Collision Course [+ Additional Levels]

Level Fifteen - Galaxy Beyond

"Of course, absolutely. I mean," Andrew chuckled, "I don't know much, but I'd be happy to show him what I do know."

Jessie smiled, relieved. "Thanks. I would, but... I mean,"―he chuckled―"I don't know a whole lot about them. It's not much of my forte, you see...."

After a couple seconds, Andrew raised his eyebrows at him questioningly, gaze concerned. "Are you okay?"

The other guy blinked. "Oh, uh, I'm fine. My friend, he just..." He sighed, and said, "He's been going through some, uh, stuff, recently. And so we both came here to, well,"―he smirked―"as you so finely put, 'recharge our batteries'... I guess."

"Ah." Andrew smiled empathetically. "Yeah. Actually, me and a friend of mine are here for the same reason." Then he frowned as something occurred to him, and backed up past some other gamers to look down the main walkway, which was a little busy at the moment. "Whom of which I have no idea where he wandered off to," he stated, trying to look into the rows of machines. A second or two passed, and he shrugged dismissively. "Eh. He's probably fine."

Jessie chuckled and Andrew turned back to face him again. "So. How do I find this friend of yours? What does he look like?" he asked him.

He watched him think about it for a couple seconds. "Well... um..." Then the other teen smiled, and gave him one word:

"Orange."

Andrew stared at him. "Um... orange? Orange what, shirt? Or is that his name?"

Jessie smirked. "You'll get it once you see him. You'll find him for sure; can't miss him," he assured with a little nod.

"Oh, uh, okay then," he said, brows arched. "I guess I'll go find him then."

"And he should be where the space games are," Jessie told him. "But, on the off chance that he isn't, don't fret about it."

"Got it," he replied with a single nod, dodging other players as he backed out of the aisle. "See ya around, then!"

"Oh, yeah. See ya around," Jessie called back with a wave. After a couple seconds, he said, "It's the other way."

Andrew poked his head back into the aisle. "Huh?"

Jessie pointed to his right―Andrew's left. "Space games. Other way."

"Ah, whoops. Thanks," Andrew replied a little sheepishly with a two-fingered salute, and headed off in the opposite direction.

****

The guy shoved himself away from the controls with a scoff. "Ugh. I can't believe this..." He rubbed his face with a shake of his head. "Why did he think it was a good idea to come here again?"

"Ah... so that's what he meant. Orange. I mean, he has to be it."

QBert's ears perked in interest, and he lifted his head away from his hand and looked for the voice with a frown on his face. Seconds later, he found it. The voice belonged to a guy with loose dirty blond hair and blue eyes. He had an angular face, but a kind and approachable sense about him in his composure. He had been looking straight at QBert, and their eyes met. Then he smiled a little sheepishly, and headed over to him.

"Ah, hey there," the guy greeted.

"Hi," he said back with an arch of his eyebrow. "What's up?"

"Um..." The guy glanced behind him, and then, while rubbing the back of his neck, asked, "Do you happen to know a guy named Jessie?"

He blinked in surprise. "Uh, yeah, for sure. Are you looking for him? You a fan of his?" The corner of his lips quirked up at the last one.

"Well, no and yes," came the reply.

QBert frowned at him, and the guy chuckled awkwardly. "I am a fan of his gaming, however, I just got done talking with him over by Donkey Kong, so I'm not looking for him."

He resisted flinching at the name; of course he was just talking about the video game, not the big guy himself. "So he ran by the ol' DK, huh?" QBert shook his head with a sigh. "It's weird. He will just keep going back to that silly coin-op, no matter how queasy playing it makes him feel."

"'Queasy?'" the other guy echoed in surprise.

"Oh, yeah. Sometimes it makes him sick just looking at it, but that's on an off day." Then he blinked as something occurred to him. "Well, actually..." he started with a lift of his eyebrows, considering the recent past events. It was only yesterday when everything with Coily happened. And when Jessie had... had been zapped, by him.

Suddenly, remembering the presence still standing before him, he quickly shook his head and snapped back to focus. "Anyway, what brings you here? Did he tell you about me, or something?" he asked him.

"Yeah, he did. A little bit," the guy replied with a quick shake of his head to get his hair out of his face. When it didn't work, he gave it a blow; it shifted out of the way.

QBert started to say something, but then he narrowed his gaze on him questioningly, if not accusingly. "Did he send you after me because he knew I'd be where the space games are at?" he inquired with a point at the floor.

The guy's eyebrows raised. "Uh, why? Would you like some help?" he asked him somewhat innocently.

QBert stared at him without a word for some time. Then he said matter-of-factly, "He sent you here to help me out with the space games, didn't he?"

There was no resistance. "Yeah," the guy said simply with a nod and a little lift of his shoulders.

He chuckled. Then he tilted his head at him. He looked over at the game he had stepped away from, Stargate. It had already gone back to its preview screen. "Well, I don't see why not." QBert looked back at the guy, and held out his hand to shake. "The name's Hubert, if he didn't say."

"He didn't, actually. Oh, and I'm Andrew," the other replied formally, accepting his hand. They shook and dropped hands. "Say, you haven't seen a guy around, about my height, dark brown hair, and with a look on his face like he's hoping to find a game that he'll be better at?"

QBert chuckled. "You may have to be a little bit more specific with that one," he told him. "You just about have described, like, everyone here. Probably even me, except that bit about the hair."

Andrew laughed with him. "Right... well... I mean, I guess he should be alright," he said a bit to himself, turning his head to glance behind him.

QBert's brow furrowed in concern. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just a friend of mine. I haven't seen him since he stumped himself at Donkey Kong. And he hasn't been feeling well recently either. He... had a rough last week, so we thought it'd be good for us to come here to take a load off."

They fell silent as Andrew peered past people's heads and coin-op machines, laughter, music, and video game sound effects in the air. Then he turned back around with a shrug of his shoulders. "Just trying to keep a tab on him," he said.

"Would you like to go to look for him?" QBert asked him. "I'm willing to help search with you, actually." He snuck he disgusted look at the game he'd been playing as he addedsaid this.

Andrew shook his head with a dismissive flap of his hand. "Nah."

"Are you sure?" he questioned, but he was answered with another headshake.

"I appreciate the offer, but no. He'll do alright without me for a bit. I might just be overprotective." Andrew cracked a smile. "I'm sure he's okay."