Chapter 23 - Bet

Demi

The Flow

“So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?” Emporos asked, still staring – his mask’s expression demonic as he leaned forward on my Floaty Couch®.

A younger, more innocent me might have jumped at the chance to bypass the Tutorial – to finally take my fate into my own hands. However, that was before I’d been assigned as the Cheater’s personal skafos. Before the continuity rate kept dropping. Before I’d messaged spiritual tech support, only to reach myself. Before I’d accidentally and completely unintentionally disturbed a divine beast from its slumber with an army of shit-slinging demon monkeys – a divine beast that went on to marry the Cheater… or something.

But I was older now. More mature. More experienced. A career woman with ambitions of a corner office. So, I was hesitating.

Plus, a question kept circling through my likely-empty head. I wasn’t proud of it. In fact, I didn’t really want to dig too deeply into the implication of the thing.

But… what would the Cheater do in this situation?

Certainly, he wouldn’t just accept whatever deal this shifty demon merchant was offering with little to no information and his career – or his vessel’s life – on the line? Just “trust” a stranger? That would be stupid. Crazy. A real bottom of the class move.

“Um… Demi?” Emporos asked, waving a hand.

I blinked and my gaze shifted back to his face.

The answer was just staring back at me.

Suddenly, I knew exactly what the Cheater would do – he’d ask questions.

Like just who the hell was this so-called “Merchant of the Flow?”

Luckily, I had his profile right here. Just a swipe of my hand and several glowing white panels formed nearby, orbiting me like a black hole.

“What are you doing?” Emporos demanded, looking nervous now.

“Asking questions,” I murmured. Another wave and my own couch materialized. Also, a new mug and a refill of fruity nimbus. My mouth was feeling super dry for some reason.

“Like first off, what exactly is it that you do?” I asked, my eyes skimming his profile.

“We’ve been over this. I’m the Merchant of the Flow—”

“Yeah, yeah, you said that already. But how do you know when to show up? Like how exactly did you know to come here? To my office?”

Emporos looked frustrated. “As I said, the collection of nimbus—”

“Doesn’t really explain anything,” I interjected.

“You really don’t trust me?” the merchant demanded. “I used to work here! You even have proof.” He gestured at his profile. “Hell, I would have been your boss back in the eon. Besides, this is a great deal I’m offering here and the clock’s ticking—”

“Is it, though? Because you already acknowledged time works differently here,” I interjected. Yeah, I was channeling some Cheater right now. “It looks to me like I have all the time in the universe,” I added sourly, waving at our softly glowing surroundings.

Oh, he didn’t love that. His masked-mouth did a little angry pucker.

Wait, was this why the Cheater enjoyed this so much? Taking the upper hand?

I had to admit, I felt pretty good. Like a boss.

“Fine,” Emporos grunted, deflating slightly. “I have my own tablet. One similar to yours – just with a few different features. See?”

He pulled it out and pivoted the black square.

Wow. He was telling the truth. And his tablet was way different.

“See here? People request my presence – they just need enough nimbus and a compelling desire to buy something. Then it sets up a pickup location and serves the referral to the merchants within a few planes of existence. So, we just choose the jobs we want. See? All of the perks of employment without the cubicle.”

My brow scrunched. “So, you’re… you’re a skafos?”

“No,” Emporos snapped. “I’m a traveling merchant.”

“Right. But do you typically let people enter your wagon?”

“Yes, of course. How else would I show them the merch—”

“Which happens when?”

Emporos breathed through his nose – those painted nostrils flaring. I liked that.

“At the end of a gate,” he offered grudgingly.

“And you deposit them where exactly? Somewhere else?”

“Possibly.”

“Sometimes?”

He was glaring now, his eyes smoldering.

“Fine, always – but I’m still not a skafos.”

Did I even really need to say anything to that? I went with a quizzical eyebrow.

Emporos growled in frustration. And there it was…

The taste of sweet victory – even better than nimbus.

Alright, I was coming around to the Cheater’s position on questions.

“Fine. Let’s move on. When you say make a living, what do you earn exactly?”

I mean, that was news to me. So far, I got paid nothing. Ahh, wait, sorry. Charon told some super funny jokes last time. So, I guess I got paid in jokes.

His frown deepened. “Uh, that’s, well… nimbus, okay? We earn nimbus.”

“This number up at the top?” I tapped his tablet.

“Yes,” Emporos grunted, crossing his arms.

“Why does it keep dropping?”

He just went silent, glaring at me.

That was okay. That’s typically what happened when the Cheater asked questions too – that’s how I knew it was working. Plus, I didn’t need him to answer. I had his profile!

“Ahh, because the Flow charges a fee for the tablet…” I trailed off, my eyes skimming the explanation. Wow. The terms were rough. Like what was this passage right here? “Rates subject to change at the will of the Flow.”

“Which isn’t a big deal,” Emporos offered quickly. “I mean, it’s a small price to pay for my freedom – the opportunity to travel the whole, wide universe.”

