Battle School

Chapter One: The accident

 Chapter One: The accident (prologue)

My light sword glowed within the dimly lit game room. I slipped it from its sheath as I readjusted my uniform. The sword handle moulded into my handshake as an electric spark raced from its glowing exterior up my arm. Beside me I felt my team position themselves, adjusting their own weapons as they prepared for the jump.

I had an intake of breath before sliding my helmet visor over my eyes. Darkness engulfed my vision before blue typed words appeared before my eyes.

Visor engaged

“Cadet A137 ready to jump,” I said, my voice sounding cracked in the hooded helmet. A green dot arose at the corner as more typed words appeared.

Waiting for team to lock. 2 of 6 ready

Green dots appeared as my teammates signed on. I sent a brief message to them when they were ready, telling them which formation we would take.

All team members locked on. Prepare for jump

I gritted my teeth, keeping my tongue at the back of my mouth. A whirring sound began as my body was violently jolted forward. My body felt like it was being thrust forward into outer space at high speeds but as all went quiet an image unfolded within my helmet. It was a 360 degree of a battlefield projection all around me. The image was frozen and I only had a few crucial seconds to assess the terrain and access locations.

Take your positions

My team surrounded me, crouching in our first formation. Cadet A273, A.K.A Amy Hemmingway was beside me. Her bright green shield hummed happily in her arms and Amy herself seemed thrilled to be back on the field. She was my partner, I was the attacker and she was the shield. I turned and nodded through my tinted helmet, she acknowledged back.

We turned back to the field, emptying our mind of pointless worries and thoughts from the outside world. Instead we filled out mind with tactics and manoeuvres, our eyes already scouring the arena for our first position. By the time the counter called to begin our minds were set, our breathing regulated, and our thoughts on one thing only, to win.

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My sword came down with ease, it whistled as it sliced cleanly through my opponents arm. His arms flickered and faded into the matrix’s projection, but the boy hardly flinched. He swung forward with his battle axe and I blocked it, only to realize a second later that I was being attacked from behind by another boy. I threw myself to the side, sending my body crashing to the floor but at least dodging his death blow. With me on the floor the two boys leered forward, their axes almost dripping with electric red light. I was trapped against an obstacle block and my sword was too far away. With my hope slowly fading I did the one thing I could do.

My microphone spat to life as I shouted, “AMY. Help!” We’d been separated in the initial attack and I hadn’t seen her since.  I felt my lip grow wet but I could not wipe it away.

My fate was bearing down on me, axes raised high, when I was saved. The familiar green blur appeared before me. An array of green and red sparks cascaded to the floor as the axes met the shield, the boy’s force throwing them back a few paces.

Amy crouched over me, her body pressing the shield forward as she turned to me. Her shield was thick and circular, its frame made out of a metallic alloy that could not be pierced by hand wielded weapons. Specially plated green glass was placed within its frame, the opacity allowing the defender to see through it. Amy’s shield would react to her presence, allowing her to pick it up as if it weighed nothing at all.

Through my ear pierce I heard her voice, “You called?” I could only imagine her cheeky smile behind her visor helmet. I had no time to reply as the two axe boys came forward again, their axes glowing a Ricker red. Amy got to her feet and shifted her grip on the shield.

“Go get your sword,” she spoke through the ear piece. The reason Amy was one of the best in the academy was because she knew not only how to expertly defend with her shield but she could also attack with it.

By the time I’d retrieved my sword and regained my feet the two axe boys were decapitated. Amy’s shield carved through them and their bodies quickly shimmered and faded into the system.

I grinned behind my visor. “Thanks.”

Amy lowered her shield and turned to me. “Sorry I wasn’t with you sooner. Sam’s shield partner got hacked in the first encounter so I was helping her out-” Her voice cut out as her head exploded in a thousand glittering chips. Her lasting expression scattered as I stood before her killer, his gold sword still brimming from its attack. The figure straightened and stepped into the spot right where Amy had been.

I knew who they were, even if their face was hidden behind the visor. No one else knew how to wield a sword like that. With somewhat of an impatient sigh I settled into a battle stance. He did the same, raising his sword as he cocked his head slightly.

I lunged first, knowing that I had to get the upper hand. He defended with a swipe, deflecting my attack before thrusting back. The sword came quickly, its glow sizzling as I knocked it away and stepped to the side.

Suddenly a rip tore through the battlefield as one of the main obstacle boxes exploded. It sent a blast of heat and power over the remaining soldiers. I was knocked to my knees as my sword spun away. I clapped my hands over my helmet as pressure began to accumulate in my ears. It rang and rang, forcing me to scream in an attempt to cover the pain. For a moment my visor shook uncontrollable but as my head hit the ground my mind corrected itself. In a daze I scanned the area for my sword, knowing that was the only thing that could keep me alive. It sat wedged between two blocks, its blade protruding from the crevice. I had no time to retrieve it as the glint of my enemy’s weapon came for me. I rolled away and clambered to my feet. My head throbbed and this time when my enemy swung again it hit its target. The blade cut through easily, ripping my hand off in one clean blow. Instantly my hand began to fade from the battle room but I knew something was not right. I could not feel it reanimate in the real world neither could I feel the usual numbness of the missing limb.

And then it began. The pain.

It shred and tore through me as I screamed into my helmet and went to clutch my missing limb. This was not right. It never hurt. The matrix was built to show a projection of your body, if you died you reanimated back in the game room. I had never felt pain like this before, it was beyond belief and exploded my nerves. 

However, my helmet and body suit shielded my attacker from seeing the pain I was in. So he came for me once again, this time his blade aimed for my heart.

Defenceless I kicked out and shoved him to the floor. I attempted to run away but fingers encircled my ankle, tightening as they began to draw me back. I kicked again and was briefly set free from his grip. I knew I could not outrun him, so I turned around to finish what I’d started.

We crouched in our beginning positions, only this time I had no weapon. The pain still seared through me but there was no blood so I had no way of showing him to stop. He was stubborn and I knew how determined he was to win.  I knew the only thing that would stop him was to defeat him.

I could see my sword close by, still protruding from the crevice. I knew I had to move closer to it. He lunged.  I deflected. I charged forward and shoved with all my might. He lost balance and began to fall. However, he flung out, swiping me off my feet and causing me to lose balance. So we both ended up falling. Straight onto my lodged, pointed sword.

It speared through him first and behind his visor a saw a glimpse of his bright blue eyes. I saw the pain in them as the sword embedded itself into our entangled bodies. We both felt the pain tear through us, the pain that we shouldn’t have felt. I couldn’t feel my body rekindle in the real world outside the battle room. I couldn’t feel my mind awaken from the war game. Instead I felt myself begin to die.

I stared ahead, focusing on those bright blue eyes that I knew so well. Those eyes sought me out, communicating the words that my mouth wished they could whisper. I no longer felt pain.