2 I want a job...no i just want money forget a job

"Kayden," came a voice from the great beyond. "Kayden," It called again sounding much closer than before. "Kayden Zorden Butler i know you can hear me get up now. Don't make me open this dungeon that you call your room."

After a moment a tired voice responded, "Yes, Hydra what do you want"

"What did you call me you zilch." the other voice responded.

"I said what is it Haven?," grunted Kayden as he finally opened his eyes. 'Mom or Dad wouldn't send this lizard to call me. Did something happen,' he thought. Getting more confused about why his sister, and all her 7 of personalities were waking him up. He activated His Net-Link around his neck to see over 10 missed calls.

"Your boy friend called," she chided. " You wouldn't pick up your Link so he was worried and had me come check on his hubby."

Kayden ignored her. He could see her smiling evilly through the door in his minds eye.

"If that's all, you can get lost now." he retorted ' If I respond to her she'll stay for longer,' he thought.

Kayden opened his Net link forgetting about the thing called his sister. The device around his neck was connected to his mind. Everyone had one in this day and age. The link augmented his vision and a virtual screen only he could see overlayed his sight. He was Currently connected to the GalaticNet so he had a slew of notifications from all his streaming services. He paused at a copy of The Ark Times that had his Mom on the front page before he opened his contacts to call his best friend Xeno. It barely rang twice before the call connected. Before him appeared his 17 year old grey eyes black hair friend looking extremely pissed.

"Thanks for making me look bad," Xeno griped. "I thought you said you'd come work part time with me, at my uncle's company?"

"Yeah sorry Z", kayden yawned. "I was slaying zerg till about till daybreak. I got some decent drops though. I'll share with you later."

"I don't want it if it's anything under a Epic grade weapon." he replied trying to seem uninterested. "Its better that you didn't come anyway. Xeno sighed. "This place is boring. If i didn't want to upgrade my Net-Link I wouldn't even be here. My step dad wants me to learn values now that we graduated."

"Well that your fault own for not Specializing. Who takes 2 full years after basic education to Specialize."

"Says the guy who Specialized into gaming tech. What? You think this is the 21st century or something?", Xeno retorted in mock offense.

"We both still play so don't knock it, and i can always switch before 22. I have a little over 5 years of fun left if I want to."

"Yeah yeah yeah, but you still have to get a job eventually. You'll have limited options if you switch so late."

"Who needs a job?" Kayden snorted. " You'll never go far in life thinking like that. I want to make money not work for someone. Ill figure out a way to have my own business. None of this cog in a machine stuff they teach you in the Ark. "

"Here we go again," Xeno replied. Rolling his eyes at his best friend. "We live on an Ark Ship Kay. Actually half of humanity lives on one Ark Ship or another. A cog in the machine is kinda how society works. Unless your a resource hunter or living on one planet or another everyone is a cog in the machine."

"Well you can follow everyone

as for me I've got my own plans." Kayden said. Shaking off the last of his drowsiness. "I gotta shower and stuff hit me when your off work. Oh before i forget, Lori called before I fell asleep. She and Lina want to go to Link-Sanity's final event this weekend. You in?"

Xeno For his part looked lost in thought for a few moments before he responded. "That's going to be a no. Link-Sanity happens every year, but the reason i called you is because this weekend my uncle's company got a permit to explore old earth. Its a two week trip. They are looking for old blue prints and salvageable tech from the last millennia to get inspiration for the new Council Building. I even hear they are going to bring back some of the environment to make a small park in front of the building. I've never been planet side so im going to check it out. You down? It's a once in a lifetime thing you know."

Kayden looked surprised then excited. Unlike most of his peers he wasn't a fan of living on the Ark. He was more like his Dad in that case. So it didn't take long for him to agree and make a plans for a rain check with the twins for next year. They agreed to meet tomorrow before heading to work together. After disconnecting the call. Kayden called Lori not wasting anytime. The Link almost rang to the end before a black hair hazel eyed girl answered the call. She was dressed in sports attire. It looked like she had been doing some kind of exercise before the call.

"Hey Lori" Hey smiled.

"You do know you have sleep in your eye right?" she replied clearly amused before continuing. "What's so important you called as soon as you woke up?"

"Ahh right," He sheepishly grinned. " I actually called to make a rain check on Link-sanity this weekend." 'Not that it ever rains on the ark,' he thought to himself. Something he might get to see in person if he went planet side.

"Oh Ok, but why?" she asked. to be fair she didn't look all that surprised like she expected him not to come to begin with. "If you don't mind me asking, didnt you just want to go this morning?"

