“NextGen locked the accounts to protect them... ” Kaiden said, eyes going wide as the realization hit him.
Thorne slapped her leg.
“Exactly! The Party was trying to force their way into our accounts. If they’d succeeded, they’d have been able to trade away the database.”
“But they didn’t get in,” Zelda said, and from the look in her eyes, Thorne could see she was putting the pieces together now. “So now they’re leaning on NextGen to give them access. That’s what they’re pressuring them over.”
Bingo. Thorne nodded.
“That, or they’re pressuring NextGen to just delete our accounts outright. That wouldn’t get them the database, but it’d be game over for us. We’re busting our rears sixteen hours a day to grind up to max level, but if we lost our accounts none of it would matter.”
“No credits, no levels, no warden class.” Kaiden shook his head. “No Veritas II and no access to Braker, our NPC holding the database. We’d have to figure out a way to get all of that back before we could even consider our next move against the Party.”
“I’d say that would slow us down a bit more than just killing us for a week,” Thorne said, then cursed. “We were almost dead in the water and we didn’t even realize it.”
Zelda rose and headed over to her headset.
“There’s no guarantee we’re not.” She picked it up and flicked the power switch. “If Moran’s pushing for this, how long do you think NextGen can realistically hold out? They’ve always resisted the Party before, but have they ever been pushed this hard? If they’re leaking things to the public then this is clearly something they’re concerned about.”
“NextGen’s always held firm,” Thorne said, thinking back to the dozens of times they and the Party had butted heads. “But you’re right. The Party pressuring them and coming after our accounts is a ticking time bomb. And the worst part is, we don’t know how long until it goes off. And if I know the Party, they’ll be pushing in more ways than one.”
“How else could they go about this?” Kaiden asked.
“No clue,” Thorne said, shaking her head. “But believe me, they are.”
“Bernstein did have that file on, what was it? ‘Operation Killswitch,’” Zelda said. “Just a mention of it, really, in the database. You think that’s related?”
“Hard to say without more information on it,” Thorne said. “If so, though, I’d hazard it’s just one of a dozen plans they’re pursuing. We can’t counter them all – don’t even know the full extent of them. No, our best bet is to get the database out before any of the Party’s plans succeed. That’s how we win. Simple as that.”
“Huh.” Kaiden laughed. “Yeah. Simple.”
Chapter Eighteen
Welcome to Nova Online
The text faded from view and Kaiden let out a long sigh of relief as he spawned into the game.
Of course my account is still here. But still, some small part of him had worried it wouldn’t be. The Party had tried to break into his account before and failed. There was no reason to think they’d succeed if they tried again. Yet knowing his account had been targeted left him feeling exposed. And there was the remaining issue of the Party pressuring NextGen Games into... well, they weren’t entirely sure what, but it was a safe guess it had to do with their accounts. Maybe with deleting them entirely.
But that hadn’t happened yet. And if Kaiden was able to do anything about it, it never would.
The Veritas II was where they’d left it, in orbit above Kyraxis. The gaseous planet spun slowly beneath them. Towards its equator, a storm likely thousands of miles wide raged in a slow, swirling silence.
“I’ve never been so relieved to successfully log in,” Zelda said, looking down at her character’s hands as if they were new. “You don’t appreciate what you have until you’ve lost it.”
“Or nearly lost it,” Thorne added.
“I knew the Party played dirty,” Titus said, cracking his knuckles. “But there really is no low they won’t stoop to, is there?”
Thorne shrugged.
“That’s Moran for you. When he sets his mind to something, he becomes... singularly focused.”
“Then we need to be just as singularly focused.” Kaiden clapped his hands together. “Maximus are being a bunch of idiots and I’m not done with them yet. We can regroup and figure out a different approach to take with them, but in the meantime, I think we should chase a different lead.”
“The free wardens?” Thorne suggested. “Their muscle might help us convince the idiots down there,” she gestured toward Kyraxis, “to talk with us about something other than what level we are.”
“Where do we find them?” Kaiden asked as he began pacing. “I mean, they don’t have an established guild or anything, right? They’re just a bunch of graduates from the program who still play.”
Thorne nodded.
“That’s true. But I know several of them. I can reach out. Arrange some meetings. Dawson might be able to help with that, too. Once he has the database. I told him where to find it, so he’ll have that soon.”
“We should wait on him, then. Wait until he has it before pursuing that option.”
“Waiting isn’t something we have time for, Kai.” Zelda was on the terminal built in to the Veritas II’s galley table. It looked like she was plotting a route.
“Maximus respects strength, right?” she said, still interfacing with the terminal. “Well, then we should show them strength. Bernstein pointed us in the direction of an ally he trusted. Or thought could be trusted.” She gestured to the image of a planet on the terminal’s screen. “Here.”
“NC451,” Kaiden said, reading the name. “Never heard of that planet.”
“Probably because it’s not a planet,” Zelda said. “It’s a moon, technically. But it’s big enough to maintain an atmosphere. And it’s owned by the potential powerful ally Bernstein recommended.”
“Odditor,” Thorne
