Chapter 13: On the Run (Part 2)

They ducked out of the cave, trudging a couple hundred feet through the glade until they reached the anxious faces of their team.

“The good news is the cave is clear of threats,” Hinelin told them. “The bad news is we found the body of a woman inside.”

Eddington and Oomah gasped.

“Of course it couldn’t just be an empty cave,” Kilner grumbled. “That would be insane.”

“Can you tell the cause of death?” Vessa asked.

“Murdered,” Hinelin said gravely. “She had wounds all over her body from some kind of curved blade. Most likely, it was a human, not an animal that did it.” He cocked his head, staring off into the tree line with a slight frown. “Or maybe it wasn’t human at all.”

Oomah’s eyebrows scrunched. “Say again?”

“The woman’s not human,” Giddeon answered. “She resembles an elf—and no, I don’t mean a Christmas one.”

“What!” Uzari nearly slipped off the small boulder she was perched on.

“You mean like a…an elf from Master of the Bracelets?” Oomah asked, referencing Earth Two’s most famous fantasy epic novel.

Giddeon nodded. “Large, slanted eyes. Long, pointy ears. Elf.”

“So, we have somewhere to rest now?” Eddington rubbed his burning calves, too exhausted to care about mythical beings.

“Seems like we’ve caught a bit of luck for once,” Hinelin replied.

“Someone’s lucky,” Johnny snorted.

Is that why we found the cave, my improved Luck?

“Luck’s mysterious,” Johnny stated. “Issue is you don’t know what’s luck or happenstance. My motto’s always been just roll with it.”

“What about the body?” Orion asked.

“We covered it and placed it in the back of the cave,” Hinelin answered. “Leaving it out in the open would invite predators right to our doorstep, and we’ve all seen the things hunting out here.”

“You want us to—to sleep in there with a dead b-body?” Eddington asked, his voice cracking.

Hinelin stared him straight in the eyes. “You’re more than welcome to sleep outside. You volunteering to pull all-night guard duty, then?”

Eddington shut his mouth.

Hinelin grunted, turning to the rest of the group. “Alright people, we need a fire. Rocks, kindling, and the largest pieces of wood you can find. You know the drill. Be as quiet as you can—no chopping anything down.”

Exhausted as they were, no one argued. Deadwood and debris lay scattered within a couple hundred yards of the entrance. Giddeon and Kilner found an uprooted, weathered sapling and hauled it back to the cave. Inside, they carefully braced and snapped smaller limbs to muffle the sound, using the heavy blade of Giddeon’s three-fold axe to quietly pry and split the thicker trunk into manageable logs. Near the mouth of the cave, Eddington channeled his nervous energy into stacking a ring of heavy stones, working alongside Oomah to prep the pit.

As night quickly approached, they all stood around the finished pit, which had been stocked with dry twigs and leaves.

“Now for the hard part,” Uzari said, piling the kindling. “Starting it. Anyone have experience with this?” She held up two relatively straight branches, only to be met with silence.

“You need a wooden board and some twine to do that,” Giddeon told her.

“Oh,” Uzari mumbled, her hands dropping to her side in defeat.

“If only we had matches,” Vessa moaned.

“Matches?” Kilner perked up, patting his pants. Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out a matchbox, grinning. “I forgot these were still on me after making breakfast.” He tossed the box to Vessa.

With an elated look, Vessa slid the matchbox open, only for her expression to instantly droop. She pulled out a solitary wooden stick, holding it up. “One left,” she said, her tone somber. “If it doesn’t work, we’re freezing in the dark.”

“Who’s going to light it?” Oomah asked, looking around the tense circle.

“I’ll do it,” Giddeon offered, taking both the match and box from Vessa’s hands. He knelt by the pit, pressing the red, sulfur tip against the matchbox’s striking strip, then paused. Looking up, he smiled wryly at the anxious faces staring down at him. “Don’t worry,” he murmured. “I’m suddenly feeling lucky.”

All in on Luck.

Johnny chuckled. “If they only knew.”

Giddeon flicked his wrist. The harsh scrape echoed in the mouth of the cave, followed by a bright, violent hiss as the sulfur ignited. A fragile pocket of orange flame bloomed in his cupped palm. As everyone held their breath, he carefully fed the flame to the dry leaves. The kindling caught fire.

Oomah slumped to the ground. “Oh, thank goodness!”

As night fell in full force, it brought a bitter chill to the air. The group huddled inside the cave on salvaged logs and flat stones. Flames staved off the worst of the cold, warming the cramped interior. Near the ceiling, a thin ribbon of smoke drifted outside, fading softly into the night.

“We’re going to get something to lie on other than the cold rock,” Giddeon told Hinelin; Orion and Kilner stood just behind him. As the team leader nodded mutely, the trio slipped out past the firelight, weapons drawn as they melted into the dark. They returned minutes later, dumping armfuls of leaves and soft ferns onto the stone floor.

