Kanore
Jul 30, 2012, 09:27 PM
Introduction
I'm Kanore, a long-time PSO player (GC PSO from 2003-2005, PC PSU from 2006-2008, Private Blue Burst since 2007, and PSO2 since Open Beta). I write as a hobby, but I've never produced a work of fanfiction due to all of the stigma of being a fanfic writer. I dislike reading most fanfiction I come across since they're usually poorly written.
Regardless, I've had an idea for a PSO fanfiction for about two to three years now, and since I haven't written any serious fictional stories in a year or so, I thought I might use this old concept as a writing exercise.
I've titled this project 'Phantasy Star Online: J-Sword.' It's about a HUmar and his team that run into some problems in the Central Control Area's Mountain Area until the HUmar comes across a certain weapon that reverses their fortunes - but it comes with a price to everyone involved.
Like most fanfictions - or at least, what I believe a lot of fanfiction authors do - I'm going through this as hastily as I can. I don't really want to spend too much time on writing a fanfiction. The chapters will all be written separately; I'll post each chapter after I'm done writing them. The whole story is pretty much outlined though.
I've noticed that most PSO fan-fictions on PSO-World span dozens of chapters; this particular story will not, but hopefully each chapter is action-packed enough for any reader to enjoy.
My main goal for this writing project is to see if I can put PSO through what I like to call 'Nolanification,' in honor of the recently ended Dark Knight trilogy. Though people will need to have played PSO a bit to fully appreciate this story, maybe people who haven't played the game would also be able to enjoy it and interpret the settings in their own way. Also going along with the Nolanification of PSO would be my best attempts at realist descriptions of things done in-game without straying too far from how they're actually portrayed, as well as several serious themes. If you're reading this, I hope you can discover all the themes I hope to express in PSO: J-Sword. Thanks for reading!
While the locations, settings, and several concepts are based on SEGA's Phantasy Star Online, this is otherwise an original story that is not based on any true event. Some characters may be loosely based on players that I have encountered in PSO, but are not meant to accurately portray them and any resemblance aside from references are purely coincidental. This story mainly takes place during the events of Phantasy Star Online Episode 2.
And without further adieu...
Phantasy Star Online: J-Sword
Chapter 1: Sunrise
Gal Da Val Island was unforgiving. Echo heard stories of dozens of veteran Hunters disappearing into the island's mountains to never return, and now found himself on the peak of that same mountain. Echo recalled each one of those stories in a single moment as a rabid gibbon drove its claw deep into his chest. In an instant, Echo found himself on the ground in a slowly accumulating pool of his own blood.
The gibbon stood above Echo, pounding its barrel-like chest, then circled his body like a vulture, ready to jump in for the final blow. Echo braced himself. He was going to become one of those dozens of hunters. His life flashed before his eyes. Registering as a Hunter for the colonization effort was where it all started going downhill.
A gunshot. The gibbon let out a horrifying screech. The ground shook as it hit the ground, dead.
A girl knelt over Echo. He had never been so happy to see her and her silly little pink jester hat, standard for all FO's, or magician Hunters.
"Starra," Echo said. "What a sight for sore eyes."
"Hold on for a second," she squeaked. "I'll get you back on your feet. You're lucky Aurin's such a great shot!"
With the wave of a wand, Starra cast a healing spell over Echo that instantaneously sealed his wounds. The magic of the 'Resta' technique was an invaluable one up in the mountains. Echo sat up as the team's leader, a RA - gun specialist - walked over to him and helped him get back up. Aurin's spiky white hair and black mask appeared to be blurred together until Echo's vision restored itself to normal, thanks again to the Resta technique.
"I can't be saving you like this all the time," Aurin said. He was right; Echo usually found that he was in need of rescue during the virtual reality training sessions he had with Aurin and Starra. Now they found themselves in a much more real, life-threatening situation, subject to the violent native creatures of the planet Ragol, and it wasn’t much different.
A few feet away from the trio, their android companion scanned the area.
"Wals," Aurin asked. "Team diagnostics and mission parameters please. Let's get back on track."
"Echo's vitals are green," the android replied. "Mission objective is one-hundred meters south, along the cliffside. The Lab reminds us to proceed with utmost caution."
The cliffside was as perilous as it was beautiful. It overlooked the pristine, untouched Ragolian ocean, the orange evening sun glistening upon it. The island itself looked beautiful from the many maps in the Lab, but after encountering the hostility of the native creatures and having to return to the ship for medical treatment multiple times throughout the mission, Echo, Starra and Aurin wanted nothing more but to return to the safety of the colony ship, Pioneer 2, high in Ragol orbit. The lush greenness of the island and the clear blue skies of Ragol felt as if they had turned to gray and red, its beauty tainted by the hordes of rabid creatures, sprung to violence after an incident unleashed an ancient evil being upon the world several years before. Though the being was defeated, many creatures remained infected by its unexplainable dark influence.
“The enemy is designated as Gibbles,” Wals repeated from the debriefing. “It is a giant simian creature that serves as a ringleader for entire gibbon colonies. Reports indicate that its physical strength is several hundred times more than that of a HUcast.”
