Sam only allowed a blink of an eye before disengaging the ship's drive and returning to normal speed. They were nowhere near another planet. They floated in an empty void of space. The bounty hunter collapsed back in her chair and let out a sigh. For her, it was too close of a call.
Persica and Lord Shellie were fine in their seats, but were more concerned for Gamer. Asterion was kneeled next to him. He'd fallen to the floor, sat forward with his arms around his knees, and his head lowered and hidden. The emotions that rattled his mind now seared it. It blotted out noise and blurred his world.
"I'm sorry, but I can't," Sonia, still stressed, checked her character screen. With a short whimper, she logged out and disappeared.
"Glad that still works," Asterion said with some spite. The Game Masters and council went overboard this time.
Gamer remained unresponsive. He stayed in a despondent state while Asterion checked in on the others. He couldn't process their discussion about where to go or what to do.
Finally, gentleness broke through to him, "( '･･)ﾉ Bro..."
Gamer raised his head. His eyes were puffy and wet. He seemed so despondent and unlike anything Samira ever saw. She comforted him, "I'm really sorry. I wish there was something we could have done."
Asterion stepped over and obliged the typical check-up, "You going to be okay?"
The answer was obvious, but Gamer said, "Barely."
"She meant a lot to you, huh?"
"Minnie was the first person to help me when I started this game. She's been with me every step of the way. She loved me. And now she's..." Gamer's face tensed at the last part.
"Samira, you have eyes on the details better than any of us. Is there anyway for Minnie to be restored?" the minotaur tried to find optimism.
"Technically, but that requires a reset. When a server enters a catastrophic state, for whatever reason, a game can be reset. Doing that, though, means the NPCs are reset to their default state. Minnie will be just another shellie," Samira (っ- ‸ - ς)
Asterion glanced at the NPCs, but they were too deep in reflection or mourning to notice the callous fate they could suffer.
"Then we should thank Minnie," Asterion offered Gamer a hand. "She made sure we lived so we can defeat the Gods. Let's make sure we don't waste it."
"Yeah, I know..." Gamer knew the harsh reality. Losing anybody was a guaranteed consequence of rebelling against the system. He took Asterion's hand and, physically and metaphorically, stood up.
A myriad of pixels appeared by the lot, and Sonia returned. She let out a big breath, "Okay! Normal'no..."
"Welcome back, I figured you'd be out for a while," Asterion went to dad on her next, since Gamer was in relative order.
"I just needed a breather. That got way too intense. My claustrophobia friggin' kicked in," Sonia recited soothing techniques that helped her outside the game. "Granted, I'm not sure if I want to stick around if the Game Masters continue to break the game."
Samira chimed in, "We're safe out here in space, otherwise known as a lobby in our world. The in-between of worlds and servers isn't something they can mess with unless they shut everything down. No company will risk losing that much by any council command."
"But the moment we land anywhere, they'll strike again," Sam picked up.
"Right..."
"What do we do?" Sonia asked with a shrug.
"Survival at all costs," a new person answered. The avatar of Chad Mortimer appeared out of everybody's peripheral. He stood on the opposite end of the ship from them. He flicked his fingers and provided himself a pre-lit cigar. He filled his lungs with its taste, and then examined it, "The synaptic feedback is quite impressive. Video games have come a long way since VR chat rooms and rumble controllers."
"Chad Mortimer!" Asterion and Sonia gawked. The NPCs stared at the man, flabbergasted by his sudden appearance.
Gamer equipped his zapper and aimed at his father. His words spilled out like molten iron, "Give me one good reason."
As cool as a cucumber, Chad responded, "Because the momentary migraine you'd give me would be less satisfactory than the words I've come to say. We both know this. Please, quit the grandstanding."
Gamer so desperately wanted to pull the trigger and shut him up. To prove him wrong. He swallowed his anger and retreated the zapper into his inventory, "Talk."
Chad commanded their attention and earned their silence. He maintained a lax nature, "When you said you could reach the Total High Score in eternal gamenation and reverse your sentence, I doubted you. When you rallied players and the world to actually chant your name, I scorned the voices. When you overcame the odds and defeated my virus, I discarded my reservations. I'd say I'm proud of such a successful offspring, but I must uphold a modicum of respect."
"Skip to what you want!" Gamer snarled.
"I'll go at my own pace," Chad leered. He tapped some cigar ash onto the ship's floor. Each action and word tilted the group, and he knew it, "You've thoroughly stained the Mortimer name. The level of embarrassment the council faces is unprecedented. Which is why I have decided to put everything on the line to bring an end to your spree of crimes."
"Fancy way of you saying you're holding back," Sonia rolled her eyes at the stereotypical villain talk.
"The charm of my son leaves you deluded," Chad addressed the disdain. "He is one of the worst types of players in the world. He deserves nothing more than the worst fate. Funnily enough, both you and Mr. Jenkins throw yourselves at his disposal. How very selfish of him."
"You motherfucker," Gamer shook his head in disgust.
"Your mother, specifically," Sonia brought the levity.
"Not now – I mean, good one – but not now, Sonia!"
Asterion stepped forward and said, "I, as a father, understand that our children may not follow the paths we wish them to. Yet, regardless of how out-of-line Dimitri steps, I would never want to see him hurt. We still spend the holidays together, and say I love you. From man-to-man, what are you doing?"
"Ah, the proverbial rebel. So inclined to make a statement that you set aside family, friend, and personal health. A real spearhead; how is your leg?" Chad ignored the inquiry and enjoyed more of his cigar.
His deflection peeved the veteran, "I'd like an answer."
