Survivors

by Dave Willmarth

  Leaving him to sleep a bit more, she got up and showered. After drying off, she threw on a pair of scrubs and walked to the security office.

  Once inside, she quietly said, “Peabody, any messages from the others?”

  “Good morning, admin Shari. No messages. The only players who have logged in since your last inquiry have been the North Koreans, and Griff and Lisa. I have managed to connect with the operating system at the Hong Kong facility, but have been unable to breach its security protocols. Someone has installed an unapproved upgrade to the corporate security program.”

  “Thank you, Peabody. Are Griff and Lisa in the game now?”

  “Admin Griff is in the research lab effecting repairs on one of the damaged pods. Admin Lisa is in her sleeping quarters.”

  “Repairs?” Shari’s heartrate soared. “Were they attacked?”

  “Evan attacked admin Griff during an argument after dinner. Evan suffered minor damage and was rendered unconscious for several hours. Griff and Lisa deposited him in his sleeping quarters before retiring to their own. As they slept, Evan took some food and drink, smashed their immersion equipment, took a weapon and left the facility. He has not returned. I assisted Griff in locating the necessary components for him to repair the damage to the pods, and he has been attempting to do so for approximately two hours.”

  Shari snorted at the ‘minor damage’ bit of the AI’s recounting.

  “Good for you, Griff. Didn’t like Evan much anyway.” She thought for a moment. “Peabody, can you connect me to Griff?”

  “I do not have access to the systems in the research lab other than the immersion pod. And the interfaces were what Evan destroyed. I can inform admin Griff through the intercom that you wish to speak with him.”

  “Please do, Peabody. And thank you. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

  She looked up at the nearest camera as she spoke. Her words surprised her, as she’d not been a big fan of the AI controlling the building. Especially when it spoke to her at… inconvenient moments.

  She only had to wait a few minutes before the monitor in front of her lit up with Griff’s face. He looked tired.

  “Hey Griff! I hear you had a little trouble?”

  The soldier nodded his head. “Bit of a dust-up with Evan. He was hurtin’ Lisa and I couldn’t let that go. He’s gone out, but he smashed up the control panels of both our pods right well before he left. The lil shit.”

  “Can you fix them?” Shari knew the engineer had training in working on the pods’ systems.

  “What he smashed is beyond repair, but I can completely replace the damaged components. This place has about a hundred o’ everything sittin’ in crates upstairs. It’s slow going, lots of connections to make. Then I have to install the software and reboot it all. Slow going, but I’m nearly done.”

  Shari got a wicked grin on her face.

  “So… if Evan’s gone for good, does that mean you and Lisa…” She left the end of her question for him to finish.

  “Ha!” He blushed and scratched his head awkwardly. “I dunno. Maybe?”

  “She could do a lot worse than you, Griff. In fact, it seems she already was. Consider yourself an upgrade!” she winked at him as he squirmed uncomfortably in his chair.

  “Okay well, you’ve got work to do before she wakes up and you two have to get in-game for your dungeon. I’ll let you get to it.” She couldn’t resist making an exaggerated kissy-face at him as she waved and signed off.

  The possibility of a budding romance between two of the last survivors on earth warmed her heart. She found herself hurrying back to Mace’s room. He was still asleep, though he’d rolled back onto his back and had resumed snoring again. She shouted “INCOMING!” and leaped at the bed, landing half on top of him as he snorted and sputtered awake. She grabbed a pillow and began to beat him about the head, taking advantage of his confusion.

  “Hey! What’d I do?” he grumbled, still only half awake.

  She rolled over top of him and positioned herself between him and the wall. Using the wall as a brace, she shoved at him with arms and legs, rolling him out of bed onto the floor.

  “HEY!” he protested more emphatically. “What the hell?”

  She scooched over to where she could look ever the edge of the bed and see him laid out on the floor.

  “Good morning, sleepyhead! You were snoring. It was simply adorable!” She beamed at him as he blinked and rubbed his face. “Oh, and Griff and Lisa might be a thing soon!”

