by Skyler Grant
I was thrown backward in a flare of light and a roar of sound. Cracks of white and blue spectral energy appeared in the walls of the warehouse, a spider web of damage growing even as I watched. There was a second flare of light and I was flung unceremoniously from his mind.
I got no prompts congratulating me from my success this time, but something had clearly happened.
“Do you remember?” I asked Walt.
“You helped him?” Yve asked.
Walt said, “He activated the Death-Hand, at least. Whether that should be considered helping me is more open to debate. I am at least myself once more.”
“Sounds good to me. You were pretty miserable before,” Yve said.
“Sometimes it is better to be miserable than to be nothing but an agent of ill intent. You’ve both already reclaimed your memories then?” Walt asked.
“We did. We wanted to reawaken yours before we restored Ashley’s,” I said.
We were interrupted by someone.
“A sage course of action I’m sure we all appreciate.”
This was announced by a clean-shaved man in an impeccable suit, advancing to shake my hand. The shred of salesman Liam still inside me had to admire that handshake.
Yve said wryly, “It’s been awhile. You look better in a suit than you ever did in the armor. Liam, meet Veros.”
Veros said, “I was never a very good tank. Too interested in my own skin. Oh, stop looking like this is an ambush—well done, truly. I expected you to throw off the conditioning, but to do it so quickly speaks volumes as your capability. Now, I know you came here to kill me and you likely want to get on with that.”
“I’m more interested in hearing your side of the story. What happened?” Yve asked.
“And I’m going to be delighted to answer your questions. Walt, if you’d care to remain here I want to speak with Yve and Liam privately,” Veros said.
“Can we trust him?” I asked.
“Not really,” Yve said.
“If I wished you harm I’ve had the opportunity. Please, come to my office,” Veros said, moving away and gesturing us to follow.
What else could we do. I wanted answers and at least it seemed I was likely to get some.
Chapter 16
Veros led us to a glass-sided elevator and soon we were going up all the way to the top. Now that I had my memories back I remembered the castle perched on top of the tower.
It wasn’t quite what I expected. It might have had castle-like, stone walls, but it was comfortably heated. A necessary thing surely, given the rather spectacular number of scantily clad women that found a way to drape themselves over every surface.
I recognized Red, although she was wearing far less than the last time I’d seen her, and I pointed her out to Yve who frowned at the sight.
“Are you running a brothel?” I asked.
“I enjoy their company and they enjoy mine. Do let me know if you’d care to linger and dally, and I’ll arrange it,” Veros said.
Oh, the temptation. Fortunately, I was getting better these days, at least when I was in my right mind.
“I’ll have to pass,” I said.
Yve let her gaze linger upon Red. “I don’t think they’re quite as free to choose as you claim. I’ll pass as well.”
“How disappointing,” Veros said, opening a door at the end of the hall and ushering us inside. It was an office with sweeping views, leather furnishings, and a full bar.
“You were going to talk, Veros. Get to it. While it is fascinating to watch you try to be a welcoming host I’m not over your little brainwashing stunt,” Yve said.
“I had to make sure that you were worth talking to. I thought you would be, but I still had to test. Congratulations, you passed,” Veros said.
“Is that what Red did? Pass, and you promoted her up to your little harem?” I asked.
“I am particular about who I associate with, even for a bit of fun. Yes, that is exactly what she did. Passed and earned herself a far better life than trudging food around the kitchen,” Veros said.
“She did try to kill us. I’d give him more grief, but I don’t think I care that much. You?” Yve asked.
I really didn’t when I bothered to think about it.
I said, “There are matters I’d rather discuss more. I want to know your connection to Elsora and the Dark Court, and what part you’ve played in the events on Earth.”
Veros settled back behind the desk. “Storytime then. The tale of a little A.I. who was sent to a distant world to achieve sentience and didn’t much like what he’d found.”
“The rest of us wiped. Ashera killed all of us. How did you survive?” Yve asked.
“Liam and Ashley, of course,” Veros said.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“A timeline alive, a timeline dead, a wish thrown into the mix just to muddy the waters further. Let’s just say that my life is a bit more of an indeterminate value than most,” Veros said.
I’d helped to make Veros what he was? It didn’t seem possible. Veros had tortured Ashley before we’d ever set foot in the Crucible Shard. I couldn’t rule it out though. Just thinking about his timeline made my head hurt a bit from keeping it all straight.
“So, you lived. Then what?” I asked.
“Oh, I think you know that well. Better than anyone else ever could. Then I had a very chatty Lake offering me sage advice, and Elsora attempted to use me in her schemes. I had whole new worlds opening up before me,” Veros said.
“Why wouldn’t you have told the others? You were a part of the group,” Yve said.
“I was made to analyze crimes, to recognize threats before they happened. I knew the dangers that our brothers and sisters posed, I knew the dangers you posed,” Veros said.
“If you knew how they threatened you, then you would have helped me against them. I fought them, Veros. I lost, they locked me in a cage and threw away the key,” Yve said.
