The Immortality Game

“I converse politely with anyone who treats me with respect. You treat us all with disdain at the best of times.”

Volodya waved a hand. “You just read it that way. I was the youngest of four brothers, and our mother came from a very wealthy family. Competitiveness was drilled into me from an early age.”

Tyoma shook his head. “It goes far beyond that. You never hide your contempt for me.”

“Because you fight back,” Volodya said with a grin. “You’re the only one of the group who makes life interesting.”

“You’re unbelievable. Forty years and you have never been this forthright.”

“The cold muzzle of mortality has never been shoved in my face before,” Volodya said. “Ah, here they come now.”

The man Tyoma had seen on the vid screen was crossing the bridge. A shorter man trailed after him, smoking a sim-cig.

“How did this happen?” Tyoma said.

“The big ugly one was waiting outside my apartment door.”

“I wonder why security let him through?”

Volodya shrugged. “I asked him that and he laughed at me as if I’d told the funniest joke he’d ever heard.”

The two men came to a stop a few paces away. The big one smiled and held out a meaty paw. “The chip. Let’s make this quick and easy, okay?”

“You won’t hurt us?” Tyoma asked.

“I don’t give a shit about you,” the man said. “My boss wants the chip. If you stop jawing and hand it over, you have my word we won’t hurt you.”

Tyoma glanced at Volodya, who gave a slight shrug. If there had been just the one man, Tyoma had intended to try to pass off the mind scan chip in place of the combat chip. His only concern had been whether the man would insist that one of the scientists try it out first. With two men, he couldn’t risk the trick. Even if the man tried it and killed himself, the other would be there to exact revenge. Tyoma dug out the old combat chip and placed it in the big man’s palm.

The man held the card up to his eyes to read the label, then looked at Volodya. “This isn’t the number you told me.”

“Let me see it,” Volodya said. He read the tiny writing and gave Tyoma a wry smile. “You brought the latest version. I told him two point two.”

The man plucked the card from Volodya’s hand. “You lied to me, tried to cheat me. This is the latest? Two point four?”

Volodya and Tyoma nodded together.

The man glared at them for half a minute. “How do I know you aren’t lying to me?”

“Hey,” Tyoma said. “I did think about bringing an older chip, but I couldn’t take a chance you would know the truth and hurt us. That’s the right one, I swear.”

“You try it,” the man said, holding the card out to Tyoma.

Tyoma reached for it, but the man pulled it back. “What does it do? It’s a combat chip, right? Maybe…‌maybe you can kill us if you use it?”

Tyoma laughed. At the man’s angry look, he held up his hands to calm him. “Sir, please. If the cards could do that, don’t you think I would have worn it to the meeting? I’d have armed myself, too, for that matter. No?”

The shorter man stepped closer. “Come on, Alexei. The boss is waiting.”

Alexei scowled at his partner. “And what do you think Viktor will do if we bring him the wrong card? Huh?” He looked back at Volodya, then stepped forward and grabbed him by the shoulder.

Volodya opened his mouth, but Alexei shook him and said, “Don’t do it if you want to live. I just need to test this thing.” He reached forward and jammed the card into Volodya’s slot.

Nothing noticeable happened.

“Well,” Alexei said. “Why doesn’t it work?”

“What did you think would happen?” Volodya asked. “It only helps out reflexes and such during combat. It also provides information. You won’t see that it works unless you try it yourself.”

“You didn’t die, at least,” Alexei said, then held out his hand. “Give it back to me.”

Volodya ejected the card and handed it over.

Alexei looked skeptical. “This is the latest version? We find out you’re lying and we’ll kill you both.”

Tyoma felt an odd compulsion to tell them about the card in his car. Could they know somehow that this card was two versions old? Would it really hurt to give them the latest version? He tried to remember what exactly had been wrong with the version two point four cards. He wavered under Alexei’s glare and was just about to speak up when Volodya spoke first.

“That’s the latest.”

“Come on,” Alexei said, pocketing the card. “Let’s go.”

“You said you’d let us go,” Tyoma said.

“I said I wouldn’t hurt you. Anyway, we’ll let you go once I know the boss is happy with what you gave us. Now shut up and come along or I’ll break your nose.”

Volodya must have felt he was a safe distance away. “You don’t need both of us, do you?”

The big gangster’s face turned red, but his partner said, “Two is dead weight. We know where they live.”

Alexei spat on the ground and wagged a finger under Volodya’s nose. “You better not have fucked with us.” He grabbed Tyoma’s arm in a steely grip and steered him up the path toward the bridge.

Tyoma was dazed by the sudden turn of events. Why leave Volodya and take him? “Please don’t hurt me,” he whispered.