by Cheree Alsop
“It’s a long story,” Breccan replied. A wave of sadness swept through him at the fact that the story involved Jorie.
Minx, now Black Jack, read his expression and said, “We could waste hours here talking. Let’s get living. You guys with me?” She gave Breccan a knowing look.
“Yeah,” Breccan replied quickly. “Let’s go. I’ll tell you about it later.”
Bullshark and Rage Machine didn’t look at all happy about his decision, but they also knew better than to argue with Minx’s avatar.
He fell in beside Black Jack as she led the way up the stairs.
“Thanks,” he whispered.
“Don’t mention it,” she replied. “As soon as we lose these guys, we’ll start searching for your girl.”
Breccan didn’t know how to put into words how his heart warmed when she called Jorie his girl. He hoped it wasn’t creepy how quickly he had fallen for the avatar with violet eyes, but her smile lingered in his mind and the thought of seeing her again made his heart pound harder in his chest. He put a hand to it and hurried up the stairs.
“Horns and more ECs than most see in a lifetime?” Rage Machine whined to Jonny. “How’d he get so lucky?”
“I don’t know,” Bullshark replied. “But I wish we’d been there.”
Breccan threw his cousin a smile over his shoulder. “You should each start thinking of the one thing you would do if you had a bunch of ECs, and I’ll make it happen.”
He turned back around at Bullshark’s wide eyes and Rage Machine’s answering grin.
“How much is a drake again?” Rage Machine asked.
Whatever Bullshark was about to say in reply was cut off when Black Jack pushed the door open.
“Game Breaker!”
Shouts, applause, and avatars calling his name came from the crowd that waited just outside the door. Breccan wondered briefly how many other avatars had come out to be greeted like that, only for them to be disappointed. The realization that the name they were chanting was his sank in with shock.
“W-why is everyone here?” he asked in an undertone to Black Jack.
“Battle Boss slayer!” a girl with huge eyes and pointed ears shouted.
Those around her cheered.
“Oh,” Breccan said.
Black Jack elbowed him in the side with a laugh. “Come on, Game Breaker. Time to meet your adoring fans!”
Breccan followed her with awe into the crowd. He was grateful for Rage Machine and Bullshark Venom at his sides as he was jostled, patted, hugged, and even had his hair petted as if he was a good dog. The avatar that had done the petting was actually in the form of a giant dog standing on her hind legs, so it was a little ironic.
“More have been taken.”
Breccan’s attention was captured by a tall, skinny, fair-haired elf who had to lean down to whisper in Bullshark’s ear.
“How many?” Breccan’s cousin asked.
“At least a hundred, and that’s just this morning,” the elf replied.
Bullshark looked worried.
“What’s going on?” Breccan asked.
Bullshark shot him an appraising look. “We’ll talk later.” He glanced back at the elf. “Tell the others to meet us at the café in an hour. We need to make some decisions.”
The elf nodded and disappeared through the crowd. Breccan kept an eye on Bullshark who in turn watched the gathered mob with a suspicious gaze.
“This is the most serious I’ve seen you since, well, ever,” Breccan told his cousin in an undertone.
“For good reason,” Bullshark replied. “Let’s go in here.”
Breccan thought they had been aimlessly wandering around the Hub in the hopes of losing his admirers who seemed to feel as if just calling to him wasn’t enough, they each had to reach out and feel his shirt or hand or hair as if to convince themselves that he was real, or perhaps to gain some of his luck. Given the number of avatars in the crowd, that was a lot of uncomfortable touching. Breccan was glad to go just about anywhere.
But he paused at the sign that read, “Books.”
“Books?” he repeated. “Why would I go in there?”
Black Jack rolled her eyes at the door. “To enlighten your inflated ego.” She led the way inside.
“What does that mean?” Breccan asked. He found himself in a hallway barely wide enough for his shoulders. A glance back showed Rage Machine scooting along sideways with his chest and back both touching the wood paneling.
