Gladiator

by Barry Solway

  Things were a little dicey at the beginning, because she had shoved the electromagnet into her helmet to disable the translators until they were well away from the ship. Beats had said something to her that she didn’t understand so she had just ignored him. Finally, Riley had yelled at her.

  “Hey, Mr. Happy! Stop being a dick and just move your sidearm out of his leg. Is it really that hard?”

  Mel hadn’t realized her weapon was digging into Beats, who was already stuffed into the cramped space. She started to pull it out of the way, then realized she was being too nice about it, and tried to move it while acting surly. In the end, she thought she was just being spastic, which Riley soon confirmed when he muttered that she was weird.

  The rest of the landing went smoothly and Riley didn’t throw up. He looked much better than he had at breakfast. Sweating profusely, Mel thought that she couldn’t get away from the heat in these games. At least the city would be cool. The armor would probably be useful then. And, of course, she knew that much of the sweat was due to being scared to death. This plan wasn’t looking so hot now that she was in the middle of it. But, like many other things in her life now, she didn’t have much of a choice but to see it through.

  They landed in a courtyard and Mel walked casually up to Mirage. “Mirage. I talked to Anna earlier. You discussed some ideas with her about taking care of Stoner.”

  “I’m surprised she told you, Harkin. Very strange. I suppose she assumed you wouldn’t be overly affected by the news. But, yes, yes, I’m all ready. Really, I haven’t had this much fun in years.”

  “That makes one of us,” Mel replied, failing to keep the sadness out of her voice.

  Chapter 38

  Mel looked over the edge of the roof and into the shadows of the streets below. The sun glimmered a dark orange just on the horizon, reflecting a metallic gold from the surrounding buildings. The western sky contrasted with the east, where gray clouds drifted towards the city. It was already cold and any rainfall would make it worse, not to mention the effect it would have on visibility. The day had been grueling. Finding the goal and setting up the perimeter around the first endpoint had taken the entire day. On the other hand, there hadn’t been any major encounters with the other team. They knew where the other team was, hiding in a similar location about a mile north. They had seen a scout from them as well, either Wicked or Soryda. As Mel had predicted, it turned into a duel to steal the other team’s goal, a scenario the architects had clearly intended.

  Beats and Riley walked up to survey the road.

  Riley turned to her. “Hey, Mr. Happy. Any movement?” He was calmer than at the beginning of the day, but hiding in the compound was clearly wearing on him. Riley had voted to take the fight immediately to the other team, but had been overruled by the rest of them.

  “No,” Mel said. She didn’t look towards Riley or acknowledge them in any way. It was getting hard to keep pretending, but she didn’t know what the architects would do if they found out she wasn’t Harkin.

  Crouching down, she cradled the sniper rifle they had found. The others thought they were giving it to Harkin, who would be the best shot on the team since Jon wasn’t there. Mel was better with her pistols, but had worked with Jon enough that she wouldn’t embarrass herself. She looked at the weapon curiously, like a strange insect she had never seen before. When had she become comfortable holding a rifle? When had this thing become a normal part of her life?

  She looked up and gasped in surprise. Rain fell, splattering the rooftop and the street below with fat drops. As she looked west towards the sun, the orange light refracted through every raindrop, setting the rain on fire. The golden city stood silently below as orange, red and yellow droplets of fire glittered in the air and dropped against the street.

  “Damn,” Riley said, his voice full of awe. “It’s raining fire. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “Chemicals and ozone in the air gets picked up by falling rain,” Beats said. “When the light hits it the right way, it causes the rain to glow. It’s rare to find conditions for fire rain. I’ve never seen it before.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Mel said, without thinking about it.

  Riley stared at her. “There might be hope for you yet. Let us know if anyone comes to kill us. We’re going to finalize a plan to attack the other team as soon as Mirage gets back.”

  Mel didn’t respond, not trusting herself to speak. The sun sank lower and the glowing rain faded into silver-gray streaks that fell into the gathering darkness below.

