Play Testers Wanted

Play Testers Wanted: Pt. 20

Note: Sorry for the delay. Some of the scenes did not want to cooperate. Trust that they have been punished for being naughty and back under control. I hope you enjoy it, feel free to vote and comment as you see fit.

Day 1: Gun Shy

I reached over and gently grabbed Kat's wrist, lifted it, and let go. Her arm flopped to the bed in a clear sign of exhaustion. I warned her I had a lot of pent-up energy. Kat, with a great effort, rolled onto her side and kissed my cheek.

"I suspended your Star Wars account," she whispered in my ear. "We need to track the hack."

"Like I am going anywhere near a full dive anytime soon," I fired back.

"Oh, I will cancel your appearance that I scheduled," Kat replied nonchalantly. "I will refund their donations."

"Charity?" I asked, and she nodded. "Fine, I don't have to enjoy myself."

"Just try and smile," Kat requested.

"Who is going to be there?" I asked as I rolled her onto her other side to inspect the damage from earlier this evening. "Let's see here."

"SSS, be gentle. My ass is still tender," Kat whimpered. "Who? Well, I hired cosplayers to entertain the guests. There will be plenty of alcohol and eye candy. Oh, be careful. I told you I was sensitive." She growled as I lowered my face and kissed her boo-boo. "That feels much better."

"Which charity are we talking about?" I asked as I licked the tip of my index finger and traced the swollen red ring. "You keep flinching."

"Someone else used to ignore my pleas and slide back in and pound me until I nearly blacked out," Kat explained and dutifully left Nick's name out. "A children's hospital is the recipient of the funds."

"Kids and cosplayers, fine," I agreed. "I will let you rest for now."

"And you wonder why the women flock to you," Kat snickered. "No one else gets anywhere near my ass but you."

"I know," I chuckled. "And what a fine butt you have."

"I am going to sleep," Kat yawned. "I lust you."

"I will be in the gymnasium." I got up and threw on workout clothes. "I still have excess energy to bleed off." Kat weakly pointed to the box propped up in the corner. It reminded me of a hard shell rifle case. I carried it to the foot of the bed and opened it. Inside the case was a perfect mockup of the Darksaber. The detail was incredible, and within the padded interior were several colored blades for the hilt. "Thank you."

"I love you, Booker," Kat purred. "Go break in your new toy."

"I love you too," I replied.

It took me five long minutes to reach the gym and assemble my Darksaber. I chose two purple blades for my first workout. Each end of the hilt had a socket that held the attachments and locked them into place. The balance was perfect, and it was late enough that I had the entire gym to myself. Surfer set up a great song list for my workout. I moved to the center of the sparring area, closed my eyes, I let the music pump me up. I launched into form eight, the most challenging of the lightsaber styles. My body exploded into movement as I let go of the emotions I bottled up. The rage and fear drove my arms and legs as I allowed myself to experience the memory of my time in the dev zone. I finished my first pass through the movements and fell back into old habits. I shifted to form one and judiciously performed those moves with clinical perfection.

'Open your eyes, Booker,' Surfer urged. My eyes snapped open, and for the briefest of moments, I spied a silvery-green aura around the violet blades of the Darksaber.

"What in the hell was that?" I asked. Surfer borrowed the gym's holographic emitter and manifested her traditional silver figure hovering on a mirror-bright board.

"Best guess, a bioorganic energy discharge," Surfer offered. "Like bioluminescence, perhaps a yet undiscovered function of your severely augmented biology."

"Hmm?" I grunted, confused. "Left?"

"Booker?" Left chuckled.

"Viridian aura, it wouldn't have anything to do with the dream I had inside the dev zone?" I asked.

"Wasn't there? Can you tell me more?" Left laughed.

"Ghost lines," I said. "The dream showed two scientists talking about new particles they discovered and a silvery-green glow. Of course, the one guy called them dragon lines and how his grandfather talked about them."

"I never dreamed this would happen," Left exclaimed. "Things are going to get interesting from here on. Lift me above your head. Let me get a good whiff." I shrugged and passed the Darksaber into my off-hand and raised Left. I felt my fingers tingle, and when I looked up, Left was glowing with that same viridian aura I had seen earlier. It wasn't bright or impressive but noticeable all the same. Were the ghost lines waking up? "Gone," Left whimpered. "It will take time for them to manifest. We must be patient."

