All warfare is based on deception.

- Excerpt from The Art of War, by Sun Tzu

I walk down the road to Fort Carscott, alone. I’m intensely uncomfortable, but I try to hide it despite the lack of observers -- in just a few minutes I’m going to have plenty of spectators, and I’ll need all the practice I can get.

A knife attached at my waist is my only weapon. Part of me feels exposed without any larger tools to defend myself with, but I’m fairly confident that most of the monsters near Fort Carscott have either been killed off or are too shy to even be noticed. Getting attacked and killed by a monster before making it to the fort would certainly be embarrassing, but I’m not worried. There are so many other ways the plan could go wrong.

As I walk through the empty streets, I note the lack of any early warning system before the wall. Sure, very few of the monsters we’ve faced have been subtle, but Sam would probably be able to waltz right through the fort, killing everyone in his path if he so chose. A few hidden scouts outside of the wall would provide a much-needed extra layer of safety.

I shake my head, dispersing those thoughts. I’m not here to figure out better ways to defend Fort Carscott. If everything goes right, I’ll never see this place again.

I turn the corner of the last building and see the wall. Taking a deep breath, I hold my hands up in the air, push my shoulders back, and walk forward.

Within only a few steps, I hear voices call out.

“Halt!”

“Styx!” A second voice calls out in the same moment. There’s some muffled talking before the second voice yells out again. “Come over here! Tommy is grabbing Jeremy.”

I try to smile in the way I practiced, hoping it’s convincing.

As I walk over to the wall, the second voice continues. “What happened? Why did you run off?”

The sun is setting in front of me as I walk to the wall, and it’s only after I start to climb over that I can identify the owners of the voices. Each of them looks familiar from my time in the fort, but I hadn’t ever spoken to them and don’t know their names. I avoid their question as I speak, my voice hoarse. “I need to talk to Jeremy.”

The second man who spoke looks at me strangely. “He’ll be here soon. What’s wrong with your voice?”

“Sore throat,” I reply, and then wait in silence.

My heart beats wildly in my chest as I stand there, waiting for someone to notice something off. The two guards on either side of me keep glancing my way, and I hope it’s just due to curiosity rather than anything else. The rifles in their hands are relaxed and pointing at the ground, which provides at least some comfort.

Finally, I see Jeremy walking over to the wall, followed by another guard.

“Styx!” He yells out, smile on his face. “You returned!”

I smile at him and walk over, holding the modifications firm within my body.

“Sorry, I have a sore throat,” I cough out. “Can we go somewhere private to talk?” I ask.

Jeremy’s smile widens further. “Of course! Let’s go to my office.”

I fall into step beside him as he turns and walks back towards the school. I still feel uncomfortable with this entire situation, but step one: infiltration has been achieved. I’m reminded of Melete’s advice an hour earlier and try to sway my hips a bit more as I walk, hoping it appears natural.

It was earlier this morning when we started planning, and it took a few hours to come up with anything workable. By the time I left the treehouse a half-hour ago, Sam was still missing, but we didn’t want to wait any longer. As much as having the alien on our side and having more time to prepare would be nice, who knows what Pallas might be going through while we wait.

The last few hours of preparing were spent using my skill, attempting something that I was scared to even suggest: impersonating Styx. I figure if anyone has any chance of being welcomed back into the fort, it would be her, what with her ‘relationship’ with Jeremy. I don’t want to allow Jeremy to actually get his hands on Styx though, so she has a separate part of the plan to fulfill. One that hopefully won’t take her anywhere near the intimidating man.

Preparing to impersonate Styx was probably the most embarrassing experience of my life. And judging from how red Styx’s face was throughout the process, it wasn’t the most pleasant for her either. If it weren’t to save Pallas and to keep Styx away from Jeremy, I never would have suggested it.

At least Melete seemed to take joy in the process, happily having us stand side-by-side and giving critiques for what modifications needed to be made. I’m just thankful the modifications were so extensive, requiring my full mental effort and providing at least some distraction from what modifications I was actually making.

By the time we were finished and I checked my reflection in a mirror in the house, I was stunned. While there were certainly some inconsistencies in our facial expressions and the way we carried ourselves, I would be hard-pressed to see the differences between us if I weren’t looking for them.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out how to modify my voice properly. I attempted a few changes to my vocal cords -- I know that to make my voice a bit higher-pitched like Styx’s they should be slightly shorter -- but in the end, I couldn’t replicate anything close to her actual voice. I was forced to settle on faking a cough with a slightly higher-pitched voice. It doesn’t sound anything like Styx, but at least it doesn’t sound like my normal voice.

