Something was sizzling delightfully, another was whistling cheerfully, and the last was growling in anger. The first two belonged to the kitchen, the last to Sadie’s insides.
Sadie’s face was buried so deep in a pillow made for gods it was a miracle she hadn’t suffocated. Its plushy red surface was stuck to her face by a line of drool. But the heavenly pillow would have to wait. She needed the bathroom. Right now.
Not wanting to risk standing, she slithered off the couch and crawled across the floor. The tile was pleasantly cool. It wasn’t until she climbed up the doorway that she realized she was almost naked. At some point during the night, she had stripped out of her pants and long sleeves, leaving on skintight shorts and a bra. Unsure if this was acceptable and already committed, she sped into the bathroom.
A minute later, she was peering out the door to see what the two men were up to. Ravi was in the kitchen wearing the nicest pajamas she had ever seen. They were gray cotton pants that looked like they never itched and a white shirt that looked like it was taken straight from a pillow. He was sipping from a steaming cup while he pushed something around in a pan.
Louis was by the far wall and was doing handstand pushups. He wore the same pants from last night, but was shirtless as he worked out. For a man casually knocking out the difficult exercise, not a single bead of sweat dripped down his clean back. His slow motions were a little hypnotic. Sadie was halfway back to the couch when she remembered her lack of clothing. Neither of the men were looking at her or had acknowledged her presence. Sadie’s stomach stabbed her repeatedly as she cinched her pants up. What had they been drinking last night?
“Sleep well?” asked Ravi, a little too cheerfully.
“How can you even ask that?” grumbled Sadie, looking for her shirt.
“Good friends equal good nights. Breakfast will be ready in a minute. This will make your head feel better.” Ravi turned and put a glass of orange liquid on the counter and dropped two pills.
“Is this why you’re so chipper?”
“That and we can’t get drunk like you.”
“How?” Sadie took the pills and drink, downing both without regret. “You two drink all the time.”
“Our bodies are designed for combat under the worst conditions.” Louis did a slow push down and exhaled.
“We can drink,” said Ravi, turning with a plate of food. “It takes some terrible things to get us intoxicated, but we purify poisons like that.” Ravi snapped his fingers.
“That doesn’t seem fair.” Sadie rubbed her head and began to eat the beans and other protein substances Ravi had placed before her.
“You’re telling me.” Louis stopped his exercise and rolled to his feet. “I haven’t been drunk in centuries.”
“Sometimes I do miss more than a temporary buzz,” admitted Ravi. “Sorry I don’t have any toast.”
“Nobody has ever expected the British to have good breakfast, only tea.” Louis took a seat next to Sadie at the counter.
“Cook better than you.” Ravi nudged Sadie and nodded to Louis. “What’s this silly sod been making you? Or does he have you do the cooking?”
“I’ve never seen him cook. Maia does that.” Sadie kept eating, but noticed a pause between the men. Ravi looked sad, concerned. Louis waved him off.
“I named the shipboard computer. Our kitchen is automated.”
“Right. Of course.”
“What do you do here for fun?” asked Louis, trying to move past the moment.
“You saw it. You’re on an oggy station. They’re not exactly big on football, though I’d pay good money to see them try. All our programs out here are old. I’ve got a deck of cards around here somewhere.”
“Got any more modern games?”
“Just awake and you already want to shoot something,” laughed Ravi. He took a sip of his tea and set the cup on the counter. “Yeah, I’ve got something.”
Sadie watched them clear out the center of the living room. Ravi didn’t give her the same insane Delta vibe, but he just as easily picked up the couch with one hand and dragged it to the side. She finished her meal and shoveled more leftovers onto her plate. It made her stomach immensely happy and if they weren’t going to eat it, more for her. Whether it was breakfast or the magical pills, she was already beginning to feel better.
Ravi opened a large metal crate on the side wall and began to pull out goggles and gloves. He looked at Sadie, holding up a pair of gloves, before swapping them out for a smaller pair. Louis peered into the crate.
“Christ, Ravi. Why do you have so much?”
“It was cheaper to get a stockpile of different sizes and spare parts than one specialty order for myself. Sadie, come join us,” said Ravi. Sadie snuck a few more mouthfuls in and went to join them, flush as a chipmunk. “You ever used virtual reality?”
“No.”
“I think you’ll like this. Put on these gloves and goggles.” Sadie took pristine looking gloves and felt how greasy her hands were. She put the equipment down and washed her hands, getting an approving look from Ravi.
Louis found himself a nice open corner of the room and picked up a plastic rifle and pocketed some other toy weapons. He didn’t have a pair of goggles, but a full face helmet with a clear visor. Tapping a button on the side, the visor went black. She could hear him talking but the helmet kept him pretty quiet.
“You stand here,” said Ravi, moving her to an empty spot of floor. “What’s going to happen is you’ll put these goggles on, and it will show you another world. It’s not real, just an interactive game. You can move a few feet but if you go too far, the goggles will automatically toggle off. You don’t want to trip on something.”
“Okay.” The goggles fit snugly over her head and her vision of the room was clear.
“Now close your eyes.” She did. “Load Farmhouse_Festival.”
