by Anthea Sharp
Finally, he stopped. “Here we are.”
Jennet blinked. This wasn’t Crestview High - they were still in the Exe. Cautious hope unfolded inside her. “Here?”
“Yeah. Home sweet home.”
Tam tilted his head to the flat-roofed building in front of them. It looked like an abandoned mechanic shop, with rickety exterior stairs going up the side. On the roof was a smaller box - a little apartment maybe, repaired with old boards and pieces of salvaged metal. At least there were windows, though a blue tarp covered most of the roof.
Jennet blinked. “This is where you live? I thought you didn’t want me to—”
“I didn’t have much choice. The Jackals were between us and school.” Unhappiness edged his voice. He turned to her, his mouth grim. “Do not say a word about my place. Ok? Nothing.”
She nodded, swallowing back the questions crowding the tip of her tongue. The fact that he’d brought her here at all - that was key. She tried not to glance up at the shack on the roof. It looked like it could fall down in the next big storm.
Ignoring the stairs, he led her around the building and unlocked a big metal door in back. It scraped open across the concrete floor with a low groan. Inside, the single huge room was dim and cold, light straggling in through high, grease-filmed windows. It smelled like old machines.
“I’ve got an hour til the Bug gets home,” he said.
“The Bug?”
“My kid brother.”
“All right. I’ll call my dad’s driver and—”
“No.” He frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of a grav-car skimming up to his front door. “The Jackals will have gone to ground by then. I’ll take you back to school and you can get picked up there.”
Without waiting for her agreement, he moved to the far wall and waved his hand in front of the light plate. It took three tries before the bank of fluorescents overhead flickered on. The sickly glow illuminated his sim system.
It was a newer-model Zing, though it looked like it had been used hard. The chair had a long rip across the seat, partially hidden by a lumpy pillow. Cables ran like crazed electric worms from the drive to the helmet and gloves, and silvery tape seemed to be holding half the system together.
“This is… I mean, you won this?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He dipped his head, letting his hair fall back over his eyes. “Last year’s tournament.”
“So, you made Nationals? What was it like, playing there? Where did you rank?”
“I didn’t go to Nationals.” His voice was tight.
“Didn’t go? But that’s—”
“Something came up.” He turned away from her and clicked his system on. “So. You want to see me play. Any game in particular?”
“Um…”
As far as subject changes went, that one had been pretty obvious - like a door slamming shut. All right. What game did she want to see him play?
She had originally thought WorldStar. It was the sim most like Feyland - not that any other game could compete. But now… she glanced around the grimy space that housed Tam’s system. He obviously didn’t have the money to buy new expansions of the popular games, or pay the access fees. She bit her lip.
What were the free sim games, anyway? She’d never paid any attention - they were inferior, crammed with ads, and usually the graphics were sub-par. Come on… think. She had to know some games. She fished around for a name, but the grating, low-pitched hum coming from Tam’s system made it hard to concentrate.
“Does your drive always make that sound?” The question was out before she could reel it back in, but the noise was truly awful. It sounded like a moaning beast, with the added bonus of a teeth-gritting vibration of metal against the concrete floor.
He scowled at her. “If you don’t like it, you can leave.”
Heat rushed into her face. Great. She was going to ruin this. Better get to the gaming as soon as possible.
“What games do you have?” There. Nice safe question.
“Anything.” He tossed the word out, casual.
“Really? Even WorldStar?”
“Yes, even that. And Zombiemecca, and Ruler of Days, and—”
“Okay, okay.” She swallowed back her questions. Tam had all the top games, and it was probably better if she didn’t ask how he could afford them. “WorldStar is kind of like Feyland. Fantasy-based quests, you know. Battles with monsters.” And queens. She shivered.
“WorldStar it is - and you don’t have to sound so surprised.” Tam slid into the chair and picked up his gaming helmet. “The backbone of the ‘net runs through Crestview, and plenty of people know how to use it - at least in the Exe. Anyway, it’s why your company is here.”
“VirtuMax isn’t my company.”
