Homeland: Ingame 2

by Kieron Uchee

  I stood up and said, “Guys, can you care for her, I need to sleep I am feeling exhausted.” Seeing them nod I went to a large couch near the fireplace and laid down, closing my eyes I was asleep within seconds.

  Chapter 14 A good guy

  I slowly opened my eyes to the cheerful sight of a fire burning in the fireplace, the faint smell of wood smoke tickling my nose. Glancing around, I could see Sebastian and Komhether sitting and talking to Kamasut. With a stretch, I stood up and walked over to a table that had a hot pot of kava on it.

  “Good morning,” I said as I poured myself a cup. As I glanced over at the boys, I could see them smile at me as I took my first sip. Feeling myself start to come alive, I went over and sat down. Looking at the girl, I could tell that Komhether had done a miraculous job of healing her.

  As I sat there drinking I could see her sneaking looks at me while my friends were trying not to laugh. “All right, what is so funny, “I said. Kamasut looked down and smiled then she pointed at my face. Reaching up I felt the cracked and dried black paint I had put on. No wonder my face felt so stiff. Groaning I stood up and said, “I will be back.”

  Once outside I noted it was foggy, damp and I felt a chill in the air. Winter was coming to the city. I would need to get some warmer clothing. Making my way down to the lake, I began to scrub at the dried paint. I had to use several handfuls of sand, but eventually, I thought I had it all off.

  As I entered the cabin, I could smell food cooking, some sort of spicy sausage and something like potatoes. I went to a chair near Kamasut, sat down, and looked at her. She looked at me and said, “I want to thank you for rescuing me, as I was in a very bad place.”

  I nodded, she had been in a bad place and thinking back to what I had seen I am not sure it could have been any worse for her. I glanced at her and said, “I was glad to rescue you from that psychotic bitch, but it was not just a noble urge to help your fellow citizen in need that drove me. I need some information from you.”

  Looking at me Kamasut asked, “What do you need to know? I will tell you anything I know. I owe you that and more.”

  “I need to know where the Thieves’ guild is, I have to register with the guild, and then get some quests to help me level. I became a thief almost by accident and have just been winging it since then. I have done a couple of some small b and e jobs, nothing big. I am really not in this for the money, but for the skills that a thief has.”

  Kamasut looked at me strangely and then smiled and said, “We all have our reasons for becoming a thief that is one of the things you will learn. I will tell you where the Thieves’ guild is but once you find it, you will have to undergo the testing. Why don’t you tell me about these b and e jobs you have done, maybe I can give you some advice.”

  Grabbing another cup of kava, I sat down and thought for a moment. “All right,” I said. “It was about two weeks ago that I decided to try to level my skills, and this is what happened.”

  I had been doing my shift at the pub but was feeling restless, looking around I could see most of the patrons were starting to leave for home to beat the curfew. My shift soon would be over, and that would leave me with some time to explore. That evening I had overheard a couple of people talking about the Hammerytes new warehouse complex down at the docks and I wanted a look.

  Finally, I had finished the clean up and I left the pub; the streets were now empty but ever cautious I drifted in the shadows silent and unseen. I made my way down to the first tier of the city, the place where the poorer folks lived, and went towards the seaside gate. I could see two Hammerytes guards looking half-asleep near a burning bowl of hot coals.

  Hugging the wall, I crept around them and went through the open gate. I could see the pathway that led down to the docks and began my descent. Once I reached the lower level, the smell of the sea was strong in the air. I could see that more people were still moving around, it made sense as ships would arrive and depart with the tides and the cargoes would need to be loaded and unloaded at all times.

  I made my way over to an area that had several Inns and Pubs and found one that was still open. It had a sitting area out front with people eating and drinking, some I guessed were on a break from their work. Sitting down I told the barmaid that I would have a hot apple cider and a plate of finger food.

  Once she left, I nursed my drink and lit a smoke up. Sitting and listening, I overheard several tidbits of conversation but only one caught my attention. One of the workers was complaining about the Hammerytes warehouse and how the Hammerytes refused to hire any of the local workers. The Dwarves were running the whole operation with no outside help.

  I continued to sit and listen to the various complaints that comprise the lot of those who do manual work, I overheard bits of stories about bad bosses, ignorant co-workers, terrible conditions to work in and people not showing up for work on the day after they were paid. Life has a way of making itself felt even in a game, I thought as I finished my finger food.

  Eventually, I stood and followed a group of men as they left to go back to work. I decided to make a sweep of the area near the docks and slowly began to walk towards the street named Straight. It was misnamed I thought as I saw it curve to follow the layout of the docks.

  Once I arrived at the maze of buildings that made up the warehouse district proper, I observed the comings and goings of the workers. I soon saw several guards who were walking on patrols in pairs. There were three pairs of guards. Each patrolled several blocks, this would work out in my favor I thought.

  I flitted behind one of the patrols, sticking to the shadows. I could see that several of the buildings had open doorways with cargo moving in and out. It was a busy area; I did not see a lot of people working the night shift but those I observed were all working hard at their jobs.

