“Are you sure, sir?”
“Of course I’m not sure, Corporal. But I’d rather a few privates lose two hours of sleep and be wrong, than be right and not be prepared. So go set up the watch like I told you to ten minutes ago! Dismissed.”
Corporal Hinely saluted and walked out of the office, closing the door behind him, and Daughton sighed. He probably shouldn’t have been so short with the man, but there were already few enough hours in the day to do what needed to be done, and he couldn’t waste time reassuring his subordinates.
Sure, he was blindly following the instructions of a nine-year-old girl, despite there being absolutely zero signs otherwise that monsters would break through that particular wall of the city later tonight. But the girl hadn’t been wrong yet, at least not so wrong that Daughton would give up on trusting her.
It wasn’t like he had any better options.
- Sgt. Daughton, Inclusion +26 days 18:40 hours
We’re just as cautious in our retreat from Styx’s house as we were in the approach -- after all, we aren’t completely certain that the black sludge monster is the source of the pressure, and even if it is that doesn’t mean there are no other monsters to watch for in this area.
For the first few minutes I stick to Styx’s back, afraid to move too far away and lose the protection of her skill now that I’ve tasted the sweet bliss of relief. Unfortunately, Styx’s ability to keep up the aura of her skill is still limited, and she lets it fade, dripping in sweat, as we leave her immediate neighborhood behind.
I wince as the pressure comes back full force, but to be honest I also feel a bit of a relief as her skill disappears. After almost a month constantly being able to use my skills, there’s something that feels unnatural about being blocked off from my new abilities. Styx still has her skill active in its base form to protect herself from the pressure, so I’m not able to form a bond with her, but I quickly make a tiny modification to the skin on the back of my left hand, relieved at the return of the familiar feeling.
I’m so beyond ready for my first skill to return back to its full power.
Our exit from the zone of pressure is slow, but much more relaxed than our approach. Rather than the nervous anticipation of finding Styx’s parents and the pain and worry of nearing the monstrous source of the painful pressure, each step takes us just a bit closer to reuniting with our comrades.
After almost an hour of slow travel we come to the point Sam initially voiced its desire to turn around, and I immediately see Sam scuttle from behind the corner of a house to meet us.
I smile, relieved that it made it back here without issue. But before I can call out a greeting, Sam speaks.
“Careful. I think we may be being watched.”
My hand drops to my knife and I swing my head around, pleased to note I barely feel any twinge from the pressure at the sudden movement.
“Where?” Styx asks, also on the alert.
“That is the problem. I do not know from where, or what, may be watching. If I cannot see them, I cannot create my illusions, and I am almost entirely helpless.”
“How do you know you’re being watched then? Have you actually seen anything?” Styx asks skeptically.
Sam hesitates before answering. “I am...not entirely sure. It is more than just a feeling though. It is as if I have almost seen a glimpse of it many times, and yet...it is never there.”
Now I’m also skeptical. That sounds like a classic example of paranoia running rampant, but I know better than to dismiss it out of hand. As shy as Sam can be about any form of direct combat, I can’t forget that it has survived longer in a world much more dangerous than my own. I won’t ignore Sam’s instincts.
Although, whether or not something is watching us doesn’t change our course of action. We still need to reunite with our friends as quickly and as stealthily as possible. I’m not sure if we can be any more cautious than we already are, short of avoiding Ms. Kathy’s apartment entirely.
“We’ll keep an eye out then,” I say, attempting to sound confident. “Let’s get out of this pressure.”
We continue to travel from cover to cover, always trying to stay hidden with every movement and always on the alert for any hidden stalkers. After another few minutes, the pressure has abated enough for Styx to drop her skill entirely, allowing me to set up bonds with both her and Sam.
The silent communication is certainly a boon, letting us warn each other of particular obstacles in our path and sightlines to watch, as well as the simple reassurance of communication to counter the oppressive silence of the city. But I find the increased perspectives are more difficult to process than usual, and I struggle to focus after over an hour beneath the constant pressure. But I don’t let that stop me from dedicating intense concentration to observing our surroundings through all three of our senses, pushing through the pain.