"Yeah, I did but Xeno has a way for us to go planet side this weekend. They'll even be going to old earth for a resource mission." He replied grinning as he thought about it.

"Doesn't that mean your going to Hyper Jump?" she asked inheriting all his excitement. Like every Space bound Human. Lori thought there was nothing cooler than Hyper Space. Every Spacer enjoyed watching The Hyper Circuit. Races through hyper space which were truly dangerous. With gravity wells threatening to tear ships apart as they raced to predetermine coordinates. Usually these coordinates led to large astroid fields with jump points on either end. If it wasn't like this races through space would be incredibly boring. With nothing around to let you know you were actually moving. Could make the races very monotonous. Which they weren't as racers were amongst the most popular stars of any Ark Ship.

"Yeah, i don't have all the details but Xeno's Uncle Finley is taking us through his company. "

"Ok bye," she said as the call disconnected. Not giving him a chance to continue.

Kayden stared into empty space for a moment. Words still in his mouth before he sighed and got up. 'Xeno would handle it,' He thought as he gathered everything he needed and headed to the bathroom. As he got there coming out the bathroom was a silver hair green eye woman dressed in business attire. She greeted him with a smile. If you compared thier faces they looked like siblings in stead of one being the parent of the other. His mom was entering her 40's but could pass for a much younger person

"Sweety you should wait a minute the air scrubber just turned on. Your dad took me on a date to Louie's last night and im not sure what it was but it ran...."

"Mom!! okay, okay, I get it. Sheesh." Kayden complained.

"Ok as long as you understand," she smiled sweetly. "If your hungry I ordered an entree for You, Haven, and Lillie before we left the restaurant. I had them package it for you and brought it home. Its in the fridge."

"Thanks, I'll eat with caution though. By the way, Xeno got a part time job for me at his uncles company. I start tomorrow." he replied

Yeah? Doing what? Isn't Xeno's uncle Finley? That city planner? You don't know anything about that, she asked sounding more doubtful as she thought.

"Im not sure,"he said. "I haven't started yet."

"Ill talk to him to make sure he gives you a safe position." She replied going into over protective mom mode. "Ill make sure he doesn't give you some unsavory job, like being a scavenger. He recently got approval from the council to earth. I don't want you going to that cesspool for resources. I still cant believe he got approval."

"Mom.Dont", Kayden panicked. " Your a council member you'll scare the bejesus out of him."

"Im just making sure my baby is safe," she said coming from her thoughts to place her hand on his cheek. Kayden for his part looked helpless. He knew his mom didn't like "scavenger" missions as she called them. She was a big believer in anything we needed could be made by the researchers on the ark. She wasn't against mining missions just scavenging tech and infrastructure from old earth was working backwards in her opinion. There was a reason only outlaws roamed there as the planet could no longer sustain human life. She had definitely voted against using old earth resources to build the new council building and park, but all the prepatory work had been vetted and the section of earth they were breaking down wasn't irradiated.

"Mom Its something i really want to do," he pleaded going for the straight forward route. " Im just helping Xeno out as he gets some real world experience. It could end up being very awkward if you but into something that wasn't even about me to begin with. When i get an actual job you can bully my new boss all you want i promise." he said giving her a pleading look.

Kayden's mother looked at him amused. How could she not know that her son never wanted to work for anyone, but be his own boss. He was like his father in that way. So she smiled and said " Ok i promise to save throwing my weight around for your future boss. She smiled

"Im just surprised you got yourself involved in something I've been fighting against all of a sudden, but i wont interfere much." she gave him a a fake defeated look like he had won. Before it turned into a smile as, as she headed to her home office.

"You can use the bathroom now. The scrubber should be done. Cant risk having you passing out in there because of me."

"Seriously again with the bathroom jokes." He said exasperated.

"Consider it pay back for all the times i had to change you sweety," came her voice from around the corner. Kayden shook his head as he closed the door behind him. An hour and a half later he was ready to start gaming again, or market research as he liked to call it, but his stomach growled before he Linked in.

'Almost forgot," he thought as he headed to the kitchen to look for his meal. The kitchen was quiet as was the rest of the house as he sat down to eat.

'Louie's is excellent," he thought. 'Dad really has good taste. Lets just hope i don't end up like mom' he chuckled to himself. Kayden loved his family but being alone sometimes, where he could relax was a god send in a house of 5. Lillia was in class. Dad was working, Mom was in her office and The Hydra was out doing god knows what. It was quiet just the way he liked it.