“If a sword-toting robot like you can’t handle it,” Aurin joked, “Starra, I think you’re best just giving Echo your wand so he can stand in the corner and cast that healing spell on himself the whole time.”
Starra and Wals laughed, but Echo remained quiet.
After a several more ambushes from angry gibbons, the group came to a warp station.
“This warp will bring us into the heart of the Gibbles nest,” Wals said. “There’s no turning back unless we abort the mission and return to the Lab; the nest is surrounded on all sides by boulders and a rock wall."
“Look sharp then,” Aurin said, cocking his rifle and running into the warp station.
The group was briefly disoriented, finding themselves in a shadow under what seemed to be a cliff.
Echo looked up. “That shadow’s moving!”
The four Hunters rolled out of the way as the Gibbles fell from the sky, rocking the ground. An army of over a dozen gibbons jumped out from the bushes around them. The hulking Gibbles drove its massive fist into Wals, sending the android flying back, hitting a rock wall. The android’s armor cushioned the blow, though the gibbons cut off the way back between him and his teammates.
“Someone the Gibbles’ attention!” Aurin shouted. “I can’t take a clear shot!”
Echo jumped at the Gibbles with his photon saber, but the creature’s hide was too tough. Starra attempted to slow down the Gibbles with bolts of lightning, but it shrugged them off.
Aurin managed to take a clear shot at the Gibbles, but the bullet rebounded off its head. The angered creature flew into a rage, beating its chest as it let out a deafening roar. Two gibbons tackled Aurin down, and he found himself unsuccessfully trying to get them off with the butt of his rifle.
Echo dashed for Aurin as one of Starra’s spells held the Gibbles back from grabbing him. He drove his saber into the back of one of the gibbons, grabbing the other with his hands and beating it into submission, finishing it off with a bloody pistol shot to the head. The Gibbles, even more enraged at the sight of its brethren being brutally beat into submission, backhanded Starra, knocking her out, and made a rush for Echo. Aurin took several shots with his own handgun, completely missing.
Echo threw his handgun off to the side, confusing the Gibbles as he retrieved his saber. The monster only got even more enraged, using its fists to jump into the air, attempting to crush Echo. Echo rolled way, and swiped at its tough hide again to no avail.
“Wals!” Aurin shouted, as Wals returned to the scene of the fight. “Get us out of here!”
“No!” Echo shouted, dodging another punch by a hair.
Wals threw a Telepipe disc on the ground, which projected a warp portal.
“No, dammit!” Echo shouted again. “Let me –“
The Gibbles drove its giant fist into Echo’s body, sending him flying into Wals. Wals regained his composure as Aurin fired a shot to temporarily stun the Gibbles.
“Feed them Atomizers and let’s get the hell out of here!” Aurin shouted at Wals.
Wals slipped a pill into Echo’s mouth, allowing the latter to regain consciousness. Aurin picked up Starra’s unconscious body as he gave her the same pill, and the group stepped into the Telepipe, vanishing instantly. The portal dissipated as the Gibbles slammed its fists into where the group was supposed to be.
***
The group rematerialized in the Lab staging area, where Wals and Aurin brought their two partners to the nearby medical center to be treated. Ragol looked beautiful from the staging area's window, over-looking the planet. It felt good to be back on Pioneer 2.
"I hope your mission is at least going well," the perky, big-eyed girl at the medical counter said.
"It's definitely going," Aurin replied. "...It's certainly going."
"Perhaps we need to go back to a virtual reality simulator for further training," Wals suggested. "May I suggest the RES simulator -"
"No," Aurin interrupted. "I'm sick of that simulator. I'm sick of all those 'VR' simulators. They spend so many hours throwing Hunters into virtual reality for training for no other purpose than to artificially increase their combat level and Hunter Class, then they're thrown into Gal Da Val just to get lost and die because they can't discern fear in reality from fear in virtual reality. They treat it like a game, but the fact is that it's different out there."
"Increasing our combat levels in a safer environment would be beneficial for the difficulty we face on the field. Hunter Class VH missions do require highly experienced Hunters."
Aurin shot a look back at the expression-less Wals. Wals' face was permanently modeled to look like a frightening scowl, standard for combat androids. "Echo has spent so much time in RES training that he couldn’t even adapt to the new virtual reality environments. He barely passed the virtual Temple and Spaceship tests the Lab administers for Gal Da Val admission. And now look at him on the real field. He can't hold his own against some of the creatures down there, and when he does, he overdoes it because unlike those virtual creatures in RES that disappear when you kill them, those bodies just stay there, and he finds himself wasting time overkilling dead gibbons with bullets.”
"I understand your point," Wals replied. "Field experience is radically different from virtual experience. We have, however, run through this mountain three times with little success and - "
"I know that virtual reality has its benefits," Aurin replied, "Especially since our technology brings its simulations to near-life and it's almost like we're actually fighting on the field. But some Hunters are spending too much time in simulators like RES. How many times can you kill a simulation of the dragon that attacked the Pioneer 1 colonists, exactly? It's time to move on - it's been a few years since that incident already. We're on Gal Da Val now. I'd rather run around this mountain a million times before setting foot in a RES simulator or a VR Spaceship environment one more time. It doesn't matter what class we are - N, H, VH, or even those high-end U Classers that spend all their time on U Class RES - the Pioneer 2 government needs to move on with this colonization effort, and we all need to play our part on the field."