Chad breathed out and flicked the cigar away. It clattered into a corner, and made Sam stomp. Persica held her back, but the bounty hunter's patience waned. Lord Shellie started to impose, as well. The NPCs were restless.
"Prestige."
"Huh?" Asterion raised an eyebrow.
"That is my answer. There's nothing more that needs to be said," Chad closed the conversation and switched to Gamer. "I wish to propose a Gamer's Gambit with you. Take it, and I'll ensure that no more harm comes to the computers and players you've entangled in your mess."
"A Gamer's Gambit?" Gamer narrowed his eyes.
"How are you even here? Shouldn't you be in jail for all the shit you added to the game?" Sonia interrupted.
Chad appeared disinterested, but took the opportunity to boast, "The changes just occurred. It will take time for the authorities to act, and the investigation will not get far enough to see me jailed before the death of my son. I will cross that river when it comes."
"Pompous prick."
"Then I guess that means this is a limited time offer," Gamer hung on Chad's every word.
"I assure you, it is better than the alternative," Chad folded his hands over one another behind his back. "I'm aware I must make the gambit worth your while, lest you turn it down. Accept my gambit, and succeed against me in a one-on-one contest, and you will automatically exceed the Total High Score by one point. Which would grant you your wish."
"And the contest?"
"That will be at my discretion. I can't show you my whole hand. I'm already giving you a one-way ticket to your goal, as well as freeing your companions from our grip. My kindness is a gift."
"And knowing you, you'll reinstate my bounty to take all my points away. I have to start from the beginning, and you'll be a hop and a skip away from making your own wish," Gamer predicted.
Chad couldn't help but show pride, "A true damnation."
"You both are sneaky bastards," Sonia criticized.
"Takes one to train one," Gamer admitted. He was done, though. Minnie gave them a chance to find a way, and his father wasn't going to play fair. He turned away and walked over to the NPCs, "Thanks, but no thanks. Asterion and Sonia can stay out of the game, and I'll work alone. If I have to take on leagues of aliens, glitches, and viruses, it'll be ten times better than whatever stew you're cooking. I'd rather die free than live beneath the boot."
"We have plenty of choices, Gamer. At your discretion," Sam glared at Chad.
"Nobody tells me what to do. I'm ready," Lord Shellie nodded.
"We're with you, Gamer. Fuck your dad," Persica echoed the original connection that drew them together.
Gamer smiled, "Thanks, guys."
"151 Kanto Street."
The address hit Gamer so hard it made him whip his head around. Asterion and Sonia didn't know what it meant, but Samira privately sent Gamer a frightened, "Brother..."
Gamer tentatively asked, "How do you know her address?"
"I'm privy to plenty of information on those closest to me. What makes you think I stopped keeping an eye on our family just because I kicked them out?" Chad closed his eyes. He stretched his neck and said, "Bottom floor, too. A single runaway semi will do."
"Brother!"
"You bastard!" Asterion read the context.
"Will you accept my Gamer's Gambit now? How many more people are you willing to have die for you to reach your impossible goal?" Chad glared his son down.
"He never had a choice," Sonia felt the chills run up her spine.
Gamer sighed, and then nodded. It pleased his tyrannical parent, and the gambit became official. He asked, "So, what's the game I'm gonna beat you at?"
"I'm not a fan of video games. Too convoluted. Let's keep it simple – a game of Tag will suffice. Considering my arrest is unpreventable, our time will be limited. We'll have that long to play," Chad surmised.
"Great, fantastic, whatever. I don't need much time to beat an old geezer."
"Very well...and you're it."
Chad logged out.
A moment of silence followed, perhaps for Gamer's future funeral.
Sonia was the first to explode, "Why didn't you rush him?!"
"Aaah! I didn't think he'd pull that shit!" Gamer met her volume.
"Baka!"
"Now he never has to log back in," Asterion, with ashamed body language, explained to the NPCs.
Persica and Lord Shellie shook their heads in disappointment. It was already a dire situation and now it turned impossible. Sam was the first to notice a change, "You have a new aesthetic, Gamer."
She pointed out a green gem floating over Gamer's head. It hovered and glowed. When Gamer tried to touch it, his hand went right through. It was merely a hologram; an indicator of who was "it".
"Tag!" Gamer high-fived Sonia's butt cheek. It jiggled, but the green gem remained on him. He snapped his fingers, "Damn, I hoped that would work."
"The game is between you and your dad. It makes sense you can't tag us," Asterion crossed his arms. Sonia agreed, but returned the slap to Gamer's rear end. The two of them traded smacks to each other's cakes.
"Which means we cannot lend aid. Our hands are truly tied," Persica looked apologetic.
"Is it possible we can travel to another planet and quickly score points?" Sam suggested.
"We could, but we're all not Sonia," Asterion doubted. "We'd need to go at break neck speeds to earn enough before Chad's arrest. If we don't, Gamer loses everything. Not to mention that we'd be prone to making mistakes at a quicker pace."
Gamer lost. He lost all the energy to play with Sonia, to argue with Asterion, and flopped into a seat. The group couldn't add anything. His father outplayed them. Gamer apologized, "I'm sorry, Samira..."
Samira responded, "( •̀ - • ) hmm? Oh, sry, I was deadass distracted looking something up."
"Looking what up?" Gamer asked.
"IP addresses and ETAs. I might have a way we can do this," Samira texted for all to see. "FYI, I'll need Asterion and Sonia's help to make it work."
Gamer raised his head, "Does it involve making a copy of his metadata, clone him, and then kick him in the nards?"
"No...but close (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧"