Project Alpha 2

by R. A. Mejia

  He remembers sitting in on the briefing for this particular experimental dungeon. It was found too unstable to be of practical use. The idea was to have a single System User be designated as the dungeon boss, thus giving some measure of control over the dungeon itself. Yet, while that aspect worked perfectly, the unintended consequences proved undesirable. Anyone chosen by the dungeon was tortured with constant physical and psychological stress to condition them to become a dungeon Boss, something willing to kill and murder to grow more powerful. The selection process also attracted the most power-hungry and broken people imaginable. While this may not have been a deal breaker in itself, that the dungeon Boss wouldn’t keep the XP they gained was an issue. After all, who wanted to go through all that torment only to lose all their gains. However, the dungeon is perfect for his own purposes.

  As he moves the cardboard boxes and painter's cloth and enters the dungeon, he ignores the prompt welcoming him as he’s transported to a white room whose ends seem to go on forever. The dungeon recognizes him as a Supervisor with admin privileges, and he quickly enters a clearance code to examine its progress.

  Subject: William Munro

  Age: 39

  The subject has been on track A path with an emphasis in physical stat progression based on his mental profile. Warning: Deeply rooted aggression against authority figures and psychotic indicators. Currently bound and ready for further psychological examination.

  He looks over the profile of the subject and approves. A social and economic reject with issues of trust. He laughs at how much it reminds him of his ultimate target and wonders if Anthony will ever realize the selection process is meant to mock him.

  Now, to help the dungeon create something useful for what is needed.

  He looks through the notifications to see a man clothed in a frayed hooded sweatshirt and jeans, bound with rope, alone, his mind sifted through for the most striking moments of his life--places that impacted his entire future but that also provide fertile ground for suggestions. The man looks terrified.

  Yes, that will do. The boundaries of the dungeon are loosened, but the dungeon Boss is captured. The system will create the dungeon, puzzles, and monsters based on the deepest recesses of the subject's mind. It may break him, and there is a chance that it may kill him, but he’s a disposable pawn in all this.

  The man replaces his mask and exits the dungeon, ignoring the screams of the bound man as mechanical tendrils pierce his skin and his mind.

  Chapter 16

  With my midterms all finished, I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I did well in all my classes. Yeah, I know that I have an advantage with my System skills, but I’m going to be nervous until I actually see my grades. Thankfully, Halloween is this weekend, and I’m taking my girl to the best party on this continent. I meet up with Lillian and her best friend, Heidi, and her date who will be joining us this year. Heidi is a naturally tall brunette who looks even taller than usual as she is wearing high heels and a black satin dress. I’m surprised at how . . . uhm . . . blessed she is in the chest region, and it makes more sense now when Lillian refers to her as her ‘chesty bestie.’ Heidi’s date is someone whom I’ve never met before, and he is dressed in a dark-grey two-piece suit with a black dress shirt underneath. Even as nice as they look, it’s Lillian who steals my attention. She is wearing an emerald-green Chiffon evening dress that flares from her hips forming a kind of A-look all the way down to the floor. Its most striking feature is the V-neck that teases her carefully hidden cleavage. Her blonde hair is styled in an up-do, further highlighting her neckline.

  Quickly swallowing the drool that threatens to run free, I force myself to blink and then step forward to take my girlfriend’s hand. “You look amazing, Lillian.” They’re four simple words, but they cause her to blush and smile at me. The two of us stare at each other, silently reveling in one another’s presence, until a polite cough reminds us that we’re not alone. Lillian turns to face Heidi, who has raised an eyebrow. As the two girls’ eyes meet, they giggle and fall into a hug.

  I’m a little confused at why the two are laughing, and a quick look at the expression on Heidi’s date at least confirms that I’m not the only one who doesn’t understand women.

  The four of us port from Monster Squashers Inc. into the lobby of a seemingly run-down desert hotel, but I know from experience that it’s just a facade thanks to that zombie-team-building training I did last year. The place is famous among System Users because it has an integrated dungeon core that can be used to create custom dungeons for companies that want to train their teams or get low-level members some XP. It’s also well known because it uses that same dungeon creation ability to make unique settings and events for parties.

  The inside of the lobby still has that same classic Las Vegas style with mid-century modern architecture, and I enter the hotel through the double-paned glass doors with Lillian on my arm. We’re greeted by a bellboy in a red uniform with a tiny felt hat on his head. He nods to the four of us and asks, “Good evening. Are you staying with us tonight or just here for the festivities?”

  I glance at Lillian and see a slight blush on her cheeks as she answers, “No, we’ll just be attending the festivities.” Heidi’s date looks disappointed when she responds in kind.

  The bellboy nods once and holds out his hand. I’m not sure if he’s waiting for a tip or something, and I reach for my wallet, but Lillian opens a tiny green tiny purse that dangles from her wrist and pulls out a large, golden-filigreed invitation which she hands to the bellboy. He takes it and his eyes glow red for a moment before he nods again.

  “Your invitation has been verified as being authentic.” After also confirming the invitation from Heidi, he turns 90 degrees, bows slightly, and gestures toward the now-open wooden double doors behind him. “Please proceed, and I hope you all have a wonderful evening.”

