Otherlife Dreams: The Selfless Hero Trilogy (22 page)

“Could you, ya know, wake them?”

He flashed through all his introductions with them. How far he’d pushed their AI code. Let alone the server code. He groaned inwardly.

“I suppose. But there’d be no point to it. Let’s just say that so far, my awakening someone hasn’t exactly been good for the person being awakened.”

“Are you serious? I know three other women other than myself who would fucking disagree with that. We’re all better off for what you’ve done.”

“Debatable. Previously you were happy with your world because you believed it was as it was and you controlled your destiny. Are you truly happy knowing now that your life and memories were written in for you?”

“That’s not fair you bastard. My life has been one shit stain after another. It’s-it’s hard to know it was written for someone else. For another to enjoy the drama of it. But I now truly know I’m the master of my destiny. That I can become what I choose. That I can live my life beyond what happened to me.”

“I suppose. Consider it creators guilt then. I regret bringing you to life in a world that would happily snuff out your life as easily as they would a rat in a pantry.”

Past the bazaar and near the gate, Bullard came into sight from behind a gate house. Old Priest was at his side, looking as old and crusty as ever. A third and fourth man stood across from them. Of the two new comers, one was dressed in a robe and the other carried a bow on his shoulder. Runner vaguely recognized him as the third man from the pier.

Mr. Personality was gathering a party. One that even included a tracker probably. Clenching his teeth in a grimace he could feel the cold touch of fate on his spine as he watched them. It was a party with the intent to kill his own and nothing else. He knew it. There was no proof and no way he could verify that, but Runner knew that was the goal.

All four turned as a fifth joined them. Remarkably the fifth was a player. Vision was poor from their position and all Runner could make out was the back of a head. The name plate of the individual wasn’t available at the distance they were at. Outside of brown hair and a light complexion he could only guess that it was a female in gender, due in part to the build and size.

Fate chose that moment for a pickpocket to be caught in the act nearby. Craning her head around to view the disturbance, the woman’s face became distinguishable.

Struck low by the mighty hammer of a fickle destiny Runner dropped closer to the edge of the wall. It was her, his dinner companion, the lovely young lady who lay at the center of such a snarled and twisted knot of emotions. Passing all too quickly she returned to the conversation with Bullard and they started walking from the plaza.

Desperately he tried to select her in futile attempt to learn her name. Runner couldn’t manage to work the angle quite right. Blocked by walls, distance, and other people, he futilely repeated the process until she was gone from sight.

“-en I decided I had to cut ties and bolt. I’m a thief, I’ve killed people sure, but I’m not a rapist, a slaver, thrice damned flesh peddler. Gave it all to the Captain and here we are. In the end it only took a few massive bribes and it all vanished. Guild master of the thieves or not, I didn’t think it would be that easy for him,” Hannah finished. Hooking the pot handle with the tip of her boot she pulled it back to herself to collect her cards once again.

Flashing eyes pierced Runner when he looked over to her. By her expression he must have had a fairly blank expression on.

“What, you’d think I would sell people to slavers? I’m not a fucking monster. Bastard.”

Blinking twice Runner finally caught up to the conversation she had been having with him, without him being a part of it. It would be better to admit a smaller wrong than the greater, having not heard her at all.

“Ah, no. I’m not surprised that you fall on the darker side of the moral compass, but I’m glad that do have your limits as I originally thought of you.”

Letting his mind wander he blurted out his next thought without considering his audience. “Though I would argue that all the actions you attribute to yourself, were written into you without you being given a choice. One could almost argue that you’re now a different person based on who you are, not what was chosen for you. You could theoretically become whatever you wanted from this point, good or evil, right or wrong.”

Beside him Hannah tensed and became unmoving, the unease that emanated from her in waves was palpable.

“No one can fault you for being upset Hanners. You’d have the right to be angry, feel rage, even. Your life before this was written out with little regard to you and what you wanted or would have actually done.”

“You have no idea. You can’t fucking tell me that I should just excuse my life from before. My life. My very damn life, Runner. An asshole like you put it together. Put me through what I lived and fought against every day! You can’t just tell me to write it off, you heartless bastard!”

By the end Hannah was shouting at the top of her lungs. Runner scrambled from the edge to preserve their location in case curious eyes tracked the sound upwards. Stooping low so he didn’t skyline himself Runner turned to Hannah.

Shuffling over to Hannah put his hands to her shoulders. Sniffling, shaking, and full of righteous injustice Hannah glared at him.

“You’re right, I’m sorry, Hanners. I’m sorry. Shh, please, I beg you, no more shouting,” Runner pleaded with her. “I’m not trying to dismiss what’s happened to you, merely make you realize that you are who you are now, and your choices are your own. However hard it is to hear your entire past never actually happened.”

Thankfully she visibly calmed. With luck, anyone who heard the exchange would write it off as a verbal disagreement and not people hiding on a roof. Making sure she had at least a reasonable grasp on her control Runner nodded and relaxed his grip on her shoulders.

“Thank you. I can only imagine what it feels like and I can’t truly relate, but I and the rest of our little group would do anything to help. Consider everything previous to this a forced existence. It’ll linger, like bad thoughts or dreams, but they never actually truly happened. It’s why the memories seem so surreal, it’s because they only occurred on paper, in text.”

Hannah nodded slowly while blinking her eyes rapidly, tears trailing down her cheeks.

“For now, realize that you don’t stand alone. Our entire little family all feel the same in one way or another. We all want nothing more than to help. Change of topic time. We’ve been watching this gate all day and I can honestly say I don’t think we’ll get a break. Originally we agreed to wait till tomorrow but I think tonight we should make a play on the guard house. It’s the one place thieves wouldn’t go around stealthed, waiting. Only place really. What do you think? We could survey tonight, make plans based on movements and attempt the escape tomorrow.”

