On the Lost Continent

by Andrew Novak

  In the pre-dawn gray, Jack went along the riverbank and, hiding in the ruins, made his way to White Avenue, to the same place where Brandt’s people were running around. This was the road Shifty and his people were searching, hoping to find the infragun.

  He needed to catch them now because once the sun rose, Peter would take off.

  When Jack noticed Carl’s head bobbing over the broken walls, Shifty was, in fact, going home. They were walking from the East River in the direction of Bushwick.

  Moving from shelter to shelter, Jack ran ahead of them and hid. When the pair hurried to cross an open clearing, Jack stood up abruptly.

  Peter and Carl froze, peering at the figure before them. Jack saw their discomfort at being caught in an area visible from the Barrier. The spotlight posts weren’t that far away on the shore, but it was light enough to detect movement among the stones without them.

  “Peter, Peter,” Jack began in a sorrowful tone, “why are you disturbing my final resting place? Why won’t you let me rest in peace? Every day in my cold grave, I hear you…”

  “Jack?” Peter interrupted. “You’re alive?”

  He glanced nervously at the dark bulk of the Barrier illuminated by the spotlights in the pre-dawn light. Peter wanted to pass through the dangerous clearing and get under the cover of the walls but Jack blocked the road.

  When Carl took a short step forward, Jack pointedly shoved his hand into his pocket. The secondhand jacket was a far cry from the famous canvas cloak. How that cloak could scare! And there was nothing particularly terrible in Jack’s pocket, but Carl stopped. Jack still had a reputation, although without the cloak and its bonuses, it seemed to be less effective.

  “No, I died. You saw it yourself, didn’t you, my friend?”

  “Okay, enough joking. Let us pass, or we’ll stick out here like a louse on a bald man. They’re still watching.”

  “And what if they are?” asked Jack. “Will they fire the emitters? As you can see, I survived it. Maybe you’ll get lucky, too?”

  “Jack, let me go,” echoed Peter. His voice trembled slightly.

  “Yes, all right, only people with a clear conscience can survive a direct hit from an emitter,” Jack nodded thoughtfully. It suited Jack just fine that Peter felt uncertain and in the constant, instinctive need to glance back at the Barrier. “But not you, because you’ve got a guilty conscience. Listen. You’ll only get the infragun if you agree to my terms. Give me Brandt.”

  “I can’t give away what I don’t own. Jack, listen to me! We have absolutely no time left! Do you know how often degenerates are cropping up now?”

  “What do they have to do with anything?”

  “What do you think? We’re being eliminated. People are leaving reality and their consciousness is staying in Alterra. You haven’t really thought about the degenerates, have you? Well, I’m collecting information about them. Omegas are degenerating four times more often than a year ago! If this continues to grow at this rate… I already lost a couple of good fighters. And Brandt, no matter what kind of bastard he may be, we need him. Even if I wanted to give him to you, how could I? He’s always in plain view, surrounded by a bunch of his people.”

  “Then do as I say and I’ll have to finish the rest myself. Keep checking that email account you used last time to write me. I’ll let you know when to start. Then you’ll ask Brandt to send you some of his soldiers. You need to get hold of all of his best fighters. You can come up with a reason yourself. The reason must be important. So important that Brandt just can’t refuse. I don’t know what you’re up to, but clearly you’re spinning something together which means a request to send fighters will seem quite normal.”

  Peter opened his mouth to say something but Jack cut him off,

  “Don’t interrupt! Let me know when Brandt’s people arrive. Keep them busy, send them off somewhere so that they won’t interfere for some time. It would be best if you invented a really serious mess. Something dangerous and requiring a lot of people. And it’s in your own interests that it all goes smoothly and you stay clear from suspicion.”

  “Okay,” Peter said gruffly. “What then?”

  He was no longer arguing, just calculating the upcoming difficulties. It had to happen. Jack had no doubt that Shifty was a sufficiently smart, cynical scoundrel to accept the reality of a situation in all its unattractive glory.

  “Soon after that, Brandt will need support. He’ll order you to return his people.”

