Seema Crockett

  Bartender

  Life Level 205

  XP: 78/100

  HP: 100/100

  EP: 89/100

  RP: 134

  Katelyn shouldn’t have gotten too comfortable. After dodging being recognized at the raid, she thought she’d be able to keep up the pretense just fine. She could go back to her regular bartending without any worry that her lying would catch up to her.

  She was so wrong. Too wrong.

  After going to the Youngblood cabin in Montana, Katelyn convinced her aunt and uncle to let her find a job to replace the ‘museum’. She easily transferred her fake ID to the Montana launchers and went up to Genesis X as she always did. Now that she’d likely be leaving the Zyben-Medley family altogether, she needed to work even harder for her own digits. She needed to be self-sustaining so she and Quinlan could be completely independent once she turned of age.

  She was looking for another job— preferably a legal one— to transfer to, but it was difficult with her young age, lack of expertise, and current reputation. Her mother publicly appearing on Whitley Geanna’s broadcast made a lot of employers instantly reject her. Cosmos would have to do until she found something better.

  It was like any other day. Scaaskal was annoying her, customers poured in and ordered their poisons, the HARP droned on with all sorts of broadcasts, and arguments burst out between patrons. Soon, Cosmos’s hacker owner would have to hire an additional bartender, what with the Versus season coming up. This place would be twice as full with Earthian citizens once the prelims started in a few months, and even more full when the interplanetaries started.

  Katelyn knew it was a terrible idea to work during that season. The whole Station Line would be bustling with fans and criminals alike. Crime always shot up on the stations during the Games, especially with Underground recruiters— criminal agents that bought and sold fighters to compete in an illegal version of the Versus Games. Katelyn didn’t know much about it, but her guess was that they didn’t honor the ‘no blood will spill’ rule. There were usually many disagreements over prices, leading to explosive altercations.

  As if reading her thoughts, another bar fight started, but this time, it was dangerously close to the counter. Katelyn was quick to scoot away from the Mercurian and the Voraxmartian going at it. Voraxians had the ability to control the weather and elements in their immediate vicinity, but by being only half, this guy was at a disadvantage. The Mercurian was literally burning with fury, his rocky red skin glowing as he gripped the Voraxian’s wrists to burn them.

  “Looks really personal,” Scaaskal said with an amused smile, scooting a few seats away.

  Katelyn pointed her AIDA band translator at the patrons. “Worthless halfling! You really think you’re worth such a prize? My glitchhead brother is worth more than you, you glitching mutt! Lying thief!” the Mercurian was shouting. Katelyn felt a tinge of pity for the Voraxmartian— mixed species were very often placed at the bottom of the social food chain. Even Voraxians themselves despised those that were only half their kind.

  But mixed species were still in a higher position than Earthians— humans. Katelyn was tired of being afraid of her species’ real name.

  She served another patron before ducking under the counter, dodging flying drinks that could potentially burn her like acid if they touched her skin. She sighed in annoyance and reached for her taser to end the fight.

  She powered the taser to Level 10, which was enough to kill a human but only enough to stun a Mercurian. As soon as the fiery patron turned his back, she rammed the taser into his nape.

  +10 Damage

  The Voraxmartian pushed him off, laughing and spitting out words like, “Grost”, “Falla”, and “Kham”. Katelyn wasn’t very well-versed in languages, but she’d learned lots of curse words and insults during her time as a bartender, and these were very offensive to both Voraxians and Martians.

  “Aw, come on, I was having fun watching that, Sati,” Scaaskal said.

  “Shut up. I don’t feel like getting my eye burned out.” She returned to her bartending, but paused when she heard the Mercurian mutter. He rose to his feet, his blazing eyes now focusing on her. His Health bar was rapidly regaining the lost points.

  Warning: Confrontation Imminent

  Higher Level— Avoidance Recommended

  This guy was a Level 442— his identity was hidden, so Katelyn wasn’t sure what area the Level was measured in, but she was almost sure it had to do with violent combat.

  She froze in place. Usually, the taser worked and whoever she knocked out would be carried out of the bar and humiliated the rest of the week. She’d never had a grudge match with any of the patrons; some of them liked her and made a point to threaten whoever even glared at her.

