Survivors

by Dave Willmarth

  “I hope you guys get along okay in there.” Shari looked hopefully at Lisa. “Lisa, Griff is already in the game. We’re working on setting up accounts for you and Evan right now…”

  Her voice drifted off as she saw Lisa grow uncomfortable. The woman tried to continue smiling as if nothing was wrong, but Shari knew better.

  “You’ve changed your mind?” she asked Lisa, as gently as possible. They’d outlined their plan to upload into the game earlier. Lisa had seemed into it at the time. Less than an hour ago.

  “Well, we been talking it over,” Lisa began. “I still want to play. But Evan don’t. Says he’s got better things to do than play some kid’s game.” She sounded desperate to defend his choice and apologetic at the same time.

  Shari smiled sincerely at the woman as Mace and Griff shared a look.

  “That’s no problem. We can get you in-game shortly. Mace is almost done.” She looked up over her shoulder and Mace nodded, giving Lisa a crooked grin.

  “If you have any interest in playing a dwarf, you can start in the same village Griff is in now. Or we can set you up wherever. You just let us know.” He paused, then added in a less friendly tone, “And if Evan changes his mind we can still set him up too.”

  Lisa looked down at Griff, a bit shyly. “I’m afraid I ain’t much of a gamer. But if Griff is willing to show me the ropes, bein’ a lady dwarf might be fun.”

  Griff puffed out his chest once again, fists on his hips in a mock superhero pose. “O’ course I’ll show ya around. Be my pleasure. Just don’t ever, ever attack the bunnies…”

  *****

  Shari got up from the security desk after finishing the conversation with Griff and Lisa. She looked at her watch. They’d played late into the night, then dinner and their discovery of the new people had kept them up ‘til nearly sunrise.

  She and Mace were both tired. Mace was already back working with Peabody to set up Lisa’s account so that she and Griff could play through the day if they liked. It was daytime there in Newport after all. She mumbled something sleepily to him and shuffled to his room, where she just sort of melted face-first into his bed. When he joined her a few minutes later, she was snoring loudly.

  With a grin and a shake of his head, he carefully crawled over top of her and wedged himself between her and the wall. Placing an arm around her, he was quickly asleep himself.

  *****

  Griff had some work to do if they were going to get into the game, so he asked Lisa about the VR pods in the manufacturing and storage levels. She confirmed that there were dozens of completed pods awaiting shipment to a distribution facility, but when he asked her to show him, she hesitated.

  “There are four of them already set up here on this level. Though I dunno if they all work. Only ever seen one in use.”

  She went on to describe the testing they’d been doing with volunteer gamers. Griff’s excitement grew. If there was already one working pod, he’d only have to bring one more online. He didn’t think for one second about preparing one for Evan.

  Lisa led him to the research area of their basement level. As they passed by the living quarters, Evan called out, “Ye won’t need that elephant gun down here, mate. Unless that bear followed ye here.”

  His tone was sarcastic and mean. Griff looked down, not even realizing he was still holding the shotgun.

  “Er, right then. If you’ll point me to a room I’ll stow this and the rest o’ my gear. Maybe grab a quick shower? Then we can get to work.”

  Lisa nodded and spun in a full circle in the corridor. She chose the living quarters furthest away from the one she and Evan apparently shared and led Griff to it. “This should do. Just call out when you’re ready. Have you eaten today?”

  Griff rubbed his belly. “Had a scrambled egg ration first thing this mornin’. But it’s been an exciting mornin’. I could use a bite. If yer low on food here, I got plenty upstairs.”

  Lisa shook her head.

  “We have plenty for a few days yet with three of us here. We’ll grab your food after you’ve checked out the pods,” she offered. But Evan made an exasperated sound and emerged from his room.

  “Toss me yer keys, mate. I’ll grab a mail cart from upstairs and bring the food down while ye do yer kiddie game thing.”

