Flag Race

by Felipe Valente

  “Three!”

  “Two!”

  “One!”

  “Go!”

  The game was truly working on a different level. Monster Mash molded its defenses by twisting its three game lines into being close together and then turning its whole side’s environment into a gloomy swamp surrounded by a dark forest, crowded with skeletons ready to attack whoever approached with rusty swords and arrows. All flags stood on a castle, which could be seen from afar.

  Any attempt to come closer ended in disintegration. While Ace tried to avoid the skeletons, a vampire flew close to him and bit his neck, putting him instantly out of commission. Dante couldn’t defend himself from the swarm of scarabs launched against him by a mummy. Without their Runners, the rest of the team tried in vain to advance. Mary and Asuka were stuck on web spun by a giant spider, which soon devoured them, and even Bobby, in his minotaur form, in spite of all his strength, ended up defeated by the swamp monster.

  Kerah was the only one remaining in the game. She focused and turned invisible, then hid during the seconds that were needed for her friends to return to the game.

  They attempted some more advances, all of them in vain. The monsters had prepared too strong and complex a defense to be overcome with ease, and the fact they had united their game lines allowed them to safeguard all of their flags at once.

  Dante’s Chaos tried charging once again. Mary risked teleporting straight to the opposing team’s castle, but ended up reappearing inside a flaming dungeon, being disintegrated one more time in a matter of seconds. Dante tried to slash through the giant spider’s web that stood in his path, so that Bobby could go on ahead, but he was surprised by a sneak attack from a ghost. The few steps that Bobby was able to take ahead didn’t help at all, as he was soon engulfed by a swarm of bats sent by the vampire, who had him disintegrated again.

  Asuka flew from side to side as she tried to avoid her foes, at the same time attempting to start a fire on the opponents’ side. But the swamp monster, who saw her moves coming a mile away, shot sludge streams to put out the flames she tried to ignite. Asuka ended up surprised mid-flight by a gargoyle, a beastly-looking living statue that hurled itself at her, disintegrating her one more time.

  Kerah tried to help her friends, but soon realized it was useless. Her shots could never be accurate enough under those conditions, and she figured her remaining stability could be better spent some other way. Keeping herself hidden, invisible, she chose to let her opponents advance instead, and just wait for the best moment to act.

  The powerful defenses created by Asuka and Mary, with energy barriers and huge flying serpents, were useless without their Molders in the game. The opponents progressed fearlessly.

  Kerah checked her teammates’ stability on the screen, while waiting for them to be put back together: 23, 19, 25, 22, and 15%. As soon as they returned, she gave them a warning.

  “If we keep going like this, we won’t make it! They’ve already got all of our flags and are bringing them to their base right now! There’s only one way we can win, but you’ll have to trust me. Wait until I give you the signal before you act!”

  “What signal?” Ace asked.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll see it.”

  Kerah estimated the speed at which their opponents were returning to the castle and planned her next move. It had to work, or else it would be game over! They’d lose three to zero.

  A red dot appeared on one of the twisted trees in the swamp. Kerah focused and kept her laser pointed at where she believed their opponents would regroup on their way back with the flags.

  From far up above the court a missile started coming down at a high speed toward her target. At the exact moment their opponents were passing by back to their base, the missile struck, as Kerah had planned.

  There was a huge explosion. A deafening sound. In a moment, a mushroom cloud formed. Kerah’s stability dropped from 70% down to 13%, but all opponents had been instantly disintegrated. The crowd was going wild.

  Ace, Mary, and Dante didn’t waste a single second. Their Hitter’s signal had been crystal clear. They advanced as fast as they could through the ground zero’s smoke toward their opponents’ flags, while Kerah, Bobby, and Asuka retrieved their own flags, putting them back on where they belonged.

  The huge blast had destroyed a good deal of the swamp and the forest which had hampered them so much. Now, the trio could progress easily toward the castle where the opponents’ three flags were standing. They noticed several traps on their run to the main hall, but without anyone from the opposing team to control them, those defenses laid inert. Spears, saw-blades, poisoned darts... If they were active, they would have been quite an issue.

  Ace, Dante, and Mary grabbed one flag each and immediately started back. They needed to return before their foes were put back together. They noticed it was too late for that when all the castle’s doors began slamming shut, trying to block their path. Slowly, the gears in the traps seemed to be starting to move.

  The great double gate at the entrance was almost halfway closed when Ace got through it, returning to what was left of the dark forest. Mary was right behind, passing through the tiny gap that still remained at the door. With a shout, Dante leaped, driving himself forward. He felt his shoulders scrape against the thick wooden door before landing outside.

  There was no time to rest. They needed to go on. A few dozen yards ahead, Asuka, Bobby, and Kerah attacked the giant spider with all they had, in order to ensure a safe way back for their friends. Ace watched the score: only the spider had rematerialized until now. They had to take advantage of that while they ganged on the spider for them to return with the flags!

