finishes undoing the harness and hooks a hand under either shoulder, then hesitates. “Any injuries?”
There’s a stab of pain in my leg like the question reminded it to hurt. “A burn.”
He jumps off the ship, inspects, and then comes back up. “That’s a good one. Nothing for it but to rip you out. I’ll make it quick.” He gives me what looks like a sweet. I place it in my mouth and feel a pleasant numbness flow through my body. “One. Two.”
There’s no three. Just the agony of tearing my thigh from where it has melted and fused with the interior of the splintered ship.
With the tech’s help I manage to get to the ground and then use the side of the ship to support my weight. My unburned leg shakes and the burned one…The material of my jeans is mixed with bubbling flesh, blistering before my eyes. I swallow hard to keep the liquid I drank earlier in my gut and look away fast.
“You missed three,” I growl.
“Better to get it over, bro.”
He’s probably right but that doesn’t make me any less pissed. Or steadier on my feet.
“Nice win, need a bucket?” It’s Megs and she’s grinning.
I fight to keep my upset stomach under control. She wasn’t kidding about the motion sickness. “I’ll be fine. Great game.”
She shrugs. “Haven’t lost one in a while. I’ll be wanting a re-match.” There’s challenge in her words.
“Must have been beginners luck. How come you can walk so easy?”
“Experience.” Her gaze sweeps over my leg. “Better get you cleaned up before you meet your new fans.”
I take up Megs’ offer of a shoulder to lean on after I put on my shoes and jacket and we hobble over to the medic station. Maybe I drag my feet a little more than necessary to have the excuse to hold Megs close for a few extra seconds.
“This is Blank.” Megs introduces me and the illusion of being at home here vanishes. I need to remember I’m here for answers.
It doesn’t take long for the medics to clean up my burn. They apply a balm and I walk pretty well on it straight away. Someone tosses me a tube of the stuff. “Three times a day.”
“Thanks.”
Megs is right about the fans. People who glared at me before the game gather around to talk to me about it afterwards. Everyone wants to go back over the best moves of the contest. I’m not sure how to explain what I did. Most of the time I wasn’t thinking much at all. But that sounds pretty lame.
“Are you sure you haven’t played this before?” The teasing question comes from Megs, who’s stayed by my side and taken the teasing about losing top spot with good grace.
“I—”
A loud bang shakes the building.
“It’s a raid!”
I don’t see who yells, but panic grips those around me.
The lights flicker off and a wave of night sweeps the room. People cry out in fear. There’s the sound of ripping, tearing metal, and a man screams in pain.
What the hell?
A familiar, small hand grabs mine. Megs. Her body presses against my side and her breath teases my ear. “We have to get out of here. Now.”
The green robes who run the warehouse are obviously prepared, because dozens of doors swing open to the street and patrons disperse before the first officer enters. The officers conducting the raid wear helmets and are dressed just like the woman I saw at the markets.
The officer uses a weapon like the one I pulled from my jacket to line up a young green-robed boy from behind.
“Watch out kid,” I yell, but my warning’s caught in the rush and he doesn’t hear.
The officer raises her weapon and fires. The boy in the green robe crumples mid-stride and the officer turns her attention to her next victim.
“My brother,” Megs mouths, looking up at me. “He’s not supposed to be here. I didn’t know.”
I don’t stop to think.
The extra focus from the drink courses in my bloodstream and everything around me moves like it’s in slow motion. I easily dislodge Megs’ grip on my hand. Once free, I push against
There’s a stab of pain in my leg like the question reminded it to hurt. “A burn.”
He jumps off the ship, inspects, and then comes back up. “That’s a good one. Nothing for it but to rip you out. I’ll make it quick.” He gives me what looks like a sweet. I place it in my mouth and feel a pleasant numbness flow through my body. “One. Two.”
There’s no three. Just the agony of tearing my thigh from where it has melted and fused with the interior of the splintered ship.
With the tech’s help I manage to get to the ground and then use the side of the ship to support my weight. My unburned leg shakes and the burned one…The material of my jeans is mixed with bubbling flesh, blistering before my eyes. I swallow hard to keep the liquid I drank earlier in my gut and look away fast.
“You missed three,” I growl.
“Better to get it over, bro.”
He’s probably right but that doesn’t make me any less pissed. Or steadier on my feet.
“Nice win, need a bucket?” It’s Megs and she’s grinning.
I fight to keep my upset stomach under control. She wasn’t kidding about the motion sickness. “I’ll be fine. Great game.”
She shrugs. “Haven’t lost one in a while. I’ll be wanting a re-match.” There’s challenge in her words.
“Must have been beginners luck. How come you can walk so easy?”
“Experience.” Her gaze sweeps over my leg. “Better get you cleaned up before you meet your new fans.”
I take up Megs’ offer of a shoulder to lean on after I put on my shoes and jacket and we hobble over to the medic station. Maybe I drag my feet a little more than necessary to have the excuse to hold Megs close for a few extra seconds.
“This is Blank.” Megs introduces me and the illusion of being at home here vanishes. I need to remember I’m here for answers.
It doesn’t take long for the medics to clean up my burn. They apply a balm and I walk pretty well on it straight away. Someone tosses me a tube of the stuff. “Three times a day.”
“Thanks.”
Megs is right about the fans. People who glared at me before the game gather around to talk to me about it afterwards. Everyone wants to go back over the best moves of the contest. I’m not sure how to explain what I did. Most of the time I wasn’t thinking much at all. But that sounds pretty lame.
“Are you sure you haven’t played this before?” The teasing question comes from Megs, who’s stayed by my side and taken the teasing about losing top spot with good grace.
“I—”
A loud bang shakes the building.
“It’s a raid!”
I don’t see who yells, but panic grips those around me.
The lights flicker off and a wave of night sweeps the room. People cry out in fear. There’s the sound of ripping, tearing metal, and a man screams in pain.
What the hell?
A familiar, small hand grabs mine. Megs. Her body presses against my side and her breath teases my ear. “We have to get out of here. Now.”
The green robes who run the warehouse are obviously prepared, because dozens of doors swing open to the street and patrons disperse before the first officer enters. The officers conducting the raid wear helmets and are dressed just like the woman I saw at the markets.
The officer uses a weapon like the one I pulled from my jacket to line up a young green-robed boy from behind.
“Watch out kid,” I yell, but my warning’s caught in the rush and he doesn’t hear.
The officer raises her weapon and fires. The boy in the green robe crumples mid-stride and the officer turns her attention to her next victim.
“My brother,” Megs mouths, looking up at me. “He’s not supposed to be here. I didn’t know.”
I don’t stop to think.
The extra focus from the drink courses in my bloodstream and everything around me moves like it’s in slow motion. I easily dislodge Megs’ grip on my hand. Once free, I push against
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