A dejected Blue Team walked out of simulator C-03 as Rocket & Co. gave each other high-fives and were celebrating victory. Ibn, Carl, Mira, and Alex were congratulating the opposing team, which they received. The look of disappointment etched into their faces could not be hidden by the forged smiles and handshakes.
Kara turned away from the rest of the group and began to walk down the corridor. Janet looked on, watched her. She set her jaw as she realized what she had to do.
'Kara?' Janet asked as she stepped into the gym. The sounds of somebody hitting the punching bag rang clear through the large room as the female ranger walked in.
It was about an hour after the game. She'd changed into her jumpsuit and showered, then went to look for her friend.
Kara was there all right, her auburn hair tied in its regular ponytail. She had strips of cloth wrapped around her fingers, but that was all. No gloves.
She was hitting the bag slowly, with a distinct rhythm and timing between strokes. Left, right, left, right. There was an expression in her eyes Janet had seen many times before on many different people.
'Kara.' Janet said in that imposing tone of hers that made almost anyone stop what they were doing. Kara hit the punching bag one more time, then stopped to look at the older woman.
'Yes?' She asked. She didn't even seem to be breathing heavy.
'I wanted to talk.'
'I don't need your sympathy.' She said firmly, returning to her previous activity.
'You need someone's sympathy.' Janet pointed out. 'Since I'm here...' She shrugged, looking at the Latino woman with an innocent expression.
'Look. We lost. No big deal.' Kara said, picking up her pace, moving faster.
'It's a big deal to you.' Janet said.
'No.' Kara said, in between a pair of side kicks. 'It's not.'
'It's Lightyear, isn't it?'
Kara stopped, looking at Janet for a moment.
'Yeah, so what?' Kara said, returning to her exercise.
'You're sick of him, aren't you?'
'If it'll make you happy, si, it is Lightyear.' Kara said, facing the blond woman. 'But it's not about him.'
'What is it then?'
'It's always Lightyear this, and Lightyear that.' Kara said, shaking her head. 'When time comes and I finally get to command the team, we lose, and we lose bad.' She looked as if she was going to cry. 'I mean, everyone's holding me up to you and Buzz, and now they can see I don't, can't, cut it.' Kara turned back to the bag and began to hit it with every word that came out of her mouth. 'All. Because. Of. A. Stupid. Fucking. Trap!' She said as she hit it one last time, collapsing her body against it. She grit her teeth. 'It's not fair!' She cried out. 'I should've seen that coming, planned for it, and you.' She turned back to Janet and raised a fist. 'You should've stayed on Grizzly team. I should've made you stay.' Kara seemed on the verge of breaking down.
'Kara.' Janet said, stepping up close and gripping the younger woman's shoulders. 'It's just a game. Remember?'
Kara breathed in deeply, then placed her hands on Janet's elbows, hanging her head.
'It's just a game.' Janet said, pulling Kara close to her, comforting her. 'A game.' She said into her ear, fiercely.
Kara inhaled deeply, and slowly pushed herself away from Janet, looking into her eyes.
'I love you, you know that?' Kara said, smiling, as she flicked something away from her eyes.
'Well, it's just too bad that I'm married.' Janet said, reciprocating the smile and letting go of Kara. 'I just needed for you to come back down to Earth, that's all.'
'Thanks, Janet.' She said, bringing Janet close to her once again, the remnants of a tear coming down her cheek. 'Thank you.'
'Chloe?'
'Yes, dearest?' Her voice was drowned out by the sound of the shower.
'Where'd you keep the lasagna?'
'Third drawer, left cupboard.'
'Oh. You rearranged again.' Alex said, opening the drawer with one hand. The drawer, expanded out, decompressing the contents as he reached in with another hand. 'Honey?' He said, with confusion.
'Yes?'
'This can't be the food drawer.' Alex said, holding up a towel.
'I know.' She said, turning off the water and stepping out of the stall. 'I just needed the towel.' She reached out for it. Annoyed, Alex tossed it at her, and she grabbed it, laughing. 'Fourth drawer, honey.'
