Sinners(?) in the Hands of Angry Gods(?) Options

[Shiidou Hikaru]

Here is a science fiction story based loosely on the game World of Warcraft that also includes influences from Scrapped Princess and Star Trek. This is reliminary and only about 90% finished. It will require some cleaning up. Please let me know what you think.

Alyssa struggled as hard as she could to heal her husband Rodney. He was overwhelmingly beset by three strong enemies so even as strong as he was, Rodney was outnumbered three to one by the sword wielding attackers. However, Alyssa herself was in no better position. A powerful mage was continuously casting highly destructive spells upon her, so it took everything that she had just to keep herself and Rodney alive. There was no opportunity for her to fight back and Alyssa steadily weakened when the mage hit her with another frost attack. Again she lost all of the feeling in her hands in legs and started to topple over, but the strength of Alyssa?s will held her up, refusing to fall.
?Why are you doing this to us? Please stop!? Alyssa pleaded desperately at her attacker, but the mage just stared back at her, unflinching. She didn?t have a look of malice or hate on her face, but the mage bore an expression of grim determination that told Alyssa that she would not let up until Alyssa was dead. Indeed, the mage?s hands were already crackling with flame as her power built up to attack once more.
?This is really the end.? Alyssa thought to herself and then used the last of her strength to heal Rodney one last time. With her eyes closed, Alyssa never saw the mage?s final attack upon her, she only felt the horrible pain of fire searing her skin and clothes.
?Aiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeee!? She shrieked in agony and was knocked backward. All went black as Alyssa fell backwards into the dark abyss.

Some time later Alyssa awoke. How long she had been unconscious, she never knew, but something wasn?t right. Before Alyssa was able to open her eyes, the pain of her wounds came rushing back upon her like a school of piranha fish. She squirmed slightly, lying on the floor, but did not cry out. She was no longer being attacked, but Alyssa wasn?t dead either - something was wrong. Slowly mastering the agonizing pain, Alyssa opened her eyes and saw that she was now in a room that she had never seen before. The walls were metallic and painted a dark reddish color. The light seemed to emanate from rectangular panels in the ceiling making the room very bright. Alyssa quickly realized that she was not alone either. Standing at the far end of the room near the door was a young teenage girl. She was wearing a simple traditional black dress and a ruffled white apron. The girl clutched the handle of a broom nervously as she stared at Alyssa lying on the floor. She seemed to be afraid, but also concerned. When Alyssa looked up at her, the girl started to walk slowly towards Alyssa but stopped.
?Who are you? How did you get here?? She asked Alyssa in a timid voice, but Alyssa was unable to answer. Her pain was still too great to avoid crying out if she had opened her mouth. The girl came closer and saw how injured Alyssa was.
?You?re hurt ? really badly!? she exclaimed and then knelt down on the floor beside Alyssa.
?Hang on for a bit, I?ll get some help.? The girl told her and drew a small device from her apron pocket. She opened it up and called into it
?Monika! Please come to cargo bay C right away! There?s someone here that?s hurt really bad! Hurry!? she communicated and a voice answered back
?Someone?s hurt? Who is it Tara?? Monika asked.
?I don?t know Monika, I?ve never seen her before? the girl now identified as Tara replied.
?Okay, I?ll come right away Tara.? Monika acknowledged and the device cut out. Tara closed it up and returned it to its place in her apron. Then she turned to Alyssa.
?My name is Tara, but I?m just the maid. Monika is a good doctor and she?ll be able to get you all fixed up just like new, so try not to worry.? Tara said to Alyssa, trying to do what little she could to reassure her.

Only a minute later the sound of the door sliding open was heard and Monika walked briskly into the room. She was a tall, but thin woman with dark, short hair and wore a green and white outfit that looked very much like some sort of military uniform. By her side hung a bag, like a large black purse, its strap upon her shoulder.
?Oh my! What happened here?? she exclaimed, a little stunned by Alyssa?s serious condition. Immediately she took a device out of her bag and began to scan Alyssa with it.
?Hmm ? interesting ? well, you?ve got a lot of serious second degree, almost third degree burns there Miss, but your fingers and toes show evidence of frostbite. It?s very odd to me.? Dr. Monika explained briefly and then also knelt down on the floor next to Alyssa. She took some more objects out of her bag and prepared a hypo.
?This will help ease the pain.? Monika told her patient and then injected Alyssa with it. Like a cool breeze on a scorching hot summer day, the pain immediately disappeared from Alyssa?s arm where Monika had injected her with the painkiller. In only a few seconds the relief spread all through her body until Alyssa felt no pain at all. It was then that Alyssa realized that she was breathing very heavily, so she began to relax and catch her breath and when she finally felt able to speak, she just told Monika
?Thank you? in a quiet voice. Then Dr. Monika continued
?You?re very welcome Miss. Now you?re ready to go to the medical bay, but could you please tell us who you are??
?Oh, my name is Alyssa ? pleased to meet you doctor and thanks again for helping me.? Alyssa answered sincerely.

Next Dr. Monika took a small, white, square object like a folded handkerchief out of her bag and tossed it rather carelessly into an open area of the floor. It quickly unfolded itself into a large, full sized stretcher. Monika took the handles at one end of it and slipped it underneath Alyssa as she lay there on the floor. Alyssa marveled at how she was able to do this without having to pick her up first.
?Okay Tara, take the front of the stretcher and we?ll carry Miss Alyssa back to the Medical Bay.? Monika instructed. Tara nodded and together the two of them picked up the stretcher with Alyssa on it and carefully walked her to the Medical Bay.

