"What do you think we can do in that time?"
"Mic Zenner changed everything with a few words, and we can do the same. We are going to New York, and we are going to fix this. Zippo, if Terminal finds out what we are doing, they will do everything in their power to shut us down and limit our exposure. We need someone that can work the tech there with us, will you do it?"
"You want me screw with Terminal?"
"Whatever it takes."
"Hell, why not? Beats sitting around here."
"You're welcome, for keeping you safe an all. Giving you a place to stay, feeding you," said Hud.
"Hey, come on. This is probably the most time you've had women in here in a decade," joked Nui.
"You say that like it's a bad thing. All right, what are we waiting for? Let's hit the road!" he yelled excitedly, holding up his keys.
"Really?"
"What?"
"It'll take four hours by road, if we're lucky."
"Yeah, get out of the stone age already."
"We're taking the loop. Grab whatever you need, and let's move."
* * *
5.41pm
Liberty Hospital, New York, UAN
"Hey, Luna."
She entered the room and stepped up to Mason's bedside.
"How is he?"
"Same as ever," Carter replied solemnly.
There was a long pause as if she was trying to find the words she needed to say.
"What is it?"
"Tell me something. You believe Terminal is a bad thing, right?"
"Damn right, I do."
"And if you could in any way help to bring it to an end, you would, right?"
"Yes, I would. Damn right, I would...why?" he asked suspiciously.
"Good, because I've got some people coming to meet us."
"What? Here?"
"Yes, it's the best place for it. The press hound me wherever I go, but not in here, and..."
"And there's more to it than that."
"How badly do you want to make a difference? What are you willing to risk?"
"I thought you didn't want any part in Terminal anymore."
"I don't. That's why I am taking this meeting. If I can do something to bring an end to it, I will."
"And the fact that tonight's fighters are in this building, too, is purely coincidental, right?"
"I don't like it either, but tell me you have any ideas at all about changing the way things are."
"We can't change it. Or I can't. I'm nobody in all this."
"That's where you're wrong. You are a great fighter. It could easily have been you fighting Locke, or me up there tonight against Axel Ward."
The door buzzer rang, and it made Carter jump with nervous fright. It was a lot to take in, and he didn't appreciate it being dumped on him without any warning.
"Let's hear what they have to say, okay?"
He begrudgingly agreed, not that he had much choice. But deep down, he trusted Luna. She was one of the nicest people he had ever met, and her heart always seemed in the right place.
"Come!" he yelled.
* * *
5th August, 2071, 7.13pm
Liberty Hospital, New York, UAN
Axel's car drew up outside the hospital where hundreds of people had gathered. His door slid open, and he was assaulted by an array of camera flashes as the press swamped him. He put his hands up to cover his eyes from the bright lights and got out as security guards drove a route through. He and Dia raced for the door. They were hit with a barrage of questions, but they ignored them all, and managed to push through into the building.
"This is crazy. It's a fight, that's all."
"It's a lot more than that, Axel, and you know it."
In his mind he was still mulling over the offer Zenner had not so subtly made to him. It was tempting. He didn't like the idea of taking a fall, but he didn't feel loyalty to anyone but his own friends, and they would be saved from prison whether he won or not.
"You live with a lot of guilt, I know you do, but know that here today, you are doing a good thing. It may not seem like it, but you are a hero to a lot of people."
Axel smirked as if he didn't believe her.
"I am serious. My sister worked her whole life to do the kind of good that you have a chance to do today. And she always said it isn't about what you did yesterday or last week. It's about what you are doing right now, and what you are going to do tomorrow. You are a good man, Axel Ward."
"Yeah, we'll see."
He wouldn't ever admit it, but her words had more meaning than she could imagine. As they turned a bend, they spotted Terminal personnel up ahead. Several in the company embossed clothing and well armed private security contractors were standing guard over the room they were heading for. He recognized the logo on the guards clothing instantly. They were GIS operators.
