Sliding Reality: Chapter 5 Part 2 of 2 (Patreon)

Tao chewed on his cheek. "There are a number of neutral node locations around the system still we can move in to claim those and push on the largest material claims and mine those." Others will do it to us as well.

"Claim as much of the system as you can and work with some of our retrieval experts on getting some of those factories back for R and D. If we can figure out how they work and reproduce them."

Tao mentally replaced retrieval experts with corporate spies.

"Yes ma'am," Tao nodded. “There are also people who are nervous about having accounts because of the restrictions that are coming in. We could buy their accounts from them and backdate the transaction to before this, we could get a number of them for free even.”

Ella bestowed him with a rare smile.

“That is the kind of thinking that will get you places within Merlouc.”

"Thank you miss Waris." Tao bowed his head.

“You should all look to think more like Mister Walker here. While we offer plentiful opportunity, if you are unable to meet up to your obligations you will be let go. Your acceptance is all based upon performance. There is only so much room in the Merlouc remote operations department.” Her gaze cut into even these veteran guild leaders.

“Get me those reports and submit your plans, even if you don’t have the assets, you now have allies,” She indicated to the guild leaders in the room. “And they would be more than willing to lend their assets if your mission merits it.”

She disconnected, the conference shutting down.

Tao disconnected, his net suit opening to his office. He stepped out of his net suit, Chris was waiting for him.

Tao ignored him and moved to the window screen behind his desk, looking out over the planet. People always said that the major guilds were just sellouts, that they were just working for the biggest company. That they were their playthings in turn. There had been a thin veneer between corporations and their sponsored guilds, a quietly public way to connect with one another.

“This could now change everything.” He lowered his gaze, seeing past the world below, seeing the bots and ships of Sphere World. “They’re stronger than humans, built in jets, can withstand high gs of thrust. Imaging freight being moved at Sphere World speeds.”

Tao didn’t know how fast it was to refine materials in the real world, but he would bet that they were slower than the factories in Sphere World, and the shipyards were definitely faster.

Of course they’d want the biggest stake possible.

Tao tried to remember a time long ago when he hadn't been between meetings trying to advance one scheme or another, to please the sponsors and push the guild to be stronger, to beat out the others.

It all felt so tiring.

He let out a soft snort through his nose. There'll be no denying it after this. We're really just a shell for the corporations and the real powers.

Tao straightened. This was an opportunity, an evolution for the Star Kings. He held out his hand, Chris deposited his phone in it.

“I am sending you a report that must be finished as soon as possible. As of this moment Sphere World is going to be our only focus. I want our factories working around the clock to build us more bots, weapons and ammunition, accelerate building up our shipyards. I want every bot we have working around the clock, if they have nothing to do then they can mine.”

Tao slipped his screen into his pocket

"Yes Guild leader."

"Contact Admiral Meras and the leadership dealing with Sphere World. I want to hear their plans within the hour. I want them to focus on locations with the least risk and greatest possible material or production asset return."

"Yes sir."

He turned and left as Tao kept looking out of the window, at the air cars, at the trains, at the sprawling buildings.

Sphere World is real. A shiver ran through his body, unsettling his stomach. We wouldn't go to war, for real. Would we?

He chided himself for having doubts and fears, but it didn't shift the thought from his mind, rooted in some deep corner. It hardly mattered, those decisions are no longer mine to make.

A Merlouc Corporation employee, his parents might be proud. It had been decades since he talked to them last, heading down his path to join the guilds, to be paid to game. He felt a pinch in his stomach, shaking his head he turned from the view, there wasn’t time for day dreaming or woolgathering.

***

“Brad?” Joe’s voice rang in his ears.

“Damn you picked that up quick, I don’t think that it even rang.”

“I have been trying to call you.”

“Sorry, I’ve just been ignoring it, it seems that everyone is trying to call me right now.” Brad rubbed the back of his neck, leaning forward on the edge of the chair in the command post.

“I can understand that.” He let out a dry chuckle. “Guess you finally found out just who made Sphere World. Huh?”

“Yeah, little bit more surprising than I thought. And between us, I can’t get Sally to tell me much more than the ‘builder’s’ built her. I think that whoever made her, didn’t want all their information thrown across the universe.”

“And you’re inside of the station, can you leave?”

“We are and we can, flight controls have been returned, but if we leave, is there any saying we can get back in? She made us administrators as Stuart said. We’ve got a responsibility here.” Brad pushed himself to his feet with an exhale. “Legally speaking, how are we looking?”

“Legally, we’re good, we set up those secondary accounts, holding any additional funds in trust. We have that contract written out that you were looking for information on the creators of Sphere World. You’re safe Brad.”

“Good, damn, that’s a relief.” Brad rubbed his face. “And the factions have declared that they are going into talks about Sphere World. I didn’t think that things would work out this way, but with the factions working together they’ll know what to do.”

“Yeah, actually I wanted to talk to you about that. Olivia Mao contacted me, Li Wei wants to talk to you both, bring you to the table.”

“I thought that they would just ask us questions and that would be it.”

“Li Wei needs a way in. The corporations don’t want to be seen in the same light as the factions. If they are able to rope you in, they can go there as your ‘representation’, which gets them a seat at the table, without being at the table.”

“I’ve been talking to Sally, asking her every possible question, I’ll do my best to answer any questions.”

“Brad, calm down, don’t get too excited. Look they want you to get aplace at the table, you’re role there is just going to be PR, it brings more to the talks, gets more attention. They’ll pump you for information, sure, but then you’re really their volley ball between one another. Something for them to use against one another. Tell me, how much control do you have over Sphere World?”

His stomach didn’t have time to fall.

“As administrators we control Sphere World itself, what it builds and that kind of thing.”

Joe sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “Makes me wish I smoked still.”

“What is it Joe?”

“Look, Brad, you and Stuart have the greatest claim to Sphere World over anyone. It connected to your servers, it is sending you funds, you are the first to be there, you took it public and you are registered as its administrators.”

“What are you saying?”

“That legally, unless the builders say that they want their rights back, you own Sphere World in trust. Basically you’ve been willed a big ole factory in the sky by aliens. I’m also saying that looking at the numbers Sphere World is an asset that could tip the balance of a faction. They all want to control Sphere World, which means that they will all want to control you and Stuart. What happens at this talk will affect billions of people. You’ve seen the restrictions that the different factions are leveraging against those that are playing the game right?”

“Yes.”

“Right, they did that overnight. For the talks they have two days to organize for it. They want Sphere World, they don’t care for you.”

Brad bit down his words, they had put in the work, they were the ones that found it dammit. I’m a game developer. Not some politician. He had to put down his pride, this would be for humanity.

“Brad you there?”

“Yeah Joe I’m here.”

“I don’t want to kick you while you’re down, but I don’t want you to be going into this blind.”

“Thank you Joe I appreciate it.”

“You still want to go to the talks?”

“Someone needs to tell them about Sphere World if nothing else.”

“Okay, I’ll get you the invite, it’ll be on the net in two days.”

“Thanks Joe.”

“No worries and let me know if you need anything.”

“I will.”

“Stay out of trouble.”

Brad laughed, a dry thing. “I keep trying.” He cut the call and leaned on the bannister looking at the system hologram, looking at the ships moving through Orion system. He felt hollow.

“These are the leaders of the different factions.” He hissed at himself, shaking his head. “God in two days I’m going to be in a meeting with representatives of every faction of humanity.”

A shiver ran down his body. “Maybe I shouldn’t have thrown out all the alcohol.”