The Fire and the Storm - Metric Pro Edition: Fiction, Dragons, Elves, Unicorns, Magic (54 page)

“Then last week, the positions of Prince of The Sylvan Nation and first in The Game of Status were taken by one Kovink Seg Mivtz, a fourteen-year-old gnome.  Zarkog and Zwak both publicly acknowledged this change in status, and they are now second and third.  Kovink also delegated all of the administrative duties of Prince of The Sylvan Nation back to Zwak, and the new Prince immediately returned to further increasing his status as quickly as possible, mostly in the form of increased wealth.

“It’s almost unbelievable that Zarkog and Zwak were so thoroughly bested by a fourteen-year-old-gnome.  This sequence of events was so astounding that I investigated as thoroughly as I could without breaking the law or invading anyone’s privacy.  I still don’t know how it was done specifically, but I know generally.  Little Kovink Seg Mivtz has a brilliant and evil mind, but that’s not what allowed him to gain so much so fast.  His true stroke of genius was to appeal to the racial pride of the gnomes, and to ask them for their help in his efforts to be first in the game.  In order to ensure that one of their own sits atop the standings, almost all of the gnomes are helping him.

“By this I mean all the gnomes who are not registered players of The Game of Status, almost two billion of them.  Though they aren’t playing, they still send him every nasty idea and evil plan that they think of, and he has a staff of hundreds to sort through all the submissions and categorize them and prioritize them for him.  They also help him in every legal manner, from gifts and contributions to low-interest loans and information of every kind.  Most of the other gnomes who
are
registered players work for him directly, almost ninety thousand of them.

“He also has a unique perspective on the game.  He has no dealings with non-players other than to accept the help of the gnomes, but he does deal with players in the nine lower leagues of the game.  He’s never been caught doing anything illegal to them, so he’s still within the rules, but he uses his money and power against them in every legal way.  In this way he is quickly amassing everything that was formerly owned by every other player of the game, leaving them on the edge of poverty.  He then makes sure they at least have a bed in a barracks and enough food to stay healthy, so he cannot be charged with causing dissent in the ranks or diminishing the effectiveness of the military.

“These developments, along with the absence of yourself and Povon, have lead to an increase in the viciousness that the rest of the players are using in their dealings.  Increasingly, they are committing crimes against each other that the mortal authorities have been unable to solve.  Players have been turning up dead in greater numbers every day, and the perpetrators have been escaping the punishment they are due under the rules of the game; that being a beating of similar duration and severity to what Zarkog would have given them for the same offence when he was Lord of Serminak.

“They have also taken to manipulating their standings.  The players are ranked into ten leagues according to their status and how dangerous they are, but many would rather be first in a lower league than last in a higher one.  Thus when they reach the top in any given league, they will attempt to make no more visible gains in order to avoid being ranked up into the next higher league.  Meanwhile, their skills, abilities, and hidden assets continue to improve, making it harder for the other players in their league to topple them.  They seek to remain atop the standings in their league until they can make a great move that vaults them to the top of the standings in the next-higher league.”

“We of the gods could have solved all of this, but we do not have the legal authority to do so.”
Falgaroth explained. 
“And even if those in charge of the game at present were to ask us and authorize us to do so, we would still refrain without very strong reason.  For any of the gods to assume direct authority over any mortal would go against the spirit of the withdrawal, and of our ban on religion since the withdrawal ended.”

“Though there are factions among us who disagree.” Visinniria added.  “That doesn’t matter though, they’re in the minority, and the council of the gods will allow no change in our policies regarding our interactions with mortals without complete consensus among us.

“The other problem that’s presented itself is that many non-players have suffered as a result of the actions of players.  Many non-players are calling for an end to the game outside Serminak, and the idea is gaining popularity.  I’ll show the Revealing of the interview with Nepetin Goslab that was largely responsible for popularizing the idea; over half the people in the world have seen this.  She’s the informal leader of the movement, and started the petition to support it.”