  As we walk down the hallway towards the party, I can’t help but notice the many people surreptitiously glancing and pointing at us. While I’m sure some of them are gawking at the gorgeous woman I’m with, many more are likely talking about us as Dungeon Game champions. Winning the System Games has bestowed Lillian and me with a minor bit of celebrity. It directly led to her ability to expand her company, but it has also brought on undesired attention. Several powerful-looking figures watch as our group enters the room, and I immediately recognize several headhunters who tried to recruit me away from Monster Squashers Inc. after the System Games.

  While all the attention makes me nervous, Lillian looks cool as a cucumber. She leans in toward Heidi, and I hear her whisper, “Why don’t you and your date go on ahead? I have to do a round of meet-and-greets with the other CEOs. Otherwise, they may get offended.” Heidi only nods and leads her date out of the room and toward the faintly heard music.

  Lillian turns towards me and asks, “Do you want to go ahead while I make my rounds here? It shouldn’t take long.”

  Looking around at all the hawkish gazes, I answer, “I’d rather stay with you. It might be fun to meet some of the people you deal with.”

  Lillian rolls her eyes. “Sure, ‘fun.’ It’s going to be mostly boring shop talk, but suit yourself.” She squeezes my hand and leads me toward a group of well-dressed people in one corner of the room.

  The group opens up as we approach, and all eyes turn towards my date. The two of us are greeted warmly by most of them. Lillian seems to know everyone by name, and she introduces me to them. Unsure of what to say to the variety of CEOs, COOs, and CFOs, I try to make polite conversation by asking how each person is doing, if they are enjoying the party, and what their companies do. The various responses are equally polite until Lillian turns away from the conversation to catch someone she needs to speak to. Once she has stepped away, the group seems to slowly circle me, and the conversation’s tone shifts.

  An older man in his early fifties pats me on the back. “Mr. Tinoco, I’ve heard great things about you from my headhunters. They tell me that you were instrument
al in Monster Squashers Inc.’s unprecedented win in the System Games. Is it true that you can take the abilities of Users and monsters?”

  The question stuns me. From what Lillian has told me in the past, the frank question is considered quite impolite. Each User’s unique ability is often kept as a closely-guarded secret since competition for dungeons is so high, and any advantage is sought after. Still, it’s not like any of these men and women can’t find out the truth from people who watched the System Games.

  “Yes, sir. That’s true.” There are small gasps at my admission. Perhaps they all didn’t know for sure what I could do. Oh, well, too late now. “Though, I wouldn’t call it ‘taking,’ for that implies that the original User loses their ability.” I recall another family of Users, the Arschlochs, who have used their unique ability Steal to take the abilities of many other Users over the years. They also use it as a kind of standing threat to their enemies. “Instead, Absorb kind of copies an ability.” I carefully omit that Absorb only has a chance to work on the corpse of a defeated enemy. Even if I wanted to apply it to a User, I’d likely have to beat them many times before my ability would work. Not exactly practical. But these guys don’t need to know that.

  Murmurs start as the group whisper amongst themselves. One woman in her thirties steps forward and places a hand on my shoulder, and the rest fall quiet. She rubs it slightly as she smiles at me. “Well, Anthony, I’ve heard from a source of mine that you’ve already discovered several dungeons on your own and without any specialist training. If that’s your focus, I can set you up with ports around the globe and have my company train you in all the skills you need to track down dungeons. You’ll get to see the world while you work. Nothing better for a young man like yourself.”

  The offer seems to break some stalemate among the others, and their voices join in.

  “Oh, forget her. Your unique ability to absorb monster abilities is being underutilized at Monster Squashers Inc. My company will help you maximize that asset. Imagine getting the rarest abilities with my team power-leveling you the entire way. You’ll make more credits than you know what to do with.”

  “If credits are your goal, join our crafting consortium. A young and ambitious man like yourself could learn to forge some truly amazing weapons as well as earn credits.”

  However, despite all the tempting offers, I know that each would require me to quit school. And, whether or not I could make more credits by simply clearing dungeons, crafting, or tracking down new dungeons, I’m not going to do that. Just thinking about dropping out of college causes my mom’s voice to ring out in my mind. I can practically hear all of her lectures about how education and study are the way forward for our people and how she worked her entire life on her hands and knees just to give her children the chance at something better. No, school is a must. It’s one of the many reasons I’ve stuck with Lillian and Monster Squashers Inc. Lillian doesn’t pressure me into going full time, nor does she look to exploit my unique Absorb ability for the company’s benefit. Instead, she lets me stay in college and clear dungeons at the same time. Plus she’s pretty hot and willing to date me.

  Thankfully, I’m saved from the group when Lillian returns. She very firmly grabs my arm and leads me out of the circle of CEOs while smiling and saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, I leave my date for a few minutes, and you all take it as free license to try and entice him away from my company. Tsk. Tsk.” Lillian’s tone might be playful, but the look in her eyes gives them all a firm warning to back off. A couple of older members in the group look slightly abashed, but the woman who made the first offer smiles predatorily. “If you leave such a prize alone, you shouldn’t be surprised if someone tries to pick him up.”

