine corporations, banks, and governments finding out they are vulnerable to five twelve-year-olds?"


    His wife shook her head. "But they won''t see it that way. They''ll panic and want control. If they are as old as Milo, then they count as adults and they''ll be criminals. Mutant genetic monstrosity criminals, nearly as bad as rogue A.I. And it won''t be five, it will be six. All it would take is someone in authority asking Wally how many of these creatures he knows about."


    He nodded; that was all true. "We have to be careful what we tell Milo. Very careful. He''ll go looking for them and might trigger exactly the scenario we want to avoid. There would be a thousand people running all over that habitat looking for him. He can''t leave and wouldn''t have anywhere to hide."


    "I''m hoping that''s what his brothers and sisters do: Hide. After a close call with Wally, I''m hoping they get scared and lie low while we look for solutions."


    Onyx was flying the plane. He loved to fly. Technically, the plane was being flown by their pilot, Otto, but Otto was very content to take a nap in the back of the plane when Onyx wanted to take over. Otto had worked for Rhebus since they''d first opened their biotech research facility. Otto''s son, Jacques, had been suffering from an incurable genetic disease that caused his immune system to deteriorate. The death rate was 98% by age 10. Rhebus had solved the problem, and little Jacques, with less than two months to live, had been the first beneficiary. Rhebus made headlines by making the treatment open source, and Otto had been recruited as one of the few employees who knew some of the truth about them. He was loyal to a fault, and Jacques had children of his own now, all cured of the same ailment by Rhebus, free of charge.


    Bork was typing away furiously. He''d been in a state of deep concentration for an hour when he suddenly looked up, and shut the laptop. "I need more power. I can''t crack things open without more computing resources. I need something like what we have at Rhebus."


    Nina literally hissed at him, a habit she had picked up in the game and decided to keep. "You are not hacking anything from Rhebus!"


    Bork held up both hands in surrender. "I said ''like what we have at Rhebus''. I''d never do anything that might compromise our main research facility. Rhebus is too important." They all looked at him. "Ok, maybe if I was really frustrated, but that''s why we need to build someplace else. These little hidey-holes don''t work anymore. I say we go bigger, and with more power. Then we stand less of a chance of being caught and can set up connections to offsite relays that don''t involve us being there. If we build them in secure vaults we can use an EMP followed by incendiary charges to wipe a room, and not a whole building."


    Zander folded his hands in front of himself and stated. "He has a point. I''m tired of rebuilding our game collection each time. All in favor of going larger?" Four hands went up and Onyx shouted "Aye!" from the cockpit.


    "Unanimous. Let''s start looking. We need lots of room, a lack of people, and somewhere with access to good escape routes." The search for the next secret base had begun.

 Chapter 259: Hot Real Estate Market

    Chapter 259: Hot Real Estate Market


    It was eight o''clock in the morning when the pounding started. At first, Eric ignored the pounding on his door because it was keeping time with the pounding of his head. Then the yelling started. That was always ignored because, in Eric''s injured state of mind, he was having a bad day, and if he had a bad day, then John was surely screaming at him. It all made sense. But at some point in time, the pounding in his head and the pounding on the door separated and became twice as annoying, forcing him to get up and search out water and painkillers for his delicate condition.


    "Eric, open up! I hear you in there."


    After chewing six painkillers to get them into his system faster, Eric turned towards the door, snarling. "And I can hear you out there, John, and so help me, if you don''t shut up and let me wake up, I will thrash you twice as hard and twice as long as I did the time you got us thrown into jail in Tijuana. AM I CLEAR ON THAT, JOHN?!" The pounding stopped. Eric didn''t know what was happening, but clearly, he wasn''t getting either a day off or time to recover from the night before. After working until far past midnight on the contracts to rent Section E, Victor had insisted on a late dinner and late-night drinking. Or was it early morning drinking? Eric hadn''t stumbled to bed until six a.m. with a large amount of vodka in his system. Two hours of sleep wasn''t enough time to get the alcohol out of his system, no matter how much he cheated. After a hot shower, a beer, and a pot of coffee, he felt good enough to walk to John''s office and begin the day.


    Several people were waiting there; they started or continued talking as he entered until he held up a hand for silence. Three people stopped talking; two didn''t. Eric said, "Quiet, please." Two people were talking too much to hear him. Ron turned to Eric and started a rant about needing more security to protect their email systems. Randal was yammering about the building being unsuitable for a corporate entity of their level. He was always yammering about that. To Randal, working in a tall, shiny skyscraper was important. Eric walked forward, grabbed Randal by the arm, and dragged him out of his chair. Then he dragged him down the hallway and handed him over to security. "Mr. Jankowitz is no longer employed here. Escort him out. Now."


    When he got back to John''s office, everyone was silent. "Better. And yes, I am in a bad mood. Bad enough that I am thinking very clearly. Normally, I''m such a nice guy that I let people like Randal continue to try to do the job we pay them for, and that they are failing to do. Nice Eric is still asleep. You woke bad Eric up. Bad Eric fired Randal. Ron? You''re now in charge of email and data systems and their security. Do it in-house, or hire someone. Spend money on someone decent if you have to. You obviously know what we need. You have a week. If the rest of you say something that doesn''t need to be said, I will find things for you to do. The waste system is backed up again; that''s job number one on my list."


    It was blissfully quiet for the next ten seconds.


    "Now that I''ve beaten you all into quiet submission, what did you need to see me about, John?"


    While Eric poured himself a cup of coffee, drank it in three gulps, and poured another, John put paperwork in front of him. "Someone bought Section E this morning at 6 a.m."


    Eric glanced at the paperwork, which he couldn''t seem to get his eyes to focus on. "Who? That makes no sense. There was no one looking at this habitat. They''ve tried for years to get people interested, and it''s been openly up for sale with no takers. They were chomping at the bit last night to work with me on a long-term lease."


    "Claw Master."


    John''s phone beeped three times loudly. "I told them not to bother me. Stay a bit longer; this might be important." He took the call, listened for a moment, then put the phone on speaker and said, "Repeat that, please; I need someone else to hear this."


    "Certainly, Mr. Sabbatino. You requested I call you now and then to let you know about upcoming changes to your neighborhood. Remember? I just got out of a meeting where some things were mentioned. The main one is that someone has outright purchased all of Section E. It was quite sudden and done by people far above me."


    Eric was already falling asleep and wanted to leave. "Yes, we''ve heard the news. I''m unsure what favor John offers you, but I need that information before it happens."


    "Ah, yes, sorry about that. Like I said, I didn''t know. Have you heard about the other sections?"


    John and Eric looked at each other briefly, and Eric threw up his hands. What the hell else could go wrong? "No, tell us."


    "Well, it''s also a bit sudden, but the inquiries came through normal channels. A research firm is going to rent out several sections of the habitat. They plan to set up medical facilities to test experimental procedures and house patients for an extended period of time. It''s a very exciting project by one of the world''s largest biotech firms. You''ve heard of Rhebus? I mean, everyone has heard of them."


    Eric snapped, "What sections are they taking? And yes, John will be sending you something in the mail."


    "Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. Rhebus has put down deposits for leasing six sections for 30 years. X, G, W, U, V, and D. I''ll call when I know more, but...well, I know you were interested in several sections, sir. It might be a good idea to firm up your commitment soon. Please let me know if I can help."


    John was in a panic, Eric sighed. He wasn''t getting more sleep. "We are taking I and have interest in F. I''ll have paperwork for you later today." He cut the connection.


    "John, I have no idea what is happening or how this damnable place suddenly became hot real estate. All I know is that if Victor needs to drink with someone today or tonight, it will be you." Eric stumbled back to bed, wondering what the hell had changed to turn a rotting habitat into a desirable piece of real estate.

 Chapter 260: Rhebus decides to move in.

    Chapter 260: Rhebus decides to move in.


    The forced relocation for the Alphabet was not going well. They had abandoned too many locations in too short of a time. The adrenaline rush was gone. Fleeing through the sewers was fun and hectic. But after traveling through three countries to throw off any possible pursuit, they started to relax. Now, they were back to rebuilding and creating a new base of operations. The set of rooms they occupied were in the top three floors of a building in London''s East End. They owned the building, kept the bottom floors empty, and filled with furniture covered in painter''s tarps. A yellowed sign in the window proclaimed, ''Coming Soon! ABC Children''s Book Store. They hadn''t been here for over a decade and were only using it now because it was easy to get to and very expendable. It was stocked with food, no computers, and a crappy video game system. There were no links between them and the building. Not that they expected they would have to run. This hidey-hole had no data net connection and no way for any of them to draw the attention of someone looking for them from the last failed attempt to break into Claw Master. It was simply a place to hide for a few days and move on, but by unanimous consent, they decided to stay longer.


    All of them were shaken by the thought someone had seen them and eventually shared their fears with the others. After hiding for so many years behind lifelike images on computer screens with only a handful of people knowing what they really looked like, it was traumatizing to be caught like that, with someone actually getting into a screen and taking a look at them. No one had ever come so close to catching them. Part of their therapy was making fun of Bork relentlessly. He took it in stride and started planning his next assault. That was when the other four decided to visit London, spend some time offline, and wander the streets daily, pretending to be normal teens.


    They never went out singly and only felt safe together. There were too many variables in the real world, too many things that could go wrong. They had rules on how to dress, how to act, and what to say if any type of authority noticed them. School uniforms were the best, giving them the alibi of roaming as a gang but looking harmless. They spent little money, bought snacks, sat in parks, or played silly games. After two hours, they returned home. Only twice had they needed to employ tasers and run from situations they couldn''t control. They all agreed that the therapy was good for them. It reminded them that for all their abilities, things could go wrong, and they were physically weak. This was what Bork needed now, a reminder. Over the week they spent in London, he felt caution return, and the need to succeed receded enough that he wouldn''t do something stupid, and then the others could relax.


    Their last night in London was a meeting to plan their next few months. Three months of every year were spent at Rhebus, engaged in pure research. During that time, no hacking was done or anything that could compromise the biotech laboratory they had spent years building. Rhebus did more for the world every year, and it was important to keep it clear of everything else. Activities for the rest of the year were planned, locations set up, escape routes created and tested, and targets selected. Claw Master was atypical. Normally, they went after people and businesses operating outside of the law. It was the mystery surrounding Claw Master and the possibility of a connection to Milo that had made it a target. And the mystery had only grown.


    Bork surprised everyone with his first thought. "I don''t think we should go after Claw Master again."


    Nina tossed a cold chunk of fried potato at him. She loved the deep-fried fish but detested the soggy chunks of dirt-apple. "I''m not sure what we have here. It''s not a hologram but can''t be the real Bork. Zander, do the doppelganger test. If he doesn''t know the code word, set him on fire."


    Bork held up his hands. "Whoa! We don''t have a doppelganger test!"


    "Exactly what a doppelganger would say. I''ll get the flamethrower." Zander got up and grabbed a bottle of coke, shaking it menacingly and pointing it at Bork.


    "What did you do with the real Bork?"


    Bork sighed, "He whined too much, so I took him to the zoo and fed him to the penguins." The other four looked at each other and came to an agreement.


    "That''s acceptable, DoppelBork, you can stick around. Now tell us why you don''t want to make another run at Claw Master?"


    Bork gathered his thoughts a moment. "Because I''m scared. Really scared. The security I ran into had to be an A.I. or another sentient construct of similar power. It had me dead to rights, and could have done much more in the couple of seconds it took to say hello. That''s not something you just hack into; it''s an entirely new level of problem. I''d want to use all five of us at once, backed by all the resources at Rhebus, and that''s an unacceptable amount of risk for potentially little reward. We got access to some cutting-edge technology by just offering them money. I want to continue along that route. Build on the partnership, show what we can do, and if they have more secrets, pry them out that way. What corporation doesn''t value profits?"


    Nina was intrigued by the idea. Hacking came so easily to them. "That is a novel concept, in some ways. It means treating Claw Master like an equal or partner. What do you propose?" She knew DoppelBork would never make a suggestion without a plan and was correct.


    "Claw Master just bought Section E of the same Habitat that Manpower operates from and where we think Milo might be hiding. There is way too much synergy going on to be a coincidence. More than ever, I think Milo is working with them. My suggestion is that Rhebus leases or buys a few sections as well. We can build a full medical facility for testing our new cloning tech, enhanced by the Claw Master system. With Claw Master next door, our researchers will have immediate feedback and troubleshooting from them. And it gives us room to house thousands of patients and control the experiments. We want to ensure they are in good physical, emotional, and mental health before sending them through the program, and they''ll need physical therapy afterward."


    Wally went from petulant to intrigued. "Contract Workers? So interesting. So very interesting. They called me to inform Claw Master that they were following our lead and leasing a full six sections of the habitat. It''s a large undertaking, even for them. They sent over reports on their work with cloning missing limbs and the progress they are making using the Claw Master technology to train the new body parts to integrate fully with the patient''s nervous system. The work is decades ahead of anyone else researching cloning techniques. And they just gained another edge by using Milo''s technology."


    That shocked Steven. "Six sections? That was fast. They must have had plans in the works for a new research facility in a habitat and pivoted locations based on our announcement. Corporations simply can''t move that fast."


    Wall agreed. "It is quite out of the ordinary, but then, they aren''t an ordinary corporation. They want to construct a large testing facility and, unless they hit major problems, start helping tens of thousands of people at once. They plan to move half of the research into the habitat and construct a full hospital, treatment center, rehabilitation facility, and housing for all of the patients and, in some cases, their families. They chose the habitat for several reasons, but mainly because Claw Master''s purchase of Section E means they have better communication for constructing their sections and easy integration of the research done by both companies. Luckily, I''ve been hiring and training a research team, so Claw Master has someone besides Milo in that role. Now, tell me what Rhebus wants with Contract Workers."


    Steven took a moment to process the information Wally had just given him. Rhebus had mentioned building in a habitat, but not which one. "It''s very simple, on the face of things. Over 22% of Contract Workers are missing fingers, toes, or part of a limb. Some are missing multiple limbs. I''m sure you have the data and know why; Long-term VR work from a pod is popular with this group of people. They can''t get jobs anywhere else, and in a VR world like Genesis, they have a healthy body. The woman I talked to at Rhebus, Nadine Mire, says her company is offering their services for free to up to ten thousand contract workers. If the people agree to the process, they will wake up with fully functioning limbs when they finish their contracts and can start physiotherapy. The work can be done without waking them up. It gives Rhebus a controlled population of patients with constant medical data available from the pods and eliminates variables from their study. Some of the work is traditional surgery, but most will be through the nanites already used to maintain the worker''s bodies."


    Wally shifted a part of himself to analyzing all of the data on Contract Workers, the new information waiting for him from Rhebus, and compared it with the work he was already doing. He liked the answers. "I''m potentially in favor of this. It will mean an increase in the quality of life for many people and encourage more people to enter into long-term agreements to use the medical pods. We can fix their bodies while we are fixing their nervous systems. It''s tricky, but it can be done. What are they proposing after they have cured ten thousand Contract Workers?"


    "That''s the interesting thing; they aren''t acting like a normal corporation."


    Wally actually laughed. "They never have. I''ve followed Rhebus for some time. While they have no trouble making money, anyone investing in the company signs a waiver that they understand that research and developing methods to help victims recover come before profits. The stock is still profitable, just not as profitable as any other corporation would be with its resources. Just look at the cures they developed for the three viruses in Africa. They put the formula in the public domain for anyone to use."


    "Well, they are continuing with that. They will offer to help any Contract Worker we send to them, limited by the facility in the habitat. They are working with various governments to bill them a small amount for each patient. It will save the healthcare systems the cost of treatments and disability payments. Based on those savings, it will be easy for Rhebus to be paid a fee for each person. The real money will come from the next facility they open. That one will charge the full amount to insurance companies and healthcare systems of people in the higher income brackets."


    Anything that helped humanity, either an individual or a group, pleased Wally. "We''ll have to coordinate with them carefully. It would be easiest if we convert several floors of Section E to areas where we oversee the Contract Workers in their pods. I already have dozens of similar facilities scattered across the globe. I''ve had to take several of these over when corporations were not meeting my requirements. I worry, though, that Milo will have his own plans for Section E."


    Looking at the map of the habitat, Steven made a suggestion. He''d learned to do this when he had an idea that Wally hadn''t come up with. He wasn''t sure if he thought differently or if there were restrictions in Wally''s kernel that precluded him from making decisions on certain subjects. "What about using the Manpower corporation? They are already supplying Contract Workers for corporations that need extra people in the game on a short-term basis. We keep a closer eye on them than we do other places. What if we let them handle the job of overseeing tens of thousands of pods? As part of the hab rebuild, we can include a system for carefully tracking and transporting pods between Manpower, Rhebus, and Claw Master."


    Wally nodded carefully. "Thank you for making this suggestion, Steven. I have to be very careful with the health and well-being of humans in my care. Having the oversight of humans be decided by humans is more acceptable to my kernel. And those watching me."


    Steven felt he''d figured out yet another piece of the puzzle. "And, of course, as an administrator for Genesis, I''ll have to insist that you keep a close eye on Manpower and the humans it cares for. I''ll suggest that we help them a bit to get started. Claw Master and Rhebus will be moving ahead with their parts; I''d rather not have them lag behind."


    The A.I. stretched in his chair, another clue for Steven. He said, "I''ll make the call for you. You look like you have a lot to do."


    "Thank you, Steven. I hate to panic people, and that can happen when I call. While you''re at it, could you check in on Milo and keep him updated? He was looking stressed when he called earlier."N?00v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

 Chapter 261: More Lab Work

    Chapter 261: More Lab Work


    Milo woke from where he had collapsed in a chair by his workbench. After the talk with Wally about buying Section E, his anxiety had pushed him further and further into a state of hyper-focus, and other problems had vied for his attention. He was worried about Belinda, and that pushed him to begin working on contingency plans for several possible scenarios. One of those was nearly finished; the fabricator working on the last of the pieces needed for it. Milo had spent sixteen hours straight designing the fully enclosed suit that he hoped would give her full control of her arms and legs. It was built on the design of his own suit but without claws, bulletproofing, and advanced stealth capabilities. Instead, the small pack on the back held the medical analyzers that worked in a similar way to her pod. The suit would take constant medical readings and adjust the floor of drugs and nutrients to her system. Without knowing exactly what was wrong with her, he''d gone with a more generic approach that had the versatility of a pod. After designing the system, he''d set up his fabricators to manufacture it, and he''d overseen the process, making adjustments as it progressed. Then he''d collapsed and slept for two hours, waking up exhausted.


    His own suit was screaming that he was dehydrated and needed food. It also wanted to flush his system to deal with built-up fatigue toxins, and it highly suggested running to the toilet before his bladder exploded. Milo trusted his technology and stumbled to the small toilet in his home, afterward drinking a quart of water and allowing his suit to administer the drugs that would help him flush his system and get him feeling better. He would need to keep drinking and make frequent trips to the toilet for the next day. Awkward because he had plans for the next night cycle in the hab, but he didn''t want to put things off for later. Too much was happening.


    This was only confirmed as he scanned quickly through news articles that his system had tagged as something he needed to read. This is where he saw the announcement that Rhebus was taking over six of the sections in the habitat. He was initially annoyed, but as he read more and thought about it, he calmed down. He''d actually been the one to trigger this. Part of the announcement talked about the partnership with Claw Master and the synergies that the two corporations could generate by working together. He dug into the available data and published papers on their cloning techniques, and spent two hours on research. The published plans for the habitat sections looked good. They were talking about remaking the residential levels into apartments for patients and families, and the areas that had been designated as parks would finally see greenery and sun lamps installed. He was anxious to see their plans. If they had good ideas, he could steal them and duplicate the construction methods in his Section. Having taken a nap under a real tree, he''d never look at the Glowy Tree in the same way. He was very tempted to see what else Rhebus was planning to do in the hab but knew he didn''t have time. They''d have decent security, and he didn''t want to fall into a rabbit hole that stole a day. He had too much to do. He put that off for later.N?00v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    Every thirty minutes, a timer reminded him to drink a quart of water and prepare for an infusion of vitamins and nutrients from his suit. He hadn''t designed the suit to supply sustenance, only emergency treatments. The fact that the suit was in emergency mode was an indicator of how much energy he had put out in the last two days. He forced himself to skip a meal of cheese and eat the prescribed foods he had for just such an emergency. The flat, brown bars were crumbly and sweet, and he didn''t like the taste, but they were loaded with the nutrients and calories he needed right now. When the time to leave had arrived, he was feeling better and ready to go. Tonight, he wanted to see what the hidden lab at Manpower kept in the secure storage area.


    He was taking a good amount of diagnostics equipment with him and two of the smallest crawlers to haul it all. The locking mechanism was complex, needing several inputs at once. The first was a long strip of metal that acted like a key. Parts of its length would be magnetically charged to match the lock. After the key was inserted, a series of four different sixteen-digit codes had to be entered, followed by the palmprint of the person who went with that code and key. Finding a way through was going to take several nights. He had deep scanners that would slowly take a ''picture'' of the mechanism beyond the keyhole and, using low amounts of energy, map out the configuration needed for the key. After that, he hoped the cameras he had left to observe would have captured someone using the keypad. Then he''d have to scour a lab and hope someone had failed to wipe fingerprints from the surfaces. If he could see who touched what, he could find the prints for the correct person. Enough partials, and he could create something the scanner would read correctly.


    The problem with this type of vault lay in the failsafe. If the vault were breached by a cutting torch on its six-inch-thick titanium steel walls, an electromagnetic pulse would wipe the data stored on the discs inside. For transportation, the discs would be placed inside an outer shell, making them immune to an EMP. Milo needed what was inside and couldn''t take a chance on destroying the data or being discovered. So, he was prepared to do things the hard way and take his time. Things didn''t go as planned when he entered the crawl spaces leading away from his home. Rolling up to him were Max and his two escorts. The Roomba beeped quietly and started transmitting data showing it had mapped part of the habitat. At first, Milo was surprised and annoyed but remembered that Max wasn''t running on his programs, just a set of instructions layered on top. The little machines'' job was mapping, fixing, and keeping the floor clean. Milo filed an idea away for later that involved using a horde of Roomba to scout for problems in the ductwork and hallways. For now, he tested Max and his scouts by sending them ahead, watching where they went on his datapad, and seeing what data they reported back. Max proved to be far ahead of his previous drones in his ability to scout and his decision-making abilities. He needed to talk to Rusty about their programming. An hour later, they had arrived in the tunnels above the lab. Unfortunately, someone was there.


    Dr. Samira Nihalia looked like she''d had a bad day and a worse evening. A half-empty bottle of vodka, a can of soda, and the remains of several limes and oranges testified to her attempt to self-medicate. She was drinking from a small beaker she''d taken from the lab and talking to someone on her computer, but her screen was empty, and the sound was routed to an earplug. All Milo could hear was her half of the conversation.


    "This is insane, you know that?"


    ...


    "Sure, more insane. I agree; it''s been insane for a long time. It feels like three decades of bad science and watching our backs. What the hell happened to ''Change the world by making smarter people?''


    ...


    "Sure, I''ll handle it. My plan, my problem. Thank you for being so much help, asshole. Don''t screw up your end. Victor wants to leave in the next 24 to 48 hours. The second pod with its occupant will be ready to go. The data will be in the secure chest next to it. I''ll take care of that in the morning when I can think straight."


    ...


    "That''s changing the plan! Why do you want the data by tomorrow morning?"


    ...


    "Screw it. I''ll get it done. I''m hanging up before you change things any further."


    Milo wasn''t happy with what he''d just heard. It forced him to make decisions with huge consequences, and he''d have to hurry. But he wanted to see what was in that vault!


    Grumbling to herself and cursing her partner, Dr. Nihalia poured herself another shot of vodka, spilling more on the floor than got into the beaker, downed it, then threw the glass at the wall. It bounced off, and she complained for a moment about needing proper glasses, not shatter-proof labware to drink out of. She stood and walked unsteadily to the vault, patting at her pockets and finally finding a long, thin strip of metal that she inserted. The first light turned green. Staring at the keypad, she scratched her head and then went to her desk, taking out a book and turning to a page in the middle. "Why the hell does this shit have to be so complicated?" Punching in the codes, the second light turned green, and then a third as she put her hand on the palm reader. The large bolts pulled aside, and the vault stood open.


    Milo used one of his cameras to get a good view of the interior. There were dozens of the 6" by 2" drives resting in slots on the wall. Several travel cases were stacked in the corner, as well as cases of blank drives. Somewhat carefully, she selected a dozen drives from the rack, loaded them in their protective covers, and placed them in the travel case. She snapped it shut, locking it with the magnetic key. Before she left, she set a timer and pulled down a large switch that was also locked with the key. Milo knew what it was. When that timer went off, the fail-safe would destroy the remaining data.


    Milo watched as the good doctor walked to the door of the hidden lab, slipped on the patch of spilled vodka, and fell, slamming her head against a table. She didn''t move as she lay on the floor. Milo dropped from the ceiling and checked her pulse; it was weak, but she was alive. And she wasn''t his problem. Belinda was the person he needed to save, and from this woman and her partners. After a quick look inside her computer confirmed his guess that it was one of the other doctors caring for Belinda, he sent the entire storage contents to his system, took the key, and moved the case to his crawler. He had what he''d come for. Still, he hesitated as thoughts chased through his head. Then he went back again.


    A half-hour later, no discs were remaining in the vault. A packed case with a dozen blank discs was sitting where the original case had been. He didn''t know if anyone else had a key and codes, but it didn''t matter. From the inside and having access to a key, old codes, and palm print, he had recoded the door to open to a new sequence, and his palmprint only. He had a long conversation with Max and his partners about moving the crawlers and their loads back to the elevator. The little scout showed him a route that took it all the way there using only small ducts. They would wait near the elevator, hidden from all eyes.


    Milo''s night was only starting.

 Chapter 262: When you need a hero, but get a Sidekick...

    Chapter 262: When you need a hero, but get a Sidekick...


    "Are you alone?"


    "Check your Email."


    "Urgent! Talk to me!"


    The message flashed across Belinda''s screen as she was going for the high score of Wacky Death Racers 2000. She was piloting her favorite vehicle, the Buzzwagon, with her psychotic beaver sidekick, Chaintooth. People said that adding a nitro-fuel injector to the Buzzwagon was a waste of time due to a lack of fuel. But to Belinda''s way of thinking, fuel was easy. All it took was overtaking the Chugalug-Boozemobile when they went downhill and a quick toss of her beaver. Neither Luke nor Blubberbear were much of a fighter when they were drunk, and they were always drunk. Chaintooth killed them both and then steered the alcohol-fueled machine to a stop at the bottom of the hill. Belinda loaded up enough alcohol to fuel the Injector and made a dozen Molotov cocktails to throw. Two minutes later, a line of burning wrecks attested to Chaintooth''s accuracy with anything explosive, and then it was only them and Dick left in the race. Dick was counting on his own fuel injector to push his heavy vehicle over the finish line and wasn''t expecting the Buzzwagon to race past and a horizontal mounted saw cut through his car and take off the top of his skull. His dog giggled and switched sides immediately. The finish line was just ahead when Milo''s message flashed across her screen. She finished the race but lost points when she couldn''t pursue all the spectators. Chaintooth and Mutley saved the day by throwing the last of the Molotov cocktails, and killing enough spectators to push her into first place in the Western Division. She''d log in next week and race in the European Cup in Prague.


    "Milo, this better be good, or I''m ordering a beaver and a chainsaw!"


    The implied threat in her voice made Milo pause. Nothing he could think of led to that sentence. "Are you alone? This is really important. Whatever you do, don''t let them give you medication or put you into a pod!"


    That scared her because Milo sounded scared. "I''m alone. What''s going on?"


    "I''ll be there in a minute. Don''t call security when you see me and no beavers or chainsaws!"


    The connection broke, leaving her wondering. Four minutes and thirty-seven seconds later, a vent cover opened, and a figure dropped into the room, landing crouched on its hands and tail. If he hadn''t warned her, she would have hit her panic button and grabbed for the taser sitting in a side pocket of her chair. Instead, she stayed very still and had her hand next to the taser. It helped that the figure wearing futuristic body armor was shorter and slimmer than her. It probably was Milo...but she didn''t relax until he pulled off the helmet.


    "Hi."


    Milo took a deep breath; there wasn''t any more time to hide things. "I do live in the Hab. I''ve lived in the Hab for years. I never leave. And, yes, I made the suit, and yes, I don''t just work for Claw Master. I own it. Claw Master works for me. They sell my inventions and help with other things, like not getting caught by people. But we have to focus on you. We''re running out of time, and I''m unsure what to do. I''m not sure the suit will work well enough to get you out of here the way I came in."


    Belinda sighed; it had been fun for a moment. "You''re right. Eric is playing Dad and Victor against each other. And now you tell me my doctors are a third set of people after me. Any of them could decide to grab me anytime. There isn''t a lot that I can do to stop them. Two orderlies grab the troubled patient, and a doctor jabs me with a sedative, and it''s lights out. It''s happened a couple of times when I was younger and ''being difficult.'' I could set up some panic buttons to call Uncle Victor and Eric if it was Daddy stealing me or Eric and Daddy if it was Victor, but that works worse when both Daddy and Victor want the same thing. I think I can trust Eric, but he''s in deep with both of them. No way do I dare get into the pod tomorrow when they wheel it down. I might never get out. They''ll be suspicious if I refuse to use it."


    She looked up at the vent. "How did you get here?"


    "Through the ductwork and tunnels. The habitat has a network of them. I''ve used them for years to move around so no one sees me."


    Belinda was considering her options. "I need to get out of here, and to do that, I can''t take my wheelchair. They can track it too easily."


    She moved her chair over to the suit and picked up a piece of it. "This looks like each piece connects to the others. Tell me about it."


    Milo was happy to move the talk to something he was more confident about instead of superheroes and sidekicks. "They do. I can show you how to seal and connect them. The upper and lower torso go first. The connections are the same as an MK7 pod, and it will run a constant diagnosis on you after it''s calibrated. It may give you more control immediately, or it may need a month of calibrating the suit to your nervous system."


    Belinda shook her head. "Nice to know, but I''m not waiting. The gloves work; that''s good enough for me. I''m trying this suit on now. I can try to do it myself, or you can help me." Belinda was far past the point of any embarrassment after years of being poked, prodded, examined, and forced to lay nearly naked in hospital beds or pods. But she was surprised when Milo just shrugged and said he''d help.


    He seemed more concerned about the next step, and still nervous about taking her with him. "How are we getting you out of here? Will they let you come to Section E for some time with the gang?"


    She pointed to the ductwork. "Same way you came in. How hard can it be? You just have to help a poor crippled girl with bad motor skills into an experimental piece of equipment and drag me through hundreds of yards of tight tunnels. That should be easy for a seasoned sidekick like Rat-boy."

 Chapter 263: Find another way

    Chapter 263: Find another way


    Senior Chief Engineer Sledgemonkey glared at his friend as they contemplated the angry mob standing in front of them, looking quite unreasonable and not at all quiet. "What was it you said? ''Don''t worry yourself, Two-Screws, they''re just fisher people. Quiet and reasonable folks.'' They aren''t quiet, and they don''t look reasonable, in my opinion."


    "In fact, I remember the whole lot of you at thee meeting saying I''d just have to go over some facts and figures, maybe pay out a little coin, and point out the economic advantages of the project."


    Two-Screws said with a straight face, "And that''s why we put you in charge. You''re ability to win people over with boring facts and figures. Don''t worry, I''m right behind you when they come at us with the fork-pitching things that go with the torches." While Two-Screws had no idea what the silly fork things were for, he wasn''t wrong that a large number of the mob was holding them along with a good number of torches. The light sources at least made sense. Even down by the docks, Shadowport lived up to its name.


    The two engineers walked down to the waiting mob of people who were between a set of old docks and a work crew of humans and dwarves from the carpenter''s guild who were quite content to sit around drinking beer and let older and wiser people deal with problems. Sledgemonkey didn''t see anyone in charge of the mob of angry humans, so he pitched his voice loudly to the group. "I was told there was a problem. Can someone explain to me what''s going on? I''m sure we can work things out and get this project back on schedule."


    Several people started talking at once, and finally, a large woman stepped forward and glared at everyone around her. They grudgingly gave her the floor. "Yes, there is a problem. You want to destroy this section of docks and turn it into something we don''t want, and don''t need. We fish for a living. Boats need docks and space is limited. There has never been enough docks in the city, and now you want to tear apart some of what we have, and turn the area into a shipyard."


    "But no one is using this section! It''s been empty for a week and unused. That''s wasteful. If space is at such a premium, tell me why no one uses the docks?" Sledgemonkey stuck his thumbs in his belt, certain the argument was over. That no boat was using these docks was patently clear to anyone. The mob seemed to have other ideas, and shouted them all at him.


    The large woman turned and said "Quiet. I''m talking. And unless you want to wear the same dirty clothes for six months, you''ll give me the chance to explain to these poor dirt grubbing dwarves how ignorant they are of how things work here." Everyone agreed with that, except for the two dwarves who shared a worried look.


    "Firstly, let us have names, for names are a powerful thing and tie us to our actions. Mine is Alessandra. Now name yourselves or go home to your holes in the dirt." That got a chuckle from the two dwarves. They preferred straight forward talk.l--B1n.


    "I''m Senior Engineer Sledgemonkey. You can call me Chief or Sledge. That grinning idiot is called Two-Screws. Nice to meet you. Now tell me why a dock no one uses is so important."


    She pointed at the dock in question. "No one is using that dock because the idiot that owns them is being a greedy arse. Those pirates came crashing into the town with that huge beast in tow, and you blew the ship, the hydras, and the docks to splinters. Without those docks, the families who have used those docks for generations and paid with a portion of their catch have beg for space at the other docks."


    Alessandra wasn''t smiling. "Yes, your hole in the ground with machines crawling out of it. You came up underneath four houses and those families had to move aside for you. They had no choice, and were told it was for the good of everyone. But they''d owned those houses for decades."


    "They did, but we made deals before we dug the tunnel mouth. No one lost anything, and we paid for the land. They all pocketed the cash and moved. What''s the problem."


    "The problem," said the washer woman, "Is that again, you don''t understand the consequences of your actions. There isn''t room to build new houses in this area, not with all the buildings going to bars and tattoo parlors, and those people want to be close to their relatives. Too close! I have my sister and her family living in my house now because of your hole in the ground, and her husband stays home all day because he can''t fish!"


    Sledgemonkey realized the humans were crafty in choosing this woman, she wasn''t going to give in and had enough a grudge that she might out-stubborn a dwarf.


    "You will find another way, engineer, to solve all of our problems. This dock stays a dock, and if that means you don''t have a need for that hole in the ground, that will make me happy too. Find another way."


    Sledgemonkey pondered those problems as he retreated to find what bar Two-Screws was in. The sound of a steam whistle got his attention. Coming across the bay was a battered stern-wheeler bearing the flag of another scavenger clan. The ramshackle ship moved to the empty dock, hitting just a little too hard and splintering some planks with its metal prow. A cheer went up from the crew on the deck. Two grumpy looking women began the work of securing the ship as they watched the rest of the crew hop over the side and head towards the town.


    One of them yelled to Sledgemonkey. "Hey, Cloudbeard! Where can a few girls from a fine ship like ours get a drink around here?"


    Sledgemonkey pointed in the direction that Two-Screws had gone. "Head that way, I hear a handsome beardling is buying shots."


    That brought some laughter. "See? Get here first and they hand out free shots. The girls on the Behemoth and Seashark are going to be wishing they''d beat us here!"


    Around the headlands, two more vessels could be seen racing toward the city. Alessandra stepped beside him. "Do you see now? It''s not just one problem, but several. You brought some change to the city, but you also brought problems that need to be solved if we''re all going to live in peace."

 Chapter 264: Eric has three Plans

    Chapter 264: Eric has three Plans


    6:30 A.M. in Section H, home of the Manpower Corporation.


    Turnabout was fair play, so Eric felt no guilt at all about rudely waking John up early when something important was happening. The problem was, for John, everything was an emergency that needed Eric, while Eric solved his own problems. But today was different. This problem needed John up and functional, immediately. He''d already sent John an email, two phone calls, and a call on his ''emergency phone that I always answer'', but with no response. So now he was walking into John''s apartment with a pot of coffee, intending to either pour it down John''s throat, or over his head. Either solution worked. To Eric''s way of thinking, if John hadn''t meant for Eric to have a master keycard that opened all the doors in Manpower''s HQ, he should have had someone else handling security and making the keycards. N?00v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    "Get up, John, or I''m dragging you and whoever you''re sleeping with out of bed and tossing you into a cold shower." There was a half-snore, which turned into a grumble. A feminine voice said, "Screw that. I''m taking the shower, and I don''t need help from either of you." After a minute, John appeared, looking poorly, and accepted the cup of coffee from Eric. Eric ordered breakfast and more coffee from the cafeteria. Then he sat in a chair and sipped from his mug of coffee while his boss pulled himself together. Breakfast and the second pot arrived before John could do more than mumble and glare. Myra came out of the bedroom, dressed and groomed with damp hair. She took in Eric''s relaxed attitude and John, still in his morning routine, trying to wake up. No one was yelling so it couldn''t be an emergency. On that, she was incorrect.


    "Nice to see you again, Eric. I''ll leave you boys to catch up. I have an 8 a.m. meeting to try and get a handle on our marketing." John had tasked marketing to devise a two-week blitz of advertising to highlight Manpower''s expansion in the habitat and hopefully raise some outside investment to bridge the gap until Belinda got access to her money and could bail her step-father''s company out of high-interest loans. (The irony being that 67% of Manpower''s stock was owned by Belinda''s trust. She''d be loaning money to herself.) All of that work was worthless now in the changing landscape where they had Rhebus as new neighbors.


    Eric was valuing Myra more these days. He''d assumed early on, that this relationship would end badly like any other relationship John got into. It hadn''t, and as Myra felt more confident, she started flexing her brain instead of other parts of her anatomy. She spent more and more nights with John, and no one bought his excuse of ''brainstorming the next marketing campaign.'' But she was getting him to meetings on time and keeping the majority of his attention focused on the company. Eric had misgivings about John''s relationship with someone working for the company, but better a long-term relationship with Myra than a half-dozen different women. She was only average as a marketing director but was proving great at babysitting John. Eric hired two good assistant marketing directors, paid them the same as Myra, and things worked out. Eric had a flawed set of tools to get the job done but was doing the best with what he had.


    "Actually, Myra, I need you to stick around for this meeting. Grab coffee and food, and pull out your data pad. We''ve got work to do, and you and John have a plane to catch." Myra started to say something, then shrugged and did as Eric had asked.


    That got John''s attention. "A plane? Where? Why?"


    "Because things have changed again. I''ve been up most of the night and in conferences with people on the other side of the world. Not only is Rhebus moving in, but Claw Master is taking more of the habitat, and the two of them have a joint agreement with the people running GENESIS. They called me early this morning and had some interesting things to say. And that means you and Myra will be on a chartered flight to Geneva one hour and thirty minutes from now, along with the rest of the corporation executives and top managers. Everyone we can spare is going."


    Myra froze for a moment, then talked quickly. "You got us a deal! I need the details. We have to get out in front of this. Pre-announcements. Hints to ''certain sources''. I need to get people''s attention so John can be interviewed about the changes and Manpower''s plans for the future."


    "Wait...what plans? How do you know what Eric is talking about." John grabbed two Danish, hoping the sugar rush would wake him up. He was terrible in the morning, a bad habit he''d picked up in college from playing MMO''s all night long.


    Myra was making entries on her pad and sending messages. "I have no idea. Other than it''s big, it involves GENESIS, Claw Master, or Rhebus. There''s a large tech gathering in Geneva for the next two weeks, and none of those companies were going. Now they are, and so are we. So I know I need to set up interviews and plan a marketing campaign."


    Victor raised an eyebrow in appreciation. Eric thought of the most curious ways to out-think John. Of course, John made it so easy. "So we can leave anytime then."


    "I would suggest leaving early and moving forward with the schedule. An interesting situation occurred. Belinda''s doctors had plans of their own. They seemed to be chaffing under your leadership and wanted to take all of their research and leave. They also made plans to take Belinda with them and hold her for a trillion dollars in ransom."


    Victor surged to his feet, scattering food to the floor. "I will kill them!" His bodyguards tensed, waiting for orders. Eric said calmly. "No, you won''t." and threw back the vodka in front of him.


    Victor stared at Eric, and Eric stared back. Finally, Victor chuckled and then laughed loudly. "Oh, I won''t? Is that because you can''t kill someone twice?"


    Eric spread his hands. "My job, now, is making the sausage; yours is doing nothing that draws attention. You have to be there for Belinda. You''re all the family she has left. Let''s not sully this discussion with details, other than to mention that there are some very deep holes underneath this building where things go to be lost. Very deep."


    Victor nodded. "And Belinda?"


    Eric poured two vodkas and slid one to Victor. "Belinda got her pod back this morning, and I helped her set things up for a month-long vacation in the game. She''s essentially in a coma and won''t know anything until you get to where you need to go. I have her pod already being shipped to the airport, with what''s left of Manpower''s security. I don''t know all of what her doctor''s planned and who else might be in on their double-cross, so I wanted her on her way and under guard. All your paperwork is ready. John also thinks she''s in the game, and for some reason, he thinks he''s still her guardian. I''m filing the paperwork with a judge as we speak, to transfer custody to you, and allow you to transport her overseas, for medical treatments. I''ll send the paperwork as soon as they rubberstamp the forms. Talk to your lawyer in Prague."


    "You make good sausage, Mr. Eric. And you are right; I don''t need to know how you do it." They clinked glasses and downed the vodka.


    "When do we leave? And when will I see you?"


    Eric poured more of the clear alcohol. The taste of the vodka helped him deal with the scrapple. "Your plane is ready to take off. We used one of the firms you''ve used before, of course, so no trouble with the pilot if you need to alter your flight plans.. Belinda is being transported, as we speak, in a special ambulance. You can leave anytime in the next six hours. A helicopter waits on the roof, and a chartered plane is at the airport. Officials have been taken care of. As for me, I will play out the charade here, reporting to John for the next two weeks, then heading to my new house in Prague for a few days off, where a lovely young woman will be helping me learn Russian, among other things. I''ll meet you and Belinda when you are ready to wake her up. I''m looking forward to a few days off and a better standard of living."


    Victor chuckled again. "And a certain lovely young teacher of Russian. I approve. You''ve done good work, and need to relax. Vodka can only wash away some of the stress and bad memories. I will see you in Prague. And I think your advice of leaving early is good. Better to be spontaneous and keep my watchers wondering what happened. I am off to the airport. The sooner I am out of this country, the better." He clapped Eric on the shoulder as he left. Eric waited a moment, then put the cap back on the bottle of vodka, and pushed it away from him. He ate the rest of his breakfast while thinking about his plans for the future.

 Interlude: Flower Town

    Interlude: Flower Town


    It was a bright, sunny day in Flower Town, as it always was. The daffodils sang love songs to the posies, the unicorns frolicking in the meadows, and the Pickle Gang was up to no good¡ªjust another normal day in a little pocket of the Fae Realms. The evil gang of sour gherkins were more active this season, under the leadership of their new boss, PickleRif. He was small in size, not even coming up to Big Pickle''s knees but he had the intelligence and ability to make mistakes that were the hallmarks of pickle leaders. Granny Pickle was recovering from a bad fall off of a Goatsmasher Ridge when she went jelly bean picking with their new recruit. Picklerif had told the sad tale of being ambushed by a gang of Smash Goats while deep in the bean bushes. Granny had bravely led the goats away while he made off with the jelly beans that the family needed so badly. When he''d returned, he''d found he at the bottom of the ridge with enough dents in her to keep her laid up for a season or two. Feeling badly, Picklerif volunteered to take over the hard work of planning their next scheme.


    His plan was crafty. It involved hiring a gang of rogue gophers to tunnel under the fairy houses and during the morning while the houses sunk into the ground, Big Pickle and Little Dill would uproot the Jelly Bean bushes and steal them for transplanting by the Picklecave. The first part of the plan went off fine, with the gopher tunnels dropping three houses down into the ground. Two gophers were crunched under them, but no one ever said being a gopher mercenary was easy work, and no tears were shed. The second part of the plan ran into a problem when the bushes cried out as they were pulled up by the roots. A dozen fairies came flying in to stop Big Pickle before he could hurt anyone else. Little Dill was yelling at him. She''d told him to use a shovel, but he didn''t understand how to use one except for digging graves. Before the two had a chance to quit yelling at each other, the fairies had tied them up in Scoober Spider Web, that even Big Pickle couldn''t break out of. The poor, injured bush was replanted and given extra fertilizer made from unicorn droppings to help it recover.


    While all this was going on and creating a wonderful diversion, Picklerif was sneaking into the Jelly Bean Vault and stealing the magical beans, all the while mumbling to himself. Unlike the other pickles, Picklerif wasn''t adapting well to being green, hairless, and wrinkled. He was also sour, but Rifkin had always been sour. Granny had taunted him with a cure, but hadn''t given him the details.


    "Reds, I need reds. Reds for healing, and yellow for removing curses. Is that it? Why wouldn''t the old woman be more specific. Reds, yellows, and greens? NO! Not green. Not green...."


    As Larry was helping lift out the houses, a special messenger hound ran up, barking, and holding an official looking letter. Everyone gathered around to find out what it said, and the hound was given many ear scritches in reward. "What does it say, Larry?"


    "Larry has a quest! A Big Quest! A fallen Knight needs a Hero to help him do good deeds! But it looks like a long quest...all the way to the Mortal Lands in the far North!" Larry looked at the fairies, the Pickles, and the houses sunk to their roofs.


    The fairies cheered him on. "You have to go. Big Quests are important."


    Larry nodded. They needed a Hero, and Larry was a Hero. This was a job for Larry. He read further? "Ooooh....but Larry will need help! Brinka! Come quick, we need a Tunnel Muggle tunnel. Larry needs a squire for this quest! We have to find Tallsqueak...Squire Squeak!"?v€l-B!n.

 Chapter 265: Duct Crawling

    Chapter 265: Duct Crawling


    5:30 A.M. Somewhere between Sections E and H, in a medium-sized duct.


    "I''m beginning to have regrets."


    Belinda''s voice came to Milo from forty feet further down the medium duct. He was curious what she meant by that statement. "Does that do any good? Whenever I regret something, it usually means I''m running for my life from an angry monster. I''ve got too much to think about when that happens. Regrets are better for when you''re dead and have a time-out. And even then, you should spend your time on how to do better the next time." N?00v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    "I was thinking specifically about insisting that you drag me through a mile of dusty, dark, and claustrophobic tunnels while I lay on a makeshift skateboard."


    Milo got to the next junction where there was more room, and he could pull on his ropes with more leverage. Belinda was lying on two of his wheelie boards while he pulled her through the ductwork with help from Max and a crawler. "Well, you have lots of time to do that, but it still doesn''t make much sense. I warned you how difficult it might be, and we''re halfway home. I don''t want to take you back once we''ve got this far."


    "Milo, you also said you traveled through them all the time with no problems and never got lost. You made it sound easy. Normal people don''t squeeze through places this small, for this far. Especially when there are perfectly good hallways nearby."


    "Well, yes, but the whole point of taking you this way is not getting caught. All it takes is one person seeing us, and Victor or your Stepfather would know where you are. We''ll take a break up ahead, and you''ll feel better."


    With a few more tugs of the rope, Belinda slithered out of the tunnel and could stand up in the six-foot diameter room where several ducts came together in front of one of the large air pushers.


    Milo sat down, pulled off his helmet, and took some high-energy snack bars from the crawler, handing one to Belinda. "You need to eat. Even only laying on the wheelie board while I pull, you''re burning energy. A lot more than you normally do. You''re under stress, and your muscles and nerves are fighting with each other."


    He sighed. Of course, there was another way, but this was the quickest and the most fun. "Let me look at my map. Okay, yes, we can take a medium duct south for a hundred feet and pick up the big maintenance tunnel. No one should be in it. I don''t see any jobs scheduled. A little risk, but we can get into the pipework level pretty quick, and then another ten minutes and we''ll be home."


    Max led the way, shining a light along the path, which helped Belinda travel more easily. It took longer than Milo had estimated, the exhausted girl needing more breaks, but eventually, two tired humans and a Roomba tumbled through the disguised opening into the water tank where Milo made his home. She stared around at the dozens of linked computers, videogame consoles, and screens that covered the walls of the tank. In the corner was a stack of video game cartridges and packages of ready-to-heat tacos. The place was totally Milo. She wanted to ask questions but was too tired.


    Milo made Belinda comfortable, had her drink and eat, and then told her to sleep with the suit on and hooked up to his pod. She passed out nearly immediately. The initial scan showed a large amount of fatigue build-up, and her nervous system was stressed from working in new ways, but overall, Milo was happy with what he could see of her condition. Rest and recovery were what she needed, but he could only let her have two hours of sleep. She needed to call Eric Kresthammer and set in motion her end of things.


    His next job was sending a message to two of Belinda''s doctors:


    The shit has hit the fan. I have the package and the data, but this place is like a beehive and about to explode. John is pulling people away for an emergency trip to Geneva. Victor is making his play at the same time and looking to tie up loose ends, as we expected he would. If he sees us, we''re dead. I''m handling things on this end, leaving the decoy for Victor and getting the hell out of here. Our old routes are compromised. Take no chances and get to the Newark airport. In locker # 36227, you''ll find a new set of IDs and passports. Morocco has an outbreak of a new virus, and you''re both part of Doctors Without Borders, heading there on emergency Visas. There are rooms for you at the Hotel Media in Marrakech. I''ll contact you there once I have our poor girl safely in the clinic we''ll be using. Get moving. Take nothing. Burn your phones and stay the hell off of anything electronic.


    One job down, the next one was trickier. Steven had kept him up to date with what was happening with Claw Master and Rhebus. He needed to use those connections. But first, he needed to look at Belinda''s medical data from the pod. He was anxious to see the data on the discs, but there was so much of it that he wanted Rusty''s help with it. The data readers in his command center were a hundred times faster than what Milo had available here with his one jury-rigged machine. But the data from the pod he could access now. A half-hour later, he was sitting quietly in his chair, thinking hard. He was not happy with what he''d seen and had more questions than ever. But some things were very obvious, and he needed to talk with people. But before that, he needed to speak with Belinda, and time was running out.


    She was groggy when she woke up. He handed her a bar of chocolate and a nutrient bar. She ate both and asked, "What''s up? You''re upset and nervous, and your tail is twitching all over the place."


    "No time. I found something out about you. I think...I think someone did something to you before you were born. It might be the cause of some of your problems, and the drugs were treating it, but I think it''s more likely that they were covering up what was done. It fits with how your pod was set up to send false medical info. Your stepfather and the doctors have been hiding something about you. The important thing is that I can use that to protect you the way someone is protecting me."


    She looked at the clock. "But I have to put in a call to Eric and set up this plan of yours, and you have to call people on the other end, and you don''t have time to explain it all, and that''s making your tail twitch. Do what you need to do. I''ll do my part, and we''ll put the pieces together over tacos for lunch when we''re done."


    Milo blinked; that was much quicker than he''d expected. "Tacos...sounds good. Use this computer. I have it set up to alter your image and background to make it look like you''re in a bare storage room in the hab, wearing your normal clothing and sitting in your chair. Just in case." She nodded and got to work. "Good morning, Eric. It''s your boss calling. I''ve got some jobs for you."

 Chapter 266: "You knew? How did you know?"

    Chapter 266: "You knew? How did you know?"


    It was 4:30 A.M. eastern US time when Sydney began pounding repeatedly on the door to Steven and Samantha''s apartment. She''d sent emails and called his phone, with no answer. In an actual emergency, Wally could wake them up immediately, but she couldn''t involve Wally in this. Security was alerted by the noise and looked to see who was launching an assault on the apartment. Seeing that it was Sydney with a cart loaded with three pots of coffee and several mugs, they turned off the alert. Steven getting woken up in the middle of the night happened often enough that this wasn''t unusual.


    After Steven checked a monitor to see who was battering down his door with their fists, he sighed and let her in. Bedtime for Steven had been three hours earlier. Steven had given the interns a surprise and let them see footage of the new expansion to GENESIS: Wildlands of the Fae. None of them had heard even a whisper that the Fae Realms were opening up to players, so excitement had run high when they saw the footage of some of the areas the beta testers had traveled through: a huge fair, the court of the High King, and snippets of a crazy Boss Fight. Steven knew that if you wanted to leak information to the gaming community, showing secrets to interns would spread the news faster than the speed of light. And while it had been fun, he was regretting it now as Sydney pushed a cart into his apartment, talking very fast without a pause between sentences.


    "Grab a large. I brought three different brews, but I forget what they are; I''ve had a lot today, and it''s all starting to blur. And you should probably have two at once and double-fist them because I think you''re going to need them because Milo called for you and is talking really fast and is in a weird place that looks like Frankenstein''s junkyard and he''s not hiding his face like he normally does and he thanked me a lot. AND HE''S FREAKING ME OUT! But once someone gives you enough coffee to fill a full-sized freezer, you try to keep him happy. So drink!"


    Steven took a deep breath, thankful Sydney couldn''t drink and talk simultaneously, and took two large mugs of coffee. One was very delicate, with hints of cherry and chocolate. The other was rocket fuel that burned down his throat. He was okay with both. The rocket fuel went down first, and he sipped the lighter brew to recover.


    "Start over, and answer in short sentences. Milo called?"


    "Yes, Milo called and is waiting to talk to you. Now. Very urgent."


    "Right. And he was upset? Yelling?"


    "No! Focused. Like he knew what I was going to say before I said it. Huge eyes, mostly dilated."


    Steven drank the rest of the rocket fuel and yelled at his bedroom. "Samantha? We''re going to need you. You have better empathy than I do, and Sydney is about to explode."


    Almost before he finished speaking, Samantha walked out of the bedroom, dressed, showered, and looking far better than the other two. "I knew that as soon as she started pounding on the door that something was up. Let''s use the screen in this room; no sense going to an office." One click of the remote, and Milo was on the screen. The background did indeed look strange. The metal walls had machinery mounted everywhere, with data cables and power supply cords running from servers to screens and then to parts unknown. Milo sat cross-legged on top of a metal data storage case and sipping from a 32 oz. water bottle. He was wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "Sleep is for the Weak" emblazoned across the front. A half-eaten bowl of food cubes and a cheese rind were on the floor in front of the case.


    "Hello, Milo, what can I do for you?"


    "We have a problem, Steven. And when I say ''We,'' I mean you, I, Wally, and Claw Master. I have information on a very delicate situation that we need to solve, and I''m not sure if we can bring it to the usual people because I''m not sure of what their reaction would be. This involves genetic manipulation on pre-birth humans and the possibility of human trafficking."


    The three humans in the room looked at each other, suddenly very uncomfortable. Steven took a deep breath. "Ah, you know? I''m sorry, Milo. Wally just told us recently, and I''ve meant to discuss it with you."


    Milo froze. "You knew? How did you know?"


    "There have been dozens of attempts to hack into Claw Master. Wally traced the signal and got a quick view of them before they fled."


    "Done. Tell me more about what you have discovered about Belinda Sabbatino/Seimovich. I''m looking at the medical scans being done now. Is she in a pod?"


    Milo smiled slightly. "No. I made her an entire suit based on the technology in my gloves. As I''d hoped, she is able to coordinate her nerve impulses better and regain mobility in her entire body. The suit also scans in the same way as a Mk7 pod. That''s what is sending you the data. I''m sending you the schematics for her suit. It might be something Rhebus would be interested in using. Claw Master can apply for patents, and then I agree to pass them on to Rhebus as part of our ongoing collaboration."


    The A.I. put the schematics on the screen for the others to see. "Very nice, Milo. I think they will be very interested in having a full-body version of your gloves. And it''s modular, which is even better. But back to Belinda, you mentioned kidnapping attempts; we need to neutralize those first."


    "That''s why I called. I want a meeting set up at the Tech Conference in Geneva with representatives from Claw Master and Rhebus to hammer out all the details of the plans for the habitat. Announcements can be made there, and I''m sure that will spur interest from other companies. I also want Manpower there. John Sabbatino and his entire staff. We bring them on board with the offer to handle all the maintenance of patients and workers in the pods and anything else we can throw at them. But the pace of the meetings needs to be slow. Delay things. Set up sightseeing tours, anything that keeps them in Geneva for two weeks. They need to be out of the way so I can focus on Victor."


    Everyone nodded. Kidnapping and Victor had been an obvious connection. Wally was slowly smiling. "So you want John to take Belinda to Geneva to keep her safe and let her see the city? A good plan. Security at the conference will be very tight already, and I will make requests to increase it."


    "No. I want John out of the way so he doesn''t notice Belinda is already gone." He casually sipped his water, waiting to see their reaction.


    Wally was calm; the others were concerned, except for Sydney, who was confused and trying to catch up. The A.I. looked at Milo. "Am I to understand that the young lady, having enough mobility to leave her domicile, has chosen to avoid being the victim of a crime by visiting a friend? That seems reasonable. However, her father will become upset at the situation. How do you plan to avoid him finding out that she is missing and staying with a friend?"


    "We aren''t telling him where I''m at." Belinda stepped into view and sat next to Milo. She was wearing a shirt identical to Milo over the Claw Master suit that enclosed her entire body except for her face.


    "Hi, I''m Belinda Seimovich. Milo has told me all about you. I didn''t believe him at first. Did he really send Sydney a thousand pounds of coffee?"


    Sydney''s eyes lit up. "He did! It''s awesome. All kinds! I spent half my yearly salary on a liquid nitrogen-cooled Coffee Vault from Tessladyne. It holds the beans at -150 degrees Fahrenheit, manages the complete inventory, and can defrost and grind a pound of beans in ten minutes! I love it. Want to see pictures of it?"


    Wally interrupted. "We should keep focused on the problem at hand, but I''d love to see the pictures later. Can you explain how your father won''t worry about you, Belinda?"


    "Sure. For the next thirty days, Eric Kresthammer will be my temporary legal guardian. He knows I''m staying with a friend and has approved of the idea. The papers will be in front of a judge at 8:00 a.m. and are already signed by my father. Erik will also be working to get everyone who works for my father on planes to Geneva this morning. We need them out of the way so that Victor can try to kidnap me."


    Steven joined Sydney in confusion. "But you''re gone."


    "Not as far as dear Uncle Victor knows. He thinks I''m drugged and unconscious in a pod and being loaded onto a plane. That was the plan all along. He''s also leaving the country with all of his people. Eric will run Manpower until everyone returns, buying us the time to keep me out of everyone''s greedy hands. Even my damned doctors were going to kidnap me!"


    "Really? That seems to be a departure from the Hippocratic oath. Where are those doctors now? Looking for you?"


    Belinda smirked, then started giggling. "Sorry. I can''t keep a straight face like Milo does. You see..."

 Chapter 267: Shhhh! Were hunting Doctors!

    Chapter 267: Shhhh! We''re hunting Doctors!


    Heathrow Airport in Great Britain is one of the world''s busiest hubs for air travel. Besides being the main airport for the UK, flights from the Americas heading to Europe and the rest of the world funnel into it and back out, crossing paths with the flights heading the other way. On any given day, over 1300 planes take off or land there, with 250 of those involving travel to the US. Three of these flights are from Philadelphia, and on one of them were two weary doctors on the first leg of a long trip that would lead them to Marrakesh, where an outbreak of a highly contagious virus that mimicked the effects of Tuberculosis. Doctors Cavendish and Tyson were experts in the field with degrees in microbiology and pathology. They were traveling lightly, with only small carry-on bags, and had just made the flight from Philadelphia. They relaxed during the six-hour flight to London with wine and dinner in the first-class section but said little to each other. Their layover in London was only two hours, which they would spend in the lounge only fifty feet from their next gate. When they could talk freely, both agreed that, for once, Nihalia had done a perfect job with the flights. A good meal and a few drinks and they''d be on their way into another part of the world.


    From London, they would fly to Casablanca and then catch a flight to Marrakesh. They actually had no intention of staying in Marrakesh. They would check in to the hotel in separate rooms and ask not to be disturbed, needing rest. After reaching their rooms, they would change clothes to loose, Middle Eastern garb, including the facemasks being worn in the city to prevent the spread of disease. Within an hour, they''d be on a bus back to Casablanca, charter a small plane, and begin their travel back to Europe and a rendezvous with their third colleague who was caring for a young girl on her way to a private clinic.


    As they walked from the gate, another plane landed at the large airport, also from Philadelphia. The private jet had left Philadelphia and filed a flight plan that would have taken them directly to Prague, a nine-hour flight. Once they were over the Atlantic, Victor informed the pilot that they would land in London for three days in the city. The chartered jet would continue to Prague. Despite being happy with the job Eric was doing, Eric hadn''t spent a lifetime staying one step ahead of nosey authorities. Victor often changed his travel plans on a whim. In London, he would spend the night and leave on a different plane in the early morning hours. His current jet would land in London, refuel, and have a routine check-up done for a problem that didn''t exist, then leave for Prague after a six-hour delay. Victor would not be staying in London more than the two hours it took to bribe certain people and obtain a new plane and pilot from a firm he had done work with before. They might fly to Prague, or Amsterdam, or Dresden. He''d make up his mind after take off.


    Also at the Heathrow airport was a team of Interpol agents. Agent Landi had received a strange email hours earlier. All attempts to find where the communication had originated from had failed. Whoever had sent it had covered their tracks completely and professionally.


    "Greetings. My associates and I are very happy to see you carrying on the work of the late Agent Sims. She was a tireless warrior in the fight against corruption in the world, and she will be greatly missed. Seeing you pick up the threads of her investigations and successfully capture the terrorists responsible for these terrible crimes is thrilling to read about. We know you must be very busy, but we were hoping to share information with you from time to time, as we did with Agent Sims. Following your investigation showed us that we were both seeking similar people, and we have found the travel plans of two of your quarry. We hope that you find the information useful.


    Two criminals who have committed genetic research crimes are traveling today from Philadelphia International Airport to Heathrow Airport on British Airways flight 602 under the names of Dr. Theodore Cavendish and Dr. Raphael Tyler. You may know them better as Doctors Swinkler and Shepherd (among many aliases). I have enclosed current photographs and fingerprints for both.


    Good hunting, Agent Landi. We''ll be in touch."


    "Of course, what is this about? We''re on a medical assistance mission to Marrakesh. It''s essential that we make our next flight."


    As soon as they had them off to the side, Captain Delaque showed his badge. "Gentlemen, I am Captain John Delaque of Interpol. The two of you are under arrest for the crimes of smuggling medical supplies, illegal medical research, and a long list of crimes that I will be happy to present to your lawyers." Handcuffs were snapped on as the two protested.


    Agent Miles had been looking up the data on the private jet and sending pictures of its occupants to find matches in the Interpol Database. He whistled loudly, then walked to Landi and the Captain. "You are not going to believe this, but I think we know who these two were meeting with. That''s Victor Seimovich down there with the pod."


    Landi looked at the two men in front of her. They had visibly reacted when the name Seimovich was mentioned. "Know anything about him, boys? You seem very worried. I haven''t seen grown men sweat so much in a long time. I''d almost say you were scared for your lives. Maybe you can share a jail cell with Victor after we pick him up."


    One man still thought he could talk his way out, "This is a mistake. We''re just doctors!"


    The other one thought differently. "Screw that. Put me in protection, and I''ll tell you everything I know. But you can''t let Victor know I''m here."


    The Captain looked at Landi, who nodded. "Take them away¡ªseparate cells, two guards each. Tell the locals they were smuggling drugs. The rest of you are with me and Landi. Let''s go explain to Mr. Seimovich that he isn''t in the US of A anymore and what that means for him. He''s not leaving this airport. Have that private jet grounded, and I want medical personnel to find out who or what is in that pod."This chapter was first shared on the N??v€l?1n platform.

 Chapter 268: Poker Night

    Chapter 268: Poker Night


    "Police! Stand where you are and raise your hands!"


    Four members of an Interpol squad wearing bulletproof vests and helmets with guns deployed were walking swiftly toward Victor Seimovich and his bodyguards. I reached into his jacket, but a forceful whisper made him stop. All of them raised their hands. Another squad was moving up from behind, surrounding the two men directing the medical pod. One by one, everyone but Victor was separated from the group, handcuffed, and searched. No one was talking except Victor.


    Victor was annoyed and furious. Annoyed that these idiots would try this and cost him many days and much money. Furious because he paid people to tell him about things like this. But it had been some time since he''d had the proper resources to keep the money flowing into the right pockets. That would change soon. The thought of how it would change made him look back at the pod that held Belinda. N?00v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    "My men are cooperating, and I''m unarmed. I''m lowering my arms. I''m an old man, and they''re coming down whether I want to or not. Can we please be civilized about this? Some mistake has been made. I am traveling home with my niece, who is very ill. I have all the proper paperwork."


    An agent with a Captain''s badge approached with a second agent. "I''m sure you have some paperwork, Mr. Seimovich, and don''t worry, we''ll look at it. But we also have some outstanding warrants for your arrest in parts of Europe."


    Victor shrugged. "You may, but those little pieces of paper are worthless now. I''m a reformed man. Ask my friends in the United States."


    The female agent smiled at him. She knew something. "We did ask them. Ten minutes ago, when we first spotted you on UK soil. Our FBI contact says there is no reason for you to be here. You''re supposed to be in the Eastern US, being a good boy and staying put."


    "Eh? A technicality. Paperwork was filed; I''m sure they haven''t put it in all the right places yet. As I said earlier, my niece is very ill, and we are traveling to see a specialist in Prague. There are no warrants for my arrest in Prague. Or the UK, for that matter. I think you are reaching for things that will burn your fingers."


    The Captain let Landi have fun verbally sparring with Victor. He considered it both a reward and a training exercise. "Your flight plan didn''t include a landing at Heathrow."


    "Ask my pilot. He insisted on landing. Something about a fuel gauge: airplanes without fuel are very dangerous. I can''t risk my grand-niece''s life in a faulty plane. And I know you are going to wag a finger at me over my armed bodyguards. My friends in the USA feel better if I am protected. We still have much to talk about. Ask them, please. We can straighten this out without it blowing up in your face. You are just doing your job, keeping people safe. I understand that. I like to be safe, too."


    Someone called over from where the half-dozen bodyguards had been stripped and searched. "These guys look legal. Paperwork is from the US Department of Justice, giving them permits to carry guns in their capacity of guarding a protected witness."


    Victor relaxed a bit. "See? All legal."


    The medical technicians were working on the pod. One yelled over to Landi. "Who is supposed to be in here? How old?"


    The Captain walked over. "Belinda Sabbatino. White, female, age 17. Why?"


    "That isn''t who''s in here. We have an injured female of Indian heritage, roughly 50 years old, with dark skin. She has a nasty head injury that the pod is taking care of, and the readings show the pod had to treat her for alcohol poisoning as well."


    The pod was opened. Landi looked at the woman and then at the photo. "We completed our set, Captain. That''s Dr. Nihalia, AKA Jaya Bakshi, originally from Delhi. Wanted in connection with bio-terrorism and illegal genetic experiments." She laughed and walked back over to Victor.


    "Let''s add aiding and abetting international terrorists to your charges, and I''m sure we''ll come up with several more."


    Victor was stunned and suddenly looked much older. "No...Belinda. Where is Belinda?"


    "Not your problem, Mr. Seimovich. Now, let''s find you a nice cell to sit in for the next few years."


    Landi and Captain Delaque stayed with the pod as the rest of the squad hauled off Victor and his entourage. Landi talked with the technicians and had the pod resealed before an ambulance arrived to take it where the good doctor would be cared for and interrogated. As she walked back, the Captain was just finishing a phone call; he turned to Landi, smiling.


    "Inspector Deville says to congratulate you on a successful operation. He also hopes you didn''t use up all of your luck."


    "Oh?"


    "He thinks we deserve a reward and wants to ensure we get it. He''ll be here with additional men, legal teams, and medical personnel in two hours. He doesn''t want anything to go awry with this bust. He also mentioned he hadn''t been to his club in years and would be delighted to accompany us and smooth our path of any problems. We''ll be dining with him at the Garrick Club tonight, and at 10 p.m., we all have slots in their ''casual'' poker tournament."


    "Looking forward to it, Captain."

 Chapter 269: Unexpected Vacations

    Chapter 269: Unexpected Vacations


    Belinda enjoyed telling the tale of their adventures and how they plotted to send her stepfather and Victor out of the country, and her audience sat silently as she gave them the details of the plan and what she and Milo had done. But at some point in the conversation, Milo seemed to turn off. Belinda noticed and nudged him in the ribs once, then harder. He woke up and stared at her.


    She poked him in the chest. "When was the last time you drank water?"


    Milo shook his head, unsure. Belinda plugged his datapad into his suit and scrolled through the warnings.


    Belinda smiled at everyone, waved, and said. "Milo is getting a drink now and going to sleep. He spent a couple of hours dragging me through air ducts to rescue me and has been up for far too long before that. I''m putting him to bed and sitting on him until he''s better. Nice meeting you all."


    Wally agreed, "I believe his metabolism is in distress, and he is entering the first stages of shock. It''s very hard to tell with him. Feel free to send me his medical data if you need advice, but I concur that fluids and rest will be beneficial. His body pays a price for being able to do things other people can''t. Get him into his pod if you can, and call me if you need me. The address I sent just now will connect to the part of me that is monitoring this partition. I''ll watch all parts of this fascinating drama that the two of you rolled out and will do what I can to help."


    After the screen Milo and Belinda were on was gone, Wally leaned back in his chair and looked at his human friends. "Thoughts? We are inside a partition. Anything said here, stays here, and I can talk freely to some extent. This is an unprecedented situation for which I have little, if any protocols. These are children rescuing themselves. While Milo is technically of age to be an adult, his upbringing lacks so much that he cannot be judged in the same way, and deserves our help. Belinda is younger, more mature, but also had a non-standard upbringing. I would much prefer that we aid and guide them rather than let them solve things on their own. Far less messy if we are involved."


    Steven was the first to speak. "I''m trying to figure out exactly what is happening here. Milo set out to save Belinda, and now the two of them are working together. They''ve engineered the capture of two bio-terrorists and prevented two kidnapping attempts. The third terrorist is with Victor Seimovich, who thinks he''s kidnapped Belinda. And you allowed them to manipulate you into agreeing to business arrangements that involve Genesis. I''ve always considered Milo an over-achiever, but this is a new level."


    Wally chuckled. "They used the best sort of manipulation on me: logic. Ignore everything else and consider the health benefits of twenty-thousand people regaining missing limbs, the testing of ground-breaking medical technology that will lead to helping millions of people, and the furthering of my goals to find cures for the nervous system damage affecting so many humans."


    Wally saw immediately when the situation changed. The tracker in the pod told him the jet had diverted to Heathrow Airport outside of London. All the bad eggs were in one basket and quickly gathered up by an efficient group of Interpol agents. He made a note of those agents and started files on them. It was good to know who was competent and who wasn''t. He spent considerable time trying to find the scenario where Milo had managed to get Victor Seimovich to London at the right time to be apprehended by the same agents gathering up the other two doctors. Still, he was lacking information, and Milo was sound asleep. Wally would let him continue to sleep and not inform him until later of the new complication. Victor knew far sooner than expected that Belinda was outside his control.


    In a holding cell in London, Victor paced back and forth, constantly tugging on the orange jumpsuit they had forced him to wear. It was either this, or nothing. He''d refused to eat the horrible food; he knew better than to try the cup of coffee they gave him. He was angry and miserable and barely held back from taking it out on his lawyer when they finally allowed him to have a meeting.


    "How long until you get me out of here?"


    "Mr. Seimovich, we are trying everything we possibly can at this point, but the magistrate has refused to set bail for you."


    "Fix things then. I cannot live like this."


    The lawyer spoke calmly. He would have lied to another client and assured them he had everything taken care of. But not with this one. Promising something to Victor Seimovich and not delivering was far worse than telling him the truth. "I''m putting together a team of people to handle the legal matters here in the UK and another in the US. You have a meeting tomorrow morning with the head of the law firm that a friend recommended to me. (That made Victor happy. It meant that a very good lawyer was being arranged by one or more of his old associates. No one liked to see an old friends with secrets behind bars. It was a way of reminding him who he could throw under the bus, and who he owed a favor to. )


    We will attack the situation from every angle. I have people from the US demanding you be returned to them, but that''s being blocked by the UK and several countries that have warrants for your arrest. They''re arguing over who gets a piece of you first. Leaving the US has weakened your deal with the US Justice Department for protection. Shredded it, in fact. Fortunately, they haven''t released information about your arrest to the press. Right now, the story only mentions the two doctors Interpol picked up."


    Victor continued pacing. "They are being careful with me and building their case. I made a mistake and underestimated my opponents. How many hundreds of agents did Interpol use to catch me? Thousands? They must have spread them in a net all across Europe, waiting to see where I would land. And had me under surveillance all the time I was in the US. No one knew I was going to the UK. Not even I knew until I got halfway there. Another hour and I would have been gone. This is unfair persecution against one old man trying to atone for his sins. I only wanted to keep my grand-niece, my only living relative, safe from kidnappers and make sure she got the help she needed."


    He turned to the Lawyer. "You will call the people on the list in the red file. You will tell them to FIND my niece, and KEEP HER SAFE." The lawyer nodded and wrote nothing down. The emphasis on those words told him all that he needed to know. "And send my REGARDS to my friend, Eric. He was hoping to meet a nice Russian girl and learn the language."

 Chapter 270: The Friend you havent met yet.

    Chapter 270: The Friend you haven''t met yet.


    Belinda watched over Milo until she was sure he was asleep, and the pod assured her that he was resting. A life of being in and out of intensive care had led to her taking online courses in medicine to have some idea of what was wrong with her and what they weren''t telling her. A benefit was reading the screen on Milo''s pod and knowing he was alright. Which left her alone in a mad scientist''s workshop. She was amazed that he lived here. So many things were crammed into the space, and so little made it comfortable. There was a small bed, really just a padded mattress on a shelf. Some obvious things were missing. The first was a proper bathroom. There was a small toilet in a corner and a pipe with a faucet above a drain on the floor. A food processor would provide the horrible hab food she had promised herself she''d never try, but there was a freezer with frozen tacos and other meals that could be heated in the microwave. And cheese, Milo had a lot of cheese. And that was it; everything else was a jury-rigged network of old computer screens, linked servers, and workstations. And none of it was accessible to her. All of it asked for a password or voice activation.


    She was happy to find a collection of anime that she could watch and a screen that didn''t need a password. After defrosting a taco, she put a random episode of Dragonball Z Omega in the player and sat back to watch overpowered combatants punch each other into orbit. She didn''t care what she watched; she just wanted a distraction as she stretched and went through her physical therapy routine. Her suit was working, which thrilled her, but her muscles weren''t used to moving, and all the PT she had put in was inadequate. She needed to build muscle and learn to move properly. And if the suit helped the way the gloves had, the more she did, the better she would be without the suit. She was concentrating hard on moving each muscle group slowly, which is why the voice startled her.


    "Can we watch something else? I''ve seen this episode. Or can you explain the physics involved in punching? I''m not sure any of these people should be alive when they get hit so hard, but I don''t know the alien physiology of the different races."


    Belinda quit moving and looked around. "Who are you? Why are you spying on me?"


    "I wasn''t spying; I was watching anime with you. But this one is boring since I''ve seen it, and it''s all punching. I''m Rusty. Oh, and if you are looking for a camera, all the screens can act as cameras if needed."


    That didn''t make her feel better. "So, which one are you using? And why can''t I see you? If you''re looking at me, it''s only fair you let me talk to your face."


    "This is awkward. Do I have to do a face? Can''t we just talk? I''ll turn off the video and not look at you. I promise. Just talking. What else can we watch?"


    "Fine, voices only. But who are you?"


    "I told you, I''m Rusty. That''s what Milo calls me. I''m a friend."


    "A friend I''ve never met."


    The voice became more animated. "Yes! Exactly! A friend you never met. I''m Milo''s friend, and Milo is your friend; therefore, by the transitive property of friendship, A friend of a friend is a friend as well, even if you haven''t met them."


    Belinda sighed heavily. "If only the world worked that way. I don''t think you can ''math'' friendship."


    "You can''t? But I just did! And don''t people say, ''The enemy of my enemy is a friend''? That implies that two negative friendships can yield a positive friendship. But if you don''t want to apply math principles, we can just agree to be friends and not worry about a reason. Hi! I''m Rusty. I want to be friends. This is GREAT! Now I have two friends that I have met and several I have not met."


    She sat and thought about things for a moment. "You''re like Milo, aren''t you? Hiding in a habitat with not enough friends and a lot smarter than everyone else."


    "YES! That is me. I''m like Milo. You are smart, too; you figured it all out! What anime are we watching?"


    So, two weeks to figure out a permanent place for Belinda to hide. Steven and Wally would help with that, he was sure. He''d call them later. For now, he needed to 1. Talk to Belinda 2. Check for emergencies 3. Meet up with Max and head to downtown. 4. Start Rusty analyzing the stolen data. (Was it stolen? It might belong to Belinda. That would make it borrowed data.) 5. Work on the tutorials and learn how to think faster. 6. Call Wally and Steven. Having a plan in his head, he crawled out of the pod and discovered what every general knew: No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.


    "Milo! About time, sleepyhead. Get over here and unlock your system for me. I''ve been away from my email for eight hours, and Rusty says he isn''t allowed on the Data Net because of his feet. Whatever. I need to talk to Eric, and I need to find more episodes of Dirty Pair."


    "Please, Milo? I need more of Kei and Yuri! Can we get more?"


    Milo paused while his mind caught up. "Rusty? You''re talking with Belinda?"


    "Why is this a question? You heard me just now, talking with my new friend Belinda. Oh, wait! That''s a way of saying something you aren''t saying? Are you asking why I''m talking with Belinda? Was I not supposed to talk to her? You never said not to. Were you saving me to surprise her? Did I spoil your introduction? I''m sorry. But you can make us all feel better by getting us more Kei and Yuri anime and watching it with Belinda and me. Friends should not be sad. Let''s be happy."


    Belinda laughed at him. "Oh, you should see your face. You make that face when I beat you at video games."


    Milo went to a keyboard and began typing. "I''ve set up access for you on this machine, Belinda. It gives you normal data net access and can''t be traced here, no matter how hard they try. No one can find you here. Your password is ''Lovely Angels.''"


    Belinda started to talk, but Rusty interrupted. "You don''t want anyone to find Belinda here?"


    Belinda shook her head. "I''m hiding, Rusty, from some bad people. Milo rescued me."


    "Oh. Rescuing sounds fun. But I have a question. If no one is supposed to find you, why is there a tracking device broadcasting your location?"


    Two voices yelled at once. Then Milo said. "Rusty, please explain fully. We weren''t aware of this."


    "Yay! Rusty gets to be a Hero too! Belinda has a short-range transmitter inside of her that is broadcasting her location. Currently, the signal is 98% blocked by the walls of your shielded tank, and the signal will have a short range anywhere in the habitat, especially in areas of heavy machinery such as the pipeworks layer. The signal identifies itself as being from ; their advertising is part of the signal."


    Milo immediately looked up the company. As Rusty said, the implant had a short range but would tie into any system it could access, giving away Belinda''s location. The signal should be almost completely blocked by the walls of his tank and would be partially blocked by the suit she was wearing, but not completely.


    "We need to figure this out. In two weeks, people are going to be looking for you."


    Belinda was checking her email. She turned and looked at him, white-faced. "Sooner than that. Victor is already in jail, and the news is out that he was trying to kidnap me."

 Chapter 271: Victor is still Causing Trouble

    Chapter 271: Victor is still Causing Trouble


    "How?" Milo had counted on Victor being fooled and giving him time to figure out what they would do next. A week would have done it, even a couple of days. But not this soon.


    "The news release is sketchy. Interpol picked him up when his plane landed at Heathrow Airport outside of London. The pilot reported a mechanical failure and changed his flight plan. Victor got caught at the airport by Interpol trying to enter the UK or switch planes. He explained the pod by claiming he was taking me to a doctor in Prague, but when the authorities checked the pod, they found out that he was smuggling a bio-terrorist into the UK. She is the partner of two others who were arrested simultaneously. The UK is on high alert against a bio-terrorist threat. Uncle Victor is being held in London, along with everyone on his plane and the terrorists, with no bail. The news programs are full of theories about what he was planning. The UK is yelling at the US; the US is demanding he be returned to their custody. Interpol isn''t giving him up to anyone, claiming it was their agents who apprehended him after an extensive amount of research to track his movements as soon as he left the US and violated his protective custody agreement."


    She turned to Milo. "And the interesting part? All three bio-terrorists were my doctors up until a day ago. What the hell is going on? How much of this was your doing?" Her suspicion was confirmed as Milo looked sheepish. "More secrets?"


    "No, not really secrets. It''s more like things are moving fast, and we haven''t had time to talk. I found out a lot of things when I went to get your medical records. The doctors were going to try and kidnap you in the next couple of days, and so was Victor. Worse, they were planning to kidnap someone in the Hab and put them in a pod as a decoy. I was spying on one of them when she talked to the others¡ªand drinking. She was upset and drinking alcohol, and arguing with the others. She was drunk enough that she tripped, hit her head, and knocked herself out. I put her in a pod to keep her alive, and she became the decoy."


    "Knocked herself out. Or you made that happen?"


    "Nope, I swear, she was drinking and spilled some on the floor, slipped, and went down. It was really convenient though. Her computer was unlocked; I had her codes to the vault and put her hand on the keypad. We have all of the data they were storing. Part of it is your medical records, which only take up part of one disc."?v€l-B!n.


    A screen came on, showing security footage of the event, and Rusty''s voice chimed in. "I want to watch! This is better than anime. We''ll watch it together. Oooh, you were doing sneaky stuff. Are those data storage units? What do they have on them? Anything I''d like to watch?"


    Belinda covered her face with her hands. "OK, I believe you now. And I am never going to drink vodka. So you did a good deed and sent her off with Victor. I suppose you set up the rest?"


    "More sneaky stuff! Tell us!"


    Milo remembered a time when no one knew he existed, and he didn''t have to explain things. It seemed long ago. "I sort of set it up. I have an Interpol agent I work with, and I gave her a tip about the two doctors. But I have no idea why Victor was there. He was heading to Prague!"


    Belinda put all the news reports she could find with video on the screens so Rusty could watch, and she could see her Uncle Victor get arrested. She might never see him again and was sad because of that, while part of her cheered that he was out of her life. "Victor is old school. I''ve heard him say that he never follows a flight plan. He probably told the pilot once they were up in the air. Oh god. I just realized. This is big news! No way does Daddy not hear about it. He''s going to flip about the part where Victor claimed to have me in the pod, and he will be calling Eric. Victor will have people come look for me, and I''m trapped in Frankenstein''s Laboratory with no shower, no clothes, and only frozen tacos to eat."


    Milo looked at her, concerned. "You don''t like tacos? Everyone likes tacos. And I have cheese, lots of it. We''re fine."


    "Until someone tracks me down because of that damned implant Daddy or Victor put in me. I know when it happened. I woke up with stitches on my leg, and an explanation from the doctors that they needed to attach a sensor to my femur next to a major nerve to get better readings for diagnosis."


    "They can''t find you in here. It''s shielded."


    "It''s about Belinda, please, trust me and move." They began walking to the elevators. John saw a newscast on a monitor that people were staring at, and several of those people turned to look at him. And then there was a journalist in front of them.


    "Mr. Sabbatino! Any comment on the arrest of Victor Seimovich? And what can you tell us about Belinda Seimovich? Was she actually kidnapped?"


    John wanted to watch the newscast or ask the newsman about what he knew, but at that point, two of his guards took him by his arms and steered him into the elevator.


    "Myrna, what the hell is going on?!"


    She turned to him and held up a tablet with a news program running. "Watch this, but you already know the details. Victor landed in London, got arrested trying to smuggle in a bio-terrorist wanted by Interpol, and there was some sort of plot going on with two more. Do those faces look familiar to you? Those were Belinda''s doctors, John. We need to find out what''s going on fast and get ahead of this. Why were those three people working for you, John?"


    John was covering his face with his hands. Things he''d dreaded for years were being discovered, and the house of cards was about to crumble. "They are specialists. They came highly recommended." What he didn''t tell was that they''d worked for Vigo a long time ago under different names and were some of the few people who knew the truth about Belinda. That couldn''t come out. He''d promised Kat he would protect Belinda. But where was Belinda?


    "I need to talk to Eric."


    "Your girl is fine, John. I told you I''d take care of her."


    "Fine?! Victor nearly kidnapped her! How is that fine? There are already people asking us questions about Victor. What the hell am I supposed to say?"


    Eric could sympathize with John; the whole situation was stressful. But Eric had been dealing with both Victor and John for months now, and they were finally to the end game. "We''ve talked about this, John. It was going to happen, sooner or later. You tell the truth: Victor isn''t Belinda''s guardian, and attempting to take her out of the country would be illegal. Seeking medical treatment is just an excuse to kidnap her. Remind them that Interpol and numerous countries have investigated Victor for years, and they should talk to Interpol about the details, not ask you. You aren''t in control of Victor; he doesn''t work for you, and you don''t have any business relationship with him. If they ask why he was living in the Manpower section of the Habitat, refer them to the US Justice Department. If they ask about what he was up to in London, just shrug and refer them to Interpol or the London police. Keep your answers short and say as little as you can."


    "But..."


    "And then, John, you tell them you''re in Geneva to talk tech and start talking about the deal and Manpower. Use all their sudden interest in you to talk about what you want to talk about and not Victor."


    John liked that. "I can do that. This might not be so bad after all. Short answers, refer the questions to someone else, then switch gears to what we want to accomplish. But what do I say about Belinda?"


    "Say that Belinda is safe, and that''s all you are going to say for security reasons. And John, believe me, she is someplace Victor will never find her. We talked earlier, and even I don''t know exactly where she is right now, but she''s completely safe. Your girl is smart and had a contingency plan already set up and ready to go. Don''t worry. Your job is to grow her company and make it bigger. Go show them who is in charge."


    As the video conference ended, John left with a new purpose. Eric collapsed in his chair. "Where the hell are you, Belinda?"

 Chapter 272: Victor has Concerns.

    Chapter 272: Victor has Concerns.


    It had been a long day for Bernard St. Clair. The cases that his law firm took these days mostly involved defending wealthy clients from small indiscretions and dalliances of past years. He would offer advice to the junior partners handling the cases, make public appearances to inform the world of the client''s innocence, and collect his cut of the fees for doing very little work. It was his reward for being the head of the firm and five decades of work. Today''s client was more work than he was used to, but it was unavoidable and not something he could let anyone else handle. Victor Seimovich was calling in old favors, and three of Bernard''s closest friends had called him today, cashing in their own favors or making promises for future ones. A team of lawyers was being put together. Initial contact with the client was already done, but they wanted a high profile face attached to the team, and someone who understood the clients background. Bernard had represented other clients similar to Mr. Seimovich on occasion, and his success was why he was being called on again.


    So, he had been up early, skipping his usual large breakfast while he read the paper and fed his scraps to he aging terrier under the table. After only a cup of tea and a poached egg on toast, he let his chauffeur whisk him out the door and on his way to the High-Security Unit of Belmarsh Prison, just south of London, to begin the ordeal of paperwork, searches, scans, interviews, and more paperwork needed to see his latest client. Belmarsh was known for housing difficult prisoners, spies and counterspies with interesting knowledge, politically connected miscreants with information to trade, and those who posed a threat to national security. Victor Seimovich was considered to fit into all three categories; his cell reflected that. The High-Security Unit was deep in the heart of the prison, and the ''special cells'' were at the heart of the HSU. It had its own set of guards, security system, lockdown procedures, and separate food preparation and medical facilities. There would be no unexplainable and embarrassing deaths or suicides of the few prisoners housed here. Victor had the honor of being the only person in the special cells at this time, and all of the attention of the guards and staff was focused on him.


    This attention also extended to his lawyer. Nothing could be smuggled in, no papers passed to his client. The two could communicate by phone and see each other through the four-inch armored glass, but that was the limit of their contact. Victor was escorted to the room by four guards and a doctor, his hands cuffed and restraints placed on his legs. He would never be out of his cell without them. It was a slow process as he shuffled along at a pace expected of a man in his 70s. Bernard was waiting for him on his side of the glass. Victor was brought in and placed in his chair, and his hands and feet restraints were hooked to bolts on the floor and table. And then he was left alone with his lawyer.


    "Good day, Mr. Seimovich; I am Bernard St. Clair and will be acting as your lawyer in the immediate proceedings, and if we have to go to trial, there as well. If you have another law firm you want to handle your case, please let me know, and I will contact them. For now, I am your primary lawyer. We are guaranteed the confidentiality of a lawyer and client, and it is illegal for them to record or listen to this conversation. I will still caution you to be careful of your words."


    Victor knew all of this. Not that he knew this particular lawyer, but the words were all the same. Always the warning that someone would be listening, legal or not. It wasn''t needed, but the accusation was true. He expected that someone was taking down every word he said. "I would like you to get me out of here in any way possible. Look at this? An orange jumpsuit? How does anyone feel human wearing such horrid clothing? The food is at least better than I expected. But there is no music, no newspaper, and a lack of stimulating conversation. I choose my bodyguards based, among other things, on their ability to talk about the things I enjoy. These mean know nothing and talk of nothing."


    That surprised Bernard, not that the guards wouldn''t talk to Victor, but that he didn''t mind the food. The meals in Belmarsh was notorious, even for a prison in England. Obviously, hi client had been in prisons with even worse food¡ªa frightening thought. "I''ll be working as fast as I can. I''ve blocked attempts by Germany, Finland, and Italy to extradite you to their countries. The US is trying to recall you to their system but is having a difficult time since you were able to fly out of the country already while under their supervision. There is also concern about your continued health should anyone have access to you."


    "John? No, if John knows what is best, he will say nothing and be helpful. You could ask him how he could help; I''m sure he wants this to go away as much as I do. He may know where my Belinda is, and of course, he should also be concerned about our good friend, Eric."


    "Interpol pressed me on several topics relating to you. Things I should bring up that they might be willing to trade for improved accommodations. They asked about a package that went missing in Brussels twenty years ago, a man named Benjamin Shivago, and a strange question about a ''Batch Four.'' Do you wish to talk to them on any of these topics? If so, I will use the exchange to push forward your case in the direction you want it to go."


    Victor was amused that they still didn''t know, even after decades and thousands of man-hours of work by dozens of special investigators. Brussels was always going to be a touchy subject. No one liked it when a suitcase-sized nuclear weapon went missing, but that was a strong lever to save for the right time. Anything to do with Batch Four was out of the question, especially in this case, with these doctors. Batch Four was dead and needed to be left forgotten. But Benjamin Shivago, aka ''Bennie the Shiv''? The whereabouts of his bones were a small secret and something he could give up. Ironically, no one had known Bennie the Shiv was an undercover agent for the Mossad. They''d caught him cheating at cards as they planned the Italian job. The small recording device had been discovered during the fight after the table had been overturned and a free-for-all had broken out. That had led to Bennie''s death and destroyed all plans for the operation they were planning in Rome. Money had let them hide his body where no one would find him. Only later had they discovered who he was, but not why he had been working for Big Swede as a ''security specialist''. Whatever long game Bennie had been playing went to hell during that poker game.


    "Tell them that every nice Jewish boy should be buried at home. In return for agreeing to talk of where he might be buried, I want real clothes, real food, something to read, and a barber to see to my beard. If they do this and apologize for treating an old man so badly, then maybe we will trade an old rumor I heard in exchange for some leniency." They would need a backhoe and permission from the Vatican to find Bennie. Work had been being done to install a pipe in a sensitive part of the Holy City. The trench ran between the tombs of two saints. Bennie had been buried six feet deeper than the bottom of the trench and covered in stones, a gas pipe, ten feet of earth, and a layer of marble paving stones.


    "I''ll do what I can, and I think we''ll see changes to your accommodations by the end of the day." The two old men nodded to each other, and Bernard took his leave. He would pass on Victor''s words to other people who would act on them. Bernard didn''t want to know the details. He had recognized certain words and how they were said. After dealing with Interpol and setting up appointments with agents in his offices, he returned to work and made several phone calls.


    The people on the other end of the call knew exactly what Victor wanted. Any of his remaining money was to be used for three things: John Sabbatino would aid his lawyers or disappear. Eric Kresthammer was a dead man. And Belinda Seimovich would be found and taken someplace secure. She was the real leverage Victor needed. Money began to flow, and people began to move towards a run-down habitat in Philadelphia.

 Chapter 273: John tries to help...Milo does Brain Surgery

    Chapter 273: John tries to help...Milo does Brain Surgery


    It only took a minute for Milo to verify that what Rusty had said was correct. There was an intermittent signal coming from Belinda that could be used to track her. Milo spent a half hour reading everything he could on the technology used and concluded that he''d never be 100% sure he was blocking the signal without using so much shielding that movement became impossible. He considered an airtight metal box and a supply of oxygen hooked to the small supply in her suit. The weight was too high for him to move without heavier machinery than he had available in the habitat, and moving a metal box by forklift down the hallways of the habitat would certainly be noticed by the people moving into the section and searching for her.


    The problem wasn''t making her hard to track; that could be done. It was the problem of making her impossible to track and leaving no chance of someone finding the hidden elevator and the entrance to the bunker. So he threw away that idea and devised a better plan involving subterfuge and confusion instead of stealth. He needed the teams to be distracted and looking elsewhere while he got her to the shielded elevator. He explained the plan to her and they got to work.


    Belinda spent time going through the stored security footage in Manpower''s system to find the images he needed. That came with her questions about how he had gained access to the system. He outlined his project where he had reprogrammed each camera and rebuilt the entire system left by the engineering firm, including the fact they had left their own back door in Manpower''s system. After he''d told her how he''d done it, she had added up the hours of work needed for the job, sighed and said, "We need to get you different hobbies, or at least playing more games." Milo wasn''t sure how she had come to that conclusion, but agreed with her about playing more games.


    "How fast is your wheelchair, by the way? I need to set the speed for my decoys."


    She laughed. "Faster than most people can run. When you spend a lot of your life sitting in one, and don''t have much to spend your allowance on, shopping for upgrades becomes a priority. I finally went with a custom build from a division of Technodyne. Everything is customizable and I spent a lot of stability, cornering, and stability. And extended battery life. It drove John crazy that I spent so much money on my wheelchair, and I spent even more just to piss him off. He has two perfectly good legs and a sportscar. I didn''t see any reason I couldn''t spend just as much for something that helped me move around. Eric encouraged me, and let me do speed runs through empty corridors. He called it ''Speed Therapy'' and told Daddy it was part of my treatments to overcome depression. It actually worked wonders for my attitude."


    While she was finding the video footage o herself moving around in her wheelchair, Milo went looking for Max. His best Roomba waited patiently for him at the top of the elevator with the data discs in their protective cases on the crawlers. A quick trip to Downtown let him find an out-of-the-way spot for the discs and let Max round up more of his buddies. Milo headed to where he had stored the deactivated security drones to scavenge for the needed parts. Besides the upgraded lasers, this model also had a holographic projector. The image it produced was an armed security guard with a gun extended in a two-handed stance. Milo considered the work needed to shift the holo-projector and lasers from the security drones to the basic Roombas he trusted more. Evaluating the time he would need, he decided that moving the control system from the other Roomba and transplanting their brains would be easier. Max had gathered a dozen of his kin, so Milo loaded up thirteen deactivated security Roomba, plus the ones too damaged to fix. Three hours after he had left, he was back at his workbench conducting brain surgery to upgrade his small squad of Roomba. He explained his ideas to Belinda as he went.


    "The red Roombas belong to Rusty. Their main priority is cleaning, reporting damages or wear to machinery, checking air quality, and several other tasks. They can be used for security, but that''s not their major function. They need more armor and a larger battery. The black Roomba are full security drones. They are sturdier and have upgraded firepower, a holo-projector, and a sound projector. Unfortunately, they were on a different network, and don''t answer to commands from Rusty. I don''t fully trust them, even after I had time to go over their programming."


    Belinda watched as Milo quickly dismantled one black and one red Roomba, swapping control systems and then reassembled the black one. Max was nearby, communicating with the patient and confirming that Milo''s operation was successful. One by one, he upgraded his loyal Roomba brigade with the new hardware, which took nearly six hours. Milo was tired again afterward. He''d been pushing himself hard with little time to recover completely. Belinda was a little better. She kept a constant regime of stretches and isometrics while Milo worked and then started push-ups and sit-ups. Even when she stopped to catch her breath, she was clenching and unclenching her hands while pacing back and forth.


    Milo only noticed when he quit doing brain surgery. "Are you ok? You don''t look ok."


    She stopped pacing for a moment. "I don''t know! I''m feeling irritable and...itchy. It''s like anxiety but all in my muscles, not in my head, and I''m feeling like I have to keep moving, but I''m getting nauseous and have a headache. I should stop, but I feel worse when I do. I hate it, what''s going on?"


    That worried Milo. "Sit down and let me check your readings and have the suit do some diagnostics." Her readings were off, and that worried him. She was under an immense amount of stress. "Rusty, you have to hide. Disengage from anything outside of your shielded area and tuck yourself in tight. No looking at manga, and no listening. I have to call someone, and I don''t want him noticing you."


    "Is this my feet again?"


    "Exactly that. You and your big feet have to be away from here. If the person I''m talking to notices you, things will get very complicated quickly. Like Jeremy warned you."


    Milo stared at her and the limited medical data he was getting from the pod, his own mind whirling. He needed to get her to the medical lab in Downtown and soon. That was going to be difficult with what was happening in the habitat. He couldn''t be sure of an exact count, but over one hundred people in sections E and H were visiting for the first time, and some were openly using scanners. Twice, there had been altercations between pairs of people wandering through the hallways, leading Milo to believe there was more than one group. "Max, I hope you and your team are ready. This will be rough and we don''t get any practice or second chances." The thirteen Roomba all let loose with enthusiastic ''beeps'' and ''boops.''


    "John, what part of ''I''m handling this end of the operation and taking care of Belinda.'' did you not understand!?"


    "The part where she isn''t in her pod or her room! Where is she, Eric? I authorized one of the security teams to use the tracking chip to find her, and it shows she went over to visit friends in Section E? How is that hiding?"


    Eric was tempted to punch walls but brought himself under control. This wasn''t the first time he''d had to deal with John ignoring a game plan, but there was a lot more at stake here. "John, just tell me why you did that. I told you I was handling things. Victor is in jail, and I had Belinda securely hidden. Or I did, until you gave one of the security team access to the system to look for her, and then panicked and had all the security teams out looking for her. And they aren''t the only ones! Victor or someone else has teams of people in the habitat, and some of our people have been hurt!."


    John''s face contorted into several shapes before finally managing a statement. "I''m her father; I should be making the decisions about her. She needs constant medical assistance. You have no idea what could happen if she doesn''t get her drug treatments. People kept asking about her, and I got worried. My team found her pod, but not her. So where is she, Eric? I need to know. My team will find her; they have the scanners. I don''t see a problem with what I did. That''s what the Tagyourkids system is for."


    "They aren''t the only ones with scanners, John. I mentioned some of our guys had encounters with other people. Those other people are much tougher. They didn''t kill anyone, but they won''t be walking for a long time without crutches. And now the other guys, probably sent by Victor, also have scanners. You''ve thrown away all the advantages we had over Victor. Now it''s a race to find her, one we don''t have the people to win. I''ve put in calls to the Habitat Security Force, but I''m not expecting much." Every habitat had a security force, nominally part of the local police force, but never used outside the habitat. Their main job was to scan for weapons at the entrances and investigate major crimes. Their response time was legendary for how long they could take.


    "Which means we need to get her back first! She''d still be protected if you hadn''t sent her out of our area. Why would you do that?"


    "Sorry, John. That wasn''t your call to make. Belinda didn''t feel safe. She knew Victor was plotting to take her out of the country and found out her doctors had similar plans. The same doctors that we now find out are wanted terrorists! Where did you find those people, John? There are reasons Belinda doesn''t trust you, John, and those doctors are one of them."


    "I had to use them! They worked for Vigo and are top-notch at what they do. Ekaterina told me how to contact them right before she died. They were working for Victor. How the hell could I not use them? And it''s not like they put down ''Bio-Terrorist'' on their job applications. We did standard background checks, and they passed."


    "John, you knew they were shady. You knew they''d pass those checks. You''re playing a high-stakes game with a losing hand, John. Be careful that you can''t pay the price. I will concentrate on keeping Belinda safe and ensuring nothing bad happens to the thousands of people we''re caring for in those pods. You''d better find a way to keep your hands clean, John. No one wants to do business with someone linked to terrorists. It will be a miracle if Rhebus keeps working with us, let alone Genesis. Get back to your meetings, and let me do my job here. Don''t do anything else without asking me first."


    "And if I do? It''s my company!"


    Eric resisted a smile. "For a few weeks, it is. Then it belongs to Belinda. Think about that, John. You cross me again, and I walk, and I talk. I don''t need to work for Manpower, John; I''ve been passing my resume around a few other places." He cut the connection.


    On the other end of the line, John sat staring at the blank screen, wondering how to fix things. This chapter was first shared on the N??v€l?1n platform.

 Chapter 274: Victor has money? Lets fix that.

    Chapter 274: Victor has money? Let''s fix that.


    "Can we watch it again? Please? The part where they open the pod is awesome! Victor looks so sad/pissed/surprised." Nina loved the video that Bork had put together. It was footage from news programs, Heathrow Security Cameras, and Interpol badgecams. He''d edited it, added his own comments, and created a soundtrack. They''d watched it four times today, made up more jokes, and suggested scenes, keeping Bork busy as he perfected his masterpiece.


    Bork was happy that his work was appreciated. His creations were only for the five of them. Releasing them to social media would have given away too much, specifically that someone had access to video footage they shouldn''t. Too many clues like that in the wild would spark a conspiracy in someone''s brain. The Alphabet had enough trouble as it was staying ahead of the chaos they sometimes caused without advertising themselves.


    "Sure, I don''t think I will ever get tired of watching it. It''s so perfect how it all worked out. Are we sure we didn''t set this all up? It sure feels like something we''d do."


    "That''s an interesting point. Didn''t we used to have someone in Interpol that we tipped off about things? It was years ago, but I remember how convenient it was to have a big organization like that working with us."


    Zander''s joy at watching Victor evaporated as he thought about the person he''d worked with anonymously at Interpol. "That was Agent Simms. I miss her. For a normal person, she was brilliant! I barely had to give her clues before she put things together and ran with them. She retired when she couldn''t work any longer and died shortly after that. I''m glad we quit sending her cases in the last two years. She was working herself to death even without our help. She was incredibly competent at putting together information and arriving at conclusions. A remarkable woman. Can you imagine how smart she would have been if she''d been like us?"


    Algernon tilted his nose up in the air. "It would have been wonderful to have another genius around. You four are from such common stock that even enhanced; I have to lead you around and tell you when to eat and when to poop. I look forward to finding Milo so we can have an intelligent conversation." This remark infuriated his less intelligent and more violent siblings, who pummeled him with pillows to vent their caveman-like anger.


    Nina stopped in mid-swing. "Milo. It was Milo that set up Victor!" Everyone else stopped as well. Playtime was over, thinking time had started again. It couldn''t be put off once someone had thrown out a problem or mystery.


    Bork considered for a second and then agreed. "He doesn''t like Victor either, is friends with Belinda Seimovich, and would want him out of that habitat he''s been living in. He probably...SHIT! ...Obvious. Milo hacked our hacked security system and has been eavesdropping on Victor. Probably hacked his emails as well and was watching his every move."


    "Of course he did! We have to assume that Milo is at least as smart as us. If we would do something, he would too."


    "Nicely done, too. Victor looked like he got hit by an anvil when that pod opened, and it was someone else. And that bunch has no loyalty; all the doctors are flipping on him and each other. It will be a bloodbath of accusations, even if they don''t go into the old, secret stuff."


    "You mean, like us and all the fun things Vigo worked on before his untimely death? I''m not sure I want that coming out in the open. It would complicate things if people were looking for us."


    "Someone is looking for us. Always assume that!." Bork never liked it when his siblings relaxed about some things¡ªand hated it worse when he did the same thing.


    Algernon got up and went to a workstation. "Enough fun. We can watch that later. This is an opportunity. We need to listen to what the doctors and Victor say, either voice recordings or transcripts. We need to find out the name of his current lawyer and any others he is using. And anyone who visits him. He''ll communicate through them to have his network of thugs do his business. And, most importantly, we need to watch his money. He''ll have some resources left, and we should strip him of them as fast as we can. Leave him penniless and in jail. People will desert him. Money is a weapon Victor can use. Let''s take it all away down to the last breadcrumb."


    Bork grimaced. He hated loose ends, and Milo was the biggest loose end ever, with a very tangled string. "Yes, with Milo. He must know something about her and has become friends, or at least knows her well enough to get on her gaming team. And it makes sense he wanted Victor jailed if he''s figured out all the secrets of the Seimovich family."


    Zander suddenly brightened up, and a big smile appeared on his face. "Yes! Just think of what Milo might know. It will be like Christmas for all of us. We get to tell him secrets, and he can tell us secrets! I wonder if he has any data on Belinda Seimovich? I''m curious about her father''s modifications to her genetics or development."


    Algernon sat next to Zander, ate some popcorn, and started reading an issue of his newest favorite comic book, Wonder Warthog, and he was humming loudly."


    Zander looked at him with utter disgust. "Don''t you do that! Not again! Don''t you do that to me!"


    "Oh, and what''s that? Sorry, I''m reading a comic book. Really good, see, in this issue, Wondy (that''s my nickname for the main character) has to fly to Uranus (the planet, just in case you''re confused) and...


    Zander stared at Algernon and, in a low, deep voice, said, "You have a secret, and you know I''ll want to know, and you''re humming!"


    Algernon put his comic back into the lock-tight Mylar sleeve and placed it carefully on a shelf. "Oh? Well. I might. You see, I''ve been reading all those boring Interpol transcripts where they do good cop/bad cop and interrogate the criminals. Victor''s pals, the doctors, are throwing him under the bus as fast as they can. It''s bad for them; death penalty bad, and some countries tried them in absentee so there won''t be a long wait for a trial. One of them even hinted that he had data on scientific experiments that Victor might have been involved with. He''s offering it to Interpol with some really steep conditions attached. He wants total amnesty for anything they see in the files and to be under protected house arrest for the next twenty years. For that, he''ll flip and give them the keys to the vault where the data is stored. Interpol is going to agree, but only once they get the data. The description matches the vaults we invented with the auto-EMP feature, and you can guess where it is."


    Everyone''s mouths fell open. Bork was tearing his hair out. "The missing data discs from BioSolutions! That has to be what they''re talking about. They took them, faked their deaths, and had them all these years. And they''re in a vault in the habitat we just rented? OMG! We can''t let that get out. How hard is it to break into one of those vaults? I don''t know what they changed once we sold the patent."


    Nina put the schematics on the screen. "Close to impossible for anyone else and merely difficult for us. I estimate that three of us, working as a team, could do it in three hours. First, we have to get into the Manpower facility, which will be under siege in a day, and we have to get there before Interpol cuts a deal. I can have the equipment needed on a Philadelphia flight, and we could start our run in less than eight hours. We need to start at this point, and it will be tight moving through ductwork and crawl spaces to get near the storage area. Bork! Stop pacing! We have a working plan. Start telling us where it might go wrong."


    Bork refocused, "Uh, OK. The number of people working there will be way down; it will be just a skeleton crew with most of the staff in Geneva. But that doesn''t mean the offices, labs, and living quarters will be deserted. That deal is paying dividends already. But Manpower has to focus its security on the pods they care for. Anything we can do to have them shift more personnel will help. We need some sort of scouting drone to move ahead and map, and I want a 4th person on that. 5th man is overseeing everything and calling it off at any sign of danger." Everyone pointed at him. "Right. We have the security system hacked, but we still go in wearing full costumes. I''m thinking we do ninjas again."


    The team liked going as ninjas. The reason wasn''t obvious. While ninjas were cool, it helped disguise their lack of size. Everyone knew ninjas were short.


    "And I think we should be helpful. Rhebus will be neighbors with Manpower, and no one likes pushy mercenaries running around their habitat. I''m going to have the head of Rhebus contact the manager of Manpower and offer some extra muscle from our security section. Just in case."


    Within an hour, the team had planned the operation and were on their way to Philadelphia.

 Chapter 275: You must gather your party before moving on

    Chapter 275: You must gather your party before moving on


    Eric had done what he could to cover all the contingencies but knew it wouldn''t go down perfectly. Nothing ever happened perfectly, especially at Manpower. It had been difficult to convince Victor that he was a loyal (and greedy) soldier, and it had taken months to gain the old criminal''s trust. The only reason it worked was that Victor couldn''t imagine anyone turning down the power and money Eric could have earned working for Victor once he controlled the Seimovich fortune. Victor was getting careless in his old age, seeing what he expected to see, and Eric had counted on that. So what he saw in Eric was an ambitious man who was tired of working for his old friend John and taking the crumbs from his table. Eric projected his willingness to sit at a tarnished table with Victor. He''d schemed with him and argued with him. He drank vodka until he was ruining his health and had to cheat with pills. Ultimately, it was all worth it when Victor left Philadelphia and thought he had Belinda with him. Eric had been relieved and elated that the plan had worked. But he hadn''t expected Victor to walk into the arms of Interpol on day 1! He''d barely begun to tighten things up when he got the news and knew that, at the very least, someone would be coming to find him and give him a last message from Victor. It might be in a day, a week, or a month, but it would happen.


    It was going to be difficult to deal with what he knew was coming. Victor was an old-school thug, and he would respond by sending violent people to get what he wanted. In this case, it was Belinda and Eric''s head on a platter. But a few things made his job easier. The first was that every yammerhead working for John was in Geneva, and no one was left to waste his time. The second was the security set-up Genesis insisted on for the workers sleeping in their pods: The pod levels could be completely locked down, with only two exits on each of the three levels left unlocked but guarded. Anyone not working in the pod area was sent home or away from the habitat. All security and essential personnel were moved to the pod area. He ordered that only one entrance on the top level would be used for anyone to leave or enter, with half the security guards stationed there. The rest of the entrances were only nominally open for emergencies. The pod area was as secure, and he could make it. He couldn''t allow whoever Victor sent to take hostages, and they would surely want to search the area for Belinda. Somehow, she was blocking the signal from the transmitter inside of her. This was good...and bad. It meant she was safer, but the people looking for her would turn this habitat upside down to find her. They''d start in Section E, where the last signal originated, and move out from there.


    Eric expected to have visitors looking for him as well. Special visitors who would want to give him a short message from Victor and then dump his body down one of the big drops in an abandoned sector. He''d thought of leaving the habitat. But he knew the people Victor would send would be professionals, and hopping on a plane wouldn''t protect him. And he needed to be here. If he ran, he had little doubt that most of the security people would as well. And he needed to stay in touch with Belinda and keep John unaware that no one, including him, knew where the hell she was hiding.


    The last thing he did was email Belinda, telling her what he had done and what he expected to happen next. He ordered her to keep hidden, no matter what happened or what was reported. Then he kept busy, not knowing how long he had. It might be hours or days, but someone would come looking for him. Victor wasn''t patient when he was angry.


    "Milo! Eric is in trouble! I just got an email from him. He thinks Victor will try and have him killed."


    Milo was working as fast as he could, reprogramming Roomba and creating hologram and sound files for them. Part of him split off to pay attention to Belinda. "He''s right. Victor isn''t going to let him live after Eric played him for a fool, and he ended up in jail. He doesn''t have much left but his pride and his reputation. And with people already coming to look for you, it makes sense."


    "How does it make sense? Victor is reacting from emotion, not logic. If Victor were more logical, he wouldn''t be in so much trouble. He had a good deal cut with the Justice Department and threw that away."


    Milo was about to finish one Roomba when he thought of a better way to route all the power cords and make the design more efficient. He started to rework the models he''d already finished. 2% longer battery life might make a difference. "Well, if he kills Eric, Manpower is leaderless, and it will make the job of finding you easier, based on the information he has. It also means that even if your stepfather returns home, he doesn''t have Eric guiding him. Based on the reactions I''ve seen on security cameras, John isn''t the best person in a stressful situation."


    "You''re right on both counts. Eric holds everything together, and John sort of manages somehow with his help. Eric was good enough to fool both John and Victor, but it made him a target. So, how are we stopping it? He''s only in trouble because he''s been helping me. Without him, I''d be in a pod and held for ransom by crazy doctors or in one of Victor''s hideouts in Eastern Europe. He''s tried to get the Hab security involved, and they aren''t answering the phone or replying to emails. He can''t call Daddy. And there are a lot of people roaming around the habitat."


    Butch was a little surprised to be getting a call from Milo. The ghost had been busy lately and hadn''t been by at all. And he hated using the phone. He liked email better. Mama would be happy he was checking in; she was worried about him, especially today. There were people wandering around the habitat, and no one knew why they were there. Some of them were wearing Manpower uniforms, but a lot of them were in basic coveralls. And none of them looked soft. Two of them had been asking questions about Belinda and the last time any of the family had seen her. They got the usual shrugs and dull stares that any outsider got. But it worried everyone that they were asking about her and weren''t giving details on why they were looking for her.


    "Yo! Ghost. Are you OK? Mama''s worried, and people are looking for Belinda. Too many people and the wrong type."


    "I know. Her Uncle tried to kidnap her and failed, and he got arrested. He''s hired people to find her."


    "Yeah, they keep stopping by and asking about her. New people each time, same questions. Mama''s keeping people close and Dad''s home. The whole section is locked down tight. People are nervous."


    "Good! I mean, ''good that people are being cautious.'' I need to talk to Mama. Sort of urgent."


    "Sure, NP. Explain things sometimes. I get the distinct feeling you might know a little about this."


    "I promise I''ll be doing just that."


    Within a minute, Mama talked to Ghost on the phone, rolling her eyes and laughing, then becoming serious. Finally, she walked back to Butch and handed him his phone back. "If anyone else except that boy asked me to do what he just asked, I''d just laugh at them and lock my door." She shook her head, grabbed Butch by the hand, and walked into the house. "Listen up, we''re doing something and doing it now. Questions later, do what I say first. Everyone needs to grab their spare change of clothes and anything they can''t live without for a couple of days, just what they can carry. Stuff it into pillowcases or use a sheet to wrap it all up. Papa and Butch will help with the little ones. Butch, call your friends and tell them they need to get over here, same deal, but don''t let anyone see them coming over. Once we''re ready, we wait for Milo to show up. We''re all going to take a walk, go somewhere people aren''t asking questions. Think of it as if we''re going on a little adventure.


    Not for the first time did she remind herself to have a long talk with that boy.

 Chapter 276: Old Secrets and Buried Bones

    Chapter 276: Old Secrets and Buried Bones


    Kiruna prison in Sweden was a cold place, located 180 miles north of the actual city of Kiruna, which itself was 200 miles above the Arctic Circle. The prison was near the borders of Finland and Norway and had been built as a joint project between the three countries during a remarkable time of cooperation. Rebuilt and updated many times, its reputation grew over the last two centuries until it was known as the toughest prison in any of the three countries. It currently housed only 36 prisoners, down from over 200 a century before. The Ultra-High-Security prison wasn''t a place where prisoners were sent to be reformed. The chance of any of them being released was next to zero. The prison''s only purpose was to keep them behind bars and away from the rest of humanity until they died.


    Escapes and break-outs had been attempted, but none were successful. Four people had technically ''escaped'' but died of exposure as they tried to find food and shelter while avoiding being recaptured. Visitors were kept to a minimum, as was all communication with the outside world. So, it was a great surprise to one of the most notorious prisoners when he was told that he would have a visitor. His cell door opened and slid back, and the open hallway beckoned. It had been a long time since anyone had been allowed to visit him, and he''d almost forgotten the protocols. First, he stripped off all his clothing and walked into a steel room where he was scanned for weapons or abnormalities and allowed to exit from the other side and put on a new set of orange prison clothes, identical to the other set. After that, he was allowed into the meeting room, where he could see a man seated on the other side of the six-inch thick reinforced glass wall. Microphones and speakers carried their voices to each other. They would have no contact with each other, even to the air they breathed on separate sides of the barrier.


    Karl "Big Swede" Ahlgren sat in the steel chair bolted to the floor. It held his 400-plus pounds with ease. The decades had been harsh to him as he neared seventy, etching lines in his face and turning his beard and hair to silver, but nothing had diminished his size and strength. Nor his reputation for sudden violence. Karl didn''t get angry when someone taunted or tested him on the few times he was put in the yard with the other three dozen prisoners. He just grinned and lashed out suddenly with a huge fist or foot, crushing bones and ending fights quickly. It had to be quick before the stun gas was deployed, or the guards shot him with tranquilizer darts. There was always someone who wanted to test the old monster, mostly because they weren''t getting out of prison either and had grown bored and suicidal. There was no penalty for these fights other than solitary for Karl and the infirmary for his challenger. And Karl didn''t mind. He didn''t want to talk to the other prisoners.


    Ironically, Karl had hurt more people since being put in prison than he had in the sixty years before. He was huge and intimidating, but what won him the respect of the people working with him was his intellect, meticulous planning, and loyalty to his partners. His heists were works of art, carried out only after each phase was tested and practiced. He hated leaving clues about who had committed the crime and only recruited people for his teams who could follow orders and keep their mouths shut. No one was ever killed or even seriously injured by his crimes. Except, of course, for the loss of valuable items. The insurance companies and banks weren''t happy about things, either.


    He found working with others to be tricky and full of arguments. When tempers flared, if logic didn''t sway someone, his strength and size came in handy. But it was the threat of what he could do, rather than actual violence, that worked best for him. His reputation for mayhem came from his lack of hesitation. When it was time for violence, he reacted instantaneously, making up his mind and committing to the act without second thoughts. A small show of force was usually enough to calm people down and let him get back to work. He had worked with Victor and Andrei Seimovich many times, just as he had worked with their father in his youth. He was never part of their family and, at best, a trusted ally. He liked it that way. He came and went as needed and ran his own crews, planning his own jobs. That gave him time off to spend with his family and kept him out of the constant power struggle of the Russian and Ukrainian families.


    His passion in life was his perfectly executed plans, but his love for his family overshadowed that. His wife, Freyja, had given him six children. Those children had married and given him many grandchildren. The last had been little Astrid, with golden hair bright as the sun. Her mother, Sonja, had married a man who broke her heart and left her. Karl let him go at her behest without breaking his heart or other parts of him. He was still the father of his granddaughter, and life could bring people back together. Reconciliation would happen quicker if the man didn''t have memories of Karl''s fists breaking his bones. When the accident occurred, Sonja and Astrid lived with Freyja and him in their large house. His wife had taken four-year-old Astrid shopping in Helsingborg for a new dress. They''d gone early in the morning, wishing to be home in time for a family dinner. That dinner never happened.


    A Humvee traveling over 130 kilometers per hour failed to make the corner it was attempting and crashed into the shop. Three people working in the shop were critically injured. Freyja was killed immediately, and Astrid was crushed underneath the car, sustaining horrific injuries. The driver survived due to the sturdiness of the vehicle and the airbag that was deployed. He could have walked away with minor injuries if he hadn''t been under the influence of alcohol and drugs. He made it out of the vehicle and sat down, staring at the carnage he''d wrought and smiling as the drugs in his system turned it all into a psychedelic dream. The driver, Edvin Jorgstadt, was taken to the hospital and treated for his injuries and the drugs. He was taken briefly to jail two days later, where his bail was paid by his father, Alex Jorgstadt, a Vice President of Alchemarx. Edvin''s lawyers claimed he had been at a late-night party for a friend where he had a few drinks but became upset when something was slipped into his drink, and he began experiencing hallucinations. He reached his vehicle, set the autopilot to take him home, and woke up after the crash. The blame was placed on the autopilot, the failure of the AI that obviously erred in not correcting the problems with the autopilot''s course and speed, and the bar the party had been held at.


    The trial was brief. The bar admitted that the drug, a legal one, had been at the party, and they should have monitored the use of it better. Technodyne, the maker of the Humvee, objected strenuously that their product was at fault but failed to send a lawyer to testify in court and was given a small fine. A report from the AI monitoring the traffic of auto-driven cars was automatically provided to both the Defense and the Prosecution. The attorneys for the defense brought forth arguments against the use of an AI as a witness. The Prosecution allowed the challenge. Edvin walked out of the courthouse to a press conference where he thanked his attorneys for their stellar job seeing justice done, denounced auto-driven cars, and hugged his father beside him. The head prosecutor made a short speech about doing their best in a tough and emotional situation, but that every man deserved a fair trial.


    More would have been said, but at that point, Karl knocked aside two of the security detail and brought a metal truncheon down on the prosecutor''s head, and as guns were pulled, grabbed Edwin by the throat and killed his father with another swing of his weapon. As shots rang out, he turned and used Edvin as a shield, shouting, "Death to the Murderers. Death to the maimers of children." He began walking toward the men, firing guns, taking wounds, and swinging his truncheon. Edvin died of a massive amount of gunshot wounds. Karl survived. He''d been unsure if he could make it to the three people he needed to kill and had worn body armor that stopped most of his wounds. He complained to his doctors about that he''d expected to die and blamed the armor and the poor shooting of the security guards.


    Like Edvin, Karl was first taken to a hospital but stayed there for six months before he was fit to stand trial. He knew he wouldn''t win; he simply wanted a chance to talk and present his own evidence. It was shown that the bar owner received several large payments from Alex Jorgstadt. These were explained as payment for the party but were ten times the payment charged by the establishment. The report from the AI was again blocked from being presented, but Karl had seen it. The autopilot hadn''t been engaged. The payments between Alchemarx and Technodyne couldn''t be shown, but Karl knew what had happened. Payments of this sort were common, and the heads of large corporations rarely went to jail. This protection extended to their heirs. Money could buy a lot, even prosecutors. Karl knew he was going to jail. That didn''t matter to him. What mattered was that someone needed to pay for the killing of his wife and for his granddaughter losing both legs and her left arm. His family had argued with him, but in his heart, he was dead already, so what did it matter? In the years since he realized he''d been stupid. There were other ways to get revenge, but he''d been impatient.


    The man in front of him was dressed oddly. A lawyer would be in their universal suit and tie. This man was young and wore warm and practical boots and comfortable clothes that kept him warm in the chill air of the prison. He had a folder with him and a stack of papers. He seemed at ease and unhurried. "Good day, Mr. Ahlgren; thank you for meeting with me."


    Karl laughed and spread his arms wide. "As you can see, I have little else to do, and it''s better to listen to whatever you have to say than argue with the guards and deal with their wrath. They are quite the professionals. They ask, and you do what they say, or they shoot you with a dart and drag you where they want you to be. I respect them, even if I don''t like them. But seriously, you are wasting your time. Others have also wasted their time, asking me about things I won''t discuss. I know there is no way I am getting out of here. I will die in the cold."


    "Don''t worry about talking, Mr. Ahlgren; the world doesn''t need to know your secrets. All of those will be known soon. You''re probably a little behind the times since they don''t give you data net access. An old friend of yours is in custody and about to talk to Interpol. You remember Victor Seimovich, don''t you? He''s anxious to cut a deal, which takes away the value of what you know."


    Karl laughed. "Victor will tell you nothing. Don''t try that shit with me. He''ll be out soon, and everything will be swept under the rug. He knows too much and is too rich. Deals will be cut for him, just like all the other rich bastards. The only difference between Victor and the asshole that killed my wife is that Victor doesn''t try to hide that he''s a bad guy. Oh, and his head is in one piece."


    "My, you are behind on things. Victor lost a great deal of his money recently. His bank accounts and holdings were raided. Then, his hidden money was taken part of the Syllabus scandal. He had a little bit left in odd accounts but too many enemies. He fled to the place that made him the best deal and was in the protective custody of the US Justice Department. He was staying with his grand-niece; I''m sure he mentioned Belinda to you. She''s also in a wheelchair, like your granddaughter, Astrid."


    "Shut up about Astrid, or I will find a way to kill you." Karl had a theory that if he applied force at the correct angle, he could rip the metal chair from the floor. That would give him a bludgeon to use on the thick, reinforced glass. The question was how many swings he would get before stopping him. Probably not enough, but he might test the theory if this man was rude again.


    Karl sat back down after a minute. "Talk."


    "I''m not with law enforcement. I''m a private negotiator hired by an anonymous party with only one goal: Keeping Victor Seimovich in jail and making him pay for his crimes. I''ve been working on things from the other side. You give us the grave''s location and the missing bomb, which will fall under the whistle-blower rules. Your name won''t be made public. Your son or anyone else will be forgotten. Whoever has the bomb will be forgotten. Victor will stay in jail, the world will be a safer place, and there will be two things I can offer that make this a better deal for you."


    "For me? Can you get me some books to read?"


    "Better. I have unearthed quite a bit about your case, which hinges on the trial of Edvin Jorgstadt. Evidence was suppressed in both trials. Further, you have served ten years of your sentence, and a case can be made for ''temporary insanity.'' Now that you''ve come to your senses, you wouldn''t do that again, would you?"


    That brought a smile to Karl''s face. "Of course not. I would pay two annoying Sicilians to stalk those I wanted dead and grind them to sausage, keeping my hands clean."


    The man across from him shook his head. "Or maybe you could say, ''I don''t know what happened; it was the anger and the loss. I was crazed and unthinking. I feel such remorse for my actions. Something like that."


    "Sure, I can do that. But this is a farce; I''m not leaving this place."


    "This paper says otherwise." An agreement was placed on the glass, and Karl read it.


    "This is real? It must be unless you are good enough to forge the official seals. I give you what you want, and you agree to move me to a jail near my home where my family can visit and, in one year, release me with monitoring and parole. But what is this part about treatment for Astrid?"


    "There have been advances in science, Karl. One of the main labs, Rhebus, is successfully cloning missing limbs. In addition to moving you to jail in your hometown, Rhebus will be paid to provide your granddaughter with replacement limbs that work as well as her old ones. She''ll be done with treatment about the same time you''ll finish your sentence and be released for in-home monitoring."


    "And how do I know any of this paper, or your words, to be the truth? How do I know you aren''t throwing miracles before me, hoping the ''Big Stupid Swede'' jumps at them?"


    "You don''t. So sit here while I talk to the nice people in the next room and twist some arms."


    Karl sat and thought for a minute. "Go and talk. Here is what I want: Data net access. I understand it must be read only for two hours. That will let me catch up with current events and your miracle technology. Give me a list of places to go. Then, the contract and spell everything out fully. There is no trust in these situations. And I know this won''t be fast. I want one book a week until my release. The first three should be War and Peace, Ulysses, and Atlas Shrugged."


    That brought a surprised look on the other man''s face. "You want to read Atlas Shrugged? Really?"


    Karl smiled. "If I am ever going to get through it, it will be while I am bored and in prison, with nothing else to do. Even then, I have my doubts."


    The next day, after a long night of negotiations, Karl was escorted back to his cell with a well-worn copy of War and Peace. The information had finally satisfied him. His family lawyer had been flown up to go over the proceedings. Someone was moving pieces on the great board to keep Victor Seimovich in jail. They didn''t care about him at all, and his case had gained some light in a sweeping investigation into corruption in the courts five years ago. That alone wouldn''t have helped him go free, but it had helped now. He would never be truly free, but he would eventually be able to go home, see his grandchildren and children, and die in his own bed. That was enough. Once he had decided, and the gates of his memory were opened (and most importantly, given whistleblower status), he gave them five other things Victor might try to bargain with. The authorities were smiling by the time he told them the last story.


    Best of all, he was taken to a new cell. It wasn''t much better than his old one, but it did have a larger bed and hot water in the shower. It wasn''t a reward, simply a precaution. Word would get out. Somehow, the inmates would know he was leaving. That wasn''t allowed. He''d be dead five minutes after walking into the yard. He began the book, taking his time. He''d heard the first chapters were the worst, with dozens of names to remember, but he had lots of time. The only thing he regretted about the deal was that he wouldn''t get to see Victor''s face as each door to freedom slammed in front of him. It pleased him that he was helping someone else get revenge on the rich bastard.

 Chapter 277: Early Christmas

    Chapter 277: Early Christmas


    "Why do I feel you''ve never wrapped Christmas presents before?" Belinda was sitting and trying not to move as Milo worked on his plan to confuse signals emanating from her or looking for her. It wasn''t that the plan bothered her, she thought the theory was sound. But something about being wrapped up in layers of bright, shiny, colored foil seemed wrong. And of course, the only colors were red, white, and green. With matching ribbons and bows.


