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  “Over here,” Keith said. “His name’s Michael.”

  I stopped outside the front door of a shack. After knocking, a woman wearing an apron appeared. She nervously played with the strings.

  “Can I help you, your majesty?” she asked.

  “We’re here to see Michael,” I said.

  Anger flashed over her face. “What did that boy do now?”

  “Oh, nothing,” I said, smiling to reassure her. “He might’ve done something good.”

  “Michael, get out here!” the woman screamed over her shoulder.

  She turned back to me and smiled, still fiddling with the strings of her apron.

  “What?” a teen boy asked.

  “I’m here to see your invention,” I said.

  “Did I win?” he asked, eyes open wide.

  “Maybe,” I said. “Can I see the plans?”

  “Yes!” he exclaimed then rushed away.

  “Come in,” his mother said, stepping aside. “Excuse the mess.”

  “Back here,” the boy called out.

  I wandered to the back of the shack and found a room barely bigger than a closet. Charcoal drawings and diagrams took up all the space on the walls. He pointed at the biggest as I walked over and took a look. Did the Tower of Gates allow him to invent steam power? Would the fantasy theme go away?

  “Very interesting,” I said. “Do we have everything to make it?”

  “I believe so,” Julian said.

  “Do you have a list of resources and supplies we need to make this machine?” I asked.

  Michael nodded then picked up a sheet of paper. “Right here. It’s not too much.”

  “Perfect,” I said, turning to Keith. “Get started on building it right away.”

  “Are you sure? It’s going to take a lot of resources.”

  I nodded. “We need this machine. It could end the war.”

  Keith furrowed his brow at my statement. “I don’t know…”

  “We’re going to build it,” I said. “Get started right away.”

  “This is great!” Michael shouted, pumping his fish.

  I smiled at his enthusiasm. While Julian and Keith stayed with Michael to work out the details, I returned to my house alone. Back in my study, I sat down at my desk and went over my notes for a long term strategy. The new technological weapon would be nice, but I needed to think even bigger to ensure I stopped Charlotte.

  My plan involved bringing other nearby islands into an alliance. During my first ten years alone, I’d learned quite a bit about how the penalty level was set up. A few rumors surfaced about there being a way back to the Grabisco Isles on level one-three, but I wasn’t sure I believed them. The Tower of Gates had a way of fooling you.

  With the Quest Giver still missing, I wasn’t sure how fast I would be able to level up my character. The other islands had long since settled on one ruler each. Mine was the only one to still have two people fighting for dominance. Between the new war machine and aligning with other players trapped in the penalty zone, I would defeat Charlotte.

  After looking over my notes, I retired to my bedroom to read. One of the things I’d pulled off over the last ten years was creating a thriving community of creative types, including writers. The fiction was basic for the most part, but as I picked up the book I’d been reading, a realization hit me. Michael’s machine sounded very familiar.

  The author had the same last name as the teen who pitched me the idea. Was it his father? I pushed any thoughts of a romantic relationship out of my mind. Being intimate with a person controlled by the mad AI trapping us in the game wasn’t my idea of fun. That said, maybe the Tower of Gates wanted me to build the steam-powered war machine?

  Chapter 13

  Building a Better Village

  Sarah

  Concentrating on governmental and social progress had served me well in the first ten years, but I needed to switch gears and concentrate on building an adequate war machine. The only way to teach Charlotte a lesson was to kill her. I hated to do it, but she would spawn back into the game as another character. She wouldn’t die for real.

  I stopped in front of the warehouse in the industrial section of the city I’d built from the ground up. Would the steam war machine work? The plans had looked good at first glance, but after sleeping on it, I wasn’t sure if it would be feasible or not. Pressurized steam could be dangerous, even more so on the battlefield during an all-out war.

  Something metal crashed on the floor inside, ringing out. I went in, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. Michael stood near a pile of metal rods. One of them rolled toward me. I stooped to pick it up then walked over to him. He smiled. With as red as his eyes looked, I wondered if he’d gotten any sleep the night before. I replaced the rod on the pile.

  “How’s it going?” I asked. “Have you slept yet?”

  “No time,” he said. “I’m ready to build the prototype.”

  “About that,” I said, trying to let him down easily. “We might need to change things.”

  The boy who had been three years old when I arrived on the penalty level looked up at me very nearly a man. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s too dangerous,” I said. “The pressurized steam could be punctured by the enemy. If that happens, it’s going to hurt a lot of our people.”

  “We’ll make it safe,” he said.

  I admired his enthusiasm.

  “Down with technology!” Jericho shouted behind us.

  I glanced over and saw his silhouette in the stream of light coming in through the door. He stepped forward, coming into focus.

  “Down with science!” he shouted, looking like a madman.

  “What’s your deal?” I asked.

  “Science is evil,” he said. “Magic is the one true way.”

  “No, your magic hocus pocus is bogus,” Michael retorted.

  I stepped in between the two of them and held up my arms.

