Boot Up 1.6

I would have expected the ride to be awkward, what with the Clark girl sitting right across from me. But, after a few quick introductions Eleanor just sat down, pulled out a tablet from her dufflebag and started reading.

It was actually pretty quiet until a soldier popped his head in to tell us that we were taking off, then it was noisy as Miribel bounced on the spot like a hyperactive twelve year-old. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun! We’re going to explore, and see the sights, and shoot little zombie critters with Sasha, it’ll be awesome!”

William laughed while shaking his head. “You know, the higher ups don’t appreciate us calling the afflicted zombies,” he said.

“The eggheads can stuff it,” Harper said. “The damned things look like something out of a b-rated horror flick.” She shivered dramatically. “I’m not one to avoid squicky things, but eww.”

“So, uh, is there going to be a briefing, or something?” I asked. By that point it was pretty clear that this wasn’t going to be the kind of test that required an HB pencil.

“I thought I didn’t recognize you from the briefing yesterday. I suppose you missed it.” William nodded as he spoke.

That finally, finally got Eleanor to acknowledge me. “You missed the briefing? Do you at least know what’s going to happen?” she asked in a rather calm voice.

“Nope. I’m kinda jumping in the deep end of the pool here, and I left my floaties at home. So, to keep this shitty metaphor going; any tips on how not to drown?”

William, who at this point I’d pegged as one of those guys that always wanted to help, nodded. “The test is supposed to last all morning and into the afternoon. We don’t have any close support, but there are two teams in their second year with us, though they’re supposed to stay out of our way for the most part. The objective this time is to clear an abandoned area of any afflicted with Insanity and find the core. Once we’ve found it we’re supposed to break it.”

“And then we get all the shiny, shiny loot!” Miribel declared. Her entire body quivered at the mention of loot. “Ohh, I hope it’s something good. Mama Miri needs her some new boots.” She began waving her feet around to show off the heavy boots she was already wearing. I would have pegged them as some goth-girl’s footwear were they not the same pink as Sasha.

Ignoring the mad Neuromancer, I focused on William and shot him a few questions. “So, by clear you mean we’re going to arrive somewhere, get out, walk around and just… what, kill stuff until noon?”

“Shit, when you put it that way we sound like freaks,” Harper said. “Nah, we saw the map yesterday. It’s a small habitation block with a population under a thousand. You know the sort. A one gas-station, one burger joint kind of thing. They evacuated days ago. Usually the place would be cleared by now but they saved it for the test. We’re just going in to find any critters that went Insane and take them out of their misery.”

“Couldn’t they just, I dunno, firebomb the whole place?” I asked.

Eleanor across from me rolled her eyes and dipped her book down to stare at me. “You seem pretty… new at all this, so let me explain.“ She coughed into a closed fist. I had the mental image of a teacher about to start lecturing. “Usually, if it’s a worse case scenario, then yes, the military or NAAA might bomb an IZ then send in a few Awakened to break the core. But in small cases like this one it’s not worth the effort or the risk of collateral damages to go that far. Once the core is broken they’ll send in normal troops to inspect the area. In a month or so the inhabitants can return as if nothing happened. If we wait too long though, the IZ might turn into a dungeon, and those are rather messy.”

“Yeah, dungeons will screw you up,” Miribel declared. “I heard that you need a really good Sanity stat to manage in there.”

“It depends entirely on the size and depth of the dungeon, but yes, generally the higher your Sanity the better off you’ll be,” Eleanor said. “On that note, I suggest that we split up. There should be plenty of targets for all of us, and we should be able to find the core faster if we search individually.”

“Uh, but what if we get attacked by a lot of them?” Abigail asked. Her voice was low enough that I had a hard time hearing it, even within the confines of the van.

William nodded. “Harper and I are a team, we work together. I wouldn’t mind having any of you along with us. There’s strength in numbers after all.” He finished by giving us all a winning smile and tipping his hat back.

I noticed Abigail blush and look back down and even Miribel seemed to smile wider. Oh great, the knight in shining armour was a casanova.

“Yeah, I like the idea of not dying, thank you very much. Does anyone have pictures of these critter things?”

“Critters is just a word used to describe afflicted animals,” Eleanor lectured at me. “It’s not an official name.”

“Does everybody use the word critter?”

“Pretty much,” Miribel said.

“Then it’s official enough for me,” I declared.

Eleanor rolled her eyes again, but she reached into her breast pocket and pulled out a phone. After a minute or two of fiddling with it she handed it to me. “Here.”

