Ground Control

There was a barely audible 'click' as the timer ran out. And a
relatively more audible BOOM as the bomb went off.

'Holy Shit!'

'What? What's wrong?'

'Nothing, I just didn't expect that to work so well.'

'Excellent, so my operator is unsure of himself as well as incompetent?'

'Another remark like that and you can navigate this by yourself.'

'I'm funny that way; c'mon the buggers are catching up, what now?'

'Er... see that edge? Run for it.'

'That cliff?'

'No Shit?'

'Moving.'

'Alright, you got a monk on your tail, dig south.'

'You sure? The bugger might dodge it.'

'The monks track by sound. Do it.'

Adeptly, using one leg as brakes and another as momentum to spin him a
perfect 180 degrees, he folds out his gun and fires. The ground in front of
his barrel disintegrated, in every facet of the word. The granite crumbled
away into dust, the stone evaporated... it just temporarily ceased to exist.

'Bugger fell for it, forgive the pun. I'm at the cliff.'

'Righto, jump.'

'What?'

'I'm sorry, is my connection breaking up? You're a Runner. Do it.'

'Bloody hell.'

He ducked and pushed of. And landed head first, into the safety wall.

'Owshit ow ow ow...'

'Idiot, I said go for the edge, not the cliff. You know damn well where the
safety walls are.'

'Oh screw you. I said I was at the cliff.'

'Oh did you? It must not've gotten through.'

'I can hear you sniggering you sneaky bastard. I'm there. I jump, right?'

'Do you see a ladder around?'

'Actually, yes.'

'Don't be a smartass, the monks are camped there. You need to jump.'

'Screw you.'

'You too, so you gonna jump?'

'Wheeeee...'

And so he falls. Somehow, he hits the ground flawlessly with his feet,
slightly bending his legs. Krik.

'Ooh, that felt good.'

'I never knew a good twenty story fall was a good thing.'

'No, I cracked a joint in my foot when I landed. It's been bothering me for
a long time.'

'Good for you... Now, do you see the exit?'

'Yes.'

'Need I say more?'

'It's closed.'

'What?'

'I'm sorry, am I breaking up? You're an Operator, think.'

'Don't pull that mock tone with me, you must've missed one.'

'No, YOU must've missed one. You're the operator, you se- or at least, your
'supposed' to see everything.'

'Shut up.'

'Er... Monks are coming... where to now...'

'I need to think, dance around them for abit.'

'You mean run like hell.'

'Yeah, let me think.'

'You old fart.'

'LET ME THINK.'

'They're catching up...'

'Ah. See that hand over hand bar?'

'Yeah...'

'Go.'

'But I just came from there!'

'It's a big island, dodge the bastards.'

'Should I dig?'

'No time, we just need that one piece then you can hit the exit.'

'Imma do it anyway.'

'Your skin, not mine.'

He runs fast, almost tripping over his own feet, he's tired, clumsy. He
begins to feel the weight of his pack. Turning around and laying empty
traps for them piles up too much strain. He can do this, just abit more...

'I'm on the bars, I see the gold.'

'Yeah, the one piece we missed. Any monks on your tail?'

'Not yet.'

His arms scream in protest, his muscles tighten as he keeps swinging
forward to get closer to his goal. His legs kick under him to create
momentum.

'Come on, put one hand in front of the other. Come on!'

'Easy for you to say, now shut up and let me do this. Climbing on an
unsuspended metal bar on top of nothing can really affect one's state of
mind.'

'Now's not the most appropriate of times to get philosophical on my ass.
How's it going?'

'Got it!'

'Capital, stuff it in your pack, get back on the bars and make it to the
exits.'

That didn't occur to him, his arms feel like rice paper now, getting on the
bars again would kill him. He'd fall. Into the Void. People say it's not
the fall that's scary, it's the sudden stop. Bullshit, it's the fall he
feared most. The thought of plummeting into nothing for a lifetime... Too
much.

'I... I can't.'

'Monks are wisening up on your position, if you don't, the bastards'll get
on that bar. Then you have NO way out.'

'Isn't there an alternative? Another way?'

'Jake, you're standing on a one-cube island which is suspended by who-the-
fuck knows, and somehow, in front of you, there is a hand-over-hand bar
suspended also by air, nothings impossible.'

'You old fart.'

'Smartass. Now move.'

Adrenaline as his only motivation, he grabs the bars. One hand in front of
the other... The pain in his arms seems to be gone now. Maybe he got used to
it. That can't be healthy.

'Excellent, you made it. Now you see the monks crowding around the exit?'

'Yeah.'

'Blow them away.'

'They're purple monks, I can dodge them.'

'Their patrol is too systematic; they'll smell you before you get close to
the exit.'

'I only have one bomb left, you know.'

'Then you'd better do this right, hadn't you, Jake?'

He gets close, abit too close, just in case. Let them sense his presence
first. This was his favorite part of the profession. He drops the bomb
soundlessly. Three ticks...
Tick.
He heads for cover...
Tick.
They fall for it, ignoring the bomb at their feet, they chase him
mindlessly.
Tick.
Click

'Boom baby.'

'Hehehehehe, watch em vaporize.'

'I am. It's beautiful.'

'Isn't it?'

'Coast is as clear as it gets. Make a break for it. Exit's open.'

He feels the stitch in his chest tighten. But now it doesn't matter, he
just needs a little more...
There's a slight 'whup' as he's sucked into the portal.

Phew, boy, that was intense. The Operator leans back in his chair. He lets
a sigh escape him, and smiles to see that he made the best time. He gets
back up, grunting slightly. Takes the mouse and clicks "Next Level"