EdenVR Online, 20 Days Ago
Mikhaya sat in the cockpit of his spaceship, reading a book called “What They Don't Tell You About the Odyssey,” propped on the main console. It looked worn out through intense use, discolored, and severely dog-eared.
Lauryn came in through the open door. Forsaking Corinthian tradition, she had her auburn hair knotted and wore jeans, and a sleeveless T-shirt—items purchased in the shop. Modern fashion had become very popular among young players, but could only be worn out of state.
“Are you reading?” Lauryn asked.
Mikhaya closed the book. “Preparing for our flight, babe. Got this from a crazy Resistance guy. He sold items flea-market style, and I got this at a bargain price.”
“You're overthinking this,” Lauryn said. “And we're not touring, we're breaking in.”
“True,” Mikhaya said. “But I want very few encounters, know the place inside out. I'm not at level sixty-four anymore. And you're just starting the game. This is a huge risk.”
“We have to try,” Lauryn said.
“Why not get Cyrus and Magnus to come with us?” Mikhaya said. “They're Keltian, and legend ranked.”
“The twins share Keltian passivity. They will only fight if it's absolutely necessary and legal. I don't want to get them in trouble.”
“Yeah, babe, you don't talk like you're Keltian.”
Louie walked out of the cabin.
“This is your new toy,” Lauryn said.
“Bought for some extra manpower,” Mikhaya said.
“Android power,” Lauryn said. “And I'm hoping he doesn't hold us back.”
“I'm capable of moving 2.5 times faster than my faster, and 2.7 times faster than you, sweet thing,” Louie said.
“Did it just call me sweet thing?”
“Sorry, I programmed him to say that. My bad.”
“Unprogram him!” Lauryn shouted. “I will not have a robot flirting with me. Gosh, Mikhaya.”
“I was bored,” Mikhaya said, laughing.
Lauryn sat next to him.
Louie said, “I apologize for your distress, sweet thing.”
She shook her head.
“Please be nice to Louie,” Mikhaya said. “He's pretty cool.”
Louie retorted, “It is fine, sir. Sweet thing has a right to be upset.”
“Shut up, Louie,” Mikhaya said, laughing. “Let's get going.”
“How are you feeling?” Lauryn asked. “Losing your Empire job. Losing your progress.”
“I feel vulnerable,” Mikhaya said. “Weak.
“I appreciate your sacrifice, honey, for me. You're a mechanic, the best,” Lauryn said. “You will get back to the top.”
Mikhaya smiled. Pleasing his ego had been rule one of passenger courtesy and she aced it.
He pressed buttons above him. “Buckle up, Lauryn.”
She did and they took off.
The NPC workers aboard the Odyssey flowed in a streamlined pattern, all efficient, their yellow jumpsuits unexciting for such a ludicrous business. The massive interior accommodated the four thousand-plus crew and readily received hundreds of Keltians per day from the planets in the Andromeda galaxy.
Mikhaya and Lauryn blended in with yellow jumpsuits, trying their best not to break the pattern. They followed the line until some new workers came in with a new Keltian, which Lauryn ascertained to be in her early twenties. And she was crying. Lauryn saw it in the colors of her hair.
“No,” Mikhaya forcefully whispered.
But Lauryn was already off, her independence quickly getting stares. As he followed her, he contemplated their escape. About four thousand versus two seemed a hard gamble.
He met her in a warehouse-like room where thousands of Keltians would be encased in glass. There were few workers as machines did most of the work, having tubes that sucked essence out of the Keltians.
Lauryn approached the newly imprisoned adult Keltian, formed a heart with her hands, and mouthed “we love you”, then touched the glass. It touched back.
“What’s your name?”
The Keltian glowed, colors rushing through its body.
Lauryn smiled back at Mikhaya, saying, “Her name is Arabella.”
He was in disbelief that she was communicating with it.
Tears showed in Lauryn’s eyes. “She was taken from her family.”
