Play of Shadows

3.01: Charon

[Doors closing.]

The train pulled from the station with a loud whistle. It snaked down gleaming rails and disappeared around a bend, the setting sun breathing fire over its metal scales.

A row of grim-faced men and women were left behind on the platform. They stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing into the afternoon crowd. The city buzzed beyond the ticket-gates, the flow of people colorful and thick.

The platform was deserted aside the five newcomers. The sound of the crowd filtered in, muffled, as if they existed in a bubble.

"She's not here," a man said.

The quiet broke with his words. The tension between the five players only increased however, muscles tensing and jaws clenched.

"She could be in there," Frances said, nodding toward the world behind the ticket-gates.

"Ann wouldn't have waited for us," Michael agreed. "It's not her style."

The two women in the group didn't offer an opinion. Lieutenant Arendse took in their surroundings with a soldier's eyes, picking out potential dangers. Sasha fiddled with the silver bracelet clasped around her wrist. It lit up briefly, displaying a string of numbers in holographic text before dimming again.

"Are your coordinates aligned?" Arendse asked.

The players wore identical bracelets. The chain of numbers remained functionally the same, denoting each player's exact placement on the game map.

Vernon let out a rattling snort. "They've got us chipped. Huge fucking win," he said sarcastically.

"It's a connection to the main system. The first working link since the corruption began," Michael reminded.

"They'll be able to map the world as we explore. Maybe offer assistance, too," Frances added.

"I wouldn't hold my breath," Vernon said.

"We have our objective," Arendse cut in. "Ten hours. Set an in-system countdown. Don't trust markers of time in the game itself."

"Not my first rodeo, woman," Vernon snorted.

Arendse carried on, unaffected. "I suggest we split." She raised a hand, stalling a clamor of voices. "Just for an hour. This world is bigger than we anticipated and we have no leads."

Frances was first to agree. The others fell in line as well, acknowledging the merits of scoping out the terrain before moving in as a group.

They cleared the gates. The station opened onto a busy city street dotted with eateries and department stores and brightly-lit entertainment venues. A movie theater sat directly across the station entrance. It advertised a recent film, promising realistic immersion and a limited souvenir with a VIP ticket. A few teenagers were clustered around the display out front. Their voices rose and fell, rowdy with cheer.

"Their faces -" Sasha said, then trailed off, darting a glance around the group.

"They've got none," Frances said simply.

The NPCs wandering about looked entirely human save for that one, glaring flaw. Their faces were flat and all skin. Like pieces of fabric pressed in embroidery frames, waiting for a needle to thread through.

Sasha let out a relieved breath. "Yeah. I thought there was something wrong with my sync," she admitted.

"Record what you see, no matter what it is. Remember, this is the core of the distortion. Be prepared for irregularities, but do not ignore them," Arendse said.

"Ay, ay, captain," Vernon said, throwing in a salute.

Arendse shot him a look this time, flat and cold. Vernon raised his hands in mock-surrender.