IT WAS DAY THIRTY of his journey, and Paul was nervous. Lily’s bouquet had withered and dried. Paul packed his last meal container in the storage box as he entered Xameeshee’s atmosphere in a gentle descent. Planet Prism’s diamond surface covered the entire daytime sky as streaks of bright lines forced Paul to close his eyes. He aimed his focus toward a desert below to avoid the sparkling glare.
Was this desolate area Forever Spring? Had he landed in Forever Summer?
He approached an abandoned forest that was dirtied with sand and unkempt. There were no signs of life. Everything was still.
Where was everyone? Had Shadow finished his genocide?
The ship entered the midlevel flight deck of a tree. Disturbed sand slid off deserted ships, and dust went airborne, clouding the deck. He replaced the ship’s flight suit and armed himself with Variance.
Siren activated. “No hazards detected. Ready when you are.” She floated to his side.
“Let’s go.” He gulped, hands clenched into tight fists.
The ship’s engines ceased, and the ramp opened. He floated through the opening as Siren morphed his bulky suit to fit through without interference. The deck’s walls should have displayed natural views of flowing streams along a mountainside or a bamboo forest, just like the walls inside Azurian trees. Instead, dust covered the rusted metallic walls. The emptiness worried him.
He sent out a short-range public broadcast: “Hello? Anyone here?”
In slow motion, Siren shaped his suit with curved plates. Multiple flashes of light from a distant opening resulted in simultaneous pings off his armor as the projectiles returned to the source.
He slowly hovered back to the ship. The small-arms fire ceased.
Siren highlighted his body. “Negligible damage. Enemy target identified. Human. No armor.”
An unseen man shouted in the distance. “Get out of the suit! You almost killed me with my own rounds.”
Paul lowered his mask and felt an intense, dry heat. “Why? You just tried to shoot us.”
“Who’s us?” The man stood up behind a deserted ship.
“I’m sorry. It’s just me. I meant myself and my AI.”
The man approached him. Wearing multiple layers of ripped polymer sheets, the man spat on the ground before him and stared for a couple of seconds. “Get out of the suit—now.” Disrespectful and lacking an aura of joy, the man had to be a Kazat. There was no possibility that this man had any affiliation with Father Kaiser.
Siren highlighted the man’s weapon. Swiftly shooting a spear with multiple fingers at the tip, she broke the weapon into pieces in the man’s hands. “Now you can get out of the suit.” Several sharp tentacles floated around the man in all directions.
“Impressive.” The man kicked around the parts of his weapon and smirked at the needle-tipped tentacles. “Must be the AI’s doing. Definitely not a Utopian trait.”
Paul figured the man knew about Variance, which was enough to gain his trust. He deactivated the suit, and the material snaked into a sphere at his side while setting him down on his feet. The man stepped close to him—close enough for Paul to smell a sharp, offensive odor. He had never seen a beard so long in his life.
“You’re the one Father sent.”
Paul could taste the man’s breath, which tasted like acid. Good. The man knows Father. Paul exhaled to expel the odor out of his nose. “That’s me. My name—”
“Welcome to Xameeshee. Tell your AI to shut down all defenses in my presence. If you wish to be in Divine Might, I need total compliance.”
Eyeing the man skeptically, Paul said, “Siren, let’s stand down.”
Siren sighed and nodded. All the material returned to the sphere. She crossed her arms and hovered about with her eyes locked on the man.
“Done. My name is Paul Benedict from Azure, Forest—”
The man punched Paul in the face, hitting him hard enough to make his ears ring. His head slammed into the sand as he fell. Had he made a mistake in trusting the stranger?
“Want me to get him?” Siren growled, hovering directly in front of the man with tentacles stretching from the sphere.
The man cracked his knuckles and motioned for Paul to stand up. “You’re like piss in the wind. You go wherever the slightest force takes you. Put these damn spiky things away.”
Paul’s vision darkened as he knelt down. Siren motioned to assist him, but he waved her off. He wobbled and adjusted his posture despite a pain in his neck. Sand stuck to his face. It was an uncomfortable feeling. His Visuals alerted him of his injuries through his teary eyes.
