Lily’s eyes widened and her lips parted. He’d put her on the spot after all. She turned and stared at the crowd and saw hundreds of faces looking back at her for something amazing. She turned her head back to the president and then glanced at the blank display on the wall. Several thoughts crashed through her head in the span of time between her rapid heartbeats.
He wants people to keep their eyes on me? Well, what better place than a spectacle admired and watched. She lifted her chin and met his gaze while declaring, “I’m going to be a biomech pilot who plays in the games.”
Chapter 19
Krys used every bit of woodcraft he could think of as he slipped through the forest. He’d spent veeks training with Mig on top of spending as much time playing in the woods as a kid. He leaned against a tree and pulled out his infopad so he could watch through the picker’s camera. He’d piggybacked his pad onto the control pad, allowing him to control it if he needed to or at least watch what was going on.
Satisfied that she had it heading slowly south and away, he tucked the pad against his lower back and leaned around the tree. He saw movement through the trees and heard the approaching sounds of trees being run over. Krys shook his head in disgust. All the years spent terraforming Venus required massive effort both in space to build the solar shield and on the planet planting and growing forests and adding water from ice collected deeper in the solar system. All the time and effort and now in the span of a few hours, the forest was being run over and flattened.
Krys waited and watched, keeping his eye out for movement. He made out shadows and shapes in the forest but the push towards him seemed to have stopped. They were following the picker!
Krys pumped his hand in the air and started to turn away. He stopped and glanced back. Could he learn more? He rubbed his thumb across his lips, considering his options, and then jerked his hand away and stared at it. He thought he’d stopped doing that. With a scowl, Krys pulled the pad out and watched the highpicker’s progress for a few more seconds.
“Wait a minute,” he mumbled. He glanced over his shoulder and when he saw no movement, he looked back at the pad. “How are you following it still?”
In manual mode, the highpicker would have a mission. It wouldn’t need to send a heartbeat signal out. But they’d turned and headed south, after it. Which meant… “They’re tracking it another way!”
Krys turned back to face the hidden threat. He licked his lips and spat out the flecks of dirt his thumb had left behind. Scowling at the taste, he tucked the pad away and started through the forest, slinking from one tree or bush to the next. He didn’t stop for more than a few seconds to listen until he almost stumbled out into the new swath of destruction cut through the forest.
He stared across the six-meter wide path and saw how the trees were smashed and both branches and trunks were split and shredded. Some of the undergrowth had fared better, with a few of the hardier types having the resiliency to pop back up after being trampled. Nearly all of the ferns were crushed beyond hope.
He turned his head to the left and saw the soldiers and tanks less than two hundred meters away. They were moving fast, too, plowing over the ground and trampling them. In a matter of minutes, they’d break free of the edge of the forest and be in open ground. And that meant they’d go faster.
Krys scowled and ducked back behind the trees. If he was going to find anything, he had to hurry! He grabbed the pad and held it tight in his hand while he ran through the undergrowth. He dodged trees and bushes and tried to leap over fallen limbs and other obstacles. It was only a matter of time until the inevitable happened.
Krys’s foot landed after he hopped over a black rock left over from a volcanic event and slid straight down into a small ditch. A root caught the edge of his shoe and rolled his ankle, and then sent the rest of him crashing to the ground with the grace of a ripe coconut dropping from a tree. He grunted when he hit and then hissed when he came to a stop and felt the pain flare in his ankle and shoot up his leg.
He bit his lip and glanced around, trying to see the clearing. He had to have made up a lot of ground on them, but was it too much? Had they heard him? He put his hands down and scooted across the ground on his butt to try to find some cover. That’s what Mig had told him. Cover first, triage second.
Behind the trunk of another tree, Krys looked at his foot and saw nothing out of the ordinary. He picked his leg up and tried to rotate his ankle. The burning that ripped up his leg and into his chest stole his breath. He clenched his teeth together and sucked air in through his nose before leaning back and looking around the tree. His fears were justified: he saw two soldiers poking around at the edge of the man-made road and looking for him.
Krys panicked and rolled away onto his hands and knees. His toes dragged across the ground, bending his ankle and sending another bolt of pain up his leg. He pushed it away and started to scramble away as fast as he could across the forest floor. He made it to the next tree and slid behind it before leaning to the side and looking back.
“Over here!”
Krys watched as one of the soldiers stomped through the brush and squatted down a few meters from where he’d fallen. He stood up and held Krys’s infopad in his hand. “Check this out—told you someone was here!”
The other soldier joined him and stared at it. “That’s broken,” he said. “Could have been here a long time.”
The man holding his pad turned it over in his hand and looked at it. “Naw, flip to thermal—it’s still warm.”
“You’re right!” the other soldier said as he brought his rifle up and picked up his head. He started scanning the forest to Krys’s right.
Krys stared up at the leaves above him. The soldiers had thermal optical capabilities built into their helmets. How could he possibly hide from that? He drew his leg up and planted it down again, wincing at the pain. Pain didn’t matter, though, not in a situation like this. Mr. Strain had taught him that too. He could howl and cry and feel sorry for himself all he wanted later. Right now he needed to be on his game.