“Ah, pictures!” I said. “Hey, do you keep your critter pictures in the same folder as your nudes?”

The girl looked at me with widening eyes, then she blushed and tried to grab her phone out of my hands. I hardly had time to take in the furry monstrocity before I pulled back to keep the phone away. At least I had the advantage of greater height. “Oh god, that reaction. Does that mean yes?”

“I-I don’t have nude images of myself on my phone, you pervert. Now give it back!”

I raised one eyebrow and looked at my appreciative audience. “Did you hear that, she said ‘of myself.’ Whose nudes do you have on here?”

“No one’s!” she said before pouncing on me. I got a few whacks on the head from the spine of her hardcover book before a small hand tore the phone away from me. “You’re a jerk. My mother warned me about you.”

Eleanor sat back down, straightened her skirt and glared. If glares could kill I would have been atomized by then. “So, your mom tried to hook me up with you?” I said with a grin, then something I should have figure out earlier clicked. “Wait, you’re a Clark. Your mom’s the headmistress?”

“My mother did not try to hook me up with you. Or anyone else in this vehicle.

“So,” Miribel asked. “What’s it like having an Archwizard as a mom? Oh, did she show you awesome top-secret magic when you were little? Did she use a spell to change your nappies?”

Eleanor’s face turned a startling shade of red and I found myself laughing with a fist before my mouth. The van rumbled a bit, cooling my mirth as, for just a moment, I thought that the witch across from me was about to do go full Exorcist on my ass. Instead, she glared at everyone in the van and crossed her arms over her chest. “Can’t we talk about anything else?”

“Ohh, let’s talk about how awesome Sasha is!” Miribel said, lifting her gun to show it off as she did.

“That thing has a safety, right?” Harper asked. The barrel of the automatic shotgun hovered just a few inches away from her nose until she pushed it away with the tip of an extended finger.

“Sasha is plenty safe! There’s safety in numbers, right? And Sasha can shoot lots and lots of bullets,” Miribel explained. She took a moment to bask in the horrified look that crossed Harper’s face before breaking out into a fit of giggles. “Don’t worry, silly, she’s not even loaded. See?” She did something with the bolt on the gun’s side and showed it to Harper who immediately calmed down.

I think the others were about to lay into her, except that the van started to shake and shiver as if it was caught in a sudden storm. My knuckles went white as I gripped the seat and tried to stay rooted on the spot.

“Don’t worry,” Eleanor said. “We’re just going through a portal.”

I clenched my eyes shut, remembering the last time I’d teleported only a few hours ago, but just as it had started, the rumbling stopped and we were suddenly just riding along again as if we hadn’t hit anything more complicated than a bump on the road.

“Huh, I thought that would be a little more... you know, vomit-inducing,” I said.

“Oh yeah,” Miribel piped in. “I heard that if you keep your eyes open when you get into a portal you lose your mind!”

Eleanor shook her head. “That’s not even slightly true. It’s a rumour pushed by those anti-awakened idiots to make magic seem dangerous. Teleporting, especially the first few times can be disorienting, but that’s the worst of it. Though I heard that the edges of portals can be dangerously sharp. Portals are far more convenient than most other forms of transportation available, including teleportation.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Then why teleport if portals are so much better?” I asked before pointing at the van around us. “I mean, this thing is bigger than a person and we just got portaled over with no problem, right?”

She shook her head. “It’s an issue of logistics. Portals are more complex, have a much longer cast time, can require multiple casters, and the range is surprisingly small compared to teleporting which has no known range. On the other hand, a portal can be kept open for little cost and, as we’ve just done, you can move much more mass.”

“Oohh! Could you teleport to the moon?” Miribel asked.

“That’s a silly question.”

Harper shrugged. “I don’t see why. I’m more of a smash and bash class so I’m not all that informed on the intricacies of transportation spells.”

Eleanor took that in, then nodded slowly while considering it. “That’s... a fair answer. Far be it for me to stop you from wanting to learn. I’m sorry Miribel, I shouldn’t have dismissed you. As for your question, you can only teleport to a location you have visited or one where a specially designed array or rune is placed. I suppose an Awakened astronaut could theoretically teleport themselves or someone else to the moon.’

“That sounds like a great way to murder someone without leaving any traces!” Miribel declared.

There was a beat of silence as we took that in, then Abigail chimed in with her quiet voice. “I-I think there might be, um, more efficient ways then that.”

Before we could continue what was one of the more bizarre conversations I’d ever had, the van rumbled to a stop and idled on the spot. There was the sound of a door opening and boots crunching on gravel.