  ***

  The problem was largely Stoner, but Mel suspected that Red Shirt was playing a role in the background. Stoner, Whale and Wicked had been attacking them for the last hour. Stoner was so tough that Mel’s team couldn’t afford for anyone to leave their defensive perimeter and try to go after the other team’s goal. Nothing they did hurt Stoner, including multiple shots from Mel’s rifle. But the other team wasn’t able to get through either. Between Mel, Gorgeous and Riley, they were able to keep the Whale and Wicked back, while Beats was able to keep Stoner away from the goal, even if he couldn’t actually do any damage to him.

  But Beats was getting tired, whereas Stoner didn’t seem to be flagging at all. They had sent Mirage out to scout the other team’s goal while Sharon sat back, feeling useless. Mirage had reported back twice, but nothing had changed. Soryda was directly protecting their goal while Junkyard and Red Shirt were nowhere to be found. The likelihood was that Junkyard had set up a similar position to Mel as a sniper and would support Soryda by shooting anyone who came too close. Mel suspected Red Shirt was hanging in the shadows around their base, influencing Riley and Gorgeous. While the two of them were holding their own against Whale and Wicked, there were times when they weren’t completely in the game. A stumble here or there, or one of them would get distracted or overly angry. Subtle behaviors, but the patterns were emerging if you knew where to look.

  After two hours of probing attacks, the other team retreated. Mirage came back to report that she still hadn’t found where Junkyard was based and thought the only way to draw him out was to instigate a frontal assault that would cause him to fire. Unlike Stoner, no one on their team could afford a shot from a sniper.

  Mel stayed on watch as the others rested and planned the next attack. She heard someone on the ladder to the roof and turned to see Sharon climbing over the edge.

  Sharon fidgeted, obviously not comfortable being near Harkin. “The others are deadlocked and need your opinion,” she said.

  Mel turned back to survey the road. “Tell them to come up here. I can’t leave the watch.”

  Sharon hesitated. “They don’t know I’m up here. I don’t… I can’t really help. But they’re just going in circles and I’m worried that the other team will attack us while we’re just sitting around planning. They need a fifth person to break the tie and you’re the only one here who knows about fighting and stuff.” Sharon hesitated and looked away from Harkin. “I wish Mel were here,” she said. It was so faint that Mel was sure Sharon hadn’t meant for her to hear it.

  “She’s not here, I am. And I won’t leave my watch.” She was really getting tired of having to play Harkin, but she was right. Without a guard on the watchtower, the other team could overrun them at any time.

  “I could keep watch,” Sharon offered. “Warn everyone if I see anything.”

  Mel shook her head, then stopped. Sharon did have experience with the rifles. She wasn’t a good shot, but probably didn’t need to be. A warning shot or two would keep the other team on their toes long enough for the others to respond. It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than waiting for the inevitable attack that might come while the others argued. But Mel’s real hesitancy was because she had to keep playing at being Harkin. And she wasn’t sure she could pull that off with the rest of the group.

  Mel stood and looked at Sharon. “You need to shoot at whoever comes within two blocks, especially across the expressway.”

  “S
ure,” Sharon nodded.

  “What do the others think we should do?”

  “Beats and Gorgeous think we should hold back and take out Stoner when he attacks. Riley and Mirage want to attack the other team’s compound in force. All four of them at once.”

  That alignment made a strange kind of sense. Beats and Gorgeous clearly didn’t want to get shot by Junkyard and probably preferred the fight to be on their terms. Riley had always been aggressive, so that wasn’t a surprise. She wondered if the others were surprised that Mirage agreed with Riley.

  Mel started to say something when she heard a slight ruffle behind her and Sharon’s eyes opened wide. She spun and saw Red Shirt climbing over the edge of the roof. Weirdly, the first thought was that he was wearing a black jumpsuit and wondered if they should change his name. Mel raised her rifle but a momentary sense of vertigo dropped her to her knees. She reached for the ground to steady herself. The vertigo was combined with a sense of confusion. Where was she?