It was only a short walk to the Medical Bay and there Monika and Tara gently placed Alyssa and the stretcher on the table in the middle of the room. There were other beds in the bay, however none of them were occupied at the moment. Tara slipped the stretcher out from under Alyssa and then proceeded to fold it back up into its compact shape again.
?Tara, help me get Alyssa out of these burnt rags that used to be her clothes.? Monika carefully instructed and the two of them undressed her gingerly, being cautious to not disturb any of Alyssa?s burn injuries. Once they were finished, Tara collected all of the garments.
?I?ll do my best to get these cleaned up for you Miss Alyssa, but I don?t have a lot of hope for that. Rather, I?ll probably wind up making you a duplicate set.? Tara informed her pleasantly and then excused herself from the Medical Bay. Dr. Monika was now ready to work.
?Normally I?d dress you in a gown, but with all of these burns, that would create more problems. Hopefully you?re not an overly modest person Miss Alyssa.? The doctor informed her with hint of a smile.
?No ? I don?t think so, and you?re the doctor so I don?t mind.? Alyssa answered and then asked
?Will it take very long??
?Oh no, only about five minutes or so, then I?ll flip you over and then another five minutes. Okay, let?s get started.? Monika answered her. A clear rectangular plate of what looked like glass descended from the ceiling and hovered over Alyssa on the table. From a control console, Monika operated the device and a single line of blue light appeared in the glass plate across one edge at the end near Alyssa?s feet.
?This is a dermal regenerator Miss Alyssa, it will scan across your entire body from foot to head and repair all of the burns. It won?t hurt, but will probably tingle a little bit. Try to lay still and close your eyes. When it?s done I?ll tell you when to open them again.? Dr Monika instructed. Alyssa complied as the blue beam slowly scanned up her entire body. Wherever it passed over, all burn wounds were instantly healed, leaving perfectly unblemished skin behind. When it had finished, Monika had Alyssa turn over and lay on her stomach, then the regenerator repeated its task on her back. When all was complete, Monika had Alyssa sit up and put on a hospital gown. She looked at her hands and arms and legs, and Alyssa marveled at how beautifully they had been healed.
?Wow, it?s just like Tara said Dr. Monika, I?m like new again! Thank you so much Doctor!? Alyssa thanked her enthusiastically.
?There was some bruising to your internals as well, but easy stuff for me to take care of.? Monika replied then continued
?See? Tara hasn?t even fixed your clothes yet, but you?re all ready to go Miss Alyssa? the doctor commented with a smile. Alyssa smiled at the remark, but didn?t laugh out loud. Instead she made an unusual reply.
?Usually I am the one that has the duty to heal others. This is the first time that anyone has ever healed me. And ? this is the first time that strangers have ever done anything nice for me.? Alyssa observed solemnly

Dr. Monika was curious about that and about Alyssa?s injuries so she asked her patient
?Miss Alyssa, exactly what happened to you? How did you get all of those injuries??
There was only a short pause for a reply
?A mage did it to me with her magic. It hurts so much to be attacked with magic spells, but it?s still better than being slowly hacked to bits by a warrior with a sword.? Alyssa answered, but finished with her eyes cast down. It was very painful for her to remember such things.
?Erm no, I don?t suppose that would be very pleasant either.? Monika acknowledged without realizing the full portent of what Alyssa had just said. Instead Monika had something else in mind.
?If it?s okay, I?d like to have our magic expert take a look at the scans I made of you earlier. I?m sure she?d be quite interested in them and how you were injured? the doctor asked.
Alyssa nodded in consent and then Monika took a device out of her pocket that looked exactly like the one Alyssa had seen Tara use before. Monika opened it and called into it
?Cynthia, if you have a moment, could you please come down to the medical bay??
A woman?s voice answered
?Sure, I can come. What?s the problem Monika?? Cynthia asked.
?Oh, no problem now, but I have a few things to show you. Also if Anita is available, see if she can come too. I have a new guest that she would probably like to meet.? Dr. Monika answered.
?Okay, I?ll take a look around for the Captain. See you in just a bit.? Cynthia finished and Dr. Monika put the communication device back in her pocket.

A moment later, the door opened and the maid Tara came back in holding a little stack of neatly folded garments with a red beret hat sitting on top.
?I?m sorry that it took so long Miss Alyssa.? Tara apologized.
?I wasn?t able to restore your old clothes, so I had to copy them and make a new set. Hopefully these will be okay.? She explained and handed the garments to Alyssa.
?Oh ? thank you Miss Tara.? She answered back, not quite sure what to think. Then she turned to Monika who indicated that it was okay for her to get dressed again. Alyssa did so and then went to look in one of the mirrors in the medical bay.
?Wow, I don?t know how you did it, but they?re perfect Tara, exactly like my old ones.? She complimented Tara?s work. Shortly after that the door to the medical bay opened again and two more individuals entered. One was of average height, with black, wispy hair, her facial complexion was dark and she was quite good looking, but was showing some signs of her age. Her hair also had streaks of silver in it and she wore a uniform exactly like the one Monika had on. The other was shorter, had dark hair trimmed straight across in the front but tied in a long ponytail in the back. Her face was very light and flawless and she was very pretty, even without any makeup. She also wore a uniform of the exact same design as the others, but instead of green with white trim, her uniform was of dark blue with white trim. She stopped and stood just inside the door and stared intently at Alyssa, examining her, while the older woman went to talk with Monika. The doctor put up a number of scans of Alyssa?s injuries on some of the displays in the medical bay and the two of them began to discuss many things that Alyssa did not understand. From their conversation Alyssa learned that the older woman was the Cynthia that Monika had spoken with earlier, so the younger one must be Anita Alyssa thought. Eventually the younger woman came over to where Alyssa was standing. Despite her prettiness, this woman had a rather cold and confident look to her that Alyssa found to be rather intimidating.
?So you?re our new guest.? She said to Alyssa very smoothly then continued
?My name is Anita, and I?m the captain of the Imperial Starship ?Shikeriah?, the vessel that you are onboard now. Please tell me who you are and how you came to be here on my ship.? Anita requested very calmly and politely. Alyssa had to think for a moment, because she really didn?t know, so she just started off with an introduction.
?It?s a pleasure to meet you Captain my name is Alyssa, Alyssa Whitemane.? She said calmly but then paused before going on.
?I ? I don?t really know how I got here, how I got onboard your ship Captain. I don?t even know what a ?starship? is. I never thought that ships could travel among the stars, the only ones that I know about travel on the seas.?
?Oh, I see. Well, try to tell me what happened just before and after you arrived here Miss Whitemane.? Captain Anita acknowledged Alyssa?s confusion and rephrased her question.
?The last thing that I could remember was being in a battle, a fight. A mage was using her power to kill me and I?d thought that she had succeeded, that I was dead. But I woke up here instead, and Miss Tara found me.?
?Hmm ?? the captain rubbed her chin and mused ?? maybe I need to have the space warp drive checked again ?? she muttered quietly to herself. Of course Alyssa knew nothing of what that meant and continued talking
?It was really strange because in the past I?ve always woken up in my chambers fully resurrected and healed, but not this time.?

