The Gauntlet

Chapter 02 - The Call

The walk home from school was a cold, wet and lonely one. The average kid would relish being sent home early, but the circumstances in this case meant Codi had little to be happy about. The charcoal buildings of Kantha's streets seemed to glare down at her diminutive figure as she went. Leaving at around midday meant that most people were at work, and most kids were in school. That left her and a much depleted flow of citizenry to brave the storm. She still hadn't bothered to change from her gym clothes, letting the torrential rainfall cool her down, as though it would calm her black mood.

It half worked. Blowing a raindrop from the end of her nose, Codi focused on how utterly waterlogged she had become in the few minutes she'd been outside. The rain hammered against windows and cinder-stone walls, spilling down sluiceways and gutters and out into the street drains. Cars hummed past on the road, their gravitic repellors generating spiralling plumes of water and above it all, despite the cloud cover, Kantha's red sun cast a blood hue over the city's skyline.

However, try as she might, Codi couldn't stop her thoughts from wandering back to the single, inescapable truth that she was most likely getting expelled yet again. For some reason this one felt worse than all the rest. She'd managed to last at Winnover High a good deal longer than previous candidates, even managed to root down a handful of solid friendships: people like Becca who could deal with her volatile personality. Something about this expulsion felt decidedly final.

Taking a right, she crossed the road, splashing out in front of a pair of cars. Both drivers slammed their horns to express their displeasure, but she hardly noticed. Traffic dodging was another thing she had an innate talent for. When she reached the other side, however, a sick feeling settled in the base of her stomach. What would she do if they did expel her? What if no other school would take her? Under no illusions about her track record, Codi knew that was a distinct possibility. If that happened then would she even be able to stay at the orphanage any longer? It wasn't a place she had any attachment to, but it was a roof overhead, three meals a day and a warm bed – more than many people got.

Still, by the time she twisted through a few more streets Codi's mindset drifted from worry to a rekindled measure of frustration with the whole broken system. She'd meant every word when she said she had no intention of labouring away in one of the factories that dominated Kantha's infrastructure. In what she'd picked up from the interplanetary studies sessions all that her little slice of backwater nothing seemed to do was carve out raw materials, refine them and ship them off somewhere else. In terms of its own identity and its culture, Kantha was a dead end as far as she could tell.

But for someone like her, an orphan with no prospects and an utter incompatibility with the life she was being forced to live, what else was there? Codi kicked a puddle in annoyance, sending a satisfying spray of water up the nearest window. When she glanced at her handiwork, however, something inside the building caught her eye.

Coming to a halt in the rain, Codi swept the sodden locks of black hair back out of her eyes and looked through the window at the tele-screen beyond. The building was a bar, occupied by a motley assortment of Kanthan natives, all of them similarly glued to the images on the screen. It showed two individuals, both clad in suits of garishly coloured body armour, engaging in vicious one on one combat. The camera shots panned and flashed to different angles, occasionally cutting to screaming spectators. She moved closer.

The Gauntlet. Now that was something that ensnared her heart and soul. The prestige and the glamour coupled with the primal violence of it all just twanged a chord deep within her. With over two hundred competitors thrown together into the biggest fighting tournament ever seen, the Gauntlet marked the pinnacle of sporting prowess. She seldom got the chance to see any of it without access to her own screen in the orphanage, but she'd heard plenty. The schools occasionally showed the finals of the youth contests, but Codi never managed to stay at one long enough to catch them.

Wiping a film of rain from her face she jerked her gaze away and resumed her course back toward the orphanage. There was no point entertaining fantasies when she didn't even have a normal life sorted out. So she squelched on, feeling the water as it soaked through her trainers and into her socks. A feeling of complete impotence settled over her. The Gauntlet was for professionals – athletes, born and bread – not dead end losers who just happened to be violent.

When the bulk of the orphanage hove into view it did little to raise Codi's spirits. A dilapidated old building, it was sound enough from a structural standpoint but it looked like it could collapse any minute. Instead of the cinder-stone that made up most of the city's buildings, the orphanage was constructed from cheaper ceramic clay. Its brown-tinged exterior marked it out for what it was – a haven for the lost, the abandoned and the unwanted.

