It seemed there were some rules in here, so she would have to work around them. She could change herself, could she change the maze? She shrunk back down, keeping the direction of the exit in her mind, then began to walk towards it. She came immediately to a wall, and paused, staring at it. She imagined a door, the pale sliding hatch that had opened for them at the end of the dock. As she did, it came into being, just appeared and opened. She stepped through, a huge grin plastered across her face.
She walked across the corridor to the next wall, once more picturing the door. Then she stopped herself and changed the image, this time to one of the corridors from the Homeship. She shuddered as it appeared before her, memories flooding back, but she walked down it, cutting a straight line through the maze.
She came to the exit and stepped free from the maze, onto a vast flat plain. This was red, dusty and dry, and empty as far as she could see. Inspired by the challenge, despite her fatigue, she explored the options. She could make something to carry her across the plain, but her mind was already moving beyond the physical. The plain, just like the maze, was a creation, possibly her own, so it could be changed. She thought about the creature and had to stop herself from slapping her own head as she shook it in realisation.
She pictured the alien woman in her mind, then imagined standing in front of her. She appeared, the scowl replaced with a smile which was, at least, a slight improvement.
"You took your time."
She paused.
"You are not cattle. I take it back and apologise, you are not like the others of your race."
She felt herself swell with pride before the words sunk in.
"You think that just because I have power and they don't, it's OK to treat other humans like you treated me?"
The woman cocked her head to one side, mouth turned down slightly at the edges.
"You think I am wrong. How do you treat your herd animals, the ones you kill and eat?"
"But we're not herd animals! What the hell? How can you say that, we have minds that think and bodies that feel and stuff."
She stopped for a second, feeling suddenly sick.
"Do you eat humans?"
The woman threw back her head, the harsh barking sound once again spewing forth. Ally stood awkwardly, not wanting to hear the answer.
"I do not, of course not, but then I do not consume the flesh of others. There are some here who would, but no, it is not normal. It would be rude to be enjoying someone's hospitality and stealing their sustenance at the same time."
"Huh?"
"The voice that welcomed you here? That is the voice of, well, you might call it God. I call it the Giver, for that is why I am here, that is why we are all here."
She spread her arms wide and just like that they were back in the market, surrounded by a thousand calling, shouting voices. She stepped back, overwhelmed by the sudden noise and smells. The woman put out a hand, helping her to stand until she could regain her balance. The crowd were still looking eagerly at them, as if she had only been 'inside' for a few moments. The grey creature smiled again, flapping her hands at the onlookers, who melted away amidst grumbles and mutters.
"The Giver, he eats humans, or at least, the useful part."
Ally put her hand to her mouth, eyes flashing this way and that, panic setting in.
"Do not worry. If he invited you here, he had no interest in that. Besides, the Atrile provide him with a constant supply."
She flashed that grin again and Ally stepped back, the feeling of isolation returning with a vengeance.
"I am sorry, I did not mean to scare you. Most people that come here know what to expect."
The woman looked at her sadly.
"You really do not know where you are do you?"
She shook her head, working hard not to cry as the confidence she had discovered inside the alien's head melted away.
"This is the Nexus. This is where everyone comes, in the end. Once you have done everything and can do no more, you journey here, to discover who you really are, what you are truly capable of. Or, if you are like the Atrile, you come here for power. Bring something the Giver wants and you can have anything."
"But what is he? Really I mean?"
"Really? I do not know. He has been a legend amongst my people for as long as we have told stories. I am the first to travel here, to seek him out."
She paused for a moment, then put out her fist, aiming it straight at Ally.
"I am Bridyant. I am here because I have reached the end of my learning and want to know more."
She paused, waiting for something. Ally raised her own fist, pointing it back at the alien.
"Ummm, I'm Alicia, Ally. I'm here 'cos we didn't really have anywhere else to go and the Lords, I mean, the Atrile? They know me now, 'cos I read one of them, so we can't go to Earth."
She stopped, breathless from her outburst. Bridyant, a wry smile on her face, gently tapped her fist against hers, then let it drop to her side.
"It is a good thing to meet you Ally. Perhaps you are part of the learning I am here to do before I play the game. Perhaps I can help you to find what you have come here to get."
Ally nodded, her mind reeling from what she was being told. Where the hell was Stem?
As if on cue he came bursting through the crowd, wrapping her in his arms. She shoved her head against his chest as if she could burrow inside and let the feelings of love wash over her. She looked up at him and saw his face, a fierce look of hatred aimed at Bridyant. She stepped away, putting her hands on his chest.
"Uh, Stem, this is Bridyant. She's not as bad as you think. I mean, she does think humans are cattle, but not us, you know. And, she wants to help us, which based upon what I've just heard, may be a really good thing."
Stem dragged his gaze from the grey woman and down to look at her. She nodded brightly, and he shrugged in grudging agreement.
