by Paris Singer
“Exactly,” said Sally. “Tell him, Sova.”
“I don’t care if he comes or doesn’t. I’d only go if the other alternative was boredom.”
Sally pinched the bridge of his nose. “Thanks for your help, Sova.” She shrugged. “You’ve gotta come,” he persisted. “We’ll go in, you’ll look around, and we’ll go back to the academy. Okay?”
“What do you have to lose, anyway?” asked Milo. “Sally says you’re not exactly Mr. ‘Top Student’ there.”
“Or Mr. Popular,” added Sova.
Those two last comments stung a little, but they were right. I wasn’t still aboard the Sky Drifter where I was, at least, a decent student. And I had friends. What did I owe Laurea academy? Nothing. So, why was I so worried? It wasn’t as if they’d treat me any differently if I were late or tired, was it? So, who cared? Besides, the prospect of seeing real professional Sphere games was very difficult to pass up.
“Okay, I’m in.”
Sally smiled. “I knew you’d come to your senses, kid. All right—let’s go.”
***
We crossed the old industrial zone, back the way we’d come, passing shifty-looking characters that stared or scowled at us as we walked past them. When we were in the main part of the city again, Sally, Milo and Sova led the way into yet another dark alley, and up some rickety metal stairs that zigzagged to the roof of a tall building.
“Is the Sphere game up here somewhere?”
“Not even close,” said Sova, grinning.
“No, this is how we’ll get there,” said Milo.
“Best way to make your way through the city unseen,” added Sally.
We reached the top of the building to a flat roof. The noise of the city seemed so far away in the stillness of our surroundings. Pipes and ventilator units cast long shadows from lights within taller buildings and bright neon signs around us. We continued making our way through the city’s rooftops, up and down stairs, and shimmying along narrow edges and sills, until we came to a densely built area in the northern sector. We climbed down another set of steep steel stairs into a deserted, dirty alleyway.
“We’re here,” said Sally, leaning against a stack of rusted containers.
I looked around for doors, windows, and anything that resembled an entrance, but saw none.
“Where?”
“Told ya it was secretive,” said Milo with a smirk.
“Sova, Milo, if you’d be so kind,” said Sally with a mock accent as he bowed.
Sova and Milo walked to a section of the wall near Sally. They stood around a meter apart from each other.
“This is so stupid,” said Sova, leaning to her left almost at a ninety-degree angle. She placed one hand high above her head, and one below, near the ground. Milo mirrored her action and said, “Now.”
No sooner had he spoken than they both pressed the parts of the wall where they had positioned their hands. Four small white rectangles of light appeared where they touched. A moment later, the wall between them shimmered and moved as if made of liquid.
“Ta-daa,” said Sally.
“Just like magic,” smirked Milo, adding, “Quick, go on through before it deactivates.”
I followed Sova through the liquid entrance, with Sally and Milo close behind. As soon as we all crossed it, the shimmering ceased, and was replaced by a shiny white wall. We now stood in an alleyway of similar dimensions as the one we’d just been in, but this one had no exit on either side. The ground, walls and high ceiling were all bright white. Halfway along the left wall were two golden double doors, above which, a large pink neon sign read ‘The Bowl’.
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
“What is this place?” I asked, my eyes still adjusting to the sudden brightness.
“This is The Bowl,” replied Sally. “Well, not really. I guess it’s the door that takes you to The Bowl.”
“Isn’t it an alleyway?” said Sova.
“Fine. It’s the secret alleyway that takes you to the door that leads to The Bowl,” Sally sighed. “You get it. Also, if anyone gets in here for whatever reason, but isn’t accepted into The Bowl, this whole area gets pretty hot.”
“Pretty hot?”
“Around three thousand degrees. Stops anyone not supposed to be here from trying to get in. Hope Brong’s already added you to the list,” he laughed.
“Wait—what do you mean? What list?” I asked, feeling the blood rushing from my face with sudden dread.
“Oh, the list that says you’re cool and can go in. If he hasn’t, we’re all toast,” he laughed. “But don’t worry, he’s usually good with these things. Relax, there’s probably nothing to worry about,” he smiled, slapping my back.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said, beads of sweat forming on my brow.
“Nah, just kidding, kid—it’s only people who aren’t on the list that fry.”
We stepped up to the golden doors, which seemed far more imposing up close. I wondered if those would be my last moments alive.
“Don’t worry,” came Sova’s purring voice in my ear, “you won’t have time for pain if you fry.”
“Ah, great, thanks. I’m much better now,” I replied.
“We’re about to find out if Brong registered you, kid,” said Sally.
From a small square right above the door there came a wide green beam of light that rose from the ground where we stood, to the top of our heads, then vanished.
“Here we go,” said Sally, “I’d be sorry to see you go, kid.”
A low, deep mechanical voice spoke words in an unknown language, and the doors opened.
“See? Told ya there’d be nothing to worry about,” smiled Sally.
We stepped through into a downward-sloping corridor. As before, the doors closed behind us as soon as we had all crossed the threshold. The walls and ceiling were white while the floor was gold. Three horizontal grooves ran along the length of both walls and emitted golden yellow light from within. At the other end was another set of golden doors. The closer we got to them, the more the floor vibrated, and I could hear some muffled sounds from beyond.