She cast a small Revealing, which showed a florid and gray-haired dwarf woman sitting in a public square in Kletiuk at a table with huge stacks of papers on it.  A long line of Kleti stood in line to sign, and many more stood around, all of them stridently discussing the issue.

The female voice of an unseen interviewer spoke in Kleti, and was echoed half a second later by a slightly louder translation in Trade Common.  “Goodwife Goslab, can you tell us why you decided to start this petition?”

“My damned fool husband decided to join The Game of Status, over my objections.” Nepetin Goslab angrily declared.  “It was his right to do it, and I had no right to stop him.  An hour later he’d been swindled out of our house and our business, and an hour after that he died from a heart cramp at only seventy-nine years of age.  Maybe he had the heart cramp because he lost everything we had, but I think he was murdered somehow, not that it matters.  My children and grandchildren and myself were left homeless and penniless, and he was buried in a pauper’s grave.  My relatives have helped us out, but the loss still hurts just as much.

“The rules of the game say that they won’t kill any player with dependent children.  My children are all adults, but they and their dependant children shared our home and our business.  Maybe it was my husband’s right to join the game, but me and my children and grandchildren did nothing to deserve the loss we’ve suffered.  Those who’ve done this to us deserve at least a monumental beating for causing dissension, because I’m feeling a lot of dissent right now!  But even that won’t bring back my house and my business, and nothing can bring back my husband!

“By my vow of justice, I will bring an end to this evil among us!  Let it stay in Serminak, and let any who want to play The Game of Status go there and leave the rest of us alone!  And they can damn well sign over their homes and businesses to their wives before they go!  A divorce might be in order as well!”

“I want a list of every non-player who’s suffered a loss of property or wealth to a player of the game, directly or indirectly.” Mark growled as the Revealing ended.  “And one of everyone who’s been killed in an unsolved murder or suspicious death.”

“Certainly.” Visinniria smiled.  “Would you like that on paper, or can I just give it to you psionicly?  There are several thousand names on the lists, after all.”

“I’ll take it psionicly.”

“What will you do?”
Falgaroth asked.

“I’m going to form a task force of the finest investigators and psionicists on Kellaran, and we’re going to catch those responsible for causing dissension, diminishing production, and reducing the effectiveness of the military.” Mark growled, becoming visibly angrier.  “And we are indeed going to administer some monumental beatings, and get those people’s property back!

“All this is happening under my authority as Lord of Serminak, so I’m entitled to fix it wherever it’s happening, though I’ll be co-operating with local authorities as well.

“This crap isn’t the almost-undetectable playing of the game that Zwak told me about when he proposed it, and it’s going to end!”

“Good.” Visinniria declared with a smile of satisfaction.  “For psionicists, you can’t do much better than those you have right here, though you might want to ask Somonik and Grakonexikaldoron if they can spare the time to help.”

“Agreed.” Mark nodded, and looked around at the group.  “I hope you’ll all agree to join me in this.”

After receiving their assent, their eager assent in the children’s case, he turned to Sheramiv.  “I’ll ask Somonik and Gran myself.  Can I get you to invite everyone who was in The Anti-conspiracy Brigade before the war?  That should do us for investigators.”

“Certainly, my Prince.”

Mark thought for a moment, shook his head, and turned to Povon.  “Look, I’m being an idiot.  I don’t even know how you or Zarkog managed to police billions of Sylvan and dragons and so on before all this happened.  You’re Dragon Lord Regent of Serminak and referee of the game, and as far as I’ve seen you do a damn good job of it.  I don’t think we could have foreseen all this, and you wouldn’t have been in the time-bubble anyway if we hadn’t asked you.

“We’re
your
team in this, and that’s only if you really think you need our help anyway.  I realize that you could probably fix all this without having us interfering in your systems.”

“Thank you, and you’re right.” Povon nodded with a proud smile.  “While I could definitely fix this with the resources I already have available to me, it would probably take weeks to get it finished.  With all of your help and the Anti-conspiracy Brigade, we should be done in a day or two.”

Somonik and Grakonexikaldoron appeared flying, and settled gracefully to the stone beside the patio.

