by T. R. Harris
But Adam didn’t protest. It wouldn’t matter.
Daric stepped next to his opponent. “Is this not wondrous, Adam Cain? Take in the energy of the crowd, feel their excitement and anticipation. Most challenges do not carry such an atmosphere. We have staged this one thusly as a reminder to the Nuor of days long past, when there were real immunity challenges against worthy opponents. The Kac has resurrected such feelings within my species. Bask in the moment, Adam Cain. With your death you will live forever in the history of the Nuor.”
“That’s an oxymoron—just like you, dickhead,” Adam screamed to be heard over the din.
Daric laughed. “I so hope all the Humans from Earth are like you. I may have Humans wired so the crowd may listen in on your amusing quips. Yes, I will do that for future challenges.”
“You better place the order before we begin. You won’t have the opportunity afterwards.”
“Enough!” Daric stepped away and raised his sword. “Let us get this over with; the crowd is ready.”
A voice boomed through speakers and the crowd quieted to a hush almost immediately. “The Games of the Kac are about to begin,” said the announcer. “In this magnificent Grand Arena we begin a new era in the lifecycle of the Nuor, in a new galaxy, with new challenges and new victories.
“As we start this series of level-one immunity challenges, we are witness to a once-in-a-lifetime event. Game-Master Daric (611) Kallen-Noc will meet the alien Adam Cain, the premier player in all the Kac, in an immunity challenge of historic proportions. Never before has a single being rated at the top of an entire galaxy. Yes, each species has their champion, but never a galaxy. So it is appropriate that our leader face his greatest challenge in the first official immunity contest held in the Kac. It will not be easy for Game-Master Daric; he will be meeting the best the Kac can offer. Yet he is a Nuorean!” The crowd went wild. “Now the best of the Kac will face one of our greatest players. Let the players take their places.”
A Nuorean referee now stood between the two players. He held his arms out to his side, pointing at Daric and Adam. He dropped his arms.
“Begin!”
The prisoners watched the grandiose introduction on the video monitor in the cell. When the referee dropped his arms, they knew every eye would be glued the contest taking place in the center of the building.
J’nae reverted back to her true form, taking a deep breath of relief as she did, before stepping to the door of the cell. To the amazement of Pierre, Manny and Billy, she grasped the bars and pulled, breaking the locking mechanism with ridiculous ease. Without hesitation, the prisoners exited the cell and went left, away from the ramp leading to the playing field.
They rushed past cells with terrified aliens pleading: “Help us…please!”
“We are, in a way,” J’nae replied. But still she ran.
“Adam Cain!”
Adam stopped at the cell where his name had been called. It was the Juirean cell.
“Wait,” he called after the rest. He placed his hands on the bars.
“I see you on the monitor—yet here you stand. I do not understand,” said the Overlord Safnos.
“It would take too long to explain.”
“Take us with you, it will mean much to my people. And at this important juncture in your escape effort, you could use all the help you can get.”
J’nae was at his side, staring down at the much-shorter Human with intense, yellow eyes. “We do not have time for this, Cain.”
“He’s right. The Juireans can fight—”
“It is not our intent to fight, only escape.”
“You said you want to help us against the Nuor. Freeing the Juireans is part of that effort.”
The tall mutant pursed her lips, then she gripped the bars on the door to the cell and pulled. Pieces of the broken lock clattered to the floor. She glared at the Juirean. “Come then, but do not interfere with the plan—more than you already have.”
Four Juireans ran from the cell and took up the rear guard behind the six Humans, Trimen and J’nae. After a few more yards, they discovered not all the Nuoreans were distracted by the battle taking place outside. Three green-uniformed aliens appeared from a side corridor, energy weapons already aimed at the lead escapee.
Adam saw J’nae hesitate for a moment, turning to face the alien squad with a thin smile. A plasma bolt struck her on the chest and spread out, moments before being absorbed into her skin. There was a flash of radiance from her body and an intake of air into her lungs.
