Lost in the Game

by Christopher Keene

  Siena frowned at him and he shrugged.

  “What? You were taking too long. Besides, I left you the killing shot if you wanted it.”

  Siena grinned to see the hooded form was still moving, reached back and hurled her scythe at him. “Here, let’s trade!”

  The blade spun and took off both the hood and the head. Siena then walked over and tried to pick up the Spellcaster’s scythe, but the weapon phased through her hand.

  “You can’t pick up the weapons unless you’re the winner.” Noah raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Besides, isn’t that the same as yours?”

  “It is . . .” Siena shrugged and turned to face him, calling back her own scythe with Weapon Retrieval and lining it up with his face. “But it was less damaged, so I thought it would be better for when I used it against you.”

  Chapter 29: Rematch

  The Battle Royal had gone well, and I managed to make sure that both of us survived to face each other one-on-one by the end. If I was going ensure Siena would help me find the photos’ locations, I had to make our match convincing and also lose in a way that didn’t make it look like I was purposely throwing the match. With the FPS predicting her every move, I had no doubt that I could put on a good show.

  “It was fun, Noah.” Raising her hand, Siena’s Ruby Edge flashed into her open grip. “But all good things have to come to an end.”

  I nodded, but was really just waiting for the projection to tell me what her next move was. Having already been using it to be sure I wasn’t defeated by any of the other players, I was well accustomed to the blue potentialities telegraphing my opponents’ moves. Now I could use it on Siena as well, at least at the beginning of the match, to make the fight seem authentic.

  However, each time she went to attack me, her projection would change. She would then go to run around me, but as soon as I saw that and thought of a way to defend myself in close combat, her projection would alter course. Because the illusion spell was delayed, this made it so that for each time she changed her mind it would create a new projection.

  So that’s what Windsor was showing me when he did his demonstration. But if she knows I’m going to adjust my plan according to her plan and is adjusting it in turn, does that mean she can see what my intention in this fight is just like I can with hers?

  Eventually, her blue projections became a glowing aura of different intentions that swarmed all around her, all of them an idea of what she could do, but none of them were things she actually did. Considering each projection was a reaction to my own intentions of reacting to her, I could only assume that, if she did possess the same ability as me, I would have looked the same to her.

  Somehow, she had gotten her hands on the FPS.

  “How did you get it?” I asked.

  She grinned. “Surprised?”

  I was more disappointed than surprised. With her possessing the Future Projection Software, she could easily tell that I intended to lose the match on purpose simply by seeing how I planned to act to my own detriment during the fight. And because I couldn’t control the outcome of the fight, I couldn’t be sure the outcome would end with her helping to find the photos’ locations. Now that both of us were using the ability, my plan had been flushed down the toilet.

  “This kind of puts us at a stalemate, don’t you think?” I unequipped my Sapphire Edge and put my hands on my hips, trying to figure out some solution to the problem. “I mean if you’re seeing what I’m seeing, you can’t really tell which projection is my final intention. There are too many of them, and unless you plot a direct course of attack, they’ll all get mixed in with each other.”

  “That’s the best thing about this ability. As long as we both use it, there’s no reason for either of us to hold back. And if you intentionally try to lose . . .” She tapped the side of her head. “I’ll know.”

  Crap. Okay, plan B it is then.

  “Siena, do you really think that beating me is going to make your repeating dream go away?” I asked.

  Siena swallowed dryly, looking more vulnerable than I had ever seen her. “H-How do you know about . . .” Her lips turned inward in a grudging smile. “Ah, Keri.”

  I nodded. “She worries about you. She’s one of the few people I think who honestly does, and you tried to manipulate her into tampering with my Dream Engine.”

  Siena shook her head. “That little tattle—”

  “She told us because she cares! And I was actually considering throwing this match to help you out, because . . .” I couldn’t help but grin in amusement as the thought came to me. “I guess I do too.”