"Friends of yours?"
"Not exactly. Do you think they're here to protect us or guard us? Maybe you should have brought some of your own people."
"Except we play by the rules. We cannot operate armed operators here."
"Bullshit."
"It's true. If we were to be given any detail, it would have to be provided by the UAN, and they're staying well clear."
He stopped and put out his hand to stop her.
"You really believe that everything hinges on this fight? It means that much?"
"Trust me, it does. Everything we have all worked for in recent years. We live in the most volatile time for generations. You know that. You have lived it on the frontline. But this threat, this domestic threat, it is far worse than anything you have ever seen. If you lose this fight, I don't even want to imagine what will come next. I'm not sure if Zenner is an anarchist or an opportunist. I suspect the latter, but he is playing for both teams right now. If you lose, we may not even recognize this country in a week's time."
"Well, that's just great. Thanks for the confidence boost. Just what I needed."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry this much pressure ever had to be put on you. But I don't regret it. You are many things, Axel Ward, and among them, you are a good person, and a good soldier. If I had to put this trust in anyone, I can't think of someone I'd rather place it. You need more than just skill to win here. You need heart, and you have it."
"Are you going in there with me?"
"Yes, I'm going to stick with you, and make sure nobody meddles. Good luck."
They continued on, and the door opened to reveal a surprisingly large room. Luca was already inside, sitting upright in one of the Terminal chairs.
"Are you ready to die?" he asked.
The veins on his head were standing out, and his neck flared up and down as if he were an angry bull ready to charge. Axel didn't rise to the occasion. He'd seen too many angry people in his lifetime to let it bother him.
"You're a great fighter, Luca. My friends and I watched some of your fights while we were out on the frontier. In our downtime," he replied calmly.
"I hope you learnt a thing or two, because if not, this is going to be a quick match," snarled Luca.
Axel stepped up in front of him and extended his hand as a sign of respect.
"What is this?"
"We are going to fight like animals, but that doesn't mean we have to act like them out here."
Luca looked confused. He slapped Axel's hand away with a heavy beat of the back of his own hand.
"Get that away from me. I didn't come here to talk or to make friends. We are going to fight, maybe to the death."
"Fair enough," shrugged Axel.
"Mr Ward, if I may, the match is due to start in a few minutes," said one of the Terminal staff.
He was ushered into the chair on the far side of the room to Luca, and lay back into it.
"You can do this. I know you can," said Dia.
He nodded in appreciation as they put the headset on him and rigged his body into the hardware. He'd been in this sort of condition a thousand times before. The out of body experience
didn't bother him anymore. But what he did in the virtual world had never had real consequences for his own body. That was the most difficult thing for him. To keep maintaining the reality that this was like going into combat in the real world.
"Welcome, Axel Ward," said Ziva.
It felt like a combat simulation to him, or just another drone mission. That was until the game fired up, and he awoke in a room lined with mirrors, but with a sandy floor. He could hear the chant of a crowd so vast that it was beyond imagining. The ground around him shook like an earthquake as they chanted throughout the vast stadium, but he could not see it, for his room was sealed. He turned to face one of the walls of mirrors to see himself. He was wearing the gleaming bronze armour of a Spartan hoplite. On his side a small short sword, in his hand a long spear, and in his left, a shield that seemed far heavier than it should. Seven kilos of wood, it felt like he was carrying a barn door.
His face was mostly covered by the iconic Corinthian helmet that stretched down over his cheeks, leaving enough space for his eyes and nose so that he could breathe. A huge black and white plume stretched out over the helmet, making him appear as tall as his opponent was. He could smell the sand and the dust, the sweat and the salt in it. This was nothing like the out of body experience of controlling a Liberator drone. He no longer had any trouble believing this was real. It felt real to every fibre of his being. All of his senses were taking in every minute detail as though they were heightened. He'd felt this before, recently in fact. It was the stomach churning feeling of going into combat. Risking life and limb. It was terrified and excited him in equal measure, and it always had.
