A/N: Sorry this took so long to come out! Changed the title of the story too (Shadow Games), fit more with the story I think.
Chapter Six
"Sir?"
"This is bad news. Get Commander Carter online he needs to hear this."
"Of the IF?"
"Who else?"
"I don't understand."
"It's not your business to, now get Carter!"
-
Hunter let his gaze roam while the professor droned on and on about the dangers of zero gravity. He really didn't want to be here – they were about to enter the battle dome – the one area of the station that he didn't want to be near. He had a gut feeling that he was about to make a fool of himself, or make himself noticed in other ways.
Sean punched Hunter in the arm and nodded towards where a stiff suit hung, waiting for someone to encompass. Looked like it was going to be Hunter it would hold. Hunter reached for the suit and couldn't help be surprised at how light it was. For such a cumbersome outfit, it was, in truth, supple and light. Not like the old ones, he thought. Where had that thought come from? He'd never seen a Dome suit before. Frowning he couldn't help shake the feeling that he'd been in this situation before, but that was absurd, there was no other facility like this in all the Human Empire in space.
Another hit from his left this time dragged him from his thoughts, "You're not scaring out now? This is our first session in the Dome, I don't understand how you can be so...so" Daryl tapped her chin, searching for a word, "I don't know. You look so solemn, not scared, but almost bored, as if you've done this before."
Hunter lifted his brow and said with a touch of sarcasm, "Perhaps I have."
Daryl giggled, "Ha! We'll see once we're out there!"
"Is everyone suited up?" the professor yelled out over the heads of Hunter's group. "I know you're all excited, but I have another four groups to teach after you, so don't waste my time or yours." That got everyone's attention and before most of them knew it, were being ushered out into a section of the Dome for practice.
Essentially, the Dome was half a sphere that could be divided into sections when needed for practices and such. There were four of them on the IBS, two for the Room wars and two for the Scape modes. It was the Scape mode that they would be practicing this day. Room mode was when they would deal with complete zero G.
"Visors down!"
Hunter pulled down the plastic screen over his eyes. It was tinted a slight yellow, he supposed was for eye protection from stray ray beams. Eyes taking in the magnitude of the structure they were in, it all really started to sink in of just how large the IBS was. The Dome was currently divided into sixteen pie shapes for sixteen separate groups, each section was roughly the same area of a football field. Hunter couldn't imagine having even half of the Dome reserved for Scape mode battles.
"Well damn." Daryl lifted her brows and shook her head in amazement. Through the microphone system built into the helmet her voice sounded tinny and false, he was surprised that the IBS couldn't have even put out good quality speakers for this. The expression was still behind the words and it was still easy enough to identify the speaker. "I can't believe how big this thing is. And there are four of them!"
Hunter grinned and experimented with his movements, the suit did very little to restrict his actions. Slung around his hips was a utility belt that contained a polyester cord entwined around a fine wire, micro filaments for setting up communications bases, and a hand held laser pistol – not real of course.
"Guns out." The Professor led the excited gaggle of kids around the area, lecturing them all the while on the rudiments of how the Scape battle was played. The gravity levels would vary from time to time to make them have to adjust to foreign 'planets' and the landscape would be different every time. No Scape was ever the same...unless it was programmed to do so. Essentially, Scape mode was training them for when they were to go against the Corv's on distant planets. Where they would be required to set up communications systems and bases, and for the first few months, they wouldn't even be pitted against an enemy – those came later when they were more adjusted to the gist of the game. And it was exactly that, a game.
"You know, I don't understand why they need to train us when the Corv's aren't even supposed to be here for another century or so. That gives us a whole hundred years at least. If we have the technology to build something like this, why can't we make drones to send?" It was Tyler. A methodical thinker and for the most part shy, but whenever he had something to say, it was, in effect, dampened everyone else's mood.
He continued, "I mean, we will be put into cryo, but why not send robots or something?"
Why were humans needed?
