Alpha Agent: A Post Apocalyptic LitRPG

Dan made only one request to Chad Eisenworth before they departed. He wanted to pay his respects to his mother’s grave.

Dan’s trip was possibly the safest he had ever taken through the crime-ridden streets. He hopped into a limousine escorted by three other understated sedans. Not one gang member they drove by attempted anything funny. Dan had assumed at least one would have tried something stupid. However, the executive told him during the drive that the sedans the agents rode in had their windows rolled down, allowing them to show off their weapons. Dan in essence had his own bodyguards.

They finally arrived at the cemetery where his mother was buried. Dan still grimly remembered how he had no money to afford a proper funeral. The state sure as hell didn’t pay for one either, only providing the bare essentials for what was needed to bury his mom’s body.

The vehicles stopped in front of the cemetery.

“Thanks for doing this for me, Chad,” Dan said. “Just in case I never step foot on U.S. soil again, I wanted one last visit.”

“Not a problem, kid. Just be mindful of your time here,” the executive said. “We still need to transport you to Alpha-controlled territory and get you prepped as an agent. Plus, we might be attracting some nosey ones in your little neighborhood. My agents will defend themselves, but starting a war isn’t what we’re here for.”

Dan hopped out of the limo, walked through the open gate and followed the gravel path. After another minute of walking, a yellow triangle pointed out the exact location of his mom's grave. He was unsettled how his HUD knew to give directions to him based on his current circumstances. It only proved that the Alpha Corp already knew a lot about him just from hacking into the local surveillance systems.

Dan stopped in front of the yellow triangle. It promptly disappeared, and he saw his mom’s gravestone for the first time since they’d buried her.

Emily Erikson

2261 - 2301

The state had the bare minimum of consideration to give Dan’s mom the surname of her mother, if only for documentation purposes.

Dan had to keep this brief. His new life was waiting for him.

“Hey, Mom,” Dan said. He hadn’t addressed his mom for what felt like an eternity, even though her death was only two months ago.

“I never thought my life would take this direction. A direction without you and a path out of the U.S. I’m taking the opportunity to get out while I can to start something new.”

Dan knew he was the only one talking, but it brought him comfort to sort of pretend that his mom was still around in some capacity.

“I don’t know what these Alpha Corporation dudes have in store for me, but who knows? It might be fun to be an agent. They’re going to give me weapons, armor, a rank, actual prospects, Mom. Running around and evading these assholes is getting so fucking old. It’s time for me to go. I don’t know if I’ll ever come back here, but I hope you know that I’m escaping this place.”

Dan walked up to the gravestone and placed his hand on the cold wet stone. “See ya, Mom.”

He removed his hand and walked away. The yellow triangle popped up in his vision and guided him back to the entrance of the cemetery. He saw the executive and an agent standing at the entrance, waiting for him.

“That was pretty quick,” the agent said. He looked over to Chad. “Usually the goodbyes from the recruits to their loved ones are always a drag.”

“Not much to say,” Dan said. “I’m getting out of here to start a new life and said to wish me good luck.”

The agent chuckled. “I like this kid.”

“Ready to go, Dan?” Chad asked.

Dan nodded. “Yeah, I am. You okay with me taking a nap on the trip?”

“No worries. My agents wouldn’t mind a quiet ride.”

“Tell me about it,” the agent said. “All the new recruits we collect from Alpha territories always ask a bunch of questions as if we’re fucking walking service desks.”

Dan laughed at the agent’s bluntness as he got inside the limo.

***

A jab to Dan’s arm woke him up. He looked around and saw the familiar interiors of the jet they’d boarded. Across from him was Chad and his secretary Skye, who both unfastened their seatbelts and stood up. Beside him was the agent that had jabbed him in the arm.

Dan let out a yawn. “What’s going on?”

“We’re here,” the agent said.

“How long was I asleep?”

“Just an hour. We traveled from the East Coast of the U.S. to where Britain used to be.”

Dan rubbed his eyes and stared at the agent. “Hold the fuck up. You’re telling me we traveled from the States to Europe in an hour?! How is that possible?”

“What? You’ve never been on an airplane before?”

“Never. I’m just a street kid, remember? I never knew planes were that fast,” Dan said.

“Oh right, I forgot,” the agent said. “By the way, we no longer call it Europe.

Once again, Dan was shocked at how the Alpha Corporation operated. To treat a one hour flight that spanned the Atlantic Ocean like it was no big deal. Honestly, Dan was surprised their jet hadn’t been shot down since the entire U.S. was jam-packed with no-fly zones.

