by A W Wang
Despite the dire situation, I smile.
Jinn rounds the corner and stops.
Instead of shooting him out of spite for his disappearance, I point at a sloped-roofed redoubt further down the wall. “Jinn, cover us while I get her in there.”
After he nods and takes his position, I drag Cat toward safety, ignoring the stream of cusses spilling from her mouth. She quiets by the time we reach the rounded structure, and I have to carry her through the open archway and into the cool, shadowy interior.
Jinn backs in and protects the entrance as I set Cat against the back of a thick support column. While eyeing the entryway and slats of light spilling through the murder holes, I put down my weapon and pull out my medkit.
“It’s really bad, isn’t it?” she mumbles.
I shake my head, unwilling to trust my voice with a lie.
After I yank off her shredded vest, blood oozes from two holes over her stomach. I spray an analgesic over the area to deaden the pain. In a scenario, the most important thing is to stop the bleeding rather than digging out the bullets or fixing any injuries. The battle’s almost won, and she only needs to survive a little longer.
As Cat holds square patches of gauze over the wounds, I wind a long bandage around her.
When I’m finished, she lays against the column with a grunt.
Her head lolls to the side, and I tap her cheek with my fingers.
“Bet you enjoyed that,” she says with blood trickling down her chin.
I smile. “Somehow, it’s not as fun as I imagined it would be.”
Her eyes close, and this time, I slap her for real. “Stay awake, Cat.”
“So tired,” she says in the barest of whispers.
More gunfire echoes, and boots thump.
I grab my rifle but relax when Jet and Block enter.
Light pouring through the slats outlines Jet as she shakes dust from her purple-tipped hair. “There’s only a couple left around their flag, and the rest of our team is keeping watch on them.”
I nod. It shouldn’t be hard to get to our win condition. “Okay, no worries. Let’s do this quickly,” I say, standing.
When I step toward the exit, nobody moves.
“What are you people doing? We have to go now.”
Jet offers a sly smile.
“What?”
“I told you. She’s not good for you. You need to be with me.”
“Stop playing around.”
“We’ll leave after she dies, Vic.”
I look to Jinn. “Let’s do this.”
The perfectly chiseled man shakes his head. “This way is better.”
As I take a deep breath, the realization hits me. “You snake. You left us open.”
Jinn glares and says with disdain, “You and your silly arguments. The destruction of the harmony in the group would have been to everyone’s downfall.”
“Don’t blame him, Vic. He’s only doing what’s best for himself,” Jet says. “This was my plan. Instead of holding the enemy, I made sure to leave an opening and drive them into it.”
I blink, trying to weigh the logic of Jet’s mind against the illogic of the plan.
She gives an innocent smile as if reading my thoughts. “No, I didn’t know who’d survive and who wouldn’t. But, if you had gotten killed, then you wouldn’t have been worthy of being my protector. So, everything worked out in the end.”
Although the twisted rationale somehow makes sense, I head toward the entrance, saying, “Fine, I’ll do this by myself.”
Jet holds up her rifle. “Don’t make me shoot you, Vic.”
I freeze, wondering how far she would take her sick desires.
Cat slides off the column and flops on her side.
Furious, I march forward.
A rifle cracks. Pain sears from my ankle, and I collapse onto the floor.
As I groan, Block jumps and grabs my gun.
Jet says, “Just stay put. There’s no need for this to get any worse.”
I hiss through gritted teeth, “Jet, whatever differences we have, we can solve them. If you go and win the scenario, I’ll join you.”
“Remember who you’re talking to. I know when you’re lying,” she says in an admonishing tone.
“If she dies, then you’ll be the one killing her, and you can’t kill your own teammates on purpose or you’ll get sent to zero.”
“That’s not how it works. The one who shot her will get the credit. I’ve checked with the overlords and letting someone die through a tactical decision isn’t killing her,” she says mysteriously. “Or else, how many people would you have been responsible for?”
I force aside the remembrances of all my dead teammates and say, “I’ll never join you if you do this.”
“You’ll hate me for a bit, but you’ll come around. Remember, I’m just like you on the inside.”
I glance at Cat’s prone body. There’s little time remaining. “I’ll break up the team.”
“Meat!” Block says with fury.
Concern shows up in Jet’s eyes. “Oh, no,” she says, clasping her hands over her cheeks.
“I’ll do it.”
She laughs. “I’d believe that if you didn’t have that other thing you like more than Cat. I’m doing you a favor. Once she’s gone, you’ll see. We’ll share that little secret and have so much fun together.”
“No,” I say, crawling toward Cat. Even if I was healthy, getting past these three would be tough. But now hobbled…
“This isn’t how I wanted it to go, but you wouldn’t take my offer. When this is over, you’ll understand, and in time, you’ll thank me for doing this.”
I glare.
“Vic,” Jet says with maddening calmness. “You’ve forgotten why you’re here. Let me tell you what your true goal is.”
I reach Cat and pull her into my lap.
Her eyes are closed, and she’s barely breathing. She doesn’t respond when I slap her cheeks, trying to keep her awake.
