by Jack Crosby
When I rubbed it, a little blue streak made a complete rotation around the ring. “There’s more to this ring than just that.”
“Maybe there is, Vector never took it off.” A portal opened behind her. “You got what you came for and the game is ready to move on.” She took my hand and guided me towards the portal. “Let’s close this chapter and enter the final act.”
Together, we entered the void once more.
****
Zoe was waking up just as I returned to the spot where we defeated Helsing. Stretching out, “I needed that. A nice long nap after violence and sex, that is.”
I was worn out again (maybe from having more sex with Baba, I can’t confirm that). “I’m glad you’re rested up. I’m going to need your help for a bit.”
“You okay?” She examined me closely. “Just what have you been up to, Vector?”
I came clean for the most part – i.e. I left out the romps with Baba O’Riley and the fact she was the Oracle. She actually requested that Zoe be allowed to think the Oracle was dead for reasons that were not shared with me. Whatever.
I went over the side quest that I had to do myself, the confrontation with the Old One who turned out to be a young dude who looked like me named Vector, and the motorcycle/ring combination. Honestly, upon listening to my own retelling of everything, I was pretty pumped at how fucking awesome of a story it was. And it was my story, no one else’s.
When I finished, Zoe wasn’t really sure what to say. “It’s obvious that the conspiracy against this world runs right into Zeus Industries, but might even go further than that. Could the outside world be influencing the game, besides what you have done?”
I didn’t know. As far as Ali told me, I was the only player to ever make it into the game. “There’s only one way to find out. We need to close up shop here and get to Spark City.”
With nothing else to do here, we gathered up everything and moved towards the exit of the pirate’s territory. With Helsing dead, the rest of the pirates hid; scared they would meet the same fate as their boss. In fact, we didn’t cross anyone until we got to the exit, where a strange little man with a cart was waiting. “Hello potential buyers!”
This was weird. “Ummm, who are you?”
He gave us a short bow. “I am simply known as the Roving Merchant. I seek out those in need and peddle my goods to them.”
I had a shit ton of credits to use. “Okay Merchant man, show me what you got.”
He pulled out a cable and linked his cart to the port in my oculus. “You’ll find browsing much easier this way. Just go to the companion screen and click on my name. It’ll bring up my entire stock.”
Sure enough it did. That was really easy. I began browsing, starting with armor and equipment, none of which really jumped out at me, and then making my way to weapons and upgrades. I was quite fond of the Nemesis gun, but there wasn’t anything to hurt to see if the upgrades he carried made it even better. My eyes immediately went to the scope and barrel combo called Sniper’s Dream. The accuracy and additional damage output were off the charts.
I tapped on the combo. “I want those, please.”
“Manners, I like that. That combination is an excellent choice, sir.” I transferred over the absurd amount of credits to him and he handed over the goods. “And for the lady? Would you like to browse?”
She waved him off. “No thanks, I got exactly what I need here.”
“Very well.” He closed up his little mobile shop. “Until we meet again, gamer.”
It took me a minute to realize he called me a gamer. By the time it dawned on me, he was gone. “Where did he go?”
“Beats me. One minute he’s there and the next, he’s disappeared.”
Well with nothing left to do, I entered Helsing’s code into the locked gate and it swung open. We traversed through the last part of Coffin Cliffs with little to do. I wasn’t about to get the Typhon bike out just yet, as it was pretty tight and I wanted to give it a test drive on a clear road. When we exited the cliffs, the lights of Spark City could be seen across the B.O.R. wasteland.
I couldn’t believe how beautiful it looked from here. Last time I’d seen the city, Ali and I were riding for our lives to get away from Draxler. This time, I came back to confront him and finally complete the Electric Mile. I pulled out the key and dropped it on the ground. The Typhon motorcycle materialized in front of us, looking sleek and black with an angry head of a titan engraved between the handlebars.