“How did you guys get around the no-fly zones?”

“We didn’t have to,” Chad said. “All the personal jets I own have advanced stealth technology.”

“Damn,” Dan said.

“Well, come along now. We need to get you into the city,” Chad said.

Dan unfastened his seatbelt and followed behind the executive. The agent brought up the rear. Another agent greeted them and promptly opened the side door and the sunlight spilled through. Dan excitedly stepped out, almost bumping into Chad and his secretary.

“Woah, easy now,” Chad said.

“Sorry, I don’t see the sun too often,” Dan said.

“Geez,” the agent behind him said.

As Dan stepped down the stairs from the private jet, he looked out and saw they had landed on what appeared to be lush flatlands.

Dan stood still for a few seconds to admire the greenery. Back where he lived, he would be lucky to see one tree per block. The grass was a serene green shade and swayed to the light breeze. Colors appeared far more vibrant than what Dan thought was possible. Was it the sunlight?

The gold rays cascaded down onto the grass along what appeared to be a mile-long stretch of plains through the white clouds. Dan took a deep breath. The air just felt great to breathe. No longer was his throat irritated with the smoke and other crap in the air of his hometown. He recalled times when he had to resist the urge to cough or sneeze while sneaking around groups of gangsters because of how poor the air quality had been.

“It’s not just the sunlight, kid,” the agent said behind him. “Thanks to the serum, your improved visual acuity gives the world around you a facelift.”

“Wow, good to know,” Dan said, still in awe of the serene landscape in front of him.

Dan continued walking down the stairs and reached the ground. He looked back at the private jet and took a few seconds to check out its bizarre design. It was sleek and skinny. The nose was sharp and pointy, and it drooped slightly downward at an angle. The wings in particular looked like they were reversed in their design, pointing towards the front of the aircraft instead of behind it.

Then the outer shell of the plane shimmered with pastel colors for a few seconds before going completely translucent.

“Woah, holy shit,” Dan shouted.

“That’s the cloaking system in action,” Chad said. “The Americans would kill to have to this.”

“It’s rare to ever see kids impressed these days,” the agent said. “Most of the previous recruits in the past six months would look at this and just go back to swiping on their handhelds.”

“What the hell?” Dan said. “How could they. This shit is awesome!”

“If you like that, you’ll love the gear we got in our armories,” Chad said. “But remember that you’ll have to rank up and earn our top-notch equipment. Now let’s hurry on.”

A jeep was waiting for them and Dan followed Chad and Skye into the vehicle. Chad walked to the passenger seat while Dan and Skye entered the backseats. They got onto a road and the jeep drove through the countryside. Dan saw rolling hills and the occasional barns here and there. All the scenes he witnessed looked like the various pictures of what many areas in the States used to look like a few centuries ago.

“I’m surprised your shard kept the landscapes intact,” Dan said.

“Well, not exactly,” Chad said. “Urbanization had already taken its toll in many lands. The Alpha Corporation had to jumpstart tearing certain sections down just to cultivate everything you see here. These flatlands in particular took us forty years to develop into what they are now.”

“That long?”

“Mankind knows how to leave its mark on the Earth,” Chad said. “It truly is a shame that we cover up nature’s majestic wonders with our inferior man-made sights, which never measure up.”

Compared to where he grew up, this was a fantasy land. Just the variety in color and scenery already captured Dan’s full attention. As if that wasn’t enough, the sky shifted from blue to a splash of aqua and yellow, and the sunlight even shifted from an angelic gold to an unexpected pink.

“The fuck? What’s going on?” Dan said.

Skye chimed in. “The Alpha Corporation employs periodic color changes to the sky and sunlight to offer more variety in outdoor scenery for certain sections. These flat plains are one of them.”

Dan simply stared at her before looking back out the window and watching the bizarre scenery. Now he was witnessing the countryside with pink sunshine and aqua-yellow skies. Dan had never taken drugs in his life, but maybe this was what some drug users saw when they were high.

The ride took another twenty minutes before the jeep arrived at a guarded checkpoint. Dan glanced out the window again and saw the security guard at the station. Even for a mere security guard, he was equipped with a high-caliber rifle with a barrel Dan could probably fit his thumb into. His armor looked like a lightweight version of the suits the Alpha agents wore underneath their long coats.

After a brief conversation between the guard and driver, the jeep was granted access and drove down through an underground tunnel. After driving straight for about thirty seconds, the jeep went up an incline and emerged from the tunnel.

