The Stance

Section 1

Welcome on The Stance!

  Life on the Stance wasn’t so bad, really. It wasn’t quite home, it wasn’t Earth, but Michael didn’t mind all that much. Being an unleveled human slave living aboard the gigantic ship never brought the earthling and his younger sister too many hardships. 

  All he had to worry about was looking presentable during his master’s social happenings: he got to wear a fitted, clean and comfortable suit, and, since that world’s technology was quite advanced (unlike on his planet, which he had been taken away from in the twenties, some forty years ago), non-sentient machines and creatures took care of most of the heavy lifting. Michael found it odd that there were so many enslaved sentient beings considering that fact, but it was not his place to question the presence of what was perhaps a few thousand intelligent creatures on the unleveled floors (the Level 0 clearance allowed him to come and go through five different floors, while higher levels could only frequent one or two at a time, none of which were the ones he lived in). 

  However, there was not an abundance of food, and entertainment was hard to come by. The only way to get entertainment was by leveling up, which required passing a series of tests which were based on fighting and survival skills. In order to be able to pass the test, he would need weapons and means of protecting both himself and his sister, from whom he refused to be separated for too long. Physically speaking, Maureen was still weak, as aging was slowed down considerably on the Stance: the older brother was taken when he was about fifteen, and he looked like he was not even twenty years old, while she looked like she was fourteen. The oldest near-human prisoner he’d met on his level seemed to be almost thirty, but had lived for several hundreds of years. 

  There was a wide variety of creatures on the ship, most of which were “human”. The bigger majority was not born on Earth, but it seemed that a bipedal, plantigrade form with two arms and a nearly human head was a form of evolution widespread throughout this universe as well as others. The term “human” was also common, as not only Earthlings were self-aware. On the Stance, that word designated any creature that was vaguely humanoid and had both intelligence and self-awareness. There were also other beings (some of which were quadrupedal, or had wings, or more arms than one could count on their fingers, unless they had more than ten fingers, that is) everywhere: big ones, small ones, cute ones, frightening ones... The Thousand Blades starfleet had traveled pretty much everywhere in this universe (as well as in a few others, according to stories he had heard), collecting everything from living sentient beings and their weapons to technology so advanced it seemed like magic (or heck, maybe it was magic, how could a simple Earth human like Michael know?). As far as he was aware, the Stance and its fleet was probably illegal, but its power was so great that anyone who dared to speak up could be annihilated within seconds, no matter how great. 

  But still, despite its probable illegal state, slave-owners made sure that every sentient thing they owned was sufficiently comfortable (enough food, somewhere relatively comfortable to sleep, etc.) to avoid excessive amounts of rebellions: to his knowledge, there was about one every year, and during that time all Owners disappeared, and slaves who locked themselves in were rewarded. Many of those who didn’t died. Horribly, by the looks of the corridors after the end of each lockdown. And in order to survive on the outside (which very few people did), one needed weaponry. 

  Weapons, unlike basic living arrangements, had to be purchased through coins and credits. A Level 0 could earn up to one credit (a hundred coins) every few months (in the Earth human perspective of time, that is), which meant he would have to save up for at least one more Earth-year in order to have enough for simple armor and weapons for himself, as well as slightly better stuff for his sister (he’d wasted a few credits when he was younger, before Maureen had started asking him when they would move out). During that time, he knew he would need allies and information on the test he was planning on passing. Well, the allies he needed were not really for him, but rather for the only family he had left, in case he could not protect her himself. 

Section 2

In Just a Few Days

  It had been a while since the last time Michael had a full day to himself: the last few weeks were spent finding equipment that fit (considering the variety of body types onboard the ship, one had to go to shops that specialized in the right type). Surprisingly, he was able to find a suitable boiled leather armor for himself and a sufficiently small one for Maureen (her armor also had a few carbon parts, but that had cost him a small fortune). As far as weaponry goes, he bought a longsword (which was heavy, but Michael was sturdily build) and what looked like a mechanical crossbow (of course, he gave it to his sister). The long-ranged weapon could hold a dozen bolts and had pulleys to assist her with reloading. Equipment was ready. 

  He had met a few people (he still had trouble with creatures that didn’t look humanoid, so he went with those that looked as much as possible like him) and convinced them to take the test with him. To some he asked to wait, to others he asked to hurry. In the end, he had a dozen friends whom he trusted enough (for now). Each of them had their roles: some were scouts, fast on their feet and good with long-ranged weapons or short swords, others were heavily armored. One of them was an informant, and the only reason he was kept into the group was because of his ability to find valuable information. 

