[THE HAVEN]
A prolonged scream woke Ethan, and everyone else in his unit.
Ethan groaned, stretching his six-foot body across his four-foot bed. Saffron crust leaked from his eye like fossilized tears - that must be an infection, probably from the shower again. That water wasn’t safe to drink; it was barely safe to shower in. He often emerged smelling worse than when he went in.
Ethan’s eight unit mates shuffled around like freshly reincarnated zombies, rubbing their eyes and stretching their limbs. Some lay on the cold hard floor. Others peeked out from beneath computer desks. Their combined body heat rendered blankets obsolete; the AC only offered more hot air.
An old woman in loose-fitting pajamas squirmed at the base of a torn-up sofa, rupturing her vocal cords with loud rasping screeches. Every eye in the unit, including Ethan’s itchy crusty eye, aimed towards her like rifles in a firing squad.
Murmuring voices cascaded around Ethan:
“Holy shit,” someone said. “What the fuck is it this time?”
“Ethan, shut her up,” another someone said. “Or I’ll shut her up.”
“Don’t worry everyone,” said Ethan. “I’ve got it!”
Ethan took a sleepy step out of bed, onto another man’s ribs.
“Ow,” said that man.
“Hey there Ben,” said Ethan. “Sorry about that. I warned you about sleeping so close to the bed.”
“There’s no space, my guy,” said Ben. “Gotta crash where I can. Maybe we could kill off a unit mate or two.”
“The Haven would assign us more unit mates,” said Ethan. “And assign you cell mates!”
“I’m joking, my guy,” said Ben. “Don’t act dumb.”
Ben rose with a groan, nursing a bruised rib. Cheap purple hair dye dripped down his bare chest, flowing across his Captain Lair undergarments below. Poor Captain Lair looked like the sole survivor of a traumatic battle, his bulging mask littered with holes and discolored battle scars.
Ben scratched Captain Lair’s face, leaning on a wooden bed support that offered little actual support.
“I’m guessing that old bat had a night terror again,” said Ben.
“I think she hurt her arm this time,” said Ethan. “She probably fell off the couch.”
“Make her sleep on the floor,” said Ben. “She can’t fall off the floor.”
“She can’t sleep on the floor,” said Ethan. “And if she can’t sleep, no one can!”
Ethan threw aside his sticky bed sheets, slipping into the nearest pair of pants. They weren’t his, but they still fit.
“I’ll run her to the infirmary,” said Ethan. “I’d love it if you joined me, Ben. It’s safer with two people.”
“You’ve gotta be shitting me,” said Ben. “That’ll take hours. I could sleep with those hours.”
“I’ll owe you five bed nights,” said Ethan. “Plus what’s left of this one!”
Ben groaned, sweeping crumbs from his side.
“Yeah, alright,” said Ben. “But gimme a sec. I can’t find my pants.”
***
Ethan and Ben led the screeching old woman through dim Haven halls, taking careful note of each passing unit:
3313…
3315…
3317…
3319 swung wide open. Something sharp and metal hovered in the darkness within, glimmering below a set of furious eyes.
“Stop her damn screaming,” said the owner of those eyes. “We can hear it across the whole damn hall.”
Ben reached into his torn jeans pocket, slipping out a thin blade.
“Go back to bed, my guy,” said Ben. “Or I’ll put you to sleep right here!”
Ethan stepped between them.
“Sorry for disturbing you,” said Ethan. “We’ll be out of your way in a minute.”
The two eyes narrowed; the door followed suit.
A trio of deserters strolled by, cursing at the old woman. Sharp glimmering metal peeked out from their fingers.
Ben reached into his own pocket –
Ethan shuffled in front, giving the deserters a gentle nod.
“Sorry for the disturbance,” said Ethan. “Have a good day, my friends!”
The deserters gave Ethan a wary nod, but continued on their way.
Ben leaned in close.
“You gotta stop being such a pussy, my guy,” said Ben. “People are gonna eat you alive.
“They’d have to be really hungry for that,” said Ethan.
“Stop playing dumb,” said Ben. “If you fuck around, you’re gonna get hurt.”
“Get hurt?” asked Ethan. “It’s a good thing we’re on our way to the infirmary!”
Ben gritted his blackened teeth, maintaining his breath and composure. The infirmary line was always long, and today it was longer than usual. It stretched and curved across several halls, each person equipped with their own brand of agony: mangled limbs, whooping coughs and bleeding wounds.
The old woman’s injuries seemed trivial in contrast, but her screams upstaged everyone. She was a one-woman metal band, performing an abrasive setlist with an infinite encore. Her performance lasted three straight hours. By the time they neared the infirmary door, Ben was nearly screaming too.