"Robots? I can't believe you said that! Those are old-tech man! It's all about the AI nowadays." People laughed at Daryl's outburst, which caused the professor to rebuke them by rapping them smartly on their helmets.
"Pay attention. The practice targets are ahead. I'll let you shoot on them, then we have to get you building your base," the professor said. His visor was all black so no one could see his face. Hunter suspected it was more than that, it was a screen to communicate with teachers throughout the IBS.
Tramping through the fictional landscape proved to be more fun than any of them expected. To show the range of the Dome's functions, every few yards would change to another gravity setting. Some were so strong that their feet sunk inches into the black metal beads that made up the land, others were so weak that they took one step and bounced a few feet into the air. Each time a change occurred, the professor would show them how to adapt their suits.
"Professor Etwin? What happens if we shoot and hit one of our team mates?"
The blackened visor turned to Daryl and replied, "You're frozen, or dead if it is real life." He was about to say more, but his posture froze and the audio link that he had with the students was momentarily silent.
-
"Etwin, are you at the targets yet?"
"No, sir."
"When you do get there, get Hunter to go first. I'll run the program – all you have to tell him is that he has to hit the targets and that they'll be appearing and firing at him from all directions."
"Very well sir."
-
Professor Etwin breathed; Hunter had been waiting for that. He knew that someone in a high position had just talked to Etwin, the communications link had quietly been diverted.
"Hunter, if you will please step forward. I'll use you as an example for the rest of the class. Don't be afraid to make mistakes," Hunter could hear the kind smile behind those words. "Just do the best you can."
Best? He would do his utmost standard, his best was too good.
Removing his pistol from the holster, Hunter tested the weight of it in his hands; solid. Raising it, he half pressed the trigger, activating a red target beam. Looking back to the professor, he nodded once to show that he was ready.
Holographic images appeared from behind the moulded landscape, none of them were human in their proportions. Hunter could only assume that these were what the Corvedic's looked like. He had fired at five and watched them dissolve with bland disinterest before he was consciously aware of what he was actually doing. Five for five shots. Six. Seven. Fifteen. The numbers grew.
It was as if he'd been born with a gun in his hand so familiar he was with it. The images began to dart around, moving targets, firing at him, causing him to roll and duck for cover. Not once was he hit, nor did he ever fire more than the given holograms that appeared. Every shot he made was true.
Sweat dripped down his neck and still he went on, his breathing was laboured; and still, he fought on.
-
"Are you seeing this Marcus?"
"It's being recorded."
-
It became a dance for Hunter, a step here, his shooting arm swirling about there and everywhere. The turning point for when he was aware of anything to absolutely everything was so subtle that it took him by surprise when he began to see himself from another's vision and another. He was able to see the scene around him by his groups eyes, he didn't even need to look behind him now to see those holograms flicker to life.
"Hunter, you can stop now."
Hunter did and let his arms fall to his sides, but he didn't lose the tenseness in his posture. The last of the holographic images faded away and the Scape was once more back to normal. Holstering his gun, he took a deep breath and forced his muscles to relax – the danger was gone. Spinning around he flipped his visor and grinned boyishly, feigning the amazed and overjoyed look in his face. "Boy! That was fun!" In truth, he'd just done what he'd been told to do, there was nothing more to it than that.
His group laughed, Professor Etwin was frozen again, obviously in another conversation with someone.
Daryl came over and slapped him on the back, "How'd you do that? It was incredible! It was like watching a pro at his work or something." She grinned and punched him, "Mind you, if you can do it, then obviously any of us can do it, eh?"
His comradeship with his group was all a lie, an endless act of bullshit. But he had to fit in. Fit in? Another voice screamed in his head, If the staff of the IBS doesn't know about your abilities they will in a few minutes! What were you thinking doing all of that? What had he been thinking? He'd just let himself go, no constraints, just taking the pleasure of his success. Would he still fit in? Or would he be set aside?
The answering reply was quick and simple. No. He'd never fit in like he did before.