Minx’s avatar grinned at him. “No idea, but it got you through the door.”
“To find out how I would enlighten an inflated ego,” Breccan replied.
“Exactly,” Black Jack shot back.
Breccan sighed. He was getting nowhere. Or at least, it felt as if the tiny hallway was taking them nowhere. He lost track of how long they walked through the claustrophobic space. With Black Jack in front and Bullshark and Rage Machine behind, he was beginning to feel more than slightly trapped. The delay was keeping him from finding Jorie; he couldn’t help the doubt that began to creep through his thoughts about Minx’s intentions.
“I’m liking this less and less,” he announced before he hit his breaking point.
“Why do you think we went in here?” Black Jack said over her shoulder. “No self-respecting avatar is going to the Edge’s largest library when they have the entire Edge to enjoy.”
“Yeah,” Bullshark said with a snort. “That’s like attempting to have an adventure when an adventure is already going on in front of your face.”
“I’m lost,” Rage Machine said. “Is the adventure the book or the Edge?”
“It’s both, well, neither, or it’s— just shut up,” Bullshark shot back.
Black Jack laughed. “Argh. Maybe we can all use a bit of enlightening,” the avatar said in Minx’s best impression of a pirate.
Breccan was about to suggest that they turn around when a light appeared at the end of the long tunnel. It was then that he realized the hallway had grown quite dark. It seemed even the Edge didn’t feel the need to light such a long length without any other place to go. They all picked up their pace at the same time and were nearly running to reach the end when Black Jack called out, “Stop!”
He stopped so suddenly that Breccan slammed into the avatar’s back. He had just enough time to glimpse a round room lined with books that had the unsettling design of no visible floor before Bullshark ran into him, and then Rage Machine bowled into them with the force of a raging, well, machine. The momentum launched Black Jack into space with Breccan close behind.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Breccan found himself falling through a huge expanse with no end in sight. Books raced by on all sides as if he was inside of a vast column. He shouted and flailed in an attempt to reach the walls and stop himself, but to no avail. He looked down and saw only darkness at the bottom of the tunnel of books. A scream of true fear escaped him. He saw the others tumbling through the air out of the corner of his eye. They were all doomed! He wondered how death would feel. Was it the impact that hurt or waking up in the chair? He really didn’t want to find out this way.
They stopped so suddenly Breccan’s stomach rose into his throat. The world spun around him and he had to close his eyes to wait for the dizziness to stop. He wondered if he did lose his lunch, would it happen in the Edge or on the chair at Building Seven.
“What was that sound?”
Breccan opened his eyes to find Black Jack looking at him with a mischievous grin.
“That was a joke,” he realized.
“You screamed like you were dying!” Bullshark said with a laugh.
“I thought I was,” Breccan shot back.
Rage Machine giggled, which looked hilarious. “I thought I would die from the sound of your scream!”
Breccan stuck out his tongue, feeling both foolish and relieved at the same time.
Black Jack shrugged. “Joke or enjoyable flight through the air with a surprisingly soft landing. You decide.”
The avatar pushed up to his feet and walked easily toward the rounded wall even though Breccan couldn’t see what he was walking on. From his point of view, the floor was completely clear and continued down with more shelves of books than he could even count. He blinked at the sight of other avatars wandering through the shelves below, and further below that walked a man in a robe carrying a tome nearly as big as himself. Beneath him, Breccan made out the forms of other avatars as far down as he could see. A glance up showed the same. He wondered how they had fallen through without hitting anyone. For that matter, he wondered how they had stopped.
“It’s only enjoyable if you know you’re not going to die at the end,” Breccan grumbled.
“You have a point,” Black Jack said as he chose a book and a curved, hidden door swung out from the bookshelf. “But where’s the fun in that?”
Breccan glared at Minx’s avatar as he followed the pirate through the door.
“What?” he asked as though he felt Breccan’s stare. “Is Game Breaker too mighty for me to tease?” The avatar turned in a circle, indicating the rows of books that lined the hall. “Or is it the books the mighty Battle Boss slayer is afraid of?”