I’m going to kill Jet.
“You think you want to kill me,” Jet says. “But that too will pass because I’m your best chance for getting to where you want to go.”
Cat shudders.
I set her on the ground and stand, my hobbled leg on fire. “I’ll kill all of you.”
Block rises, his massive form darkening the entryway. “Pound the meat. Cleave the meat. Eat the meat!”
“Blockie?” Jet says, alarmed.
I step forward and brace myself as he leaps at me, his giant body moving in a flash.
Golden sparks crawl over us.
Jet stares, her green eyes widening with shock. “What the…”
As our bodies freeze, Block utters, “Meat!?”
The bewildered word lingers as the concrete walls evaporate.
Forty-One
I materialize in the ready room, shocked.
Contrary to etiquette, Chew is already present, curls of smoke pouring from her square snout, her ruby eyes flaring in agitation.
Instead of pleasing scents of incense, the air smells like ash.
To my relief, Cat sits next to me, acclimating to her now healthy body.
The traitor Jinn and several others have returned as well, but Jet and Block’s seats are empty.
“What happened?” I say to Chew.
“Terrible. Horrible. Awful!” the dragon replies, whirling her lengthy form in higher circles and puffing smoke. “Precedent has been broken,” she laments. “The scenario has been declared a draw.”
I pop to my feet. “My first avatar said the scenario ended only when the victory condition was met. Isn’t this against the rules?”
“Those words are correct. But that is not the only way a scenario can end. Only explicit rules cannot be changed. Yet, this is highly irregular. Rules are rules and cannot be broken. This is a gray area in which this result has been deemed necessary.”
“What are you talking about? And where are Jet and Block?”
“The overlo
rds have called a special scenario!” she says, descending to face me.
Although boiling with frustration and holding my hands just shy of grabbing her taloned paws, I calmly say, “Take a moment to control yourself and tell us what happened.”
After an indignant snort of inky smoke, Chew again clinks upward in tight loops. When she reaches the ceiling, she rockets down to my eye level. Instead of going into her usual curl, her long body straightens, and she crouches on her thick, short legs, ready to pounce.
A belch of ash erupts from her mouth, and her ruby eyes flare with fury. “There must be consistency with the program,” her voice booms with an echo. “But the overlords called all with Jet’s ilk and Block’s hideous knowledge for a grand battle. Everyone like them, gathered from all corners of the universe, to defeat one person.”
I glance over the semicircle. “That’s it from this team? Only those two?”
As her paw makes a scratching motion, she nods.
“Will Jet and Block return if they win?” I say, thinking of the worst case.
“Perhaps. Maybe. Oh, I don’t know. This is all too difficult for my comprehension.”
I wave her angry smoke from my eyes and blow out a breath, feeling sorry for whoever will face Block and Jet. In fact, because everyone like them is heading into the scenario, I can’t imagine them losing. And then…
Cat straightens, finally coming out of her reorientation period. It might be the closest she’s ever been to death.
When I send her a relieved smile, she jumps up and plants a sloppy kiss on my lips.
Despite being prepared by our stories, I react to our first intimate contact by widening my eyes in surprise.
Unlike with Jet, her lips pressed against mine don’t produce any warmth. The sensation is more like a block of wood forcing itself against my face.
I glare when Jinn snorts with derision. Then I decide that compared to everything else in the Ten Sigma Program, kissing Cat isn’t the worst thing that could happen.
Wrapping my arms around her, I lean my head down and press harder against her lips, pushing my tongue into her mouth.
After the golden sparkles return us to our bunks, I stare at the darkened dome of the barracks, battling exhaustion.
The universe feels off-kilter.
Mixed feelings whirl through my head as I wonder what’s changed. What started as a disaster ended up pretty successful.
Maybe.
Although Jinn still being a part of the group is disconcerting, without Jet’s nefarious mind, the sanctimonious scumbag isn’t as much of a threat.
My thoughts turn to the crazy girl, wondering what happened to her. While I’m thrilled she’s, at least temporarily, out of my life, sadness wells inside me too. And, no matter what my feelings, winning battles without Block and Jet will be much harder.
Also, there’s the kiss from Cat. Even though the act lacked any passion and I responded like a statue, the pressure of her lips still flutters in my mind. If we did try again, would any sparks of desire come? And could that ignite into something more?
And what of my goal for entering the program?
When I concentrate, my thoughts churn.
Something should be there but, whatever it is, floats just out of reach.
Squeaks interrupt the stillness, and Cat pokes her head above the mattress. “I wanted to say thanks one more time.”
“You’re welcome.”
She grabs my hand. “You understand that kiss meant nothing.”
“I know.”
“Good, I mean I’m a much better kisser than that, if it wasn’t for this place, and if I wanted something more.”
“We’re good, Cat. Nothing in here is leading anywhere.”
She squeezes my fingers before letting go. “Great, we only need to focus on fighting and nothing else.”
“Absolutely.”
Her head disappears below the bunk.
A moment later, the mattress squeaks again, and she reappears.
“Bet you enjoyed slapping me for a change,” she says with a smirk.
