Saints in a Chip

Jude stepped into the kitchen, still feeling sleepy. He was greeted by the quiet hum of the morning. Bart was hunched over a tablet, his fingers swiping through the screen, while Delila cradled only a cup of coffee, obviously skipping breakfast. Tom, busy at the stove, glanced over his shoulder.

“Scrambled eggs?” he asked, spatula in hand.

“Yeah, sure,” Jude replied, sinking into a chair at the table. He reached for the coffee jug and poured himself a cup, taking a tentative sip. His face twisted instantly.

“What is this?” he grimaced, setting the cup down as if it might bite.

Tom glanced back, raising an eyebrow. “Coffee, what else?”

Jude eyed him sceptically. “You sure?”

Tom smirked, flipping the eggs onto a plate and sliding it over. “Hilarious. You should quit your day job.”

Jude was about to take a bite of his eggs when the door creaked open. Lucy walked in, already dressed, her backpack slung over her shoulders.

Bart glanced up from his tablet, breaking into a grin. “Good morning, Princess. You’re looking fresh.”

Lucy smiled, her gaze sweeping the room before she sat down. Jude caught the faintest twitch of her nose as if she’d caught a whiff of today's breakfast's true nature.

She sat and slid her backpack onto her lap, unzipped it, and began pulling out an assortment of neatly packaged items: plastic-wrapped pancakes, a small carton of milk, and a cereal bar. She arranged them carefully on the table, then dug in, unbothered by the sudden silence in the room.

Everyone watched, eyes wide, as if they’d never seen such a routine.

“Well, you came prepared,” Bart quipped, eyebrow raised.

Lucy shrugged, taking a bite of her pancake. “I don’t like coffee.”

The room hung in awkward silence as Lucy continued to eat under the weight of everyone's stares. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, finally glancing up. “Do you guys want some?” she offered, gesturing to her spread.

Jude chuckled, raising his mug in mock toast. “Unless you’ve got real coffee in that bag. Otherwise, thank you, I'll pass.”

He took another sip from his cup and immediately winced, spitting the bitter liquid back into the mug. Lucy rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a small brown can, the logo reading “Coffee and Beans.”

“This?” she asked, holding it out.

Jude’s eyes lit up. He accepted, cracked it open and took a long, grateful gulp. “Yeah, that’s the stuff.”

Lucy smiled, her shoulders relaxing as she returned to her breakfast.

Meanwhile, Jude caught Delila leaning over to whisper something into Bart’s ear.

“Should I tell him?” she murmured.

“Nah,” Bart replied with a grin. “Funnier if he figures it out on his own.”

They both chuckled mischievously, but Jude chose to ignore them, focusing instead on Lucy. She was clearing the table, neatly throwing the plastic in the recycling bin, when something caught his eye: her pants, sitting slightly above her ankles. Were they short like that yesterday?

Lazaro strolled into the kitchen, planting a brief kiss on Tom’s lips before sliding into a chair beside the group. “So, today’s the big day?”

Jude leaned back, grinning. “Yep. After breakfast, we’re off on an adventure. Right, Lucy?”

The child simply nodded, her head bobbing slightly as she continued to suck on the straw of her milk.

“Nice, nice,” Lazaro muttered, his words casual, but the tension in his posture said otherwise. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and only Jude seemed to pick up on the unease flickering beneath the surface.

After breakfast, they finally gathered outside by the jeep, handing Jude a rifle and a few rounds of ammo. Bart tossed him the gun with a grin, nodding at the blade strapped to Jude's side. “Your Ka-Bar’s perfect for carving wood when you retire, huh? You'll send me something nice as a souvenir, right?”

Jude chuckled, shaking his head at the jab as he tucked the rifle into place.

He settled into the driver’s seat, hands gripping the wheel as Lucy hopped into the passenger side, already buckling her seatbelt. He turned the key, the engine rumbled to life, and they were left at the base's main gates when movement in the rearview mirror caught his eye. Someone was sprinting after the jeep, arms waving frantically.

“Did I forget something?” Jude muttered, easing his foot off the gas and bringing the vehicle to a halt.

Before he could react, Lazaro burst into the jeep, breathless, shoving Lucy into the middle seat. “Go, go!” he urged, slamming the door behind him. "Go!"

Jude, still dazed, floored the accelerator, and the settlement shrank in the distance. Only when the base was out of sight did he glance over at Lazaro, confusion all over his face. “What the fuck, man?”

“Potty word!” Lucy scolded, crossing her arms.

