Know Thy Enemy

by Dawn Chapman

  Drayk couldn’t believe it. This—it—shouldn’t be talking to him. It was impossible. “What kind of request?” he asked.

  “I need you to die. Once this quest is over. Will you do it?”

  “I don’t want—that defeats the game’s object.”

  “No, I am programmed for your re-birth to complete several training sessions. You must die to complete this.”

  Drayk puzzled over the nanites agenda but didn’t understand it. This was something he needed to think about. But as for the ticking timer, he spoke back. “Yes, I’m willing to die, if you’ll help me.”

  “Consider your poison gone, but I’ll hold you to your promise, it’s for your benefit and mine,” he said, then he vanished.

  Drayk pointed to the entrance of the dungeon below and murmured. “Ready to go down? See what the fuss is about?”

  There was no time for him to train, or level up anymore. He had to do some of these things now. That meant right now; no more hanging around.

  “Drayk, wait up!” A voice shouted over the wind.

  Drayk saw Cale and Haal on the river bank. Drei waved at him frantically from the river’s other side, her swords clinking at her sides. He didn’t want to look at Drei. The fact they were all here angered him.

  Drayk wanted to run, dive into the dungeon world before the others could get to him, but that wasn’t going to happen now. His cheeks flushed. He tried to stop them, but it wasn’t working. “Cale shouldn’t be here. He’s supposed to meet me back at Altus’ village. Not here. This is too dangerous.”

  Drei was first into the water, her long dark hair swaying with the current. Some of it glinted with the cold water.

  “Seems like you’ve had a little fun out here.”

  “Did Torin not come with you?” Drayk asked.

  Drei shook her head. “No, he’s causing a distraction. We’re not sanctioned by the guild.”

  Drayk’s eyes sought out Cale’s as he reached the water’s edge. His brother looked pissed, but what he saw in his eyes wasn’t just that, but pure emotion.

  Cale almost ran to him, and after some awkward silence, he finally dragged Drayk into a hug.

  “I’m sorry,” Drayk said, “I had to do this. You know that.”

  Cale pulled back. Drayk saw his eyes had tears in them. “I know,” Cale said, “Drei filled me in, so did Haal. Although I hate you for coming in here, I understand.”

  Cale hugged him once more. “I’m just glad I found you. The war has taken a turn for the worse. I leave in a couple of days.”

  Drayk shot Haal a glare. “This can’t be true, can it?”

  Haal dropped his chin, staring at the ground. “I’m sorry, but it is. I’m to report with Cale to the new section leader for our district.”

  Drei reached out, grasped Haal’s hand. “We’re here, so you two get some time to say goodbye.”

  “That sucks.”

  “It more than sucks, there’s this part of me that wants to fight them till the bitter end. What’s going on here, out there, is very wrong.”

  “Fighting the humans or the government isn’t a thing we can do just in here. This isn’t the time; we can’t address bigger issues without getting more help,” Cale replied to him.

  “We are garnering help,” Drei said, “My brother has friends, and they’ve got friends. There’s a whole new charter developing, since they brought the war closer to home. Don’t want it on our doorstep; we’ve got to fight it off, stop this stupidity.”

  “You think we can?” Drayk asked.

  “I don’t know; I—I don’t know.”

  Drayk looked back. There was a world of inner fights, loot, possibly answers that he needed now. But all he really wanted to do was save his brother from being a soldier.

  Torn between everything he ever wanted in life. Her or him, Drayk sighed, each breath of the air seeming to take with it more of his resolve.

  Drei was right, he just didn’t believe it. “We should get going,” Drayk said. “Unless you have some time to help a newbie out?”

  Haal’s eyes lit up. He regarded Drei. “Have we got some time to dig in?”

  Drei glanced to Cale, “Sure, if we’re all in agreement.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Wayne

  Wayne paced around Pierce’s flat. Nothing seemed out of place. He couldn’t see anything that made him doubt what the guys at the corporation had told him, yet his senses told him he shouldn’t listen to them.

  The milk in the fridge had turned, but as he put the coffeepot on, he hoped it’d be enough to make one cup.