Because despite my earlier skepticism, I now understand what Sam was referring to.
It’s nothing concrete, nothing physical I can point to as objective evidence that we’re being stalked. It’s a bunch of tiny things: a shadow that seems larger when I see it from the corner of my eye, leaves rustling despite the lack of wind, and a strange pervasive feeling of being hunted.
For a while I question my own nervousness, wondering if it’s just Sam’s paranoia infecting me. But in a quick, almost-silent conversation, Styx says she’s experiencing the same thing.
I choose to believe it’s more than just a coincidence.
I tell Styx to use her skill, which she does. But after ten minutes of testing, when I reform my bond she informs me that the feeling never abated.
Although that doesn’t mean much. We’ve already established that Styx’s skill only works on other skills, not on natural abilities like the Alatir’s illusions, so the feeling of being stalked still might be rooted in a monster’s abilities -- or even just in common sense.
For a while I entertain the possibility of not returning to Ms. Kathy’s until we deal with this unseen threat. But I eventually dismiss that as foolishness. Because despite the added danger that comes from having to protect Ms. Kathy and the kids, there’s even greater security that comes from our group being reunited. And besides, how would we engage our stalker, anyways? Try to out-wait it? Fake going to sleep and hope it takes the bait?
No, we’ll still rejoin our friends and hope our unseen follower will leave us alone after seeing our full strength, if not sooner. But until then, we need to stay focused.
----------------------------------------
It takes another five hours for us to get back to Ms. Kathy’s apartment, almost twice as long as the initial trip out. We only stop for a few breaks, resting for the time it takes to regain our breath and scarf down some snacks. But we are much more cautious than our movements earlier in the morning, which translates to half the speed.
I shakily climb the stairs leading to the apartment, exhausted almost beyond belief. Physically, this trip was no different from any of our earlier days of travel. But mentally and emotionally...I’m completely wrung out, running only on fumes. We knock quietly on the apartment door, which after a moment opens to Pallas’ raised axe.
I don’t have the energy to be startled, simply sliding past his large form to collapse in the recliner, sighing in relief.
Melete, Ms. Kathy, and the twins join us in the living room as Styx follows me in, Sam sliding invisibly through the door as well. After only a quick glance to my tired form, Styx begins explaining our day to the eager audience.
I listen with only half an ear, dismissing my two bonds with a sigh of relief and settling deeper into the soft cushions. And as Styx’s voice continues, describing the pain of the pressure, the sadness of the destroyed house, and warning of the danger of our potential stalker...I drift off to a peaceful, dreamless sleep.
----------------------------------------
When I wake, I’m surprisingly rested and refreshed. It’s only after I notice the early dawn light shining through the curtains that I realize I slept over twelve hours.
I also realize I’m starving, and have an intense need to relieve my bladder.
I quickly duck-walk to the bathroom and sigh as the pressure is relieved, replacing the mostly-still-empty bucket in the corner of the room.
“Morning, sunshine,” Melete greets me with a whisper as I walk back into the living room. “How was your sleep?” I use my skill to form a bond before replying, using the silent communication to avoid waking our still-slumbering companions.
Really good, thanks, I communicate sheepishly. Sorry for leaving you with the watch.
She just waves away my apology. “Don’t worry about it. All we did yesterday was nap and play with the kids, so I’m fine with watching. Those two have a LOT of energy.”
I choose not to comment on the irony of her complaints.
Did you explain everything about the inclusion to them? I ask. Skills too?
“More or less. We showed them our skills. Warned them to plug their ears if monsters ever attack. We told them about your bond skill, in case you have to use it with them, but didn’t tell them about Styx’s or your modification skill. Phoebe and Hyper are adorable, but they suck at keeping secrets.”
I chuckle at the painfully on-the-nose shortening of ‘Hyperion’, and we lapse into a pleasant silence.
“So what’s the plan, Stan?” Melete finally asks. “What are we gonna do, Stu? What’s the dealio, Emelio? What’s the news, Suz?”
I laugh again quietly. How long have you been thinking of all of those?
