I launch myself toward the open duct and my chest slams against the ledge. For a moment, the only thing keeping me from falling back down is Dean’s strength. My feet slip against the metal as they try to find grip before I’m able to press them against the back wall and push myself forward.
I lean against the cool metal of the duct, gasping for air. “We did it,” I manage to say between breaths.
Dean crawls backward through the duct until we come to a section where four ducts converge. I pull up the hologram of the ship and find the route that will take us to the control room.
“Do you want to lead or me?” I ask.
Dean backs into one of the other ducts and motions me forward. “Just don’t fart in my face, please.”
The metal thunders around us with every movement we make. I try to crawl faster in the hopes of making it to the control room before anything notices our presence.
We’re not so lucky.
The metal ducts wobble around us as some monstrosity approaches. It’s impossible to know where the creature is because the ventilation shaft in front of us splits into a T about twenty yards ahead. I imagine some deformed snake slithering through the vents.
I grip my screwdriver and wait for the creature to reveal itself.
Dean taps me on my calf. “Slide over. I want to see.”
I scoot to the left, giving Dean a view as we wait anxiously. Whatever we’re waiting on, it moves slowly. The metal pops and echoes, growing louder by the second. The duct at the intersection sags slightly, revealing the monster’s location.
I take a deep breath, wishing I had anything better than a screwdriver to fight with.
The metal pops again and a small pink bunny hops into view. Its head turns in our direction, revealing a gray horn protruding from its head and dark red eyes looking at us with curiosity.
Something is off. The duct sinks around the bunny like it weighs hundreds of pounds.
It hops toward us and the entire structure feels like it could collapse at any moment. The helmet AI analyzes the bunny, but it only leaves me more confused.
Foreign Lifeform. Nimbus Dragon. The nimbus dragon travels through space and time, feeding off of energy-rich planets. Nimbus dragons are incredibly dense and often polymorph into local fauna to avoid suspicion as they drain planets of their vital aura.
You’ve got to be kidding me. We’re trapped in a ventilation shaft with a dragon capable of destroying planets that just so happens to be in the shape of a pink bunny.
“Back up,” I whisper.
Maybe if we can get out of sight, then the dragon-bunny will go on its merry way.
Dean squirms backward and I do the same. The ruby red eyes of the nimbus dragon stare at us as we go. It sits back on its haunches and wiggles its nose before rubbing one tiny paw against its eyes.
The bunny raises its nose into the air, as if sniffing our scent, and I swear it licks its lips before taking a step forward. The metal sinks and the pop echoes all around us.
“What’s going on? Is it chasing us?” Dean’s voice is high-pitched once again.
The bunny takes another step, sending another resounding echo.
“No, it’s just slowly walking toward us,” I lie. It could have been my imagination, but I’m pretty sure this cute little dragon wants to eat us.
“Well, do something. We’re sitting ducks here.”
I could be wrong and the dragon isn’t dangerous at all, but I’d rather not take any chances. Dean’s right, and there’s no way we’re escaping while trapped in these vents. If only there was some way to weaken the ducts so that the dragon’s weight could dislodge it.
The dragon takes another step and I know that if I don’t act, we’re going to be screwed. I scan the inside of the ducts for anything I can unscrew, but there’s nothing. It must all be fixed from the exterior.
“Dean, hand me the hammer.” I extend my hand behind me and he places it in my hand.
The dragon continues its slow prowl toward us. I take the screwdriver in one hand and smash the hammer into the butt of the handle. A dent forms in the metal and a second hit punctures through. The bunny cocks its head before taking another step.
I move the screwdriver and smash it with the hammer again, this time harder. It pierces the thin metal of the duct in one hit this time. Quickly, I form an X pattern with holes and continue to slide backward.
The bunny hops again, causing the entire shaft to shake. We continue to back up until we’re almost back to the intersection. The bunny stops and shifts its head from side to side. It looks like it’s about to turn and walk away when I take the hammer and throw it.
The bunny turns and screeches, and for a moment, the shadowy silhouette of a dragon shrouds the bunny, revealing a spectral image of its true form. The dragon lowers its head, teeth bared as it roars in our direction. Shadowy flames brush against me, surprisingly cool against my skin.
The shadow disappears and the bunny hops toward us quickly, the metal creaking with each jump. It hits the hole-marked X and loud snaps echo as the metal rips from hole to hole. The bunny sinks through the ventilation and falls to the floor below.
The hole in the duct is only about a foot wide, so I creep back over and peek through.
Down below, a black dragon speckled with spots of purple, blue, and white thrashes back and forth. As it moves, the scales give off the appearance of a galaxy. Black flames pour from its mouth, setting aflame everything in sight.
“We need to go!” I shout, scurrying like a cornered rodent down the shaft.
Our movement echoes around me as we make our way to the end and take a right. With the apex predator out of the way, I don’t dally. I follow the guide until we’re over the control room.
I have to kick several times before the screws give way and the vent opens.
We lower ourselves from the vent and drop into the control room. “Complete” flashes across my vision and suddenly I’m looking at the scene in third person—as if hovering above the room watching myself and Dean as we remove the skeletons from their stations and take control of the ship.