  “Are you going to storm his lair in Astoria? Won’t work. That place can be defended by just him and a couple of fighters. His home is a real fortress and he has weapons there.”

  “Peter, I’m not asking for your council. Just listen. Brandt will ask for his people back. You tell him that his guys are busy, but you, as a loyal friend, will come rushing to his aid wherever he says. And you’ll bring everyone who’s at hand. You are his loyal friend, right?”

  “So that’s your plan… you’re going to lure him out. Where to?”

  “Wherever Brandt tells you to go. Then I’ll need some time with him alone. I don’t care how you do it, but you’re gonna have a lot of people and Brandt, a few. You’ll manage. When I finish with Brandt, you’ll get your toy. That’s it, go on. And don’t even think of hunting me down, otherwise the deal’s off.”

  Jack retreated into the shadows and backed away. He hastily withdrew under cover of the wall, turned the corner and crouched. For a minute he listened to their receding voices. Peter said something to Carl and got a short monosyllabic answer.

  Then the voices fell silent. Jack stayed put. He sat leaning against the cold brick wall and listened to the unusual sensations in his body. His heart was racing after the short walk; his side was splitting; he felt the urge to vomit. All that for no reason at all.

  Could he even kill Brandt in this condition? He would have to. There are some things you had to do yourself. Some very important things.

  Back on the ship, he told Goodwin:

  “If you have insomnia, wake me up at half past eleven. I’m going to meet with a Lahitte Khan.”

  * * *

  He wrote to Egghead in the Shell. When Jack exited the chapel out to the forest road, the gilded carriage was already circling in the air. Jack waved his arm. The pegasi began to descend.

  Jack had changed his costume for this trip. More accurately, he’d simply added a helmet that concealed his face. He usually didn’t use helmets because the defense bonus was small and they obstructed his view. Better to lose a couple of hit points than not see the danger at all.

  But now he was going to speak with a client without revealing his face. His stats were hidden by a “wipe”. He found a couple left over from when he’d purchased them for Lisa.

  Lisa… If only Brandt were here now, Jack would have nailed his balls to the road. Still, he had to be patient. They would meet soon enough .

  Glinting its gold engravings, the coach gently descended onto the road.

  “Oh, you’ve got an upgrade,” Egghead said with his saccharine smile. “Haven’t seen you in a helmet before. You should have picked up something more impressive long ago. I don’t know why you neglect your gear. Appearance is important. Believe me, I know.”

  “You’re used to changing your appearance because you’re such a pretty boy,” Jack said, settling into the soft pillows. “I have a different approach,’ he patted the blade of the black sword.

  “I hope you’re not going to use weapons?” Egghead asked with mock fear. “We are not going to war. We’re about to negotiate. So, what about the Heart? Have you seen it in action?”

  “You bet I have!”

  Jack recounted what he’d felt while in the form of a War Hound. The abilities, the timer, the modified interface. Focusing especially, of course, on the abilities. Most importantly, he mentioned the remarkably reduced damage, which in itself was amazing.

  Egghead listened with his full attention. “Ten seconds,” he murmured when Jack finished. “Ten seco
nds of an almost divine incarnation.”

  “And an hour cooldown. What do you think?”

  “Fifteen thousand, no less! Here’s the rub. Tevis Khan is a very tightfisted buyer. Oh, it’s going to take us a long time to loosen him up, and we’re in a hurry…”

  Jack thought about it. A dead man had no use for fifteen thousand. The money could be used to get himself over the Barrier, true enough. But time, time! Right now, time was the most important thing.

  “I have an idea about how your Lahitte Khan can pay without actually parting with any money. You take your cut of the full amount at my expense. I want him to start picking at a certain someone in Alterra. To test his purchase. Tell me, what kind of man is he? Can we trust him?”

  “Trust…” Egghead rubbed his narrow chin. “I can’t guarantee anything, but he certainly does want to test the item. Why not test it on the person you name? The main thing is that his desire coincides with your proposal. Who do you plan to set the Lahittes on?”

  “On Brandt, who else?”

