REV- Rebirth

by T. R. Harris

  “You are in preparation for a contest I have arranged, a spectacular event that will soon be broadcast throughout the Grid. If you allow me, I would like to explain.”

  “Go ahead. I’m not going anywhere, apparently.”

  Congin laughed; Zac had never known a Qwin who laughed as much as Congin.

  “You are in the central performance arena in the station’s production center. It is a rather large area which is normally reserved for staged sporting and entertainment events. In this case, you will be the key attraction in a show with elements of both. Beyond the door you see within the wall the arena has been divided into three sections. Within each section are a variety of physical objects, along with a portal in each opposite wall. The object of the contest is for you to make it through all three sections without being killed. It is that simple.”

  “And why would I play your game?”

  “Because, if you are successful, I will allow you to live.”

  “Bullshit. You wouldn’t do that.”

  “I will,” Congin insisted. “In fact, as the event is introduced, this condition will be announced to the Grid. The incentive will add drama to the event and give you a reason to perform.”

  “You’re not going to set me free. How stupid do you think I am?” Zac growled.

  “You are correct, so let me clarify. You will not be set free. Rather, I will place you on a Human-compatible world, along with all the other survivors who escape the destruction of Earth. I realize I cannot kill all Humans, but I can contain you. I will also provide a supply of your required drug to keep you alive, even though the late Body-Attendant Som Groshin has insisted you do not require it. Even so, I will still provide it. So you see, I am being generous and magnanimous. You could indeed survive the death of your homeworld…and all you have to do is make it through the challenges.”

  “And what is in each of these sections, lions, tigers and bears, oh my?”

  There was silence from Congin as he fought with the context of Zac’s statement. He eventually gave up and moved on.

  “No, yet in each will be an Antaere version of a REV. All you need to do is get past him and through the portal to the next section. Once at a portal, you will have five seconds to make it through. And to make the contest more competitive, neither you nor the NOVs will be armed or armored. It will be flesh against flesh, the mindless, savage rage of the NOV against the thinking Human with slightly elevated abilities. It will be a test to see which is stronger, muscle or the mind. Yet please consider. You must make it through the portal before the NOV reaches terminal cascading. If possible, you can kill the NOV before this deadline, yet after ten minutes, the portal will close permanently and the game will be over. And one other thing, the NOVs will be activated on my command. The time clock begins only when you engage the NOV. I do not wish to deny the audience the satisfaction of a full show.”

  Zac could see rows of empty seating rising up to the dome ceiling. No one was here, so Zac figured he had time before the show started. He began thinking desperately for alternatives.

  “And now, prepare yourself,” Congin said, contradicting Zac’s assumption. “In a moment the broadcast will begin. You are being given this one chance to live, Zac Murphy. I suggest you make the most of it.”

  “Wait, where’s the audience?”

  Congin laughed. “The audience? The audience is the Grid. The contest will be broadcast to every section of the Grid, and aboard all the ships of the fleet. I have not invited spectators because I did not know the exact timetable for the fleets attack upon Earth. Now I do. They are already within the Solar System and about to engage. Upon the completion of this contest, whether you win or lose, I will make the announcement of the destruction of Earth. There will be live feeds as the nuclear bombs rain down on the surface, with closeups of your cities being incinerated. Later, the smoldering remains will be recorded by drones for all to see. Your show is only the beginning of the most significant series of events to ever impact the Grid. You should feel honored that you will play such an integral part.”

  Zac had his hands on the plastic walls of his cell. He struck at them, trying to break the material. He cascaded, but this was a different kind than before. He was mad, and the anger kept the debilitating side effects at bay.

  He heard another voice coming through the module. He looked up at the overhead screens. His image was there again, showing him banging against the walls, a savage look on his face. But now there was Antaere writing on the screen and a professional voice speaking. It was an announcer, letting the Grid know about the Zac Murphy Show. The voice was being translated into English within his ear, but he didn’t pay it any attention. He was desperate to find a way out of the box, and a moment later the way appeared.

  Unfortunately, it was into the first of the three sections of Zac’s deadly gauntlet.

  24

  Both the plastic door and the portal in the metal wall slid open. Zac stepped to the edge and looked down on the area below. It was about a hundred feet across, with fifty-foot high walls reaching to the railing surrounding the arena. There were several huge objects dotting the dirt floor, all cubes twenty feet high and as much wide. There were six of them providing for baffles and barriers to the other side of the chamber. And high above the opposite wall was the open portal—a four-foot square hole with a series of staggered ledges leading up to it.

  The NOV wasn’t visible, hidden somewhere within the maze of huge cubes. Zac figured he’d be somewhere near the base of the ledges, below the portal. That was Zac’s goal, it stood to reason he’d have it guarded.

  Zac considered remaining where he was, safely above the floor and the deadly alien REV. But the clock was ticking. Either he gets past the NOV—or kills him—within ten minutes, or it was game over, man. The longer he delayed jumping into the fire, the less time he’d have to make it through the portal.

  Zac jumped.