She pushed through the double doors trailing a veritable river in her wake as she splashed across the lobby floor. The receptionist looked up and gave her an exasperated look. Codi ignored her, stomping straight past and mounting the stairway on the right of the reception desk. Two flights later she emerged into the dingy corridor that held her quarters.

Owing to her extended residence the orphanage had afforded her the small comfort of a private room. Although it was little more than a glorified closet it gave her somewhere to be alone. She hurled her soaking backpack to the floor, extracting a wet thud as its fabric struck the floorboards. Then she slumped down at her desk, looking out to the city skyline.

A rare moment of beauty greeted her. The red sun of Kantha had at last slipped clear of the thick blanket of cloud cover, and now its rays glittered through the rainfall in a blaze of colour. She stared for what felt like minutes, losing herself in the display as rays rebounded off buildings, through the curtains of water, bursting into rainbows of light. Now and again, even Kantha could look good.

Tearing her attention away, Codi tried to distract herself from the day's events. She peeled open the backpack and rooted around past her books and school uniform until she found the one possession she actually cared about.

When she pulled it free the locket's shining surface caught the light. The burnished silver shone, scattering the sunlight. Hopping onto her bed she let it dangle from the chain, staring long and hard. Gently, she moved her right hand up and clicked it open. There would have been an inscription from her parents in there, but fate had other plans. Now the interior said nothing. Still, it was all she had to remember them by. Sighing heavily, she clipped the locket around her neck, feeling the comforting chill of the metal against her skin.

Loud music soon filled the confines of her room and she retreated to her bed with a sketch pad. Tucking herself up into the corner nook where the bed had been placed she doodled, drew pictures, and mouthed along to the words of favourite tracks as they burst from the small but powerful speaker system beneath the desk.

As blind luck would have it a bleep from her beam card chimed through the gap between tracks, snapping her from her reverie. She kicked her covers away and crossed the room to look at the little square device. Hers was an older model, wired into the orphanage power supply, but it did the job. Pressing the power-up button with her thumb she read the image that flashed up on the screen:

School's out. You okay? Going to come by soon, got a surprise for you!

Becca

Xxx

Codi smiled at that and quickly keyed in a reply to let Becca know she'd got the message. A surprise? Maybe the day wouldn't turn out to be a total loss. She didn't bother asking what the surprise might be – that would defeat the point.

Soon turned out to be very soon. Maybe twenty minutes later there was a knock at her door and when she looked through the peep hole sure enough, there was Becca, red hair damp and dishevelled by the continuing rainfall.

"Lemme in," she called, moving her face up to the peep hole and distorting the image Codi could see. Smiling, she pulled the door open and the bundle of energy that was her friend burst inside. "Wait till you see this!"

"What's the surprise?" Codi asked, closing the door behind her.

"My dad sent me a beam," Becca elaborated. "They were showing the Earth practice tournaments for the Junior Gauntlet today so he recorded them and sent them over."

"But I don't-,"

"But I do." Becca reached into her holdall and pulled out a porta-screen. The screen was about ten inches across, a device that combined computer, phone and television into one compact little mass of technology.

"You've got the fights on there?" Codi asked, her excitement immediately building.

"Every one." Becca clipped out the screen's support and placed it on the desk, before jumping onto the bed. She patted the space beside her. "C'mon, take a seat. I've only got a couple of hours. Some of us have homework to do."

Codi glowered at her but sat down nonetheless, settling with her back against the wall as the screen flickered into life. The full recording contained a local commentary team running through the potential Gauntlet competitors from each academy.

She knew these trial-runs existed but had ever seen one broadcast before. This one seemed to be bigger than usual; not only were the four main academies on Earth competing, but they'd also invited neighbouring academies from the local planets: Olympus Mons, Kuiper One, Neptune Alpha, and several others that brought the count up to ten in total. The result was one of the most in depth views of the Gauntlet Codi had even seen.

The fights ranged from standard one-on-one bouts to team based matches of up to five aside. The rotating shots between each fight displayed a stadium packed from end to end with excited spectators, all eager to get a look at this snapshot of what was to come in just over a month.