  Mary, Ace, and Dante felt their stability quickly dropping with their efforts to gain more and more speed. They knew they wouldn’t hold on for much longer, but it was their only chance. If the other opponents came back, there would be no way to win.

  At less than 5% stability each, they arrived at their base at last. None of the other foes had time to return to the game. Smiling, they inserted the flags on their slots.

  “Unbelievable!” the play-by-play announcer screamed in excitement. “With one huge blast of a move, Kerah turns the tables, and Dante’s Chaos grabs the victory with an amazing three to nil! I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve never seen a move like that! All opponents were disintegrated on a single well-calculated hit!”

  Ace and his friends circled around Kerah, jumping and shouting in celebration. They knew that, if it weren’t for a perfect strike from their Hitter, the game would have been lost. They embraced and excitedly celebrated their hard-won victory.

  The celebration mood could be felt all over the server. Their friends couldn’t congratulate Kerah enough for her good job, while she reminded them there was always a way to win a game and that they should never give up. This was their first victory in the official league. The thought that they actually stood a chance of winning the championship was beginning to dawn on each one of them.

  Chapter 17

  “Your mother just called, Pedro. Your brothers are in the ICU,” his father told Pedro one afternoon. He sighed before he added, “They couldn’t breathe by themselves anymore... We leave in five minutes, OK?”

  At the hospital, Pedro waited for his chance to see his brothers. Only one family member was allowed into the ICU at once. After Marta and Antônio, it was Pedro’s turn. He found the little boys on their beds, one next to the other, connected to all those tubes, catheters, and monitors. They had their eyes closed and were unresponsive, as if in deep sleep.

  “You’re going to make it,” he said in a low voice, speaking more to himself than to his brothers. “We’re going to find a way for you to get well.”

  Pedro’s daily life suffered drastic changes after that day. The family took turns for the visiting hours, so they’d always have news regarding the boys’ condition. They had gotten slightly better a few days later, only to return to their previous parameters soon afte
r. The doctors explained they were doing all they could. They said there was no need to worry for now, because it was unlikely the boys would get worse in the next few weeks. They did warn them, though, that their chances of recovery were minimal if nanotechnological treatment didn’t begin soon.

  Contrary to expectations, Pedro was getting a newfound strength from his brothers’ disorder. He was practicing and playing on the Neuralnet with more and more tenacity, as he always reminded himself that each victory for him meant a small victory for his brothers as well.

  In the next two championship games they played, Ace noticed how his stability was lasting longer than before. His will to win was growing stronger and stronger. Having his brothers in mind was leading him to try out things he’d never tried before. He could go through walls, become invisible, and even managed once to skip from one game line to the other using less than 10% of his stability.

  With every game, respect for Dante’s Chaos grew among their competitors. They weren’t seen anymore as just another rookie team that had arrived at the official league due to mere luck. Their opponents were recognizing their worth, and some were even afraid of facing them. They crushed the famous Call of Honor, a soldiers-only team, and had a beautiful victory when they played against the Puzzlers, despite having to face some of the most difficult defenses they had overcome yet. It seemed like nothing could stop them.

  Meanwhile, in real life, Pedro, who hadn’t forgotten his responsibilities, was fully dedicated to his studies and noticed how his grades were gradually going up again. He wouldn’t let them be another concern for his parents. The end of the year was drawing closer, and he grew more and more certain that his performance on the coming exams would make up for his past mistakes.

  As the days wore on, Pedro and Letícia couldn’t stand being limited to seeing each other only in school, so they started going out together whenever they thought it was safe, when there was no danger of her father finding out. They were feeling closer and closer to each other.

  “Pedro, I have to apologize to you,” she said as they walked hand in hand by the wonderful sunny shores of Copacabana. “I still didn’t get to talk to my dad, you know?” The girl was looking down at the ground while she spoke. “I know I should have had this solved a while ago already, but you have no idea how hard it is to talk to him.”

  Oh, yes, I do! Pedro thought, as he embraced her.

  “You don’t need to feel bad, Le... What I’m afraid of is that he’ll end up finding out we’re together one way or the other now by the end of the year... I wanted to talk to you about this some other time and in fact the thing is a bit obvious, but”—he stopped walking and looked her in the eyes—“you’re coming with me to the senior prom, right?”

  She smiled, that beautiful smile that Pedro found so charming about her.

  “Of course I’m coming with you! You’d have to be crazy to think I wouldn’t!” she laughed. “It’s settled then”—she took a deep breath—“I’ll find a way to talk to him before the prom.” She was so excited at the prospect of having him in her arms at the prom that she believed she’d finally get the courage to question her father’s will. She figured her mother would have some idea that could help her out.

  The days were still going by at a frightfully faster pace. Pedro always had the feeling that the closer it was to the end of the year, the faster time seemed to pass. This feeling was growing more intense with everything that was going on all around him at the same time. School would be out, the finals at the championship, the prom, everything was drawing nearer and nearer so quickly.

  His fate seemed to be heading in the right direction. Despite his brothers’ conditions not getting any better, they weren’t getting worse either. A few more games, and he’d soon get to help them with their much anticipated treatment.