  While the coffee brewed, Wayne put the TV on, flicked through the channels he’d already watched a hundred times that morning.

  A news reporter spouted on about an accident.

  Wayne watched. A feed from a gamer’s camera flashed across the screen. How could there have been an accident? These games are tested on every level. Yet—

  The creature had been following Pierce around from day one. Pierce had nicknamed it. Chopper had grown quickly. Wayne enjoyed watching him feed the creature although there was something off about the way it ate; he was just glad it wasn’t eating his friend.

  Then Pierce had been captured and dragged into the science base. Their view wasn’t a good one. Mostly the company had cut the ‘staring at the wall for several hours’ and tried to explain there was a malfunction, and they’d get the feedback. It was Wayne’s underground companions who had messaged him through a secure channel that evening and asked to meet him.

  Wayne trekked to the other side of town and down into the layers of Bobby Mchabe’s underground city. She’d sat him down and let him watch their pirated video stream. Wayne’s hand fisted at what he saw, but he stemmed from lashing out.

  Before him, there were several things, but the screen moved too fast, and he couldn’t make it all out.

  “Here,” Bobby said, “let me slow it down for you, just a little.”

  The image showed a creature: red-skin, dark hair, and deep almost soulless eyes. She grabbed Pierce by the scruff of the neck as they fought. Then there were snippets of conversation. Things he was sure he hadn’t heard right. He asked Bobby to let him sit and watch it a few times on his own, and she did. She left him there for over an hour before he finally put the headphones down and went looking for her.

  Later that day when the TV news reported an accident, Wayne wasn’t buying it and had gone straight to the facility.

  It was Wilkinson who had come out to see him. Pacing around the lobby floor apparently wasn’t a good thing for the news crews to witness, so they’d pulled him into a side room.

  “Wayne,” Wilkinson said as he opened the door with Lynette in tow. Why on earth did that man take her with him everywhere? That was just totally creepy. The woman wasn’t even real, yet he seemed to treat her like she was his secretary. Wayne shuddered at the thought. She sat down across from him and looked to be taking notes.

  “I know you’re worried, but we’ve got him in the best facility to address the issues and the problems we faced when his game interface shut down earlier today.”

  Wayne went straight in for the kill. “I need to see him.”

  Wilkinson’s laugh irritated Wayne to no end. “I’m afraid you can’t. He’s in state-of-the-art systems even I don’t have access to. The system’s run completely by AI’s and no one is allowed inside.

  “Then just let me see him from a distance,” Wayne replied.

  Wilkinson laughed again. “Technology like ours isn’t for the public eye.”

  Wayne was getting blocked at every level.

  “Then how can I know what’s going on with him if I can’t see him. I’m his friend.”

  “No,” Wilkinson said. “You’re not. You’re his caregiver. You’ve been his caregiver since his accident. You think accepting money every week from our accounts and not his own, makes you his friend?”

  Wayne didn’t know where to look. Pierce didn’t know about that, and he hoped h
e never found out. He wasn’t doing it for the money, the money just made his life easier. Wayne helped Pierce because there was this need in him that nothing else satisfied.

  Wilkinson approached him and placed a stack of papers on the table.

  Red lights flashed above the door, then there was a shrill siren sounding off. Wilkinson’s face dropped.

  “What is it?” Wayne asked.

  But, Wilkinson was almost out the door leaving Wayne’s mouth open.

  His final words to Wayne were, “Pierce’s systems just crashed.”

  Wayne’s heart beat so rapidly he thought it would explode. He tried to follow Wilkinson, but the man had rushed off, leaving him with an open door, and staring at the robotic woman. “Can you tell me anything?”

  She shook her head. What the hell? How can a robot without its puppet master respond? Now he was even more confused.

  Wayne’s only thought then was to dig deeper, and deeper until he got to the bottom of it.

  It was less than an hour later; the announcement came through.

  “It is with our deepest sadness that we’re to announce Pierce Hunt has passed away at the age of 22.” Wayne sat down hard. Coffee forgotten as the reporter’s voice continued, “—medical issues. There will be a public and private funeral arranged for those who were close to him. We are very sorry for his loss.”

