Raine VS The End of the World (7 page)

Casually, trying to keep her cool, Raine walked through an arch that, judging by the steady stream of traffic going through it, hopefully housed a portal.

Raine exhaled in relief upon emerging from beneath a waterfall on the opposite side of the crystal fountain. She missed a chance to ask Mr. Hayter about Super BlastBoy, but the distressing follow-up thought was that he wouldn’t have a clue as to what she was talking about.

SBB mentioned ‘forbidden knowledge’. Why didn’t that man want to discuss Earth?

She shuffled past the Literally Sunken Orchestra, playing muzak to a lethargic crowd spread out along futons and scattered pillows. The spectacle reminded Raine of naptime in kindergarten. Still on edge and afraid of being followed, the girl walked briskly from the square.

As she thought on all the people seemingly enslaved by the Network, she wondered if that was to be her fate, should she tarry too long here.

Her senses overwhelmed, Raine followed the flowing stream over a bridge to where it fed into a placid lake.

She leaned on the railing, hoping to rest her eyes on something natural. But hovering over the water, dozens of visor-wearing kids spun around in opposing spheres, limbs flailing to the beat of a flashy multiplayer rhythm game: a videogame within a videogame world.

Averting her eyes downwards, Raine gazed into the water’s sparkling blue depths from underneath the suddenly increasing pitter-patter of black pixels. She made a study of her own pair of goggles.

Maybe later
.
Right now this place is weird enough on its own.

“Good morning, citizens! We need you to reelect Pinoci to the office of Governor-King!”

The sudden loudspeaker bothered her. Following it, a roaring shadow blanketed the city.

“I promise to use my power to win the war on Atmoya! I also pledge to maintain our friendship with Chip Kingdom under the righteous guidance of Mister Senior!”

Spinning around towards the din, Raine took in the gargantuan airship hovering above her head. A complete impossibility with regards to physics, it was definitely military in nature, with downward-facing turrets of every size emerging from its hull. They gave the illusion of long oars on some ancient vessel.

Its plaque read:
The Nebula, Protector of the Skies
.

Dozens of blimps fluttered out of the behemoth, each projecting holograms of two genial politicians. Subtitles listed ‘Pinoci’ and ‘Mister Senior.’

“Pinoci and I have made excellent progress in bringing our two great countries together. We will keep your user experience safe and convenient so you can pursue your dreams!”

Mister Senior had a kind of unforgettable face, the confident gaze of a pro salesman married to the enigmatic smirk of a school principal. As they breakdanced with an overly euphoric crowd of diverse individuals, the loudspeaker trumpeted the slogans once more, set to a swelling orchestra. Raine had had quite enough of it.

“Reelect Pinoci for more item drops! Pinoci!”

The
Nebula
’s shadow receded. Escort blimps took their campaign to the other side of town, the storm died down to a trickle, and the city didn’t appear so inviting anymore.

There’s no way SBB would be caught dead here. What’s a surefire way to find a heroic legend? Seek out a battle, perhaps.

A good start might be to follow anyone geared up to fight. Sure enough, warrior-watching proved rewarding in under a minute: spotting a satyr ninja clan hopping across the rooftops, Raine decided to see if she could do the same. She climbed a trellised wall onto a second-storey building, to many worried mews from Chance.

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” she laughed.

Tutorial’s over. It’s time to see what’s going on.

Raine calculated her distance and leapt over to an adjacent roof. She found that she could jump extraordinarily higher than normal, and that her feet caught the ground with little resistance. Perhaps in this dream, physical constants like gravity were flexible. Another calculated leap, this time over a small road, all but confirmed this hypothesis.

The girl looked ahead; the ninjas headed towards the market district. While there was no way she could catch up with them, she could at least journey in their general direction. Raine bounded from rooftop to rooftop with ease.

IV. Gerrit
“Act without expectation.” – Lao Tzu

April 14, 2187

Earth Defense Coalition Temporary Base Camp

I guess that’s one way to get there. But you’re no
Spider-Man
, Raine. One pratfall from you and we’re all in the drink.

Sky Admiral Lillian Hermes sipped hot tea from her thermos, standing outside her bunker overlooking the desolate cliff face in western Siberia as she watched the live feed of Raine and her companion hopping across the
Metaverse
without a care in the world. She blinked off her personal Holo-Lens; the bulb on her ear-mounted device went dark.

So far, so good,
at least on Raine’s end. The destruction of their primary satellite dish by one of the Queen’s rogue patrol units was too close for comfort. If Raine had awoken any later in the process, their signal might have been backtraced. There could be no more risks like that. Not if this planet were to have any chance at all.

The time had come for the Earth Defense Coalition, as the outfit called itself, to take the show on the road, with all the possible risks that presented. This hostile plateau by the Altai Mountains was the latest unexpected temp base on their journey, an unwelcome pit stop necessitated by the Queen’s increasing drone patrols and irregular storms.

Still, the advanced scrambling shield ensured that they’d be well concealed from her eyes tonight, and hopefully a few days longer.

