Rickey

  Rickey read that last one again.

  I mean the only weakness is luck and charisma, but charisma is bad on all of them, and who needs luck when you have skill and magic. I’ll get points as I level up I’m sure, so I can level up charisma and luck if I want to. I really like the power punch and the shield. And that last part of the description…‘You’ve been destined for leadership’…it’s like this system knows my true potential.

  Rickey pondered for a few minutes before finalizing his decision.

  “Yes. Let the simulation begin!”

  Rickey couldn’t believe his good fortune as magical energy swirled about him and lifted him off his feet. He floated there watching the wisps mutate his old body and change it into something more powerful. The weight literally absorbed back into his body and was redistributed to other areas. The once obese, out of shape, unattractive, balding wimp of a man transformed into the figure of Adonis himself. He grew from 5’8” to a staggering 6’2”. Muscles popped into existence as if he were a blow-up doll; not that he knew anything about that.

  When the process finished, Rickey merely thought about magical energy and it began pulsing through his body.

  “Let’s see what this punch is about,” he said as he forced mana into his forearm. The entire arm glowed in a gradient pattern getting brighter from the forearm to the fist. He turned toward a stalactite he estimated to be about 300,000 years old and punched it. The rocky formation once five feet in circumference disintegrated sending millions of pieces of shrapnel in its wake.

  Rickey laughed, then thought about the destruction he had just done to the ancient cave, then laughed some more.

  “Who cares! It’s just a simulation! I can do whatever I want!” he shouted as the echo chased reality from Rickey for good.

  Melissa

  “AAAAAggggghhh!” the fedora man screamed as he emerged from the mouth of the cave.

  Melissa freaked out as the torrent of bats, bugs, and tourists escaped the mouth of the cave in a shriek of wings and limbs. During her career, she had always imagined something like this happening. She knew nothing was down there in the caves that could cause such an eruption, but it was a fun fantasy. When it happened, she couldn’t believe her eyes.

  She approached one of the tourists and tried to calm them down. “Sir? Sir. Sir! Please calm down. What is going on down there?”

  “B-b-b-bats and b-b-bugs and Ssssspiders and our tour guide! Oh my God! Our tour guide was just sucked into the darkness. Oh God! I think he’s dead!”

  “Okay, okay. You’re doing really good. Do you remember who your tour guide was?”

  “F-f-f-Rickey. I think his name was FfRickey. Yeah. That’s it. I forget his last name.”

  Dangit! Why him? Melissa didn’t necessarily hate Rickey, but he was just one of those guys that could really get under your skin. A real know-it-all. There were times she actually felt sorry for him, but then he’d go and open his mouth, and the empathy would evaporate in an instant. He was lucky he hadn’t been fired yet. Still, Melissa didn’t think he deserved to die.

  She grabbed her radio and called it in.

  “Dispatch, this is Melissa.”

  “Go ahead, Melissa, this is Gracie.”

  “Hi, Gracie. Look. I’m at Historic Entrance. A tour group just evacuated the cave in a disorderly fashion. It was Rickey’s group from this morning. He wasn’t with them, though.”

  “Ugh,” Gracie sighed in distaste. “He probably…sorry. Forgetting myself there. Did you get any info on what might have happened?”

  “Yeah. One of the tourists was really freaked out and said he thinks Rickey might be dead.”

  “Damn…sorry…” Gracie said clearing her throat. Sometimes she forgot she was on a live frequency and everyone on the net could hear. “I’m going to send security your way.”

  “Did someone just say they think Rickey is dead?” Jen Dubberly, Senior Ranger, called in.

  “Yes ma’am,” Melissa replied. “No confirmation, but the tourists were really freaked out and not just because there were hundreds of bats and bugs with them. They looked like they had seen a horror movie or something.”

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  “Okay. I’m on my way.”

  Melissa hooked her radio back on her belt and began checking on tourists to see if any medical attention was needed. She didn’t find anything, so she checked the digital roster to make sure all were accounted for. There were 12 listed, not including Rickey and after organizing the people back into a group, she was able to account for all 12.

