Opening Moves (The Gam3 Book 1) (26 page)

Then, they got to the point Alan was the most excited about.

I’d like to browse the contents of the Vault.

Very well.

The Vault. A collection of items that the Administrators traded for marks, rumored to be the largest and most varied collection of weapons, armor and vehicles gathered in the Game. These items were rumored to come from a variety of sources. They were items dropped by players due to death penalties, items taken from chaotic players that broke the law, items developed by the Administrators and items bought by the Administrators. Each Administrative Center had its own vault, but the greatest and most expansive, where all the rarest items made their way, was here, in the Administrative Center at the center of Khersath. Alan needed a weapon, and he had one platinum mark, ten diamond and ten gold marks to spend.

Alan opened the list, and then sorted through the weapons in his price range. The weapons were surprisingly high-tiered, but considering his armor was worth 50k credits and a platinum mark was worth 100k, 200k if sold on the market rather than exchanged with the Administrators, it was no surprise that they were of such high quality.

Unfortunately, a lot of the weapons which were rank B or above also had a series of requirements, most of which Alan didn’t meet. He also didn't want to spend too much, but would need to spend money to make some. That seemed to be the story of the Game thus far.

Combing through page after page of results with Eve, but hurrying as he still had the task to complete, Alan finally settled on an item. The pistols themselves cost an entire platinum mark, and two diamond marks, while the rifle accessories cost three diamond marks, but Alan felt like it was a necessary investment. The Undercity didn’t sound like the kind of place he should go under-armed. He brought up the item descriptions:

The fact that the Cores wouldn’t be dropped either was a big plus too, as Alan wasn’t sure how often he might die in the Game. If he really needed cash he could sell the weapons later.

Moments after Alan handed over the marks to the Administrator, the items popped out of a slot in the wall. Orion’s Cores were two sleek laser pistols made of a green-silver metal. They were completely devoid of any grooves or edges, simply curved weapons that appeared in a half-U shape. The rifle attachment was simply a larger U shaped weapon with two slots to put the Cores in. Thanking the Administrator for the help, Alan took an elevator back outside, ready to enter the Undercity.

The entrance to the Undercity was nowhere to be found. Alan had rushed over to the position indicated by the quest in the plaza, only to find himself standing in the middle of nowhere. He was standing at the exact location the quest designated, but there was nothing here. Alan had inspected the ground, the peddlers and the players around him, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No clear, obvious sign that said, “Entrance to deadly Undercity, right here!” Maybe there was a level requirement that he didn’t meet and thus couldn’t see the entrance….

Negative. The entrance is likely on a level below.

Of course. Khersath was a city-planet, and this was simply the top floor. There were hundreds of floors below him, with only the upper 100 or so actually being occupied safe zones. The Undercity, as the name suggested, would be below these safe upper levels.

Alright, so how do I get to the lower levels?

Querying… All the space directly beneath the plaza is controlled by the Administrators. The Administrative Center that you see is but the tip of an even more gigantic structure. Most of the space is used as storage space for the Vault; there are likely many secret entrances to the lower levels of Khersath within, like the one indicated by the quest.

Back to the Administrative Center?

Affirmative.

Sighing, Alan ran back to the Administrative Center. This time he bypassed the line by going through a special entrance the Administrators told him about. Alan checked the time; the Black Rose Docking Bay at the outer edge of the plaza, in the private sector. That still meant it was around an hour’s run away, and Alan only had three and a half hours left. Quickly approaching the first Administrator he saw, Alan initiated a mental contact.

Hey, quick question, can I use your entrance to the Undercity?

Greetings Traveler, please remove your helmet for a proper ID. May I ask why you wish to enter the Undercity?

Um…
 Alan paused for a second, taking off his helmet. He wasn’t sure how much he was supposed to reveal about the task he was to complete. 
Well, I need to complete a task for a major guild as part of a trial to get in.

Querying database... Checking requirements... Unfortunately, Traveler, you do not meet the requirements to enter the Undercity through our gateway at this time, and I cannot make an allowance without someone authorizing your entrance. You have the necessary reputation and gear, but lack the minimum safety requirement of level 200. I apologize for the inconvenience.

No, wait…
 Alan frantically racked his brain for reasons he should be let in, yet, in the nervous state he was in, couldn’t think of any off the top of his head.

