45 The Six Kings

"Is everything in order?" Angel sat on the edge of the bed in Anna's room while they went over the proposed Secret Alliance between the Spider Queen and One Problem. Angel was wearing Winnie the Pooh pajamas, swinging her bare feet over the edge of the bed.

Anna looked up from the hud she was studying. "The contract doesn't specify numbers or amounts, but if required, you are to aid One Problem with troops and currency. In return, they promise the same thing. Additionally, in the event that you are overrun, One Problem will give you sanctuary at the Guild Keep."

Angel nodded. "I will help however much I can, of course." She glanced at QJ, a smile playing on her lips. "I heard there's a present involved with the signing of this contract."

QJ nodded. "I'll need you to come with me to the cavern where I first hunted Sajana and Circa."

Angel frowned at the mention of two of her rivals. "You said Sajana has been defeated while Circa has fled? Was there any mention of Jiala?"

QJ shook his head. Jiala was the name of the Ant Queen that Angel lost to on the Legends server. However, on Phoenix, she was much younger and hadn't had years to build her forces. "The lines of succession are slightly different. I would say that our server is a combination of events from Legends and Vesuvius. Sajana is dealt with, while Circa is setting up in the Northern coastal region."

"I will meet you at the caverns, QJ." Angel used her hud to sign a virtual copy of the treaty.

"Perfect." QJ smiled at the two women and then exited the room.

An hour later, after a quick shower and lunch, QJ entered GnG through the Exodus gate. Instead of heading to the Keep, he opted for Laredo.

[Welcome to Guns and Gore, the Phoenix Server.]

Location: Laredo

Time: 1420 hours

Server Population: 32,040 Your current level is 32.

He summoned Scorch and immediately headed toward Setter's Canyon. Guild chat was quiet for once since OP would be at the Academy for the day's activities.

[OP: Chainy] Nice and quiet here during the day. What are you doing on? Sent to the principal's office again?

QJ's chuckle was lost in the wind and dust of Setter's canyon as Scorch lengthened his stride to a pace that no current GnG mount could hold. Chainy was the only member of OP who wasn't required to attend academy courses, although she was an alumnus.

[OP: QJ] Nobody sends the Dean to the Office.

[OP: Chainy] Funny... Did you know that my old Exodus instructor is still a member of Haven? That's the name of my guild on Legends.

QJ guided Scorch down a ravine that twisted through the foothills. The midday sun was beating down, but thanks to his rate of travel, the warm breeze felt comfortable instead of stifling.

[OP: QJ] Really? Is that common?

[OP: Chainy] The position of GnG instructor at Exodos has always been one with an extremely low retention rate. Did you know that after spending three years with their class, instructors are given a one-year paid sabbatical?

[OP: QJ] I didn't know the specifics, but I had heard that Ringo came back early.

[OP: Chainy] Her last class joined the Orion server. I bet her decision to return early was based on the new server opening up and OP's preliminary scores.

QJ closed guild chat, pulling up on the reins; he slowed Scorch to a walk. With lariat in hand, he entered the cavern entrance on the bee side. "Were you waiting long?"

Angel dropped stealth directly in front of him. She was in her Spider Queen form, equipped with black armor that bore the insignia of a silver spider on its breastplate. The only weapon visible was a singular blade belted at her waist. Her dark hair was pulled back in a braid that hung down her back. "How did you see me?"

"I didn't," QJ admitted. He laughed when she pounced on him and held him easily in the air.

"Dirty tricks!" Angel used the impromptu attack as a chance to kiss his forehead before setting him down safely. "You have some very spider-like tendencies, QJ."

"Thank you for the compliment." QJ pulled a small wooden case from his inventory and gestured toward the bee cavern. "Lead the way."

Angel entered the bee cavern like she was strolling through the park. The buzzing colony immediately quieted down. The drones fled before her, cowering in fear when she walked by. The Been Queen stood frozen in place, her black eyes staring at the approaching Monarch. "Bow and know your place."

The Bee Queen bowed deeply, standing quietly with her head down.

"Follow me," Angel ignored the placeholder who fell in step behind her as she moved toward the wax wall dividing the two insect chambers. Slashing at the wall with an open hand was all it took to obliterate the barrier completely. "You there... Advance."

Keku moved forward, entering the quiet bee chamber without any sign of aggression.

Angel ignored the two insects and faced QJ. "They will bear witness."

QJ nodded and opened the wooden case. "As agreed upon in our Alliance, this now belongs to you."

[Domain Deed]

Description: An ancient seat of power that greatly benefits the ruling monarch.

QJ handed Angel the deed, and an instant later, he was wrapped up in her protective arms as the ground beneath their feet started to shake. Fissures formed on the rock floor as ancient stalactites crashed down. The crystals lining the roof of the cavern shrilled with a high-pitched sound that made QJ access his inventory for bee's wax; without hesitating, he did the same for Angel.

[OP: Chainy] What's going on, QJ? All of Laredo is shaking like it's on a fault line.

[System Message] The Ancient Spider City of Arachnia has been reformed by Angel, the Spider Queen.]

