Flag Race

by Felipe Valente

  But what if his mother was right? What if all of this was indeed bad for him? There was no denying the fact that all this chaos in his life had started simultaneously with his introduction to the Neuralnet. But, except for his grades, no other factor seemed to be directly related to the time he spent inline.

  He barely had anything for lunch, spending a good deal of his time ruminating on all that had been going on around him and wondering how he could get inline in time for the next match. The following days, still suspended from school, he spent trying and failing to convince his parents to let him go inline. Whenever he wasn’t arguing with them, he was at the hospital taking care of his brothers, who grew weaker every day. Feelings of despair came over him on the night he was supposed to have gone inline and helped out his friends, but he knew there was little he could do now.

  Later he managed to check out online how his team had fared: they’d lost 3-2. He was happy for Dante and Kerah, who—Pedro was surprised to see—had managed to capture one flag each. This result, coupled with the fact that the other main team in his bracket had lost 3-0, meant they were still the highest-scoring team, even if barely so. This means we’re still qualified for the final, in three days! He was excited.

  His sadness returned, however, when he went back to school and realized Letícia was avoiding him. At no moment was she rude, but he could easily notice how uncomfortable she felt in talking and even looking at him.

  Much to his surprise, Luiz was the one who was cheering him up the most.

  “It’s all going to turn out all right, man. You’re just going through a stage in your life on hard mode! But what about me? I’ve been on hardcore mode ever since I was born! You’re upset because of what happened between you and Thiago? Man, I put up with this kind of thing almost every single day and here I am, still going strong! And if I can still deal with that jerk, then how is it that you can’t?”

  “Thanks a lot, man!” Pedro answered. “But that’s not everything. The whole bit about my parents forbidding me from accessing the Neuralnet is a bummer too... It was one of the few things that cheered me up and let me forget a little about all that’s going on with my brothers... I guess Letícia would understand me better because she’s not allowed inline either, but she won’t talk to me because I was stupid and blurted out in the worst possible way that I liked her...”

  “You’ll find a way, man. Just like that time we were playing Heroes when I thought I was winning and you still managed to beat me! You’ll soon get to go inline again, you’ll beat the pro championship, you’ll get rich and Letícia will come running into your arms.”

  “I don’t want her running into my arms just because I’m gonna be rich!” Pedro paused for a second. “Hang on, ‘rich’? What do you mean?”

  “Huh! So you never looked into the prizes for the pro championship? I thought all that you were telling me about Flag Race was so cool that I went to check it out. Look here!” He went to the championship website on his tablet and showed it to his friend, while explaining how it worked. “Each member from the team ranked in first place will get.. Hm... About two hundred thousand reais, and a customizable locus with one year of free maintenance! Now tell me that’s not getting rich?”

  Hope was returning to Pedro’s heart. That’s just what he needed! He could help out his brothers with that sort of money! It could pay for their treatment! His parents would finally understand that this was one of the best ways to solve his brothers’ issues and the company’s as well, all at once! They had to let him go inline again!

  Letícia pretended not to be watching Pedro and Luiz talking from afar, though she couldn’t hear them. There was no way they weren’t talking about her. Oh, what an awful feeling! Why did he have to drop that bomb on her? Everything was so nice just the way it was! As friends! Now she didn’t even know how to talk to him properly.

  “Letícia!” Amanda called to her. “You look a little down, but I know something that will cheer you up. They told me to give this to you, look!” She handed her a note, which Letícia unfolded and silently read.

  Ever since that performance, I can’t stop thinking about you. Can we talk after school? Thiago.

  “What’s with that face, Le?” Amanda inquired. “You should be excited!”

  “You read it!?”

  “Oh, of course I did! If it was something stupid, then I wouldn’t even show it to you, now would I? But girl, you should be happy about that! It’s not just anybody that gets Thiago’s attention!”

  “What for? So he’ll use me, then dump me? Only so he can go around telling everybody he made out with me?”

  “So? You’ll get to tell everybody you made out with him, then! Stop being so fussy, Letícia!”

  Letícia grew silent for a while, deep in her thoughts. Amanda went on, “Letícia, I know you like Pedro, but one thing has nothing to do with the other! Why don’t you take advantage that Thiago is into you, make out with him, and then you go for Pedro? Because, I dunno, sometimes we have to try a little bit of everything before we know who it is we want for a serious relationship. Even though I don’t understand what it is that you see in that boy...”

  “And who says I like him?”

  “Really, Le? Don’t be silly, please! I see how you’re always giving him your attention and you two have the longest chats when I’m not around... I’m good at reading people! That’s why I’m going to be a psychologist, you know?”

  “You what? But you—”

  “Psychology is so much cooler than all the other nonsense I had in mind before. This is my real dream, I’ve discovered.”

  They had a little bit more idle banter, but Letícia’s mind was still lingering on a previous thought: After all, do I like Pedro or not? Finally, her friend persuaded her on at least one single point of contention: she’d pay some attention to Thiago to see what it was that he had to say.

