commit 98ff4b60ef96c227be8a49cfed1d4164cd7e7dd2 Author: Ren Kararou Date: Tue Jan 18 00:05:48 2022 -0700 initial commit for new public repo diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7cdbe0b --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE @@ -0,0 +1,438 @@ +Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International + +======================================================================= + +Creative Commons Corporation ("Creative Commons") is not a law firm and +does not provide legal services or legal advice. Distribution of +Creative Commons public licenses does not create a lawyer-client or +other relationship. Creative Commons makes its licenses and related +information available on an "as-is" basis. Creative Commons gives no +warranties regarding its licenses, any material licensed under their +terms and conditions, or any related information. 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Eilidh is a runner, someone who +actively causes mayhem for corporate interests. After being blessed by a +goddess, Talon finds himself in a new role, learning magic and protecting +corporate secrets. Eilidh finds herself being forced into a role alongside +Talon. Romance blossoms. Secrets are revealed. Promises are made. + +--- + +This is the LaTeX formatted source-code for _A Promise_, a trans-lesbian story +set in the space-faring future of 2157. With Magic. Because fuck you why not? + +_A Promise_ pulls very loose inspiration from _Ryn of Avonside_ and _Digital +Galaxies_ both by the fantastic transbian fiction author QuietValerie. + +## Author + +- Kararou Ren + - [github](https://github.com/karaiwulf) + - [git](https://git.kararou.space/karaiwulf) + - [blog](https://lesbianunix.dev/) + - [scribblehub](https://www.scribblehub.com/profile/61134/karaiwulf/) + +## Editors + +- Kararou Makoto + - [git](https://git.kararou.space/makoto) + - [scribblehub](https://www.scribblehub.com/profile/71436/karakoto/) + +## License + +This work is licensed under the CreativeCommons Attribution NonCommercial +ShareAlike International License version 4. You can read the full licensing +terms by reading the contents of LICENSE located at the root of this +repository. + +## Contributing + +If you wish to modify and contribute, you must follow the style guide, found +below. From there, issue a pull request with your changes. All PRs will be +reviewed by the current editor(s) and the author(s). + +Modifications to the build system are expected to have been tested, but will be +tested again. + +### Style guide + +The only real requirements are that you follow the 80 character per line rule. +In vim, this is easy to set. Simply issue a `:set tw=79` and be on your way. +Additionally, issuing vim command `gqG` applies textwidth from current mark to +end of document, while issuing `gq}` will set for current paragraph. + +### Git Arch + +We are now leveraging the fact that we have a git server. Development and +editing will be done on the same branch, one for each new chapter. + +canon should only contain ready to ship chapters. + +Edits in clones of the repo can be done however, and pull requests must be to +canon. + diff --git a/cover.png b/cover.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ee958fd Binary files /dev/null and b/cover.png differ diff --git a/doc/factions/EHSC/README.md b/doc/factions/EHSC/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2b812fd --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/factions/EHSC/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,20 @@ +# Eastern Hills Space Company + +Manufacturer of spacecraft and spacecraft parts. A megacorporation with +an arcology located where the city of Melbourne, Florida used to stand. +Headquartered in beautiful Denver, Colorado, where it keeps all of its top +secret projects such as flight software and its magically-enhanced Special +Operations Strike Force. + +## Datapoints + + * HQ: 110 Colfax Ave. Denver, Colorado Free State + * CEO: Baylee MacKinley + * Glb Prft: 13 Trillion Credits (Annaul) + * Industries: Transport, Aviation, Aeronautics, Military Contracting + * Bst Product: EH 794 General Purpose Space Craft + * Stck Tckr: EHSC + * Stck $$: 13000cr/share + * Stck Prj: +14.3% + * Est.: 2025 + diff --git a/doc/factions/EHSC/SpecOps/README.md b/doc/factions/EHSC/SpecOps/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d39e2ec --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/factions/EHSC/SpecOps/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +# Eastern Hills Special Operations Strike Force + +A strike team developed after the EHSC discovered Magic in 2091 with the +express purpose of cutting down existential threats to the company. The team +was quickly placed under the research and development unit in order for the +EHSC to discover more about magic and aid the strike team with combat equipment +developed in house. + +It quickly became known that mages were a much more well balanced soldier, +better at more general magic than other magic users, and were awarded officer +positions within the command structure of the strike force. + +## Datapoints + + * HQ: 1910 Colfax Ave. Building 35 Denver, Colorado Free State + * Parnt Dept: Research and Development + * CO: Ai Tamaki of the Pale Goddess + * Status: Active + * Members: 48 + * Missions: 375: 339 success + 36 fail (historical data lost) + +## Known Officers + + * Commanding Officer Ai Tamaki + * Medical Officer Lucere "Lucy" Manafed + * Surveillance Officer Avalon Davis + * Technology Officer Xela Melrose + * Tactical Officer Vivian Young + * Communications Officer Valentine Sheer + * Engineering Officer Margaret Hamilton + diff --git a/doc/factions/EHSC/SpecOps/ai.tamaki.md b/doc/factions/EHSC/SpecOps/ai.tamaki.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..24ae1de --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/factions/EHSC/SpecOps/ai.tamaki.md @@ -0,0 +1,24 @@ +# Ai Tamaki + +A mage in her early twenties. Long slightly wavy white hair. Deep red eyes +filled with a shimmering light. + +## Datapoints + +``` +DOB: 19 March 2135 +Age: 23 +Prn: she/her +Eye: red +Hair: white +Hgt: 5' +Wgt: 112 lbs +Ntnl: JP +``` + +## Weapon Choice + +She likes the set of true tamahagane swords she inherited from her father. The +hamon on each blade is the clover pattern that's signature of a line of well +respected bladesmiths from the late 20th century. + diff --git a/doc/factions/EHSC/SpecOps/avalon.davis.md b/doc/factions/EHSC/SpecOps/avalon.davis.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d1399e0 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/factions/EHSC/SpecOps/avalon.davis.md @@ -0,0 +1,24 @@ +# Avalon Davis + +A mage in her mid twenties. Long straight black hair. Glowing blue eyes like +sapphires. + +## Datapoints + +``` +DOB: 2 July 2131 +Age: 26 +Prn: she/her +Eye: blue +Hair: black +Hgt: 6ft 5in +Wgt: 142 lbs +Ntnl: UK +``` + +## Weapon Choice + +She's a feisty bitch on the battlefield. Her main weapon is a short barrel +revolver. She leaves half of the chambers unloaded and simply uses magic for +every other shot. + diff --git a/doc/factions/Excalibur/README.md b/doc/factions/Excalibur/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7f9e067 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/factions/Excalibur/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,16 @@ +# Excalibur Strike Industries + +The premier privately contracted military corporation. + +## Datapoints + + * HQ: 1 XCAL St. New York City, Excalibur Corporate State + * CEO: Inun Petroski + * Glb Prft: 45 Trillion Credits (Annaul) + * Industries: Military Contracting + * Bst Product: Military and Security Services + * Stck Tckr: XCAL + * Stck $$: 45000cr/share + * Stck Prj: +30.4% + * Est.: 2064 + diff --git a/doc/magic/README.md b/doc/magic/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a9d56ab --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/magic/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,61 @@ +# Magic + +Yes that's right! Its *real*. What a concept, I know. Magic is all based +around a few things, but no matter where you are in the universe, a few laws +hold true: + + 1. Magic is Everywhere + +Which means, you always have a supply external to your own magic. + + 2. Magic is Localized + +Which means that the given magic within the universe gets pushed and pulled or +otherwise pools in areas. Just because magic is everywhere doesn't mean that +its distributed evenly. + + 3. Magic is Wild + +Magic, while it can be controlled, cannot be tamed. Fitting too much magic +into a single area can cause spontaneous ignition of the latent energy to +violent effect. + +## Magic Users + +There are several kinds of magic users within the universe (and many more in +other universes). Each is different, but most share a lot of overlap. + + * Mage + +Mages are the generalists of the magic users. Each mage has been gifted their +ability to use magic by a deity. These deities have given their blessing with +no contract, bargain, or other pact. + + * DemiMage + +A demimage is similar to a mage, with two major exceptions: the magic granted +by their deity is much less powerful; and they are only capable of casting +magic from within a subset of types. Each type can very from demimage to +demimage. + + * Magicker + +Magickers are specialized magic users, only capable of casting a limited range +of spells, most only being able to cast one type of spell. These people have +made deals, signed contracts, or otherwise given something up to acquire the +blessing of their deity. + + * Bracer + +Bracers are the odd folk out of this bunch. They don't have magic in terms of +being able to use it. When magic is concentrated into an area, but stabilized +to avoid violent explosions, crystaline structures begin to form. These +crystaline structures can then be used and directed by those who posses magical +artefacts. + + * Artificer + +Artificers are a very special group of magic users. They have been blessed by +no deity. Instead, they've studied how to craft artefacts, objects that can +stabilize, direct, and attune magic. + diff --git a/src/ack.tex b/src/ack.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e69de29 diff --git a/src/chapters/.04-a-newfeeling.tex.swp b/src/chapters/.04-a-newfeeling.tex.swp new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6947f98 Binary files /dev/null and b/src/chapters/.04-a-newfeeling.tex.swp differ diff --git a/src/chapters/00-a-lastnormalday.tex b/src/chapters/00-a-lastnormalday.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1df3a53 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/00-a-lastnormalday.tex @@ -0,0 +1,431 @@ +The day was as normal as any other. I sat by in the corner of my long dusty +room, tapping away at the keys of the laptop provided by my employer. Writing +one steady line of code after another. Today was the day that the team would +be assigned tasks. I'd been late with my tasks this week, another matter all +on its own. + +"Have to check the mutex here," I mumbled to myself, a fresh line of code +spilling onto the screen in step with the little taps on the keyboard. I was +already in the hot pot for a slew of other events. A lack of focus for the +last month had caused my productivity to slip. Just a few more lines and I +could start running tests. + +With the tests underway, I got up and walked to the mini-fridge. It wasn't a +far walk, just a few meters away. The whole apartment was rather small, +hosting enough room for my twin bed, a small kitchenette, a rather small +closet, the restroom, and the mini-fridge I was now in front of. I opened the +door of the small box and pulled one of my last sodas, some cherry-vanilla +flavored drink. + +"I guess it's time to get dressed for the meeting," I sighed. I hated seeing +myself on camera, but since I stopped coming to the office (a rather short +affair given it was just downstairs), management wanted the cameras on during +meetings. Constant social anxiety caused me to resent all of my peers. My +brain was just messed up like that. At least, it was recently. + +Anxiety welled up inside me as I picked out a business casual outfit to put on. +Just a few more meetings until the project was complete, right? I didn't know +anymore. Time was a hard concept to grasp when your circadian rhythm was an +ever-changing beast nobody could tame. + +I looked into the remaining shards of mirror hanging above the sink and a sigh +escaped by throat, a much longer, deeper sigh. I should have made sure there +were no shards left the last time I punched the mirror out. A tear rolled down +my cheek. Another crying fit, as if I hadn't had enough in the last two +months. + +I looked down at my hands, trying to avoid the specter in the mirror. In a +shout of frustration, I had found more glass in my hands. Damn it. I'd have +to fix my fists before the meeting. Again. I was crying harder now. Not +because I was in pain, but because I couldn't control myself. I had no clue +what was causing this, and I wished it would stop tormenting me. + +A quick shower and a decent amount of scrubbing later, my hands were no longer +bleeding. I just couldn't be too rough on them or they'd split open again. In +that moment I wished I could have more control over myself, manage my emotions +better. Instead of letting them overflow into pain, resentment, and... +whatever that feeling I didn't have a name for was. + +The rest of my day was nominally uneventful until the meeting. I had pulled an +all-nighter to get the projects assigned to me done, so I was reasonably tired +by the time the meeting came around. I could feel myself dozing off. + +"Talon!" a deep voice erupted from my laptop, "wake up you moron!" + +My eyes rushed open as fast as they could. I was greeted by many faces, all +with looks of concern save one. The red faced man was the manager of the +project, Kaden. He was also new to the project. The other faces in the call +were concerned, mostly. + +"Hey Talon," another man said, cutting off Kaden, "are you doing okay bro? +We've all been worried sick about you, but things have really taken a turn in +the last few weeks..." he trailed off. I felt pangs of worry and hurt as I +properly processed my name being said this time. Who was that? Vance. He +must have been referring to my recent tiredness during the meetings. + +Vance was overall a good guy. Just trying to get things together and make sure +the team was good. His heart laid with the project though. At least he was a +bit of a humanist when it came down to making sure the project went smoothly. +Can't let colleagues having a bad month setback our timeline. Now that I +thought about it, I needed to do code review for a few of his revisions. + +"I'm fine," I muttered, lying, "Just had to pull an all nighter with this set +of problems. After the meeting I'll take care of whatever revisions I need to +review, then take care of whatever projects I can, then go to bed." + +"Don't worry," another developer spoke up, "we'll give you the light load this +week." Brent. Another good guy. Just sometimes really weird. Not like I +could talk. + +"Thank you," I said, genuinely, "I appreciate that, though if all aren't in +agreement, I can take one of the other workloads." There were unanimous nods +from all but one. Kaden. He's new. \emph{I should give him the benefit of% +the doubt, shouldn't I?} + +"Kaden!" another senior developer exclaimed, "Talon's just been having an off +month. His code is top notch and beyond stellar. We should let him recover." +A pang of pain shot through me. I wasn't sure why. I didn't know this +developer's name, though he's certainly seen my code. He wasn't lying either. +My code was top notch. + +"I don't care!" Kaden yelled, still red in the face, "If I don't see your face +in my office this afternoon, Talon, I'll put word in to your manager." + +I chuckled slightly at his threat. My manager was already mostly aware of what +was going on, and my job wasn't in jeopardy. + +"What's so funny? Do I look funny to you?" + +"Just dole out the assignments for the week," I said, plainly. "I'm not coming +down to your office. You've already yelled at me enough in an unprofessional +way. Just because you manage the project \emph{doesn't} mean that you're +somehow in control of my job. That is my manager's decision." + +Kaden's face went red as a tomato and I got a few cheers from the other +developers, but others simply responded with worry. + +"Talon," one spoke up, a thin figure of a woman, "don't speak of being +unprofessional while you respond in kind. We know there's friction, but at +least respect the appearance of authority." Becky, I think her name was. It +didn't matter. + +"Just," I started, then gave up, letting out a big sigh, "let me know what my +assignments are. I'll start working on code review now." I hit the big red +'hang up' button. + +Anxiety pushed me over the edge and before I knew it I was crying again. Why +had I done that? What stupid thing possessed me to take a hostile course of +action? + +I shoved myself into bed and pulled the covers up over my head. Easy way to +hide from the anxiety. Fuck. Why had I done that? Why had I done that? + +I could hear the dings of direct messages coming in. I pulled my head out from +under my covers and checked them. A few asked if I was okay. A few cheered my +actions on. A few told me I should have been a little more tactful. And my +manager, Esmerelda. I opened the DM window. + +\textbf{Esmerelda}: Hey. I just heard about what happened. Kaden's really +pissed off and Becky feels awful. Do you need some time off? + +\textbf{Talon}: No, I don't need any time off. I just need Kaden to get off +his high horse. He's only been here a week and he's already threatening my +job. + +\textbf{Esmerelda}: LOL. -er sorry. Don't worry. He's being corrected. The +whole team have had issues with his... behaviors. Especially the women. + +\textbf{Talon}: Ugh. Of course. When it comes time to fire him, let me walk +him out the door. It'll be a big momentous occasion for him to see me afk. + +\textbf{Esmerelda}: I understand. I'll see what I can arrange. Don't get your +hopes up. \underline{Here} is this weeks work. The team decided to give you +only one task to work on, on account of your all-nighter. Be careful Talon. I +don't need you working yourself into the ground. + +I chuckled to myself slightly and clicked the link. The web browser opened to +our issue tracker with a list of open issues. Only one was assigned to me. + +\textbf{[OPEN] [Flight] [Debug] [Regression] Current Version not decoding data% +correctly} + +I switched tabs to the version control software and counted the reviews I had +to do. Three. Not bad. I can knock them out in an hour. Probably. If I +don't break down crying or fall asleep. + +I began with the first review in the queue. I found it to be passable, and +gave it an approval. The second was less passable, so I rejected it and wrote +a quick note about the test that it failed, and the overall syntax and format +of the code. + +The third review was Vance's. It was actually far better than all of his +previous submissions. I gave it an approval and wrote a very good note on it, +complimenting all of the techniques he'd learned since his last code review, +then gave some further advice for more improvement. + +I copied the link to the note and sent it to the general chat. Good work +deserved public recognition, after all. + +Then I began work on the open issue. It was relatively easy. A parser wasn't +working properly. A quick test to confirm that was actually the case. And it +was, but I was working on a development branch, so my errors were actually a +lot more strange than the examples provided in the ticket. + +I quickly did some digging through the version control system, finding every +edit to this particular subroutine since the last version, then went through +them line by line. Nothing that would cause this garbled mess of data stood +out at me. I took note of which functions were being used in the subroutine +and examined each of them for changes. + +Two functions had massive changes, and one had several sets of changes since +the last version. I took a look through it first. It was a deserialize +function, so it made the most sense to look at anyway. + +Another few hours and I had found the problem. A stray line someone had let +through code review. It wouldn't have caused any other problems because the +other use cases for the deserialize function wouldn't be passing as much data +as this particular user. + +The line was easy to fix. All I did was change the way that the data was +processed to ensure there were no overflows during data consumption. Counting +data was easy, but not if you're using a counter that rolls over at 32,767. If +any structures came in longer than that, it would roll over to -32,768, causing +the subroutine to exit early. + +I then got to work writing a test that would make sure the function was tested +to its actual expected data size. I crafted an example serialized structure +that was nearly 100,000 bytes longer than any real data would have been, just +in case. + +It was now nearly midday, but all my work for the week was done. I let out a +big sigh, and set the code to do a full rebuild. Setting the laptop on my +nightstand and ensuring that it was plugged in, I settled myself into bed. + +My mind drifted around, not finding a particular topic to settle on before bed. +This was a fairly frequent occurrence, but today was especially bad. So I +settled on looking around my apartment. + +It was a single room, of course, with an attached bathroom. My bed was nestled +into a corner, so I could see the whole room. The brick walls near my head +made sure that there was always a slight chill, so I could sleep easier. Not +that it ever helped. + +On the other side of the room from my bed was the kitchen. A simple affair, +really. A small counter for preparing food, a little fridge, a sink, and a +simple range. You could almost be forgiven for not knowing this campus was the +cutting edge of space travel by looking at it. Next to the kitchen was the +door. Then a small closet containing my sparse sets of clothing. Then the +bathroom with the broken mirror. + +In the other corner was my workstation, for all the good it did. There was +nothing I did on it anymore. Most days I didn't even get out of bed anymore. +Just booted up my laptop and worked. I let loose another sigh and looked +toward the bedside table. + +The laptop's screen was only barely bright, compared to the sunlight that +leaked through the window just beyond it. My last thought before sleep