“Was that necessary?” Paul said. “I need to talk to the contact who will help—”
“That’s me. Everything we do from now on is necessary. You’re a Utopian man who’s never felt pain. That’s all you’ll feel from now on—pain. Might as well familiarize yourself before Divine Might. My name is Ryan.” He put out his hand.
Paul used a clean part of his hand to wipe the tears away and then returned the handshake with caution.
Ryan jabbed him in the chin, pulled him close, and then helped him stand upright. “I need you to trust me. And to not trust me. Or anyone on this forsaken moon. Understood?”
“That doesn’t make any—”
Ryan threw an uppercut to Paul’s stomach, and Paul evaded by moving backward.
Ryan’s insane. Did Father Kaiser anticipate this? Maybe I should run away.
Paul raised his hands to surrender. “Please. I’ve had enough.” Experiencing burns was intense, but constant all-body contact was just as painful, even with Cellular Infinity.
After a kick to the stomach and some airtime, Paul landed and tumbled backward with grunts. Siren lifted him up using Variance. His insides hurt, and he could barely breathe. He wanted to vomit. He wished for a gradual familiarization of pain, not a full-blown immersion.
“You’re not going to save your people by sleeping on the ground.” Ryan entered Paul’s ship, rubbing his hands with an occasional groan. “Man, you have a hard fucking head, asshole.”
Paul dusted himself off and stood up. He took a moment to stabilize himself before entering the ship. Siren walked him up the ramp, and the flight suit material covered his body and positioned him away from the center. He was surprised to see Ryan controlling the ship. Dazed, he stowed Variance on the side, and the interior displayed the flight deck.
The word fucking was new to him. He looked it up and learned that it was an Earth-based curse word meant to emphasize an emotion or the act of sexual intercourse. Ryan’s meaning definitely could not have been the latter. The punch must have truly injured Ryan’s hand.
He next looked up the word asshole. He was either the human anus or a contemptible person—most likely the latter. “I’m sorry about your hand.”
“Eat shit. Prepare for departure.” Ryan sent the ship out of the desert and into the sky. Both of them hovered above the floor.
Eat shit? Paul felt negativity in Ryan’s scowl. He didn’t need to look up the word shit. But his head hadn’t punched Ryan’s hand. It was not his fault that his skull was hard. “I am truly sorry about your hand. Are you always this disrespectful?”
“No. I’m a very nice guy. Actually, you know what?” Ryan hovered close to Paul and slapped him several times.
Paul attempted to block whatever he could but received a substantial number of slaps and punches to the face, as well as a finger flick to his eye.
“Activate your current brain-training session for target detection.” Ryan returned to the center of the ship and held the ship above the clouds.
Paul let the pain subside and his eye recover. Fuck was starting to have meaning to him, but he wished he had not learned it or looked up the word asshole and seen a human anus on his Visuals.
He opened the program, and 123 different shapes and objects moved around the ship. Normally, he would have been able to identify the unique shape at that level, but finding it was difficult with an elevated heart rate and pain.
“It’s a stress test. It wasn’t designed for you to practice while you’re relaxed. Reset to a lower level, and try again.” Ryan hovered with arms crossed.
For thirty days, Paul had trained improperly. It was a stress test all along.
While Paul restarted the exercise, Ryan slapped him hard across the back of his head. For the first time in his life, he felt aggravated. “There’s got to be a better way.”
Paul moved his attention from his exercises to a majestic mountain range surrounded by a colorful valley of red, yellow, and green. The contrasting, solid colors stimulated his eyes. Sol’s sunset reflected onto Prism, providing enough light for him to absorb the natural view. This was more beautiful than any landscape in Azure.
“In general, is it all right if I ask questions?” Paul prepared to receive a hit by raising his hands.
The ship descended into a forest of bright orange trees. “Are you improving on your exercises?”
“Somewhat.” He actually had dropped several levels in each exercise and struggled to advance. He feared Ryan might throw a punch at any moment.
“What’s on your mind?” Ryan said.
“Nothing.” Paul wanted to know where they were going.
“You’re like a woman. They say nothing is on their mind, when everything is on their mind. I’m starting to think I picked up the wrong Utopian. Did Kaiser find others? Did you meet them?”