  Griff tried not to bristle in response. He fished the keys from his pocket. Debating for a moment whether to speak up, he took the high road and said, “Be careful. The bear left blood all over the left rear side. Cracked the windows. Might be some blood splattered on some o’the stuff inside.”

  Evan nodded somberly, appreciating the gravity of that. “No worries. Any chance you grabbed beer?”

  Griff nodded. “And wine, and spirits. I was planning on having a good old party when I got settled in. I’m glad yer both here to share it with me.”

  He found that he honestly meant that, even if he didn’t much like Evan. After so much time alone, any company was good company.

  The statement seemed to lighten Evan’s mood as well, though it could have just been the confirmation of alcohol. He disappeared back into his room and began putting on his own gear before heading topside.

  Lisa ushered Griff toward his room, saying, “I’ll whip you up something to eat. Our selection ain’t four-star by any stretch, but it’ll fill yer belly right enough.” She turned abruptly and left Griff alone outside his new digs.

  He went inside and closed the door behind him. As he stowed his gun by the door and stripped off his gear, he took in the room. Nothing fancy, but comfortable. A bed with a desk next to it. A small kitchenette like you’d find in a hotel room with a sink and a coffeemaker. The only other door led to a small and efficient bathroom.

  Ten minutes later, Griff was showered and dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt with a honey badger wearing a Viking helmet on the front. The print above and below the logo said, ‘GameLit Don’t Quit.’

  Exiting his room, he explored a bit, finally finding a cafeteria. Walking through to the kitchen, he found Lisa just finishing a sandwich and placing it on a plate.

  “Is that… bread?” He salivated as he inhaled.

  “Aye. Made it this morning. This place has a full pantry with industrial-sized bins of flour and salt and such. Though we’re almost out now.”

  She handed him the plate. He didn’t even bother to sit, though his legs wobbled a bit from the giddiness of holding an actual sandwich in his hand. “I’m afraid it’s just chicken and cheese. And the chicken’s from a can. We’ve no more vegetables or fruit.” She seemed worried he would reject the meal.

  “My god, yer an angel right here on earth!” he cried, before taking an impolitely large bite of the sandwich. He half-groaned, half-growled to himself as he chewed the mouthful of goodness. She grinned, not bothered in the least.

  A moment later she handed him a cold can of soda. He held it for a moment as tears threatened to form in his eyes.

  “So much. Are ye sure ye can spare this?” He offered the can back to her. “I’m fine with water.”

  She laughed and pointed to a double set of doors in the back of the kitchen. “There’s a mountain of them back there. There were nearly four hundred people workin’ here. Most worked the assembly line or the offices upstairs, but this place was meant to feed them all twice a day if need be. We’ve eaten all of the fresh food; the meat, the veggies. Stuff that was in the walk-in fridge. But there’s still some canned food and pasta and such. And it’d take us a year to drink all the soda.”

  Griff didn’t argue. He set the sandwich down just long enough to open the can and take a long drink. The carbonation tickled his throat, a feeling he barely remembered. The sugary taste combined with the bits of sandwich still in his mouth conspired to transport him to a temporary state of bliss.

  He brought down the can with a satisfied, “Ahhh. Damn, that’s good,” followed by the obligatory burp. He immediately looked sheepish and began to stammer an apology to Lisa, but she just laughed it off.

&nb
sp; “I do the same. All part of the fun, right?” she winked at him. Griff blushed a bit, but was quickly distracted by the remainder of his sandwich. He took huge bites, washing the partially-chewed mouthfuls down with sugary drink. When both plate and can were empty, he took a few deep breaths and rubbed his stomach as he felt it gurgle happily.

  After helping Lisa clean up, they made their way to the research area, where four of the pods sat in four rooms. Each room contained a pod, a standard hospital bed with life support and monitoring equipment, a small bathroom and shower, a plain table, and two aluminum chairs.

  The first room they entered was the one where Lisa said they’d been using the pod. Griff made a quick check of the equipment. It was a more recent version than the ones he’d installed in his bunker.