came +was about how I should find a better way to block the light that filtered in +from that single window. + +Next thing I knew, I stood before a big brown stone building. If I turned +around I could see the familiar fountain at the center of the campus. The +building in front of me was unmarked. Nobody knew what was inside it, either. +And women were the only people you could see going in or out, if you saw them +at all. + +I was dreaming again, that much was obvious, to me at least. I'd seen this +building every time I'd slept since I'd seen it. The last several months it +had gotten far worse. I'd once asked my manager about it. + +"What's in that brown stone building at the back of the campus?" I cringed as I +heard the reflection of my own voice in my thoughts. + +Of course, she'd not known either. And she was told to ignore it in its +entirety. She'd instructed me to do the same. I figured I should heed that +warning. But my brain always had different plans. I visited the outside of +this building so many times in my dreams, it was getting tiring. + +"Hello, Talon," a voice chimed, "We meet again." + +"I've never been here," I said, then asked, "so how can we have met the first +time?" I turned to look at her. She was beautiful. Her blonde hair perfectly +accenting her slender face. Her green eyes nearly the same color as +aventurine. + +She leaned over in a quick bow, the long sleeves of her dress almost concealing +the errant movement her hand had made. "It won't be long before you meet me, +don't worry." + +I blinked. Was this a dream? And why was she so pretty, but so weird? + +"Yes and no," she answered, "its more like an alternate space inside your mind. +And I'm not really that weird." I could feel her staring at me as my face +became slightly contorted with confusion and fear. + +"But how can you be here, in my dream?" I asked aloud, terrified that she had +read my mind only a moment before. I needed answers, my curiosity wouldn't let +the unanswered questions stand. + +"No need to be scared," she said, "but we will meet outside of here soon." + +"What's that mean?" I asked. Even more questions were rattling around in the +back of my head now, but she didn't appear ready to answer them. Even now I +could feel the anxiety building up in me. + +"Nothing you need to worry about with that anxiety laden heart of yours," she +said gently, reaching out and cupping my face in her hands, "I'll see you +soon." She planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Now wake up." + +I jolted out of my nap. The full build hadn't even completed yet. Why would +it have? I'd only been asleep an hour. My head clouded, I still tried to +shake the sleep from my eyes. My body was very awake, despite the fog in my +brain. + +I felt like I was running a fever, so I went into the bathroom and took another +shower, the water set as hot as it would go. Of course it burned a little, but +that was the point. + +Having a hot shower tells your body that your environment is hot, so it's +supposed to self regulate and lower your temperature. At least, in theory. + +I went back to bed and fell asleep almost instantly. No dreams this time. +Just deep, deep sleep. + +I woke up to my laptop ringing. I rolled out of bed just barely in time to +watch the call end. I missed it. I clicked on the phone application and it +opened up. + +I tried checking the call log as another call window popped up on the screen. +It was Esmerelda. I sat up and tried to gather myself for a second, then +answered it. + +"Hey Esmie," I said toward the laptop. + +"Hey Tal," she replied, "look, I'm sorry, but you have two visitors headed up +to your apartment. I tried to get a hold of you, but it looks like they were +in a hurry." + +I sighed. "Alright, thanks for the heads up." She hung up. + +The next three minutes were me frantically getting on a set of casual clothes +and packing my kit. A simple set of black cargo pants and a nicely fitting tee +shirt. Unironically these were the best looking clothes I had; I'd nearly \ +ruined all the others. + +My kit was simple, to be sure. Laptop, phone, compact set of lock picks, and a +small device used for wireless sniffing. Call me crazy if you'd like, but I +had this thing on all the time when I left my apartment. + +A knock at the door. I took a breath and moved to open it. My fever was +making things a little harder than I had anticipated. + +As the door opened, I saw two beautiful women standing in my entryway. One was +wearing a beautiful flowing blue dress that matched her eyes. I was captivated +by her eyes. They were like glowing sapphires. "Davis," she said, holding out +her hand. + +"Young," I replied, "I'd shake your hand but I'm kinda feverish right now." + +"We're actually here about that," the other woman said. She was a beautiful +young woman wearing a finely tailored suit. Her eyes were a dark color, but +they shined with a bright light. "I'm Tamaki. We're with Research and +Development. Special intelligence division." + +"Okay," I said, "and this has what to do with my fever?" + +"We'll explain under more secure circumstances," Tamaki said, "but you really +need to come with us before it gets worse." + +"Define secure circumstances," I said. + +"We have a secure facility here on campus," Davis said, her eyes captivating me +again. It was like I didn't have a way to really combat her gaze. It was hard +to focus on anything else. + +"Okay," I said, "let's go, then." + +They walked down the hall a bit, before Tamaki stopped and turned around, then +said, "and whatever's making that horrible noise in your bag needs to be turned +off." + +I turned each of my devices off as we walked down the hall. Each of them on +either side of me. During this time I noticed that they were armed. Davis had +a pistol, I couldn't tell what kind. Tamaki had a short sword, it looked +Japanese, but I wasn't sure. + +We'd turned the corner toward the stairs, a quick two minute walk, when Kaden +had spotted us. He was at the top of the stairs talking to someone at the +bottom. He gave the women around me a look over and a quick courteous smile. + +He gave me a smug look. + +"So, Talon," Kaden said, sarcasm dripping from his voice, "what'd you do to get +walked out by sexy security officers?" + +"Got a fever," I said, a wry smile on my face. It was there to cover up the +anxiety. + +"I called security and told them you're fired," he said, that smug look still +there. + +"We're Research and Development," Tamaki said, "and you are?" + +"Kaden," he said, extending his hand, "Project Manager for Flight Software." + +"Oh," Davis replied, "you manage Young's project. I suppose that makes sense, +this is the flight software building." She merely shrugged. + +"We're taking Mr. Young for opportunities you couldn't possibly understand, +Elon," Tamaki said, "it is okay if I call you Elon, right?" + +Kaden was caught off guard. He opened and closed his mouth a few times. "I +suppose," he stammered. "How did you know my name?" + +"Magic," she replied, pausing for a moment, "or something akin, now, we don't +have much time to loiter, please give us a six foot berth." + +"Definitely security," he mumbled as he stepped away from the stairway to the +wall. + +We moved as a group again. As we descended the stairs, Tamaki moved in front +of me while Davis smoothly stepped behind me. They easily took position on +either side of me once we'd cleared the stairs. My office was in full view +now. + +The looks I'd been given walking out of the building with two extremely +beautiful women gave me an odd sense of terror. Either they'd get the wrong +idea, or they'd get the right idea. + +"Don't worry," Tamaki said as we passed through the buildings large glass +doors, "the likelihood of you interacting with these people again is extremely +low." + +"Why's that?" I asked, slightly alarmed. + +"Those in our department are considered classified," she replied, a smile on +her face, "besides, we aren't very personable people, so it works out fine." + +We'd already walked to the water fixture. It was a large pond with a statue of +an airplane in the middle. The Eastern Hills Space Company's first product, +back when the company was named Eastern Hills Aerodynamics. A design +commissioned by the United States Space Force nearly 120 years ago. + +It was a space jet. I mean, it was a really cool fighter jet capable of +operation in both low Earth orbit and in atmosphere. But it was also just a +space jet. + +Honestly, thinking about it made my head hurt. The company had to build a +whole new engine to get the damn thing to work and I couldn't really imagine +how hard that engineering team worked. They must have put in more overtime +than the company could have afforded. + +"Young," Tamaki said, breaking me from my thought, "you okay? We need to keep +moving, we don't have enough time to be admiring the art." + +"Sorry," I mumbled, "I guess my brain is just taking vacation on me." + +"We need to hurry," Davis said, "you wanna?" + +"Yeah, that's probably for the best," Tamaki replied. Then she whispered +something quickly. It sounded almost Gaelic. Before I could contemplate more +on it, my brain went fuzzy. diff --git a/src/chapters/00-b-lastnormalday.tex b/src/chapters/00-b-lastnormalday.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..28e4df8 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/00-b-lastnormalday.tex @@ -0,0 +1,460 @@ +I'd been planning this run for a week. I wasn't going to let a small +abnormality stop my attempt on the biggest corp I'd ever taken on alone. It +simply wasn't an option. + +"You can't make this run, Eilidh," the middle-aged woman yelled at me from the +other side of the living room, "It is far too dangerous and you've clearly not +prepared enough." She was my hookup, someone who fielded and verified clients, +and also the closest person I've ever had to a mother. + +She was irate because I'd decided to infiltrate the Eastern Hills Space Company +at their Denver Headquarters in order to steal as much data as I could walk out +with. I was going to start preparing for the run in just a few hours, and +Berdie just didn't want me to go. + +"I know you think it's dangerous," I admitted to her with a sigh. There was no +decent way for me to say this without Berdie feeling bad. "We haven't had a +proper payday in almost a month and you need your medicine." + +"We have so many credits saved up still," Berdie protested. She held her frail +lips in such a tight frown. Under the dim lighting in our safehouse, you could +barely tell she was frowning; it was so thin. Her eyes were what really gave +it away. + +"I don't care if we have a million credits saved up," I countered, "Your +medicine would wipe it all out in just a few months." + +Berdie narrowed her eyes in anger. You could almost feel the daggers she'd +started staring at me. "At least I care enough about you not to lose myself to +something completely insane!" Berdie yelled, throwing a glass across the room +at me. She missed; it burst against the wall behind me. + +I sighed. "Would it help ease your worry if I hired an analyst to help me +through this?" I asked, pushing my blue hair out of my eyes. + +"Yes, but you're planning for \emph{tonight}," she continued protesting, "You +better not be basing this heist off of a small enough amount of data that an +analyst can analyze it all in twelve hours!" + +"Even if I've got an analyst who I've been working with for the whole thing?" I +asked, batting my eyes innocently. After all, I had one friend I trusted +unconditionally with all my data, and he'd been looking at it all along. + +Marvin was his name. He was the hacker I sold all of my data to. He'd resell +it on various bulletin board systems, BBSes, or hand it directly to other teams +making runs similar to mine. + +Berdie was silent for a while as she mulled through this. "Marvin doesn't +count; Eilidh you know that." + +"Yes, Mother," I whined. Why did she always have to ruin my fun? I was trying +to take care of her. The corps that made her medicine were all making back +room deals so they could charge an arm and a leg for it. Even though the +formula for her medicine had been leaked by runners, we still couldn't +manufacture it ourselves. The equipment needed to do so was, similarly to the +medicine itself, far beyond the price range of any makers I knew of. It was +also incredibly hard to steal. + +Eastern Hills Space Company was just a single step towards that much larger +goal: I eventually wanted to liberate the machines that PharmaCo used to build +its meds. If we became a burrow in the Colorado Free State with one, we could +produce their drugs at their real cost, and not their capitalist bullshit +price. + +That's what this was all about: My burrow needs things, and I need to pay for +Berdie's meds. Two birds with one stone. + +I'd started running with easy jobs, fielded by local merchants who just needed +gear or information. Eventually I'd made a run I was utterly unprepared for +trying to grab an industrial kiln for one of the artisans in the burrow. + +"Grab", because I had two guys who were supposed to be my muscle. Of course, +they ran at the first sign of trouble. I'd almost been snatched by the +security forces while trying to escape. My panic upon returning home had let +Berdie pry more information out of me than I'd realized. + +She'd then declared herself my hookup and started giving me jobs. + +I should have realized that I couldn't keep jobs from her, even in her +declining health. "I'm going on this run," I stated, "I've already invested +hundreds of credits into information gathering. Its not going to waste, and +the data I need is going off planet tomorrow at 0800." + +"Fine," Berdie said, defeated, "but you better be back before breakfast young +lady." I nodded. What else could I do? If I wasn't back it meant I'd failed. +And I'd be dead, or worse. + +I walked to my room. The door slid open as I approached it, the automated +system having recognized my face. An automated greeting sounded on the +speakers I'd rigged the room with. "Play my electro playlist." + +The speakers started playing, filling the room with lively music. I assessed +my things. A bed was in the far corner, simple, but the mattress was garbage. +Every time I laid down for rest it was on the bean bag on the opposite wall +anyway. + +The room's lighting was provided by many strings of pink, blue, and green +electroluminescent wires, all placed in seemingly random places. Some hung +from the ceiling; others laid across the floor or hung from the walls. My +computer's many monitors lit up, washing out the scene with blue and white +light. + +I sat in my computer chair and began carefully formulating my plan. Even a +single unknown variable could cause this run to go up in flames. I'd lose my +life if I wasn't careful. + +About an hour into reviewing data and making notes, a video call request popped +up on my main monitor. I jumped at the sudden noise before regaining my +composure and accepting the call. + +"Marvin," I said, trying to keep the adrenaline away from my voice. + +"Eilidh," Marvin replied. He was grinning a wide grin, making his blue eyes +crinkle. "I just uncovered something in your recon data." + +"Tell me about it," I said, going back to drawing my plans. I'd just been +reviewing guard rotations and paths in the research and development building. + +"They are guarding something big in the secondary building," he laughed, +pleased with himself, "No guards on the outside of the building, but I +cross-referenced some of your data with that of another band of runners who +tried to get in. Their recording devices were blank when they came back out, +and they couldn't even remember what they saw in there." + +"How's that possible?" I asked, looking up at the camera above Marvin's face. +"Are they working on memory alteration?" + +"Maybe, but it gets better," he says, his excitement is very visible on him. +He's nearly bouncing out of frame. "Their security team kills people, Eilidh. +These guys walked out of their failed run not remembering it at all. They +don't want people to think there's anything there worth running against." + +"I gathered," I sighed, "that doesn't make it any more appetizing of a target, +Marvin. Get to it, what else did you find?" + +"Rumors," he replied. His red hair was a mess from the excitement he could +barely contain in his thin frame. "They say there's ghosts there. And magic! +Real magic!" + +"Marvin," I snapped, "I know you've been trying to prove magic exists for the +last fifteen years, but you're twenty-seven now. Can we drop all the childish +games?" + +"It couldn't hurt to look, Li," he said, using my nickname from when we were +young, "Please, whatever is in that building is really high priority." + +Another change to the plan. I didn't like it. I'd spent most of my time +looking into the main R\&D building. It would likely be too risky to run +against the secondary. "Alright," I said giving up, "but you're going to +sweeten the pot for me if I walk out of there with nothing. And you're going +to be on vid with me the whole time." + +"What do you want?" Marvin asked. He'd started typing frantically, his already +big smile widening. + +"You'll pay for Berdie's meds for the next four months." A run like this could +pay for that much, probably. I wasn't actually getting paid, just hoping I'd +get enough data for a good payday, so this was a baseline of pay at the very +least. + +"Fine," he sighed, "but that's a lot of money, so I'll be recording your whole +run. And I'm sending a drone with you: one I'll be piloting." + +"More help is more better," I said, "but now that you're in, help me with the +damn plan." + +A few hours of planning later, I found myself sighing deeply. "Marv, wanna go +to the club before I get myself killed?" + +"Sure," he replied. His face was no longer lit up with excitement. The +planning had taken a lot of effort and I could see that he was frustrated. +"This plan is now solid enough to stand on, but I can't help but feeling like +you're walking into a deliberate trap." + +"You wanted me to hit the secondary building," I said, shrugging. "See you at +the club." + +"Wait!" he cried before I could hang up. "Which club are we going to?" + +I shrugged. "Which one is open at 1500?" + +He started typing again, fingers moving fast enough that they were just blurs +in the camera. "Looks like Railgun and TripSmash are open." + +"TripSmash," I said. "Railgun was boring as, last time." + +"See you there," he said, cutting the connection. With the video call now +disconnected, my music started playing again. The music had resumed in the +middle of a drop, so the sudden noise caused me to jump, knocking my chair +back. + +I'd ended up on the floor. I couldn't help laughing. It was kinda funny. +Before I could pull myself off the floor, the door was sliding open. Berdie's +face held a firm expression, but her eyes were red and puffy. + +"Marv and I built a plan," I said, finally getting back up on my feet, "We're +gonna go meet up at the club, I wanna dance with some girls before I end up in +a Corp prison." + +She exploded in laughter, the somber kind of laughter. When she finally +regained her composure, she was biting her lip in that worried anxious way she +always does. "You kids take care of each other out there." + +"We will, Mom," I said. Her worry over me did make me feel good. I knew this +was a risky run, but I had to do it, to prove to myself I could be independent +again. + +As she left my doorway, the door slid shut. I breathed slightly. "Time to +pick clothes and hit the shower, I guess. Should I do makeup? Probably. Will +I? Maybe. I \emph{do} want to dance with some pretty women. Maybe I will +doll up just a bit." + +I settled on a black crop top and a simple pair of black jeans. I'd be wearing +a brown jacket with a black hood to keep the cold off. And my black combat +boots would tie the outfit all together. I sighed; there was no way I'd pick +anyone up wearing this. At least Berdie never had to worry about me bringing +anybody over. + +I laughed my worry away only slightly. I just wanted to dance with someone +cute; was that so much to ask for? Yeah. Probably. I sighed and took my +clothes to the bathroom with me. + +My shower was quick and cold, but it got me clean. I had been pretty dirty +after the recon I'd done last night. I'm amazed Berdie was able to argue with +me for so long when I stank that badly. + +After getting dressed I decided I would do my makeup. I neglected foundation +and coverup, but focused on my eyes. A little blue eye shadow to pull out the +blues in my eyes and hair. Big wings drawn in eye liner. Mascara to thicken +up my lashes. Sky blue sparkles on my eyes and cheeks to enhance the pale look +of my skin. + +Finally I picked some black lipstick and put it on. It was so black in +comparison to my pale skin, chosen intentionally for the contrast. + +So I liked the color of my face being washed out. It looked good, okay? + +Looking at myself in the mirror, an odd idea crossed my mind. "Any deities +that might smile upon me, I ask for a blessing in my endeavors tonight." I +knew deities weren't real, but on the off-chance that I'd gained the favor of +one, I might as well ask, right? + +The club was a short ride from the safehouse on my motorcycle. Ten minutes +after getting on the bike, I was walking into TripSmash. The club wasn't much +to look at from the outside: it was a simple old warehouse covered in graffiti +with a sign out front. + +On the inside, TripSmash was a den of cyberdelia love. High-tech lights pulsed +to the music as lasers shone into the smokey dance floor. The bar was on the +wall right as you walked in, and a seating area was across the floor from it. +On the wall directly opposite the door stood the DJ at their perch, looking at +pink-tinted holographic displays. They looked badass. + +"When did you get that?" Marvin asked, sliding up next to me and pointing at my +belly button ring. + +"Last year, I think," I said, heading to the bar. "After my run on Xycell." + +"What can I get you?" the bartender asked, flashing me a smile. + +"What ever fruity drink you recommend," I replied, giving the bartender a +courteous smile. He wasn't my type, but he was cute. + +"And another Fringe," Marvin said from next to me, then turned to me, "So you +got a belly button ring after Xycell. Why?" + +"Saw one on the cute receptionist as I entered the building," I laughed, +"thought, 'I really can't not look that cute,' and now here we are." Marvin +joined in my laughter. The bartender came back to our side of the bar and +handed