Of Minds and Masters

by Paul Ormond

  He walked past several holding cells that had been packed with protestors. People banged on the glass as he walked past, but he didn’t bother looking over. He arrived at the final door at the end of the hallway and scanned his pass one more time. The room was dark, save for two video monitors and a large window which looked in on the barren interrogation room. Robert could see Drak slumped across the table. Another guard stood up as Robert walked in. “You can wait outside,” Robert said as the guard attempted to salute him. “My friend and I have something that we need to discuss in private.”

  “Of course, sir,” the guard said as he stood up and left the room. The door slid shut behind him with a soft whoosh and Robert was left alone in the room. He looked through the glass for a moment and then touched his pass on the panel next to the door. The door slid open and Robert was immediately taken aback by a terrible smell in the room.

  “Whoa, did you piss yourself or something?” Robert asked while holding his nose. The door slid shut behind him and he saw Drak lift his head and glance at him before laying back down again.

  “Still doing the whole strong silent type thing are we? Well, let me tell you something right now,” Robert said as he sat down at the table opposite Drak. “You’ve got about 24 more hours before your plight gets a lot worse. I’m going to hand you over to our big metal friends and I’ll wash my hands of you for good. That is, unless you are willing to help me,” Robert asked with a bemused smile on his lips.

  “Do as you please. I will not help you,” Drak said with his head still on the table.

  “As you like, but, just know that I can make all of this go away and then we can work together. Do you think that I want to be a slave? I have been working on a plan for some time now that will bring down the Masters. You can help me, but you need to cooperate,” Robert said trying to sound benevolent.

  “I never trust you with anything,” Drak said.

  “Suit yourself, but I’ll let you know something else,” Robert said as he got up. “Your friend Mitch and I have been getting along wonderfully. I’m going to see him in a couple of minutes and we’re going to play together in a little game that I made up. The whole world will be watching and you can watch too. This window can act as a TV screen as well. You’ll get to see me toying with our pal Mitch. I’m going to go after him with everything I’ve got, and when I’m finished with him they won’t be calling him #epiccrotchshot boy anymore. I imagine it will be something more like: “accomplice to a terrorist,” or “dangerous anarchist,” or something along those lines. Either way, it’s going to be a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy watching me bring down your friend.”

  Drak had grown enraged while Robert was speaking. “You are evil and you will pay for it,” Drak said through gritted teeth.

  “Oh yeah, who’s gonna stop me? I gave you a chance to save yourself, but there you go again acting all virtuous. I’m the sanest actor here, Drak. I can see the reality of the situation and I’m making the most out of it,” Robert said. “Enjoy the game. I’m going to have a blast taking apart your friend.”

  Robert stepped to the door and scanned his pass while Drak glared at him. “Don’t look at me like that. Your people did the same thing and they are much better off now than they were before the Masters came, despite what you think,” Robert said as he slid the door shut. He laughed to himself as he walked over to the control panel underneath the window. He pressed a few buttons and the one way window suddenly became an opaque screen. A view of the main dome became visible on the glass. The place was absolutely packed and lights and music flooded the space. Two announcers could be seen talking in front of the crowd.

  “It’s a full house tonight and the excitement is at a fever pitch here in the main dome of the mindHIve convention in KingsFord. What will Robert Chapman serve up for us next?” one announcer asked.

  “That’s a great question, Bill. They have been hyping it hard for the last 24 hours. Are we about to witness the birth of a new and exciting sport or is this going to be some kind of publicity stunt? It looks like we’re about to find out. The teams appear to be entering the dome,” the other announcer said. Both the red and blue teams could be seen floating into the dome with their inReals engaged from opposite sides of the dome. They waved to the audience as they approached the dome. Upon seeing the players entering the dome a roar lit up the crowd. The camera panned over the players and a despondent-looking Mitch Mythic could be seen among the blue team.

