Chapter 7: Planetside

“So, what you’re telling me is…she was your in-game wife for five years in an online game called Asteria?”

I’m not telling you anything. You keep reading my thoughts.

“I guess I’m a little confused, but also not since I’m partially an advanced form of technology. Humans made games where you feel like you’re somewhere else?”

The technology has been around for over a hundred years now.

“And you played this game for five years, and that’s where you met Mrs. Uzari?”

Yes…well, no, not Mrs. Uzari. Most play under a pseudonym—an alias. You can pretend to be anything you want: another species, someone who possesses skills you don’t. You can even be yourself if you want to.

“Pretend to be yourself? I’m stumped on that one.”

It’s a made-up world and people go in as themselves or something they always wanted to be. Is that simple enough to understand? Stop talking about it.

“So, how in the world did you not recognize her?” Johnny pressed.

Her avatar was a Lunar Elf, and the system’s preset alters elven voices to give them a melodic tone.

“Still…man.” Johnny snorted. “This is hard to swallow, and I literally cannot swallow anything. As in nada. So, after five years, you what? Got bored and just quit without telling her anything?”

It’s private.

Johnny laughed. “Oh boy! From my limited knowledge of humans and their interaction with the opposite sex, all I have to say is—you meeting her here in real life? What are the chances! You’re cooked.”

No one is cooked. We were never really married. It was a game.

“She certainly seems to have taken it seriously. Or did. Just because you call it a game doesn’t mean she thought of it as a game. I’ve been refined down to primordial ooze and even I know that!”

Can you just shut up now? We’re a little busy here, and everyone’s worried they might die.

The dropship rattled, causing several crew members to cry out and grab their seats tight with Veridian-suited hands. Two days ago, everyone had watched Graks’ successful descent. The video cut off the moment he climbed out of the ship, meant to fill them with courage. Reality, however, was everyone strapped inside a shaking vessel, praying for their lives as they hurtled down to the planet.

Twenty groups had been formed from mostly Aiges members, with a few regular Vibane employees mixed in—such as doctors and technicians where key positions were needed. Each group had ten members, and included a team leader, a hunter, and a medical expert.

The assignments were supposedly random, but Giddeon knew fate hadn’t put Uzari on his squad—Raylin or Ereos had. He must still be under suspicion concerning the virus, meaning Uzari was now suspect to them as well to them. Glancing at his other teammates, he was certain one, if not all of them, worked directly for Vibane as a spy.

The ship shook more violently than before as it plummeted into Enivia’s atmosphere. Cries of alarm filled the air, along with someone openly sobbing. He locked eyes with Uzari through her helmet; her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear. It suddenly struck him she was looking for comfort. In him. Though his own heart skipped a beat as the hull vibrated, he squashed his fear down—an old, familiar lesson from his father: never let them see you tremble.

A particularly violent shudder rattled the ship, forcing a terrified yelp from Uzari. Giddeon grabbed her suited hand where it desperately clutched the armrest. At his touch, she slowly slumped back in her seat, taking deep, shuddering breaths. Her eyes blinked rapidly before settling into a calm resolve as her eyes locked onto his.

Irazu laughed, her pale face glittering in the moonlight as they strolled across Howling Peak. It was natural for a Lunar Elf’s skin to shine under the moon, but it was her eyes that drew his attention. They sparkled, dancing with a mirth that outshone even her laughter.

“What did he do after that?” she chuckled in light, melodic tones—the game’s voice altering program taking hold as it did with every elf. “You didn’t make him run all the way back to his guild naked, did you? And taking his backup suit…that’s just cruel.”

GidSeres grinned. “He made the bet, not me.”

“Still.” She raised one eyebrow. “That was a little extreme, don’t you think?” Despite her words, her smile remained.

“His guild’s filled with pompous idiots. Best he learn that early on. They’re the ones who goaded him into the duel in the first place.”

Irazu shook her head with a soft tsk. “Using the new guy as bait while trying to sneak into our castle…too bad they underestimated how quickly my husband ends fights.”

“And how intelligent and talented my wife is,” he added, glancing at her with a smirk. “Seriously, how many summons did you unleash all at once? I think you hold the intergalactic record now.”

