The Excisionists: Book 1 Page 2

  “What was that?”

  “It’s a game. You enter one of the player chambers and work with other players to win the game.”

  I stared at her skeptically. “What’s the catch?”

  “No catch. You play the game, and if you win, you get to come back into society either on a newly opened level here or in a new experimental facility nearby in a role based on how you won the game.”

  “What if I lose?”

  She sniffed. “You get option one.”

  “Tell me more about the new facility.”

  She nodded. “All of the leaders from the current facilities will be supporting this new colony. It allows all of its members to play a role based on their strengths in the game. They may be game designers for other players or psychologists who work with game designers to assess character development and brain activity thereby preventing neuronal overload of subsequent players. They could reinsert themselves into the game in any role or they could hold multiple roles. Honestly, the possibilities are endless. They also get to choose one other person to take with them.”

  It sounded too good to be true. “What’s the benefit for the other groups to support this one group of chaotic individuals?”

  She shrugged. “Genesis believes that we can assess ourselves better if we study chaos and the freedom of choice at a level we’ve never experienced before. It will help us avoid pitfalls with future society members. It also allows all of you to learn to work together as you plan the new game activities for other players such as yourselves.”

  “Sounds like you don’t know the full scope of the project.”

  Her eyes flashed with acrimony. “One of the greatest benefits is that we will have fewer nonconformists to deal with and we will be freed up to further unify society. Now, what’s your decision?”

  I gave her a dirty look. “I’m surprised you even have to ask.”

  “I don’t really. I can choose to force you into either based on my psychological profile of you. Lucky for you, I’m in a good mood today. You have the rest of the day to say goodbye to your family. Tomorrow morning you will report here at oh-seven-hundred hours. You’re free to go.” She stood up and turned her back to me.

  I stood up and left the room. My cheeks burned with anger as I thought of the predefined destiny they had constructed. I knew there was more to the so called “experimental facility” than I had been told, and I didn’t know what they were going to do with Mica when I was effectively removed from society. He wanted to be a soldier but lacked the physical strength to become one. Although everyone in our country had all entered into the massive buildings that dotted the landscape, we still had issues with other countries and would continue to until the Excisionists were able to harmonize all governments and build structures all across the world.

  Because of Mica’s insistence that he be allowed into high level analytics, he had not been placed in society despite being old enough to have his color selected. He was smart, but not genius level and that’s what wearing the silver colored uniforms required. He’d been genetically bred to possess superior intellect, but somehow the procedure didn’t work as well as planned and those who wore white were baffled by his case. They often came by to study him, perform tests on him, and give him supplements or injections. They were convinced that they could still modify his genetics now that he was out of the womb and had tried a variety of ways to do so. They were disappointed that he’d been born as less than a perfect physical specimen and were trying to determine if it was caused by complications during the pregnancy or if their procedure was the problem.

  Instead of heading back to my cabin, I decided to go to the large outdoor viewing windows on the first level of the compound. I went to the east facing windows where the sun wasn’t so harsh, and the windows would be almost clear allowing me to view everything in nearly living color. I peered outside at the unkempt grass and roaming wildlife. Although the Excisionists didn’t come right out and say it, one of their goals had been to allow nature to go back to its original state before man started tilling the earth. They had gone even as far as to release nanobots that chewed up the construction materials of buildings along with the remaining asphalt and concrete that had been abandoned when the compounds were completed.

  I leaned forward and pressed my forehead against the glass. Outside, birds hopped from bush to bush and rabbits hopped lazily across the horizon. I had now lived inside this structure for longer than I’d spent outside, and it made me feel entirely too claustrophobic. I closed my eyes and imagined walking through the tall grass, touching leaves with my fingertips, smelling the sweet aroma of the flowers at the gas station, and finally I relaxed.

  Later that day, I found Mica. He’d been trying unsuccessfully to learn the trade of a psychologist which was the target of Dr. Sonnet’s training for him. I could see the frustration on his face and in his hunched shoulders as he walked.

  He approached slowly and sat next to me on a bench in the hallway. “School is so hard. I don’t want to go back tomorrow.”

  I nodded and put my arm around his slight shoulders. “It’s worse to be a nonconformist. You should keep trying so you can have a nice life like mom and dad.”

  His chestnut hair shifted as he shook his head and wrinkled his freckled nose. “I don’t want to live like everyone else. I want to go to space or be in the Military, but they won’t let me do either one. Plus, I hate listening to the teacher drone on about psychological theories. It makes me want to pull my hair out.”

  I smiled at him and looked directly into his soft gray eyes. “Mica, I have to tell you something you’re not going to like.”

