Collision Course [+ Additional Levels]

Level Nineteen - Tough Luck

Jumpman almost face palmed. "Right, duh." After registering this, he looked back up at him seriously. "So, you're saying that you feel defenseless because you can't attack in your game?"

"Yeah. Wait, no. It's more than that. I..." QBert trailed off as he thought about how to word how he felt. "It feels like cowardice. Which, simply isn't true, I'm no coward, but I can't... All I'm gonna be able to do is run. Run away."

"To change the colors of the pyramid's squares beneath you," Jumpman said. "That's what you can fight back with."

"With what?"

"With points," he answered. "Oh, and through tricks: You can get Coily to leap off the pyramid while he's chasing you, because he can't follow you to your rainbow... portal... disk." He twisted his head. "What's those things called again?"

"'Spinning disk'," QBert automatically answered.

"Yeah, those. You can use those."

"Ugh, yeah, yeah. 'Use spinning disks to lure snake to his death,' and all that."

"...And? What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong with that, is that I want to punch Coily," QBert told him. "And I want to punch―well, I mean... I want to be able to back them all up off me in the game. At least. Not to just endlessly run for the rest of my 8-bit life, subject to all their whims and wishes." Jumpman's composure changed at that―he knew exactly how that felt; in fact, he'd just been thinking about it earlier. QBert, not noticing, went on, "I want to be able to fight back, to hold my own, to make a difference. I wish not to be so helpless."

It was after he finished there that QBert realized that he was breathing hard; he'd gotten himself worked up over this more than he'd thought. He breathed in real big, and then as slow as he could he exhaled. As he did, he lifted the hat he wore to rake his fingers through his wild hair. His last words hung in the air between them.

"Tell me how you really feel," Jumpman joked humorlessly.

"Heh, yeah." As his hand traveled from his hair to hang from the back of his neck and he settled the hat back onto his head, QBert read Jumpman's face, and frowned himself. "What?"

Jumpman seemed reluctant to meet his gaze. He looked like he was trying to, just to glance away again. "Uh, I-I...."

"What?" QBert stared at him. "What, Jay? What's up?"

"It's just that you kinda, just... struck home," Jumpman stammered out. He looked back at him for a second before looking down at his feet with a sniff. "Is all."

QBert shifted his stance. "You feel the same way," he realized. Then he paused. "You feel the same way? ...How come? How could you? You have your hammer and everything," he reasoned.

"Actually, the hammer is everything," Jumpman muttered halfheartedly.

"Oh?" QBert thought to himself. "Oh, yeah, I guess it is, isn't it. I mean, it's better than nothing. I wish that I had a hammer that I could use in my game. How I would love to pummel that thing into Coily's face." He let himself chuckle. "Could you lend me the hammer some time? That would be cool. I would get it back to you when you need it. Or hey, you wanna switch places with me? I'd be willing."

Jumpman slowly shook his head. "I wouldn't joke about that."

"Well... I wasn't."

He just shook his head, avoiding his gaze again.

QBert folded his arms across his chest. "Jay... What's up?"

That caused him to lift his eyes, and he stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. He paused to formulate his thoughts, before saying, "What you're describing, is independence. From your game. From the Code. From... what we were made to do."