"As long as the others agree," Wals replied. "I don't really like to argue about combat levels and Hunter Classes anyway."
"Until then, we'll let them rest for now," Aurin said. "You have a recording of our fight with the Gibbles right? We'll work out a new strategy and return to the island to finish the mission in a few days."
***
After recovering in the Lab, Echo immersed himself in a training simulator despite suggestions by the medical team and his own group to take a break until heading back to the field. Echo enjoyed the RES simulator due to the familiarity he and most other Hunters had with it - unlike the new simulators in the Lab, Echo had all of the creatures' patterns memorized. No gibbons were going to strike him from the back, no Gibbles flying in from nowhere.
The RES simulator attracted the most Hunters as well, allowing him to meet a variety of people, since the RES mission allowed a variety of Hunters to sign up at any time, throwing them into teams of other, random Hunters. One such person was a short RA, dressed similarly to Aurin, aside from the red and gray theme of his RA outfit as opposed to Aurin's light blue. The mysterious RA questioned Echo's equipment.
"Your weapons don't look very poweful," the RA told him, taking a giant bear creature down with one shot from his rifle. Echo remained quiet, struggling to keep up with the deadly efficient RA.
Halfway through the simulator, Echo had enough. He asked the RA who he was.
"Nug," he replied. "Interested?"
"Interested?"
"I know you're interested in weapons like this," Nug said, pulling out a giant rocket launcher fashioned out of tank robot's parts.
"I'm a HU, though. We're a bit diff - "
Nug threw down a Telepipe and motioned for Echo to follow him back to the staging area. Echo followed.
By the time Echo rematerialized on Pioneer 2, Nug had already scattered a few weapons on the floor, and was returning with something else in his hands from the nearby Hunter storage commons - a MAG.
"First off," Nug said, cradling the black cat-like robot in his hands. "I noticed your MAG wasn't nearly as developed as this thing. You know how important MAGs are to Hunters, don't you?"
Echo had spent so much time in RES simulators that he never bothered to develop his MAG. He wasn't even sure what his MAG did. "Uh -"
"You don't," Nug said, smirking. "These things augment your abilities. With this Sato MAG, you'll be able to use weapons that would otherwise require a much higher combat level. Your old weapons will be much lighter, and your movement will also be much more fluid. You'll be more efficient."
"And you're just giving it to me?" Echo asked. He was skeptical of what seemed like a random act of charity.
"All I want is your contact information," Nug replied. "You seem like a good kid. I saw how you handled one of the big Hildebears down there despite your lack of equipment. This stuff I'm giving you would definitely be beneficial to you, but you know how business works. I'll scratch your back, and you scratch mine."
"Business?"
"I'm part of a small group known as Infamous," Nug explained, handing the black Sato MAG to Echo. "You've probably heard of us."
Echo shook his head. Nug shrugged and picked up a large black sword with an intricate, glowing purple seal at the base of the long blade. "I don't know what this is since my Hunter license doesn't allow me to use it, but the guy that handed it off to me said it was really powerful. Bring it to a Tekker, those weirdos are good at identifying what weapon does what."
"Guy that handed it off to you?" Echo stored his old MAG and registered the black Sato. It rematerialized above his left shoulder, and he immediately felt much lighter and stronger. "Different MAGs and weapons really do make a difference, don't they?"
"That's the world we live in," Nug said, handing Echo the sword. "That's why we deal in weapons."
"So you're hiring me to be part of this business of yours?" Echo asked.
"You could say that," Nug replied, handing Echo a few more boxes with random assortments of armor and shields much stronger than what Echo had ever seen before. "Don't worry about it. I know what you're thinking, but you won't get in trouble for any of this. All you're doing is just becoming more efficient. That's all that matters here on Pioneer 2: Getting stronger, completing missions more efficiently, and achieving your maximum combat level and Hunter Class. There's no better way to do it but with good weapons."
Echo handed Nug his information card and thanked him. "Part of this whole deal is, I contact you and you come to me," Nug explained. "That's the business. No questions. Maybe one question."
"What kind of business is this, exactly?" Echo asked, examining his black sword. "I just asked you who you were and you threw all of this on me. I didn't mean to ask for any handouts or anything."
Nug stared at Echo. "No questions."
"What?" Echo looked up, but Nug was nowhere to be found.
***
Echo was late. Starra sat on the Hunter's Guild counter, swinging her short legs back and forth, occassionally looking into her powder compact to ensure her short blue curls were intact under her hat.
"Yes, Starra, you're still cute,” Aurin quipped.
Starra shut her compact and scrunched her face at him.
"Never mind."
"Shut up, Aurin!"
Aurin lowered his face mask and placed his hands at Starra's sides, looking into her green eyes with his entrancing blue eyes.
"That scar on your nose is still cute though," Starra said, as she flicked the tip of his nose and kissed it. Aurin smirked.
Echo materialized into the Hunter's Guild. "Sorry," he said, out of breath. Aurin pushed himself off the counter and re-adjusted his face mask.
"Alright," Aurin said. "You ready, Wals?"
