The beady eyes of fish #4332, which resembled the head of a pushpin, stared out into the murk unblinkingly. Its vision was poor, but a fish like this did not need to see. In fact, it had few needs at all. Like most animals throughout the eons, only two essentials existed for it-feeding and reproduction. Fish #4332 had no predators in the lake to worry about, which was a fortunate thing since it was a predator’s dream. It had no teeth for defense-it did not need them. The algae it fed upon (algae #12543) was high in nutrition, easy to swallow, and easy to digest. The fish could not swim swiftly, for it had no tail. Its tiny pectoral fins, which fluttered furiously when they were engaged, afforded the animal just enough locomotion to slowly approach its food, and not even that if there were any currents to contend with.
The water-dwelling animal was merely a streamlined oval hunk of meat that grew larger as it lazily grazed on the algae that greased the surface of the lake with streaks of brown and green. The highlight of its life was releasing its eggs, which were pre-fertilized since this product was gene-clamped and could not benefit from sexual reproduction. It was rumored that one of the wetgineers who designed #4332 added a primitive pleasure feedback loop so that at some level the creature could enjoy this climactic moment. It was also rumored that this resulted in a stiff point penalty for the smart-ass wetgineer; brain matter, nerves, and the like cost energy-energy that could be better used creating meat and fat.
One additional feature that was added to the creature was an instinctual attraction to light. At night, robotic trawlers would shine lights on the water and wait for the fish to collect in large, slowly rippling mobs near the surface. When adequate numbers gathered, the automated nets would scoop them up. Fishing had never been easier or more efficient.
Floating motionlessly in the lake, slowly gulping the murky waters that passed over its gills, the fish now saw something, albeit dimly. It was a disturbance in the surface above. In addition to light, such fish were also attracted to any oddity on the surface. It often meant that fish flakes, a welcome supplement to their regular algae fare, had been poured in from the bright sky, zigzagging downward as they sank. The fish, and many others of its kind, began whirring its tiny pectoral fins to slowly make its journey toward the splashing above.
Other than Lily and Brian, everyone was having a devil of a time swimming. Brian’s armor provided floatation thanks to the tiny nanofiber-lined air pockets designed to provide padding to protect against blunt force trauma. Lily, to her credit, was simply an excellent swimmer. The others paddled feebly over the surface of Lake Washington, desperately clinging onto their respective buoyant familiars to keep themselves afloat. Amanda, who did not have a familiar, was weighted down by her swords and panted and spat as she struggled along.
No one spoke except Brian, who was saying something to Lily up ahead, but D_Light could not make out the conversation over the sound of his own splashing and gasping. He was about to yell at them to wait up when he felt something bump him from beneath the water. He suspected he had brushed against some tall-growing aquatic plants, but then he felt another soft bump. Then another. Next he felt a gentle pinch. He was about to look down for the source of this molestation when he heard a blood-curdling scream coming from Lyra, followed by shouts from Djoser.
My soul, they’re under attack! I’m under attack! He then began shouting and flailing too.
Amanda said nothing, but her eyes were wide and her fangs were bared. She appeared to be trying to paddle closer to Djoser, but his panicked kicking was making that a difficult endeavor.
“Mother!” Brian shouted and commenced a frenzied swim back toward his mistress.
“Oh, the fish have come!” Lily exclaimed joyfully.
Looking down, D_Light vaguely recognized what appeared to be a writhing mass of dark shapes in the water.
“The fish are schooling around us. They might think we’re food,” Lily said with a lilt in her voice.
“We’re food!” someone shouted, and the general panic continued.
Lily began laughing so hard she nearly sank. She then took a deep breath and shouted, “They can’t hurt you! No teeth!” And with that she gently plucked a fish from the water. The gray oval creature was nearly too large to be held effectively by Lily’s small hands, but it flexed back and forth so feebly that she was able to hold it effortlessly. Its scales glistened dully in the sun, and its tiny mouth opened and closed rhythmically and idiotically, like the mouth of a puppet.
Panting and still splashing some, the others stared at her.
“See? They are sweet and cannot hurt you,” she called, giving the fish a kiss right on its mouth.
Lying behind a boathouse to dry off in the afternoon sun while mocking each other for their theatrical performances in the lake, the party enjoyed a hearty laugh-fest. Their familiars collected archives from each person and patched together a 360-degree rotating video of the event and dubbed it “The Feeding.” Djoser nearly published the video into the Cloud, thinking that an entertainment grinder might use the content and kick some points his way. However, he quickly caught himself as he remembered that they were supposed to be fugitives. They were in disguise, of course, his own monocle and stupid top hat playing a major comical part in the video, but he decided that it would be prudent to publish later-after the MetaGame was over.
Since their skinsuits naturally repelled water, the party dried rapidly. The next quest had not yet come in, and thanks to their little swim, Lily assured them that they had thrown off any would-be pursuers-or at least delayed them. If there was a good time to get some sleep as a demon, this seemed like it was it. Djoser could not remember the last time he slept. His last boost had not worn off yet, so he had his ferret-styled familiar, Moocher, give him a downer. He tugged at one of Amanda’s long hair tails. Dutifully, she crawled around him and began massaging his shoulders.
As he felt himself entering deeper levels of relaxation, his eyes becoming heavy, Djoser considered the bit of brown scum from the lake that had hitched a ride on Lily’s naked ankle; the heat of the midday sun was baking it into a flaky crust. Groggily, he could smell her wet skin, and it made him wish that she was the one massaging him. But he decided not to request this just now. He could work on Lily later.
Djoser, you’re a pig, Lyra’s voice chided him over a blink. Djoser was startled back awake. Did I broadcast that last thought? he wondered.
