Utopia War

Chapter 27 - War Games (ii)

Xiaolongnu shot up along a hypercurve into the 5th dimension before dropping back down into realspace like a bird of prey. Before they realized she was back she had tagged all four of her pursuers.

<Tag,> Sparkle sent a broadcast signal to her defeated foes <You're it.>

<Your command of bubbly trash talk is impressive. It's good to meet someone who understands the importance of morale,> signaled Xiaolongnu

<That's me,> said Sparkle <Commisar Sparkle.>

<I'm not listening anymore, too busy fragging bogeys. That's high culture talk for wrecking everyone's shit.>

<It sounds like you are listening,> replied Sparkle.

<Well I'm not.>

Xialongnu spiraled up and down dimensions, giving the ship the appearance of winking in and out of existence. This allowed her to avoid three successive attempts to tag her by not being there.

<I see why they call it 'war games' now. This is fun,> signaled Sparkle <It's like some kind of hypertag.>

<This is nothing like hypertag,> signaled Xiaolongnu <Hypertag is played in a virtuality. Hypertag is positively horrorshow. This is played in meat-hell and is just barely enough to hold my attention.>

From the perspective of the two ships that had just started tailing Xiaolongnu she disappeared and then reappeared behind them nanoseconds later. She tagged them both while their sensors were still searching for her in hyperspace.

<Peek-a-boo!> Sparkle signaled at them <You two need to work on your object permanence!>

Xialongnu signaled her laughter to the furthest extent of her range.

<I kind of get why you people use co-pilots,> signaled Xiaolongnu.

<I love you too Xiaolongnu!> signaled Sparkle.

<Ugh,> signaled Xiaolongnu <Don't ruin it. You're ruining it.>

* * *

<I have a down version sibling called Neutral,> signaled Nash.

<That's a thing?> asked Caesar.

<It is another whimsical reference to a type of Equilibrium, although it does not break the traditions of AI names like mine does. I am unique.>

<You certainly are,> signaled Caesar.

Caesar twitched in his seat.

<What was that?> Caesar and Nash signaled simultaneously.

Xialongnu had appeared from nowhere and tagged their entire formation.

<What the grief!> signaled Caesar <We're on the same side Sparkle!>

<There are no sides in war,> replied Sparkle <You're it.>

<Don't be ridiculous,> signaled Caesar <You can't have a war without sides!>

<Archetypical loser talk,> signaled Xiaolongnu.

<Exigencia?> signaled Nash.

<I'm going to let this play out,> signaled Exigencia <It's good practice.>

She widened her communication signal to encompass the entire fleet.

<Xiaolongnu is now the UFO. Adjust your tactics accordingly.>

<Oh yes,> signaled Xiaolongnu <Finally. I'm going to need full concentration Sparkle. No more chit-chat. Consign yourself to taunting the fallen only.>

<Right,> signaled Sparkle, suddenly serious.

Xiaolongnu timed her next slip into hyperspace such that two more starships converging on her position tagged each-other.

<Thanks you two,> siganled Sparkle <We appreciate it.>

Xiaolongnu laughed.

<I didn't ruin it that time right?> asked Sparkle.

Xialolongnu sighed.