“That explanation leaves a lot to be desired,” I said as I looked at him intently. “Are you telling me that Haoolla Defender is one life, one death game?”

“Yes, since it is based on the original event in real life. The main difference is that you get to select your race upon entering. There are a lot of alien species that are cataloged and fully playable. Even humans.” He said with a smile as he reached over and pinched the skin on his arm.

It was just the smallest things that he did that reminded me that I was speaking to a totally different form of entity.

“So you created this when the games were in their infancy?” I asked as I reached out to take the cube. He offered it to me and let me take it.

“Yes. I was fascinated with observing the games and grew frustrated when the players that I enjoyed watching would end up dying in real life. I created this to act as a mental link so that when you die, you just end up back in this cube, wherever you left it. I took inspiration from a species that had a hive-mind consciousness known simply as the A or the Alpha. It turned out upon intensive study that the A was just one mind linked through radio waves transmitted from brain to brain. Using cr interdimensional transmission technology would allow you to return your mind, upon death, to wherever you left this key physically. I would recommend that you only do so in safe places with a stockpile of cr however.”

“So did you ever give this to anyone to use?” I asked as I glanced at Tutor and George. George had a thoughtful look on his face with his right index finger resting on the spot on his cheek that always seemed to be stained. Tutor was giving me an excited double thumbs up.

“No, the games came and went and I never managed to secretly slip it into a grand prize box.”

“So in real life, it will be like I am constantly here and there at the same time?” I asked as I wanted to be sure that this wouldn’t mess with my mind before I installed it.

“You know… I never thought of that. I had made it to simply run in the background, acting as a copy of all the experiences and thoughts that your “main” you were experiencing. Upon death you would simply blink and be back in the alternate you again. Your question makes me wonder if there would be a way to swap between your “main” mind and the “cube backup”. I honestly don’t know. I also realize that by giving this to you, I won't be able to take it back once you install it regardless if you tell someone about it. That is something I am fine with.” He said as he stepped back and lowered his hands.

“So, how will it work when I am in the game? Won’t the other players think I am cheating?” I asked, trying to think up any last questions. I already could see the insane benefits of having this in case I ran into something unexpected while I was exploring deep space. Just so long as it didn’t mess up my mind and make me hear voices from my other-selves. I kind of liked the idea of being copied, I just wasn’t completely sold about the hive mind part.

“Honestly, I really don’t know. The protocols have changed in the game since I wrote the code for the key and blended it with the research from the lead scientist of the Alpha”

“Blended?” I asked. Why was all this making me sound like a guinea pig for Silver’s first attempt at making a key? “Also, I am human mentally, won't that make a difference?”

“Look… yes, I am beginning to see flaws in my thinking. It might not be the best option for you to absorb that.” He said as he started to rethink his offer.

“Can you at least tell me if you put an on and off switch on it?” I asked as I looked down at the cube and read the description that came with it.

-Alpha hive mind experimental protocol key-

“Ha! What is this? You didn’t even change the name?” I asked as I chuckled at Silver’s expression and how he looked even more guilty than before.

“No, the whole intent was to protect whoever I gifted the key to. The only way to turn it off would be to will the key to be turned off, which back in those days, would mean that upon death it would be the last time I would get to see my hero again.” He answered as I looked to George and Tutor to see if they had any thoughts on the matter.

Tutor still had two thumbs up so I asked her what she thought first.

“Well, from what I gather, this thing is a physical creation that exists outside of yourself. All you need to do is to create it out of mud cr. That way if you don’t like what it is or what it does, you can just destroy it with your new cr.” She said with a smile.

“Oh, yeah, that is a good way to think about it.”

“Also, I just don’t want anything to happen to you again.” She said more quietly as she folded her hands in front of her.

“What about you George?” I asked as I noticed that he still had a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Oh, I was just thinking that this could be a way for you to go home, yet still be here.”

“What!?!” I said, my pulse picking up as I linked the two ideas together. If there was a way for me to choose which body or backup I could link to then I could, in essence, live in both worlds. To have my cake and eat it too.

“George! You are a genius!” I said as I walked over and gave him a hug. Patting him on the back with the hand holding the cube.

Tutor actually reached out and took a hug from me even before I was finished stepping back from George. She smelled like the ocean waves.

I smiled when our hug ended. It was special to feel that these two cared for me as they did.

I stepped back and held up the key, absorbing it and waiting for something to happen.

“Huh, that is strange,” I said as I looked at the surrounding data around me. It had changed somehow. I couldn’t pinpoint in the data about me or in the surrounding habitat data but something was invariably different. “Tutor and George, have a look and tell me if you see anything,” I said as I granted them full observation rights concerning me.

They both looked at me and Tutor was the first to say something. “Your background color is different. That is all I can see that is different from before when I had full access when you first arrived.” She said before looking into my eyes.

“What does a color change usually mean?” I asked.

“It only usually changes with great age. In this case? I don’t know.”

“Well, I feel the same. The question is, do I have enough cr onboard to make one of these keys to test it out?” I asked.

