Opening Moves (The Gam3 Book 1) (40 page)

“Okay, well, moving on, about your overall performance, I’m quite impressed, but stop depending on your AI. Quite frankly, your actions will hinder your growth. As you should’ve seen in your AI’s abilities, it has its own Jack of All Trades ability, which can basically show it how to perform any skill or ability that it has data for. This means that if you don’t train in a skill, you’ll simply forget it, and it’ll return to your AI’s skills rather than your own.”

Alan looked and saw that this was true. The knife fighting ability he nearly forgot about had been absorbed into this skill. The list of skills within Eve's skill went on and on, looking like a Dungeon and Dragons manual for all available skills.

“Now, while being able to use every skill is quite useful, you will never develop a proficiency at the skill, never perform at an Advanced or Master level with the skill unless you truly learn the skill on your own. Why? Because by using this skill you are basically following an outline without ever learning why the motion or action you are performing is the correct one.

"You’ll never understand the nuances of dueling or piloting, for example. You might not believe me, but Admiral Thrag, is one of the most brilliant, genius pilots I’ve ever met. Oh, and he isn’t acting, his personality is unfortunately just as it appears to be. If you confront him about it he’ll be quite offended. He married his ship’s AI.

"Anyway, to become a force to be reckoned with, you’ll need to train in skills and not just have your AI feed you the information. If you want to be a mediocre player, fine, continue to depend on your AI to such an extent, but you’ll never be able to handle rank A let alone rank S threats. Of course, your AI will be an immense help with your training, at least up to a certain point, but AIs are only able to master most skills to a proficiency two ranks below their Computing Ability, thus in Eve’s case most of the skills are at an E or F rank. Although, as I see you’ve discovered, they can help you quite a bit with various abilities, like sniping or hacking, so you should be able to get a high proficiency easily in some subset of abilities dependent on calculation.

"Now, an AI, like a computer, can be improved in two ways. Software, and hardware, software being the programs that the AI uses, hardware being the capsule that you’re using, and its storage, memory card and what-not. The max computing ability of an AI is equal to the rank of the capsule you’re using, so you need to have a highly ranked, specialized capsule. Simply having a better capsule isn’t enough, it must also have the programs to effectively facilitate its actions, which is where software comes in. I’m surprised that your AI has a rank C computing ability already, but I suppose that it did merge with a Haxlardian AI.”

Alan nodded along with Phantom’s explanation, taking all the information in.

“Okay, but where can I get such a capsule and software?”

“Well, the Black Rose guild can help you with getting a rank A capsule for a few million guild points through the Mercenary Bloc, but for the software you’ll need to develop a high reputation with either the Administrators or the Revenants. The upgrade will be quite costly as well, requiring either a number of platinum marks for the Administrators or a piece of advanced technology to trade with the Revenants. Additionally, each faction has their own specialized software, the Administrators focusing on defense and the management of large forces, while the Revenants focus more on offense and exploration. There are other factions specializing in other fields, maybe even hidden civilizations or pieces of software in dungeons, but those are the two paths I’d recommend.”

“Um, alright,” Alan answered.

“Now, speaking of upgrades, you recently hit level 100, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, have you thought what you might do with the extra biological and mechanical implant slots?”

“No, not really, why?”

“Because I have just the thing for you,” Phantom said, eyes gleaming, the microscopic gears within his pupils spinning like mad.

“As you’ve no doubt noticed,” he continued, “my eyes are augmented. This is actually my own revision of a cyborg implant that takes both a biological and mechanical slot, which the Game has graciously named Phantom’s Enhanced Visual Prosthesis. It’s basically a bionic eye that will improve your vision, but it allows for so much more. It will prove to be remarkably beneficial for you especially, allowing you to zoom in on things in your view, up to 800x magnification, which is helpful for both sniping and working with micro-sized objects. It will allow you to see in the dark, or at least in low light situations. It will let you see through certain materials, which can be quite useful, if you know what I mean. It will upload what you see so that everything is recorded, available for your viewing even if you die, or to report to me. But that’s not all.

"You see, it will allow you to see different spectrums of light. This means that you can see not only in infrared, but also in electromagnetic spectrums that will allow you to see digital signals. So, what do you say, interested?”

“Yes, that does sound impressive, but what’s the catch? How much will this cost me? Also, I was sort of hoping to maybe try to get a flying augment or some other sort of movement upgrade.”

“Let’s just call it a sign-on bonus. Also, trust me, you don't want a flight skill or augment. All you'll be able to do for the first few years is hover off the ground a little bit. Honestly, you’ll be only the second player to receive this implant, which is saying something, and I’ll be able to install the standard kill switch as well
—
”

“The what!?” Alan exclaimed.

“Well, in our line of work it’s best to have some easy way to get out of capture, so we don’t divulge any information. Trust me, you don’t want to get captured by an enemy faction without a kill switch. It will simply let you restart at your respawn point quickly and easily,” Phantom calmly explained.

“Now, that may be, but I’m not sure if I like the sound of this, as it sounds like you’ll be able to activate it at will.”

“Yes, well, if you’re knocked unconscious during a mission, I’ll need to activate it, won’t I?”

“So, wait, you’ll be coming along with me on missions?”

