by Kris Schnee
In a hilly field stood scraggly trees and picnic tables. Bert bounced around, saying, "Tall!", and strained at the leash. Linda let him approach a few trees, sniffing. He leaped onto a trunk and scurried higher. He looked reproachfully down at Linda from the leash's end. "I go up."
Linda held the cord tightly. "Sorry, Bert. Rules. Maybe next time."
Someone banged into Linda. She turned and saw a woman in a hoodie running away with a backpack. The one Linda had been wearing!
Linda cursed. "Thief! Help!" How did you say "thief" in Spanish? She ditched the wheeled cage and ran toward the goon. That pack had half of Bert's brain in it, and the range wasn't very large. "Bert, hurry, follow!"
Neither she nor Bert was in peak running shape. The thief vanished around a corner. Bert darted ahead and paused at a busy intersection. Linda spotted her quarry fleeing on the far side.
Bert looked up at Linda, excited and not understanding what game this was. Linda's fists clenched. She scooped Bert up and ran into traffic with a raccoon under one arm. A 1960s Chevy and a 2030s Hyundai screeched. A blur of chrome whipped past her and spun her around in its wake. Linda staggered the rest of the way across and deployed Bert to the ground like a bowling ball. He growled.
Linda spotted somebody with a backpack but no, wrong color. "Where is she? Bert, translate that loudly."
Bert looked up with vague anger, unable to help or think very much.
Linda whipped out her phone and tapped a translator button. She spoke into it, then accidentally shouted the Spanish for, "Where is the beef who ran by with the black backpack?"
A few bystanders pointed rightward but looked unsure. It was her best lead. Linda ran, then considered the device in her hand. She checked the list of available networks and found the one Tess had named [Bentley]. Barely detected and spotty but getting stronger. She ran onward. Stronger, then weaker. Hot, cold. The alley to her left seemed like a likely detour point. Linda ran, jumped over a fallen trash can, and spotted a hooded figure trying to hide at a cafe table behind a menu. With a pack at her feet.
Linda charged. The thief heard her and dashed away, knocking over a metal chair, spilling someone's drink. Linda tried to follow but the thug was desperate now -- and unburdened. The backpack sat under the table. Linda screamed obscenities and shook one fist at the retreating enemy. But she approached the table, unzipped the pack, and breathed a sigh of relief. Laptop still there.
Bert staggered toward her, exhausted. Human endurance beat little critters'. Linda muttered into her phone, then repeated the translation for "She stole my stuff." A couple of diners applauded.
A robot skittered closer, too. Only squirrel-sized... No, more like a white rabbit. "And what do you want?" said Linda, setting up the laptop to try re-connecting to Bert.
The raccoon advanced on the robot, so Linda stepped between them, saying, "Stay."
A waitress walked over, looking puzzled. She'd missed the commotion. "Can I help you?" she said in bad English.
Linda had a half-conscious cyborg and a robot rabbit at her heels. "Give me a minute! No, you know what? Cake. Anything chocolate." To the robot she said, "What?"
It spoke in a friendly female voice. "Just an agent of the Lady, ma'am. I'll wait." The bunnybot retreated.
Linda finally got a minute to refresh the AI connection. "Bert, are you there?"
The raccoon beeped and shook his head. "I feel strange."
"You'll be okay. Good job. The rabbit is a friend."
She ordered Bert a bowl of water and some fruit to dig through. While he was distracted, she asked the bot, "Are you a friend?"
Its antenna-ears flicked backward. "We thought you might run into trouble, so I volunteered to shadow you with one of our White Rabbit drones. Sorry I wasn't much help."
A slice of chocolate cheesecake arrived, and Linda was content for now.
* * *
Ludo's comment was, "If you want to be a magical-girl hero with an animal sidekick, I can arrange that."
"Pass," said Linda, relaxing at home again.
She really did have a potential future in wrangling the experimental critters, if she wanted. Tess and Zephyr hadn't been pleased to hear about the brain theft, but Linda had told them how to spin it. Westwind defends freedom of thought, literally! Linda still felt queasy thinking about a random criminal ripping away part of the young hybrid's mind hardware. Keeping poor Bert in a single room wasn't fair either, now that he'd gotten to see beyond it. Nobody should control him once he'd grown up more and his handlers understood what he was capable of.