“It’s just me.”
Siren smiled and patted Paul on the back.
Ryan frowned. “Desperate times, I say. Mmm mmm.”
“That’s mean of him to say that.” Siren pouted.
It’s all right. We need his help.
Their flight suits tilted them upright and returned into the ship. The ramp opened, and Ryan motioned for Paul to follow him.
Through Audials, Ryan continued. “Maintain verbal silence. Audials only. We’re not supposed to be here. Leave your yoga ball behind.”
The area appeared safe, but then again, he was supposed to trust no one. “I should bring it for safety. I can cloak.”
Ryan turned and stared deep into Paul’s eyes. “If you even fart or make a leaf fall out of place, I will break both of your pinky fingers inside your ear canals. Understood?”
“Understood.” That would be both painful and creative. “I’ll only bring a small amount.” He summoned a bodysuit layer of Variance and followed Ryan into the woods with invisibility.
The colorful fallen leaves, mixed with the vibrant green grass, mesmerized him. He captured photos for his family. Siren’s hair blended in with the background. “So the desert area was Forever Spring?”
“Yes, and it still is Forever Spring. I’ll show you when we’re done with our tour.”
“And where are we now?”
Siren highlighted the coordinates on his Visuals.
“Forever Fall. I intend to show you the world so that you will understand what you’re fighting for and who you’re up against. You’re not only here to fight for Azure. You’re here to fight for interplanetary peace.”
They turned into the woods and away from a travel path.
“I will do my best. I will not—”
Ryan turned and stuck his pointer finger close to Paul’s face. With pressed lips, he Audialed, “Saying that you will do your best means that you might succeed or might fail. Repeat to yourself, ‘I will achieve interplanetary peace.’”
“You are absolutely correct. I will achieve interplanetary peace.” Paul placed a reminder on his Visuals.
“Good. Because when Shadow unleashes his weapon in the next couple of days, we will have no other option but to survive.”
“Secret weapon?” That was another missed detail. He faced nuclear bombs, lava tornadoes, and now powerful secret weapons.
“Yeah, something that will wipe out the Utopians and possibly put Crimson in control.” Ryan waved his hand randomly.
“You know about Crimson?” Paul had a flashback of the Crimson scout and its dark gravitational suit crushing his leader.
“Who doesn’t? This divide between Utopians and Kazats will destroy the human race.” Ryan spat phlegm with streaks of blood onto an orange leaf.
“Are you all right?”
“Cancer sores, but whatever. That’s what you get when you have a fake Cellular Infinity plugged into your body when you’re using a highly radioactive suit.”
“Tell me more about yourself. Will you be able to make it through till this is all over?” Paul wanted to understand Ryan’s relationship with Father Kaiser. How could a Kazat and the father of all Utopians be friends?
“I’ll make it. I always do. I’m not one to brag, but I was close to being a champion in Divine Might. I used a Frequency suit. The strong radiation overcame my version of Cellular Infinity. Only the rich can afford the real Utopian version, or if you’re Utopian, it’s free.”
People pay for Cellular Infinity? “Why are you helping us?”
“To save my family. I can’t do it. You can. That’s the trade. I get you into DM to save our families.”
“I thought Kazats hated Utopians.” They climbed up a hill with the mountain peak in the distance. He wouldn’t have expected Ryan to have a family.
Ryan’s telepathic voice changed, possibly because of a tightened throat. “I was a Forever Spring Utopian until I married a wonderful woman from Forever Winter who surpassed most Utopian women in every aspect.”
Siren gasped.
“I wanted to kill that fucker so bad.” Ryan’s fists clenched as bones cracked louder than their footsteps.
Fucker. Noun, probably.
“Are you referring to Shadow?”
“Yup, that fucker.” Ryan shook his hands and took a deep breath. “You’ll meet him in three days.”
Siren displayed Azure and Xameeshee on his Visuals and said, “With one Azure rotation being equal to one and a quarter rotations on Xameeshee, that gives you twelve days to accomplish your mission.”
Twelve days? Is that enough? “Is there a way to reschedule the meeting to an earlier date? I only have twelve Xameeshee days to win.”
