Seven Crowns (Bellaton Book 1)

by E. V. Everest

  Ana moved to the makeshift kitchen, where Baylan was mixing up some instant coffee.

  “Want a cup?” he offered.

  “Yes, please. And maybe a decaf for the code princess.”

  “Yeah,” Baylan said, glancing over at her. “She needs to power down.”

  Ana nodded in agreement.

  Holden was outside, keeping watch and setting up some motion detectors and other basic defenses. He smiled and waved when he saw them approaching.

  “How’d you sleep?”

  “Not bad. You know, aside from your snoring,” she teased.

  Holden looked embarrassed.

  Ana added, “Just kidding.”

  This was the part where Adam would have told her she drooled, and they would have laughed. She shook the thought away. She hoped Adam was busy setting up the world’s worst defenses right now. She was here to win.

  “You two headed out for decoy duty?” Holden asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Be careful. And don’t be afraid to use the comms. Shay found a way to encrypt our signal.”

  Ana and Baylan disappeared into the thick jungle. They were armed with laser guns. If they hit an enemy, they would be stunned and knocked out of the game. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to a shoot-out today.

  Their goal was to set up decoy protections six miles to the east. They wanted Adam and his team to think their base was in that direction, so they would waste their time breaking down traps and defenses that led to nowhere.

  They pushed through overgrowth, trying to remain as quiet as possible. Adam’s base could be anywhere. For all they knew, it was less than a mile from their own.

  Ana heard something a few feet away and froze, grabbing Baylan’s arm. He stopped and looked at her in confusion. She held a finger to her lips and jerked her head toward the noise. It was coming from behind a large tree nearly twenty feet in diameter.

  Baylan drew his sidearm, and Ana followed suit. They waited for an opponent or beast to step out from behind the tree. Instead, something unusual flickered, like a pixelated beam of light. It shone through the tree’s foliage and onto the ground. It continued to move as though it were searching for something.

  What is it? Ana mouthed.

  Baylan shrugged. “No idea,” he breathed. “But I think we should run.”

  Ana nodded, and they took off.

  At first, the beam followed, but they lost it when they approached a small stream. They followed the sandy bank, no longer needing to fight plant overgrowth. Small razor-toothed fish swam in the ripples.

  “What was that?” she cried, leaning over to catch her breath.

  Baylan leaned his head back so the sweat wouldn’t drip in his eyes. “Maybe it was a trap by the committee. Something to freeze players?” he suggested.

  “Maybe.”

  “Either way, I hope we don’t see it again.”

  They stayed on the sandy shore for as long as they could.

  Four miles in, they left the stream behind. Baylan directed them through a sheet of vines and into an area that was mostly open terrain. Prehistoric fern-like plants and moss covered the ground. Ana heard a voice in the distance.

  “I thought I heard someone,” she said.

  “There’s nothing on equipment,” he protested.

  She heard it again. This time Baylan did too.

  She dropped to the ground and jerked Baylan down beside her. They were hidden by several large prehistoric ferns. A moment later, two of their opponents emerged through the thick curtain of vines. They were covered in some sort of mud from head to toe. Ana had to assume that whatever it was had blocked their sensors.

  Adam’s team was well trained. Seeing they were on the precipice of a clearing, they hugged the perimeter, using the sheeted vines to obscure their view as they continued to survey the area. Ana wished that she and Baylan had done the same thing. If they had, they wouldn’t be trapped right now.

  There was something familiar about the vines and their tiny purple blooms, but she couldn’t quite place it. Besides, she had more pressing issues. It was only a matter of time before they were seen, and they hadn’t placed a single decoy yet. It was too soon to be knocked out of the game.

  To Ana’s horror, Baylan began to crawl toward the perimeter. She tried to grab his foot, but it was too late. Baylan pulled his sidearm and aimed it through the fern’s leaves. He fired at the first Rockwell who tried to dodge but tripped. Creeping tendrils had wrapped around his boot.

  Carnivorous quick! Ana realized.

