War Core 2, Chapter 13.

I have an extra chapter of War Core for you this week.

Chapter 13.

Hugh’s internal compass led him to the nearest reward center. Despite the name, the reward center wasn’t all that exciting, just a simple kiosk that recognized him as soon as he approached. Before jumping into the rewards, Hugh accessed the system information screen, a type of help app for those visiting. The system registered all visitors, and Hugh could see the numbers were in the tens of thousands. Given that only a tiny fraction of the war cores in existence would be there at any given time, the sheer number of species in the universe was staggering. Hugh didn’t even know if this was the only station, it was likely that this one only catered to the races that needed a similar environment to survive.

Sorting through the search options, Hugh restricted things to humans, curious to see that there was a further subcategory of earth humans, which led him to believe there were other humans on other worlds out there. A quick check confirmed that no other war cores from earth were aboard, and none were scheduled to visit during his short stay. Hugh made a decision to hold his next pass until he could coordinate with another core, it was kind of a waste to be human again and not have a friend to spend that brief time with. The only downside is that he could be called to battle during his leave if another core initiated hostilities during that time. The seven-day grace period only went into effect after winning a campaign. Leaving the search tab, Hugh activated his rewards, finally getting a view of what he had earned in the fight against the Ximkas.

Congratulations! You have acquired the following 3 items:

1. A 24-hour leave pass. This item is bound to your core and cannot be sold or traded.

2. Upgrade module for your Drop Beacon of the Vanquished.

3. Lethality mitigation certificate. This certificate can be used to reduce the lethality rate of any single battle. The certificate must be activated before you make your first negotiation demands.

Another pass was expected, but the module for the very expensive purchase he had made on his last visit was a pleasant surprise. A quick check on the lethality mitigation certificate revealed that it had to be used before a battle and was only affect a single battle, not an entire campaign. If he lost the battle, it would halve the number of casualties inflicted on his soldiers. A great item that he hoped he could get more of. When to use it would be a concern, and he would consult with the others for their opinion when he got back home. Hugh next checked out the upgrade module, happy with the reward he had been given.

Level Boost Module. This upgrade to your Drop Beacon of the Vanquished will summon units as if your command post was one level higher. The units summoned by the beacon are AI-controlled and will be randomly selected from a pool of mechs used by previously defeated foes. There is a slight chance for a boosted drop with substantially improved units from any random species.

It wasn’t a huge upgrade, but it would definitely help. The fact the Ximkas mechs would now be added to the pool since he had beaten them in the campaign was nice. Hugh could only hope that further upgrades would be found in his victory rewards. The GCA didn’t tell him the odds of the boosted drop and he had no idea what types of random mechs it would summon, given they would be pulled from a pool that consisted of every species. If the drop beacon of the vanquished upgrades continued to be found in his victory rewards, the purchase just might turn out to be worth the high price he had paid for it.

The rewards didn’t include a free entry into the war core trials this time, and Hugh didn’t want to risk any of his tiny pool of reward points on what was essentially a gamble. To pass time, Hugh wandered the various shops in the station, looking for nothing in particular. In the shops he visited, there weren’t any unique items on offer, but Hugh did purchase another two crates of hypervelocity rounds, which would have been very helpful in his previous battle against the Ximkas. He also bought a pair of defense turrets, spending a few extra points on upgrading them. His balance was left at 125 reward points when he was done, more than enough to handle the last couple of meals he would want to purchase and still leave him with a positive balance. Hugh knew he needed to keep some extra firepower on hand, and the stuff he had bought should help him through a desperate battle. Any other purchases would have to wait until he had another campaign victory under his belt.

By the time he grew bored with shopping, Hugh figured it was lunchtime. Avoiding any species that looked like wanted to eat him, Hugh found himself back at the restaurant, trying to decide on what to order. The massive breakfast had filled him up pretty good, and Hugh figured a lighter meal might be in order. It wouldn’t do to have his entire twenty-four hours on the station spent in the dingy hospital room with a stomachache. A bowl of chicken noodle soup and some sourdough bread would make for a decent meal.

“Excuse me, are you the human entity from earth known as Hugh Logan?” A strange voice asked, the translation protocols giving it a hollow, mechanical sound. Looking up from keying in his order, Hugh spotted something he never wanted to see in the flesh, a Krixnas standing right next to him.

“That’s me, what can I do for you?” Hugh said, trying to maintain a confident front despite the terrifying visage of the creature in front of him. The Kirxnas was similar to the mech versions he had fought against. With a worm-like body the size of a pony, the Krixnas stood upon far too many legs and had a face that consisted of a dozen writhing tentacles that he didn’t want anywhere near him.