“Unless you want to reschedule the world championships and upset five billion fans, then no. Negotiation windows within scheduled battles are the only time I have access to Shadow.” Heaving as they reached the top, Ryan rested on the crest and peered downhill. “Twelve days, huh? Good luck with that. It’ll be one heck of a negotiation session.”
Paul followed Ryan’s prone position. Using his eyes with his Visuals’ optical enhancement, he zoomed in through the trees and found a small wooden house at the bottom of the hill. A warm light lit the interior. Everything appeared still. A rusted land vehicle was parked by the side of the house, and a dirt road zigzagged around the area.
Why are we here?
An object from the sky zipped down into the house. A flash of light blinded him, and the doors and windows exploded. The ground shook, and the house broke into flying fragments as an object rose from beneath.
It’s a Legacy fighter.
Paul left Ryan and hovered above the tree line. The shiny metallic giant blasted hundreds of invisible drones out of the sky. Its energy shield blocked dozens of lasers and projectiles but failed to stop the webs of lasers created by a network of drones. The webs burned off sections of armor and weaponry as they fell and flattened the vehicle and the nearby woods.
A clear specter, a noticeable wavy mirage in the mountain range background, descended from the sky, and the Legacy fighter and drones ceased action. For a drawn-out moment, nothing happened.
“Ryan, what’s happening?”
“Listen.” Ryan synchronized his communication to Paul’s. Siren pressed her ear against Paul’s head.
“And turn her in,” a man, presumably the specter, said to the Legacy fighter. “Shadow is willing to waive your violation of using your suit in public.”
“Why do you fight on his side? You were supposed to be a champion for democracy.” The Legacy fighter was a woman, full of anger and despair. “We fought together in so many battles.”
“Then don’t make me kill both of you.” The specter revealed itself. Was this golden battle platform a Kalliro suit? Bands of fluidic material flowed randomly across the entire body and limbs.
Siren collected data. “This is good. I wish we could get closer safely.”
The woman continued. “She’s my wife. Doesn’t that have any meaning to you?”
“It’s wrong, Corda. It’s against our beliefs.” The Kalliro warrior moved closer to the Legacy fighter.
“And so is killing!” Corda cried in grief. “Please don’t hurt her.”
Several drones approached Corda and formed a platform. The chest of the Legacy suit opened, and a woman stepped out onto the drones. She was fair and pleasant despite being driven by fear and anguish. Corda, within the suit, stood forward and reached out to her wife. Paul could only see her trembling hand.
The drones carried Corda’s wife before the Kalliro fighter, who said, “Article four dash three, violation—”
“No!” Corda screamed as she closed her hatch.
“You are sentenced to death.” The fighter sent out a burst of red magnetic energy, and Corda’s wife vaporized into fumes. The burst slammed against Corda’s mechanical torso and slightly tipped it back.
Siren gripped Paul’s arms with her hands. Digital tears dripped from her eyes.
Corda unleashed a flaming laser sword and charged at the fighter, only to freeze a short distance away from where her wife had once stood.
“At least you can live to see another day. Take care, Corda.” The drones and the Kalliro fighter cloaked and vanished.
Corda screamed loudly enough for Paul to lower the volume. Siren stood still with her eyes wide open. Ryan apathetically stood up and walked downhill toward the ship.
Paul blinked tears away and followed. “You knew this was going to happen, right?”
“Yes.” Ryan cleared his throat.
“Why didn’t you do anything? Did you know her? Why didn’t you warn her?”
“All of them were my friends. I wouldn’t be able to prevent this from happening.” Ryan cleared his throat again. “What did you learn, Paul?”
“I learned that this world has no freedom or justice.” Corda had lost her wife. Same-gender marriage was illegal, but so was murder, and no one stopped that from happening. She could not even use her suit for defense. “And you have no heart.”
“And what are you going to do about it?”
“If I’m supposed to make this world a safe place for Utopians to seek refuge, I have to restore freedom and justice.”
“Good, because it’s gotten worse. Before, governments used to imprison violators and Utopians into slavery. Now they’re just killing them off, especially kids. I’m sure my wife and kids are next on the execution list, so when I tell you that you have to fight to the death for our families, you better fucking believe it.”