“We’re at the drop off point, I guess,” William said. “So, did you guys want to team up after all?”

The door opened and a soldier in grey fatigues stood in the entrance. “We’re here,” he declared simply.

There was some shuffling around as we all stepped out of the cramped van, the task made all the harder as the others tried to carry their bags and gear out. All I had was my dinky sword and shield.

“I suggest,” Eleanor said as she hopped out of the back and looked around. We were on a two lane road, the six vans parked along the side of a highway, just below a six-lane overpass that was eerily quiet. I couldn’t see terribly far on account of the huge housing units standing all around us like off-white pillars. “That we tackle this alone. We’ll cover a lot more ground and one of us is bound to find the core. We could always just call out for help if we find ourselves in a bind.”

William looked around with a shrewd eye,taking in the city as if he’d never seen concrete before. I stood next to him and tried to see what he saw but other than piles of trash heaped up against the roadside and what looked like a hobo’s cardboard house tucked against the pillars of the overpass, there wasn’t much to see. Then again, I was a city boy and William struck me as more of an outdoors-y type. “I’m sticking with Harper,” he finally said.

“We could split into groups of two!” Miribel said as if this was some great party. “Dibs on Abi!”

The silent girl was the last out of the van and she almost stumbled as Miribel screamed her name. She looked up, wide eyed and looked at each of us in turn. She was begging with her eyes, asking that one of us take pity on her and get between her and Miribel.

The poor girl. There was no way in hell that I was going to step between little miss-slasher-smile and her ‘bff.’

“I suppose that means I would have to work with you, Richard,” Eleanor said. She looked me up and down as if I was a piece of meat.

“Awful, right? I’m not sure I can live up to expectations,” I said. “And by expectations I mean people expecting me to not go full murder-suicide because of your nagging.”

“I do not nag,” she declared. Then, contrary to what any logical person would have done, she stepped a little closer to my side and looked away, her brows twisted into a disapproving frown.

Taking a look around, I could see that the other vans had dropped off students too, though some looked to be a little older. The first and last vans had been filled with men in full tactical gear, all armed with assault rifles that they held tucked up against their heavy vests. They were the only bunch without words above their heads. Farther ahead, a pair of humvees parked themselves across the street to block off any traffic and I saw another pair doing the same behind us.

There was one other group that stood out. Tabitha Brown, Boopsy and a thick set man with a handlebar mustache in a worn leather coat. They were too old to be students, and I already knew that Professor Brown was probably in charge of this shindig. The Conjurer was talking and petting her Direwolf while the man nodded along.

Jean Trembley

Coureur Des Bois

Jean gave one last affirmative to the much smaller teacher then turned around and bellowed. “Kids, come ‘ere. We ‘ave instructions for you!”

“Oh goddamn, that’s the worse accent I’ve ever heard,” I muttered.

“You should be more respectful,” Eleanor admonished. “He’s a teacher.”

The other students started to make their way up to the pair of teachers and, after just a moment’s hesitation, our little group did too. I noticed that most of the groups that were in vans were actually sticking together. I wondered if that was on purpose. Stick people in little cramped vehicles for an hour and force them to get to know each other, then see if any of them would stick together afterwards.

“What is he meant to teach? Shitty French accents? How to get stuffed with a baguette? Running away from your problems?”

The diminutive girl hit me with the back of her hand then stopped right where she was. I took another few steps forwards before pausing. I really shouldn’t have waited on her. The rest of the group moved on without comment as they were already listening to Miribel rant on about... something. Harper did wink at me as she walked by though. “What is it?” I asked Eleanor.

Eleanor took a deep breath, then seemed to pause to think things through. “If, if we’re going to work together, then I expect you to at least try to act like an adult. There are lots of people with lots of expectations riding on us. We have to work hard to prove that we can accomplish what we set out to do.”

I blinked at her, then looked over my shoulder to where the others were gathering in a loose group around the teachers. “Look, let me be straight with you. I don’t give that much of a shit about the test. I’d rather be in bed right now. I’ll do what I can because fuck it, I’m already here, but don’t expect to push some agenda on me, alright?”

Eleanor paused, then crossed her arms over her chest, her bag left on the ground, abandoned at her side. “Fine. I understand. Now, we’re late. We can discuss this more after we’ve received the last of our instructions.” Picking up her bag, the girl walked by me then paused, waiting for me to catch up. “And please, watch your language.”

I stared at the back of her head for a moment. She might have noticed because she shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot. I had to weight my options. On the one hand, I didn’t want her or anyone else following me around, let alone giving me orders. On the other hand, I also didn’t want to die and while I wasn’t sure what a Chronomancer was it sounded like something you wouldn’t want to fuck with in a dark alley.