*
When Sadie opened her eyes, she was no longer in the room. She was in a grassy, moss covered field. The sky was gray and teasing rain, same as it did every day. It looked like it should have been cold with a stiff breeze, but her body remained warm. Her toes should have been freezing in the dewy grass, but now she wore thick boots. The boots really didn’t match her pink riding dress or black jacket, but they looked warm.
“That’s weird,” said Sadie, trying to feel the illusionary clothes.
“It can take away from the immersion,” agreed Ravi.
Ravi was dressed as proper as any man could be. Nice brown shoes that really shouldn’t have been in the field with dark slacks. The white button up looked faded and well used, with a tweed vest and a brown flat cap to close the look. Ravi looked younger here, but Sadie wasn’t sure if it was an illusion. Maybe it was because he was cleaned up and happy.
“Where are we?”
“We are just outside of town at the rifle competition.” There was a crack of a rifle, but not loud enough to make Sadie flinch. The sound came from speakers just above her ears. The action came from an unruly line of men and women who were talking and aiming rifles at the nearby hill. “Have you ever used a weapon before?”
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“No. Only security forces can use the flechette cannons.”
“A flechette cannon?” Ravi snorted condescendingly. “They’re effective, but not exactly what I’d call sporting.”
Ravi picked up an antique rifle leaning against an aging fence post and held it up. It was strange to look at. Its barrel was smooth and its handle made of wood. What kind of world were they in that you could use wood for a gun? Then something strange happened. The weapon froze, blurred in the air, and every time Ravi shook it, it changed into something new. The one he settled on was black and glossy, all plastics and hard metals. It looked efficient but boring.
“This is something a bit more modern. Try it out.” He passed it to her, her fingers feeling the plastic toy instead of the real thing. It didn’t sit quite right in her arms. Its weight and size didn’t match what she saw. “Good thing about VR is I don’t have to worry about you blowing your toes off.”
“That’s nice. What do I have to do?”
“This is a simulation so you don’t have to worry about reloading or anything other than shooting. All I want you to do is hit the target. Twenty-five meters.” Upon saying twenty-five meters, a wooden target popped into existence in the field. Ravi held out a hand and invited her to begin.
It was fitting they were in the country because Sadie couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. Her shots were all over and it was anyone’s guess where any of them went. Ravi was fine letting her spray the field for a minute before he held up a hand.
“Okay, okay. I can see you grew up around shotguns. What were they used for?”
“Raknids? Raknee?” Sadie couldn’t remember what Louis called them. “Bugs.”
“Raknath. It makes sense now. You can spray and pray with bugs in a tunnel, not so with a rifle. You need to take your time. Look at me. Rifle tight in your shoulder. Arms down so you’re not trying to fly away while you shoot. Keep both eyes open and take your time. There’s no rush here.” Ravi lifted his rifle to the target. “Take a deep breath.” Ravi inhaled in an exaggerated motion. “Breathe it out.” Ravi let out a loud breath and fired. The rifle cracked and the target rocked. “Now you try.”
Sadie did and missed. Ravi helped move the rifle higher on her shoulder and moved her arms down a little lower. He walked her through breathing, waiting for the right time to shoot. The next shot pinged off the edge of the target. The next shots also hit, but kept flagging up and down. Ravi told her to breathe. They spent probably a minute just breathing and when she relaxed, Ravi had her shoot.
“We’ll make a marksman out of you yet.” Ravi took a turn, calling up targets at a thousand meters.
“You’re not what I expected,” admitted Sadie.
“You mean I’m not like Louis?” Sadie blushed, causing Ravi to smile. “Don’t worry. The bastard could hear us if he really wants to, but he’s having fun and not paying attention. He’s in some war simulation.”
“Wouldn’t you rather join him than be here?”
“Some soldiers take solace in war.” Ravi picked another target. “Some of us prefer peace. Besides, I like teaching. It reminds me of old times.”
“What did you teach?”
“A little bit of everything. My family wanted me to go into medicine, but we didn’t have the money for that. I joined the Royal Navy and went on to become an instructor. That rolled into taking command roles, then the war came to Earth. One thing after another and suddenly I was in charge of starships. Life is funny like that.” There was cruel laughter in the background from Louis. It didn’t sound directed at them. “Shut it, you twat.”
“I thought Deltas were super soldiers,” continued Sadie, ignoring Louis.
“Who assault raknath hives on a whim?” Ravi winked. “We are, but we still have our talents. Louis worked for French Special Forces and has always been more comfortable on the ground. We also had sailors, pilots, and commanders. I can assault a hive, but I don’t have the passion for it. Louis is probably one of the best fighters alive, but he’s shit when it comes to teamwork. His priorities will always come first.” Ravi gave her a warning look. Then he fired three shots and three targets in the distance vanished. He let out a sigh. “Then again, most Delta are like that.”
“Why?” Sadie didn’t know much about what Ravi was talking about, but it felt like he needed to talk.
“The people they chose to become Delta were already among humanity’s best. With that usually comes an ego. They’re arrogant, cocky, and a little too gung-ho.” Ravi nodded his head to where Louis should’ve been standing. “Then we were changed. It wasn’t a question anymore. We were the best. We can do things no human can do. You can’t put a Delta with a squad of humans because they slow us down. People get mad, go mad. Toward the end of the war, we had to drop Delta into conflicts and let them do their own thing. Very few of us are good with people.”