He shrugged and pulled the keyboard onto his lap, tapping out a few commands. “You’ll have to watch secondhand,” he said, leaning forward and flicking the battered monitor on. “I only have one helmet.”
“Oh. Right.” Still, even the flatscreen would give her a decent idea of his game-play.
The screen was dull, with holes in the display where pixels were stuck. There were enough, though, to see the overall picture. She was getting the feeling his whole system was that way - barely enough.
The monitor lit up with the WorldStar background. Then Tam’s characters appeared, lined up along the bottom of the screen.
“Do you have a level 200?” she asked.
“A few. Do you want a caster, thief, or tank?”
She blinked. “You have a top level in each class? You must spend a lot of time playing.”
“Not all that much.” He slid on his worn e-gloves. “I’m efficient. So, who do you want?”
She leaned forward to scan the character portraits. A decked-out Soldier, a Shifter - no, too low level. She needed something that would push Tam to the limit.
“That one.” She pointed to the Sorcerer, a tall, green-haired character without any telltale marks of superior gear. No glows hovering around him, or towering shoulder armor, or billowing capes. She didn’t want this to be too easy. “Lorne?”
“It’s an anagram,” he said, not looking at her. He drew the helmet down over his face, and selected the character.
Jennet turned the letters around in her mind. Lorne. Loner. No kidding.
Then the game of WorldStar opened, showing the Sorcerer standing in the street of a small village. Somewhere in Dvelt Province, judging by the grassy plain that spread out beyond the mud-brick buildings.
“Where to?” Tam asked.
An ordinary spell-caster, up against… She tapped her lower lip with her fingers. “Isn’t there a Guardian-class encounter near here? Some big kitty in a cave to the east?”
He let out a muffled snort. “That big kitty is called Saberclaw. People don’t fight him solo. It usually takes three - with a healer.”
“Can you do it, or not?”
He turned his head toward her, the visor reflecting the dim light. “My least-decked character, and in a lightweight armor class, too. That’s a pretty mismatched fight.”
She knew it wasn’t fair - but then, life wasn’t. And she needed to see what he could do against nearly impossible odds. She couldn’t take a complete noob into Feyland with her.
“Yeah, it is mismatched. Maybe Saberclaw needs some reinforcements. Poor kitty.” It was a dumb joke, but she saw the side of his mouth twitch up a little.
“Alright then,” he said. “Here we go.”
Tam guided his character to the mount master, and before long, Lorne was on a gazelle-like creature, galloping east. Purple mountains loomed in the distance, and a flock of black birds swooped up from the plains like a spiral of smoke. Soon, Lorne reached the low hills.
At the edge of one canyon was a gaping shadow edged with rocks that looked like fangs. Saberclaw’s cave. Bones littered the ground in front, some old and bleached, others new, with bloody hunks of meat hanging off them, evidence of a recent player’s death. Would Lorne�
��s bones join them?
A knot formed in Jennet’s stomach. She folded her fingers over the back of Tam’s chair and watched as he dismissed his character’s mount.
Tam lifted a finger, and his Sorcerer’s arms rose. Magical energy gathered in a ball of glowing light between his hands, then spread down over Lorne’s figure, encasing him in a layer of invisible armor. Another wave of his hand, and potions appeared, hovering in the air before him. Blood red, glimmering orange, dark purple - without hesitation, the Sorcerer chose two, uncorked the vials, and drank.
Magical preparations complete, Lorne stepped over the litter of bones and walked to the edge of the darkness.
Truth time. Jennet held her breath as the pebble of fear in her stomach turned to a boulder. What if Tam wasn’t good enough?
CHAPTER SEVEN
Tam was barely conscious of Jennet hovering behind his chair. Please, don’t let his system cut out now. Jennet had set him a drastic challenge. But he would win it, impossible odds or no.
He took a deep breath and focused.
There was only the faint hiss of the wind in the plains grasses, the hollow footfalls of his Sorcerer as he approached the cave to confront Saberclaw. Tam made a quick check of his inventory, making sure his oh-crap items were in place - the things he’d need to win this. Extra health potion, blinding dust, one-use spectral shield. A cloth-wearer had to have tricks like this up his sleeve to survive most scrapes. Though a solo encounter with a Guardian-class beast hardly qualified as a scrape. More like a severe mutilation.