  Pierce

  The dungeon’s dampness settled deep into Pierce’s bones. The pain throbbed much worse than back home. Escaping had been a bit of pure luck. He’d not expected it, and exhaustion swept through his system.

  Dreams, or nightmares poked their head through in waves. Images that Pierce didn’t want to acknowledge. Things he thought Leenz’s operation had pulled out of him.

  The crash. Voices chasing him. The shattering of glass. The twisting of metal, and the pain. Oh God, the pain. Pierce reached out, finding only one thing near him that might comfort him. He wrapped his arms around Leenz and squeezed her tight. Leenz, he was sure, was still asleep, but then her eyes flicked open and they stared at one another.

  “You all right?” she asked.

  Pierce couldn’t answer. He shivered. That act alone had her tug him closer, and he closed his eyes.

  “I’m not used to this. New Ararat has brought with it many things I’ve had to conquer.”

  Scooting over to the fire, Pierce put more bits of wood into it, reached for her, and placed his hand on her leathery skin. “You think I need to be conquered?”

  Reaching for a cup, her hands unsteady, the cup wobbled, spilling the contents over her hand. “I—I don’t know.” Leenz wiped it quickly down her clothes.

  “I’ve never been interested in a female before,” Pierce said, moving closer to her again, wrapping his arm around her instead. “But you do interest me. A lot.”

  When she met his eyes, her dark browns seemed to glow, or maybe it was the light from the fire. There were tears. Pierce leaned in, kissed the side of her cheek. He held her tighter.

  Shooting erupted around him, he whirled around to somewhere else, somewhere from his nightmares.

  Fire, smoke, the ground littered with burning bodies.

  Pierce’s shock grew, as his legs fumbled to find themselves. His eyes widened. He was in the middle of the FPS he’d been playing with Wayne before he had even seen New Ararat. What the…?

  He reached for his gun, pulled it up and around to face the oncoming enemy. Voices shouted. “Run, we can’t beat these.”

  More gunfire, explosions.

  “Pierce, what is it?” someone shook him.

  Leenz’s face came back into view. “I do-don’t…” Pierce stuttered.

  More gunfire.

  The view changed again.

  Pierce rubbed his eyes, but his hands were covered in blood.

  “This is your blood. Their blood. And it’s all your fault,” someone whispered at him, more than snark echoing around the room.

  Pierce blinked again and again. Hoping to chase the vision away. He stood with his gun aimed at the wall. No not a wall. A person. Human?

  No, a Maxol.

  Not the one he wanted to find for his mission. A different one. Still, it looked like some mash-up between a lizard, and… ugh

  Pierce shuddered.

  Blackness swirled around him.

  Enemy soldiers swarmed in at him from the FPS. Guns blazing, screaming, shouting.

  “Kill them ALL!” Wayne screamed, “Kill them, or we die. Do it now!”

  Pierce pulled the trigger. His plasma rifle shocked him with its burst. It wasn’t a real rifle.

  Then Pierce saw the chartreuse tinged blood from the Maxol splatter against the wall.

  Pierce’s view changed once more to the lab. He wanted to turn the trigger on himself. The pain was too horrible. He couldn’t bear it.

  Then there came laughter, that pale skin, a perfect face, gloating. Lynette? “You’ve done it now.”

  Pain exploded inside, stabbing deep within. Pierce collapsed.

  Lynette laughed and laughed. Her face grew bigger and bigger in his vision.

  Leenz was at his side in a moment, supporting his weight. “I’ve got you.”

  All Pierce could see was danger, and all around him, enemies. He saw a woman approach the Maxol he’d killed, to speak to his target.

  “Kill. Kill. Kill.”

  Pierce lined his shot up once more, and fired.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Drayk

  Drayk stared into the eyes of his younger brother, seeing confidence oozing from him when he spoke. “Listen, guys.” Cale’s firm stare moved to Haal. “I’d do anything for my brother. But, Haal takes the lead.” It made the big man look away. “He’s much better at this than any of you.”

