The Adaptive Game

"GOING HOME"

- Conner

"What now?"

"We find Tim."

"Then?"

"Find a way out of here."

"We have a small time bracket. What kind of plan are you thinking of?"

"I don't know. We have to find the host and kill him. Get our revenge."

Shaun scoffs at me.

"Hmph. You really want to go all "Die Hard" on them, huh? We're done for. We don't win. You can call yourself the Gemini Man, but you can't call yourself a survivor."

"Then I'll die trying. I don't want to be killed on my knees."
Walking up the cliff, Tim is still there, waiting.

"What happened?"

"We killed Gavin. To defend ourselves."

"Well, shit... Shaun, why couldn't you have just walked there?"

"Cause, sneak attack. Are we all here?"

"Yes, this is everyone. 4 of us. We have 3 hours left."

"That's not much."

We all stare at each other silently.

"Okay. Let's get back to shelter."

The trip back is quiet. We don't say anything, we just walk back to Emilia's place.

"Conner, I got you a drink."

"Thanks. Take a rest, guys."

I take the can of soda from Emilia, it's called a UlayCola. Tim walks around outside the base. Shaun takes the cigarettes out of his pocket and looks at them. Shaun notices I'm looking at him.

"I don't smoke... But this is a first."

Shaun places one in his mouth and lights his cigarette, then leans against the wall.

I'm about to say something to Shaun, but I sit back down and sip my Cola.

Emilia, sitting on the ground sharpening her katana, looks up at me, but then looks back down.

It's too quiet.

I know I have to do something soon.

When I finish my Cola, I throw it out and walk outside to check on Tim.

Where is he?

The guy with the chains on his arms and legs, is dead.

Looking all around the base, there's nothing but the normal stuff - but then I turn around and the guy with chains has hung himself from the roof.

Okay, that's where he did it.

Not even a note. I never even got to ask him what he wanted to win for.

"EMILIA! COME HERE!"

I hear her putting down her katana, and she comes over and finds Tim hanging around from the roof.

"Oh, no."

"I agree with you."

"What do we do now?"

I hear Shaun coming from behind us, and we both turn around.

He racks the bolt back on an AK-74."I'm going home. Alive."