The Great Game Trilogy

by O. J. Lowe

  “Oh, it’s a him now?” Mia asked. She sounded like she was finding it a little hard to swallow. He couldn’t blame her. He had no idea what was going on either.

  “I thought ghosts were gender neutral,” Pete mused. “Is this the same ghost that talked?”

  “He does talk,” Scott protested. “I had a nice chat with him before the bout. He calls me bagmeat and I think he might be completely bloody insane!”

  Matt and Pete looked at each other. Mia backed away from him. That hurt the most, Scott thought as he looked the three of them up and down. “What?!”

  “Scott, I…” Words failed Pete completely and he glanced at Mia and Matt. “No, you do it.”

  “Scott, spirits don’t talk,” Matt said gently. “You should know that by now.”

  “I’ll prove it to you!” Scott almost yelled, although not quite with as much conviction as he could have. Something told him he wouldn’t be able to prove it. After all, now he thought on, Saarth hadn’t been able to hear what Permear had been saying during the bout. And some of what the ghost HAD said… It probably would have garnered a reaction. Still, he’d said he’d do it and now he had to at least make the effort. It was then he reached for the container crystal in which he’d trapped Permear and brought it to his summoner. As it caught the light, he blinked several times, brought it closer to his eyes for further study.

  Huh? He said it in his head just as he did out loud, holding the crystal to the light, not quite believing what he was seeing. Maybe it had been a defective item. He hoped it was anyway. They were supposed to be unbreakable. Yet if that was the case, why was the thing cracking before his very eyes, a thin web of lines spreading over the surface of the object?

  “That’s not right,” he said aloud.

  The eighteenth day of Summerpeak.

  Her summoner beeped with an incoming communication and, still in a huff over the way she’d been defeated, she hit answer without thinking about it. The ID wasn’t present, no way of determining who it was beforehand.

  “Hello?!” she demanded. “Who is this?!

  The voice that came back was eerily creepy, almost dangerously velvety as it purred out an answer. “My dear, who I am is not important. What is important is what I can do for you. And believe me…” He broke into a series of senseless giggles before clearing his throat, regaining composure. “Sorry, been that kind of day. Believe me, right now I can do wonders for you.”

  “Oh really?” Suddenly she was interested. Only a little. “Like what?!”

  “Demanding little thing, aren’t you? Bossy… Oh that’s the stuff. I’m sorry, these painkillers are unbelievable. Take it all away. Had a bit of an industrial accident earlier. Lost some fingers. Enough about me, not important. Anyway. You. You had some rotten luck there, did you not?”

  “Shit happens.” It was about all she wanted to say on the matter. “You deal with it and move on.”

  “You CAN do that, of course. It’s up to you, my dear Weronika… Can I call you Ronnie? Or shall I stick with Ms Saarth? Your choice.” Without waiting for an answer, he carried on. “Anyway. Why deal with it? Why should you have to take humiliation like that? I’m not going to lie to you, I don’t like people. They’re a bunch of horrible ignorant bastards who don’t appreciate radiance when it strikes them in their nasty judgemental faces. But all that is going to cha-cha-change.”

  He descended into more giggles and she considered cutting the communication, found it hard to take him seriously. “There’s going to be a reckoning in this world. A burning. And out of the ashes, a new world will rise. Can’t build the new without destroying the old.”

  “I’ll agree with you there. Still don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m not explaining this well. Probably shouldn’t be explaining it at all…” Long deep breath and another laugh. “Should be resting. But I wanted to catch you before you left the island. Please. If I arrange a meeting, can we talk? It might be worth your while. Fabulous opportunity and all that.”

  It went all against her better judgement. For a long time, she’d thought it was a prank call and cutting it out might have been the best thing she could do. But…

  Chances. You sometimes had to take them.

  “Okay,” she said. “I don’t have anything else to do now. I’ll listen.”

  “Lovely, lovely… You have a nice voice Ronnie, I got to say. Like a canary or something. Run along little bird, I have your number and I’ll be in touch. Toodles.”

