AIN SOPH, Part 6

Episode 7

Several weeks of game time passed while Andy McCarthy sat at his desk returning emails, forwarding suggestions, and trying to designs SpectraCom paid him to develop. On his second screen, his White Knight, Duke, stood waiting for a player to whine for justice. On his laptop, Grimlock waited in the Grimlox for unauthorized Sci-Fi players to violate Fantasy airspace. All Piscean ships were cloaked, and their pilots communicated only through headphones to make sure there was no permanent record of their associations. The Grimlox was equipped with a vast array of listening equipment that could detect an unfamiliar ship from the edge of the TAO Fantasy solar system. Andy opened the control panel and manipulated his controls to fine tune the signal.

The laptop beeped to signal approaching ships. Most violators were simply followed at a distance unless they came too close to the TAO Fantasy atmosphere. From there, invaders were escorted out, and if there was any resistance, deadly force would not be questioned. Naturally, most players would return as soon as they were killed to find out what happened. Only on their third or fourth destruction would they get the point they were not wanted, and the guns used to push them out became larger and larger with each incursion.

Andy put on his headphones and looked over his shoulder to make sure his office door was closed. “I’ve got a pair,” Andy said. “Anyone else nearby?” Andy sent out one radar ping to momentarily reveal his location to the other Pisceans. This was dangerous, because the Pisceans were rarely the only players, NPC’s or monsters cloaked out here.

“You’re clear across the solar system,” said a gruff voice in Andy’s ear. “Think you can take them? Should I head over your way?"

Andy looked over the little information radar revealed on the UFO’s. “I don’t think I’ll have a problem,” Andy said, charting a course for the Grimlox to intercept just short of TAO Fantasy’s third moon. “I won’t mind the extra guns if you’re bored though.”

“Gimmie ten minutes,” said the voice.

Andy smiled. The fight would be over by then.

Episode 8