Spacebound Chronicles

Chapter 25: New Home in the Stars

“I still can’t believe this!” Karyn Voidex could not stop smiling at the fact that Logan Spacebound was now among the five hundred most influential players in Fantasy Stars. Still, no matter what her expression or behavior communicated, she refused to admit being happy about him beating her to the galactic elite. “What level are you again? 20?”

“99, I’ll let you know!” he nudged her with his elbow as they walked into Megafleet’s main hangar.

“99?! I’m 120! You must be the lowest level to ever make it to the Top!” she dashed out of the elevator, seeming more excited than him about acquiring his personal ship, a T-500 exclusive perk. “You can tell me, Snorri hooked you up, didn’t he? You little cheater!”

And there it was. People were bound to start asking how that happened, and he simply could not tell the truth. Not even to her. So, remembering a distant lecture given by Jude on the means one had to join the Top 500, one word had left his virtual lips time and again: algorithm.

He was still a stupidly long way from being among the 100 more powerful players in the game, and while his Reputation was not bad, he lagged hundreds of thousands of Reputations Points behind most bards and elite arena fighters.

If he told people he had been invited by someone else, as soon as someone asked who he would need to either admit a connection to the mysterious “Napper” who signed his invitation and was undoubtedly linked to the Chimeras, or he would namedrop someone who would not confirm inviting him.

Developer’s always published their chosen players in the official Fantasy Stars webpage with a lengthy essay on that character’s merits and background, which was not the case for Logan Spacebound.

Therefore, the only path to the Top he could claim to have taken was a random indication by the overall galactic impact algorithm. Whenever people asked more questions, he would theorize about how he could have unwittingly triggered a chain reaction over the galaxy that led to the algorithm mysteriously appointing him. So far it had worked, and he barely felt any remorse over the stacks of lies that was forming behind him.

Except when it came to Carol. She deserved the truth… but he could not risk it.

“I already told you it was the algorithm,” he told her. “I have no idea how that happened, probably that time we went investigating that diplomat’s disappearance on Omni Prime.”

“Huh,” she grimaced, deep in thought. “Yeah, that makes sense. You did accidentally run said diplomat over with a garbage collector. That was accidental, right?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny that statement!” he said.

They shared a heartfelt laughter until a knee-height blue alien, whose body looked oddly like a beachball, arrived with his arms open.

“Ahh! Welcome, welcome! Such a beautiful couple and such an illustrious gentleman!” the ship salesman greeted. “I can tell that you, sir, are a part of the galaxy’s elite, and that you need a vessel that matches your magnificence! Care to take a look at our Solar League original models?”

“As long as they’re not too expensive,” Logan shrugged, “why not?”

“Scott, come on,” Karyn flicked his ear. “Money was made to be spent!”

The little alien giggled, holding its floppy belly. “While I agree with milady’s assessment and would like her carefree world view in more of my customers, you need not worry about costs. An anonymous benefactor has forewarned that any purchases by Logan Spacebound were to be directly debited to his account.”

Karyn Voidex threw her boyfriend a bamboozled gaze. “Snorri?”

“I doubt it,” Logan grunted. Scott had told her everything about his fall out with Joey, but she just refused to let it go. Either way, while he knew for sure the mysterious benefactor was a Chimera, he needed another story for her. “Probably someone else in the guild. A welcoming gift. But yes, let’s see what you have.”

“Oh, I love when they say that!” the salesman vibrated in excitement. “Follow me, follow me! You can call me Clark!”

The name made Logan and Karyn glance at each other. With a knowing smile, their eyes communicated that they both remembered the place where they first met: Clark’s Geek Cave.

“First!” Clark spun around and presented with a flourish a white hulled ship in the shape of a bathtub. “The Solar League’s Field Lab Vessel! Equipped with bio-, geo- and astro-analysis tools, it’s the perfect ship to explore the cosmos and unlock its natural secrets. It has its own dark matter processing plant and is outfitted with a surgical room stocked with the necessary tools for any emergency procedures! Upgrades might include…”

“Yeah, next!” Logan said. That was probably Doctor Belle Sloth’s ship. “Not much of a scholar myself.”

“Very well, in a galaxy this dangerous few people have the time to bother with science, which is why we have our second option,” the short blue legs ran across the hangar and stopped before a bulky black ship decorated with blue flames. It had its fair share of missile batteries and pair of plasma cannons with barrels so wide Logan could sneak inside.

Not that he would, that would be just stupid.

“Solar League’s Heavy Gunship. Shields and hull twice more resistant than any other ship this size, perfect for dropping you down or picking you up in the heat of active warzones. The neighbor of my sister’s husband’s great-grand-uncle’s cousin had tap-dance classes with a man that allegedly obliterated a pirate flagship with just the aft missile batteries! True story!”

“And what about that one?” Logan pointed a slick arrowhead-shaped ship by the end of the lineup.

“Ah! The Solar League’s Infiltration Craft! What a ship!” the vendor started his walk towards the white and orange vessel. “The fastest model we have, for sure. Geared with virtual and visual camo sets. Doesn’t pack quite the punch the Gunship does, but if you ever get in a bad spot, this baby can sneak you right out of it,” then the salesman lowered his voice: “between you and I, it also has quite a bunch of hidey holes where you can smuggle stuff in. Also, as our diplomats enjoy its speed, low-profile and safety, it tends to have the more luxurious insides, fitted with an ever-growing galactic lore library.”

“This is the one,” Logan rubbed his hands, exchanging an excited glance with Karyn.

“A-are you sure?” the blue alien asked. “You haven’t even checked out the Solar League Mining Freighter or the Solar League Vacation Cruise!”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he nodded with a smile. “Thank you, Clark, you’ve been very helpful!”

“Oh, don’t mention it!” Clark said, blushing into a purple tone. “If you ever feel like upgrading some aspect of your ship or customizing its hulls or refurnishing the lounge…”

“We’ll come right back to you,” Karyn reassured him. “Now, can we go inside?”

With a stutter and a nod, Clark opened the airlock and assigned Logan’s vitals to the ship’s system as its new captain, then left them to explore their new home in the stars.

“Look at this lounge! It’s even got a built-in kitchen!” Karyn raced into the living quarters and Logan paced to the cockpit.

He stopped over the helm, all those blinking buttons and levers, most of which were either decorative or used for minor processes, looked slightly intimidating. The steering wheel, however, seemed much simpler. Of course, it had a futuristic appeal to it, but boiled down to an overdetailed gaming console controller, with which most gamers would be familiarized enough.

“Nice ship,” a familiar but unexpected voice spoke behind him.

“Holy fu-!” he spun around to find the Chimera that had recruited him standing by the cockpit door. Or at least it sounded a lot like the same guy beneath the mask. “How did you get in here?!”

“I was waiting. I know you, remember?” the Chimera opened his arms inoffensively. “I knew you would go for agility and stealth, so I sneaked in here and waited.”

“You have to leave!” Logan whispered.

“I will. As soon as I relay you your first assignment as a Chimera. And as a T-500.”

“No, you have to leave now!” Logan insisted. “I have a friend here, if she sees you…”

“Then let us be hasty, before she comes,” the masked stranger did not seem unsettled in the slightest by the possibility of being found out. “But do pay attention. This is not one of the quest or random events you are used to, this is something that will truly impact the galaxy’s fate.”

Logan cursed. There was no convincing this guy!

“Fine! What am I doing?”

“Easy. You are raiding Megafleet.”