Jude ignored her and shot Lazaro a questioning look. “Seriously, what’s going on?”

Lazaro, now calm and composed, settled into the seat. "I’m coming with you guys."

Jude raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Lazaro shrugged casually. “Why not?”

Jude frowned, eyes flicking between the road and Lazaro. “This is weird. Something happened?”

For a moment, Lazaro stared out the window, watching the desert stretch endlessly in every direction. “I woke up next to someone... and I couldn’t remember why,” he said, the words deliberately vague, likely for Lucy’s sake.

“So you just... ran?” Jude pressed, his hands gripping the wheel tighter.

Lazaro’s gaze didn’t shift from the window, the blur of sand and sky reflecting in his eyes. “Yeah. I ran. Didn’t want to pretend to remember what I couldn’t feel.”

Jude glanced over at him, a hint of understanding crossing his face. “Well, having a vet along might not be so bad.”

While the conversation continued, Lucy quietly rummaged through her backpack, unnoticed. She slipped on a pair of pink sunglasses, the lenses slightly oversized for her face. The moment they settled on her nose, her eyes widened in surprise.

“Glitter wall,” she muttered.

Jude blinked, glancing at her. “What?”

“Glitter wall!” she repeated, more insistent this time.

“Where did you even get those glasses?” Jude asked, confused.

But Lucy didn’t answer. Instead, she leaned forward, her small hands gripping the wheel, yanking it to the side. Jude instinctively slammed on the brakes, tyres screeching as the car lurched to a halt.

Jude looked ahead, his eyes scanning the horizon. All he could see was the endless stretch of desert. “What the hell are you talking about, Lucy? I don’t see anything.”

Without a word, Lucy slipped off her pink sunglasses and handed them to Jude. He hesitated for a moment before putting them on. His eyes widened instantly as the landscape before him changed—what had once been an empty desert now shimmered with a faint, iridescent glow, a shimmering wall that seemed to pulse in the sunlight.

“Shit,” he muttered, staring at the impossible sight.

“Potty word,” Lucy reminded him from the middle seat.

Lazaro, peering through the window, scanned the area. “There’s probably a kiosk nearby. If I remember right.”

Jude shot him a sideways glance, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “So, you forgot about Tom, but you remember the kiosk?”

Lazaro stiffened, clearly not amused by Jude's poor comment. Without a word, he popped the door open, hopping out of the jeep. “It’s different,” he muttered. “You wouldn’t get it.” And he slammed the door shut with a sharp thud.

The three stood outside the jeep, surrounded by an endless sea of sand. Jude squinted at the shimmering wall ahead, then glanced around helplessly. "Now what?"

Lazaro shrugged, his gaze fixed on the strange barrier. "I guess we walk around it, see if we can spot anything... metallic, maybe shiny?"

Before they could decide, Lucy was already ahead of them, kneeling by her backpack. She rummaged inside and pulled out a small, round device, along with a remote controller. Without a word, she flipped it on, and the device hummed to life, hovering just above the sand. It emitted a faint beeping sound as she began testing the controls—moving it up, down, left, and right.

Jude raised an eyebrow, watching her. "What’s that?"

Lucy didn’t even glance up. "A metal detector." The device buzzed as it glided over the sand, searching. "If there’s something like a kiosk, it’ll beep when it picks up metal."

Lazaro watched Lucy for a moment, shaking his head in disbelief. "That little girl’s full of surprises."

Jude slid the glasses up onto his head. “I swear, I’m tempted to ask for more coffee right about now.”

Lucy guided the hovering metal detector around the car, completely focused and in the zone, sending it further into the sand and then back. The device moved in slowly, beeping erratically until, after a tense minute, it emitted a steady, sharp beep.

A triumphant grin spread across Lucy’s face. "I think we found something!" she announced, her voice carrying a deserved smugness.

Their boots sank into the sand with each step, the gritty crunch underfoot barely audible over the persistent beeping that led them forward. The sound grated in their ears, growing louder as they approached a smooth, sleek structure gleaming in the desert sun.

Lazaro stopped first, nodding toward it. “Well, that’s it,” he said, pointing to the kiosk.

Jude didn’t hesitate, breaking into a few quick strides. He reached out, fingers nearly brushing the scanner, when something moved—an obstacle slithering into view.

A shadow rippled across the kiosk’s surface as something glided over it. An elongated, sinuous body shimmered in the sunlight, each smooth scale catching the light like polished metal. The creature moved with an eerie, effortless grace, coiling itself atop the kiosk. Its forked tongue flicked in and out, tasting the air—cold, calculated. A snake, watching them with unblinking, predatory eyes.

