Chapter 10: Daily Grind

Music woke him up the next morning.

Johnny belted out his own obnoxious lyrics over the Imagine Dragons song blaring in his skull. “Wake up, Gid!”

Shut it off!” Giddeon growled, dragging a hand down his face. “Shut it off.”

“But it’s the best part,” Johnny returned. “Besides, if you don’t get up now, you won’t make it in time to see your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Giddeon mumbled.

“Wife, then.”

“She’s not my wife either. Not in real life.”

“Whatever. She stuck around when you fought that hell beast. Any woman brave enough to wave a weapon at a giant, man-eating cat is good in my book.”

“Have you been watching Earth One movies again?”

“I might have downloaded all 3,957 flicks onto your AIGES, not including the 877 sitcoms.”

Giddeon groaned and sat up. His body ached all over as if a bull had rammed into him—which was not far off the mark. He was completely sore, and the two-hour watch last night hadn’t helped his recovery.

“Would you like me to assign points to Endurance?” Johnny asked.

“Nope. And stop reading my thoughts,” Giddeon grumbled out.

“You got it, partner.”

Exiting his tent, he took in a deep breath. The scent of scrambled eggs, sizzling bacon, and fresh-baked bread filled his nostrils. Eddington and Redler were cooking over the campfire, using a metal grill with adjustable legs to control the heat. Metal pots and pans rested atop it, filled with savory food and boiling water.

“Can I get two plates to go?” Giddeon asked.

Redler’s eyebrows creased. “To go?”

“He means just put it on a plate so he can take it with him,” Eddington explained, taking the plate Redler was currently filling. He flipped an empty plate over it to keep the heat in, then handed the container to Giddeon.

“Fill another one,” Eddington instructed her.

Looking at them askance, the woman obediently filled another plate. Eddington repeated the process and handed it to Giddeon.

“Don’t forget the hardware.” The chubby man nodded at a basket filled with a single utensil with a spork on one end and a butter knife on the other.

“Thanks,” Giddeon said, grabbing a pair. “You know One-er slang?”

“I had a friend from Earth One in my guild,” Eddington said, his voice hoarse from a lack of sleep. His eyes were red-rimmed and haggard. “He stopped logging in one day. None of us ever knew why.”

“Probably died. Didn’t sleep much?”

Eddington opened his mouth, then closed it. “I…didn’t think of that,” he mumbled, shaking his head. “I’m not sure how anyone could sleep after seeing that…thing. It was like a hell hound, except much, much bigger.”

“A fellow D&D player?” Giddeon asked. “Seventeenth edition?”

“I preferred fifteenth,” Eddington replied. “The rules were more robust. More choices. Seventeenth dumbed things down too much, in my opinion.”

Giddeon nodded. “I can respect that. I enjoyed the role-playing aspect. I got too bogged down with the number crunching fifteenth required.”

“Understandable,” Eddington agreed. “Maybe someday they’ll come out with the perfect edition.”

“One has to fail to find the right path,” Giddeon replied.

Eddington smirked. “Practicing to be a sage?”

Giddeon smiled faintly, shaking his head. “It was something my father used to tell me.”

“Hey, I’m sorry for yelling at you back…up there.” He nodded vaguely toward the sky.

“Don’t sweat it,” Giddeon replied. “I’m sorry if I ruined your whole guild. I tended to upset people in Asteria.”

Eddington grinned. “A lot of people.”

“Well, if it helps any, your advice last night helped us win that fight.”

Eddington’s eyebrows scrunched together. “My advice?”

“Fire when there’s fire.”

“Oh yeah,” Eddington mumbled, looking down sheepishly. “I’m glad it…worked. I was always good at coming up with combat strategies. Did you ever play Ogre Tactics Five, Solar Edition?”

“Can’t say I have.”

“Well, when we get back, I’ll send your holo a free access code.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Giddeon said, shifting the weight of the plates as a parting gesture. “I’ll be back after a bit.”

As he walked away, Eddington wore a boyish smile, clearly in better spirits after their talk. Redler, however, just glanced at him, as grumpy as ever.