  The thirty foot drop to the dirt floor was easily absorbed by his cascading body. He could feel the added strength and power. He hadn’t had much time to evaluate how his natural NT-4 had adjusted to the alien synthetic, although he knew his levels were elevated. As Groshin had inferred, Zac had been checking the monitors, and he knew enough to understand most of the readings. Something was definitely going on in his body, something that allowed him to withstand the torture of the alien drugs. But was he physically stronger? He felt like he was, well beyond what he’d experienced before with natural cascading. But would it be enough to counter the power of an activated NOV? He’d fought one before on Iz’zar and won. And that was before his body had been pumped full of alien chemicals. Could he really do this? Could he stand against not only one activated NOV, but three? He had no choice. It was either that or die.

  Zac pressed against the outer wall of the chamber, looking through the gaps between the blocks, trying to glimpse the waiting NOV. He couldn’t see him, but he could see the portal, however, staring at him, taunting him. Come and get me, if you can.

  He began to move, sprinting to the nearest cube and then sliding along its side. At the edge, he looked around. Just more cubes and no NOV. The damn thing was waiting for Zac to come to him, as he must to reach the portal wall.

  Zac moved to the right side of the chamber, the one farthest from the doorway. He moved around the last cube…and that’s when he saw the NOV. He was right, the un-activated Antaere was right below the portal. He spotted Zac immediately and turned in his direction. Zac was a good fifty feet away. If he could get to him before he activated, he might have a chance to take him out with one—

  The alien screamed, the ear-piercing shriek of activation. It only lasted a second before the alien was charging at Zac, his golden eyes now bloodshot and unblinking, his complete focus on the only other living creature in his sights.

  Zac ran away, moving between two of the cubes, hoping to reach the opposite side of the room and approach the portal from the other side. But at a cross opening, the NOV was there. The pair
came together with a tremendous thud, falling to the floor in a cloud of brown dirt.

  The NOV was on top of him, swinging balled fists at Zac’s head and chest. Zac covered up, feeling spasms of pain from the blows on his arms. And then he rolled over, spilling the alien onto the dirt. He swung his own fist and connected with the side of the Antaere’s head. The alien didn’t try to cover up; that wasn’t what REVs—and NOVs—did. All they could do was attack.

  The alien was briefly stunned, allowing Zac to get to his feet. The alien did the same, but rather than face his opponent and size up the situation, the NOV ran directly for Zac once again. The Human stepped back and planted two quick lefts and rights against the unguarded head of the NOV. Zac felt the power in his hands. It was incredible and much more than he’d ever experienced before. It made an impression on the alien.

  This time the creature blinked, his yellow skin now a shade of black, with blood gushing from a cut at the side of his left eye. But still he advanced.

  Zac was not a skilled fighter; he never had to be. But neither was the NOV. When activated, it was all about the kill, not the skill. At this moment, Zac had more skill.

  He was also hitting the NOV with sledgehammer like blows. Although Zac had never experienced the feeling of being activated, he couldn’t imagine it could be more than this. Could he be nearing activation, an event that would spell his own terminal cascading? Even if he was, he had no control over it. He was in a fight for his life and his natural NT-4 was running the show.

  Although the NOV couldn’t think, he could grow frustrated. He growled at Zac, baring his teeth and spitting blood in his direction. Then he rushed again, disregarding the punishment he was taking. Zac stepped aside and dropped a short left to the side of the alien’s head. He stumbled forward, slamming his head into the side of the metal cube. The Qwin dropped to his knees before twisting around and climbing to his feet. He fell back, dazed. Zac planted another fist into the Qwin’s nose.

  He didn’t go down, but neither was he stable. The head began to twitch and one bloodshot eye appeared to be wandering, out of sync with the other. The mouth hung open and bloody drool drained from it. His right arm hung limply at his side, even though it appeared to be uninjured.

  Zac recognized the symptoms of traumatic brain injury. This was common among REVs, although their hardened bodies protected against it in most cases. But seldom did a REV take constant strikes to the head, especially with a battle helmet on.

  The NOV was in bad shape, but Zac didn’t go in for the kill. The alien couldn’t prevent him from getting to the portal, and Zac had lost all track of time. With his enhanced awareness, time became subjective. Everything moved slower to him as his reactions quickened. The NOV could terminate at any time, ending the contest.

  Zac rushed away from the NOV, even as the battered creature staggered after the movement. At the wall, there was a series of nine narrow ledges in a zig-zag fashion. They led to the open doorway thirty feet above.

  Zac jumped, grabbing the first with both hands. Then using his REV strength he propelled himself up to the next. After a moment, he had a rhythm going, swinging his body from side to side and grasping each of the ledges with only one hand now.

  He reached the portal and slipped inside. The opening was only a couple of feet wide, and as he broke the plane, lights began to flash around the frame. He had five seconds to get through before the door closed, and there wasn’t a lot of room to hang on the other side. The door began to slide down, shoving Zac over the side and down to the floor of the next section.

  He landed hard on his right shoulder, feeling a sharp spasm of pain. He jumped to his feet, looking around anxiously, expecting an attack from the second NOV.

  But like the first, he wasn’t to be seen.