  “Whadda we got?” a voice broke her concentration from behind her. She turned to find Melvin Jenkins, one of the security team, and Jen.

  “All 12 who went on the tour are here,” Melissa said. “Rickey seems to be the only one who didn’t make it out.”

  “Okay,” Jen said. “You stay here. Jenkins, call for two more rangers and security to check on the other tours. We need a full rollcall. Melissa, stay here just in case more come out. Direct them to fall into the groups they were with. I checked, and I think everyone is out, but I don’t want to leave anything up for granted.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Melissa said and went about her duties.

  After Jenkins called for extra help, he turned to Jen. “Okay, rangers are moving to their positions. They’ll call in when the caves are clear.”

  “Alright. You have a rescue kit?” Jen asked. She had trained for this situation but hoped she never had to use it.

  “Yes ma’am,” Jenkins said, patting the backpack. “Did the inventory this morning.”

  “Good. Good. Okay. Let’s go.”

  She dried her sweaty hands off on her khakis and they headed down the long stairway into the unknown.

  Rickey

  Rickey flexed his hand checking for energy after punching a second stalactite.

  “Not even a scratch! I’m frickin’ Superman!” he shouted. “No! I can’t fly, so I can’t be Superman. I’m like One-punch-man! Ha HA!”

  His celebration was cut off when he heard a subtle growl. He knew there wasn’t many creatures living down in the cave, but this was a simulation now. A game. Anything was possible! He was actually excited to see what he had to face. His first challenge.

  He moved toward the sound and away from the dim light of his glow sticks trepidatiously. Using mana, he pulled energy into his forearm generating just a hint of blue light. As he walked he heard the thrum of a growl coming from close to the ground about maybe 15-20 feet in front of him.

  After taking another subtle step a banner floated in the air inches above the cave floor.

  “This is a game!!” Rickey exclaimed, remembering the days of playing games where enemies stats are viewable.

  The salamander heard him and crawled forward, baring its mouth full of razor teeth. Unlike normal five-inch cave salamanders, this spotted fella was more than two feet long and instead of black eyes, this guy sported red marbles glowing with hateful intent.

  It charged and threw a powerful sonic punch toward Rickey. Using his pre-charged hand, he brought up the power shield just in time to avoid the full effect of the attack as the . He re-charged and punched down like a super-hero ground pounding to create an earthquake. Instead of an earthquake however, he smashed the salamanders head in like a grape under foot. Blood, brain, bone, and slime spattered across the floor and Rickey’s boots.

  “Uuuucckk, gross!”

  A second salamander popped its head out of the dark before Rickey could say “yes”, saw the carnage and turned in retreat.

  “Oh no you don’t!” Rickey said as he gave chase. There were three more lurking in the dark. He punched two just like the first, but then he started to feel woozy.

  Did one of them poison me? I don’t remember getting bit. Does the slime contain venom?

  His hand dimmed and he realized at that moment he was running out of mana.

  “Crap!” he said, and he turned to retreat. The salamander gave chase basically saying, ‘oh no you don’t’ to Rickey.

  It sent a sonic pulse with enough force to knock Rickey to the ground, sprawling face first. Rickey felt the closeness of the creature as it crawled near. His bladder released its stored contents as the salamander bit into his calf in a sickening gurlp sound.

  “Aww man,” Rickey cried as he rolled over. Not only had he peed on his pants, but he also had a bad headache and now he was poisoned. Great. He also couldn’t see the actual salamander; just a banner about two feet away. “You comin’ back for more, you little bitch?”

  The salamander answered by charging again. Rickey kicked out at it with brute strength, amazed to see the attack had done some real damage. He slinked backward preparing for another attack. One of the salamander black eyes hung to the floor by a strand of optic nerve. It hesitantly approached, growling and hissing.

  “Come on! Bring it!” Rickey yelled.