CARNIVAL (The Spark Form Chronicles Book 2) (12 page)

              The Surge has mostly died down by the time we make it back to the changing room. The trip back through the halls was mostly uneventful too, thanks largely to the amount unfamiliar staff wandering around. Or standing still and observing. I'm sure they must've wandered about a bit at first, even if it was just to reach the arena and find their no doubt carefully allocated spots so that they could carry out the most conspicuous attempt at inconspicuousness I've ever seen.

              Carnival was oddly quiet throughout the trip though. It was a really weird quiet too. Normally, if she's playing hologram she'll be virtually silent unless an appropriate moment for interaction arises. Sorry, no, make that an appropriately-amusing-to-her-even-if-it's-awkward-for-me moment for interaction. If she's relaxed though, she breathes gently and you can hear her gentle but slightly erratic footfalls. Or I can anyway. Step, step, step-step, step, step-step-step, step-step, step. I honestly can't tell if she's fighting the urge to get overexcited about being out and about or if I'm just walking at an awkward pace for her to keep time with. It's cute either way.

              This time though, the steps were even and ... not heavy, but heavier. A little more solid and regular. Careful, maybe? I could still feel her breath just along the top of my head, but that was a little heavier than normal too. It caught once or twice as well, I'm sure of it.

              I must have worried her. The Surge is most definitely not our friend today.

              A short, pleading whine from the other side of the room brings me back to myself and I look up to see Carnival holding her tablet out. Her tail is hanging limply and she's clearly trying to stop herself shaking, but the vibration in her shoulders is still clear enough to be noticeable.

              'I SPOKE WITH LANA' the screen says.

              "When?" I ask, making my way slowly across the room. With the initial adrenaline wearing off, my legs are a little shakier than I'd like. By the time I take the seat next to her, Carnival has already typed her response and is waiting patiently for me.

              'LAST NIGHT, AFTER YOU WENT TO BED'.

              "Wait ... so you snuck out after I fell asleep and wandered off to meet up with the person that's trying to take you apart and experiment with your data?" I ask, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice.

              She nods.

              "Where did you meet her? Her hotel room?"

              She nods again, this time keeping her head bowed and eyes down.

              I tilt my head. "When did you arrange that?"

              Carnival taps away on the tablet screen and turns it to show, 'I DIDN'T. SHE WAS VERY SURPRISED ACTUALLY. MORE PANICKY THAN I EXPECTED'.

              "I bet she was," I say with a light laugh and Carnival lifts her head, her eyes searching my own. The flick at the tip of her ears means that she was checking if the laugh was genuine. She's worried that I'm angry with her I think. From the way her fur is relaxing and no longer standing on end, I'm guessing that she's realised I'm not. "So what did you two get up to? Given that she seemed just fine this morning, I'm guessing that you didn't scare her too badly."

              'WE TALKED. MOSTLY ABOUT WHAT SHE THINKS OF ME AND WHAT SHE WANTS TO LEARN FROM ME.'

              "OK, that's good. Did you learn anything useful?"

              Carnival starts to type something, stops and deletes it. She gives the table two quick raps with her knuckles and starts over, simply typing. 'NOT REALLY. NOT AS MUCH AS I'D WANTED.' She clears the screen and types again.

              'ENOUGH THOUGH.'

              "Enough for what?"

              'TO MAKE A DECISION.' She pauses again and looks up at me, blinks once, twice, and takes a deep breath before continuing. 'I MADE A DEAL WITH HER.'

              Now I'm worried, and judging by the look of panic in her eyes, I've not done a very good job of keeping it off my face. "What sort of deal?" I ask, swallowing hard as my mind goes into paranoid-overdrive.

              'I'M GOING TO LET HER EXPERIMENT ON ME.'

              "You're ..." I start, but she cuts me off with another pleading whine and a panicked shake of her hands.

              'THERE WERE CONDITIONS', she types. The seconds that follow between each subsequent message seem to take forever while I sit in silence waiting for her to say her peace.

              'THEY WON'T ALTER MY DATA OR DAMAGE ME.'

