by Jack Crosby
“Shhh!!” the witch hissed, putting her finger over her mouth. “I think we are about to have company.”
A large figure broke through the tree line. He was a massive man, his armor battered and worn. With his mismatched eyes, one gold and one silver, he looked clearly at Ali and said, “Run woman! There are demons coming for me!”
Norad – the recluse who had taken up residency in one of the deeper parts of The Neon Underground. His presence here was completely unexpected. I figured he either died in the firefight that fateful day or stayed hidden and was long gone. It would seem I was wrong on both counts. He pushed through our circle, urging us to follow. “We can’t stay here.”
Baba stood up and commanded, “Stop.”
Norad, not used to be given orders, that was clear, did stop at her request. “I know who you are, witch. If you want to stay and die, that’ll be on you. Ali, Ira,” he fixed in on us again, “use reason and flee with me.”
It was quite tempting. I was wondering just how bad these demons were if Norad was afraid to confront them. Then Baba, giving me a short nod, almost to reinforce the way forward was the proper way, she steeled my resolve. “Sorry, Norad. I have to keep going forward.”
“Ira, are you sure?” Ali looked concerned. Over her voice, there was a buzzing sound picking up. “There has to be another way, right Baba?”
“We either go forward, or we give up hope.”
“We go forward.” The authority in my voice made me step back for a moment. I was becoming more and more sure of myself with each passing minute. “We must, Ali.”
“You heard the lady, Norad.” Ali unhooked a short sword that I didn’t recognize. “What are we up against?”
While he fired up his giant shotgun, “From what I’ve gathered traveling across their lands, they’re called the Unforgiven. Rumor has it that they are the former Zeus Industries shock troopers, punished in such ways for their disobedience towards the master file.”
The only weapon I had was a small pistol, the Falcon T-Model, I kept for self-defense. Baba looked at it when I pulled it out of my ankle holster and sighed. “Ira, dear. You’re going to need something a bit more than that.”
“It’s all I have.”
She waved her hand over the small gun and it warped itself into something much heavier duty. “You’ll find the Scorpion Class X-Shot will serve you well in your coming trials.”
I was about to find out how right she was. Two of the Unforgiven, blacked out cesspools of pure death, lurked from the tree line. With clawed razor-like hands raised, they attacked.
Chapter 5 – Killer Instinct
I can’t say I’d ever been in battle quite like this before. I’d witnessed the fights in the Arena while the administrator for The Neon Underground. I’d even survived two assassination attempts, hence the reason I had a gun in the first place. But this was the first time I was in a true battle, with enemies coming in from every empty space, all with the intent to kill.
My three companions on this journey were doing quite well. My level was at thirty-six, all for my healing arts, so that’s what I went with. I went in behind Baba, a proficient black mage, and begun using my skills as they became available.
Norad, who had taken on some of the creatures by himself, seemed surprised when I used Heavenly Cloud on him. His cuts and bruises instantly were healed and he was able to get back into it. My other top skill, Evanescence, needed to be saved. The massive cooldown time between uses made it a bit impractical unless everyone was hurting. So in the meantime, I relied on Cure and Medic to keep the team going and Heavenly Cloud when I could.
There was no end to the Unforgiven, at least it seemed that way. For every five or ten we mowed down, more just took the fallen’s place. I was beginning to tire out, as the constant consumption that using skills took began to wear on me.
“Ira, behind you!”
The witch was pointing over my shoulder. I spun quickly to see two Unforgiven approaching on me. It seemed they had figured out my role and that eliminating me would quicken this battle. I lifted the Scorpion Baba upgraded for me and without hesitation, fired twice. Each bolt that was projected found its target – the forehead of one of those demons.
Smoke was billowing from the wounds as they fell to the ground. I honestly didn’t know I had that in me. Looking back on the main battle, instead of going back to my healing role, I targeted a few Unforgiven and began firing shot after shot. Another ranged attacker was something they were unprepared for.
Ali and Norad continued to slaughter them, taking damage in the process. With my adding on as an extra attacker, the numbers seemed to start to thin out. I got caught up in a battle sense, not even paying attention to my companion’s health. We were so close to putting an end to this thing…
“Ira, I need help, now!”
I put the gun down and snapped out of my adrenaline rushed stupor. Norad, who was still chopping away, was in the red, too. Baba all the while was just cackling away, trying to keep the remainder of the enemies at bay. It was time to use my ultimate skill.
I put my hands together and allowed the skill to flow from me. Silver snowflakes fell from the dark sky and on to my companions. The Unforgiven stopped, unsure of what was happening. The skills did nothing to them, but it brought Ali and Norad back from the brink. With a fully charged health bar and a sense of being refreshed, it was time to go at it hard one last time.
The renewed fight that we showed broke the spirits of the Unforgiven. Seeing the four of us rejuvenated and at full power, they succumbed to the offensive firepower we displayed. When the last one fell, it was hard not to throw up a cheer of victory. Even Baba O’Riley, the usually stoic witch, couldn’t help but get caught up in the moment.
