by Barry Solway
“You blame yourself,” Gem said.
“Are you going to tell me it’s not my fault, too?”
“No. It would not surprise me if some of the fault was yours.”
“That’s a new one. I appreciate you letting me wallow in my guilt.”
“That’s very selfish of you. Guilt has its purpose, but wallowing is self-indulgent. A child wallows. An adult learns the appropriate lesson and moves on. Are you still a child?”
That caught Mel off-guard. For a brief moment, a feeling welled up inside her, like she was a four-year-old wailing for help. She quickly stuffed it down. “I was, I guess. Not very long ago. Not anymore.”
Gem smiled, wide and soft, like her brother. Combined with the drooping eyes it made her look mildly stoned. “A pity. Children have much to teach us.”
Mel shook her head at the oddness of the conversation. First Gem criticized her for being a child, then said it was too bad she wasn’t one?
“Uh. Okay. That really makes no sense, but whatever. Was there something you needed?”
“There are many things I want, but nothing I need. I wished to see how you were doing. I thought you might be in distress.”
“I’ve had better days.” Mel glanced at Gorgeous. “I should have been there for her.”
“Unfortunate that you were an insufficient friend,” Gem said. She raised an arm and rotated her hand back and forth rapidly, an action of dismissal. “But I was not referring to the distress at your friend’s condition. I thought it rather obvious that your emotions run much deeper.”
Mel was getting tired of trying to make sense of Gem. “No, I’m fine. Aside from trying to hold everyone together and get us home, I mean. And being a cyborg.” And the problems with Anna. And Beats. And the Order chasing us. And doing the gauntlets. “There isn’t any choice. They’re counting on me. I can’t afford to be distressed.”
“There is always a choice,” Gem said. “It is often the only thing we truly have. And I find that suffering is cheap enough, for those that choose it. But I understand better now why you have become their leader. Why you must do the gauntlets.”
“Awesome. Maybe we can pick that up in our next therapy session,” Mel snapped. “So, what is it between you and Stoner anyway? Why so eager to kill your brother? I feel like you might be a little, you know, distressed.”
Gem smiled. “A clever turn. You have a quick mind. My brother and I were partners, and he was my teacher. You see, the Order fights for tradition, an attempt to save humanity by maintaining the status quo. Before the Order, there were those who championed technological progress as our savior. While both approaches have merit, the Akshay believe that true salvation only lies within. We shared many adventures, preaching the Way of the Three Suns, converting those who were ready to see the truth. Running from many who disagreed with our views. A wonderful time.
“But then he changed. Pushing more aggressively against the Order. Becoming more extreme in his views and in his attempts to teach others. Eventually he resorted to violence, then terrorism. This drew the attention of the Order, of course. Even then, I tried to stay by his side.”
“But you want to kill him. What did he do that makes it worthwhile to travel across the galaxy and hunt him down?”
“Two reasons. First, his turn towards violence attracted the attention of the Order. That threatens all Akshay and could ruin the Way of the Three Suns. Even with that, I would not bring myself to kill him. But then one day, in a fit of what I can only describe as madness, he murdered a Priest of the Way. An unheard of crime on our world, to take the live of another who follows the Three Suns. And then another. And a third. He hunted them down—an assassin lost in the darkness of his own mind. Bad enough that he threatens to topple the Order, but the Priests of the Way now live in constant fear. I have come to put an end to it.”
“Is that what you want?”
Gem hesitated. “I want to know why. I want to understand. But I fear I may not be able to. And Stoner must be stopped. He is dangerous.”
“Speaking of dangerous... that’s all good to know, but none of it is my problem. I mean, sorry your brother is a homicidal maniac, that’s got to be tough. But we need someone who will fight in the gauntlets as part of a team. So the question is, can you put aside your revenge trip and focus on the mission? Because if you can’t, you’ll probably get one of us killed.”
Gem looked thoughtfully at Mel. “Perhaps,” she said, then turned and left the room.
