Chapter 6: Chapter 6

It was well after midnight when Sara finally arrived at May’s building. It was a squat, eight story structure in the usual oppressive architectural style. She felt run down from her first shift at the club, but she was also too wired to sleep. That was probably due to the reflex-enhancing drug being supplied to her brain—Chronomil was a potent stimulant. Reduced need for sleep and occasional bouts of insomnia were its most prominent side effects.

Sara decided to head up to the roof of the building for a while instead of going straight to May’s room. With a thought she deactivated the HUD to better appreciate the view. It was a slightly windy but mild night—the capital was located in a nearly tropical latitude of the game world.

She leaned on the wall surrounding the roof, which was at a height where she could easily rest her arms over it. Down below she could see the harsh glow of street lights. Inmates occasionally walked or rode by, only somewhat less frequently than during the day—the prison city did not keep normal business hours. From this height she could see the high wall which surrounded the city, as well as Castle Malice, the various aqueducts, and other taller structures of Felorius. Up above, the supposed stars were arranged in an unearthly configuration. Fantasy’s world had no moon—only the remains of one in an asteroid belt that was invisible during the day.

Observing this skyline, she could not help but contrast it with the view from the Boston apartment she had grown up in. Thoughts of home led to thoughts of family, and the next thing Sara knew she was gently sobbing.

She heard someone open the door to the roof behind her, and saw May approaching. The faux demon stood beside Sara and matched her posture on the wall. “Are you okay?”

“I was just thinking of my family,” she admitted, wiping away her tears and getting a hold of herself. “Who knows how long it will be before I see them again—if I do at all.” She then laughed slightly. “I couldn’t believe it, but they sent me a text already making sure I got in safely. A friend of mine did too. How about that? I’ve just arrived and already they spent five hundred bucks! ...I’m really glad they did, though.”

Sara had already sent her replies reassuring them she was doing well. After a brief quiet, she spoke again. “Do you have anyone on the outside?”

“No one worth speaking of,” May said bitterly. Sara got the sense that she should not pry. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re back. Clare’s asleep—and she wasn’t exactly stimulating company awake.”

“She definitely has a strange way about her,” Sara agreed ruefully. “But I hope you’ll go easy on her for the sake of trying to make a party work.”

“Maybe. It depends on whether she learns to behave herself. Personally, I’m done with her unless she turns out to be raid worthy.” This was not exactly the response Sara was hoping for. “At least she did okay as a courier—she made two-fifty today. How did you do with dancing?”

“I made about five thousand gold.”

May whistled. “Damn. Not that I’m surprised—you’re crazy sexy.”

Sara blushed. “Thank you. You’re pretty gorgeous yourself. Were you in such good shape on the outside?”

“Yeah. With the exception of the demon stuff, I’m still me. I ran track up until I got here.

“...I suppose I should ask, are you gonna be okay stripping? I know you wanna get started on dungeons fast, but even in here you shouldn’t be stuck doing something you hate.”

“Actually, it wasn’t as bad as I expected. The place is run by a couple of the larger guilds, and the Guild Council will blacklist any customers from most businesses if they refuse to leave when kicked out. And given the male to female ratio in here, we have a lot of leverage when it comes to selling sex.

“One guy actually offered me fifty grand to sleep with him. ...Well, he didn’t go that high until I’d turned him down twice.”

“You should definitely steer clear of that sort of thing—it’s too unsafe in place full of rapists and murderers. I mean, lowering your separation field with someone doesn’t let them attack you directly. But they could shove you onto something sharp.”

“I know. Even if that wasn’t a factor, I’m not sure I could handle crossing that line. Not that I think there’s anything shameful about working as a prostitute—I just wouldn’t be comfortable.” She smiled. “I guess Clare’s not the only one who has her limits.”

“Don’t compare yourself to her—that chick came across like some kinda puritan. And a total bitch. About the only thing I can say in her favor is that she seems ruthless enough for this place.” May hesitated. “I suppose I should ask—how are you with the violence in here? ’Cause you came across kinda soft after I challenged Vlad.”