There were numerous drops on the ground from the different Unforgiven. Lots of equipment and such to be had. I was quite happy with my gun, but found a scope and a silencer that fit on nicely. That, and in combination with the two full levels I jumped in terms of experience points, this was a great blessing!
Maybe it was the after effects of battle, but lust took over all three of them and the scene quickly descended into an orgy. Baba was servicing Norad’s dick while Ali was using her mouth to pleasure the witch. Even as I watched her slip her tongue in and out of Baba, nothing was really doing in for me. I needed Ash, I needed to feel him fill me up.
My lack of participation didn’t stop them. Once the oral pleasures were over, Norad took his time fucking the brains out of my two female companions. He brought Baba to orgasm first before casting her aside and taking Ali’s pussy to task. He didn’t stop, even after she had her fill, until he finished deep inside her. Once done, he quickly pulled out and redressed. It was about as cold and unemotional as I’d seen.
“Where are the three of you going now?” His question was rough, just like her was. He also stared at me, as if to say he would remember how I didn’t please him. “These horrors are probably just the beginning.”
“We head for what used to be the Binary Cove. It is there that our true destination waits.”
Baba’s words were cryptic as always. Ali and I were used to it, but one could tell Norad was quite annoyed. “There will be no talking anyone out of this fucking suicide mission, will there?”
“No,” I said. I would continue to be firm in my stance. “While we thank you for your help here, that is all that will be required.”
Ali looked at me, a bit apprehensive. “Ira, it might be a good idea to bring him along. We don’t know what else is out there and having another warrior is never a bad thing.”
Don’t ask me why, but Norad was untrustworthy in my opinion. There was just something off about his attitude, for as long as I knew him actually. “Who is to say he even wants to come?”
“I do,” he said a little too enthusiastic for my liking. But the looks on Baba’s and Ali’s faces said they were more than happy to have him come along.
So with that, we left the security of the forest an
d continued moving forward.
Chapter 6 – Distrust
“This is what lies between us and Binary Cove,” Baba reassured.
‘This’ was a swamp – a long, flat bubbling swamp land. There were all sorts of strange noises coming from it. Norad looked out over it, as if this was the last place he wished to return. “Some of the Unforgiven, they could speak.” None that we’d just fought did. “When I was sneaking around their base of operations, they referred to this area of the DLC Quagmire.”
Quagmire, just a fancy name for a swamp. “What does DLC stand for?”
“Death Looms Constantly,” he answered me, quite morbidly.
Baba didn’t seem all that worried. “We have fought with the Unforgiven. Whatever else the master file creates, we can handle that, too.”
Master files creates? “Are you saying the game in adapting to us? I wouldn’t even think something like that would be possible.”
“Ira, open your eyes to the world!” She wasn’t admonishing me, more like trying to prove a point. “Someone, or something, created an anomaly that allowed Ash to survive his ordeals in Zoe. The game, or more likely those who program it, have likely set in place firewalls to make sure their objectives are completed.”
It was Ali’s turn to act skeptical. Where mine was directed towards Norad, she seemed quite unconvinced of Baba. “How do we know you aren’t in some way helping the programmers? After all, it was you, in your Oracle guise, which allowed me to bring over Vector in the first place.” Unlike the rest of us, she continued to use Ash’s gamer handle.
“Ali,” she pleased, tossing her hands into the air. “What more do I need to do to prove that I wish for this world to find peace? I, more than anyone, have no reason to work with those who are bent to control it.”
A thought hit me, interrupting the building argument. “What could someone on the outside world possibly want that badly to go to such lengths in a game? We are all just characters in a game…”
Breaking away from Ali, “Are we?” she asked. “Are you not about to venture out into the real world to locate a location that was created just for this very game?”
Norad’s eyes flashed for a moment, yet he remained silent. I noticed, but directed my response to Baba. “That’s what you tell me is going to happen. I understand not that long ago a player came to us; that is why I’ve continued onward.” It was my turn to voice some frustration. “If you gave us more information, maybe we’d be more willing to understand.”
The only noises to be heard were the strange noises from the swamp. Then, “Ash’s father helped create the first game, Neon Death Race. The character, Vector, was partly based on him. During the motion capture phase of development, a link was opened between Ash’s father and Vector.”
“How do you know all of this?” I blurted out.
“Because I spoke to his father on numerous occasions. Once I was programmed, the two of us had frequent discussions.”
In just one explanation, so much fell into place. “What happened in that first game?”
There was a sadness in the witch’s eyes, one that spoke of loss. “Right before the game was released, Ash’s father discovered a back door program that would allow the game to steal player’s information, basically allowing those who programmed the game access to all their treasures.”
“Those who made Neon Death Race would be able to steal from players without them ever knowing?” Ali picked it up quickly.
“The game was successful in it, until Ash’s father made one final connection. Using Vector, he locked the codes to the stolen information and the original game into five Easter Eggs. Only once those Easter Eggs were discovered in a brand new game, the original landscape to Neon Death Race would reemerge in the file, allowing the stolen information to be accessed.”
It seemed like such a faulty scheme, considering the game hadn’t been beaten until Ash completed it. “Then why make a game that was unbeatable?” I asked.