***
Mel woke with a start as Evan entered the room. She’d fallen asleep in the chair and her back popped as she stretched.
“Is she still asleep?” Evan asked.
Mel nodded, and Evan looked at her in sympathy. “You’ve been here for hours. You should take a break. I can sit with her for a bit.”
Mel looked at Evan in appreciation. “Thanks. Did you take care of Gem?”
“Yeah. We got her a room and I showed her around.”
Her crutches leaned against the wall and she glanced at them briefly. Standing, she deliberately put weight on her cybernetic leg. “We should get her into the training rotation first thing in the morning.”
“Here are your crutches,” Evan said, reaching out to grab them.
Mel shook her head. “I don’t want them. I can’t afford to let this leg hold me back. I need to learn to walk without the crutches.”
“Riley’s right. You try to do too much. If you push the rehab, you’ll just hurt yourself and be useless.”
“I already feel useless, so it can’t get much worse,” Mel said. “Thanks, though.” Taking a hesitant step forward, she almost lost her balance before shifting to her left leg in time. She was grateful that Evan didn’t try to catch her.
“Try to get some rest.”
“I will, but later. I’m going to spend some time on the treadmill first.” She gritted her teeth and willed herself to take another painful, awkward step. “Come get me if she wakes up.”
Evan didn’t say anything, but watched Mel as she very slowly walked out the door and headed down the hallway.
Chapter 27
The damage to her throat forced Gorgeous to eat liquids, and a strained neck left her out of the next gauntlet. Mel talked to Anna about the drugs that Gorgeous had taken, and Anna agreed they might have played a role. Either way, Mel knew that Gorgeous might never compete in the gauntlets again.
Gem joined the training as an excellent replacement for Gorgeous or Riley. But now both of them were out, and they were still one person short. With only two days to go, they had to consider canceling the game.
“Why is everything so hard?” Mel asked, rubbing her eyes. She felt like she hadn’t slept properly since Gorgeous tried to kill herself. Her dreams were full of her friends dying and the faster she tried to run to save them, the slower she moved. She always woke up panting and in a sweat.
“Think positively,” Anna said. “We needed a sixth person when Riley was out and we got Gem. This game isn’t working out, but we’ll get Riley back, and maybe Gorgeous, too. We’ll get through it. All things considered, we’re still alive, and we have a plan to get home. Kind of.”
Mel blew out a breath of air but nodded in agreement. “Any luck on Kathor?”
“No. No data or indication he’s been sighted anywhere. It’s not surprising. His ship is a deep space research vessel capable of interstellar travel. He doesn’t need to use the hypergates and he rarely needs to land anywhere. Assuming he’s still alive, of course.”
“Should we just cancel the game? I hate to, but I don’t think we have any choice.”
“We’ve already waited too long. The architects are going to be pissed. Hopefully they have another team set as backup. There’s no point in waiting. I’ll call them now. On the bright side, this gives you and Riley time to rehab and will give Gem more time to train.”
“Gem is a machine. An invulnerable machine. She doesn’t need training time,” Mel said. She had to admit she was
jealous of Gem’s capabilities. Mel wished she was invulnerable. As she pondered the advantages, Simon walked into Anna’s office.
“Hey Simon, how’s the research going?”
“Fine, fine. I have some improvements to your cybernetics. I’ve been working on some mods the architects can’t scan for. You’ll like it. Evan will like it even more.” Simon bobbed his head and pushed his glasses back up on his lemur-like nose. He studied Mel for a second, then looked away, wiping his hands on his shirt a few times.
“Is there something you want to talk about?” Mel asked.
Simon tilted his head, but didn’t look at Mel. Finally, he swallowed and started pacing back and forth in front of the table. Mel looked at him curiously.
“People who do the gauntlets are quite silly. It’s not a very bright thing to do. Gorgeous, for example. It drove her to killing herself.” Mel thought that was a bit unfair. Gorgeous’s problems had started well before the gauntlets, likely exacerbated by performance-enhancing drugs. But Mel didn’t argue the point and Simon continued. “Evan is good at tech, of course, but I’m better. And I’m small and I’m quick.” Mel was confused now, unsure of where Simon was going. He almost seemed to be talking to himself.
