Lottery
Chapter 31
By Mark J. Silva Jr
Mark stood at the portal to Grunge City. After entering his intent into the game-play AI, he removed all his clothing. He took a deep breath, and walked through the portal, entering a random room within the game. He instantly regretted it.
Players never knew what they would walk into when playing Grunge City. You could end up in a penthouse on a beautiful spring day, or outside in a field in the middle of a blizzard. You would enter the game with only the clothes you were wearing, and you had to scrounge for everything else you needed.
Mark had ended up in a room in a skyscraper, in the middle of an ice storm. The room's windows were all gone, it was no warmer than -10 °F, and Mark was buck-naked. Scrambling, Mark headed for an interior room, swearing up and down.
The interior room seemed a bit warmer, as Mark dug through a pile of nasty old rags. He found a pair of shorts, and an old military cold weather jacket. Mark was still barefoot, but now he had a jacket; even though it was ten sizes to big, and made Mark feel like he was wearing a tent!
The in-game Head-Up-Display showed Mark to be in the Harbor corner of the mega-city. The safe room, for him, was across the city to the west. Mapping showed he have to go through a gang controlled section. It wasn't going to be easy.
There was many outcomes that would end the game: Mark could be rescued, and brought to the safe room of one of the two teams; he could get to his own safe room, by himself; or someone outside of their game could capture or kill him.
Red team was Sally (Sal) and Amie, and Blue team was Lily and Holli. The prize in getting Mark to safety, was a nite alone with him for each girl on the winning team. But if Mark made it to his 'safety room', the girls agreed that each of them would be his personal servant for a day. Mark thought it would be great to have each of them baby him for a day.
Mark checked his HUD once more, and frowned. He was on the sixty-fourth floor, and was betting the lift was out of order.
Mark did have a few advantages, he was tiny and able to squeeze through many of the narrow access tunnels. Also, he had each team's beacons. He knew where each one started, and where their safe houses were. Mark also was allowed a panic button in the form as a bracelet beacon that he could activate if things were to go terribly wrong, like being attacked by Zombies, or captured by a ruthless gang.
Finally reaching the ground floor, Mark came across a room that looked like people had been using it as a dump. It was full of broken stuff. Mark went in hoping to find something he could scrounge up. The big hope would be some sneakers. Even sandals would be helpful.
After fifteen minutes of searching, Mark couldn't find any footwear at all. He did score an old rifle scope, with a cracked lens. It would never do for shooting ever again, but it would help him see farther and avoid people.
Peering out the building front door Mark checked out the building across the street. While he needed to get up the road, Mark couldn’t see into those buildings. But, if he checked out building across the street, he could zig-zag his way up the street.
Six buildings later Mark had to stop, rest, and get some feeling back into his feet. The building he was now in, was an old skyscraper. It had nothing left of the glass walls. It was as cold and wet inside, as it was outside. Mark saw an old bank building, across the street. The upper floor had long lost their glass windows, but the ground floor was stone and brick. It must have had bulletproof glass, because it was all intact.
Up and down the street, the buildings had mostly lost all their glass. It was covering the street and sidewalks, but due to the simple rule of 'Do no harm to any male', wherever Mark stepped the glass vanished and then reappeared behind him a moment later.
As Mark entered the building someone grabbed him and yanked him right into a side room.
“I can't believe it! You're a real Prince!”
Mark was held with his back against the wall. He nodded his head 'yes.'
“I'm Lora, I'm a Volunteer Prince.”
“How did you know I was one?” Mark asked nervously.
Lora smiled, “The glass. I watched you as it vanished for you. Now, I'm sorry, but I need to take your jacket and shoes.”
Mark grabbed the jacket, and held it firm as he said, “No, you can't, I have nothing on under it,” then Mark lowered his eyes as he added, “and I don't have any shoes.”
Lora frowned, yes she could take what he had and just go on. But to leave such a small young boy naked and freezing, was just wrong.
“Show me you're really naked, and I will let you keep your jacket.”
Mark paused. He was slowly reaching to unzip the jacket, when a loud thud come from the room's doorway. Mark, facing the doorway, saw the three other girls. Lora turned to see what had made the noise, and tried to bolt through them. Mark jumped for a small vent grate, and ripped it off. While the girls scuffled he crawled into the vent, and was quickly out of reach.