“Welcome to Cerulean City,” Chad said.

Dan rubbed his eyes before he opened them again. What he saw in front of him might as well be a city from another planet. Every single building was pristine and reflected the sunlight with excess glass. His eyes were already adjusting to the extra glare and overall brightness of the city. There were skyscrapers that appeared to be ninety or even a hundred stories tall. He looked down at ground level and saw the cleanest streets he could imagine. No litter or even shady-looking characters walking around. He saw regular people wearing regular clothes just simply going about their business. A stark contrast to the pockets of gangsters and poverty-stricken populace scurrying around like rats trying to navigate a shithole.

Building after building, whether it was a skyscraper off in the distance or a simple convenience store, caught Dan’s attention. Every structure looked so sleek and pristine, as if it had all been recently built.

Dan noticed more than a handful of billboards and TV ads showing off the same person. The beautiful face plastered on the ads was a brunette wearing the same uniform and armor as Michael Cynosa, white long coat with a sleek armored suit underneath. There were tag lines such as JOIN TODAY, or even better, AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE LIKE HER.

The jeep took a route that directed them towards an area that became progressively less populated. They finally arrived at a large facility that had the familiar stylized A logo on the side along with a perimeter wall about five meters tall.

“Alright then, this is the base,” Chad said. “Let’s get you inside.”

“So I’m guessing you can’t squeeze in a tour of the city?” Dan asked.

“Are you kidding? This is one of Alpha’s capital cities. The tours are three days long. You’ll have downtime to explore on your own. Right now, we need to get you introduced to your new team and get you your starting gear.”

“Okay, I understand. When I get the chance, I wanna see one of those hundred-story skyscrapers.”

“Very well then. Follow me,” Chad said. The executive opened the door and exited the jeep, Dan following suit. He had the opportunity to check out his surroundings. The street was still clean and maintained with little to no trash around. The wall that formed the perimeter around the base had automated sentry turrets perched every dozen meters at the top.

“It wouldn’t be a base if it wasn’t secure,” Chad said.

“Yeah, of course,” Dan said. He wasn’t particularly surprised at the heavy security. He had seen police stations that looked like fortresses.

“I’ll give you the address to your new home after I introduce you to your new teammates. I asked them to patiently wait for your arrival, so I better not keep them waiting.”

“Aw,” Dan said. “All this royalty treatment for me?”

“Michael Cynosa vouched for you hard,” Chad said. “Somehow, he convinced Jane Sunheiser of all people to give you a chance. You better enjoy it while it lasts.”

Dan remembered Michael mentioning that name during his video message to him. He never mentioned anything about the video to this Alpha team. Something in his gut told him to keep his mouth shut about that. For the whole trip, Michael’s name was mostly left out of any conversation. Maybe Michael screwed up his mission in America or had done something he wasn’t supposed to.

He didn’t know the circumstances surrounding the man who saved his life, but Dan decided the best he could do was to stay silent about Michael.

Dan asked Chad about Jane. “So tell me about this Jane. Who is she, exactly?”

“Well, you probably saw the ads and billboards with her face on it as we arrived at the city. She’s our most popular agent. The current marketing powerhouse of the Alpha Corp,” Chad said.

Resisting the urge to wince proved more difficult than Dan thought.

“Something wrong?”

“Can I speak freely?” Dan asked.

“Go ahead.”

“The popular chicks tend to be the ones I find the most annoying. Shallow personalities with nothing to offer except their looks. Just being in their presence was painful, let me tell you.”

Chad stared at Dan with a bewildered look. “I can assure you that Jane isn’t like that at all. I would be worried if a woman in her thirties still acted like a teenager,” Chad said.

Dan breathed a sigh of relief. So Jane wasn’t an uppity bitch like many of the “popular” girls he knew.

The two entered through the courtyard and stopped at the front doors. Chad placed his hand on a panel beside the door. A green light lit up above it, the doors slid open and the two walked through.

Dan looked at the walls and the ceiling of this base. Everything here was pristine and near spotless. He walked past a janitor polishing the floor and continued through the hallway, following right behind Chad.

“So this Jane gave me a chance?” Dan asked. “Does that mean my face might be on a billboard one day?”

“Not exactly. Michael was the one who convinced her. Jane Sunheiser has high expectations out of her teammates. When I saw his request to recruit you onto her team, me and Skye reread the message multiple times. It’s strange, but I trust Michael’s judgment on this one.”

