Game Of Saviors - ONC 2021

Chapter 3 - The Grounds

**A note for ONC judges: I just wanted to mention that when you encounter the word 'princesa' later on in this chapter, it is not a misspelling of princess, it is meant to be the Spanish word because of a character's Latin American descent.**

In the blink of an eye, everything around Norae changes. Wide-eyed, she stares at the thick forest in front of her. She hears fresh snow crinkle underneath her boots. She feels the brisk cold bite at her skin. How is this possible?

"Alright, initiates. Welcome to The Grounds." Lt. Brass's voice sounds through the earpiece.

When Norae reaches for her head, she can still feel the headset. She can still feel the VR glasses on her face, but she can't see them. Looking down at her body, she searches for traces of the wired suit she's wearing, to no avail. She can barely even feel it, almost like it's a second skin.

"I can't believe how real this is..." Norae exclaims, looking over to Shane next to her.

As Shane watches snowflakes melt when they touch her fair skin, she smiles at Norae. "It's amazing."

"No time to waste." Lt. Brass orders. "Your mission is simple. Board the train that'll be arriving in T-minus 30 seconds. Once aboard, your only objective is to reach the front of the train, locate the brake and bring the train to a full stop. Remember, dying inside The Grounds won't actually kill you. If anything happens to you here, you'll simply exit the simulation. But you will have failed the mission. So try not to die."

"Gee, thanks for the tip." The girl with the red braids retorts.

A sudden whistle sounds not far from their location. As Norae peers out through the trees, she can spot glimpses of a steam locomotive in the distance. "Get ready, you have a train to catch." Lt. Brass notes, almost sounding amused.

Turning to Shane, Norae shares a suspicion. "The train's not gonna stop for us, is it?"

"Run!" Shane shouts, and all five members of the unit begin to sprint.

Sinking further into the snow with every step, Norae struggles to move quickly. She can already see the train reach the tracks ahead of them. If they don't book it now, they'll never make it.

The girl with the red braids and the boy with the big brown eyes are the first to reach the rails, dashing forward swiftly. The back of the train car has a small platform with a three-step ladder at the end. With one agile jump, the boy grabs hold of the ladder and climbs aboard. He looks back at the rest for a second, clearly considering his options. He then decides to proceed alone, opening the door and entering the train car.

The girl has other plans. The moment she reaches the platform, she holds tightly onto the railing as she leans out towards Norae. "Grab my hand!"

Pushing through those last few yards, Norae stretches out and the girl pulls her aboard. Turning right back around, Norae moves to assist Shane. A final haul, and all three girls are atop the platform, smiling at each other in relief.

And then, in a split second, a shot is fired, hitting Shane directly in the stomach. Propelled back and off the platform, Shane hits the ground like a brick.

"No!" Norae shouts, shocked as she watches the body on the tracks dissolve into bits of blue data.

Pulled back rapidly, Norae hits the wall behind her as she feels a hand around her arm. More shots are fired, soaring past them through the open door to the train car. Looking to the girl next to her, Norae pants heavily. "Are they seriously shooting at us?"

"Sure looks like it." The girl replies as she watches the door. "My name is Mikayla, by the way."

"I'm Norae." Polite smiles are exchanged, but the girls have little time for pleasantries.