by T. R. Harris
“We took a chance,” Riyad added. “So…he is here?”
“Yes, he is. Your gamble paid off. Yet I highly doubt the five of you will be able to rescue him.”
“Is he all right?” Sherri inquired, her concern obvious.
Daric studied her for several seconds. “We have not yet secured females for our challenges. They must be used to produce more players for the games.” He smiled and stepped back, taking in all the males. “Yet now I have three more Human males. This is exciting. Your species has proven to be the most-challenging in the Kac. There is already high demand for contests, more than can be supplied with the inventory I currently have. The conquest of your world is still far in the future. However, the Nuor are here to stay; there will be time. Yet now I have more players. I must tell you, as the Game-Master, I share in the immunity points of all contests. Having more Humans is quite welcome.”
“That’s all riveting, douchbag, but can we get on with it? Where’s Adam.”
Daric frowned at Sherri’s possibly-indecipherable language. “You are indeed a companion of Adam Cain. You both share…an attitude, you would call it.”
“We’ve been accused of that before.”
“Then I will personally escort you to Adam Cain. He will be delighted to see you…or perhaps not.” He turned to the Trimen. “You are a Formilian,” he stated with confidence. “I do not find your presence here surprising. We have four others of your kind in the compound. During your time here, I wish to learn more of the one you call Lila Bol. She, too, shows up prominently in the recent archives of your galaxy, although I tend to believe most of the stories of her are tales of exaggeration, even myth. Her present location appears to be a mystery, even to you. I will require further investigation to decide the fate of this creature.”
Another vehicle pulled up, this one a large, open-air transport without the security cage on the back. Daric sat next to the driver, as the five prisoners were placed in the two rows of backseats. It was almost full night by now, except for the presence of artificial lights and two bright moons in the sky. The car moved off.
Daric turned to his prisoners. “I hope you don’t plan on causing any trouble. I am constantly under surveillance and my guards are only seconds away. Besides, I am a First-Level Player. Even for Humans you may find me challenging. And as I speak of challenges, behold our nearly-complete Grand Arena.”
They were passing along the base of the huge building they saw from the spaceport.
“There are twenty challenge arenas inside, including the Grand Field. It should interest you that Adam Cain and I will meet there in two days, for the inaugural Level-One Immunity Challenge in the stadium. In time, there will be fourteen such Grand Arenas in this settlement alone. More settlements will come, until there are facilities across your galaxy for a million or more challenges every day, and not only with Humans, but all advanced species.”
The alien was bursting with excitement as he related the plans the Nuoreans had for the Milky Way. As they neared a walled compound, a gate was opened and they drove through without slowing down.
Daric was still going on. “This is a glorious time for the Nuoreans. We have planned five hundred cycles for this moment, and devoted considerable time and points to the endeavor. We are still many cycles from a time of stability for your galaxy, when all the routines are established and all are playing by the rules. But that time will come. We did the same in a galaxy twice the size of this one. We can do it here.”
The car pulled up to an area defined by a round wooden platform sitting two feet off the ground and dominated by a thatched roof canopy over the twenty-foot-in-diameter shelter. Most of the sides were covered with a series of braced-in wooden planks and more thatching draped from the canopy. A pit outside the shelter contained a small, yet steady fire.
Two men sat on the edge of the platform. They were dirty, with grisly beards and torn and bloody clothing. At first they paid no attention to the car, not until they noticed the passengers.
Their expressions were not those of joy, but of sadness. They stood up, as one called into the shelter. “Hey, more contestants.”
Two other men came out of the opening to the shelter. One was Adam Cain.
Sherri screamed and jumped from the car. She ran into his arms, ignoring the pungent odor and coarse beard.
Adam returned the hug, but not with enthusiasm.
He pushed her away and looked in her eyes in the dim light. “Tell me you didn’t come here to rescue me, and that you showing up here is just a coincidence?”
Sherri was taken aback by Adam’s cold reception. “We came looking for you. Unfortunately, we were caught.”
Adam looked at the rest of the group as they exited the car and walked up to him. Adam gave a cursory shake of his hand to Riyad, eyed the two unknown men and then shook hands with Trimen.
“I really wish you hadn’t done this. It was foolish, and now I feel like shit because you did this for me. FYI…there’s no getting out of here. These bastards are always one step ahead of us. They’re better at playing these games than we are.” He looked at the smiling face of Daric, still sitting in the car. “Did he tell you what’s going to happen day after tomorrow?”
“You and he are going to fight…I assume,” Riyad said. Adam’s sour mood was contagious, and Riyad had caught it.
“That’s right…and to the death.”
“You can take him!” Sherri exclaimed. Her eyes were filled with tears.
“Even if I do, they’ll just schedule another fight, and then another. The system’s rigged, and now you’re all part of it too.”
“Forgive me Adam Cain,” Daric interrupted, “but I will be leaving now so your reunion can continue. The Formilian can stay here. He can find his own way to what’s left of his species’ encampment.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Adam grunted. Everyone watched the car leave, before retreating into the shelter. They placed a door made of fronds and sticks across the opening. Two benches for seating had been fashioned from wood planks resting on rocks gathered from the compound, while strategically placed sticks separated the thatch roof to let in moon light, casting everyone in a pale, ghostly sheen.