I try to remember the rest of Melete’s advice as I listen to Jeremy.

“I’m happy to see you’ve returned, Styx. You don’t know how sad and angry I was when you ran away. I know you’re capable, but I worried so much for you last night. You know the areas outside of the fort aren’t safe, right?”

I simply nod in response. Jeremy seems to accept this and continues talking.

“Of course you know, you were out there on your own for a long time. But you have to know you got lucky before. Out there with just a few non-combatants, anything could happen. What if a monster attacked while you were sleeping?” I just shrug. Jeremy seems annoyed at my lack of response. “What made you come back so soon anyway? What happened out there?”

“Can we wait until we’re in private to talk about it? I’m sorry for leaving.” I cough out.

Jeremy’s smile immediately returns. “Of course, I’m sorry for pressuring you. I’m just curious.”

The rest of the walk continues in silence. Jeremy walks right next to me, his shoulder brushing against mine, and I have to fight the urge to lean away.

Finally, we get to the school and walk in the front doors. The hallways occasionally have other people walking in them, which gives me the excuse to walk behind Jeremy rather than next to him. This has the added benefit of allowing me to follow him to his office, the location of which I only know from Styx’s diagram.

We go through a welcome area before turning to the door of Jeremy’s office. As he grabs the handle, he turns and talks to the lady sitting at the secretary’s desk. “Unless the fort is about to be overrun, I don’t want to be interrupted.” The lady nods without looking at him. “Do you understand?” Jeremy repeats in a louder voice, and I flinch in fear. The lady has an even greater reaction.

“Yes sir, of course!” She hurriedly voices as she jumps in her chair, eyes turned to the ground.

Jeremy turns and smiles at me gently.

With some trepidation I walk into the office as he closes the door behind us.

“So,” Jeremy begins as I sit on a couch. He grabs a chair and pulls it over so it is directly across from me, less than a foot between us. “What was that you wanted to talk about with me in private?” He emphasizes the word ‘private,’ but I ignore it. Step two: distraction time.

“I was out there, with Melete and Atlas.” Upon seeing the confusion on his face, I amend my statement. “With the two non-combatants who showed up with me, and...some monsters attacked.” I look at the ground, hiding my face. I really should have invested more into charisma. “A few dog monsters. I....couldn’t protect them. I wasn’t strong enough.”

He reaches over and places a hand on my shoulder. I recoil slightly, coughing to hide my reaction. He takes my cough for something more, continuing to pat my shoulder. “Shhh, it’s okay,” he says. “I’m sure you did everything you could. This is why we need the fort. We need everyone here to help protect each other, since we can’t do it all alone.”

He shifts his chair even closer and starts to reach out to bring me into a hug. This is getting way too physical way too fast. I was hoping that he’d give me space if he thought I was grieving, but clearly that was a mistake.

I frantically try to think of a topic, something to eat up more time. My mind stays blank. Why did I think this part would be so easy?

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Suddenly, inspiration strikes. What would Styx do in this situation?

“Why?” I ask as I pull away from him.

He looks confused and almost angry before his face is schooled back into an expression of concern. “What do you mean?”

“You say we all need to help each other. But you have these stupid rules. These rules about only certain people being allowed to fight, about only those with high enough Numbers being allowed to help in certain ways. Why? If you’re so concerned with us all surviving and helping each other, you should let everyone do what they’re willing.”

Jeremy sighs and leans back in his chair. “This again? You know why. It’s not safe for people with Numbers that are too low to fight. You should know this, after what happened to your little friends.”

“But then why not let them at least get the kills on some monsters to raise their Numbers. How are they supposed to gain Numbers if they are never allowed to fight?”

Jeremy just shrugs. “They had their chance to fight back when Fort Carscott was still just Carscott. If their Numbers are still low, they already made their choice. And if they decided to suddenly change their mind now...well, I can’t be blamed for that. I have to do what’s best for everyone here.”

I nod. “Ok, you may have a point there.” He seems surprised to hear me admit that much, but I continue. “But that still doesn’t justify all the privileges!” I stop to cough, ensuring my voice remains disguised. “The food, the tents, the freedom. You’re treating the non-combatants basically as slaves!” He is starting to look angry as I continue. “Well treated slaves, sure. You aren’t whipping them, but they’re still slaves. They’re treated completely differently from the guards. Everything they do is restricted. You have complete control over their lives. And what for? Simply because their Numbers are a little lower than yours? It’s insanity!”