Dean presses a few buttons, and I slide a lever. The ship jumps into hyperspace, and all I see are stars.
Chapter Sixteen
We materialize back in the whiteness of The Vacuum.
Dean wraps his arms around me, squeezing tightly. “We did it! We made it through the first stage.”
He smiles broadly before releasing me and taking a step back, as if suddenly realizing what he’s done. He looks around to see if anyone saw him, but the other contestants are focused on the massive feeds displayed in the sky.
I place my arm around him and pull him in. “And quicker than most of our competitors, it seems.”
A few dozen challengers stand around watching the video feeds. Far less than were here this morning. We’re all back in our normal outfits again. A leaderboard in the sky tells us that we were the sixtieth team to finish.
A slender elf and a burly dwarf materialize out of thin air.
The dwarf pushes the elf in the thigh. “Stupid! I told you not to run in like that. I knew I should have taken your sister instead.” He turns to the rest of us. “Screw you! All of you.”
A portal opens and both the dwarf and elf step through. I guess we won’t be seeing them in the next round.
Ryken and Dawn stand by themselves at the far end, huddled together and whispering. I should have known they would be one of the first ones through. I search the leaderboard for their position. Tenth.
Nancy hovers in the air on her pegasus. A camera with miniature thrusters floats in front of her as she comments on the main Pangea Online feed as it cycles through various players’ streams. The camera is more for appearance than anything, or possibly to let her know when she’s being recorded.
I focus on the feed, but it’s hard to tell who it’s following with everyone wearing the same gray unitards and their faces covered with helmets. The current feed follows a pair as they ma
neuver a large tank down a tunnel.
“That’s the one I wanted to drive!” Dean rocks on his feet excitedly. “I knew it would have fit in the tunnel.”
Nancy offers commentary as the tank spits out a stream of fire from the mounted flamethrower. “—and look at it go. Paul Campbell is putting those flamethrowers to use, completely incinerating the ooze beasts before him.”
The feed shifts to a team ducking behind a corner as a door explodes. “It looks like we have our next set of victors. That satchel of plasma grenades came in useful for Talia and Chadwick Tate. With fifty of them, they just blew the door to the control room clean off its hinges!”
“Oh! That’s not good.” It cycles to the next feed and Nancy places a hand over her eyes as a group of lizard people pry off the helmet of some unlucky soul and devour him. “It looks like we’ve lost another competitor. They’re dropping like houseflies. How many remain? How many will survive until the next stage? Stay tuned to the official Pangea Online stream to find out. Now back to headquarters for more in-depth coverage.”
The feed zooms in on a table of analysts as they discuss those still competing. I tune it out. There will be plenty of time to catch up on everything once the results are finalized. A few of the other teams disappear through their own portals, so I assume it is safe to leave.
“What do you say we get out of here?” I ask Dean.
He shrugs. “Don’t you want to talk to any of the other teams? We could probably learn something.”
I look around, but there’s no one who interests me. We’ll study them behind closed doors. “This stage is over, and all that matters now is the next stage. I’ll reach out to Talia later and see what she thinks about everything, but as far as the rest of these people, they’re our competition. Don’t forget that. We’ll learn more than we’d ever want to know about them in the coming days. For now, I’d like to sit and gather my thoughts. And I know the other kids will be dying to hear you tell them all about today.”
Dean grins. “Alright, captain.”
I open a portal to get us out of here. Right before Dean steps through, I call to him. “You did good today.”
He nods. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”
Dean steps into the portal and disappears. I follow behind him, and a moment later, I’m in my home portal being licked vigorously by Fenrir. I play tug-of-war with him for a few minutes before finally logging out.
Back in my apartment, I strip out of my haptic suit and lay on the couch. For a few minutes, I just close my eyes and listen to the birds chirping outside my window. This is one of the few peaceful moments I’ll have over the next few days. Everything has come full circle, and now I’m right in the middle of another tournament.
My tablet beeps, letting me know I have a new message, but I don’t move. It’s been a long day, and we’re just getting started. It beeps five more times, but I just roll over.
Pounding at my door finally forces me to get up. I creep over to the door still wearing my underwear, and bright light blinds me as I crack the door.
“Dude!” Buzz rushes in past me. “What are you doing? It’s time to celebrate! You made it through the first round.”
“What are you doing? I figured you would be working with the tournament in full effect.”
He cocks an eyebrow at me. “You know I’m not supposed to talk about that with you.” He plops down on the couch. “But it’s an off day for the testers. The programmers are working on the back end as things are finalized.”
“That quick?” It feels like it hasn’t been that long since I was testing the old version of The Broken Lands.
Buzz leans back and props his feet on the edge of the sofa. “I wouldn’t call it quick. We’ve had testers cycling in and out twenty-four hours a day for weeks now. It’s crunch time, but we aren’t cutting any corners. You’re gonna love what they have planned.”
“And you can’t tell me anything about it?”
“My lips are—” He claps his hands together and barks. “—seals. My lips are seals.”
