by Doyle, Matt
"For someone acting so secretive, you talked pretty openly with Finn and John," she says, mocking my tone. That's fine, I deserved that one.
"That's because, one way or another, they're involved ..."
"... And now I'm involved," she cuts in.
"Not in the same way you're not."
"You let that bastard lie to Fahrn," she snarls.
"And you are clearly considering doing the same or you'd be with her right now," I reply, my voice stern but calm. Now, that was talking on instinct. Finn would be appalled I'm sure, but from the conflicted look on Maria's face, I called it right. "My changing room's just around the corner," I say, nodding the way that John went. When Maria doesn't answer I just say, "Come on," and start walking.
If nothing else, the silent treatment I'm getting from Maria is a nice change from speaking with John. Just assuming that she was going to follow was risky, but I was pretty sure that there was more chance that she would than she wouldn't. The fact that she hasn't gone running straight back to Fahrn bodes well for me. Actually, 'fact' may be too strong a word. I don't know for certain that she hasn't spoken with her. Her reactions say otherwise, but she could just be acting I guess. Jeez, you can tell it's nearly go time. The paranoia is creeping in.
Once we arrive, I instinctively point Maria to the 'Oh-Hell-No' chair while I head to the fridge. As much as I feel guilty for what I'm doing to her, I'm not that nice a person. Or rather, I am a perfectly nice person, I just can't afford to be right now. That and my toned ass takes enough punishment in the gym to achieve its TV friendly appearance that I feel it most definitely deserves the 'Comfier' chair.
The moment Maria sinks into her seat, she winces. Realisation quickly dawns on her face and she shakes her head. "I thought they'd gotten rid of this thing."
"Sorry?"
"They gave us this one the first time that Fahrn qualified. We kicked up about it and they swapped it for another one. I thought they'd have binned it, but I guess not."
"Well, well," I reply, plopping myself down comfortably and tossing a bottle of water to my unhappy guest. "Who knew they were so cheap?"
"It's all Emblem, right? Shouldn't you know how cheap they are?"
"Nuh-uh. Emblem has fingers in hundreds of pies, and very few of them are joined up."
"But they know what you're up to, right?"
"Nope. Only the fake staff that we got in on temporary contracts have any idea what's going on, and even then they only know what they need to. As it stands, I'm the only one completely in the know."
"No," she says, shaking her head as she fiddles with the bottle cap. "You don't even know the main aim of your own project. You said that yourself."
"True, but I choose to accept that those on different rungs of the ladder don't need to know everything."
Maria flips the bottle cap open and takes a mouthful, her face fixed as she contemplates something. "Fahrn told me once that fear is what kept her and her team alive back when she was a Merc. She said that sometimes, fear was the only thing that let them take a step back and evaluate what was going on rather than act without thinking about the consequences. If you're right that this is all military, then removing fear is a stupid idea."
"Perhaps," I nod.
And now I wait. One way or the other, she'll tell me what she's planning to do. If she wasn't planning on doing that, she wouldn't have come.
Finally, she says, "All her life, people have ... Fahrn's ..." She trails off, takes a deep breath, and tries again. "Fahrn has been to Hell and back. Ever since I've known her, people have tried to screw her over. They've hurled abuse at her, they've tried to take advantage of her, they've ... they've lied to her. Her whole life's been like that. And not just other people, she does it to herself too. She's had it so ingrained in her head that her people are bad people that, even when she's fighting against it, part of her can't let it go.
"The only time she was ever certain that she was doing the right thing, that she was doing what good people do, was when Meera found her. Then, when she left us, the fall-out was horrible. It was months before she got back to normal Lana, months. And there was nothing I could do to help her. There was nothing I could do," she says, the tears finally coming out. "Last night, when she got to speak with Meera again, when she had that second chance to make it right, she was so scared. But she did it."
