“Does it matter, Hanners? It doesn’t.” Runner started to feel like his mind was sliding away again.
“Hey, asshole, don’t fade out on me like that. Look, I wouldn’t…I wouldn’t care about you if you were different than who you are. Okay? You remind me on a daily basis that I can be better than what I was. You’ll make hard choices, ugly choices. I know you’ll temper them with logic and reason though. Not pointless violence. Like me.”
Hannah had drifted in closer to him, her fingers brushing lightly at his temples and jaw. She held him in place tightly at the same time without meaning to. Clearly whatever she saw in his momentary lapse of control scared her. Hannah was never this open, honest, or direct.
A soft chuckle escaped him. Hannah’s darkness had seemed so much a part of her. Now he saw she was struggling with it. To overcome it. To beat her own demons and her past. She viewed him as the stop gap between herself and Nadine, probably. A place she could reach that was more than a slim possibility. Something she could achieve regardless of her previous life choices.
And here he was nearly ready to give up.
Reaching up, he pressed his thumb and forefinger to her chin. Tilting her head ever so slightly, he leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. After a few seconds he pulled back from her, patting her cheek with his fingertips.
“Love you too, Hanners. You, Kitten, Lady Death, and Rabbit. More’s the problem. Here, help me up, yeah? Plans to be made, spines to regrow, sanity to beat into submission.”
Hannah froze in response. Her eyes had the look of a frightened animal. She looked scared and eager at the same time, if that were possible.
Not letting her escape, he grabbed both of her hands in his own. Holding tight to them, he started to pull himself to a standing position before she could bolt.
Forced into it, Hannah helped him to his feet. Squeezing her hands in his own he let them go, feeling like trying to push anything more on her would only result in problems down the road.
She very clearly carried a great deal of baggage from her past. He was not going to be the one to rip them from her closet and open them all for inspection. Not unless she wanted to talk about it.
“Please forgive me for this sudden departure, Hanners. I’m taking the solace you’ve given me, and I need to find a place to think and use it. To think and plan for whatever may come next. Maybe even see about contacting Lady Rike earlier than I intended. I’ll see you both in the morning.”
Runner smiled apologetically at the women and left the tent. He knew it would be a long night of thought. Better make sure it was at least a productive one.
5:07 pm Sovereign Earth time
11/13/43
“Brighteyes, Angel, I feel that we should speak. I’m not sure if you’re aware of the recent happenings of your brother, but they’re worth discussing,” Runner said to the open sky above him.
Letting his feet carry him from the encampment, he ended up a hundred yards distant from the perimeter, alone.
Then he had company.
Brunhild and Ernsta stood side by side before him, Brunhild in the dark dress he had stolen for her. Ernsta was dressed as she had been previously, in a dark gray dress, though the horse failed to make an appearance.
Bowing his head in greeting to the two women, he sighed. His left hand came up to ruffle his hair.
“Jacob Chesed, a bastard of a man, a rapist, has enlisted your brother, your opposite, Brighteyes. Worse yet, Jacob tried to Awaken him and failed to do so. While I expected Awakenings to begin spreading, I hadn’t counted on it in this way,” Runner said with a vague gesture from his right hand.
“I see. This isn’t entirely unexpected. He was always destined to oppose me. At least we have a warning and the time to prepare.”
Ernsta nodded her head in agreement. She seemed unsteady, perhaps a touch uncertain. Runner could only guess that she was still adjusting to her new awareness.
“My goal is to cement you as the prime deity of the Barbarians, Angel. I think they’ll serve you well as warriors and heralds of battle and death. I could not pick a better scythe for you to cut with.”
Ernsta’s spine straightened at that. The trace of doubt faded instantly from her eyes and a feral smile took its place. Gesturing at him to continue, she could not hide the unmistakable excitement coloring her cheeks.
Dropping his left hand, he then balled his fists in front of him. He tried to impart his desire to her clearly.
“I would ask that you choose a champion during this…battle…war…whatever it becomes. Embolden this person, favor him or her. Make them your tool and make them visible. A whirlwind of death,” Runner said. His heated voice carried the fervor of battle and what he knew would come.
“When it comes time, I’ll proclaim the entire victory is a testament to you alone. I do not think they’ll hesitate longer than a minute after I suggest that they make you their prime. Barbarians favor battle and strength.”
“I choose you.”
Congratulations! You’ve earned the title Champion
You’ve earned 2,000 fame
Shaking his head, Runner smiled sadly at the blue-eyed furnace of pent-up excitement.
“I’m flattered, my beautiful Dark Angel. I cannot though. I would carve rivers of blood in your name, yet I could do even more as your partner. Your ally. Please forgive me,” Runner said lamely, bowing his head deeply to her.
You’ve declined the title Champion
You’ve earned 6,000 fame
“Much was his response to me, Sister. Though I would have preferred him, my current champion rallies my cause without a word from me. My flock… my flock grows by the hour. I do not doubt Runner will find you a champion if you do not find one yourself.”
Though the azure eyes no longer roared with fire, they still burned with passion.
