The Kairos Games

Chapter 20

“Trinity?” Hannah whispers.

    “Yes, Hannah?” The girls have become accustomed to each other’s company. After about twelve hours of sitting in darkness, Hannah had finally decided to speak up and work together with her new roommate. They are wandering through the second floor of the Vest building now, looking for food. Hannah is glancing through the glass-paned doors at the street below.

    “Come here. Look at this. What do you think it is?”

    Trinity pockets the cereal bar she just found in a desk drawer and joins Hannah at the window. “It looks like some sort of machine… a robot, maybe. Or it could be some sort of metal armor, I suppose, but I’m not really sure if anyone of the other tributes would have access to the metal or the time and skills to build a robot while fighting for their lives, but I guess it is possible if they planned it right…”

    “Do you think maybe the Gamemakers sent it? They do like to intervene, you know…”

    Hannah is referring to her previous dealings with the game makers, which led to a rather disastrous game of euchre. Trinity, now aware of the horrific details of the game, nods in agreement. “That does seem more likely. But I’m not sure if they would send a robot, because aren’t we supposed to be killing each other? That’s sort of the whole point, right? I mean, if they just starting killing us all with some weaponized machine that would sort of defeat the purpose of putting us into the games.”

    Hannah shrugs. “Well maybe they want us to go after it. If one of us can’t kill it, we might have to team up, then that would force us together so we’d be back to killing each other instead of hiding. How long has it been since someone died, anyway?”

    “Well, I came in here about four days ago. That was right after Madeline shot Jordan. I don’t think anyone has died since then.”

    Hannah sighs. “Four days… No wonder we’re running out of food. We’re going to have to leave this building, eventually. Where’d the robot go?”

    “I just saw it turn the corner into the front parking lot. If we want to leave, we should leave now, before it comes back.”

    “Where should we go?”

    “That way.” Trinity points straight out of the door. “We can head for the School of Religion. There’s a food stand in there, right? Maybe it hasn’t been raided yet.”

    Hannah nods. “Good idea.” She looks around, as if hoping to find something to take with her, but there is nothing to take. She runs back and grabs a stapler. “It probably won’t do me any good, but I feel safer. Let’s go.” She shoves open the door and steps into the daylight for the first time in five days. She lets out a sneeze, then continues down the stairs. Trinity follows closely.

    As they step out into the street, Trinity smells something strange. “Do you smell that? It smells like… something burning… like a campfire, or burning wood of some kind…”

    Hannah turns around. Her eyes widen in horror. The robot Beccan is heading their way. The trees in the small courtyard have all been lit up. Beccan lets out one final burst, incinerating an entire bench, before rolling on towards the stairs.

    “Run!” Hannah screams. The two girls take off as fast as they can down 11th street. Beccan is close behind them. Hannah cuts right and heads for the path between the PCSU and the Conn Center. Trinity tries to follow, but her foot gets caught on one of the steps. She trips and face-plants onto the concrete, breaking her nose. She stands up slowly, blinking through the pain, and tries to wipe the blood from her glasses.

    Sadly, there is not enough time. Beccan approaches her just as her vision is restored. She stares into the cold eyes of the former tributes, those who in another life may have been her friends, and says a final goodbye to the world.

    Hannah hears Trinity screaming, but she knows she can’t go back. It’s too late. She enters Sharp-Davis and climbs to the roof, from which she can see the entire destructive path Beccan has laid out. She leans on the wall, trying to catch her breath, and catches sight of the robot heading her direction. She gasps at the sight of Trinity, lying helpless on the ground, burned to a crisp. As the cannon booms, Hannah sheds a tear. What’s the point of making friends if you’re going to lose them all, anyway? she asks herself.

    Better yet, what’s the point in playing the game when you know you can’t win?