us our drinks. + +"The Fruity Tootie," the bartender said, "but your limit is two, especially +after your friend here nearly brought our network down." + +"Marvin!" I exclaimed, turning back toward him, "you nearly brought their +network down and you let me drag you here?" + +"Uh, yeah," Marvin replied, sipping on his new drink. It was a pretty blue, +almost two shades lighter than my hair. "I uh, forgot I did it. I was pretty +turned up by this designer amphetamine I'd taken earlier in the night. Wild +party though." + +I shrugged. "I'mma go hit the floor, watch my drink?" + +"Sure," Marvin replied, "have fun." I walked out there, trying my best to +saunter toward a beautiful woman in a short black dress. She met my eyes and +smiled. Her eyes were a pretty gray. + +As I got closer I started dancing, giving her looks that I hoped would invite +her over to come dance with me. She smiled, a pretty smile, almost a +challenge. + +Should I move closer to her? + +No, I didn't think so. Not yet. + +She'll come around, right? + +Yes! + +She inched closer and closer to me until she was right in front of and dancing +with me. I gave her a sly smile; she gave me a grin. Her eyes were much +prettier up close. They were only gray under the pink the lights had turned, +the pink matching the holoscreens. Now that I was closer, I saw they were +actually a beautiful lavender. + +"Nice eyes," I whispered into her ear, the music slipping into a more chill +track. "They're beautiful." + +"Thanks," she replied, hesitantly threading her fingers in mine. "Yours are +pretty, too. You did good with your makeup." + +I smiled. "Thanks, wanna go grab a drink?" + +"Yeah," she replied, "I haven't had anything to drink in a bit. Lose myself to +the beat." She shrugged. + +"Makes sense," I laughed, "Come on." I pulled her to the bar next to where +Marvin was sitting on a stool. + +"Wow," Marvin said, looking my dance partner over. "She's really cute, +Eilidh." + +"Yep," I said, a blush working its way into my voice, "she's really gorgeous." + +"Lucere," she said, squeezing on my hand. I took a gulp of my drink and turned +to her. + +"Nice to meet you Lucere, I'm Eilidh," I said, squeezing her hand. + +"I'm Marvin," Marvin said, obviously trying to trip me up, but I didn't feel +any of the normal anxiety with Lucere. She was easy to look at, her pretty +black dress clinging to her frame, highlighting every curve. Her beautiful +eyes were captivating. + +"Did you want a drink, Lucere?" I asked as the bartender came to check up on +us. She looked at me for a moment under diffuse white lighting. + +"Yes," she replied, then broke her gaze to tell the bartender, "Gin martini, +stirred, two olives." He nodded and hurried off to prepare it. + +"Martini, huh?" I asked, shivering under the weight of her returning gaze. It +felt like she was drinking the look of me up. + +"Yeah," she replied, "Martini. A brother-in-arms used to drink them. I try to +have one every once in a while before kissing someone. One of his old +traditions." + +"You were in the war?" I asked. A war broke out in the Colorado Free State +last year. It lasted roughly a week, but the battle had scarred the Denver +cityscape permanently. Several corporate towers had been leveled within a +handful of hours. + +"Something like that," Lucere laughed. She began pointing up. "Been off world +a few years on assignment. Got back today." + +"Woah," Marvin exclaimed. "What's it like up there?" + +"I missed the ground," Lucere admitted. The bartender slid her drink up next +to her. Her face lit up before she snatched it off the bar and gulped it down. +I chuckled. She set the empty glass down on the bar before reaching down and +kissing me. + +Lucere's kiss felt electric against my lips and her hands like fire against the +skin of my waist. I moaned. + +"Oh shit," I laughed, breaking away from the kiss. "That was pretty sudden and +really nice, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't expecting, um, \emph{that}, quite +so soon." + +"Sorry," she said, blushing, "I just, its been a while since I've been in the +Free State, a while since I've been anywhere but the medical ward of a +starship." + +"Don't be sorry," I said, reaching up to kiss her again. "It was really +endearing. And a lot of fun." + +She smiled, broke away from my embrace, then looked at Marvin with a +contemplative face. "You look sufficiently nerdy. Know any runners?" + +I coughed, nearly spilling the fresh sip of my drink on my crop top. Marvin +pointed at me. Lucere's eyes lit up as she looked at me. Oh, that was a +feeling I could get used to. + +"Why do you need a runner?" I asked, trying to avoid looking outright curious. +I tried for a look of calm and collected. + +"I work for Eastern Hills Space Company," she replied. Her eyes looking for +any cracks in my mask. "Looking for someone to break in as a security test. I +want it to be as real as we can manage." + +Shit. I was spooked and even Lucere could tell. Did she know I had planned a +run for just a few hours from now? How did she know? What was I doing still +standing here holding her hand? + +"So you were going to hit us tonight," Lucere mumbled. "No worries. I can pay +you right now: double whatever you were going to get from it and protection for +you and your crew. But for that I suppose you'll have to become a runner for +us. I understand how that could make you feel." + +"How about we drop you right here," Marvin suggested. His eyes fell down to +where I was still holding Lucere's hand. I looked down and saw that she was +still holding my hand, calmly and happily. + +"You could \emph{not} hurt her," I offered. Finally, I gave up and relaxed. +"I kinda wanna just keep kissing her, if that's alright with everyone." + +She giggled. + +Marvin threw his hands in the air, then brought them down hard on the bar. + +"Bartender," he yelled, "can I get, well, anything? I need some chemical help +to understand the world I find myself in." + +"Yeah," Lucere finally said, cutting off her giggling. "I'll kiss you some +more, but you realize that if you don't take this job, we're gonna walk away +from here enemies." + +"Guess I better make the best of the time we're friends then," I replied after +finishing my drink. I ran my free hand along her jaw. I couldn't help myself. +Something about her was electrifying. + +"One last question before we kiss, Eilidh," Lucere said. + +Oh \emph{wow}. The way my name came off her tongue sounded like honey. I +nodded quickly before I could lose myself in that feeling. + +"Do you feel the pull?" + +I furrowed my brow in confusion. "What do you mean?" + +She merely pulled out a mirror in response and used it to show me the small of +my back. There was an interesting mark, but I couldn't make out what it was. +Regardless of that, it was new. Hadn't been there when I showered an hour or +so before. + +"Shit," I exclaimed, "When the fuck did someone have the time to tattoo me in +the last hour?" + +"Not a tattoo," Lucere replied. "I have one just like it." She turned. Her +dress' back disappeared. Or was it always like that? In the small of her back +was an almost wireframe representation of a simplistic lotus. + +Without thinking I put my finger to the mark and felt its ridges. As I ran my +finger over the mark, it began to glow along the outlines. A faint purple glow +that was reflected in my hands. + +"Woah!" Marvin exclaimed. "What the fuck?" + +"We leave here as friends," Lucere stated, a smile on her face again. "And +that felt really good. You have to promise to put your hands all over me +sometime soon, okay?" + +"Will someone please talk to me?" Marvin asked. + +"Magic," I whispered, realizing instantly that I'd been wrong. "Its real. +Look at it. Its beautiful." + +"I need you both to come with me," Lucere said urgently, "Eilidh has about a +week of transformation to do, and I suppose Marvin could be a good artificer. +You look nerdy enough for it." diff --git a/src/chapters/01-a-ceremony.tex b/src/chapters/01-a-ceremony.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..eef0e29 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/01-a-ceremony.tex @@ -0,0 +1,324 @@ +The world faded into existence very slowly through my blurry eyes. When the +hell had I passed out? + +I remembered the R\&D women who came to my room. I remembered Kaden and how +he'd been trying to do something to get, well I'm not really sure what his game +was. The big glass front door. + +The space jet, in all of its marvelous absurdity. + +But I couldn't remember anything after that. I could feel a disappointed frown +forming on my face. Maybe I'd remember later. + +I began looking around. The room I'd found myself in looked like an improvised +medical ward. I gathered this from the cots and a large stash of medical +supplies on the far wall. I could see there were a few cots with people in +them. + +"Finally awake," a voice said from my left, "that's good. We've had you in and +out of the ice bath already." + +"For my fever," I said, "that makes sense." She moved in front of me. She was +beautiful. Just as beautiful as Tamaki or Davis. Her eyes had an intense +purple glow to them. Her hair was a pretty chocolate color. Her lips were a +pretty cherry color. Her cheeks perfectly carved. + +"Medical Officer Manafed," she said, pointing to herself, "and you're new +designation is Tactical Officer Young." + +"Please," I said, "call me Talon." + +"Then you can call me Lucere or Lucy," she replied, "whichever you prefer." + +"You're beautiful, Lucere," I said, still meeting her eyes. + +"And you're running a hot enough fever that you're out of your mind," she +replied, giggling. Her smile was infectious. + +"That doesn't change facts," I said. Where did that come from? The anxiety +was there, but it was subdued. "Did you drug me?" + +"Well, you were tossing and turning in your sleep, so I gave you an +anti-anxiety pill, and a mild sedative so you'd end up in deep sleep." She +explained it like it was so simple and easy. "You should still feel the +effects of the anti-anxiety, but the sedative left your system hours ago." + +"So I'd be really forward if it weren't for anxiety?" I asked. + +"Well, you are also experiencing a very high fever," she replied, "you probably +didn't notice because we're running a bio-compatible cryofluid through your +veins." + +"So you're chilling me using subzero fake blood?" I asked, "What's my +temperature without it?" + +"Your temperature without the cryofluid? Oh that's a bit of a hard question," +she replied, "my best guess would be somewhere around 300, maybe 350." + +"Numbers that big, I suppose it doesn't really matter what measurement system +it is," I said. + +"Celsius," she said, answering the implicit question. + +"Anyway, what's going on?" I asked. + +"You met our Pale Goddess," she replied, "meeting her causes certain changes to +happen. Your fever is caused by your body changing." + +"And she's what, an actual god?" I asked, scoffing at the thought. + +"Yes," she replied, "she grants us certain magics." + +"Magics?" my unrelenting stream of questions just getting shorter. + +"Yes," she replied again, putting her hand up in front of me. "Like this." Her +hand started glowing a bright purple light. "I can heal almost any wound with +that." I knew I must have been staring because the glow in her eyes +brightened. + +"Is that why I can see light in your eyes?" I asked. + +She gave me an odd look. "No," she replied, "that's all you. You're able to +see the magic in us. That's new." + +"New?" I asked, "As in you haven't seen it before?" + +"Yes, new as in we haven't got it in our catalog of magics," she replied, +"that's neat." + +"So I'm what then, now?" I asked, "a witch?" + +"We're mages," she said, "not witches." + +"Is there a difference?" I asked. She squinted at me with a frown on her face. +"No, no, don't look at me like that." + +"Mages do magic," she replied, her frown resolving to something decidedly less +pained, "witches are just nurses with a stupid costume." + +"Oh," I said, "sorry to have insulted you like that." + +"Its fine," she said, "we have to get you into virtual now, so you don't feel a +lot of pain when your body starts changing. We'll also train you as best we +can for your new role as our Tactical Officer." + +"And does the Tactical Officer have magic?" I asked, a silly smile on my face. + +"Does the Tactical Officer embrace the power of the feminine?" she asked, a +serious look on her face. + +"I'm not even sure what that means," I replied, "but we can assume no for the +time being." + +"Then no," she giggled, "other gods give based on their domains, but the Pale +Goddess' domains are femininity, motherhood, womanhood, lesbianism, and the +likes." + +"You're telling me she's the goddess of lesbians?" I asked, "who is she, Sappho +reincarnated?" + +Lucere looked at me funny. "I think I'll assume 'maybe' for the time being." + +"Okay," I said, drawing the word out, "what's it gonna take to get me in +virtual?" + +"You have two options," she said, jumping right into business, "we can put you +in using the neural crown, which is completely non-invasive, or I can put you +back under and give you a neural implant. What's your pick?" + +"Right," I replied, a little overwhelmed. Neural implants are still just +science fiction. "Lets go with the crown for now, and we'll see about the +implant later." + +"Are you sure?" she asked, "it comes with a snazzy optical implant for user +interfacing." + +"Yeah," I said, "I'm sure." + +"Okay then, cutie, lets get you ready for go," Lucere said, smiling, "we'll be +moving you into a permanent ice bath once you're in virtual." Shit. She'd +called me a cutie. I could feel my face getting red. + +"Right," I said, "let's get it done." + +"I'm going to move closer now," she said, "and fit the crown over your head. +Don't bite." + +As she moved closer to me, I started talking, maybe a bit too fast. "So I'm +gonna guess how this thing works. It uses electromagnetic fields to induce +tiny pinpoint electrical signals within certain parts of my brain." + +"Sort of," she said, "it doesn't use EMF, but if you want all the details on +that, you should talk to our resident tech mage." + +"I may just have to," I replied. She'd been messing with something I couldn't +quite see, just above my head. + +"Use your limited ability to move your head and let me slip this over you," she +instructed, holding a stretchy fabric band. As I pushed my head forward and up +slightly, she slipped the band over my head. "Good, now think happy thoughts +while I put you in the environment." + +I thought about her, in front of me. Lucere's arms curled around me. Her lips +meeting mine. I couldn't tell you why I thought about her. I'd never really +thought about women like that. Never really wanted to kiss anyone before. +Thinking about it made me feel an odd warmth through my chest. + +Maybe it was just the fever. Before I could think on it anymore, the crown got +a little warm around my head. Then the world started dripping away in large +globules of liquid matter. Everything I could see having simply melted away. + +I don't know when I began screaming, but it stopped when I felt my body +stretch. It felt roughly like I'd expected being sucked into a black hole +would have. Except far worse, because it was happening. + +The feeling got worse and worse, like a pressure building up. It almost became +unbearable. Almost. Then I heard a popping noise and was dropped very lightly +into a grassy environment. At the top of a hill with what looked like an +endless void surrounding it. Damn. + +"Your heart rate spiked as you were coming in," Lucere said from beside me. I +jumped, startled. She wasn't there just a second ago. "Are you okay?" + +"You didn't warn me that it would do \emph{that}," I said, my voice sounded +hoarse. + +"I told you to think about happy thoughts," she stated, as if that was some +excuse. "Happy thoughts prevent the black hole from eating you between +environments." + +"Oh, and I suppose that is supposed to mean something to me!" I shouted. I +didn't mean to shout. I hate yelling. She just stared at me. + +"Yeah," she said, "its supposed to mean, think about times you were happy." + +"Lucy," I heard a familiar voice say, "what the hell are you doing yelling at +officer Young?" + +"He's accidentally experienced the black hole, Ai." As Lucere spoke, the +familiar voice came into view. Tamaki. She was wearing a robe now. It was +colorfully decorated. It reminded of the renaissance festival, in how old, but +new it looked. + +"Getting ready for a seance?" I asked, completely baffled by the outfit. + +"No," she replied, little emotion coming through her voice, "I'm getting ready +for the welcoming ceremony." + +"Welcoming what?" I asked, confused. + +"You, dummy," Lucere laughed. + +"Oh," I laughed. + +"I see you two made a bit of a connection," Tamaki said, "Lucy I thought you +only got kicks out of women." + +"Commander," Lucere said, feigning shock, "don't you know that love is love?" + +"Yeah yeah," Tamaki giggled, "back in line soldier." + +Lucere gave an exaggerated solute, bowed deeply, then pranced off to some +unseen spot. + +"Forgive our medical officer," Tamaki said, "for her lame jokes and her +impeccably bad timing. And me, for making fun of her at your expense." + +"No need for that," I replied, then gave a solute almost as exaggerated as +Lucere's, "Commander." + +"We won't have any issues with chain of command from you, will we?" Tamaki +laughed, her question obviously sarcastic. She started walking in a direction, +but stopped when she realized I wasn't following. She beckoned me over. I +sighed and started walking, following behind her while keeping a distance of a +few paces. + +After a few minute walk through total nothingness, only seeing Tamaki in front +of me, trees started appearing. We walked through a dense wooded area for +another few minutes before we came to a clearing. When I was in the clearing, +I could clearly see a ring of logs with hooded figures sitting on them. + +I counted five hooded figures. With Tamaki and I we would be seven figures in +total. + +"Come on," Tamaki laughed, "you don't need to be scared of women in hooded +robes." + +"And yet," I said, "I am. Maybe has something to do with the whole magic +thing." + +"They won't attack you," she said, "unless, of course, you attack them first." + +"I have no ill intentions," I stated, "but I'm still worried." + +"Don't be," she laughed. + +As we approached, each of the mages stood up, their black robes still reaching +the ground. Their hoods covering their heads were large enough to obscure +their faces. I mean, we're talking about literal mages. Wearing mage robes. +Doing some sort of a mage thing. + +Did I get whisked away into a cult? Should I be worried? + +"Center of the circle," Tamaki giggled, "facing me. On your knees, but make +yourself comfortable, because you'll be sitting like that for a bit." + +I sat myself in the circle, on my knees. In getting comfortable, I rested on +my feet and placed my hands on my thighs. + +I heard a few hums of excitement from the mages around me. + +"Now," Tamaki said, taking point in front of the group, "for the first time +among us, we have a man. Unprecedented since the discovery of magic nearly +seventy years ago. Mages are a rarity, as we all know, and our goddess has a +penchant for making them." + +"May I ask questions?" I asked before she could continue. + +"You may," Tamaki replied, "but keep in mind, we are slightly pressed for time. +Our officers are quite busy, especially our medical officer." + +"Right," I said, giggling slightly, "when was magic first discovered?" + +"When the first mage was born on this campus," she replied, "in our medical +wing, the same one your body is in now, actually. In 2091. August third. The +medical staff had no clue what was wrong with her. When she woke up in a new +body nearly a month later, the medical team having used ice baths to cool her, +she did her best to figure out what happened." + +"Of course," Lucere cut in, "she went in much like your body is now." + +"A man?" I asked. + +"Probably not," Lucere replied, "but she was incorrectly labeled a boy at +birth. We aren't here to judge. That's for the Pale Goddess, and we've all +already been deemed worthy in her eyes." + +Fuck, is that what was going to happen to me? They must have seen my anxiety +spike, because they'd all stopped making noise. I was starting to +hyperventilate. I fell backwards and felt my chest heave as my body tried its +hardest to get air in me. + +But I'd never wished I were a woman. Its rediculous. Its impossible. Right? + +I guess I'd have to think on that later. Focusing on my breathing, I managed +to calm down. Could I even pass out from lack of oxygen in virtual? + +"Are you okay?" Tamaki asked, kneeling down in front of me. When did she get +in front of me? I shook my head, not trusting my voice. "Alright ladies," she +said, "group hug time. You can go back to your duties after." + +The six mages around me all huddled in, wrapping their arms around me, +squeezing in. I felt like I was being enveloped in a heavy weighted blanket, +something Eastern Hills hadn't let me keep when I moved into the campus. It +was too big a safety risk, they'd said. + +After a little bit, each of the mages unwrapped their arms, then disappeared. +Lucere looked me in the eyes, her hood back, and kissed my forehead. "You'll +make it through this," she whispered in my ear before returning to her duties +outside of virtual. + +Eventually, Tamaki and I were the only ones left sitting in the clearing. + +"Come on," she said, offering her hand, "we've got a lot to talk about." + diff --git a/src/chapters/01-a-corporatetakeover.tex b/src/chapters/01-a-corporatetakeover.