“Not really,” Conan said. The other two shook their heads.
“Great. Drink water, keep taking Fever-Ace until your mana stops generating more than it normally does, eat some soup every mealtime while you’re sick, and you’ll probably be fine,” Danielle said. “I’m going to keep going around the floor.”
“The Healers are busy,” Conan pointed out.
“Healer Michael is busy,” Danielle said. “There are three healers at the layer 1 base, though, plus that guy we were just talking to, who came from a different base just to help deal with the epidemic. The way I figure it, that means I can make at least four calls before I have to give up just because they’re too busy. I’m hoping there aren’t actually that many people who need it on this floor.”
“You should know about the Skill tokens,” Akari said. “The Rangers only told people that got med checks – there are a limited number of Skill tokens from the set they offered last Sunday available to buy at half price. You have to know to ask, but they’re actually available to order with the catalog, as long as they don’t run out before you place your order.”
“Oh, and they were just gonna let anybody who didn’t go on their records go ignorant, huh?” Conan said sourly.
“I think they figured the people who wanted med checks would be the same people who wanted tokens, honestly,” Danielle said. “Chances are, a lot of people will hear, because they offered early delivery to people that needed them, and I think they’re delivering right now. As in, that’s probably why Healer Michael was in town when I called dispatch.”
“Delivering tokens?” the nervous boy asked skeptically. “Why would Healers do that?”
“I dunno, but when they came to my room, that’s what they said was going to happen,” Gideon told him. “People with immediate need could order this morning for delivery tonight, and people who needed to think about it could order on catalog day. It’s some kind of deal with the newest Skill Sharer in the Unified States – maybe whoever that is, is looking for easy levels; or maybe they were Sent themselves, so they care about us having what we need.”
“Maybe both – but either way, we’ve got a week to think about it, so for now, let’s get back inside,” the boy who had originally answered the door said. “You too, Cone.”
“Don’t call me that! I told you, Cone is dead, I’m Conan now!”
“I don’t care if you’re calling yourself Late For Supper, get inside and close the door!”
Danielle shook her head and moved on to the next room.
The next three rooms were easy; the first two answered the knock on the door politely if warily, and everyone there was doing fine. At least one room had actually let the Rangers in to do med checks that afternoon. Danielle kept her promise to move on as quickly as the situation allowed. When they moved around the end of the building, Akari activated Hostility Sense again. The room at the end of the building was doing fine; then they skipped a room with three hostiles in it. The room next door to the hostiles refused to open the door more than a crack, but claimed they were all recovered anyway. Danielle reminded them to keep up the hydration and Fever-Ace until their mana generation was fully normal and turned to move on.
She whipped back around at the sound of a clang and a meaty thunk, and saw a boy she didn’t know struggling to get his feet back under him after apparently having been knocked back against the railing. He seemed to have caught himself with one arm over the top rail before losing his footing. Gideon was facing him, staff readied. “Get your back to the wall,” Akari told Danielle tightly.
“I have my staff, I’m fine,” Danielle said to Akari; then, louder, she asked, “Gideon, what’s up?”
“This guy just demonstrated the function of Body Shield for me,” Gideon said.
Danielle’s eyes tracked down to the arm that dangled over the railing – sure enough, the boy was holding a sword. She supposed in swordsmanship terms, he’d done well to keep ahold of it. “You figured out we aren’t rabbits yet?” she asked him.
“Like stink you aren’t,” he said.
“What was that you were saying before?” Jordan asked. “About killing people?”
Danielle sighed. “Not unless we really have to,” she said. “Let’s move while he’s out of it. If he wrenched his shoulder as bad as I think he did, falling like that, he might want to go rest it instead of chasing us right now. We don’t have ice, but a cold shower aimed at the shoulder in question might help.”
“You givin’ me medical advice, now?” the boy asked derisively.
“Well, sure,” Danielle said. “After all, I’m a Medic. Come on, guys; keep your ears open, but don’t just stand there having a staring contest.”
Danielle turned her back on him, though she doubted the others would. That was fine; they didn’t have Flash Shield or Improved Hearing. “I’m listening for everyone’s positions right now, System,” she whispered. “This is an ability I’d love to see improve as this Trait levels.”