“Let’s be honest. I’m a horrible fighter. I hate fighting. So violent. But then, to some extent, all you need is a sixth person, right?”
Mel froze. Was Simon saying what she thought he was saying? She quickly waved to Anna, pointing to Simon. She mouthed the words He’s thinking about joining the gauntlet. She saw Anna’s holographic forehead wrinkle.
“What’s going on?” Anna said. “I have a message out to the architects that we’re dropping out.”
“Can you hold it? Delay them,” Mel whispered urgently. She turned to Simon. “You are small and fast. And amazing at tech. One of the best. What are you thinking?”
Simon scowled at her. “Don’t play stupid with me, silly person. You know very well what I’m thinking. I have no idea why I’m thinking it. Sheila may never talk to me again. But I’ve seen you all work together. And I confess… I want to be brave. I fight for the resistance, but mostly we hide and have parties where we get drunk and complain about the Order. Fighting in the gauntlets with you is one way to… to do something… to make a difference. To poke the Order. To save Anna. Help you return home. I want to be brave, but I’m not sure I know how.”
“Oh, Simon. I don’t know what to say. I don’t think I’m very brave. But sometimes there comes a point where you just have to do something, no matter the cost. You have to or you aren’t the person that you know you want to be. And I can’t look at myself in the mirror knowing that.”
“Silly person, looks in the mirror too much. Bad for you, gives you big eyes,” Simon sniffed. “Very well. Since you beg me, I will do it. I will replace Gorgeous in the gauntlet and help you win. I will be a gladiator.”
Mel almost reached down to hug Simon before catching herself. The Chaturee really didn’t like being treated like small pets. Mel turned excitedly back to Anna. “Did you cancel it? Are we still in?”
Anna’s hologram looked past Mel for a second, her lips moving slightly. Finally, she nodded. “Okay, they think I’m a ditz, but I reversed it. We’re still in. You realize that you just agreed to this yourself, right? We didn’t consult the rest of the team.”
Mel nodded. “I know, but it’s something Simon wants to do. If the rest of the group really doesn’t want him, we can still back out.”
“I’m sure that will go over well,” Anna said. “Fine, let’s get everyone together. The gauntlet is in two days.”
***
Mel hadn’t slept well the night before. Old dreams of being back on the beach in Bermuda with zombies chasing her intertwined with the recurring dreams of walking through Kathor’s ship, the dead, mindless version of Anna following behind her. Sometimes she would turn a corner and run into Kathor. That always made her jolt awake with a scream.
Her fatigue was enough that she fell asleep on the dropship, which she normally would have thought impossible.
The blackness gave way to a soft light. She stared up at a diffuse glowing orb high above her. Looking down, she saw she was floating in a giant pool of clear blue water. The warm water soothed her as she enjoyed the sensation of weightlessness.
“Where are you now?”
She turned slowly in the water to see Kathor standing by the edge of the pool, looking at her. Turning to face him, she swam to the edge, dunking her head backwards, then sweeping her hair out of her eyes. Behind Kathor, she could see tables and what looked like an empty restaurant. Deck chairs scattered the walkway next to curving walls. It reminded her of the pool at the hotel in Bermuda, where you could swim up to the island bar and order pina coladas, assuming the bartender thought you were pretty enough to ignore your age. Mel couldn’t help but wonder why all of her dreams juxtaposed something horrible with memories of vacations.
“I’m on my way to a gauntlet. On Chota. It should be exciting. I wonder how many of us will die.” She looked up at Kathor and smiled. Mel was horrified. Just seeing Kathor caused panic to race through her chest. Why the hell was she smiling at him?
“That is not my concern. But I do not wish for you to get hurt.”
“Like you actually care,” she said.