              'THEY WON'T KEEP BOTHERING US AFTER TODAY EITHER.'

              'I HAVE TO CHECK IN WITH THEM BUT THAT'S IT.'

              "They?" I ask, "As in Lana and Finn?"

              Carnival shakes her head.

              'EMBLEM.'

              "Will they have to switch you off?" Carnival brings the tablet up but opts to nod in response instead. "Doesn't that ... do you really want to go through that again?"

              Again, Carnival shakes her head but this time brings up an explanatory message for me. 'NO, BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT. THERE WAS ONE MORE CONDITION THAT I SET. THEY'VE AGREED TO IT BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT IT IS YET.'

              I feel my forehead furrow as I re-read the last sentence again. "Why not?"

              'I'M SCARED', she types, then, 'OF REJECTION'.

              Now I'm confused. Why would that stop her telling me? If they've already agreed it then ... ah. "It involves me, doesn't it? You're scared that I'll reject you." She nods sadly. "Carnival, I can't think of anything you could do that would make me reject you in any way."

              'THIS', she types. 'THIS YOU MIGHT'.

              I exhale deeply. "So when do I get to find out what it is?"

              'WHEN THEY GIVE ME THE PAPERWORK. BY THEN, I'LL HAVE TO TELL YOU OR THE DEAL WON'T BE ABLE TO GO AHEAD. YOU'LL NEED TO READ AND SIGN IT OR ALL BETS ARE OFF. FOR THE LAST CONDITION ANYWAY'.

              "No pressure then," I say with a smile. "If me seeing and signing this paperwork is so important, why didn't you tell me before now though?"

              'I KNEW IT WOULD WORRY YOU. IF THEY DIDN'T ACCEPT THE TERMS, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO POINT IN DOING THAT. PLUS, I WAS SCARED WE'D SETTLE INTO THINKING EVERYTHING WOULD BE OK THEN FIND OUT THAT THEY WERE GOING TO GO BACK ON ALL OF IT'.

              "So instead of worrying me with a possible way out, you've left me to worry about not knowing how we're going to get through this?"

              Carnival whines and drops her head again. 'SORRY', she types, then starts tapping frantically at the screen. 'I KNEW YOU WERE WORRIED BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH UNTIL AFTER THE LAST MATCH. YOU CAN SAY IT WAS THE SURGE IF YOU LIKE, BUT I COULD TELL THAT IT WASN'T. I NEVER HAVE BEEN SURE JUST HOW MUCH YOU KEEP LOCKED UP AND DON'T SHOW ME. WHAT YOU SAID MADE ME HAPPY THOUGH'.

              "Wait, so it made you happy that I got so scared?" I ask, intentionally exaggerating my tone so that she'll know I'm only playing.

              Carnival replies with a raspberry followed by, 'YES. JERK. YOU SHOULD OPEN UP MORE.'

              "Maybe," I reply with a smile.

              'I AM SORRY THOUGH. SEEING YOU LIKE THAT MADE ME REALISE THAT I SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU SOONER'.

              "Yeah," I agree, "you should have. Still, nothing we can do about it now. So what happens next?"

              'LANA WILL PM ME ON THE FAN BOARD. THE UNOFFICIAL ONE. SHE'LL TELL ME WHEN THEY WANT TO BEGIN AND WHAT I'LL NEED TO DO.'

              "What
we
need to do," I correct her. "Why there though? The board I mean."

              She shrugs. 'I ASKED FOR THAT. IT FELT SAFE. THAT WAS WHERE SHE MESSAGED TO SAY THAT THE TERMS HAD BEEN EXPECTED.'

              "You mean accepted, right?"

              Carnival blinks, looks at the tablet and graciously lifts her middle finger in my direction. 'YES. ACCEPTED. JERK.'

              "You have a new favourite word I see," I say, standing up with a big grin on my face. "For what it's worth, I know I don't really say it, but I do trust you. I trust your judgment. And not just in this." I stretch. "Well then, I guess we wait. For now, at least. Drink?"

