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  Doc flexed his bandaged hand. Guilt wormed its way into Finn’s guts, but he shoved it down. There was no time for that now. “How’s the hand?”

  Doc looked down on it. “Hurts like a son of a bitch, but I’ll get proper treatment when this is all through.”

  Finn nodded, and both men exited the car. Spotlights illuminated the doorways up and down the long row of buildings. A few doors down, a light flickered and went dark. Finn’s hackles rose. "Classic technique," he muttered. He stared into the murk, seeking hidden opponents.

  Lex, are you sensing any active lattice links?

  Nothing but the normal passive security links for the warehouses. This place is as dead as disco.

  You are one weird bastard, Lex. Finn shook his head and wondered again why the hell Brynn had given him Lex.

  That hurts my feelings.

  Doc had walked up to the building indicated in the map. A high-tech lock secured the door. A quick survey of nearby doors told Finn that the new lock was abnormal.

  What did you get yourself into, Brynn?

  Doc looked to Finn, who nodded. Doc sent the code from his banner into the lock and, after a few seconds, a happy chirp and a pleasant green glow rewarded them. A moment later, the sound of heavy bolts retracted from the doorframe and the door opened.

  Finn motioned for Doc to stay back as he hefted his pistol and entered the dark building. Dim lighting came on as Finn entered, tripped by motion sensors. The room was a simple 20x20 square. A small bed and fridge lined one wall. A couch sat towards the back of the room facing a holo-vis. A small kitchenette rounded out the luxury. Another door was set into the back wall. On the wall next to the door was a small security monitor showing a long hallway of nearly identical doors.

  At the center of the room sat a large crate on a raised dais. It reminded Finn of a coffin in an ancient vampire movie…if the vampire had been an alien. The crate was modern malplast and held a banner panel at its center. Cool air suggested the room was climate controlled. Another door at the back led to a hallway bearing dozens of identical doors. After assuring himself that the place was safe, Finn returned to the front.

  “It's safe, Doc.”

  “So, what’s all this then?” Doc said as he entered. Finn flipped the main power switch. More lights came on and a low hum rose from underneath them. Finn saw a metal grate in the floor near the far wall. He lifted the grate, revealing a small fusion generator. Cables snaked from the generator up into the floor below the mysterious crate.

  “That thing puts out a crap load of power,” Finn said. “What the hell is in that crate?”

  “Only one way to find out,” Doc said, raising his hand again.

  Finn nodded and Doc sent the code to the banner panel. The crate powered up, and the surface parted as if it were undergoing a controlled melting. Inside sat another coffin of glass, plymetal and malplast.

  “It’s a neural immersion rig. This technology was tested at my old hospital when it was still in the prototype phase. It was a program designed to help vets with PTSD through direct neural interface. The commercialized the technology for the NI helmets the beta players used to get into the Realms. But this unit looks more advanced than any I’ve ever seen.” Doc tapped at the interface.

  “This is how Brynn wants me to go into the Realms?”

  “Makes sense. It has built in biosensors and life support. Quite an advantage.”

  Finn nodded. “Time to open her up.” Doc moved towards the NI rig and placed his hand atop it.

  Finn, I’m sensing an encrypted lattice link, Lex said.

  Then they were no longer alone.

  6

  A few hundred meters away, Milena Ortiz Yung, or Mo as her friends called her, stared through the scope of a sniper rifle. She could hear the entire conversation through sensors hidden in the safe house walls. She didn’t know who this man Doc was, but Finn seemed to trust him, so Mo would as well.

  Mo grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat and blood from her face. She took a moment to inspect herself. She sighed. Thankfully, the blood was not hers

  Mo switched to the internal surveillance. Finn and Doc were examining the crate. She moved in on Finn, biometric readings popping into her banner display. His heartbeat was steady and even, in stark contrast to the thundering pulse of the doctor who stood next to him.

  Mo watched Finn and a worm of doubt burrowed into her mind. Brynn better be right. If her faith in her brother was misplaced… Mo shivered at the thought. Everything depended upon him. She glanced down at her own NI rig, open and ready to receive her. Mo had lost count of the hours she’d spent in that small coffin over the last six months.