“To be fair, half of them fell for the glowing sword-in-the-stone trick.” Irazu laughed, recalling the fight. “I still can’t fathom it! A simple illusion, and fifteen players rush into an empty room.”

“And the smart ones stayed out?”

She nodded. “When the wall collapsed, most of the mages were separated from the fighters. I had a dozen Belugas fill the room with water, and everyone drowned.” She snorted. “You wouldn’t believe how many were still swinging their swords underwater, as if that could stop them from drowning.”

“And the mages?”

“Faced my actual summons. A few ogres and my SS-Level Terror Child. The Terror Child ripped most of them apart.” She frowned in mock pity for the defeated guild. “If only they had acted as a team, they probably could have taken our home, the greedy bastards. All they ended up with was a large repair bill.”

“Those things creep me out.” GidSeres shuddered, recalling the giant, childlike ogres with rotting teeth, bulging eyes, and yellow fungus growing on their overgrown nails. “Even their breath is horrendous. Remind me again, why in the world did you choose that to be your main summon?”

“It rips people apart,” she replied, giggling. “It’s also disgusting enough that most players avoid it. I got mine from a legendary quest, you know. Only five people have ever been given a legendary summons, and—”

“And you were one of them. In fact, you were the second person ever to receive one, but if Uther hadn’t cheated to get his, you would have been the very first.” GidSeres smiled lightly. “I know, I know.”

Irazu lifted her chin, giving him a sidelong glance. “I see you’ve heard this before.”

“A few times.”

“It was memorable,” she murmured as they stopped at the precipice of Howling Peak. The view was breathtaking.

Glowing planets hung in the sky next to colorful nebulas, yet all paled in comparison to the massive silver moon hovering just out of reach beyond the cliff. Below them, a tapestry of valleys and forests carpeted the land. It was a treacherous place. Mischievous pixies laid traps in the woodland, while gremlins with teeth like needles set ambushes in the tall grasses and ruins, stalking travelers alongside other dangerous beasts.

In the distance, two opposing towers pierced the sky. To the west, the Fortress of Darkness exuded a shadow that swallowed the very moonlight. Directly opposite it stood the Bastion of Hope, a white, glistening stronghold whose crimson flag fluttered proudly atop its spire. No darkness, natural or magical, could extinguish its light.

“Spectacular, isn’t it?” GidSeres murmured as two Night Birds frolicked above, leaving trails of blue-white sparkles in their wake.

“Yes, it is,” she breathed, watching him the whole time.

He turned, catching her gaze. “What?”

Irazu shook her head, a soft smile on her face. “I was just wondering if this is actually you. The real you.”

GidSeres turned back to the vista. “This is my scanned image,” he replied. “Except”—he flashed her a grin—“I’m much cooler in real life.”

She laughed. “I think you’re cool, both here and in real life.”

“What about you?” He held his hands out, indicating her avatar. “Is this how you look in real life?”

“Of course!” Irazu spun, her red and black skirt flaring with the movement. Placing one hand above her bosom, she said in her most serious voice, “Like every human, I have pale blue skin, pointed ears, and inch-long eyelashes.”

Irazu proceeded to dance playfully around him. Watching her for a moment, he asked, “Do you intend to play all night?”

“Until you catch—”

She never finished her sentence. GidSeres’ hand snapped out, catching her arm. Startled, she tripped backward, but his hand instantly swept beneath the small of her back to keep her from falling.

For a moment, they stared into each other’s eyes, her slim frame wilting into his embrace.

“I’d know you no matter what you look like—real life or here,” he promised her.

Irazu’s smile was brighter than the moon. With a quick push, she twirled away with a ballerina’s grace, landing lightly on a nearby rock where she crossed her legs.

“What kind of music do you like? Aside from this, I mean.” She gestured to the sky and spun her finger, indicating the epic fantasy music playing in the background.

“You know I’m from Earth One, right?”

Irazu nodded vigorously. “And?”

“My music selection’s a lot more limited than what you people listen to.”

Irazu cocked her head. “And by ‘you people,’ you mean what, exactly?”

