Revolution

by Shawn Davis

  Sure, that makes sense, the first cart must branch off in order to get a personalized tour of the Powerdrome.

  Rayne watched the row of carts approaching the final manmade mountain. He did not enjoy the last leg of the downhill trip. He hardly noticed as the roller coaster came to a complete stop at the same spot where it began. The thought of Ken’s swift disappearance was fresh in his mind and he wanted to find out what happened.

  “Excuse me, sir!” Rayne shouted to the operator, tugging lightly on the sleeve of his gray work uniform.

  “What do you want?” the large, brutish worker asked, turning toward him.

  “Sir, I noticed that when the coaster rode down one of the hills, the lead cart veered off!” Rayne said, pointing up to the metal track.

  The hulking operator glared back at him without replying.

  “The car just veered off on another track and went into the side of the Powerdrome,” Peter said. “My friends were in that cart! Do you know where it went?”

  “Hey, I only work here,” the bald man snarled, raising his right fist into the air as if he were about to strike. “I don’t know who you are, but you ask too many questions.”

  “I just want to know where my friends are.” Rayne said.

  “Then go to the ‘drome,” the operator growled as he turned his wide back toward Peter and began loading the next group onto the ride.

  Peter thought the man was acting inexplicably, but his suggestion made sense.

  What other alternative is there? Obviously, I can’t report the incident to Park Security without compromising my position as an infiltrator. I have to go to the Powerdrome!

  Chapter 18

  The Powerdrome

  Rayne gazed toward the mountain-like half-sphere of the Powerdrome with its ominous reflective surface. He scanned the vast sea of tourists between himself and the structure. Rather than spending hours pushing through the crowd of tourists, he opted for taking one of the many anti-grav shuttles to the ‘drome.

  After a brief wait at a shuttle stop with other tourists, the first shuttle arrived. The passengers stepped aboard and the shuttle raced over the park. The roofless, computer-piloted bus, which was nothing more than a floating platform with seats, landed softly on a landing pad to the right of the Powerdrome’s central entrance. Stepping off the anti-grav platform, Peter walked toward the base of the colossal dome.

  He stood at the rear of a large line of people waiting to enter the facility. He followed closely behind the individual in front of him, so he wouldn’t get lost in the mob. People pushed and shoved as the immeasurable crowd moved towards the entrance. In a matter of minutes, the line dispersed through a wide opening allowing his tour group access to the ‘drome.

  “WELCOME TO THE POWERDROME!” a voice exclaimed from the mouth of a silver robot suspended from the ceiling above. “FEEL FREE TO WANDER AND MARVEL AT THE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES THE FRONT ADMINISTRATION HAS MADE OVER THE PAST TWENTY YEARS!

  Rayne walked with the flow of the crowd down the Powerdrome’s main corridor. Soon, he reached a tall, arched doorway where a line was forming. A sign to the right of the doorway read DARK WORLD – THIS WAY next to a red arrow pointing right. To the left of the doorway was an arrow pointing left with the words TO PREHISTORIC WORLD. Gazing over the heads of the crowd, Peter read the larger sign above the entrance; WELCOME TO CRIME WORLD - WHERE YOU EXPERIENCE THE THRILL OF EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE. There were a number of video screens on the wall where patrons could observe the activities occurring within the artificial worlds.

  Peter stared at the closest screen with amazement. A thundering firefight between two rival gangs was erupting in a 1920’s style club. It looked like an action movie, but the sign above stated that the screen contained real tourists participating in the attraction in real time.

  It’s incredible, Rayne thought, watching a mobster with a Tommy Gun blasting another one with a shotgun.

  “How do they make it look so real? It looked like that guy really got shot!” Peter exclaimed.

  “Is this your first time here?” the guy next to him in line asked.

  “Was it that easy to tell?” Peter asked.

  “Actually, yeah. You have the same awestruck expression I had when I first visited the ‘drome.”

  “If this attraction is anything like those movies they’re showing, then it must be pretty exciting,” Rayne said

  “Those movies they’re showing ARE the attraction,” the stranger explained.