  Mo dreaded and loved the Realms. The danger of an untamed world and the freedom to remake herself as she always wanted to be. The adrenaline surges of combat, new knowledge, and terrifying truths.

  She brought her attention back to Finn. He did not understand what he was getting involved in. Mo at least had been able to grind and level inside the Realms for the last six months. She’d uncovered enough of the mysteries of the Realms to know the danger was real. She hoped the aid she’d secured Finn was enough. He was a noob in the strictest sense of the word, and he would be taking on a god.

  Mo stripped down, the chill of the room biting into her. She sent a silent prayer into the universe, pleading that the override Brynn had built into her banner would still grant her access. It wasn’t just a job any longer. Mo loved the Realms. She understood the public rage at Sacrosanct all too well.

  Despite her training, she was nervous. She glanced around the city, the twinkling lights calming her. The world sat on a knife edge and she was one of the few who knew. It was not a burden she wished on anyone. She climbed into the cushioned coffin and powered up her holo transmitter. With a calming breath, she activated the transmission.

  *****

  Doc removed his hand from the NI Rig and stumbled back. The woman appeared out of nowhere. One moment there was an empty space, the next moment, there she stood. She was five-foot two, with raven black hair, deep brown eyes, and olive skin. Despite her small stature, her bearing suggested a capable woman who gave crap but took none. She smiled and met Finn’s gaze.

  “Hello, Finn,” she said, eyes locking onto his.

  Finn leveled his gun on her before the words were from her mouth. His heart pounded inside his chest. Doc fell over, startled, a yelp of alarm escaping his lips.

  “I’m Mo, and I’m a friend of your sister,” the woman said, and despite his alarm, Finn lowered his gun. Doc grumbled, and Finn extended a hand and helped the older man to his feet.

  “She’s a hologram,” Finn said.

  “Smart boy,” Mo responded and ignored Doc’s angry stare. “We don’t have a lot of time, so listen up. Brynn’s in trouble. You know that already. But it's worse than you know. And you are the only one who can help her. This…” Mo placed her hand on the NI capsule, “Will get you into the Realms. Once inside, you must survive long enough to find her and help her escape. She wasn’t able to tell me much, but I know one thing, the Realms is much more than a game.”

  Her phantom touch sent a code into the capsule, and it opened with a low hiss. It resembled a comfortable coffin covered in readouts, sensors, and ports. A malleable, reactive gel lined the interior. He would be comfortable.

  “Strip down and get in,” Mo said.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Listen, man, time is short. From our perspective, Brynn and the Pantheon only entered the Realms six months ago. But for them it's been nearly fifty years.”

  Finn exchanged a look of doubt with Doc. “Bullshit,” he said.

  “Just hear me out. When Bechard cut access to the Realms, time inside the game jumped forward.”

  The looks of doubt turned to confusion.

  “Look, I don’t get it either. I just know what I know.”

  “You’re saying that time is moving faster inside the Realms?” Finn asked.

  “No, I’m saying th
at there was a jump. Bechard shut down access and time jumped forward fifty years”

  “Why would he do that?” Doc asked.

  “Like I know. All I do know is the longer you wait, the worse it gets in there.”

  “Why should I trust anything you say?” Finn asked.

  Mo sighed, her impatience bubbling to anger. “Brynn told me you were a pain in the ass.”

  Finn just stared.

  “Fine. She told me to tell you that the gryphon always did what was right. Whatever the hell that means.”

  Finn’s eyes went wide, and he stripped down. Mo looked him up and down in admiration, and Finn felt a rush of heat in his cheeks.

  “Hmmm, nice,” she said. Finn eased himself into the NI capsule, and the inert gel chilled his body. As his skin made contact, the gel warmed. Mo and Doc looked down on him.

  Bio readings normal. NI rig synchronization sequence on standby. Lattice connection steady, Lex muttered in a bored tone.

  “What’s so special about the Realms? Why send mercs to kill me? Why is Brynn so scared?”

  "Because the Realms is not a game," Mo said, the jest in her eyes disappearing. "It is a real place, as real as Earth. And Alistair Bechard used the Betas to conquer it."

