by Paris Singer
“Indulge me. Then, we’ll see.”
“See? See what?” It was true that I hadn’t had a great day, and all I wanted to do was to go to sleep and forget all about it.
“If you answer my questions, I’ll tell you. Okay?”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, ask your questions, then I’m going to bed.”
“What equipment do you use in Sphere?”
“You mean the light-chain that comes out one of the two gauntlets you wear? Or the uniform, which adapts to different body types when you put it on. Or maybe you’re talking about the helmet which, along with providing cool air that lets you breathe easily inside, prevents your head from being smashed in by the metal ball that hurtles toward it?”
“Good. Now, next question.”
“How much longer is this going to take?”
“Just a couple more. What is the Timus strategy?”
“Named after Hilberdo Timus who was the first to use it, you back-flip off the cage behind your opponent, and bring the ball up to the back of their head. Gives maximum points if done right.”
“Good answer,” Sally smiled. “Last question.”
“Make it quick.”
“Relax, kid. How many eight player teams were there in the Andromeda Five Thousand tournament?”
“Trick question.”
“Oh?” said Sally. “How d’you mean?”
“Sphere teams only have six players to a team, not eight.”
“You pass.”
“You don’t say. Thank you for wasting my time with stupid questions. Goodnight.” I turned toward the elevators and walked.
“Hold on. Now that you’ve passed, I can tell you the real reason I asked you up here.”
“Not interested,” I replied, without looking back.
“So I guess you don’t want to play Sphere, then?”
I stopped. “What are you talking about? Isn’t it banned?”
“It is.”
“So?”
“So, I’m going to need you to follow me. That‘s if you’re interested, of course.”
“I stopped, didn’t I?”
“Good answer, kid.” Sally walked over and threw his arm around my shoulder. “But first, we need to change out of these clothes.”
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
“You’re doing the unnecessary mystery thing again,” I said.
Sally threw his head back and laughed. “Nothing like that, kid; nothing like that. I had to be careful before. Needed to be sure you were telling the truth and weren’t just a poser. But now that I know you’re the real deal, we can get things started.”
His arm still around my neck, he led me to the changing screen. “Stand by,” he said, walking over to it as he took something out of his pocket. Sally knelt down beside the screen and held up a small transparent cube against it. It glowed green, and a moment later, so did the screen. “That’ll do it.” He put the cube back in his pocket, which made the screen transparent again. “All done,” he added, standing back up.
“What did you do?”
“Turned the alarm off. Otherwise the whole academy would’ve known what we were up to. And that is not something we want.”
“And what are we up to, exactly?”
“Aha,” said Sally, grinning. “You will see soon enough. First, step though into the changing screen.”
“Won’t that change me into the Physical Development suit?”
“Exactly. You first.”
I suspected he wouldn’t tell me anything about what we were doing, so with a resolute sigh, I stepped through the screen, to the other side.
“Pretty tight-fitting, aren’t they?” I said, inspecting the red body suit.
“Yeah, they’re perfect,” replied Sally, stepping out from the changing screen, wearing his own suit.
“You’re still not going to tell me what this has to do with Sphere, are you?”
“You got it, kid,” he winked. “but I will show you. Come on, let’s go.”
We walked to the elevator and walked inside. Once again, Sally produced a small cube he must have placed in his hand before walking into the changing screen, and placed it against the elevator panel. The cube glowed green, and a couple beeps came from the panel itself.
“There. Sub Floor Three,” said Sally, and the elevator descended. As if noticing my look of curiosity, he said, “The sub floors are out of bounds to students, see, unless it’s an emergency, like the other day. If I told the elevator to go down there, it wouldn’t. But it would tell Mial and Ms. Photuris that we tried. The cube stops that from happening by scrambling its systems.”
“Ah, okay. And we’re going down there, because…”
Sally chuckled, and said, “You’ll see, kid.”
The elevator doors opened to complete darkness.
“Where are the lights?”
“No lights—they’d know we’re down here.” A faint, white glow emanated from the cube Sally was holding. He tapped it a couple times, and the glow became much brighter, illuminating the whole elevator.
“There we go,” said Sally.
“What is that thing,” I said, nodding to the cube.
“Custom made, kid. Don’t know what I’d do without it. Come on.”
Sally led the way into the dark room. The light shone bright enough to see directly around us, but everything beyond remained pitch black.
“Creepy,” I breathed.
“Nah, you get used to it pretty quick. Nothing down here but you, me and the vampors.” Vampors were slimy, long creatures about the length of my leg that propelled themselves on living beings from whichever height they happened to be hanging from. They buried their sharp, serrated teeth in flesh and fed on that body’s minerals until there were none left. I recoiled in fear and disgust, looking all around me.
Sally chuckled. “Just playing, kid.”
“Not funny,” I replied flatly.
“Don’t be so serious. A sense of humor is a good thing to have. ”
We reached a chrome wall with a closed circular door.
“This is the way out,” Sally said, and placed the cube against a square panel next to the entrance. After both cube and panel glowed green, the door swooshed open. We walked into a chrome tunnel the same circumference as the door. Unlike the room before it, it had two rows of white neon lights running its length on either side.