  Lillian and the woman smile and stare at each other, and for a moment, I swear that I can see sparks flying between the two. But then the other woman blinks and drops her gaze. Lillian’s smile widens as she turns, and we walk away.

  The music filters out from an adjoining room, enticing us with the rhythm and the murmurs of the crowd. Lillian and I look at each other excitedly as we escape from the stuffy older crowd, finally getting our chance to enjoy the party. We walk through the double doors arm in arm, down the hallway, and to the main dance floor. The music is much louder here, and the room seems to be packed with people wearing fancy gowns and tuxedos--not that their high-end attire is in any way inhibiting their frenetic and vigorous dancing. Some of the moves these Users are doing can only be possible because of special skills or high stats. I mean, how else do you explain the group gyrating away on the ceiling or others who are floating in midair?

  Lillian and I squeeze our way through the crowd until we find a spot where we can dance. I awkwardly shake my shoulders and move my legs, completely unsure that what I’m doing would even be classified as dancing, but Lillian moves gracefully and with a fluidity that reflects her enjoyment of the activity. It’s honestly quite mesmerizing.

  Lillian and I squeeze our way through the crowd until we find a spot where we can dance. I awkwardly shake my shoulders and move my legs, completely unsure that what I’m doing would even be classified as dancing, but Lillian moves gracefully and with a fluidity that reflects her enjoyment of the activity. It’s honestly quite mesmerizing.

  Seeing her dance reminds me of how much I care for her and how much she’s done for me. Sure she’s hot, but more, she’s an amazing woman. She brought me into the System and mentored me when she could have just left me to my own devices. She showed me how important it is to deal with dungeons quickly, before they hurt the surrounding communities. She’s a powerful woman, not just in the sense that she is a CEO of her own company, but that she is a total badass System User in her own right. She can kick some serious butt on the battlefield and then do the same in the boardroom.

  As she moves and dances in front of me, I wonder what she even sees in me. The words slip out without me meaning to, “What are you doing with an idiot like me?”

  The words seem to catch her off guard and there’s a small look of sadness on her face. “You don’t understand, do you? You helped me save my company, Anthony, when no one else would for fear of offending the powerful corporations. You’re brave enough to stand up to monsters and evil men when you had every right to want to demand a return to a normal life. Even people like me, people that grew up with the System, don’t always have that kind of bravery.” She smiles and caresses my cheek with her finger. “Sure, you’re thoughtless sometimes, but I know you mean well. You love your family and the moment you had any money, the first thing you did was try to take care of them. That dedication is rare. It’s one of the reasons…”

  “What?”

  For the first time that I’ve know her, she seems tongue tied. Lillian presses close to me and whispers in my ear, “It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with you.”

  And there it is. A few words spoken in the middle of a party and yet the two of us might as well be alone in all the universe. She loves me. It’s the first time she’s said it, and I feel like a million credits. I close my eyes and just hold her, cherishing this moment for as long as possible.

  A small poke in the ribs returns me to reality and I open my eyes to see Lillian biting her lower lip, looking at me with a concerned expression. “Well?” she asks. And I realize that I haven’t said anything since she said she loves me. I quickly blurt out, “Uh, me too.”

  “Me too, that’s it?”

  I feel awkward suddenly, and I realize that I’ve never actually told anyone besides family that I love them. I’ve known how I feel about Lillian for a long time, but I’ve never said the words, kind of assuming she understood how I felt. But from her expression, I may need to use words too.

  “Uh, what I mean is that…that…I love you too.” The last words come out in a rush, but I say them. She smiles at my awkwardness, but I continue, “I’m sorry I can’t say it better. But I’ve never said them to someone I was dating before. I never wanted to say them to anyone else before.” I
hold her tighter, unsure if what I’m saying is making any sense and just hoping that she doesn’t take her ‘I love you back.’

  Instead, she hugs me back and we stand there, while the rest of the dancefloor continues on, unaware that two people have said things that will change their entire relationship. The song changes, and Lillian pulls away. I see tears in her eyes and wonder if I’ve already messed things up. But no, she’s smiling and I realize they are happy tears.

  After a few rounds on the dance floor, Lillian and I take a break for drinks. But before we can make it to the refreshment stand, we’re intercepted by an old annoying acquaintance, Auden Arschloch III. On the surface, the guy is a tall, blonde, twenty-something with loads of cash, good looks, and charm. But underneath that, he’s as rotten as a three-week-old bag of sauerkraut left in the sun. Just the sight of the jerk puts me in a bad mood.

  Interposed between us and the drink table, Auden smiles, flashing teeth too white to be natural. “Hello there, lovely Lillian. I haven’t seen you in quite some time.”

  “You mean since our team kicked your ass at the System Games?” I mutter angrily under my breath.

  Auden’s smile falters, and his expression darkens momentarily, but his mask of charm and sophistication is back up the next instant. He glances at me momentarily but addresses his comment to Lillian. “Oh, how droll. You’ve trained your pet to speak. You really should keep him on a shorter leash. It won’t do to have him make a mess at the party. I’m already hearing rumors that he embarrassed himself in front of the other CEOs.”