  Finn stared at Mo in shock.

  "Holy Shit," Doc said.

  “Real, as in an alternate dimension?” Finn asked, disbelief painting his face.

  “I’m no scientist, but something like that. I’ve been there, and it's real, as real as the room we are standing in. But it has its own rules. Our universe relies upon physics. The Realms are controlled by the game mechanics.”

  “I have no idea what that means.”

  “Damn, you really are a noob. Don’t worry, you’ll learn. Your banner will get a patch as you enter the Realms, and he’ll explain everything.”

  “You’re telling me Brynn is part of Bechard’s army? I don’t believe it. She would never be a party to such an abomination.”

  “She didn’t know what the Realms were at first. Nobody did. Once she found out, she knew she had to do something, no matter the risk. So, she played along, never giving Bechard any reason for suspicion.”

  “She always was the bravest Caldwell.”

  “Funny, she said the same thing about you,” Mo said. “There’s something else you should know. She’s one of the gods. One of the Pantheon.”

  A deep-rooted fear invaded Finn’s mind. “Brynn, what did you do?”

  “She didn’t have a choice. Bechard has killed for this. He won’t hesitate to do so again.”

  "Why me?" Finn asked. He knew he would do as this woman asked. But he needed all the intel he could gather.

  Mo took a deep breath. "Brynn said you were the only one she could trust with what's to come."

  "What's to come?"

  Mo shrugged. "Guess you'll find out." She tapped at a non-existent watch on her wrist. "Time's up. No more dilly dallying, hun."

  Finn looked at Doc, whose shoulders popped up in a ‘don’t look at me pal’ shrug. Finn’s heart pounded. Odd that. He’s been in serious combat situations and kept himself under control. Why did this send chills up his spine?

  Your heart rate is increasing. You freaking out, boss?

  “Can I get a new banner first?” Finn mumbled.

  Now that’s just hurtful, Lex said. Finn could almost hear the pout in the AI’s voice.

  “No time for that. And Brynn said Lex was different, special.”

  See, I’m special.

  Not sure that was meant as a compliment.

  “I’m sending you a map.” Mo said. “Get to your starter village, gear up, and hit up the locations tagged in red. They’re dungeons, and they’ll give you some easy grinding opportunities. Trust me, you’ll need the experience and the loot.”

  “Grinding?”

  Mo shook her head and didn’t even bother saying noob this time. She gave him one last appreciative up and down glance. “I’ll see you in the Realms. I go by Eris.” She tapped the top of the NI rig.

  Finn glanced one more time at Doc, who nodded.

  “One last thing. I don’t think Brynn remembers who she is. I approached her once, and she didn’t recognize me. So, for now, don’t trust her.”

  “Why wouldn’t she remember who she is?”

  Mo shrugged. “What better way to control someone than to take their memories and make them believe they’re a god?”

  Finn sighed, worry digging deeper into him.

  “This will feel a little weird,” Mo said as the top of the NI rig closed.

  Finn closed his eyes and tried to relax as the micro fiber filaments wormed their way into his body and mind. His mind expanded and exploded.

  7

  Finn’s body was his mind, and his mind was infinite.

  He rushed down a tunnel of light. A wormhole connecting two universes never meant to touch. Time stretched to eons as mere moments passed. His mind and soul were catalogued. He would have screamed, but he had no body, was no longer a physical entity.

  Memories and flashes of who he had been were pulled from him in iridescent strands. They coiled and bundled into a swirling mass of entwined tendrils. The mass spun and condensed and collapsed into a singularity. Just as Finn knew he was forever trapped in this state, he was somewhere else.

  He stood on a flat plane. Whiteness stretched in every direction. The sensation was both disturbing and disorientating. How could something so empty be so vast?

  A tall and powerful man appeared, clad in gleaming armor of metal that absorbed and reflected light like flowing mercury. From within the intricate horned helm eyes radiated power. This man was a god.

  A warm smile crossed the god’s face, and Finn knew him.

  “Alistair Bechard,” Finn said in a low voice.