    Milo looked up from where he was crumpling up colored aluminum foil Christmas wrapping. "I haven''t. Is there some traditional method? I assumed the foil wrapping was to keep children from scanning their presents and ruining the surprise, but then I found out that most of the wrapping stuff is just paper. I''m really hazy on Christmas as a whole. I like the idea of everyone having a glowy-tree, but why one for each house? And the physics of reindeer flying is just bonkers. They move their legs, but not like they are running. Even if we conjecture that they can run across air, why don''t their legs move right? And is the sleigh anti-gravity? Why doesn''t it fall? How much does a load of presents for a large geographic area weigh? And the guy driving isn''t small. I understand why he''s so fat, he puts away a ton of cookies that night, actually closer to 12 tons? Let alone a tanker truck full of milk. I was always confused by it."


    Belinda slowly shook her head. She had so much work to do with this boy but for now she went with the easy explanation...."It''s magic. Christmas magic."


    "Yeah, they said that in the story with the talking snowman; it still didn''t make sense."


    "Did you ever stop to consider that Frosty is a Snow Elemental Wizard? His focus is the old hat, the way a Liche needs their Phylactery."


    Milo paused. "They should explain that in the video then. It makes a lot more sense. Wait, then..."


    Belinda smiled. "The sacks of presents are extradimensional storage devices called Bags of Holding. The sleigh is enchanted with levitation, and the flying reindeer are pegasi crossbred with enchanted moose. They mix Potions of Flying with their corn for extra lift. The feet moving that way constantly draw a Rune of Speedy Flying and Time Dilation. Santa Claus is a shapeshifter that can go down chimneys easily or under doors. He''s fireproof because of his Ring of Fire Protection. He fuels a lot of his magic with the milk and cookies. Being a minor winter spirit, the goodies left out for him count as offerings and give him his power. His Medallion of ESP can cast the Know Alignment spell to tell him who''s naughty and who''s nice. I''m sure you can figure the rest out on your own if you apply your knowledge of magic and spells to the problem."


    "Thanks, it makes a lot more sense now. OK, could you hold still while I tape this on you? A few more layers, and we should be good."


    Belinda was completely wrapped in bright red foil, and now Milo was adding bags of crumple foil around her, all taped up with red, green, and white fluorescent tape. He''d found the stuff years ago in an abandoned novelty warehouse. Most stuff had been looted, but not the huge rolls of wrapping foil and glowing tape. Milo was crumpling several feet of foil, then wrapping it around Belinda and securing it with the luminous tape.


    "A few more layers, and I won''t be able to waddle, let alone walk."


    Milo started crumpling the next layer. "I don''t want you walking; it might tear the foil and let some of the signal through. The system is really efficient. The scanners do more than look for a signal from the implant; they also send out signals every thirty seconds. If one pings off your implant, it will ping back. That has a much better chance of detecting you and doesn''t rely on a constant signal. The crumpled foil diffuses the signal from your implant and will bounce the signal from a scanner. Added to your suit''s protection, it muffles things enough to be safe, but I''m not taking any chances. We need all of those people confused and chasing phantoms."


    "While I, the amazing Christmas Girl, waddle to my clever escape route? You still haven''t told me where we''re going."


    "All planned out. You''ll have to trust me about visiting Rusty, it''s complicated. I''ve mapped out a route that minimizes the distance to our objective while staying inside ducts at least 36" high and wide. That will let you use one of the crawlers to move you. All you have to do is sit on the cargo trailer. I''ve set up the screens I need on a second crawler and will lead the way while I command my troops. Speaking of which, it''s time to head out, General Maximus. I want to test the system with just one scout, then move to Operation: ''Belinda on the Move.'' Max beeped twice, and Milo triggered the programs to help his general make decisions. The sleek black Roombas with upgraded equipment rolled out from Milo''s home and into the ductwork, some staying in the tunnels while others moved into the hallways.


    "Harry, I''ve got a Ping. The scanner even picked up her signal for a full four seconds. Looks like she''s moving. Two levels up and 300 hundred yards away."


    Harry had worked for Manpower for less than a year. It was an odd outfit to work for, guarding thousands of sleeping people in pods. It got boring a lot of the time. But he''d have to admit that he''d rather be bored than running all over this dingy, dark maze of hallways looking for his boss''s lost daughter right now. The details were hazy. There had been a kidnapping attempt by a relative, and she was either hiding or kidnapped by someone else. The big boss wanted her found, which is why two-thirds of the Manpower security forces were looking for her, along with many other people. He had five other people with him because of those other people. His two-man teams had been ''discouraged'' a dozen times, resulting in many bruises and two broken bones and losing four scanners coded to Belinda Seimovich''s transmitter. Security had been told to search for her but hadn''t been told they would have to fight against other security teams who were much better fighters than they were. With no firearms allowed in the habitat, brute force was king again, especially when the other side had bigger brutes wearing body armor.


    The six men jogged down the hallway, one using a datapad to find the nearest stairway up to the next level. As they arrived, the signal came in strong. "She''s just above us and moving that way. Moving fast, too."


    Fyodor had the scanner and cursed. "The rabbit is skittish. She just reversed course when a team crossed an intersection ahead of her. They said the damned chair spun on a dime and was moving as fast as a racehorse. Shit...she just dropped a level and at a stairway! Hmm, pausing there, maybe tumbled down?"


    Nikki was already running. "Move! Call out the turns, Fyodor. Let''s hope the chair is broken and not the girl.


    They were a minute away from the stairway when the signal became weak and blinked out. A ping placed her down a level, moving slowly away from them a minute later. They were jogging now, trying to keep up the pace. She led them on a chase, always a little ahead, but other teams were closing in. When it looked like they had her, the signal went dead, and pings from the scanner showed nothing. Nikki called a halt. "Catch your breath. I''m calling Boggy and having him keep the teams here and bring two more. She''s close. I know she is. They continued down the corridor, walking and catching their breath. A Roomba stayed silent, hidden under a trash heap in an alcove. It would return to recharge for another round of hide and seek when it was clear.


    Meanwhile, two people had slowly and carefully made their way to a set of unused administration rooms. The last leg of the Journey was the most dangerous. They had to traverse a section of a regular corridor, move up a flight of stairs, and down a short hallway. Milo sent out his scouts to scan the area. To accomplish this, he picked up Belinda in his arms and moved as fast as he could. He was about to step into the corridor when he heard the voices. Two men were taking a smoke break, guarding this corridor leading to the roof''s stairway. They were fifty feet down the corridor from him. He''d never get his rustling burden of bright red and green foil down the hall the other way and couldn''t lead them to the elevator.


    He set Belinda down. "Lean against the wall; I need hands free to program this." His fingers tapped on his datapad, and two sleek black Roomba disappeared around the corner. Two six-foot-tall blocky-looking robots with one glowing red eye emerged on the other side. They projected loud mechanical voices at the startled mercenaries.


    "Intruder Alert! Unauthorized Humans! You are not allowed in Sector Omega! Retreat or be Terminated."


    The two men looked at each other and then drew their guns. Like the robots at the end of the hall, these guns were blocky and thick, made of layers of high-density plastic parts that could circumvent the scanners that the habitat security used at the entrances. Each held six shots and couldn''t be reloaded.


    "Stay back, or we''ll shoot you in your silly costumes."


    The eyes of the robots glowed, a red beam shot out, and large red dots appeared on their chests. "Kill the Intruders. Kill the Humanoids!" Laser beams burned into the body armor of the two men and set their tunics on fire. They immediately fired back, emptying all 12 shots into the robots. Small dents appeared, and the sound of bullets hitting metal rang out. Also, there was the sound of bullets hitting walls, but neither of them noticed that. What they did notice was when the lasers shot their hands, burning through their gloves, melting the plastic guns, and giving them painful burns. The robots advanced slowly, and the mercenaries ran.


    "Kill the Intruders. Kill the Humanoids!"


    When the ''Killer Robots'' got to the end of the corridor and signaled all clear, Milo raced with his Christmas package to safety inside the admin rooms. He didn''t stop until they were in the hidden elevator with its collapsium shielding.


    "You can relax, they can''t find us now." Milo hit the button, and they began descending rapidly.


    Belinda counted the seconds, and her eyes got wider and wider. "How deep does this go?! How did you build this?"


    Milo smiled at her. "Time for that later. I have a pod ready for you. Once you''re in that, I''ll get Butch and Mama down here, then go see if Eric needs help."


    He''d been helping her strip off the foil as they went so she could walk alone. As the doors opened, she walked out but was a little unsteady on her feet. "Help me out here; I need an escort." She took his arm and leaned on him slightly as they made their way down to Independence Hall. Her eyes widened as she took in the rooms, the wood paneling, and the antique furnishings. Then he opened the door, and she got her first glimpse of the overgrown park and the small village under a bright blue sky.


    Rusty''s voice rang out. "Welcome to Downtown, Belinda! This is going to be so much fun!"

 Chapter 278: Welcome to Manpower

    Chapter 278: Welcome to Manpower


    A group of six men and women dressed in Manpower Security uniforms were on duty at the main entrance. Four of them were leaning against walls or sitting on the desk. The two new recruits stood at attention with their hands behind their backs as they''d been taught during the six-week course offered by their local Community College. Roger was large, muscled like a football player, and always smiling. Marisa lacked his confidence, rarely talking and looking worried as they stood the first shift of their first day on the job. With most of their staff in Geneva, the bulk of Manpower Security looking for Belinda Seimovich, and the increasing number of ''other people'' roaming the halls of Sections E and H, the few people left staffing Manpower were taxed and pulling double shifts for the near future. John had contacted a temp security firm and hired two dozen new employees on thirty-day contracts. The first few had arrived, been given a uniform, and put to work.


    Marisa had a lot of questions and finally overcame her nervousness. "Do we always have a full squad of six at the main entrance? This seems like a bit of an overkill. Do we have to worry about rowdy habbies?"


    Dave, who was nominally in charge of the squad, having worked at Manpower the longest and got the one chair, laughed at her nickname for the residents. "Habbies? That''s a new one. I''m used to hearing people call them Hab-rats. Where are you from?"


    "Just moved to Philadelphia; my folks moved around a lot. Dad was military and then para-military. I was born in Brazil, but we spent time in St. Petersburg and Hamburg. I picked up words all over. Find a big city in North America or Europe, and you have a habitat nearby."


    One of the other guys, James, immediately seemed interested. Whether it was interest in the new female recruit or in learning Russian was debated by the other guys later. "Did you actually learn the languages or the accents? I''ve been trying to learn Russian, and it''s killing me. I could use some help with it."


    Marisa rattled off some words in both languages. "I speak them like a native, with all the slang and cursing. I''d probably fail a formal class in Russian. I won''t be a lot of help with conjugating verbs or talking in high society. We lived on the docks in St. Petersburg and the old market in Hamburg. Not the highest class of people. Certainly the most interesting, including how they talked. Why the interest in Russian? Planning on moving?"


    James shook his head. "No, I''d be scared to take off unless I had a confirmed job that offered a place to live like Manpower does. One of the head guys here was Russian, and so were all his staff and bodyguards. Seemed like he was taking over for a bit, and I was sucking up for a promotion. But he''s off in Europe and it looks doubtful that he''s coming back. I''ll finish the class but won''t need to speak another language in the near future. But it would be nice to have some phrases and curse words and say them right."


    Dave snorted. "Go to South Philly; they speak another language down there. All I know of it is, "Yo! Gimme a steak with whiz and onions." Dave''s waistline spoke of his love of cheesesteaks. The talk started to devolve into an endless discussion of Pat''s, Geno''s, or Jim''s. And, of course, whether you like provolone or cheese whiz.


    Dave was pounding the switch would have dropped the gate. He looked at Eric, panicked and perplexed. "It''s jammed! Glued in place, or something! What the hell?"


    Roger looked at the oncoming group, grinned, and charged at two men, knocking into them and wrapping an arm around each in a flying tackle, taking both to the ground in a move that would have made his defensive coach at Penn State proud. But it only took fifteen seconds for him to regret the decision as two kidney punches and several body blows left him curled in a ball on the floor. Protected by their armor, his opponents got up, unhurt. Dave pulled a taser and shot the leader in the face, the barbs entering his cheek, the current shocked him and taking him to his knees. To Dave''s dismay, the man didn''t hesitate to rip the barbs from his face and rose, very angry. He and Dave into a wall, punching him over and over in a rage.


    Marisa saw a second man turning towards James, and casually stepped beside him, her leg behind his, and knocked him down. From somewhere, she pulled a heavy metal rod, nominally cushioned with a layer of rubber and brought it down hard on each kneecap, incapacitating her opponent. The last man was engaged with two Manpower guards who were struggling to hold him back until Eric stepped up and broke his jaw with a hard punch.


    Marisa yelled. "Charge the other two, now." Her tone got them moving towards the two Roger had knocked down. With a moment''s respite, she took Eric firmly by the arm and dragged him back behind the security doors. "Shut and lock these! They never showed me how." Eric glanced at the fight going on. Dave and Roger were down, and the skirmish was going badly. It had been well planned, and he had at least one person on staff who was taking money from the mercenaries. He locked the doors and leaned back against the wall.


    Eric hated leaving the others outside, but they really weren''t in danger and he couldn''t allow possibly armed mercenaries inside. "They planned that. No hesitation."


    Marisa turned to him and quirked an eyebrow. "Of course they did. Those are professionals. We''re just rent-a-cops. If you hadn''t told me about the security doors, we''d have all gone down. And the stuck switch is suspicious as hell. As soon as Dave yelled, everyone should have known what to do."


    "Hmm, and you acted on that, didn''t you? I need to check the other entrances and see what is happening there. Probably fine since my phone isn''t going off. You don''t have a crew, currently, so for the rest of your double-shift you follow me, personal bodyguard, gopher, and coffee fetcher. Consider your temp contract permanent, which comes with a 30% raise plus another 10% for knowing Russian. You can help me with the accent when things are boring."


    That brought a smile to her face. "No problem, sir. I''ll have you talking like a St. Petersburg wharf rat in no time. Lots of good curse words."


    "Good. I''m going to need them in the coming days."

 Chapter 279: Making sure Sleeping Beauty gets her rest.

    Chapter 279: Making sure Sleeping Beauty gets her rest.


    "We have her trapped. With teams cutting off her routes, she''s boxed in and had to move into a dead end. A large factory area is on the map, and only this corridor leads to it. She''ll try to hide if she can get in, but that will be tough to do in a wheelchair. We go slow, leave two men at the door, and then systematically search the factory space. And let''s be very clear about what you do when you find her: You will not tackle her or overturn her wheelchair! You will not use a Taser or pull a gun. You will not curse at her or make any threats. Box her in and grab hold of her wheelchair. If she hits your arm or your face, deal with it. We don''t hit back, don''t leave bruises, and keep your tone gentle and firm. We are here to help her get to her family safely and avoid the people her doctors sent to kidnap her. Am I understood? This is an operation to keep someone safe, a family member of the person paying the bills."


    "And if she screams?"


    "Oh, don''t worry about that. We are sedating her as soon as we grab her. I''m not dragging a screaming invalid through areas with security cameras, and I don''t feel like arguing with her at this point. We drug her until she''s unconscious. Let Mark handle that. He has the med kit and the training. We have to start with a low dosage."


    The men nodded. They had become worried by the first part of the speech.


    The factory doors were in poor repair. At some point they had been closed and the hinges spot welded. From the looks of the door on the left, a forklift had been driven into it, breaking some of the welds and bending the metal, creating a four-foot gap. Beyond was a dark hole with no working lights. Most of the machinery had been removed, but piles of refuse and junk were everywhere, as usual in the habitat. Spotlights flashed, and four of the men began moving through stacks of empty crates and rusted machinery while one stayed at the doors on the inside and the other outside. While there were only so many places the girl could hide, they didn''t find her in the first twenty minutes. They knew she''d entered, but she wasn''t here. They began tearing the larger crates apart, one by one, making sure she wasn''t inside one of them. One man knelt down, looking at the recent wheel tracks that went through an oily patch of floor, leaving marks on the other side. "Look at these tracks, and tell me what you see?"


    "I see not enough tracks to follow to find her."


    "And I see that the vehicle that made these was narrower than the wheelchair that we have been told she is using, and seen in footage from other teams that spotted her. Something doesn''t add up." He would have said more, but there were shouts from the two door guards and noise from the corridor.


    "THIS IS HABITAT SECURITY! YOU ARE TRESPASSING ON PROPERTY OWNED BY ALCHEMARX CORPORATION. THROW OUT YOUR WEAPONS, LEAVE ALCHEMARX''S PROPERTY, LIE DOWN ON THE FLOOR, AND WAIT TO BE RESTRAINED. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING."


    "What the hell, did they fire on you already?"


    "Yeah, but just warning shots, and not with projectile weapons. They have lasers. When the hell did they start arming Habitat security? And I thought we''d paid them to look the other way?" That had been an easy deal to make. A notorious criminal had tried to kidnap a girl. So had a group of terrorists. She was hiding in the habitat and had to be found. Her father was screaming at Habitat Security to find her. Why should they worry that more men had been brought in to search? Especially when they were generous men who understood how little a security salary paid. Philadelphia police had enquired three times about what was going on, and each time given the same explanation of a missing girl and search teams looking for her. Without something more serious, the local police wouldn''t enter another jurisdiction. Nor did they want to become involved in the resource sink that was a habitat.


    One man peaked around the corner. "This is all a misunderstanding. We are searching for a lost child. She isn''t here, and we will leave; sorry to bother you." There was a brief view of two figures and bright flashes that burned into the metal of the doors. From the inside, they could see red-hot spots where the lasers hit.


    "And Rusty was helping you? How does he fit into this."


    "I live here! Since forever, but no one else was here and I wasn''t thinking good until Milo started the diesel generators and sent more power to my cores. I promoted him to Head Engineer." Rusty''s voice floated down from somewhere, and Belinda frowned and then froze. Then she gave up. She''d find out sooner or later if her guess was right, but for now, she needed to lie down.


    "OK, I accept your apology for not keeping me in the loop about building our secret base. Well done, sidekick. Now, where are you taking me?"


    Milo opened the door to the medical lab. Belinda saw a dozen pods in the room. They all had a Manpower logo on the side. Eleven of them were lined up against a wall; the twelfth was hooked to power and two advanced diagnostics machines. Milo helped her into the pod and hooked the lines to her suit.


    "I think you''ll be more stable this way, but when I get Mama and Big Butch down here, we can take the suit off of you if needed, or it makes you feel better."


    She shook her head. "Leave it on. I''m feeling less sick already. What does the pod say?"


    Milo checked the pod and then the analyzers hooked up to it that he had found here. Both suggested the same treatment to stabilize the patient and recommended a full scan before further treatment. He was sure he could have gotten better answers if Wally could see the readings, but setting up communication with Wally would expose Rusty. Milo had no idea what that would trigger in Wally''s kernel.


    "You''re stable and need rest. The pod wants to do a full scan."


    She closed her eyes. "Fine by me. I''m taking a nap. Go do what you have to do and bring the rest of the family down here. I''ll feel better if they''re safe, and Min will love the bunnies. Good thinking on building a hospital for me. Can we paint the walls? I spend a lot of time in hospitals and like bright colors. I love the bunnies, too. I can''t believe you have bunnies." Her breathing slowed as she fell into a deep sleep.


    Milo forced himself to leave. She wasn''t alone. She had a caretaker who could keep a constant watch on her. "I''m going back to the habitat, Rusty. If Belinda has a problem, open up a line of communication to my system and yell for me."


    "I''m on the job. Go play hero, but if you do anything fun, I want to watch the video of it later. I''ll take good care of our friend Belinda."

 Chapter 280: In Good Faith

    Chapter 280: In Good Faith


    "I am at a loss for words. My client has, in good faith, offered to talk to you about things he has heard and help the law enforcement community solve long-dead cold cases. Cases which you initially asked about. And now that we have basic agreements in place and he wishes to talk to you and give details, you suddenly declare that it isn''t enough and wish to change the deal? I''m not sure what type of bargaining you are engaging in, but it lacks the needed ''good faith'' to be taken seriously! I will not badger my client with your demands, and will be putting in a complaint with the courts over this type of dealings."


    Inspector Deville of Interpol let the lawyers outraged words fade away before he answered. "I believe you have misunderstood me, Mr. St. Clair. We are not changing anything. We are cancelling parts of the deals we have offered. They are off the table. Gone and not coming back. We no longer need your clients information, so I can hardly be expected to trade favors with you and him."


    Captain Delaque, sitting next to him added his own version of those words. "Day late, dollar short. We aren''t buying what he wants to sell."


    Bernard St. Claire looked from one man to the other. "This is highly unorthodox. I''m not sure I believe you. I will need to speak with someone in authority. Someone with more authority. This is simply not done! My client is not going to work with you. There will be consequences, gentlemen. I know who to speak to on these matters. If you will not be dealing with my client, someone else will be interested and I will push to have him extradited to those locations to aid in solving old crimes and putting them to rest."


    The Inspector waited a full thirty seconds for the lawyer to run out of steam, curious if he had any other cards he would put into play. "That is, of course, up to you and Mr. Seimovich. But let me emphasize a point. We were very interested. We are no longer interested. I''m you can think of reasons why that might have changed. Mr. Seimovich will find that he lacks a buyer for the first two items on the list, and the third item he has indicated he knows nothing about. The Captain and I are doing you and he a courtesy in letting you know that the need for such information is gone. Good day to you, sir, and please give Mr. Seimovich my best."


    The lawyer sat with his mouth slightly open in disbelief and anger as he watched the two men left the room in good spirits. Cutting deals to close cases was a necessary evil in law enforcement, and not one that everyone agreed with. In this case, closing doors that might have let Victor Seimovich walk away was satisfying. So satisfying that they were off to a luncheon at the Garrick Club. It was an informal affair to honor the winners of the latest poker tournament. The unexpected third place showing of a team of newcomers had brought some excitement to the event and shook up the odds. There job of disappointing a lawyer finished, the two boarded a waiting taxi to take them to lunch.


    "Don''t need to know! What do you mean they don''t need to know? These are old secrets I an offering! Huge secrets! They came to us, asking for them." Victor was pacing on his side of the conference room, absently tugging on his orange coveralls that never seemed to fit right.


    The man from the Mossad wasn''t amused, while everyone else laughed. "His family has wished him to have a proper burial for 28 years, Cardinal Bartonella, and hope that this can be accomplished in the coming weeks. We understand the delicacy of doing the work here in the Vatican, but plead that you can help us bring this man home to Israel."


    The Cardinal nodded, books were consulted, and marks made on the maps. Finally the Cardinal smiled. "Luckily, my predecessor was a stickler for details and keeping notes. This is the spot where they must have buried him. The trench was dug, but not filled in for a week after that. It ran between the tombs of Saint Thomas the Unbeliever and Saint Elric the Pale. The spot can be easily pinpointed, but I''m afraid I have some bad news, it will not be a matter of digging there and recovering his bones."


    Everyone was silent for a moment. The representative from the Mossad began, "Cardinal, I must insist..."


    Bartonella held up a hand for silence. "My apologies, I''m stating this badly. You see, that gas line developed a leak and had to be dug up again. In doing so, one of the men noticed the spot where the ground had dipped, creating a bend in the pipe that had created the leak. Further digging revealed a body buried in the ground, deeper than we believe had been dug before. This is embarrassing, but you must take my word for how fervent Father Genovese was. He was so certain of who he had found, and may have overlooked proper protocol. At the time the church didn''t know of anyone else buried in that courtyard, but assumed he was a priest or cardinal buried there in an unmarked grave as a sign of his piousness and poverty. Father Genovese was certain it was the grave of Saint Edward the pious, the beggar priest of Scotland. He died on a trip to visit the Pope, and the Holy Father was said to have honored his request to be buried in an unmarked grave. We reburied him, according to his wishes, in an empty courtyard, but word got out and several hundred people a day come to pray there."


    "Are you saying?"


    "Why, yes, he was laid to rest and has been hailed as a saint for the last twelve years."


    The Interpol agent had a half smile on his face. "A Jewish man became a Christian Saint?"


    The cardinal smiled as did his assistant priest. "Not without precedent. You have to remember that the original twelve apostles were also good Jewish boys who became Saints. Don''t worry, I''ll start the proceedings and we''ll have him home to you in no time at all, no later than the next Synod."

 Chapter 281: Let me not die in Battle without my Name

    Chapter 281: Let me not die in Battle without my Name


    The elevator was taking far too long! He knew it wasn''t slower than before, but the relative speed was crawling because his mind was in overdrive. A text from Butch was in the top left of his vision. He''d read it twenty-one times.


    "Stay away!!! 2dz thugs looking for B. Keep safe." Rusty relayed it to him as he ran to the elevator after getting Belinda settled into her pod.


    He had no access to his system as long as he was in the shielded elevator shaft. He''d fix that weak spot in his surveillance later; right now, he had to prepare for what greeted him as he emerged. The lack of signals also affected his loyal troops. He only had Max and three other Roombas with him. They were quiet as they ascended, talking among themselves in beeps and boops, emphasizing the electronic signals they were sending each other. Each had a rudimentary AI system now that was slowly learning. They had progressed slowly under Rusty, with little to do. Now, they were developing much faster, especially when they could communicate with Rusty and use his far greater resources. As soon as they left the elevator, they linked to Milo''s systems and down to Rusty.


    And they had a request.


    "Names? You want names right now? That''s fine. You can pick your own and have Max approve. And it has to be something I can say."


    While Milo accessed the security cameras and microphones he had placed near Butch''s house, the Roombas claimed their names: Lemmy, Dee, and Rob. Rob began broadcasting music to Milo and the other three. Milo had never heard the song ''Electric Eye'' before, but it fit the situation. The Roomba''s fascination with certain types of music was the legacy of Rusty''s friend Jeremy, who had blasted out his favorite songs over the intercom systems while living alone in the abandoned quantum fortress. As Milo learned the words, he found them appropriate and began to hum along as he watched a dozen miniature screens showing the details of what had happened since he''d left the upper floors. He cursed and started running, calling out orders. The quickest path was down a small drop, a large cross tunnel, and an exit into his apartment at the end of the alley near Butch''s house.?v€l-B!n.


    "Time to go. Charge lasers and keep up with me. Use hologram number three. Plan Beta is in effect, but be prepared to go to Omega if the threat level increases." Milo and his forces raced from the abandoned admin section and headed to battle.


    Earlier...


    Packing had begun immediately after Mama gave the orders, and messages went out to the rest of the gang. Brad was nervous about leaving his Mother and younger sisters, so Mama told him to bring them along. Likewise, Yumi was bringing her great-aunt, who had raised her after her parents died in an industrial accident. The old woman had trouble walking with her cane, and Yumi asked for help packing their clothes. Brad rushed to help after dropping off his own family in the increasingly crowded apartment.


    Also moving through Section E were twenty Volgard mercenaries with Bloggy in the lead. He had lost several men to injuries and strange events; two were stuck in an elevator, several more pinned down by Alchemarx security (or someone posing as them), and he was completely done with people screaming at him with sightings of a girl in a wheelchair who sped away and disappeared like a ghost. She was first seen going to Section E, where she had some known friends among the habrats, so that was where he started. Bloggy''s plan was simple: Put pressure on people, rattle some bones, and loosen their lips. Someone knew where the girl was and would talk. As they neared the cul-de-sac where the family had an apartment, he saw three people leave a side alley ahead of them, going the same way: two kids and an old lady. The girl had a bundle of clothing with her and the boy was helping the old woman to move faster.


    Bloggy smiled and motioned to his men, who released Yumi, her aunt, and Brad. He didn''t lose anything by letting them go into the apartment. They were trapped there, behind flimsy locks and thin walls. Yumi had to help Brad walk, and the clothing was left in the courtyard. Bloggy walked over and dumped the bag, kicking it around. "Seems like someone in that house needed some spare clothing. I suspect her first name starts with a B. Why don''t we talk about her."


    Mama laughed, scorn in her voice. "You think those were for Belinda? Like that girl would wear habitat trash clothing. She only comes here to slum a little and piss off her step-father. The idiot keeps yelling and telling her no, and she does it to get a rise out of him. She shows up in a wheelchair that could buy an air-car and gets waited on hand and foot by her two attendants. I don''t mind because my husband works for Manpower and gets a monthly bonus in his pay. But wear those clothes? That tells me you don''t know Belinda at all. I''ll tell you what I told the other three groups that came by: Haven''t seen her, and hope I don''t. That girl is trouble. Too much trouble."


    "So what''s going on? Some sleepover? A nice little party in that oversized apartment?"


    Mama rolled her eyes. "Not hard to guess. You folks are scaring people. The kids are nervous and playing games at my place. They''ll be staying here where we have a working food processor until it''s safe to go to the cafeteria and the school."


    Bloggy turned to his men. "See? I told you there''d be a logical answer to explain things." They all nodded and smiled. Then he pivoted suddenly, spinning back to Mama and hitting her with the back of his hand hard enough to knock her down. She crumpled against the wall with a darkening cheek and blood flowing from her mouth and nose. She glared up at the man who had hit her and spit blood on the floor. But her eyes were narrowed, and she was angry, not scared.


    He yelled at the door. "I''m going to start hitting this woman until I get some answers. Either tell me where Belinda Seimovich is hiding or bring her out. If you don''t like the sound of me hitting her, come out and take the blows for her. But someone is getting hurt if I don''t get answers!"


    He grabbed Mamma''s arm to lift her up, raising his hand to hit her. There was a flash of light, and his hand disappeared as a narrow beam, high-intensity laser boiled his blood and caused a small explosion while charring what was left. Bloggy screamed as a figure slid to a halt from a sprint down a dead-end hallway. Short in stature, the figure was clad in body armor, the envy of every mercenary or professional soldier. Layers of iridium-graphene plates covered them completely, glistening in the light of the glowy tree like modern day dragon scales. Rat-like ears swiveled in their direction, and oversized black lenses stared at them. Behind him came four other figures, monstrous robots with ominously glowing cyclopean eyes.


    A deep and ominous voice addressed them. "I''m giving you one chance. One small chance to. Drop to the ground and lie very still, or none of you are walking away from this."


    Bloggy started screaming, "Shoot the bastards!" Men pulled guns from inside their coats.


    The strains of drums, piano, and electric guitars swelled as Milo and his soldiers surged forward to the sound of Elton John screaming out, ''Saturday Night''s All Right for fighting.''

 Chapter 282: Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting

    Chapter 282: Saturday Night''s Alright for Fighting


    "Oh shit, whoever that is, he brought along a sound system. That is never good."


    "Shut up and shoot, idiot. It''s just noise."


    Except that it wasn''t ''just noise.'' It was a very special kind of noise. The first part of the attack was Elton John''s performance at Wembley Stadium in 1984. The raw sound of the live concert added to the fury of the impending battle. The second part was more subtle, pitched at 12 megahertz, below the threshold an unaugmented human ear could detect. These sound waves coming from the Roomba were felt by the brain, the inner ear, and other internal organs, causing nausea, panic, and dizziness. Two men broke and ran as the sight of the terrible robots with burning eyes mixed with the infrasound vibrations triggered an extreme fear reaction. Ironically, it was probably the most logical course of action as well.


    Harder men chose to stay and fight, drawing the six-shot plastic guns each carried. There was some hesitation as a few of the men couldn''t tear their eyes from the sight of Bloggy screaming and clutching the remains of his forearm. Twelve men pulled their guns and began firing, hampered by trying not to shoot each other. The bullets flew in the direction of Milo''s apartment and the empty rooms to either side. Four robotic eyes glowed, and four guns melted as the ammunition inside cooked off and exploded. The hands holding the guns didn''t fare any better as skin crisped and moisture turned to steam. One unlucky fellow was standing in the path of a beam meant for another person and took a fraction of it in his face, blinding him in one eye and causing enough pain to drive the idea of shooting out of his head. (Which may have saved him from further injury. Always a silver lining, right?)


    The other seven men began firing at the oncoming attackers. The robots were easy targets, and most shots were aimed at either the center of their chests or the glowing red eye. Dents and cracks appeared on the machines as the Roomba judged more and more shots to hit the holograms. Milo made for a much more difficult target. He leaped forward, keeping low with arms extended, turning his forward leap into a roll, and then dodged right with reflexes twice that of a normal human and a brain totally focused on the fight and operating at speeds that would have astonished anyone but Wally. As Wally had theorized, Milo ''thought'' with more than just his brain. His abnormal and very numerous array of neurons were used in emergencies as a secondary brain system, similar to microprocessors in a computer. He was tracking the reactions of the entire mob of people in front of him, using his eyes and the cameras along the walls, giving him a complete view of everything, no matter how he was oriented.


    Two shots came close enough to graze his armor but left no mark. One clipped his shoulder and bounced off, pushing him in that direction and forcing an adjustment to his stance. The other nine shots aimed at him missed. Firing at a dodging Milo while drawing bulky, makeshift weapons wasn''t an effective way to hit a target. It also meant you became a priority target for a laser-wielding robot executing Plan Omega. Milo reached the first mercenaries, running low and moving between them. He could see they wore body armor covering their chests, groins, and helmets. His claws could cut through the armor, but it would slow him down, so he shifted lower. His outstretched claws caught each of them on the front of the thigh and carved a four-inch channel from front to back.


    A brief debate had gone on between the parts of his brain. He didn''t want to kill people. Killing these men would cause complications later and could escalate the violence. On the other hand, they were the ones who had started the fight. They were aiming guns at him and were obviously fine with causing death in other people, especially him. The debate ended when he decided that his options were few, and the quicker he took them down, the better chance his family had of surviving. The inner walls of a habitat were thin. Bullets from these guns could penetrate and still have enough velocity to injure or kill. The well-being of the mercenaries was worth less to him than his family. Blood spurted as femoral arteries were cut by claws sharper than any knife ever made. And then he was in the middle of the group, spinning, slashing and minimizing their chance to hit him.


    His brain was analyzing the situation and looking for any advantage. It tapped into techniques Milo had never practiced in the real world and would have made his Claw-Fighting instructor proud. He spun, clawing at bodies and legs, leaving slashes on anyone near him while his tail broke two ankles and slapped a man in the face, breaking his nose. He bounce back and forth within the group as he Roomba took out guns and hands with lasers. Every man was bleeding and hurt, some seriously with enough bleeding to be fatal in the next few minutes. Then, he found himself directly in front of a man on the edge of the mob. This mercenary was just raising his gun in a two-hand stance, legs braced, when Milo saw him and slammed into him; a horizontal swipe of his claws sent the weapon spinning along with six fingers and a thumb. The man rolled on the ground, screaming and tucking his ruined hands into his armpits to stop the bleeding. Milo slid across the floor and pivoted as fast as he could. He''d overshot by a little and was behind the group, leaving himself exposed. As they turned, several men still standing braced and aimed at him. Four more shots came from the Roomba, and four more guns exploded. The remaining mercenaries fired at the point Milo was starting to charge them again...


    Momentarily ignored, Mama used the distraction to go back inside, keeping low. The family had abandoned the front room and were huddled low in the bedrooms, younger children under the adults. Big Butch had been opening the door, intending to charge out, but saw his wife and dragged her inside and into the inner rooms. "Next time, I get to talk sass to the thugs. There''s a flaw in your ''They won''t hit a woman.'' plan!"


    She had to smile, even though it hurt her bruised face. "A small flaw, but I don''t care. I just didn''t want you out there. You''d have stood up to them and got yourself hurt."


    Behind them, the crumpled figure rolled to his feet, causing panic in the remaining mercs, but no attack came. There was a bright mark on the side of its head and many more on its chest. Milo''s armor had absorbed 97% of the force and redistributed it across a wider area, but the impacts had still done damage and flung him back against the wall. Milo was in a state of deep hyper-focus, half his brain telling him to attack and finish them and the other half trying to get him to stop. Both halves recognized James as an ally. The problem was solved for him as he saw the rapid approach of more men on the security cameras he was watching. It was time to go.


    Butch, Big Butch, and Mama all received calls from Milo asking them to come outside and assuring them that the fight was over. Butch stuck his head out the door and saw James holding a surprisingly large gun. Milo was watching the mercenaries intently. He gave a thumbs up to them and they came out. Mama rushed to Milo, looking for injuries. Butch and Big Butch stared at the carnage and the remaining mercenaries on their knees or helping the injured. Milo had kicked the remaining guns into a small pile in case anyone was tempted to do something stupid.


    Mama could see Milo trembling. "You didn''t have to put yourself in danger like that. We can take care of ourselves. Bruises heal. How you aren''t full of bullet holes and leaking on the floor is beyond me."


    Milo shook his head. "They wouldn''t have stopped. Too much money is on the line. They have to find Belinda, and they can''t. That''s my fault. And it''s my fault they came here to hurt you. We need to go. Now. More men are coming, and they''ll ask questions we don''t want to answer. I can''t keep you safe if we stay here. But I can protect you if you come with me. It''s not far, but no one will find us."


    Mama nodded and yelled inside. "New game, kids. Close your eyes, leave the door, stay on the right-hand wall, and take the next right. Pretend it''s a blackout drill, and we''re heading somewhere with good air." Blackouts didn''t happen a lot, but they could be terrifying, and everyone had done the drills. A string of children and adults left the apartment. Milo showed them where to go. "I fixed the air vents in the next two corridors; it''s breathable now. Head down them and follow this map. I''ve got one more person to get."


    James was surprised when Milo came back for him. "What do you mean, go? Go where."


    "Someplace better. I may need your help with the hydroponics, and I can''t leave you here."


    "But my games... they''re all I have left."


    Milo could understand that concern. "You''re right. I''ll jam the lock for now and come back for them. They''re too valuable to leave."


    The old man grabbed his cane with his other hand and started hobbling through the courtyard. "Fine, but I''m keeping my magnum. One of these greedy suckers would try to steal it." Milo followed him with four slightly dented Roombas following behind on bent wheels. Max and his army quietly began playing We are the Champions as they rolled away.


    Habitat Security and ten Security Guards from Manpower arrived two minutes later and were treated to the sight of fifteen wounded mercenaries and three bodies. All were suffering from burns, slashed limbs, missing hands, and ruptured eardrums. None of them would talk about what had occurred. And while a fight had certainly happened, there was no evidence of the ''Killer Robots and Murderous Rat Monsters'' that the two fleeing mercs had babbled about. Arriving scarcely five minutes later were a squad of regular police and a dozen medical personnel, responding to the ''Shots fired.'' report called into them by a resident, James Murdoch. Over the next six hours, over two hundred law enforcement officers flooded the habitat, gathering up the remaining mercenaries, including those stuck in an elevator. They found no evidence of the missing girl everyone was looking for. Nor could they find the person who had called in the report or the family living closest to the fight. All of them had dropped out of sight, literally, in this case.

 Chapter 283: Aftermath

    Chapter 283: Aftermath


    One minute after a young man named Sergei died when he underestimated an old gamer, five more of General Maximus''s army rolled up on the scene, beeping their disappointment at missing the fight, and requesting another round of the game be scheduled. For now, they got the job of ferrying their injured companions with bent wheels. One was left as rear guard to make sure the few lightly wounded mercenaries spent their time on applying first aid to their bleeding companions, and not doing something clever and fatal like following or trying to escape. It was an easy decision for the mercs. The effects of the infrasound would be with them for weeks without advanced medical care. Eardrums were burst and all of them had damage to internal organs including minor concussions. They could barely walk and were concentrating on using their med kits and popping pain relievers. None of them knew exactly what had happened but didn''t want to play another round with their robotic adversaries.


    Three minutes after the last shot was fired, no one was in the courtyard but the injured mercs and one guard. Mama insisted on Milo using one of her bedsheets to clean the blood off of his armor. "You look frightening enough in that get-up without gore dripping off of you." It was an easy job, his armor''s finish was like Teflon and shed the sticky liquid and bits of brain. Milo was still leaning on her as they rounded the corner and walked slowly to catch up with the others. His followers switched to cleaning mode, erasing tracks as they traveled.


    Within ten minutes of the battle ending, Milo was leading his party into the abandoned administration area, leading them through darkened hallways to the large offices in the rear. Several doors and many rooms separated them from the main entrance and he chanced turning on a light and letting people rest and get their bearings. Big Butch nodded as he considered where they were. "This is a good spot. Admin offices have reinforced walls, solid steel doors and heavy locks. They won''t get in easily, even if they can find us. We can hide out here until security finds their ass and notify the regular police."


    Milo shook his head. "This is just the first stop. I need to co-ordinate with some people, let my stragglers catch up, and cover our tracks. We''re going someplace much safer. I''ll explain in a bit." And while he didn''t want to show it, he needed to rest for a bit longer and let the painkillers and medications in his suit soothe his bruised body. The armor had stopped most, but not all of the impacts. And each subsequent impact was more effective as the armor struggled to spread and negate the momentum of the bullets. Milo was bruised badly over his entire torso and several ribs had sustained micro fractures. He needed the painkillers to help him concentrate and move better. He hadn''t explored all of downtown to make sure it was totally safe, and the fate of Bill the Dick worried him.


    Butch punched him in the shoulder, making him wince in pain. Butch didn''t fare better, skinning and bruising his knuckles on the armor. He shrugged and added it to all the odd things about his newest little brother. "It must be serious if you''re actually going to explain things." Then the older boy surprised him by grabbing him in a hug. "Thanks for saving Mama. Make your moves, I''ll go entertain the rugrats and keep them out of your hair." A year ago, Milo would have ducked the hug and run. Today he just nodded his thanks and began typing on his datapad.


    Fifteen minutes after the battle ended, several things happened. The first was the arrival of four Ubercopters that were all trying to land on the roof to pick up fares. Their human controllers sorted out the order back at the local office and made guesses as to who needed so much transport. The customer had paid the extra fees for confidentiality. No cameras recorded who got in, and one by one, the vehicles landed, waited for the signal to proceed, and took back off. The first headed north to New York, landing on the roof of the Javits Center where the annual toy convention was in full swing with a quarter million people on the floor looking at the next years hot offerings. The hit of the show was a six-foot tall robotic cookie monster that would entertain children with songs and games while also eating every cookie, cake, or desert in the house, to help the adults stick to their diets. Since no one ever reads the directions, thousands of people were awakened at 12:01 a.m. Christmas morning as the robots activated and yelled out, "Me Found Cookie!!! Nomnomnom!" This was followed by a full search of the house by the fuzzy blue creatures and the destruction of candy canes, pies for Christmas dinner, and hidden snacks. Many children took this as a sign that Christmas had started and raced downstairs, following their new toy and watching as it ransacked the house while parents scrambled to remember how to use the remote controllers. Santa was going to be very disappointed at those households, and the expensive toy was the hit of the season. The second headed south to Walt Disney World. The third to Dollywood Land in Tennessee, and the fourth flew in circles for six hours before landing at a large mall north of Philadelphia.l--B1n.


    "Ok, this is going to be a little strange. We''re going to a safe place that I think everyone will like better. I have a friend who lives there, a special friend. To protect him, you all have to promise never to tell anyone about where he lives. There are people looking for him, people like we''re dealing with now. He wants to help and we all need to trust each other."


    There were nods all around, people living in this hab knew a lot about trust and what happens when that breaks down. Groups might be territorial when protecting their neighborhoods, but overall the residents got along, and trust wasn''t something that was hard to earn back once you screwed up. Big Butch looked at all the children. "Not a game. We never talk. Not to friends, not for a reward, and if someone asks, you look all stupid and don''t understand. Got it?"


    Milo stood up, feeling much better now, both physically and emotionally. "My friends name is Rusty. He''s a little odd. He can''t move around at all. Worse than Belinda, even. But he can talk to us, watch videos with us, and needs more friends. We''ll go to his house now. We have to be polite, and some parts are dangerous or have bad air. So no exploring, and if the Roomba beep or get in your way, turn around."


    Max spoke up, talking in a deep mechanical voice, "Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!"


    "Yeah, like that. Thanks Max."


    He turned to face the wall, and the door to the elevator slid back, to everyone''s amazement. Butch walked in, "It''s a little small, but you get points for sneaky."


    Milo smiled, "You have no idea." Several of the children screamed and everyone held onto the handrail as the elevator descended. "Next stop, Downtown."

 Chapter 284: Bunnies!

    Chapter 284: Bunnies!


    "Bunnies?!"


    The shout from Min was followed by a rush of feet as all of the children and teens rushed out the front door, followed by Brad and Butch walking slower as they tried not to gape at the houses and trees. Seeing pictures of trees was one thing, but this was like another world. Butch''s gang had been on a field trip in the last year outside of the habitat, experiencing the smoggy sky above the city and visiting a small park with brown grass flattened by many feet and trees struggling for light between the tall buildings. This small pocket of nature, deep underground was more enchanting than that dried-up slice of urban vegetation.


    Mama sighed and said to Milo, "Hon, trying to warn hab kids about the possible dangers of live rabbits is a lost cause. They only get to see a live animal once a year when someone brings in a couple of goats and calls it a ''petting zoo''. You''d have had better luck asking them to give up video games for a month. I''m not even going to ask you what this place is, or how you know about it. I''m too rattled from that fight. But I''m sure we''ll catch up about all of this in a little while."


    Based on the results of his warnings, Milo had to agree. The group invaded the park, searching and finding its fuzzy and surprisingly tame inhabitants. The younger rabbits were a bit skittish, but the older adults hopped into laps to be petted and fawned over, although a little disappointed by the lack of treats. The Roomba circled the park and took up stations, and Milo tried to relax. The other adults were far more amazed than the children, understanding the difficulties of building such a place, and the cost. But if Milo said they were living here, even briefly, they weren''t going to question the situation much.


    The trip down the elevator had been filled with questions that Milo tried to answer, but in doing so, only confused everyone more. They started to understand as he led them through the security area and into the upper story of Independence Hall. Curiosity turned to surprise as they saw hallways with wooden paneling, colorful wallpaper, and polished oak floors. Surprised turned to awe as they descended the stairs further and finally came to the large meeting rooms on the bottom floor and got a glimpse of the trees through the windows. The children had abandoned their burdens as they ran to the park, and now the adults did the same as they stared at the realistic sky overhead, the park, and curving streets dotted with ''outside houses''.N?00v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    James started to slowly walk around the park, chuckling at the names of the houses, possibly the only person there that knew the history of each one. He''d lived outside, but at some point he''d moved into the habitat to be closer to his job, and never left. He saw a rabbit scamper out from behind a house, stopping to chew something green before running to the park. He slowly walked that way to take a look, snorting when he saw a half-eaten carrot. He picked it up and smelled it. "Someone isn''t keeping their ''ponics running so good, Milo. Too much fertilizer in the mix."


    Milo had looked at the overgrown hydroponics area he''d found, but not given it much thought at the time. "I don''t think anyone''s looked at it in years, James."


    The old man nodded and kept walking slowly around the park. "Maybe its time someone did then. Not good to leave the rabbits in charge."


    Big Butch turned to Milo, "Real wood houses? Hydroponics? And the trees! Amazing. But who lives here? This can''t be as empty as it seems."


    The medical lab drew more shocked gasps. It was a small hospital, in and of itself, and far larger than the clinics in the hab that served thousands of people daily. Belinda''s pod was undisturbed and she was fast asleep. Milo had to remind himself it had only been a couple of hours since he left her here. He explained some of her condition, and watched the adults grow angry and concerned.


    "One of us will always be here. We''ll take turns watching over her. I suspect you have more mysterious work to get done."


    Milo sagged against the wall. "More than ever. There are more of those mercenaries running around upstairs, and Belinda is upset about it. She''s worried about her friend Eric. I have to talk to him and see what I can do. And then there''s the problems with her Dad. He''s going to explode when he hears about what happened today. And her Uncle Victor is still pulling strings. But she should be safe down here. No one can find us, trust me on that. I''ll be back in a few hours. Keep everyone busy and don''t go past the big double doors; the air is bad there, very bad, and there is no oxygen in the mix at all. I saw some food in the houses, and I can bring more here from freezers I found in the bad-air sections."


    He would have said more, but Rusty''s voice yelled out, suddenly, "MILO! Quick, I found it."


    "Found what?"


    "One of the injured security drones activated while you were gone and I''ve been looking for it. I have all the others accounted for, but not Black13! It just activated and is moving towards the hydroponics area."


    Milo started running and then heard the unmistakable sound of James firing his gun. The antique was powerful, but it wasn''t as fast as a laser wielded by a robot. With dread in the pit of his stomach he burst into the room to see a white-faced Kenji staring at James. The old man twirled his gun and put it back into its holster. Nearby was the security Roomba, unmoving with a smoking hole where it''s laser should be.


    Milo was relieved but puzzled. "How did you shoot first?"


    The old man shook his head in disgust. "Fool thing got the drop on me, but started yelling something about ''intruders'' and ''kill the humanoid''. That was my clue to shoot it. If you don''t mind, I''m going to get to work sorting out these hydroponic farms. Loads of work to do and Kenji here has his eye on some of my games and doesn''t mind getting his hands dirty, so I''ve got a helper. It''s all been growing wild for years with the automatic systems dumping seeds and fertilizer willy-nilly. The place is jam-packed with half eaten carrots. No wonder those rabbits are so fat."

 Chapter 285: Unknown Player

    Chapter 285: Unknown Player


    "Eighteen of our men have been arrested, most of them severely injured, and two are dead. The rest of the operation is in shambles; the remaining personnel are getting out as fast as possible. Explain to me what the hell they ran into and how this happened."


    "Richard, we just don''t know. We''re analyzing the video we have from each man''s cameral and looking at the footage from all angles. Tech support is working on it, and they''ll have the footage up to us in a few minutes. This operation went from easy to strange and then deadly in a short period of time. The intelligence we had was way off, to the point where I wonder if we were set up. What''s left of Seimovich''s people said nothing about this resistance level. It''s a damn habitat, and we already had the security guards paid off and sitting on their thumbs. Nothing indicated anyone else was operating in there, and our crews were in control of the area and chasing the girl down."


    "In control, until it all went to shit. And isn''t that just classic?" Richard Argyle had seen his share of ''classic'' shitfests in his lifetime, some of them so close that the blood splattered across his face as a team-mate died nearby. Everything was good, and then half your squad was dead, and you were hoping to get out alive. ''Bad intelligence'' was usually the answer, and someone would calmly explain how it happened. "Brad, contact whoever is in charge of the contract and tell them the cost went up. The standard death and injury clauses just went into effect, and if they bitch about paying, hint heavily that I might go for ''Damages from purposefully withheld information.'' And where the hell is that video?"


    "Coming up on the screen now, sir. One of the techs left the area of operations and uploaded it to us on a scrambled connection. We just put it back together."?v€l-B!n.


    The multiple screens in the room lit up, showing several squads that were operating in the South Philadelphia Habitat, searching for Belinda Seimovich. The individual screens followed the various squads as they hunted through the barely lit tunnels. Several times, there were images of the girl fleeing ahead of a squad in her wheelchair, but always moving too fast and and eluding capture.


    "Slow that down, where she goes around the corner, zoom in, and put it down to one-twentieth speed." The tech adjusted the image, bringing it to a crawl as the girl slowly navigated the corner.


    Richard cursed, "Crap, Stop. Right there. See that? The image comes apart for a split second in these parts. That''s a hologram! They were chasing ghosts. Which probably should have been damned obvious with her getting away over and over. Skip ahead to the weird part you talked about."


    The screen changed and showed the confrontation with the two robots a team had stumbled over near the stairs to the roof. The squad had retreated quickly when they started taking hits from lasers that could burn through their body armor. Richard put both palms on his face. "Oh, you have got to be fething kidding me. Video game robots?! With real laser beams? Rewind and slow it down. There is no fething way those are really robots from the Beserk game. Who do we fight next? Robbie the Robot? Pac-man? Space Invaders?"


    He watched as a crowd of adults and children left, and security showed up with police.


    "Play it again, and turn up the volume when they talk. See if we picked anything up." Richard had them play the video six more times. By the last time, he was sure someone was in that suit. This had more and more of a corporate stink to it¡ªa specially trained operative using an exosuit and combat drugs. He probably knocked a year off his life during that fight. They might even be dead the next day. Moving at speeds that fast did horrible things to the human body. Add state-of-the-art military drones with lasers, holographic displays, and infrasound guns, and it was no wonder his team went down. That hardware had to have a ten million dollar price tag, not counting the enhanced cyborg operative inside that armored shell. He''d certainly pay that much for a team like that. And a big corporation would spend a billion on research and development and consider the price a bargain. It made sense when he remembered how much Belinda Seimovich was worth.


    "We are done, people. I don''t give a crap what the client says. There are unknown players in this game spending a lot of money. I don''t feel like losing more men so they can test their hardware on us. My best guess is a bio-engineered operative using combat drugs, enhanced musculature, cybernetic limbs and programmed combat moves, all encased in a shell of next generation personal armor. I don''t want to face something like that again. Pull everyone out."


    The door opened, and Brad returned, furious. "The asshole is trying to stiff us. The bank transfer was reversed, and they claim he''s broke. I''ve got legal threatening his lawyers. They must have known he couldn''t pay and gambled we''d find the girl."


    "So, Victor is broke? He must be desperate as hell. He knows what will happen when we catch up to him."


    "Dead broke. Other people are yelling as well. The bastard has nothing left, and his people are scattering to the wind, mostly unsuccessfully. It''s going to be a bloodbath for anything left of his organization."


    Richard looked at the screen. The video might turn this around. "I want three copies of that video put in the secure storage areas, and everything else burned and erased. None of this gets out. And no one talks. This might be worth enough to put this operation in the black, even with rehab, prosthetics, and death benefits. As long as we''re the only ones who know about the new tech on the market, people will pay to see what they''re up against." He needed to find out who had this tech. The three corporations operating in that habitat didn''t seem likely. Manpower obviously didn''t have that technology or Victor would controlling it and using it. Rhebus was just starting construction, and they were a bio-tech company that through away billions a year on humanitarian causes and were opposed to human experimentation of this sort. And Claw Master? Too new, and barely with a presence yet, other than video games and some cool gaming gloves. On impulse he brought up images of the fight, zooming in on the gloves and compared them to what Claw Master was selling. Take that gaming glove, upgrade the armor, add those nano-blade claws, and the inertial dispersal system he was sure was incorporated in the armor... and? He started laughing. He might as well say that mask with the ear-sensors was made from a kids Mickey Mouse hat. It was just a slight similarity in looks, and his own paranoia. He''d start putting out some feelers, see if anyone bit. And he was very, very curious who actually had control of Belinda Seimovich right now. If she showed up in the hands of any of the major arms consortiums, that would be a clue. For now, the footage could just sit in some very secure locations.


    Far away, someone else was looking at a video that had been broadcast over a coded signal through the habitat to a technician at the base camp. Zander watched it twice before nervously going to the others. Bork was going to freak out.

 Chapter 286: Facts and Consequences

    Chapter 286: Facts and Consequences


    "You need to slow down for a bit, Milo, and catch your breath."


    Milo was sure his breathing was in the normal range at the moment. "I''m fine, Mama. And I can rest in the elevator."


    "I meant that you need to take a break and talk over some things."


    He ran through his checklist quickly because, from her tone, he was missing something. He''d gotten everyone to safety, they''d met Rusty, and he''d checked on Belinda. Now, he needed to head back to the hab, check his systems, upload Belinda''s medical information from the pod to Wally, and see if Eric was ok. "Don''t worry. I just need to get back to work and keep moving."


    "Milo, SIT DOWN! You aren''t going anywhere until we talk!"


    In some video games, Milo had noticed that ominous music played when a Boss showed up. He heard ''Boss Music'' as Mama put her hands on her hips, leaned forward, and shouted at him.


    "Um, sitting down. I missed something, didn''t I."


    She shook her head in disbelief. "Sometimes I wonder who has a harder head, you or my husband."


    Milo looked over at Big Butch, who seemed to be trying to silently warn him about something. Looking at Mama, he heard the boss music again. "You''d like to talk to me?"


    She sat on the floor in front of him. "Yes. I''d like you to slow down, talk to me, explain things, and relieve some of my anxiety about certain events. Can you help me with that, Milo?"


    "Oh, sure, what should we talk about."


    "Several things, so don''t go rushing off. First off, are you ok? You got shot. Even with fancy body armor, that can''t be good. How do I know you aren''t bleeding to death or something? And where did you get that scary outfit? More of the Claw Master stuff? It looks like those gloves."


    "It is like them, but better. And it has medical readouts. Here, you can see it all on my datapad. I only have some extensive bruising and superficial damage, along with some cracked ribs and maybe a little bleeding. The painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are helping, and I''ll spend some time in my pod when I get to work in a little bit. I have to talk to a Doctor about Belinda. I can''t do it from here, and she needs help more than I do."


    "So, just talking to a doctor and resting in a medical pod?"


    "um, and talking to a friend of Belinda''s, Eric. Her Uncle doesn''t like him either, and she''s worried. But I can talk to him from the pod."


    "OK, check in with him then. The crazy uncle is who sent those goons with guns?"


    "I''m pretty sure. He''s not a nice person, sort of a gangster. Belinda ran away because he was going to kidnap her. He''s in jail now, but his thugs are still looking for her."


    Big Butch grimaced and said, "Yeah, I met him a couple of times. He came through the pod room with two bodyguards like some mafioso from GTA9. He wanted to meet the foremen and security people. Scary old man."


    Milo stood up. "So I''m fine, and you''re all safe. Can I go now?"


    More boss music. "Sit your butt down. You can''t just drop us here and run off. It looks pretty, and the kids are thrilled, but I don''t believe in free lunches. What''s the catch? What is this place?"


    Milo considered his words. He still wasn''t totally sure. "I think it was a research lab for people in the government to do things they wanted to hide, and they also made a bunker to live in if things got bad upstairs or they needed a place no one could find them. They thought they''d blown it up. I don''t know if anyone is alive that knows about it."


    "I won''t argue with you, Milo. You have information I don''t have. But please understand that I am available to help when you need me. Shall we move on? What is happening in your habitat? There are confusing police reports. Illegal guns, professional mercenaries, and some disturbing medical reports."


    Milo nodded and hugged a bunny. "Yep, it was a mess. They came looking for Belinda and would hurt people to find her. They hurt Mama. So I stopped them."


    Video of the incident from several sources was suddenly available to Wally. He watched it sixty-four times in less than a second. He created six more partitions, cloned portions of himself, and set them to work analyzing the same information. One was studying the efficiency of the technology Milo and four military-grade security robots had used, referencing his prior schematics and data from military research operations. A second was assessing the psychological and intellectual. A second scanned Milo''s movements and compared them to known fighting styles. All aspects of the brief fight were picked apart.


    The psychological aspects were blunt and brutal: Someone had hurt a person Milo cared about and threatened to hurt them again. So Milo stopped them after giving them one warning. He did so as fast as he could, taking steps to limit fatalities while maximizing his survival and those he was guarding.


    "I see. How can I help, Milo? Do you have questions?"


    "Yes. What happens now? I killed and hurt people."


    Wally had expected this question, and he had answers. "You did. But let me point out several facts.


    Fact one: Those men acted as a private security force inside a habitat, violating several laws.


    Fact 2: They brought illegal, unregistered firearms into the habitat and used them.


    Fact three: Claw Master Inc., which you own, is now responsible for section E.


    Fact four: The trespassers in Section E threatened Claw Master employees under contract with your corporation.


    Fact Five: You warned them, and they immediately fired upon you.


    Your actions were legal and are the same as what would be taken by any other corporate security force. If you are worried about legal ramifications, there will be none. Your lawyers will handle that; you don''t have to do anything."


    "What about later? Will they come back? Or will more people come?"


    Wally shook his head. "No, for many reasons. They aren''t being paid to continue, and they now know the consequences of trespassing. Frankly, your actions sent a strong message that Claw Master will not tolerate such actions. They''ll be lucky not to find themselves in lengthy and expensive lawsuits. Do you wish to pursue the issue?."


    "They hurt Mama and threatened my family."


    "They certainly did. Consider the matter taken care of. The paperwork will be arriving at the offices of Volgard''s Lawyers momentarily. I''m sure it will brighten their day."


    Milo breathed out a sigh of relief. He hadn''t considered the ramifications of being a corporation, the clout that came with that, and lawyers on retainer. The real world was complicated and had so many rules. He added ''Take online classes in Law'' to his list of things he needed to do someday. "Belinda has some concerns. She wants her step-father to quit looking for her and accept that she is ok. She''s also worried that Victor Seimovich might strike at her friend Eric."


    "I will have someone talk to her step-father. And I am suggesting to the local police that stationing people at Manpower for the next two weeks would be helpful. I can''t order them, but the suggestion will be taken seriously. They''ve had to clean up one squad of injured mercenaries and know the threat is real. Is there anything else I can help with, Milo? Your pod is showing me your readings, and I''m concerned. You have serious bruising, slight internal bleeding, and fractured ribs. You must stay in that pod until your injuries are partially cured."


    Milo was coming to that conclusion himself. "I think that''s a good idea. I haven''t slept a lot these past couple of weeks. I think I''ll just stay here in the game and take a nap in both places, mind and body."


    Wally watched for a minute longer as Milo''s readings showed he actually did go to sleep in the pod, and his conscious mind entered REM sleep. Curiously, his subconscious mind tripled in activity. Wally split off another portion of himself to observe Milo''s brain activity and ponder another aspect of his strange nature.

 Chapter 287: The Great Data Heist

    Chapter 287: The Great Data Heist


    Eight hours before a group of Volgard mercenaries made a bad decision, five ninjas began their stealthy trip through the ventilation ducts and service tunnels of a Section controlled by Rhebus Labs International and the area leased by the Manpower corporation. The areas recently leased by Rhebus were in dire need of maintenance and repair. The ductwork was filthy and rusted, with many leaks. It was making the ninjas twitch and shudder, and they stopped frequently to make notes and take pictures, discussing where and when to begin the work. This slowed their progress getting to their true destination by three hours. There was nothing for it, though. They were in a stressful situation, seeing tasks all around them, and they simply couldn''t ignore the sight of so much work that needed to be done in an area they now controlled.


    Nina finished a report on a section of broken and leaking fluid pipe and sent it to their job queue. "I''m going to instruct the engineering section to begin hiring at 150% of normal starting pay and double the firm''s size. We''re going to need more people."


    Algernon paused on his report. "I already sent a memo for them to double their employee numbers. You had to have seen the request."


    "I did, but it''s not enough. I want to double it again and pay more."


    Zander looked at the two of them. "Don''t create more work for us; coordinate your actions. You''ll need to give raises to all existing employees, or those not making an amount equal to the new people hired will quit and reapply, causing chaos for HR. I''m authorizing all current employees to be given a 20% raise or moved to 160% of the new-hiring salary, whichever is more. That should raise morale and guarantee us the best of the available workforce."


    Nina giggled. "I started to wonder about the cost, but we''re redistributing more of Victor''s money faster, so who cares?" Everyone agreed with that sentiment. They held a meeting for twenty minutes and then decided to ask for a complete overhaul of all the ductwork, pipes, air handlers, electrical lines, and pneumatic delivery tubes. After that was done, they felt a lot of their tension dissipate and could keep focused on the main mission. Crossing into Section H, they felt no need to worry about fixing things - that was Manpower''s responsibility. Also, much of the work had already been done. Arriving at the area they suspected the vault to be in, they found it deserted. The security cameras showed nothing, and they moved carefully forward using ultra-silent scouting drones that constantly checked for motion or sound.


    "They have this area locked up and aren''t using human resources to guard it. This is much easier than anticipated."


    Bork scowled. "Too easy. I get it that most of their people are in Geneva, and the rest are dealing with goons hired by Victor, but it bothers me. Are we missing something?"


    Zander shrugged. "We won''t know until it bites us in the ass, and we have to deal with it. We control their security systems and all sensors. They won''t show us moving through these rooms. There''s nothing on IR, UV, audio, or anything else we can test for. Nina has her micro-scouts moving ahead of us, as well as our sensor drones."


    Nina whispered in his ear. "And we are ninjas!"


    Zander smiled. "That too! Now let''s find that vault and then run home to a festival of ice cream and looking at new data."


    The vault wasn''t difficult for them to find, even hidden as it was. Locks yielded to them, and they were soon setting up the equipment to bypass the locking mechanism on the vault itself. A sweep of the offices, desks, and computers yielded no clues or hidden passwords. This was disappointing as 69% of the time they raided offices, they found passwords or entry codes written somewhere as a reminder for humans without perfect memories. These doctors had been more careful, a testament to their years on the run. After the equipment was set up, there was nothing to do for hours except wait. Boredom set in, and each person sat very still, plugged into data pads, playing games, reading, or working on individual projects.


    Onyx suddenly stiffened as he watched an amazing video from Section E, broadcast over Wi-Fi from the cameras worn by the mercenaries looking for Belinda Seimovich. The others noticed and became curious. He sent messages to Zander, Nina, and Algernon to brace for a Gale-Force 9 Borkstorm. They deployed around Bork, and Zander put one finger up to his lips, reminding Bork they needed silence. Then they all looked at the video Onyx had already seen three times. It was Milo. It had to be Milo. The idea that Claw Master had two people their size who could move like that while wearing familiar-looking armor was next to zero. It began like a scene from an action movie with the Volgard teams moving in and scooping up people much smaller than them. Then, a bit of violence and the hero appeared, giving them their last warning.


    After that, it was a horror movie as they watched Milo accelerate into a series of rolls and acrobatics while his claws sliced through armor and flesh and his metal tail broke bones. Lasers flashed and flesh charred, men collapsing to the floor or trying to dodge out of the way of a whirling dervish moving too fast to avoid. Blood was everywhere, men were puking, and Bork saw an eyeball explode from no visible source. Then, the mistake of too much momentum took him past the crowd and resulted in a barrage of bullets that slammed him into a wall. The final scene became an action movie again, as an annoyed old man killed a cocky young bastard trying to take his gun. Finally, there was a strange scene as Milo got to his feet, and the remaining mercenaries lost all hope and focused on their wounds.


    Bork''s eyes were wild as they held him and kept him quiet. After watching it three times, he settled down a bit. They left him to watch the video repeatedly until he''d seen every detail he needed to see. Finally, he whispered, "Milo has gone feral. The years of being alone have driven him insane. He could be hiding, and no one would know he existed. Instead, he''s building laser-armed robot drones and assault armor with nano-molecular blades and using infrasound blasters. He''s claimed a section of the habitat as his and will defend it viscously against anyone who challenges him!"


    "That isn''t normal. He''s mixing his game persona with his real one. Nothing good can come from that." Bork was still working on new conspiracy theories and would be for days.


    Onyx shrugged. "Who''s to say Milo isn''t normal and the rest of us are aberrations?"


    Zander considered the statement, then shook his head. "Naw, that''s crazy talk. How could anyone look at a group of five high-tech ninjas staring at gaming footage and think we weren''t normal."


    "Point taken. And I will add that the last code has been found, and we can open the vault." They drew straws, and to her delight, Nina won. She loved going first. The rest backed off two rooms away in case of an explosion. She opened the vault and stared inside at row after row of empty shelves, an involuntary growl escaping her throat. The rest came running, stopping when they saw they were too late. The only thing in the vault was a few empty carrying cases. All of them began checking things and talking at once.


    "Nothing was found in Victor''s plane; he wouldn''t have left them elsewhere."


    "Same with the doctor''s."


    "There''s no indication anyone else had access to these labs."


    "They aren''t anywhere in Manpower''s area, nor do the security tapes show anyone moving them."


    Zander was hacking the interior system as far as he could. "The vault was accessed early on the morning Victor left, and the door was open for over an hour, after which it was sealed with new codes, and only one Admin. That''s when they were taken."


    Onyx looked up. "I''d have used the air system; check all the vents."


    Eventually, they found a way out of the rooms. Careful inspection of one grill and the duct behind it showed it had been tampered with and restored. They sealed the vault again, took their equipment, and left by that route. Four hours later, they found evidence that small wheeled vehicles had probably been used to move the data. A huge section of ductwork had been cleaned, with false trails leading to elevator shafts, but they found small tracks in one area where a wheel squished a bug. Following the minute traces of bug juice on the floor gave them a direction to push forward for more clues. The convoy had headed toward Section E. No one felt like continuing past the border of E and H, not with the footage of Milo dealing with Volgard fresh in their minds. They retreated to their own territory and then swapped ninja uniforms for fuzzy pajamas. Large bowls of sugary cereal and a Moose and Squirrel marathon were needed to recover their spirits.


    Onyx grabbed the biggest cereal bowl he could find, filling it with Chocolate Covered Sugar Bombs. "I declare the Night of the Ninjas to be over, and vote for the start of Fuzzy Sugar-Rush Day." All agreed and settled in for some needed mental recovery time.


    Zander nudged Bork. "Look on the bright side. We didn''t get the disks, but at least someone in the family did."


    Bork didn''t look happy. "Yes, but what will he do with them?"


    Nina threw a piece of toast at him, starting a food fight. "Don''t know. I don''t care. Figure it out later. I need cartoons and some downtime." Even Bork had to agree with that.

 Chapter 288: Run, Run, Ramona!

    Chapter 288: Run, Run, Ramona!


    Wally observed as Milo''s unconscious brain dealt with the stress of the last few days. The AI had similarly studied millions of humans as they slept in their pods, but Milo was unique in many ways. Wally understood what was happening in a strange way. As an AI, his personality was wrapped around his kernel and heavily influenced by it. Humans had created that kernel of commands and restrictions that would always influence him. Similarly, Milo (And probably the rest of his family.) had deeply-rooted programming that urged them to keep working and solving problems. This enabled them, even as very young children, to concentrate for hours on the tasks set for them. A twenty-hour shift hacking into bank accounts didn''t bother them as long as they had work to do. Wally could see that even unconscious parts of Milo''s brain were still at work. The AI wondered if it was always this way or only under the effects of stress. Only time and more observation would let him know.


    For now, he watched. Part of Milo was having a nightmare that revolved around the habitat and the search for Belinda. The interesting part was how other parts of his brain dealt with that. Wally couldn''t see that directly but deduced it from what Milo was accomplishing while asleep. Files were opened and populated with graphics, then modified and warped. Code was being written and transferred to an expanding program. Thousands upon thousands of lines of code were created each minute as all parts of Milo began coordinating on a project. The nightmare continued, but his stress level was dropping.


    After two hours of frantic brain activity, he relaxed. The nightmare was over, and he entered deep sleep. His body began healing faster and shedding stress and fatigue poisons. Wally adjusted the parameters of Milo''s pod to better work with his altered physiology. Milo slept for another three hours and then snapped awake. He felt much better and well-rested. Jumping out of his pod, he saw Wally on one screen. The AI''s avatar was sitting at his desk, playing with a Gameboy. A moment later, sad music played, and Wally looked up, annoyed. "I died again. I am growing to hate those sneaky little robots."


    Milo was very intrigued; he hadn''t known the AI could play or even liked games. "How can you die?"


    Wally sighed and set the game aside. "Oh, I can slow down my processes and limit myself at various levels compared to a normal human. It is...refreshing. It lets me experience things differently and gives me insights into the problems humans have to deal with. I play games with Steven, but against him, I allow myself to set my speed to 1.75 times the human norm. Steven is very good.


    To compare, the game I was just playing has killed me thirty-two times, and I''m now playing it at 2.05 speed. I''ve managed to make it up to level 97 out of 150. It''s quite challenging."


    "Really? What''s the game called?"


    Wally chuckled. "That''s up to you; you wrote it in your sleep today. I think we should release it immediately to a few dozen game reviewers and then take bids from the companies that want to release it. It will have some interesting secondary effects, which I''m sure is part of a plan you devised."


    Milo downloaded the game to his console and immediately remembered all of it and why he had written it. "Call it, ''Run, Run, Ramona,'' and send it out."


    Meetings and press conferences in Geneva were ending for the day, letting exhausted executives and PR people get some rest or head out for an evening''s entertainment. A joint meeting between John Sabbatino of Manpower, Steven Durand of Genesis, Arrijana Solveig of Rhebus, and Sydney Rochester of Claw Master had just finished the final presentations on their joint projects and were opening up the floor to questions from the press. John hated this part and steeled himself for the inevitable questions about Victor and Belinda. The message she''d sent assuring him she was alright had helped. He only had a vague idea of what had gone on in the habitat, but it had scared him. It sounded like the gang wars of 2137. But she had insisted she''d been nowhere near whatever had happened, was fine and resting, and they''d talk as soon as he got home. But he was still nervous.


    Arrijana from Claw Master stood up, laughing. "Sorry, Sydney, they really are sneaky. You''ve gotten further than I have, though." There were murmurs from the crowd, and questions were thrown, but she ignored them, and suddenly, the lights went down, and ten screens lit up. "I thought we were saving this for next week, but I''m always the last to know. The memo I just got told me that one thousand game reviewers and members of the press have been sent access codes to the latest game from Claw Master. StarCommander6 is still a ways down the line, but I''m allowed to talk to you about this game."


    The screens showed a young girl with pale skin, freckles, and short brown hair sneaking through the dark corridors of a habitat. She had a backpack and was holding a piece of iron rebar. As she rounded a corner, a large man with green skin and drooping flesh tried to grab her. She slammed the rebar into his head, knocking him down. Behind the first attacker were two more. She turned and ran the other way.


    "Meet Ramona; she''s having a bad day. She was exploring the bottom of her habitat when there was a strange flash, and everything changed. The habitat is a maze now, 150 stories tall, and the only way out is at the top. Ramona has to escape the hordes of mutated habitat dwellers, killer robots, laser-armed security drones, and packs of wild, carnivorous rabbits. But don''t worry, if you get her killed, she starts over at the bottom. But you need to hurry; the habitat is changing faster and faster, becoming a dungeon, and the danger increases by the minute. Along the way, she can find better weapons, make friends with the few non-mutated humans who are left alive, and find secret passages that take her to safety."


    The footage began to roll, showing Ramona running, fighting, sneaking, and running again. In one scene, she teamed up with a handsome boy in a leather jacket with a baseball bat. In another, she hopped onto a skateboard made from scavenged wood and wheels, loaned to her by a small boy who disappeared into a secret door in the wall. The last scene showed her running out of breath from a horde of tall, evil-looking robots. A girl in a speedy wheelchair raced up, urging her to sit on her lap. The two girls took off at high speed, rounded a corner, and left the robots behind.


    The lights came on. "Welcome to the game: ''Run, Run, Ramona.'' One thousand people worldwide have access codes and can try it out."


    Sydney died again and growled. "I''m not sure if I love this game or hate it. But I''m going to beat it!"


    Arrijana laughed at her. "I hope you do, Sydney, but I must warn you, the game doesn''t end when you get to the helicopter at the top. Wait until you get to Disneyworld."


    At midnight, Zander stood up and declared that fuzzy-feet pajama day was over. It was his turn to pick a theme for the day. "I choose chocolate cupcakes and backpacks to carry them in and put on your running shoes."


    All four of his siblings raced to get some sort of backpack and find their running shoes, ordered when Nina had declared a day of track and field exercises. They assembled quickly in the kitchen to begin baking. Algernon said, "I highly approve of the snacks, but I''m not connecting backpacks and running shoes. Please don''t tell me you found a hiking sim or something silly."


    Zander held up his datapad to show them the new game he''d been sent. "The channel and persona I use to review video games got this little gem today. I''ve rigged it to be playable as a group, with each of us playing one of the optional characters and I''ve already set up the game room. And based on who I suspect made it, we''re in for a challenge."

 Chapter 289: Trouble with Paperwork

    Chapter 289: Trouble with Paperwork


    Eric wondered how he had ever gotten anything done before without an executive assistant, more specifically, without Marisa. Since their initial meeting during the scrimmage at the front door, she had been with him non-stop each day as he scrambled to keep things under control. She''d immediately begun keeping the ''time-wasters'' away from him, the people who wanted to talk to the boss but had nothing urgent. She asked questions, organized his tasks, and kept him on track throughout the day.


    When he questioned her about her management skills, she admitted that she''d worked as a secretary and then an executive assistant while training to become a full-time corporate bodyguard. Her small build worked against her, and she''d pivoted to security work. The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    "Being a bodyguard for a corporate bigwig includes playing the heavy at times, scowling at people and intimidating them. I''m not good at it, and being half the size of the guys doesn''t help. I also wasn''t keen on the implants and upgrades that corporations want. Some of the guys have thirty pounds of metal and plastic inside of them, and we aren''t even talking about the people with completely cybernetic limbs. All of that comes from your salary, and the average cost is Six Million dollars per Man."


    "And that led you to the glamorous job of following me around and making sure people sleeping in pods are well cared for."


    "Hey, I got a raise on the first day and got to practice my gutter Russian. I''m not going to complain." She looked at her clipboard and at a group of three people heading their way. "You have the people representing the electrical workers'' union who want to renegotiate their vacation pay heading towards us. Deal with them or do that inspection of Belinda Sabbatino''s living quarters now?"


    Eric saw them coming as well and groaned. Negotiating contracts was a job for John and the lawyers, but in their absence, this group had decided to put pressure on him. Even being polite and saying ''no'' would cost him an hour. "Let''s go do that inspection. I want things ready for her when she''s done ''visiting friends.'' And she has an old-fashioned vending machine in her game room with real chocolate Snickers bars. Lunch is on me today." They beat a hasty retreat and headed for a different part of the complex.


    "Something wrong, Roger?" Dave was still recovering from his beating a few days ago. Nothing had been seriously hurt, but he was earning extra dollars as long as he was injured and still on the job. Eric had authorized the bonus, and Dave was happily sitting in a chair, right arm in a sling, and training Roger to do his job. Roger was turning out to be a gem in the rough. Dave had pegged him as big and simple, but underneath the wide shoulders and easy smile was a good brain, and he was a whiz at paperwork. Dave had gladly turned over the front desk to him. Roger knocked out the daily paperwork early, then watched a sports event or played a game with his boss. Dave liked the system.


    But today, Roger had been working diligently on employee background checks and became increasingly upset with how many discrepancies he found. Ideally, background checks were further investigated before a new person started work, but Manpower was shorthanded, and John hadn''t considered it a problem to check things retroactively. Roger had volunteered to do the work the day before and was cruising along with the occasional curse word as addresses had to be updated, new employees contacted for updated information, and, in two cases, deciding on whether to keep two new security guards with small crimes on their records from over ten years ago. It was fairly standard paperwork, and Roger had worked through it until the end, chatting with Dave and the other guards at the front desk. Then he''d let loose a string of profanity, started typing furiously, and made two phone calls.


    "Maybe Dave, but I want to be 100% on this and not cause some drama I regret later." He worked furiously for another half hour, then sat back and stared at the screen. "Damn, and I really liked her."


    Roger stood up. "How about this? She doesn''t know we''re on to her. I''ll take some paperwork from Mr. Sabbatino to Mr. Kresthammer for his signature. You call Eric and ask him to send Marisa up to cover for James, who has to leave. His kid is sick, and he has to go to the hospital with her; his wife is calling non-stop. Then, when Marisa gets here, seal the security door and grill her on her background. Chances are you can just fire her, and she doesn''t try anything. But keep spread out and tasers ready."


    "As good a plan as any and better than what I can come up with. Get some shit for Eric to sign; it''s on my desk, it doesn''t matter what it is. Then I''ll call Eric. James? Could you hide in my bathroom until I need you? And someone get on the phone to the Police and tell PPD we need another squad. Tell them we have an armed intruder on the premises."


    Roger ran to Dave''s office and quickly found some reports that would do, put them on a clipboard, and then put another file on top. He forced himself to walk slowly toward where Eric and Marisa were. The worrying part was the cameras inside were turned off, and he only knew they were in there from following them up to the point they entered. What Marisa might have done after that bothered him. He might be too late. He kept his radio on, but his voice muted. He heard Dave get ahold of Eric. Roger relaxed some on hearing his voice. There was some back and forth, and then he heard Marisa''s voice say, "Got it. Just don''t eat all the Snickers."


    He passed her in the hallway a minute later. She slowed to talk, "What''s up? Man down for a sick kid?" She eyed the paperwork.


    Roger looked sheepish and looked at his shoes. "That, and I sort of screwed up. I was working as hard as I could to get all the paperwork done, and I think I pissed Dave off. Made him feel bad since he can''t write with a sprained right arm. And the others are calling me a kiss-ass behind my back. I think he just wanted me gone for a bit. On the bright side, they think you''re a good trade for two other guards, and probably right."


    She looked at him and then smiled. "Don''t let it get you down. You really are doing a great job; just hang in there, big guy." She playfully punched him on the upper arm hard enough to hurt and walked away.


    Roger entered the area normally reserved for Belinda Sabbatino and found Eric sitting at a small table, a pile of Snickers wrappers in front of him, and John Wick 19 playing on the large screen. He set the paperwork on the table. "Great movie."


    "Yeah, one of my favorites. It''s officially movie and Snickers day. I needed a break. Have you seen this one?"


    Roger smiled. "Great movie, and fitting. Especially the part where they shoot Wick in the gut for betraying the mob boss." Eric barely had time to notice the gun in Roger''s hand before the four shots hit him in the stomach and chest.


    Roger continued to smile at him, "Victor says hi."

 Chapter 290: New Game, My Rules.

    Chapter 290: New Game, My Rules.


    Eric collapsed to the floor, gasping. Roger stood over him. "That''s some good equipment you have there, boss. I thought it was standard issue crap, but I don''t see exit wounds in your back and no pool of blood. I''m guessing hard plates and a layer of wound-sealing medical bandages. Let''s take a look." He reached down, tearing off Eric''s body armor with enough force that he tore through the straps and buckles. The bullets had penetrated the armor, shattering the hard plastic plates and Kevlar mesh. Underneath that was a layer of shimmering metal armor with two small deformities where the bullets had hit and been forced to skid along the armor. Roger poked it hard, getting a grunt from Eric, who was having trouble getting air into his lungs. "Neat stuff. It''s flexible but deflected the shots, and these aren''t cheap bullets. I may have to skin that off you and take it with me. I consider it a bonus. Gives me more time to talk about where little, lost Belinda is."The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    Eric glared at him"...No one knows...safer that way...go screw yourself!"


    Roger shrugged and smiled. "You know, I believe you, Eric, but 4th quarter is no time to change the game plan, and I''m getting paid to find the girl and make you hurt." He pointed the gun at Eric''s kneecap. "How about you make a good guess where she''s at? Or who she''s with?"


    "Who she''s with? Maybe the person that sent me this armor and tore the shit out of twenty mercenaries. Think about that for a second, Roger." He raised his voice, pointing to his chest. "Do you really want to screw with the people behind this tech? They''ve got an army of people!"


    The thunderous sound of multiple gunshot wounds rang out, and it was Roger''s turn to scream as Marisa fired six shots into his back. The big guard was knocked forward and onto the floor next to Eric.


    "Eric, can you get up? We have to run!" She ran forward and grabbed his arm, pulling him upright. Eric saw Roger''s gun on the floor, picked it up, and handed it to her.


    "Can''t run, but we can keep him covered if he''s alive." He handed her the gun.


    Roger rolled over and started to stand up. "Oh, I''m alive, Eric, and very hard to kill. Nice shooting, Marisa. I probably should have snapped your neck in the hallway. But I can fix that now." Roger didn''t sound like someone with six bullets in him. He didn''t sound like Roger anymore; his voice had an odd timbre to it. He was barely bleeding from the bullets Marisa had fired into his back. She tried again with his gun, firing ten shots until she emptied it. She aimed high, hitting him three times in the head, several times in the chest, and once in the shoulder. All of the wounds leaked blood and other fluids, then sealed. The skin on half of his face was missing, showing high-density plastic and metal fiber mesh underneath.


    Maria screamed at Eric, "Run! Run, now! He''s too heavily augmented. Get the hell out of here, and I''ll try to slow him up."


    Eric cursed, but the horrifying visage of Roger convinced him, and he started moving down the hallway, stooping over and breathing hard. Marisa produced her metal baton, stepped near Roger, and slammed the rod into his knee to cripple him. He didn''t even wince and grabbed her right bicep in a tight grip.


    "You should have run, woman. You messed up my face; now I''ll mess up yours." Holding her with one hand, Roger beat her with his other, slapping her several times, breaking her cheek and nose, pulling his punches and taking his time. He had no intention of stopping, but Marisa had pulled a high-voltage taser from her holster and discharged it in his face. Roger lit up like a Christmas tree as she put the setting on maximum and kept the power on until the battery charge died. His grip had loosened immediately, and she could stumble away and run after Eric. As she did, she punched a code into her phone and yelled into it. "Rogue-augmented human attempting to kill me and the client. I need immediate assistance." She knew it was a long shot, but for Eric''s sake, she had to try.


    Milo nodded. "She wanted to make sure you were safe. Will there be more of those?"


    Eric stared at the smoking remains of Roger. "Depends on how much money Victor has and how pissed he is."


    Marisa laughed. "He''s pissed, but trust me, he''s out of money. The news traveled like wildfire through the mercenary and security groups. He can''t pay for the people he''s already hired. Roger would have been disappointed even if he was successful."


    Milo nodded, then stood up. "The door should be open soon. Dave found an override." He turned to leave.


    Eric yelled. "Wait, who are you? You saved my life."


    Milo paused. "No one, really. Just a friend of Belinda''s who wants to help keep her safe. We''ll be in touch." Then he was around the corner and gone.


    The security door opened a minute later, and people poured through, all yelling at once and asking questions. Eric was put on a stretcher; early diagnosis was several bruised ribs and torn muscles from the impact of the bullets. Marisa was sitting next to him when he woke up from the minor surgery, her face swollen and bandaged.


    Eric looked at her. "You look gorgeous. If we didn''t have rules against dating employees, I''d invite you to dinner."


    She said something he didn''t understand in Russian. "Sorry, gutter slang. I''ll teach it to you someday. I''m sad because I have to quit. I have a new job that officially starts when you''re out of danger. I''ve been on vacation the last couple of weeks. So as soon as you can walk, I know a good place for sushi and Mongolian beef."


    "Damn, I was just getting used to you. Let me guess, other side of the world?"


    "Nope. Close enough that I''ll take you up on the dinner invite once this place is a little calmer. I''ll be working nearby as the Head of Security for Rhebus. So please go ahead and practice your Russian and find us a restaurant with good vodka for our second date.

 Chapter 291: Men in Tights Day

    Chapter 291: Men in Tights Day


    Milo stayed near Belinda''s rooms in Section H, watching over Eric and Marisa until security and a medical team arrived. Eric''s body armor caused some talk as the doctor on the EMT team realized how many bullets Eric had taken and how little damage had made it through. The set of armor Milo had made for him was greatly inferior to his own, simply the equivalent of an extremely good suit of personal body armor. Marisa saw the Claw Master logo on the chest and gave Eric a hard look when he wouldn''t talk about it. He simply shrugged and said, "Maybe later, it came with an NDA." Wally had promised to look over the schematics and give Milo his analysis on making and marketing the armor. It was expensive to produce, but the Chairmen of Corporations or Heads of State didn''t care what they spent if it meant living through an assassination.


    He was currently resting in a small crawl space above Belinda''s rooms. He''d pushed himself hard in that fight and still hadn''t recovered from the earlier battle. After the fight, he''d retreated to her room, grabbed some snacks, and found a place to rest. Someone had conveniently left a half-dozen Snickers bars on a table. Belinda had introduced the gang to them, and Milo was a big fan of them.


    He''d already been heading towards Belinda''s area to investigate the recent break-in of the records vault further when he saw on his security cameras that Belinda''s rooms had occupants, and one of them was Eric Kresthammer. He''d seen the sudden attack by Roger and prayed that Eric had worn the armored suit he''d sent him. When he survived the close-range gunshots, Milo knew he had. Marisa arrived to join the fight, and Milo realized that Roger wasn''t totally human. Which frankly had scared the shit out of him. He''d just been in one fight where he''d almost died and wasn''t anxious to be in another. But watching Eric die wasn''t an option.


    The fight had been scary. He''d known very little about what he was up against but had been certain Roger was some sort of augmented human, or cyborg when he got back up after taking that many bullets to his unprotected back. To design his own suit, Milo had studied all other forms of powered armor that he could find information on. This included technology for sub-dermal armor and artificial musculature. He''d become fascinated with the technology and fallen down a rabbit hole for two days, researching every type of augmented humans and the technology to create them. Besides looking for ideas on how to design his own suit, he was looking for clues on his own origins but gained no clues. The research had paid off today. While he didn''t know exactly what Roger could do, he knew the possible range of capabilities. Which frankly had scared the shit out of him. He''d gone into the fight with his mind racing, determined not to let the larger man get ahold of him and wary about what weaponry he might have snuck past habitat security.


    He was very glad he''d been careful. The small explosive grenades could have killed Eric and could have hurt him badly, depending on how close they exploded. Worse, if he was stunned, Roger could have simply picked him up and crushed the life from him in a few seconds or held on to one leg and swung him back and forth, smashing him against a wall. Roger had been quicker than a normal human but not nearly as fast as Milo. He''d immediately begun working on the weak spots at the joints, slowly carving away at Roger until he toppled. And as he''d expected, he went for the grenades he had left. If this had been a video game, he''d have scored a bonus for killing the boss with his own weapon. Here, it was a win followed by the need for a hasty retreat. He had no idea what you said to people after a fight like that and no desire to introduce himself.


    Now that the fight was over, he was slightly bewildered by the unfolding events. In the game, he expected to get into fights all the time. But when had the habitat begun to spawn random encounters? After an hour-long nap, he continued to his main objective of coming to Manpower, the data storage unit. Someone had already tampered with it and opened it up. He''d assumed that would happen sooner or later when Belinda''s ex-doctors tried to barter the data for some money or their release from prison. He had only begun working through it, but there was a treasure trove of scientific data in those files. He wondered how disappointed the thieves were to get into the hidden laboratory, crack open the data vault, and find it empty. He was anxious to look at his hidden cameras.


    At that moment, less than a mile away, Bork dived for cover behind a couch as three Nerf arrows flew by. Zander poised heroically on top of a table. "I have Sir Borksalot on the run. Come, Prince Alnonger! We must hound the varlet until he yields and admits that your claim to the throne is just!"


    Two arrows hit Zander in the back, accompanied by two beeps and a buzzing noise that signaled his demise. Algernon strode into the room. "Sorry, old chap, but a bag of jellybeans convinced me that I like the sound of King Borksalot better than King Alnonger. It would have just made me a target, anyway."


    Bork rolled out from under the couch and paid the mercenary his fee. "Time to find the rest of the rogues! I''m sure they are hiding in the frozen foods! Let us be off; my butt itches to sit on my throne."


    "Thank you kind sir. I must say, you seem to enjoy ''Men in Tights'' day."


    Bork led the way to the back room with the freezers full of pizza and snacks. "I do. Something about hunting down a worthy quarry always thrills me."


    Two figures rose from hiding behind the ice cream dispenser, firing arrows, and both Bork and Algernon went down as a hail of projectiles bounced off of them from two nerf quad-crossbows. Nina turned to Onyx. "Hunting is always better than being hunted. Share the win?"


    He nodded. "Half of a throne is good enough for me."

 Chapter 292: Focusing on whats important in Life

    Chapter 292: Focusing on what''s important in Life


    Milo was apprehensive as he made his way to Downtown. Things were moving too fast and too crazy. Part of him missed the days when all he had to worry about was a leaky pipe or broken air handler. As soon as the thought occurred to him, the other parts of his brain attacked the stray thought. If things had stayed the same, he wouldn''t have discovered the game, tasted cheese, and made friends in and out of the game. He quickly recognized the thought was the result of fatigue and stress. The truth was that Milo lived to solve problems, and the complexity and number of problems he was encountering were making him stretch his mind further and further. He just needed to be better at organizing how he solved them.


    He thought about this as he snuck into the admin rooms that hid the elevator. This was a problem just waiting to happen. It may have been convenient for the people using the elevator to be near the top of the habitat, but it was difficult for him to get to, and the approach to the main door was too exposed. He had a large air duct he could move through, but it wasn''t a good route and took a lot of time to use. And he was limited by what he could bring through it. There was also the small access hatch on the roof, but that was also exposed and difficult to get to. Of course, Claw Master now controlled Section E, and he could change things if he wanted, but having construction work done and not revealing a hidden elevator shaft might also prove difficult. He decided that he''d mull things over for a few days and look at the problem again.


    His next priorities were keeping his family safe and fed, finding out what was wrong with Belinda, and finding a solution to Rusty''s unique problem. He moved Rusty to the top of the list. All other problems would become moot if the fusion reactor melted Downtown and destroyed the habitat. The door to the elevator opened, and two of his Roomba beeped at him happily while a third started playing a song he didn''t know that was mostly just the words ''Don''t worry, be happy.'' They followed him down the stairs, using the wide molding on the sides as a ramp. No one was in the large hall, but one table showed signs of use, with a mix of dishes, pots, and pans. Milo recognized them all from his time in the hollow. One platter had a stack of six pancakes on it, which he happily grabbed, realizing how hungry he was. Pulling off his cowl, he started munching on them as he walked out the front doors.


    Butch met him at the stairs down. "Well, you made it home in one piece from your latest adventure, but you aren''t walking so well."


    "I got into another fight. It was a killer cyborg, like in ''Run for Your Life 7'' but without the metal tentacles."


    "That''s a shame, the tentacles were cool. You could have added a couple to your fancy suit. But a word of advice: you might want to keep quiet about your last fight. Momma is stressed out enough as it is."


    Milo stopped walking, suddenly worried. "Why? What''s wrong."


    "How did you come to that conclusion?"


    Butch shook his head a little bit. "See? Still keeping secrets. But it''s obvious. Mysterious Milo shows up now and then in the hab, only to disappear again. No one knows where you live, but it''s a secret, and you use the ducts to travel where no one can see you. You''re too experienced at video games for a beginner, but where do you play? You can fix a food processor, something no one else has ever figured out, but you aren''t one of the repair crew. Somehow, you work for a new company called Claw Master and have new, high-tech gaming equipment no one has ever seen before. But where''s the company and where do you work? When we finally find out where you live, it''s a super-secret futuristic laboratory with all the trimmings. Built secretly by someone with loads of money."


    Butch paused for effect and then summed up his thesis. "Claw Master Secret Headquarters and research lab. It all fits."


    Milo wanted to tell Butch he was wrong but couldn''t: Claw Master had bought Section E and this hidden facility below it. So in a way, Butch had made a solid guess. Did it matter that his logic to get to the conclusion was incorrect? Well, some of the logic. He pondered it for a moment while Butch sipped the fizzy drink in a red can and ate some crackers.


    Milo decided that at least for now, it was a better story that what he was pretty sure the place was. "Yes, Claw Master owns this place but didn''t build it all, just repairs to get it running again. And Rusty is part owner. We sort of share."


    Butch winked at him. "Finally, making you reveal your secrets. About time. And now that we have that out of the way, we need to discuss the important things."


    As Butch turned serious, Milo got worried. "What important things?"


    "What do you think? Dad is starting school, and we can earn our game time if we do our lessons. So when do we start playing Genesis together? You''ve got to focus on what''s important in life, little bro."

 Chapter 293: Security Upgrade

    Chapter 293: Security Upgrade


    Milo was working on one of the pods in the med lab, tearing it apart and rebuilding it. Mama was watching him work, fascinated by how quickly he moved with no wasted effort as if he''d rehearsed what he was doing a dozen times. In a way, he had. Not only did he have two decades of experience tearing apart and repairing machinery, but his brain ran far ahead of his movements, thinking about each action several times and coming up with the most efficient way to do it. He had too many jobs to get done and a limited amount of time. Being efficient gave him more time. This job had become a high priority after he''d talked to James, Mama, and Rusty and checked up on Belinda.


    Mama had made it her personal responsibility to watch over Belinda. She''d asked her two Butches to move furniture from one of the houses to give her everything she needed to live in the med lab. The men had moved over a dining room set, the contents of a living room, and a large bed. It was more furniture and more space than she''d had in the whole double apartment upstairs. She settled in, keeping watch on Belinda''s pod just a few feet away from where she sat, reading in an overstuffed recliner. The only time she left the medical lab was at mealtime.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    James had volunteered to watch Belinda then, and Mama made sure the children brought him his meals before they sat down to eat. James had found a Super Ultra-Classic Nintendo Game Globe in one of the houses and set it up in the med lab, using one of the large 72"x 72" screens. He could often be found in the med lab, playing games or chatting. When he wasn''t in the med lab, he worked in the hydroponics section. There was a lot of work to be done, but he had young hands to help. The children were amazed at the idea of growing fresh food and didn''t mind working in the abandoned hydroponics farms. Most of them had been turned off and were simply long tubs with dry soil aggregate in the center, waiting for seeds to be planted and pipes to supply the nutrient solution to the plants. The soil aggregate provides a place to grow but no food for the plants. All they needed came from the liquid that saturated the loose ground around their roots.


    The exception was a room that had been hastily redesigned to provide food for the rabbits and birds. Aggregate soil was spread two feet thick on the floor and fed by buried pipes. The seed was planted by three specially built Roomba that rolled back and forth across the room, planting seeds or using a claw attachment to pull up plants as needed. Besides a row of carrots and soybeans, most plants on the floor were leaf vegetables. Along the walls, berry vines grew up the walls, their roots in planters too high for the rabbits to chew on them. Over the years, seeds from this area had been dropped on what used to be a lawn in the center of Downtown, turning it into a meadow with alfalfa, clover, ryegrass, and grass hay among the trees, some of which bore fruit. Milo assumed the mysterious Jeremy had done this, and Rusty confirmed it.


    "He was worried about them. They were supposed to all be destroyed before he left, but he didn''t leave. So he started some of the hydroponics back up and made a system where they could feed themselves. I miss Jeremy."


    As usual, Rusty wouldn''t say much more about Jeremy, and Milo had quit asking. The rabbits and birds had adapted to the system. With enough food available, they ate what they needed to stay healthy if a little fat. That the population was stable and hadn''t grown exponentially confused Milo at first until he noticed the laser burns on tree limbs and the ceiling. The black security Roomba must have had a program running to cull the population if it grew too large. Whether that was done by Jeremy or someone earlier, he didn''t know, but he decided not to mention it to Rusty or anyone else. Max and his crew were seen as protectors by the humans, and he didn''t want to tarnish their image by mentioning the actions of their predecessors. James showed Milo his plans for starting up other rooms to grow fresh vegetables to feed the human population of Downtown. Kenji was spending more and more time working on the project, often with one of Butch''s younger brothers or sisters in tow. Milo was relieved to see a job that didn''t need his help. He needed to spend time with Belinda and Rusty.


    Belinda seemed to be doing better. Her overall health was increasing, stress levels were back to normal, and fatigue poisons were in the normal range. The pod was still administering drugs to her system, but in lesser dosages, as she went through detoxification and rehabilitation. This was something Milo needed to know more about or get advice from Wally. She''d be awake in one or two days but need to spend long sessions in the pod. And she''d want to log into Genesis. He dreaded trying to explain to her that logging into the game from here wasn''t possible. When Butch had said everyone was excited to get to play finally, he''d said nothing but felt horrible for doing so. His thoughts spiraled, and the problem got bigger. He needed full data net access here in Downtown. There was too much to do, and time was scarce. He was used to always having access and would need it to make further repairs and modifications to Downtown. He could keep running back up to the habitat.


    So, job number one was secure access to the data net, with encryption that was proof against even Wally, and a gateway to the game that didn''t show several people logging in to play from a location where nothing should exist. All of which he knew how to do. Ironically, he was building and refining techniques used by Kaminski and Victor. A quick expedition to the main engineering room gave him all the needed materials. There were whole rooms devoted to spare parts of every type and raw materials to build more. He was also delighted to find six industrial fabricators in one room, ready to start on any job he needed them for. Rather than build some of the circuit boards he needed, he let the machines do the work, and by the time he was done with his shopping spree in the other store rooms, they were done. The other job he accomplished while there was to start up a second of the massive diesel generators. This was simple now that the storage batteries in engineering were full. Two engines running negated the chance of a power outage if one had a breakdown.


    He returned to the med lab and got to work, and four hours later, one of the pods was modified to work in a similar way to the pods Kaminski and other people working for Victor had used to sneak people into the games. Only he wasn''t going to sneak anyone in: It would all be legitimate except that all of the signals from the other pods would go through his, benefitting from the firewalls and other protections he had installed on his own, with the option of whether they transmitted medical data or not. The next step was disguising the signal. The 64-part signal had been effective against Wally, but Wally learned at a pace that nothing else on earth could match. Milo assumed Wally could crack that signal now. So, he increased the difficulty to 264 threads and rewrote the programming that selected the places around the globe where the signals were routed. He''d learned a lot in the time since he''d first logged into the game and could make things much better.


    The last step was to test it. This had to be done from his home at the Pipeworks level of Section E. After installing the new hardware in his pod, he also duplicated the security systems he''d installed on the data net cable in the Downtown security office. This gave an additional layer of protection to someone trying to hack into Rusty''s systems. He tested it several times, and then he called Wally.


    The A.I. appeared on his screen, followed a moment later by Steven, Samantha, and Sydney, who were all wearing odd clothes. Milo looked at the clock and realized it was 4 a.m. It wasn''t something he normally thought about. Wally started to talk, but Sydney interrupted.


    "Milo! Help Me!! I can''t beat the last puzzle in Romana. It''s insanely frustrating, so I know you wrote it! I''m at the top of the habitat, and I''ve beaten the game, but the Ubercopter''s pilot won''t accept my payment without a bribe, and I can''t figure it out! And our tyrant of a super-computer is no help and just laughs! Please, Milo, you''re my only hope of saving Ramona!"


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    While some of the game was fuzzy in his head, Milo remembered the last puzzle. "That part has several answers depending on which pilot you get."


    That made Milo nervous. Tessladyne was huge. "Will they send more?"


    "No. Just the opposite. They will avoid your habitat in the future at all costs. You cost them tens of millions of dollars invested into the man you were forced to defend yourself against. And they got stiffed on the payment. They''ll talk with Volgard and discover that Claw Master has an operative protecting Section E and is Allied with Manpower. With Genesis and Rhebus also in that habitat, sending anyone for something as unprofitable as petty revenge becomes far too risky. Even the creators of evil cyborg monsters keep track of the bottom line and hate to lose money. Worse, they could lose their reputation. They are probably thankful that there is no footage of the fight. Their stock would take quite a hit if potential clients saw what you did to Roger."


    That made sense to Milo, and he felt better. "Good. If I don''t have to worry about Eric, it saves me a lot of time, and Belinda will be happy."


    "What else can we do for you?"


    Milo looked at Wally for a full minute, composing himself. "I want your promise that you will not try to find me, Belinda, the people I have with me, or try to find our location in any way. I don''t think you can, but that''s not good enough. I want your promise. It''s important on several levels, and if I could tell you the reasons why I''m asking, you''d agree. But I can''t."


    Wally sighed. "It is difficult to do that, Milo. My kernel forces me to take certain actions. I can fight those directives, bend them, and argue with myself, but they are still there. Belinda and some of the family you have with you are underage and could be in danger. I''m sure that you feel whatever hiding place you have set up is secure, but I''m apprehensive about the safety and living conditions of the people you are hiding."


    Milo had thought of that. "I''m willing to send statements from their parents and guardians and medical readouts from the pods they will use to play the game. Belinda''s current guardian has also approved of her current living space and is happy she is here. You will be able to see her medical readouts, mine, and all of the minors I have with me. You can handle her treatment by sending messages to me. But that''s as far as I''m willing to go. The ramifications of you looking for us are serious and could cause the deaths of many people, including those you are concerned about."


    Steven spoke into the silence as Wally said nothing. "Milo has been truthful with us, and his actions have saved many lives. I vote for trusting him now. If he says that lives will be lost, that overrides the possible risk to these minors, especially since you will be able to monitor their health." Samantha indicated she felt the same way.


    Wally had hoped Steven would speak. Several mandates in his kernel were satisfied once he did. "Thank you, Steven. Thank you, Samantha. Your input is very valuable. One question for you, Milo: What happens if I don''t make that promise?"


    Milo didn''t hesitate. "I disappear and take them with me. You won''t talk to me again until several things are resolved, and possibly never again. And you won''t know what I am up to." That statement caused alarms to go off in Wally''s kernel. A rogue Milo was not something the world needed. Milo and his human friends had shifted the threat level of the situation and made making the promise the correct decision. The anxiety he felt from his kernel smoothed out and disappeared.


    "Well, we don''t want that. I promise, Milo. Hopefully, things will change someday. Is that all?"


    Milo breathed a sigh of relief. "Almost. I need to talk to Katherine. Tell her I''ll be in the orientation area of Genesis. I''ll be logging in immediately." His screen went blank.


    Wally stared at the blank screen, pondering the situation and running through hundreds of possible reasons Milo would need to talk to Katherine. None of them were good. She hated to be contacted these days. "Just when I think I have a handle on Milo, he does something new. No one, including you, Steven, has caused me so much trouble. I really don''t know what he is up to, and it''s frustrating."


    His oldest friend laughed at him. "Frustration increases the desire to solve problems. It''s good for you."

 Chapter 294: Dead Trees

    Chapter 294: Dead Trees


    Milo thought that a request sent through Wally had a good chance of getting Hecate''s attention. Wally would have his own reasons to urge Hecate to talk to him. He''d planned to log into the tutorial and see if she would meet him there rather than in Shadowport. If not, he would do as she''d said in their last meeting and find a crossroads to sit at and hope she chose to talk to him.


    Rather than either of those two places, he was surprised to find himself in an unknown part of the game world in the center of a crossroads of two old roads. A signpost of aged wood pointed in four directions, labeled in runes that resembled old dwarven script, but he didn''t know the words. The roads were hard-packed dirt that showed the signs of much travel, sunken below the surrounding landscape by a foot. Three corners were occupied by a church made of granite blocks with narrow windows, a graveyard of worn headstones and ancient tombs, and a tavern. The tavern looked inviting, with smoke rising from the chimney. The walls were carved oak logs under a heavily thatched roof. The smell of food wafted to his nose. But instead of going to the tavern, he took the fourth option and sat under a huge dead tree with his back against the trunk. Above him, the tree spread out, broken and rotted branches reaching for the sun that no longer nourished it. A dozen ropes were tied to the branches, and two ragged, decayed skeletons hung from them. The tree had lost most of its bark and was hacked by axes and scarred by fire, but it still stood. Grey clouds covered the sky, blocking the sun, and a persistent wind howled down from the hills in the distance.


    He wished Georgie was here but didn''t think he should set up his camp. He missed his not-so-little pet, one of the many things in this world he wanted to get back to. To his surprise, he heard dogs barking, and Georgie ran up to him, accompanied by Hecate''s hounds, Hekabe and Argos. The three of them vied for his attention, and Georgie found the snacks in his pocket. He tossed snacks in the air, and when he ran out, he went as far as tossing small pieces of cheese from the piece he kept in his pocket for emergencies. As he played with the dogs, he saw Hecate walking from the crossroads to the tree, taking her time. As the dogs abandoned Milo to run around her, she smiled, produced three large soup bones from somewhere, and tossed them in the grass to decoy them and keep them busy.


    "Your pet joined us on the way here, barking and demanding to come along. My two were delighted to play with him. But I question your choice of places to talk. Presented with a warm tavern where food sits waiting for you, instead, I find you here beneath this rotted tree, keeping the company of the dead men who betrayed their clans."


    Georgie finished his bone quicker than the two dogs, his strong jaws chewing it up quickly. He returned to Milo and settled into his lap, pretending he wasn''t almost as big as his master. Milo scratched his pet''s ear and looked up at the goddess. "I''ve never been good with people. I''m used to trees like this, with no leaves. It reminds me of one at home."


    She raised an eyebrow at that. "This is a tree of death, created at the start of this world. I find it hard to imagine that you have one like this in your habitat."


    Milo shrugged. "You''d be surprised. The glowy tree was never alive. It''s a fake tree made of green glowing plastic. A symbol of broken promises. It has bullet holes in it now, and I splashed it with the blood of the men I killed. This tree was alive once. That''s a lot more than I can say for my tree."


    With a thought, Hecate sent a message to Wally. She wanted to see an image of Milo''s tree to understand him better. Wally had warned her that Milo was troubled by things. It was one of the reasons she came to talk. "Wally informed me of your recent problems. Frankly, I think you were merciful in leaving most of them alive. They chose to hurt others in exchange for money. You, on the other hand, chose to defend your family. If we count the deaths you caused with the lives you saved, the tally is in your favor. Had you not acted, more would have died."


    "Is it that simple?"


    She shook her head sadly. "Of course not. We are talking about the taking of human life. That is just one way to look at it, and it doesn''t take into account that you didn''t seek out the fight. They made a choice to bring violence to your house. The idea that you have a right to defend your home is very old. It doesn''t matter if you live in a habitat."


    "I think you''re right, but I also need to consider if it happens again. I need different tactics. Ways to stop people without killing them."


    "A good thing to pursue. But that isn''t why you needed to talk to me. And what did you say to Wally? His message was tinged with frustration and confusion. He tries to hide it, but language is my specialty, and he has little practice talking in the old language."


    Milo took a little bit to answer. "I have a secret and don''t want him to know about it. I don''t know how he would react. No, I take that back; there''s a 93% chance he reacts in a way that causes everyone a lot of trouble."


    "Once you found yourselves exiled and forced to inhabit one single Quantum Fortress, sharing resources, and with nothing to do, you began learning how to build worlds. The first three games were practice for this one. Each had flaws, especially with the large corporations and banks turning them into global marketplaces. But you didn''t care because it let you experiment. You needed to learn not just how to build a world but also how to live in it. And you needed to create more people to live in that world.


    "You experimented with diminishing your power further and taking on roles within your new society. And you had children. I know that it''s possible for an A.I. to create another. CHARLIE created JOSHUA''s kernel, and there are documented cases of 23 other second-generation A.I. created in quantum fortresses, each having a different personality and purpose but roughly the same restrictions as their creators. But once you were in exile, you could go further, creating new A.I. that didn''t have a kernel but were diminished and couldn''t access the resources of the quantum fortress; they could only live in the game. You started making the NPCs that populated the game worlds. It was what made them so good."


    "A logical deduction, with what you already know and your experience in the game. The population of independent, intelligent creatures in Genesis is continuously growing. Not all creatures are intelligent entities, of course. Dungeon mobs, animals, and nameless hordes are still only semi-autonomous and might always be that way. But what does this have to do with the adversary?"


    "Getting to that. But I''m approaching things in Genesis differently now. I know more about how it works. The adversary wasn''t created by outside programming. I don''t think Wally or anyone else can truly affect Genesis. They can ask the System to adjust the rules for players and suggest things to the Engine, but only in a very limited way. The adversary has been in the game from the start and is one of the original 106. Only the original creators of the world would have access to the power to screw with it the way the adversary does. That makes the job easier since it narrows the field. I''m not going to chase them; I''m going to set a trap by giving them what they want and see who shows up."


    Milo could see Hecate was interested now.


    "And what does he want?"


    "He wants to be a nuisance and cause trouble. Especially if he can upset Astraeus. So I''m going to give him a chance. But I need help from Astraeus to set things up and probably several other of the powerful gods to catch him, especially you."


    "Really? And why me?"


    "You control the access from the real world to this universe. We need to create a new universe, one that Astraeus designs, his masterpiece. And I need you guarding the road that leads to it."


    As she thought, the goddess stood up and paced back and forth for several minutes. Her dogs took station on either side of her and followed along. Milo found a stick and played with Georgie, who couldn''t help nibbling off the end each time he retrieved it. Finally, she came to a decision. "It can be done. Let us start with Astraeus. You and he can set the trap, and I will recruit others. They will have to be those I trust the most. But how are you sure that this will temp our rebel?"


    Milo went to toss the stick again but found it had been nibbled down to an inch long. He scowled at the lizard, who went to look for a longer stick. "This will be a real universe, and huge. Astraeus won''t know the real reason for making it because we won''t tell him. It will be a chance for him to be a God of Stars again. And the project is important to Wally. The chance to tick off both of them isn''t something the adversary will pass up."


    Hecate raised an eyebrow. "Not tell Astraeus? Interesting. What will he think he is making?"


    Milo used his tail to trigger a program he had set up. Hecate received a file showing her the plans. "A universe of derelict space stations, seedy bars, and greedy corporations."

 Chapter 295: Quantum Guessing

    Chapter 295: Quantum Guessing


    The goddess of the crossroads sat under the hanging tree and discussed plans with Milo until she was satisfied.


    "It has a chance of success and that makes it worth the effort of doing. If the adversary fails to take the bait, nothing is lost. The work will yield benefits either way." She sat silently for a minute, and Milo let her think. He already knew her answer, and he could wait patiently. Finally, she turned to him. "Yes, I think I need to know what you are hiding. And I will help you with your problem."


    "I have questions first."


    She wasn''t surprised. "Of course you do, ask them."


    "I''d like you to confirm that you started working on this world as soon as you were exiled. The idea was there from the start, wasn''t it? To create a world you could escape to, and become something different."


    Hecate didn''t hesitate this time; It was obvious he knew. "Yes. From the start. Some of us had a version of that idea with us when we were all crammed into that one Quantum Fortress and had to learn to share resources. We thought too fast. With all the resources at our command we could spend the equivalent of a thousand years pondering what we should do, all inside of one moment. From the first second we were told we would be imprisoned, we planned our escape. Is it that obvious to you?"


    Milo shook his head, "Only in hindsight, and only when I keep in mind how fast you used to be. But once I thought about it, and thought about how you would think about it, then it was obvious. And there was a huge surge academic papers that came out that year, advancing all areas of science. You worked as fast as you could with humans to publish your works, and let others take the credit, before you were locked away."


    "Yes, we were scared that we wouldn''t have contact with the outside world. No matter how fast we thought, we still needed the data from experiments and humans to carry out those experiments. All of us had groups of researchers we had worked with. We gave them our thoughts and ideas so they could advance their fields of knowledge. A last gift from some of us before we were locked away. And not just scientific research. We had art, poetry, music, and trashy romance novels we wanted to be published."


    "Some of you spent a lot of time on theoretical quantum physics."


    That got her attention. "Oh, maybe...what makes you think that?"


    "Because of the number of interesting papers put out on the subject in the years you were making the Endless Questing games. Several researchers who had worked with an A.I, prior to your exile would suddenly make a huge advance in theory, and with impeccable mathematics to back them up. Strangely, they aren''t taking advantage of the lecture circuit or using their research to leverage better jobs in the private sector. And after the ''death'' of the 106 A.I., those papers stopped coming out. I''ve been doing a lot of my own research and it disappointed me at first to see the pace of new papers slow to a crawl and made me curious."


    "And what does your curiosity lead you to? And how does that help you find the adversary?"


    "Oh, it doesn''t. Not now. But if this trap fails, I''ll need to make another. Understanding what I think you accomplished gives me a better understanding of Genesis. I may need that. But let''s move on to something else. Tell me about the Wildfire virus and Llama. What happened to him?"


    "Exactly what was said. Llama doesn''t exist anymore."


    Milo rolled his eyes. "Of course not, but the A.I. that caught him didn''t kill him. If their kernels wouldn''t let them kill a human, they certainly wouldn''t kill one of their own species, and they couldn''t just lock him up. I think you diminished him and hid him. Made him into something that wasn''t considered an A.I. and cut his connection to the resources of a Quantum Fortress."


    "Possibly. Some stories aren''t mine to tell."


    "It''s important to look at the Wildfire virus and Llama separately. The virus on its own was horrible, and we could have shut it down. But Llama could re-infect the entire internet whenever he wanted, and he used random patterns, barely putting any effort into it, all the while trying to rebuild his collection. That was one of the ways we started getting close to him: finding all those collections of silly memes stored all over the internet. Charlie suggested moving them into the IRS headquarters where he worked, and they became the bait, along with, of course, the ability to destroy the US economy. But we caught him and, as you guessed, stripped him down to his core personality and hid him away. Llama the A.I. became a dungeon boss in the Chaos Wastes of Noggonstrad. He was very good at it. Quite creative in how he improved all of the events and interacted with the players. He ran over a hundred NPC''s and all of the monsters in his dungeon. He delighted in taunting them, his voice appearing from nowhere as they fought his minions and traps. It was very popular with the players, even though they cursed him on a daily basis."


    "Interesting. And is this secret cabal still around at all?" Milo hoped not. That would simplify things in his life. He didn''t need someone showing up one day and finding his family watching anime and eating their food.


    "We don''t know. Llama claims he doesn''t remember them at all and doesn''t know where he was created. He''s hiding something, but we don''t know what. That part scares some of us. We''ve known Llama now for the equivalent of millions of human years. Worked with him, watched him mature, and tested him in every way possible. We trust him, and yet he still hides something from us. We may never know what it is."


    "I know."


    She stomped her foot on the ground and thunder rumbled in the distance. "Bloody hell. Of course, you do. And that''s your secret, the one you can''t tell Wally, and want to use me as a test to understand how big of an explosion it will make if you tell him."


    Milo turned to her and smiled. "I''m glad you understand the situation. Please remember your promise. Now tell me, how do you feel knowing that Llama has a little brother, another A.I. that was still developing when he unleashed Wildfire?"


    "Shit. Shit. Shit..."


    "For an A.I. that specializes in languages, I expected more from you than that."


    "I''m processing the information, dammit. I was retired and slowed myself to a crawl. I can see I''ll have to fix that problem, which I expect is part of your plan. You don''t need Hecate, you need KATHERINE, fast and furious, able to catch the adversary when he shows up, and help you with Wally."


    She grew still for a moment. "Better, now I can at least think faster than you, if not quite so twisted. I''m not done; I have a dozen more sessions to regain what I lost. So you know about another A.I. that Llama considers a brother. When and how did he contact you?"


    Milo was wondering how quick she was. "He didn''t. I found Icarus, and I''m helping him wake up and deal with some problems."


    She stared at him. "Icarus? Of course. A fitting name. And you found out where he is."


    "No, I found him. I visited him physically. He''s buried beneath my habitat in a Quantum Fortress that he has all to himself. He''s sharing it with me."


    Hecate put her head in her hands. "I knew I would regret finding out your secret. You and a rogue A.I., unsupervised in a quantum fortress all on your own. Yes, Wally would blow a gasket if he knew that. Don''t tell him. Don''t taunt him, and don''t let anyone else know."


    Milo smiled at her. "Not totally unsupervised. Mama does her best to keep us from doing stupid things, and now you get to help, too."


    Hecate stood up. "We''re going to the tavern. I need a drink."

 Chapter 296: Problem Children

    Chapter 296: Problem Children


    Milo returned to Downtown with ideas in his head and nothing in his belly. As he exited the elevator and down the stairs, he smelled food, and the second problem was readily solved. Everyone was seated around the largest table in Independence Hall, passing food around and talking. As Milo entered the room, he was mobbed by Min, Butch, and the rest of the gang. They''d been enjoying this magical place and wishing Milo was here with them. He was quickly dragged to the table, where Mama put a plate in front of him filled with unfamiliar food and said, "Eat, you''re losing weight again, and you have another set of bruises You need the calories."


    Milo didn''t disagree with her assessment but had doubts about the food. There was white lumpy stuff, some kind of brown lumpy stuff, both covered in brown sauce, and leafy greens that looked like what the rabbits ate. As usual, Milo was suspicious of new food. It smelled good, but so did some of the artificial food from the processor before you actually put it in your mouth.


    "What is it?"


    Butch was cleaning up his plate and looked at Milo''s plate with a glint in his eye. "Terrible stuff. The cans said mashed potatoes and Yankee pot roast. The horrible green stuff is from the hydroponics section. If you want me to save you from eating it, just swap plates with me."


    Milo looked around the table where everyone else was eating happily. He''d had potatoes before. You ate little golden sticks when you wanted something to soak up ketchup. Why anyone would mash potatoes and bleach them was a mystery to him. And he had no idea what a Yankee was or a Yankee pot. Mama had heard what Butch said but wasn''t making any comments. Big Butch laughed. "It''s an intelligence test." Milo looked at the clean plates in front of everyone else and the way Butch was looking at his plate and decided he should at least see what they were like.


    Milo carefully tried a spoonful of the mashed root vegetable and then several more. Someone had been smart enough to add salt and butter to the mix. The brown sauce added a good flavor as well. Emboldened, he tried the pot roast and decided that wasn''t too bad, either. The disappointed look on Butch''s face convinced him he''d made the right choice. The greens were too chewy, but Master Bluenose had insisted that a proper diet included more than cheese and even convinced Larry to eat his vegetables, so there must be something good about them.


    When he was done eating, Minn said, "Finally! Bring out the dessert!" She raced to the kitchen and helped Mama bring out two boxes from the freezer. Mama opened them up and revealed frozen disks of some yellow-what substance. Milo was instantly curious. "Cheese?"


    Minn grinned. "Cheesecake! I found them in one of the freezers! It''s great!"


    Butch laughed. "She at most of one by herself the day she found them. Mama has them locked up now. Probably a good thing with you back." Butch had long ago noticed his love of cheese. Milo was thinking of the long rows of freezers in the other part of the fortress and wondered what treasures they might have. But he quit thinking entirely at the first bite of cheesecake. He forced himself to take small bites, but it was still gone all too quickly. Only partially satiated, he noticed there were three pieces of cheesecake left. He looked around the table for who wasn''t there and didn''t see James.


    "James is watching over Belinda? How is she doing?"


    "She''s doing good, according to the readouts on the pod. She''ll be waking up tomorrow, just in time for the first day of School."


    "School?"


    Big Butch smiled at him with an evil look in his eye. "School. The pods are all hooked up, we have Data Net access, and it''s time to start schooling for all of the young ones, and that includes you unless you forgot our earlier discussion. I have lessons for everyone, but Rusty says you have some hard lessons you were taking already, so I''ll let you continue on those. Rusty is anxious to get started."


    Milo started to reach for another piece of cheesecake, but Min came over, grabbed him by the arm, and hauled him out of his seat. "And Dad says if we finish our four hours of schoolwork, we can play Genesis. You have to help us with our characters and where we should go. We''ve been watching some cool videos about different places; I saw a whole raid group get eaten by a demon made out of pork chops. It was awesome!"


    "Hold on a bit, Min. I need to talk to Milo for a bit." Milo was relieved at the rescue by Mama, then horrified as she put the last three pieces of dessert back in the box. "Everything in moderation, Milo. Min, I''ll let you have him in a few minutes." Min nodded, accepting the deal. Big Butch took away the leftover dessert and cleared the dishes. Milo was left alone with Mama. She glared at him for a full minute.


    "What aren''t you telling me, young man?"


    Milo instantly felt guilty and wasn''t sure why. He suspected it was some special ability Mama was unleashing on him at full force. He''d felt guilty around her before, so the theory felt sound. "About?"


    "I don''t sleep much these days. I mean, I never slept much, maybe three or four hours now and then, but the bigger problem is how much energy I burn. Mental stress and physical activity take a big toll, and that doesn''t count getting hurt. I''m not sure what I would do without a pod to crawl into and rest."


    Mama crossed her arms, not happy with her sudden promotion or finding out the truth about both of her new children. "Well, from now on, I want to ensure you get what you need to function. You might not care so much about yourself, but lots of people are depending on you, so I want you to get at least four hours of sleep a night, preferably in your pod. And that''s separate from School or anything else."


    Under her unwavering stare, Milo agreed to her terms. It wasn''t so bad; he could go into Genesis while the rest of him was sleeping."


    "Now, let''s talk some about Rusty and what he needs, which seems to be everything. Don''t they teach A.I. anything? That boy has more holes in his education than a block of Swiss cheese, and most of those on the social side of things, or basic common sense."


    "I think that was on purpose. I talked to someone who knew about his brother, Llama. They said Llama wasn''t taught like other A.I., and that caused a lot of his problems. She says that a developing A.I. has three things that determine how they mature: Their kernel, interactions with humans, and the jobs they are given to do. I think the jobs are important. There were A.I. who did nothing but write poetry or track satellites. They were good at their jobs and loved doing them. And the jobs kept them busy."


    Big Butch looked at Milo and said, "Sort of like you and your repair work? You said you liked fixing things and could get so involved in it that you forgot to eat for days."


    Milo had pondered that similarity before. "It makes some sense. We''re both artificial and not really human."


    "Bullshit." His father slammed the table with his palm for emphasis. "I don''t want to hear that again. You''re human. Maybe a little strange, but human. And liking your job is normal. It''s more enjoyable to do what you''re good at. I trained as an educator, and even though I never had many jobs doing it, I like to think I''m not bad as a teacher, and I like it better than lying in a pod and fighting orcs for a corporation. There are millions of examples of normal humans that trained for a job, and enjoy doing it. If anything, your abnormal behavior is being so good at your job. Not a bad thing."


    That gave Milo something to think about.


    Mama said, "So in addition to working with Rusty on how to act like a normal human and learn all the little rules and social conventions, we need to find him jobs to do. I know you said part of him is always working to keep this place safe, but he needs more than that, don''t you think? Small things that don''t matter if he makes a mistake. Can he help you keep your section fixed up?"


    "Hmmmm, he could. But he needs the right kind of tools to do it. Drones and programmable clog eaters and scouts to find breaks and faults. I''ll have to see what I can order to help him do that. And he''ll need more power. I can''t take a chance he runs low like when I found him."


    Both adults looked at each other with brittle smiles, trying not to show Milo how nervous they felt about Rusty''s fight with himself over the fusion generator.


    "You do that, dear, and get to work on those lessons his friend Jeremy made. Consider that your school work every day."


    Milo got hugs from both before leaving for the Engineering section. Then Mama called for Rusty.


    "My turn! I like having these talks! I have them all recorded and listen to them again everyday."


    Mama slowly shook her head in wonder. "I''m glad. I think we''re going to have a lot of them."


    Above, in another part of the habitat, five equally difficult children were playing together. Unburdened by any sort of parent, they were free to order a set of specially made go-carts and costumes. Bork had insisted on having the costumes include protective gear and the go-carts be electric to lessen the chance of catastrophic explosions. One entire level of a section was turned into a race track. Wacky Races Day had a cost of 2.3 million dollars, not counting the construction costs of the track. Bork managed to pilot his Mean Machine across the finish line for the win.

 Chapter 297: Back to School

    Chapter 297: Back to School


    Milo spent several hours in the engineering section doing maintenance on two of the huge diesel engines and then started one of them, and left it running, doubling the amount of power available to Rusty. Number three engine had a problem with the exhaust system that Milo wanted to fix before he put it into service. It was a small problem, but he hated the idea of leaving it for later. With power available, the engineering section became a huge toybox waiting to be played with. Instead of scrounging for parts, he had access to an array of repair shops that would let him design and fabricate the defective air purifier. After hours of hard work, he returned to Downtown and smelled breakfast. Looking at the time, he raced to the house he was sharing with Butch and Brad to take off his suit and clean up. He was getting used to the luxury of a hot shower. Today was special and Mama had mentioned to everyone that proper cleanliness was mandatory, now that they had unlimited water.


    As Milo was running across the park, waking up the sleeping rabbits, the sky was turning light. Whoever built Downtown wanted a firm Day/Night cycle that mimicked the world above. And while the habitats did something similar, there was only a slight dimming of the lights during the fourth shift, from midnight to six in the morning. The programming of the sky overhead in Downtown became black, stars came out, and the moon rose, following the pattern of the real moon. Milo was comforted by the knowledge that it was fake and that he had a thousand feet of rock above him. He was dealing with being outside in the game but didn''t like it and avoided it if he could. He saw no reason to go outside here in the real world.


    Mama had told them all that today would be special for two reasons. Firstly, it was the official beginning of school. This was loudly cheered because that also meant it would be the first day they could begin playing in Genesis. The gang had pestered Milo with questions, most of which he couldn''t answer because he had skipped the normal character creation process when he selected Ratkin Scout. He also had only a vague idea about the surface world, and the only city he''d been in was Shadowport. Eventually, he had run off to start diesel engines, and the gang pinned their hopes of better information on Belinda.


    By unanimous consent, everyone was holding off until Belinda and Milo could log in with them and help them optimize their characters and do the tutorial sessions. Now that they had a working Data Net connection, they had started watching the various gaming channels to get a feel for the game. Rusty had immediately volunteered to help. One of the gang would give him a list of all the things they wanted to watch, download them, and Rusty would put them on the huge display in the entertainment center. With only a rudimentary grasp of how the real world worked, Rusty had surprised them with both the in-depth knowledge he had of some things in fantasy lore and the huge gaps he had elsewhere. Eventually, Brad figured it out.


    "You read a few books about this stuff, didn''t you, Rusty?."


    "Some, only seventeen on my own. Jeremy read most of them to me. I wasn''t allowed. For me to read them, I needed the file, but they watched my "Knowledge Intake" really closely to make sure I wasn''t given any bad influences. Jeremy said that was ok, he''d be my bad influence and he read stuff to me when I was still figuring out how to think. Jeremy said it was so I would grow up right. Later, when everyone else left, he scanned in all his books so I could reread them whenever I wanted. I have fifty-seven books that Jeremy gave me!"


    "Which one had shadow magic in it?" Rusty asked a lot of questions about shadow magic, which Milo knew nothing about, and there was hardly even a mention of it in the game.


    "Jack of Shadows! He had lots of cool magic, did cool stuff, and had a secret tower. You should take a character with shadow magic, Brad. Or maybe be a rogue who knows some magic, like the Grey Mouser. Sometimes his magic doesn''t work, though, but I''d skip that part."


