Nano Contestant - Episode 4: Arctic Survival: The Technothriller Futuristic Science Fiction Adventure of a Cyberpunk Marine (Nano Contestant Series)

by Leif Sterling

  Roland eyes widened as he took in the news. “Do you have any usable evidence of this to actually free my dad?”

  Skylar shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry. This information was pulled from their computers without a warrant.”

  Roland laid back down. “That’s what I figured. We are going to need a lot more hard evidence in order to free my dad. Keep looking when you can. We are going to find something. And when we do, we’re going to nail them to the wall.”

  Skylar nodded. “Yes, we will.”

  A knock at the door announced the arrival of Roland’s food.

  Skylar opened the door and then turned off the music while the servers delivered the food. She looked over at Roland’s bed, which was now covered in steaming plates.

  Roland did not wait for the food to be set down before he dove in. He picked up a slice of pizza, folded it in half and devoured it. A piece of melted mozzarella fell off of his pizza and stuck to his chin. He repeatedly swiped at his chin with his good hand in an effort to get the very determined bit of dairy off of his face.

  Skylar snickered as she ran the medical scanner over Roland while he ate. Then she queued up all of the things to be healed. She looked over at Roland as he finished his last bite of food. “What was all that, about nine thousand calories?”

  “Seventeen thousand, five hundred.”

  Skylar shook her head. “Wow. Are you ready for your long nap?”

  Roland nodded. “I’m already in a carbohydrate coma. I might as well go all the way.”

  Skylar swiped her terminal over to the coma screen. “Go big or go home, right?” Then she hit the button to take Roland down into a medically induced coma.

  Roland’s eyes closed. “Yeah. Go big. Because I’m not going home.”

  After Roland had a full day of sleeping, Coach carefully checked over his injuries. “Most of his internal and superficial wounds are healing up nicely.”

  Skylar nodded without looking away from her terminal, which showed Roland’s vitals.

  Coach zoomed in on the holographic x-ray which showed the shattered bones in Roland’s hand. “Except for these bones. I’m concerned about them. There are too many breaks here. I think that even the healing app is having a hard time.”

  Skylar came over and looked at the x-ray. “What should we do? This is much worse than his ankle was.”

  Coach headed for the door. “I will get one of the doctors down here to set the bones. Then the healing app should be able to work properly.”

  Skylar opened a water bottle. “That should work.”

  Twenty minutes later Coach came back into the room followed by a doctor and his two assistants. Coach showed the doctor Roland’s x-rays. The doctor only asked a few questions and then got right to work. After two hours, the doctor began packing up his things. After another brief conference with Coach, the doctor left.

  Skylar came over to look at the work that the doctor had done. “What did he say?”

  Coach gestured to Roland’s hand. “He said that breaks like these normally take a few months to heal, but if we could get some extra calcium into Roland’s system that it could speed up the process of the bones mending. The doctor is having an IV and a calcium supplement solution sent to our room.”

  A plump orderly dressed in black scrubs and an embroidered Pinnacle logo brought the IV and inserted it into Roland’s arm. He also brought a few extra IV bags of the calcium solution for later.

  Skylar logged into Roland’s nano system and set up the nano cells to look for the calcium. Then she made a script with a direct route for them to shuttle it over to the broken bones. After thirty minutes of tweaking the script, she motioned for Coach to come over and see her terminal. “I set up the nano cells to help get the calcium from Roland’s bloodstream over to the broken bone sites. I just cranked up the production. At this rate, Roland’s nano system should be able to fix the broken bones within two days instead of a few months. However, it is going to take a lot more of that calcium solution than what we have.”

  Coach gestured towards the calcium solution. “We can get as much of the calcium solution as we need. How often will we have to change it out?”

  Skylar pointed at Roland’s IV bag, which was nearly empty. “Each bag will last thirty minutes.”

  Coach went over to swap the bag out. “Then we will have to work in shifts to keep his IV bag full.”

  Skylar nodded.