The red-white android pushed himself off the nearby wall and nodded as Aurin registered the team for another expedition into the Gal Da Val mountains. They entered the Lab to be debriefed one more time on their mission.
"Your objective is to eliminate a Gibbles nest so that a follow-up Lab team can analyze the creature's data," a lab technician told them. "This particular area is dangerous, so -"
"We know," Aurin responded.
The lab technician frowned. "Alright, your Section IDs have been approved for teleportation onto Gal Da Val Island. Please step into the warp station."
The group teleported onto the planet's surface and found themselves over-looking the mountain cliff again. Blue skies and a high sun made for a comfortable day on Gal Da Val, but the group knew - without words - that this was no time to be at peace. Regardless, Echo felt as though he needed to say his piece.
"I want to live here when colonization is all over," he said. The group quietly looked at him. Starra nodded. "When all of this fighting is over, and everyone on that big ark in the sky finally decides to live in a real place like this."
"That's the plan," Aurin said, putting his hand on Echo's shoulder. "We're going to help forge our dream to colonize this planet. It'll happen in time. People like those in the Lab are helping us achieve those goals."
Echo nodded. "I don't want to keep killing these infected native creatures. I hope it happens soon."
"We'll find a way," Starra squeaked. "Let's get started!"
The group found their way down the cliffside to the warp station, unopposed by any creatures. Wals grew suspicious.
"The ambush may be bigger than last time," Wals said as he stepped into the warp station. "Be prepared."
He was right. This time, two Gibbles fell from the sky, with an army of gibbons to accompany them. The group found themselves cornered against the rock wall.
"Wals," Aurin said. "Prepare a -"
"Wait," Echo interrupted.
Echo materialized his black sword and Sato and swung the massive blade high above his head. The two, towering Gibbles looked at him as the gibbons formed a half-circle around the group.
"Echo," Aurin said, trying hard to keep calm. "This isn't the time to play hero."
Echo looked back and smirked at Aurin, then rushed at one of the Gibbles, sword at his side. The Gibbles attempted to hook Echo with its giant right fist, but Echo, with the flexibility of a gymnast, ducked under the punch. Immediately regaining his composure, Echo swung the black sword at the Gibbles, cutting through its hide like a butcher's knife through butter. Blood sprayed out of the Gibbles' side, as it winced in pain and attempted to regain its balance. It angrily swung around, accidentally buffeting the other Gibbles, who retaliated by slapping it out of its confusion.
The gibbons stood in shock as one of its leaders flailed about. Aurin nodded to Starra and Wals, who quickly mobilized to dispatch the gibbons as Echo continued to stave off the two Gibbles.
Echo stood in front of the bleeding Gibbles as it analyzed Echo. With a roar, the Gibbles stomped toward Echo in an attempt to ram the Hunter with its giant fists, but Echo rolled off to the side, throwing the Gibbles off balance again. He climbed on the Gibbles' back and drove the black sword into the creature's spine. The second Gibbles rushed to help its friend, but as it attempted to swing at Echo to knock him off its friend's back, the bleeding Gibbles spun around in pain, and its face was crushed in by the force of the other Gibbles' fist. Hanging on to the bleeding Gibbles as if it were a rodeo bull, Echo pulled out the prototype red handgun Nug gave him and fired at the second Gibbles. The handgun penetrated the other creatures' face, as it backed away from its bleeding friend. Echo pulled his black sword out of the bucking Gibbles' back while hopping back to solid ground, and the giant creature's deep wound began to hemorrhage crimson blood. The bloodied creature, its face disfigured, roared out in pain. Echo swiped the black blade at the creature several more times though the bloodied figure stopped attempting to retaliate after its friend punched it in the face. The ailing creature appeared to be choking on its own blood before it stretched its massive arm out to its observing friend and crashed into the ground.
Echo turned his attention to the other Gibbles, who stared back directly at him. By now most of the other gibbons in the nest had fled; the rest of the group managed to take down four or five before the army retreated after it heard the blood-curtling screams of the first Gibbles.
"What just happened?" Starra asked. She looked at the bloody carcass of the other Gibbles, stunned.
Wals and Aurin remained quiet.
Echo inched toward the Gibbles, and when he was close enough, the Gibbles roared and threw its giant fist at Echo with all of its might. Echo instinctively held his sword in front of his body and braced for impact, as the shields and armor Nug granted him absorbed most of the blow. Echo's planted feet slid back a few feet, but the Gibbles failed to push him back far enough. Catching the creature off-guard, Echo parried, driving his sword into the Gibbles' extended arm. Like its friend's rib, the Gibbles' arm was sliced open, spraying blood on the Hunter. The Gibbles tried wincing in pain by bringing its hands to its face, but moving its right arm only caused it even more pain.
The Hunter calmly stood in front of the creature as it regained its composure. It roared into Echo's face, coating him in Gibbles blood and saliva. It refused to attack the Hunter, and jumped high into the sky, vanishing into the blinding mid-day sun.
The rest of the group stared wide-eyed at the bloodied Echo as he walked back to them, smiling.
"Mission complete," Aurin reported to the Lab through his headset, not taking his eyes off his friend for a second.
