Chapter 3: Hard Knocks. (Patreon)

Chapter 3: Hard Knocks.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

I was small again. Only six years old and scared.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

All the grownups were scared too. They screamed so loudly. It hurt my ears.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

I was crying. I had tried to be brave, but I was so tired and sad and angry. Mom and Dad were trying to move away from the doors.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Everyone else was too. Some were pushing and shoving. Mr. Gideon pulled out a bat and started hitting Mr. Birch.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

A pincer tore into the walls above the door. I stared in disbelief. Unable to comprehend why a rift had opened up without any heroes doing anything.

Thunder Fist should be here. He was always there for people.

The truck-sized crab finished breaking down the shelter wall. It grasped the leftovers of brick and rebar and sent them flying.

‘This isn’t real.’ I concluded. ‘I’m not really here. I’m in my bed with Mittens. I’m all wrapped up in blankets because it was cold outside.’

The crab entered the old community center with a relaxed gait. Dozens upon dozens of little crabs followed. They were like a hen and her chicks, eager and hungry.

A pincer took hold of Mr. Gideon. Another, ripped off his legs, then his arms. The mother crab threw all the parts down where the little crabs were waiting.

More shouting. More shoving. Mom was crying.

The crab grabbed Mr. Birch next. Then it grabbed Mrs. Birch and old man Ronnie. All the little ones were red before, but they’re wetter now. Shinier under the lights.

I wanted it to stop. I wanted the monster to die. I started yelling, emotions burning like a dying sun.

My eyes opened to a room filled with silence.

The tall man was there, in front of the giant monsters. He told them…

He told them that it was their turn to be afraid.

So, they were.

They all died afraid and in pain.

All the people there were quiet.

They were looking at the tall man. They were full of fear. Afraid of him. The tall man chuckled. Gleeful that he could move people and tell them what to do.

He said that everyone had to wait nicely.

He told everyone to go to sleep. My eyelids shut and I tried to think about my bed and Mittens.

‘Cold. My bed is so cold. Hard too. Did I fall on the floor?’

I opened my eyes slowly, struggling with the grogginess that came from a big, fat nap. At first, the scene that greeted me looked weird.

It was a cave. A circular chamber inside a cave.

With a small stream running out of the walls and down the middle. It flowed into a small metal grate and disappeared downwards into places unknown.

The trickle was oddly soothing. A steady drip, drip, drip.

Those small sounds were all there was. Their presence brought clarity into the pervasive darkness. The lack of any movement assuring me that I was alone.

For now.

I squinted, trying and failing to find my bed, my sheets, my posters, my table, my bookcase.

Confused as I was, their absence doesn’t quite trigger the panic it normally would.

At least, not until I brought myself to a sitting position and took in the soft glow of mushrooms on the ceiling.

‘Oh (Centipede). That wasn’t a dream.’

My mind summoned the screen and my eyes drifted over it.

Name:

Solomon Carter

Psy:

80/80

Type:

Telepath Level 6

Abilities:

[Sense Thoughts] 2 / [Message] 1 / [Mental Bolt] 3 / [Fever] 2 / [Fear] 1

Ability Points:

4

Huh.

Well, on the one hand I’m still alive. On the other hand, still a Telepath.

You know what?

I’ll take it.

(Centipede) what anybody else says.

It was good to be alive. Even down here in my creepy dungeon. That could have gone a whole lot worse.

I glanced down at my wristwatch. 2 hours have passed.

Yep, sounds about right. Passed out in the murder hole for 2 whole hours. Totally helpless. All by my lonesome. I took a deep breath to steady myself before I began to lose my bearings.

Yeah, it was bad. It was really bad.

I could have easily died here if that had happened anywhere else. No going all the way to 0 unless I was here or somewhere else with a locked door between me and the nasties.

My gazes wandered over to the gate.

It stood firmly in place, despite the shallow marks left by the bugs. To my horror, I discovered that the bolt on the floor had given way in the previous struggle.

That’s when I realized the truth.

There wasn’t a solid metal door between me and my attackers. Only two shoddy metal tubes kept this space sealed.

One of them had already given way.

“All righty then. Time to go find greener pastures.” I paused to glance back at the window in reality. “After I’ve spent my points.”

I summoned the list of options before me and took my time analysing their names.