              Carnival nods and returns my grin, and I start to move towards the kitchen. As I go to step past her chair, Carnival wraps her arms around me, stopping me in place while she hugs my waist tight. Then, just as quickly as she sprang, she lets go again and gives me another, this time slightly embarrassed sounding raspberry and returns her focus to her tablet as I step carefully over Gavin.

              I do trust her, I meant that. This does bring up a nice big stack of new worries though. She's right that I should open up more, I know she is. All things considered though, this isn't the right time for that. Not yet anyway.

Song: Seven Year Itch

Band: Emblem Productions

Genre: Industrial Rock Instrumental

              A video package plays, the footage switching between various shots of Fahrn Starchaser throughout her career and shots of 'The Silent Warrior' Laqueta and her trainer Hong Chan as she made her way to the Battle Zone in day one. The movie trailer voice over once again hypes the match, this time interspersed with audio clips of Fahrn and Hong Chan.

The term 'Offland Competitor' has become synonymous with one person ...

              "You can say what want about me. You can do what you want to me. This is
my
world."

Yet the tournament itself is home to many ...

"Laqueta didn't come here to play games. She came to hunt."

With the hopes of her people once again riding on her shoulders, can Fahrn continue to ride high or will the new generation step firmly into the spotlight?

              "I've taken everything everyone has ever thrown at me and kept getting back up, kept coming back, year after year after year. This year, I'm taking something back with me."

              "No words, just action. Laqueta is going to run through each and every person that stands in her way, it's that simple."

Coming up next on the Forty Third Annual Spark Form World Championships ...

Fahrn Starchaser versus 'The Silent Warrior' Laqueta ...

It is time to ...

Light ... It ... Up!

              The video fades to black.

              The tribal drums kick in shortly after the video feed starts, the gold tinted ground level lights flashing in at the same time and keeping rhythm. 'COTHURN-RAGNA QUALIFIER' fades in on the Big Screen then quickly shatters to leave behind 'THE SILENT WARRIOR LAQUETA'.

Song: War Dance

Band: Kaiba

Genre: Japanese Groove Metal

              As it did yesterday, the lead guitar riff signals a large stage pyro and both Hong Chan and Laqueta step through the curtain. Hong Chan dashes excitedly from one side of the stage to the other, his Hawaiian shirt a blur as he darts across the screen. Laqueta, while still slow moving, has a different feel to her today. Rather than standing still at the top of the stage, she steps purposefully forward to take the centre of the shot, her body heaving in time with the music.

              The moment the ambient break hits, Laqueta throws her hood back and raises her fist in the air, the only visible signs of tension coming in her shoulders and the way her gaze is fixed dead ahead. The fans show their appreciation for this change in attitude by letting out a mix of cheers and attempts at starting supportive chants. This seems to boost the young competitor and, as she strides towards the Competitor Area, a small smile breaks across her face. Hong Chan, in a show of support, gives her a friendly slap on the back and continues to jump about, playing to the fans.

              The lights cut abruptly and the sound of static blares across the speakers as the Big Screen image dissolves away. The entranceway lights start to flash blue and red as smoke billows across the stage. After a moment of pure noise, the static dies down and '2916 SPARK FORM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RUNNNER-UP' appears on the Big Screen, cuing the boos from the crowd. As they build, the guitar feedback screeches out, hauling 'FAHRN STARCHASER' into view.

Song: Came Out Bruised (But Still Breathing)

Band: Addicted to my Rut

Genre: Grunge

              The drums and bass guitar soon give way to both the vocals and the arrival of the competitor herself. Standing in front of the curtain, Fahrn surveys the fans and responds to their taunts with a shake of her head. She avoids her usual expletive laden tour of the stage and chooses instead to remain standing in place.

              Finally, she snaps her legs together, pulls her left arm behind her back and raises her right arm to the sky, hand held like a pistol. With a cry of "To the stars," she begins her walk towards the ramp, accompanied by the booming sound of a series of stage pyros and fireworks. The explosions fail to phase Fahrn and each step she takes is illuminated by another concussive blast. Still ignoring the fans, she looks like a veteran soldier walking through a war zone in a modern action film, her resolve unchanging as she reaches her designated Competitor Area at the right hand side of the Battle Zone.