My stifled laughter comes out as a series of snorts. “Maybe.”
“Just don’t get used to it.”
“I won’t.” When she doesn’t respond, I close my eyes and say, “Goodnight, Cat.”
“Night, Vic.”
This time, after her body settles into her place beneath my bunk, only quiet follows.
My thoughts roam back to the woodenness of pushing my tongue between her lips. If we did kiss again, I’m not sure I would stop things from progressing, if that were a possibility.
But what would it lead to?
Letting exhaustion win, I flip to the side and blank my mind.
Right before sleep overtakes me, I adjust tightness in my underwear as I picture a naked Jet charging into a bloody battle.
Forty-Two
A broken halo of afternoon sunlight shines in my eyes as I sit in the courtyard of the empty museum. To my front, the stormy landscape painting calls. Not understanding why my interest in all the other artwork has faded, I stare at the dark clouds, willing myself to find some meaning from swirling brushstrokes.
Although rage still simmers under the facade of stories Cat and I have created, that’s not why I’m here. Ever since the draw scenario, a sense of wrongness has leaked into my soul.
Sitting next to me, Cat shifts her position on the bench and taps my shoulder. “I don’t understand why we keep coming here.”
“Lan said that staring at different paintings could calm your mood.”
“Don’t you despise software?”
“Yes, I do,” I say without understanding why. My gaze centers on the smooth skin of my forearm. “There’s some connection I have to this place. At least, I think so.”
“I think we’ve enjoyed enough culture for today.”
“Just a few more minutes.” I twist to her and smile. “Humor a silly, stupid man.”
Cat straightens. “That’s something I say to move you forward. You are not stupid or silly. Foolhardy and reckless, for sure, and maybe a few other things as well, but stupid or silly? No.” She blows out a breath. “Take as long as you want, then let’s move on. Let’s make this the last time we come here.”
Reluctantly, I nod. There’s no point living in a forgotten past.
“I want to do something special for our anniversary,” she says in a lighter tone.
“Anniversary? Wasn’t that the sweet sixteenth thing you were talking about?”
She slaps my arm, the loud smack reverberating in the surrounding emptiness.
“Ow.” I wince.
Although she scowls, humor dances in her eyes. “You were counting scenarios. Remember when getting past two was so important to you?”
I nod.
“Well, number twenty is coming up soon…”
“And this is special for what reason?” I ask, waiting to get slapped again.
“Twenty is ten times two,” she says with indignation. “Ten times longer than you had for just being friends.”
“Oh,” I say, pretending to understand her reasoning.
“When we hit twenty, I want to do something different.”
“Sure, a date with the blue liquid?”
A smirk crosses her face. “Something like that.” She leans her head against my shoulder. “How about we start a narrative about our college years?”
“College? I figured we’d get married straight out of high school.”
“Married? You’re such a rebel. Do we elope?”
“Nah, since my parents love you, I’m sure they’d be down with the whole idea.”
She snickers. “So, you’re proposing?”
I tighten my lips. An image of Cheri staring with loving eyes enters my mind. We were standing on the sunburst in the Oriental Garden, but the context of the story escapes me.
The lightness leaves Cat’s eyes as she asks jokingly, “You don’t want to be married to me?”
“Marr
iage is a big step.”
When she glares, I send a wide smile, attempting to remedy the situation.
She slaps my arm harder. “Your sense of humor still sucks.”
While I stifle a grimace, a faint pop saves me from having to make a lengthy explanation about my hesitation for getting married.
I twist my head, expecting to find a miniature jade-scaled dragon.
I’m wrong.
A small silver-haired girl wearing a silver tunic floats behind us, and instead of smoky incense, the aroma of strawberries floods over the area.
“Who the hell are you?” Cat asks.
“Forgive me for intruding on your moment,” the avatar says as she circles to hover in front of us. “My name is Haiku, and I am your friend.”
“Fine, Haiku, my friend,” Cat says. “What the hell do you want?”
Unperturbed by the snarky tone, the silver avatar replies, “I have an interest in studying the nature of certain combatants.”
“Isn’t that a bit more than what an avatar does?” I say, considering the flat personalities of Lan and Chew.
“Yes, that’s an astute observation,” she says as a non-answer to my implied question. Blue tints her silver eyes as she continues, “In particular with the two of you, I’m examining the effects of having a teammate over a prolonged period of time.”
“Why?”
“This program favors individuality. Most teams fracture and die within one or two scenarios. When people are together for longer, we find that certain emotions, bonds if you will, cloud the acclimation process.”
“Are you saying that our being together for so long is bad?” Cat says.
“That was the presumption. However, a single team did exceptionally well, which presented a contradiction. In fact, they did so well we have initiated a study into those aspects contributing to their success. While your pairing hasn’t lasted as long, the dynamics between two people are more concentrated and intense. And this we find interesting.”
Cat shifts closer to me. “In a good or bad way?”
“We aren’t sure. However, the two of you have the record of being together for the most scenarios. An almost statistical impossibility. To improve the program, we study all anomalies.”