Pangea Online 3: Vials and Tribulations

by S. L. Rowland

  He resumes his diligent note-taking, and I’m left there speechless. He’s right. More than I’m willing to admit. Even by standing aside and offering to play support as Dean led the way, we were never truly in sync. We reacted to one another, because that’s what we’ve done all our lives. We’ve reacted to everything around us, never able to blaze our own trail.

  I glance at the clock on the wall. There’s still a couple of hours until the interview. If Dean and I really want a chance at this, then we need to be a real team.

  I stand up from the sofa and head for the door. “Sorry, to head out so soon, but there’s something I need to take care of.”

  “Is everything okay?” asks Buzz.

  I nod. “Yeah, I’m going to see if Dean wants to move in with me until the tournament is over.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  I rush back home and call Dean for a video chat. He looks confused when he answers. Several children sit behind him in the background.

  He furrows his brow. “What’s going on? I thought we were meeting up in a couple of hours for the interview.”

  “Everything is fine.” I wave at a young girl peeking over Dean’s shoulder. “I actually have a proposition for you. We’re going to be spending a lot of time working together and strategizing in the next few days. I thought it might be better if you came and stayed with me until the tournament is over.”

  His mouth drops and he stares at the camera for a long time before speaking. “Are you serious?”

  I can’t get a read on what’s going through his mind. “Absolutely. So, what do you think?”

  “Uhm, yeah, that would be great.” He seems a bit awestruck. “I’ve never been outside of The Boxes before. How do I get there?”

  “I’ll send a pod to pick you up. Don’t worry about bringing your haptic suit. I’ll pick up one from headquarters for you to use. Go pack your things, and I’ll get everything else taken care of.”

  He flashes me a wide grin. “Yeah, sounds good. I’ll get right on it.”

  He ends the call, and a strange sense of relief washes over me. I call Mr. Green to make the arrangements with the orphanage and put in orders for the pod and haptic suit.

  By the time Dean arrives, I have the couch converted into a makeshift bed, and a second haptic suit set up next to mine in the other room. The fridge is stocked with food and snacks in case he gets hungry. Preparing the place for a guest feels nice. And with this being his first time out of The Boxes, I want him to feel as welcome as possible.

  I meet him out front of the main headquarters building. Dean climbs out of the pod wearing his hazmat suit and face mask, carrying nothing but a small backpack. His head turns on a swivel as he takes everything in.

  I extend my arm, offering to take his bag. “You can take that off. The air is safe to breathe here.”

  He’s hesitant, but he eventually removes his mask, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. “So that’s what fresh air smells like?”

  He climbs out of the hazmat suit. Underneath, he’s wearing gray pants and a matching shirt. The only outfit most people in The Boxes can afford.

  “We’ve got about an hour before the interview. Do you want to get settled in? I’ll give you the tour tomorrow.”

  He nods. I get the feeling he’s a bit overwhelmed by all the sensory input. Birds chirping, drones buzzing, blue skies, and real plants. Not to mention all the people walking around as they please. It can be a lot to take in for someone who’s never experienced it.

  I keep quiet as we walk, letting Dean bask in the wonder of it all.

  I remember the first time I came here. The pod door opened and I freaked out because I didn’t have my mask on. Nowadays, I can’t even remember the last time wearing a filtration mask crossed my mind. Probably when I visited the orphanage, and that’s about it. I’ve gotten so used to luxury that it’s become the norm.

  I stop in front of my apartment. “Well, here it is.” We step inside and I lead Dean to the living room. “This is where you’ll be sleeping. I have our haptic suits set up in the next room. Bathroom is over there, and my bedroom is down the hall. Feel free to grab whatever you’d like from the kitchen and there’s always the cafeteria in the main building as well.”

  Dean just stares at me.

  “What?” I ask.

  “It’s so…” His words trail off.

  “Different?”

  He nods. “Yeah, that’s one way of putting it. It’s like being in Pangea. So detailed and full of color. I always wondered what it was like out here, but I never imagined it would be like this.”

  I look around at our surroundings, remembering how much of a change it was for me. “It’s a different world, that’s for sure. Do you want to go meet Grayson and the others before our interview?”

  He agrees and we head over to Buzz’s apartment. Maria, Buzz’s mom, lets us in. Grayson is still working on his notes and Buzz is fast asleep on the couch, a bead of drool dripping down his chin.

  “You must be the famous Dean I keep hearing about.” Maria smiles. “You did a great job today. Would you boys like to stick around for dinner?”

  I wrap my arm around Maria and pull her in. “Unfortunately, we can’t stay long. I just wanted to give Dean a chance to meet everyone before our interview.”

  Grayson stands up, finally taking some time away from the feeds. He extends his hand, and they shake. “You did good in there today, kid. I can’t wait to see what they throw at you next.”

  “Thanks. You look different from your avatar. I’m not sure what it is. Similar, but different.”

  Grayson laughs. “Old age catches up with us all eventually.”

  “Wasgoingon?” Buzz stirs on the couch. “Whos’ere?”