Bronze greaves covered his lower legs and vambraces on his arms. A splinted skirt hung around his waist and thighs. He was well protected, and not especially over laden with weight. Yet his upper arms and parts of his legs were exposed to the elements, as were his neck and hands. But compared to the recent combat he had experienced, he felt like a tank. The equipment was in part alien to him, and yet as he gripped tightly on the shaft of the spear, and looked at the razor sharp tips on both ends, a surge of familiarity flowed through his body. It was as if he had been born for this.
Doors at the far end of the room suddenly slid open, and the voice of the announcer echoed into the chamber. It was none other than Mic Zenner. The crowd was going wild as his voice sounded out in every corner. Axel took a deep breath as he thought about what he might face, and finally he heard his name.
"Welcome, the challenger, former UAN Special Forces operator, and international sensation. A man who singlehandedly fought through ILAN rebels with his bare hands to save innocent civilians. Welcome, Sergeant Axel Ward!"
Just when he thought the drone of the crowd could grow no louder it soared to new heights. It was almost deafening, and his pulse rose as he felt the vibrations from the crowd. He exhaled and calmed himself, as he had done so many times before. Finally, he put one foot in front of the other and went forward through the open doorway into the dazzling sunlight. The heat struck him. The air was so thick he could feel his limbs cutting through it as he moved. The harsh light cast a striking shadow of himself, and the light glimmered off the polish bronze that covered so much of his body. The crowd was going wild, but he had no idea if they were cheering for him or not.
He carried on to the middle of the arena and turned to behold the incredible sight around him. The crowd was vast. Millions of people watching in what appeared as a giant re-imagining of the Colosseum in Rome. Yet there looked to be fifty levels stretching high into the sky, and hundreds of projected screens hovered above him, giving the crowd a close up view. For a moment he forgot the severity of it all and allowed himself to be immersed in it all. He smiled. It was an incredible experience, which he would never forget for as long as he lived.
"And now it gives me great pleasure to announce the defender; the people's champion, selected by you, the truest of democratic decisions, a man who needs no introduction. I give you, Luca Hayes!"
The crowd roared, but there was no sign of Luca. But moments later there was a flash as lightning cracked and struck the ground around Axel. Thunder roared soon after, and the skies turned black. The audience was silenced and in shock, as the sun vanished and more lightning bolts struck the arena floor. Screams rang out, as people were genuinely terrified. It felt very real, but Axel did not flinch. He knew it was all part of the act, and compared to an RPG coming right for you, it was nothing. The rolling thunder continued to rage, louder and more violent than anything any of them had experienced in the real world. For a moment the crowd remained silent. Thunder cracked and heavy rain descended on the arena.
"Look!" a voice cried out.
Axel turned to see Luca swooping in from the sky on a chariot made of lightning, and pulled by wolves made of neon blue lightning bolts. Flashes sparked from his ride as his battle cry rang out, and the chariot circled the arena overhead. Lightning bolts sparked from the sky and struck the giant sword that he held aloft. The crowd were in awe of the spectacle. Axel couldn't help but smile. It was truly a delight to behold. The chariot slowly descended to the arena floor and hovered a few metres above it. Luca leapt off and landed firmly. The chariot darted off into the sky, erupting in a ball of light and crackling like a firework. The crowd cheered as Luca went back and forth, thrusting his sword in the air to rile them up.
He was dressed in some kind of pseudo Viking attire. His muscled arms were exposed, but the rest of his body covered in armour and furs. A ridiculous spiked helmet on his head looked like it had a punk mohawk made of steel spikes. In his hand was a huge two-handed sword. On his back a large round shield, a sword on his belt, and an axe and a mace hanging below the shield.
"I'm going to crush you!" he shouted across to Axel.