Lucy’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at the snake. “You said there were no snakes in the desert,” she accused.

Jude, without missing a beat, smirked. “I said no elephants, not snakes.”

Before either could continue, a sharp hiss cut through the air. “Go away.”

Jude froze, glancing at Lazaro. “Did you just—”

Lazaro shook his head, eyes wide as he pointed toward the snake. “Wasn’t me.”

The snake’s voice, unmistakably sharp, echoed again. “Go away! This is my territory. This is my throne!”

Jude pulled the glasses off his head, blinking at the sight. “Is this thing programmed to talk to snakes?”

Lazaro shifted, keeping his eyes on the snake. “No, it’s not programmed for that. The UTD translates any language. I guess you have one too.”

“Got any bright ideas for handling a snake?” Jude asked.

Lucy, unfazed, leaned forward slightly. “Do you bite?” she asked, almost curious.

The snake lifted its head, its sleek body coiling tighter as it replied, “If I must.”

Lazaro’s brow furrowed. “Are you poisonous?”

The snake’s tongue flicked out, eyes narrowing. “Care to find out?” it hissed, rising a little higher as if daring them.

Jude took a step forward, hands raised in a gesture of peace. “Look, we’re not here to fight. We just need two seconds to touch that scanner, and then this place is all yours again, your Highness.”

The snake’s gaze stayed locked on him, cold and unmoving. “And if I refuse?”

Jude crouched down, his boots grinding into the sand as he levelled his gaze with the snake’s unblinking eyes. “Well,” he said with a smirk, pulling out his knife and flashing the blade, “guess I’ll have to make you my lunch.”

The snake reacted instantly, its body coiling tighter, hissing louder, and lunging just enough to make Jude flinch. He jerked back instinctively.

Straightening up, Jude wiped his brow, frustration evident. “Yeah, I’m not exactly a snake whisperer. Any ideas?”

Unbothered, Lucy turned her head slightly and asked, “Barbara, can you give us tips on how to scare a snake off, please?”

“May I recommend you try making some noise, like clapping your hands,” Barbara’s monotone voice suggested.

Without hesitation, all three began slapping their hands together, circling the snake. The sharp sounds echoed in the quiet desert, but the snake remained stubbornly coiled, unbothered by the commotion.

Jude sighed, his patience thinning. “Didn’t work. What else you got, Barbara?”

“Gently tap the ground with a stick or another object to create noise,” she responded, as calm as ever.

They glanced around but found nothing to use. With no sticks in sight, they resorted to stomping their feet around the kiosk, but the soft sand absorbed the impact, muffling any sound.

Frustrated, Jude wiped the sweat from his brow again. “Anything else, Barbara?”

“If you have access to a hose or water bottle, spraying water may help drive the snake away without causing harm,” Barbara instructed, her voice as detached as ever.

Lazaro glanced at Lucy, raising an eyebrow. “Got a magic water bottle in that backpack of yours?”

Lucy didn’t respond right away. Instead, she set her bag down, rummaging through its contents. After a few seconds, she pulled out a small, transparent pink water gun. Without hesitation, she aimed it at the snake, still mockingly coiled around the kiosk.

She squeezed the trigger. A small stream of water splashed onto the snake, and it barely reacted, save for a long, hissing sigh. “How refreshing,” the snake said, dripping sarcasm.

Jude threw his hands up in frustration. “Barbara? Little help here?”

Her monotone voice chimed in. “Snakes are sensitive to strong odours. Sprinkling cinnamon or clove oil around the area can deter them, as they dislike the scent.”

Jude blinked, staring at the snake still smugly coiled in place. "Great. Cinnamon. Just what we needed," he muttered under his breath, glancing at Lucy, hoping she had another trick up her sleeve.

Lucy dug through her bag again. After a moment, she pulled out a plastic-wrapped cinnamon bun, holding it up triumphantly. Without a word, she unwrapped it and carefully placed it on top of the hovering metal detector.

With the remote in hand, Lucy guided the device slowly toward the snake. Its eyes locked onto the approaching bun, its body coiling tighter, preparing to strike. The moment the cinnamon scent hit the air, the snake lunged, jaws snapping at the device. Lucy struggled to keep the metal detector in the air as the snake attacked, its fangs grazing the edge.

Jude's eyes widened as he watched the scene unfold. “Lucy, it’s gonna eat the whole thing!” he yelled, panic creeping in.