“Yes, but it will make a hole in the hull of the habitat. Best to do it at the backside so that you don’t sweep up cosmic dust while we travel. I was unable to download your current cr balance from Magus’s Core before we left. That is usually what habitat owners tend to do when they choose to travel between stars physically rather than transmitting themselves digitally and having it all recreated at their destination.”

“Oh yeah, that wasn’t a good option with Magus the 2nd’s Core,” I said as I thought back to what he might have tried to do to me had I chosen to go that route.

Following Tutor’s earlier advice about trying new things within VR, I decided to bring up a little holographic image of my habitat and to pick out the area near the back part of the hull to draw the cr from to make a cube from.

“I hope you don’t mind that I am going to be calling it an Alpha cube from now on,” I told Silver while it was being constructed. The moment it was done I felt something link with me. A bare second later the feeling went away and everything seemed to be running like normal.

“Well, don’t you want to test it out?” I heard Tutor ask me.

“Heck no I don’t want to test it out,” I said as I looked up at her with an offended look on my face. I found her and George already smiling back at me. “Oh, you meant to try to transfer to it rather than for me to die to see if it worked? Ha! My mistake.” I said as I mentally tried to grasp at being where the cube was.

It worked! I was instantly inside of the cube resting inside the hull of my habitat. I looked around, unable to move without legs, and spotted a slow shimmer of stars moving through the hole I had created in the hull. Yes, it was probably best that I got that sealed off soon so that this little cube didn’t fall out and get lost. That or something could crawl inside my ship. A travel disk started to form underneath me so I waited until it was finished before I used it to travel back into VR.

Three very worried-looking AI greeted me when I appeared on a travel disk back inside the space that I had been using to practice moving cr earlier. I could see why as well. Where I had been standing before was now a ragdoll of my body laying on the floor.

“Huh,” I said before I willed my mind back into the body on the floor and to wipe away the current one that I had arrived back in. To my eyes, all it seemed like I had done was to teleport into myself laying out on the ground. It didn’t hurt at all or feel any different as I took control and got up. “So, there are bugs,” I commented as I pretended to dust off my legs.

“Indeed. It seems that the VR habitat doesn’t know what to do with your copy when you do that. I would recommend further testing before you try it in real life.” George said.

“I won’t lie. That literally scared me for a moment. Your mind was just gone the moment you transferred yourself. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. Maybe you can practice seeing if you can leave something here as well? If that is possible?” She asked me.

“I will try. I don’t know if it will work though. I didn’t feel a link back to my body here in VR when I left.” I said as I thought back to my short time inside the cube. “When we get more cr I can practice moving between two Alpha cubes. If you leave travel disks under one of them it should allow me right back into VR at any time I need.” I said as I thought over uses for the technology.

“Thanks, Silver. I do appreciate you giving this key to me.” I said as I turned to him and reached out to grip his arm for a second. He seemed surprised by the gesture and he actually smiled at me. “Don’t mention it. I hope it is useful to you. I really hated to lose my heroes when I was young.” He said as I looked at all three of them before smiling and walking over towards the cooler that George had brought with him.

“Ok, it looks like I am ready to go try this game out then. In fact, I really am looking forward to seeing what game an advanced race like the Tela can create.” I said as I picked up three drinks and tossed them out between the three of them.

“Any last bits of info to tell me before I head in?” I asked as I started to change my clothes to what I would imagine I would want to wear if I was to fight a hostile alien race. I ended up in black military fatigues with guns hanging all over my body.

“Well, the clothes are fine but you will only be able to take this with you.” Tutor said as she walked closer and handed me a coin no bigger than a quarter.

“Is this a joke?” I asked as I willed all the guns to go away as I looked down at the small amount of cr that she had given me.

“No. It is just how the game is played. You will enter as level 1 and with that tiny amount of cr. Prove yourself and you will level up and get more cr to work with. This is how every Citizen starts if they want to play Haoolla Defender so you won't have to worry about someone else starting with more cr than you. They will just have more experience.” Tutor said as she took a sip from her drink.

“Also, it is mostly just younglings who play Haoolla Defender these days so you won’t be up against any pros. Maybe.” She said with a wink before heading to her recliner to get settled in.

I flicked the coin into the air and caught it several times, trying to imagine what I could do with it. I really needed to find a hacker to crack the rest of the sides of the engineer's book. I just knew there had to be more than learning how to move and guide cr written inside. Something like that asteroid-eating chainsaw I had seen at the back of the book.

“Ok. How do I enter the game?” I asked as a golden travel disk appeared behind me. The lights around us dimmed down low and there was a sole spotlight on the disk. Making it shine invitingly.

The three AI were already laying back on their individual recliners with screens open in front of them by the time I glanced back their way.

“I see how it is,” I said as I rolled my eyes and headed towards the disk.

“See you all soon,” I said as I stepped on and read the block of text that popped up in front of me.

- Would you like to enter the queue to play Haoolla Defender? -

I breathed out and stretched my arms and shoulders, getting ready, before accepting. Then I was away.