  Unfortunately, this time, the other patrons didn’t seem to care what happened to her. For the first time, she’d have to directly defend herself.

  The Mercurian smiled, showing his black teeth, and muttered a curse Katelyn didn’t understand, but from its sharpness— “Shilama!”— she knew it was an insult. Almost immediately, Scaaskal turned, putting his body in front of her. Despite his age, he was tall enough to look older and stronger. He didn’t know any Mercurian languages, but he still tried to talk the guy down in his own language. “Pilá’a,” he said in Eseti— “Walk away.”

  He was only at Level 248. This wasn’t a good idea.

  The guy chuckled, speaking in broken Earthian English. “Out of my way, Martian scum,” he said.

  Scaaskal only repeated “Walk away” in English, flashing the concealed weapon in his tattered vest, which he never used unless necessary. This only seemed to anger the patron, who grabbed Scaaskal’s arm and threw him across the room before Katelyn could react.

  Raising her taser again, she set it to Level 12 and held it up defensively. The Mercurian grabbed her wrist, his hand heated up, and the burning pain made her scream and instinctively let go of her only weapon.

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  -5 HP

  -5 HP

  Her head jerked back when the man punched her in the eye.

  -10 HP

  -8 EP

  “Get off her!” Scaaskal grabbed the Mercurian’s shoulders, ignoring the burn, and pulled him away from Katelyn. She was pulled forward from the force, stopped by the counter, which knocked the air out of her lungs.

  -6 HP

  -10 EP

  She watched in shock, nursing her hurt eye, as Scaaskal drew his shiv and started defending himself against the enraged Mercurian.

  She gasped when the Mercurian flattened his hand over Scaaskal’s face, bringing out a bloodcurdling scream as his eye burned and his Health bar drastically lowered. It was enough to snap Katelyn out of her stupor and generate a heavy bottle of Klausian wine, which would hopefully be icy enough to weaken the Mercurian. She leapt over the counter and raised it high, smashing it on the man’s head with all the force she had.

  -5 EP

  +30 Damage

  The frozen mixture instantly cooled him as he screamed in pain. He slumped forward, falling into her and causing her to fall against the barstools.

  -4 HP

  “Scaaskal!” Katelyn pushed the heavy, unconscious man off her, hissing at the icy burn of the wine. She went over to the Martian, whose hand covered his now-burnt face. She couldn’t hide this. She needed to get him to the hospital. If they didn’t reconstruct his face right away, there would be permanent damage to his eye.

  She shouted at the other patrons to clear the way as she picked Scaaskal up, slinging his arm over her shoulders as her right hand started to contract, affected by the wine. One of the customers was kind enough to lend a hand and take the Martian’s other arm. They hurriedly led Scaaskal out of Cosmos and out to the atrium, catching a few people’s eyes as they hobbled to the hospital wing.

  “Thank you,” Katelyn said to the man helping her. Her right eye twitched in pain, but she couldn’t imagine the pain Scaaskal had endured.

  -8 EP

  “Your Mask,” he replied.

  “What?”

  “It broke. You’re not… who you look like.”

  Her UI read:

  Katelyn Lakynn Medley

  Former Socializer Relative

  Life Level 115

  XP: 56/100

  HP: 70/100

  EP: 69/100

  RP: -103

  Katelyn’s heart stopped and she cursed, trying to reactivate the Mask with her injured hand. The damage was already done, though. She just hoped she’d be as lucky as she was at the raid.

  ===

  Calista Elise Medley

  First-Year One Student

  Level 2

  XP: 15/100

  HP: 100/100

  EP: 45/100 Warning

  RP Status: Ridiculed— -145 RP

  Weakness Lvl 20 MAX

  Calista had kept a low profile since the big ‘exposé’ on Sunday. Versus students had a different way of expressing their disdain. She’d expected everyone to be like Hillary— confrontational, aggressive, and violent, as all Socializers saw fighters. Instead, it was quite the opposite.