  This section had nine randomly placed cylinders covering the floor. They varied in height from six feet to twenty, with some narrow, others wide. The curved edges provided less cover than the cubes, but still Zac ran for the nearest one, noticing as he moved that his right ankle was also sprained, matching the pain in his right shoulder. With his elevated body functions, the damage had to be severe for him to feel it so acutely. This wasn’t good. He still had two NOVs to fight. He wouldn’t survive much longer if his body kept breaking down.

  Steeling his resolve, Zac moved around the cylinder. His body was on fire, and like the NOV, if he didn’t complete the challenge soon, there was no telling how long he’d last. Everything took a toll, with a price to pay, even his superhuman abilities.

  Anticipating the NOV to be once again stationed below the portal, Zac made his way to the area quickly. He knew how to defeat the NOVs—simply outthink them. He had more strength than he was sure Congin had been expecting, but that was draining away, along with his energy.

  From somewhere nearby he heard the scream. The NOV was activated. Zac questioned the tactic. Without a target to focus on, the alien would have nowhere to run. Why Congin triggered him, he didn’t know—

  The hit was incredible, shaking Zac to the very core. The attack had come from above, from the top of one of the cylinders. Zac was on his knees, dazed and confused. Then it was as if a wrecking ball crashed against the right side of his head.

  The fact that he was thrown ten feet away probably saved his life. It placed him out of the range of the activated Qwin, as least for the moment. But now Zac’s vision was a mess, shuddering and shrouded in red. He crawled away as fast as he could. But it wasn’t fast enough. The NOV fell on his legs before doing something completely unexpected. It bit him.

  He sank long, sharp teeth into Zac’s already injured right leg, producing a shriek of pain from the REV. Zac kicked with his left, placing a heal of his tennis shoes into the alien’s left eye socket. Zac wasn’t aiming for the eye, but it worked. The NOV rolled on his back, swiping at the eye. Zac was up a moment later, limping away. At one of the mid-height cylinders, he jumped, having enough strength left in his legs to make the ten foot leap so his hands could grab the top. He pulled himself up and then rolled on his back, remaining still and quiet.

  Zac looked up to the ceiling. The four huge video screens showed his bloody body on top of the small cylinder, staring up at the camera. He could also see most of the chamber, and the NOV moving slowly away, chasing phantom visions from the blood dripping across his eyes. If he moved far enough away, Zac could make a move for the portal—

  Then the view changed, now showing a close up of his body and a more restrictive view of the arena. Someone—probably Congin—realized what he was doing and changed the angle. Now Zac had no idea where the NOV was.

  Time was running out; he couldn’t remain here. He rolled and looked over the side. He didn’t see the alien, so he slid off, falling painfully to the ground. He leaned against the metal cylinder, listening for any movement with his acute hearing. Nothing. He moved.

  The NOV was on him a second later, sending a flurry of wild punches to Zac’s head and body. Zac was pissed. He pushed off with his good left leg and fell into the alien. He shoved his left hand up, placing it under the Qwin’s chin and pushed. The head fell back, upsetting the nearly-blind NOV and sending him stepping backwards to maintain his balance. Zac reached up with his right hand and buried it into the bloody eyes socket, his fingers probing for soft flesh. Like Zac’s own skin, the NOV’s felt like dry leather, hard and tough. But at one point something gave, a moist point where his finger penetrated.

  The NOV didn’t cry out; Zac doubted he could even feel the pain. But the alien did realize vision was gone in one of his eyes. The other wasn’t much better. Arms and hands reached out in front of him, grasping for anything to crush, to kill.

  But Zac was gone. He’d twisted around to the back of the NOV and repeated the eye-plucking procedure with the other eye. The alien staggered back, arms seeking contact with anything for reference. Zac left him there and staggered to the ledges leading to the portal.

  The problem he now faced was that his right shoulder was stra
ined and not as strong as before. His hands were okay, but he was also dizzy and his own vision clouded. Although the NOV was defeated, if Zac didn’t make it out of the chamber in the allotted time, he would still lose.

  He reached up to the first ledge and blood-covered fingers slipped off. He wiped them on his clothes and tried again. He propelled himself up to the next ledge before grimacing. He hung on while trying to get his right leg onto the lower lip. He made it, but with blood pouring from the bite wound, he didn’t know how stable his footing would be.

  The ledges were designed to be walked, if one started on the right foot and could scale the gaps. He made it to the second step, pressing his belly against the wall to keep from toppling over. He moved up again. He wasn’t too far off the ground, with a way still to go and not much time to do it in. There were nine steps total, and he was on number two.

  He pushed a little harder, picking up the pace. He was on the fifth step and almost within reach of the edge of the doorway when the lights on the frame began to flash. It was the five-second mark.

  Zac pushed off with his bad right leg and reached the next ledge. A stretch of his left arm and he reached the portal. He kicked off with his good leg, getting his elbows over the ledge, then reached across the two-foot-wide opening and grabbed the other edge. Pulling with all his strength, Zac shot through the opening and flew head first into the air, thirty feet above the surface of the last chamber.

  He fell, tucking his head down and under as he did a complete somersault, landing flat on his back on the hard dirt covering the floor. The air was knocked out of his lungs, and he lay for a moment stunned and fighting off unconsciousness.