Fight to the death. There were no other options. The thought of Ryan having children surprised him. “Where are we going?” They entered the ship and donned the flight suits.
“To witness some more fucked-up shit.”
There was so much to absorb—physically, emotionally, and mentally. So much was happening at once. This was life for an entire world. It was the complete opposite of the life Paul understood. This world wanted all Utopians and even some Kazats to die.
Siren highlighted data around an image of the Kalliro suit. “By measuring the dangerous magnetic waves, we can modify the Variance platform to—”
“Shit?” Paul moved his view away from Siren’s data and stared into the distance. He was reluctant to learn the new word. He was reluctant to learn anything new from Xameeshee.
After a few brain exercises, they arrived in a desert area known as Forever Summer. Bands of red, brown, and yellow sand streaked across the land encircling a half-built city. Lifting cranes littered the area, along with plumes of steam and billowing black smoke. The temperature outside registered sixty-five degrees Celsius.
Ryan let out a series of coughs.
“Will you be all right with the heat?” Paul worried about whether Ryan could finish the tour alive.
Ryan tapped his chest. “I’ll keep the flight suit on. I’m good.”
“All right, I suppose.”
Vehicular and pedestrian traffic littered the streets. “I can’t believe people live here. It’s so hot,” Paul said.
“Yeah, well, sometimes it’s better to be in a shitty environment than to deal with a shitty government. But with Shadow’s reach, it doesn’t matter where you’re at anymore. If the Utopians aren’t safe, no one is safe.”
There was that word shit again, but as an adjective. Ryan was referring either to feces or to low quality, most likely the latter. Keeping up with Ryan’s language was difficult for both Paul and Siren.
Siren looked at the image of feces and shivered in disgust. “Put it away. I’m glad I don’t have to expel such foul waste.”
Paul laughed. “I’m also glad, or else we would have feces data floating around in my Visuals.”
“What are you laughing about?” Ryan steered the ship into a shaded flight deck at ground level and kept a narrow eye on Paul.
“The derogatory word that resembles feces.”
“What? Shit? Get used to it. One day your mouth will be fouler than an overused and undermaintained portable toilet.”
Paul’s stomach ached, and he released a loud burp. “Excuse me.” His medical interface projected an image of his body, highlighting his small intestine. He had his first ulcer, for reasons unknown other than Cellular Infinity degradation.
“I’ll try to hack the cells to repair that ulcer.” Siren disappeared to work on coding.
The interior turned dark, and the ramp opened. A rush of hot air filled the cabin and touched Paul’s forehead as he covered himself with Variance. They stepped out onto a deck.
Soldiers with weapons appeared everywhere. One soldier approached Ryan and stood there for a moment. Ryan placed his hand on Paul’s shoulder, and the soldier turned around.
Paul followed Ryan into a crowd of people. Everyone wore bodysuits and goggles. Only a few wore regular clothes, which were ragged and torn.
Paul expected the soldiers to execute him, as they had Corda. “What happened?”
“You’re not registered and don’t have permission to be in this territory. I told them you were sent to see Shadow. That’s all it took for them to leave us alone. Stay close, or else someone will abduct you.”
“What do you mean?” They passed by several soldiers, all of whom kept their visors pointed toward them.
Ryan accidentally bumped into a stranger, and he pushed the man hard into the crowd. “Fucking twat.” He continued forward. “Someone or some group will take you away for slavery, sex, and body parts. It happens all the time. And if you’re a Utopian outside of Forever Spring or are associated with one, like an illegal marriage, Forever Winter assassins will kill you for a reward. And if the assassins don’t get to you, then the useless anti-Utopian thugs will. They believe they contribute to society by hunting down Utopians for their religion.”
Fucking twat? Combination curse?
Paul believed that all religions were supposed to be about peace. Yet people murdered others for their religion’s cause. It sounded counterintuitive. Paul knew Kazats viewed Utopians as demonic, but to inflict pain upon others made no sense.
They turned down a narrow alleyway lined by tall black buildings. They entered a building and stepped through a dark corridor lined with garbage and malnourished adults and children. Then they exited through a clean and organized store full of various jewelry, clothing, and shoes.