Maria looks up at me, a proud smile pushing through the tears but quickly fading as she continues, "She did it, and this morning, you could see it in her. She did more healing last night than she has in the last three years combined. In all that time, I couldn't do anything to help her heal properly, but talking to one little girl for one night helped her start to come to terms with things. I can't take that away from her. I just can't."
The tears aren't helping my guilt. I want to say something to comfort her but the problem is, I know that doing so may risk pushing her into looking for an alternate solution to the one that she's chosen. On top of that, I can see that she has more to say. No, I'm going to have to ride this one out, provide anything necessary to assist her course of action and take it all out on Finn later.
"I love her," she sobs, "and I never wanted to be just another person that's lied to her, but I can't see any other way around it. Having this second chance with Meera was so important to her. If she knew what Hong Chan had done, or that she could never have a real second chance with Meera, it'd tear her apart all over again. And I know that I should, I know that telling her is right, but I can't. I can't hurt her like that."
OK Lana, time to go for the kill. "I hadn't realised how bad things were for Fahrn ... or how big an impact this would have on her," I say sadly, and mean every word of it. "Obviously, I'm glad that you've made this decision, but you don't have to do it without support. The arena staff will have been told about Meera's death by now, so if you want to say that you were in the ambulance or anything like that, I will personally ensure that no one says otherwise. And if there's anything we can do the support you after today too, then ..."
"An Offland Funeral," she says suddenly. "Meera should get a proper send-off. And I want Hong Chan out of our life."
"Done," I reply. "It's the least I can do."
DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT: AN INTERVIEW WITH JOHN FORRESTER
The screen starts in black with John Forrester's voice cutting in just before the image starts to fade in. "So," he begins, intentionally draws out the first word so that it doesn't end until the image is in full view, “we’re here. Once again, that one final match is just around the corner and once again it's me and Fahrn and Fahrn and me stepping out into the arena to duke it out for the biggest prize there is.
"Whoo man," he cries, throwing his arms in the air and turning on the spot before dropping into a hyperactive sway. "This has been a tough one, a real tough one, and it's not gonna get any easier. See, Finn was way better than anybody gave him credit for, me included. And Connor! Oh man, Connor was phenomenal, he really, really was. But," he says, finally standing still long enough to hold one finger up in front of the camera. "But. I was better. I beat Finn McCourt and I beat Connor Ford because I will not let myself be anything but the best. I won't let myself lose, no matter how long or hard I have to fight."
John pauses, smiles, then shifts back into his usual jittery stance. "But that's why it's only gonna get tougher from here on out, isn't it? Fahrn. Fahrn, Fahrn, Fahrn, Fahrn, Fahrn. She has something to prove. Twice now we've fought, twice I've come this close to losing and twice I've walked away knowing, just knowing, that if I ever stood across the Battle Zone from her again, that may well be the time that she goes that extra mile. It might just be the moment when I have to look around and say, 'Hey. I'm done.'
"Tonight, that moment could come. It could." Again, John stops and fixes the camera with a cheeky grin. This time though, his voice takes on a more serious edge. "But it won't. Ya see, I don't pretend that being at the top makes me untouchable, and I don't go into any battle blind. This year Fahrn, you
could be the best you've ever been, you could fight harder than you've ever fought before, but me?" John winks at the camera and says, "I'm not done yet."
The camera pans out as John gives a salute, says "Laters", and bounds off screen.
We fade to black.
LANA DE LA CRUZ - 14:54
"Oh come one," I moan. That was good actually, the words came out nice and clear. OK, so I had to force them out, but they still came out so that means that sprinting isn't leaving me entirely out of breath. It's weird actually, I can usually go a lot harder than this at the gym. It could be another side effect of the implants. Or stress. I guess I'll find out when I hit the treadmill again.
And here we go. I reach out to knock on the door and pause. Why though? Am I still scared of her? I guess I am a little, but not as much as I was. She made it clear last night that she really won't hurt me, and all the negotiations make it feel more like a regular business deal with a regular person. No, it's not fear. Am I forgetting something? Contract, note, impending feeling of doom pulled from the pit that is me worrying about being late for the match ... nope, I can't think of anything obvious.