Forcing the smile to remain fixed on his face was probably one of the hardest things that Hunter had ever done. Laughing and joking with the others as they watched one after another make a fool of themselves in attempt to copy Hunter, he didn't care if he sounded hollow, but his mind was elsewhere. Professor Etwin had left the group and a young man had come to watch over them. Not that any of these kids needed watching.
"Time's up you guys. Go and clean up." The man straightened up from where he'd been sitting. Looking around him conspiratorially, he winked at the group and said quietly, "You guys should think of a name for your group. This'll be your army in the Battle Net, for both Scape and Room." He grinned when the group collectively held their breath in excitement. "Ok, breathe. Now off you go."
Amid the excited chatter that was elicited, Hunter gloomily trudged back, a sense of dread sliding like oil down his back.
-
The mess hall was louder now than it had been when they had first arrived at the IBS. Animated actions aided in venting some of the energy that burned in each of them and yet they were still able to keep the keyed up talk. Hunter felt like the eye of a tornado – he was calm and steady unlike the vortex of action around him.
Groups sat to assigned tables where they weren't allowed much contact with other groups, supposedly to keep the kids from getting attached to too many people that may be killed in action in the future.
"Hey Hunter, how's this for a name for our army? The Dragons!"
"Dragons? That's pretty...unique."
Scott laughed, "Damn straight."
"Ender's army was named Dragon Army," somebody shouted.
"Well now everyone is going to name their army that, Stupid. You just had to shout it out loud," Scott complained, "It was a good name too, would have been lucky."
Hunter thought otherwise. He knew his history. Dragon army had suffered such bad losses that the name had been pulled from the listings. That is, until Ender came into the picture and it wasn't a lucky name even then. It was the commander of the army that made it what it was.
"Well if Dragons are in the running, we might as well be the Unicorns or mermaids!" another jested.
"That's a good one Brandon."
There was a lull in the ideas and Hunter quietly interjected his idea, "We need a strong name. It doesn't have to be an animal or thing. It could be a goal. Something like Freedom Fighters or Peace Platoon."
"Peace Platoon? So we'll be known as the PP's? Hunter, great idea, but we still need something better than that. Something stronger. We want a name that invokes fear. A name that tells others exactly what we are and what they are. We're the hunters and they're the prey." Hunter's words from what felt like an age ago. Were they mocking him? No, their faces were serious. He didn't know what to say.
"Predators. You're saying we're predators."
"Exactly."
-
"Marcus! You're the last person I'd have expected a call from. How's the IBS running?"
"Just as planned, but that's not the issue here, Carter. We've got some big problems here. I've just got the news from one of my men. We've got Bracken's kid here."
"Corben? Nah, he's here. Earthside."
"Not Corben. The other."
"You're shitting me! Hunter disappeared years ago."
"I'm telling you, I got him here."
"Have you told Carl?"
"No."
"Good."
"And your man?"
"He'll be dealt with."
"This can't leak. I'm afraid this is beyond even my control. The Government will have to clean this mess up since it's their's to begin with." There was a pause, then Carter continued, "We all thought he was dead, Marcus, that kid is supposed to be dead."
"Does anyone know what really happened?"
"Don't know. Carl's wife, Michelle, had the kid – apparently, according to the records, she was taken to a base with Hunter and Corben, she turned her back for one minute and then he was gone, taken presumably. Later, a woman with a baby was found shot down a little from the building. The kid's body was beyond recognition, pulverised, Michelle forbade anyone to due any blood tests – to just let her baby be buried in the ground. We all just assumed that she was grief-stricken. I now know that it was otherwise."
"How old was Corben at the time?"
"Maybe five? I think there was about three and a half years between the two."
"So it's possible that Corben knew what happened. Perhaps he even saw the whole thing."
"Possibly, but in any case, it doesn't matter any more. Hunter is alive and breathing and exactly where we wanted him from the day he was conceived."
"He's no Ender."
"No, he's the ender to all ends."