  Baylan’s second shot hit him square in the chest, and the boy was washed in bright blue light. It turned gray, and he froze. Ja’s shooting lessons had paid off.

  The Rockwell girl noticed them now. She raised her weapon to fire at Baylan, but Ana was quicker. Her heart hammering in her chest, she stood, fired, and missed.

  The girl turned, realizing there were now two enemies in the clearing. She pressed her comm to contact her base. Baylan fired again. The girl turned bright blue then gray. Her comm went dead. She was frozen too.

  They would remain frozen until they were evacuated by the planning committee. They would be removed from the dome and quarantined for the duration of the game.

  Ana ran over to Baylan and gave him a high five. “Wow, great shot.”

  “Thanks. Ja’s a good teacher.”

  “Two down,” she said, smirking.

  “Five to go.”

  They didn’t stick around to celebrate. For all they knew, Adam’s team was camping nearby. It could be five on two in mere minutes. They hurried through the brush and back to the stream as quickly as their legs and the environment would allow.

  They hadn’t had time to place the decoys, but Adam’s team would still know they had been in the area. The comm had gone through. Their mission was complete. Hopefully, it would be enough.

  When Ana and Baylan returned to the hab, Holden was in a great mood.

  “We heard everything on the comms,” he said. “Other than that, it’s been radio silent all day. They know we’re listening. I’m sure Adam’s given orders to assume all comms are breached.”

  Ja slapped Baylan on the back. “Come on in, man. We just finished making lunch.”

  Ophelia was tossing a salad made of greens from the jungle. Ja was stirring a thick stew made from ingredients they had carried in their packs. Xan and Baylan slurped down two bowls apiece. Ana had to agree the food was good, but she knew it wouldn’t last forever. She hoped the game would be over before rationing became an issue.

  The only member that didn’t eat with them was Shay. She had finally fallen asleep and was slumped over the command center, drool pooling near her open mouth.

  “Did she crack it?” Ana asked, setting her spoon in her now empty bowl.

  “Come see for yourself,” Holden said.

  He led her behind the hab to the spot where the flag was standing. She couldn’t see any difference. She had to admit she was a little disappointed.

  Holden stretched out a hand to touch the flagpole and met resistance. Ana’s eyes lit up. She mirrored his movement and found she could not touch the flag either. It was protected by an invisible force field.

  Shay had done it.

  Shay woke in time for dinner. All seven of them huddled around a large campfire as the last light of the day slipped through the trees. The smoke repelled the onslaught of insects. The thick canopy stopped the smoke from giving their enemies their location.

  Holden leaned in to address them. “We’ve got good news today. Baylan and Ana took out two soldiers. That means right now our team has the advantage. And thanks to Shay, our flag is practically impenetrable.”

  There was a series of cheers and congratulations around the campfire. Ja slapped Baylan on the back, and Xan fist bumped Ana. Ophelia smiled at Shay.

  Holden cleared his throat. “We haven’t won yet. If I know Adam, he’s divided this dome into a grid.”

  Xan and Ja nodded in agreement.

&n
bsp; “Tonight, they’ll search the area where they lost comrades. When they find no hab and no traps, they’ll eliminate the southeast from their grid search. They can also eliminate their own quadrant. That leaves only two areas left. By morning, they will be in our quadrant.”

  Xan added a few pieces of kindling to the fire and stoked it with a spare piece of metal from the hab. Embers rose into the air, lighting up his face. “So, tomorrow, we risk losing our advantage. That means we go out tonight.”

  Holden nodded.

  “Slow your roll.” Shay yawned. “I’m not traipsing all over the jungle. Not when tech can do it for me.”

  “What are you suggesting?” Holden asked.

  “I’m suggesting we build drones. They can do surveillance in half the time we can.”

  “And how long will that take to build?” Ja asked. “I agree with Xan. We can’t just sit here. We need to go out.”

  “Why can’t we do both?” Ana suggested. “Shay and Holden could stay up and build the drone. Shay has the technical know-how, and Holden is great with mechanics. Xan and Ja, you can take turns with a partner searching for the other team’s base.”