“What are we going to eat?” Eddington asked, his voice hollow.

“We’re not,” Hinelin replied.

Everyone stared numbly at the flames, the heavy weight of their desperate situation sinking in.

“I’m more thirsty than hungry,” Orion complained, rubbing his throat. “How far back do you think that last stream was?”

“Too far,” Vessa replied, her voice ragged and low as she snuck a glance toward the dark corner where the body lay. “We’ll die from a lack of water long before we starve.”

“What’s the plan, then?” Orion looked around the despondent group. “We can’t just keep running.”

“We get more distance between them and us,” Hinelin replied. “Then decide where to go.” He pulled out a map and unfolded it on top of a flat rock by the fire, his finger jabbing a blank spot far southeast of Base Camp Six. “We’re well away from the explored areas now. Everything here is uncharted.”

“We don’t even know how to get out of the forest,” Vessa moaned, pulling her knees tight to her chest. “Let alone figure out where we’re going.”

“We should head to the return point,” Kilner suggested. “Even if Vibane is expecting it.” He shifted on his log, leaning into her space. “You know where that is, don’t you?”

Vessa gave him a weary stare.

“I swear, if we find out you’re working for Vibane and withholding information…” Kilner slowly shook his head, letting the unfinished thought hang as a grim threat.

“I don’t intimidate easily,” the woman replied without blinking.

“No one’s killing anyone,” Giddeon declared. “If she works for Vibane, she needs us.” His focus shifted to Vessa. “But the longer we wander aimlessly, the more likely we’ll all die. With our limited options, I agree—we should scout out the return point first.”

“I’m with Kilner,” Orion spoke up. “If she’s here with a hidden purpose and knows something, we need to make her talk.”

Uzari’s eyebrows shot up. “Make her talk? Are you saying torture her?”

Orion’s gaze shifted to Vessa. “That’s up to her now, isn’t it?”

“We’ll decide what we do in the morning,” Hinelin cut into the camp’s simmering hostility. “I’ll brook no more of this conversation tonight.”

“Who made you the leader?” Orion sneered.

The team leader’s steady stare settled on the young man for a few unsettling seconds. “Feel free to do as you please,” he replied, his voice unnervingly flat.

Orion’s eyes broke away first, darting to the fire in mute silence.

“Tonight, we team up for guard duty,” Hinelin went on, addressing the group. “Two per shift, two-hour shifts.”

“Eight of us, so six hours of sleep?” Eddington grumbled.

“If we survive the night, you’ll thank me later,” Hinelin replied. “Pick your partner. Giddeon, assign the shifts.”

“Why’s he assigning shifts?” Orion muttered, crossing his arms.

“Because he doesn’t run from fights,” Kilner snapped. “Everyone here trusts him over you.”

Oomah placed a warning hand on her brother’s shoulder as Orion glared bitterly across the flames at Kilner.

As everyone began pairing off, Uzari tapped Giddeon’s arm. “We’re a team tonight,” she said as he turned to her, leaving him no room to argue.

The two of them took the first shift while the camp settled down to sleep. Perched on large logs near the entrance, Giddeon stoked the pit every so often with a long branch, keeping the flames burning strong. Beside him, Uzari sat in silence, her eyes fixed on the shadows twisting outside the mouth of the cave.

I’ve been meaning to ask, Giddeon’s mental thoughts poked Johnny. Why do you need my permission to assign stats?

“I’m actually not sure,” Johnny replied. “I guess I’m just built that way.”

You mean your programming?

“I meant it figuratively. It might have something to do with the relationship your AIGES has with your brain—it’s just a tool. Despite my ability to dispense mana, I might be beholden to similar rules needing your permission to process things. Your guess is as good as mine.”

Speaking of mana, pull my Speed and Int. Put it into Hearing.

A second later, Giddeon’s ears rang as the world amplified. He could hear insects chirping and animals scurrying up trees from outside the cave as if they were right next to him.

“Listening for anything in particular?” Johnny asked.

Not much. Just your everyday insanely dangerous wild animal or lunatic human sneaking up.

“Cool, cool.”

You’ve been watching more movies, haven’t you?

“I maaay have downloaded a few into your AIGES. That walking got pretty boring, let me tell you. After the hundredth tree and thousandth rock, the scenery becomes bland.”

I’m glad you can relax while we’re being hunted by insane superhumans.

“I do what I can,” Johnny replied. “Just let me know when you need me, partner.”

After a stretch of time, the sounds of light snoring filled the cave. The fire’s crackle and the chirping insects were the only sounds interrupting the relative peace of night. Giddeon leaned forward, stoking the fading embers with a charred branch. He glanced sideways at Uzari, speaking softly, “How are you holding up?”