Alan took a deep breath, telling himself to calm down, hoping he didn’t look like an idiot simply staring at the Administrator, breathing heavily due to the run over.

Alright, can you please wait a moment to contact the person who gave me this task?
he finally asked.

Certainly.

Alan quickly sent a message to Phantom:

Alan: Hello, Phantom? Are you there?

Phantom: Huh, what? Why are you contacting me so early in the morning? I just fell asleep.

Alan glanced at the clock, it was 7:34 a.m.

Alan: Um, sorry for the disturbance, I had a few questions about the task you gave me. I’m having trouble entering the Undercity, and was wondering if you had the authority to grant me access to the Administrator entrance.

Phantom: Grant authority? You mean you went up and asked the Administrators to enter, and they just said they needed what exactly?

Um, who can authorize my entrance?
Alan asked the administrator.

Any officer in any organization rank D or above or a party member that meets the minimum safety requirements should suffice.

Alan almost face palmed, he should have asked this question earlier. He could have hired a bodyguard, without annoying Phantom. Of course, the bodyguard might have betrayed him, or maybe Phantom was planning a trap… No, he wouldn’t risk getting on the Chief Administrator’s bad side, right?

Alan: Um, apparently any officer of an organization rank D or above has to grant me the authority.

Phantom: Well, I think I’m an officer and the Black Rose Guild is an A rank guild, so I guess you’re in luck, kiddo. Give me the Administrator’s contact info.

Alan quickly did so.

Alright, Traveler, you are granted permission to enter the Undercity. Please wait here for a guide that will take you to the entrance.

Okay, thanks for your help!

Alan cut off the connection with the Administrator, sending a quick reply to Phantom.

Alan: Thanks a lot for the help, they said they’d let me through! Um, a quick question, how far away is the place that holds the package? I’m a bit worried about time.

Phantom: Really? It was that easy? Huh. The destination isn’t too far, just maybe a twenty minute run from the Administrator’s entrance. Your quest should update itself.

Alan: Oh, how did you expect me to get into the Undercity? Um, also, I don’t suppose you could give me any sort of emblem that would grant me some sort of authority as a courier of the Black Rose guild? How am I supposed to let them know you sent me, otherwise?

Phantom: I hear most people sneak into the entrance. I wasn’t even aware the Administrators knew it existed… Also, sorry, as you aren’t yet a member yet I can’t give you any sort of emblem. Now, this package pickup is sort of under the table so don’t tell them who sent you, okay? No mentioning the Black Rose guild or me. Tell them the boss sent you to pick up the designated package, the quest will give you the info about which. These deals happen all the time in the Undercity. Now, I’m getting back to sleep. I was up late doing guild stuff. Important guild stuff. Only message me again if the planet’s about to explode or something like that, okay?

Alan: Um alright.

Phantom ended the conversation.

A few moments later, a humanoid figure wearing a grey, flowing robe walked up to Alan. Like so many other people, they had a hood on, hiding their face. A gruff, digitized male voice said from beneath the hood, “Are you Alan?”

Alan nodded.

“Alright, follow me.”

The figure turned around, surprisingly agile despite Alan's assumption it was an older man or construct. Alan rapidly followed the guide down a back hallway, then through a series of red walls of light. Each time they turned a corner or entered a hallway, the lights would turn on above them. When they left, they would turn off, plunging the area into darkness. Each and every inch of space was the exact same grey, silver metal. The walls, the ceiling, even the floor.

Alan was led down into a hidden staircase within another stairway. It was opened when his guide pressed his palm into the wall. Alan saw a glimpse of a hand with only three long, clawed fingers. They walked down the staircase in silence. It led almost straight down, with no end in sight. After a few minutes, an exit abruptly appeared, which they took. Alan continued following the guide for a series of additional twists and turns. How he was ever supposed to have found his own way down here, he had no idea. Maybe that was supposed to have been part of the challenge.

Still, the place was definitely barren, so he probably could have gotten away with sneaking around. Alan hadn’t seen another living or mechanical soul down here. Finally, after around a half hour of walking, the guide stopped in front of a wall, which Alan assumed to actually be a doorway.

“Here is the lift down to the Undercity. It should be back up soon. 15 minutes down, 15 minutes up, a continuous ride between bottom and top. Once you get out continue until you reach the light.