Available Abilities:

[Static Illusion] 1 / [Fever] 1 / [Sleep] 1 / [Electronic Interface] 1 / [Floral Interface] 1 / [Fungal Interface] 1 / [Team Tactics] 1 / [Team Spirit] 1 / [Team Resilience] 1 / [Team Momentum] 1 / [Team Doctrine] 1 / [Mental Map] 1 / [Fear] 1 / [Courage] 1 / [Anxiety] 1 / [Confusion] 1 / [Hobble] 1 / [Phobia] 1 / [Puppet Animal] 1 / [Puppet Plant] 1 / [Puppet Fungus] 1 / [Puppet Sentient] 1 / [Puppet Machine] 1 / [Faint Presence] 1 / [Imposing Presence] 1 / [Alluring Presence] 1 / [Hide] 1 / [Mask] 1 / [Hidden Danger] 1 / [Muffle] 1 / [Flash] 1 / [Precognition] 1 / [Premonition] 1 / [Persistent Message] 1 / [Meditation] 1 / [Mark Target] 1 / [Calm] 1 / [Enrage] 1 / [Friendship] 1 / [Resolve] 1 / [Review Memory] 1 / [Share Memory] 1 / [Fog Memory] 1 / [Drunkenness] 1 /  [Sobriety] 1 / [Inspiration] 1 / [Psychometry] 1 /  [Hum of Attack] 1 / [Hum of Striding] 1 /  [Hum of Defence] 1 / [Hum of Harmony] 1 /  [Hum of Discord] 1 / [Hum of Cleansing] 1 / [Hum of Mist] 1 / [Painful Gaze] 1 / [Cleansing Gaze] 1 / [Entrancing Gaze] 1 / [Degrading Gaze] 1 / [Block Mental Detection] 1 / [Block Mental Attack] 1 / [Interrupt] 1 / [Awaken Organism] 1 / [Awaken Object] 1 / [Stable Reality] 1 / [Unstable Reality] 1 / [Manifest Intruder] 1 / [Seal Intruder] 1 / [Banish Intruder] 1 / [Psionic Jinx] 1 / [Psionic Hex] 1 / [Psionic Curse] 1 / [Drown] 1 / [Heart Attack] 1 / [Indigestion] 1 / [Blind] 1 / [Deafen] 1/ [Anosmia] 1 / [Phantom Pain] 1

As expected, there were a lot of options.

Many of them excellent.

If you happened to be a completely asocial degenerate looking to spread misery everywhere they can. Their potential shinning through even through their name. The first ones to really catch my attention are the puppet ones.

Particularly, [Puppet Sentient].

Oh boy.

Oh, my goodness.

That’s…

Not a good look.

I was really here. Sitting in the dark with soiled pajamas. Considering the merits of learning to move people against their will.

Wunderbar.

Those words had Saturday morning cartoon villain written all over them.

In big neon letters.

Accompanied by proud trumpets and cute little cherubs proclaiming me the undisputed king of scumbags.

I could see it now, a figure standing atop a dais, ordering a crowd to get on their knees and give him their banking information.

The man laughed maniacally until Thunder Fist landed nearby and punched half their freaking teeth in.

The crowd woke up and cheered.

Little kids throwing their drinks at the villain’s head while someone rushed in and kicked them between the legs.

Then they went to trial and the judge walked down from their seat and performed a sick body slam. The jurors cheered, as do all the people in attendance.

The court bailiff walked in and kicked them between the legs again. Tasing them once or twice for good measure.

The justice system as a whole, threw away the key and everyone lived happily ever after.

Nope.

No thank you.

Wasn’t quite that desperate just yet.

In fact, I’ll just pretend that option doesn’t exist.

Better for everyone.

Instead, I’ll focus all my energy on stuff I can actually use without devolving into another existential crisis.

Right off the bat, I prioritized anything that would let me avoid combat over more attacking options.

My reasoning being that I only had a limited Psy pool to work with. Better to cover my escape routes now while I had points to spend.

“Okay system, give me descriptions of all available abilities.”

System Notice:

Tier 1 abilities will not carry descriptions due to their modular nature.

This directive has been applied retroactively to all iterations of the system.

Ability descriptions have been proven to stun early Esper development.

Students are encouraged to experiment and mold their abilities to suit their needs.

I stared at the screen, unblinking.

Slowly, my eyes scanned the response, then went over the text again with a fine-tooth comb, looking for hidden meanings and contemplating the implications.

Finally, I sighed.

“Oh. That’s great. Lovely. Whomever threw me in here wants me to get stronger, but won’t tell me what the bloody powers do. That’s fantastic. A+ for effort.”

Sarcasm aside, that whole bit about abilities being modular was quite interesting.

Maybe I could get past the cooldown with practice?

Food for thought. I’d have to keep trying new things with the swirls of energy.

“Time to try something else then. System, who kidnapped me? Who built the labyrinth? What do they want?”

No response came forward and I cursed internally.

“Is there anything you can tell me?”

System Notice:

All Students have received equal access to information.

Access to information has been fine-tuned to maximize potential growth.

“Right. I’ll just take your word for it.” A sudden lump formed in my throat as an idea hit me.

‘This thing didn’t tell me what ability points did until I asked.’

“Wait! Give me all the information you can. Doesn’t matter if it deemed relevant. I want all the information that’s available to me.”

System Notice:

Tutorial simplifications disabled as per Student request.

Full menu has been made available.

Status

Titles

Equipment

Abilities

Forums

Team

Objectives

Instance

“AHA! I knew you were keeping secrets from me you bastard! I knew it! What else is there huh!? Are you programmed to rewire my brain!? Are you going to turn me into a weapon for some paramilitary group!? Some villain’s pet Telepath!?”