  There were no nasty or threatening messages her Pet would try and filter out. There were no mocking comments and taunts in the halls. There were no shoves or shoulder-bumps. It was silent and cold.

  After skipping Teamwork, which cost her 20 XP, she rushed to her dorm for her Break period. She’d tried calling Katelyn to ask what the glitch she saw and why the glitch her mother was being broadcasted, but she didn’t respond at all. The anxiety, anger, and pain attacked Calista in a whirlwind of agony, making her attack her capsule and clothing selection, and Lindsay had to make her stop before she hurt herself.

  She skipped Disciplines class, costing her another 20 XP, and skipped Dinner, ignoring the painful rumbles in her stomach no matter how much Lindsay insisted.

  The next day, after an awful sleep (even with the maximum amount of sleep aids the school allowed), Lindsay had to force Calista to eat breakfast and go to class. She’d arrived late to her Review period— the Theory version of Warm-Ups— and lost another 5 XP, giving the other students an opportunity to stare at her as her RP sunk. Throughout the first few class periods, no one said a word to her or tried to bring up the news.

  She’d tried to go to Lunch at the Mess Hall after Lindsay’s suggestion of not showing cowardice, but she was met with stares and whispers. No one said anything to her directly, not even to make fun of her. She instead got to hear their opinions of her by listening closely and watching her Rep Level sink.

  “Isn’t that the Socializer girl?”

  “Why would someone like her be here?”

  “Did you hear about that girl and her mom? Get this…”

  “Don’t even look at her. She might take that as ‘violence’.”

  “Little Miss Milky Way should find another school to stake out.”

  “I can’t believe Kalley recommended her.”

  “Maybe he’s in on it. Just like he was in on his sister’s murder.”

  “This glitch doesn’t deserve her own room.”

  “It’s no wonder she’s so ditzy and clumsy in class…”

  “I can’t believe she’s showing her face here.”

  “That’s why she’s always whispering to her Pet. That’s her only friend.”

  “Or maybe she’s using it to send false info to Geanna and her followers.”

  “That spot should’ve gone to a student that deserved it. What did they cheat her in for?”

  Once she’d mustered up the courage to sit down at a table of first-years, all of them got up and moved somewhere else, not even minding the overcrowding. She spent the period eating alone, deciding it was best to eat in her dormitory from now on.

  Somehow, the fact that everyone in school was making a point to ignore her made Calista feel worse than if they taunted her. Her UI had shown she earned Pranks XIX and Insults VIII, the latter of which was maxed out, but none of the other students acted on these attributes.

  Everyone was pretending she was invisible. No one looked in her direction, not even when she answered a question in class or went up to spar during Practicum. Students stared at her behind her back, pressing an invisible weight onto her shoulders, but were quick to look away if she even glanced at them. Even Harrison was avoiding her.

  The reputable students like Rosalina Wiasod and Hillary Kaye ignored her, but made a point to talk about her to other people right in front of her. That was the closest they came to taunting her. They’d make snide comments such as, “We should start using that spa in the Rec Station. Might make us less violent,” or, “I appreciate my mother so much. She doesn’t publicly disown me when I do something she doesn’t like.”

  The professors and coaches no longer called on her to answer any questions or participate; she had to volunteer to make them acknowledge her. Her XP growth was painfully slow, only gaining five of the lost points over the past three days thanks to the teachers ignoring her.

  She’d later realized why they did this when she remembered Hillary’s words: “What do you want with us? A story? A sobbin’ broadcast about how evil we are? Tell them how mean I am.”

  They thought she was there as a Trojan to expose them as ‘violent ragers’, just as every Socializer said. By ignoring her, she wouldn’t have any broadcasting material or any genuine incident to use for vilifying. The worst thing she could say was that they ignored her and said stuff behind her back.

  The worst part of it all was that she couldn’t even talk to her own family. They’d completely stopped responding to holo-calls and messages, and she had no clue why. The only indication was a quick message from Quinlan, appearing as a tiny hologram projected from Lindsay, telling her they were fine and simply needed some time away from the Hub. While it reassured her that they were safe, the lack of explanation didn’t do much to dissolve her anxiety and worry.