  “That’s enough…” An idea hit me. “You know, I just had a thought. The bolt firing machine is too dangerous, but if you create mechanical machines with gears to move their limbs, Jericho and the Shaman Society could bring them to life and arm them with magic.

  “Never!” Jericho said, actually stomping his foot.

  “I’d rather go be a farmer,” Michael said, just as stubborn.

  The more I thought about the idea, the more I liked it. A mix of magic golems and mechanical robots. The technology would allow us to overpower Charlotte and maybe even take control of all the other islands. I would have enough power to escape the penalty level and find Eric and Josh. My heart beat faster as ideas starting popping up.

  “Both of you follow me,” I said, walking over to a drawing table.

  I picked up a pencil and sketched out my idea. Jericho and Michael both leaned over the table, watching closely as I added details like a wand for a turret and gears to keep most of the moving and manual stuff to the machine side of the creation.

  “This is interesting,” Jericho relented.

  “I like it,” Michael said, just as enthused.

  “You two work something out,” I said. “Tomorrow, I’ll come back and approve what you come up with or help you fine-tune it into something workable.”

  Jericho ignored me completely, waving me away absentmindedly.

  “I admire your work in steel,” he said.

  As the two got to know each other better, I slipped away to take care of another important matter before lunch. Ruling the city was fun, but it could be overwhelming with all the minor and boring tasks at times. I stopped at the City Center, remembering the communal hut that had occupied the space when I first arrived on the island.

  Everything had changed so much, mostly for the better. With so many people, I needed to be careful about distributing resources. Losing ten percent of my population when I had ten villagers was horrible but losing the same percentage of over ten thousand people would be disastrous. Any big loss of people would give Charlotte an advantag
e.

  Inside the City Center, I walked upstairs to the diplomats’ chambers. Only six men and six women worked in the department, but I’d picked some of the brightest minds in my kingdom to work on diplomacy. Getting help from Gecko Island and others would be crucial for my long term plans to defeat Charlotte and unite my island.

  “Henry, are you busy?” I asked as I stopped at his desk.

  “Not for you,” he said, standing and bowing.

  “Don’t do that,” I said. “Are you willing to take on a special mission for me?”

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “I want you to go to Gecko Island and convince them that Charlotte’s a danger. We need their help to defeat her.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked. “They stay out of the business of the other islands, and they’re still upset so many people from their island have come to ours.”

  “I know, but I need you to try, okay?”

  Henry nodded, stroking his well-trimmed salt and pepper beard. Most of the people I’d picked for spots in the diplomacy department were older and, I hoped, wiser.

  “I can leave next week.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “You need to leave today. It’s important. Tell them we have a new technology that we will gladly share with them.”

  “What is this technology?”

  “They’ll find out if they agree to work with us. Can you handle this?”

  “Yes, I can,” Henry said.

  “Take any of the others if you think it’ll help. We need them on our side.”

  “Understood, your excellency.”

  I pursed my lips together, not reprimanding him again for the fancy title.

  “Report back to me as soon as you hear something,” I said.

  He nodded. I raised a hand in farewell then turned to leave.

  On the way back to my house in the park to get lunch, I marveled at how I’d built the small village into a thriving city. The last ten years in the game had gone by so quickly while I concentrated on shaping my ever-growing kingdom. Merging magic and technology would give me an edge.

  I sighed at the sight of my huge statue in the park as I approached my house. After eating, I planned to return to the warehouse and check on Jericho and Michael. They might need a little guidance, but I was more than happy to give it to them. Why hadn’t I thought of merging what engineering I knew from the real world with magic sooner?

  * * * * *

  Henry returned from his diplomatic mission a month later. When he walked in the door of my office at the City Center, I could tell it wasn’t good news.

  “They won’t help us,” he said. “I tried, but their leader doesn’t trust you.”

  Stupid players, I thought. We should be working together not fighting.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “You tried your best, I’m sure. Any other news?”

  “No,” he said. “I stayed an extra two weeks to try to convince Supreme Emperor Eddie, but he wouldn’t listen to reason.”

  With a title like the one he’d given himself, I wasn’t surprised.

  “I might send you to one of the other islands further away, so be ready,” I said.

  Henry bowed then turned and left my office. I stood to go check on Jericho and Michael at the top secret warehouse. They hadn’t let me in a week earlier, promising they would have something for me to see soon. I stayed away to give them time, but with Gecko Isle not helping us out, I needed another way to defeat Charlotte.

  On the way over to the industrial district, I watched people going about their daily business. Most of them had been assigned specific tasks by me, but sometimes I allowed the game to randomly determine what everyone should be doing. Between the two methods, I always seemed to get everything completed.

  The guard posted at the door to the warehouse snapped to attention as I approached. I gave him a quick salute before opening the door and going inside. Jericho and Michael stood near the center of the big, open space, staring at a mechanic bull. As I got closer, I saw one of its legs moving up and down, mimicking a real bull.

