Paul

We were in The Sim’s Euro-Fantasy environment, set up on a slight hill about 1100 meters from a small keep. Single tower with a curtain wall. We were overlooking the main gate to the tower. A few meters in front of that was a raised platform with some kind of gibbet on it. Past the platform was a small village and the villagers were starting to gather at the edge of the platform.

“Alexander sends that the main event is going to happen on that platform,” Tom said.

We were lying down at the military crest of the hill with decent concealment. We had good visibility on the platform and most of the surrounding area. I brought my rifle up and loaded the special rounds Alexander had supplied.

Next to me, Tommy checked the chamber of his M4 to make sure he had one up in the pipe. He wasn’t going to do much with a 5.56 round at this distance but you can never have too many guns or too much ammo so I didn’t say anything. Hell, it was the same reason I brought my pistol, this was The Sim and a live environment, anything could happen. Alexander could only control so much without making Ian suspicious.

“You got a good connection to Alexander?” I asked Tommy for maybe the six or seventh time.

“5 by,” he replied, nodding.

I did some box breathing exercises to center myself and took up a vigil, watching the door.

“The app says the hack is live, do you have a visual?” Tommy asked, undercurrent of urgency in his voice.

“Negative. Shit. No, there’s no one near the platform,” I swore.

“Alexander, locus on Meg please,” Tommy asked. “Alexander says they’re in the building.”

“Fuck,” I swore again. “No windows, I’ve nothing.”

“Alexander indicates no change to plan. They will be coming out.”

“She doesn’t know we’re here,” I muttered. “Alexander had to suppress that part of her memory so she wouldn’t give it away. She thinks she’s on her own.”

“Center,” Tommy commanded. “She knew that. You knew that. There’s nothing we can do until they come out of the building and if you’re all jazzed up you won’t be able to help her.”

I focused on slowing my breathing and finding my center. Eventually it worked.

“Hack is deactivated,” Tommy reported.

“I’ve got movement,” I said. I could see the door opening.

“Hack is dormant, do not take the shot,” Tommy relayed.

I did the ballistics in my head and calculated the hold-over, putting the correct hash mark on IAn's breastbone. Alexander was suppressing any breeze so there was no need for windage. We figured he wouldn’t notice it’s absence or if he didn’t wouldn’t remark on it.

I tried not to look at Meg or the two Drow that where dragging her out. She was battered pretty good. I focused on my breathing again.

“RIGHT!” Tom yelled.

Without thinking I rolled to my right and drew my pistol. A sword whistled past my head and buried itself in the ground where I had been a split second ago. I quickly pumped 3 rounds into the Drow on the other end of the sword and he went down.