Europe, distant future. A meteorite impacted on the area of Russia, turning the area into a dead zone. Moreover, it emits a strange radiance which increases the impact survivors and their offsprings' endurance and strength, but also causing them to...
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"Ryan! RYAN!" I poke my partner, trying to get his attention. He finally gives me a condescending look which turns into uncertainty after he sees my panicked face.
"What's wrong?" he asks. "You look... strange."
"This fight must be stopped immediately!" I burst out. "The INF system isn't working. If Maverick gets hit by that saw, he'll die!"
Ryan frowns. "What makes you think that? The INF system has to go through a tentuple check before a fight. It's a crucial part of Neoclash and it must never fail. I can assure you the INF system is fine and you don't have to worry for that guy."
"No, there is something wrong with it!" I insist. "Remember the messages at the beginning of each fight on the jumbotrons? Arena configuration complete. INF system active. But this time, it didn't show INF system active. It used the word online. I recall it perfectly. And that's a wrong word!"
"That means nothing, Zoya. Maybe you just read it wrong. Or it's some local alteration of the message. Now calm down and take a seat. I want to watch."
"No! All the fights so far used the word active. Someone had to disable the INF system and to cover it up, they replaced the initial message, but forgot the exact word. Please, do something before something horrible happens! Trust me just for this once!"
"You're just playing with words, Zoya."
Okay, Ryan is a lost cause. That means I'll have to take things into my own hands... or legs. Not minding Ryan's protests, I cross the contestant terraces with two long leaps and jump into the arena. Maverick is trying to keep Vandal's spinning sawblade away from his throat.
It seems I'm here just in time.
I attack Vandal. I use my knee to get his weapon away from Maverick's throat and then knock him down with a nice roundhouse kick. The crowd's cheering turns into confused mumbling. It's strictly forbidden to join a fight we're not a part of - but well, here I go.
"End this fight right now!" I scream at the top of my lungs. "The INF system is disabled!"
Only the viewers in the front rows can possibly hear me. In the next minute, I'm approached by two Wardens, Champions who serve, among other things, as a security in higher tournamments. Each of them grabs my hand and together, they march me out the arena.
I don't resist, I peacefully follow them. "Please, hear me out," I tell them. "The INF system is offline. You have to stop the fight, or someone can get hurt!"
"You stopped it yourself, congratulations," the female Champion in the Warden jacket holding my left hand utters. "The two contestants will be really grateful for your care."
"But... but I'm telling the truth!"
"The INF system is completely reliable," the second Warden, a tall, slim man, explains like I was a small child. "It is checked before every fight. We would immediately know if something happened to it. Sorry, but I'm certain you interrupted the fight for nothing and will be fined properly."