  “I might have guessed,” Egghead smiled. “No one likes Brandt Ironfist, you know that. So, you can bet that the khan will agree. But why? Why in the game, I mean? I could understand if you set enemies against him in reality. But in Alterra?”

  “It’s part of my plan. I want Brandt on edge, so angry that he can’t think clearly. You said this Tevis is an alpha? Well, great! His iron arm doesn’t reach as far as the alphas, which means he’ll be beaten and mad. And he’ll be looking for someone to take it out on. What is our alpha citizen Tevis like?”

  “Well… He’s awfully strange. Or, rather, he’s a unique man.”

  “That can be said of all the alphas. Let’s skip the generalities, yeah?”

  To be fair, Jack was acquainted with only three alphas — if he counted old Goodwin who had moved to the ghetto long ago. But each had his own quirks. Unique people, yes.

  “You see, he plays a Lahitte. This is somewhat unusual. Skands level their combat abilities more quickly, and the Achaeans have bonuses to magic. But Lahittes… Well, you know. Their abilities are mediocre. They’re okay, but once you choose a race, it’s for life, you know. It makes sense to take the better choice. Now Tevis Khan is stretching himself trying to compensate for his racial weaknesses. He has only fifty-two points of XP although he tries to level as fast as he can.”

  “No matter. With the Fiery Heart, his affairs will take a turn for the better. Everything you told me sounds good. As long as he doesn’t cheat us. Maybe he’ll promise us to attack Brandt’s castle, then back out?”

  Egghead silently made a helpless gesture. “The other strange thing is that he’s reluctant to pay. Too economical for an alpha, is what it is. I don’t even know how to beat fifteen thousand out of him without wasting time on persuasion. The Fiery Heart is worth that price. It’s that unique! Moreover, he’ll need an artifact of this sort as soon as his level is high enough. A Fiery Heart of the War Hound, the personal beast of Ged himself! The ability to transform into a Hound! A player with this artifact is simply bound to become one of the greatest warriors. Not just a warrior, but a conqueror! A victorious commander! While Tevis… It looks like money is tight, if that’s how he deals. I thought if he was an alpha…” Egghead made a vague gesture signifying that, from his point of view, panbucks weren’t an issue for alphas.

  Jack nodded and stared out the window. The magical landscape of Alterra sped by past their couch. They had already left the Maxitor. Now the Pegasi were flying over Havian. Egghead had said that they might be able to see the Seekers’ castles.

  Jack stared at the scene outside the window, at the tiny houses and carts crawling along the filaments of roads, the shaggy green woodlands… He thought about Lisa. He had already flown in the carriage with Egghead before, but she’d never got to see Alterra from above, not once.

  And now she never would. Maybe Ruger had let her ride Beelzebub, at least once? Probably not. Now Ruger was gone, too. Would Jack himself get another opportunity to fly?

  Egghead who hid in his basement would hold out the longest. Longer than the alphas from New Atrium or the omegas from the ghetto. But that was a boring existence. No, Jack enjoyed the adventures, the new places, the travels. Yes, and the dangers, too. If his plan worked, then it would be all he needed. Lisa would have thought so, too…

  Egghead glanced sidelong at Jack. “Are you sorry to give up the Fiery Heart?”

  “You have no idea,” he grimaced. “An artifact like this is hard to come by.”

  “In another time, I probably wouldn’t sell it”.

  “Of course not. Something like that you keep for yourself. But what good is an artifact to a dead man?”

  They fell silent. The forests under the coach grew thinner; the boundary of the Lahitte steppes drew nearer.

  “Look, there’s the Battle Seekers’ main castle,” Egghead broke the silence. “If Brandt is in the game, then he is likely there. He’s probably sitting in the tower managing his holdings. He was never known for his feats in the open field. The castle is called Odon.”

  Jack asked to fly closer. It was a castle like any other, nothing special. Picture-perfect, built by the book on a hill. It had a square courtyard surrounded by walls with towers at each corner. The walls were equipped with covered galleries for bowmen.

  One tower stood taller than the rest. This was the keep. Brandt Ironfist was probably sitting there now.

