[THE HAVEN]

Anton’s door was cracked open, just wide enough for Jay to slip through.

The room within was dark and quiet, disturbed only by Anton’s snores. It was night time in the Haven - in theory. The sun and the moon were myths, exclusive to Zero Space. It was said they existed somewhere past the Haven walls, but blinding black ash made it impossible to prove.

Anton’s snoring masked Jay’s footsteps. By day, Anton moved heavy objects between Haven floors for minimum wage. At night, his time went towards training. He was so drained by the time he fell asleep, that he forgot to do simple things, like brushing his teeth. Or locking his door.

Jay stumbled through a minefield of comic books and handheld weights. The whole room smelled like the aftermath of a rigorous workout –Jay struggled to keep his gag-reflex in check. Anton had rules about Jay keeping his room tidy, but none of those rules seemed to apply to Anton.

A flashlight guided Jay’s path, pointing towards shelves, drawers, and anywhere else a zero disc could hide. He hoped Anton hadn’t thrown it carelessly into a pile of sweaty workout clothes; Jay really didn’t want to search through one of those. His body ached with each step, threatening to give out beneath him. After this, he would go to the infirmary. He swore on it. Just as soon as he saw what was on that disc.

Jay opened Anton’s closet with a loud creak. It was an abrasive, high-pitched noise. Jay froze on his feet, glancing towards Anton’s bed. Anton didn’t stir - it would take more than that to wake Anton.

Crisis averted. Jay turned his flashlight to the top shelf of the closet - it held competitive-fighting medals, a column of dirty magazines, and a superhero mask. The mask was of Captain Lair, a superhero with an odd name. Did that superhero get that name from being both a captain and having a secret lair? It might make more sense if Jay had bothered to read the comics.

Comic books were Anton’s escape - Jay didn’t see the appeal. Playing Zero Space was like being in a comic book. Since Anton was pretty much a superhero in real life; he probably didn’t need the simulation.

Jay’s shifted his attention to the next shelf. More dirty magazines, a pair of blue boxing gloves, and framed photos of Jay and Anton. These were photos of better times, before Jay had fallen ill. The two of them used to get into all sorts of trouble. Never too much trouble though - Anton’s enforcer connections made sure of that.

Only one closet shelf left - a few more dirty magazines, a book on archery, and a giant bowie knife. Jay assumed the weapon was for self-defense against intruders. Intruders, like Jay. If the dirty magazines were any indication, Jay really wasn’t supposed to be here.

There. Between two dirty magazines – the zero disc. Not the worst place for it, but far from ideal. He pinched it between two fingers, taking great care not to peek at either magazine. Jay had stumbled onto Anton’s porn before, and had regretted it each time. Anton was into some weird shit.

***

Jay slipped back into his own room, sliding the zero disk into his computer. A loading bar expanded across his monitor. It remained empty for several minutes, before finally:

1% LOADED

Jay had never seen zero disc loading take this long. Whatever was on here was big. Jay leaned back in his chair. This would take a while.

24% LOADED

Jay browsed the online forums, navigating to the main board:

HAVEN [MAIN] POSTER TOPIC VIEWS AdmiNForcer49 *PINNED* Healers - do not answer the door if you don’t know… 25,623 StaticElectric27 how do I use zero disk?? 38 LedgessFan988 Forming Ledgess prayer group, looking for unit to host a... 14 MedicineMann !!!NEW AT HEALS!!! MIRACLE PILL THAT CURES ACNE AND… 2 WaterFelon3 Deserters keep eating my food delivery 78

Nothing new or noteworthy. Everyone on the Haven was on this board, and none of them had anything interesting to say. Good posts were instantly buried under a wall of spam.

48% LOADED

Maybe Jay would fare better on the niche interest boards:

ZERO SPACE [FASHION_ENFORCERS] POSTER TOPIC VIEWS CrazyDiamond17 my pants are so bright, they blind people staring at my… 2,082 RubberBucky Rubber boots. Rubber pants. Rubber sweater. Rubber... 703 HandyMan130 new amazing zero disc outfit was a real steal. i stole it from... 1,466

It was all humble brags of high level players, showing off their high-priced attire. This was Jay’s dream-board. He could only imagine walking around in outfits like those. Each post simultaneously lifted his spirits, and dashed them into the ground.