“What do you expect!” Jeremy stands from his chair as he yells, and I shrink back in fear. He takes a second to regain control of himself and starts pacing across the office. “If this was a month ago, you’d probably be right, I’ll give you that. But this is not a month ago. Look around, Styx. Monsters have attacked. Killing others gives you Numbers. The world is falling apart.” He sighs and sits back down, leaning forward as he looks in my eyes. I duck my head. “The world is different from a month ago. Humans aren’t the top of the food chain anymore. Do you know how many people Carscott used to have?” He waits for a second, but before I can respond he continues. “Over five thousand. And now we’re down to four hundred, only three hundred of which originally were from Carscott, the rest are refugees. Nine out of every ten people in this city have died. We’re just trying to hang on, to survive. I’m trying to build a good thing here, the best way I know how.”

He reaches out and grabs my hands, holding them in his own. “Styx, I know this isn’t perfect. I know I’m not perfect. But you need to get your head out of the sand. We don’t live on normal earth anymore. Morals, society, equality...they’re gone now. Morals are what we make them. Society, as we knew it, is gone. And equality....how can we ever fight for equality when equality is so obviously gone?” He pulls up his left sleeve, displaying his Numbers, and pulls my hand over to rest on his forearm, right over the strength Number.

My eyes widen when I see his Numbers, shocked.

Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door and it opens a crack as the woman from the lobby peeks her head in. “Jeremy, I’ve got an urgent report from Johnny on the south wall, something…”

Her voice trails off into a squeak and I shrink back in fear. Suddenly, Jeremy is terrifying. I can’t tell exactly why, but all I can think about is how large he is, how high of a strength Number he has, how much power he has over me, how dead I am if he finds out about who I really am…

“I thought,” Jeremy says, voice low and angry. “I said I didn’t want to be disturbed.”

The woman shrinks in fear, tears in her eyes and snot dripping from her nose. “I, I’m...sorry, but Johnny…”

“Is the wall being overrun?” Jeremy asks, voice calm, but dangerous.

The woman can only shake her head.

“Then LEAVE!”

The door slams shut as the woman flees, sobbing. Jeremy turns and sits back down, a smile back on his face. “Sorry about that.” Suddenly, I can think again as the aura of fear surrounding Jeremy dissipates. He seems to have shrunk back to a normal height, his Numbers no longer seem so intimidating, and I remember to stick to the plan.

“...was that a skill?” I ask hesitantly in a small voice.

He grimaces. There’s a moment of silence before he responds. “Yes, it is. I’m sorry you had to see that, I hope you weren’t scared.” I just shake my head. “I got it a few weeks ago. Don’t tell anyone else about it, please.” I feel a quick spike of fear as he says this, disappearing just as quickly. I just nod my head.

“It’s just like I said,” he says as he sits back down. “Life is different now. Someone with my skill and Numbers. Someone with your skill and as....dextrous...as you are...we worked for what we have. We fought, we bled, and we could have died. We earned it. And we deserve the privileges that come with it. The world is different now. And in this world, we have the power.”

I just stare at him, silent. He reaches out to grab my hand, but I pull away.

I remember talking to Styx about her involvement in the Number-Free Advocates, about their campaign to lower the emphasis on Numbers in schools and in society. How she believes humans are made up of so much more than just our Numbers, and that trying to reduce a person, a complicated, hoping, feeling, human into just five Numbers is ridiculous. I didn’t entirely agree with her then, and I still don’t entirely agree with her.

But I understand her anger.

“You look at the people around us and see their Numbers,” I say. “When they are low, you dismiss them, and when they are high, you value them. And you have created a place here that revolves around that. Well you’re right. The old society is gone. Everything we knew is gone. And in this new world, you have the power.” I take a deep breath, preparing myself. “But you’re wrong, too, because the old morals aren’t gone. Not completely. Because I still have power too. And I choose to fight for them, to fight against this society you’ve created.” I hear a strange clicking from the speakers above my head, and then a sound like someone is blowing on a microphone. I smile. “The question is...can your power keep up?”

As I say those words, I focus inward towards my skill, growing skin over my ears. With all of my current modifications, it requires more focus and takes a few seconds longer than usual. As I work, I hear a voice from the school’s speaker system.

“Hello, hello, testing one, two, three. Is this thing on?”

I see Jeremy’s mouth move, but I can’t make out his words. His face indicates his confusion as he makes his way to the door. I move to position myself in his way, smiling at him. He says something else at me, but I just smile and shake my head.