“Louis wasn’t always like this?”
“I don’t know. I met him years into the fighting. He and a few others liked working under a commander who was one of them. Good shot,” he added, seeing her hit a fifty meter target.
“Thanks. So you didn’t want to be a commander?”
“Not really. I always used to think I’d make a good lieutenant. I loved teaching, being there for my sailors, and doing more shit details than officers in their ivory towers. But I was good at what I did. When you’re the best man for the job, it’s hard to say no. Then before you know it, you’ve been doing a job you didn’t want for a decade. Sometimes you get so good at something it traps you there.”
“I knew miners like that.”
“Happens to a lot of people.”
“Were your parents happy with it?”
“They were proud of me,” said Ravi wistfully. “It’s not what they wanted, but they were proud.” Ravi paused, leaning over to move the rifle butt down this time. “Try it that high with a flechette cannon and you’ll dislocate your shoulder.”
“Thank you.” Sadie loosed another shot. “Was this your home?”
“No. I grew up in the city. This is where I wanted to retire.” Ravi sighed loudly. “I can still smell it on good days.” More mad laughter in the distance. Ravi groaned. “Going to shoot him for real,” he grumbled. “Tone it down, Louis!”
“You should get in on this!” shouted Louis. He was getting louder, moving rapidly and stomping around his corner.
“What is he doing?” mouthed Sadie.
“Let’s check on him. Remember, nothing in here is real.” Sadie nodded. “Good, because knowing this loon he’s knee deep in shit. Join session B, observation mode.”
Large boxes with numbers appeared in the air around them. They clicked down from ten in bright colors, with a voice reminding them they were going into observation mode and could not interact. Ravi moved to stand beside Sadie and put a hand on her shoulder.
“It’s all an illusion,” he reminded her.
It was a good thing he put his hand on her because they reappeared in the sky somewhere and Sadie stumbled out of reflex. The floor was still there, but her brain thought she should be falling. Ravi held her in place until her legs accepted the invisible platform. Then she clung to him as she saw what was below her.
Bugs. Raknath. They were a breed she didn’t recognize and they were swarming. Not like the few hundred that breached the reservation, but thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands. In the distance, she saw they were on a similar grassy plain filled with rocks and creeks, but up close, there was no visible ground. Raknath took up every centimeter for kilometers, all converging on a single position. It was a plain stone tower, maybe ten meters high. And Louis stood on the parapet alone, looking like he was having the time of his life.
He was firing so fast it looked wild and uncontrolled despite its efficiency. Louis swept the sides of his tiny tower before plugging the bugs a level down, forcing his attackers back with their dead. The bugs were climbing with undeterred speed and Louis was always there. If this wasn’t a game he would’ve run out of ammunition and been dead. As if to prove Sadie wrong, Louis hammered a wave of bugs and when two cleared the sides behind him, he swung a long knife and tore through them in one continuous swing.
Ravi tapped her shoulder and motioned for her to look up. It caused her to clutch him even harder.
This version of raknath could fly. Their backs had opened for large insect wings and they were buzzing loudly. Growing up underground, Sadie had never considered that bugs could fly. The ones underground couldn’t, but why would they need to? Then two dropped out of the sky. Then another. Louis was still spinning on the tower in his hectic dance of survival, but the flyers were still falling. It was mid whirl that his rifle went up for the slimmest second and fired a final burst. He quickly reloaded, dropping the weapon back into the crowd already firing. Small bursts right before and after he reloaded went into the sky, taking out the enemies above.
“Join me, Ravi!” demanded Louis, laughing at the top of his lungs.
“Later.”
Screens reappeared around them counting down from ten. Sadie was eager to be away from the bugs and just as excited to be on solid ground. Flying was not for her. But when the number clicked past one, the screen went black. The simulation ended and blue letters said it was safe to remove her goggles. Confused, she popped them up and looked at Ravi. He was dropping the goggles on the couch and removing his gloves.
Louis was still on the other side of the room in his simulation. And if he looked mad in the game, he looked utterly insane in the real world. He was spinning and thrashing, screaming at enemies who didn’t exist. The gray toy rifle clicked incessantly in his hands, its fake magazine getting slapped repeatedly as he reloaded. In his left hand was a fat, gray knife which he held on the rifle’s side, occasionally lashing out at his demons. The fighting must be getting worse because he lashed out with the rifle now too, firing into one as he slammed the butt into another.
“Would you like some tea?” asked Ravi, sounding exhausted.
“What’s tea?”
“That’s almost a greater travesty than that right there.” Ravi moved to the kitchen, tossing well worn gloves on the counter. He picked up the kettle and placed it back on the stove.
“Is he going to be okay?” asked Sadie.
“Yeah, he’ll be fine. He’s, he’s working through some stuff.” Ravi was rifling through some packets, murmuring about what flavor she might appreciate.
“When do you think he’ll be done?” Ravi did not look up from his collection of tea.
“When he dies.”