piggy_king
in
damned
Day 43: Game Room, Third Shift
Peh. "Graduates." Who were they trying to fool? It's not like anyone here believed them, and no one ever visited the institute. What was the point in keeping up this sad little charade? To add to the realism of it? Well, whatever. If they wanted to continue this exercise in futility, that was fine with Porky. All it meant was that they spent more
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Evangeline looked at the seat he'd patted distastefully- the gesture struck her as far too ingratiating- but took it. "It's just boring during the day and most of the people here are pretty annoying," she said before moving on to his questions. "Something useful came out of that mess last night, at least," she said, because that much was true. "What happened with yours?"
She sounded vaguely interested, but far from sympathetic. Evangeline did not do sympathy, especially when she'd hadn't thought his plan had stood much of a chance in the first place. He'd gotten off to a poor start with those public arguments over his motives and there was only so much you could do with the bottom of the barrel in a closed system like this anyway, no matter how powerful a mind you directed them with.
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After looking around nervously to make sure no nurses were close by, Porky put his right hand into his pants and pulled out his lighter.
"So," Porky whispered, "This ought to come in handy, eh?"
Porky gave a quiet chuckle as he placed the lighter back in his pants, but suddenly grimaced and grabbed his right forearm.
"Ah..." Porky said, wincing a little, "That wasn't the only thing I got last night, though. Take a look at this."
Porky pulled up his right sleeve and showed off his bite wound to Evangeline. It may have looked rather normal, but it still hurt quite a bit.
"I got this from a zombie," Porky said, "At the very beginning of the night, you understand. Didn't have any time to react. Anyway, I managed to get out alive, but not before the deed was done. See, I got infected by the bite. My flesh started rotting off and I start acting like a zombie. The people I was traveling with had to tie me up so I wouldn't try to eat them. It certainly wasn't as fun as it could have been. Anyway, enough about that? We're in the game room, so why don't we actually play a game?"
Porky slowly got himself off of the couch he was sitting on and worked his way over to the chess boards.
"Fancy a game of chess, Evangeline?" Porky said, with a slightly devious grin, "Don't worry, I promise I'll go easy on you."
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"It could," Evangeline agreed only in the most technical sense, looking at the lighter dubiously. Perhaps for lightning any explosives one might improvise, but on its own it was a good deal less useful than any of the potential improvised weapons she'd had her pick of at the hardware store. Unless, like her, he needed it as an implement for some supernatural ability.
She gave more careful consideration to his bite, though. If the wound was not completely healed, would the effects of the infection linger? She didn't know enough about the nature of the contagion or the healing and suppression that accompanied the night/day transition to really guess.
"You should do the same tonight," Evangeline said, with a lightness that didn't suit the subject in the least. "If the effect returns and you attack someone you could easily be killed."
She matched his grin at the offer of chess easily, though. "Go easy? I'm named Athanasia for a reason, you know. If you can't show me something new you won't win or even keep me entertained."
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"'Deathless,' eh?" Porky grinned, "Well, I don't mean to be rude, but you're also quite young compared to me, unless there's something I don't know, of course. Plus, games of strategy are something of a forte of mine. I think I mentioned my skill directing troops on the battlefield the last time we met, right? Anyway, I take it I don't have to hold back against you. It's been a while since I've had a chance to show off my full force here, so I ought to enjoy this...Ah, I'll take black. Personal preference, you understand."
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She was having fun, though, especially with the trash talk over the chess, and only widened her grin when he added that 'unless there's something I don't know.' Imply that there was a lot but say nothing, that was the best way. "You could say these little soldiers who move only by the hand of their master are my forte. The Magus Puparum moves white as easily as black."
It was nice to be able to give self-aggrandizing speeches again after having to hold her tongue every time she introduced herself to the uncomprehending outworlders of the Institute, and she was clearly enjoying the opportunity.
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"And you'd better not doubt my feelings about humans," Porky almost sneered, "I've been treated like shit for my entire life. Not once has anyone ever helped me out of the goodness of their heart, assuming any of those idiots had a heart. Anyway, I can almost guarantee my life has been ten times worse than yours."
"Thanks for worrying about me, though!" Porky said as he grinned and winked at Evangeline, "You must care about me even if it's just a little bit! In any event, let's move on to the game, shall we? Your move."
In a few moments, the game was underway. Evangeline's opening moves were rather standard, but she made the curious choice of bringing her queen out early...mmmm, she was quite rash, wasn't she? No matter. That would only make it easier to beat her. A few moves later, Porky had taken the first piece: a pawn. He looked up and grinned at Evangeline.
"So much for deathless, eh?" Porky chuckled, "And here I was expecting a perfect game from you."