  “That’s what the sign above the screen said, but it’s hard to believe.”

  “Believe it,” the suited blond man in his mid-thirties said, extending his outstretched hand to Peter.

  “Okay, I will,” Peter said, smiling as he shook the man’s hand.

  “Joe Richards. Nice to meet you,” the blond man introduced himself.

  “Peter Rayne.”

  “This is my wife, Lisa,” the blonde Exec said, gesturing to an attractive brunette woman standing beside him wearing a tight black dress.

  “Nice to meet you,” Rayne said, shaking her hand as he tactfully scanned her voluptuous body.

  “Hello, Peter,” she said, raising a thin, black eyebrow.

  “Over here is my friend, Dave, and his wife, Jessica,” Joe said, gesturing to another young, well-dressed couple standing in front of them in line.

  “Nice to meet you,” a tall, blonde woman said, shaking Peter’s hand.

  Her husband, a relatively short man compared to his wife, appeared to be distracted as he watched the action occurring on a nearby view screen. Joe followed his gaze to the screen where two antique cars raced down a street, periodically smashing into each other.

  “I have to warn you, if you’ve never participated in this attraction before, it can be quite a shock the first time you do it,” Joe said. “Take it from me.”

  “So what can I expect?” Rayne asked.

  “Expect gunfire. Lots of gunfire. It’s pretty unnerving at first because it looks and sounds like real gunshots. But you get used to it. Make sure you take cover whenever you can to avoid being shot.”

  “They’re going to give us guns?” Peter asked, surprised.

  “Not real guns,” Joe explained, carefully, as if he was instructing a grade-schooler in the finer points of firearms handling. “They’re high tech gadgets that fire invisible laser beams. The beam itself isn’t lethal or even harmful. But when it strikes a robot, the robot is programmed to react as if shot by a real bullet. The laser beam triggers a mechanism in its outer skin, causing blood to spurt. If you hit it in the heart or the head, it will die. If you hit it in the arm, you’ll wound it. More than one wound usually kills it.”

  “It sounds incredible,” Rayne commented.

  “It is. The laser beam is invisible, so sparks will fly from the nozzle of your gun as if you’re firing real bullets. You won’t be able to tell the difference,” Joe said.

  “Do the robots carry the same kind of guns as us?” Peter asked.

  “Actually, no. Their weapons are slightly different,” Joe explained. “They will simulate real gunfire just like ours do. They’ll look and sound like real guns being fired, but they’ll fire a harmless pellet containing a small dose of nerve gel.”

  “Nerve gel? What the hell’s that?” Rayne asked, anxiously.

  “It’s nothing to worry about. Nerve gel works the same on most people. It soaks into your skin and acts as an overall nerve inhibitor. In other words, it temporarily paralyzes you.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

  “No, I’m not. But it’s nothing to worry about. Some people are paralyzed for several seconds, while others are incapacitated for almost a full minute. All it does is slow you down.”

  “What’s the point of the nerve gel?” Rayne asked.

  “It’s our incentive not to get shot. It makes the game more exciting. It’s like being wounded. When the capsule hits you, it breaks apart and splatters red liquid. The nerve gel l
ooks like blood. It’s a cool effect, but a bit unnerving at first.”

  “Yeah, real cool,” Peter said, rolling his eyes.

  The young Executive didn’t seem to notice Rayne’s sarcasm.

  “The only thing to worry about with the nerve gel is its cumulative effect,” Joe continued. “The more times you get hit, the greater the paralysis effect on your body. If your body is saturated with the stuff, it will keep you paralyzed for a longer period of time. I’ve known people who have been incapacitated for a full five minutes.”

  “That doesn’t sound good,” Peter commented, dryly.

  “It’s not. I’ve been told it’s frightening. You also get a nasty headache. So try not to get hit.”

  They were interrupted by an announcement from the loudspeakers above the Crime World entrance, “ATTENTION ALL PATRONS, THE CRIME WORLD ATTRACTION IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. PLEASE CHOOSE ANOTHER ATTRACTION TO VISIT. WE ARE SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.”