They both stopped at a set of doors, and Chad let the panel on the wall read his palm before the doors slid open with a whoosh.

Chad turned and said, “Don’t say anything stupid. First impressions are everything. Jane and every one of her teammates are highly respected, high-level agents. Getting a spot on such a team is a privilege few recruits ever experience.”

They stepped in, and Dan saw members of the team going about their business. As Chad walked down the middle, one agent, who was wiping what appeared to be a shotgun, looked up and immediately stood at attention. Dan also saw a rocket launcher leaning beside the table.

“Eisenworth, sir,” the agent said.

“Relax, Allen. I brought you guys your new recruit. His name is Dan ‘Arctic’ Orion.” Chad turned to look at Dan. “Kid, this is Allen Draco.”

Allen stood fifteen centimeters taller than Dan. He wore the same exact outfit as the agents that escorted them—completely black attire with a long coat and armor underneath. The black mask covered the bottom half of Allen’s ebony visage.

It wasn’t just his height that Dan noticed. The agent was built like a tank with broad shoulders and arms that looked thicker than Dan’s whole head.

Dan’s HUD brought up a bunch of stats on Allen.

Agent: Allen Draco

Age: 28 M

Shard: Alpha Corporation

Rank: Tier 2 | Level 48

Strength: 60

Agility: 42

Endurance: 58

Intelligence: 44

Healing Factor: None

“Nice to meet you, Allen. Tell me, will I grow as big as you if I keep eating my vegetables?” Dan asked.

Chad shot him a stern look, but Allen simply chuckled.

“It’ll take more than a healthy diet to get these gains, kid.” Allen reached out for a handshake. Unsurprisingly, his grip was rock-solid. “I had the chance to read your file. Glad to see you got some fighting experience under your wing. You came from the States?”

“Yeah, glad to be out of there,” Dan said.

“So was I. Good to hear you’re not as green as the newest batch of babies we’re getting. At least I won’t be stuck on babysitting duty.”

“Allen,” Chad said sternly.

“With all due respect, sir, it’s the truth,” Allen replied.

Chad walked past Allen, and Dan followed. Dan looked back, and the agent gave him a polite nod.

A female agent in white, presumably Jane, stood with her back turned while looking up at a screen. The large display showcased a news reel talking about some protests downtown.

When Chad and Dan stopped behind her, she still hadn’t turned around.

Dan lightly elbowed the executive and said, “What did you say earlier, about first impressions being everything?”

He had no doubt that Jane would have heard the two walking in and their conversation with Allen.

Chad narrowed his eyes at him before clearing his throat.

Jane finally turned around. “You know me better than that, Eisenworth. It takes a lot to attract my attention.”

“Of course it does, Jane. Have you—”

“Yes, I have. I read his file. I appreciate his background and the fact that I won’t have to deal with wealthy stuck-up parents breathing down my neck about my babysitting services to their recruit. Still, placing any fresh recruit on my team is a decision that… well, makes no goddamn sense. But since Michael Cynosa recommended him, I have no choice but to take the request seriously.”

“Believe me, I was shocked too,” Chad said. “I hope that Michael knows what he’s doing.”

“I’ll trust Michael’s judgment on this one, but we’ll see how he works out,” Jane said. Not once did Jane glance in Dan’s direction.

Dan already knew she wasn’t a fan of him.

“Well, in that case”—Chad turned to Dan—“Jane Sunheiser needs no introduction. She is one of our finest agents and will be your new squad leader. You will be taking orders from her from now on.”

“That’s if he lasts long enough,” Jane interjected. She had her arms crossed while giving Dan a look. Not of disgust, more of suspicion, as if she thought Dan might rob her when her back was turned. “Surely, Michael is aware of our need for more agents to deal with the Church, isn’t he? The Dead Zone won’t be easy to penetrate if he keeps picking up strays.”

Strays? Is she talking about me? And what the hell is a Dead Zone? Dan thought.

Seeing the Alpha Corp’s mascot in person and up close, he was surprised she was just as beautiful as she was on the billboards. She had long, flowing brown hair along with skin shaded and textured like icing. Dan also felt a hint of anxiety in her presence. Not because she was attractive, but how dangerous she looked.

Jane stood around a dozen centimeters taller than him and Chad. She had two submachine guns strapped to the sides of her long coat. There was also what looked like the handle of a sword on her belt. Dan wondered where the blade was, unless it was something ludicrous like an energy sword.

Somehow, his HUD must have detected Dan’s curiosity of Jane’s rank and power level, because a notification popped up in his vision.