Alyssa?s last remark caught the Captain by surprise and Anita looked at Alyssa squarely in the eyes. Very directly she asked
?What do you mean by ?in the past?? Has this sort of thing happened to you before Miss Alyssa?? She didn?t realize yet what Anita was getting at, so Alyssa just answered her straight.
?Oh yes, it has happened to me many times Captain Anita. Invaders come into our Monastery quite often, but the land is occupied by a hostile government called The Horde. They do nothing to stop the invaders, so it is up to us to defend ourselves. Sometimes we are successful, but most of the time we are not and the invaders will defeat and kill all of us. After it?s over I wake up in my chambers resurrected just like new. Then in a little while it happens all over again, sometimes several times a day. The only thing that was strange this time was that I woke up all injured from the battle on your ship Captain, instead of in my chambers? Alyssa explained. When Alyssa had finished speaking, Captain Anita just looked at her, speechless and her face white. Alyssa also noticed that the others in the medical bay were also staring at her silently. Tara had her lower face hidden in her hands, Monika looked as if she was ill and Cynthia just looked back at Alyssa, frowning gravely.

Not knowing what was happening, Alyssa had to ask nervously
?W-what?s the matter? Did I say something wrong?? Anita felt that this discussion should continue.
?Miss Whitemane, does it hurt you when these ?invaders? battle and kill you?? This time her tone was deadly serious. Alyssa was now becoming really nervous but kept answering truthfully.
?Yes, of course it does. I was in agony before Dr Monika healed my wounds. But what?s wrong? I know that will happen every time I die Captain Anita.? Again there was silence after Alyssa?s reply. A faint sniffing sound was heard and Alyssa saw that Tara was starting to cry. Monika appeared to be not far behind, so she took Tara and hustled her out of the medical bay and both of them left together. Alyssa was completely bewildered by this and looked back at Captain Anita, hoping that she would explain the crew?s reaction.

Captain Anita stared intently at Alyssa for a long time. Clearly she was very disturbed for some reason, Alyssa could see that, but the reason was unknown. Eventually, after Anita had gained full control of her emotions again, she answered Alyssa?s inquiry.
?What?s wrong, you asked?? She repeated Alyssa?s question back to her first and then answered it
?where I come from, and everywhere else in the universe, living beings only die once. No matter if it?s in combat, or a fatal illness, or an accident, or just plain old age, people only suffer and die once. No one is ever forced to go through that again against their will.? Anita explained very coldly.
?But ?? Alyssa tried to respond, but the Captain held up her index finger and silenced Alyssa. The Captain?s response clearly was not finished.
?Years ago, when I was a young lieutenant on an exploration vessel, we happened across a world that had converted one of its moons to a prison facility. There, all of the convicted criminals were placed on one side or the other of a violent conflict between two factions. They were given any weapons that they needed to kill each other off in combat. This form of execution was reprehensible enough in and of itself, however, the prison world had a genetic regeneration field installed in it. This field would automatically regenerate and reanimate the bodies of anyone that had perished in the violence. The result was that anyone sent to this prison world would be forced to endure horribly violent deaths over and over and over again, possibly forever. The Kadzai Empire, which this ship is a part of, found this form of torture and execution to be an abomination, even for a prison facility. So we sent a large fleet of heavy star cruisers there to force them to shut it down. They refused and the fleet destroyed the prison facility and the loss of one of their moons caused great devastation on their home world too. Thus that atrocity was ended and since then I had hoped that I would never see such an abomination ever again as long as I lived, but now Miss Whitemane you bring me word of another? Anita finished her story.

As disciplined as Captain Anita was, Alyssa could still see in her eyes a dreadful fire that burned within her as Anita had related her tale and now Alyssa began to feel very fearful of the Captain.
?S-so my world of Azeroth isn?t the only place where people live like I do?? Alyssa asked nervously
?It is now ? I hope.? Anita answered.
?But what are you going to do Captain Anita? Is your empire going to destroy my world too?? Alyssa asked with a note of desperation in her voice. Captain Anita tried to smile with her reply, but it didn?t work out that well.
?No, I sincerely hope that it will not come to that. However, now that I am aware of such things happening on your world Alyssa, I am bound by responsibility to take action. I cannot turn a blind eye to humanitarian atrocities Miss Whitemane, so there will need to be an investigation.? she answered trying not to sound so militaristic this time. Then the Captain pulled another one of the communication devices out of her pocket and opened it up.
?Melissa!? she barked into it
?Yes Captain?? a woman?s voice answered.
?Organize a landing party immediately. Monika, Rune, Kassandra, Cynthia, myself and our new guest Alyssa Whitemane will be going down to the planet Azeroth to conduct an investigation. Based on reconnaissance scans, prepare proper attire and equipment. Combat is a possibility.? Anita ordered.
?Aye, captain!? Melissa responded and the communication was ended.