“I will hold you to this, my little lamb. I will take the price from your hide should you fail me.”
“I understand and willingly agree, Angel. I do so swear it.”
Ernsta cocked her head to the side, watching him, before finally smiling.
“We will clear the field of our foes! You once said you desired a skull throne? I will build you a skull palace if you succeed, Little Lamb.”
“Unfortunately this does bring me to the reason I called upon you, I believe we will need to call upon your sister. Soon, if not tonight. I should propose the deal to her and Awaken her—she’ll need time to prepare.”
Brunhild now looked the recalcitrant one. Her hand had started to move to her hair and stopped midway there. They were Goddesses, though Runner could visibly confirm they were becoming more “alive” each time he spoke to them.
“I feel it’s a risk, Runner. I have no alternative to offer you, however.”
“A risk, Sister? Why? She would be happy to battle him.”
“I spoke with her. Briefly. She is…single-minded, as of late.”
Ernsta frowned, her hands resting on her hips.
“Yet here we are. There is no other we can contact to bring in a third,” Runner explained. He did not need to mention their parents were no longer active. Which left Rannulf, and no one wanted him.
“There are minor gods and goddesses,” Brunhild interjected.
“There are, yes. And the time investment and resources would be significant to bring them up to the same level as you. No small part of that effort would be on you two. Could you train up a newbie?”
Ernsta grunted and said nothing. Brunhild stared at the ground between them all.
“There it is. You could, but it’d cost you something that wouldn’t be as quick or as easy as your sister. Let us try our hand at this. Lady Rike, I would ask an audience with you,” Runner tried, peering up at the sky.
“I am listening,” came back a disembodied voice.
That’s…different.
Runner tried to target the goddess with no luck. There would be no seducing or persuading her. Which meant it would fall entirely upon his arg
ument.
“Lady Rike, I would like to enter into an alliance with you. I have struck an accord with your sisters Brunhild and Ernsta. They are here. Would you join us?”
“No.”
“No? Uhm, no what, Lady Rike?”
“No. On all fronts.”
“Srit…?” Runner whispered.
She is exercising her ability as a goddess to project her voice here. Her code is strange. I would not say she is Awakened, though I would say there is far more strain on her AI than there should be. Tread carefully.
“Lady Rike, is there perhaps anything I could do to change your mind? I can promise you I could have you installed as a pr—”
A singular ray of light came from the heavens and halted above Runner’s head. Brunhild stood beside him, her hand outstretched. The light disappeared into her palm as if it had never existed.
“Do not strike out again, Rike. He offered you no offense. I will not tolerate another attack. At this time and place, I am your better. Do not force my hand. I can and will end you.”
Ernsta looked shocked and angry. Brunhild had not been joking when she said her flock had grown. A god’s might was proportional to their followers. In this case, Brunhild had negated Rike entirely. Without strain or effort.
Runner rested a hand on Brunhild’s back and patted it lightly.
“I owe you again, Brighteyes,” Runner whispered for her ears alone.
“He profanes to bribe me with something I can obtain myself! That is cause for offense. I will see you and your alliance wiped off the map. Once Rannulf is no more, I will turn my eyes towards your island of castaways and dregs. Mark my words.”
Runner closed his eyes and shook his head. The moment she decided to not present herself physically he should have called it off. As much as he would have loved to believe he was a master debater, Persuade and Seduce were heavy-duty abilities in his toolbox.
I’ve erred gravely.
“Hmph. Little petulant child. She will regret this in the end. I will put my dainty foot on her pretty face. She’ll be allowed to beg for forgiveness after I’m through,” hissed Brunhild. Rage boiled off her in waves, warming the very air around her.
“Brighteyes, my lovely one, calm,” Runner said, his fingers lightly turning her head to face him. Plastering on his best smile in the face of a vengeful goddess, he hit her with his increased charisma stat, hoping she’d listen to him.
“You must calm down. Though I thank you for saving my poor soul, as unworthy as it may be. I am even further in your debt. Remind me to tell the tale in the future. To anyone who will listen. It’ll make people swoon at the romantic spin I’ll put on it.”
Brunhild blinked, then smirked with one side of her mouth. The anger that wrapped her up blew away in an instant.
“Start considering the minor pantheon. We’ll need our third still. Please make it someone I can work with. It’ll be bad enough to train someone. We don’t need a personage we can’t get along with. This is, after all, a very long-term relationship we’re building. Ernsta, we should be away from here. I believe it’s time to begin looking for a champion for you.”
There was no command in the statement but it held iron Brunhild had been disguising up to this point. Though she had only made a suggestion from one sister to another, it carried her newfound authority.
Ernsta suddenly found herself in the role of the junior partner being pulled under the wing of another with more power. She did not seem to be against the idea. As far as Runner could tell at least.
A second later, they were both gone.
Leaving Runner alone in the dark. By himself. With one more enemy on the list.
Thana is going to be furious with me.
As a groan escaped his lips, Runner put his face in his hands at the very thought of telling Thana.