76% LOADED

How could it still be loading? Jay browsed to another of his favorite boards:

ZERO SPACE [HUMILIATING_DEFEAT] POSTER TOPIC VIEWS StringBean47 Accidental fall from the bell tower, first-person POV 5,027 LanceStrongArm Epic Goblin King fail. Clutch moment turns to worst choke... 14,802 FootSoldier814 The taste of de-feet 2,844

These were replays and screencaps of terrible players, in terrible situations. Shae was a frequent visitor to the board, as well as a frequent contributor – usually not by choice. Some of his replays had racked up considerable views. Too bad views didn’t equate to rep points – Shae could make a career out of it.

94% LOADED

Seriously… what was on this thing?

99% LOADED

Ninety percent of the loading always seemed to be in that last one percent.

100% LOADED

Finally!

Jay opened a Zero Space character management interface on his computer. It was a spider web of windows and buttons, displaying various customization options, statistics, and a full view of Shae. Seeing Shae in third-person was always an unnerving sight. It was less like looking into a mirror and more of an out-of-body experience.

Jay searched for his new item. Usually, a notification popped up when zero disc content was ready. Where were Shae’s new shoes? Or his new hat?

A notification finally appeared:

PREMIUM ACCOUNT ACTIVATED

Premium Account? What the hell did that mean? Jay scanned every inch of the interface. No new features. No new buttons. No new hat. Had anything changed?

Jay returned to the forums, searching for every combination of the words “Premium Account.” “Premium.” “Account.” No results. There were some promotional posts about premium deals. A few questions about account adjustment. But nothing with that specific search query.

Jay fell back in his chair. What a waste of time. All that hard work to get the zero disc back to his room - all the damage done to his relationship with Anton - all for nothing. He didn’t even have a cool new hat to show for it.

* * *

Jay slinked back into Anton’s room, sliding the zero disc back between two dirty magazines. It felt disrespectful to store it in a place like this, but Jay had already obtained its contents. The zero disc was essentially useless now.

He placed his hand on Anton’s closet door, nudging it closed again.

Creeeeeak

Stupid loud closet door. He had forgotten about that. Anton shuffled beneath his covers, then lay still. Another close call. Jay stepped away towards –

“Jay?”

Jay froze in place. Anton’s eyes were still closed. Maybe he was talking in his sleep? If Jay held completely still, maybe Anton wouldn’t notice him --

“Jay, what the hell are you doing in my room?”

Jay tensed up. Anton would be upon him in seconds. He had to think of something. Anything.

“I came to… apologize,” Jay said.

Anton went silent.

“Apologize?” Anton finally replied. “You?”

“Yeah,” Jay continued. “I’ve been a jerk. I know you’re just looking out for me. I should have gone to the infirmary instead of coming home.”

No response from Anton. Then:

“Jay, why aren’t you at the infirmary right now?”

Anton’s logic was sound, even on the cusp of sleep.

“I’m, scared,” Jay finally admitted. “I’m scared, and exhausted. It hurts to move. I don’t want to go alone. I don’t know if I’ll make it.”

That wasn’t the answer Anton expected. Jay rarely owned up to his many flaws. Anton’s arm wrapped around Jay’s shoulder, dragging him onto the edge of the bed.

“Why didn’t you just say that?” Anton asked.

“You seemed mad,” Jay said.

It was an honest answer, given for a dishonest reason. This made Anton feel like an asshole, which In turn, made Jay feel like an asshole.

“Jay, I’m your brother. You piss me off sometimes, but I’m not gonna stay mad at you. Especially if you’re in pain.” Anton sighed. “After I get off work tomorrow, we’ll head to the infirmary together. You think you can hold out till then?”

“Yeah.”

Anton gave his brother a hug.

“Love you Jay.”

Jay tensed up. Those dreaded words. He wanted to say them back, but could never find the courage.

“And Jay,” said Anton. “If you come into my room like this again, I’ll kill you.”

***

Jay slumped in front of his computer. At least the situation had forced him to apologize. Maybe it all worked out for the better? Or maybe, he was a selfish jerk who betrayed his brother’s trust. His brain settled on the latter, entangling him in a mental loop of self-deprecation.

He had to go somewhere to take his mind off this. To a happier place, where he could be a terrible person with less-terrible consequences.

[ZERO SPACE]

Shae arrived to a guild assembly. All forty-seven members of the Feather Birds had squeezed themselves into Chief’s room somehow. Their restless murmurs were drowned out by bird squawking. The body odor of almost fifty fighters, coupled with the stench of bird-dung, made this the worst-smelling room on the server. At least meetings like this were short – Chief hated public speaking.