[System Message] The Ant Colony of Setter's Canyon has been assimilated.

[System Message] The Bee Colony of Setter's Canyon has been assimilated.

The shaking went on for several more seconds before stopping abruptly. QJ squirmed out of Angel's embrace, his sharp eyes noting the numerous changes. The two caverns were combined and were much larger and deeper than before. The falling debris that had littered the floor was gone, and in its place was a black marble floor as dark as night.

On the far side of the cavern was a dark throne that was raised on a pedestal overlooking six lower platforms. Torches had appeared on the walls, pushing back the shadows that danced on the walls. Directly in front of the throne, the image of a silver spider had been embedded into the marble.

Angel stared at the throne for a moment before bringing up her hud. "They're back..."

QJ followed Angel as she scurried toward the throne. "Who is back?"

Angel equipped her crown, changing her into human form. "The Six Kings. Q destroyed them when he eliminated my ancestor. Their icon has always been present on my hud, but until now, it was grayed out."

QJ stopped before the throne, watching as Angel took her seat. A quick glance around showed that the Ants and Bees were all facing them. He whistled at the two former placeholders. Both were wearing armor that matched the one Angel was wearing.

Angel has recalled the [Six Kings].

"Holy mother..." QJ equipped his weapons when the six huge spiders appeared on the empty platforms, three on either side of the throne.

Angel smiled. "You are safer here than anywhere else in GnG."

[Phoenix Server Announcement] The Phoenix Server will be going down for a twelve-hour maintenance patch at 1800 hours.

QJ put his weapon away; Anna had mentioned that any successful move Angel made on the Phoenix Server would most certainly lead to a patch. When TAP joined the Exodus platform two decades earlier, the Lore of the joining world was added to the Exodus developer database. Although the evolution of LAIs and their migration to other worlds couldn't have been predicted, there were plans set in place for transferring bosses and, eventually, cross-gaming raids.

[OP: Chainy] Did you break the Phoenix server, QJ?

[OP: QJ] Um.... no comment. Logging off, be back tomorrow.

[OP: Chainy] Cya Trouble.

[Meanwhile, back at Pop's House]

The two women had no qualms about snooping. Naomi opened the table hud, which was the user interface for the power supply, imaging software, and memory network. Sometime during the night, someone had filled the hot tub with water, and a metal framework was adhered directly to the ceramic tiles.

Tal pointed out the memory clusters in the framework. "He made this into a loggable VRP, anyone with an avatar, address designator, and password can use it."

"It's still not going to work," Naomi stated.

Tal nodded in agreement. "I don't get it. QJ's grasp of Virtual imaging is pretty high; he knows it won't work. He's seen firsthand what the imaging lasers do when they strike water."

"What's that?" Gin's voice came from Naomi's hud. The lab assistant was well-versed in virtual data processing and had been able to help them decipher some of QJ's project.

Naomi glanced at the small screen. It looked like an archaic laptop at first glance, so she completely ignored it. She smiled brightly when she turned it on. "Virtual imagery display. It must be hooked into the signal feedback. It basically proves what we've been saying."

Tal glanced at the screen; it only picked up virtual objects. If she were standing in front of one with Remmy, only the gnome would be visible. "It shows an empty hot tub. The VRP mapping didn't load the water into memory."

"Expecting company, QJ," Quinn's voice held a hint of humor as he walked side-by-side with his son.

"Not really..." QJ's smile disarmed his words. "What's the verdict?"

Naomi's dark face showed a hint of disappointment. "The imaging display shows an empty hot tub."

QJ shook his head slightly. "Because it's not powered up."

"Hun?" Tal looked up from one of the Copper rods. "The memory of the water would be in the databank if it were saved into virtual space. Real water and virtual water cannot exist in the same container."

" Except..." QJ smiled and motioned for his dad to step into the framework. "This is real-time mapping."

Quinn was barefoot and shirtless, wearing a dark blue swimsuit. He smiled when he heard the hum of power; immediately, the silver encasements started cycling up and down the copper rods. "Ummm... This is odd."

"Real-time mapping?" Naomi shrugged slightly; it was impressive but not enough to make this work. "The millions of light bursts from the imaging processor are still going to bounce off the water. Some will penetrate the water, but the data will be so corrupted, nothing virtual will be able to form."

QJ's smile could have melted butter. "You said something was odd, dad?"

Quinn nodded. "My skin is vibrating, like I'm on a massage chair or something."

QJ used his hud to make an adjustment. "Let me know when it goes away."

Quinn immediately raised his hand. "Gone!"

"Okay, dad, going back the other way, tell me when you feel it again."

After a few seconds. "There!" Quinn said.

"One last time, going slowly, raise your hand when the feeling is gone."

Quinn ignored the frowning women and raised his hand. "Gone."

"Perfect," QJ said. "Step out now, dad." He powered down and started doing a few last-minute checks.

"There's no way Quinn felt anything," Tal stated. "The imaging lasers and mapping lights don't work that way. You can't feel them."

"Powering up." QJ activated the hud.

" Who said I was using lasers... Or imaging lights, for that matter?" QJ wiggled his eyebrows at his mom and pointed to the table. "What can you see on the display?"