“I’m willing to kill in self-defense...but to be perfectly honest, the idea of it bothers me a lot. Killing inmates, I mean—I know hunters don’t actually die.

“I’m a little afraid I’ll hesitate if the time comes. Since we might end up working together, you have a right to know that.”

“Thanks for telling me. If we ever do get into PvP together and you have trouble going for the kill, just keep your opponent occupied. I can handle it after I win my own fight.”

Sara nodded, and May continued. “I actually have another question, but this one is really none of my business. So feel free not to answer.

“Were you holding something back when you talked about your arrest? Because the scenario you described, you could’ve gotten a plea into regular prison.”

Sara sighed. “No, you’re right. I left out that I’m an anarchist.”

“That explains it.” May considered this and then laughed. “I can’t imagine that going over well with our Miss Nationalism 2060 contestant.”

Sara pictured Clare on a stage, wearing a sash and holding flowers, with her usual slight frown still plastered on her face. She laughed as well. “I wanted to give her a day to cool off before I told her the truth.”

“Personally, I’d give it longer—or she’ll probably refuse to have anything to do with you. But she’s bound to sour on her precious government once the reality of Fantasy sinks in. ...No pun intended.”

“I guess you’re right,” Sara said uncomfortably.

“Who do you think was responsible for the shooting at your protest?”

“It’s hard to say. It might have been a false flag operation by some intelligence agency, or a group of political extremists. If it turned out they actually were anarchists, I’d be pretty pissed off. Not that I’m a pacifist, but I don’t support unnecessary violence.”

There was silence for a short time as they looked out over the virtual skyline.

“You know, I can’t tell you how much of a relief it’s been to meet you,” May said. “This isn’t an easy place to talk to people. Especially when you’re starting out and don’t have the gold to do anything. The only person I know sorta well in here is John Martinez.”

“The raider? I’ve never watched Fantasy Justice, but I’ve read about him.”

“He seems like a decent guy. Granted, he introduced himself by making a pass at me—but when I told him I was gay he was cool about it. He’s the recruitment officer for the Rough Riders, and he runs that training group I mentioned.

“But I should warn you for when you meet him, he’s kinda...eccentric.”

“How so?”

“He acts like the game is real sometimes. Not that he’s crazy or anything—I think he just does it to amuse himself.”

Sara laughed. “I guess minus the whole risking death thing, this place is like a giant LARP. Live Action Role-Play,” she added at May’s confused look.

“If you play along with him, I’m sure he’ll like you. ...But here I am, talking about some guy when I have a beautiful woman with me. I must be losing my mind.”

Sara smiled. “I was hoping we might come back around to that topic. But you don’t need to worry about impressing me—how could I resist the lovely warrior who stood so valiantly in my defense? ...And I know I’d appreciate relieving some of the stress of this place,” she added playfully.

May ran one finger along her arm, or more accurately along the separation field there. There was the usual hum and slight glow.

“No girlfriend on the outside, I hope?”

“No one like that,” Sara assured her. “I mean, I’m not totally inexperienced. But I’ve never made time for an actual relationship.”

“That’s about where I’m at—I’m just looking to have some casual fun.” She grinned.

Sara hesitated. “Not to put a damper on things, but you’re aware of the lack of privacy here?”

“Yeah. I hate that they make videos of inmates without our consent. But I’ve thought about it, and I’m not willing to give up sex for the rest of my life.”

“I agree.” Thankfully, the sex and drama programs were kept separate. Sara turned and stood closer to the other woman, gazing into her red eyes. “I know you’ve only known me for a short time, but if you want to get rid of this annoying field...?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Sara brought up her HUD, and soon a dialog box appeared asking if she wanted to end her separation field with May. She did so, and then closed the display once more.

May embraced her with one arm, while using the other to trace a finger gently over her cheek. “You know, rescuing a damsel in distress is about as great as I heard it was.”

“I’ll bet you say that to all the undead girls,” she whispered teasingly.

May titled her head and leaned in. They pressed their bodies together and shared a deep kiss—and for the first time since before the protest, Sara felt at ease.