  He straightened up and stared intently back at me. “What is it?”

  I drew a deep breath and then began my explanation. “They aren’t giving me much of a choice, but I either have to let them do surgery to change my brain so I can conform, or I have to play a game and take my chances on either living on a separate level here or leaving the facility if I am able to win the game.”

  He shook his head. “Well, if that’s what they’re telling you, then which one are you going to choose?”

  I raised my brows. “Do you honestly think I’d let them turn me into a zombie? No way. I’m taking the game for sure, but I have to leave tomorrow morning and I don’t know if I can ever come back here.”

  He hit his tiny fist against his thigh. “That’s not fair! I need you here and you can’t just leave! Besides, what about mom and dad?”

  I looked at the floor. “They’ll be fine, they have you still and I won’t be such a pain to deal with anymore because I’ll be gone.”

  Tears welled up in his eyes and he threw his arms around my neck. “Take me with you. You have to.”

  I held him close for a moment and then broke our embrace. “I wish I could, but –”

  Het started sobbing. “Don’t leave me. Please.”

  I squeezed him tight and then said something I immediately regretted. “I’ll find a way to take you with me, but you have to stop crying.”

  He sat back and wiped his tears with the back of his hand. “You promise?”

  I nodded even though I didn’t know how I would do it.

  Suddenly his gray eyes lit up. “Do you think I can be a soldier in the game?”

  I nodded. “I’m sure they’ve got a character that’s a soldier.”

  He hopped up. “I’m going to say goodbye to mom and dad!”

  Before I could say anything, he bounded away leaving me to figure out what I’d just done. I decided to go back to Dr. Sonnet to get a spot in the game for Mica, but I knew it was going to take something very convincing to plead my case. By the time I’d made it back to her office, I had no idea what I was going to say, but I still went in.

  She was sitting at her desk watching something on her screen. Her eyes lifted and narrowed when she saw who was interrupting her studies. “Yes?”

  I neared her desk and said the first thing that came to my mind. “I’m only g
oing in the game if you let Mica come with me.”

  She sneered. “What? You think that this is something you can decide? Ha! Not likely.”

  I shook my head. “You’re not looking at this from the right perspective. One, you get rid of me. Two, you get more complete data on Mica so you can help him integrate into society. Three, if either, or both of us fail, you can insert the Omega Wave Interceptor and do whatever you want with us.”

  She drummed her fingers on the desktop. “All of that may be true, but your parents won’t be on board with losing the both of you in one day.”

  I nodded. “But if they believe it’s going to get us to where we need to be in society, and you know, help us pick our color, then they’ll sign the consent forms no questions asked. And, you could show your superiors how well their program works. That might get you a promotion to the labs upstairs to do research instead of low level psych profiles.”

  Greed crept into her eyes. She’d been wanting to level up on her career since it was the only way to increase her status in the new world society and eventually change her color to the coveted white. “Maybe. However, I’ll have to meet with them soon to get this approved. Leave and I’ll message them.”

  I nodded and left as fast as I could. I wasn’t sure if she’d actually do it, but it was worth a try. By the time I arrived back at my cabin, my parents were cheerily chatting with Mica. My mother had retrieved slices of coconut cake and tall glasses of a fizzy pineapple concoction she’d learned about during the first week here. We only had these on special occasions, and today was apparently one of them.

  Her eyes sparkled as she turned toward me when I entered the room. “Iolite! Great news! Dr. Sonnet just spoke with us and apparently both of you have been accepted into a new program designed by Genesis. I’m so proud of you both! Now you will have a color that means you can start your lives.”

  My father grinned widely. “You’re both becoming adults and it’s something that makes us both proud. I can’t wait to see what color you are assigned.”

  She hugged me and then grasped my hand. “We’ve also been approved to have another child. I’m so happy I could just burst.”

  I nodded and smiled despite my unhappiness with the news. I knew this was a ploy to keep them distracted and have a second go at creating a more perfect human. “That’s great mom.”

  We spent the rest of the night partying and preparing for our unique journey which made me groggy the next morning when the alarm sounded. I drug myself out of bed and took a hot shower to relax my muscles and clear my head. By the time we reached Dr. Sonnet’s room, the game was just about to start. Hundreds of excited young people were already exploring their new world inside the tanks. We hastily pulled on the required suits and hopped into our assigned cylindrical tanks. The suit itself was rubbery yet felt like silk on the inside. Headsets that dropped from the ceiling molded to our skulls and entered our ears, and once the film dropped in front of my eyes I was immediately transported to another place. It all felt so real. I found myself inside a dark room with a lighted cylinder at the center of the room. Standing to the side of the cylinder was an attractive female A.I. with long dark hair and jade green eyes.

