“Looking for something?” The eyes in front of me opened, and a hand came from underneath the blanket and pulled it over the naked breasts.
“Just feasting my eyes,” I said honestly. “I still can’t believe that this is real.”
“I’m a really, really bad drinker.” She shrugged. “But I’ve been under so much pressure recently and you were so modest and gallant that I just couldn’t contain myself.”
I moved closer to kiss her; to my delight, she allowed me to do so. She didn’t jump up, yelling that this was a tragic mistake on her part.
“Did this ruin your opinion of me?” she sniggered.
“I don’t think I knew you well enough before,” I hastily assured her. “We didn’t talk much at work.”
“Since we are both awake, let’s take a shower, have breakfast, and decide what to do next.” She tossed the blanket away, showing off her beautiful body without any embarrassment, and quickly slipped into the nightdress that was lying on the armchair. “If you don’t already have other plans for today, that is.” She turned around and I could not take my eyes off her slender, toned legs.
“I don’t.” My throat became dry.
She sighed at seeing what I was staring at. “Well, morning sex will be good for both of us. I hate that morning tension between casual lovers.”
Before I could say anything, she was all over me.
We spent another hour in bed.
***
“Want to eat something, Viktor?” Pulling herself up, she kissed me.
“Yeah, sure.” My body felt so light; it was as if was made out of air. I was on cloud nine. Sex with Mariya was divine. Although I didn’t love her in the way I loved Masha, the affection and romantic feelings I had for her made me feel as if I was melting.
“Separate showers.” She wagged a finger at me when I tried to follow her.
Being left behind, I curiously looked around.
Her lifestyle appeared to be more affluent than mine; much of the furniture and other items looked expensive and carefully selected.
Did you see anything on her PC or smart device? I asked Researcher after completing my visual examination.
No, it replied. That’s weird. Her search history has been deleted. All hard drives have been emptied. As if she was prepared for our visit.
These words ruined my mood. The last day’s romantic encounter no longer looked like a dream come true.
Let’s see what she’ll do next. I really, really like her, I thought sadly.
I’ve spent a whole week trying to penetrate the in-game restricted zone they had created for your practice. I hope that something on her devices may provide us with valuable clues. I’ll try to restore the deleted information.
Sure. Give it a try.
When Mariya came out of the shower, with nothing but a towel wrapped around her body, I forgot about all of the conspiracy theories. She had my attention.
***
Meeting each other in the game on Monday morning, we showed no more affection than before. However, watching Mario’s attempts to get Mariya’s attention became more amusing since I knew that I’d meet up with her later in that evening for a more intimate hangout.
The following week, the last week of qualifying rounds and one filled with regular sex, ended abruptly for me. Before I could bat an eye, another practice session started and the male instructor announced the teams. I was included in both 3vs3 and 5vs5 teams. Apart from that, all of us were to take part in solo battles.
“That’s all, pilots. Tomorrow, we start an exam that will last three weeks. We hope that you’ll make use of what we’ve taught you—and what we’ve hammered into your heads. The main thing to remember is: you work for the ‘Corporation’. Whatever happens, remember that. Read the clause about consequences in your contracts. That’s all.”
Our team practice was over, but we could still fly together during missions, which we immediately discussed. Almost all of them were good guys and we had stuff to talk about.
“See you at the tournament.” Mariya shook each pilot’s hand. I was the only one who received a cold nod—and a secret wink.
Seeing how distant she was with me, Mario livened up and invited her for a cup of coffee. To share it with her, he was ready to take a flight all the way from Mexico. I saw him shake his head in disappointment with the corner of my eye as I was leaving the café used by the military for the non-flying part of our practice.
Chapter 41
“Oh, our dear audience. Let us celebrate the opening of the first global inter-game tournament!”
I switched on the video wall to watch the opening ceremony. All of the participating star teams and lots of celebrities were invited as guests, and broadcasts were provided by all major TV channels and famous YouTubers in dozens of languages. All gaming influencers seemed to have been invited to inform their audiences about the ceremony in real time.
The colossal stadium, with giant screens and fantastic acoustics, was crammed with spectators, barely accommodating everyone who wanted to get in. The price of tickets was two hundred dollars and they were sold out almost at once. I wasn’t all that into becoming a part of such a great crowd, so I just purchased a virtual ticket, which permitted me to watch the whole tournament from the comfort of my home.
The minute of silence that followed the anchor’s words was filled with multi-colored fireworks that flashed above the stadium. The screens showed the teams coming out onto the stage, announced by the regular commentators of the game they were from. It was a beautiful and spectacular sight, with everyone dressed in their team colors and the same hoodies in which they played in other tournaments.
The pilot teams came last. I gritted my teeth seeing Masha come out holding hands with Stepan. They had, apparently, made it official.
“The champions of the past International and the finalists of this one, the Droooones team!” the anchor introduced them, drawling like a boxing commentator.