Mark had the basic idea that the ventilation shafts would run from room to room, but not up and down to connect the floors. Most players could never fit into them. The few that could, would use them to escape from someone else.
Lora found herself slammed to the floor, with the girls holding her down.
“Lookie here! We got ourselves a VP! Tell me, who are your rescuers?”
Tattered Gang was capturing VPs, and then selling them back to the rescuers for in-game points. The more points you could get, the higher you could level-up.
Lora swore and one of the girls punched her hard in the face, then said, “Don't make me ask again, who are your rescuers?”
“How about a trade?” Lora asked.
Kim sneered, “What could you have to trade?”
“Did you see who was in here with me?”
The three girls had noticed something move as they entered the room.
“Who was it,” Kim asked.
“If I tell you, will you let me go?”
“Only if the info is worth it,” Kim snarled.
Lora smiled. Capturing her might be worth a thousand game point. But the boy was worth a hell of a lot more.
“That was a real Prince, a bona fide male.”
The gang members whistled.
Then they noticed the open grate. Kim thought clicked, and sent a message to her fellow gang members. A net was quickly cast around the bank.
“Forget the bitch! Let's get us a boy and have some fun, ladies.”
The first Mark knew he was in trouble, was when a voice began yelling into the ventilation shafts.
“We know your in there! You can not escape. we have the whole building surrounded, and someone is at each vent grate.”
Mark knew he'd be captured one way or another, so he crawled out of the ventilation shaft. When he first stood up, one of the girls grabbed him and yanked off his jacket.
The cold air made Mark shiver.
“Give that back to him, Wendy. You can see the kid is naked,” Kim said as she walked over to Mark.
As Mark put the jacket back on, the girls mulled about, and talked about what they would do next.
“What do you mean I have to carry him?”
“Look, Mel, he's tiny and we cant drag him about like a VP. We would end up with a ref here, faster than you change your bra, and we'd lose out on the capture points,” Kim said as she looked down at Mark who was still shivering.
Mel looked down at Mark and sighed, “Dora, you have your knife on you?”
“What, like I'd leave it back at the camp, and let one of your thieves steal it?” answered Dora as she walked over to Mel.
Mel took the offered knife, and walked over to Mark, “Give me your arm.”
Mark looked up and jumped back.
“Wait! I wouldn't run! You don't have to hurt me!” Mark said in a panicked voice.
“I won't hurt you. Give me your arm, now.”
Mark gingerly held out his arm, and squeaked when Mel grabbed the over long jacket sleeve and cut the excess length off of the jacket's arm.
“Dora, pass me some of your Para cord.
Mel tied one end of the sleeve closed, and then cut off the other sleeve and tied it the same way.
Mark watched what they were doing and kept an eye out for an opening to try to escape. While he wasn't paying attention to what they were talking about, Dora suddenly lifted Mark off the ground and Mel slipped the make shift booties onto Mark's feet. Mel tied them security with more of the Para cord, then Dora passed Mark to Mel. She wrapped Mark a little more tightly in his jacket.
“You should start feeling warmer, soon, little guy.”
The walk to the gang's hideout was long, and Mark got been passed around a few times. But once in the hide, Mark was placed down in front of a throne made from scrap iron with a thirty something looking lady sitting in it. When she saw Mark, she licked her lips like a hungry wolf.
Fran smiled as her hacked HUD showed all of Mark's relevant game data, including his 'rape enabled' status. She licked her lips as she thought of the things she could get away with doing.
“What a pretty boy, and such a prize you are. What to do with you, besides eat you alive. We could ransom you, or have fun as we rape you all day long.”
Mark's eyes widened.
“Well, Mark, what shall I do with you,” Fran said as she smiled.
'How does she know my name,' Mark wondered as he started looking around for a way to escape.
“You and you, strip him and tie him to my bed,” Fran ordered as she got up.
Twenty minutes later Mark found himself tied, blind folded and gagged on a bed with only a sheet covering him when he heard that lady's voice once more.
“My, my, what shall I do to you, little blue eyes?”
Mark mumbled.
The blindfold came off and Fran smiled down at Mark, “Take off your holoband.”
Mark mumbled.
