by Chris Vaughn
Even with full action virtual turned off, the arena attendant, Claudia could see the movements of the faces. Eyes communicated so much to someone. The helmet once engaged didn’t allow a Gladiator the ability to see with his natural eyes, but their movements and actions were gateways to their mind. Their mind saw the inputs from the virtual by the helmet on their head. The room continued to buzz and hum with the air conditioners and the ionic buzz of the computers.
The light in the room wasn’t as bright as it was when the gladiators were brought in. A little disorientation made it easier for a gladiator to adjust to the virtual inputs, but these lights were bright. Claudia slid her goggles down her nose, as she peered over the top, and stepped up onto the stall’s outer rim she could see Sextus and watched his eyes. “What is taking place in there?” His eyes flashed back and forth and focused near and far. Pupils of the eyes grew bigger and smaller as they focused on the speed or movement of something or someone. Claudia watched his pupils.
Claudia hummed to herself, as she acted if she was adjusting the connections and doing regular maintenance during a fight. Her hands were busy not with work, but giving the look of work to again check out Sextus up close.
“Sadly you do not even know that I am here. I hope you win this fight gladiator. I hope to see you and find out who you are.”
“Attendant! Attendant! Away from him.” The Magistrate spoke over the speaker even though he could have spoken across the room to get her attention. Her back to the Magistrate he didn’t know she was looking over the top of her goggles to see him clearly. As she slid them back into place, Sextus’ eyes blinked repeatedly, over and over, with a tears coming out the side of each. They reddened quickly as his head twitched slightly. Even though full action virtual wasn’t activated there were always some involuntary impulses that told a story.
“You weep Sextus.”
As she stepped away, his eyes flashed open with a piercing gaze. Eyebrows stretched upwards, and his eyes as far open as possible. His pupils were dilated so big it appeared his whole eye was black.
“I don’t want to get in trouble, but to see his eyes. I wish I had a console nearby to see what he is doing. I’’ll have to watch the replay later. I’ll figure it out then.” she spoke to herself as she got back to her duties.
Chapter X
His eyes were finally clear. Sextus kept his wits, but knew that in himself his desire to live was greater than he thought it would be. The resignation to death was not as easy as the legends tell. Thankfully the small cloud of sand hadn’t bothered him too much. He blinked to clear his eyes. An image of a veteran Gladiator from years ago echoed in his mind. He heard the crowd in his ears disapproving of his female opponent. The crowds were theoretically sympathetic to a woman gladiator, as most cultures considered a woman physically weaker than a man, but today there was none.
A fighter had offered a weapon back to an opponent. Sextus offered an act of chivalry, not often seen in the Arena by the viewing crowd. When Sextus had stepped back, the crowd grew silent. The awe of the moment was significant. The move had been so unexpected to everyone who watched, even more so to those in the Control Room.
To see a woman gladiator given her weapon back awed the crowd. To have watched Melitta thrown sand into the chivalrous opponent’s eyes was despicable. Her fighting edge given back to her, and she acted like a school child on the playground with sand. She never acknowledged his generosity.
Melitta attacked with her sword, but Sextus even though partially blinded by the sand been able to successfully block it. She kept coming, kept attacking. He parried her attacks, and struck back with his shield. His shield attacks were fewer in number than hers, but his strength gave him an advantage. Her repeated attacks proved to be her disadvantage with each attack it had become evident. Phillip had spoken to Sextus often, ‘pace yourself, and you may win just because your opponent is tired, dead tired.’
Sextus was breathing hard and constantly talking to himself.
“Jump back. No you won’t! Here. Here.”
It was hard for him to concentrate on fighting a woman. The thought of Melitta not seeing her son again, rambled through his mind, only to be trampled by the thought of not seeing his own son, and Justina. In this Arena, he had to see her as an opponent out to kill not him, but his family. Grunts and groans came from both of them as they continued the fight. She attacked constantly, he defended with basic skill. To the untrained it looked as if Sextus was an experienced fighter waiting and fighting with an inexperienced foe. Melitta continued nervously attacking.
Melitta had attacked too often. She now out of breath and stamina had slipped away. Sextus too was winded, but had paced himself to wait for his moment of attack. The outcome of his first fight came not as he thought it would.
She stepped back, further and further, and with every step gave Sextus the better ground of the Arena again. He walked to the center and kept in mind the thought, ‘control the center’.
As in the beginning, she ran towards him at full pace, Sextus knew what to expect and readied himself to tumble backwards and send her flying over him again. Melitta though came in close and slid to cut his legs out from under him. Like an athlete sliding, her feet knocked his legs backwards causing him to lose balance. Her slide was too short though, and instead of causing his balance to fail, and delivering a blow; Sextus fell on top of her. His eyes had widened, his brows extended and he didn’t know what to do. Sextus hung in between the air and the ground, and although all this was virtual, the results were still real.