“…and if you can’t pay, you—wow, you cease to exist? Really?” I finished, my fox eyes round and oh-so-painfully innocent.

He winced. Yeah, I caught that.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Fine. There might be some mild disadvantages.”

That was putting it lightly. At least I had job security.

“I wouldn’t look so high and mighty if I were you,” Emporos shot back, stabbing a finger at my face. “I can tell what you’re thinking – that your place within the Flow is secure. Well, here’s a harsh truth, Skafos get terminated all the time. All. The. Time. Do you know how many Nyx has burned through – others just like you, I mean?”

Yeah, right. Not just like me – not top of their—

“Every single one was top of their class,” Emporos added.

Well, shit. And to answer his question… no, I didn’t have a hard number on how many of my predecessors had failed. The Cheater’s case file was still corrupted. But the list was long – like super, super long.

“Do you even know what happened to them?” Emporos demanded, sensing weakness, his eyes burning gleefully as he leaned forward. “You think you have the tools to handle Nyx right now? After disturbing the Toxifovos? After Eris and Horus’ budding romance?”

I didn’t even blink – although, I really, really wanted to.

Because I already knew what to do – what to say – what the Cheater would say.

“And you can supposedly bypass the tutorial? You? An independent contractor who’s just a few missed jobs away from being wiped from existence? Don’t we have the exact same job? And even if you’re telling the truth, isn’t time on my side? Aren’t you losing nimbus every second you sit here talking to me? I could just wait you out until you’re begging me to let you bypass the Tutorial. Assuming you aren’t just full of kraell shit…”

A new, fluffy white ottoman appeared and I kicked my legs up, taking another long, slow slurp without breaking eye contact. On the outside, I was cool. So super cool.

And on the inside?

Just a hollow void filled with one long existential scream.

“Fine. Fine!” Emporos finally snapped, cracking like glass. “You want proof? I’ll give you proof.” He rose in a fluid movement, tapping at one of my windows, the view shifting to an employee login… which he provided without hesitation. And then—

Hello, Welcome Back SuperUser#001

My eyes widened. What? WHAT?

Emporos just leaned back on his couch, smirking, arms crossed – this time in triumph.

“How is that even possible?” I murmured. There weren’t any SuperUsers mentioned in the Tutorials for the tablet. And they definitely hadn’t covered this during orientation.

“Because I designed it,” Emporos answered easily.

“You designed… what exactly?” I replied slowly, turning.

“Isn’t it obvious?” That demonic smile widening. “The Tutorial.”

Silence filled that resplendent white void then, my mug hanging from my limp fingers. He-he had built the Tutorial? This person? This demon right here? Was he lying? Telling the truth? But that prompt sure looked real, didn’t it? And what did he have to gain by lying anyway? What sane person would claim credit for that monstrous, horrible, torture engine? For all I knew, that Tutorial was why all those other skafos had failed.

“Why?” I demanded, suddenly standing before him, only inches away from his very surprised face. “Why would you make that ridiculous thing? All of those A- scores? No explanations for anything? Everything locked behind another damn tutorial? And why does the time to finish keep increasing? Is it even possible to finish?”

I was breathing heavily, my mask warped into a rabid, manic expression.

And Emporos just stared back, his smile gone – his expression puzzled.

“Because it was my job,” he answered with a shrug. Like it was obvious. “Middle management doesn’t deal with customers. Ferry around those Guides? No way. No, mine was a more sacred objective. A role critical to the survival of the Flow itself. My job was to make up work for everyone else. And I was fantastic at it. At one point, I was responsible for creating 98.628% of my direct reports’ work. That was an industry best.”

He wasn’t wrong. He’d won a few awards according to his profile.

I just blinked at him. “But… why?” I demanded.

“I did it for you – all of you,” he explained. Again, like it was somehow obvious.

I stared at him – he stared at me.

The Flow kept on swirling overhead.

I already knew the breathing exercises and meditation didn’t work, so I went straight for the nimbus. Yeah, I slurped until I filled that hollow, existential void in my chest – the one where I kept my screams and thoughts of murder. I just felt like I was going to need it.

You know, for the next question.

“Feeling better?” Emporos asked dryly.

With a nod, I set my mug down, letting out a little belch – a puff of rainbow mist emerging from my lips. “Yes, thank you.”

My eyes rose to meet his. “So, how was this for me exactly?”

The merchant shrugged again. “I was trying to keep you all busy. I mean, I worked my way up from a skafos once, if you can believe that. I knew firsthand just how boring this job just could be in between picking up Guides. They don’t even give us furniture – no desk, no chair, no memories, no nothing. Plus, we had a pretty high turnover rate – you know, skafos that just went insane. And so my idea for the Tutorial was born.”

He smiled, his eyes distant. “Management loved it; just loved it.”

“My gift to all of you – my legacy,” he said, still-fucking-smiling.

I tried to access more of his profile then – to confirm what he was claiming. Yet I was met with another painful, taunting message.

Access Denied: Confidential

Please Complete the Super-Secret, Double-Pinky Swear Tutorial

Emporos saw those words – how could he not? And that smile just widened.

