This Chapter is called: An Odd Number of More Updates from the Scoreboards.
Author's Note: I personally do know the difference between "good" and "well".
>You know, if you didn't make such a big deal over multiples of a hundred I might have shut up by now. Seven hundred.>
"So you're only doing this to antagonize me?"
>What else should I do?>
"Leave me alone! I-"
>am an Exalted of the Kelbrid. I'm not going to forget it the way you go on, so don't even bother reminding me.>
"But if you don't forget it, why don't you show me some respect?"
>Because.>
"Because why?"
>Rruyshah, do the world a favor and SHUT UP!>
"We're no longer on your homeworld."
>Uni-> It used a word Rruyshah had not come across in the publications she had read before. >verse.>
Rruyshah said nothing, but reset the board and advanced her second pawn from the right.
>Don't you need to come up with some brilliant comeback?>
"How should I? I don't know that word."
>What word?>
"That word you just used." Rruyshah repeated it.
>Oh, God…Crayak…whatever…Say that again and I will physically hurt you.>
"What about your unpredictable effects?"
>Rruyshah. Shut. Up.>
"You're only providing me with more incentive to do the talking."
>'ll let my pieces talk for me.>It brought out one of his central pawns. Rruyshah brought out a pawn adjacent to the one she had already moved, but her opponent did not immediately reply. It walked around the cramped room, thinking. Abruptly it shot out his queen along the diagonal. >Seven hundred one.>
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"And there's my seven-hundredth victory."
>I know. Did you know I had seven-ten?>
"Yes, I did."
Both astonished at the other's mental capabilities, they played on.
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>Eight hundred.>
"Eight. Now there's a good number." Rruyshah attempted to flex all eight of her limbs, which resulted on her falling on the floor. She struggled to her feet. "Why doesn't Na disable the artificial gravity?"
>Because then…um…I don't know.>
"Your scientists must be very behind." She narrowed her eye. "Of course, that would cause our chess pieces to go everywhere."
>How tragic.>
"You'd win. You have, as you so proudly proclaim, eight hundred, and I have only seven-seventy-seven. An interesting-sounding number if nothing else."
>It isn't. How did you fall so far behind, anyway? You were doing pretty good.>
"I was experimenting with some new tactics I'm going to start using."
>Oh, I'm terrified.>
"Good. You should be."
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"Eight hundred." Rruyshah decided to exercise her limbs one at a time that time.
>Congratulations,> her opponent droned. >Of course, it's nothing next to eight-thirteen.>
"I'm gaining," she reminded him. "My strategy is working."
>And I'm still just as terrified as I was.>
"You still say you are just as terrified as you said you were."
>There's a difference?>
"There would be if you were…a Na. You weren't, were you?"
>A Na? No.>
"If you were a Na, that would mean you were lying, so you would be a Na. But if you weren't a Na, that would mean you were telling the truth, so you wouldn't be a Na."
>Yeah, I'm gonna not pretend I heard that.>
"That wasn't comprehensible."
>Neither was what you said.>
"It is to someone-something-intelligent."
>No wonder it's so weird if the person who came up with it doesn't know what it means.>
"You know, I think now that we're on the subject of Na, Na has edged you out for the title of Least Intelligent Being on this Craft."
>I didn't know I was still in contention.>
Rruyshah started a new game to avoid replying
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>What about nine-hundred? Is it a "good" number"?>
"Since it's the number of wins you have…no, of course not."
>Some judge you are.>
"Judge? I-"
>I know what you are.>
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"Maybe I won't comment on this victory. Just to spite you."
>You…just did.>
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>Nine-ninety-nine. This is it. One more game and I'm done with chess forever.>
"And then what? The food supply is decreasing."
>Do you think I care? Do you think I like being alive?>
"Most beings that care do-if they didn't, the universe would soon be very devoid, very fast."
>Is that a bad thing?> It waited for her to answer, but she had been silenced. >Come on. One more game. One more game and it's over.>