Agent: Jane Sunheiser

Age: 31 F

Shard: Alpha Corporation

Rank: Tier 3 | Level 70

Strength: 70

Agility: 89

Endurance: 68

Intelligence: 78

Healing Factor: Moderate

He looked like an idiot standing there gawking at Jane’s stats. Jane was a high-ranking agent, far above his own stats. He was curious what a moderate healing factor meant.

Dan had always been used to the manipulative advertising tricks the government and companies employed back in his hometown. To his surprise, the Alpha Corp saw no need to alter the photos of Jane. She was just that hot.

The only difference was that the Jane in front of him didn’t smile.

Jane picked up on Dan’s awe and waved her hand. “There’s plenty of posters of me you can buy downtown when you get the chance. Otherwise, cut that shit out. It’s unprofessional. I get enough unwanted admirers as it is.”

Chad held back a chuckle which came out as a snort.

Dan simply smiled. “Nah, hun. My HUD was giving me a readout of your stats. Your numbers were more impressive than your face.”

The agent narrowed her brown eyes at him. They cut through Dan in such a way that he thought they would shoot lasers.

Jane glanced at Chad. “His sense of humor is… unique. But that can’t be the only reason Michael vouched for him.”

“Most certainly not,” Chad said. “He was deliberately light on details regarding Dan. But we’ll see how he performs. I leave him in your hands.”

“Let him meet the rest first. I’ll take care of everything else,” Jane said.

“Alright then. This way, Dan,” Chad said.

Dan followed. He looked back and gave Jane a wave. She simply kept her eyes on him before returning her attention back on the overhead display.

As the two walked, Dan could only think about how crazy Allen and Jane’s numbers were. Jane had eighty-nine points in agility and Allen had sixty in strength.

“Hey Chad, what’s the maximum number of points you can put into any of the stats?” Dan asked.

The executive looked back at him and said, “You can allocate a maximum of a hundred twenty-five points into each category, which is added on top of your baseline stats. Let’s say you had a five in strength, then your highest strength rating if you max it out would be one hundred thirty. Your rank goes up to level one hundred and each level increase grants you five stat points. You might recall that you were already level three when we found you and had fifteen stat points available to you.”

“Ah, I see,” Dan said. “If Allen’s strength is sixty, does that mean he’s six times stronger than I am since I only have ten in strength?”

Chad stopped and turned to Dan. “Not necessarily. An agent’s stats are not that linear. It’s become a bad habit for our agents to solely judge another’s competence from their numbers alone in a stat readout. There’s more to an agent’s skills and capabilities than just the numbers. Those are only one part of that agent’s career.”

Chad led him to another door. Before he could open it, someone called out to him.

“Sir, is that our sixth member?” The voice was male, though it was much lighter and more relaxed compared to Allen Draco’s.

Dan turned his head as another agent walked up to them. At a glance, the agent’s armor didn’t differ that much compared to most of the Alpha agents Dan had seen up until now. But he did notice the white plus symbols on the sleeves of his black long coat.

“Yes, he is,” Chad said. “Do you know where Hailey and Kate are?”

“In the room you’re about to enter. Interrupt at your own risk, they’re playing poker.”

“Gambling while on duty?”

“You know how those two are,” the agent said. He looked at Dan and reached his hand out. “Hi there. The name’s Benjamin Colt. Call me Ben.”

Dan’s HUD immediately brought up Ben’s stats as they shook hands.

Agent: Benjamin Colt

Age: 30 M

Shard: Alpha Corporation

Rank: Tier 2 | Level 38

Strength: 40

Agility: 43

Endurance: 41

Intelligence: 34

Healing Factor: None

At this point, all the numbers blended together in Dan’s eyes. All Dan knew was that everyone here was significantly higher-ranked than he was.

“I’m the team medic. Any broken bones or head colds, you come to me. I got something for anything you might be dying from,” Ben said.

“That’s… reassuring,” Dan replied. “By the way, I saw Jane’s stats and noticed her healing factor says ‘moderate.’ What does that mean?”

“It means her wounds heal faster. Most minor stuff like deep gashes, bruises, lacerations can heal within seconds. Her body works much faster to suppress pain and keeps her operating for longer. A ‘high’ rating would mean her body can go further and repair broken bones and damaged organs.”

“So… she can’t regrow a dismembered arm?”

“Nothing Alpha has could grant such a power, unfortunately. I hear the labs are still working on a retroactive serum upgrade for that.”