The line rounded a corner, compacting into a blob that threatened to absorb an unassuming steel door. An enforcer emerged, warding off the crowd with a fiery bayonet.
Ethan and Ben moshed through the mob, in range of the enforcer’s earshot. The old woman was a sniper in that regard - her siren-like wail immediately drew the enforcer’s obsidian goggles upon her.
The enforcer grunted - so this was the source of the noise. He could hear those screams, even through the reinforced metal door. If he had to deal with one more minute of this, he’d give that old woman an injury worth screaming about.
The enforcer pointed a yellow glove towards her.
“You,” said the enforcer. “In.”
***
Past the steel door was a hanging lamp, flickering above a rusty metal table. Pills and papers formed a shanty fortress across rows of mildewed shelves, sheltering a number of bloodied tools.
A man in a gray coat shone a flashlight into Ethan’s crusty eye.
“That’s an infection alright,” the man said. “And it’s contagious. Bet you infected everyone in line.”
“Sorry about that, Doc,” said Ethan. “We’re here for Mary though. I think she hurt her arm!”
Mary stood at Ethan’s side, her screams ricocheting around the tiny room. Ben and the enforcer maintained their distance, cuffing their ears in their palms.
Doc peered at Mary’s arm with two marble eyes, magnified in his oversized spectacles.
“That’s a break alright,” said Doc. “Not a compound fracture. Bet it hurts though.”
“Can you do anything for her, Doc?” asked Ethan.
Ben burrowed his fingers into his ears.
“Please, my guy,” said Ben. “At least make her stop screaming.”
“Not much I can do,” said Doc. “Will have to heal on its own. Might be a few weeks though. Maybe months.”
“You’ve gotta be shitting me,” said Ben. “I can’t take months of this shit!”
“There must be something, Doc,” said Ethan. “She’s in pain!”
“So is everyone else out there,” said Doc. “Floor three’s just got too many people. Don’t have the resources for every minor injury.”
“It’s major to her,” said Ethan. “Please Doc, I’ll do anything.”
“Not much you can do –”
Ethan gripped Doc’s dirty gray coat.
“Anything,” said Ethan. “You name it!”
The enforcer’s glowing bayonet wagged towards Ethan like an accusatory finger.
Ben tugged at Ethan’s wrist.
“Ethan, don’t be dumb,” said Ben. “You’re going to get us killed!”
Ethan fell to his knees.
“I have food,” said Ethan. “Or rep points. Anything. Just please help her.”
“Rep points?” asked Doc.
Doc raised a warding palm, steadying the enforcer’s approach.
“How much?” asked Doc.
Ethan reached into his hoodie, passing Doc a small black card. Doc swiped it through a handheld device - a long number appeared on its glowing screen.
Ben managed to get a glimpse of that number.
“Ethan, you’ve got to be shitting me,” said Ben. “Where’d you get all those rep points?”
“Zero Space,” said Ethan.
“No shit,” said Ben. “Where in Zero Space?”
“My guild,” said Ethan.
“Stop playing dumb,” said Ben. “What kind of crazy shit has your guild been up to?”
Doc wrote out a number, nearly as long as the one on the screen.
“That’s the fee,” said Doc.
Ben shrieked louder than Mary.
“Ethan, don’t be stupid,” said Ben. “You can’t give him all that!”
“I’ll do it,” said Ethan.
Doc grinned with pearly white teeth, contorting his fingers into a deliberate symbol. The enforcer acknowledged it with a grunt, stepping outside for some fresh air.
Doc’s hand slipped below the table, prying open a hidden shelf.
“Can’t do much for your eye,” said Doc. “Just keep away from other people for a bit.”
Doc’s fingers pinched a thin brown tube.
“These should help with her screaming though,” said Doc.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Doc rattled the brown tube in his hand.
“Just one pill per night,” said Doc. “Two, and she won’t wake up.”
Doc tucked the pills deep into Ethan’s pocket.
“Don’t pull those out until you get back to your unit,” said Doc. “And you didn’t get those here”
***
Ben and Ethan sat on their bed, brigraded by an army of snores. Mary grinned at them from across the unit, swaying back and forth on the couch like an inebriated metronome.
“At least get her off the couch, my guy,” said Ben. “That old woman’s brittle as all hell.”
“She’s been around longer than us,” said Ethan. “She’s a strong little lady.”
Mary released a euphoric giggle, her pupils wide and dilated.
Ben shook his head.
“I don’t know how you do it, my guy,” said Ben. “You’re like some sort of saint.”
Ethan chuckled.
