Day 66: Game Room (Fourth Shift)

[knightspirit]

The game room, huh... In normal, everyday life, it wouldn't have sounded too terrible, but as things were, it seemed like more of an annoyance. Games were fine, but priorities.... On the other hand, Kyousuke seemed to have hit a block in figuring out the clues to the the illness, and just thinking without getting anywhere wasn't very productive, either. At this point, it may have been best to push it aside and come back to it fresh. He had his reservations about it, especially since the end of the day was rapidly approaching, but... Frustration wasn't going to get him any closer.

He poked around what games were there with resignation, still half wondering what he was even doing and trying not feel guilty for needing a break. After a while he came across an electronic device marked "Game Boy Color" and picked it up out of curiosity. He'd heard of those before... If he was right, this thing was older than he was, by quite a bit. Flicking it on confirmed his suspicions; the sound and graphics from it spoke for themselves.

Shrugging, he took it a random seat, wincing at the pain in his ribs as he sat down. He guessed it wouldn't kill him to mess around with this thing for a little while.

[Lloyd!]

Comments

[his_legacy]

The boss on the intercom had said to have the patients come into the game room, so he figured he ought to simply stay here. He had already spent a good deal of time in the Sun Room, and felt no need to spend time lounging. He gave Sora a nod and a smile as he entered- He could speak with his roommate at dinner.

Link had already taken a good look around the room, so he settled into one of the chairs and kept a keen eye on the door for someone he recognized.

[Sechs!]

[sixth_attack]

Sechs gave out a great big yawn, ignoring the nurse's admonishments for him to cover his mouth. He didn't care; he was feeling a bit better for once today. His talk with Aigis certainly helped him wake up from his afternoon stupor. He felt a bit more energetic too as he walked into the games room. That little "power nap" of his really seemed to have done the trick for him. He may still be sick, but he was at least back up on his feet and feeling ready for the night that would soon be upon them.

He didn't care much for the "games" this room offered, all of which were boring, primitive and inexcusably devoid of any battles. But a quick scan of the place brought Sechs' attention to a face he was just starting to get to know.

"Hey! Link!" He approached the blond youth with a wolfish smirk, his head tilted as he carelessly rubbed the sleep out of his eye. "I see you're still in one piece so far! Did ya hear about the new clue last night?"

[his_legacy]

Link smiled genuinely as Sechs approached him.

"I would say the same to you." He was much more upbeat than when Link had first met him. Clearly, the words had paid off. Of course, Link did not attribute only his attempt at help to Sechs' improved demeanor, but it certainly could not have hurt.

"I was actually the first to see it, I believe..." He had sprinted off for it first thing, and had been the one to break the lock on the door.

"You wouldn't happen to know what it means, would you? Any idea at all?" Link was, for once, at a complete loss. The painting and its title had meant nothing to him, and the leaves were vague at best. Yes, there were trees outside. That information was useless.

[sixth_attack]

Sechs chuckled. "Heh, you got there first, huh?" he remarked with growing respect in his eyes, "Geeze, you're fast!" If he hadn't had troubles with his battle gear and illness, he would have reached the x-ray room sooner, maybe even beat Link to it first...

"Not exactly..." Sechs admitted with a sheepish grin, "I thought the painting was about bounty hunting. Where I come from, there are hunter warriors who are paid to find listed criminals and they get their payment by returning their target's heads to the factory authorities..."

Trailing off for a second, Sechs gave his scruffy head a thoughtful scratch before continuing. "But someone on the bulletin board told me that it's actually an old story about a dancer who got to have the head of some guy served to her on a plate..." he explained. "Apparently she was dancing for some King and he liked it so much that he offered her whatever she wanted. So she asked for someone named John to get beheaded. I don't know why she would ask for that, she must've had some beef with that John dude or something..." That explanation seemed to make more sense when it came to the painting and its title, but Sechs still liked his own bounty hunter theory better; it was a heck lot more exciting at least.

"Another thing I learned from the board was that the John guy was a Baptist and apparently Baptists hang around rivers a lot... Don't ask me why..." he added with a shrug.

[his_legacy]

Not fast enough, Link added in his mind.

He contemplated Sech's words quietly, tucking them in the back of his mind. The strange story seemed more likely, much as Sechs seemed considerably less enthused about it.

"Rivers?" Link said absentmindedly. "You don't know... Is there a river around here?" He frowned, deep in thought. The Hylian was confident that he could put the pieces of this puzzle together. There had been several times he had thought he was stumped by a puzzle before, but the answer always wound up being right before his eyes the entire time.

"I do not know what a 'baptist' is... But that combined with the leaves on the ground... I think we need to look outside." It was the best idea Link could come up with, right now. Perhaps a true breakthrough would follow tonight?

[sixth_attack]

"I think so... Forests always have rivers, right?" Sechs awkwardly answered with an unsure shrug, "How else could a whole bunch of trees live?" The whole concept of forests and large bodies of water was still rather foreign to the Replica. Back at the Scrapyard, it was all dry, sandy and rusted; it rarely even rained, never mind there being any natural rivers!

"Other than that town we're forced to visit every week, I haven't gone outside of the institute yet..." He had been too busy exploring inside the institute, searching in vain for Alita and the doctor who tortured him weeks ago. "Now would be a good time to for me to get out there..."

Sechs' eyes dropped to the floor as his sharp eyebrows furrowed together with worry. He didn't feel too confident in his theory, but he was determined to try every option he had. He knew time was running out for him and for others like Aigis. He had to do something, even if it meant going out there into the unknown with that malicious drug living inside his subconsciousness. He couldn't do it alone though...

Hesitating, Sechs brought his gaze up to size up the other youth. He barely knew the fellow prisoner, but so far Link hadn't set off any of Sechs' "asshole" alarms. Link didn't attack Sechs for being sick when they first met either, so he seemed pretty trustworthy so far...

"Tonight... If I don't, well, y'know... How 'bout you and I go searching for that river?" Sechs asked, his resolve to find a cure was clear in his tone and face. "I'm sure it'll be dangerous out there though. You have any fighting experience?"

[his_legacy]

Link withheld his questions on the town Sechs mentioned. There could be another time for that. He nodded.

"Yes, getting outside would be our best option at this point, I think..." If it was the only idea they had, they would have to try it. Link had often found that it was the most far-fetched and ludicrous ideas that ended up working.

"My room is M7. You can meet me there, come nightfall." He paused a moment. "I would warn you, though, my roommate is ill. He transformed last night. I will speak to him at dinner time about our options, but I am not leaving him alone until I'm certain of his safety and of the safety of others." If they did not contain the immediate problem, there would be no patients left to save.