  “Almost time for my grand entrance,” Robert said while smiling to himself.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  A heavy din filled the entire dome and the air was ripe with anticipation. Mitch was making his way towards the blue players’ bench when the music began to play. The audience cheered in approval as the overhead lights darkened and a kaleidoscope of color cascaded over the crowd. The orb at the center of the room was the source of the colorful display and it pulsed rhythmically with the music.

  There was a moment of silence and then a voice filled the dome. “Ladies and Gentlemen and kids of all ages. We would like to welcome you all to a historic event. Are you ready to be see the future?” the voice boomed. The audience responded with a definitive “yes,” followed by an ear-splitting cheer. “You are all about to witness the first ever game of inReal ball. This game may prove to be the future of sport as we know it. Let me introduce the man who invented this sport. He really is a man that needs no introduction. He is the reason we are all here at this convention and he is perhaps one of the greatest innovators alive today. Everybody put your hands together once again for Robert Chapman,” the voice boomed again. The audience exploded with cheer and applause and everybody rose to their feet. After a few moments the roar abated and the entire dome went dark, save for the glow of the orb at the center of the room.

  Suddenly, at the top of the dome, a burst of flame caught everybody’s attention. A chariot of light rocketed down from the top of the dome and the crowd leapt to their feet again as they saw Robert Chapman standing at the helm of the chariot that passed in front of the audience. Robert beamed at the crowd as he circled towards the base of the orb. A special landing place had been assigned for the chariot to the side of the sphere and he carefully aimed the glowing vehicle towards its final resting place. He waved to his onlookers with his left hand and he used his right hand to drive the chariot. The chariot was, of course, powered using inReal and Robert guided it using simple hand gestures. As the chariot neared its landing pad, Robert raised his hand and made a stop gesture. He then pushed his hand towards the ground and the chariot lowered itself down.

  Robert jumped out of the chariot and waved to the crowd again. The roar of approval was deafening and he bowed towards the audience, clasping his hands together in appreciation. He repeated the motion several times as he circled the main generator below the orb. He finally came to a full stop and extended his hands out over his head. The audience became silent once more. He slowly crossed his hands over his chest and activated his inReal. He rose up into the air and the crowd cheered again.

  “I can’t tell you how happy I am right now in this moment,” Robert said and his voice was projected throughout the dome. “This is an incredible moment in human history and all of you are about to witness the truly awe inspiring power of inReal. What better way, might I add, than to display the power of this bold new technology through sport,” Robert said and the crowd roared in approval. “This is a brand new game that the MindHIve security team and I invented. There are a lot of people that deserve to be recognized for their contributions to the game, but we can get to that later. Is everybody ready to see something incredible?” The crowd was, once again, brought to their feet by Robert’s overture.

  “Well, let’s get to it then,” Robert said. “Before we get started, let’s just make a few things clear. The object of the game is to put the ball into the other team’s net. You can see two glowing cubes positioned opposite each other at the edge of the sphere. These cubes are the goals
. This is a concept that we are all familiar with, right? So no further explanation is needed there. While any type of contact is allowed, the referee will determine what constitutes FairPlay. Any violations will result in a penalty and the offender will be sent to the “sin bin,” shame!” Robert said as he looked out at the audience and laughed at his own joke before he continued. “There is one other thing that we would like to introduce to you and it is something of a novel idea. Your response to the actual play of the game will have an impact on how the game is played. The orb, within which we shall play this game, will respond with color to your reactions. Therefore, the way in which you cheer shall be reflected back upon you by the color of the orb itself. This is very exciting stuff and we are using top notch technology to achieve this. So, just know that your mood and reaction will have a direct impact on the game,” Robert said as the crowd roared its approval.

  “So, are you all ready for some inReal ball?” Robert shouted and the crowd roared their approval once again. “Alright, let’s get this party started.”

  The crowd rose to their feet as the red and blue teams began to enter into the orb.