  Mace focused on her, a blank look on his face. “What, now?”

  “Evan did something dickish, and hurt Lisa. Griff beat his ass. When he woke up, he stole some food, smashed their pod controls, and took off, leaving Griff and Lisa alone and free to explore a budding romance!” She sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes and fanning a hand near her face.

  Mace sat up and leaned his chin on the bed next to her face.

  “Damn. How long was I asleep?” He looked at his watch. “So, are they sure Evan’s not coming back?”

  “I don’t know. But why would he take food and damage their pods if he planned to come back?” Shari mused.

  “Good point. Peabody? You there, buddy?”

  “Of course, Mace.”

  “Can you notify us if Evan attempts to re-enter the Newport facility?”

  “Admin Griff has already instructed me to deny access to Evan unless approved by him. You have the authority as alpha admin to override that instruction. Shall I notify you instead of admin Griff?”

  Mace shook his head slightly as he answered.

  “I should have known. No, Peabody. Please follow Griff’s instructions relative to Evan. Thank you.”

  Shari anticipated Mace’s next question. “Griff is already fixing the pods. He’s trying to have it done before their scheduled dungeon run meet-up at sunrise, server time.”

  “He’s a handy guy to have around. Badass brawler, tech… if he can cook too, Lisa should probably keep him,” Mace grinned. He too was hoping Griff and Lisa would hit it off. And that Evan would never darken their doorstep again.

  *****

  Shari logged in first, with Mace right behind her. They were still on the deck of the Sea Sprite. The sun was rising as the boat moved with the current downstream.

  She looked behind to see the Platypus still following. Jorin called out a greeting from up on the helm and waved. Shari returned the wave and asked, “Are we there yet?” causing Mace to snort.

  “Aye, nearly!” Jorin called back. He pointed slightly to the east of the waterway and Shari followed his arm. Turning, she saw plumes of smoke from what must have been dozens of chimneys rising through the dawning light.

  “That’d be Port Bjurstrom in all its glory!” he smiled.

  The Sea Sprite’s crew were already preparing the ship to dock at the river port. Shari imagined they were anxious to have their work done and get to the tavern as quickly as possible. To raise a toast to the dead, and celebrate their victory over the slavers.

  She and Mace climbed the steps to the aft deck, where the captain stood at the helm.

  “How long will we need to be in port before we continue on to Graf?” she asked.

  “Overnight.” Jorin replied. “That’ll give us time to unload, arrange new cargo bound for Graf, and reload. And for the lads to blow off a bit of steam. We’ll sail early tomorrow.”

  “Then we can do a bit of exploring and see what we can learn about the Black Flame,” Mace replied. “Is there an inn you prefer? The rooms and drinks are on us tonight.”

  Jorin gave a small bow. “Aye. Try the Purple Mushroom. Tell Delilah that I sent ya. That woman’s had a crush on me for thirty years.” He winked at Mace.

  They chatted with the captain a bit more as the port grew closer. Rounding a bend in the river, they could see that it bellied widely just past the turn. In the calmer waters out of the current, along the left bank, a dozen or so long piers stretched out toward them.

  Beyond t
he pier was a sort of hodgepodge village of wooden warehouses and other buildings. They were built on pilings with walkways in between. Further back on higher, more solid ground, was the rest of the town. It rose up a gentle slope to press against a high wooden wall that encircled the town. Shari estimated there were maybe a hundred buildings all told, including a few two and three-story apartment buildings and a scattering of homes and businesses. An imposing structure near the top of the hill and not far from the gate caught her attention.

  “Is that some sort of temple?”

  Jorin followed her eyes. “Ah. No, that’d be the Merchants’ Guild house. This port is run by a group of merchants who either own the boats that sail and in and out of the port, or own caravans that take goods overland. Or both. And they own the warehouses you see here by the docks. There’s a mayor in the town, but he’s mostly a figurehead, as he’d never make a move without the guild’s approval.”

