by Dante Doom
Sang winced at the admission. Van was being polite when he said they'd been hospitalized. The truth was that Frederick Yuri, her commanding officer, had been poisoned and was now in a coma. The chances of his survival were slim. The other man, a major general in the army, hadn't been as fortunate, and had died the day he'd been admitted into the hospital. One after another, key members of the task force had been injured or attacked. Some had just disappeared. Draco had people everywhere.
"So, the truth is, it's up to us. The Iron Dragons are growing rapidly, despite the fact that the media has called our claims a hoax. Even though the message boards are making jokes about us and we're even the butt of most jokes in the streamer community, we are getting stronger. Together, we can stop Draco. We can stop these terrorists from inflicting mass destruction!"
This elicited more cheers from the group. They clapped and whistled at Van, and he glanced back at Sang and shrugged at her with a weary smile. The whole speech, the bravado, the confidence and swagger… it was all nothing more than an act. He was getting closer to oblivion with each step.
Sang grimaced as she strolled up next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "My name is Sang, and I'm Van's second-in-command. These four behind us are your commanding officers. Each of you will be assigned to a squad. We play every day, for as long as we can. Don't get yourselves killed, but try to log as much time as you can. Understood?"
The crowd gave enthusiastic shouts about never sleeping again. Sang smiled. One thing she could never get over was how excitable the gamer crowd was. No matter the circumstances, these players were hearty and ready for action. It was refreshing to see they had high spirits, too.
The leaders of the Iron Dragons walked forward and began to sort through the players. The boot camp for newcomers was short, but strenuous.
Van turned to Sang. "Come on," he said with another sigh, "let's go meet Jet. He should be at the rendezvous point by now."
Sang nodded and the two silently began to walk toward the door leading out of the castle. As they walked, Fredlin came bounding after them.
"Wait!" Fredlin called.
"Yes?" Sang asked as she crossed her arms. There were too many things to be doing to waste time talking to a recruit – especially before he'd had a chance to be inducted properly.
"Let me come with you guys," Fredlin said. "I'm not here to follow around a bunch of lackeys. Van, your words spoke to me! Let me serve by your side."
Van grimaced at the comment about his officers. "Look, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but those guys aren't lackeys. They are my finest warriors, and good allies. If you want my respect, you're going to have to be a team player and follow their lead."
"No way," Fredlin said as he crossed his arms. "I served eight years in the Marine Corps, and after that I worked as a firefighter. I've been playing this game since beta and the only reason I refused to go pro was because I didn't want to turn my hobby into a job. I'm probably more qualified than anyone else in this building to fight alongside you."
Sang shrugged at Van. Those were some good credentials. Van, however, had a different idea. "You say you were in the marines?" Van asked sharply. "Then your dumb ass should know to respect the chain of command. You think bragging about going pro is going to impress me? Let's see how tough you are when we're in a zone where death is on the table. Let's see how big and tough your persona is when you know that an axe to the head will kill you in the real world."
Fredlin didn't back down. "Chain of command is important, I get it, but do we really have time to be messing around with things like rank? I mean, that Capello guy sounds like he's just a kid. I'm not trying to throw my weight around, but I want to get to the action. My friend, Savorn, is probably dead, and I want revenge."
"A burning desire for revenge is gonna slip you up," Van said, pressing his face close to Fredlin's. The two were fiercely glaring at one another now, and Sang had never seen this level of anger in Van before. She considered stepping in between them, but decided against it. Van seemed to be handling it well enough.
"I'm not an idiot, Van," Fredlin said. "But I came here to get stuff done. Now, you can let me follow you and utilize an excellent resource, or you can waste our time by making me follow a teenager's orders. I'm not threatening to leave because I'm not a diva, but I damn well want to do something important."
"I can't control you," Van said as he waved his hand dismissively. "If you want to tag along after me, that's fine, but you're either walking ten steps ahead or behind. I won't have you listening in to my conversations with Sang."
Fredlin grinned. "Yes, sir! I won't let you down, I promise!"
Sang chuckled as the soldier drew his bow and rushed forward to investigate the perimeter. "Looks like you got yourself a new friend."
"Whatever," Van said as he trudged forward. All energy seemed to fade from him as he walked.
"You've got to snap out of this funk, Van."
"Funk? Funk? Sang, do I need to remind you that within less than two weeks of us having started this operation, there has been nothing but chaos? Everything is riding on our unit. I'm not in a funk – I'm just trying to focus," Van snapped.
"I get it," Sang said, "but you look like you're going to just fall over at any minute. Find your center, man."
"My center?" Van shouted. "I don't have a center, okay? You realize that, when everything is said and done, the only world I have ever cared about will be destroyed? My life is effectively ending by doing this job. And of course, yes, I'm going to stay in the game; of course I’m going to fight for humanity's survival! I'm not a psychopath. But you've got to realize something. When the walls come tumbling down like a proverbial Jericho, I will be the one left with nothing!"
Sang didn't quite know how to respond, but she knew she had to say something. "I know it's wearing away at you, Van, but you've got to realize that you do have a life outside of this game. I mean, not right now, of course, but once this is over you will be recognized as a hero."