  The roof tilted and the buildings around her seemed to merge together into dark, pulsating forms. Water pooled beneath her feet, first turning yellow than dark red as it formed into grasping hands that stroked her legs, to splash back down and reform again. The floor seemed to breathe beneath her, sending her swaying up and down.

  “You are not Harkin.” The voice sounded surprised. Harkin? That name seemed vaguely familiar. Was she Harkin? No. She was Melody. That wasn’t quite right. Her name was Melody, but she hated that name. Everyone called her Mel.

  The shadows in front of her shifted and a figure emerged. A vague sense of dread mixed with the disorientation. This was a trap. They had lulled them into a sense of security while Red Shirt had sneaked into the compound. The thought formed for a moment, then faded. Who was Red Shirt?

  Mel shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. An attempt to step forward threatened to plunge her off the roof into a bottomless black pit. The figure, a young girl, reached out a hand, her face a mask of concentration. Then Mel realized it wasn’t a girl. It was Riley. Gaunt and sickly, with his teeth gone and lesions covering his body.

  “Looking out for yourself again, I see,” Riley said.

  “No… I’m… confused. Where are we?”

  “You were supposed to save me,” Riley said. “Supposed to kill me… You’ve gotten good at it. Good at killing people. Is that too much for a friend to ask for? Killer… killer… killer...”

  “No,” Mel whispered. “I’m not...”

  Riley ducked his head and when he looked up, he was Jeff. He took a step towards her.

  “You didn’t save me Mel. After everything I did for you. After I died for you. You should return the favor. Die… die… die...”

  “Jeff? What— ”

  But the form had shifted again and now Evan stood in front of her. “Blackness Mel. That’s all there is. You fall and fall, forever and then there’s just empty blackness. Did you know that? When you didn’t catch me in time? Did you know what it would be like?”

  “Evan! I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I tried to save you. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

  “You keep failing Mel. Failing… falling… failing… falling...”

  Mel closed her eyes and screamed, “Stop it! Go away!”

  “My child. Where have you been?” Mel’s eyes snapped open. Her mother stood in front of her, steps away. So confusing… Someone else had been there a moment before. Someone she cared about. Someone she had failed. Why couldn’t she think straight?

  “Mom? How did you get here?” A small pain started in her chest and her breathing grew rapid. Why was her mother there now? Mel wanted her help. But help with what?

  Her mother stepped closer, her left hand glowing with a white light. Shaking her head made Mel’s vertigo worse and her attempt to step forward ended with her back on her knees.

  “That’s right dear,” her mother said. “Come here, I have something for you. I have a present. For all the wonderful things you’ve done.”

  “Wonderful things. I… I missed you. I’ve been… somewhere. Trapped. And I die over and over again,” Mel said. She felt a tear slide down her cheek. She couldn’t exactly remember the dream, but it had been horrible and she wanted so badly to be somewhere safe. To have her mother tell her everything would be okay. With that thought, a faint tingle of anger grew in her chest. “You never thought I did wonderful things before. Nothing was ever enough.”

  “Shh. It’s okay now. Mother’s here now.” Her mother took another step forward. “Relax and come closer. Let me hold you. Let me give you your gift.” Her mother reached out her hand, the light pulsating.

  “I have… I have friends. They need my help.” The flicker of anger grew. Why had her mother decided that now was the time to reach out to her? There was something wrong. Her mother’s face morphed as the light got closer. The face separated into a star pattern, reveling rows of sharp teeth. Each point of the star grew long tentacles that waved in the air. At the same time, thick tentacles covered in metallic gears and claws grew out of her mother’s back, looming over her head.

  “Time to get what you deserve.” What was left of her mother’s face hovered over Mel, reaching down with jaws open wide, tentacles on her back and face grasping for Mel. The hand came up, the silver light almost blinding her.