  CHAPTER FOUR:

  TWO

  ROLAND BLINKED AGAIN. The room seemed so bright. He opened his eyes halfway and carefully took in his surroundings. He was still in the teams’ overnight room, but it seemed much brighter than usual. “Is it time to wake up yet?”

  Skylar took a sip of her coffee. “Yes. Time to get up. Coma time is over.”

  Roland covered his eyes with his hand. “Does it have to be so bright in here?”

  Skylar nodded. “That’s just sunlight.”

  Roland grunted. “Well, can you turn it off?”

  “That is the sun. So, no. We can’t turn it off.” Skylar snickered.

  Roland frowned and grunted again. Then he held his arm out towards Skylar. “Coffee. Please.”

  Skylar knew that request had been coming. She handed Roland his cup of iced espresso. “I may have made that a little strong.”

  Roland sat up, with his eyes still closed, and chugged his espresso. He smiled and then opened his eyes. “Wow. I haven’t had coffee that strong since I was deployed in the Marines, except they added gunpowder for flavor.” He held his cup out to Skylar. “Can I have another one of those?”

  Skylar had also been waiting for this second request. She exchanged his empty cup for a full one that she had waiting next to her. “Drink that. Then let’s get you checked out.”

  Roland chugged the second cup also. He kicked off the covers. Then he held up his hand that had been broken. It didn’t hurt at all. He flexed his fingers slowly.

  Coach came over to watch the demonstration. “Your x-rays show that you are all healed up. I want you to go through a full range of motion though, just to be sure.”

  Roland extended and contracted each finger on his hand. Then he moved his wrist in a circular motion. “Feels good. Looks like you guys did a good job patching me up.” He looked over at Skylar. She had dark circles under her green eyes. “You look exhausted.”

  Skylar gave a single nod. “Coach and I have been on four hour shifts. We had to change out your calcium solution every half hour over the last two days.” She pointed to a pile of empty IV bags next to the trashcan.

  Roland looked over at the pile. He let out a low whistle.

  Coach touched Roland’s sternum where the rib had been broken. “Any pain here?”

  Roland shook his head. “Nope. Feels fine.”

  Skylar took another sip from her steaming mug. “Hey, Coach. Did anything ever happened when you went to the Game Commissioner to complain about Roland’s rib being broken?”

  Coach scowled and crossed his arms. “They said that they didn’t have any record of Pinnacle’s security team dealing with Roland. The Game Commissioner told me that he would investigate it though.”

  Roland slowly stood up and began his stretching routine. “They broke my rib, but they don’t have any record of it. Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”

  Coach sighed. “Don’t even get me started.”

  Skylar checked the clock on her terminal. “Okay, boys. We have to leave in thirty minutes.”

  Roland was in the middle of an arm stretch. “What’s next?”

  Skylar pulls up the invitation on her terminal. “The race announcement for Game Two is in thirty minutes.”

  Skylar, Coach and Roland walked up to the contestant entrance on the side of the stadium.

  Roland held out his arm for the security guard. The guard’s scanner beeped as it went over the locator in Roland’s arm. The light lit up green.

  “Your team is cleared to enter. Roland, you will go to the special designa
ted area for the contestants in front of the stage. Support team seating begins on the fourth row.” Then the guard waved them through.

  Roland made his way to the middle of the contestants’ group. The lights in the stadium went out and the spotlights went hot on the center of the stage. Fifty thousand fans stood and cheered.

  The heavy, red curtains spread wide as the hybrid announcer came on the stage. His gait was slow and purposeful. He seemed to step in time to the pulsing music, announcing his arrival. He waved to the crowd of contestants and then to the thousands of fans which filled the stadium.

  Roland looked around at the fans. They all cheered loud, clapping and waving their hands at the contestants, hoping that they might get a glance from their favorite. Some of the contestants were eating up the attention and returning smiles and waves. Others, like Spectra, seemed oblivious that there was anyone else in the stadium. Duke, in true form, glared menacingly at any who dared to wave at him.