The full weight of Sextus came down on top of Melitta. His sword still in his defensive position and held to his side, sliced into her sternum with the full weight of his falling body. Her sword had been held up and sliced Sextus in the left side. Her cut a healable wound; His accidental stab deadly.
The attendants in the Control Room watched as a motionless male gladiator had his eyes wide open, with a single tear coming out of it. They saw a female gladiator who moments before had been in full action; her actions had been still in full action virtual mode was now motionless. Her eyes did not moving but were transfixed; her pupils and eyes would never move again.
Pain inducers had been a tremendous invention in the 22nd Century. Though they had been created to stimulate healing, it had been discovered when reversed they could stimulate and create pain and injury. The technical name was a P.A.I.N.System (Pain and Injury Neuro Systems.). It was fully accurate. The virtual sword had wounded Sextus, fatally wounded Melitta. The PAIN system inflicted the injury with precision. Blood slowly poured from the mouth of the dead warrior.
The crowds watched on communication devices, and screens around The Republic and cheered. A chivalrous warrior had succeeded, and fought with patience and cunning. Likes, salutes, and re-comments all through the communication systems of The Republic bounced around. The viewership was up as told by the scores that were tallied and computed. This game could achieve more than the Consul or Magistrate thought was possible. They had a hero for these games.
The phone next to the Magistrate rang. He picked the receiver up and answered, “Secretary of Games.”
“You have done well Secretary. Loved the action of him giving back the girl back her sword. Excellent touch.”
“Sextus did well, Consul. The sword falling was my manipulation. His giving it back to her, I didn’t see it coming. I expected him to kill her unarmed, as he is idealistic. I’ll have to consider that more next time. Totally unexpected, but the result was better than expected.”
The Consul interrupted, “He knows not to speak of arrangements and agreements?”
“He does, but we will reinforce that again.” the Secretary reminded the Consul. He got up from the Control Room Console and walked away from the hearing ears of attendants and technicians.
The Consul interrupted again, “I am taking care of his family. They can see him, while he is in the hospital, and then we will consider our options. We can pull his heart more
if he knows they are close. He must be ready for another Arena soon. He should have two more before absorption is enacted. Maybe three if it works for our favor.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. His only wound is minor, and he will not be in the hospital long.”
“Excellent. I stress again, make sure he doesn’t speak of our arrangement.” the Consul reiterated to his Secretary. “I will see him before his next contest.”
“Very good. I will have an attendant who I am assigning to be his personal nurse and attendant. She will be with him at all times during visits, and monitoring him 24 hours a day. She is good,” he snickered as he continued, “She is very good to me, and will report of what he does and anything he shouldn’t do.”
“That is your decision as to how. Just make sure he doesn’t.” the Consul didn’t wait for a response but hung his phone up.
The Magistrate walked back to the Console in the Control Room, and grabbed the microphone for the loud speaker. “Excellent fight and execution for our fifth match everyone. I will leave to oversee our sixth fight, prepare the gladiators here for our seventh.” The two attendants on his side walked with him to the other Control Room. The other Control Room was an exact mirror of this one. Keeping the populace distracted with games was a long endeavor for him and his staff.
Claudia walked over to Sextus to begin the process of transfer to the hospital ward. His wounds had already come up before her on her tablets. She knew too that Melitta had died in today’s fight. She knew not from a read out, but from watching the limp body as it was taken down. Sextus had gone limp also, not from the fight, but all gladiators were in a medically induced sleep upon the conclusion of a fight.
“Dear Sextus, you are asleep from the fight and maybe from exhaustion too. So happy will I be able to see you awake again.”” She touched his hand, and removed the stylus sword that his hand gripped. She had to pry them out of his hand.
The Magistrate came back to the door of the Control Room, “Claudia come here.”
“Yes, Sir Magistrate.”” She winked at him even though she was wearing goggles.
“I have a special duty for you. You will attend to Sextus, from this moment forward you will be with him 24 hours a day. You are to tell me everything he does or says. You understand.”
“Yes, Magistrate, but 24 hours…”
“I know Claudia. Pick one of your other attendants whom you know is trustworthy to help. You are assigned to him until the end of the games, and get two other attendants if you need them, but I can’t stress this enough. You must trust them, and you are responsible to report to me everything he says.”
“Yes Magistrate.” The smile on her lips was wide, and the look in her eyes gleaming. The mask and goggles hid her reaction from the Magistrate.
Turning back towards Sextus she said to Domitia, “Domitia, have I got an assignment for us!”
Chapter XI
Sextus woke up to the sound of movement. He took a deep breath as if he had come back from the dead. He groggily looked around and saw Claudia.
“Attendant… Nurse….” Sextus still waking looked around and saw a familiar face, “Claudia, where am I?”
“Gladiator you have done well. You were victorious today.” She smiled and continued, “You are in the hospital and have a slight wound.” She said these things to him as she handled the bandages on the cut on his left rib cage. He winced as she rewrapped it.