Next: Chapter 2: Low Tide
I'm Kanore, a long-time PSO player (GC PSO from 2003-2005, PC PSU from 2006-2008, Private Blue Burst since 2007, and PSO2 since Open Beta). I write as a hobby, but I've never produced a work of fanfiction due to all of the stigma of being a fanfic writer. I dislike reading most fanfiction I come across since they're usually poorly written.
Regardless, I've had an idea for a PSO fanfiction for about two to three years now, and since I haven't written any serious fictional stories in a year or so, I thought I might use this old concept as a writing exercise.
I've titled this project 'Phantasy Star Online: J-Sword.' It's about a HUmar and his team that run into some problems in the Central Control Area's Mountain Area until the HUmar comes across a certain weapon that reverses their fortunes - but it comes with a price to everyone involved.
Like most fanfictions - or at least, what I believe a lot of fanfiction authors do - I'm going through this as hastily as I can. I don't really want to spend too much time on writing a fanfiction. The chapters will all be written separately; I'll post each chapter after I'm done writing them. The whole story is pretty much outlined though.
I've noticed that most PSO fan-fictions on PSO-World span dozens of chapters; this particular story will not, but hopefully each chapter is action-packed enough for any reader to enjoy.
My main goal for this writing project is to see if I can put PSO through what I like to call 'Nolanification,' in honor of the recently ended Dark Knight trilogy. Though people will need to have played PSO a bit to fully appreciate this story, maybe people who haven't played the game would also be able to enjoy it and interpret the settings in their own way. Also going along with the Nolanification of PSO would be my best attempts at realist descriptions of things done in-game without straying too far from how they're actually portrayed, as well as several serious themes. If you're reading this, I hope you can discover all the themes I hope to express in PSO: J-Sword. Thanks for reading!
While the locations, settings, and several concepts are based on SEGA's Phantasy Star Online, this is otherwise an original story that is not based on any true event. Some characters may be loosely based on players that I have encountered in PSO, but are not meant to accurately portray them and any resemblance aside from references are purely coincidental. This story mainly takes place during the events of Phantasy Star Online Episode 2.
And without further adieu...
Phantasy Star Online: J-Sword
Chapter 1: Sunrise
Gal Da Val Island was unforgiving. Echo heard stories of dozens of veteran Hunters disappearing into the island's mountains to never return, and now found himself on the peak of that same mountain. Echo recalled each one of those stories in a single moment as a rabid gibbon drove its claw deep into his chest. In an instant, Echo found himself on the ground in a slowly accumulating pool of his own blood.
The gibbon stood above Echo, pounding its barrel-like chest, then circled his body like a vulture, ready to jump in for the final blow. Echo braced himself. He was going to become one of those dozens of hunters. His life flashed before his eyes. Registering as a Hunter for the colonization effort was where it all started going downhill.
A gunshot. The gibbon let out a horrifying screech. The ground shook as it hit the ground, dead.
A girl knelt over Echo. He had never been so happy to see her and her silly little pink jester hat, standard for all FO's, or magician Hunters.
"Starra," Echo said. "What a sight for sore eyes."
"Hold on for a second," she squeaked. "I'll get you back on your feet. You're lucky Aurin's such a great shot!"
With the wave of a wand, Starra cast a healing spell over Echo that instantaneously sealed his wounds. The magic of the 'Resta' technique was an invaluable one up in the mountains. Echo sat up as the team's leader, a RA - gun specialist - walked over to him and helped him get back up. Aurin's spiky white hair and black mask appeared to be blurred together until Echo's vision restored itself to normal, thanks again to the Resta technique.
"I can't be saving you like this all the time," Aurin said. He was right; Echo usually found that he was in need of rescue during the virtual reality training sessions he had with Aurin and Starra. Now they found themselves in a much more real, life-threatening situation, subject to the violent native creatures of the planet Ragol, and it wasn’t much different.
A few feet away from the trio, their android companion scanned the area.
"Wals," Aurin asked. "Team diagnostics and mission parameters please. Let's get back on track."
"Echo's vitals are green," the android replied. "Mission objective is one-hundred meters south, along the cliffside. The Lab reminds us to proceed with utmost caution."
The cliffside was as perilous as it was beautiful. It overlooked the pristine, untouched Ragolian ocean, the orange evening sun glistening upon it. The island itself looked beautiful from the many maps in the Lab, but after encountering the hostility of the native creatures and having to return to the ship for medical treatment multiple times throughout the mission, Echo, Starra and Aurin wanted nothing more but to return to the safety of the colony ship, Pioneer 2, high in Ragol orbit. The lush greenness of the island and the clear blue skies of Ragol felt as if they had turned to gray and red, its beauty tainted by the hordes of rabid creatures, sprung to violence after an incident unleashed an ancient evil being upon the world several years before. Though the being was defeated, many creatures remained infected by its unexplainable dark influence.
“The enemy is designated as Gibbles,” Wals repeated from the debriefing. “It is a giant simian creature that serves as a ringleader for entire gibbon colonies. Reports indicate that its physical strength is several hundred times more than that of a HUcast.”
