Part 8 (2/2)
A change of scenery usually meant setting up a new VR scenario. But at Synchronicity, it meant going for a walk, seeking out somewhere that matched the reputation of the station as a luxury playhouse.
”Sorry, I'll leave you to it,” Chris said. He started to walk out, but then he turned back toward the other blue. ”My link says this is a dining room. But we all eat in our quarters.”
”Well, I think the link map hasn't been updated, is all,” the blue said.
”Ah, so it used to be a dining room, before the ... ah ... before the exercise?”
”Exercise? Oh, yeah. Yeah, it was before the exercise.”
Chris frowned under his mask. The person sounded disingenuous. Was he acting this way because he knew nothing, or because he knew more than Chris did?
Another blue came into the room. The mask moved to one side and then the other, taking in the stacks of boxes. Then he spotted the ceiling and staggered a couple of steps while staring upward. He ran into a table, which brought his head back down. The newcomer spotted the other two and stomped over to join them.
”Hrm. Looks like it's been awhile since this was a dining room,” he said.
Chris nodded. ”Seems so. Hey, is Captain playing someone today?”
”Oh yeah. Doesn't he always?”
”Yes. Why is he called Captain, anyway?”
”I don't know,” said the first blue.
”Me neither. I wish it would leave,” said the other.
”So, he won again last night?” asked Chris.
”Of course he did. When doesn't he?” the first blue said.
At last. Something I can get some traction on.
Chris leaned forward and lowered his tone, even though he spoke over the link as required by station rules.
”I say we take Captain down a notch. If we can't do it alone, maybe we could do it together.”
”What do you mean?”
Chris smiled under his mask. He could tell by the urgency of the response that he had the hook in.
”I was reading about challenge three. You think Captain's going to win, right? Even though we're all playing?”
”Well, yeah, he's better at it than we are. You know, faster than humans, I mean.”
Chris noted the blue had said ”faster,” not ”smarter.” Chris himself wasn't sure which it was, or if there was a difference when it came to brainpower. But the way the blue said it meant he wasn't prepared to accept being dumber than Captain is, or if he did, he resented it.
Resentment and jealousy. Chris could work with that.
”I noticed something. The rules state that we're all enemies. It isn't a team game. But we could slant it and play cooperatively. All of us against Captain. All we have to do is pull a few shots against one another. We could also agree on quadrants, make sure we don't run into each other too soon.”
”Are you crazy?”
”What are you afraid of? You gonna lose out on your chance at a yellow rating?” Chris laced his voice with just enough sarcasm to make the comment count without offending his potential ally.
”The three of us couldn't make that big of an impact on the game,” the first blue said. Chris knew he had him.
”Spread the word,” he said. ”If we all keep taking right turns, maybe we'll patrol in circles and less of us will run into one another. Then Captain will have to hunt more of us down individually.”
”Okay, I will.”
The other one nodded.
”Okay then. Well, I'll see you around.”
Chris took a deep breath and walked out in a different direction. His heart charged away and he sweated inside the suit. How was that for making bold moves? Was he toying with expulsion from Synchronicity or worse? Chris shook his head. Vineaux liked risk takers. The leaders would be impressed by such a move-they'd have to notice it. They had to be watching.
Chris followed the curve of the base. He still felt locked on his mission to find the secret behind Synchronicity. He found a blank area in the directory that had been marked off limits and decided to go check it out in person.
He discovered a security checkpoint at the border of the protected zone. A pair of control turrets protruded from the wall on either side. Chris knew from seeing such turrets in action on Earth that they could apply one or two different nonlethal attacks to repel or trap unauthorized people. A green suit tromped out past the turrets as Chris arrived. Chris waited for the person to walk by in the corridor.
”What's in there?” Chris asked.
”Where?”
Chris held up the ponderous arm of his suit, indicating the checkpoint. ”The restricted area.”
The person turned and scrutinized the door.
”I ... I don't know.”
”Not allowed to talk about it?”
”I don't remember,” the person said.
”You could just say you're not allowed to talk about it,” Chris said bitterly. ”I saw you walk out of it, so of course you know.”
”I did? I mean, I wasn't paying attention,” the person said. He glanced back at the checkpoint. ”Look, I have to go now.”
Chris watched the green trudge away. What was that about? The person had sounded sincerely confused. He walked up to the checkpoint.
”Please turn back. This is a restricted area,” a voice informed him via his link.
Chris looked at the turrets. Would they stun or glue him if he walked past? He felt too much doubt to walk boldly past them. The subversion he'd started felt safer than a direct, open violation of the rules at a checkpoint.
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