For a while Alyssa had been waiting in a room that the Captain had called the ?Matter Transmission Facility?. Also there with her was the Melissa that Captain Anita had spoken with earlier and Micki, the Matter Transmission Technician. Melissa was about the same height as Alyssa, she had darkish blonde hair, wore the same uniform as the others did, and she was the ship?s commander and first officer. She was a bright and cheerful woman, however Alyssa found her to be overly talkative and gabby and three quarters of the things that she said Alyssa didn?t understand anyways. A couple of times she stopped Melissa to ask
?Erm ? what?? because she was confused, but Melissa would just digress
?Oh, sorry ? matter transmission is when you take solid matter and use equally reversed polarized energy to convert it to an equivalent Schr?dinger wave ?? and so forth. Thus Alyssa found her explanations to be even more confusing than the original concept and after about fifteen minutes of this Alyssa had been reduced to listening to Melissa talk with an embarrassed smile on her face. The Technician Micki was obviously familiar with Melissa and said nothing the whole time. Besides her quietness, the other odd thing about her that Alyssa had noticed was that she seemed very young, like a schoolgirl of twelve years old. She even stood on a small stepstool to operate the matter transmission control console. Micki had dark eyes and brown, curly hair and seemed like a friendly person although Melissa never gave Alyssa a chance to start up a conversation with her. Alyssa didn?t have to endure much more of this as the crew began to arrive at the facility, now appropriately equipped to visit Alyssa?s world of Azeroth. Captain Anita wore an armor suit and carried a sword very much like a General in the royal army. Doctor Monika now wore the attire of a healer, which is a priest and looked very much like Alyssa. Cynthia wore the robes of a mage which sort of made Alyssa cringe slightly because she did not like mages. There were also two newcomers that Alyssa did not recognize. One was the ship?s weapons specialist, Kassandra who had a calm demeanor but gave Alyssa a pleasant smile when she had introduced herself. She also had long, dark hair and dark eyes like the captain, but was a bit taller. She wore the brown leather outfit of a hunter and carried what looked like a large rifle. The other new person was Rune, the ship?s science and technology specialist. She had blondish hair like Melissa, but it was cut shorter, but the odd thing that Alyssa noticed about Rune was the bright silvery color of her skin. Already in an uneasy situation, Alyssa didn?t really want to ask about that and just kept quiet. Rune?s costume was the tight, black leather attire of a thief or rogue and carried two daggers to go with it. She also had a bandana around her neck that she could use to cover her face with, but wasn?t doing so at the moment. Rune seemed like a nice person as well, but Alyssa knew that it would take a while to get used to her odd appearance.

Now that the landing party was completely assembled and everyone properly introduced, Captain Anita gave a short explanation of the mission.
?Commander Melissa has located on the surface the Monastery where Alyssa Whitemane has told me grievous crimes had been repeatedly committed against her and others there by invaders. From what I?ve gathered, it sounds similar to Karthais Alpha, but before I can formally involve the Empire and intervene, positive evidence must be obtained and documented. That is the purpose of our mission. This planet of Azeroth seems to be surprisingly primitive compared to the other world in this system, Bohronus, and this mission might also shed some light on that oddity as well.? Anita outlined the particulars. Then she set some final guidelines.
?All standard issue equipment is to be carried at all times. Should the customary Azeroth weapons we have prove insufficient in a combat situation, use of standard weapons in authorized, I don?t want any casualties everyone. If necessary call for transmit out.? The Captain finished. Everyone nodded in consent and then went to stand on a large, transparent, glass like plate in the center of the room. Anita motioned for Alyssa to join them and so she went to stand on the plate as well. When all were settled and still, Captain Anita nodded to Micki, who then began to deftly enter the coordinate data into the console. Then after a pause, the whole room turned swimmy around Alyssa and quickly became dense fog. Just as quickly the fog dispersed and the world swam into shape again. Alyssa found herself standing inside a stone structure that was open on three sides and looked very much like a carriage port. This place she recognized as the entrance to her home, the Scarlet Monastery.

