by Han Yang
“What are you talking about?” I blurted in dismay.
I had an idea she used sly talk, but you never knew.
“Hmm… you sure are an odd one. Let me explain how this works. First, we are inserted into a time loop. All two hundred thousand of us are given a back story, a starting location, and some basic gear. It varies based on a dice roll. Otherwise, we’d be able to figure out who’s who in a jiff.
“You and me finding each other is rare, exceedingly so. Especially in a small shitty town at the edge of the civilized world. When I awoke here, I knew I was screwed and likely in for a fight. But…” She sighed. “There was a wedding, and I decided to indulge while getting the lay of the land. In my… oh geez, eighty plus of these, I’ve only been attacked on day one twice.
“With great risk comes great reward. You saved me, and then, just now, you didn’t ace me. Which is smart, because at this point, you’d lose points for killing me. I’m assuming you’re competing to get off the disgusting ships and onto Earth,” Jenny said.
I holstered my weapon, pulling her to sit on the bench in front of me, facing forward. I slid her long blonde hair off her back until it rested on the front of her shoulder. She glanced over her shoulder with a perplexed expression.
“I’m not finished talking, and now you’ve really confused me. Most men want me on my knees facing them. You’re not gay and hoping to braid my hair, are you?” Jenny asked. “You are cute. Maybe too cute…”
She trusted me, never glancing over her shoulder again after reading my face. I had been watching her in disappointment, and maybe that placed her at ease.
“Keep talking while I fulfill a promise. I’ll arm you after, too,” I said, pulling a knife out of the bag.
I sawed down the back of her corset, popping the tight laces one at a time as I worked her free.
“Oh, sweet heaven, you are a true savoir. Honey gets more than salt. Your mother raised you right,” Jenny said.
“My mother is also on Tranquility. She was a hard ass and an… an… an intense woman.”
“Name?”
“Laura Karo, but now Feinstein.”
Jenny shrugged, “Don’t know her. Feinstein sounds white, and you’re Asian-ish. You could be white, though. It’s hard to tell. You certainly look like a foreign sailor.”
“Try not to offend,” I said, and she wiggled her wine as an excuse. The last of the corset’s claws busted free. She quickly peeled the dress off in broad daylight and on the edge of a moving wagon. “Are you nuts?”
She ducked into the back of the wagon, talking as she scoured for comfy clothes. I averted my eyes, only stealing brief peeks to ensure she wasn’t readying to kill me. Her supple flesh jiggled in a few prime places, and I fought to not let my eyes linger too long.
“Yeah, I am. I’m an old commando from America. I’ve been hiding inside these simulations waiting for the day to get home. I - I - I’d rather focus on other things. I’ve met loners like you before. Trust me when I say this… You're better off with me at your side than alone,” Jenny said.
She returned from the wagon bed to sit beside me, wearing men’s pants and a long white shirt that allowed ample breathability. I reached back and found a wrap, handing it to her. She groaned but covered her breasts since I was uncomfortable.
The woman unbuttoned a few clasps to let the breeze in, compromising. “I’m a human and being hot sucks. Modesty only offends the prudes. I’ll indulge you for now, but I wouldn’t put it past Darcy for her to set this up, either.”
“Why?”
She slurped down a swig of wine, wiping the dribble off her chin.
“I’m an ancient, and I tend to buck the trend. That was fun to say.” She downed more wine. “I don’t favor the current government, and that irks a lot of folks, including Darcy.”
“You’re confusing me. Let me start at the beginning to clean up this sideways meandering conversation. Is your name really Jenny?”
“Jennifer Campbell, at your service, and I say it that way because I owe you. When the narocks showed up, I jumped through a window. The croc one threatened to follow me in. I tried to avoid stepping on glass, and now I got this black and blue ankle. Without you, I’d be dead, down ten k, and doing stupid shit just to place in the top ten percent,” Jenny said. “I opened myself up to a scan. Go ahead and run one.”
I watched her closely. I’d seen her use a six shooter like it was a toy she’d played with a thousand times. The woman was lethal. While I believed the story about her past, she frightened me.
I scooted to the edge of the bench, giving myself time to react if she did something nefarious. I tapped on my linker that would appear like a wrist band covering a wound, or a glove, or a scar, or a tattoo, or the list goes on for how the outsiders hid among the masses.
The button activated, and the menu populated.
Welcome to the Snagglewood Interface, Citizen Theodore Karo.
Main Menu:
Stats
Inventory
Quests
Options
Options selected.
Log out
Convert to Pleasure Mode
Scan
Scan selected
Warning: A scan on a humanoid target must be welcomed by the target or the target rendered unable to decline the scan.
Scan selected for human female approximately four feet away. Confirm scan Yes - No
Scan Confirmed.
Scan Complete.
Scan Results:
Name: Jennifer Campbell
Race: Human
Age: 24
Strength: 16
Fitness: 16
Aim: 17
Survival Skills: 19
Melee Combat: Highly Proficient.
Weapon Combat: Highly Proficient.