"Are you serious? What will happen then?" I asked, but Left remained silent. "Fine, we'll see how strong the lines become." My desire to work out tanked. The dream about the ghost lines appeared to be a message from the hacker and not just my brain imagining things. What else might be true? I disassembled my weapon and returned it to its case.

"Surfer, lock the doors and turn off all cameras within the gymnasium," I ordered.

"One moment," Surfer replied as she manifested in all her sterling glory. The locks engaged with a series of multiple clicks. The LED lights on the cameras went out as I took control of the gym. "It is all yours," she said as she hovered nearby.

I sat down and raised my right hand to eye level. Let's see if I can will this silvery-green energy to manifest. I focused on my fingers and imagined them shrouded in raw viridian potency. Nothing, so I tried again and only achieved holding my breath and feeling like I had to take a dump. Clearly, I was trying too hard. I closed my eyes and just let go. A flash of images and memory collided as one of Left's critical moments replayed in my head.

"Stop, you are trying too hard," the tall, muscular figure said. "The power is all around you. Just let it in, fill you up, and then manifest it. Now, try again."

I imagined I was a human sponge. My skin tingled as I dropped my guard and felt the icy rush of water saturate every cell in my body. I thought of the trillions of nanites lighting up as they drank in the power. Now, let it shine. I opened my eyes and frowned. The weakest of verdant auras surrounded my hand. I wiggled my fingers and attempted to be positive. "Well, it is something, if unimpressive. Got to start somewhere, I suppose." I promised myself I would spend a little time each day practicing. "Worst case, it makes for an interesting party trick."

The walk to my room was uneventful, and I discovered neither Kyanna nor Aoki in either of the connecting bedrooms. I opened my closet and lifted the saber case to the shelf above my shirts and pants hanging on the rod. On the floor was my backpack to carry my must-haves to the facility when I first arrived here. I sat down and tugged the pack towards me. Inside were my card decks for MTG, my dice bag, and my rollerblades. With all the excitement from playtesting, I completely forgot about them. "Eh, why not," I laughed as I removed my shoes and slipped on the skates.

I made my way to the elevator, down to the lobby, and out the front sliding doors. Three or four circles of the complex helped me regain a bit of muscle memory before I attacked the open road along the coast. The sheer delight of speeding along and watching the tide come in was something I never realized I missed. Moonlight glittered off the crests of the waves, and I remembered piloting the speeder bikes across the surface of Lehon with my friends. The fear I felt warred with the pleasure of gliding along the sidewalks and streets.

"Fuck it. I am having too much fun to get bent out of shape," I cursed. I leaned forward and picked up speed. The fear fell away as a small red dot flashed in the corner of my vision. "Surfer? What is that?"

'I do not know. One moment while I run a diagnostic,' Surfer whispered via the implants just below my ears. 'Detecting unknown software. Numenor trademark. How in the hell did you get ahold of this?'

"Get ahold of what?" I asked.

'Project Bright Eyes isn't even listed to be stable or available for testing any longer,' Surfer informed me. 'This was a black op project for governmental security agents. Running a level one diagnostic on software stability.'

"I got it while I was in the dev zone," I told her. "The AI that monitors that area told me to keep quiet about it. The moral implications are a bit vague for me."

'Yes, that is why the Lady Shaw put it in mothballs,' Surfer explained. 'She returned their money and shut the project down. My last report on this indicated the program was nowhere near this complete. How is this possible? Project Bright Eyes is stable and finished. I must report this to Kat.' I nearly missed the shift from Lady Shaw to simply Kat. Had the two bonded at some point? That might explain her familiarity.

"Do so with my blessings," I said. "I have nothing to hide. What is that red light indicating?"

'Oh, that, apparently a drone is following you,' Surfer declared.

'Systems override, analyzing target, the drone is of unknown origin, manufacturer undesignated. Shall we capture it for study?' The same sexy female voice from within the game spoke now.

"Don't take it over. Just tie into its sensors and backtrack where it is transmitting to," I ordered. "And me without a bodyguard."

"Easy peasy lemon squeezy," Bright Eyes purred. "There is a van three miles behind you monitoring the drone's feed. I will display the van's interior security footage. One driver, one passenger, and three heavily armed men are in the rear of the vehicle.

"Is the drone armed?" I asked.

"Not really, but it could serve as a blunt instrument," Bright Eyes suggested. "It could penetrate the windshield and eliminate the driver. That might give you enough time to call in backup."

"If they pick up speed and attempt to intercept me," I directed reluctantly. "Do it."

"By your command," Bright Eyes replied with a mirthless chuckle.