Despite his frustration at all of the things he didn’t know, he couldn’t help but smile. “Careful, Black Jack. I’ve been known to actually enjoy libraries.”
“Ew, gross,” Rage Machine said from behind them.
“Yeah,” Bullshark echoed. “Keep that to yourself.”
That brought a laugh from Black Jack. “You two wouldn’t know a good book if it hit you in the face.” She grabbed a book off the shelf and chuckled it at them.
Without requiring thought, Breccan’s right hand shot out and he caught the book inches from Bullshark’s face. The wide eyes of his cousin’s avatar held his own.
“Sheesh,” Rage Machine said from behind them. “No wonder you could defeat the Battle Boss.”
“Nice reflexes,” Black Jack noted. “Look at the book.”
Breccan glanced at the spine. The title was, ‘If Books Could Kill.’ He slid it back into its spot on the shelf with a smile.
“For the record, you almost killed me with that. Then where would you be?” Bullshark asked.
“In a much quieter place,” Black Jack replied.
Minx’s avatar pushed open the door at the end of the hallway. The corridor beyond revealed a small elevator.
“Where does this go?” Breccan asked.
“To the upper levels,” Rage Machine replied in a tone that implied Breccan’s stupidity. “Where else would it go?”
Breccan didn’t say that he was a little disappointed the elevator did something so normal. The Edge had apparently raised his expectations of regular objects.
“We found this exploring one day. Black Jack won a bet and forced us to go to the library,” Bullshark told him. “Rage Machine and I were playing book tag in the aisles when we found it. Only a few avatars know it’s here.” Bullshark’s voice lowered. “It’s a secret we’d like to keep.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” Breccan reassured him.
Black Jack pushed a button and the doors opened. Breccan was about to enter when the pirate shouldered in front of him, then stepped back, forcing him to do so as well so that Rage Machine and Bullshark could enter.
The pirate let the door go and it began to slide shut.
“Aren’t you guys coming?” Bullshark asked as the gap in the door lessened.
“I want to check something. We’ll meet you at the Luz Café,” Black Jack called as the door closed completely.
As soon as the elevator light turned off, Black Jack ran back up the hallway.
“Come on,” he called over his shoulder in Minx’s normal voice.
“Where are we going?” Breccan asked, running to catch up.
“This is the library for the entire Edge,” Minx’s avatar explained. He stopped short just before they reached the main circular room and pulled on a book whose spine read, ‘The Way of Things.’ Another hidden door opened. “Let’s hurry,” she said as she led the way through. “We don’t have much time.”
“What’s going on?”
Black Jack shot him a worried look. “Techsecs are taking avatars down left and right. It’s been increasing for days. We’re trying to get to the bottom of it.”
“By looking in books?” Breccan asked, confused.
The avatar’s head shook in exasperation. “No, you idiot. Jonny and Murph are going to the avatar gathering while we look for your girl.”
The fact that Minx had used their real names in the face of her anxiety wasn’t lost on Breccan. He forced down his worries about Jorie and said, “Shouldn’t we focus on the Techsecs?” The thought of the security guards who held all of the power in the Edge misusing it to take out avatars didn’t feel right. His personal problems shouldn’t take precedence over something so serious, no matter how his heart leaped at the thought of tracking Jorie down.
“The Techsecs are getting stronger every day,” Black Jack said. “But I have a theory about your shell, I mean, the girl you met,” he quickly corrected.
Breccan pretended not to notice Minx’s slipup. She was helping him; she deserved at least that. “I appreciate it,” he replied. He followed the avatar down two more long, book-lined hallways before his curiosity got the best of him. “So what’s you’re theory?”
Black Jack’s steps slowed. He looked back at Breccan. “If I’m right, you might not like it.”
“I’ll like anything at this point if it means Jorie’s more than a shell,” he said, forcing the last word out.