  “I’m just as excited as all of you are about this game. As you can see, I’ll be playing for the red team and we are pleased to have the home town hero, #epiccrotchshot boy himself, Mitch Mythic playing for the blue team,” Robert said. He was met with another swell of applause. “The blue team will be captained by Lieutenant Jordan Davis, a retired Navy seal and a decorated veteran. And the Red team is captained by Special Agent Natalie Babcock, formerly with the CIA. Let’s give them a hand, as well as all of the other members of the MindHIve security forces who have worked hard to keep us all safe during this wonderful event,” Robert said as the crowd cheered.

  “I think I’ve talked enough. Let’s get started,” Robert said amidst the roar of the crowd. He donned his helmet and slowly circled the orb as he rose up towards the entrance. He saluted the crowd several times before he went through the opening at the bottom of the sphere.

  Mitch hovered among the blue players as they prepared to start the game. He watched Robert Chapman pandering to the crowd. A scowl spread across his face as he watched the tyrannical CEO enter the dome.

  “Stay in your place and follow my instructions, Mythic. I don’t want to see any hot-dogging like I saw earlier. You got me?” Davis said as he pushed past Mitch at the entrance of the orb.

  “I’ll try my best,” Mitch said as he followed the rest of the blue team into the orb.

  “Everybody get into position. Let’s stick to our game plan and everything should go well,” Davis shouted as the blue and red teams took their positions. Mitch had listened to Davis’s game plan in the dressing room and it seemed to him that Davis was planning to lose the game. Their entire strategy was to sit back and let the red team attack. They had no plans for offense or any idea about how to score.

  “Stay in your positions and play your game,” Davis said. “They may have the bigger guns, but if we work together, we can shut them down.”

  The referee coasted to the center of the orb, carrying the ball of light in his hand. He was encased in a purple orb and the game information could be seen displayed across its surface. He blew into a device on his fingers and a shrill whistle echoed around the dome. The whistle was accompanied by a distinct color change across the orb. The massive dome had transformed from a soft blue to a vivid green as soon as the referee blew his whistle. The players looked around for a second and then took their positions. The referee placed the ball of light at the center of the sphere. Davis came forward from the blue side and Babcock came forward from the red side. Around the ball was a translucent boundary line and both players stopped at flashing markers that indicated where they should line up. They readied themselves and when the referee blew his whistle the boundary disappeared. Both players charged at the ball and the crowd cheered madly. The game was on.

  Mitch stayed on the edge as he was told and watched the action unfolding. The blue team was sticking to Davis’s game plan and they formed a defensive line as a red player shot towards the blue goal with the ball. Two blue players immediately attacked him and they knocked the ball of light away. Babcock swooped in and batted the ball upwards and across the dome to Robert. The blue defenders were out of position and Robert had a clear shot at the net. Mitch watched him saunter towards the goal from his wing position. There was no way Mitch was going to let him walk in and score just like that. He darted in behind Robert and as the CEO raised his arm to strike the ball, Mitch lifted his paddle and stole the ball. Robert turned around and Mitch saw his face change from confusion to rage as he saw Mitch swat the ball to another blue player.

  “You wanna play that way huh, Mitch?” Robert shouted at Mitch as he darted away. The blue team was on the move and Mitch joined in on the attack. Robert was hot on his heels, but the older man had a tough time keeping up with Mitch. Much like the other MindHIve players, Robert moved in a more linear fashion and Mitch found that he was able to easily outpace him as he shot into the attacking zone. The blue players were met by a formidable defensive unit as they tried to gain the zone. Red players shot out and attacked the blue ball carrier, but instead of trying to dodge the attack, the blue player simply whacked the ball into the red zone.

  Mitch saw the ball shoot into the other end. The ball went up above the goal, it bounced off of the sphere and then slowly drifted downwards. From his position, Mitch was the closest to the ball and he didn’t hesitate to race after it. He could hear Robert and the other red players coming at him. As he scooped the ball up, he saw a wall of defenders descending upon him. He pushed to the left and then instinctively pushed up and away so he could get some space between himself and the defenders. He looked for someone to pass to, but the blue players had fallen back to their defensive positions. He saw the red players coming in to attack him. Without the support of his teammates there wasn’t much he could do. More red players joined in on the attack and Mitch found himself surrounded by the opposition.

