SAVE POINT 39

Dormouse

Rosabella was the first person I saw as I threw my green hood back from my face. We locked eyes from across the room. She was terrified—it didn't take a rocket scientist or someone with a degree in engineering to figure that out. The ghost of her face was drained of all color with her parched lips falling open. Her, usually sharp and bright, eyes were framed with purple bags.

No one told me expressly what happened, but I’d gone gathering as I worked on the Code. I’d chatted up the guards, hugged some townspeople, kissed some babies... I mean, when people put you up on a pedestal as a Level 14 it was just kinda natural. I fell into it. …Maybe leaned into it.

And I didn't have to force the information out of them; they were all too willing to talk; the details just spilled over their lips...

Till I heard about two, new strangers in town: a pink-haired warrior and her brunette friend. I mean, what were the odds that Joy and Rosabella had twins in the exact same spot they were headed to?

I did the math and determined it front-and-center: zero. Zero percent it wasn't them.

And, so, I fast-tracked the Code. The people, liking me and deciding that I should be the one to implement the test, only gave me extra time...'cause I didn't have to create a backdoor failsafe. Now, I could just, literally, input it—quickly and quietly—an easy override and no blood would be spilt today. …As long as neither of the two girls messed this up for me.

My hands were shaking—I just now noticed it as my boots took muffled steps on the blue carpet. Deep breaths, I reminded myself, calm as cucumber melon.

I tried to look noble and reserved as I bowed to the really-freaking-scary, assassin guard clad in all black leather at the front and, then, of course, Joy. The pink haired girl raised a confused eyebrow at me, her lips opening in a snarky—

"Good to meet you," I rushed, emphasizing the last, two words in a way that made the Warrior, smartly, shut her trap. "I will be implementing your test today," I turned, widely, looking to connect with Rosabella's round eyes. "Making sure everything runs smoothly."

Oh Grand Dragon, I was the epitome of a fraud or charlatan right now. Even my voice sounded different but—

But I watched Rosabella nod from her place next to the wall—just the slightest incline of her chin as she chewed on her bottom lip. And I'd done what I set out to do. She knew I had this. ...Now, I just had to make sure that I did.

The assassin with the blade I really didn't want to find out how sharp it was, cleared his throat. I came back, gasping for air, from the chasms of my mind.

Code.

Test.

Joy's life, literally, in my fingers.

No pressure.

...If I ever got out of all this bullshit, I was going to retire and sit my ass somewhere on an East Side island beach...

My fingers scrabbled in the air, easily bringing up the Code box. I heard a murmur of appreciation run through the guard side of the room. Of course, I got their precious Code up and running. It was MY precious code too—

A box hovered, waiting for my keystrokes.

[]

I cast a quick look at the assassin and Joy before typing the words:

[ = ]

[ = <’Yes’_Or_’No’>]

And, taking a deep breath, I hit enter.

And the 1 button 4 times:

[]

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I hit it a few more times too. It was my nerves. It was hot in here under this silly cape. I was sweating. I couldn't stand it when I was—

Oh, please let this work! I was pretty sure I did it right, but there was nothing like finding out in front of a pack of blood-thirsty strangers. The trigger word was 'pink-haired' and the additional presses of the 1 button should result in—what was taking so long?!

The digital, glowing numbers continued to spiral, computing, as my gaze darted across the room at Rosabella. She looked so tired and small, leaning up against the wall. I hadn't seen her look this worn in a while—like she was gonna break in two.

Grand Dragon, don't let me fuck this up! I might have fucked up every girl situation I'd ever been in but this was technology. I knew technology—

Beep.

A curser hovered in thin air, pulsing. Methodically, it began to type:

[***No, The Pink-Haired Prisoner Shall Live***]

[***SUBJECT PASSED***]

The words hovered like the first tangible proof of my own brilliance in the air, glowing a heavenly blue. Relief flooded all the way down to my curling toes under this robe. Thank—

"Release her, The Game has spoken," ordered a guard from the front, "She is hereby banished from this town along with her friend. Next in line. We will continue the pass or fail questionings; thank you, Coder 14. I will handle it from here." The man's voice was clipped and business-like as he bowed slightly at me. I returned the nod, all too happy to jog out the door but not before my lips curled up in a secretive bow.

