Flag Race Read online

  “OK,” Ace confirmed, “but I bet there’s more to it, right?”

  Asuka replied, still excited, “Sure there is! Well, just like he said, there are two teams. Each one has six members. They may be split however they want to, but normally you’ll have two on each line, one for attack and one for defense. As soon as one of the lines has its flag captured, it ceases to matter and that line’s players can help defend the others!”

  “So each team can work with whatever tactics they want! Sometimes it might be worth it, at the early game, to set all the players on attacking a single line, for instance, so you can guarantee you’ll start the match with one of the opposing team’s flags captured from the get-go.”

  “Right, I got all of that,” Ace said, half smiling, “but that’s nothing we couldn’t play out there either. All it takes is some loon thinking up an asterisk-shaped court! What’s there that you can do differently?”

  Asuka, Dante, and even Bobby reacted with a broad, face-spanning smile. It was the minotaur who answered him this time, mysteriously.

  “Everything.”

  Ace’s eyes opened wide, as he waited for him to go on, but, since Bobby remained silent, Dante started again. “In practice, it is quite different. You think these lines we’ve drawn like an asterisk are really flat and straight? Yeah, right. On a real Flag Race game we alter all we can on our side of the court to set our enemies back! Instead of a straight line, we can make loops, invert gravity, turn it into a jungle, summon wild beasts to guard the flag...

  “At the same time,” Dante went on, “we’re also attacking our enemies with all kinds of powers to steal their flags! And then, of course, anything goes. You may get to the enemy flag flying on a dragon, racing in a car, or whatever. But remember that, once you get on their side, several traps will be waiting for you.

  “And all that, of course, costs your stability. You may even alter whatever your opponents create, but that’s a lot harder and puts much more stress on your brain. If your opponent makes a tank to block your path, don’t try to undo the tank, making it disappear into thin air. It’s a lot easier to strike it with a missile or make a hole for it to fall through. Be creative, but don’t try to negate what your opponents create.”

  Dante paused, taking a while to go on.

  “And the thing is, Ace, down here at the central, we’re no longer invulnerable like at the HUB. Here, if I cut you in two, your halves will plop down to the ground and you’ll disintegrate. Of course, seconds later, your body will be put back together and you’ll get to continue as before, but a good deal of your stability will go down with you.

  “This is how we keep others from stealing our flags as we steal theirs. If you get a perfect hit on an opponent, it will take him a few seconds, sometimes even minutes, before he recovers. The balance lies in generating effects that won’t chew too much of your stability at the same time you try to avoid what your opponents do.”

  Ace’s eyes raced from side to side, as he caught glimpses in his mind of the infinite battle options waiting to be invented, thinking up endless different types of strategies that could be schemed. He also imagined the variety of pain he’d feel on being hurt by... well, pretty much anything! Besides that, he was worrying about the whole zero stability thing. He couldn’t afford to be constantly waking up with headaches and, worst of all, all the other dangers it could bring to his health.

  “I believe there’s no better way for you to understand how it all works than to start your training right away, don’t you think?” Asuka smiled.

  Ace smiled back and nodded.

  “Great! Let’s get it on right now, then!” Dante concluded, getting up and moving toward the door by the table, in the same white-green color scheme as in the rest of the environment. The others got up to follow him.

  Chapter 03

  Dante touched the silvery handle on the door and waited a few instants before finally opening it. Ace, following him, could then catch a glimpse of what was on the other side. He figured each time a new match was started, a new court appeared to receive the players. He understood they were in the game space already and felt like a soccer player coming out of the locker room.

  Recalling Dante’s instructions, he realized that the door from which they came was located on the blue base. The base itself resembled a blue igloo, with a blue flag a few feet ahead. Three pedestals stood lined up next to it, these pedestals being the places where the other team’s flags were supposed to be inserted.

  The game lines stretched ahead of him. A sixty-five-foot-wide metal lane followed from there to the red base, about two miles away from where they stood. Around him, besides the other metallic game lines, there was only a vast white nothingness. The thought that he could somehow fall from the ledge at the edge of the court into the endless emptiness crossed his mind.

  “Welcome!” Asuka said. “Well then, come on, onto the center of the court!”

  “You go ahead,” Dante answered. “I’ll train some more tactics with Bobby right here first. We’ll catch up with you later!” He unsheathed his two-handed sword from his back and turned to the minotaur.

  Ace followed Asuka as she ran down to where the three game lines crossed. The girl’s movements made all sorts of bells jingle and jangle in her outfit. As they got there, Ace realized how completely symmetrical the court was. Asuka began her instructions.

  “So, the thing is, first you have to understand that we refer to each game line as if we were looking from the center of the court, OK? That makes it easier for us to agree on the game plan. So, each team has a central line, then one on the right and one on the left as well.”

  Ace nodded in agreement, turning around to face each one of the bases, taking in each piece of instruction. Asuka went on, “Everybody has to get used to doing all that can be done in here, but each player ends up taking on a more specialized role. We’re setting up our team so it’ll work with two players at each job. Bobby and Kerah, for instance, like to be Hitters! The Hitters are those who try to directly attack players from the opposing team to wreck their stability, while some of us steal the flags.