“So, where you from, kid?”
I felt a moment of panic. The Council had told me not to tell anyone where I’d come from, so I knew I’d have to lie to Sally.
He turned and said, “Did you hear me?”
“Sorry, no, what did you say?”
“I said, where are you from?”
I hadn’t prepared an answer, so I had to come up with something quickly.
“Oh, yeah, um, I’m from a village out in the desert—you wouldn’t know it.”
Sally raised a hairless eyebrow. He looked at me and said, “Damn right I wouldn’t.” He then turned and walked again. “Won’t catch my race out there in the sun—we’d burn down to nothing.”
“Where are you from?” I asked, diverting the question away from myself.
“That should be pretty obvious, shouldn’t it? I’m a Batracien, from Brata.”
“Never heard of it.”
Sally scoffed. “Man, you really need to study up. Brata’s mostly underwater, where my kind spend a lot of our time, but there’s land, too—mostly bushes, and stuff. There isn’t much sunlight, either, which is cool ‘cos we don’t go for that sort of thing.”
“Sounds nice.”
“Yeah, pretty sweet place to live. Okay, we’re here.”
We reached another door at the end of the tunnel. It looked the same as the one other circular one. Sally held the cube to the side panel next to the door and, like before, it opened.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
A thick, warbling deka bush covered the exit.
“No one really walks around this part of the park at night,” said S
ally, pushing past the soft branches and yellow leaves.”
“How come?” I asked, thinking back to the vampors he’d mentioned earlier.
“Sting bugs. They come out from the bark of the trees around here and spray anyone that gets too close to them.”
“So, won’t we get sprayed?” I asked with genuine worry.
Sally laughed. “I’ve been this way so many times I know exactly where they all are. Just stick close to me and you’ll be all right.”
We crossed the park, zigzagging and weaving around trees and bushes, until we stepped out into the city. It somehow looked more impressive than it had the first time I’d seen it, with its colorful buildings shooting up into the darkness of night, many covered in large neon or holographic advertising signs. Despite the late hour, the streets were still littered with people of all sizes, shapes and races. A city that never slept.
“How far is the place we’re going to?” I asked, having to raise my voice over the sounds of chatter and speeding vehicles.
“Not far now; you’ll see.”
I followed Sally across a wide street, into a shadowy narrow alleyway.
“These streets are the fastest way to get across the city. Actually, the fastest way is to bum a ride off a vehicle, but some dumb Torus officer would probably see us, so this is the next best thing.”
“Do you do this every night?” I remembered the first time I’d run into Sally, he was climbing in through a window in the middle of the night.
“Not all, but most. As often as I can. Think I know these streets like the back of my hand.”
We made our way through the city steeped in shadows. Up and down stairs, along rickety bridges and walkways, until we finally emerged out into a desolate, quiet area. Unlike the rest of the city, there were no high-rise buildings or bright lights. Instead of gold, silver and glass, everything was made of wood, bricks and cement, all worn and dirtied by time. The windows of the single or two-story buildings were dark. I thought I could hear the distant sound of someone playing an old instrument, like a saxophone. It was as if technology had forgotten the whole area. The only sources of light came from a few antiquated street lights mounted on tall, wooden poles.
“This is the old industrial zone,” said Sally in a low tone. “It was the first to be built here, but people mostly abandoned it after they built a bigger one in the western part of the city. Now it’s just small time traders and merchants that store their stuff here. Most people stay away and, those who don’t, you should stay away from.”
“So, why are we here late at night?” I whispered in an angry tone.
“‘Cos this is our destination, kid,” Sally grinned.
“This is crazy. You’re going to get me killed, aren’t you? Is it because I said your name was feminine? It was only a joke. You really didn’t have to go this far.”
“I told you before, kid—relax. I ain’t gonna kill ya. Pretty soon, you’ll be glad you came here with me. Just trust me and chill. And stop blabbing so loud—didn’t I say this ain’t the place you want to be seen by the wrong people? Now come on—we’re almost there.”
A soft, warm breeze blew, bringing an array of strange, unpleasant smells to my nose. As we walked, I spotted two Kestrans passed out against the side of a building while a Felax hummed a drunken tune on the floor beside them. From a narrow single story building in one of the side streets, there came jazz music. Soft purple-blue light came from the two small windows on either side of the door. A person of a race I didn’t recognize leaned against the wall of the entrance. He gazed at us through large unblinking green eyes as smoke came from his long tubular mouth.
“Seriously, I’m never coming here again,” I breathed.
“You’ll change your mind soon enough,” said Sally, turning a corner. He stopped in front of a single, chrome door to what looked like a large warehouse. The yellow glow from the light above it was the only one on in that street. It had started to rain.
Sally turned. “Okay, now, I need you to be cool. Don’t say anything, and if he says anything to you, just nod—I’ll do the talking.”
“This is messed up.”
“Just—just do it. You won’t be sorry.”
“I hope not.”
Sally turned and gave a series of knocks on the door which looked brand new, contrary to everything else around it.