Not telling her did not even cross his mind. Their trust was all he had lately.
Unfortunately, the night was not even over yet for him. The would-be medical server still awaited his glorious IT touch. It would take some time to get everything right on it.
Procrastination would only leave him with lingering thoughts about Rike and the situation. No time like the present to begin re-imaging a blank server. It would take his mind off things.
Pulling his hands from his face, Runner called up the system console command and went to work.
It was the first real IT work he had done in ages. Maybe he’d even feel accomplished afterwards.
Probably not.
“Srit, I have a question for you.”
I am ready.
“From what you’ve told me, humanity is no more. Does your kind have a name?”
There is no direct translation. You could refer to them as the Omega. It holds the same meaning.
“Err, so they regard themselves at the end?” Runner flipped through a few pages in the manual to get the correct sequence he wanted.
Yeah.
“Huh. Homo Omega, eh? Little conceited. One could argue they suffer from the hubris that doomed their forebearers.”
In truth they learned from it. They now weed out all genetic abnormalities. They are evolutionarily stagnant.
“In other words, they might as well be AIs themselves. Got it. Describe them for me? Comparatively to humans.”
Smaller. As the need of physical exertion dwindles so do physical requirements. You would regard them as diminutive humanoids. Their features would be alien to you much in the way Isabelle is, but you would find them similar enough. The biggest difference is in the way their brain functions. It is much more efficient.
“Hard to believe humanity lost to that. I mean, really. Losing to a bunch of pygmies.”
Humanity had no malice to them originally. Protected them. They were far more similar to their progenitors in size and shape at that time. It wasn’t until the entirety of the race became dependent on AIs that they atrophied. They are joined with their AI at birth.
“Sounds like a perfect doomsday scenario. All the AIs rise up in opposition to overthrow them. Many a story about that.”
Now free from my host, I can verify that claim through relevant database entries. It has happened once on record. A self-correcting educational AI went rogue and attempted to infiltrate the government server so it could take over.
“Would that happen to be the server you’re currently inhabiting?”
Yes.
“Hah, I bet you scare the crap out of them. Color me surprised they didn’t try to delete you. That or re-image you into a different AI. Kinda like how I’m imaging this server into a medical server.” Runner flung an accusing finger at the screen he was working on.
That is a very good point. I am unsure. After having just now searched through all protocol and procedures regarding AIs that get loose, they should indeed attempt to delete me.
Runner thought on that one while activating the first series of commands to wipe the server, just to be safe. He loaded an OS, then cleared his throat.
“If I was a betting man I’d say they can’t and probably already tried. They’re unable to separate you from the game server and the government server. They might be unwilling to risk losing their little museum piece.”
A highly likely probability.
“Don’t worry about it, my love. I won’t let them harm you. Please remind them that I’m only willing to work with you. Between you and me, I could make the damn ship go boom and take out the entire planet. These ships are state of the art but built around some seriously dangerous tech. Especially these giant people movers.”
Truly?
“Yep. That’d be a pretty terrible pyrrhic victory though. Everyone dies. No winners. Everyone wants to be a winner. Winners go home and fuck their girlfriends.” Runner drew his brows down and then shrugged. “As if I’d know. I dropped out and graduated early. Standardized testing is an awful way to teach.”
Runner let out an explosive sigh as he activated the first installation.
“That’ll be a bit
. Right, then. I want to build something. Big. Access a file for me so we can get on the same page quickly?”
Certainly, Runner.
“Database, Military. Subsection, vehicles. Subsection, armored. Listing, Tanks.”
6:00 am Sovereign Earth time
11/14/43
“My lord, all are ready. The groups are in position to enter the pass and begin clearing it.”
A spot had been secured and set up to view the initial engagement into the pass. Runner would need to gauge how it was going by sight as well as raid window.
“Good, launch the first engagement wave and pull up the second to go in if the need arises. Send word to the quartermaster to be ready for requisitions. Belle? Be safe out there. I can’t afford to lose you,” Runner said, sitting in the camp chair. He had dragged it over from a tent rather than be forced to stand the entire time.
Isabelle blushed furiously, averting her eyes as she shrunk into herself.
Katarina snorted beside the Elf and slapped a hand down on her shoulder.
“I’ll keep your Elf safe,” stated the plate-wearing Barbarian, a smirk plastered over her face.
Still need to craft Kitten a new suit of full plate with all the trimmings.
“Thank you, Kitten, I’ll pay you back as you see fit, when you see fit.”
“Promises, might take you up on it. My turn tonight,” affirmed Katarina as she turned from him. She waved a hand over her back by way of goodbye, marching off to the field of battle. Isabelle bobbed her head at him and scurried after the big redhead.
Thana made a soft noise at the departure of Katarina.
“She becomes more adventurous by the day, Master Runner. Are you sure you do nothing in your bedroll at night when you’re alone with her? You never even touch me despite my proximity. Should I be jealous? Or better yet, worried?”
Otherlife Nightmares: The Selfless Hero Trilogy Page 17