  “These are the Runners! Dante is our only Runner for now. He tries to avoid anything the opponents may toss at him as fast as he can to steal the other team’s flags. But it’s not easy! Then, in order for the Hitters and Runners to do their jobs, we have... itsy bitsy me here! A Molder!” She proudly struck a pose.

  “And what does a Molder do?” Ace wondered.

  “Well, we mold this world here! We give shelter for our buddies, create barriers to keep opponents from reaching our flags... If it’s beautiful and exciting, we’re the ones that do it! Look!” She turned to the red team’s right line, made many quick gestures with her hand, and then outstretched them in front of herself. Several magical symbols appeared around her and the metal lane leading up to the flag twisted around like a snake on a hot grill, causing it to curl and coil unevenly.

  “Wow!” Ace couldn’t refrain his wonder at such a sight. What used to be a simple walkway up to the flag was now full of loops and corkscrews, as well as abrupt curves on every way.

  “See? Well, we already do have another Molder on our team, but we surely have room for another Runner!”—Ace arched his brows, unsure whether he had what it took for this—“But don’t you worry! Like I said, these are the basic roles for each member, but everybody does a little bit of everything! You’ll see it’s much easier than it looks! Come on! See the flag I’m protecting? Go get it!”

  “What?” Ace laughed. “Are you crazy?”

  Asuka lifted an eyebrow. She produced something that looked like a tarot card from inside her outfit and held it with her middle and index fingers at the height of her face.

  “Get ready to run! Flame power!” she screamed, tossing her card at Ace.

  In a few seconds the card disappeared into a huge flaming wave that advanced toward Ace. He could feel the heat behind him while he ran in the only direction he could: toward that lane that
Asuka had twisted.

  He progressed only a few feet before he got to the first loop. Flames were still coming at him. Oh, no! He tried to pick up his step, but it was no good. He started tripping back on his feet as soon as he got to the first quarter of the loop.

  “Stop fooling around, Ace!” Asuka yelled behind the roaring flames. “Don’t try just running! Use your imagination!”

  My imagination? THERE’S A GIGANTIC WAVE OF FIRE COMING BEHIND ME!

  The blazing inferno was almost a single yard from touching him.

  Gotta protect myself first! Impossible to think with this on my back!

  The flames were ever closer, surrounding him. Asuka started worrying. Maybe this wasn’t the best method to recruit another member. It could traumatize him... On the other hand, if Ace had trouble avoiding even such a simple attack, then maybe he wasn’t really cut out for the job, was he?

  With a shout, Ace finally fought back. He created gallons and gallons of water all around him, which moved according to his will, shaped into a wave crashing on the opposite side. An immense cloud of steam quickly appeared as the two elements collided. Ace didn’t stop. All around him, from thin air, more and more water was materializing and spreading around the fire. He caused its flow to engulf the flames before collapsing on them, putting it all out with a single blow.

  Asuka quickly ran up to him while the water dissipated. Ace was drenched and had a few patches of his armor and skin singed by the fire, but she paid no mind to that.

  “86%? Not bad!” she celebrated.

  Ace checked his Neurolink, confirming the numbers. He took a glimpse at Asuka’s too, still at an unwavering 74%.

  She gave him another puzzling look, but then he realized what she meant: though she was giving him a break, she’d soon strike again.

  Lively and alert, he realized that, despite his burns and the water dripping from him, he was still feeling quite well. Having created a flood like that allowed his confidence to increase.

  Gotta find a way to get there!

  While he was still thinking, Asuka gave him some advice.

  “That wasn’t very creative, but wasn’t it cool just making up all those tons of water? Just don’t get yourself too excited. Flying around, for instance, before you’re experienced, will probably wreck your stability. Besides... I already gave you too much time to think!” She tossed a card up high. “Plant power!”

  Branches, vines, and foliage started sprouting all around them with the energy emanating from the card. It was astonishing to see the speed with which they grew. In a few seconds, Ace could hardly see the white background anymore beyond the thick green surrounding him. He understood the plants were going to hinder his movement, but they weren’t solid enough for him to grab onto them and swing.

  All right, then, from the ground we’ll go!

  He focused for a few seconds until he noticed that what he needed right now had materialized: magnetic-soled boots. Using his imagination, he could reverse their polarity as he saw fit, aiding him both in sticking to the ground as well as in jumping, as it was needed. He started for the flag again.

  His new boots gave him the needed speed to gain momentum for climbing the loop, while at the same time they kept him firmly defying gravity at its highest point. As they were directly controlled by his mind, his steps were quick and smooth, almost as if he were running on a flat surface.

  “Wow, great idea! Now we’re playing!” Asuka started following him, using the plants to elevate her and move her around. “But don’t think I’ll let you off easy!”

  The green began to grow toward Ace. Vines tried to wrap themselves on his arms and feet, branches crossed themselves ahead of him, and the foliage, formerly just a nuisance that made it harder to see ahead, was growing thorns.