The door opens part way while I'm still mid-thought. Carnival, or what I can see of her, is standing with her arms crossed and her head tilted to one side, her face an equal mix of confusion and mild frustration. The hallway is empty, so that's lucky. Actually, she probably waited until she was sure that no one else was out here. And that I wasn't going to knock. How did she know that I was out here though? I definitely didn't speak.
Carnival snorts impatiently and everything suddenly falls into place. "That's it," I grin. "You could smell me. And this was totally a test to see if you'd know I was here and see whether you'd take the lead by opening the door. That's my story and I'm sticking to it."
I continue to smile widely because it increases the chance of convincing myself and so also improves the chance of convincing other people that what I said was totally not grasping at straws. Carnival relaxes her shoulders, rolls her eyes and shakes her head with an exasperated sigh.
"Hey, be fair. I bet John does far more annoying things than that."
The raspberry I get in response serves to confirm that I'm a lot more relaxed around Carnival than I was before. In fact, it was almost cute in a slightly unnatural but a little bit cartoony sort of way. She waves me in with one arm and nods her head to make sure I understand.
"Sorry," I say, shaking my head. "I'm running late for my match already. I just wanted to drop these off." I hand her the bundle of papers in my left hand. "John came to say hi by the way," I say and she raises a curious eyebrow. "Nothing to worry about, just some rushed attempt at fact finding. He did say that you hadn't told him all the conditions you'd set to make the deal, but don't worry, he wasn't trying to find out what they were. He trusts you to tell him when you're ready, he just wanted to make sure that the papers were on their way so that you'd stop worrying. I'll tell you what I told him though. Read the contract carefully before the two of you sign it."
Carnival nods and grips the contract tightly.
"Oh, and on the off chance that John loses, I've left a note in there explaining how we'll get you backstage without switching you off. Stretchering you out would have been ideal but after Meera it'd be a bit distasteful. I don't expect John will lose, but just in case, you know?"
The throaty noise that Carnival gives me in response sounds ... grateful, maybe? I nod and say, "OK, well, I'll see you a bit later on."
She nods, grunts and waves her hands in a 'wait there' motion, then quickly disappears into the room, only to reappear just as quickly with her tablet. After a few quick taps, she shows me the message, 'TWO DOORS ALONG ON THE LEFT. YOU CAN CUT THROUGH THERE TO SKIP A COUPLE OF CORRIDORS. IT'LL SAVE YOU SOME TIME.'
I smile. "Two doors along. Thank you."
Carnival grunts nonchalantly and returns the smile.
The two of us stand in an awkward silence for a moment. All things considered, if things were different, like entirely different, we could have been friends I think. "Good luck," I say at last. "With everything."
I start heading off up the corridor and hear Carnival's door shut just before I reach the one she'd pointed out. The room beyond is empty bar a couple of rows of boxes lining two of the walls. I'd guess it's being used as a storeroom if it wasn't so empty. An overflow room maybe? Or I suppose they could have taken stuff out for today and are going to put it all back in again once the day is gone.
Coming out the other end, I realise that I'm now just around the corner from the entrance area. If I didn't recognise the hall itself, then Slade's booming laugh pouring out of the room up ahead would have given it away. I trot up and pull the door open. "Sorry," I start as I step in, "I got caught up with ... ah."
Stood leaning up against the door to the stage is an annoyingly pleased looking cantankerous old fart in an expensive robe. "Well, well, well," says Connor Ford, glancing at the clock above the main door. "A whole minute before the show starts. I'd point out how bloody useless you are with timekeeping but this, sadly, is a vast improvement on yesterday."