“Saint Ethan,” he said. “I like the sound of that!”
Ben yawned, patting Ethan on the shoulder.
“Is it really worth it?” asked Ben.
“Is what worth it?” asked Ethan.
“You know,” said Ben, gesturing towards Mary. “She’s not all there. She can’t even talk. I doubt she even knows who you are, my guy.”
"It must be nice not knowing what’s going on,” said Ethan. “I’m jealous!”
Ben sighed.
“What if we just left the door open?” asked Ben. “She’d probably just wander right out.”
Ben eyed the pill bottle in Ethan’s hands.
“Or we could give her another pill,” said Ben. “You heard what Doc said. She’d go quietly. On her own terms.”
Ethan squeezed the pill bottle.
“Ethan, if she keeps this shit up, she’s gonna get hurt,” said Ben. “I don’t want to see you get hurt too.”
Ben placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder.
“It’s only a matter of time, my guy,” said Ben. “Better that one of us do it.”
“Do what?” asked Ethan.
“Come on, Ethan,” said Ben. “Don’t make me say it.”
“Say what?” asked Ethan.
“Stop fucking playing dumb!” said Ben. “You’ve gotta face reality!”
“I do face reality, Ben!” yelled Ethan. “I just don’t face it like you!”
Ben reeled back.
“You solve everything with violence,” said Ethan. “Maybe try a little kindness! Other people might be kind too!”
Ethan glanced at Mary.
“This is her life,” said Ethan. “We don’t get to decide if she keeps it.”
Mary giggled as if harboring a playful secret.
“She’s happy,” said Ethan. “Who are we to take that from her?”
Ethan patted Ben’s shoulder.
“Get some rest, buddy,” said Ethan. “You’ve got five more turns on the bed. Six, if you count tonight.”
Ben leaned against the stiff mattress, rubbing his eyes; they looked a bit red.
“Ethan,” said Ben. “We’ll make it four more turns.”
“A deal’s a deal, buddy,” said Ethan. “Five it is.”
Ben nodded, then nodded off.
Ethan rose with a yawn, navigating a minefield of slumbering bodies before joining Mary on the couch. His arms wrapped around her frail body, cradling her in his grip.
“You did great today, Mom,” said Ethan. “I’m proud of you.”
Mary swayed like a flower in the gentle wind.
“It’s okay if you don’t know me,” said Ethan. “I know you, Mom. And I know you’d do the same for me.”
Ethan leaned his head against Mary’s shoulder.
“Not everyone in the Haven gets to know their Mom,” said Ethan. “I’m a very lucky guy!”
Ethan felt Mary’s heartbeat against his ribs.
“It might hurt again tomorrow,” said Ethan. “But we’ll get through this. One day at a time.”
Ethan folded Mary across his lap. Her eyes grew heavy.
“Good night, Mom,” said Ethan. “Love you lots!”
A nasally snore erupted from Mary’s lips.
Ethan rose with a satisfied stretch, rubbing his itchy eye. The humid air felt chilly against his sleep-deprived flesh; his nose leaked like a dripping faucet. At this point, he could pass out just about anywhere, but every inch of his unit floor was occupied by at least one irritable unit mate. Even Ben’s old spot sported a fresh arm and leg.
It was almost morning anyway; he might as well get a headstart on the new day.
Ethan fell into his computer chair, withdrawing a necklace from beneath his collar. A little metal puppoid rested at the base of it, its tiny tongue blepped-out beneath a pair of cool shades.
“Thank you Ledgess,” said Ethan. “Thank you for my friends and family. Thank you for every day.”
Ethan tucked the necklace into his hoodie, slipping on his headset –
[ZERO SPACE]
– Umi stretched out his four brutoid arms, opening six eyes to the silver sky.
Early mornings in Zero Space were a rare and special treat. Patches of sparkling daylight peeked through the leaves of Sunlight Forest, dancing across lakewater like a swarm of startled fireflies. Umi dipped his fingers in the water; the lake was smooth and cool to the touch. His heavy nostrils expanded, inhaling the sweet scent of flowers and honey.
“Thank you Ledgess!” shouted Umi. “Thank you for another beautiful day!”
Umi sat with a thump against the shore, chucking flat stones across the water’s surface:
One…
Two…
Three…
Nine bounces total!
“That’s a new record!” shouted Umi. “I’m saving that replay!”
Another rock whizzed past Umi’s shoulder, skipping across the lake’s surface.
One…
Two…
Five bounces total!
Shae slipped out from between two trees, slumping by Umi’s side.
“Hi Shae!” shouted Umi. “Nice throw! I didn’t expect to see you here!”
