Circus Escape

by Lilliana Rose

  Sweat glistened on her skin and a fine layer of dust dampened the color of her dress, but Nessie felt more alive than ever. She was busting for the fight with Sally and Cate to start. Bring it on, ladies. Bring it on.

  *~*~*

  Joy exited from the arena feeling exhilarated. She went down back through the tunnel to wait in the garage until the call for the fight with Beli.

  Sally had moved well, but the front legs were a little slow, and Joy wanted to have a look at the electrics. She had the time; it would be a bit tricky now that Sally was fully started and couldn't be turned off and restarted without overheating the electronics.

  "Good work, ladies," said Jim, his voice cracking into her ear through the communicator system.

  "You nearly stepped on me, Joy," said Daisy, Beli's Operator.

  "Not my fault your mecha is so close to the ground," answered Joy.

  "Yeah well, you don't want to do any damage before the fight, so watch it," said Daisy.

  "Worried about losing?" Joy navigated Sally back into the garage and turned her around so she was ready to simply scurry out when it was time for the big fight.

  "Not as much as you should be."

  "Hey, I follow instructions, just like you do." The reminder didn't sit well with Joy. She had a fight with Daisy first; that one she could win, but it was the fight she had to lose against Kris that caused the bile to rise in her stomach. That was the main fight of the night. The fight everyone remembered.

  She wrenched the communicator from her ear, no longer wanting to hear their chatter. I will do as I'm told, but I won't like it. Joy moved the communicator over the electronics, right in the position that would send feedback through it and give them a brief earache. "Idiots."

  Joy got down from Sally. "Get the electrics testing unit. Quick."

  "Here, ma'am." Oren handed her a small electric device. "I thought Sally looked great out there."

  "Let's see if we can get her working a bit better for the fight. We've got a performance to put on." Great wasn't good enough. If she was going to lose, then she wanted Sally's impression on people to be better than great. Spectacular was what she wanted. Or amazing.

  The test didn't show anything. Even though Joy tried different options, the results were the same. Everything was optimal.

  "You're up soon, ma'am. Daisy is wanting your guts for garters and hasn't shut up about you nearly squashing her," said Oren.

  "Yeah well, that's what happens to beetles," answered Joy. She wriggled out from underneath the main body and stood up, her cream dress skirt now spotted with patches of grime.

  "She'll be alright. She's a beauty and that's all because of you."

  "I want it to be perfect." She wiped her hands on a cloth he held out.

  "Not in this business. That's what you tell me." He held out a bottle of water for her.

  She resisted the urge to hit him and took the bottle. "Yeah, but ya don't have to tell me back."

  "Sorry, ma'am."

  "Have we been given the go ahead?"

  "In five."

  "Right." She drank half the water and handed the bottle back. Joy wanted to get out and get fighting. Get the fight over with Beli Beetle so she could be one step closer to giving Kris a little scare. Kris might have to win, but I have a few tricks to rock her world.

  Joy got back into the Operating seat, strapped herself in and got ready. Not long now. She put the communicator back in her ear.

  "Start walking out, Joy," said Jim.

  Joy moved Sally forward. Tons of metal vibrated power and strength with each step and thundered into Joy's muscles as if the two of them were joined.

  "Let's make this one quick, shall we?" Joy said.

  "In your freakin' dreams," answered Daisy.

  The gate opened slowly, letting in the bright lights of the arena. Sally scurried out. Joy was ready. "Oh, I'm not dreaming today, so you better wake up."

  The two mecha insects faced off in the centre.

  Joy swiped her front legs forward and cut off Beli's feelers.

  "Oi, leave my machine in one piece."

  "Afraid of a little fight, are we?" Joy scurried to the side to avoid the beetle's charge. It smashed into the wall behind them, causing the crowd above to scream and the rest of the audience to holler with excitement.

  "Bring it on, Daisy. Bring it on. This one's mine."

  "Only because I say so. Stop doing so much damage to Beli," yelled Jim.

  His voice caused Joy's blood to boil. No pleasing him. "Can't help it."

  "You can. Now win without giving me a large reconstruction debt."