“What the hell, Adam?” Sherri whispered. “Did they break your spirit in here or is this just some kind of act you’re putting on.”
“It’s not an act. Two days ago we tried to escape. Eighteen of us met up at the far end of the compound, under the cover of the jungle. Six of us made it over the wall before Daric sent his goons against us. They were waiting there and killed everyone except the Humans and Juireans, even those that hadn’t climbed the wall. It seems we were spared because of our precious immunity points.” He looked at Trimen. “They killed four of the six Formilians in the camp. We were under surveillance all along, expecting us to try something like that. These bastards can anticipate our moves, even before we think of them. It’s what they do. Everything is strategically and tactically planned.”
The shelter was silent for several seconds as the newcomers digested the depressing news. Sherri glared at Adam in the dim light. “You say they can predict everything? Well prepare yourself.. This is something these rat-bastards couldn’t have predicted.” She stood up straight and looked at the two Humans Adam had never seen before. “I’d like to introduce you to George Washington and Damien Jones.”
Adam’s face was cast in shadow from the light filtering in through the roof, so Sherri couldn’t see his expression when the two Humans morphed into their true selves. A moment later his eyes lit up, the whites reflecting the moonlit.
Adam’s three ragged companions gasped, overcome by the impossible scene they’d just witnessed. Morphing aliens may be commonplace for Adam Cain, but not these three.
“What the….” Billy Kring’s voice tailed off. Even in the dim light, he could make out a gray-skinned creature just under five-feet tall, sitting next to a seven-foot-tall alien female with pale yellow skin and blond hair.
“I…
I’m in shock,” Pierre stammered. “I have heard of some weird things in the galaxy but I’ve never seen anything I couldn’t explain. Until now.”
“It’s not impossible,” Adam growled. His glowing eyes were focused on the taller creature. “Why the hell did you bring her here?”
“Who is she?” Manny Brown asked.
“She’s the insane mutant creation of an equally insane mutant. Manny, meet J’nae, the Queen of the Sol-Kor.”
The three men jumped to their feet, stumbling over the makeshift seats to get as far from J’nae as they could in the small enclosure.
“Former queen,” Panur corrected. “Trust me Adam Cain, she is not as she was before. I have had time to work with her. She is now on our side.”
It was Adam’s turn to rise to his feet, yet he did so slowly, methodically, every muscle in his body taunt and ready to spring. “We don’t have a side, not with that thing.”
Sherri placed a calming hand on Adam’s shoulder. “They’re here to help. Give them a chance.”
“They’re not here to help us. They’re here for Lila.”
“Lila is here?” Trimen spoke for the first time.
“No, but they came looking for her, not me. And they could give a shit about the rest of you. Mutants stick together, don’t they?”
Panur had worn a thin smile on his face until this point. Now his smooth features hardened. “Apparently not all mutants, Adam; Lila chose mortals over her own kind.”
“All three of her kind?”
“That matters not. She was among equals when she was with me…and J’nae. But she is…different. She is more of a hybrid than anything else. She has the powers of a mutant yet the sensibilities of a mortal.”
“Well shame on her for actually having compassion and feelings.”
“Please, Adam, we have come to help. You have information on where the Aris took Lila. In exchange for that information, we will help your galaxy against the Nuorean threat.”
“How can you do that?” Pierre asked.
“Well first of all, I can get us out of here and safely back into space.”
“How?” Billy asked.
The smile returned to the mutant’s face. “I have a plan.”
54
Two days later a contingent of Nuoreans came into the compound and removed all the Humans. Trimen had remained with them, and so he was taken as well, the aliens having orders to bring all in the shelter to the Grand Arena.
There was an incredible number of Nuoreans on the streets of the growing settlement, consisting of occupants of the tent-city, along with crewmembers of the fleet not on duty and given leave to attend the inaugural matches beginning this day.
The transport entered the huge structure and proceeded into a large underground parking area. To the left were a series of wide corridors, filled with aliens of several species being herded away by Nuorean guards. Adam and his crew were directed to a corridor on the right, apparently the VIP holding cells. And that’s what they found—cells, and a lot of them. They were segregated by thick iron bars with seating along the edges for the warriors awaiting their turn in the Arena.
They passed the holding cell for the Juireans. Overlord Safnos was at the bars, watching them pass. “Good luck…my friend,” he said to Adam. It had to be hard for him to call a Human friend, but he had helped Adam plan their ill-fated escape attempt. Tragedy built bonds, even between mortal enemies.
The Humans were placed in a cell larger than most and very close to the ramp leading to the playing field above. It even had a bank of video monitors on the wall, alive with scenes of the individual playing fields in the complex.
Daric arrived a few minutes later.
He studied Trimen for a moment. “The Formilian is with you? I have no match scheduled for his race this day.” He made an alien shrug. “Perhaps I will pair him with a lesser species. Two against one senior Nuorean would be entertaining, and a bonus to the player.”
He shifted his attention to the Humans—including the two standing at the back named George Washington and Damien Jones.
