Page 52 of Code Bound
I roll my eyes. Cipher can be annoying and dramatic, but he’s right. He’s necessary to our travels here, and for some reason, he’s chosen to speak to me like this rather than Locke. I shouldn’t waste the opportunity.
“Hey, Cipher?” I ask suddenly, frowning.
“Yes, Vespera?”
“I know you don’t talk to Locke like this, but do you talk to other players as much as you talk to me?”
He falls silent, as if contemplating my question. “Would you like a measurable statistic, or human reassurance?”
“What’s the difference?”
“Statistically, I have talked to players as much as I speak to you point zero-zero-three percent of the time. My conversations vary for the rest of the players, and the largest percent by far is those like Locke, players I only speak to at the beginning and never again.” He takes a breath. “As for human reassurance, I speak to you because I enjoy you. There are not many players I can comment the same.”
“Oh,” I say, suddenly flustered. I don’t know which answer I was looking for, but both make me feel . . . better. I hadn’t even realized I’d been dreading his answer, that part of me was thinking that he must talk like this to every player that isn’t Locke. At his admission, I can’t seem to find any other words. Do I say thank you? Do I nod like it was expected? Do I tell him I enjoy him, too? Cipher is a machine. In theory, he shouldn’t feel at all. He shouldn’t be able to pick out a player he likes. Right? I have limited knowledge of machines, but Cipher seems far more advanced than anything I’ve seen even within the Harrow.
“That is because I am,” he interrupts my thoughts.
“You’ve gotta stop doing that,” I scowl while tromping after Locke. “My thoughts should be private.”
“Learn how to shut me out then,” Cipher goads. “I bet you can do it if you try really hard.”
I determine that I’m going to do just that. It’s ridiculous that he can hear my every thought and I need some thoughts to at least be to myself. How long before I think something that I don’t want the system to know? How long before I have thoughts I’d like to keep private? My mind starts to trail to those exact type of thoughts and I clamp down on them, immediately redirecting.
Cipher chuckles, but he doesn’t say anything about the flash of naked flesh I’d thought about. Asshole.
“Where exactly are we going?” I ask Locke as he leads the way.
“I don’t know exactly,” he says, opening his map again. “It says there could be a Minor Boss somewhere in this section. It doesn’t tell me what it is or where it is, or else I’d have some sense of direction. I have a feeling it’s by that line, like I said, so I’m just kind of heading toward that. Once there, I guess we just walk around until we . . . stumble across it.” He throws his hands up. “I don’t know, man. Unless you have a better idea, this is what we’re doing. We have ‘til midday, like you said, and then we head to the safehouse.”
“I’m not giving you shit,” I argue. “I’m just asking.”
“We need XP,” he says, “and Minor Bosses give us more than fighting the plant life does. I literally got a single XP from fighting that Giant Venus Fly Trap an hour ago. One! I think that bastard is fucking with me.”
Cipher’s warm laughter fills my ears. “He’s lucky he got one.”
“I swear,” Locke continues. “You could take a shit and get five XP. I fight a giant man-eating plant and I get one. I never realized the fucking Harrow would play favorites.” He narrows his eyes on me. “That asshole is laughing at me, isn’t he?”
A menu pops up in front of me and I stumble, blinking at the words.
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED
Congratulations, pretty girl. You’re still breathing.
REWARD: 3XP
I choke on the laughter bubbling up my throat. “Uh . . . Locke?”
“What?” he asks, scowl deepening. “What did he do?”
“I just got three XP,” I croak, trying so hard not to lose myself to laughter completely. The snort slips out a second before I can stop it and my eyes water with the force of my laughter.
“For what?” he spits. “Don’t tell me you took a shit?” His eyes drop down and I can’t hold back the laughter anymore. It pours out of me and makes it hard to breathe. Ironic.
“No,” I say through my laughter. “Three XP for breathing.”
“Motherfucker,” Locke snarls. He points at the sky like that’s where Cipher is. “You’re a motherfucker, Cipher. I swear to the Harrow, if you had a face, I’d fucking punch you in it.”
“I would let you try,” Cipher pipes up, also laughing as he speaks to both of us for once.