The fourth side of the room that wasn?t open to the outdoors lay at the base of a stairway that led upwards to a higher level. At this point Anita turned to Alyssa
?You are our guide Miss Whitemane, show us where these things have been happening to you.? She instructed kindly.
?Oh, up the stairs first. At the top is the vestibule and the door to the cathedral. The door will be locked, but I can let us in.? Alyssa answered and Captain Anita nodded in agreement. Then the group followed Alyssa and Anita up the stairs. At the top of the stairs the group entered a large room. Anita stopped to look around but Alyssa continued across it towards a large door on the left in the far wall. Deeming it safe, Anita and her crew followed, but shortly before they reached the door where Alyssa was, a man?s voice cried out
?By the Light I shall banish ye filthy intruders!? and he came towards them with his sword drawn, followed by two others, also with their swords drawn. Immediately Anita drew hers, Rune vanished from sight, Kassandra brought her rifle up and took dead aim on the lead man, Cynthia drew her wand out and prepared to cast on him. Monika, wasn?t really sure what to do, but she held her staff ready. Then another voice, high and shrill, was heard
?No! Stop!!? Alyssa cried and jostled her way through everyone to stand between the combatants.
?They?re not intruders, they?re with me. They?re friends.? She stated defusing the situation instantly. The man who had drawn his sword first saw her, stopped, and stood in place. His face went white and his sword dropped from his hand, clattering loudly on the stone floor. The others also put their swords away and all three knelt on the floor before Alyssa.
?Inquistor Whitemane ? I did not know. Please forgive me.? He apologized to her with his head down. Anita and her crew then stowed all of their weapons and returned to a casual stance.
?It?s alright, no harm was done, so you?re forgiven. Please go about your duties now.? Alyssa accepted his apology and sent him on his way. They went to the locked door, but before Alyssa opened it, Captain Anita turned to her with her observations
?Inquisitor? Miss Whitemane, you hardly seem like the inquisitor type to me. Why do they call you that?? She inquired. Alyssa looked back at the Captain with a somewhat blank expression and didn?t answer right away. After a moment of thought she replied
?I don?t know Captain. It?s a title I?ve always had as long as I can remember, but I don?t know why it was given to me. To be honest, I don?t even know what an inquisitor is supposed to do. I?ve always thought that I was supposed to be the leader of everyone here, but I don?t really do anything like that.? Alyssa answered with a sigh. Captain Anita wasn?t expecting an answer like that one and didn?t have a reply. Rune did have one answer for Alyssa however,
?Miss Whitemane, an inquisitor is a person usually appointed by a government authority to oversee an investigation into criminal matters or unusual events not easily explained.? She said to Alyssa.
?Oh, okay. So it?s like what Captain Anita is doing now.? She observed, immediately getting the Captain?s attention.
?Yes, very much so, although I?ve yet to be formally appointed by the Empire. Depending on what I find beyond that door, I might just acquire the position.? Anita answered with a sarcastic smile. Taking the hint, Alyssa turned to the door and opened it.

Once inside, everything seemed quiet. The first hallway that they entered was empty, so Alyssa led Anita and her crew a little further until they emerged into a large courtyard with a fountain in the middle of it. This area was also empty and Alyssa stopped there.
?There should be guards all over this courtyard, but they?re gone.? She observed dismayed. Then Anita asked
?Where are they Miss Whitemane? What happened to them?? But Alyssa already knew
?They?re dead, killed by more invaders. Soon they will resurrect and return to their posts.? She answered the Captain?s question coldly. Anita thought for a moment and then asked Alyssa another question
?Will they remember everything that happened to them before they were ?resurrected???
Again Alyssa answered coldly
?Yes, they will remember everything. We all do and the memories of everyone that lives in this place are filled with the pain of the countless times that we have been killed by the invaders.?
Alyssa turned away from the others because they were all staring at her now and she didn?t want them to see the pain of her own memories. After a moment Kassandra asked Alyssa
?Then why don?t you leave? All of you should go somewhere else where you don?t have to live this kind of wretched existence??
Alyssa thought about this and wondered why she hadn?t done as Kassandra suggested, but there were some good reasons after all.
?I guess that I didn?t really think of it as wretched like all of you do.? She answered as she looked back at Anita and her crew.
?It?s the only life I?ve ever known and all of you are the first strangers that I?ve ever met who?ve treated me differently. You didn?t try to kill me on sight. Doctor Monika healed my injuries and Tara made new clothes for me. You?ve all treated me so nicely and ? I didn?t think that people like you even existed ?? Alyssa trailed off and started to weep quietly.

Monika went over to her and embraced Alyssa to try to comfort her. After a little bit, she asked Alyssa
?What about your family, your parents? Weren?t they good to you when you were growing up Miss Alyssa??
Alyssa sort of looked back at Monika a little puzzled but replied
?I have no memories of having a family. I?ve always been here at the Monastery.? She said. Monika looked up and stared at Anita, but the captain had already felt it herself.
?What in the world is going on here? Something ? something is dreadfully wrong in this world of Azeroth and the sooner that I get to the bottom of it the better.? Captain Anita thought to herself, then spoke aloud
?I wouldn?t have thought it possible, but things here in Azeroth may be even worse than I?d imagined. We must find the invaders that killed these guards.? She instructed. Alyssa composed herself and led everyone around the fountain and up the stairs to the next level, which was right outside of the Cathedral building. Its doors were already open and as the group led by Alyssa entered, they could hear the sounds of metal weapons clanging against each other, the shouting of people, and an occasional boom like an explosion. All around them, bodies lay dead on the floor as they walked up the aisle towards the sanctuary where the action was taking place. As they got closer Anita could see that one man dressed in red armor was being attacked by a number of assailants armed with swords while another positioned off to one side cast magic spells upon the man in red armor. Outnumbered four to one, he wasn?t doing to well.
?Four against one hardly seems fair ?? Anita wasn?t able to finish her comment as Alyssa ran ahead towards the fray.
?Rodney!!? she wailed as she ran towards the man under assault.
?Alyssa no!? the Captain shouted after her, but it was too late. Alyssa had already run into the battle and the invaders were now attacking her too. Then Anita turned to her weapons specialist.
?Kassandra! Get their attention ? now!? she ordered.
Without a word, Kassandra leveled her rifle at the melee directly ahead. She fired and a blinding light accompanied by the loud crackling of ionized air emitted from the rifle. The beam of plasma energy impacted on the stone floor of the cathedral with a deafening explosion that shook the whole structure and then was followed by a rain of stone debris falling back to the ground. For a moment there was silence and Captain Anita issued the demand
?Cease all hostilities at once!? she shouted in a voice impossibly loud and fearsome for a person of her physical size.
Indeed, shocked by this sudden appearance of Anita and her crew, the invaders suspended their attacks and turned to face the new arrivals. They said nothing and appeared to only study the newcomers. The invaders seemed very surprised by the presence of Anita and weren?t sure what to do next, but after only a moment one of them, the mage, decided to take action. Looking squarely at Anita, the mage began to cast her spell. Kassandra didn?t need to be ordered and simply fired another blinding shot, this time directly at the mage. The impact of the energy blast tossed the mage backwards in cartwheels until she slammed into one of the cathedral?s stone walls. The mage made no further moves and lay slumped there on the floor, apparently dead. The one of the invaders who had the most elaborately decorated armor sheathed his sword and shouted
?They?re GM?s! Let?s get out of here!? in a panicky voice and ran for the cathedral exit. Not far behind him were the other invaders, but Anita realized that it was pointless to try and stop them since she was now the source of their fear.

