Jude laughed and gave him an amused grin. “What, you hadn’t noticed that yet? When you entered the tower, you left all your credits from outside behind.”
Sighing in frustration, Ethan realized she was right. The only credits he had on him were what he’d earned while climbing the tower. Most of which was from the boss reward, but he’d picked up a few more here and there.
There was a beep from the pedestal, and everyone looked over to see the enemy team had wagered a thousand credits.
“We should at least match that,” Ethan observed.
“Sure,” Kyle replied as he waved a hand at the pedestal. Instantly, a thousand credits appeared on their tally.
The enemy team responded by wagering more, and this led to some back and forth as Ethan’s team raised their own bids in response. Then, the opponent’s number jumped up to nine thousand. Theirs was only five thousand.
Michael frowned at the numbers. “They appear to have more money than us, or they are wagering some expensive items.”
“We’ve got so much already invested, but I don’t want to fight with a handicap,” Ethan remarked before sighing.
He then looked back at his inventory and scrolled through it. Wait, he’d almost forgotten he had this. Ethan selected the key he’d found earlier and added it to the pool. The demon had said it was valuable. Immediately, there was a loud beep from the pedestal, and a star appeared next to their tally.
“You have wagered a priceless item,” the AI informed everyone. “The enemy will have a chance to match, but if they refuse, the item will be removed from the pool.”
Kyle turned to stare at Ethan. “What the hacks did you just throw in there, man?”
Ethan shrugged and grinned sheepishly as he removed the item from his inventory and held it out for everyone to see. “Just a key I found on the second floor I visited.”
Lily looked at it and pursed her lips. “You probably shouldn’t be waving that thing around.”
“Um, well it’s out now,” Ethan said as he explained where he’d found the key and what it did.
“Can you show us the message?” Michael asked as he stared at the key with laser focus. It was a little unnerving.
“Sure,” Ethan replied as he activated the key. The message from Victor Crown promptly played and everyone watched it with rapt attention.
“That’s whack,” Kyle remarked when it was over.
Michael had a very concerned look on his face. “It certainly bears some thought.”
“It’s just some old guy talking shit,” Jude huffed.
“That’s what I thought,” Ethan admitted. However, before anyone else could respond, there was another beep from the pedestal.
“The enemy has matched your priceless wager. Betting will resume as normal,” the AI announced as a star appeared next to the enemy’s tally.
“It seems someone on the enemy team has a key as well. Since Ethan appears to have so much faith in us, we had better match the enemy’s tally,” Michael said as he added more to their total wager.
Everyone else copied him, and soon they reached nine thousand. The enemy failed to raise it again, so there was little to do as the last few seconds counted off from the timer. When the timer reached three seconds, the holographic display changed again.
Initializing teleportation to arena.
Just as Ethan finished reading, he was surrounded by blue sparkling energy and then found himself standing somewhere new.
CHAPTER 13
PLAYER VERSUS PLAYER
Thankfully, when Ethan rematerialized, his team was nearby. They appeared to be in some sort of winding chasm. Rocky walls surrounded them, and the sun appeared to glow in the sky overhead. Looking down, Ethan saw that the uneven ground was rocky but wet, as if the place had flooded recently.
Before Ethan could look around more, the AI addressed everyone. “Capture the flag has begun. Be the first team to steal the enemy flag and bring it to your own flag post to win.”
Immediately, Michael took charge and sprang into action. A trio of drones appeared next to him and zoomed off deeper into the chasm. Behind him, Ethan saw a glowing red orb floating above a steel pole. Huh, that was probably the flag, even though it was a ball. Capture the ball probably didn’t sound as cool though.
“We need eyes up above. Lily, you’re our sniper. Get moving. I don’t want to send a drone up there. It would be too vulnerable to enemy snipers,” Michael announced as he controlled his drones remotely.
“Sure. I’ll get right to it. Do you want to give me hand getting up there, Ethan?”
“Not a problem,” Ethan replied as he shot a hook to the top of the nearest rocky wall. After he’d detached the line, Lily climbed it.
