Gamer Girl

by Mia Archer

  Which is to say that tapping the screenshot pulled me into the screenshot. Everyone was frozen, looking at me in surprise while they were doing some very questionable things, but they weren't moving. It was a screenshot in that sense of the word, at least.

  I breathed a sigh of relief. I still had it. Apparently deleting a character didn't delete any of the screenshots associated with that character. That appeared to be tied to my account rather than to a specific character. Talk about a fucking relief!

  I pulled out of the screenshot and found myself staring at Caitee. She had an interesting look going for her. Her head was cocked to the side and she had a huge grin plastered across her face.

  "What?" I asked.

  "You look awfully relieved," she said.

  "So what?" I asked.

  "Like the kind of relieved I'd expect from somebody who thought maybe she'd lost an incriminating picture or something, and now she's excited that she still has it.”

  "I will neither confirm nor deny anything," I said, holding my hands up.

  "Whatever you say," she said. "But I know your secrets. Remember that."

  "So why don't I just have you killed then?" I asked.

  "Easy," she said. "You aren't a high enough level to threaten me in the game, and you don't have the kind of power that allows you to constantly harass me and follow me to the point that I have to get a new character."

  I blinked. "People actually do stuff like that?"

  "Totally," she said. "How else do you think they intimidate people in the game? It's not like you can threaten someone with permadeath when the game allows you to respawn as many times as you want. Sure you take an experience hit, but whatever.”

  "Damn," I muttered.

  "And I also know you're a scholarship case," she said. "So it's not like you're going to have the kind of pull to have someone go after me in the real world. I figure I'm safe there."

  "Yeah?" I asked. "And what if the rizon finally has enough of everybody looking down on her and goes a little crazy? Decides to take one of her rich tormentors out as revenge?"

  "If you did that then you'd go after Chelsey and Tori," Caitee said. "I figure I'm safe."

  I rolled my eyes and growled. "What the fuck ever. How do we get the hell out of here?"

  I turned and started stalking off through the woods. I glanced at my mini map. I figured this was sort of the correct direction if I wanted to get to the big city. Like the real big city, and not the towns around the edge of the big city that served as entrances from the various zones leading in.

  "Where are you going?" Caitee asked.

  "I'm going to the city," I said. "Why?"

  "You're going the wrong way,” she said. "Open up your map and you can tap a waypoint that will show up on your minimap and point you in the right direction.”

  I followed her directions and poked a point on the map in the middle of the big city. A moment later a glowing arrow the color of that waypoint showed me which way to go on my minimap.

  "Oh. Well that's useful," I said.

  Caitee rolled her eyes. "Come on. I'll teach you what I know it while we're walking."

  "You're coming with me?" I asked.

  "Of course I am," she said. "Who else is going to save your ass when you do something that's both crazy and inadvisable?"

  She had a point, though I didn't care for the way she'd decided to phrase that point. Whatever. I turned in the direction of the city and headed off that way. I didn’t wait to see if Caitee was following, though I assumed she was back there somewhere.

  I wasn't sure what I was going to find there, but it had to be better than what was waiting for me in the starter zone. Or in that little suburb with the exploded inn.

  26

  I Have the Power?

  "No way," I said. "We'll find another entrance. There are a lot of them."

  "And this is the only entrance that opens up into the starter zone," Caitee said. “Everything else goes through zones you’re not gonna survive.”

  "I can go through those other zones. I got some levels on me while we were walking through the woods."

  That had been a pleasant surprise. There were a few monsters I'd been able to take out on my own using my Lightwielder abilities, and there'd been others Caitee had dispatched without much trouble. Sure I hadn't gotten as much experience from them as I would’ve if, say, I was with a group that was the same level as me, but I still got some experience points which was way better than anything I could've expected in other old-school MMO's.

  "And those levels aren't going to mean jack or shit if you go into any of the other zones that surround this city,” Caitee said. “There are things in those zones that will turn you into a snack and you won’t even realize they’ve done it until the death animation hits you and you get to see some tentacle monster doing things to your corpse you really don’t want to imagine.”

  I shivered. The people who made this game had really gone overboard on some of the ways monsters could interact with players. I was surprised they hadn’t gotten complaints.

  Then again, if the things I’d heard about the kind of parties thrown at the Academy were anything to go on, the rich and famous tended to take their party cues from Caligula anyway, so maybe it was just a matter of them thinking this kind of depraved shit was normal and the real trouble would come when the game was released to the masses.

  Difficult to see, it was.

  "Why couldn't they just have level scaling in this game?" I groused.

  "Probably to prevent people like you from doing exactly what you're thinking about doing,” she said.

  I hit her with what I hoped was my most withering glare. From the way she stared back at me, deadpan, it wasn’t doing much good.

  "Really Caitee?" I said. “You think the developers envisioned a scenario where somebody accidentally blew up an inn because they knocked over a mage who was maintaining a portal to a nonstop player orgy?"