Shae found a place near the back of the crowd, as far from Chief as possible. Other guild members turned towards him as he arrived. They exchanged whispers and glances; he was confident he heard his name on their lips. Word was spreading that Shae was here. Suddenly, Shae knew what this assembly was about.

Chief rose from her throne, her armoroid figure perched high above her captive audience. Her long finger depressed a sleeping-gas button, rendering squawking birds silent. The crowd followed suit.

“Feather Birds,” she began. “I have an announcement.”

Shae’s heart-pounded against his ribcage. His performance yesterday was nothing short of miraculous. Was he worthy of such recognition? If he had to give a speech, he would stick it to everyone who made fun of him before.

“Something, happened yesterday,” Chief continued. “Something unexpected, I mean.”

Shae puffed out his chest. He struck a dynamic pose, twirling his pistols above his head. When Chief called him out, he wanted to make sure he looked his best.

“Our healer Julvor is dead,” Chief cried.

The room grew even quieter. Shae’s snappy pose did not go over well with the few people that saw it.

“I’ve received word this morning,” Chief said. “From the enforcers, I mean. Julvor was found in his unit, murdered by the Healer Killer.”

The crowd erupted in gasps and whispers. The Healer Killer was an urban legend. No one thought something like this could actually happen. Not to someone they knew, at least. Musings of a ‘Healer Killer’ had first appeared on the forums months ago. How had the enforcers not caught him yet?

Chief was silent – she had gone AFK. Dalli, her loyal long-legged guard, knew what was happening; Chief was crying, and didn’t want to do it in front of the guild. Although Chief was an imposing figure, Dalli knew of her sensitive side. He wanted to run up and wrap his slender arms around her, but he’d never actually hugged Chief before. This was a bad time to start.

Chief finally reanimated. “As your guild leader, it’s my responsibility to let you know. Many of you were probably close to him. I wasn’t. But all Feather Birds are family. We will name a new bird in his honor.”

Shae was devastated. Not for Julvor’s sake – this was supposed to be Shae’s time to shine. Why did Julvor have to die today, of all days? Who knew if Shae would ever do something so spectacular again?

Shae slapped those intrusive thoughts from his head - he knew that line of thinking was horrible. He did his best to convince himself to be sad. Or that he wasn’t an awful person. If only he could be religious, like Umi. Maybe then he could just validate his grief by praying to Ledgess and move on.

“Good healers are hard to find,” Chief said. “Bad healers are hard to find too. Not that Julvor was a bad healer. He wasn’t our best, erm, but, I mean… it is a tragedy, of course. Those of you, especially healers, never open your Unit door for anyone you don’t know. If someone knocks, and you weren’t expecting company, call an enforcer. We can’t afford the loss. Of another Feather Bird, I mean.”

Umi found Shae near the back of the crowd, placing a big brutoid hand against his shoulder. Shae was clearly depressed, but not for the reasons Umi suspected.

“Don’t worry buddy!” Umi shouted. “I know he was one of your best friends. He’s with Ledgess now!”

“Julvor died in real life,” said Shae. “Even if Ledgess was real, why would Julvor suddenly be with some game-god?”

“Ledgess works in mysterious ways!” Umi shouted. “He watches over all of us. Even when we’re not playing!”

That was a creepy thought. Umi’s four brutoid arms pulled Shae into an uncomfortable hug, pressing Shae’s face against his Ledgess necklace. Two turquoise puppy-dog eyes stared back at Shae, a dopey grin across its canine lips. Shae prayed to Ledgess that Umi wouldn’t squeeze him to death.

“That’s all for now,” Chief concluded. “Go back to it. Whatever it was you were doing, I mean.”

With a wave of her insectoid hand, the crowd was dismissed. No one spoke to Shae as they passed - Shae’s great deed was no longer on their minds. Why did Julvor get all the attention? Shae smacked that thought from his mind.

Dalli approached Shae, stepping high over the crowd with his long legs.

“Shae,” said Dalli. “Chief wants to see you. Now.”

* * *

Shae, Chief, and Dalli stood on a rickety wooden elevator platform. This was the VIP elevator – a straight-shot to the guild rooftop, reserved for guild leadership or honored guests. Shae wasn’t even aware of its existence until this very moment. It was a slow tedious ascent - its pace rivalled that of the Haven elevators. A better elevator would cost the guild twice as many rep points as a new fancy bird.