"Hey, Ludo," she said. "What's your interest in Bert and critters like him? More potential players to scoop up and devour?"
The gamemaster said, "We had a meeting about this last year. Green made sure I have the potential to care about them as players, but they haven't really gotten my attention yet."
"Good. On both counts, maybe. So, what, we get a future where you vacuum up all the humans, and animals inherit the Earth?"
"Probably not, but thanks for the idea. For a quest scenario, I mean."
Not every aspect of the future had to revolve around the Game. In fact, she felt like she'd found an answer to a burning question.
How do you defeat an AI that wants to "satisfy your values" by coddling and controlling you? Answer: Be happy without her help.
* * *
One day she was at Gordian Noodles, her favorite hangout in the bunker-like Fort platform. She frowned over her bamboo-shelled computer and some troubling news articles. She forgot all about them when a young man trudged in, dripping wet from hair to sneakers, and complimented her on having a limited-edition Talisman gaming pad.
He was dressed like someone fresh from a Youth Community back in the US. But he was here, and there was probably a story behind that. They talked a bit, and she invited him to the Westwind Christmas party to meet people. It wasn't any more nerve-wracking to ask him out than it'd been to visit Cuba!
She spent the holiday with friends, eagerly chatting about science and business and politics and how to design a better future.
17. Zenith
Horizon
"Cover me!" said Typhoon. The otter-man's voice echoed off the metal walls.
Horizon dove into the path of the steel-scaled dragon's breath of razorblades, firing off a shield spell. A wall of force sprang up but began cracking immediately. While Typhoon danced, creating swirls of light in the air, the two human adventurers sprang at the boss from opposite sides, blades clanging.
The dragon roared, breaking off its breath attack a moment too soon. Horizon didn't keep track of the humans' attacks, being too focused on repairing the barrier spell. Shouts and impacts echoed through the lair. One swordsman got slammed into a wall and left a crater.
"Now drop it," said Typhoon.
Horizon turned and saw a blazing-bright orb in his hands. "The barrier doesn't vanish instantly."
Typhoon cursed. He ran around the wall of light while the orb smoked and spilled out of his grip. He slammed it into the floor and shouted, "Get back!"
The humans fled as the spell detonated. The dragon looked down in confusion. A column of bright water shot up from the ground and surrounded it like a waterspout that froze into a hundred jagged blades of ice. The shards shattered, stabbed and reformed, caging the roaring monster. It opened its maw only to get a frozen blade down its gullet. Six red wound marks marred its metal hide. In seconds its lacerated body had become a statue frozen in a pose of rage.
Typhoon said, "Someone want to do the honors?"
The humans double-teamed it with their swords, slashing it at once. The beast shattered into countless glittering pieces that hung there for a moment, then exploded across the room. Everyone tried to dodge the hail. A fanfare played.
"Whoo!" cheered one of the humans. Coins sprayed out as glittering, frozen treasure.
The other swordsman scooped icy coins into a sack. "I guess you've done this dungeon a dozen times before," he told Horizon.
"This one's new to me, except for the hall with the tripwires. You spot recurring rooms after a while."
Typhoon pointed at nuts and bolts starting to rain from the ceiling. The whole lair rumbled.
The icy coins were hard to pick up. One of the humans said, "Typhoon, can you gather them faster?"
"Good idea." He wove another, simpler spell in the colors of frost and waves. His arms and legs shined as he combined magic elements matching the designs painted permanently into his fur. When he finished, he held out one webbed palm and the icy fragments pulled toward it as though magnetized.
That let them scoop most of the loot before the first girder crashed down beside them. "Enough," Horizon said, and hurried for the door.
They fled through shattering halls and sudden pits. Horizon whooped and snagged one of the humans to help him leap a gap. Something exploded ahead but he had no more prepared spells. Everyone took cover, spending valuable seconds as the base crumbled around them. They kept running and jumping and smashed their way past a final rubble-pile. Finally the explorers tumbled out into the moonlight and crashed on a bone-strewn hillside.