  “Ah.” Grayson turns toward Buzz. “Sleeping beauty has arisen.”

  Buzz wipes his eyes with his fist like a small child and sits up. “Are you Dean?”

  Dean nods.

  Buzz jumps from the couch and wraps him in a bear hug. “Welcome to the family. It’s taken a while but people from The Boxes are finally making our mark on the world. I hope you and Esil crush it.”

  Dean’s face is bright red once he’s released. “We’re going to do our best.”

  I’m sure he’s not used to human touch at the orphanage. Or praise. I know I wasn’t. I’m still not in a lot of respects.

  “What are you working on?” Dean points to the feeds Grayson has been following.

  “Oh, just taking some notes for you guys to look over later.”

  Dean’s eyes light up. “Mind if I take a look?”

  Grayson looks to me as if waiting for permission.

  “Have fun. I’ll check it out later.”

  Buzz and Grayson take a seat around the monitor while Buzz, Maria, and I sit at the table.

  Maria leans forward, her voice barely above a whisper. “Are you sure it was a good idea bringing him here, Esil?”

  “What do you mean? This is beyond anything he’s ever experienced. Don’t you think it’s good for him to know there is more out there?”

  “What happens when he has to go back? Back to the world you fought so hard to escape.” Her face is kind, but intense.

  “I hadn’t thought about that.” Could it be that offering him a taste of this life will only make it worse when it’s over?

  “Don’t listen to her.” Buzz waves his hand through the air. “Just being here, it’ll give him a goal to work toward. It won’t make him any more miserable when he goes back.”

  Maria purses her lips. “I hope you’re right.”

  Before I know it, it’s time for us to leave. Our first post-stage interview awaits.

  Dean and I sit in my home portal waiting for our interview to connect to the display along the wall.

  “How’s the new haptic suit feel?”

  Dean wrestles with Fenrir on the floor. The massive wolf lays on his back toying with Dean as he paws at him.

  “It’s good. Fits like a glove.”
/>
  The display blinks and Nancy’s face appears as she thumbs through a tablet. She must be putting in the hours during this tournament. I just hope the questions are geared more toward our performance and less about our origin.

  She looks into the camera. “Alright, gentlemen. We’ll be going live in ten seconds. Standby.”

  There’s a beeping as a timer counts down on the screen. When it hits zero, Nancy smiles.

  “Thanks, Janine. As we continue our interviews for the day, here we have a name that needs no introduction, Esil Allen. Esil and his protege, Dean Wilmington, took an unconventional route into the control room, climbing through the vents and bypassing a Nimbus Dragon. Only one other team thought to use the vents to their advantage. So, Esil and Dean, what made you want to take the road less traveled?”

  I answer this one. “We didn’t really have much of a choice. We were out of weapons due to taking the mech units, so it was just as big of a risk to go back and try to find more. We had to work with what we had.”

  “And it worked out pretty well indeed. You’re not the only ones to encounter that problem. The mechs were designed as a risk-reward scenario. They can get you through some sticky situations, but at the cost of being unarmed on the final stretch. Now, Dean, this was your first tournament. Tell me, what was it like?”

  He sits up straight and brushes the hair from his eyes. “It was amazing. Better than I could have ever imagined. It was a real roller coaster of emotion as we overcame one challenge after another. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

  “And neither can we. We’ll be announcing the next stage first thing in the morning but before we get to that, let’s dive a little deeper into the first stage. Ninety percent of contestants unlocked the helmet’s automated system, and many of them elected to take the shortest route as you did. When things got tough, you pivoted your plan of attack. Can you speak a little more to how you adapted to each situation?”

  I glance at Dean before answering. “I think we both just followed our instincts. If I learned anything from the last tournament, it’s that there’s more than one way to succeed. And there’s no shame in changing tactics when things aren’t working.”

  “I know this is a sensitive topic for you, but do you feel your upbringing has given you any advantages or disadvantages during the tournament?”

  Dean and I sit in silence. I knew that these questions would come. For some reason, it doesn’t set me off like last time. Maybe because it’s a genuine question and not a story byline.

  Dean clears his throat. “How could it not? Growing up in The Boxes, I never had access to all of Pangea, not until Esil came along. I’ve had to learn in a few weeks what most of these people have been discovering their entire lives. But I don’t want anybody’s pity. The one thing we know better than anyone is how to survive.”

  I wrap my arm around Dean and look straight into the camera. “Yeah, what he said.”

  For the next few minutes, we answer questions about specific instances, going into detail about our thought process and how we survived. All in all, it wasn’t a bad interview. Aside from the one question, there was no talk of The Boxes or my family. Maybe we can actually focus on the tournament going forward.

  When we log out, it’s late, but not late enough to go to bed.

  “What do you say we chill tonight? We can focus hard on the tournament tomorrow once we know the next stage.”

  Dean plops down on the couch. “Sounds good to me.”

  “Excellent. You pick out a movie. I’ll grab the ice cream.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Esil. Esil, wake up!” Dean’s excited voice shouts from the doorway.

  I open my eyes and it’s still dark outside.