So, I’d tuck away some of my massive ego for a bit and let the girl follow me around as long as she wasn’t too annoying.

“Gather ‘round everyone!” Professor Brown said while waving her arms around as if she was a host on one of those Sunday morning kiddie shows. If she said something about hugs and sharing I was going to poke fun at her, Boopsy be damned. “I know most of you attended the briefing yesterday, but I just wanted to cover a few points before you head off.”

The group hushed up and I took that time to see what the others around us were like. For the most part the classes were pretty straightforward. There was a Rogue, another Fighter, a Mage and one Asian kid was a Ninja. Heck, even most of the gear could have been found at a Renaissance fair, though there was a disproportionate number of students with handguns or rifles held next to swords and spears.

Off to one side there was a group of what I assumed were second years. The uniform under their equipment was pretty much the same, only in a dark green instead of burgundy like the rest of us. That, and the gear they carried was more often than not covered in gold filigree and glowing runes.

The soldiers lined up in parade formation behind the teachers really didn’t fit in, though they seemed to be at ease and were for the most part listening to the teachers as they spoke.

“This settlement, Merrywood, is a two on the IS-scale. Expect small mammalian-type afflicted, warped zones and perhaps the occasional swarm. As long as you’re all careful there shouldn’t be anything above your skill level. Mister Tremblay, our huntmaster, will be handing out files to each of you in turn. If you’re in a group you can take a file as a group. Each individual or group will be assigned to an area that you must explore and clear. Once you are done you are encouraged to begin seeking out the core or helping your fellow classmates. As I said, you can take a file as a group, though we’ll limit group sizes to three at most.”

There was a bit of grumbling at that, but it quieted down as the Coureur Des Bois started going around and handing out files, sometimes to an individual, sometimes to what looked like a group’s representative. I noticed that Prof. Brown was paying attention to the groups and tapping something on a tablet that she’d pulled out of nowhere.

When he came closer, I felt Eleanor step up next to me. “We’re two,” she said with a confident ‘I’m a good girl’ smile.

“‘Ere you go. Be careful out there,” he said before handing Eleanor a file and walking on towards Harper and William.

“Can I see?” I asked, nudging a little closer to look at the manilla envelope. Others were already opening thiers and whispering to each other.

She hesitated, but upon seeing that she wouldn’t be the only one to open the file complied. Inside were three pages. One had rough statistics about the housing block and its environs, the next was a sort of objectives outline, and finally there was a map with grid lines running across it spread out so as to show all six floors of the unit.

I swiped the third and looked at it carefully. From above it was clear that Harper had been right to call Merrywood a one-pub town. I only counted two elevators and two stairwells, some of them fairly close together on the map. There were maybe a hundred housing units per floor, with a few less on the ground floor to accommodate some small stores and access to a parking garage.

“We’re supposed to look into area E-5,” Eleanor said while pushing up her glasses. “There’s a row of homes there. Low probability of danger. They’ve triangulated the core’s location to somewhere near points...” She paused to look at her sheet. “E-7, E-8, D-7 or D-8. If our inspection is fast enough we might have time to go and have a look.”

I found E-5 on the map and true enough the square covered a row of apartment with identical layouts on the third floor. It was fairly close to the stairs too, and if I had any clue where we were relative to all the rest I might even have been able to guess how long it would take to get there. “So, is this part of the test too?”

“What do you mean?”

I gestured at the map and she took it away from me and inspected it herself. “The map reading, planning and whatnot. Is that part of the test?”

She blinked a few time then made a humming sound. “I wouldn’t have noticed it, but yeah. I’ve heard my mom complain about some first years not knowing how to plan for anything. I just took it for granted that they were just... not good at planning. I suppose it’s an important skill.”

I was about to go on, but Prof. Brown gestured for everyone’s attention. “Everyone, these fine upperclassmen will be stationed near points D-1 and H-9 in case you need their assistance. They will also be acompagnies by a half-squadron of fine soldiers. Mr. Tremblay, Boopsy and I will be in the entrance hall on the ground floor. Asking for assistance will impact your grade on this test, but not necessarily in a negative way.”

With a grand gesture, she turned and pointed off along the road. “Now, on my mark, you may all take the main road leading that way--” she was interrupted by the other teacher who coughed into his fist and pointed in the opposite direction. Professor Brown gave the lot of us a sheepish smile then turned to point in the right direction. “Your entrance test begins, now.”