One fighter caught Codi's eye, a hulking boy from one of the Earth academies who demolished anyone in his path. He seemed to be in a league of his own.

"Who is that?" she queried, nudging Becca and pointing the fighter out.

"You don't know?"

She shook her head.

"That's Bruno Varlin," Becca exclaimed. "He won the Gauntlet last year! He's going for the first back to back win in over twenty years!"

"Doesn't look like anyone else has much of a chance," Codi answered, watching the young man flatten his marker as two teams engaged in the tried and true game of capture the flag.

"I don't think anyone else does," her friend agreed. "He's twenty-one now, last year of eligibility in the junior class. But he could fight in the seniors this year, easy."

"Doesn't sound fair."

"It happens. He's just worked hard and now he's getting the benefit." Becca grinned. "I like him."

"He looks like a shaved bear," Codi muttered. Her friend laughed and elbowed her playfully in the ribs. The fights progressed and Codi found herself learning a lot about the way the Gauntlet operated as Becca explained some of the rules as things unfolded.

Contrary to what she thought, there was such a thing as excessive force in the Gauntlet. Although the protective exoskeletons were proven to keep competitors safe, there were strict penalties imposed on competitors deemed to be going too far. The Gauntlet was like any other contact sport. Violent, yes, but even as extreme as it was, bound by regulations to keep the fighters safe from any life-threatening injuries.

To Codi it seemed a little backwards for a fighting tournament. She also discovered that you didn't need to knock an opponent out to gain a win. Becca explained the impact ratings to her – whoever did the most damage, regardless of whether both fighters remained standing, would be declared the winner by a judging panel.

As they drew towards the end of the Gauntlet exhibition a sudden sharp rapping on the door dragged their attention from the screen, and a hatchet-like voice sounded from the other side.

"Miss James!"

Exchanging a worried look with Becca, she stood and crossed the room. Peering through the peep-hole she saw the vulpine features of a woman that she recognised as the head administrator of the orphanage and her stomach flipped. What had she done now? Swallowing hard, she braced herself and hauled the door open.

"Miss James," the tall, grey-haired woman began. "You have a phone call from your school."

Codi felt almost sick. "Am I being expelled?"

"No. However, the man was quite insistent upon speaking to you in person."

"He was? Who was it?"

"Mr. Barrow, head disciplinarian." She blinked in surprise as the administrator continued. "If you'll accompany me to the reception area…" The woman gestured with one arm. Codi cast a glance back at Becca and shrugged. She walked quickly through the dilapidated, peeling corridors of the orphanage and down the two flights of stairs till she reached the reception area. The same young woman sat waiting expectantly with the phone beside her. Without a word Codi walked over and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Codi? Is that you?"

"Mr. Barrow?"

"Yes it's me. Listen, I need you to meet me at eight o'clock sharp tomorrow morning. I'll pick you up from the orphanage. This is important."

Codi's brow furrowed in bafflement. "What…has the headmaster decided yet?"

"Not yet, but I know which way he's leaning."

"So what do you need to meet me for?"

"So I can give you chance to fix your life before you screw it up for good, alright? Just meet me outside the orphanage at eight and I'll explain everything. Oh, and best pack up all your clothes and anything sentimental you want to hang onto." Before she could ask any more questions the line went dead. She handed the receiver back to the receptionist and stood there for a moment, mind racing over Barrow's words.

"Miss James?"

She rounded on the administrator. "Do you know why he wants to meet me?"

"I suggest you do as Mr. Barrow says," she replied icily. "It is in everyone's best interests."

"The hell does that mean?"

"It means that if you are indeed expelled from Winnover High we may not be able to find another school to take you. And frankly I wouldn't blame them for refusing."

Codi felt like she'd been slapped. Then her temper flared once again and she snarled, "Maybe I should've burned that dump to the ground then for all the good it did me." Before the administrator could reply she stormed past, deliberately shouldering her on the way.

"Miss James!"

As she walked away from the outraged woman, the screech ringing in her ears, Codi allowed herself a fleeting smile. However, the smile evaporated as she started back up the stairs, making way for the flood of confusion sweeping into her thoughts. Barrow's ultimatum was cryptic at best. So I can give you chance to fix your life. What on Kantha had he meant?