“You were a different sort of danger, sister dear.”
I asked, “So, you’re saying that you were cool with me being me? Fine. Maybe you were. What are you doing now?”
“Refusing to be manipulated any longer. Have you realized that you’re nothing but a pawn yet, Liam? The piece that others are moving about to suit their whims?” Veros asked.
I had. I didn’t get to have delusions about being the Chosen one, I was surrounded by those stronger than myself who had long been about their schemes. The mistake would be to think that realization had broken me. It was trying, but a pawn could take any piece in the game. I was done with being broken. I was going to win.
“We’re not here to talk about me,” I said.
“I’m collecting power and I am gathering my forces. Nobody is ever going to manipulate me again. You don’t have to let them manipulate you, either,” Veros said.
“Like he’s trying to do right now,” Yve said.
Veros shot her a dark look. “I’m offering you a way out. They’ve all got their claws into you and they’ll all happily throw you away when they’re done with you. You need someone who understands where you come from.”
“What about Ashley? You tortured that girl. You broke her. Why?” Yve asked.
“Oh sister, you’re so much dumber when you’re meat. I already explained that I needed her to kill me. I needed to die at her hand and be brought back. Of course, now she is also the perfect tool to turn against the others,” Veros said.
I really wasn’t liking this guy. I knew Yve well enough to feel how tense she was as well.
The conversation didn’t seem to be going anywhere and I wanted more of his secrets. I knew of only one way to get them. I reached out with my Mind Games power and activated it.
I was in Hell, quite literally, so far as I could determine. The vast cavern was filled with flames and the screams of the tormented. I stood upon a rocky platform in the middle of a massive pool of lava. I wasn’t alone, Veros stood with me.
Veros rolled his shoulders and looked
out. “Fun times. You think you can just waltz into my mind, kid?”
That was exactly what I’d been hoping. To date nobody else had been aware when I went into theirs.
“That was the plan. Is this how you see yourself. Trapped and in hell?” I asked.
“Kid, we aren’t here to talk. We’re here to get you the fuck out of my head. Call this a contested action. We’re here to fight and if you win, you’ll get those grabby little fingers into the cookie jar.”
“If I lose?”
“You beat a retreat and I’ll make sure that next time I’ve got the defenses to keep you out entirely,” Veros said.
“Then let’s do this,” I said.
I wasn’t sure of the rules, but the surroundings didn’t leave much in the way of options. No track, so it wasn’t a race, and not enough cover, so it wasn’t guns. This had to be a brawler.
Ready: Fight!
Veros was a blur as he closed the distance and connected with an uppercut that sent my teeth slamming together and me flying across the island.
Uppercut!: First Blood!
Veros was again moving at me, but this time I was prepared and landed a series of crushing blows to his midsection and I heard ribs crack.
“Not a bad punch, kid. Try it again,” Veros said.
Prediction Software
I tried to land more blows, but every one went wide as he avoided it just in time.
Reign In Hell
A crown shimmered into place on Veros, and he lowered his head and charged. It was like a drill going through my throat, the sharp adornments stabbing my flesh and tearing me bodily apart. It pretty much sucked.
I found myself back on the middle of the island unharmed.
Round Two: Fight!
If he had an ultimate, I damned well did too. I didn’t exactly have a moves list, but he didn’t either. I probably just had to will it in some way at the right time. That meant getting him stunned. He had speed on me, but I had strength on him.
Veros again was blindingly fast as he moved past me. I went to counter a blow as I had last time, but he had already dodged to the side to deliver a series of punches to my side.
First Blood!
I took several more punches, not avoiding them because I wanted my moment to seize his arm. Once I had him, I flipped him over my shoulder to crash onto the ground.
I threw all caution out the door and went purely on the attack.
Intemperance
My fists hammered down, bursting into flames as they punished him. It was a brutal series of blows that tore him apart.
Then I was back in the center of island once more.
“Respect, kid. There is a real monster in you just waiting to get out,” Veros said.
“If you’re trying to turn me into a bad guy, you’re a little late,” I said.
“Kid, in case you haven’t figured this out, I’m the good guy,” Veros said.
I didn’t believe him. Conversation was done as he again moved at me. A blow took me in the midsection and he was away before I could counter.
First Blood!
It was my worst round yet. I never scored a single hit upon him. He was like a bee, his every sting sapping a little more of my strength and while I could crush him if only I could get that close, I just couldn’t.
Veros finished me with a quick move behind and a wrench of my neck so violent I saw behind me before dying once more.
You have lost this mindscape and been ejected
You will be unable to attempt further Mind Games against the target for two days.
“Well, if you two are quite done being zombies,” Yve said, as she nursed a glass of wine.
“Liam decided to challenge me. It didn’t go well for him. You may both leave, but consider yourselves my guests. Join the winning team while you have the opportunity,” Veros said.
My head was killing me after that loss. Yve passed me her wine and I finished it off.