The crowd parted again, this time to let through a small, quite ordinary looking man clad in a smart jacket and matching trousers. Despite the pushing and shoving he seemed to come to them untouched, the shoppers swaying aside to let him pass. She noted the three eyes on his face and the overly large hands without much surprise, her brain struggling to register anything beyond 'huh?' by this point.
He stopped between them and Bridyant, looking first at her then settling on them. Once again she could see that his lips didn't match with what she was hearing.
"I came as soon as I could, as soon as we spotted the altercation."
He glanced back at Bridyant.
"All seems to be well now. Is that so?"
She noticed that Bridyant seemed oddly deferent to the small man in her response. She had only known the alien for a few minutes, but deference didn't seem to be in her nature.
"Everything is fine Keeper, really. It was a misunderstanding, so strange to find a slave with such power."
The small man coughed slightly, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Yes, well, our thoughts exactly. What can one do though, hang a sign around their necks?"
He turned back to Ally and Stem.
"I do apologise. As you've no doubt figured out, your kind are not normally found here, at least not, on this part of the Nexus."
"As I understand it we're found in the bit where the sacrifices are kept."
Her brain caught up just after her mouth snapped shut. She'd meant to be polite, really, but doing anything except standing up was an effort at the moment. She hadn't realised that she was capable of being quite so cocky, but she found the anger she'd felt at Bridyant calling her cattle was still strong and had now found a new target. The small man continued quickly.
"Ah, yes, well, I understand you finding that a little strange. Once you meet the Master you'll understand I'm sure. It isn't really for me to get into that sort of thing. However, what I can do is show you to your lodgings. Until you decide why you are here you will stay at our hospitality, please."
He stepped back, gesturing with his hands
to somewhere beyond the market. Her and Stem exchanged glances, then both nodded. She turned to Bridyant, who smiled in her scary way.
"It was good to meet you Ally. I shall see you again, I'm sure."
"Yeah, thanks for, you know, helping me out, once you let go of my hair and all."
The alien nodded, either missing the sarcasm or choosing to ignore it. The Keeper had begun to move through the crowd and they had to move quickly to follow him. The crowd parted around him, but came back together almost immediately, so the journey was one of shoving and pushing, constant movement to keep his back in sight.
After an age, they reached the edge of the market and burst free of the crush into another corridor. This one was being used, but there was room to breath and walk side by side. She took Stem's hand, feeling wrung out and he put an arm around her waist, helping her along.
She remembered little else, only that they'd come to this room and collapsed, shedding clothes on the short walk from the door to the bed. They'd fallen asleep before they had the chance to talk about any of the madness that had engulfed them in the last day. She sighed, still not quite believing they were actually sleeping in a bed. Of all the insane things they'd seen last night, the market, the Nexus, even her trip through the militant crazy chick's head, waking up in a bed felt the strangest of all.
Chapter Fifteen
She slipped from the bed, leaving Stem sleeping and explored the room. The walls, she decided, weren't see through, despite how they looked. The light that seemed to come from within gave the illusion that they were, but beneath the surface was a hard, bleached-bone opacity. On a low table, a sheet of the white substance protruding from the wall, a tray contained bread and pieces of strange-looking fruit. Grabbing a hunk of the bread, she explored the room. Branching off from it was another, smaller chamber, bearing a toilet and washing facilities. She looked around for where the others slept, before finally accepting that the washroom was for their sole use.
She was still coming to terms with that when Stem slowly pushed himself up from the bed and gave her a sleepy grin.
"Did we actually just sleep for nearly 18 hours?"
"Well, one of us did. I've been awake for hours, just waiting for you."
He snorted, then let himself fall back into the sheets. She jumped onto the bed, bouncing up and down a couple of times before looking sheepishly at him. Sitting back on her haunches she looked around, hands held up by her shoulders.
"This is alright then."
He nodded vigorously, then his face fell.
"Where are we Ally?"
She sighed, flopping down to lie beside him and stare up at the ceiling.
"I thought we'd get at least five minutes before we had to answer that."
She paused, trying desperately to recapture the thrill she'd felt upon waking.
"I have no idea. I have no idea where the war is, or if there even is any war."
She updated him with what Bridyant had told her about the sacrifices and the Nexus, enjoying his gasps of outrage when she used the word cattle.
"OK, so that's unbelievably screwed up. The big question is, who's this Master guy?"
She sat up, scooting backwards until her back pressed against the padded wall at the head of the bed.
"I don't know. Bridyant kinda said he was a god, which, yeah I know, sounds pretty crazy, but look at this place. All of these people have come here to get something, and seem to think that he can give it to them."
"You're saying he's got some serious chops."
"Uh, yeah, that's about right. She also mentioned the Game, same as the god guy. What is it with games? And why do I get the feeling this is a 'game' as much as the one we played for the Lords was."