“I do care for you, Melody. Perhaps I should come to Chota. I can save you from the games.” Kathor made a sound like a barking laugh. “Likely save you from yourself.”
“You have to save all of us. Not just me.”
“You are the only one I care about.”
“No deal,” Mel replied. She pushed away from the wall and drifted on her back. Closing her eyes, she shut out the light from above. “You know my terms. I’ll help you, but only if you save my friends.”
Save my friends… Save my friends…
She woke with a start as the dropship landed. The dream had seemed so real. She could feel the water on her skin, see the minute expressions of emotions that Kathor carried around his eyes. As she stepped off the ship, she felt disoriented. Shaking it off, she quickly motioned for the others to get into the formation they had already agreed on.
They walked away from the landing site into the forest, with Gem in the lead. Mel felt good about the team, even though Evan was angry that Simon had joined. She missed Gorgeous and Riley, but with Gem, Beats, Jon, Evan, and Simon, they had a strong team that could handle this gauntlet.
She marveled at the trees. They were as big as sequoias but had more branches that started at a lower height. The city was built inside, between, and above the forest. Some of the trees were naturally hollow and served as high-rises. Metal and plastic wound up the trees and through the branches high above, intertwining with the forest in an elaborate patchwork. The outline of old roads on the forest floor could still be made out, and above them were curving spans of metal that served as walkways and roadways through the trees. With all the mechanical and building material embracing the trees themselves, it almost felt like the whole city was a cybernetic being.
They found a broken path, chunks of an asphalt-like substance sticking up at odd angles. The city had been abandoned two hundred years ago due to lack of population. Eventually, it had been condemned due to safety concerns. One problem with interlacing all the artificial materials into the trees was that the trees kept growing, around and through it all. Much of it would be too dangerous to live in, and Anna warned them the city could be as much of a danger as the other team. While most of the tech had been reclaimed over the years by scavengers or the government, damaged machinery might still present a hazard. They had agreed to move mostly along the ground and avoid the artificial constructs in the treetops. This was doubly important because the city was built for the Chota, who were only three feet tall and lucky if they weighed seventy pounds. Mel doubted it would be safe for humans, let alone Gem or Beats. And she was betting that the architects knew this, and would put the goals at the top of the trees just for fun. In th
e end, it was a good thing they had Simon with them. He was about the same size as a Chota, and could go places the rest of them couldn’t.
They consulted their map to select their path to the blue zone and set out in single file. After many hours of training, Mel felt comfortable with her new leg. With the upgrades that Simon had done, it worked even better than her original. Because she only had one cybernetic leg, it wouldn’t give her the ability to run faster or jump higher, but the leg was much stronger and could be used for kicking. She hoped she could find something to kick just to test it out. Her hand was also stronger than before. She had accidentally bent the metal handle of one of the pistols in training.
The effect on Evan was more pronounced. His new mods allowed him to run twice as fast, and they were much more durable. He wasn’t as fast as Riley, but it was still impressive. With improvements to the interface at the hip joints, Evan could jump now, too. Along with his cybernetic arm, he would be a good replacement for Riley.
But they had to be careful. The mods couldn’t be detected, but the architects could still see how the team performed. If they repeatedly saw Evan and Mel doing super-human things with their bionic parts, it would raise a red flag. They had both trained in ways to use their new strength surreptitiously.
Mel walked just behind Gem. The trees were so tall that direct sunlight was cut off, leaving the air cool and the light dim. The forest floor was clear, with sparse underbrush. Broken chunks of asphalt and concrete made the trek difficult in places, but they had dealt with worse. The blue zone was only a mile away, and Mel thought this gauntlet might go fairly quickly.
The forest was unusually quiet, and it set Mel on edge. There was the occasional chirping of an animal or flying creature that they never quite saw. Shadows shifted as the canopy above moved in the light breeze. It was warm and humid, although not as bad as the jungle city they had fought in months ago. Still, there was a heavy, oppressive quality to the air that Mel found depressing. She tried to stay alert.