Akari was frankly walking sideways, and Danielle could tell from his gait that Jordan was too. Gideon seemed to have turned his back and followed her, which seemed unwise, but then, someone had to keep an eye on the walkway ahead.
Concentrating on the sounds of movement, Danielle could hear the next attack coming; Gideon apparently did too, because he whirled and his staff whooshed and there was another clang, a thunk, a second clang. Danielle glanced over her shoulder to confirm, and their assailant was on the ropes again – or more literally, on the railing. It looked like he’d hit with the sword between himself and the bars – that was the second clang. Fortunately for him, he’d hit the flat, not the edge of his own sword.
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“We’re being merciful here, but that’s strike two,” Danielle said. “Back off now. You can chase me later, like Vince does. Unless Vince has dibs, in which case, definitely back off.”
“Hah! You can’t get rid of me that easy!” the boy exclaimed. “If Vince can’t take his own rabbit, that’s his problem. I’m moving up tonight!”
“That is very unlikely,” Danielle said, and moved on. She was passing what was almost certainly an occupied room, but she didn’t stop; the people inside didn’t need her bringing this trouble to their door. The stairs were next on the right, but for some reason she couldn't quite drag up to the surface and put into words, she didn’t think it was a good idea to go down them. She kept moving.
The next attack came, and again Gideon responded swiftly even though he seemed to have turned away, knocking the attacker back with his staff. This time, Danielle heard him fall repeatedly, grunting in pain. She turned to confirm it again, and yes, he’d gone down the stairs and fetched up flat on his back on the ground, groping for his sword. He’d dropped it, but not far from his hand. He restored his grip on it even as Gideon began speaking.
“We have shown you grace three times – undeserved forbearance, even though you are attacking us with a sword. Before you come at us a fourth time, I offer you this warning: until now, I’ve been knocking you back against the railing. Come at me again, and I will flip you over the railing. You’ve been warned.” Gideon looked down at him, his expression angry but controlled. The attacker snarled back at him. “You might be taking the wolf thing a little too far,” Gideon said, and turned his back on the boy a third time.
“Catch up with me a little,” Danielle breathed, softer than a true whisper. “Let him have an eyeful of my shield before you try anything fancy.”
She was worried Jordan and Gideon wouldn’t hear, or wouldn’t understand what she meant, but they both moved up to flank her as she moved on again.
“Any other advice?” Jordan whispered back.
“Activate Medic’s Diagnostics before your combat Skill, if you’re going to activate such a Skill,” Danielle whispered back.
“Activate Medic’s Diagnostics. Activate Staff Apprentice,” Gideon said softly. “I’m dry,” he breathed even more softly, matching the volume of Danielle’s request.
“You think you’re so high and mighty, with your grace and your forbearance,” the boy said from the ground. “Well grace won’t get you back inside. You think you’ll get anywhere by being civilized, you’re rotten in the brain. The Alpha has it right – we’re in the wilds now, it’s kill or be killed. Rot it, even those soldier wanna-bes have it right: return or die!”
They probably all heard the boy coming back up the stairs, slowly, as he spoke. Akari softly began activating her own Skills, whispering beneath his growling monologue, “Activate Improved Proprioception, Activate Minor Shield,” and then the boy launched himself at them, and Flash Shield went off.
Danielle had already done all but the last eyeflick to activate Flash Shield, and completed it fractions of a second after the flash went off, reinstating her protection. She backed against the wall without being told this time; she wasn’t in this fight – she couldn’t be in this fight. It could so easily be deadly, and she could not accept that mana.
Gideon struck with his staff again, but the attacker was at least smart enough to stay low in response to the threat of being thrown over the railing. He swiped at Gideon’s leg, but his sword clanged off of something; Danielle couldn’t tell what. Akari struck down at him between Gideon and Jordan, and the attacker tried to roll away but took a shallow cut across his off-hand shoulder all the same. He came up in a crouch and attacked Jordan, but Jordan was wielding his staff like a spear, with all the advantage in reach that implied, and the attacker managed to take the stab on the shoulder and not the gut, but it threw him back more than Danielle expected.
