Collision Course [+ Additional Levels]

Level Seventeen - Only Human

"Yeah, actually. He was pretty great. Knew his stuff. Shared some pointers that were really key and went a long way. Oh, and he had an appreciation for some of the first video games ever made," he told him, his ship avoiding another asteroid.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Or their phones," Jumpman commented gruffly.

"Ugh, the phones, yeah! Everything's about the phone! I would pay to be there when a millennial hears about a walkman―not even see one, but just hear about it―and just watch their face drop."

They both laughed.

"But this kid though, he seemed pretty well balanced. And well cultured, if I may add," QBert went on, with a smirk and a wiggle of his eyebrows. Jumpman chuckled. "He actually knows quite a bit about the game Q*bert too. Like, it's actually kinda weird how much he knows about it," he said, brow furrowed. Then he shook his head. "Anyway, he's got his head on straight, I think. I don't know what your inspiration was to send him to me, but he was a good idea."

Jumpman smiled and patted him on the back before walking past him to find a game for himself to play. "I'm glad you think so," he said. Then he gave an impressed smile over his shoulder. "Hey, you're getting pretty far into that game there, Asteroids. Look like you're pretty good. Best I've ever seen you play."

"Thanks," Qbert replied, tearing his gaze away to look at him for a second. "It was all Andrew, really. Sometimes it's been working out well for me. You know how it―" He suddenly gasped and jerked on the joystick. Pressing the button to fire at something a couple times, he exclaimed, "Chikushō!"

Jumpman's eyes widened and he stiffened at the word. He wasn't sure if he'd even heard it before, but he instantly knew what it meant.

"Lost a life. Gets me every time." Then, feeling Jumpman's stare, QBert turned his head to look at him. And promptly snorted. Leaning forward and shaking his head, he resisted bursting out into laughter. "That look... Right there, that's uh"―he cleared his throat―"that's pretty priceless, buddy. Your mouth is even hanging open a bit, there too."

Then he caught Jumpman shifting his gaze to something just past him. Feeling puzzled, he turned his head around to look to his left...

... to see a couple hip asian americans standing in front of a game just a machine away...

... staring right at him, looking a little mortified.

That wiped the smile from his face. Dipping his head down a little, with a fist over his mouth he cleared his throat. Lifting it back up, he politely said to them, "Pardon my french."

The brother and sister just exchanged a glance, and, with some wary looks in his direction, the two slowly walked out, leaving them in the aisle.

QBert sighed, and turned back around, just to find his best friend suddenly standing right by him, hands on his hips and staring at him, looking unhappy. He jumped and bit his lip hard to prevent himself from saying anything that he'd later regret. Eyes closed, and with a lift of his eyebrows, he pressed his lips tightly together while measuring a small space between his index finger and thumb for his friend. "This close, Jay." He opened his eyes and looked right at him. "This close."

"From what, shouting in the only language that just happens to be my native language?" Jumpman asked him, cross, if not bewildered. "Come on, of all the numerous languages that are out there? And, 'pardon my french?'"

QBert frowned at him a little. "You know what, your footwear is usually a bit squeakier than that. You can really be a ninja when you want to be. Scary."

"Hey!" Jumpman cuffed him upside the head. "Come on, dude."

"Okay, first, ow," QBert began, rubbing his head and deciding to distance himself from his short and frustrated friend a little bit. "Second, you said for me to not swear in QBertese, not Japanese, as well as English." He lifted his pointer finger up in the air. "I followed your request to the letter, haha."

The last word sounded funny, but Jumpman understood it. He squinted up at him. "How do you have such a fluent accent? You're, like, pure American."

"And proud, hoo rah," QBert replied with a smirk. Jumpman lifted a brow at him. "Also," he continued, "I learned a whole new language, when a couple of japanese immigrants became my best buddies."

Jumpman opened his mouth to say something, but when nothing came out, he just said, "Ah," and nodded. Then he lifted his head up, pointing at him as he said, "You know, misuse of said language will only bring you trouble."

"Trouble?" QBert echoed with a funny look on his face.

"Yes. Especially when there are other japanese-understanding gamers around," Jumpman told him in a low hiss. He couldn't understand it; there wasn't even a high probability of that even happening here either.

"Oh, yeah!" QBert exclaimed with a snap of his fingers, face lighting up. "That was the other thing."

"What was the other thing? Was it maybe the fact that I"―his friend raised his hand―"am a japanese gamer as well?"

"Uh, no. Good point there, but no."

"Alright, then what does have to do with the tea in China?"

QBert raised his eyebrows at him accusingly, giving him a light push in the shoulder. "You didn't tell him what my name was!"

"What? Who...?"

Then it hit him, just as QBert cried, "Andrew! You didn't actually tell him how to find me!"

"Well, now, that's not true," Jumpman countered.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, I gave him a clue."

QBert stared at him. "A clue..." he repeated slowly.

Jumpman raised his eyebrows. "I told him 'orange.'" Smiling at the look on QBert's face, he added, "It was a pretty good clue, eh?"

His friend just shook his head. QBert huffed, lightly punching Jumpman in the shoulder. "Your face was a pretty good clue."

Jumpman just laughed at the lame comeback. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah..." QBert chuckled, shaking his head at his friend, lifting the cap on his head to rake his fingers through his hair. "I can't believe that was literally all you said to him, Jay. Just, 'orange', and you expected him to figure it out," he said, setting the hat back onto his head. Jumpman was reminded to ask him about the hat, if it was his or not. "You know, you could have made a really bad mistake with that one. I could see that situation ending poorly."

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" asked Jumpman pointedly.

"Well... yeah. I guess it did."

He smirked, punching his friend back. "Hey, you get any better at any of the other games here?"

"Oh yeah, for sure."