Opening Moves (The Gam3 Book 1) (7 page)

Alan began to tire, but Kitana kept up the quick pace. Urging his body onward despite the pain, Alan resolved to take this time to push himself harder than he ever had before. It was a game after all.

A mile and a half later, Alan was regretting his decision, but they’d arrived at the police station in under 15 minutes, and he’d gained a point in endurance. He’d also almost thrown up.

“Wait,” Alan gasped, talking to Kitana, “Let, me, rest a bit.”

“Very well, we shall wait a minute.”

Alan collapsed onto the stairs in front of the police station, taking a long drink from the self-filling water bottle he’d bought earlier. It was already half full.

Looking up at the station, he noticed a board tacked up above the entrance.

It read: “Gamers, if you require medical aid please proceed to Pier 27. If you wish to trade or purchase items, proceed to the downtown mall nearby the Metreon, at the corner of Mission and 4th St. If there is an emergency, add IntelligenceAgent.23 as a contact.”

Scrawled onto the sign were a few words of profanity, doodles and a few messages that were fairly helpful. The key ones said, “You fail the Tutorial if you get outside help, don’t ask for aid,” next to it was, “You can still buy items though! Visit Igor’s Emporium!” “No items here, all taken,” and “The Army rules San Fran, get out while you still can.” There was also apparently some sort of base camp across the Golden Gate Bridge.

“Looks like there isn’t anything to scavenge here," Alan said. "Any idea what to do next?”

“What do the green dots on the minimap represent?” Kitana asked.

“Neutral or allied life forms larger than a frog, I think. If they’re particularly important life forms they'll still show up if they’re smaller though,” Alan said.

“Well, you mentioned before that you have no combat experience. I believe we should train," Kitana said. "Have you killed before?”

Alan stared at Kitana, wide eyed. "You mean like in the Game?"

“Yes," Kitana said, giving Alan a level-eyed stare. "Like hunting."

"Um, I haven't," he said.

"We will begin with the basics then."

Kitana proceeded to show Alan how to hold his knife. She was calm and direct, demonstrating cuts and thrusts useful against a larger opponent like the animals they were to fight. Alan gained a few stat points and even a basic knife fighting ability from the instruction. Both that and the sneak ability had a question mark after their rank. Alan was too busy to figure out what it was for.

They then moved on to try to find a live target to practice on.

The city looked like it hadn’t been maintained for years, with rampant growth everywhere. It wasn’t much of a surprise that wildlife had moved in as well. Alan and Kitana managed to spot a deer standing in the middle of a yard, with Eve’s help. Alan wasn’t sure how, but she sensed everything within a five-block radius.

Alan slowly and patiently crawled over to the fence in front of the yard the deer was in. He proceeded to climb over it with surprising precision and silence. He figured it was the sneak ability at work. The deer continued to nibble on some fallen fruit, oblivious to Alan.

Once he was a few feet away Alan ran up and leapt at the deer, stabbing it in its flank, expecting numbers or some sort of critical hit message to appear. Instead, the deer let out a startled noise, and sprinted out of the yard, the knife embedded in its side. A small health bar did appear, but apparently Alan had only taken 10% of its health.

Alan sprinted after it, just in time to see Kitana leap out and decapitate it, swinging almost faster than he could see. Alan caught a glimpse of the deer’s thankfully pixilated innards, and a spray of red blood appeared, making him feel slightly nauseated. Violence in a game was one thing, but things were just so lifelike...

Kitana bent down, picking up something Alan didn’t see, and the deer’s body disappeared. Alan glanced at his XP bar; he’d gained maybe 1% of a level. Discovering the police station had given him 5%.

“So, um, what’d it drop?” Alan asked.

“Drop?” Kitana asked.

“What loot did you get? Items that you got from the body.”

“Oh, a vial of deer blood. Do you know its use?”

"Um I’m not sure, probably better to hold onto it though.”

“Okay. We should discuss your… attack. As I instructed earlier, you need to attack vital areas. This game replicates every creature’s weak points, as far as I can tell. You do know what areas are vital, don’t you?” Kitana asked Alan dubiously.

“Um, of course I do.”

Eve, you can show me creatures’ weak points, right?
Alan sent.

Affirmative.

Great, when we’re in combat, show me where I should attack.

Very well. Shall I create a shadow outline for you to follow?

Can you do that?

Yes.

Alright, I think we should test that.

Okay.

“Um, can I test something out?" Alan asked "If I attack you with this knife, you’re able to avoid it, right? Wait, no, let me find a stick.”

Kitana scoffed at the idea of Alan landing a hit on her, assuring him that he could attack her as much as he wanted with his knife. She turned towards him, holding her katana in front of her.

"You may begin when ready," she told Alan.

“Um, alright.”

Okay, Eve, show me how to attack.

An image suddenly appeared before Alan, a blue outline of a human body with a grey grid under it, lunging forward then slicing sideways.

Um, Eve, I don’t think I can move that fast, and I’m definitely sure I can’t stretch my legs that far,
Alan sent.

This move is within the bounds your body is capable of.

Okay, how about something I’m able to do without a lot of pain.

The blue outline appeared once more; Alan realized that it was emerging from his own body. It took two steps to the right then darted left, making a sharp, diving stab at Kitana’s left leg.

Alan tried following the motions he’d seen. The moment that he started taking a step towards Kitana she also stepped forward.

A new blue outline appeared in his mind, leaping back. Alan tried to leap backwards but tripped over his feet, falling to the ground.

Kitana raised an eyebrow.

“Didn’t you want to attack me?” she asked.

“Um, yeah, wait a second.”

Why’d you change the outline mid-attack?
Alan sent.