“I don’t know about that,” Black Jack replied.
“Tell me.”
Black Jack crossed his arms in the doorway of the next room. Breccan could see rows upon rows of old fashioned filing cabinets behind him.
Black Jack tipped his thumb in that direction. “Do you know what those are?”
Breccan shook his head.
“Those are the physical representations of the digital files of every avatar who has ever been created at the Edge.”
That spiked Breccan’s interest. “I thought nobody was supposed to know what person is linked to which avatar.”
Black Jack lifted a shoulder. “It’s dangerous, which is why the files are kept like this. It would take someone years to track down a single avatar with this filing system.” He smiled. “Lucky for you, I happen to be a pretty superb hack. Watch and learn.”
Breccan followed Minx’s avatar into the room. The rows of filing cabinets ran to each side for what looked like forever. The thought of each one holding the records of avatars was mind-blowing. In the very center sat an old-fashioned box computer. It was this that Black Jack approached.
“What’s her name?” he asked.
“Jorie,” Breccan replied. When Black Jack lifted an eyebrow quizzically, he quickly corrected, “She said Marjorie the Third when we went to the castle.”
Black Jack tipped his head. “Remind me to ask you about that night when all of this is over. I still want to hear how you got your horns.”
“If you can find Jorie in all of this, I’ll tell you anything you want,” Breccan replied sincerely.
“Deal.”
Black Jack grabbed the only chair, a green old-school one with a plastic back and spindly metal legs that screeched on the white speckled tiled floor. The avatar sat down and Breccan watched over his shoulder. When Black Jack pressed a key on the keyboard that was attached with a wire to the back of the computer, the screen flashed blue and then turned black with a single green box in the top left corner.
Black Jack hit a series of keys. What looked like gibberish to Breccan appeared on the screen. He was worried something was wrong, but Black Jack drew the chair closer and entered another sequence.
Minx hummed as her avatar typed. It was strange to hear the girl’s singsong voice coming from the pirate. He typed so quickly his fingers flew over the keys. The little green box filled the enti
re screen with numbers and letters in a seemingly chaotic order, but the few affirmative sounds that came from Black Jack let Breccan know that Minx was pleased with her progress.
Nerves filled Breccan. He didn’t know what they would find out. It felt like a breach of privacy to look into Jorie’s private life. He hoped she wouldn’t mind. But if it meant finding her again, it was worth it. He was worried that she might be in trouble. The more he thought about their time together, the more often hints that something was wrong surfaced, like the way she had hidden whenever a Techsec was around, or the way others shot her strange looks whenever Breccan introduced them. He had thought her want to avoid the spotlight just meant she was shy, but perhaps the problem ran deeper.
The sound of Black Jack’s fingers on the keys in the otherwise soundless room had finally gotten to the point that Breccan couldn’t stand it any longer.
“What’s your theory?” The words burst out of him before he could stop them.
Black Jack’s fingers paused on the keyboard. “You may hate me for even suggesting it.”
“Try me,” Breccan challenged.
Black Jack sighed and sat back. All traces of a pirate accent had disappeared from Minx’s voice. Breccan tried to appreciate the fact that she didn’t feel the need to pretend around him, but he was too worried by the look in the avatar’s eyes to mention it.
“Jonny told you it’s dangerous here.” Black Jack’s voice was level.
“He said it’s dangerous if anyone finds out you have a ton of ECs and knows who you are outside of the Edge.” His heart leaped into his throat. “Do you think Jorie’s afraid they’ll find out we hung out together and go after her for my ECs?”
Black Jack gave him a smile tinged with sadness. “While it’s cute that you are so worried about your impact on her, you’re thinking too recent.”
Breccan thought about that for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
Black Jack typed a few more keys on the keyboard, then turned the computer so Breccan could see it. “I tracked down Marjorie and Marjorie the Second. There are several avatars before Marjorie the Third.”
Her face appeared on the screen with the lifeless eyes of an avatar shell.