Apocalypse
The holographic interface of the [CITY MANAGEMENT MENU] hovered in the center of the Cocoa House penthouse. Bhy Khay swiped through pages of defensive structures like he was browsing a catalog for patio furniture.
[TREASURY: 6,200 COINS]
"Okay," Bhy Khay tapped a listing. "We have the budget. Do we want the [Wall of Thorns] or the [Sniper Tower (Automated)]?"
"The Wall of Thorns is eco-friendly," Elara suggested, sipping a cup of synthesized coffee. "And it poisons people."
"But the Sniper Tower has a 360-degree swivel," Zayn argued, his eyes gleaming behind his cracked glasses. "And it doesn't need watering. I vote for the robots."
"Robots it is," Bhy Khay dragged the icon to the map of the city border.
[PURCHASE COMPLETE: SNIPER TOWER x4]
[COST: 2,000 COINS]
[DELIVERY TIME: INSTANT.]
THOOM. THOOM. THOOM. THOOM.
Four massive pillars of steel slammed into the ground at the four cardinal points of the city limits. On top of each pillar sat a gleaming, rotating turret with a red laser eye.
"That was satisfying," Bhy Khay sighed happily. "Retail therapy really helps with the stress of impending doom."
"You just spent the GDP of a small nation on turret guns," Elara noted. "What about the potholes?"
"Potholes are a natural defense against speedsters," Bhy Khay scrolled down. "I'm keeping them. Now, we need a Teleportation Waypoint. If Lagos attacks, we can't be stuck in traffic."
He clicked [PURCHASE: WAYPOINT NODE].
[COST: 3,000 COINS]
A shimmering blue obelisk materialized in the lobby of Cocoa House.
"Done," Bhy Khay closed the menu. "We have 1,200 coins left for 'Miscellaneous Expenses'."
"Miscellaneous?" Tomiwa asked, sketching a mustache on a portrait of the previous General. "Like snacks?"
"Like bribes," Bhy Khay corrected. "And ammo."
THE SIGNAL
Later that evening, the team was gathered around the new Waypoint Node, testing its frequency.
"It hums in B-flat," Zayn noted, tuning his bowstring to match the vibration. "Harmonic resonance. Efficient."
Suddenly, the hum changed.
SCREEEE.
A high-pitched static noise tore through the room. The holographic screens flickered red. The Global Chat, usually a stream of trade offers and trash talk, froze.
[SYSTEM ALERT: UNAUTHORIZED BROADCAST DETECTED.]
[SOURCE: UNKNOWN.]
[LOCATION: ABUJA (CAPITAL TERRITORY).]
"Abuja?" Elara covered her ears. "I thought the Capital was a Dead Zone. Level 50+ mobs."
"It is," Bhy Khay looked at the screen. "Nobody goes to Abuja and comes back."
The static cleared. A voice cut through the speakers. It wasn't the robotic System Voice. It was human. Breathless. Desperate.
"...This is Dr. Balogun... seeking... anyone listening... The Barrier is... broken..."
"...We found the... Source Code... The System isn't... alien..."
"...It's a... [REDACTED]..."
ZZZZZT.
The transmission cut off abruptly.
[SYSTEM ALERT: BROADCAST TERMINATED.]
[PENALTY APPLIED TO SOURCE: SILENCE.]
The room was dead silent.
"Did he say 'Source Code'?" Zayn whispered. "As in... the code that runs the apocalypse?"
"And he said it's not alien," Tomiwa stopped sketching. "Everyone thinks aliens did this. Or gods. If it's not them..."
"Then it's us," Bhy Khay finished.
He walked to the window, looking North.
"Dr. Balogun," Bhy Khay muttered. "I know that name. He was the Head of Computer Science at the University of Lagos before the crash. A Nobel Prize winner."
"He's in Abuja," Elara said. "That's 500 kilometers of monster-infested highway. And Warlord territory."
Bhy Khay looked at his City Lord Token. It gave him power over Ibadan. But if there was a way to control the System itself... that was a power above Kings.
"The Godfather wants Ibadan," Bhy Khay turned to his team. "But The Godfather is playing Checkers. Dr. Balogun just put a Chess piece on the board."
"Are we going to Abuja?" Zayn asked, looking terrified. "Please say no. I hate long road trips. The snacks always run out."
"Not yet," Bhy Khay opened his Admin Interface. He typed a command he hadn't used since the Server Room.
>> PING: ABUJA SERVER.
[RESPONSE: PACKET LOSS 99%.]
[ONE PING RETURNED.]
"Someone is alive up there," Bhy Khay grinned. "And they have the admin password."
He looked at the Waypoint Node.
"We need to level up. Fast. The Godfather is coming back, and he's going to be the least of our problems."
[QUEST STARTED: THE TRUTH OF THE SYSTEM.]
[OBJECTIVE: REACH LEVEL 20.]
[SUB-OBJECTIVE: UPGRADE GUILD TO TIER 2.]
"Level 20?" Elara sighed. "I'm Level 9. That's going to take weeks of grinding."
"Or," Bhy Khay pulled out a map of the Iita Forest Reserve. "One really bad weekend."
He pointed to the forest on the edge of the city.
"There's a Dungeon Gate opening in Iita tomorrow. It's a [Rated M for Mature] zone. High risk. High XP."
"And if we die?" Tomiwa asked.
"Then we don't have to pay taxes," Bhy Khay shrugged. "Win-win."
He grabbed his dagger.
"Pack your bags, Eclipse. We're going camping."