  Chapter 12

  On that same day, Pedro sat down with his parents to talk as soon as he had the chance. All three would be home for lunch time; that was the moment for him to act. They sat around the living room table. Pedro was nervous. He had to persuade them; the championship final was scheduled for late tonight.

  “Pedro, I hope you’re not asking us to let you go back to your addiction,” Marta remarked.

  “Calm down, darling, let him talk first,” Antônio suggested.

  Pedro gulped before he started.

  “Mom, Dad, I know we’re strapped for cash. And I’m not just talking about Rodrigo and Marcelo at the hospital. I know things are looking grisly at the office.”

  His parents stared at each other and took a deep breath. They must have let that slip some time. They allowed the boy to go on.

  “I wished I could at least to try and help you out too.”

  “No, son, you’re not getting a job, you have to focus on school and—”

  “Calm down, Mom, I’m not talking about that. Well, let me show you.”

  Pedro opened the website for the Flag Race pro championship on his tablet and showed them the official ad, in which the announcer described the prizes.

  “I can do it! I think we have a good chance to win, and if we get the locus, you have no idea what kind of marketing you can do there! It’s not only the cash prize that would help us, but we could start advertising on the Neuralnet as well!”

  The parents sighed. Antônio spoke up.

  “Pedro, I think it’s great how much you care about this, but you’re dreaming too much. Things aren’t that simple... Being good at a little game doesn’t mean you can win the championship...”

  “Antônio! That’s not what matters! Son, just pay attention to what’s happening to you! You’re looking for any kind of excuse to get to use this crap again!”

  “No, Mom, I...! Hang on a second!” He checked the replays for the matches they had played. “Check out our moves! That one is me, you can see it, right? That one is Dante, he’s a really nice guy. Look at how Mary protected us on that move! And l
ook here, on our fourth game, Bobby disintegrates three guys on a row! And there’s Asuka and Kerah, when we were—”

  His dad interrupted him.

  “You guys are... ‘Dante’s Chaos’?”

  “Yeah, I know, the name sounds stupid, but—”

  “And you’re in the finals for the amateur championship? That’s what it says up there, right?” Even Marta was letting her surprise show, mixed with a feeling of pride.

  Pedro nodded in agreement and waited while his parents finished watching their moves. He could see his dad’s eyes shining with excitement, but he still couldn’t discern what was going on in his mother’s mind.

  “We need to win only one more match tonight, the final, and we’re qualified for the pro championship, starting next month,” he finally said. “Mom, Dad, I promise I’ll work on my grades, but seriously, we can’t miss that chance!”

  There was silence while they waited for the expected answer from his mother.

  “No way!” she said at last. “I’m already worried to death because of your brothers! I don’t want this burden on my mind, what with you putting yourself in danger, risking brain damage! We’ll find a way to get the money. We’re asking your uncles for help, and they’re already doing all they can for your brothers. It’s all settled!”

  “But Mom! I—”

  “That’s enough. I said it’s settled. Let me go get dressed, your brothers are waiting.” She got up and went for the stairs. Pedro looked at his father with a pleading stare. Antônio’s answer was a slight gesture showing there was nothing to be done.

  That night Pedro tossed and turned on his bed. He couldn’t leave his team behind. Not at a time like this! The match was on soon! They were lucky to have scored enough to get to the final, but it was impossible to win missing a player. But what could he do? His mother had hidden his Neurolink from him and she hated the idea of him going inline.

  He was almost falling asleep into troubled dreams, when he heard the bedroom door opening.

  “Pedro?” his father asked. “I think you’ll want to get up.” Pedro sat up on the bed. The Neurolink’s glow on his father’s hands grabbed his eye.

  “It wasn’t easy,” Antônio went on, “but I managed to convince your mother just now, on the phone. I think she had time to rethink it all over down at the hospital, you know? Of course, I’m taking full responsibility for you, but I’m not worried. I know you’re a responsible boy who honors his commitments.” Then he handed Pedro his device.

  Pedro didn’t know what to say. He could barely believe he’d soon be back on the Neuralnet.

  “Thank you so much, Dad! You won’t regret it! You’ll see I’m going to—”

  “Hold your horses, son. This is another thing I want you to understand: I’m letting you go not because you want to save your brothers. That’s not your responsibility. I’m letting you go because I have never seen that glow in your eyes like I saw today, when you showed us what you can do on the Neuralnet. I want you to be happy. If it ends up helping your brothers, that’s great. But I don’t want that burden on you.”

  Pedro nodded.

  “And, ah,” his father concluded, “of course we’ll still keep an eye out for your grades, boy. You may have your fun, but you can’t let that be an issue to other aspects of your life.” He kissed his son on the forehead. “Good night and good luck on your match. Your friends must be waiting for you.”

  The Flag Race server was even more packed than Ace figured it would be. He ran through the middle of the crowd looking for his friends, who were already sending several chat requests through their Neurolinks.

  “Ace! We’re at our table! We thought you wouldn’t come! That’s just so, so, so great!” Asuka exclaimed.

  “Good old Ace! Where have you been, man?” Dante asked.

  “Ace! We were afraid something had happened to you!” Kerah was also showing her concern.

  “Finally!” Bobby was unmistakable.

