Karl Jak stood in a room with Hela, ‘Stephen XVII’ Juunanagou, and PJ.
“So how am I doing today?”
Seventeen chuckled for reasons he didn’t quite understand as he looked at the two older women in the room and the game’s host. “So you’re Karl Jak?” He asked as he put his boots up onto the conference table and took a sip from a large plastic cup of Diet Mountain Dew. “I always had something else in my brain when I heard you talk.”
The producer slid into a chair near the front of the table and scooped up a nearby glass of wine. “You don’t remember the old place, do you?”
The cyborg furrowed his brow. “You mean home? With the monkey people and those fucking icicle aliens and the slug farmers? Why wouldn’t I remember that place?”
Karl Jak took a long sip as he stared the young man in the face. The expression and the tone made it clear that Seventeen wasn’t lying. “You don’t remember the place with that white guy? The one who made all the ominous threats about entertaining him and living forever?”
“I don’t think he does,” PJ interjected as she sipped a Dieta Montaña Rocío and glanced at the woman in green who sat opposite Karl Jak.
“Do you?” Karl asked PJ, drawing her focus back to him and prompting the woman to furrow her brow in a not altogether dissimilar manner to the young cyborg.
“The place with the monkey people? Actually, yes,” PJ chuckled as she narrowed her eyes at the dark-haired cyborg. “You someone I know?” She asked him, prompting him to shrug his shoulders as he sipped a nearly identical neon green beverage.
“Apparently this guy knows both of us,” Seventeen laughed as he pointed to the producer.
Although he rolled his eyes, Karl then proceeded to nod his head. “I know multiples of you. Both of you,” he laughed. “I’m sure there are even more out there… a hundred thousands of both of you in the grand ole multiverse that is reality.”
“Whazzat mean?” Seventeen muttered as he looked over at PJ. “You follow anything this guy says? He’s always so straightforward when he’s gushing over violence or shit-talking people who made poor choices.”
“I’m just here for the money,” PJ shrugged.
From the end of the table, a tankard of ale crashed down onto the reinforced wooden surface. “You are all prattling idiots.” Hela punctuated the insult by loudly burping before reclining back into her chair. “Where is my payment for operating that bar so efficiently?”
“You mean your blackmail?” Karl Jak laughed as he reached under the conference table and picked up a trio of briefcases. “Here,” he replied as he tossed one to each character. “Personally counted by yours truly.”
“Do I have to share this with B?” Seventeen asked.
“You have a B in your life too?” PJ chuckled.
“I also have a ‘B’,” Hela interrupted as she grabbed the case. “Her name is Rominia. Nice coat. Sheds a little too much though,” she concluded before losing herself in a fit of laughter.
“Isn’t this adorable,” Karl Jak spoke from the head of the table. “Doesn’t this just feel natural, folks? Like we’re all one big, happy family.”
“I’m fairly positive that I hate you,” Hela deadpanned from the other end of the table.
Karl scowled. “Hush, gender-bent sorcerer. You’re just jealous you came to the party late.”
Hela frowned. “I could break you in half, you court jester.”
“Do you flirt this way with everyone?” Karl asked as the two others started to chuckle. A necrosword whizzed across the conference table before poofing out of existence a few yards from a now laughing Karl Jak. “I am a literal cosmic space god, Girl. Relax and drink your beer.”
Hela, more startled than upset, leaned forward and stared at the executive producer. “Where?”
“We’re in Syntech Main… you’re not that drunk.”
“That power. I need it.”
“You still got a couple hundred thousand more words to go, Ma’am. And something tells me these two will slow you down.”
Seventeen tilted his head. “Hey, I don’t know angry lady over there,” he remarked. “I’m on Erde.”
“Yes, and I preferred you when you were science-fiction themed,” Karl Jak retorted.
Hela had settled back into her chair—a heavy scowl on her face as she gulped from her tankard. “I will have that power.”
Karl chuckled. “In another world, I once knew this little red fellow who got pretty close.”
“What happened to him?” PJ inquired as she sipped the soda.
“His world had grown rotten at its core, and the saline content, festering over the years, eventually tore it apart.”
“Sounds terrible,” the older soldier replied.
“Quite,” Karl Jak shot back. “But I want to say he’s probably around here somewhere. You can never keep a good character down for long, you know.”
“I feel like I do know,” PJ muttered before staring off into her fizzy drink.
“Yes, of course you know,” Karl snickered.
“When do I get to leave here?” Hela interjected. “I have a sick child to take care of.”
“The one you transferred from our state-of-the-art facilities?”
“Did I ask for your opinion?”
Karl tittered as he finished his glass of wine. “Of course not. I recommend you visit our gift shop on your way out, though. I’m sure you will find plenty of excellent reading material to share with your… child.” Sitting back, he smiled to each of his guests. “I’m sure that we’ll all be seeing each other sooner rather than latter, but for now, we best bid adieu
Hela sneered in response as the room fell into silence, with the only interruption being the intermittent slurping sounds of PJ and Seventeen as they finished their small jugs of soda.