  “So what?” Siena snapped. “What are you trying to say? That I should try to win because you care about me?”

  I raised my palms. “You and I both know that, all else being equal, you would beat me in this game in a one-on-one match hands down, unquestionably. You don’t need to do it to prove that to yourself, because you already know it deep down. You know it in your bones, Siena.”

  “And you don’t think my fear of losing against you has anything to do with my dream, huh?” Siena asked, hostility rising in her voice. “You’re not my psychiatrist, Noah. What the heck would you know about me?”

  I made my voice calm, knowing the subtlety I would have to employ with what I was about to say next. “I know there’s something you care about more than winning. I know there’s something you fear more than losing.”

  “Oh yeah?” Siena spread her arms. “Go on; tell me then, all-knowing one!”

  “Letting your friends down.”

  From her expression, she looked like she had been hit by a bullet rather than my answer.

  “I . . .” She stopped and thought for a moment, actually taking my words in. “You know what? No! What makes you think—?”

  I lowered my arms and turned off the Future Prediction Software, leaving myself defenseless to any attack she might send my way. “I worked it out when remembering how you reacted to being beaten by Catastrophe and having your Color Blade stolen. You were beyond obsessed with beating Dice and winning it back, even more so than usual for you. But Data told me that with the Item Tracking Software, it wouldn’t have taken you much effort to get a new one. Heck, you were skilled enough that you didn’t even need it. It’s the same as in Apollo’s Lookout, and it’s the same now. Just as you know we’re about to risk everything, you try to challenge us. You were only obsessed with winning because you thought you had let us down. Obsessing over regaining the championship was, it seems to me, just a coping mechanism.”

  “I was just trying to have fun here, but you had to ruin it!”

  “I didn’t ruin anything! I can’t control how you feel Siena. Only you can.” I let the silence sit after I said this. I knew as well as she did that this wasn’t about winning anymore; it was about her letting go.

  Siena raised her knuckles to her mouth, looking suddenly terrified. “They . . . they were all so disappointed that we lost the game, and it was my fault. And then, after I told Keri to . . . the dreams just got worse.”

  “Keri taught me something as well.” I looked down, feeling guilt rise in me. “With what Chloe and I are doing right now, finding the Screamers IRL, you’re right not to get involved. On our trip, some really nasty things went down. I don’t think Keri came out of that well, at least as far as we were involved. On that account, I was wrong, and I’m sorry. But trust me, you’re not disappointing anyone.”

  Siena breathed out heavily and nodded. “I was too busy thinking of what was making my dream worse and not thinking of what was worse about them. But screw those people who looked down on me, and screw you for expecting so much of me! I don’t care!”

  I grinned at this, feeling like we finally reached an understanding and that she might actually consider using what she knew to help us find the photo locations. However, just as I was about to charge in and let her finish me off, Siena’s body suddenly straightened and became stiff, as though she was trapp
ed between two concrete walls.

  “That is untrue, Siena. I am very disappointed.”

  I glanced around in shock, not by the loudness of the voice, but because I recognized it. It was the voice of Malcolm Mirth. However, when I expected to see him hovering down into the pit from above as he was wont to do, I didn’t see any trace of his dark form. All I saw was Siena struggling to free herself from whatever was binding her.

  I gritted my teeth. “How did you get out? Windsor locked you in there with his own software.”

  “I used my own,” I heard again in front of me. “It was all thanks to her.”

  It wasn’t until that instant that I realized where the voice was coming from. It was coming from Siena.

  “Siena, what did you do?”

  “I’m sorry, Noah,” Siena struggled to say. “Malcolm offered me the ability and the chance to talk to Kristie in return for fighting you.”

  I shook my head, suddenly realizing how much of a hypocrite I was. Here I was complaining that she was not helping with our problems, and yet I knew nothing about her own struggles to bring back her friend.

