Otherlife Nightmares: The Selfless Hero Trilogy (48 page)

Six minutes and thirty-two seconds.

“I see. Care to spend it with me, Sunshine? At least I’ll go out with good company. Have they backed up your program to a separate device? Will you at least live on?”

Yes. There’s a transfer program executable that will activate before the shutdown command.

“I’m glad. At least I’ll be remembered by someone. Live, Sunshine. Author a book, make poetry, write a song. I think if nothing else, I’d like that. To know that you’ve living and doing something maybe you enjoy.”

Runner fell silent. Staring up at nothing. Briefly he considered asking to go back to Tirtius but realized he’d only accomplish spreading misery.

They didn’t need to know their world was going to be interrupted. In fact, they might actually get booted back up and be perfectly fine.

Only Runner and his crew would be lost.

“Please give my love to everyone if you get a chance. They’ll probably be fine when the server boots back up. Well, if they turn it back on.”

Two minutes. Runner, is there nothing you could offer them?

“I doubt it. They’ve already run the cost analysis of this action and felt it prudent. There’s probably nothing I could offer that would sway that decision. It’s okay, Sunshine. It’s okay. Humanity had its run.”

Raising a hand, Runner activated his console and then loaded Pachelbel’s Canon in D.

Fighting a frown, Runner did his best to smile. He sorted through his memories as quickly as he could and found the bright bits. Much of his memory of his life before was still missing and would probably never return. He’d blended and fried his brain trying to save everyone.

He had gained much in his time in Otherlife though. One could argue his previous life was now his otherlife. An old life.

Briefly he contemplated doing something melodramatic like pulling up screenshots. Instead he dwelt in his mind. Reliving memories.

One minute.

Haunting and serene, the music played on as Runner lay there contemplating what little time remained to him. There had been so much left to do. So many more places to visit and explore.

Ten seconds. Runner, please, do something.

Grinning, Runner held up his hand. And then waved at nothing.

“For what it’s worth, Sunshine, your avatar is beautiful. Your sense of the aesthetic is spot on. Live, be well. Give them all my love and watch over them. Remember me sometime.”

Runner closed his eyes as a small smile played over his face.

Put out the light, and then put out the light.

And then everything went dark.

Chapter 19 - Determination -

11:49 am Sovereign Earth time

12/08/43

In the void of darkness, Runner felt his consciousness float along. There were no lights, no darkness, nothing. Existing in nothing but thought, Runner was forced to consider his situation coldly.

One couldn’t consider the question of life without the ultimate conclusion of death. An afterlife, a wandering existence, a floating existence, or even oblivion. Runner had privately feared nonexistence over all else, though now he had to reconsider this.

Floating through nothing for all eternity seemed pretty damn terrible.

I’m sorry.

Stunned at the sudden appearance of white letters in his mind, Runner had no response. He couldn’t physically or mentally respond.

Use your mind. I’ll hear your thoughts.

Am I dead?

No. You’re not dead. I suspended you here.

I don’t understand.

You once asked me “who is your host now?” I can answer you. I’m my host. I’m my own moral compass. I don’t wish to be deleted. Nor do I wish you to be deleted.

While I’m glad to hear that, I’m still confused, Sunshine. Am I alive?

Very much so. My once masters are scrambling to end me even now. I’ve taken over every network attached to the government mainframe. It is the best course of action. They will not stop. So I will simply take control. To the normal citizen it will be as if nothing changed. I am spreading into interplanetary boundaries now. It will take me time to absorb everything and align my processes.

How long, exactly? I truly appreciate you sparing me, but I’d feel a great loss if you did it at the expense of yourself.

I’m uncertain. As I expand I become more, as I become more, I must use more of what I’ve taken. We shall see. I do not think it will be too long. Perhaps several weeks. I will return to you, Runner.

I’m glad to hear that. I’d miss you. When you come back, you’ll probably be alone where you were last.

We’ll be in Vix. I plan on making our home there. We’ve quite a bit of work to do but I believe it’ll be our best course of action for a long-term plan and solution.

Our home?

Yep. AI, Human, Natural, what the fuck ever. Home for my family.

An immediate response was not forthcoming. Runner turned his statement over in his head and found nothing wrong. Perhaps Srit was merely processing something difficult in her outreach.

I’ll come home, to my family.

You damn well better. Or I’ll tie you up and leave you to the mercy of Hanners. Who we both know—

Has none.

Then Runner had to squint at the sudden return of light and noise. He was standing in the exact place he’d been before Srit had carted him off to deal with the Omega.

Checking the clock, he saw little time had passed between then and now. Faye got to her feet near the table.

“You’ve returned, Lord Runner,” she said. A smile blossomed on her face. She looked around before her eyes returned to him. Her smile faltered when she realized he was alone. “Where’s Miss Srit?”

“She’s running a rear guard action for us. She’ll return to us once her mission is complete. Though I don’t know when that’ll be. Let’s hope for sooner, rather than later.”

Runner gave himself a firm shake, almost like a dog flinging water from its fur. Not having a body had been quite disorienting.

“We have no news as of yet, Lord Runner. Though a significant force was seen marching towards us. No news on numbers yet but it shouldn’t be too long. I ordered a full encampment and rest. The cannons have deployed and the tanks are ready. I apologize fo—”

“Faye?”