“This entity was the one tasked with defeating you in the battles between our peoples,” the Krixnas said. Was he here for some payback?

“Well, glad to you meet you. It was a difficult battle, and you fought well,” Hugh replied. It was true, the Krixnas had done well enough as far as he could tell, the creature had been held back by his rigid tactics and the poorly skilled mech pilots of its species.

“I did not fight well enough, sadly. This entity wanted to use his last station pass to identify and interact with the human that had defeated him,” the Krixnas said. Hugh still wasn’t sure what exactly it was the Krixnas wanted, but it could be helpful to get his take on other foes it had fought.

“I was just getting ready for a meal; would you like to join me? I’m not sure if this place has anything you can eat,” Hugh asked.

“This entity expresses gratitude at the offer, no meal is necessary, but I would like to inquire about several aspects of our battles if you have no objection?” The Krixnas asked.

“That would be fine, ask away,” Hugh replied, absently wondering if his speech sounded as strange and stilted through the translator as the alien’s in front of him did.

“Thank you, I was curious about your decision to implement such varied tactics in our battles. This entity found no pattern to exploit,” the Krixnas said.

“I can credit that to some great advisors, as well as my people playing games since childhood with similar characteristics to the battles we fought. By the way, do you have a name that I can use, I’m not sure what to call you?” Hugh asked.

“Ah, I can see how tactical simulations that were partaken of in the creche would enable you to have extra insight into battle. As far as a name, my kind does not use them, scent is our method of identification among our own kind, you may use any name for me you wish,” the Krixnas replied. Hugh thought about what to call this creature, his former opponent.

“Would you be opposed to being called David? It was the name of an old friend of mine. What can you tell me about the other opponent you fought against; I’m assuming humans weren’t your only foes?” Hugh replied.

“David will be fine for a name, thank you. The human race was the third that I and the other cores of my race have fought against,” the Krixnas said.

“And who were the other races you faced,” Hugh asked, ignoring the meal that had just been delivered.

“I faced the Ximkas, who border some of our worlds. I was victorious in two campaigns against them. The other I faced was the Ssath, a foe I could not stand against. Will you be among the cores defending our world against them?” David asked.

“Defend? What do you mean, I thought we had some breathing room before we had to worry about the Ssath?” Hugh asked, confused a bit as the Ssath cores weren’t supposed to be able to attack the Krixnas homeworld until just under a year had passed.

“That was the case, but the Ssath used massive amounts of reward points to buy down the restriction, a battle is imminent,” David said. This must have all happened while he was in the middle of the last battle with the Ximkas. The time elapsed inside a battle wasn’t something he typically tracked, and he lacked any physical cues like hunger or weariness to give him a sense of the passage of time.

“I had just finished a campaign against the Ximkas when I arrived here, so I’m a bit out of the loop. I’m sorry to cut our meeting short, but I think I’ll have to return early from my leave,” Hugh said. Sure, he had a seven-day moratorium on attacks in his sector, but he wasn’t sure how things would pan out with the Krixnas homeworld, it was in a sector of space that bordered the territory of several cores, including Hugh.

“An abrupt end to our conversation is understandable given the information I have provided you with. I too must return soon to assist in the defense of my world. If we do not meet again, I wish you luck, Major Hugh Logan,” David said.

“Good luck to you as well, David. I don’t know how I can help your people, but I’ll do anything I can for you,” Hugh told the strange creature. Sure, they were enemies not that long ago, but Hugh never felt any hatred for this foe. They were simply caught up in the game the GCA was playing with the entire universe. The Ssath were a different story, a race that relished hunting and consuming other intelligent races.

Hugh wasn’t sure if he could return early, but David hadn’t told him anything to the contrary so he figured it wouldn’t be a problem. It didn’t take him long to make it back to the human section of the station. The same room he had arrived in was open and the metal table for the war core machine was waiting for him. Sliding back onto the cold table, Hugh received a prompt.

You have 18 hours and 11 minutes remaining on your leave, do you wish to leave the station early and return to your core’s home location? Y/N.

Hugh hit yes, anxious as he watched the machine close around him once again. This was the third time his physical body was destroyed by the machine, and he didn’t look forward to the process. Apparently, the GCA didn’t believe in dispensing any anesthetic, and the reintegration process was a painful one. While it was painful, it was relatively quick, limiting the horrible experience. Hugh wondered what would await him back home, the worries over the Ssath overcoming his usual awe at the beauty of the universe he found his consciousness flying through.