Fran frowned, removed the gag, and said, “I spoke to Lily. Take off your holoband, Mark.”
“No!” screamed Mark.
“Then I will remove it for you, Mark.”
Players never knew what they would walk into when playing Grunge City. You could end up in a penthouse on a beautiful spring day, or outside in a field in the middle of a blizzard. You would enter the game with only the clothes you were wearing, and you had to scrounge for everything else you needed.
Mark had ended up in a room in a skyscraper, in the middle of an ice storm. The room's windows were all gone, it was no warmer than -10 °F, and Mark was buck-naked. Scrambling, Mark headed for an interior room, swearing up and down.
The interior room seemed a bit warmer, as Mark dug through a pile of nasty old rags. He found a pair of shorts, and an old military cold weather jacket. Mark was still barefoot, but now he had a jacket; even though it was ten sizes to big, and made Mark feel like he was wearing a tent!
The in-game Head-Up-Display showed Mark to be in the Harbor corner of the mega-city. The safe room, for him, was across the city to the west. Mapping showed he have to go through a gang controlled section. It wasn't going to be easy.
There was many outcomes that would end the game: Mark could be rescued, and brought to the safe room of one of the two teams; he could get to his own safe room, by himself; or someone outside of their game could capture or kill him.
Red team was Sally (Sal) and Amie, and Blue team was Lily and Holli. The prize in getting Mark to safety, was a nite alone with him for each girl on the winning team. But if Mark made it to his 'safety room', the girls agreed that each of them would be his personal servant for a day. Mark thought it would be great to have each of them baby him for a day.
Mark checked his HUD once more, and frowned. He was on the sixty-fourth floor, and was betting the lift was out of order.
Mark did have a few advantages, he was tiny and able to squeeze through many of the narrow access tunnels. Also, he had each team's beacons. He knew where each one started, and where their safe houses were. Mark also was allowed a panic button in the form as a bracelet beacon that he could activate if things were to go terribly wrong, like being attacked by Zombies, or captured by a ruthless gang.
Finally reaching the ground floor, Mark came across a room that looked like people had been using it as a dump. It was full of broken stuff. Mark went in hoping to find something he could scrounge up. The big hope would be some sneakers. Even sandals would be helpful.
After fifteen minutes of searching, Mark couldn't find any footwear at all. He did score an old rifle scope, with a cracked lens. It would never do for shooting ever again, but it would help him see farther and avoid people.
Peering out the building front door Mark checked out the building across the street. While he needed to get up the road, Mark couldn’t see into those buildings. But, if he checked out building across the street, he could zig-zag his way up the street.
Six buildings later Mark had to stop, rest, and get some feeling back into his feet. The building he was now in, was an old skyscraper. It had nothing left of the glass walls. It was as cold and wet inside, as it was outside. Mark saw an old bank building, across the street. The upper floor had long lost their glass windows, but the ground floor was stone and brick. It must have had bulletproof glass, because it was all intact.
Up and down the street, the buildings had mostly lost all their glass. It was covering the street and sidewalks, but due to the simple rule of 'Do no harm to any male', wherever Mark stepped the glass vanished and then reappeared behind him a moment later.
As Mark entered the building someone grabbed him and yanked him right into a side room.
“I can't believe it! You're a real Prince!”
Mark was held with his back against the wall. He nodded his head 'yes.'
“I'm Lora, I'm a Volunteer Prince.”
“How did you know I was one?” Mark asked nervously.
Lora smiled, “The glass. I watched you as it vanished for you. Now, I'm sorry, but I need to take your jacket and shoes.”
Mark grabbed the jacket, and held it firm as he said, “No, you can't, I have nothing on under it,” then Mark lowered his eyes as he added, “and I don't have any shoes.”
Lora frowned, yes she could take what he had and just go on. But to leave such a small young boy naked and freezing, was just wrong.
“Show me you're really naked, and I will let you keep your jacket.”
Mark paused. He was slowly reaching to unzip the jacket, when a loud thud come from the room's doorway. Mark, facing the doorway, saw the three other girls. Lora turned to see what had made the noise, and tried to bolt through them. Mark jumped for a small vent grate, and ripped it off. While the girls scuffled he crawled into the vent, and was quickly out of reach.