"A hero?" Van repeated. He pointed to the short sword hanging off of his belt. "This is what a hero wields," he mumbled as he pulled out the weapon. Short bursts of flames arced across the sword. "This sword deals 150 damage per hit. It has a 30% chance of igniting someone on fire. And I can wield it. I can swing it with all my might in this world because my game muscles are strong! In the real world, I lose my breath taking the stairs."
"I'm not trying to tell you that this is an easy thing," Sang said. "It's gonna be the hardest thing you'll have to do, but try to remember that you have something waiting for you outside of this pod. You're not even 25 yet! You have your whole life ahead of you, so you can do whatever you want, be whatever you want."
"I want to be in here," Van said as he gestured toward a mountain in the distance. "I want to climb a mountain with my bare hands. I want to fight against dragons and orcs. I want to lead a band of adventurers into a stinking sewer for two weeks only to find a very disappointing end to an overrated quest. I don't want my entire life to change in a single instant. But I know it is. I know it's going to change. And I'm going to keep moving forward, damn it. So, get the hell off of my back."
Now it was Sang's turn to grow heated. "Get off your back? Van, I am trying to keep you sane here. You really think you can carry all of this weight on your shoulders without cracking? I watched you barely keep your wits together last month, and now you're dealing with the fact that your entire home will be gone soon? You need to sort through these things instead of just pushing forward."
"Sort through them? What, do you want me to see a counselor? Take some time to see a psychiatrist in between the battles for the survival of humanity?"
"No," Sang said, "but you do need to slow down and breathe for a minute. We've been pushing every second of every day. I know you've been playing without me. I know you're spending far too much time in here. You've got to ease off the throttle, just a little."
"How can you say that when we're facing Armageddon?" Van asked. He
shook his head again. "How can you say that?" he whispered.
"Everyone needs you, Van," Sang said as she placed both her hands on his shoulders. "I need you. Yeah, there's gonna be times where we don't get to sleep, I get it. But now, we're in a good place. We're making good headway and people are acting on our behalf. And you're the one tying us all together. If you aren't functioning at your best, then we all suffer."
Van growled a little at that. "I'm not logging out, if that's what you're gently trying to suggest."
Sang shrugged. "I'm sorry, man, but I think it might be for the best if we take a break for the night. Jet will be there in the morning. You need sleep."
"How can I sleep?" Van asked, his voice quivering a little; it looked as if the anger was rapidly beginning to fade. "How can I sleep when Draco just blew up a residential area?"
"If you don't sleep," Sang whispered, "Draco will get away with more than that. We need you sober."
Van opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. He slowly lowered his head. "Yeah, I guess… some sleep wouldn't hurt. I'll see you on the other side, then." He glanced up and looked at Fredlin, who was watching them from afar.
"We’ll be right back," Van said.
"I'll be here," Fredlin replied.
And with that, Van vanished from sight. Sang let out a sigh of relief and unplugged herself from the game, as well.
The bright lights of the pod greeted her as she opened her eyes in the real world. The transition never got any smoother for her. She even felt her stomach churning a little as the pod slowly opened. The motion sickness was the worst part of waking out of the gaming coma.
"What's the matter?" Agent Neil asked as he walked up to help Sang out of her tube. "You guys win the war early or something?"
"Van needs to get some sleep," Sang replied. She glanced over to see that Van had already fallen asleep in his pod. Neil reached over to slap him, but was pulled back by Sang.
"Hey – ow!" Neil grumbled.
"Leave him alone. He's starting to scare me," Sang said as she stretched her arms out. The command center was quiet, as there were only a few operators in the observation room that was above the pods. She could see them quietly working from behind the glass. For all the manpower that the CIA had poured into this project, though, she rarely ever got any decent information from them.
"Yeah? He starting to lose his mind?" Neil asked.
"No!" Sang snapped. "But he is starting to crack from the stress of having to face the end of this game."
Neil shrugged. "So, what? The nerd will find something new."
"Neil, you have no idea what it's like to be in there. It's unlike anything that I've ever experienced. If I'd spent the last ten years of my life in there, I'd be freaking out, too. I mean, it's gotta be like having to shoot your own puppy."
Neil slowly nodded, a rare look of compassion crossing his face. His normal grin shifted to a frown. "I guess, when you put it like that. Sucks to be him, I suppose. But will he pull through?"
Sang shook her head. "I don't think he's gonna make it if he keeps it up like this. How much Cwake are you giving him?"
"Legally, I must inform you that we cannot give any of our workers stimulants," Neil said loudly as he looked around. And then he added more quietly, "I've been dosing him up like a college student during finals week."
"Well, cut him off," Sang said. "He's not allowed to go in unless he's gotten at least six hours of sleep."
"You're not the boss of me," Neil said as he crossed his arms. "I remember that, before his untimely poisoning, Frederick put me in charge."
"Just shut up and do as I say," Sang said as she shoved past him.
"Yikes. Fine, then – whatever," Neil grumbled. He bent down to hoist Van up over his shoulder. "Come on, big guy, time to get you in bed."