For a while there, I thought nothing would happen. I did my best to ignore the van and its occupants. I relaxed enough to enjoy my surroundings. Bright Eyes picked up multiple wifi signals and began cracking their logins to pass the time and get in some real-world experience. We were moving past an old-style Spanish mission with its fading white exterior and iconic bell tower. I half expected to hear gunslinger music or a Tarantino riff at any moment before gunmen opened fire or a sexy vampire attacked. "MMM... Selma," I whimpered.

"Our Lady of Perpetual Innocense, my ass," Bright Eyes snorted. "Why do college freshmen find it necessary to display their genitals in such an undignified way?"

"Is their a dignified procedure that I missed?" I asked, thinking the AI was joking. She wasn't.

"Take your pick, Chinese, Russian, Cambodian, or even Corsican. Tons to choose with just a word from you," Bright Eyes offered. My curiosity got the better of me.

"Oh hell, I don't know," I growled. "Pick the one with the most intense expression."

"Using facial recognition," Bright Eyes laughed. "Hmm? Ha! Gotcha!" My upper right-hand corner field of vision showed the young lady in question. Her name was Laetitia Balandina, and she was a screamer. Her flawless skin had that Mediterranean olive complexion without a hint of tan lines or birthmarks. Laetitia had long black hair, blue-green eyes, and her looks were a nice blend of Latin and Greek. She was a heartbreaker for sure. "She trimmed for her audience," Bright Eyes noticed. "Perhaps I will pattern my avatar after her. Your vitals have spiked, but in a good way." The live stream had a thousand guys watching her use an impressive-looking toy. The dildo was thick and long, and despite Bright Eyes' commentary, Laetitia knew what she was doing. The ever-growing fund from contributors seemed earmarked for Laetitia to use the toy on her ass. I doubted she was that industrious. An icon began flashing on Laetitia's screen indicated that things were about to change. She got onto her hands and knees giving her audience a clear look at her butt. "Good god," Bright Eyes nervously chuckled. "Now, that is an ass." She took the words out of my mouth. "You could bounce a piece of eight off those cheeks." Laetitia's audience donated enough to get her to switch targets. She slid the dildo from her slick sex and aimed it at her asshole.

"That's it, drive that bad boy," I grunted as an explosion behind me tore my attention away from the girl and to the flaming debris half a mile back. I spun on my skates to face where the smoldering van burned brightly in the distance. Flames licked the night sky, sending up incandescent sparks that blazed and then died seconds later. Bright Eyes brought the drone in for closer inspection. "How did the van explode if the drone is here?"

"Microwaves and fuel under pressure are not a good mix," Bright Eyes explained, her voice noticeably changed. The little shit had gotten enough sound bites from Laetitia to mimic her perfectly. Stay focused, I told myself. So, that is what the AI meant by not really. There were mentions of the military developing microwave weapons for crowd control. The drone's primary weapon must be a compact version that could subdue a single target with ease. The machine was sophisticated and yet bore no manufacturer's mark or logo. "The van was closing the distance between it and you as the armed me inserted clips into their weapons. I acted on your behalf."

"And a good thing that you did," I praised Bright Eyes. "We need to take the drone apart and examine its insides," I ordered.

"What about the girl?" Bright Eyes asked. "Your vitals were peaking. Surely you find her attractive."

"Yeah, but a threat to my life takes precedence," I said. "We may need to find an independent contractor to examine this beast. Power it down and keep it that way until I get a chance to secure it. Make sure there is no GPS or signal of any kind coming from this guy." The drone fell into my outstretched hands. It was time to return to Numenor. I stood for a moment watching the rising moon as storm clouds darkened in the distance as a single bolt of lightning crossed the face of the moon and smashed into the ocean. The crashing waves and kiss of Seabreeze hinted at the oncoming storm.

"I have disabled its core processor and power supply. You should return to Numenor. It is a shielded facility. There is little chance of the drone reactivating within its walls."

I raced the storm back to the facility as it strengthened and pursued me the entire way back. My head and back dripped from the strong breeze carrying the rain and a surprisingly bitter wind. The door slid shut behind just as the torrent pelted the glass and a blinding flash of lightning lit up the early morning sky. I crouched as I removed the rollerblades. The rain had made them nearly lethal, and it took all my skill and agility to keep from falling. I shivered as I waited for the elevator to arrive. Besides the wind and rain, the building was silent. The ding of the bell as the elevator opened startled me. I rode up to my floor with skates in one hand and the drone in the other. I ached for a hot shower and a few hours of sleep under warm covers. Surfer opened the door for me, and I set my burdens onto the sofa and stripped down. Like a dutiful guest, I dropped my clothes into the hamper, started a shower, and basked in its deliciously hot embrace.