  “What are you gonna do, Mitch?” Robert sneered. “We got you surrounded. Now why don’t you just cough it up so we don’t have to beat it out of you,” the other players laughed. Mitch steeled his eyes and looked directly at Robert.

  “You think I’m just gonna roll over?” he said as he readied himself to whack the ball.

  “That’s the idea. You’re out of your league here. Do you think you can beat me at my own game?” Robert shouted out.

  “That’s right. I’m a kid and I’ve played a lot of your games,” Mitch said and he hit the ball as hard as he could right at Robert. He raised his paddle to block the ball and it deflected up and to the left. Mitch shot up after it as the red players looked around stunned. Mitch quickly caught the ball and he was past the defenders. He raced towards the net. Behind him, he could hear the red players coming after him. He only had the goalkeeper to beat and as he neared the net the keeper charged out at him. Mitch smashed the ball past the keeper and into the cube shaped net. A loud horn went off in the dome and the crowd jumped to their feet.

  “Ladies and gentleman, we have just witnessed the first goal in a game of inReal and it was scored by #epiccrothcshot boy himself - Mitch Mythic!” An announcer said over the PA. The crowd began to chant “CrotchShot, CrotchShot,” as the blue players charged towards Mitch and congratulated him. Davis was among them and he scowled at Mitch for a second. “Nice shot, but this game ain’t over yet. Stay in your position. You don’t wanna get burned,” Davis said.

  “I’ll try, but that was almost too easy,” Mitch said as they made their way back to the blue end.

  “Well, you pissed them off now. Chapman ain’t the kind of guy to let something like that pass lightly. You better keep your head up cause they’re gonna be gunning for you,” Davis said coldly.

  “Well, let’s just hope that my teammates have my back should anything go down,” Mitch snapped back.

  “Stick with the team and we’ll have your back
, but if you think you can go it alone you’ve got another thing coming, Mythic,” Davis said as he got ready to face off again.

  Mitch went back to the wing again. He laughed to himself. He hadn’t felt that good in a long time. Maybe he didn’t stand a chance against them in a fight, but he could certainly show them a few moves that they hadn’t figured out yet. He watched as the face-off was taking place. Robert had decided that he would take the face off instead of his captain and he entered the slot and squared off against Davis.

  Robert Chapman was actually a pretty big guy and he seemed to be in good shape for a CEO. He fit right in with the brutish looking thugs that made up the MindHIve security team. The referee blew the whistle and Robert charged at the ball. Even from a distance, Mitch could see the anger and intensity in his eyes. Mitch watched as Robert slammed into Davis and wrestled the ball away from him. Robert slapped the ball to Babcock who had lined up against Mitch. Mitch gulped as he saw the lean looking woman catch the ball. He hovered there uncertain of what to do as a wave of red uniforms charged towards him.

  The blue defenders came forward to meet the onslaught of red and Mitch was caught up in the midst of a chaotic clash of bodies. Grunts and hollers could be heard everywhere while the roar of the crowd engulfed the action, driving the players into a deeper frenzy. Mitch reached out to try and stop Babcock as the red players attempted to pound their way through the blue defense, but he was blindsided by a charging Robert Chapman. He hit Mitch full force with his shoulder and Mitch instantly felt the wind get knocked out of him. Robert held onto him for a second as they plummeted towards the bottom of the dome.

  “Do you really think you’re fooling anyone, Mythic?” Robert said as he released Mitch at the bottom of the dome. Robert pushed off of Mitch and he rocketed back to the action above. He gave Mitch a knowing look as he shot away. Mitch winced with pain as he righted himself. He looked up just in time to see a red player knock the ball into the blue goal. The dome lit up again and the crowd roared its approval sending waves of color cascading across the sphere.