Lucy’s fingers danced over the remote, frantically guiding the metal detector away from the snake’s jaws, just barely managing to dodge its strikes. But in the process, the cinnamon bun slipped off the device and tumbled onto the top of the kiosk. The snake wasted no time, lunging forward and snapping it up, its coils tightening around the kiosk.

“Delicious,” it hissed, savouring the meal. Its body slowly undulated as it swallowed the bun.

Jude stood frozen for a moment, weighing his options. The rifle was in the car, but a shot could damage the scanner. His hand hovered over the knife at his side, fingers brushing the hilt. He could try to get in close, but without knowing how dangerous the snake really was, charging it blindly felt like a gamble he wasn’t sure he wanted to take.

Jude paced back and forth, his frustration mounting with every step. He halted, staring at the snake for a long moment before kneeling down, bringing himself to eye level with the creature. His gaze locked with the snake's unblinking eyes, its pupils narrowing as it studied him in return.

As he focused, Jude saw his own reflection in the snake's gleaming eyes, distorted but clear. He felt the usual pull as if diving deeper into an ocean of consciousness. But just as he thought he might be getting somewhere, the image blurred. The snake blinked, and in that fleeting second, the connection was severed. The reflective gaze was gone, leaving Jude staring at nothing but cold, empty eyes.

Jude exhaled sharply, the weight of defeat settling on his shoulders. "Fuck," he muttered, stepping back.

Jude stepped back, rubbing his temples in frustration. “I can’t get through,” he muttered, annoyed.

He began pacing in the sand, hands gripping the top of his head, brow furrowed in thought. “Think, think, think…”

Everything started to swirl in his mind—the fake Eidolons back at the starting point, the intricate puzzle-like security system surrounding the map, those ten rules that had felt more like a burden than a guide. And then there was Len. You don’t call Len when she’s sleeping. That was drilled into him.

He stopped mid-step, staring blankly ahead as the pieces of information whirled around in his mind, waiting for something to click. Something had to fit.

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. Jude’s mind cleared, and his body relaxed. He slid his hand into his pocket, stepping confidently toward the snake. Keeping his face calm, he spoke in a low, steady tone. “I need to use the scanner to get to my destination. But I’ll have to call someone if you don't move.”

The snake barely reacted, its attention still fixed elsewhere, uninterested in his words.

Jude’s voice hardened as he continued, “I just can’t decide... should I call Len or... Paris?” He stood up straighter, turning his gaze toward Lazaro. “Who do you think will get here first?”

“Len,” Lazaro replied with a knowing nod. “Paris doesn’t drive. But he runs very fast.”

The snake’s body stiffened, its head snapping toward Jude. Its tongue flicked nervously, sensing the shift.

Jude’s fingers twitched inside his pocket. “Len, it is, then,” he said, making a slow motion as if to pull something out of his pocket.

Before he could take his hand out, the snake’s head snapped up, hissing sharply. “Don’t! Don’t call! I’m out of here... I’m out of here!” In a fluid, panicked motion, it uncoiled itself from the kiosk, slithering quickly across the sand before vanishing into the desert. "I'm out of here!"

Lazaro, arms crossed, gave him a sidelong look. “You lied.”

Jude straightened, shrugging with a sly grin, pulling his hand out of his pocket, a smirk tugging at his lips. “I didn’t lie. I never said how I’d call Len. Could’ve just screamed her name for all it matters.” He brushed his hand against his jeans, then walked to the device and stood in front. After a small pause, he firmly placed his hand on the kiosk’s scanner.

The machine beeped to life, and a voice chimed, “Congratulations, you have reached Level 2. You have unlocked A-J6.”

Jude turned to the others, eyes slightly narrowed. “It says I’ve unlocked A-J6. That is way more than just one cell.”

Lazaro nodded knowingly. “You’re playing by the rules. That’s why the system’s working in your favour.”

Jude blinked, realization hitting him. “So that’s why... those damn fucking rules actually matter.”

“Potty word!” Lucy’s voice rang out, interrupting him as she stepped forward and placed her hand on the scanner.

"Congratulations, you have reached Level 9; you have unlocked A-J6.” A second later, she grinned. “Oh, yay! I’m level 9!”

Jude and Lazaro froze, their jaws practically dropping as they stared at her. “The—what?!” Jude muttered, dumbfounded, while Lazaro’s eyes widened in shock. Both stood there, stunned. How was it possible? Did she cheat?