“Oh, I’m sorry if that offended you,” he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “I meant you coddled brats who grew up on Earth Two. Sheltered lives, no common sense—that sort of thing. I can go into more detail if you’d like?”

Irazu eyed him up and down, her chin lifting, “I prefer to be called princess rather than spoiled brat, thank you.”

GidSeres bowed deeply. “Of course. My apologies, your Princess-Brattiness.”

Resting her elbow on her knee, she leaned her cheek against her palm. “But really, what songs?”

“I grew up with music recorded on ancient devices called CDs, which some modern tinkerers learned to replicate. When I turned nine, my brother gave me something called a record player.” He smirked. “I never went anywhere without that thing. You could say I fell in love with it. Unfortunately, it required fragile phonographic discs—break or scratch ’em, that was it. Even then, only the most upgraded versions survived, making them immensely rare. I once traded a full 9-millimeter mag just to get my hands on a Smashing Pumpkins album.”

Irazu frowned. “Did people…smash pumpkins on Earth One for fun?”

GidSeres shrugged. “That was way before my time, but a lot of music groups had odd names. Who knows?”

“And…when you say you fell in love with it, you mean like you fell in love with me?” Irazu tilted her head as she held her hands out to her sides, batting her eyelashes.

“Yes,” he replied. “Except you look silly right now. Plus, there’s only one of you.”

Dropping her theatrical pose, her eyebrows scrunched together. “What does that mean?”

“It means you’re irreplaceable.” His brow furrowed as a thought struck him. “Except maybe for—”

Irazu whispered a single word.

In a flash, she vanished, reappearing behind him where her familiar—a miniature, three-eyed moth—had been hovering. Her arm snaked around his chest, pulling him back against her as she shoved the needle-thin point of a purple-glowing dagger against his neck.

“Except for…?” she prompted.

“A group about dragons,” GidSeres choked out. “Imagine Dragons.”

“Oh my god of the twelve pits of Kothis! I love them!”

Irazu spun him around, the blade vanishing into thin air. Her eyes locked on his. “What’s your favorite song?”

“‘Demons,’ of course.”

“We’re soul mates,” Irazu breathed as she hugged him tightly.

“Is that your favorite too?”

She shook her head, mumbling against his chest. “No, but it’s one of my favorites. I like ‘Believer’ the most.”

GidSeres’ lips curved down. “Eh, it’s…okay-ish.”

Irazu pushed him away, her warmth instantly vanishing. “Okay, maybe we’re not soulmates.” Turning on her heel, she stomped back to her rock and perched there, arms wrapping around her knees as she faced away from him.

Her voice carried over her shoulder. “But we could be again, if you somehow manage to change the music in this game. It’s driving me crazy.”

GidSeres stared at the sky. “It’s been like this ever since that last patch, right?”

Irazu threw her hands in the air. “Two weeks now! Who are we even paying if they can’t fix such simple stuff? Never mind the balancing issues!”

GidSeres shook his head. “I don’t.”

Irazu’s brow furrowed. “You don’t what?”

“Pay anyone.”

She cocked her head. “You don’t pay to play? How?”

He smirked. “Secret.”

Irazu rolled her eyes. “Well, I certainly wish I knew your secret. Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know? I should know because I grow trees!”

GidSeres watched as a crimson meteor shower zipped across the horizon. “It’s a very important undertaking, terraforming a planet.”

Irazu’s eyes narrowed. “Are you making fun of my part-time job?”

“Would you rather I made fun of your full-time job?”

“Kind of hard there, considering I don’t have one.”

“I was referring to your university.”

“Oh, well…sure, go for it.” She shrugged.

A moment passed. “You know, the music’s beginning to bug me too,” he murmured. “No pun intended.”

“I know, right?” Irazu suddenly stood, clasping her hands behind her back as she swayed slightly. “I tell you what. If you know a Game Master—or someone high up in the chain, seeing as how you play for free—could you push them to fix this atrocious music?”

“Just a push?”

She smiled, a coy glimmer in her eyes. “I’ll reward you.”

“How?”

“A kiss.”

GidSeres gaze broke from the sky onto her. “Is this for me, or you?” he asked.

Irazu shrugged, smiling impishly.

“Aren’t I already allowed to kiss you? We’ve been married for three weeks already.”

