. . . you’ve been here before? On a mission?”
“No.” She shakes her head. “But I feel like I’ve seen this place before. Does that make sense?”
“Does to me,” Luka says. “I feel the same way.”
“Resident Evil,” Tyrone says. “Or maybe Half Life .”
Luka frowns. “Yeah. Not quite, but close.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
“Big elevator. Two cars. Massive metal doors. Underground facility.” Tyrone pauses, then says to Luka, “I’m the guy who’s here to save the world.”
Luka snorts. “I thought I was the good guy.”
“No, no,” Tyrone says. “You’re on the team with the supersecret underground base. I’m the guy breaking into the base. That makes me the good guy.”
“What are you talking about?” Lien snaps.
“Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory,” Luka says.
“A game?” Lien asks, incredulous. “You’re quoting lines from a game?”
“Wait,” I say, holding up my hand, palm forward. I turn my attention back to Tyrone. “You’re saying you’ve seen this in a game? This place?”
“Not exactly this place but something like it. The elaborate underground base.” He shrugs. “It’s a common trope.”
I try to figure out why it matters. It shouldn’t. We’re in a big elevator leading into the ground. Games have big elevators leading into the ground. So do movies and books and manga. It is a common trope. But the whole thing has a creepy vibe.
“Heads up, eyes open,” I say. “If something’s off about this place, at least we have a warning, right?”
“There’s no if ,” Lien says.
“So what now, CL?” Tyrone asks, and he and Luka exchange one of those I’m-a-guy-and-that-makes-me-awesome looks.
I hold on to my patience by a thread. “CL?”
“Clan leader. That’s you. We’re the clan,” Lien explains, her tone terse.
“Nice,” Luka says, “and a little surprising.”
She shoots him a passive look. “What? You’re not the only person who’s ever picked up a controller.”
“I thought clans are teams that play other teams in FPS or MMO,” I say. “You counting the Drau as a team?”
Luka’s brows shoot up. “Been reading up on first-person shooters and massive multiplayer online?”
I shrug. “Checked out a couple of sites in case they might help me understand the layout of the game. Not that I’ve had much time to work on that yet. But I will, when we get back.” I say that last sentence like it’s a done deal.
“Task left unfinished,” Lien says, then elaborates when I glance at her. “You left a task unfinished so you’ll make it back to finish it.” I notice that Kendra’s hovering close beside her, saying nothing, staring at the ground.
“I thought that’s why ghosts come back . . .” Luka says.
Lien shoots him a cool glare. “I modified the superstition. It’s like we’re ghosts here. So we go back to finish the unfinished.”
“Oooookay,” Tyrone says.
“Did you leave a task unfinished?” I ask Lien.
She runs her fingers through her still-damp hair. “Blow-dryer’s still plugged in.”
Kendra slams the side of her thigh with her fist. “How can you be so calm?” she explodes. “Talking about bullshit? Even joking around?” She glares at us, tears shimmering in her eyes, then she rounds on Lien. “How can you chat with them about superstitions and stupid gaming terms as if they matter?” Her words tumble out in a rush. “As if we aren’t going to—”
“Get started on our mission,” I cut her off before she can finish the thought. None of us needs a reminder of our mortality. We know. Each and every one of us knows.
“You’re right, Kendra,” Tyrone says, conciliatory, holding up his hands, palms out. “We should save the chatty-chat.”
I nod. “Break time’s over. Let’s move.” I’m channeling Jackson. I understand so much more about him now, about the way he acted and the things he did. I only hope I get the chance to tell him that, to feel his strong
“No.” She shakes her head. “But I feel like I’ve seen this place before. Does that make sense?”
“Does to me,” Luka says. “I feel the same way.”
“Resident Evil,” Tyrone says. “Or maybe Half Life .”
Luka frowns. “Yeah. Not quite, but close.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
“Big elevator. Two cars. Massive metal doors. Underground facility.” Tyrone pauses, then says to Luka, “I’m the guy who’s here to save the world.”
Luka snorts. “I thought I was the good guy.”
“No, no,” Tyrone says. “You’re on the team with the supersecret underground base. I’m the guy breaking into the base. That makes me the good guy.”
“What are you talking about?” Lien snaps.
“Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory,” Luka says.
“A game?” Lien asks, incredulous. “You’re quoting lines from a game?”
“Wait,” I say, holding up my hand, palm forward. I turn my attention back to Tyrone. “You’re saying you’ve seen this in a game? This place?”
“Not exactly this place but something like it. The elaborate underground base.” He shrugs. “It’s a common trope.”
I try to figure out why it matters. It shouldn’t. We’re in a big elevator leading into the ground. Games have big elevators leading into the ground. So do movies and books and manga. It is a common trope. But the whole thing has a creepy vibe.
“Heads up, eyes open,” I say. “If something’s off about this place, at least we have a warning, right?”
“There’s no if ,” Lien says.
“So what now, CL?” Tyrone asks, and he and Luka exchange one of those I’m-a-guy-and-that-makes-me-awesome looks.
I hold on to my patience by a thread. “CL?”
“Clan leader. That’s you. We’re the clan,” Lien explains, her tone terse.
“Nice,” Luka says, “and a little surprising.”
She shoots him a passive look. “What? You’re not the only person who’s ever picked up a controller.”
“I thought clans are teams that play other teams in FPS or MMO,” I say. “You counting the Drau as a team?”
Luka’s brows shoot up. “Been reading up on first-person shooters and massive multiplayer online?”
I shrug. “Checked out a couple of sites in case they might help me understand the layout of the game. Not that I’ve had much time to work on that yet. But I will, when we get back.” I say that last sentence like it’s a done deal.
“Task left unfinished,” Lien says, then elaborates when I glance at her. “You left a task unfinished so you’ll make it back to finish it.” I notice that Kendra’s hovering close beside her, saying nothing, staring at the ground.
“I thought that’s why ghosts come back . . .” Luka says.
Lien shoots him a cool glare. “I modified the superstition. It’s like we’re ghosts here. So we go back to finish the unfinished.”
“Oooookay,” Tyrone says.
“Did you leave a task unfinished?” I ask Lien.
She runs her fingers through her still-damp hair. “Blow-dryer’s still plugged in.”
Kendra slams the side of her thigh with her fist. “How can you be so calm?” she explodes. “Talking about bullshit? Even joking around?” She glares at us, tears shimmering in her eyes, then she rounds on Lien. “How can you chat with them about superstitions and stupid gaming terms as if they matter?” Her words tumble out in a rush. “As if we aren’t going to—”
“Get started on our mission,” I cut her off before she can finish the thought. None of us needs a reminder of our mortality. We know. Each and every one of us knows.
“You’re right, Kendra,” Tyrone says, conciliatory, holding up his hands, palms out. “We should save the chatty-chat.”
I nod. “Break time’s over. Let’s move.” I’m channeling Jackson. I understand so much more about him now, about the way he acted and the things he did. I only hope I get the chance to tell him that, to feel his strong
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