“I love this place,” said Milo.
“Excited, kid?” asked Sally, throwing his arm around my neck.
“Yeah, of course,” I replied, not knowing what to expect.
Sally grinned, and said, “You will be. Wait till you see it.”
When we were close enough, the doors opened toward us. All at once emphatic cheers and flashing lights burst out. The atmosphere was electric. We stood toward the top of a large spherical arena with rows of seats all the way around on different levels. There was movement everywhere, as spectators cheered, clapped and sang. A massive four dimensional screen hovered in the air above and showed the two Sphere players battling it out inside the cage in the center of the arena below.
“What d'you think?” shouted Sally.
“It’s awesome,” I replied. The arena reminded me of the many I’d visited for Sphere matches and tournaments across galaxies over the years. It was comforting that some things hadn’t changed.
“We’re going down to the pit,” said Sally.
We headed down one of the many curved staircases to the smoky ground floor. It was so packed that we just made it to the other side. Once there, Sally, Milo and Sova walked toward an area where some mechanical androids that resembled VAIAs stood on wide pedestals. They were surrounded by all manner of people, all yelling names and numbers at them. The androids then handed out translucent cards with glowing writing to them in return.
“What’s happening?” I asked Milo.
“Bets for the fight. Get in on it.”
Some things had changed after all. Though, the world of Sphere I’d experienced had been strictly official, where no gambling took place—none that I knew of, anyway. In a world where Sphere was illegal and had moved underground, other illegal activities like gambling thrived there, too.
Sally, Milo and Sova walked up to different pedestals, chatted with so
me people and got their cards.
“Big business,” said Sally, holding up his card, as he walked back toward me. “Smart cred’s on Lebora. Get your ticket before he wins.”
“No, I’m good,” I said.
“What? What are you talking about, kid? It’s in the bag. Easy creds. Look up there,” Sally nodded up to a single row of cubicles that wrapped around the top of the arena. There, people of various races sat watching the match below. “See them? Big players, Big winners. Business magnates, media giants—crooked officials, even. All here for the big creds. They know smart creds. That’s where I’ll be sitting one day, you watch. And that’s where you could be, too, kid. And it all starts with knowing what’s what. And this.” He held up his ticket. “So, what are you waiting for?”
“Maybe next time,” I said, feeling a little awkward.
With an air of disappointment, Sally shrugged and said, “Suit yourself.”
We watched the rest of the match from the pit. It was brutal, with moves that were banned in the Sphere I was used to. Lebora lost in the last few seconds of the match, by knockout, his left leg crushed by his opponent.
Cries of anger and disappointment expressed with boos and hisses filled the arena. Sally and Milo threw their tickets away while uttering a series of expletives. Sova, however, seemed amused by the whole thing.
“Let’s get out of here,” spat Sally. “Told ya this match would suck, didn’t I? Lousy Lebora. Loser.”
We made our way back up the stairs while others seemed to exit via archways located all around the walls of the arena’s various levels.
Back out on the streets, one of Simia’s suns was rising in the horizon.
“Guess we’d better go,” said Sally, looking solemn, “What you guys gonna do?”
“I‘ll just go home, I think, Sal,” said Milo, just as glum. “Need those ‘Z’s, know what I’m saying?”
“Day’s young,” said Sova, “might find me another crew to hang with, you know, check out what’s up in the south.”
“Okay, cool,” said Sally. “Keep chill, yeah?”
“Good to hang with you, Seven,” said Milo, nodding as he smiled. I nodded back.
“Glad I didn’t have to kill ya,” said Sova, poking the edge of my nose with her index finger.
“Oh, yeah, me, too,” I replied, forcing a smile, realizing then just how tired I felt.
When Sova and Milo walked away, Sally and I made our way back through the city, to the secret entrance in the park.
“There’s usually someone from administration down in the sub-levels, so they’d likely spot us and tell Photuris,” said Sally, “so what I normally do is just walk back across the bridge and through one of the atrium windows on the ground floor.”
“Like when I first saw you?”
He laughed, “Oh, yeah, that’s right. You were such a noob. Though, you pretty much still are, huh?”
“I guess,” I replied, recalling the daily sneers and whispers I experienced from most students whenever they noticed me.
“Don’t worry, kid,” said Sally, “it happens to most newbies.”
“Did it happen to you?” I asked.
Sally forced a laugh. “No, kid, not to me.”
We walked past the park and along the bridge that led to the academy. A deep orange and red sky gave way to blue. I was so tired. When we sneaked back into the academy, only a couple automated cleaning units were hovering around, doing their duties.
“Quick,” said Sally, “some teachers like to get here early. Let’s get to the elevators.”
We made it safely into one and took it up to the Dome.
“Should be safe here for a while. There’s no Physical Development classes in the morning.”
We walked into the changing screen and stepped out wearing our normal clothing. I’d only been wearing the suit for the night, but it was more comfortable to wear than what I now wore.
“Well, kid, hope you had a good night.”
“It’s the best night I’ve had since I can remember. Thanks for taking me to the gym, Sally. And to the arena. It was awesome.”