The crowd loved it, but Axel wasn't impressed. He'd fought too many real battles to be bothered by the pantomime nature of it all. To him it felt quaint, like the staged professional wrestling matches of the previous generations. They circled one another at a great distance, finally stopping at their start positions for the fight, ready for their signal to begin. At last Zenner spoke once more.
"Today, we fight not just for the entertainment that Terminal has given us all, but for its very survival. Terminal has brought something to people’s lives that has long been absent. It has brought new life to everything that we do. But there are those who oppose it, and we are going to settle this using the old ways. Trial by combat!"
The crowd erupted with applause, but Axel was entirely focused on his opponent. He was studying him. His equipment, his body language, his facial expression, anything that would give him some insight that could help. He felt like he had been here before. And like he could feel a hand on his shoulder, someone back in the real world making contact.
Dia, it has to be, and she’ll be there in my corner throughout this.
"This is the fight of fights, the battle to decide the fate of Terminal. If the people's champion wins, the app you know and love goes on. If Axel wins, this ends, today!"
The crowd hissed and booed, but Axel didn't let it bother him. He had phased it out as he focused on his friends and the faith they had placed in him.
"A trial of champions is upon us. Let the greatest fight of our lives begin!"
Chapter 18
"The fight's about to start. We're out of time!" Nui yelled.
"I'm trying," insisted Zippo.
She looked genuinely pained and surprised that she wasn't getting anywhere. Behind her was a makeshift studio beside Mason's bed, his body in full view, and Luna next to him ready to address an audience.
"This isn't working."
"No shit, Hud," replied Nui.
"Their security protocols are insane," said Zippo.
"It's not gonna work, is it?" Luna asked.
Nobody had any answers.
"Come on, come on!" Carter pleaded.
* * *
"Argh!" Luca rushed forward.
He was fast for a massive
figure of a man, and his first swing came with such power against Axel's shield that he felt his legs wobble. He had to duck out and spin away to stay on his feet. The shield was a tremendous weight to carry, but the lip of the concave shape rested partly on his shoulder, and the coverage it gave was vast. So much so that he lost sight of his opponent at times. He recovered in time to see a huge horizontal cut coming for him. His pushed his shield out to stop it, and it did, but the power knocked him aside, and he heard the creak of the wooden shield like a ship ready to be broken in a storm.
He backed away and thrust with his spear, but Luca knocked it aside with the long hilt of his sword, and closed the distance once more. He lifted the huge sword up for a crushing blow, and Axel was forced to raise his shield overhead to stop the mighty strike, but it never came. It was a simple trick, one that he had fallen for, without question. Luca's boot drove up under his shield that was too high to protect him. The brutal kick launched him up off his feet, and he crashed down into the sand. Even as he was dropping down, he kicked himself for falling for such a simple ruse.
Axel landed hard, and the wind was taken out of him for a moment, but he soon regained his faculties when he saw the huge blade coming towards his head. He lifted his shield and tilted it at an angle to slope the protection, for he didn't doubt the mighty blow would splinter his shield in two. The strike still landed hard and slid off, smashing to the ground beside him. He knocked the blade aside with his shield and kicked Luca's side. The blow was enough to dig into his ribs, protected only by thin padding and chainmail. He staggered back, furious, but obviously in pain.
It was enough time for Axel to get back on his feet and pick up his spear once more. He backed away to give him some room to play with. He wasn't used to fighting at such range with a close quarter weapon, and Luca was getting the better of his distance every time. He'd fought with so many weapons in his time, even shields in the public order training he'd done. Not that he'd ever needed to use it in the field. But the spear was alien to him. He thought of it like a short weapon that he was used to, but this was something else. He held it aloft and looked at the tip. The whole weapon was nearly two and a half metres long. It was light and nimble, but still an oddity to use against a hand-to-hand opponent. He had to adapt and learn quickly, but that is precisely what he had trained to do, and what he was very good at.
Battle Beyond Reality Page 21