Uzari smiled faintly. “I’d be lying if I said good.” She stretched her legs and rubbed her arms. “Enivia’s frightening, but it’s also somehow familiar. It reminds me of Asteria.”

He nodded. “Perhaps it’s not so much Asteria, but old fantasy stories seem very much real on this planet.”

Uzari suddenly turned to stare at him. “How did you get away from those two madmen back at camp?”

“I—” He paused as his enhanced sense picked up Hinelin’s breathing. The rhythm changed suddenly, becoming erratic before settling back. Hinelin had just woken up.

“Need to relieve myself,” he finished. “Can you come keep a lookout for me while I’m in the woods?”

Uzari nodded. “Sure.”

Once outside, well past the ribbon of smoke, Giddeon took Uzari’s hand and led her out of earshot from the cave mouth. He turned to face her, small plumes of fog escaping his lips in the cold air.

“You don’t have to relieve yourself, do you?” she asked.

“You always knew when I was lying.”

The pale light from the twin moons illuminated Uzari’s face, catching a slight, nostalgic smile on her lips. “I know you, Gid Seres, through and through.”

“Back at the ship, on day two, I hacked into my AIGES,” he said, barreling into the explanation as he held nothing back. “For some reason, it was more difficult to access than Vibane Corp’s headquarters. I…found something.”

“What was it?” she asked anxiously as he paused.

“I’m not entirely sure how to put this.” Giddeon extended one palm. “I either unlocked a rogue program running on the most realistic AI tech I’ve ever encountered…” He lifted his other hand, balancing the options. “Or I freed an entity native to this world.”

Uzari shook her head. “An entity? I’m confused.”

“It calls itself Johnny, named after an old movie it dug out of my holo called—”

“Short Circuit,” she interrupted. “Yes, I remember. You suggested it right after we cleared the Biotech Quarters in Sarzaria’s Mad Castle. I loved it.”

Giddeon paused, surprised she had actually watched it. Data from the old Earth One era was almost entirely lost during the mass exodus, making ancient films a rare luxury even on Earth Two. “You remember our first briefing? Where Ereos mentioned the substance they injected into our AIGES?”

“Yes.” Uzari nodded.

“That’s what Johnny claims to be. He thinks he’s an immortal being from Enivia—captured, liquified, and shoved into my brain to merge with my hardware.”

“That’s…insane.” Uzari crossed her arms in a subtle display of skepticism. “Are all our AIGES like that? I haven’t experienced anything unusual. Neither has anyone else that I know of.”

Giddeon glanced back at the cave entrance before locking eyes with her. “I never got the chance to crack open another chip. But Johnny claims he’s unique. He believes the injection everyone else received was harvested from regular Enivian animals.”

Uzari’s head tilted as she studied his face. “You sure talk like it’s an entity and not an AI.”

Giddeon frowned. “How so?”

“You keep referring to it as ‘Johnny.’”

“He’s called himself Johnny so often I fell into the habit.”

“Can he…can it hear me?”

“Of course I can,” Johnny spoke up, though only Giddeon registered his voice.

He nodded. “And see you too.”

She frowned. “How?”

“Through here.” He tapped the side of his eye.

“Is he why your stats are all messed up?”

“Well, in a sense, yes,” Johnny grumbled in Giddeon’s head, as if Uzari could actually hear him.

“I asked him to help me fail my tests until everything was exactly average,” Giddeon divulged. “But that was just to fool the initial testing. Somehow, he’s keeping my values locked at a flat ten, even when other AIGES clearly should be analyzing my stats as higher. I suspect he’s broadcasting a spoofed frequency, overriding their diagnostic data.”

“Well, that explains your performance on the treadmill,” she snorted. “And you’re saying ‘it’ programmed itself to do that?”

Giddeon nodded. “I could have built a manual workaround myself, but Johnny wanted to prove himself.”

“Ahem!” Johnny coughed loudly. “As I recall, you told me to be useful, and I delivered.”

Minor details.

Uzari looked at him askance. “But why hide your stats?”

“How strong am I?” he countered.

She pursed her lips, her eyes roaming up and down his frame before lingering on his shoulders. “I’m not sure,” she murmured, reaching out to trace the line of his bicep. Her cheeks flushed darker in the moonlight, though she didn’t avert her gaze. “From what I’ve seen, you’re pretty muscular.”

As her fingers moved along his arm, Giddeon took a cautious step back, breaking their proximity. Uzari frowned, her lower lip jutting out slightly as her hand dropped back to her side with a look of mild disappointment.

“Our AIGES can scan a target in seconds,” Giddeon said in even tones. “Give it longer, and it maps out every strength and weakness. The deadliest element in any situation is the unknown. If your enemy doesn’t know your capabilities, you hold the advantage.”

Uzari’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “Are you trying to sound smart, Mr. Seres?”