              The Connection Teams dash into view as we move to the customary split-screen shot. We get a moment of silence as the first wires are attached to Fahrn's spinal implant, but are soon joined by the regular hosts.

              "Ladies and Gentleman, my name is Dirk Wylder."

              "I'm Sam North."

              "And you are watching day two of the forty third annual Spark Form World Championships."

              "Well Dirk, we are moments away from findin' out who's gonna move on to face the defendin' champ John Forrester in the finals."

              "That's right Sam, and it's an interesting set-up isn't it? On the one hand we could be in for a rematch from last year’s epic tournament final, but on the other we could be seeing a first time match-up between John Forrester and the debuting Laqueta."

              "An' what a debut tournament that would be. I tell ya, she had a mixed qualifying campaign an' she looked shaky as Hell yesterday, but you look at her now an' it's like everythin' just clicked into place for her."

              "Absolutely Sam, and it's not just her entrance that gives it away. Unlike with Dorian yesterday, Hong Chan isn't having to talk her down at all."

              "So what we thinkin' here? First day nerves?"

              "Most likely. I mean, you have to remember that not only is this her first tournament, at eighteen, she's also the youngest competitor here."

              "Ya know it man. An' what about Fahrn? You saw her IV earlier, right?"

              "Oh yeah, that was an interesting one. She's definitely focused today, isn't she?"

              "Yeah, an' ya notice that she stuck by her word too. She said she weren't gonna try to get a rise outta people, an' sure enough, she came out here an' didn't swear at anybody at all."

              Dirk laughs. "I guess miracles do happen."

              "Ya laugh, but if she's as dead-set on takin' home the title as she says she is, Laqueta may need one of her own to make it through this one."

              "Well I can't argue with you there, Fahrn really is something else. There's a reason that she's the most successful Offland competitor in the history of the sport."

              "Yet she still ain't won the big one."

              "Could that just be a matter of time though?"

              "Could be man, could be. That said, we still don't really know what Laqueta's capable of, an' that's gotta make it hard to plan a strategy. Even with the qualifying footage, she could change up her playin' style easy as that an' take everyone by surprise."

              "So do you think that there's a real chance of Fahrn losing this one?"

              "I dunno man, anything can happen, right?"

              "True enough. Well, the Sky Control Systems are up and running, so let's hand it over to the introductions and take a look at which SF's our two semi-finalists are using for this one."

              By the time the camera pans back around to Laqueta, Hong Chan is already striding over to join the retreating Connection Team. "Cothurn-Ragna Qualifier Laqueta, please initialise your deck," commands the electronic announcer.

              Laqueta nods and taps the initialisation key on the Sky Control system, and the automatic shuffle process begins. In response, her Data Wick spins on the spot a few times then melts into a spiral of twisted flesh. The torturous process of forming her chosen Spark Form takes a slow six seconds and, once complete, the Beast simply floats in the middle of the arena, dark purple ooze dripping intermittently from the teeth-like spines that line its inner band.

It ripples gently in the air,

Hairs bristling like a million tiny fingers.

Grasping.

Reaching.

They are fine, sensitive things, that gather the scents of the world around them,

The eyeless demon knowing its land by no more than shifts in the air.

But take heed dear friends and do not wander too close,

Lest you wish to see those self-same hairs harden like needles,

To feel your flesh shredded,

As the damnable thing contracts and expands around you.

Blood.

The membranous backing to its body craves blood,

The hungry, wet tupping of its holes drowning out the screams of its prey.

This is not a time to be foolhardy.

Leave now.

Leave and never return,

For this is a death that cannot see,

A death that cannot hear.

Yet it feels you,

Starving,

Craving,

Fool, it knows you are here still.

Mott, the devourer of all,

Demands to be fed.

              Once again, the electronic announcer cuts over the crowd. "2916 Spark Form World Championship Runner-Up Fahrn Starchaser, please initialise your deck."