  "Sure thing, boss," said Joy. She was going to enjoy this fight and the next. Repairs were to be expected. If she had to put up with a fixed fight, then she was going to have some fun and flex Sally's ability.

  Sally and Beli faced off against each other again. "Ready, Daisy?"

  Joy went forward to finish off the beetle.

  *~*~*

  After enduring a series of fights between old mechas, Nessie hadn't lost any of her enthusiasm for wanting to see Sally in action. And Joy too. If anything, she was almost bursting for Sally to come back out into the arena.

  Nessie had every faith Joy would win, as represented by the piece of paper in her purse.

  Come on. It must be time now. Nessie had watched as Sally Spider crushed Beli Beetle. The fight had only been a starter, and she wanted the main meal. She fidgeted in her seat.

  "Come on," yelled the man next to her. The mecha emu had come out on the stage again, but this time it was met with booing and rude comments that made Nessie's ears burn. A few empty cans had been hurled at the mecha. Security had come out in force, but that hadn't made a difference. People wanted the fight. Now.

  "Bring out the real machines," yelled a woman nearby.

  Nessie leant forward and gripped the metal railing. She agreed with them.

  "Bring out Sally," she screamed with a force that she hadn't even known existed inside of her. Realizing she'd just behaved like a lout, she went to apologise, but no one paid her any attention and were chanting Sally's name.

  "Sally, Sally, Sally." On the offbeat some yelled "Cate." The emu hissed and flapped his wings, looking rather lost in the arena and then ran out. People cheered. The real fight was about to start.

  "For the main fight of the night."

  Nessie could barely hear the voice through the speaker. Her ears were ringing from all the noise of people shouting around her.

  "Sally Spider."

  Nessie held her breath as Sally scurried into the arena. She looked fresh. Beli barely scratched her. Cate won't get much of a chance either. She tightened her grip on the railing, steadying herself as Sally marched past. Nessie blew a kiss to Sally and Joy. Good luck, ladies.

  Sally paused in front of her, moved her front leg in a wave-like movement. Nessie blew another kiss, this one for Joy only.

  "Win," she yelled. Her word lost in the multitude of voices around her. "Win," she yelled again.

  Sally continued moving around the edge of the circle, revving the crowd into a frenzy of excitement. There was plenty of anticipation pulsing through Nessie as she leaned back for a moment to catch her breath. The thought of Joy, a woman who got to be with the mechas all the time, was exhilarating. All the things she wished to do. But there was something else. Ever since she'd put her arms around Joy's waist on the steambike an internal circuit had been completed, and she was drawn to Joy in a deep unexplainable way. For the first time, she knew that while she was ecstatic about the fight, she couldn't wait to see Joy again and kiss her again—plus a few other things, but they would have to wait until much later. That was, if Joy had the same attraction to her.

  "Sally!" Nessie jumped up to get a better view as the Crab rushed into the ring, snapping its front claws. A knot formed in Nessie's stomach like a piece of metal had thudded into her.

  The big screen flashed between images of the mechas and the crowd, but everyone was watching th
e arena and the mechas instead of the screens. Flares had been lit on the other side of the arena, banners were waved high, and the security, with their blue and red lights flashing on their helmets, rushed to put a dampener on things and settle down the crowd's energy.

  "Fight, fight, fight."

  Sally and Cate kept moving around the ring. Nessie held her breath. They faced off each other in the centre.

  "Winner takes all."

  Calmness shivered through the crowd as they waited to see who would start. Who would inflict the first damage? The crowd watched closely, not wanting to miss one second of the real-time performance.

  Nessie's hand moved to her throat and she kept the other on the railing to stop herself from falling over. She felt as if she was about to burst from the excitement palpitating through her body.

  In a flash, it started. It was so quick Nessie missed it even though she was looking straight at the mechas. She gasped as she watched the aftermath. Sally fell sideways from a single blow. The mechas moved fast now that the real fighting had begun. Nessie blinked. Cate now stood over Sally, a leg in one of her claws. She was ready to clamp down.

  "No! No! No!" Nessie screamed. Those beautiful legs.