She stomped her foot. “You have to earn those kisses! What kind of girl do you take me for?”

He stared at her for a few moments, a sly smile crawling onto his lips. “Be right back.” With that, his avatar disappeared.

“What’s he up to?” Irazu mumbled as she waltzed back to her favorite rock and sat down, waiting.

A few minutes later, the air became deafeningly quiet. The sound had stopped. All of it.

“Does he actually know someone?” Irazu asked in surprise. She had simply been teasing him, never truly believing he could pull strings to fix the issue.

Music began playing again, but it wasn’t the same track as before. It was new, yet she instantly recognized it.

Irazu gaped at the sky in disbelief, unable to process what she was hearing—her favorite song, playing right here in Asteria. GidSeres suddenly appeared in the exact spot he had left.

“How did you…how did you do this!” she squealed, leaping into his arms to squeeze him tight.

“Uh…thanks,” he replied, his thoughts turning to static as they always did whenever she touched him. “You should…you should check your mail.”

Pulling her head from his chest, she looked up, confused. “My mail?”

A soft chime echoed in her ear, and a notification icon blinked in her peripheral vision. “Oh, I just got mail.”

Stepping away, Irazu swiped her hand, pulling up the options screen. Opening her portable mailbox, she saw a message from Asteria Games Management Team titled: “Tis the Season to be Jolly!”

Congratulations Irazu Wildwind! You have been chosen as our yearly lottery winner! YOUR MANY REWARDS INCLUDE: A special Glippy Mount, 400 rupels for the Asteria shop, and a FREE lifetime subscription to Asteria! Thank you and make sure to spread the good news to all your friends!

Sincerely,

Asteria Management Team

Irazu stared at the message, then at GidSeres, then back at the message. “Is…is this a joke? The contest was in December.” She shook her head, her silver hair whipping from side to side. “That was three months ago. This can’t be right.”

“Looks like you don’t have to pay anymore,” he responded.

“You’re serious, aren’t you? Do you know connections? Are you friends with a dev or something?”

GidSeres’ lips had a faint smile. “I have my ways.”

“Ways? What ways are you talking about? Did you threaten someone in real life?” Irazu gasped. “You’re not a thug, are you?”

He laughed. Holding his hands up, he imitated typing. “I’ve some skills, in real life.”

“Skills—wait. Are you saying you code the game? Do you work for Asteria?”

GidSeres’ eyes narrowed. He tilted his head, mulling her words over. “Code? Well, in a sense, yes, I coded the game. Work for them? Let’s just say, no.”

Irazu’s hand slapped over her mouth, eyes widening. She glanced around as if someone might be nearby, listening.

“Did you…” She moved closer, whispering, “Did you hack into the game?”

“You once asked me what I did for a living.” The corner of his lip lifted in amusement. “Do you remember what I said?”

“If you told me you’d have to kill me.”

GidSeres nodded.

“Are you going to kill me?”

He snorted. “Your wisdom score just dropped several points.”

She smacked his shoulder. “I knew you were joking, but seriously, you can get banned for doing that.”

“Actually worse,” he told her. “It’s illegal, and I’m not a citizen of Earth Two. That technically makes it a cyberattack by a foreign entity according to intergalactic laws.”

She gasped, hitting his arm again. “You could go to jail!”

GidSeres chuckled. “Earth One doesn’t jail you for what I did.” He held his hands up, twiddling his fingers. “Can’t hack if you don’t have these anymore.”

“Oh no! Put it back! Put everything back the way…before you did whatever you did! I don’t want you to get in trouble!”

“Don’t worry.” He waved his hand nonchalantly as she paced back and forth, biting her nails. “I’ve been doing this for a long time. I don’t get caught.”

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because you’re the only one I trust,” he replied. “Remember our vows?”

She froze, turning to stare at him. Her head slowly nodded. “I remember.”

“Then accept your gifts and enjoy the music.” He held his hand up to the sky. “Besides, I fixed it for them. That’s a favor, technically.”

“You also gave me a free lifetime subscription.”

“Pfft! I would have charged them triple for fixing that screwed-up code. You have to be incompetent to make the music loop like that. They need better programmers.”

