Traitor GIT: A LitRPG Adventure (Traclaon Armageddon Book 2), page 59
They loomed over her.
Shrumpet kicked an unresponsive leg. Fiona jerked but, because of the hold, didn’t float away. “She’s out of it. Do we really have to guard?”
Eric was impressed with Fiona’s acting. He knew she would have prepared for a variety of treatments, but maintaining an impression of a drugged state under this sort of punishment was impressive.
“Captain’s orders,” Ithiel said. “Tobias, get her helmet off. It would be a shame to lose her because she suffocated in her suit.”
Tobias did as instructed, and when it was pulled off, the sores on Fiona’s face were revealed. Tobias peered curiously at them. “That’s advanced addiction.”
Eric was going to need to find out how she was doing this. How much act? How much was an actual drug-induced stupor?
Ithiel nodded. “Shrumpet, she might not last long enough for you to enjoy.”
Fiona stirred and looked around groggily. Her head was still bald, but the distinctive tattoo that he had grown to appreciate while she acted as Sara was gone. Her eyes were orange, and her ears pierced with hoop rings, African tribal style. She smiled, and her teeth looked dirty, unclean, and with an orange tint the same as her eyes.
She had obviously taken on someone’s identity. Somehow Zhong had found an Awakened with a high Jump skill who was addicted to crySpace and had a passing familiarity with Fiona’s features.
Ethically, replacing such a person was easy. CrySpace addiction in an Awakened only ever ended in one way. Fiona had filled the role perfectly. The sores looked genuine. She even had that wasted look that went hand in hand with the orange taint. He hoped she had lost weight with a crash diet instead of the more invasive surgical option that he had pursued.
The security team rang her as she emerged from her stupor. Almost half an hour passed in awkward silence before GIT arrived, having recovered sufficiently from the jump sickness. He stood at the door looking down at Fiona, who was floating awkwardly, eyes shut with a disgusted frown on her face.
Then authoritatively, he stepped forward, and then forcefully, with his thumb on one cheek and his fingers on the other one, he squeezed, forcing her teeth apart and pulling her in zero-gravity to his height.
Eric wanted to explode from his room and kill GIT and Shrumpet, but he forced his muscles not to react. His heart rate, however, rose despite his best effort, but he was pretty sure there was nothing in his room that could monitor that. To see that creature, that traitor touching Fiona with such disregard, made his blood boil. He had known intellectually that this was going to happen, but witnessing it was another matter.
“You got a jump of nineteen.”
Fiona nodded, and GIT let her go and, with distaste, brushed his hand on his suit like he was wiping off her germs.
In his room, safely away, Eric almost overreacted again.
GIT frowned with revulsion. That emotion coming from a drunk felt unwarranted. “You’re not needed to do anything. You’re only on board for gov regs.”
“That’s the deal,” Fiona agreed, her voice sounding small. She licked her lips. “You said you had crySpace.” Her voice was almost pleading.
“Do we have to give it to her, boss?”
Ithiel elbowed Shrumpet to shut her up.
GIT chuckled but ignored the other woman. “That I did.” He held out a small packet filled with a white substance.
Fiona smiled in glee. It was the sort of look that made people recoil. Dirty teeth and mad eyes. The fact that she was willing to fill this role for him was useful, but he didn’t know how she was acting the part so perfectly. She tried to grab the packet.
The captain was having none of that. With contemptuous ease, he pulled the packet out of her reach and grabbed her darting wrist with the other. “Girl, before I give you this, I want to clarify the rules.”
She nodded with big eyes.
“Stay in your room. I don’t know you. I don’t trust you. The bot,” GIT nodded toward his strange robot, “will be outside at all times. You’ve toilet, food, and–” He waved the small packet of crySpace. “Enough for a week. Then you’ll get your next dose.”
“Five days,” Fiona said, her eyes transfixed on the packet while continually moisturizing her lips.
“What?” GIT asked puzzled.
“There’s only enough for five days.”
GIT laughed. “Well, if you’re a good girl, you might get another hit earlier.” He dropped the packet and stalked away, with the security team following. Fiona cursed, struggling in zero-gravity to move. Her hand hit the roof, and then she rocked down to where the packet was now flying upward, having bounced.
Shrumpet, who had watched, cackled in angry amusement before leaving and slamming the door shut. Fiona was locked in, and he contacted her immediately with the voice-to-voice protocol.
“As charming as you promised,” Fiona said lightly while pulling out a needle and preparing a dose of crySpace. “And yes, before you ask, I know I’m being spied on.”
“I wasn’t going to ask. Are you actually injecting that?”
“Of course,” she answered simply.
“Isn’t it–”
“Addictive. Not really. It was a risk, but I got an augment that deals with it.”
“I didn’t know that existed.”
“Francis did. The sudden hit is still a problem, but I have chemical blockers that will neutralize the release of endorphins that limits the explosive high. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to pretend I’m getting high. Luckily, crySpace is a ‘curl into a dark corner and be happy’ type of drug rather than the ‘jump in a mosh-pit’ sort.” There was a long silence as she lined up the needle and injected herself. “I wish you were here.”