Making his way to the center of camp, his path was blocked by a skinny woman in her thirties with dirty blonde hair and wide hips as she exited the medical pavilion. Information overlaid his vision—Bethel Skardes, Skills: Nurse.

“Hello…Bethel,” he said tentatively, scratching the back of his head as he stood aside for her to move past. “Sorry, that sounded awkward. I’m still not used to knowing private information about a person before even conversing with them.”

The woman paused, offering a kind, tired smile. “I understand. Are you here for something?”

“I’m here to see Mrs. Uzari,” he said, lifting the plates. “I brought grub.”

“Ah, you must be the one that took down the other cat last night.” Her eyes flickered to the bottom-left, reading his stats before orienting back on him. “Were you in the military?”

Johnny chuckled. “She must be wondering how you survived with such low scores.”

I would too.

“My father was,” Giddeon told her. “He taught me how to handle myself.”

“Well, I’m certainly glad he did,” she replied. “The other group could have used someone like you. It took ten of them just to take that thing down, weapons and all.” She shook her head sadly. “Lost two in the process. We couldn’t save them. We had the medicine but…they were too badly burned before anyone got to them. I doubt even a modern hospital could have helped.”

“Prayers to their families.”

“Yes.” She nodded solemnly. “Prayers to their loved ones. Well, don’t let me keep you waiting. I was going to grab breakfast for her, but I see you’ve got it covered.”

“Thank you, Bethel.”

“No problem, Giddeon.”

As she moved past him, Giddeon frowned. He hadn’t revealed his name. Being around other Aiges was going to take some getting used to; he was inherently a private person.

“Good morning!” Uzari called out as he entered the pavilion, her cheerful greeting immediately cut short by a loud yawn. “I’m sorry, I didn’t sleep all that well.” She tried sitting up, her face twisting painfully from the sudden movement.

Giddeon quickly set down the plates on a makeshift stand, then stepped over to gently support her back. “Be careful,” he said, shifting the mechanical cot up at an angle so she could recline. “It’ll sting worse today. The tissue is just starting to heal. Give it time.”

“I feel so useless,” she mumbled, her eyes downcast.

“Nonsense.” He placed the back of his hand on her forehead. “Without you, most of us would likely either be in here with you or dead, including me. Everyone’s worried, so do us all a favor—take it easy for a couple of days. Be lazy.”

Satisfied she didn’t have a fever, he grabbed a small pillow and tucked it behind her head. “You and Kilner attacked it when it knocked me to the ground. You protected me.”

“It’s what any partner would do,” she barely whispered.

“Hey!” Johnny shouted in his head. “She used my word!”

I didn’t realize you had a monopoly on words. I’ll make sure she gets charged.

Johnny snickered. “I’m fairly certain her interpretation of the word partner is different than mine.”

Go away. Giddeon gave Uzari a wry smile. “We did always make a good team, didn’t we?”

“We do,” she corrected. She turned her head, sniffing the air right before her belly grumbled. “What smells good?”

“I brought breakfast,” he revealed, pulling the top plates off the food. The mixed aromas sent his own stomach growling. “Eddington packed it.”

“Really?” She looked genuinely surprised. “I thought he’d bash your brains in if he got the chance after our first briefing. What was his guild’s name again?”

Giddeon chuckled, shaking his head. “I don’t even remember—there were too many I destroyed.”

She gave him a sidelong glance. “I? Don’t you mean we?”

“Okay, credit where credit’s due,” he conceded. “You helped. A little.”

“Hey!” She smacked his stomach. “A little?”

“Ouch,” Giddeon winced, instantly clutching his abdomen.

Uzari’s eyes went wide. A sharp intake of breath revealed her worry as her trembling hand reached out. “Were you hurt? Did you get clawed and not tell me? Let me see.”

She pulled up his shirt, revealing a lean, heavily muscled torso now marred by deep yellow bruises.

“Oh!” Her other hand flew up to her mouth, genuine surprise replacing her panic. Her fingers ran along his stomach, tracing the edges of his muscles, momentarily mesmerized.