  Cate's claws closed. Sally's severed leg tumbled to the ground, sparking electricity from the cords poking out. Nessie screamed, long and hard, the sound ripping out of her throat as if she'd been the one whose leg had been severed.

  Cate picked up another of Sally's legs.

  "Nooooo!" Nessie yelled, her blood rushing from her head and collecting in her toes, leaving her lightheaded. She couldn't take much more of this. She swayed on her feet.

  "Ya all right, Miss?" asked the man next to her. He didn't wait for an answer before turning back to the delight in the centre of the arena.

  Nessie nodded. Swayed. I will not … She fell backwards into her seat as if she simply had to sit down right there and then.

  *~*~*

  "Told you this would be easy."

  Kris's voice irritated Joy. "I'm only losing on instruction. You wouldn't beat me in a real fight."

  "Yeah right, you keep telling yourself that," said Kris.

  Cate's other claw clamped closed and severed another leg. Joy cursed.

  "Language," said Jim.

  Joy repeated the swear words a few more times as she pulled at levers and pressed buttons, trying to get out from under the Crab. But she just couldn't get enough power. It didn't help that she had now lost two legs and leaked electricity.

  "Come on baby, not like this." She said to Sally. Not like this. You did so much better in the practice sessions. She tried to flip Sally back on her feet, but Cate pushed her back down to the ground.

  Kris laughed.

  Joy's eyes flooded with hot water. Come on. Just one punch.

  The hydraulics inside Sally strained against the weight of the Crab. Just a little more.

  "I don't think next time Jim will have to tell you to lose a fight. I don't think you have it in you to win," said Kris.

  Joy mumbled obscenities at Kris while trying to concentrate on holding the lever in place to prevent Sally from powering down. Sally shook under the strain.

  "Don't break your machine now." Kris moved Cate's claws to pick up another leg. She was enjoying snipping off the spider's legs way too much.

  Joy put her weight behind the lever while she moved the legs, sending them in a chaotic wave. It stopped any more legs from being cut off—for the moment.

  Kris made the claw slam down on Sally's body, the movement almost knocking the breath out of Joy, tossing her around in the seat like a sideshow ride out of control. Her head crashed into the console as the responses built into the chair struggled to keep up with the rapid and unexpected movement. A sharp pain exploded in her head and a warmth trickled down the side of her face. She lost the purchase on the lever. The hydraulics began to power down.

  No, you don't. She pushed forward to reach the lever before too much power was lost.

  "Good work, Joy. Now let Kris finish things," said Jim. The words fired into her ear through the communicator. A fire flared inside of her. No!

  This wasn't why she had been working so hard for all these years. She hadn't sacrificed relationships or being close to her family to be taken advantage of when she had put her own sweat and tears into Sally Spider. She wasn't about to roll over and be squashed. She deserved to win. Sally Spider deserved to win.

  Come on baby, let's show them who is the real winner here. She pressed the driving stick forward and tried to jump Sally back on her feet. But Kris was ready and pushed her back down.

  "I'm not letting you go anywhere. So stop wasting power and take the loss on the chin." Kris's words fuelled the change of heart in Joy. She wasn't about to turn her chin for Kris or for Jim. She'd take the consequences later, but now she wasn't going to lose without fighting. Really fighting.

  Cate's claws scrapped down the back of Sally, sending sparks into the air and the crowd into a screaming frenzy. Joy's hand, slipping with sweat, struggled to keep purchase on the lever. A claw slammed down on the exoskeleton of the Spider's back, sending heavy shockwaves through Joy. She lost her grip and her head spun from the previous injury. Bile rose to her mouth, and for a moment she closed her eyes.

  "Good girl," said Kris.

  The wave of nausea passed. Joy swallowed a mouthful of bile. She opened her eyes to see Kris moving Cate around to urge the crowd on.

  Joy wasted no time. She wacked the lever up, pressed hard on the throttle, and pushed forward. Get up. She willed Sally to do what she wanted. Please, get up.

  Sally's body shook violently with the strain and lack of power needed to stand up. Joy's body vibrated too, but she kept the throttle on and didn't take her hand off the lever.

  Cate began to turn back around.