  “Looking good,” I said, surprising both of them.

  “You’re early,” Jericho said. “We’re not ready.”

  “That’s okay. I wanted to check on the progress.”

  “We’re doing great,” Michael said.

  Since hiring him for the special project, he’d been eating better and appeared to be healthier. I glanced at the mechanical bull.

  “Weren’t we going with humanoid creations?” I asked.

  Michael grinned. “We’ve got those too. Show her, Jer.”

  He’d given him a nickname. They must be getting along better.

  Jericho snapped his fingers. A metal man carrying a spear stumbled toward us. The jerky motion of the arm holding the spear was laughable.

  “It’s a prototype,” Michael said defensively.

  “We’re working out the kinks of forging magic and technology,” Jericho said.

  I nodded. “You’ve both accomplished a lot already, but I need these done soon. How long will it take to complete two dozen war machines?”

  “At least three months,” Jericho said without pause.

  “You have two,” I said. “Can do?”

  “We need more help,” Jericho said.

  “Not a problem. I’ll send some engineers and craftsman. Anything else?”

  Both had turned their attention back to the mechanical bull, phasing me out. I smiled and left the building.

  Once back out in the sun, I took a deep breath. They hadn’t completely solved the problem, but they were definitely making progress. As I walked back to my house to make lunch and do some thinking, the war occupied my mind.

  I still didn’t want to kill Charlotte or any other players stuck in detention with me on the penalty level, but I didn’t have any other choice. She would thankfully kill me in a heartbeat if I let my guard down. I hated greedy players like her who only craved power.

  Having powerful abilities came with responsibilities. I planned to teach her a lesson.

  * * * * *

  Seven weeks after I gave them a two month deadline, Michael and Jericho finished two dozen of the armored war machines. They had made each of them unique in some way with the thinking that it would help keep Charlotte from discovering a weakness and exploiting it. With all the walking siege engines a bit different, they would last longer.

  “They’re marvelous,” I said, admiring all twenty-four of them.

  “Which do you like the best?” Michael asked. “The bear’s my favorite.”

  I glanced over at the metal creature as it stood motionless.

  “That’s a good one,” I said. “They’re all going to help us win this war. Are they ready to show during my speech this afternoon in the park?”

  “Yes,” Jericho said. “We’ve been up two days getting everything ready, but it’s done.”

  “Good,” I said. “You two go get some rest.”

  “Are you kidding?” Michael asked. “Miss the big unveiling? Never!”

  I smiled at his youthful enthusiasm. The ten years in the game had changed me somewhat. I found myself more relaxed and laid back, less apt to let things get to me. Jericho also appeared pleased with himself.

  “You two worked well together,” I said. “Maybe I should start a new group for the merging of magic and tech. What do you think?”

  “That would be great!” Michael shouted, pumping his fist.

  “Who would be in charge?” Jericho asked.

  “Both of you. Can you continue to work together?”

  “Yes. I was hoping we could streamline the process for creating these,” Jericho said.

  “My thoughts exactly,” Michael added.

  As the two of them excitedly talked back and forth, I slipped away to go over my speech one more time. The message would be short and sweet, but I hoped to score some morale points before the big battle. After preparing for so long, part of me couldn’t believe we would actually be batt
ling Charlotte again.

  She’d been quiet since our last clash. Her silence and inactivity concerned me, but it had allowed me enough time to finish the metal war machines that merged magic and technology. Built with metal gears and joints for their limbs, the golems were animated with powerful magic spells we’d developed over the last decade.

  I saw my statue as I approached the park. The monster-sized version of me wasn’t my favorite thing in the world, but it aligned the people with me. As I got closer, I saw a crowd already forming on the massive green lawn. Everything looked so different than the village where I’d started my twenty years alone.

  When I reached my house, I slipped in the back door unnoticed. A little time to myself would help relax me before the big speech I had to give. Public speaking had never been my thing. I didn’t shake or get nervous when talking in front of large crowds, but I also wasn’t an expert at presenting to so many people.

  The Tower of Gates had improved my ability since playing the odd side-game in the penalty zone, but it still wasn’t my best skill. I settled down in my hammock and swung back and forth while staring up at the wooden beams embedded into the ceiling. Sleep soon overtook me as I napped to prepare myself for later.

  My speech went over well that evening. Giving it at dusk had been a good call. The odd light as day transitioned into night added something to the event. As I neared the end, calling for a total victory over Charlotte and a uniting of the island, the crowd worked itself into a frenzy. I didn’t recognize many of the thousands of people gathered, but I was responsible for them.

  “We’re doing this not for me,” I said, wrapping it up. “We do this for us, for Kron!”

  “Kron! Kron! Kron!” the crowd chanted.

  I raised a hand then stepped back to let Julian and Keith give their speeches. Theirs weren’t as well accepted (several people left early), but the crowd still gave them a thunderous round of applause after they finished speaking. Both of them made me proud with all the work they’d accomplished since I allowed them to defect to us.