Silver light blasted through the tube. It flashed, then intensified. Kia screamed.
"Is this normal?" Yppah asked nervously as her screams of pain continued.
"Umm.... no." Jakeob stared at his computer. "I think..."
Yppah blocked his ears. "You think what?"
"This isn’t in my calculations." Jakeob traced the computer screen. "Luke fortified the link so she couldn’t lose it this way."
Yppah stared at the shadow of his cousin grabbing her skull in pain. "Can you stop it?"
"There’s only one way to make it stop." Jakeob looked at him with a glint in his eye. "I have to make it stronger."
"WHAT?" Yppah grabbed Jakeob by the shoulders. "Dude, are you insane? You’re going to make it more powerful, and so more painful? And that’s supposed to fix the screaming Kia problem?"
"I wish I could make it easier on her." Jakeob whispered. "I’ve just made her closer to him. He can literally break through her anytime. I... I can’t risk that."
Jakeob took a deep breath, his fingers quivering over the mouse.
"Have you ever played a game of strategy, Yppah?"
Yppah tilted his head "Like what?"
"Like... I don’t know, chess or poker."
"I’ve played Texas Hold 'Em." Yppah shrugged. "So?"
"Let’s say you have the jack and ace of hearts." Jakeob murmured. "The king of hearts is on the table. What do you do, check to try to get the queen, or fold, since the risk of losing those chips is too great?"
"Check. All in." Yppah looked at Kia. "What does that have to do with this?"
"Kia is the queen of hearts, Yppah." Jakeob explained. "I am the jack. You are the king."
"Damn right I am." Yppah grinned.
Jakeob rolled his eyes. "Anyways. We have to take the risk. It’s all in the game."
"But this is life, Jakeob." Yppah snapped. "We aren’t risking a few thousand chips. We’re risking Kia’s life. And possibly our earlobes."
"Yes, but that consequence is lesser compared to all of us dying except Kia, right?" Jakeob paused. "Actually, Kia would die too."
"Why did you even do this, Jakeob?" Yppah's voice raised. "We could’ve left the link the way it was. He couldn’t have crawled out of Kia when the link was that small, why force us to choose between freedom and possibly Kia's immediate death, or all of our deaths, when we’re all going to die some day, anyways!"
"Because I LOVE HER, ok?" Jakeob screamed. "I love Kia. There. I said it. She... I can’t see her in this pain as much as you can."
"Love?" Yppah started to laugh maniacally. "Love, Huh? I bet that’s what your father said! I bet that’s what Marrena said! I bet that’s what they all said! Love this! Love that! Love, love love! Love does not exist, Jakeob! It’s just suicide, and you know it." He pointed to Kia, still screaming, in pain. "She knows it more than anyone. She doesn’t love you, Jake."
"Is this normal?" Yppah asked nervously as her screams of pain continued.
"Umm.... no." Jakeob stared at his computer. "I think..."
Yppah blocked his ears. "You think what?"
"This isn’t in my calculations." Jakeob traced the computer screen. "Luke fortified the link so she couldn’t lose it this way."
Yppah stared at the shadow of his cousin grabbing her skull in pain. "Can you stop it?"
"There’s only one way to make it stop." Jakeob looked at him with a glint in his eye. "I have to make it stronger."
"WHAT?" Yppah grabbed Jakeob by the shoulders. "Dude, are you insane? You’re going to make it more powerful, and so more painful? And that’s supposed to fix the screaming Kia problem?"
"I wish I could make it easier on her." Jakeob whispered. "I’ve just made her closer to him. He can literally break through her anytime. I... I can’t risk that."
Jakeob took a deep breath, his fingers quivering over the mouse.
"Have you ever played a game of strategy, Yppah?"
Yppah tilted his head "Like what?"
"Like... I don’t know, chess or poker."
"I’ve played Texas Hold 'Em." Yppah shrugged. "So?"
"Let’s say you have the jack and ace of hearts." Jakeob murmured. "The king of hearts is on the table. What do you do, check to try to get the queen, or fold, since the risk of losing those chips is too great?"
"Check. All in." Yppah looked at Kia. "What does that have to do with this?"
"Kia is the queen of hearts, Yppah." Jakeob explained. "I am the jack. You are the king."
"Damn right I am." Yppah grinned.
Jakeob rolled his eyes. "Anyways. We have to take the risk. It’s all in the game."
"But this is life, Jakeob." Yppah snapped. "We aren’t risking a few thousand chips. We’re risking Kia’s life. And possibly our earlobes."
"Yes, but that consequence is lesser compared to all of us dying except Kia, right?" Jakeob paused. "Actually, Kia would die too."
"Why did you even do this, Jakeob?" Yppah's voice raised. "We could’ve left the link the way it was. He couldn’t have crawled out of Kia when the link was that small, why force us to choose between freedom and possibly Kia's immediate death, or all of our deaths, when we’re all going to die some day, anyways!"
"Because I LOVE HER, ok?" Jakeob screamed. "I love Kia. There. I said it. She... I can’t see her in this pain as much as you can."
"Love?" Yppah started to laugh maniacally. "Love, Huh? I bet that’s what your father said! I bet that’s what Marrena said! I bet that’s what they all said! Love this! Love that! Love, love love! Love does not exist, Jakeob! It’s just suicide, and you know it." He pointed to Kia, still screaming, in pain. "She knows it more than anyone. She doesn’t love you, Jake."
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