  The announcer reached the front of the stage. “Ladies and gentlemen.” He spread his arms wide in greeting. Sparks shot up from the floor around him, adding emphasis. “Welcome to Game Two of the Tech Games!” His entry music reached its crescendo. Twelve foot pyrotechnics leapt into the air on either side of him.

  CHAPTER FIVE:

  ARCTIC

  THE CROWD ERUPTED into a deafening applause.

  Hover cams floated around the announcer, capturing all of his perfect micro expressions for the mammoth sized holographic projections on the sides of the stage and the hundreds of millions of fans watching at home. “Our next game will make Game One look like mere child’s play.”

  The fans pounded on their chairs and stomped their feet.

  Roland crossed his arms.

  The announcer began heading to the left of the stage. “The owners told me that we should make the next one easier, because we were losing too many contestants.”

  The crowd changed to booing and angry yells.

  The announcer pointed his mechanical index finger towards the crowd as he headed to the right across the stage. “But I, I fought for you!”

  The applause returned.

  A hover cam zoomed in on the announcer’s winning smile. He clenched his mechanical fist hard with a toothy grin. “I said, ‘No!’ My fans want action.”

  The cacophonous din that followed shook the concrete foundation.

  The announcer had them eating out of his hand. “Game One was a race. Game Two will be survival!” He gestured towards the ceiling. “Arctic survival.”

  The crowd all looked up to where he had gestured.

  The announcer snapped his fingers. Well hidden snow machines kicked on with full force. A miniature blizzard swirled around the fans and contestants. The announcer snapped his fingers again and the snow stopped. “Game Two will span five hundred miles. Contestants will have seven days to navigate this punishing course.”

  The announcer rubbed his hands together, with a twisted smile on his face. “This means that they will need to average at least sixty-four miles a day.” He pointed at the contestants. “Which of these contestants will have what it takes to do more than a double marathon every day for a week in this frigid and unforgiving landscape?”

  He removed a thick glove from his pocket and pulled it over his metallic hand. Then, with his other hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a four inch square piece of metal. Hover cams circled him, capturing every angle. With his gloved hand, he held the small piece of metal up to the crowd. “Do you know what happens to steel when it reaches seventy-six degrees below zero?” He held the piece of metal so that it was parallel to the stage. With his other hand, he gestured towards the floor. A white blast of compressed gas shot up from the floor. The piece of metal and his glove were instantly covered in a white frost. “We are using CO2 gas here to simulate this super cooling effect.”

  With pompous flair, he threw the frozen steel down onto the floor of the stage. The lens on the hover cams were all zooming in to capture the demonstration. The steel hit the stage and shattered into tiny pieces. The holographic screens replayed the shattering of the steel in slow motion from a variety of angles. The announcer bent down and gathered a small handful of the cold, metallic debris in his gloved hand. Then he clenched his fist together, crushing the shards into even smaller pieces. He dumped the pieces back onto the stage. “At these temperatures, having metallic limbs would certainly be a disadvantage.” The hover cams zoomed in on his smiling, overly white teeth. “Human flesh, however, can freeze when the temperature drops to a mere five degrees. So, I’d say our Tech Games contestants have their work cut out for them!”

  The snow machines kicked on again for effect, and the crowd applauded and cheered.

  The announcer raised his hands and motioned for the crowd to quiet down. “Enough talk. Let’s get down to business and look at what’s coming in Game Two!” He snapped his fingers and a white holographic winter coat formed around him. “For this challenge in arctic survival, Pinnacle has created its own brand new course. It is modeled after the high ice fields of the Yukon Territory.” The announcer pretended to examine his nails. “But you must beware, my bold and intrepid contestants, of the local wildlife.”