'I hate you, you know that?' He reached into the drawer, searching for a particular packet. Taking the desired one from the pasta section, he popped open the top and poured the contents into a bowl of water.
'I love you too, Al.' Chloe said, drying her head. Alex put the bowl into the maser oven and closed the drawer with one of his other hands. He pressed a few buttons on the panel, getting the settings right. 'Aw, fixing dinner?' She teased, tossing the towel into the laundry basket in the corner. 'It's not like you to cook.'
'I really, hate you.' Alex said, watching as Chloe selected a set of clothes from the cupboard.
'Just so long as you don't break up with me, I'll deal with it.' She said, throwing him a wink. Then she gathered her clothes over her arm and closed the doors. 'You know, I think we should go down to the practice range after dinner and-' She stopped as she felt his presence behind her. She could hear him breathing.
Chloe smiled as she realized what was coming next.
'And I was thinking maybe-' She turned around and faced Alex's frame, standing before her. 'Maybe we could get get some practice? You need to improve your-' She stopped intentionally this time. 'Aim.' She kept her lips closed after she said the word, making a low sound in her throat, rolling it around. There was a long silence.
'I really, really, hate you.' Alex said.
'Scratch that plan.' Chloe thought, smiling almost from ear to ear.
Alex took one step and grasped her by two of her arms, holding her close. She grabbed at him, nibbling and licking the place where his jaw met his neck, knowing how sensitive he was in that region. He responded in turn by reaching down to run his fingers along the spines on her back, and Chloe shuddered and cooed appreciatively, her hands reaching out to touch him.
A minute passed.
Then another.
The maser oven went ding.
'Lasagna's done.' Chloe pointed out, looking up at the appliance.
'Who cares.' Alex said.
It was a beautiful day. Earth looked good, the swirling white clouds covering most of what he could see of Central Continent. What had they called it? Asia? He couldn't remember. History had never been his strong point.
He heard, rather than saw, the door to his office open.
'Lightyear. Good.' Commander Nebula said, turning as the ranger stepped into the room. 'Just the man I wanted to see. Sit down.' He said, taking a document from his desk. 'These are the new rules for the Tournament.' He handed the pad to Buzz.
'You mean they approved it, sir?' He asked, taking the pad. 'Capture The Flag.' It read. 'Official Rules & Regulations.'
'Yep. Get a team together. You have a two week eval period.'
'Say that again?' Mira rose from her chair in the lounge.
'Fifteen team members.' He said. 'I'm taking best pick of the twenty-four of us, since we're the only regular players.'
'Somebody's getting cut...' XR said in a singsong tone.
'You'll pick me, won't you, Buzz?' Booster asked, his voice sounding a tad desperate.
'Well, Commander Nebula said to be fair.' Buzz said. 'And I know you guys are good and all, but there is talent on Red Team that can't be ignored.' He said, trying to sound encouraging.
'So.' Mira folded her arms. 'Best of twenty-four, huh?'
'Evaluation period is two weeks.' Buzz said. 'Six games. I'll look at the scores and see from there.'
'Aw, come on, Buzz.' XR said, standing up. 'You know we rule!'
'That's not entirely true, XR.' Buzz said, memory returning to him. 'We have lost.'
'Once.' XR said, holding up a finger. 'Out of seven times.'
'But never has any team won by such a landslide, I cannot ignore that!' Buzz explained. 'Look. I'll be fair. Next six games will make up the score. Past experiences don't count. And that's final.'
'Not even the time we sniped half the team?' Booster asked.
'Not even then.' Buzz said. 'Nothing counts save the evaluation games. I want you guys in training as much as you can.' He straightened. 'Now, I've got to go inform Rocket.'
'Have you seen Alex?' Carl asked.
'No, actually.' Fong Han replied, looking at his watch. 'Why?'
Carl shrugged. 'Me and Josone wanted to go play Solaris. I was thinking of inviting Alex and Chloe.'
