Game of Zodiac

Chapter 2

Capricorn P.O.V.

Three weeks. That's how long we've been trapped in this prison of a game. And in that time no one has found any way home or even any way back to the capitol. Instead most people have just stayed in the starter city Milky Way, even I have had trouble staying focused after all this time.

Some of the players still have hope for finding a way home without having to fight Orion, Senator Leo had promised everyone they were trying everything they could to break us out, but I don't think they will have any luck. Honestly it seems like there is no way out, so I just have accepted it and decided to do something that at least keeps me entertained. Hunting Frozen Empire soldiers.

By luck three grunts were on patrol away from their platoon and made an easy target form me. Placing my rifle into position I targeted the lead grunt. Exhaling I pulled the trigger and the energy bolt was away. It tore through the grunts armor right in the heart. The grunt fell to the ground and dissipated into pixels, his friends stumbled back in surprise raising their guns. Before they could lock on my position I fired again taking one in the skull who turned into pixels without a word.

The third one was probable not the smartest of soldiers since he tried to use his communicator instead of firing, that only made it easier from me to kill him before he could even activate it.

With the final grunt dead I slide down from my hiding  place on the ridge to see what loot they dropped.

"Huh not a bad hull today. Thirty gold, and some new armor. Could sell that for a nice price." I said to myself as I gathered up my prizes. "Huh it's to easy sometimes."

When I got home to Milky Way city it was exactly the way I left it, depressing. Hundreds of players were just sitting around doing nothing, not caring about anything. The non human players seemed to be having it worse than others. I guess that's what happens when you lose your humanity and have to adapt to a whole new way of life.

Among the lounging players I saw my real world friend Cancer repeatedly stabbing himself with a knife as he sat face down on a table. Probable trying to feel real pain again, according to him all his senses feel fake and forced. 

"Hey Cancer what you doing?" I asked nicely.

"Oh just wallowing in my own lack of feelings." He said moopingly, I hated seeing him this way it wasn't like him. I may not have any real hope for going home but at least I do something. And I'm not the only one if the rumors I heard were true.

"Come on Cancer so were trapped here, you can at least make the most of it and do what you always wanted to do." 

"Really what's that?" He asked looking up, setting his knife on the table.

"Fly. You always wanted to fly and now you can, you have a ship so use it." I said pulling him to his feet.

"Alright I'll give it a try, got to be better than just sitting here." He said leaving. 

It might not be hope but at least he has some purpose now. I looked at the knife he left on the table, I pocketed the knife through I'm not sure why. After I deposited my money at the bank I went to the nearest canteen for a drink and something to eat.

Leo P.O.V.

"Is the communication tower active yet?" I asked the engineer AI.

"Yes your excellence establishing contact with the energy source." The AI said typing on his screen.

Recently we had discovered an energy source near where we think the capitol is that does not belong to the Frozen Empire, in fact it looked like one of ours. So I had been put in charge by Chancellor Jupiter with establishing communication with the energy source. That was over a week ago and were finally getting results.

"Receiving a message from the energy source. Shall we patch it through your excellence?" The AI asked. I nodded.

The AI hit a few more switched and the holographic communication table lit up and two figures flickered into life. A Serpanian crusader and a human senator.

"Finally look whoever this is we need help here. We've been cut off and were trapped near the capitol and the soldiers never stop." The Serpanian rambled fast.

"Who who slow down first who is this and how are you trapped near the capitol." I asked.

"Right, I am Crusader Gemini and this is AI senator Hermes, the last AI senator alive. And we along with nearly 100 AI guards managed to fight our way clear of the capitol and are now camped near a valley close to the capitol." Gemini explained. 

"We need help here otherwise were all dead." Hermes said rubbing his hands together nervously.

"We'll try our best to find a way to get help but it will take time. For now just keep your signal alive and perhaps a pilot can find a way to get you out of there. Just hold on." I said trying to be reassuring.

"Fine but time is something we do not have here." Gemini said before the communication went dead.

"We've lost contact with them." The engineer reported. "Seems the Empire got wind of us. But the signal is still alive and we may be able to track it."

"Good try to lock on to it's position, that signal maybe the only way to end the Frozen Empire. I have to report to the Chancellor. Hopefully he will have a way to get help to them before the Empire destroys them."

And if we can track the signal we will be one step closer to ending the Frozen Empire and finally getting home. Its about time we had something to hope for.