  A white holographic Arctic wolf appeared on the stage and came over next to the announcer. “The Arctic wolf is a cunning predator and perfectly suited for life in these sub-zero temperatures. A lone wolf is not a terribly big threat to one of our very capable contestants. However, a pack of Arctic wolves should not be trifled with.” A holographic pack of Arctic wolves surrounded the announcer. Then the wolves began to walk in mid-air out over the excited crowd, much to their delight. “There are many other forms of wildlife that also await our contestants. Ferocious leopard seal lives along the coastal areas. Polar bears have a voracious appetite and are known for eating their meals alive. The wildlife on the course are not the only things to take your life. Rest assured, there are many other ways to die: hypothermia, exposure, starvation and avalanches, to name a few.”

  The announcer began to slowly walk to the left of the stage. “Now if you’ll remember from Game One, there were bonuses based upon your performance. He reached his hand out and a holographic sliding door appeared. He shoved it towards the right side of the stage. As it slid open, it revealed a stockroom full of Arctic gear and equipment. The announcer made his way back to the center stage. “Contestants, Pinnacle is generously allowing you the privilege of selecting five pieces of equipment.” He steepled his fingers. “Choose wisely.”

  He spread his arms wide. “Those who finished first will get to choose first.”

  Roland tried to catch a glimpse of the items on stage. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as a large shadow fell over him. He turned around and looked up at the imposing figure of Duke.

  Duke’s mechanical arms were crossed tightly over his chest. He bent down so that he was only three inches from Roland’s face. “You should have never made it out of that last game.” The imposing form of Hunter filled the space on Duke’s right and another hybrid stepped in on Duke’s left.

  The hybrid on Duke’s left was a new one that Roland had not seen before. Although he was not as tall as Duke, or as wide as Hunter, he was still more built than most of the rest of the contestants.

  Duke motioned to the two large contestants on either side of him. “We have come to an understanding. We don’t like you or your tech.”

  Roland noticed at least four hover cams that had begun to silently circle them. Vultures.

  Duke’s smile was as wicked as his haircut. “It seems that our sponsors don’t like you either, and they have placed a friendly bounty on your head. They have offered twenty million dollars and a lifetime of upgrades to the one responsible for removing you from the games. Let’s just say, we are highly motivated.”

  Roland pushed his fear down into the pit of his stomach. “I’m sorry, Duke. I didn’t realize that I intimidated you that much.” Then he turned back around t
o face the announcer. He took several deep breaths to try and calm himself. It didn’t work. He thought about his dad and the time that was constantly ticking away. In eleven months, if he failed, his father would be incinerated for crimes he never committed. He clenched his jaw tight and stared hard past everything in front of him.

  Another deep breath and a calm settled on him, alongside his resolute determination.

  The announcer held up his pointer finger. “And remember, you must be in position thirty-six or higher and finish by 6 AM on the eighth day. Now let’s get ready to race!” The crowd erupted with applause, whistles and cheers.

  CHAPTER SIX:

  IVAN

  WHEN ROLAND GOT back to the teams’ overnight room, Coach and Skylar were already there.

  Coach let out a low whistle. “Well, that sounded great.”

  Roland came over and stood near them. His arms were crossed and his brow was lined with a deep scowl. “Did you hear what Duke said? He said that their sponsors have put out a twenty million dollar bounty and a lifetime of upgrades for whoever gets me kicked out of the race. Or gets rid of me.”

  Coach shifted his weight. “What do you mean their sponsors?”

  “The sponsors for Duke, Hunter and that other bodybuilder type hybrid.”

  Skylar’s eyes widened.

  Coach’s eyes narrowed as he puzzled over the new information. “It sounds like they have formed an alliance. It’s very unusual for contestants to work together during Tech Games.”

  Roland stopped pacing and turned back towards Coach. “Yeah. The Meathead Alliance.”

  Skylar stifled a snicker. “It’s probably more about the lifetime of upgrades than the actual money. Contestants like Duke are always needing expensive repairs and new materials.”

  Roland’s jaw was set with determination. He stood still. “This doesn’t change anything. Everyone and everything was already trying to kill me. They’ll just have to get in line.”