“It was a lesson from my past, from a man who knew it all.”

“Sounds like a smart man. Was that how you survived back on Earth One?”

Giddeon nodded. “My father was a genius.” He chuckled. “But honestly? I’d say we survived because he was fast. The more distance you put between yourself and danger, the less you have to outsmart it.”

Her eyes continued to twinkle in the light. “Was that another of your father’s wise sayings?”

“He had a lot of sayings,” Giddeon replied. “Perhaps too many.”

“Speaking of speed,” Uzari murmured, shifting the conversation as she rubbed her cold arms. “How have you been zipping all around? Most of us barely gained a few points in a stat or two, but it’s like your Speed suddenly went into overdrive.”

“That’s…also complicated,” he said, trying to organize his thoughts. “Even I don’t really understand it, but Johnny explained it as something called mana. It permeates the planet from what he’s told me.” He looked around at the dark woods. “Apparently, I’ve a lot of—”

He paused, his amplified hearing picking up heavily shifting weight from inside the cave. His finger shot up, pressing firmly against her lips. “Hold up,” he whispered.

Uzari went entirely still, her eyes wide from the sudden physical connection. As she breathed, her lips caressed his skin, sending an unexpected tingle down Giddeon’s spine.

He quickly pulled his hand back. “Sorry,” he muttered hastily. “Eddington and Hinelin are moving. Our team leader probably wants to check on us. Stay here—I’ll act like I was taking my time in the brush.”

Slipping deep into the darkness of the trees, Giddeon took the opportunity to actually relieve himself.

“Providing evidence in case Hinelin checks the area?” Johnny asked.

He strikes me as a thorough man.

Giddeon stepped back out into the open just as Eddington and Hinelin met up with Uzari.

Eddington yawned loudly. “What’re you guys doing out here?”

“Gid had to step away, so I stood watch,” Uzari replied smoothly, shifting her grip on her axe for show.

“We’ve both got to go,” Eddington muttered, nodding toward Hinelin, who was standing silently by his shoulder.

“We’ll keep watch while you go,” Giddeon offered, zipping up his pants.

“Thanks.” Eddington yawned again.

Hinelin gave a sharp nod as he passed, following Eddington into the woods.

“How did you know those two were coming?” Uzari hissed under her breath as they waited.

“My Hearing improved with my Speed,” Giddeon whispered back.

Her eyes widened. “Is there anything that didn’t improve?”

“My manners.” He stared at her deadpan, causing her to snort.

The two men returned a minute later. “Thanks,” Eddington said sleepily, then stumbled toward the cave.

Hinelin paused, craning his neck to stare up at the crimson and azure moons. “Your shift’s almost up, I believe.”

“Soon,” Giddeon agreed. “You should get some more sleep.” Placing his hand on Uzari’s back, he guided her toward the earthen shelter.

Hinelin shuffled past them a moment later, yawning heavily before collapsing onto a makeshift leaf bed. Within seconds, Giddeon could tell by the steady shift in the man’s breathing that he’d instantly fallen asleep.

“He’s exhausted,” Giddeon whispered as Uzari pulled her log seat closer to his by the fire.

“He’s taking on too much responsibility,” she whispered back. Shivering, she held her palms out to the flames. The temperature, even inside the cave, had dropped rapidly.

“Reminds me of my father,” Giddeon murmured.

“Because he was a military man as well?”

“He was a lot of things,” he replied, staring into the flickering embers in deep thought. “The soldier was just a part of him. It didn’t define who he was. He was much more than that.”

“I can tell you respected him a lot.”

Uzari placed her hands in her lap, shivering again.

Giddeon frowned. “I’d give you my jacket, if I had one.”

“Your body’s warm,” she said softly, her eyes fixed on the flames.

Without thinking, he leaned in and put his arm around her.

Uzari stiffened for a fraction of a second. Then, her frame melted into his side, her head leaning heavily against his shoulder. Petite hands snaked around his waist. “I miss this,” she whispered.

Giddeon chuckled quietly. “You miss being chased by psychotic, superpowered murderers with nowhere to go and no way back to our world?”

Uzari snorted. “That too.” She swiveled her head, looking up at him. “No known way back,” she emphasized before returning her gaze to the fire. “We had a lot of adventures in Asteria, didn’t we?”

Giddeon didn’t reply. He didn’t have to. They’d spent years together, exploring the vast, immersive game. From its low-level starting regions to its brutal end-game content, they had built a life together inside a world estranged from their own.

“What’s this?” Uzari suddenly asked, tugging at the pouch at his waist.

“Two bags were on the elf,” Giddeon replied, having completely forgotten about it. “I was hoping we might’ve found something useful, but this one was empty, and the other only had a few rocks with weird symbols.”

“That bag’s not empty,” Johnny chimed in, his tone dripping with smug amusement.