World Domination Society

The simulation chamber was a massive gray-white dome, arcing over Daimona’s head. In the center, hanging high above, was a sculpted white sword, the bladed end disappearing into the top. The hilt glowed with a soft, blue light as Irina stepped forward.

“What did you say your name was again?” Irina asked. A holographic screen appeared before her, rising to her hip level. Daimona watched with fascination as she turned dials in the air, dragging animal silhouettes to different sections of the illuminated map on the screen.

“Daimona,” she answered, reaching a hand over to twist one of the knobs over to say “MAX.” Irina smirked, giving a flippant shrug before leaving it.

“Daimona. Pretty.” The hologram flashed a violent red, a series of windows screaming “WARNING!”, only to vanish as Irina waved her hand across the surface. “Did your mother name you?”

Daimona looked to Norok. He stared back at her blankly. It had been a long time since they stopped asking questions like that. Where am I? Who made me? Why am I here? The facilitators of their birthplace never answered in more than a few words. But, then again, Daimona figured they weren’t owed anything. They left the whole building on fire anyways.

“I guess,” Daimona finally replied. Irina looked her over with a curious eye before turning away. In an instant, the floor rippled to life under Daimona’s feet. The black tiles lit up with a vibrant blue, pushing forward like a river and creating textile hills and trees. The sword hanging from the center glowed, shooting beams of light down below. It gave verdant leaves to the empty black branches, blades of grass to the ground, mounds of life to the once empty dome. Daimona kneeled, dragging her fingers through the simulated dirt. It felt thinner than real grass, and the individual blades clung to her fingertips as she passed them by. An odd pulsating chill emanated from the ground below, causing a shiver to run up her forearm.

“Eww! Why does it feel like hair?” Daimona asked, quickly reeling her hand back and shaking off the sensation.

“That’s just what bundled light feels like,” Kell replied. He reached down and pulled the grass up, watching as a non-existent breeze took the blades from his hand. He grinned at Norok. “Kinda cool, right?”

Norok surveyed the room with a look of indifference, but Daimona could see the flush rising in his cheeks, the childlike wonder plain in his red-tinted eyes. He was just as impressed as she was, even if he didn’t want the others to know.

“Kind of,” he said quietly. Daimona chuckled.

“Private Smirnov,” Will huffed from the back. “If we are to do a combat demonstration, I really feel--”

His words were cut off as a throaty, deep scream echoed throughout the room.

Forming on the ground below the hilt was a magnificent elk, with thousands of yellow light particles defining its shape. Daimona watched in wonder as it raised its head, two bright pupiless eyes settling on her.

“The room knows how strong you are from the moment you enter,” Irina explained. “Every action you take, it shows you the results. Watch.”

Irina pulled her right hand up, revealing one of the daggers. The blade shook in her hand, and Daimona winced as a low-pitched hum rang out. Slivers of metal floated up from Irina’s clothes, a plethora of hidden needles and shards all pulling towards the dagger. They began to fit themselves together, forming a much longer double-edged blade that curved the length of Irina’s forearm.

As soon as the last piece of silver joined the rest, Irina hurled the blade through the air, sinking it right into the raised throat of the elk. It gave out a pained shriek before falling to the ground. It broke down into the grass below, light melding in with light once more.

` Irina flicked her wrist back, and the hilt of the blade came flying back into her grasp. Stepping out of the brusque came another elk, then a second, then a third, all leering over the spot where the first had died. Irina pointed to the entreating space between them.

“Now you,” she said to Daimona.

Daimona took a running start towards the clearing. She vaulted over the hill, rolling through the grass and launching herself into one of the elk. She wrapped herself around its thick, hairy neck, digging her fingers into its skin and prying upwards with all her might. The elk’s head twisted violently in her grasp, and as it fell, Daimona flipped over and turned just in time to see the other two rushing towards her.

The elk’s antler’s jabbed into Daimona’s front, knocking the wind out of her for just a moment before she drove her fists down into its skull. Before the body dropped completely, Daimona hoisted it up and flung it at the third.

Just as she turned to give Irina a triumphant look, another group elk began stepping forward, each one increasingly larger than the last. A flash of blonde, blue and silver whizzed past, the sound of slicing and screaming filling the air as Irina disposed of another four.

“ I like the sword!” Daimona shouted, pulling her fist out of another elk’s unrendered skull.

“This?” Irina grunted, twirling her blade lightly. “It is a kindjal. I have held many blades in my time, but the shape of this one in particular…”

She pivoted on her heel just in time to behead another elk just as it was rising to trample her. She pulled her kindjal down the midsection, diving under the hind legs and emerging victorious on the other side. “This one pleases me greatly.”

“D’you think you could teach me how to use one?” Daimona asked giddily, clapping her hands together.

“Why? You seem comfortable with your hands.”