Dan felt a hand grab his shoulder. He turned and saw Chad. “We’ve still got more of the team to meet. Let’s go. I have a meeting I need to attend.”

“Sure thing,” Dan said. “Later, Ben.”

“Seeya, kid,” the medic replied.

Chad placed his hand on a panel beside the door and it slid open. They entered to yet another room with drab interiors and lack of color. In the middle, he saw two female agents sitting on the floor across from each other. A stack of playing cards was on the ground between them along with two small discarded piles of cards.

“Ready, Hailey?” one of them said. The agent was a beautiful blonde with hoop earrings.

The agent sitting across from her had raven colored hair with dark patches beneath her eyes. She scrutinized her own cards as if they were about to vanish from her hand.

“You know you can fold and we can just move on,” the blonde lady said. “There’s no need to waste both of our time and drag things out.”

“Shut the hell up, Kate. I’ll never fold against you,” Hailey said.

“Suit yourself. Let’s put the cards down.” Kate flipped her cards over and laid them out on the floor in front of her. Her hand was four kings along with a joker. A monstrous five of a kind.

“Oh my fucking lord,” Hailey said. “There’s no fucking way you didn’t cheat.” Hailey threw down her hand onto the floor, revealing three of a kind jacks.

Kate responded by sticking her tongue out.

While Hailey was being humiliated, Dan took the time to pull up her stats.

Agent: Hailey Monsoon

Age: 30 F

Shard: Alpha Corporation

Rank: Tier 2 | Level 34

Strength: 35

Agility: 39

Endurance: 42

Intelligence: 40

Healing Factor: None

Once again, it seemed that the entire team was lightyears beyond Dan in terms of their stats and overall rank. He wondered if he truly had a place on this team considering how low-ranked he was. He was beginning to wonder how Michael Cynosa managed to vouch for him to join such a team as a newbie.

Chad cleared his throat. “I hope you ladies aren’t gambling credits on the job.”

“We’re not. Just a good old-fashioned beatdown in a game of poker. Still just as aggravating though, right, Hailey?” Kate said, winking at her teammate.

Hailey stood up with her arms crossed then proceeded in sticking a middle finger at Kate without saying a word.

“Well then, I have your newest member to the team. Ladies, this is Dan Orion,” Chad said.

Both agents turned to look at Dan. While Kate greeted him with a big smile and friendly wave, Hailey stared at him without a change in expression. Dan assumed she was still pissed off at losing the poker match.

“Hey,” Hailey said half-heartedly. “I wish I could say more, but I gotta go. I’ll see you around.”

She walked right past him and quickly left the room. Kate slowly got up and walked up to the two men.

“Sorry about that. Hailey needs a long nap after what I put her through. She doesn’t have any energy or patience left for the day.”

“Damn, you clowned her that bad at poker?” Dan asked.

“Indeed,” Kate nodded. “It gets rough when you lose more than eight games in a row.”

Dan had more time to take a good look at Kate. The blonde agent’s overall appearance did not disappoint. She stood just as tall as Dan and had blue eyes along with long blonde hair that was almost a shining gold shade under this lighting. Her skin looked like she used the same body products as Jane Sunheiser. Her face could easily be on a billboard just like Jane’s

Dan wondered how such beauty was even possible. He had never seen any woman or girl his age that looked so stunning back where he lived. Though, he could assume given how polluted and poverty-stricken his area was, one’s personal appearance wasn’t a high priority.

He pulled up Kate’s stats and checked out her numbers.

Agent: Kate Razor

Age: 26 F

Shard: Alpha Corporation

Rank: Tier 2 | Level 36

Strength: 38

Agility: 52

Endurance: 46

Intelligence: 42

Healing Factor: None

Once again, Dan wasn’t surprised in the slightest. He was going to have to bust his ass if he was going to approach the rankings of his teammates in any reasonable time.

“Hailey’s our sniper, so you won’t be seeing much of her after this,” Kate said. She shot him a big grin. “But not to worry, you’ll see plenty of me.”

“I have no complaints,” Dan said.

“Well then, Dan, you’ve been introduced to all of Jane’s team. Jane will be your new boss from now on. I need to get going,” Chad said. He patted Dan on the shoulder. “Good luck. You have your work cut out for you.”

“Yeah, I kind of got that feeling after seeing everybody’s stats,” Dan said.

Chad turned and left the room. Just as the executive left, a hand grabbed the sliding door before it could close and Jane forced it back open.

She walked in and set her eyes firmly on Dan. “I assume you’ve been introduced to all five members of this team?”