The wind stung the twenty-year-old’s cheeks, bringing with it a promise of another blizzard. Two android bodyguards and the scruffy foreman looked on in concern for her health, but a multi-layered parka with a built-in electric heater kept the time traveler warm and toasty. Several dozen ‘bots were priming the
Valkyrie’s
new dish to maximum efficiency atop a hundred-foot tower
.
The monstrosity swayed in the unrelenting gale.

As much as possible, whenever she found herself down on the surface, Lily would insist on spending time outside, in nature, even if the great outdoors consisted of a desolate, frozen highland seven thousand feet above sea level.

“Higher!” she yelled after checking the readouts. “We’re going to need fifteen more feet for optimum range!”

The androids turned down their camouflage and looked to her in disbelief.

“Admiral, we’re low on time, and we’re already risking detection here,” Colonel Feuchuk opined, at his wits’ end.

“Nothing is more important than this,” she intoned. “
Operation
End Verse
culminates in four days, and we need to make tracks ASAP. The Commodore’s already on the move.”

Right now, a stable, untraceable connection was everything. It’d mean, quite literally, the difference between the life and death of every organism on planet Earth. Even a minor slip-up at this point might end in the most drastic of consequences.

“We’re short-handed, ma’am. If you could just give me till morning,” the Colonel pleaded.

“So be it,” Lily mumbled in reply. “But we leave at oh-eight-hundred sharp.”

Frustrated at the slow progress of her underlings, Lily retreated into the bunker, storming through her checkpoints. She stole glances at holo-screens by the android barracks; Raine was now chatting with an NPC on the rooftop.

Her mechanized soldiers snapped into respectful salutes.

“As you were!” she yelled. “No more wasted time on pleasantries tonight.”

They quickly returned to work. Many were retrofitting droids and weapons recovered from some of the less fortunate factories. To boot, cloaking systems were in desperate need of maintenance, having fallen prey to the constant storms.

At the heart of the structure, Lieutenant General Gabriel Joaquin directed the flow of local air traffic. His staff was guiding approaching escorts to the lower base camps beneath the flying fortresses.

They had to act fast. It was no easy job steering cloaked airships in a blizzard, even ones powered by multiple thermal fission cores. Lily hated being forced to utilize dirty and destructive nuclear power, but when in Rome…

“This is a mess, Admiral,” he said sadly. “I advise that we delay the operation. If this weather keeps up, we’ll only have sixty percent of the force we’d hoped for.”

“That will have to do,” Lily replied.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, I don’t think I understand. To lay siege on
Neo Eden
with only three hundred thousand...”

“Vice, you’re from Cuba, right?”

Joaquin swallowed. “My family is, ma’am. But I grew up in the Panama commune. My father fought in the ’62 Sugar Skirmishes.”

That’s right; he lived through Panama.
She placed a hand on his shoulder. Here she was, comforting a man nearly twice her age. Whatever rationale he had for a delay, it wasn’t worth putting even more lives at risk.

“I promise you, once this week is over, you’ll have a choice: to return to your family, or to send for them to assist in the rebuilding process. And the same goes for everyone in this outfit.”

“I understand, ma’am. If the operation is a success--”

“There’s no ‘if’s or ‘buts’ about it. We’re shutting down the
Metaverse.
There will be casualties, despite our best efforts. I’m not asking for miracles. But we have a strict schedule to keep.”

Gabriel Joaquin nodded and returned to his work.

A more focused study of the man’s bold face reminded Lily how brave he was to be the first to undergo Trust Memory Analysis.

His recent example ended the boycott for Lillian’s controversial but effective technique of weeding out any potential spies or double agents: a thorough transcription and investigation of every enlistee’s memories. While transparent in its goals, the procedure was despised, and indeed many left the service on principle alone. Some Elders even resigned.

But as a result, the Sky Admiral could rest knowing that not a one of the thousands of EDC men and women currently airborne was working for the Queen, and for her, that was worth the loss.

At this point, every eye in the command room was on Lillian. The Elder Representatives, too, watched intently from back home. Lily cleared her throat and walked into her private office to address them via a static-riddled hologram.

“Dear elders, I can wait only till morning before departing. Everything’s in motion now. I’m sorry,” she said, unzipping her parka.

“Why must it be now?” the Russian elder asked. “One or two more days will give us an opportunity to nearly double our forces.”

You got this,
Lily told herself.
Just like we rehearsed.

“Because right now, time is on our side. As of yet we’ve had no leaks. The HDP is still vulnerable, and our plans within the
Metaverse
will have consequences. Much can change in one minute, let alone an hour, or a day. I’m hoping to avoid a bloodbath. Please trust me when I say we won’t get another shot.”

It was most of the truth. Raine was already barreling forward on her course, with virtual bloodhounds sure to be hot on her trail in hours. With the drop of the first domino, there was no way to slow down what had been set into motion.