They turned to a voice that said, “She’s beautiful.”
The Odyssey’s manager Dravic Minuel brought with him ten NPC workers. Dragic was in the politician class and was a senator. He looked in his sixties and had grey hair.
“Princess,” Dravic said, walking to them. “When told there were intruders, I had a feeling it was you.”
“Monster,” Lauryn said. “Dravic, you're a horrible old man,” Lauryn said.
“I'm a politician, princess. This is what the people want. And it's perfectly legal. I'm retired. This is how I'm spending my time. I shouldn't be judged. I'm keeping myself busy. I will have to discipline you two kids. Teach you to respect your elders.”
The battlefield aura activated.
Lv. 22 Mikhaya, Lv. 21 Lauryn, Vs. Lv. 54 Senator Dravic
“You both are outclassed. I don't even need to try,” Dravic said.
32
Dravic used Cane Slap on Mikhaya
HP: 122/154
Power: 10
Team MP: 110
Effect: The user hits an opponent with a swipe of their cane.
“Just a fraction of my power,” he said.
“I never really liked you by the way,” Mikhaya said.
“My old friend. You did a lot of good work for the Empire. We miss you. All will be forgiven if you come back.”
“Not happening,” Mikhaya said.
15
Mikhaya used Mach 1 Punch against Dravic
HP: 233/248
Power: 40
Team MP: 80
Effect: The user lunges forward at super high speed and delivers a thunderous punch.
Dravic laughed. “How the mighty have fallen. I wouldn't dare get on your bad side before. But the consequences of your actions don't make you a threat anymore. And that potential will go to waste.
9
Lauryn used Friendly Fire Arrow against Dravic, and chooses to heal Mikhaya
HP: 224/248
Power: 40
Team MP: 40
Effect: An arrow made from Keltian light that hits one opponent and hits you or a teammate to heal 40% of max HP.
“Pointless, princess. Let's turn it up shall we,” Dravic said.
63
Dravic used Cane Barrage against Mikhaya
HP: 91/154
Power: 20
Team MP: 100
Effect: The user hits an opponent with a flurry of hits with their cane.
15
Mikahaya used Tackle Thrust against Dravic
HP: 209/248
Power: 40
Team MP: 80
Effect: The user runs and thrusts themselves, elbow forward, at an opponent.
9
Lauryn used Friendly Fire Arrow against Dravic, and chooses to heal Mikhaya
HP: 200/248
Power: 40
Team MP: 40
Effect: An arrow made from Keltian light that hits one opponent and hits you or a teammate to heal 40% of max HP.
Dravic laughed. “Where's all the talk now? Why are you quiet? Maybe I should start trying a little.”
124
Dravic used Cane Javelin against Mikhaya
HP: 29/154
Power: 40
Team MP: 80
Effect: The user runs and sends their cane like a javelin, hitting an opponent.
“I'm happy to be on the resistance,” Mikhaya said.
15
Mikhaya used Double Kick against Dravic
HP: 185/248
Power: 40
Team MP: 80
Effect: The user does a combo of two kicks on an opponent.
Lauryn used Friendly Fire Arrow against Dravic, and chooses to heal Mikhaya
9
HP: 176/248
Power: 40
Team MP: 40
Effect: An arrow made from Keltian light that hits one opponent and hits you or a teammate to heal 40% of max HP.
“The Resistance is rising,” Mikhaya said. “You won't be laughing soon.”
“Enough,” Dravic said.
163, 223
Dravic used signature move 1 System Down against Mikhaya and Lauryn
HP: 0/154|0/95
Power: 50
Team MP: 20
Effect: The user reduces the defense of the opposing team by 20%, then hits them with an electric attack coming from the ground.
Battle over!
Mikhaya and Lauryn fainted.
“Get them out of my sight,” Dravic said as they lay on the floor. “Separate them because of her second passive ability.”