“Hello!” Somonik called in greeting.  “We heard you were back, and we couldn’t help noticing when you mentioned us a few times.”

“Good to see you again, both of you!” Mark returned with a grin.  “We were just informed that the Game of Status has gotten a little messy, so we’re going to help Povon clean it up quickly.”

“We’d be glad to have you if you’d care to join us.” Povon added.

“We have a few hours we can spare.” Gran chuckled.  “It’s good that you’re back to deal with it.  Some in the Council wanted us to intervene, but the question of legal authority was largely ambiguous, and we could reach no consensus on a plan.”

“Who else do you plan on having on your team?” Somonik asked Povon.

“All of us here except Sheramiv, and the former members of The Anti-conspiracy Brigade.” she answered.

“Might I suggest one more person?” Gran asked, then continued without waiting for an answer.  “Empress Honey.  She’s become quite useful in The Just Alliance recently, and she’s a masterful psionicist.”

“Certainly.” Povon agreed, just as the monarch of The Swarm appeared, along with a few dozen of her forty centimeter soldier-drones, who immediately dispersed and began scouting the area.

She and her drones bore the white and blue Marking of The Just Alliance between their antennae, while the rest of their wasp-like bodies gleamed with a coppery-bronze sheen, and their great transparent wings whirred busily and shimmered like a rainbow.  She gently alighted on a low rock wall around a garden patch at the side of the patio opposite the newly-arrived dragons, and fanned herself with her iridescent four-meter wings.

“Thank you.  I appreciate being invited to join such a project, and I am honored to work with such luminous persons again.”
she psionicly told them.

“A masterful psionicist indeed!” Talia laughed.  “Welcome, Empress.  You and your soldiers look very beautiful today.  Though it was very patriotic when you colored your peoples’ entire bodies with the Marking, I do think you’re much prettier in your natural colors.”

“Thank you.”
the great insect replied. 
“I agree, though that is not what decided me.  My workers found our new coloring to be quite disconcerting, and it was reducing their effectiveness.  They’re rather simple little darlings, and it was too different for them to adapt to.”

“I’m glad and honored to have you on the team.” Povon told her, just as a blue light appeared over the table Mark had fetched.

“Lunch is ready, stay clear of the table top.” Talia announced.

Everyone seated there leaned back, and a complete dinner setting appeared, including cutlery, dishes, cold pitchers of juice, and several steaming containers.

“How
do
you police several billion Sylvan and other players?” Alilia asked Povon.

“Most of it is done by subordinates.” Povon answered.  “Sergeants, guards, officers, investigators, they’re all watching for infractions and punishing the guilty with a moment’s notice.

“Most of the thefts, scams, and schemes of the players don’t result in what I think of as a ‘critical loss’.  If a player loses some of their excess wealth or loses some rank or position, they seldom report it, it doesn’t cause any open dissention or a loss of productivity or military effectiveness, and I don’t have to worry about it.

“Most of the crimes that cause a loss of production are caught by teams of skilled auditors and accountants, and the military command structure is hard to fool about decreased effectiveness.

“I left crimes by players outside Serminak to the local authorities, and gave them assistance if they asked for it.  All the players recognize that once they’re out of Serminak, they’re not only subject to Zarkog’s three limitations, they’re still subject to all the local laws.  For instance, if a player outside Serminak commits a theft and the victim complains, then the perpetrator gets a beating under the rules of the game, as well as the punishment mandated by the local laws.  And, the local authorities may choose to prosecute the crime if they find out about it, even if the victim chooses not to enter a complaint.

“Beyond all that, I’ve gotten very good at listening for certain thought patterns.  I only have to act when a crime has been detected and not solved, but I’m more assertive about it than that, so I listen for the trauma of victims as well as the triumph of perpetrators.

“From what I’ve heard so far, Kovink Seg Mivtz hasn’t done anything that requires my intervention.  There’s nothing in the rules that says that non-players can’t help players so long as they don’t break the law while doing so, so the gnomes can help him as much as they want.  And if the rest don’t like it, that’s too bad for them.  If they can entice others to help them, they’re welcome to do so.