(no subject)

[avevale_intelligencer]

We had a really sharp frost that night, and next morning the air was what used to be called cold and clear. Definitely cold, but not clear any more. The radio said to take a double dose of the inhaler just in case, because low temperatures exacerbated the effects of poor air quality. Funny, so did high temperatures.

I biked in as usual, and Liliana was waiting at the shutter for me to do the big strong man bit.

"How are you this morning?" I said.

"Still not okay, but I'll live," she said. "Thank you again for Edwin, by the way."

"Edwin?"

"Well, I thought he looked like an Edwin," she said. "All ready for the final mission?"

"I doubt it," I said. Edwin the dragon? Well, why not?

Almost as soon as the game had launched I had the hermit in my face. My goodness, he was keen. Apparently we had almost reached the ancient imperial citadel, and the pickings were going to be truly awesome, if only I could get him in there. All this weapons technology was only a means to an end, he said. The true goal was knowledge. Yes, I thought, that's what Teller and Oppenheimer told themselves.

I had another new building available to me: weaponmaster's hut. Supplies were plentiful, and my home territory, over in the west again, had some of everything I could wish for except cows and sheep. They always had to be looked for. The rest of the map was mostly barren and lifeless.

At that moment up popped the leader of the red nation, whom I'd almost completely forgotten about. Apparently he was seeking to gain entrance to the old citadel as well, and for no good purpose. Our temporary alliance was over. This was not going to be easy.

I started exploring and claiming territories, and found some outcrops of the dratted crystal almost immediately, along with a junked weapon of the same type that had given me so much trouble in the last mission. I claimed that territory pretty sharpish, tried to look at the next one over, and got about three feet into it before something blasted me back to the castle so fast I didn't even see what it was.

"This is most interesting, sire!" the hermit gabbled while I was still going "guh bluh duh fuh" and trying to get the number of the truck. "The inhabitants of the citadel are long dead, but it seems the defences are still operative!" You don't say. I couldn't see how I was going to get anywhere near the place, let alone into it.

I started to skirt around the territories immediately opposite me to the east (that old symmetry again) establishing the perimeter of the no-go area. I found ruined villages, three more derelict weapons, and a largish red settlement with an enthusiastic and well-disciplined army, in that order. In the short time before the fog descended again I saw another of the weapons in the red marketplace.

The knight started whining about promotion at about this point, so I sent him home to pick up another box top. That would let me have soldiers, which I could see were going to be needed in short order. I wondered if a spy would be able to get close enough to the citadel to let me at least see what I was up against. That would be another promotion down the line. In the meantime, I'd found some scraggy-looking sheep and a second iron mine, but it was a bit close to the red border. Soldiers first.

"Have you seen him?" Liliana said, putting her head around the door. I was starting to get a sense for when she appeared, so I didn't leap out of my skin this time. Nor did I need to ask who she meant. On the other hand, I had no idea whether he had come in or not. I hadn't noticed. I'd been busy.

"I wonder why he's not here," Liliana mused. "All the other shops are starting to put up Christmas stuff. I was just wondering if he had any plans that way."

"I don't think they celebrate Christmas where he comes from," I said. "Besides, what could we offer?"

She shrugged. "I just hope he's all right. He was really upset about...you know. Almost more than I was, I think."

"It's funny. People drop like flies in--" I still wasn't quite ready to say "his world" even though Liliana and I both knew what we were talking about. "--in the game, and yet..."

"I know what you mean. Oh well. Lunch break in an hour. Don't start anything you can't finish."

"I think I already have," I said, and told her what had happened so far.

"Automatic defence systems?" she said, raising her eyebrows. "Well, then it's obvious what you need to do."

"Is it?" I managed to avoid saying just in time, substituting "Ah. Yes, of course."

She looked at me, a little smile flickering on and off around her face like a wonky neon sign. "I'll let you get on with it then," she said, and went away.

I looked at my first batch of recruits, clutching their swords and wearing their armour, and thought about Edwin. At least he might be able to breathe fire. This lot wouldn't stand an earthly against the high-tech weapons in the citadel.

So, use them for what they are good at. Deal with red first, and let the citadel take care of itself for the moment. That was an easy one. That couldn't have been what Liliana meant was obvious, though, could it?

I concentrated on ramping up the army and getting the knight ready for his next promotion. In the meantime, I started mining the crystal and built a weaponmaster's hut, just for the say-so of it. Besides, it looked quite good in a sinister sort of way, all pointy bits and windows that flickered blue. I thought it lent a certain tone to the settlement.

The next time my knight passed by one of the defunct weapons, an interaction button appeared.

Sometimes I am really, really slow.

Comments

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

And he stops there.

Moooooooooore!

[keristor.livejournal.com]

"I started this one twelve hours ago"

Writing it in realtime? *g* (Actually, the story has that kind of feel to it, that it should be read with "game time" on a par with reading time...)

[much-of-a.livejournal.com]

This is really addictive, and also, I think, one of the best things I've read this year. Many thanks.

[soren-nyrond.livejournal.com]

Meeep !!