The Ninth (34 page)

“Better?”  Cassandra was a deep red.

“Much.”  Brent smiled and started eating.

“Don’t get used to it.”

“Fair enough.”

“Tell me, how did you know those tripod
things
could do that?”  Cassandra’s table manners were impeccable with the faceplate removed.

“Well, on the last exam I had to use them a bit.  I noticed their blades could cut into the metal surface of the world like it was butter.  Figured digging through soft dirt would have to be easy in comparison.”

“And those blocky things?”

“You mean the Strikers?”

“They have a name?”

“Of course.  Everything has a name.  Couldn’t very well command my blocky things to attack their human things.”  Brent smiled.

“I suppose not.”  Cassandra chuckled.

“So how much did Cain win?”

“What?”

“Well, Cain took us somewhere.  Obviously there was money to be made.”

“I don’t really care.  All he cares about is getting his hands on more credits.  He’d sell his soul if he could get a good enough deal on it.”

“You know, this is a vast improvement.”

“What do you mean?”

“Talking to someone else’s face is so much more interesting than just watching your own.”

“Why bring that up?”  Cassandra’s face flashed red.

“Not sure.”  Brent smiled sinisterly.

“You rat!  You just want to see me turn red!  That’s it isn’t it.”

“Maybe.”

“Doesn’t it bother you at all?” Cassandra asked, obviously stunned.

“Nope.”

“Not even a little?”

“Not even a little.”

“There is something seriously wrong with you, you do know that right?”

“I’ve gathered you think that, yes.”  Brent chuckled.

“Oh, shut up and eat.”  Cassandra smiled as she focused on her meal.

The two ate their meal with only some light conversation.  It was obvious Cassandra was deep in thought.  Odd colors would dance around her outline, but he had no idea what any of them meant.  He wondered what might be bothering her as he ate the last bite of his corn.

“Brent?”  Cassandra’s voice was troubled.

“Yes?”  He prepared for the worst.

“What are you going to do about the trial?”

“What do you mean?”

“Cain said the division leaders were plotting how to use you.”  Cassandra leaned over and started whispering.  “What happens when they find out you can only sense me?”

“I hadn’t thought about it.  I suppose I’ll just take the position of a standard trooper.”

“Leonard won’t like it.”

“What is Leonard going to do?  Offer me up to the other divisions?  He knows I’m too valuable for that.”

“That’s exactly
why
he’ll offer you up.  He could get a dozen skilled troopers in exchange for you, probably more.”

“It’s more complex than that.  Right now Leonard is the leader of what I gather is the worst division in the academy, or at least the one held in the lowest regard.  As long as he has me, he has an ace up his sleeve.”

“An ace up his sleeve?  I don’t get it.”

“The other divisions saw my performance on the exams, right?  Even if they think the FF is incapable of victory on their own, they have to admit the FF has a shiny new toy that could give them an edge.  This puts those facing us in the trial at a disadvantage; they are no longer certain of victory.  Even if it is only a small voice in the back of their heads, it’s still loud enough to make them hesitate at the wrong time.  Make mistakes they normally wouldn’t make.  If Leonard even hints that he wants to trade me away, the other divisions will wonder why.”

“No one wants to get rid of a perfect weapon . . .”

“Exactly.  They will know something is wrong.  That I’m not the super weapon they think I am.  If they realize that, the psychological edge the FF has now is gone.”

“So we’ve got you until the next trial.  What about after that?”

“That depends on how we do.  In any case, I’ll face that when the time comes.  For now, I’d rather worry about getting out of here before I get into another brawl.”

Cassandra chuckled.

Well, that answered one question.  Cassandra liked war stories.  After their meal, she took him to the main repository.  Countless 3Ps to pick from and she instantly zeroed in on a period piece set a couple of hundred years ago about some minor rebellion on some nameless world.  For the next two hours the two engaged in guerilla warfare in a muggy, bug-filled jungle.  There had been only one upside to the whole experience.  In the 3P, Cassandra had appeared without the armored suit.  She was in the fatigues of the rebel faction with the strength of a normal person.  It was refreshing to watch as she struggled along without her super strength.  By the end of the 3P, they had fought off countless troopers and managed to take control of the capital.  Brent was shocked that they hadn’t needed a shower after the ordeal.  When the 3P had shut down, they were in the exact shape they had started in, not one sweat stain or bug bite to be found.

“Well?”  Cassandra asked expectantly as they headed back toward the division’s quarters.

“Well what?”  He was still searching for the imaginary bug bites that were making him itch.

“Did you enjoy yourself?”

“I think the better question is if those bugs enjoyed making a meal out of me.”

“The itching should go away any minute.  Once you get used to 3Ps, you won’t have any residuals.

“That’s good to know.”

“So?”

“So what?”

“Did you have a good time, despite the bugs?”

“I actually did.  Good choice.”  He knew she would keep hounding him until she got a yes or no answer.

“Excellent.  Guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.  Night.”  Cassandra ran off ahead of him.

As she disappeared around a corner, Brent watched the bright red outline surrounding her march into the distance.  Despite the unpleasantness of the 3P, he had learned a little.  When he hadn’t been swatting some bug, he had been observing her.  He didn’t dare alter it, but he had quickly realized that her aurora was much stronger in the 3P than in real life.  These nightly 3Ps could teach Brent a great deal, that was if he could endure Cassandra’s choices.  A powerful urge to scratch overcame him.  As he reached for the source of the itch, he wondered how insects always attacked the small area he couldn’t reach.  Just an inch short.  He paused in the corridor and stretched as far as he could to reach the itch.  Just as Brent was about to reach the spot, a trooper ran right into him, knocking him over.