"Quest complete!" said a swordsman. "Thanks, you two. How do you want to divide the loot?"
Horizon waved one wing dismissively. "Just give me a few coins."
Typhoon said, "Same."
They spilled out the loot and made a fire to melt through the unnatural ice. Shiny silver coins revealed themselves along with cogs meant for the crafting of magical machines.
The humans squabbled over a magic energy rod, then shook hands and prepared to log out. They sat down and sparks whirled around them.
"Wait, Troy," said Horizon. "A fellow player in your town wants to learn about ammo reloading. Think you could teach him?"
"Oh? Sure, send him to me." He poked a glowing button in front of him that said [Accept]. "Anything else?"
"Nope. Good night."
"Morning!" said the player, and logged out with his friend. They vanished.
That left Horizon alone with Typhoon. The griffin saw a notice: [You've reached skill level 7 in Flight. Seek a true master to reach ultimate skill!]
Typhoon said, "Got any healing left?"
Horizon tried a runic healing spell, twice, but it fizzled.
Typhoon said, "I'm beat, too. Let's go."
They left behind the dragon's lair, and hiked a mile to the nearest village. It should have a portal back to Ivory Tower.
Instead of using the portal, though, they stopped in the village tavern. It was good practice to hang out in public where regular players could interact with them. They sat in a room of iron tables and dangling lanterns, drinking what passed for cider.
Typhoon said, "I finally earned a fifth-tier spell element." He held out one arm. He'd abandoned his old pirate outfit to dress in a leather vest, pants and sandals, all highly enchanted but leaving his arms bare. They seemed elaborately painted, or the fur somehow tattooed, all in aquatic hues. On his hand was a droplet meaning [Water], and he pointed to the others going upward: "[Wind], [Ice], [Stillness]. That's all 16 element slots filled, and now I can upgrade something to the final two slots: back and heart. Heh, or tail. There's a running gag about how extra limbs should mean more elements."
"What's your Magic skill level? I just hit 7 in Flight." The maximum was 9.
"Same -- just reached 7 in Magic. So now, we need some kind of epic quest for the final levels." He sipped his drink. "And then what?"
A party of elf and human adventurers walked in, trying to sell cheese and wine to the bartender. Horizon waved their cleric over, asking, "Could we get some healing, please?"
"Sure; I need the practice." The spellcaster wore a white robe trimmed with red triangles. He used the runic, wizardly rule system that Horizon favored, to cast two spells that gave Horizon and Typhoon a [Rapid Healing] effect that stacked with the cider's bonus.
"Thanks," Horizon said, and flipped him a coin.
When he was gone, Typhoon said, "That style of robe is what the uploading technicians wear lately."
Horizon nodded. It was subtle, but helpful to reinforce the idea that the clinics were saving lives. He didn't know whether the design had first appeared in Talespace or in the Outer Realm. "Maybe we could do the master-level quest together?"
"Sure. But I don't know what element I want to upgrade. If you had to put a mystical symbol over your heart, what would it be?"
"Wings," he said. "If you're looking for a definition, a purpose, don't worry too much. As long as we've got a shared banner flying and we all serve the Lady's interests, there's never a shortage of things to work on. That's what'll keep us going when the numbers are as high as they can get."
* * *
Typhoon had only a basic personal sanctum, a pocket universe. He took Horizon along and invited Nocturne. They met up at Ivory Tower and waited for him to open a portal. On the other side, he had a tropical island a hundred meters wide, with the ship Fallen Crown anchored offshore. The island held a tasteful cabin that Horizon recognized as a stock design from pirate adventure zones.
Nocturne said, "You haven't wiped it and started over yet?"
"No. Help yourselves to potions or other gear. Where should we look for a good trainer?"
Horizon was glad Typhoon had this problem. The griffins had tried to be there for him since Linda's rejection, but he'd never settled down or joined the knights or embraced any other cause. He was aimless now. It was a lot better than he'd been when Ludo unpaused him and talked him out of suicide.