  Pedro realized with amazement that it was the last week of school already. The Flag Race final match was on Friday and the grand graduation prom on Saturday.

  When Tuesday came, Ace saw himself alone at the game server. Since none of his friends were inline, he considered practicing by himself some moves that he could use on the upcoming matches. He was about to enter the court when someone called him.

  “Ace!”

  “Mary? You’re not showing up inline on my Neurolink!”

  “Oh, tell me about it!” she said, tightening her lips. “I think this piece of crap’s malfunctioning!”

  “Whoa, what do you mean, malfunctioning? How so? I noticed you’re a bit different and—”

  “Ah, take it easy, Ace. I’m buying a new one already, so it won’t get in the way of our games or anything. But, hey... since we’re the only ones here... there’s this new locus I wanted to show you!”

  Ace lifted an eyebrow.

  “It’ll be quick!” she insisted. “You’ll like it! We’ll be back here in no time and then we can practice if you want! Come on, say you will, say you will, please!”

  “OK, all right! But what kind of locus is that?”

  “You’ll see it,” she said while opening a nearby door. “Come here!”

  Ace followed the girl as she went through the door. On the other side, there was nothing but an immense darkness. Ace turned to the door from which they had come, but there was nothing there. The only visible features there were their bodies.

  “Oh, my God!” Mary said. “My Neurolink must have messed it up! I can’t believe it! Quick, Ace, let me borrow yours so I can get us out of here!”

  “Borrow? What do you mean?”

  “Quick!” she said. “Before it’s too late for us to get out of this dreadful place!”

  Not knowing what to do, Ace stretched his arm with his Neurolink toward the girl.

  “You must tell your Neurolink that you accept the emergency removal!”

  He did as he’d been ordered, loosening the device’s watchband that kept it on his wrist. The girl immediately took it and put it on her right arm, before taking off her own Neurolink from her left arm and tossing it far away.

  “Oh, boy, you’re really, really stupid!” Blazkowicz said, leaving his Mary disguise behind and returning to his original army shape. “You shouldn’t have authorized me to remove your Neurolink, Pedro”—he particularly emphasized the boy’s name—“this goes to teach you to put yourself back in your place! I think your team is going to miss you on your next game, don’t you think? I’ll see you around, loser!” He logged out.

  Ace panicked. Blazkowicz really was Thiago! And now he’d logged out in his body! Ace, in turn, was stuck on the Neuralnet, in a totally empty locus! He knew Thiago was a delinquent, but he’d never imagined he’d sink so low! A body thief!

  What would his plan be? What would he do to Pedro’s body? And, worse, how could Ace find a way out? There were no doors there! Hell, he didn’t even have a Neurolink himself! His team’s next game was on the following day. Would Thiago leave him there until it was time for him to play?

  But wait! The Neurolink Thiago had been wearing must be here somewhere!

  Ace started desperately looking for his device. He tried to remember the exact direction in which Blazkowicz had thrown it. He groped around in the dark, scraping his hand on the strange black ground searching for his only possible way out.

  I’ve got to find a way to leave this place soon! Before it is too late! Ace was worried about what could happen to him if he got down to zero percent stability without being connected to his Neurolink. He remembered what Mary had said, the real Mary, that is, as they were hanging out once by some loci, months ago.

  “What happens when your stability reaches zero without a Neurolink? Nobody really knows. Some say your mind wanders in an infinite nightmare, in a program created by yourself to torment you forever. Others, that your very identity melts away in virtual data. And there’s people who say you simply get to the real Blue Screen of Death, where a ‘fatal error’ is actually fatal.”

  Time was passing. Ace kept on crawling, desperately groping for the device.
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  Nothing.

  He’d already gotten to the point where he couldn’t tell where he was anymore, whether he should go to the right or to the left. He couldn’t even tell where he was a minute ago, such was his disorientation due to the darkness all around.

  Time was being warped. Ace couldn’t tell if it had been only a couple of minutes, hours, or even days since he’d arrived at that damned locus. His thoughts were getting muddled. It was hard to even remember how he’d gotten there. His memory was mixing up facts from real and virtual life.

  “Hey, Pedro?”

  He looked around, looking for where that call was coming from.

  “Pedroooo! What are you doing, just standing there?” said a second voice.

  In his hallucinations, he gradually realized Rodrigo and Marcelo had materialized in the darkness ahead of him. The little boys drove battle mechs that resembled the machinery that kept them alive in the ICU.

  “Why are you crying?” Marcelo asked.

  “Because I can’t help you guys out!” Ace replied. “I was stupid and now I’m gonna get stuck in his hell hole for the rest of my life.”

  “Why?” Rodrigo inquired.

  “Because there’s no way out of here!”

  “Why?” Marcelo repeated.

  “Because I’ve lost my Neurolink!”

  “Why?” the brothers kept on provoking him.

  “Because it was stolen from me! And now I don’t know where that jerk’s Neurolink is!”