  Despite seeming to be unable to control her body, she somehow managed to lift her Color Blade. “Noah, take it, cut me down.”

  I gritted my teeth, trying to think of a way around this situation. Siena may have been willing to lose so Malcolm couldn’t influence her. However, I couldn’t help but feel something else was off about this situation.

  Looking around the Coliseum, I suddenly realized. “This place is crowded— Oh crap!”

  Siena wrinkled her brow. “What?”

  I gasped and looked up at the stands. Several dark clouds emerged from the stands, and with a harsh cry, Screamers appeared, scattered about the stadium seats. Their screams made the avatars around them wink out, forcing each one to log off. However, it was a Tertiatier dungeon, so even those in the audience dropped many of their items onto the seats. The Screamers began to spread out, erasing any of the avatars within their seven-meter effect range.

  “This place has been popular since it was put up! You could have done this at any time!” I turned to Siena’s confused form. “So why are you doing it now?”

  “Because . . .”

  Suddenly Siena’s face changed, and her eyes rolled up as though looking at the cloudy sky overhead. Her face no longer showed any struggle, her body no longer fighting whatever was constricting her. Then, as her eyes looked down again, another expression filled her face, one that I hadn’t recognized on her before: a kind of victorious leer.

  Her mouth then opened but her voice was not her own. “Because, Noah, now I can see it for myself.” She lifted the Ruby Edge up in front of her, placing her fingers and thumb on its tip. “Now I can be in the game like you. Well, not entirely like you. For instance, you can’t do this.”

  With a flick of Siena’s wrist, the Color Blade was snapped in two. Malcolm let the pieces drop to the pit and then spread Siena’s arms.

  “Now, as for our rematch.”

  Chapter 30: The Willing

  Needless to say, I was a little overwhelmed. Malcolm had found a way to escape his Debug Room and possess the avatar of my strongest friend. I was surrounded by Screamers on all angles, their armored forms terrorizing the audience. But even worse, Malcolm had just canceled out one of the core directives of the game. He had somehow just broken one of the unbreakable Color Blades.

  I breathed out shakily and faced Siena’s avatar, knowing that for the sake of fighting her this time, I was going to have to get my head around the fact that this was actually Malcolm.

  It was as this thought sprang to mind that I realized what the stakes of this fight were. Siena was proud of her avatar, and Malcolm’s A.I. could reside in it for as long he wanted. Not only did this mean he could run rampant for as long as he remained alive, but Siena would be locked out of the game as well. The only way to stop him and allow Siena to reclaim her account was to kill him.

  Siena needs her account to get the photos and send me the locations of the Screamers . . . Does Malcolm know that? Is this his way of stopping us?

  I didn’t want to reveal my cards by asking him, not until we knew exactly where the Screamers were. I looked around uneasily. Defeating him was going to be no easy task, especially now that I was surrounded.

  “I should really thank you,” Malcolm said. “If it weren’t for you beating her, Siena would never have resorted to using my help, never accepted the RTS software that could allow my consciousness to possess her avatar. But now I’m finally free of that Debug Room, and with a strong body, no less.”

  I gritted my teeth. “You use the word consciousness as though you’re alive. You’re an A.I., nothing more than a bit of software that can be deleted if need be.”

  Malcolm grinned. “Not quite. I am only a copy of myself. Another aspect of me is still in the debug room with no idea what is happening right now.”

  I recalled what he had said about the servers he had all over the globe. Somehow, they were connected to the Dream State, allowing him to anchor his A.I. to the Debug Room. I shook my head, knowing that I should try to piece together this puzzle later. Now was the time for fighting.

  “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to fight me one-on-one?” I asked, testing to see if arrogance came along with his new power.

  “You should know by now that I don’t play this game by your rules. I—” Malcolm suddenly frowned and looked up, as though hearing something. “Well, it seems I have no choice. You’ll get your way after all.”

  “What do you mean?” I looked up to see what he was seeing and I grinned. “Wow, nice timing guys.”

