The Excisionists: Book 1 Page 13

  Once these skills had been gained, I was able to move to the drills underwater which were definitely much more interesting. I made tunnels in space to allow me to get around or through solid objects. I used this skill to enter a secure compound in one of the pools where I retrieved a blackhole generator and particle bombs. I found a massive tank of five-fingered fish and moved them through the Calabi-Yau manifold into the pools of water. When they made it into the freedom of the lakes, they shimmered and danced creating a stunning visual display.

  As I walked about the compound, I found an armor cylinder where I could upgrade my exoskeleton for crystals. I’d been given more than a dozen for completing each objective and had plenty allowing for a few upgrades. I stepped inside the cylinder and saw a full-length mirror reflecting back my avatar. I could see the features of both arachnoids and moths that drew me to this race. My fangs, eight legs, and four shiny black eyes looked just like spider however, I had fuzzy antennae, a fur covered torso, and mottled wings that made me look like a moth.

  The available upgrades thickened my exoskeleton, rimmed my wings with spikes, and let me pick an emblem to place on my body wherever I chose to put it. Some of the emblems were crystals, some were animals, others were stars or planets, but one was a picture that looked just like the skull on the Death’s Head Moth. I selected it and put the mask on my chest where it was highly visible. Both my health and resistance stats increased when the armor was added.

  I spent more time searching the compound for additional crystals and skills to learn but was disappointed by the lack of combat. It wasn’t long after returning to the surface that I’d met Jinx. She was the first other player I’d interacted with since entering the game. She promised that I’d be in battles and be protected if I joined the Delphian Sect. I was able to transport to her planet when we joined forces and quickly regretted my desire to have enemies after seeing what was going on there on Taska. Her planet was in perpetual darkness with only a small distant star to light the surface in a fashion similar to the moon on Earth. Black souls roamed the planet and devoured anything with a beating heart. Ghostly figures sucked the life force from those who were technically living but who’d been brought there to exist forever as a tortured soul. The war never ceased on this planet as the prey fled from their captors while blood bubbled up to the surface from deep inside the globe.

  Jinx formed a protective bubble around me allowing me to watch and be safe from the events I viewed. Souls of the undead were compressed into a white vapor and placed into bottles that the Gorkan wore around their necks. Those who were tortured screamed and moaned but were never released from their pain. Whips, chains, spikes, flames, and every other wicked device you could imagine was present here. The necromancers fed on the fear and pain of those they tormented. She could see I was distressed by what I saw and after I’d been sufficiently horrified, she took me to another world where I could help her find others for our group which was a much more pleasant task.

  We traversed the distances between planets in seconds through the Calabi-Yau manifolds I created. I watched through the shields of distortion as she interacted with the others. She was excessively knowledgeable, but I still didn’t completely trust her after seeing where she’d come from. By the time we’d found more than half the group, Jinx was becoming restless and impatient. She wanted to get everyone together quickly, so we could get the group objectives passed off and go to Zerkola before anyone else could. She was demanding and cold at times, but excessively sugary sweet for others. I knew I saw more of her than the rest of them, but I was afraid to tell them what I saw in case she came after me. I decided I’d do anything she asked me to do to keep myself safe. After all, I wanted to be a powerful leader when I left the game and would need her help to ensure this all worked out for me.

  We had just finished talking to everyone on Dobleest and needed to get back to Stroya to check on Edan. We still needed to find a Marxian and get the rest of them together on the desert planet of Jalov to retrieve the bones of the Prince of Zaria. His name was Constantine Vladislav and had ruled Bwetye for over one-thousand years. He’d been betrayed by one of his own and was left on Jalov without crystals to sustain his life force. If his bones were retrieved and his life restored by Aqua Pura, he’d be able to return to Bwetye and we’d get one of the rewards we needed for another group objective. Jinx hadn’t told me what that was yet, but maybe she didn’t know either. I hadn’t been to Marxia yet and was excited to see this planet since it would be filled with scientists and engineers. I was imagining what the world would look like when I was interrupted by Jinx.

  “Are you even paying attention?”

  I was startled but tried not to show it. “Uh, what?”

  She narrowed her eyes at me. “Let’s get going.”

  “Where to first?”

  “Marxia. I’ve got my eye on someone there. Get me just outside the city of Onyx.”

  I lifted my two front legs and drew a circle in the air. We could see the city inside the manifold and were transported there as soon as we walked into the tunnel. What I saw was breathtaking. The entire planet was man-made. Some of the materials were clear and colorless while others were metallic. Blinking lights of every color dotted the towering sculptured skyscrapers. Artificially generated atmospheres were supported by volcano shaped metal structures that occurred in regular intervals. A.I.s served the scientists and did all of the heavy lifting. Fluids of varying colors and viscosities were exchanged between buildings in clear pipes and prisms topped every building to harness the energy from the stars.