  It went dead as abruptly as it had come to life. Weronika Saarth tossed her summoner onto the bed and looked at herself in the mirror thoughtfully. Doors and windows. When one closes, another opens. She needed to consider this. It could be just the thing she’d been looking for.

  Chapter Twenty-One. Date Night.

  “Container crystals, also sometimes known as capture crystals and lock glasses depending on who you talk to, are intended by their very nature to be indestructible. They’re fashioned out of a synthetic substance which on the outside is low grade diamond-quality and on the inside a form of malleable glass capable of holding the spirit without damage. It used to be that there were many poor knock-offs once and spirits were getting damaged and lost before and after claiming. That’s why the ICCC brought in legislation to ensure there was a standard set across the board for the crystals. Anyone not adhering to the protocols faces an automatic fine plus chance of incarceration.”

  Professor David Fleck to a class, on the nature of container crystals.

  The seventeenth day of Summerpeak.

  “That’s not right,” Pete said, clapping his eyes on the shattering crystal with confusion filling them. “That shouldn’t happen.”

  “I never heard of anything like that before,” Matt agreed. “Might want to…”

  It gave, suddenly he had a handful of broken fragments clapped in his palm. Some of them fell away, tinkled to the floor about their feet. One bounced off his shoe. Mia, wearing sandals, gave him a rueful shake of the head as he tossed them in the nearest trashcan. What apparently had survived the shattering was Permear, the ghost shaking himself off as he floated aimlessly above the ground.

  “That was cramped,” he said. “You have bigger? I’m a ghost of considerable girth. And I think my word range is going up as well.” He narrowed his eyes at Scott. “Think I’m getting some thoughts back from you… You’re annoyed.”

  “Yeah, I’m annoyed!” Scott said angrily. “What the hells did you just do?”

  “Sweetheart, I dead. There no hells.” Permear blew on his hands loftily as he spoke before stretching his arms. “Take it from me. I know what I talk about. Trust me, I ghost.”

  Scott tore his attention away from his chatty spirit and glanced to his friends, an almost pleading look on his face. “Tell me you guys just heard that.”

  “What did he say?” Mia asked. Of them all, she looked the least like she thought he was a crazy person. Neither Matt nor Pete had backed away and made a run for the exit, but they looked like the thought had crossed their mind.

  “Just said trust me I’m a ghost and there’s no hells. Apparently, he knows what he’s talking about.”

  “To be fair, he is cute,” Mia said. “In a darkly malevolent sort of way. I like him.”

  “Aww, thanks,” Permear said, hovering up to stare at her. “This your mate? She less unappealing than some of the other bagmeat here. Especially you.” He raised a prominent brow at Scott and waggled it.

  It came out so blunt, Scott couldn’t help but react. “No, she’s not my mate, floaty purple douche!”

  “Not nice!” Permear protested. “I only being nice.”

  “Mate?” Mia asked, raising an eyebrow. “Really? That what we’re calling it now?”

  “I think it’s a good term,” Permear said to her. Her expression didn’t change. “You can’t understand a word I say, eh?” Still no change, she kept her gaze on Scott, almost patiently waiting for him to say something.

 
“Of course, she can’t understand you!” Scott snapped at the ghost. “She’d have kicked your ass if she could. And she’s not my mate.”

  “But you want her to be?” That ghostly grin grew by the second.

  “I’m not answering that question!”

  “You think he’s insane?” Pete said in Matt’s ear in a stage whisper missed by nobody.

  “I think insane is a strong word,” Matt said. “Scott, none of us can hear whatever you think you’re hearing. And…” He looked up at Pete. “Your turn.”

  “Okay, maybe you’ve been working too hard,” Pete said, unable to suppress the smile. “As much as I never thought I’d use those words about you. It’s not uncommon to crack under strain…”

  “Want me to crack him under strain?” Permear inquired. “I could rip his brains out, I good at that.” He flexed his smoky fingers. “Pro.”

  “No!” Scott quickly said. He felt he needed to put his foot down quickly before it got out of hand. Permear looked like he wouldn’t take kindly to being told what to do, regardless he needed to try and at least exert some authority and fast. “No more brain ripping.”