“Thank you,” she said to the stunned Nuoreans. “I needed that.”
But then she was among them in the blink of an eye, tearing the hapless aliens apart with her bare hands, spraying blood on the surrounding walls and puddling at J’nae’s feet. Sherri and Riyad were the first to react. They rushed into bloody mess and recovered the weapons from the three dismembered Nuoreans.
“Now look who’s holding us up?” Adam said. “Are you done playing around?”
“Maintaining the transformation takes energy. I needed the boost.”
“Good…now let’s go!”
Adam took the extra flash weapon even as J’nae admonished them against using them. She would neutralize any future hostiles without the need for the attention-grabbing energy weapons.
They entered the underground parking structure moments later and found it unoccupied. J’nae chose a covered vehicle large enough to carry all twelve of the escapees and pulled open the door. It wasn’t locked, and the force she applied separated the panel from the frame, leaving her holding it in awkward silence.
They moved to a second vehicle with the same design. This time J’nae simply opened the door using the latch. “You control the transport,” she said to Adam. “I will maintain surveillance.”
Everyone piled in. Although Adam appreciated the opportunity to drive—it was a guy thing—he had never driven a Nuorean car before. He scanned the controls. There was no steering wheel or control stick, just two peddles on the floor. When the car didn’t immediate surge forward, J’nae looked at him with disgust.
“Did you not observe on the way from the holding compound? Acceleration slides are on the door panel, along with forward and reverse selectors. The pedals steer the transport.”
Adam found the speed bar and pressed a nob forward. The car lurched forward. He began to work the pedals, bouncing off several vehicles before he got the feel. After that it was fairly simple—until their path was blocked by a huge armored truck with flash cannon sticking out from three side ports and aimed directly at them.
Adam slid the speed control forward even more, while pressing hard on the left pedal. The car began to spin in place. A bright flash erupted from the truck, taking out the back right section of their vehicle. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
As the car spun, the front passenger door flew open and J’nae jumped out, in perfect time to send her racing to the armor truck. She grabbed the handle to the driver’s side door and pulled, this time fully intending to rip it from the hinges. She did, and a heartbeat later was inside the heavy black vehicle.
Adam pulled back on the speed controls and countered the spin with a press of the right side pedal. The car slowed, but was sent crashing into the left side of the exit portal
More flashes erupted from the Nuorean truck but came from inside. A moment later the back door flew open and a lightly glowing J’nae stepped out. Her clothing was smoldering, peeling off mutant skin in small patches of ember that floated away in the light breeze. Soon she was naked, her skin a radiant white.
Even from this distance, Adam felt the heat coming off her skin. “Was that the smartest thing to do?” he yelled at her for a safe distance. “Now no one will want to sit next to you on the way to the spaceport.”
“Get in,” she commanded. “I will meet you there. You do know the way, do you not?”
Adam smirked. “That I did pay attention to.”
J’nae ran off, a white blur dodging between parked ve
hicles, heavy equipment and even a few startled Nuoreans, mouths agape at the ghostly apparition they thought they just saw.
Adam hustled everyone into the open back of the armored truck. They had to stack dead Nuoreans against one side so they could all fit, not wanting to leave a pile of dead aliens at the entrance to the Grand Arena. Adam slipped into the driver’s seat, Sherri at his side.
She smiled. “I wonder how Adam’s doing?”
The players separated even more when the referee dropped his arms, each in combat stance. Daric wore a silly grin, while Adam looked nervous, unsure.
The Nuorean struck first, making a swift move to his left, slapping at Adam’s shield. The crowd roared as the clap reached their ears. But Daric wasn’t done. He twirled in place, almost in a blur, and brought the blade in low and intentionally just out of range of Adam’s legs.
Adam stepped back and caught his heel in the dirt. He stumbled, lost his balance, and fell on his ass. Daric lowered his sword and shield and shook his head.