“It’s impressive that you can use three drones at the same time,” Ethan remarked as he turned away from Lily and toward Michael. Even in armor, it was a little embarrassing watching her butt wiggle as she climbed the line.
Players like Michael who specialized in using remote drones were usually called controllers. Most controllers only used one or two mobile drones at a time, but it was obvious Michael was controlling three rather complicated hover scouts all at once. Almost everything in Worldshift was done by mental commands, but Michael was currently making a whole bunch of hand gestures at the empty air. It was obvious he was using a very advanced custom interface.
While still staring intently straight ahead at nothing, Michael replied. “I’ve spent a lot of time creating some flexible autopilot routines for them, and I’m a great multitasker. Before I got into Worldshift, I mostly played real time strategy games.”
“That makes sense,” Kyle remarked. “Using drones would be a lot like some strategy games.”
By this time, Lily had climbed all the way to the top of the wall, and she interrupted their chat by reporting in. “It looks like we’re surrounded by flat plateaus that are divided by a maze of chasms. There are some low rocks and rubble up here to hide behind, but anyone moving around will be a target. I’m going to keep low and set up a concealed firing position.”
Michael nodded distractedly as he continued to play with his interface. “Yes, don’t reveal your position. You could give away the position of our flag.”
“What should I do?” Kyle asked as he wandered forward and peered into the chasm ahead.
Michael was quick to respond. “My drones are scouting out the passages around us. It doesn’t look like there are any enemies nearby, and Lily has us covered from up above. However, I believe we can extrapolate the approximate direction in which the enemy flag lies. All the chasms run vaguely northward.”
“Yes, from up here, it looks like we are on the southern edge of the game arena. There is nothing but one big rocky plateau behind us,” Lily said.
Michael nodded. “Then I suggest we send out a vanguard. It will allow us to react quicker and give us some strategic options later.”
Ethan laughed at the older man’s coyness. “You don’t have to suggest anything. It’s obvious you should be our tactical commander. You can just give orders.”
“Yeah, man. Take charge,” Kyle said.
“Someone has to do it, and you’ve got the eyes in the sky,” Jude admitted grudgingly.
Michael stopped playing with his interface for a moment so that he could give them all a grateful nod. “Thank you for your confidence. I will do my best to make sure we win this game.”
Suddenly, Lily called for everyone’s attention. “I’ve got movement up here! Over to the south, it looks like someone sent a hover drone up to the top of the plateaus to look around. It’s not moving quickly, but it is headed vaguely in my direction.”
“Do not engage. Firing will reveal our location. Just feed me the position, and I’ll take care of it using one of my own drones,” Michael told her.
Lily acknowledged his order, and after a few tense seconds, she reported back. “Wow, impressive. Your drone shot it down from below. They probably didn’t see it coming at all.”
/> “I hope so,” Michael replied before turning toward Ethan and Kyle. “I’ve highlighted a path for you on your interface that will take you around the edge of the arena. I want you to follow it and take up position farther out in the chasms. Try to stay hidden and do not engage unless it is unavoidable.”
“Will do, sir!” Kyle replied as he gave the man a sloppy salute.
Ethan rolled his eyes but joined Kyle as he ran deeper into the chasm. He brought up the data Michael had sent him, and a map featuring a green line to indicate which way he should go appeared in the corner of his vision.
Ethan’s power armor allowed him to move quickly and easily through the gorge, even though the stone beneath his feet was wet and slippery in a lot of places. The rough walls to either side of Ethan were a mix of grey and brown rocks. As he passed a side passage, Ethan glanced down it, but it was empty as far as he could see. He then had to speed up to catch back up to Kyle. That kid sure was hyper.
Michael’s voice appeared on team speak. “I found movement to your east. It looks like the enemy is advancing up the middle. Stick to the route I gave you but be wary of attacks from that direction.”
“Got it,” Ethan quickly replied as Kyle also acknowledged the intel.