“Yeah,” said Shae. “Couldn’t sleep.”
“Same here!” shouted Umi. “I’m glad you came to hang out!”
Shae shrugged.
“You’re the only online person on my friend’s list,” said Shae.
“I love being on your friend’s list!” shouted Umi.
Shae skipped another stone.
One…
Two…
Two bounces total.
Umi patted Shae’s back nearly hard enough to launch him into the water.
“We never get to spend time together!” shouted Umi. “We could go fishing!”
“No,” said Shae. “I hate the fishing mini-game.”
“We could go crush some goblins!” shouted Umi.
“No,” said Shae. “I don’t feel like grinding.”
“Maybe we could –”
“Sitting in silence is fine,” Shae interrupted.
“I love silence!” shouted Umi. “I love being silent with you, Shae!”
Shae gritted his teeth.
Umi lay in the grass, leaning back against all four arms.
“Mornings have the best silence!” shouted Umi. “There’s no one else around to be noisy! It’s just you, your thoughts, and this beautiful world!”
“I prefer noise,” said Shae. “My thoughts suck.”
“Thoughts can be mean sometimes!” shouted Umi. “That’s why I like being a brutoid! You don’t have to think! You just smash stuff!”
Umi crumpled brittle leaves in his hand.
“My thoughts used to hurt a lot!” shouted Umi. “But they’re just thoughts! Thoughts aren’t good or bad! They’re just noise!”
Umi slipped off two heavy boots, dipping his calloused toes in the water.
“Humans call things good and bad!” shouted Umi. “But we’re not human! We can be anything we want! Our Haven forms, our Zero Space forms - they’re all just vessels for the soul! We create our own world, Shae! And it could be a very beautiful world!”
Umi’s fingers trailed through soft soil.
“I have friends, family, and friends I consider family!” shouted Umi. “I have everything I need right here with you, Shae! Right here by this shady little lake! This is my perfect world!”
Umi glanced over at Shae. Gentle tears streamed from Shae’s sunglasses, rolling across his purple collar like morning dew.
“Oh, sorry about that, Shae!” shouted Umi. “I know you wanted some quiet time! I can be a little noisy!”
“It’s okay,” said Shae. “It’s a good noise.”
Shae leaned his head against Umi’s shoulder. Two of Umi’s arms reeled Shae in for a gentle squeeze.
“There there, buddy!” shouted Umi. “Everyone needs a good hold sometimes!”
Shae gazed into shimmering crystal water –
Anton stared back.
It wasn’t actually Anton of course; it was just Shae’s reflection. But Shae himself was a reflection of Anton, literally - he was modeled that way. Anton would always be a part of Shae - many parts, in fact. They shared values, fighting styles, and countless physical qualities.
Anton would live on through Shae.
Anton would want Shae to live on.
Shae slapped his forehead; he was so stupid. So selfish! Anton wasn’t his family by blood; he was his family by choice. It was his choice to protect Shae. To be his mentor. His companion. His friend –
His big brother.
Shae glanced at Umi who wrapped around him like some sort of bulky meat seatbelt. That’s who Shae was to Umi, and all the other Feather Birds. He was their leader. Their guiding force. Their friend –
Their family.
Anton would never give up on Shae; Shae would never give up on his chosen family. It was his duty – no, his choice to protect them. He’d honor that promise to his very last breath, or the very last breath of his enemies. Valdi, the Wizard Twins, or even the Glitch Man wouldn’t dare stand in his way.
Shae squirmed free from Umi’s grip, rising to his feet.
“You feeling better, buddy?” asked Umi.
“Yeah,” said Shae. “Much better –”
Another rock flew between them, bouncing across the lake:
One…
Two…
Eighty-four bounces total!
Shae and Umi blinked; that was an awful lot of bounces.
Shae glanced back with wide eyes, spinning both pistols into his grip.
Zydan’s towering figure lurked behind them, blue cloak casting a long shadow across the summer grass. His six blue brutoid eyes split evenly between Shae and Umi, all four arms crossed in conceit.
“Greetings Shae,” said Zydan. “It’s been quite some time since our last confrontation. Destiny has seen fit to reunite us –”
“Hi Zydan!” shouted Umi. “It’s nice to see you again!”
Zydan paused, blinking with all six eyes.
“As I was saying,” said Zydan. “Destiny has seen fit to reunite us –”
“I bet you’re up to something real sneaky!” shouted Umi. “Another one of your classic designer schemes!”
Zydan cracked his knuckles, silver rings glistening.