  Drayk was quick. He extended a party invite to the others, so they could all see each other’s main stats and work the dungeon in the best way possible. He stared at Cale, not wanting to accept that he’d just witnessed something unique.

  Cale wasn’t a starter player like he thought he might be. Drayk shot him a puzzled look, but Cale turned away speaking softly. “I’ve been subsidising our stay at the home, doing night errands with Haal.”

  Drayk wanted to slug his brother, but he couldn’t; he loved him. “Let’s get inside this dungeon, get as far as we can, then we’ll see.”

  Drei allowed the others to go in first before she caught hold of Drayk’s hand, tugging him back. “I had to tell them. You understand, don’t you?”

  Drayk could only stare at the floor. He wanted to grab an arm, pull her closer, so he did. “Drei, I want to kill you for bringing him here; but I don’t want you to hurt.”

  “You’ll not hurt us; I promise.” She edged closer, her lips so close. “But, if you tried to kill me for real, I’d kick your puny ass.”

  Drayk laughed, placing his lips to hers; he kissed her. She responded. He liked that. This was something he needed. He needed them both here now.

  “You’ll protect me in there won’t you? I’m still the lowest level.”

  “You’re the most precious commodity we have,” Drei said. She looked away; Drayk could only pull her chin back toward him. She whispered, still trying to move away. Drayk wanted to say more when she leaned in, “I want you for myself, and I need you healthy and strong. Not in need of fixing.”

  Drayk laughed out loud. He wasn’t used to women being so forward. But Drei was something else, not just a woman, but a warrior as well.

  Haal stuck his head back out of the cave, glancing in their direction “Come on you two lovebirds. We’ve a dungeon to explore, ya know. Time is ticking.”

  The five headed inside with Drei lighting their way.

  After the initial stench, breathed in by all of them, Drei made a gagging sound. Something was awful and rotting inside, worse than anything Drayk had ever smelled.

  However, only Drayk leaned to vomit. Drei reached into her bag. “Here you need a boost. This’ll help. Get your health up to full strength. So
rry, I don’t carry the herb for stemming the blood poisoning.”

  Drayk took the potion from her and glugged it. The result was instant. “Thank you. That was tasty.” He grinned. And his health increased per second till it sat at full.

  Haal smiled and turned to Drei. “Could use you before Drayk, you’re great with melee and longer ranged damage dealing.”

  Drei nodded, moved in front of Drayk; she led them further into the dungeon. Dark and decrepit as it was.

  Of course, Haal wasn’t the largest in the party, but he was more experienced. “I’d be happy to take hits for you if someone can help keep me alive.” Haal grinned at Drayk. “I thought you’d take lead, leave all the hard work for Drei. Seems you’ve got things down to an art.”

  “They’re both well-meaning,” Drei said, motioning to Cale, who flanked Haal.

  Drayk nodded. “I’m sure. Doesn’t mean I have to accept everything they want to deal out on a personal level.”

  Drei shook her head. “No, just remember we all care about you, a lot.” Drayk laughed. She slugged him. “You know what I mean.” And with a quick tug, she pulled him closer. “I’m protecting you, remember.” Drayk allowed her to be as close as possible, yet it felt like she was still overpowering him.

  A great thing, to see their stat sheets. As a smaller party they’d also all clicked the yes to full disclosure when Haal asked. “I can’t lead the team if I don’t know your strengths, weaknesses,” Haal had said, knowing Drayk was so new he was green around the gills.

  “You ever gonna drop that sprout so he can fend for himself?”

  Drei shot Haal a glare, and he backed down. “Sorry, ma’am. Didn’t mean to offend.”

  There was something wrong with the smell inside the rooms. Drayk breathed in; it was still rotten, almost like burning bodies, or burning something. Flesh wasn’t always cooked before certain creatures devoured it.

  Graylin took point, made his way carefully through the cave, taking care not to step on anything nasty. However, Drayk was not so lucky. As he stepped down with his right foot, a crunch echoed through the chamber. Bones. The whole cave was littered with rotting bodies and the creatures who fed off the dead. Drayk wanted to vomit.