  A group of scientists were outside one of the nearest buildings taking samples of the atmosphere, swabbing the structures, and discussing plans for additional buildings. Off to one side was a single female scientist scanning the side of the building with a hand-held laser to detect imperfections. She was attractive with all the right curves in the right places. She had shoulder length black locks, tawny skin, violet eyes, and heart-shaped shiny bubblegum pink lips that matched her plastic suit. She wore clear plastic eye protectors along with white gloves and boots. Her scientific equipment was both on her belt and in her crossbody bag.

  Jinx approached and spoke softly so she wouldn’t startle her. “Excuse me. May I have your assistance with something?”

  She switched off her laser and turned toward the voice. “What can I help you with?”

  “My name is Jinx. I’m searching for someone to join my party that’s a Marxian. I’ve put together a team of individuals who are exceptional and I’d like you to join us. Are you willing to do so?”

  She tilted her head and stared at the mottled Gorkan. “What makes you think I’m looking to join a party? For all you know, I’m just starting this game and not exceptional enough to join your group.”

  Jinx smiled. “Your response tells me you are analytical, intelligent, wary of newcomers, and ready for a challenge. I can see you are the only one here who’s alone in their work which suggests you’ve passed several objectives already and no longer need a mentor. I think you’re perfect for us, wouldn’t you agree?”

  She scanned the area. “Us? Who else is with you?”

  Jinx turned to me and waved me over. “Drop the shield and show yourself to her. This is my friend Phineas.”

  Immediately I felt self-conscious. I should have chosen a less scary avatar and hoped desperately that she’d look just like her avatar in real life. I dropped the shield and stayed back. “Hi.”

  She looked at me without any hint of fear. “I’m Zuri. Come closer.”

  I crept closer and she reached out a gloved hand to inspect me.

  “That’s a freaky combination of features.”

  The glove was rubbery against my skin and felt amazing as it brushed through my fur. I smiled and relaxed.

  She smiled back. “I like arachnids. Can you feel the antennae when I touch them?”

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Cool.” She dropped her hand and turned her head ba
ck to face Jinx. “I’ll join your group on one condition, Phineas is my guard.”

  Jinx nodded. “Whatever you want.”

  I nodded. “You really like arachnids?”

  She chuckled. “Yeah.” She turned around so I could see her back. The biohazard symbol had a spider at the center and the legs formed the arcs of the symbol. “See?”

  I smiled sheepishly. “Not sure I’ll be the strongest guard, but I can make shields and transport you anywhere in seconds.”

  White teeth flashed as she laughed. “Sounds awesome.”

  Jinx got down to business. “What else needs to be passed off on this planet?”

  Zuri shrugged. “Nothing that I’m aware of.”

  “Good. Let’s get going.”

  She looked around the city block. “Where are we headed?”

  “Stroya. Before we leave, are there any items you need to retrieve?”

  Silky dark locks swayed as she shook her head. “No, I’ve got everything I need with me.”

  I took my cue. “Stroya it is.”

  Seconds later, we found ourselves outside a palace searching for Edan in a throng of dancing Stroyans. I grabbed some savory bites of appetizers as we walked through the crowd. Jinx was the first one to spot him drinking and talking with others. When he saw us coming, he straightened up and placed his mug on the table. Without a word, he walked toward us and followed us into the manifold to Dobleest to get the others. We’d already brought the rest of our party to Dobleest so they could get to know each other, but still needed to add Edan and Zuri to the group. I was happy that we’d found the last member of our party and could start by heading to Jalov however, we needed to introduce Zuri to the rest of them.

  We all sat in a circle on the ground and introduced ourselves. Jinx started. “I’m Jinx. I’m the one who brought you all together because I see something special in all of you. My father is an Excisionist that built the game which gives me more knowledge than others. That’s why we’re ahead of the other parties and will likely be the first ones to reach the Alchemist’s Crypt.”

  I went next. “I’m Phineas. Jinx found me when I was still learning about interdimensional travel and now I’ve been helping her move from planet to planet to gather all of you.”

  The others followed. “I’m Mica and this is my sister Iolite. We got a bunch of potions and crystals that will be useful, plus my sister is super smart.”

  Iolite chuckled. “Thanks, but I just came here to help out my brother. Now that I’ve joined the party, I’ll do what I can to help all of you out.”

  “I’m Crispin and this is Amber. We have a small ship and know where to get a larger one, but we’ll need some stuff to trade for it.”

  Amber stared at the ground as she talked. “You know my name. I’m able to fly ships and…uh yeah…I’m still figuring out how to pass this game off quickly.”

  “I’m Edan and I just got Aqua Pura meaning we can complete our next objective.”