“Don’t start getting all soppy, kid. Doesn’t suit ya. Glad you liked it. You really can play. I look forward to getting into a match with you soon. I won’t go easy on you next time, though,” he grinned.
“Neither will I,” I smiled. We got into the elevator. I got off on my floor, and Sally continued on to his, wherever that was. I entered my quarters and once again collapsed on my bed, happy to get some sleep.
“Time to wake, Seven.”
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
“Time to wake, Seven. You will be late for class. Failure to do so would be against directive 5B of the Academy Conduct Code 2231, which would result in a disciplinary action. Seven, you will be late for class if you do not wake. You cannot be late.”
A blaring siren sounded in the room. I jumped out of bed and fell on the floor, covering my ears with my hands. “What’s happening?” I shouted, scared the Morex may be attacking.
The siren stopped. “You will soon be late for class, Seven. It is against the Academy Conduct Code. I cannot permit you to be late.”
“You mean—you did that? Are you crazy?”
“Automated Life Management Assistants do not have emotions, Seven, and so cannot be crazy.”
“I can’t believe you did that—you could have given me a heart attack.”
“Your vital signs show you are in good health, Seven. Risk of suffering a heart-attack would be—”
“It’s an expression. Man.”
“You will be late for class, Seven.”
“Okay. Okay. I’m up. You got what you wanted, happy?”
“Automated—”
“I know, I know. Please don’t keep talking. Give me the tracker. Which class do I have?”
As Al wrapped the tracker around my head, he said, “You have History class, Seven. Your teacher is Ms. Annalis Venir.”
“Great. How long do I have?”
“You have two minutes and thirty-six seconds, Seven.”
“Wonderful. History track.” I followed the arrows out of my quarters and to the History classroom as fast as I could, light-headed from the lack of sleep.
***
The classroom was on the fourth floor of the first tower. I stepped off the elevator and walked along a bridge just as the last of the students hurried in through the door. The height of the room surprised me, which seemed at least eighty meters high. Ancient-looking shelves covered every wall and housed ancient-looking books. The middle part of the dark wood floor had an antique rug with weird shapes and patterns on it. The whole room smelled like damp paper and musty wood. It was as if I’d traveled back a few centuries.
On the rug were single wooden desks, separated in rows of three. There were a couple seats, so I picked one in the middle. The usual whispers began, but my main concern was trying to keep my heavy eyelids from closing. Ahead was a long rectangular, dark-green board with some white numbers written all over it.
From somewhere behind me I heard a whirring becoming louder. I turned and looked up toward the right corner of the room. A cylindrical black platform was descending. Someone was standing on it. When it reached the floor, I saw a person who must have been the teacher, Ms. Annalis Venir.
She looked to be as ancient as the books themselves. There wasn’t an inch of her ashen, gaunt face that wasn’t replete with wrinkles. It seemed as if she could crumble to dust at the slightest knock or fall, leaving only her round glasses and her clothes, all various shades of brown. Her head and hands trembled, and she had a white ring suspended around her waist, which cast a blue light on her torso and thighs. Ms. Venir hovered just off the ground, so I guessed the ring helped her to get around.
The teacher turned and looked at the class. “Oh, hello,” she said, with a trembling, well-spoken tone. “I thought I heard a noise in here. Is it that time already? My, my.” Ms. Venir hovered across the room and stood in front of the board.
Students around me tapped a corner of their desks and a luminescent white screen appeared over the surface. I followed their lead.
“Today, we will continue looking at the societal development of the Olmak people of Dravia, and how their civil unrest led to a revolution. Please turn to file twenty-three of the Dravia index.”
Looking around, I craned my neck to see which file options the surrounding students chose from the extensive menu. I spotted it before the Fumo whose screen I’d peeked at noticed me, and he created an inky wall of smoke, covering it. I navigated through the index, trying to find the right file. It was becoming harder to focus as my eyelids became heavier with every passing moment.
“The causes of the Dravia Revolution are complex and still debated by historians,” began Ms. Venir. “Their government deeply in debt, they attempted to restore…”
I found the lesson file and tried to keep up with what the teacher was saying. Her voice was becoming distorted and distant, fading farther with every word she spoke. Suddenly, I was playing Sphere with Iris in the canteen aboard the Sky Drifter, but there was an Exodus portable game station attached to the light-chain instead of a steel ball.
“Hey. Wake up.”
I jerked awake. I panicked as I realized I’d fallen asleep. In front of me was something that startled me. It was Ms. Venir. She was hovering, her upper half slumped to one side, as if lifeless, and from her waist was an electric purple projection of herself, only much younger. Instead of her short, white wispy hair, the projection’s head was shaved at the sides and had a tall crest on top.
“Who are you?” she asked, with a commanding tone. “I don’t recognize you. What do you think you’re doing, falling asleep in my class?”
“S-sorry,” I sputtered, “I didn’t sleep last night.”
“Not my problem—what’s your name?”
“It’s Seven.”
“Not my problem, Seven. You come here to learn, not catch up on sleep. You look like a good kid, but you’ve annoyed me, so I’m going to annoy you: detention.”