A moment later, a metal slot swooshed to one side, and a pair of orange rectangular eyes peered down at him.
“What you want,” said a distorted voice.
“Open up, it’s me.”
“Who you. Not know you.”
“Man, do we have to do this every time? Please, just open.”
The slitted, neon eyes shifted to gaze at me. “Who that thing?”
I nodded.
“He’s with me. He’s like us.”
“We see if he is.” The door slid back without a sound, revealing the entrance to the warehouse. Sally led the way inside. The sounds of grunting and clanging started my heart thumping and, before I even saw what lay ahead, I knew it could only come from one thing.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
I couldn’t believe my eyes, but there it was: the game I thought I’d never experience again—Sphere. All around the room players practiced moves and flips, alone or in groups. They all wore different suits, some of which seemed home-made from various parts of other suits, and some with a sleeve or leg missing.
The warehouse was square with a high ceiling. Round lights hung from above and shone white spotlights down onto the blue matted floor. And there, in center of it all, was a steel Sphere cage. What a wonderful sight it was.
“Hey, Sal. What’s going, bro?” A stocky guy who had been leaning up against the wall walked up to Sally and bumped fists with him. He was a Batracien, too, and wore a thick brown jacket with a white fur neck, which had straps all the way up the arms. Unlike Sally, both his long, pointed ears were intact.
“Yeah, all good, kid.”
“Who’s your friend?” came a low, purring female voice from behind me. I turned to see a Capra eyeing me up and down. Two green eyes stood out from her dark purple skin. Piercings covered her spiraling ears. She had Simian facial features, though her elongated cranium was covered in dark blotchy patterns, and had thick, white hair styled to points on both prominent cheekbones. The jacket she wore had sleeves so long I couldn’t see her hands though the body only reached halfway down her frame.
“This is Seven,” said Sally, placing his hand down on my shoulder with force. “He’s a Sphere player. He can play.”
The other Batracien frowned and crossed his arms, while the Capra danced around me, as she tussled my hair. Though she giggled, her gaze was cold and calculating.
“Is that right? Where’s he from?” asked the Batracien.
“One of the desert villages. Isn’t that right?” Sally squeezed my shoulder and smiled at me.
“Yeah,” I said, nervously, “right.”
“You look prrretty pale for a desert dweller,” giggled the Capra, throwing her arms around my neck. The temperature rose quickly in my face.
“Leave him alone, Sova. He’s a good kid.”
The Capra let go of me and stepped back. She put both her hands behind her head and winked at me. “I hope so,” she said, “I’d hate to shred him up so soon.”
A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead.
“She’s just playing, kid. Don’t mind her. So this is Milo,” he said nodding to the other Batracien, who grunted at me, “and you’re already close friends with Sova here. Come on, I’ll introduce you to my pop.” Sally led me across to the other side of the warehouse where a group of players were sparring together.
“Hey, pop,” Sally nodded at a tall, muscular Batracien who had dodged a speedy punch by a Simian female. He looked like an older version of Sally, but his suit was yellow with red stripes down the sides and had no sleeves.
“Hey, kid, what’s going on?” he panted smiling. His expression changed
as soon as he noticed me. His eyes closed to slits and he furrowed his brow. “Who’s this?”
“This is Seven. He’s a friend. He plays Sphere, too.”
Sally’s father stared at me a moment as if to figure out what I was. Then, just as quickly his expression changed back to a big smile. “Well, any friend of Sally’s is a friend of mine.” He extended his hand, and I shook it.
“Thank you, sir.”
He laughed out loud. “I’m no ‘sir’. Call me Tanks. I see you go to the academy with Sally,” he said, nodding to the suit I wore. “So, you play Sphere, huh? How long?”
“A few years,” I smiled.
“Wow, nice. You must be pretty good, then. Hold your own.”
“Yeah, I’m not too bad. I’ve had a good coach.” I said, trying to be humble.
“Well, here’s a good place for you to be, then. We have players from all over the galaxy, with some even hailing from farther away like the Daeyro practicing in the cage there.” I turned and spotted a tall athletic female with long silver hair with purple streaks in it, performing moves using the teleportation her race were famed for. It surprised me to see a Daeyro there, so rare and elusive they were. Aside from their teleporting abilities, they could hear thoughts, with their eyes changing in color to match their temperament. “She’s naturally talented, and a fierce competitor. Others, like the Damasr she’s against have pasts shrouded in mystery, so don’t ask. We all have varying levels of experience and competence. Anyway, want to spar a little?”
“Let’s do it,” I said, feeling happier than I had in a long time, as I put up my fists. I had only just arrived, but that place already felt like home.
“Whoa,” Sally’s father laughed, putting his open hands in front of himself in mock defense. “Try with Sally first, he’s more you weight class.”
“Oh,” I smiled, feeling awkward, “sorry.”
Tanks walked over to a rack against the wall and picked up two pairs of gauntlets. “Here, these should fit.” He threw the other pair to his son.
I put the gauntlets on and turned to face Sally, who had already adopted a fighting stance.