“If a sword-toting robot like you can’t handle it,” Aurin joked, “Starra, I think you’re best just giving Echo your wand so he can stand in the corner and cast that healing spell on himself the whole time.”
Starra and Wals laughed, but Echo remained quiet.
After a several more ambushes from angry gibbons, the group came to a warp station.
“This warp will bring us into the heart of the Gibbles nest,” Wals said. “There’s no turning back unless we abort the mission and return to the Lab; the nest is surrounded on all sides by boulders and a rock wall."
“Look sharp then,” Aurin said, cocking his rifle and running into the warp station.
The group was briefly disoriented, finding themselves in a shadow under what seemed to be a cliff.
Echo looked up. “That shadow’s moving!”
The four Hunters rolled out of the way as the Gibbles fell from the sky, rocking the ground. An army of over a dozen gibbons jumped out from the bushes around them. The hulking Gibbles drove its massive fist into Wals, sending the android flying back, hitting a rock wall. The android’s armor cushioned the blow, though the gibbons cut off the way back between him and his teammates.
“Someone the Gibbles’ attention!” Aurin shouted. “I can’t take a clear shot!”
Echo jumped at the Gibbles with his photon saber, but the creature’s hide was too tough. Starra attempted to slow down the Gibbles with bolts of lightning, but it shrugged them off.
Aurin managed to take a clear shot at the Gibbles, but the bullet rebounded off its head. The angered creature flew into a rage, beating its chest as it let out a deafening roar. Two gibbons tackled Aurin down, and he found himself unsuccessfully trying to get them off with the butt of his rifle.
Echo dashed for Aurin as one of Starra’s spells held the Gibbles back from grabbing him. He drove his saber into the back of one of the gibbons, grabbing the other with his hands and beating it into submission, finishing it off with a bloody pistol shot to the head. The Gibbles, even more enraged at the sight of its brethren being brutally beat into submission, backhanded Starra, knocking her out, and made a rush for Echo. Aurin took several shots with his own handgun, completely missing.
Echo threw his handgun off to the side, confusing the Gibbles as he retrieved his saber. The monster only got even more enraged, using its fists to jump into the air, attempting to crush Echo. Echo rolled way, and swiped at its tough hide again to no avail.
“Wals!” Aurin shouted, as Wals returned to the scene of the fight. “Get us out of here!”
“No!” Echo shouted, dodging another punch by a hair.
Wals threw a Telepipe disc on the ground, which projected a warp portal.
“No, dammit!” Echo shouted again. “Let me –“
The Gibbles drove its giant fist into Echo’s body, sending him flying into Wals. Wals regained his composure as Aurin fired a shot to temporarily stun the Gibbles.
“Feed them Atomizers and let’s get the hell out of here!” Aurin shouted at Wals.
Wals slipped a pill into Echo’s mouth, allowing the latter to regain consciousness. Aurin picked up Starra’s unconscious body as he gave her the same pill, and the group stepped into the Telepipe, vanishing instantly. The portal dissipated as the Gibbles slammed its fists into where the group was supposed to be.
***
The group rematerialized in the Lab staging area, where Wals and Aurin brought their two partners to the nearby medical center to be treated. Ragol looked beautiful from the staging area's window, over-looking the planet. It felt good to be back on Pioneer 2.
"I hope your mission is at least going well," the perky, big-eyed girl at the medical counter said.
"It's definitely going," Aurin replied. "...It's certainly going."
"Perhaps we need to go back to a virtual reality simulator for further training," Wals suggested. "May I suggest the RES simulator -"
"No," Aurin interrupted. "I'm sick of that simulator. I'm sick of all those 'VR' simulators. They spend so many hours throwing Hunters into virtual reality for training for no other purpose than to artificially increase their combat level and Hunter Class, then they're thrown into Gal Da Val just to get lost and die because they can't discern fear in reality from fear in virtual reality. They treat it like a game, but the fact is that it's different out there."
"Increasing our combat levels in a safer environment would be beneficial for the difficulty we face on the field. Hunter Class VH missions do require highly experienced Hunters."
Aurin shot a look back at the expression-less Wals. Wals' face was permanently modeled to look like a frightening scowl, standard for combat androids. "Echo has spent so much time in RES training that he couldn’t even adapt to the new virtual reality environments. He barely passed the virtual Temple and Spaceship tests the Lab administers for Gal Da Val admission. And now look at him on the real field. He can't hold his own against some of the creatures down there, and when he does, he overdoes it because unlike those virtual creatures in RES that disappear when you kill them, those bodies just stay there, and he finds himself wasting time overkilling dead gibbons with bullets.”
"I understand your point," Wals replied. "Field experience is radically different from virtual experience. We have, however, run through this mountain three times with little success and - "
"I know that virtual reality has its benefits," Aurin replied, "Especially since our technology brings its simulations to near-life and it's almost like we're actually fighting on the field. But some Hunters are spending too much time in simulators like RES. How many times can you kill a simulation of the dragon that attacked the Pioneer 1 colonists, exactly? It's time to move on - it's been a few years since that incident already. We're on Gal Da Val now. I'd rather run around this mountain a million times before setting foot in a RES simulator or a VR Spaceship environment one more time. It doesn't matter what class we are - N, H, VH, or even those high-end U Classers that spend all their time on U Class RES - the Pioneer 2 government needs to move on with this colonization effort, and we all need to play our part on the field."