  “Yeah what was with that?” Matt asked. “Seemed a bit of a violent way to end the bout.”

  “Aww, he squeamish?” Permear asked. “Can I kill birds and throw them at him?”

  “What the fuck’s wrong with you?” Scott demanded, shaking his head violently. “Don’t do that!”

  “Okay, be like that then,” Matt replied. “Only asking.”

  “Not you, Perme… Oh forget it. That ghost has a bit of a strong personality. He thought it was the best idea to win. I didn’t tell him to do it.”

  “Oh yeah, blame the ghost.” Permear sounded insulted. “That always works. Not. Ha, you crazy! Woo-woo crazy-crazy!” He started doing a little dance, spinning on one leg, letting out woo-ing sounds every few moments as he did.

  “What the hells is he doing now?” Pete inquired, staring at the ghost with some sort of fascination that Scott found amusing if he was honest. Admittedly it was weird, but it wasn’t that strange.

  “Think he’s dancing,” Mia said. Permear nodded in agreement, winked at her. Scott saw the flush in her cheeks, the smile light up her face. “Think he likes me.”

  “Think I can see why you do,” Permear mused, giving Scott a sideways look. “She pretty nice. Don’t like those two though. They strange.”

  “Ah give them a break,” Scott said. “They’re not that bad. That’s Mia, that’s Pete and that’s Matt. And this is Permear. My new spirit. Apparently.”

  “Yo,” Matt said. The ghost looked at him, then shook his head dismissively, muttering dark words about the audacity of people who dare speak to him. It was unfortunate really, Scott thought, grimacing as he stared at Permear. He could hear the ghost speak, it would appear everyone else was deaf to it for now

  “Hey, all conversations are best when nobody else hears them, bagmeat,” Permear laughed, the comment jerking Scott up out of his thoughts.

  “What?! Oh, that’s not fair. You can hear my thoughts as well?”

  “Well yeah. You and I connected now. I deep inside you. I be yours and you be mine.”

  “Oh gods… You make it sound so seedy.” Trying to put his mind off it, Scott took a fresh crystal from his pocket, ran his eyes over in examination. It looked okay, better than okay. It looked like the flawless specimen that he’d have expected. He handed it to Pete. “This look okay to you?”

  “What sounds seedy?” Matt inquired. “You two aren’t having a private discussion about my sister, are you?” He sounded outraged. Scott ignored him, instead looking at Pete as he shook his head. Permear stared at Matt for ten seconds, eventually forcing the younger caller to look away.

  “Looks fine. Can’t see any problems with it. Matt?” He held the crystal up for him and Matt took it, giving it an appraising eye. His conclusion was the same as Pete’s, offering the opinion the crystal was perfectly fine to be used. Mia said the same thing.

  “Want me to look?” Permear offered. “Won’t work you know.”

  “Quiet you,” Scott said as he took focus and pressed the crystal against the ghost’s head, using his will to draw the spirit into the crystal. “And stay still.”

  He gave his friends a nervous grin as he clamped his hand shut around the settled stone. “That should do it, let us talk in private. Come on, I know you’re all thinking it.”

  He raised an eyebrow when nobody spoke up. “Come on? Nobody? Nothing about me acting like a crazy person. Believe me, I can hear him speak. He’s insane. Dangerously so. Or possibly just maladjusted. I don’t know.”

  “You know something?” Pete asked. “I think you might have wasted your time asking Al Noorland to build that particle barrier.”

  Scott groaned, letting his head hang. His hand burned, he tried to ignore it. “I’d forgotten about that. Maybe he’ll have seen the bout and drawn the conclusion I don’t need it any more. Maybe he’s not spent much time on it. Maybe…”

  “Look on the bright side though,” Mia said. “At least the cost wasn’t too high. I mean, a quick bout with him… That’s cheap for me.”

  Matt laughed at that. “You managed to swap a bout for a working particle barrier? Good show, Scott. Nice work. That’s ridiculously balanced in your favour. Those things are awesome if you’re ghost hunting.”