For a second the graphics wavered, rippling like a heat wave. Tam froze, waiting. Come on, system - hold together. It felt like his heart stopped too, until the image stabilized again. Just in time.
In the darkness of the cave, something growled. A red flash of light showed that Saberclaw had sensed a trespasser in his lair. The attack came without warning as the enormous cat rushed forward, a mass of striped and angry death. His growl turned into a roar as the beast lunged, sharp claws extended to rake the Sorcerer’s chest.
Adrenaline pumping through him, Tam waited until the last possible instant, then popped his shield. He cast an instant spell that slowed the cat a precious few milliseconds - enough time to lob a flaming ball of magefire into the cat’s face. Saberclaw yowled in fury, his long teeth shining and deadly.
Tam leapt to the side, but didn’t quite avoid a furious bite from those teeth. His life energy dipped and his character slowed down. Dimly, in the other world, he heard Jennet gasp. One trick gone. But he and the cat were even.
Using his mage abilities, he tried to keep his distance while still sending spells at his opponent. Not always successfully - the big cat got a few painful bites and swipes in on his character in return.
They were both around half health when Saberclaw’s eyes lit with an uncanny green glow. It was the sign he was about to use his special ability - an unavoidable stun that froze his victim in place. As soon as the stun wore off, the cat would pounce and shred his enemy to bits. Tam’s heart raced as his fingers gestured the next combo of moves. This had better work. It was the only thing he could think of.
He tossed the blinding powder, the bright flash distracting Saberclaw for an instant. Then… there was no avoiding this next part, no matter how much it hurt. With a pang, he summoned his favorite pet - the battle-hawk companion he’d won in a ferocious duel two years ago. The two of them had shared more adventures than he could count. But he’d have to sacrifice the hawk in order to win this fight.
“Goodbye, Bright,” he murmured as he sent his pet forward to certain death.
He yanked Lorne behind one of the jagged rocks at the entrance, getting out of line-of-sight as his golden companion winged straight for Saberclaw. The hawk let out a high, pained cry as the big cat’s eyes flared. Saberclaw’s evil green gaze pinned Bright to the cave floor.
Tam couldn’t just keep Lorne standing there - he had to make Bright’s death count. He stepped back into the cave and began his longest incantation. It was his most powerful spell, a fire-lance that would blast a serious hole in his opponent.
The cat ignored Tam and leapt on Bright, yowling with joy as he began to rip the bird to pieces. The hawk let out high, piteous cries as bits of golden feathers swirled in the air. Finally, Bright lay still, his broken body trapped under Saberclaw’s wicked paws.
The image blurred in front of Tam’s eyes - but this time it wasn’t a system problem. He blinked furiously, clearing his vision. The hollow ache in his chest from losing Bright joined all the other sorrows piled up there. Sure, it was just a game, but now he was alone. Again.
Tam swallowed. His spell tingled at his fingertips, the energy building, building...
“Now!” he shouted, flinging deadly fire at Saberclaw.
The beast lifted his snarling face just as Tam’s fire-lance hit. The force of it made Saberclaw stagger, and the smell of singed fur scorched Tam’s nose. But it wasn’t enough. The big cat recovered quickly, too quickly, and gathered himself to leap on the Sorcerer.
:WARNING. SYSTEM OVERLOAD. AUTO-SHUTDOWN IN TEN SECONDS:
The red letters etched across Tam’s vision, overriding the game’s graphics.
“No,” he breathed. “Not now.”
Despite the reactions coursing through him, his hands remained steady in the gloves. Although it wasn’t scorched fur he smelled. It was the metallic stench of burning electrical cables.
He had to finish this, and fast.
It was hard to throw incantations while taking serious damage. Every rake of claws and bite of fangs slowed Lorne’s spell-casting down, while his life energy continued to drain. If it got to zero, he was dead. Tam managed to shoot another flame-blast, but his Sorcerer was in trouble. Lorne was dying - and when he did, Tam would lose.