“I would expect more from you. Please, gain your composure. I know you to be more coordinated than this.”
Embarrassed, Adam got to his feet, bushed himself off, and resumed the combat stance. This time when Daric attacked, the alien came in closer, sweeping his blade first left then right. Adam countered each strike with the ringing of metal on metal. The clamor of the crowd was incredible as the aliens got the sense the fight was finally underway.
Adam circled the Nuorean, his sword held out in front of him for balance and to measure distance. Then the Human attacked, whipping his blade from right to left. Daric didn’t retreat. Instead he deftly blocked the sword with his shield and stabbed with his own. Adam slipped away, managing to avoid the razor-sharp edge by inches.
Daric stepped forward again with three quick steps. Adam responded by backing up, until he lost his balance again, this time on the decline of a small valley in the arena. He rolled on his back, over his head and back to his feet.
Although the valley was only four feet deep, Daric stood on the precipice looking down. Then he stepped back, braced his foot in the dirt and propelled himself over the small depression, performing a summersault while swiping at Adam’s head as he flew over.
He landed on the other side in perfect balance and twirled his sword in his wrist with showman-like flair.
Adam was up and out of the depression a moment later, sprinting for one of the half-walls embedded in the ground. He ran to the other side and stopped, facing the slowly approaching Nuorean warrior.
“Yes, now you are getting into the challenge—and the show. Let us prolong this for the enjoyment of the crowd.”
As Daric rounded the partition, Adam shifted to the other side. This went on three more times until Daric stopped and glared at his Human opponent.
“Please stop playing games!”
“I thought that’s what we’re supposed to do, play games.”
Daric squared his jaw, the smile gone from his face. He leapt, landing on top of the six-inch thick wall, swinging across it with this deadly sword. The blade struck Adam’s shield at an angle, causing him to spin to his right. Then the alien’s sword was coming back around, having made a complete circle in the air above Adam’s head. Adam ducked, but the tip caught the flesh along the back of his neck. Daric saw the flesh slice open and cried out with a primal roar. He jumped off the wall, forcing Adam to retreat, rushing for the cover of one of the large square blocks decorating the grounds.
As he ran, Adam looked over his shoulder at the Nuorean. Daric had stopped and was staring with a curious frown at the back of Adam’s neck. There was no blood from the wound. Indeed, there was no wound.
Now it was Adam’s turn to show off his gymnastic abilities. In the light gravity, he jumped and reached the top of the ten-foot-high cube with his elbows hooked onto the edge. Then he rolled on top and stood, sword at the ready, shield to his side.
Daric was below him. “Superb move, utilizing natural advantage within the local environment, knowing I am operating within my native gravity.” He stepped back. “Yet what you do not realize is the natural leaping ability of the Nuor.”
A moment later, Daric had matched Adam jumped to the top of the block, only with more finesse. He reached the top on his feet and already in full stride to attack the Human while Adam was still in awe of the leap.
Adam ran off, hopping from one block to another, each separated by twenty feet or more. In the light gravity, it wasn’t that difficult for the Human…or the Nuorean. Daric chased him until there were no more blocks in the chain forcing Adam to drop to the dusty ground below.
Just as his feet met the surface, a heavy weight fell on his back. The glimmer of a shiny metal sword swinging around from his right made Adam spin to his left. The alien on his back managed to hold on, a strong arm around his neck and the razor-sharp edge of the blade now closer to his throat.
Adam managed to position his own sword between his body and the threatening shaft of metal only inches away. The blades met. With all his strength, Adam fought to keep the edge from making contact.
Then he felt hot breath on the side of his face.
“Are you feeling it yet, Human?” Daric whispered in his ear. Adam shifted his head to the right with the eyes of the combatants only inches apart. “The grip of your sword, I added a special chemical to it. Very slow acting. But the edge of my ressnel was coated with a stronger version. Although I believe I have already broken your skin, I will now let the chemical course through your body as we continue this dance for the enjoyment of my people. As I said, all has been staged.”