Melete shrugs. “Last couple of hours. Watch has been pretty calm. But really...what’s next, Lex?”
That last one’s not as good. But...do you think Ms. Kathy and the twins can make it to Bothell?
Melete’s joking demeanor is immediately gone. “We’re NOT leaving them.”
“Of course not,” I placate her with my hands raised in front of me, checking to see if Styx and Pallas are still asleep. When they don’t stir, I continue through my bond. But can they walk there by themselves, do you think? Should we try and get a car? I don’t want to get a day out of the city and realize we’ll have to carry them the rest of the way.
Melete calms when she realizes I’m not suggesting leaving her sole connection to normalcy behind, and looks thoughtful. “I think they can make it. Not as fast as us, obviously. But if we give them plenty of rest breaks, and have enough food and water...the twins never seem to run out of energy, and Ms. Kathy has always been more spry than she lets on.”
“Hm. Then I think we should still walk, as long as you think they can make it. As nice as it would be to get to Bothell in just a few hours, I don’t think the risk is worth it,” I voice my justification out loud. And it’s even true, to a certain extent -- being in a vehicle paints a huge target on our backs for any monsters: unless we find a specific type of car, they’re loud, large, and extremely limited in terms of where they can go. And being enclosed in such a tight area sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
But I don’t voice some of my more worrying reasons for avoiding a car: how useful will it be, actually?
If the original school bus of my classmates had made it back to Clayton...would they be any better off than we are now? They might be reunited with their families, sure, but they’d be trapped in the feeding frenzy of a city with hardly any Numbers and no skills to defend themselves with. What are the odds that they’d actually be alive today if they had made it home within the first few hours of the inclusion?
Maybe it’s just my pessimism talking, but I’m worried Bothell will just be more of the same. It may be prideful, but perhaps one of the safest places for the twins and Ms. Kathy is in the wilderness between the cities, far from any major population centers, protected by four people with higher Numbers and powerful skills.
Of course, this is all dependent on our more basic human needs being met while we wander in the wilderness. Which means before we can even think about leaving, we need supplies.
When the rest of our group wakes up an hour later, I explain my plan to them, and Sam and my three classmates agree immediately, accepting when I split us up once again into two teams to forage for supplies and stay back and protect the apartment.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Ms. Kathy looks confused at my friends' almost blind acceptance of my leadership, but after weeks of simply surviving with little plan for the future she accepts our help and direction. This time, Pallas, Sam, and I set out to raid nearby apartments and homes while Melete and Styx stay back.
At first, it’s actually much easier than I had expected. While Melete’s mom had already explored and stolen any available supplies within a short walking distance of the apartment, after weeks of being constantly on the move, I realize our definition of a ‘short walking distance’ is a bit different from most others.
While many of the houses we explore have already been broken into and fully raided of anything useful, for every three empty houses or apartments we search we find one with something useful. Sometimes, these are supplies that were simply missed or overlooked by the original raiders. Others, the houses are still locked tight, untouched by raiders or monsters either due to an inability to gain access or out of some misplaced sense of respect for others’ property.
Neither of those is any hindrance to us.
Long past are the days when I would feel any guilt for stealing supplies that have been left behind in an almost abandoned city. And Pallas has continued to invest almost all of his earned Numbers into strength, so very few doors or windows are able to withstand more than one blow from his shoulder or fist. Of course, we always are careful to knock quietly on any doors before breaking in, as we don’t want to destroy the security of what might be the hideout of a still living human. And despite Sam’s derision towards firearms, a gun in the hands of a paranoid human defending their home could end us quicker and easier than any surprise monster attack.
But that worry ends up unfounded, as every house we raid is as empty as the grave.
The abandoned nature of the city makes me worry for the future of humanity. According to Sam, monsters are drawn to the former population centers and the potential Numbers they contain, turning those cities into massive single-elimination death matches. The humans obviously flee from the cities to escape the monsters...but where do we go?
If humanity sets up new cities, won’t that just attract more monsters? Will we be forced into the dark ages, obligated to huddle behind the walls of fortified castles, taking our lives into our hands whenever we leave the fortresses? Or will that just attract even stronger opponents, monsters strong enough to crack the hard shell for the Numbers contained within?