“Yeah. Your sniper had to leave because Kate crushed her in poker,” Dan said.

This drew a laugh from Kate and Dan laughed along with her. Jane simply stared at both of them.

“Well, at least you’re getting along with everyone,” Jane said. “Come along, I’ll be wasting no time with you.”

“Go on, Dan,” Kate said. Oddly, she walked up to him and put her arms around him in a hug. “She’s got something special in mind for you. If I had to guess, she already has your first mission lined up.”

“That’s correct,” Jane said. “And let go of Dan. He doesn’t need a girlfriend to distract him.”

Dan just stared wide-eyed at Jane while Kate sighed and said, “I wonder if we’ll see the day when you loosen up a bit.” She gave Dan a light jab with her elbow and whispered, “She’s super serious all the time. I bet she’s super tight down there, if you know what I mean.”

“I heard that,” Jane said sternly. Her voice alone caused Dan’s back to straighten itself out and Kate to step away. “One more infantile joke and you’ll be mopping the floor of this entire facility, Kate.”

“Yes ma’am,” Kate said. She waved at Dan. “Good luck. Try not to get killed.”

“Thanks,” Dan replied.

Jane led Dan back to the main room. As he followed behind Jane, he saw Allen sitting in the same spot now wiping a portable minigun.

The agent looked up at him and gave him a nod. “Good luck, kid. Jane won’t go easy on you for your first op,” Allen said.

“Thanks, Allen. When can I get a gun like yours?” Dan asked, pointing at the minigun. His HUD displayed the big weapon’s stats for him.

Z990 Plasma Minigun

Manufacturer: Nova Firearms

150 round drum

20mm Nova-class plasma pellets

Description: The ideal choice for chain gunners. The bulky and outdated NATO rounds of the ancient era are no more. This minigun uses lighter but more fearsome Nova-class plasma pellets. Repeated hits will whittle down any shielding or armor. A nightmare for agents and armored vehicles alike.

“You’ll need to be a higher level to be eligible to buy one. Plus you need to buff you strength stat. As of now, you won’t be able to lift it.” Allen lifted the minigun and carried it with both hands. “This thing weighs ninety-three pounds.”

A hand slammed down on Dan’s shoulder so hard he flinched. He glanced to find Jane looking at him sternly. “You’ll get such a gun when you prove worthy of wielding it. Now let’s go.”

Allen gave Dan a wave before the pair walked away. He gave a quick wave back then turned back around. If there were any more delays, Jane would probably pull him by the ear to where they were headed.

Dan followed his new squad leader through more drab hallways and they eventually arrived at a wide set of doors. They slid open and Jane entered. Dan checked inside and saw what reminded him of a doctor’s waiting room.

An attendant behind a glass wall stood and looked at Jane. “Ms. Sunheiser, always a pleasure. I thought your current inventory of weapons was sufficient.” The young lady wore a standard white blouse with glasses. Compared to Jane, who stood taller than both he and the attendant and wore the Alpha agent long coat and armor, the lady looked far smaller in stature and plain in her attire.

“It is. I’m here to pick up a package for my new recruit,” Jane said.

The attendant glanced in Dan’s direction. He could tell that she was not impressed. Dan knew he probably looked like a shrimp standing next to the Alpha Corp’s mascot.

“Oh, I see. I’ll open the doors for you and your package should be waiting inside,” the attendant said.

Another set of doors slid open and Jane gestured for Dan to follow her through. Jane, as well as a blue circle in his HUD, led him down to a room filled to the brim with guns. They stopped at a steel crate. Jane put her hand on a small screen on the crate and a green light illuminated on the side. Jane lifted the lid.

“Get dressed,” she ordered. “Your new armor is in there, as well as your starting weapon.”

“Yes ma’am,” Dan said.

“I’ll be waiting outside. I didn’t buy you any makeup so there’s no reason for you to take too long,” Jane said sternly. She turned around and headed back out of the armory.

Dan looked inside the crate and found his armor. He took out his new long coat first, which was much lighter than he anticipated. He dropped it to the side for now and reached down for the bodysuit.

The actual armor was divided into two pieces that would connect to each other when worn. Dan put on the pants first, which had padding and magnetic surfaces, presumably to carry sidearms. He picked up the torso piece and was confused that the armor, while opened, did not have a zipper. He put his arms through the sleeves first and put the torso piece around his back. The entire armor wrapped around his body, then the armor automatically sealed itself.