"As long as the others agree," Wals replied. "I don't really like to argue about combat levels and Hunter Classes anyway."
"Until then, we'll let them rest for now," Aurin said. "You have a recording of our fight with the Gibbles right? We'll work out a new strategy and return to the island to finish the mission in a few days."
***
After recovering in the Lab, Echo immersed himself in a training simulator despite suggestions by the medical team and his own group to take a break until heading back to the field. Echo enjoyed the RES simulator due to the familiarity he and most other Hunters had with it - unlike the new simulators in the Lab, Echo had all of the creatures' patterns memorized. No gibbons were going to strike him from the back, no Gibbles flying in from nowhere.
The RES simulator attracted the most Hunters as well, allowing him to meet a variety of people, since the RES mission allowed a variety of Hunters to sign up at any time, throwing them into teams of other, random Hunters. One such person was a short RA, dressed similarly to Aurin, aside from the red and gray theme of his RA outfit as opposed to Aurin's light blue. The mysterious RA questioned Echo's equipment.
"Your weapons don't look very poweful," the RA told him, taking a giant bear creature down with one shot from his rifle. Echo remained quiet, struggling to keep up with the deadly efficient RA.
Halfway through the simulator, Echo had enough. He asked the RA who he was.
"Nug," he replied. "Interested?"
"Interested?"
"I know you're interested in weapons like this," Nug said, pulling out a giant rocket launcher fashioned out of tank robot's parts.
"I'm a HU, though. We're a bit diff - "
Nug threw down a Telepipe and motioned for Echo to follow him back to the staging area. Echo followed.
By the time Echo rematerialized on Pioneer 2, Nug had already scattered a few weapons on the floor, and was returning with something else in his hands from the nearby Hunter storage commons - a MAG.
"First off," Nug said, cradling the black cat-like robot in his hands. "I noticed your MAG wasn't nearly as developed as this thing. You know how important MAGs are to Hunters, don't you?"
Echo had spent so much time in RES simulators that he never bothered to develop his MAG. He wasn't even sure what his MAG did. "Uh -"
"You don't," Nug said, smirking. "These things augment your abilities. With this Sato MAG, you'll be able to use weapons that would otherwise require a much higher combat level. Your old weapons will be much lighter, and your movement will also be much more fluid. You'll be more efficient."
"And you're just giving it to me?" Echo asked. He was skeptical of what seemed like a random act of charity.
"All I want is your contact information," Nug replied. "You seem like a good kid. I saw how you handled one of the big Hildebears down there despite your lack of equipment. This stuff I'm giving you would definitely be beneficial to you, but you know how business works. I'll scratch your back, and you scratch mine."
"Business?"
"I'm part of a small group known as Infamous," Nug explained, handing the black Sato MAG to Echo. "You've probably heard of us."
Echo shook his head. Nug shrugged and picked up a large black sword with an intricate, glowing purple seal at the base of the long blade. "I don't know what this is since my Hunter license doesn't allow me to use it, but the guy that handed it off to me said it was really powerful. Bring it to a Tekker, those weirdos are good at identifying what weapon does what."
"Guy that handed it off to you?" Echo stored his old MAG and registered the black Sato. It rematerialized above his left shoulder, and he immediately felt much lighter and stronger. "Different MAGs and weapons really do make a difference, don't they?"
"That's the world we live in," Nug said, handing Echo the sword. "That's why we deal in weapons."
"So you're hiring me to be part of this business of yours?" Echo asked.
"You could say that," Nug replied, handing Echo a few more boxes with random assortments of armor and shields much stronger than what Echo had ever seen before. "Don't worry about it. I know what you're thinking, but you won't get in trouble for any of this. All you're doing is just becoming more efficient. That's all that matters here on Pioneer 2: Getting stronger, completing missions more efficiently, and achieving your maximum combat level and Hunter Class. There's no better way to do it but with good weapons."
Echo handed Nug his information card and thanked him. "Part of this whole deal is, I contact you and you come to me," Nug explained. "That's the business. No questions. Maybe one question."
"What kind of business is this, exactly?" Echo asked, examining his black sword. "I just asked you who you were and you threw all of this on me. I didn't mean to ask for any handouts or anything."
Nug stared at Echo. "No questions."
"What?" Echo looked up, but Nug was nowhere to be found.
***
Echo was late. Starra sat on the Hunter's Guild counter, swinging her short legs back and forth, occassionally looking into her powder compact to ensure her short blue curls were intact under her hat.
"Yes, Starra, you're still cute,” Aurin quipped.
Starra shut her compact and scrunched her face at him.
"Never mind."
"Shut up, Aurin!"
Aurin lowered his face mask and placed his hands at Starra's sides, looking into her green eyes with his entrancing blue eyes.
"That scar on your nose is still cute though," Starra said, as she flicked the tip of his nose and kissed it. Aurin smirked.
Echo materialized into the Hunter's Guild. "Sorry," he said, out of breath. Aurin pushed himself off the counter and re-adjusted his face mask.
"Alright," Aurin said. "You ready, Wals?"