The alien fell off his back and stepped away. Both Adam and Daric were now without shields, having discarded them as they jumped from the cubes. But now the sword in Adam’s hand was becoming heavy, heavier than before. Daric swung his blade, slower this time, allowing Adam to counter the strike. Then came another and another, until Adam fell back against one of the huge, solid stone blocks. He countered two more swipes of Daric’s blade, each time his arm dropping lower from the impact. His energy was going; it wouldn’t be long now.
Daric feinted with a sweep of this sword, but instead changed direction and jabbed the blade into Adam’s side. The Human jumped away, stumbling toward the half-wall partition. Daric struck again, this time lashing out at Adam’s back as he ran, cutting through the black fabric of his fighting uniform. Adam rolled along the wall, leaning over the top, using it to keep himself upright.
Growing frustrated that his opponent hadn’t collapsed by now, Daric sent another straight jab across Adam’s side, opening yet another wide slice in the sleeveless uniform. The Nuorean was confused. The upper garment was now cut in several places, barely able to stay in place…yet there was no blood or open wounds.
“I know I have cut you several times!” the alien growled.
“Did you not read…Humans seldom bleed? Only when we want to.”
Adam pushed away from the wall and stood up straight, facing the alien. Daric bared his teeth and came at the Human with his sword at full force and speed. Adam didn’t move from his spot. Instead he used effortless moves of his blade to efficiently counter each from the Nuorean.
Switching position, Daric struck from a one-eighty-degree radius, moving with skill and agility. Adam simply shifted his footing and met each strike with an efficient matching of shiny metal. After this had gone on long enough, Adam swatted away the alien’s blade and stepped forward, chest-slamming Daric to the ground.
He stood back, watching the panicky alien crawl backwards in the soft dirt. Then planting the tip of his sword in the ground, Adam stepped toward the fallen alien unarmed.
Daric swung widely with his blade; Adam avoiding the sword with lightning quick moves to either his left or right, yet always just outside the reach of the tip. Growing bored of this, Adam turned from the alien and walked back to his own sword, still in the ground and wobbling from side to side.
The Nuorean scrambled to his feet and l
ooked around the field for any assistance. He spotted his shield lying twenty feet away. He raced for it. Adam didn’t stop him.
Now with a full arsenal, Daric squared up against the Human once again. He was dirty, yet uninjured.
Adam scanned the sky and the placement of the sun, as if measuring time. The challenge had gone on long enough. It was time to end this.
It was faster than anyone could move, yet Adam was now standing before the alien, lashing out his sword before Daric could react. A deep gash opened in Daric’s sword arm, having sliced through the thin silver armor as if it wasn’t there. Next Adam’s blade contacted the alien’s metal shield, splitting it in half with a powerful downward stroke. Now without a shield, Daric grabbed at his bleeding arm with his free hand and backed away. He was not only injured, but in shock as to the sudden turn of events in the Grand Arena.
“This should not be happening. You should have no control of your appendages by now.”
“You mean like this?” Adam struck again, slicing through both armor and flesh of the alien’s muscular left forearm. With both arms bleeding and weakened, Daric staggered back.
There was a hushed silence within the stadium.
Next came a flash of metal in the morning sun of Ankaa, and a moment later a large ‘X’ appeared on Daric’s chest. Torrents of blood rapidly soaked the golden fabric of his best fighting uniform. He wobbled where he stood, a blank expression on his face and within his vacant eyes.
Without realizing it, the Nuorean’s sword hand fell from his wrist, having been severed by a swing of Adam’s sword too fast to be seen with the naked eye. Daric sank to his knees as Adam knelt, wrapping his free arm around the alien to keep him from toppling over.
Then Adam leaned in close until Daric’s golden eyes focused on him. Panur’s face reverted to its true self. The eyes of the alien grew wide and his mouth opened to form a question.