No answer was brought forward.

The system stayed as silent as the grave.

“Doesn’t matter. I’ve got to go over this. Also, stop talking to yourself Sully. Its almost as bad as talking to the floating screen. Remember your mantra. Happy thoughts. Positive thoughts. You’ll make it through this. You always do.”

The Status window was the same as usual. No change there.

The Titles window opened to reveal a plain box.

Titles:

Student has no titles.

Fair enough, I guess.

“System, what’s a Title and how can I get one.”

System Notice:

This information will be available after the conquest of a safe zone.

“Right. Thank you. That tells me absolutely nothing of value. Come on system! Stop holding out on me!”

No answer presented itself.

“Fine, be that way.”

The Equipment window opened to reveal another plain box.

Equipment:

No System equipment available.

No Store Tokens available.

No special Tokens Available.

“Right. That tells me sooo much.”

Under that window was the smorgasbord of options I’d been shown already, detailing all the immoral ways I could improve my current condition.

I groaned as the implications of the memory altering ones finally dropped, briefly imagining myself as one of the guys chasing down John Gardens in the titular movies.

Those always ended in the same way.

With the big bad electrocuting or blowing up his latest girlfriend after brainwashing her, prompting John to yell:

“NOOOOO! Honesty!”

Or

“NOOOOO! Faith!”

After that, his trusty sidekick Boombox distracted the near do well long enough for John to overcome his grief at the last moment and save the day.

By disembowelling his rival.

Slowly.

I’d seen both movies in the theatres with my friends. Both times, the audience had cheered at the blood sport.

I massaged my head in order to alleviate a small fraction of the stress I felt.

It didn’t work.

Intrusive thoughts kept coming one after the other like flies on a landfill.

They buzzed and buzzed, never retreating for long as my mind kept stubbornly conjuring the worst-case scenarios for me.

‘The screens aren’t really there since my hand can pass through them. That means there isn’t a sadistic Projector making solid constructs out of light. Which leaves hallucinations, either from a traumatic brain injury or an undiagnosed mental health disorder.’

I groaned at the prospect as more option kept beating me over the head.

‘Or, you know, an evil Telepath messing with my mind. Or drugs. I could very well have been roofied while I was asleep.’

“No. No! Stop that, Sully! Stop it! That’s the anxiety talking. That’s not you. That doesn’t help. Happy thoughts. Deep breaths and happy thoughts.”

I drew in a deep, long breath.

Just like Henry taught me. Letting all the fear out alongside the air. Then I did it again. Until I snapped back into focus and turned to the screens.

“Okay. Back to business. Show me the forums.”

System Notice:

Forums not available until the start of the third cycle.

“Erm, could I see the store?”

System Notice:

Labyrinth Store can only be accessed through intermediaries.

Intermediaries will be scattered throughout the Tutorial.

“Thank you very much for the information.” I said, in the most sarcastic tone I could muster.

I fought hard to supress the shivers crawling up my spine and went for the next tab.

Team:

The Student has not yet formed a team.

“Of course. Makes sense. Thank you for the pre-emptive explanation system. You’re a big help. Let’s move on.”

Objectives:

Current Objective: Survive the first cycle. (59 days remaining)

Bonus Objective: Conquer a safe zone.

Bonus Objective: Reach level 50.

Bonus Objective: Increase the Tier of an ability.

Bonus Objective: Gain a Title.

Survivor Count: 895/1000

Instance:

10:03 am – Earth TRKG-2004

Tutorial Labyrinth – Elite Difficulty.

“System, why does planet Earth have a serial number next to it?”

System Notice:

It is standard practice to classify Students by their dimension of origin so as to not confuse Students from the same planet located in different dimensions.

“Right. I’m going to have a bit of an existential crisis about the implications of multiple dimensions later, but there’s something else. System, why does it say I’m in the Elite difficulty?” I said, feeling like a cretin all the while.

No response was forthcoming.

Marshalling my willpower, I fought down the rush of paranoia and anxiety bubbling up in my veins.

Now wasn’t the time.

I took a deep breath, preparing myself to ask the pertinent question.

“What is difference between this and other difficulties?”

The question hung in the air for an uncomfortable amount of time. That, as it turned out, was the final straw.

“You know what. Screw you. Screw you and whomever made you. I did not survive the opening of the rifts, having my family home burned down, months inside a refugee camp and years of appalling poverty just to die here in this hole for some sick freak’s pleasure.”

Breathing became an afterthought as truth spilled out.

“I didn’t make it through the shelter, the monsters, and the tall man so that I could rot in some hole in the middle of nowhere. I’m going to get out of here. I’m going to rescue as many people as I can and I will see you brought to justice. Just you wait. This is a linear function where f(x) is mess around and f(y) is find out.”

I was shaking with impotent rage as those final words came out. Spite, thick and cloying, helping to fuel my resolve.