  He immediately saw that they’d made a few improvements that he himself would have suggested after working on the previous model. The capsule was set lower to be easier to get into and out of. As a result, the base was longer and a bit wider. The headset that made the actual neural connection with the player’s brain had been simplified and streamlined. It was sturdier, in case a player thrashed too violently during gameplay. There was also a small video monitor that could be used to observe the player’s activities in-game.

  When he was done admiring the workmanship, he took just a couple minutes to confirm that it was still operational. He made a mental note of the calibrations and settings before moving to the next room.

  This pod was powered down, but after a quick restart and a comparison of the settings, he found that it was also operational. He performed a full diagnostic just to be sure, and the system passed with greens across the board.

  With the two pods fully operational, he suggested they both log in and get started. It would take Lisa a while to create her avatar. And Griff had plenty of quests waiting.

  He walked her back to the first pod and spent a little time showing her the proper placement of the headset so that the sensors had optimal connections to her brain. Being a lab tech herself, and not unfamiliar with monitoring gear, she picked it up immediately.

  When that was done, he said, “Ya know, ya don’t have to play a dwarf. The game is pretty supportive of first-time players. Whatever race ya choose, you’ll start in a safe zone with tutorials and easy starting quests.”

  She considered his words, her eyes unfocused, then replied without looking up at him, “I think it would be fun to be a dwarf. I love the old Hobbit movies, and sometimes wondered what a female dwarf looked like. Now I’ll actually get to play one!”

  Her smile had him feeling a bit warm and fuzzy. Remembering Evan lurking about somewhere, he bobbed his head and retreated.

  As he closed the door to the lab so she could undress before climbing into the pod, he said, “Take your time creating your character. Get it just how you want it. If we’re successful, you may be spending many years in that avatar. I’ll be there when you arrive in the village.”

  When he entered his own lab room, he closed and locked the door behind him. Lisa he trusted, but he wouldn’t turn his back on Evan even fully awake and alert. Let alone unconscious and naked inside what amounted to a plexiglass bubble. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Peabody, can you hear me?”

  “Of course, admin Griff. How can I be of assistance?”

  “I’m about to log in. Can you alert me in-game or pull me out of immersion if anyone attempts to open this door?”

  “I can do either or both.” Peabody’s reply was short and succinct. Griff asked for both.

  “It shall be as you request, admin Griff. I’m glad to see you’re bringing another player to the game.” Peabody added.

  Which Griff considered a little strange. But he set those thoughts aside as he undressed and crawled into the pod. He set his headgear in place and relaxed into the gel that filled the space around him. A moment later, he closed his eyes and plunged into immersion.

  He awoke in his room at the inn, sitting on his bed precisely as he had logged out. Leaving the room and the inn, he found the street bustling with the normal daily activity of the village. Merchants peddled their wares in shops and a few carts on the square, and a farmer rolled past on a donkey-powered cart loaded with melons of some kind.

  He took the opportunity to speak with a few of the locals he knew from quests they’d given him, asking after their health, their children, their crops. In his mind, it never hurt to build relationships and increase your reputation. And it took very little effort. He simply had to behave as he would with other humans in the real world.

  After thirty minutes, there was a minor uproar near the fountain as Lisa appeared. Griff laughed as he noticed the tag above her head, which read, ’Lady Lisa.’

  Walking toward her, he paused to make a sweeping bow and said, “Tis an honor to make your acquaintance, Lady Lisa.”

  She blushed slightly. “I thought just Lisa would be too plain and maybe confusing if there’s another living Lisa.”

  Griff laughed openly, but he was laughing with her, not at her. “I think it’s perfect. Come with me. I’ll introduce you to a few folks and we’ll see about getting you some quests.”

  He led her toward the tavern. Unsurprisingly, the locals were all quite pleased to see a second outworlder appear in their tiny village. It wasn’t long before Lisa’s quest log was full and she’d been introduced to nearly everyone.

  Griff resigned himself to the entire day being one long escort quest as he escorted Lisa around, assisting her with fetch quests and like.