“So how am I doing today?”
Seventeen chuckled for reasons he didn’t quite understand as he looked at the two older women in the room and the game’s host. “So you’re Karl Jak?” He asked as he put his boots up onto the conference table and took a sip from a large plastic cup of Diet Mountain Dew. “I always had something else in my brain when I heard you talk.”
The producer slid into a chair near the front of the table and scooped up a nearby glass of wine. “You don’t remember the old place, do you?”
The cyborg furrowed his brow. “You mean home? With the monkey people and those fucking icicle aliens and the slug farmers? Why wouldn’t I remember that place?”
Karl Jak took a long sip as he stared the young man in the face. The expression and the tone made it clear that Seventeen wasn’t lying. “You don’t remember the place with that white guy? The one who made all the ominous threats about entertaining him and living forever?”
“I don’t think he does,” PJ interjected as she sipped a Dieta Montaña Rocío and glanced at the woman in green who sat opposite Karl Jak.
“Do you?” Karl asked PJ, drawing her focus back to him and prompting the woman to furrow her brow in a not altogether dissimilar manner to the young cyborg.
“The place with the monkey people? Actually, yes,” PJ chuckled as she narrowed her eyes at the dark-haired cyborg. “You someone I know?” She asked him, prompting him to shrug his shoulders as he sipped a nearly identical neon green beverage.
“Apparently this guy knows both of us,” Seventeen laughed as he pointed to the producer.
Although he rolled his eyes, Karl then proceeded to nod his head. “I know multiples of you. Both of you,” he laughed. “I’m sure there are even more out there… a hundred thousands of both of you in the grand ole multiverse that is reality.”
“Whazzat mean?” Seventeen muttered as he looked over at PJ. “You follow anything this guy says? He’s always so straightforward when he’s gushing over violence or shit-talking people who made poor choices.”
“I’m just here for the money,” PJ shrugged.
From the end of the table, a tankard of ale crashed down onto the reinforced wooden surface. “You are all prattling idiots.” Hela punctuated the insult by loudly burping before reclining back into her chair. “Where is my payment for operating that bar so efficiently?”
“You mean your blackmail?” Karl Jak laughed as he reached under the conference table and picked up a trio of briefcases. “Here,” he replied as he tossed one to each character. “Personally counted by yours truly.”
“Do I have to share this with B?” Seventeen asked.
“You have a B in your life too?” PJ chuckled.
“I also have a ‘B’,” Hela interrupted as she grabbed the case. “Her name is Rominia. Nice coat. Sheds a little too much though,” she concluded before losing herself in a fit of laughter.
“Isn’t this adorable,” Karl Jak spoke from the head of the table. “Doesn’t this just feel natural, folks? Like we’re all one big, happy family.”
“I’m fairly positive that I hate you,” Hela deadpanned from the other end of the table.
Karl scowled. “Hush, gender-bent sorcerer. You’re just jealous you came to the party late.”
Hela frowned. “I could break you in half, you court jester.”
“Do you flirt this way with everyone?” Karl asked as the two others started to chuckle. A necrosword whizzed across the conference table before poofing out of existence a few yards from a now laughing Karl Jak. “I am a literal cosmic space god, Girl. Relax and drink your beer.”
Hela, more startled than upset, leaned forward and stared at the executive producer. “Where?”
“We’re in Syntech Main… you’re not that drunk.”
“That power. I need it.”
“You still got a couple hundred thousand more words to go, Ma’am. And something tells me these two will slow you down.”
Seventeen tilted his head. “Hey, I don’t know angry lady over there,” he remarked. “I’m on Erde.”
“Yes, and I preferred you when you were science-fiction themed,” Karl Jak retorted.
Hela had settled back into her chair—a heavy scowl on her face as she gulped from her tankard. “I will have that power.”
Karl chuckled. “In another world, I once knew this little red fellow who got pretty close.”
“What happened to him?” PJ inquired as she sipped the soda.
“His world had grown rotten at its core, and the saline content, festering over the years, eventually tore it apart.”
“Sounds terrible,” the older soldier replied.
“Quite,” Karl Jak shot back. “But I want to say he’s probably around here somewhere. You can never keep a good character down for long, you know.”
“I feel like I do know,” PJ muttered before staring off into her fizzy drink.
“Yes, of course you know,” Karl snickered.
“When do I get to leave here?” Hela interjected. “I have a sick child to take care of.”
“The one you transferred from our state-of-the-art facilities?”
“Did I ask for your opinion?”
Karl tittered as he finished his glass of wine. “Of course not. I recommend you visit our gift shop on your way out, though. I’m sure you will find plenty of excellent reading material to share with your… child.” Sitting back, he smiled to each of his guests. “I’m sure that we’ll all be seeing each other sooner rather than latter, but for now, we best bid adieu
Hela sneered in response as the room fell into silence, with the only interruption being the intermittent slurping sounds of PJ and Seventeen as they finished their small jugs of soda.