A few moments later, Kyle came to stop at the end of the path Michael had given them, and Ethan ran up next to him. They were standing at a crossroads where two perpendicular chasms met. Several large rocks lay around them, so Ethan motioned to one and then led Kyle behind it.
“We shouldn’t stand out in the open,” he told the younger player.
Kyle nodded and then activated team speak. “All right, Michael. We’re here. What do you want us to do now?”
It didn’t take long for him to respond. “I’ve got a drone tracking three targets moving through a chasm to your east. It looks like they are heading straight through the middle of the arena toward the general area our flag is in. Here are their coordinates. I want you to approach them unseen from the east and wait for my signal to engage.”
“Will do,” Ethan told him as he received the new coordinates on his map.
Moving together, Kyle and Ethan got out from behind the rock and headed down the gorge leading east. It was rough going, but the tall rocks and uneven walls made it easy for them to move stealthily. Soon, they had almost reached the enemy.
According to Ethan’s map, the enemy formation was jogging through a chasm just up ahead. He stealthily crept to where the passage they were in connected to the one the enemy was using and peered around the corner. Among the rocks, he spotted three figures in armor jogging at a steady pace. Holding up the front was a huge figure in powerful-looking grey armor that towered over the others. In one hand he held a huge rectangular metal shield, and he had a machine gun in the other. His heavy armor and weaponry were undoubtedly the reason the group wasn’t moving faster. The other two players were holding position on either side of him and guarding his flanks. Both of them had rifles in their hands. All together, they made a formidable assault formation. Attacking from the front would be a terrible idea, especially with that huge shield giving them cover.
“Is that guy wearing a cowboy hat and a poncho over his armor?” Kyle asked as he nodded at the closest enemy, who had brownish-yellow armor.
“Yeah, it’s not very practical,” Ethan said. The hat could slip and block his vision.
“It’s sweet looking though!” Kyle replied enthusiastically. “I have a hat just like it, but I didn’t bring any decorative gear into the tower.”
Ethan rolled his eyes as he leaned back out of sight. “Probably a good call.”
Kyle studied the targets for a moment longer and then took a step back so that he couldn’t be seen by the enemy. Ethan and Kyle then took a moment to discuss what they had seen.
“We’ve got eyes on the targets and are ready to engage,” Ethan told Michael when he was done talking to Kyle.
“Good. We’re all ready here,” Michael said in acknowledgement as they began to coordinate the assault. When they were done, Ethan and Kyle got ready to charge.
“Payload is on the way. Have fun, boys,” Jude told them as they waited for the signal to attack.
It came a moment later when a grenade fell from the sky and slammed into the ground on the far side of the enemy. Instantly, there was a loud boom and dirt was thrown into the air. Reacting quickly, all three enemies turned to face the explosion, but the cloud of smoke and debris prevented them from seeing much. That was when a second grenade hit the ground directly between Ethan and the enemy. The resulting blast of dust blocked most of his vision of them.
“Creating diversion now. Assault team engage!” Michael ordered them sternly.
At the same time, flashes of red energy flew through the smoke. Michael had used the cover of the explosions to bring a drone in close and shoot at the enemy from behind the smoke. The drone’s weapon wasn’t powerful or accurate enough to do much damage, but it certainly drew the enemies’ attention. There were more flashes of light and a chorus of bangs as the enemy fired into the smoke.
Before Michael was done talking, Ethan and Kyle were already charging out from behind cover and straight toward the enemy. As they moved, there was a boom when another grenade fell behind the enemy, throwing up more dust and smoke. Kyle took the lead, and Ethan let himself fall behind a little.
At first, no one saw them coming, but it didn’t last. As they burst out of the smoke thrown up by the second grenade, one of the riflemen spun in their direction and aimed his weapon at Kyle. Instantly, Kyle reacted to the threat. He drew his sword as a burst from his jumpjet launched him out of harm’s way. At the same time, Ethan jumped sideways and drew his pistol.