He knew the Arena wasn’t real, but the injuries were. He should know, Sextus had helped create the system of virtual arenas somewhat, but that had been ages ago in what he considered his youth before politics. Advancements had been made that he didn’t care to take note of over the years. It was knowledge he would have liked to have had now.
There were IV’s and monitors attached, and they were attached much not differently from the cables that were attached to him when he was preparing to go into the Arena. He wasn’t in the Arena anymore; he had survived and had some time left.
With an anxiousness she didn’t expect coming from Sextus, “Claudia, where is my wife and son. Are they safe?”
“Gladiator that is a strange thing to ask about, why wouldn’t they be?”
“Never mind that, where are they?” He hoped she didn’t know anything of his arrangement. “I want to see them.”
Claudia walked to the door and motioned to an orderly.
Sextus knew that his silence and his life was the only safety that could protect them. “I want to see…”
“MI.. uhm SEXTUS!” Justina cried as he ran to him and grabbed his hand. Her voice had corrected herself mid-sentence. He had made her promise to never use his given name, but the only name now he could be called that offered them protection. Only in private and with no one else around could Justina use his given name. From the time he had entered training, she hadn’t broken that vow although had come close at times as in this case.
On the other side of Sextus’ bed came his son. He was tall for his age and walked to the opposite side of the bed from his Mother.
“Dad, I’’m..” His voice broke. Young men weren’t supposed to cry in public. He wiped the tears away looking over his shoulder to see if the nurse was still in the room. The nurse was sitting in a chair and appeared to be watching the instruments monitoring his Dad. “I, I don’t care. I’’m so glad you are alive.”
“I am too son, so much more than you know.”
Claudia looked over the monitor to see Sextus, his wife, and son. In a room with tears of happiness, an outsider knew they weren’t welcome. Claudia looked back down to give them some privacy.
Justina stroked his face. Her eyes were not full of tears, but one did trickle down her face. She placed her face upon his chest and hugged him. Sextus could feel the wetness of her tear through his hospital gown. She had not watched the fight so she didn’t know of the wound. Sextus winced from her hug.
“Easy now Justina. Take it easy.”
“I’m so thankful Sextus…” her voice trailed off.
“Me too Justina. Thankful for today, and the time we have tonight. Claudia take a moment and meet my family. This is Claudia; she has been my nurse and attendant all day. Claudia meet my family. This is my wife Justina, and my son, Michael Edward Windsor, Jr.”
Claudia gasped when she heard that name. He told her more than she should have known with just the mention of that name. Claudia froze and looked up. “Nice to meet you too.” She starred at Sextus, not looking at the boy and woman. Her eyes focused upon his face.
Sextus knew his son’s name was not forbidden to speak, and used the opportunity to reveal his identity with this simple introduction. Claudia now knew who Sextus was.
Sextus knew exactly what he was doing here in this room now. “Claudia, my family will stay the night with me in this hospital room. Get them a couch or reclining chair to sleep on.”
“I don’t know if that’s possible.”
“Claudia, will The Republic withhold so simple from a victorious gladiator. I hope not.” He starred at Claudia and waited for her response.
“I will check on it, I should be able to arrange it. I will also have to stay the night to make sure you are healing. I, I, I think, I can make this happen.” She walked out of the room for a moment
Sextus waited for Claudia to be gone and spoke softly but forcefully in Justina’s ear. “Justina, we can’t talk, but there is much to say. Before my next fight you must leave The Republic...”
“I can’t…” Justina was interrupted as quickly as she spoke.
“Speak quiet and don’t talk, listen. We have tonight and maybe tomorrow, and then, I will fight again. I know that my days are numbered. I...”
“I just……” Justina was speaking in whispers and nodding.
“I don’t know when but I’ll fight again, and soon. When you leave here, you leave The Republic! Go to the Eastern Republic, but after this you leave!”
“I can’t…”
“Justina, do you love me and our son?
”
Her voice breaking, “Yes.”
“Then do it for that love, but you have to accept that I’m going to die, and if you don’t do what I ask I know you two will die as well.”
Claudia entered the room, “That will be arranged, but we will have to move you to a larger room to accommodate this. Also Domitia will be assisting me.”
“Thank you Claudia. I appreciate this. My wife and son do too.”
Sextus looked at the two of them and wondered what the future held. Today had been unsure, and the path he had been thrust in even more unsafe. The chances he held of surviving were slim; the prospect of his death seemed imminent. But tonight and maybe tomorrow he had this, the two people he loved in this room. He would have them here with him. He patted the bed on both sides to motion to the two of them to sit on the bed with him.
“I’ve waited all night for this moment.”
He regretted the death of Melitta, but that wasn’t avoidable. He regretted greater still the death of his idealism for The Republic. Those ideals had died today; the honor he thought existed in life was gone and in its place, a new passion… survival.
A note from Chris...
Thanks for purchasing “Sextus’ Sacrifices’! I hope you have enjoyed this first book (novella) in the ‘Arena Series’.