“Move this way,” Danielle called. “Pull him toward the end of the building.”
“Oh, no you don’t!” the attacker called, but he wasn’t in a position to prevent Gideon and Jordan from falling back several steps, Akari and Danielle watching the walkway behind and giving them ground one step at a time. The attacker finally gave in and ran at them, but Gideon got in a heavy strike against his more wounded shoulder and he careened against the wall, losing ground on them again.
Danielle reached the opening where room zero would have been, the fire spot. She followed the wall around the corner and out of the line of the walkway entirely. “The space is clear at the moment,” she told her defenders. “No one visible, no mana or enhancement signatures.”
“Are we far enough back for whatever you wanted?” Jordan asked.
“I guess? We’re all the way to the end of the building,” Danielle said. “As far as we can get from the stairs, and any other building. If he lands wrong going over, this is as few people affected by the burst as we can manage.”
“Is that what we’re doing?”
“Shut up!” the attacker howled, dashing in again, but this time he came in too upright, and Gideon made good on his promise. He struck the boy back, then Jordan hit him again, forcing him back against the railing, and Gideon got his staff under the boy’s knee and lifted. It would have left him open if Akari hadn’t been in the mix to parry a wild blow, but she was, and then Jordan levered his staff in behind their attacker’s hip and he went over the railing, flailing, his sword falling ahead of him from Akari’s disarm.
He landed hard. Danielle could hear how hard. The mana burst didn’t come right away, but something told her it was coming. “Activate Burst Recycling,” she said.
The other three went to the railing to see what was going on below, but Danielle stood against the wall of the fire spot and waited, counting in her head just to force other thoughts out of her head. One-sanctuary, two-sanctuary, three-sanctuary (was it weird to count by sanctuaries when she was expecting a mana burst? The under-mountain sanctuaries had been made, essentially, to ensure some humans would survive the chain reactions of mana bursts that had made the Spread so deadly). Seven-sanctuary, eight-sanctuary. Akari was saying, “Should we go down and see what the diagnostic Skills say about it?” Eleven-sanctuary, twelve-sanctuary, thirteen-sanctuary, fourteen-sanctuary –
- ? Mana burst detected. 40 Mana has been added to your active class (General Enhancer). Remaining cost to level, 295 mana.
- ? Career skill MedVet Mana Diagnostics (T2) added at level 1.
- ? Trait: Improved Hearing has leveled to T1-L2.
- ? Oceanic mana pool has processed 8 mana using Burst Recycling
- ? Riverine mana pool has processed 4 mana using Burst Recycling
“Sometimes it really stinks to be right,” Danielle said aloud.
“What?” Akari turned back toward her, looking a bit stunned.
Danielle shook her head. “Nothing. Are you OK? Anyone injured?”
“Whoa. We killed him,” Jordan said.
“It sounds like we’re a little out of it,” Danielle said. “Let’s go up and visit Nathan, shall we?”
“We can’t just leave him – that – ” Jordan broke off.
“We have to call the Rangers, I think,” Gideon said.
“Get up to Nathan’s place and I’ll call it in,” Danielle said. “Come on, let’s move.”
Doors were opening. No one came out, but a lot of people were looking out. Sirocco, from the town council, appeared at the door of 7110 even though Danielle could’ve sworn that was one of the unused spots in the standard floor-plan. “What’s going on?” he asked blearily as she half followed, half pushed Gideon and Jordan towards the stairs.
“We got attacked by a Wolf while trying to do Healer checks on this floor,” Danielle said tersely, and moved past him.
“Is everyone all right?” he called from behind her.
“Everyone but the Wolf,” Danielle called back. “I’ll call it in once we have a door between us and the rest of the org.”
Danielle got her shaken friends up the stairs, grateful that Nathan’s room was right at the top of them. Gonzo was standing in the doorway, with one of the roommates Danielle didn’t know prodding him from behind to “let me see already,” though he didn’t seem to be making much of an impression.
“Hi Gonzo, can we come in please?” Danielle asked urgently.
Gonzo glared at her. “I don’t think so,” he said.
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