              As did her opponent, Fahrn nods and hits the initialisation key, causing a ball of light to engulf her Data Wick. The blaze expands quickly and soon burns out, leaving behind a lone humanoid figure. Stretching idly, the tall, sinewy Drakalia lets out a content yawn, revealing the short, razor sharp teeth that surround his snake-like tongue. A thick, ridged tail sweeps happily along the floor, peeking out from above his only clothing: A pair of torn, baggy shorts, black but for a spatter of markings that shine yellow like the dragon himself. He flicks his long, thick black hair behind his pierced ears, leaps from side to side and lets out a loud hiss before settling into a relaxed pose, the arena lights reflecting gently off his smooth yellowed scales.

Stand tall proud traveller,

And let the sun shine against the deep black talons of your well-worn feet.

Lay your head where you will,

And fight how you must,

So that others will remember you when you leave.

Know that whispers of the sand-scaled champion,

Lay both ahead and behind you,

Tales of a hero to the people that you have and are yet to meet.

'He will come,' they say, 'Trailing hope at his side,'

'For S remembers the roads once travelled, and will see the land grow green once more.'

              "Laqueta there, sticking with the Mott as her Spark Form. You said yesterday that it's a card that limits you with what you can do. Can you elaborate on that Sam?"

              "Sure thing. See, Mott's don't have nothin' but teeth to work with so the only cards you can really use are general bites an' Mott exclusives. What makes it interesting is that it still has five stats, all teeth, an' they go up as you go down the card."

              "So it's a purely combo card?"

              "Exactly that. The first move in the sequence starts at the top stat an' each consecutive move moves down once space. If the sequence is broken, you start over, but if you get on a roll you start doing some major damage."

              "And what about her upgrade card? Wise choice?"

              "7 Deadly Venoms? Absolutely. It's a Mott exclusive card. You see all that goop drippin' off the thing's teeth? That's poison. Each time she starts a new sequence, the Sky Control System rolls two dice an' takes seven away from the total. If the score's greater than zero, then the opponent takes a guaranteed five damage for that many turns, regardless of who's on the attack. It needs some luck an' it can't be used if your opponent's already poisoned, but it adds a little something to the lower end of the Mott stats, ya know?"

              "It sounds like she's making the most of her SF's limitations there."

              "I think so, yeah. Given it's the same one as yesterday, I wonder if Hong Chan has her playin' Static Form style for the tournament too."

              "I guess we'll find that out when she plays again later this evening. So how about Fahrn's choice, S?"

              "S's a Drakalia, same species as Slade Fury's The Torn from yesterday, but an Anthro card rather than a Beast. Good bite an' kick, stronger on the swipes. Her upgrade card surprised me though, 'cause it's not a typical Fahrn play."

              "I noticed that too. She's gone full on offensive in the semis for the last two years, but Wisp kinda borders on defensive, doesn't it?"

              "Defence while on the attack, yeah. Basically, it's luck based like Laqueta's, but in a different way. The Sky Control System rolls one die with each move an' the score effects what the opponent can do next time. One to two means they can't dodge, three to four they can't block an' five to six they can't counter. The idea is that it allows your Spark Form to move so fast between attacks that it disorientates its opponent an' limits what they can do."

              "Do you think that's another sign of Fahrn's intent this year? Her varying it up I mean?"

              "I think so man, I can't see how else we're supposed to view it."

              "What interests me is how the choice of Spark Forms and Upgrades here varies so much compared to the first semi-final too. You can already see that this is going to be a very different type of match to John Forrester versus Connor Ford. I see they've both got Blast Style Data Fragments too, so ... OK, I'm told that we're about ready to start. Any final thoughts on a potential winner Sam?"

              "Ya know what, Dirk? My gut says Fahrn, but not really knowing what to expect outta Laqueta, I wouldn't like to call it."

              "With that, let's get down to the Battle Zone."

Song: Battle Music 19

Band: Emblem Productions

Genre: Instrumental Orchestral Score

              The brass section hits first, and both Spark Forms shift their focus to each other.