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3fe7c83 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/01-a-corporatetakeover.tex @@ -0,0 +1,275 @@ +Just like that, I had let a corporate entity take me away. Lucere had paid for +our drinks and motioned toward the door. + +A flying taxi hovered outside, the driver motioning us to come in. + +Once we were safely inside the taxi lifted off. After a few minutes, we were +staring directly at the Eastern Hills Space Company campus, directly into their +headquarters. Spread over a four-block section of the city and comprised of +five buildings, the campus almost didn't fit in with its surroundings. Almost. + +The building we were headed directly for was the secondary R\&D building Marvin +and I had planned to infiltrate later tonight. A hatch on the roof began to +open as we approached, large enough to let the taxi land inside. + +"That's our facility," Lucere said, moving her arm from around my waist to +point at it, "We do lots of really cool stuff in there, but we're primarily a +strike force." + +"Why would Eastern Hills need a strike force?" Marvin asked, finally lifting +his head from the window. He and I had never been in a flying taxi before, so +he was getting as much of the view as he could. + +"Likely something to do with discovering magic," I replied, looking into +Lucere's eyes, searching for confirmation. + +"Eilidh is right," Lucere said, giving me what I wanted, "but we aren't +technically run by Eastern Hills. We are self-governing: we have power equal +to the CEO and we take profits from the company before the board members get to +siphon off their overly-large portions." + +"And what do you do with those profits?" I asked pointedly. + +"Well, each member of the strike force is awarded one share of it per quarter, +which is a rather large chunk," she explained, "We also keep a discretionary +budget, equipment budget, upkeep costs, and award shares on a per-operation +basis." + +"So this strike force is structured after runner groups," I noted, quickly +adding, "At least financially." + +"Yes," Lucere confirmed, "and similar goals as well. As runners, I'm sure you +saw the data leaks from the Kai Heavy Industries dig sites." + +"I remember being really impressed by the runners behind the leaks," Marvin +stated, a look of fancy lingering on his face. + +"It wasn't runners," Lucere said, a wicked grin spreading across her face. + +"This strike force was behind the leaks," I stated as her implication started +to make sense, "But why?" + +As the taxi started a descent through the hatch, wind caught its large rotors +and the whole vehicle jostled to the right. I started feeling uneasy. + +"Letting Kai's digs continue unchecked would have destroyed something important +to the planet," Lucere answered. She didn't betray any worry at all on her +face, but her voice filled the air with sorrow. + +Marvin blinked a few times. "Why would you care about that?" + +"It is in the nature of our benefactor to care about this planet," replied +Lucere, "even if we can't do terribly much to reverse the hellscape that it is +now." + +"Your benefactor?" I asked. + +"Eilidh, \emph{our} benefactor, the Deity responsible for giving us our magic." + +"Our benefactor," I repeated slowly, letting it sink in. I was still in +denial; it felt so absurd. Then my brain caught up. "Wait, deities are +real?" + +"Yes and no," Lucere explained, "It's rather complicated. Deities aren't the +same as mythology makes them out to be. They aren't all powerful, nor are they +capable of directly affecting the world. They can only interact via pocket +dimensions and the mirror world." + +"Mirror world?" Marvin asked, "like, the world behind the glass of the mirror?" + +Lucere smiled."Exactly." Her smile was so pretty. The way it lit up +her face made it contagious, until she started focusing on something I couldn't +see and it faded into a scowl. + +"What's wrong?" I asked her, lightly touching her face. In that moment, I had +not a single care that the taxi just landed. + +"Looks like we have a two for one deal going," she replied, focusing on me +again. Her smile returned, but it looked like a tired smile instead of the +genuine one I'd seen just a moment before. "One of our own was properly +blessed by the Goddess, which means I'm trapped here for a month at least while +they complete their transformation." + +"A month?" I asked, "Mine's only a week, right?" + +"Yes," she replied, "Theirs is a bit special of a transformation. You asked +the Goddess, even if you didn't realize it. They didn't. They are a full +mage while you're only a demimage. Now based on your purple effects, it's +likely you'll be a little more powerful than the average demimage, as you can +utilize magic even without your body being rebuilt." + +"What's a demimage?" Marvin asked, a curious look on his face. + +"Well, lets explain mages first," she replied, rubbing her temples, "I'm a +mage; that means I have a full magical circuit embedded in my body, so I may +utilize all of the magical energy around and within me. A demimage has a less +powerful version of that same magical circuit in theirs. It means that +demimages, while much more magically talented than an average human, can't ever +really match up equally against a mage. The process of transformation is what +reconfigures your body to accept a magical circuit. You following me on that?" + +Marvin and I nodded. + +"So I have to go through this process of transformation to get a magical +circuit embedded into me," I noted, staring off into the distance as we landed +inside the building, "and that magical circuit was given to me by a deity, in +this case a goddess, because I asked for it?" + +"That sums it up," Lucere said, kissing my forehead before hopping out of +the taxi. "You coming Eilidh?" + +"Yeah," I mumbled and scooted out of the taxi to stand next to Lucere. + +"You are adorable, getting caught up in your head like that," she said, +grabbing my hand and leading me into the building. I looked back quickly to +see Marvin following us at a short distance. He smiled at me, showing how +anxious he was about all this. + +I found the door into the stairwell a little odd: no visible method to open +it. Instead, it vanished as we approached and reappeared behind us. It was +kind of jarring. Marvin was visibly gawking at it. I wasn't sure I wanted to +try and figure it out. + +Once we were down two flights of stairs, Lucere made a sliding motion with her +arm out front. The wall reconfigured itself into an entryway. The +room beyond was a rather rapidly put-together medical ward, cots six feet +apart along each wall and a decent path leading to a large machine with bed-like +chambers along each side of it. + +There was a man sealed in one of the chambers, ice and water covering him above +his head. He had an air mask hooked up to him, presumably feeding him fresh +air so he could breathe. Two women stood on either side of the chamber he was +in. + +"Welcome back, Manafed," one of them said, turning around to greet her, "Sorry +your leave was cut short by two strays, but we'll get you through it as best we +can, then you can have a month to yourself." + +"Thank you Tamaki," Lucere said, giving a tired salute. She walked over to +observe the man in the chamber, "this Young?" + +"Yeah, they have been blessed by our Pale Goddess, though," Tamaki replied, "so +we'll see how they come out, as She has never been a particular fan of men." + +"Her aspects and domains prevent it," the third woman stated, "We all know +that. We all know how this is going to go. She'll wake up and fight her new +form for a week or so, then realize she's never been happier and everything +will just click." + +"They could have a different outcome, Davis," Lucere said, sighing deeply +before turning back to me, "This is Eilidh, and her friend Marvin. Demimage +and possible artificer, respectively. Tamaki, will you help me get our new +demimage into a cryotube?" + +"Yeah," Tamaki replied, turning to Davis, "you go get Marvin tested for +artifact fitness and pair him up with a good partner." + +Davis gave a salute and began walking toward the entryway. She stopped about +halfway to it and said to Marvin, "You coming? Or am I going to have to pull +all your memories and dump you on the street?" + +"I'll come take a test," he replied, following her out of the room and down the +stairwell. + +"So what happens to me?" I asked, the room suddenly growing far too warm. + +"You get in one of these cryochambers or your fever melts your brain," Tamaki +said in the midst of preparing one. Lucere was sitting down at a desk on the +wall behind the machine, taking notes and filling out paperwork. + +"We're going to need to get you into virtual to start training," Lucere stated, +not looking up from her paperwork, "You have the option to choose whether or +not you get a neural implant now or later. If you choose later, I can get you +into virtual using a neural crown now." + +I laughed. "Right, as if I'd be the fool to pass up a freaking neural +interface. Give me the implant." + +She sighed, pulled out another form, and turned to Tamaki. "Commander, why the +hell are we still doing paperwork when we literally have computers in our +heads?" + +"Because if we don't the archival department will kill us," Tamaki replied, +motioning me to come over. Looking at me now, she finally said, "Come on, we +don't have all day." + +"Yes ma'am," I said, walking over to the chamber and clambering in. Its 45- +degree angle was awkward to get in, but it was a nice resting position. + +"I'm going to hook some IVs up to you," Tamaki said, holding a needle, "is that +alright?" + +"No," I said sarcastically, "Please just stop my brain from melting already?" + +"Feisty," Tamaki said. + +"And a great kiss," Lucere said. + +"Oh," Tamaki said, curiosity on her face. She looked at me, "May I?" + +"Um, sure I guess," I said. + +Tamaki pressed her lips gentlly against mine. + +There was that electrifyingly good feeling again. + +I leaned into the kiss, a moan escaping from me. + +"Okay girls." Lucere's voice shocked me. Did I seriously not notice her walk +from her desk all the way here? "We need to prepare for surgery. Can we +\emph{not} make out until after it's done?" + +"Very good kiss," Tamaki said, pulling away from me, a funny look on her face +as she tried to calm down. I was sure I had a similar look on mine. + +"You didn't even get the IV in her Tamaki," Lucere said, a tired look spreading +across her face. + +"Sorry," I said, reaching out to touch Lucere's jaw. Then I remembered. "Hey, +you said you'd give me more kisses before we left the bar, and then we were +both distracted by, um, magic stuff." + +Her eyes lit up as she remembered, "Oh, yeah. I figured you didn't care +anymore." + +"Of course I care," I said, a little offended, "I liked kissing you." + +Tamaki gave Lucere a look, "Well, looks like the new girl is going to fit in +just fine." + +"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, looking between the two women. + +"You'll find out." Lucere leaned in and gave me a kiss. It was a quick kiss, +but it felt just as good as the first time. + +As she pulled away I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into the chamber +on top of me. + +"You aren't about to get away with that," I said, panting with want. I pushed +my needy lips against hers, kissing her as deeply as she'd allow. + +Lucere pulled away after a second. "Listen: we have a lot to do. We can make +out in virtual. I can even take you to a beach of some alien planet, if you +want, but we \emph{have} to get this done now before your skin becomes hot +enough to burn me though your clothes." + +I pouted at her, finally presenting my arm for her to put an IV into. I +noticed Tamaki's face was as red as a cherry tomato, stopped pouting, and +winked at her. + +"I'm going to give you something to put you under while I implant you, okay? I +need you to start counting backwards from ten," Lucere instructed. + +"Okay, I'm ready," I said, "Ten." Almost immediately I could feel whatever +she'd given me was slowing my brain down. + +"Nine." Wow, this felt amazing. I was about to get the best sleep of my life. + +"Eight." Tamaki moved closer. I smiled at her. Her lips were so pretty. + +"Seven." Oh, I was starting to slur my speech, wasn't I? Lucere was finally +standing over me. Her eyes were twinkling. She was beautiful. + +"Six." Tamaki said something I couldn't hear. Lucere nodded. + +"Five-" diff --git a/src/chapters/01-b-ceremony.tex b/src/chapters/01-b-ceremony.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e9f646f --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/01-b-ceremony.tex @@ -0,0 +1,350 @@ +The world faded into existence very slowly through my blurry eyes. + +Wait. + +When the hell had I passed out? + +I remembered the R\&D women who came to my room. I remembered Kaden and how +he'd been trying to do something to get... I wasn't really sure what his game +was. + +I remembered the big glass front door. + +I remembered the space jet, in all of its marvelous absurdity. + +But I couldn't remember anything after that. I could feel a disappointed frown +forming on my face. + +Maybe I'd remember later. + +I began looking around. The room I'd found myself in looked like an improvised +medical ward, looking at the cots and that large stash of medical supplies on +the far wall. I could see people in a few of the cots. + +"Finally awake," a voice said from my left, "That's good. We've had you in and +out of the ice bath already." + +"For my fever," I said, "That makes sense." She moved in front of me. She was +beautiful. Just as beautiful as Tamaki or Davis. Her eyes had an intense +purple glow to them. Her hair was a pretty chocolate color. Her lips were a +pretty cherry color. Her cheeks were perfectly curved. + +"Medical Officer Manafed," she said, pointing to herself, "and your new +designation is Tactical Officer Young." + +"Please," I said, "call me Talon." + +"Then you can call me Lucere or Lucy," she replied, "whichever you prefer." + +"You're beautiful, Lucere," I said, still meeting her eyes. + +"And you're running a hot enough fever that you're out of your mind," she +replied, giggling, her smile infectious. + +"That doesn't change facts," I said. Where did that come from? The anxiety +was there, but subdued. "Did you drug me?" + +"Well, you were tossing and turning in your sleep, so I gave you an +anti-anxiety pill, and a mild sedative so you'd end up in deep sleep." She +explained it like it was so simple and easy. "You should still feel the +effects of the anti-anxiety, but the sedative left your system hours ago." + +"So I'd be really forward if it weren't for anxiety?" I asked. + +"Well, you are also experiencing a very high fever," she replied, "You probably +didn't notice because we're running a bio-compatible cryofluid through your +veins." + +"So you're chilling me using subzero fake blood?" I asked, "What's my +temperature without it?" + +"Your temperature without the cryofluid? Oh that's a bit of a hard question," +she replied, "My best guess would be somewhere around 300, maybe 350." + +"Numbers that big, I suppose it doesn't really matter what measurement system +it is," I said, immediately covering my mouth when I remembered Kelvin existed. + +"Celsius." She answered the implicit question with a smirk. + +"Anyway, what's going on?" I asked. + +"You met our Pale Goddess," she replied, "meeting Her causes certain changes to +happen. Your fever is caused by your body changing." + +"And she's what, an actual god?" I asked, scoffing at the thought. + +"Yes," she replied, "She grants us certain magics." + +"Magics?" My questions shrunk in the name of unrelenting bandwidth. + +"Yes," she replied again, putting her hand up in front of me, "Like this." Her +hand started glowing a bright purple light. "I can heal almost any wound with +that." I knew I must have been staring because the glow in her eyes +brightened. + +"Is that why I can see light in your eyes?" I asked. + +She gave me an odd look. "No, that's all you. You're able to see the magic in +us. That's new." + +"New?" I asked, "As in you haven't seen it before?" + +"Yes, new as in we haven't got it in our catalog of magics," she replied, +"That's neat." + +"So I'm what then, now?" I asked, "a witch?" + +"We're mages," she said, "not witches." + +"Is there a difference?" I asked. + +She squinted at me with a frown on her face. + +"No, no, don't look at me like that." + +"Mages do magic," she replied, her frown resolving to something decidedly less +pained, "Witches are just nurses with a stupid costume." + +"Oh," I said, "sorry to have insulted you like that." + +"It's fine," she said, "We have to get you into virtual now, so you don't feel +a lot of pain when your body starts changing. We'll also train you as best we +can for your new role as our Tactical Officer." + +"And does the Tactical Officer have magic?" I asked, a silly smile on my face. + +"Does the Tactical Officer embrace the power of the feminine?" she asked, a +serious look on her face. + +"I'm not even sure what that means," I replied, "but we can assume no for the +time being." + +"Then no," she giggled, "Other gods give in accordance with their domains, but +the Pale Goddess' domains are femininity, motherhood, womanhood, lesbianism, +and the likes." + +"You're telling me she's the goddess of lesbians?" I asked, "Who is she, Sappho +reincarnated?" + +Lucere looked at me funny. "I think I'll assume 'maybe' for the time being." + +"Okay," I said, drawing the word out, "What's it gonna take to get me in +virtual?" + +"You have two options," she said, jumping right into business, "we can put you +in using the neural crown, which is completely non-invasive, or I can put you +back under and give you a neural implant. What's your pick?" + +"Right," I replied, a little overwhelmed. Neural implants are still just +science fiction. "Lets go with the crown for now, and we'll see about the +implant later." + +"Are you sure?" she asked, "it comes with a snazzy optical implant for user +interfacing." + +"Yeah," I said, "I'm sure." + +"Okay then, cutie, lets get you ready for go," Lucere said with a smile, "We'll +be moving you into a permanent ice bath once you're in virtual." + +Shit. She'd called me a cutie. + +I could feel my face getting red. + +"Right," I said, "Let's get it done." + +"I'm going to move closer now and fit the crown over your head," she said, +"Don't bite." + +As she moved closer to me, I started talking, maybe a bit too fast. "So I'm +gonna guess how this thing works. It uses electromagnetic fields to induce +tiny pinpoint electrical signals within certain parts of my brain." + +"Sort of," she said, "it doesn't use EMF, but if you want all the details on +that, you should talk to our resident tech mage." + +"I may just have to," I replied. She'd been messing with something I couldn't +quite see, just above my head. + +"Use your limited ability to move your head and let me slip this over you," she +instructed, holding a stretchy fabric band. As I pushed my head forward and up +slightly, she slipped the band over my head. "Good, now think happy thoughts +while I put you in the environment." + +I thought about her, in front of me. Lucere's arms curled around me. Her lips +meeting mine. I couldn't tell you why I thought about her. I'd never really +thought about women like that, never really wanted to kiss anyone before. +Thinking about it made me feel an odd warmth through my chest. + +Maybe it was just the fever. Before I could think on it anymore, the crown got +a little warm around my head. Then the world dripped away in large liquidy +globules. Everything I could see simply melted away. + +I don't know when I'd begun screaming, but it stopped when I felt my body +stretch. It felt roughly like I'd expected being sucked into a black hole +would have, except far worse: I was actually experiencing it. + +The feeling got worse and worse, like a pressure building up. It almost became +unbearable. Almost. + +Then I heard a popping noise and dropped very lightly into a grassy environment +at the top of a hill with what looked like an endless void surrounding it. + +Damn. + +"Your heart rate spiked as you were coming in," Lucere said from beside me. + +I jumped, startled. She wasn't there just a second ago. + +"Are you okay?" she asked. + +"You didn't warn me that it would do \emph{that}," I said. My voice sounded +hoarse. + +"I told you to think about happy thoughts," she stated as if that was some +excuse, "Happy thoughts prevent the black hole from eating you between +environments." + +"Oh, and I suppose that is supposed to mean something to me!" I shouted. I +didn't mean to shout. I hated yelling. She just stared at me. + +"Yeah," she said, "It's supposed to mean, 'think about times you were happy.'" + +"Lucy," I heard a familiar voice say, "what the hell are you doing yelling at +officer Young?" + +"He accidentally experienced the black hole, Ai." said Lucere, the familiar +voice coming into view. Tamaki. She was wearing a robe now. It was +colorfully decorated and reminded me of the Renaissance festival, in how old, +yet new, it looked. + +"Getting ready for a seance?" I asked, completely baffled by the outfit. + +"No," she replied, little emotion coming through her voice, "I'm getting ready +for the welcoming ceremony." + +"Welcoming what?" I asked, confused. + +"You, dummy," Lucere laughed. + +"Oh." I laughed. + +"I see you two made a bit of a connection," Tamaki said, "Lucy I thought you +only got kicks out of women." + +"Commander," Lucere said, feigning shock, "Don't you know that love is love?" + +"Yeah yeah," Tamaki giggled, "back in line soldier." + +Lucere gave an exaggerated salute, bowed deeply, and pranced off to some unseen +spot. + +"Forgive our medical officer," Tamaki said, "for her lame jokes and her +impeccably bad timing. And me, for making fun of her at your expense." + +"No need for that," I replied, giving a salute almost as exaggerated as +Lucere's, "Commander." + +Tamaki Laughed. "We won't have any issues with chain of command from you, will +we?" Her question rang of obvious sarcasm. She started walking, but stopped +when she noticed I wasn't following. She beckoned me over. I sighed and +started walking, following behind her while keeping a distance of a few paces. + +After a few-minute walk through total nothingness, only seeing Tamaki in front +of me, trees started appearing. We walked through a dense wooded area for +another few minutes before we came to a clearing. Once in the clearing, I saw +clearly a ring of logs with hooded figures sitting on them. + +I counted five such figures. With Tamaki and I we would be seven in total. + +"Come on," Tamaki laughed, "you don't need to be scared of women in hooded +robes." + +"And yet," I said, "I am. Maybe something to do with the whole magic thing." + +"They won't attack you," she said, "unless of course you attack them first." + +"I have no ill intentions," I stated, "but I'm still worried." + +"Don't be." She laughed again. + +As we approached, each of the mages stood up, their black robes still reaching +the ground, their hoods large enough to obscure their faces. + +I mean, we're talking about literal mages wearing mage robes and doing some +sort of mage thing. + +Did I get whisked away into a cult? + +Should I be worried? + +"Center of the circle," Tamaki giggled, "Facing me. On your knees, but make +yourself comfortable, because you'll be sitting like that for a bit." + +I sat myself in the circle, on my knees. For comfort, I rested on my feet and +placed my hands on my thighs. + +I heard a few hums of excitement from the mages around me. + +"Now," Tamaki said, taking point in front of the group, "for the first time +among us, we have a man. Unprecedented since the discovery of magic nearly +seventy years ago. Mages are a rarity, as we all know, and our Goddess has a +penchant for making them." + +"May I ask questions?" I asked before she could continue. + +"You may," Tamaki replied, "but keep in mind, we are slightly pressed for time. +Our officers are quite busy, especially our medical officer." + +"Right," I said, giggling slightly, "when was magic first discovered?" + +"When the first mage was born on this campus," she replied, "in our medical +wing, the same one your body is in now, actually. In 2091, August third. The +medical staff had no clue what was wrong with her. When she woke up in a new +body nearly a month later, the medical team having used ice baths to cool her, +she did her best to figure out what happened." + +"Of course," Lucere cut in, "she went in much like your body is now." + +"A man?" I asked. + +"Probably not," Lucere replied, "but she was incorrectly labeled a boy at +birth. We aren't here to judge. That's for the Pale Goddess, and we've all +already been deemed worthy in Her eyes." + +Fuck, was that what was going to happen to me? They must have seen my anxiety +spike, because they all stopped making noise. I was starting to +hyperventilate. + +I fell backwards and felt my chest heave as my body tried its hardest to get +air in me. + +I'd never wished I were a woman. It was ridiculous. + +It's impossible. + +...Right? + +I guess I'd have to think on that later. Focusing on my breathing, I managed +to calm down. + +Could I even pass out from lack of oxygen in virtual? + +"Are you okay?" Tamaki asked, kneeling down in front of me. When did she get +in front of me? I shook my head, not trusting my voice. "Alright ladies," she +said, "Group hug time. You can go back to your duties after." + +The six mages around me all huddled in, wrapping their arms around me, +squeezing in. I felt like I was being enveloped in a heavy weighted blanket, +something Eastern Hills hadn't let me keep when I moved into the campus. It +was too big a safety risk, they'd said. + +After a little bit, each of the mages unwrapped their arms and disappeared. +Lucere looked me in the eyes, her hood back, and kissed my forehead. "You'll +make it through this," she whispered in my ear before returning to her duties +outside of virtual. + +Eventually, Tamaki and I were the only ones left sitting in the clearing. + +"Come on," she said, offering her hand, "we've got a lot to talk about." + diff --git a/src/chapters/02-a-theview.tex b/src/chapters/02-a-theview.