Yes, they had, by some miracle, scored third, albeit last, this year and were, apparently, happy with that fact. I had watched all of their interviews. One didn’t need to be an insider to see that what happened truly was a miracle. The players took shots at each other during group interviews; particularly Stepan and Nikita, who never stopped arguing. Masha had to step in to help put out the blazing conflict. Everyone could see that this team won’t last unless one of the two squabblers is removed. But, according to the anchor, Nikita’s contract had been written so as to provide maximal protection. The management could not fire him for the next two years unless they wanted to pay a huge penalty.
My flow of thought was interrupted by the loud voice of the TV presenter introducing the tournament sponsors. The CEO and the chair of Galaxy Corporation both came to the stage. Their faces were very familiar: I had seen them in virtually every Galaxy ad.
After the introductory speeches and smashing a bottle of champagne against a big metal cup, a hundred times enlarged version of the main prize given for each nomination, the tournament started. Only the infantry competed today; our turn would come tomorrow, starting with solo battles.
Mariya was terribly busy with the tournament, but she spent her nights at my place. Today she took a leave to get enough sleep in her own apartment. Her absence provided me with spare time that I was going to spend with my teammates; we had made appointments in the afternoon, and I’d rather not stand them up. We really needed more team co-ordination practice, which we could get on missions.
***
The next day.
Moscow, the Pilot contest commentator studio
“So, Oleg, we’re finally here! What expectations do you have for today’s rounds?”
“Hi Nikolai. Like you, and probably most of our audience, I expect much. The best of the best will clash in these space battles! And there are those wild cards introduced as the Galaxy publisher’s team. They’re rumored to be really good.”
“Yes. Some of them are outstanding fighters, judging f
rom how they did in the qualifying rounds. But, you know, I’ve still placed a bet on my favorite.”
The first anchor waved his hand and mocked his colleague: “Oh, dear audience, for the next ten minutes you’ll listen about what a great pilot Viktor Maximov is.”
“But you must admit, Nikolai, he was really good in Starry Sky. He has now achieved his full potential. Did you see his battles?”
“I’m not as dogmatic as you, Oleg. He had been flying his personal ship that has now been taken away from him. I’ve talked to seasoned players and asked talked to the pilots who were on missions with him. All of them agree that his ship is the best of the best. It’s no wonder that he has performed so well on it. That’s what makes me skeptical about how he’ll do in the tournament. That, and one more thing—the ship AIs in Galaxy that prioritize teamwork over individual skill.”
“Well, we’ll see. I’ve still placed multiple bets on him today.”
“Do you think he’ll beat his rival? He’ll have to fight HiG, who’s now at his prime.”
“Don’t make me sad, dear friend. We’ve already discussed this. No need to go over it again.”
“I couldn’t agree more. We’ll see about that later. The first combat of the tournament, though not involving L0St, is upon us! What do you think about the developers’ allowing each player to assemble their ship as they sees fit, provided that they stays within budget?”
“I think that’s a great idea,” the other anchor said. “It reminds me of Rock-Paper-Scissors where you never know what exactly your rival has in hand.”
“Yes. I like it, too. While the players prepare without knowing what their rival has behind their back, let’s see what ships they’ll be piloting.”
“Here’s IGO. His fighter has many missiles and strong shields. He’s apparently going to exhaust his opponent, making them use up their missiles and shield capacity and then destroying them with one precise hit. His opponent has opted for a more standard build—a laser gun and medium shields. He has better agility and speed.”
“My hands are already shaking with excitement.” The anchor shook his head. “What do you think, dear audience? Who will prevail in this battle? Please leave your comments right beneath our broadcast. Our bot will count your votes. After the battle, we’ll see who was right. I’d like to remind you that you can bet on the outcome of any battle and win a hefty money prize provided by our sponsor.”
“Now! It begins!”
“The ships are coming from their teleports, with a large distance between them. We can see them scanning each other. Oh, IGO has been detected! His rival is closing the distance and evading the missiles. Shot! Another shot! Hit! IGO’s hit, Nikolai!”
“He hasn’t lost yet,” the second anchor noted. “He still has the shields… No, they didn’t help. Close combat was too intense for IGO’s less agile ship. He lost this round.”
“Yes. A pity that the battle ended so quickly. Hasn’t that become a new trend? Agility and speed over firepower?”
“Are you saying that with your favorite pilot in mind? Guessing whom he’ll have to fight?”
“You got me there.” The anchor laughed. “I’m starting to worry about my money.”
“We’ll see if you win or lose very soon. If all battles are as brief as this one, we’ll get to see your L0St in some half an hour.”
***
“My hands are shaking again, Nikolai. Please, please open the stats. Let’s look at his rival’s ship.”
“Sure. The thousand you’ve bet could have been put to a better use,” the co-anchor mocked.
“Goodness gracious! L0St! Have you seen none of today’s fights? We’ve been showcasing the advantages of close-combat ships the entire day! Was all of that in vain, Viktor? Why, why did you have to install that powerful, but long-range, kinetic weapon and such weak shields?!”
“Yes, Oleg. You are right to start regretting your decisions.” Nikolai smiled to the camera. “In but a minute, the former fifth pilot of Drones will clash with their current fifth and we’ll see who prevails!”