“Watch where you are going! . . . Brent?”  Cain chuckled as he realized whom he had just run over.

“That’s me.”  He got to his feet, his back still itching.  “What’s the hurry?”

“No hurry, just a little distracted that’s all.”

“Distracted?  Your date go badly?”

“Not at all!  It was perfect!”  Cain grinned widely.  “Already got a second in the works.  It was the 3P that sealed the deal.”

“What’s so special about a 3P?”

“You might as well ask why girls like stinky candles or flora.  You must not have had many girls around you when you were young.  Asking a girl to join you in a 3P is a serious thing.  I’d remember that if I were you.  No faster way to get slapped than to ask a random girl to a 3P.”

“Really?  So you serious about the girl from maintenance?”

“What can I say?  I have a thing . . .”

“ . . .for working girls.  I remember.  Just don’t get in over your head.  Credits can’t solve everything.”

“True enough.  Now what are you doing standing out here?  Take in a 3P yourself?”

“Something like that.”

“Don’t tell me you’re already putting the moves on someone!  Sweeping some sweet young thing off her feet?  A brilliant tactician
and
a Casanova.  Is there anything you can’t do?”

“You are almost as bad as that announcer.  I simply chuckle and all of a sudden I’m accused of mocking an entire room of troopers.”

“I suppose jumping to conclusions comes with the territory.  People are more willing to part with their credits when around an exciting over-the-top person than a boring accountant.”

“Perhaps.  If you really must know, I spent the last two hours trekking through a bug-filled jungle; still itch like mad.  Not exactly a romantic outing.”

“Ouch!  That’s why I always ask the receptionist before I select a 3P.  Those titles can be misleading.  In fact, I can recommend a few if you need.  Perhaps even a few that
are
on the romantic side.”  Cain nudged and winked.

“All for a low, low price, I’m sure.  Always trying to sell something, aren’t you?”

“You wound me.  To think I offer my assistance to a fellow squad mate only to be accused of trying to swindle him.”

“I hit the nail on the head, didn’t I?”

“Squarely.”  Cain laughed.

“So how much you want for your list of suggestions?”

“Thought you were going to turn me down.”

“It’s a big repository.  I probably wouldn’t live long enough to watch them all.  Life’s too short to watch garbage, let alone walk through it.”

“Wisdom beyond your years!”  Cain chuckled.  “I might have to use that line in future sales pitches.  So what are you interested in?”

“Give me a smattering of everything.  Variety is the spice of life.  Just keep those
romances
to yourself. I’m sure they get an extra ten percent markup.”

“Twenty percent but who’s counting?  I’ll give you the sampler’s list.  I’ll even throw in a few romances, on me.”

“One more thing, Cain.  I want a description about what happens in the 3Ps you’re recommending me; no surprises.  I’ve had enough of those for one day.”  Brent exaggeratedly scratched his forearm.

“Making me work for my credits, aren’t you?  Most people remember to ask if there are descriptions
after
they look through the list of titles.”

“Which you graciously offer to them for a small additional fee, I’m sure.”  Brent grinned.

Cain pointed at his nose and burst into laughter.

“Been a pleasure doing business with you.”  Cain quickly pulled out his pad and tapped on it twice.  “I can honestly say I haven’t enjoyed haggling that much in a while.”

“Always ready to make a sale, even right after a date?”  Brent gestured toward Cain’s pad.

“Always.  Learned from the best.  My father is a master when it comes to meeting the needs of others, at a minor personal profit of course.”

“So, how much did I just get, and how much did it set me back?”

“A couple thousand titles.  The best every genre has to offer.  Including extensive descriptions at no additional cost.  All for the measly sum of twenty credits.”

“Of course, the list probably cost you next to nothing to compile.”

“Near enough.  But it did take me a while to track it all down.  It’s a bargain, if I do say so myself.”

“Is there a complaint line?  Just in case.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that.  I gave you a copy of my
personal
favorites.  You won’t be disappointed.”  Cain winked.

“I’m sure I won’t be.”

“One final thing.”  Cain glanced around to make sure no one was nearby.  “Be careful with some of those.  While there aren’t any illegal 3Ps, there are a few that raise eyebrows.  If you get my meaning.”

Content in the sale, Cain walked down the hallway, chuckling to himself.  Brent immediately pulled up the listing.  It was far more professional than he expected.  The 3Ps were arranged by selectable categories like genre or mood.  Each one had descriptions that could be toggled between brief summary and complete walkthrough.  The eyebrow raisers had been listed as such.  It was no surprise to him that most of them were in the “romance” category.  Brent grinned to himself.  Not only had he kept Cassandra’s secret, but now he understood why she wanted it a secret in the first place.

The relationship between Cassandra and Cain was anything but amiable.  If he learned that Brent had asked her to a 3P, Cain would never let her live it down.  The list would also prove useful for testing his abilities.  Brent could suggest 3Ps to her, already knowing what emotions they would stir up.  Perhaps he could study a broader range of emotions than “angry at biting bugs.”  Suddenly, he realized he wasn’t itching anymore.  She had been right; the feeling did fade.  Heading back to his bunk, he read through the list.  Comedy, action, drama – everything was covered.  The only problem would be getting Cassandra to agree to them.  Brent shuddered at the thought of another jungle adventure.  It didn’t matter how he convinced her – he
had
to.  It would be preferable to get punched by a fist ten times stronger than normal than to endure another stint as bug bait.