He pushed with his hands and good foot to climb back to his feet. He turned sideways, keeping himself concealed behind the tree, and tested his foot again. It hurt, but he knew he could walk on it. He didn’t have a choice.
“Call for backup,” the second soldier said.
Krys grimaced and turned to look into the forest. If he was lucky, he could make it to a thicker tree that had split off into three trunks near its base. From there he’d be guessing on where to go and how to stay hidden. The odds were bad any way he looked at it. And every second that passed made them worse.
“Damn optics don’t work very well,” the first soldier complained. “So warm here I can’t see any residual heat on the ground.”
“They were probably wearing shoes,” the second man said.
They were both silent a moment before the first man said, “Foxhound one and two, stand by. Investigating confirmed local anomaly at your two-ten-zero.”
Krys tried to quiet his breathing while he listened for a response. If there was one, he never heard it. No doubt it went straight into their helmets. He risked a quick glance and ducked back before they noticed him. They wore the same armor the woman soldier who had saved him wore. Helmets with a visor to cover their eyes and armor that looked almost like it was some sort of exoskeleton.
Mr. Strain had told him about the kinds of armor he’d seen and used when he was a soldier. There were lightweight vests that protected the torso that hardly any soldier bothered with anymore. Then there was the field armor that the two men hunting him had on. That was the standard and from what Mr. Strain said, it was designed to stop just about any standard bullet from breaking through. The joints at the arms, legs, and neck were the weak points, but without a military class rifle, there was no point in trying.
They’d seen another kind of body armor, too. Mr. Strain had never run into it before but he said he’d heard about it. It was a fully enclosed suit that had its own power
system. They could be used in a vacuum or underwater and, if what he’d heard was right, they even had some special surprises built into them. Thrusters for maneuvering in zero g or whatever else they could think of.
Krys hoped none of those heavy suits were after him. He was having a hard enough time with the two regular soldiers after him. Krys turned away and started to sidestep through the forest. Each step was torture. His ankle was on fire and every time he came down on it, it felt like he was shoving it into a burning fire pit.
“Contact!”
Krys turned and saw one of the soldiers raising his rifle. If he could see the soldier, that meant the soldier could see him! He gulped and dropped like a stone to the ground, and then began to frantically start crawling away from them.
A rifle thundered behind him, stealing his breath and paralyzing him. Torn vegetation fell around him. Shredded leaves fluttered to the ground and his cheek was splattered with the juice of a fern that had been cut in half.
“Is he down?”
“I don’t know. He’s not moving.”
“Finish him off. I want to get back.”
“Corporal said she wanted us to capture the rebels, not kill them.”
Krys sucked in his breath and looked around. He had three meters to go to the tree and once he was there, he had no idea. There was no way he could get away. No way he could do anything but lay there and die. And then they’d go after the others. The only family he had left.
Krys forced himself to his knees and stood up, favoring his leg. He held his arms up and called out as loudly as he could, “Don’t shoot! I surrender.”
One of the soldiers swore. The other chuckled. “Good thing, it looks like another kid.”
Krys jerked when he heard that. Were kids special? Some, like Lily, had been captured and sent away. Was that what they were going to do to him to? Would he go where she went? Would he get to see her again?”
“Foxhound one and two, we have a prisoner.”
Krys turned slowly, limping on his twisted ankle, and came to face them. “Are—are you going to shoot me?”
“Don’t do anything stupid,” the second soldier growled at him.
The first soldier nodded his head and motioned with his gun towards Krys. “Roger, extracting now,” he said into the radio in his helmet.
The second soldier slung his rifle and came forward. “Hurt your leg?”
“My ankle.”
The soldier grunted. “Can you walk?”
“I think so.”
“Good. I don’t want to have to come up with a story about why you resisted and I had to shoot you.”
Krys gasped and nodded. “I’ll make it.”
The soldier stepped out of his way and nodded towards the edge of the path. “Get going, kid.”
Krys took a breath and hissed it out with his first step. He was not looking forward to the walk or to what lay at the end of it.
Chapter 20
The president’s ceremony was over, allowing Lily to leave the stage after the president and before the general assembly of students. They emptied into a conference room where they had gathered before the ceremony. Lily turned to leave when Palla grabbed her arm and yanked her off to the side.
“What are you doing?” Palla hissed.
Lily blinked. “I was going to go back to my room.”
Palla’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not what I mean and you know it!”
“Then what? What I said out there? About being a biomech pilot?”
“Yes! You’re a brilliant young woman—why would you make a joke like that? The president is not going to be happy!”
Lily tried her best not to react to Palla’s criticism. “I wasn’t joking.”
Palla hesitated, her mouth still open. She shook her head. “You’re not smart, you’re crazy!” she muttered. “Why would you want to waste your life doing something like that? The military? Come on! The military is for people who aren’t smart enough or talented enough to make it. It’s nothing but being babysat and playing games with expensive toys. And then, once in a great while, maybe they have to go and do something with a remote chance of being hurt. To them it’s still just a game!”