Fong Han stared at his friend. Carl noticed, and his eyebrows furrowed.
'What?" He asked.
'Solaris?' Fong Han asked, incredulity apparent in his tone. 'With Josone?'
'Got a problem?' Carl asked.
'Well, no, but-' The Chinese man scratched his forehead with two fingers.
'But?'
'Humans aren't actually suited to handle a metal ball the size of our torso.' He blurted out. Carl cocked his head to one side and considered this.
'Right.' Carl said sarcastically.
'But if you think you can-'
'I know I can.'
'You can go right on ahead. And I haven't seen Alex or Chloe. Maybe they're in their quarters.'
'Thanks.' Carl said, stepping out of the lounge. Taking the turbolift to quarter deck nine, he began walking down the corridor until he came to Chloe's and Alex's room.
Since Earth's latest baby boom, overpopulation was becoming an issue the Terran government was concerned about. A lot of people had taken to living on the moon, and on Mars. Buzz had moved to Star Command, which had graciously provided quarters that proved to be as comfortable as his own house. Chloe and Alex had always lived on Star Command, since Lozackians found Earth's gravity to be a bit too heavy for their liking.
Carl rang the doorbell to Chloe's and Alex's room. It was a double quarters; The wall in the middle had been knocked down to encompass the two of them. Josone's quarters had been modified in the same way, but only because he was so large. The LGMs had to alter everything just to fit him.
'Coming!' He heard Chloe's voice say, over the intercom placed under the doorbell. 'Just a minute...' The intercom turned off as he stood there, waiting. He waited a good minute before Chloe pressed the open button on the side of her end of the door, dressed in the purplish gray jumpsuit that was standard ranger attire.
'Yeah?' She said. 'Oh, Carl. It's you.' She managed a smile.
'I couldn't get you on your commlink, so I came down.' He said. 'Want to go play Solaris with me and Josone? Your boyfriend's invited too.'
'How nice.' She smiled. 'Alex is sleeping, actually.'
'Sleeping?' Carl looked at his watch. 'It's only nine thirty...'
'He had a heavy dinner.' She said in explanation. 'Plus, it's been a long day for all of us.'
'Not me.' Carl said. 'So can you make it?'
'Sorry Carl, but I can't.' She said, looking disappointed. 'I've got duty in about a half an hour.'
'Oh.' Carl said, blinking. 'Okay. Next time then.'
'Sure.' Chloe said, as Carl left. She closed the door and went back inside.
'Who was that?' Alex asked, stirring.
'Just Carl.' She explained, getting into her uniform. She might as well be early.
'You. Are going. To die.' Mira breathed as she brought her arm down onto Kara's back, sending her stumbling forward.
'Really?' Kara said between pants as she ducked Mira's next blow. 'I never thought of you as that type of girl.' Kara drove her blade into Mira's midriff as the Tangean recovered from the awkward position her body had left her in. Mira's shield crackled blue as Kara's blade disappeared, her second's worth of shield contact having run out. The Tangean jumped back, avoiding the slicing move Kara sent beneath her feet. Mira somersaulted backwards and landed on her feet, the blade emitter on her right arm humming with power.
'Come on, then.' Mira smiled as she formed the next word slowly. 'Terran.'
'Aarh!' Kara swung hard at the blue-skinned woman, missing by at least six inches. The downstroke left her in a vulnerable position, and Mira slashed her blade over the shields along Kara's side, causing untold amounts of damage.
Suddenly she felt her feet fall out from under her. She landed on the ground with a thump, and opened her eyes to see Kara bring a two foot long blade down to slice along her face. The shields crackled in loud protest, and had they not been in the way she would have been cleaved open from nose to breastbone.
Her shields faltered, then failed as both hers and Kara's blade deactivated, a sign that the match was over.
'Wow. I win.' Kara said, holding her hand out for Mira to take. The other woman grabbed her arm, and Kara helped her up.
'No fair.' Mira grumbled in mock anger, as she removed her blade emitter, the thing turning off.