“Destiny has seen fit to reunite us,” said Zydan. “A poetic twist of fate that –”
“Remember when I impaled you on your own spikes?” asked Umi. “I love outwitting you, Zydan!”
With a furious swipe of Zydan’s palm, Umi vanished.
Shae glanced around.
“The fuck?” asked Shae. “What did you do?”
“It’s simply a temporary ban,” said Zydan. “Now, what was I saying?”
“Destiny, or some shit?” asked Shae. “Poetry, maybe?”
“Oh yes, indeed,” said Zydan. “A poetic twist of fate that –”
“Actually, I don’t care,” said Shae.
Shae walked away.
Zydan’s massive blue foot sent shockwaves through the ground, shaving grass and shedding trees bare. Blue waves churned across the lake’s surface, white foaming water crashing against the shore.
“My time is limited, Shae,” roared Zydan. “If you want Umi’s ban lifted, you will listen to what I have to say!”
Shae pivoted on his heel with a reluctant groan.
Zydan approached, looming over Shae’s tiny body.
“My father is trying to kill me,” said Zydan. “I’m trapped on the dev floor, and I need someone to break me out.”
“Sucks to be you,” said Shae.
“Indeed,” said Zydan. “Regrettably, you’re the strongest premium account user I know. I need you to rescue me. And kill my father.”
“Yeah, fuck that,” said Shae. “I’m not going up to the dev floor. Especially not for you. There’s like, a million enforcers up there.”
“You took down nearly fifty Infinities,” said Zydan. “Those idiots were supposed to come rescue me. But then you had to go and kill them all for some reason. It’s your fault I’m in this situation. So you’re going to get me out!”
“Nah,” said Shae.
Zydan smashed a tree in two with his bare fist.
“You are going to help me, Shae!” yelled Zydan. “I have something you need.”
Zydan’s plump lips weaved a wicked grin.
“I’ll give you access to the tower,” said Zydan. “You need permission from the lead designer to get in - that’s the tower’s third condition.”
“Whatever,” said Shae. “I don’t care about that anymore.”
Shae knew that wasn’t entirely true, but it was more fun to piss Zydan off.
Zydan lifted Shae by his purple jacket.
“Don’t be a fool,” said Zydan. “Conquering the tower is every player’s dream!”
“Not mine,” said Shae.
“It’s the only way to beat the game!” Zydan roared. “The rep point bonus is unfathomable. Your status in the Haven would be forever elevated.”
“Whatever,” Shae repeated.
Zydan raised him higher.
“You’re a premium account user,” said Zydan. “The rewards are even greater for you –”
Shae kicked Zydan square in the chin. It was ineffective, but annoying. So Shae did it again. Then again. And again –
With a furious roar, Zydan hurled Shae across the lake:
One…
Two…
Seven bounces total!
Shae’s spine splintered a tree in half.
Zydan brushed off his blue cloak.
“As I was saying,” said Zydan. “Something special awaits at the tower’s peak. I discovered it upon becoming lead designer, and I guard it even to this day.”
Zydan grinned with sharp brutoid teeth.
“The Blue Path.”
Shae froze, leering out from a truncated tree trunk.
“What?” Shae asked.
“The Blue Path is the first step on the journey to godhood,” said Zydan. “A link between servers, ultimately leading to a place with no limits or level caps - the original Zero Space server.”
Zydan’s rings rattled with excitement. Furious wind ruffled his cloak, looping it around his shoulders like a lion’s mane.
“Imagine what a premium account user could do with that power,” said Zydan. “You could pull that power back into reality. Shape this world however you’d like!”
Zydan walked along the water, ripples scattering beneath his feet.
“Consider it Shae,” said Zydan. “All your dreams, and all the dreams of your friends. You can make them all come true.”
Shae scratched his head with his pistol.
“I’ll think about it,” said Shae.
Zydan stood tall over Shae.
“Think quickly,” said Zydan. “If anything happens to me, you won’t get in. It’s that simple.”
Zydan placed a heavy hand on Shae’s shoulder.
“Don’t keep me waiting, Shae,” said Zydan.
Zydan phased out of existence in an explosion of glowing blue particles, kicking up a whirlwind of grass. Moments later, Umi popped back into existence, landing with a thump next to Shae.
“Hi Shae!” shouted Umi. “I think I got disconnected! Did I miss anything important?”
“Yeah,” said Shae. “We’re going to kill the Wizard Twins. And then, we’re going to take the tower.”
“I love taking the tower with you, Shae!” shouted Umi.
Shae twirled his pistols. Sunlight shimmered across his shades as he stared through the trees towards a sprawling black tower in the distance.
“This world fucking sucks,” said Shae. “I’m gonna make my own.”