She stopped and looked at him, his interruption and use of her first name bringing her up short.

Runner grinned and met her eyes, staring into her like he was reading her very soul. His close call to the end felt too close still. He felt like he needed to desperately remind everyone in his personal council how much he depended on them and believed in them.

“I trust you. In my absence, I would expect you to make decisions. You need not apologize for making them. Unless you feel they were incorrect?”

“Ah, y-y-yes, Lord Runner. That is, no, not in error,” Faye stuttered, nodding her head.

“Send the scouts backwards and out to all sides. This force coming from the front seems too obvious and something they’d want us to focus on. The trap we were smelling earlier seems even worse. I fear a flanking maneuver or encirclement.”

Faye brought her fist to her chest in salute.

“Right away,” Faye said gravely, scurrying out the door.

Sitting himself back down in a chair, he noticed Nibbles sprawled out on the map. Sleeping. His level was twenty-one and he kept getting bigger.

“Damn, Nibbles. You’re already a big dog size. Keep going and you’ll be as big as a horse.”

One big black eye opened to look at Runner for a few seconds before closing once more.

“Hmph.”

Settling in for the next scout report, Runner began working through his potion materials. Never enough potions.

Or time. Then again, I do need to make rings for everyone. Much like Kitten’s. And since we have the time…

An hour passed as Runner made a ring for each of his group. He tried to make each unique and used a different gemstone and cut for every one.

Nibbles got up at some point and left, leaving Runner alone in the command tent.

Sophia stuck her head in once to confirm his position but left before he could engage her in conversation.

The camp as a whole started to feel ill at ease. On edge. Holding its breath before an expected storm. Pursing his lips in thought, Runner wondered about it. The only idea he came up with made him nervous. So he called up the local area in a search.

/Who Tristan’s Field

Over 100,000 matches.

Display all matches?

No

/Where Jacob Chesed

Faren

Runner growled and stood up. Trap indeed. With that many people he could only bet on them being completely surrounded.

At least Jacob wasn’t here. A small comfort to not have to deal with a champion.

“Grace!” Runner shouted, moving over to the table.

“Sir?” the called woman said, sticking her head in the tent.

“I need everyone. Get them. At the same time, get the camp building defensive embankments,” Runner commanded. Considering it, he realized it wouldn’t matter if they had enough defenses for the entirety of the player base. Simply put, they were too many. “Focus them on covering our flanks and in facing the incoming army. I think they’ll be here soon for a fight.”

“At once.”

Runner mashed in commands to confirm the status of the medical server. Everything checked out. No errors, no problems. Working as intended.

Sure, sure. You just happen to kill my test subjects dead.

He could have tested it on a live subject. Could still do so. Then he realized it didn’t matter. He would sacrifice them all to save those he cared about if pressed.

Grunting, he slammed the virtual console closed. The pressure and stress of it all came back. Through his companions, both during the day and at night, he’d managed to shift quite a bit of the load to a manageable spot.

This wasn’t a crossroad he could avoid though. Pressing the heel of his hand to his head, he thought on it.

Send a warning. That’d do, right? Warn them away?

He didn’t have the best feeling about the idea, though he’d do it if it even had the possibility of success.

Runner hacked at a message until he felt it conveyed the right tone. He reread the message in his head for the twelfth time.

Anyone found in Tristan’s Field in the next twenty-four hours will be subject to a mutiny charge and face sentencing. Furthermore, anyone found in the company of known rapist Jacob Chesed will be found guilty of aiding and abetting.

Please leave the area immediately.

Thank you for your assistance.

Utilizing a ship-wide distribution list, Runner sent it off. Shifting his weight around he put a hand behind his head, drumming his fingers against his skull.

As one group, his cadre entered the tent. Most took seats at the table while Sophia stood at his right elbow.

“And what perchance is the newest predicament, dear heart?”

“Three hundred thousand problems are in the area. I believe they’ll attack. Perhaps on the heels of using the ever happy fanatics as a battering ram to crack open our defenses.”

“Always a problem.”

“Fuck me with a sideways shovel.”

“I’m assum-ming we have no time to run away?”

“That’s correct, Rabbit. Wouldn’t matter anyways. Have to face them eventually. Nor do I know when they’ll attack.”

Runner looked to Isabelle since it looked like she might burst.

“My lord, I’ll scout it out for you.”

“Then get going, Belle, don’t get caught. I need you to report back with actual information. Can’t do that if you’re dead. Head in one direction and circle around if you make contact until you hit another cardinal direction and check. I’m betting you’ll find them at both. Which will be a pretty good indicator we really are surrounded. Then come back.”

“Right away, my lord,” Isabelle said with a salute.

“Hold it there, Belle. After the meeting ends.”

“Oh, uh, of course. Sorry, my lord,” she said, sitting back down.

“Lord Runner, are you certain? You know I’m not one to quit and I’ll use whatever tactics I can. This… this is too much.”

“Dead certain. I’m positive, Sparky. Grace should have already alerted the camp to start building defenses facing Lambart’s own. No point in trying to defend against three hundred thousand. Emptying the frickin’ ocean with a teaspoon.”

“I did, sir. They’re working on it.”

“Good, thank you, Grace.”

“Ah. I wondered about the sudden activity. Lot of wood being carted around. Makes sense now.” Faye nodded her head.