"It's voluntary though right? The voice clearly said that we could choose to play it, there's no-one going to force us."
She reached out and stroked his head, feeling awkward with the sudden contact, and feeling older than him for the first time since they met.
"Stem, do you really think that anything is completely voluntary? I mean, we came here voluntarily didn't we, but did we have any choice, really?"
He twisted round so he could look up at her.
"We could just leave."
"And go where? We can get something here, something that we can take to Earth and use, but we're gonna pay for it, you know we are. Since the only thing we have is the Vale and we need that, the Game may be the only thing we can do."
She shook her head, feeling trapped all over again. At least now she knew she was trapped, for whatever solace that provided. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. They both hesitated, looking at one another in confusion. She hissed quietly.
"Are they actually waiting for us to say something?"
He shrugged, then nodded. She pulled the sheets up to cover her.
"Um, come in?"
The door slide aside and the Keeper that had brought them here last night walked purposefully in. He glanced at both of them, smiling in a way that had no humour whatsoever, before clearing his throat.
"Good morning to you both. The Master has requested that you visit with him soon. There are clothes in the cupboard."
With this he gestured to a section of the wall that slide quietly open. Within hung more clothes than she had ever seen in one place. She shook her head, laughing quietly. At least if they were trapped, it was in better conditions than their previous cage.
"Once you are dressed and ready I will be outside."
He stepped backwards as quickly as he had entered and the door slide silently shut. She and Stem looked at one another, then leapt out of bed, him running to the bathroom and her to the clothes.
After showering for far longer than was strictly necessary, and trying on more things than she ever expected to own, they stepped out into the corridor. The Keeper nodded and then set off, once again brisk and business like. Ally scampered to keep up, falling into step next to him.
"So, is there anything we should know before we meet the, uh, Master?"
The Keeper shook his head.
"Everything you need to know he will tell you."
They walked on in silence. She could feel the nerves growing in her stomach, the familiar pre-game jitters that made her feel both useless and excited. After walking for a few minutes they came to a stop before a door. Stem was looking confused.
"Does it seem to you like everywhere is only a few minutes apart in this place?"
She nodded, then looked at the Keeper, who smiled back at them in sympathy.
"The Nexus is not a place, it is a being. You walk within a life force far greater than you or I can imagine. What you see is simply your subconscious mind projecting what it cannot readily make out."
He stopped, and looked in both directions, before turning back to them.
"I will offer you one piece of advice. You will feel under pressure within the games room, everyone does. But remember, whatever choice is put before you, you can think about. He will never demand an answer from you there and then. Many will say that he did, but it is their own mind telling them that. He has lived for thousands of years and is in no rush. Neither should you be."
He glanced both ways again, looking suddenly nervous. The door slid open and he motioned them through, then came in behind them. She gasped, the news that they were walking through a living being quickly eclipsed by the sheer magnitude of what they saw before them.
The room stretched away from her, the ceiling lost in shadow further up than she could make out. She thought of how small she'd felt when she entered the ballroom all those years ago, and then again when they'd walked into the market just last night, and shook her head. Around the walls, hundreds of balconies were half embedded in the wall, half sticking out over nothing. About half of them were occupied, most with only one person but a few with pairs or groups. To their left, sticking out much further than the others, was a large, sideless balcony, naked except for a large chair and the man sat in it.
&
nbsp; He was, underwhelming, she decided. Average looking and clothed similarly to Stem, she felt a little let down. That this was the Master however, was without doubt. Every face in the room was turned towards him and he demanded the attention, though she couldn't say why.
"You will speak from the supplicants platform as all must. Come."
He led them away from the Master and down a convoluted collection of steps and sloping paths until they reached a place where the side of the room was open to a large area. Filling the space were people of all kinds, some pacing and others just sitting. Many were talking quietly to themselves.
"These are all supplicants?"
"Yes. It has been a busy time of late. With the disturbances on Earth and the opening of a portal, it seems a number of races have become concerned with the future. Many are here to seek reassurance, others for protection from whatever may be coming."
"What's happened on Earth? What do you mean by the portal?"
The keeper looked surprised, then nodded.
"Of course, I forget how new you must be to this. There have been reports that an alternate reality has been interacting with our own. It has only been reported from Earth so far, but those reports do support that conclusion. The opening of a portal is one of those signs, and cause for concern alone, regardless of whether the other reality is involved."
She was struggling to fit everything that was happening here into her own view of the world. It was like being a fish in a tank, sure of the position of every pebble and piece of weed, then suddenly being thrown into the ocean. She leaned back against the wall, letting out a deep breath. The Keeper looked at her, that sorry, humourless smile on his face.
"Forgive me for asking, but do you actually know what you want here?"
A Game of War Season One Amazon Page 13