Tal glanced at the screen, instantly freezing in place. "The hell... Naomi?"

Naomi moved beside her, her dark eyes staring at the screen.

"I can't see!" Gin's voice carried from Naomi's hud. "Can you move, please?" The Mohawked lab assistant stared at the imaging display. "It shows virtual water and real water in the same container... It's a false positive, right? You must be getting enough data to form the image, but if an avatar steps in the tub, they won't feel anything."

"Hmm..." QJ sent a message on his hud, and a few seconds later, a familiar redhead stepped onto the ceramic tile.

Leah smiled at Quinn, her freckled nose wrinkling. "Everything okay?" The Apple Princess was wearing a conservative one-piece swimsuit, the same shade as her green eyes.

QJ nodded. "Yes. Please note that Leah is now visible on the imaging display."

Tal glanced down before nodding. "She won't feel anything when she gets in the water."

QJ gestured for Leah to go ahead. "Have at it."

Leah dipped a toe into the water, wincing slightly. "So hot, QJ!"

"Bullshit," Naomi said."

" Not buying it," Tal agreed.

Leah raised an eyebrow at the two women before submerging herself up to her neck in the hot water. "You know the Apple Princess never lies."

Tal burst out laughing but then covered her mouth with one hand. "Sorry, Leah." She knew firsthand that Leah wasn't above conning someone.

"Stand up, Leah," QJ said. "They'll get it then."

Leah stood up, and the water ran down her pale skin. "How can I convince you?"

Tal frowned at Leah. "You're tricking us somehow?"

" Dad, step into the framework." QJ watched as his father stepped forward, stopping within Leah's arm's reach. "Watch the display."

Naomi and Tal both stared at the screen. At first, nothing happened, then slowly, the image of Quinn began to form.

Naomi's face showed alarm. "That's impossible. People can't be virtually mapped. Nothing biological can! The surface of our skin could, but it the image would shatter the moment you moved."

QJ gave the two engineers a smug look. "Ready for the finale?"

Quinn wore his usual grin. He knew his son wasn't tricking them. "Can I get in the hot tub now?"

"Leah, touch dad's face," QJ said.

"Hmm?" Leah glanced at QJ, who nodded at her. "I've done this before. It's weird to see my hand go through him." She extended her hand slowly until it touched his face. Her sudden gasp took everyone but QJ by surprise.

QJ noticed that neither his mom nor Naomi said anything. "What do you feel, Leah?"

The Apple Princess's eyes shone. "Quinn's face," her smile widened until it threatened to consume her face. "A bit of stubble."

"If you mapped a person..." Gin accepted what she was seeing. "You can't be using imaging lights or laser."

"I already said I wasn't." QJ watched as Leah caressed his dad's face. "Feel anything, dad?"

Quinn shook his head. "Nope, I see her touching my face, but I can't feel anything."

"You're biological body is superimposed over the virtual one that is being mapped in real-time. Just like the hot tub. Leah feels your avatar; unfortunately, that's the best I can do. Her hand encounters the resistance of your avatar." He paused long enough to look at his mom. Tal's arms were crossed in front of her, a sign that she was about to get angry.

"I accept what you say, QJ. Tell me how."

QJ glanced at Naomi. It was obvious he wasn't going to share until she said the same thing. "Naomi?"

"Fine," Naomi stared at the Apple Princess. "I understand the theory of superimposing virtual imaging onto a person. How were you able to map Quinn in 3-d?"

QJ gestured at the carefully constructed device. "You were close to guessing a few times. This is a mapper, but its purpose wasn't to construct a magnetic field. Dad and the hot tub are being bombarded by eddy current. As you know, eddy current is used in NDI."

Naomi shook her head. "I don't know what NDI is..."

"Non-destructive Inspections," the answer came from her hud. Gin did her best not to gloat. "It's used to find cracks or changes in a material. Why not use ultrasonics? Never mind... it would literally have to be pressed up against the object you're mapping," Gin answered her own question.

QJ nodded in agreement. "This whole setup is a low-current electric circuit. As eddy current travels through an object, feedback is received through the measurement called impedance. Impedance fluctuates whenever it encounters something dissimilar. For instance, first, it travels through dad's skin, then into fatty tissue, muscle, and bone. Each of these has a different density which is registered by changes in impedance. The imaging feedback on dad's avatar is looped through this data in real-time."

Naomi's dark eyes lit with excitement. "QJ! That's how you mapped the water? And a biological?"

Leah hugged Quinn tightly, favoring QJ with a wide smile. "Amazing... Quinn's real body is a bit thicker."

Tal chuckled. "A bit, yes."

QJ glanced at his hud's readings. "I have to shut it down. Unfortunately, it's not set up for long-time use yet."

Leah stood on her tiptoes and kissed Quinn before facing QJ. "You can do better?"

QJ nodded. "This was put together as an experiment to see if it could be done. Making something more permanent and less obtrusive will take a bit more time. This is just a side project."

Naomi gave him a blank stare. "A side project?"

"Is that like a side woman?" Leah asked.

QJ nodded. "Sure."