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a57e12a --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/02-a-theview.tex @@ -0,0 +1,279 @@ +"There's nothing to be ashamed of," Tamaki told me, "Being trans isn't an issue +here, nor will it ever be. Our lineage is that of the first chosen, and we +hold that very proudly." + +We were in what she had called her mind space. I figured it was a 'scape she +built to represent her mind. She hadn't mentioned much about it though, so I +wasn't certain. + +She'd poured me a drink and sat me down by a window overlooking Earth. Fitting, +considering our employer. + +Something told me she just liked looking at Earth, though. + +"I understand that." I took a sip; it was fruity, sweet, and delicious. "And +you'll have no quarrel with me over it. People deserve rights and to be treated +fairly. It just feels like there's a lot of pressure to be, um, trans, I +guess." + +"We certainly haven't been trying," she replied, "but I'll be extra careful +around the topic. You deserve that at least." + +We stared at the beautiful planet in silence, close enough to see cities +lighting up the surface. + +After a short while I broke the silence. "I've never really thought about +myself. I wasn't supposed to be around this long. I always thought I'd +have died already, probably doing something really stupid. Somehow I never got +around to doing anything stupid enough to die by misadventure." + +"The Pale Goddess always pleases," she said, "Even if you don't know what you +want yet, you'll get whatever it is you're meant to have." + +As if that was supposed to soothe me. + +She gave me a look and a forced smile. + +"I'm not really sure," I admitted, "That's the thing: I never thought about +what I want, what I deserve. None of it. And now, knowing that options I +never saw on the ta... ble..." Nope. Not finishing that. + +She cast a genuine look of worry my way. "You're scared?" + +I nodded. What else could I do? Of course I was scared. My anxiety was playing +double-time since she showed up on my doorstep. I let out a whisper. "I've just +got so many options now for my future, for everything." + +Options for these feelings I'd had for so long. Could I finally fix myself +because of this? Could I reinvent myself as more than a fucking code monkey? + +"Hey." She was wiping my face gently with her sleeve. "No need to cry. I'm your +commanding officer now; I'm here to help you through all of this. It's my job as +your leader." + +The tears didn't end. I raised my voice, to the obscene volume of... a mumble. +"Then let me cry." + +She nodded, moved closer and wrapped her arm around me. "I can do that for +you." She put her glass down on a nearby table to free her hand for me. + +I cried; for some untracked amount of time I cried. At some point Tamaki must +have let me go because I found myself in a corner, crying myself to sleep. + +I woke up under a warm, heavy blanket. Apparently a pillow snuck under my head +while I was asleep. + +I looked to the wall and found Tamaki sleeping in a tiny built-in cot. I +wondered about her past, and where she learned how to sleep in such a tiny hole. + +After being entranced from the view of Earth, I turned my attention inside the +'scape. It reminded me of the inside of a small cargo hauler. A wall split the +space in twain, with a single-stair step jutting out into the half I was in. The +space in the wall tapered toward me, hinting at a possible doorway. + +The section up the step looked like some kind of workspace. Little components +lay scattered along the floor everywhere. A simple desk spanned the far wall, +covered in shelves, bins, bits, and other things my brain tried to process. + +In the center of the main section stood a coffee table made of tinted glass, +surrounded by comfy-looking cushioned chairs. In the corner blinked a little +terminal, what it connected to I couldn't quite be sure. + +A smaller table stood before the Earth-facing window, holding Tamaki's drink and +an empty glass. I couldn't see anywhere for her to have prepared the drink or +stored glassware, so I stopped thinking about that and started thinking about +me. + +Every time I tried, however, another question crept to the forefront. "Who am +I?" it asked in place of anything about what I wanted. + +"Who am I?" I said aloud. I tried thinking of an answer before giving up again +and sitting there in front of her coffee table. + +"Who \emph{are} you indeed." Tamaki giggled and slipped out of her cot in the +wall. + +"I'm not even sure how to answ-" I stopped talking and averted my eyes to the +ground. She'd been covered in her cot, so I didn't notice now, but Tamaki was +walking around her 'scape in nothing but a pair of panties. + +"Oh," she giggled, "don't worry Officer Young; this is something you'll have to +get used to." + +I kept my eyes away from her. "Why?" + +"This is casual wear for officers of the strike force," she replied, "but I +can put some clothes on just for you." + +"Please," I pleaded, "you're the first woman I've even seen naked. Just, put +something on so I can avoid brain melt." + +"Brain melt?" she asked, putting on a pajama shirt. + +My brain fumbled for words. "You know, when you're, flustered and, uh, this, I +guess." I could feel my face heating up. + +"I'm safe for your innocent eyes now," she laughed, putting her finger under my +chin and lifting my eyes up to hers. "Officer Young, am I pretty?" + +My face flushed; it was bright red I knew it. + +She laughed. "Don't worry." She brought herself to a giggle. "I'm not the only +one that'll tease you. You'll have to take a few weeks to adjust but we're all +a little, um, \emph{friendlier} around here than you're used to for sure." + +"Will you all respect my boundaries?" I asked with a serious look on a red face. + +"Yes," Tamaki replied, "it should go without saying, but if anyone needs a +reminder, I'll see to it." + +"Thank you," I said, my serious look fading, "and for the drink. And the +blanket. And pillow. And letting me cry on you." + +"You're welcome," she said, a look of subtle surprise on her face. She sat +down on the chair across from me and looked at the wall her bunk was on. A +holographic screen appeared and began playing the campus' news channel. + +I settled into the chair a little deeper and began watching whatever segment +was on. It looked like some report of an HR employee getting fired for +extortion and bribery. I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it: this was my +first time watching the campus news. + +Tamaki clicked her tongue. "Of course that bastard got fired: I walked him out +personally." + +"So you are actually part of security?" I asked, unable to hide my grin. + +"\emph{We} serve many roles," she answered, "and represent whichever department +gets us what we want the fastest." + +"I see," I lied, "you'll have to explain in more depth." + +"We have a provisional charter that places us under our own authority," she +said, "officially we are under R\&D, but really we are above everyone. Except +the CEO, and the board. Fun fact though, the only way this strike force can be +disbanded is if the company dissolves." + +I nodded. "Wow, so we are everything and above." + +"Yes." She laughed. + +I continued watching the news. The company's latest space fighter was +released. It looked a little odd. It had the first fully electric impulse +drive, though; that was kinda revolutionary, considering the idea of electric +engines was abandoned some time in the last century. + +Of course, if the engineering team really got it working, and it looked like +they did, it could be a game changer. Fuel costs would be lower, even if the +range was slightly shorter. What governments were left would buy them in bulk, +and corps would buy production lines full of them. + +"You much into politics?" Tamaki asked, breaking my train of thought. + +"Not really sure," I replied, "Never been exposed to much, so I have no clue +what I'd agree with." + +She giggled "I see. Makes sense: the company does that to reduce the chances of +insider threats." + +"Well," I said, "I guess I'm impressionable enough for whatever you have +planned for me." + +"You'll be spending the next several months in classes, don't worry," she +replied, giving me a serious look. + +"Oh," I coughed, "you're not joking." + +"No, I'm not, Young, you will have to be educated on every topic you'll be +overseeing." + +"What will I be overseeing?" I asked, not really knowing what to expect. + +"You'll be overseeing the tactical operations unit," Tamaki replied, "hence +your designation of Tactical Officer." + +"I see," I sighed, "when do classes start?" + +"When you're ready." Apparently she read my face plain as day because she went +on to clarify: "Oh, you really thought we were going to put you in a position +you weren't ready for. We ensure that all of our recruits are trained for the +position they are in. How could we run a strike force if our folks couldn't do +their jobs?" + +I laughed. "I'm not really sure." It was a silly assumption, really. How could +I have expected them not to send me to classes? I'd never had any form of +military training. + +"You will have combat training soon," she giggled, "along with all the other +new recruits. I believe that class starts next week, so you at least have a +break." + +I chuckled and went back to watching the news, but it was amazingly boring, so +with nothing else to do, I decided it would be easiest to start messing with the +menu available via the neural crown. I could feel Tamaki's eye on me the whole +time. + +Figuring out how to open it was weird. When I'd mentally aligned that I did +want to open the menu, I felt an urge to put my hand over my right eye, and when +I did, it opened. + +Options and buttons in cute self contained circles with brief labels exploded +from inside of me, smattering my view with an overlay. There were circles +labeled with normal and expected things, such as avatar, user interface, +and accessability. + +There were stranger things, too, but they were all grayed out. Pain Threshold, +Trauma Mitigation, Substance Effectiveness, and more. I played around with the +accessibilities menu for a minute to figure out what kind of options had been +built in. + +Apperantly this thing, while it talked directly to the brain, was still all +about helping users acclimatise to having new uses. All of the options were +sliders. I'd taken a particular interest in the visual section of the menu, +which had been preset to align with how my eyes see the world, both in colour +and lense shape. + +Humans only have three types of structures in their eyes to detect colour, and +they only detect red, green, and blue. With these options I could enable +dedicated structures for purples, pinks, a whole range of different infrared +and ultraviolet colours, and even change the effectiveness of my low-light +vision. + +"You like all the options we've included?" Tamaki asked. + +I jumped slightly. "Yeah. Do we have a way to actually enable all these out in +the real?" + +"Yes," she replied, a giggle tugging the corners of her lips into a smile. +"Requires two optical implants if you want to do anything fancy like that." + +I laughed. "Guess I may want two optics then." + +"Is there something wrong with your eyes?" Tamaki asked, alarm in her voice. + +"No," I chuckled, "but I figure having the ability to quickly switch between +different wavelengths would be a decently good thing." Tamaki's reaction was +to immediately lose herself in thought. + +"Should I instruct our medical officer to begin the procedure while you're +under?" she asked. + +"Sure," I nodded, "no reason not to get it done now. Gives me more time to get +used to all the different options." + +"Get ready to reappear somewhere totally new," she instructed, "and we'll see +you in a few hours." + +"Should I be worried?" I asked, alarm and anxiety filling my voice. + +"No, but officer Manafed needs to do work on you, so she's putting you +completely to sleep." + +"Alright, let me know when she's sedating me." + +"As we speak." + +I could feel the drowsiness rolling through my system, then the almost-stoned +feeling of pain killers. I looked up at Tamaki with worry and fatigue. I'd +started to fall, but it didn't matter. I was out before I'd hit the ground. + diff --git a/src/chapters/02-b-theview.tex b/src/chapters/02-b-theview.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dccf48c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/02-b-theview.tex @@ -0,0 +1,238 @@ +I woke up extra groggy to warm, damp air from someplace tropical. So I thought +anyway: I'd never been in any such place. A girl could dream, though. + +"I figured you could recover on a beach," Lucere said from behind me. It took +her running her fingers through my hair for me to notice she had them there at +all. I hummed in pleasure and opened my eyes, and sure enough, she was actually +sitting behind me. + +I looked out over the beach. The view of the ocean was great. Pink and yellow +moons cast their lights on azure sands. The beach itself was more of an alcove, +framed by three cliffs. I saw a dense line of trees, but not much past +it. Obviously. + +If I were being honest, the scene was serene. It jarred me. That medical room +needed a tonne more sanitizing while here was picturesque. My voice continued +to slur. "Yeah, its a damn sight better than the alternative." + +"I built this 'scape after visiting the beaches of one of Altair's +planets." Lucere started pulling her hand out of my hair. + +"No," I begged, "Please don't stop; it feels so good." + +She ignored my pleading, her voice cracking as if nervous. "Well, now that you +are awake, I figured we could go diving." + +"How does that work in virtual?" I sat up and dipped my feet in the sand. I +looked up to find her suddenly very close to me, just a few inches from my +face. + +She stared into me, peering at my soul. Her lavender eyes sparkled like +polished amethysts. A woman with those eyes could get me to do whatever she +wanted just by asking. "Well, we don't have to breathe, for starters, so we +can go as deep as we want." + +"I'd like to go deep in you," I murmered, lost in my fatigue and her eyes. + +Shock riddled her face. + +My breath stopped; I had just now realized what I'd said. "Oh shit. I'm so +sorry." + +She blinked the shock out of her eyes, filling her face with the +scarlet blush of heavy embarrassment. + +"Wow," I heard someone say, "She's forward. I bet you like that a lot, Lucy." +The voice was very androgynous and sounded pretty unique. + +I whipped my head around in search of the speaker. It didn't take long for me +to realize I'd missed the thirty or forty people enjoying a nice beach day +along with us. My own face started to burn with embarrassment as well. Fuck I +was tired. + +Lucere huffed loudly and grabbed my hand before I knew what was happening, +pulling me into a deep kiss. She was so passionate about it. There were real +emotions in it, but I couldn't help feeling a bit hollow at it all. What if I +was just a tool for her to experience her love for someone else? + +Lucere released me after a while of being blankly stared at, regret washing +out her flush. "I'm sorry." + +"Its fine," I said, shaking my head, "We just met a handful of hours ago, okay? +I barely know you. You barely know me. You're fun to kiss, but I'm so +amazingly out of my element here. I don't want to be a part of your corporate +machine." + +Lucere smirked. "And yet you let me implant you with a neural interface. That +comes with a lot of risks, don't you think?" + +"Shit," I whispered, barely loud enough to for even me to hear, "and that's how +I'm here at all." + +"Come with me," Lucere instructed, offering her hand, "Clearly we need to +talk." + +I reluctantly took her hand and followed her into the water. I noted how +perfectly warm it was; it felt wet and real. + +Wet, reveal, deadly. I shivered. "Is this going to drown me?" + +"I've modified water physics for a bit," Lucere said, "We may not need to +breathe here, but water in the lungs will still hurt like hell." + +I nodded and submerged my head. Trusting her, I took in a breath, and the water +stayed out of my lungs. The anxiety melted into bliss. + +I looked around and a beautiful underwater landscape graced my eyes. The azure +sand sparkled in beautiful light, filtered through the water. A reef lay in +the distance. + +"The sand is only a few shades lighter than your hair," Lucere noted aloud, +"Very pretty. Never seen any hair as pretty as yours, those pretty curls." + +"Thank you," I said quietly, and took a moment to think. I didn't want to give +away any info I didn't have to. + +Eventually I decided to compliment her in kind. "Your hair is pretty too. +It's slightly wavy and the colour of my favourite chocolate." + +"Is your hair naturally blue?" + +I gave her an amused look and giggle. "Natural blue hair?" + +Laughter was met with laughter. "It can happen." + +"Are you using me?" my mouth asked before I could clamp it shut. Fuck. I +hadn't meant to ask that. I hadn't meant to reveal anything so personal. I +really didn't want to scare Lucere off. I supposed it was too late for secrets +moonlighting as questions. + +Lucere paused a moment and replied: "I can understand why you'd be uneasy here, +or completely distrust me. Just think about this, right? We're providing you +a job, training, and the most advanced implant available. Once you're done in +the tank, there's a process for leaving, too. We won't keep you here against +your will." + +"That wasn't what I asked, Lucy." I took a slow breath between my sentences +to try not to say something stupid again. "It's true I don't trust the strike +team, but I have no clue where you fall. You've not given me any reason to +distrust you specifically." + +"What are you asking, Eilidh?" There was that feeling again, my name flowing +like honey from her lips. I had to think carefully about my next words. + +I fixed my eyes to hers. "Are \emph{you} using me?" + +"Oh," she said, playing with her hair a moment before continuing, "I +don't think so. Why?" + +"There were emotions in that kiss." I took some time to carefully phrase what I +wanted to come out of my mouth next. "I'm not particularly good with social +cues, but even with that, this all feels like its moving very quickly." + +"I understand," she said, "but no. I'm not sure you have the context here. +We've all vowed to be as open and honest with our feelings as possible. I like +you. Both what I've seen of you, limited as it may be, and the file our +intelligence crew has been able to put together." + +"May I see it?" I asked, "My file, I mean." + +"Sure," she said, "'Should have already been uploaded to your implant's main +storage. I want you to know that I haven't read most of it. There's some +pretty dark, and likely personal shit in there, and I'd rather hear your +stories from you." + +I still wasn't sure if I was being used or not: hard to tell based on those +responses. I decided to ask more about the open and honest feelings she had +mentioned, but if I was going to, I needed to open up a little first. + +"Thank you." I took a breath. "I have been used and manipulated in the past." + +I thought back for just a moment to my first girlfriend, Inara. She'd used +me, convinced me to run a smash and grab against one of the local branches of a +tech giant. I was able to pull a really fancy computer rig and just shy of +four hundred thousand credits. I'd been shot though. Bullet collapsed a lung +not long after I got away and Inara did her best to patch me up. + +She was gone when I woke up, and so were our spoils. + +I was sixteen. + +Breathing was hard for months after that. + +"I'm relatively keen on keeping myself away