  “Damn, they’re shutting down my favorite attraction!” Joe exclaimed. “They must be experiencing glitches with the new AI system.”

  “Honey,” Lisa said to her husband, pulling on his arm. “We have to choose another world quickly before everyone goes to the other attractions.”

  “Good idea, hon,” Joe agreed “Where do you guys want to go?”

  “What about Dark World? I heard that place is pretty cool,” Jessica suggested.

  “Okay, then Dark World it is. It’s this way,” Joe said, pointing to the right.

  Rayne didn’t have a better plan so he followed the group down the walkway toward the entrance to Dark World. Joe’s fast pace allowed them to outdistance the other people dispersing from the Crime World line. They jumped into the back of the Dark World line before it was swamped. Peter barely had time to glance at the attraction’s video screens as the line moved quickly under the archway. He caught a glimpse of a screen showing a green-scaled dragon shooting fire over the heads of a group of screaming tourists.

  This place looks pretty intense.

  The line moved quickly down a long metal tunnel. They reached a checkpoint manned by a Shock Trooper.

  “Your wrist code please, sir,” the Trooper said to Joe.

  Joe rolled up his suit sleeve halfway and extended his arm. The Trooper ran a scanner over it and told him to proceed. Rayne did the same.

  “Hello officer,” Peter said, forcing a smile.

  He was disconcerted by his pale image reflected in the Trooper’s black faceplate. The Trooper scanned his arm and went on to the next person in line.

  They entered a branching corridor where a much smaller line was in place. Only six people were ahead of them. A uniformed attendant stood at a control console, punching unseen buttons. A set of double doors slid open behind him.

  “You may now enter the attraction,” the attendant instructed the group ahead of them.

  The room beyond the double doors was completely dark. The group entered as the silver metal doors slid quietly shut behind them.

  “Looks like we’re next,” Joe’s wife said, grinning nervously.

  “Is everybody psyched up?” Joe asked the group like a coach before a football game.

  “We’re ready to kick some robot ass,” Jessica replied, grinning and winking at Joe.

  The short, dark haired man, Dave, still looked distracted as he stared at the attendant’s control panel.

  “So what happens first?” Peter asked his improvised host.

  “You’ll be fine. Just stick with us and follow our lead,” Joe advised. “Instead of guns, we’ll be using swords. Our swords are fairly sharp so we can slice through the robot’s joints. The androids are constructed with vulnerable joints at their necks, shoulders, elbows, and knees. One well-aimed slice is all it should take to knock off one of their arms or heads.”

  “What about their swords? Won’t they be able to slice us up?” Peter asked as he felt his heartbeat accelerate.

  “No, that’s not possible. All their weapons are blunt and lightweight. The only thing you have to watch out for is the nerve gel that drips from the tips. It will knock you out just as effectively as the pellets from the guns in Crime World.”

  “Just one more question,” Peter said.

  “Shoot,” Joe replied.

  “Is it possible for us to slice up someone in our own group if we misplace a jab or thrust?”

  “No, there’s a failsafe mechanism built into the swords. They may look ancient, but they’re actually highly sophisticated electronic devices. A force field activates when the sword is in proximity to a biological organism, meaning us. They only work on our metal opponents.”

  “Okay, sounds like fun,” Rayne said, rolling his eyes again.

  They waited about ten minutes until a light flashed on the attendant’s console.

  “You may now enter the attraction,” the attendant said as the silver double doors slid open.

  Peter followed the others into the dark and the doors slid shut behind them. He could hear the others moving ahead, so he followed their voices. Reaching out his hand, he felt a cold steel wall to his right.

  Suddenly, bright light streamed into the hallway as a set of steel doors opened ahead. They followed the long, silver, steel-walled corridor toward the bright opening. Passing through the opening, they entered a small well-lit room resembling a rich man’s closet. Row upon row of ancient clothing, armor, helmets, and weapons lined the walls. Peter examined some of the armor and discovered it was constructed of a lightweight plastic substance. The pseudo armor was painted a shiny metallic gray color to resemble steel.