'Good match.' Janet said, activating her blade as she stepped in. 'My turn.'
'Happy to oblige.' Kara reactivated her blade as Janet stepped into the square which marked the arena.
The four of them (Chloe was conspicuously absent.) usually indulged in these little games. Simulator fights, playing Solaris, Bladefighting, Deathmatch, and of course, their regular Capture The Flag.
Okay, maybe not Solaris so much. It was a Lozackian game. Josone usually played with Booster, Chloe, and Alex. It involved a metal ball and a spherical force field a hundred meters across. The object of the game was to make sure that the ball didn't touch your side of the force field using whatever means necessary. You had jetpacks, and there was no gravity.
The ball was five feet in diameter. Which almost immediately ruled out Terrans from the playing list.
Mira sat down on a bench which wasn't real and drank fake water. She watched the false fight going on in front of her between her two best friends and pondered on what a wonderful virtual reality it was.
Janet drove her blade into Kara's thigh as the other woman tried to push her opponent away, both losing valuable shield energy in the incredibly risky maneuver.
Mira took another sip of fake water and settled back.
'Eval game one on the ninth. 1200 hours. Schedules should be free.' Google said, the tall man smiling as he looked at the schedule on his computer.
'Do you think we'll make it?' Sandra said behind him. 'The team, I mean.'
'That's what the Eval games are for.' Martin said. 'And I know just how to ensure our victory. Come tomorrow, we'll kick Lightyear's ass!'
The locker room was filled with the buzz of voices as the team gathered together before the game. It was another five minutes before it began, and Buzz wanted to make a speech. They had voted him as leader of the team this time, so he wanted to remind them quickly about the major changes in the rules. A lot of them had just come off duty, so they hadn't yet had time to read the list of changes posted by Commander Nebula.
Therefore, they were here.
'Okay, team, listen up.' Buzz said as he stood on the bench in the locker room. 'The rules haven't changed much from the games we used to play. Maximum number of snipers on each side has been fixed at three, rocketeers at two, and gatlings at two, but that's all. They accepted most of our rules, except for the team size.'
'Can I still ghost?' Mira asked.
'The rules say each race can use their own abilities to the benefit of the team.' Buzz said. 'So yes, Alex, you can punch them to death.'
The Lozackian smiled. His white serrated teeth showed between the folds of yellow skin.
'These next few series of games are very important.' Buzz explained. 'They're not called Eval games for nothing. My best advice to you is to do your best, and take some names.' He said, stepping down.
'Let's kick some ass!' Chloe threw her fist in the air. An enthusiastic Blue Team all followed her gesture, with war cries a plenty, Josone letting out a low roar that shook everyone to the spine.
'Onward, brave warriors.' XR pointed toward the simulator room, leading the charge out the door.
The simulator sat, ready. A large black machine surrounded by chairs, each with sets of gloves, electrodes, and helmets.
Time to jack in.
'Okay, everyone, you know how this goes.' Buzz said as he sat down, beginning to strap on the gloves and placed the electrodes on specific parts of his head, his entire team following suit. 'See you in the aren-'
'-A.' He finished as the unreal world turned on. He looked around him and smiled as he recognized his surroundings.
"I love this place.' He said to himself, watching as his teammates appeared around him, taking in their environment. Their armor looked exactly like the stuff they wore on missions. Only difference was that the green parts had been replaced by blue.
'Oh, dang.' XR said. 'I hate this place.' It was difficult playing in an environment with gravity. You had to deal with it, for one thing.
'Okay, team.' Buzz said. 'Welcome to Andy's Room. Game starts in two minutes.'
Andy's Room was an arena, like Canyon and FreeSpace. This one was in the form of a little boy's room, with a bed, toys, and everything. The thing was that everything was gigantic in scale and dimension, making the rangers feel like they were just toy action figures in a kid's room. The lighting was decidedly blue, indicative of their team. The flag was located in the attic, which was led to by a large hole in the ceiling. The capture point was the keyhole in the door.