from further abusive +relationships." I waited for Lucere to say something before realizing she was +waiting for me. "I guess I need to know why you would be feeling such intense +emotions for me after such a short time." + +Lucere hummed. "I don't know. You're right that a few hours isn't really +enough time for anything like love, but I promise you that I don't love you. +Not yet, at least. Its very fun to kiss you, though. In front of everyone +isn't really an issue, either." + +"Not an issue?" I asked, "I wasn't really worried that you kissed me in front +of everyone. It was the amount of emotion you expressed in that kiss. It was +so intense. The expression of emotion, especially that strong, in front of +everyone, none of whom I know? That was the problem." + +Shock riddled her face again. "Oh Goddess Above," she exclaimed, "Yeah I could +see how that would be an issue. Like I said, we are open and honest here, so I +suppose I should tell you now: I'm dating all of the officers, with the +exception of Young, who is in the tube next to you out in the real. They +called me cute earlier though." + +"You are poly?" I'd had a few friends that were poly, so I was aware +of what it was. I was always a little jealous of them: to be able to love +more than one person was always just a bit much of an exercise in patience and +communication for my previous partners. I'd tried to approach the topic, but +they were never receptive of the idea. + +Was this my chance to explore my sexuality further? A bunch of corporate +lesbians didn't feel like the best place to be doing this, though. + +Lucere's voice derailed my worried thoughts. "Yeah; most of us here are." + +I figured now was as good of a time as any. "You're all corporate goons, +though. I'm not sure how I feel about that." + +Lucere sighed. "We serve the Goddess, and She has some vested interest in +keeping us here, for now at least." + +That only raised more questions. A queer goddess who cozies up to corporations? +Corps hated queer folk. We were always questioning the status quo. The status +quo mades corps their money. Another question struck me before I could ask +about that. "Who is the goddess?" + +"We call her the Pale Goddess," Lucere said, "Her name is Anna, though. You'll +meet her soon enough; we all have to. She'll answer your questions and give +you some more. She claims to have been omnipotent in some other dimensions, +but apperantly omnipotence isn't something that can happen in this universe." + +"Anna," I mused, "Interesting that a goddess with enough power to bestow magic +would have such a normal name." + +"Names aren't everything," Lucere said, "but they do carry meaning for some, +though I suppose that's a topic that I can't particularly explain." + +"What do you mean by that?" + +"Our commander, Tamaki, or maybe Melrose might be better at explaining that," +she replied, "I've never had to deal with how my name labels me. They have." + +I nodded. "Okay." I began to suspect that meant that they were trans, but I +couldn't be certain. There were all sorts of reasons one would have to worry +about their name. Sometimes I thought about changing mine. Not that my name +was hard to write, but I didn't feel like an 'Eilidh' all the time. + +"You look like you've got a lot on your mind." Lucere motioned for me to stand +up. "I have to go wake Sleeping Beauty. You can find Officer Melrose up on +the beach. Tell faer that fae's in charge for me, okay? Can't leave this +instance with nobody as admin, though I'm sure fae would have a way in anyway." + +I nodded. "Alright." I tried to find words to express my thoughts as more +than single word answers. There were too many questions racing around for my +thoughts to produce meaningful conversation. + +One question in particular was ringing through my thoughts like a hammer +shaping hot metal into something beautiful: \emph{How could I have gained the +favour of a goddess that's cozy with a corp?} diff --git a/src/chapters/03-a-headache.tex b/src/chapters/03-a-headache.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0598091 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/03-a-headache.tex @@ -0,0 +1,289 @@ +My eyelids fluttered open and the world faded into view. Commotion echoed +through my ears and around me. The lights above shone far too bright. + +"Officer Young," a familiar voice called. + +My brain was so foggy I couldn't place who it was. I tried to form actual +words, but they didn't vocalize so instead I groaned. It felt like I hadn't +spoken in weeks. + +"Don't try to speak, Talon." Lucere stepped into view. "We just had to make +sure you woke up in the real before you go back into virtual." Her face was so +close to mine her brown curls ticked my cheek. + +"Get them back into virtual Lucy," said another voice, "They will need their +rest for the coming days. And would you help them setup a home 'scape?" + +"Yes Commander," Lucere didn't bother looking at what had to be Tamaki, instead +brushing her fingers against my cheek. They felt amazing against my smooth- + +Smooth? I didn't remember having smooth cheeks. Ah well: I figured I wouldn't +get a say in what I looked like coming out anyway. + +"Now, Lucy," Tamaki shouted, departure pitching her voice down. + +Lucere whispered something into my ear. My brain melting again robbed my +ability to understand what she said, but she probably knew that. + +It was hard to describe moving to virtual with the implant and not the crown. +It was a feeling between movement and stillness and yet it was neither; my +senses were utterly confounded. + +I still had consciousness, if only for a second, before I was fully in virtual. +The idea of having two bodies wasn't completely foreign to me: I often felt it +would be fun to have two separate bodies, completely different in looks and +configuration, to experiment with. + +I shook the errant thoughts out of my head and gathered my bearings. I was +nowhere I recognized, standing on a boundary between forest and clearing. A +house of sorts stood before me, with walls of solid wood and a roof of +branches, woven densely and covered in leaves. Supposedly it didn't rain here, +otherwise she would've done something about that. + +"The implant manages your sleep for you." Lucere startled me from out of +nowhere. "And you can be conscious in the real while managing things here in +virtual. It's a bit of a weird feeling, but you get used to it." + +I turned by head toward her. "Then how come I can't feel my body now?" + +She was looking at me now and \emph{wow}. Her eyes gleamed beautifully and +locked to mine, as if gazing into my thoughts. "I've disabled it. Your implant +is under remote management until you're ready to be completely awake in the +real." + +"Fantastic." Each syllable played a note of sarcasm. I figured that meant she +could just scramble my brain if I offended her. She probably wouldn't, but the +option being there is mildly scary. + +"No, not really," she admitted, "It's actually super dangerous. We disable +remote controls once you're capable of operating it on your own." + +Worry and anxiety taintied my voice and face. "I assume you can kill me if +things are set wrong?" My safety and privacy were things I worried about: +after all, I needed to be alone with my thoughts so I could figure myself out. + +"In theory," she said, "but I doubt reality would prove it; human brains are +far more capable of dealing with new circumstances than we ever give them +credit for. The real issue is privacy: I'd have total access to you without +your consent if I wanted it." + +A blush crawled up my cheeks. The idea of being completely transparent to +anyone was, a bit hot. "Oh." + +She giggled. "Of course as the medical officer, I will always get full body +reports from your implant. Those are kept confidental, and I don't look at +them unless my screening programs determined a problem." + +"Like if I'm taking abnormal amounts of pain?" I noticed my entire body was +tingling. In hindsight, maybe getting the implant was a bit bad of an idea. + +"Yeah, among a host of other symptoms of disease that can be fixed," Lucere +replied, "and those that can't." + +Sudden vulnerability overtook me and my tone dried in short order. "That feels +invasive. Couldn't I have been given a rundown of all this before I decided to +get it?" + +She sighed. "Honestly, I'm the one who wants to wait on those things. +Unfortunately it's written into our provisional contract that we have +monitoring in place for all field and administration staff." + +"And y'all chose implants?" + +"No," she replied, "it was part of the contract. The company chose an implant +they had designed the year magic was discovered. At first they could only +record what the user saw, but as the years progressed we've added all sorts of +features we deemed necessary, like inducing virtual reality and sending us +medical information." + +"And connecting to this optical implant." I laughed when I finally noticed +visual data in my peripheral vision. I focused my attention on it. The +display exploded into full view: I saw my heart rate, a damage report on my +body, a navigation map, and a handful of other readings about me. + +Oddly enough there was also a messaging system and web browser. I popped open +the messenger and saw a bunch of contacts already logged: tactical operatives, +mostly, but also all the other officers. + +I thought about one contact that stuck out: Medical Officer Manafed, Lucere. A +chat window opened immediately. I thought about a message to send, eventually +settling on something simple. + +\textbf{Young}: Testing? + +I saw her laugh beside me, and she gave me a face. + +\textbf{Manafed}: Tested. + +"Thanks Lucy." It was just thought that drove it. "That's way easier than I +thought it'd be." + +"It's really nice," she replied, "far easier than talking a lot of times." + +I laughed. "Hey Doc, why's that massive headache gone?" + +She returned a giggle. "Oh. Your implant is helping you manage your pain, +don't worry." + +"My headache is still here, but I can't feel it?" + +Her giggle grew into laughter. "Yeah, so you're gonna have to realize that lack +of pain no longer means all good. You've got that heads-up display for a +reason. If you start feeling pain that's when you're really in trouble." + +It made sense, so I nodded. + +"We just gonna stand here talking, or are you going to come into my home?" she +asked me with a smile. + +"I suppose, sorry," I mummbled, "I just have a lot of questions and get +distracted easily." + +Another laugh. "No problem." She started walking to her house. + +The path was short, but each step felt like miles. I could understand what she +meant by lack of pain. It wasn't a pain, but more a feeling of weariness: my +brain functioned perfectly but my body was sluggish. I lost my balance and fell +back. + +"Hey hey!" Lucere swooped in and caught me. "Are you okay?" + +"I'm not sure." I checked the body readout on my HUD. "It says I'm all +orange. I assume that means good?" + +"No." Shock and worry mixed on her face. She set me on my feet. "Orange is +not good. Not as bad as red, but not green." + +"Oh," I said, a bit dazed, "So definitely not good." At least it wasn't as bad +as red. \emph{Don't freak out,} I thought, trying to keep calm. + +"No, not good, especially since my sensors are not reading anything wrong for +your current situation." + +I tapped on my head. "You getting a feed from my implant?" + +"Not yet," she replied, "It does need about twelve hours to get a proper +baseline, but even then it shouldn't be reading orange. Your body is in +perfect health according to all my- no wait." A couple seconds passed. "Your +body just entered the next phase of transformation." + +I nodded, then a massive headache split my skull, radiating from two points not +far up in my hairline. The pain exploded and I fell over. The reverberations +excruciated. + +"Hold on," Lucere's voice echoed through my brain, "I'm moving you back to the +cryochamber." + +"Horns!" I screamed, "I've got horns breaking through my skull!" + +Lucere stared at me, her eyes wide. "You do." + +"What?" I asked, my prior volume not quite gone. I reached up to feel, but +nothing was there. + +"Your real body," she said, "I'm looking at you right now. They're pretty, and +blue." + +"Pretty?" My voice wavered. The pain nearly incapacitated me. + +"Yes, pretty. I'm gonna give you some pain management medication, but you'll +probably get knocked out." + +"No," I said. The pain started to level off instead to climbing to yet newer +heights. "I need to remain conscious, as hard as that's going to be with all +this pain." + +Lucere grumbled. "Fine. Let me get you inside at least." She lifted me up off +my feet and bridal-carried me to a comfy couch inside. It felt odd, but not in +a bad way: between the pain and confusion it was hard to tell whether the +pulses were excitement or embarrassment. + +The inside was quaint, beautiful, and easy to live in. The walls were as plain +as the outside. There was simple wooden furniture, but in the corner, around a +table, I saw comfier furniture too. + +Lucere laid me down on the small couch and set herself down on a nearby chair +just as cozy. Mugs of unknown liquid and some small shortbreads appeared on +the table. + +I giggled, despite all the pain it caused to radiate through me. + +"I can't believe you're remaining conscious through all that," she said +eventually. There was a hollow look in her eyes; the purple glow I was +starting to get used to was alarmingly absent. + +"Holy shit Lucy," I exclaimed, "Your eyes are actually a soft purple, like um-" + +"Lavender, most of the time, yes." She laughed, but the hollow look persisted. +"You've just been seeing my magic through them." + +I coughed, another wave of pain searing my back. "I feel like I'm going to +die." I felt as sombre as my voice, the pain keeping me awake by a margin. + +"You won't under my care." I could hear the flex in her voice, and she sounded +genuine in her belief. "But I know it feels that way. Your body is literally +reforming right now, in so many \emph{interesting} ways." + +"You ever lose anyone?" I asked hesitantly. + +False horror haunted her voice. "No! And how dare you ask!" + +I laughed in spite of myself, in spite of agony. How could I not? She was +being far, far too cute in defending herself. + +Too cute? I don't recall ever thinking of anyone as cute. + +I felt a frown pull at my lips. I didn't actually know what this meant, what +this new range of emotions really meant. + +Did this mean I liked Lucere? + +Why was this so complicated? + +"You're growing wings," she said, a weird look on her face, "Wings, Talon." + +I stalled for a few seconds, trying to come up with something to say. + +Lucere broke the silence for me. "What is your ideal body?" + +"I have no clue," I admitted, "I've never thought about it." + +"The Pale Goddess always delivers," she whispered, mirroring Tamaki's earlier +words. + +"You sound like Tamaki." I gave those words some thought. "May I feel my real +body, just a little?" + +"Yeah, I'll make the adjustment; tell me if it's too much for you." A confused +look appeared on her face. I could immediately tell when she made it: the pain +filtered through much more consistently, the pulses nearly rhythmic. + +But I could also feel my body, how it had changed, how it was changing. I +tried moving my hand, my real hand. The movement was there, but it was very +slow, likely from the cryofluid in my veins cooling me down. + +Eventually my hand and arm cought up with my brain and I could feel the horns +growing. They were so small they barely poked out from just above my hairline. + +"Don't open your eyes," Lucere instructed, "If you do, there may be a very long +period of blindness. Still haven't got the cryofluid completely perfected +yet." + +"My eyeballs will freeze, won't they?" + +"Instantly." + +"Fuck," I said, feeling thoroughly worn out, "Alright, I don't wanna feel my +body anymore." And then I didn't. I was alone with my digital self once more. + +I could breathe again without the mortal tension. Breathing felt amazing. + +"Anything else I can help you with before we go build your mindscape?" Lucere +asked. + +"A kiss," I muttered, nearly inaudibly. + +She wore a sly smile. "What was that?" + +A blush toned my face pink. "Nothing. Let's go build a 'scape." + diff --git a/src/chapters/03-b-quicktimeactions.tex b/src/chapters/03-b-quicktimeactions.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..927eb74 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/03-b-quicktimeactions.tex @@ -0,0 +1,287 @@ +I'd spent roughly an hour trying to figure out my place here. Everyone seemed +easygoing, seemed friendly, \emph{seemed} anticapitalist. + +It was scary how easily the corporate machine could \emph{seem} pro-rights. It +was scary how an absolutely beautiful gathering of demimages was okay with all +this. I felt horrid in comparison, but that was to be expected. + +"Down with the corps!" I heard behind me. + +It was \emph{scary} how they could blend in so easily. Maybe I was paranoid +and they weren't actually goons sent to seduce hacktivists into subversion. +But if I \emph{wasn't}... + +I needed a diversion, stat. I could \emph{not} afford to be found out. "Who +is Anna?" + +"Our Pale Goddess," said one of the girls around me, "What do you want to +know?" + +"If you're all so anti-corp, why is Anna keeping you here, tied to Eastern +Hills?" + +"I dunno," she replied, "Since our inception we've only done a handful of jobs +for Eastern Hills. Haven't done any since we've been under Tamaki." + +Curiousity snared me in that moment. "How long has she been in command?" + +"About five years: she took command when she was seventeen." + +I blinked. "That's a little young to be a commander, isn't it?" + +"She was definitely a little green around the gills for a minute," an +androgynous voice replied, "Nice to meet you, Eilidh, I'm Tech Officer Xela +Melrose." + +Fae extended faer hand with a smile, and both did I return. Fae were tall, +androgynous, blessed of short green hair. It wasn't quite a crew-cut, but it +was still the shortest I'd seen so far. + +"So can you answer my previous question?" I asked. + +"Anna is a divicive deity," fae replied, "literally just waiting for the right +time to pull it all down. Originally she just needed funding and Eastern Hills +was the only source left: others claimed the rest. She finds the whole +corporate thing to be completely asinine, and she's vowed to punish all the +deities involved." + +"How many deities are there?" I realized a little too late that the numerous +questions I'd asked were likely on a FAQ. "Well, I suppose you don't have to +answer that: I'm asking a lot of questions." + +"Don't worry about it," fae replied, "You'll be getting a full run-down of the +state of affairs when it's appropriate. Sometime during training, which should +start shortly after you leave the tube." + +"So that leaves me to just socialize." Ostensibly, anyway. What \emph{should} +I be doing, anyway, really? + +Xela laughed. "I've seen that look before; what trouble are you planning?" + +"I hadn't thought of any trouble yet." Faer poke did get me thinking. "Maybe +I could hack the gibson and get the jump on training." + +Xela rewarded me with an amazing look on faer face. "Your friend, what was his +name? Brian? Monroe? Oh! Marvin. Marvin already tried; he can't get past +me." + +"You?" I immediately cursed my mouth, or, tried to. "Wait, tech officer." + +Fae nodded with a grin. "Yeah, and I'm the best living firewall that exists. +Nothing escapes me and nobody gets access unless I grant it." + +"So you've traded a technical problem for a social problem." If someone were +able to trick faer into giving access, then fae'd not be the best firewall in +existence. + +Faer face boasted triumph still. "Not without a stack of perfectly forged +documents, some of which I have to sign myself." + +"That sounds tedious." I thought of some trouble I could make in the time we'd +been talking, though: I'd take admin of this 'scape. For now, though, I'd make +casual conversation and familiarize myself with the implant. + +"You look devious." Fae pulled me out of my head. "Not much of a poker face, +huh?" + +I gave a shrug and kept at working out the menu system. It was as simple as +focusing on my peripheral vision. When I did, readouts exploded into full +view. They were thought-driven, so I willed them to navigate. + +"You found what you're after yet?" Xela asked, proving my train of thought was +vulnerable by as little as six damned \emph{words}, "Must be a hacker at heart +if you're getting lost in the menus that thoroughly." + +"Marv's the real hacker," I admitted, "I only know enough to get around." + +"That's more than most." Apparently faer hair was long enough to twirl, +because fae're doing that too, somehow. Maybe hacking the gibson let you fuck +physics. + +Faer hair looked soft, and my arm had already reached halfway before I caught +it. "Uh, may I?" + +Fae nodded slowly. "Yeah, I don't see why not, just don't make it weird, +okay?" + +I changed course to faer wrist, pulling faer close so my other hand could run +through \del{my prize} that precious hair. + +Did you know my larynx could resonate at the frequency of ecstasy? + +I swooped in. Fingers flanked faer hair on all sides, swimming through threaded +clouds. My hum grew louder. + +"Here, sit down." Fae pushed me off my feet. + +Chills zapped my spine, and my arms flailed frivolously. I screeched, and +plummeted atop something soft. Eyes wide, I looked down to find a couch that +most certainly did not exist two seconds ago. + +I couldn't even turn to glare at my assailant before a head entered my lap from +my blind spot. "Now continue," its bearer did bid. + +My face heated up again, and my fingers bathed in hair once more. + +Fae took notice when my hand swam out of lane, and snatched it with faer own. +"Access denied." Fae gently kissed the back of my hand and placed it back on +the cheek it was about to invade. "Access, granted." + +I could get used to this. These were good feelings, warmth and care. + +That and Xela and I hadn't drawn a crowd like Lucere and I had. Having the +moment to ourselves really helped. + +I continued playing with faer fair hair, and I found an area on faer scalp that +caused a far-too-adorable squeak. My delight skyrocketed, but a notification +in my vision torpedoed it back to ground. + +I focused on it for a moment, and a chat window appeared front and centre: + +\textbf{Manafed:} Your boss needs some help and this is something I can't +really deal with without some help. If you think about moving towards me +you'll transfer from the instance you're in to the instance I'm in. + +I looked toward Xela and whispered, "Okay, who's my boss?" + +"Your designation is Tactical Operative." Xela pulled faerself to a seated +position next to me. + +I didn't even bother to hide the disappointment in my voice when I followed up. +"So what's that mean?" + +"It means Tactical Officer Young is your boss. You need to go?" + +"Yeah." I said out to feel faer cheek again. "Probably now, but I wish I +could stay." + +"Time to go meet your boss though," fae said, "No need to be sad: we can pick +up where we left off when you see me again." + +I smiled. "I look forward to it. Your hair is perfect and I want to get to +know you." + +"You will," fae assured me, "I teach the practical hacking class required for +all tactical operatives." + +"Isn't that a bit of a conflict of interests if we decide to go much further?" +Thinking about it, I really wasn't sure. + +"We work that out on a case by case basis," fae said, "Now go: if Lucy is +interrupting your free time for this, its got to be important." + +I nodded and thought about moving toward Lucere, her pretty eyes, how lost I +got in them... + +The next thing I knew, I was on a comfy chair around a wooden coffee table. + +Lucere was seated in a chair on the other end, and between us lay Talon on a +couch. Or, I assumed: their body was warping and twisting about. + +"They set their avatar to sync with their body, but their body is in active +metamorphasis right now," Lucere explained, "They need the help of a hacker. I +would have called Xela, but I figured you'd get more of a kick out of hacking +the implant than fae would." + +"Aren't they in pain right now?" I asked, mildly appalled. + +She smirked. "I guess you better work fast then." + +Shit. I immediately opened a barrage of questions. "How can I connect to the +implant? What protocols does it use? Where can I get access to a terminal? +What tools does my implant have for this kind of operation?" + +My questions were answered with a blank stare as Lucere started whispering +words with cadence. I figured she was dedicating her entire focus on some sort +of spell. + +Time to explore the menus some more. I quickly found a compiler, but for some +sort of visual language. I opened it, and it blossomed into a full-on IDE. A +small blue orb floated in front of me. + +Thinking about wireless connectivity made a new orb appear. \emph{Okay, so I +have two nodes, one that's wireless connectivity, and another that I don't +quite understand yet.