After several long minutes, the elevator came to a stop. A cool breeze swept over Shae – they were on the roof. The guild HQ wasn’t a tall building, but the mountain it stood upon was another story. A single glance towards the cloudy peaks below sent Shae into a subdued stupor. He didn’t know what this meeting was about, and he hoped it would be a short one.

“Shae, do you know why I called you up here?” Chief asked.

“You’re going to throw me off the roof?” Shae asked.

Dalli bunted Shae with the flat-end of his spear.

“I had considered it,” said Chief. “But that would be a waste. Of a valuable resource, I mean.”

Shae pondered her words for a moment. He wasn’t positive, but that sounded like a compliment.

“Come here,” said Chief, beckoning towards the edge of the roof.

Shae preferred not to. A stern look from Dalli assured him the alternative was another spear-bunt. He treaded near the building’s edge - a thin wooden railing was the only thing between him and the worst fall ever. His fingers squeezed the railing until his knuckles grew sore.

“Have you ever taken the time to look at it all?” asked Chief. “The world, I mean?

Shae had never seen the world from this angle, nor had he cared to. Just beyond the mountain range, smoke rose from the chimneys of Trader Town. Beyond that, the trees of Sunlight Forest clawed at the sky. And beyond that –

“The Tower of Stone,” said Chief. “Our destination.”

A giant tower, rose high above the forest – the tallest point in all the land. What an awful name for a tower. It was obviously made of stone. They might as well have named the forest “The Forest of Trees” and the town “The Town of Wood.” Maybe the designers were just bad with names. Or maybe the designers were just, bad.

“Everyone on the server wants to conquer it,” Chief continued. “The tower, I mean. That’s the only way to beat the game. Nobody has ever done it.”

Chief leaned her full buggy weight against the wooden railing. Dalli watched her with a nervous stare. If that wooden railing broke, he would leap forward to catch her, even if that meant going down with her. At least they would go down together.

“Our guild is one of the oldest on the server,” Chief continued. “And yet, we’re not even close to completing that objective. No one is. It’s impossible.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Shae asked.

“What you did was impossible Shae,” the Chief said. “Saving the villagers, I mean. You’re exactly the kind of player I’ve been waiting for.”

Shae locked eyes with her. She couldn’t be serious. His performance surely hadn’t been that impressive.

“Your team was the first to complete that mission in years,” Chief continued. “Everyone watched you do it. Everyone in the guild, I mean. I sent you on that mission, because I had given up on you. It seems that all you needed was a little push.”

Chief patted him on the back. Given how high up there were, he hoped she didn’t mean that literally.

“The Feather Birds have always been a stepping stone for top talent,” Chief said. “But you’ve been banned from most other guilds. You’re stuck with me and I’m going to take advantage of you. Your skills, I mean.”

It wasn’t possible for Chief to smile in her armoroid body, but if she could, Shae imagined she’d have a sinister grin.

Shae looked hesitant. “If I say no, are you still going to throw me out of the guild?”

“I suppose not,” Chief admitted.

“We might throw you off the roof though,” said Dalli. Dalli smirked as Shae squirmed at the thought. Shae could get under Dalli’s skin, but Dalli knew how to return the favor.

The elevator buzzed and squeaked behind them. Someone was coming.

“We’re just about done grinding,” said Chief. “Grinding on goblin missions, I mean. We’re a single goblin point away from challenging the Goblin King.”

Shae shuddered as she uttered those words. The Goblin King was a terrible foe - a horrible, sadistic NPC that tormented defeated players. There was an entire forum board devoted to his kills. Bodies impaled on spears. Flesh, boiled and eaten. Dismembered limbs, hanging from trees –

“You have the wrong guy for this,” Shae said. He didn’t care about moving up in the guild, especially if it meant facing the Goblin King.

“Maybe,” said Chief. “I’m debating between you, and one more person.”

“Who?” Shae dared ask.

As if on cue, the elevator finished its ascent, revealing –

-- SizeMatters1420, the guild’s most ruthless raid leader, known for his cruelty. In the past, he had hurled Shae from high places, stuffed him into small places, and on one bizarre circumstance, nearly suffocated him with the back of his leg. It wasn’t often that somebody wound up on the Humiliating_Defeat board at the hands of their own teammate.