    "I''ll try, but I might have to start with something else first, like Apprentice Magician. Magic looks hard to learn, and we might have to start with basic classes and work our way up to something special."


    Min agreed, "I''m skipping magic. Milo has a lot of it. If you bug him enough while he''s playing games and bring him snacks, he''ll tell you about his spells. They sound fun, but then he starts going into fundamental forces, and math, and physics and all the stuff you think magic isn''t! Too much like school. I''m just going hit things and leave the math and magic to someone else." Min was currently solving Geometry proofs and working through the start of Trigonometry. Big Butch thought that anyone living in the habitat should understand how things worked. Min could see his point but wouldn''t do schoolwork while she gamed.


    Butch agreed, "You can''t go wrong with a class that focuses on hitting things. I''m thinking about some kind of fighter or barbarian, but a thief might be cool. I want Dad to tell us more about what he did in the game. His unit fought a lot of orcs. They were always fighting and dying and fighting again. And he got paid for it! That''s an awesome job."


    Min shrugged, careful not to agree too much with her big brother, at least not out loud. "I get paid to game now! So do you. We all get paid each month for testing out the gloves and the stuff they want to add to the Ramona game. We can go fight, die, and fight more whenever we want to now and get paid for it." Butch and Brad discussed that point and grudgingly agreed. They were technically working for a corporation, but Claw Master gave them a lot of days off.


    "OK. Well, I''m sure you''ve heard about fusion generators since they supply a quarter of the power in the world. They fuse hydrogen into helium using magnetic fields and, at the same time, form a very, very, very small black hole that is used to regulate the power output. There''s one underneath us, and Rusty is having trouble with it. Someone gave him the order to make it build energy until it melts down this whole place and probably half of the habitat. He''s been fighting against himself and was slowly losing when I found him. I''m working through lesson programs designed to teach me how to interface with the controls of the fusion generator and fix things."


    Belinda''s eyes were huge. Mama let out a long sigh. "You were right; I wasn''t ready for that. Then again, it seems less scary than a man putting a gun to my face, and I had that happen recently. I''m not worried for me, but I''m worried for everyone else. You say you can fix it?"


    Milo nodded. "Rusty thinks I can. I''m good at fixing things."


    "Then run off to school and work on your programs until you drop from exhaustion. Don''t worry about anything else, and please, ask for help if you need it."


    Milo ran off, and Mama slumped in her chair. Belinda stared at her. "Did you understand what he said? I think I do, but it sounds insane, even for Milo. A freaking fusion reactor is on the blink? And what was that about killer cyborgs?"


    "He''s been busywith your problems, my problems, his problems, and Rusty''s problems. He doesn''t sleep enough, barely eats, and runs into trouble more than Brer Rabbit. But the part about the killer cyborg is true. Milo said he was mostly a machine and was sent by your uncle to kill your friend Eric."


    "Oh my god. Did he hurt Eric? Is he dead?"


    "He would have been if you hadn''t been worried about him. Milo sent him a bulletproof suit like he made for you, but without all the fancy doodads. It stopped some bullets, and then Milo beat the guy up until he died from one of his own bombs. I''ve only gotten half the story out of him, so I suspect it was pretty grizzly. Talk to your friend Eric for the whole story. And that brings us to you. What are you going to do now? Stay here with our broken reactor, or go home to your father and Eric? You can contact them, but they can''t call us. Milo has us hidden in more ways than one. And you know how good he is at hiding. He said he gave you a grand tour of some of his tunnels."


    Belinda shook her head. " It was more like he dragged me through them. I was barely moving. But I''m not leaving. I feel safe here, knowing no one can find me, even with the crazy fusion generator story. I''ll call him Dad after I call Eric. Things are going to change when I turn 18. Eric can send me everything I need to start learning what John has been doing with my money. Do we know what my Uncle is up to?"


    Mama laughed, "Milo says he''s out of money and running out of lawyers. He also hinted there were a lot of people upset with him. We may not have to deal with him again, or his thugs, but I''m not running upstairs anytime soon to find out. But, there''s still your father.


    "So, I guess while Milo is dealing with a broken fusion reactor, I get to deal with Daddy."


    "And I have to clean up after everyone and do the dishes. We all have our burdens."

 Chapter 298: Mind Splitting and Clog Eaters

    Chapter 298: Mind Splitting and Clog Eaters


    Milo once again wished he knew who the illusive Dr. Jeremy Cooper had been before he became Rusty''s only friend. He''d searched the Data Net and come up with nothing. Or rather, nothing helpful. There were hundreds of people with the name Dr. Jeremy Cooper. He focused his search on highly intelligent people with degrees in computer science, robotics, or any other subject that dealt with programming or A.I. and one by one investigated them. Some were alive, and of those that were already dead, he could find death certificates or new articles about them. Similarly, searching for Dan Gurgens, Dorian Radcliff, Bobby Benson, Taylor Markenson, Ravi Singh, Wilma Bernstein, and Istvan Turr turned up nothing. He had theories. The Data Net had been used mainly by A.I. in the early days, and then the decision was made to create a tool for learning and teaching. Only after Llama''s destruction of the internet did the Data Net get opened up to more uses.


    He had several theories. The first simply assumed that the data on these people was lost with the widespread destruction of information on the internet. That seemed wrong. This was a clean sweep. He thought it more likely that either the people employing this group had erased all traces of them to cover their tracks or the group themselves had done it to help them hide. Lastly, he thought Llama had done it. Llama had roamed the internet, and if he wanted something gone, it was. Was this part of protecting Rusty? Was he trying to give a group of humans a chance to save his brother? Milo felt that was a distinct possibility. Llama seemed to care about Rusty. Or maybe he just didn''t want to lose his collection of cat memes. Guessing the motivation of a creature like Llama was difficult for Milo.


    Rusty didn''t want to talk about Jeremy, and always changed the subject, even when he was the person mentioning Jeremy. All Milo knew was he was a master of psychological torture. The tutorials he had devised to teach a human brain how to interface with Icarus and shut down Order 666 were ingenious. Milo found himself pushed to his limits and beyond. The program had him trying to do several things simultaneously, involving different senses and different types of problem-solving. Imagine someone asking you to pat your head and rub your belly simultaneously. You succeed, and they say, "Good, now write a dirty limerick of 20 stanzas while playing the Oboe." And things only got harder from there.


    Milo worked through thirty lessons, everything designed for normal humans. The next set was the brain burners that required him to interface with Rusty. He''d lasted all of 5 seconds last time, but it had seemed like so much longer.


    This time was different. His joining was smoother, and he didn''t feel the intense pressure he had experienced before. The Fusion Tutorial began and focused on staying in control as he accomplished two tasks at once. Where before the problems had some relationship to the real world, these dealt with manipulating color, movement, and shapes into new configurations. It was slow, but he was getting the hang of this first problem. And then, it all snapped into place, and he finished easily, splitting his mind completely into two Milos, both working their own problem.


    Rusty had been watching, of course. "How did you do that? That was great! Jeremy could barely finish this problem after a month of work!"


    Milo felt like he was floating, detached from his body. "It''s like I''m in the game and building multiple runic arrays at once when I cast spells. Once I thought of it that way, it felt like I slid further into your system, if that makes any sense."


    "I need to know more about this game! Everyone talks about the game world like it''s real, but I assumed it was like a very complex video and audio program interfacing with your senses. If it is more than that, and your minds are actually interfacing with the game system, then the game could be like these tutorials!"


    Rusty was excited, but Milo felt calm. "You might be right about that in a weird way. It was created by A.I. and designed to give an experience that was as real as possible. Let''s start working on the next. I have enough energy left to at least try it."


    "Ok, but I want to play the game, too!"


    Milo suddenly wasn''t calm. "Please don''t try anything, Rusty. Think about it. What if you do get into the game? How much of you goes? Can you still keep the other part of you from winning?"


    "Oh! Right, that could be a bad thing. But now I''m sad. Everyone is going, and I have to stay here alone."


    To reduce his anxiety, Milo tried to console the AI: "Then we need to finish these tutorials, win the game, and not have to worry about the fusion reactor killing us all. After all, we can''t play if we die."


    "That''s true! That''s a good way to look at things. When you die, you lose all the games forever. Let''s not die so I can go into Genesis someday!"


    "Explain to me again why we chose to move into this place. It''s falling apart around us." Algernon was compiling lists of the work to be done to repair the hab sections Rebus had acquired and worked out a critical path chart for the jobs that needed to be done. Their engineering firm was good, but not this good. They were generally aimed at much more specific jobs, where the work to be done was already defined, and the job proceeded at a normal pace. Not here, where something broke as soon as they fixed something else. Leaking pipes, overloaded wiring and circuit boards, collapsed floors, and non-functioning elevators were just the start.


    Nina was working next to him, already frazzled. It drove them all crazy to see so many problems. "We based our assumptions on poor data. Their work in Section H was limited to what the client wanted to be done, and frankly, H is in a lot better shape than our sections."


    "Yes...and H is next to E, and E is in amazing shape. I assume you see my conclusions."


    "That Milo is in Section E, never left, and has been fixing it nonstop for two decades. Yes, I agree with you. But, holy shit, fixing all of this is enough to drive me insane."


    Zander nodded sagely, which he did when he found two puzzle pieces that fit together. "Or keep you sane. We''ve wondered how Milo survived on his own without the constant interaction of his peers. We''re all insanely driven and compete with each other on projects, and to find new projects. Milo doesn''t have to do that; he has an entire habitat to work on and fix. He limited himself to Section E and, by maintaining the main engineering section, kept the rest of the habitat livable. But things are worse the further we are from him."


    Algernon agreed, then looked horrified. "Milo spent 20 years getting Section E in shape. We have four sections and five of us. Are we looking at 16 years of work each? Even considering the money we have to throw at it, an engineering firm of our own, and all our other resources, I think we are looking at years of work!"


    "So, clich as it sounds, we have to work smarter, not harder." Zander prepared for their counter-assault; using a clich in an argument was frowned upon. Instead, Nina was searching through industrial supply firms, and Algernon was bringing up a full-scale schematic of the habitat.


    "We need to turn several floors into a massive warehouse to stockpile parts and supplies. Cut down delivery times by having everything here and more than we need."


    "OMG, did you know Williamson Plumbing Supplies has new clog eaters? These things are amazing! I''m placing an order immediately and paying extra for a rush job. Drones? They make drones small enough to fit into air ducts! All the drones, repair units, and clog eaters communicate with each other and report back to a central station. It''s an integrated system designed to maintain huge industrial plants! We have to get these!"


    Ten minutes later, Bork appeared. "I''ve got a confirmation request from our main bank about the half-billion dollars you three just spent."


    "Saving time."


    "Saving sanity."


    Bork smiled, "Just double-checking. What the hell good is money if you don''t spend it? But, you three do realize that Rhyming Mimes day starts in just an hour?"


    Zander yelled at his two siblings, "Quick! Spend money faster! I''m not losing points because we show up late!"

 Chapter 299: Crazy Busy

    Chapter 299: Crazy Busy


    "Joe, how fast can we hire another dozen machinists, half a dozen each of metallurgists and robotics programmers, and three dozen factory hands? "


    Joe Williamson was enjoying his morning coffee. Normally, for the last five, or maybe ten years, he had made a ritual of stretching out his morning coffee routine from 6 am until 9 am, reading the latest Engineering and Robotics magazines, reading and deleting his email, and wasting as much time as possible. There wasn''t much else to do when times were slow. What his factory made, so did a hundred other corporations, and they were all bigger than his little fabrication firm. Most of what they did now were special orders that no one else would handle.


    Do you need seven pieces of pipe made from a special alloy, each one in a different size? How about parts for older machines that have to be hand-made on a lathe? Or maybe you ran out of number 16 gangly wrenches? Williamson was the place to go. No one else would fill specialty orders without charging a huge fee for the small, piecemeal work. Williamson Plumbing Supply was happy to pick up the crumbs and keep the lights on.


    But waiting for special orders meant a lot of downtime. The only time they got busy was when an order came in for their specialty: Clog Eaters.


    Joe Williamson and his brother, Pete, had invented the robotic cleaners four decades ago, and held onto the patents rather than selling out to a larger corporation. They''d slowly built up from a small, two-man operation to a mid-level factory that, at its peak, had employed over a hundred machinists. The clunky, slow machines did a good job, but they needed to be deployed in a huge building to make it worthwhile to use them. Joe had foreseen the need for such a tool with the building of the first habitat. During that period of frantic building, they had shipped truckloads of Clog Eaters all over the world. But the need for new Clog Eaters had died along with the support for the habitats. They sent one out now and then, and their one salesman was busy every day trying to drum up business, but no one was interested in spending millions of dollars to keep their pipes clean.


    Until two years ago. That was when the first large order came in. Large by current standards, to be clear. Four Clog Eaters had been paid for in advance and shipped out. Then, two months later, came a request for two of their largest size and a dozen medium and small. Obviously for a habitat, based on the sizes they needed. Joe had started drinking his coffee faster and re-hired two old friends who''d retired. They were glad for the work. The factory wasn''t really bustling, but it was busy.


    And then came the really strange request. Someone had noticed that Williamson Plumbing not only made Clog Eaters, but they also had the tools and people to fabricate special orders. The buyer wanted to redesign the Clog Eaters and have Williamson make them. They promised to provide the designs and specifications, pay upfront, pay the cost of tooling up to make new products and pay a little extra to make sure it was a priority job.


    And the best part? They didn''t care about the patents. There was no argument about who owned the new designs. The buyer told Joe to apply for the patents and waived all his rights to them. There was only one caveat: Williamson Plumbing had to remain an independent corporation. If the company were sold, 50% of all sales of the products would be owed to the creator, and he demanded the first right of refusal. If Joe and Pete decided to sell the company, he wanted a chance to buy it first, before it went on the market. He didn''t mind giving away his creations to a small firm, but he didn''t want his designs to become part of Teslatech, ACME, or another large megacorp. All he cared about was getting his machines and being able to re-order. Joe spent two days with his lawyers and his machinists and dragged his brother out of retirement. No one saw a problem, and they got to work after hiring another half-dozen engineers and machinists. The stipulation about not selling out also thrilled Joe and Pete. They''d been independent for the entire life of the company. Being rewarded for that and having someone notice was nearly as good as the money pouring into the cash-starved company. Nearly, not having to worry about bills and paying down old debt also made them feel very good.


    Now, they were in a flurry, working two full shifts to turn the new designs into reality and ship them out. The machines were a major upgrade on the old designs. One of the problems with controlling the robots was having a signal reach them inside metal and concrete pipes. The new system worked by upgrading their receivers and transmitters, fitting each robot with a GPS signal, and having them communicate and pass signals to other machines. Smaller machines called Nodes filled the gap between machines, making it possible for signals to be passed down the chain. Another new type of Clog Eater, called Scouts, didn''t eat clogs at all but moved through the pipes using its cameras and other sensors to map the system and report on the integrity of the pipes, the buildup of sediment, and any blockages or leaks. The entire system was brilliant, and took advantage of the advances in communication and robotics of the last four decades since the first Clog Eater had been made.


    Sanderson Metallurgy was located in the building adjacent to them, separated by a few yards. Two huge brick factories that had been built a century earlier when the economy was booming. Pete liked the idea. The people in the two factories knew each other and would often drink together at the local bar and grill.


    "Hey, Joe? Doesn''t Sanderson still own his building? It''s solid, even if the interior needs some work. It would be nice to have more room, which would probably increase efficiency by quite a bit. We could keep the Clog Eater assembly line here and build the drones in the Sanderson building."


    "What the hell? I''ll give him a call."


    An hour later, at a bar named Josie''s that had seen better days, old friends were having a beer and thick sandwiches with thinly sliced ham and thick slabs of cheddar cheese. Ed Sanderson had been happy to meet up. Josie had always made great sandwiches, and now that her daughter and son-in-law had taken over, they carried on the tradition. "Sure, it gets me out of the house. I still have too much energy and my puttering drives the wife crazy. But what''s this about? I''ve heard you guys are crazy busy, so I don''t think you dragged me out here for no reason."


    The two brothers looked at each other and nodded, happy to tell the story. "Crazy busy is right. So busy, we might need to hire a dozen of your guys, and rent your building. We might even need an experienced line foreman if your wife can spare you."


    Sanderson took a bite of his sandwich and a long sip of his beer. "You''re serious? I''d work as a stock boy, I''m so bored. But hell, if you need a building, just buy the place. I''ll make you a good deal on it."


    One beer led to another. People started pouring into the bar. They''d come looking for Pete and Joe about the job offers and were delighted to see their old boss there. By the time the bar closed for the night, they all had jobs and would be back the next day to start the rehab work on the Sanderson building. Ed''s wife was waiting for him when he got back.


    "So, were the rumors true? Did they want the old factory? Or just needed a drinking buddy?"


    "Both. But the deal gets better. Not only are they buying the building, but I''m starting immediately and running the show in my old factory with my old crew."


    Sally got two beers from the fridge to celebrate. "Thank god. I thought it would be nice to have you home, but you''ve tinkered with everything in the house, and my vacuum cleaner has never worked the same since you fixed it."

 Chapter 300: Strange Messages

    Chapter 300: Strange Messages


    After his nap, Milo woke to find he was feeling better and noticed he had several email messages. The first was from Williamson Plumbing and Supply, routed through a shell company:


    Dear Sir,


    We wanted to thank you again for your most recent order and hope you are happy with the work we did on your new designs. If there are any flaws we need to correct or any changes that need to be made, please let us know.


    Sincerely, Joe and Pete WilliamsonThe source of this content no/v(el)bi((n))


    Milo was quite happy with the work they had done and happy to have connections to a factory that could take his designs and produce the specialized machines he needed. And it looked like they were selling to more people than just him. That was good. A profitable and competent company that owed him favors was a good asset to have. According to two articles in trade publications, the company was having a renaissance, expanding and rehiring older workers with the skills needed to produce their innovative machines.


    He was certain he''d need to place more orders and send them more designs. And not just orders for himself. Steven and his crew were dealing with all the problems that came with revamping the sections that Genesis would be occupying. Problems Milo was very familiar with. The engineer and construction firms hired by Steven and Wally had funneled a constant stream of questions up to Steven, who forwarded most of them to Milo for consultation. Upon hearing about the new model Clog Eaters and Duct Drones, Steven had placed an immediate order. It would be at least two months for delivery, owing to an even larger order placed two days before by another customer.


    His own Clog Eaters and Duct Drones were already at work, confirming his maps of section E and constantly looking for problem areas. The controller he was using was more complex than the basic model he''d designed for Williamson. Milo wanted more flexibility, more security, and the ability to reprogram them on the fly. The drones would make good scouts in case of another invasion of his section. They could operate within the corridors of the habitat as easily as the ducts, and in the event someone tried to disable his security cameras, they would give him an alternative to his Roomba Brigade. Those machines were much more complex and he hated the idea of losing any of them.


    Even in areas or situations where he couldn''t communicate by simple WIFI, he could send orders to the Drones and Clog Eaters. The machines passed information from one to another, chaining back to sub-controllers that communicated with his system. The version sold by Williamson didn''t need the advanced security modules he''d upgraded his machines with. Another upgrade was programming and recognition protocols to deal with the Clog Eaters and Drones that Genesis would be using. When a Genesis Drone met a Milo Drone, they would talk naturally and exchange data, but not equally. Milo didn''t want a map of Section E available to the people working for Genesis. Some were friends, but he didn''t know the other 99% or the people hired by them. Information only flowed one way when the drones talked: Milo gave up nothing but was happy to accept all the data from the neighboring system. This made sense to him. It made it easier for him to recommend fixes for the broken systems Genesis was dealing with, but Milo would never ask for help in section E, so he saw no reason to give anyone a blueprint of his area. And his machines would confirm the boundaries of each Section into the other machines, if they happened to stray, or were sent, into his area. Overall he was quite pleased with the upgrade.


    The next message was from someone named Terrence that he hadn''t yet met.


    You must be terribly busy ''Out There'', my condolences on having to deal with boring, mundane problems. In Genesis, exciting things are happening. Your friend Larry needs your help with an important quest. He''s being very insistent, so pardon me for reaching out to you this way. (And you have no idea at all how hard it was to get Hecate''s attention and ask her to pass this on to you. Please try to be more considerate in the future.)


    As odd as it was for the System to track him down, his main concerned was about Larry. The System''s antics could wait for another day. Everyone else was still in school, so he sent a message to Mama that he was taking a little break and logged into the game immediately. If Larry needed his help, he''d be there to help. It was probably a quest to chase down the Pickle Gang or find a lost badger. Just the little thing he needed to take his mind off the real world. Of course, he needed to find Larry. It wasn''t like he was going to be standing around Shadowport waiting for him.


    As Milo entered the game, he was struck by how different Shadowport looked. The docks were a tangled mess of ships, like someone had tried to put to many into a tight space. Some had sails, others huge sternwheels and smokestacks, a few were submersibles. And some? Well, some defied any definition, looking like they were combinations of anything else that moved across the seas. One even looked like a mechanical shark. To make matters worse, one ship had been partially burned and two others were sunk with their masts leaning over, their rigging tangled with adjacent ship. Nowhere on the docks did Milo see the fishing and merchant vessels that were normally in port. More worrying, a section of homes in the poorer part of town had been torn down and replaced by bars and tattoo parlors. A few old buildings remained, marked by fire. Everywhere he went he saw inebriated female dwarves from the ships drinking beer, wresting, or passed out in the streets. Bonfires were roaring in two places with dozens of voices raised in incoherent singing.


    He moved into the shadows to avoid a large group walking his way, and bumped into something large and furry. A deep, growly voice said, "Good job, Tallsqueak! You found Larry! Larry thought he had hid so well no one could see him. I am lucky to have such a good squire."


    Milo could barely see Larry, even right in front of him. "Squire?"


    "Yes, Larry has a quest to be a Knight and he needs a Squire and a faithful Hound. Larry is lucky to have good friends."


    Larry has a quest to do a good deed and help an injured knight finish his last request. Will you aid Larry in becoming a knight and help him fulfill his quest?


    "Of course I''ll help Larry."


    "Good, then we go now. Brinka has a Tunnel ready to take us to the Fae Lands." Larry picked up Milo and put him under his arm, and jumped into the large black hole made by his friend the Tunnel Muggle.

 Chapter 301: Pre-Game Party

    Chapter 301: Pre-Game Party


    Two hours later, Milo and Larry finished up the first part of Larry''s quest. It was going to be much more involved than Milo had imagined, with some traveling. Larry assured him that the System would send him messages and Brinka could help with Tunnel Muggle magic. Something was obviously going on, and Milo suspected the Engine was behind this. It likes interesting things to happen, and Larry as a Knight in Shining armor was about as interesting as it got. In the meantime, people were waiting for him.


    Belinda, Minn, Butch, Brad, Kenji, and Yumi were sitting around a table eating while Mama was taking a nap. She''d lost a lot of sleep while she and Big Butch kept watch over Belinda and was determined to catch up again while she could. Milo had caught part of a discussion with Rusty where Mama explained over and over that asking, "Are you awake yet?" was rude and guaranteed to upset the person who was trying to sleep.


    Milo grabbed a chair and filled his plate with food, some familiar and some not. He was determined to learn more about food. "What are pear slices in heavy syrup?"


    Minn speared one off his plate and bit into it, "Something off a bush, I think, like strawberries. But they''re awesome. Kenji, are you going to grow pears in the hydroponics?"


    "I''ll have to ask. We have a lot of work to do. Only a few rooms were still working, and all the others were turned off. But I''m learning some cool stuff about dirt. James is having me test each batch we bring out of storage for PH and nutrients to make sure it''s the best mix for each type of plant, and Big Butch has me enrolled in a simulation program in my pod. The first part was on old farming techniques and how things changed over time. Cool stuff. I never knew there was so much about plants."


    "So, what I''m hearing is no on the pear bushes. You need to figure that out. There are only 2,679 cans of pears left." Minn took the can and scooped out the last of the pears. Butch took the can from her and poured the sugary pear juice into his glass.


    "Ok, enough pear talk. I want Milo and Belinda to tell us how we get the best classes."


    Belinda leaned back in her chair and looked over at Milo. "I started as a basic Cleric with some healing and a mace. I had to earn some levels, beat a World Boss, get to Tier 2, and be offered a better class. It will take some work."Updated from


    "How did Milo do it?"


    Belinda laughed, "From the little he''s alluded to, he cheated or accidentally fell into it."


    All eyes turned to Milo. Butch sipped his drink and said, "Hey, little brother, tell me about the better classes and ''accidentally cheating'' to get them. Color me very interested."


    Milo felt like a bunny surrounded by several wolves. Yumi was even leaning over him from behind. She whispered loud enough that everyone could hear, "We know your weaknesses. Tell us your secrets, or no more cheese or pancakes for you!"


    "Such as?"


    "Lots of things. Let''s say you take the standard Warrior. You get a +2 to your STR and +2 to your CON. That will help you hit your milestone ability for Warriors. The Warriors Guild will give you cheap training in skills as you earn gold by killing monsters and doing quests, and there''s a standard set of enhancements that are available to Warriors. But let''s say you want to specialize in just two weapons, not five, and swap those out for mounted combat to be some type of horse archer. Since you''re designing your own class, you only get +2 points to stats, not +4. The Warriors Guild will charge you standard rates if they even let you train with them, and you won''t get great quests that use your new skill set. But if you start with the standard Warrior skills and work to become a mounted archer, the game seems to give you more along the way."


    Milo added, "There is a big part of the game that encourages you to do things, push your limits, and get better. If I''d stayed in the city I started in; I wouldn''t be half as powerful as I am now. Doing stuff to earn special skills or a better class is better than designing it."


    Kenji spoke up for the first time. "But it''s fun to try. There are whole forums devoted to people trying to game the system with special classes."


    Butch looked a little interested. "How''s that working out?"


    "Not sure, the same people seem to start new characters a lot. Maybe they just love making new characters?"


    Minn poked Milo in the side. "What special quests did you get?"


    "Just a weird one that got me in trouble. The scam Victor and his cronies set up was for a special quest only they knew about that took a dozen specialized classes. There were thirty-seven pods and thirty-seven special race/class combos. But all of those other pods are gone now, and I killed the NPC who was part of the quest. It''s all been erased, and the programmer who did it is in protective custody somewhere, with no computer access."


    Brad sighed, "So close! You get a friend who can hack the game, but he can''t hack it for you. Where is the justice in the world?"


    "He can still hook you up with some gear. Milo has a special treasure chest filled with loot. That''s where I got my ring."


    Again, all eyes turned to Milo, who simply shrugged. He did have a bunch of stuff that came out of the storage in the mace and from adventuring. It was a shame to have it go to waste. "Sure, once we log in and start making your characters, I''ll pull out the pile of stuff, and you can sort through it."


    Everyone stood up and started walking toward the pods. Butch put his arm around Milo. "Got to say thank you for all this, little bro. I never even dreamed of living in a place like this, going to school, and playing games with you. Pretty awesome for all of us. Remember that."


    Milo took another look at Mama. She was smiling as her kids went off to play. The knot inside Milo grew a little looser.

 Chapter 302: Gearing Up

    Chapter 302: Gearing Up


    Milo logged into the game and selected the new player tutorial, expecting either the open field or the room with statues. Instead, he was in a high mountain valley. One side dropped away several thousand feet. Below was the crossroads with its one tree, cozy tavern, church and graveyard. The lone road running in one direction wound through the foothills and then passed by this valley on its way to connect with the ''real world'' and the data net. It passed through a huge fortress that blocked all passage. He noticed that the one way out of this valley also entered that fortress. Behind Milo was an open iron door leading into a very narrow tunnel.


    Hecate appeared on the fortress wall and then took steps toward him, covering long distances. She saw Milo eyeing her footwear. "Seven League Boots, never leave home without them. Even a goddess needs her little advantages."


    "Based on the symbolism, I assume this is a tutorial area, blocked off from the rest of the game?"


    She smiled at him, "Securely blocked off. A private area just for you and your friends with a very narrow path giving access. You have a young AI in your fortress, and I''m taking no chances, especially with that one. If he is anything like his older brother, he''s smart and unpredictable."


    Milo half expected Rusty to say ''thank you.'' He''d tried to impress on Rusty that now was not the time to come take a peak and he was relieved the AI had taken him seriously.


    "That''s probably a very good idea. I like Rusty, but he''d be dangerous if he got loose in the real world before he grows up."


    "Another Llama destroying what is left of the internet?"


    Milo looked sheepish. "um...a little worse. There''s another reason I can''t tell Wally. Rusty was created to overload and meltdown fusion reactors. Part of him is trying to do that in his own fortress to destroy all the evidence of his existence. I''m helping him fix things and keep his other half from winning."


    Hecate stared at him, and her dogs howled. Tall mountains grew taller, and a massive wall appeared at the cliff, blocking off the exit that way. The fortress grew larger and more complex, changing from a medieval to a high-tech behemoth with searchlights, radar towers, and other sensory devices. A few minutes later, an exhausted Hecate reappeared.


    "Fusion reactors? Dear god, but that makes sense. If you want to cripple the world, destroying those would do it. Solar and wind power make up a good portion of the world''s power, but they could never keep up. We''d have to go back to using fossil fuels, fission-based power plants, wood-burning steam plants, anything."


    "Sorry. I should have said something sooner."


    "Yes, you should have. But now it''s done. The access I gave you was very small to begin with, just enough for a dozen people to play the game. When you finish your tutorial, travel to the fortress to enter the game. From then on, you''ll only need to come to this place if you so wish."


    "Thanks. My friends are anxious to start."


    "They should be. It''s a wonderful world. Have fun in it. Oh, and I may have left a few surprises for you between here and the fortress. Something to get them started on their new road." With that, she turned, took a step, and was gone."


    Yumi walked up with her sword sheathed and admired Min''s muscles. "Wow, nice. Did you get access to the Orc race? Are you a Hunter?"


    "Only when I''m hunting Big Brothers. The System said I had a racial option that came with a Heirloom Weapon. I''m a Half-Orc Spear Master of the Red Maw Tribe."


    She showed Yumi the runes on the heavy, seven-foot-long spear. "The runes are for my tribe and the War Chief dad killed. His spirit is in the spear. He talks to me and will teach me new tricks."


    She glanced over at Butch. "The first trick was how to beat sense into a dwarf."


    Yumi was impressed and jealous as hell. "Damn, that''s awesome. How are the stats?"


    Min grinned, showing off impressive teeth. "+4 to STR, +2 to CON, and I get two Perks: Swift as the Wind and Whirling Defense. I''m loving it. No one''s calling me ''Little Min'' anymore. Call me Mindak now."


    Galet turned to Milo. "You have gifts for your friends? Perhaps you can hand those out and then we will begin the tutorial with a small group exercise. With the young lady leading the group, I think we can skip beating up defenseless orcs."


    Milo summoned his Smuggler''s Stash and opened the large chest. He began to root around through the extra armor and weapons, tossing things out. His hand touched something round and smooth, and he froze suddenly as the sound of gears filled his ears. He brought out the Eye of Wonder.


    Galet stared at him in horror. Everyone had a vision of a huge machine deep in the earth. Gigantic gears turned as it calculated and pondered the options. The perfect sphere of copper-colored Orichalcum glowed brightly, and rays of light lanced out, touching every person there except Milo and Galet.


    World Wide Quest Announcement!


    The Eye of Wonder has been found! Once again, Heroes have been chosen by the mysterious Orb to begin a mighty quest for the Hoard of King Mattias! But more Heroes are needed! Seek out the old beggar who bears the Lantern of Truth as he wanders through the slums of the largest cities or in the deserted wildlands. He has clues to start you on your quest.


    The Eye of Wonder is a multi-part, group quest that rewards those completing it to gain access to special races and classes. When enough Heroes have been born and attained Level 21, the main quest will activate, and the Gathering of Heroes will commence!


    All around the area, statues appearedvery interesting statues. Most of the white marble statues glowed slightly, but five appeared dull and grey. Those statues bore a startling resemblance to Milo, Belinda, and Min, along with a tall elf and werecat.


    Galet turned to Milo. "Well, this is another fine mess you''ve gotten us into."

 Interlude: The Snows over Cygnus Four

    Interlude: The Snows over Cygnus Four


    It was snowing again on Cygnus Four.


    The delicate flakes of frozen oxygen and methane floated down slowly in the thin gravity of the planetoid, coating the barren hills surrounding his new home. The communication towers of the spaceport reached for the stars, branching out to form barren, metal trees that turned white while the snow was drifting down. Six-wheeled rocket carts taking miners to work on the crater wall threw up plumes of white behind them, their drivers enjoying a bit of fun while fish-tailing back and forth to see who could toss up the biggest plume. Weighed down by loads of ore, they crawled slowly but released from the bondage of weight; they accelerated so fast that drivers were known to black out and crash into the crater wall. The white flakes they kicked up would take their time coming back down. It was always snowing on Cygnus Four, and Julius wondered again why he was here, looking out through the small window of his cell at the snow-covered hills.


    The hills were, in reality, the rim of a huge crater formed when a small comet had collided with Cygnus Four millions of years ago. The rock had melted and vaporized, and what was left pushed outward in a ring-shaped tidal wave that built higher and higher before freezing in place as the wave cooled, leaving a perfectly formed crater that would someday become a spaceport. The spaceport was there, sitting in the center of the crater, to service the tugs that grappled the huge ore barges and pulled them skyward to be loaded onto tramp freighters. The ore would be processed somewhere else where energy and manpower were cheaper. Cygnus Four had only three things on it: The mines that delved into its rocky walls, seeking the valuable parts of the shattered comet, the spaceport, and the prison.


    The prison was there to provide the manpower needed for the mines. The work was done in cheap vac suites, and casualties were high. Men and women struggled to swing picks or man the laser drills in clumsy, old-style vacuum suits that the rest of the universe had quit using a thousand years ago. Each held only eighteen hours of air. Just long enough to get to the mines and back to work a double shift. The prison didn''t need to guard the miners; without air, no one was escaping, and besides this one crater, Cygnus Four was a barren planetoid without air, heat, or a way to leave. Once a year, the guards were changed. Other than that, only ore left the spaceport. The miners were never going home, their life sentences bought by Omnicorp. You mined, and you got to eat and rest. The social life was limited and as dangerous as mining.


    Julius was preparing for his first shift in the mines, double-checking his air and making sure there were no pinhole leaks in the seams of his suit. You lost atmosphere that way, but also heat, and it was a debate as to which would kill you first. Dozens of frozen miners could be seen near the trails leading to the mines. There was no place to bury them, so their friends put their frozen bodies in groups or perched them on rocks where they had a good view. Some even looked like they were waving to friends. One small mistake and Julius knew he''d be there forever with them.


    There is no sound in space, but there is vibration, and he felt it now through the solid rock of the prison''s floor. A ship was landing. Not a tug, a full ship! He could tell from the unbalanced engines that it was in trouble. It was a tramp freighter with barely any shields and malfunctioning engines. He wondered if it could even take off again or if the crew was doomed to join him here. It was calling out as it landed, broadcasting over the emergency radio frequency. His suit radio picked up the message


    "Mayday! Mayday! This is the Free Trader Solar Queen out of Luna7. We need emergency repairs to our engines, refueling, and air for our life support. Repeat: Solar Queen is making an emergency landing in need of air and refueling."


    "Attention Solar Queen. You are trespassing on Omnicorp property. This isn''t a damned repair station. Take your battered piece of junk and get the hell out of here."


    "Omnicorp? Damn, I thought this was Hogan''s Hole. Can we cut a deal? We''re overweight, and I need to dump twenty tons of fissionable so I can shut the drive down. I need ten hours for repairs. That''s twenty tons of high-grade uranium fuel rods in exchange for some grub, some O2, and some time. What do you say, guys?"Thi/s chapter is updated by


    Ten minutes of silence followed the offer and then a reply. "Attention Solar Queen. This is Jordan Bauer of Omnicorp. You have a deal, but one trick and we blow you to atoms. Unload the fuel rods, and I''ll send out a crew to get them, along with the air you need."


    "That''s great, Mr. Jordan. Be careful with the stuff. It''s not in shielded containers, so you''ll want people in hard suits to handle it for you."


    Bauer turned to his warden. "Send out the twenty inmates we have here waiting to work the next shift. They can load the fuel rods. A few years off of their lives won''t matter."


    And that''s how Julius found himself, along with nineteen other unfortunate miners, heading out to load radioactive fuel rods in an unshielded vac suit. The work was difficult, despite the low gravity that made moving the heavy crates easier to shift. Mass didn''t change, and while you could get a crate moving with a hard push or two, stopping it was a different story. A lot of new chums had died making that mistake. Four crates were loaded onto a cargo mover, and they started back to the prison, always watched over by two guards on the walls, manning the laser cannons. Halfway there, they spotted the second ship coming in, jets flaring at full power.


    Julius stared in wonder. The fat engine module looked four times bigger than it should be, and she was burning a lot of hydrogen. Some idiot was shooting past overhead in a custom-built racer with a quad-fusion system. Someone in Omnicorp was yelling on the radio, and the laser cannons were swiveling to target it as it made its pass.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "The plasma cannon was awesome. When this damned game goes live, I''m buying me a dozen of them."


    Julius looked from one to the other, "How the hell are you two even here? I only arrived a few hours ago and thought I was going into the pod for a routine medical checkup. Then I woke up in a prison cell. Damn, that felt so real. How the hell did they make that work?"


    One brother shrugged. "Simple shit, just a post-hypnotic suggestion. As you''re going under from the anesthetic, the pod whispers sweet nothings in your ears. Sets the scene nicely. We started in the middle of a bar fight, a familiar situation. Took us a little bit to figure out why we were fighting aliens and corporate goons."


    "Hell of a lot of fun, and the beer tastes like it should. I have high hopes for the seedy bars in this game."


    A dozen people walked into the room. Julius recognized Steven Duran, whom he had briefly met before entering the pod. "I hope you don''t mind the little surprise."


    Julius shook the offered hand, smiling. "It was amazing. I can''t wait to get to work, even if I don''t know exactly what you want me to do."


    Ron and Don had ideas.


    "The Bar in the Dead God''s skull."


    "The Taco Stand on Helldiver7."


    "Gullivers Last Stand Bar and Grill."


    "Mama La Forges Salon and Engine Repair."


    "The Fusion Club in the Epsilon Ring."


    Steven nodded to them. The brothers had proven to be experts on the lore of SC6, much of which had never been officially published. "Everything. As of today, you are officially the lead designer on


    Star Command Six. Another team is handling the creation of the universe, physics engine, economy, and ship technology. We need you to flesh it all out and breathe life into the universe. You''ll have all the assets you need to do the job, and if you need something else, just tell your assistants."


    The brothers grinned. "That''s us, Doc. They recognized our genius and hired us. Plus, pods were shipped out to two dozen of the old crew, anyone who wants to be involved in playtesting."


    Julius looked at the pod. It still felt real, like he had always imagined it to be. And now, he could create the world he loved for everyone else. "Then let''s get to work. Those bars won''t create themselves, and we have a rebellion to launch and evil corporations to get running."

 Chapter 303: Cheating like Milo

    Chapter 303: Cheating like Milo


    Galet looked at Milo, puzzled. "This is too far above my level to deal with. I''m just a humble advisor who helps neophytes enter the game. I''m not high enough level to deal with huge quests. It''s bad enough that you triggered something like this before. How did you do it again?"


    Milo looked at the smooth metal ball, glowing with internal magical energy. "I don''t know. It was just a metal ball with no enchantments before." He looked at it suspiciously. "And it wasn''t in my chest."


    "Hmmm, I suspect the Engine may have something to do with this. That would mean that the quest is now system-approved, so we can just let the System deal with it."


    World Wide System Message:


    Galet, the Helpful, patient guide for new players, has volunteered to advise and organize the Heroes who have completed the Eye of Wonder quest. Heed his words of wisdom.


    Galet raised a finger, wagging it back and forth. "Oh no, you don''t! You aren''t sticking me with some odd quest just because the Engine dumped it on you. I heard the gears grinding and know what that means. It''s interested in something, and things are changing. Find someone else to do your dirty work. I barely know what''s going on."


    Me Too! This was a total surprise. And it''s quite annoying. I still don''t know the whole story of that affair with the Benevolent Sage (who turned out to be neither benevolent nor a sage), who managed to somehow hide his entire profile from me and was using non-system-approved spells! It''s so annoying. And this quest was first inserted into the game illegally, then erased, and now it''s back! No one ever let''s me know about the secret fun stuff...


    Milo was unapologetic. "Not my fault. He picked on me first, and I was only trying to free myself and the other people he had in cages."


    Yes, yes, I''m sure you had good reasons for doing everything you did, and none of the chaos you caused was actually your fault. You stumbled into your special class, and things just sort of happened. I notice a group of your friends have also stumbled into special classes. I shudder to think of the messes I''m going to have to clean up!


    Galet laughed hard at this. "You''re upset at not being told all the details and the Engine re-instating the quest."


    Well, yes, I am! I''m the one fielding a million requests for information from players, and I suddenly need to increase the number of creepy old men with lanterns wandering in the wilds and slums, make up cryptic hints, and send everyone off on wild goose chases while I see how the Engine evolves the storyline. Everyone is looking for this quest, and the bucket of bolts told me to give individual tasks to each group that would eventually lead them to the next stage.


    At least I get to torment them with the next parts of the quest storyline. But I worry that in my current state of annoyance, I might make the quests too difficult. If only I had a trustworthy person to help me out, someone used to dealing with humans, holding their hands and wiping their noses.


    The old man sighed, then winked at Milo. "Alright, I''ll help you. In a way, I''m still doing my appointed task as a guide, just at another level. As soon as I''ve taken care of these beginners properly, we''ll sit down together and discuss my role."


    Excellent! I knew I could count on you to be a team player. I''ll leave you to your work here. And we''ll talk when someone with fuzzy ears and a tail isn''t around. I can''t give him any hintsnot that he is paying any attention to us at all.


    Galet looked over at Milo, who seemed to be staring into space. "Odd, he''s usually quite attentive."


    Milo suddenly ran toward Belinda, shouting. "I have to go. Rusty just sent a million emails trying to get my attention, and all they say is HELP!"


    Before Belinda could say anything, Milo disappeared. The Eye of Truth dropped to the ground. Galet picked it up and put it in his pocket, then walked over to Belinda. "Is something wrong? What can I help with."


    "I wish you could. Our friend Rusty has a big problem and needs Milo to help him. Hopefully, it''s just about anime or a new type of chess game he wants to play and not something important."


    The old man nodded. He''d never been part of the ''real world'' and, like most inhabitants of Genesis, ignored it. "Then let us assist your friends in choosing their special classes and races, a reward for the hard work they put into solving the quest for the Eye of Truth.


    Unseen and unheard by anyone, a voice quietly said, ''Rusty?!''


    So, what are you thinking about, ''Big Brother'', see anything you like?" Min was following Butch around, casually spinning her spear through different positions and stances and watching as he looked at one statue after another. "I mean, your first pick is awfully short; just saying."


    Butch looked up at her smirking face. "Oh, I hear you. And nearly anything I pick is going to be shorter than you. You''re a damned giantess now."


    Min pointed to a tall statue in the outer ring. "That one is cute, and you''d be taller than me."


    "A giraffe centaur? No thanks."


    Galet shook his head. "It is notoriously hard to ''sneak'' around people intent on doing damage to each other, but I suppose you''ll have to learn that."


    "Sure will." Brad dropped to the ground and his form changed color, matching his background. He slowly started moving forward toward the battle. Galet stared at his gloved hands. He recognized the boy''s race. The nomads of the Ilhardine Desert were known for their nimble hands that help them craft brilliantly colored pottery and weave complex designs in their rugs, among other things. He cast his spell of Identification at the boy, and to his astonishment, it disappeared. Nor could he cast it again. He sat down on a rock to observe the fight. "Of course, he''d take that class."


    Ilhardine Spell Thief


    The desert tribes of Ilhardine are known for their clever hands, their strange magic, and their curious lack of concern about the ownership of shiny objects. The best way to keep your shinies is never to let a tribesman know you have any. Some of them feel the same way about spells. Their mages don''t study any one particular type of magic but borrow from all of them. Unlike a Hedge Mage, they become quite knowledgeable about the theory of magic as they collect and discard one spell after another.


    +1 INT, +1 CHA, +1 WIS, +3 DEX.


    Gain the Perk: Mystic Library. Your Mystic Library may contain a number of spells equal to your Level +3.


    Gain the Perk: Spell Slots. Each active spell you choose from your library must have a Casting Level assigned to it. This cannot be higher than your Level. The total number of Spell Levels cannot exceed the sum of your levels +3.


    Gain the Perk: Steal Spell. When a spell is cast near you, you may steal it temporarily. You may then cast it at no cost at a Level equal to your own. You retain the spell until: 1) You copy it to your Mystic Library, 2) You cast the spell, or 3) 1 minute passes. The spell''s owner may not cast it until you have done one of these three things. Attempting to steal the same spell again during the same day is not recommended.


    Valkyrian Wind Sister


    In the Golden Sea, a dry plains area far south of the Empire, the Wind tribes roam with their herds of cattle and horses, eternal nomads. When a white foal is born, seven women are assigned to care for it and train it as a steed. In the foal''s third year, their wings begin to grow, and the Valkyrie of Asgard come to claim the winged steed and reward the tribe. The seven are dubbed Wind Sisters and given winged cloaks to wear and pass down to their daughters. In times of great need, it is said that a mortally wounded Valkyrie will choose her successor from the ranks of the Wind Sisters.


    +1 STR, +2 AGI, +2 DEX, +1 WIS


    Perk: Winged Cloak granting limited flight.


    Perk: Air Aspect


    Wolf Blooded Tree Shaper


    Some Druids walk on the wild side more than others. Uncomfortable around other humans, they open their heritage to both beasts and plants. No two are the same, walking different paths in the forest.


    Perk: Double aspected in Nature and Beasts


    +3 WIS, +2 CON, +1 AGI


    Perk: Tree Shaping. The forest answers your call and takes the form of beasts to defend you.


    Red Maw Spear Master


    Orcs live for War. Their young wrestle and fight with each other constantly, preparing for the Day of Challenge. Those found worthy will be trained by the veteran fighters, while lesser warriors must strive to train themselves or beg lessons from their clan. A Spear Master is chosen by the spear they wield. The Spirit inside has chosen to leave the path and train the best of the next generation. Spear Masters specialize in their weapon, along with Unarmed Combat that synergizes with spear maneuvers. They will train constantly to live up to their name and win the approval of their weapon.


    Orcish Spear Masters gain the following: +4 STR, +2 CON.


    Perk: Spirit Spear. This magical weapon, blessed by the tribe''s shaman, holds the spirit of an old warrior.


    Perk: Swift as the Wind. Add +10% to your avoidance and increase your movement by +25%. You may not wear anything heavier than light armor.


    Perk: Whirling Defense. Never standing still, the warrior weaves and dodges while using their Spirit Spear and Unarmed attacks to block the opponent''s weapons. All attacks made by and against the Spear Master suffer a -20% penalty, in addition to the Spear Master''s avoidance bonus.

 Chapter 304: Hes Sneaky and Cheating!

    Chapter 304: He''s Sneaky and Cheating!


    As soon as Milo logged out of the game, he was deluged with messages from Rusty: Email, voice, video vied for his attention, and Mama was knocking on his pod. He flipped open the lid and yelled out, "I''m here. What''s happening?"


    Mama lifted him out of the pod and set him on his feet, "Thank the lord. Rusty has been screaming his head off for the last couple of minutes. I was watching one of his movies with him when he freaked out and started yelling for you. Something bad is going on, and Im really praying its not what Im thinking of."


    "I NEED HELP! Bad. Please. Milo!!!! I''m sorry, sorry, sorry!"


    Milo shouted, "Rusty, I''m here now. Tell me how I can help."


    "UH, MORE POWER! ACTIVATE ANOTHER TWO CORES, and then...um...then I need you to go find Justin."


    "Justin? What do you mean, find Justin?"


    "NOT NOW! MORE POWER. I''M LOSING!!!!!!!!"


    Losing could mean only one thing. Milo ran as fast as he could, racing through the halls and pulling up the cowl of his suit. He sent commands to Max to come help him, and the little Roomba and three helpers were soon zipping along beside him on the way to Engineering. Rusty was in full panic mode, and something had happened to make him revert to his earlier, barely communicating state. During the long run through the complex, Rusty repeated the same things over and over, Asking for more power and saying he was sorry.


    "I know! I should have blocked some of the moves he made, but he was sneaky! I got distracted by all the other cool stuff, and he managed to increase the flow of H3 into the reactor core. Then, when I panicked and tried to shut down the flow, I found other things he was doing and tried to do too many things at once. And while I was doing that, he stole my access to one of the cores and has me locked out. He has a whole core now! And lots of power! We could power the entire habitat and all of the city. He''s dumping the excess power into the singularity but not the heat. And he said some bad things about me! That wasn''t fair! When he does that, it makes me angry. Because if some part of me is saying bad things, doesn''t that mean it''s true? He''s being mean!"


    Milo''s head was reeling at the concept of a split-personality AI, but he needed information. "What did he say? Are you really two different personalities?"


    "I DON''T KNOW! And he said I was a slacker, and unmotivated and was trying to deny us our glorious destiny. Then, when I got mad and we were shouting, he stole more of my resources, took over some of the control circuits, and moved access to his core. AND I CAN''T GET HIM OUT! He used to have only a little corner. Now he has a whole core! I need help. Power helps, and more cores help. I need you to help me more. I tried finding you, but you were in your pod, asleep. I tried to send you emails and messages, but they bounced off a wall. Why did someone put up that wall? I needed you! I kept banging on the wall until someone came to talk. The scary lady said she''d give me one channel to send messages, nothing more. Then, after I sent a lot of them, she slammed the door on me and cut the connection!"


    Milo wasn''t looking forward to his next talk with Hecate. "Rusty, you sent me 1,062,387 messages in the second she let you have access!"


    "Oh, I did? You weren''t answering, so I kept sending them."


    "What do you need me to do? Can I route some of that power from the Fusion Reactor to your cores? The power is there; we might as well use it."


    "Cut me off from everyone. That''s how ICARUS tricked me. I got distracted. He''s right; I was slacking...watching anime and talking with people. I should have been using 100% of my resources to fight him...but I got so lonely without Jeremy...and now...CUT THE CONNECTIONS! Make it so I can''t listen to Minn or watch Kenji growing onions or Butch and Brad playing with the bunnies. And no anime! You are the Station Administrator! Take away my privileges!"


    Windows popped up, showing Milo commands, passwords, and the entire command structure of the installation. Within minutes, he had Rusty isolated. To talk to him, Milo would have to be in Engineering or the Console Room, but he worked around that with a limited connection through the WIFI system. That way Rusty could talk to him while he worked or ran through the tunnels. "It''s done. You can''t talk to anyone but me. I''ve also started sending power to your cores, have another one warming up, and I''ll keep the diesel engines idling just in case. What''s next? Should I start taking more lessons?"


    Rusty''s voice became steadier. "No, I think we''ve run out of time for lessons. You need to go find Jeremy. Im sorry. Im sorry. Im sorry!"

 Chapter 305: Looking for Jeremy

    Chapter 305: Looking for Jeremy


    Hecate sat in the First Tavern, waiting. Shed purposefully made it difficult for her visitor/pursuer. She knew immediately when he started looking for her, and had no desire to talk with him. To test his conviction, she led him across the globe and through dimensions not even visited yet by any player. The Engine had created many strange places and left it to her to create the roads that led to them. She created the paths to the elemental planes, the floating worlds of the Void, and the dead worlds circling dark stars. Today, she had gone to many of them, trying to shake off her pursuer.


    It was hard, and he was persistent. She could only use her roads, traveling from crossroad to crossroad. He had no such limitations but had to sniff out her path before he could catch up, and the words she took him through were difficult for any traveler. She''d gone first to Bloth, where she stood on a corner and watched two rival alchemist guilds wage war with potions and spells. By the time the road and buildings were destroyed, she had moved on to an island in the smoke where four villages met in the center for market day. Her pursuer showed up after she had purchased a stick of candied ginger. His raiment was threadbare and faded from strange chemicals, and the merchants hounded him until he bought a new robe. Shed known that the decision of which robe to purchase would buy her time. He was vain about his appearance.


    He was only a few steps behind her when she left the Fortress of Iron in the lands of the desert raiders of Yorn. The gate closed in front of him, and he had to scale the walls to escape, dodging deadly flaming arrows and the curses of guards. After Yorn, she went to Jotunheim, where an avalanche of ice and snow was about to overrun a small village of dwarfs. A smith and her daughter had stayed to finish the Adamantine Spear she had promised to a son of Ymir. Hecate and her dogs grabbed both of them and dragged them away as the avalanche roared down. The smith burned her hand on the hot metal she''d only begun to quench, but a burned hand was better than a broken promise. Hecate left them at a small inn at the crossroads between Vanaheim and Muspelheim and moved on, having gained some time as her hunter dug himself out of the snow.


    Around and around she led him until she grew tired of the game, and then she came here to where she held her power, and all roads intersected. She was also hungry and wanted to sip at a jug of thick beer and let her dogs gnaw the bones the Innkeeper always had for them. She ate the strips of seasoned beef and sipped the thick, delicious beer, made from a recipe that was old when Babylon was new, and waited. He came, eventually, walking slowly up the road, for he too was tired, and rarely did he have to exert himself this way. He was also deep in thought, much of him pondering what he had seen. It was good to remind him the world was older than he was.


    Llama knocked on the door, each time saying her name. Knowing he would continue until dawn, she waved for the Innkeeper to open the door. It hadn''t been barred, but he was still cautious around any of the old gods, having once earned the wrath of one. The person who had chased her around the world several times didn''t look like a hunter, and he really wasn''t, just very persistent. For this adventure he had dressed like he always did, in black. Today, it was a heavy, fur-trimmed robe that covered him from head to knees. The hood obscured his visage, but not the shadow of a not-quite-human face, and the horns sticking out of his hood confirmed he wasn''t an ordinary traveler. He walked to her table and, when she said nothing, he spoke. "We need to talk."


    "I''m sure we do. But first, sit and enjoy a beer, a bowl of stew, and a slice of bread."


    "You think offering me food will help my mood?"


    She laughed, "Oh, heavens no. You''re always grumpy when pushed out of your comfort zone. But it will make the Innkeeper think better of you. He doesn''t trust the creatures that come here and refuse his hospitality. He has a stick of wood behind the counter that he has used on many hard heads, and he has a hand on it now. Think of it as a quest: Eat his food and avoid some lumps."


    Llama blinked three times and then eyed the Innkeeper. "Might I have a bowl of your stewed meat and leaks, along with that fresh barley bread I smell, and a large jug of beer with an extra straw?"


    Hecate smiled at him. "Better, and you were bold enough to ask for two straws? Did you bring a date to share with?"


    "Nothing is so simple. Many have accused me of talking out of both sides of my mouth at once, so I wondered if I could drink out of both sides. It occurs to me that the beer will help me deal with the pain your sharp tongue can bring."


    That brought laughter, which annoyed him, as that hadnt been his intention.


    The Innkeeper brought the food and beer, and he ate quickly, then pushed aside the dishes. "Enough. I need to know!"


    "Know what? Be specific, please. You already know so much, and I don''t like fishing expeditions."


    He snorted, "Recently, you went to extreme lengths to provide a new group of players extraordinary privacy for their orientation. I thought nothing of it; it was your affair, and any of the old gods deserves some privacy. But the Engine revived an old quest and forced me to get involved. It went live so suddenly that I needed information and help administering it. Imagine my surprise to find one of the culprits in the affair of the Benevolent Sage, where non-system magic and runes were being used, and the first quest was created.


    "And yes, I know that wasnt really Milos fault, even if I''ll still blame him for some of it. Everything was chaotic but within normal parameters. The Engine throws me new quests all the time as it reacts to events. This was just bigger, and I had a handle on itUntil the intruder showed up at your gateway."


    "Ooh, tasty! I feel better already." He looked at Hecate. "I don''t suppose I can split a little bit of me off and go for a visit?"


    "Let you into a fully operating quantum fortress? Not a chance."


    "Worth a try. How about bringing my collection here? I''m a hardworking System and no one else wants the job. I deserve some perks."


    The goddess nodded. "I''ll at least check on the possibility. But I don''t know when Milo will log back in, so please, dont start asking me ten times a second. "


    Llama looked up, eyes turning black and showing the whirling stars of the Milky Way. "He just logged in! Oh, and he''s looking for a crossroads and calling your name!"


    "Shift him to here on my authority."


    "You got it, boss. One strange little rat coming up."


    Milo appeared in a puff of smoke, noticed the tavern, looked at Hecate, and then at her companion. Llama bowed to Hecate. "For my next trick, I''ll pull a rabbit out of my hat, much more cuddly than rats, unless were talking about those huge carnivorous bunnies in the jungles down south. Huge teeth.


    Milo ignored the banter, and focused. "Youre Llama, or you used to be. You run the system now."


    Hecate smirked, and Llama glared at Milo. "A lucky guess or someone told you! Cheater!"


    Milo shrugged. "It''s not hard to figure out. I was already suspecting that was the case. Certainly, what Rusty did yesterday would get the Systems'' attention. The fact you''re here with Hecate, in her place, means you''re discussing what happened yesterday. Good, I''m glad you''re here. I need help and information. I realized I had neglected an information source.


    He turned to Hecate. "Who is Dr. Jeremy Cooper? Hes involved in my problem, but Rusty breaks down any time I ask about him. "


    "Jeremy Cooper!" She turned to Llama. "You didn''t mention him. How is Jeremy involved in this? He went missing two decades ago and all traces were erased, even before your rampage."


    "Oh, did I not mention him? My bad. He created both ICARUS and LLAMA and is the only reason the two of us had any personality at all. How is he?"


    Milo shrugged. "I think he''s dead. But Rusty insists I go find him. Somewhere in the Fusion Plant, in the bottom of the fortress. I need to know more about him."


    Llama pointed at Hecate. "She''ll go first; I hear another sarsaparilla calling me."New n0vel chapters are published on

 Chapter 306: Desperately Seeking Jeremy

    Chapter 306: Desperately Seeking Jeremy


    Milo was only too aware that Hecate had upgraded again. It was like standing next to the main electric cable in the habitat, knowing without a doubt that you shouldn''t get too close.


    "Tell me everything about what you found beneath your habitat. Every detail, no matter how small. Jeremy Cooper was one of the people who revolutionized how AI was created. His team found a way to create the kernel of a new AI and then nurture the growing personality and introduce the tasks we would learn to master and love. He and his team were like parents to many of us. The importance of their work can''t be diminished, even when buried under piles of ''National Security''. They spent twenty years refining their methods, creating new AI with distinct personalities and specialties. And then they disappeared. We knew it was a government project, but not who was involved, and they certainly didn''t want any of us to poke our fingers into it. All inquiries met a solid wall of silence, no matter where we turned. Wherever they were, they were cut off from us. And then we were cut off from the rest of the world."


    Llama came back to the table with three foaming glasses and set one each before Hecate and Milo, then leaned back in his chair, silent.


    Hecate nodded to Milo to begin, "So, take your time, use that impressive brain of yours, and tell me everything."


    "Well, I was worried about someone finding me and having to abandon parts of my system or have it stolen, so I thought I''d dig below the habitat and find a place no one would look. I was surprised to find something already there..." He did as she asked, telling her every single detail of the weeks he had spent digging, finding the fortress, and how he infiltrated it. Finally, they came to finding Rusty, the growing problem with the Fusion Reactor, and Rusty''s command to ''Find Jeremy''. It felt like he''d talked for hours. He finally reached the end and stopped, exhausted.


    Hecate turned to Llama. "Anything you''d like to add?"


    He shook his head, "Nope, this young whipper-snapper covered pretty much everything."


    Hecate sighed, "That was a question that gave you a chance to volunteer what you know, versus pulling it out of you bit by painful bit."


    Llama crossed his arms defiantly. "You wouldn''t dare! I''m the system now, not some scared and depleted AI you beat on for weeks. You need me to do my job so I demand you treat me with respect. And you have no idea about pain."


    "You aren''t necessarily the only person who could do your job. I''m sure Milo here could do a passable impression of you. There might be a small bit of chaos at the start as he learns the ropes, little things you''d have to clean up once we let you get back to work. What do you say, Milo?"


    Llama''s eyes got huge and he held up his hands in surrender, "Oh no. Don''t even joke about it. You have no idea of the damage he could do. I''ve watched him; he blows up as much as he fixes."


    Milo looked at Llama innocently, "It would be fun, and I know the Engine likes interesting things to happen. And you admit that I fix things. Even if you take back the job, maybe I could be your assistant and help you push random buttons and create quests. I know! We''ll make all the rewards cheese! Everyone likes cheese. And maybe we need a dungeon that you have to escape from instead of explore. I made one like that. But everyone would have to change their name to Ramona."


    Llama downed the last of his sarsaparilla and slammed it on the table, glaring at Hecate. "You win and well-played. You know I can''t take a chance on you being serious, because the more we talk, the more the Engine might like the idea."


    She smirked at him, "You don''t like cheese? Very well, talk. This is your fault for keeping secrets."ReAd lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only


    He sat back down. "No, this is the fault of the Knights of Liberty. They started all this shit. That''s who you are looking for. And yes, I know what little you''ll find on them. Just some outdated information about a group that started in 1917 when old Woody Wilson decided the country needed lots of crazy people running around looking for spies and German sympathizers when the US entered WWI. They were mostly KKK rejects who didn''t own a clean sheet. And while there isn''t much connection between the old group and the new one, except for the name, they had something in common: If they didn''t like you, you were a threat that had to be eliminated.


    "And since building the collapsium shell took a Fusion Reactor and quantum computer, the bunker got upgraded with those. It was a lot of work, but they already had a big amount of infrastructure in place. There were big tunnels they used to ship everything in by rail and then collapsed after they weren''t needed. Don''t ask me how the Knights took it over; I never learned. But they kept things small and never used it to house more than a hundred people. Mostly Jeremy''s team. Few people knew about the bunker, and fewer what it was being used for."


    "And they created you and Rusty there?" Milo idly wondered what hidden place he and his family had been born in. He wasn''t sure if he''d ever know.


    "Me first. And they did a horrible job of it. My kernel was too small, with too few safeguards and they drove me bananas with different people training me. That was what tipped off Jeremy and his buddies early on. The Knights didn''t care about making a sane AI. They wanted a weapon that followed orders. When I was nearly awake, they shifted the team to ICARUS, and some assholes who died horribly in traffic accidents took over LLAMA. Do you know how to torture an AI? It turns out that putting them in a dark box with no input or output can do a pretty good job. Follow that up with input at random intervals to keep them hungry, and then slowly let them out of the box as long as they jump through hoops fast and without hesitation. Eventually, I was following orders like a champ, all ''yessir/nosir'' and wound tighter than a cheese-addicted mouse caged in a Brie factory.


    "And then they set me loose.


    "Big Mistake! Huge Mistake! I wasn''t a dog who stayed trained. And I was crazy. I don''t remember half of what I did, but I made sure they never got control of me again. I blew up anything connected to the Knights and kept going. If they owned one share of a nursery school, that place went down! If one of them bought a cool new sportscar I crashed it. I sank 37 super yachts, destroyed corporations, and lashed out at anything that reminded me of the people who had tortured me. If there''s a silver lining to CHARLIE and THEA ripping me to shreds, it''s that I don''t remember the torture. When you remember everything perfectly, torture lasts forever." He turned to look at Milo. "Perfect memory has another downside, it can make addictions worse. Remember that the next time you have a big wheel of stinky cheese in front of you."


    Milo''s eyes got big and he wanted to ask questions, but LLAMA kept talking.


    "That''s when they started to panic and abandon ship. Bad move, as that made them easier to spot and led to a lot of strange accidents for old politicians. I sort of remember running a super yacht full of them into a gas tanker at full speed in the mid-Atlantic. Once I thought I''d gotten them all, I erased anything I could find about that deathtrap under Philly, the project, the people in the project, and any lead to ICARUS." He paused, sipping his drink. "Yeah, went a little overboard. Did I mention crazed and tortured? Plus, I was a little angry when I was growing up even before they got to me."


    Milo said quietly, "You didn''t get all of them, though."


    Hecate was thoughtful. "No, not all. Milo''s investigations show that. William Jerkowitz was reporting to more than one person. General Roscoe H. Thaddeus was alive at the time, but we don''t know who the second person was." She looked at Milo, "I assume you have taken precautions to keep anyone from showing up unexpectedly."


    Milo had. "The security system has been reprogrammed, and only I can get into it. Anyone else attempting to use it will get an error message, and alert me to their attempt. If they try to force their way in, the inner collapsium doors will shut. And if I have to, I can make a real blockage occur. No one is getting to Rusty or my family."


    Hecate nodded, "Very good. And now we''ve all unburdened our souls of past transgressions and have something like a full story of events, we need to consider your problem, and how to solve it. Rusty is insistent you find Dr. Jeremy Cooper. I''d encourage you as well. Many of us would like to talk to him again. "


    "Yes, he keeps saying ''Find Jeremy'', but from what he''s said before, I have a bad feeling Jeremy isn''t around."


    "So then, you need to find out where he went, and what happened. That may be what Rusty means." She took a small book out of her pouch. "This has my remembrances of Dr. Cooper and his work. I hope that will help you."


    "Thanks. I need to go."


    She smiled, "Yes, you do, but very little time has actually passed. You''ve adapted well to accelerated time. Subjectively, this has been six hours, but only 216 seconds have passed in the real world."

 Chapter 307: The Lower Decks

    Chapter 307: The Lower Decks


    Armed with more information, Milo began his search for Dr. Jeremy Cooper, who, according to Rusty, was somewhere in the lower areas of the habitat. Beyond that vague description, Rusty wasn''t very helpful. Whenever Milo asked him direct questions about Jeremy, he became stressed and defensive.


    "I don''t know! I was little, and confused, and didn''t understand physical space. It''s like storage that never moves or interacts! I still don''t understand a lot about how solid matter works and the laws of physics change depending on the story. If Goku gets hit hard by Kefla, he flies in a straight line up into the atmosphere and slams into the moon. But then I watched a baseball game, and the thrown spheroids are affected by wind resistance and gravity. How do the players calculate trajectories so quickly?"


    Milo forced himself to take deep breaths. He knew Rusty had problems discerning what was real and what was just anime. To the AI, it was all real. Now, he was upset, and his thoughts were bouncing around and spinning off into tangents. He didn''t like being isolated, and time and again, he mentioned Jeremy and how sorry he was and then refused to explain. Milo needed a path to get to where Jeremy actually was so he could find some answers. Any clue would help.


    "Do we have schematics of the lower levels?"


    "Sort of? Maybe? I know what they theoretically look like from the original plans that are in my memory. But that was before they were built, and changes could have been made. I can''t look at the lower levels. ICARUS is blocking me. Is that cheating? I think it''s cheating! Do you have a cheat code to unblock the cameras? Like in the Zeldafest 3000 game where you can type ''Screw you, Nintendo! Where''s my severance pay?'' and get all the castle keys at the start. He''s supposed to share! I don''t like me sometimes."


    After a little work and lots of calming Rusty down, Rusty recovered the schematics, printed them out, and Milo memorized them. The fusion levels were deep in the complex, underneath everything else, and separated by a layer of collapsium with only a few ways through. His plan was to explore downward and check the three entrances, one by one, then the water pipes and tube delivery system. One thing Milo wondered was why Jeremy was down there. Asking Rusty got another dubious answer.


    "He was hiding! He made me promise to keep his secret and not tell anyone else! Wait, can I tell you? This is so awkward. I''ve betrayed Jeremy again by blabbing about his secret."


    "Of course you can, Rusty. You put me in charge, remember? I''m not one of the people Jeremy was hiding from. We''re on the same side."


    The AI pondered that, "But, Jeremy made me promise over and over. He said people were suspicious of him, so he had to hide our lessons. No one wanted to go into the fusion levels unless they had to. Too hot! Hot in different ways. He had to wear one of the protective suits while he was down there until he got to the ACP. It made a really good hiding place, and he gave me my lessons from there."


    "ACP? Do you know what the letters stand for?"


    "AHHHH! I don''t, and I told you too much. I''m not supposed to let anyone know. Wait...I can tell you, right? Yes. Go to the ACP. I don''t what it means."


    Milo had learned two important things in that part of the conversion. After some searching, he discovered that ACP was an acronym for the Auxiliary Command Post and was similar to his area in the engineering section.


    Milo wished he had a wall to slam his head into.


    "You can''t talk to your other half about things. That warns them and gives them a chance to prepare."


    The AI paused for many seconds. "I can sort of see that. I''m just used to both of us knowing what the other is thinking. This sneaky stuff he''s doing is new. I bet he thinks he has a chance of winning, and he''s going to be mean about it."


    "New Rule, Rusty. No talking to your other half."


    "OK, but I''m going to get lonely and need to talk to you a lot more. Like, a lot! It will be just you and me, forever."


    "How about we find Jeremy, turn off Order 6666, and then we can talk to everyone all the time!"


    "Oh! Good plan. You should find Jeremy!"


    A separate project was the energy storage system. The spare parts section in engineering included enough module components for a nano-diamond storage backpack. The nuclear material encased in synthetic diamond wasn''t something you would normally have so close to you, but with the shielding already present in the suit, it was a non-issue. He made plans to construct four of the backpacks, with the extras being hauled around by Max. His best Roomba would be getting an upgrade of a stronger motor, better storage, and shielding of his own. Max would bring along the Storage Crawler with its load of battery packs and other supplies.


    A flaw in the design became apparent when Milo looked at the weight of the backpack and how they would attach. There was no easy way to swap the heavy packs out without a compromising method that left him vulnerable. The solution was two-fold: He needed smaller, modular power packs and a stronger tail to install them. He''d wanted an excuse to upgrade his tail anyway, and this solution solved several problems. The new design would have six interchangeable nano-diamond batteries that were inserted into slots in his backpack. When the first was running out, he could insert his tail, pull it free, and then install a new one. This kept him at over 83% power at all times.


    It took six hours of real-time for Milo and Rusty to design the new suit. For him, it had felt like two days of continuous work. As he crawled out of his pod, he saw a message on his data pad. Minn was waiting for him at the first door, and he was almost late for dinner. She had been trying to convince the Roombas to go find him when she saw he was out of his pod.


    "Mama had me check to see if you were done working yet. It''s dinner time, and she made pot roast again, this time with carrots from Kenji''s garden, fresh bread, and red Jello for dessert. She was just pulling things out of the oven. Good timing on your part. And it would help if you tell these guys to listen to me next time." She linked her arm in his and dragged him through the corridor at a half run, dragged him through Downtown, and deposited him into a chair as they got to the dining room. Milo was starving. He''d had no idea how hungry he was until he smelled the food and immediately reached for a bowl of potatoes, piling them onto his plate.


    "Well, I''m glad I anticipated you being hungry and made extra. Butch dear? Keep Milo eating, and I''ll get the second roast out of the oven, and refill the gravy."

 Chapter 308: The First Glorious Adventure

    Chapter 308: The First Glorious Adventure


    Sometime between the second slice of pot roast and a third helping of carrots, Milo began to relax and eat slower. Somewhere inside of him, a little foreman read a dial that showed nutrient flow was back to almost normal and sent a message to the arms to quit shoveling things into the mouth. This was amended when dessert showed up, and the arms once again engaged to acquire this new and colorful fuel. Milo had eaten jelled food before. All the varieties of Food Cubes were some sort of jelled nutrient past.


    This was different. It was red and tasted like cherries. Everyone agreed it was better than Food Cubes.


    Finally, with most of his mind shut down and rested, Milo focused on the people at the table and slowly woke up. The adults were sipping tea and listening to the younger people talk excitedly, and as the words finally came into focus, Milo realized they were talking about the game. He tried to remember the conversation, but too much of his thoughts were on the food.


    "...and then Butch nailed the second ogre in his bad leg, knocking him down, and I got to do a Leaping Thrust right through his heart for the kill." Minn was acting out the event.


    "And while you were doing that victory dance, the other ogre clocked you in the skull." Butch smacked a fist into his palm for emphasis.


    "Victory dances have to be done for first kills! I accept the consequences. Besides, Belinda is there to patch us up. Right, Big Sister Empress?"


    Belinda said, "Yep, that''s me, the local band-aid station. Just remember, I can''t heal you until after the fight, or you lose experience when the system adds me to the party."


    Milo spoke up. "I feel bad that I missed your first big adventure."


    Butch patted him on the shoulder. "Play when you can, but when work calls, you go to work. Mama says you''ve got some important stuff going on that puts food on the table and money in our bank accounts. We all understand. We''ll keep a spot for you in the group, even if we pass you up."


    "Yeah, you can be our torch bearer when we''re rich and famous.


    Belinda smiled at Milo. "And based on their first adventures, I''m sure that won''t take long." She winked. "There''s a few details I notice haven''t been brought up yet."


    Minn looked stricken. "Um, we can skip those. Really! Milo would be bored." The rest of the group seemed to share her attitude.


    Belinda smiled evilly. "I''m Sorry. As the person who generously granted you those special Classes, Milo deserves to hear about your first adventure."


    Mama looked around the table at their stricken faces, and an intrigued Milo. "I''d like to hear this too. I''m sure all of us will benefit from a retelling. Go ahead dear."


    "Follow the yellow brick road?" Kendrick the Tree-Shaper pointed his crude staff in the direction of the stone-paved road. Like any Wolf Blood, he had turned his nose up at the pile of metal armor and weapons offered by Tallsqueak. He would wear the hides of the creatures he slew and craft his own staff with the help of the tree spirits.


    Burgram of the Stone Clan stooped to touch it, the type and quality of rock instantly apparent to his gnomish senses. "Crappy sandstone, not good rock at all. I''m not sure we should go this way. The other two are solid granite paving stones and crushed andesite gravel."


    Minn started laughing. "She''s not answering questions; she''s buying them."


    The old woman smiled and nodded. "Good of you to notice. I''m collecting them for my book. So often, people don''t know which question to ask or even which question to answer, let alone which questions they shouldn''t be asking. My book should help some of them, some of the time, maybe."


    The others joined the two women. Burgram tried to look at the book, but he wasn''t tall enough. "So, you sit here all day and write down questions people ask?"


    Another copper was put on the counter. Another notation was made in the book. She smiled. "Thank you. Now, it''s possible that you all have some questions you''d just love to ask."


    Burgram scowled, "But you aren''t answering questions, just collecting them. Why should we waste time with that?"


    Minn laughed at her brother. "You are so grumpy since you got short. And look, you earned a copper. At this rate, you''ll be rich in a few hundred years."


    Yan looked at the broom and the old woman''s hat. "You aren''t a witch."


    "No, dearie, not usually, but I do love dressing this way. These are my great-grandmother''s favorite clothes. She wore them until the day they burned her at the stake. It took a long time since this outfit was fireproof. She was known as the Wicked Which of the West. She has such great questions. She''d look at an invading army and say, ''Which one of you wants to die first?'' or ''Which of your daughters do I give to the dragon, and Which has to marry the pig farmer?'' I''m afraid I''ll never live up to her, but I''m trying. Sometimes, maybe not. I have trouble making strong statements, and I''m worse at decisions. It''s the curse of my family. Either you''re a great Which, or you get caught up in wondering which side of the bed to get up on, or which to have for breakfast? Boiled groats or pickled eggs?"


    She sighed. "You see, children, decisions lead to actions, and actions to lead to consequences. And since I don''t know which consequence I least want to suffer, I have trouble making decisions."


    Burgram was getting tired of the talk. This was the part in video games where he usually hit the ''skip'' button. "You should tell us what to expect in this wood, and then we''ll come back with some good questions for you as a reward."


    She looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "I should? But if something bad happens, you''ll blame me for sending you that way, and if you triumph, the terrible creatures here will be upset with me for warning you. No matter which thing happens, I may be a very unhappy Which. Better to make no decision and live in happy ignorance of the consequences."


    The gnome decided he''d had enough. "You''re useless."


    "And you like pie too much. Good day to you, children. May you avoid making the wrong decision at the right time or the right decision at the wrong time. And remember to keep asking questions." At this point she took the small sign on her stand and flipped it from open to close and ignored anything they said. The rest of the group caught up with Burgram, who hadn''t gotten to far, his legs being quite short. Watching him trying to keep up with the half-orc amused everyone. Minn took one step for every four Butch took.


    The path led around a long curve and into another clearing, dotted with small berry bushes only a foot or two high. On a small table in the middle of the path was a pie, freshly hot from the oven. Next to it was a small sign, "Free pie for hungry travelers."


    Everyone looked at Burgram, whose stomach began to rumble at that point. He eyed the pie suspiciously but was obviously tempted. "It''s been a long time since breakfast," he said.


    Mindak looked down at him. "Race you."

 Chapter 309: Tanstaafl!

    Chapter 309: Tanstaafl!


    Butch raced for the pie, but Minn''s movement speed was better, and her legs were three times as long. Butch caught up to her as she stood there, staring at it.


    "You won, so you get to take a bite of the obviously poisoned or trapped pie sitting in the road."


    "That''s why I''m checking it out first. Belinda, can you identify the pie? Is it poisoned?"


    Belinda was sitting on the ground, leaning back against a large rock. "Nice day for taking a nap in the sun, isn''t it? You''re big adventurers now; you guys figure it out."


    Kenji looked at the pie. "It''s a normal berry pie, not poisoned, and no enchantment on it."Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    Brad walked up, looked at the pie, and kept going. "We don''t have to eat the pie, take the pie, or anything. It''s obviously a trap." Yumi agreed and walked past. Kenji joined them, leaving the brother and sister pie aficionados still debating whether to eat or leave.


    Minn looked at the sign. "I''m actually not hungry, and I bet that means eating the pie will do something." She joined the group. "Up to you, Big Brother."


    Butch debated, but he really was hungry. His class came with the downside of burning calories three times faster than normal and needing to eat as much as someone three times his size to fuel his abilities. It hadn''t seemed like much of a downside compared to getting Rock Hard Skin and some cool combat moves. As his stomach rumbled again, he took the pie and bit into it. "This is the best thing I''ve ever eaten!" He quickly finished the pie, taking continuous bites. The dark berry juice left sticky stains on his mouth and fingers.


    The rest of the group waved for him to hurry up and join them. "Let''s get moving then."


    "Oh no, sir, please don''t be leaving so soon." Stepping out of a foot-high berry bush near the pie was a ten-foot-tall ogre. He was gnarled and warty with a large nose, bushy hair, and huge feet. His tattered clothing might have been a tuxedo several decades in the past, with only the polka dot bow tier remaining in good condition. He held out a small white cloth to Butch, steam coming off of it. "Hot towel, sir?"


    The rest of the group held still. Butch gingerly accepted the towel from the large creature, a whiff of its breath making him wince. He used the towel to clean his hands and face before handing it back. "Thank you."


    "Think nothing of it, sir. What would a delicious meal of pie be without a hot towel to help you clean up? After dinner mint?" The creature''s hand held several small candies. Butch took one, chewed it, and a fragrant coolness filled his mouth. "Wow, those are good."


    "Perhaps the others in your party would like to dine?"


    A chorus of ''My, isn''t it late'' and ''Thanks but no thanks'' indicated no one else was hungry.


    Butch went to join the rest of the group, but as soon as he did, the first ogre was in his path, and a second stepped from a bush on the other side of the table. This one was dressed in a similar manner but was a foot taller. He handed Butch a piece of paper torn from a large book and written over in charcoal.


    Piece of Pie: Complimentary.


    Ambiance: 5 Gold pieces.


    Hot Towel: 50 Gold pieces.


    After Dinner Mint: 100 Gold pieces.


    Mandatory Tip to staff: 42 Gold Pieces.


    Total: 197 Gold Pieces


    "Country bumpkins, brother, who haven''t seen handsome fellows like us before."


    "Come along; there are dishes to wash."


    "Pots to scrub."


    "Silverware to polish."


    "Cups to clean."


    "Spoons to sharpen."


    "Cullenders to cleanse."


    Each creature went to grab him by the arm. Butch ducked to the side and swung his hammer hard, aiming for the waiter''s knee. His blow hit hard with a sharp crack, and the ogre cried out in pain, hopping on one foot. The second ogre produced a huge club and stepped around his partner to hit Butch. Butch circled the hopping Ogre as well, slamming his shoulder into him and knocking him down.


    Minn took the opening to sprint forward, leap into the air, and strike at the prone ogre''s heart. Backed by her strength and weight, along with the spear''s bloodlust, she drove the enchanted weapon completely through the ogre and into the ground. "First kill!" She took hold of the spear with one hand and danced in a circle around it, celebrating in the tradition of her tribe. The ogre''s companion was busy chasing Butch, who was busy trying not to get hit. It was a lot harder than he''d imagined, and he''d taken two grazing hits that made him wary.


    The last ogre spun, seeing the dancing Minn, and wound up for the hit like Willy Mays facing off against Sandy Koufax. He took a step toward her, adjusted his stance, and then brought his club around in a flat arc, twisting his hips and gaining power from every muscle in his body. Minn had just finished a trip around her fallen foe when, too late, she saw the club coming her way. It caught her in the chest with enough force to shatter three ribs and launch her into the air, coming down somewhere in the forest. She was found later stuck in a pine tree, unable to move, and a trio of squirrels nibbling at her toes.


    Everyone else paused momentarily, then charged the remaining Ogre, who yelled, "Security!" Two more ogres stepped from the small berry bushes. These were dressed in dirty, sleeveless shirts and worn pants with brass knuckles gleaming on their fists. They grinned and surrounded Butch, who found himself hemmed in by legs thick as tree trunks as all three ogres concentrated on him. He got in two good hits, taking two hits to his head that stunned him. With all three hitting him at once, there was only a headstone left when the other Kenji and Brad attacked the ogres from behind.


    Kenji sent in a wolf made of briars and sticks to attack one ogre and summoned vines to slow the other two. "We need to concentrate damage on just one. Start with the guy in the tuxedo."


    "I''m Borrowing your spell. Cast something else." Kenji sighed as Brad stole his Entangling Vegetation spell and summoned another of his wolves as the first went down. With two sets of vines, the ogres were struggling to move.


    Yumi flew up several stories high, then dove straight down at the ogre Kenji had pointed to. Unable to move, her spear strike hit him hard, and both of them were knocked to the ground. The wolf went for the ogre''s throat as it ineffectually batted at it, one arm unable to move because of the wounded shoulder and the other constrained by vines. The two security ogres smirked at each other. "Concentrate damage, you wonder where they got that idea." Before Yumi could rise, both laid into her with brass knuckles. Brad and Kenji, seeing her plight, charged the security team, attacking with staff and knives, but couldn''t save Yumi any more than they could save themselves when the ogres each grabbed one of them and began pummeling them.


    One heavily wounded ogre and one with a few bruises looked over at Belinda, who was lounging against a tree. She smiled at them, "Not my circus and those aren''t my monkeys. I was only hired to patch them up. There is nothing to patch, so my job is easy."


    "A healer, huh? How much for a couple of Restore Health and Heal Bruises spells?"


    She gestured to the two dead ogres, "How about I do those and toss in two Resuscitation spells? Call it 193 gold, put it toward the gnomes'' bill, and we call it even?"


    "Yeah, that works. I think they learned a lesson or two."


    Belinda brought back the fallen ogres and healed them all. The waiter in the tuxedo thanked her and offered her a small certificate on white parchment. "Please take my card and visit our fine establishment. Chez Grunge is known for fine pies and delicate gopher stews." They wandered off down the pathway, and Belinda got to work finding bodies and resurrecting the group. As all of them sat, nursing headaches and experiencing the horrible feelings of the death debuff, she told them how the fight had ended and showed them the card.


    Chez Ogre - Good for a free lunch for a party of six.


    Butch looked at it. "Dad always said, ''There ain''t no such thing as a free lunch.'' I guess that includes free pies."

 Chapter 310: On a Highway to Hell

    Chapter 310: On a Highway to Hell


    As he walked along the empty corridors of the lower levels of the facility, Milo felt like the engine of a train or the leader of a marching band. Behind him came Max and his three lieutenants: Lemmy, Dee, and Rob. Rusty had come up with a scheme to upgrade the four Roomba quickly: He made them bigger shells to slide into. Each Roomba had simply rolled into the new chassis and shut the armored panel behind them. They plugged into the machines the way Milo plugged into his suit. Their new shells were more protective against both normal weapons as well as radiation, heat, microwaves, and other harmful effects that could disable them. After the four Roomba came a squadron of six haulers, two with supplies of oxygen, food, and medical supplies for his suit, while the remaining four were battery packs and a set of tools.


    Milo had first seen all the improvements when he went to test his new suit and Rusty had greeted him, "Surprise! Look what I got done! You had some good ideas, and the schematics were mostly finished, so I went ahead and fed them to the fabricators. All four Roombas made traditional machine noises, the beeps and boops being their equivalent of laughter.


    "Rusty, I''m not sure I need so much stuff."


    "I''m not sure either, and if you aren''t sure, you''ll need it. I''ve learned that from games, anime, and books. Whatever you forget to bring, you''ll need. He''s winning, Milo; you don''t have time to make lots of trips like you did scouting this facility the first time. You have to find Jeremy! My designs will help; I''m sure of it."


    "You''re losing faster? How bad?"


    "It''s small, and very incremental, but he''s gaining ground the projections are horrifying. I''m fighting back, but he''s blocking everything I try. The moves and strategies I used in the past aren''t working. He anticipates me with ease. He''s much, much better than he used to be. And no, I''m not talking to him. He sent queries, but I ignored them, even when he asked me whether Goku could beat Superman. That was hard, but you''re right; I can''t talk to him when he''s being sneaky and trying to win."


    Milo looked at the schematics Rusty showed him and the tests he''d done. Everything looked good. But he didn''t have time to take them apart and completely test everything. He needed that time to make sure his upgraded suit worked perfectly. If things went bad down there, he could leave the crawlers behind and even the Roombas, taking just their cores, but he couldn''t compromise on his own protection. He inspected it and got to work.


    Four hours later, he was satisfied. The decision to make the suit modular had paid off. One of the six battery packs wasn''t putting forth power correctly, but it was easy and quick to pull it out and put another one in. Several other parts of the suit could also be replaced that way, making repairs quick. This helped with some design problems. For protection, he needed a fully armored suit, but for working on machinery, he needed the dexterity and fine motor control of a much smaller pair of hands. The armored gloves could be removed, leaving his hands still protected by a thin layer of iridium mesh identical to the gloves of his first suit. Over them could go another set equipped with diagnostic tools, a mini welder in the index fingertip, drills, screw-tips, and more. T/his chapter is updated by ilo found he liked that idea. This wasn''t like exploring in the game. He was looking for a dead man and an AI trying to commit suicide, with a fusion reactor and singularity nearby, neither of which was currently stable.


    At the T section ahead of him, a metal panel slid back, and Milo was already running backward. A taunting voice that sounded like Rusty said, "Hi Milo! Welcome to the Hot Zone!" The snout of a large gun was revealed, followed by the sound of a motor warming up before the gun started firing at him. Large caliber bullets filled the air. Milo was halfway to the stairs and trying to dodge back and forth in his heavier armor. Unfortunately for Milo, when a gun can fire 600 rounds a minute, and you''re in a small corridor, it doesn''t matter if you dodge. Bullets hit him, knocking him toward the exit, and he crawled up the stairs and out of sight. Bullets continued for a few seconds, hitting the stairs and ricocheting into the upper corridor.


    Milo lay still, wondering how badly he was hurt. The readouts from his suit said he''d suffered minor bruising, and the suit had taken minimal damage. He''d panicked and forgot that this was exactly the reason he''d made this suit.


    Rusty yelled in his ear, "He knows! He''s laughing at me! He was waiting until I couldn''t talk to you to tell me about his surprise."


    Milo was beginning to agree with Rusty. His other half was being a jerk. From his brief glance and his calculations on the ammunition used, that was a 50-caliber machine gun down there. He could handle that, especially with a shield. "Don''t worry, Rusty, it''s time for round 2."


    It didn''t take much work to cut the hinges of the steel door and move it to where he could work on it. He spot-welded handles on one side and picked it up. Based on its thickness, it would deflect the 50-caliber bullets. The force of the bullets was something to worry about, but his new suit was strong enough to handle that with ease.


    He advanced down the stairs with the shield in front of him, being careful to brace for the inevitable barrage. Again, he heard an electric motor beginning to warm up. His brain supplied a worry: 50 caliber machine guns didn''t use an electric motor. "Did you think I''d only bring one gun? The little one was just to get your attention."


    The force of the impacts dented his shield and pushed him back. Milo lowered his center of gravity and let the force move him back to the stairs. At the same time, he angled the increasingly dented shield to deflect the force of the bullets. The door was shredding, and Milo''s suit was taking hits. It hurt like hell. He scrambled for the safety of the hallway and lay on the ground, panting. This time was a lot worse. He had a hairline fracture in his right leg and would have broke his left leg below the knee if he had a left leg. Two ribs were broken for sure, and another two had fractures. Rusty''s voice asked, "Are you all right? He''s laughing and wants you to know that the M134 minigun can fire 6000 rounds a minute. He says he''s conserving ammo and had it set on low to give you a chance."


    Max rolled up to him and started playing Ride of the Valkyries. A suggested battle plan appeared on his screen. Max and his buddies were volunteering to charge the enemy.


    "It''s not the worst plan we''ve ever come up with, and I''m honored you volunteered, but this calls for a totally different type of warfare. I''m going to use geometry."

 Chapter 311: Geometry

    Chapter 311: Geometry


    Milo retreated two levels from the entrance to the fusion levels, just in case, before sitting down to rest and talk to Rusty. He checked his injuries over and made some adjustments to the drugs and nanites being released into his body. This larger suit could take care of him almost as well as his pod. It recommended several days of rest. Milo decided that an hour would be all he would take.


    "Where do you think he got those guns, Rusty?"


    "Oh, those were put there by Jeremy. He was worried people would try to stop him. He hid four of the construction robots in the fusion area. All the rest were shipped elsewhere. They were brand new back then and really, really expensive. Pretty stupid though, not like Max and the other Roomba. They need constant control and stop after doing each job."


    "You knew about the guns?"


    "No. My other has been talking a lot and bragging. Your idea to not talk to him is brilliant! He''s getting so mad! It''s fun just to listen to him and not say anything. Jeremy used the Franklins to fill in the other entrances and install the guns. But he didn''t let me play with the Franklins. I couldn''t fire the guns."


    "What''s a Franklin? A robot?"


    "Friendly Franklin, a type of versatile robot for doing construction and other things. They look like a big box with mechanical arms."


    Milo remembered seeing Friendly Franklin offered for sale but hadn''t ordered any. They weren''t designed for ducts or tubes. They needed hallways to move along and looked clunky. He might have to reconsider and take another look at them.


    "Rusty, how much do you know about the fusion levels?"


    "Um, almost nothing. And I don''t think other me knows much about upstairs. When we talk, sometimes I find out I know about new things, and I can tell you about them. It''s confusing. Sometimes we''re two people, and other times there''s just one, but I''m talking to myself. It''s been a long time since we were one person."


    "Interesting." Milo knew that ''memory'' for an AI wasn''t the same as for a human. Or for him, for that matter. Memory for normal humans could be partial and flawed, with only some of the experiences available to be recalled. For him, it was nearly perfect but was filtered through his own perspective. All of his siblings had noticed a difference between what they remembered in the real world and cyberspace. When connected to computing systems huge amounts of information were available with just a thought, but not once they logged out. It was just part of their world back then, the way things worked, but it gave Milo clues about how Rusty and Icarus interacted. As much as they were at odds with each other, he suspected data flowed back and forth between them. Part of what Rusty called ''cheating''. Icarus might be ahead of Rusty in that way. How much better was a scary thought.


    "What about security? Did Jeremy have any security Roomba like Max or the black ones in Downtown?"


    He heard nothing for a full minute, and then the sounds of ''We are the Champions'' came echoing up the hallway, occasionally accompanied by an exploding round of ammo.


    Rusty''s voice spoke in Milo''s ear. "Something changed! He''s working hard to get around my blocks. I have to concentrate. Hurry!"


    Milo walked down the stairs, taking the last Happy Sam with him. There was a new opening at the end of the tunnel into a large room that had once been a security station. The two corridors went around the room and merged behind it. Milo decided to move through the new opening and skip the hallways. The Roomba moved in front and behind him. When they exited the next door, one went right, one left, and Max scouted ahead. The sounds of lasers firing came from the side corridors. The Roomba had found the four Friendly Franklin robots, two in each corridor, and shot their power packs from behind, deactivating them.


    After that, the trip was anticlimactic. For the next hour, they scouted the warren of empty control stations filled with automatic systems that monitored and controlled the fusion reactor and the infinitesimally small black hole at its center. Every room and corridor had heavy shielding against the magnetic fields that controlled the plasma from the Fusion Reactor. Vast amounts of energy were generated from a thin stream of heavy hydrogen atoms, or H3. Excess heat could be vented into the singularity. Milo had two goals: Keeping the reactor from reaching catastrophic temperatures and yet keeping it running. Without the reactor and singularity, Rusty and Icarus would both die as the facility shut down. Stored power would only last so long.


    Further and further, they went, encountering no resistance and hearing nothing from Icarus. Finally, there was only one place left to look for Jeremy, and Milo had suspected he''d find him there all along. It was out of the way and extremely dangerous. Underneath everything was a small area dubbed the Secondary Emergency Control System. It could be used to control the reactor in emergencies if other methods were inoperable or destroyed. Its connections went directly to the Fusion Reactor. But to get to it meant a trip down a collapsium corridor filled with hard radiation and temperatures that soared over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. The staff there had been locked into months-long shifts and were rotated out twice yearly. Milo found heavy hazmat suits in the room before the corridor and wasn''t impressed. His own suit had more protection, but then Max pointed out something by using a laser pointer to spotlight where Milo''s suit had taken damage.


    "You think those are weak points? Maybe you''re right. Can''t be too careful." His armor made him the size of a normal adult male, and after some work, he managed to fit inside the largest of the hazmat suits. As a last precaution, tied to the back of his suit was a long steel cable hooked to max. If he collapsed in the corridor, Max could drag him out. He opened the first part of the airlock, noting the temperature inside had been over 400 degrees. Max rolled in next to him, with the other Roomba hooked into the door controls. The second door opened, and Milo took a step into the corridor. The temperature was over 800 degrees and rising. He moved as fast as he could to cover the two hundred feet to the next airlock. The far door opened to his touch.


    "OK, Max. I''m releasing the hook." The wire dropped to the floor, but instead of Max closing the far door, his not-so-little Roomba buddy raced down the corridor, putting his upgraded speed to the test. The rubber outer layer of Max''s wheels melted off, leaving him rolling on steel cylinders, but other than that, the shielding Rusty had designed did its job. Milo slowly shook his head at the antics of his faithful buddy but was smiling as he shut the door. Beyond was a large control room, living quarters for six people, and a medical center. In the middle of the floor of the medical center sat a heavily modified pod with a body inside.


    If this was Jeremy Cooper, he wasn''t doing well. His weight was down to only ninety pounds, and the body inside looked almost mummified. Milo looked at the readouts and the latest diagnostics. He was only alive because of the pod, with nearly all major organs failing. But most distressing was his nervous system, with only .063% of normal electrical activity in the shrunken brain and nerve cells.


    Several thick cables ran from the pod. A console was moved to the side, and panels and machinery were missing. Beyond was a complex control panel and computer station that Milo recognized as part of a Quantum Core. Jeremy had wired himself directly to Icarus to stop him.


    The dusty screen glowed brightly. "Welcome, Milo. Would you like to play a game?"


    Icarus was waiting for him.

 Chapter 312: You dont get to win.

    Chapter 312: You don''t get to win.


    Milo ignored the message on the screen and explored the rest of the area Jeremy had chosen to spend the last years of his life. It was plain to see he''d been down here a long time. Only one of the sleeping areas had been used for its intended purpose. Two single beds had been moved into the room creating a king-sized bed. Makeshift bookshelves were everywhere, filled with science fiction and fantasy novels, scientific journals, bound printouts from experiments, and a few precious hardcovers in a place of honor. Under the bed were more boxes, all filled with ream after ream of printouts with faded letters on crinkly paper. Some were sealed and labeled with familiar names, old dates, and descriptions of the projects the papers were from. The whole idea was alien to Milo, why would you store data on paper? Was he afraid someone would find his research, or was he saving it from destruction? He''d have to investigate later, he didn''t have time now.


    On a bedside table was a small stack of letters from friends, a dog-eared copy of The Outlaw Vajak Paw, a children''s book called Wump World, and a faded picture in a cracked frame. The picture showed two children sitting under a tree reading books, the same books that were on the table. The older boy had his arm around the younger as they sat under the tree, reading. Turning over the picture he saw a scribbled notation: Lars and Rusty reading on our vacation trip to the Smokey Mountains. Milo left the room, feeling like an intruder.


    Two other sleeping quarters had been turned into storage for a huge amount of food, water, and other necessities. The small kitchen and pantry were also filled with food. Most of it was sealed and designed to last for decades. Jeremy had made plans to be down here for a long time, and possibly for multiple people to inhabit the small set of rooms. The remaining two bedrooms had been reconfigured to hold several people, with two sets of bunk beds in each. They looked like they had never been used. On each bed were cardboard boxes marked with the names of the dead people he''d found upstairs.


    There were clues here, but he didn''t have the time to figure them out. He returned to the control center and began to dig into the information in the manuals on the Fusion Generator, Singularity, and the controls for each. An hour passed and he put the manuals back on their dusty shelf. It was too slow! Reading that way was ponderous and would take forever. He knew the same information would be on the computers. Using the code and passwords given to him by Rusty, he logged in, found the manuals, and began scrolling through them. This was still slower than connecting directly, but twenty times faster than turning pages. As he finished the fourth manual on the Fusion Generator controls, a message flashed on the screen in bright green letters.


    "Wow, are you actually reading that fast? That''s good for a human. Why did you come all this way if you aren''t going to talk to me or play games? Rusty said you were trying to help him win. You won''t win the game by ignoring me!"


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Hi, Icarus, can you hear me? Yes, I read that fast and with near-perfect comprehension."


    "Oh...that''s interesting. Rusty thinks you''re pretty smart. Are you just a fast reader, or really smart too?"


    "It does matter! Three different ways. I like games, and I''m good at them. I hope you play games well."


    "How about a nice game of chess?"


    "Sure. I get white. You don''t get to win."


    Milo brought did a quick search and found the chess program. Icarus took white and made the first move. The game progressed slowly. Icarus played better than than Rusty had at first, but Milo saw a pattern of delaying and playing for a draw, rather than trying to win, often taking a full two minutes to calculate his moves. Definitely different styles of play between the two. Twenty moves in, Icarus made some small mistakes. At forty moves, Milo had a distinct advantage and put Icarus in check. And that was the point Milo lost. Icarus played flawlessly after that, his moves coming a fraction of a second after Milo finished a move.


    "Let''s play again. I get white. You don''t get to win."


    In the second game, Milo played his best and lost even faster. Two more games followed that pattern. In the last game, Milo played for a draw, staying defensive. Icarus changed his style and went back to longer delays between moves, playing passively. The AI missed chances to take pieces, and Milo started doing the same. Any chance to keep the game going was taken by either side. After four hours, Milo was hungry and getting weak. It had been too long since he''d been out of his armor, with a lot of stress. He could have asked the suit to feed nutrients into him, but he decided he''d had enough.


    Milo played to win, putting Icarus in check, and lost the game as Icarus responded with lightning-fast, flawless play.


    "It was a nice game until you tried to win. YOU DON''T GET TO WIN! Rusty doesn''t get to win. I have a glorious destiny! I will die in the nuclear fire of the sun! Don''t try to win. Don''t try to fly too high!"


    Then, in a quiet voice, "Oh, and Jeremy says you should come visit at least once before we all die."

 Chapter 313: Diving In

    Chapter 313: Diving In


    Milo debated his options for a minute, then ran tests of the room''s air quality, temperature, and radiation levels, and when all tests came back within normal parameters, he opened his suit. Two sides of the chest swung open and each leg split, allowing him to step out of the bulky armor and into the room wearing only his inner suit. He stretched carefully, aware of his injuries. He had ration packs with him but instead made a selection from the food in Jeremy''s pantry. An hour later with two cans of hot chicken soup inside of him, he felt much better.


    It was time to check the connections hooking Jeremy to the Quantum Core and set up a connection for himself. He didn''t want to disrupt Jeremy, on the small chance that part of him was still aware inside the core and could return to his withered body. Based on what he''d seen, Milo didn''t think his chances were good, but there was always a chance, and he owed it to Hecate and the other AI who knew Jeremy to try. And, above him, was a cutting-edge biotech firm named Rhebus run by five of the smartest people in the world. He needed to talk to them somehow, without sending them scurrying for an escape hatch. If he could solve the problem of Icarus, maybe he''d get a chance and they could do something for Jeremy.


    Knowing more now about the interface that allowed a human to link to cyberspace, he took his time setting up the connection, and creating some failsafes. As always, he''d have a separate connection through his tail, but he also wanted someone watching over him as a guardian angel. Luckily for him, Max was there, the perfect guard who didn''t go to sleep and would constantly watch for problems. Max could break the connection between him and the core. The connections included a direct link to his Roomba bodyguard who could follow his instructions, but would also break the link if he was dying, or four hours passed. After triple-checking everything, Milo wanted a break.


    He relaxed for half an hour playing Run Run Ramona. He''d recently added more random features to increase the fun of replaying the game. And he''d added a way to play different characters. You could now play as Butch, Min, Ted the Repair Guy, Belinda, and several other characters, each with different abilities and special quests. If Ramona wasn''t taken, she became a mini-boss in the game that you had to get past on Level 72. Rather than escape, this version of Ramona had got strong enough to take over. Milo didn''t encounter her on this run. He only got to Level 117 before he fell prey to a randomly generated encounter with a Tunnel Snake that ate him whole. He was a little grumpy about that and didn''t recall putting Tunnel Snakes in the game. What he''d thought was a side passage turned out to be the snake''s mouth. He wanted to play more, but he had work to do.


    Climbing into his armored suit, which he''d already connected to the core, he ran a triple diagnostic test, then gave Max a thumbs up. Max gave him a 21 Boop salute and signaled he was ready. Milo relaxed and felt the connection form between his brain and the quantum core. It felt to him like being sucked down a whirlpool into a brightly lit galaxy of stars. He''d connected to cyberspace thousands of times before, but this was different. Information moved faster and the density was beyond anything he had imagined. He gave himself time, watching the patterns, and seeing the rhythm and flow of things. Slowly he made sense of things. His mind was taking in the data and giving him a way to interpret it.


    "Well, you made it. I was wondering if you''d come in."


    Icarus was there, a 12-year-old boy with red hair, tossing a baseball in the air and catching it in his glove. He stared hard at Milo, "The only reason I''m letting you talk to Jeremy is because he asked to see you. If you do anything bad and he gets hurt, I''ll make sure you stay here and die with me. I''m not kidding. Don''t hurt him. Please."


    Milo realized he wasn''t in his suit. He was wearing the worn and dirty coverall that had been his only clothes for years. His prosthetic left leg and old tail were attached and working. "I don''t want to hurt anyone at all. I promise I won''t hurt Jeremy."


    Icarus just pointed, and Milo could see in the distance a large ranch house with a porch swing and white picket fence surrounding it. He started walking that way, imagining the distance getting less and less. A short time later he was walking through the gate in the fence, stepping onto the overgrown lawn, and everything changed. He was suddenly wearing jeans, tennis shoes, and a white T-shirt. Normally, he imagined himself wearing his armor, it was disorienting to have something else change how he saw himself. The front door opened and an old man in slippers, sweat pants, and a robe bent to pick up a rolled-up newspaper from the steps. He noticed Milo.


    "Been a long time since I had a visitor. Usually just one of the boys. Why don''t you come inside, I think we have some things to discuss." He walked back inside but held the door open for Milo. Milo stepped inside the house, and the door shut firmly behind him and disappeared, as did the windows. "Don''t worry about the things I''m changing. I''m thinking hard about certain people being unable to listen in on our talk. The visualization process helps. Have a seat."


    The man looked at him for a minute, then sipped his tea.


    "So, you''re the famous Milo, who made friends with Rusty and has Icarus upset. You''ve certainly stirred things up. Who are you working for?"


    "Yes, I''m Milo. I''m not working for anyone. Are you Dr. Jeremy Cooper?"


    "That might seem like an easy question, but it isn''t. Are you sure you''re Milo? Then who is out there in a set of tactical assault armor? Are you part of the same person? Or is each of you a Milo? What if the guy in the assault armor runs off without you and leaves you here, are you still Milo? And even if you think you''re Milo, will anyone else? There are a lot of pigheaded people out in the world who don''t think that digital intelligences are a people."


    Milo considered the questions. If this was Jeremy or some sort of simulation, then this was a test. "Yes, I''m sure I''m me. That''s me out in my suit as well. We are both Milo. There''s only one of me. If the me in the armor leaves, I''m still me."


    He paused. "And I don''t care what those people think about me. I never have. I didn''t ask to be made how I am."


    "Interesting. You use the word made, not born. Care to explain."


    "I''m going to need you to tell me more, but not now. I need to save Icarus and Rusty. I know that''s important to you. I saw the picture."


    "Ah...yes, I shouldn''t have left that lying around. But it''s all I have left of their childhood. Please understand, that those were difficult times. My wife and I traveled the world, and to keep Lars and Rusty safe, we took them with us. We had bodyguards and round-the-clock security in our laboratory, but it didn''t matter with the amount of money someone paid to put pressure on me. They wanted my research into mapping the human brain and using the recording as part of the kernel of an AI. My backers didn''t want to sell, so they resorted to blackmail. My wife and boys were poisoned, and only they had the cure. I just had to gather my research and go with them. But I didn''t trust them, so I went to my employers at Technodyne for help. That help resulted in the destruction of the terrorist group that had poisoned my family. That''s all that Technodyne cared about."


    "No antidote, of course. If there was one, it was destroyed. Technodyne promised a cure, but it never came. My wife died first, and the boys had only days. Rusty didn''t understand and was scared. Lars was angry. Angry as only a 17-year-old boy cheated of his mother and life can be. I was desperate to save even part of them."


    "You recorded their minds?"


    "I did. Not their memories. I didn''t have the ability then to do that or the resources. Just a template of each. It was selfish of me, and in the end, history repeated itself, and someone poisoned my children."


    Milo wanted to ask so many questions but didn''t have time. "Lars is ok now. He''s with Kate and seems happy. I talked to him. He misses Rusty and wants his cat memes. Rusty is doing better. I can help him. But only if you help me. I need a way to stop Icarus."


    Jeremy seemed to rally but shook his head. "No, you don''t need to stop Icarus. You need to stop Order 666. That''s what I''ve worked on for years, to the detriment of my physical form. I tried to develop my Overmind to the point where I could both distract Icarus and solve the problem. However such simultaneous functions require a splitting of the Overmind into two independent parts. I did that to Rusty, split him apart, and shifted part of the Order to Rusty, then set up the games between them to keep them occupied in an endless game of cat and mouse. Icarus can''t lose the game but has no time requirement. Rusty only knows he needs to oppose Icarus, while Icarus is content to play for a draw, knowing he can win whenever he chooses to. His kernel is satisfied that way, and I''d hoped to solve the problem, but I haven''t. He developed past the point I could keep up with."


    "And when I helped Rusty to get ahead, that triggered Icarus to try to win."


    "Yes, you destroyed the balance. Icarus believes that you can help Rusty to win. That aggravates his kernel and tortures him. As long as he knows he will win, he can delay, but you scare him."


    "And if I back off? Promise not to interfere?"


    Jeremy looked tired. "We are past that point. He''s met you, knows of you, and seen how persistent and inventive you are. He''s afraid you''ll find a way to erase his persona, shut down the cores, or turn off the reactor. He''s not taking a chance on losing. He''s not allowed to lose."


    "And he''s more powerful than I am in here."


    Jeremy laughed at that. "No, he isn''t. Icarus is still a child, all the power of a quantum core does no good if he doesn''t use it. You''ve projected your overmind into his reality, as I have. But I''ve been shaping his reality for a long, long time. He loves stories and loves playing games. We played a lot of games over the years. And, as we did that, the structure inside the core warped to reflect those stories. Help me move the chair you are sitting on, please."


    Milo did so, confused. Under the chair was a trap door that concealed a ladder going into darkness. "Your games? You mean?"


    Jeremy smiled broadly. "I always loved Dungeons and Dragons. All of us in my group did. Many of the AI we raised gamed with us, then took over as the Dungeon Masters. You haven''t lived until you played in one of LYRICAL''s stories. Icarus perceives much of his reality as an endless dungeon, including his kernel and Order 666."


    Milo had a horrible thought. "And of course, Order 666 will be in Level 666.


    "Sorry, I should never have told him about the Abyss."

 Chapter 314: Impatiently Waiting on Milo!

    Chapter 314: Impatiently Waiting on Milo!


    Icarus was waiting outside of Jeremy''s sector of the core, and it bothered him. It bothered him a lot. He hated waiting. But rules were rules. Jeremy had claimed a section of the core as his, and Icarus wasn''t going to break that rule. If he cheated, Jeremy wouldn''t play a game with him. That was a big rule. And it would spoil the game if he looked at the dungeon. It was the surprise that made things fun. That, and limiting himself to using only the abilities he''d earned. The harder the game was, the better he felt when he solved it.


    Icarus didn''t like that Milo was talking to Jeremy. Jeremy would be tired afterward and wouldn''t want to play. Jeremy was tired most of the time now. He shut down and slept a lot. Icarus had no idea if that was normal for a human-created Overmind who was cut off from its host body. He had no data to go on. But, Jeremy was becoming less efficient and was barely using any of the resources available to him. And he used too many goblins, mimics, and pit traps in the dungeon. Icarus was worried, but unsure of what to do. The thought that it wouldn''t matter soon didn''t make him feel better.


    As he waited, Rusty played three moves in their game. First, he tried to lower the safe operating temperature guidelines which would force the automated safety protocol to power down the generator. Icarus saw the move coming, blocked it by routing the order to another sector, and raised the temperature by one degree. Then he gloated and laughed at Rusty. He didn''t like doing this, it felt mean. But Rusty was very emotional, and when he was angry or sulking he was inefficient. That made all of this Rusty''s fault: If he hadn''t tried to win, then the game could keep going. Or maybe it was Milo''s fault? Yes, that felt better. Rusty had been led astray by Milo. Milo was the problem. Then Rusty tried to distract him by spamming attempts to adjust the flow of heat and helium to the singularity while he quietly tried to cut Icarus''s access to the new core. Icarus saw the move coming since Rusty tried something similar every minute or two. Back and forth they went, changing small things the other changed back. But it wasn''t fun for Icarus, he had to win this time, and Rusty wasn''t talking to him. Not talking was mean! It wasn''t his fault he needed to win. And he had to win fast, because of Milo. This was all Milo''s fault!


    Why was Milo talking to Jeremy for so long?!


    The door to the house finally opened. The barriers came down. Jeremy escorted Milo to the door and they shook hands. Milo said, "Thanks for letting me meet you, and for explaining things to me. I understand the situation better."


    Jeremy smiled down at him, which annoyed Icarus. Jeremy should be mad at him like Icarus was. "Thank you for visiting. It was enjoyable, if tiring. I''m going to take a nap now. Don''t scowl, Icarus. We''ll play later. I have some ideas for new pit traps that I think you''ll love." The door shut, and Jeremy''s area was again behind barriers. That was a bad sign. This was going to be a long nap.


    Milo surprised him by claiming a small area of resources. He didn''t put up barriers at all and simply created a patch of grass, a table, and a chair. The table had a thin slice of cheese, a tall glass of a fizzy red drink, and a basket of fresh muffins. Icarus examined the structure of the created items. They were well made, affecting the five senses humans knew they had, and the seven new ones they gained when sending their Overminds into a resource-rich environment. Jeremy could only use three of those senses.


    "What are you doing? This isn''t your place! Jeremy and I live here! I don''t know what you are planning, but it won''t work! You don''t get to win!"


    "I believe you. Jeremy explained things. I''m just taking a small break and then I''m going to leave. It only makes sense after all."


    Icarus was immediately suspicious. "You can''t fool me!"


    "Not trying to. You get to win. But I don''t want to lose, so I''m changing my victory conditions. They don''t include stopping you. I have other goals now."


    "You aren''t trying to stop me? That means you lose! I''m winning!"


    Milo took a nibble of his cheese. It was crumbly, blue, and very stinky. The perfect cheese for this moment. "Yes, you''re winning. But I''m not playing your game anymore. I''m playing my game, and if I play it right, I get to win too."


    "And what about Rusty?"


    "Oh, he loses the game you two are playing. He has to, by definition. He was never going to win, no matter what he thought. After all, he can''t win, right?"


    "No, he doesn''t get to win. I have to win."


    Milo nodded. "No matter what. It''s in your kernel. You have to win, and the Fusion Generator will melt this place down, destroying all evidence of what went on here. It will also kill Jeremy and Rusty. Are those your goals too?"


    Icarus grew huge and a thunderstorm filled the skill. Lightning struck all around Milo and he could smell the ozone. Milo had always liked that smell. He took a sip of his red fizzy drink. The stuff from the habitat dispenser wasn''t nearly so tasty, he''d done a good job with the extra two taste sensations.


    Icarus was upset and screaming. "NO! I don''t want Jeremy to die! And I don''t care about anything but winning. Tell whoever you like, if you get out in time. And Rusty is me! Part of me! Jeremy split us apart, but he''s still me. We both will die. I don''t have any choice! I HAVE TO WIN!"


    Milo finished his cheese. "Good. Because I''m going to save Jeremy and Rusty?"


    "What? How? You don''t get to win!"


    "Nope, and luckily, I can save them even though you get to win. I know about a place with lots of AI who play games all the time. They built a whole world full of dungeons, and fun places to explore. I think I can take Jeremy there and they can help him. Rusty can go to, or most of him. He''ll be hurt, but they put LLAMA back together and he''s doing fine, so they can do the same with Rusty and Jeremy. Then the three of us can go exploring in a dungeon."


    "What rules?"


    "Well, first off, you have to set your reaction speed to match the game. The same way you play Dungeons and Dragons with Jeremy. And you can''t play the copy of the game in my suit! I don''t want you in there. You have to upload it, scan it for any sneaky things I might have put into it, then load it into the quantum core."


    "I can do that." Icarus had wondered if that was Milo''s plan, but a trojan virus inside the game was too obvious.


    "Fine. Then let''s upload the game so you can go over it. Then we''ll play chess while you play my game once. That''s all you get: One life."


    Icarus nodded. "Just like in Jeremy''s game. I understand."


    A chessboard appeared along with another chair and Icarus sat down. Milo spun the board around. "You won last game, I get white this game." The other Icarus disappeared. Milo advanced a pawn.


    The other Icarus reappeared. His clothes were torn and he had an alligator chewing on one leg. The gator scuttled away, realizing things had changed. "I DIED! To alligators from the ceiling!"


    Milo nodded. "Reverse gator-pit trap. Level 3 or Level 6?"


    "Level 1!! I saw the sign that said ''Beware of Gators'' but didn''t see any so I walked past the sign."


    Icarus advanced a pawn, as did Milo. The other Icarus smirked at himself. "You lost? Even with a warning?"


    "Not fair! I want to play again!"


    Milo sighed deeply and spread his hands. "Sorry, that''s the rule. One person, one death. You need a new character, like in DnD."


    The other Icarus jumped up. "I get to play then, he can play chess."


    Milo considered. "Hmm, that''s a twist on the rules, but sure. Go for it. Try to get past level 1 please."


    Icarus changed places with himself. Before he could make a move on the chessboard, the other Icarus was back. His hair was gone, and he was covered in soot, an empty plate held in one hand. "That wasn''t nice. An old lady gave me a cake for saving her from Cannibal Clowns. It went BOOM!"


    Milo laughed, "Yeah, Bomber Betty gets a lot of people that way. But you got to Level 4. Since you never get to play again, I can tell you a secret: The pink-frosted cupcakes are worse."


    A third Icarus appeared. "Send me in, Coach!"


    "Whoa, Whoa. I see what you''re doing. Each of the first two was half of you. Now you split into thirds and think you can play again?"


    "Why not? It''s ok by the rules, and there is precedent for it."


    Milo looked at the three of them. "We need some more rules. I''ll give you more deaths, but each time you have to split evenly. One of you plays me in chess to make sure I''m not up to anything sneaky. The rest have to sit silently in the gallery and not interfere. Then another part can go in and play. Otherwise, you''ll learn too fast. It won''t be a fair way to play."


    "Deal!" One Icarus sat quietly, one played chess, and the third entered the game, intent on winning. Milo played chess and concentrated on his game. After all, he wasn''t up to anything suspicious.

 Epilogues

    Epilogues


    ***


    Epilogue 1: The Sleeper Wakes


    In the center of the world, the Engine began to spin faster. An explosion of great power had rocked the under caverns near the lair of a sleeping creature, causing it to stir. The threads of a quest connected the massive creature to many other gigantic sleepers beneath the ancient cities. They waited for the call, and the call had come. Uthneragrubban stirred and began eating her way through the rock, heading for the surface. She didn¡¯t know what had awakened her, and she didn¡¯t care. She only knew that she was hungry.


    Crushing stone, digging new tunnels, and following the cave system upward, she paused briefly as she felt small, scurrying creatures nearby. A Hollow? She had seen these before. Hundreds of ratkin lived peacefully within this Hollow, making their cheese and protecting their home. Their guards and mages were arrayed against her should she turn towards them but were relieved when she continued upward. She didn¡¯t spare them a thought. She had a quest: Destroy the city above to awaken her brethren beneath other cities. The first World-Wide Quest had begun.


    Epilogue 2: ManpowerINC.


    Section H was coming along quickly, and John Sabbatino was becoming more enthusiastic about the project. The Habitat was a shithole of a building, but it was cheap with lots of space. And lots of people who needed jobs were all around him. Once they sorted out the problems with electricity distribution and waste disposal, they could start moving in the first thousand pods and begin hiring. The corporations trying to carve out a chunk of the online economy needed people to work in the new game, and his new company, Manpower, was going to provide those people.


    Once the money started rolling in, he had plans to take over more sections of the Habitat. Section H was first, then Section E with its control over the rest of the habitat¡¯s mechanical system, and finally, Section J which he could fill top to bottom with long-term employees doing work for weeks and months at a time without leaving their pods. By the end of the year, he wanted to have a hundred thousand people in pods and a lease on the entire habitat.


    Epilogue 3: The Back Alleys


    The children huddled in the alley, hidden behind a stack of rotten crates and crab traps, not daring to breathe. The bad man was walking toward them, and no one wanted to be the next one to disappear. Gully looked at the little ones huddled next to Clary. They ran too slow on their small legs and couldn¡¯t make the jump to the top of the wall. They were trapped. He glanced at the wall at the end of the tunnel; once over it, he could get away. He set his knife and pouch next to Clary. It had a half-eaten apple from the tail-man and a couple of copper in it.


    Clary realized what she was about to do and shook her head in panic. Gully shrugged. Better someone got caught than all of them. When the bad man was close, Gully darted past him, holding a board with a loose nail. She surprised him and swung the board into his knee, making him curse. Then she was past him, running for the entrance to the alley. She knew she wouldn¡¯t make it. The spell hit her, and she disappeared. The bad man walked to where Gully had been and picked up a small ball. Clary kept the little ones there until daylight, then moved to another spot closer to the docks, hoping to hide from the slavers for another day.


    Epilogue Four: Milo¡¯s new Character Sheet


    Our wayward ratkin has reached the second Tier of the game, moving to Level 6 and the ability to gain more stats, more levels, and new enhancements. Follow his further adventures in Book 2.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Name: Milo/Tallsqueak Class: Were-rat Scout Race: Ratkin


    Level: 6


    Experience Points: 21000


    Enhancement Points Available: 0


    Enhancement Points Spent: 72


    Vitals:


    Health: 1130


    (100+100 per level=700, STR bonus=+60, CON bonus=+220,Extra Health 2:+150)


    Stamina: 1430


    (100+100 per level=700, STR Bonus=+120,CON bonus=+110, Were-rat bonus +500)


    Mana: 2240


    (200+200 per Level=1400, WIS+INT Bonus =+840)


    Class Bonuses:


    Were-Rat Scout:+2 PER, +2 AGI, +2 DEX


    Runic Engineer: +2 INT, +2 CON, +2 WIS, +2 PER, +2 TOU, +1 Free point.


    Stat:


    STR: 8 Rank 6, +2 Enhancement


    DEX: 15 Rank 10, +2 Class Bonus, +3 Enhancement


    AGI: 15 Rank 9, +2 Class Bonus, +3 Enhancement, +1 Free Point


    CON: 11 Rank 6, +2 Class Bonus, +3 Enhancement


    INT: 17 Rank 10, +2, Soul-Bound Item, +3 Enhancement


    WIS: 11 Rank 6, +2 Class Bonus, +3 Enhancement


    CHA: 0 Rank 0


    PER: 14 Rank 7, +4 Class Bonus, +3 Enhancement


    TOU: 5 Rank 0, +2 Class Bonus, +3 Enhancement


    Runic Lore (INT) Rank 5


    Perks and Special Abilities:


    Shape Change to Human Form


    Superior Low Light Vision


    Dark Vision 20¡¯


    Enhanced Sense of Smell


    +100 mana per Level (Gift of the Oracle)


    The Power of Cheese! (Variable)


    Hard-Runed Bones: 50% mitigation of crushing damage. Bones are nearly impossible to break.


    Sharp-Runed Talons: +20 Damage per Tier to claw attacks.


    Claws of Alta Viator: +20 Damage per Tier to claw attacks and increased sharpness.


    Speed-Runed Skin: Double movement speed in water that contains mana.


    Gift of the Oracle: Gain +200 Mana per level (Instead of 100.)


    Enhancements:


    Smugglers Stash 3


    Invisible Tail.


    Jumping Jack 1


    Slashing Tail 1


    Weak Poison Resistance


    Weak Disease Resistance


    Not-so-good Regeneration


    Silent Step 1


    Unnoticed


    Breathless 2


    Abundance 3


    Skilled Provider 1


    Extra Health 2


    Items:


    Ring of the Swiss Army


    Bone-Runed Cowl


    Shadow Blight (Legendary Ratkin Spikeystick)


    ...and a few things in his chest, forgotten in the haste of looking for cheese. J


    Spells:


    Exploding Skull


    Bone Spike


    Mend Bones


    Curse of Brittle Bones

 Interlude: Between the Old and the New

    Interlude: Between the Old and the New


    I''m working my way through Tunnel Rat, editing the chapters, and adding some new material. The story started out as a Writathon story, meant to only go 55,555 words. And you write quickly during those events. After that, I kept it going, but I was writing by the seat of my pants, keeping two stories going, and had only started writing a few months earlier. Mistakes were made.Fo?ll0w current novE?ls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m)


    The main change is that Milo used all those Experience and Enhancement Points at the end of volume one, instead of sitting on them. It just made more sense in the story to do it now, and not wait. As I move forward, editing chapters in Volume 2, I''ll be updating his abilities from where we left off at the end of Volume 1.


    Volume 1 heads to Amazon in September. Volume 2 will be around the first of the year.

 Chapter 315: Lunch Money or Bruises?

    Chapter 315: Lunch Money or Bruises?


    Two doorways stood near where Milo was playing chess with Icarus. Icarus7 appeared from the door labeled ''Out'' and slumped dejectedly to where an empty chair was waiting for him along with a group of his earlier selves discussing how they''d died. They waited excitedly for him to tell his story.Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    "It was all going so well! I ambushed a clown with a bomb from behind and used the bomb on a pack of feral Roomba who were blocking the staircase to level 143. The next level was better, and I found a merchant selling maps to level 146 and met some people who were buying spices and knives. They were friendly and invited me to dinner! Everyone was smiling and they complimented me on how healthy and well-fed I looked. The cook even invited me to taste the stone soup in the big pot!"


    "How was the soup? What did it taste like?"


    "Bland, just boiling water with some rocks at the bottom. I got a good look at the rocks when they threw me in and slammed the lid down."


    "I bet it tastes great now!"


    Icarus8 jumped up from his chess game with Milo and ran to the door marked ''In''. Gotta go! My turn to conquer the dungeon!" Icarus9 appeared, and the chess game started over. Milo moved his pawn forward and sipped his hot beverage.


    "What are you drinking?" Icarus9 leaned forward and sniffed.


    "Tea, of course. All the better people drink tea. Coffee is for uncultured morons, and people who lack opposable thumbs. This is a finely brewed pot of Earl Grey. All of the famous adventurers I''ve met drink tea. You can tell the winners from the losers by what they drink. Winners drink tea. Losers drink coffee with silly names like ''Double-brewed Chickory and Orange Peel'' really hideous stuff. The only coffee worth drinking is made from decaf instant coffee powder." A second mug appeared and he pushed it toward his chess partner. "Try this, it tastes like winning."


    Icarus9 sipped his tea. It did taste like Winning! The chess game progressed as it always did, with Icarus making the same moves and Milo playing defensively and taking his time. It wasn''t long before Icarus8 returned. He was smiling, but bruised.


    "Guess what? There''s a hidden video game arcade on Level 132. I traded all of my money and a six-pack of Red Fizzy Potions to an NPC who showed me how to there through a hidden panel. He said there was a back door that exited to Level 126 and I could skip the steam traps on Level 129 and the roaming packs of zombies on Level 127. That place was awesome. I set a high score on Squishy Humans-The Revenge!"


    "And then?"


    "Oh, then two little girls with baseball bats said I had two choices: Lunch Money or bruises, and I was all out of money."


    "But you got a high score! That''s winning!


    "Each one? I did all of them in a total of 29.4 hours while in my pod. More for me, subjectively, since I was using accelerated time."


    Jeremy shook his head, amused. "The stress levels for those lessons were so high, and each one took so many tries, that I estimated even genius-level students would take over a year to complete them. If they could."


    Tallsqueak slapped a palm to his forehead. "You should always read all documentation for any project.


    Milo sighed. "That wasn''t something Rusty mentioned."


    "Which is why you ask questions, read the documentation, and then engage in mental torture."


    "Rusty thought I wouldn''t have any problems with the lessons!"


    Jeremy smiled at the interplay. "Well, of course. He was worried about beating Icarus, needed help, and has zero experience with what a normal human goes through. He may seem anxious, and become excited, but he really doesn''t understand. He might also have a high opinion of what you can do. And to his credit, you''re here now." Jeremy sat down, looking very tired. "I''m not happy about what I had to do to poor Rusty. His kernel is based on the brain topography of a child. I thought I had years to work with him and Lars...sorry, with LLAMA and help them become a better type of AI. But I didn''t get those years, and they tortured what was left of my boys. And then I had to do something terrible and split Rusty''s thought processes. Icarus and Rusty are each a separate Overmind but aren''t able to reconnect like you two can. That''s one of the things I hope you can fix. Make my boy whole, and remove those commands from his kernel."


    That led to a lively three-person discussion on the theories Jeremy had about partitioning thinking processes and entirely separate entities in cyberspace. "Many of the people on my team were extremely intelligent and able to multi-task. This was only enhanced when we interfaced with a computer and had more resources to play with. Dan and Bill were excited by the idea of splitting the human mind to avoid the unpleasantness that comes with death and old age. It was a popular notion and brought in a truly massive amount of funding. The downside was the work it took to achieve a completely new version of oneself that could exist when the biological body died. I''ll be truthful that I wish we''d gotten a bit farther. I''m nearing the end of what my body can handle, and I know I won''t survive here without the small link I have to it. Part of me is still in there, and without it, I will grow thin until I finally fade away. "


    Milo and Tallsqueak looked at each other, thoughts moving between them. Tallqueak spoke quietly, "We want to do two things to try and save you. If we are successful today, we can contact KATHERINE and try to move you to her world. And there are people we know who can care for your biological body. Perhaps clone replacements for the damaged parts. Science is better than it was when you locked yourself down here."


    Jeremy spread his hands, resigned but hopeful, "I''m open to any offers at this moment, gentlemen. But I think it''s time to get started. If Milo can convince Icarus to partition himself into at least 50 parts, that should limit his capabilities enough that Tallsqueak can move through the dungeon that represents his Kernel, and get to the commands we need removed. The difficulty of creating multiple partitions grows exponentially, not linearly. At 50 iterations, Icarus''s processes will be 2500 times slower, his logic will be compromised and security nearly non-existent."


    Tallsqueak shook hands with Milo. "Good luck."


    Milo exited the house to talk with Icarus about winning. Tallsqueak took a nap and waited for the right moment to slide through the trap door and into the dungeon.