The red-white android pushed himself off the nearby wall and nodded as Aurin registered the team for another expedition into the Gal Da Val mountains. They entered the Lab to be debriefed one more time on their mission.
"Your objective is to eliminate a Gibbles nest so that a follow-up Lab team can analyze the creature's data," a lab technician told them. "This particular area is dangerous, so -"
"We know," Aurin responded.
The lab technician frowned. "Alright, your Section IDs have been approved for teleportation onto Gal Da Val Island. Please step into the warp station."
The group teleported onto the planet's surface and found themselves over-looking the mountain cliff again. Blue skies and a high sun made for a comfortable day on Gal Da Val, but the group knew - without words - that this was no time to be at peace. Regardless, Echo felt as though he needed to say his piece.
"I want to live here when colonization is all over," he said. The group quietly looked at him. Starra nodded. "When all of this fighting is over, and everyone on that big ark in the sky finally decides to live in a real place like this."
"That's the plan," Aurin said, putting his hand on Echo's shoulder. "We're going to help forge our dream to colonize this planet. It'll happen in time. People like those in the Lab are helping us achieve those goals."
Echo nodded. "I don't want to keep killing these infected native creatures. I hope it happens soon."
"We'll find a way," Starra squeaked. "Let's get started!"
The group found their way down the cliffside to the warp station, unopposed by any creatures. Wals grew suspicious.
"The ambush may be bigger than last time," Wals said as he stepped into the warp station. "Be prepared."
He was right. This time, two Gibbles fell from the sky, with an army of gibbons to accompany them. The group found themselves cornered against the rock wall.
"Wals," Aurin said. "Prepare a -"
"Wait," Echo interrupted.
Echo materialized his black sword and Sato and swung the massive blade high above his head. The two, towering Gibbles looked at him as the gibbons formed a half-circle around the group.
"Echo," Aurin said, trying hard to keep calm. "This isn't the time to play hero."
Echo looked back and smirked at Aurin, then rushed at one of the Gibbles, sword at his side. The Gibbles attempted to hook Echo with its giant right fist, but Echo, with the flexibility of a gymnast, ducked under the punch. Immediately regaining his composure, Echo swung the black sword at the Gibbles, cutting through its hide like a butcher's knife through butter. Blood sprayed out of the Gibbles' side, as it winced in pain and attempted to regain its balance. It angrily swung around, accidentally buffeting the other Gibbles, who retaliated by slapping it out of its confusion.
The gibbons stood in shock as one of its leaders flailed about. Aurin nodded to Starra and Wals, who quickly mobilized to dispatch the gibbons as Echo continued to stave off the two Gibbles.
Echo stood in front of the bleeding Gibbles as it analyzed Echo. With a roar, the Gibbles stomped toward Echo in an attempt to ram the Hunter with its giant fists, but Echo rolled off to the side, throwing the Gibbles off balance again. He climbed on the Gibbles' back and drove the black sword into the creature's spine. The second Gibbles rushed to help its friend, but as it attempted to swing at Echo to knock him off its friend's back, the bleeding Gibbles spun around in pain, and its face was crushed in by the force of the other Gibbles' fist. Hanging on to the bleeding Gibbles as if it were a rodeo bull, Echo pulled out the prototype red handgun Nug gave him and fired at the second Gibbles. The handgun penetrated the other creatures' face, as it backed away from its bleeding friend. Echo pulled his black sword out of the bucking Gibbles' back while hopping back to solid ground, and the giant creature's deep wound began to hemorrhage crimson blood. The bloodied creature, its face disfigured, roared out in pain. Echo swiped the black blade at the creature several more times though the bloodied figure stopped attempting to retaliate after its friend punched it in the face. The ailing creature appeared to be choking on its own blood before it stretched its massive arm out to its observing friend and crashed into the ground.
Echo turned his attention to the other Gibbles, who stared back directly at him. By now most of the other gibbons in the nest had fled; the rest of the group managed to take down four or five before the army retreated after it heard the blood-curtling screams of the first Gibbles.
"What just happened?" Starra asked. She looked at the bloody carcass of the other Gibbles, stunned.
Wals and Aurin remained quiet.
Echo inched toward the Gibbles, and when he was close enough, the Gibbles roared and threw its giant fist at Echo with all of its might. Echo instinctively held his sword in front of his body and braced for impact, as the shields and armor Nug granted him absorbed most of the blow. Echo's planted feet slid back a few feet, but the Gibbles failed to push him back far enough. Catching the creature off-guard, Echo parried, driving his sword into the Gibbles' extended arm. Like its friend's rib, the Gibbles' arm was sliced open, spraying blood on the Hunter. The Gibbles tried wincing in pain by bringing its hands to its face, but moving its right arm only caused it even more pain.
The Hunter calmly stood in front of the creature as it regained its composure. It roared into Echo's face, coating him in Gibbles blood and saliva. It refused to attack the Hunter, and jumped high into the sky, vanishing into the blinding mid-day sun.
The rest of the group stared wide-eyed at the bloodied Echo as he walked back to them, smiling.
"Mission complete," Aurin reported to the Lab through his headset, not taking his eyes off his friend for a second.
Next: Chapter 2: Low Tide