You had an approximate 0% chance of landing a successful blow from that position.

Oh. Well, I can’t respond instantaneously to the actions you want me to take, can you try to incorporate some sort of lag time?

Calculating… Please follow the shown blue outline as best as you are able to, so I may form a basis on how well you react.

The blue outline appeared once more, but this time chose to jog around Kitana. Alan hurried, trying to follow it as best he could. It occasionally stuck out a foot, a hand gesture or made a jump. Alan imitated as best he could. Soon, Eve finished her calibrations and Alan was smoothly following the outline, maybe a tenth of a second behind it.

Kitana stood, watching him with a glint of mirth in her eyes.

Suddenly, the blue outline darted towards her. Alan followed it. Kitana turned, the outline stepped right. Alan stepped right. The outline stabbed at her, pulling back halfway through. Alan did so as well. When Alan made his feint, Kitana moved her sword a fraction, but otherwise didn’t move at all.

The outline suddenly made a series of attacks that Alan tried to follow as best he could. All of his attacks were met by Kitana’s blade, perfectly stopping the thrusts and stabs with the minimum required movement.

Alan learned not to commit too strongly to the blue outline, just use it as a sort of guideline, as it would usually change as soon as Kitana moved. He also learned to trust the outline, as Eve was able to remember and use the environment better than he ever could. Eve began to show Alan the likely path that Kitana’s sword would take, allowing him to anticipate her actions before she made them.

Kitana began grinning, and Alan found himself smiling as well. Even as sweat began to drip down his brow and his body began to tire he paid no attention to it; this was fun.

Midway through one slice, the blue outline’s right hand opened, dropping the knife. Unconsciously, Alan did so as well. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the outline’s left hand dart forward, grabbing the knife, stabbing forward. He followed through, not even marveling at his ability to catch a falling knife midair perfectly, instead focusing on another outline showing that Kitana’s blade would knock the knife out of his weak grip.

As he lunged forward into the stab, the blue outline used the momentum to pivot onto its left foot, letting the knife fly away. The outline instead focused on kicking Kitana, trying to knock her legs out from under her. 

Alan could see that Kitana was focusing on the knife, but as soon as the sword met with his knife, knocking it out of his hands, he began the kick at her legs. Kitana shifted focus onto Alan himself, but it was too late to avoid the blow. Alan watched as an outline of the katana started a motion to cut off his leg. It stopped and reverted, allowing Kitana to be swept off her feet. To his surprise, his kick connected as the outline's did. Kitana absorbed the blow, making a forwards somersault while holding her katana with apparent ease, not reacting to how painful it must have been to be kicked right in the shins.

When Kitana completed the somersault, a step away from Alan, she leapt up, stabbing at Alan’s neck. Eve’s projection showed that it would stop right at his neck, not piercing it, thus he stood there, allowing the katana to brush against his Adam’s apple.

Kitana grinned. “That was rather impressive, though I almost cut your leg off.” Alan thought a slight amount of her health was missing, maybe 0.05%, but that might have been wishful thinking.

“Yeah, that was quite something,” Alan said, falling to the floor. He was amazed at how tired his body was; it felt like he had emerged from a trance. He was covered in sweat, but couldn't remember it bothering him during the sparring. Replaying the memories in his head, he was amazed at the various stabs, lunges and almost aerobatic maneuvers he’d been pulling off.

To Alan's surprise, in addition to his agility, perception and endurance increasing, he’d also gained seven levels and a series of new skills. What sort of game didn’t require killing things or turning in quests to gain levels? If training was all it took, maybe he should become a hermit and spar with Kitana. She’d probably need some convincing though.

As he was about to look more closely at his new skills, Eve said, 
Thiago is calling. Accept?

Accept.

“Where are you guys? Why aren’t you back yet?” Thiago asked, sounding almost frantic.

“What? We still have 20 minutes until round one is supposed to start,” Alan replied.

“Alan, where do you think the hounds are coming from? Did you think that they’ll appear out of thin air? They are travelling to the bunker, and will ARRIVE in 20 minutes. That means they’re racing closer, probably from your direction, right now. They could be at your position in five minutes! Maybe sooner if they smell you out in the city!”

“What!? But…” Alan said. Honestly, he had been thinking the hounds would spawn right outside the base.

Then, off in the distance to the south, Alan heard the loud howl of an animal. A series of other howls joined it. Like clockwork, the timer for the start of the round shifted from 0:20:23 to 0:07:53.

“Fuck,” Alan said.

Panicking, Alan began thinking through his options. He could try to sprint back to the base with Kitana, but they’d likely be caught out in the open before they got back in time. It had taken nearly all his effort to get there in 15 minutes, and he was still exhausted from the sparring.

Eve, I think we should try hiding in a building, do you agree?

That seems like an acceptable option.

Immediately, Alan began walking towards nearby buildings.

"Alan, where are you going? What is happening?" Kitana asked, grabbing Alan's shoulder.

Alan recalled that other people couldn't hear Eve.

“Um, right, sorry, I think we should try hiding in a nearby building, as we won’t make it back before the round starts, and getting caught out in the open would probably be a bad idea,” Alan said to Thiago and Kitana.

“If that’s what you think is best,” Thiago said. He didn't sound very happy. "Good luck.”

Thiago ended the chat.

Kitana nodded, then started looking around, trying to find a defensible location.

The only open building they found was a convenience store. It looked like any other corner store, once selling snacks, liquor and groceries among other things. Alan motioned Kitana over.

Upon entering the store, Alan noticed that all the shelves were bare. Someone had cleaned it all out a while ago. The cash register was still there, as well as a few old magazines and lottery tickets.

There were two small aisles, and a door in the back. Alan tried the door, it was locked.