  He was an odd fellow. He looked exactly like an Earth-human, but claimed he had never heard of that planet before being taken. He also carried a ball around with him (it cost him several dozen credits) and had no intention of wearing any armor whatsoever during battle (not that he could actually buy himself any, as he only had a pocketful of coins left). That didn’t matter though, because what Michael needed in him was not fighting skills. He knew things, important things. 

  Through him, the group discovered that the test they wanted to partake in would have a “boss” which, if defeated (captured, but not killed), would award any survivors with a good amount of money. While the objective of the test itself hadn’t been specified, they knew some monster had to be brought down to facilitate the next levels. 

  The beast itself was very young; it had been captured a few weeks prior and had never fought anyone (which was probably why it was at Level 0). According to the man, it did not even know what fighting was, and had had very little contact with other living beings. It should be an easy fight. Allies were ready. 

 The test was going to start soon. In just a few days, Michael and his group will be going into their level’s arena with a few hundred other hopeful slaves. He was ready. 

Section 3

A False Room With False Trees

  Michael was in a tiny room, with one mirrored wall and three bare, black ones. There was a simple table, on which was set a high-tech watch and a black rectangular object. He put on the watch and looked as it adjusted itself to his wrist, its small screen displaying the countdown before the test started. He then put his hand on the rectangular object, turning it on. As soon as he removed his hand, a round map measuring about two meters in radius started hovering above the object, and it began broadcasting a voice a few minutes later. 

  “Contestants! Today, you have entered the Level 0 test area, effectively taking the first step in advancing to Level 1. As you may know, leveling up allows you to increase your salary and to obtain a better life, and, who knows... maybe you will earn your freedom someday! 

  “Today’s test is a simple survival test. There are five hundred and twenty participants, and you must make sure that you are one of the survivors! Of course, only four hundred may advance, but you are not required to eliminate anyone else if you do not wish to. However, any and all survivors could become your adversaries in later tests. 

  “Your main goal is simply to be one of the remaining contestants after 24 hours. The area will shrink as time goes by, forcing you to eventually meet others. There will always be a count of those left on your watch. By surviving, you will move on to the next Level and earn five tokens. There is also an optional... quest. Somewhere near the center of the area lies a beast.” 

  A softly glowing cube appeared above the center of the hovering map. It hung there for a few seconds before becoming translucent. Near the edge of the large, round map, a smaller cube appeared, its size shrinking down until it was about two millimeters in length. 

  “You will always be able to see your own location on the map, as well as the approximate whereabouts of the beast. You can zoom in on your own position as much as desired.” 

  Testing this, Michael waved at the map. Nothing happened. He pointed at himself on it, but nothing happened. He tried grabbing it, but it was nothing but air. However, as his hand moved through the illusion, the image spun around itself slowly. 

  “Whoa,” he murmured, grabbing two spots of the map and pulling them further. As promised, the map focused on a smaller area around the green cube. 

  “The sidequest’s objective is simple as well. Capture the boss monster without killing it and each survivor will receive twenty tokens. If you are near the battle, or take part in it, you will receive additional currency, ranging from fifty coins to thirty tokens, based on your contributions. However, you must proceed with caution, as the beast will not let itself be caught and, if you kill it, not only does no one get the reward, but the one to perform the act will not win any tokens, if he survives. Additionally, death of the monster will mean that only a hundred people may advance. It may be your opponent, but it is valuable to us nonetheless. 

  “The game will start in two minutes. Good luck and fight well, as your owners are watching and hoping that you have been a worthwhile investment.

  “Oh, and get ready to run,” the voice added as something happened to the fourth wall of Michael’s room.

  The mirror wall revealed itself to be a window as light begun pouring through. The whole arena was entirely flat, and stretched out a few kilometers away. Just like the map, it was perfectly round, and it seemed like it had no ceiling. However, there was not a single cloud, nor was there a sun anywhere. It was as if the ceiling was very high up, and as if it was the one emitting an odd light. 

  In the center was a large cube, just like on the map, while the edges all had square windows as well. He called out and got a response from his sister on his right, and from some allies on his left. He had paid a few tokens in order to make sure that he would enter near them, allowing them to team up quickly. He was ready to sprint to that cube as soon as he could, his allies surrounding him and protecting Maureen. 