“Yeah, but that gets boring sometimes!”

“Boring,” Irina repeated with a soft smile. “Perhaps we’ll solve that boredom, then.”

Before Daimona could respond, the ground began to shake violently. Daimona fell to her feet as grass and trees began to shrink, the leftover elk melting down with them. The tiles rippled from green to blue.

“What’s happening now?” Daimona shouted. Irina shot a venomous look over her shoulder, and as Daimona followed her gaze, she saw Will hovering over the holographic screen, prodding at the settings. He returned Irina’s stare with an indifferent look of his own.

“If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right,” he said stoically. “Besides, there’s no glory in killing a bunch of elk.”

Kell scratched the back of his neck. “Sure, but it was kinda fun watching them go at it…”

“Then here’s your chance for a front row seat,” Will replied. The room began to tilt forward, sending Kell and Norok stumbling towards Irina and Daimona. As the tiles began to merge and form wooden planks, Will stepped forward to join them.

“We need to work together as a squad,” Will said, moving confidently as the swiftly forming boat began to rise and rock atop a simulated sea. “If we’re in the mood for combat, we may as well do it together. All of us.”

Daimona quickly threw herself to the edge, staring down at the bright blue water.

“Norok, look!” She gasped. Norok joined her, crossing his arms over the bow.

“Not bad,” he murmured quietly.

A loud thrumming noise echoed up. A massive bubble of water began to float upwards, moving slowly through the air before finding the center of the boat. A massive shadow swam violently inside, thrashing against the confines. Once the bubble touched the ground, the outer layer popped.

Inside was a great white shark, snapping its massive jaw at Irina, Kell and Will. The water around it formed a large bipedal form, allowing the great beast to stagger forward.

“Irina, Daimona!” Will called. A blue portal was materializing to his right, his hand already outstretched for his gun. “You two will take the sides.”

Irina clicked her tongue, but she held her kindjal up and outwards, already rushing towards the left. Daimona was about to complain-- why did she have to take the side if all the fun was going to be had in the middle? -- but she quickly shut her mouth as seven more bubbles started to float from deep below.

“Kell, Norok, you two behind me,” Will finished, aiming his weapon at the shark before him. It flicked its arm out, a greataxe forming from the water as it charged forward. Will shot once, aiming for the flailing shark at the core. The bullet whizzed through the water, blood blooming and crowding the center as the body hit the deck.

Daimona watched the bubbles with a perplexed frown. She could hear Irina sending her kindjal through the air, decimating the bubbles on her side before they could even hit the ground.

“Pop!” Daimona shouted impatiently. But the water rippled, unaffected by her demand and continuing its infuriatingly slow descent. Before it even hit the ground, Daimona watched with irritation as the bubbles began to boil violently, the three of the sharks inside ceasing their movements completely and flipping belly-up inside. She whirled around, eyes deadly.

Kell, with his outstretched hand, quickly lowered it and offered her an apologetic smile. “Sorry! Got a bit overeager.”

Daimona grumbled bitterly, “Stealing my fun,” before dropping to all fours. She stretched one leg back, then took a running start towards the edge of the ship. Leaping up and over, she sucked in a deep breath as she threw herself into the nearest bubble. Inside, she could barely hear the shouts from outside, everything overtaken by the gurgling inside the water. She opened her eyes just in time to see the jaws of the beast reaching out to her. She threw her hands out, forcing the shark’s mouth to stay open. Her lungs began to quake with pain, the beast struggling forward.

With a defiant yelp, Daimona ripped the creature’s jaw apart, tearing it down the center. The bubble burst, and Daimona was gasping for air and falling, her back slamming into the watery tiles below. She groaned loudly.

“That was stupid!” Will shouted, glaring at her from above. Daimona rolled her eyes, turning on to her side.

“It’s fine, I’ll just climb back up,” she huffed.

“If this were a real operation, you would be dead right now. Sharks have the advantage in marine combat, within seconds of you falling you would already be swallowed whole!”

“I said it’s fine!” Daimona hissed, approaching the bottom of the boat.

“Absolutely not,” Will shouted again, not taking his eyes off of her for a second as he shot an approaching shark. “You will stay down there until you can be rescued by one of your members, because as of right now, you are drowning.”

Daimona crossed her arms. This guy was seriously annoying. She cupped both hands around her mouth and yelled, “Norok! Get me back up!”

Everything in the room stopped moving. Daimona could feel Norok’s magic entangle around her body, taking her weight from her as she began to float. As she looked down, she could see pieces of the boat floating with her, a crack growing down the middle as the wood groaned. Irina, Kell and Will were all sent in the air with her, the sharks and their bubbles stuck with the rest of them.