“I know what you mean. It’s maddening being so close and not being able to give you a hug.”
“But it’s nice to chat again.” She was looking at a random spot in the air. “I assume you’re directly in my eye line.”
“Yes.”
“My love,” she said out loud into the room, looking straight at where she knew his Soul Scouting was letting him watch from.
His heart fluttered, and Eric knew she was addressing him even though GIT would have thought she was referring to the small packet she was holding up.
“I love you too,” Eric told her through the connection. “But that was naughty.”
He caught the small smile, but it was close enough to when the first rush of the drug would hit her that no one was going to notice. “Tell me what’s happening.”
“Sure, but make sure you don’t react.”
He knew it was his imagination, but she seemed too still.
“Everything has changed, including my time boons.”
“What?” Her head snapped up despite the warning, but it was in the realms of a druggie’s nervous tic. Then she focused on the jump seat and latching herself in. “How do time boons change? You didn’t reach Evolved, did you? You couldn’t; there hasn’t been sufficient time.”
“No, and I don’t know.”
“How do you not know how something changes? You get prompts usually.”
Eric explained everything.
Physically, she was pretending to be in a drugged stupor, but her data voice was as expressive as ever. “Voidest. And I’m physically locked in this room as well.”
“Yeah, given how they’ve treated me, it wasn’t a surprise.”
“A paranoid shit,” Fiona agreed. “And according to the quest, you’ve nothing to do apart from moving the beacon?”
“Yes.”
“The time boon changes are trippy. And yes, the joke was intended. I’m well aware of what crySpace is supposed to do.”
“Is it doing it?”
“Somewhat.”
His surprise leaked out. “Really?”
“The augment is slow-acting. The suppression of endorphins stops psychological addiction, but most chemical reactions go through untouched, so I definitely get impacted for the first half an hour.”
“That’s harsh.”
“Yes,” she answered. “I missed chatting so much.” A tear was running down her cheek. “And the emotions are only partially crySpace.”
“Me too. Can you think of anything different we can do to kill GIT apart from the contingency?”
“I have a few ideas,” she admitted. “None good, but tell me yours.”
He explained, and although she was pretending to sleep, he saw her frown of annoyance.
“Difficult,” she concluded finally. “Your timing needs to be exceptional to pull that off.”
“Not as much as you think. GIT is going to be incapable of doing anything for an hour.”
“But the other three are completely loyal.”
“Yeah. He hasn’t done any piracy since I’ve been on board, but he has in the past.”
“Physically, I’m a six,” she said indignantly. “And Blade fourteen. What are they?”
“Stronger,” he admitted. “Not with body but the rest.”
“What are the numbers?”
Eric sent the key information across.
Ithiel
Blade 29, Armor 27, Agility 5, Strength 6
Shrumpet
Blade 18, Armor 23, Agility 5, Strength 5
Tobias
Blade 21, Armor 20, Agility 4, Strength 5
There was a noticeable pause. “Their souls are stronger. My physical augment is better, but not to the level of taking on three of them at once. Especially with the soul disadvantage.”
“You have your Craauacklas boon that almost gets you on a par with Shrump and Tobias.”
“I’m aware, but that still doesn’t quite close the gap. My effective Blade, even with the boon, is only seventeen. With the shield reflect, I’m kind of on a level with them.” She didn’t sound convinced.
“Skill makes a big difference.”
“I’m not you, bubs.”
Eric hesitated. “But your traits and boons–”
“Are not sufficient to fight the three of them at once. One versus one, I would give myself favoritism versus everyone but Ithiel. I wonder if that Soul Fire can help to assassinate GIT?”
Internally, Eric laughed at that thought and sent it down the line via the voice communication. “Just imagine filling up his jump room with Soul Fire.”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“I need line of sight to use the flame boon currently.”
“If you micro-jump into the corner, create a single large shield to stop the initial response, and then unleash?”
“It won’t kill him instantly,” Eric observed. “It might not kill him at all.”
“And he’s too strong for you to win a soul Blade fight. Can we do something with the kinetic push?” Fiona asked, changing tack.
“Might make him angry, but it’s not going to kill him.”
“But if you use it to set off one of his own booby traps?”
“Hacking thread would be more useful for that, but hand holds that can interact with chips twenty meters away are hardly unknown technology. GIT has to have contingencies, such as don’t do friendly fire.”
“True.”
“And GIT is paranoid enough that if someone tried that, he has probably rigged the entire ship outside of his jump area to be blown to bits.”
“We’re using your contingency. The update to move the beacon supports that. I’m not needed for that.” Her voice went light and playful. “Why on earth would you want me on board?”
“Where are going with this?” Eric asked suspiciously.
“The only reason I can think of is that you want to get me into a position where you’re literally the only other human in the solar system. I think you’re probably hoping that if that’s the case, I’ll feel obliged to do naughty stuff to allow us to propagate humans.”
