“Because if I’m reading this right having an Administrator for your group increases XP gains by half a percent for every level they have. And your loot drops go up. And you get better deals at Trade Centers. And this is f… incredible,” I replied.
“Holy Shit,” said Joe. He blushed, but before he could apologize Mandy took two quick steps and gave him a light bop on the head.
He rubbed it, though I doubted she had the ability to actually hurt him. “Sorry, M… I mean, sorry everybody.”
“It’s all right,” said Sheila. “But why are you all so excited? That doesn’t sound like a big deal.”
“It’s huge,” Joe said. “At least, if the world is going to work like a game now. Which it seems like it will.”
“Games are all about what we call ‘grinding,’” I said. Then I looked at the smartass Shadow Dancer at my side. Sure enough, she was grinning like… well, like a cat that got into the cream.
“Hush, you,” I said. She just stuck her tongue out at me. I shook my head, momentarily distracted by the image of her doing that with cat ears.
“Anyway,” I went on, turning back to talk to Sheila as we walked, “‘Grinding’ means long stretches of fighting monsters or doing quests or crafting things, building up gold or experience or whatever so you can level up. In complicated games you might do it for days or even weeks, fighting thousands of enemies, each of which contributes just a tiny bit to what you need. With me so far?”
“I think so,” she said.
“It’s like when you start playing Pokémon,” said Robert, who’d been listening raptly. “You don’t have any good pokémon and you don’t have any good pokéballs or treats or anything and you can only catch beginner pokémon. So you have to just keep trying until you get stronger.”
“Exactly right,” I said, smiling. “Sharp kid, Sheila.”
She smiled back, as did Bruce, who’d also been paying careful attention. “Thank you.”
“So, Robert,” I said with a smile. “What would happen if I made it so you were just a little more likely to catch every pokémon you found? If every single one dropped just one more pokéball or one more treat?”
He thought about this and then his eyes got big. “You have to catch hundreds and hundreds of pokémon to get to a good level,” he said. “If every single one gave you a little more stuff, you’d level way faster!”
“Bingo,” I said. “And that, Sheila, is why you are going to be rich. If you can provide even a tiny bonus but it applies to everything, it will add up fast. People will pay big for that kind of advantage.”
She looked nearly as surprised as Robert. “Really? I thought I’d just be able to, you know, help get people organized.”
“You can do that too,” I said. “But just the bonuses you gave us are probably enough to earn you a very nice living from groups who want them.”
Then I had another idea. It wasn’t nearly so nice.
“In fact,” I said slowly, “you might want to keep that to yourself, at least until you find a big group you think you can trust.”
“Why?” she said, still reeling from the first revelation.
“Because if people learn what you can do, they might try to make you do it,” said Joe. His voice was grim. He’d figured it out too.
“What? What do you mean?” said Bruce. He sounded upset. I didn’t blame him.
“We won’t know anything about how governments are going to work for a while,” I said. “But like we talked about, no communications, no vehicles, and people are getting superpowers. Some of those people won’t be very nice. If they want something, they’ll try to take it.”
I wonder if we should have told them about the hunters, I thought. It might have scared them so bad they wouldn’t come with us. I don’t know.
As I was thinking Robert said, “I won’t let anybody take my Mom!”
“Neither will we, Robert,” I said calmly. “And I bet your Dad has something to say about it.”
“Damn right I do,” said Bruce, walking up and putting his hand on Sheila’s shoulder. She gave him a grateful look. “I’ll show them what Red Team really means.”
“Good,” I said. “No need to worry right now. You’re safe with us. We’ll figure something out.” Danielle nodded firmly and grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze.
“James is a hero,” she said. “He’ll help you.”
I took a deep breath. “I’m no hero. I’m just doing the best I can.”
“What do you think makes a hero?” she said with a ‘gotcha’ voice.
Before I could respond, Joe said, “Guys, I think we have company.”
He stopped - not that we had been walking all that fast - and stared at a large knot of bushes about forty feet ahead of us and ten feet off the road. Shouldering his bat, he said, “Something’s in those bushes. I saw them swaying against the wind.”
“Tighten up,” I said. “Drop your bags. Anthony, watch our backs. Samantha, get ready to shoot.”
I heard Sheila gasp, presumably after seeing Samantha draw the Mental Disruptor from her Inventory. We’d told them about Inventories, but hadn’t mentioned the deadly ray gun. Mandy dropped her bag and pulled out her whip, standing behind Joe. I held my shotgun pointed up, not at the bushes. If I fired it it would just be for scare value. My Mana Bolts were much more dangerous and couldn’t miss.
We all stared at the bushes for a few minutes. I started to feel like an idiot.
PARTY CHAT / JOE: I know I saw something in those bushes move. I don’t want to get any closer until we find out what it was.
PARTY CHAT / JAMES: Agreed. I’d fire at the bushes, but I’m afraid that much noise will draw other things. Mana bolts don’t make any noise at all, so that’s no good either. Suggestions?
There was a short pause. The kids started wiggling, despite their parents shushing them desperately.
PARTY CHAT / JOE: I can throw a rock that far and shake that bush pretty good. Try it?
PARTY CHAT / JAMES: Yes. Might make it mad, but I don’t want to get jumped like the bobcat did again.
PARTY CHAT / ANTHONY: That’s my line but I agree.
Joe, his eyes never leaving the bushes, walked to the side of the road and found a chunk of rock that fit his hand. After a few experimental swings of his arm, he wound up and threw like a professional pitcher.
Crash!
The rock hit the bush with a rattle of leaves and an audible ‘thud,’ probably when it hit the trunk.
WHOOSH!
A turkey exploded out of the bush and flew over the road, clearing it in a single leap. It headed for the treeline and in a few seconds, was gone into the woods.
There was silence for a moment. I felt like I should reach up and pound my chest to try to restart my heart.
“Nice throw, Joe,” Mandy said quietly.
“Thank you, M… Mandy,” he said, just as quietly.