Western Proficiency: 8/10
Health: 6/10
Thirst: 11/10
Hunger: 3/10
Weapon Rating: Currently Weaponless
Gear Rating: 1/10
Points: 1779
Ranking: 37th out of 121,173
“Few things. What’s Western Proficiency, and do you have to pee?” I asked.
“Do I ever,” she said, handing me the wine while heading to the back of the wagon. She talked while she peed, not shy in the slightest. I poured out most of the wine while she did the same. “Western Proficiency is the same as Medieval or Futuristic Proficiency. Can you ride a horse, start a fire, latch a saddle, milk a cow, or plow a field? Doubtful for you on that one. What about cleaning a kill to convert into food?
“Basically, can you survive in the setting – your proficiency rating answers that. I’m probably a six. I hate any time period without flushing toilets. Granted, the fantasy magic themes have water magic that fix most of the issues, but these westerns are shit in an outhouse or a bucket. Not a fan, and I’d rather sit on my make-believe beach with my ten generated boyfriends.”
“That was a lot to digest,” I said. “Basically, all the time I spent in training themes will apply a proficiency score. I wish I would have known that as a non-citizen.”
“You kinda did. That’s why those simulators are there. This is just the application.”
“Well, to be clear, I do know how to plow a field; quite proficiently if you were to ask.”
Jenny snickered and finished relieving her bladder. She plopped down beside me, promptly stealing back the wine. “I’m mostly interested in saying thank you, and it’s good for a girl to get what she wants.” I stared awkwardly at my boots, not wanting to talk about her desires and she cued in. “We have a four-day ride. It’s best to ask your questions now.”
“You said I would lose points if I killed you, but you’re almost in first. And why are there so few competitors?” I asked.
“The second part is easy. A lot of folks are happy. I’d wager, out of the top 20k, more than half decline to go, and the 20k who are allocated are actually volunteers from the top 60k or so,” Jenny said.
“And the points? You aced Reggie in a flash. I’m surprised it didn't cost you.”
“He killed my sister, his wife. No judge would have punished him, and no one knows the truth, except you. He died to the beasts like the rest of the town. Welcome to the wild west.” She caught onto my incoming question. “If I get caught, I’ll lose points. If I don't…” she let the sentence hang.
“Interesting. And you think we should stay as a team?” I asked, mulling it over.
She snapped her fingers, over and over, pointing at me with shock. “You're that kid, the one who lied to the whole fleet with a straight face. Oh man, Ricardo loved your bullshit. He said we should recruit you.”
“I’m afraid you’ve lost me,” I admitted.
Jenny beamed proudly. “Oh, thank you, Darcy, thank you, thank you, thank you. Blessed be the all-powerful. Welcome to politics, kid.”
“Politics died when the Reincarnation Trials were born.”
She spit out her wine, coating the front paneling of the wagon. Her mighty roar of laughter stopped the coyotes howling in the distance.
“What a load of crap. As if. There’s three people who always end up near the top every five years, and leaders get double from the time-out limits. It’s all fixed. Mostly.” She winced, as if expecting to be struck down. “That history lesson you gave. Who were the bad guys?”
“The dictators of Africa, the ones who did whatever it took to retain their powers.”
Jenny said, “The strong shall rule. That’s the motto of the games. So, let me get this straight. The Earth entered a creature war because of dictators.
“The civilized nations squabbled to get into space, tearing at each other's throats because the supreme leaders could set aside who ruled the ships. It all came down to absolute power corrupting absolutely. I doubt you believe dictators should be running the fleet.”
“It’s been working so far. Someone has to rule, and we’ve had four hundred plus years of peace with minimal deaths.”
“Except none of that is true. You simply don’t know it yet. When you said the Trials were the right thing, you lied. We all saw it. You were younger in that video, less defined, but I recognize you now,” Jenny said.
“Look, a competition to become a council member means a slouch will never be propped up. The council can rule all of humanity, and we’re better for it,” I protested.
She shook her head. “Wrong, so wrong, but I happen to know why you believe the big lie. Who’s the strongest of us all? Darcy is. Who’s always in power? Darcy is. Who guided us to return to Earth with the promise of less infestation and a chance of colonies? Darcy did. Ya catching on yet, Slick?”
“Don’t patronize me,” I grumbled.
“You don’t believe in the Trials, do you?”
“I don’t rightly know. The dictators never got ships off the ground, governments did,” I said.
“Wrong, Darcy did. I was there. She circumvented world leaders. Some even had accidents, but she managed to uncluster the cluster. We got off the rock with a hundred and fifty thousand souls. Then her inventions, combined with our scientific innovations, allowed us to expand,” Jenny said.
“Are you saying all this is pointless?” I gestured to the horizon and its setting sun.
“Nope, not one bit. I’ve made it onto the council twelve times. Twelve bloody times I’ve placed in the top one hundred. I always nominate someone to replace me - Councilwoman Teresa.”
“She’s the highest winning contestant there is,” I said. “I read about right of replacement, I just never assumed anyone would take it. Teresa seems like a kickass warrior to me.”
“Wrong. She’s the highest replacement contestant there is. My crew nominates her if we win, and she represents our people. It’s a democracy with a group appointed leader, just how it should be. We’re called - Liberate Earth.