  “I like it,” Holden said. “Only one problem. You and Baylan need sleep.”

  “A tired soldier is a stupid soldier,” Ja and Xan said in unison.

  Ana rolled her eyes. “Rockwells,” she muttered.

  Holden locked his eyes on her. “You really should rest up.” She could tell he was thinking about the vision again. She wondered if he had seen more. No. If he had, he would have told her. There was no use in thinking about it.

  “Fine,” she agreed, standing up. “I guess I am pretty tired.”

  “Before you go, do you have any idea what direction Adams’ team came from? It might give us a clue as to where they’ve set up camp.”

  Baylan, who had been carrying the tech, gave the details.

  To the best of their knowledge, the enemy campsite was somewhere in the east.

  Day 3

  Ana stretched and rose from her cot to see how the rest of the team was doing. Baylan was still sleeping, so she tiptoed past his bunk to the hab’s door. Outside, she found Holden and Shay leaning over a brand-new drone.

  It had clearly been cobbled together from a series of parts from Shay’s tool belt and discarded kitchen components. She could tell from the debris scattered around them.

  “Wait a minute,” Ana cried, spotting a stainless steel handle. “Don’t tell me you cannibalized the electric kettle?”

  “Sorry.” Holden winced. “I know how you like your morning coffee.”

  “Like is an understatement.”

  “Oh, chill out, Halt, this is going to be worth it. You’ll be sipping coffee back on Bellaton in no time. You can flavor it with Adam’s tears after he loses this challenge.”

  “You’re just in time to see liftoff,” Holden said, fiddling with the controller.

  Ana sat on a moss-covered rock and watched as the drone rose in the air. It wasn’t as small or fast as the technology at the capital, but it sure beat being on foot.

  Shay whooped with joy and directed the drone in a wide circle.

  “See how close you can take it to the dome’s perimeter without running into issues,” Holden suggested.

  Shay steered it low and then took it all the way up, until it skimmed below the dome’s apex. She stared at the readouts, and her eyes darted back and forth. “Uh-oh.”

  “Uh-oh?” Holden echoed.

  “I’m seeing a weird signal.”

  “What kind of a weird signal?” he pressed.

  “Well, all communication should be flowing from us to them, right? Spectators can see and hear us, but they can’t interfere with the challenge.”

  Holden nodded, but Ana’s brow furrowed.

  “What about the evacs?” she asked.

  “Those are based on a pre-written subroutine. For instance, if a participant’s heart rate drops below X, then freeze and evacuate.”

  “No interference. No ties. No forfeits. Only a clean victory will be honored,” Holden said.

  Shay nodded. “Exactly.”

  “So, what’s the problem? You see communication coming from the outside? What does it say?”

  For the first time, Shay looked uncertain. “It’s not that simple. It’s encrypted. I can’t read it. I can’t determine its source. There’s one thing I do know. Every coder leaves a fingerprint. This one… isn’t mine. And it isn’t a part of the dome or one of its subroutines.”

  Holden ran a hand through his sweaty blond hair, pushing it away from his eyes. “Could anyone on Adam’s team do this?”

  “I doubt it. Just bending the existing framework of the dome was incredibly difficult. Whoever did this is a pro. I don’t think anyone on his team has the skill.”

  “Then, it’s from someone on the outside. The question is… who are they sending it to? Who here is compromised?” Ana mused.

  “And who on the outside would want to tamper with the challenge?” Holden asked.

  “Who wouldn’t want to?” Ana muttered. “We should warn Adam.”

  “He’ll never believe us,” Holden said.

  “He’ll believe me,” Ana said.

  Shay groaned. “Ugh. Enough of your love triangle.”

  Holden’s ears turned pink, and Ana started to protest.

  “Save it,” Shay said. “Until we find out exactly what is happening, we say nothing. For all we know, it’s Adam’s team. Nothing more.”

  They agreed.

  33

  The Gambit

  Day 4

  The search for the other team’s base continued. The drone went out every morning at first light and returned to charge at midday. Teams of two went out, working the grid.

