“The Corporation wants you dead.”

  The elf spoke the words with as much severity as she could muster, though her lips were still tilted into a warm smile.

  “Thus far, they’ve been willing to accept your success and have tolerated your anti-Dominion speech because they’ve been able to make a considerable amount of money from your efforts. But they recognize you as a legitimate threat, and with the rebellion in the Outer Rim and a good deal of discontentment elsewhere throughout the Dominion, they don’t want to take any chances.”

  Pete nodded, trying to wrap his head around what he was hearing. “They want us all dead, though, don’t they? I mean, that’s the whole point with the contest: to put us through hell and eventually kill us for their entertainment?”

  Liandra shook her head, her eyes growing more intense.

  “No. They want to make money, to entertain the masses, and keep them occupied so that people who live under the oppressive rule of the Dominion don’t have time to consider just how terrible their lives really are. Listen, I don’t have time for a history lesson, and you have to be careful with this information. You won’t be able to speak to anyone about what I’m going to tell you. Not your AI tutor and not any of your fellow players. It’s too dangerous, for them as well as for you. So, before we go on, I need your word that this conversation stays between us.”

  He nodded. “Okay. You said they want to kill me. So, when? How?”

  “Here. On this game show.”

  She motioned with one hand to the small table in front of him.

  “There are three tests you’re going to have to go through. Well, ordinarily there would be three, but in this instance, we’re only going to get through two. First, you’ll be put in a fearful situation and forced to face one of your phobias. The trial won’t last long, and it won’t be difficult for someone like you to endure. Your psychological profile suggests that you are more than resilient enough to cope with whichever fear you focus on.”

  Pete’s mind was racing with questions, but he could tell that she was speaking as fast as possible because of the limited time they had together. The buzzing continued in the back of his mind, and he guessed that, whatever she’d done with her ear, it had activated some kind of signal jammer, giving them a short period of solitude.

  “For the second trial, you’re supposed to eat something disgusting. Normally, we’d find something from your own world to feed you, such as the genitals of a land animal or a hundred-year-old egg; something of that nature. Instead, you’re going to be forced to eat the testicle of an infamous orc, a brutal ex-player with a reputation for brutal bloodshed.”

  “What the fuck? You’re gonna make me eat a nut?!”

  She shook her head. “It won’t actually be the brute’s testicle. Given Ulrick’s reputation, the Corporation can fetch a much higher price if they sell them on the black market, but everyone in the audience and watching from the feeds will think it’s Ulrick’s testicle.”

  Pete narrowed his eyes, beginning to put the pieces together.

  “And he’ll think I ate it too, right? I bet orcs have some kind of honor thing where they swear a blood oath to kill anyone who eats one of their body parts.”

  “Orc customs aren’t really the issue here, Vault Breaker. Ulrick will actually be here, in the studio. We’re going to wheel him out right before you finish eating the testicle.”

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  “Okay, but what is it that I’m actually going to be eating?”

  “A grarbock egg. Perfectly harmless and quite tasty if you can get past the smell. Most viewers will recognize it immediately, but that’s part of the appeal. They will enjoy watching you squirm, knowing that you don’t know the difference between an orc testicle and a grarbock egg. Regardless, the whole point of this exercise is to enrage Ulrick Blackfang to the point where he will want to kill you. He’ll be held in a cage, but my director has ordered that the bars be weakened, so Ulrick will be able to break through.”

  Pete nodded. “And when he does, he’ll try to knock three kinds of shit out of me.”

  “Correct.”

  “Fine. I’ll just refuse to eat the fake nut.”

  She shook her head. “I wouldn’t advise that either. Refusal to complete the challenge will be taken as a sign of cowardice. It could sorely affect your reputation, and that, in turn, will simply make it easier for the Company to have you killed during the game. The only reason you have persevered thus far is that your journey has been so entertaining. Even you railing against the System and the contest itself has garnered a great deal of support from many viewers.”

  “Okay, but they’re all gonna leave if I don’t eat one testicle?”

  “They will not all leave, no, but the vast majority of viewers who watch the competition on the Dominion Ultrimax feeds are fickle viewers simply looking for a means of distracting themselves from their day-to-day drudgery. If you fail to keep them entertained, they will quickly lose interest, and the System will quickly remove you from the game.”

  Pete frowned, a little insulted that his own efforts in staying alive for the past twenty-four hours weren’t being taken into account. She seemed to notice his expression shift and adjusted accordingly.

  “That is not to say that you would not do your very best to survive and, perhaps, you would prevail despite the overwhelming odds the System would stack against you.” She shook her head, still smiling. “I have seen this before, though, Vault Breaker. If the Company wants you dead, they will find a way.”

  “But if I eat the testicle and big boy comes at me, I’m gonna have to kill him, right? Do I even have access to my weapons here?”

  “You do not, and neither does Ulrick. But his strength far outpaces yours. Before his disqualification, he was an Apex-level player in the professional league. You cannot fight him, but there is a way to prevail.”

  She leaned in closer so that her lips almost touched his ears as she whispered.

  “Simply reveal the true nature of the grarbock egg in a manner that will show Ulrick he is being deceived. He will have been drugged, so you will need to make it plain that the egg is not what it seems.”

  “How do I do that without ruining the surprise for the viewers and screwing up my reputation?”

  “The grarbock is a creature commonly known to the orc peoples, as it is found all over the galaxy, particularly in orc worlds along the outer belt. If you simply eat it in a way that shows Ulrick what it is, but without making it obvious that you are intentionally doing so, it should suffice. The viewers will assume that you are simply disgusted by the thought of eating the orc’s organ.”

  “Jesus, can we not call it an organ? Okay, so I half-eat the egg and show it to him in a way that isn’t obvious. What’s to stop the bastard from killing me anyway? He might think I’m in on the joke and just decide to throttle me.”

  “He may do just that, but I am hoping your heightened reflexes will protect you, at least long enough for us to shut down the broadcast and get you to safety. Despite his odious nature, our director is a stickler for protocol, and any guest who is put in danger is supposed to be sent back to their place of residence immediately. In your case, that would be the novice level of the game.”

  She looked to her left, still smiling as she caught sight of a countdown clock, which was nearing the zero mark.

  “Why are you telling me all of this?” Pete asked. “Why warn me?”

  She stood to her full height, gently brushing her shimmering dress, her showtime mask once more in place as she replied.

  “Because the Obsidian Alliance needs you, Vault Breaker. In order to fight against the High Baron and his empire, we need every ally we can find, and you have made your thoughts regarding the Baron very clear and in a very public manner. That makes you an asset, provided you survive and reach the professional level, of course, but that’s not something you need to worry about now. Just concentrate on the next few minutes.”

  She spun around, clapping her hands together as the lights went on and cheers of delight suddenly filled the room. Pete was blinded. He covered his eyes and looked down at the wooden table in front of him.

  [Nero-Private-Pete] My goodness! What happened? For a short time, I was unable to reach you.

  Pete shrugged.

  [Pete-Private-Nero] Glitch, I guess.