  As soon as the countdown reached one minute, the ground became covered in square tiles. Or maybe lines just appeared on it, there was no way of knowing. The tiles then lifted themselves to various heights, matching the topology on his map. There were small mountains and flat areas, rivers and pillars. Soon, each square split itself into more squares again and again, and gained various colors. Once there were thirty seconds left, the arena looked like it was in the middle of an ethereal forest, with sparse trees and hills. In its center stood what looked like an ancient temple in ruins, but he couldn’t make it out clearly through the trees. 

  Ten seconds left. Engravings started appearing on the trees. Some looked like children’s drawings, others like stars. Some looked like eyes and were crudely etched in the wood. It looked out of place and a little odd. For a second, Michael was certain he saw one of them shimmer slightly, as if he could see a starry sky through it, but the shimmering left as soon as it had appeared. 

  He grabbed his sword and the little black object and put it in a pocket within its armor, in case he got lost and no one else though to bring the map. He was ready. Five seconds left. His heart was pounding. Four. He was ready to pounce. Three. His breathing was a little erratic. Two. He couldn’t help it; he had always been a nervous person. One. He was not ready. 

  The glass lowered itself in a flash, vanishing into the ground. He sprung forth, watching the scouts go past him. They were sprinters, and they had packed light. His sister was right next to him, running as fast as she could, straight ahead. Behind him, he could hear a strange buzzing noise. When he turned around, he saw someone who had stayed in his little room. The floor in the very back was starting to turn back into cubes, each one half a meter in length. The cubes kept their position as they shrunk and shrunk, until there was no floor anymore. He kept running, ignoring as best he could the shriek of the young man who did not have the courage to run. 

  The tree branches snapped at his face as he ran. He spared a look behind, only to discover that the floor’s disappearance had slowed down considerably. He called out to the others, telling them to group up. 

  He looked at his watch. Four hundred and fifty. Many had fallen to their deaths. Michael sat down, out of breath, as the others gathered. The screaming had stopped. It was quiet, the only sound to be heard being the breathing of others. Somewhere far away a beast stretched out and yawned, annoyed by the loud sounds that echoed through his home. 

Section 4

He Screamed and Screamed

  They would have to keep moving towards the center very soon, for the ground was still slowly vanishing, but, for now, they had time to plan. They had to be ready. 

  Somewhere, someone screamed. Four hundred and fourty. 

  Maureen grabbed her crossbow tightly, one bolt notched and ready to go. The three Scouts were a few dozen meters ahead, moving lightly and silently. The four Armored surrounded the group, ready to protect their allies. The rest were in the center, protecting the informant and the girl. 

  In the distance, there was a shriek. Four hundred and thirty-eight. 

  They started moving forward, slowly, making sure no other contestants got close. The false branches cracked beneath their boots. The carved eyes on the trees shimmered for a second, but no one reacted to this. 

  Not so far away, there was a groan, and a thud. Four hundred and thirty. 

  Michael was nervous, and Maureen looked utterly terrified. Or maybe that’s just because she looked so young. The informant appeared completely and utterly calm. This sent shudders down the brother’s spine. 

  “It can see us,” the man with the ball said, “but it doesn’t understand. Or maybe it does. It will, maybe.” 

  The others looked at him, confused. He always had an odd way of saying things, but whatever he said always turned out to be true. 

  There was a garbled sound ahead. It sounded like a scream. Four hundred. 

  Michael held his sword so hard that his knuckles were white, but he kept on walking, one foot in front of the other. The scouts stopped moving, and started backing up. 

  “Ruins ahead!” one of them said.
  “Ruins aaaaheaaaad!” someone repeated. 

  On the other side of the arena, there were a series of sword clashes. Three hundred and seventy one. 

  Sweat dripped down his brow. He wondered when it got so warm, but of course no one would know. The ruins loomed above. They were mainly large pillars, black with blue marbled veins. The pillars looked mostly smooth, and seemed to glitter slightly, as if it mimicked a night sky. It was beautiful. On top of them rested part of a meticulously sculpted roof, but other chunks were scattered on the ground. The floor tiles were arranged in a swirling, galaxy-like pattern, and it was run over by vegetation. Curiously enough, no one else was there. Michael took the black rectangle out of his pocket and opened his map. He was right where the cube was; the monster was nearby. 

  Far to the right, someone started calling out, but never finished. Three hundred and sixty-three. 

  “We’re the first ones to arrive, but we shall not be the last. I will stay back, for my time has not arrived,” whispered the informant as he backed away.
  “Stay back,” someone repeated. “First ones. Stay back stay back. Not time.”

  The voice grew louder as it parroted the words out of order. 

  A few hundred meters away, someone fell, something cracked. Three hundred and sixty. 