  She stepped outside the cylinder and approached me. When she stood directly in front of me, she smiled and slightly bowed her head. “My name is Cygnet. I will be your assistant to help you learn how to play the game. To begin, I will explain the rules. You may try out your weapons before you enter the game. The first practice level will allow you to become various characters with their beginner weapons to help you choose your avatar.”

  I nodded. “Can I ask you any question I want, or will you just give responses on certain subjects?”

  She nodded. “Yes, players may ask any question. I am configured to respond to questions you may have, and my database is vast. However, I may not help any player intentionally physically or psychologically harm any other player, give secure information from a system I cannot access, or help a player cheat the game in any way.”

  I shrugged. “Okay, please begin with the tutorial.”

  She dematerialized, and I was transported inside another room filled with weapons, targets, and an obstacle course. As she spoke, each item she spoke about lit up. “Welcome to the Training Course. Players may return here upon completion of levels for a reprieve, or to practice with weapons and newly obtained skills. The basic weapons and innate skills are specific to each character race and class. This challenge course is designed for players to learn to move throughout the game or practice skills they find difficult. To return here at any point in the game, or to jump to the crystalline tower warp points from previously completed locations, tap the temple of your headset and state your desired location. Note that all crystalline towers are inactive until you repair the crystal by completing the assigned task. Customization and upgrades are possible throughout the game, but only at designated times and places. Please select a character and complete the course. Note that you are given three chances initially to complete this training course and then you must select your final character.”

  I lifted my hand to scroll through the character classes and read the stats as questions continued to form in my head. “How many lives do I get?”

  Her voice was excessively pleasant. “Lives are unlimited however, with each loss of life, players will respawn at the beginning of the task and all weapons, upgrades, or crystals gained during that task are lost.”

  “What if I don’t complete the training course in three attempts?”

  “Unfortunately, if players are unable to complete the training course, they will be ejected from the game.”

  I shuddered as I thought of being kicked out of the game and being implanted with the device. “What are crystals used for?”

  Cygnet’s voice was almost hypnotizing. “Players may use crystals for weapon purchases, upgrades, and are needed for completion of specific levels or tasks.”

  “How do I get them.”

  “Players may obtain crystals by completing tasks, returning old weapons to the armory, or by trading items with other players. Additionally, there are hidden Bismuth Crystals on each planet.”

  “What’s so special about Bismuth Crystals?”

  “Bismuth Crystals are desirable because they are so rare. Several are needed to complete the final task and they are extremely valuable.”

  I thought about the structure of the game and information I’d need to win. “What’s the final task and how many Bismuth Crystals do I need?”

  Cygnet paused prior to answering the question. “According to my database, this information is confidential and may only be discovered once inside the Alchemist’s Crypt.”

  I rolled my eyes at her response. “Can I use crystalline tower warp points repaired by other players?”

  “Crystalline tower warp points that are repaired by the player or by other players within each designated party may be accessed by any player within that party. Players are unable to access crystalline tower warp points that have been repaired by another party to which they do not belong.”

  “How do I get to be part of a party?”

  Cygnet’s voice remained soft and sweet. “Players must complete the required tasks on their home planet prior to creating a party or requesting to be in one. If you are approached by a player that requests that you become a part of their party, you may join at that time.”

  “So, I guess it all comes back to picking an avatar.”

  “Correct.”

  I looked through the races quickly before delving further into the benefits and drawbacks from each group. On my initial perusal of the characters, I thought the Lizard People were fierce looking, the Necromancers seemed ethereal, and the Water Aliens appeared to have many abilities. All of this piqued my interest, but I continued scrolling through them anyway to see Forest Dwellers, Humanoids, Light Dwellers, Scouts/Thieves, Shape Shifters, Interdimensional Dwellers, and Scientists/Engineers.

  I considered
each option carefully. “Cygnet, is there one race that has a clear advantage over the others?”

  Her response was prompt. “No. The races are designed to have both strengths and weaknesses. In addition to this, there are specific races and character classes which are required to complete specific tasks. I would advise you to have at least one of each race in your party.”

  I quickly ran through stats on the six races I was least interested in beginning with the Scientists/Engineers. They were called Marxians and could pick from medical, science, or building skills as their innate abilities. They would be able to repair anything given the proper starting materials, but were slow runners, required weapons and armor to protect themselves and couldn’t swim. They preferred bodyguards at all times due to their low health but had the ability to gain access to restricted areas and were highly intelligent. I didn’t want to die so easily from an unexpected attack, so I immediately dismissed this choice for my avatar.