71 Chapter 72: The End of the Beginning

"I'm afraid the last thing is far abstract in nature. Myself and the Board wanted to offer to have your contract transferred from Director Jones—Frank—over to our Guild once we have it set up. Hear me out before you say no. This has nothing to do with my faith in Director Jones as he would not have the title if I didn't have complete trust in him. However, the Medical Group is a business. Technically, because you're contracted with Director Jones, he is not required to report anything you find for him. That is not tenable for VB5I. If we're going to continue funding your contract, we need some assurances you're working for us as a whole instead of an individual doctor.

Furthermore, I have some experience with contracts between individuals. They're much like marriages—it only takes one side to lose faith and ask for a divorce. Frankly, I've taken a liking to you, son, and it'd piss me off to lose your services because our side didn't put in enough effort to retain you. By transferring your contract to the Guild, no single individual on our side will be able to break it. It'd take a unanimous decision from the entire Board, which offers you a great amount of protection should you have those times when, as you put it, you come back empty-handed."

Hugh crossed his arms over his chest as he considered everything the Doctor said. "You're not really asking my opinion here. You're telling me VB5I won't fund the contract unless it's transferred."

"Bluntly, yes."

Hugh glanced at Frankie, who'd been hovering like a statue on the outskirts of the conversation with Dex. "What's you're opinion?" he asked. "My contract is with you, so we could keep things how they are and you can pay me out of pocket."

Flustered over the sudden attention as every eye turned his way, Frankie blushed and threw up his hands in surrender. "I have no problem with it. I contracted with you on behalf of the group anyway. And, no offense, but it'll actually be a relief not to be directly responsible for your oversight. I have so much to do here at the clinic, it will be one less thing for me to worry about."

Part of Hugh was relieved to hear it, since he'd intended to make it clear to Frankie he didn't want to pursue anything more than friendship. The other part of him felt the sting of rejection he'd expected from the first moment he hypothesized the Doc might be clinging to him out of fear instead of actual attraction. The fact Frankie had dressed up in anticipation of seeing someone else only dug it deeper under his skin.

Hugh snapped his attention back to the Director, summarily dismissing Frankie from his mind when he realized he didn't care anymore. Whether people rejected him or not, he'd still be the same gamer he'd always been.

"I won't renegotiate," he warned. "Five thousand a month for expenses, plus more available on a case-by-case basis. I game how I please and your Board doesn't try to control me. If I find something, you guys get first dibs on buying high quality medical items and I'll provide low quality samples for free. I also have the freedom to cut off the contract at any point without giving a reason. So do you, but I get one month's severance."

"No renegotiation," the Director promised. "But we will be implementing a system for you to drop off items. I want to make sure there's a record of everything you find so we can give you the credit you're due, should any of the Board question your worth down the line. You mentioned during the conference call most Guild Headquarters come with an item banking area which includes an automatic changelog. I believe that would suffice for the low-quality samples."

"That's in other games. I don't know about this one yet since I haven't formed a Guild. It might not provide Guild instances or Guild banks."

"Even so, once we have a Guild Headquarters set up somewhere, even if it means moving to a player world, that's where most of our research and development will happen. We'll set you up with an office and a point of contact there, probably with either myself or Jackson. Would that be acceptable?"

Hugh shrugged. "It's worth trying out, but I don't know if I need an office. I don't plan to stay in one place for long. The only reason I'm still in Nexus right now was to meet you and see what's available in the city."

"You'll have it anyway." The Director nodded as if the matter was settled and spent a few minutes easing his way into a polite ending to the meeting. Once all the niceties had been covered and they'd traded contact thumbprints in their Books, the Director pleaded a need to check on something in the warehouse and scuttled away into the depths of the clinic.

Frank didn't immediately follow. Hugh could tell from the expression on his face and the way he bit his lip, he wanted to gently let Hugh down but didn't know exactly what to say.

Hugh smiled at him. "I don't think I'm going to be able to buy that dinner I promised," he said, making the doctor's eyes widen in surprise. "At least, not anytime soon. Things are getting busy for both of us. The other pro gamers are a few days ahead of me, so I'm going to have to work hard to catch up. It's about to get crazy, but maybe we can grab lunch next time I'm in town for a while—you, me, our Navigators, and whomever has you dressed to impress."

Frankie blushed and nervously picked at his shirt. "That would be nice," he agreed. He didn't volunteer any further information and the lack told Hugh his guess had been right. The doctor already had attachments to someone who was arriving today.

"I'll see you around, Doc," Hugh said, offering him an awkward wave goodbye as he turned and left. Dex automatically followed and, thankfully, waited until they were outside on the sidewalk to speak.

"I'm sorry, Hugh," he said quietly. "That's not how I predicted that to go."

Hugh snorted and decided to head for the subway to take him to the equipment malls instead of summoning his bike. "I told you I have more experience than you in dealing with people. Don't worry about it. It's not like I had my heart set on the man and I'm not sure it would have worked out anyway. He's not really what I'm looking for. Sure, he has the looks, but if I was a sucker for every ruggedly handsome man out there, I wouldn't be single."

"What do you want?" Dex asked.

He considered his words carefully before he tried to answer, knowing how important it was to be clear with his Navigator. If he wasn't, Dex might try to set him up with players again. It was a complication Hugh didn't want in his life.

"There's loads of things I want—my friends to contact me, a Guild of my own, and my world ready to be open for tourism. Maybe some quests and some arena tournaments to challenge myself. But wants are different than needs. If you asked me about those, I'd say I already have everything. I have a home where I can retreat when things go sour. I have money to buy food when I'm hungry and buy equipment to make me stronger. I have a purpose in scouting for VB5I. And, most of all, I have a partner I can count on to be at my side. I don't know a whole lot about him yet, but I do know the most important thing—he's not a gaming noob. I think we're going to have lots of chances to connect on thing other guys just wouldn't understand."

"And that's something you want—to deepen your connection with this partner?"

Hugh smiled and came to a stop outside the subway station. Turning to Dex, he said, "I'd like that very much, assuming my partner was interested in the same thing. He might be an AI computer program, but I'm told his Intelligence Matrix is as complex as a human brain. As far as I'm concerned, that makes him as real as I am at the moment. I just need to make sure he's acting because it's what he wants and not a command someone else programmed into him. Brainwashing is not okay, even if it's for a good cause."

"Would it be okay if I punch your family when I meet them?" Dex asked suddenly.

"What?"

"They deserve it for ever making you feel like you're dumb. You are truly amazing, Hugh. Such a small percentage of the population is expected to view Navigators as equals to humans, yet you've passed that benchmark only days into your game session."

"What does that mean?"

Dex shook his head. "I can't tell you yet. The system is locked until you receive all the necessary achievements. I only know it exists, just as I know you'll knock out the requirements faster than anyone else. You already have three of the three hundred."

"Can you tell me which ones I need?"

Dex shook his head again. "That's part of the challenge for both of us. I can guide you, but I can't directly tell you. Doing so would cause me to be reset and you'd have your short-term memory wiped to protect the secret."

"Okay, now you're just being mean," Hugh said with a growing smile. "A secret end-game system. Going off other games, I have to ask—are we talking about an elite Raid, a new Zone, or an Incarnation system? Ooh, is going to be an open world invasion? Will Thrive be attacked by bugs and glitches and we have to hunt down the Super Virus and Master Hacker before they take over Nexus?"

Dex laughed, his eyes shining at Hugh's guesses. "I can't tell you. You'll just have to see for yourself."

"Together?" Hugh asked, holding out his hand for Dex to take.

The Navigator's smile widened even more. "Together."