Norok lost his footing, tripping over himself and sending everything crashing down. The boat ruptured into planks and pieces. Kell had his arms crossed over his face, and Daimona could see his hands come to life as sparks shot from his palms. Within seconds, his sparks landed on the falling sails, a steadily growing blaze overtaking the ship.

Irina cackled, watching the fire as she sat on a drifting piece of the deck. “Good going, Sparkboy.”

“It was an accident!” Kell whined.

“Oh yeah,” Norok replied, stifling a laugh. “Mine was too.”

“Ugh…” Will groaned, rubbing his face. He turned his face up to the hilt and shouted, “Butterpie!”

In an instant, the simulation dissipated. Everyone was sitting on the black tiled ground, save for Will, who was already pacing in circles.

“That was a disaster,” he huffed. “But that’s better than it could have been.”

“I know,” Daimona sighed. “If you hadn’t distracted me--”

“--If I? If I, Daimona?!” Will’s face flared red. “You act like-- like a wild animal out there, punching like a feral monkey!!”

“We are fighting wild animals,” Irina chimed in, giving Daimona a look of satisfaction. “It suits us to have some in our pocket, no?”

“And you!” Will whirled around to Norok. “Acting without-- without any consideration for your squad! What do you have to say for yourself?”

Norok shrugged. “She needed rescue, and you said one of us had to save her.”

“You did say that, Will…” Kell agreed quietly. Will shot him a deathly glare.

“The other two I get, but you, Kell? Still shooting off the hand like a rookie? I’m embarrassed.”

“We all are,” Irina nodded, elbowing Kell. He pouted at her, but said nothing. She rose to her feet, continuing as she reached an arm around Will. “Leader, I have a few suggestions. I think we should speak about our tactics, now knowing what our newbies are capable of.”

Will made a baffled string of angry noises as Irina ushered him along. She gave Daimona a warm grin before leaving. “We will discuss our one-on-one training in the morning. Until then, rest well, my friend.”

Daimona waved vigorously to her retreating back. Kell’s eyes moved from Norok to Daimona, and once Irina and Will had fully disappeared from sight, he leaned forward and said, “For what it’s worth, that was the best time I’ve ever had in this room.”

“Me too!” Daimona chirped.

Norok didn’t reply, eyeing the doorway with a dark look.

…

That night, Daimona beamed up at the dark ceiling with a look of pride. She stretched her arms out, feeling out the limits of the top bunk. Everything felt soft here. Her pillow, her blanket, even the thinning mattress under body was a comfort.

“This was such a good idea,” she sighed, rolling over to talk over the edge. “There’s food, cool light animals… New friends, too! That Irina chick was really something else, wasn’t she?”

From the bottom bunk, she heard a resigned hum of acknowledgement. The only thing visible of her brother’s was a sliver of his left knee, which remained stiffly arched towards her. Daimona frowned.

“Wasn’t she?” she repeated loudly.

“...I already said yeah,” Norok muttered, nudging the wooden planks below and pushing up at her. “Let’s just go to sleep, okay? I don’t wanna talk about her anymore.”

Daimona quickly grabbed the railing with both hands, flipping herself over to look at her brother. He had placed his glasses on his chest, tracing the frame idly with one finger while his other hand cradled the back of his head. He gave her an irritated glare.

“What’s wrong?” Daimona asked.

“It’s nothing,” he answered, rolling over and cutting their eye contact short. “I’m just tired.”

Daimona rolled her eyes, swinging her legs over and hopping to the floor. She sat at the edge of his bunk, leaning her back against his. Her eyes wandered out the window, the moonlight wafting in silver streaks.

“Tell me,” she urged in a low voice, elbowing him lightly. “I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me.”

“I never asked you to fix anything,” Norok grumbled. But slowly, he sat up, pulling his legs into his chest and resting his head against her back. “I’m worried we’ll stay here for too long.”

“We just got here, though!”

“I know, but,” Norok seemed to choke on his words, and Daimona could feel him clenching and unclenching his fists. “I can already feel us forgetting why we left.”

“We’re not going to forget,” Daimona replied. But Norok didn’t say anything back. A tense silence overtook the space between them, and Daimona could feel him pulling away. She turned to look at him over her shoulder, mouth drawn in a firm line. “We’re not. And if you forget, I’ll remind you. And if I forget, you’ll remind me.”

“What if we both forget?”

Daimona pulled his hands away from his knees, holding them in her own. “We can’t. If we could, we would’ve done it already, and you and I would be living it up in some cave far, far away from here, eating trees and waiting until we die in our sleep. But we’re here, Norok. Alive. Strong. Getting stronger.”

Norok looked back at her. The moon reflected low in his eyes, and in the dark of their room, he looked just as hungry for it as she felt. Quietly, he trembled as he said, “I want to go back. I want to make them pay.”

“And we will,” Daimona said, embracing him warmly with a smile. “Soon. I promise.”