I consider the monsters we’ve seen so far. The Alatir seem to take the ‘castle’ approach, setting up heavily fortified colonies in remote locations. The trolls we saw, however, carved out their territory through strength of arms, killing anything that trespassed through superior Numbers and the ability to nullify skills. Beyond that...I don’t know if any other approach is sustainable for humanity for the long term. Sure, humans would be able to survive by being nomadic scavengers like the dog monsters or the swarm of locust creatures, but that would merely be survival.
Thinking back to my lessons on world history, humanity was only truly able to flourish when we planted roots, both figuratively and literally. While there were primitive nomadic societies, social and technological advances were only made possible through the development of agriculture and the printing press, both of which required a stationary society.
Obviously, that doesn’t completely apply to our current situation. Humanity has already laid so much of the groundwork, such as solar panels, hydroponic farms, and long distance communication that mitigates the need for a completely stationary society. But if humans are never able to gather in groups larger than a few dozen without attracting the notice of powerful predators, how will we ever survive in the long-term, much less thrive?
It all comes down to power. While guns, missiles, and old-fashioned military superiority is well and good, I’m not sure for how much longer they will be effective. At the rate our Numbers are increasing, we might soon all be miniature versions of Superman, immune to petty nuisances like bullets.
Right now, we’re in a race, one humanity didn’t even know existed when the starting horn went off: how fast can we gain the Numbers we need to survive? Sure, guns and our technologies help us now, but if they give us just a few extra days of life at the cost of future Numbers...what does that mean for our future as a species?
We need to change our mindset. So long ago, Sam asked how humanity conquered earth, and thinking now, the answer is most likely through our use of tools. For so long, the humans which win the wars are those that have better weapons and equipment -- in other words, those with the better tools. But that might not be the case for much longer.
Now, humans have to become the weapons. Skills and Numbers.
Always, the universe advances. And if humanity wants to keep up in this uncertain world we’ve been thrown into, we have to advance with it.
I don’t kid myself into thinking that I’m one of the strongest in the world, that my two skills and high intelligence and wisdom somehow make me the pinnacle of human achievement in this new world. After all, there were billions of people on this planet just over a month ago. Statistically, being the frontrunner out of billions is almost a complete impossibility.
But I do recognize that I have a leg up on most. Right at the start, while others hid and ran, I was forced to fight. And that initial push forward has only led to more advantages, skills and Numbers that would have been impossible to acquire had I not been given such a head start.
What responsibility does that place on me? On our group? We’ve taken it upon ourselves to protect Ms. Kathy and the twins...but how far does that obligation reach?
These thoughts swirl through my head as we explore, the faint feeling of being hunted always following as we move from house to house. The desire...no, the need to get stronger, to protect those I’ve come to care about.
And so when we finally stumble upon a house that isn’t empty, a strange warbling growl from the dark interior echoing out to meet us, I don’t stumble back in surprise.
I attack.
The monster that jumps out of the newly cleared doorway doesn’t expect me to step forward, and so instead of its trajectory impaling me on the massive horn sticking from the front of its head, it crashes head-first into my swinging fire poker.
But despite the solid hit that knocks the creature to the ground, in less than a second it’s back on its feet without any traces of blood or injury, slowly backing away from Pallas and me.
I take the moment to examine the creature, and almost snort a laugh. A horned rabbit.
How stereotypical can you be?
The starting enemy in almost every role-playing video game I’ve ever played or seen is crouched in the flesh in front of me. Yet despite its seeming resemblance to the familiar trope, my laugh doesn’t completely materialize. Because the creature in front of me looks anything but trivial to defeat.
The rabbit itself is over knee height, closer to the size of a dog than to the rabbits that could be seen in a petting zoo. The horn protruding from its head is viciously jagged and over a foot long, stained a dark crimson from a previous encounter, and sharp claws extend from both the front and massive rear legs.
Before I have any more time to continue my examination, the rabbit reverses its backwards motion, shooting towards us in a massive leap that takes it three feet in the air, horn pointed directly at my chest, piercing deep before I have the chance to move.
