Otherlife Dreams: The Selfless Hero Trilogy (26 page)

“Oh. Oh, alright then-n. I wanted to t-t-talk to you about that m-man you murdered in the alley.”

Raising his eyebrows at the change in topics Runner glanced to her and then returned his gaze to the fire.

“Murder you say. Alright then. I’m afraid there’s no couch or judge’s bench so we’ll need to skip the counseling and sentencing for another time,” quipped Runner.

“You will t-t-take this seriously or I will leave. Ton-n-night.”

Unable to prevent the frown that appeared he slowly nodded and did his best to keep a calm expression.

“My apologies. To whom do you refer, so we might begin this discussion correctly.”

“The m-man in the alley.”

“The alley, I assume you mean Scruffy then. The wharf rat who tried to kill me when I ran him down.”

Nodding his head Runner took a moment to collect his thoughts and left the conversation open for Nadine.

“Had you had already got-t-ten what you n-needed from him? Did he t-t-tell you what he knew, what he was doing, and killed him an-n-nyway? If so, why did you kill him then?”

“Because he was just a-” Runner froze mid-sentence and shook his head.

“An NPC. Th-that’s it, isn’t it. Just an N-N-NPC?” Nadine hissed at him, her hands balling into fists.

“Yes. Alright? Yes. I viewed him as just an NPC. He was a thug, would have sold our lives for nothing more than a few coins, and I ended him. What would you have me do? Let him go? Have him run off and tell everyone not just about Hanners and myself but possibly discovering you, Kitten, and Lady Death? No. That wasn’t an option. I made a choice for the groups protection. That our protection was best paid for with his life, that he needed to become a casualty. If presented with the same option I’d make the same choice again.”

“But you don-n-n-n’t know that. You don’t know that he really t-t-t-truly saw or even-n knew. What if someone had seen you do it? What then? Kill them-m-m t-too? Someone like me m-m-maybe?”

“If that happened I’d have to evaluate the situation and make a choice then and there, but it wasn’t you. It wasn’t anything like you.”

“I’m an N-NPC, just like him-m!” Nadine whispered energetically, gesturing at Runner angrily.

“No, no you’re not! You’re Awakened. You don’t adhere to the normal rules anymore. You’re closer to, well me really, than an NPC now.”

“Oh? And who’s t-t-to say he wasn’t a Awakened t-too? Did you consider his ru-n-n in with you changed him? Even for a m-m-moment?”

Runner looked away, staring a hole into the ground, and said nothing in return. It was too hard to admit it aloud but he hadn’t. Not even for a millisecond. He’d only seen a threat to his group and removed it.

“Would you do the sam-m-me thing if it had bee-n-n a man-puppet? So quick to kill? As easily?”

Unable to respond he instead considered her words.

What if it had been a player. Someone from my ship. Could I have killed them as easily as I had the NPC? Could I kill someone to protect what essentially was an Artificial Intelligence?

He couldn’t answer that. It’d be his execution. Perhaps it’d be couched in a formal trial but the lethal punishment would be waiting regardless if he took another’s life. There’d be no way to hide it, it’d list it very cleanly and succinctly in the other players combat log.

“If it was to prot-t-tect me? Or Han-n-nnah? Or anyone from our group?
A slightly differen-n-nt NPC but just an NPC? Would you let them do as they would with me or would you kill them-m-m t-too? Answer me Run-n-ner,” Nadine demanded of him

Pressing his palm to his forehead Runner took a shallow breath and exhaled it roughly.

“I don’t know Nadine. If I was to kill someone from the ship I’d be tried and executed. It’s that straight forward. It’d be very methodical and efficient, then everyone would be bogged down with paperwork, but I’d then be found guilty and executed. Very Sovereign, very military, very clean.”

“Th-th-that’s another thing. What happens t-to us when you free yourself? Do I just disappear? Does this whole world van-n-nish? Do you leave us here?”

Squeezing his eyes tightly together Runner’s grimace took over his entire face, twisting it into a mask.