  At this point, they had narrowed the field down substantially. So far, they had eliminated southeastern and southwestern quadrants. This afternoon, it was Ana’s turn to go out. She looked around the hab for a partner. Ja and Xan were sleeping, but she spotted Shay sitting at her command center.

  “Hey Shay, I’m about to go out. Do you wanna come?”

  As it turned out, Shay’s desire to leave the hab was 0%. “I’m tech support, not ground support,” she said. “Besides, someone has to monitor these signals.”

  Ana walked over and stood behind her, watching the incomprehensible strings of code whiz by. “Anything new?”

  “Nothing yet.” She paused. “Why don’t you grab Baylan or Ophelia. I think they’re both outside.”

  Ana walked outside and found Ophelia about twenty feet away from the hab, partially obscured by foliage. She was crouched down, scooping something out of the ground. Only her white blonde hair was easily visible.

  “What are you doing?” Ana asked.

  Ophelia looked up. “Oh, just foraging. I was hoping to find some greens for dinner. Nothing important.”

  “Want to come on grid search duty with me?”

  Ophelia stood up and brushed her dirty hands on khaki cargos. “Sure. Let me just go wash up. Five minutes?”

  While she waited, Baylan turned the corner and came around to the front of the hab. “Thought I heard your voice.” He looked up from the controller at her. “Are you going out again?”

  She nodded.

  “Cool. Well, I have a lead for you. I just saw some glimmering metal in the northwestern quadrant.”

  “Could you tell what it was?”

  “No, too much foliage. I was afraid if I went too far below the tree cover, I’d lose the drone.”

  Ana’s eyes lip up. “Still, it’s a lead. Thanks Bay.”

  Ana packed a rucksack. The Northeast quadrant was a long walk. They wouldn’t make it back to shelter for the afternoon heat. They’d have to bring provisions and rest out in the jungle.

  “Ready?” Ophelia asked.

  Ana pulled on her rucksack. “Ready.”

  As it turned out, walking through the jungle with Ophelia was much easier than expected. Together, she and Bay
lan had thrashed and squeezed and scraped through the plant life. However, when Ophelia came through, the plants just sort of politely bowed out of her way, like an especially helpful breeze had passed through the foliage.

  “You’re not going to tire yourself out doing that, are you?”

  “Huh?” Ophelia looked up from the jungle floor. “Oh! The plants. Honestly, I hardly know I am doing it.”

  “In that case, keep it up. This is a cakewalk compared to decoy duty with Baylan.”

  She smiled.

  “So, what do you think about this place?” Ana asked. She felt a little guilty for roping Ophelia into this. Ana had known the challenge would be difficult, but she hadn’t accounted for the bug bites and lack of coffee.

  “Who me?” She blushed. “Honestly, I kinda love it in here. There are so many interesting plants. I can tell the committee brought in all sorts of exotic stuff. I’ve been trying to catalog it. In my spare time of course,” she added hastily.

  Ana smiled. Typical Ophelia. Worried about others, even when she was already doing them a huge favor.

  “Really, it’s all pretty relaxing,” she admitted. “No stressful classes to attend or social games to play. I do miss Lola though.”

  Lola was the flying lops Ophelia had brought home from Dockside Animal Sanctuary.

  “I’m sure Lauren is taking good care of her,” Ana said.

  “You’re right. Lauren adores her. Before I left, she was dressing her up in some pink outfit and taking photos. Did you leave Petrie with Madame Bali?”

  “Yeah, I bet he’s overeating. He always pretends you’ve forgotten to feed him.”

  Ophelia laughed—a sound like tinkling bells.

  They trudged on.

  Ana heard the sound of water in the distance. She raised her eyebrows and looked at Ophelia. “This could be the right quadrant. It would be smart to set up near water, right?”

  Ophelia nodded.

  They soon came across a fast-moving river with moss covered rocks piled high on each side. They stayed far up on the bank, not wanting to get too close. Besides, the trees offered better camouflage. Just in case they were getting close.