“It was a masterful plan that has unfortunately been revealed prematurely.”
Through the electronic communication, he could hear her laughing. It was wonderful. “Well. When I examined the evidence, that was the inescapable conclusion.”
“My methods worked in HC#001 when there were lots of other humans around. In our very own solar system, how could it possibly fail? It is the perfect plan. Even when you know it, there is no way to avoid it.”
The chuckle came through to him soft, welcoming, and so very Fiona. In his bed, Eric swallowed.
“Listen, I’ll try to think of a different solution, but I’m sort of drawing a blank here. Guidance wanted me here, and my current theory is that’s why I might be useless on this ship; I won’t be in HC#004.” She paused, and through Soul Scouting, he saw a secret smile. “Even if it’s only to remind you that you’re not some special chosen one or some flight of fancy like that.”
“There’s no need to worry about that. I’m aware I’m only a cog in the machine.”
She chuckled.
“What are you doing for the next four days anyway?”
“I’m not confined to my cabin like you, but I might as well be. The only thing I can do is cultivate and chat. That’s better than the last month.”
“For me too.” There was a pause. “It’s unfair that you get to watch me, and I don’t get to watch you.”
“Not my problem. You just need to get better traits.”
“Or you can share?” He could almost hear the begging hopeful tone in her voice.
“I can’t share my traits.”
“Not what I meant.”
He scratched his head. “I know what you meant.”
“So?”
“No.”
“If you can look at me constantly, I should be able to look at you constantly. It’s only fair.”
“No.”
“I will wear fewer clothes.”
“What? GIT’s probably spying on you.”
“Who gives a voidest about him? Plus, who the hell would bother spying on a Cry head? Do we have a deal?”
She unzipped her one-piece suit slightly, making it look like the uncoordinated move of someone high on drugs.
“That’s unfair. Why do you want to spy on me?” Eric tried. “I’ll just be lying on the bed not doing much.”
“Because I want to and because this way it’s fair. It’s not like I’m doing anything different.”
“Voidest, I think you’ve got me. I don’t think I can win this argument.”
Loud laughter came through the link. “Bubs? Got you? The moment I thought about the idea, we both knew I was going to get it.”
“True.”
With a thought, he gave orders to his processor. Soul Scouting would spend a third of its time under the control of each of them independently with the rest keeping watch on everyone else in the ship. The data link would allow Fiona to have an admittedly low pixilation video streamed to her.
In her room, he watched the smile light up her face as she pretended to shift uncomfortably.
“The smile was for you.”
It made it all worthwhile.
“You look so grumpy,” Fiona complained abruptly. The comment made him smile. “That’s better. You’re much more handsome when you’re smiling.”
“Void help me.”
And with her chuckling in his ears, he focused on his cultivation, determined to make the most of every minute he had; like always, if he could improve himself, then that’s what he did.
CHAPTER 71
“Eric?”
He almost jumped at the question, having briefly forgotten with the Soul Scouting link that Fiona could contact him whenever she wished.
“These people are not very nice, are they?”
Eric laughed. “They’re different from what I expected. GIT is still evil, but he’s a smaller man than I expected. Sad and broken. We thought Tobias was the second worst of them, and he forced Shrumpet to do stuff, but it’s the other way around. Shrumpet’s the psycho.”
“That’s what I’ve concluded,” Fiona told him.
“Tobias and Ithiel, being better than predicted, doesn’t stop them from being dangerous.”
“Of course. I’ve noticed. GIT’s about to do a jump. Do you know why?”
Eric absently checked the time. “Yes, I do. GIT’s going to pick up the beacon and a one-use booster to get back to Earth.”
“That’s what you need to put in the life pod.”
“Only the beacon. The booster definitely won’t fit.”
There was a thoughtful pause. “Then how are going to get home?”
Eric laughed even as he noted GIT’s soul energy roll over him. “The old-fashioned way.”
“Which is?”
“Scavenging a booster or getting strong enough to not need it.”
“You mean I might be stuck with you for years? The horror.”
“Don’t stress. We can live on different planets if necessary.”
“Nope, that’s not happening. You’re going to owe me so many breakfasts in bed in payment for stranding me in a desolate alien landscape.”
“It’s not desolate.”
“I’m sure some of it is.”
There was absolutely nothing he could say to dispute. The information on HC#004 had been limited, but he had seen pictures of large airless space stations so broken that almost every room was exposed to the void. It would be difficult to describe them as anything but desolate. “You’re right.”
“Of course I am, and I heard the hesitation then. You need to get used to saying it.” She laughed delightedly, and then reality distorted.
Eric immediately got up to find the relevant porthole.
There was a bunch of laser-based communications between GIT and the station that they hung over, and then nothing. It was another variation. Last time, GIT had gone to the station and spent a night drinking in a bar. Everyone, including Toro, had accompanied them and at the end of the night, GIT and Diane had even stopped Ithiel from starting one of his usual fights.
