Spacebound Chronicles

Chapter 9: On Your Marks

Ever since their first flight through the gargantuan Canyon, days had flown by. Now, the last night before the great event, Logan and Jude sat side by side under the sparkly blue top of the tree on top of Blue Tree Hill. Its trunk was just as dark as the other scorched stumps, but that individual tree overlooking the Canyon, the official finish line of the incoming race, had managed to thrive.

As both adventurers stared silently into the setting sun behind the barely visible skyline of Winner City, a moment of contemplation was warranted and more than welcome. Along the last week and a half, Scott and Joey had met multiple times, either face to face or through the eyes of Logan and Jude. Sometimes Joey would lend Scott his gear for him to practice alone throughout the night and save money with the cybercafé rent. More often, they would fly together, when Jude would give pointers to his technique and they would study the terrain, wildlife and look for shortcuts that not even Joey knew.

They had found a cave that cut straight past a curve in the Canyon’s natural advance and could shave off some good three seconds off an average run. The only trick was to always keep to the leftmost tunnel whenever there was a fork, or else you would have a bad time in a Wasteworm nest.

Wasteworms were responsible for the one and only death either of them experienced, which resulted in Logan waking up back in the city and needing to reacquire a Phoenix suit and fly all the way back here. Luckily, there were no run-ins with Ruckorrs that time.

In that spirit, eager to come back to the Stars to fly and be free, Scott saw his job efficiency reach marks unprecedented. Earlier that week, Mr. Moore had even reserved a few minutes for a private chat, which Scott assumed would end in him being reprehended for his repeated early departures.

He was wrong.

Instead, he was congratulated on his increased productivity and awarded a larger daily workload, along with proportionally increased pay. Moore had said, furthermore, that his recent work had been better than his earlier submissions. That meant no more free afternoons ever since, but he found even the extra work could be done with a couple hours to spare, and, with the new hourly rate, leaving two hours earlier was an affordable decision.

Not the creative team promotion he had been expecting for the last two years, but the first raise in an even longer time.

“One last run before tomorrow?” Jude asked.

In the twilight, they could see two luminous tracks running along the Canyon. One blue, the other yellow. Made Logan think if they were just adventurers exploring the wasteland or neighboring players preparing to compete with him on the following day.

Logan shook his head. “We’ve done enough. Just… tell me about this tree,” he looked up to the bioluminescent blue leaves.

“For all I know it’s just a pretty tree,” Jude replied. “But knowing this game, there’s probably something to be achieved with it. Someone just needs to figure it out.”

They both looked up, hypnotized by the soft rustle of the branches.

“Have you thought about a class?” Jude asked.

“I don’t know. You know I’m a sucker for stealth and agility, but this Dark Matter stuff really gets me thinking.”

Jude made a face. With the last trace of sunlight now gone, the blue leaves were the only source of light over her features. “I might know a guy who basically created his own class by stacking together Dark Matter powers from different builds and becoming a Dark Matter ninja. Sorta. And I can teach you anything non-class-specific about stealth.”

“You teach me?” Logan asked. “Don’t we need like… an instructor NPC or something?”

“You do if you don’t have someone else to teach you, but you have. I mean, Jude can’t really help here… but there is someone else,” her expression went distant, and, behind Logan’s eyes, Scott’s mind went straight to Snorri Gian. The Spy. Stealth master. It was him who Joey talked about.

“Looking forward to it,” Logan innocently shrugged. He hadn’t even thought about his clandestine run with Snorri this week. Until now.

“I bet you are. But if you want a career here, you’ll need that prize tomorrow,” she stood up, sighing. “See you there, Scotty!”

And with that Jude was gone, leaving Logan to lonely contemplation for the remainder of his cybercafé hour.

***

Scott expected about a dozen gamers to show up to the grand inauguration tournament of Clark’s Geek Cave. He could not have been more wrong. There must have been about eighty people in there. A contest sign-up line crossed the neon-lit lounge.

Scott was on his way to the end of the queue, already deep in second-guesses when a firm grip pulled him out of the single file line.

“Get out of there, Sir Spacebound,” Joey said. He wore a Space Invaders themed shirt that made Scott realize he’d only seen his friend wearing suits since that happy hour. “I already signed you up.”

“I don’t know, Joe, what’s the point? Look at all these people!” he waved to the line, then to the sea of gamers eating appetizers laid out for before the match. “I’m a noob! Level bloody nine!”

“Dude, really? First, half these folks are here for the prize because they don’t have a rig, just like you. The difference is they didn’t bother to practice. Second, most of that line won’t be able to sign up. There just aren’t enough chairs. And third, the playing field is leveled: you won’t use Logan, they won’t use their guys, you’ll all be equal!”

Scott nodded. “Yeah… You’re right… besides, we studied the terrain.”