  Shari continued to observe the town as Jorin steered the boat cleanly alongside one of the docks. The crew of the Sea Sprite leapt to the pier and began to secure thick mooring lines to the bollards. When the boat was secure, the wide gangplank was run out and an official-looking man in a tight-fitting red paisley vest with a puffed-out chest climbed the ramp. “Ahoy, Jorin! Back again, I see. Cargo to declare? And how long will ya be needin’ the berth?”

  Jorin mumbled “Harbormaster. As crooked as the river is long. He’s here to collect the ‘tax’ for incoming cargo and our time at this berth. Seventy percent of it goes to the guild; he keeps another ten himself. The rest goes into the town coffers. Then the thieves’ guild will steal their share as the load passes into the warehouse.”

  He excused himself and went down to the main deck to speak with the man, plastering a fake smile on his face.

  Shari, Mace, Lila and Layne squeezed down the ramp between the stacks of crates being unloaded. Mace glanced left and right, looking for some sign of the invisible bunny, but found none. He said, much more loudly than he needed to as the ladies were all nearby, “If we get separated, meet at the Purple Mushroom.”

  The group followed a cart filled with grain sacks up the pier to the harbor district. The smell of wet wood, old fish, stale ale and sweaty bodies permeated everything.

  The group got lots of inquisitive looks from the dock workers and bystanders as they passed. Or more specifically, Mace did. Drow were distrusted everywhere, and no one was going to turn their back on him as he passed.

  Shari took his hand in hers, hoping the association would alleviate some of the scowling and hostility directed toward Mace, but it didn’t seem to help.

  Passing as quickly through the area as they could, it only took a few minutes to reach the more solid ground. The smells here improved, though not greatly. The fish smell was replaced with that of muddy streets and waste dumped from chamber pots, mixed together with roasted meat of some kind, and an acrid stench drifting across from the tannery in the far corner.

  “You get used to it after a while.” Layne made a face that suggested she didn’t believe her own statement. Lila ducked her head down and pulled her tunic up to cover her mouth and nose. Mace fastened a black and red bandana across his mouth, the new look making even more townspeople nervous. A drow walking around was one thing. A drow hiding his face likely intended to murder someone.

  Shari breathed through her mouth to try and lessen the impact of the stench as she smacked Mace’s shoulder. “Take that thing off. You’re freaking people out.”

  Mace looked around, then complied with a sigh. He resisted the urge to draw his blades and shout, “Boo!” at the nearest group of locals. A squeeze from Shari’s hand locked with his let him know she sympathized.

  As they got further up the hill the air freshened as the breezes drifting over the surrounding hillsides came into play. The streets here were cobbled with stone and some effort was made to keep them clean.

  The houses here got larger the farther one traveled up the hill. It wasn’t long before they reached the inn that Jorin had recommended. The building was three stories with wide windows on the lower level. The windows were open, and the smell of something good from the kitchen drifted out. Above the door swung a wooden sign with a portrait painted on it. The mushroom depicted there was indeed purple, but Shari doubted its resemblance to any mushroom found in nature. It made her cheeks blush slightly. Lila giggled and put a hand over her mouth when she noticed it. Layne just tilted her head sideways and grinned.

  They stepped inside and asked for Delilah. She appeared after a few minutes, a shapely woman with jet black hair and bright blue eyes, wearing a purple velvet dress that bunched her assets together in ways Mace thought defied gravity. While he stared, Shari spoke.

  “Good evening, Miss Delilah. Captain Jorin sent us. Said you have the best accommodations in town.”

  The woman smiled condescendingly, and waved her arms toward the surrounding tavern.

  “Indeed I do,” she replied as Shari took in the crowd. There were well-dressed merchants and a few sailors, mostly drinking quietly. And at every table was at least one suggestively dressed young lady. Some were human, but more were cat-women or other beastkin. One was an impressively endowed orc female in tight leather with a whip on her belt.

  Mace began to blush this time. “Uhm, we’re just looking for rooms. As many as you have available. We’ll be hosting the crew of the Sea Sprite here tonight, with your permission of course.”

  Delilah clapped her hands together and bounced slightly, recapturing Mace’s attention.