Or at least that’s what the rabbit sees.
We do not wait idly by as the rabbit prepares to attack. Through my bonds, I communicate a plan that, unfortunately, barely requires any contribution from me.
The rabbit strikes an illusion created by Sam, one made immediately after the rabbit started to retreat. I step away from the doorway, my first strike from my fire poker showing that Pallas’ strength is required to quickly finish off this opponent.
And he makes the most of the opportunity Sam’s illusions create. The rabbit flails its legs in confusion as it soars through my illusionary body, landing hard against the ground, claws scraping against the tile as it slides to a stop. But Pallas is ready, and swings his axe overhead, making direct contact with the back of the rabbits neck.
And just like that, we’ve won.
The battle started and ended so quickly, my heart thumps in my chest as the rush of adrenaline fades. But it surges back again when I hear another noise coming from the dark doorway, a smaller chirp similar to the noise before the first attack.
I raise my fire poker and slowly shuffle to the edge of the door, ready for any leaping rabbits. Pallas dislodges his axe from the dead rabbit’s neck and hefts it, ready for a repeat of our plan.
But when I get close enough to make out the source of the noises, I lower my guard.“Um, I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do about this, but I think we’re safe.”
In the dark room, on what appears to have previously been a cat bed, a pile of wriggling baby horned rabbits snuffle. Their fur is thin and pale, their eyes barely open with just the nubs of horns sticking from the middle of their foreheads serving as any indication that these are any different from normal baby bunnies.
“That is fortunate,” Sam says from behind me. “A free source of Numbers that does not require combat.”
“What?! We can’t kill them,” I say. “They’re just babies!”
“Yes we can. That is what makes it so easy to kill them.”
I’m almost certain Sam knows what I meant and is being intentionally obstinate, but before I can say anything else it continues.
“You were planning to protect the human children, yes? We can bring these back for them to kill, and they will be better able to protect themselves. It is one of the primary ways Alatir strengthen those young and weak in the colony with minimal risk. After all, with such low Numbers, they are hardly worth anything for us.”
I look to Pallas for help. I understand the logic behind Sam’s statements, but...they’re just so helpless. So helpless, so innocent, and so cute.
“Sam has a point,” Pallas says, disappointing me. “And the kids will have to learn how to kill at some point. But we don’t want to traumatize them either, or do anything without Melete or Ms. Kathy’s approval.”
I nod. “We’ll bring them back with us, then. Maybe they can be tamed?” I ask with some hope in my voice, “And if not, we’ll do what needs to be done.”
Carefully, I shuffle around the bed, trying to figure out the best way to transport them. Eventually, we decide to just place the entire bed full of rabbits -- I count five of them -- into the top of my half-full backpack. I’m worried that they might fall out and be crushed, but when I voice my fears Sam assuages me.
“They are not like what you report human young to be: they do not start off with zero Numbers. They are still much more fragile than an adult, obviously, but nothing in your pack is heavy enough to overcome their strength Numbers and seriously hurt them simply by shifting around.”
Pallas’ pack is already full from the houses and apartments raided earlier, so we set back for Ms. Kathy’s apartment with our heavy loads. I focus on ignoring the occasional squeak from my bag once we are back in the open. The strange feeling of being stalked still follows us, which, while unnerving, has the positive of ensuring I’m easily able to forget my worries for the small monsters I carry.
We make it back to the apartment without any mishaps, finally relaxing as we climb the outdoor stairs and are welcomed into the living room.
“Feeling still there?” Styx asks as she closes and locks the door behind us.
“Yeah,” I answer, shrugging off my backpack and slowly unzipping the top. For some reason, the stalking feeling disappears whenever we enter a building, and doesn’t re-appear for at least a few minutes after leaving.
Any further questions about the feeling are cut off as Styx catches a glimpse of inside my backpack.
“Oh. Um...what?” she asks.
“So, we fought a horned rabbit,” I explain as Pallas silently unpacks his own bag full of supplies. “Killed it. Turns out it had babies.”
“...and you brought them back for...?”