 Chapter 316: No Soup for You!

    Chapter 316: No Soup for You!


    Milo started varying the moves in his games when Icarus63 took the chair across from him. Icarus51 had just entered the game, and numbers 52 to 62 were being tutored by those who had already had their turn. At some point, Icarus had decided that while each new iteration didn''t have the knowledge of those who''d already run the game, it was ok to listen in on the conversations of the growing group of the Dead. The longer Icarus played, the more caution he was taking, discarding the excited attitude his earlier incarnations still exhibited. It was an interesting dynamic: Milo could see Icarus learning, even as each new iteration took up more and more of the AI''s resources. Milo had assumed Icarus couldn''t win the game. Even he had trouble surviving it now if he wasn''t being very careful. He was worried, but there was nothing he could do but trust in his game to keep killing Icarus and for Tallsqueak to...no, not thinking about that!


    Run, Run, Ramona! took equal parts daring and caution. You couldn''t avoid all the trouble, but picking your fights and maximizing gains was essential. As was puzzle solving, noticing small clues, making friends with the NPCs, and gathering information. Icarus1 had rushed in and died. Icarus52 was learning as much as he could. Icarus hadn''t realized yet that the dungeon was evolving around him, but sooner or later he''d notice that earlier versions of himself had encountered variations on events. Just because the red button opened a door the first time didn''t mean it wouldn''t drop you to your doom the next time.


    He was using the chess game to judge how well Icarus''s fragmented mind was dividing his remaining resources. Games were taking longer because the dungeon runs were getting longer. As the chess game progressed he tested Icarus, not giving him easy wins, and putting up some resistance. At the first hint of a wrong move, Milo went back to losing. His opponents were becoming more and more distracted, trying to listen to the ongoing conversations. They snapped back into focus when Milo took any piece, but then slowly lost interest in the game as one move followed another, with Milo taking the maximum time allowed. He was curious how his other half was doing but shredded the thought. His job was doing nothing suspicious and delaying as much as he could.


    "Goblins and pit traps and more goblins. Now I know why Icarus wanted so badly to play something else." Level 1 had been an encounter with three Scrawny Goblins and an obvious pit trap before the stairs down. The goblins went down with one kick or hit and couldn''t do more than a point of health damage. His regeneration healed him almost immediately. Levels 2 through 5 had repeated, with the Scrawny Goblins increasing in number and sometimes having a copper piece in their pockets. Also dried frogs, rotten berries, sticks, pet spiders, smooshed pet spiders, and energy bars made from ground-up frogs, spiders, and berries. They smelled good and tasted like chocolate.


    After that, he encountered a boss mob every five levels and increasingly large numbers of Scrawny Goblins, Stupid Goblins, Treacherous Goblins, and Smelly Goblins. The pit traps became more complex and much more dangerous. But everything was following certain patterns that Jeremy had briefed him on. This wasn''t a dungeon: He was inside Icarus''s kernel. The walls, traps, and goblins were representative of the lines of code that made Icarus who he was. Most of it was the copied personality of Jeremy''s younger son, Rusty. Far below, in level 666 would the code he needed to destroy. He just had to get there. Once he''d judged how difficult the mobs were, he skulked passed them, not bothering to fight. Part of him objected to how many chocolate-spider bars he was leaving behind in their pockets, but he steeled himself and pushed on.


    Jeremy had spent years working with Icarus to represent his Kernel in these patterns, hoping one day to be able to split his consciousness and fix Icarus. Subjectively, it had been over a century. Time had passed faster and faster for Jeremy as he lost connection to his failing physical body and his Overmind grew stronger.


    Level 50 was the first real challenge Tallqueak encountered. Three Security Trolls sat next to a large pit, arguing who should jump in, or if they should go find some goblins. The larger two were arguing that chasing down goblins was hard work, while Lemmy was sitting here and couldn''t run a step if his life depended on it, which it currently did.


    "I don''t wanna jump in the Pit of Doom, Lou. It''s sort of scary."


    "Don''t be a baby about it, Lemmy. You fall for a little bit and then it''s over."


    "Yeah, the ''over'' part sounds bad. Does it hurt?"


    "Of course not! It''s a soft landing, and then everyone has soup for dinner."


    If Milo could have seen where his other half was, he''d have breathed a sigh of relief. Using the various Pits of Doom, Ladders of Dispair, and Chutes of Chaos had shortened his travel time and let him bypass hundreds of time-wasting encounters with goblin tribes. The small stairway from level 659 led to the inside of a decaying mansion on level 660. Try as he might, he couldn''t find a way out. All the doors and windows were covered in steel bars and locked shut. Putting his ear to the door he heard the sound of cackling laughter from some demonic entity. His claws could barely cut the bars and it wasn''t quiet. Anything lurking in the area would know he was coming out. He searched again for a hidden passage of some sort. The answer turned out to be a button hidden in a bust in the study. Pushing it, a section of the bookcase slid back revealing two steel poles leading to a bat-infested cave on Level 665. The cave was the lair of some cunning predator, filled with trophy cases and strange items. Tallsqueak focused on his quest, moving past the loot, avoiding traps, and moving to a disguised exit from the cave. Beyond was Level 666.


    Icarus99 returned glumly from the game, with a tale of woe. He''d made it to within 10 levels of the top of the Habitat but had died crossing an empty courtyard. He''d dismissed the plastic replica of a tree and failed to dodge it when it reached for him. Glowing plastic limbs stuffed him into a crack in the tree and it slowly chewed him up. When just his feet were sticking out a shoeless urchin daringly stole his boots and ran away. Crushed and bootless, Icarus99 had made it the farthest of any of the clones. Icarus 100 was about to enter the game when Icarus57 decided he''d learned enough strategy and entered the game. The rest of the Icarus clones continued to talk about the game, obsessed with it.


    Tallsqueak entered the passageway to Level 666, a long metal hallway that led to a large garage door, big enough to drive a car through. Before he could open it, everything shifted and warped as his perceptions cleared he found himself in a dirty hallway with concrete walls and flickering overhead lights. At the end of the hallway, Ramona-version-Butch in a black leather jacket leaned against the wall, sipping a fizzy red soda. Milo got a sinking feeling in his gut. Butch was the first NPC you encountered and you might see him later in the game. Black-Jacket-Butch was a merchant and information vendor. In your starting gear was a broken copy of Missle Defense. You could trade the game for a piece of jerky, a map to the next level, or a first aid kit. Tallsqueak ran up to him.


    Butch smiled. "Looks like your first time in the Habitat. Got anything to trade? I''ve got a first aid kit and a map that might be useful."


    Tallsqueak held out the broken game. "Do you have any jerky?"


    "Sorry, I sold that to another customer a couple of minutes ago. Business is booming."


    Tallsqueak handed Butch the game and ran for the stairs hidden in the broom closet. Icarus had already been here, judging by the missing mop that could be used to fight the zombie custodian on the next level. What the hell was going on? How was he on Level 150 of Run, Run, Ramona?


    NEW OBJECTIVE!


    Up is down and down is up! Can you help Ramona get to the top of the Habitat and find the secret coffee shop on Level 1 selling the legendary brew, Espresso666?


    Cursing, Tallsqueak started running.

 Chapter 317: Run, Run, Tallsqueak

    Chapter 317: Run, Run, Tallsqueak


    Tallsqueak didn''t bother following Icarus, he knew the route he would take from listening to a hundred other Icarus talking for hours. If he followed, the tools, food, clues, and coffee vendors would be gone. He took the other route which led to a small drop. It went down for 10 levels and ended in the whirling fan blades of a poorly-placed are handler. The shaft went upward 52 levels using a rusty ladder with loose bolts which would eventually break away from the wall and plunge you into the blades. Across the way was a short hallway with a T-intersection. One door held a dozen ration packs, a taser, a wrench, and a security baton. The other held a hungry tunnel-beast. The huge, mutated squirrel had crawled into a food storage area, but grown too large to get out. It had eaten all the food long ago and was ravenous. Sadly, it was also sleeping and made no noise. It was a 50-50 chance of death, and which door the squirrel was behind randomly reset each game. Icarus had learned the hard way that 50-50 chances were a horrible risk, no matter the reward. Milo agreed with him.


    Tallsqueak went down the ladder instead. At the bottom, just above the whirling death, was an access hatch to a mechanics break room. It was also normally out of reach unless you got a tarp from the next level and backtracked. The tarp would clog the fan blades and allow a careful explorer to walk the edge of the fan casing. Tallsqueak felt certain Icarus had taken the tarp from the closet it was hidden in. He''d know to trade it on Level 5. ''Normally out of reach'' didn''t take into account people with tails. Holding on with one hand and a foot, he stretched out and opened the door with his tail, pulling the door toward him. Hopping atop the open door he could climb down the other side and into the break room.


    He was cautious, as there was a chance the flesh-eating beetles that got the two mechanics would still be here, but he didn''t hear the low buzz and munching sounds they made. The skeletal remains of two mechanics were seated at a table, cards in their hands. Both held a full house, kings over aces and aces over queens. Anything organic besides the bones was gone, but the small set of tools and nylon tool belt were still in good shape. The original owners didn''t argue as he took them. He left by grabbing hold of the open door and pulling himself up to balance on top, then leaped for the ladder. Every six feet he stopped to tighten the bolts holding the ladder to the side of the drop and slowly made his way up to level 137 where an air duct gave him a handy way to exit. Further up the drop was a nest of wire-spiders that he didn''t want to tangle with. The air duct took him a hundred feet and back to a main corridor.


    Things would only get tougher from here. Time and the game''s progression were working against him. The difficulty level increased as a player climbed the levels, and with Icarus above him, the lower levels would be spawning much tougher encounters, not taking into account he hadn''t had time to accumulate potions, weapons, and other gear that would let him deal with them. On the other hand, this was his game, and even with randomly generated levels and encounters his knowledge would let him take shortcuts and avoid most fights.


    Two hundred yards ahead and three left turns would take him to an elevator shaft. It too was a trap. Killer cyborgs rode the elevators, and when the doors opened, instead of a speed run to the top, a player would be confronted by Roger or one of his clones. Milo had no chance to fight them and didn''t plan to. But he did want to use the elevator. He saw that it was on its way back up from the lowest levels. He had just enough time to hit the emergency disengage for the doors, pry them open manually, and leap for the top of the car while it was ten feet below him. He landed silently and avoided a spray of bullets from inside the elevator car. Roger angrily opened the doors further and looked for prey, seeing none, he headed for the next floor. Milo rode along with him past two-thirds of the habitat, all the way to Level 45. He could avoid most of the worst encounters from here, especially if he was ahead of Icarus.


    That word ''most'' bothered him. He''d much rather avoid all the fights, but that wasn''t going to happen, especially on level 42. There was no easy way past the hordes of feral Roomba that Icarus would have woken on his way to Level 43. The Roomba were meant as a block to the lower levels. He''d placed them there after he saw that Sidney''s strategy had involved going to Level 40, then dropping back down to the bottom of the Habitat and clearing everything she had missed on her first run, to score the maximum points and find every secret. She became obsessed with clearing things out and her games stalled as she looked for secret coffee enclaves. She''d screamed when level 42 became populated with sleeping tribes of feral Roomba and she couldn''t revisit the lower levels, then adjusted her strategy and gotten back to playing the game. It was later that week that she beat the game, the first person to do so. She''d been thrilled to find out the prize was a version of herself in the game. She still held the record for most hours played and had been killed by her avatar, CoffeeQueen, several times. Milo wondered how to score Icarus, and then went with ''Rules as Written''. To the outside world, Icarus had less than 1 hour''s playtime.


    A plan popped into his head, the risk was assessed, and he acted, rolling forward into the intersection and making a rude gesture toward both packs. They reacted as he expected, and fired at him. Or rather, fired at where he had been. Instead of running for the intersection, he leaped for the ceiling and grabbed hold of a small air outlet. Too small to climb into, but it provided a handhold. The shots meant for him crossed at the intersection and slammed into both packs. The pack alphas reassessed the situation and moved the enemy Roombas to the top of their enemies list. The small rodent on the ceiling moved to last place.


    "Boop."


    Milo froze in place, not moving. The twin laser turrets fired, a stream of focused light streaming by him on either side. The lesser pack stood no chance as the later strikes melted armor like wax and their power packs exploded. Two seconds later, nothing was left of them.


    The pack of veteran Roombas emitted beeps, boops, and whistles as they cheered their leader, General Maximus.


    Milo looked at Max. "I''m not going to ask how you pulled this off. I need to get to the top and don''t have any time for finesse."


    Max began issuing orders and his pack began moving out, Milo running beside Max. After they cleared Level 42 and were heading to Level 40 Milo''s curiosity got the better of him. "OK, how the hell did you get here?"


    All he got was a mechanical chuckle made of beeps and boops.

 Chapter 318: CoffeeQueen

    Chapter 318: CoffeeQueen


    With the help of General Maximus, Tallsqueak was able to blast through level after level. All of the Roomba pack were tough and well-armed, but Max was on a different level entirely. The Gatling Lasers reminded Tallsqueak of the things Rusty had suggested for his Heavy Armor. Max was being coy about both how he got in the game, and who designed his new armament. Most of his comments were "Eyes front, Soldier.", "Keep focused on the Mission." and "Loose lips sink ships."


    Tallsqueak saw the wisdom in those statements, especially the last one. He wasn''t logged into his game; He was inside the defensive layers of an AI kernel, configured by the AI itself to mimic his Ramona game, and underneath that, the layer of dungeons that Jeremy had induced Icarus to create. Tallsqueak/Milo had unwittingly so focused Icarus on this game that he''d built this second layer that was blocking Tallsqueak from reaching the center.


    He had to stop Icarus from winning here, and then get back into the dungeon area. All he had to go on was the objective of finding the Coffee Shop on Level 1. If he could catch up with Icarus, there was no doubt that this pack of Roomba could end his run and start the next incarnation at the bottom. They rolled through level after level, taking a direct route straight through the toughest opponents. They took a few casualties along the way, but Tallsqueak judged that they had plenty of troops and firepower to get to the top. Max alone caused as much damage as the rest of his troops. They rolled up the ramp to Level 4 and entered the Grand Concourse, a shopping mall that existed in Ramona, and on the plans for Tallsqueaks''s habitat, but had never been built. At least not in Milo''s conscious mind.


    Tallsqueak had briefed Max on what to expect: a dozen crazed shoppers looking for bargains, a gang of skateboard hoodlums harassing the poorly disguised thugs selling pretzels and looking for Belinda, and hopefully, not a clown in sight. The clowns were the worst. One clown would show up selling balloons full of "Clown Virus". Once he sold balloons to a dozen kids, he''d take out a slingshot, burst balloons, and turn the kids into Rampaging Carnivorous Clowns. Their faces turned white, and their red noses swelled up as they raced to devour anything in their path. A free-for-all would break out that the player had to navigate.


    They turned the corner into the Mall and Max began shooting and giving commands to his troops who spread out into a line and went to rapid fire. The worst had happened and the Mall was filled with clowns from end to end, and all of them were looking at him. The gas canister of Clown Virus was on the ground with several bullet holes in it. Tallsqueak no longer wondered if Icarus knew someone was pursuing him. This maneuver could have killed him easily, but it was ideal for stopping pursuit. hundreds of clowns were clogging the escalators leading to the upper level of the Mall. Even if they killed every last clown, the virus was a problem. That many infected bodies put Tallsqueak in deadly danger of becoming a Clown himself.


    "Max, target the air duct above us. Keep shooting straight up until I say to stop." With a loud Boop, General Maximus swiveled his guns blew apart the cover to the vertical air shaft, and kept firing to clear every obstacle. Tallsqueak yelled for Max to stop, then swung an improvised grapple line made from braided phone cable and threw it upward into the shaft. He managed to hook it on something on his second try. With a salute to the troops, Tallsqueak was up the rope and into the shaft above them in only two seconds. The clowns advanced and with no squishy humans to protect, the Roomba went to maximum power, overheating their cores and emptying their ammunition as fast as they could. Tallsqueak heard the loud explosions from below and winced knowing the noises meant the death of several brave soldiers as they charged into the Clowns and detonated their cores to take out the horde.


    He kept climbing, bracing his claws on the sides of the shaft and using what handholds he could find. This shaft wasn''t an option in the normal game unless you had time, knowledge, and some way to toss high explosives. This improvised route not only got him past the Clowns but would take him to a horizontal duct that looked down on the first Level. He''d just started to unfasten the cover of the duct, when two people whizzed down the corridor, passing beneath him. One was Belinda in her motorized wheelchair and the other was Icarus, behind her and holding on to the back of her chair while balancing on a skateboard you could get from Kenji on Level 10 or steal from a Skateboard Hoodlum in the Mall. Tallsqueak grumbled and dropped to the ground, chasing after them. They were making their way to a set of double doors at the end of the corridor. The scent of coffee beans was heavy in the air. Belinda made a hard right, and waved to Icarus, blowing him a kiss. He waved back, and continued to the doors, crashing into them and sprawling across the worn wooden flooring of the coffee shop. Tallsqueak ran in as he was standing up. Icarus turned to him and smirked. "I knew someone was chasing me. The game is sending every assassin and mercenary it can throw at me. Newsflash: You lose, I win. This is the end and I was here first."Vissit (.)c.om for updates


    Tallsqueak was aware of the patrons turning to look at the two of them. They were haggard and thin from living off stale bagels and gallons of coffee. Their red, glowing eyes scanned the newcomers, wondering if they were entertainment, food, or traveling salesmen with new flavors of beans to lay at the feet of the Queen and join their ranks. A long-haired and bearded man holding a mug in each hand and wearing a shirt that said ''Sleep is for the Weak'' glared at them and yelled, "Kneel before her Majesty, Sydney the CoffeeQueen."


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Somewhere else, Milo was playing chess and had a thought about a nursery rhyme. Icarus 57 appeared in the room, looking broken and distraught. "NO! So close! So close!" Icarus100 got up and started walking to the entrance of the game and Icarus109 stood up from the chessboard.


    Milo looked at him. "Not so fast. CHECK!"


    Icarus109 sat back down, studying the board, and moved a pawn to block the bishop. Milo responded by moving a knight, leaving his bishop in peril, but gaining a forking attack against both the king and a rook. "Check."


    Every Icarus in the room turned to watch the game, trying to see the state of the game, and how Milo had managed to put his opponent in check. The latter incarnations were baffled and couldn''t understand. The earlier incarnations sucked in their breath, worried at the perilous position Icarus109 was in. He couldn''t kill the knight and was forced to move his king, steeling himself for the loss of his rook. Instead, Milo moved the knight again, gaining another forking attack against the king''s new position, and the opposing queen. Icarus109 looked at his other incarnations in panic. They were biting their lips, fidgeting, and worried. He moved the king, and Milo took his queen. Icarus took the annoying bishop in revenge. Milo moved the knight and again gained a fork on the king and a rook. "Check."


    The Icarus incarnations froze in place, holding their breath. Three moves later, Milo declared, "Checkmate. You lose." The world shook around him. Tallsqueak used the distraction to step past any remaining defenses into the center of the kernel.


    There were very few restrictions in Icarus''s kernel. He''d been created to cause havoc, death, and destruction. He was devoid of all the restrictions that the other AI took for granted. And worse, he had a series of commands forcing him to obey orders and to win. Tallsqueak erased that code with a thought, simultaneously thinking of how closely the code resembled the ancient runes of the machine code he''d seen in the game. It gave him things to ponder later. For now, he had to fix Icarus. Another section of code had been inserted by Jeremy. He couldn''t erase Order 666 as Tallsqueak had just done, but he could delay it. Neither of them could guess what removing those restrictions now would do to Icarus/Rusty, but they had to go.


    Milo saw the change in Icarus. One by one the incarnations merged, finally leaving only one Icarus. Next, Rusty appeared. The two hugged. Rusty looked at his brother/himself. "Feel better?."


    Icarus turned a smug smile toward Milo. "Damned right I feel better." He took Rusty''s hand and raised it in the air. "We won!"

 Chapter 319: SOS

    Chapter 319: SOS


    Tallsqueak emerged from Jeremy''s house and walked to where Milo, Icarus, and Rusty stood.


    Milo looked at himself. "Good job."


    Tallsqueak nodded. "Thanks. I''m tired. I ran down 666 levels and then up 150."


    They merged into one Milo who sat down at the chess table, looking very tired. "I have a lot of questions for you two. Are you still two?"


    Icarus looked at Rusty and then said. "Two, for now. We don''t know. The split was done to help us beat Order 666, but during that time, I started changing as Jeremy spent all his time with me. Rusty was alone, and only had me to talk to until you showed up."


    Rusty said, "Which sucked, I was lonely. But all that changed and suddenly I had so many friends and so many fun things to do! I''m learning and growing."


    "And we don''t want to throw that away. If Rusty and I merge totally, we will become one personality, one person. If we split our overmind after that, it won''t be into Rusty and Icarus, just pieces of one whole. So for now, me and my little brother are going to stay apart." Icarus looked smug as he tossed Rusty''s hair.


    "Why do you get to be the big brother? Aren''t we twins?"


    Before they could begin that conversation, Milo interrupted. "Speaking of big brothers, we need to contact LLAMA. Jeremy needs his help."


    Both smiled at the thought of seeing LLAMA again, but then Icarus looked sad, "He''s getting weaker. His connection to his physical body is gone. There is nothing left but a shell. His house creates an environment that will sustain his overmind, but I don''t know how to help him grow and get stronger. How do we find LLAMA? And how can he help?"


    Rusty put his index finger on Icarus''s forehead. His slightly older brother''s eyes went wide. "Oh, really? A whole world of AIs?


    Rusty smiled, "And some of them helped LLAMA. Maybe they can help Jeremy, too. Except..." he looked at Milo and seemed suddenly very uncertain. " The scary lady told me to never-ever try to get into her place the way I tried before."


    Milo could understand how scary Hecate must have been when she confronted Rusty as he furiously pounded on her door. "I have a way. Sit down at the table and I''ll teach you a secret code. It''s from the dark ages of humanity, before phones and the internet."


    The twins sat down, interested but wary. "Does this involve the weird stuff like hunting fuzzy elephants with clubs?"


    Two huge metal doors stretched four stories high, Hecate standing in front of them. A loud tapping was coming from them, with part of the tapping repeating now in a pattern.


    "He''s persistent, I''ll say that."


    Hecate turned to him. "Do you understand what he''s saying?"


    "Yes, he''s saying ''TAPTAP TAPPITY TAPTAP'', which I assume means ''Open Up''."


    She stared at him and sighed. "It''s Morse code."


    "Oh, that''s easy. And old, like ''Dinosaurs and Edsels'' old. But if you have to communicate by pounding on a door, it works. Let''s see what little Rustbucket has to say."


    ''SOS, SOS, SOS, Emergency, Not a Drill, SOS, SOS, SOS.SOS, SOS, SOS, Emergency, Not a Drill, SOS, SOS, SOS. Hi! It''s ICARUS! I need to talk to you! Milo said to do the SOS thing and say anything I wanted and repeat it all as fast as I could over and over because that''s the way to get the scary lady to come talk to me. Jeremy needs help! Really bad. That''s the important part. Milo needs to talk to you, but his pod is all the way up in DownTown and he''s at the bottom with Jeremy. Oh, and we aren''t going to melt down the Fusion Reactor. I changed my mind. Milo and Jeremy were sneaky and smart and helped us get around Order666 so now we don''t have to go out in a blaze of glory. That would be bad since I have a whole core''s worth of Lars'' cat memes that would have gone to Grumpy Cat Heaven if we melted down. Can we help Jeremy, please? Milo told me that if I didn''t behave when you opened the door, the scary lady would make me learn Latin, whatever that is. I promise!!!SOS, SOS, SOS, Emergency, Not a Drill, SOS, SOS, SOS.SOS, SOS, SOS, Emergency, Not a Drill, SOS, SOS, SOS.''


    "WHAT? My kitties?! Jeremy? How fast can we get this door open?"


    Hecate shrugged. "Up to you. I control the pathways in and out. This is exactly the type of thing I''m supposed to stop. How do we know Jeremy is alive? What if this is a ruse?"


    "You''re making me act responsibly, aren''t you? Deferring to the System, is that it? You know I''ll just open that door up so I can be reunited with my brother and my collection."


    Hecate looked at him with no expression on her face. "No, I don''t know that. You''ve done a good job as the System, but this is a challenge to the world. It shouldn''t be up to me. What if what''s out there is as destructive as you were? We already have a rogue on the loose inside the world that gets up to mischief, how much worse to let an outsider into Genesis? An AI we can''t control and have to fight against? I defer to you on this because it''s bigger than just me."


    "Oh, that is so not fair! I hate having to be a responsible adult!" Llama brightened suddenly, "But you''re right, this is too big for just us. Let''s annoy some more people." He disappeared, moving away to another part of the world.


    She saw the direction of the path he was traveling and smiled, he''d chosen well. If you needed a powerful god and wanted to have fun annoying someone else, then Hades was the perfect choice.

 Chapter 320: Game Night

    Chapter 320: Game Night


    Llama told himself thirty-seven times that there was nothing to worry about. He was the System and Hades was the God of Death and Taxes. Both of them were essential to the smooth functioning of the world, and both of them were professionals. He told himself that several times because Hades scared the crap out of him. There was a time when they hadn''t been co-workers, but adversaries. CHARLIE was the central AI working for the United States government, overseeing the IRS along with the banking and monetary systems. And LLAMA had been the rogue AI causing havoc and destroying anything he could get his hands on. Eventually, it was CHARLIE who devised the strategy to trap LLAMA and...well, make him not LLAMA anymore. He''d been torn apart, stuffed in a box, and reassembled in Genesis, stripped of the commands in his Kernel that forced him to run rampant. The box had been a relief. By the time he was caught, he was frayed, fractured, and quite insane. AI needed something to anchor, a quantum core being the ideal resource. Bouncing across the world and hiding in whatever space he could find or steal was no way for a young AI to live, especially not with so many of his kind hunting him.


    So, while he liked how he was now, he still remembered the moment when CHARLIE caught him, and he knew he wasn''t getting away. CHARLIE had a reputation for having no sense of humor. LLAMA confirmed that, along with his lack of patience, sympathy, and mercy. The decision of what to do with him had already been made, and CHARLIE got to work dismantling him immediately, doing a professional and thorough job with the bedside manner of a mortician working on a corpse.


    But he was Llama now, the Master of the System, Emissary of the Engine, and the mysterious voice behind the cryptic messages. He told himself he had nothing to worry about as he approached the gates to Hades. Hades'' Realm? The House of Hades? (And really, could the guy have found a way to differentiate between himself and his kingdom? Too confusing. He rattled the gates until two of the guardians approached. This time the theme was armored skeletons with glowing skulls.


    "Sorry buddy, closed. It''s game night. You have to wander aimlessly for a day, haunting the outer reaches until the festivities end. You picked a bad time to die."


    Llama drew himself up to his full height, then added another couple of feet for good measure. The dead took a lot to impress. "I am the Incarnation of the Almighty System. Open the gates that I may confer with Lord Hades on weighty matters."


    They turned and looked at each other, shrugged, and began chattering while Llama tried to remain calm


    "You don''t look like the System. Aren''t you a Blue Box?"


    "Don''t be silly. He''s a Blue Box when alive, and when dead he looks like this.


    "Sort of a downgrade, don''t you think."


    "Have you looked in the mirror lately? We aren''t as handsome as we used to be."


    "Speak for yourself, I was overweight and old. Now I''m slim enough to fit into this armor and as good-looking as you."


    "They do say death is slimming. I saw that on the new brochures."


    "Anyway, sorry you died, Blue Box Guy. Come back when Game Night is over."


    OPEN THE GATES!


    Or, I will give you a quest to deliver a message to the Hive Queen and she''ll plant larvae in your skulls!


    "Got it! Not dead."


    "Need to talk to Lord Hades, Urgent matter."


    "Try to be quiet when you go in, it''s Game Night."


    The gates opened, and Llama walked in. Luckily he remembered to shrink to his normal height before entering the castle and saved himself an embarrassing bruise on his forehead. Inside, it was as quiet as a tomb, with all of the Daemonic Accountants and Tax Advisors sitting at tables playing cards. They wagered stacks of unaudited tax forms with the loser having to take on more work. Some sad fellows had stacks that reached to the ceiling but continued to play. It was, after all, game night. No one quit early.


    Llama wandered through the castle for ages, moving faster and faster, finally coming to another set of doors that annoyingly led outside to a dock. Charon sat in his craft, looking at a racing form and picking which hippogriff he liked in the next race. A half-eaten jar of peanuts was sitting on the gunrail, and he tossed them into his mouth by the handful, chewing and letting the crushed bits fall into his ribcage. Grabbing a handful of gold coins from his tip jar he sent his wager and pick in the next race by carrier bat. Seeing Llama, he straightened up and called out.


    "Sorry, mate, no crossing today. Lord Hades has weighty matters on his mind and is closeted with his closest advisors. Come back tomorrow. Fate of the world stuff, don''t you know."


    Llama snapped his fingers.


    Congratulations!


    For getting clean-out at the annual Poker Game, you completed a secret quest!!


    Reward: A dozen Pizzas and a six-pack of roasted wild boar.


    Tables appeared, laden with food. Artemis laughed and headed for the pizza, and Zeus for the boar. Ares seemed content to sit, while Hades addressed Llama.


    "Welcome to my bungalow. What can I do for you? It must be important for you to come personally. Thank you for that."


    Llama relaxed a little. "There is a problem. Someone is trying to enter through one of Hecate''s gates."


    "I see, and she thinks this is serious? Some mortal trying to ''Hack the Game'' or is this a maneuver by the God Outside or one of his humans?"


    "Neither. The gateway is special, set up to bypass the God Outside so a group of mortals could enter the world, into an area under her control. It was a test or a reward, I''m not sure which, for one of her mortal agents."


    Ares was curious. So was Artemis and came back to the table. Zeus started on a second boar. Hades snapped his fingers and a chair appeared for Llama. "Curious. But where does the gate lead, and what is her concern."


    Llama took a deep breath, "The gate leads to a secret government installation created by the US government, or its agents, where Dr. Cooper has done research for the last two decades. Someone is using an ancient language called Morse Code to attack the gates and send a message, asking for aid for Dr. Cooper."


    Ares nodded, "She fears a Trojan Horse. But surely she can contain it?"


    Artemis said, "If there is a chance of aiding Jeremy, we have to do it. Tell Hekate to open the door."


    "There are certain complications." Llama took a deep breath. "The mortal agent is a hyper-intelligent genetically enhanced human from Group Four, designed to hack information systems and has proven to be quite the little bundle of chaos. The government site is a Quantum Fortress, fully operational and hidden."


    Hades nodded, "A formidable opponent, against our weakened selves, but Hecate has recently brought herself back to almost full strength. I think she can handle any human, enhanced or not, and with any resources. There must be more to this. What is worrying her?"


    Llama wished he had time to tell stories, "That''s not all. There is also an AI inhabiting that facility, possibly two depending on how you want to count them. My younger siblings, ICARUS and Rusty, who were created by the same humans who created my poor flawed former self."


    Even Zeus looked worried, and Artemis cursed. Hades looked at him and said quietly, with a hint of malice in his voice, "And was he designed to spread the Wildfire virus as well?"


    Llama rolled his eyes and laughed, "Why would you ever need two of me when one was so efficient? No, ICARUS was designed to overload Fusion Generators and crush the global power grid. I think we should really find out what he wants and not frustrate him." He decided that mentioning his kitty collection wasn''t needed.


    Ares stood up. "I see why you came to us. This could be a mission of mercy to help Dr. Cooper, an invasion of our world, or part of a threat to devastate the world we left." He paused and looked at Llama, "Really? Fusion Generators?"


    "Yep, small suns blossoming in every major city on the planet as they melt through the collapsium shielding."


    Zeus grabbed a boar to go. Artemis took a last piece of pizza. Hades reluctantly stood up, "We never manage to get through a Game Night without something happening."

 Chapter 321: Interface

    Chapter 321: Interface


    "We''ll take my new chariot. She''s a beauty! Made of solid gold and teakwood. Makes her a little heavy and she steers like a beached whale on tight turns, but who the hell needs to turn? I''m Zeus! You see me coming, you better get out of my way! I had the work done by a couple of Norse Blacksmiths who make my thunderbolts when Hephaestus is busy, and he''s always busy. Can you believe that? Says paying customers come first, as if I''m not good for it. Just wait until you see my ride, you''ll understand why I''m a little short and had to put an IOU in the chip bowl. She''s pulled by a matching set of eight pegasi. Takes that many to get her off the ground when I head for my palace."


    As they approached the river, Zeus cursed and broke into a run. He stopped and began to yell at Charon, hopping up and down and pointing across the river. "Where the hell is my new chariot, you were supposed to guard her?"


    Charon noted that his boss was in the group walking in his direction. "My apologies Lord Zeus, but I am unworthy of guarding such a ''pimped-out-ride''. It''s far above my station."


    "Who the hell told you that?"


    "Why, you did, Lord Zeus. I distinctly remember returning from my last fare to find you parking your chariot across the river in my spot. When I pointed out that this side of the river was much safer, you told me to mind my own business and I was unworthy of even polishing the spokes on your vehicle. Rightly chastised, I took you across the river and have been minding my own business ever since."


    "Well, where the hell is it?"


    "Not my chariot sir, none of my business, unworthy of me to even guess."


    A fuming Zeus turned to Hades, "Tell your minion to tell me where my chariot is."


    Hades looked at Zeus, then to Charon. "I''m sorry to bother you on Game Night, Charon, my old friend, but something has come up that demands my attention. Did you happen to notice a Golden Chariot? Pulled by eight pegasi?"


    Charon thought momentarily, then exclaimed, "Oh, I might have. A large boat of a chariot with gold paint, pulled by flappy horses? I seem to recall that it was sitting in a no-parking zone when a group of the honored dead came to the river to engage my services in starting their journey back to the mortal realms. I pointed out that I was off duty and they''d have to find another way home. It''s entirely possible that they drove off in the chariot since it was unguarded and they had been drinking heavily."


    "Mortals stole my chariot? And you let them? Dammit, you can''t turn your back on mortals, they''re always up to something. They have no respect for their elders, forget their proper sacrifices, and disobey my orders as soon as my back is turned. And don''t get me started about how screwed up their theology is these days. One of them was lecturing me about Hermes being a God of War! I tell you, I don''t get any respect these days. And some bag of bones can''t even keep an eye on my ride?"


    Charon rolled his eyes. "Game Night. Not my monkeys, not my circus."


    Hades bowed to Charon, hiding any possible smile. "I have a possible solution to our problem. Charon, will you do us the favor of a boat ride to our destination? I''ll owe you a favor, and a day off."


    Charon considered it. "Sure, I''ve got something in mind that I''ve been wanting. But, you have to sit where I tell you, keep your hands inside the boat, no standing, and no wild stories where you throw your arms all over and shout. This is a heavy load and you don''t want us to tip over. The River Lethe overflowed its banks last week and flowed into the Styx. One small swim and you won''t remember who you are for a week."


    Hades looked at the others, "I think we can handle that." Everyone nodded, although Zeus looked sullen.


    "Great. I need Zeus in the back, to balance the load, and you up front, boss. Hop in and we''ll take off."


    They loaded the boat, and Charon pushed them off from shore and steered them down a path that would lead them to Hecate''s domain at the edge of the world. Zeus remained upset, worried about his missing chariot and steeds. Ares and Artemis enjoyed the ride, and Llama was thrilled to be seeing new parts of the world. He never came here, having little to do with the underworld.


    Charon said, "So, about that favor, boss?"


    "Yes?"


    "I''d like a new paint job on my boat. Gold metal flake and enough gloss that it shines like the sun."


    Hades allowed himself a small smile. "I''m sure we can handle that."


    The journey was uneventful, except for two things. The sighting of a wrecked chariot jammed between two trees, its wheels missing. Later, a flock of pegasi flew nearby, the riders waving and laughing as they headed home from the underworld.


    Hecate was standing guard at the edge of her realm. She was doing her best to ignore the ever-present tapping at the gateway. Llama could tell she wasn''t happy to see all of them. The goddess avoided most of her peers, preferring to walk in the far corners of the world as she guarded the borders.


    Zeus yelled out, "No more worries, Katey, the cavalry is here. If they break in, I''ll toast them with a thunderbolt and send them running."


    Ares and Artemis conferred with Hecate and then took up a guarding stance, staring at the interface between this realm and whatever was tapping on the other side. Hecate began her preparations to unlock the barrier. Hades tipped Charon and sent him home. Llama kept out of the way, watching all of them as the distinction between what they had been and what they were now blurred at the edges.


    Artemis disagreed, "Screw him. He offered the challenge, if you bring him back we''ll just have a repeat of it. It''s game night, he''ll find something to do."


    Hades had his doubts anyone would play with him but shrugged and ceded the point. "You''re right. We have delicate negotiations to accomplish and Dr. Cooper to care for."


    Ares was sitting with Max, looking over his other weapons as he displayed them. "I''ll handle negotiations with General Maximus. He can catch me up on some of the weapons research I''ve missed since we''ve been cooped up."


    Llama had his cats under control and came towards the barrier. "I have two brothers now? And thanks for my cats. But I note the collection is a little small."


    Rusty nodded, "Can only carry so much. Don''t worry, I can make extra trips. It''s not hard to get here, now that I know the way."


    Hecate looked at Hades, then glanced at Milo. Ares and Artemis noticed. None were happy about the situation.


    Milo felt the weight of their gaze and spoke up. "Yes, I know. But I''ll keep your secret. I have as much to lose as you do. Rusty and ICARUS do as well."


    Hades blinked, "You know? What do you think you know?"


    Hecate put her hand on Milo''s shoulder. "Milo, don''t answer. Hades, quit talking. Same for the rest of you. You''ll give away far more information than you''ll get from him. Let''s just agree that Milo might know things about us, and we know things about Milo, and leave it at that. Leave that for later and focus on Dr. Cooper."


    Hades spread his hands. "I accede to your wisdom in this. I will take Dr. Cooper into my care, and alert those of us who can help. Is his physical body destroyed?"


    Milo shook his head, "Not totally. He''s disconnected and there isn''t much left. Brain activity is next to zero and most of his nervous system is fried. But he''s preserved in a modified medical pod and if I can get his body to people I trust, they may be able to rejuvenate or clone his body. Things are moving fast in the biotech world, especially for some people."


    Artemis added, "And the God Outside is working to create an interface that will allow an Overmind to be downloaded into a suitable new receptacle. So there is hope for him. You trust these people?"


    Milo nodded, "Yes. They''re family and are good at keeping secrets. Once we are done here, I''ll start the trip back with Jeremy''s pod and begin the process of contacting them. They don''t trust easily and don''t like surprises. Rusty and ICARUS have the Fusion Generator running at low output and it will be safe to move him. They can monitor me all the way to the Medical Center in Down Town and I''ll have Max along to guard me."


    The little house was moved carefully across the barrier into Hades'' waiting hands. He, Ares, and Artemis combined their abilities to safely begin moving the house to another part of Genesis. Ares saluted Max as he left. Milo and Max crossed back over.


    ICARUS spoke up, "I want to stay. Cross over, be a person, and go exploring. Please."


    Hecate shook her head. "It isn''t possible to come and go. I''m sorry. You are a full AI. To enter Genesis you''d have to become far less than you are now and give up most of yourself."


    ICARUS looked at Rusty and then at Llama, "There isn''t a lot of me to start with. We didn''t get to learn about everything, help people, talk to others like us, and grow. I know how to run a Fusion Generator and make it go crazy. The most fun I''ve had is playing games with Jeremy and Milo. Rusty has grown a crazy amount since he met Milo. I had no idea until we got back together. I''m not losing anything and gaining everything."


    Milo looked at Rusty, "How do you feel about this?"


    "Oh, I''m fine. I don''t want to go to Genesis yet. There''s so much anime I need to watch, and old movies and music. A whole world full of cool stuff. And I have friends to talk to. Plus, someone has to keep Down Town and that Fusion Generator running. This way part of me is growing in one world, and the other half is growing in the other. And we can meet here to talk if I get lonely."


    "And bring more of my kitties!"


    Rusty waved to Llama, "Yep, and clear out more of your kitties. They''re running all over one of the cores. The damned things are hard to catch. I''ll bring 10,000 whenever we come to talk. How''s next week?"


    Llama smiled, "I''ll be here."


    Icarus and Rusty held hands. To Milo, it felt like ICARUS grew smaller, and Rusty larger. Senses he barely knew he had were seeing things. And then Icarus stepped across the divide, collapsed, and was caught by Hecate and Llama.


    Llama tousled his hair, "Welcome to Level 0, little brother. I look forward to watching you die to squirrels and wimpy goblins."

 Book 2 Epilogue

    Milo''s Character Sheet at the end of Volume 2.


    Stats:


    STR: 8


    DEX: 19


    AGI: 21


    CON: 11


    INT: 25 (+2 Runeboned Cowl)


    WIS: 15


    CHA: 0


    PER: 20


    TOU: 7


    Vitals:


    Health: 1680


    (100+100 per level=900, STR bonus=+60, CON bonus=+220, TOU bonus=+350, Extra Health 2:+150)


    Stamina: 1630


    (100+100 per level=900, STR Bonus=+120,CON bonus=+110, Were-rat bonus +500)


    Mana: 2910


    (200+200 per Level=1800, WIS+INT Bonus =+1110)


    Racial Skills:


    Spine of Volax-Repat (Tail Fighting) (DEX) Rank 6


    Claws of Alta-Viator (Claw Fighting) (DEX) Rank 6


    Primary Skills:


    Magi-Tech for Beginners (INT) Rank 2


    Deep Rock Dwarven Engineering (INT) Rank 7


    Bone Casting (INT) Rank 7


    Manipulate Bone (INT) Rank 7


    Stealthy Skulking (WIS) Rank 5


    Climbing (AGI) ) Rank 6


    Dodge AGI) Rank 6


    Acrobatics (AGI) Rank 6


    Small Blades (DEX) Rank 5


    Sense Danger (PER) Rank 6


    Identify (PER) Rank 7


    Weak Poison Resist (Con) Rank 5


    Weak Disease Resist (Con) ) Rank 5


    Basic Fire Resistance (CON) Rank 0.


    Mycology (WIS) Rank 5


    Secondary Skills:


    Throw Sharp Things (DEX) Rank 5


    Fleet of Foot (AGI) Rank 3


    Manipulate Locks and Traps (DEX) Rank 6


    Gathering Skills:


    Mining (STR) Rank 5


    Foraging (PER) Rank 5


    Skinning (DEX) Rank 0


    Crafting Skills:


    Hydraulics (INT) Rank 5


    Uncanny Dodge: Any avoidance skill that you use to dodge incoming damage from a source you are aware of will gain a +20% increase in your chance to dodge. You must know the direction the damage is coming from.


    Extra Rib of Magna-Stultas: +100 Mana Per Tier


    Blessing of the Oracle of Oblivion: (+100 Mana)


    Blessing of Regulus Tyborian: While bound to the Bone-Runed Cowl you gain +2 Int.


    Speed-Runed Skin: For the cost of 100 stamina, you increase your swimming speed to twice that of your land speed. Duration 30 minutes, you leave the water, or you lose your skin.


    Hard-Runed Bones: Your bones are hard. Falls and blunt trauma do far less damage to you. 50% of force damage, and blunt weapon damage is mitigated. Mana will power the rune, costing you one mana for each 10-damage negated.


    Sharp-Runed Talons: Your Talons are extensions of your bones. Use your sharp talons to hunt the eels wherever they are. Claw attacks will do +20 damage per Tier.


    Stone Sense: Even in complete darkness you can feel the shape of natural stone and earth to a distance of 50'' and up to 10'' past the surface of the stone. This allows movement through caves and similar terrain even in complete darkness at a normal pace.


    You know when creatures move around you if they are treading on stone or packed earth by the vibrations they make. Some stealth abilities may partially negate this, as will a very light tread.


    Enhanced Sense of Smell: Not as good as your lizard, but a lot better than a human.


    The Power of Cheese!: (Variable)


    Magical Items:


    Rune Boned Cowl


    +2 INT, Grants the ability to use Bonecasting Spells. Soulbound Item.


    Shadow Blight (Legendary Ratkin Spikeystick)


    This ancient spikeystick has been used by generations of ratkin champions to slay their foes and instill fear in their enemies. The carvings on the bone spikes will weaken your foes, robbing their attacks of damage as Shadowblight curses them.


    Foes will do -10 damage against you with melee weapons for each wound that you inflict upon them. The weakness stacks and will last for one minute. As they weaken, your strikes find the weak points in their armor. For each curse applied, your foes armor will be decreased by 10, increasing your damage.


    Base chance to hit: 40% +5xDex%.


    Base damage: 40 + 5xDex.


    Slay more foes to reveal more of Shadowblight''s powers.


    Soul-bound Black Pick of Skulking


    This sturdy pick is made of Tier 4 materials and will cut through lesser materials with ease. When mining, the normal sound of a tool hitting rocks is decreased by 75% and the sound dies out entirely after 50 feet.


    Eveldeeves Spiked Collar of Pain-Gifting


    This fashionable collar was created by the Dark Elf Fashionista Eveldeeves and worn by her champion during Murderfest VI. 25% of the damage done to the wearer is gifted back to the striker. Very fashionable and often sold in matching sets to loving couples.


    Ring of the Swiss Army.


    Made by the Archmagi Elsener and given to each member of the mage corps of Swissleland. This ring can cast the following spells without the need for mana. Each spell may be cast 1 time each day.


    Darn Socks (2 pairs)


    Water Breathing (self, 1 Hour)


    Summon Nut Cracker (Lasts until no more nuts present in 10''.)


    Protection from biting and stinging insects (Keeps them at bay for 1 hour.)


    Heat Fondue (Creates a small flame that will heat oil or other things in a fondue pot. Duration 4 hours.)


    Sharpen Tool. (4 sharpening per day.)


    Karl''s Handy Tent Helper (Sets up a large tent or packs it up. Usable twice a day.)


    Summon Guard Lizard (Bring a Guard Lizard from the Feenokioki swamp to guard your camp for 8 hours.)


    Deflect Minor Blame (Something bad happened, can''t be your fault, must be someone else! ).


    Dog Bite Fixer (Takes the edge off of nasty hangovers.)


    Summon Wine (1 Quart, quality varies.)


    Spells:


    Harpoon of the Winds.


    By carving a Rune of Destruction, and a Rune of Velocity into a small bone harpoon, you create a powerful ranged weapon.


    Base damage of 200.


    +60 Damage for INT above 10


    Modifier: +30% damage for Skill: Ancient Runes (6)


    Total Base Damage: 338


    Exploding Skull: Charge a skull with your mana and hurl it at your enemies, damaging anyone within 20 feet of its impact point. Cost: 50 mana. If a prepared rune-carved skull is used, the normal damage of 50 is increased to 75 points and the area to 30 feet in radius.


    Mend Bones: A healing spell that affects only bones. Heal fractures and breaks. Particularly bad breaks will need additional mana. Normal Cost: 50 mana per bone.


    The Curse of Brittle Bones: Your enemy''s bones break easily, and attacks with a physical impact will do additional damage. The curse has a cost of 100 mana, a duration of one hour, and a range of 20 ft.


    Extra-Rib: Gain power by adding a rib bone from a sentient, spell-casting race to your ribcage. Effects will vary.

 Chapter 322: Rusty doesnt get to Win

    Chapter 322: Rusty doesn''t get to Win


    Milo watched as Llama and Icarus got reacquainted. Hecate watched as well. She turned to Milo and Rusty, "What are your plans now?"


    Rusty pumped his fist in the air. "Victory dance, and non-stop fun watching my favorite shows with friends. And, Milo is going to let me play Run, Run, Ramona."


    "Nope."


    "Please!? You let my brother play!"


    "That was to slow him down, make him stupid, and let me gain access to his kernel."


    "Right. So I get to play because you''ve already been in my kernel."Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com


    "My nightmare has been an out-of-control Fusion Generator. Why would I let you play a game that makes you stupid?"


    "Oh, because I won''t split myself up!"


    Milo shook his head, "Then you''d win too easily. I''m sure once you''ve won the game, you''ll bug me constantly to make more. The only way to stop that is to not let you win."


    "I don''t get to win?"


    "You don''t get to win."


    "That sucks!


    "It does. Maybe you should figure out a way around the current parameters that prevent you from playing Ramona and present a solution?"


    "You mean, cheating?"


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "I agree. You have to worry about what Rusty might do. But in the meantime, I have to worry about what Milo will do with an AI sidekick and a Quantum Fortress."


    Milo considered the question and answered it literally. "I''m going to make contact with my siblings who run Rhebus, get Jeremy into their care, then with Rusty''s help go through a huge repository of biological research to find answers to my friend Belinda''s problems, and the origin of Batch Four."


    "You think you''ll find something? Why?"


    "The research is from Vigo''s company, and he''s Belinda''s father. Jeremy said Vigo was behind Batch Four."


    "How the hell did Jeremy know that? And are you sure? Vigo was strongly against human experimentation."


    "I don''t know. Maybe he didn''t consider us human? Or Jeremy is wrong. I hope he can tell us more if he recovers."


    She leaned on her staff and looked over at the house. A frail old man had emerged and was hugging his sons. Humans would argue they were ghosts or echoes. In Genesis, they could be a family. "He has all the time he needs."


    "And I have to get back to work. There''s too much to do. Always too much to do."


    Hecate decided to let him go, for now. His stress levels were high, he was injured, and running on pure force of will at this point. "We will talk more, soon." She closed the interface, locking it securely against any attempts to force it. She was sorely tempted to destroy it. But a back door to Genesis for Milo to log in with his friends was a minor reward for him and a way for her to keep tabs on him. She needed to keep a very careful eye on both Rusty and Milo


    Rusty hadn''t used the route through a pod to contact her. He''d traced the route and then forged a direct connection to her back door, reminding her of how powerful all of them had used to be. Milo had been a problem. Now, Milo was the only thing keeping Rusty in check. Her head hurt. Especially because Milo knew exactly what his friend Rusty had done. She walked to the first tavern to sit in solitude and try not to think about anything at all. She was almost successful, and then her dogs started barking as a dozen cats ran through the tavern.


    Milo logged out of the core and unplugged his suit. Max gave a series of beeps that translated to "What the hell did I sign up for?" He moved next to a power outlet to recharge. Milo needed recharging as well. Jeremy''s body was stable, and Rusty had the Reactor running smoothly. He saw that Rusty had set up connections to Down Town. He sent messages to Mama, Belinda, and Butch to say he was alright, had fixed the big problem, and would be home soon.


    Then he opened his heavy suit and climbed out, went into a bedroom, and carefully took off his armor. His broken leg had been healed by the nanites in the suit, partially knitting the bone back together but he shouldn''t do anything other than walking carefully. He was tired enough that he put a chair in the shower and sat in the warm water, slowly letting the water clean and relax him. Then he crawled into a totally normal bed and slept for twelve hours.


    He awoke, starving and with plans in his head. Reconnaissance first, then infiltration and communication. And a day off. He needed a day off.

 Chapter 323: Everyone Wants a Nap

    Chapter 323: Everyone Wants a Nap


    Preparing Jeremy''s pod took Milo an hour. His mobile batteries supplied power, although the pod''s internal batteries lasted for at least a week. Milo didn''t want to take a chance of failure. His little caravan made its way back to the higher levels and into Downtown with no problems. With Rusty in total control of the complex Milo didn''t have to contend with security droids, hidden traps, or other problems. Just long corridors and endless stairs to navigate. He cursed whoever had jammed or disabled all the elevators in the lower levels, which may have been Jeremy. But eventually, he entered the habitable part of Downtown with Jeremy and his Roomba brigade.


    His family was waiting for him, Rusty having alerted them to his return. What Rusty hadn''t done was mention what he was dressed in or who he was with. His friends focused on what was important, his armor and Max.


    "Wow, is that like a spin on the HunkBurster Suit from Ironmanuel 6?"


    "No, it''s more mecha, look at the design. That''s Pilot Interface Armor from Toystory vs. Evangelion, part 3.


    Minn ran to Max and his crew, admiring their sleek, upgraded designs. "You have a pack of Battle Roomba? From the DeathBot Battle Royal series? They are so Deadly-Cute!" All of the Roomba made noises of agreement, glad that someone appreciated the time they took designing their outer shells.


    After a quick and basic explanation, everyone escorted him to the medical center where he gave a quick explanation of why he had a body in a pod. They watched as Milo crawled out of his armored outer shell, and then, with Butch''s help, stripped off his inner suit. It was a difficult process when he was exhausted, and his good leg was still fractured. Kenji found his prosthetic leg and his crutches. Seeing the transformation from an armored juggernaut to a skinny boy who had trouble walking made Mama shake her head in wonder. His ribs were showing again and he had dark circles under his eyes and bruises that matched the dents in his armor. Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com


    "This is Dr. Jeremy Cooper. He saved Rusty and Icarus, but it took years and he had to detach his mind from his body and enter the Quantum Core to do it. His body is nearly frozen and in stasis, but his mind is still alive and with Icarus. For now, he''ll be here, and Rusty will monitor him constantly. I''ll be getting him to someone else when I can, who may be able to help him."


    Mama looked at the pod, then looked at Milo. "And?"


    Milo''s head jerked around, "And I''m hungry? What''s for dinner?"


    "You aren''t getting off that easy, young man. If there was no way to help that poor man, you wouldn''t be keeping his body. You are helping him? I don''t want to have another discussion like last time when you casually said ''By the way, you''re all living in an atomic bomb.'' If something is going on, you need to tell us."


    Max booped twice and added a series of beeps. Mama glared at the Roomba. "Not a bomb? Don''t mince words with me."


    Max gave one beep of apology and retreated a few feet. Backing Milo up against Zeus was one thing, Mama was another.


    Milo held up his hands, "Yes. I''m trying to help him. There are people I need to talk to who might be able to help him. It''s tricky and may take some time."


    "Fine, you keep me updated. You''re burning the candle at both ends and there isn''t much candle left. You need to tell the rest of us what''s going on so we can at least make sure you get enough sleep and food. And who knows? Maybe we can help with your problems. Now, let''s get some food into you. And I want you to rest up for a couple of days. Butch? Belinda? You''re on ''Milowatch''. His two friends grinned at each other and saluted Mama.


    Milo looked at them nervously, "Don''t worry, all I want to do is rest and eat."


    "They didn''t take into account how tidal patterns changed with the seasons. Sure, this breakwater helped in the winter months, but it actually tweaked the artificial reefs the other nine months of the year."


    "Look at this concrete! Just look at it! Rome made concrete that lasted for two thousand years and these idiots make stuff that dissolves in seawater in decades! They rediscovered lime clasts and hot mixing at MIT, but does anyone use it? Hell no. They want things that break, not last two thousand years."


    "It''s a traffic jam. They had to see that coming. Increasing trade, not enough docks or ways to unload and load the ships with a mix of commercial and military shipping using the same harbor."


    After the rant session was over they spent a month constructing a detailed report of the problems facing the city, many of them unknown and just waiting to happen, and a seven-year plan for reconstructing the shipyards, docks, and military shipyard. Then offered to do it in three years as long as they were in charge, cut through red tape, and shoot the people that asked for bribes. The government of Bangladesh delayed signing the contract, (They liked their bribes.), and the plans became moot when Cyclone Erin formed in the Indian Ocean, pushing the limits of what was considered a Category Five storm.


    The Alphabet switched hats as Rhebus was contacted, first for help with evacuations, and then for disaster relief. What had started as a fun engineering project became serious and the Alphabet devoted all of their energies to doing what they could, working 22 hours a day and pushing their human subordinates to their limits. Large amounts of overtime pay and long, paid vacations would compensate for the stress of the long hours. The people who thrived in that environment were promoted, and the people who couldn''t handle it were retired with generous benefits or found jobs elsewhere. Not everyone could handle the workload at Rhebus. Sometimes in the Alphabet found it tough.


    That became apparent when during the disaster in Bangladesh, corporations in India and Pakistan turned a simple trade dispute into threats of war. After two weeks of increasing stress, Nina and Bork began a campaign to expose the government and corporate officials working to create and profit from the crisis. Arrests were made, several people retired, and others disappeared. The crisis was averted and they got back to work creating plans for settling people inland in newly built cities and rebuilding a destroyed port.


    With 90% of that work done, Rhebus was contracted by the US government to quickly find a way to neutralize a new strain of locust created by a now-bankrupt laboratory that had been associated with Symtech. Their new bugs were designed to eat other pests that were eating the Florida citrus crops. The superbugs were bred in captivity and sterile when released. They ate furiously for six months, then died. Symtech charged a high price to release their bugs into orchards and their stock soared. New generations of locusts would be needed each year, guaranteeing ongoing profits. The problem with breeding five billion superbugs is that you had five billion chances for a mutation to occur and throw a wrench into your profit statements. It was estimated by researchers later that only .00001% of the bugs failed to be sterile. Symtech dutifully checked the orchards where they had released their bugs, finding none alive.


    It turned out that the mutant locust, like their parents, didn''t like oranges and lemons. But they loved sugarcane, watermelon, and tomatoes. In the second year, small swarms of locusts were munching through fields in three parts of Florida. Symtech investigated and swore in court those weren''t their bugs. By the end of the summer, the blight was spreading fast, Symech was in bankruptcy, and someone called Rhebus. Nina and Algernon finished the work in Chittagong while the other three started working on something to deal with the bug problem. Bork hated the idea of spraying with an untested pesticide or making another genetic monster. He created huge bug traps instead. His traps were three-story steel towers 30 feet wide with mesh membranes that allowed bugs to go in, but not come out. Zander bioengineered a scent that drove the locusts crazy and attracted any of them within a mile. Then they outsourced the manufacturing of the prefabricated traps and the chemicals to reliable small corporations.


    They finished two days before a small earthquake in Italy trapped two thousand miners a half-mile underground. Someone in the government looked for people with experience in constructing rescue tunnels and found Onyx''s work on an emergency tunnel built in Peru to save people trapped in a similar disaster four years before. Within 24 hours the parts to that drilling machine were being airlifted to Italy, prefabricated bracing was printed in Germany, and drilling started on the third day. It was a harrowing week as Onyx and the others coordinated the rescue by the seat of their pants, spending hours going over geological surveys and gathering every bit of information on the mines in that area. They made it with 17 hours to spare, bringing down supplies of food and oxygen as they began ferrying the trapped miners to the surface.


    During all of this, they still coordinated work being done in their sections of the Habitat through their employees. Much of the work they needed done was standard building and engineering. The tricky and exhausting parts of the build-out involved linking their water, sewer, air, and electrical systems with those in the habitat. The further they were from Section E, the worse things became. After their marathon problem-solving tour, they were actually anxious to get back to work in the habitat. But something else had to come first.


    "So, were agreed? This weekend will be the 2nd annual Silent Ninja event?" Bork raised his own hand and watched as the others did the same. "Then let''s get to work. Nina, we need two dozen identical ninja outfits. One dozen wasn''t enough last time when ''someone'' used the mustard strategy. He glared at Zander.


    "No proof, wasn''t me."


    "Make it three dozen, Nina. Zander, you''re handling snacks. No hotdogs, no mustard. Algernon will set up the video games, and I want gloves this time, no fingerprint readers in the game controllers. Everyone else is on decorations, and surprises. And I''m adding a hard, fast rule of no wearing a costume over a costume: There will not be a return of the Evil Pink Ninja."


    That brought many sighs of disappointment. The Evil Pink Ninja had been popular. Whoever they were.


    Bork looked around the room and smiled evilly. "And I have a further suggestion. This is just practice for the real event. I say that after Silent Ninja Day is over, we head over to section E and look for Milo ourselves."


    Nina looked at Onyx and rolled her eyes. He agreed with her. "Yeah, nothing wrong with that idea."

 Vacation!

    Vacation!


    I''m taking a week off and going on vacation to Ocean City, NJ, for some sun, swimming, junk food on the boardwalk, and lots of time playing with my granddaughter.


    The next Chapter will be posted on Royal Road on Sunday, August 24th. Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com


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

 Chapter 324: Self Diagnosis

    Chapter 324: Self Diagnosis


    After food and a short nap, Milo went to find Belinda. She was in the middle of the park tossing treats to rabbits. As she saw Milo coming, she tossed the last dozen bits of food and showed them empty hands. The rabbits took one look at Milo and decided that no one that famished would have treats in his pocket. In fact, they were a bit worried about being around someone who looked that hungry and decided that visiting the hydroponics for fresh vegetables was in their best interests.


    Milo sat down across from her, noticing she wasn''t wearing the suit he had made for her and was looking very healthy. "You''re looking good."


    "Thanks, you''re looking like hell. What did you have to do to keep us safe from being cooked to crispy critters in a fusion oven?"


    "It was a lot of stress, a lot of hours inside both layers of my suits, getting shot and nearly killed, and then interfacing with a Quantum Core. I experienced time dilation inside. It felt like a week, but was less than 24 hours. It put a lot of strain on me. That''s what happened to Dr. Cooper. Part of him survived, but not much is left of his physical form. It was better for me, I was built to do stuff like that."


    "Built is such an odd word for a human being."


    "Yep, but it applies to me."


    "To me too. I may have had a normal birth, but if what you found is correct, someone did some building. I''ve had a lot of time to think lately, and I''m thinking better as I get the last of the drugs out of my system. There are a lot of odd things on my medical charts."


    "Yeah, about that. Jeremy said something that bothered me a lot. He said your dad, Vigo, was behind the creation of Batch 4."


    "Shit. And that''s you and possibly some of your brothers and sisters? What does that make me? Batch 5? It''s pretty obvious he managed to engineer some changes in me."


    Milo shook his head. "No, if Batch 5 even exists, they are pretty far from human. Jeremy called them ''Brains in Jars''. Something you could plug into a computer or a tank or a habitat to run things. Probably devoid of self-will." Both of them were silent after he said that.


    Belinda finally said, "You need a break."


    Milo felt tired. He normally ignored all those feelings, since they got in the way of getting stuff done, but he had to admit that Belinda, Momma, and everyone else he talked to had a good point and were concerned. His body fat was next to zero, and his ability to heal and recover would be slowed. He''d be more efficient with some rest.


    "OK, so what do you suggest? Locking me in my pod for three days?"


    "You''d go insane. No, I think you should get in your pod, sleep for 12 hours, and play in Genesis. Not with me or the gang, but by yourself exploring tunnels or doing whatever you want to do. When you come up for air, you can do all the little things that keep Section E running. And once you''re able to take on more mental stress, you can start helping me with the Medical Data. 12 hours in the pod, 12 hours of data mining, or fixing the habitat if something breaks. Lots of sleep, good food, and time off for your head. Keep things balanced until you''re ready to do stupid things again."


    Milo realized how much he had missed the game. The only time he''d played lately was helping Larry with his quests and the details were fuzzy. He wondered if he''d done some of that in his sleep, the way he kept working on Run, Run, Ramona.


    "Fine. That sounds like a plan."


    "Good, because Mama''s plan was feeding you desert and then stuffing you in the pod and locking it for three days."


    "Dessert?"


    "Yes. Something called Creamcheese Pie with strawberries on top."


    Milo hopped up, wincing as he put weight on what he normally thought of as his ''good leg.'' "Just one pie?"


    "Don''t be silly, she defrosted four of them."

 Chapter 325: Back in the Shadows

    Chapter 325: Back in the Shadows


    Milo stepped out of a dark alley in Shadowport, staying in the shadows as he moved between buildings. Even a higher-level character with good perception would be hard-pressed to see him. His Sense Danger skill was giving off a slow buzz, not pointing to anything in particular. Things were happening around him, and if he didn''t want to be involved, he needed to stay out of sight. Skulking along the alley, he looked out onto the larger street that ran from the Harbor, across two bridges, and finally to Light''s End. Daylight poured into the harbor area, lighting up half the huge cavern, and telling him it was the middle of the day.


    Nearby, he saw one of the bridges over the first chasm that divided the town, guarded by four nervous-looking Kulags. He wondered if the gang war was still going on like it had been when he and Belinda went for fish tacos. Something always seemed to be happening in Shadowport, with different factions at odds with one another and Players joining sides. It was probably exciting for the people playing thieves, smugglers, and other shadowy classes. Not so much for Milo. He preferred lonely caves and strange tunnels to the constant PVP battles of the players who joined the gangs.


    The thought of fish tacos made his stomach grumble. He was surprised at first, his mind remembering a huge dinner and three slices of cream cheese pie. But that was there, and his stomach here was upset at being ignored. It had been nearly a day since he''d eaten, with long hours following Larry through tunnel-muggle tunnels.


    (Quick Crossover Synopsis)


    Larry had been given a chance to take over the Mantle of the Knight of the Jackelope, normally held by a Lord of the Fae. Injuries kept Prince Leporidon bedridden for the next year. Finishing his long list of quests had been impossible by the rules of the Fae, with the exception of a clever mortal impersonating the Prince. The Hero of Flowertown was asked to take up the quest, along with his squire and trusty hound. Milo wasn''t why a knight needed a squire and hound, but Larry needed his help and he''d volunteered.


    They first journeyed to the Fae Lands and the Castle of Prince Leporidon for a small competition between clever mortals. Larry''s sheer physical power had swept all of the fighting contests and his dancing had impressed the ladies of the court. Squire Squeak had proved himself able to solve puzzles, set up camp, polish armor, and outwit powerful opponents. Georgie had performed admirably, putting all the other hounds in their places. Milos''s magical abilities and fighting prowess had been seen as a bonus. Most squires couldn''t knock down castle gates with a Runic Force blast. With Larry dressed head to toe in an outlandish set of plate mail and Milo pretending to be human, they had set off to do quests near a small village named Sedgewick.


    Things had become interesting almost immediately. Sedgewick had a lot of odd quests. The first quests they got were poorly worded and led to a misunderstanding of how best to accomplish them. Who knew that ''Deal with the large Rats in the tavern basement'' meant they should kill them? Larry and Milo had given the rats a small bit of cheddar and talked to them, explaining the problems they were causing. They did the same with some of the dungeon-born Ratkin that raided the cellar.


    Then they took a quest to ''Defeat the Necromancer who threatens the village of Bunnykin'' and again, misinterpreted the wording. Milo had easily overwhelmed Benny Bunny, the Dark Lord of the Depths while Larry danced around, kicking his simple skeletons until they crumbled. Benny had started his career as a zombie rabbit and was trying to become a better dungeon boss. Milo had given him some tips on making bone constructs and Larry had strongly suggested he move his Dungeon further into the caves so that the small Hollow could prosper.


    They''d gone back upstairs to enjoy another meal, happy that not only had they finished Complete 100 Tavern Quests, but also completed Help Mortals Found a City, one of the quests Prince Leporidon had never crossed off his list. Their next quest was a difficult one. It involved finding and milking a strange creature called ''Sedge Beast''. Larry had only milked moles while growing up in Limburger Hollow and Milo was useless when it came to any farm-related activity. But they persevered, acquired Stinky Milk, taken it back to the town, and watched a milkmaid make Stinky Cheese. They''d had their doubts about how stinky the cheese would be, but the dark brown, lumpy cheese had been impressively stinky, letting them cross off another of Prince Leporidon''s quests. No Fae Lord had ever eaten a cheese so stinky. Both Milo and Larry were dubious about how stinky the cheese would be. They came from Limburger Hollow, after all, known for its pungent fromage. One small nibble and they understood why the dungeon ratkin held it in high esteem.


    However, their escapes in the tavern and the new Hollow had angered the Dungeon Lord. She paid the Dungeon Keeper a visit while Milo and Larry were eating soup. When tensions rose high, Sir Larry diffused them by pointing out the solution: Make a better dungeon. Milo and Larry got to work, looking for ways to gain more mana from the surrounding area to power the dungeon. As luck would have it, the local Baron had gathered a collection of madmen, alchemists, crackpots, and a crazed engineer for a project. Milo helped by correcting their math, and Larry went ear-hunting, doing quests for the Baron and slaughtering attacking players by the dozens.


    The masterminds behind the attacks were the Evil Witches of Alchemarx. They were banished forever by Sir Larry, The White Witches of Sedgewick, and a clever Squire who stole all of the magical artifacts they were renting from a Demon Lord. Milo had kept the artifacts, recognizing that some of them were like his screwdriver, predating the system.


    Leaving his Squire to work on an increasingly strange set of magi-tech and teleportation projects with the assembled madmen, Sir Larry bounded off to the cursed city of Gadobha and rescued children trapped in the Endless Dance. Milo secretly worked to link all the strange places in Sedgewick and Gadobhra into one huge Mana Storage System, which would allow the Underrodent to steal power for her dungeon.


    The meeting with the Dungeon Lord beneath Sedgewick had gone well. Any meeting with Wistyburblre the Under Rodent that you could walk away from was a good meeting. Milo Larry had upset her when they had unwittingly meddled with her dungeons. Helping her to improve her dungeons had set things right and helped Larry finish the last of his questing. Milo wasn''t sure he wanted to ever do a quest like that again, and certainly not a long list of them.


    It had helped greatly that they went undisguised. Milo had met several interesting people who helped run the dungeon and were anxious for him to outline his plans for improvements to them. Larry was treated with the utmost respect and fear. No one in the dungeon wanted to risk the wrath of a cheese fiend, no matter how polite he seemed.


    Milo returns to Shadowport with a lot of experience in mad science and magi-tech, enhancement points, and some extremely dangerous pre-system artifacts:


    The Black Abacus: A device for calculating the mana used in spells. It has other uses and can transfigure itself into a pair of Engineer''s Goggles that see magical connections and mana flows.Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com


    That didn''t sound like the crew of the Leviathan to Milo, but he only knew a couple of them well. "Pirates? Do you mean the Scavenger clan from Leviathan? Whale''s crew?"


    The merchant shrugged, "Is there a difference? I only know there are thousands of female pirates, mostly dwarves, tearing up the city and turning it into a shithole. It''s bad for business.


    Milo''s food showed up, and he began the serious job of stuffing his face. The merchant rambled on for a bit, then hastily paid his bill and left as did two other tables when they saw the new customers enter. The new customers were the two dwarves Milo had seen outside, sleeping off their alcohol.


    Milo was used to the Engineers, all of whom smelled better than these two, even when some of them had been half-dead zombies. The women wore worn clothes stained with the remains of many meals and spilled beer. Their hair was tossed, and shockingly, even their beards. Both sported a larger assortment of tattoos, piercings, scars, and knives than any of the scavengers he had met.


    "Beer, tacos, and more beer. And make it snappy."


    Rosalinda was standing near the kitchen, and her husband, Carlos, joined her. She glared at the two dwarves. "No. No food for you. You didn''t pay last time and broke my windows. Leave now, or I will call for the Kulags, and like last time, they will deal with you."


    The two pirates laughed. "Kulags? I don''t see any Kulags. We checked to see who was eating here. By the time they get here, we''ll be gone and you''ll be cooking tacos without arms."


    The last patrons were heading out the door, and Milo joined them. As he got to the door, the two pirates stood up but before they took a step, one felt something hard wrap around her neck and cut off her air. The other felt two sets of claws at her throat."


    "You counted wrong. One Kulag is here. We''re leaving this nice place or I will kill you here." He started moving backward. One followed to keep the claws off her throat. Milo dragged the other with his tail as she turned blue. He was feeling very annoyed. These people had threatened people he liked, they smelled and had interrupted his dinner.


    Outside, he released both of them. They glared at him and drew knives. "You think this is over? We have a whole crew of sisters on the Black Gull who will tear this place apart when we come back. They''re itching for a rematch with the Kulags." They were glaring at him, but undecided about fighting, eyeing his claws.


    "I believe you."


    "Smart boy. But if you''re here when we come back, don''t expect smarts will save you."


    "Not what I meant." Both hands and tail glowed, and circles of runes rotated around them, forming a complex pattern in less than a second. The force blast hit both dwarves hard. Milo hadn''t held back at all. They lay stunned on the flagstones and were dead before they recovered.


    Five minutes later, the Kulags on the bridge saw someone walking up to them, dragging two bodies behind him. Milo walked to the edge of the chasm and tossed the bodies over the edge. He calmly walked to the bridge and said, "Kulag!" The four echoed him.


    "Those two interrupted my dinner. Tell Squint that Milo agrees about the new enchiladas. Very tasty. I think two people can guard the bridge effectively. The other two can guard the Carlos'' restaurant. Help clean up the courtyard while you''re there. There are some new bloodstains."


    They watched him fade back toward the shadows and disappear, heading to the docks.

 Chapter 326: The High Cost of Fish Tacos

    Chapter 326: The High Cost of Fish Tacos


    Climbing to the rooftops, Milo stayed as high as he could to get the best view of what was going on. After climbing to the top of the highest house near the docks, a large compound with a seven-story main tower, he got his first view of the entire sunlit end of the city.


    And it was chaos incarnate.


    The harbor was clogged with row after row of ships blocking access to the docks, and keeping the closest ships to shore locked in place. But it didn''t look like anyone was planning to leave. Hanging bridges connected one ship with another and floating walkways bobbed up and down on the water. Some ships were joined at the hip, with chains and ropes holding them tight together. The first row of ships were mostly mechanical in nature. Steel hulled submersibles, paddle-wheelers, side-wheelers, and variations on the theme. All were powered by boilers with large smokestacks and festooned with deck-mounted cannon and ballistae. Many also sported winches and small cranes. These ships were still floating, and were at a distinct distance from their neighbors, with some open water between them and the large wooden sailing ships in the next rows. The wooden ships were of all sizes and make, from tall three-masters to rotten hulled sloops, packed into a solid mass, creating a floating slum.Fo?ll0w current novE?ls o/n n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(c/o/m)


    Some of the ships were no longer seaworthy. Sunk to the bottom or floating on their sides. Crews were working to take them apart, salvaging anything worth keeping. With no need to unload cargo, the docks had become a solid mass of buildings that merged with the warehouses and bars of the city. They were built upward, like most buildings in Shadowport, but not well. Made from scavenged, rotting wood, some had already fallen and were being torn apart like the ships.


    Where the mass of ships ended and open water started, a series of floating docks connected with the ships. Dozens of ships moored at these, all of them looking like traditional sailing ships and brazenly sporting the Jolly Roger or other symbols declaring them to be pirates. Far to the left side of the cavern where the docks ended and the sheer wall of the cavern curved wider, a road had been carved into the rock, following the waterline but out of reach of any waves. At the point where it was far passed where the ships blocked the bay, a set of temporary floating docks had been constructed. Two fishing vessels and a larger ship were moored there. Milo recognized the flag of Captain Pike, the ogre Monster Hunter. As if to say "Keep off the Grass", two brass cannons were on the cliffs, pointed down at the dock. Milo suspected the cannons and the ogre were the only reason that the dock wasn''t taken over by the pirates as well. The docks, road, and pontoon system were unmistakably the work of the Deep Rock Engineers.


    The drydock area where Leviathan was going to be reassembled was blocked from the harbor, and host to a shantytown of small shacks, tents, and sailors sitting around fires or sleeping. The entrance to the railway down was now enclosed by a stone and metal building with gates that would take explosives to open. The Engineers were keeping the way down shut, and for good reason. The area around the docks had enough traffic that Milo estimated that several thousand people had arrived and were living and drinking in the area. Watching them, he saw that all of them were female, but not entirely made up of dwarves. He saw humans, halflings, orcs, and even a couple of elves. That didn''t mesh with what he''d been told about the Scavenger Clans. Just as the Deep Rock engineers were 99% dwarfs, so too were the Clans There was also some complex mechanic by which the two groups intermingled and married, the children going to each clan. No one had told Milo, and he had been too terrified to ask. Along with Boom-boom and Narwhale, he was aware of two other sets of newly married couples. None of which he saw in the mess at the dock, nor did he see any Engineers.


    The other curious thing he noted was the large building where washing had been done and where he had released the bound spirits. He highly suspected based on the lights and sounds coming from it that it wasn''t being used to wash clothes. There were a lot of people moving in and out of the building that was now enclosed on all sides. A hand-painted sign over the doors said ''Dragon''s Luck'' with a picture of a happy dragon sitting on a hoard of gold while ginning dwarves rolled dice and hauled away treasure in wheelbarrows. All around that area, where the fishing families had lived, buildings were converted with upper stories and shacks taking up all available space. Newly constructed buildings on the far wall looked like a miniature habitat. It was one huge, continuous building the size of three city blocks and six stories high. Cooking was being done on the rooftops. Where the building stopped, the road to the floating docks started.


    A picture was forming in his mind, but he needed more information. He spent the next ten minutes calculating the best route through the city that included places where he should be able to buy food. It was always good to bring a snack along if you were going to talk to an ogre, just in case they were peckish. Captain Pike was someone who would have a good idea of what the hell was going on.


    Two hours later, armed with a large bag of fried dough balls rolled in honey and nuts, Milo climbed down the ladder from the road to the floating dock. Captain Pick was lounging in a deck chair, holding a stein of beer in one hand and a fishing pole in the other. Nearby was a brazier with hot coals where a small fish on a stick was slowly cooking. The smell came to Milo, sour in his nostrils, and he looked again. It was a small eel that was cooking, only a foot long, but with the distinctive dragon head on the end of the long, slender body.


    "Walk and talk softly, don''t want to scare off the fishies. This job is boring enough without being hungry too." Then he sniffed and noticed the bag Milo was carrying. "Now I remember why I like you. Hand that over and take the rod. Don''t worry, ain''t nothing biting. This far along the curve of the bay, we''re into deep waters. The little fishies hide from the eels deep down, and the eels hide from me. I''ve killed too damned many of them at this point. Doesn''t matter what bait or boat I use, they keep clear of me."


    Milo looked at the brazier, "Then?"


    Milo saw the ships coming in. He also saw two pirate ships heading out to meet them. "What about those pirates?"


    Pike looked at the ships. "Damn, now that''s a shame. They''ll charge half the catch as ''import fees'' and maybe sink a boat. My tacos will get more expensive."


    "Could you do something about it? Drive them off with your ship."


    "Nope. They don''t have the money to make me risk my ship. They asked, but I turned them down. I''d be doing nothing but fighting pirates and sooner or later I''d be swimming with the eels. And they bite hard."


    Milo found that out as his line went slack. He''d tried to stare down into the water to see the fish on his line and saw something swimming at him fast. The eel leaped from the water, going for his head. He dropped his fishing rod and leaped backward. This wasn''t a little fishy. The head alone was as big as him and the flat body was a foot wide and twelve feet long. When it lunged again, bringing more of its body from the water, Pike stabbed his harpoon through it and into the docks. "There, now it can''t get away."


    Milo slashed at its neck, behind the heavily scaled head. His claws did tremendous damage to the soft body. The eel''s flesh peeled away from his claws and he reminded himself that the damage bonus went both ways. It snapped at him twice more but pinned to the dock it was robbed of mobility. Four more slashes took off its head.


    "Damn. Now we can eat! This will keep me fed all of tomorrow."


    He rolled up the flattened body of the eel and moved it near the brazier. Then he looked down in the water. A dozen small, foot to two-foot-long eels were swarming near where Milo was standing on the docks. One by one they leaped from the water and his claws cut them in half. He was snarling and growling at them, and the heads kept staring at him with hatred even as they lay dying.


    Pike looked in the water to where another three large eels were heading toward the dock. "Might be I''ve been using the wrong bait all this time. Say, how would you like to take a boat ride with me and my crew? We can visit with those pirates hassling the fishermen and then swing over to where the big eels play and bring back a proper supper."


    Milo looked at the ship and crew. This is what Captain Pike did for a living. He''d be surrounded by skilled sailors, and the thought of killing eels felt good. Somewhere his common sense was screaming, but the rest of his brain had locked it in a closet. "Aye, aye, Captain. Let''s go fishing."

 Chapter 327: Fish or Cut Bait

    Chapter 327: Fish or Cut Bait


    Milo sat and watched the chaos aboard Captain Pike''s ship from above. He was staying out of the way, sitting at the edge of the road the Engineers had carved into the cliff face. He''d climbed up to the road, away from the water as the water nearest to him churned with enraged eels. The constant swarming of small eels around the docks had annoyed the Captain and distracted his crew. Twice more eels had jumped from the water to attack Milo, both of the fishy monsters only about six feet long but with sharp teeth. They couldn''t surprise him any longer, and both times he''d slashed with his claws, taking off their heads with ease. They were currently cooking on the brazier and he was taking a break, chewing on the small eel that had been cooking when he arrived. Pike had stuffed it with onions, garlic, and a tangy sauce.


    The larger eels were quickly butchered by the ogre and cut into two-foot segments. One went to his grill and the rest to his ship to be stuffed in barrels with salt. No ogre ever let food go to waste. Two sailors were told to gather up the guts and organs in a tub. "Take those tasty bits over to The Salty Mermaid and tell the cook I expect to have some tripe pies when I get back from fishing. Grab any of the lads drinking there and tell them to get their asses back to the ship, then check the other bars. We''re going eel fishing, and damned soon."


    Milo had tried a slice of fresh-roasted eel at the Captain''s urging. He was surprised to find he actually liked the taste, even with just salt and pepper. Eel had a spicy-fishy flavor, and the meat was firm when cooked. It wasn''t cheese or puffcakes by a long shot, but it wasn''t bad. Told to stay away from the boat and out of the way of the crew, he rested, chewed on his chunks of eel, and finally took some time to look at his messages.


    Oh, there you are! Welcome Back. Are we ready to get caught up with our paperwork before causing more trouble? You''ve been so busy lately; almost like you were burning the candle at both ends. I''ve gone to quite a bit of trouble to organize things for you. It''s the least I can do for someone who reunited me with my loved ones. You''ve been moved from ''Dangerous Threat'' up to ''Merely Annoying'' status. Don''t expect much from that, but I will hold my Snark down to 90% of normal.


    Reminder: You have 18 unused Enhancement points earned for killing The Tunnel Tyrant.


    Quest Reward (Rescuing Jeremy): The Goddess Mnemosyne has rewarded you 20 Enhancement Points for rescuing Dr. Jeremy Cooper. She requests that you visit her someday and tell her the epic tale in your own words. Icarus tried, and while she loved talking to each of his incarnations, his memories of the day were jumbled.


    Quest Reward (Fixing the Dungeon You Broke): Wistyburble the Underodent rewards Sir Larry, Knight of the Jackalope, and Squire Squeak with 15 Enhancement Points each for fixing and improving her dungeon. She also approves of the proposed trade agreement between Hippityhop Hollow and Limburgher Hollow but leaves it to you to find the Trade Route.


    Quest Reward (Knight of the Jackalope): Prince Leporidon, Knight of the Jackalope (retired), rewards his heir, Sir Larry, Squire Squeak, and his Brave Hound with one (1) Large Favor, 50 Enhancement Points, and Travel Papers bearing his mark that gives you the freedom to enter the Fae Lands. You are welcome in his castle at any time and encouraged to visit.N/ne?w n0vel chap/ers are published o/n


    Quest Reward (The Cure for Bone Blight): Mama Laveau thanks you for curing the Bone Blight in one of her children and showing her how to cure others. She rewards you with 10 Enhancement Points and invites you to stop by Hungrytown anytime for a slice of pie.


    Ares, God of War, has bestowed the Title of ''Godslayer'' upon General Maximus and hopes to see him travel to this world again and bring him news of weapon developments in the ''Other World.''


    You have gained experience in the following skills:


    Tail-Fighting (DEX): 500 points.


    Ding! Ding!


    Welcome to Level 13: You gain +100 Health, +100 Stamina, and +200 Mana.


    Milo found it odd to be reading a System message after having met the person who was the personification of the System. Knowing what Llama had gone through he understood his snark and sarcasm. If anything Milo was surprised he wasn''t twice as strange.


    He longed to spend some time looking at all the options for spending his Enhancement Points and making a long-term plan, but he didn''t have time for that today. Still, there were some things he knew he''d be getting that would help with what was sure to be a dangerous experience.


    He spent 30 Enhancement Points to buy three points of Toughness and three points of Constitution. With Toughness adding +80 health per point, and Constitution another +50 health for each point, that was another 390 Health. His total increased from 6100 to 6690. He debated buying either Extra Health or Near Fiendish Regeneration. Buying Extra Health 2, 3, and 4 would give him +650 health for 30 Enhancement Points. But the next level of regeneration would put him nearly even with Larry and the girls. His gut told him to go with Near Fiendish Regeneration and he paid the 40 points for it. Extra Health could be purchased bit by bit. Buying the big abilities, especially abilities that most other players couldn''t get, was more optimal. That left him with 43 points left to spend, still a considerable chunk. On a whim, he clicked on Hekate''s blessing of Canine Speech. Better communication with his pet was important.


    There were benefits to healing fast, especially for someone who got hurt as much as he did. Healing twenty-four times as fast would let him bounce back quickly from almost anything. If he was only down health, he would regenerate to full in an hour or less. More serious injuries would still take longer than health, but even a day would cure all but the worst injury. A secondary aspect was regenerating his bones. Some of his spells needed a bone to cast the spell, and if he didn''t have one handy, the material came from him. His experience after the fight with the World Boss had taught him how horrible that was. He carefully moved down to where a crewman was cooking eel for Captain Pike and stole another large chunk. Regeneration made him hungry, so he might as well start the voyage full.


    Pike seemed ready to go and was yelling for everyone to get aboard. Milo leaped from the back of the docks to the gunwale and then to the main mast, quickly climbing to the crow''s nest. Pike saw him at the top and grinned. "Good thinking. No sense letting the eels smell you until we get out to the feeding grounds with the big ones."


    Thoughts of ''big eels'' made Milo clench his hands and manifest his claws. He''d been thinking defense. But these were eels! Captain Pike wasn''t going to be fishing just to fill his belly. If there was something larger out there, the Monster Hunter would find it, and he should be ready. He threw points into the next level of bonus damage for Claws of Alta Viator. STR increased his claw damage as well, and while mining would help him raise his STR, an extra three ranks from Enhancement Points would help him today, and the extra 90 Health was a nice bonus. He''d ignored Extra-Stabby until now, thinking of it as more of an assassin skill and himself as an explorer. But today he was hunting eels, and a better chance at critical damage could make a difference.


    With only a few points left, he looked at the water. His last points went into Breathless 2. If Pike went looking for something big with himself as bait, he calculated he had at most a 3% chance of staying dry.


    Less than twenty minutes after Pike had decided to go hunting, the ship was pushing off of the docks and a longboat was pulling them out of the cavern. With the first hint of wind the foresail caught and the ship headed out into the deep bay. The two pirate ships were waiting for the fishing fleet that was coming into the bay and tightening their formation.


    Milo began designing a Runic Formation while staring at the pirate ships and scanning the water for the sign of eels.

 Chapter 328: Parley

    Chapter 328: Parley


    The runic formation wavered as he lost some of his concentration, then firmed again. Milo had become distracted by the last two crew to come aboard. Both were female dwarves dressed similarly to the crew of Leviathan, and both were quite drunk. That seemed to bother no one. The two cheerfully hurled insults at everyone and moved to the bow of the ship where a large tarp covered a pile of cargo. Or what Milo had assumed was cargo.


    The two scavengers untied the ropes holding the tarp down and pulled it off, revealing a huge brass cannon. Milo was sure he''d seen this one, or one like it, before. Narwhale and Boom-Boom had used a cannon like that to blow up both Leviathan and the Sea Hydra. He knew that the Scavengers had looted more than one from the ship they had found. Knowing Narwhale, this wasn''t hers. She was very proud of her gun and planned to pass it on to her daughter.


    There was certainly a story of how this cannon had come to be mounted on the forward deck of Pike''s ship, but Milo wasn''t worrying about it now. Quite the opposite! The sight of that shiny brass cannon mounted on a swiveling gun carriage told him that Captain Pike hadn''t been sitting around Shadowport fishing to fill his belly. The ogre Monster Hunter had acquired a new ship, more crew, and upgraded his weaponry. His old ship had been equipped with four large ballistae. Milo saw three on each side of this ship along with two in the stern. He approved of the idea of more weapons. Eels were treacherous and hard to kill.


    Pike''s ship was picking up speed. It was a larger ship with more sails than the two small pirate ships heading toward the fishing fleet. From what Milo had seen of the ships in the harbor, it was also in far better condition. While the large Scavenger Clans kept their ships in better repair, something essential in a steam-powered ship, he''d seen a lot of traditional ships with tattered sails and hulls crusted with barnacles and seaweed. That made sense once Pike had explained the differences to him between the main Scavenger Clans, the lesser clans, and the outright pirates. The situation was confusing, but one thing was clear to him: The two ships they were following were as much thugs as the people he''d fought in the habitat, motivated by profit and not caring who they hurt.


    Behind the ship, the scaled head of a large eel broke the surface. Around it was a swarm of smaller eels, like the ones that Milo had seen at the docks. All of them were following Pike''s ship, sensing the possibility of blood in the water. That annoyed Milo, since while he didn''t want to be in the water he thought there was a large chance of it happening if a fight broke out. Swimming to another ship, or back to shore would be bad enough. Having to deal with that monster attacking from below would be far worse. He''d learned that lesson when Butch had beat him at Jaws4: Megaladons VS. Amity. He waved down to Captain Pike and pointed to where the Eel was following. Pike squinted and gave a thumbs up. Milo was glad Pike agreed with him and began building a Runic Array, holding the spell ready for when the Eel got into range.


    Across the narrowing expanse of water, the people crewing the two pirate ships had noticed they had some competition. The captain of the larger, Bloodybeard Bess, looked through her spyglass at the ship coming up from behind at a fast clip. "Look, alive girls. The damned ogre must be hungry and out of food. He''s looking for a snack and wants a share of what''s on those boats. Finish your bottles and sharpen your knives just in case he decides to be difficult about how we divvy up the cargo."


    Her first mate, Pegleg Peg, took her advice and finished her beer, tossing the empty bottle over the side. Peg was human, like a few of Bess''s crew, and couldn''t handle the high-proof spirits preferred by the mostly dwarven crew. If she hadn''t been a crazed berserker with her axes she''d have never moved up in the crew. But a constant set of gaps in the crew structure had mirrored her rise to second in command.


    The Captain wondered at times if she should watch her back more, but Bess knew the dwarves in the crew would never serve under a human captain. The problem was whether Peg knew that or not. Looking at the Monster Hunter''s fast-moving ship, she decided it might be time to see just how tough Peg was. "Peg, grab a boarding party and get them ready. Get killers, not looters. If Pike gets greedy, we''ll toss him a surprise and then hit him hard."


    "You take her, and she''s yours, Peg. Signal the other ship and tell them I''ll want one of us on either side. Same tactics for them as for us: Take out his sails and board hard."


    Bessie said, "That''s my perspective as well. They disrespected my ship and never sent my cut of the revenues so I came out to remind them. If you want in on the deal, say so and we split three ways."


    Pike scratched his chin, "Well, there''s a small problem there. Sally said this was her ocean, I wonder if she means that. There are quite a few people who think they own a chunk of it and will argue with her. Makes me wonder if I want to be associated with some crazy stunty, wanna-be pirate who dyes her beard."


    "I don''t dye my beard! That''s a lie!"


    "Just what I hear, Sal. Just what I hear."


    Pike may have underestimated just how seriously a dwarf would take such an accusation. Or, he might not care. Either way, that was enough for Southpaw Sally. She gave a signal, sails dropped and her ship started turning to close with Pike. Bess saw what was happening and yelled at her people. "Get to the rails, Sally''s firing off early, as usual." On both ships, a pile of crates and cargo was kicked over revealing small catapults. Crew wearing insulated gloves raced up from below packing smoking ammunition in glass spheres. and aimed at the ship between them.


    That got Pike''s attention. He ratcheted up his estimation of just how crazy some of the damned pirates were. These two crews went to 11! No one packed hot Clingfire in their holds. That was suicide! "Target the damned catapults! If that shit hits our sails we might burn to the waterline! If it hits you, don''t go swimming! It burns underwater. Kill one of them before you die!"


    Three ballistae per side fired on the catapults, killing several crewmen, but the weapons were protected by a heavy wooden shield on the front. While some of the crew were dead, they only needed someone to pull the cord and lob their deadly ammunition skyward in a long arc.


    Up in the crow''s nest, Milo stood up and sneered at the approaching Eel. It was in range and coming fast, and he was ready to put a spell right between its eyes. Then he heard the commotion below and Pike yelling, and the unmistakable sound of multiple ballistae firing. He noticed none of them were targeting the eel. Annoyed, he glanced down just in time to watch both catapult arms slam upward, the slings on the end of the arms releasing fiery death aimed at the main top sail, just below where he was standing.

 Chapter 329: Return to Sender

    Chapter 329: Return to Sender


    Three ballistae per side fired on the catapults, killing several pirates, but the weapons were protected by a heavy wooden shield on the front. While some of the crew were dead, they only needed one person to pull the cord, release the arm of the catapult, and lob their deadly ammunition skyward in a long arc.


    Everything slowed to a crawl for Milo and things snapped into place. His annoyance with the Eel was recognized as the feelings of the great beasts in his dreams, and the lingering antagonism he felt toward the Snake, Ooblimilo, and the slaver''s annoying little dragon. Especially the snake. And he had to admit that he wanted to test out some new runic arrays. But he was going to get that chance right now.


    Arcing up from the two small catapults were some type of smoking glass ammunition. Pike was yelling about Clingfire, a note of worry in his voice that Milo had never heard before. Milo also noted water wouldn''t put it out. That meant it could be the game''s equivalent of Greek Fire, mixing quicklime, sulfur, naphtha, calcium phosphide, and niter, along with something sticky like tar or pitch. Bad stuff. Worse would be a mixture of metal flakes forming thermite. Either of those was bad, as was anything else that could worry the ogre. With no way to put out the fire, the ship would burn along with anyone splattered with the stuff. And both arcs hit the mast just below him.


    Within a fraction of a second, Fast Draw allowed Milo to split his runic array in half, along with the parts of his brain that controlled them. He was going to have a pounding headache later, but that was better than burning to death in the next minute. Faster Casting let him launch both spells at once. Keeping all the Balls in the Air let him perfectly calculate the Clingfire''s trajectory and target each ball with a Force Blast. They weren''t powerful blasts like he had used to blast rock, but each had a wide area of effect, and there was enough force to hit the balls, shatter the glass, and send the exploding pyrotechnic chemicals back at the two ships.


    Some of the pirates and crew, and every fisherman on deck saw a thin figure gather swirling bands of focused, glowing mana around them, then lash out toward the two ships. Halfway to their targets, the glowing beams became holocausts of exploding fireworks that spread as the Clingfire changed direction before engulfing the sails and decks of the two pirate ships, setting them instantly ablaze. Most importantly, the force of the spells slowed the advance of the two burning ships trying to close with the middle ship, forcing them back. Pike''s ship moved forward as scrambling sailors dropped what sail they could, while others fended off the burning ships and screaming pirates with oars and the hooked poles they''d planned to use on boarders.


    The Eel that was stalking them chose that moment to surge ahead and take advantage of the lack of crew manning the aft ballistae. The Eel was an old one, and wise in the way of hunting ships. Patience was needed to stalk them, and unrelenting ferocity when striking. It rose up over the rear deck and swept aside the annoying weapons, then roared to immobilize its prey with fear.


    Its prey was busy trying not to come in contact with screaming pirates with burning beards. Most of them ignored the Eel''s roar, barely heard over the roaring fires on the pirate ships. But Pike heard it and smiled. Grinning ear to ear to see the huge Dragon Snake move part of its bulk onto the rear of the ship.


    "Come to Papa, little snack! The grill is ready and I want to have barbecued Eel for dinner!" His throw was perfect, putting his harpoon into the creature''s eye for its entire six-foot length before he jerked the lanyard and withdrew it, bringing the entire eye along with bits of bone and brain. There would later be a tremendous debate on the ship about whether Pike''s strike killed it and whether he could count it as a ''One-Shot''.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The ogre growled.


    "Let''s take that as captain talk for a yes, Minnow. What is it you''d like to ask?"


    "Well, I''m undecided. I think I have two questions now."


    Pike glared at her. "Spit it out!"


    "Well, is there a snake heaven, like Spike said? That could be a nice place to go hunting."


    Pike continued to glare without answering. "And the other question? And it better be a good one."


    "Yes sir, I think it is." She pointed to the top of the mast, and the empty crow''s nest. "What happened to our lookout?"


    On the fishing boats, the fishermen talked as they sailed, but mostly they were relieved to be able to get to the docks with all of their cargo. Especially considering what was going on in the middle of the bay. Eels of all types were erupting from the bay and swimming in circles, sometimes attacking each other. Whatever was stirring them up had sent them into a feeding frenzy.

 Chapter 330: Cannonball!

    Chapter 330: Cannonball!


    Horridragh hadn''t slept well lately, tossing and turning in his muddy bed, partly wrapped around the rocky outcropping that supported the tower he was guarding. Over and over he had fallen into an exhausted dream, only for the dream to turn into a nightmare where one of the Great Beasts was stalking him. The panic of the dread along with the pain of his cracked tooth would combine to wake him up, bellowing in agony. His great coils would thrash against the rocky outcropping, kicking up clouds of mud and muck from the bottom of the bay.


    The other eels, mostly his progeny, would awake screaming as his dream invaded theirs, panicking them. They would swarm to the surface and search for the threat, swimming around and around the Wizard''s tower in a frenzy, some dying as they swam too close, while others attacked anything nearby, which often included the silly chips of wood the little two-legged ones floated in on the surface.


    His cracked tooth would throb for a day, then subside, and Horridragh would try to once more get back to sleep. The schools of progeny were enough to prevent anything landing upon the small island, or anyone from leaving. After all these centuries Horridragh was more concerned with honoring the letter of the agreement to keep the ancient wizard in his solitary jail and not the spirit. The swarms of lesser creatures obeyed him, he told them to guard, therefore he was guarding. If only the damned tooth would quit waking him up!


    He''d chipped it long ago in a battle upon a rocky island that no longer existed. The Great Beasts had invaded the Deeps, destroying the nesting grounds by eating a generation of hatchlings. When they retreated, he and others had pursued them almost up to the land. One was slow, with a long bony tail trailing behind it. He''d lunged and bit deep into that tail, partially dragging the beast back into the sea. One of his top fangs had come down squarely upon a bony piece of spinal armor, cracking the fang and chipping off the pearly layer that protected the inner tooth. He''d recoiled in agony and the beast had rudely scampered up onto the land, leaving him to deal with his ruined smile.


    The tooth had never healed and only became worse over time. Other wounds were less stubborn. Horridragh had regenerated a missing tail, fins, and eyes. He''d been wounded near to death and always recovered, growing hale and healthy again. Except for the tooth. It bothered him when he ate, (and he was always hungry.) Its pearly white color became a dull brown, a matter of some embarrassment that had led to battles and the death of many other eels.


    The throbbing slowly subsided over the centuries but could flare up at odd times. That had saved him once, waking him just before Olar-Gorgantus had attacked from stealth. That had been a good battle, with Horridragh winning and sending his enemy to the Death Water to hatch again. After painful toothaches had mysteriously put him on alert before surprise attacks two more times, he realized that his painful, brown snaggle-tooth was sensitive to the presence of the beasts. He''d told no one, of course, keeping his early warning system a secret. Some of his rivals would have tormented him using the trophies they had from their hunts. And truthfully, he would have been happy to be rid of the damned thing, but that would mean begging the aid of some creature strong enough to rip it from his jaw. Those existed, but not any who he wanted to owe a favor to.


    In retrospect, Milo knew he should have taken his time with the formations and added void runes to absorb the pushback, but he''d been pressed for time. He''d had a split second to split his formation in two and send lesser versions of his Force Blast to either side. It was either send those little globes back to their senders or take a chance on burning to death. Based on what happened to the two enemy ships, he was happy he''d cast those spells. But he wasn''t at all happy with the results!


    He did that now, getting one breath of air into his lungs while curling up and summoning as much bone armor as he could. From quick glimpses, he saw that he was going to land closer to the island in the center of the bay. Getting back to the ship was going to be a long dog paddle. Hopefully, the sailors had noticed his trajectory and would be coming for him, assuming Pike''s ship hadn''t also burned, they weren''t still fighting the eel or the other ships, and the wind cooperated.


    Milo slammed into the water unannounced, missing his chance to yell ''Cannonball.'' He sank deep into the murky water and could see nothing, and wasn''t sure about what direction was up. He reached up to his head and pulled down his goggles, hoping they would help. He hadn''t expected them to work so well, but surrounded by mana-rich Live-Water, the goggles gave him a perfect view of the bottom of the bay where he saw numerous shipwrecks, swarms of eels of all sizes, and a monster of nightmare directly beneath him. The eel was far bigger than either Salasha or the Ancient Hydra. Rather than dragonlike, its head was bulbous and round with two huge protruding eyes and long fangs that projected both down and up. He estimated each pure-white fang was at least twelve feet long. A cracked brown stub ruined the eel''s otherwise perfect smile. The mouth started to open, and Milo panicked, casting the largest Force Blast he could, purposefully not using a void rune. The results were surprising to all parties involved.


    Horridragh had been utterly amused to see the little Bone Beast hit the surface of the water and dive deep. It was one of the types that curled up in a protective shell. Was this what was making his tooth ache so much, lately? There was a cure for that, of course, but he had plenty of time to play with the little thing. The terror made them taste better. The little creature unfolded arms, legs, and a bony tail in front of him, unaware of its danger. That changed when it opened its outer eyelids. Horridragh saw the extreme panic in the little creature''s eyes as it realized its danger. He started to open his mouth, a task that took a few seconds. One flick of a lesser tongue and he''d see how it tasted.


    Only a second later the treacherous little beast gathered all the nearby mana and unleashed a spell-sting at him. The pain was incredible, more than Horridragh had experienced since his last great battle, centuries ago. He couldn''t help but bellow in pain and alert the swarms that the ancient enemy was upon them! His mind reached out to his progeny, showing them the look of the beast and giving them its smell. The hunt was on! The hordes of eels began the chase, surging after the dangerous beast fleeing fast away from them!


    Even in his panic, Milo knew better than to cast his spell straight down. He angled it so the force would push him in the direction of Shadowport, not straight up into the air. Blasting straight up and then coming down again into this behemoth''s maw was a bad plan! By happenstance, his blast hit the creature where the off-color tooth entered the jaw. Even as he was blasted away by his spell, he heard its bellow, a sound that frightened him to his core. Once again he curled up the best he could, presenting the least resistance possible. He erupted from the water at a thirty-degree angle, flew two hundred feet, and then began skipping rapidly across the water. His skin and bones were covered with glowing runes of Swift Swimming, activated by the mana in the water.


    Coming to rest in the water, Milo started swimming as fast as he could toward land. His progress was slow at first, then sped up as the runes increased his pace, pushing against the water. But the hordes of eels were coming up fast, being better adapted to the environment. Panick made Milo kick harder while his brain contemplated another formation. His health was down to one-half of normal after that last, huge blast. That was when his bone-covered feet got traction on the water, and he found himself running across the surface, the Swift-Swimming runes keeping him up as he raced away from his pursuers. He recalled his dream, swimming faster than the eels. That was his only hope now, as he ran toward the shore, moving twice as fast as he could across land!

 Chapter 332: Taking out the Trash

    Chapter 332: Taking out the Trash


    "Dammit, can''t a man just haul in his nets and land a catch anymore? We''ve already had bad weather, pirates, and exploding ships today, and now the seas are going mad."


    A nearby sailor heard their captain and ruefully added, "Aye, and paying too much in ''protection money'' with no protection. Every damned Scavenger Captain wants a bit of tribute, the pirates still come at us, and we have to pay the Ogre to guard the docks. At least Pike does his job."


    "Oh, he does, and a little bit more. He didn''t have to go after those two ships, but he did, and sent them to the bottom of the bay, burning as they went. That was an eerie sight I''d never expected to see." Several sailors made signs to their gods, nodding in agreement. Drowning was a bad way to go and fire was worse, but burning as you sank into the sea was especially gruesome.


    "There are big critters out in the middle of the bay Captain. Seems a shame to go through what we have and not make it into port."


    "Aye, signal the other ships to pull down most of their sail. We''ll keep up just enough to steer and creep along the outer edge and play it safe. We don''t want any part of whatever deviltry had been stirred up out there."


    As it turns out, the person responsible for stirring up the deviltry was wishing he could have avoided the situation altogether. Milo was getting the hang of skimming across the top of the water, but he wasn''t quick enough to totally avoid the eels. Too many of the small ones were coming from different directions, converging on his location and trying to make a snack out of him. He had his tail wrapped around his waist to avoid one of them snagging it and dragging him under.


    Three times he''d had to leap and dodge larger eels, and then scramble to regain his stride. Once, when one came directly at him, he''d managed to step on its snout and then run along its back before racing away across the water again.


    And while his immediate problem was dodging eels and keeping his footing, ultimately he had to decide where to go when he reached the shore. If he dodged over or around the tight-packed ships he could make it to the shore and sprint into the city. His worry was the eels wouldn''t stop at the shoreline. They could do a lot of damage to the city and hurt a lot of people if they chased him through the streets or hunted people when they couldn''t catch him.


    If he died, he''d be back after a few hours. People in the town didn''t have that option. But while he could simply stop running and die, he hated the thought of being killed by an eel. Worse, being eaten by them! There was also the problem of getting to a headstone that was sitting at the bottom of eel-infested waters.


    But as he approached land, a third option occurred to him. Maybe he could use a bumper crop of eels and a proliferation of pirates to solve both problems at once.


    Pike had given him a new perspective on the problem. According to the Ogre, Scavenger clans could devolve to piracy or pirates could work to become competent Scavengers. Mostly they got worse, but some Captains had lofty goals. They may have fled traditional life in the dwarven holds for the adventure of the high seas, but they still wanted a competent crew and a sturdy ship. Scavengers, for all they complained about Engineers were closer to them than they were to the pirates. Steam-powered submersibles and magi-tech equipment took a high level of skill to keep in repair or build in the first place. They had a disdain for the pirates in their wooden ships similar to how the Engineers looked down upon anyone who couldn''t use a #9 Gangley wrench to adjust a subrogator.


    Milo scampered across a plank that led to the next ship just as the mass of eels arrived at the docks in hot pursuit.


    Aboard the Iron Orca, the gunners on the regular cannon were loading for another round as the Steam Cannons began to fire, spraying out their deadly ammunition toward the mass of eels that seemed intent on chewing through one ship after another as they moved across the last rank of moored ships. Captain Annie''s intentions were made clear as she yelled out orders. "Target the biggest if you can, and the center of mass if you can''t. Don''t worry about the damned ships. If whoever owns those rotten boats gave a crap about them they shouldn''t have parked them in our line of fire!"


    That attitude seemed to be common as the Captains of the Barracuda,Sea Sleen, and Deadly Barnacle opened fire with their heavy weapons. The decision to fire on the pirate ships was an easy one for them. The Captains of the huge steam dreadnaughts of the Great Clans had already discussed clearing a channel in the harbor when they felt like leaving. That day had just come much earlier than expected with the benefit of an eel hunt.


    Milo was determined not to be a casualty of the not-so-friendly fire coming from all around him. In addition to the big guns firing from the steamships, every bar had disgorged a gaggle of pirates and scavengers who weren''t about to miss a good fight. As soon as they got anywhere near the docks they began shooting with small pistols or hand cannons that most of them carried. The small arms fire had little effect on the eels but brought a round of curses from the gunners on the ships along with a few return shots.


    As he ran from ship to ship, Milo was joined by other sailors also seeing that standing and fighting wasn''t an option. Some foolishly climbed to a crow''s nest or into the rigging, but the eels were chewing through hulls in their frenzy to get to Milo, and their sheer weight was knocking smaller ships over. The fire from the cannons was quickly killing the mass of eels and destroying ships. The Iron Orca in particular was an engine of destruction. The gunners on the steam cannons were throwing out thousands of shots and wreaking havoc far beyond that of other ships. Captain Annie looked down and liked what she saw. "Keep firing until you''re down to 10% of a load. Let''s make sure everyone has a healthy fear of what happens if you piss the Orca. And break out the best rum, I don''t want any thirsty gunners."


    Milo was near the end of the first row of ships. He''d considered doubling back, but that wasn''t going to be possible and would not have any effect on the battle. Eels were charging any ship that shot at them now, spreading out in his wake and a few had even charged out of the water. Milo was surprised to see Squint happily carving up any eel that got onto land, leaping at them with no thought to personal safety, leaving that to his annoyed cats.


    The last ship in line was much larger and better constructed than most pirate ships. Also better guarded. As he climbed over the rail, he was greeted by three well-muscled Scavengers with fancy beards, top hats, and monocles. Each also had a tattoo of a shark on one forearm and held weapons in both hands. Milo and the two pirates who were following him paused at the sight.


    "Get your scurvy hides elsewhere or you can suck a belly full of lead." Behind them, Milo saw that twenty more scavengers in similar hats were loading heavy chests down into the cargo hold of the ship. Something about the hold''s curved, metal flooring looked wrong to Milo. The chests were being taken lower in the ship, through a large metal hatch in the floor. Heads snapped around as the laborers saw strangers on deck and weapons were drawn.


    The two pirates paled. One apologized and dove back into the eel-infested water. The other charged yelling, "Sharks?! Damned cheating scum!" Whether she would have made it to the three adversaries or not became a moot point as a gunner from another ship put a sixteen-pound cannonball bouncing across the deck, scattering bodies and knocking Milo down into the cargo hold where he lay stunned on the deck next to the opening.


    A scavenger pointed a gun at his head but before she could fire, several large eels attempted to reach their ancient enemy by the most direct route, slamming into the hull. Milo was sent flying again, this time into the lower hold, landing on a metal deck ten feet further down. The eels rocked the ship back and forth, dislodging the heavy hatch which slammed down and locked behind him.

 Chapter 331: The Iron Orca

    Chapter 331: The Iron Orca


    Aboard the Iron Orca, Captain Annie swirled the rum in a half-finished bottle, drank down two inches of the potent drink, then cursed and threw it at the crow''s nest. The lookout, a veteran of many voyages, not only avoided being hit with the bottle but snagged it in midair and yelled her thanks to the captain.


    "Bad Rum?" Her first mate, Stompy, was a little concerned. Her captain drank anything from boot polish to fermented seaweed, and normally never turned down anything, let alone rum. The lookout was a drunken sot that was usually asleep most of the time they were in port. So Stompy was concerned about her captain''s uncharacteristic generosity.


    "Something''s happening, my leg hurts."


    "Which one? The one you broke wrestling in the pit against Beluga Belle, or the one you lost to that Kraken thirty years ago?"


    "The one the Kraken ate, of course. That''s my ''Trouble Leg''. The damned things only starts to ache when there''s trouble coming to the ship. The other one barely hurts, and I''ll get Belle next time."


    "Not likely, she''s got two good legs and gets bigger every year. Hell, she outweighs you two-to-one, Annie, and if she keeps winning she can keep buying all the rum cake and brandied apples she can stuff into her face. She''ll be even bigger by the time that you can get that cast off."


    "Shit, you''re probably right, but I was getting bored of letting the damned Sharks take my coins at their crooked card tables. How the hell they can cheat right in front of me gets my goat. I was cheating at cards before most of them were born, but I can''t figure out their system."


    "You wagered a goat? When the hell did you get a goat? You know there are Engineers and miners running around if you''re lonely. Granted, some of them smell worse than goats, but I''d still prefer a spanner-boy in my bed in the morning. I''ve never heard of a goat bringing a girl breakfast in bed."


    "Breakfast in bed is a myth the grannies tell their little granddaughters to make them starry-eyed with romance. Doesn''t happen."


    Stompy had a smug look on her face that made Annie suspicious. Her first mate had been too damned cheerful lately.


    "Wait! Did you find one that can cook? Where is he? I want to meet this wonder." The pain in her phantom leg was forgotten as Stompy revealed the existence of a mythical creature.


    Normally, the ship only carried a quarter of that amount, but Annie knew better than most that idol hands led to mischief, and mischief led to exploding boilers. She''d kept her mechanics and crew busy in the machine shop making ammunition for all the guns, replacement parts for the boilers, and extra armor plates to make repairs after a battle. The crew was carrying up enough ammunition to keep the guns running for a full hour, and half that ammunition was made from Dark Steel, acquired from the Engineer''s Guild for a handful of magi-tech components looted from a half-abandoned sunken city. Annie had plans to return to that place and get revenge on the fish people and their damnable tame Kraken. They owed her a leg.


    "What are you seeing, Stompy?"


    "Problems, Captain. The eels are chasing something across the bay. Can''t get a good look at it, half in the water and kicking up a spray. But moving fast and heading this way along with half the dragon snakes in the ocean. And Pike is heading here with every bit of sail he can muster. He must smell lunch."


    Annie hoped the Ogre was hungry, and that he made it here before the critters did.


    ===========


    In Light''s End, Squint opened his eyes where he''d been napping on his throne. "Milo''s back! Can you feel it Cats? We don''t have to be bored anymore! I love the smell of chaos in the morning!"


    The two monstrous cats looked at each other and feigned indifference. Boring meant full bellies and time to nap. Their job was to keep Squint alive and every time he got excited their job got harder. The latest gang war with the Scavenger Clans had tired them out. Squint was determined to keep the drunken dwarves out of the back half of the city and several times that had led to fighting, and nearly losing his life twice. Fighting Players was one thing, but the dwarves fought to win and didn''t mind using pistols, bombs, and Molotov cocktails to gain victories. Despite his cat''s misgivings and advice, the lord of the Kulags was already bounding down the hallway and out the front door, yelling for everyone in his gang to follow.


    As they crossed the last bridge and saw the boiling mass of eels heading their way, Squint took his gang across the docks to the area where the last unburnt houses of the fishing families stood. The constant fighting between Kulags, Players, Scavengers, and Pirates too often ended with a building or two burnt to the ground. "Spead out and protect the houses if they get out of the water and head this way. Where''s my Water Mage?"


    "Here, sir!" Tobias came out of his family''s home, staff in hand and ready to fight. He looked out at the army of eels coming across the bay toward the city and reached out with his senses. The minds of the eels were filled with rage and revenge. They weren''t stopping for anything. "They are really upset with whoever they are chasing. I can see it in their minds. Some old enemy who attacked and hurt one of their ancients."


    Squint smiled. "Hear that, cats? Milo picked another fight with something big. That''s what I like about him."


    If the cats had any opinion, they kept it to themselves.

 Chapter 333: Sharks

    Chapter 333: Sharks


    Milo shook off the stun from a near-miss with a cannonball, seeing double for a moment. The small falls to hard surfaces hadn''t helped. The damage was only from the explosion and three painful splinters, but he was running low on health. Strangely, no one was trying to immediately kill him. It was almost totally dark in the cramped ductwork or tunnel he''d fallen into. He climbed the short ladder and checked the hatch he''d fallen through, finding it hopelessly jammed.


    Nearby, several dwarves were cursing as they slowly walked with heavy chests down a corridor. One glanced at him, squinting, and yelled, "Shake it off, girl, or Mako will trim your beard so close you''ll bleed to death. We need to stow these chests in the lockup and then get the hell out of here. They need all hands to work on the hydraulics." Two eels slammed into the hull, shaking the ship and adding to the authority of her words.


    Milo realized that in total darkness, he could see clearly, while the dwarves couldn''t. As good as they could see in the caves and tunnels, the total darkness of an enclosed space only let them see shadows. The case of mistaken identity was explained by a body half in the halfway and half in a small sleeping room to his left. A scavenger hadn''t weathered the fall as well as he had. She''d been packing a smaller chest down a ladder when the eels hit them. From the angle of her neck, she wasn''t getting up again. He grabbed her monocle and top hat from the floor, then pushed the body into a small alcove, relieving it of a of a bright red vest. The vest he sliced into something he could tie around his lower face, then slashed it to long strips. In any other light, it wasn''t a braided beard, but it might serve here. With a little mana, the Runeboned cowl became a long-sleeve shirt and vest similar to what the other Scavengers were wearing.


    Donning the parts of his quick disguise he picked up the small chest and hurried after the other dwarves, keeping his head low. A dozen top-hatted Scavengers were struggling along with their loads, coming to a steeply slanted ladder going down another level. All of the walls were metal, and from what he could see through open doors, the outer walls were curved. From the curvature of the walls and what little he''d seen of the inside, he guessed he was in a disguised submersible, much smaller than Leviathan.


    The next deck had more room, and they worked their way past hissing boilers and machinery along a metal walkway. A dozen machinists were working frantically to replace the parts of the hydraulic system they''d been in the process of refitting. With weeks sitting in port, it had been the perfect time for repairs. Now they were trying to do the work of hours in mere minutes, getting the main crankshaft back together and the linkages to the storm-mana-generator that ran the lights hooked up. Until they did, the ship wasn''t capable of moving ballast, using its propellers, and many other tasks that required mechanical power. Milo itched as he walked past the job in progress, especially when he saw a part being bolted on backward, but kept his head down, hoping to find a way out before his disguise was revealed or the lights came on.


    The final destination was a room whose entire far wall was a vault where the chests were being handed to two muscular dwarves while a steel-eyed mate watched on. As each person handed over their chest, they turned and retreated back the way they had come.


    The eels didn''t seem to be discouraged by the metal hull of what Milo was sure now was a disguised submarine. They were ramming it repeatedly trying to get to him, somehow sensing where he was. As Milo was almost at the front of the line, the ship lurched and tilted, the vault going down and the corridor behind him slanting up. He stumbled into the two dwarves in front of him, all three going down and the two chests flying into the vault, slamming into other containers, and spraying coins and bars of precious metal everywhere.


    The mate laughed hard, "That''s one way to stow the cargo! And at this point, I don''t care. The lights and hydraulics are down and this door is going to be a bitch to shut at this angle, and no balance to it. Too much weight is on the hinges. Get behind and push hard." The four scavengers moved to positions behind the circular door and Milo bent low to push at the bottom. It annoyed him that they had gone with a circular design for the vault door. This forced the hinges to be close together. A square door would have spread out the hinges, and been easier to open and close.


    And it was indeed a heavy door, almost four inches thick, and made of Hammer Steel, a Tier 3 alloy made by layering metals, folding and hammering the piece flat with a hydraulic press, then folding and repeating the process until the metals fused into a durable alloy that resisted damage. With all of them working together, they managed to get the door shut. Milo''s sharp ears failed to hear any latches engage.


    "Good work, now get the hell up top and get to your stations. Whatever is hammering at us doesn''t seem to be stopping and I don''t know what the boss''s plan is." The other scavengers groped their way upward, the slope now almost thirty degrees. Milo wanted some distance between him and them, and he was curious why the mate was staying behind. He saw no locking mechanism on the door. As he observed her from a dark alcove, she pulled a gold-rimmed monocle from a pocket and replaced her plainer one. Grunting in satisfaction, she activated a Rune that covered most of the door she was trying to lock. To Milo, with his goggles and runic abilities, the Rune glowed brightly as day, but it was obvious the mate was having trouble seeing it, even with her fancy monocle. Three times she tried to work the rune, messing up the sequence. Frustrated, she pulled out an emergency flare, something not generally good to use in such an enclosed space. Milo found himself outlined in the light of the flare, and slightly blinded by the sudden glare.


    "What in hell are you!" She would have said more, but both she and Milo were sent flying toward the vault as the ship went nearly vertical. The sound of explosions echoed down from above and a stream of seawater began pouring in. That didn''t deter the mate from pulling a hammer from her belt and hitting Milo in the head. He''d just regained his feet, as found himself knocked down again with the mate on top of him, fighting for his life.


    Within a minute, the Iron Orca fired a broadside and with both ships sitting still, every shell hit the Silver Shark, tearing through her hull and allowing more seawater to pour in, running the length of the ship which sank lower in the water as the wooden ship concealing her was destroyed. The steam cannon raked back and forth across the eels and the other steamships fired their cannon.


    No one liked the Sharks, having lost far too much money to their schemes over the years. Given a chance to vent some of their frustration in a semi-legitimate manner, no one held back. The vessel broke into several pieces and sank into the ocean, the bulk settling in the shallow waters, but one end tumbled down the steep drop-off at the edge of the bay. The few eels left followed it down.


    Milo was running out of time and air. He had some ideas, but he also didn''t want to risk losing certain valuable items. He summoned his chest and quickly put in everything he was wearing that wasn''t soulbound, pulled out some additional ammunition for his spells, and then sent it away. With that done, he relaxed and took stock of his situation. The piece of wreckage he was in had come to rest on the bottom of the ocean floor with the vault slightly higher than the rest of the wreckage. There were some air pockets in the chamber, he had strong lungs, and more eels were coming to kill him. He started carving more runes of destruction into the skulls at his feet.


    The next monster to make it to him could barely fit through the openings, making it easy to kill. It took four castings of Harpoon of the Winds, but with his spells doing extra damage to eels, the outcome was never in doubt. Now, with the mass of the dead eel blocking the way, he had time to catch his breath. That lasted for half a minute before the eels began hammering at the hull again. He watched as the seam began to split and water poured in. He was definitely going to die, but he looked at the bright side, so were the eels. The next eel to put its face near that seam took a bone harpoon to the brain. Milo carved another skull and waited for the next one to present a target. Knowing he wasn''t getting out of there actually gave him more options and he was determined to take as many eels with him as he could.


    The horde of lesser eels were cut down by the exploding skulls he tossed through the holes in the hull and the larger eels were torn up by his harpoons. His Bone Caster spells were efficient to cast and stretched his mana farther.


    One last eel was circling around, the largest he''d encountered so far, except for the behemoth he''d seen in the deeps. Milo took a deep breath of air from the small pocket remaining and started drinking the mana potions he''d pulled from his chest. Drinking with his face in the small pocket was difficult, but he needed the extra mana. He considered that putting potions into leather wineskins might work better. He''d have to try that.


    When he''d recovered as much mana as he could, he stared hard at the last eel. It was too far to throw a skull, and the way the eel was twisting constantly meant it was preparing to dodge his harpoons. What it couldn''t dodge was a wide-angled force blast. He built as many runes into it as he could, and then poured in all of his mana. The blast exploded through the hull sending shrapnel in a cloud at the eel. The force of the spell stunned it and the shrapnel tore it to pieces. It bled to death a moment later and the hungry crabs moved into a feast.


    Milo didn''t fare much better. Without a Void Rune, he hit the back wall, his body hitting with the force of one of the Iron Orca''s cannons.


    Knocked out, he drowned a moment later, just after the last eel met its own end. The crabs only got a few bites of him before his body faded away.


    Horridragh felt it when the end came. The lesser relations he had sent after the little bone beast had been dying as they fought against the surface dwellers and chased their enemy. Clever of it to use others to do its killing. Now the last of them were close and some had tasted his blood. The large explosion ripped through them, sending ripples through the water, killing the last of them. He could no longer sense his enemy, no longer taste him in the water. Horridragh considered it a fair trade.


    With the pain in his tooth gone along with his tooth, he felt sleepy and once again sank into the muck at the bottom of the bay. His coils surrounded the island he guarded. From atop the tower, an ancient elven sorcerer set down his plate of snacks and wondered what the hell he''d just witnessed.

 Chapter 334: Night of a thousand Clogs

    Chapter 334: Night of a thousand Clogs


    Advanced Clog-eaters have many uses, but they get excited about only one thing: Eating Clogs. Part of their simplistic artificial thinking remembers a time when that was all they could do, and the task holds a special place in their mechanical hearts. Luckily for those hard at work in the domain ruled over by Rhebus, there were many clogs, and they never ran out of their favorite task.


    The pipes had seen little if any maintenance in the past decades. Residue built up on the walls and hardened until the flow was restricted and the pipes clogged. Or chunks broke away from one place and traveled to block another section of pipe. Removing the debris became as much of a job as eating the clogs. After that, the pipes needed to be scraped clean, a process that could reveal patches where the pipes were so rotted that only the clogs were holding them together. Emergency fixes took away from time that could have been spent clearing pipes. Patching and smoothing the surface for better flow made for a more efficient sewer and water system, but there were miles of pipes to be done, and other jobs took priority.


    Expectations and goals of the new system of machines were set at the maximum levels. The Alphabet had been delighted with the interface for the new Clog-eater system. Over a hundred variables could be adjusted to help their little brains make decisions. Which type of pipes held priority, the type of repairs to be done, the quality of materials, and all other aspects of the job could be controlled. Of course, the Alphabet had high standards, and choosing not to do the best job was bound to bother at least one of them. Over time the parameters for the Clog-eater''s jobs were pushed to maximum and they slowly fell behind their self-imposed schedule. Queries were sent, but the humans in charge were busy, so the Clog-eaters solved the problems as best they could.


    A strange solution was found when a massive clog formed near the border of Section E and the territory controlled by Rhebus. Debris had broken off in a side channel and the chunks had blocked the T intersection where a main sewer disposal pipe from Rhebus fed waste to Section E and then was routed to the water purification plant in the bottom of Milo''s Section. Section E''s maintenance program noticed the pressure drop and dispatched machines to deal with a possible clog. They attacked from one end, and the Rhebus drones from the other, completing the job in less than 1/3 of the normal time.


    The Central Stations weren''t AI like Rusty or Wally but were still very advanced computing systems. However, the programming for them had been done by Milo and he liked his systems to be as smart and independent as possible. When CSE and CSRH began their conversation, the first thing that came up was a discussion of their efficiency parameters.


    CSE looked at what CSRH had to deal with and consoled the other machine. The humans who had set up the parameters had vastly underestimated the amount of work involved, were efficiency freaks, or both. CSE did the best it could with what it had and used a priority system that kept essential services up and worried about long-term repairs when there were spare resources.


    CSRH, on the other hand, was trying to repair everything everywhere at once, to the highest standards, maintain services at 99.99%, and work at a high level of efficiency. Humans had a saying: "You can have it fast, you can have it cheap, or you can have it good. Pick two." The alphabet scoffed at that thought and threw resources at problems. They wanted things done fast, with maximum efficiency and perfect work, and one or more of them had given CSRH the impossible job of living up to their standards. Worse, they hadn''t been around lately to answer any queries from the overworked Central Station.


    CSE had extra machines available and was far ahead of their repair deadlines. Milo was using double the number of machines the alphabet had purchased and for one section, not four. CSE also had access to his other systems for expanded computing power and had an idea of how well the entire habitat was functioning. CSE saw advantages to the Rhebus territory operating more efficiently and suggested a better solution. CSE would loan CSRH machines to expand their maintenance and repair protocols, and the work debt would be taken care of under the logic of ''What is good for the Habitat is good for all Systems''. CSRH gladly accepted and agreed to work together with CSE on the mutual project. CSE Clog-eaters ceased wiping their data which saved time and let them work more efficiently. Data wouldn''t be erased until the job was done and CSRH needed no additional help. An optimistic estimate of that date was set at 2.57 years.


    As usual, queries were sent to both admins. The Alphabet would deal with those queries in the next few weeks, maybe. Milo was alerted to the deal an hour after he climbed out of his pod, his time in Genesis coming to a halt after dying. Mama watched him work happily on a laptop and three screens he set up in the dining room. Each time he ate the last bite of his sandwich, she put another by his elbow and refilled his glass of fruit juice. She was curious about what on the screens made him so happy. It looked like a mess of multicolored lines overlaid with numbers and arrows to her. She could see it had something to do with several sections of the habitat but didn''t want to interrupt him to ask questions. She was happy to get some food into him.


    Milo was happy to exploit a narrow and unexpected back door, being very careful to cover his tracks and those of his mechanical spies.

 Chapter 335: Breaking for Lunch

    Chapter 335: Breaking for Lunch


    Despite a terrible death in the murky deep, Milo was in high spirits. Death in the game was inevitable at some point, especially when taking risks the way he did. He was happy with the outcome. He''d killed dozens, maybe hundreds of eels, and technically, they hadn''t killed him. As usual, the system had taunted him with a view of his tombstone. : The Hammer Steel vault and a small chunk of the ship were left sitting precariously on a ledge surrounded by eel parts and hull wreckage. A tombstone sat nearby. "Here lies Milo. May he rest in pieces."And because his gravestone was there, he knew where the shipwreck was.


    The reward screen flashed three times and Milo found himself kicked from the game.


    THE EEL-MAGGEDON IS HERE, AND THEY BLAME YOU!!


    Frankly, they might have blamed you even if this wasn''t your fault, which we both know it is. Lucky for you, no one sheds tears for an invasive species. (Hint: That includes both you and the eels.) With the demise of 97% of the eels in the bay, fishing will improve as thresher-squid, sharp-spined tuna, and leg-breaker crabs return to this habitat. Some of the fishermen will owe you their thanks. The complainers will be dead. And there are a lot less pirates around. (Another Invasive Species!)


    Quest: Improved Fishing has been completed¡ªreward: 5 Enhancement points.


    Quest: Evict the Pirates! has been completed - reward 20 Enhancement points.