} I pulled them together and the program came to life. + +I saw my thoughts being encoded into radio waves and beamed out of my head. + +Gods, that was a terrifying thought: anybody in wireless range could just hear +my thoughts. + +I thought about a selector and another orb appeared. I erased the line between +the central and wireless orbs, and re-connected them to opposite ends of the +new selector orb. A configuration menu opened. I set it to select on incoming +transmissions and waited. + +A moment passed and I picked up on Talon's implant. I configured the selector +for bidirectional communications between our two implants. I wasn't sure what +kind of communication this was, but it was incredibly fast. By the time I +registered what was happening data flooded the line. I sifted through it as +quick as I could and found a piece of a configuration file. + +I set the selector to find more like that, and data surged in once more. Much +of it was the same, but I got enough of an idea how the file worked. I wished +a new file into existence: one with a modified avatar setting. + +I opened the menu again and recalled seeing Talon in the chamber, tweaking the +avatar accordingly. I took the familiar image and dialed it to be far more +effeminate. + +Before I knew it, a cute girl appeared in my view. + +I hoped they liked it. + +Another thought exported the avatar and pushed it into the configuration +payload I'd received. I had willed it forward to Talon's implant, but a loud +buzzer slammed down. + +"Configuration file not signed," a voice in my head said, "Please sign the +configuration with an authorized key." + +Code signing was one thing, but configuration signing? That was another. I +couldn't possibly reverse the key fast enough to help Talon; not even with all +the compute in existence would I succeed in less than a century. + +\emph{So who has the key?} I asked myself. The medical officer would have +installed the implant, but might not have a key to sign new configurations. +The technical officer would have the key, but I already knew faer strictness +would hinder me too long. + +\emph{Why not ask Lucere?} asked the back of my mind. After mulling it over I +in. I summoned the messaging window again, and willed a quick message forward. + +\textbf{Cantlin:} Do you have signing keys for configuration files? + +Her reply took a bit. + +\textbf{Manafed:} try yours + +\textbf{Cantlin:} Why would my signing keys even work? + +Another moment. + +\textbf{Manafed:} implant in emergency mode + +I could tell she was having a rough time with her magic. + +I figured I'd at least try. A mental command signed the update and I focused +another send. + +Talon's implant replied: "Configuration accepted. Reloading. Complete." + +The girl I created lay on the couch. + +Talon looked good like that, I had to admit. + +They awoke almost immediately. + +Lucere slumped over in the chair across from me. + +"What in the fuck did I do that for?" a high melodic voice asked. + +I sighed and slumped over, closing all the menus I'd opened. + +I'd been in stressful situations, but never had someone else depended on me +quite like that. + +Lucere regarded me evenly. "You passed." Not even a hint of emotion. diff --git a/src/chapters/disabled/02-optimalmass.tex b/src/chapters/disabled/02-optimalmass.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f7e9313 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/disabled/02-optimalmass.tex @@ -0,0 +1,269 @@ +I awoke feeling the best rest I ever had. The VR setup here was amazingly +complex to be able to manage user sleep. But that was in addition to full +immersion. It was leaps and bounds ahead of the headsets available via +commercial means. + +As I opened my eyes, I saw Ai and Lucere talking. Hushed tones. I couldn't +quite hear what they were saying. Given how they were both looking at a +screen, it was likely about whatever they were looking at. + +I got up to move closer. Saw a glimpse of the image. It was a woman in a +tube. Hooked up to a breather and all sorts of other tubes. She was pretty. +Short blonde hair. Little wings growing from the flesh below her shoulder +blades. + +The screen disappeared before I could see any more. "Hey," I protested, "who +was that?" They both looked up at me. They weren't responding. + +Lucere broke the silence first. "Nobody," she said, "I moved you to a cryo +pod, your body's getting too hot for the ice bath." + +"You're lucky," Ai said, "that we got you when we did. You're boiling the +cryogenic fluid. We have to keep a constant fresh supply running in." + +"You're so hot you're boiling \emph{near absolute zero} cryo fluid, Tal," +Lucere said, "what does your ideal body look like?" + +"I don't really know," I said. A feeling of anxiety pooled over me as I said +it. Like I had lied. But I wasn't quite sure if I'd lied. I'd just never +allowed myself to think about what I wanted to look like. + +"Woah," Ai said, "no need to start breathing like that. Deep breaths in and +out." Had I started breathing erratically? A big breath in. A big sigh out. + +"I don't really know," I repeated, more steady and sure of myself, "I've never +thought about it, I just know I hate this one." The women in front of me gave +each other a look. + +"Everyone hates their body to some degree," Ai whispered, "we're just the lucky +few." + +"Ai," Lucere said, "his mirror was broken to pieces. Multiple times." + +"Is that not particularly normal?" I asked. In truth I knew it wasn't. + +"No," Ai said, "its not normal." + +"We'll see Ai," Lucere interjected, "right now he needs training." + +"You're right," Ai muttered, "come on, let's go to the training hall." + +I nodded. She began walking off, down into the void. I stood there for a +second. Lucere looked at me. Her purple eyes only glowed with a faint light. +Looking full of sorrow and pain. + +"You okay?" I asked, not really sure why I cared. + +"Yes," she said, "but worried for you. If your body gets any hotter we won't +have a way to save you." + +"I see." I'd be dead if this got any further out of hand. That's comforting. +The anxiety welling up in my chest said it was anything but. I felt tears +sliding down my face. When had I started crying? "Am I going to die?" + +"I'm doing my best to keep you alive," Lucere said, "but I don't think The Pale +Goddess wants you dead either. But with the rate she's going, you're heating +up quite a lot." + +"Takes a lot to go from near absolute zero to human body temp," I said through +sniffles, "I assume you're just barely keeping up." + +"Yeah," she replied, "we had better catch up." + +The trip from the grove down through the void was a bit rough. I don't really +remember most of it. I was walking through tears still. I didn't want to die. +I didn't want to live as I was. I was too anxious about everything to do +anything. More tears falling from my face. + +"Gods," Lucere cursed, "Why does the training grounds have to be through the +damn void space?" + +"What is the void space?" I asked, finally being enveloped by the nothingness. +I could still see her in front of me through my blurry eyes. + +"Just a spot of nothing," she replied, "it was originally designed to give the +grove a little more of an aesthetic. But then we needed some more space." + +"For things like the training ground," I finished. + +"Exactly," she said, "because aesthetic is the first important design +consideration in VR spaces, or at least that's what Ai says." + +"Believe me," I said, wiping the last of the tears from my eyes, "aesthetics +are important in the digital world." I had built many virtual spaces before I +became a shut in. + +My favorite virtual space was one I'd built to mimic my apartment, but with a +retro wave type feel. The window looked out over a city with lots of neon +signs and holographic adverts for nonexistent brands and services. I used it +as a spot to write code, but if I'm being honest with myself, it was an excuse +to be anywhere, no \emph{anyone}, else. Of course, nobody would really +understand that, I suppose. + +"Of course they are," Lucere said, breaking my train of thought, and the +silence, "but in full immersion VR its a pain and kinda disorienting to have a +spot with absolutely nothing in it." + +I suppose she had a point. I wasn't really feeling it now, but I'm sure if I +were here under a clear mind, I'd be feeling pretty disoriented, too. + +"How much further?" I asked. + +"According to my navi," she replied, tapping just above her left eye, "we still +have another thousand feet or so." + +"Why so much space?" + +"Ai thought that if anyone was able to get into this space aside from us, it'd +disorient them. Of course, that would only be true if they didn't have digital +mapping algorithms. Those are plenty, though." + +I knew what she meant. Mapping algorithms were solved nearly a century ago, +and most physical devices contained enough microphones and directional speakers +to map out a single micrometer layer of paint from over a mile away. An +accidental sonar system, really, developed by one of those mass surveillance +companies near the beginning of the last century. + +Now, of course, there are the silent cartographers, often called the silcars. +People who, throughout their days, do nothing except carry their phones out and +map everything. They sell their hyper-accurate maps to those who might need +them. I've heard its a lucrative position to be in. The roughly forty billion +credit profits get shared amongst the members based on how much map they'd +contributed, per day. + +When I'd done it, it was an easy way to make pocket money during college. On +my bicycle I was able to accrue enough map data to get paid roughly a hundred +credits a day. Enough to live, but not good for steady eating through a week. + +"Knock knock," a voice yelled, "gods, is he checked out?" I looked up, +surprised to be in another clearing. Ai was looking at me. + +"Sorry," I said, coming back to my surroundings, "I was just thinking about +accidental sonar mapping and the silent cartographers." + +Looked like a battlefield, this clearing. Swords, guns, and small obstacles +and cover littered the ground. + +"Oh yeah," Lucere said, "that tracks. I'd mentioned mapping algorithms." + +"Wait, Lucy," Ai asked, "that tracks to you? Gods, how does that track?" + +"Well," Lucere replied, "I'd have thought about how mapping algorithms enabled +lots of new businesses, like the global cartographics guild. Then I'd have +remembered my time as a silent cartographer in my teens." + +"Almost," I said, "these things are vaguely related, so its really not that far +of a jump, but my exact path was from the algorithms to the past and how they +were made and sold by companies that did nothing but mine user data. Then +thought about the present, and how the silent cartographers are." + +Ai was looking at me with an interesting look on her face. + +"What?" I asked, then explained, "I was pulling weekend mapping runs in college +for a little extra money." + +"I suppose we don't know everything about you, then," Ai said, sighing. "Your +file is rather light. How did they miss payouts from the silcars over in the +background check's department? Or a college degree?" + +"I don't-" I began, but caught myself, "Actually, I do know." + +"Care to enlighten us?" Lucere asked, "If not, I can always stop the flow of +new coolant to your body." + +"Woah," I said, "no need for threats now. I have no reason not to trust you." +I paused, then began to explain how there had been a lot of mishandling of my +employee on boarding process. They didn't gather proof of identity, nor +anything else. I had learned later that it was someone who'd been failing to +do this for years and was fired. The employees that they'd hired were still +being verified. + +I initially reported it to my manager, but nobody put in anything to the +security team. Or any compliance teams. And I fell through the cracks. +Repeatedly. + +"Haylee," Ai said, focusing on something I couldn't see, "check into the hiring +manager that brought Talon on." A pause. She nodded a few times. "Yeah, was +she fired for failure to pull identity documents from the new hires?" Another +nod. "Thanks sweetie," she said, finally, then turned to me, "you're story +checks out." + +I could see Lucere's entire body relax, as she started explaining. "Our +competitors have run a lot of potential espionage fodder through this company. +Can never be too careful. One of the red flags is missing paperwork." + +I nodded. "No worries," I whispered, "I realize it can be a security issue." + +"Security issue?" Ai scoffed. "Only security issue here is if you've been +implanted already." + +"I've run the body scans, Ai," said Lucere, "there's no sign of implants. And +if there were I doubt they'd be usable at this point, given the drastic +transformation we've already seen from Talon." + +"Could you start explaining that?" I asked, "how much have I changed?" + +"That doesn't concern you, right now," Ai said, with an almost evil smile on +her face, "all that you need to focus on right now, is me." She began walking +toward me. Slowly at first. Before I knew it I had to jump back and out of +the way. + +I stepped behind some cover, a small concrete barricade. There was a knife on +the ground next to my foot. A single edge. Maybe five inches long. Almost +resembled the world's shortest sword, but a little more rounded. + +I grabbed it, before I started feeling weird. The world started moving, +blurring. I figured Ai wanted to train me for magic, but looks like its a +trial by fire type of classroom. + +Then I felt something crawl up me. Small. Barely anything, even. But then it +got worse. There were more. They felt like mice crawling all over me. When I +looked, there was nothing on me. + +She's messing with my mind. Guess I can mess with hers, then? + +"Ai," I shouted, "stop with the petty tricks. I want to look at you if you're +going to torture me." + +"Why?" Ai asked, seemingly from everywhere. + +"Because at least I would have something beautiful to look at." + +"Oh," she said, it sounded like she was right behind me, but when I flung +around there was nothing. "You can try all you want, Talon, I don't play your +side of the field. Even if you are cute, for a boy." Still behind me. No +matter how many times I checked. + +I sighed. So much for a fair fight. Maybe magic worked like in the games I +played as a kid. So I concentrated on building up a mental shield. + +"Not quite," Ai whispered in my ear. She was close enough that I could feel +her breath on my ear. I stabbed back towards her, blade cutting nothing but +air. + +Before I could react, there was a fireball flying at me from the far end of the +training grounds. It was fast. The impact alone threw me nearly 40 feet. I +smacked my head against a concrete barricade and passed out. + +I awoke a few minutes later, both Lucere and Ai standing over me. + +"You can still experience pain in here," Lucere said, "so better not get too +roughed up, or you'll be traumatized." + +"Full immersion really means full, huh?" I asked. + +"Yeah, it really does," Ai replied, offering a hand to help me up. I took it +and got up. + +"Don't worry," Lucere said, "I reduced the pain you could feel. This time, +anyway." + +"You have no talent for magic," Ai said, "none at all. Why?" + +"I don't know the first thing," I replied, "its never been taught to me." + +"Taught, huh? Ai, you think you can give him a hand in that," Lucere asked, +"before you break his mind?" + +"Yeah," she said, "I guess we can try." + diff --git a/src/chapters/disabled/03-achangeofpace.tex b/src/chapters/disabled/03-achangeofpace.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..467e17e --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/disabled/03-achangeofpace.tex @@ -0,0 +1,241 @@ +"You're still doing it all wrong," Ai said, "you have to feel it. Magic is +just like an extension of you." + +"And what happens if I never feel it?" I asked, trying again to feel the magic +around me. In a virtual space I should have been able to do this. But I +couldn't. I couldn't feel much more than the deep anxiety. + +"Get out of your head!" she commanded, "quit thinking about it, and start +feeling it." + +"This isn't natural to me," I whispered, "like it is to you." + +"It wasn't 'natural' to anyone when they first started," she said, "but we all +learned by feeling it. If you couldn't do magic, you wouldn't have been marked +by The Pale Goddess. Lets go again." + +"Alright," I said, trying desperately to pull my brain into the here and now, +"lets try." + +"Now," she instructed, "you should feel out with your mind." + +I pushed away my anxiety, if only briefly, and tried reaching out with my mind. +Eyes closed, trying to push my vision beyond my eyes. I couldn't feel +anything. Couldn't see anything. This went on for minutes. + +"Hello again," a familiar voice said, "I didn't expect to have to help you +understand this." + +"What?" I asked, "understand what?" + +"My magic circuits don't work," the voice said, "in the bodies of men. If you +want to learn, you have to make the change." + +"What change?" I asked, slightly confused. She couldn't be suggesting turning +into a woman, right? + +"The one you've always wanted," she said. + +"I've never wanted that," I said, but it came out sounding more like a +question. Why did it sound like a question? + +"My, my," she laughed, "you, my child, are just as dense as I was in my youth." + +"Who are you?" I asked. + +"Your friends call me," she said, pausing, presumably for tension, "The Pale +Goddess." + +"Who am I?" Ai asked. My eyes snapped open. Her finger was pointing at +herself. She was looking at me oddly. "Look, talking to yourself isn't all +that uncommon around here, but it sounded like you were having a real +conversation with someone." + +"Didn't you hear her?" I asked. + +"Hear who?" Ai asked in response. + +"The Pale Goddess," I said, "I heard her." + +Ai looked at me, her face completely unreadable. She spoke in quiet tones, +"are you sure it was The Pale Goddess?" + +"She told me," I replied, "but that could have been a lie." + +"Not likely," Ai said, then explain, "look, in order for that to be the case, +someone would have had to influence, either your mind directly, or the neural +crown." + +"So very unlikely," I said, letting that sink in, "does she have a bit of a +flair for the dramatic?" + +Ai said nothing for a minute, then suddenly, "What did she say?" + +"She said its time for a change of pace," I said, "how do I access an avatar +creator?" + +"What," Ai asked, "so you need to be someone else?" I saw a flash of +understanding cross her face. Yeah, she got it. "Hey Lucere, how do you open +the menu from the crown?" + +I began playing around with gestures. Eventually she walked up to me and moved +my hand to touch just above my eye. The menu exploded into view. "Woah!" + +"Interacting with the menu is," she paused, "like a touchscreen, I guess. My +menu is always displayed, albeit very small, in my optic, so just experiment +around until you get it." + +"Thanks," I said, "Once I figure it out I shouldn't be very long." + +I lied. This was going to take forever. + +The menu lay open before me. There were buttons for just about every setting +you could imagine. Even a little messaging system. Looked like it was capable +of video calls, too. The more I looked around in the menu, the more I found it +was hard to even try to find what I was looking for. + +Finally, I clicked on the messaging button. There was a directory listing of +all the mages I'd seen. I pushed the name I thought would have the answers I +needed. Lucere. + +Finally, a chat window opened up in front of me. The keyboard was like a +holographic layer that I could type on. It wasn't just a holographic layer +though. As I pushed each button, I could feel it depress under my fingers, as +if it were a real keyboard, almost. + +I couldn't help but miss the true tactile feel of the keyboard at my +workstation. Typing on this reminded me of some long-dead mechanical action +switch, but muted. + +I realized I was describing this to Lucere a little after I'd already sent a +few messages about it. Heat rushed to my face at the realization. + +\textbf{Talon}: \emph{Uh... yeah sorry, anyway how do I find the avatar creator +amongst all these options?