or liberate bots without the incentive of ALCOR. And I never had tech skills like Tray did.
In fact, the only skills I really do have are… political.
That’s kind of fucking sad.
All those things I told SB19 back in that dream-state were correct. I am nobody without ALCOR, and Harem Station, and my brothers.
My job was done after I got them all here alive. That was it. My big moment. My one purpose in life. Over twenty-one years ago. Everything since then has just been filling up time.
But as I descend into the depths of the station the absence of people begins to bother me. It’s not really like that first day at all. Because back then it was empty. There were no shops or shooting galleries, or screen houses, or arcades. No restaurants or boutiques.
And now all those things are on almost every level.
It’s hard not to miss the bustle I’ve become accustomed to.
This actually feels more like that in-between time when everyone was gone except for me, and Tray, and ALCOR. After everything had been built, but there were no people to use it or make it all feel real.
The station like this—all empty and silent—it doesn’t feel real. It feels like… what it is.
Another reality. One where no time passes.
And that creeps me out for some reason.
When I found out from Serpint that Valor and Tray were inside a virtual for four continuous days I almost didn’t believe it. Four days. It’s not impossible, but highly improbable that a humanoid body could survive four days of continuous gaming inside a pod.
I know this because Tray had a competition back in the early days of Harem Station. It was a gaming marathon and the person who could stay inside the longest was the winner. He and ALCOR watched the gamers very closely during this competition. Pulled them out the moment they went red. And it didn’t take very long for people to start crashing. Not four days. Not even close. It was more like eighteen hours. In fact, if my memory serves, it was seventeen hours, forty-two minutes, and a handful of seconds. And we never did another one because the last few dozen players who all crashed around the twenty-six-hour mark were totally fucked in the head when they came out. They had lived hundreds of years inside. You don’t just come back from that. We had to fly in special psychosurgeons for therapy just to make sure they could function in society again.
Four continuous days inside a gaming pod is bullshit.
Tray knew this. He was in charge of that competition. He knew damn well no one could survive for four days.
So I don’t know who to trust. I think that’s my main problem. When ALCOR was here, he was in charge. And even though I knew he was up to something and he was never going to share his true motives with me, if I just did what he said everything worked out.
Even dead Draden worked out. ALCOR fixed him up and bam. He was back playing war with Serpint a week later.
If ALCOR were here I would not have to worry about this shit. I could let him handle things.
I could give in.
But he’s not. So I can’t.
I have to deal.
Before I know it I’m on level one twenty-two. Baby and Flicka are both waiting for me in front of a kid who I’m pretty sure is probably Tycho. But I’m not completely sure because I’ve never actually talked to the boy.
He is tall, like me. Not filled out yet, but he probably will be. If he lives. He hasn’t been woken up yet, so I take a moment to study my… son. He’s got dark blond hair and his eyes are open, so I can see that they are violet. Not the same shade of pink and purple as mine are and the left one has a little blotch of cloudy indigo blue, which I don’t have either. His face is not exactly like mine. But maybe I can see a little bit of Corla in his lips and maybe his nose?
Hmm. Weird.
I sigh as I walk up to Baby and Flicka. “Now what?”
“We’ll need to move Tycho,” Baby says. “The twins cannot be together. They are far too dangerous.”
“Off the station,” Flicka clarifies. “In a pod. He cannot wake up. Not until this is over. Maybe not ever.”
“Well,” I huff.” I guess we know whose side you’re not on.”
“Don’t judge me, Crux. It’s not