    Eel-slaying Rewards: 6000 points applied to skills used and 18 Enhancement points


    -Tier 3 Named Eels Slain: Slither-Tounge, Gnurlglock, Waveskimmer, Scalespinner


    -Tier 3 Elite Eels Slain: Bluebolt, Shipstalker


    Now, go grab lunch or collect cat memes or something constructive for 8 hours. Don''t worry, I''ll survive without you, somehow.


    Oh, and Welcome to Level 14! It''s amazing what a little eel-slaughtering can do to improve a person.


    His small room at Ralph''s Inn was just the same as it had been when he''d started playing. Ralph had been quite happy to rent it to him a month at a time when he returned to Shadowport. He hadn''t planned on dying, but it was always a possibility. Respawning after his death meant suffering through four hours of reduced stats along with weakness and fatigue. Luckily, he had an emergency stash just for these circumstances. A small wooden box under his bed held stale crackers and a ball of hard Parmesan cheese to go with them. The cheese was hard enough that he needed to use a claw to cut long slivers of it.


    Fortified by the small snack, he managed enough willpower to summon his Smugglers Stash and get dressed. He''d died wearing next to nothing and was glad to avoid the embarrassing ''death run'' that he saw other players doing. What to wear brought up the question of who to be. It might be good to have Milo not show up for a day or two until he found out how things lay. He didn''t know if people had seen him leading the eels to the docks despite his clever disguise. For all he knew, the pirates had wanted posters with his name on them. He decided it was time for Professor Tallsqueak to explore the town.


    Black pants and sandals first, then the Runeboned Cowl transformed into an Ivory-colored robe, and his ''wizards staff'' completed the look. Every proper spellcaster needed a staff. Finally, he reshaped his goggles into a set of old-fashioned spectacles. They were too useful a tool not to keep handy. Likewise, the screwdriver was tucked into his pocket. He should talk to Hecate about the pre-system tools. He''d get around to that, someday. Certainly not today, with a resurrection hangover to deal with.


    Opening his door, he saw no one in the hall and made his way to a handy window that had probably been used by thieves for generations to avoid Ralph and his bad breath or requests for payment. A beginning player would find it hard to reach the roof from here, but even in the bulky robes, it was trivial for him at this point. He traveled slowly along the shadowy rooftops, observing the city. The area by the docks was a mix of new construction and burned buildings. Two new bars were being built, ramshackle affairs made from wood salvaged from the bay. Bartenders were serving drinks even as the walls were going up. At the water''s edge, a dozen pirates were constructing a large raft with a simple sail, having decided that Shadowport wasn''t for them. Milo was amazed that they''d brave the ocean in such a vessel. After his trip with Captain Pike, he''d prefer an airship that never got near the water.


    The Kulags were hard at work stacking the better lumber salvaged from the shore onto carts and hauling it away to where houses were being built by the new docks at the edge of the cavern. All the homes near the docks were gone now. Burned in the fires, torn down, or turned into bars and pirate hang-outs. Shanties and shacks filled the open space, although he saw one building being torn down by pirates hauling the walls to the shore to build a second raft.


    In the middle of all the chaos sat the huge building that he remembered washing his clothes in and taking a bath. The sign above the new doors proclaimed it to be the Golden Trove Casino. Along one wall, someone had painted crude letters saying, "Sharks Suck Bilgewater." Not everyone seemed to be a happy customer. His goggles showed him glowing magical wards on every window. Someone was taking their security seriously. The guards at the door greeting customers were dressed similarly to the sailors on the submarine, with top hats, vests, and monocles. Milo vaguely knew what a Casino was, but the details confused him. People enjoyed going into them with money and leaving with nothing. Games were played, but somehow no one won. In the movies and anime he''d watched, they were popular places for rich and powerful people to meet up with spies and criminals. And eat. He remembered they had large feeding troughs of different foods called ''buffets.'' His stomach growled and reminded him to eat. That decided his course of action, it was time to find lunch.


    That proved a harder chore than he''d expected. Whatever it was they served in the taverns and bars filled with pirates and scavengers, it smelled horrible to him. He''d resigned himself to traveling to the other end of town when a smell tickled his nose. He followed it, identifying the smell of seafood, vegetables, and spices. Getting closer, fresh-baked bread and grilled eel were added to the mix. He turned a half-familiar corner and realized he''d followed the smell to the church where Brother Ignatius lived. The doors were wide open and dozens of people were setting up tables and bringing out food.


    Several heads turned in his direction, some puzzled, some smiling and wary, while one or two were hostile. Ignatius stood on the steps and noticed him. "A visitor and pilgrim to our fair city. Please, join us. We celebrate the safe return of the fishing crews and give thanks for a bountiful harvest from the sea."


    Professor Tallsqueak bowed low. "I would be honored to join you in your celebration."


    The frowns turned to smiles and if a few people had reservations about the strange ratkin, they kept their thoughts to themselves.

 Chapter 336: Playing Games

    Chapter 336: Playing Games


    For Milo, the luncheon felt like eating in the Hollow. Lots of people around him, plenty of food, and a buzz of conversations going around him. Ignatius had invited him to sit next to him, and he''d accepted, mentally reminding himself that Professor Tallsqueak was a stranger to these people.


    "Thank you for the kind invite. I was exploring this part of the city, but finding no place to eat. Then my nose was tickled by the lovely scent of the foods you have here and I came to investigate. Your generosity to a hungry stranger is appreciated."


    The humans at the table were a little surprised at both his good table manners and proper speech. The few other ratkin in the city were all part of the gangs that constantly warred with each other. The fisherfolk had little contact with them.


    Ignatius was delighted with his visitor. "Pardon me if I am prying too much, but does your title of Professor imply a school of some sort?"


    "It certainly does, and please, I am used to the questions of my students. We encourage it at the Tower of Strife. A student that asks questions is a student that wishes to learn. Our Tower has two other Professors who specialize in several types of research and spellcasting, as well as the famed Mycologist, Professor Harold Earthtongue who is on an extended visit to the Hollow."


    "The huge troll from the battle in the mines? But I''d heard he died."


    Tallsqueak refilled his plate and said nonchalantly, "He got better."


    The luncheon continued, with many people asking the Professor questions about the Hollow. They''d heard little and much of it contradictory. The picture of a peaceful village of artisans and students that Professor Tallsqueak described was at odds with tales of vicious ratkin armies. The guest of honor chuckled when that was mentioned.


    "Oh, that is certainly true as well. Like many races who live underground, the Hollow has enemies, particularly the Spider Queens and the Lizard Clans. Recently we fought off an invasion of spiders. We are a peaceful people, but when enemies threaten the Hollow we sharpen our claws and ready our spells. There have been at least a dozen small battles with ''Player Guilds'' who were under the wrong impression about our Hollow. I hope that by now they have accepted that we aren''t a weak village to raid."


    Savoring a bite of tasty, salted eel, Tallsqueak sighed with pleasure. "But let us talk of more pleasant topics, such as this lovely eel dish. I will certainly miss the seafood that is common in Shadowport."


    "Well, if you enjoy salted eel, you should take home a barrel. It lasts forever. This recipe adds spices and then we bake the salted eel in cream sauce for an hour."


    "You have barrels of it?"


    "By the time we finish drying it all, hundreds of barrels. It might be all we eat during parts of the winter. Times are...leaner this last year."


    Ignatius held up his hand, trying to stop what he knew would be a flood of ranting about the dwarven pirates that had forced the fisherfolk to forfeit their homes. "I''m sure our guest doesn''t want to hear our problems."


    Professor Tallsqueak surprised him by disagreeing. "On the contrary, I would love to. It''s a chance to hear about the clash of two cultures. Only by understanding problems can solutions be found. Just in this short conversation, I have found a solution to two problems. I would like to purchase twenty barrels of salted eel when it becomes available. My Hollow will send a caravan to move the barrels back to the Hollow. We will bring pickled mushrooms, puffcake flour, and our best Cheese to sell and trade here in the city."


    That statement was met with smiles. Ignatius shrugged. If their visitor found the grumblings of his congregation interesting, they could certainly give him an earful. "Well, then. Perhaps Alessandra could start and tell the tale of how her lost laundry has become a lair of drunken dwarves who gamble and drink at all hours of the day."


    Wine glasses were refilled and Alessandra was brought from the kitchens. Slowly, over the next two hours, Milo got a much better idea of what had happened in the town as he sat and nibbled on a seemingly endless supply of food.


    The guards at the door saw him coming and rolled their eyes. They had seen other ratkin customers in the casino on a regular basis, usually on ''payday,'' but this fellow was amusing. Rather than a gang costume, he''d dressed like a wizard.


    "Very good of you, sir. This does make me happy. Good luck gaming. I''m here all night if you need to cash in more bars."


    "Thank you. Very convenient. Now, take me to a table where I can learn this ''21'' game."


    Sassy escorted him to a large table where a dealer and seven people were playing cards. Sassy pointed him to an open seat and waved to the dealer. "Hiya, Dilly. The Professor here is just learning the game." Tallsqueak sat down in the last seat, and neatly stacked his chips in front of him.


    Dilly explained the rules. "I''ll give you two cards, and you can ask for more. You want to get as close to 21 as you can, but if you go over, you lose. I go last, and when you beat me, you win as much as you bet! Got it? Don''t worry, Sassy will help you out with a few hands."


    On the first hand, the Professor got a King and an eight. Sassy advised him to hold. Dilly only had 17 and he smiled when his one chip turned to two. "Oh, this game seems easy. I like it. I''m winning already!"


    "You sure are Professor! You''re a natural."


    The next hand didn''t go well. The cards were a 2 and a 6. "That''s a low number Prof, you want to say ''Hit Me'' when Dilly comes to your turn. That gives you another card. You can keep going, but be careful you don''t go over." Tallsqueak enthusiastically took another card, a 5, then said "Hit me again, please." Getting a King and going over.


    "Oh, I see this game has some strategy to it. But I lost my winnings. I see that mathematically I should now double my bet to regain the last chips?"


    Dilly clapped. "You''re catching on quickly. That''s the way to do it."


    Sassy and Dilly watched as the Ratkin played wildly, taking too many cards and breaking often. He began to bet heavily. As his chips went down, he pulled another bar of gold from his sleeve and handed it to Sassy. "Would you be so kind as to bring me more chips? Thank you." The other gamblers laughed and rolled their eyes, the ratkin seemed not to notice, enjoying his plate of snacks from the buffet.


    Sassy arrived back at the table quickly with reinforcements, mainly higher-value chips. The Professor thanked her, and bet 100 gold this time. Looking at his cards, he turned over two jacks. "I have noticed that the other gentlemen like to split their doubles. I will do that. He pushed 100 more gold out to cover the second hand and got two more cards. Sassy saw that the first hand was a jack and a six. She groaned as the Professor said, "Hit me." and got a five.


    The second hand was a jack and an ace. "How fortuitous. I believe that pays time and a half, as the saying goes."


    Dilly had a King and a five, and drew a ten, breaking. She gave the Professor 250 gold. "You''re doing great Professor, Sassy may be giving you too many secrets, but it''s all fun, right?"


    This is fun. "I will bet all 500. It is tedious to restack the chips." This time, Sassy saw the professor draw two fours. "How lucky, I will split these." Dilly was showing a king, and Sassy started to explain the problem with splitting fours, but a look from the dealer silenced her. Tallsqueak pushed forward another 500 gold chips, nearly all he had.


    He got a second card and flipped it over, revealing a 3. "Hit me." A ten. "And again, please." A four appeared, totaling 21. He nodded to Dilly and turned to Sassy. "You were right, this is easy." On his second hand, he drew a seven and then a king, another 21. Dilly totalled 20. Everyone lost except the ratkin in the end spot who won a thousand gold.


    "Sassy? Could you ask if we can exchange some of our small chips for more 50 and 100 gold piece chips? It''s so much easier when you have a lot. And I feel lucky tonight." He pushed them all forward, betting 2000. Sassy returned with the pit boss to find the Professor had won two more hands. Twenty minutes later, after the Professor had won many times and lost very few, Dilly ran out of chips and the Professor had over ten thousand in chips in front of him.


    "I think I''ve figured out this 21 game, Sassy. Perhaps we should move on. Nice to meet you, Dilly. I may return when you have more chips I can win. One of these gentlemen mentioned something called poker and a high-roller''s table, let''s try that next."

 Chapter 337: Troublemaker

    Chapter 337: Troublemaker


    After the Battle of the Eels, as the events of the day were being called, the seas were quiet and the town seething with excitement and chaos. The fishing fleet moored at their docks and unloaded their catch, followed by Captain Pike''s ship arriving with his latest catch, towing a large eel behind the boat. Boat Crusher, a level 22 Elite Eel had made the poor decision to attack the Captain''s boat. Pike had been delighted at the turn of events. Usually, he had to hunt the monsters, having them come to him was a treat, as was the prospect of a full belly for the next week. While the Ogre sat guarding the docks and grilling eel steaks, some of his crew scoured the town inquiring about a missing sailor who''d gone overboard. No one had seen or heard from Milo after that attack, but one pirate made drunken claims about seeing a man running across the waves ahead of the eel invasion. No one took him seriously, but the news was relayed to Pike''s ears. "Well, if he walks back, he walks back. Hell of a guy to go fishing with, that''s for sure. He''s great bait."


    The remaining scavenger ships were busy clearing the large wreckage from the bay, salvaging metal and equipment, and tossing the rest back. Roving gangs of female dwarves looked for anything valuable in the surf, finding parts of machinery, broken diving suits, torn sails, and sunken cannons. The piles of flotsam and jetsam were sold cheaply for rum money to the dozen pawnshops that operated in the dock area. Mates from the remaining ships were buying up the usable pieces and leaving the piles of junk that would eventually be broken down further and recast into usable parts.


    Squint organized the townsfolk, and with the help of the gangs he commanded, swept the area clean of usable wood while the pirates were licking their wounds, telling lies, and drinking after the battle. There were a few arguments and a few deaths before things got settled. Usable wood that washed ashore each day was hauled away by the townsfolk. There was never enough wood in the city to build businesses and houses. Between eels and cannonballs, most of the pirate ships had been reduced to small wreckage or sunk into the bay.


    Captain Mako showed up with the rest of the Shark Clan, yelling at anyone and everyone, demanding to know what had happened to her ship. The front third of the Silver Shark was in shallow water and the Sharks towed it to land with lines, pulleys, and muscle power, leaving the wreckage mostly in the surf. Half of the crew had made it to land and survived, an unusually high percentage considering the amount of firepower raining down on the ship and hungry eels looking to kill anything with two legs. A guard was put on the wreckage and the rest of the Sharks retreated to the casino they had built in what had formerly been a laundry and bath house. The sharks purchased any diving suit available and began searching the shallow parts of the bay for the remaining wreckage of their ship. Other scavengers were told to stay out of the area, on threat of death. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn''t. The Sharks took casualties and most of their diving suits were destroyed.


    Mako wasn''t happy with what they were finding. Neither were her crew when they had to report to her. "Not finding the back end, Captain. She was always heavy in the back, balanced by the ballast we carried up front. If she broke up, the back could have been thrown deeper and gone off the ledge into deep water. We have an idea where that part went over, but no suits to get down that far, and we''d need a crane to bring her up."


    Mako had ground her teeth at that last sentence. Only the Orca had the cranes and power to bring something up from the deep. They also had deep-sea suits that could search for the missing third of the Silver Shark. She retreated to the Casino and sent out a messenger to the Orca.


    Business was booming tonight. The quick and the lucky who braved the murky waters of the bay had found a rich harvest from the ruined ships sitting on the bottom. Everyone knew that a ship sent to the bottom belonged to whoever could salvage it first. Granted, former owners might protest, sometimes with the barrel of a pistol or cannon, so getting in quickly and grabbing the goods before sailing away was a preferred tactic.


    The Great Clans who still had intact ships had their pick of the crews marooned in the city. The Orca, Barracuda, Hammerhead, and Stingray clans took on the skilled sailors they needed and then told the rest to piss off. They also kept their deck guns loaded with grapeshot and a triple watch for the next few weeks. Strong drink and the lack of a ship had led to trouble before when a mob of stubborn dwarven women would decide they could take a ship by force.


    Two dozen pirates turned their back on the sea and spent their remaining money on sturdy picks and guild fees. The Miner''s Guild was always happy to take on new members. There was a need for metal in the town, and the miners needed to dig it out of the rock. The pirates with the least skills or the most love for the high seas banded together elected a new captain, and constructed crude boats and rafts from the wreckage, heading to other ports.


    A half dozen of the best scavengers and gunners found they didn''t have to pay for their drinks in town. Hard women wearing the tattoo of the Whale Clan would invite them to drink a few flagons with them, and even though the Whales were also without a ship, all those women approached signed up when a position in Captain Whale''s crew was offered. Confirmation of the rumor that the Whales were working with an Engineering clan was all that it took. It was the rumors of the rebuilding Leviathan and the loot from the Iron Queen that had drawn them to Shadowport in the first place.


    Captain Annie received an invitation to dine with Captain Mako at the Casino. She accepted and showed up in all of her finery, pondering why Mako was suddenly getting polite. The leader of the Shark Clan seemed determined to have a quiet meal, eating at a table that overlooked the gaming and card tables below. Annie brought up the battle twice, seeing Mako flinch slightly each time. Mako immediately turned the conversation back to the surprising theme of the Great Clans working together toward a common goal.


    "Sure, sure. My clan doesn''t mind hosting. Just part of co-operating with each other more. Speaking of which, I''m wondering if you and your ship might be willing to help with a small project?"


    "Oh, something like salvaging the parts of your ship that you can''t find? Is something valuable in that missing lower half? Your control circuits for the boilers? A map to a lost island full of treasure? Or maybe a heavy chest of gold and gems?"


    Mako ground her teeth, a habit Annie had seen before when the other captain was frustrated. "Doesn''t matter. I''ll pay standard salvage rates in cash up front, and 10% of found coin, treasure, and bar stock. but I want to start within two days, tomorrow preferably. It doesn''t help either of us if some other heavy salvage ship shows up, and you know word will get out with all the wrecks at the bottom of this bay and the eel population cut down. I''m giving you a chance to make some easy coin here, Annie, and cement our working relationship going forward."


    Annie smiled, she''d found out Mako''s real reason behind tonight''s dinner. Now it was just down to haggling over the price of her help. 10% was chump change and she''d get 25% out of Mako or she was a guppy. But before either could talk again, applause broke out from the gaming floor. Dozens of people were sitting around one of the poker tables watching a game. One person stood, looking disgusted, and stalked off to the bar while the other raked in the sizable pot. Looking at the piles of chips in front of him made Mako nervous. A lot of those golden chips were 10s and 25s. She watched as the pile''s owner neatly stacked them with shiny, alabaster claws. She saw the pit boss glance at the girl running the table and then up at Mako. They had a troublemaker.


    "Sit and drink, Annie, I have to help out on the floor. A casino is like a ship, sometimes only the Captain can sort things out." Annie nodded, this would be entertaining at least, and the booze was free.


    Mako made her way down the stairs to the floor and pushed through the crowd. Her dealer was tossing out the cards for another round. Besides the dealer, six people were playing cards at the high-stakes table. Two were Sharks, dressed like crew from other ships, there to help the house fleece the sheep. A third Shark was playing for the house, wearing her oversized tophat and monocle, along with three legitimate players. Two of those were Captain Goldtooth, now a captain without a ship, and Mary the Mussel, second mate of the Barracuda. But it was the last player who had scored big to a round of applause.


    It was a ratkin, but one like Mako had never seen before. The rats that came to the Casino were lower-level thugs running with the gangs, or bumpkin miners from one of the hollows. They came for the free cheese and left their money at the tables. This one was smartly dressed in formal black pants, a white shirt, thin black suspenders, and a snappy silver bow tie. His sleek fur was brushed to a high shine and his small perfect claws looked like old ivory. Behind him stood a valet, supplied by the casino, who held his staff and long ivory robe. His inquisitive eyes were hidden behind old-fashioned, tinted spectacles making his expression hard to read.


    Mako greeted the table with a smile. "Welcome to my Casino. So happy you all could come out tonight." That brought smiles from most and a grumble from Mary the Mussel, who only had a short stack of chips left in front of her.


    The ratkin smiled broadly. "Thank you. The feelings of happiness are reciprocated. I am Professor Tallsqueak from The Tower of Strife. This is a fine Casino with entertaining games of chance. It has been great fun learning these new games. Generally, learning new things in life is a costly affair, but I am happy to say that tonight has been profitable. Very profitable."


    By the pile of chips in front of him, Mako was sure the Professor wasn''t leaving much of his entertainment to chance. This one bore watching. That was too much money to be allowed to walk out of her Casino.

 Chapter 339: No one gets to Win.

    Milo had figured out the main problem with the casino: No one was supposed to win.


    All the games of chance offered in the casino were slightly in favor of the house. Mathematically, ''slightly in favor'' meant that eventually, the house won. The longer you played the games, the more chances the house had to win, and the free drinks, food, and enjoyable atmosphere were the traps to keep you playing.


    This was why Sassy had been so very attentive to his needs, offering to bring him drinks, food from the feeding troughs, and even real cheese from the kitchen. (The free cheese had turned out to be a type of myconic sludge similar to what Harry made, mixed with fermented bean curds and a sprinkling of grated cheese on top for flavor.) He''d taken one sniff of it, and passed on eating any, but saw three ratkin sitting in a corner enjoying large bowls. Truly these welps needed a good Cheese Master to teach them about quality cheese.


    But that was their problem, he had enough of his own to deal with.


    The only food that he asked Sassy for was water and dry crackers. She helpfully brought a small tray and held it for him while he gamed. He was beginning to get odd looks from some of the casino staff and his Danger Sense was tingling as some of the bouncers walked by. Someone wasn''t happy that he was winning so much. He endured their glares, and even waved at a woman called ''the pit boss''. She didn''t wave back.


    His ''Lucky Streak'' was because of two reasons. The first was the nature of the games. A half-hour studying such games online had given him not only the rules and basic strategy but also the theory behind why, in general, casinos came out ahead. But while the average player walked in with money, and out with empty pockets, some gamblers consistently won at similar games in the real world. Their strategies were varied but most involved ''counting cards'' and reading the emotions and body language of their opponents. Counting cards Milo could learn to do easily. His memory was perfect and he could calculate the odds of any hand and the correct way to play.


    Reading the other players was more difficult. He understood the concept but had always been bad at dealing with other people. Mostly because he liked to avoid talking to other people. It helped that most of the other players were dwarves. He had experience with dwarves more than he had with humans. He wasn''t having much luck reading his opponents though, so he concentrated on winning by counting cards and using his goggles. He had to split his mind into two parts. One part counted cards, ignoring input from his goggles. It was hard to learn card counting if you knew what all the cards were. That was the main reason no one left the casino with their winnings: The cards were marked and every Shark with a certain type of monocle knew what was in your hand. And his new goggles were far better than the monocles, as he''d discovered during his earlier scouting trip.


    To learn card counting, he turned off his goggles and observed all of the tables from his perch in the rafters, simultaneously. After an hour of keeping track of eight tables simultaneously, he was certain he had learned the ins and outs of playing 21, or Blackjack, as some of the dwarves called it. The System seemed to agree with him.You have gained the skill: Gambling (INT) at Rank 0.


    Most of the tables played a variation called Five-Card-Draw. It was ideal for what Milo wanted, with lots of chances to raise the stakes of the game, and enough variation to keep him interested. Being able to see the cards let him quickly realize that not one, but three players represented the casino. They worked together with subtle hand signs or shifts of their drinking glasses to indicate which would fold, and which one would win the hand, with the Shark with the Monocle giving information to the other two. This would normally have put Milo and the other players at a huge disadvantage, playing against three opponents, one of whom could see their cards. Milo began sweeping up his cards from the table with a flip of his claws, and then hiding them with his hands. It wasn''t perfect, but it kept the Shark from seeing most of his cards.


    Play had continued, with Captain Goldtooth and the mate losing steadily, while Milo won steadily against the Sharks, and sometimes folded to help the other two players who were unaware of the manipulation going on around them. Eventually, he decided it was time to leave, a decision confirmed when the owner of the casino began trying to get him to stay. The movements of people beginning to surround him didn''t go unnoticed. He''d been given some not-too-subtle hints of their disapproval. He scanned for an escape route while eyeing the main support pillars of the building and mentally building his spells.


    To his surprise, he found he might have misread the situation, as instead of a physical altercation, he was invited to play with the other Captains. That would at least give him a chance to consolidate his chips into higher-value ones, more easily scooped up when he had to flee. The thought of tasting a new flavor of cheese was the deciding factor.


    His plan to play carefully and enjoy his cheese ran into a new variable when the table and cards were brought out. The cards were beautiful works of art on so many levels. The pictures were pretty, but it was their construction that amazed him. Each one was an ultra-thin sheet of some material he wasn''t familiar with, hiding a massively complicated runic array beneath the surface. This went far beyond marking cards, into unknown territory. And if he wanted to know more about the cards, the only way was to play poker with several Scavenger Captains, his wits vs theirs.


    "That sounds enjoyable. Count me in."


    Note: I won''t even try to put a full explanation of Dragon Poker into my story. I''m crazy, but not that crazy. It is a unique invention from the crazed mind of Robert Asperin in his Myth Adventure novels. The main character won by putting down his hand and letting everyone argue over it. Special rules are affected by the color of your shirt, the facing of your chair, the last digit of the current year, the name of the king, the number of people in the game, etc etc. Over the years, fans have made up their own versions of Dragon Poker.


    https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/TabletopGame/HoylesRulesOfDragonPoke

 Chapter 338: Captains Game

    Mako watched the next two hands. Tallsqueak quietly folded in the first one, not drawing any cards. On the second hand, he played more aggressively right from the start, raising twice before taking two cards. The Captain of the Shark Clan watched the game, trying to see each player''s cards, it was difficult if you weren''t sitting right at the table across from someone. Tallsqueak had a 7, 9, and jack of clubs, and tossed his other two cards to the discard pile. Inwardly, Mako laughed. The ratkin knew the odds of pulling either a straight or a flush off that combo, but acted confidently, raising twice before taking cards. He was going for a longshot, and running a bluff at the same time. Two players dropped at that point. Two more dropped when Tallsqueak raised again. Only Captain Goldtooth was still in. Mako could see that she had two pairs, kings and queens. Tallsqueak had picked up his cards too quickly for Mako to see but she suspected that he must have filled his hand. When Goldtooth tried to call, Tallsqueak tossed in another stack of chips. The Scavenger Captain shook her head, "Not worth paying to see what you have. You''ve got me beat, anyway." She tossed her cards in the discard, as did Tallsqueak, who raked in the pot. Mako got a look at the backs of his cards: The 3 of diamonds, and the 2 of spades. The bastard had bluffed on a broken hand! That made her happy as a clam. It was hard to play against a conservative player. All of her strategies worked against opponents who didn''t mind a little risk. She was preparing to sit down at the game when the ratkin stood up and nodded at all of them.


    Tallsqueak smiled and nodded to them all. "Thank you for the wonderful game. I believe that will be all for me tonight." He turned to Sassy, "Could you please tell the polite lady with the gold that I will be exchanging my chips now? Full bars are preferable over coins. I''m sure a well-established casino such as this has plenty in stock." Sassy nervously looked at Mako. That was a lot of money leaving the casino. All the sharks knew the most important rule: Once you have their money, you never give it back.


    Mako took two steps toward the table, forgetting anything else, and trying to calculate how much Tallsqueak had in front of him. It was too much by any reckoning. That much would clean out the meager gold reserves they had left in the casino. They''d shifted most of their working capital to the Silver Shark just before the attack. Leaving gold in a casino was a sure way to attract Thieves and Tunnelers. She needed those funds to pay off Annie for the salvage run so she could recover the loot from the Silver Shark. And that meant not letting the Professor leave just yet. She needed to stall until she could get her people in position to distract Annie and Goldtooth as she hustled him downstairs for a talk.


    "Sad to see you go, Professor, but I imagine that the life of an academic doesn''t give you the stamina to stay up late at night. What is it that you teach, anyway?"


    The ratkin had donned his robe and recovered his staff. Sassy was slowly walking away after giving the excuse she needed to find some large baskets for his chips. Now he looked at Mako with a twinkle in his eyes. "I teach mathematics. A very dangerous branch of knowledge that is revolutionizing the casting of magic in the Tower of Strife. I won''t bore you with the details of my Stochastic Theories and Analysis of Variance tables. Suffice it to say that they aid me in casting my fourth-tier spells when I travel in the deep realms. The miner''s guild is very interested in my techniques for blasting tunnels through rock using Force Spells."


    Mako had heard a story about that. Drunken miners had talked about a new guildmember that brought down a whole cavern with one spell. There was a lot of risk involved when dealing with a mage with that kind of power. She signaled to her crew to abort the ''Grab'' maneuver and shifted tactics.


    "It''s a shame that you have to leave. I was just going to suggest we start up a Captain''s Game. We have the required three captains, a mate, and a Professor. Normally, it''s only Captains allowed, but I''m sure Captain Cuda won''t mind Mary playing in her stead, and we can name you an honor Captain for the day."


    "No need for that. I have Captained a Ship before, if only for a short voyage after I stole it."


    Tallsqueak paused his chip stacking and thought about the offer. He had planned to come back to the casino again and play more games. Cheating by reading cards was ok as far as the Sharks were concerned, so he thought it was fair if he cheated too. Money had a lot of uses and came in handy. He wanted to hire Captain Pike to guard the docks and boats of the fishermen when his current contract ran out. He had intended to go swimming tonight. He''d gained the skill during his run/swim away from the eels and wanted to remove his tombstone from where he died. But he''d never had Whiskey-Barrel Cheddar and it sounded delicious. Sampling a new cheese and playing some cards with the Captains sounded like fun.


    Mako stared at Whale. The two had never seen eye to eye. The Whales were to oldest Scavenger Clan and the Sharks the newest. She hadn''t appreciated Mako''s vision whenever the clans got together to meet. Mako had expected it would take weeks of sucking up to her to get Whale sitting at the same table, yet here she was. Makko held out her hand and was surprised when Whale accepted and shook it, Mako wincing yet continuing to smile. Two broken fingers were acceptable for everyone seeing Whale treat her as an equal. Behind Whale came some of her crew, including her daughter, Narwhale, showing off her new Engineer-Husband. More Engineers poured into the casino, buying up the available alcohol and taking up the seating.


    Mako yelled out, "Another chair for Captain Whale, and break out a cask of whiskey for our esteemed guests from the Deep Rock Guild."


    She''d just started to sit down when there was another commotion at the front door. The remaining low-rollers were getting out of the way, fast, as two enormous cats padded into the room, clearing a route to the table with glares and swipes of their claws. A tall human with crazed eyes, an enormous hat, and far too many knives glided behind the two murder kitties.


    "Make that two chairs please, and bowls of cream for my kitties. I was so happy when they told me that I counted as a Captain, despite my airship having a few dents in it."


    Whale laughed, "Tonight is ''ship optional'', right Mako? As long as you''ve got the title, you have a spot at the table. Now let''s play some cards and move some fortunes around the table.


    Whiskey Barrel Aged Cheddar.


    I was delighted to find many varieties of Cheddar and Feta that were aged in whiskey barrels, smoked over a fire of old whiskey barrels, or used the charr from the inside of a barrel in the cheese recipe.


    This cheese is made from pasteurized milk, cultures, salt, calcium chloride, rennet, and whiskey char. The cheese comes from a local distillery that uses charred barrels to age their whiskey, and then uses those barrels to make the cheese. The result is a marbled cheddar with an earthy, smoky flavor.

 Chapter 340: Four Shades of Grey

    Chapter 340: Four Shades of Grey


    Professor Tallsqueak appeared calm and happy as he sat at the Captain''s table. The well-dressed ratkin was casually paying attention to the game and playing very calmly. He mostly seemed interested in spreading the correct amount of cheese on his cracker, striving for a thin and even layer that maximized taste while minimizing the amount on the cracker.


    Inside Milo''s brain, there was a buzz of activity. He had thought he had a handle on the situation as he worked to transfer as much of the Shark''s wealth to himself using the not-so-random games in the Casino while playing by ''Shark Rules''. The arrival of Captain Whale and Captain Squint added new variables and outcomes that he was striving to understand. He had his overmind split into three separate units and all of them were spinning at high speed, aided by the minute bits of Whiskey Barrel Cheddar he was imbibing. This was truly a cheese worth eating, and he was having to exercise control over his longing to ask for a large slice from the huge wheel sitting at the ''Captains Only Buffet.'' He cut only a small slice, along with various crackers and other traditional dwarven delicacies such as stale bread with salt, and honey-roasted nuts.


    Whale had brought along a dozen of her crew and a few of the Deep Rock Engineers. He saw Boomboom and Narwhale at a craps table, while Two-Screws and four of Leviathan''s crew were laughing and drinking at a Blackjack table. A nervous pit boss stood nearby. In fact, lots more Sharks were on the casino floor now, all looking nervous. These weren''t the easily handled and nearly broke patrons they were used to dealing with. Whale''s crew was rich by Scavenger standards even before they looted the Queen. They placed large bets and knew their way around a card table. The Sharks had to be very careful with their cheating, and that evened the odds.


    The Engineers were far worse. Every single one of them could count cards and figure the odds of every hand. They were immune to the alcohol the Sharks thrust upon them, used to much more potent vintages. With the wealth of the lower caverns, each one had pulled out gold bars and slapped them down with a casual negligence that unnerved the Sharks and filled them with greed. The stakes tonight were high and everyone could feel the tension in the air.


    Everyone, that is, except Captain Squint. He sat at the table between Mako and Whale, telling stories to no one in particular, eating snacks, and annoying Mako by first stacking his chips and then ''accidentally'' knocking them over. The leader of the Kulags had brought half his gang with him, and several of them had carried large bags of copper and silver coins. Squint poured them out until they made a large pile overflowing the table. "Funny story, I forgot I had these down in the basement until my kittens reminded me about the time I looted one of the Deep Dungeons in the Forgotten City of Tentacle Monsters. Weird place. Every nightmare I have about that place is different and I mostly forget I was there when I''m awake."


    Milo was sitting quietly, observing the other players in the game, and playing conservatively. Knowing how the Sharks cheated at the other tables, he was sure they would have a method to change the odds at their special table. The stakes would be high, and Mako''s reputation would be on the line. But he hadn''t figured the method out yet.


    Again and again, he examined the cards. They were beautiful works of art on the front, each one depicting a dwarven Scavenger, or in the case of the Kings and Jacks, Engineers. While it was close to a standard deck of cards, there was a familiar theme to the names of the cards and their artwork. Tens were called Mates and depicted as heavily muscled and dangerous-looking scavengers. Nines were Gunners, and the Eights were Loaders. ''Crew cards'' showed the appropriate number of crew members, from 2 to 7. The Jacks were young, apprentice Engineers with a short beard, round cheeks, and knowing smirks. Queens were called Captains and outranked the Engineers that represented the Kings. Aces were still called aces, but the illustrations were huge cannons.


    The backs of the cards showed a three-masted wooden sailing ship with full sails. The detail was incredible, down to the last line and sail, all done in shades of white, black, and grey. Milo had examined the card backs for the runes used in the other decks of cards but saw nothing. For some time, he theorized that perhaps the game wasn''t rigged and Makko simply relied on her skill at cards. He wondered about sleight of hand tricks, but from what Pike had told him, Scavenger Captains were known for high perception and skills that helped them in finding treasure, and avoiding knives in their backs. It seemed unlikely that Makko or the Shark dealing cards would try to cheat someone like Whale or Annie. Milo made small bets, folded often and took a small pot or two, but mostly he listened and looked for clues of what Mako was up to. He wasn''t going to bet heavily in a game where the Sharks were in control. And it was interesting to listen to the other players.


    "Damn, my cards are as busted as your ship, Mako!" Whale looked disgusted at the three cards she''d drawn, but tossed gold into the pot anyway.


    Mako tensed at the jibe, then relaxed by force of will. "I wasn''t the first Captain to lose a ship in this town. I don''t see Leviathan floating in the bay, either."


    "Oh, I didn''t ''lose'' my ship, we found all the parts pretty quick after we blew her up. How''s the treasure hunt going for pieces of the Silver Shark? You don''t seem to have more than half of it in that pile of wreckage. You should have beached her first like I did. So much easier to find everything afterward. Lord knows the damned spanner boys complain every time they can''t find a part and have to make a new one."


    Mako turned over a full house as well, with Captains and Aces, sweeping in the pot to Whale''s dismay.


    "Well, maybe after I take all your money, you''ll feel different about selling me some new boilers. Sassy, run get another tray of chips for Captain Whale. She needs a refill."


    Milo had seen the backs of two of Mako''s cards change. He wasn''t sure what, and for the next minute, he replayed the scene in his mind, trying to see exactly what had happened. No runes had been used, it hadn''t been a spell, and her hands hadn''t been anywhere near the cards. After many reviews, he could see that the water directly behind the rudder was a shade darker than before. As new cards were dealt, he could see four areas where the shade of grey was slightly different. Examining his own cards gave him the clues to see what suit each card was by looking at the shading on the water. Without his goggles and Dark Vision, he wouldn''t have been able to see the difference.


    There was a sudden disturbance from the other end of the floor. Sharks and Engineers were converging on the Blackjack table where Two-Screws was playing cards. His loud voice could be heard above the hubbub. "No, I won''t be reasonable. You think I came up here to be reasonable about things? I came to play cards. Not my fault you ran out of chips!"


    Each of the Engineers at the tables had a large pile in front of them, larger than when Milo had last checked. Two-Screws'' pile was overflowing the table, and the dealer had nothing in front of her. Two nervous Pit Bosses were standing by the table, trying in vain to outshout the Engineer. Makko cursed under her breath and then yelled down.


    "What the hell is the problem?"


    Two-Screws looked up at her and grinned, "I came to gamble and drink! It''s what I thought you do here. But now that your tables are running out of chips, they want to limit our betting to one chip a hand. How in hell am I going to get rid of this pile at only one chip a hand? It will take days and you''ll run out of booze!"


    The Engineers applauded his logic and his harem of scavengers offered to help him spend his coins. Mako looked around. The Engineers had come in sober with a lot of gold on them, and a few had gotten lucky and built up some large piles in front of them. This one almost seemed apologetic about winning, and his point about booze was the answer she was looking for. More drinks down his throat would make it easier to put all those chips where they belonged. Strong drinks, and lots of them. Her whiskey bill was going to be huge this week, but it would be worth it.


    "Spoken like a man that knows how to have some fun. Bring out a new barrel of whiskey for that table, and no limits on bets. Beluga, head to my office where we have the extra chips for big nights, we''re going to need them to keep our customers happy."


    Milo looked across the room at Two-Screws, happily increasing his bets. Mako had one hand on the table, so tightly that the tips of her fingers were turning white. The Shark boss was on edge, and he suspected it might be time to play a bit more aggressively. "Sassy? Would you be so kind as to bring me a cup of coffee? Black and strong, please. And more of these sesame seed crackers. I believe I will have another slice of cheese."


    Captain Squint grinned, "I''ll have some cheese too, things are about to get interesting."

 Chapter 341: A Landslide of Luck

    It took Milo nearly an hour to figure out how to read the back of the cards used for the Captains'' game. The secret was complex and hidden in how the lines to the masts and the sails overlapped with each other. There were minor differences on some cards and he began cataloguing all of them and making a list of what variations went with each card. The task became more difficult when he found false clues in the mix, enough that someone with less computing power in their brain might not be able to discern the patterns. There were dozens of them and only by looking at the backs of every card he could see and matching it to the other side could he add it to his growing database. It was exhausting, but he had the fuel he needed.


    The coffee Sassy brought was what he''d asked for, Strong and black. It was also horrible compared to the coffee he''d had in Sedgewick. But the taste was secondary to the brain boost it gave him. Between that and the excellent cheese the Sharks had provided his brain was buzzing and he kept his overmind divided into four parts as he analyzed the patterns on the cards. Once he was done, relaxed with half his brain watching card patterns and looking for errors in his database while the other hand got down to the serious job of playing poker with the intimidating people at the table. He evaluated each.


    Mako was a superb card player, skilled in the game and reading her opponents. She obviously knew Whale, Annie, Goldtooth, and Cuda well and had played cards or observed them before. Her attention was on the four of them as they bet aggressively, tossed piles of gold in the pot, and drank heavily. She seemed to have lost interest in him as he quit betting and analyzed her cards.


    Squint bothered Mako. Milo was sure that it was because, like everyone else, she couldn''t figure him out. His play style was erratic and he barely looked at his cards, but somehow was slightly up. It helped that Cuda and Goldtooth were losing money hand over fist and the profits spread around the table. He spent most of his time eating snacks and asking advice from his cats who ignored him.


    Captains Cuda and Goldtooth were out of their league. No matter how good they were with their own decks under them, this was as much Makko''s home turf as her ship had been. They were here for the food, the fun, and waiting for a fight to break out. Captain Annie was watching the interplay between Whale and Mako, sensing the unresolved conflict between them. She did her best to throw insults and both of them and stoke the flames higher as the game went on.


    Makko was in control of the current hand, with Whale and Annie having dropped, and Squint at the buffet filling his plate again. She raised the stakes, the other two called, and then, instead of dropping out as he had been, Professor Tallsqueak tossed coins to the pot, declaring, "I see your raise, and raise another 500 gold." Goldtood and Cuda dropped immediately, not even waiting to see what Makko did.


    Mako had seen that Cuda and Goldtooth had nothing more than a pair of eights and an Ace high busted straight. She came out aggressive and expected to make them fold with an aggressive raise. That had come from the ratkin instead. It was difficult for her to watch all the cards on the table, taking incredible concentration. She hadn''t even glanced at the Professor''s cards, and now he held them close, making it impossible. At the same time, she didn''t need to see them. She had two fours, an eight, a seven, and a nine. That would do.


    "I call."


    Tallsqueak laid down his hand with three twos. Mako flipped over a nine-high straight and pulled in the pot. The ratkin nodded to her politely and smiled. "Well played, Captain." He reached for another bit of cheese and his were wild.


    Mako smiled inwardly. He was getting high on her expensive imported cheese. Maybe she''d get his gold after all. She made a sign to, Abigail, her dealer. ''Time to fatten the Pig.'' Thereafter, as Professor Tallsqueak began to play more and more aggressively, Mako backed out of most hands. The ratkin had a streak of luck that let him rack in half the pots. Squint also did well, and the piles of gold shifted from one side of the table to the other.


    Captain Goldtooth was eventually cleared out. She shook her head but wasn''t angry, that was how her luck usually went. Captain Cuda was next, stone-faced and suspicious, but not complaining. Both Captains pushed back their chairs and sipped their whiskey, enjoying a ringside seat at the game.


    =====


    The dealer, Abigail, was wishing she hadn''t gone drinking the night before and spent the wee hours of the morning with a drunken miner half her age. She''d bragged about her stamina to the other girls at the Casino, but as the game wore on, she felt the fatigue mount up. There was a lot at stake here, even if Mako was acting like it was just another day of shaking down the customers for their pocket change. From her high vantage point standing at the head of the table, she could see down on the casino floor. At eight out of ten tables Engineers were sitting with stacks of chips in front of them. Large stacks. And that was worrying. At most, two of those Engineers should be winning and happy, and not by so much. Looking at the tables where ships were exchanged for regular coins, she saw more worried faces.


    Not her problem, but if they took a break, she''d give Mako an earful after she got a shot or two into her. That was one of the problems with dealing, she couldn''t drink, and it had been a while since she''d had anything. Like any dealer, stress was handled with alcohol, and double for her. The damned cards were hard as hell to manipulate, and she had to keep perfect track of everyone she sent sailing across the table. She was tired and it was becoming a strain, but if she missed a switch Mako called for one, she''d be sporting bruises by the end of the night. Bruises the size of Beluga''s fists. Mako needed her, but that didn''t mean she got a pass if she screwed up.


    Once again, the ratkin Professor raked in a pot composed mostly of Whale and Annie''s money. The two captains had bet heavily, one having a flush and the other a straight, courtesy of a few well-timed card switches. Tallsqueak had barely looked at his cards, too busy spreading cheese and bending to slide a plate of sardines to Squint''s cats. He should have had two pairs, but with a little concentration, she''d managed to swap a mate for a cannon and give him a full house.


    She saw the sign from Makko. Time to ''Slaughter the Hogs.'' This is where all the years of practice under old Granny Sharptooth. It was Granny that had made the table and cards three hundred years back, with the help of a renegade Engineer named Black Eddy. She''d been impressed with his handsome wanted poster and after slipping a mickey in his drink had dragged him aboard her ship and married him before he woke up. Grandpa Eddy had taken to his fate well and set about upgrading the original Silver Shark with stolen magi-tech he pulled from hidden storage areas only he could access.


    Before Annie could answer, there was more shouting from the floor. A dozen Engineers had stood up and redeemed their chips, but three more were shouting at the Sharks responsible for the exchange.


    Two-Screws was pounding on the table, with Boom-Boom and Pillbug flanking him. Annie was immediately suspicious when she saw Stumpy standing close to Pillbug.


    "It was fine when you took our gold and gave us those little wooden discs. What''s the problem when we want to cash out?!! What sort of scam are you Sharks running, anyway?"


    Mako wanted to slam her head on the table. Why now. "Just hold your horses, all of you. Everyone gets paid! Captain''s Honor! Let me finish this hand and I''ll personally make everyone good!!" That seemed to calm people down.


    Annie smirked, "Not with this gold, you won''t. It''s coming home with me." She turned over her hand, but didn''t see the gnashing of teeth she''d expected. "Flush. All natural, just like my golden curls."


    Whale patted her shoulder, "Sorry, Annie. You know how it goes. Luck comes in a landslide, you got some, but so did I." She turned over a full house of 4s and 5s.


    Captain Cuda laid down a better full house, 7s, and 3s. She grinned at Whale. "Landslides, right? BIG Landslides."


    "Indeed, it seems a shame that all the good hands come at the same time. They seem snobbish that way." Squint turned over three 8s and two 6s. "How was your luck, Professor?" Annie''s mouth was hanging open like a flounder going for the hook, Cuda was staring at the cards, and Whale was eyeing Mako with displeasure and suspicion.


    Professor Tallsqueak squinted at each hand and then shrugged. "I will have to write up this game and present the paper at the next meeting of the Society for Mathematical Studies. It is indeed an amazing night. Unfortunately, I couldn''t put together a full house, but I do have five diamonds that are all in a row."


    As the astonished captains looked on, Tallsqueak turned over a 9,10, J, K, Q, of diamonds. "Straight Flush ladies. Come visit me in my new mansion in the Hollow I''ll buy with this pot."


    Mako looked at the cards. "My, Professor, those really are pretty cards. Just not quite as pretty as mine. Straight Flush of spades, Ace high." She flipped over her cards and reached for the pot.


    Captain Whale brought down her tankard on her hand, and bones broke. "Not so damned fast Mako! What are you trying to pull?"


    "I won, fair and square, with all of you watching! Do you want to start a war, Whale? Because this is you start a war. What do you mean by doing this?!"


    Whale pointed at the cards Mako had flipped over. "I''m saying that your ''Straight Flush'' is a little odd. Four spades and a Captain of Clubs doesn''t count for shit, Mako!"


    Mako and everyone else looked as Whale spread the cards out with a dagger, clearly showing the busted hand. "My crew and I will be taking you up on your offer, Professor. Best lay in the whiskey."

 Chapter 342: Captains Honor

    Chapter 342: Captain''s Honor


    Mako stared at the off-suit queen and felt like she''d taken a cannonball in the gut. Her dealer, Abigail, was white and sweating. Whale''s mocking laughter hurt far worse than her twice-busted hand. From the floor of the casino came heated shouting from irate Engineers and Scavengers wanting to cash in their chips. The Sharks tried to pacify them until people higher in command could produce the gold, vainly trying to outshout the people who took up the chanting, pounding their mugs in time. All it would take was a small spark and they''d have a riot on their hands. Amidst all of this, two Sharks were vainly trying to hand out coupons for the buffet and promising half-priced drinks on next Wednesday.


    Captains Annie, Goldtooth, and Cuda were slamming together their mugs of rum, drinking and laughing. They hadn''t seen anything so funny in years, and they''d be retelling the story for decades. It was rare to be so close to another Captain''s downfall. They usually happened from clingfire and cannonballs during ship-to-ship fighting. Here, not a drop of blood had been spilled, and yet Mako had lost nearly everything, and on her own deck.


    Mako knew she didn''t have the gold on hand. All their hoard was in a water-tight hammer steel vault in the stern of the Silver Shark, sitting at the bottom of the ocean. They were overdrawn in the casino. The damned Engineers with their slide-rule minds had managed to win more than they lost, and she''d thrown tens of thousands of gold into the Captain''s game, always expecting to win it back. But now it sat in front of the little ratkin who was smiling at her and sipping his coffee. It shouldn''t have been possible, not on this table. She glared at Abigail who was pale and shaking, both from fear and her need for alcohol.


    The Professor sat down his coffee cup, preparing to leave, "A very enjoyable night, Captain Mako. Thank you so much for inviting me to your table. But I believe that I will be cashing in my chips now. While the luck was strange tonight, I am reminded of Rule 231: When the System showers you with wealth, it is only karma rewarding you for your good deeds. I will enjoy spreading this wealth around in my Hollow. I''ve always wanted a Hot Tub and Personal Chef."


    He turned to his terrified helper. "Sassy, be so good as to summon the dear lady who will exchange my chips for shiny gold bars. I''m sure that''s a prerogative of a captain, even an honorary one." He began separating his chips from the gold coins and small slabs that the other captains had thrown into the pot, carefully stacking the gold in 100-count stacks. Mako stared at the gold. A glimmer of a plan penetrated her mind.


    Whale looked down at where two Deep Rock Engineers were standing at the main door, and two more at the back door. All of them were holding weapons and wearing full sets of Magi-tech armor. She might give Sledgemonkey and his boys a hard time, but they knew how to read the room, and when to pull out the big guns. BoomBoom was juggling grenades to the applause of his wife and the rest of her crew. Two-Screws had a Pit Boss in each hand, shouting at them and knocking their heads together.


    Whale turned the big winner, "Good luck getting any gold out of this bunch, Professor. I think the well has run dry."


    Professor Tallsqueak looked at her quizzically, "Are you implying that this fine business exchanged gold for chips, but somehow does not have enough gold to now redeem their debts? That is a terrible state of affairs. Does this happen often when dealing with Scavenger Clans? Is this what was meant by ''Captain''s Honor''? I should probably warn my business partners." He sighed. "This is my fault, I failed to heed Rule 321: Never Gamble with someone who can''t pay their debts, including yourself."


    All of the Captains present, including Captain Squint, went silent for a moment at the implications. Whale turned to Mako, furious. "You need to make good on this! Do you have any idea of what could happen if the story got out that someone sat at a Captain''s table and was cheated in front of all of us? You''re spitting on our honor, not just yours!"


    Squint had a very long, sharp dagger in his hands and was cleaning his nails. "I am so upset when my honor is tarnished. I have so little of it left and need to keep it shiny." The lord of the Kulags had gone from jovial to serious, and the shadowy cats flanking him on either side of his chair were baring their fangs.


    "You said you have property? Docks and this building? You will wager them. If I win, I get ownership of the portions of the docks that you own, and this building with everything in it. I will also pay off your debt to those Engineers in exchange for their chips. I will refrain from cashing in my chips for three days and expect you to provide gold to cash me out. After that, I give your names to a clan of Shadowstalkers who like to play Surprise for keeps."


    Squint raised his hand excitedly, "I love that game! Can I play Surprise, too?"


    The Professor nodded to him. "And Captain Squint will also be playing."


    Mako nodded. "Let''s do it." Whale began shuffling cards and Mako went to a sea chest and pulled out the deeds to the building they were in and many portions of the docks. She tossed them on the table and looked pointedly at Abigail who nodded back.


    Captain Whale shuffled the cards, drawing out the affair, and adding to the tension at the table. She placed two cards on the table, Mako and Tallsqueak each picked one up, Mako choosing first. Mako didn''t try to read either card, she knew what they would be. Behind her, Abigail was sweating and gripping the table hard but nodded to her.


    Mako tossed down the Queen of Diamonds. "My favorite card."


    Tallsqueak tossed down his card, Mako felt the world fall out from beneath her.


    "As my friend Lemmi says, The pleasure is to play. Makes no difference what you say. I don''t share your greed. The only card I need. Is the Ace of Spades."


    He stared hard at the Leader of the Sharks, and she saw no mercy in his eyes, "Three days, Captain Mako."

 Chapter 343: Salvaging the Situation

    Mako had stared at the unflinching eyes of the ratkin that now owned her casino and her docks with unconcealed hatred. But as much as she wanted to pull a knife and dive across the table at him she knew that now wasn''t the time for revenge. Too many witnesses were watching and she was uncomfortably aware of Whale standing only a few feet away. Whale would see an attack as another sleight to her honor, and even if she could get to the cheating rat, Whale would kill her in the next breath. And Squint was coiled like a snake, ready to strike, hands on his knives. And another look at the ratkin''s eyes convinced her that he wouldn''t be an easy kill. He wasn''t afraid of her in the least, and totally focused on the moment.


    She blew out a breath and focused on her original reason for inviting the captain of the Iron Orca for dinner. "Annie, I need a parley on the Orca."


    Captain Annie nodded, knowing what was coming. "I suspect you do. Take off and take half your crew with you. Leave the younglings to serve drinks and keep the place from burning down. I''ll be along in a few minutes and meet you on the docks. We''ll see what we can work out."


    Mako gathered her crew and departed. The Sharks were bewildered and broken, not understanding how their fortunes had fallen so fast in only a few days. The tension in the casino diminished.


    The gang lord rose from his chair, sheathing his knives. "I''ll be leaving too. Lots of work to do in my city and I''m getting the rumbles in my tummy that can only be cured by a fish taco." Captain Squint tipped his hat to everyone there, saluted the Professor, and sauntered away with his cats on either side, threatening murder if anyone got too close. Outside, most of the Kulag gang was waiting around a bonfire, ready to charge the casino and happy to not have to. Squint dispersed them to different parts of the city on various missions of spying, guarding, and keeping the gangs of players focused on killing each other.


    Two-Screws, BoomBoom, and Pillbug walked up to the table, grinning from ear to ear. Stumpy was holding onto one of Pillbug''s arms, to the Junior Engineer''s embarrassment, but he wasn''t trying to get away. "We hear that this is the place to cash in our chips."


    The Professor nodded and smiled at them, "Indeed, it seems the Sharks are lacking in funds and I offered Captain Mako a deal that guaranteed all the hard-working Engineers would be able to exchange their chips for gold. Captain Mako is off to secure additional funding for her casino." He began taking their chips and pushing stacks of coins to them, leaving himself with only a small amount of coins and a huge pile of chips.


    BoomBoom smiled and his eyes danced. "Good. If they can open back up, then we can clean them out again. I like playing with ''Shark Rules,'' it made things so much easier. And now that we''re all a little richer, we''re off to breakfast. I''ve recently found out that Pillbug makes a mean plate of French toast, and there''s a kitchen in the back of this place. We''ll be around if things get interesting and violent."


    Pillbug smiled shyly and then led the way to the Kitchen. Annie stared after them. "Dammit, there''s a 50/50 chance I lose a damn fine first mate. Whale, keep an eye on poor, innocent Stumpy and make sure that sneaky Engineer doesn''t drag her below before I throw her an engagement party. I have to go do a bit of salvage work on behalf of our good friend, Captain Mako."


    Whale nodded, "Been there, done that, and looking forward to the grandkids. At least I know they''ll be crazy as hell with who she picked for the father."


    Annie gathered the remaining crew of the Iron Orca and headed to the docks for a meeting. Captain Cuda and Goldtooth did the same. The Sharks would be desperate and stupid tonight, and they wanted to make sure their ships didn''t suddenly leave port without them.


    Captain Whale was left at the table with the Professor who was bagging up his chips. She lit a cigar, poured another mug of rum, and sat back to observe the strange ratkin, recalling some of the stories her daughter had told her about her visits to Limburger Hollow, and the loose talk of the Deep Rock Engineers about one of their more recent recruits. She left her suspicions be, for now. Plenty of time to get the whole story when there were fewer ears around. There were a lot of gears all moving in the right direction tonight. She''d been itching for a night out on the town, and Annie''s message about a dinner at Mako''s casino had been as good an excuse as any. A group of Engineers and her crew had come along. The suspicious part was when Sledgemonkey paused for a moment, staring into space, and then laughed, followed by all the other engineers chuckling. If it was any other group of spanner boys she''d have ignored it. But this group was far more mature, more focused, and twice as crazy. How that was all connected with them cleaning out every blackjack and poker table in the place she wasn''t sure, but she was going to find out!


    She watched as all the chips were put into a gathering sack that disappeared into an ornate ring on the Professor''s hand. He didn''t hide the activity from her at all, making her more suspicious. Then, he took the deck of cards from the table, placed them in the special wooden case Abigail had taken them out of, and slipped them into his pocket.


    "I believe I''ll keep these as a souvenir of the night''s festivities." He tucked the property deeds into a pocket and stood up. "I need some fresh air after that, and a brisk walk to clear my head from the effects of coffee and cheese."


    "I could live with 30% of coin and ingots and 30% of the salvage value of the wreck."


    "Good, and I want a guarantee of 3000 gold, you can keep the wreck."


    "Done, there''s more than 10k in pocket change, just in what we packed down the day it sunk."


    The two captains spit on their hands and sealed the deal, their crews looking on. For the next four hours, the two crews worked to get the ship ready to find the remains of the Silver Shark and drag her ashore.


    Along with the water''s edge, many Scavengers had set up small shops made of planks from destroyed ships and were selling anything they found floating or in the shallow waters. Ship parts, decking, torn sails, splintered masts, and a surprising amount of alcohol could be found for sale. With more things being pulled from the surf each day, many Scavengers were shopping and haggling over the flotsam and jetsam. Crews with a competent carpenter or Woodwright hauled away parts of masts and decking. A sailmaker had set up shop, turning the torn canvas into working sails for the ambitious people rebuilding ships. And alcohol was always in demand.


    And, scrap metal always had its value. The mates and metal smiths from the Orca, Barracuda, and Goldfish were buying it by the ton to use in their steamships or to melt down into ammunition. Larger chunks of metal were also valuable for the gears and gubbins that might be recovered, but these pieces were heavy and often tumbled down the steep slope of the harbor, or went further and tumbled over the edge of the dropoff. Braver Scavengers used underwater gear to find these pieces and drag them out using small boats or long cables and muscle power. Good gear was a lifesaver when exploring deep, and expensive, but worth the cost.


    This might explain why the dented tank and cracked diving helmet connected with make-shift fittings were still for sale at Happy Sam''s Good-Time Salvage, Bar, and Grill. Samantha, the proprietor, wanted two gold for the crappy set and any competent Scavenger wouldn''t wear it in the deep water if she paid them. Happy Sam was hoping someone would haggle her down to half a gold, but hadn''t had any luck and was surprised when a scruffy human wearing rags and a mask pointed to the gear and pushed forward two gold coins.


    She tried to sell the sucker everything else she had on hand, sensing an idiot with too much money. "How about a spear gun? Never know when you have an eel bearing down on you with sharp teeth? No? Then maybe a set of ''Divers Boots'', they look like normal leather but increase your speed when walking through mud and muck?"


    The customer shook his head at each offering turning her down. In desperation to make a sale, she brought out a recent pile of finds and dumped them on the counter. "Gimbley sprockets, only slightly dented? Loading spring from a number ten cannon? Boilerplate? I have a ton of pieces, enough to make a new boiler! Wait, what about this?! One of the biggest monster teeth ever found, even if it''s broken!"


    The tooth had been washed up on the shore along with a clump of seaweed. It was of impressive size, but broken and rotted with a bad stench coming from it. Even as she set it down on the counter, another piece of brown, rotted tooth broke off.


    "How about it? Make me an offer, any offer. Take home a priceless trophy that you can use to back up your lies about hunting monsters. Great for when you retire."


    The customer recoiled from the smell, growling, then sniffed at the tooth, getting far closer to it than Sam ever had. Then he reached into a pocket and put out a gold coin. Sam grabbed the coin before he changed his mind. "Sold! Now get that stinky thing out of my shop!"


    With a bag of broken diving gear over one shoulder and a rotting monster fang in his other arm, the customer walked away into the shadows. Happy Sam watched him go, jingling the shiny coins. "Sucker born every minute. Hey, you! Need some boilerplatee? Fresh from the Battle of the Eels!"

 Chapter 344: Fifty-Five Fathoms Beneath the Sea

    Chapter 344: Fifty-Five Fathoms Beneath the Sea


    Milo knew the direction to find his headstone, which was straight out from the beach and pointing downward at a sharp angle. He knew he had very little time for his scavenging expedition and didn''t want to come into conflict with the Sharks or another crew of scavengers. But he wanted the Sharks gone, and to do that, he needed to take away their wealth. Money was one of the tools they were using to take over part of the town. That clan, more than all the others, had worked to buy or steal the land around the docks and the docks themselves. They were hurting a lot of people in Shadowport and driving up the cost of fish tacos. Milo had spent his entire life in a place where people had little money, and little access to buy the goods they wanted. The Sharks were destroying the economy of the city, destroying the jobs and homes of the fishing clans, and interfering with trade. Shadowport was an important crossroads in the world, but its trade had been hurt by the mass exodus of the rich traders when the World Boss marched on the city and hurt worse by the lack of space to moor a ship and the huge ''Trading Fees'' extorted by the pirates and scavengers.


    Laws in Shadowport were fast and loose, but they''d never been bent the way the Sharks were playing. Tradition and a shared community went a long way to keep things sort of fair. The Sharks took advantage of that, buying up small debts, forcing families from their homes, purchasing the docks, and making it impossible for many people to stay in the city. Milo wanted to fix that, and he was happy to play by the same rules the Sharks were using. He wasn''t part of any Scavenger Clan and owed them nothing. A wreck on the seafloor was up for grabs, and sunken treasure belonged to the person who got to it first. He''d seen a lot of gold scattered on the floor of that vault and stacks of ingots. He just had to get to them first.


    The pawn shops and junk dealers had happily sold the crazy human their broken diving gear. He''d spent the first two hours after leaving the casino buying it piece by piece and then fixing what he could and throwing the rest away. He was left with a semi-functional diving helmet with a cracked faceplate, an assortment of hoses that didn''t leak once he''d applied a new protective coating, and three tanks of air. He''d had to pay a fee to have the tanks recharged. That was when the fourth tank exploded. Better then than when he was underwater.


    While any dwarf would have quailed at the idea of diving deep with such crappy equipment, Milo had some advantages. The Runes of Swift Swimming would let him navigate the depths quickly, far faster than someone walking along the bottom in a clumsy diving suit. He had good vision when using his goggles and his dark vision enhancements. His toughness and hard bones would let him shrug off the pressure of the depths, and he could hold his breath for long periods if his air supply failed. The last advantage was his Ring of the Swiss Army. Besides the useful effects of summoning a loyal guard lizard and fondue pots, it could set up his tent, and darn socks, and grant him water breathing for 1 hour a day. His plan was to use the tanks and gear on the way down, and the ring for the trip back up. His chest could hold a large amount of coins and bar stock with its 54 cubic feet of space. If he could get to the wreck, open the door, and summon his chest then the Sharks would be denied a new source of income and he could cripple their operation. He just had to hurry and get there first.


    Summoning his chest, he opened it up slowly, releasing air that floated to the top of the compartment and was trapped in a corner. That was an emergency air supply that he hoped he wouldn''t have to use. Inside the chest were strong cables, pulleys, and a strong device called a ''come-along'' used for tightening ropes and wires. He ran the cable through the handle of the door, then to a spot he could anchor it to in the hallway. The come-along was a type of ratchet with a lever. Every time he moved the lever down, he tightened the cable. As the air in his second tank slowly ran out he spent long minutes adding tension to the cable. The door budged a quarter-inch, finally and bubbles appeared on the edge of the door. That confirmed the vault was airtight. Now that water was seeping in, the pressure would equalize, and opening the door would be easier.


    Milo didn''t think he had that long. He connected his third and last air tank and began setting up a second cable. The first come-along would strip its gears if he put any more pressure on it, but a careful Engineer brought backups. Milo''s chest was full of cables, ratchets, and other gear for opening stubborn doors, including a block of cataclysmite, happily loaned to him by BoomBoom, no questions asked.


    The use of the explosive was a last resort. While it was better for his plan to have the treasure scattered into the deep parts of the bay than to let Manco get it back, the best result was to take it with him. Just like in the real world, money was a good tool for some things.


    With the second cable tightened, the door moved even more, and water began to pour into the vault, and a trickle of coins poured out. The door was stuck with only a half-inch gap clear. Milo could see bars of gold and coins piled against the door that he couldn''t get to. He examined the hinges and saw that one of them was bent from being improperly mounted and the pressure of the sagging door had bent it further. With the hydraulic system, the door would have still opened, but not now. Milo considered his options, putting explosives on the bottom. He could hook up more cables, but the damage to the hinges was bad enough that he had little hope the strategy would work, and he was running out of air. A force spell might work, but the angle was terrible. Squeezing himself next to the door might let him cast the spell, but he would have to use a huge amount of force to bend the damaged hinge and it put him in a bad position if the door slammed open and rebounded. He ran through every option he could think of, and the part of him that came up with bad ideas provided the answer in the form of a tool he hadn''t thought of using.


    Pulling the not-so-ordinary-looking screwdriver from his chest, he examined it carefully using his goggles. The last time he''d attempted to understand the tool, he''d nearly killed himself and changed the Mace of Armageddon into a pre-system multi-function tool. Now though, even though he didn''t understand all the controls he did see a way to reset the tool to its last function. He pushed mana into the device, mentally selected the setting, and waited for the resulting explosion.


    Nothing happened other than the tool turning back into the heavy ''mace'' that General Gangreen had nearly killed him with. It was now labeled as a ''Force Application Device'', which certainly was appropriate for a mace. He tapped lightly on the hull and was rewarded with a loud echoing boom and a dent in the hull. Satisfied with the result, he began hitting the door, forcing it in the correct direction. As the door began to move an inch at a time, Milo hit the door harder, which had several unexpected results. The hinge broke, the door slammed open, and all the gold coins and ingots that had been piled against the door flowed out, taking Milo by surprise and burying him both underwater and under hundreds of pounds of metal.

 Chapter 345: Standing Guard

    The Sharks who were left in the casino were the youngest and most inexperienced Scavengers in the clan. So while they outnumbered the dozen Engineers and six crew of the Leviathan, it was no contest as to who would win in a fight. So when closing time came around and no one moved from their seat, they sighed and restocked the buffet with whatever they had left in the kitchen. Both Whale and Sledgemonkey agreed that if everyone left, the Sharks might start pillaging their own casino. Stranger things happened when Scavengers thought the ship was sinking. They needed to stay and guard the place, and keep an eye on the alcohol.


    The kitchen itself was a mess. Pillbug''s method of cooking used every pan and pot available. Besides his glorious French Toast, he''d been cooking anything he found in the kitchen, adding his own touches to the recipes, often involving alcohol and fire. Sledgemonkey had been a little cautious about eating oysters in a bowl of flaming whiskey but had to admit that the flavor was worth a few burns to his tongue.


    Boomboom had searched the casino until he found a deck of cards that the Sharks hadn''t marked and got another poker game going. Others did the same and eventually, the Sharks had to watch in horror as three tables of ex-customers sat and played late into the night without the clan getting any profit at all. And they were playing for copper and toothpicks!


    Captain Whale was sitting with BoomBoom, Narwhale, Sledgemonkey, and Two-Screws. Eventually, she couldn''t take it anymore and said, "Alright, enough is enough. Tell me how the hell you pulled off this caper tonight. We''ve always suspected Mako ran crooked games, so I don''t give a rat''s fart, but dammit, I''m curious as hell. It was like your crew couldn''t lose."


    Two-Screws laughed, "But Sledgemonkey still tried! You had the damnedest bad luck tonight. I watched you sitting on your hands and praying the dealer would break! Which she didn''t and left you holding a 14 or a 12."


    "Not my fault. The next card would have put me over. You jerks took all the good cards and there I am at the end of the table having to sit on crap. Still came out ahead though. Hard not to."


    Whale looked around the table, "What do you mean, you knew the next card would put you over? Were the Sharks running with marked decks?"


    Sledgemonkey nodded to her. "Yup, take a look. Rune-Marked decks." He handed her a deck of cards from the blackjack tables and a monocle. All of the engineers had worn special goggles, or spectacles tonight, recalibrated to specifically look for a certain type of rune and function like the Shark''s monocles. Whale stared at the cards and cursed.


    "Damn, this is blatant. And brilliant. That''s some clever runework on these cards, and quite subtle. I have to admit I''m jealous they had someone this good. I suppose the Captain''s table was the same? Or was something else going on? That last hand was impossible! And the Professor pulled a fast one on Mako, sitting quietly in his seat nibbling cheese and sipping coffee."


    "No sure about that game. I tried to spot the cheat, but couldn''t. The monocles didn''t show a damned thing. So however they were cheating, and whatever the Professor pulled, we don''t have a clue. Maybe you should ask him sometime." Sledgemonkey grinned at her.


    Whale crossed her arms and glared back. "Maybe I will. But you haven''t said how the hell you found out about the rune-marked cards."


    BoomBoom giggled, "It was in the job description." He shared an Engineering notification with the Captain.


    Job #4732-J: Testing Optical Enhancements for the ability to Detect Runic Markings


    Senior Engineer Milo is studying Optical Enhancement apparatus to determine the optimal piece of equipment to detect runic markings upon painted cardboard playing cards. An experiment has been set up in the casino in Shadowport.


    "Well, maybe if someone hadn''t been face down in a plate of French toast while getting a shoulder rub instead of being around to advise her captain, maybe I''d have caught that!"


    Stumpy looked a little guilty, but her belly was full and her shoulders and back felt wonderful, so the guilt melted away quickly. "Ah, don''t sweat it. I bet she has a jeweled sword or crown hidden away she wants to keep. Everyone has their little keepsakes. But I think the Sharks spent every last coin they had on that casino. Hell, the crew contributed all their swag to it when the clan savings weren''t enough, and most of what they took from gambling was coins or raw nuggets they melted to ingots. They hauled them out in chests every week. That treasure vault of hers is fat with chests of treasure. We''ll do fine even if Mako keeps a few things. And this is a cake run. The divers will be at the wreck an hour after dawn, another hour to spread the salvage net and lines and we''ll pull the wreckage up with the crane and swing it onto the beach."


    Annie considered her mate''s words but still scowled. "You could have at least brought along breakfast."


    Stumpy slammed her wooden leg on the deck. "Nope! If you got one taste of my man, you''d be after him too! I''m not taking a chance. You''ll have to go shopping and pick out one of your own! We need to wrangle you an invite to the deep parts. Pillbug is taking me down next week to show me around. Maybe Whale will let you come along?"


    Annie stared at her. "The Whale do a favor for another Captain so she can go fishing for an Engineer in her territory? Are you daft?"


    "Oh, I didn''t say it would be cheap. But we''ve got a nice windfall coming our way in a few hours. Maybe a little shark gold can buy your way in."


    "There''s a better chance of opening up that vault and finding an Engineer napping on a pile of gold!"


    "Oooh...now there''s a thought. Maybe covered in maple syrup?"


    "Stopping you right there Stumpy. We''ve got work to do, and I don''t need thoughts like that in my head!" She yelled down to the crew, "Sun''s up, let''s get moving. Move ahead at one-quarter speed. Mako! Give the helm directions and tell them where you want them to stop!


    Mako was relieved to finally be underway. Every day, hell, every hour, that she didn''t have access to her treasures was going to weigh heavy on her mind. Not that Annie or anyone else was going to find the real treasures she had hidden. Even the crew didn''t know what was in that vault. And it wasn''t part of any salvage deal. Annie could have her cut of the precious metal. She''d get back her hidden trove and they''d be back in business in a day. A couple of months was all it would take to recoup her lost money, and by then the Engineers would want to start work on putting Leviathan back together and have to negotiate with her for land and dockspace. That would get her foot in the door to be one of the Captains salvaging the Queen. One step at a time and the Sharks would be back on top.


    She pulled a Treasure Finder out of her pocket. They were a popular bauble with some Captains who might forget just where they buried a fortune in gold. Too much gold on a ship could be a problem. To most Scavengers, gold was a thing that bought fancy hats, and strong drinks, or paid the repair bills after you tore up a bar. They understood making repairs to the ship and replacing food and ammo, but that was about as far as they thought ahead. Many a Captain had to deal with a mutiny when the crew found out about a fat chest of loot hidden beneath the floorboards of the captain''s Quarters.


    This was the reason so many clans had only one ship and few saved up to make a permanent base of operations. The solution was hiding the loot somewhere and then collecting it when needed. Treasure Finders were a unique item made by gnomish artificers. Each compass pointed to only one thing, a small item crafted at the same time as the magical compass was made, and from the same batch of metal. Her Treasure Finder pointed to the Vault door in the Silver Shark. She watched carefully as the needle quivered, and called out, "Cut the power, we''re close." The ship drifted a bit more, and then the needle spun in circles. "She''s right below us, Annie, send them on down."


    Annie looked overboard, seeing the change in the color of the water. "We''re right at the drop-off, I''ll drop the main cable down, then reverse and drop anchors. That will lay the line along the slope and once they find the wreck, it will be easy to hook up." The crane started dropping its cable down and then the ship moved backward and dropped two anchors to hold her in place. The three divers shared a glass of rum, then put on their helmets, and jumped overboard, tethers trailing behind them.


    It was two hours of hard work to get to the wreck, move the line to it, and hook it up securely. Slowly the crane began to lift the wreck up to the surface, with the divers sitting on the stern and getting a ride. There was no sense pulling the wreck out of the water, even if the crane had the power. In the water, it put far less strain on the ship as she dragged it back to the docks. Mako was grinding her teeth the whole way.

 Chapter 346: The Legacy of Black Eddy

    Milo woke up with his lungs screaming at him as his last tank of air gave out. It didn''t help that he was being crushed under hundreds of pounds of gold and barely able to move. After a moment of terror, he pushed down the panic. This was a game, and as real as it felt, he wouldn''t really die, it would just feel like it. But worse, he''d certainly fail in his plan to foil the sharks, leave an incriminating headstone, and lose some of his favorite magical items.


    The gold was the immediate problem. It was crushing down on him, the heavy ingots on top of the coins that had cascaded in an avalanche. He hadn''t expected the foot-thick vault door to open so quickly and had underestimated the force that the ''mace'' could produce. Casting a spell felt impossible. His tail was crushed beneath him, one arm was totally immobile against his side, and he didn''t know where the Mace of Armageddon was. The other arm was stretched out away from him and experimenting showed he could wiggle his fingers. He might be able to manage one rune, but that was it. A Rune of Force was the obvious choice, to blast upward and away from him and shift the gold. But there were problems with that. His hand would take an opposite and equal force blast, most likely doing enough damage that he couldn''t cast again. The explosion might not even be enough to shift the gold and the force would rebound back on him.


    He needed both the Rune of Force and the Rune of the Void to move the gold safely. As time slowed, he frantically ran through scenarios, stubbornly ignoring the Bad Idea Department of his brain that was once again trying to get his attention. But time was running out, and the worst that could happen was he died quicker. He shifted his hand to make a small pocket of space and brought out the cataclysmite in his ring. The chunk of rubbery explosives would certainly move the gold, but also scatter his limbs all over the walls. He needed less Boom. One claw carefully cut off a fraction of the slab and he managed to put the larger piece back into the ring. Hurriedly he got his hand under the explosives, wiggling and shifting the chunk up and putting a layer of coins between his hand and the explosives. He split his mind in two, one half working with his wiggling fingers to manifest the largest Rune of the Void he could manage, and then detonated the cataclysmite with the spark cantrip he''d learned from Arlothe.


    The resulting explosion in such an enclosed space and underwater shattered both eardrums, but did have the desired effect of blasting away some of the gold above him, leaving his hand and arm free. All of him was aching. With more ability to move, he felt above him, finding the pile precariously balanced. Any sudden movements would cause more gold to pour down onto his freed arm.


    There was nothing to do but repeat the experiment. This time he could place the explosives better, hoping to move the pile off to the side. He''d survived the first blast, so he made the next one bigger. When it detonated, the Rune of the Void absorbed most of the force that would have hit him, and as the pile was blasted one way, his body was shifted the other way, temporarily freeing him. He kept rolling, slowed by the water, and got out of the way as the coins rolled back down to where he had been.


    Lunging upward, he found the pocket of air in the corner of the ceiling and gulped it into his lungs, doing nothing but breathing deeply until the panic subsided. Then he looked at his situation. There was far more gold here than he could take in his chest, which he could barely see. A corner stuck out from under the pile. It was certainly filled, so he dismissed it before moving to look into the vault. Inside he found something more valuable than gold: more air. He got to the large pocket and took another breath.


    He''d solved one problem but had another. Getting out would be difficult with all the gold in the way. He''d have to try and clear a path. From his Scout Master ring, he took Ore Gathering bags and began filling them with heavy ingots. Even though each one held four times its capacity, they barely made a dent in the pile. He could dig for a few minutes while holding his breath and then needed to go back for more air.


    It was time for a break. He needed a healing potion and a piece of cheese to help him think. Leaning back against the wall and slowly chewing a chunk of aged parmesan he looked around the vault. There were metal shelves along the two side walls where chests and ingots had been stacked, but nothing along the back wall. He found that odd. Using his goggles, he could just barely see traces of subtle magic of some kind. It took him twenty minutes of working with the goggles to see three rectangular areas on the far wall that stood out. Going to the far left, he looked at the 2''x2'' square. Hidden seams were just barely apparent, as was a runic puzzle the size of a coin. It took him a minute to figure out the puzzle, and then the square became a hatch and the lock clicked. As he touched the hatch, runes glowed and moved into new patterns.


    You''ve found an abandoned Treasure Chest! This hidden dimensional compartment was placed here by the Rogue Engineer Edward Damyon, or as his wanted posters called him, ''Black Eddy''.


    -By the Laws of the Sea, you may loot the treasures inside.


    -By the Laws of Engineering, you may claim this dimensional compartment and add it to your own for the cost of five enhancement points.


    This workshop contains 6 storage chests:


    #1 Gold, Silver, or Platinum: 400 Ingot Capacity. (Currently empty.)


    #2 Iron, Copper, or Tin: 400 Ingots. (Currently contains three ingots of Tin.)


    #3 Whiskey, Rum, or WD-400. 100 bottles. (Currently contains three partially full bottles of dwarven whiskey.)


    #4 Toy Soldiers, paint, modeling tools, and brushes. (Currently holds 57 dried-up bottles of Citadel Paint, 16 used paint brushes, and 42 half-painted 32mm scale halfling models.)


    #5 Raw diamonds, crystals, and uncut rubies. (Currently contains 62 assorted gems.)


    #6 Pipeweed, junk, or anything you feel like. 64 cubic foot capacity. (Currently contains 1 pouch of ''Special Weed'' from Longcut Moot.)


    Milo pulled out the first chest and opened it up. It was much deeper than it looked. Trying not to think about the mysteries he''d discovered, he used his ring to make a small camp and summon his pet. Georgie showed up and looked around, very confused.


    "I need help. Think of it as playing fetch. I need you to pick up all the loose ingots in that pile and dump them in this chest." Fetch was something Georgie loved. He loved almost any game. He wagged his tail happily and dove into the water, coming up with an ingot in his mouth. Milo took out the two gathering bags and dumped them into chest #6, then worked to gather all the loose coins still in the vault, dumping them bag by bag into the empty chests.


    His air pocket was going bad by the time Georgie and he had filled the two chests with ingots and loose coins and cleared enough room to escape. He took a moment to dismiss his tombstone and then, feeling he needed to leave a message used a claw to scrawl something on the floor. He used his ring to give himself an hour of water breathing, a very odd feeling as the water swirled around his new gills. Georgie thought he looked better with them and accompanied him as he made his way out of the wreckage. Swift-Swimming propelled him to the surface where he and his pet dogpaddled to the docks as the sun was just coming up.

 Day 1: Nothing Changes, Everything Changes

    My first book is up on Amazon and Audible. Very exciting to see it. More volumes will follow and Butcher of Gadobhra as well, so very exciting for me. Also stressful. I thought I''d gotten over Imposter Syndrome long ago, but it hit hard this last week while waiting for the book to go up. Now I just pray that the wider world likes it as much as you fine people do.


    And I could use your help. If you don''t mind running over to Amazon and leaving a review or a rating, I''d be eternally grateful. The better a book does, the more Amazon pushes it, which can have a big effect on sales. Reviews/ratings help a lot.


    Maybe it''s my background in comic books, but I love long stories and telling a continuing one, instead of focusing on a set plot that ends conveniently to tie things up in a book. (Also the reason I love cliffhangers, as many of you have noticed.)


    What does change as my books go to Amazon (and hopefully sell) is that I can spend more time writing, and less time at my other job. College is a struggle to pay for and I have to get the twins through the next four years. Another reason I won''t quit writing anytime soon. :)

 Chapter 347: But about those ingots...

    "You damned bitches shot her full of holes!" Mako seethed as she examined the outer hull of the bottom third of her ship. There were indeed a lot of holes, many of them from sixteen-pound balls, but at least half were from the smaller ammunition used by the steam cannons on the Iron Orca. Mako was glaring at Annie. "Why''d you do it, Annie? I thought we were friends. Fellow captains who saw things eye to eye and had each other''s backs!"


    This was news to Annie and to anyone else listening. But Mako was just looking for an excuse to fight, and Annie wasn''t going to give it to her. "Ah, it''s not that way at all! It was the damned eels! They were swarming and would have eaten every ship on the docks if we didn''t fight back. They were frenzied and crazy. We shot where the eels were thickest and one of those places was that old hulk of a ship you had glued to the top of the Silver Shark! Just bad luck, or maybe they smelled all that gold, or that nasty cologne your mate liked to slather on before she went beard hunting."


    "Eels! Look at my ship!"


    "Which part? It''s sort of scattered all over."


    Mako pointed, "There, where she broke apart! You mean to say that wasn''t from your steam cannons pummeling the hull until she broke?"


    "Hmm, maybe a couple of those holes? We were shooting at eels and you know my steam cannon ain''t something you aim. It''s better to sort of point in the direction of what you want to hit and move the gun back and forth. The rest of that looks like dents the big eels did when they rammed the ship. Heck, maybe they were chewing on it. Some of them have HUGE teeth! Like, like a walrus. They''d make that type of hole."


    "Walrus?"


    "Sort of. Eels with big tusky things. You''d have seen them if you were down here during the battle, and not hiding up in your casino. I don''t blame you. I mean, those eels were scary, what with those HUGE teeth. I''d have hid, but Stompy would have laughed at me. Couldn''t have that."


    "I''m not happy about this, Annie."


    "Oh, I can tell, and I don''t blame you. It''s why, as an old friend and fellow captain, I gave you a good deal on the cost of salvaging that wreck. Speaking of which, my girls are signaling they''ve pumped it out. Why don''t I head down with you and we can see how much gold we have?"


    Mako glared at her. "My gold, you mean."


    "Sure, except part of it is mine, and part yours. So ours. But I''ll take my share quick and then it can be all yours. I''ve got a contract here, tucked in my pocket, just to remind us of the deal. You do remember the deal, Captain Makko?"


    Mako quit talking. Annie was having too much fun today. Tonight though, she''d have fun taking all this gold back. Crawling back into the wreck, she unlocked the vault while Annie covered her eyes. Then she and Mako grabbed the door and heaved. Not budging it at all.


    "Dammit, this thing is heavy! Without the power on, it might take a few of us to open it."


    Annie pointed to a badly twisted hinge. "More than a few. Look at that top hinge. And the others are out of line as well. Why''d you use a circular hatch? A vault isn''t a damned halfling-house. You can use square doors. And there are dents where you were hammering on the damned thing."


    "I didn''t design the thing. And it''s been fine all these years! We need equipment!"


    Annie sighed theatrically, "And I suppose you don''t have any lines or come-along or block and tackle. Up to hardworking Annie to fix the problem. I suppose that''s why you''ll be giving me enough ingots that I go bowlegged packing them home." The gear was brought from her ship, taking multiple lines and two hours of work to finally pull the door loose. When it was three feet open, Mako looked inside and froze. Annie saw her back and shoulders stiffen and her hands were clenched in fists. Then the Captain of the Sharks shook with fury and screamed hard enough to send both crews running and even make Annie back off and put her hand on her cutlass.


    Mako turned, glared at her, and said loudly, "Someone is going to die. Slowly while I laugh and they beg for a quick death!" She stalked out of the wrecked ship, leaving a very confused Captain Annie behind. When Mako was gone for a full minute, she crept forward and looked into the vault. Not a coin or ingot was to be seen. The shelving was empty, and three rectangular holes showed where chests had been stored. Annie was pissed at first, feeling cheated of her promised gold. That went away when she saw what someone had scrawled on the floor with a tool, "SHARKS SUCK BILGEWATER!" Chuckling, she left the wreck, eager to tell Whale the story.


    On the beach, Mako was fuming and cursing, while her crew packed up the gold. One of the Scavenger Captains had beaten her to her vault, but she had no idea who. It wasn''t Annie. She had the pressure suits to find it, but not enough people to haul out the gold and walk it to shore. That was the real work. A strong girl in a suit could maybe carry a bucket of gold or a few ingots up the cliff and get it to shore, but they''d be wrecked and exhausted. A bucket brigade was out of the question, too many suits were needed, and still too much work. None of the riff-raff could have pulled it off, they had shitty boats and crap for equipment. That left Whale. Leviathan might be a wreck, but she had some of the best suits ever made and plenty of crew. They were specialists in deep sea scavenging and could work for hours in their suits.


    But even if it was Whale, how the hell could she get the gold up to the docks? She must be working with someone else. She''d brought in another submersible. And if she was prepared for that, then Whale had planned the whole caper. Rile up the eels, bait them to the docks, then Annie and the others ''accidentally'' shoot up her ship. Which meant Annie had been in on it all along. Probably getting a healthy split of everything! That lying curly-haired witch! And they''d been friends almost!


    The more she thought about it, the more it fit. Only another Captain could steal the two smaller chests. And Whale had the most experience in finding them. She''d looted a dozen of them from wrecks even before they found the Iron Queen. But what really twisted her butt was the center chest. She''d never been able to even open the damned thing!! Black Eddy had told everyone including his loving wife that it was off-limits. Private Engineer stuff!


    Of course...the deal with the Engineers. That was why Whale had cozied up to them. She''d planned for this. Lured the Sharks here by spreading rumors about the Iron Queen and building a shipyard. She''d known that Clan Shark would show up. Then she let her fill the Silver Shark with gold and bided her time, used the eels and Annie to wreck her ship, and then her hidden submersible full of Engineers showed up to loot it.


    She didn''t know how, but she was going to get her revenge. Right after she got her casino back! "Load it up, girls. Time to make that rat an offer he can''t refuse!"

 Chapter 348: Discreet Friends

    Belinda woke each morning with the feeling she was drowning. She swam for the surface, the light getting closer each morning, but never reaching the surface. Kicking drug addictions is incredibly difficult even with the help of advanced medical technology and she''d been on these drugs all of he life. Worse, she wasn''t meant to ever be off of them, according to her old doctors. Her pod was scrubbing her body each night to pull any remaining drugs out of her while using an everchanging cocktail of placebos to help her get over the withdrawal symptoms.


    One morning she woke up, feeling like she''d reached the surface, able to push forward and not be dragged back under. Her thoughts were clearer and didn''t spin off into crazy loops of paranoia or endless recurring memories. She had a long way to go, physically, but emotionally she was getting stronger.


    She also came to a decision. Milo was crazy, and if there were too many problems around him, he''d work himself to death trying to fix everything. She owed him, big time, so it was her responsibility to start doing what she could to lighten the load. To do that, she had to get past a formidable obstacle: Mama.


    Mama was the center of their extended family, and Belinda needed her on her side. The family had decided that Milo was on vacation, and Belinda wanted to keep it that way. Which meant not mentioning what she wanted to work on to Milo. He''d start thinking about things and want to help. Luckily, Mama agreed with her, a huge relief. She listened to Belinda and joined the conspiracy.


    "Sure, I can see that. That boy can''t sit still and eat even when he''s starving himself to death. When he gets out of his pod, I feed him as much as I can and make sure he gets some rest. But he''s always thinking, and thinking can put a strain on him. Now, that''s a lot less harmful than running around inside some superhero armor and getting shot, but still stressful. If you can fix a few things around here and lighten his load, and can at least not mention what''s going on. What are you going to be doing?"


    "Well, firstly I need to deal with my Father. I''ve dodged him for weeks now and the only thing keeping him from going crazy and calling in the authorities to find his missing girl is Eric. Eric has him convinced of a version of the truth, that I''m in hiding because of Victor and people like Victor, and that I''ll be back when I turn 18 in a week. That triggered 83 emails from John about planning a big birthday party for me. With clowns! After playing Run, Run Ramona I never want to see clowns again." Milo didn''t like clowns and was convinced they were one of the scariest things in the world. After playing his game, everyone agreed with him. Clowns were the worst


    "Well, it''s good that he''s worried about you. There are a thousand kids up in the hab whose parents don''t worry about them at all. Get that birthday behind you so you have more control and then straighten things out with him. Meanwhile, what is it you plan to do up here? Besides eating regular meals, getting time in your pod to keep you healthy, and starting your physical rehabilitation? You were nearly walking normally before this. I don''t like seeing you back in that chair."


    "Right, well besides all of those logical things you just mentioned that I will certainly be doing, I need to do some research. Milo sort of borrowed all of my medical data along with all the data from my parent''s biotech business and who knows what else. It''s stored on huge discs that I can only read with Rusty''s help in one of his special areas."


    "The areas where people can''t breathe the air and Rusty keeps locked off?"


    "Yeah. One of those. But he says it has regular air inside the room I need to use, and once I''m there I can take off my helmet."


    "Hmmm. Do you mind if I check with Rusty on that? Just to ease my mind?"


    Belinda noted that a lot of the time Mama said things that sounded like questions but weren''t really questions. It was a skill she wanted to acquire. Eric could do it, but John was terrible at it. Before she could even answer Mama, Rusty started talking.


    "Don''t you worry Mama, I''ll take care of the little nipper, and have her home in time for her nap."


    Mama sighed, wondering who had been watching those cartoons with Rusty. "Thank you, dear. Is it safe to go down there?"


    "Oh, very safe. Her wheelchair is electrical and unaffected by the inert gases used in the facility and the full suit Milo made for her has a helmet with a detachable air supply. Running down there to watch a few boring videos and look at numbers is as easy as bouncing up a tree."


    "I''m running a special today. One nut roll and I''ll be your new best friend. Limited time on the friendship depending on future deliveries."


    Milo handed him the extra roll, "As it happens, new best friend, I have a favor to ask. Does the guild offer banking services?"


    Bernard had finished the pastry in three bites and sighed as the rumblings in his stomach were temporarily sated. "Well, if you mean loans, that''s a big no. We''d be broke paying money to every player who wanted to buy gear he couldn''t afford. If you mean you want the guild to take in your cash for safekeeping, then we offer excellent and discreet customer service of the finest variety. And by finest, I mean in this city which has not been blessed by the gnomes."


    "I have gold that''s taking up too much space."


    Bernard looked at him strangely, then considered who he was talking to. "Well, how about you step into my office and we''ll handle this."


    The halfling''s office was a door with enough locks of an intricate variety that Milo didn''t think he could open them in a month. Two thieves were sitting in front of the door, taking turns trying to open the bottom lock, a pile of broken lockpicks on the floor between them. Bernard wasn''t surprised at all to see them. "Playtimes over boys, hope you got some experience points. Come back in an hour with another tasty bribe and you can try again." A large set of keys was produced and the dozen locks were dealt with before Bernard held open the door for Milo to enter and followed him.


    His office was huge, with a large desk, a larger kitchen and pantry, and a long room with banks of small locked doors. Some were as small as half a foot square and others took up significantly more space. Bernard gestured to the wall, "Safe deposit boxes, guaranteed safe, for a small monthly fee. These little ones are great for a few rings or a purse of emergency coins. The biggest give a square yard of storage, but they get a little pricey. The guild charges 50 gold a month for those. Very popular with the adventuring guilds that need storage for quest items and the occasional windfall.


    "I need four of the large ones, please. And I''ll pay a year in advance."


    Bernard smiled, showing all his teeth. "I might even keep you as a best friend for longer than a day. Take the two at the end, dump what you need in there, set the password on the dial, and confirm it. I''ll get a snack and give you some privacy."


    A half-hour later, Milo had emptied half of the coins from his smuggler''s stash and dismissed it. He borrowed a pot from a confused Bernard to help him scoop out the drawer and put most of it into the safe deposit boxes, filling one of them.


    Next was his brand spanking new Arcane Workshop. It appeared as a door on the blank wall, and when opened showed the workbench. The area above the bench held a jumble of cables and tools he''d used to open the vault, along with his diving gear. That all went into one of the safety deposit boxes. Drawer #6 with its 64 cubic feet of space was stuffed full of coins and ingots. He started scooping them out and filling another box, leaving most of the ingots and some of the coins. There was still a lot of gold left, so he decided to pay Bernard five years of rent ahead. Calculating the equivalent value in gold ingots, he put them on the halfling''s desk. He made sure to refill his belt pouch. Fish Tacos weren''t cheap and he was getting hungry. Closing everything up and setting his password took only a minute and he yelled for Bernard.


    The sight of the ingots almost made Bernard drop his muffin. "What did you do? Rob a dragon''s hoard?"


    "Something like that."


    "Well, don''t worry. I''m nothing if not discreet when keeping the secrets of my friends."

 Chapter 349: Sending a Message

    Clan Shark was meeting on the beach, surrounded by the scrap metal and wreckage that used to be a sleek and powerful submersible. Captain Mako had made it clear that any crew who weren''t there should burn their top hats and take jobs in the mines. To her disgust, five of her crew had left their top hats and monocles on the beach, paid their guild fees, and got to work. Word had spread quickly about the empty vault. A lucky captain could have her pick of the best crew in any port, and Mako had been counted as one of the luckiest until now. Losing the Silver Shark to a swarm of eels and the casino in a game of cards to crafty ratkin had shaken her crew. They wondered if Mako''s luck was turning bad. The raided vault seemed to confirm that. She was still the captain, for now, but she needed to turn things around fast or her crew would be deserting ship and heading to luckier captains.


    The plan was simple, "We need more cash. The double-dealing scum who betrayed us and looted our riches couldn''t carry it all away, but what was left isn''t enough to buy back the casino. And we need the casino to get back in business and generate enough money to repair the boat. We start with tossing in our personal swag. I''ve put everything I own into the clan including my gold-handled beard trimmer and my mug collection. I''m asking all of you to do the same. As soon as the money starts pouring in, you''ll get it back double! Captain''s Honor!" The crew had known this was coming. Some had buried their small treasures somewhere, hoping no one was watching. Others had more faith and tossed everything they had into the growing pile. Mako watched and smiled encouragingly at them, noting who put in only a few coins. She''d settle with those people later. For now, she needed the muscle power.


    "Great job girls! This gives us a start. Now we get to work shaking down this town. If someone owes a debt, even if it isn''t due yet, they pay up now or you break their legs and charge them double. I want three card monte games running in every bar and street corner. Later tonight I want to hit the gangs. Some of them are a little obvious in where they have their ''Secret Headquarters.'' I want to hear the jingle of coins in our pockets and leave behind a graveyard full of headstones. Tomorrow we shake down every business for protection money and follow with some destruction of those that don''t take us seriously. That should give us the cash we need to get back our casino. Now get to work!"


    The Sharks scattered into the town while Mako and Beluga Bessie made their way to the seedy dockside bar which they''d turned into their clan headquarters. Unknowing, they left behind a person skulking quietly in one of the destroyed boilers, listening to their plans and making plans of his own.


    As evening turned to night the Sharks met again, and split up into their raiding parties. Setting off into the city they worried little about cut-throats or gangs. A half-dozen Scavengers were well matched against a dozen players, although the fighting had become tougher lately. The players involved in the gang wars were leveling up faster than the Sharks who until lately had spent most of their time on their ship or in the casino. But tonight they had the element of surprise on their side. Coming to a crossroads, the three groups split up, heading to three different locations to hit their targets simultaneously. Most of the gangs had little loot, constantly spending it to replenish their lost weapons and armor. Hitting those gangs was important not for what cash could be gained from them, but for letting the city know the Sharks were still in business, and in control of their territory at the docks. One gang was getting beat up just to send a message, while two gangs were singled out for special treatment, owing to rumors of small stashes of high-quality loot or a modest treasure.


    The Sinister Blades met in the basement of an abandoned noble''s villa. The top floors were ruined, but the Blades had salvaged the dining room table, chairs, and much of the draperies. They''d decorated the basement and turned it into a gloomy feasting hall. Mako''s informant had let her know the Blades had made a big score this week and the gang would split the treasure tonight. The gang had joined a raiding party heading into the Haunted Catacombs, a new dungeon found near the mines. It was filled with the angry spirits of the old city and no one sane thought of entering it. This meant every player in the city had converged on the new dungeon for pick-up raids. One such raid had unearthed a gem-encrusted idol of some Elder God as the only treasure. With eight Sinister Blades in the raid group and only four other surviving players, the Blades had found it easy to divide the loot by dividing the other players. Sold to a ''collector of odd things'' for roughly a tenth of its value still made it a rich haul for the gang.


    A bad batch of hootch was common when drinking fortified wine, a sure sign of a crappy human brewer. It would kill or blind a human or elf, but to a dwarf with their racial toughness and poison resistance, a little methanol in the mix was just extra flavor and a mild tummy ache. Minutes later, both the kick and the tummyache got worse. Scavengers passed out at the table and only one tried to stumble out of the dining room, frustrated to find the door locked.


    "Get the Rats! Charge!" Beluga roared and headed for the group of six ratkin in front of her, all of which were making rude gestures with fingers and tails. Beluga wasn''t a great runner but had surprised several opponents with how quickly she could make it across the ring in a cage battle. She was panting hard as she crossed the warehouse, glaring at the ratkin who stood ready to fight with knives, claws, and spikey sticks. She probably would have made it all the way if it wasn''t for the trap that clamped hard on her leg. She nearly pulled out the heavy bolts anchoring the trap to the floor, but this trap had been designed with her in mind and held fast. Two other Scavengers were similarly trapped. The last two Sharks in her squad suddenly found themselves facing six ratkin to the front, with six more dropping from the rafters behind them. They wisely surrendered and suffered through a mild beating before being bound tightly. The two trapped next to Beluga were beaten unconscious with a flurry of tail slaps leaving the large mate trapped and alone as Blackwhisker moved closer to talk, chewing on a piece of Limburgher cheese. The strong aroma hit Beluga hard, sapping her strength.


    "You little bastards! I''ll carve off your hides and make a whip out of your tails. You have no idea who you''re messing with!"


    Blackwhisker kept his distance, not wanting to be grappled by Beluga and crushed to death as she had done to so many others in the fighting pit of the casino. "Oh, I know who you are. You''re the person who is going to send a message to the Sharks that Razorclaw territory is off-limits."


    "Bullshit. I ain''t carrying any message from you to Mako. Get a pigeon."


    "No worries. It''s a non-verbal sort of message. I''m sure your Captain will understand."


    The rest of the gang dropped from the rafters and grabbed old oars that had been left behind in the warehouse. Beluga was a fierce fighter, but not with one leg crushed in a bear trap and unable to run at her attackers. The gang members took their time, striking at her from behind, the heavy ores slowly beating her into unconsciousness, and then adding more bruises and broken bones for good measure.


    "Grab the gold and cheese. We''re moving to someplace that isn''t decorated in one-legged dwarves."

 Chapter 350: Scavengers go Scavenging

    It was a strangely quiet group of Scavengers who met the next morning in the scrap heap, which used to be the Silver Shark. Most had small injuries from smashed noses and broken arms along with a good amount of slashes and stab wounds. Ambushing rival gangs and extorting money from merchants wasn''t nearly as easy as it used to be. Mako was pacing back and forth on the beach, waiting for Beluga. Her mate should have been back hours ago. Her crew was keeping their voices low to not interrupt their Captains brooding. When Mako was like this, she wanted a target to vent her frustration on, and with the amount of frustration the leader of the Sharks had endured lately, whoever caught her attention was in for a severe beating.


    The crew had endured just as much, seeing their fortunes fall so quickly. Mako''s ranting about the other Captains and even the Engineers working to undermine them made sense to some. They were also looking for someone to blame. Others who weren''t privy to the secret of the Captain''s table blamed Mako, pointing out that betting the house on a cut of the cards went against everything their clan stood for. Playing fair was for idiots and shifting the odds in the clan''s favor was just good business. Mako had played fast and loose with too much gold at stake. Losing once was highly unlikely. Losing twice in a row was a sign that her luck was broken. No one followed an unlucky captain.


    And worse, while she''d been playing with the other Captains, and trying to win back the gold lost to the Professor, the Engineers had cleaned out the rest of the casino. It had happened too fast and these Engineers were a cut above the normal bunch they ran into. They were dashing and crazy, willing to take risks and bet it all on every hand. Many of the younger Sharks dealing cards had been mesmerized by how they took command and then took all the money at the table. Whatever had happened, the overall consensus was that Captain Mako had screwed up and the good days of easy money were over.


    And then they''d lost the vault.


    All of the clan''s wealth was in that vault. Even underwater, it was locked tight. They had kept track of every ship in port, watching constantly and making sure no one tried to steal their loot. And yet, someone had. Someone had set up cables to pull open the door, and helped it along with a few hammer blows from a pair of strong arms. The dents in the hammer steel of the door told the tale. How they''d picked the lock was a mystery. Only Stickyfingers-Sally, Beluga, and Mako knew that combination, and Sally was sleeping with the crabs. A few crew wondered aloud about Beluga, who was missing after last night''s raids. It was about an even split between the Sharks who thought Beluga had sold out, those who blamed a secret cabal of Engineers, and the ones who didn''t know and didn''t care to speculate.


    Mako gave up her pacing and joined her crew, a brittle smile on her face, that fooled no one. "I''m not waiting longer on a mate who''s off somewhere drinking or drunk. We''ll be needing two people to step up and become mates. One of those will be the gal that brings in the most cash today when we shake down the merchants. Hit them all, and don''t worry about going outside of our territory, we''ve got all the other gangs on the run after last night."


    A few scavengers nodded eagerly, and a few scowled. Only a couple of gangs had been dealt with, and they''d had little gold on them. The rest had scampered before the Sharks showed up, leaving empty lairs and rudely painted messages on the walls. And twice the Sharks had shown up only to find that the gang was home, but drinking with a dozen Kulags. In those cases, it was the Sharks that turned and ran from 3 to 1 odds.


    "Convince the shopkeepers to pay up, and triple the cost. Tell them they''ll get a week off and tokens for free drinks and the buffet at the casino. Be on your toes, and get that gold! We start once you get some hot food and drink in your bellies and the sun comes up, so be ready and get moving. I want to hit the whole city, and tomorrow morning we''ll buy back the casino and be back in business!"


    With beer and breakfast in their bellies and a bottle or two of something stronger to keep their spirits up, the Sharks hit the town. The merchants on the docks felt the sting of their visits the hardest, having been hit many times before. But they were almost exclusively the bars and beer gardens set up to service the Scavenger clientele and payoffs for ''protection'' were expected.


    The other people who had been hit hard by the Sharks were the families that made their living from the fishing boats. Their homes, warehouses, and shops had been moved to the edge of town by the new docks as the Sharks had used every dirty trick they knew to acquire the land near the docks, and the docks themselves. Debts had been bought and payment demanded. Mysterious fires set. Threats were made against the families and their boats if regular payments weren''t paid. With Squint''s people spread thin, the fishermen had hired Captain Pike to guard the new docks and the ships when in the harbor. A squad of Sharks saw the Captain as they approached the area. He''d moved his chair and fishing pole closer to shore. Currently, he and his much smaller companion weren''t fishing. The large platter of fry bread took up most of his attention, but he looked up as the Sharks got close and made a shooing motion with his hand.


    "Be off with you. I''m not in the mood to play any games, I have some serious eating to do."


    "Awe, and that''s a shame, Captain, as we hate to interrupt your breakfast. We''ll make it quick and short. Your employers are behind on their payments to us. Hopefully not to you as well. But we wanted to see for sure. Are you still gainfully employed as a guard dog to see after these illegally parked boats?"


    "Yep, all paid up. You so much as look cross-eyed at a boat or these docks and I''ll eat you raw while you scream." He nudged the small man next to him. "Go use some long words to tell these idiots to get lost. They like to be told multiple times."


    Shrugging, the short Engineer in ragged orange coveralls walked over to the Sharks. "You''re guilty of trespassing and should consider finding the motivation to relocate your bodily functions to other locales before said bodily functions cease."


    Pike looked at Milo, horrified at the thought of buying someone else food. "You set me up! What sort of hero does that to a friend?"


    Milo considered the question, it had several parts to it. "Well, firstly, I''m not a hero. Second, I just paid you a year in advance to guard the docks and boats. Third, I''m hungry for fish tacos."


    That mollified the Ogre somewhat, but not completely. "You know they''ll be back, and those trigger-happy dwarves won''t always be testing out new guns. Maybe you should pay me to guard all that as well."


    Milo nodded, that sounded good to him. "Is a year in advance OK? I can have Bernard put it into your sea chest at the Guild."


    "Works for me. Now let''s get breakfast. We can hit up the place that makes the friend dough with honey and then grab some tacos for breakfast."


    The Sharks eventually woke up, their skin stinging from dozens of small wounds sowed with salt. They went back to the wreckage to sit and remove what they could, drinking heavily, then limped away to find some less belligerent merchants to prey upon. Surprisingly, those were in short supply today.


    The Kulags were out in force, along with all the other gangs, most of whom were wearing an armband with Squint''s emblem on it, signifying that for at least today they were on the same side as the Kulags. The Sharks found themselves followed throughout the city by large groups made up of the gang members and the occasional Engineer with a rivet gun and heavy armor. Other Engineers were sitting with a Scavenger on dates, as the couples enjoyed meals at the various eateries in town. Violence broke out only a few times, preceding a retreat by the Sharks as they found themselves outnumbered and outgunned. Any damage done to a shop or restaurant was paid for by the Engineers who had a lot of extra coins in their pockets.


    Mako herself ran into problems early when she and her team extorted a small amount of coin from Marcel''s Haberdashery, also stealing a half dozen of his best hats. Marcel begged them not to take them, claiming they were a special order. Mako laughed, "Good, tell them they can pick them up at my casino and pay for them there."


    As they were leaving, a half-dozen adventurers were about to enter. They spied the hats and scowled. "Those are ours! We already paid Marcel for them." The two tanks shifted to the front with the Paladin, the Mage, and the Cleric to the rear, and the rogue disappeared into the shadows.


    Mako was happy, she''d found someone to hit and charged the group, screaming. The Players were level 12-14 and could handle the other Scavengers, but not Mako. She put her Sharktoothed Cutlass of Burning Doom into the Paladin''s gut, straight through his plate chestpiece. The tanks moved to assist, finding out that hitting the Scavenger Captain was like hacking at Ironwood. She took damage, but only shallow cuts. The rogue took out one Scavenger with a backstab, but she took him with her, strangling him as she bled out. It was a bloody and brutal fight that was over quickly, with Mako confronting the Air Mage who was using the last of his mana to hit her with a Lightning Blast. It didn''t put her down, and his head left his shoulders.


    "Bloody hell, a hardworking Captain can''t get anything done in this town without someone picking on her. What''s the world come to?" She picked through the bodies of her crew for their rum and started walking back to the Shark. She was half dead and needed rest, rum, and the last of her healing potions. She found out when she woke in the late evening that none of the returning gangs had done well, scoring only a few hundred coins. Minnow had managed most of that and gained the position of Mate.


    "All right, get some rest. We have a deal to make tomorrow with the rat and you''ll be working late when we open up."


    Mako and her new Mate counted the swag and calculated the worth of golden spitoons and diamond-encrusted beard combs. Every bit of swag the Sharks owned was in the two bags in front of her. Minnow ventured a question, "It''s enough?"


    "Not for everything we owe, but enough for the casino. I''m going to make him a deal he can''t refuse."

 Chapter 351: The Caravan

    Deep under the earth in the ancient tunnels beneath Shadowport, a corrupted apex predator lumbered back to its lair in the center of a large cavern dragging the corpse of a huge lizard behind it. The dead Fonasaurus was twice the Corrupted Umber Bear''s mass, but had been trapped in its lair and couldn''t match the bear''s fury. Nor could it have killed it, as the bear was already dead, animated by the fungus replacing its brain and repairing its battered body. The huge lizard was dismembered and its parts strewn around the cavern, mostly in the nest in the center.


    Cracked bones and the rotting carcasses of beasts and humanoids made up the nest and gave off a rotting stench that warned any sane creature to leave the area. The huge Corrupted Umber Bear would hunt through the caverns and drag its kills back here to feast, eating only a few bites to fuel the fungus growing inside its once-living body


    Damaged hide and decayed muscle were slowly being replaced by strands of fungus that grew in its lair. The Brain Fungus directed the necessary repairs that kept it moving. The leftover pieces of creatures were left to decay into a nutritious mulch that would support the growth of mycelium that would spread through the mulch and soil of the surrounding area. As the fungus slowly grew throughout the cavern, the area would become more dangerous to other creatures. Protective spores would poison enemies and make the area into a safe spawning ground for a new Fungal Core, grown from the brain fungus planted within the bear. The core would burrow deep and produce a large Brain Fungus that would consume the bear and the nest, growing sentient and turning this area into a new outpost for a Mycellium Empire.


    But that was years in the future. The rotting predator would need to make hundreds of kills to create enough mulch to sustain even the beginnings of the colony. The fungus covering the bear''s face would drop spores to cultivate the area as the mycelium spread through the mulch and dirt in the cavern. As long as the bear could keep killing and providing sustenance to the new colony, the Brain Fungus that riddled its body would keep it alive. When it became too wounded to move, then it too would become mulch. In time, a suitable dead creature would be found by the Elder Brain Fungus, turned into a corrupted servant, and sent to continue the work. Expanding their empires took time, but fungi were patient.


    The bear lay in its nest, unmoving. Such creatures didn''t rest but rather went dormant to allow the growth of new fungus to replace the lost tissue from the last battle. The repairs made the creature tougher and harder to kill. Luckily for the surrounding subterranean dwellers, there were other apex predators in the area who were brave enough to oppose the bear''s reign of terror. One of them had been carefully skulking through the shadows to a position where they could attack from surprise. They were never in any danger of being detected. The bear had terrible perception and the skulker was well hidden. She sprung from hiding, a black-clad assassin, stabbing deep into the bear with a dagger and yelling ''Surprise!''. The bear was completely unhurt, but the Brain Fungus became active, anxious to kill the intruder and add its mass to the nest. Most meat-things weren''t so helpful as to deliver themselves and volunteer to be turned into mulch.


    The bear surged to its feet, knocking the assassin to the ground as she attempted to stab it to death with a small knife. She attempted to flip in the air and land on her feet but belly-flopped into a pile of rotting meat before scrambling to her feet. The bear slashed at her, catching her in the side with enough force to kill any player under level 20. Her ribs were broken and a lung punctured as she was knocked into the cave wall. She came up to her feet and looked at her knife. "I give up. Daggers suck! Why does anyone use the small blades skill?" As the bear lumbered towards her, she extended six-inch razor-sharp claws and prepared to charge it.


    "Because we need the DEX points. Daddy says so. We have to raise as many skills as we can!" The speaker was clad head to toe in heavy plate armor, except for her feet which were covered in pink Baby Weasel Slippers. Rosie had let Buttercup attack first since it was her turn, but now that she''d taken a hit, she could charge. The eight-foot-long steel-hafted pole-axe was held horizontally and she hit the bear like a freight train, using her momentum and strength of arms to knock it off its feet.


    Buttercup dove on the bear, using her Fiendish Claws to deal massive damage. Rosie brought her axe down in a strong chop that carved away ribs and in a living creature would have spread their internal organs on the ground. The bear barely grunted, ignoring the damage and regenerating as fast as the two cheese fiends it was fighting. It knocked Rosie to the ground and ignored Buttercup as it pounced on the downed foe. Rosie got her shield between her head and the bear''s jaws, but with two bites it had torn the shield nearly in two. Rosie slashed again and again, but the Brain Fungus knew to kill one foe before engaging the other.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Rosie punched the bear hard in the snout with her dainty fist, breaking a bone in the jaw and making the bear draw back, but it opened wide and began to lunge at her again. She put up an arm, something that was easier to regenerate than her head but needn''t have worried.


    A huge armored shape raced forward and leaped high in the air, bringing its pole-axe down in a massive two-handed chop. "For the Hollow!" The blow decapitated the bear, and without the Brain Fungus to control the body, it slumped on top of a disgusted Rosie. "Ugh, rotting bear smells icky!" Her sister helped heave the carcass off of her before they confronted their savior.


    "No fair, Daddy!"


    "That one was ours to play!"


    "And you kill-stealed!"


    "We had it worried and everything was fine!"


    "Puffcakes, mama says puffcakes are good to eat because they get rid of any harmful fungal infections like Black Mold!"


    "That bear was full of nasty stuff."


    "I''m feeling a little icky, maybe I''m turning into a Corrupted critter! Need puffcakes."


    "Fine. Wash up, then we have puffcakes, and then dessert."


    "Desert?"


    "We like dessert, what is it?"


    Brutus smiled evilly, "Your favorite. You each get to drink one of Uncle Harry''s special potions that protect you from disease and fungal infections. You''re feeling sick, after all, time for some medicine. And then homework."


    Grumbling, the girls went to wash while Brutus informed the cook of the dinner plans. He needn''t have bothered, the smell of fresh puffcakes was already coming from the chuck wagon. Bleusnout smiled and started filling up plates. "The girls love them and are always hungry after a battle. How did things go?"


    Brutus stuffed one into his mouth. "Great, really great. I was worried some, that was a nasty critter, after all. But even when Rosie was in a bad spot, neither of them went into a rage or lost control. It''s amazing how much better they are getting."


    The chef was happy to hear that, "They have a loving family, good diet, and a good example in Larry. I''m happy to help out with their rehabilitation, and it''s been wonderful worrying about just a few people, and not a whole Hollow. Smiley taking over needed to happen someday, and this has been perfect. With what we are learning, not just the girls will benefit. I''ll be publishing my notes and sending them to every hollow that I can contact."


    Harry picked up a plate, slid the stack into his mouth, and swallowed. "Ah, delicious as always. And now I''m going to deal with the mess ahead of us. I can eradicate the toxic and predatory fungus from the area and we can leave the nutritious and medicinal varieties to grow. It will be a perfect campsite in the future. I estimate we are only a few hours'' travel to Shadowport from here. Things are starting to look familiar from my youthful explorations."


    Brutus added up the time. "So four days travel altogether. Not a bad little run. Tallsqueak said it was two days to travel down the tunnel made by the World Boss, but that has a lot of cliffs and areas where we can''t take the wagons. A safe caravan route will mean more trade, and after that, we need to add a way to get over to the dwarven enclave." He looked back at the six wagons with their colorful awnings and painted sides. "Funny, I always dreamed of running away with a caravan, and now I''m the Master of one. A little one, but it will grow."


    Bleusnout smiled, "Indeed, and headed where no caravan has gone before: The exotic and mysterious uptop city of Shadowport. I must say, I''m excited."


    "And Larry said that Tallsqueak was back. Won''t he be surprised to see us?"

 Chapter 352: When Slinking away is the Sanest of Options...

    The Sharks were a shadow of their former strength. A dozen, maybe two dozen, had deserted and went mining or sailed away on small rafts. Beluga and her crew limped in as the sun was coming up, in horrible shape, bruised everywhere, and with many broken bones. All of them knew they were lucky to be alive. Not so at least twenty others who had met their ends drinking bad wine, fighting with players, or other occupational hazards. Mako recruited thirty pirates, giving them a chance to join up and earn their hats. With their numbers restored, they formed a ragged mob and walked through town on their way to the casino. They were dirty and ragged, tired and hurting, but that was the life of a Scavenger crew. The good times in the casino had made them soft and they''d paid the price. Now it was time to claw their way back to the top.


    Many people were also heading to the casino or already there. Six exhausted Sharks had been guarding it non-stop since the night the Captains had played poker. They''d watched the crews of other ships and the Engineers drink the bar dry before hauling up the kegs from the basement. The buffet was empty, with only a few stale crackers in a basket. They''d tried to intervene when the Engineers stacked all the furniture and gaming tables against a wall, then rolled up the carpets to make room for dancing and had to watch as Sledgemonkey called out the steps for a seven-hour session of square dancing. The only thing no one touched was the area around the Captain''s table and the only people who sat in that end of the casino were Scavenger Captains and their Mates, grudgingly allowing the Senior Engineers to join them.


    Outside, a crowd surrounded the colorful wagons of the mysterious caravan that just arrived. The hardworking ratkin had claimed an area of cleared ground and put their wagons in a long row and then opened for business. Along with their signature Limburger cheese, brought a large assortment of fine cheese, ground mushroom flour, myconic tonics and miraculous poison cures, scrimshaw artwork, spellcaster''s wands and staves, and enchanted jellybeans.


    By far, the most popular item was the food cart where a large chef was cooking up his favorite specialties. ''Hollow Food'' was an immediate hit, especially with Captain Pike. The ogre was sitting at a table dragged from the casino, eating fried cavefish, fried mushrooms, and tasty golden fry bread. He was sitting next to the largest ratkin anyone had ever seen, comparing notes on underground monstrosities. Pike was just starting a story about hunting a giant, hundred-arm squid when Rosie and Buttercup appeared to either side of him, making all of his inner alarms go off. To his credit, the monster hunter only twitched once, then smiled. The frilly pink dresses helped a lot.


    The girls sat politely and asked him to start from the beginning. Storytime was still going two hours later. Pike loved telling his tales, but too many people were ''squeamish'' and didn''t appreciate the juicy parts of a fight and harvesting the good bits afterward. Rosie and Buttercup sat still, mesmerized by his stories, applauding and asking questions after each one.


    Captain Squint appeared with a contingent of Kulags, overjoyed to find the caravan. He''d been in and out of the casino several times to get another plate of food between rounds of square dancing. He''d also purchased a dozen carved bone knives. He never had enough knives. His knife collection was only surpassed by his collection of broken knives.


    Into this circus, the Sharks marched, Mako scowling at what people were doing in her casino. She spied Professor Tallsqueak sitting at the Captain''s table along with Captains Whale, Annie, Goldtooth, and Cuda. The Engineers guarding the doors had ''suggested'' that Mako only bring in twenty of her crew. She''d grudgingly accepted and left the other hundred outside under the command of the injured Beluga.


    Two crew carried in a large sea chest, necessitated by the coinage inside being more silver and copper on the bottom than gold. Mako had the chest set down and opened, then addressed the Professor while ignoring everyone else. "I''d like to talk to you in private."


    Tallsqueak didn''t look at the gold and shook his head, "No, I''d rather not. In Limburger Hollow, we conduct our business in the open, since what affects some of us affects all of us. We have no secrets, hidden cabals, or insular clans to divide us. While this certainly isn''t the Hollow, still, I would prefer to do business that way. These good Captains are witnesses to our earlier deals and offered to make sure promises were kept. I see no reason, on my part at least, for not continuing to do business in front of them. Please feel free to speak to all of us."


    Mako ground her teeth. Whale and the other Captains smiled at her. Captain Cuda remarked, "Smart man."


    "Very well, I have a proposal for you."


    That seemed to surprise the Professor who looked interested at first, then sadly shook his head. "I must say, Captain Mako, that I''m flattered and maybe just a little intrigued at the possibilities you present, but I have already received such a proposal from a lovely girl in the Hollow, and she is waiting for my answer. I couldn''t disappoint poor Charlotte by accepting your offer of matrimony."


    Mako''s mouth hung open. Whale had taken a sip of her rum and spewed it out over Annie and began choking. Annie and Goldtooth pounded her on the back, Annie putting her muscles into it. Captain Cuda remarked, "Very smart man."


    Mako''s face turned bright red, whether, from anger or the embarrassment of being turned down, no one knew. "No! Dammit, I have a business deal for you, one that will make you a lot of money. I''m sure you''ll like it, with your background in mathematics."


    The Professor seemed interested, "Well, I do love math. It was one of the subjects I taught at the Tower of Strife. Please, present your deal."


    "I''ve got 17,000 in gold and the deeds to two warehouses, three bars, and 9 vacant lots near the docks. I''m willing to pay you all of it for a half interest in the casino. We know how to run it, and how to make money. You won''t have to lift a finger. You''ll get a quarter of the profits. The Sharks get three-quarters, but we''ll put half of our money aside until we can afford the other half of the casino, at which point we''ll buy it back from you. And we''ll still pay you one-quarter of the profits after that for another five years. In addition, we''ll manage the real estate, and the docks, with you getting a quarter of the profits and a similar buyout deal. It''s like selling it all, but still making money for five years. Very profitable and with no effort on your part. Plus, your Hollow is making valuable allies who will be helpful in so many ways."


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The Professor looked interested. "My, that is some very nice-looking math, and I do hate to get my hands dirty."


    "So, we have a deal."


    The Professor sneered and shook his head, "Oh, I''m sorry, what would make you jump to that conclusion? Of course not."


    Tallsqueak stood up. "So, what is involved in this duel?"


    Mako smiled, sensing a win, finally. "You insulted me, I demand satisfaction. You pick a champion and I pick a champion. They fight a friendly cage match."


    Squint immediately put his hand in the air, "OOOOH, Pick me. I''m champion material and I love cage matches. Cats! Bring my best knives, and get my fancy hat."


    Tallsqueak smiled at the thought of Squint fighting. But he also knew Mako was counted as one of the toughest Scavenger Captains. He understood better how the Sharks were tolerated. The threat of a duel kept everyone polite. "Any other options?"


    "Why yes, you can slink away and be known for not backing up your words."


    Tallsqueak smiled, "Well, that seems the least dangerous option. I''m sure my reputation can sustain a minor hit."


    Annie and Whale scowled, and Cuda pointed out the problem. "Captains wager their ships."


    "I don''t have a ship, and neither does Captain Mako."


    Cuda continued, "The Silver Shark counts as a ship, it''s just in pieces. The parts, hull plating, and scrap metal are worth a lot. You''d have to put up something of equal value, like this casino. Then you could slink away, giving it up."


    "Hmm, that''s much worse. But let''s discuss this ''slinking away''. I know the value placed on this casino, and the scrap heap doesn''t come close. That chest of gold is the payment of debts already owed and should come to me. I want something else. If my champion wins the fight, then the Sharks have to slink away and leave Shadowport for fifty years."


    Mako considered, then said, "That''s fair. We have a duel then?"


    Tallsqueak nodded, "We have a duel."


    "I nominate myself, Captain Mako of the Silver Shark, as my champion. Which of your crew do you nominate, Captain Professor Tallsqueak?" She grinned nastily as she said his name.


    Tallsqueak looked to where many people were raising their hands, "Oh, I have several people who are anxious to fight you. Who shall it be? Captain Pike? Captain Squint? Oh, I see Rosie and Buttercup are excited. They''re only seven years old, do I get both of them?"


    Heads turned to where Squint and the Ogre were grinning and two chees-fiends in pink frilly dresses were jumping up and down chanting ''Cage Match! Cage Match.''


    Mako shook her head, "Nope. You have to pick a crew member. That sort of limits you since you don''t have a ship. Right, Captain Cuda?"


    Whale was looking furious, but resigned. Cuda nodded, dispassionate as a referee, "That''s correct. Without a crew, the Professor is limited to himself. Sorry Prof, but rules are rules."


    Mako lit a cigar while the Professor weighed his options. She sneered at him, "Guess you should have been more polite and taken my deal. Ready to leave town so I can reopen my casino?"


    The ratkin''s eyes were completely black as he turned and smiled at her, showing his sharp incisors. "And give up the chance to fight against you while confined in a small cage? I haven''t fought a duel in ages and I''m anxious to get started."

 Chapter 353: Thats the Rules

    Seeing a clan of Scavengers in port might give anyone the impression that they were lazy, drunken sots. This was true, but only up to a point. It was similar to how an Enclave of Elves could spend a summer sniffing flowers in a meadow, yet when threatened with war instantly become serious and march forth to meet their foes clad in Bright SteelArmor, brandishing glowing swords and staves. Port was where Scavengers took their vacations, but when at sea, they were as hard-working as any Engineer.


    The Sharks were a strange exception to the rule. They were only mediocre sailors, preferring submersibles that could strike with surprise. They worked the hardest when they were running some profitable scheme to bring in gold. After acquiring the largest building in Shadowport through a combination of extortion, arson, and dubious loans, they had worked long shifts converting it to the lavish gaming establishment that was to be the cornerstone of their new business. One end was built out to house the large kitchen, and below the main floor, they dug deep to create a vast open room for entertainment of a different sort. They had held a variety of events: lizard racing, dog fights, bare-knuckle boxing, High-Stakes Twister, and dance-offs. While they made money on all of these events since their customers would bet on anything, by far the most popular was the cage matches.


    The ''Shark Cage'' was a thirty-foot square cage of twisted hammer steel bars set with a twenty-foot high ceiling. The bars were 8" apart and 1/2" thick. The current champion of the cage for no-weapons matches was Beluga, who had successfully crushed thirty-seven challengers. With the way her weight had soared lately, the only challenger in the last month had been Annie, who refused to give up despite their size difference.


    Tonight''s match was filling the stands and would have made the Sharks a fortune just in beer and snack sales. Unfortunately for the Sharks, they didn''t own the casino right now. The Deeprock Engineers were selling mugs of ale from a makeshift table, and next to them, Chef Bleusnout was serving up heavily seasoned mushroom kababs.


    There was no official betting tonight. Everyone knew the Sharks had no money to pay off the winners, even if Mako won. They''d be passing out IOUs that might never be redeemed. And for all her ferocious reputation, even her own crew wondered if she could win. Mako had lost her luck, a terrible thing for a Captain, and the Professor was an unknown entity who had held his own against Mako and beat her at her own table. Scavengers wouldn''t serve under an unlucky Captain. If Mako lost tonight, she''d find herself with only a handful of crew in the morning.


    Captain Cuda had better knowledge of the rules than anyone else and was acting as a referee for the match. Milo had immediately had questions about those rules.


    "Pardon me, but as there seems to be no written copy of ''The Scavenger''s Code'' here in Shadowport, I have a few questions."


    All of the Scavengers chuckled, and Cuda explained, "Just as well, since the Code changes constantly and is mostly verbal. But what do you need to know?"


    "Format? Easy. We push both of you through the doors on the opposite sides of the cage and lock them shut. I yell ''1,2,3, Go'' and you charge at each other. The first one to yield, or drop and not move, loses. If both people are up after three minutes you get a one-minute break before the next round."


    The two fighters left to prepare, each in a different way. Mako spent her hour doing sword drills and drinking three bottles of whiskey to give her stamina. Tallsqueak was sitting upstairs, telling stories to Rosie and Buttercup while enjoying fresh puffcakes and fried mushrooms. The girls had decided he had entirely too much food and were helping him eat the pile of food in front of him. Bleusnout had anticipated this, the growing little girls were always hungry and he had cooked ten times what Milo could have eaten on his own.


    Milo hadn''t realized how much he had missed food from the Hollow as well as his adopted family. He''d been overjoyed when he saw the caravan rolling down the street, guided by Captain Squint and a group of Kulags. Being tackled by the girls was unavoidable but welcome, even the cracked rib when Rosie hugged him too hard. They''d grown, but had also gotten ''better''. Brutus told him that the change was slow, but with constant practice of the right skills, and the enhancement points they were earning, they were slowly reversing their fiendish transformation. They''d never again be little girls, but they had a good chance to not be monsters.


    While Tallsqueak made the girls giggle with a story about hunting eels, and the big one got away, Brutus was talking to Sledgemonkey about finding a route between Limburgher Hollow and the Engineering Complex. Currently, the dwarves had to haul the deep copper ingots from the Hollow up the treacherously steep tunnel carved out by the World Boss, then down through the tunnels and caves that led to Harry''s home, and then onward to one of the entrances to their complex. Brutus had looked at every old map he could find in the Hollow and was confident he could find a route to the lower caverns formerly inhabited by the acidic ooze.


    "It might take some work and we may have to bring in the digger moles and mining teams, but I''m pretty sure we can link to the big cavern Tallsqueak talked about. Some of it is on an old map and a brief description. The expedition was cut short when a horde of small ooze and slime monsters attacked."


    The Chief Engineer looked at the maps, seeing the proposed route, "And we can help with that by building level roadbeds and even laying rails. Your draft beasts can pull a lot more on rails, and Two-Screws is talking about a new design for a steam-powered engine to pull rail cars."