  "Well… When you put it that way…"

  "Exactly," I said. "You're acting ridiculous."

  "And you're not?" Caitee said.

  I looked at the town. The remains of the inn were right there. Apparently destructible environmental things didn't magically reappear just because the server had reset overnight. There were work crews out there going over the thing, and it was clear the repair schedule was going to be on a far more real world scale than the instant reset that was totally possible considering this was a digital world and everything could be created or destroyed with the click of a keyboard.

  Apparently none of the keyboard jockeys had decided they were going to remake the local brothel in anything approaching a timely manner. It was surprising. I would've figured a bunch of dorky code pounders would’ve been working overtime to make sure the in-game brothel would be repaired. Especially if it allowed them to mix and mingle with the wealthy and attractive of the world in a situation where there was no way to tell if they were actually a code pounder working on the game or one of those rich and wealthy, but what did I know?

  It was also very possible that anyone who was working for Etherea was so busy working on the game and smashing bugs that inevitably came with the launch that none of them had actually gotten around to logging into the game and trying it out or stumbling across the digital cathouse that’d been established right under their noses.

  “How am I acting ridiculous?” I asked. “You're the one who wants to take me to a place where I have a price on my head and everybody would kill me without blinking just for the fun of it!"

  She tapped my head. Then reached down and squeezed my nose. Gave it a little wiggle. Finally she ran her fingers down my pointed ears.

  That last bit was actually kind of fun. Like I could totally understand what the Ferengi were on about feeling her hands running across my ears. There also seemed to be a moment’s hesitation from Caitee as she did it. She stared at me for just a moment longer, and then shook her head as though she was coming out of a trance or somethin
g.

  "You have a completely different face since the last time all those people saw you," she said. "None of them are going to know who you are as long as you keep your mouth shut!"

  She punctuated that last bit by putting her hand over my mouth. I looked down, and then decided to have a little fun with this. I licked her hand. Her eyes went wide, and she pulled her hand away as though she'd touched a live wire.

  "Right. The point is they don't know who you are and you don't have to worry about them knowing who you are," she said.

  I felt like an idiot.

  "You're right," I said.

  "You're damn right I'm right!" she said. "Now come on. Just don't act like you're hiding something and you'll be fine."

  She took a couple of steps out of the forest before I decided to follow her. After all, she had a point. I’d had a first hand up close and personal demonstration of what happened when a lower level player did something stupid like wandering through a zone that was way above their level, after all.

  So I stalked along behind her. We found the road and continued on through the village. I’ll admit it was interesting to have an up close and personal look at some of the damage I’d caused.

  "Damn," I breathed. "This looks bad."

  "Only if you were too close to the explosion," Caitee said.

  "I was…"

  A warning glance from Caitee was enough to shut me right the fuck up. Right. Because no one around here had any idea I was the person who’d caused this whole explosion thing yesterday. Which meant if I wanted to stay among the living then it’d be a good fucking idea for me to keep my big fucking mouth shut.

  So I shut up.

  “What are you doing?” a gruff voice called out.

  I jumped. I recognized that voice. It was the asshole who’d been out here running interference for the girl who’d tried to get me to ply some of her wares the day before. And he didn’t look too happy at seeing a couple of strangers moving through his town.

  He even appeared out of the same little nook he’d been hiding in the day before. Which was impressive considering most of the building had been blown up, but his little corner right by the former entrance to the inn had been just fine.

  I wondered if he’d been killed in the explosion, or if being next to a structure that’d stayed in one piece meant he’d survived. Not that it mattered since he was on a respawn timer like everyone else around here.

  “Just passing through,” Caitee said. “No need to worry about us. I’m taking the noob here to see the city.”

  “Helping people?” the guy laughed, then his eyes narrowed and he flexed his hands. I was painfully aware of the nice two-handed sword attached to his back. “That’s not like you at all Caitee. Why would you be helping this noob here? We’re not taking kindly to noobs around here considering what happened yesterday.”

  He peered at me. Stared at my face. Then one of his meaty fingers came out and pressed up under my chin. I didn’t like having a meaty finger pressing up under my chin, but he sort of had the upper hand right now.

  “Got any interesting screenshots on you, little one?” he asked. “If you do things are going to get very interesting.”

  “And if I don’t?” I asked, surprised that my voice wasn’t quavering as he inspected me.

  He chuckled and shook his head. “If you don’t then we’re going to have a very interesting time with you. Make you not want to come back through here.”

  “This is the starter zone Gorok,” Caitee said. “I know you have your business to run, but that doesn’t mean you get to pester all the noobs who come through here. Leave her alone.”

  The big guy, Gorok, turned back to Caitee. This time he did reach a hand back behind him to grab at the hilt of his massive sword strapped back there.

  “You want to say that again, Caitee?” he asked. “Because I know Calixia isn’t going to care for hearing you talk like that.”

  Caitee looked at me and then looked down. She seemed to look almost guilty. It was enough to make me wonder what the hell was going on here.

