I left Jayce’s place feeling a bit better. One one hand, I wasn’t the only one having problems. I didn’t HAVE another hand, so I just let that sit in the back of my head.
MAP. That thought was in the front of my head. So, I’ve checked our friend's houses, where are the rest of the circles? I compared the map in my overlay with Google Maps, but there weren't any clues as to what significance they held. Rather than wandering around the neighbourhood to random locations, I decided to park my ass at the table next to the park and pull out my drone. Call me lazy if you want, but this little thing moves a LOT faster than I do, and I just couldn’t be arsed hoofing it around.
I flicked out the arms, hit the power button and waited until it connected to my phone. When the light showed solid green I tossed the drone into the air and settled down at the covered picnic table . As the drone stabilised itself I pulled up the control app and dropped waypoints for it to follow. The drone whizzed off like the world’s biggest mosquito and I flicked over to the camera screen of the app.
Sure, I could have guided it manually or slipped the phone into the headset and driven it FPV style but I wanted to pay more attention to what I was seeing than where it was going. The drone zipped down the street just higher than the street lights as I scanned the image for signs Aimee had passed this way. I was just starting to get a sense of deja vu when it arrived at the first waypoint and it clicked. The drone hovered over a statue, rotating slowly in place as I realised why the “quest markers” had been placed where they were. They’re PokeStops, I thought. Places where Aimee would normally go on her walks, and of course places where I’d likely find her.
My eyes were glued to the screen as I scanned the area for anything I could see. Anything that might suggest Aimee was or had been there. So engrossed was I that the weight that slammed into my kidney area came as quite the surprise. Fortunately the kangaroo leather of my motorbike jacket was made of sterner stuff. It had to be, considering the way that roos fight is to rear back on their tails, dig their insanely sharp toes into their opponent’s guts and rip downwards, disembowelling them.
So, when the unknown assailant tried to stab me in the back, all I got was a dull thump and I dropped my phone. I tried to stand up, but got caught between the table and the bench seat as both were cemented in place. I took another hit in the back, this time between the shoulderblades and from the feel of it they were using two knives at the same time. The blade of one hooked in the leather, pulling me backwards and dragging me clear of the table. I was finally able to get a good look at my attacker and immediately wished I hadn’t.
It’s not often Aussies get arachnophobia. There’s more spiders in Oz than humans. Everyone knows the huntsman and the redback, but they’re pretty innocuous. Neither will kill you, probably. The trapdoor will give it a red hot go, as will the mouse spider. The one you really need to watch out for is the funnel web, especially the Sydney Funnel Web spider, generally regarded as the most deadly in the world. I, however, HATE the things. Fire is too kind for them. Take off and nuke the site from orbit, it’s the only way to be sure.
Time to update the list! My mind screamed as I rolled left as hard as I could. The OH GOD IT’S HUGE spider is now number one. The eight legged freak currently trying to eat my face has approximately the size and aggression of your average rottweiler. I wished for a 12 gauge, and when it did not immediately appear I threw myself left again as the beast lunged. Rolling to my feet as I’d been taught all those years ago, I drew the bokken in a smooth sweep, knocking one leg clean off with the stroke. I’mma need to get a REAL sword if this keeps up! I noted.
The loss of one limb didn’t hamper the monster much and it turned towards me again, emitting a high pitched screech. I watched as it hunched down and guessed it was going to jump at me again. The fangs stood out in stark relief against its jet black chitin and I imagined what it would be like if one managed to pierce my armour.
“Come on if you think you’re hard enough!” I yelled at the thing. My one fault, well, the one I’ll admit to, is that if it comes to a fight/flight/freeze situation I only have one response: fight. I was a small kid that got picked on at school. And at home by my series of step-dads. Now I had a free pass to go to town on monsters? Sign me up at the local adventurer's guild!
When the spider launched itself at me I stepped forward and ripped the bokken out in an upward sweep. The wooden blade connected at the base of the legs on its left side, clipping three of them off cleanly and sending the beast tumbling to the side. This time it’s mobility was ruined, and it landed on its back.
“Why. Couldn’t. You. Just. Leave. Me. Alone!” I screamed, smacking the waving legs. With each strike I removed a section, sending them spinning into the bark that surrounded the play equipment with a spray of ichor. I was not going to let this go the easy way. There is not a boot or rolled up newspaper big enough for my needs here so I made do. When I’d made sure there was no way it could grab me or roll back rightway up I separated its abdomen from the torso and left it there to bleed out. The bokken was no sword and I was not getting anywhere near the fangs again.
Did I mention I hate spiders? I hate spiders that try to eat me more.
I checked my surroundings carefully, finally looking up. Rope thick strands of spiderweb hung from the structure that supported the roof of the covered table. I’d been oblivious to what was above me when I sat down, too engrossed in getting the drone into the air. Fortunately for me, there weren’t any more up there, just the beast’s victims cocooned. A couple birds, a dog and something I didn’t recognise. They weren’t moving so I left them for whoever’s job it was. Not mine.
I retrieved the phone from under the table and thanked my lucky stars that Aimee insisted I always have a case that covered the screen. The cover had flipped closed when I’d dropped it and saved the screen from cracking. I blew the grit off the case, wiped it on my pants and stepped out into the sun. I wasn’t far from home so I decided to take the two minutes walk and head there. My stomach rumbled, reminding me that it had been emptied recently, sealing the deal. I took a second to set the drone to record its flight, added home to the list of waypoints and set off home.