“Hey!” Giddeon exclaimed, quickly pulling his shirt down as his cheeks flared hot.

“I…I’m sorry,” Uzari apologized, her own cheeks turning rosy. She looked up at him, a coy smile pulling at her lips. “Why are you turning red?”

“I’m not red.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I’m not,” he insisted. “I jogged to get here—maybe I’m still hot from running.”

“Why’d you jog here?”

“To see y—” He paused, catching himself and instantly shutting his mouth. “I wanted to make sure you got breakfast on time,” he finished smoothly.

“Lame,” Johnny razzed him, laughing.

I said go away.

Uzari’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “I’m sorry I touched you. I was just worried, and surprised.”

“Surprised? About what?”

“How muscular you are.” One eyebrow arched high on her forehead. “I don’t know many tens with an eight-pack. As in, none.”

“You mean, no perfect men have abs?”

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not talking looks—I meant your stats.”

Giddeon glanced discreetly around the tent, then back to her. “Which I’ll explain later,” he said quietly. “Now, let’s eat.”

He placed a plate on her lap, then pulled up a small folding chair and sat down.

“So, what did the team leaders decide about all of this?” she asked as they began to eat.

“Hinelin said hunters would be scouting the woods before sending in the rest of us,” he explained. “They’re already there now, clearing out today’s assigned zone. The team’s heading out in an hour to collect specimens.”

“Have you looked at what we’re collecting?”

“Nope.”

“You’re not curious?”

“I’ll know soon enough.”

“You’re an odd one, Giddeon Seres.” Uzari giggled, the sound instantly reminding him of the carefree girl he knew in Asteria, rather than the serious, confident woman she portrayed now.

She tilted her head. “Why are you even here, on this mission?”

“Don’t hit me,” he prefaced, holding up a hand. “Because I’ll—”

“Tell you later?” Uzari chuckled. “I’m sensing a pattern here.” She pointed at her skull. “Mind you, I’m keeping count.”

“All in good time,” he promised.

“Of course.” She nodded vigorously, teasing him. Then, her playfulness vanished. Her lips pressed into a serious line, and her eyes narrowed. “You don’t trust Vibane Corp, do you?”

“Do you?” he returned.

“Not after this.” She bit her lower lip. “Well, not before, either.”

“Then why’d you apply for the mission?”

Her eyes automatically flitted to the entrance flap. “Because of what’s out there,” she replied, looking back at him with a subtle shake of her head. “Haven’t you ever been curious about Enivia? It’s all everyone talks about. Everyone knows the Triumvirate’s keeping secrets, which makes it all the more alluring.”

She sighed. “You know how I love botany. I’m deadly curious about the plants here. I’d love to find a new species.” She smiled. “Imagine a pretty flower named after me.”

“Judging by that gigantic forest out there, I’m sure you’ll find plenty,” he assured her.

She nodded confidently. “You’re right. Once I get this working again,” she said, glancing down at her leg. “I’ll be out there discovering new things. Safe things!” she added quickly.

Giddeon snorted. “Safe things, yes. No more playing with giant cats that breathe fire.”

Uzari smirked, nodding in agreement. “No more playing with giant cats.”

After breakfast, they chatted for a bit more before he took his leave. Standing at the tent door, he waved at her like before. Uzari waved back with a smile that left his stomach feeling warm.

By the time he reached Camp Panda, the team was already busy. They were preparing their packs and collection kits with vacuum-sealing bags, thrice-hardened glass containers, and small cages. Everyone was assigned a foot-long utility tool—a versatile implement that served as a shovel, clippers, or a pointy probe—everything needed to extract and preserve the region’s oddities.

“Here,” Kilner said, tossing him one of the devices. “It clips to your belt.”

Giddeon caught it with one hand, then entered his tent to prepare for the day. Twenty minutes later, Hinelin called a meeting near the dying fire.