  “That sounds like you know Calixia?” I asked. “What the hell is he talking about, Caitee?”

  “It’s not your problem,” she said. “You don’t have to worry about any of that.”

  Gorok chuckled, and a laugh from him was like a mountain come to life.

  “She don’t have to worry about it, you say?” he said. “Did you tell her how Calixia finds the pretties for her business?”

  I glanced around. And I saw something that chilled me. That girl was out there again. She looked a little irritated that there was no one coming through, but there she was. And as she looked at me, and then to Gorok, it looked like she was mouthing something. I squinted. Tried to get a good look at whatever the fuck she was saying.

  And the game was nice enough to oblige me. One moment I was squinting at her, and the next moment she got bigger as my vision moved like I was staring through binoculars. Which I guess made sense as something that could be done in a game, but it was still a little surprising to have it happen. I stumbled a bit, but Caitee and Gorok seemed lost in their posturing and didn’t realize what I was doing.

  That chill got even deeper as I realized what the girl was saying.

  “Run.”

  I thought about how interested Caitee had been in that screenshot and wondered what she was going to do, or who she was going to sell me out to, when we got to the city. Fuck. I turned back to Caitee and Gorok.

  “So were you going to tell me what the hell was going on here?” I asked. “Or were you going to lead me to the city and to whatever the fuck is going on in there to trap people?”

  Caitee looked at me and squeezed her eyes shut. Gorok, for his part, threw his head back and laughed again. Like he’d just heard the most incredible joke ever.

  “Welcome to the way this new world works little one,” he said. “We’ll get a few compromising screenshots of you and…”

  “Compromising screenshots, huh?” I said. “So is that what this is all about? You weren’t asking me about that screenshot because you were worried about me at all. You were trying to get some of the people at the party into compromising positions so you could get them into whatever sick shit you’re doing!”

  “Shut up!” Caitee hissed, but I was on a roll.

  “Well if you think I’m going to help you with something disgusting like that you’ve got…”

  I paused. There was something about Caitee’s look that said there was something very wrong here. As I glanced around the small village I realized what that something was.

  Nobody was moving., and they were all staring at me. As though I’d just said something that caught all their attention.

  Which I sort of had. I’d just admitted I was the one who’d been there the night before and caused all the trouble. I’d admitted to the screenshot.

  More than a few of the players staring at me were reaching for weapons at their side and staring at me with one hell of a grin.

  Unfortunately Gorok was the closest, and it only took a moment for him to unsheathe that massive two-handed sword that’d been strapped to his back.

  “I knew you’d be coming through in a new character after what happened last night,” he growled. “Well don’t you worry your pretty little head. You had a good idea sneaking in there, but it’s going to be the last good idea you ever have if I have anything to do with it!”

  He brought the sword down. I didn’t have any way to defend myself. Not against this guy. Not when I was a squishy robe wearer who had some healing spells that weren’t going to do me a damn bit of good if he managed to one shot me.

  “You don’t have to do this!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

  Something flashed between me and the dude. I was pretty sure it wasn’t any sort of magic. At least I hadn’t set off any spells on purpose, though I was more than willing to admit that it was possible I’d set something off without realizing it.

  Gorok stood the
re wavering back and forth. His eyes flashed gold for a moment, and then he grinned at me.

  “I’m so sorry miss,” he said. “How can I help you?”

  I wasn’t sure how this worked, but I figured with a bunch of other people closing in on me looking like they were ready to end my life it was as good a time as any to get the hell out of here. I could figure out what the hell

  “Take them out!” I said, not really expecting him to follow the order.

  Only follow it he did. He tightened his grip on his sword and turned to charge at the biggest group of people who looked like they were ready for trouble. They looked surprised for the moment it took them to go over like a bunch of bowling pins.

  “What the hell did you do?” Caitee asked. “I’ve never seen something like that before!”

  “Fuck you,” I said.

  I ran past her. Of course there was the little problem of a bunch of other players moving in on me from that direction. All of them were fingering their weapons and looked like they were thinking about all the ways they were going to bring down a world of hurt on me.

  “No!” I shouted.

  Again something flashed out from me. I wasn’t sure what the hell it was, but it looked an awful lot like some of the glowing and sparkling that’d come off that statue the day before.

  Was it possible all of that had actually happened for real? I mean not for real since this was a game, but for real within the fake game world.

  I didn’t have time to think about it. No, I was barreling towards this crowd at full speed. But a wave of glowing magic hit them, and then they were all standing there staring at me with goofy grins as well. I also saw a shitload of timers appear over them, presumably counting down until the charm wore off, as well as a new bar that had a row of names on it.

  Like I’d suddenly added a bunch of pets to my collection or something. Well then. I wasn’t sure what to think about that, but I could make use of it if the game was going to finally give me some help.

  Someone was coming up behind me, fast. Gorok either hadn’t been enough to hold off everyone coming at me, or more likely whatever I’d done to him had worn off and now he was coming at me with a vengeance.