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The moment I pushed the key into the door I felt the strange golden ripple from head to toe again. Shaking off the sensation I made a mental note to check the menu system once I had some food in my protesting gut. I snagged a couple of muesli bars from the ravaged pantry, a can from the fridge and trudged up the stairs, through the bedroom and onto the balcony outside our room. There was a nice patio set out there to relax on in normal times and I dropped the food and phone on the table with a clatter. I looked out over the field our home faced trying to spot the drone returning.
The town planner who designed our suburb must have gotten drunk AND high then googled “walkable suburbs”. This resulted in the “street” we lived on being a footpath between our building and the soccer field which confused the hell out of both Waze and every delivery driver we called. The lane behind the building isn’t a real road either - not a gazetted one anyway. It’s a driveway access to the eight garages belonging to the homes in this row. The nearest roads that people can drive on in any normal manner run perpendicular to that row and they’re all at least five houses away from our place. Even the term house is kinda misleading, you know how duplexes are two places that share a wall? Well, decaplex isn’t a word but it damn well should be. And where we are right in the middle, well we know exactly how often our neighbours are intimate, which is not knowledge I would ever have asked for. I’m 90% sure one of them is a furry.
Exhausted, I threw myself into the chair hard enough that it creaked. The oversized mozzie noise was approaching while I unwrapped a bar and chewed. What the hell is going on with the world? I wondered as I waited. Oh, yeah, I have the entirety of human knowledge at my fingertips. I picked up my phone and hit the browser icon. Not just for arguing with strangers and looking at LOLCats.
“Hey Google, what in the shitballs is going on?”
“I’ve sent several links to your device.”
Say what you want about Big Tech omnipresent surveillance, it’s damn useful, I thought as the screen populated. Articles on current events scrolled past but before I could tap on any of them they were shunted down by a breaking news link. The government was releasing a statement so I hit that one first.
The video began with our Prime Minister stepping out of the front door of a hotel in Hawaii and addressing the gathered reporters. I hadn’t known he was IN Hawaii, but as there was a national emergency I wasn’t exactly surprised. “Ladies and gentlemen of the press, what we have here is an unprecedented global phenomenon. My best advisors are telling me that we are witnessing in real time the Earth, and in fact the whole solar system, passing through a region of space where the laws of physics differ from what was previously known. Rest assured that they are not so different that we are in any immediate danger, but more on that when we cross to the Minister for Science and Industry Karen Andrews. What we do know is that there are two main effects, the first being a sort of “system” that both monitors and assists with your life. This Menu system appears to be visible to everyone who has passed through puberty and is understandable no matter your language. Even people who are illiterate find they can understand the information presented. The second effect is a subset of this Menu system, which has allowed people who have fulfilled certain criteria to access what appears to be magic. At this time, we are unsure what the criteria are and are urging the public not to attempt any dangerous acts to find out for themselves, no matter what the Menu system is suggesting. I will say this again, do not engage in dangerous or life-threatening behaviours to try to trigger these criteria. Anyone who has gained access to the magic system will be considered armed under Australian law and treated as such. I will not be taking any questions at this time.” With those final words, he scurried back inside, knocking over a small child who was attempting to exit the hotel with their family. By the time the video had cut out my drone had arrived and was stirring my hair in its downdraft.
Well, that solves that question. I wonder what Mr Menu thinks of that? MENU.
The menu overlaid itself on reality again, once more presenting the list of character scores. This time, however, the JOURNAL tab was flashing golden. I took a moment to land the drone on the table, no use wasting the battery having it hovering, it had already been in the air for nearly fifteen minutes and I didn’t want it dying. I pulled the battery out and connected it to the charger just inside the patio door, leaning over precariously so that I didn’t have to get out of my chair to do so. When all four of the chair legs were firmly on the ground once more I turned my attention back to the flashing tab.
WHISKEY. TANGO. FOXTROT:
What the hell is going on? The world has gone mad and it’s up to you to find out what happened. Or don’t and live with your failure.
-> You have found out, after a fashion. You have been awarded a single attribute point to distribute as you wish. This entry is marked [completed - pro tem]. While you have fulfilled the requirements, there is more to learn and greater rewards to be gained.
I leaned back in the chair and thought about this. More to learn? Does that mean the government isn’t telling us everything? Shock horror! Ok, so sarcasm may not be helpful but it made me feel better. I made a mental note to scour the net later for more information and closed the menu.
I pulled the SD card from the drone and plugged it into my phone to check the saved video. It took a few seconds to extract the phone from its case one-handed in order to access the SD card slot. It also means I left teeth marks in the case. Whatever. Once the card had been recognised by the OS I brought up the video and fast forwarded through the parts I already knew. Once I reached the part where the Nope Spider had interrupted me I started paying attention.
The drone had buzzed down the road at a medium pace, a road that was generally quite busy, but today it seemed that everyone had chucked a sickie. Anyone with any sense was staying indoors, which explains why I had been out wandering around. I saw some concerning things in the bushes, things I’d need to dig out my Monster Manual to identify, but no sign of Aimee. The camera wasn’t the best, it was only a $50 cheapie no-name quadcopter from JB Hi-Fi. Aimee is the photographer and her DJI one could take a photo of a gnat’s nipple from across the city. While I was distracted thinking about this the video reached the point where the drone was arriving at the waypoint I’d dropped for the last circle that had been on my map. The camera panned around in a circle once then it took off home, but I paused it there and ran it back.
There! I spotted it immediately, something I saw every day. She always wears it when she goes out. Aimee’s hat.