Kazats lived in a world of inequality. How could a luxury consumer store exist when people needed help?
They crossed another crowded street and entered a residential complex. Lights flickered within the hallway. People slept on the floor. No one paid attention to them. Rodents scattered all around. It was hot, smelly, and awkward to be there.
Ryan led Paul up a few levels and waited at a corner. “There’s a man I know who’s illegally married to a Utopian woman. He reminds me of myself. Nice guy. Nice guys don’t live long. He needs to learn to apply his skills outside of Divine Might.”
“He’s a fighter?”
“One of the best Frequency pilots to live. Maybe the second best, second only to me.” Ryan peered around the corner and motioned for Paul to do the same.
A young, slim man with spiky black hair and intense eyes exited his apartment and stepped into the hallway. He turned away from Ryan and Paul and disappeared into the flickering lights. They followed the man outside of the building and through the city, keeping their distance.
The man entered a tall building. Seconds later, he exited with a woman and a young boy. All of them were happy. The woman, who had short brown hair, rested her head on the man’s shoulder. The boy skipped while holding on to his dad’s hand, making his long, straight hair shift everywhere. The boy reminded Paul of Lily, who was about the same height.
Ryan and Paul followed the family back to the apartment. What was special about the family? Everything appeared normal, except that Ryan kept his distance from people he knew.
The family talked among themselves. They smiled and laughed. Paul thought about his family and how much he missed them, but he was also curious and afraid of what was about to unfold. This situation could be worse than their Forever Fall visit.
In front of the entrance to an apartment complex, a group of young teenagers wearing colorful bodysuits and intricate, illuminated metallic face masks blocked the family from entering. Paul could not hear anything. The father moved his arms in a nonthreatening way, motioning for his wife and son to proceed forward. The group circled around the family.
Paul stepped forward. “The group doesn’t appear friendly. This doesn’t feel right.”
“I can’t watch,” Siren said, though she continued watching.
Ryan growled and shoved Paul backward. “Stay put.”
Paul tried to move Ryan at the shoulder, but he did not budge. “Why?”
Siren hovered in front of him. “We can’t stop something bad from happening?”
The thugs beat the family to the ground. Siren and Paul screamed as he tried to move forward. Dust rose and blocked Paul’s view. He used Variance to filter out the dust and found the family unconscious with blood smeared across their faces. The thugs urinated on the wife, and the liquid vaporized instantly on her bodysuit. They picked up the boy and slammed him into the ground. His body bounced lifelessly. The father woke up and received a kick to the face, only to go unconscious again.
Soldiers appeared and dispersed the crowd. They stared at the family for a second before walking away. The thugs congratulated each other in the distance with cheers and laughter.
Paul tried to fight his way out of Ryan’s hold. “Let me go. How could you let this happen again?”
“So that you can end it all. It’s time to go home. Let’s go.” Ryan shoved Paul away from the family.
Paul managed to stay on his feet as Ryan led him back to the ship. Siren hovered next to him in sadness with her arms crossed over her stomach. The family remained on the ground. As with the situation with Corda, he knew Ryan had expected this event to unfold.
“You know them. You would let that happen to your friends?”
“Yes. If I have to set an example of them to get you mentally prepared to change this forsaken world, then their sacrifice is a benefit to humankind. Nyle, Pela, and their son, Cyprian—they deal with this shit every day, and they don’t fight back. As for you, you will fight back.”
Paul tried to walk in front of Ryan despite the dense crowd. “What kind of friend are you? At least check up on them.”
For a moment, Ryan stood still. “I’m the friend who wants to free them from their suffering.” He pressed his finger into Paul’s chest. “Don’t you get it? The power is in your hands now. Father Kaiser believes you’re the one who can stop this. It’s time to prove it.” He continued walking through the crowd at an increased pace.
“If Kazats hate Utopians, why did the thugs end their inhuman acts upon the soldiers’ arrival? Why didn’t the soldiers join in?”
“DM participants have some mild protection. But that won’t stop Kazats from doing their thing.”
“Their thing? The family participates in Divine Might?” Paul could not comprehend beating on innocent people as a norm. He tried to keep up without bumping into anyone. “Where are we going?”
“Forever Spring.”