Faintly, I can make out Melete’s voice over the speakers as she begins to sing.

I know I can’t take one more step towards you….

As the first lines finish, Jeremy’s face changes from confusion into a grimace of pain as he grabs his head. I step close and brush his hands with mine, activating my skill at the same time. The skin at the tips of my index and middle fingers on my hands pulls back, revealing small needles that slowly slide forward. I jam a stinger into the back of each of his hands, stepping back quickly as he swipes one of his hands at me.

And now you want me one more time…

He drops to his knees from the pain, still holding his head. I walk around him and pull up his pant legs, jamming a stinger into his ankles as low as I can. He tries to kick at me, but between the pain from the song and his quickly numbing hands, his attempt is easily dodged.

Apparently, the strength Number doesn’t govern resistance to Melete’s skill.

Who do you think you are...?

Jeremy has managed to get one of his fingers in his ears and has turned his glare towards me. I kick at his hand, exposing his ears, and he winces. He tries to replace it, but his fingers don’t seem to be cooperating.

I detach the chain of keys from the carabiner on his belt and clip them onto my own pants. I walk to the door and grab the handle.

Tearing love apart...

I take a deep breath and relax my skill, reverting almost all of the changes. In an instant, I shrink an inch and my face reforms. Jeremy is staring at me in horror despite the pain of Melete’s skill. I simply smile at him, wink, and walk out of the room.

It’s time for step three: rescue.

It takes a minute to find the correct key, but eventually I lock the door to Jeremy’s office. As I leave, the woman at the desk stares at me with wide eyes, fingers in her ears, but I ignore her.

I run to the room Styx pointed out for me, testing each key in the solid door. I hope Pallas will be inside. Unfortunately, there are no windows to check.

As I fumble with the keys, Melete and Styx round the corner. Melete is still singing, holding a walkie-talkie to her face. I glance at Styx, gun in one hand and knife in the other, before focusing back on the keys.

“Everything worked out, I guess?” I ask as I test the third from the last key.

Styx nods and starts talking. I take a moment to shake my head and point to my ears before returning focus to the keys. Finally, the latest key works and the door opens.

Pallas waits on the other side of the door. The room is almost completely empty and looks more like an empty storage closet than an actual room. Pallas has his fists held in front of his face in a boxing stance, with torn strips of his shirt in his ears. Upon seeing up, he lowers his hands and smiles.

Don’t come back for me…Don’t come back at all.

Melete finishes her song, takes a moment to wave and yell hi to Pallas, and then restarts the same song back at the beginning.

I gesture to Styx to lead the way, and she obliges.

Within a few steps, Melete’s voice cuts out from the speakers overhead, despite still singing next to me. She falls silent to my right, and I remove the skin covering my ears.

“We taped another walkie-talkie to the speaker mic,” Styx explains. “Someone probably found it, finally. We gotta go, reinforcements will be here soon.” Melete clips the walkie-talkie to her belt as Styx leads, not to one of the entrances, but to a side hallway. We pass a few guards in the halls, confused and with hands still cautiously clamped over ears. We ignore their yelled questions, and no one tries to stop our armed group despite being armed themselves.

The plan seems to be working. I had spent so much time over the last week trying to figure out how we can escape a fort full of hundreds of people when in reality we only need to escape one: Jeremy. No one else can so easily physically overwhelm us, and I doubt anyone will be willing to shoot other humans if Jeremy doesn’t command them to first. Now that Jeremy’s been incapacitated, I hope we’ll be able to escape without trouble.

A voice comes over the speakers. “All squads, group and report to your designated fallback locations. I repeat, group and report to fallback locations.” I nod towards Styx, an optimistic smile forming. It seems she was right about that too.

Styx had told us that, in case of emergencies, the guards would bring all the non-combatants and retreat to the school, abandoning the wall and other locations in favor of the more defensible option. As long as we can get out of the school, we should be home free.

We finally arrive at the hallway, large floor-to-ceiling windows every few yards in the wall. With minimal hesitation, Styx raises the gun and fires three times, the glass shattering into thousands of pieces.

We sprint out of the building. The sun has fully set by this point, and with the moon not having yet risen we can barely see the ground beneath our feet. But we refuse to slow down.

We get to the wall without being accosted by any guards, and blessedly find it empty. It takes a few seconds to climb, but once we’re over we run into the night. Free and together once again.

S: 102

D:100

W: 322

I: 102 (+1)

C: 72 (+2)

0

Skills: Adjust:Self