  “What is it?” I prop myself up, wondering what he could possibly want at this hour.

  “Stage two! Check your messages.”

  I use voice command to turn on the lights and find my tablet on the bedside table. Sure enough, I have a message from the developers.

  Greetings Esil,

  After yesterday’s exciting events, we’re happy to announce that one-hundred and sixty-three teams have made it through to the next round. In three days’ time, you will be embarking on the next stage of the tournament. Without further ado, here are the details regarding stage two:

  Location: Raceworld’s Portal Pass

  Teams: 163

  Positions advancing: 100

  Good luck with your preparations and as always, never stop leveling!

  -Pangea Online Developers

  I sit up in bed. “Portal pass? Is that the racetrack that takes you through different worlds using portals?”

  Dean nods. “Yep, and it’s not a new stage so that means we can go practice!”

  “Right now?” I haven’t even gotten out of bed and he’s ready to hit the ground running.

  “Yeah, come on.” He taps on the doorframe. “We need to get there before everyone else.”

  Welcome to Raceworld. While in an active race, users who are not spectating must be on a mount at all times. More than thirty seconds spent on foot will result in disqualification from any race.

  A wall with dozens of video screens stands before us. On each screen, there is a different type of race. Cars, planes, animals, hoverboards; if you can ride it, there is a race for it. In the middle, there is a slightly bigger screen that reads “Portal Pass.”

  I focus on the image to enter Portal Pass and receive a notification.

  Error: Server full.

  I try again and receive the same message.

  That’s odd. “Dean, are you getting an error notice?”

  He frowns. “Yeah, what the heck?”

  “Looks like we’re late to the party?” a familiar voice calls over my shoulder.

  I turn around to find Talia and her brother Chadwick. They’re both dressed in their tribal garb and carry spears tipped with some dark metal. They wear plain leather clothing with golden jewelry. Chadwick stands a few feet behind Talia wearing a necklace with a large claw that dangles on his chest.

  “Hey! Congrats on making it through. What’s going on here?” I ask her.

  She presses her fingers to her temples and massages. “Clearly, the developers didn’t think this one through. Once stage two was announced, users from all over flooded Portal Pass to race alongside their favorite challengers. There are normally a hundred instances going at once and now all of them are full. Only a handful of actual contestants have been able to get inside.”

  “So what are we supposed to do?” Dean tries to enter Portal Pass again. “We’re the ones who need the practice.”

  Talia shrugs. “I don’t think we have much of a choice. We have to wait for them to sort it out, which I don’t imagine will take too long. Want to go check out another race while we wait?”

  I look over our other options for something similar to Portal Pass. “Might as well. There are a few things I want to discuss with you. How about this one?” I point to Hoverworld. It’s the closest thing to Portal Pass since it uses hovercraft, but it’s far more limited in items and abilities in-game.

  We all enter Hoverworld and are presented with numerous options for mounts. There are single-rider hoverbikes and two-seaters with options for side-by-side or front-and-back layouts. Some are built for top speed, while others have faster acceleration, tankiness, or maneuverability.

  “Take your pick, Dean?” I motion toward all our options.

  He looks them over before stopping in front of a sleek black hovercar. Silver spikes jut out around all four sides, making it a dangerous weapon in its own right without even counting the turret mounted on the back. There’s no roof. One seat faces forward with the steering wheel and another faces the rear to aim the turret.

  “This one has good acceleration and is built like a tank. The top speed isn’t that great, but it’s good for bullying in the early part and can handle corners pretty well.” He climbs in the back seat. “Dibs on the gun!”


  Talia and Chadwick take a long, slender hovercraft. It’s red with a black stripe running down the center and has the highest top speed of any of the options. Both riders face forward, one behind the other, but the back seat has a display for aiming the gun mounted on top of the roof. Unlike our hovercar, this one can aim in all directions.

  Talia climbs inside the front seat. “Want to run a few laps and then we can talk?”

  “Sounds good.” I pull our hovercar up to the starting line.

  30 seconds until next race flashes across my vision. I rev the engine and blue flames shoot from the thrusters as the engine whines. Talia winks at me as she revs her own.

  Something rumbles behind us, so deep and sonorous that I can feel in my chest.

  Two more vehicles have joined the race. One is a small halfling riding a hoverbike and wearing a billowing cloak. The hoverbike doesn’t have a weapon, but two canisters hang from both sides. The second is a truck with two tall smokestacks attached to the bed. A steady stream of smoke billows into the air. A black-bearded dwarf sits in the driver’s seat while a minotaur stands in the bed pointing a turret in our direction.

  A map of the track appears in the top right of my vision, along with a timer, a position counter, and how many laps we’ve completed. This race is set to be three laps.

  I look over my shoulder to Dean. “Looks like we already have a target on us. You ready?”

  Dean smiles as he points his turret at the minotaur. “I was born ready.”

  The timer hits zero and the roar of thrusters and weapons firing fills the air. The halfling zooms past us, cloak whipping as she does. Chadwick tries to blast her with the turret but misses, damaging the energy shield surrounding our own car. He grimaces and raises a hand in apology.