Lily stared at her ignorant mentor. She wanted to scream at her and slap her. She wanted to grab her by the hair and yank her to the ground so she could hit her. Palla was the stupid one, not Lily. She had no clue what she was talking about. Lily had seen the military firsthand. She’d watched them—
“I’m very disappointed in you,” Palla continued. “And I’m sure that President Ondalla will be too.”
Lily took a breath to force herself out of her memories. “If it’s all about playing games, then what’s wrong with it?”
“You could offer so much more,” Palla said.
“Thank you for your thoughts and concerns,” Lily offered. “I appreciate how honest you’re being with me. In my experiences, you’re misinformed. I was there when the military took over my village. I saw how they made a difference, whether it was good or bad.”
“And you think you can take part in making a difference that way?” Palla asked.
Lily nodded. If nothing else, her fame would let Krys know she was still alive. She’d have to come up with a way to let him know she still thought about him and wanted to see him again. One silly childish kiss wasn’t enough! He was all she had left of her old life. The odds were pretty good it was the same way for him with her.
“Lily, don’t be silly! The military does what their commanders tell them to, and they do what the president tells them to. It’s the president who makes the difference, not the people under him.”
“The same could be said of any career path then,” Lily pointed out. “When I make it to the games, then people will see me. They’ll see how I behave and act. And then I can really make a difference. I can show them how to do things.”
Palla started to respond again but her eyes shifted and she clamped her mouth shut. She stiffened as the sound of a single person clapping reached Lily’s ears. Lily turned slowly, her face already warming. Her fears were confirmed when she saw President Ondalla walking into the middle of the room.
“Well done! Everyone, well done,” he congratulated them. “You’ll all serve as fine and upstanding examples of how humanity can raise itself to a higher, better place.”
The students clapped in response to his verbal back-patting. Lily joined in and wondered if Palla’s fears were unjustified. The president’s eye swept across the students and paused when they met Lily’s. She saw the wrinkles deepen at the corner of his eyes before he turned towards her and walked over.
“Miss Lily Strain,” he greeted her. “A pleasure to meet you and speak with you again.”
“The honor is mine, President Ondalla,” Lily managed to say before offering a curtsy.
“Palla Overbeck, Mr. President. An honor to meet you,” Palla gushed beside her.
“Ah yes, one of our younger mastery students. Administration? Noble, but a thankless path. Very much needed, but it’s often a lonely trek.” He greeted her with a smile. “Miss Lily, could we have a word?”
“Of course, Mr. President,” Lily said. She glanced at Palla and nibbled her lip for effect. “Sir, um, Palla is my mentor. It’s a new project—she’s doing a trial that reflects her mastery path. Would it be all right if she accompanied us?”
One of the president’s eyebrows rose. He spared the gaping Palla a glance and smiled. “Of course. Any way I can help the future of humanity.”
Lily shot Palla a smile and then turned to follow the president as he walked towards a door with a guard standing beside it. A guard in full heavy armor who held his rifle across his chest. She tried not to focus on the soldier as she followed the president through the door. Palla slipped through behind her, her lips clamped shut for once.
After the door shut, the president turned and sighed. “Lily, that was an interesting choice you made. I take it you were impressed with the display of the biomech match
? I can’t fault you. I’ve seen a few one-on-one battles as they worked out the bugs of the new system. It takes my breath away every time.”
“Yes, sir,” Lily agreed. “I also saw them on Venus. In action.”
“Awe inspiring, are they not?” he said.
Lily kept her snort to herself. Terrifying was a better word for them.
“And you wish to pilot one?”
“Not just pilot,” Lily said. “I want to be in the games. The best of the best, as you said.”
His chuckle sounded forced. “That’s quite a task you set for yourself, young miss.”
Lily nodded. “I know. I’ll work hard, sir. Harder than anyone.”
“I don’t doubt that. But why? Why the military? You do realize that’s what you’re going into, right? To join the army’s armored division.”
Lily nodded. “I wasn’t aware of the details, but I knew it was the military path. I want to do it so I can do what you told me I could.”
He tilted his head. “Go on.”
“You said I could be an example, sir. You said I could show people things. I believe that when I reach that level, people will know me not only as the smart girl who got lucky on a few tests, but the girl who worked hard and proved that anything is possible. My behavior, in and out of the tournament, will be an example and an inspiration.”
President Ondalla stared at her for a long moment. A smile slowly lifted his lips and he nodded. “I see. Very noble of you. Selfless even, to dedicate your life to showing others how they can serve their fellow humans.”
“Yes,” Lily agreed.
“You must understand how difficult it is to do what you want. You’re so very young. The odds are stacked against you and there will be many who are resentful of your boasts and accomplishments. They will try to stop you.”
Lily glanced at Palla and then back at the president. “I understand, sir. But that’s what I’m expecting.”
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