Always thinking of yourself. Has not our advisor, the one you thought so inadequate, proven himself instrumental in our success thus far? Djoser caught the wink from Lyra, who was lying nearby on her back, her veil down so he could see her real face. Her wet hair was crumpled around her head.
Djoser let out a low groan of frustration. If it will shut you up, he sent back to her. Djoser then tugged on Amanda’s hair again, beckoning her down to his lips. He whispered in her ear.
Amanda crept up behind D_Light, who was lying on his side. “Your father asked me to thank you,” Amanda purred softly.
D_Light, who was in limbo between slumber and wakefulness, initially thought he was dreaming. The product’s long nails-lethal in other contexts-scratched softly and expertly over his scalp, her warm breath doing something wonderful to his ear that caused a shudder of pleasure up his spine. He wanted to ask her what Djoser was thanking him for, but her hands were moving over him now, going to all the right places. D_Light did nothing but groan quietly. His hands clenched into fists in the lawn. His eyes opened into slits. Lyra was smirking at him. She spoke softly, almost in a whisper. “You deserve this.”
D_Light felt conflicted. This was rather unexpected. Did he respectfully decline? Perhaps ask to delay his reward for a later time, a time when he was not out on a lawn surrounded by his teammates? But this indecisiveness lasted only a moment, for Amanda’s limbs began intensifying their play as her fangs gently raked his neck and her hot breath washed over him. I cannot risk insulting them, he thought. I do deserve this. He smiled back at his mother.
Lyra opened a conference blink with both D_Light and Djoser, which Smorgeous accepted instantly. Stick with us, D_Light, she sent. We’ll take good care of you. Her eyes sparkled as they flickered down suggestively to where Amanda had reached into the opening of his skinsuit.
We’re good friends to have. Djoser’s thought signature was faint, indicative of one drifting off to sleep.
I know. And- D_Light did not finish sending his thought before he whispered out loud, “Oh Soul!” D_Light decided it would be best if he expressed himself naturally. Certainly Djoser would like to know his gift was appreciated.
Lily turned over on her side and propped her head up with her arm to see better. Her brow was furrowed slightly, and her lips parted as though she were forming a question. Brian tapped her on her foot, and when she looked at him he rolled his eyes at D_Light. She gave him a faint smile as though the two of them were sharing a joke, and then she nodded her head in agreement.
It was a strain on Lily to force a smile. What she wanted to do was scream. Only hours ago, she had never engaged with any human besides the professor, and even that was purely in a clinical and professional manner. Now she was lying in a pool of them. They seemed friendly enough, they listened to her, and they even followed her into the lake. She sensed that some of them cared about her well-being. Nevertheless, they were insane-every last one of them-with their games, their thought speech, their peculiar facial expressions, and now this. What is she doing to him?
Lily understood what humans did to reproduce, and it was supposedly a normal and necessary thing, but this did not appear to be what was taking place. The mechanics were all wrong. She looked like she was eating him rather than mating with him. Perhaps it was a sort of courtship that would culminate in a proper union. Or perhaps she was witnessing how humans died. Despite her research at the lab, it was evident that these creatures still held many secrets. She turned away from D_Light and the fanged woman to stare out at the lake. She wondered if she should leave this group, or if ultimately these humans were inexplicably linked to her fate. Perhaps they could provide her a path into their world; therein, she could find what she was looking for, whatever that was.
The seeker let out a low growl as she stood at the water’s edge. Her prey had gone straight in. They had left their clothes on. Perhaps they swam off, or maybe a boat had picked them up.
No…not a boat, she realized after a moment. She no longer had their scent, but she had been tracking them long enough to know them. She was certain there was no boat because the trail they’d left was not that of a party with a good escape plan. Their scent and tracks spoke of anxiety and lack of resolve. Ironically for a killer, a seeker had an extraordinary sense of empathy. Such was needed to imagine themselves in the place of their prey. Now Treva imagined the party swimming in the frigid water, their fingers going numb while their clothes dragged. She imagined their disgust at the dark water and fear of what was beneath the surface.
Finally, there was the fact gleaned from the Cloud that most of those in the party were not strong swimmers. They will stay together. They did not swim far.
She stood still and concentrated on the scent threads that came to her. There were thousands of them-threads from the water itself, threads from the algae scum on its surface, threads from the thick aquatic plants that grew up from the heavy mud below. But there was no trace of her prey, not yet. Although irritating because it distracted from her work, she would now have to send word to the Divine Authority of this recent development.
Katria swore out loud, catching the attention of the waiter product that was busily wiping down a nearby table. The waiter bowed and asked if he could be of further service. She waved him off without looking at him.
So the little shitters ran straight to the water, Rhemus blinked in. Well, two points to them for doing the obvious.
Katria chuckled despite herself. Good thing I contracted the seeker for the job rather than by the hour, she returned.
Yeah, just think, if it doesn’t catch them, we don’t pay a point. He paused. You made the right call. Don’t sweat it. Once a seeker gets imprinted, they don’t give up. It’s just a matter of time.
What Rhemus said was more or less true; however, there was an eventual timeout clause in the contract. House Xando knew better than to sign a contract that took one of their precious seekers indefinitely out of operation.
Forget it, Rhemus said. Kick back and let it do its job. What’s that you’re eating?
I’m not sure, Katria replied. I never like to know. I just want it to taste good.
And here I thought you didn’t like surprises, Rhemus teased.
Only pleasant ones, Katria answered with a grin.
Earlier, Katria did have a pleasant surprise, a gift from the OverSoul. Having offered the necessary prayers and point sacrifice, the OverSoul dispensed the divine inspiration she needed through her familiar. It was so simple. Like a judo master, she would use the demons’ own weight against them, and they were bound to fall hard. No matter about the stymied seeker. Perhaps it was a blessing, for now she would have the opportunity to see this divinely inspired plan come to fruition.