  “Always happy to have Jorin and his boys in my house!” She bent to retrieve something from under the counter, and Shari nearly covered Mace’s widening eyes.

  When she straightened, she held four keys in her hand. Shari took one, leaning into Mace and gripping his arm tightly.

  “We’ll only be needing three.”

  She looked pointedly at Delilah, who only laughed.

  “I see. Ya like a little dark meat with your meal. A little danger mixed with pleasure. I don’t blame ya one bit!”

  She waggled her eyebrows suggestively at Shari, who hmphed and turned Mace toward the stairs. Delilah handed a key each to Layne and Lila with a smile.

  “We’ll start serving lunch in an hour!” she called to them as they climbed.

  Mace started to turn back, saying, “We forgot to ask how much the rooms are,” but Shari just clamped down on his arm and continued to march him upward.

  “We’ve got lots of gold. Don’t worry about it.” Her terse reply had Mace looking confused. She thought to herself He really does have no clue about women.

  They all piled into Mace and Shari’s room, which turned out to be a small suite. There was a sitting area with a sofa and two chairs, and a separate bedroom with a private bath. The four of them took seats and Shari began.

  “So… what do we want to accomplish while we’re here?”

  “It would be helpful if we could learn some things about the Black Flame. I assume they have some sort of branch office here. But it’s not the sort of thing you just ask around on the street about. Once it gets dark, I’ll head out and do my scary drow assassin thing.”

  He grinned, raising both hands and making spooky finger motions at Shari. She rolled her eyes.

  “Well, while we’re here, we should make arrangements to purchase some needed supplies for Lakeside. They obviously have a wide range of items going through here. I saw some reasonably fresh food on the docks. We could buy food, tools, maybe even weapons and armor?”

  Layne spoke up. “Shari is correct. We should make arrangements now. If we’re going to be taking on the Black Flame when we get to Graf, we may be in a hurry when we pass through this way again.”

  The others nodded in agreement. They spent some time making lists of needed items, then dividing the list into two parts. Layne and Lila would focus on the perishable items, while Mace and Shari would see about hardware and gear.

  When they headed back downstairs
, Layne moved to ask Delilah about likely merchants while Shari escorted Mace out to the street. He chuckled at the dirty look Shari threw Delilah’s way as they passed. He kind of enjoyed her being a little jealous.

  When they reached the street, he turned suddenly and gathered her into his arms. Dipping her backward, he planted a long, deep kiss on her surprised mouth. It lasted long enough that a few bystanders applauded and whistled. When her raised her upright and released her, she took a deep breath and adjusted her clothes.

  “What was that for?” she asked, still slightly flustered.

  “Just to remind you that you don’t have anything to fear from the Delilahs of this world. I’m all yours.” He gave her his most sincere puppydog eyes, which unfortunately looked a little disturbing on his harsh and angular drow face.

  She smacked his chest lightly, then took his arm again with a happy little smile on her face. When Layne came out and gave them a few names and general directions, they set off.

  Shari being the better navigator, she led Mace down one street, then across and up another. In less than ten minutes they located a general goods merchant named Bixby. An elder human with plain but impeccably neat clothes. He greeted them as they stepped into the shop.

  “Good morning, travelers! What can I help you with today?”

  Mace handed him their list, saying, “We’re gathering supplies for our return trip to Lakeside. Some items to help build and expand the settlement. Delilah said you were the man to see.”

  Bixby looked at the list. “Let’s see. Hmmm…”

  He reached under the counter and pulled out a ledger. Opening it to a spot near the back, he ran his finger down the entries there. “Ah, yes. I can provide these. Now what do we have next? I’m afraid I won’t be much help with the weapons or armor…” Mace and Shari watched with amused faces as the old man worked his way through this list. “And when would you wish to take delivery of these items?”

  Mace decided on a little gamble. “We’re headed up to Graf to destroy the Black Flame organization. It shouldn’t take long. Maybe… five days from now?” he did his best to keep a straight face as Shari’s eyes widened and the old man gasped in surprise.