Instead Anita turned her attention back to the sanctuary area where Alyssa and the man that she had called ?Rodney? had been under attack. Monika was already there, but instead of seeing to their injuries, Monika watched as Alyssa cast a soft, green aura over him. Within a few seconds all of his wounds were healed and he no longer showed any sign of having been injured. Alyssa repeated the process on herself and soon was completely healed too.
?Wow, Miss Alyssa, that was amazing ? how did you do that?? Monika asked her.
?Oh, it?s just a healing spell Doctor Monika. All I have to do is concentrate a little bit and it just happens. It?s one of my abilities as a Priest.? Alyssa replied.
?How?d you like to come and work for me Alyssa?? Monika offered her with an amused smile, but Alyssa took her seriously
?Erm, I don?t know how I could live on a starship, but I?d like to Dr. Monika.? She replied, then quickly introduced Rodney to Monika
?Dr. Monika, this is my husband, Rodney Mograine, and Rodney, this is Dr. Monika. She healed me after I had been killed last time, although I still don?t know how I got onboard Captain Anita?s ship. The others are Captain Anita, Kassandra, Cynthia, and Rune.? Alyssa pointed out each person to Rodney and then continued.
?They?ve all been very nice to me, like friends, but it?s the first time I?ve ever met new people like them.?
?It?s a pleasure to meet all of you.? Rodney replied but also observed
?The five of you look very much like the groups of invaders that come here to attack us, but you?re not hostile at all. Like Alyssa said, I didn?t think that there were such things. All strangers are hostile I?d always thought.? Then Captain Anita replied
?It?s a pleasure to meet you as well. As Alyssa said, I?m the Captain of the Imperial Starship Shikeriah, where your wife mysteriously showed up a little while ago. Monika, Kassandra, Cynthia, and Rune are part of my crew and we came here with Miss White ? err Ms Whitemane to investigate her reports of crimes being committed against her people here in this monastery. From what I?ve seen so far, Alyssa?s reports have proven true.? Anita said as she panned her view around the room.

However, the numbers of dead bodies lying on the floor were now much less than when Alyssa had first led Anita into the Cathedral.
?Hmm ? excuse me for a bit ?? the Captain asked and began to go and scout around the Cathedral, investigating the bodies. At one she stopped and watched. In few seconds it just faded into transparency and vanished. Anita looked at the others nearby and they were doing the same thing. No one came to cart them away, the bodies just disappeared as if a matter transmission device were being used to remove them. At the moment Anita was removed from the others, so she took out her communication device and began to speak into it discretely.
?Melissa, how has the cataloging of this planet been progressing?? She asked her first officer still onboard the ship in orbit.
?It is nearly complete Captain, but I must say that I?ve found a number of surprising discoveries already.? Melissa answered.
?Oh ? what sort of surprises?? Anita asked very intrigued and Melissa quickly explained
?First off, Azeroth is not nearly as primitive as it appears on the surface. About ten kilometers below the planet?s surface there is a vast network of highly advanced technological infrastructure ? power plants, water supply, waste reclaimation, communication, industrial processing and computational centers. There are huge numbers of them all over the planet all connected together in one vast network. Next, the energy sources down there all bear wave pattern signatures identical to the ones we found on the other planet in this system Bohronus. And lastly, the geological structure of Azeroth is entirely homogenous and uniform which means ??
?? which means that this planet was artificially constructed? Anita finished Melissa?s thought.
?Yes Captain. Constructed by the Bohronians or someone they hired to do it for them.? Melissa surmised. Captain Anita thought for a moment, remembering how Alyssa had used a spell to heal Rodney.
?Melissa, the infrastructure within this planet, could it be accessed and manipulated by the local residents, either by physical or mental means?? she asked Melissa.
?Sure, if it was designed to work that way. If that?s the case though, you guys could be in great danger down there.? Melissa warned.
?Indeed, I agree with you, but finally some things are starting to make sense. Have Micky keep a constant tracking on all of us just in case we need a speedy recall.? The Captain ordered.
?Aye Captain.? Melissa responded and then the conversation ended. Anita placed her communication device back where it belonged and she walked back to where the others were still gathered. She went up to Alyssa and Rodney and asked them
?Alyssa, Rodney, do you know where the bodies go after someone had died here? I?ve looked around this cathedral and saw a number of them just vanish and disappear. I?d like to know where they went.? Neither answered right away, Alyssa and Rodney just looked at each other. Eventually Rodney came up with
?They just go to the Light and the Light resurrects them and restores them to a new life. That?s all we know.? He replied.
?But it has happened to both of you before, correct? Don?t you have any memories of what happened during that time?? Captain Anita asked them
?Oh ? no. When I?ve died all that I could ever remember was falling into darkness and then waking up in my chambers again. I can?t remember ever being someplace else.? Alyssa answered but then added
?Except for today, when I went to your ship Captain, but that was the wrong place.? She finished.
?The wrong place ? ? Anita acknowledged.
?That does make sense to me now.? The Captain said and then turned to Rune this time.
?Rune, contact Melissa and have her fill you and everyone else in on her findings. There?s something else that I?d like to clear up with Ms. Alyssa.? She instructed Rune and the four of Anita?s crew went off to the side to contact the ship.

