Let the Games Begin | Dream Smp

Chapter 33

"How long have you been working here?"

"Oh, I don't know anymore. It must be somewhere near four or five years already," Quackity slurred with a light chuckle, "I was still underage when President Schlatt gave me the job."

Kayla raised an eyebrow in confusion. She took a small sip from her cup and swallowed the burning liquid. "You weren't out of college yet?"

"Nope," the beanie wearing man replied, popping the P, "I was in my second year. I still don't know why he chose me—nor do I care to ask—but I'm grateful for the job. I'm the second most important person in this country now."

"The President must have a lot of trust in you," Kayla remarked, "I suppose you could say that you're his right-hand man." She grabbed the glass bottle off the table and refilled both of their cups.

His overconfidence shone through his drunken self as a proud, lopsided grin spread across his face. "I am, aren't I? I've got more power than anyone in any department of this government, other than President Schlatt himself."

"You do. It's quite impressive, Quackity," she nodded, "You must know a lot about the Games, then."

A bubbly laugh escaped from the man's lips. "Oh, I know the Games inside and out! I'd say the President and I share equal credit for its creation. One of my most memorable contributions..."

"I've just got a spark of curiosity about the Games, if you don't mind me asking." Kayla leaned her elbows on the table and looked over at Quackity, who had a faraway look on his face as he downed a shot in one breath.

"Fire away," he smirked, slamming the glass back onto the table.

"From the times when Karl and I were in the arena between Games, the doors were always left open," she stated, "Obviously, they lock during the Games. But how are they locked so that contestants can't accidently escape?"

"Simple. There's this mechanism that will recognize registered handprints—on a specific spot to the right of the door," he responded confidently, "That's how we get the bodies out of there, you know."

"How are the handprints registered?"

"Well, there's only a few people who have their handprints registered," Quackity explained, "Just a small handful of soldiers. The handprints are registered by using the same mechanism that opens the door—you open up a side panel and plug in the security code, and then scan your hand. After that? Boom. Done."

A spark of worry flickered inside of Kayla. "And who knows the security code?"

"The President."

"No one else?" She asked in defeat, "No one but the president knows?"

After a split second, a prideful grin suddenly appeared on his face, and he leaned across the table so that his nose was almost touching hers. Nervously staring into his eyes, Kayla could smell the alcohol on his breath. "I have a little secret," he whispered with a child-like giggle, "I know the code, too."

"You do?" Kayla breathed in surprise, her eyes widening.

"Mhm." He leaned back into his chair again and picked up the glass, mindlessly sloshing the clear liquid in circles with a sly smile. "It was by accident. I was standing right beside him as he entered the code, and he was muttering it to himself. I heard it. President Schlatt found out and decided that he trusted me enough with it."

"So, Quackity, what is the code? You can tell me—I'm very trustworthy," Kayla assured him in a calm voice. She held her breath, hoping that it might work.

"The code is a secret..." The man murmured with a confused expression. He lifted the glass to his lips and swallowed its contents, tilting his head to the side in thought. Kayla bit her lip.

"Come on, Quackity," she pleaded, filling his glass back to the brim, "Tell me the code. President Schlatt told me to ask you for it. He said that you need to give it to me." She held the glass up to him and he absentmindedly took it, staring at it for a moment before drinking it again.

"Fine," he slurred, shaking his head, "If the President said so. The code is two three six nine one five five. Why...why did you need it?" A wave of relief and excitement flowed through Kayla as she quickly memorized the code.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about it. How about we both go to bed now?"

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," he muttered, rubbing the crown of his head with the palm of his right hand. "Good night, Kayla."

- - - - - - - - -

Kayla's nerves were in a mess.

Just minutes ago, she had watched with Karl as one of the contestants was killed by Dream—the man who wore the white mask. She supposed that there was a reason that he and Techno took the two top spots in every stat and analysis, but there was a constant tension inside of her now.

She bounced her right knee beneath the table as she quickly typed in the command that would, over the course of the next twenty four hours, erase memory of that contestant from the other twenty-one. Kayla's mind just wouldn't quiet, and it was driving her insane.

The same thoughts repeated over and over in her head. That Will could be the next one. He could be the next one to die. That she would be forced to watch on the cameras as the life left his eyes and he bled out from some sort of horrific wound.

Kayla shook her head in an attempt to free herself from the thoughts. It wasn't working, though. She heard Karl stir beside her and looked over at where he was seated in front of the cameras.

"They've got the body," he reported without looking up, "That's number three, then? Huh, I really don't know between Dream and Techno. Both of them could've been victors if they ended up in separate batches of contestants."

"Yeah," Kayla replied curtly. Karl's words pushed her over the edge. She couldn't just watch Will die. She had to do something. Quackity had told her the code already, so she had everything she needed.

- - - - - - - - -

The hallways were only lit by dim fluorescent lights in certain intervals, leaving most of the path dark. Kayla silently walked down the hall with a knife hidden inside the right sleeve of her jacket and only her nerves to keep her company.

She quickly descended the stairs to the bottom floor of the administrative area and passed a series of rooms until she finally found the one she was looking for. Kayla walked through the storage room and found herself facing the hallway that would lead into the arena.

She walked up to the square outline that was to the right of the door and pulled open the side compartment. There was a keypad inside, along with a handful of wires. She carefully pressed each of the numbers in order and then hit enter.

The keypad flashed red.

Access Denied.

"Well, well, now what do we have here?"

—————————————————
A/n - Uh oh O.o
We're almost at 7k! And we're almost at the end! Ty for reading and consider voting or commenting if you haven't already (:
Lots of love <3
~Echo