“Zeus Industries was designed to find the Easter Eggs on the inside. Whoever created The Electric Mile didn’t know that only a player could do it.”
Norad, who I kind of forgot was here, asked, “With the Easter Eggs collected, where is the cache of stolen information?”
Maybe Baba really didn’t know or maybe she didn’t trust him. Either way, “That I do not know. Once the connection with Vector was broken, Ash’s father never returned and the character of Vector was locked away, given the task to hide one of the Easter Eggs.”
“So Ash knows all about this?”
“No!” she shouted. “When you find him, he mustn’t know how connected his father is. Those who want this information are ruthless. If they think he can lead it to them or will oppose them, he will be in grave danger.”
That last part was aimed directly at me. There was something about Baba’s mannerisms that led me to believe there was more to this tale. She didn’t say anything else about Neon Death Race or Ash’s father. “We’ve talked enough. None of this will matter unless we get Ira to the transfer point and return The Neon Underground to its rightful world.” She looked out over the swamp. “If our world collapses, none of us will survive and the codes will just respawn in the next game, along with the five Easter Eggs. The cycle will continue”
Chapter 7 – Sticky Situation
As hard as it was, I had to push everything Baba laid out for us to the back of my mind. We were about to cross the treacherous swamplands and nothing less than complete focus would do. Norad had warned us that the goo that spewed forth from the swamp bubbles would burn like hell and that breathing in too much of the green gas that hovered just above our head levels would be toxic.
Neither Baba nor I felt comfortable following Norad, but we had little choice. He’d just been out here and seemingly knew the area well. Baba, and her knowledge of Neon Death Race notwithstanding, seemed a bit uncomfortable with all of this. I had hoped to ask her what seemed to be the issue, but the opportunity hadn’t had the chance to arise.
We’d been traveling for some time when Norad called for us to stop. “We’re on the edge of the Quagmire’s inner lands. This is where the Unforgiven call home.”
Ali paused for a moment, listening to the sounds of the wetlands. “I can hear them, lurking just out of sight.” That was a chilling thought. “What are our chances of making in through this, Norad?”
“We need to find Ares, he is the leader of these abominations. We defeat him, the rest will back off.”
A boss battle, of course. “Until we find him though, we must defeat those who encounter us, yes?”
He readied his weapon. “If you want to live to see this portal point, then yes, we fucking kill them.”
There was a distinct change in the air as we ventured in further. You could feel the Unforgivens’ eyes on you; the foul creatures were there, waiting. Part of me wanted to scream, to yell at them to come out of hiding and fight like true and honorable warriors, but I knew this was part of their ploy. Get their prey so freaked out that they can’t properly take care of themselves. I tried to steady my mind and not allow myself to fall victim to their psychological warfare.
Then, when it appeared as if we weren’t going to go mad with fear, they attacked. It was a group of five; four looked like the ones we’d killed back at the edge of the forest and one looked a bit different. Where the others howled and hissed, this one put his hand up to stop the raid and began to speak. “Tressspasssersss,” he hissed. “You come into our territory with no ressspect.”
It was time for Norad to step up, as he’d dealt with the talking ones before. “Either get out of our paths are we will crush you.” Not exactly the way I would’ve done it.
The talking Unforgiven took this as a slight. “Sssso, you wisssh to continue forward. Thisss issss an act of war!”
No one really wanted to start a war in our group, at least I hoped not. Well maybe Norad as he relished the opportunity to strike out immediately against the closest Unforgiven. For a
guy who was scared shitless of them not that long ago, his temperament had certainly changed. Maybe it was knowing I could heal him almost on call, or maybe it was something else?
Even with one of their numbers immediately cut down, the rest were on us. There was no time to create any separation, so I immediately unhooked the Scorpion and fired directly into the face of the monster bearing down on me. He screamed a horrible scream and fell to the swampy ground. I fired off three more shots before he stopped moving.
The real problem was the speaking Unforgiven. It was quite obvious his speed and agility ratings were through the roof. No attack came close to landing on him. Soon it was four against one, but you’d never know it. He was flipping and shifting all around, striking each of us quickly before moving on. It was a surreal experience to witness.
A cure and Heavenly Cloud later, the group was back in business sort of. Baba managed to hit the first direct hit with a flame attack, breaking off the Unforgiven from his attack. Ali tried to follow up a second blow, but he leapt high and far away. He landed gracefully across the way from us. “There will be no hope for you.”
As he began to leave, Norad took chase. We needed the big oaf, so the three of us followed him as quickly as we could. The Quagmire was not ideal terrain to follow someone through, but we did our best. The chase finally ended in a large open area. The moment we crossed the last bit of swamp land and into it, a force field shot up everywhere. Shit, it was a trap.
Standing across from us was the Unforgiven Norad took off after and a much larger one. This one was even sporting snow white hair. “Greetings,” he bellowed, his voice refined and mannered. “Welcome to my sanctuary.”
“Ares,” Norad growled. “It’s about time you showed up.”
The leader of the pack didn’t bite back. Instead, “If I played my hand too soon, this opportunity wouldn’t have come.”