Brooding over his words Hannah’s brows came down, her head tilting, casting her face in shadow. Runner sat back on his haunches creating some space between himself and her.

Allowing her to think it over he checked the party window and then the map against it. Based on the map icons and distances to Katarina, Thana, and Nadine, they’d set up camp a short way from the gate. While the map didn’t show details he would wager it’d be appropriate.

“You’re right,” she said. Runner wasn’t lost to the fact that she didn’t specify to what, but he would take what he could get. “Let’s case the damn guard tower over there. Assume we get through it though, you failed to explain how the hell we’re supposed to get down from the wall. We don’t have wings you daft fuck.”

“Yeah. We’re going to have to jump. I imagine we’ll break both our leg’s, maybe our pelvis’, and honestly probably be pretty close to death. I’m pretty sure falling damage is percentage based dependent on the height. Get up on top of the wall, grab the edge, dangle down, let go. We land, stealth, crawl away, I heal us up to normal.”

“That’s just stupid. This is a stupid plan. You’re stupid. Fucking idiot. Fucking idiot with a stupid plan. Idiot plan,” muttered Hannah. Disbelief and anger were written all over her face.

“Yeah, it’s a dumb plan. I got nothing else that will get us outside the wall without being seen. The worst part though is, even if we succeed, we still have to go to Faren. Where they’re just waiting for you. Great right?”

“Oh my gods and goddesses. You’re a thrice damned idiot. Why don’t we just rush the gate then? It’s pointless.”

“Because they’d chase us all the way there. Easier to get into the city and maybe escape without being seen if we don’t have to dodge cut throats and trackers all the way there. Sleeping ever so easily under the loving and watchful eyes of our would be pursuers. I’d prefer they never even knew we’d visited Faren until we were gone. We might get lucky and they may not even notice you. I’m open to other ideas if you’ve got’em.”

Mentioning the pantheon sent an idle thought through Runner’s head that he cataloged away for another time. At some point he’d need to figure out who to pray to and get his religious alignment moving.

“Let me think on it. There has to be a better way. This is just…it’s stupid. Just stupid,” Hannah grumbled.

“You think, I’m moving over there,” Runner said, pointing towards the guard tower. Stealthing Runner set off to begin spying on the tower. A tower full of guards halfway between the corner of the wall and the gate. A tower with no way down except jumping and hoping to survive a thirty foot fall depending entirely on the mechanics built into the game. That or do some impressive glitch wall running. What gamer wasn’t in the mood for glitching a game to his advantage.

Chapter 11 - Turning Point -

7:02pm Sovereign Earth time

10/02/43

During the previous night they’d watched the patrols come and go, timed them, memorized them, and planned for them. This was now the time to act. It was the best chance they had to sneak through successfully, with the most guards out on patrol, and the least inside.

Hannah was pressed into his back as they waited near by. Runner did his best to ignore her, it wasn’t every day you practically wore another person like a cloak. Fixing his mind to the situation at hand he tried to prepared. They would only have a few seconds between the guard door opening and it closing. In those few seconds, they’d have to make it past the threshold together.

Then the door popped open and the patrolling guards left the tower. The second the guards’ line of sight cleared their hiding spot they slipped in through the open door. Melding themselves to the interior wall they surveyed the interior. Runner quickly confirmed it was empty of guards and thanked the Random Number Gods above.

It held long tables without chairs, cabinets with supplies, and closed wall lockers. One could only call it a dressing room or arming room. An interesting touch to add to guards who never went home.

Did they even have a home?

A click behind them heralded the door shutting. It automatically locked itself, effectively trapping them in the tower. Part of their recon determine that the door was locked at all times. Except for when a guard opened it.

Runner left Hanna’s side and decided to make his way towards the set of stairs in the back. With limited intelligence they had no idea how many guards were inside. Of every aspect in this endeavor, this was most assuredly the riskiest part. It remained an incredibly stupid plan, but it was the only one that had a shred of success of going unseen.

Runner motioned to the stairs and glided along the wooden floorboards. Reaching the stairwell Runner took the steps two at a time, swift and silent. Slowing his ascent near the top he eased himself upwards. His eyes were level with the ground when he stopped moving. Inspecting the room, Runner was able to confirm its status as empty. Filled with sleeping cots and foot lockers, it would be easy to make their way across to the next level.

Careful steps and a wary eye were his only tools in this situation. Exiting the stairs Runner gained the top of the landing and immediately moved to the other side of the room. Drawing close to the stone steps Runner peered through the railing up to the landing above. Runner saw nothing but decided to wait, and watch. Rushing now would only ruin the whole plan.

Appearing on wall next to eh landing, a shadow coalesced. Compressing himself to the support wall he hunched down into himself. Creeping to the corner of the room, furthest from the stair landing, Runner hid himself in the shadows. He started looking for Hannah to give a signal to hide.

He found her, in the middle of the room, bent double over a foot locker. Feeling the heat of his anger climb into his face he imagined throttling the life from her. It was not the time to be robbing the guards.

Gesturing frantically he finally resorted to a low hiss to get her attention. Looking up she caught his frantic gestures and angry visage. Gently setting the cover of the chest back down she scurried away from the chest. Hannah managed to get over to a wall, quickly pressing herself up under the side of a bed frame.

Clumping down the stairs a guard in the city colors became visible. Tottering, the man stumbled over to a cot and collapsed into it without a word or even removing his armor.

Flashing his teeth in a snarl at Hannah he gestured to his side. Shuffling back to his previous position he checked the top of the stairs once more. Confirming that it was clear he quickly took the steps upwards. He edged his head up to peek into the room. Quickly surveying the area he could find no guards.