I swung my leg over and Zoe climbed on the back, wrapping her arms around me. “Are you sure you can drive this? It feels angry.”
The mood of the bike reflected my mood. The game was getting closer to the end. I was angry, angry at the circumstances that brought me here and all the deception that was going on. Draxler was just a road bump in getting the answers I needed from the CEO of Zeus, and maybe even the Tanaka Corporation.
I revved the engine and took off into the night. The bike handled like a dream, the sheer power of the Typhon was incredible. We made great time, kicking up dust and dirt as we zoomed towards the city limits. I was tempted to blow right on into town screaming ‘Fuck it!’ and confront Draxler now. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the way things worked. Getting to Draxler meant making it to the front of Zeus Industries and by now, they were probably expecting me. This was going to be a dog fight.
We rolled into town and stopped at the bar and inn right off the main road called The Circuit Board. This was the last little respite before entering the main part of the city and being confronted by Zeus’s shock trooper. “I hope the beer here is good.”
Zoe rolled her eyes and we got off the bike. As soon as I got off, the bike went back into its key shape. I picked it back up, still amazed at how this all worked. We walked into the bar together, which was good because we were the only ones in the place.
The chunky old bartender didn’t even look up. We slid up to the bar and ordered a few drinks and he shuffled off to grab them… or so I thought. It seemed to be taking a long time when someone else came from the back, but she wasn’t carrying our drinks. She was carrying a very large sword. “Vector? Is that really you?”
My eyes couldn’t believe it. “Ali?!” There was no mistaking the black cat suit she was wearing. “You’re still alive?”
Introduction: Frenemies
Her story from the time the mysterious troops ransacked The Neon Underground until now was pretty damn exciting. After escaping the clutches of those goons, she made her way here, as the bartender was an old friend. She hadn’t seen Ira since then and wasn’t sure if she was alive, either.
Once the shop was set up at the bar, the two of them here had been picking off Zeus troops as they came in; which is why the place had been so quiet. Ali apologized for the disappearance and not coming to find me. I was ready to forgive her, but Zoe seemed put off by the other lady’s interest in me.
“I figured you went to the abandoned power grid, but there was too much amiss to go after you,” she explained. “Plus Draxler has been a lot more active than he should be. He’s been preaching freewill to anyone who will listen.”
“That’s my fault.” Zoe spoke up a little bit too much I thought. “The Oracle said because of my appearance in the game, the parameters changed, giving everyone here more choices than they had before.” I had tried to get that information out of Baba, but all she would tell me was ‘What was done was done.’ I wanted to give Zoe a little something to ease her guilt.
Ali didn’t blame her either. “Programs are controlled by the ones who create them. Someone from the outside must have uploaded a code to bring you into the mix.”
What I wouldn’t give to be able to talk to the programmers that brought this entire world to life. I was curious if other video games had the same sort of master file stuff happening. Or was it just this game? “Going forward, how bad is it to get to the front gates of Zeus Industries?”
Ali took out a knife and began carving into the wooden countertop. �
��We are here,” she marked with an X. “Zeus Tower is in the middle, probably about three miles from here.” When she was finished carving a simple building, “I would imagine they have their ground forces active, waiting for any resistance to strike. You might not be the only one trying.”
Who else would be trying to get to Zeus? “What is that supposed to mean?”
“The mysterious force that no one knows anything about… they are in town, too. I have it on good authority that they are trying to storm Zeus Tower as well.”
That could actually work in my favor. “You know what they say about the enemy of my enemy. If the two of them are too busy tangling it up with each other, I just might be able to sneak through the streets and get to Draxler.”
“Be careful what you wish for, Vector.” Zoe didn’t seem too sure of this plan. “Are you sure you wouldn’t just be better off letting this play out between the two forces?”
“Hell to the no!” I had come too far. “Draxler is mine and I am going to defeat him one way or another!” I was really riled up now. “So, there won’t be any more talk of letting others handle it.”