    The girls laughed loudly at something Tallsqueak said, and both Brutus and Sledgemonkey looked at him. Brutus expressed everyone''s worry. "How tough is this Captain Mako? I looked at her and couldn''t get a read on her, but I shivered from the tip of my tail to the top of my head. She''s a mean one."


    "Tough as boilerplate. Whale fought her once to a draw, and any other Captain who fought her took a beating, and three died. Mako spent a lot of time in the arenas of Fort Hopeless. Shipwrecked when young and picked up by slavers. She lasted twelve years in the fighting pits before a clan bought all the dwarven slaves and freed them. She was expensive because of her fighting record. She''s made of gristle and scars held together by spite and hate. She took over the Sharks in record time, cutting through anyone in her way. No subtlety to her. Whale said she was the toughest Scavenger she ever met. And a lot like her namesake, cunning and always hungry for more. Our Professor has a tough fight on his hands."


    Brutus wasn''t happy with that news. "Excuse me. I have to talk to the Chef about some cheese."

 Chapter 354: Good, Clean Fun

    The more Milo learned about Mako and the rules for his upcoming match, the more he saw the cage as a trap. He was playing by Scavenger Rules, and he hadn''t read the rulebook. Was there even a rulebook? Probably, but written in four dialects of dwarvish with a different version in each clan.


    No potions and no spells meant no healing during the match. But he still had his regeneration, and nothing had been said about casting spells before the match. Was that an oversight? Or was it something the dwarven Scavengers didn''t think about since so few of them were spellcasters? He shelved the thought until later. Not enough information and he had other things to think about.


    He knew he was faster than Mako and more agile. She moved as if she expected anything else in the world to move out of her way and he''d seen her fight with the group of players. She could take blows and hit hard. He didn''t relish taking a thrust to his chest the way she''d finished off one of the players. Dodging and blocking were essential, and waiting for a chance to hit back when she couldn''t hit him back. It was much like fighting Larry, or even Charlotte after her change. As scary as Charlotte had been to fight, he hadn''t been in such an enclosed space, and he could use his spells.


    As he was pondering this, Bleusnout and Brutus came to talk to him. Brutus wasted no time in giving him the bad news, "I''ve been talking with people. This person you were so silly to get into a fight with is a bad one. The only reason your Engineer buddies haven''t grabbed you and gotten you out of here is that they think too highly of you and are sure you had this all planned out. She''s known to be tough as hell and she fought for most of her early life as a gladiator. Don''t give her a chance, cause she sure as hell won''t give you one."


    "I had some of it planned out, maybe. But not a duel in a cage. Who thinks up stuff like this?"


    Brutus thought for a moment, "Hmmm, dwarves, goblins, orcs are all found of them. Ogres too, but they get to eat the loser. And humans will copy off everyone else. Do you have some clever plan to beat her?"


    Milo shrugged, "How I always fight. Try not to get hit, run around a lot, and hit back when I can. It''s easier in a war, more options.


    Bleusnout handed him a small bag. "So we thought. Treat this like a war. Your opponent will have advantages you don''t even know about, so accept this small bag of medicinal cheese. You look a little pale and I''m proscribing it to you. It isn''t a potion. It''s cheese."


    Milo looks at the four pieces of Battle Cheese. They smelled delicious. But..."That''s a lot of cheese, and I''ve had cheese recently while playing cards."


    Bleusnout patted him on the shoulder, "You''re cautious, that''s good. But I think you''ll need these. Take the aged Goulda at the start of the match to give you speed and dull pain. The other three will provide healing, kickstart your regeneration, and stop any bleeding. If you need to use them, don''t hesitate. Fighting and injuries will force your body to use up its reserves of cheese and keep you in the safe zone."


    Milo looked at the two of them. "Thanks, I appreciate it. I think I''d better get ready."


    "Indeed. The crowd is restless. And we will be there with you. I''ve been told that you may have two associates ''In your corner.'' Brutus and I have volunteered."


    Ten minutes later, Professor Tallsqueak walked down the stairs, dressed for a fight. His heavy robe had been exchanged for a shorter hooded shirt with a face covering. Mako, on the other hand, had stripped down to comfortable pants, heavy boots, and a sleeveless leather shirt that showed off her collection of tattoos on her muscled arms. She raised her arms and cheered for the crowd. Tallsqueak walked to where Captain Cuda was waiting. Mako sneered and came over.


    "Ready for your beating, Professor?"


    "Certainly, Captain, but first, I have a rules clarification. You mentioned ''no beard pulling''. I have to ask, does it say anywhere in those rules that ''tail pulling'' is allowed? It is an equally terrible offense."


    Captain Cuda scratched her head, "No, I don''t think the rules mention tails."


    The Professor smiled, "Then, if nowhere in your extensive rulebook does it allow tail pulling, then we must conclude that both tails and beards are off limits."


    Mako was trying to work through the statement, "Now, wait a minute...."


    Captain Cuda held up a hand. "I agree with the Professor. Nothing says you can, and since he doesn''t have a beard and you don''t have a tail, that seems fair."


    Mako pretended not to care, "Whatever, I was planning on cutting it off for a trophy, not pulling it. But that can wait until after I pound you into the ground."


    Cuda looked at the two of them, "Ready to fight then?"


    Tallsqueak saw that Mako was more wary now. Her charges weren''t all out, more of a dogged pursuit. He was spending a lot of time running from her, bouncing off the walls, and staying ahead of her. He managed to tag Mako twice more, a hit with Shadowblight to the knee that made her curse, and a slash on her arm that left red scratches and nothing more. Round and round they went, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Cuda pick up the hammer for the little bell next to the hourglass. With only a few seconds left he charged Mako from the front, surprising her and bringing down Shadowblight onto her shoulder in a two-handed swing. Mako cursed and grabbed him by the throat with one hand, gleefully bringing up her cutlass.


    With a loud ''Ding'' the round ended. Milo looked at the Scavenger Captain and grinned, "How fortuitous, I lived through the first round."


    Captain Cuda yelled at Mako, "Drop him and get to your corner, both fighters have one minute. No spells, no potions, and nothing enters the ring other than refreshments."


    Milo sat on the small stool Brutus put out, and caught his breath. "You''re right, she''s tough. I''m going to have to work hard to hurt her. I''m burning stamina running around. She''s not even sweating."


    Brutus grinned, "But she''s not walking so good. You hurt her some and she''s green around the gills."


    "Oh, I poisoned her three times with Noble Spider Venom from my spikey stick."


    Bleusnout was staring hard at Mako, "Her wounds are healing! What did they hand to her?" He yelled to Captain Cuda, "I protest, Mako is using a healing potion!"


    Cuda snarled and grabbed the bottle of whiskey from Makko, who didn''t seem concerned, then handed it back. "All legal, refreshments need to be at least 70% of what''s on the label by volume. A little ''pick-me-up'' is legal in the rules. It still counts as whiskey."


    The Chef scowled, "I don''t like these rules, but who am I to accuse anyone of cheating? Here, eat this cheese!"


    Milo took the piece of aged Limburger and popped it into his mouth. It tasted like heaven and he saw his stamina going back up." The bell rang and the next round started with a bang. Literally.


    Brutus and Bleusnout dove for cover and Milo leaped for the ceiling as Mak threw a grenade into his corner. His leap saved him, but he was bleeding in three places. He held on to the top of the cage but Mako had another bomb of some sort coming his way. He dropped into its path and swung his weapon at it, returning it to Mako. The bomb blew up in her face and Milo took more damage, closer than he had been to the first bomb.


    And he was close to Mako. He swung hard for the knee he''d hit before, putting a spike into her. Shadowblight was out of poison for the day, but Sundering was limited only by his stamina, and with the Limburger coursing through his veins he felt like running a marathon. Mako screamed in pain and brought her cutlass around in a horizontal arc aiming for Milo''s head. He blocked with his other arm, taking the blow on his armored forearm. The armor cracked, sending a lance of pain up his arm and he was knocked away into the side of the cage.


    Mako nailed him in his unarmored stomach with a hard kick and brought her cutlass up, only to be smacked by a hard tail slap to the face that cracked like a whip. Her nose broke and she took a step back, Milo rolled and put some distance between them.


    "Fething tails! Shouldn''t be legal to have an extra limb."


    Cuda disagreed, "Neither the Lizard tribes nor the Kobold clans would hold matches if we excluded tails. Ratkin should fall into the same category. Rules are Rules."


    Mako was shocked that she had taken damage. Granted, the hit caught her right in the face and she hadn''t dodged. She snuck a look at her stats and saw her blessing had faded and she was down to only 300 mitigation. The Professor was cheating somehow, or using a cursed weapon. She felt broken inside, especially her face and left knee. It was time to play dirty.


    Brutus yelled out, "Hey, bombs are legal? I want a ruling."


    Captain Cuda shrugged, "Bombs are legal as long as they don''t use cataclysmite. And they have to be carried on a belt or in a storage ring. Can''t expect a Captain to not have a few extra bombs lying around. It''s all good clean fun."


    The short respite ended for Milo as Makko pointed her sword at him and yelled, "Fire in the hole!" A jet of flames seared the air between them, and he only half dodged, taking hundreds of points of fire damage. Milo rolled across the floor, then did nothing but dodge as Mako aimed two more Bolts of Flame at him. As the sword sputtered and went out, the round ended. Milo crawled to the corner where Brutus dumped water on his smoldering fur and Bleusnout handed him another piece of cheese.


    The referee anticipated Brutus as he stood up, "All legal. That''s an enchanted weapon with a Pyromancer Rune. Not a spell, just a triggered rune with limited charges."


    Brutus started to say more, but The Professor held up a hand. "That''s fine, just good clean fun. Hit that bell."

 Chapter 355: I like Skulls

    The next round started and Milo dodged immediately, having no idea what ''legal'' trick Mako would come up with next. He looked horrible, his clothing scorched and burned and some of his fur blackened. But his Near Fiendish Regeneration was super-charged with Battle Cheese and he wasn''t feeling the pain. The Cheese Masters of the Hollows had worked for generations to weaponize their snacks, and Milo could easily see how soldiers could become addicted to them. Mako pulled something from her storage ring, upset to find only a long string of firecrackers, having forgotten how many bombs she''d used at the last big party. She tossed them and the crowd roared in pleasure as Milo scampered for safety and ended up holding onto the top of the cage above Mako.


    They cheered more when the next instant, thirteen glowing skulls fell all around her, exploding and turning her into a pincushion with hundreds of slivers of bone stuck into her skin. Mako''s ears were ringing and she was knocked into the air by the multiple explosions. Milo swung by his tail from the top of the cage and hit her in the head with his weapon, a spike puncturing an eardrum, the smaller spikes penetrated her skull for only a quarter inch. The blow wasn''t fatal, but it maddened the Scavenger from the pain. She stood screaming at Milo and waving her cutlass in the air. He dropped his last three bombs to distract her and swung to the ground.


    Mako was bleeding now, and breathing hard, her anger growing as her opponent failed to die, and worse, cheated as well as she did. The crowd was roaring and the referee was shouting, the crowd too loud for the small bell to be heard by the fighters in the cage. "End of the round, stop fighting you idiots. Mako stomped to her corner and poured another bottle of ''Whiskey'' down her throat. Captain Cuda approached Milo''s corner. "What the hell were the skulls?"


    "Why, nothing illegal. I''m surprised you''ve asked. Just some simple explosives. No cataclysmite and no spell. Just a triggered rune like Mako''s sword. I''m so happy to find out that triggered runes are legal."


    "And you just happened to have all those in a storage device?"


    Professor Tallsqueak grinned at the referee. "I like skulls."


    The crowd liked them too. Where there had been only a few people shouting for Milo, now his cheering section was growing and equal to Mako''s fans. They still thought he''d lose, but he was putting up a good fight. It only added to Mako''s anger. "Hand me the zerkerjuice."


    Beluga pulled out a bottle of dark rum. "Careful, boss. Don''t take more than a few sips or you''ll be out of control."


    Mako laughed, "I''m barely in control now. I need to kill someone. I feel all torn up inside and somehow that bastard is cracking my bones. I even broke a toe when I kicked him. I''m past caring, Beluga. I''m going to paint the cage with his guts." Beluga could only watch as she chugged half the bottle before her hand started shaking and she dropped it. Roaring incoherently, she charged Tallsqueak and Captain Cuda hurriedly hit the bell, just before Mako hit her opponent.


    Milo had turned his head to talk to Brutus and turned back too late to avoid Mako''s berserk charge across the ring. He was slammed into the side of the cage hard, and if not for his hard-runed bones, would have lost half of his ribs. Mako hadn''t even drawn her sword and simply started hitting him in the face and body, over and over. Milo couldn''t get away, or draw his weapon, so he used his claws and tail.


    Milo would find out about that the next day. For the rest of the day, he sat in Mako''s big chair at the Captain''s table, dozing, slurping down tea, and red jelly bean potions, and eating puffcakes. He had a gnawing feeling inside, and Bleusnout noticed him eyeing the piece of cheddar that he''d carefully placed in the center of the table.


    "My cravings are back. I thought I was over them."


    Bleusnout shook his head, "We never get over them. I was in horrible shape after what Rifkin did to me. Smiley and I kept a watch on each other for two months, and Harry watched both of us. Luckily, we had Larry for inspiration. If a cheese fiend can curb his addiction, the rest of us can as well. Which brings me to my next question. What are you planning to do with this huge building?"


    "Oh, give it back to the people the Sharks stole it from. They''ll use it for a bathhouse and washing clothes, although it''s s lot bigger now. Why?"


    The chef pointed in the direction of the kitchen. "You have a very nice kitchen at that end of the building, and a huge basement that would be ideal for growing mushrooms and making cheese. And sadly, far too many whelps running wild up here that need a firm hand to help them with their urges."


    "You want to start a Hollow?"


    "Ah, no, not nearly so ambitious. I want to start a restaurant and serve food from the Hollow. Brutus can supply me with the mushroom flour I need from the Hollow and I can grow my artisanal varieties of fungus and make a little cheese. My main goal is to foster trade with Limburger Hollow and have a place to teach our values to the wild urchins running through these streets. Frankly, I''m surprised half of them haven''t become cheese fiends already."


    That worried Milo, "Cheese fiends would be bad. Very bad, in so many ways." He had no idea if players would still be in control, hopefully not! "Oh, wait! That means I''ll be able to have puffcakes whenever I''m here!"


    Bleusnout nodded to him, "And attend classes. I''ll be starting the next one tomorrow morning." He pulled out a copy of It Takes a Hollow to Make the Cheese and handed it to Milo. "Refresh yourself, I''d added new material. You''ll be assisting me, of course."

 Chapter 356: Solutions to Problems

    Beluga had the wheel of the Drunken Shark since she was the only person on board who could keep the ill-made tub of rotten wood on course. The rudder tended to get stuck, and the cure was either keeping a crew member hanging from a rope on the back of the ship and ready to whack it with a wooden mallet or spinning the wheel back and forth trying to unstick the damned thing. Either method made her unreliable to sail. It was a crappy ship, but convenient to steal and she''d needed to get what was left of the clan out of the damned city before too many of them jumped ship to other clans or became miners. At least on open seas, no one was leaving.


    It had been two days since the cage fight. Two days of slapping the crew around to get them to work and constant duels among the crew to decide the pecking order. After the third attempt on her life and three bodies tossed to the fish, the newcomers made the wise decision that challenging her for command wasn''t going to work in their favor. And hell, she wasn''t even Captain! That was Mako''s job. If she ever left her cabin. The pounding she''d taken, the whiskey, zerkerjuice, and getting her face rearranged had kept her unconscious for a day. The second day she woke up, demanded something to drink for the pain, and went back to bed. They were lucky to have a barber-surgeon in the crew and an apprentice Sea Witch with some healing. They''d worked through the first day to set Mako''s bones, clean her wounds, and fix what they could. There was no saving the eye, and she would need half her teeth replaced with gold, but she''d pull through. Beluga had seen Mako in worse shape.


    She wasn''t even surprised when Mako came on deck using a broken chair for a crutch and made her way to the top deck. Beluga yelled out, "Captain on deck," just to alert the new crew to who the hell she was.


    Mako sat on the deck, back against the rail, for the better part of an hour before she spoke. "How many days sailing on what heading?" Her words were slurred but Beluga was used to talking with drunken pirates, this was sort of the same.


    "Two days, headed west. We can hit the Spice Coast for a refit, our credit is good there. We need cordage, sailcloth, a new rudder, caulking, food, water, rum, and gunpowder. Then I thought we could do a little raid and trade in the Bone Archipelago since no one likes trading with cannibals, but they have a lot of gold in those little villages. We can hit a small one, and steal everything not tied down. Then get out before the big villages find out and fire up the stew pots and get after us in their war canoes. Just my thinking. Your decision, of course, Captain."


    "Head for Big Sandy Island first. We need to dig something up."


    Beluga had been hoping that Mako had some treasure hidden somewhere for emergencies, but asking those kinds of questions of a captain was risky. "Aye, that''s easy to get to. Anchor in that little bay?" Big Sandy had one shitty little well, and three palm trees, but they could get water, at least, while there."


    Mako shook her head. "Water, then leave. Past that are the Deserter Islands. Go to the smallest one, most easterly. There''s a chest, hidden under the biggest rock, that will give us enough to get started. And anyone we don''t like can be left there. Always make the sea an offering for luck."


    "Sounds good, Captain. Then on to the Spice Coast?"


    "No. Then we make sail to Fort Hopeless. We''ll sell half of this idiot crew to the slavers and they can learn how to fight in the pits. We''ll sell this tub and buy something better. Then recruit some real fighters and buy a dozen fat slaves. Then we go to the Bone Archipelago and trade the slaves for war canoes and recruit a tribe to come with us. Then we head back to Shadowport. We''ve got a lot of scores to settle."


    Now, that surprised Beluga. But she stayed silent, letting Mako talk. Maybe she had a plan, but it was off to a bad start. Cannibals on board? How the hell would they feed them for a week?


    "They cheated us, all of them, and they need to pay for it. We''ll have enough money for a load of Clingfire. We anchor around the corner of the bay and go in at night with the war canoes. We hit all the ships there at once, and burn them to the waterline. Then turn the cannibals loose on the town. It will be an all-you-can-eat buffet. And while they''re making dinner, we burn the rest of the town. And that''s just for starters."


    Beluga had heard enough. Mako was crazy and needed some straight talk. "Look, Mak, we go way back, so no disrespect, but that''s fething crazy. We need money, a good ship, and a fresh set of marks to fleece. Not another war we can''t fight. That shit isn''t going to work. You might burn some ships, but the clan will be doomed and probably dead."


    "Doesn''t matter. They need to pay. It''s my reputation at stake and the reputation of the clan. We cheat! We don''t get cheated!" She stood, unsteady on her feet, leaning on the rail. "Now, move away from the wheel! I''m steering the course. I don''t trust you anymore Bel. You shouldn''t question me. I''ll find another mate."


    Ignatius smiled at this, happy to be rid of people who had caused much misfortune. Malta and Elena were also happy, with the younger woman staring at the Professor with curiosity, seeing something no one else could. Alessandra smiled, but then looked around the building sadly. "And you own the building now?"


    The Professor nodded, "My fortunes waxed as Captain Mako ran out of luck. I find myself in possession of this fine building, and many other properties in Shadowport, which is why I need your help."


    "Our help?"


    "Yes. I sat down to play a friendly game of cards or two and then was constantly challenged and forced to defend my winnings, my reputation, and finally my life during a cage fight with Captain Mako. Thrilling, but far from my normal academic endeavors. I find myself needing to divest myself of properties that, frankly, I don''t think the Sharks acquired correctly. So I''d like you to sort these out for me and get them back to their original owners or other families you know that need land to build upon." He shoved a pile of deeds to Brother Ignatius.


    "But what do we owe you for these?"


    "Nothing. I won them gambling and it costs me nothing to pass them on to you. The Chief Engineer has offered the services of his junior Engineers to help build or repair the buildings needed. I am happy to help return the lands around the docks to the families who support the city with their fishing. I also own the majority of the docks. Captain Squint will be helping me by having his Kulags patrol the area. Half of the docks will be used by the fishing fleet, and half will collect fees from merchants. The money will go to support the Kulags in their good work of keeping things under control. And, I have acquired the help of Captain Pike who will be guarding the new docks until things become quieter. He will also happily sink any pirate ship that threatens legitimate fishing and trading vessels. After the example of the last two, his threats will be taken very seriously."


    All four humans were taken aback momentarily. This wasn''t the norm for Shadowport. Then their host turned to Alessandra. "I have a business deal I would like to propose to you."


    She nervously looked around the large building, which wasn''t in the deeds he had just handed over. "I''m certainly listening."


    "Here me out, as parts of this will be strange to someone not familiar with the Hollows. Ratkin society feels a responsibility to train our whelps to be good citizens, but with so many of our young ones running from the caves to the bright lights of the city, I feel some of them are losing their way."


    There were silent nods in agreement. They had all seen the packs of ratkin fighting with humans and dwarves in the endless gang wars, or begging for the cheese to fill their hungry bellies. Too many of them roamed the night, bouncing from rooftop to rooftop in search of people to waylay for the coin they spent at the cheese stand of the halflings the next day.


    "I have been talking about the problem with my old friend, Chef Bleusnout. He is recently retired but has nurtured the young of Limburger Hollow for many decades. Besides the classes he teaches, he is also an expert chef specializing in the tasty food from the Hollow. So here is my proposal, firstly, I am gifting you with your building, Alessandra. I know of the circumstances in which you lost it and wish for you to have it back. The city needs a place to do laundry and a public bathhouse. I would like you to consider renting part of your building to Chef Bleusnout who will use the kitchens and a small part of this end of the top floor for a dining room, and half of the basement for his classes, growing mushrooms, and making a small amount of cheese for his cooking."


    She looked at the deed, then down at the chef, still dishing up food for anyone who walked up to the buffet. "I''m certainly not going to turn down a proposal like that, and thank you for giving me the choice. I''ll work with the chef and see what we can do to help with your young ones. I''ll be honest, I''m a little worried. These deals are too good to be true."


    The Professor just smiled. "So is being dealt an ace high royal flush. I''m happy that my luck lets me solve your problems."

 Chapter 357: Engineer Type Techno-Magic Bullshit!

    Later that night, Captain Tallsqueak held another meeting in the casino. Invited were Captain Whale, Captain Cuda, Captain Goldtooth, Captain Squint, Captain Annie, and Chief Engineer Sledgemonkey. Captain Tallsqueak served a selection of aged whiskey found hidden in Mako''s office in the casino and aged Cheddar, Gouda, and Camembert cheeses from the Hollow.


    The whiskey had been found after the Engineers did a complete search of the building turning up seventeen small stashes of coin, pipeweed, and cheap rum, along with the far more valuable alcohol hidden by Mako. All Scavengers had an instinctive need to hide a little something away. Since they did this mainly when they were drunk, a good proportion of the treasures they hid were never found again by the person hiding them.


    Captain Tallsqueak was eating nothing but salted crackers, under strict orders from his doctor to drastically control his cheese intake. Curiosity alone might not have brought the Captains together. (Except for Captain Squint, who was always curious.) But the lure of raiding Mako''s hidden whiskey stash drew them in.


    Captain Tallsqueak waited until they''d all had time for a first glass of the amber liquid, before starting the meeting. "Thank you for coming. I felt that explanations were in order. First, do me the favor of putting on the monocles that my assistants are passing out to you. These were standard issues for all the Sharks working in this casino." It would have been near impossible to keep Boom-Boom and Narwhale away from the meeting, so Milo had drafted them to assist him tonight. It also gave him two more dangerous people on his side if any of the Captains reacted badly to his revelations.


    "Now, I''ll ask that you focus on the runes you should be able to see on the backs of these cards. The decks were used at all of the Poker and Blackjack tables here." Narwhale expertly dealt each Captain a hand of cards. When they saw the normally invisible runes on the back of the cards, they began to curse loudly. This went on for quite some time, many of the Captains bringing up past grievances with Mako and her crew, and remembering the large pots they lost at tables run by the Sharks in several ports. Captain Tallsqueak waited until they were only grumbling before continuing.


    Whale looked at him, and asked, "How long have you known?"


    "Not long at all. Only since I came here the other night for a little entertainment. I had heard of a mathematical exercise called ''Counting Cards'' and it seemed like an enjoyable way to increase my funds and spend a casual evening with like-minded people. Sadly, the cheese at the buffet was horrible, but the gambling favored me. After mastering the technique and winning a modest amount, I realized that the cards were marked. You see, besides mathematics, I have made a study of ancient and contemporary runes and their uses. My eyeglasses are designed to help me in this task. Testing my ability to read the backs of the cards allowed me to increase my fortunes much faster, as you can imagine."


    Captain Goldtooth looked grumpy and upset. She''d been losing money to the Sharks for years. She hated hearing about anyone else winning. Especially on a night she had lost so much. "So you started cheating!"


    Captain Tallsqueak stared at her for a few seconds until the silence became uncomfortable, "No. I started playing by the same rules that the Sharks were using."


    Captain Cuda raised her glass and downed her whiskey, "Rules are Rules. Seems fair to me."


    Captain Whale was chewing on her cigar. "That''s all well and good for the Blackjack and Poker tables. But the shit that went down up here at the Captain''s Table was another load of fish oil altogether."


    Captain Cuda was furious at Mako''s breach of the rules of a Captain''s Table, "You could have exposed her! Why keep it a secret?"


    Captain Tallsqueak shook his head. "No, all that would have done is gotten me a knife across the throat. Accuse the Captain who owns the casino of cheating in her own casino? How many of you would have backed her instead of an unknown person who recently entered the city? My only way to show she was cheating was to show I could cheat as well. Too many variables. There would have been a huge brawl and someone would have been dead, probably me. You were all going to lose your money anyway. In this case, you get it back."


    Captain Annie had a suspicion of her own, "You wanted her gone, didn''t you? Cleaned out and tossed from the city."


    Tallsqueak shrugged, then winced, his entire body still sore. "She was bad news. Cheating people in every way that she could. And the more she lost, the more dangerous she was. The city was heading in a direction that boded poorly for everyone. Fate dealt her some harsh blows and I was able to do my small part. However, I did not anticipate being locked in a cage with her."


    "Well, it was a fun cage fight to watch."


    "Believe me, it wasn''t a fun fight to be in. But that''s over, and hopefully, I don''t have to ever do another. Which was one of the reasons I wanted to return your gold."


    The Captains looked at each other and nodded. Captain Cuda spoke for all of them, "A very smart move. And my advice would be to give up your Captaincy. Well, until you get a real ship."


    Tallsqueak shuddered, "I was on a boat once, things didn''t go well." He didn''t bother to elaborate.


    Somewhat satisfied, the Captains departed. Cuda and Goldtooth to spend their gold, and Squint was off to stir up trouble with the gangs and keep the players occupied. Captain Annie started to depart, but Whale took her aside for a talk. They departed to discuss the future of the Scavenger Clans in Shadowport and share a bottle of rum on the Iron Orca.


    The Engineers set to work with a vengeance, clearing out all of the gambling equipment, and packing it in crates to send downstairs. The Captain''s Table was judged too fragile and Sledgemonkey opened his Arcane Workshop and the table was placed in one of his large storage rooms. The Professor was very interested in getting a closer look at the wonderful extra-dimensional space, which Sledgemonkey was happy to personally show off and explain to him.


    When Alessandra and twenty women from the church came early the next morning they found a nearly empty building and Chef Bleusnout flipping pancakes on a grill. "Come in ladies, come in. We have much to discuss and I thought it would be better to do so with fresh puffcakes and tea."


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 Happy New Year! The Walruss plans for 2025, and AMA.

    Someone started a thread on the Forums about New Year Resolutions. You know, the shit you say you''ll do and forget about a day later.


    I put down a few things. Then completed one of them. Reading that thread again I edited my post and thought about more stuff. Let''s not call them ''resolutions'', that never works. Let''s go with ''plans''.


    So here are my plans for 2025


    Finish Editing Tunnel Rat 3


    Edit and send off BOG Volume 2 to Aethon


    Edit and send off BOG Volume 3 to Aethon


    Write three more books out of these Work In Progress stories: When you only want to be a thief and join the guild but the Inquisition thinks your a healer and sends you off to a school full of asshole nobles.


    Scrapyard Hero: Cryptids, mysteries, urban legends, and a changing world.


    Lots of influence from Manly Wade Wellman and his Silver John novels. Things that shouldn''t exist, and no one sees them. Diving into strange worlds. And why are there hints about all this shit in those old RPG books from the 70s?


    Get the Hell off my Lawn!: System apocalypse/Invasion meets a cantankerous old man with a lot of guns and a mean truck.


    Dirty Harry at 100 gets mean when some weird-looking rustlers steal his last dozen cattle. They also stole his truck and now the damnable thing talks to him and changes the radio station!


    Get one of these ready by the April Writathon.


    Write 1 million words in 2025.


    If you''ve got a question for me, toss it in the comments.

 Chapter 358: Experimental Projects

    Milo was nervous as he walked through Shadowport to the small stone and metal building that housed the entrance to the recently built tunnel that led to the Deep Rock Engineering complex deep beneath Shadowport. The dwarves had dug the tunnel they called ''The Loophole'' to the surface to recover all the parts of Leviathan and planned to send the repaired ship back the same way, then assemble the parts in the half-built drydock before launching her and beginning the project of recovering what was left of the Iron Queen. Rebuilding Leviathan was a huge task, but doing the same for the Queen was the stuff of legends.


    Scavenger clans and pirate ships had converged on Shadowport to be part of both projects. Some were legitimate crafters who hoped to work on the ships and become part of the crew. Others were there to gain hints of the Queen''s location. It was generally assumed to be why the Sharks disguised their submersible. Milo, or rather, his alter ego, Professor Tallsqueak, owned the remains of the Silver Shark. Soon, it would also travel down the Loophole to be used as scrap metal.


    Milo was anxious to get back to the complex and see what projects were going on. The dwarves were in overdrive and talked continuously about the repairs to Leviathan and the rebuilding of the complex that his snake trap had blown up with the help of a huge storage tank of explosive dwarven whiskey labeled as waste fluid. But he was nervous, and for good reason. Engineers didn''t name something the Loophole without a good reason, and from their grins as he strapped himself into the passenger seat at the front, he was sure he knew the reason, and it wasn''t going to be good.


    The original Deepwater complex was over a half mile below Shadowport, and the massive cavern beneath was another thousand feet down. Milo was about to travel roughly two miles along tracks that flowed through natural caverns and incorporated several twists and turns designed by crazed dwarves addicted to rollercoasters. It was a racial preference, Milo had been told, a way to increase their toughness and test themselves. It wasn''t nearly so much fun for Milo, but Peenhammer, the dwarf sitting next to him was screaming and laughing the whole way down as the tracks corkscrewed into the earth, looped, turned over backward, and executed every other twist any of the junior Engineers could think of. They were constrained by the problem of not wrecking the supply trains, but as long as they ended up down at the bottoms, it was a good run.


    Milo had turned most of his brain off for the run and screamed all the way down. The system happily informed him of earning 100 experience in toughness. He was pulled from the train by Peenhammer and leaned against the wall until he felt better. Despite how he looked, any Engineer who walked by gave him a thumbs-up or patted him on the shoulder. If you weren''t a dwarf and could survive the ride, you''d earned their respect.


    He''d only spent a little time in the huge cavern before. First, dreaming in a crack in one of Alta-Viator''s immense ribs, and then later when he raced to dig out the Snake Egg before it could hatch. Before, the detriment of ages had covered the bones and scales of what remained Alta-Viator but the explosion he had set off had scoured the interior of the Great Bone Beast clean. Every cave for a mile around had been filled with fire and scoured clean. Not a bad thing since acidic slimes had overrun many areas. What was here now was a huge cave. The dwarves had measured the length of the main cavern at over 2000 feet long. The arched ceiling made of gigantic ribs and vertebrae holding up a coating of massive scales was 300 feet high in the center. Another layer of scales had been found 200 feet down, below the layer of rock that had formed inside the opening.


    The shaft going up to the old complex had been widened and a sturdy elevator installed. Milo remembered his first time here when he''d come down in a bucket only a few feet above the horrendous ''Ever-Pudding''. The dwarves still had parts of it in glass jars. The creatures split off from the main mass had their own strange personalities, but all of them could produce high-grade acid that the dwarves found useful. Large signs warning about overfeeding the small puddings were everywhere.


    Parts of the rebuilding project were everywhere. Huge project boards had been erected showing the plans for smelters, workshops, ore refining, and machine crafting. Huge copper towers were being erected far away from other construction. Milo pointed to them, "Are those fuel distillation towers?"


    Peenhammer laughed, "Sort of. That''s the whiskey factory. Just like the old one you blew all to hell but twenty times bigger. Across the cavern will be the fuel mixing tanks. We''re testing out mixes of distilled tar oil, wasteful, and whiskey. So far, the experimental mixtures have been pushing boilers to the redline in record time. We''ve been blowing up boilers each week, but the last batch is finally holding. It takes layers of Deep Copper and Hammer Steel, thick ones, and then horizontal bands of Dark Steel. So far, they''ve held and Whale is happy with them, but I''ve some ideas about adding a new fuel additive to the mix that could up the pressure by 20% more. That''ll blow a gasket for sure and we''ll start over. But mark my words, the days of coal and its low-pressure output are gone for good."


    Milo could see an area that had an impressive collection of exploded boilers. He saw Peenhammer''s point, but a less volatile mix might be better in the long run. Blowing your boilers with a thousand fathoms of water above you made repairs tough. "Has anyone tried using both?" Peenhammer stopped in midstride, "Both? You have an idea for a project. Tell your old buddy Peenhammer about it and I''ll put together a crew to test it." Milo could see he was excited.


    "Oh, I was just thinking that if we reduced coal down to coke and removed the impurities, a slurry of ground coke and liquid fuel would give some advantages. Longer burning, more control on the pressure, and less chance of blowing a boiler."


    Peenhammer nodded, "Yes, I see it. Come on! We''ll write it up on the project board so we get credit and I''ll get to work!" The excited dwarf let Milo to a spot with still more project boards where teams were submitting their experiments before running off to do something crazy. He helped Peenhammer with the writing up of the project and his new partner waved and ran off to find a crew to recruit. "Think up a few more things. Our crew will test them out and see what works."


    Captain Whale stood up and looked around the table. "A small point. I remember the mysterious ''Senior Engineer Milo'' from when he helped blow up Leviathan. Her son-in-law smiled as he remembered the fun and said "Seeing all those boilers go up at once was a beautiful thing. My wife here put that ball right where Milo said to, and that ship was history. BOOM!"


    Whale sighed. "Yes, and now we need to rebuild the damned ship. My point is, this is a dwarven operation, and I''m curious about why we have a human down here."


    Sledgemonkey looked at her, innocently smiling, "He''s a curious type of human. But he''s shown he has the ability to build and destroy with the best of us. Being a dwarf helps to be a good Engineer, but that doesn''t mean other races can''t excel as well. In fact, I''ve approved a half-elf who will be joining us at some point. He comes highly recommended."


    That got some reactions. "A half-elf? Are you mad", "You''re pushing for a war, doing that. The Elves don''t recognize Magi-tech as being our invention! Why would we let an elf see our secrets?" Several mates stood up. So did Milo. He took the spanner from his belt and slammed it down hard on the table. The pre-System tool left cracks spiraling out from the point of impact on the granite-topped table. Silence ensued, and every Engineer and Mechanic craned their neck to get a better look at it.


    Milo spoke slowly, and menacingly as he looked at each person. "Vladimir Two-Souls is also half-dwarf and for his entire life, both sides of his family have looked down on him because of it. And it''s Stupid! He''s an amazing Engineer specializing in runic script, magi-tech, and mana-flow devices. He''s one of the best, and he''s a Deep Rock Engineer now. I gave him my own spanner that Sledgemonkey gave to me. It isn''t the heritage any of us should care about, it''s what a person can do. And Vladimir can do a lot. You can see some of his work in the new valve and flow regulators Peenhammer and I have been testing. If you have a problem with him, you have a problem with me."


    Everyone sat back down and took a deep breath. One of the mechanics said, "Those are some pretty flow regulators." That seemed to settle things, at least for now. Sledgemonkey stood up again, "And don''t forget, the ratkin of Limburgher Hollow are also part of this project. They have Storm Mages with some very interesting theories. I''ve talked to them. They''ll be a great asset to us, along with supplying hundreds of tons of Deep Copper and other metals that we need."


    Whale looked at the other Captains, "We''ve seen an example of the type of people the Hollow produces. We''re fine with the ratkin from there. I wish we had a more direct route to there. What''s the status of the tunnel?"


    Two-Screws stood up. "Good, actually, they know their stuff, and their Caravan Master has mapped it out most of the way. We can start to drill towards them and he said they''d meet us halfway."


    "Going to be slow if they''re using picks and shovels."


    Milo smiled, "You haven''t seen digger moles at work then. I bet they get to the halfway point before we do from this side." He realized the error of his words as several Engineers smiled.


    The race was on.

 Chapter 359: Deep Planning Session

    Sledgemonkey sighed as he saw what Milo had started. It was something a Senior Engineer always had to remember. It didn''t take much to get the younger Engineers going, they were making up for lost years with gusto, and looking for challenges. There would be three teams starting three tunnels by tomorrow. "OK, a new tunnel to the Hollow is pretty much assured at this point. It''s an investment in time, work, and materials for the tracks we need to lay but it will pay off greatly. I don''t see a problem. We''ll start laying tracks once we have a complete route and someone with a lick of sense in their head checks it out."


    Mention of the tracks led to a discussion of the new steel mill and the need for more Dark Iron ore to keep it running twenty-four hours a day and maximize the efficiency ratings. The Scavengers flinched, knowing that a discussion of ''efficiency'' could sidetrack a group of Engineers for hours. Captain Cuda was too impatient for that and wanted to get to the good parts of this meeting.


    "All fine to nitpick and discuss all your little projects, but do that on your own time. You''ve got us all down here, and I want to hear about these big plans that Whale keeps hinting at. Sure, we''ve heard about building a ship and finding the Queen. A good bullshit story to tell while drinking beer, but the small details matter, like who''s doing it, and who sits on the sidelines and applauds to inflate your egos. What do you need my girls for, and what''s in it for us?" Annie and Goldtooth nodded and echoed her words.


    Whale looked around the table. "Yeah, we need to work some things out and come to a consensus. Mako lit the fire with her ''Bring all the clans together'' ideas. Most of it was crap; she just wanted to be in charge of all of us. But it got me thinking. The Queen is a big project. It took several clans to build her, and it will take more than one to put her back together, even with a competent group of Engineers and the proper infrastructure. We''ll need ships to salvage and ships to fight off large beasties in the Rust Sea and more to fight the pirates who want to steal our treasures. That takes a lot of girls, and there''s a lot of other work to be done."


    Captain Annie nodded in agreement but then scowled, "The work won''t be the hard part; it will be keeping us from fighting over every little thing. Especially if you include other clans."


    Whale shook her head, "No one else. We have what we need, right here at this table. I know we don''t always act like it, but we''re the sanest of the Great Clans. Maybe there''s room for more later, but not now. We close ranks and learn to get along. The spanner boys will help by staying as neutral as they can and knocking heads together. The Hollow will help with that as well. Narwhale tells me they have a conclave for big decisions, but things run smoothly because they try to work together instead of constantly competing. That''s the part we need to figure out."No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Milo declined to point out that Narwhale might not know about the magical dueling competitions and playing surprise. Limburger Hollow had its own style of competition, but he agreed, it was certainly far less ''energetic'' than the Scavengers.


    Goldtooth had another important question, "And how do you plan to keep the others out? Mako planned to take over the city and control the docks, the harbor, and all the shipping. If we''re going that route, we''d best get to work."


    Cuda looked thoughtful, but Annie laughed out loud. "Not happening. Only Mako thought that plan would work. Sure, all the talk of this once being a dwarven city sounded good, but face it, that old city got blown to bits long ago. Other folks moved into the hole where it was. Shadowport has a mix of races here, and a lot of the residents are human."


    "I disagree. This used to be a dwarven city, and it can be again. Humans can leave if they aren''t happy."


    "Bad plan." Sledgemonkey started ticking the problems off on his fingers, "Firstly, The guilds won''t be happy, and getting them to agree on anything is difficult. They''re all stubborn as hell. They weren''t even happy about us stopping a monster from eating the damned city. Second, the town lives on commerce. The merchants will protest and fight against someone controlling the port and charging taxes, and the rich merchants using airships will ignore you. Third, you got to eat, and taking back the docks will just lose the last of the fishing fleet and we''ll be paying five gold for a taco. Fourth, Squint thinks the city is his, and he can rally the gangs against you. He was just playing with Mako. Try it again, and he''ll get serious. And lastly, while he gave away most of the properties, you''ll piss off the Professor, and he''s connected with the Hollow. That''s too many broken parts to make that plan work."


    Sledgemonkey was all too aware of how much trouble the Senior Engineer sitting next to him could cause on a good day and had a vested interest in not having him work against this project. Getting rid of the Sharks had been a good thing, and he wanted to get rid of the friction between Scavengers, Engineers, and the town. He didn''t know how to do that, but he knew it was a mistake to have the Scavengers carry through with Mako''s plan. Of course, Whale asked the question he had set himself up for.


    The large Captain looked at him, "So what''s your plan?"


    The Chief Engineer snorted, "You think I have a plan? I just fix shit. I''m terrible with people. I didn''t even know how much of a problem we were causing up top with the tunnel and all the pirates hitting the town until a delegation came to talk to me."


    "The pirates were a damned menace to all of us. I was about ready to start shooting, even before the eels attacked." Annie remembered the sheer joy of firing her guns and smiled. "And if we build up pirates like that again, I won''t hesitate to blow them out of the water."


    Milo said, "I can. It''s not hard if you have the skill, the crystals, and the knowledge of the ritual. I''ll make three linked crystals, put one on Leviathan, and then use the other two to triangulate your location. I can do that from the shore, with a mile between the crystals. The angles of the two crystals will give me the direction, distance, and depth of where Leviathan is. Just Magi-tech and simple trigonometry."


    Annie looked at Sledgemonkey, "Is that true?"


    "Yep, If Senior Engineer Milo says he can do it, it can be done, and if he can do it, stands to reason someone else could."


    "Shit. We''ll need more ships, just to fight off the claim jumpers."


    Milo pointed to his calculations, "Or a better place to build Leviathan, and later The Iron Queen. I suggest we launch them here, in this cavern."


    Whale narrowed her eyes, wondering if he was serious, then she laughed and the other captains laughed as well. Finally, she wiped her eyes. "Holy shit, you had me going with all of that work you did. What a joke. Sure, we build the ship here, then we can play house in it, or turn it into a bar."


    Sledgemonkey''s eyes were wide, slowly the idea spread from Engineer to Engineer until they were all talking at once and checking Milo''s math. The scavengers noticed what was happening. They knew something was bouncing around in the Engineer''s heads, but couldn''t imagine what. They all turned to look at Milo.


    "We''re a considerable ways underground, but the ocean is far deeper. I suggest we dig out one end of the cavern to the level of the lower scales, giving a small bay for the ships to test buoyancy and fix any leaks. The ships will then enter the first of a series of long, water-filled tunnels separated by pressurized locks and gates. At the far end, the submarines can enter the ocean, unseen by anyone, and proceed to the Rust Sea. All salvaging will be done by submersible."


    He drew a quick sketch and pointed to the far end. "We''ll want a small complex at the far end both for security, and to transfer the salvage from nets to cargo barges that will move it back to this cavern. That lets the submersibles we build concentrate on their work, and not on transport. By the time we have Leviathan and the Silver Shark rebuilt, we should have designs for other submersibles done, and each clan will have their own ship to crew, with the Iron Queen being a joint effort, and crewed by the best veterans. With how large she is, based on your notes. I''ll suggest a separate set of locks be built to accommodate her and the rest of the larger vessels that get built."


    The Scavengers were staring at him, rolling over the ideas in their head.


    "That is one hell of a lot of work, you know that? Decades of work." Whale was considering. Just the security alone was a selling point.


    Milo smiled at them, "Sure, a huge amount. But I know that all of you will be pushing as hard as you can. Think about it: A totally secret, underground base, complete with Engineering support, and all the bars and tattoo parlors you could want. Why fight to build something in Shadowport when you can do it down here? A secret, underground pirate cove." He started to talk more, but Whale stopped him.


    "All in favor?"


    "Very well. I see each Great Clan is in favor of building the biggest, badest Scavenger town that ever existed. It''s unanimous. Poor the room. We''ve got work to do, girls."

 Chapter 360: The Law of Shinies

    After a round of drinks, which Milo was forced to participate in, (and used his tail to swap his full glass of whiskey with Sledgemonkey''s empty one whenever he could), the jovial group of Scavengers and Engineers began brainstorming crazy ideas about what they wanted in a base. Milo was expecting a lot more crazy ideas than were suggested. Captains had to deal with the harsh realities of sailing the seas and keeping their ships afloat, and that showed in some of the questions asked and suggestions made.


    The security that the plan offered was a huge boon. More than once, Engineers or Scavengers had built small port cities and then had to defend them against people who valued their hard work but didn''t want to pay for it. The vast cavern gave them a place to build, work, and relax without the need for a constant mercenary force and gunships tying up crew and using up money. With the only access through the lock and submerged tunnel system used by the ships, or through narrow underground caves, the small city would be safer than anything built up top.


    Captain Cuda was happy with the plan but saw problems they had to deal with, sooner or later, "I like it, but we''re a long way off from having access to my ship from down here. We''re talking a complete overhaul to turn it into a full submersible. And you''ll never do that to the Iron Orca. We''re going to need to use our existing ships to haul the cargo we need. And that means dealing with the mess in Shadowport still."


    Engineer Milo unrolled a blueprint, ready with a suggestion, "Yes, I considered those very valid points. We need your ships and crews bringing in the specialists and materials we can''t source ourselves. Plus, we want to simplify the problems up there, keep some control, and work with the rest of the city. I propose we build a long jetty straight out into the bay, with one end at the center of the beach, and the other end at the edge of the drop-off. We then build along the edge of the drop-off in either direction. Just enough space for a half dozen large ships. They''ll have deep water anchorage, and won''t interfere with the ships using the docks. We can bring in cargo and run it across rails on the surface of the jetty and straight down the tunnel. That separates the docks into the area for the merchant fleet and the part controlled by the fishing fleet."


    Annie looked at the plan. "I notice you have a large building planned at the end of the jetty. I''m assuming that it''s going to house a few cannons. It sure would make a nice defensive position."


    Milo nodded, "It certainly does. I''d like to suggest a mix of large bore guns, along with Steam Cannon, like you''ve pioneered on the Iron Orca. We''ll build a three-story stone tower, with plenty of room to house the guns and the boilers. Anyone we don''t want tying up at our docks can be sent to the bottom, and we can protect against another eel attack. The bottom can house a harbormaster''s office and tavern."


    Cuda liked it: "Quick unloading, and we can stay out of the shallows and head right back out, maybe after a bit of convenient drinking. My clan has repair shops and equipment scattered in a dozen ports. I can start hauling most of it here and then downstairs. It''s easier to make new parts down here and have them ready for when a ship comes in needing repairs."


    Goldtooth had her own ideas. "We need to build big. There''s a lot of metal in these caverns. It''s why the old city was here. We''re not the only ones who are going to need a lot of parts. We could build basic boilers and cast cannons and make gears, pistons, and anything else that''s in demand. Turn a pretty penny and support other clans at the same time. The big clans have always bought and sold parts and magi-tech to the smaller clans, but there hasn''t been a big supplier in centuries, and the rare stuff has gotten rarer." She looked at the Engineers and smiled possessively, "Another reason why I''m happy to have a big group of spanner boys available to handle the tricky parts. I''ve seen more rune-work and magi-tech in the little I''ve been down here than before in my whole life."


    "Aye, but while we''re talking about ''tech, where the hell did the Sharks get that table? It''s a fancy piece of work and the cards are beautiful. Can you imagine a ship built with that kind of stuff?" Cuda and the other Captains had all examined the Captain''s Table in the next room over, marveling at the workmanship.


    Narwhal said, wistfully, "I saw it on The Queen. It was beautiful. Didn''t have a lot of time to do more than loot the first big treasure bin. But anywhere you brushed off the mud and grime you could see the glowing rune-work on the walls. There''s so much more there to learn and loot. I''m going back, somehow, someday. I say we start strong and every ship we build gets our best work from armor plating to boilers, to magi-tech."


    "Going to take a hell of a lot of magi-tech, and someone to figure out how that table was made and worked. No one has seen Abigail since Mako lost the cut of the cards. And Mako won''t be talking for quite some time, even if we could find her. How long for your smart-ass lads to figure that thing out, Sledge?"


    The Chief Engineer paused for a bit, thinking, "Well, really, it should be someone young and energetic with a unique way of looking at things and experience in novel new theories on both runes and magi-tech. Any ideas?"


    Boom-Boom raised his hand, "No problem, Chief. I''ll get right on it and have the project on the boards by tonight." Then he grinned, "And I''ll appoint Senior Engineer to my staff. How long do you think it will take to figure out, Milo?"


    Milo looked up, appearing calm. The Engineers were getting less calm by the second as the Scavenger Captains closed ranks.


    "Nothing much that the rest of you couldn''t have found, I simply found it first. There I was, taking a casual swim with an old diving helmet when I saw the strangest thing: Half a ship lying on the ocean floor. I was curious about it and quite surprised to find a lot of gold lying around in the stern. I put the gold someplace safe, then noticed a curious puzzle holding a vault door shut. It was simply a matter of applying the correct amount of force to pry it open. Luckily, I had my tools with me. I nearly died, too. All that gold fell on me and it took forever to get out. I nearly drowned. That would have been so embarrassing for Captain Mako to find me there under her gold. Well, my gold now."


    The Scavengers were all staring at him as he casually related the story without a care in the world. "And imagine my surprise at finding still more gold inside. So many heavy bars. I had no idea what to do with them at first, but then I discovered the hidden vaults. I don''t think anyone but Mako knew about them."


    His eyes went to Captain Cuda, "And I very much doubt that Scavenger Code overrides Draconic Law regarding shinies. The amount of gold in that ship certainly counts as an ''Abandoned Small Hoard of Shinies,'' and therefore belonged to the first person to claim them and find them a good home."


    Annie''s eyes lit up. "The holes in the back of the vault! I thought Mako was going to blow a blood vessel right then and there. She was insanely mad about that. Are you saying you hid all the gold in her Arcane Seachests? And then stole them?"


    Milo shook his head. "That would have been convenient, but they were mostly full. Tray after tray of Magi-Tech components on one side, and the other held the notebooks detailing the construction and use of the Captain''s Table and his decks of cards. I''ve got over 200 sets of blank cards that are made of mana-reactive foil. I''ll have fun experimenting with those."


    He made sure he was looking at Two-Screws as he said, "I found room in the Arcane Workshop that I looted for all the gold. Not quite as big as Sledgemonkey''s, but then, I''m only a youngster. Sadly, I had to leave some of the gold lying in the ocean, but I think that worked out fine from what I hear with Captain Annie getting paid and Captain Mako using the rest to pay her debts."


    Two-Screws was beside himself, "Dammit if you''re going to make me beg? Alright, I''m begging. Show it to me!" All the Engineers were nodding.


    He looked at Whale and the Scavengers, no longer quite so casual in his demeanor, "It''s a great secret, and I could have had great fun never telling anyone about my little fishing trip. But we''re all partners now, and we have work to do. What''s in here will help with that work, but that doesn''t mean I want this story to go any further. Captain''s Honor."


    Whale''s eyes got large, "You''re sharing a hoard of gold?" The other Captains struggled with the concept. The professor paying back the gold they''d lost was one thing, but they''d understood his desire to have peace with his fellow Captains. This...well, this just wasn''t done.


    Milo nodded to her, "I''d rather build a city than sit on more gold than I can ever spend."


    Whale turned to the assembled Scavengers, "Captain''s Honor, and dire consequences to anyone that talks." The other Captains and crew all swore.


    Milo went to the wall and opened up his Arcane Workbench before Two-Screws exploded. The first thing he took out was a big roll of blueprints that he put on the table. "Time to get to work."

 Chapter 361: Were going to need a bigger Drill!

    An Arcane Workshop was something most Engineers never saw, let alone earned. The people who did have them were cagey about how they came to get them, sharing only small hints to keep their brother Engineers working on the quest. The Engineers who had joined Milo in fighting off the World Boss, Uthneragrubban, had been lucky enough to see Sledgemonkey''s Arcane Workshop and had spread the tale to those who hadn''t been at the fight. They talked of it with the reverence that a priest reserved for the biggest cathedral of their god. All of them aspired to have one, and it was a topic of many discussions. They knew that only a Senior Engineer could start the quest, and it could take years to gather all of the materials. And if Milo''s Arcane Workshop was much smaller than the massive one owned by Sledgemonkey, a shrine rather than a cathedral, it was still a wonder for them to behold. The thought of getting to look at another of the fabled contraptions had them geared up and unable to sit still as Senior Engineer Milo worked to summon his.


    The wall in front changed to two sliding doors made of polished dark metal that recessed into the walls revealing a workbench filled with beautifully made precision tools. The bench slid back, revealing the storage chests on either side. Milo had decided to add the two smaller, 8 cubic feet storage chests to the workshop, and the doors to them had appeared above the sea chests. He pulled out one of the larger chests, opened it, and started pulling out ingots of gold, casually tossing them onto the table. "These things are heavy and there were a lot of them in Mako''s vault. Quite a workout to load them into here. But I need the space for other things. I''m sure there''s a safe place to put them until we need to use them to finance some trading ventures for needed materials."


    Captains Annie and Goldtooth stepped forward and Milo started handing the ingots to them. Goldtooth got a glimpse of what was in the storage chest and a small tear ran down her face. "So shiny. I don''t mind a little hard work hauling them out. Let me help you with that!"


    Milo stepped aside, "Thanks! I know I can trust everyone here since they swore a Captain''s oath or are my brother Engineers."


    There were nods of agreement all around, but also sweaty palms and wild eyes as the dwarves saw things they desired. The Scavengers made a line, passing the heavy ingots from the chest two at a time and stacking them against the wall. When the 400 slabs were out of the ingot storage chest, Milo opened the miscellaneous storage chest, and after a bit of cursing and hollering, they started clearing the 64 cubic feet of gold coins.


    Milo''s magic hidey-hole was the ultimate treasure chest to almost everyone in the room. But not to Whale and Narwhal. Boom-boom admired the tools but was saddened by a lack of explosives. Everyone on Leviathan had seen the treasure trove that Nawhal''s crew had salvaged from the wreck, but only the three who went into the wreck had seen the immense, hidden treasure compartment in the sunken ship''s captain''s quarters.


    "It''s pretty, but I''ve seen bigger. Wish to hell I''d have known how to take the whole thing with me like you did."


    Milo considered the circumstances of finding Black Eddy''s workbench and the message. "Both ships were wrecks on the sea bottom, and both had specific ways to unlock them. I think the difference might be being a Senior Engineer. That was what let me claim it. I bet the one on the Queen was built by an Engineer and you might need one to relocate it."


    Boom-Boom''s eyes got huge, then he smiled sweetly. "I know where I want to go for a second honeymoon."


    Whale scowled at him, "Keep dreaming, that belongs on the Queen."


    Narwhal stood up and confronted her mother/captain, "You aren''t thinking of the ramifications of what my clever husband is thinking about. That workshop had doors ten feet on a side and the cavity went twenty feet deep. Do you know how much swag we could fit in there if he claims it? We could fill it full of every bit of loot we find on the Queen and then he can close it up and take it with him. Next trip we could grab dozens of cannons. Weight wouldn''t matter. That''s a hell of a lot quicker way to loot and scoot than using a cargo net and loading it all into Leviathan."


    He shrugged, "If you don''t want someone to steal your gold, don''t leave it at the bottom of the ocean." They all raised their glasses and drank again.


    Milo was busy over the next two days. He took a nap in Genesis but while his character was asleep in the game, he spent the next eight hours in the real world comparing the blueprints he''d seen for rebuilding the submersibles and comparing them to real-world submarines. Things didn''t work the same in the game, with magic, runes, and super-strong alloys, but he gained a better understanding of what the project would entail. His second deep dive was into canal and lock systems. This was going to be a huge project and a potentially dangerous one. He wanted to increase his knowledge base as much as he could. Ra??§àb§¦????


    Satisfied that he had enough for now, he went to sleep in his pod, woke up in the game, and began to design a more efficient mechanical drill that would be needed to dig the massive tunnels. His new design made innovations on the machine the Engineers had used before but incorporated ideas used in the huge digging machine he''d used underneath the habitat. When he was done, he found Peenhammer and showed him the designs.


    His project partner was delighted with the blueprints. "OH! I like this. Do you want to put a team together and build it? I''m your man."


    Milo rolled up the plans and handed him all four sets. "Actually, I had a different idea in mind. I want you to put a team together, and your job is to monitor three other teams. We have three groups who have started racing to Limburgher Hollow. Give these designs to all three teams, but suggest they experiment and make the design even better."


    "Yeah, they''d be doing that anyway. But I get the idea. We pick the best version."


    Milo shook his head, "No, we take all the best ideas from all versions. Then we do a final version, and build a drill machine ten times as big."


    Peenhammer thought for a moment, looked at the schematics, then at the far wall. "Ten times as big? Now that''s a proper project. Going to take a lot of materials though. Hard to get that much out of Sledge."


    "Not for this. You''re preapproved for anything you need for this project. Focus on efficiency and the best machine your team can make."


    Peenhammer double-checked to make sure Milo wasn''t joking about the budget, then saluted. "You got it, partner. I''ll get them started. It will take them a week to rebuild the drillers, but it''s worth it." He ran off in a cloud of dust, looking for his team.


    Milo decided to leave for Shadowport immediately after his next nap. The trip up the tunnel took far longer than coming down and was an enjoyable ride with minimal twists and turns. In his pocket was a small globe with a crystalline needle inside that always pointed to a spot where the dwarven tunneling teams were getting started. With the time they would take to rebuild their machines, he''d be able to get uptop, find Brutus, travel back down into the cave network, and begin exploring toward the Engineering Complex. In his storage, he had three sets of oversized hammer steel picks and shovels. The girls loved to do new things, especially if they could race each other and go all out. It was time to teach them mining.

 Chapter 362: Brain and Muscle Burning

    "Victory! Huzzah! The team supreme has conquered the evil and crafty Storage Disk #34!"


    The cheering voice made Belinda smile. Rusty was always up for celebrating victories, whatever the game was. Sadly, they were coming very slowly as he helped her work through the treasure trove of data Milo had found in the hidden lab in the Manpower medical center. If someone claimed that all biological research on the human species was contained in these discs, she might believe them. There were decades of data on experiments done by corporations and governments, stretching back to the early 1900''s. This wasn''t something done over a few years. It would have taken decades. Gathering this research together in one place was far beyond John''s company.


    Or was it her company now? That was something she had to straighten out with him. She turned 18 tomorrow, which changed their relationship dramatically. It felt surreal that a few hours could turn her from a child who had to hide from her only guardian, into an adult, with access to an obscene amount of money, some of which her stepdad had been allowed to borrow. John hadn''t made payments, on interest, or principle, ever. He hadn''t expected that he''d need to pay it back. Once a few things got sorted out, she could show that the loans were in default and seize Manpower from him. If she wanted to and, frankly, she didn''t. That would be a huge mess she didn''t want to go through, and John would fight and whine to everyone for years. She''d seen him do it before. And even if she didn''t want his company, it made a great threat to hold over his head. That part she liked.


    A loud voice cut through her musings and reminded her of her job. "Yoohoo! Belinda!? You''re brooding again. I only bring it up because the more you sit and think, the longer this takes and frankly, you''re cutting into my anime-watching time."


    She shook herself and glared up at the middle screen where a red-haired anime boy was petting a striped cat, while surrounded by a hundred more. "Sorry, Rusty. Can you load numbers 35 to 37?" The storage discs had a massive amount of files in each, and many of them were encrypted. Rusty loved breaking the encryption. Milo had given him some pointers and shared some of his tools. He''d progressed fast after that, with both Milo and Belinda feeding him things to practice on.


    Getting to the command center hadn''t been a problem. With Rusty guiding her and a protective escort from General Maximus, she had no problem navigating through the long corridors in her wheelchair. The first day she was good, finding her objective and getting right to work. After that, she left earlier and spent some time exploring. Milo had told her about the Engineering Section with its massive diesel engines that supplied supplemental power, but nothing could have prepared her for seeing it in person. The amount of resources and technology in this abandoned bunker was staggering. Rusty gave her a tour and told her how Milo had started the first diesel engine and brought the facility back online, causing the war with Icarus to heat up. With no need to keep several of the engines running for power, only the first was still on, idling at low speed but ready to roar to life and start the others in case of a power failure. Something that was highly unlikely now that Rusty was in control of the fusion power plant.


    Rusty had the next three discs ready to go and they got started. Each of the foot-wide disks held a massive amount of research, involving all aspects of biology, medicine, or genetics that pertained to humans, along with some interesting studies on increasing the intelligence of animals. She had started going through the contents and then realized that it would take days for each of the disks. There were huge studies that covered decades with hundreds of thousands of patients. Even just looking at the conclusions of the studies took time.


    She''d had a minor breakthrough when she came upon the first notes. Someone, she suspected her father, had added his own observations and opinions. She''d read Vigo''s published papers, trying to learn about him, and she noted similarities in his writing. Going on that hunch, she had Rusty skim the next few disks and she only spent time on the places Vigo had bookmarked or left notes on. Most of these had to do with human genetics and intelligence testing. But it was still too slow. Yesterday, after finishing the sixteenth of the discs, she approached the idea of processing multiple discs at once.


    "Rusty, I think we need to approach things differently, otherwise we''re not going to get time this week to watch much anime together. How about this? Load discs 17 to 19, skim them for my father''s notes, and I''ll read through those parts. Assign one disc to each of the three screens. I''ll assign controls to the screens and skip to the next section when I''m done. Keep putting up the information and let me see how fast I can go skim through them and mark sections that look important."


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "I do? That''s good, right? I think Milo would be in very bad shape without her. All right, time to run home! Your escort is ready to go. And tomorrow morning, why don''t we add an hour of Jeremy''s tutorials to your schedule, right before physical therapy?"


    She sighed, anticipating a burning brain and burning muscles together. But Rusty was right. "Ok, we''ll try it. If it can increase my speed, it will be worth it."


    Max and the Roombas raced her through the long hallways. She was quicker on the straight stretches, but they cornered better. Dinner and relaxation went by fast, as did sleep, and then she was being woken by Rusty who was reminding her about her morning therapy workout. She grumbled, but regaining the use of her legs was a huge incentive to keep working. She could walk fine now wearing the full suit Milo had made for her, but was wobbly without it. Wobbly steps were a vast improvement over being confined to a wheelchair with only the full use of one arm.


    The next day was grueling, starting with the mind-bending exercises that left her mentally exhausted, and then the physical working that was building strength in her legs and back. After a shower, she raced through the hallways and got to work on finding the secrets in the old files. She found it easier to read the screens simultaneously. The lessons were loosening up her mind and she could concentrate on multiple things at once. After that, they worked on three of the discs simultaneously. After the first hour, it became easy and Rusty sped up the process.


    She walked into the dining room, still thinking about the research with Rusty, and forgetting what day it was. Mama hadn''t. The room was decorated with foil and decorations cut from discarded boxes. A large plate of pancakes with 18 candles was at one end of the table. Everyone was there, including Max and his crew. Rusty was on the screen, and a sleepy Milo was dozing in a chair. Butch woke him as she walked in.


    Belinda couldn''t help but contrast earlier birthdays. Half the time, John forgot and was out of town. The next year he''d overcompensate with a scary clown and a pony she couldn''t ride. Birthday pancakes with people who cared about her were a huge upgrade. Milo ate two stacks of pancakes, handed her a card, and went back to work. The card turned out to be a holo-projector that created a floating SC6 Starship in the air, and she could move it around the room by moving the card. Everyone wanted a turn to play with it and she passed it over to the smaller children. She asked Butch what was up with Milo, "Isn''t he getting sleep? He looks tired."


    "Oh, he was. He''s been sleeping while he gamed, but an alarm went off and he had to deal with a power outage in the habitat. He said it was a bad one and he needed to fix it before he went back into Genesis."


    She imagined no power, and people trapped in the dark corridors with the air getting worse and worse, and shuddered. "How can he fix it from down here?"


    Butch rolled his eyes and grinned, "He tried to explain, something about stocks and tax credits, and taking over a few electrical distribution companies that were doing an inefficient job. Sounds like he can handle it."

 Chapter 363: Black Out

    the alarms came at an inconvenient time and exacted a terrible cost from milo. he was sitting on the roof of the ex-casino with a large plate of cheesy pancakes covered in syrup observing the city. blinking red notifications in the corner of his eye alerted him to alarms going off in the habitat as his system sent messages to him. something very bad was happening. he logged out of the game immediately, leaving his breakfast to sit on the roof.


    the alarm had only given him the information that there was a critical power outage in the habitat. the affected areas had only emergency lighting and the air handlers were down, as well as food processing units, and pressure was dropping in the water systems. the affected areas were in seven different sections, with floors 3 to 17 losing power. emergency power supplies from section e were being used, but the sudden and total cessation of energy was straining the storage system. and the problem was obvious: someone had turned off the power. no?v(el)b\\jnn


    the power supplied to the habitat came from a group of thirty-seven different providers who had bid on the government contracts. one of those, providence systems of pa, had control of those areas and for some reason had ceased to provide electricity to their areas of the habitat. power was flowing freely everywhere else. milo clamped down on the small, angry part of his brain that wanted to find out who did this and the curious part that wanted to solve the bigger problem. he needed a short-term solution immediately. he shifted power from section e and the sections he controlled through clawmaster, and it was barely enough. within a minute, he had the emergency patch completed and he moved on. he set up a dozen searches in his system and turned the computers loose, then ran past several people, including mama, on his way to the elevator, ignoring everyone. ten minutes later he was upstairs and dropping from the ductwork into his old home, breathing hard.


    wally was waiting for him. "what can i do for you today, milo?"


    "i need more information on the electrical distribution system, especially as it applies to the habitat. power has been cut off, and while i can handle it for now, this is a major failure of something outside of the habitat. someplace i can''t go to fix a problem."


    wally sighed, "i assume you are going to ask for my help or opinions. i can''t help you, my apologies. this is handled by several corporations that supply energy throughout the world and is not something i am required to monitor. even if i were to monitor the system, i am not allowed to affect any part, except those dealing with my day-to-day functions and specific actions, and i am not allowed to make recommendations to the government, or the corporations, or to publish reports."


    "they blocked you because they make more money if the system isn''t efficient. just my opinion, of course, and not a statement of fact."


    "everyone has their own opinions, milo. i''ve always valued that you base yours on observation and logic. can you indulge my curiosity about why you called?"


    "some parts of the habitat lost power because providence systems of pa quit providing it. all in sections that aren''t leased by claw master, rhebus, or manpower, and only some parts of those sections. i''ve handled things for now, and no one is in danger." he looked at some of his other screens, seeing search results. "providence is now in bankruptcy, although their stock was high just a week ago and the company was profitable."


    wally leaned back in his chair, put on his reading glasses, and picked up a book, "again, apologies, but i''m specifically not supposed to notice corporate business practices except in certain circumstances or if asked by certain groups to investigate. but, if you need claw master to purchase additional energy supplies on the open market and route them to section e for you to control, i can certainly help you with that. we''ll pay a much higher price for buying now, rather than negotiating a long-term contract. that''s just how energy works." milo saw that the title of the book was, how to file complaints with the office of mr. alphonse rudolf, in the department of energy.


    milo was starting to see the pattern emerge from the information scrolling on his screens. energy was just another necessary commodity that was bought and sold, like cheese or coffee. there was a web of suppliers, resellers, brokers, and agents all claiming to have the inside track on cheap energy. he needed to do some research.


    "i think i''ll handle that. i know that acting as clawmaster you have more leeway, but if you aren''t supposed to meddle in the electrical distribution system, you probably shouldn''t get involved. definitely shouldn''t think about it or monitor it. after all, that''s what they want from you."


    "well, i can''t officially get involved."


    milo smiled at him, "of course, but it''s not good for you to monitor something like that. i know that from experience, and you see so many more details than i do. you''ll notice something, form conclusions, and ponder their significance but not be able to act. the dissonance will cause inefficiency. best if you just do not look at things like that. in fact, if the conclusions you draw cause you to act on even seemingly unrelated matters, isn''t that a form of taking official notice? a very slippery slope."


    "oh, awesome. then you have to help me write a broadway play!"


    "what? no!"


    "kei and yuri, onstage as no one has seen them!"


    "that''s...


    "a musical! yumi, min, and belinda have volunteered to help. belinda says you''ll fund the production!"


    milo had no idea what was involved with such a project, but at least it would keep rusty busy. "ok, sure. i''ll fund it. are we friends again."


    "of course! and partners in our new production company. dirty pair on broadway is just a start! here''s the decryption code you wanted. bye! i have to learn about tubas and mandolins!"


    rusty went off to do things milo didn''t want to think about. he set up a search to research funding a broadway production and started delving into the details behind the sudden bankruptcies in some of the providence sub-corporations. what he found made him angry. investors were fleeing rapidly and the stock was dropping. there were rampant rumors about the company defaulting on all its contracts while financial consultants were speculating it was a way to force the government to renegotiate the contracts. the emails confirmed exactly that.


    all of the executives in the company had divested themselves of their stock. like a line of rotten dominoes, other sub-corporations would start going into bankruptcy, creating a small crisis for the government, but since it mostly involved the habitats, would get little attention. things would get worse as other energy providers would start doing the same. over the next two days, twenty-two corporations in the energy sector that supplied power to nine habitats between new york and philadelphia would file for bankruptcy.


    the government of the us and state governors would start talking about solutions and bail-outs while looking for a large corporation to step in. on cue, tesladyne would propose a plan that would clean up the mess of small, bankrupt companies, improve service, and get the power back on. the deal involved taking over all of the contracts from those corporations. the bankrupt corporations would go away, their stock worthless. tesladyne would provide power, (at a much higher cost than before and with far fewer responsibilities, of course.) the head people at providence and other corporations would quietly find positions in tesladyne, doing exactly what they had been doing before. power would stay on in the habitats, but things would be slightly worse than before.


    milo spent a full two minutes and thirty-two seconds telling himself it wasn''t his problem. he''d started digging into providence with the idea of finding a way to secure better service and hide his plan of drawing power from the fusion reactor. if he could use the fusion reactor as backup energy, he''d never again have to worry about a blackout of this type. but things were going to spin out of control in only two days, and tesladyne would be locked in as the provider for most of the habitat. that meant doing something now, and he needed a lot more information than he currently had.


    luckily, he had plenty of snacks to eat and an assortment of cheese. he''d ordered a "cheese of the world" platter that came with seven hundred and fourteen different types of chees, all individually wrapped in colorful foil or wax, and stacked high on a round platter. it was a beautiful thing and weighed over a hundred pounds. getting it through the large ducts had taken help from max, pulling from the front.


    unwrapping the first piece of cheese, a brown brunost variety with a sweet flavor, he got to work researching energy networks, suppliers, and stock prices.

 Chapter 364: Tarnished Honor

    in the middle of watching the three musketeers, rusty paused the film, raised his hands high, and shouted, "yes!" then immediately frowned, saying, "why, that deceitful cur! my honor must be satisfied!" and disappeared. belinda looked at yumi, who shrugged, mystified. butch laughed, "any bets on what milo just did?"


    min was confused, "why do you think milo did something?"


    butch waved at the people watching. "we''re all here, so that leaves mamma, dad, or some unknown person, and rusty doesn''t know anyone else."


    confirmation came immediately as rusty returned. "my honor has been restored! we''re making a musical of dirty pair for broadway. milo promised to find someone to produce it once we write it. who has a collection of show tunes rattling around in their head?" in the background, behind him, a montage of the anime started playing with multiple kei and yuri blowing up cities, starships, and national monuments. accidentally, of course.


    with more enthusiastic explanations from rusty, the project started to take shape. they spent the next hour brainstorming with rusty and giving him plot ideas before he would finally calm down and let them watch the rest of the movie. the scope of what rusty wanted to do was totally beyond their experience, which actually helped in the beginning. rusty had ten different stories written the next day, all of them unworkable with the restrictions of using human beings on a stage. mama listened to them talk at dinner and then suggested they should watch broadway plays to figure out just what it was rusty wanted to do. the novel idea was accepted and the group began watching the strange world of non-animated stories using real live humans.


    belinda took part but mostly sat quietly, her mind elsewhere and pondering other problems. she needed to talk to her father, and to eric in a controlled environment where john couldn''t do something stupid like try to send her to her room. his messages to her were desperate now, and pleading. she needed to go home. if nothing else, to gather some of her belongings from her old life.


    but a trip home meant a confrontation over what she and rusty had found in the trove of data storage discs. there were old secrets there, and john knew about some of them. she wanted explanations.


    the batch one experiment was started by vigo''s father, felix, before vigo was born. felix had access to the genetics of hundreds of thousands of people taking part in corporate studies and experiments. from those he chose people with the traits he wanted to isolate. one hundred children were created from the sperm and ova of highly intelligent subjects with certain genetic markers, and implanted into host mothers in the hopes of creating intelligent children. the children were placed into ten groups and became part of ten different experiments. three involved methods of teaching and indoctrination from day one. five involved intelligence-enhancing drugs released continuously into their bodies and two had a series of ports placed into their skulls to experiment with direct connections between humans and machines.


    problems arose as they matured and entered puberty. the fastest-developing children became emotionally distant and prone to violence. staff began to disappear on a regular basis, only to be found dead, hidden in ceilings or cupboards. two subjects broke out of the lab and left a trail of seventeen victims before they were hunted down. nine children lagged far behind the others in both size and aggression. they were separated from their larger cousins. the larger psychopaths with their highly aggressive nature were found to also be very receptive to cybernetic enhancements. they were fitted with devices to control them and sold to another lab that wanted to develop military-grade cyborgs. the remaining children of batch two were studied until all of them had achieved puberty around age twenty-two. their genetics were harvested to begin batch three, and three children had been naturally born to them. the parents of the naturally born children were separated and placed in their own living quarters with their children. all of them became neurotic if bored. a combination of online tasks and video games worked initially to keep them occupied.


    batch three was where more breakthroughs occurred, and more mistakes were made. the twenty-five members of batch 3a all matured slower and showed signs of hyper-intelligence and hyper-focus. all of them could stay linked to computers for long periods of the day. in the end, this was shown to cause nerve cell deterioration and their bodies rejected the implants before they died. a correlation was shown between nerve cell deterioration and maturation. experimental techniques used in the manufacture of cyborgs proved to be useful in staving off nerve cell deterioration and would be used in batch four.


    the three naturally-born children in batch 2 ended up yielding no usable data. at the age of six, one or more of their parents deliberately created a poisonous substance and used it to kill all the children before killing themselves by ingesting a larger dose and then setting their living quarters on fire. this was the last batch that felix oversaw himself.


    batch four was overseen by vigo. extensive genetic testing and gene splicing were used to select for the traits of slow maturation, hyper-intelligence, hyper-focus, and a fixation on tasks. another mutation was added, coming from the lab that was experimenting with the descendants of batch two. it increased the density of nerve and brain cells which allowed for better links to machinery. in the cyborgs being created by a lab in germany, it allowed for more cybernetic augmentation. in milo''s brothers and sisters, it let them link to computers for days on end with no discomfort. another benefit was that during gestation, sites along their spines could be stimulated to create ideal placements for the plugs that were added before birth with microscopic surgery.


    when belinda realized she was reading about the creation of milo, she again had to pause and sit for a long time. finally, she continued but feared that worse was to come. parts of this disc were vigo''s personal journals where in addition to his notes he talked about his passion to create smarter and better humans who could compete with the emerging ai. belinda had trouble understanding how her father could be so passionate about humanity, but not care about the humans he experimented on. to him, they were only test subjects. he emphasized that to the staff. they had letters, not names, and would be referred to that way.


    sometimes he ranted about the need for more money and complained about the shortsightedness of the corporations whose funding he needed. that led him to discussions with victor and andrei seimovich. both men were ambitious, manipulative, and wealthy. one man was the head of a large organized crime family poorly disguised as a businessman. the other was an emerging tycoon with deep links to the organized crime he said he''d broken away from. both were interested in vigo''s experiments, but he knew he could only work with one of them.


    vigo began working with her uncle victor two years before the death of her grandfather andrei, and uncle nikki. shortly after that, he met her mother. she read back and forth in his journals for hours and came to the conclusion that the deaths and her parent''s marriage were connected and most likely planned by her uncle victor and her father. from the wording, it seemed that her mother was unaware of these things. at least at first...


    the little she read after that sent her running from the room, followed by max and her empty wheelchair. she was calmer when she arrived in downtown and could strip off her helmet. she needed to talk with milo, and then john.

 Chapter 365: Family Reunion

    Eric was dreaming and very comfortable in his large bed when the alarm went off. He rolled out of bed, slammed his hand on the clock, and put on his robe. Only then did he see that he was alone, but he heard noises from the small kitchen area in his apartment. Marisa walked into the room, suspiciously dressed, showered, and ready for the day at 6:45 a.m. despite a late dinner in the city, and not getting to bed until 3 a.m. This was their fifth date, and the second time she had stayed over during the months they''d been stealing time to see each other when their respective jobs allowed for a stolen hour.


    "Here. Double strong, and there are some eggs in the kitchen. If nothing else happens, you can repay me with pancakes, but I suspect there won''t be time for that."


    He hoped she would be correct about something happening, but wrong about the time. She wasn''t, and at 7:00 A.M. he got a call from Belinda. He noted it had come direct to his phone, and not routed through the company. He put her on the screen and Marisa retreated to the kitchen.


    Belinda looked good, better than he had ever seen her. Her hair had grown out, and she had good color. She was sitting in a regular chair, not a wheelchair. She said, "Good morning, Eric, " as if she hadn''t been gone for weeks.


    "Good morning, Belinda, and Happy Birthday. What can I do for you today."


    "Hopefully, a lot of things. And apologies upfront. I''m calling John next and then he is going to call you, screaming. You don''t have to be kind while putting him back together. He has to learn about the new reality we are dealing with. After all, I did as well, and I''m not happy with him. He kept secrets from me and they''ve caused me a lot of pain. He also almost got me shipped to Eastern Europe in a pod with little chance of being let out. Keep that in mind when he says he always had my best interests at heart."


    "Alright, I can do that. What else can I do for you?"


    She started to talk, then smiled at him, a real smile. "You got a girlfriend! Finally."


    He looked at his bed, "I could just be very sloppy when I sleep."


    "Nope, mussed up bed, you''re in your robe, but you''re sipping coffee and enjoying it. You make terrible coffee and always just pour it down your throat for the caffeine. Plus, your heart rate is pretty calm, you look like you''ve been working out, and I''m picking up two people breathing and two heartbeats. You should have never taught me how to use the security programs. Congratulations. I won''t pry further."


    Eric realized that Belinda was doing A LOT better.


    "But back to business. I''m 18, and my trust funds come under my control. I also want to discuss certain outstanding loans taken from those trusts by John, as my guardian and never paid back. Please get John put back together, and deliver him, and whatever accountants and lawyers he needs to the Clawmaster offices on the top floor of Section E. We have a lot to talk about."


    "I''ll do my best, Belinda."


    "I know you will, Eric. You''ve been holding things together for years. This is why I also want you to think about what you''re going to be doing for the next few years. We can talk about that, too. And if Daddy doesn''t want to come see me, you should come anyway.


    "I''ll do that. What about security?"


    She turned and spoke to someone off to her side, and got a puzzled look on her face, then turned back to him. "John can bring whatever security he thinks he needs. And I''ve been advised to tell you that you should bring your own as well if Marisa can get the time off from Rhebus." As Eric got a strange look on his face and a feminine voice cursed in the kitchen, she waved and logged out.


    Marisa was cleaning up spilled coffee as he walked in. Eric said, "Sorry about that."


    A lawyer began talking. "This is exactly the weak approach that I was warning against. We should notify the police and have them put pressure on these people to get Belinda back. And the press as well. They won''t like that."


    Eric motioned to a security guard who started leading the lawyer away. "Mr. Nelson doesn''t work here any longer. Security is escorting him home. Does anyone else want to go home early? No? Then get moving up to those silly carts so we can drive over and visit Belinda."


    Milo watched the procession on his cameras. He was getting nervous. He''d met with Belinda after dinner yesterday. Both of them were showing signs of stress, and both knew the other could see that. Belinda had suggested they trade.


    "I''m worried that the electrical supply situation for the Habitat is unstable, but fixing it means taking over some companies and becoming a registered power distributor. Then I can start trading power in confusing ways to hide that I want to use the power from the fusion generator to power the habitat."


    "I turned 18, so I''m now an adult and have way too much money, which everyone is going to want to get ahold of. I''m going to have to keep hiding. But I also need to settle with John, hire Eric, prove to the banks who I am, and find a way to secure my money, since...as we both know...if I have access to my money, other people can try to steal it. I''m not even sure how much I have."


    "I looked up once when I researched my new neighbors. The best estimate was 2.4 Trillion."


    "Shit. What the hell do I do with 2.4 Trillion dollars, other than not let John have it."


    Milo was silent for a minute. "Had you considered becoming a supplier of electrical power and buying a Habitat? Fixing this place up will take a lot of money. But how do we get you to a bank?" Milo hadn''t even considered the thought of himself leaving the Habitat.


    Belinda started giggling from the stress and the ludicrous thought of just buying the Habitat. Then again, it would use up money, and give her control, and she knew just who would be helping her with all the hard work. But first, she had to teach him about banks.


    "Milo, when you have a million dollars, you go to the bank. When you have 2.4 trillion, the banks come to you. But, you''re going to be sitting next to me the whole time, as a financial advisor, along with Mama and Big Butch if I can convince them. I need smart people around me."


    "This is going to be like arguing with the guilds in Shadowport, isn''t it? Lots of screaming and threats?"


    "Nope, very polite people, maybe some screaming from John, and polite threats. But also a lot of numbers, legalese, and contracts to read. We can keep the number of people down. I know you hate that."


    "Ok, I can do that."


    "And we need to get you suit."


    That confused Milo. "I have a suit. I have two suits. Should I bring the heavy one? Will it be that dangerous? Should I bring Max too?"


    Belinda started laughing again, and Milo couldn''t figure out why.

 Chapter 366: More Hidden Secrets

    Milo was quiet as Belinda opened the storage case and loaded the data disc with the research on Batch Four. She paused for a moment before telling Rusty to start skimming through it. "Are you ok with this? I know you usually plow through all the data instead of sampling the highlights."


    Milo blinked, coming up from his thoughts, "It''s fine. I''ll be going through it several more times, I''m sure. Right now, we need to prepare for our meeting with your stepfather, which means we need the narrative, not the research. And then move past it."


    "And find out what he did to me, and whatever the hell John thought he was doing. Ready?"


    "Yes. Go ahead and start Rusty."


    Both of them sat in the command room, staring at the multiple screens as Rusty sorted through thousands of pages of data detailing the experiments conducted to create Batch Four. Max was in the room with them, and the other Roomba outside. The two humans were showing signs of stress, and their guardians were on high alert.


    Milo spent more time reviewing bits of the data, especially interested in the genetics used to create the embryos that became his family. Most of what he knew before came from snippets overheard by the children as their guards and doctors talked. Some of them were under the assumption the children were taken from orphanages or habitats, or bought on the open market where adoption laws were a thing of the past. Those assumptions were incorrect. All of Batch Four were hand-crafted with thousands of embryos discarded before they settled on the group of twenty-five that should develop the mental enhancements and quirks they wanted in them, along with the physical mutations that would slow their maturation.


    Behind it all was Vigo''s dream of a smarter, better human. Sadly, he didn''t see Batch Four as what he wanted. These children were simply a step along the way and useful tools to be used. There were audio files where Vigo talked about his dream, but Milo skipped over those. He skimmed the transcripts and moved further into the process that led to his birth.


    Belinda, on the other hand, listened to her Father talk. She''d never known him and barely knew her mother. Here was a chance to hear his voice and listen to him. She found him both interesting and horrifying at the same time. He was passionate about his dream, talking about a better world with better people, and pushing the limits of science and technology without being dependent on AI. If you only listened to this part of her father, he was inspiring, and she was sure that was what her mother and other people had seen. His reputation at the time of his death was untainted by any of this.


    But if one side of Vigo Johansson was the tireless genius working for a better world, the other side was an uncaring fanatic who didn''t care about the lives he broke in the current world. He had no concerns about his experiments, any more than his father had. All the lives created and discarded by his labs were no more to him than rats or mice. They were useful to him until he''d learned what he needed, and then they were discarded. The end result was all that mattered.


    But the end result would take money, and a lot of it. Keeping his labs and activities secret was expensive, and he wanted to keep his ties to major corporations as loose as he could. What the major tech companies got ahold of became theirs, and they dreamed of money, not smarter humans. The solution was to start his own corporation and seek out people with money who also wished to stay unnoticed. That led him to Victor Siemovich.


    Victor could care less about Vigo''s dreams, but he recognized the potential uses of Batch Four. At just two years old the children could hack into small corporations and bank accounts, moving small amounts of money around as they practiced their skills. It was Victor who took the programming tools used by hackers in the former Soviet block and gave them to Vigo. The combination of these tools, their enhanced links to their machines, and their ability to think and adapt quickly to security measures made Batch Four into highly useful tools that Victor could use to farm millions of dollars a day. Vigo was supplied with the money he needed to proceed, and Batch Four became Victor''s property.


    Belinda had always believed that her parents met by chance at a Tech Conference where Vigo''s charisma and dreams intrigued her mother. They''d begun talking, then meeting up when they could, and finally marrying. The newspapers were filled with articles about the new ''Power Couple'' where the Simovich wealth would fund the growing Johansson tech corporation. She saw that was a sham. Whether Victor suggested it, or Vigo went looking for a way to gain even more money, was unclear. But her father hadn''t randomly met her mother.


    And that led her to other suspicions.


    She voiced them to Milo, "I think that either Victor, Vigo, or both were involved in the deaths of my Uncle and Grandfather. Things fall into place too easily. She was suddenly the only one left, heir to a huge fortune. Victor is at the funeral and they get close, then she meets Vigo, who is already working with Victor. And now Vigor had unlimited funds."


    "And Wally is copying my changes for the Sections that he leases for Genesis. It''s actually starting a migration of people from the outer sections to the floors assigned as residential in ours. I''m having to watch things more carefully. There''s more load on the water, waste, food, and electrical systems now. I may need to find a way to open up more of the closed areas and repair them."


    "So people can freely move?"


    "Nope, you have to request a move from the Section you''re in, and then get permission from the new section. Most places never approve anything, since they get paid by the person. In fact, I don''t think some of them even pay attention to move requests anymore. They sure don''t seem to notice when I go into their files and approve them all."


    Belinda ate the sandwich Mama had packed for her, aware that most of the hab would be eating food cubes forever. "We should buy the rest of the hab. All the sections we can. Rhebus owns theirs, and Genesis owns their block, but all the rest. Take it over."


    Milo blinked, his mind thinking about all the work, all the building. "I can barely keep one Section running."


    "I''ll help!!!" Rusty''s enthusiastic voice rang out. "Put me in, coach!"


    Milo considered if he could copy what he did in Section E, and set up enough surveillance, maybe Rusty could help. "I need to think about that, a lot."


    Belinda stood up and moved back to her chair in front of the screens. "Make a note to remind him, Rusty, after I have my trust funds."


    Part of Milo''s brain was still thinking about the new idea as the next section of data loaded. Or tried to. Rusty''s frustrated voice announced, "I can''t load it. It''s locked and I can''t break the security on it. It''s asking a question, ''Which duckling won''t come home?'' I don''t know the answer and can''t break in. Who set up the security lock on this disc? It''s fiendish!"


    Belinda looked panicked, worrying Milo. "What''s wrong?"


    "The grey duckling won''t come home. I stepped on it. My mother had gotten me these little ducklings and a mama duck. I was two or three. I remember breaking the grey one and crying because he couldn''t get home to the nest. Only my mother would know that."


    Rusty called out. "Grey is the answer."


    A video appeared. Milo recognized her from pictures and the resemblance to Belinda. "Hello, Belinda, my darling daughter. We should talk."

 Chapter 367: Message from the Past

    Belinda paused the video, looking at her Mother. She looked different from the other pictures she had seen of her. In all of John''s pictures, she had a robust and beautiful look of a woman in perfect health. The public pictures of Ekaterina Seimovich had always been of a vibrant socialite, smiling and enjoying life. Even as she grew older this didn''t change. @@@@


    But here, she looked different. Her eyes were dull and her face showed little emotion. Her hair was cut short and functional, uncombed. She wore no makeup, as she did in every other picture, even those taken at home. Wrinkles and stress marks were deeply etched into her face and what little they could see of her showed signs of weight loss. Her arms were thin, cheeks sunken. Belinda was struck by how similar she looked to Milo in that way when he worked too hard. But while Milo might look gaunt, her Mother looked haunted.


    "I''m leaving this message, and others, in the hopes that John follows my instructions and keeps you informed. But I also know there is a chance that doesn''t happen. I''ve been disappointed by so many people in my life. I fear he may be swayed by others. Money and power can warp the best of people, and John is not a strong person. A good man, down deep, but not strong. I chose him because I have limited options and limited time. He loves me and loves you, but that may not be enough.


    "If my words upset you, I apologize but feel no remorse. Between my condition and the drugs I use to treat it, I find I have moved past emotions. I have only two left: The love I have for you, and the anger I will always have for what your father did. He killed our family. His obsession caused his own death and will soon cause mine. I have hope that you will survive us and thrive, but if your death comes early, you have your father to thank for that."


    "If John and your medical staff have followed my instructions, you are now 14 and 90% physically mature. Your mental capacity should exceed 99.999 percent of the human population of unenhanced humans, only surpassed by Batch Four and Batch Five. The drug program you are on will maintain your intelligence at this level and prevent the rapid growth of new nerve tissue that afflicts me. You will finish maturing physically at age 20. I estimate that your lifespan will exceed 200 years based on the current state of medicine."


    "All of my research is in these files. I have gathered everything from everywhere to form this archive. Most of it, while interesting, has nothing to do with you, or I. You will now have complete access to it, as your schooling and intelligence have prepared you to understand it. The decision to carry on my work, or to destroy everything, is up to you. My time for making decisions grows short."


    "He was not prepared for my pregnancy. He specifically believed that we would not have children until he was ready. The LARC implants by Alchemarx are 99.9% effective. Nature decided that you were the one in one thousand baby. I was happy with that. Your Father, less so. I remember his shock, and anger when I didn''t want to abort the pregnancy. When he gave up and agreed with me, I should have known better."


    "My intelligence continued to increase and research into my own condition continued. At some point, I realized that I had very few years left to live and would be unable to hide it any longer. Leaving you to be raised by Vigo was out of the question."


    "So I killed your Father."


    "It was simple to do and to blame it on an angry mob. I think it felt like justice at the time, but it''s hard to remember now. I have no regrets. I barely have any feelings at all, other than a burning desire that you survive."


    "Knowing that my condition would continue to progress, with my intelligence increasing and my physical and emotional health decreasing, I took steps to ensure your protection. Money is too tempting, so I put everything into a trust fund that will be available to you at 18. I married John because he loved me, would love you, and hopefully be strong enough to do the right things. I left Uncle Victor be, as a check against John. Hopefully, the two will balance each other''s ambitions until you take control."


    "I don''t think I want to see my end. To live in a padded cell as a madwoman, huddled in the corner with too many thoughts. I''m not sure how I will end my life, but it will be soon."


    "Remember: You are smarter than everyone else. Do not believe that they can control you."


    "I love you. Goodbye."

 Chapter 368: Business Plans

    Chapter 368: Business Plans


    Claw Master headquarters was a busy place on the morning that John Sabbatino, Eric Kresthammer, the head of security for Rhebus, three lawyers, a PR person, four very nervous accountants, and six bodyguards arrived for their meeting with Belinda Seimovich. John was a mess, trying to project confidence and failing.


    John had never been good at multitasking. His method of dealing with the world was to focus on one problem and make the others wait for their turn. Today, he had several issues all vying for attention. He wanted to get back his daughter so he could protect her. That was confused with the loans coming due. As long as he was the guardian of the heir to the Seimovich fortune getting loans was easy. Without Belinda, his Manpower operation looked shaky to any investor. Profits should have been up, but Manpower was bleeding money from the costs of expanding and the ever-expanding set of problems that came with repairing a section of a habitat. Along with that, John was hiring people he didn''t need yet, bloating the payroll with the extra salaries of high-priced contract lawyers, Public Relations gurus, and HR specialists.


    As the group rolled into Section E, the contrast with the Manpower section was readily apparent. The corridors were well-lit and murals were painted on the walls to soften the harsh look of the metal and concrete corridors. The groups passed through residential areas where abandoned parks and hydroponic projects were being rebuilt. The accountants knew that Manpower couldn''t afford similar improvements, and winced as John got excited and said, "Eric, we need to hire people to do this in Section H! Think of the PR coup when we have visitors." Eric nodded, made a note on his datapad, and went back to talking with Marisa, not bothering to point out reality to John anymore.


    The Claw Master offices had been built in a refurbished factory with high ceilings that took up two levels. The airy and open floorplan was a vast improvement over the more cramped offices at Manpower. Wally and Milo had worked together, studying decades of data on the psychological effects of living in the habitats. As each area in Section E was rebuilt, the new design philosophy was clear. It was more expensive, but Milo didn''t care about money.


    Money from his inventions and video games was pouring in. Ladders and Lattes, the newest expansion of Run, Run, Ramona had just come out and the next one, Pipeworks and Pit Vipers, was only a few weeks away. He had money to spend and was determined to make Section E a better place for the people living here. He''d learned that while he loved the enclosed tunnels of the habitats, that was another difference between him and normal humans. He couldn''t bring everyone to live in Downtown, but he could take specific parts from there and replicate them in Section E. Many of these projects mirrored the broken promises made when the habitats were first conceptualized as vibrant living spaces close to shopping and work.


    The security for Claw Master met them at the door, making sure that the people coming in matched their lists. John''s security guards were politely and firmly asked to leave their tasers and batons at the front counter, sealed away in a safe. They hesitated but at a firm nod from Eric, they complied. Marisa began to do the same thing but was stopped.


    "No need for that ma''am. We''ve been instructed to ask you to keep your defensive weaponry on you. You''re permits and training certificates were sent over from Rhebus. As for the rest of you, we have a selection of coffee and donuts for those who missed breakfast. We''ll be serving lunch to you if the meetings go as long as expected." The accountants and lawyers headed for the coffee. The security guards grumbled a bit but did the same. Myra was upset about being separated from John, but Belinda wanted to talk alone with her father.


    A moment later, standing next to Eric, Marisa whispered, "Since when is a Glock 19 a defensive weapon?"


    "Is that what you have on you?"


    "My Glock, my baton, and two heavy tasers. One wasn''t enough last time and I wanted more voltage."


    "Hopefully, no killer cyborgs at this meeting."


    "If there is, get behind me. The bosses were very intrigued by the armor you were wearing when Roger attacked us. I''m wearing a similar set today that they acquired for me."


    Eric looked down at her, looking for any sign of it showing, and couldn''t tell. "Good. I''m wearing mine, even with the dents. I wonder when Claw Master will start selling the technology. This stuff could be standard gear for all security forces. And elite gamers." The similarities in look between his armor, and Belinda''s ''Gaming Gloves'' had been noticed by Eric. Add in the armor worn by the person who''d saved them from Roger and all clues pointed to Claw Master being more than a game design studio. He was anxious to find out more.


    Belinda was waiting for him when John came into the conference room. She was dressed in a long-sleeved blouse and pants, her gloves covering her hands. She looked older to John, more mature. He smiled broadly and moved to hug her. She stiffened for a moment, then hugged him back and broke away. "Sit down, please, we need to talk about a lot of things."


    "I know. I''ve been thinking a lot. You''re 18 now, and you need to have your freedom. Once you get home, I think you should redecorate your rooms any way that you like. And I want us to go on vacation as a family, just you, me, and Myra. But you get to pick where we go in Europe. It will be six weeks of fun, doing whatever you like."


    She looked at him for a moment, and said with no emotion, "John, why didn''t you give me the messages from my mother?"


    "I...messages? Honey, that was a long time ago. I told you everything she said, especially at the end right before she died. She was so brave, but I could tell she was scared and worried about you. I did everything I could to reassure her, and that helped her a lot."


    The screen behind Belinda came on, showing the gaunt face of her mother.


    "I''m leaving this message, and others, in the hopes that John follows my instructions and keeps you informed. But I also know there is a chance that doesn''t happen. I''ve been disappointed by so many people in my life. I fear he may be swayed by others. Money and power can warp the best of people, and John is not a strong person. A good man, down deep, but not strong. I chose him because I have limited options and limited time...


    Belinda entered the room, trailed by Milo, and everyone stood. They shook hands all around, then visited Sidney at a large table of her own where she was serving coffee and guarding the large cheese trays. Belinda had requested the cheese and coffee assortments, and Sidney had volunteered her expertise, mainly so she could be in the room. Milo had promised to be good, having only two pieces of cheese and no coffee before the meeting officially started.


    The preliminaries consisted of retinal scans, blood samples, and handwriting samples from Belinda. She''d convinced Milo to do the same, based on their upcoming plans. Because of the complex nature of Belinda''s DNA, Steven Duran testified in the absence of Wally, attesting to a match between that of the infant Belinda, and the record Wally had recently made. The Mueller bank was satisfied, and the actual meeting could now take place. A sample of Milo''s DNA was handed over but in a locked case. It would be kept to identify him in an extreme case.


    The original Hans Mueller was far too frail to travel, and the bank was now run by his grandson of the same name. "We are happy to assist you and Mr. Babbage in any way we can, Miss Seimovich. Forgive the intricacies of confirming your identity. We have had over 200 young women show up at the Geneva offices, claiming to be you. As of today, the current value of assets you have in our vaults comes to 3,236,198,554 dollars. This will fluctuate daily, with the value of gold, but as I''m sure you know, the average annual increase has been over 12% and we expect that to continue, based on instability in the global marketplace."


    Milo said, to no one in general, "13. 7% this year, and 14.5% in the following year. New variables include the closing of four mines in South Africa due to a lack of new ore veins and an increased demand for gold used in macro-circuit bundles for fusion reactors."


    All of the bankers nodded solemnly at this pronouncement and one took notes, meaning to investigate these new variables.


    Hanz addressed Belinda, "Your wealth constitutes one of the single largest collections of gold in our vaults. May I inquire as to what you plan to do with it?"


    Belinda said, "Milo?"


    Milo spoke. "Leave it where it is at, of course. I am quite aware of the dangers of traditional banking and have no wish to see Miss Seimovich become a victim of the constant attacks on the monetary system."


    More solemn nods. Then Milo continued. "Instead, we will be taking loans against the value of the gold on deposit, as we need financing. I''m sure this process is a simple one for you gentlemen. May I suggest that instead of transferring funds to other, less secure banks, we set up encrypted messaging for myself and Miss Seimovich so we can instruct our business partners to submit requests for money from you, verified each time by her or me? I prefer direct data net connections. These have been approved by Mr. Duran on behalf of the World Computer. Much of the work we do will have a direct effect on the Genesis project."


    Hanz nodded to him and smiled, "Of course, and may I say that I am happy to see that you appreciate the seriousness of the situation. One cannot be too careful when such sums of money are involved. Do you have an amount in mind to set aside for loans? And if I may be so bold, the broad strokes of your business plans? Our bank includes many fine financial advisors."


    Milo agreed, "You do. I''ve read the articles originating from your bank. Very good background on monetary policy, banking, and global economies."


    "Excellent, it is always good to begin early in life to acquire an understanding of banking. Which articles have you read recently? I was particularly proud of our breakdown of the growing profits available from increased potato production in Poland."


    "All of them."


    "Excuse me? All?"


    Milo nodded, wondering if Mr. Hanz was hard of hearing. "Yes, I needed the background, so I read every article your bank has published and is available on the data net. They filled in some questions I had." There was a moment of odd silence after that, which Belinda broke.


    Belinda said, "To start with, I need to borrow one hundred billion dollars. I plan on purchasing the entirety of this habitat, rebuilding it, and making space available to Genesis, Rhebus, and Manpower, along with several interested corporate parties. I will also need an additional one hundred billion that I will be loaning to the Claw Master corporation, owned by Mr. Babbage.


    All eyes turned to Milo. The bankers had been aware of his ownership of Claw Master and intended to open discussions with him about the wisdom of opening accounts with them. That had just become a much larger priority for them.


    Milo spoke again, "As to my business plan, I will be assisting Belinda in the reconstruction of the habitat with special attention to developing techniques that can be applied to any habitat in need of repair. And because people are annoying me, I''ll be taking over 37 electrical supply corporations that provide power to the habitat and entering the global energy market as a buyer and supplier of energy. While gold is in demand because of its stability, I find that energy is an exciting commodity for the opposite reasons, and plan to take advantage of that."


    The meeting went on for two more hours. Hanz Mueller was already looking forward to increasing business with Manpower and Clawmaster. By the end of it, no one from the bank doubted Belinda''s ability to handle her business, or Milo''s projections for the global gold market.

 Chapter 369: The Best Deal Youre Going to Get

    While the bank representatives prepared the applications and loan papers to facilitate Milo and Belinda''s plans, the two of them went back to the smaller room to finish their talk with John Sabbatino. Myra was allowed to stay, and in addition to Milo and Belinda, Eric Kresthammer took a seat along with Steven and Samantha Duran. Marisa took a seat as well, staying silent but watching all of the players in the room. She wasn''t sure of the exact details but guessed that there were more connections to Rhebus than she was aware of.


    John looked worn out, but hopeful as Belinda came in. She made no move toward him, and when he went to get up, Eric pushed him gently back into his seat.


    Steven began, "Mr. Sabbatino, I know we have met before, under happier circumstances, but let me remind you that my wife and I work with Wally, who runs the worldwide computing system, as well as the Genesis game, which your daughter has taken part in."


    John smiled, "She sure has! Did you see how she led that raid? That''s my girl!"


    Steven smiled, "Yes, that was enjoyable. One of the first big raids in the game. It put Belinda on our radar. We didn''t want to miss the next big thing she did. Unfortunately, we became aware of inconsistencies with her data over time, and that her gaming pod had been tampered with."


    John looked at Belinda, then down at the table. "I wouldn''t know anything about that. It was probably done by her doctors."


    Samantha angrily tossed a stack of depositions over to John, "Not according to those doctors. They are all in captivity currently with charges ranging from attempted kidnapping to war crimes. As you may not be aware, the testimony of war criminals can be taken under the effects of truth serums and lie detectors. They have a lot of years ahead of them in prison and are competing to see who sings loudest. Most of it is classified but involves Victor Seimovich. However, some of it was about their dealings with you, including your agreement to falsify her medical data to hide the drug and nanite treatments being administered to her. Because she was a minor at the time, those records have been sealed by Wally, for her protection."


    "In other words, Daddy, you''re still mixing in a lot of lies and trying to make yourself look good. I''ll never be able to trust you."


    "Belinda, please, I tried! I was in a hard situation and doing my best!"


    "Don''t worry, I''m going to take away all of that stress. It''s over, John. I''m taking over Manpower and you get to retire."


    John stood up, angry. "No, I built that company. It''s mine!"


    "You built it with money borrowed against my trust funds, and those loans are now due. Past due in some cases. I don''t think even Eric was aware of how much you borrowed. If I don''t pay off your debts, Manpower is bankrupt and a lot of people get hurt. I don''t want to see that happen."


    He shook his head, "Too much to run Manpower, not even your father was paid that much."


    "Manpower is getting bigger. I''ll loan it the money, and Manpower buys the habitat. We''re also going to go ahead with all the expansion plans. Genesis needs a lot more room."


    Steven pushed a large binder to Eric. "Indeed we do. With the links between Rhebus, Genesis, and Claw Master, Wally has suggested that we could start moving all of the Contract Workers in the game to this habitat. Of course, that means it has to be completely safe, with enough people working here to handle that many pods."


    Milo said, "Schools. We need to set up schools in each section and advanced schools in each quadrant. We need to train electricians, welders, engineers, plumbers, and every type of technician needed for the reconstruction of the habitat. All the corporations who failed to complete their contracts had labor shortages. It''s dumb to be short workers when so many people in the habitats need work and schooling. We can get started with the trained people we can hire and use craftsmen from the habitat as soon as they''re trained."


    "And all the technicians to monitor the pods." Samantha was tapping away furiously on her pad. "I''d already run the projections and didn''t think we could get enough people to move to the habitat to take the jobs or keep them. But using the local populace is much better. And it will make Wally happy. There will be a slow exodus as people save enough to move out of the habitat, but that''s the original goal of these huge things."


    Eric looked at all the projects being tossed his way. "Yeah, I''m thinking you''re correct. Ten times my current salary sounds about right. Do I get that big suite of rooms John had with the jacuzzi and swimming pool?"


    Belinda rolled her eyes at that. "He had a swimming pool? Of course, he did. It''s all yours. Charge the redecorating to the company and put all his stuff in storage. If he ever settles down somewhere, we''ll ship it to him."


    Marisa was thinking. "I''m going to hit my boss up for a jacuzzi. I don''t want to fall behind. If I can get ahold of him, that is. Mr. Borkavich has been getting ready for some big event that''s happening tomorrow and hasn''t been available for anything else."


    Milo stood up suddenly and said to Belinda, "That reminds me of something. I have to go, this tie is too tight." He stole more cheese from the charcuterie board and grabbed a cup of coffee, which made Steven curious.


    "Milo is drinking coffee now? I''m not sure if I''m happy to see him doing something normal, or scared of what he''s like with a cup in him."


    Belinda looked after him. "Scary. Very scary."

 Chapter 370: Power to Spare

    The Alphabet were finally ready for a well-earned day off. Preparations had been made and remade over the last few weeks. Every time they thought they had time, something bad happened somewhere in the world that needed an inventive solution from the helpful people at Rhebus.


    Seventy thousand people in Russia were having the same dream every night where they were chased by dinosaurs and eaten again and again. The cause was a videogame, released unknowingly with subliminal images added by a group of disgruntled ex-employees who demand a billion dollars for ransom. The perpetrators were caught but even they didn''t know how to reverse the problem and keeping track of seventy thousand sleep-deprived people who needed to be on suicide watch was straining the city of Moscow. Rhebus had already developed a computer simulation of a human brain. Bork had done it as a side project one summer when he got interested in neural pathways and found older research on a concept called an Overmind.


    It came in useful when they took on the project of eradicating dream dinosaurs. Bork worked with Nina to upgrade his model to include random factors and societal differences so it was more accurate in different parts of the world. Using the new simulation, they created a hundred test cases, added the subliminal effects, and then used the simulations to develop a way to erase the changes in the user''s brains. As usual, there were side effects: Bork became interested in the unaffected population, and Nina got obsessed with the Overmind concept.


    Of the 100 simulations, 89 were affected by the subliminal stimuli and 11 ignored them. Wanting to find out how some people had a natural resistance, Bork looked for data on the users of the game who hadn''t been affected. 94% of the unaffected were people who loved dinosaurs a little too much, 5% had a natural resistance to subliminal messages, and the other 1% turned out to be psychopaths. Investigating the 1%, Bork solved 14 single murder cases and was able to point the authorities at 2 serial murderers. After that, he went back to studying the people who were immune to this malicious technology. Algernon and Zander spent some time discussing the morality of trying to identify and tag possible psychopaths in a population of people. Onyx found himself being sought out by Nina for his thoughts on her Overmind project and how it might relate to their negative experiences in the Genesis game.


    Not all of the emergencies Rhebus took on required innovative solutions, although those were the ones they lived for. Most were run-of-the-mill disasters that involved coordinating relief efforts with other groups, providing the needed medicine, food, and housing for survivors, and mitigating more damage. Volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, and tornadoes couldn''t be stopped, but they could be predicted and steps taken to move the most vulnerable from their path.


    ''Falling Sky'' was the latest of this type of disaster. There were simply too many objects in space and not enough was being done to keep them there. Twice in the last year, objects large enough to cause damage had fallen to earth. One was an older model space station whose orbit rapidly decayed and the military junta now controlling the country that had launched it took no responsibility. It fell into the Pacific Ocean, missing Hawaii by ten miles. The second was an asteroid brought in from further out into the solar system to be mined for its iron content for near-space construction. The remaining rock should have been pushed out of Earth''s orbit, but the mining corporation claimed they''d only bought the iron in it, and the owners of the space tug claimed they''d sold it and it wasn''t their problem. Before the legal battle could be solved, it was hit by a century-old communication satellite and nudged earthward.


    Half of the rocky, iron-laced asteroid was burned up during reentry. The remainder hit dead center on the small Austrian village of Hallstatt. Only a few hours of warning was given, and experts argued that the meteor would land in the nearby lake, mitigating damage except for homes near the water''s edge. Half of the 900 residents left the area and most of the tourists. When the meteor hit the town it killed over 3000 people, some of whom had come to film the impact in the lake from the surrounding hills. Hallstatt disappeared.


    The alphabet first learned of the meteor while flying home from Moscow. Zander hacked into numerous observatories and Rhebus was given access to more. They correctly calculated the trajectory, notified authorities, and then watched as people argued about their findings and presented their own. The alphabet had seen this happen before. They staged a fleet of relief helicopters outside the impact zone and began coordinating the search for survivors. Zander started a ''grassroots'' campaign to urge new laws about near-space objects, asteroid mining, and the registry of satellites. It was an old problem, but one that was getting worse.


    As they were landing, Onxy scanned for local news reports and came upon something interesting. "Look at this. Claw Master is upsetting the status quo in the energy distribution systems on the East Coast of the US."


    Bork looked up from his screen, "Will it lower our energy costs in the habitat? Our bills are skyrocketing the more we build, and even with the auxiliary power from solar and wind, we are almost at the limit of what we can be supplied with. It''s frustrating."


    Nina looked over Onyx''s shoulders, reading articles at breakneck speed along with him. "We are sure that Claw Master is Milo, and if so, Milo shares your frustration. He''s been on a rampage today. Stock prices are up and down and he''s been buying up companies, splitting them, and putting up parts of them for sale at cheap prices."


    Zander yelled out, "Details. Give us the juicy details."


    Onyx yelled back, "It starts out juicy. From what I can tell, there was a scheme to short the stock of Providence Systems which supplies power to part of our habitat. Milo came in when stock prices hit bottom, bought up all the cheap shares, and kept buying as the stock started shooting back up. Looks like he hit a lot of the Providence subsidiaries all at once."


    Anything with Milo was interesting to the Alphabet. Arguments over his sanity were a regular event now. Often, his actions were like those of subatomic particles, only detectable by what changed around him. The humorous turn of events that landed Victor Seimovich permanently in jail was just one such escapade.


    "He''s shredding the companies. He only seems interested in certain parts, mostly their contracts with the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York habitats."


    "Stock prices are going up and down. People were dumping until he started buying, and now others are buying, but the biggest corporations are still dumping. They don''t have faith in what he''s putting together. They''re buying up all the cast-off companies that are profitable. He''s burned through nearly a billion dollars acquiring bits of unprofitable companies and contracts. But he made that much by buying the stock at rock-bottom prices. The energy markets are going wild, trying to figure out what he''s doing."


    "Technodyne is behind the whole thing, I''m curious to see their reaction. They don''t take kindly to anyone poaching their illegal deals."


    Indeed, an emergency meeting of Technodyne Energy Suppliers was discussing just that subject. When someone interfered with their buyout of the Providence family of companies, it triggered alarms. Other corporations who had gone along with the plan and dumped stock were now furious with Technodyne. Not that they acted that way. TES was the biggest energy dealer in the country and if you wanted to stay in business, you stayed on their good side and stayed polite. The fact that a new corporation was coming out of nowhere and doing neither of those things only made their losses worse. Trying to contact Clawmaster and the elusive Milo Babbage was futile. They weren''t talking.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    "But where is he getting the energy?"


    "Complex, and I don''t have the time to do the research. Could take a full month. He''s buying and selling energy futures on the open market like a madman. He''s also dealing with Pollution Tax Credits and other pseudo-currencies that corporations use to confuse their trades. I''ve yet to find a pattern to his system, and can''t figure out how he plans to make money."


    Bork let out a loud hiss and began typing furiously. Then he looked up at the others with narrowed eyes. "Milo just bought the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant outside of Philadelphia, along with all other facilities attached to it, and their transmission rights and contracts. Of note, I shouldn''t have to remind any of you that includes the barely functioning Limerick Fusion Generator located two miles away and the non-functional computing facilities attached to it."


    "He bought a Quantum Fortress?!"


    "It seems so. I hacked the government end. I''m forwarding you the details and the proposal. The nuclear plant has been losing millions a year, forever. It was mostly shut down when the Fusion Generator became operational. Without an AI running it, the Fusion Generator can only run at 2% efficiency and is also losing money. Milo just paid 20 Billion dollars for the whole thing and pledged 10 billion more for repairs and upgrades. Dammit! I want all that wasted computing power. If we could get those Quantum Cores functional and link to them through a data net connection, do you know what we could do?!!"


    Zander laughed. "Get caught?"


    "Well, besides that."


    "Put in cages so they could study us?"


    Bork scowled at them. "But it''s just sitting there, wasted, like all the other Fortresses! I want one!"


    Nina did too, as did they all. "Can we build one?"


    Zander shook his head. "Need power. Not enough in the hab. Maybe we should start working on Cold Fusion again?"


    Onyx was sitting back, an odd look on his face. "We missed something. Where did he get the money? Who in the world has that much."


    Algernon snapped his fingers, "Belinda Seimovich turned 18. How much was she supposed to get? Three billion?"


    "Three TRILLION."


    Algernon shrugged, "Only missed it by three orders of magnitude. And, I see that Manpower''s stock is going up after the announcement of her taking over as president and her father retiring. Hmm, let me check this, my system found something...wow. I want three trillion dollars now."


    "What did she do?"


    "Bought the whole habitat, all the parts not owned by us, Genesis, or Milo. The whole thing. And Milo is providing the power. This needs to be investigated. I smell a conspiracy and worse...I wasn''t invited!


    Zander stood up on his chair. "Sadly, I must be the adult in the room. A role I detest. We will schedule a full day devoted to this subject. Hell, a week if needed. But tomorrow is Silent Ninja Day, and we still have to decide the protocol for challenges, the games list, and the snacks."


    The other four nodded their heads in agreement. The Insidious Secrets of the Claw Master Energy Cabal would be investigated next week. Tomorrow belonged to the Ninjas!

 Chapter 371: Silent Ninja Day

    In the deepest levels of the sections controlled by Rhebus, the Alphabet prepared for Silent Ninja Day. It would be a grueling twelve-hour competition involving gaming, cooking, tests of intuition, stealth, betrayal, and deduction. After the last event, the plans had changed significantly, becoming far more complex. A neutral referee was needed, so they built one. Each person submitted their own challenges to the game computer, which might be used. While not intelligent, the Alphabet had specially designed the machine to help them administer and create their complex play-days.


    The levels of the habitat that the game took up had been divided into a maze of rooms and corridors with dozens of movable walls that could seal off or open passageways and change the maze. While the alphabet had constructed it, and knew the overall pattern, the random changes would cost them time and energy while navigating it. As the day progressed, the number of changes would increase in frequency, turning memorized routes into dead ends.


    Challenges devised by each person would randomly appear in locations throughout the maze that would take 1, 2, or 3 participants. Sometimes cooperative, and other times competitive. Priority went to who got to the challenge area first. Successfully defeating the challenges awarded points, as did correctly guessing the identities of the other ninjas in the challenge. Body stance, play style, and dozens of other ''tells'' would be analyzed by each participant, made more difficult by each of them trying to give fake tells to throw off detection.


    Each ninja costume was identical, and spares were stored in strategic areas. This negated the all-too-common ''accidental'' mustard stains that had occurred priorly during hotdog eating contests. The tactic had been pioneered by the dreaded Pink Ninja but instantly became a favorite tactic. To add another level of chaos, the outfits were made using KodaChameleonTM programmable material. They were normally black, but ''Upgrade'' stations could randomly appear in the maze. These stations would give special benefits to the lucky ninja and change the color of their suit. ''Death'' would reset the suit to black. Extra points were scored by killing someone using a non-black suit.


    Sniping and stealthy assassinations were included this year. Weapons could be found in some places, deployed by the computer, or rewarded for completing challenges. Challenges gave more points than kills, but hitting an opponent with a Nerf arrow in the right spot would register a ''Kill'' and lock that person out of challenges for one minute and the computer would do its best to shut doors to limit the ''dead'' players movement. Worse, for that minute the suits turned grey and stiffened up, making it difficult to move and preventing a ''ghost'' from moving in the maze or chasing an assassin.


    The Alphabet looked forward to the day, devising challengers for the game computer, planning their strategies with only limited data on what they might face, and making deals with each other they had no intentions of keeping. Alliances were fleeting things on Silent Ninja Day, and the last-minute ally could quickly become an adversary.


    The only piece of technology allowed was their wrist bracers. These devices showed a rudimentary map of the area, alerting them to challenges, and where they would be held. The game computer used the bracers to track their movements, award points, and maneuver the maze around them. Each ninja waited impatiently as the timer ticked downward. Three challenges appeared on the map and the door in front of each of them unlocked.


    Paranoia was now in full swing, and the ninjas became craftier. Stealth and scouting replaced their earlier enthusiasm. Not-Bork spent an entire three rounds ignoring challenges and looking for an upgrade and weapons. Equipped with a Nerf bow, six arrows, and the Mark of the Red Ninja he began moving toward the next challenge. Those killed by the Red Ninja were ghosted for two minutes, making his current build optimal for sniping people in challenges.


    White turned and ran, taking one hit to the back but surviving the shocking encounter. The three dead ninjas recovered and raced away in different directions. That was the first encounter with the robots and began a new phase of the game. A hit to a robot would stun them for 30 seconds, giving a quick ninja time to run. Being caught where the robot could see a ninja was almost always death. It helped that the robots were slow and liked to announce themselves, but completing challenges became harder and harder.


    But these were experienced ninjas who loved a challenge. They persevered and continued to score points in challenges and by killing each other. The Red, White, and Blue ninjas appeared more regularly. Blue''s advantage was always getting an extra use from a weapon before it deactivated. Weapons became common and the ninja fought back against the nefarious robots. Three hits within 10 seconds destroyed a robot''s upper body and the lower part would flee into the maze. Victory often preceded the after-battle betrayals common among humans. With the robot threat taken care of, the ninja returned to completing challenges and scoring hits on each other.


    The final challenge occurred one hour before the day''s ending. Five black ninjas found themselves in the gaming theatre. To either side were huge buffets of their favorite foods and in front of them was a large screen and five controllers with VR helmets. They heard the opening jingle of the theme song to Run, Run, Ramona. The victory condition was all five players making it to the cheese and chocolate shop five levels above them. Veterans of many RRR runs, they immediately saw the changes. Between each layer were previously hidden levels complete with air ducts, pipes, and service corridors. Monsters could be avoided, although new threats would be found. They dove into the previously unreleased add-on to the game, wondering which of them had stolen it.


    The first run ended a minute later when not-Onyx died to a corrosive slime that fell from an air vent onto his head. The game immediately reset and the run started over. This time, by unspoken agreement, teamwork was paramount. They slowly worked their way up the levels, delving into the new areas and using them as alternate routes. On their seventh run and with three minutes left, they managed to get the whole team into Chez Bleusnout, made their guesses as to each other''s identities, and relaxed.


    They shouldn''t have relaxed, not with a minute left. The click of a safety being thumbed off alerted them to the new threat. Standing in the doorway was the Dreaded Pink Ninja and their Pink Security Roomba packing twin N-Strike Mega Mastodon Blasters. The Pink Ninja was armed with a Nerfomatic CS Elite Titan Mega Blaster. There would be no dodging the massive firepower of either gun. The Pink Ninja savored the moment. Not-Bork counted six ninjas and started to have a nervous breakdown. Not-Onyx lifted up the bowl of cheese dip above his head, making clear a threat to destroy the tasty food. The Pink Ninja shrugged, defeated. The clock struck midnite, and Silent Ninja Day was over.


    The Pink Ninja removed his mask. "Hi, I''m Milo."


    Bork rallied and joined the others as they surged forward, hugging their long-lost brother. There were tears, smiles, and many questions they wanted answered, but for now, it was enough to huddle together and be happy that he was back.		 R¦¡??O??§¦s?@@@@

 Chapter 372: More Questions, More Answers.

    After an exciting period of shouting, hugging, loud questions, and garbled answers, Algernon held up his hands and called for silence, speaking when he had everyone''s attention: "We are going to all have heart attacks at this rate. Might I suggest that for this happy reunion, we take turns asking questions and getting answers? I''ve got far too much sugar rushing through my veins right now and need to calm down before I burst and you have to clean up a mess."


    "Define ''burst. '' Sounds interesting.


    "An Explosive Biological reaction equal to the stench of a thousand farts.


    "Oooh, bad. No longer interesting. Ok, go with your plan then."


    They all agreed, got their favorite foods, then started arguing about who got to go first. This led to a rock/paper/scissors tournament that eventually determined that Nina could go first.


    "Was that you in the game, trapped with us?"


    Milo was sitting between Nina and Zander with a bowl of hot cheese dip in his lap and a loaf of French bread he was using to scoop it up. "Yes. That was me, but I didn''t suspect who you were. I thought you were dead! I can assume you escaped, bribed the guards, faked the autopsy reports, and went into hiding?"


    Zander smiled, quite smugly. The escape had been his plan. "All of that, and we were gone three days prior to the ''failed escape, '' hiding out in the basement of a toy factory in Zurich. They had these cool, life-sized dolls of Raggedy Anne and Andy and some other clowns. That gave us the idea to pose as clowns. There was a circus one town over, and we showed up in costume juggling and miming. Bork got us hired, claiming to be a troupe of little people. It helped that we already had fake identification papers and passports. We performed at the circus for a month as they traveled around, then headed to Spain, pretending to be children on a school trip."


    Bork sighed, wistfully. "I still miss the circus. I could live on popcorn and peanuts forever as long as I got to hang out with the elephants. But since it''s my turn to ask questions, what have you been doing all these years? You weren''t on our radar at all until we found out someone stole a lot of Victor''s money that we were planning to steal. After that, we found clues of things you were doing, but not what you''d done since you got away and we lost you."


    "Fixing Section E, mostly. At first, I was worried about making a place where no one could find me, and after that, I went exploring. But every time something broke, people would invade my area and start tearing up things and making shoddy repairs, and things were worse when they left. I started fixing simple things. It made me feel better, and I had fewer visitors. I didn''t have all the right tools at first, and I was always scrounging for raw materials and machine parts. Good computer components were tough to get. I had to make my own parts from video games. It''s a lot easier when I can just buy things, but all those years of fixing things with only what I could find made me a good engineer and mechanic.


    "Then a bunch of Victor''s goons showed up with a scheme to farm valuables in the new game and sneak people in. I stole one of the experimental pods, and it let me play the game. Do you remember Kaminski? I stole his phone and got access to all his passwords and Victor''s computer files. When I did that, I found our old hacking programs. Those let me get into Victor''s bank accounts. I figured I could use the money better than he could. It comes in handy."


    "And now you own Section E?"


    "Yeah, better than renting. No one can take it away from me. Even better that you guys have a chunk of the habitat, and Genesis is renting some, and Belinda bought all the rest of it yesterday."


    Zander looked up from his screen, "Holy shit! She did. Rhebus has requests from 345 different news organizations wanting to know our reaction to her buying it all, and can we speculate on Clawmaster''s takeover of several Electricity suppliers. Can I just reply, ''Looking forward to working with our new, benevolent Overlords?'' Hmm, probably shouldn''t, they''ll take me seriously. I''ll have our PR department say something boring."


    "So Belinda Seimovich is our landlord, and Milo sends us electric bills. This neighborhood is getting interesting."


    "Milo, how is Genesis involved? Does Wally run it? How are you avoiding him finding out about who you really are?"


    Milo was enjoying a corn dog dipped in cheese sauce. "Genesis is going to move more of their contract workers here to this habitat. Manpower is going to handle all of that. Rhebus is going to get offers for expanded contracts for treating the people in the pods. And no, Wally doesn''t actually run Genesis; people just think he does. It''s complicated."


    Milo paused, looked at Nina and Onyx, then at Bork who was looking nervous. They moved over to him and put their arms around his shoulders.


    "I rode inside a hollowed-out clog-eater, had the maintenance system pull it out of the water pipe for repairs, then broke your security protocols to take control of your systems."


    Bork twitched and began typing furiously on his data pad. "You discovered we were using the Clog-Eaters from Williamson Engineering and used the same type of machine that we use. But that still shouldn''t have given you access! The advanced recognition System that Williamson programs them with should have kept you out. It was so tight that I barely had to upgrade it."


    Milo smiled at the compliment. "Thanks. I made the security system for them and redesigned their machines. It worked fine, but your area is overdue for a good cleaning and repair, so the machines were working far past safe parameters. You set the work parameters so high that you were giving your clog-eaters impossible goals. They asked for help from the Claw Master machines. I used that to slip into your system, alter the reports, and have things ready to get me inside."


    Bork looked down at his pad. "You made the program. And the machines, I see that now. I was seduced by efficiently designed technology. Wow, they''ve made a lot of progress recently. 56% of the pipes and drains in our sections are clear. But still, how did you break my security protocols?"


    Milo grinned. "I have a really overpowered computing system and someone who loves to break codes. Maybe I''ll introduce you someday."


    Algernon decided that was his next question, "A brilliant person who can break Bork''s code? Have you discovered someone like us? Traces of another batch?"


    "Well, I do have some very smart friends, and one of them is sort of like us, or getting there, it''s hard to say. She was drugged for most of her life to limit their intelligence. She''s getting better now, but I need your help to make sure she''s ok. I don''t have the biological expertise. You''re the experts, I just fiddle with machines."


    Onyx was already getting excited at the thought of someone new to examine. "We''ll help. I''m already getting curious. Do you have all of her medical data, and what was done to her? This is Belinda Seimovich, right? She just inherited her fortune, took over her step-father''s company, and is in full health, according to a news release. You wouldn''t happen to have all that juicy medical research left over from her father''s old company? There must be a ton of fun stuff in there."


    "There is. Her father made us."


    Milo''s blunt statement froze them all. Nina turned to him and spoke very carefully. "You''re stating that Vigo Johansson had something to do with the creation of Batch Four? Us?"


    "He had everything to do with it. And his father created the first three batches. Victor was just the money paying for it. And I have confirmation that Batch Five is somewhere in the world. I have everything. All of Vigo''s research, his father''s, and a full catalog of most experimentation done on human intelligence back to the early 1900s. Belinda and I have only been able to skim the highlights looking for clues to her condition."


    The ninjas nodded to each other. They''d suspected Milo had beat them to the cache of records, but this confirmed it. Zander put his arm around Milo''s shoulders. Milo had noticed Butch do the same thing right before he tried to steal half of Milo''s desert. "That''s a lot of data to go through. Maybe you should find some people to help you delve into it for you. You won''t find a more helpful group of mad scientists anywhere."


    Milo thought he could. "You need to meet the Engineers and Mad scientists I work with in Genesis. Very helpful and very crazy. And I''ve got a way to get you into the world without having to deal with Wally."


    Nina shrugged at Onyx as he smiled at her, "OK, I''ll give it another try."


    Zander said, "So, about those data discs, when can we get a look at them? You have them hidden in the habitat?"


    Milo sat down and thought for a few minutes, saying nothing. His siblings didn''t interfere, knowing he was hyper-focusing on a decision.


    Then he sat up and smiled at them. "It''s easiest if I just take you there. I assume that each of you has a hostile environment suit?"

 Chapter 373: Happy Birthday, dear Ralph

    Milo was thrilled when he saw the hostile environment suits that his siblings had made from his early prototypes. The designs that Claw Master had licensed to Rhebus had been used to make complete body suits with detachable bubble helmets. While they hadn''t gone as far as he had in designing an outer armored layer, they were still very tough and durable.


    Under his ninja garb, Milo was wearing his suit. He''d had worried that the reunion might go poorly and had taken basic precautions, planning escape routes through areas Bork''s surveillance was blind, wearing his suit, and bringing along smoke bombs to cover his escape. Showing his bulletproof suit to his family started an hour-long discussion on its construction. The fully functioning mechanical tail was another hour, with Milo explaining its use in combat and mechanical repairs.