Because I’d brought their Code back to life, alright. And I'd made sure to program every single prisoner who was tested would pass when I’d heard what they did with it. All of them would pass. I'd made sure of it.

The bright sun stabbed at my pupils from behind the peeks of thatched roofs. I shaded my eyes to see if I could spot Fiasco wandering the dirt paths, chasing butterflies or something, when a voice interrupted.

"Not too shabby, Dorkus."

I didn't have to spin around to know that it was Joy talking to me—her fond-not-fond nickname proceeded...well, everything. But her voice was strung with raspy relief. And her face was smeared with dirt and...some might even call that gratitude.

I spun on my heel, hiding yet another smile. "You're welcome," I quipped.

Rosabella ducked out after us too, but her face was tense with more worry. "All those prisoners—" she gasped, pointing frantically back at the Questioning Room, "You can't just leave them there to die. There's a child there—"

Didn't I just say I took care of it?

I rearranged my hands under the billowing cloak, pulling the green folds back, "They'll all pass. Who knew getting an A in programming was literally a life-or-death situation?" I shrugged at her.

And her face broke open in a smile, "Oh my gosh, thank you!"

"You're welcome," I piped, my chest, admittedly, puffing out a little—was I just repeating myself over and over today?

I roamed around the nearest hut, craning my neck to inspect the shadowy corners of the streets, "Hey, has anyone seen a lost, black leopard with enormous wings—"

Joy swallowed a half-laugh, "Whatever drugs you're on, I want some."

"No seriously," I protested. "I left him right—"

"Where's Rosabella going?" Joy sneered.

That made me whip around to see the brunette girl creeping along the side of the building we'd just come from. She put an annoyed finger over her lips with a shushing sound. "I'm going back for the other prisoners and the dragons—to free them," Rosabella whispered, her eyes flicking around for any guards, "I promised them."

Joy looked righteousnessly furious, "This is when we don't see eye-to-eye. We've just won our freedom. I say take it, and run!" Her eyes were wide and convinced.

And, usually, I didn't get involved in girls fighting—that was like a huge no-no in my book—but...but this time I had a niggling idea...

"You'll never get them out of their restraints," I murmur, "I think I know a better way."

And both girls stared at me as I flipped my green hood back over my head.

"Oh my God," Joy huffed, "The world's gone to the fucking nerds. Can't a girl catch her breath after a near death experience?"

But she couldn't.

We all couldn't.

I had a part to play.

"Meet me at the docks," I hissed to the two of them, pointing a finger in the direction of the ocean, "If I succeed, the dragons should be able to fly us all over."

'If I succeed'?

Not very confident words, Dormouse.

But I had to be confident to pull this off; I had to be so sure.

"And find my Jagwindo," I demanded, whispering, "I'm not leaving without him."

Straightening my back, I cleared my throat, took a breath and stepped back through the doorway, into the Questioning Room.

The guards snapped to attention at my entrance. The bearded one at the front squinted at me, "Coder 14?"

"Silly me, I forgot," I bumbled. "When I was in the Code, I noticed the prisoners are not tagged correctly. Their tags are corrupted," I outlined, since it looked like the man wasn't following. "I can go and override it manually, but it requires that I have complete access to the unrestrained individuals and complete privacy as I'll need to ask them a set of personal questions. Can this be arranged immediately? If the tags are left corrupt, darkness could seep in—"

At the mention of darkness, the guard tensed. He nodded, "Cut out the darkness."

"Cut out the darkness," I repeated, solemnly, nodding back.

He went to move forward, but stopped, leaning towards me with confusion on his face.

I froze. Did he know? Did he suspect what I was up to? I could barely breathe... He scratched at his chin, "Uh, sir, even the dragons? You need to be alone with the dragons too? Perhaps you'd prefer a...security detail."

I saw it. His eyes swept my thin form up and down.

But all the air went out of me because he wasn’t suspicious after all. He was just doubting my brawn. ...Ye of little faith...

"Yes, the dragons too," I told him, standing taller and smoothing out the folds in the green lie that enveloped me. I raised a humorous eyebrow, "I'm scrappier than I look."