  I finally arrived at a crossroads that had two buildings joined together with an upper walkway over the road. I could see that the Hammerytes had their own people who were guarding the two buildings. I stood and watched for over an hour.

  As I waited something caught my eye across the road from the warehouse; looking over at the shadows I finally witnessed a small movement across the road. I could see that two men were standing there, writing down information as they watched what was happening. Interesting, it was apparent that someone else also wanted to know what the Hammerytes were doing.

  I slowly drifted away and explored the rest of the warehouse district, tracking the movements of the guards and noting which buildings were still open. I found a small warehouse at the end of a dark lane; it was sitting tucked up against the mountain, in the shadows of the two moons. I could tell that the building was prosperous looking with fresh paint and that the grounds surrounding it were well maintained.

  The warehouse entrance faced the street and while I could pick the lock and enter the building, if guards were inside, they would probably be located near the entrance. I had seen earlier that some of the warehouses had skylights in the roof; in fact, several had an open area up on the roof where the workers could go and enjoy their rest breaks.

  I walked to the back of the building and noted the distance from the side of the mountain to the warehouse. It was about a meter and a half, with the building backed onto an almost vertical cliff that rose for about thirty meters. I began the task of scaling the cliff; I wanted to be at least two meters higher than the roof.

  Once I had climbed high enough I twisted and jumped, easily landing on the roof of the warehouse. I held myself immobile as I waited to see if anyone had heard the thump of my landing. Looking around I could see the skylight that revealed the interior of the building. After several minutes, I quietly made my way over to the roof door next to the skylight.

  Looking into the building showed a large space half filled with boxes, with a crane system that went across the ceiling. This system would move the heavy boxes and pallets. The building appeared empty; I could detect no sign of anyone inside. Once I was at the roof door, I checked it and found it
was unlocked.

  I guess that the idea of someone coming in from the roof had not occurred to the owner. Bad luck for him, good luck for me. I opened the door and silently began to climb down the steps, only stopping to close the door behind me. Once at the bottom, I saw that I was in a long corridor with two doors on the right side and three on the left.

  I began to check out each room, as the doors were unlocked. I found what I was looking for in the largest room at the end of the hallway. It must have been the manager’s office; it had carpet on the floor and a small liquor cabinet full of spirits. Going through the desk drawers, I picked the lock of the one drawer that would not open.

  Inside in a small bag were 25 gold pieces with a number of silver and copper coins. I decided to only take five gold coins, and leave the rest; I did not need the money. As I made my way back out through the roof I reflected that this was easier than I had thought it would be. Once on the street again I decided to call it for the night, it was getting late and I wanted to get some rest.

  I walked back towards the Pub I had eaten at and looked around for a nearby Inn. I had been sleeping at Inns for the last few days, as the weather was just too cold to sleep outside anymore. I soon found an Inn and saw that the taproom was still open. Feeling the chill, I decided to go in for one last hot apple cider.

  As I sat at the bar, I noticed an older man, also nursing a hot drink. In the game world, you do not often see older people. I was intrigued, and walked over and introduced myself. The old fellow looked at me with shrewd eyes and told me to call him Mecha. We chatted for a while and he told me that he ran on orphanage down by the docks.

  Apparently, many kids have become orphans over the years, when their dads did not return from the sea. Sadly, the mothers often cannot afford to keep the kids or they remarry and the kids are tossed out from their home. It is fucking heartless to treat children that way in any world. I promised to drop by and see the orphanage, and then went to my room, it was late and I was tired.

  Getting up the next day I went down and had some greasy eggs and some kind of meat product, the cooking skills needed to feed dockworkers were not on par with what the rest of the cities eateries had to offer. After fortifying myself with some hot kava, I left the Inn and walked out into a gray wet world.

  It was raining and foggy, damp with a chill that hung on you like a wet blanket. I made my way towards the orphanage following the directions that Mecha had given me. Once I arrived, I stared at the building that housed the kids.

  It was an old warehouse in need of a paint job; the small front yard was clean with a swing and some children’s toys strewn around. I walked up to the entrance and banged on the door. A young boy opened it and peered shyly at me, then asked, “How may I help you, sir?”

  “I am here to see Mecha,” I announced. “He invited me here to see the orphanage, so if you could direct me to him please I would appreciate it. Plus, it would be really nice to go inside where it is warm.”

  The youngster ducked his head down but opened the door allowing me to enter. The cold damp drizzle had started to make its way down my back and I was glad to get in somewhere warm. Once inside I noted that the place was clean and that a nice smell of baking bread was wafting down the hallway.

  “This way sir,” the young boy directed as he led me down the hall. “Master Mecha is baking bread and is in the kitchen, in here.”

  I stopped and thanked the boy, and then entered the kitchen; with the smell of baking bread tantalizing to my nose. Looking up from the oven Mecha saw me and gave a wave. I waved back, sat at a table, and waited for him to finish.

  Eventually, he made his way over to me carrying a large chunk of bread with butter smeared on it, “Here,” he said. “Try this bread fresh from the oven, it tastes pretty good.” Then handing me half of the bread he began to eat his half. “I love fresh bread,” Mecha said. “It is one of the few foods that actually smells as good as it tastes straight from the oven.”

