by Terry Schott
“Which one?”
“Isaac.”
Sebastian made a grumbling sound.
“Why do you think he’s here?”
“The game is crashing.”
Shale’s eyes widened. “What?!”
“That’s what Isaac thinks.”
“Is it crashing?”
He spread his hands and looked skyward. “You see any evidence of a crash?”
“No.”
“There ya go, then.”
“Wait a minute.” She shook her head. “I’m only able to see a very small piece of the whole picture. It’s very possible that he’s right and we haven’t heard or seen evidence of it yet.”
“It’s not crashing.”
“You sound pretty sure of yourself.”
“’Cause…”
“You designed it?”
Sebastian nodded.
“Still, Seb. All this is being run by a computer, right?”
He sighed.
“And computers glitch. Crash. Screw up commands. You know, all that fun stuff.”
He looked down at his book. “You make good points, Shale, but trust me on this one. I am one hundred and ten percent certain that this simulation is in absolutely no danger of crashing.”
He moistened his finger against his tongue and turned the page. Shale sat quietly. After a few minutes he turned the page again. And then again.
“Maybe we’re losing connectivity with our bodies,” Shale said.
Sebastian looked up. “Pardon?”
“The link between our body and this one. What if there’s something wrong with that part of the thing?”
He frowned.
“I’m willing to buy into your supreme confidence that this simulation can’t crash. I don’t know how, but okay, I’ll accept that. Connectivity, though—”
Sebastian held up a hand. “Quiet for a second.”
Shale bit her lip and watched him. His brows furrowed, eyes moving back and forth as if reading the air in front of him.
“Damn it.” He closed the book and stood.
“Where ya going?”
He frowned. “Nowhere, I guess. There’s nowhere to go.”
“Are you saying something like that might be possible?”
He pursed his lips. “Perhaps.”
“Well then, you should definitely check it out.”
“That’s the thing.” He spread his hands. “There is nowhere for me to go to check on something like that.”
Shale frowned. “But. How?” She shook her head. “Shouldn’t you have built that into the program?”
He chewed lightly at his lower lip. “I guess I do need to talk to Isaac.”
Chapter 35
Fen threw a log on the fire and sat on his bedroll.
“Mind if I ask you a question?” Aleron asked.
“Finally.” The warrior smiled as he reached for the bowl of stew sitting beside him. “You’ve been so quiet since joining us that I thought you’d forgotten how to ask questions.”
Aleron laughed. “I guess the Scouts taught me not to ask so many.”
“That’s a shame. Can’t learn anything if you’re not wondering and asking.”
“Kieran disagrees. He says there’s ‘much to be learned from watching.’”
“Sometimes,” Fen shrugged. “But I’ve always been a fan of questions. Key to success, if you ask me.”
“I’m also a bit leery of Isaac. He doesn’t seem too keen about me.”
“He is a bit strange around you. Likely ’cause you’re the only player Scout.”
“Makes sense.” Aleron looked past Fen to where the two bards were practicing night time skills, Jyachin watching as Isaac played a song that created a greenish yellow light. “He said he’s here to talk with Seb.”
“Yeah.”
“It must be pretty serious, for him to come inside the game. If something were to happen to both him and Sebastian—”
“It is pretty serious.”
“What’s the problem?”
Fen scooped a bite of stew and put it in his mouth. He watched Aleron while he chewed. “Good question.”
Aleron laughed. “Does it have something to do with the computer system running everything?”
Fen shook his head. “It’s not a good idea to share information until we’re sure whose side you’re on.”
The young Scout frowned. “What kind of thing is that to say? There’s only one side for me to be on, man. I’m a player.”
“Makes sense.” He shrugged. “But it’s not up to me.”
Aleron took a bite of stew and watched the fire.
“How ’bout yourself? What are you going to Darwin’s Vale for?”
Aleron continued chewing. “They need me.”
“Is that so?”
“They don’t have a Scout to level them up.”
“Damn, that’s likely right.”
“It is.” Aleron loaded another bite of stew onto his spoon. “Kieran sent me to some little crap town to serve as Scout. A few adventurers came through and were talking about a player-controlled settlement that was shunned by Scouts.”
“That’ll slow down their adventuring, for sure.”
“They’re gonna need levels for more than campaigns,” Aleron said. “Won’t be long before the army gets there.”
Fen looked up from his bowl. “Army?”
“That’s right.”
“How big?”
“Big enough to wipe them without much effort.”
***
Aleron finished re-telling Isaac what he knew.
Isaac sat and stared at the fire.
“Does this change anything?” Fen asked.
“I’m thinking.”
“If they wipe—”
“Give me a second.”
No one said another word. Long seconds passed.
Isaac turned to Aleron. “You’re with us, right, kid?”
“Yeah.”
“I mean, really with us?”
“Player first and always,” Aleron nodded. “Absolutely, man.”