“We can only hope that you know what you are doing,” the elder from Tibet replied. “Should you fail to take the city, you can be sure that our last peaceful lands will be razed in retaliation. We can’t afford another Jakarta.”

“I fully understand that,” Lily nodded. “May I address the room now, so that my men don’t lose what little faith they have?”

The elders quickly conversed amongst themselves via private channels. Within a few seconds, they came to an agreement.

“Very well,” one of the American Indian Chieftains acquiesced.

A hologram of Commodore Leandra mouthed ‘good luck’. Lily gave her a thumbs-up in reply. She brushed off her parka, straightened her uniform, and kicked the office door open.

“Hey, everyone! I know that I’m asking a lot from you all. Every man, woman, and droid in this place is doing their damned best. This will be difficult on all of us,” she continued. “But time is of the essence. One by one, our factories and bases have fallen under siege. Supply routes have been cut off, merchant ships scuttled. This is our best and only chance. What happened in Sector Thir–, I mean, Indonesia – last week wasn’t easy on anyone. But if we turn back now, our families will be next. The only advantage we possess is the element of surprise, and we can’t lose it. Will you fight with me?”

“Yes, Sky Admiral, ma’am!” the room echoed.

But Lily could see that many doubts remained. Their reaction was to be expected. As far as they were concerned, she had only been leading the EDC for five of her seven fragmented years with the rebellion, but under her watchful eye, they’d given the Queen the first proper challenge to her reign since her dynasty had come to power, freeing tens of thousands from the
Metaverse
, not to mention annexing dozens of war factories in as many territories, turning them to their own use, and all under the Overseer’s nose. Yet, even with her wealth of intellect and experience, the truth was that the Sky Admiral was but a young woman, a phantom with no birth records or homeland, and to their knowledge, she had not yet been tested in a battle of this scale.

On the big screen, the elders looked grim, and appeared to be discussing matters of war and resources amongst themselves, shutting her out. To save face, Lillian knew she had to get the last word in.

“I know many of you think we are heading towards certain death. They may have superior numbers and firepower, but we’ve got a clockwork course. It’s the second star to the right and straight on till morning. All we need to do is to hit our marks once the curtain’s pulled,” Lily declared.

Having said this, she walked back into the storm before anyone in the room could spot the worries racking her face, and returned to watching the virtual drama unfold.

↔

Fueled by adrenaline, Raine leapt past ancient monuments and over coffee shops. The sounds of battle drew nearer. She stopped to consider whether she could make a sixty-foot leap to a higher roof across a main road when someone called out her name.

“Raine!” he cried. “Raine, where are you going?”

She did a double take on the clean-cut blonde boy from earlier, now clumsily navigating the shingled terrain. His voice was even more unnatural than his appearance.

He stopped too close for Raine’s comfort, huffing and puffing. In place of a green username, “Nimbus” appeared above his head in gray letters. Nothing about the kid struck her as human or genuine, but she decided to hear him out.

“Um, hi,” she said, crossing her arms.

“I’ve been looking all over for you,” Nimbus replied. “Turn that frown upside down! I know you’ll come to enjoy my company.”

He beamed in a way that made Raine very uncomfortable. She walked around him, so he couldn’t pin her against the edge of the roof.

“Why? I don’t even know why you’re so interested in me, and it’s kind of creeping me out.”

Nimbus advanced towards her, and Raine circled until the chimney was at her back. There was something very off about his eyes. She clenched her fists.

“I am here on behalf of the Developers
.
My sworn duties are to answer any questions you might have, to be your friend if you are looking for company, and to make your life more pleasant… and exciting.”

Raine was ready to sock him, the same way she showed bullies at her orphanage that she wasn’t the type to be messed with.

“Now, what would you like to know?”

Without warning, a menu screen appeared before his robotic face. Raine skimmed the hundreds of available questions.

The whole thing looked dreadfully boring.

“I don’t suppose you could help me locate Super BlastBoy, also known as Anthony Kon.”

Nimbus looked sad. “I’m sorry. I don’t have a record of either.”

Raine felt at a total loss. “That can’t be right. Can you check again?”

“No results found. Let’s try something else. I’d like to take you on a hovercraft tour of the city. Shall we make it a date?”

“Ask me again when I’m in a better mood.”

“Would you feel better if I were less conventionally attractive?”

“Come now, Nimbus. This has nothing to do with how you look. It’s just… you, man. I can’t believe I’m trying to cheer up a computer. All right, tell me what I can do if I’m bothered by someone I don’t want around.”

“Naturally, you need not be subject to any unwanted physical contact. Simply think it, and any individual touching you will be repelled by a shock. There are other options. Use the red button on your wristband to ban a player. This prevents any physical and/or remote contact and transmits relevant logs to the Templar forces.”

“Okay, good.” Raine held her finger over the button, mock-threatening to press it. “Now shove off, please,” she told Nimbus sternly.

Disappointed, the boy took a small step back. “W-would you like to know more?”

“I get that it’s your job, home skillet, but can we do this later?” Raine asked. “I’d prefer to explore on my own.”