GENESIS - THE BEGINNING. Book 1

CHAPTER 15 ... The Hammer

For three days they practiced with shield, bow and sword.

Grayvite steel. Rust resistant, dense and able to withstand extreme temperatures. Throughout the Empire, Grayvite steel was used, from molded ship plating to heavy machinery. Unpractical for general use and unmanageable due to its large mass per volume.

Space expedition drill rigs prized the alloy. Many had tried to find its secrets; all had failed except for two. The reason for the failure was its composition and its strength.

The only way to work effectively with Grayvite steel was with extreme heat. Only two people had succeeded and both had kept that secret to themselves. The first had, for whatever reason, a motive that would soon become obvious to the Empire, created the Annular and successfully integrated it into ship plating. The second was a scrawny, chicken chested blacksmith come fortune teller. Both had discovered Grayvite steels secrets and both would go to their graves with them.

For three days, Tobor and Wyatt taught them how to carry and hold their deceptively light and versatile shields. How to swing them in front of their enemies to block its advance. How to deflect blades and take advantage of an opening. How to force the enemies sword and arm upwards and outwards and stab him from underneath or over the top of the shield's rim.

It was not enough to carry a shield into battle. Like the sword, a shield was an extension of one's arm. The bow was easier. Easier, but no less difficult to master in a short time. Speed, aim and distance would always be a problem for Adelia and Megan. Adelia became incensed when her long sword developed two chips after attempting to hack a shield apart held by Wyatt.

The ringing clash of steel on steel was accompanied by such a vibration into her wrist and elbow that she nearly dropped it. She yelped in pain and surprise. She had made the same mistake twice before, trying other means of getting around the large shield. A shield only millimeters thick but large enough when held, to protect the wielder from neck to knee. A shield that absorbed every attempted stab, every slash, and in return, sent such intense vibrations up the opponent's arms that the possibility of surprising and overwhelming him increased.

She would remember this, she promised herself.

For three days they practiced while the village people cheered them on. Groaning at their mistakes and cheering with every success.

Time passed quickly and before they knew it, the three days were over. They stood one morning taking their leave from the rotund motel owner who had handed each a packet of travel food wrapped in brown paper and a bottle of wine. They did not see the blacksmith for, although his forge radiated heat, it was empty. With a shrug, Wyatt motioned that they should leave. Reluctantly, the group turned and waved at those villagers who had dared the morning cold to see them off. A few shouts of good luck sped them on their way.

They trudged on for hours. The Polrob that kept silent pace with them supplied directions. Hours more passed until...

...four women and one man stood on a rise outside a small town. Although a town may not be the appropriate description for the clump of whitewashed hovels. A large, dilapidated wooden signpost beside the dirt road leading off to the left of the rise was expertly engraved with the following;

WELCOME TO THE HAMMER

THE CITY OF THE FUTURE

POPULATION 207

DEATHS 2

CRIME 0

The wanna-be city of Hammer was a small community with large dreams and high expectations that over the years had to be lowered as the rest of Overlord's population tended to disagree.

Hammer, the city of the future, was reminiscent of an Old Earth's western town. White washed wooden buildings with hanging shingles lined the only dusty, rutted road down its centre. A road that petered out to either side of the town. Old men sat in rickety rocking chairs soaking up the sun's rays to loosen their aged bones and muscles. An old, flea-bitten dog would normally lie near the centre of the dusty road to catch the early morning sun but would saunter away to lie beside the back entrance of the only restaurant in town.

They fed him scraps and offal although it was never enough. Instead of six-shooters hanging low on hips and steely-eyed patrons strutting up and down the wooden porches, small compact laser pistols were shoved down pockets, to be used when needed. This was not the Wild West, but it was wild territory in the heyday of medical, technological, social and economic advancement. There were always those who were contrary to popular opinion. Vermin from the surrounding terrain sometimes wandered in looking for a quick meal and attacked residents. The feeling all round was to 'rather be safe than sorry'. The drinking hole? That's what it said on the shingle above the specially made bat-wing doors, was always a place to gather around a beer and play table poker,* voice one's hopes for the future and slander neighbors not present.

Sleepy flies circled above the players never seeming to rest. Human nature would change all this in the near future as the town of Hammer was, for the first time in its existence, abuzz with people. Not only people, but Polrobs flitted about, recording sword fights and deaths.

The populace of Hammer had increased almost overnight due to its strategic position of being the only small town within a 300 kilometer range of Overlord's Capital, Signature. It seemed that all the Contestants throughout the Galaxy poured into Hammer. Contenders walked in or arrived by flitter or cart. They came in their numbers. Low flying flitters came in from every direction and encircled with groups of sword-bearing men and women who had decided it would be safer to combine their efforts than to go it alone.

Once a flitter landed its safety features kicked in and their pilots unable to take off because of the close proximity of the pressing mob. As soon as the blood-thirsty Contenders determined that the flitter's occupants were also Contenders, hand held metal disruptors cut through the Grayvite plating.

Though the plating was only 1mm thick, it would still take hours for the metal disruptors to break through. There was no shortage of disruptors and there was always a willing hand to pass over one fully charged when those in use lost power. This was extremely nerve wracking to the occupants. Some decided not to wait but to meet the crowd head on and opened the bay doors.

Swords flashed, men and woman died. Now and again a laser beam cut down an opponent and the over excited warrior was immediately terminated by a watching Polrob. The law was the law. Swords, knives, open blades of any kind were allowed, but the use of a hand laser was an immediate death sentence.