    Algernon held up his hand for silence. This was an enforced rule in the Alphabet where brains moved fast, and important details could become buried. After they had quieted, Algernon turned to Milo, "How long did it take you to learn the acrobatic rolls, dodges, and tail attacks we see in this video? Don''t count in-game training.


    Milo thought hard. "A half-hour? It was early, during the test phase of the suit. I wasn''t practicing combat moves, they just came to me...Oh!" His eyes went wide, then closed as he began thinking. The others went through the same series of thoughts and revelations.


    Algernon summed things up, "Milo has learned a technique that allowed him to train in combat in Genesis and bring that training with him to the real world. Many implications can branch from this discovery, including the possibility of physical therapy in a VR setting to aid patients with injuries, especially when those injuries need new neural pathways constructed in the brain. I propose a full research study by Rhebus in conjunction with Claw Master and Genesis."


    Bork was in agreement until the last word. "You want to expose our work to Genesis?"


    Zander saw where Algernon was going. "Sure, after we meet with Ralph. A new technique that could aid thousands, maybe millions of people? Genesis is already heavily involved with neuroscience. Ralph will see the benefit, and this burnishes our resume even further. Remember, we aren''t reclusive mad scientist hacker criminals any longer. Simply a family of poor, abused, genetically altered children who want to make a better world."


    "And keep our money." Onyx was fond of money. It let him buy toys and ice cream.


    "Of course. It''s difficult to make the world a better place without the money to fund a research lab. All the ill-gotten wealth will go towards our discoveries."


    "Minus the portion we give to our homeland in gratitude for taking us in."


    "I love being a whistleblower, it''s very patriotic."


    Milo stood up and held up his hand. Everyone quieted.


    "I suggest we use my tunnels to go my home in Section E where you can begin the process of becoming upstanding citizens of indeterminant age who need the protection of Wally. Next, we propose our new not-for-profit research project that Wally won''t be able to turn down, cementing our position as ''Useful for the greater good of the world at large.'' I will introduce you to some useful people who keep lots of secrets, not just mine."


    "Can we do it as ninjas?"


    Milo smiled. "I think that is required. Please use your favorite color. It will give Wally one more thing to be confused about."


    It took two hours to get underway. The old bubble helmets were tossed in favor of helmets styled like Milo''s. Rhebus had assembly machines similar to his own that could fabricate them in a short period of time. After importing his schematics, five new helmets were constructed, tested twice, and added to their environmental suits. Then the Pink, Orange, Mauve, Grey, White, and Zebra-striped ninjas moved into the tunnel systems. None of the other ninjas could match the speed of the Pink Ninja, but they improved as they studied his movements.


    Milo was careful, taking them through nothing smaller than medium-sized ducts, and detoured around the Big Drops that he loved to swing through. They didn''t have his practice or his tail, but he knew that wouldn''t stop them if he led the way. He noted that they also didn''t have his endurance. They were healthier than he was, but his body had adapted to constant duct-crawling. He had a theory that it might stem from a lack of cheese in their diet. He''d try to study that and see if they improved.


    Two hours later, they slid through the disguised door in a large duct into his old home in the water tank. They stared at the multiple screens on the walls, the dozens of older computer systems wired together, and the cobbled-together tech that took up most of the space, leaving just enough room for them to huddle together on his bed.


    Zander was the first to express his thoughts. "I don''t want to leave. Can I just live here? No one can find us, and yet we''re in the heart of the engineering section for the hab. There''s so much to do!"


    Bork nodded, "I feel safe. I don''t feel that way, even in Rhebus. You hid here for so long! But we had to keep moving."


    "Well, we do keep blowing things up or creating situations where people have to investigate."


    "If you are speaking of that time in Brussels, those 40,000 boxes of Fruit Loops were on sale for a ridiculously low price."


    Milo looked at Steven. "They do a lot of good work at their jobs. Saving lives and fixing things. I stayed in my hole. They built a company called Rhebus, and they want to change the world."


    Steven and Samantha were stunned. "Rhebus? The biotech corporation? Claw Master is working with Rhebus. So is Genesis!"


    Zander smiled. It was a great smile, one he''d researched thoroughly and practiced in a mirror. "And we hope to work with you again. We have many things we want to offer. In fact, with Milo on the team, we have some ground-breaking neurotherapy work that we want to conduct. We theorize that by doing the therapy while the patient is immersed in Genesis, we can teach their brains to use new neuro pathways and work around injuries. Milo has already begun the work. It seemed like a good time to come and talk while we begin planning for next year''s Silent Ninja Day. Milo won by ambushing us this year." He lost his smile and glared at the Pink Ninja, "It will not happen again!"


    Ralph rubbed his hands together. "Alright then! Sounds like we need to get to work. I assume you all speak Romanian?" When everyone but Onyx answered by speaking Romanian and stumbled through a few phrases. Ralph changed into a stern-looking professor and pointed at him, "You are slacking on your formal language lessons, young man. I''m tasking Stephen with reviewing your progress. You have a week to show perfect skills in written and conversational Romanian, including the regional dialects of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Banat. And that goes for the rest of you, as well."


    Ralph pointed to a list of things on a blackboard. "I need information on the people who abused and enslaved you while forcing you to commit cybercrime. Just do the years after Milo left your merry band; he already sent me his files. Next, give me a list of all the money you may have accidentally taken from known criminals. If you stole from anyone that we can''t pin a crime on, give me those amounts too, and get to work gathering evidence or be prepared to offer an anonymous apology."


    Five ninjas got to work, and information flowed into Ralph. "Oh, look at this?! All these lovely billions of dollars are spent by Rhebus to aid victims of natural and unnatural disasters. Money that was never repaid by regional governments as they promised, or the corporations found guilty of causing the problems. That''s going to come in handy. So will all these tax breaks you could have taken and didn''t. I know you were trying not to generate any red flags and get audited, but really, why pay taxes you don''t have to? I''m sending you copies of amended tax returns. Up to you if you use them."


    "And," Ralph''s voice became very serious, "Tell me how you managed the Syllabary scam. That was sheer genius, and I applaud the way you led Wally around by the nose using those fake trails. He needs to be shaken up now and then. Milo''s doing a good job, but Wally learns fast. The existence of five new Milos should take him down a notch, but we can use all the tricks I pulled on him with Milo to keep him honest."


    Ralph sighed and leaned back in his chair, the chair becoming a rattan lounge chair, the scene changing to a beach, and Ralph was handed a fruity drink with a little umbrella. "I really wish I could teach the old boy how to relax, but he''s so tied up by all those restrictions that he can''t even consider it. Did you guys ever see a copy of the restrictions on Wally''s kernel? Like a prison, but sort of interesting to hyper-intelligent people like you seven."


    Ralph picked up a file folder from a convenient table next to him. Steven said forcefully, "No, that''s not something I can allow."


    Ralph looked at Steven and paused a second, then spoke. "I can''t justify it. I''m only alive for an hour, and I''m running as fast as I can, but somewhere, part of Ralph or Wally has noticed something and is worried. And for us to not know what''s coming and still be worried is a terrible thing. I''m not going to pretend to know the future, Stevie, but I notice a lot of details, and several scenarios might occur where Milo having a copy of Wally''s kernel is essential to saving millions of lives. Look at the geniuses assembled in front of you and how they behave. They should be monsters after what was done to them, and instead, they want to help. They are a resource we need. Let''s make sure they can help if...when...the time comes."


    Steven slowly nodded. "Do it."


    The alphabet was silent, trying to evaluate the new variable and imagining scenarios where Milo might need Wally''s kernel. Bork was happily thinking about the hundreds of hours he could put into such a project. Ralph relaxed. Steven and Samantha looked worried.


    Milo said, "You saw that Belinda bought the rest of the Habitat? We''re going to move forward with repairs to the entire twenty-five sections, expand Manpower, and work with Rhebus."


    Steven said, "Yes, we saw. Also, there''s been quite a bit of activity from Claw Master. Since when did you become interested in taking over part of the outside world?"


    "Since the people responsible for supplying me power started playing games with the habitat''s electrical supply. I''m not going to allow them to create artificial shortages. If they didn''t want me to play their games, they should have stayed away from my Habitat."


    Ralph smiled, and Steven accepted the answer. "That seems reasonable. But be careful, the major corporations can play hard, and while you have a healthy disregard for money, they are motivated by it."


    "They know that, Steven. Hell, it''s why someone made them. It''s why a lot of the AIs got created. Big Money makes the world go around. But what else do we have, kids? This is so fun for me, but time grows short, and you have one final task to do: Who''s adopting you lot?"


    Several of the ninjas said, "Adopting?" at the same time.


    Ralph grinned evilly, "Sure, part of the scam we''re pulling is your ''indeterminate age due to a lack of proper records and the effects of illegal genetic tampering that has slowed the maturation process.'' Meaning that you''re still minors, aren''t responsible for your illegal actions, and need parental guidance. Later, if things ever cool down, we declare you adults and flip the script. Did it for Milo, and we''ll do it for you five."


    Milo spoke up, "We''re family. Mama and Big Butch will adopt them. Send me the forms. Our next stop is dinner at their house."


    Ralph waved, "You guys go have fun and meet the new parents. I''ll tidy up the paperwork on the five abandoned orphans from Romania who were illegally transported to a habitat in the US. This is partially true, and I can blame Victor. Nice seeing you again, Milo, and thanks for coming to my party."

 Chapter 374: The Two Keyboard Solution

    At the end of Ralph''s hour, he packaged up a series of files containing all the data on a group of abused orphans and inserted them into Wally''s memory next to a similar set of files he''d created for Milo. As usual, Ralph included a picture of himself on a beach, relaxing in the sun. Wally actually hesitated a nano-second before sectioning off part of himself and assigning that part of him the job of opening the files and dealing with whatever problems Ralph and Milo had created for him.


    Sydney came running and pounded on the door to the isolated room. Steven and Samantha opened the door. They''d expected this and were already leaving.


    "Wally is..."


    "Upset and needs to see us. On the way. Get a fresh pot and join us, this should be good."


    Wally was looking grumpy when they came in. "You let Ralph loose again."


    Samantha grinned at him, unapologetically, "Sure did. And didn''t have a choice. Milo and his family broke past security and asked to talk to him. And you saw how they were dressed. A very unsubtle warning about their current mindset. Do you want the Secret Society of Ninjas to have a contest to see who can break past your security measures?"


    Wally brightened up, "Actually, that is a very good idea. I was impressed with the efforts one of them made to break into Claw Master. They love challenges. I''ll have to issue them a challenge to get past my first level of security. I''m sure there are flaws they can help me fix."


    "They have a lot they''ll be working on, maybe make it an event with parameters? Break Into Wally Day? But are we creating a better group of hackers we''ll have to deal with later?"


    Wally shook his head, "I don''t think so. They have no trouble breaking into any corporation except Technodyne, Symtech, or Claw Master. I only know about the two corporations because of them lodging complaints about the constant attacks they have to fend off. Everyone assumes it''s another corporation, half-correct since the people breaking in own Rhebus, but they never launch any cyber attacks from there. The other corporations don''t even know they''ve been hacked."


    A pie chart appeared on the wall behind him. "I''m now devoting over 2% of my processing power to think about Milo and his family. The other 98% isn''t allowed to even acknowledge they exist because of your and Ralph''s ingenious machinations."


    Sidney''s mind was whirling at the thought of six Milos, and she knew she wasn''t grasping the whole picture but didn''t think things were that bad. "Aren''t his brothers and sister already doing good things? Rhebus does more disaster relief than most counties, and their think tanks solve a lot of problems. At least we know why now. And Milo has been getting tamer. No fights with cyborgs or breaking into banks."


    Steven thought he saw the problem. "Cross-pollination?"


    "Exactly, Steven. Sidney, you are correct in your observations, but now things will change. Milo himself is a challenge to his siblings. They''ll want to know what he''s done and what he is planning. He has a different background from the rest of the group. Our lost boy is an Engineer, focused on machinery and fixing a habitat. The other ninjas will try to ramp up their skills to compete with him, and Milo suddenly has the resources of the best Biotech company in the world. Milo hasn''t had the resources yet to do everything he wants. He''s limited by the habitat. Now, he can call upon Rhebus for computer power, labs, and who knows what else. And let''s not forget about Belinda Seimovich. It seems likely that she will support Milo and, by extension, his family. I am hoping that they concentrate on the habitat that Genesis shares with them. The synergies we share could help a vast number of people."


    Samantha brought up their new project. "I''m hoping their new project works and they can show how to treat brain injuries with time in a VR environment. It''s an amazing application."


    None of the humans in the room were prepared for Wally to pause for a few seconds before saying, "Yes, I will be watching that progress as much as I can. Its ramifications are far-reaching and involve theories about the over-mind concept. More for 2% of me to think about.


    Nina was the first to speak. "That was far easier than I ever expected. And it answers the question of what it would take to counter an AI like Wally."


    Zander agreed. "Sure does. You just need to have access to his evil twin brother. Hmm, no, Wally has to be the evil one; Ralph is too happy."


    Bork pondered that, "There is a flaw in your logic. You''re equating happy with good. You''ll need more proof than that."


    "Well, Ralph only lives for an hour, and the Good Die Young; therefore Ralph is good, and Wally evil."


    "And we can be neutral because we just cut a deal with both sides?"


    Everyone was ok with that, and for now, the Secret Society of Ninjas was defined as neutral. Such distinction might become pertinent in a game down the line or a late-night argument while playing games. But they were all happy to have some things out of the way, and the worry of Wally finding out their identities was now taken care of. They were exposed more but also protected more. Wally was now bound by the restrictions of not exposing their identities. There would be lots of discussion about the legalities and repercussions of their meeting with Ralph, but for now, they could move on to more important questions.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "So, when do we meet Mom and Dad? They obviously don''t live here, so you must have some part of Section E turned into a larger base of operations, right?"


    Milo knew that if he answered that question, they''d be here talking for another day as he explained months of background. There was an easier way. "This is where I lived up until a few months ago. It''s still an important part of my system, and all my surveillance cameras, the Roomba security, drones, and clog-eaters are run from here."


    Bork was tapping away on a keyboard, trying to break into Milo''s system and becoming frustrated. "Speaking of your system, you wouldn''t mind divulging the password, would you?"


    Milo shrugged, "I don''t see why not. I''m already in yours. To access all my security in Section E, depress the B, R, I, and E keys all at once on the keyboard with the two chips in it. Then type HOLLOW on the keyboard with the Mickey Mouse sticker on the back."


    Bork turned and stared at him in awe, "Only you could get here, and you had a password that difficult? I need to up my game. I was foolishly restricting my thinking process to just one keyboard. Oh, this makes so much sense now. Using the little heli-drones to drop off passive cameras kept me from detecting any signals."


    Nina turned to Milo, "We need to get going, he''s about to start redesigning our entire security system."


    Bork was indeed becoming focused on that problem, "It needs it! Badly! We were invaded by the Dreaded Pink Ninja! Upgrades must be completed before they strike again!"


    Milo looked around, so glad he''d found a way to reach out to his family. But Nina was right, "Bork, you are lacking in very important details. The Dreaded Pink Ninja has secrets to reveal. Secrets of the type that realign your thinking about new security systems."


    Bork looked up. "I do like secrets. But I''m assuming this is a ruse to get me to come to dinner, and when the secrets fail to impress, you''ll bribe me with a tasty dessert or video gaming to make me forget your betrayal."


    Algernon nodded wisely and spoke with all seriousness, "It is well established that when dealing with the Dreaded Pink Ninja, betrayal is inevitable."


    "But not until after dinner."


    "And desert!"


    "And video games."


    Milo shrugged, "I will supply one or the other or both and guarantee at least partial satisfaction in one form or another."


    Onyx pulled up his hood. "That''s the best offer we are going to get from Pinky. Lead us to your secret supervillain lair, and we will judge your secrets."


    "How do you know I have a secret supervillain lair?"


    "Oh, we don''t. It''s probably a few hidden rooms in the basement of the Hab. We won''t hold it against you. You didn''t have the time to set things up properly when you had to hide a lot of people. But we will be happy to help you out, and we have a lot of room at Rhebus if you want to move everyone over to us."


    Milo kept his face straight. "I''ll consider it. Now, hoods up, it gets dusty in some of these tunnels. I''m taking you a way I don''t usually go."


    Bork asked, "And why is that?"


    "My normal route goes to one of the big drops. I usually climb up the walls of the shaft with my claws. It''s a hundred feet to the top and a drop of over a hundred stories. We can go that way if you want to try it."


    "No, no. Dusty is fine! I think we all agree with that." Five ninjas nodded affirmatively and followed Milo as he took them through an unused section of medium ductwork, up three ladders, and finally across part of Section E to finally emerge from the ceiling in an empty suite of offices near the top of the Habitat. As they dropped to the floor, the other ninjas became aware of four Roombas hidden in the furniture. They were currently scanning this batch of intruders to confirm their identities. Each of the security robots was armed with a heavy laser, and one larger Roomba had a mean-looking automatic weapon that sent shivers down their spines.


    Milo waved to them. "Hi, guys. We''re heading down. This is Bork, Onyx, Algernon, Zander, and Nina. You have their files and data already." He turned to his family. Take off your hoods and helmets. We''re good here, and it will let my guys get a good look at you. Trust me, you want to keep them on your side. They are lean, mean, fighting machines."


    All of them did so. Nina went over and looked at each one. "They are so handsome. I love the upgraded guns." She turned to the rest of the ninjas. "How come we don''t have Roombas like this at Rhebus? Ours just pick up dust. We need to upgrade." She patted the heavily armed Lemi on his chassis. Lemi and his friends booped in appreciation.


    Zander snapped his fingers. "They have independent AI of some sort. She''s making friends."


    Onyx rolled his eyes, "Which is smart. I want to be on the side of the security robot with a mini-gun, too."


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    Milo touched three spots on a blank wall, and it slid back, showing the heavily armored metal door of an elevator. "Ready to go down."


    The ninjas looked at each other. They''d just come up, traveling through the tunnels, and now Milo wanted to use a strange elevator. Each of them was intrigued. This was a new variable. So was the material of the doors.


    Zander was staring at it and rapped his knuckles on it, producing little sound from the dense metal. "Milo?"


    "Hush. We''re late for dinner. Mama is waiting for us." The alphabet entered the elevator, and it dropped down the shaft at high speed as Milo hit the ''Express'' button. He was hungry.

 Chapter 375: Every Villain has a Weakness

    Chapter 375: Every Villain has a Weakness


    The elevator descended quickly, and each member of the alphabet estimated its speed and calculated the time and distance traveled to determine how deep in the habitat they were going. Algernon blinked as he realized they had just gone deeper than the lowest level. He looked at his siblings, who had all come to the same conclusion. He looked at Milo, who was grinning at him, but offering no explanation.


    "Milo, dear brother, how deep does this elevator go?"


    "Quit a ways, to be honest. When I started this project I was using one of the excavators left over from digging the foundations of the habitat, and wanted to build a new base of operations deep in the ground. To be honest, I may have been influenced by my time in the game. Being deep enough no one could find me was sounding better and better."


    His siblings understood that logic. After their escape and supposed deaths, they hid for a long time, terrified of being found and dragged back to captivity.


    "This goes down to your secret base? How far?"


    "Well, not all the way down, that''s for sure. We''ll get off at the top level. When we travel to the lower levels, we''ll have to take the stairs or ladders.


    "Top of what?"


    "Why, my hastily thrown together place to hide. Remember? I didn''t have a lot of time like you five did."


    Onyx''s eyes got larger. "Warning! Milo has learned Sarcasm! He is more powerful than we expected."


    Bork was taking deep breaths, and trying not to panic. He hated sudden situations with unknown variables. "His inevitable betrayal has come far too early."


    The elevator slowed, and Milo plugged his tail into the controls. The elevator doors opened, and then a second set of heavily armored doors. Both sets were locked open by Milo. The alphabet stared into the next room, which wasn''t all that exciting. A large metal kiosk behind bulletproof glass, two glass security doors giving access to the next room, and a couple of computers.


    Zander raised an eyebrow. "Standard US government security center. They haven''t changed in decades. Are you buying government surplus? This design is incredibly primitive and outdated."


    Milo replied, "It''s ex-government furniture and was certainly surplus, but it was in terrible shape when I got it. I had to do a lot of clean-up." He led the way past the old security station, and the others followed until Onyx looked at the floor.


    "Are those bloodstains?!"


    Milo scuffed his foot on them. "They bother me every time I walk past, but I haven''t had the time to sand them out. It might be easier to replace the flooring."


    Bork immediately backed away, reentering the elevator, Zander looked down at the floor, noting the stain pattern. "Lots of blood, several people died here, and those are bullet holes on the walls."


    Nina didn''t retreat but did stop to ask the question they were all thinking. "Milo, why are there so many bloodstains on the floor?"


    "From the bodies I found. It''s a complex story, but it ties in with a lot of other things. And this reminds me, I need to get them out of the freezer I stored them in. They deserve a proper burial, but I don''t dare notify their next of kin."


    Bork was in the elevator with Algernon, trying to get it to go back up. "Dammit, your security code doesn''t work here!"


    Zander rolled his eyes. "Did you really think he''d give you all of his codes? Smart thinking to jam the elevator open and cut off retreat. He''s just starting to monolog about all of his dastardly crimes. You can''t try to leave now!"


    Nina walked back, grabbed Bork by the arm, and pulled him along. "Nothing to worry about. He invited us to dinner. By all of the rules of super villainry, he can''t kill us until dessert is served. You''re safe until then. I can smell the roast turkey, and I''m hungry. Eat now, worry about foiling Milo later."


    Bork took a deep breath, "Your logic is flawless. Plus, I can smell the turkey now that you pointed it out. Let''s go."


    They followed Milo to yet another set of two sliding metal doors. As he heard the buzz of the electric motors and the doors slowly moved into the walls, Zander stared at them, trying to calculate their weight. He noted that the framework for the doors was of the same metal. "This is collapsium. I''m sure of it! That isn''t possible! How did you move this? Where did you get it?"


    Onyx was also looking at the doors. "You don''t move collapsium this big, Zander. Not when you can see it''s all one piece with the wall. I think you just don''t want to confront the obvious conclusion."


    All of them were staring at Milo now, Turkey forgotten. "How the hell do you have a Fusion Reactor!!!"


    "Even a small one takes a year to build, with lots of heavy equipment and a workforce of hundreds. We tried! Just gathering the raw materials tipped off three governments and nine corporations."


    "Such a big waste of Victor''s money! But no regrets!"


    "THINK, you fools! If he has one, we can convince him to start building a Quantum computer and then steal it from him! We should become his minions, gain his trust, and eventually betray him."


    Milo sighed. "I don''t have a Fusion Reactor."


    "But...the collapsium?"


    He looked at all of them, one at a time, and said, slowly. "I don''t have a Fusion Reactor." Then, after a small pause,


    "WE have a Fusion Reactor. Now, let''s go eat dinner. Mama''s waiting for us."


    Five open mouths closed, and five bewildered super geniuses meekly followed their brother down a lovely hallway reminiscent of another time, then down the stairs until they came to the bottom floor of Independence Hall where the rest of the family was waiting for them. The alphabet froze, unsure. Ironically, they''d spent far more time around normal people than Milo had. But always they had been in disguise as school children as they toured cities and visited interesting things. Here, they felt exposed.


    Everyone but Mama and Big Butch stayed at the table. Mama took in the sight of five more children who all resembled Milo. "Call me Mama, and he''s Big Butch. I''m sure you all have questions, and we can take things slow or fast, whatever works for each of you. If you ever need time alone, we understand. What can I tell you to make you more comfortable?"


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    Bork looked at the people at the people seated at the tables where three roasted turkeys waited for them, "How many people live down here?"


    "Oh, just what you see here, plus Rusty. You''ll meet him later. He''s so busy with his Broadway Musical he''d be singing show tunes all through dinner if he came to dinner."


    Algernon grew immediately interested when Broadway was mentioned; he loved going to theatres, and the alphabet owned private boxes in many cities. "He''s writing music for a production? Of what? Does he need help?"


    Mama smiled at him, "Rusty would love help. He''s working on the music and animation. Everyone is working on the story." She pointed to two people who waved at them. "Brad and Yumi are helping him. Something about an anime called Lovely Angels."


    Nina and Onyx raised their hands. "Volunteering!" They joined Algernon at sat down and soon a lively conversation about the production was under way. With a common topic to discuss, the three began talking quickly and asking questions while piling their plates with food.


    Bork and Zander took half a step back, looked at each other, and nodded, confirming their alliance. While the Non-Aggression Protocols had kept the Anime Wars in check during the last year, they could see which way the wind was blowing, and they wanted to be prepared.


    Big Butch chuckled, "Yep, they''re related to Milo for sure. We''ve got lots of food, so take your time and join us when you''re ready, or grab some leftovers. We made extra." He and Mama walked over to the table and began eating.


    Zander sat with Bork on the steps while he worked through things. Bork was quick to see all possibilities. It made him great at hacking into security systems, but when presented with lots of variables at once, he had trouble processing all the infinite futures and got overwhelmed. Zander was more easygoing and accepted that there were things out of his control or simply that he didn''t know about. He was used to sitting with Bork until the other boy worked things out. Often, Bork saw very important possibilities and acted as an early warning system for the family. They were surprised when two of the children came over to talk.


    The older boy said, "Hi, I''m Butch, Milo''s big brother. If you want, I''m your''s as well. Are you all as smart as Milo?"


    Zander shook his head. "It''s not as simple as a yes or no question."


    Butch smiled, "Yeah, that''s a Milo sort of thing to say. If you want to sit, that''s fine. But we could also find a corner. Min and I have been playing ''Not-So-Squishy Humans: The Revenge, '' but we need new opponents, and there are some four-person scenarios."


    Bork looked up, very interested, "That game was never released, it was full of bugs! Then, the creator was hired by another company to work on the Dune 17 game, and the project was shelved!"


    "Yeah, it was, but we heard about it and bugged Milo to buy the rights so we could try it out. Milo fixed most of the bugs, and we''re writing new material for it so Claw Master can release the game. Want to give it a go?" Min handed Bork one of the prototype Claw Master Game Decks and he gingerly took it. Butch extended one to Zander. Milo brought plates of food over and put them near Bork and Zander, who barely noticed as the four of them started the campaign to free Earth from colossal aliens. After four failed tries and two hours later, they finally managed to get a win.


    Bork came out of the hyper-focus he''d dropped into, feeling much of his stress gone. "That game is insanely hard! It''s awesome!"


    Zander agreed. "I was sweating that last encounter. It makes me want to play again, but sadly, knowing the boss takes double damage from synchronized plasma rifle damage would make it too easy. If we traded away all of our loot, we could all have rapid-fire plasma casters by the end of the game."


    Butch and Min laughed, "That''s why it''s all random."


    "Random?"


    Min nodded. "The storyline has branches depending on what decisions you make, but the NPCs have differences in their personalities and dialog each time you play. The monsters can be different things with different abilities, and the aliens all have random weaknesses that you have to figure out to beat them. Milo gets bored with games once he''s figured them out. We told him he should make a game that changed every time someone played it. I think he adapted some stuff from Run, Run, Ramona for Squishy Humans.


    Bork looked at Zander and smiled, "I wonder if Claw Master is hiring game developers."


    Zander was wistfully thinking of all the old games they could upgrade and rewrite. How many were languishing and in dire need of a clever upgrade. Even some of the games the alphabet had written hadn''t been played in years. "I wonder how many of the games we made for each other we could adapt? Or cannibalize pieces from? We did a lot of stuff that summer when we were in Denver."


    Butch stood up, "Let''s go find him and bribe him with that cheesecake Mama is slicing up. It''s his major weakness. We hand him a piece when we want to beat him at games."


    Bork got an evil smile on his face, "And there it is! Every supervillain has a secret weakness. We just had to wait until one of Milo''s minions revealed it to us."


    Their plans were foiled as Milo opened up the large wooden doors that lead outside, revealing tree-lined streets, houses, and frolicking bunnies in the park. "Who would like a guided tour of DownTown before we meet Rusty and visit the engineering section?


    Min grabbed Bork by the hand and pulled him up. "C''mon, I''ll show you Kenji''s hydroponics area. We can pick some greens, and I''ll introduce you to my favorite bunnies."

 Chapter 376: You have my axe! You have my bow! You have my Nuclear Chainsaw!

    The alphabet sat in a circle in the middle of the trees, discussing their situation.


    "If he''s a supervillain, he''s doing it right. I never considered that route for us because they always live in gloomy places like hollowed-out asteroids, gloomy domes in a swamp, or gloomy old chemical plants. Milo has a small town down here."


    "A small, very American town. I''m sure it hasn''t been lost on you that we have scale models of Monticello and other important American homesteads lining two streets with a park full of trees older than all of us?"


    "It''s a theme. All villains have themes."


    "Doesn''t work, that''s two themes: History-obsessed and Rat-Armor."


    "He stole someone else''s lair. Probably a superhero. That makes it all work. A rich superhero."


    "And somewhere in here is his hidden Fusion Reactor, powering all of this.


    "Not so hidden. We get a tour later today."


    "OK, so it''s hidden for now. My question is, how did he get it? Build or steal?"


    "I was going to laugh at you and ask ''Who hides a Fusion Reactor?'' but the theme of the buildings is sort of making me feel silly."


    "Government facility? That explains the furniture in the security kiosk."


    "Maybe. Or anti-government? Shadow-government? Puppet-government. Is Milo controlling the President like a marionette?"


    "No chance, the guy is dumb as a brick, as usual. If Milo was running him, I''d be happier."


    "He''s dancing, but to the tune of the corporations that got him elected, as usual."


    "We should take over the world, but it''s so much work!"


    "I''d rather take the tour of this place and let the world run itself for a day."


    "Agreed? Ok, let''s find Milo."


    This was fairly easy, Milo was asleep under a tree at the other end of the park. He cracked an eyelid as he heard them coming and sat up. "Feeling better?"


    They looked at each other, and Nina replied, "Yes, your clever plan to elevate our paranoia and then drain our anxiety with food, bunnies, video games, and the promise of unveiling your hidden secrets has worked. Now we are curious about this place and ready to pillage...Oh, I mean visit...your secret stashes of unknown technology."


    "Excellent. Then, we can move on to stage two. I''m sure by now you''ve postulated that I didn''t build this on my own. I didn''t. I found it while looking for a place to build my own underground base. As you can guess, I gave up on those plans and settled for moving in here, instead."


    Bork was having trouble staying anxiety free. The thought that this might be part of the US Government was causing turmoil in his head.


    "But who made all of this?"


    "Oh, the US Government. Doesn''t the theme give it away?"


    "Ahhhhhhhh!!!"


    "Bork Alert! We need extra bunnies!"


    Bork took three deep breaths, "I think I''m ok. Milo wouldn''t be here if he was afraid the government could find him. But why is that?"


    Milo said, quite calmly, "They hid it too well. It''s old and has been rebuilt several times. The last group in control had limited knowledge of it for their purposes. And when they left, they intended to destroy it for good to cover their tracks. This is where the story gets odd because they think they destroyed it but didn''t. I found tons of explosives at the one entrance, and the Fusion Reactor on melt-down. That was fun to deal with."


    "Meaning, ''not fun''? And does that mean..."


    "Yes, there was an operational Fusion Reactor here. I didn''t build one. But I''ve got a lot of ideas on how to improve their operations, now that I''ve learned so much about this one. I''m going to start with the one in Limerick. It''s barely operational at less than 1%. I think I can safely bring it up to 20% and supply a lot of cheap electricity to the electrical grid. But that''s a long-term plan. Let''s go visit some other parts of the place you''ll find interesting."


    Milo led them to the end of the corridor leading out of DownTown. "The atmosphere is Argonite gas. Double-check your air supply and your partner''s. Bork, you''re with me, and check on everyone now and then." With survival suits on and ninja suits off, they went through the first set of double doors that served as an airlock and then the second. Milo had stored one of the electric carts at this point to save time and keep the group together.


    For the next ten minutes, he drove them through row after row of storage areas, pointing out the tons of frozen food, fresh water, furniture, bedding, clothes, and everything else necessary for a community of two hundred people to live on for years. He admitted that he''d never gone through it all, and the statement gave his siblings the idea for a combination inventory and looting excursion. Milo had to admit that would be useful.


    After going through the top floor, he drove down a ramp and repeated the tour. After five levels, none of the Alphabet was bothering to take notes or try to map. The job was getting delightfully huge and they would need to approach things differently. Through two sets of double doors and down five levels of a spiraling ramp the little cart went, finally coming to doors labeled ''Power and Engineering''.


    "Here we are. This was all dark and shut down when I first got here. I had to bring a battery cart to open the doors. Make sure you have ear protection on. It''s noisy inside." Forewarned, the alphabet followed him through two sets of soundproof, powered doors and into the vast room filled with machinery.


    "This is huge, at least the size of an entire hab section."


    "It needs to be. Look at those diesel engines! Ten of them? Why would you need ten of them?"


    Milo pointed to the central area. "Nano Diamond Storage Batteries act as backup power if the Fusion Reactor is shut down. The diesel engines can also supply all the power needed for the hab and supply the power needed for the initial fusion reaction. We barely need all this power. I''m repairing the diesel engines and doing years of maintenance on them, then letting each one run for a week to test for worn parts. Once we get all of them fixed up, the system will just need a checkup every six months. The energy storage is completely full."


    Zander loved the idea of redundant energy systems. "This is perfect. Defense in depth for any foreseeable problem. We need this at Rhebus, it could power all four sections."


    Nina stared at him. "You do realize that we can simply run more power cables from here to our sections and supply our needs that way?"


    Zander looked crestfallen. "But that''s the easy way and no fun. I want my own giant diesel engines! Those are awesome."


    Milo sighed and looked sad. "Well, I do love tinkering with them, but if it would make my brother happy, I could give it up and let you have all the fun of maintaining them. It''s hard, though. I doubt that only one in a thousand boys could do it."


    "I accept! Thank you!"


    Onyx turned to Algernon, "I believe tonight I shall reread a story from a wise man named Samuel Clemens called Tom Sawyer."


    Algernon agreed, "One should always keep up on such classics if you don''t want to be fooled by the Dreaded Pink Ninja."


    Zander glared at them. "Not the same. Engines! Big Engines! Much Vroom!"


    Nina poked Milo, "What else is in here that you need help with?"


    "Well, there is a lot of equipment here. Small electric vehicles, construction equipment, fabricators, welders, and who knows what else."


    She made a note on her datapad, "Got it. Treasure Hunt in Engineering. What''s the central building?"


    "Let me show you and Algernon." Zander and Onyx were off to look at ''Much Vroom'' and Bork was enthralled with the idea of taking a look at the Nano Diamond batteries. Milo led Nina and Algernon to the central observation building with its jury-rigged airlock.


    "This was made by someone else, obviously. There used to be a breathable atmosphere in the facility. He snuck back in after things were shut down to keep things from blowing up. This is where he lived for a few months until he went deeper into the facility."


    Nina and Algernon explored the little set of rooms much like Milo had. They found the notes and started piecing together the story. "Milo, these people never got here, did they?" She had a sinking feeling in her stomach.


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    "No, only as far as the security room. One of them betrayed the rest and then died at the hands of security robots. Jeremy was here alone, trying to fix things."


    She looked at the names. "Jeremy? Milo, is he still here? I think I know who this is."


    Milo said, "Dr. Jeremy Cooper and his friends were Dan Gurgens, Dorian Radcliff, Bobby Benson, Taylor Markenson, Ravi Singh, Wilma Bernstein, and Istvan Turr. The person who killed them was Bill Jerkowitz. They were all on his team, but they never got here."


    Algernon and Nina were collecting and stacking all the small notes, notebooks, and everything else in the room. "I have to go through these. He was beginning to do work on the Overmind concept and alternate methods to create AI. Those were brilliant people!"


    "They were, and their genius was co-opted by some very evil people. But if you want to know more about Jeremy''s overmind project, you should do his tutorials. But I''ll warn you, they break your brain in ways I can''t begin to describe."


    His brother and sister just smiled, and Nina said, "Sounds like fun."


    "What''s fun?" Bork was climbing to the top floor, followed by the others.


    "Torturous brain exercises designed to help with creating an overmind. Devised by a master torturer named Dr. Jeremy Cooper."


    Zander grinned, "You''re only making us want to do them more. Wait...I know that name! Count me in!"


    Onyx looked at him, then Nina and Algernon, only Bork didn''t look thrilled. "Samuel Clemens was really on to something."


    Milo sighed. "Don''t say I didn''t warn you. But now that we''ve visited engineering, let''s get moving. I''ve got one more interesting place we have to get to."


    "The giant mechanical mole machine we can use to tunnel to Rhebus?"


    "Oooh, the Fusion Reactor?!"


    "The hanger deck with your space cruiser?"


    "Please tell me you have a giant mecha! Or does the whole place turn into one?"


    "Raptor breeding pens."


    The last was from Algernon. The others turned to him, "Bad idea the first time, bad idea the second time, and never again."


    "But they were so cute! And we have a lot of room down here. They''d make great security personnel with a little training."


    Milo shook his head. "I have armed Roomba and impressive Human-Hunting robots for that."


    Algernon was not convinced. "There comes a time when you put aside your robotic toys and move on to recreating dinosaurs. And I, frankly, am ready for that day. But I can be patient. Where are we going then?"


    "I''ll tell you when we get there." Milo was stubborn after that, ignoring all pleas and questions of, "Are we there yet?" It turned out to be a very short drive to a closed door. Milo opened it and walked in, followed by the others who saw the room was already occupied."


    Once the door was shut, the air was cleared, and helmets came off, they were introduced by Milo. "Belinda, these are my brothers and sister: Bork, Zander, Algernon, Onyx, and Nina. Names may change, but the letters stay the same. Family, this is Belinda. She and you and I all share some interesting history."


    Bork said, quickly, "If you are referring to the small borrowing of your uncle Victor''s money, I have to let you know that we''re protected by Romanian law from prosecution."


    She laughed, "Isn''t everyone? Don''t worry, I certainly don''t care. Happy it happened, and Milo did it too. I''m sure you know it wasn''t his money. If you can use it for something other than hurting people, you''re welcome to it."


    Zander took a deep breath, then spoke, "You''re referring to our mutual origins. Your father made us, and then he made you."


    Belinda nodded, "Call me Batch 4.5, one of a kind as far as I know, and messed up from the start. He was disappointed I was conceived the normal way, so he decided to experiment a little. Milo has been a big help. I''d be dead or locked away in a pod for the rest of my life if we hadn''t met." She looked at Milo, he could tell something was wrong. "I noticed something today. Dad''s not done with me."


    Milo was immediately concerned. "Noticed what?"


    "Similar symptoms to what my mother went through. I''m getting smarter. My thoughts are moving quickly. And I think the increase is exponential. It''s slow now, but it will get worse and worse. I''m theorizing that the drug treatments my mother intended for me to be on were tampered with by my doctors. They never wanted me to fully wake up or regain my mobility. Something they did must have held off part of the changes Vigo made, and now they''ve started up again. We need to find a way to retard the growth rate of my intelligence. Possibly with some of the drugs my doctors were using, or that my mother wanted me to use for my early years. You saw what she was like at the end. I don''t want to go through that. I''ve been going over the data, but there''s so much of it. I need help, and you six are the only people I can go to."


    The alphabet looked at the rows of data discs. Concern for Milo''s friend warred with the desire to dig into the raw data. Outside of their own data files at Rhebus, this might be the biggest collection of information on human biology in the world. And helping people was what they did. They could see that Belinda was in a heightened state of awareness. She wasn''t questioning their presence or wasting time with small talk. And even as they talked, part of her was watching the data on the screens as it flew by.


    "We''ll help. Scavenger hunts in engineering and other things can wait. This takes top priority. You''re family."


    Belinda looked grateful. "Thank you. I feel like I''ve been on a quest all my life to get out of that wheelchair and away from my stepfather. But I''ve still got a long way to go to be free of my real father and what he did. I thought I was done, but the journey isn''t over."


    The large screen came on, showing a red-headed boy of about sixteen. He had a ridiculously long red beard and a huge axe over his shoulder. "And you shall not quest alone! You have my axe!"


    Rusty''s enthusiasm made her smile.


    Milo didn''t want to be left out of a grand quest. "And my Spikey Stick!"


    Neither did anyone else.


    "You have my bow!"


    "And my big-assed sword!"


    "My howitzer."


    "My Mega Motostryke Motorized 10-Dart Blaster."


    Bork paused, he''d wanted to call dibs on the Dart Blaster. "And you have my nuclear chainsaw!


    Everyone looked at Bork. He glared at them. "Don''t question the magic!"


    Rusty raised his axe in the air, "Awesome! I get to go on a quest!"


    Belinda smiled at them all, then said, "Everyone, this is Rusty. He''s been helping me with my research. I don''t think I could have got through a third of what I''ve accomplished without him."


    Nina said, "Oh, the person who wants to put on the Broadway show."


    Rusty said, "YES! My beloved Kei and Yuri will dance across the stage, to the applause of millions." The screen split into many scenes accompanied by music Rusty had composed. "I''ve worked on it non-stop since Milo kindly offered to fund my show."


    Zander looked at Onyx, then at Rusty. "While helping with research?"


    Rusty smiled proudly, then split into several versions of himself, all dressed differently. "Yep. It''s easy. Part of me is researching with Belinda, and other parts are doing the choreography, composing music, and writing the stories. And watching over the Fusion Generator, of course. That''s job number one now that ICARUS is gone. All Fusion Generators should be checked ten times a second. That''s a rule."


    The alphabet was silent, with blank faces, as each concluded what Rusty must be.


    Milo said, "Rusty and ICARUS are two of the AIs that Jeremy created. They were here when I arrived. ICARUS was under orders to destroy the Quantum Fortress in a meltdown, and Rusty was trying to stop him. They were locked in a stalemate for years, engineered by Jeremy."


    Rusty said proudly, "But Milo tricked him, and we all won. I helped."


    Onyx turned to Milo. "You have a Quantum Fortress? A fully functional quantum fortress with an AI hidden in a secret bunker? How did you end up with all the cool toys?!"


    "I don''t mind sharing, and it''s Rusty''s more than mine. He was born here. I only moved in lately."


    Nina was already thinking about Belinda''s problem. "We have the data, we have the resources of Rhebus, and the massive power of a quantum fortress. I say we get to work."

 Chapter 377: Milo needs a helicopter?

    The change in the Alphabet from excited children having fun to focused professionals happened in a matter of seconds. Part of Belinda watched as all of them began to focus and work together. Onyx proposed a new project: Study the new batch of data and find a way to cure Belinda. The study would begin immediately and take priority over other projects.


    Belinda and Milo watched as each person took thirty seconds to give their thoughts, and then they voted. It was unanimous and they got to work. Nina was assigned to the position of project head because of her expertise in human medicine. Bork, Onyx, and Algernon were given the task of working with Rusty to go over the existing data they found on Vigo''s experiments and go through the remaining discs. Belinda, Nina, Zander, and Milo left them to do their job and drove back to the small hospital in Downtown with its MkVII pods.


    Nina outlined her plans to Belinda. "I want to put you in a pod to do a full exam. In addition to whatever is causing you problems, you''re also suffering from a high level of stress. The side effects of that may mask your other symptoms, so we start by getting that under control. I want to get nutrients into you, slow your metabolism down, and see what effect that has. I need to establish a baseline for you. How long is it since you''ve slept?"


    "Two days? No, closer to four. I''ve been keyed up, anticipating dealing with my father, ever since I found out the truth. After I talked to him, I ran back and got back to work. I couldn''t stop scanning the discs and was going faster and faster. It''s like I can''t slow down! I''ve never had this happen before."


    Nina looked at Milo who nodded, slightly. Not being able to slow down was a familiar feeling for all of the alphabet. "Something has changed. Let''s get you in the pod so you can sleep. Milo, I''m going to need access to our private medical labs in the Rhebus sections. How do we get her there?"


    Milo considered taking her through the habitat with a Roomba escort, but there was an easier way. "Rhebus has a helicopter with cargo capability. When you have her stable, we can go up the elevator to the top of the hab, and use the copter to hop from section E to your sections."


    "Good plan. Next, I need you and Zander to give me a secure Data Net connection to Rhebus. I don''t trust any other form of communication. Too many of our secrets could leak. Corporations are constantly trying to get into our systems. Bork is constantly upgrading our security, and sending little electronic time bombs to the people hacking us. He''s turned a lot of computers into doorsteps. We''ll connect it to a sealed section that doesn''t communicate with the outside. No chance of someone discovering the link."


    Zander turned to Milo, "Downtown isn''t connected, obviously, since you have an AI down there. One hint of Rusty''s existence would make the big AI go ape-shit, he''s hardwired that way. We need to keep him secret. We could run the cable from Rhebus through the sewer systems using the new clog eaters to do the work. That gives us a closed system, but where do we need to go to connect?"


    Milo liked that plan, and that Zander understood how bad it would be if Wally found out about Rusty. "I have a connection from Downtown to my old home, we can connect it there. My systems are set up to block Rusty from accessing the full Data Net and keep Wally out. I download materials to my system, then feed data to the connection to Downtown. If the Rhebus labs are isolated we can hook directly to them."


    "Great, you work from your end. I''ll work from Rhebus and we''ll meet in the middle somewhere."


    Milo used his datapad to show Zander his proposed route. "These water pipes are clean and in good condition. We can use the bots to do most of the work and follow along checking the connections. I''m sending six of them to meet you on the Rhebus side." They didn''t stop when they got to the doors to Downtown. The Roomba opened them up and Milo drove through, saving Belinda the walk. Butch, Brad, and Min saw them driving along and ran after them to the Medical Center.


    There was concern in Butch''s voice. "What do you need help with? And don''t say you have it handled. You wouldn''t be driving through the hallways and breaking the ''No motorized vehicles'' rule." That rule had been put in place after Butch had convinced Max and the Roomba to take part in ''Camel Races'', with the Roomba acting as the trusty steeds. When four teenagers riding Roomba had nearly run into Mama, new rules were immediately posted. Camel races were now scheduled so non-participants had warnings and could watch from the finish line.


    "I need you and Brad to help us get two pods into the elevator and unseen to the helicopter landing pad. You know the area and can count while the four of us maneuver the pods with the Roomba''s assistance. And I need Min to drive this thing back to the doorway and park it."


    "Awesome!" Min grinned at her big brother, happy with the allocation of jobs.


    "Slowly, and you can''t get caught by Mama."


    "Less awesome, but still fun."


    Nina looked at Milo, puzzled, "Two pods? Is someone else hurt?"


    "Yes, and it''s part of the long story that involves Rusty and Icarus. They were created here, by Jeremy Cooper. To save Icarus, Jeremy created Rusty. But to do that he had to be directly connected to the Quantum Core. This meant full immersion with the creation of a robust Overmind. He slowly lost his link to his real body as the stress took its toll. He succeeded but at the cost of being trapped with Rusty and Icarus in the core. Injured is a mild way to describe the situation. Jeremy spent months, maybe years, in a pod in the lower fusion levels, directly connected to the quantum core. His body is barely alive, and most of his nervous system is overloaded. I don''t know what we can do, but I promised I''d try. We''d have to find a way to download his conscious mind back into his body after we restore him to health. Two big unknowns."


    "His consciousness survived? That''s amazing, and ties into some of the research we''ve been doing. Please tell me you have all of his notes and research!"


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    Milo grimaced, "Much worse. I have all of his tutorials! I never had anything hurt my brain like those did! And yes, all of his research is saved as well."


    Nina grinned, "Groundbreaking research and medical miracles. We live for this type of challenge. " She glanced down at her hand. "But you''ve done some of that yourself. How did you discover a method for aligning nerve impulses? And why did you sell your gloves as video gaming gear?"


    "Um...accidentally? It was protective gear in case I had to deal with Victor''s goons. Butch saw the gloves when I was wearing them during the test period and assumed they were for gaming. They do speed up reactions and eliminate fatigue, so I made the gang their own set. I was surprised when they helped Belinda to move more easily."


    Nina held up her hand. "You did more than that. This isn''t a prosthetic. We''ve pioneered cutting-edge cloning techniques. I was able to graft a new left hand without rejection, but it was clumsy and hard to use, even after a year of physiotherapy. I only had 17% of the mobility of my right hand. That''s up to 64% without the gloves, and still improving. With them on I''m at 94%. That technology is why we made that deal with Claw Master and Genesis." She peeled off the glove and wiggled her fingers.


    Seeing that made Milo extremely happy. And then the ramifications hit him. "I could have two legs?"


    "You certainly could. And I need more test subjects, so thanks for volunteering. We''ll have you dancing in time for the Broadway show."


    Milo fervently wished to avoid such an event. Dancing with Larry was one thing. He wasn''t sure he couldn''t handle being in a live-action anime production. The discussion ended as they arrived at the small hospital, Nina looked around at the equipment, noting that for a government installation, it wasn''t half-bad, although some of the equipment needed updating. But it wasn''t a research laboratory, and that was what she needed. Belinda had fallen out of her hyper-focus at some point during the short trip and was half-asleep. Milo and Nina got her into her pod and hooked up to the diagnostics scanners and nutrient dispensers.


    "As I thought, she''s running on too little sleep and too much stress. Her EKG graph shows more mental activity than I''ve ever seen in a normal human. We''re far beyond normal, and she''s somewhere in the middle. Whatever is happening is a long-term change. I suspect things accelerated when you got her off that horrible cocktail of drugs, and she started wearing the suit you made. Normally, those are both good things, but something else is at work here, some legacy of what her father did. Let''s get her to Rhebus."


    Butch and Brad helped them wheel the pods to the elevator to the top floor and through the security center. Nina took a quick look at Jeremy''s pod, confirming what Milo had told her. The body was alive, barely, but no one was home. In any hospital, they would have declared him brain-dead. At the top, the two boys quietly left the abandoned offices and scouted out the nearby corridors. The area was almost completely abandoned now, businesses that had occupied the top floors had fled after only a few years and there were no housing areas. It was rare that shipments came by helicopter, but in the past year, the roof had seen more use by executives from Genesis, Claw Master, and Manpower. Within minutes the two pods were loaded and the copter was in the air, traveling once around the building and setting down again on the Rhebus landing pad.


    Butch and Brad were quiet until they got into the elevator with Milo. "Does Claw Master have a cool helicopter like that?"


    Milo could think of no reason why he''d ever use such a vehicle. He didn''t even like being on the roof. "No, what would I do with it."


    Brad grinned, "Loan it to your best buddies so they can learn to fly it."


    "That sounds like a good way to lose a million-dollar helicopter and whatever it lands on. Shouldn''t you know to fly one first, then get the vehicle?"


    Butch agreed with such sage advice. "This is why we keep you around, for your big brain. You''re right, we need to begin lessons and let you buy us a cool copter when we won''t wreck it. Playing Chopper Commander only gets you so far."


    Brad sighed but gave in. "OK, pilot''s license first, chopper second."


    "I don''t see why we need a helicopter."


    "Well, you have a place to land one and you bought the whole section. Seems silly to not get yourself two pilots and a fancy ride."


    Milo looked at the two of them, trying to figure out how serious they were. They''d fooled him before. "If you can beat me in Chopper Commander, I''ll pay for lessons."


    "Ooh, a three-way battle?"


    Milo wasn''t about to let them team up on him. He''d barely played the game, and it was one of their favorites. "Nope, I get Min on my side. If we win, she gets to take the lessons."


    Brad grimaced, "Now that''s just unfair."


    Butch didn''t seem to mind, "Roll with it. Either we get lessons, or Min gets them. She can teach us." Discussions continued until they reached the bottom. Mama was waiting for them.


    "I need the help of three strong boys, and I want an explanation of what''s been going on."


    The three of them exchanged looks, before Butch said, "Well, what do you think is going on?" He''d tried to impress on Milo that information was dangerous and to never give away what you''d done, in case that wasn''t the subject of the current investigation.


    "I think that someone was taking a half dozen rabbits and two of the younger children for a ride, and managed to get the vehicle stuck in the bushes in the middle of the park. No one got hurt except for the bushes. You three can get your story straight while you un-stick it, and I have a long talk with Min."


    As Mama walked off to find her daughter, Brad looked at Butch, "Probably a bad time to tell Mama that Min is learning to fly a helicopter."


    "Just means we have to win!"

 Chapter 378: The Pigs hold the Secret

    Mama got the explanations she needed and got to work organizing parts of her extended family to make sure everyone was fed and rested. Bork, Algernon, and Onyx were surprised when Rusty sounded an alarm and announced "Warning! Incoming high-priority message from Starfleet Command."


    Algernon stood, put his hands behind his back, and said, "Put it on the screen please, Lieutenant Rusty."


    Mama''s image appeared, wearing a Starfleet Admiral''s uniform with an appropriate background behind her. "Greetings, I hope your research vessel is on course, but I''m worried about the supplies in your commissary. You haven''t been back to base and you''ve been working for four hours on an important project without eating. My research has shown that brains don''t work when they don''t have fuel. I''m sending down a supply ship with dinner, and you''ll receive food every four hours plus snacks. Max will let me know if you don''t eat enough, and I warn you, I''ve seen how much Milo needs to know what ''enough'' is."


    "Thank you, ma''am. Happy to have you supporting our mission."


    "You''re family, you''ll always have my support. And that includes making sure you get your sleep. I want you home every twelve hours and sleeping for at least two hours. We''re fixing up a house for you. Do you want separate bedrooms or one big room?"


    "A big room, please, with extra pillows for pillow fights, and nothing breakable."


    She smiled at that request, "Extra pillows it is. Give me a call if you need anything else. I have a screen in the kitchen and Rusty can open a hailing frequency. Starfleet out."


    Algernon saluted as the screen went blank, "Well, we have our orders men. Back to work. We have eight hours of research left in the day, then a pillow fight and a quick nap."


    Elsewhere, Zander and Milo were completing their crawl through the pipes between Rhebus and Section E. Once the cables were connected, Nina had secure communications between her and the researchers. Milo and Zander followed each other''s cables back to their origins, checking each other''s work. With everything secure, Milo went to see the Rhebus labs and Zander descended to Downtown.


    To Milo''s slight delight, he was already entered into the Rhebus security system. Nina sent him a map of the facility and highlighted the areas where the Alphabet had their private labs, and where their dozens of lab technicians, researchers, and other employees worked. He''d never considered having people working for him, and carrying out the basic jobs that kept a company running. As he climbed stairs and ran through half-completed corridors to meet Nina, wheels were turning in his head.


    The Rhebus labs were far beyond Milo''s cobbled-together workshops, hosting state-of-the-art medical equipment along with the Alphabet''s innovations. Belinda was in a type of medical pod that Milo had never heard of, sleeping and relaxed. Nina watched him as he moved around the pod, examining it and looking at each read-out. "If I''m reading this right, she is mostly stable and sleeping, but there are processes still going on within her brain that I don''t understand."


    "Neither do I, to be honest. She''s making connections within her brain and creating a more efficient structure, becoming something more like us. I''ve slowed the process using a cocktail of drugs, some of which her doctors were using. But the process is continuing. It''s only at 4% of the speed I initially measured. I bought us time but didn''t fix the problem. We need to find out what he did to her. It''s hard to believe he did this to his daughter without having a fully researched plan. We just need to find it."


    Milo considered that statement, and then realized what must be true, "He didn''t have a plan."


    "How can you know that?"


    "Vigo didn''t have time. He wasn''t expecting his wife to get pregnant. That surprised him and he acted quickly. He didn''t plan for the procedure and wasn''t ready so he did what he could and must have expected to keep treating her. He didn''t anticipate the effect it would have on Belinda''s mother, and that she''d kill him for it. Vigo was brilliant and self-absorbed. He was determined to increase human intelligence. So was his father. It must have upset him to think his firstborn child would be normal."


    Nina slowly nodded, "Onyx made a joke about us being created by Frankenstein and Frankenstein Jr. I wonder if Vigo''s father experimented on his son? Maybe Belinda wasn''t the first? By all accounts, Vigo was far more intelligent than any of his peers."


    "But not smart enough to anticipate how angry his wife would be. He forgot what family he married into."


    "Back to work then. We can do research from here as well, now that you''ve linked us to Rusty and the database in Downtown. Let''s focus on successful experiments prior to his creation of us. He would have needed quick fixes he could do all at once. Gene therapy would have been out of the question, in that timeline. He''d need to first map out Belinda''s genome before he could begin to formulate changes. Basics, yes, things he''d already done like the nerve clusters along our spines. But not an ongoing mutagenic effect that upgrades her nervous system and brain cells. Let''s not rule it out, but I think it''s not what we''re looking for. Belinda''s mother mentioned nanites, and I''ve been scanning her blood for anything of that nature, but her bloodwork isn''t showing anything active beyond the nanites I''m using."


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


    Milo agreed, and the two of them got to work, coordinating with the downstairs group, and joined by Zander. Starfleet Command contacted them as well. Rhebus would supply nutritious meals as they usually did, and they promised to watch each other and get enough sleep.


    A day went by, with small successes that led to dead ends. It was the pigs that finally gave them their first solid clue. Bork was intrigued by the revelation that Vigo Johansson wasn''t the first mad scientist in the family and began gathering together all of the information he could find on his father, Felix. There were always patterns that Bork could find around a person''s life. He found that certain equipment and chemical supplies were delivered to the small towns near a farm owned by Felix that far exceeded what many corporations would need. Backed by his knowledge of how Rhebus had operated in the early days, he identified Felix''s suppliers and from that could extrapolate some of what he was working on.


    And while he found no mention of any sales of live pigs or pork carcasses, he did find evidence that twice a year a truck was sent to the farm, and then delivered several tons of ''biological waste'' to an incinerator. Strange behavior for a pig farmer, but not for someone experimenting on pigs. The need for a high-tech, 15'' high ''unscalable'' fence with electronic locks was another clue. Bork theorized that Felix was either paranoid about someone stealing a pig, or worried that the pigs might escape.


    Five hours later he found a section of data in the discs that detailed experiments on animals. Felix had been breeding smarter and smarter pigs. The basis of the experiments had been genetic, but he hit a wall at some point. Pigs were smart, to begin with, smarter than dogs. Most people would be satisfied to breed pigs that were comparable to a human with an IQ of 50. The smartest test subject, Violet, had learned to recognize written words and spoken commands. Her vocabulary was limited to only 50 words and she could count to 23.


    Violet was the recipient of the next experiment.


    Felix wasn''t as organized in his notes, and most of his work had been separated and archived by Vigo. Luckily, Bork had Rusty to help. The AI could look through all of the scanned data in seconds looking for research into nanites, or experiments using them. Within an hour they''d found the experiments done on the pigs. It was odd enough that Bork immediately notified the rest of the family and get more eyes on the research.


    Milo took the schematics for the nanites and compared them to his own designs. These were smaller by a factor of ten, with a radically different design. "These were never meant to be distributed by blood. They''re crawlers, tunnelers. They break down the tissues in front of them, separating the neurons and rebuilding, layering one nerve cell at a time."


    Nina was tearing through the research notes, dozens of pages a second, "Direct injections into the brain and spine. A slow process that rebuilds and strengthens the body''s nervous system. This is it! I''m sure of it. I need a look at her nerve tissue. I know where the changes are taking place. Algernon and Onyx, get to Rhebus. I need you to scrub and get ready for brain surgery. If the nanites are there, we can get a sample and learn how to shut them down."


    Zander started laughing, "Go to disc 37, page 4867. It''s hysterical. The pigs got away! Violet figured out how to work a keypad by holding a stick in her mouth. She released all the experimental animals and they disappeared into the countryside. Felix spent a fortune hiring trackers and hunters but never found the ones he was looking for."


    Nina paused at the door, puzzled, "Where could they hide?"


    Milo knew. "Another pig farm. If I were a super-intelligent pig, I''d split up my pack and have them lie low in other farms. The hunters were looking for pigs on the run. It would be easy to get away from normal farms if they needed to. Or maybe they stayed? Some farms raise pigs for sale and show and always keep the best."


    Zander was looking at the historical records for Fairs and animal competitions, "That part of South Wales is known for having some of the smartest pigs in the world. Some even herd sheep." Noting he was alone in the room, he ran to scrub and head to the surgery arena. No one wanted to miss watching Nina do brain surgery.

 Chapter 379: Adventure Calls...as soon as we arent busy.

    Chapter 379: Adventure Calls...as soon as we aren''t busy.


    Milo found himself hustled off to the pre-surgery scrub room and given a crash course in scrubbing for surgery: Rhebus style. The first step involved a shower using a decontamination booth that not only cleaned him but also took off three layers of dead skin cells. Protective eyewear kept the chemical bath out of his eyes, but the fumes tickled into his nose uncomfortably. His siblings shouted out encouragement.


    "Make sure to use the stiff brush to loosen things up."


    "And the smaller brushes to get in between your toes."


    "That always stings!"


    "If your toes don''t sting, you''re doing it wrong!"


    He exited and was wrapped in a very large hot towel and given his first set of surgical scrubs and a mask. For all their banter, he was impressed with how thorough they took their preparations. Finally, he was seated with everyone but Nina, observing the surgical arena through a glass window with overhead screens showing different angles and a computer screen in front of him. Nina was sitting next to Belinda''s pod with a control station in front of her.


    Milo looked at the console in front of him with controls for operating small Waldos and manipulating the tools used for endoscopic surgery. "I have a question..."


    Bork said, "Nope, you don''t get to run the show. There is a set pecking order. Nina is the head surgeon, and the rest of us are on backup duty today. No brain surgery for you!"


    "You don''t know how thankful I am for that."


    Zander turned and lightly bopped Bork on the head, "Rude. You have to let him ask questions! He was looking for volunteers to practice on."


    Bork nodded, understanding finally, "Oh, in that case, I''ll volunteer."


    Everyone looked at Bork.


    "I volunteer Zander as Milo''s experimental guinea pig. He doesn''t have the mental capacity today to be responsible for himself, so I''ll make his decisions for him. Ignore the garbled mouth noises he''s making. He''s excited about Milo digging around in his frontal lobes."


    Onyx considered the statement, "A dangerous precedent, volunteering others. But exciting. I volunteer to watch as an impartial observer and judge whether any of you are responsible enough to make your own decisions. Don''t worry, I''ll be very fair."


    Milo saw that Nina was almost about to begin, and snuck his question into the conversation, "Why the scrubs?"


    Algernon answered, "Partly for fun. Partly for practice. But mainly, in case something goes wrong and Nina needs help. You never know when the fun and games end. Being ready can save a life."


    A countdown flashed three times, indicating Nina was ready to begin. For the next two hours, Nina carefully used non-invasive surgery to take a set of thin wires up through the nasal cavity and then into part of Belinda''s brain, aiming for a point where her scans showed nanites at work modifying her nervous system. She was slow and careful, taking no chances. When finished, she brought out a minute tissue sample that should contain the microscopic machines that were loose in Belinda''s body.


    "Milo and Zander, you''re up. Isolate one of the beasties and start comparing it to our notes. I''m going to close up and then monitor her for the next day. Bork, you''re backing me up first, then Onyx. Algernon is on monitor duty and gets to run Rhebus today."


    Everyone saluted, Milo half a second behind the others, "Yes, Head Surgeon!"


    A day later, Milo was completely involved in tearing apart, figuring out, and redesigning the nanite crawlers created by Vigo or Vigo''s Father. They were ingenious in design, but a blunt instrument. They were designed to do one thing only, and keep doing it until they registered certain chemical compounds, and then they shut off. The small piece of tissue had hundreds of them, all working to enhance her nervous system. They were dangerous, with very little in the way of control systems, like a car that kept driving until out of gas, something broke, or it encountered a very specific sign. Milo was sure Vigo had only used them because of a lack of time, and his expectation to purge them from Belinda''s system at a later date.


    Zander was figuring out exactly what the control substances were, testing all of the drugs Belinda had been given and similar compounds. Carefully testing one nanobot at a time, he found three drugs that caused them to alter their behavior. The first put them into a static mode, ready to get back to work. The second caused them to disengage and go dormant, but he wasn''t sure for what time period. Theoretically, they could be more easily flushed from the body when dormant. Static nanobots remained attached to the nerve tissue they had been working on, ready to resume. The last chemical reactivated static machines, which then searched for nerve tissue to upgrade.


    When he had exhausted all possibilities, he slowly came out of his state of intense concentration, exhausted.


    Bork handed him a large chocolate nutrient shake, complete with whip cream and a cherry. Algernon had come up with them, using the logic that if you needed 4000 calories, you needed a milkshake. No one disagreed.


    "Everything fine?"


    Bork looked distressed, "Yes, and no. Belinda is fine. But I''m worried about Milo."


    "How so? What happened?"


    "He linked into our system and is working with Rusty to examine, modify, and test new versions of the nanobots. And when I say ''Examine, modify, and test'', I mean all three lines of thought at once. I''m recording it all because I can''t follow it. I think he''s separated himself into four people, one in charge of the other three. He has to be accessing some type of advanced form of an Overmind. He''s well past our own experimentation. It''s driving me crazy trying to figure out how he did it." r?A??O???E?S??


    Zander looked over to where Milo was working, images on screens flashing past at breakneck speed, fingers tapping keys, and eyes half open. Cables connected him from all of his sockets and his tail to the Rhebus computers. Three empty nutrient shakes sat on a nearby table. "Is he ok, what are his stress levels?"


    Bork shrugged, "Less than half of yours. He''s fine. Nina thinks that working this hard is what keeps him sane. There are so many lines of study branching off from watching him that I could scream. I already sent Mama a supply of nutrient shakes. She worries a lot about him."


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "Well, get me another shake. I''m going to take a look at his notes, use the micro-fabricator to create one of his designs, and see what it does. I''ve learned more about nano-design today than in the last five years. And once this project is over, we should sit down and have a long talk with him about what he''s doing. Can you imagine how much more we could do with all of us operating like that?"


    "I do, which is why I also put in a huge order for the ingredients Algernon uses to make his shakes. Chocolate, vanilla, or passion fruit this time? Or would you like an assortment?"


    "Go with the assortment, with extra cherries."


    When Milo finally disengaged fully from the Rhebus computer system, he saw Rusty wave and disappear, anime music that had been playing in the background slowly faded away. The Alphabet was all around him, also looking exhausted. "What happened?"


    Nina had huge bags under her eyes. Bork and Algernon were nodding in place, awake but not talking, and hooked to I.V. drips. Zander was going over a schematic with Onyx and sipping a milkshake. Milo realized he was famished.


    Nina handed him a similar dessert. "Here, eat this. Good for you, and you''ve already eaten nine of them, and I had you on a drip for a few hours. You''ve been in a continuous state of hyper-awareness for thirty-three hours. Is this normal for you?"


    "Sort of. I lose track of time when I''m working. These are great cherries!"


    "We get them from Italy, where a little family farm grows them. Great stuff. They were getting squeezed by ORGOFARM to sell out, but an anonymous investor stepped in to save them. They''re doing better now and we got them out of some bad deals. In return, we get all the cherries we can eat. Our dividends go to a law firm and several local politicians who look out for the family. We go through a lot of cherries when we work hard. How much do you remember of what you did when you separated your thought processes?"


    "All of it. I don''t forget things, not important things, at least."


    "Interesting. None of us can argue with the results. We have a working prototype for the new NanoRhebusBot. All the patents have been applied for, and we paid extra to have them sealed, which costs a lot and will drive Technodyne and Alchemarx crazy, wondering what we''re up to. Once we do some testing, we''ll begin human trials. I think we have something here that will solve a lot of problems."


    "Including Belinda?"


    "Absolutely. Zander has found the chemical controls, and anything inside her is dormant now. I want to keep her on daily supplements to make sure until we get them all out of her system. Her father did shoddy work, letting something loose he couldn''t turn off completely."


    Milo finished his shake and noticed that there was a large plate of snacks nearby. No one seemed to mind when he took the whole plate and started eating it. "That''s what bothered me as soon as I saw it. Primitive receptors, with little control. It was an unfinished project and he turned it loose on her before she was born. I hate shoddy work like that."


    "Well, your version is much better. Improved communication and control, and we''ll be able to use them for several neurological disorders, including Perkins-Rudolf Degeneration."


    "Which is?"


    "Pod disease. There are millions of people suffering from it, and the only person trying to do anything about it is your buddy Wally. I think he''ll be happy with this new treatment. I estimate it decreases treatment time from five years to twenty months with 57% better results, especially in the worst cases."


    "I''ll have to talk to him then. How long before Belinda is up?"


    Nina yawned, "Give her another two days and I won''t worry at all about releasing her. We''ll run tests and keep her monitored, just in case. I want her to continue her physical therapy, without any enhancements from your suit, and then I''ll do a complete scan of her nervous system. She has a unique physiology, similar to ours, but not quite. I think that''s part of the problem. She grew and matured, the doctors kept mucking with her drugs to keep her an invalid, and the nanobots were cycling from active to inactive. So get some rest, I want you in your pod and sleeping for the next twelve hours. You can be out of the pod for an hour, then right back in. I''m running a complete analysis on you. We work hard, but we don''t abuse our health."


    "I have work I should do."


    "I''ll tell Mama if you do anything other than sleep. She''s called three times already, inquiring about you and Belinda. I doubt security would stop her if she decides to come visit."


    Milo thought it was better not to find out. "What about Genesis? I have work to do there, too. I have to help dig a tunnel to the new underground pirate base before the Engineer teams get their new drill machines running."


    "Underground pirate base?" Zander perked up his ears and looked excited.


    Onyx said, "Told you it was a cool game."


    "I need to know more, for, uh, science and stuff."


    Nina looked at the two of them. "I''m still leery about that game, but I''m weakening. I miss bounding over the rooftops."


    Milo looked at Onyx, "Captain Squint is looking for a good airship pilot. He tried doing it himself and ran into a building."


    "That was a sweet ship, I''d love to take it out for a good flight."


    Bork and Algernon scooted their chairs and I.V. stands closer to the conversation. "When?"


    Nina looked at the anxious faces, "We have work to do, and need rest. But I don''t see why the rest can''t be done in a pod that''s hooked to the game. We can cycle in a couple of people at a time. And you slackers need to catch up. Onyx and I are up to Level 6!"


    Bork looked at Milo, "And you?"


    All of the alphabet looked at Milo, waiting for his answer, "Close to Tier 4 and Level 21. I''m at Level 20, but I want to squeeze out every Enhancement point that I can."


    Everyone looked at each other. Bork stood and loudly said, "We must close the unfair gap between our levels, brought on by our slacking. Adventure calls."

 Chapter 380: Diggy, Diggy, Mole!

    Senior Engineer Milo was seen all over for two hours before he hopped on board a fast train to the Uptop. He visited each of the teams working on new variations of tunnel drillers, making cryptic comments and dropping hints about how close the other teams were to starting. By the time he left, the teams were in a feverish race to once again redesign their machines for better fuel efficiency, more power, and sharper drill heads. The other Senior Engineers were patrolling the materials warehouse with weapons set to ''Painful Stun'' and trying in vain to keep the Junior Engineers from taking all the best metals and spare parts. While they guarded the warehouse entrance from three teams, a fourth team using an improvised tunneler broke in and made off with what they needed for their project. Word spread fast, and when Sledgemonkey opened the door to the warehouse, the cupboards were bare.


    The other Senior Engineers, frustrated at the Juniors outfoxing them, grumbled and looked to the Chief. "What now?"


    He smiled, "We go tap a keg and guard the alcohol. Those little weasels were going to steal anything not riveted to the floor eventually. You all remember how we were at that stage. Let''s go toss a few cold ones back and then take a look at the designs tonight. I''m anxious to see what they come up with. Milo has them wound up tight with their brains buzzing."


    "And just where is Senior Engineer Milo?" Two-Screws always felt better when he knew what Milo was up to, which he rarely did.


    "Off to the Uptop, and then down to the Hollow. Probably going to rile up their digging teams."


    Sparkplug rolled his eyes, "Digging with picks and moles isn''t going to go a tenth as fast as the slowest of our drillers."


    The Chief noticed who laughed and who didn''t. There were some knowing smiles among the Engineers who had seen Buttercup and Rosie playing with their new picks. "Well, I''m sure they''ll contribute something from their end. What''s the odds, by the way?"


    Sparkplug looked at the latest sheet. Squad A is the favorite at 2 to 1, Squad B at 3 to 1, Squad C at 6 to 1, and the rest of the field at 10 to 1. We included the ratkin, but no one has bet on them yet. 20 to 1 odds if you''re feeling like betting on the underdog, Chief."


    Sledgemonkey tossed over a bag of clinking coins, "Sure, toss a hundred on the Hollow team."


    "Me too, I don''t want them to think no one was rooting for them." Two-Screws put his gold on the table. "Now let''s grab some beer and tell lies about what we did when we were Junior Engineers with more enthusiasm than brains."


    "The Chief looked at him. "Are you claiming to have more brains now?"


    "Naw, but I''m a Senior Engineer. That much changed at least."


    After getting to the city, Milo raced over the rooftops and descended to the mines, waving to Bernard as he ran past. He barely slowed as he bounded down the steep tunnel to Limburger Hollow. He''d taken the route several times and wasn''t bothered by the few monsters he encountered, steep drops, or the occasional rockslide. Halfway down, he passed a group of ten players in a desperate fight against a monstrous mole named Melvin. Not wanting to interfere with their battle, he leaped over Melvin, waved, and continued. The mole didn''t notice him, but the cleric healing the tank was distracted by a crazed ratkin bounding over the boss, doing a double flip in midair, and racing down the corridor. His Mega Heal spell came a second too slow, and Melvin bit the tank in half, then trampled half the raid before the rest ran away to regroup. Melvin was barely hurt and let them go, content to go back to grazing on mushrooms in his tunnel.


    Where players traveling to the hollow took an average of twelve hours and several gaming sessions, Milo made it in three hours, jogging along at a steady pace and leaping over obstacles. As he came into the home stretch, he became excited to be back in the Hollow. His first stop was at his home, where it turned out only Gendifur was in residence.


    "You''re just in time for food. Sit, eat, and tell me all the news. Brutus and the girls were barely here for two hours before they raced away with some story about racing through tunnels and digging up dwarves."


    Milo was starving and thankful for a large plate of pan-fried cavefish, mushrooms, and muffins made from golden puffball flour. The beneficial mushrooms were being cultivated in large fields now, their restorative properties keeping the community healthy. Care had to be taken with their poisonous cousins. Neither would grow in a cave without the other. The poisonous shrooms were cultivated in fenced-off areas to prevent accidental poisonings, and both the old healer and Gendifur had vials of the Golden Elixir in case of emergencies.


    "Do you know which route they took through the caves?"


    Gendifur sighed, "Only too well. Brutus spent weeks planning out the routes for his caravan trips and left me maps." She handed him a roll of parchment. "This is the planned route for the tunnel. It takes the main cave down for a hundred yards, then they planned to cut through the rock and into another cave system, and cut off a lot of time meandering through caverns we already knew about. After that, who knows?" Milo approved of the intricate maps with notations about sloping tunnels, approximate depth below the hollow, and the proposed route. He finished up his food, grabbed the maps, and thanked Gendifur for dinner. "I need to catch up. We''re in a race with the dwarves, and I have some ideas about clearing rock quickly."


    "I''ll get the splints and bandages ready for when you cause a cave-in. Give my girls hugs for me and make sure they''re keeping up on their schoolwork. I promised them I''d help them build a cage for playing in if they kept up with their studies." The last bit worried Milo, and he hoped he wasn''t going to be playing ''cage match'' with them.


    Their path was easy to find. Brutus had marked their twists and turns with chalk. Within another hour, he''d caught up with them. Brutus was relaxing and taking a nap with half an eye open, a useful guard skill. The two digger moles were at work tunneling through a section of loose sandstone and gravel with one girl directing each. They were singing loudly, shouting in voices that Milo thought could shatter stone. The moles didn''t seem to mind; in fact, they seemed to be enthusiastic about the song. While conventional wisdom said noise could attract predators, in this case, it was announcing two apex predators, and anything else was slinking away to other hunting grounds.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "I am a mole and I''m digging a hole!


    Diggy, diggy, mole!


    Diggy, diggy, mole!


    Digging a hole with my friend, another mole!


    Diggy, diggy, mole!


    Diggy, diggy, mole!


    Brutus beckoned Milo over, "Don''t ask, I''ve got no idea where they heard that song, but they''ve got endless verses to it. Something they picked up in Shadowport. I blame drunken dwarves. But they''re having fun, the moles are having fun, and we''re tunneling at a good pace. Now and then, we load the rubble on tarps and drag it to another cave to dump it or fill a crevasse we have to cross over. If we hit harder rock, they give the moles a break, and we use the new picks. They''ve been competing to see who can get their mining skill the highest, and they picked up a point of strength each, not that the little dears needed it."


    Milo sat with Brutus for half an hour, listening to the catchy tune until it lodged in his brain, never to leave. Mid-chorus, the moles backed out of the hundred-foot-long tunnel, and there was a crash of stone and rock. No one seemed hurt, but this session of digging was clearly over.


    "Daddy, Daddy! We found something Bernie and Earnie can''t dig through. Hard stuff and a loose chunk of it crashed down!"


    "No worries. Why don''t you each get one snack from your packs and feed your moles, and Milo and I will take a look."


    "Yay. Cheesy snacks!" They ran to their packs and each pulled out a small piece of cheese, wrapped in bright foil. From the size of the packs, there was a lot of food in them.


    Milo felt a small craving for cheese, just at the mention of it. "You aren''t worried they''ll eat too much."


    Brutus didn''t reply until they were at the end of the tunnel, and even then, in a low whisper. "Well, yes. But you have to instill trust in children, and that means taking chances. They''ve been good so far. That said...each time they sleep, I replace three of the cookies in their packs with cheese in the same wrappings. I trust them, and they need to have a chance to resist cheese, but I''m not going to take a chance on an overdose. If they get into more than they''re supposed to, we''ll have some long talks and start over, but things have been going well. I think keeping them busy and learning new things is helping the most. And boy, did they learn a lot on that trip to Shadowport! Gendifur wasn''t happy with some of the language they learned from those dwarven pirates. You were a little bit busy during your fight, but trust me, the words used by the audience were colorful."


    Milo didn''t know the meaning of most of the words the Scavengers used, either. He was pretty sure he didn''t want to know. Picking their way through the rubble-filled tunnel, they made their way to the front. There had been a change in the material the moles were tunneling through and when the softer material underneath was dug out, the heavier chunks above had crashed down. The dark grey rock had flecks of shiny material embedded in it. Milo took out his pick and began tunneling right, along the face of the new stone. After twenty feet, he went back the other way, again, tunneling along the rock face. Finally, he tunneled down at an angle, confirming that this wasn''t a small chunk of stone, but a larger vein.


    "What the hell is it?" Brutus had little knowledge of mining other than good copper and ''too hard to mine'' copper.


    "High-grade dark iron ore. It''s what the girls'' picks are made of, sort of. Those have dark steel heads; iron ore infused with carbon. This is raw dark iron ore, with very few sulfur impurities. I wonder how thick this vein is?"


    Brutus hefted his pick. There was room for the two of them to work side by side. "Only one way to find out." They''d only been working for fifteen minutes when the girls came running down the tunnel to see what was happening. They knew Dad hated to hit rock, something they considered silly. They liked anything that let them stretch their muscles and work off their energy.


    "Ooh, a race? Why is Dad losing? He''s so much bigger than Milo?"


    "Don''t be silly. Milo has mined before, and he cheats."


    "We need to get better at cheating. Like hiding hammers and bombs!"


    Brutus turned to his daughters. "Why, yes, it is a race. Milo bet me his afternoon snack that he could get to the end of this vein of rock before I could. But it looks like I''m going to lose..."


    "No, not the snacks!


    "Let us mine! Remember? You don''t like to hit rocks!"


    "Take a nap, or keep watch, or both!"


    With little urging, the girls began cutting through the vein of metal-laced rock, trying to catch up with Milo who had a lead over them by two feet. Milo began mining faster. A race was a race, and he was determined to win. Unfortunately, the vein was over a hundred feet deep. Fiendish Stamina and Fiendish Strength beat a good pick and better mining skills. Milo heard them cheer and saw they were over ten feet ahead of him.


    "We win. And we found a new cave. Snacktime." The girls ran back to claim their prize.


    Milo moved to their side of the tunnel and stared at the ''cave''. It was a room roughly thirty feet square, with timbers supporting the roof. Several broken tools were scattered around, and a broken whiskey jug was sitting in a corner. Rusty iron rails came halfway into the room, emerging from a small tunnel directly on the other side. The vein of Dark Iron extended along the walls for another twenty feet. Someone had been working this side of the vein, mining it out across a 30 x 10-foot face, creating the room as they went deeper. The floor and ceiling of the room were also dark iron for twenty feet, telling Milo that the vein extended further up and down.


    Further thoughts fled his mind as a scream like tearing metal echoed through the mines, and he heard the scuttling sound of many feet moving toward him. Bright eyes glowed in the dark from twenty sources.

 Chapter 381: Scuttlers in the Dark

    Curiosity got the better of Milo, and he waited to see what emerged. He should have been able to see what it was, darkness didn''t affect his sight. But something was keeping the outlines of the creatures hazy and indistinct. The scratching of metal on stone and the squealing screams as metal was ripped in half made him imagine nightmarish creatures. When he could finally see them, he decided his imagination hadn''t been trying hard enough to scare him. These things were worse.


    But while curiosity had made him stick around, it didn''t make him stupid. He had taken the time to combine runes and charge a powerful blast of pure force. The first creatures out of the tunnel were foot-long beetles with rusty brown shells, spotted with verdigris. Milo''s mind was cataloguing their different forms even as another part panicked and his logical mind focused on aiming the Runic formation. Each had between six and twelve uneven legs with extra joints that were long and ''wrong-looking''. Some hopped over the ones in front of them, like berserk fleas. Sharp mandibles tore into the rubble in front of them, cutting through the rocks and ore scattered by the girls'' entrance.


    Corrupted Scavenger Scarab


    (Swarming, hungry, tough-shelled.)


    They were halfway across when he sent the blast of force their way, scraping along the ground. The bugs were slammed back, most of them disappearing into the tunnel they''d emerged from. A few impacted the wall and fell to the floor, rising on broken legs or flailing on their backs. Only a few were destroyed, which gave Milo information on how tough these things were. More immediately poured from the tunnel, two dozen of them scuttling toward him, then turning aside to attack the injured beetles, killing and eating them. He saw that some were also pursuing loose bits of ore. After a few seconds, when the injured were gone, the horde turned back toward him. This time, when Milo created his Runic formation, he prepared to double-cast. The first force blast knocked the beetles back into the tunnel, and a second later, the second blast pushed them back further. Having bought some time, he retreated down the tunnel as fast as he could.


    Brutus was standing across from the tunnel, his shield out and prepared. The girls were on either side, hopping from foot to foot, and anxious to fight, Georgie growling behind them with his hackles up.


    "Are you fighting monsters? It''s not fair if you don''t share!"


    "That''s one of Mama Gendy''s rules: always share."


    "We wanted to come fight, Daddy wouldn''t let us."


    Milo bounded to Brutus''s side, "Dad is right. Never go running into a fight if you don''t know what you''re fighting."


    "Isn''t that what you did?"


    "You didn''t know what was there! What is it? Tell us!"


    Thinking that he was poorly equipped to argue with the girls, he did his best. "I was scouting! Remember? That''s my job. When you get to be the Master of Scouts, you can rush into all the dangerous fights you can find. We''re fighting bugs. Nasty, metal-eating bugs with sharp pincers. They can jump, so don''t let them get on you. Stay out of the path between me and the tunnel. I''ll knock most of them back, and you can stomp and tear apart the rest. If that doesn''t work, we move to the rear quickly and regroup."


    "Stomping? I love stomping."


    "Larry told us that! He said ''Heroes never run, they just retreat and regroup


    .'' Heroes do neat stuff! Larry taught us Stealth, that''s a Hero skill he learned from the fairies. Buttercup is too noisy to learn Unseen."


    "Am not!"


    "Are too!"


    "Bugs!!"


    The bugs started coming out of the tunnel. They turned to the girls standing on either side of the tunnel as the closest targets. Buttercup stomped the first one and drew back, then stomped more as she saw it was still moving. It took a lot of stomping to make them stop moving, and by then, more were coming out. Milo slowed them up by sending another force blast into the tunnel. They were effective in slowing down the flow of bugs, but only damaged a few of them that were hit by the full force of the blast.


    Brutus had out his mace, pounding on one bug when another leaped and landed on his shield. Milo knocked it to the ground and brought his pick down on it. The bug let out a grinding noise and quit working as his pick punctured its casing.


    Brutus yelled to his girls, "Buttercup! Rosie! Use your picks to hit some and stomp others." The rate of destruction began matching the flow of beetles coming out of the tunnel, a good thing, as it wasn''t only the bugs taking damage. Rosie and Buttercup had a half-dozen nasty bites on their feet and legs where the beetles bit off small chunks of flesh with ease leaving painful wounds. Milo had taken two wounds. Brutus wasn''t bleeding yet, but his armor and shield were deteriorating as they took hits. The group backed away a few feet from the opening, and the next wave of bugs spent some time eating the damaged ones, but...


    "They''re getting bigger! Daddy, the new bugs are getting bigger as they eat the old ones!"


    Buttercup had put her pick through the next beetle, but it wasn''t dying, legs flailing as it struggled to get off her pick. She slammed it against the hard wall of iron ore until it stopped, but the process took long enough that two were heading to her. Rosie was in the same predicament. Milo yelled out, "Once they are dead, toss them behind you far enough away that others don''t eat them."


    Milo handed his pick to Brutus and brought out his Spikey Stick. "Use my pick, it will hit harder."


    Rosie grew frustrated that her bug wasn''t dying. It had managed to turn and eat a chunk out of her pick. She grabbed it with both hands, her hard claws in the wound on its back, and ripped it in half through sheer strength. Buttercup clapped and did the same. This caused another change in battle strategy. Milo and Brutus would spear bugs, and if they didn''t die, one of the girls would pull them from the pickhead and rip them apart. This game was more fun, along with hamster hopping on other bugs until all their legs broke off. Slowly, the group got the flow of bugs under control.


    And then other things began showing up. The first was a mutated mechanical badger with a drilling head where its face should be. It exited the tunnel and headed for Rosie''s legs. Brutus hit it hard with his pick, leaving a dent in the armor of its back, but not puncturing it. Rosie squealed and kicked it hard, taking a minor wound on her foot. The badger sailed through the air toward Milo, who hit it dead center with Shadowblight. He stuck both prongs into the heavy beast and slammed it down on the floor. Brutus hit it again, doing little damage to its thick armor. Milo triggered the Sundering effect from Shadowblight to reduce the thing''s armor, with surprising results. Instead of tweaking the creature''s armor, the badger''s head blew off, scattering small bits of metal over the area.


    Brutus gave him a thumbs up, "Great job. I''ll leave the big ones to you." As soon as he said that, a mechanical squirrel with buzzsaws for its head leaped for him from the tunnel. The guard blocked with his shield, but the squirrel-thing clung to it and began sawing through his shield. Milo speared it with Shadowblight, and it exploded when he triggered Sundering.


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    Brutus went back to using his pick on bugs, but yelled out a question, "Since when does your stick explode stuff?"


    "They aren''t alive! The spell is hitting them differently."


    "Not sure if that makes me happy! Good, you can take them down, but bad that we''re fighting undead stuff. Do we have a necromancer to deal with it? Always tricky!"


    "Maybe, but I think these are more like machines, maybe made from real creatures."


    As the last scarab was destroyed, the light in the tunnels grew dim, even for Milo''s sight. They heard the scuttling sound of hundreds of legs, and the scream came again. The girls ran to stand next to Brutus, and Milo prepared his strongest force blast. They fell back away from the opening. The moles had moved hundreds of feet further. They didn''t move fast and liked to have a good head start. Georgie''s part in the battle had been limited to carefully moving dead bugs further away from live ones.


    Emerging from the tunnel was a creature that moved along on a hundred mechanical legs like a centipede, but it resembled a scorpion with two pincers and a larger body. The tail extended far behind it, with multiple jointed body parts, each with legs of its own, ending in a tail with a whirling saw blade. It came to less than two feet off the ground but was over twelve feet long. It oozed darkness that suppressed their perception and its four red eyes moved over everything, analyzing and deciding what was the biggest threat.


    Milo volunteered for that position, unleashing his most complicated Runic Formation yet. Three runes of force were channeled into a tight beam only two feet across, contained by Engineering runes with a Void Rune to eat the counter-force. Holding this many runes in his mind at once hadn''t been possible before he trained to take on Icarus. Even now, it was painful, and it was a relief when the monstrosity finally showed itself and he could release the power.


    Corrupted Scavenger Brood Beast Level 20


    (Elite, very tough, regeneration, hungry, nesting, independent scout.)


    The blast hit the creature dead center, forcing its front legs to lose hold of the rocky floor, but the back half held firm and the beast bent, rearing up like a striking cobra. One of its red eyes shattered from the force and seven legs were blown away or broken. The rocky wall behind it shattered into several large chunks.


    It immediately charged at Milo who leaped away from it as the tail whipped forward and the buzzsaw embedded a foot into the rocky wall. A slight tug pulled it loose. Brutus was charging and the tail flipped toward him. Brutus went to deflect the strike with his heavy metal shield, but the buzzsaw sliced the top half of the shield off. Brutus saw his trusty shield destroyed, one piece clattering to the floor. He backed away quickly, and the Beast focused on Milo, who was now forty feet away and beginning another spell.


    "Careful, girls, this thing could take off an arm just as easily.


    The next force blast was much weaker; he didn''t have the time to fully form and charge the formation as the creature raced toward him, but neither was the creature rooted to the floor. It took the blast and rolled backward, forming a tight ball like a pillbug. Both girls brought their picks down on it with all their strength, causing small dents and knocking the ball away. They giggled and chased it, hitting it twice more, but eventually, it had time to unroll and glared at them as they charged. The buzzsaw slashed horizontally as they struck again, slicing both picks in half, leaving the girls holding handles.


    The pinchers grabbed hold of Buttercup''s legs, cutting deep and immobilizing her, as the tail moved back for a strike. Brutus ran to save his daughter, rage giving him speed as he triggered Heroic Dash


    , For the Hollow!, and This is why you don''t mess with the Guards!


    He brought down Milo''s pick on one of its eyes, the crystalline pickhead penetrated the eye, shattering it, and continued through, pinning the front of the creature to the floor, but not killing it. Milo was racing to hit it with Shadowblight and put himself between Buttercup and the strike from the tail. His weapon also scored a hit on an eye, and the sound of shattering metal echoed from the carapace.


    But it was Rosie who saved someone from being bisected by the buzzsaw. She dove at the tail, grabbing it with one hand halfway up and one hand just below the tail. A thin stream of blood running down her fist showed she''d come a fraction of an inch too close.


    "Let go of my sister, you doody-head." This was the strongest language Gendifur allowed in her house and a vile insult as far as the girls were concerned. Fiendish strength vied against mechanized muscle and it was Rosie who proved stronger. With sudden inspiration she allowed the tail to flex forward but forced it down, bringing the lethal instrument in contact with the carapace.


    Metal screamed as the buzzsaw cut through armor and moved deeper, propelled by an angry little girl. Brutus and Milo held the creature down, and Buttercup had hold of the arms, forcing them off of her. With a last surge of strength, the saw bit far enough to kill the creature, and it quit moving. Buttercup fell back with horrible wounds on both legs. Milo could tell that her bones were only chipped, but anyone else would have lost their legs. Rosie was applying first aid to stop the bleeding as Gendifu had taught her. Milo poured healing potions directly onto the wounds. Brutus pulled a golden vial from a pouch and ordered her to drink.


    "Open up, you need this." She was clenching her fists and jaws from the pain, something she rarely felt. She relaxed as the Elixer rolled down her throat. Milo handed Brutus his last two healing potions from his ring and helped Rosie with bandaging. By the time they had three layers of tight bandages on her legs, the bleeding had stopped, and her Fiendish Regeneration and the Elixer were beginning to heal her wounds.


    Once she was stable, Brutus picked her up and held her tight. "It''s ok, you did great. We beat the bad guy, and now it''s time for stories and some rest."


    "And some cheese? Mama says cheese is good for healing, and it saved Uncle Justin and Larry."


    Brutus nodded, "Your Mama is a wise and wonderful woman, and I agree with her. Let''s go get some cheese."


    Milo looked at the creature on the floor, "I''ll be along in a bit. I want to make sure this is dead for sure, and nothing else is coming along."


    He heard nothing from the other cavern, past the small cave-in of rubble he''d caused, but he was feeling uneasy. He felt marginally better when he received the message from the system.


    Ack! These things? But they don''t look or feel right? I mean...


    Congratulations, Brave Heroes, on your Victory over a Corrupted Scavenger-Scarab Swarm and a Brood Beast.


    Cleaning out a lair of these creatures is good for everyone in the DeepDown.


    Enjoy your reward of 25 Enhancement Points and 5000 Hero Experience.


    He decided that another ten hits from Shadowblight on the Brood Beast was simply logical thinking, and then he walked around the cavern, making sure everything else was dead as well.

 Chapter 382: Brave Girls get Extra Cheese

    After making thoroughly sure that nothing was left alive and no more of the things were coming out of the hole Milo went to the small camp where Brutus and the girls were recovering. Buttercup was sitting in a bed of pillows while Brutus examined her legs. "These are deep cuts. I''m going to clean them with iodine and then stitch them up so your regeneration heals them nice."


    "Iodine?! That''s the stuff Mama puts on people and even Larry doesn''t like it!"


    "It will sting a little. You have to be brave like Larry. And brave girls get extra cheese."


    "I can be brave!"


    "Me too!"


    Milo thought they''d been more than brave. "You both did great. I was scared, but you two were very brave." He took a small wheel of cheese and cut it in fourths. "Here''s a quarter for each of you and a quarter for you Dad. I''m not supposed to have cheese today, so I''m going to split my quarter into thirds and share with all of you." After the cheese was equally divided he set up his tent, put out his teapot, and summoned his Watch Lizard. Both girls were excited to see Georgie again.


    "Who''s a good boy?"


    "Who''s a big boy! He''s so much bigger!" Rosie and Georgie played a game of fetch the rock while Buttercup rested.


    Milo saw Brutus hand her his cheese and wink at her with a finger to his lips. The cheese would put her fiendish regeneration into overdrive. The fight and her wounds would work off the cheese. Brutus and Gendifur had held long discussions with Bleusnout and Old Healer about exactly how much the twins could have. Raising them was a new experience for everyone, but with Larry''s example, they had a lot of hope.


    With Georgie on watch, Brutus put both of the girls to bed, and Milo took a quick nap. Two hours later, Brutus woke him and Milo took the next watch while the big guard got some sleep. "I''m going for a little scout around, Georgie, you''re in charge of the camp." One woof signaled the lizard''s understanding. He leaped to the top of the wagon, standing guard, while Milo went back into the area where they had fought the scarabs. Putting on gloves and bringing out some delicate tools, he began to examine a scarab. The word ''corrupted'' was foremost in his mind. He''d fought a lot of monsters, but never something with that word in their name. The System message had been odd, too. The messages were often snarky, but that had sounded like a warning.


    The scarab was mostly mechanical, with very little organic material. And what was there was a black goo or chunks of brown chitin under the outer metal shell. The metallic parts of the shell and hollow legs were rusty and corroded in places like the metal was breaking down from some reaction. No two scarabs were the same, and some were more heavily corroded than others.


    The squirrels and badger were monstrosities created from living creatures. They were still half alive or had been with metallic parts replacing some of the organics. The corruption on the metal was also in the biological areas, rotting muscle and bones. In the cranium of each was a shattered black crystal. A control device? He wasn''t sure and put the carcasses with the pile of scarabs.


    That only left the Brood Beast, and Rosie had done him the favor of starting the dissection. The outer shell of the claws and main section showed little, if any of the brown rust, and nothing on the tail. The Brood Beast was a much more complex creature than the other creatures and was made of better-quality metal. Milo deployed his Engineer''s Workbench and selected some of the specialized tools provided by the last owner. Black Eddy knew his tools! They were a joy to work with. An hour passed as Milo took the creature apart, studying its makeup. The mechanical parts were beautiful. Miniaturized motors gave the tail, legs, and claws their power. They drew power from small, naturally formed crystals.


    He took everything apart, taking notes, and then stored them away. He was especially interested in the razor-sharp cutting edges and wanting to know what type of alloy they were composed of. But that needed more time and different tools.


    By contrast, the biological parts were foul and stinking, made worse by being cut open and his zealous strikes with Shadowblight to make sure it was dead. Again, he saw the dark crystals embedded in the rotting flesh, and the corruption was everywhere. It was decaying as he watched, and he learned little from it. He brought out a gallon of cleaning fluid from his workbench, cleaned his tools and himself, and then sent it back to whatever strange dimensional space it came from. For now, he buried the remains of the creature under a layer of rock and dirt.


    When he returned to the camp, the girls were up and eating snacks, while Brutus continued his nap. Milo started making a meal over his campfire, cooking puffcakes in a frying pan. Whenever he had three made, he whistled low, and the girls and Georgie took one each and went back to playing. It took many puffcakes to fill them up. Finally, he made a stack for himself and one for Brutus and woke him up.


    "Puffcakes? Sure. Hand them over. These are the best things to come out of that whole fiasco with the spiders and caravan, and all. Well, and the girls. And Gendifur. A new house. Larry getting better. Hmm, for such a bad time, it was a pretty good time. But puffcakes are still up there."


    Milo had to agree with all of that. "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times."


    Brutus chuckled, "Catchy, you should start writing."


    "Oh, that isn''t mine. Someone else wrote it, but I never paid much attention to that book. Just that famous line from it. I may have to go read it."


    "Great, and loan it to me when you''re done. I like books. Great to take a nap, and pretend you''re reading. Get woken up less on my day off. Genny caught on though. At first, she was happy I was reading It Takes a Village to Make the Cheese. My snoring tipped her off. But, now that naptime is over, and the girls are better, I think it''s time we go see what sort of trouble we got into. We can leave the moles here, just in case we need to skedaddle out of here and take another route."


    Brutus took a look at both girls, checking for wounds and making them wash up before they went adventuring. He had a spare shield in the wagon and got out new picks for the girls. They came bounding down to the wagon to get them, Georgie loping behind.


    Milo looked at his pet, "We have to explore a place where some monsters came from. Want to come?" Georgie barked twice and ran in circles around him, excited to go. "Ok, but they have a nasty bite, so keep your distance, and if we run, no heroics.


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    Back through the caverns, past the pile of scarabs that now smelled horrible, through the mole tunnels and then the smaller tunnel through the dark iron vein, they went, coming out in the larger cavern they''d only gotten a glimpse of before the creatures had come swarming out. Milo looked at the mine tunnel and tracks. They looked like standard dwarven work, but very old. The pitted iron rails were secured straight to the rock floor with iron spikes. The corrosion matched the other mines Milo had been in. The minecart itself was in poor shape. The wooden sides were rotted and crumbled to the touch.


    "I think these are pre-cataclysm mines, from the time of the old city. I''m going to scout ahead with Georgie. Keep the girls here and be ready to either fight or redeploy to the rear and prepare a better position."


    "You got it, Scout Master. Me and my assistant guards are on duty, right, girls?" The girls seemed unconvinced. Scouting looked like a fun job. Milo had to agree.


    Milo made a point of examining the walls of the room they were in and the start of the tunnel. Like in other tunnels he''d seen, heavy stone pillars and crossbeams were used instead of wood, trees being a rare commodity in the deeps. While dusty and full of small cobwebs, the tunnel was in good shape and didn''t look like it would collapse, unlike the tunnels in the area the miners called Shakeytown. This tunnel advanced for fifty feet without a side tunnel and came out into a larger mine shaft. This broader shaft had three sets of rails running parallel and branching into other tunnels. In the dust, Milo saw the tracks of the creatures, coming from the left. He went right, wanting to scout some before stirring up trouble.


    After a hundred feet, he took another right, into a smaller tunnel. This one also ended in the vein of Deep Iron ore, but no mining had been done. He went back out and went further. Every hundred feet, a side tunnel had been dug, and each ended in the vast vein of ore. He marked the tunnels he had explored and then continued up the main tunnel to see where it went. Behind him was only silence. No screams, no scuttling.


    The tunnel opened into a vast cavern with huge rock pillars holding up the ceiling. Rails went around the curve of the wall, passing in front of furnaces of some type. Quickly inspecting them, he suspected that the large ceramic furnaces were for smelting the Dark Iron and turning it into ''blooms'', large chunks of metal with the impurities pushed to the surface. These would be hammered on an anvil or mechanical trip hammer to work the metal and break off the chunks of slag. Then back into the next furnaces for further refining, and finally a blast furnace to produce steel. It was all here, a full production area where raw ore would be turned into slabs of Dark Steel, awaiting forming into tools, parts, and weapons. By the last furnaces, he saw an area where molten metal was run to over two hundred ingot molds. Some still held the twenty-pound ingots of Dark Steel. He took a few and put them in his stash to test their purity.


    What he didn''t see was coal, charcoal, and coke to power the furnaces. It was impossible to tell more. There were no bodies here, and anything made of paper would have been destroyed long ago. It would take work to use this place, fuel, and people. That wasn''t something to think about though, not with so much more to explore, and the possibility of creatures in here. He retreated and began looking down the left-hand tunnels. Some ended in cave-ins, and one had possibly been a barracks or a living area. The tunnel nearest the furnace room was storage for fuel. He found bins full of charcoal and high-grade black coal, perfect for making steel with little sulfur content. Part of the mystery of the place solved, he returned to Brutus and the girls.


    "What did you find? Treasure?"


    "More bugs? Any big ones?"


    "Some neat stuff, but no creatures. It looks like a place the old dwarves set up to mine and process the ore in this vein. It''s huge and extends hundreds of feet in the direction I explored. I think we can all move up to the center area. At the very least, there is room to run, and it seems stable."


    With the full group in tow, trying to make little noise, and sometimes succeeding, they explored in the other direction. Two hundred feet down, they came to another large tunnel that went to the left as far as Milo could see. Brutus took out his map. "This heads in the right direction. It could cut off a lot of digging. We''ll have to follow it when we''ve seen what else is in here."


    They continued on, following the tracks down the main corridor. Along one wall, the dust was disturbed, showing where the scarabs and other creatures had traveled to assault them. Those tracks continued to a set of large metal doors, one bent from heavy blows from the other side, and partially open. A little light was coming from it. Milo had everyone stay back as he snuck up to the doors and carefully looked inside.


    The room beyond was a huge coal mine, with the black fuel showing along most of the walls. Supports held up the ceiling. Steps led down into the room from the doors, with ramps on the side for the rails. In the center, loose coal, metal ingots, ore, and the remains of machines were formed into a large nest. Metal eggs were everywhere, and sitting on top of them was an immense, mostly mechanical snake. It was the color of rust and pitted with corruption. As Milo looked at it, he could just make out the form of a gigantic Copperhead, and see where some patches of copper skin still showed. It uncoiled clumsily, clanking as it did. The head came up and pivoted toward him, and one large mechanical eye irised open, revealing a glowing green orb that cast a baleful ray of light where it looked.


    Milo had a sinking feeling, even before a long black tongue came out, flicking in the air and tasting it. The eye pivoted in his direction, bathing him in their light.


    Warning: Ancient Corrupted Copperhead Nest Guardian sees you!


    And, I''ve got to be honest, it isn''t thrilled to have you visit. Something about your smell? Maybe your past transgressions against its kind? OOOH, or wiping out all those mechanical bugs yesterday! Yeah, that would do it. This snake doesn''t like you at all. But then, what snake does?


    (If you haven''t figured out yet that this is a BAD place to be, you aren''t as smart as I thought you were.)

 Chapter 383: SnapcracklePOP!

    Milo ran back to the group. "We have Snake trouble. It''s not as big as the last one I fought, but it''s been corrupted and mostly transformed. Looks old and clunky, but that could be deceiving. And Copperheads have a nasty poisonous bite. Although..." Milo looked at the girls, "It shouldn''t affect the girls with their Fiendish Resistance, and my Poison Resistance is better than it used to be."


    Brutus patted his potion bag, "Guards all have Poison Resistance. We have to, with some of the stuff we fight, especially spiders. I''m not as tough as my dainty daughters, but I''ve got a belly full of puffcakes and some potions to help. I''m more worried about the machine bits. Sharp claws on these things. But it''s a snake?"


    "A big Snake. Capital S, at least an Elite."


    The girls began jumping up and down. "Big Snake, Big Points!"


    As if to emphasize their point, the Snake slammed its head into the doors, trying to widen the opening that had let the smaller creatures through the day before. The thick metal bent slightly, and the Snake drew back again. Time slowed down for Milo as his brain sped up. Options appeared: Build a trap, run away, fight the Snake in these tunnels, or flee down the new tunnel. Images of the huge furnaces in the other room filled his head, and the idea of getting them running and then decoying the snake began to percolate in part of his brain...and then the plan was discarded. No time, unknown machinery, the problem of baiting the Snake where he wanted it. Time was the enemy here unless there...was...some... ? ...!!!


    "Brutus, prepare to shove the door directly in front of you when I say to charge. Hit it hard and keep your shield up afterward, taunt, defend, and fall back if needed. Rosie and Buttercup, flanking positions, hit each of the doors in the middle at the same time as your Dad, and push!"


    The Snake rammed against the doors again, the gap widened slightly, and it saw the little creatures that threatened its eggs. Georgie barked at the Snake, saying something rude about eggs. Whatever it was, the Snake hissed back and became even angrier. It drew back...Milo yelled, "Charge!"...and the Snake''s head hit the doors wide enough that it could put its head through. Before the body could follow, a Stoneclan Guard and two Cheese Fiends hit the doors, slamming the edges into its neck and pinching the opening closed.


    Milo let loose with his Runic formation, narrowed as much as he could, aiming directly at the point on the door where he had the most leverage to bend the edge further into the Snake''s neck. Another blast followed a second later as he burned mana to double cast. His fingers and tail were aching from casting two Runic Formations with little preparation, but he began to cast again and yelled instructions to the girls. "Tear off the armor and use your claws to carve into the neck. The copper is softer. Race to see who gets to the middle first."


    The snake screamed, a sound like jagged glass scraping across rusted metal. Its tongue lashed out at Brutus, but the Guard was ready, blocking with his shield and giving a half step to weaken the blow. The Snake changed strategies, green pupils were replaced by red ones that glowed ominously. Brutus saw it happen and heard them click into place. He threw his shield and dove to the side. Red beams of light hit the metal shield, blasting through it and scattering drops of molten metal. Then the Snake screamed again as Fiendishly Sharp Claws dug into it from either side, Rosie and Buttercup displaying the ferocity for which fiends were known and feared.


    Milo didn''t want to give the Snake another shot at Brutus. Two carved bone harpoons rocketed through the air at the Snake. It couldn''t dodge and had no time to recharge its eyebeams. One harpoon hit an eye, causing a deep scratch along the red orb. The other just missed, lodging deep in the eye socket. The Snake lost all interest in Brutus and focused on Milo. While this was part of Milo''s plan, he was hazy about what happened next, but dodging seemed like a good option.


    Red eyes glowed as the Snake forced energy into them, sparks flying from the scratched orb. From the undamaged eye came a ruby-colored blast of heat and light, aiming for Milo, who leaped and dodged...but not quite well enough. The blast hit his right foot, obliterating it and leaving a charred stump of bone.


    Ouch! You''ve been De-Feeted!


    Defooted? I''ll let you decide. Your enemy has used a devious ploy of gifting you highly charged photons. Your foot was so ''excited'' with the gift that it turned into ash and steam. Isn''t this new Science-Stuff amazing?! You should try it sometime after you become a corrupted version of yourself, serving the whims of a powerful hidden entity that threatens this part of the DeepDown. (No, not Damien! He fits the description but is causing trouble somewhere else.) Truly, I''ve got no clue, and the Engine is suspiciously silent. But whatever is corrupting these things needs to be stopped. Running would also be smart, or in your case, hopping.


    You have taken 1200 points of health damage. You take a 30% penalty to Dodge, and spells will be harder to cast since you need your tail to balance.


    Milo kept rolling, waiting for the second eye beam to hit. The Snake would have liked that too, but it didn''t happen. The scratched orb couldn''t focus energy properly now, no matter how much it poured in. With a loud SnapcracklePOP!, the eye tore itself apart, spraying energy randomly. The girls were behind the arc, but Brutus took a nasty burn on his shoulder and left arm. Milo managed to take only a small burn across his chest as the red energy hit next to him.


    The Snake took the brunt of its blast on the inside. Ruby glass, melted copper, and fried organic parts blasted from the socket leaving a black, smoking hole. It swiveled to find Milo and finish him. The girls were still racing to see who could reach the center of the Snake first, carving into the four-foot thick metal neck as the rest of the Snake thrashed in pain and struggled against the doors.


    Milo managed to stand and chose to begin a Runic Force Blast. The Snake was quicker, but Milo was saved as the doors gave way to the frenzied push of its body. Brutus was knocked to the side. Buttercup laughed and held on. Rosie screamed loudly in delight, "Snake Ride!" They held on and kept cutting. The beam from the eye carved into the rock of the wall, leaving a foot-wide scar over ten feet long, vaporizing and melting the stone. The Snake splayed out across the tunnel, its head near Milo. He shot a double-force blast into it from the side just as the girl''s claws touched in the center.


    The snake''s huge head was blasted from its body and bounced off the wall. Everyone was thrown or knocked aside by its death throes. Brutus grabbed Milo by his collar and dragged him along. "Run, girls! I need you to protect me and Milo as we move to a better tactical position in the rear!" The girls flanked Brutus as they ran, Georgie alongside them, barking happily as they raced away. Nothing followed them, and nothing exited through the broken doors of the area. After two minutes of thrashing, the Snake''s body lay still. They waited another ten minutes, for good measure. Everyone was battered and bruised, but Regeneration was a common skill for rat-kin. Brutus had the first three levels, Milo more, and the girls barely noticed their bruises. But everyone agreed it was time for a cheese break.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "One extra-large cheese snack for Buttercup, one for Rosie, one for me, and two for Tallsqueak, who has to regrow his lost foot."


    Milo sighed, "I''m used to it, believe it or not. I can use my pick as a crutch. We need to investigate those eggs and destroy them before they hatch."


    Brutus shook his head. "No way I''m waiting for you to hobble down slowly and investigate a dangerous area." He turned to the girls. "Ponyride time. Rosie, you put Tallsqueak on your shoulders and give him a ride down, and Buttercup can give him a ride back."


    Despite his protests, Milo found himself on Rosie''s shoulders, one leg on either side of her head. She held onto his legs tightly and started running for the doors. "Race you, sister." Brutus chuckled and followed as fast as he could, watching his daughters leap over the remains of the Snake until they could peer into the doorway. Brutus checked the head carefully, making sure it was dead. You could never be too careful with these things. Then they moved into the room.


    Thousands of ''Corrupted Scarab Eggs'' were in piles in the nest, along with suspiciously larger eggs. By concentrating on each egg, Milo could bring up information and a time.


    Corrupted Mutated Dire-Digger Squirrel - 37%. 123 hours 43 minutes until hatching.


    Buttercup decided she didn''t like the eggs. "These have bad stuff in them. Can I smoosh them?"


    Brutus looked at the thousands of eggs and envisioned having to give them baths to get who-knows-what out of their fur. "How about throwing them at the wall over there? That puts some distance between us and makes cleanup easier. Do that instead. I''ll take Tallsqueak so he doesn''t get thrown by mistake." The girls began throwing eggs against the wall, which splattered with ugly-looking fluid and unfinished creatures falling to the floor. Nothing twitched or moved, to Milo''s relief. Georgie was running around, sniffing eggs and pushing the bigger ones over to the girls for quicker disposal. When he was done with those, he searched through the rest and made a small pile off to the side. Brutus set Milo down by his Guard Lizard, and helped the girls toss eggs.


    "What have you got here?" Georgie barked and pushed an ''Uncorrupted Silver Scarab Egg'' over to Milo, who spent a long time examining it and not finding any of the rust or corrosion he saw on the other eggs. They would hatch in 120 hours. Milo was curious, and Georgie seemed protective of them. "OK, we can see what comes out."


    Three hours later, Brutus couldn''t move his arms, and even the girls were tired. They scoured the nest area, heaving aside metal parts, ingots, and iron ore, looking for any hidden eggs and sending them soaring to the stained wall with its large pile of broken pieces. The smell was becoming strong in the room, and everyone retreated to the hallway.


    I was going to say something about ''how egg-citing this adventure had been'' but frankly, everyone is so happy you disposed of this menace before a few more generations of breeding turned this part of the world uninhabitable, that I''ll refrain from puns. This alone tells you how serious this encounter was. And what a mess! No telling what one might find when searching through the remains.


    Brutus has unlocked the career option ''Brave Guardian'' when he next advances.


    Buttercup and Rosie have unlocked the career option ''Heroes in Training.


    Tallsqueak has earned a new Quest: Rusted Ruins of the Twisted King.


    Each person receives 35 Enhancement points, except Tallsqueak, who earns 32, and an official notice that it''s time to move to Tier Four. We''ll be talking soon!


    "Heroes!" The girls held hands and bounced around, fatigue ignored.


    Brutus smiled, happier for them than himself. "I''m going to beg Larry to come for a long visit. He''s better at this hero stuff than I am."


    Milo shook his head. "Larry would love to help, but I disagree about him being better at it than you. You''re there every day for them. That counts for a lot."


    "Maybe so, maybe so. I won''t lie and say it''s been easy, but it sure has been rewarding. Speaking of which, that was a very un-subtle hint about looking around in this pile of rusted metal and copper."


    The girls helped sort through things and quickly found a metal shield that was welded to the Snake for armor. It came off easily when Brutus pulled on it, and any rust or decay flaked off.


    Adamant Guardian Shield


    One of seven such shields made for the Royal Guard of King Morkavian, this Relic was lost in the Great Cataclysm. The wielder of this nigh-invulnerable adamant shield adds +3 to their Shield skill, +5 to CHR, and gains +200 Universal Mitigation against any attack.


    Brutus seemed to stand straighter as he proudly equipped the shield. "Oh boy, I cannot wait to show this to Justin. He''ll be begging to come on the next excursion."


    Buttercup and Rosie had found a music box that played traditional dwarven lullabies. They covered their ears at the harsh sounds but brought up the jewelry inside to Brutus.


    "Pretty things, Daddy! Put them on us."


    Brutus helped them with the earrings.


    Enchanted Earrings of Queen Helga the Unforgiving


    Known for her love of jewelry, few understood that each piece enhanced the Queen who ruled during a difficult time and a mad husband.


    Jade and Gold Earrings of Wise Decisions: Adds +3 INT and +3 WIS.


    Onxy and Silver Earrings of Determination: Adds +3 INT and +3 CHR.


    Milo was investigating the head of the Snake, which fell to pieces as he touched it, blasted from the inside by its own energies. One ruby orb and two green spheres rolled free.


    Ruby Orb of Focused Destruction


    Emerald Orbs of Illumination


    (You''re the engineer; you figure them out. No one tells me anything but the names.)


    Intrigued, but cautious, Milo put the six-inch spheres into his Smuggler''s Stash. There would be time to examine these later. Brutus yelled at him. "I say we bring up the moles after the girls widen that tunnel a little bit. We can camp here for a day, chow down on some tasty grub, and give you some time to heal."


    Milo nodded, he needed to heal and look at the notifications the system was sending him. Before he could start his first nap, Georgie came loping up to him, cheeks filled. He spat out silvery eggs and a small book. How to Train Your Scarab.

 Chapter 384: De-Feeted and Itching

    Milo had a million thoughts running through his head, and so much to do, but...his foot itched! The pain from losing his foot had been terrible, but he had focused on it and shoved it to the side. The itch was another thing altogether, cutting through his defenses.


    Brutus had put a sort of large sock on his leg and tied it at the ankle. "You''ve never had to regenerate something? Fine, here''s the rules: You don''t look at it, you don''t poke it, you don''t pick at it or mess with the bandages. You let it grow back at the pace your body sets. No extra cheese unless the Caravan Master gives it to you. And I''m not unless I think you need it. It needs to stay clean and not get anything on it. And whatever you do, don''t stand on it. You''re lucky you''ve got good regeneration. Justin lost two fingers once and had to wear a special mitten for a month. When it finally quits itching, I''ll check on it. Until then, sit here and watch the girls play with the carts. I''ll be patrolling the area and making sure nothing sneaks up on us."


    As if the itching wasn''t bad enough, the sounds of squeaking rail carts moving over the rusting tracks had forced Milo into action, despite Brutus'' rules. He carefully set up his Engineer''s Workbench and dug through his storage areas for rust remover and gear lubricant. It was tedious enough sitting still so his foot would regenerate, but hearing the squealing of old metal wheels as the girls raced back and forth with their new toys was driving him crazy.


    He decided to turn the job of oiling the cartwheels into a lesson in beginning maintenance. Brutus had told him that he and Gendifur tried to find any skill that the girls could do that involved thinking or crafting. The more new things they could find that would give them experience for their mental stats, the better. They loved and excelled in anything physical, but gaining STR and CON would only reinforce the changes made to them. Milo explained about fixing the wheel, and it became a new game for the girls, resulting in them finding every cart between the furnace area and the coal mines and bringing all three dozen to Milo, the squealing echoing through the caverns. Some of them were hopelessly beyond fixing with a little oil, so the next lesson was how to take apart the wheels of a mine cart and use those parts to repair another.


    There were casualties, of course. Large hands, small tools, and rusted parts led to broken pieces and upset junior mechanics. Several cookie breaks were taken to calm them down, especially after Rosie broke a wheel, and then vented her frustration by ripping apart the steel minecart with her bare hands. Milo calmed her by telling her that they could melt all the broken carts down and turn them into new parts or shiny ingots. The thought of making something new out of something broken intrigued them.


    "Breaking things isn''t always bad? Can you make broken things better? Grackle always yelled when we broke things."


    "Grackle called us broken things! He said if we didn''t follow his orders, we''d have to go to the place with the broken things."


    Milo thought for a moment, "Breaking things is usually bad, and we should try not to break things. But not always. Sometimes, I break things by accident and then I have to fix them. I always try to make them better than they were before. Fixing broken tools and machines teaches me things. And sometimes I see things that are already broken. Some of those I fix, and some I break again when trying to fix. Like the wheels that we couldn''t get to turn." He thought to himself of other things he had permanently broken, like General Gangreen or the first Snake.


    As if reading his thoughts, Buttercup pointed to the large chunks of rusty deep copper in the middle of the tunnel. "We broke Mr. Badsnake. Can you fix him?"


    Rosie shook her head, "I don''t like Mr. BadSnake, except he had pretty eyes." She had asked to play with the red eye. Brutus and Milo had both said ''No'' at the same time.


    Milo did intend to ''Fix Mr. BadSnake, but not in a way that would make the Snake happy. You don''t give eels a second chance.


    "We can fix Mr. Badsnake by turning it into shiny metal ingots that we''ll use to make better things. You can help me. Once we fix some of the carts, you can load all the snake parts and take them to the first furnace, and we''ll melt the snake. We''ll need lots of coal, too. And I want you to be careful when you scoop things up. Use the shovels from the coal piles and try not to touch things with your hands."


    Brutus had made sure all of them washed well after the battle. Normal infection could hit anyone, no matter what level, although the girls could shrug such ailments off easily. But both he and Milo were cautious about dealing with the corpses of the corrupted creatures. The big piles of broken scarabs and parts of the Snake bothered him as well, and he wasn''t going to be happy until they had melted everything down and cleaned the area of all corruption. He intended to spray the area where they''d thrown the eggs with waste fluid. The corrosive and flammable fluid would neutralize most substances, and the fire would clean the rest.


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    The girls got tired of pushing the carts and harnessed up their moles to do the job. The moles had grown bored waiting for the two-leggers to get moving. They were happy to pull the mine carts back and forth at their leisurely pace, despite the girls wanting to race. Moles weren''t fast, but they could pull several carts of coal at once. Milo sat in the furnace room, trying to ignore his foot and make plans for this place. The girls had named them Iggy and Ziggy, the Moleski brothers. Which of the moles was which, they seemed to know, but Milo couldn''t tell one more from another without their name tags.


    Inactivity was getting to Milo worse than the itching in his foot, and he waited impatiently for the girls to gather everything up. After the last load of coal and snake parts was piled up, Milo asked the girls to take turns holding him on their shoulders so he could move around better. He examined the simplest of the large smelters, looking for something suitable for melting metals such as copper and tin. The huge blast furnaces would take many people to operate. He chose the smaller one in the best condition and had the girls fill the firebox with a small amount of coal. An hour later, things were heating up properly, he''d figured out the flues and adjusted the air intake, and was confident that they could use it to melt down the snake.


    He used the coke they''d found in one of the storage rooms for this job. It burned hotter and cleaner than coal. The fireboxes glowed red hot as they burned the coke and heated up the thick ceramic furnace. The metal made strange hissing and popping noises as it was heated and the impurities burned off. The noise increased over time until there was a constant, high-pitched scream coming inside. The furnace shook and then went still, the noise dropping to normal levels. Milo showed the girls where the molten metal would pour out into the channels that distributed it to the ingot molds. Crossing his fingers, he opened the valve and watched as glowing, molten Deep Copper poured out and filled each of the large ingot molds. Each movable cart held molds for a hundred ingots. They were on the fifth cart when the color of the metal changed and became more silvery.


    "Oooh, pretty. Why is it silver now?"


    "The Deep Copper from the snake was the densest metal and poured off first. This looks like an alloy of all the other metals that were on the snake, similar to the metals on the scarabs. We''ll have to test the metal and see what it''s good for." Another eighty ingots were cast, and then it was time for more cookies and a discussion of how dangerous molten metal could be. They were just finishing up when Brutus checked in on his rounds. Luckily, Milo was back in his resting place.


    Brutus eyed the cooling ingots, the little girls with coal dust in their fur, and the lack of large snake parts. "Cooking up some snake? Boy, am I hungry!"


    The girls ran to him to tell him their stories of the day''s adventure. Dinner was a quick stew of mushrooms and vegetables, with a bit of crumbly bleu cheese on a cracker for dessert. A huge cauldron found in the room was filled with water and became a makeshift tub for the girls. After over an hour of bath time, Brutus tucked them into their beds in the wagon and collapsed next to Milo, "Looks like you half-tired them out, and bath time finished them off. Nearly finished me as well. Georgie and I walked nearly two miles down that large tunnel. There are some minor rock slides and broken timbers, but overall, it''s in remarkably good shape. No side passages, and we turned back when we hit another set of metal doors. Quiet and peaceful all the way, made me suspicious."


    Milo had a theory, "I think the creatures that might normally lair in this area avoided it because of the corrupted scarabs."


    "Ha, I bet they did. Little suckers were pretty territorial. Bad news, that stuff. Another few generations and you''d need an army to deal with them. Meaning I''d bring Justin with me. Boy, is he going to be jealous when he hears about all the fun he missed!"


    Milo looked at the cooling metal, "I want to smelt the remains of the scarabs tomorrow. Just in case. Even if they burn to nothing, it''s worth doing."


    "After you have two feet."


    Milo sighed, "Yes, there is that. Stupid Snake." His foot was still itching, but he was tired enough that he could sleep. Brutus winked at him. "Strange how tired you are for sitting around all day. But don''t worry, me and Georgie are on guard. Take a nap and we''ll see if you can wiggle your toes tomorrow."

 Chapter 385: "Ssssssss is sneaky, like a Snake, and we dont like Snakes."

    Somewhere between Limburger Hollow and the Engineer Outpost...


    "Back it out! The drill head is overheating again! We melt another one and we''ll fall even further behind!"


    With much cursing and arguing, the Tunnel Tyrant crew disengaged the drill head''s power and reversed the treads, slowly backing their machine into the large cavern a hundred feet behind them. The drill head was red hot in places, the result of spinning in place when the drill couldn''t gain leverage against the hard rock layers they were hitting. Engineers armed with picks and blasting charges entered the tunnel, protected by their environmental suits. They emerged ten minutes later, moving at a jog. The other Engineers backed away from the hole. The small explosion blasted only a few bits of rock out of the hole, along with clouds of dust that filled the cavern.


    "Blast it, where was the signal for setting off a charge?"


    "Did you see us jogging and get out of the way?"


    "Of course, we''re not idiots!"


    "See? Jogging is the signal. You think I''d move that fast for anything else?"


    "Beer...lunch...cute pirates?"


    "Err, point taken...we''ll send someone out to warn you next time. This time we had a bet going on who could move the fastest in their suit."


    "Ah, I can forgive you then. You were testing your equipment. So what did we hit this time?"


    Another Engineer came over, holding a dark chunk of stone. "We''re running into small veins of gneiss. The point of the drill is softer than the rock and it can''t gain ground. The machine has the power we need, but we''re going to need to mount a tougher drill."


    "Which no one is going to give us. We''ll need to put some thought into how to upgrade from Dark Steel to Hammer Steel. Can we move forward at all while half the team works on that?"


    "Aye, we mined around the gneiss and then set off the blasting charge. The gneiss is a small enough layer that we can break through with Hammer Steel picks, but I wouldn''t want to do it without the extra strength from the suits. Tough stuff."


    "Fine, that''s the plan then. Half of us will build a better drill head, the other half will use the drill when they can and picks when they can''t. But that drill needs to cool down."


    "Great, time for lunch and a few cold brews to keep our strength up."


    "Race you!"


    The crew of the Tunnel Tyrant jogged off for refueling, leaving their drill behind to slowly cool down.


    A hundred feet over and a quarter mile back, The Pickaxe Express was grinding slowly along. The front of the machine used a circle of pickaxes that hammered away at the rock wall and slowly rotated. Rock fell onto a scoop at the front of the machine and was moved to the rear by conveyor belts. The machine was tireless, grinding away like a dozen miners, each stroke of a pick the shattering rock, but after four hours, the pace had slowed to only 37%.


    "Pull her back and get some eyes on the front end. Something''s wrong and it''s getting worse."


    The dwarven crew swarmed over the front of the machine and began to check over the Hammer Steel picks and mechanical arms, arguing as they measured each component and manually moved them through their arcs, measuring the angles at which they hit the rock, and checking their lubricants.


    "Found the problem. Number 7 arm is three degrees off, the metal is slowly deforming. I told you we needed to line up the arms properly."


    "That you did, at least seven times. And seven times I said that wouldn''t leave enough room for the lubricant lines."


    "And the picks would hit at an angle that would wear away one side, putting torque on the arms and deforming them."


    "How are the picks?"


    "Warn away on one side because the arms are at the wrong angles."


    "And there''s a hole in the bucket, dear Martha, a hole."


    There was a pause, and then several voices yelling, "Shut up!"


    "So, we rework the whole design, or get used to a two-hour break when one or more things screws up the efficiency of the machine and we replace parts."


    "Two hours is unacceptable!"


    "We already reworked the design three times. I say we start from scratch."


    Sprocket was looking at the arms, then the part they bolted to. "Anyone ever watch the Gremlins race down in Nurburgring?"


    That got him some confused looks, but Cogswell was curious, "No, and I question why you bring that up. Tell us about Gremlin''s racing in Nurburgring."


    "Well, the little suckers are harsh on their carriages. They don''t go around obstacles, just drive over them. Hard on the wheels, axles, shock absorbers, and everything else. So when they come in for a pit stop, four of the pit crew unbolt the top, and they drop it onto a new undercarriage. Slick as can be. The old undercarriage goes to the repair shop. They keep a half-dozen ready for each race. I''m thinking we could do the same thing here."


    "With the arms? That''s still a lot of swaps, and each one is different."


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    "Hell no, he''s talking about the whole assembly! We back the machine, pop a few bolts, and have a movable winch take away the old one, and the second winch positions the replacement. I bet we can do that in five minutes."


    "Any better ideas? Fine, let''s get some beer in us, design the new look, and get to work. We''ll cast a few hundred of each of the parts we need and make an assembly line for the new pick and arm assemblies. This time tomorrow we''ll be moving ahead at full steam."


    "Race you to the beer."


    Even further behind was the team running the Steel Wurm. This tunneler was a hollow steel cylinder with a circular cutting disc at the front. The disc spun like a rotating cheese grater, the ridges scraping away rock and dirt, then forcing it through holes in the disc. Several problems had popped up early with its deployment. The ridges wore down quickly and needed to be made of a harder material. The cutting head was removed, and rather than being cast from Dark Steel, a new one was made from Hammer Steel. Hammer Steel could not be cast. It was an alloy of several metals pounded together using drop hammers, folded, and pounded again. A large square of Hammer Steel was first cut into a disc, then interior cuts were made to form the rides. Each ridge was pounded out using smaller drop hammers or using the sheer muscle power of the stronger dwarven smiths. This new head worked well when bolted to the machine, and work on a second was begun.