At that point Anita noticed that a number of the cathedral guards had already been resurrected and had returned to their posts, so Anita knew that she needed to act quickly. Turning back to Alyssa and Rodney
?Just before the invaders ran out of here they called me and my crew ?GM?s?. What exactly does that mean, what is a ?GM??? she asked them. But like before neither one of them had a ready answer.
?Erm, I don?t have any idea Captain Anita. I?ve never heard anyone say that before. The invaders rarely speak to us at all.? Alyssa replied quite innocently. By then the rest of Anita?s crew were returning with Rune in the lead.
?We think that we have the answer Captain.? Rune announced to Anita and explained
?Re-cloning, that is what?s happening to the people here. What Ms. Whitemane called ?resurrection? works like this: when someone is killed here, their body is transmitted down to one of the cloning operation centers deep underground. There, the body is re-cloned and reanimated and transmitted back up to the surface, just like the cathedral guards are doing now. I even had Melissa closely track one of the bodies and her findings confirm my theory.?
?I see, and it makes a lot of sense Rune.? Anita replied
?What?s more is the process is completely computer controlled and automatic. It happens so quickly that necrosis can?t set in and the victims suffer no brain damage. That?s why Ms. Whitemane still has all of her past memories.? Rune finished. Captain Anita nodded and turned to look at Alyssa again, who was completely mystified by what Rune had just explained.
?Captain Anita ? what did Rune just say? What does it all mean?? Alyssa asked nervously.
?Alyssa, it means that not only was the planet of Azeroth and everything on it artificially constructed, but so were the people as well. Alyssa, Rodney, both of you were cloned and placed here for some purpose. It also explains why you have no memories of growing up or having a family Alyssa.? The Captain answered.
?So ? we were created by some person ? and not the Light?? Rodney asked incredulously.
?Not exactly.? Monika answered.
?Your genetic structure matches that of the people of Bohronus, so I believe that all of the people on Azeroth were cloned from real people from that world. They are also the ones who constructed this planet.? Monika added. Alyssa?s eyes were now wide with fright
?So ? so none of this is real? All of the world that I?ve ever known is just a fiction ? an elaborate work of art?? she stammered. Anita tried as much as she could to be gentle with her reply
?From my point of view that is true Alyssa. What you?ve said is probably right, but I can understand that from your point of view it is much different, that all of this must seem very real to you.? Anita told her. Alyssa suddenly became very faint and Rodney had to hold onto her and let her down gently. Then he turned to Anita and looked at her straightly
?But why? Why would someone do this to us? What purpose does it serve Captain Anita?? he demanded. She looked back at him and saw how earnestly Rodney desired an answer to this, questioning the very nature of his existence.
?Mr. Mograine, unfortunately I do not have an answer for you, not yet anyways. There are still some pieces of this puzzle missing, but I intend to find them. The key I believe is the invaders, they thought that I was a ?GM?. Whatever a ?GM? is, it must be important enough or powerful enough to frighten them into running away from us. They know something that we do not.? Anita explained.
?Yes, you?re probably right Captain Anita.? Rodney agreed and continued
?Very soon another group of them will show up to kill us again, but this time we?ll be ready for them, ready to capture and interrogate them. You?ll get your answers Captain Anita ? and I shall have mine.?

No sooner had Rodney finished speaking than the sound of voices shouting was heard out in the courtyard. The fighting had begun already so there wasn?t much time to plan things.
?Mr. Mograine, get all of your men to the back of the Cathedral, half on either side of the entrance door, backs to the wall, hurry!? Anita quickly instructed. Then Rodney also ordered
?You heard her everyone. I really believe that the Captain is trying to help us out, so obey her as you would me. Let?s go!? and with a rushed clattering of feet everyone did as Anita had asked. Then the Captain instructed her own crew
?Rune, go over on that side with Rodney. Monika, stay behind one of these pillars with Alyssa and both of you keep out of sight. Kassandra, also stay behind one of these pillars, but keep a close watch on us. My objective is to capture and restrain the invaders and interrogate them. If the plan goes sour, be ready to pick them off, one by one.?
Kassandra nodded in agreement and took up her position. Monika did the same with Alyssa and lastly Anita turned to Cynthia
?Cynthia, you?re with me on this side.? And the formation was completed with Rodney and Anita on either side of the doorway, all of the others lined up behind them, backs to the wall.
?Rodney, I don?t want the invaders killed, just restrained so that they can?t attack us while I interrogate them.? Anita said to him.
?Understood Captain Anita. I?ve never seen a group larger than five, and we have almost thirty. So when they come through the door, we?ll surround them, then separate and disarm them.? Rodney suggested.
?That should work.? Anita agreed and added ?If things don?t go as planned, I?ve got Kassandra ready and waiting to eliminate the invaders. She?s an excellent shot, so there?s no need to worry.? She finished with a little smile. Rodney nodded to her and they took up their final positions. Everyone remained quiet and still, then all that was left to do was wait.