  “My name is Wes and we’ll be going to my planet Jalov for the next objective. I’ll probably lead the mission since I know the terrain.”

  “Opal is the name. I’m a light dweller so I can channel lightning and use crystals to generate energy. I can also activate all crystalline tower warp points so if you’ve found one that isn’t complete or isn’t charged, let me know.”

  “I’m Zuri and obviously a Marxian. I’ve got a fingerprint generator, key code replicator, and can make anything you need if you give me the right starting materials. Phineas has agreed to be my guard since I can’t run fast or protect myself well yet. I’m currently working on building an armored transport for moving long distances without being killed so if you come across any Inconel, random gears, mirrored reflectors, or really anything that looks like I could use it, pick it up for me.”

  Jinx looked around the group as she spoke. “We need to pass off the main objectives that still need to be completed on each planet. We don’t need to do everything, just the ones that need multiple races to complete and are required for entry into the Alchemist’s Crypt. According to what I read about the game, there’s at least one on each planet. I’ve got an order that I think we should go in, any objections?”

  No one disagreed but Mica had a question. “What’s the order?”

  “We need to go to Jalov first, then Bwetye. After that, Taska, Stroya, Dobleest, Verbinia, Yargkee, Kaplya, and finally Marxia.”

  Iolite regarded Jinx coolly. “How do we know that this is the right order? Or that you’re making the right decisions for us?”

  Jinx remained calm, but I knew she didn’t like it when her authority was challenged. “Like I said before, my father wrote this game. This is the most logical order.”

  She tilted her head. “Okay, then what’s supposed to be done on each planet? Do you have a list of those?”

  She nodded. “Jalov, revive the Prince of Zaria with Aqua Pura and then bring him to Bwetye. Retrieve the power object from him to take to Taska. On Taska, obtain the mirror of shadows. Take the mirror to the Emerald Room on Stroya to capture the army of ghosts we’ll need later in the game. Retrieve the horns of the Cimmerian. On Verbinia, retrieve the cave spiders. Kill the glacier demon and retrieve the compass for the labyrinth on Kaplya. Finally, on Marxia build a ship that’s capable of transporting everyone to Zerkola and surviving the atmosphere for entry. Our current ship can’t withstand the forces and it doesn’t carry enough fuel to get us there. When we get there, we’ll have to use the items we’ve collected to make entry into the Alchemist’s Crypt and move up the ranks to pass off the final objective of the game.”

  Wes was impressed. “That’s crazy you know all that!”

  Zuri was analytical in her approach. “Assuming we complete all of these objectives, what is the end goal of the game? Also, can we complete these objectives in groups or do we all have to be together?”

  Jinx shrugged her shoulders. “I have no idea what the final requirement is. We’ll have to figure that out when we get there. For each planet, we could be in small groups for a few of the objectives, but they get progressively harder and the beasts take quite a bit to kill. We should keep everyone together to be sure we have enough attack strength and so we don’t have to find everyone again.”

  Zuri reached into her bag and pulled out a handful of silver buttons. “Here, everyone take one. We can communicate with these in real time.”

  I watched as they all attached them to their shoulders. “How’s this supposed to stay on me?”

  “Just press it on your fur. It will stick. They will begin to transmit automatically, and the volume auto adjusts.”

  I did as I was instructed. “Thanks.”

  Jinx tossed a glowing orb to the few new players that hadn’t receive one yet. “Don’t lose these. When we get the ghost army, they will protect and surround those who have one of these and attack all others.”

  Mica decided to add to the items we would need to carry. “Here’s an energy potion and a healing potion for each of you. Keep these for the Cimmerian and the glacier demon. I bet we’ll have to use them for those guys so we don’t have to respawn and start over.”

  I didn’t have any place to keep this stuff. “Anyone got a bag I could use?”

  Edan tossed me a pouch. “Here.” He looked around the circle. “Anyone else have enough stuff to buy some upgrades before we start?”

  Most of us nodded our heads in the affirmative.

  “Okay, let’s get to the nearest vendor and get what we can. Who knows where it’s at on this planet?”

  Mica raised his hand. “I do. This is my planet. Follow me.”

  We stood up and walked in a line behind the Nomad. He picked his way through the thick foliage and branches with ease. Many of the larger members of the group took longer to do the same thing. After walking for several minutes, I realized that we could have avoided this all together. “Hey Mica, can you show me where it’s at on the map? I can distort space and we can get there without having
to walk through all this forest stuff.”

  “Yep.” He pulled up his map and pointed to a small dot that was far from our current location.

  “Great.” I drew a circle and formed a Calabi-Yau manifold large enough to contain us all. They all seemed amazed as they walked through to the other side and stood just outside the vendor’s hut.