“Okay, then.” He nodded. “Our plan stays the same. We make our way toward the town.”
“And warn them,” Fen said.
“I’m sure they will have heard by the time we arrive.” Isaac frowned. “You can level everyone there, right, Aleron?”
Aleron nodded.
“How long will that take?”
The Scout considered the question before answering. “Over two thousand players? I’m sure multiple levels.” He sighed. “It’s gonna take me quite a bit of time.”
“Best guess.”
“Two or three weeks.”
“And what about this army?” Isaac closed his eyes and began to envision the various challenges they were facing. “How long will it take them to show up?”
Aleron shook his head. “I have no clue.”
“We need to know.” Isaac opened his eyes. “Jyachin? Can you find the army and report back to us on a time frame?”
“I can try.” The young bard stood. “But first, I’ll run you to the town.”
“When?” Aleron asked.
“Right now. Aleron needs as much time as he can get to do his work. There was no rush before, but now there is.”
Fen stood. “I’ll start packing.”
“Essentials only,” Jyachin said. “None of the camping gear or supplies. Armour, weapons; personal items that you need to keep.”
“But we’ll want supplies for camping—”
Jyachin shook his head. “I’ll kick us into full speed and won’t stop until we get there.”
“But, we are still days away,” Fen said.
“Like I said,” Jyachin grinned. “Full speed. Not something we usually do, but this situation calls for it. I should be able to have us there by morning.”
Chapter 36
“Is something wrong?” Mercy looked up from packing her bag and turned to face Xander.
“No.” He stared at t
he midnight swirling over his arms. “Why?”
“Because you’re watching them with a strange look on your face. Are they causing you pain?”
Xander frowned and looked up. “Can they do that?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Your face says they are, though.”
“No pain.” He laughed. “I’m trying to figure out what to do with them. Xyclotl says that my imagination is my only real limit to what I can create.”
Mercy snorted. “He’s lying. You couldn’t create a large cart or anvil and drop it onto your enemy from the sky.”
Xander laughed. “Like the Green Lantern.”
“Who?”
“A fictional hero from back home.” His smile faded. “Thank you, by the way.”
“For what?”
“Not revealing that I am a New Traveller.”
Mercy snorted. “I’m not inclined to state the obvious. Nor are many others.”
“Really? I don’t think the Shard knows. Or any of the other order members. If they did—”
“I’m certain everyone knows but pretend they don’t.”
Xander frowned. “Do you think so?”
“Of course. Look at what you have become. The talents and gifts you possess. The Dark Lady has obviously chosen to shower favour upon you. We are humble servants of the Darkness, first and last. It is obviously Her decision that you stand at the front of our order. It is our responsibility to honour her decision and support you, regardless of where you come from.”
“It doesn’t feel like I’m being supported. The Shard is not deferring to me or giving me special treatment.”
“He won’t. He plays his own role in the same way that you are expected to play yours. The Shard leads,” she smiled, “and behaves like a jackass.”
“I see.” Xander nodded. “I thought he wanted me to fail.”
“Oh, he does.” Mercy smiled. “Of that you can be certain. But until you do, he will support you. In his way. As will everyone else.”
Xander considered her words.
“We leave tomorrow. Are you prepared?”
“Yes.”
Mercy’s eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?”
“I was wondering something.”
“Ask.”
“It’s not related to our mission.”
She stared at him.
“I don’t think you’ll know the answer.”
“If that is true, then I will say so. Ask.”
“Will our shard imps fight for us?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because they lack the skills necessary. Bravery, strength, skill with weapons.” She shook her head. “A shard imp’s talents lie in other areas. Stealth, healing, and surprise. Shard imps are best used to spy on others, heal our wounds, and deliver messages. That sort of thing.”
“Okay.”
“Since we are on the topic of shard imps, I would offer you a word of advice.” Mercy regarded him for a second and then continued speaking. “Xyclotl is not your friend.”
Xander frowned. “I know that.”
“I’m not sure that you do.”
The young Death Stryker laughed. “He’s an evil little bastard who wants to enslave me.”
“Yes, but they do possess magical charm. Death Strykers are resistant to it for the most part, but over time they can wear us down.”
“I see.”
“Yours seems friendlier than most, which can be to its advantage and your detriment. Over the long run.”
Xander considered the warning.
“You summon it often.”
“No.” He frowned. “Only once or twice a day.”
Mercy laughed. “I was wrong. You summon it way too often.”
“I thought it would be good to get him used to being summoned so that he could learn my will is strong. To condition him.”
“I guarantee you that right now he is thinking the exact same thing about you.”
“That he’s conditioning me?”
She nodded.
“I have this under control.”
“Until you don’t.” She snapped her fingers. “All it takes is a split-second of weakness and he has you. You must be perfect every time, and he is content to wait until you slip up. They are nothing if not patient little beasts. Likely because time means so little to them.”
“The other day he said that every hour the bond must be renewed.”