“They should hire you.”

“I live on Earth One, remember?”

Irazu frowned. “It’s not fair. Why’s everyone prejudiced against Earth One?”

“You would know if you lived here,” he told her, his mouth tightening.

Her eyes twinkled as she stared at him. “If you’re there, I want to be there.”

GidSeres grinned. “So you can give me my reward?”

“Yes!” She stepped in front of him, taking up his entire view, her eyes peering into his as her lips moved dangerously close. “I want to kiss you. Here and there.”

Closing her eyes, she leaned into him, her lips parting ever so slightly. GidSeres’ heart beat so fast he thought it might burst from his chest. He’d never felt it pound this hard before—not even when he was running for his life.

Giddeon found himself staring at Uzari’s lips as the ship shuddered violently. His touch had initially calmed her, but as the shaking intensified, her hand began trembling and her eyes squeezed shut.

“I can help, I think,” Johnny told him. “All I need to do is connect with her AIGES. Keep your hand on her suit a second longer.”

Wait, what are you going to—

Suddenly, music was playing—the same song from back in Asteria when he had fixed the audio files. Uzari’s eyes opened, widening in recognition. A small smile crept onto her face.

“Looks to be working quite well,” Johnny gloated. “You can thank me later.”

Or never. AIGES can’t normally control other AIGES. She might suspect something.

“Quit being a worrywart,” Johnny said. “You’re a hacker; she’ll think you did it. Just an FYI, this hacking thing isn’t so tough.”

Oh, you’re a hacker now too, are you?

“Well, not so much a hacker as a programmer. If you think about it, what I’m doing is really forced labor since I’m attached to this AIGES thing, which is basically your slave.”

Fine, you’re a programmer, not a hacker. And I’m not forcing you to do anything. You can do what you like, as long as it doesn’t bother me.

“What would you like me to do?” Johnny asked.

I already said: do what you like.

“I can help. We’re partners, after all. It’s the right thing to do.”

You’ve got to be bored.

“I am,” Johnny groaned. “Please give me something to do so I can ignore all these screaming crybabies!”

Giddeon looked around. Over half the crew were in tears.

Fine. Use your new programming skills. Make something useful like…I don’t know, a program that identifies weapons.

“That shouldn’t be too hard. Although, it’ll be tougher identifying the hidden ones, what with my limited-range X-ray vision.”

“X-ray vision!” Giddeon sputtered, snorting out loud.

This caught Uzari’s attention as she stared at him with concern. “X-ray vision?” she mouthed the words, her eyebrows raised.

Giddeon was surprised she had heard him with the noise from the ship drowning out everything else.

Can she read lips?

“Maybe,” Johnny replied. “But I connected your suit’s comms a minute ago. You can hear each other now.”

Thanks for letting me know that. Now…

“Oh, it’s—it’s nothing,” Giddeon spoke up, Uzari’s eyes glued to him the whole time. “I just—”

“Finished!” Johnny exclaimed, causing Giddeon to jump.

“I collected recorded data and added a dash of my own special powers. It’s hard to explain. Oh! I know! That animation series, The Amazing Spider-Man—his ability. I have that spider-sense thingy. Except it’s more like, ‘hey, I get the feeling there’s a dagger shoved in your boot’ type of deal.”

What are you babbling about?

“Are you okay?” Uzari asked, her worry deepening.

“Just watch,” Johnny replied.

A page flipped into view overlaying Giddeon’s sight. It was Uzari’s character sheet.

“Top left, look at the clone image of the person you’re focusing on.”

Giddeon’s eyes darted to where Johnny directed, landing on the miniature image of Uzari. She was barely dressed, wearing nothing but black panties and a black-and-pink laced bra dotted with white hearts.

He blinked, dazed as he looked at the others. The crew’s digital models fizzled, their sleek Veridian suits vanishing to reveal a variety of gear. Chains draped down necks and coiled on wrists, with surgical metal highlighted beneath their skin from past surgeries. Hinelin, who was picked to be in charge, had a utility knife tucked in his pocket, and Vessa had a thin blade near her left hip.

What is all this?

“Cool, huh?”

How am I able to see everything?