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And there was the game to focus on. She laughed away his taunt, and responded, "Everything in the world requires sacrifices. Perfection is a foolish illusion. Something chess teaches well. At least a small pawn has a chance of going unnoticed for the length of a game."
With her queen in play Evangeline quickly took a pawn for the one she'd lost, and set about developing her board. Fast on the draw with her queen, and strong in the center... she was nothing if not direct in her play.
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Porky took his knight and placed it in a prime position to capture Evangeline's queen, which was quickly moved out of the knight's line of fire.
"...But I far prefer the knight," Porky finally said, "So maneuverable, so...unconventional. Much harder to predict, wouldn't you say? Perfect for a slippery fellow like myself."
In any event, Porky's strategy was finally forming. He had assembled his knights and a bishop right outside Evangeline's little "fortress," and was quite ready to begin his infiltration. It wouldn't prove difficult at all, unless Evangeline was truly as skilled as she claimed she was, which Porky sincerely doubted. Then again, even if she was, Porky was still something like 10,000 years old, and all that time had certainly given him a vast vault of experience to draw upon.
"Well, Evangeline," Porky said, a smile on his face, "It's your move."
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Of course, Porky was actually delighted, but he dared not show it. With Evangeline's bishop out of place, there was finally a weak point for Porky to attack. If Porky excelled at anything, it was sensing when his opponent was weak and striking at their most vulnerable points. Within a few turns, Evangeline's precious defense had all but crumbled. There was the pesky matter of Evangeline's ambitious bishop, but that was merely an act of desperation on Evangeline's part, most likely. In any event, Porky's remaining knight and one of his bishops were once again ready to strike.
"So," Porky said almost dully, "What do you think you should do, my dear Evangeline?"
[We're at move 15, for the record.]
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Barring any truly stupid moves on her opponents part, the game was decided, but she couldn't bring herself to say 'concede.' Perseverance meant more on the battlefield than the chess board, though...
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With a bored sigh, Porky used his remaining knight to flick Evangeline's rook off the board.
"Are you sure you want to drag this out, Evangeline?" Porky said quietly and as tactfully as he could muster, "I don't mean to offend, but..."
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This might have been more precisely phrased, 'if you can't win maturely I'll show you exactly how immaturely I can lose,' but Evangeline, of course, did not think of her own reactions as immature. Even the ones that involved the old bishops-in-the-eyes technique.
With a look that promised that the next few minutes were going to be crucial to Porky's near-future well-being, Evangeline got back to running her king around in the rapidly-tightening noose of pieces surrounding it.
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After looking down at the board for a few moments, a small smile crept onto Porky's lips.
"Heh heh..." Porky chuckled softly, "Very well, Evangeline. I'll stop acting like such a child and treat you like the adult you are! I won't say another word until this game is over!"
Ah, now this was fun! Two opponents, locked in a battle of wits! Who would win?! Just because Porky had the advantage now didn't mean that he would come out on top in the end! Porky couldn't afford to dilly-dally any more. Now it was serious. A drop of sweat crept down Porky's brow as he tapped his chin with his finger and stared down intensely at the board. Hmmm...most of Evangeline's pieces lay dormant, but that queen of hers...it was proving to be quite troublesome...trying to take it would be too difficult, however...ah! Suddenly a huge grin appeared on Porky's face, and within a few turns, Evangeline's queen had been forced into a corner, unable to attack, but also unable to be attacked. Then again, that was fine with Porky.
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As far as Evangeline was concerned, the game had been over for a while, and now there was no question at all: with her queen suppressed it was now just down to the formalities of herding her king from its current prison to the execution grounds. The winner won and the loser lost; that was life, and often death as well. There was no need for pity or sympathy for those who played and lost, only those who lost without ever having a chance to play at all.
Somewhere in there chess as a metaphor for life and life as a metaphor for chess had collided badly, but it all worked out. If you were her. The point was that she had mostly been annoyed with Porky, not the game. Or so she could now tell herself, having delivered a few veiled but satisfying threats.
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In any event, it didn't take long for the game to end. Evangeline tried to stave off the inevitable, but it was, in the end, irrelevant. Evangeline's king was eventually cornered and she was forced to surrender. Of course, Porky had never expected it to turn out any other way, but it was still satisfying to see the game come to its rightful conclusion. When the final pieces were in place, Porky looked up and smiled at Evangeline.
"Checkmate," Porky said, a friendly smile on his face, "And I must admit, you put up quite a fight, and I mean that sincerely. I hope you can forgive me for my admittedly childish behavior earlier. And I hope you don't feel too bad for losing. Truthfully, your skill was on par with that of a master, but I am 10,000 years old, and with age comes wisdom, eh?"
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