BONUS MATCH: SLADE FURY & LANA DE LA CRUZ VS DONAL & DAVEY DELANEY - 15:20
The video fades in on the well-lit arena. The crowd, while still chattering uneasily, have recovered since the events of the last match and seem to be settling into the event again.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," says Dirk Wylder. "By now you will all no doubt know what happened at the end of the semi-final bout between Fahrn Starchaser and 'The Silent Warrior' Laqueta. As you can see, we are now running behind our scheduled broadcasts, but I am assured that the final should go ahead as planned at five o'clock this afternoon, and that said match will be contested between the defending champion John Forrester and Fahrn Starchaser. I'm guessing that means that the Third Place Play-Off is off."
"That should be pretty clear to anyone who saw that last match," Sam North cuts in, his voice far more sombre than usual. "An' as far as Laqueta's condition goes, we know about as much as you do."
"As I understand it, before we move on to this year's bonus match, we'll be getting an on air update regarding just that. Fingers crossed, the news is good."
Sam audibly sighs and replies, "If it was good news, do you really think they'd be doin' it this way? I don't know who they're sending out here or what they're gonna say, but I doubt it's gonna be cheery."
The video continues in an awkward silence for a moment until Dirk finally cuts back in. "Well, here we go. I hope your wrong Sam."
"Me too buddy. Me too."
The camera pans around to the entranceway and remains focused on the curtain with the Big Screen following suit. Rather than draw things out longer than needed, a serious looking Connor Ford steps quickly onto the ramp and immediately starts to walk out toward the Battle Zone. Without his normal showboating, the crowd take a moment to realise who it is making their entrance, but once they do, a 'Connor Ford' chant starts to break out across the arena.
Connor reaches the centre of the arena fairly quickly and pauses to take in the crowd reaction while a staff member dashes across towards him. After a brief conversation, he takes a microphone and ushers the man away, then silences the fans with his free hand.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. Fans, staff and fellow competitors. Some of you may already be aware that, following her match with Fahrn Starchaser, 'The Silent Warrior' Laqueta was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. As her next scheduled opponent, it has fallen to me to announce Laqueta's immediate withdrawal from the competition." Connor pauses and closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath and continues, "It is with a heavy heart that I must confirm that, despite the admirable efforts of the E(E)SFC's in-house medical team, and those of the ambulance staff ... Laqueta died on her way to the hospital."
With the announcement made, the crowd noise cuts almost instantly. Connor nods and continues, "It would be fair to say that no one wants Laqueta to be remembered as the girl that never finished a match.
I personally would rather that she were known as the girl that, in her one tournament appearance, did not finish a match but still finished third. That being the case, let it be known that as of this moment, I am officially forfeiting the Third Place Play-Off and accept my final placing this year as fourth."
The crowd begin a respectful round of applause, but Connor silences them again. "Thank you, but this is not the time. Only once before has a competitor died during a tournament. As we did then, I ask you to join me in paying our respects in the appropriate way." The veteran turns back towards the entranceway and places his arms behind his back. The arena lights fade down and the Big Screen cuts to a still of Laqueta during her first entrance.
The electronic announcer speaks over the silence. "The Silent Warrior Laqueta. It is time to ..."
"Light. It. Up," chants the crowd and the picture changes to another shot of Laqueta during the first day.
"Light. It. Up," they cry again, and again the picture changes, continuing to do so with each subsequent chant.
"Light. It. Up."
"Light. It. Up."
"Light. It. Up."
"Light. It. Up."
"Light. It. Up."
"Light. It. Up."
"Light. It. Up."
"Light. It. Up."
At the tenth chant, the screen fades to black and the lights come back up. The fans now applaud and cheer as Connor Ford slowly makes his way back up to the curtain.
"You OK Sam?"
"That right there is a good man, Dirk. You can feel the respect for him right now."
"You certainly can. After that though, I think everyone here needs this next match."
"Yeah, I think you're right. After what Connor Ford just did, it wouldn't be right to dampen things, ya know?"
