"The name's Ziphal, and I'm sure you heard of me at some point."

I may have freaked out just a bit when he first stepped into the light. I had this thing with sharks, the kind of thing where I stay far away from them and they stay far away from me, and with one in such proximity, my heart rate shot up. I managed to get it mostly under control before I responded. "Xix showed me a video of you. To be honest, I thought you were dead. That was a lot of stunners that hit you, plus between that and the Thunderdome, let's just say I wouldn't have been surprised."

Ziphal laughed. "He tried, but eventually I became more trouble than I was worth. People expect me out in the main games, so he can't afford to just kill me off without going through the normal procedure. He keeps me here as an example to the new inductees to The Games. I still get brought out to participate, but because I earned the right to choose what kind of games I get put in, he can't just throw me in one of the apocalypse-type games without making it obvious he was biased. But anyway, as to the reason you got put in here with me. I've very carefully cultivated an outward persona to the slithery bastard that I don't like people around. So he's been putting his problem cases in with me in the hopes that I'll take out my imprisonment on them."

"And have you been?" I asked.

"Only the real nasty ones, and mostly because they tried to kill me first." Ziphal shrugged. "Some people just can't respect personal space. Anyway, since you seem like a standup chap, and you did try and kill Xix, something that in the future I will need you to refrain from since that bastard is mine; I'm gonna help you out a bit. You must have plenty of questions that need answering. If you got them, spit them out." I wasn't sure that I was completely safe from him, but there weren't any outward signs that I was going to end up like those other people. This was also one of the first people who were willing to answer my questions, once I got past the fact he terrified me.

"Why are you here anyway? Did your species also get put on probationary membership? Why haven't I seen you in the games yet?"

"Woah woah, lotta questions to answer at once. Yes, my species was initially on probationary membership and before you ask, yes from what I can tell the price is always that high. What they don't tell you is the membership payoff is a sort of pay-as-you-go system, you don't have to build up 100 Trillion points, instead, you can put in a chosen amount, and it builds up. That's how we ended up doing it, over time more and more points got put in until eventually, we were free to choose whether to enter. Course, The Games are still used as a punishment for criminals and political dissidents, they just aren't allowed to buy out their contracts. As for why I'm here, it's a long story that involves me working to abolish The Games and getting caught before I could do anything about it. If you survive here long enough, I'll tell you it. Lastly, the reason you haven't seen any of our pretty faces before is that you are still in the baby games. The main version of The Games is what the rest of us participate in. New introductions are typically given a year before they transition to the big leagues. Civies participate for fame, glory, and money, while the rest of us are just trying to survive. It's a shit system, and it sure as hell isn't making us any less violent. Listen to me getting all preachy with you though, you don't care. Same as the rest of us, you are just trying to get yourself through it."

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Ziphal turned and walked back over to his bunk, which looked much too small for him. To say his lodgings were sparse would be underselling it. This was a prison cell, metal bars and all. Comparing it to the current housing situation humanity found itself in would be like comparing a suitable house to a lean-to built from mud and sticks. I felt bad for the big guy. There had to be a better way to keep the peace than throwing people into a death game. And when he tried to do something to change it, he was thrown in here as well.

"I don't think we are all that different, you and I. While I don't know the full story behind why you are in here, it seems as if we both want the same thing. So tell me Ziphal, how do we end the Games for good?

"Ha, end The Games? Good one. You did hear the whole reason I'm locked up right? Ziphal laughed, his voice full of bitterness and scorn. "No, I don't think I will be participating in your revolution. As much as it might be a miserable existence here, it can get worse, and I'm fine right where I am. I'm willing to help you out cause I like you, but I refuse to get involved in a plot which will inevitably end in my death."

"Here." Ziphal threw me a small metallic card. "My contact chip ID is logged on that. When you unlock the upgrade on your UI for contacts, add me. I'll keep mum about your plans, and watch from afar, but I won't do anything more than be a resource for information."

"By the way, how did the Games get started anyway? And how did the snakes get put in charge?"

"Well, they were the first race to participate in it. This was back before the Main Games were established, but from my understanding, a mysterious race that never revealed itself forced their participation and then vanished. Once they gathered enough points, the snakes were released. Their history by this point had been so shaped by the Games that they worshipped the original game masters, choosing to continue their legacy and using it as their way to build a "peaceful" society. Guess how well that worked? Anyway enough questions for the night, they will be coming back in the morning to either return you to your holding area, or to take you to the Thunderdome, so just in case, you'd better get some rest.