As the other enemies began to turn around, Kyle dashed forward and slashed at the rifle of the man in front of him. The enemy was forced to drop his weapon, and as he stumbled back, Kyle took advantage. He brought his blade around and slashed his opponent’s thigh. As the energy sword bit deep, Ethan fired his pistol at the other two enemies. Several of his shots bounced off their armor, which didn’t do much damage, but it slowed their responses. That was important because the heavy machine gun that the center enemy was holding looked very dangerous, and it was swinging toward Ethan.
“Time to retreat!” Ethan yelled at Kyle as he kept firing.
The shots from his weapon suppressed the third enemy and forced him to duck behind the man in heavy armor. Unfortunately, that player’s heavy shield had swung around and was now completely blocking Ethan’s attacks. As the heavy machine gun swung his way, Ethan jumped sideways and took cover behind a rock, although he didn’t stop shooting.
“All right, I’m ready for a withdrawal maneuver,” Kyle announced as he turned away from his injured opponent.
“Roger, cover barrage on the way,” Jude announced over team speak.
Instead of aiming at Ethan, the man in heavy armor had turned toward Kyle, who was closer. His machine gun began to whir and spin, and a moment later, it opened fire. A stream of bullets shot toward Kyle, who activated his jumpjet at the last second. He was thrown forward and up into the air, out of the way of the fire. However, it only bought him a second or two. The machine gunner reoriented and began shooting again. At the same time, there was a distant crack as a concealed sniper fired.
Ethan hadn’t been idle though. As soon as Kyle had jumped, he’d shot the kid with his hookshot, and the adhesive tip had stuck fast to his armor. Thus, a quick activation of his reel pulled Kyle out of the line of fire and down to the ground. Both the machine gun and the sniper’s shot hit nothing but empty air.
“Ugh, it’s times like these that I wish my jetpack didn’t consume so much power, so I could have an energy shield too,” Kyle whined as he stumbled and then threw himself behind the same rocks Ethan was using as cover.
There was another crack of a sniper shot, but this time it was from the other direction and then Lily reported in. “The enemy sniper is suppressed. He was hiding on a plateau near
his allies. I landed a shot, but I think I just got his shoulder. He’s probably still alive, so I’m going to change position.”
Ethan helped Kyle get to his feet and then glanced at the enemy. That was when Jude’s barrage landed. There was a quick series of booms as the grenades detonated all around the enemies. Raising a hand to shield his face, Ethan saw the enemy in the cowboy hat get knocked off his feet. The other two hostile players were thrown off balance and blinded by the sudden explosions that filled the air with black smoke and dust.
“Time to go!” Ethan yelled at Kyle, and they both ran.
Behind them, several more grenades landed, covering their retreat into the side passage. However, right before they made it to safety, one of the riflemen opened fire. A bullet flew past Ethan’s head and then another hit his ribs. He stumbled forward but quickly caught himself and resumed running. The shot hadn’t penetrated his armor, so he and Kyle were able to dash around the corner and away from the enemies.
“We’ve disengaged safely,” Ethan told Michael.
The reply came quickly. “Good. I’ve located the enemy flag, and I’m sending you a new route to its location that should keep you away from their sniper. Move to secure the flag as quickly as possible. Jude and I will continue to harass and pin down the friends you are leaving behind.”
“Roger!” Ethan said as he kept running. He loved saying that for some reason. It was one of the best parts of being on a team.
“Good job with that leg slash, Kyle. It has really slowed the enemy down,” Michael told him.
“Yeah, it was pretty sweet. He won’t be walking anytime soon,” Kyle bragged shamelessly. “I couldn’t have pulled it off without all you guys and gals though.”
“Damn right,” Jude muttered over team speak. “Don’t be selfish with your words.”
The route Michael had given them led them around several plateaus and back behind the location of the three enemies. It took them a few minutes, but after stepping around a rock wall, the enemy flag came into sight. Like their own, it was a glowing ball floating above a pole, but this one was blue. It was also sitting in what looked like a circular basin full of puddles and rocks.
Worldshift- Virtual Revolution Page 14