“I don’t know that either. I can promise you if we’re freed I’ll make sure the server, err, the world remains open and alive. That it doesn’t just close down or vanish,” Runner swore.

“And th-that’s it, hm? You just, go. Go back t-to whatever it is. Your ship in the sky,” Nadine said angrily, her fingers digging into the cloth of her pants now.

“I guess. I mean, that’s the goal. What would have me do Nadine? I could come back and visit. Frequently. I have a life out there though. I can’t just abandon it. It’d be no different than me asking you to leave this world and stay in mine.”

“I’d do it. Your world sounds far m-m-more fair than this one.”

“Hah. In some ways yes, in others no. So many people would desire this world. To be here in this way, permanently. There’s even fiction written about it.”

“Then-n-n why not you? Why would you leave? Leave m-us? You’ve chan-n-nged us drastically, you said. Where’s your respon-n—n-nsibility?”

Falling into silence Runner didn’t answer. Fire had engulfed the piece of wood he’d tossed in. It popped as the water vapor escaped rapidly.

“A fair point Nadine. A fair point. Let me-let me think on it. All of it. Who knows, maybe you’re right. Maybe whatever damaged the ship has doomed us and this place, this life, is all there is left. I’m tired, I’m sorry. We can take this up another time, but I’ll consider all that you’ve said. I still feel I was right in killing the thug, but I’ll think on it. I’ll reflect on your words should the situation come up again and consider them honestly and earnestly.”

“Promise? You’re n-n-not saying it for m-my sake?”

“Never Nadine. I respect your tenacity and would never insult you like that. Promise.”

“Sleep well, Run-n-ner. Know that even though you killed him, I know you did it to protect us, and so I forgive you.”

Nodding with a small sense of gratitude to her final words, Runner crawled over to his bed and tried to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, sleep eluded him until the early hours, and then it was fitful. Nadine’s words haunted him. In the cold light of dawn Runner woke, feeling as if he’d slept not at all.

Chapter 13 - Soup Sandwich -

4:02pm Sovereign Earth time

10/04/43

Early in the day Runner had managed to use up the entire store of parts. He’d been forced to cease in his skill grinding. It’d proved a suitable way to get his mind off his late night conversation with Nadine. In the end he’d managed to get Arcane Smithing up to fourteen. Only sixteen points shy of a forced roadblock by class promotion. Spellbinding ended up at eighteen from all the various parts that went into each item. Item Assembly had only risen to thirteen. With each iteration he’d been able to shave off the time required, boost the actual improvement for each Spellbinding, and lower the mana cost.

On their entry into the outskirts of the area there had been a dramatic rise in the number of players. Many of those they passed undoubtedly had little to no experience with video games. Their motions were hesitant, exploration limited, and their gaming sense as a whole was minimal. A handful approached to either to inspect the curious party and their wagon, or to ask questions about what lay outside of the city.

Katarina had placed herself at the foot of the drivers box after one man decided Thana could be purchased and wouldn’t take no for an answer. It wasn’t until Katarina drew her weapon that “No” was accepted as the final response.

Runner really wasn’t surprised of course. From the memories he had on the subject the entire unit was new, from the very ground up it had been formed from nothing. They’d cobbled together veterans from other postings, green recruits, and those freshly minted guilty convicts from their gloriously modern judicial system. Unfortunately the majority was comprised of the latter two of those elements.

Greenies joining on promises of anything and everything, to recruits and those sent by a judge with no say so on the matter. Little did anyone care what happened to those who had to serve with them. After the collapse of the global government a century ago, and it’s reformation into the Sovereignty, the world government became a stratocracy. Military recruiting policies changed over night and the ranks swelled.

It had been late afternoon by the time their wagon rolled into the city itself. Runner leaned up against the side of the wagon as he watched everyone go about their business.

A hand lightly smacked him in the back of the head. Shaking off his wool gathering he looked up to see Katarina sauntering past him. Her smirk was plain as day as she addressed him over her shoulder.