Mercy sighed.
“I sent him away, figuring he was trying to trick me.”
“You spend that long with it in your presence?”
“Sometimes. I’m learning things that only he can teach me. About the grasps and such.”
“It is correct. Every hour the bond must be renewed in blood.” She stared at him with lips pursed.
He stared back.
“I agree with you. Because it can share knowledge of the grasps, you do require more time with it than most would.”
“Are you going to make me stop summoning him?”
“Much as I would like to, it is forbidden for me to do so.” She shook her head. “I can only advise in this matter. What you do is ultimately your choice.”
“Don’t worry, I’m careful.”
Mercy nodded and returned to packing her bag.
Chapter 37
“Kara?” The secretary’s voice sounded over the wireless earpiece in her ear. “Stanley Jackson wants to come in.”
“Send him in.” She finished typing the sentence on her computer and turned as the door opened.
In walked Stanley Jackson, a fifty-three-year-old, balding man dressed in bright blue jeans and a faded video game T-shirt.
“How’s it going, Stan?”
“Same as the day Seb left me in charge of the system.” He adjusted his glasses and shook his head. “It’s a stomach-twisting, sleep-deprived nightmare, Kara.”
She laughed. “Has Isaac had any luck finding him yet?”
Stanley dropped down into the visitor’s chair. “Likely in the next few hours.”
“That’s good news, right?”
“Not really, although it is super cool to see Isaac and the rest of his small group running at top bard speed across the land. The light and particle effects are better than anything I could have imagined. And they ran across a lake like it was solid ground! Another example of how Sebastian, with his amazing mind, outdid himself creating this reality.”
“That’s great.” She looked at the pile of folders arranged on her desk. “I’m afraid I have a bit of bad news for you on my end of things.”
Stanley groaned. “No. Today has been good so far. You know how rare that is, Kara?”
She retrieved a file and shoved it across the desk. “Take a look at that.”
Stanley opened the file and skimmed the pages. He frowned, slightly at first and then with increasing vigour as time passed. Finally he looked up. “This looks like financial reports of some kind.”
“That’s right.”
“Someone’s personal file?”
“No. It’s ARC’s current balance sheet.”
Stanley’s eyes bulged. He looked back to the pages and flipped to the last one. “You gotta be kidding me?”
“I’m not.”
“But this…” he shook his head as his eyes met hers. “It says we have less than a million dollars in the account.”
She nodded.
“That—” He spluttered. “That’s impossible. There should be hundreds of millions.”
“Investors withdrew their funds.”
“Huh? No way. Their agreements prevent that.”
“The agreements might have, but threats of physical violence convinced me to make exceptions.”
Stanley laughed. “They’re old businessmen, Kara. They bark but would never bite.”
“Ruth Benneman was ready to bite.”
His smile melted and he swallowed. “Did you have to meet with her in person?”
Kara nodded. “After that unp
leasant experience, I had to speak with her on the phone another dozen times. She wanted me to return her so-called friends’ money also. Other investors who were afraid to call, so they had her do it. I think they promised her a portion of the money if she was able to get it back for them. And she was more than able.”
Stanley sighed and placed a hand against his bald forehead, audibly drumming his fingers against bare skin. “We can’t operate on this little bit of cash.”
“I know.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“We’re going to have to shut things down.”
“But we can’t. As long as the remaining beta testers are still inside.”
“I’m downsizing everything in hopes that I can keep that part going until they all manage to come out. But if it doesn’t happen soon…”
“There might be good news in that department, at least.”
Kara frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Looks as if there’s a war brewing inside Blades. The NPCs are gathering en masse and heading toward where the players have gathered. The NPCs intend to kill every last player in one big battle, and it looks as if they will have no problem doing so.”
Kara laughed out loud and covered her mouth with one hand. “Oh god. That would be awesome. Absolutely perfect.”
“Of course, Isaac and Sebastian will likely fight back. You know how they hate to lose at anything.”
“But?”
“The numbers are against them for certain.” Stanley shook his head. “It will be a massacre of players, no matter what they do to defend.”
“Which will bring them all safely out of the game. Fingers crossed that this happens, Stanley.”
He smiled. “Yeah. Fingers crossed.”
Chapter 38
Xander navigated his way through the pitch-black halls and entered the library. He shut the door and sat at the large round table in the centre of the room. He sat without moving, and a few seconds later, Xyclotl appeared soundlessly in front of him.
“Told you it was possible to appear without the loud popping noise,” Xander said.
Xyclotl placed a hand against his chest. “Honestly, boss, I wasn’t even aware it happened. Like I told you, I get here after it does.”
Xander raised one eyebrow and held his palm out. The shard imp flew down for his drop of blood. He pierced the flesh and squatted down while the blood welled to the surface. “You know, I’ve been thinking. Maybe I can take a couple drops every other time you summon me. That way it’ll save you the constant discomfort.”