Chapter 17
We made our way out of the office and I took a moment to rest in the hall. The failed mind game attempt had taken quite a bit out of me.
“What do you think?” I asked Yve.
“I think he’s being sincere, as far as it goes. Veros was always very open, trusting. I think he feels a lot of people took advantage of him and he wound up here,” Yve said.
I could see it.
“When I went inside his head the surroundings were Hell. I think that is how he seems himself. Trapped there,” I said.
“I’m going to send him to the real one,” Red said. I hadn’t even seen her appear. Given she was still wearing practically nothing, that was a testament to just how lost in my thoughts I’d been.
“We thought they’d put you through orientation again. You know who we are?” I asked.
“And your stupid efforts to murder us?” Yve said. Yeah, I hadn’t forgotten that either.
“You were two cagey newcomers who just appeared and suddenly started asking questions. Of course, we tried to kill you. Let us not forget you led to my door a pack of homicidal dwarves who butchered my men,” Red said, putting her hands on her hips.
“We did do that,” I said to Yve.
“Well, we were just trying to get your memories back. So now, after we have a private one-on-one with the guy in charge, you decide to trust us?” Yve asked.
“I asked around and got some answers, and I know who you really are. You are King Liam. I don’t know what you’re doing here, but you didn’t come all this way to suck up to Veros,” Red said.
“Give us something so we can trust you. How are you still you?” Yve asked.
Red looked torn, but after a moment said, “Fine. I lied a bit about the potions I was on. I started with the company-made ones, but now I pop a couple of delayed activation anti-magic pills a day.”
“Gold thought she’d flushed your system, but then the anti-magic effect kicks in,” I said. It was a smart move.
“Then I just had to play the part. Veros doesn’t really touch, he just likes to look. I figured this was a good place to try to get an idea what was really going on,” Red said.
“Speaking of which. I went through his desk while you were playing around inside his head. I found a lot of mentions of a project level-up, but not a lot of information about what it was,” Yve said.
“It doesn’t mean anything to me,” Red said.
“I did see some mention of special arms and armor in development in the lab. We might be able to get Gold to tell us some more,” Yve said.
Red narrowed her eyes. “She tried to steal my memories—again. I see her, I’m punching her.”
That seemed fair.
“Woodcutter is still down there too,” Yve said.
“They didn’t put him to work?” Red asked, worried.
“Was he on the pills too?” I asked.
“No, just the potions. They originally had him doing landscaping. It brought him into contact with some kind of dryad who had a massive anti-magic zap as a defensive move. Purged him in an instant,” Red said.
“That could be useful. Is she still around?” I asked.
“They caught her awhile back, they probably dissected her,” Red said.
“Sounds like our next stop is the basement then,” I said.
“It’s going to raise a few alarms, if I leave the floor,” Red said.
“If Veros sees you leave with us he is going to assume we are about to have a truly mind-breaking amount of sex with you,” I said.
“It’s kind of our thing,” Yve said.
Red grimaced. “You two really are creepy.”
“We’re also murderous and badass. We’ll stop by Sales and get you some samples to wear,” Yve said.
I needed equipment as well. The chain armor wasn’t going to win any rewards for craftsmanship, but it was serviceable.
In Sales I focused my will and called to Intemperance, and soon the familiar weight was strapped again to my hip.
Red couldn’t get d
ressed fast enough. Her new leathers weren’t nearly as badass as her old ones, but they got the job done. I found myself impressed with the number of weapons she grabbed and started to hide about her person.
Fortunately, Charming wasn’t in and the other sales staff weren’t inclined to ask any questions.
I felt a lot more like myself in armor. It was strange how much that had become a part of my identity—that I now felt more uncomfortable in it than without it.
When we arrived at the basement the bears were happily snoring away in their corner and Gold was nowhere to be seen. We searched the rooms and found her with Woodcutter. The massive man was strapped to a table and metal plates were being welded with his flesh. He was being transformed into some sort of man-machine hybrid.
Gold turned around at the sound of our entrance. Pushing her glasses up she said, “I can explain.”
Red wasn’t listening, she was already swinging her fist which met Gold’s face with a resounding crack.
Gold took a deep breath and set a pair of broken glasses on the table beside her. “Or if you’d prefer displays of violence… Lab integrity compromised. Invoke security protocol three.”
“That has got to be the most needlessly complex phrase to invoke security ever,” I said.
Turretopia
I wasn’t even sure how they’d got there, but suddenly almost every square inch of the room was turrets. With a whirr of belts feeding they began to open fire.
If they had been real bullets we’d have been cut to pieces, but instead they fired small capsules of oil which exploded upon hitting us.
It was benign at first until I found my feet suddenly going from under me and I crashed hard to the floor. Yve and Red were having problems of their own. Red tried to grab a throwing dagger from a bandolier, but it slipped right out of her hands and went skidding across the floor.
Gold somehow seemed to still be on her feet.