“Keep an eye on the wagon and Nadine. I’m on escort for Thana while she makes arrangements for us,” Katarina said loudly. She’d been taking a delight in catching him off guard, or getting little victories and one-ups on him.

“Oi, be sure to keep an eye out. I’m betting on a few grabby hands around here,” Runner rubbed the back of his head. It hadn’t caused any damage and might as well have been a poke, yet it still annoyed him.

Katarina’s face flickered through an emotion he couldn’t pinpoint before she smiled broadly at him. She ducked her head in acceptance and followed Thana into the inn. Pausing to consider the fact that he’d used a colloquialism Runner tilted his head to the side. No one in the game would have had an experience with them since they were culture based. In fact he’d been using them with the entirety of the group, yet everyone understood. There was no culture gap in language.

Interesting thought, does that mean the linguistic database is being accessed? It would definitely ma-

Shaking his head deliberately Runner forced his thoughts back to the task at hand. Stepping into a mounting stirrup for the drivers box Runner vaulted up. Pulling the front flap open a fraction he peered in to find Nadine and Hannah going through the daggers he’d made. It was clear Hannah and Nadine were sorting them out by quality, after securing a few for themselves of course, and were now contemplating prices for them. Blowing his breath out in a grumpy sigh Runner sat down, his hands resting on his knees.

What else what I going to do with them, not like I need a collection of knives. Maybe step out of alleyways and hold open a coat with knifes sewn into the lining. “Wanna knife?”

Grimacing, it felt like his stomach turned over and twisted into itself. Runner opened up the ships medical status log for himself. Under the Medical Assistance Required tab there was a flashing yellow dot. Beside that flashing dot was only one word, “Stress.” Clearly the system agreed with his own self diagnosis. Stress felt like the most mild description of what he was dealing with though. Waving a hand at the screen it flickered once and then went out.

His mind cataloged the people around him and he began watching them in earnest. It would be best if he sold the knives in truth. The ones to buy them would be players and he’d have the most safety against them. Not to mention he could jack the price up. He’d let them have their fun though in sorting and planning. No harm, no foul.

Half of the little band would journey out into the town to begin the tedious process of leveling skills, classes, and abilities. Then they’d switch for the other half to complete the same tasks. Then they’d have to settle in and start grinding up quests, faction, and relations. All the while Hannah would be dodging guild rats and city guards. Then get out of dodge with no one the wiser and start heading for the capital. She’d have to be in Stealth mode for nearly the entire duration of their trip. There wasn’t any other option unfortunately.

It was in that span of thought that Runner came to notice a man. He wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, looked like a normal enlistee for all intents and purposes. Dressed in simple brown leathers he stood at an average height and normal build. It was hard to pick out details from this distance but he’d write it off as brown hair and call it done. Leaning against a fountain he was attempting to disguise his interest in Runner’s wagon by pretending to manage windows by hand. His hands moved in front of him as if he were cataloging and shifting inventory but it was just a little over exaggerated. Too much in the wrist. His hands didn’t settle in the same spot with each “button press” either.

It was so blatantly suspicious now that Runner had noticed, that he had to force himself to keep his eyes moving past the man rather than let on that he’d been spotted. He was staring at the wagon all throughout this little show. Runner jumped to the conclusion that this was the same player who had seen them atop the wall.

This man had followed them all the way here. There was little doubt in Runner’s mind now. This fellow had to be the one who invaded their campsite to boot. It all added up.

Covering his mouth with his hand he scratched at his cheek.

“Hanners, company. Take a peek,” Runner muttered. Letting his hand drop he twitched his nose as if he had only succeeded in making his nose itch now. After a second he reached up again and started scratching his nose. “Brown leathers, fountain, looking this way.”

Sniffling he let his hand drop down between his knees. Runner kept his vigil and watched everyone around and paid no extra attention to Creeper than he would anyone else. Creaking wagon axles signaled movement in the wagon. Runner could only surmise that she was doing as he’d instructed.