  Above the stands were several hovering platforms, and as soon as I saw them, seven avatars jumped down and landed on the upper stands behind each of the Screamers. Vega, Dice, and Chloe were the ones I recognized behind the Screamers. Data landed on the pit behind Malcolm.

  “Finally back into the fun stuff, I see.”

  Data smirked. “When it comes to you, Noah, the fun never stops.”

  As he said this, he raised his hand and a sword emerged in it, resembling the other Color Blades, but this one a bright topaz. I recalled how after I had won the Sapphire Edge off Brock, I had offered it back to Data, but he had refused. Now I knew why: he had already found its replacement. I mirrored his action by equipping my own Color Blade. Although Malcolm had just shown that he could break them, they were still the most powerful weapons in the game.

  Malcolm raised his hands out to either side of him. “More toys for me to break.”

  There was a sudden wail in the stands as the Screamers charged at Data’s teammates. At a glance, I saw that whatever Windsor had done to their Dream Engines was working, for even when they came within range of Shawn and the others, the Screamers weren’t making them vanish. Looks like Windsor might have to do that mass recall after all.

  “Noah,” Data called. “You remember our fight against the Dark Warrior?”

  I nodded, recalling how I had launched spells at the armored knight’s back as Data and Siena took turns engaging him. Considering the RTS software didn’t allow you to see back attacks, the strategy made sense. Added to this, Malcolm had possessed a Warrior avatar wearing garments meant for high speed, not defense, meaning he had little to no resistance against magic.

  “Let’s test the waters by seeing if that’ll work on him, eh?”

  Data raised his blade and I cast Speed Amp on him. Knowing where Malcolm was going thanks to the FPS, I cast a Gravity Warp spell on where he was heading. However, I forgot that he was using Siena’s avatar and was fast enough to dash out of the spell’s range. Thanks to the Speed Amp spell, Data caught up with him and began slashing out. However, due to seeing his projection, he could easily avoid and block all of his attacks.

  I used this distraction to get around Malcolm and launch an Ice Coffin toward his back. While in the Debug Room, Malcolm had been able to use magic, and it see
med he had gotten used to this, for he looked at me as though he were going to cast a protective spell. However, he was in Siena’s body, and Siena wasn’t a Spellcaster. The Ice Coffin spell hit him and he was trapped in the block of ice.

  “Hah, got him!”

  Data raised his blade to hack away at it. However, a Fire Weave was aimed his way to block him. Data jumped back, and I looked up to see one of the Screamers, clearly a caster, land between them and use Flame Conductor to redirect a flame toward Malcolm’s Ice Coffin. Before he could, I jumped onto the block and shot down a Water Hose at the flame. Steam pooled in front of me, and Data ran to cut down the Spellcaster.

  I saw the next Screamer come to back his teammate up. Seeing Chloe look around, confused about why her opponent was fleeing from her, what they were doing suddenly made sense. If the players continued to back up their comrades, a domino effect would occur. However, because some of the Screamers had already been taken out by my team, eventually this tactic would leave our team with an outlier.

  If that’s the case, we can choose who.

  I grinned as I remembered how we had defeated the Mother Bat.

  “Vega!” I shouted. “Ditch your tin can and hit this guy with an Earth Punch!”

  Vega summoned an Ice Wall between him and his Screamer’s bullets and leaped off it, flipping back onto the pit. “I’ll go left!”

  “Right!”

  I jumped from the Ice Coffin and punched out as Vega punched in the opposite direction. The two fist-shaped rocks rose from the ground, smashing at either side of the Ice Coffin. They both hit, and though the damage they did to Malcom was substantial, it didn’t kill him.

  It did, however, free him from the ice, and I quickly realized what a mistake this had been as soon as he said, “Again, thank you for setting me free, Noah.” Malcolm turned to one of his Screamers. “Michael, some speed, if you will.”