  The butt of the rifle came around in a swift arc, cracking against her mother’s head. The figure before her stumbled and fell to the ground and the world shifted again. But Mel’s anger carried her forward. She lifted the rifle and swung it down hard. The anger slowly subsided, replaced by confusion and a strangely peaceful emptiness.

  What had she just done? “Mom?” she asked, her voice trembling. The feelings of rage she had felt just moments before terrified her, yet she felt free now. Like something that had been stuck inside of her was finally out.

  Memories flooded back. The figure bleeding on the ground was the alien Red Shirt. And the jewel, a long knife.

  Slowly, the confusion faded and Mel began to understand what had happened. Turning, she saw Sharon lying on the rooftop, clutching her head. Mel walked over and shook her.

  “Sharon? It’s okay, Red Shirt’s taken care of,” Mel said.

  Tears streamed down Sharon’s cheeks and she gasped as she rose to hands and knees. Mel steadied her as Sharon stood.

  “What happened? The shadows… Mel and Jeff and Riley, but they looked like aliens and they tried to kill me.”

  “It was Red Shirt. Some kind of hallucination. You’re okay now.” Mel took off Harkin’s helmet. Tears poured down her cheeks, burning in her eyes. “I thought he was my mom. I was so angry. So angry that she didn’t come to save me. Angry that I couldn’t save Jeff and Evan.” Mel trailed off, unable to talk. Sharon gasped and hugged Mel fiercely.

  “Mel. Ohmygod, I can’t believe you’re here. What happened to Harkin? Why did you come here for? Ohmygod, you are so unbelievable stupid!” Sharon said in such a rush that Mel could barely make it out. “I am so glad to see you. We have to tell the others.”

  Mel sighed, gripping Sharon tighter for a second before letting go. A sudden craving for hot chocolate flickered across her mind. Chuckling, she donned her helmet.

  “No. If the architects realize it’s me and not Harkin, they may end the match early and disqualify us. We have to see the game to the end.” Hopefully, none of the cameras had caught what just happened. But either way, they didn’t have much time. Mel picked up the rifle and surveyed the street but didn’t see anything moving. Shrugging, she aimed at a statue in the courtyard and fired two shots. The echoes of the shots merged together for several long seconds.

  “Did you see someone? Did you get them?” Sharon asked.

  “I wasn’t trying to. That was a message to Beats, Riley and the others to get ready to be attacked. Stoner and the others are in position now, waiting for Red Shirt to take me out. Go and tell them what happened. Hurry. Oh, and Sharon,” Mel continued, lowering her voice. “Don’t tell them I’m n
ot Harkin. Not yet. And when you get done with that, come back up here. I have a favor to ask.”

  Chapter 39

  “What the hell’s going on?”

  Riley’s annoyance added to her own frustration, until she remembered she was still wearing Harkin’s helmet and Riley didn’t know she was Mel. Without a word, she nodded to the body of Red Shirt, lying battered on the ground.

  “The others are out there,” she said. “They’re probably waiting for a signal from Red Shirt, but either way, they’ll attack soon.”

  Riley swore, then interrupted Beats and Gorgeous, who were talking in hushed tones behind him. “Looks like we’re going with your plan, Beats. Maybe we can take a few of them out here. But we have to figure out how to beat Stoner.”

  “No,” Mel said. “We should attack the other base now.”

  Gorgeous shook her head. “We can’t protect the goal and attack them at the same time. Stoner’s too tough.”

  “We take the goal with us,” Mel responded.

  “You mean abandon our red zone?” Riley asked.

  “Yes. Give the sphere to Sharon and hide her. The five of us attack the other side while half their team is over here. We’ll have to figure out where Junkyard is, but it’s a chance to end this.” Mel had further plans that she wasn’t going to share with them. But even if her objective was to win the game, this was a solid idea. The other team wouldn’t expect them to leave this endpoint and wouldn’t be able to guard both endpoints at once.

  “Might work,” Beats said grudgingly.

  “It will work,” Mel snapped. “But we have to fake them out. Riley, you better be right that you can run faster than Stoner.” She stood and motioned to the others to follow her.