  They had barely been in the arena for an hour and a half and already enough contestants had failed to allow everyone to succeed, but it seemed that there were wolves amongst the sheep. There was not only one monster in the arena. 

  The one that worried Michael, however, was very close by, but was nowhere to be seen. The voice had stopped, and the group advanced into the ruins. The man started to shiver, despite still sweating from what seemed to him like heat. He got a more comfortable grip on the handle of his blade and swallowed hard. Despite the holes in the roof, it was still dark. He walked forward, step by step. One foot, than the next, until one of them lost the amount of friction it needed to remain beneath him. 

  The world swung violently around him as he fell to the ground, into a puddle of something both thick and slippery. As soon as his skin touched it, it began to sizzle slightly. It was as if small candles had been lit right next to his pores. He screamed as the liquid evaporated.
  “Make it stop!”

  Something screamed nearby. It sounded like Michael. Three hundred and fifty. 

  Maureen was calling his name. Some of the others too. A few had not seen what injured him, but it was clear that he had been injured: small burnt dots had appeared on his armor and skin, like black stars on a white sky. Something sizzled above him, but he didn’t have time to look up before it fell to the ground, inches away from him. He crawled back, screaming. Something else screamed too.
  “Back back back back!” it yelled. Three hundred and fourty. 

  Maureen pointed her crossbow at the ceiling and shot. There was a strange “splosh”, followed by a scream, which sounded just like Michael’s. “Stop stop stop!” it screamed. 

  Maureen reloaded as fast as she could as the others got into position. Michael looked up to see something crawling down a pillar. Its silhouette was strange, but its hands were... strangely human. It was black and blue, and seemed to be dripping skies and stars from most of its animalistic body. Glowing circles hovered above its head, around its waist and on the tips of its split tail. It was emitting a soft moan, somewhere between the cries of a pained dog and the sounds of a human. A bolt was stuck in its ribcage, on the black rib-like pattern adorning the creature. It was oozing blue-ish liquid. 

  “Stop stop stop back back back,” it cried. Its slit pupils were white. Michael could not detach his eyes from them. Maureen shot another bolt, but the beast reacted faster this time, and it spat out blue liquid. The weapon never reached its target. The liquid, though, continued falling, splashing onto the heavily armored men’s plates. It hissed and bubbled while the armored people tried to remove their burning protection. The stars in the liquid might have been real ones and it would have been just as painful, the injured man told himself. 

  They screamed, and three of them collapsed. Three hundred and thirty-seven. 

  The creature kept climbing down, showing not only its flat, Earth-human-like front teeth, but also rows of sharp canines and molars. Michael let out a short chuckle. “We’re going to die here,” he muttered to himself. 

  It mimicked his chuckle, tilting its head to the side. Its eyes went blank. Or rather, they started looking like its liquid. Michael’s head started to pound. He didn’t understand why, but assumed it was because of his unnatural injuries. It chuckled again and begun spiraling down the column faster, until it reached the ground. He spun on himself like a dog trying to find a good spot to rest, or like a cornered animal. It was probably the latter. It then turned towards Michael. 

  “Stop,” it said, taking a step closer. “Back.”
  “JUST KILL IT!” Michael yelled.
  “We can’t,” someone answered. 

  It took another step, chuckling. Someone swung a sword at its large hands. The creature was nearly two meters tall, so he couldn’t reach its head or neck. The blade hit one of its starry stripes, sending pink and blue galaxies flying in the other direction. The shortsword stayed stuck in the fluid and started glowing in a reddish color. It was heating up, but the scout holding it refused to let go. He started yelling as the hot metal seared his hand. The smell of burnt flesh reached Michael’s nose and he had to make a conscious effort not to vomit. Strange, he though, there was no smell the other times. Or maybe I didn’t notice. 

  The monster raised its hand quickly, as if he had just realized that it hurt, sending the scout flying onto a pillar. Something snapped. Three hundred and thirty-six. 

  Maureen was gone. Michael looked around, mouth open in a silent call, but could not find her. His head hurt too much for him to focus, so he turned back to the spectacle, only to find out that the beast was inches above him, its mouth large enough that an adult Earth-human could probably fit in it. “Don’t. Don’t. Can’t kill,” it said. The other warriors were walking away, too scared to fight. From its mouth blue liquid drooled. It was on the point of falling down. 

  A galaxy fell down on Michael. It did not hurt, but he could see nothing else. It had a strange taste, an even stranger smell. 

  Three hundred and thirty-five.