After the fighting was finished with the guards on the front steps of the Cathedral, the invaders entered through the door. Two heavily armored men came in first, then two women, one with a animal that looked much like a white tiger, followed. They didn?t go very far in before they stopped.
?Where the hell are they?? One of the armored men asked half confused and half annoyed. That was the cue that Anita was looking for. She nodded silently to Rodney and then the whole group rushed the four invaders from behind and both sides. The noise of their footsteps alerted the invaders, but by the time they turned around to see Rodney and Anita?s group, the invaders had already been surrounded and mobbed. The tiger began to attack some of Rodney?s men, but Rune wrestled it away from them, and once clear of the mob, Cynthia cast a spell from her wand. The magic energy shot a red bolt at the tiger and instantly rendered it unconscious. The conflict lasted only a minute or so because there were at least five of the Cathedral guards on each one of the invaders. All four of them were quickly disarmed and subdued. Looking around, Anita searched to see if there was a fifth one and at last she spied a slightly built man in robes just outside the door on the Cathedral front steps. As soon as she turned towards him with her sword drawn, the man?s eyes grew wide with fright and he quickly fled. With the fifth invader now accounted for, Anita turned back to those that she and Rodney now held captive. Things were quiet now, so Alyssa, Monika, and Kassandra had now joined everyone else. One of the heavily armored men appeared to be much stronger and well equipped than the other, so Anita guessed that she was their leader and went to him first. His eyes were full of annoyance and anger as Anita approached him and he shouted at her
?What is this? Who are you? What the hell is going on here?? his voice full of ire at his apparently unexpected current circumstances. For a moment Anita just glared at him, but eventually she answered
?My thoughts exactly? she replied calmly and then turned to Rodney.
?Remove his helmet.? Anita requested and Rodney did as she asked although a little more forcefully than necessary. The man?s bright red hair and scowling face plainly visible now, Anita took her sword and turned it over in her free hand a few times. Then she asked the fellow.
?Do you know what a ?GM? is?? in a cold and toneless voice. For just a second Anita saw a glint of emotion in the man?s eyes, but it didn?t last long.
?Yeah, of course I know what a GM is!? he replied with disdain, but continued
?But you don?t look like any GM I?ve ever seen. Who the hell are you anyways? If you?re a hacker and been screwing with this place, Avalanche will have your head and you know it!? Intrigued with what the invader had just said, Anita followed his lead
?If you mean hacker as in computer hacker, I?m not one of those, but I am a visitor in this place. I?m here to find out why you?ve been killing these people here in this Monastery. What purpose does it serve?? the Captain asked him. This time the man?s face softened a bit and his voice wasn?t quite so angry
?So you?re a lurker? You?d better stop asking questions and get out of here as soon as you can. You?ll get killed for real sooner or later or worse Avalanche will find out and we all know what they do to trespassers.? He replied
?That?s the second time you?ve mention ?Avalanche? what exactly is Avalanche?? Anita quizzed him yet again. Then the man gave Anita a weird look.
?You mean that you don?t know? You must really be an outsider then if you don?t know what Avalanche is. They?re the company that runs this game. They built this planet and everything on it. They run the greatest combat reality game in the galaxy and we all pay tons of money to come here and play all the time. But Avalanche doesn?t like yoyo?s like you coming here to play without paying, so you?d better let us go and get lost if you know what?s good for you!? he finished with a stern warning.

Captain Anita just stared at him for a moment unable to reply. Her mind was still trying to grasp the information that the man had just given her, still trying to comprehend that this world of Azeroth and its people were created for the purpose of being a game playing field. Then she thought of everything that Alyssa had told her about dying so many times and Melissa?s discovery of the automated cloning systems that perpetuated these conditions for all of the people that lived on Azeroth. And now Anita realized that all along it was all meant to be only a game to be played for other people?s amusement. As she thought this, Anita?s blood began to flow hot in her veins as she scowled and stared unblinking back at the man who just told her these things.
?Hey, take it easy there, what?s going on with you anyways?? He asked her, obviously perturbed by Anita?s sudden display wrath, disciplined as she was. Soon the Captain calmed herself and turned to Rune who was standing nearby.
?Rune, return to the ship immediately. Help Melissa access the infrastructure of this planet and verify what this man has told us.? She ordered bluntly, but Rune simply answered
?Aye, captain? and vanished via the matter transmitter a second later. Next Captain Anita returned to her captive. To explain a few things
?You called me a ?yoyo?, whatever that is, and a ?lurker? but my name is Anita. I am the Captain of the Starship Shikeriah of the Kadzai Imperial Star Fleet. The reason that I am here is to investigate reports of atrocities being committed against the inhabitants of this world of Azeroth.? She told him quite forcefully, however the effect was much more powerful than Anita had intended. The captive?s face went white and his eyes grew wide with terror.
?Y-your ? your from the Kadzai Empire??? He stammered and began a frenzied struggle to break free from Rodney?s guards that were holding him. Unable to break free he blurt out
?Oh ? sshiii ?? but never finished his sentence as he vanished, apparently transmitted away as Rune had done. The three other captives did not hesitate to do likewise and then all of the invaders were gone.
?I didn?t really understand what you said to him Captain Anita, but wow did it really scare them. I?ll have to remember that one.? Rodney commented
?Erm, well it?s a little hard to explain Mr. Mograine. If you?ve ever looked up at the stars at night, imagine worlds like Azeroth around almost every one of them, the star being each world?s sun. The Kadzai Empire is a united collection of such worlds that comprises more than half of the galaxy. We are not a warlike people, but our star fleet is very large and most worlds outside of the Empire greatly fear us although in most cases that is completely unnecessary. The star system of your world Mr. Mograine also has another world called Bohronus which we have determined constructed this world of Azeroth ? and now I know why. Since neither world belongs to the Kadzai Empire, my presence here is a foreboding omen, an omen that we may soon conquer this system. That is why that man was so scared of me.? Anita paused for a second and then continued
?And after I?ve filed my report on Azeroth and Bohronus, Bohronus will have sound reason to fear us.? She finished on an ominous note.