He got another instant spell off, then grabbed his health potion. It would buy him a little more life. Enough, if he were lucky, to outlast the big cat.
:WARNING. AUTO-SHUTDOWN IN FIVE SECONDS. SAVE WORK NOW:
Yeah, not likely. Save himself. His Sorcerer popped the potion.
Saberclaw pounced, and Tam drew his dagger. No more time for casting spells. Good thing he had spent time maxing this character’s weapon skills - though it went against all common sense to skill-up magic users. He only prayed Lorne would be strong enough.
Jab and rip. Slice and claw. Both Lorne and Saberclaw were almost dead. A sliver of life energy kept the Sorcerer on his feet, while the cat limped after him.
:TWO SECONDS:
Tam judged the timing and pulled his Sorcerer back, just missing a razor-sharp death swipe. Then he lunged in, the dagger piercing Saberclaw’s side. With a last yowl, the big cat staggered, then collapsed in a heap of fur and claws. Lorne fell to his knees, but the Sorcerer was still alive. The battle was over.
Victory!
:SHUTDOWN:
The helmet went dark, and Tam slowly pulled it off. His mind was ultra-clear - that gaming high he got whenever he beat impossible odds.
“You did it!”
Jennet had a huge smile on her face, and her blue eyes sparkled. If he hadn’t been sitting down he thought she would have thrown a big hug on him. Instead, she gripped his shoulder. Her touch was strong and warm.
“That was amazing,” she continued. “I’ve never seen anyone think so fast on their feet. And with your system going down and everything. Just, wow.”
He took a breath and scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Yeah. It was a good fight.”
“Good?” Her expression was full of admiration, full of light, like the sun coming out from behind clouds. “You’re a prime game-player, Tam Linn.”
The praise made something inside him glow, and he didn’t know how to respond. It wouldn’t do to get used to this feeling.
“I should get you back to school.” He stood up, and her hand fell away from him, leaving only cool air behind. “My brother will be home soon, and I have to be here, or he might burn the place down.”
&nb
sp; Jennet smiled again, as if he were joking. After a few seconds her smile faded. “All right. But Feyland is going to amaze you. You’ll be great at it. When can you come over to my place to sim? Tomorrow? Wednesday?”
“Maybe Thursday.” If Mom showed up, and he could get her back on her meds, then there might be a chance. He shrugged, though the fierce desire to see the new sim and play Feyland was scorching through him.
“Please, I really need your help.” She looked impatient, and worried. “Can’t you come any earlier?”
“No.” He let the word hang flatly between them.
He’d let her see his place, see him game. That was too much. No way was he going to explain the details of his life - details that would only horrify her sheltered little world-view.
“Well.” A frown gathered on her face. “Let me know as soon as you can. All right?”
“Sure.” He turned the still glowing flat-screen off, then shoved his hands in his pockets. When he got back, he’d be doing some major system repair. “Come on. Let’s get you back to school.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The next days dragged. Jennet veered between elation that she’d finally, finally, found the gamer she needed, and frustration that he couldn’t play that instant.
She couldn’t expect him to understand her urgency - not when she hadn’t explained the problem to him. But the first step was getting him in-game. With his help, she was sure she could finally get deeper into Feyland.
During World History class on Thursday she couldn’t help but sneak glances at Tam. His hair was covering his eyes, as usual, and he didn’t look at her. Not once. That wasn’t good. Worry squeezed her lungs tight. When the bell rang, she took an extra long time packing up her satchel. Tam lagged behind too, and her breath eased.
“Well?” she asked as he paused by her desk. “Are we on for today?” We have to play. Please say yes.
“No.” He hunched his shoulders. “Maybe next week. See ya.”
“What… hey, wait up!” She reached for him as he stepped into the hallway, but he ignored her outstretched hand. He slipped into the crowd, seeming determined to get away. Disappointment raced through her as she scanned the students, trying to see which way he’d gone. How could he just leave like that?