“The hunters encountered little trouble,” he informed them, his voice stern despite the reassuring words. “Just a few small fire drakes that scurried off. Still…” He laid his map flat on a sturdy crate, pointing to a dark section of the woods. “We’ll stick close to the forest edge for now. The hunters are going deeper. If you see a flare, run. Don’t loiter, don’t save your samples. Don’t do anything but run.” He gestured broadly around the outpost. “Everything here can be replaced but you. Got it?”

The group nodded, the gravity of his words settling over them.

“Okay, team, let’s head to our quadrant.” Hinelin tapped a point marked with a large, red letter H just a few hundred feet to their east.

“I’m nervous,” Eddington admitted as everyone began heading toward the tree line in a file. He pointed to a charred patch of trees to the south. “That’s where the fire cat came from.”

“Hell beast,” Giddeon unconsciously corrected.

Everyone turned to stare at him as they walked.

“Hell beast?” Oomah queried, her eyes narrowing. “Where’d you get that name from?”

“Hell yeah, it was a hell beast!” Kilner shouted. “That thing was so hot, I was sweating just standing a few feet from it. But we sent it back where it came from.”

“Exactly!” Giddeon agreed, leaning into the cover.

“Watch it,” Johnny warned. “People will wonder where you’re getting your information.”

Maybe if you didn’t tell me every little detail, I wouldn’t accidentally blurt things out.

“Would you rather I stop?”

No, Giddeon thought back after a moment. Speaking of details, I want you to make another program.

“About?”

I want a separate data sheet, with my actual stats.

“Funny you should say that. Your AIGES analyzed your stats when you fought that feisty cat. I can’t actually stop it from doing its job; I just mask the actual data. I’ll use its analysis, along with my personal expertise, to come up with your actual competency. I’m even contemplating assigning your Intelligence a solid seven instead of a six.”

What?

“Joking! I’m just joking! It’s nine—just a tad subpar.”

Giddeon ignored his AI despite Johnny’s prolonged snickering echoing in his head. As their team stood before the forest, they were all struck by how dense it truly was. Towering trees with hanging vines, large ferns, and overgrown roots choked their path. Running up the bark of several large-trunked species were clusters of small, white-and-red flowers.

Uzari would absolutely love this.

“Glad to see your girlfriend’s the first thing on your mind when entering a potential death trap.”

I told you already—not my girlfriend.

“As you say, partner. Just keep an eye out. I’d rather not live the next ten years of my peculiar existence in the belly of some wild animal.”

You’re really paranoid about that, aren’t you?

“Wouldn’t you be? I’d die from boredom.”

I thought you said you were immortal?

“I was being figurative.”

About being immortal? Or dying from boredom?

“Which do you think?”

Giddeon shook his head. He had no time to banter with his AI—potential danger lurked all around.

Once they were a hundred feet in, Vessa and Redler took charge, pointing out specimens to collect. The harvest ranged from strange bugs and odd-shaped plants to mundane samples of bark and soil. The team spread out in a small radius, never straying too far from Giddeon or Hinelin, who stood apart from one another with their guns at the ready.

As Giddeon scanned the woods, his gaze settled on Hinelin. The team leader carried his long rifle with familiar ease.

“Why’s that odd?” Johnny asked.

Because even the military doesn’t train with old-style weapons. The only people with that kind of experience are ones like me. He’s not from Earth One.

“Are you sure?”

What if I told you I’m from Enivia?

“I’d laugh and say you’re crazy. You’re obviously not from Enivia.”

Exactly.

“Oh. Point taken.”

After four hours, Vessa called a halt for lunch. Mealtime lasted half an hour before they got back to work.

Shortly after the nine-hour mark, a sudden ding! pinged in everyone’s ears as a screen automatically popped up, overlaying their vision. A sheet labeled QUESTS appeared at the top, complete with a green checkmark ticked inside a golden box and the following information displayed:

[Soil Gathered 140/140 specimens]

[Required Biological Assets Caged 24/24 specimens]

[Flora Parts 272/272 specimens]

Hinelin shouted for everyone to gather in the center of the quadrant.

“Good job today,” he told them as they slumped in place, sweating and tired. “We filled our quota. I know you’re all exhausted. Pack up. Let’s head back for a shower and grub.”