His golden eyes bore into Adam. “At one time I had considered facing you as a member of a team. Yet after observing you for several days, I have amended that thought. I will meet you in a single challenge. I have seen you fight as you defended your encampment and fought with my guards during your predictable escape attempt.” He looked at Billy. “I have also witnessed Humans in full combat mode, against a lesser opponent, yet still enough to know your capabilities. I am not concerned. You will be a worthy opponent, yet you will not prevail. Even now I see that your spirit is broken, your will for fighting, gone.”
He moved to the open door of the cell and looked out at the filtering light from outside. “I should let you know another two thousand Nuorean warships entered your galaxy yesterday, the beginning of a constant stream of players to counter your pointless moves against us. All ships, old and new, are currently linked to the events soon to take place here, and recordings will be sent back to Nuor for the enjoyment of the masses. There will be eighty challenges today across the twenty fields we’ve created inside the Grand Arena—the first of many to be constructed.” He looked at the other Humans. “This will include contests with all your fellow Humans, except the female. I still have not decided what to do with her. She is too old for reliable procreation—and there will be many others for that chore. Yet I have found in the archives that she is considered an accomplished player in your society, so I may place her against a lower male of my species. I am in constant need of variety to keep the games interesting.”
Sherri stepped forward. “How about you and I go at it right now? I assure you, that would interesting, as I rip your guts out with my teeth.”
The smile stretched wider on Daric’s face. “Perhaps I should. I may sanction such a challenge, just to teach you a short-lived lesson. I will find much satisfaction in shoving a ressnel down your obstinate throat.”
“Bring it on, asshole.”
Adam stepped between the two. “Relax, Sherri. After I’m done with him, we’ll be short one alien asshole for you to fight.”
Daric literally danced away, clapping his hands in a very Human-like show of emotion. “I am thoroughly impressed with Human’s sense of importance and invulnerability. In the past, species such as yours have fallen the hardest, when they realized just how weak and ineffectual they were against the Nuor. And your downward spiral towards enlightenment begins soon. I must leave now. I have to dress for the occasion. Traditionally, the most challenging matches are scheduled last. Yet since this is the inaugural day for the first Grand Arena in the Kac, Adam Cain and I will lead off the festivities.”
He stepped up to Adam, the smile gone from his face. He whispered: “And I assure you this event has been staged as well as all the others. The outcome is not in doubt, only the spectacle we will put on for my Nuorean brothers.”
Daric and his entourage left, leaving the Humans and Trimen to their silent contemplations.
New clothing was brought for them all consisting of thick pants and armless shirts colored black. The color would provide contrast against the light brown soil of the arena floor, giving spectators—here and on Nuor—a better viewing experience. All the outfits were the same.
Adam turned to George Washington. “Okay, you’re on.”
Within seconds, the nondescript Human male had transformed again, this time into an exact duplicate of Adam Cain. He stepped forward, the mirror images facing each other.
“I will keep them entertained as J’nae helps the rest of you escape to the landing field.” He smiled. “Be sure to wait for me, if you please.”
“Don’t take too long. This is going to cause quite the scene.”
“I will be along.”
Adam—the real Adam—moved to the rear of the cell and sat down, shielded by the others standing in front of him.
Adam/Panur waited at the front of the cell, ready to step out the moment he was summoned. She
rri moved next to him as guards opened the door.
“Thanks,” she said softly.
Panur turned to her and smiled, a moment before taking her in his arms and delivering a passionate kiss on the lips. The thought of Panur kissing her would haunt her for years to come, but for now, all she could do was flutter her eyes and catch her breath. Like everything else, the mutant sure knew how to kiss.
But now he was gone and the door locked once again. The aliens in the corridor outside moved away with their prisoner and into the light from the arena above. Sherri turned to Damien Jones.
“Now it’s your turn.”
Adam/Panur stumbled out into the vast arena, temporarily blinded by the harsh light of mid-morning on the planet Ankaa. When able, he scanned the scene around him. He was at the base of a huge stadium, where thousands of seats climbed a hundred high in all four directions of the rectangular field. The seats were packed with roaring hordes of aliens, with thousands of others standing in aisles and along wide concourses at the top of the viewing sections. The sound was deafening as the crowd reacted to his entry.
Next he surveyed the playing field. It wasn’t open and empty like the small arena in the holding compound. Instead, there were blocks the size of buses, along with low walls and undulating ground with low hills. All the structures appeared embedded in the ground, which consisted of fine tan-colored dirt devoid of any rocks—which could be used as additional weapons. All he would have would be what the aliens provided him.
And for that, an attendant approached. He handed Adam a ressnel sword and a light-weight circular shield. No vanish net was provided, not for this contest.
Then the attendant left, leaving Adam alone in the sunlight, appearing tiny and inconspicuous before the cheering crowd, in addition to the millions of others watching on video monitors on the planet and in space above.
Now the crowd went absolutely crazy. The sound was unbelievable as Daric entered the arena. He was dressed in a golden outfit, with various plates of armor attached to his limbs and already carrying his sword and shield. It seemed out of place that the Nuorean would be afforded armor, yet Adam wasn’t. That hardly seemed fair.