This was Blue's side. Red's side was out the window, on the other side of a large yard, complete with clothesline, toys left out in the yard, picket fence, everything.
And in the other house.
Sid's place.
A room, also belonging to a small boy, but with a darker, more macabre decor. It was a counterpart to Andy's room, happy and bright. The capture point and flag base were in the same place as in Blue's side.
The major catch was that the room's windows were completely opposite from one another. A sniper with a clear line of sight could see straight into the other room all the way to the capture point.
'Select weapons, and do it now!' Buzz said, firing his jetpack up to the toy box, opening it with a little effort. A gun rack lay on the inside wall of the box, complete with ammunition lining the sides. The team grabbed their chosen weapons and as much ammunition as they could carry. Even though they could come back at any time, it didn't hurt to carry a lot to save trips. Those near the toybox were tossing weapons and bandoliers to those further away to save time. Buzz himself grabbed a half dozen fuel cells for his gatling gun.
XR took a sniper rifle this time. Buzz had no objections; They needed all the defensive power they could muster.
'Okay, Johnson, XR, Megs, Reine, Duna, you're with me.' Buzz said, boosting to a suitable location to adequately put his weapon to use. Selecting a bookshelf, he made himself comfortable next to a giant-sized copy of Moby Dick. 'The rest of you are on Eagle Team. Game starts in thirty seconds, people. Let's move, move, move!' He said, Kara immediately taking charge of the assault team.
'Okay, here's the game plan.' She switched her transmitter to send to members of the assaulting team only. 'Ti, Ubatta, Jerome, you guys will cover my ass. Nova, Munchapper, you'll try to flank around them.'
'What's our strategy?' Ibn asked.
'Lightyear wants to play heavy defense, fine with me.' Kara said, kneeling on the floor, huddling with her team. 'We haven't got a sniper, so no long range fancy play from us, okay? We'll come out through the window as quickly as we can. I'll provide cover fire while everyone else tries to make it down to the yard. Hide behind any cover you can get, the tractor, the model train, anything.' She was cut off by the sound of the room window noisily opening by itself.
The game was on.
'Grizzly Team, let's move!' Lightyear said, using the code name for the defensive team while keeping his gun aimed at the window. A choke-point if there ever was one. The one entrance and exit meant you either had to have a really strong offensive play or pray to God that your opponents had no defensive strategy whatsoever. Most games ended with an uncontested flag run after the winning team squashed all semblance of offense their opponents could throw at them.
XR and Josone were constructing a small blockade out of building blocks on the floor, right on top of the Spiderman sticker stuck to the mahogany wood flooring. Janet had set up behind the bedpost, pointing her rifle at the window, contented to wait. Alex had settled for right above the window, facing the inside of the room. This was based on the principle that the last place anyone checks is right above them.
'Report, team.' Buzz said.
'This is Johnson. Ready and waiting.'
'Reine here. I'm in position.' Alex held onto his rifle with three arms, It helped with his stabliity.
'Duna here.' Josone said. 'We're trying to make this thing as fast as we can. It's going to take a while.
'I see recon!' Janet said, her line of sight almost clear to the other window. The corner of her vision caught a flash of red.
'Hold it!' Kara held out a hand to signal her teammates to stop moving. 'Johnson, I need a confirmation on your side.'
'Positive.' Janet replied, keeping her hands steady.
'How many are there?' Buzz asked.
'I saw one.' Janet said. 'Nothing on what direction he was going. I just got a glimpse, that's all.'
There was silence on Buzz's end. It was obvious he was thinking.
'Iota, I need your fire support.' Johnson said. 'If he gets in we need all guns firing on him.'
'Belay that.' Buzz said. 'Eagle Team, get to a secure position. XR, Duna, I want you two to hold your fire until I give the word. Reine, that goes for you, too.'
There was a chorus of 'yes sir's' as the team complied, the assault team hiding beneath the bed, Janet and Buzz readying their weapons, preparing for any sort of sneak attack. They waited over a minute and a half.
Nothing happened.
'Where's that recon?' Duna asked, impatiently.