“Weren’t you listening earlier? I’ll be following along through the cybernetic eye implant. I’ll be what I suppose you’d call your handler for most missions. Also, even if I were to betray you, which I promise I won’t, you could disable the implant while at your Home Base. I wouldn’t be able to kill you over and over again, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Alan narrowed his eyes, glaring at Phantom, then slowly mulled over his options. He doubted that Phantom would let him go on missions or be his Squire without this implant. After about a minute, he finally said, “Alright, fine, I’ll agree to the implant, but only on two conditions.”

“Alright, and what’s that?” Phantom inquired.

“First, tell me why you distrust AI so much. You clearly have some issue with them, and as I have one basically living in my head, I think I deserve a clear answer on this.”

Phantom frowned, then replied, “I wish I could, but I don’t think you’re ready for this information. I promise to explain it to you after the war for Earth is over, and you reach the rank of Knight within the guild.”

“What? Not ready? So I’m ready to fight and spy for you, but not ready for some warning or information that could possibly be quite relevant to me?” Alan cried out.

Phantom once more closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. When they opened again, his pupils were red. He said in an ominous tone, “No, you are not ready. You are a foolish young man with no clear concept of right or wrong, whose whole world has recently been upturned. Trust me when I say that this information could get your planet annihilated, and not just in the Game, but in real life as well.

"You do not realize how backwards your concepts and morals are. You say that you wish to save Earth. Why? Because you were born there, because you and all the other earthlings descended from the same strain of DNA? You do not understand how stupid such reasoning is. Your planet is still full of concepts of discrimination because of race, of sex, of culture, of class, of disability, of sexuality, of age, of species, of point of origin. You still have obscure, esoteric religions that people wholeheartedly believe in, for goodness’ sake. The Game was created to prevent wanton destruction for such idiotic reasons!

"And do you really think you are wrong, that your ideals are backwards? Of course not! This is going in one ear and out the other. But you’ll learn. When you see the universe, the Game in all its glory and shame, perhaps your mind will slowly open. Perhaps not. You were born on a small planet, and have only just begun your journey. You are not yet ready, Traveler.”

“How stupid such reasoning is!?” Alan shouted back. “I don’t think you understand. If such bonds are meaningless, does that mean that I should not care about my family? How can you assert that I should not care for other humans? What do you propose I should fight for instead, myself? With what aim, to simply get stronger?

"I don’t think you understand what the world was like before the Game, where because of selfishness people allowed others to starve, to die, to war. And for what, a bit of wealth? You say the Game was created to prevent such wanton destruction, but now that it is created, what next? People surely continue to fight, just the results are less destructive.

"Before the Game, before all this happened, I had no real cause. I was simply going to school, to college, following the path set before me because there was nothing else. I never really tried, never really even felt like trying. What was the point? There was only so much that I could do. I wasn’t any genius like Einstein, or a brilliant artist, so I silently trudged down the path. Not quite happy, but not quite sad, continuing forward. But now, finally, I have a purpose, a goal. I can see that I can change the world, perhaps even save it from outside control. How is that wrong?”

Phantom shook his head, looking at Alan calmly. “You could have always strived to change your world, to save it. The Game just makes it deceptively easier to do so. It also allows you to make greater mistakes than ever before. I am not saying that it is wrong to care for others, to try to help your world, I’m simply saying you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. What happens after you ‘save’ your world, after the conquerors have been fought back? Have you thought at all about how your education system should be reformed, about the social aspects of your own world?

"No, you’re too caught up in the Game. You’ll leave charismatic leaders to make those decisions for you, accepting their blind hope and bright lies. My people, the Erudites, paid the price for such beliefs, but enough of this debate, we'll get nowhere.

"You show promise, I’ll grant you that much, but are you really willing to join the Black Rose guild, to follow what the guild tells you to do, not simply your own misguided beliefs? We will not order you to act in such a way that harms your planet, Earth, but what you consider harm may vary, thus I’ll give you the right to veto any mission I assign. But if you veto three missions, after hearing my reasoning for them, you will be expelled from the guild, required to pay back any outstanding debt at standard Khersath rates. Is this acceptable?”

“Can I ask my AI her opinion in this matter?”

“No, this is a decision you should make yourself. What was your other demand?”

“Well, I might need a loan for a million credits, and I was saving ability points for an ability that costs 500 points. This implant it seems will cost 250, so
—
”

“I can change the bonus you receive from joining the guild to five platinum marks, as befitting the role of my Squire, but you must use those marks in exchange for ability points. I cannot give you a million credits to pay off another loan, however."

"Why not? You said you'd assist me with tuition for an Academy," Alan said.

"The rules governing finance within the Game are overwhelmingly complicated, what you can do with credits you do not personally earn is exceedingly limited within the Game. Otherwise the universe would be ruled by companies. You cannot use credits or marks borrowed from one faction to pay off another. You must earn the credits yourself."

"That's absurd! How am I supposed to pay off my debt then? I have less than a week left."

"You'll have to earn it yourself. If you cannot earn a million credits in a matter of days you don't belong in the position of my squire. Now decide, Alan, are you joining the guild as my squire?”

Alan looked at Phantom, examining him closely, then nodded, and said, “I accept.”

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