As Sang went on to examine a few of the consoles by her bedpost, the door to the command center opened. A man wearing military fatigues and a helmet that read MP entered. She glanced at him and frowned. If this was another military inspection, she was prepared to scream until her voice went out. The military had done nothing but crawl all over the operation, and had refused to provide any real support. The death of their major general had done nothing but complicate the issue even further, as the new general was far less cooperative than the old one had been.
"Sir!" the man said, standing at attention before Neil. "I have been informed to tell you something!"
"And what's that?" Neil asked, grunting a little from carrying Van over his shoulder.
The MP drew a revolver then, and shot Neil in the gut at point blank range. Neil staggered and crashed to the ground, Van tumbling down atop him. It all happened so quickly that it took Sang a moment to register what was going on. The bang of the gunshot echoed through the entire room.
"My God!" Sang screamed. She couldn't react, though – her body was too tired, and she didn't have enough time to move.
The MP looked at her with wide, wild eyes as he aimed the revolver at her. With a wicked grin, though, he whispered, "We are as numerous as grains of sand." Then he placed the revolver against his own temple and pulled the trigger. The gun rang out again and Sang could feel the warm specks of blood splatter across her. The body slumped to the ground and the man gasped for air for a few moments before ceasing to move entirely.
"Ahhhhh, ahhhh, I've been shot!" Neil shouted. "Holy crap, why does this hurt so bad?"
Sang rushed toward Neil and looked at the bright red stain over his stomach. "Hang in there. Medic! I need a doctor!" she shouted as she looked up at the console room. The staff was gone. Van was on the ground, still catatonic.
"Oh, my God, I think I'm going to die. Come on, that… oh, this isn't fair at all. I didn't even get to shoot back," Neil gasped. He began to convulse a little.
"Relax, Neil, relax!" Sang said as she began to put pressure on the wound. Blood was pouring out fast. "It's not nearly as bad as it looks. You're gonna be just fine."
"Sure I am," Neil wheezed. "Sure I am. I mean, people get shot at point blank range by guns and walk away all the time."
Sang pressed down on the wound hard. The doors swung open as O'Hara entered.
"The hell?" the redheaded agent demanded once she realized what had happened. "Neil, you ass, why'd you get shot?"
"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Neil wheezed. He was hyperventilating hard. "Oh, I don't think I'm gonna make it."
"Ah crap, you better not die on me!" O'Hara said as she pulled out her phone. "I need a full medical team in the command center right now – an agent has been shot."
"Sang," Neil wheezed, "no matter what happens, you need to remember the mission. Whatever that nerd is fussing about, it doesn’t matter. You've got to make sure he finishes the mission, regardless of the cost."
Sang looked down at him. He was terribly pale, and she could see the pallor of death upon his face. He grabbed her neck hard, pulling her close. She could feel the warm blood on his hands dripping down her throat.
"All men can be corrupted, Sang. Van is… he's no different. If he cracks, it's not going to be a… a mental breakdown. He's not gonna start screaming and crying…" Neil paused for a moment to cough. "He'll betray us. If he does, don't hesitate to kill him."
"Right there!" O'Hara shouted in the background. A team of paramedics arrived and quickly began to work on Neil, pushing Sang aside.
"Don't hesitate, don't feel bad – if he goes down the wrong road, just pull the trigger before… before he can do the same to you," Neil wheezed as the medics shoved an oxygen mask over his mouth.
"Damn it, Neil!" O'Hara shouted as she began to pull on her hair. "If you die, I will not forgive you! You owe me too much money to die! Come on, man, come on!"
The paramedics were quick to put Neil on a gurney and rush him from the room. O'Hara went running after him.
Sang stayed on the ground, staring at the blood on her hands. Neil was a resilient bastard, and she felt sure he'd pull through. He had to.
She slowly glanced over at Van next, who had been unconscious for the entire thing. Sure, he was stressed, overloaded and terrified, but he'd never betray them. What the hell was Neil talking about?
Chapter Two
Van stretched his arms as he walked toward the rendezvous point. The Forlorn Valley seemed extra ominous today. No birds were chirping and the overcast sky made him feel like it was about to start raining at any minute. The reddish grass swayed gently in the breeze, but as quiet and serene as the scene was, he felt far from serene.
Van had slept for nearly twenty-four hours straight, which was a personal record for him. And he was feeling somewhat refreshed, although his dreams had been tumultuous and terrifying. Although he couldn't remember exactly what had been happening in his dreams, he knew that everything had been going to hell around him. No matter how hard he'd tried to stop a disaster from happening, he'd known it would occur anyway.
Van glanced over at Sang. She seemed preoccupied with something, but refused to tell Van about it. It was probably for the best – if it was another major attack by Draco, it would probably just distract him even more. He didn't understand how she could be so calm and collected during this time period. Nothing in the world had prepared him for what he was undertaking, and it was baffling to see her hold herself together.
"There!" Sang said as she pointed to a large stone circle in the center of the valley. The large stones looked similar to Stonehenge, with the exception that they were covered in glowing white runes. They glowed and pulsed gently, indicating that they were fully powered up. If the right quest was completed in this area, a player could receive a very high experience point boost.