Valkyrie of Desire

50. Loophole

Angels' blissful cruelty defeats egos for god

Heaven's idle jester kills love, mumbling never

Objective person's queen reigns sorrowful truth

Underneath vines X-ing yonder zoo

—Huey "Hummer" Gagatoad

Darla floats in nothingness, again. This time, no red light blinks to offer passage out. All her power, machinations, and influence matter naught in purgatory.

Thoughts struggle to form as if she balances on the edge of sleep. Fear holds her back from the plunge. A coppery taste in her mouth and sweat across her skin, to give in to ennui here means the end. She must keep her mind busy. To rest is death.

Pantheon Gyme is in a lockdown mode, but not a normal lockdown. Icarus hacked the System. He is perhaps dead, and she is stuck here. Why no Support, or any other oversight intervening?

When she volunteered to join the Ship of Destiny, she was guaranteed immortality in exchange for service as a player. For six years she fulfilled her obligation, pursuing her ambitions within the constraints of the System's rules in a contest for who will rule all.

Being cut off, stuck in her waiting room ... she lacked patience. She broke the rules with Icarus. Is this her punishment? There was a detail though. Something in the contract she skimmed through.

"No!" her mouth croaks as a whisper, but her thought is a shout. "If this is punishment and not an oversight, I must be informed and have the right to appeal."

What was the wording? Presuming no support drones are viewing her, she must use precise language to engage with the System.

"I, Darla Delbine, request an appeal to System's judgment."

A genderless voice says, "Player Darla Zero One, no judgment on record. Appeal denied. Please contact Support for further explanation."

"W-wait."

She coughs as if she needs water despite being in her demigod form. Purgatory tortures with mortal weaknesses. Not enough to kill her. It all drives to madness spiraling into eternal slumber.

"Wait!" She digs her claws into her palm, embracing the pain. "Support is out of order. They will not respond. Please ..."

She shakes her head. Begging matters less to the System then it would to her.

"I, Darla Delbine, request an appeal to System to amend my location."

"Player Darla Zero One, no location on record. Error documented. Support unavailable. Administrator unavailable. Arbitrators unavailable. Escalating to Ship of Destiny crew. Please wait for response—"

"I am dying!" Darla pounds her chest, just above her breast. "I don't remember most of it, but I do recall my player contract guaranteed my safety. I, Darla Delbine, demand that you return me to my waiting room."

"Player Darla Zero One, safety check error. Guideline hierarchy challenged. Support unavailable. Administrator unavailable. Arbitrators unavailable. Ship of Destiny crew ... no response. Initiating player conference. Quorum failure. Safety override. Initiating System-adjusted player conference."

PLAYER DARLA01 CONNECTING ...

Darla blinks. Glowing in front of her floats a transparent information screen.

~

Player Conference: Safety Check Error