  There was no moat, which made it immediately clear that their neighbors were nomads with little understanding of siege equipment.

  “Do we still have far to fly?” Jack said.

  “I asked Tevis to migrate closer to the border. You should spot his camp soon.”

  They had left the forests and arable land behind; the steppe began here. From above, the flat landscape looked beautiful though somewhat monotonous: flat steppe overgrown with tall grasses. The wind drove these grasses in waves like the sea.

  “I think I can see it,” Egghead said, pointing to a cluster of motley spots in the swaying sea of grass. “I’ll write him in chat, to be sure. One last thing, Jack. This is very important. Tevis takes Alterra very seriously and is overly sensitive to words. You get the hint?”

  “I don’t understand,” Jack shook his head, surfacing from his unhappy thoughts. “What do you mean sensitive? I’m not going to call him names. On the contrary, I’m going to make a very special offer.”

  “It means,” Egghead’s face twisted into a sour expression, “that he loves flattery. He is an alpha, but plays a Lahitte. He shouldn’t sense even the slightest disregard for this fact. He is a khan! He is a great leader of the steppes. He is the sovereign and loves to hear people insinuate that he is great and glorious. A little flattery, just a little pretense, and Tevis is yours. Watch how I bow down to him and try to at least somewhat imitate my move. Remember that he’s an alpha, it’ll help you pretend.”

  “Okay, now I get it. I’ll call him the greatest of the greatest. I’ll be so convincing that he’ll believe. Aw, hell, I’ll believe it myself! And what about this serious appreciation of the game?”

  “Do not talk about reality. Act as if it does not exist. We are not players. We live in Alterra and Tevis is indeed a khan. He likes that. Play up to him in the conversation, and that’s it.”

  “Okay.”

  After all, the Lahitte khan wasn’t the most important part of his plan. However, the success of the whole enterprise would depend on all its parts, even the small ones. His revenge and his very life depended on them.

  * * *

  The motley dots on the horizon grew closer, turning into tents made from the brightest of silks. Banners fluttered in the wind above them. The Lahittes fussed around setting up their camp.

  They raised their heads and watched the pegasi and the carriage descend. There were more than fifty people in Tevis Khan’s retinue, both players and NPCs.

  While Egghead maneuvered above the landing space, Jack looked over the pavilions and th
e herds of horses complete with their riders. Aside from war, the Lahitte Horde bred pets for sale. There was probably a corral with Pegasi here somewhere, separate from the rest of the herd.

  Once the gold-plated wheels of the carriage touched the ground, Tevis Khan came out of the tent. It could only be him because all the warriors immediately began to bow. That gave Jack some idea of how to behave. He put on his helmet, turned on the “wipe” and left the carriage after Egghead.

  Tevis Khan was a short swarthy Lahitte. There was nothing remarkable about his appearance. He was thin, flexible, not too broad in the shoulders. His face was narrow with regular features, a black mustache and a thin beard.

  Notable was his clothing and armor in which the alpha had packaged his game character. The amount of gold per square inch was twenty times more than that on the whole of Egghead’s carriage.

  “Ah, my wise friend Egghead,” Tevis shouted from a distance, stretching out his arms as if for an embrace.

  But Egghead didn’t fall for this deception. He stopped three steps before the khan, jabbed Jack with his elbow and gave a deep bow.

  Carefully copying this movement, Jack couldn’t help thinking of how the real Egghead’s fat belly must have been shaking as he copied his character’s motions. How awful. It was a good job he used a capsule behind a closed door. At least that way no one would see him.

  “My companion and I are happy to greet the great warrior of the Steppe,” said Egghead. “I hope that our modest wares will help Tevis Khan enhance his military glory. If, of course, this is at all possible.”

  “And I hope that my humble presence will help us complete the transaction to the satisfaction of all parties,” Jack added. “As soon as I found out who the Fiery Heart was meant for, I hurried right here to personally testify how pleased I am. A relic of the God of War must go to a great warrior!”

  “Your stats are hidden,” Tevis said, glancing at Jack. “I understand that you were the one who obtained the relic, no? Have you been to the lost continent? Well, what is it like there?”