“He’s doomed. There’s no doubt about it. HiG has today’s best weapon… Oh, I’ve guessed it right. He really has a laser weapon, medium shields, and maximal agility and speed!”
“While Oleg keeps grieving over his lost bet, I’ll comment the beginning of this battle. The ships are coming out of their teleports. HiG is scanning… Scanning… But where’s his rival? Oh dear! What’s just happened? L0St has showed up and proved that he doesn’t care about the trends. His fail-proof tactic is: one shot—one dead enemy. An incredible victory by the Drones’ former five! I can imagine how furious Nikita is. Prior to the battle, he has been very critical about his opponent.
“Oleg? I understand that you’re stunned by the amount of money you’ve just won, but I’d like to remind you that you’re still here commenting the pilot fights. Ha, ha!”
“Good joke, Nikolai. Anyway, I really can’t wrap my head around what has just happened. Fighting in his usual manner, Viktor crushed his before the other pilot could see him, or even estimate his location. How? How’s that possible? Let’s look at his ship’s build again.”
“Oh, it’s clear now. His ship has the best camouflage system I’ve seen today! All the other components are just good enough for this ship to be able to fly.”
“Who would’ve thought? We were totally wrong labeling his ship build as bad and unworthy of effort.”
“I agree, Oleg. When is his next battle?”
“In an hour. His last battle for today will mark the end of our shift.”
“Then I’ll go bet on him, too. At least I’ll get back the money I’ve spent on lunch.”
“Hey, man! Who’s been reprimanding me lately for taking too much risk?”
“I have. But erring is human. This time I’ll join you, Oleg, though with a tad smaller bet. As I’ve said before, our betting sponsor is Earlicon Company. Earlicon: you’re always the winner!”
Chapter 42
“Oleg. You won’t believe the news I’ve heard.” The co-anchor disappeared from the screen for a minute, then came back.
“What? Nothing about combat cancellation, I hope?”
“No. Better. The Drones team filed an official complaint to the tournament committee. They claim that L0St is either doped to boost his reactions or using some cheat codes.”
“Ha, ha! What a shame. Are they really so dumb? How can one come up with such ideas in an official tournament? All players are drug-tested on a daily basis. They use game capsules provided by the hosts. That’s really breaking news, Nikolai!”
“They say that HiG was outraged after the battle, convincing everyone it was not fair play and that they were trying to humiliate their team.”
“Looks like he’s convinced them. If an official complaint was filed…”
“I hope that they’ll not cancel the battle because of that. We, and our audience, are now even more curious to know who’ll win and what other aces Viktor has up his sleeve. He must realize that his rivals, now aware of his ship’s build, will be installing the best scanning systems. And that he’ll get hit the moment he’s detected, because his ship has such low agility and speed.”
“Now, Oleg, I have the examination data. They’ve tested Viktor’s blood and urine. He’s clean. Concerned about its reputation, the Galaxy Corp even reversed the combatants’ positions, putting L0St’s next opponent into the capsule that L0St had used in the previous battle. That should eliminate any doubts.”
“My hands are shaking again, Nikolai. Please, please let me view his ship’s properties. Goodness! No, Viktor! No!”
“Ha, ha! The same ship build again! His ship can barely able move now, and it has no shields at all! Is he a genius or a madman? Betting everything on a single shot? Even with the assistance of the ship’s AI—a rather mediocre one, by the way—one should have a fast mind to manage to instantly detect the enemy ship, calculate its trajectory, and shoot it precisely!”
“I’m starting to believe that he’s totally crazy, Nikolai. We surely won’t win!”
“What a tense moment here—their ships are emerging from the teleport gates. L0St, true to his strategy as one can be, turns invisible at once, winning time to estimate his rival’s trajectory. The other pilot abruptly moves from the line of fire to detect L0St. Twenty seconds too late, I fear. His cockpit has been hit with a precise shot, and he’s on his way to his next incarnation! L0st did it again! Fantastic!!!”
“Dear friends, I wish you could hear what’s going on behind our backs! Everyone is yelling and waving their posters! I’ve never seen a battle like that! Some say that L0St’s style is not spectacular or captivating, but my heart has been won over by his inhumanly fast mind and calm composure! At the start of every battle, he seems to be telling his rival: I’ll stay true to myself. Come on, try to get me!”
“And they really tried to get a ship build that would beat his. We’ve seen several such attempts today. Some were trying to intercept him, others to imitate him, but all were defeated. This pilot is the only truly brilliant sniper here.”
“I’m curious about what Drones will do after the check they’ve initiated today. In his next battle, he’ll be facing their third player, Mariya, aka Mary. She’s Viktor’s ex, by the way!”
“I can already feel the heat of tomorrow’s battle!”
“I agree. I’m brimming with emotion, too! As is our audience! Aren’t you, our dear friends?! But, alas, our shift is over and we have to say goodbye! See you tomorrow!”
“Yes, let’s go celebrate. Our sponsor has already paid our bets in full. Their slogan: Earlicon: you’re always the winner has proved true again! Bye, folks! See you tomorrow!”
***
Moscow, Kremlin
Lost in Space Page 26