  “Ace! Thank God!” The joy in Mary’s voice sent a shiver down his spine.

  At last he found the table where his friends were. They all happily greeted him, even Bobby, who was now a huge, angry-looking, greenish man, reminiscent of a famous superhero.

  Mary hugged him tight, her hair colored an intense pink. After the initial commotion had died down a little, Ace asked them, “Did all of these people come here to see us play?”

  “And to see the Classic Riders too,” Dante answered. “They seem really good. But nothing Dante’s Chaos can’t handle!” He stopped to listen for a few moments, his attention focused. “Hey, check it out! They’re calling us already. To the court, guys!”

  They went through the familiar door near the table, reaching the blue base in the game court in excitement. On thousands of screens all around them, they could see the crowds that had gathered to follow the final match of the amateur championship.

  They could almost touch the tension and anticipation around them in the air. Everybody on the team tried to curb their enthusiasm, but it was impossible not to let the adrenaline course through their veins. Shortly they would be either the champions or yet another team that had gotten this far just to be defeated.

  It didn’t take long for them to hear the sportscaster telling them to get on their marks.

  “Guys, no matter what happens...” Dante began.

  “THREE,” went the countdown for the game to start, attentively followed by every viewer.

  “...I’ll always remember...”

  “TWO!”

  “...that we’ve got this far together!”

  “ONE!”

  “Let’s kick their asses!”

  “GO!”

  As usual, Ace started sliding toward the center of the court, trying to gain as much speed as he could. Mary and Asuka modified their team’s game lines, stretching out the distance down to the flags, creating more and more corners to hinder their adversaries’ advances and positioning flaming barriers in the shape of a maze for whoever tried to go through.

  “Molders!” Dante yelled, as he advanced right behind Ace, Bobby, and Kerah toward the center of the court. “Watch out so you won’t spend all your stability right at the start! Your teleport trap is awesome, Mary! When they’re almost at our flag, they’ll be sent right back to their own game lines, right? Everything’s fine, just watch out so you won’t overdo it. We may need you at the front lines. Ace, maintain your stability. Try not to do anything too different, because we’ll need you going as fast as you can! Everyone else will cover you.”

  He’d barely finished talking when a blue blur quickly passed him by toward their base. Whatever it was, it was extremely fast! Bobby had tried swatting at it, but at that speed it was going way too fast for his attack to connect.

  “Mary! Watch out!” Ace cried out. “There’s something coming at our base REALLY fast!”

  “No, there isn’t! You won’t believe it,” Mary answered, “but it’s coming back already. And it’s got one of our flags! It went by way too quick. Defenses for the center line weren’t ready yet!”

  “I can’t take aim!” Kerah yelled.

  “Calm down. Forget about it,” Dante said, much to everybody’s surprise. “Let’s get on with the match.”

  “But Dante!” Asuka protested.

  “Look at the general scoreboard up there. His stability, it’s at 20%! The guy used up all he could to—”

  “One to zero!” cried the announcer, while the screens showed images of the blue hedgehog in green sneakers who’d just captured the flag.

  “There’s still a long way to go!” Dante went on, “I’m coming into their right line. Ace, you get on with the left line and we’ll leave the center for last. Kerah, you stay at the center of the court and do what you do best. Bobby, come with me!”

  What Ace saw once he entered the opponent’s game line greatly surprised him. There were large coins and strange boxes floating in the air, huge carnivorous plants all over the place, and weird turtles and dinosaur
s roaming around.

  He was forced to slow down and turn his roller blades into spring-heeled boots to avoid the obstacles, but as he got used to the scenery he began to evade its challenges masterfully. He could see the flag on a pole ahead. He thought he could reach it if he quickly climbed up a mountain of blocks that stood a few feet ahead of the pole, and then jumped for it.

  A small sphere of fire bounced near him. Looking back, he had a glimpse of his opponent, a short man with a big blond mustache, wearing a green shirt, red hat, and suspenders, tossing several flaming globes at him, each one the size of a baseball.

  Ace dodged the first few projectiles, but it was getting increasingly difficult. And to think the flag was so close now!

  “Kerah!”

  “Saw it!”

  The shot from her rifle was dead accurate. It didn’t affect the expected result, however. Instead of disappearing or being tossed back, the short mustachioed man simply became smaller in size. He stopped tossing fireballs, but he was still coming after Ace.

  Ace took this minor chance to climb up the pile of blocks and grab the flag with one precise leap. He strapped it to his back before touching the ground again.

  “Kerah! I need to get back!” he yelled, turning around and noticing the little man was getting closer and closer.

  “I’m trying, but I need a clear shot!”

  As he returned, there was no way for Ace to avoid his tiny opponent, who quickly jumped and fell on top of him. It hurt tremendously. Ace couldn’t understand just why having that little man falling on his back caused him such an awful ache, draining 15% of his stability.

  Trying to ignore the pain, Ace started to go back to the center of the court. His opponent seemed to have given up on him when he started hitting the floating boxes all around, but that feeling didn’t last long. In fact, he was just getting himself ready to do a better job at holding Ace back.