“Pallas and Sam--” I start, but I’m cut off by a high-pitched squeal as Melete runs across the small room to crouch over my bag.
“Coochie-coochie-coo!” she says in a baby voice as she wiggles a finger near the nose of a white-furred baby rabbit with brown splotches. The rabbit attempts to bite the extended target with tiny needle-like teeth, but Melete snatches her hand back before the jaws close around the digit, only to attempt the same to the rabbit’s neighbor.
I glance at Pallas before continuing. “We were thinking they might be a good way for the twins to gain some easy Numbers. Maybe get accustomed to killing monsters?”
“Huh. That’s actually a really good idea.” Surprisingly, it’s Melete who responds first as she unsuccessfully continues her attempts to pet each of the different bunnies without getting attacked. “They’ll need to sometime, and earlier is probably better than later. Need to run it by Ms. Kathy first.”
“But isn’t that kind of...harsh? They’re just bunnies,” Styx says.
“Yeah, bunnies from another world who’s mother attacked us without warning. And who somehow managed to ‘conquer’ their own homeworld. I’m more worried about the twins than I am the bunnies,” I answer, trying to convince her despite not being entirely convinced myself.
Pallas shrugs. “They won’t be torturing them, or anything like that. It shouldn’t be traumatizing. I learned to fish much younger than the twins are now.”
“And look how you turned out,” Melete quips, before shooting Pallas a smile. “But really, it’s like Pallas says, basically fishing. Even if we don’t eat them, we’re still using them to gain Numbers, which might be even more important for survival than just food. I think it’s worth it, and plenty justified.”
I’m still not entirely convinced that it’s a great idea, forcing eight-year-olds to kill something as cute and innocent looking as the baby horned bunnies, but I’m outnumbered. “Fine, fine. But you’re the ones who’ll be explaining it all to Ms. Kathy.”
Melete grimaces, but then her face hardens into a determined expression, and she nods.
----------------------------------------
It takes a good hour of arguing, but eventually Melete convinces Ms. Kathy. Truthfully, I don’t think it was the valid points Melete was making that finally pushed Ms. Kathy over the edge. Rather, it is her steer stubbornness in pursuing the issue.
Melete is flighty at the best of times. And though she can be stubborn over silly little things, it’s typically easy enough to distract or sidestep her obstinance.
But no matter how Ms. Kathy argued, Melete didn’t give up on her position, didn’t waver or get distracted in the slightest. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so committed, practically pushing Ms. Kathy to tears before the woman finally gave in.
In the end, the actual act of killing the monsters is easier than the argument over it. All it takes is a sharp knife and a simple slash for the deed to be done, Pallas, who has been hunting before, shows the kids the proper technique.
Neither of the twins is happy about it, of course. But they’re determined to be tough for Melete and their grandmother, and only shed a few tears each. There are five baby bunnies in total, each giving five to six free Numbers to the twins, and Melete dutifully shows them how to increase their Numbers after the kills. In preparation for our journey, most of the Numbers are invested into strength.
Styx cleans up the mess the killings made while the rest of us sit down for a lunch of our recently gained supplies. While Ms. Kathy still has a few days worth of food left, it’s mostly just almost-identical bags of chips, and the added variety is much appreciated by the kids.
After lunch, Styx and Pallas leave with Sam on another raid for supplies, while I stay back to keep watch with Melete. I maintain bonds with both Pallas and Sam as they explore, so I’m able to wait while entertaining the twins without stressing too much.
And luckily, their raiding completes without a hitch. They explore the opposite direction from the earlier raid, and in the third house they enter they find a full pantry stocked with non-perishable goods, allowing them to return with full bags in under two hours.
I’m sure there are other humans hiding out somewhere in this city. Possibly even friends or acquaintances from our old lives. But we don’t have the time or inclination to go searching further around the city, not after the monster Styx and I saw yesterday, or the constant feeling of being stalked we’ve had since.
Tomorrow, we leave for Bothell.
S: 153
D: 144
W: 390
I: 362
C: 100
3 (+3)
Skills: Adjust:Self, Bond:Mental