“Teresa is an old guard like me. She helped build Hope. That woman knows the ins and outs of all the ships, and it drives the other groups nuts,” Jenny said proudly. “Trust me, kid, you just made a wonderful friend by helping me, and we’re set for a glorious Trial.”
“Or I made a bunch of enemies. Politics has more than one side.”
“True, but nope to you needing to worry unless you flap your gums. We keep our secrets secret. Do not tell anyone who I am on the outside, and no one will ever be the wiser besides Darcy… and she wants this.”
We sat quietly for a bit, the only sound the bumpy wagon creaking incessantly. Every turn of the wheel grated on my ears, and the horse in front of me kept farting. The west might be thought of as a romantic time, but my ass was sore, and I wished for a nice park to relax in.
Eventually, I smiled at the fact I was making a difference for once. And maybe, just maybe, I had found a new friend.
“So, it's not that all these people are amazing at winning, some of them just cruise through and the winners nominate them. Kinda defeats the purpose if you ask me,” I grumbled.
“It’s allowed, but, and big but here, it's all anonymous. The ranking boards never show a name until the council is finalized, nor will they. Unless you get my permission, I’ll never show my score,” Jenny said. “The final list is only released once the dust settles. You do realize what that means? I give up power, something most cherish, and freely hand it over to someone else I trust to do a better job than me. And she does.”
“I think I’m starting to understand. Without you acting as an agent or your team acting as proxies, Teresa would be powerless. Instead, she is voted into power through those who deem her worthy. Without her having an elite squad of bad-asses, she’d never get into power. In a sense, it’s fair.”
“Sorry for calling you a kid. You gunned down two narocks, saved the day, and even had the gall to stick around and steal from the dead,” she said with a sinister grin. “You're made of the right stuff, even if you’re inexperienced.”
“Why wouldn’t I loot?”
“The prog’narocks and webo’narocks are invading this region. It was probable another wave would come in while you pried rings from fingers,” Jenny said. She reached into the wagon bed, pulling out a few fine dresses to build a nest on the front seat. “We sleep while we roll. The horses are well rested.”
She stuck her shapely backside in my face while she pilfered gear from the wagon bed. This was one hundred percent intentional, and I wasn’t sure how to react. Part of me wanted to smack it and scold her. Another part believed that if I ignored her, she’d stop.
I hadn’t been this alone with a woman besides with Juna, the only woman willing to spend money for private time with me.
I went with a third option, diving into my linker. “Jenny, your ass is fantastic, but I have a competition to win. Can you shove it in my face at a different time?”
“And here I thought you were a whimpering virgin. Glad one of us is focused on taking this seriously. I despise killing other humans. Even in here. So, I’m getting drunk, and when I get tipsy, I don’t like to be alone. I owe you if you catch my drift,” Jenny said with a brow bounce.
I nodded and said, “Yes, but later. Once we are safe. Last thing I want to have happen is to lose all this loot. That would spoil any climax, really.”
She snickered. “Fine, fine. I can live with that. We’re both stinky, anyway. Hey, Theo, the Liberate Earth party thanks you, and I’ll reward you, but if you want to stay untangled with me and mine, I can help with other arrangements,” she said, giving me an out.
“It’s not always about sex. It’s about survival,” I said.
“Rule one of all animals and beings is to survive,” Jenny said, finishing collecting for her makeshift bed. “After that it’s to reproduce. Instinct will drive you; it even does me. But I digress. Have you checked your score yet?”
“Doing so now.”
Main Menu:
Stats
Inventory
Quests
Options
Stats selected.
Name: Theodore Kar
o
Race: Human
Age: 21
Strength: 22
Fitness: 19
Aim: 12
Survival Skills: 6
Melee Combat: Novice.
Weapon Combat: Novice.
Western Proficiency: 8/10
Health: 9/10
Thirst: 3/10
Hunger: 3/10
Weapon Rating: 2/10
Gear Rating: 2/10
Points: 4458
Ranking: 4th out of 121,171
“Whoa, I’m fourth,” I said.
“You looted a whole town. Yeah, just imagine what the others had to do to beat that. All this is yours, and some of it is mine since we teamed up,” Jenny said. “Killing me would leave a trail for someone to explore and instant point loss for killing a trusting ally. Since we teamed up, that got us both points too.”
The evening glow on the horizon slowly faded and twinkling stars overheard shimmered against the retreating day. The brisk breeze would require a blanket later. A lone howl of a coyote from behind us told me the dead wouldn’t see their corpses laid to rest peacefully.
Instead of fretting, I continued with the open interface. I returned to the main menu, flicked the quest page, and glanced down at something that shouldn’t have surprised me.
Quest:
Ultimate Quest: Create new life. Humanity must continue.
Reward: 5000 reward points. Limit - one reward per Citizen.
Quest 1: Safely convert or store all your gains into a secure facility.
Reward: Minimum 1 point, Maximum 3000 points assuming everything is locked away safely without loss or theft.
Quest 2: Travel to Laro. Warning: this town is inside the invasion ring.
Reward: 300 points.
Quest 3: Kill a Prog’narock.
Reward: 250 points. ∞ rewards.