  "Now!" Joy screamed. Sally lunged upwards with only six legs. She struggled to keep her balance.

  "Yes!" Joy flicked through the levers and switches like a mad woman righting the Spider's balance so more of the weight was at the front, which meant that she wouldn't be able to do her strike pose. But she had something else in mind.

  "You're making this worse for yourself," said Kris, raising Cate's claws.

  "What are you doing?" yelled Jim.

  "Winning." Joy smiled to herself. "I've got a little surprise for you both."

  A series of razors moved out of the six remaining legs. Then Joy made Sally move around in a circle, getting faster and faster. "You've all heard of a spinning spider. The Golden Orb."

  Joy moved Sally forward. Razors sharp enough to cut metal moved out from each leg, one after the other as Sally spun around. Joy began to feel dizzy and her head throbbed, but she kept her Spider on course.

  Spinning towards Cate.

  One claw dropped to the ground and then the other spun away as the razors shaved their way towards the body of the crab.

  *~*~*

  Air fanned around Nessie's face. Hot air, tainted with exhaust fumes and dust. The inside of her nostrils burned. Her awareness pulled away from the darkness, slowly. "What happened?"

  A man fanned his hat over her face. "You missed the best fight."

  Nessie groaned. She felt like she'd been steamrolled and her head had been fogged with steam. Then she remembered. Sally on the ground. Her legs being snipped off.

  "Sally?" She sat forward. Her stomach contracted and she swallowed hard.

  The man whistled. "Now that is some mecha beauty. I'm going to back that one in the future. A spider winning? Who ever thought that a spider would beat a crab?"

  "She won?" Nessie asked, her hand on her head and her eyes squinted closed against the throb in her mind.

  "Won?" The man let out a loud whoop. "She more than bloody won! Take a look." He helped Nessie to stand.

  Nessie sighed in relief as she saw Joy standing on top of Sally waving to the crowd. Cate Crab was a gutted mess. Kris kicked at the broken metal parts of Cate lying in the dirt.

&
nbsp; "Joy." Nessie smiled. She did it. Then she fainted once more, this time missing the seat behind her.

  *~*~*

  "Easy now." A nurse rushed over to Nessie's side to help her sit up. "Ya had a nasty fall."

  Nessie groaned as the throb in her head set in like a winter's storm. She groaned again as she flopped back into the pillows. The tent was a small first aid area, and Nessie lay on the only bed. The floor was a dusty tarpaulin and a simple gas lamp hung from the ceiling. There was some light outside still creeping in through the cracks, but it was edged with red in the last light of the day.

  "I'm OK," said Nessie, her breath short from the exertion.

  "I'm sure ya are, but ya better stay here for a bit. I don't want ya to be brought back on a stretcher." She waved her finger at Nessie in warning.

  "No, no. Of course, no." Nessie moved trying to find a more comfortable position. Sally had won. Which meant that she had winnings to collect, and Joy was expecting her to turn up. Joy. She had to go and see Joy. She swung her legs over the side of the bed.

  "No, you don't."

  "Excuse me, but I have a very important date with a young woman, and I don't want to keep her waiting," said Nessie. The spin of the world slowed as she paused at the edge of the bed. The nurse tut-tutted at Nessie, but didn't stop her from getting up.

  Nessie's back ached, making it difficult to move. But she didn't let that stop her. She wanted to see Joy, but first the winnings. She'd feel much more comfortable with the money back in her purse.

  Nessie brushed down her skirt, making sure that it hung neatly. "Thank you, ma'am."

  "Ya better take it easy, girl. Don't wanna see ya back 'ere." She glared at Nessie.

  Nessie simply nodded her head in acknowledgment and walked out.

  *~*~*

  "You're done. Finished. I own you now," Jim yelled. He paced angrily back and forth near where a damaged Sally Spider was parked in the garage. "What were you thinking?"

  Joy kept her mouth closed. She wasn't about to say anything. She'd never seen Jim this angry. She expected him to rant a little, but not this eruption of anger.

  "No, don't tell me." He ran his hands though this dark hair. "I don't want to know what goes on in that crazy head of yours."