“Exactly! You have that ace, they don’t! What? Why you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing, it’s just weird that we’ve been friends for years and after two weeks I see Jude’s eyes on you, not yours on her,” he said knowing an offensive joke would follow, so he quickly added: “and I’m wondering why you don’t do this for me. You trained just as much and is more experienced.”

“Because this is your fight, and fighting it for you would be dishonorable,” Joey answered, but it was clear Scott had not bought it, so he came closer to his friend and whispered. “And if I register someone could recognize my name, which I don’t want.”

“Recognize your name how?” Scott echoed aloud.

Too loud.

“By seeing it in the Top 500 database,” a silvery feminine voice answered for Joey, making them turn. A short woman with a tiny face partially shrouded by blonde curls awaited behind them with a prankish smile framed by clever blue eyes. “Will you introduce yourself, pretty boy, or will I have to go through the whole list until I guess?”

Joey squinted.

“If you have access to the whole list, you must be among the Top 500 yourself,” he said flatly.

“Are you saying… ‘show me yours and I show you mine’?” her smile widened, eyes sparkling.

“No, I’m…” Joey stumbled upon his words. “It’s none of your…”

“I’m Carol!” she beamed, rosy cheekbones rising. “And I’m not in the Top 500. Yet. You’re lucky to have someone that good coaching you, mister…” she turned to Scott.

“Scott! Scott Williams.”

“Pleasure. I’ll keep an eye one you during the race, Williams,” she faked a frown too adorable to be intimidating. “I didn’t drive five hours to lose, T-500 or not,” she threw a pointed look at Joey. “Good luck, anyway!” she smiled again, then turned to leave.

As soon as her back faced the two men, Scott punched Joey, mouthing something unintelligible to him, trying to compensate with even more unintelligible mimicking.

“Carol! Wait!” Scott called out. She turned just in time to see Joey interrupt a shrug and stand up straight. “How about a little wager?”

“I’m listening,” she paced back with an arched eyebrow.

“If I beat you, you give my friend your phone number,” Scott said.

Joey mentally stabbed him.

“Interesting,” she studied Joey. “And what will I win?”

“If you beat me, and that’s a big if, I’ll tell you his name.”

“Scott, shouldn’t we talk about this?” Joey said.

“Shhh!” Carol pressed a finger on Joey’s lips. “I’m not that curious about your friend’s name, just so you know. But we have a deal. If I do lose, there will at least be a silver lining,” and with a blink at Joey, she was gone into the crowd.

Joey turned to Scott, jaw clenched, fists balling.

“What the hell was that?” he asked, a vein pulsing on his forehead.

“Joe, she was so into you! She couldn’t have made it clearer! Wait, do you have a girlfriend?” Scott bit his lip. It occasionally slipped him there were now several years between them and the boys they were back in the Ruined Kingdom days.

“No, I don’t have a girlfriend, but if I wanted one, I would be in a pub or a concert.”

“What the… This is a great place! You love this game, think how great it would be…”

“Scott,” Joey held his friend’s head on his hands, squishing Scott’s cheeks so that he was unable to speak. “Pubs and concerts. Those are places for love. Fantasy Stars? That’s the place for victory! Do you understand?”

A fish-mouthed Scott nodded.

“Good! Now repeat with me. Fantasy Stars is the place for victory!” Joey still had not let go of his face. “Come on, say it.”

“Fantafy Ftarf if the plaff for fictorfy.”

“Ladies and gentlemen! Interplanetary warriors and Dark Matter sages!” a cheesy and poorly modulated voice echoed over the salon. “Our grand race starts in ten minutes. Report to your designated stations!”

“Perfect timing,” Joey said, digging a card from his pocket and handing it to Scott. “You’re on station 27, Logan Spacebound.”

Scott reached for the card, but Joey didn’t let go.

“Hey!” Joey whispered. “Kick their asses!”

One nod later, Scott was gone, an adrenaline-fueled shiver running down his spine. Men and women, adults and kids, alone and in groups, the contestants flocked around him on their way to their respective gaming stations. He located chair 27, showed a staff member his ID and registration card and took his seat. The headset they provided was shinier and more advanced than Joey’s, let alone the one for rent at the cybercafé near home.

A boy no older than fifteen settled on station 28, his frail form disappearing into the chair, and on station 29…

“If it’s not my newest friend!” Carol giggled, settling down.

“May the best man win, Carol,” he grunted.

“It’s Commander Karyn Voidex to you, dear,” she smirked, putting on the helmet. “But yeah, may the best woman win, Scott.”

He put on the helmet himself, a tight smile forming.

“We’ll see,” he said to the darkness of the impeccably sealed eyepieces. Soon, he stood in the all too familiar dusty desert ground at the bottom of Fiery Man’s Canyon, and two competitors to his right he found the digital recreation of Carol. They locked gazes for a second, until a plasma shot ringed to the sky, declaring the start of the race.

As the tens of competitors took off, Scott pulled closer to Carol.

“And it’s Logan Spacebound to you, Commander Voidex!” he yelled before shooting ahead, knowing she would not stay far behind.