He had me and he knew it. A part of me was even wondering how he managed to incorporate math into a pinky swear tutorial. Because he definitely did. Regardless, that was just more proof – proof that he was indeed who he claimed to be; that he could very likely allow me to bypass the Tutorial.

Which just left one last question.

“Why Nyx?” I demanded. “Why are you so interested him – why make this trade with me? If you answer that, I’ll consider you proposal.”

Emporos hesitated, his eyes flickering as though he was considering lying… then his shoulders slumped forward in resignation and he met my gaze evenly.

“Alright, you want the truth?”

I nodded super fast – mostly because he looked so embarrassed.

“I made a bet on Nyx, okay? And before you start, I know the odds are crazy – insane really. I’m betting against corporate; against the Flow itself. The chance that Nyx succeeds – that he ultimately survives – are slim to none. You still don’t know nearly enough math to even compute them. But long odds also mean big wins.”

“So, you’re rooting for the Cheater?” I asked, aghast. “But why? What do you hope to win after he screws everything up? I mean that literally. Have you seen Charon’s demonstration with the Flow and the circle and everything?”

Emporos just shook his head. “Sorry, I answered your question. I told you why I was interested in Nyx – which means you have to consider my proposal.”

I scowled at him. “Then consider it considered. And the answer is no.”

The merchant just threw up his hands, laughing incredulously. “Silly word games, really? Is that where we are now?” He sighed. “Fine. I get it. I used to be like you – a real stickler for The Rules. I used to want that corner office really bad… at least, until I was the one sitting in it—”

“You sure seem to be looking for a window now – a couple viewing portals?” I demanded. “And I can’t help but notice that your wagon doesn’t have any – any at all. You get to travel the cosmos but you don’t get to see where you’re going, do you?”

Emporos just smirked. “Says the skafos still stuck in her cell. Worst case, I lose my bet and miss out on the show… this time. There’ll be another Nyx. But what about you? If you fail here – if this Nyx survives – which he almost certainly will if you can’t use your full administrative privileges, what then? You get canned? Demoted? Wiped out of existence?”

His smiled widened. “Do you even know what will happen?”

Shit. Okay. He had me there.

“But if you don’t want to make a deal, that’s fine – consider my offer off the table then,” Emporos said with a sigh, rising and waving at his wagon, the door creaking open.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. I couldn’t just let him leave, but if I said something first I’d lose all my hard-won leverage, just like Fang always—

The merchant’s hand hesitated as it touched the wagon.

“Or… maybe we could make a deal,” he offered slowly. “Perhaps that would help you learn to trust me.”

Which was pretty hard to do when he was glowering at me, his mask’s eyes smoldering and painted lips peeled back in a demonic grin. An ominous crimson light even emerged from deep within the wagon, casting him in a blood-red glow.

“What are the terms?” I asked, going for nonchalant.

“If Nyx survives this next gate, I’ll bypass the Tutorial for you,” he answered easily. “See? Painless. You have nothing to lose.”

I was the one hesitating now – considering. Looking for the trick. I knew there had to be one – there always was. At least, with Fang and Nyx it was usually obvious—

“Not that someone like yourself needs it, right?” Emporos taunted. “You still have Horus and Eris gunning for him. And you were top of your class. The best of the best. This could be your corner office moment. One of the few skafos to ever get promoted to middle management on their very first assignment.”

Oh, that sounded nice. Very nice…

“But just in case something goes, why not have a backup plan?” The merchant insisted, suddenly standing close, his eyes gleaming.

Which wasn’t a terrible point. There would always be other gates.

“Fine, it’s a deal,” I chirped.

Emporos’ smile widened and he waved at his wagon—

Only for the vehicle to transform – an awning shifting out of the top as the wagon spit furniture out of the door in the side, the chair landing with a splash. There was even a pitcher of lemonade and a glass. Suddenly, Emporos was sitting there, my tablet somehow in his hand – although, I sure as hell don’t remember handing it back to him.

He pointed it at the glowing view portal and the scene shifted.

“Now, let’s see what Horus and Eris are up to…” he murmured with a smile.\

“What are you doing?” I demanded, glaring.

“What? Oh, you were right, my wagon doesn’t have any windows. How will I know if I need to bypass the Tutorial for you unless I stay and watch?” he asked, his demonic features mustered into the picture of innocence – which I definitely wasn’t buying.

I was about to give him a piece of my mind – or howling existential void, whatever – but froze as the viewing portal shifted. Horus and Eris were…

Okay, what was going on now?

Because it looked like they were standing awkwardly outside of some sort of spa, or resort, or… something. Emporos just let out a pleased cackle, sipping at his lemonade and popping a handful of—wait, what even was that?

Something white, fluffy, with the faint whiff of molten fat and salt. It crunched softly as Emporos chomped down on his snack – on his solid food. I could practically feel my mouth watering, which was weird for many reasons.

No, no I needed to focus. Because suddenly I had a bad feeling about this.

Like I’d just gotten screwed somehow.

I just wasn’t quite sure how yet.