  Despite his best efforts to go faster, he realized the plants would soon engulf him. He needed to go faster and get rid of those obstacles. But how? There was no time to stop and think up new means of transportation; he needed to adapt himself quickly.

  He took a deep breath. Two items were needed. He had to cut the undergrowth that hindered his progress, and he needed to gain speed.

  Got it!

  His boots were being modified with every step he took, until they finally took their new shape as magnetized roller skates. At his right hand, the long blade of a sword now helped him cut whatever came his way.

  Asuka, satisfied, as she still followed him transported by the plants, doubled her efforts, trying again and again to make her crossing branches stand between Ace and the flag. Ace felt his excitement rise as he cut the plants appearing ahead of him and realized he’d soon have the red flag in his hands.

  His speed increased so much that in a very short while he was way ahead of the growing wave of green, and it’d take only a couple of thrusts for him to reach the flag’s pedestal. Asuka was satisfied for now, still thinking, though, what she could do to mess with his return to the base.

  Ace stretched out his hand toward the flag.

  “I’m gonna do it!”

  Something sent him reeling. From the pain, he thought all his ribs had been broken at once. Bobby had struck him with a huge tree trunk, which he maneuvered as a club, catching him straight on the chest. Ace was thrown such a distance that he landed near the court’s edge.

  “Don’t celebrate too early!” Bobby growled.

  “Bobby! You jerk! I was the one responsible for his training! Look at what you’ve done!” Asuka ran down to Ace, who was lying on the ground.

  Bobby rolled his eyes. Stop your whining, he wasn’t even disintegrated. I didn’t even hit him that hard. Our team is going to suck if we keep inviting wimps like him...

  Ace started opening his eyes. Though his vision was blurred, he could see Asuka kneeling by his side, holding his arm and checking his Neurolink. Dante was a few feet away from him, yelling at a still frowning Bobby.

  “Are you mad? Can’t you use that big head of yours for once? I can’t believe you lost almost half of your stability just to come all the way here and mess with his training!”

  “You and Kerah can’t be serious! You’d let just about anyone into our team! If he can’t take even a little blow like that, how is he going to survive a missile then, huh?”

  “That doesn’t matter! Nobody hit you that hard on your first day! Asuka knew what she was doing! She’d never wreck Ace’s stability like you did!”

  Ace realized that Asuka was calling his name.

  “Ace! Wake up! Remember that none of this is real! Bobby acted like a jerk, but he’s right: if you didn’t disintegrate, then it probably wasn’t that bad!”

  Ace blinked a few times, trying to focus, still feeling a terrible pain in his chest, which grew worse as he breathed. Asuka smiled, as always.

  “I can’t breathe, Asuka! It hurts so much!”

  “Then why are you breathing?”

  Ace felt embarrassed. It was obvious he didn’t have to breathe!

  “Look,” she went on, “I didn’t even have to do this, but I’ll help you out.” She stretched her hands on his chest. Ace felt and heard his ribs snapping and crackling back together as his organs returned to where they belonged. His pain disappeared completely.

  “Thank you!”

  “Oh, that was nothing! Sorry again for what happened. You were doing super fine! And will you look at your stability! Still at 30%!”

  Ace was shocked. Though this outcome was enough for Asuka, he felt restless. He’d spent part of his stability crafting his skates and his sword, that he knew, but he’d never imagined so much of it could be reduced by a single blow.

  Realizing Ace was now conscious again, Dante went to him. Further away, Bobby remained silent.

  “Is everything all right, kid?”

  The white-haired young man couldn’t hide his apprehensiveness behind that half-smile. He was probably feeling accountable for that, since he was the one playing training partner with Bobby moments ago.

  “Yeah, I think. I
’m trying to get used to not breathing.”

  “Take it easy! That may drain a bit of your stability at first as well, just like everything else that isn’t normal for your brain. Since Asuka helped you out, you may breathe for now. You’ll still have time to get used to the way things are different here.”

  Ace nodded in agreement. He started getting up and realized he was feeling down for having failed at getting to the flag, not to mention taking it back to the base.

  But hang in there! I ran from a fire wave, then made a flood, crafted magnetic roller blades and a sword, avoided being trapped by plants, and was struck by a minotaur! There’s no way I could ever have had this much action on a single day in my entire life! He smiled, then turned to Asuka and asked, “How did he get here so fast anyway?”

  “Oh,” she sighed, “he must have leaped, flown, or teleported... I bet this cost about 40% of his stability, despite the training he already has. This is an important thing to mention also, Ace: you can move freely up to about twenty yards or so above the ground on each lane on the court. But go any higher than that, and your stability is degraded. Nobody knows exactly how that is programmed, but it is made that way precisely to keep players from simply jumping around or flying from one line to another, which would make the game kinda too easy.”

  “Besides,” Dante added, “even without any special programming, teleporting great distances eats a lot of your stability. So you can’t simply disappear here, reappear next to the flag and then disappear and reappear back at the base to score an easy capture. And, of course, even if you try that, the other team’s Molders will do all they can to make you reappear somewhere, let’s say, inconvenient...”

  Ace pondered a while before resuming.