  “Find something that fits and change as quickly as you can,” Joe instructed the rest of the group.

  Peter ignored the medieval clothing and went right for the armor.

  “Hey, what are you doing? You’re supposed to dress up in these clothes,” Joe said as he pulled off his own dress shirt and fumbled with a dark purple medieval vest.

  “Joe, I’m going to stick with my original duds,” Peter said. “Besides, you can’t really tell the difference under the armor anyway.”

  “Okay, have it your way. You’re the one missing out on the experience,” Joe muttered. “All you have to do is remove your clothes, put them in one of these chutes, and they’ll be waiting for you in the changing room when we’re finished with the attraction.”

  “No thanks, Joe. I think I’ll pass. These medieval clothes are just not my style.”

  Joe scowled as he stripped off his suit pants and pulled on long black medieval stockings. The rows of armor were labeled, making it easy for Peter to find his size. He stripped off his black suit jacket, folded it, and placed it in a suction chute.

  Peter grabbed a heavy-looking metallic chest-plate off its hook on the wall and was amazed by its lightweight feel. The chest-plate was connected to a back-plate by two thick straps. He pulled the plates over his shoulders and fastened the smaller straps on the sides. He found shoulder pieces that could be snapped into place with fasteners. He did the same with pelvis, arm, and leg pieces. He had no problem strapping on the fake armor over his normal dress clothes.

  “Don’t bother with the helmets,” Joe advised. “They interfere with your peripheral vision.”

  Peter glanced over at Joe, who looked ridiculous fastening his armor over his purple shirt and black stockings. Returning his attention to his own outfit, Peter looked at the size and fit of the metal boots and opted to keep his dress shoes. He glanced around and saw the women strapping on armor that was specifically designed to accommodate their shapely forms.

  Wow, they really thought of everything here.

  He noticed the women were also wearing strange medieval garb under their armor.

  I guess it’s a free country.

  Rayne walked to a section of the wall containing shields and weapons. He selected a circular shield constructed of the same sturdy, but lightweight, substance as the armor. His eyes riveted suddenly to a formidable-looki
ng broadsword. Pulling it down, he found it was much heavier than the armor, constructed of real metal with sharp edges.

  I hope these force fields work because I don’t want to accidentally decapitate anyone.

  Peter found an authentic-looking leather scabbard matching the size and shape of the sword and strapped it around his waist. He noticed that Dave and Jessica were brandishing impressive-looking crossbows in addition to their swords. Peter pulled a crossbow from a hook and felt its weight, but decided it was too cumbersome to carry in addition to his sword.

  He checked to make sure his lucky lighter, which had assisted him so well in the sewers, was still in his pants pocket.

  After all, the place is called Dark World.

  When everyone was suited and armed, Joe addressed the group.

  “Is everyone ready?” Joe asked, brandishing a deadly looking two-sided battle-axe.

  “I think so,” Lisa replied as she pulled a long curved blade from the wall and slid it securely into a leather scabbard.

  “Then follow me,” Joe said, pushing a button that activated the automatic doors of the attraction.

  Chapter 19

  Dark World

  They entered a dark, spacious cavern with flickering torches set in the black stone walls. The torches cast wavering shadows from sharp stalactites and stalagmites jutting from the ceiling and floor. A rough stone path led forward into the darkness.

  “Be ready for anything,” Joe said. “I’ve never come this way before.”

  Rayne clenched his sword hilt in a clammy grip as he observed the shadows for any movement. The group advanced through the cavern until they reached a sheer precipice dropping down into total blackness. A long, narrow wooden bridge led across the chasm.

  “I don’t think we have any choice. We have to go across,” Joe said as he eyed the tenuous bridge as if it was a path leading to oblivion.

  The decrepit wooden bridge traveled across the chasm for fifty feet before fading into darkness. It looked barely wide enough for two people to cross side-by-side. Just to be safe, they went in single file.