  I could not agree with him more as I crammed my half into my mouth, then trying not to speak with my mouth full I said, “Thank you, it is very tasty, I love fresh bread.” We ate the bread in companionable silence, enjoying the warm buttery taste. Once we were done eating I asked to see the rest of the orphanage.

  Leading me out of the kitchen Mecha began to explain how the orphanage was set up and run. Pointing to one side of the building he said, “These are the boy’s rooms, with two boys to a room with the same layout for the girls on the third floor. I have my office on the second floor as well as the sleeping area for the staff. I have two women working with me and we are what runs this show.”

  “On the main floor here, we have an open games area and a small classroom for the kids that show an interest and have the ability to learn reading and writing. We also try to teach some math and a bit of history as we try to prepare the kids for the world.”

  “How did you get involved in doing this,” I asked. I was interested in the back-story of this man; he was unique among the NPC I had discovered. Being unique usually meant secret quests or other things that most gamers would not find.

  “I was once a priest for the Gods,” Mecha began. “But I became disillusioned at the greed and avarice I witnessed both with the Gods and among my fellow priests. Power and riches were all that they cared for. The poor people had neither power nor riches. The Gods abandoned them long ago and the priests followed the Gods.”

  “I, in turn, left both the priesthood and the Gods to live my life in an attempt to help those that need help. It has been hard, but worth it. To be able to help one child is worthwhile, one person can make a difference, even if only to one other person.”

  I nodded; really, to care about people was a rare thing both in the game and in the world. People care about their country, their sports teams, even their entertainment. Caring for other people is not a priority for most folks.

  We talked for a while longer, and I excused myself but before I left, I put the gold I had pilfered from the warehouse into his donations bowl, he could use it and I did not need it. It was time to return to the upper tier of the city, I wanted to have a rest before I went work; as I was planning to return to the docks that evening.

  Chapter 15 The Party

  I was finishing the last load of dishes and had already wiped the tables off. Grabbing the broom, I swept the floor and then emptied the garbage. Alaric was sitting at a table nursing a drink. I walked over, sat down, and lit up a smoke. “Busy night,” I said.

  Alaric nodded and spoke, “It is and it well be getting busier as winter comes to the city, we bring in a lot of bards and actors to entertain the people. I have been trying to arrange some bookings, but a lot of competition is out there this year.”

  I patted him on the back as I stood up and said, “We will get some good people in, most folks are not that fussy as long as they are entertained. I have to go now; I’ll see you tomorrow night.” I left him and grabbed my cloak from the staff room and then slipped out the door.

  I stood and stared down the street, something was off, just a feeling but my feelings ingame seem stronger and more accurate than ever. I was learning to trust them. I cast my eyes up the street noting all the doorways and side streets I could see. I could see nothing but the uneasy feeling did not go away.

  I slowly began to make my way down the street; the fog was coming in heavy and fast. I decided to wait for a few minutes and let it cover the city. Once I felt secure from prying eyes, I ducked into a nearby doorway and cast Shadows.

  I quietly began to go down the street again, stopping to listen carefully every few feet. Halfway to the next tier, I stopped abruptly. Straining my ears, I could make out a man’s voice. I crept closer to the sound and listened to the conversation.

  Voice one said, “What makes you sure this Torn player is going to come this way Jack and why are we waiting for him here? We should have just grabbed him at that Pub he is working at.”

  Voice two responded with, “I think
he is going to come this way because I don’t think he goes up the city to sleep. In addition, we do not just grab people, this is a game, we are not special agents in here, we are simply players. Do you understand?”

  Voice one said, “So what the hell are we doing here then, I am freezing while I wait for someone who may or may not be of interest to us on the chance he may or not walk this way. If he does walk this way what do we do, follow him? I cannot see two feet in front of me in this fricken fog. I mean do you actually have a plan here?”

  Voice two replied with, “Shut up Smith, you volunteered for this, getting paid to play a game, sign me up you said. So here we are, playing the game and I do not want to hear any more bullshit from you. You hear me, Agent Smith?”

  Voice one answered, “Yes, Captain Jack, I hear you and you know what, you can go dick yourself. As you said, we have no legal authority here and any authority you may have in the real world ended once we entered the VRP. So, fire me, you son of a bitch.”

  I listened to the two voices, they sounded like a married couple that should have divorced years ago. Bitter and unhappy, like so many people in the real world. I wanted to know what were these agents doing in the game world and why were they looking for me.

  I thought for a while as they bickered, I did not learn anything more but the fact that someone had been trying to follow me did not make me happy. I walked over to the bickering pair and then slowly drifted around them finally coming to stand a couple of feet behind them.

  Speaking softly, I said, “Gentlemen, why are you spying on me?” It was a simple question, easy and straight to the point. I hoped the answer was the same. Both of the men jumped about a foot with the shorter one cursing like a banshee. The tall one, who I assumed was Jack was eyeballing me and then took an aggressive step towards me.

  Intimidation technique 101, get into a person’s personal space and make them feel uncomfortable. I stepped towards him and then grabbing him by the belt I lifted him above my head. I suddenly felt a huge amount of anger directed at these two men.