  Bechard drew a large sword from its sheath. Undulating patterns of stars and nebullaic ribbons of primal energy swirled along the length of the black blade. Finn tried to back away, but no matter how many steps he took, his distance from the unmoving god remained constant.

  “Welcome, player,” Bechard intoned. “I am the High God Aluran, Prime of the Pantheon, and I welcome you to the Realms.” He turned his sword point down and gripped the hilt with both hands. With a powerful flourish, he drew the sword up and smashed it down into the nonexistent nothingness of the floor.

  Color and space exploded around Finn. Green grass grew from the point of Aluran's sword and spread in every direction. A low rumble built under Finn’s feet, and he fell to one knee. The ground erupted beneath him. He stood atop a mountain peak as it surged towards the forming heavens. Stars and planets popped into existence above him and sped away to take their rightful place in the sky. Below him, mountains, rivers, lakes, deserts, and oceans burst and bubbled from the ground. Finn was witness to a world being born.

  “This is the planet Korynn, one of many in the Realms,” Aluran said. He waved a gauntleted hand wide, somehow encompassing all that was and all that would become. “It is an ancient place of power and struggle, of good and evil. And I have brought you here because I need your help.”

  As Aluran spoke, cities rose and fell around them. Massive armies of man and beast crossed the lands and battled. Destruction flared and life grew. Aluran drew a distant mountain fortress to the fore.

  “This is Avernia, the Shining City, home base of the corrupt New Gods who rule this world with despotic fervor. Under their tyrannical reign, the people of the Realms suffer.” Visions of men, elves, and dwarves toiling under the whip of reptilian humanoids flashed.

  “The New Gods know they are unassailable. That their reign is eternal. I am here to prove them wrong. You are here to prove them wrong. Will you join me in this fight for freedom? Will you stand by my side player?” Aluran presented a gilded scroll to Finn.

  Finn had heard this speech many times. The words Aluran spouted were full of lies. Humankind had followed many a great man, god, or cause into battle and death always followed. There were no noble
crusades and there never had been.

  If Mo had told the truth, then this world was as real as Earth. A Realm of incredible wonder, danger, and intrigue. Somewhere in this world, Brynn was a prisoner in her own mind. She needed him. He would find her.

  Finn grasped the scroll, but Aluran held firm. Finn looked into the god’s eyes.

  “Fight well for me and I will shower you with rewards. Together, we can accomplish anything.” Aluran stared into Finn’s eyes and a sense of unease rose in him. Those eyes pierced to the core of his being. They were more than lines of code processed by a computer. Somehow, they knew. Somehow, he knew.

  Finn’s heartbeat jumped, and he felt sweat trickle down his back. This was wrong. Panic rose in Finn as the shining eyes of this god bored into his soul. As Finn felt his secrets laid bare, Aluran let go of the scroll. Finn stumbled back in surprise but stayed on his feet. A wry grin crossed Aluran's face, then disappeared. A doorway of light split the universe to Finn’s left. The other side showed a room that could have been at home in any coastal Irish pub. The large window looked upon a calm sea.

  Aluran indicated the doorway. “Enter and choose your path. Once you have finished, I will give you a final blessing and send you on your way. Greatness awaits you, player” With that, Aluran disappeared.

  “Well, he has a flair for the dramatic,” Lex said in a voice that Finn could now hear.

  Finn jumped. He had forgotten all about the banner AI. A few rocks dislodged from under his feet and rolled off the edge of the mountain peak. The thin air bit at him.

  “Jesus don’t do that,” Finn said.

  “Sorry, dude,” Lex said. “Don’t wanna kill us before we even get our characters made.”

  Finn gazed around the world. From this vantage point, he could see for thousands of miles in every direction. The cold, thin air bit into his bones.

  To the west lay a near endless desert dotted with an occasional oasis around which towns and cities thrived. Deep in the burning sands, a complex of gold tipped pyramids shone like beacons along a knife thin lake. The surrounding city looked capable of holding hundreds of thousands of citizens. In the distance, sprawling sands broke against a forested range of mountains. Across them lay a thin ribbon of land along a shining ocean. Large cities lined the coast, built around well-protected ports.