"Surfer, inform Akira that our road trip is delayed and oh the attempt upon my life," I added the latter part as casually as possible. "Any hint as to who it might be?"

"I have consulted with Wraith, and he leaves little doubt that Maxwell Schmidt hired the assassins. Your clean energy facility has caused a stir among the fossil fuel industry and its investors. Clan Schmidt has been in decline for the last half-century. When Maxwell assumed the mantle of the family chief, he invested heavily in oil and natural gas. The ZPEM's will likely bankrupt him."

"Not my fault," I commented. "Is this a common occurrence in the scheme of things?" I asked, not wanting to use the word order or even hint at its existence.

"There are rules to place a contract on a fellow member," Surfer explained. "With enough money or favors, a black decade can be sanctioned. If Schmidt mustered the fees, then tonight was just the first of ten legal attempts at your life."

"How do I find out?" I asked as I lathered up my hair and wondered if a road trip was a good idea right now. "And how long does this decade last?"

"Until you defeat the other assassins or you reach Schmidt and either kill him or force him to recant the contract," Surfer explained. "I have requested armor and weapons from the nearest Silent Shadows chapter house. Akira will deliver them as soon as possible. Sleep tight."

"Yeah, right," I mumbled.

Day Two: Sodomy on the Orient Express

How I managed to sleep eluded me. Not only did I sleep, but my dreams made me think I had tapped into Left's early life before the ghost lines failed. The Farcaster War was at its height. The Duskwalker civil conflict raged across a hundred worlds and culminated upon the Earth. I fought on the left-handed side with the would-be empress Kadaena. She was a lover, goddess, and inspiration that burned cities to ash. Her mind seared the thoughts of billions as she waged war beyond the limited concept of mere humans. Kadaena pulled nuclear matter from the heart of a dying sapphire titan and boiled the homeworld of the resistance. Haven was no more. Kadaena reveled as the death cries echoed across lightyears to serenade her to sleep. They had to seal her away in a higher dimension so that the war could end. The united might of a million K'Ta'Viiri hurled her through time/space to a conceptual prison. To keep Kadaena contained and the prison secure, the galaxy forgot. Those same million Duskwalkers wiped the minds of every sentient they could reach. With her imprisonment, the ghost lines died, and with them the K'Ta'Viiri race.

Left fled the wroth of his fellow Duskwalkers and reduced his form to blend in with mere humans. You maimed yourself to keep from being destroyed. I held up my hand with its two opposable thumbs and between them four long delicate fingers. My eyes regarded the proper shape he had hidden from the beginning. The reflection in my mother's mirror revealed the bright violet eyes, slit cat-like pupils, and the symmetry only the K'Ta'Viiri may possess.

"Not alone," the voice whispered. "You are not alone, Duskwalker."

I woke covered in sweat and the fading viridian light leaving my room dim and painted with weak starlight. It took splashing water on my face to drive the last of the afterimages from my retina and thoughts.

"Someone has been keeping secrets," I said as I brought Left up to eye level. "You were, or are, a Duskwalker. Which is it?"

"Correction Booker, we are a Duskwalker," Left laughed as he winked at me from the palm of our shared limb. "My DNA has crept into you while those clever nanites worked their magic. My superior genetics aided in your survival. You would have died if it wasn't for me."

"Thank you," I said with no hint of anger or regret. "I owe my continued existence to you."

"I am thankful for your generosity and letting me remain," Left said without pride or malice. "I am not the being I was in my youth."

"We all change," I said. "Kadaena was something, eh."

"You are bold," Left snapped, and then his tone softened. "Yes, she was my universe." A mental image of the would-be goddess blazed in our shared collective. How do you describe perfection? I recalled the mountain-sized deity I had encountered early on during the Disney princess storyline. I had gotten up close and personal with her. Left's hunger for this woman had diminished little over the millennia. If it were physical beauty, I understood his passion. Her charisma was not limited to physicality. Oh no, she was intelligent, cunning, and entirely without remorse. Kadaena was a Warmaster, tactician, and a psion of unfathomable power. I remembered the dream where she ripped the heart out of a colossal blue star and hurled it at a planet. Fuck the Death Star. Kadaena was a world-ending threat. I stood on my balcony and looked up.