"Let an Administrator know when you are back up and they will send someone to guide you out. Do not sneak around, as you are more likely to get yourself killed than find any secrets. Most of the rooms are empty death traps. Good luck with whatever it is you’re trying to do.”

Abruptly, the guide turned around and left, walking the complete opposite way they had came.

There are also numerous hidden sensors spread around this area,
Eve let Alan know.
I doubt Phantom or anyone else was able to come here without the Administrator’s knowledge.

Interesting. It isn’t like I planned on sneaking around here, anyways…

Alan silently waited in front of the metal wall, hoping this wasn’t some sort of practical joke. He should probably be more trusting of people, instead of imagining all the horrible stuff that might happen. Then, the wall suddenly opened up, revealing a metal room. Within was a girl, around Alan's age, who seemed as surprised to see Alan as Alan was to see her. She was tall and pretty, with long blonde hair and blue eyes.

The girl wore a grey, leather outfit with a hood, almost straight out of an assassin’s game, nicely accentuating a beautiful figure. Strapped to her sides was a knife and what appeared to be a wooden stake. Looking closer, she appeared to be wounded, with blood on her shoulder
—

GET IN THE LIFT, NOW.

The door in the wall had begun to close, the room beginning to descend. Alan dived forward as the girl was jarred into action as well. They quickly moved out of each other’s way, eyes briefly meeting as they passed each other by, the girl leaping out, Alan diving in. Alan landed in the metal room, able to get a last glance at the girl’s shapely departing figure as she threw up her hood.

Alan closed his eyes and concentrated, quickly having Eve bring up an image of the girl, telling himself it was to figure out more about her, not just to look at her. A few details had escaped his initial glance. Upon closer inspection, the stave he had seen had a number of light blue glowing runes on it, making the girl a Psionic ability user. Additionally, the blood on her didn’t seem to stem from any obvious wound, making Alan suspect it was someone else’s. Finally, her ears were distinctly pointed, making her a space elf or something. Eve quickly brought up a list of about 20 humanoid species with pointed ears, which Alan closed.

Wondering what the girl had been up to, Alan began to think about the day so far. In the end, Alan felt a bit disappointed. Khersath was simply a city. A humongous, futuristic city, yes, but like any other city it was basically a collection of buildings and people, most of which Alan would never see the insides of or even know the use of. A hive of activity and experience that simply was. Everything felt chaotic, too many new variables being thrown after him one after the other. Alan shook his head, such thoughts were irrelevant now, he had a task to complete.

We should arrive soon,
Eve sent.
I advise entering into stealth mode, which is just sneaking about rather than an activated ability or mode, in case you were wondering. Prepare to activate the armor’s invisibility and run, depending upon what awaits us at the bottom.

Alan nodded, and hid in the corner opposite the entrance. Of course, it was the wall that he had his back to that opened a minute later.

Alan turned around, but all he saw was a dark tunnel, like the guide had said there would be. As he stepped into the tunnel, the door to the lift closed behind him and a new message appeared:

Shortly thereafter, Alan emerged from the tunnel into the Undercity, and froze. He’d expected maybe a seedy looking downtown area, or a ghetto slum. Instead, it was a fairly well lit, clean space, looking similar to the top level, with hundreds of people going about their business. The “sky” was a ceiling, about 100 stories upwards, providing artificial light similar to sunlight.

In front of Alan was a city gate, accompanied by numerous armed guards guiding people in and out, inspecting them carefully. Everything seemed quite neat, even orderly, with shops and compounds lined up along streets like city blocks within the Undercity’s walls. The first immediate, noticeable difference was the presence of armed guards everywhere, guarding merchants, stores, and lining the walls. Most of the guards above ground in the plaza had been carrying nonlethal weapons, stun batons and constraining weaponry. Everyone here carried weapons that were capable of deadly force. The second thing Alan noticed was the way most people were carrying themselves. Everyone was seemingly alert, constantly scanning their surroundings. Alan began to relax a little; there didn’t appear to be any immediate danger. Then, numerous red marks started to fill his vision.

Eve constantly scanned for possible threats, and right now everyone was turning up dangerous.

I advise walking steadily towards the location indicated by the quest, acting as though you are on official business,
Eve sent.
Answer no one unless they are important or an official working for the Undercity. Street smarts, as we’ve gone over.