Both women looked pretty impressed with the passion I expressed. Ali even gave me a wink and a smile. “I like this new and improved Vector. But are you leveled up enough to go through with this?”
Shit, I hadn’t checked my levels after defeating the Old One. I hadn’t even been paying attention to the blinking light, either. I pulled it up and I was at twenty-seven. Not high mind you, but on my one play through I made it to the point at level twenty-eight, so I was close to where I felt comfortable at. “I should be okay, given everything I’ve learned.”
I was still a bit tired so I asked if I could go upstairs and rest before hitting the road again. The old bartender dude handed me a keycard that had a number three etched on it. Room three was a small area with a bed in the middle and a table beside it. I unloaded my stuff and quickly fell asleep.
****
I was still pretty groggy, but I felt someone right up against me. The hand that was weaving down my stomach and into my pants didn’t feel like Zoe’s. Ali was back in bed with me and I really missed her touch. I was some sort of man whore, I knew that.
There was no stopping my cock from getting hard under her touch. “I wanted to find you, Vector. I missed having you around.”
“I missed you, too,” I worded breathlessly. “You kept me alive during my weakest moments.”
“There is no weakness, Ali.” She was obedient to my touch. “I’m here now and, if you trust in me, I am about to end this.”
“I trust you.”
I rolled over, her hand still rubbing me gently. Her catsuit was already open, waiting to accept me into her. Good lord, she was so wet already that I slid right in. We began humping like freaks in the sheets the moment I was all the way inside, her ass cheeks rubbing up against the top of my legs. She kept me inside, expertly swaying her hips to give me the full experience with limited movement. It was like she didn’t want the shaft to leave her love hole.
My hard-on was still raging and only plunging back into that sweet, wet pussy would do the trick. I closed my eyes as we rocked back and forth. The speed was increasing and the moments of passion were becoming louder and louder.
With pressure building, I leaned in, “I’m so close, Ali.”
She took her hands and put them on my temples. “Don’t hold back for me. Explode inside of me, giving me all of your seed, master player.” The acceptance and lust that accompanied those last words sent chills down my spine.
The words ‘master player’ were music to my ears. She remembered. I picked up the pace, a rabid dog with only one goal. The more I pumped, the faster I was getting to the moment of sweet release. With two good, hard thrusts, I emptied my balls into her. As each jet hit the mark, her eyes opened wide and little squeals passed over her lips. I was happy to see she still enjoyed this as much as I did.
When it was all over, she whispered into my ear, “It seems the two of us have something so primal that it affects our levels. After that performance, we both should have leveled up a time or two,” she added with a wink. She was so naughty!
“Is that why I hadn’t leveled up through sex since then?”
“That, and as the very first AI programmed into the game, I have a different matrix than the others.” She poked the end of my nose with her index finger. “Plus, I brought you over, remember? We are connected.”
This was true, in a sense. It was with Baba’s help, even if Ali didn’t know, but it was her doing that got me here. It seemed appropriate that as we came to the end of the game, Ali was reunited with me. I was really happy she wasn’t dead.
Ali twirled her hair seductively. “How is the search for the Easter Eggs coming?”
I showed her the ring, gun, and Taret card. We were down to the final two and she was so excited. “You know what this means? Two more and completing the game, you will unlock the Lost Level.”
That was going to be so cool. As I was dreaming about what the Lost Level included, she interrupted my daydream with a strange question. “Is this Zoe trustworthy?” The question kind of came out of thin air. “I don’t mean that as an affront, mind you…”
“Yeah, she’s good. She’s got her own thing going on, too.”
It wasn’t my place to talk about the whole ghost in the machine stuff; she could ask Zoe herself if she wanted to know more about the girl. Either way, “I think it’s now or never, you know? We gotta go for it.”
Ali looked out the small window in the room. “You have to do this alone. Zoe and I already talked, which is half the reason I wanted your opinion of her,” she added in hastily. “Knowing you trust her makes me feel at ease with our plan.”