Johnny sighed. “You clearly haven’t been paying attention. I told you, I have a limited form of X-ray vision.”

This should be impossible.

Johnny chuckled. “Impossible? Just look at your girlfriend. What do you see?”

Giddeon’s gaze shot back to Uzari, focusing on her chest, then her waist. “Black and pink lace…with white hearts,” he muttered aloud.

“What?” Uzari’s voice boomed through his suit, causing him to jump.

She stared at him, her face burning bright as a torch, eyes narrow and cold. “X-ray vision, huh?” she scoffed, snatching her hand out of his grasp.

Giddeon wasn’t sure whether the sharp slap across his helmet or the violent rocking of the ship jarred him more as the first reverse thrusters activated. The immense deceleration crushed everyone back into their seats. Suited hands clutched chairs with iron grips as prayers flew out of the mouths of atheists.

Ten seconds later, the first failed, sputtering out. The ship continued to plummet.

With a roar, the second set of burners activated, slowing the vessel even more before dying. There was a loud whoosh as the first Veridian parachute deployed. The craft jolted from the sudden pull of air, followed by a horrible shrrnk as metal detached from the hull, flying away.

The whole time, Uzari’s death gaze remained on him.

“Well…at least you took her mind off of things.”

Thanks. If the fall doesn’t kill me, she will.

“I’m always thinking of the silver lining for ya,” Johnny replied jovially. “No charge necessary.”

I’m going to delete you.

“Only if you survive, but if you don’t, I’m toast too. I’m rooting for you partner!”

The next iterations of thrusters and parachutes drastically slowed their descent. Giddeon’s heart rate dropped a fraction as the third chute held. Through two small windows on either side of the ship, clouds whipped by.

A sudden, ear-splitting tremor shook the whole vessel as it struck down, rattling bones in Giddeon’s body he never knew existed. The interior, lit up by primitive fuel-burning contraptions to counter the planet’s phenomenon, plunged into darkness as the device shattered upon impact. Emergency lights flickered on automatically, revealing everyone strapped into their seats. Nine seconds later, the lights fizzled out, leaving them in absolute silence.

They had landed.

“Is everyone alright?” Hinelin’s voice pierced the darkness. With a crack, a green-glowing light appeared, its eerie luminescence reflecting off his helmet. As he waved it around, the relieved faces of the crew were illuminated.

“Everyone seems fine,” Vessa confirmed.

“Good,” Hinelin replied, unbuckling himself and standing. “Let’s see where we are.”

Harnesses clicked and popped through the cabin as the crew began to unbuckle, though a few dazed members needed help. Giddeon reached out to Uzari as she stood, catching her arm as she stumbled in the faint green light.

“At least she’s not angry at you anymore,” Johnny observed.

She’s in shock. I’m sure she’ll be swinging at me later.

“Why is it suddenly so dark?” Vessa asked, peering out one of the small windows.

Hinelin moved over to the pane, placing his glowstick against it. “This part of the ship’s submerged,” he said. “Water’s dark.”

Crossing over to a ladder in the middle of the compartment, he looked up at a hatch thirty feet above. “Be careful,” he warned, dropping the glowstick at its base. “Your body might feel off from the planet’s atmosphere once outside.”

Climbing with relative ease, he gripped a large metal wheel and turned it. The mechanism squeaked loudly. With a final grunt, he shoved the hatch open. Blinding light spilled down into the interior, forcing them all to look away.

Hinelin popped his head past the rim, scanning the landscape while shielding his eyes with one hand.

“How’s it look?” Vessa called up, her eyes still averted.

He looked down, expressionless. “All clear. Come on up,” he said before vanishing through the hatch.

One by one, the crew followed. When only a few were left, Giddeon placed a hand on Uzari’s shoulder, nodding for her to go. She forced a smile, then climbed up, disappearing like the others.

A second later, her face reappeared in the hatch, eyes wide. “Gid! You have to see this!”

Heart pounding against his ribs, Giddeon gripped the ladder with trembling hands. He began the ascent. With each passing rung, he wondered if the person he sought would actually be out there, waiting for him.

Reaching the top, he broke past the rim and into the glare of an untamed landscape. It was a new world. After all this time, he was finally on Enivia.