I roll my eyes at his terrible pun. “Don’t quit your day job.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He sits up and taps the sofa beside him. “So, tell me all about it. How’s Esil Jr. holding up?”
“Don’t call him that.” I scowl at Buzz. “Let me throw on some clothes before we start talking business.”
I toss on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie and join Buzz on the sofa. “Dean’s good. Much better than I was when I first got into Pangea. He’s smart. A little too reckless at times, but he’s saved my butt just as many times as I’ve saved his. We’ve got some tough competition, but I think we’ve got a real chance.”
“I don’t doubt it. Grayson wants to get together later and go over some of the footage. To talk about where you could improve and go over some of the alternatives other teams took.” He pats me on the knee. “The old man’s taken a real interest in this. He’s been glued to the feeds all morning following yours and half a dozen others taking notes.”
I don’t know where I would be without these two. “I think being put in the mine with you and Grayson was probably the greatest thing to ever happen to me.”
Buzz grins. “Well, duh. What would your life be like without me in it?”
I shove him in the shoulder. “I’m starving. Want to go grab a bite to eat?”
Buzz jumps to his feet. “Have you known me to ever turn down a meal?”
We arrive at the cafeteria, where feeds of the tournament are displayed all around the room. I better get used to it because there will be no escaping this madness until a victor has been crowned.
I grab a burger and Buzz takes two. I give him a questioning look and he just shrugs.
“What? I’m a growing boy.”
“You’ll be an expanding boy if you keep it up.”
We take a seat across from one another underneath one of the TVs. At least that way, I don’t have to watch it.
My tablet beeps again, and I remember I never checked my messages from earlier. Buzz shoves food in his mouth as I pull them up.
The first two are from Buzz.
Esil, I see you’re done with the tournament. Want to hang out? -Buzz
Screw it. I’m coming over. I hope you’re dressed. -Buzz
The next two are from Grayson and Aleesia.
Good job, kid. You two are quite the pair. Let’s meet up later and go over strategy. -Grayson
Esil, I’m so proud of you. Work is super busy at the moment, but I’ve been following along. Can’t wait to see you soon! -Aleesia.
And then there are several from various Pangea departments.
Esil Allen,
Congratulations on completing round one of the Pro-Am Tournament! You will be contacted over the next few hours regarding scheduling for interviews and post-stage conferences. We’re excited to follow your journey through the next stage of the tournament. And as always, never stop leveling!
-Pangea Online Developers
Esil Allen,
Congratulations on making it through stage one! We would like to schedule your first interview for this evening at 17:00, where we will be asking you and your apprentice questions about what it took to make it through stage one.
-Pangea Communications
I set the tablet on the table and groan.
Buzz looks up from his food. “What is it?”
“We have our first interview tonight.”
He dips a fry in ketchup and points it at me. “Mr. Allen, tell me, what’s it like being one of the most famous streamers on the planet?”
I smack his hand away. “Oh, shut it. I had my five-minutes of fame during the last tournament. I don’t even get half the followers Ryken or some of the others get.”
He stuffs the fry in his mouth. “That’s because you do the bare minimum. Who wants to follow someone who only streams for an hour every other day?”
“Meh, I’m just not an entertainer. I did what I had to do to g
et to where I am. Nothing more than that.”
Buzz grins. “And that’s why people love you. The reluctant hero.”
“Eat your other burger and shut up.” I dig into my own and for the next few minutes, all we hear is the sound of chewing and slurping.
When we’re done, I message Dean, telling him to meet me at my portal ten minutes before the scheduled interview. Then we head back to Buzz’s place, where Grayson is sitting in front of a monitor with sixteen feeds going simultaneously.
“I never took you for a fanboy,” I tease.
He hands me a tablet without looking away from the monitor. “You’ll be thanking me if any of this comes in useful.”
I glance through it. He’s labeled every team and left detailed notes, ranging from their route, the weapons they picked up, even the monsters they fought. These are probably better notes than the analysts have.
“Have you taken a break at all?” I ask.
“I’ll rest when I’m done.”
I sit down beside him. “How valuable do you think any of this stuff will be? It’s not like any of this carries over into the next round.”
He types a new note as one of the teams swap out their weapons in a storage room. “That’s where you’re wrong. You can learn a lot about someone just by watching them play. The way each team interacts here is likely how they will behave going forward. For example, Ryken always takes the lead. He’s fearless. He’s doing this more for personal glory than to help the girl he is with. And the two gnomes, they made it through without fighting anything. They’re crafty. You’ll want to watch your back around them.”
“What about me and Dean?”
Grayson cocks his head to the side before turning around. It seems I’ve finally gotten his attention.
His mustache curls up at the edges and I can tell he is smiling. “You’re a special case. More like two solos who happen to be playing alongside one another. You both go in half-cocked more often than not, especially the kid. You both have good instincts, but they will only take you so far if you don’t learn how to work together. This—” He taps at the tablet I’m holding. “—just might keep you in the running until you do. Now, if you don’t mind, I have work to do. I’ll have you a full write-up by the time you’re done with your interviews.”
Pangea Online 3: Vials and Tribulations Page 17