  “Which I’m not anymore…” He couldn’t hold it any longer, Scott let out a yelp as he put the crystal down on the ground, the steam rising off it as it sat there several moments, felt like the temperature rose a few degrees with it.

  “I think I really need to get that thing checked out,” he muttered, a mere few seconds before the crystal shattered under the heat and Permear rose from the broken fragments, shaking himself off.

  “Who you call a thing?” he inquired. “That species-ist or something. I dunno.”

  “I don’t think there’s need for this,” Permear said, giving the four of them a sad look from the chamber. Even with his incorporeal abilities, he wouldn’t be able to get out of there. The SEC’s were impenetrable, even to ghosts. Once you were in, you didn’t get out. Spiritual Examination Chambers. There was something about the look the ghost gave them, something almost human in the expression. Scott tried to look away but couldn’t. He felt a shudder of amusement ripple through him as if the ghost were saying ‘you don’t get off that easy boyo’. “Really don’t.”

  “You sure you don’t hear that?” Scott asked the technician, a bored looking Vazaran with oversized glasses and a lab coat just a little too small for his girth. His expression of ennui didn’t change.

  “Hear what, sir?”

  “I thought not,” Scott said. “I’m not hearing things, guys. You know that, right?”

  “I know that maybe you believe you think you’re hearing things,” Pete said. “And that usually boils down to crazy person in my book.”

  “Oh, hang on for a moment,” Scott said acerbically. “I just remember. I mistook you for someone whose opinion I actually give a crap about.”

  “You asked a question, I gave you an answer,” Pete said. “Don’t shoot the messenger because you don’t like what the note says.”

  They’d found themselves in the Spirit Regulation Building, a structure just off the under-repair ICCC building that had avoided most of the fire damage following the attack a week ago. This place filled a special function, equal parts hospital, diagnostic laboratory, modification technology outlet and bazaar, the sort of place every caller needed to go some time or another. Pete and Matt had accompanied him, Mia had left with her apologies but a promise to see him again later, something he was already looking forward to.

  Permear had kicked up a fuss about going into the chamber, Scott had had to use all his skill to try and coax him into the confines, still it hadn’t been enough, he’d run off screaming in defiance. At least until he’d suddenly reappeared in front of Scott, much to their collective surprise. He’d tried again, thi
s time they’d watched as he’d gotten about twenty feet away and then faded from sight, returning to the same spot.

  “This is just humiliating,” the ghost had grumbled, reluctantly stomping into the chamber and wearing his sorrowful face as the door slammed shut. He beat a palm against the door, letting a pained little ouch escape him. Scott rolled his eyes. “I’m going to find some way of making you regret this, you know. You’re going to regret it! Regret it I say!” The one-sided conversation had continued in the same vein until the scan had finished, an aurora coloured beam shining over Permear several times from many different angles. More than once he let out a huff and a look of intense savagery Scott found more unsettling than he wanted to admit.

  It wasn’t uncommon to use these places to get specs on a newly acquired spirit, to assess their capabilities. The readout handed to Scott was on a par with others he’d read, same layout, same text, same dry language.

  “What does it say?” Pete asked. “Anything unusual.”

  Scott barked out a laugh. “Get this. Subject is deceased. Categorised as ghost-slash-spectral-slash-non-corporeal. And I needed a machine to tell me that.”

  “Can you let me out yet?” Permear asked. “I need to be let free to spread my wings.”

  “You don’t have wings,” Scott replied absentmindedly. “Or I would.”

  “If I flap my arms and hoot like an owl, will you believe me?” Permear asked. “If not, it’s discrimination. I get someone on you. Hoot! Hoot! I will!”

  “Let him out,” Scott said, glancing over to the technician. “Please. He won’t shut up until you do.”

  He received another strange look but the tech obliged. Probably bloody should be obliging given the fee he was paying here. The ghost certainly had a spring in his step as he exited the chamber. “Some spooky good hearing you got there, buddy.”

  “And this guy smells of goat,” Permear said, looking at the tech. “Think he eats it or just bathes in its blood? I don’t know.”