} + +\textbf{Lucere}: \emph{Wow. You are kinda adorable.} + +\textbf{Talon}: \emph{Okay? Um, avatar creator?} + +\textbf{Lucere}: \emph{Oh! Yeah, its uh...} + +\textbf{Lucere}: \emph{If you go to the menu, touch "customization", then +"body", you'll be taken to the body editor, then touch... hold on, the manual +isn't that helpful here. Let me get Xeli, fae wrote all the software for that +damn crown.} + +\textbf{Talon}: \emph{One person wrote all the software that makes this thing +go?} + +\textbf{Lucere}: \emph{Oh yeah, fae's literally a tech mage. Its "rebuild" +from the "body" menu.} + +\textbf{Talon}: \emph{Thanks, tell faer that the menus could be a little less +confusing for me?} + +\textbf{Lucere}: \emph{You'll want to do that yourself, otherwise fae'll be +doing live modification's, and you don't want that.} + +\textbf{Talon}: \emph{I'll remember that when I get out.} + +I pushed the large 'X' button sitting toward the upper part of the window in my +vision. The window closed with a satisfying popping sound. After that was out +of the way, moved through the menu tree to get me to the avatar creator. + +The world went dark and I felt the sensation of moving. Eventually I was +presented with some options. + +\textbf{DNA Based} + +\emph{DNA based avatars are less likely to produce dysphoria, dysmorphia, or +any other unwanted body/mind miscommunication. New users are recommended to go +with this option.} + +Two buttons, a bit glowing "YES" button, and a dimmed "NO" button. I picked +yes. I was already probably going overboard by simply changing gender, no need +to go further into any issues. + +\textbf{Gender} + +\emph{Included are several genders, along with primary and secondary sexual +characteristics, however, many additional options are available within advanced +menu, which can be accessed in the usual places.} + +The options were symbols. I didn't recognize any of the three that were +presented, but each was color-coded. Blue, pink, and yellow. I picked the +pink and hoped it was the option I was after. Otherwise I'd be doing this all +again. + +\textbf{Age} + +\emph{The age of the avatar you'd like to create.} + +A slider menu was available. At one end, the number '18' was displayed, the +other '150'. I was beginning to wonder if this was designed as an actual +product, or if there were concerns I should be voicing to Ai. I picked +twenty-two. + +\textbf{Complete} + +\emph{As you picked "DNA Based", most of your options have been preconfigured. +Please wait while your new avatar is generated. Thank you for using the +Eastern Hills TruReality Beta.} + +Well I guess it is a real product. A progress bar appeared in front of me, +just below the message. It was sitting at fifty-five percent. I went back to +thinking about anything else as the progress bar made its way forward. I was +nervous. + +Then, before I knew it, I was back in front of Ai. Only I felt different. I'm +not certain how different exactly, but I felt like I was capable of flying. Or +like I'd been held down with heavy iron shackles before, and now they weren't +there. + +For the first time in my life, I felt just perfect. The anxiety wasn't there, +holding me to the ground. But neither was the other feeling. The one that was +always there. The one I didn't have a name for. + +I jumped. And jumped again. The subtle movement on my chest every time I +landed made me almost giddy. I didn't initially notice Ai staring at me. But +she wasn't quite staring at me, either. She was looking between me and +something I couldn't see. All with a look on her face that I could only +describe as a wry grin. + +"Officer Young," she commanded, "situational report." + +"I don't recall giving you my last name," I said, my voice was almost melodic +now. Like a high pitch ringing bell. It was beautiful. + +"It was in your file," she stated, "and I figure you wouldn't want me calling +you Talon. You look at ease for the first time since you've been here." + +"I am," I said, taking a deep breath, "I didn't know that this would be so, +what's the word?" + +"Euphoric?" she offered. + +Yes, euphoric. That's what this feeling was. It was euphoria. Everything +felt right, unlike any time I'd ever known before. Then I realized. "Hey, is +there a way to look at myself?" + +"Here," Ai said, then made a gesture and a mirror appeared next to her, "should +I give you a minute of privacy to explore your new body?" + +I blinked as I stepped in front of the mirror. The image of a familiar woman +looked back at me. "No," I said. Her lips moved. She was the woman I'd seen +in my dream. Her green eyes. Her blonde hair. + +No, not hers. Mine. My green eyes. My blonde hair. My perfectly red lips. + +I tried to keep all these feelings inside. But they couldn't be kept inside. +I fell to the ground and tried desperately to keep myself together. + +I was too late. I'd fallen to the ground in a crumpled defeated mess. Tears +streaming down my face leaving cold wet trails where they'd been. Why was the +sight of me causing such intense feelings? + +Before I could think on it anymore, Lucere appeared beside me. She sat down +and pulled me up into her lap and held me. She felt warm and comforting. + +For the first time in my life, I felt safe. + diff --git a/src/chapters/disabled/04-newgirl.tex b/src/chapters/disabled/04-newgirl.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1f91a2c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/disabled/04-newgirl.tex @@ -0,0 +1,217 @@ +Lucere's arms were still around me when I woke up. I was shorter than her now. +I wiggled a little to see if Lucere was awake. She curled her arms around me a +little tighter and brushed her fingers through my hair. + +It felt good, her fingers softly brushing against my scalp as she pulled more +hair to run through. It didn't just feel good though. Her touch was like +electricity running down my spine. I shifted under this new sensation. + +"Oh," she whispered, "you like that, do you?" She moved her fingers down my +back. I hummed in delight at the sensation, electricity flowing from the line +she'd drawn down my spine. Before I knew it, another feeling blossomed from +within me. Like a warm bed of coals, radiating from my core down to my toes. + +"Yes," I moaned, "I like that a lot." + +"Then maybe," she hummed, "you'll like this." She moved my hair, revealing my +neck. The sudden cold air made me shiver. Her lips grazed my neck. I froze. +As she kissed up and down my neck, the warm feeling inside me kept growing. + +I turned over to face Lucere. It was like the first time I'd looked at her. +The purple light in her eyes was glowing. Her brown hair was long and wavy. +Her lips were the perfect shape. And they looked so kissable. + +She leaned forward ever so slightly. Her lips reaching for mine. She kissed +me. A whole new set of emotions bloomed within me. Her tongue teased at my +lips and beyond, gently offering more. + +"Do I need to leave you two alone?" Ai asked. I jumped up as if I were a dog +caught eating from the cookie jar. I felt my face turn bright red. + +"Look," Lucere giggled, "you're both as red as a firetruck." I looked over to +Ai, who was as red as I felt. + +"Lucere," Ai said, "please go monitor Officer Young's body while we work." + +"Yes, ma'am," Lucere said, an air of professionalism around her. Then she +vanished. + +"I swear, Lucere," Ai cursed, "poor girl just got here and you're already +trying to..." She trailed off. "I'm sorry about Lucere." + +"I uh, quite enjoyed it," I said, still quite warm in my face. + +She looked at me, her face having calmed down to a mild blush. "So you did +need a moment to explore your new body, then." + +"I don't really know," I admitted, "this is all, um, very new to me." + +"Of course being a woman is new to you," she exclaimed. + +"No," I replied, "all of it. New feelings. New emotions. I'm... I'm still a +virgin." + +"Wait," Ai said, "you are still a virgin? How'd you even manage that?" + +"I never really felt any urges," I replied, "and I'd never paid enough +attention to myself to care about dating. Or anything, really." + +"For fucks sake," she yelled, "no wonder your magic hasn't been working." + +"What, magic needs sex?" I asked. + +"No, no," she replied, "The Pale Goddess gives us magic through femininity. +The love of, the being of, the unadulterated power of femininity. It didn't +really matter if you were a man or not, just as long as you were embracing your +femininity. So in your case, magic needs whatever you need to embrace being a +woman. Does that need sex? That's up to you." + +"Really no judgments, huh?" I asked, "are you actually sanctioning sex as a +team leader?" + +"My team is special," she replied, "and yes, we have whatever we need at our +disposal." + +"I see," I said, paused, then asked, "what's my body look like, in the real?" + +"It'll be too much of a shock still," she said, "but you look mostly like you +do now." + +"Mostly?" + +"Yes, mostly. The Goddess saw fit to give you something more." + +"Something more?" + +"You'll see when you get back into it." + +"Fine. Teach me magic." + +Under better circumstances, learning would have been a bit easier. But I was +constantly drifting off toward thoughts. Specifically the thought of Lucere's +lips on mine. I couldn't focus on learning quite like this. + +But I was able to do quite a lot of magic. I was able to reach out with my +mind. And throw fire from my hands. And fly. I could fly. I'd always wanted +to fly. + +Eventually we started playing combat again. Ai would throw a punch, I'd block +then counter with a punch. It was a fun little back and forth we had going. +Until she knocked me on the ground. I got a little flustered as I couldn't +breathe and I'd somehow burned a crater into the ground where I had landed. + +That wasn't as fun. + +Of course, nothing was quite as fun as what came after training for the day. +Lucere was given leave from watching my body. She'd come back to VR. + +"Hey," Lucere said, "I'm sorry about earlier." She was beautiful. Her skin +looked perfectly tanned. That beautiful purple glow in her eyes illuminating +her face in an almost serene picture. Her lips. Her red lips looking so very +kissable. + +"Don't," I said, "You were my first kiss. And I think maybe you owe me more." + +"Oh," she laughed, "The new girl really is new. And very needy, too." She +wrapped her arms around me and kissed my forehead. "I'll tell you what, you +can have as many kisses as you want, whenever you want." + +I stood up on my toes, pulled her face in my hands, and kissed her. And kissed +her. And kissed her. Before I knew it, we were on the ground. My hands had +moved from her face to her back. It was as if my fingers were moving on their +own, up and down her spine slowly. + +She giggled. It felt so sudden. "Listen," she said, pulling away from me, +"you're really adorable, but I don't want to take advantage of you. You're +body is producing new hormones at unprecedented rates. You should take this +slowly and really think about it." + +I groaned and pulled her. She didn't move. I tried again and ended up pulling +my back off of the ground. "Lucy," I begged, giving her my best pouty face. +She merely kept looking at me, with that intensely serious gaze. I pulled +myself up to her and kissed her. That broke her intense face. + +Lucere lit up with that same beautiful, almost shy, light that she'd had +before. She was acting more timid, though. Her lips not moving as fast, nor +were her hands wandering nearly as much as they had before. + +"Hey," she whispered into my ear, "you want a real bed tonight?" She kissed my +neck, waiting for my response. I wasn't apposed to the idea, but I didn't want +to move if it meant our bodies would no longer be touching. + +"How?" I asked. But why had I asked it, instead of just saying yes? I don't +know why. + +"I've built a comfy space," she said, "for times like this." + +"So its not just me," I said, a wry smile pulling at the corner of my mouth. + +"No, you adorable little girl," she said, smiling at me, "I don't settle down, +so try not to get feelings, okay?" + +"I'll do my best," I giggled, "but no promises." + +"Okay," she laughed, "but no antics. Hold on to me." + +I wrapped my arms around her. She flipped us over. Her eyes were focused +beyond me as she worked on her unseen menu. I kissed her cheek. Her jaw. Her +neck. + +"That's distracting," she murmured. + +I raised my head up. "Should I stop?" + +"Gods no," she replied, "but you should really hold on now." + +I grabbed onto her, wrapping my arms tight around her chest. I felt the soft +cushion of her breasts against mine. It was a weird, but good, feeling. It +was a feeling that caused more warmth to radiate from my core out into every +part of me. + +She rolled back onto me. The feeling of her pressing against me caused me to +shiver. Her thighs pushing against mine felt like fire. Fire radiating to +everywhere. I closed my eyes and let the feeling wash though me. + +"Open your eyes," she whispered. I moaned at the feeling of her breath on my +ear and slowly opened my eyes. + +I was in a bed. Or at least it felt like a bed. I tried to look around, but +she was still on top of me, kissing my cheek and grinning. I couldn't really +get a proper look, but it didn't matter. I was needy. There was cushion below +me, and a beautiful woman on top of me. + +"Lucy," I whimpered, "please, more." + +She raised her head from me a little. I could see a spark of recognition in +her eyes. She nodded. "Slowly," she cooed, running her fingers down my neck, +"but we will get there." She kissed me, her fingers tracing along the collar +of my training tee. + +I softly bit her lower lip and sucked on it. + +"Am I interrupting?" someone called. Lucere leaned back to sit up, blinked a +few times. My anxiety spiked. "Hey this 'scape is pretty nifty. Lots of fake +wine." + +"Sarah," Lucere said, a hint of annoyance in her voice, "to what do I owe the +pleasure?" + +"I wanted to meet the new girl," Sarah said, "so maybe you'd like to get off of +her so I can say hi properly?" + +I pulled myself up and wrapped my arms around Lucere again. I turned my head +to see if I could have a peak at Sarah, but I couldn't see her, so I pulled +myself tight against her and hid my face in her neck. + +"It doesn't look like she's in a 'saying hi' mood, Sarah," Lucere replied. I +could hear the tension in her voice. She wrapped an arm around me. + +"Hey Lucere, fucking the new girl isn't really okay, is it?" Sarah spat. It +wasn't just Lucere who was tense. The whole situation was tense. I held on to +her tighter. + +"Sarah, go away or I promise you won't survive your next injury." Lucere was +threatening her. + +"You threaten that every time I come see you. I get the idea. Later Lucy." + diff --git a/src/chapters/disabled/10-wakingup.tex b/src/chapters/disabled/10-wakingup.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..059795e --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/disabled/10-wakingup.tex @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +I opened my eyes. I was in a tube full of liquid. It was cold, but not as +cold as I'd been promised. I could see Lucere and Ai through the liquid. And +a few other mages, too. + diff --git a/src/chapters/disabled/99-silentarcade.tex b/src/chapters/disabled/99-silentarcade.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..573f29c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/disabled/99-silentarcade.tex @@ -0,0 +1,82 @@ +I emerged from the portal. Adrenaline wearing off, I fell to the ground and +cried. I'd lost her. I didn't know where to go. I'd been angry. I tripped, +I didn't mean to shove her through the portal. Tamaki. + +Then gone to whatever hell that was. + +Would she ever forgive me? + +I cried for a while, ignoring the notifications that started trickling in my +vision from the optic feed. Closed eyes won't save you from high priority +messages, I guess. + +"What's a beautiful young woman doing crying in a hell hole like-" a masculine +voice started to ask. A light on me and he froze. Adrenaline filled my system +again. I wiped the tears from my eyes while I prepared for a fight. Sometimes +I forget that I look like a monster. + +"Hey," another called, "that's Vivian, you leave her alone, or she'll skewer +you on her horns." Oh thank the gods. Fernandez. I'm on Silent Arcade. As +my eyes refocused I could see that many men were sitting glued to a holo-feed, +watching a news program. + +"Hey Fernandez, how's it?" I asked, trailing off at the end, not wanting my +voice to give me away. + +"Hey," Fernandez replied, "woah, you look like hell. Want a drink?" + +"Whiskey?" I asked. My eyes finally focused on the holo-feed just enough to +read what the feed was about. \emph{LOCAL GIRL FOUND DEAD, MURDERER AT LARGE.} +Interesting title. + +"Yeah, got some over here," one of them had responded, starting to pour some +into a glass. + +"What's with the holo-feed?" I asked as the glass was passed to me. + +"We thought we'd lost Trilu's little girl," Fernandez responded, "to the +portal." + +"But looks like she'd just been kidnapped," another man said, "murdered. Trilu +is on the surface now, trying to find whoever did it." + +"I see," I sighed, "send my condolences." + +"Sent," Fernandez said, his eyes closed, "he says thanks. You can help out if +you want, just head to the surface." + +"I can't," I said, "I have someone of my own I need to find." A notification +popped up in my optic feed. Of thirty. I pulled up only the most recent. + +\textbf{Ai:} \emph{Hey! Are you even alive? Look I get that I was a bit of a +bitch, but could you please respond? I'm freaking out.} + +\textbf{Vivian:} \emph{Yes. I'm alive. Sorry. I nearly died trying to follow +you after I tripped. I shoved you through by accident I'm so sorry!} + +\textbf{Ai:} \emph{Oh thank the gods! I assume you are on Silent Arcade, given +I can message you without any delay now.} + +\textbf{Vivian:} \emph{Yeah. I suppose you want to talk?} + +\textbf{Ai:} \emph{Yeah. I'm on the surface. I'll send you location data in a +second. Gotta start generating a map instead of freaking out over you.} + +\textbf{Vivian:} \emph{I guess I'll let you get to it, then. Listen, I'm +sorry. I really didn't mean to say that stuff...} + +\textbf{Ai:} \emph{Yeah, you did. And I deserved it. I did some kinda bitch +things... we'll talk more when we are together. Now let me focus on mapping, +will you?} + +I closed the notification and nodded to the guys. "Thanks for having me, but +this is as much time as I can spare." The location data came in. I opened the +map in my optic and fed it the data. Not far from me, but on the surface. + +I walked to the far end of the chamber, lighting a magefire in my hand so I +could see up the incline of the tunnel to the surface. At the top of the +tunnel was a ladder up. It led to a trapdoor in a restroom on the surface. + +When I got to the top of the ladder, I tried a sensing spell on the ceiling +above me. + diff --git a/src/default.cfg b/src/default.cfg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..58f66f0 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/default.cfg @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +\Preamble{xhtml} +\CoverMetadata{cover.png} +\begin{document} +\EndPreamble diff --git a/src/main.tex b/src/main.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b78c56a --- /dev/null +++ b/src/main.tex @@ -0,0 +1,141 @@ +% Document Definition +\documentclass[12pt]{book} + +% Required Packages +\usepackage[letterpaper, margin=1in]{geometry} +\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc} +\usepackage[english]{babel} +\usepackage{fancyhdr} +\usepackage{ragged2e} +\usepackage{titlesec} +\usepackage{setspace} +\usepackage{times} +\usepackage{subfiles} % Load me last + +% Package Options + +% Headings bullshit +\pagestyle{fancy} +\fancyhead[L,C]{} +\fancyhead[R]{SNAME / PROJECT / \thepage} +\fancyfoot[L,C,R]{} +\renewcommand{\headrulewidth}{0pt} +\renewcommand{\footrulewidth}{0pt} + +% Formatting Stuff +\setlength{\parindent}{0.5in} + +% Macros +\newcommand{\mkchap}[3]{ + \newpage + \vspace*{3in} + \addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{#1 - #2} + \begin{center} + Chapter #1 + + #2 + + {\small #3} + \end{center} + \vspace{0.5in} +} +%%% \mkinfo +%%% used as \mkinfo{name}{pronouns}{address}{phone}{email} +\newcommand{\mkinfo}[5]{ + \begin{flushleft} + \singlespacing + #1 (#2)\newline + #3\newline + #4\newline + #5 + \end{flushleft} +} +%%% \mktitle +%%% used as +%%% \mktitle{title}{penname}{srcuri}% +%%% {legalname}{pronouns}% +%%% {address}{phone}{email}% +%%% {wc} +\newcommand{\mktitle}[9]{ + \begin{titlepage} + \mkinfo{#4}{#5}{#6}{#7}{#8} + \center + \vspace*{3in} + #1 + + by #2 + + \vspace{1in} + + {\tiny + As compiled from \LaTeX source on \today. + + A copy of the source can be found at: + + #3 + } + \vspace{\fill} + \center #9 words + \end{titlepage} +} +\newcommand{\mkack}{ + \newpage + \vspace*{3in} + \addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{Acknowledgements} + \begin{center} + Acknowledgements + \end{center} + \vspace{0.5in} + \subfile{src/ack} +} + +% Document +\begin{document} +\begin{doublespacing} + \mktitle{PROJECT}{PENNAME}% + {REPO}% + {LEGALNAME}{PRONOUNS}% + {STREETADDR\newline% + LASTADDR}{PHONE}% + {EMAIL}% + {WORDCOUNT} + + \setcounter{page}{1} + + % canon worthy + \mkchap{0x00}{The Last Normal Day}{19 July 2158 - 0321} + \textbf{Talon:}\newline + \subfile{src/chapters/00-a-lastnormalday} + \newpage + \textbf{Eilidh:}\newline + \subfile{src/chapters/00-b-lastnormalday} + + \mkchap{0x01}{Corporate Takeover}{20 July 2158 - 1745} + \textbf{Eilidh:}\newline + \subfile{src/chapters/01-a-corporatetakeover} + + \mkchap{0x02}{The Ceremony}{20 July 2158 - 0043} + \textbf{Talon:}\newline + \subfile{src/chapters/01-b-ceremony} + + \mkchap{0x03}{The View}{20 July 2158 - 1012} + \textbf{Talon:}\newline + \subfile{src/chapters/02-a-theview} + \newpage + \textbf{Eilidh:} + \subfile{src/chapters/02-b-theview} + + \mkchap{0x04}{Headache}{21 July 2158 - 1903} + \textbf{Talon:}\newline + \subfile{src/chapters/03-a-headache} + + \mkchap{0x05}{Quick Time Actions}{21 July 2158 - 1911} + \textbf{Eilidh:}\newline + \subfile{src/chapters/03-b-quicktimeactions} + +% Need acknowledgements before enabling this. +% \mkack + +\end{doublespacing} +\end{document} +