  He had a brief moment of panic when they found themselves in the meadow outside the gates. She was walking next to him as he warily eyed the fuzzy bunnies hopping about. But as soon as she noticed one of the creatures, she squealed and charged at it.

  Griff cried out “Wait! I said don’t attack the bunnies! They’re-“ he stopped speaking as she threw herself to her knees in front of the furry woodland creature, bent to scoop it up in her arms, and hugged it to her chest.

  She spoke softly to the animal as she petted it, rubbing its head and ears. Griff watched as the damned thing began to make a sort of purring sound as it nibbled at Lisa’s noob cotton shirt sleeve.

  When she’d had enough, she set the bunny down and got back to her feet. The creature gave Griff a dirty look as if to say, “We remember you,” before hopping off behind a shrub. Griff shook his head. The devs had really gone all out for this game. It seemed he had a negative reputation amongst the bunnies of the meadow.

  The two of them continued into the forest, and Griff sent Lisa a party invite so that they could share experience. He was stronger now, a higher level than he’d been when the wolves had handed him his ass. It was time for a little payback. He gripped his hammer tightly and whistled loudly. Followed by “Here, doggy doggy!”

  *****

  Mace and Shari were awakened by Dakota, who urgently needed to head up to the cornfield. Shari obliged while Mace headed to the security office to check his email and see if they’d had any messages from the other survivors.

  “Peabody, are any of the other players in the game right now?”

  Though it was breakfast time for he and Shari, it was well into the evening for the folks in Hong Kong, Moscow and Sydney. The guy in Texas might not even be awake yet.

  “Players Griff and Lisa are online,” Peabody answered. Anticipating Mace’s next question, he continued, “The players in Moscow were online for several hours while you slept. Elysia translated your message for them, but they have not responded. No players have logged in from Sydney or Hong Kong since your message was sent. The North Korean players received your message and immediately began demanding admin access to override yours. They are quite angry, and are trying to determine how to find you in Elysia.”

  Mace couldn’t say he was wholly surprised. Players were competitive. And if the North Korean players were government-sponsored, they’d be more competitive than normal. Until a few months ago their lives - and maybe the lives of their fa
milies - might have depended upon their performance. Whether that be gold farming, clearing dungeons, or striving to be the top-rated players with the best gear. And old habits die hard.

  But he was concerned by their request. “Peabody, did Elysia give them admin access?”

  “No, Mace. They were quite rude and their demands were unreasonable. They wanted access shut down for all players but themselves. And since you are a recognized corporate entity and they are not employees, their claim for admin rights is invalid.”

  Mace let out a sigh of relief as Shari and Dakota joined him. Shari asked, “Any news?”

  Mace shook his head. “No answers from anyone. The North Koreans got pissed and tried to take over the game, shut everyone else out. Elysia said no.” He grinned. Dakota let out a happy whuff and wagged his tail as if he understood. Mace looked down at the dog and said, “We really do need to get back to the armory. Get his crate and his food and whatever. Maybe stop for some Ho-Ho’s on the way back.”

  Shari laughed. “You and those damned Ho-Ho’s. If I thought your body was going to need to last more than a year or two, I’d be putting you on a strict diet of…” She paused.

  He grinned and stuck his tongue out. “What? Veggies? There aren’t any! And there’s a big old truck full of tasty Ho-Ho’s out there just waiting. That’s fate right there.”

  He grinned as she rolled her eyes and left to go put her gear on, Dakota following along behind her.

  Mace took a minute to compose another message. This time, he typed it into the game interface on the computer in front of him.

  “Peabody, please send this message as personal mail to all the players except the North Koreans.”

  When Peabody acknowledged that it was done, he got up and went to go gear up himself. He met Shari and Dakota at the elevator and they left together.

  Fifteen minutes later, they were arriving at the armory when Dakota began to whine. His ears laid back and his tail down, he crawled into Mace’s lap and shivered. Mace and Shari both began to search the area, frantically seeking whatever had scared the dog.