'I think they were just trying to spook us.' Kara said, turning to her team. 'Nova, get a look at the yard. See if anyone's there.'
'Sir.' Mira said, jetting towards the wall, concentrating. She ghosted her head through the surface, coming out the other side.
The yard was a big place. You could actually go around to the front of the house, but there was really no point.
Mira quickly looked over the yard just to make sure that there was nobody there. The clothes swinging on the line made it difficult; There could be someone hiding anywhere.
Then she made a mistake.
Or rather, forced them to make a mistake.
He fired.
The shot missed by at least six feet, but it was all she needed. Setting her rifle to her shoulder, she returned fire as fast as she could, ghosting completely out of the house and jetting down towards the ground.
'Grizzly Team, we've got hostiles!' She said as she flew past laser fire. She jetted down low, flying over blades of grass as she continued to fire at him.
'Repeat, Nova. What was that?' Kara's voice came over the transceiver. It sounded rushed.
He was hiding behind an overturned toy snowplow. She picked him off with a good shot to the head, coming to a stop by the tire of the truck.
'Nova?'
'We've got hostiles.' She repeated. 'I nailed one of them. I don't thi-'
Silence.
'Nova?' Kara said. 'Nova?'
'I'm pinned down, sir!' Mira said, coming out from behind her cover and returning fire. She wasn't as concerned with aiming than with surveying their battle plan. 'They've got offensive snipers! Repeat, offensive snipers!'
'How many of them at your position?'
'At least six.' She said, struggling to reload her gun as lasers burnt the ground around her. 'They're throwing everything they've got at us, sir.'
Buzz, upon hearing this, snapped to command mode once more.
'Grizzly team! Move out there and cover Mira, offensive maneuver Alpha, Golf, Romeo! Johnson, Reine, Duna, provide cover fire. Take down their snipers. Let's see if we can't cripple them just yet.' He said, looking around. 'Let's move!'
'Yes sir!' Josone said, unfolding his wings and flying towards the window, both barrels primed. Alex flew down from the window, firing instantly as he took down his target with supreme precision.
Buzz flew to the window, Kara beside him. Together, they revved and fired, their shots burning through the linen sheets hanging on the line. Flying under and around them, Grizzly Team and the temporary assaulters from Eagle exited the room, Janet picking off an enemy soldier who'd decided to step out of his window.
Booster's and Josone's rockets did untold damage as Red Team's clustered position caused them all a quick death. Cover fire from Fong Han and Ibn did the coup dé grace as Grizzly team flew towards the opposing window.
'Nova!' Kara said. 'Get up here, now!'
'No use.' Alex said, pointing his rifle at Mira's body. 'They got her.'
'Come on, team!' Buzz said, flying towards Sid's house. 'Full charge!'
'Full cha-' XR said, blinking. 'Full charge?'
There was a brief moment as he realized.
'Oh yeah! Full charge!' He said as he hit full afterburners towards the window, Chloe flying off towards him.
'Yeehaw!' Alex said, hanging back a little so that Buzz and Kara could go in first, clear out the place with their guns. The entirety of Blue Team flew towards Red's side in a haphazard charge, in a do or die fashion. When Buzz ordered a full charge, there were no holds barred. There was no plan, and there was no turning back.
On the other hand. There was also no escape.
Eleven rangers bore down on the little window leading into their enemy's base. XR, who was flying pretty close to the lead, gripped his rifle closer to him.
'Oh yeah, baby!' Kara said, revving up her gun, ready to wipe out any opposition the enemy rangers could muster. 'Get ready to fly, 'cuz Blue Team is in the house!'
A gratuitous explosion blew outwards from the window, sending the entire first wave of the attack to kingdom come. Chloe was hit badly by shrapnel, her boosters failing as she fell to the ground below, screaming.
'ATTACK!' Someone screamed, pieces of XR flying past them.
Fong Han, who was blinded by the smoke of the explosion, could only see lasers all around him.
Red lasers.
He fired back anyway.