“And your plan is?”
“We’re going to be the distraction. No one should be coming after you – they’ll be after us.”
I didn’t like the sound of this plan. “Are you telling me you’re going out there and drawing the shock troops away?” It was quite apparent I didn’t agree with this idea. “I’m telling you now that…”
I felt a shock on the back of my neck and the world started to go black. The last thing I remembered was Ali, with Zoe behind her whispering that they were sorry it came to this.
****
“Oh fuck me… did anyone get the number of that truck that hit me?”
As I came to, the old bartender was standing over me with a shit eating grin. “You should be clear to go, kid.” His voice was gruff and raspy, like he hadn’t spoken in years. “The girls left about thirty minutes ago.”
“Shit, fire and brimstone.” I got myself up and gathered my possessions from the table. Knowing there wasn’t much I could do now to stop them and their damn foolishness; I left the bar and got on the Typhon bike. It was time to go find Draxler and get to the bottom of everything.
As I took off down the street, I heard the start of a gun battle off in the distance. As much as I wanted to veer off and go towards it, I hated myself for staying on course and making my way to Zeus Tower. “Be safe, girls.”
Boss: Draxler
As I pulled up to the perimeter around Zeus Tower, I couldn’t help but notice how low security was. Had the girls really gotten all of these guys to follow them into the heart of downtown Spark City, where the battle was raging? Or was this more the doing of the other troopers who were up to no good? I guess that wasn’t my problem to solve.
From my position, there were two shock troopers armed with mini rail guns. I was getting ready to pick them off with the Nemesis pistol when they moved away. That was either lucky or odd. I wasn’t entirely sure what to do, but the answer came for me. Draxler, his kabuki mask in stark contrast to the dark environment around him, came into view.
He wasn’t carrying a weapon, nope, all he did was call out to me. “I know you’re there, Vector. No need to stay in the shadows.”
I moved up, bringing myself into the light cast down from the lamps all ar
ound the plaza before Zeus Tower. “Looks like I made it in one piece, Draxler.”
He beckoned me to come closer. “Time is not on our side. If you wish to know a few simple truths to this world, walk with me before anyone discovers this.”
I had to say I was really curious what my enemy could tell me. Making sure this wasn’t a set up, I carefully walked to where Draxler was and he guided us away from the plaza and back to an unsuspecting point on the east side. He kept his kabuki mask on thankfully, as that blank, static face of incompletion was a bit hard to digest. “Our makers are rebelling against us. I do not know how they introduced an army into the game without corrupting the file, but they did.”
“Wait, you're telling me that the people attacking you are new AI’s created by the Tanaka Corp.?”
“That is exactly what I am telling you, Vector.” He paused, cocking his head to the side. “Soon, the two of us will have to race the Electric Mile, as it has been done since I was brought to life. Even with freewill, I still feel compelled to challenge you, make sure you are worthy to enter Zeus Tower and confront the CEO.”
Even with the choice not to do something, he fell back into his old routine. I wonder if his freewill wasn’t as all-encompassing as he thought or if this was a comfort mechanism. Just go back to what you know. “I will beat you this time, so you know what that means, right?”
“I am willing to die to save this world. Believe it or not, that is what we all want. Zeus just believes in order and power. The rest of you believe in something different.”
If that helped him sleep at night, then who was I to say differently. From what I had seen, Zeus was an evil organization that used its control over the power of the world to cripple the people. It was time to get them out of power. “You said you had some truths to tell me; you told me one – so what else do you have to offer?”
“I thought the fact the programmers of the game were corrupting the master file was a good one, but if you need more, I can tell you one other.” He started to walk away, causing me to give chase. “The CEO of Zeus is preparing for war against the creators. Once you are dead and out of the way, she will unleash the full force of the shock troopers against Tanaka’s intruders.”