Dan reached into the crate again and brought out the last remaining items. One was a pair of black heavy-duty gloves that he quickly put on and the other were his starting weapons: a pistol with two magazines and a combat knife.

The pistol was an all-black sidearm without any special markings or anything else that made it stand out.

Initiate pistol

Manufacturer: Emissary Armories

17 round magazine

9mm rounds

Description: The starting weapon for all new Alpha agents. While adequate against unarmored and lightly-armored targets, this pistol is not advised against regular agent body armor.

Dan placed the sidearm near his thigh mount and could feel the magnetism pull the gun and attach it. His pistol was now holstered. He placed his combat knife within its sheath on his other thigh mount.

Dan picked up the signature black Alpha long coat and put it on. He found numerous pockets and sleeves inside his coat and placed his two magazines into the sleeves on his right side.

He wished he had a mirror so he could admire his new attire, but he knew Jane was waiting for him outside and she didn’t have all day.

As he walked through the armory and approached the exit, he found the coat and armor surprisingly light. Honestly, as cool as this set looked, it felt as cheap as a costume going by weight alone.

Dan stepped out and the door slid shut behind him. He saw Jane looking at him with her arms crossed.

“You mind telling me what kind of pistol it is?” Dan said.

“Not much to say. You must have seen the stats already. It’s the starting pistol for all Alpha agents,” she said. “Seventeen rounds per magazine with a full-auto option. Your knife is the standard combat knife all agents receive. It’s versatile despite its size. It can be modified with the toxin upgrade.”

“A toxin upgrade for the knife?”

“Yes. The upgrade you can purchase adds a nano-coating of lethal and/or paralyzing poisons. The nano-coat constantly replenishes the poison on the blade so it never runs out.”

“Holy shit. That’s awesome.”

“Time for us to get to the dropship. I’ll explain more on the way,” Jane said.

Dan followed her through the facility and eventually they reached the rooftop. As they stepped outside, Dan saw the giant armored ship waiting to transport them. If he had to describe it, the ship looked like a severed eagle head that was elongated to give it more length. The back of the ship opened up, and Jane stepped onto the platform.

“Get on board. No naps allowed on the flight. I’ll be giving you your mission briefing during the ride.”

Dan stepped on the platform too and found himself a seat. Jane sat opposite to him on the other row of seats. He felt the entire aircraft lift off the ground, and the platform shrunk itself into the frame of the ship as the back closed.

The ambient lighting inside the ship activated, filling the inside with a dim blue glow.

“Look, I’ll be candid with you. The only reason why I’m even entertaining any of this is because Michael Cynosa heavily vouched for you. Otherwise I wouldn’t even look at someone who is significantly underleveled to be a member of my squad. He managed to pull some strings and that’s why we’re here now.”

Jane didn’t seem overly thrilled having Dan on the team. But he wasn’t too offended. “No offense taken, ma’am. Appreciate the honesty. I’m some random rookie who might make Alpha’s favorite girl look bad. I get it.”

Dan’s equally candid response didn’t get any notable reaction from Jane.

“Michael is a respected colleague of mine. Even with his blessings, you will still need to prove to me that you’re worthy of wearing the Alpha’s logo. Just so you know, the road gets more challenging after this mission.”

“Yeah, I could imagine. How else will I earn the credits and rank to buy that same minigun Allen has?” Dan replied.

Jane smiled at him. Well, it wasn’t really a smile. Just a slight upward curl that probably looked like a smile compared to the serious expression she’d had. Dan was glad he was getting on Jane’s good side, if only by a little.

There was an audible beep, and the lights changed from a dim blue to a slightly brighter green.

“We’re approaching the landing zone,” Jane said. “You’ll get the details fed into your HUD. Your first mission will be to disperse a riot going on at one of our facilities.”

Dan looked at her. “Is that it? I mean, I’m not expecting anything fancy for my first, but just stopping a violent protest outside our walls? Piece of cake.”

Jane raised an eyebrow at his bravado. “On the surface, it’s simple enough. However, you will only be allowed the equipment you have now.”

Before Dan could let that sink in, information on his HUD began rolling in front of his eyes.

Mission: Quell Disorder. There have been a series of violent riots and protests in front of various Alpha properties due to pharmaceutical companies supposedly price gouging prescription meds. Disperse the crowds in front of the Alpha corporate building.

Recommended: Do not harm civilians. Harming too many innocents will result in immediate termination from the Alpha Corp.

Dan let the text in front of him fade away and stared at Jane.

How the fuck am I going to do this? he thought.