"Beep Beep, Beep Beep," His Net Link rang, as Xeno's contact popped up in his vision. he could already guess how this was going to go as he picked up the call.

Before Xeno could say anything he said in a unsurprised voice, "Lori and Lina are coming and you now have to convince your uncle to take us all"

"Yes asshole. Not that im against them coming ,but a heads up would have been nice."

"Not possible Lori wipes the floor with me In raw speed when it comes Link operation."

"Then how come she cant beat you StarSmashBros," he retorted an incredulous look on his face.

"That's skills," Kayden smirked. "I have great control with my speed she tends to mess up going full speed but she is faster."

"Whatever," he sighed realizing he would have to take Kayden's BS for now. "Well im just getting home. My uncle let me go early today since tommorow he will be training us all as a unit. No point in just me starting alone and rehash it again tommorow with the rest of you. "

"Wait you convinced him?" kayden asked.

"Of course, but enough of that. Ima get online send me all the equips you got last night. Lets Rank Im a 2 wins out from a Rank 4 Staff Sargent"

"I don't know man,"kayden sighed as he finished his food heading to his room. "Duo Que is not much better than solo Q. I don't want to carry some cancer feeders."

"That's life now get on im home, don't forget the equips. ill trade it with some gear since the game doesn't allow gifting items over a certain tier."

"Really!? i didn't know," replied kayden sarcastically. as he sat down in his gaming chair. "ill see you in the lobby," he said as he disconnected the call. Kayden then opened Gun Battle Online before saying "Link Up."

There was a cooling sensation at the base of his neck where his net link was. Then his vision went dark as he felt disembodied for a moment. This was normal with VR games of the day. Net Links are the tools used for everything in society of today. It was the one device that did everything you could possible need done. It was like Old Cellular devices but 1000x's better. The moment of disembodiment passed and his vision was restored as a head appeared floating in a blank space. This head donned a black helmet covering all features of the face underneath save the mouth. The eyes of the helmet held a silver visor with a blue scanner like light moving back and forth across the visor. A few moments after a torso and arms appeared. His torso was covered in black armor with silver trim on the arms and shoulders, and abdomen. There was a blue diamond emblem in the center of his chest. Then his legs finally appeared completing the avatar. While a tactical Pulse rifle appeared in his hands.

Kayden's Avatar stood suited and booted before a giant GBO Splash Screen as he was connected to the GBO Server.

Once connected a pleasant female voice said "Welcome back LaserGunner"

The splash screen disappeared and Kayden found himself in an under ground bunker. Along the walls was an assortment of weapons the he could choose from for his load out. In the center of the wall was a giant garage door with the word vehicles printed on the front. Kayden ignored the garage before heading over to the weapons table on his left. He picked up a laser pistol and put it in the holster on his hip. Looking over to the right he picked up a portable energy barrier. They didn't last long, but they could come in handy when you needed a second to reload, or to let your overheating weapon cool down. He picked up 3 grenades. one emp and one flash bang and one frag. Then he picked a kinetic sniper rifle and strapped it to his back to have some thing with physical rounds. Kayden Loved energy weapons. He wanted to take the lightning wielding Ark Gun, but in Rank it was better to be versatile. Turning to the blue portal. He set in coordinates for The Ranked Lobby he always used Lobby Rk70701. When he entered the lobby it wasn't empty. Inside was an alien whose species was known as Mantars. He was sitting taking up two seats looking bored.

"Took you long enough. Got the equips?" asked the alien.

"Yeah im trading now." Kayden replied. They spent 5 minutes getting settled before they activated the rank portal to start queuing. After 30 seconds the portal flashed and three people entered the room. The portal flashed again an a desolate moon appeared in the portal.

"The one with the highest rank runs point." said a female avatar. " Im a Rank 3 staff sargent"

"Just letting you guys no shes a trap" sighed the second avatar. Not waiting for a reaction from the others he continued. "Im a Rank 2 staff Sargent"

"Looks like im point," said the third avatar. ignoring the antics of the other two. he smiled. confidently and said, "Im a Rank 1 Staff Sargent."

Xeno chuckled but just stated his rank. "Rank 1 Sargent." He then looked at Kayden and said. "I guess you run point."

"Says the Sargent," retorted the third avatar waiting for kayden to say is rank.

"Rank 3 Sargent First Class, so lets do this" Kayden said as he stepped into the portal. The female avatar smiled before stepping in behind him, followed by the rest leaving behind an empty lobby.