Mikhaya had much to think about in his cell, tethered to one spot in chains, after waking up when his HP reached 30%. His manliness had taken a hit. He had taken pride in protecting his own, but he couldn't do that for Lauryn. Now they'd escort him to be judged by the devs again. In EdenVR Online every player had a 30 reputation bar that reset every month, and once their offenses went past that, if caught, they could be taken to a Court Machine in Eden to have judgment metered out from the devs.
Infiltrating the Odyssey was a level 3 offense, and would have him found guilty with zero reputation remaining. He knew why Dravic separated them. Lauryn's Passive Ability 2 Keltian Dignitary caused all in the same Party to increase their reputation bar to 100. At least she couldn't be convicted. And the Galaxian Crown couldn't be taken away from her unless it was her choice. But knowing Dravic, he would use Mikhaya as leverage. Mikhaya hoped Lauryn would stay strong.
A blue light came through the door in an angelic display of beauty. It had to be a hallucination because the light was Lauryn. He wondered if they had drugged him, and this was part of an experiment.
“Get away from me,” Mikhaya barked. “You're not real.”
“Mikhaya,” the light said.
“Who are you?”
“It's me, obviously. We half-Keltians can also phase through porous walls by turning into pure light. Dravic didn't do his homework.”
“I don't believe it,” Mikhaya said, recognizing Lauryn's voice.
She knelt in front of him and kissed him passionately in the light.
“Okay. I believe it. But how?”
Lauryn touched his chains and they melted.
Mikhaya went into his pocket and pulled out his shades, put it on. He had a visual of the interior of his spaceship when he tapped it. “Louie.”
The android sprung to its feet. “Yes, sir.”
“I need you to break us out.”
“Okay, sir,” Louie said.
Through the lenses, Louie was seen taking control of the spaceship and launching it.
Mikhaya held Lauryn’s hands, sharing a romantic moment with her. “Let's sink this ship.”
He’d always wanted to sink a ship with a girl at his side. It would be like walking bare feet on the beach with her during a beautiful sunset, or taking her out for a night of fireworks and kissing in the euphoria, something that could really bring them together as a couple.
”How will we do that?” Lauryn asked, noting the passion in his eyes.
”In the engine room” He tapped his shades. “Louie, meet me there.”
Upon entering the room, they saw a beautiful pillar of Keltian energy spun in a glass cylinder. This was the warp core, that made traveling back to earth at lightspeed, and they were going to destroy it.
“Do the honors,” Mikhaya said.
Lauryn aimed her light-powered bow and arrow at the glass cylinder and shot. The cracks branched.
Mikhaya then activated picture mode from the menu and took a self with Lauryn.“For memories,” he said. They ran out into the corridor, hearing the crackling sound.
Alarms blared: Abandon ship!
They entered the warehouse room again.
“Louie, ram in,” Mikhaya said.
The spaceship nuzzled through the room, its nose plugged in and Mikhaya went into the cockpit and took control. “Good work, Louie.”
“Thanks, sir.”
Mikhaya shot at the glass container, freeing Arabella.
She floated out, and met Lauryn, communicating with changing colors.
“We kind of have to go,” Mikhaya said, standing in his ship’s doorway.
“Add her,” Lauryn said. “To the party, and we will take her back to Corinth.”
“Alright then,” Mikhaya said, adding Arabella to the party. The Keltian female got stored there.
Lauryn floated to the spaceship and entered the cockpit.
“Going home,” she said.
“Finally,” Mikhaya said.
He backed up the spaceship, vacuuming everything out of the room, then shuttled away. Mikhaya and Lauryn watched from the cockpit’s monitor as the Odyssey began to fall and escape pods continually shot out.
“Message received from Corinth, sir,” Louie said.
“Play,” Mikhaya said.
The audio played. “Princess Lauryn,” the male voice said. “I really hope you're okay. You said to contact you on this channel if anything important came up. The United Senate has agreed to allow you to speak for the Keltian people in Alexandria, and there will be a vote to give rights to full Keltians. We hope to see you soon.”