Mark had the basic idea that the ventilation shafts would run from room to room, but not up and down to connect the floors. Most players could never fit into them. The few that could, would use them to escape from someone else.
Lora found herself slammed to the floor, with the girls holding her down.
“Lookie here! We got ourselves a VP! Tell me, who are your rescuers?”
Tattered Gang was capturing VPs, and then selling them back to the rescuers for in-game points. The more points you could get, the higher you could level-up.
Lora swore and one of the girls punched her hard in the face, then said, “Don't make me ask again, who are your rescuers?”
“How about a trade?” Lora asked.
Kim sneered, “What could you have to trade?”
“Did you see who was in here with me?”
The three girls had noticed something move as they entered the room.
“Who was it,” Kim asked.
“If I tell you, will you let me go?”
“Only if the info is worth it,” Kim snarled.
Lora smiled. Capturing her might be worth a thousand game point. But the boy was worth a hell of a lot more.
“That was a real Prince, a bona fide male.”
The gang members whistled.
Then they noticed the open grate. Kim thought clicked, and sent a message to her fellow gang members. A net was quickly cast around the bank.
“Forget the bitch! Let's get us a boy and have some fun, ladies.”
The first Mark knew he was in trouble, was when a voice began yelling into the ventilation shafts.
“We know your in there! You can not escape. we have the whole building surrounded, and someone is at each vent grate.”
Mark knew he'd be captured one way or another, so he crawled out of the ventilation shaft. When he first stood up, one of the girls grabbed him and yanked off his jacket.
The cold air made Mark shiver.
“Give that back to him, Wendy. You can see the kid is naked,” Kim said as she walked over to Mark.
As Mark put the jacket back on, the girls mulled about, and talked about what they would do next.
“What do you mean I have to carry him?”
“Look, Mel, he's tiny and we cant drag him about like a VP. We would end up with a ref here, faster than you change your bra, and we'd lose out on the capture points,” Kim said as she looked down at Mark who was still shivering.
Mel looked down at Mark and sighed, “Dora, you have your knife on you?”
“What, like I'd leave it back at the camp, and let one of your thieves steal it?” answered Dora as she walked over to Mel.
Mel took the offered knife, and walked over to Mark, “Give me your arm.”
Mark looked up and jumped back.
“Wait! I wouldn't run! You don't have to hurt me!” Mark said in a panicked voice.
“I won't hurt you. Give me your arm, now.”
Mark gingerly held out his arm, and squeaked when Mel grabbed the over long jacket sleeve and cut the excess length off of the jacket's arm.
“Dora, pass me some of your Para cord.
Mel tied one end of the sleeve closed, and then cut off the other sleeve and tied it the same way.
Mark watched what they were doing and kept an eye out for an opening to try to escape. While he wasn't paying attention to what they were talking about, Dora suddenly lifted Mark off the ground and Mel slipped the make shift booties onto Mark's feet. Mel tied them security with more of the Para cord, then Dora passed Mark to Mel. She wrapped Mark a little more tightly in his jacket.
“You should start feeling warmer, soon, little guy.”
The walk to the gang's hideout was long, and Mark got been passed around a few times. But once in the hide, Mark was placed down in front of a throne made from scrap iron with a thirty something looking lady sitting in it. When she saw Mark, she licked her lips like a hungry wolf.
Fran smiled as her hacked HUD showed all of Mark's relevant game data, including his 'rape enabled' status. She licked her lips as she thought of the things she could get away with doing.
“What a pretty boy, and such a prize you are. What to do with you, besides eat you alive. We could ransom you, or have fun as we rape you all day long.”
Mark's eyes widened.
“Well, Mark, what shall I do with you,” Fran said as she smiled.
'How does she know my name,' Mark wondered as he started looking around for a way to escape.
“You and you, strip him and tie him to my bed,” Fran ordered as she got up.
Twenty minutes later Mark found himself tied, blind folded and gagged on a bed with only a sheet covering him when he heard that lady's voice once more.
“My, my, what shall I do to you, little blue eyes?”
Mark mumbled.
The blindfold came off and Fran smiled down at Mark, “Take off your holoband.”
Mark mumbled.
Fran frowned, removed the gag, and said, “I spoke to Lily. Take off your holoband, Mark.”
“No!” screamed Mark.
“Then I will remove it for you, Mark.”