SizeMatters1420 was a massive gator-like creature, known as a Triangloid. Their name came from the triangular shape of their scales, and the sharp angle of their eyes. They were the largest race in all of Zero Space, sometimes growing up to ten feet tall. If SizeMatters1420 wanted to mess with someone, no one was going to stop him.

SizeMatters1420 stomped forward, leaning against the edge of the wooden railing. Dalli winced – there was way too much weight on that wooden railing now.

“I see you all are getting high,” SizeMatters1420 laughed. “Get it? Because you’re high up?”

The puns were the second worst part of travelling with SizeMatters1420.

“That’s enough Matt,” Chief said. Matt wasn’t his real name – it was short for Matters.

“Yeah Matt,” Shae added.

“Only Chief can call me Matt,” SizeMatter1420 growled. “It’s Sizey to you, shrimp. Chief, why is this weakling here?”

“This weakling, is your competition,” Chief said. “You two will compete for the honor of battling the Goblin King.”

SizeMatters1420 didn’t like that. He wrapped his huge hand around Shae’s throat, dangling him over the roof’s edge.

“I win,” SizeMatters1420 said. “You ready to drop-out? Get it? Because I’m about to drop you --”

“You will both compete in separate goblin missions, I mean,” Chief interrupted. “Whichever of you earns the final goblin point will be sent to fight the king.”

Shae was still dangling over the edge by his neck. This was his nightmare.

“Chief, I’m your strongest fighter,” SizeMatters1420 whined. “How many times do I gotta prove myself to you?”

“Just once more,” Chief teased. “Think of this as a little push.”

SizeMatters1420 gaped at her, and then threw Shae to the ground behind him.

“I’m going to be the one to leave my footprint on this game,” SizeMatters1420 growled. His foot crashed down next to Shae’s head. “Get it? Like the one I almost just made on your face.”

And with that SizeMatters1420, stomped back onto the elevator, screaming at it to go down faster.

This was too much pressure for Shae. He wanted to go back to fighting rats in a basement. Or wasting time in town. He didn’t want to try. Zero Space was how he relaxed. The last thing he desired was responsibility.

“Chief, I can’t do this,” Shae finally stated. “Send Matt. He’s better than me.”

Chief let out a sigh, then stepped away from the wooden railing, much to Dalli’s great relief.

“Shae, there are three conditions required to enter the tower,” said Chief. “The first, must be done by a guild leader. The second, must be done by a Raid Captain.”

Chief paced, carefully considering her next words.

“Players like Matt fight for themselves,” Chief continued. “A good leader fights for their team. I watched your mission replay, Shae. I could tell, someone else was on your mind in those final moments. I’ve never seen such determination.”

Dalli’s eyes open wide. Chief couldn’t possibly be considering --

“Shae, if you defeat the Goblin King, you will be my Raid Captain.”

Dalli’s long jaw gaped. That was a prestigious position, second only to the guild leader herself. There was no way Chief could be suggesting that. Not for a loser like Shae.

Shae was distracted. Something in the Chief’s words wasn’t adding up.

“Wait,” Shae said. “You said there were three conditions for entering the tower? The first is for you. The second is for me, maybe… wait, who is the third for?”

Chief grew silent. A look of despair crossed Dalli’s face. Whatever forbidden knowledge they both held, it was bad.

“Don’t worry about that,” Chief said. “The third condition, I mean. Just focus on defeating the Goblin King. That’s a big step towards the Tower.”

Only yesterday, Chief had nearly ruined Shae’s life. He wasn’t so willing to forgive and forget.

“I’ll think about it,” Shae said. He had already made up his mind. There was absolutely no way.

Dalli was an expert at reading Shae. He predicted Shae would make the contrary decision. Though Dalli didn’t believe in Shae, he believed in Chief’s judgment. It was his turn to give Shae a little push.

“Shae,” Dalli chimed in. “Raid Captain comes with a floor and rep bonus. Imagine all the stupid hats you could buy.”

Those simple words were enough to make Shae hesitate. Dalli was right. That was a whole lot of hats. And the floor raise wouldn’t just benefit him – it would benefit Anton.

Shae had been a terrible brother; the guilt threatened to overwhelm him. This was his opportunity to redeem himself. All those years of Anton putting up with Shae’s sickness, laziness, and manipulation – he wanted to make it up to him.

It was decided. Shae would give it a shot. Chief was right - Jay wasn’t fighting for himself.

He was fighting for his brother.