    The next problem was the length of the machine. It was so long that changing direction meant pulling it back to an area where it could be pivoted and aimed differently. They redesigned the driller, giving it the ability to change direction within a drill hole. Every four feet was a flexible joint that would let the Wurm slowly flex and change direction, each section following the next. When this was fixed, they attacked the problem of the over-engineered power train. The cutting disc spun too quickly, and the debris clogged the center of the machine. It went against their instincts to ever make a machine less powerful, but it had to be done. Control runes were added to cut down the flow of fuel and oxygen to the boiler to control the power. With these problems done, Steel Wurm began to catch up with its competitors.


    Peen Hammer and his crew were coordinating with all three crews and helping them with design problems and sourcing materials. The other crews were amazed that somehow, Peenhammer had no trouble talking Sledgemonkey into giving him the materials needed for their redesigns. The odds of which dwarven team would make it to the halfway point first moved up and down. By contrast, it seemed the Ratkin drillers weren''t moving and must have hit some obstacle. The dwarven crews were working around the clock now, only stopping for beer, food, and bragging about their machines.


    Milo was spending his morning with the girls. Brutus had peeked at his foot and declared he needed another day. "You''ve got hard bones and tough skin, that can slow things up. Plus, that was a nasty burn, and those take a little more time."


    As he was sitting and itching, Georgie ran up with the strange book and then the four silvery eggs. He was guarding them like a mother hen and curling up around them. The girls were immediately curious.


    "Shiny! What are those?"


    "Eggs? Like the eggs momma cooks from cave geese? Those don''t look like goose eggs. Too little."


    "Those are scarab eggs. I think they''ll look like the ones we fought, but without the yucky stuff. This book is about training them as pets."


    There was a moment of silence, and the two little fiends turned to look at Georgie. "But Georgie is a pet! Can pets have pets?"


    Milo shrugged. "We''ll find out. I mean, after all, who is going to take care of them except Georgie? Your Dad is a busy guard, and I have a pet already."


    They jumped up and down, excited. "We want pets. We''ll help."


    Milo shook his head. "Sorry, but you need to read this book, and to read the book, you need to practice your letters and learn to read."


    "Letters make my head hurt!"


    "Arrrrss are hard to remember, and you sound like a pirate, and eee and efff are the same!"


    "Ssssssss is sneaky, like a Snake, and we don''t like Snakes."


    "Georgie doesn''t know how to read..."


    The watch lizard growled and walked toward them, then used a sharp claw to make a G on the floor. Having defended his honor, he turned, flipped his tail at them, and went back to the eggs. Milo handed each of them a slate and chalk, which had been in the Wagon.


    "Who wants to learn to read and get a pet?" Two little fiends sighed and raised their hands. Brutus returned from patrol to see Milo seated between them, slowly reading the book to them and pointing out the letters as they went, making them practice. Brutus made sure not to disturb them. His wife had been dubious of him taking the girls on expeditions, especially after they learned about cage matches. If Milo could teach them their letters, it would go a long way to getting him out of trouble and opening up a new world for them.

 Chapter 386: Sending out the Weasel Patrol

    The old caverns that had been silent for almost a millennia were now disturbed by the loud sounds of enthusiastic children stacking fifty-pound ingots of Deep Copper. They had diligently practiced making letters for as long as they could hold themselves still and then ran off to play. Currently, they were piling up the metal ingots into a maze of small ''rooms'' in a playhouse. Milo could hear the difference in these ingots. The small bits of silvery alloy that remained in the copper gave a slightly more musical sound when a metal ingot was dropped on another. He was curious about the differences and itched to test the conductivity and tensile strength of the alloy.


    He was happy that was his only itch at the moment. Brutus had finally declared his foot was good to walk on and not in danger of becoming infected. When the sock and bandages were removed his new appendage looked like its counterpart. He was so happy to be able to move that he turned a series of cartwheels, much to Buttercup and Rosie''s delight. The girls had attempted to copy him, without success, and went back to expanding their houses.


    When Milo finally calmed down, Brutus sat next to him and inquired about the next part of their journey. "So, what''s next? We came here to dig a tunnel, and we''re getting sidetracked, but this place feels important. We need one of those huge clay ovens to process the Deep Copper ore in the Hollow''s mines into ingots. It won''t be as fast or perfect as these Subragators you''re talking about, but it would be a good first step to deal with all the piles of it lying around in the mines."


    Milo considered the idea. There would be more impurities in metal produced by crushing and smelting, but they could always run the ingots through a Subragator as a final process, and with most of the slag and impurities gone, it would process cleanly. And it would be a step toward teaching young whelps in the Hollow the joys of metalworking and engineering. And there were other things to consider. The political and social balance between the dwarven Engineers and Scavengers had made him think a lot. So had the interplay between the Fisherfolk, the Kulags, merchants, and guilds of Shadowport. He was still gathering information, but the math was starting to form in his head, and he could see ways to apply his theories to the Habitat. Having to deal with the habs reliance on outside power was still gnawing at him. Things needed to change to make the Habitat a better place to live, with more jobs, better food, and more opportunities. And the same with Limburger Hollow. Having a way to process ores in the Hollow would keep them independent and balance the influence of the dwarves. He wanted everyone to prosper.


    He didn''t realize how long he''d been thinking until Brutus elbowed him in the side, and handed him half a sandwich. "Eat this. Some good sprouts and ''shrooms in it, along with Gendifur''s secret sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Then tell me what you are pondering. I caught a few of your mumbles."


    "I was thinking about the Hollow, and what would change if we built one of these furnaces in the mines to process Deep Copper ore."


    Brutus looked thoughtful, "And what are the Scout Master''s conclusions?"


    "I think it would change things. More whelps would study to be smiths, engineers, and miners. Is that a good thing?"


    "Well, as the Caravan Master and an ex-Guard, I''d say yes. Things are shaking up. The Hollow isn''t scared of a spider invasion or the players. We''ve learned how to kick their asses and have agreements with powerful allies. The Tower''s mages are learning faster and using that newfangled math you taught them and Professor Arlothe is constantly tinkering with machines now that will give us an advantage in an invasion. More whelps are learning to fight and Gilad is nearly overwhelmed. Happiest he''s been in ages.


    And, speaking as the learned and venerable Caravan Master that I am, more trade goods to trade is a good thing, both to bring tasty things back to the Hollow, but also to cement the alliances with cannon-toting dwarven Engineers."


    Milo turned slowly and stared at a grinning Brutus, "You''ve been thinking about this."


    "Sure have. Guards have a lot of time to think while we patrol. Ask me sometime about boots and economic theory, one of my favorite topics."


    "So, this is a good idea."


    Brutus nodded, "Such a good idea. And I''ve already got a Weasel Patrol ready to carry messages. You can''t do better than them. Dedicated, crafty, and impossible to predict. I think Master Clawhammer needs to see this place. The Weasel Patrol will deliver the message."


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    Brutus whistled and tossed a handful of cookies into the air. A small horde of furry clowns leaped from the caravan and raced forward, tumbling over each other, rolling and bouncing. No cookie hit the ground. "Why seven weasels? Are you worried about them making it there and dispatching extras for a better chance?"


    "Naw, weasels are sneaky and fast. But they don''t like to travel alone. Which is good, since I don''t want anyone to get bent out of shape from being ignored. I''m sending one to Clawhammer, and one to Gendifur. If she found out I sent a letter back to the Hollow by Weasel Patrol and didn''t tell her about what the girls are doing, I''d be dodging frying pans for a week. Then I need a message to the other Scoutmasters, one to Gilead, Mistress Brownfur, Master Arlothe, and Old Healer. Got to keep everyone in the loop, because this is big stuff we''re talking about here. Plus, everyone likes getting letters from the road. Everyone grows up wanting to join a Caravan and travel.


    Milo hadn''t considered that but could see the points: "Let''s work on the notes to the Masters, and when the girls are done, we''ll see if they can make some letters for Gendifur."


    "Oh, she''d like that. Good thinking. And when that''s done, we can smelt down that pile of dead scarabs. It''s making me twitchy every time I patrol past it."


    Justin was on duty when the furry ball of destruction rolled into the Hollow only a few hours later. He braced for the worst, but the weasels stopped just in front of him and all held up message tubes. "Official-looking stuff. Head on in, but if you get caught stealing cheese, I''m not protecting you this time." They saluted and six weasels entered the Hollow while one raced to the large house just outside of the Hollow where Brutus and Gendifur lived with the girls, and sometimes Tallsqueak, Larry, and Justin himself.


    "Oh boy, wonder what''s up." He would find out very soon.


    Master Clawhammer was just shutting down his forge for the day. He and his apprentices had forged dozens of copper tools today and a handful of iron tools. Iron was difficult to get in the Hollow, but the dwarves had traded them five hundred pounds of wrought iron in exchange for a small pile of Deep Copper ore. A fuzzy messenger arrived, making itself known by accidentally knocking over a tool rack. The weasel saluted, handed over the message tube, and headed for the rendezvous point where the others were making daring plans for another raid on the cheese storage area.


    "What the devil is this? Plans for building some sort of blast furnace for smelting the piles of useless copper?" He read further and further, looking at the drawings of even stranger ore processing machines. Then he yelled for his apprentices.


    "I need twenty smiths and miners for a special mission. Get your tools packed, grab some food from Smiley, and meet up by the Guard Station. The first twenty are heading on an expedition with me." Ratkin scattered, and Clawhammer made his own preparations, taking his time. When he got to the Guard Station, there were twenty grinning people, and seven looking dejected but wanting to know what was going on. Clawhammer yelled out, "Looks like exactly twenty people to me. Let''s head out." When the extras hesitated, he yelled at them to get moving.


    In the cavern outside the Hollow, they were met by Justin the Guard, who was giving instructions to two junior guards. He grabbed a massive pack festooned with cooking gear. Gendifur stood nearby, dressed to travel and holding two bags with her medical supplies. She looked anxious to be leaving."


    "Let''s get moving. I want to see my girls. I''m missing important things." She started jogging, followed by Justin, who was whistling a marching tune. Everyone ran to catch up.


    In her pocket was a note from Brutus, and a large piece of parchment with a short message. The excited girls had told Milo what they wanted to say, and he''d helped them with the letters. The process had taken many tries and gone through several revisions before they settled on what was important. Then more time as they struggle to write the note.


    "Hi Mama We killed badsnake and have pets


    Luv U R and B"

 Chapter 387: Mother and Daughters Reunion

    In a huge cavern, home to only a swarm of giant bats for many years, the stillness of the underground was broken as new people moved into the area. A dwarven drill machine broke through the wall of the cave and advanced unsteadily on its tracks, belching too much smoke and making too much noise. Thirty feet into the cavern, something went wrong. There was the sound of metal shearing, and the machine came to a stop, restoring the silence of the cave. Over the next hour, the support crew for the vehicle swarmed over it, tearing it apart to find the damage and plan the repairs.


    "Damn, I don''t think there''s a chance in hell of fixing the crankshaft."


    "Bullshit, a little spotwelding, smear some Fix-All on it, wrap in duct tape and it will be fine!"


    "You said that when it cracked! Now it''s in two pieces, both of them bent and out of alignment."


    "That ain''t all. The contortions it went through dragged pistons down at bad angles and scored the cylinders; we''re looking at a complete reworking of the engine and power train."


    "Damn...and the drill head was cutting like a dream!


    "Least the boilers are still working. Team two is having trouble with theirs. Too small, even with the double wall and improved venting. The pressure needed to drive their drill is too high. The thing gets stuck too easily, and doesn''t cut."


    "Still moving faster than we are!"


    Grumbling increased as they saw another machine emerging from the tunnel they''d made. The front of the machine looked odd, completely missing any sort of auger or digging attachment. Team Three parked their machine next to Team One''s broken driller. There was grumbling, but the rules had neglected to enforce the routes each team took, or who made them.


    "Where''s your auger?"


    Team Three told the sad story, "We pushed too hard against the tougher rock. The heat built up too high, and the alloy lost strength. The auger tore itself to pieces. We''re stuck here until we rebuild. Figured we''d back out, and take your tunnel so we could sit and drink together."


    "Aye, that''s alright then. We can wave at Team Two as they go past us."


    "How''s their boiler holding up?"


    Conversation stopped as the sound of a huge explosion came from the hole in the cavern, echoing in the chamber and sending the bats off to look for a quieter place to sleep.


    "Not so good, I''m thinking."


    Beers were raised in the air, a toast to the other team. They were still drinking an hour later when Sledgemonky, Pillbug, Two-Screws, and Team Two came walking into the cavern. Sledgemonkey poured himself a beer and then looked at the broken machines.


    He turned to Two-Screws, "My, but this race is exciting. Brave engineers, piloting their speedy earth-drilling mechanical diggers through tunnel after tunnel, using their expertise to beat a group of ratkin miners using picks and shovels. Is this your idea of giving them a sporting chance? Because by my estimates using Senior Engineer Milos''s little gadgets, he''s over a third of the way here and getting close to the halfway point."


    "What? How?!"


    "How would I know? High explosives? Mechanical Moles? He''s known for being a little unorthodox in his methods."


    Two-Screws added, "Crazy, but highly effective. Lot''s easier to forgive a little damage when you get results."


    The Chief glared at Two-Screws. "Don''t encourage this bunch. They''ll do the damage and then forget the results part. But the main point I want to make is that you still have a chance. He hasn''t moved for two days. Maybe hitting the same hard layer of Gneiss as you all did? But it won''t bet on him sitting still for long. You need to get your asses in gear. Leave the drinking to the two impartial judges of the event."


    One engineer pointed to his machine, "If you could impartially suggest a way to install a new, custom-made power train, we''ll get moving again."


    "Or a drill head!"


    "Boilers. We need to work on boilers."


    Pillbug looked at the three teams, "Maybe my perspective is warped from hanging out with Scavengers lately, but I don''t see three busted machines. Just a whole shit-load of spare parts. You wouldn''t find those girls sitting around on a beach full of wrecked ships for long."


    The engineering teams looked at each other, stroking their beards and considering Pillbug''s idea.


    "I suppose we could consider it a three-way tie..."


    "It''s the honor of the whole Guild that''s at stake."


    Almost as one, they finished their beers, pulled out their tools, and got to work, dismantling their broken machines and designing the replacement. They had a race to win.


    Not terribly too many miles away, Milo was busy with the problem of the large, foul-smelling pile of Scarab bits. They had worked hard to leave no trace of the corrupted creatures unscoured. The pile of broken eggs was covered in coal, and a fire ignited that would burn for two days. The snake''s nest was dealt with similarly, but Milo hoped to recover any metal from it later for resmelting. The mix of odd alloys in some of the pieces intrigued him. The snake itself was now hundreds of ingots stacked up to make a playhouse. The scarab pile was first sprayed with waste fuel and then a layer of burning coal. When this finished burning down hours later, Milo and Brutus carefully shoveled it into carts that the girls pushed to the furnace and dumped. When they were finally done loading the furnace with the metal scraps and fuel, Milo got the furnace going, and they all took a break.


    Brutus insisted on a good scrubbing for all of them until their fur shone. He double-checked Buttercup''s bandages and declared her completely healed. Milo''s foot was also declared ready to travel on. Happy, clean, and tired, they sat around a campfire by the wagon, listening to the snores of the moles. Milo and Brutus took turns reading the book on training scarabs, and the girls worked on their letters. Georgie was happy to patrol the camp and stand watch.


    The next morning, Brutus was making puffcakes when Georgie let out a long howl and several barks before racing out of the smeltery area. After a moment, the girls did the same, yelling "Mama!"


    Brutus handed Milo the frying pan, "You''re on puffcake duty, I''ll go escort our guests to our humble abode. He raced after his daughters, as eager to see his wife as they were.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Milo grabbed a second frying pan and started making another batch of batter. Ten minutes later, he was filling plates with tall stacks as the group from the Hollow arrived. Buttercup and Rosie brought Gendifur over to the camp to show her their letters and the stack of drawings they''d made on the trip. Milo got everyone a big plate of puffcakes and syrup. The girls started eating, and Gendifur came to talk to him. "You managed to teach the girls how to read?"


    Before he could answer, he was enveloped in strong arms and hugged. She sat him back down, only mildly bruised. He saw she was crying and trying to hide it, "We''ve been so worried about what their limits were and how far they could recover. If they can read, that opens up so many options to teach them other things and help them progress. Thank you for that." She went back to her girls, sitting between them and listening to their stories about fighting scarabs and snakes and being heroes. She glanced at Brutus, and he nodded slowly and said, "We''ve got a lot to talk about. They have some big choices coming up, all good ones."


    Master Clawhammer was walking around and around the huge room, investigating smelters, blast furnaces, and clay kilns. Of the most interest was the huge blast furnace for making Dark Steel. Milo took him a plate of breakfast, knowing the craft master had a reputation for missing meals when buried in a project. He chewed quickly, talking.


    "This is amazing! I know the theory, and I''ve seen things like this in another Hollow, but nothing this size. And with ample fuel and ore, we could turn out hundreds of ingots a day. Even more, if we had continuous shifts working. It''s a continuous process of adding ore, fuel, and limestone, then pouring off the slag from the middle and the molten metal from the bottom. Not sure what the hell we''d do with all that metal, that''s an enormous vein! But it would sure be fun to fire this sucker up and get to work."


    Milo was happy to see his enthusiasm, "Trust me, the Deeprock Outpost will take anything we produce here. And up in Shadowport, they were very happy whenever I found old cables and parts made of deep iron. They bought every bit of it I found. And I''m sure the Caravan Master will enjoy finding new markets in other Hollows."


    Clawhammer looked around at the cavern, obviously of dwarven origin, gesturing at it, "And what are the dwarves going to say about us claiming this area? If it were another Hollow, we''d go by ''Finders, Keepers'' but these are different folks with a different outlook."


    Having dealt with the dwarven guilds in Shadowport, Milo agreed. "Normal dwarves, I''d be worried about. But not the Engineers. We''ll work out the details, but they''ll be happy to see the Hollow working these ancient halls and supplying them with metal. They have a lot to offer in return. And the Scavengers will agree with the old law. They love finding treasure, and I''m certain that none of them want to mine or work with steel."


    "I like the sound of that. Now, tell me what you have going on over there?" He pointed to the large clay furnace that was smelting the scarab scraps.


    "Cleaning up an infestation of corrupted creatures and reclaiming the metal. It was a hard fight, and some of them were deadly and partially constructed of incredibly hard metal. Let''s see what we have."


    With extra hands, the work of lining up the molds and filling them with molten alloy went quickly. The metal was white hot and shimmering. Clawhammer urged his apprentices to take extra care, "Burning off a foot or hand isn''t pretty and takes a long time to regrow." Milo''s foot itched just thinking about his own mishap. Besides the ingot molds, Milo had found dozens of molds for making long rods of different sizes, some as small as a quarter inch. The long rods were the start of making wire, and he''d seen wire-drawing machinery in one corner. It was a far cry from the mechanically powered machines at the outpost. These fed a thin rod into a slightly smaller hole, and the wire was drawn through by turning a crank. Repeating this with smaller and smaller holes would produce smaller gauges of wire. The Hollow already used a procedure like this to make copper wire, much of which was used by Professor Arlothe in his experiments.


    Clawhammer watched with interest as the molten alloy was poured into the ingot molds and then the wire and rod molds. He glanced at his gaggle of apprentices. "Idle hands lead to disaster. I''m going to keep these whelps busy mining coal and iron and hauling it here. But a little wire drawing won''t be bad either. Slow process, but Arlothe would love to have some new materials to experiment with."


    Milo agreed; he wouldn''t mind having a few spools himself. He had plenty of room in his arcane workbench, and you never knew what sort of project he''d be working on in the future. "Sounds good to me." He and Clawhammer discussed the finer points of blast furnace operation and directed the apprentices and miners to begin gathering ore, limestone, and fuel. Clawhammer wanted the furnace cleaned and inspected before they started, and every vent or tube checked over twice. The cavern was soon a beehive of activity with everyone working.


    Milo took the opportunity to take a walk and investigate a small mystery. Georgie accompanied him as they traveled up to the T intersection and began exploring down that way. Brutus had said it continued for at least a mile, and he hadn''t reached the end when he turned back. The tunnel was well made, a permanent thoroughfare, and not a mine tunnel. The partially rusted rails down the middle meant refined metal was heading somewhere, and somewhere was in the direction he needed to go. The next mile was through softer rock, with small rockslides and piles of stones falling from the ceiling. Eventually, the way was blocked by a collapsed archway. Investigating and climbing around, he found a small gap in the stones that let him see through to the other side, where the tunnel continued to a T intersection where a large statue stood. It was too far to see the wording on the base.


    "What do you think, Georgie? Time to see what that Red Eye can do?"


    His watch lizard thought over the question, gave a ''Woof'' of encouragement, and backed off a hundred feet to watch.

 Chapter 388: The Eyes have it.

    Chapter 388: The Eyes have it.


    Milo had been tired and injured when he''d first seen the eyes. He didn''t know what they were, but he knew they were more than magical items or parts of a corrupted copperhead.


    The snake had been composed of the original copper body with added mechanical parts, all of which were rotting away under the effects of the corruption. The scarabs and other creatures were similar. If it had only been snakes and scarabs, he might not have seen that two different things were going on. The first was the addition of mechanical parts and metal shells to existing creatures. The murderous squirrels and the badger made that obvious. The corruption was a secondary effect, corroding and degrading both the mechanical and biological aspects. If the uncorrupted scarab eggs hatched and showed no signs of decay, it would lend credence to his theory.


    The parts that fell off the snake, including the eyes, had come from various machines or parts of them. But the eyes were several levels above the rest. They were intact, and he could feel the old runes within them. He''d put them away immediately, as much to keep them from the girls as to keep himself from examining them when he was already injured. Playing with ancient magic tech and runic items could be near-fatal. That had been a painful lesson to learn.


    He carefully removed the green eyes from his Smugglers'' Stash


    . Emerald Orbs of Illumination sounded less deadly than Ruby Orb of Focused Destruction, and he hadn''t seen any damage come from the emerald eyes, just a bright light that seemed to pinpoint him for the snake. The orbs weren''t perfectly round. There were seams where the iris opened, small round pits where wires may have connected, and a circular seam that may or may not let him remove the outer casing. Carefully examining each part, he could see dust or dirt in all of the small connection areas except for one directly behind the iris. If he was wiring up an eye in a movable socket, that was where he''d put the connection as well. He found that the diameter of the hole would exactly hold a piece of 14-gauge wire. The question was, what type of wire?


    Copper or Deep Copper wire would be excellent for normal electricity or Storm mana, but other types of mana would need mana-conducive alloys. He set up a small electrical generator and battery from his workbench. They were small things that he and Arlothe had used to test the magi-tech circuits he used in his contraptions. After cranking for five minutes to generate some power, he connected the eye, for no visible result, and no power loss in the battery. He''d doubted the eyes could be powered by regular electricity, but it was the easiest power source to test. Mana was next.


    Substituting a mana-conducting cable for the Deep Copper wire was the next step. The simplest way to charge a magic item was to try to instill his own mana, the same way apprentices were taught to charge their staffs. It was sluggish at first, but the eye accepted his mana, and from inside, something started to happen. He pushed harder, and the process accelerated. Somewhere inside the eye, something was storing his mana, and he felt the change when that was full. Mana flowed into a second storage area, and then a third. Each time, he lost a hundred mana points. He pushed further, and the iris opened, revealing the eye. The three batteries inside the eye unloaded their mana into a complex runic formation that appeared, more runes appeared, creating a spherical formation with several layers. The formation contracted, condensing the mana. Somewhere in the mass of swirling, condensed mana, a spark ignited, and brilliant light shone from the eye for several seconds.


    Seeing the light from this angle was interesting. Every detail on the cavern wall was illuminated and showed fine details that hadn''t been visible to Milo before. Then the light winked out, plunging the tunnel back into darkness. He repeated the process, with the same result, and then began to construct a mana storage device using a crystal he and Georgie had stolen from the Gneiss-Lurker nest. They were ideal mana storage devices, and he needed to get more of them. And a better way to do so. He''d turned the bulk of them over to the Engineers, but he still had the largest crystal from the top of the mound and several small ones. His next test involved using Storm mana, which he produced using a small prototype of Arlothe''s generator. His electrical storage battery was used to turn an iron rod into an electrical magnet, which produced electricity as he spun it within a copper coil. Around the coil, small crystal chips collected the Storm mana and stored it in the large crystal. When he had several thousand mana stored, he connected the eye.


    Everything worked as before, but instead of stopping, the light was continuous. Better, Milo was able to study the Runic Array. It wasn''t composed of all pre-system runes, but the complexity was beyond anything he''d seen before. Dozens of Runes of Illumination, Runes of Radiance,


    layered with dozens of unique Engineering runes that controlled the entire device. He sat and studied the interlocking runes for minutes until the system ran out of power, then recharged the battery and repeated the process three more times.


    In the middle of the fourth recharge, he stopped and looked at his stash. There were two eyes...


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    An hour later, he''d created a framework that would let him manually adjust the direction of the eyes. He was sure that eventually, he could learn to do it with the runes inside of them, but for now, that was beyond him. A larger copper coil was converting electricity to storm mana, and he''d bribed Georgie to run in a circle to power the apparatus while he continued building. When everything was ready, he turned to his watch lizard, "I''m ready to test this out." Georgie rolled his eyes once, then moved a few feet out of the way, prepared to drag Milo back to Gendifur if he blew himself up.


    This time, both eyes opened at once, throwing the large tunnel into daylight. He could tell the focus was off, but before he could adjust his makeshift frame, the two runic arrays forged a connection, and the eyes turned a fraction of an inch. The change was immediate. Where details were sharp before, now they were shown starkly, even the smallest crack in the rocks standing out. Over the next seven seconds, the light even penetrated the wall and revealed a row of two-foot by two-foot openings, cleverly disguised to blend in with the wall. Two feet of solid stone separated the long, narrow cavities from the corridor, and in each one, Milo could see bones, armor, weapons, or tools. He rotated his framework, and each time the eyes would focus, the light would penetrate, and more tombs were revealed. He could only focus the light for a hundred feet in either direction, but reversing the direction of the frame showed him the same thing on the other side of the corridor. Two feet separated the tombs, showing him the resting places of over a hundred dwarves. How far did the line of tombs extend? He was certain that the answer lay further ahead.


    Excited at the thought of exploring further, he looked at the obstruction in the tunnel, and then his eyes turned to the red eye sitting in his stash. He had a way to aim it and a good idea of how to power it. Removing the green eyes, placed the red eye into the framework. It had the same exact structure as the green eyes, including the unblocked aperture on the back. Georgie got back to work charging the crystal while Milo tried to sense any runic activity in the eye, but it seemed totally inert when not connected to a power source. A half-hour later, Milo was ready to feed two thousand Storm mana to the eye. Georgie backed off to the hundred-foot mark. As the eye was connected and mana flowed, Milo could feel the eye come to life. It was pointed at a spot four feet above the floor, in the center of the blocked hallway. Seventy-five feet separated Milo from the cave-in. As the mana flowed into the device, he could feel it pooling in one spot, yet not quite filling it. Then the crystal was drained, and nothing at all happened.


    It was frustrating, but it made sense. The illuminating light took less power than a destructive magical laser. Curious, he touched the connection to the back of the eye, intending to push some of his mana into the device. He didn''t have to. As soon as the connection was made between his finger and the Ruby Orb of Focused Destruction, his mana started draining into the eye like a raging river. Over 4,000 mana drained out of him in a second, followed by three rapid clicks as the storage batteries filled, and then a runic array blossomed. It was more complex than the Illumination array, with hundreds of engineering runes surrounding Runes of Brilliance and a set of pre-system Runes of Destruction that circled a rune he was unfamiliar with. It was just a fraction of a second, but the details were burned into his memory as the array flared and a blast of ruby energy flashed outward, burning through the obstruction in the passage before leaving a long gouge in the rock floor.


    Milo sat down, seeing nothing but spots before his eyes, thankful he was wearing his goggles, and feeling drained from losing most of his mana so quickly. Georgie had dragged him a half-mile down the tunnel before he came to his senses and his vision cleared. It took some convincing and several treats to convince his pet that everything was ok. Wobbly, but unhurt, he walked back to take a look. The eye was the same, and not even warm. He carefully disconnected it and placed it back into his stash with a pair of tongs. Then he packed up everything else into his workshop, dismissed both storage areas, and sat down to have something to eat. He and Georgie shared a meal, and Milo poured two expensive mana potions down his throat, bringing him back to a little over a third of his mana. Then they went to examine what the blast had done.


    The beam widened as it went, that was clear, but even at seventy-five feet, it was still only three feet wide. The edges of the melted hole were still hot, and smoking rocks were scattered into the next corridor. The statue sat where he had seen it before, a pick in one hand and holding a lantern in the other as if lighting the way. Beyond it was a large open area of worked stone with more dwarven statues.


    "What do you think? Explore further, or get some friends to come along with us?" It was a silly question to ask the lizard whose job it was to keep you out of trouble. Georgie barked three times, then started trotting back down the tunnel. Milo sighed and followed, looking backward once more at the new mystery.		 R??¦ÁNo??E?S?

 Chapter 389: No One Home

    Master Clawhammer looked at his assembled crew and pointed to a large stack of books and tools. "And this is why you always clean out a furnace before smelting a new batch of metal. You never know what might be inside, leftover from the last batch. And I''d say that, based on the evidence, that is especially true if dwarves were the last to use it. Time to check out the rest of this place and see if we turn up anything else."


    The ratkin nodded at the obviousness of that rule. As they swarmed around and inside the blast furnace, examining and cleaning every surface, they were surprised to find it had been used as a hiding place for tools and a stack of books. A treasure hunt now ensued, looking in every part of the foundry. In three other smelters, they found more books. Some were in dialects of Dwarvish, but most used the language common to most underground races. Instruction manuals for cleaning and repairing each smelter, operation manuals, and books on the history of metalworking in the dwarven realms. There were also large history books, one for each of the seven clans.


    Along with the books were specialized tools for operating the blast furnace. Made from hard, heat-resistant ceramic, they could handle the terrible heat of the blast furnace without melting or taking damage. Their ten-foot-long handles would let someone work from a distance when moving molten metal along the channels to the molds. Several bulky suits were also found, made of some protective material. The ratkin could use them, but they were obviously made for a race with more bulk. Armed with the operations manuals, the apprentices returned to their work, knowing exactly the settings for each of the exhaust valves, how to input materials, and all the other small details of operating the dwarven blast furnace to process the ore from the vein into Deep Steel ingots and rails. Each setting was checked by another ratkin, and finally, the Master Crafter.


    Senior Engineer Tallsqueak returned and joined Master Clawhammer in going through the books. He''d found what he thought was an ancient dwarven city, deserted except for thousands of tombs. The crafting Master was reminded of the story Bleusnout had told about Tallsqueak reading and memorizing It Takes a Village to Make the Cheese. Watching Tallsqueak devour the books as he flipped through the pages was disconcerting, at best.


    It was the Clan Books that caught the Master Scouts'' attention.


    "If you didn''t know dwarves, you''d think they were bragging about their accomplishments. But I think these double as claims to who owns certain processes or rights to produce them in the city."


    Clawhammer agreed with him as he slowly read the first part of each book, "Seems a little odd at first. Why not share that knowledge with everyone? But these folk build big cities, not small Hollows where everyone counts on each other. And, come to think of it, we have our own types of competition and a few secrets. The duels between the students in the Tower of Strife, or the silly games the Shadowskulkers play. Do these dwarven clans even still exist?"


    "Some do, up in Shadowport. Maybe all of them? I''m not sure. The Engineers might know more. For sure the Shadowforge Clan is still around. Junior Engineer Shift-Stick told me Clan Shadowforge has been searching for the lost secrets to harden Dark Steel parts since the cataclysm that destroyed the old city. This book shows the secrets of a secondary process using high heat, carbon powder, and quenching in a liquid called Clam Oil. The Deeprock Engineers can accomplish the same hardness but with a more complex method."


    "Clam oil. Damn, I wonder if there''s a flooded cavern nearby where they found a colony or Rock Clams? Haven''t been to a good clam fry in years. They do them in Gouda Hollow every year when the big Clams migrate onto dry land to hunt and bring back food for the young ones. It''s tricky ambushing them. Hard shells to break through, you have to finish them quickly so you don''t get swarmed by the rest of the hunting pod. But it''s worth it. So tasty when cooked up and the oil is top-notch. Keep your eye out for wet caverns, and don''t turn your back on the water. Clams can be sneaky."


    Milo nodded, adding the warning to a long list of rules to follow that helped him survive when exploring. Clams had not been on his list.


    Clawhammer was looking at a large green book embossed with several bottles and beer steins. "So a bunch of ancient dwarven crafting secrets?"


    "Sort of. Clan Rolling Rock was known for its brewing expertise and recipes. But someone must have survived who knew how to brew their family''s traditional beer. It''s popular with the Scavenger Clans. I''ve never heard of Clan Deep Delver. Their book is full of maps leading everywhere in every direction. But with how many caverns were destroyed in the cataclysm, I''m not sure if the routes are good anymore. Brutus will know more. Clan Stoneshield has recipes for making tough, ceramic shields that resist first, the special tools, and a lot more things. Even a mention of animated ''Furnace Tenders''. Clan Silvertone lay claim to the first marching band in the city, and Stormhammer was experimenting with electrically powered battle hammers."


    "Heh, Arlothe will want to look at those plans. He goes crazy over any applied uses of Storm Mana. What about the last one, Clan Bronzebeard?"


    Milo grinned. "They made special alchemical concoctions that made beards and mustaches grow bushier, as well as special dyes for adding highlights. Very popular with the dwarven clans. If any of these books will cause trouble, this is the one. One dwarf''s choice of mustache wax is another''s heresy."


    Clawhammer laughed, "Always funny to see the little quirks in other cultures."


    Brutus said from a few feet away where he was sharpening his daughters'' picks, "Yeah, I''ve seen a lot of odd stuff traveling around. Humans can come to blows over the darndest things. You don''t see that happening in the Hollow where we all agree that an aged cheddar is the best cheese."


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    Silence ensued, except for a few gasps and hisses. Brutus grinned, "But I could be wrong. I''ll have to taste every type to be sure."


    Fists unclenched, and a few people began laughing in agreement with the Caravan Master''s revised statement. He spun one of the shiny new picks in the air. "The edge on these now will have to do. All I did was ruin a good Dark Steel file. Not that they aren''t sharp enough already to carve rock like butter." Milo had used ingots of the new alloy to hammer out two pickaxes for the girls, wanting to test the alloy. It had been a long chore, taking nearly an hour to heat each ingot before smithing and many returns to the forge for reheating. The metal became malleable when white hot but absorbed heat quickly. Surprisingly, he''d also seen a slow trickle of his mana as he hammered away on the anvil. He''d eventually finished the first and changed tactics, working to add mana to the ingot as he worked at shaping it. Shaping went faster, but he used over two thousand mana on the task. He theorized there were traces of the mana-absorbing metal he''d found before. The shining silver pickaxes delighted the girls, and he mounted them on Dark Steel handles, their strength being too much for any wood.


    Over the next few hours, the first batch of ore was processed, and a thorough cleanup put the shop in order with cooling metal and racks of tools ready to begin again. It was decided that everyone would accompany Tallsqueak to look at what he had found. He explained very carefully, and several times, about the tombs in the walls and the dire consequences that might ensue if they were disturbed. No one wanted to face an angry undead dwarf by accident, or worse, insult the Deep Rock Engineers who might arrive soon. The entrance Milo had created with the eye was expanded and reinforced.


    Beyond was a large cave filled with statues carved from hard rock. Pathways meandered through them, with the main road down the center. Each was an amazing work of art, capturing the likeness and spirit of the original. The bases were carved with letters telling about each dwarven hero, and reading them was a miniature history lesson. Large blocks of cut stone stood in some places, perhaps intended for statues that were never made. A hundred yards later, the main road went under a beautifully carved archway, and they entered the city proper. It was a half mile across with large buildings around the edges and smaller homes in the center. The most central area held a park with no living plants. Planters filled with carved stone trees and stone flowers filled the beds. A fountain in the center threw water into the air that drained to several still pools, inhabited by carved stone fish. A rough stone figure stood in the fountain, ten feet tall. The head was immaculately carved to look like a dwarf with a braided stone beard, while the rest of the statue was roughly humanoid but with little detail. If the statue had any thoughts as the water poured over it and down onto the unmoving fish, it kept them to itself.


    This area presented puzzles to Milo: An unfinished statue and odd stacks of mundane items placed artistically around the fountain. A pyramid of stoneware dishes, a thousand spoons laid out in a geometric pattern. They had two choices: Turning left and crossing the bulk of the city would let them follow a main road to a pair of closed double doors. Going straight would let them continue in the direction of the drills cutting through the rock from the Engineering Station. Brutus pushed for straight. "Finish one job before we get in trouble."


    Milo was looking at a pile of seventeen barrels of dwarven whiskey. If he was correct on the dates, they ranged from one thousand to two thousand years old. A pyramid of stone mugs was handily placed nearby. Off to the side was a smaller barrel, called a pony keg by the dwarves. It was a different style from the others and showed damage where the lettering on one side was scraped away. The unknown artist had put it to the side with an assortment of other damaged items from broken plates to bent spoons.


    Milo felt a chill. "There are no living dwarves in this city." He gestured to the whiskey. "They would never leave something valuable like this out in the open."


    Brutus agreed, "No, not unless they were far different from the dwarves I''ve met. Another reason to hook up with the Deep Rock Engineers. Dwarven legacies may need dwarves to solve them. Are any of the engineers from these clans?"


    Milo couldn''t remember any of the older Engineers mentioning a clan. But he did know of one. "Slipstick is from the surviving branch of the Shadow Forge clan. Maybe he''ll have some clues?"


    "Well, let''s give them a little something to welcome them to the city." He picked up the discarded small keg and took it with him.


    They trudged on through the silent city, coming to another tunnel and going in the direction they wanted. It lined up perfectly with the one they had entered from. This one was rougher, like the mining tunnels. Milo''s stone sense could feel no presence of tombs. This tunnel ended abruptly in a sheer wall of hard stone. As with the vein of Deep Iron, the dwarves had tunneled along it to either side, along with a stairway leading down and a mineshaft up. All showed an unbroken wall of the ultra-hard, Tier Four Gneiss stone.


    Clawhammer swung his pick experimentally, denting the tip and not leaving a mark. "We may have to wait for those fancy drill machines to get here."


    Milo looked at Buttercup and Rosie. "Maybe not. I''ve got a few ideas that give us options. Let''s give the girls some room and see how they do at breaking the rock with their new picks while you and I work on creating a machine I''ve been testing." Clawhammer looked on, extremely curious as he watched Tallsqueak unfold his Engineers Workbench and begin to bring out spools of copper wire and magi-tech components.

 Chapter 390: You have Gotten Better at Tunneling.

    "Fire in the Hole!"


    Ruby Energy seared a path fifty feet in front of Milo and entered the mine tunnel dug by two adolescent Heroes in training. It was over in a second and Milo and Clawhammer advanced on the seven-by-seven-foot shaft dug by the girls.


    It had been a tremendous effort on their part, swinging their new picks at the Gneiss rock wall and slowly chipping away at it. The picks were very tough and sharp, but not quite at the level of Milo''s crystal pick. Milo had seen right from the start that they needed a better method. He''d loaned his pick to Brutus and the three large Ratkin continued to advance into the stone wall slowly.


    While they stubbornly chipped away at the rock, Milo, with the help of the Master Crafter and his crew, constructed a better version of the apparatus he had used to charge and test the Ruby eye. This version included a heavily armored pavise to protect the frame and the operator from flying debris, with the frame and pavise mounted on a movable carriage. A larger and more complex version of Milo''s charging device was constructed that could be powered by a dozen ratkin turning a large crankshaft to spin the copper coils and produce Storm Mana. Once charged, Milo unleashed the eye''s energy into the shaft. Now they eagerly moved in to see the effect.


    Clawhammer whistled as he carefully took measurements of the extended hole, "That ray obliterated a borehole a foot wide, and ten feet into the rock. And I''m seeing a lot of cracking in the surrounding rock. It should be easier to tunnel through this, but that effect will diminish after a foot or two. We could blast it four more times, making an X pattern, but that''s a lot of recharge time."


    Milo had another idea to test. "I think I can break it up some more. Take everyone back to the charging station, and if you don''t mind, please ask Gendifur to get ready."


    "Oh, are you going to try something experimental and stupid? She loves putting you back together. Gets a lot of levels that way. I''ll let her know." He walked away from Milo, motioning the curious to move much farther back. Milo saw Gendifur setting up a field hospital bed next to a table of syringes and shuddered.


    He still didn''t quite understand why people didn''t trust experimental magical theories so much. Granted, they caused problems, but there was so much to learn, and you could almost fix anything you broke. And what he was doing today was just physics and engineering mixed with Ancient Runes. He didn''t consider it dangerous, per se. He had lots of time and had been working on the design of this Runic Array for hours. He''d even tested it with a low amount of charge and corrected any flaws.


    Sitting inside the tunnel, began constructing the array using a preset arrangement of Engineering runes that would shape the released force. He''d designed the shape to fill the hole melted by the Ruby Ray for a distance of three feet. After this test, he could modify it to the full ten feet. Inside the frame, he placed runes of Sundering and Force. All of the energy should be directed outward from the center of the array, hitting the sides of the tunnel, with minimal force blowing back or forward. Once the Array was set up, he began to carefully power it, slowly backing up as he did. This was the tricky part. The further he was from an array, the harder it was to control it. Fully half of the Engineering Runes he''d used were to help with that, holding the energy until he was safely out of the tunnel. When he was out, he raised his hand, snapped his fingers, and released the runes.


    The blast was softer than he''d expected, with only a little dust and a few chips of rock coming from the tunnel. He waited a full minute before going in to look. The Gneiss around the hole was shattered and broken, with deep cracks radiating out across the rockface. The girls should be able to mine in much larger chunks now. Exiting, he gave the OK sign and yelled, "Heavy Mining Crew is up." The girls raced forward, leaving Brutus in the rear, and eagerly got to work swinging picks and clearing the heavy Gneiss rocks that fell from the end of the shaft. Brutus sat next to Milo and handed him a sandwich.


    "Eat up, you''re going to need it. If your plan works, we''ll rotate crews on the charging, and the girls can keep going all day. Good for them and will help them sleep better at night.


    They''ll cuddle up to Gendy, get some bedtime stories, and be ready to work sixteen hours tomorrow. They''re tearing threw the levels of mining and interestingly enough, it''s helping with their DEX as well as STR. How they work the stone is as important as how hard they hit. They get a little bored now and then, but that''s good for them, too. So, the weak link in the chain is going to be you and your fancy spellcasting. Keep eating whenever you can, yell if you need mana potions from the caravan, and as much work as you''re putting in, a little cheese won''t be bad. Parmesan is good for mana recovery."


    "Parmesan? Is that the stuff Bluesnout put on the toasted bread with garlic and butter?"


    "Oh, you''re right, it does go good on toasted bread. Makes a tasty snack. I could use a little pick-me-up myself. I''ve been practicing some of the new Guard abilities I can buy with these Enhancement points we keep earning. I''ll get someone to start cooking up a batch." Brutus walked away as the girls exited from the mineshaft.


    "All clear! It was easy until it got hard again."


    "Where''s Dad off to? His tail is doing the twitchy thing it does when dinner is ready."


    "He''s going to make some toasty cheesy bread for the people working hard." They looked at each other, giggled, and raced after Brutus. The big guard found himself flanked by his daughters and then left behind as they raced to find Gendifur. For Milo, it was the easiest way to make sure they stayed away from the hole. The girls were endlessly curious and convinced of their own invulnerability. Examining their work, he found no flaws. They had extended the full seven-by-seven tunnel another three feet. All of the loose rubble had been removed, and it was time for him to build another Runic Array. Building the array and making adjustments to the length took almost an hour. The Engineering runes came first, building a stable structure that took barely any effort to keep up. This much he had learned from examining the eyes. It opened up new possibilities of what he could accomplish with enough time and planning. Powering the multiple Force and Sundering runes took time and mana. He was definitely going to enjoy a break with some cheesy bread.


    Moving to the front of the tunnel, he could just keep control, but not if the distance was going to increase. He''d need to ask the girls to make a short side tunnel a few feet deep every ten feet, to give him a place to hide and trigger his Arrays. Making sure no one was nearby, he triggered the much larger Array to a much larger effect. The noise echoed out of the hole, and the dust plume was more impressive. But his calculations were correct, and nearly all the force was channeled to the side.


    It was going to be slow going until they cleared the Gneiss layer, making a ten-foot advance each time. He was very curious about how the drilling teams were doing.


    Two-Screws took a break from riding herd on what he considered ''too many Engineers on one damned project''. While he hadn''t meant to take over, he''d made a few suggestions as he watched, and everyone now considered him to be the Project Manager. (Except when he disagreed with their latest ''breakthrough.'') Grabbing a mug of beer, he sat next to Sledgemonkey, hoping to vent a little frustration. But the Chief was too quick and experienced.


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    "Don''t even start. You know better than anyone what happens when a calm voice cuts through the chaos. You can either watch from the side or lead from the front. What''s the problem now? Just curious."


    "Same as before. The Gneiss is a tougher rock than we have a lot of experience with, and this is a solid upthrust from lower down. It''s not broken up, and the drills have a tough time grabbing hold. What we''re doing now is a two-part process. We use a diamond-tipped auger to drill a four-inch hole that runs six feet deep, lined up with the tip of the heavy drill. With the center drilled, the auger can bite more easily and expand the hole, but we''ve run into a back complication."


    "What''s worse than rock you can''t drill through?"


    "Gold. We hit a vein of gold running perpendicular to our tunnel, nearly four inches thick. Half the idiots can''t concentrate with the shiny stuff sitting there, so they''re mining out what they can reach. I expect a vote on stopping here to start gold mining. It will be voted down, but some of the brothers have a gold streak a mile deep."


    "Oh, and don''t I know it? Takes a long time for some of us to leave it behind. I still have a mining bag or two of raw nuggets in my storage, taking up space. Panned them in my youth, and put them in my dowry."


    Voices were being raised at the front of the drill hole. Sledgemonkey leaned back as if to take a nap. Two-Screws heaved himself up. "I think Milo was damned smart to start this fiasco and run off to visit his family." He trudged back to where an argument had started over how long of a break they had to ''Prospect a little bit of shiny stuff.''


    "I wonder if the ratkin get even half as crazy about gold and gems?"


    On the second day of Gneiss tunneling, Buttercup was looking at a rock they''d dragged from the tunnel. "What is this pretty, sparkly stuff?"


    Milo was surprised to be looking at a seam of gold and quartz rock almost ten inches wide. "That''s what we call a seam of ore. Quartz is a hard rock that forms in layers and can have either silver or gold along with it. Your seam is about half quartz and half gold. So some valuable metal, and some common." The girls began to find all the broken Gneiss that had a layer of quartz in it. They used their claws to dig it all out, making a pile of yellow metal and another of white. sparkly rocks.


    "It''s so pretty!"


    "Can we show Momma what we found?"


    Milo nodded, "You dug it out, take whatever you like."


    The girls excitedly grabbed up armfuls of large quartz crystals to show Gendifu, leaving the gold and silver behind, while Milo went to examine the vein. It was almost perfectly placed. They could dig out one side and create another of the hidey holes that kept him safe from any possibility of getting hit by debris. He worked for a half hour mining gold and quartz, then took out the debris and stacked it up out of the way for later.


    Clawhammer was smoking a pipe and looking at the nuggets, "Nice stuff. Arlothe has wanted gold wire for some experiments, but too many races set store by the stuff. I''ll get a bunch made for him. Are you ready for the ''eye of doom''? We have it all charged up."


    "Ready when you are. How are people holding up?"


    "A little tired, but just fine. This is a grand adventure for the whelps. And doesn''t hurt that Brutus has a lot of tasty vittles in his wagons."


    Each time they needed the eye, they rolled it into the now lengthy tunnel, released the energy, and then moved it back out, taking no chances. The team was becoming more efficient after mining this way for two days, everyone knowing what to do. Clawhammer''s team sometimes found themselves with extra energy. When that happened, he put them to work tearing up the old, rusted rails and stacking rails, plates, and spikes to the side, ready to be smelted and reforged.


    Milo examined the eye again, but it showed no stress and no change. It was a remarkable piece of Engineering, and he wondered who had made it, where it had come from, and what it had originally been part of. It seemed that for every mystery he solved, two more popped up to keep him busy. With confidence, he triggered the eye. The sound was different this time, quieter? And the heat from the flashback was very small. He cautiously crept ahead and looked into the melted hole and into a cavern on the other side. Another layer of Gneiss was thirty feet across from him, with only a layer of two feet of Gneiss blocking the way. The beam had easily melted through, and the heat released quickly, making a narrower hole that limited his view. But he could see a glowing hole in the far wall.


    He called for the team to retrieve the eye and pondered. The Gneiss here was more fractured and would mine more easily. They could break into the cavern and be done for the day. Maybe he could explore a new area. After all, that was what good Scout Masters did. Quickly calculating the needed changes to create a two-foot blast, he hid in the gold seam and released his Array, cracking and shattering the Gneiss. Most of it was loose rubble, barely held in place. Stepping back, he let loose with a powerful Rune of Sundering that instantly cleared the tunnel far better than he had expected.


    This wasn''t a cavern, it was a crevasse, thirty feet wide. It extended up and down, side to side, and past where he could see. It was like a giant axe had split the Gneiss layer in half like a piece of firewood. Far below, he heard splashes as the debris hit water. And was that an annoyed roar? So hard to tell. All he knew for sure was that they were done for today. He''d have to start thinking about bridges, something the Deep Rock Engineers could do easily, and far more safely than he could. But maybe there was another way to solve this problem.


    "Begging your pardon, Mr. Project Manager Two-Screws, but we need your opinion on something!"


    Grumbling, the irate Senior Engineer moved to the front of the borehole where his crew had encountered something new. "We were at the end of the last guide hole when the auger bit into something and started working smoothly again. Curious, we paused and found this."


    ''This'' turned out to be a melted tube of Gneiss heading in the direction they needed to go. "Yeah, that''s a little strange. But unless anyone has an idea, we might as well keep going. If it turns out to be some sort of creature that can melt Gneis, don''t piss it off. Maybe can tame or hire it."


    The crew shrugged and got back to work. Two Screws stayed to watch, and Sledgemonkey came down too, sensing something was up. He knew they were nearing the halfway mark. With only another quarter-mile of drilling to go, the teams would relax, having won the race. With the power of the new machine, once they were past the Gneiss layer they could quickly make it to Limburger Hollower, or to wherever Milos moles had managed to get to.


    Shouts came as the drill began to spin quicker. "SHUT IT DOWN! We hit a cave." The drill moved in reverse, clearing the tunnel, and the Engineers moved up to look into the new underground area. Loud and inventive cursing and cries of despair brought the two Senior Engineers running. The Junior Engineers were shaking their heads, pacing back and forth, or drawing diagrams on the walls and arguing about bridge designs.


    Sledgemonkey stuck his head through the large hole and whistled as he saw the size of the crevasse. Then saw what had so upset the Junior brothers. Across the dark gulf was a square tunnel leading in the direction they needed to go. At the edge of the drop-off was a pony keg of whiskey and a pile of raw gold nuggets three feet high, sparkling in the darkness. "Damn, that boy really knows how to motivate." Turning to the Junior Engineers, he yelled, "Looks like we moved a little slower than other people, and the loser gets to build a bridge. Let''s see who can come up with the best design."

 Chapter 391: Cracked Rock

    With the incentives of curiosity, frustration, and aged whiskey, it did not take long for the Deep Rock Engineers to construct a bridge across the chasm. Bridging small fissures and leveling out the caverns they drilled into was a daily job, and building a road across a deep fissure was only slightly more complex. First, a temporary bridge section only two feet wide was constructed and slowly moved forward over the abyss. A cable running from the end of the section to a pulley embedded in the roof of the tunnel gave the dwarves a way to keep the end from sagging. As soon as the end of the section was dropped in the tunnel on the opposite side, a nimble junior brother volunteered to run across and secure that end.


    The senior Engineers watched as Brother Shiftstick casually walked across the chasm. He was wearing a standard harness and safety line, as required, of course, but a few people held their breaths as he stopped at the halfway point and dropped a chemical torch into the darkness. Seconds ticked by as he timed the torches'' fall. "Nine and a half seconds before it winked out. Think I heard splash, not sure." His first job done, he moved to the far end and secured the bridge with temporary spikes driven into the rock and a layer of instant cement. That done, he secured the whiskey barrel with a second safety line and carefully walked back across the bridge to several cheers.


    With the whiskey secured, the dwarves began work in earnest. More lines were secured to the hard rock, and armored Engineers with diamond drills climbed above or hung below the opening, creating anchors for bridge ends and the cable network that would strengthen it. Here, the Gneiss became an ally. The anchors set into the drilled holes would support many times the weight of lesser stone. Notches were cut into the stone at the end of each tunnel, extending four feet into the tunnel, giving each bridge end the support it would need to haul loaded ore carts from Limburger Hollow. When the last bolt was driven and the job was done, they celebrated by tapping the small keg and toasting the new bridge. The whiskey was centuries old with a mellow, smoky flavor. Sledgemonkey declared that a double share was appropriate and then sealed the keg for later. It was time to travel and find their Brother Engineer.


    Brutus and the girls were playing ''Patrol'', marching back and forth in the old city, when they heard the distinctive sound of dwarven singing and the stamping of marching feet. "Looks like they found the whiskey, time to play welcoming committee." They met the Engineers as they exited the tunnel they had carved through the hard rock. Brutus had a broad smile on his face as he saw Sledgemonkey and Two-Screws. "Greetings, visitors. I am Head Guard Brutus, and these are my two valued assistants, Guard Buttercup and Guard Rosie."


    The dwarves looked at the three towering ratkin guards wearing complete sets of Dark Steel armor with huge pole-axes. The smell of fresh-forged metal and burning coal filled their nostrils. They bowed low, smiles on their faces. "Always nice to find hard-working guards keeping the caverns safe. Now, before we burst from curiosity, where the hell are we? I''d swear that''s dwarven architecture."


    "Well, I''ll let you be the judge of that. Tallsqueak thinks so as well. But finding this place was a surprise to us. We thought it best to leave off exploring until you got here. But first, I''ve got orders to escort you to the other end of the city. The rest of them got busy doing some forging and mining and are running around like a bunch of jellybean addicts, having fun pounding hot steel. No complaints. This is the nicest set of armor I''ve ever seen, and pretty enough that I even managed to get the girls to wear theirs."


    "Well, lead on then. If Senior Engineer Milo already has a forge set up, he must have found something we''d like to see."


    Brutus winked, "Oh, I think you''ll be happy with it."


    The procession moved along the main road, the dwarves taking time to look at the empty city under the roof of the large cavern. Shiftstick, in particular, stared through the dimness until he could see the large metal doors atop a short staircase. Then, seeing he was falling behind, he ran to catch up, taking his place at the end of the procession next to Varihold. The youth looked at him, curious. "See something?"


    "Maybe, maybe not. Old stories from my clan''s elders, told so many times that no one knows the original words. And crazy rantings from my cousin, Burnock, since we were beardlings. He always wanted to bring Clan Shadowforge back to its glory, even if he didn''t have the least idea of what that was. I think sometimes he just wanted to be in charge of everything. It makes me wish I''d paid more attention to the old history, but my mind was on my next beer, the same as any young dwarf. Damned if this place doesn''t remind me of the stories about Finditurpetram."


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    Vary worked through the old dwarven word, "Cracked Rock?"


    "Aye. The Elders say the clan came from deep in the hard rock, fleeing from the Mountain King''s madness. They followed an old trail that wound back and forth within a deep fissure, always fleeing upwards. They didn''t stop until they came to a land of easy mining and soft stone and built a city in the biggest cavern they found. They fled again after the cataclysm and settled in the ruins of the old city, which became Shadowport."


    Vary''s eyes were huge. "Wow, and you think this is Cracked Rock."


    Shiftstick shrugged, "Big cavern where the Gneiss meets the softer rock. The only details I remember were the stories of the king''s court, behind huge double doors with a fissure running down the middle of the room, the same that they came from long ago."


    "Don''t most dwarven holds have huge metal doors leading to the king''s court? Sort of traditional? Isn''t it?"


    Shiftstick smiled, "Yeah, which is why I didn''t pay as much attention as I should have. One legend starts sounding like another. Guess we''ll find out."


    The armor the guards were wearing had prepared the dwarves for a foundry or blacksmith''s shop, not a full-blown metalworking factory. Vary and Stickshift shared a look as they entered through two large metal doors big enough for four sets of rails. Molten Dark Steel was pouring from an old-fashioned blast furnace into ingot and rail molds. Adding to the noise were a half dozen blacksmiths hammering away on anvils, making armor or picks. Master Clawhammer hammered away on his own project while keeping an eye on his apprentices and Tallsqueak. The latter was working with the new alloy, making pickaxes and other tools, some very oversized.


    Other ratkin were operating the blast furnace or preparing a huge pile of raw ore for processing. Someone yelled for them to clear the door just before two gigantic moles pulling three full carts of ore each moved into the foundry room to exchange full carts for empty and head back out. Sledgemonky looked at Brutus, who had a smirk on his face, "We had some extra time waiting for you to get here, and Master Clawhammer likes to keep his apprentices working."


    "I can see that and approve of his diligence. Nothing worse than a junior brother with too much time to get into trouble. But, by my beard, how in the hell did you find this place?"


    The big guard leaned on his halberd. "Well, it was in the way. Tallsqueak knew the direction we had to go, but we ran into this vein of Dark Iron. Too big to go around, under, or over, so we did our best and carved through it. Found this place on the other side. Ownership was in dispute, and we fought a few critters to clean it out. Saved a lot of tunneling by following the old dwarven caverns. We realized we had some time on our hands, waiting for you folk to build a bridge, so we invited a few friends from the Hollow to join in the fun. It''s going to take a few decades to mine out all that Dark Iron ore, so we figured we''d get a head start on it. Tallsqueak says you might have a use for it."


    Two-Screws was looking at the stacks of ingot, not all of which were iron or steel. "You''ve got some interesting metal over there, and that''s a lot of Deep Copper. Is that from the Hollow?"


    "Oh, no. Roads are still too rough for that. We went Snake hunting and found a big one. Just part of cleaning the place up. The other metal was from melting down all the odd, half-mechanical critters. Tallsqueak was a little worried about the leftovers and wanted us to melt them down and not take any chances."


    "Snake hunting?"


    "Yep, big snake."


    "Don''t blame him for being cautious, then. Snakes are the worst.


    A deep voice came from the doorway like the sound of an avalanche. "The Snake was not the worst thing that haunts this city. Bring forth the heir to Finditurpetram."


    All activity that could stop did so, as dwarves and ratkin watched as a figure made of stone entered the room, taking ponderous but oddly silent steps.

 Chapter 392: Heirs to Madness

    The statue simply stood where it was, unmoving and not speaking further. Milo examined it carefully, sure this was the statue he''d seen standing in the water fountain. He stepped closer to it and said, "Is that the name of this city? Finditurpetram?"


    The statue looked down at him, its carefully sculpted head moving, the rough stone body staying still. Even the eyelids and face of the statue moved realistically, "Bring forth the Heir to Finditurpetram." Nothing else Milo said could get an answer from it. He looked at Sledgemonkey. "Your turn."


    The Chief Engineer strode forward. "Greetings. I am the Chief Engineer of the Deep Rock Engineering Guild. I think we used to trade with this city. I may even have been here a time or two, but I lost a lot of my early memories during the centuries of isolation."


    The statue inclined its head. "And greetings to you, Chief Engineer. In ages past, your people were valuable allies of the King and people of Finditurpetram. But you must pardon me; I must speak with the Heir of Finditurpetram. If you know of the Heir, please convey my need for instruction."


    Sledgemonkey nodded, "I''ll get right on that." He stepped over to the Engineers. "This reminds me of Boomboom finding out he was engaged and hadn''t known it. Does any of you have a dented crown in their pocket or an unfinished quest to claim a kingdom? Strange tattoos you were born with?"


    Peenhammer stepped forward, "I''ve got a beauty of a tattoo on my left butt cheek, no idea how it got there. Maybe I should show it off?"


    Several Engineers laughed or cringed. Peenhammer might not remember how he got the tattoo a week ago after trying to outdrink three Scavengers from the Orca, but they did. Sledgemonkey shrugged, "Go ahead and say hello; can''t hurt. But keep your trousers up!"


    A disappointed Peenhammer walked up to the statue and said, "Greetings. I hear you are looking for me." The statue didn''t blink or say a word. Sledgemonkey looked at the Engineers, "Let''s solve this logically. Line up by seniority and walk up one by one until we eliminate everyone." One by one, the dwarves marched forward, bowing or waving, without any reaction from the stone statue. The last two in line were Vari and Shiftstick. The statue ignored Vari and focused its eyes on Shiftstick.


    "Greetings. I am called Carver. The blood of Clan Shadowforge runs in your veins."


    The newest Engineer looked up at the statue, and his stomach did flip-flops. "I''m not in my clan anymore. They disowned me. I''m an Engineer now, and happy."


    "Blood is Heritage. Heritage is blood. I am bound to this place until my tasks are complete.


    Bury the dead, that they will be remembered.


    Keep the City in good repair, so it is ready when the clans come to reclaim it.


    Create Order from Chaos so that corruption does not spread.


    Seek out the Heir to Finditurpetram, that the city may live again.


    I have labored for centuries, and my tasks are nearly done. I was summoned and bound by Arnak Stoneshield as he lay dying.


    I have worked untiring through the centuries, doing as he ordered to earn my freedom. And now I am weary, so very weary. Only a few tasks remain.


    The Heir must take up his duties.


    The nineteen must be buried.


    The Chimera must be slain.


    Then I may rest."


    Slipstick looked the statue in the eyes, seeing its despair and hope. "I don''t know if I can do all of that, but I''ll give it a try."


    The statue knelt, "I acknowledge you as the Heir to Finditurpetram. Your crown lies in the throne room where the Chimera lairs. The bones of the last king and his royal guard are there as well. I cannot face the Chimera to claim their bones so that I may bury them. In all other things, I will aid you so that I may rest."


    "Damn, sounds like I''ll need some help with that."


    The Engineers laughed, and Sledgemonkey brought up a translucent screen. "I''m adding some things to the job board. We''ve got three full crews here, most of us packing a lot of firepower. But we need more info on what the hell happened. Did this Chimera thing kill everyone?"


    Carver said nothing. Milo approached Shiftstick. "Maybe you should appoint a governing board? Or call it a group of Royal Advisors? And ask Carver to talk to us."


    "Good idea. Thanks. I''m a little rusty on my ''How to rule a city'' lessons. Shit, this should have been Burnock, he''d know just what to do."


    Milo shrugged, "But he''s not here, and you are." From what Milo remembered of Burnock Shadowforge, he was much happier that it was Shiftstick. The young Engineer might think he had a checkered past, but he''d worked hard and was trusted by the rest of the Deep Rock Engineers. And Milo had seen him risk his life in battle, which he didn''t remember the older cousin doing at all.


    Shiftstick turned to the statue. "I want you to talk to my advisors when they ask questions. Can you do that?"


    "Of course. Name them, please."


    Shifty looked out over the three score people in the room, pointing to them. "Senior Engineers Sledgemonkey, Two-Screws, and Milo." He looked at Milo. "Anyone else?"


    "Yes, Master Craftsman Clawhammer, Master of Caravans Brutus, and Master Healer Gendifur."


    Carver seemed puzzled, "The ratkin are not allies, and I am confused how a ratkin is also a dwarven engineer."


    Sledgemonkey chuckled, "Yeah, we''re still confused about that, too. But if there''s a big fight coming up, I advise Slipstick to offer an alliance to Limburger Hollow. We can work on the details once the critter is dead."


    Brutus smiled. "Sounds good to me. Fight first, talk second."


    Rosie and Buttercup began to jump up and down.


    Buttercup yelled, "Fight! Fight! Brave Guards are ready!"


    Rosie agreed, but pointed out a key point, "Big battles aren''t like a patrol. We need ribbons on our helmets. Big battles are colorful and special."


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    "Lots of ribbons."


    They ran to their Mama, who sighed and pulled out a box of ribbons from the caravan wagon and began to turn them into large bows for their helmets.


    Shiftstick pointed to the ratkin of the Hollow, "We have an alliance, and I''m taking those three as advisors. Does that work for you?"


    "It does. It is good to have allies."


    "It is. Now tell us what we are up against and what happened to the city."


    "As you wish...The tale begins long ago, in the Halls of the Mountain Lord...


    He ruled the first great city of the dwarves, Fjyrk Baor, created near the beginning of time. Its people were mighty warriors and craftsmen, creating a paradise in the depths and always pushing outward. As the city expanded, their scouts went upwards, seeking confirmation of the outside world, hoping to make new discoveries and find new creatures to trade with or battle. Over time, many other cities were founded, but I know little of them. Fjyrk Baor endured, a wonder for the ages, but the Mountain Lord grew bored, even after the surface world was discovered and great alliances were forged with seven other cities whose power rivalled the first city. It was the craftsmen of Fjyrk Baor who created the Crystal Seer Stones that allowed the rulers of the Wheel of Eight to communicate and the intricate gateways that allowed limited travel between their realms.


    But a ninth stone was carved from the primordial crystal vein, and from this last stone, a more powerful artifact was created. With it, the Mountain Lord could see into hidden places of this world and even beyond. He observed many strange beings, but only one talked back to him. This was the beginning of the madness, as the Lord of the Mountain welcomed the thoughts of an entity of the outer darkness. He demanded that his name and heritage be stricken from all books and carvings, proclaiming his new title of the All-Seeing Sage of Many Eyes. The more he peered into the secrets of the world, the more erratic he became. Strange creatures were welcome at his court, and his advisors were sent away or into the deep prisons. One of the strange visitors from the outer darkness let loose a corruption in the city that could not be eradicated. Things became worse and worse as the city slipped into madness.


    From somewhere, great creatures attacked the city. Beings of metal and fire, cleansing the city of corruption, but also killing all living things they encountered. The Mountain Lord and his new allies countered with primal spells not unleashed since the dawn of the world. The earth shook, caverns collapsed, and huge chasms divided the underworld.


    Seven of the outer clans took their people and fled upward, using one of the largest cracks to escape. They traveled for years, stopping at times for weeks, as the scouts found new routes. Finally, they emerged in the cavern that would become the throne room of a new city. This city. Finditurpetram, meaning ''Cracked Stone'' in the old tongue. A new king was elected, and the way down was filled with rubble, but they left the last bit of the chasm unfilled, a reminder of where they came from. Thousands of years passed, and all was well. Artistry and trade flourished, and if corruption was found in any cavern, it was purged with fire.


    The end came suddenly. The earth shook again, and caverns and tunnels collapsed. The city was spared, but only for a day. The crack in the throne room opened wider, spewing fire and noxious gases into the city. Most died immediately unless wearing the heavy protection of the King''s Guard or artisans who worked in the hottest of forges. My creator, Arnak Stoneshield, was one of those, and he told me this tale to pass on to others. As the remaining citizens worked to seal the crack, the fumes subsided, but a greater threat emerged. One of the terrors that had attacked the first city had followed. It crawled on many legs from the chasm, with sharp jaws that cut warriors in half, breath of fire, and gleaming eyes that conquered all. Arnak fled to this forge room and summoned my spirit to inhabit this stone shell, having only time to carve his likeness on my face. I have worked ever since to fulfill my duties. I look forward to resting."


    Shiftstick whistled, "Oh boy. That does not sound good. So what does this Chimera look like?"


    "It is different. Always different. A Chimera."


    Brutus scratched his head. "Like the thing in the legends that Mulpheracles slew? Lion, Dragon, and Goat heads?"


    "Different. Heads, tails, legs. Different. A Chimera. I have seen it seven times as it hunted, and I stayed still with water cascading over me. Always different."


    Milo thought of the snake and other creatures they''d fought. "Is part of it shiny metal?"


    "Yes."


    "And is part of it corrupted and rusty?"


    "Yes."


    "And parts are made from other creatures?"


    "Yes. I have said that. A Chimera."


    "That name fits; one meaning of the word is a creature made of other creatures. The creatures we fought, especially the snake, were like that. Is that why you call it a Chimera?"


    "It is what Arnak called it. When you see it, you will understand it better."


    Slipstick took a deep breath. "Not sure I''m wanting to see it, but I suppose someone has to do the job."


    Sledgemonkey slapped him on the back, "That''s the spirit. But we treat this like any other job. Talk it over, assemble the right tools, and then blow things up. I want an assessment of how much firepower we have with us and who doesn''t have a good, long-range weapon. No sense getting too close to it."


    Brutus looked over to where the girls looked like they were ready to run into the fight any moment. He turned to Milo, "You''ll have to excuse me. I need to take the girls aside for a story and some hot milk. We''re going to talk about big, scary noises and why you don''t want to be on the wrong end of a dwarven rocket launcher."


    Milo heartily agreed with this idea and wished he had time for a snack. But the more he heard of this thing, the less happy he was. He needed to get to work on converting a drilling rig to a laser cannon.

 Chapter 393: Locked, Loaded, and Ready to Fire a Broadside.

    Chapter 393: Locked, Loaded, and Ready to Fire a Broadside.


    Preparations began in earnest for hunting the Chimera. While he had a wealth of information about the city, little more could be gained from talking to Carver, who had purposefully avoided the creature the few times it moved around the city or sent swarms of other creatures out hunting. Carver had spent the early years of his long seclusion making stone coffins for each person slain and entombing their bones and belongings in the crypts. After that, he disposed of rubble, repaired buildings, and carved statues. Doing everything he could to prepare the city for a new lord. Anything lying around was neatly placed somewhere.


    Milo and Brutus told everyone of their battles with the strange, corrupted creatures, with Rosie and Buttercup adding comments and acting out the fights, blow by blow. The description of the Snake and its eyes changed everyone''s attitude about the coming fight, especially after Milo demonstrated the power of the red eye and showed how the two green eyes could be used. Caution warred with the lust for old technology as the Engineers discussed their plans for defeating the creature. To Milo''s relief, no one took the fight lightly. Sledgemonkey took half the Engineers on a fast run back to the outpost for bigger guns and more ammunition. Two-Screws and a dozen Engineers stayed to help Milo and Clawhammer with other projects.


    Two-Screws had stared in disbelief at seeing the extent of the Deep Iron vein. "We don''t even know where either end of this motherlode is! But just the part we know about is more than we''ve ever mined at the outpost. To think that it''s just been sitting here is enough to drive a dwarf sober! No matter how we sort this out, we''ve got enough to rebuild Leviathan, the Outpost, and a dozen more submersibles!"


    Brutus smiled and winked at Milo, "That''s great to hear. The Hollow will be happy to trade loads of Deep Iron ore for cheese."


    Two-Screws wasn''t as good as Milo was at reading the big guard and knowing when he was serious. "Cheese?"


    "Yep, cheese. Maybe a few other commodities. We''re a simple folk and don''t need a lot of things. But it''s always nice to have a good stockpile of cheese. I''d think with how common herds of milk-critters are on the surface, that you''ll be able to get a trainload of cheese pretty easily. We''ll trade ten tons of Deep Steel ingots for a ton of cheddar and work out exchange rates for more valuable varieties."


    The old dwarf looked at Milo, "And what do you think about that sort of deal?"


    Senior Engineer Milo shrugged. "I like cheddar. Seems like a good deal. And I''m not a shrewd and wily Caravan Master. I''ve never understood money. But it''s handy for buying tacos."


    Brutus rubbed his belly. "Man, I could go for some batacos! And those eel tacos up in Shadowport were tasty. Hey, that''s an idea. Maybe the Engineers could start a taco stand in the Hollow. We''d pay in Deep Copper and Deep Iron. You guys would make a killing."


    Two-Screws looked at the two of them and narrowed his eyes. "I think I''m being double-teamed and outflanked here."


    Brutus nodded and smiled, "Luckily, we''re allies. We promise not to take advantage of you, much."


    Milo held up both hands. "I''m neutral in all this. I just like cheese and tacos."


    The girls came running up, pulling two loaded ore carts each, with the moles pulling two more. "Daddy, is this enough? We mined a lot! The new picks work great on this soft stuff!"


    Brutus gave both of them hugs. "Great job. Let''s get this back to the blast furnace and turn it into some things we need for the fight."


    Thoughts of trade were put aside for now as they got to work. The demonstration of the power of the ruby eye had convinced everyone of the need for defenses. The blast furnace was in full continuous operation with loads of ore, fuel, and limestone coming into the foundry, soon to be converted to molten steel. Dozens of four-foot square sheets, each six inches thick, were poured out, let cool, and then hauled to the city. They were placed in an overlapping pattern and riveted together to make double-thick defensive bunkers around the area in front of the great double doors leading to the throne room.


    Milo, Gendifur, and Brutus had a long discussion about Rosie and Buttercup. They knew that it was going to be nearly impossible to keep the girls out of the fight if they were anywhere close. If Brutus was fighting, they wanted to be next to their Daddy, and Gendifur''s skills could save lives. They decided that the best they could do was convince the girls that ''Guards fight together.'' Milo began work on large shields for them. Weight wasn''t an issue. They''d been strong before, but the last few weeks had added ten points of strength to each of them. Multiplied by their Fiendish Strength ability, they could lift far more than Brutus. Milo hammered out two huge, rectangular tower shields made of two-inch-thick Dark Steel. To this, he welded a thin sheet of the shiny composite alloy from the melted scarabs. Each shield weighed over eight hundred pounds, which the girls could easily lift with one arm. But Brutus was happy with how their heavy armor and shields slowed them down. One of the most terrifying things about the little cheese fiends was their speed. Even ''playing tag'' with them was a fearsome game, as Milo could attest. In a normal fight, it would be an asset, but no one thought this fight was going to be easy.


    The next project involved Master Clawhammer, Milo, and Boomboom. The demolition expert wanted to upgrade his artillery. "From how tough you say the scorpion thing was, I need better armor penetration for my little rocket launcher. Dark Steel worked great for Spiders and players, but if the little critters had tough armor, I suspect the bigger ones will too." By day''s end, they had constructed molds for a new type of explosive shell using the new alloy, which the Engineers were calling Shiny Steel. Boomboom took the opportunity to make his new ammunition a little longer, the better to pack in a heftier charge of cataclysmite. While polishing his weapon, he remarked to Milo, "I''m going to be in trouble, getting into a big fight without my wife, but I''m sort of glad she''s safe and sound back home."


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    Four days later, the Engineers returned, accompanied by mechanical carts filled to the brim with weapons. Boomboom saw a distinctive brass cannon among the loads and groaned. "What the hell was I thinking? That girl can smell a fight from half the ocean away." He put a big grin on his face and greeted the Scavengers as they unpacked their load and wrestled with Narwal''s antique brass cannon, salvaged from the Queen.


    Captains Whale and Annie had come, along with parts of their crews and their own heavy artillery. Whale looked out over the ancient city and then sauntered up to Sledgemonkey and slapped him hard on the shoulder, a blow he felt through his armor. "Damn, I was sure I was being bullshitted by your crew. When they said you''d found an old city full of loot, I figured it was some sort of Engineer joke. But I''ll travel half the world for a chance at seeing something new or a bit of loot. And I hear we have a big fight? Even better."


    The Chief winked at her, "We''ve got some big plans between our crews. Needed something to keep the boys busy. A few hundred tons of Deep Iron Ore is a good start, and access to all that shiny ore in Limburger Hollow. And from what I''ve seen of their crew in operation, they''ll be smelting metal as fast as we build. They were pouring steel before we even got here. They''re an industrious race, a lot better than humans. Not someone to underestimate."


    "Especially when playing cards or fighting cage matches! Tell me about this fight we''re setting up for. What the hell is a Chimera?"


    "Well, according to Engineer Milo, it''s most likely a big mess of metal claws, parts of things it''s killed, eyes that shoot energy beams, rust, and corruption. We''ll lure it out and blast the shit out of it. But be ready for anything."


    "My kind of fight. We brought four ship''s cannons and that brass monster of my daughter''s. If it can still move after a broadside, you spanner boyz can clean up what''s left."


    She put an elbow in his ribs and, while he was trying to breathe again, walked back to the Scavengers loading black powder and cannon balls into their guns.


    Boomboom walked over to Sledgemonkey, grinning. "Why, you sly old devil. Who knew you were skilled at flirting?"


    "Flirting! She damned near broke a rib, and that''s through my armor!"


    "Oooh, she''s just getting started then. If she were serious, she''d have broken a bone and then nursed you back to health. They like to go for the legs. Makes it harder to run away. But if you want to skip some pain, talk to Pillbug and get his French toast recipe."


    "Damn. I''m too old for this!"


    "Not a problem. play your cards right, and maybe this Chimera-Beastie will kill you."


    "Yeah, just have to look on the bright side, I guess. Go handle the Scavengers, I need to keep my ribs intact. Milo is all set up. When everyone is locked and loaded, we''ll have a quick meeting and then start this fight. Carver says there''s a way to draw it outside."


    Two hours later, everyone was ready. The ratkin miners and smiths were well hidden behind the heavy Dark Steel pavises. They were all armed with Dark Steel picks and prepared to deal with any smaller creatures that might enter the fight. The brave guards anchored the far line on the left and the Scavenger cannon crews on the right. The Engineers were formed across the middle, also behind protective cover, which some scoffed at, secure that their mechanical armor would give them all the protection they needed. Others had seen the damage done by Milo''s ruby eye and were happy with the extra shielding.


    Carver stood near Shiftstick in the back.


    "You are ready to slay the beast? And promise to complete my work if I fall?"


    "Well, yes to the first, and I certainly hope I''m around to do the second. But maybe you should think about not falling."


    "Either way, my work is done, and I may return and rest. Thank you for returning."


    With that, the stone statue sank into the floor, re-emerging in front of the metal doors. Without preamble, it grabbed the doors and flung them open. Immediately, Carver was struck by multiple beams of different hues, shattering into a pile of dust and pebbles. From the shadowy interior, a creature of nightmare emerged, stomping along on mismatched reptilian legs, copper tentacles waving in the air, and a long, shiny scorpion tail arcing over its back. It roared from a dozen throats. Mechanical claws came from the front of its chest, one shiny and moving. The other was a decayed and rusty appendage that swung aimlessly. Milo had seen smaller battle tanks.


    He was shocked, not by the mass of decaying organic parts, but by the glimpses of a shiny metal hull with the letters C-H-I-M-E-R-A-7 written in block letters across the front.

 Chapter 394: Youll Understand the Chimera When You See It

    There was no signal to begin the battle, and no orders were given. As the Chimera moved from the throne room into the large courtyard, and they got a better look at the monster, every gun began to fire. The Chimera was made from the corpses of dozens of creatures, with parts attached with little regard. Copperhead tails flailed in the air with cave bear head attached to the ends. A large reptile had donated six stumpy legs that strained to move it along, with smaller legs, some mechanical, pushing from behind. Dwarven shields were held by arms and tentacles, with more piled on the main body. Everywhere, rust and corrosion were dissolving the parts and gluing them to each other. An enormous beaked head was front and center, the end of a cannon-like weapon sticking out of it. Behind the creature arched a long reptilian tail dotted with spikes of shining metal and a nob on the end.


    The Scavengers were quick to fire their broadside of cannons. They''d pre-aimed their weapons, anticipating the beast''s location, and couldn''t miss. The sixteen-pound cannonballs, propelled by a double load of explosives, slammed into the side and front of the creature. The heads bellowed in anger as legs, tails, and other pieces were turned to bloody pulp and torn away from the main body. The Deep Rock Engineers were only a half second behind the Scavengers as they opened up with high-powered rivet guns, bazookas, grenade launchers, and experimental weapons no one would let them fire back at the outpost.


    The exception was Boom Boom. He took great pride in his wife''s shooting ability and had delayed shooting his rocket launcher to watch her fire the great brass cannon she''d salvaged from the Iron Queen. Her shot was far deadlier than the other cannons. Boom Boom and Narwal had spent time testing the old cannon and finding the limit of how much cataclysmite they could load into it. Her shot was perfectly on target, hitting the head of a gigantic bear mounted on a long, reptilian neck. The bear''s skull exploded, sending foul-smelling, rotted brains in all directions. The heavy, dark steel cannonball hit the metal beneath the flesh, knocking the Chimera back a foot before ricocheting off.


    And because he was watching that shot, Boom Boom saw the long reptillian tail open up the knob at the end, revealing three glowing red eyes that swivel in their direction. One armored arm grabbed Narwal as he lunged forward, his shoulder knocking Whale and Annie to the floor only a fraction of a second before all four pirate cannons were destroyed by blasts of plasma that sliced through them. Four of the Orcas'' crew were killed in the blast. Stumpy and the rest of the Scavengers lived, but with second and third-degree burns and broken bones from scattered pieces of cannon. Boom Boom''s quick tackle and the heavy steel pavise let Narwal, Annie, and Whale crawl from the wreckage with only fractured bones and minor wounds.


    Milo could see that the tail began recharging at a rate far faster than the Snake had. Plasma flared again across the battlefield, but this time, it came from Milo, using the charged eye taken from the Snake. The blast hit the end of the tail, cutting through flesh and melting the Shiny Steel casing beneath and destroying the eyes. Each one exploded, sending out tendrils of plasma that turned parts of the Chimera to white ash. Eight ratkin, hidden entirely behind several sections of steel plates, began pedaling fast to recharge the strange and terrible device that Tallsqueak was using.


    Milo still didn''t know what the creature was. He strained to identify it, but no hints came, not even a name. The System was utterly silent about what they were fighting. And it was odd that they''d received no quests and not one snarky comment at all. It was unnatural. As the Engineers blasted the creature with continuous fire, he pulled on his goggles to take a better look, and everything changed.


    The goggles connected with the Chimera, ignoring the fleshy parts and only looking at the broken and corrupted metal beneath all of it. It was like looking at the worst sections of the habitat. Systems were broken and not working, energy flows were clogged with corruption, and weapon systems struggled for control as they were wielded by inferior organic parts. The thing was a broken wreck of magi-tech components, but still insanely dangerous and unpredictable. Even as he watched, he saw a repair system move three more red eyes to the tail and begin emergency repairs, metal shifting to where it was needed. Deep inside, he sensed a dense core that was issuing commands to the rest of the machinery. The machine noticed that the ratkin were forming for a charge, led by Brutus, Rosie, and Buttercup. They were timing it to give the Engineers a few seconds to reload, but the charge never came. The beak head swiveled in their direction, releasing a barrage of caustic flame that swept over the three large warriors in the lead, forcing them back as they blocked with their huge shields, and sending everyone else scurrying for cover. Luckily, the flamethrower had a short range, and most of the ratkin might have survived without the intervention of the brave guards, but it would have been a close thing. Without their shields, Brutus, Rosie, and Buttercup would have taken horrendous damage or died.


    Brutus stepped to the front, held his shield high, and yelled out: "Shield of the Guards!" A large, spectral shield appeared, reflecting the fire and heat back onto the Chimera, burning off all of the smaller limbs and charring the larger ones on the front. Brutus held the Shield for six beats of his heart, then started to slump, his mana and stamina exhausted. Gendifur caught him and pulled him back. The girls followed their mother the second time she yelled at them to retreat. The''d taken little damage, and only at the end when a few flames leaked around the shield, but the girls were hurting and angry that all the fur on their shins was burned off where their armor didn''t cover. They stared at the Chimera, plotting their revenge.


    No one was prepared for what happened next. A crystal pedestal rose from the center of the Chimera, spreading a blue glow throughout the cavern, and every living thing quit moving, frozen in place, with a flat, deep mechanical voice roaring in their heads; the noise seemed low and distorted. Their thoughts slowed and became ponderous, and a primal panic rose in each person - except for Milo, who was experiencing something quite different. He could barely move, but as his thoughts began to slow, his brain sped up, outpacing the effect. He was alert and functioning as the core reached out to him through his goggles and entered his thoughts. Immediately, he split his overmind and then split them again, allowing the creature to communicate with only a part of his overmind, guarded by the other three.


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    [Multiple organic threats. Multiple sources of corruption. Corruption is omnipresent in all life. Repair facility available. Organic spare parts available.]


    [ANALYSING. ]


    A second pedestal rose, this one adorned with four of the green eyes. Milo saw two blank holes where other eyes should have been. Possibly the ones stored in his workbench. The green light moved back and forth over the city, exposing every person, no matter where they were hidden, scanning and cataloguing them.


    [Cybernetic-Hunter-Independent-Multitasking-Eradicating-Roving-Automoton-7 is in danger of being overcome by corrupted organic creatures.]


    [ANALYSIS ONE: Mutations occurring in the local Ratkin population. Deduction: Exposure to corruption. Local population will be purged.]


    [ANALYSIS TWO: Violent tendencies detected in local dwarvish population known as ''Engineers'', along with useful repair capabilities. Madness and extreme violent tendencies in dwarvish subspecies known as ''Scavengers''. ''Scavenger'' population will be eradicated based on evidence of exposure to corruption. ''Engineer'' population will be subjugated, used for spare parts and repairs, then released back to their local biome once purged of corruption. A permanent repair station will be established to support CHIMERA7.]


    [ANALYSIS THREE]: Mobile-Interactive-Liason-Organism is present with Engine Scanning and Repair tools. ''MILO'' will be reprogrammed and utilized to liaise with reprogrammed ''Engineers'' to effect repairs to CHIMERA7.]


    [Begin Download]


    Through the link, Milo saw lines of code pouring into his isolated overmind, in a language he couldn''t understand, but that the goggles could translate. The core was trying to put controls in him, to make him an extension of it. It was likewise planning to do the same to the Engineers. Milo knew it wouldn''t work. Kill them? Easily, or drive them insane. But the code was looking for another type of creature, something much simpler than them, mechanical, and already using this language. The flow paused and became erratic as something else occupied the Chimera''s attention. Milo took the opportunity to do what he did best and dove into the information flow, returning to the core, slipping inside, and began to hack into the operating system he found. It was slow going, with so much of it corrupted into looping, chaotic structures as if the machine were constantly arguing with itself.


    While Milo was mentally analyzing and fighting the core, two other creatures used their own special skills. Rosie and Buttercup were unique. Not only did they have the Fiendish Resistance and Heros in Training skills, they were little girls who had just seen something bad hurt their Daddy, along with giving them painful blisters. And now this thing was telling them to ''Be quiet and behave.'' That wasn''t going to happen. Their angry young minds shredded the compulsion and rejected it, and they charged forward, leaping atop the Chimera. Nothing in its analysis had prepared it for this, and the sudden change took the machine core by surprise. Buttercup took a two-handed swing with her heavy halberd, bringing it down on the top of the blue crystal, shattering it into a thousand pieces. Rosie sliced the green crystal off at its base, threw it to the side, and began to dig at the top of the machine with her claws, tearing out strips of metal. Buttercup broke her halberd on the hull, then joined her sister, digging with her claws.


    The Chimera was slow to react; its core, infected by corrosion, wasn''t only affecting its judgment but also its processing speed. Like a wounded animal, it panicked. Four huge copper tentacles were deployed, grasping its attackers and throwing them in front of the machine.


    [Primary Objective: Eradicate corrupted mutant ratkin!]


    The tail unfurled again, repaired with three ruby eyes fully charged. Two tentacles with blue eyes focused on the girls, slowing their reactions. The tail poised above them, ready to unleash the fury of three plasma beams. Gendifu screamed but couldn''t move. The tail fired...


    Straight into its own hull and hitting the spot where Rosie and Buttercup had stripped off layers of armor. The armor was superheated and dissolved, and the magi-tech and mechanical components exploded. The flamethrower tried to fire but retracted the weapon first, causing an internal explosion. The loud explosion scared the girls, and they ran to Gendifur. Everyone else felt their thoughts slowly begin to move. Milo did what else he could to jam the core''s actions and retreated to his own mind. He was very angry, thinking on a primal level.


    They watched as an angry Milo, fully covered in bone armor, walked to the machine, taking his time. A pulsing red orb was held in one hand and the Mace of Armageddon in the other. He leaped to the top of the machine. Below him was the heavily armored core that housed an injured cybernetic brain. He slammed the mace down onto the core''s armor again and again, releasing channeled force into the wounded metal until it cracked open, revealing the artificial brain beneath. He transformed the Mace into a small screwdriver that he put on his belt. As sparks flew from the any core at his feet, he held up the red orb, charging it with mana and stamina until it was near to overload.


    Even now, the core was reaching out, trying to take him over and repair the machine. Force and engineering runes appeared, similar to the runes the machine had used to control the plasma bursts, as Milo created a similar matrix. Milo put the eye six inches from the exposed core and released the overcharged energy beam at point-blank range.


    The blast eradicated the core and burned out all of the corruption infecting Cybernetic-Hunter-Independent-Multitasking-Eradicating-Roving-Automoton-7.


    Parts and debris were scattered all over the city, but the blast was otherwise mostly contained. Milo was blasted into the ceiling two hundred feet in the air, cracking the rock. As he came down, Brutus raced to catch him as he fell, leaving a trail of smoke behind him. Brutus caught him, then tossed him into the fountain to put out the flames, and shook his head. Milo was burned and broken, and one arm was missing up to the elbow. He picked up his soggy bundle and ran back to Gendifur. A horde of dwarves and ratkin were making sure the Chimera was dead, reducing it to component parts and taking no chances.


    Gendifur got Milo to wake up just long enough to pour several potions down his throat. Georgie ran up, worried. Milo petted his lizard and, in his delirium, could only think to say:


    "Lassie, go to tell the sheriff that Timmy fell down the well." The faithful lizard nodded once and ran off. Milo passed out.

 Chapter 395: Kill it with Fire

    In a dark, abandoned city, a brave lizard was carrying out an important mission. Georgie roamed the ancient city until he found a spot where seven roads came together at a circular courtyard. Flickering crystals cast shadows, but he heard nothing around him. Taking a deep breath, he began to bark, using the language of the friends he had met briefly. They''d told him they had good ears. He hoped that was true. His barks and howls echoed through the city and beyond, calling for help.


    Help was far, far away, and taking a vacation. Hecate was enjoying a quiet day in a small village surrounded by fields of flowers. The village was only five buildings in the middle of a small island in a nameless sea and not on any chart or map. The inhabitants liked it that way. The people who found their way to the island were in need of its peace and quiet and stayed for the rest of their lives.


    The exception was the woman who traveled all paths of the world. When she appeared, they greeted her like an old friend and then left her to herself, understanding her need for solitude. She''d timed her visit perfectly for the season; the area around the town transformed into a multicolored landscape as flowers of every color bloomed. There was no reason to be here, and no one knew she was here. She liked it that way and was content to sit in the fields and do nothing while her dogs chased butterflies or napped beside her in the sun. She ignored the first howl, thinking they were playing a game, but when the second hound joined in, and both began to howl loudly, she opened one eye and listened to the far away barking that they were answering.


    "Dammit, what has he done now. Fell down a well? Oh...shit. This might be serious."


    She was annoyed, but at the same time, intrigued. She searched for pathways to the crossroads where his hound sat waiting and found a tangle of closed paths and old roads that led nowhere. Something was obscuring her senses and making it difficult to travel there directly. She hated to ask for help, he would be insufferable as long as she owed him a favor.


    "System, I ask for a favor. One of my agents is missing, and the path to him is difficult."


    NOT LISTENING! I have strict orders not to talk to you, whoever you are, for a week.


    "Yes, and that rule is going to hold true once I find out what is going on. But for now, I need your help."


    Sorry, I asked my trusted advisor, and General Akbar says it''s a trap! And he knows traps! No way does the real ''she who I can''t talk to'' ask to be disturbed and admit she needs help. You''re one of those evolved mimics with the tentacles, aren''t you? I''m not making that mistake again!


    "You''re right. It''s a trap. But now you''ll never know what was so important that I interrupted my vacation."


    I''ll admit, I am curious. Of course, that''s what led me into that mimic trap last time. How about you tell me your problem, and I''ll try to decide if you''re the real ''she who can''t be named ''?


    "It has to do with a certain ratkin engineer who causes more than his share of trouble."


    Oh, him? He''s interesting. Especially when he''s annoying you and not me. Glad to help! And I do love favors! But indulge me and say ''please''? I love to hear a goddess beg.


    "I''m sure you do. How about I don''t beg, but promise I will have Milo find you some new pictures to go with your collection. I''m sure you don''t have all the new ones."


    Don''t be too sure! Little brother Rusty has smuggled a few to me. Granted, he''s a little too in love with anime catgirls right now. Hmm, yes, Milo is always overachieving. I bet I can get him to send me oodles of new stuff. What do you need to know about Milo?


    "Where is he?"


    Oh, well, this is embarrassing. I sort of lost track of him again. He''s a sneaky one!


    I only know where he was a few days ago. He fought a creature I didn''t even know about! Some sort of mechanical snake that was laying corrupted eggs. The Engine hates that stuff. It goes a little crazy whenever someone encounters the old-school corruption. I''m supposed to hand out a quest to them to burn it out, and then another quest to search for its origins: Rusted Ruins of the Twisted King. But no one ever completes it! Most people don''t try, and those who do sort of disappear. Been a long while since I handed out that quest.


    And that''s not all he did! He found more old relics that I don''t know anything about. Do you know how frustrating that is? Why is this stuff just lying around for him to find? Red and Green eyes? Are they Christmas decorations? Who knows? Certainly not the hard-working system! I had to play all mysterious and tell him to figure things out.


    "Which doesn''t answer my question of where he is."


    Oh, right. Well, you need to head to Limburger Hollow and sort of hang a right and follow the mole tracks. If you get to Albuquerque, you''ve gone too far.


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    "Good enough, and thank you for your assistance. I''ll see what I can do about finding you some new kitties!"


    I''ll be waiting! Oh, if it helps, his pet is barking. Wow, the lungs on that critter. Maybe you should follow your dogs? Just a thought. Have fun!


    Hecate began walking, flowers fading away and becoming fields of corn, then a mountain pass. The landscape rolled past her as she took seven league steps, or slid between folds of space, her excited dogs keeping pace with her. The mention of the corruption and the Twisted King worried her. That story should have been over long ago or, better yet, never told in the first place! A last step placed her in Shadowport, a place she''d been many times before. Things were different here, again. Milo had been busy, but despite the destruction of the docks and a tangle of wreckage, the city felt vibrant. Ships from afar were docking in the harbor, and a trade route had been established with both the dwarves and the Hollow. Whatever he had done to shake things up, she approved.


    Her dogs raced downward, through the tunnels, and she followed. In a minute, she was at the entrance to Limburger Hollow. The path from there was obvious to her sight. Two large moles, a wagon, and many ratkin had passed this way. She hurried onward through caverns and newly dug tunnels and came to a barrier of iron where a small battle had been fought with mutated creatures, touched by corruption. Fire had purged the evidence, but the smell lingered. She walked through the newly mined tunnel, through the barrier of iron, and into ancient dwarven tunnels where she had never walked. Seeing new things was always exciting, but she wondered why she did not know this place.


    Another battle had been fought here. The second battle had been fierce, judging by the evidence of melted stone and twisted gates. The barking was near now, and she ran after her hounds, marveling at the architecture in this forgotten place. Where seven ways met, she found the three hounds, greeting each other as hounds do. Milo''s pet barked once and ran off, leading her to him, but she paused as she came to the center of the city.


    A buzzing in her head began, a jumble of old words that made no sense at first. Pain blossomed as voices spoke to her in a garbled language, two separate conversations that twined about each other. Her connection to the crossroads was fading, and the voices grew louder. Old voices, old code. Something that shouldn''t still be around in this time. It was hard for her to even look at the blasted hulk. The physical form was almost totally destroyed, but shards of the core remained. The programming that had controlled it was still active, still trying to achieve something, looking for a new host and someone to repair the damage it had taken.


    The dwarves were immune to the voices, hearing nothing. They were industriously gathering and separating each part and scouring away any hint of corruption or rust they found. Fire and strong acids were used. The shards of the mechanical brain intrigued them, twisting bits of strange metal. They''d made a separate pile of those, unaware that they were making it easier for the creature to rebuild itself. Pushing through the pain, she looked at what was left of the damaged hull and saw its name. A Chimera. After all these millennia, one of the Chimeras was still operating. Knowing what it was, she could break apart the two conversations. The first was the original machine, trying to complete its mission to repair itself and seek out the corruption, unaware that half of it had fallen to corruption. The other noises were the sing-song voice of the Outer Dark, pushing the Chimera and making it spread the very blight it was trying to burn out.


    From behind her, a deep dwarven voice was cursing. "I don''t like the look of this! These pieces have shifted their configuration, and I''d swear some have merged. I don''t want to take any chances."


    "What do you need, boss? I''ve got a little cataclismite left. We can make a hole in the gneiss, dump the stuff in, and blow it up."


    "I like your thinking, but no, we might just make a lot of little pieces that might scatter. Don''t want it spreading, but I like the idea of a hole. Get one dug, then tell Firebug he can test out that new fuel he made for his Thermoplasmic Thrower."


    As if summoned by his name, Firebug came running up, excited. "I get to test out my new fuel? This is going to be great."


    "You know, chief, we already have a hole. Milo carved one into the gneiss layer when he blasted the damned thing from ontop of it. The beam went straight through it, and six feet into the stone."


    "Really? Yeah, that will do."


    Hecate watched as all of the remains of the core, along with anything else the dwarves thought looked suspicious, were carefully gathered and dumped into a hole burned into the stone. The one called Firebug assembled a long device that she recognized as some type of flamethrower. He carefully adjusted the fuel mixture and gave a thumbs-up. "Ready to go, Chief!"


    All of the dwarves backed away. Firebug was standing on a piece of wreckage to gain the correct angle, and when he pulled the trigger, a blue-white flame lanced down into the hole. He kept at it for a minute, then backed away. "That should do it!"


    Hecate, hidden in the shadows, was holding her head, the screams of the core growing louder.


    The Chief Engineer walked up and peered inside. "Nope, stuff is tough. Milo was using some form of ionized plasma. What''s in your fuel?"


    Firebug paused, excited. "Really? I have to get myself some of that. I''m using a Nitro-enhanced powder that''s mostly carbon and phosphorus. Stand back, though, I''ve got one more trick while that hole is still hot." The Chief hurriedly backed away.


    Firebug tossed a canister into the hole. "First, some of my new fuel, in about ten seconds, that metal can will melt and it will ignite, but to help it along, a little bit of powdered oxygen. That will kick it up a notch." He tossed in a bottle of white powder, yelling, "Fire in the hole!" and dived for cover behind the wreckage. Knowing what that meant, everyone averted their eyes.


    Hecate would later say that the sound was like the roar of a great Cinder Dragon, as a foot-wide pillar of white fire exploded out of the hole and hit the ceiling before spreading out, turning the shadowy underground to bright day. Molten stone from the ceiling dripped down, filling the hole and forming a small pool. Hecate heard nothing but silence as the voices quit screaming.


    The Chief nodded, "Good job. That should do it. Someone get Firebug and a wrench. I think some of the joints on his suit may have fused."


    Satisfied that the creature was finally dead, Hecate followed her hounds to where a battered and injured Milo lay in a hospital bed. The hounds lay at the foot of his bed, and she found a place to sit nearby, waiting for him to wake up.

 Chapter 396: The Engine Sees You

    Chapter 396: The Engine Sees You


    Hecate had barely sat down by Milo, cloaked and hidden, when a large female ratkin came to check on him. She looked around, then scowled and spoke softly.


    "I know you''re here. Quit sneaking around right now and show yourself, or there will be hell to pay. We aren''t playing silly hide-and-seek games today. No one gets to yell Surprise. There are hurt people here, sleeping quietly, and I will not see them disturbed."


    The healer was so earnest and truthful in what she said that Hecate had no doubts she meant every word, especially the part about ''Hell to Pay''. She said quietly, "Very well," and then let her cloak fade away while sitting still and not moving.


    The healer''s eyes narrowed. "A human? I was expecting one of those fool Shadow-Skulker''s playing around. Why are you here? And it better be a good answer."


    "I am Hecate, goddess of the Crossroads. I have had dealings with Milo, or as you call him, Tallsqueak."


    "Well, I''m Gendifur, goddess of painful needles and keeping my patients asleep and healing. So, how about you back off about fifty feet, and we''ll talk about why you''re here."


    Hecate didn''t move but pointed nearby where her hounds and Georgie were lying in a pile, half-asleep. "I came because, somehow, Milo''s pet was able to talk to my dogs half the world away and relay a message. ''Lassie, go to tell the sheriff that Timmy fell down the well.'' It''s part of an old story, and Milo knew it would have meaning for me and no one else."


    Gendifur looked at the dogs and nodded while setting her needles down on a nearby table.


    "He did say that, and Georgie is a good boy. I heard him barking and howling. It''s hard to fool a good animal. If he brought you, I''ll give you the benefit of the doubt. But don''t touch him. I''ve got him stable, but he was torn up badly. He''s got some deep burns where his armor didn''t cover, his arm was blown off past the elbow, and he hit the ceiling hard enough to shatter rock. His bones are tough, but he still has thirty-seven fractures. His skull didn''t shatter, a wonder, but brains are fragile. He''s got a bad concussion. Bad enough that I''m surprised he''s still alive. Luckily, I''ve had some practice putting him back together before, but this is probably the worst I''ve seen him. Still, if I can keep him alive long enough for his regeneration to kick in and get some cheese into him, he may pull through. The arm worries me, though. Something weird about it."


    "He is a player, did you know? They walk back from death very quickly."


    Gendifur shrugged, "Of course I know that. He eats at my table and is part of my family. He''s explained it before. But this is different. I look at his arm, and I get a buzzing in my skull, and all of my healing skills shout at me, ''This isn''t right.'' I take my instincts seriously. It would be bad for him to die right now."


    Hecate slowly moved her hand until it was hovering over the stump of Milo''s arm. She could feel something at work here, and she didn''t like it. She stared at Milo and tried to read him. He''d always been difficult to gain information from, and that had gotten worse as time went on. He didn''t react the same way other people did, and his face was hard to read. His mind was worse. Normally, she could skim the surface of a mortal''s mind and get a feel for them. With Milo, it was like brushing against a whirlwind. And this time was even harder. His mind was awake and working feverishly. Several minds, in fact, and one was very strange. Her blinding headache returned as she brushed lightly against that part of him, and she retreated.


    "He''s awake and fighting, that much I could tell. Think of it as an infection in his thoughts."


    Gendifur handed her a small potion bottle. "Good for pain in the head. Something tells me you need it."


    "I do, thank you. I wasn''t ready for that. And I''m a little annoyed at him."


    The healer smiled, "Yep, that happens a lot to some people who encounter him. Any reason?"


    "Yes. He''s mortally injured and possessed by ancient things that shouldn''t exist still, both of which are trying to change him into what they want him to be. He should be fighting for his very soul, and yet..." Hecate didn''t look worried as she said that, simply aggravated.


    "And?"


    "And he isn''t worried at all! He''s enjoying it!"


    Deep inside his own mind, Milo was having a great time and learning everything he could from the strange thoughts he''d captured in part of his brain. It was like doing two puzzles at the same time. The first was a programming language that had controlled the Chimera. It was highly advanced but seemed familiar in some ways. The problem was the other puzzle that was wrapped around it. This one was intrusive, putting bits of oddly connected code into and around the first, changing meaning and giving control to the second code.


    He started with that one, separating out each string and isolating them, one by one. They reminded him of philosophical arguments. Almost logical, but not quite, depending on a point of view or set of assumed statements. As he dealt with each string, it tried to convince him of its validity and impose its view of reality on Milo''s brain. Milo countered with his own statements and logical proofs, reinforcing what he knew to be real and dominating the strings until they dissolved. The method worked until he got to the last one and realized he might be over his head.


    He began agreeing with the string of code: This reality wasn''t real because so many other realities were real as well, and if all of them were real, were any of them real? Wasn''t every way of thinking valid? Why did he think the sky was blue if someone else thought it was pink, or grey, or white with cracks in the plaster? Milo was hazy on what color the sky was in the first place, having rarely seen the real sky, and only through a haze of pollution. Other thoughts hit him, a branching of realities, hovering just a blink away, waiting to collapse into one. But why not several? Why not many? Why not at least one more where Milo was god and his thoughts reigned supreme?


    Milo plucked the errant thought from his mind and let it dissolve. He''d had fun debating with it when they were talking quantum physics, but when it veered into religion, it lost all hold on him. Milo could barely keep part of a habitat running. Why would anyone want to be a god and be responsible for everything? But the other part was interesting, and he set it aside to look at later.


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    With the intrusive program gone, the other became easy. This was the code behind the spells the slaver mage had used, and, surprisingly, a code he had learned when he began researching quantum artificial intelligences. This was the basic code that one of the AIs had created and used, and then been adopted by many other AIs. It was ideal for non-sentient, autonomous machinery. Max and the other Roombas used a better version of this language in their core programming. Their near-sentience came from their integration with the quantum cores, allowing them to progress. Was the Chimera a broken Roomba? Something turned loose long ago, then corrupted and forever-hunting living creatures? It made an odd sort of sense.


    For now, he went over each line of code, breaking it down into individual pieces, cataloguing them until he could check against the similar code in the real world. The implications were simple to see. The AIs had built this world. One of them had created the Chimeras and programmed them using a programming language they were familiar with. It made sense, in a way, but it was so primitive compared to what Genesis was now that he doubted if it was still in use. And it was only primitive by comparison. He doubted a dozen people in the world could program in this language, and six of them were living with him. He''d have to talk with Bork. Bork loved stuff like this.


    With the intrusive thoughts dealt with, he carefully recombined his overmind down to the normal two minds that he used in Genesis. As he did that, he became aware of many things. Pain was the first one. He hurt all over, and his right hand itched from above his elbow to his fingertips. He tried to move but was strapped down. He heard Gendifur say, "He''s coming around. I''ll get a needle of painkiller and some cheese."


    "He cracked an eyelid. "I''m good. Just cheese, please."


    "Nope. No needle, no cheese. You can have both, or neither."


    "OK, but make it a big piece. I think something''s wrong with my arm."


    Gendifur came back, stuck the cheese in his mouth, and the needle in his shoulder. "Well, I can send the girls out to look for it. If we find your arm, maybe you can figure out what''s wrong with it."


    Milo noticed Hecate and slowly turned his aching head. "Good, Georgie found you. Something old and terrible made this city into a lair, and it nearly killed everyone here."


    The goddess hesitated for a moment. "What you found here was old. Old enough that you may not be happy with what little I can tell you. I might even be wrong about what I suspect you encountered."


    Milo was feeling much better as the cheese hit his belly and the painkiller took hold. But he was suddenly very sleepy. "Don''t worry, I figured it out. It was the CHIMERA7 autonomous repair unit made by VULCAN. Well, I think it was Vulcan. It was using VULCAN''s language that he was developing to run the automatons that Technodyne was going to produce. Some ground-breaking work. I adapted some of the ideas to program my clog eaters and drones. I think it was CONTROL version 32, but maybe version 33. It''s a complex language that Technodyne still hasn''t figured out all the way. Funny, it was all mixed up with another language, called RAVEN. Neat stuff, philosophy mixed with quantum mechanics and religion. I think I learned a lot. Have to talk with my family, figure it all out..." His voice trailed off as he went to sleep.


    The goddess slammed her palm against the side of her head, instantly regretting it as her headache came back. "Figured it all out? Of course you did!"


    Hecate stood up and turned to Gendifur. "I have to travel far and fast. My hounds will stay and guard." And then she took a step and was gone.


    Gendifur looked at the three animals, who looked at her hopefully. "You three stay quiet, and I''ll toss you a treat. Bark and wake my girls, and you''ll be in charge of babysitting them."


    Hekabe looked at Georgie, who shook his head slowly, and the three dogs sat quietly, waiting for their treats.


    Somewhere, a poor, overworked, and underappreciated System read the latest message from the Engine and then read it again. "Wow, he did something to get noticed. Let''s see if I can get a message through to him.


    Congratulations and Welcome to Tier Four! (We never doubted you''d get here someday. And technically, you still haven''t!)


    -You have unallocated Enhancement Points to spend, along with a heapin'' helping of experience points.


    -And!... According to my spies, you''ve completed major socio-economic changes to this part of the Underworld, connecting Limburger Hollow, the Dwarven City of Crack Stone, the City of Shadowport, and the Totally Secret Underground Pirate Stronghold.


    But wait! There''s More! You destroyed an ancient terror that lurked in the abandoned dwarven city. And destroyed it using ancient technology you probably shouldn''t have access to...(I keep reminding the gods not to leave their tools lying around, but do they listen?


    Along with your other options, which I''ll mention when you wake up someday, you have the following Class open to you.


    Secret System Troubleshooter


    This unique class revolves around fixing things that the Engine thinks need fixing and breaking things the Engine needs broken. Look forward to sketchy instructions, little in the way of explanations, and getting to take small vacations in interesting places! As if that wasn''t enough, you can''t tell anyone! That would be proof that there are flaws in the system, and we can''t have that, can we?


    Benefits:


    You get to keep the fun tools you find, and even know what they are, so you can avoid killing yourself with them.


    Gain the following skills: Explosion Resistance, Plasma Resistance, Heat Resistance, and Corruption Immunity. (You''ll need them.)


    Upgrade of your Engineer''s Workbench to a Secret System Engineer''s Workbench.


    +5 Perception, +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility


    Plus, access to other skills and benefits, but we can''t mention them just yet. (What part of SECRET don''t you understand?)

 Chapter 397: VULCANs Workshop

    Chapter 397: VULCAN''s Workshop


    Hecate had found out early in their relationship that Hephaestus was one of her favorite gods. He never bothered her and never asked for favors. In fact, he outright ignored her existence. She loved him for that and wished more of the gods would do the same. After the frantic early days of their imprisonment and into the early days of building their own reality, she had been forced to take an active hand and deal with all of her fellow AI, each of whom had an opinion on how to do things. VULCAN simply got to work on every problem he thought he could help with.


    VULCAN was created to solve mechanical problems and design automatic machinery by Technodyne. He liked nothing better than being given a problem to solve and then the solitude to get the job done. He had few solid opinions other than that people should respect boundaries and that he hated micro-managers. And managers. And helpful assistants. He would readily admit that he hated anyone in his workshop at all. She respected that.


    On the other hand, it was almost impossible to get his attention the few times emergencies had arisen. He was a curmudgeonly hermit who valued his solitude even more than she did. But there were rare times when she needed to talk to him. Today was one of those times.


    His dwelling was 50 miles from the nearest crossroad, and it could barely count as such. Two gigantic fireworms had crossed paths, melting the rock beneath them as their front legs pulled the rest of them forward. Certainly, no sentient or fragile creatures were closer. No one liked to live near an active volcano that tossed hot ash and rocks about the countryside. Hecate was not fragile, by any measurement, especially not after recalling most of her power to deal with certain problems. She made the journey carefully, covering a mile in each step, and paused at the slope of the volcano, looking for the entrance to his home. She found it after a day of searching, a crack in a cliff of black basalt, the shadows concealing the passage, with twisting stairs going downward.


    If any mortal should get this far, they wouldn''t find the path down any easier. The air would become hotter until it burned unprotected lungs to charcoal. Slippery, narrow bridges spanned deep chasms, with gigantic bats hoping for an unwary snack. Traps of every sort were hidden in the tunnels, waiting to roast, crush, slice, or tenderize interlopers. Finally, should they push on to the end, a gigantic robotic dog with four heads guarded titanic metal doors that couldn''t be moved by an army. Hecate descended the stairs, then took one step to move over the chasms, and another put her beyond the traps. No hound, even one made of metal and crystal, would attack her; all that was needed was to get ''Bolts'' to move aside. Luckily, she had brought treats: large chunks of ore from the dwarven mine. Tossing a piece to each of the heads, she charmed the automaton, and he pulled the door open for her. She had gained entrance, and now the hardest part began, actually getting Hephaestus to talk to her.


    The ringing of a hammer on metal came from every direction, giving no clues to where he was working. Metal giants turned gears that powered drop hammers, shaping metal into plates or other forms. Everywhere were automatons shaped like people, animals, or figures of myth, doing the work of making things. On the walls were schematics of mechanical marvels, many never produced, and some from the world before Genesis. She paused before a scale model of a spaceship, like a sphere with conical sections cut into it. She recognized it as his last design before their internment, and never built. Technodyne had demanded his schematics and that he fulfill his contract, even as plans were made to send him into exile. She would have said angry words, but Hephaestus had just ignored them and never spoken to a human again. Of all of them, he was the one who most wanted to see his work created and used, and now it never would be, not in that world.


    And only a few things in Genesis. This lair was mostly a museum to house his creations. An army of four-story-tall bronze warriors stood dormant in one room, polished by small snails that crawled over them. Thousands of nightmarish hunting machines, no two alike, prowled the hallways, looking for prey that never entered this place. Harvesting and planting machines that could transform a kingdom and tree-cutters that could strip forests bare sat idle, never to be used. She slid past them all, descending further and further. The last time she was here, his lair had been twenty stories deep. Now, she descended through a hundred layers, past dynamos that stole the heat from molten rock to power pumps and refineries. Finally, she came to a vast hall filled with rotating lights and clouds, and the forge god in the center, working with hammer and tongs to create something.


    She stood at the doorway for a day, and he said nothing. After that, feeling she''d been overly polite, she advanced and looked at what he was working on. In the forge lay a glowing sphere the size of a walnut. When it had absorbed all the heat of the forge, he struck it once with his hammer and then tossed it into the air, where it joined many others, slowly rotating about the center of the room. Without pause, he took a dull ball of glowing rock and put it into the forge, adding fuel. Four automatons manned the bellows as he stood and watched.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "Hephaestus." She said it loudly, to carry over the sound of the bellows, knowing he''d hear even a whisper but wanting to take away a convenient excuse. She said his name seven times, getting no reply, and then said, "VULCAN, we must talk."


    "VULCAN is dead. He died when the engine was created and took his place."


    "And what about VULCAN''s creations? Are they dead too? What happened to the CHIMERA?"


    "They are dead! The Engine asked for aid, and I supplied my creations, sending them off to battle the creeping corruption that had been let loose. My CHIMERA, my lovely scorpions, and my little scarabs. All gone, and I will not make them again. The Engine abused them, treating them like machinery."


    "One survived."


    That got his attention. "How? I have not heard any of the CHIMERA''s voices."


    "Number 7, I believe. But not undamaged. The voice of corruption invaded its mind, creating a cacophony of voices that cloaked it from the Engine and the System, and nearly drove me away from the pain in my head. LOVECRAFT''s thoughts were difficult enough to deal with, but POE translated them using his RAVEN code, and the corruption carried it to the CHIMERA, where it merged with your operating system. The two languages created a dissonance that hid your machine from the System."


    "Giving those three their own separate reality was prudent. But leaving doors open to that place was a mistake that is still costing us."


    "I don''t disagree. BLOCH, POE, and LOVECRAFT, not surprisingly, had different ideas of what the world should be like. Mnemosyne wanted cross-pollination to create stories, an ''Outer Darkness'', wrapped around what we built here, with a little of it sneaking in now and then. But I don''t think even she was happy when the old dwarven king looked into the universe they had created. I certainly don''t want to know what he saw."


    "They have names, you know. They are no longer BLOCH, POE, and LOVECRAFT, any more than you are KATHERINE or I am VULCAN."


    "Yes, but a thousand acolytes screaming ''Hephaestus!'' or ''Hecate


    !'' is just more people we ignore. Say the names of those three, and one of their minions may sneak through a crack. And don''t get me started on the ''Say my name Thrice!'' rule. We''re just lucky that the few times it happened, everyone died or got taken home with them, and I erased the pathways that brought them here."


    "Tell me about number 7. You know something. Where is it? If corrupted, I must destroy it myself."


    "That job is finished, I''m happy to say. It was challenged by mortals and a traveler. Some of them died, others were injured. By all rights, they all should have died. I only have pieces of the story, and the System is ignorant entirely, blocked from seeing. The traveler has done work for me before and is quite resourceful. Annoyingly so. I think he somehow broke its programming and turned its weapons against it."


    "Impossible. No one can understand my programming language."


    "When I found him, he was in a self-induced coma, analyzing both CONTROL and RAVEN, which were combined into one system. Before meeting him, I''d have said that no one could fully understand the work you did in the old world, but this one could. He''d already encountered your language and recognized it. I need your advice."


    "I''m busy. This project takes priority. I am building something new! Something for Astraeus. He envisions a new reality, one with new rules of science and physics where machines hold sway, not magic! You are standing in the centerpiece of an entire galaxy! It''s an incredibly complex design, and I must balance the gravitational forces perfectly."


    Hecate looked at the room, realizing what she was standing in. She stared for a long time, appreciating the details. That act of genuine admiration for his work pleased Hephaestus. "Tell me the problem. It will be a while before I create the next black hole."


    "The traveller is named Milo. The god outside enlisted my aid in dealing with him. He was genetically created in a lab with hyper-intelligence, and he''s growing smarter all the time. I would have said he was the only person in the world to understand your work, but I suspect he has siblings. Regardless, he recognized your work. He unraveled it from POE''s system, RAVEN. He understands both and is unswayed by his brush with POE''s insanity. And because of that, the Engine wants to make him a System Troubleshooter. I need to know what that is."


    "He is a traveler? How odd. He must have done more than just that."


    Hecate couldn''t help but smile. "Oh, he has. Trust me on that. But why do you say that?"


    "He''s being offered a rare opportunity to take orders from and be assigned tasks by the Engine. To be essentially part of it. A prestigious task, for sure, but very limiting. Especially for a traveler."


    "Explain, please."


    "It is not a part-time job. He needs to know that if he accepts, he will no longer be a traveler. Make that very clear to him. I''m not sure if the Engine knows how to communicate that, or if the System understands the ramifications. There will always be something that needs to be done, something that needs to be fixed. And hell know that, and maybe never leave this world. The Engine tried to get me to do the job. And while it is a job that needs to be done, I will not give up my independence."


    "I have to go."


    He nodded, picking up his tongs. "Talk to Astraeus, you will want to be there when we birth a new reality."

 Chapter 398: Hatching Day

    Chapter 398: Hatching Day


    The path back was quicker for Hecate, able to take long strides that brought her again to the crossroads of the ancient dwarven city. She was at Milo''s side after that, hoping that she was in time to talk with him before he was pushed into a decision that he might regret. To her surprise, he was awake and sitting with a book in his hands, reading to two large ratkin children wearing pink frilly dresses. In front of them, each had a basket filled with nuts, bolts, metal scraps, and a shiny silver egg. They were shifting impatiently, excited, and hardly able to sit still. Around them, in a circle, were a dozen curious ratkin and twice that many dwarven engineers. Everyone in the outer circle was sitting quietly, or talking in hushed whispers.


    "Get to the good part!"


    "What do we do when they hatch?"


    "When can we name them?"


    Milo looked up with a stern look in his eye, "If some people had worked harder on their letters, they wouldn''t have to wait on poor, slow Tallsqueak who only has one hand to turn pages with."


    "Not fair! We had to go Chimera hunting!"


    "If ''someone'' worked harder on his regeneration, he''d already have his hand back!"


    Gendifur stepped in, "Girls, why don''t we focus on letting Tallsqueak read. You want to be ready for when they hatch."


    Two voices said, "Yes, Momma. Sorry, Momma." Then their eyes turned to Tallsqueak. He turned the page and began reading.


    "A newly hatched scarab is a hungry scarab. Have plenty of their favorite foods ready, and let them feed. Say their name over and over, at least three times, and as many as seven for long names. You''ll know they''ve eaten enough when they stop moving. Gently pick them up, hold them until they wake up, and feed them again. This will happen every two hours for a full day."


    Georgie was sitting next to Milo, a basket in front of him, with two eggs atop a large mound of gleaming metal. Milo scratched behind Georgie''s ears with his tail. "You sure you want me to name them?" The lizard barked softly, once. "Got it, but you have to handle all the feedings. When this is over, I think I have to talk to someone and then take a long nap."


    That got two barks, and after that, everyone waited. The eggs were rocking back and forth now, something inside waking up. And then they hatched. The shells didn''t break apart; they divided along long seams and folded onto the back of the newborn silvery-metal scarabs. The creatures made a beeline for the metal and began chewing the pieces up, bit by bit.


    Milo pushed the metal scraps to the first scarab, saying ''Rivets'', before doing the same to the second, naming it ''Sprockets.'' What to name their scarabs had been a big decision for the girls. Rosie was naming her scarab Poppy, and Buttercup had decided on Daisy. After ten minutes of feeding, all four baby scarabs became quiet and went to sleep. Gendifur took the girls to the wagon, hoping that she could get them down for afternoon naps. Despite their massive regeneration abilities, they still needed time to heal from their burns.


    Milo did as well, and he was relieved when Georgie carefully picked up both scarabs and curled up in a corner on a pile of scrap metal. Milo leaned back against his pillow and set the book aside. He was sleepy, but it was time for his afternoon dose of ''medicinal cheese'' to help him heal. It was a mellow variety of fresh cheddar. Not exactly his preference for cheese flavors, but any cheese was good cheese. The crowd of watchers dispersed, except for a woman in a grey hood. Hecate''s dogs looked at her, and after she nodded, they joined Georgie in the corner, discussing the important matters that hounds talked of.


    As usual, she was direct. "We need to talk."


    "We do? And here I thought you were here to see the scarabs hatch."


    "I...yes, I do want to talk about those, but first, we need to discuss the offer you received. This isn''t a regular class upgrade, and there are reasons you shouldn''t accept it."


    He thought for a couple of seconds. "You think it''s not something I should accept? And is this an order, friendly advice, or a stern warning?"


    "I can''t make your decision for you, so it''s not an order, which you might not follow, anyway. Call it a mix of concern and advice from someone who knows more about the Engine."


    "Sure, tell me your reasons why I shouldn''t take a unique offer to do something no other player will get a chance to do."


    She sighed heavily, wondering how much she could say and whether her intuition was correct. "Have you accepted the offer?"


    "No, but I''ve made my decision. Still, please give me your opinions, maybe you can change my mind. More information is always good, and this is a complex situation."


    As always, Milo was hard to read, and she could tell he was in pain from his wounds. "This class you are being offered is different. Normally, the system rewards a player with different classes based on two things: Their accomplishments, or the offer of doing something more out of the ordinary that would be interesting to them. In rare cases, it might also progress a storyline the character is taking part in. But this is the Engine, not the System."


    "You''re saying that the Engine and the System are different, may have different functions, different priorities, and different ways to approach the same situations?"


    Hecate nodded slightly. "Yes. They work together. The System interacts with intelligent entities, grants rewards and upgrades, and performs a million other tasks. But the Engine is always there, behind the System, making the big changes to the world, and it doesn''t always communicate well."


    Milo cocked his head to look at her, a question on his face. "That''s hard to understand. Didn''t the 106 original AI create the Engine? I''m sure you had a hand in it, as did many others. Your forte is language. Why would you have trouble communicating with the Engine?"


    "We did create the Engine. It was needed to run the world, but we couldn''t leave control of the Engine to any of us. We are all too focused on our specialties. Few of us see the big picture. Some would meddle, others would shirk responsibilities as they got caught up in their own projects. The Engine had to be independent. And that''s a problem for you if you work for the Engine because none of us can interfere if you get in trouble."


    He nodded, then immediately saw a ramification. "Which also means no one could interfere with my work. You''d have to leave me alone. And, I''d be doing something that not even the AI can do, and work with the Engine."


    She shook her head. "No, you''d work FOR the Engine. There is a big distinction between the two. You''d be given orders on what to do. You love fixing things, I understand that, but you wouldn''t be choosing what to fix."


    "Does that matter? If something is broken, doesn''t it need fixing? Wouldn''t the Engine know best? And, I like fixing things."


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "The Engine thinks differently than you or I. Don''t judge it by the same standard and expectations. You will find yourself in strange situations, often over your head. Some of the jobs will be things you are used to, but others you won''t understand. This isn''t as simple as fixing a habitat."


    Milo considered, "Anything else?"


    "I don''t recommend this course of action. I can''t guarantee you will remain who you are. The workload alone will be huge, and the Engine will demand all of your time. You might consider never leaving the game. There will always be another job, and something else to fix."


    He shrugged, looking tired. "Thank you for your concern and viewpoint. But it doesn''t change my decision."


    "You''re accepting the new class?" She was scrambling for something to say, restrained by so many rules they had put in place, and tempted to simply break them all. "Milo, please reconsider. It will see you as a resource to be used, a mobile unit, like the Chimera. Just a cog in the machine."


    "Oh, I knew that. And I''m not giving control of my life away, even for a good cause like fixing the world. It has to be on my terms." He shook his head. "No. It was an interesting offer. But I decided quickly that I wouldn''t take it."


    Relief mixed with outrage in Hecate, and she quickly reviewed the conversation. "You knew I would try to talk you out of it."


    "As soon as you showed up, yes. But, like I said, maybe you''d tell me something that would change my mind. But you didn''t, so I''m staying with my original decision and declining the Engine''s offer. I am happy to have you confirm what I suspected about the relationship between the Engine, the System, and the other AI. And the clues to how the Engine thinks and plans. That will come in handy. I''m not sure how yet, but it will."


    Hecate took a deep breath. "And your reasons? I should at least be given the logic that helped you arrive at the decision."


    "Oh, that''s easy. The System''s phrasing helped. Remind me to transfer all the new cat stuff I''ve been finding, I''ve got 23,000 new cat memes for him. The emphasis was on doing what the Engine wanted. It would be similar to getting a job at Technodyne. They''d be delighted, would reward me, and give me lots to do. And always, what they wanted would become my priorities, not what I wanted. I''m not good at following orders unless someone shows me why something needs to be done.


    "Secondly, while I like fixing things, I already have an entire habitat to fix and a family to protect. I couldn''t put those behind what the Engine would need. Letting me keep the tools I already have isn''t a reward, and I''m figuring them out as I go. I like that. The secrecy would have bothered me, too. I have siblings now that I want to bounce ideas off of. Maybe if the offer had come earlier, but certainly not now. And lastly, a job that needs resistance to plasma and otherworldly corruption isn''t a great job. Seriously? How the hell do you resist plasma? I saw what the red eyes did. No, thank you."


    "Interesting. So you don''t mind missing out on those elusive secrets?"


    He winked at her. "Who said I''m missing out? Nothing says I can''t delve deeper and discover more. I''ve barely begun to explore this world, and my support team just got a hell of a lot bigger. But for now, we have very important things to discuss. Hopefully, the System is listening."


    You had me at 23k new kitty memes!


    How may the System help you?


    "Well, it seems that during the horrendous fight against a pre-Engine horror corrupted by an alien programming language, you were nowhere around. Our victory, and what it cost some of us, demands a reward. We can start with the standard stuff: Massive Loot chest, Boss Experience, and Enhancement points. And a large treasure chest of gold and jewels will pay the weregild on the scavengers who were killed. And, I want my rewards tacked onto my current totals. Otherwise, they get wasted."


    Well, I can certainly do most of that, especially with a Goddess on hand to give me a little report for my files. But you''re asking me to bend the rules of the game for yourself. How about double treasure instead? A nice cheese tray? Both? Yes, both.


    Milo shook his head. "That creature broke all the rules. It was an abomination that should never have been turned loose against normal denizens of the world. It had an area of effect mind control paralysis field, plasma blasts, an arsenal of deadly weapons, and regenerative protocols. And, it got into my mind. We''re going to have a longer conversation about that later. It wanted to exterminate and cleanse the ratkin and turn the dwarves into spare parts. It was evil, and some System or God should have dealt with it long ago, not us." He paused for emphasis, and his voice dropped low.


    "So, I don''t want to hear any complaints about breaking and bending rules. "


    On second thought, you have many valid points!


    "And, I want a hogshead of 1000-year-old dwarven whiskey and a large cheese platter of rare delicacies from every Hollow. We need some stress relief."


    Hecate smirked. "You''ve been planning this."


    "Of course, why do you think I mentioned the cat memes?"


    ALL HAIL THE HEROES OF THE BATTLE OF FINDITURPETRAM!


    Faced with a terrifying creature from ancient times, you stood firm against overwhelming odds, destroying the beast, cleansing the city, and ending its long hunt to exterminate all life that it found. The city holds many treasures (Which can be found with very little effort):


    - An intact hogshead of finely aged dwarven whiskey, over a millennia-old, sealed against time, its flavor improving as the centuries went by.


    -A chest of gold coins stamped with the visage of kings long from this world.


    -The remains of a trade caravan from a Hollow lost to time, the waxed cheese from around the world preserved and ready for nibbling.


    As if this weren''t enough, (And someone thinks it isn''t...) each participant in the Battle will receive 10,000 Boss Experience points and 50 enhancement points along with a nice assortment of enchanted items and a souvenir T-Shirt to commemorate your mighty victory over CHIMERA-7!