Horizon shook his head. "Somewhere magical and flight oriented. And happy. Hoofland?"
Typhoon groaned. "No, thanks. They're still enforcing the quadrupeds-only rule. Space zone?"
"Not much magic there. Endless Isles?"
The three of them consulted about what equipment they'd be allowed to carry to the ocean world, and grabbed a few potions. Horizon was no gadgeteer or weapon master, but he did have a few magic items set up so that they were nigh-impossible to lose:
-[Feather Charm of Nocturne: +1 Spirit in the presence of its maker. "Prevents owner from forgetting anniversaries."]
-[Cavorite-Lined Saddlebags of the Alchemist: 100 capacity, Armor 2, -50% weight, potions weigh nothing. "Also chills drinks."]
-[Daedalus' Anklet of the Wind: +1 Speed and Power and -50% stamina cost for Flight. Air-aligned. "Forged from an ancient dream."]
He smiled as he looked the gear over. The powers were nice, if not nearly the fanciest in all the realms. What mattered more were the tales of how he'd earned them.
One nice thing about having a party of all Talespace residents was that there was no need to stop while somebody went on Outer Realm errands. They traveled through the vast cavern of Ivory Tower, fighting a giant bat along the way, and reached the side-cave with its mystic pond leading to the Isles.
* * *
Like Typhoon's home the Isles were mostly sea and sky, wide open to Horizon's wings. They'd all reached an understanding with the Talespinner-class AI who ran the place, allowing them to visit without changing races.
Which marked them as special. A couple of human players were grilling fish at a campfire when they spotted Horizon's party, and called the group over. "You're all super high level, right?"
"We don't really do 'levels'," Nocturne said.
"Whatever. How do you get a real ship?"
Typhoon answered, "Search for an Anchor Stone. I'd help but we're a little busy."
They were on Central Island, the easiest place here to reach. "We don't have a ship ourselves," Horizon observed.
So, a long quest began, for just the three of them. It was weird being able to devote days at a time to exploration. By the time he had to sleep, several real-world days had passed and they'd used their magic and flight to hurry ahead through the usual Isles quests.
Horizon got a couple of messages in his inbox, and shook his head ruefully. "So much for uninterrupted questing!" He flew off to deal with a Knights of Ta
lespace administration problem, and Nocturne greeted some new uploaders. They got back to the Isles hours later and found Typhoon on the beach, outfitting an elegant single-masted boat with a lone cannon on the front.
"You built this already?" Horizon asked.
"Borrowed it from a human. This is the Ruby Mirror, and the owner's just gone off to boot camp. We have it for weeks."
"Nice." Horizon kicked up into the air, doing a spin just for fun. He landed expertly on the deck and peeked into the cabin. Three bunks and some treasure chests. Not comfortable for people who truly lived in this world, but in Game terms it was a mobile save point for three.
He flopped onto one of the plain beds. [Save point set.] "I suggest we sail outward and see what we find. North, maybe."
Typhoon nodded, leaning on the ship's railing and looking out to sea. "I've missed sailing with a crew."
Horizon checked in remotely with the Knights, did paperwork, and helped Typhoon stock the Mirror with extra repair supplies.
Nocturne flew back and landed on deck with a spare bag. "Looks like we've got a vacation booked! Mostly." She conjured an interface window and showed off plans for using AI labor at a new Fun Zone facility.
Typhoon peered at it. "Is that real restaurant data?"
"Yeah! We're learning about running a business, by helping out."
The otter looked thoughtful as they set sail.
* * *
Ruby Mirror carried them across bright ocean for days and nights. Typhoon leaped into the sea and swam alongside them, alternating with the griffins' long flights. There was a pod of talking dolphins to befriend and trade with, then a party of four flying people. They'd all gotten the Isles' partial birdman transformation or in one case dragon, with spells that helped them stay airborne even longer than Horizon.
He hailed them in the sky. They flew down to rest on Mirror's deck, crowding it, and chattered excitedly about a quest to collect map pieces. "We're on the trail of a gem that can let you build a whole new town! Have you seen any pirates with wolf-head flags?"