She took a deep breath and released it. “As ready as I will ever be.”
Then she did something she hadn't planned to do. “You were right.”
“About what?”
“The rest we took yesterday, gave me the energy I needed.”
Their eyes locked on one another. It was like everything else around them disappeared and it was just the two of them. The moment didn’t last long when it was suddenly broken.
Flashing lights almost blinded her as the camera drones flew in front of them. Whirring, stirring up the wind. It made her hair dance in the air. Then the Game Master appeared in another hologram.
“Welcome players and our amazing audience. Are you ready for the second challenge of the Galactic Survivor Games?”
The hologram of the audience roared and cheered.
“This challenge is a special one. We call it… the Thin Ice Bucket Challenge. The players must cross a field of Screech-Ice. It is ice that is so thin and pressurized it emits a high-pitched frequency that causes disorientation or migraines in certain species. The field is riddled with hidden crevasses that can swallow a fighter whole.”
The audience clapped with excitement.
“One player must guide the other while their partner is partially blind by their visor. Careful, the thin ice is susceptible to vibrations. One wrong step could mean instant death. How does the bucket fit in? Throughout the crevasses are buckets high above. Any vibrations can cause the buckets to release their contents of sharp ice thorns that can shatter the ice floor. The players have sixty seconds to decide which partner will lead and which partner will be blinded.”
Players began to argue with one another. She looked at Vaelor prepared to argue that her field and track experience would be helpful here. His brute strength wasn’t going to do the trick here. But he had a better argument.
“I am from an ice planet. This is my expertise. I know how to cross ice without breaking it. I have stronger senses and can hear if there is a crack.”
She hesitated for a moment, considering it.
“Do you trust me to lead you through this?” he asked.
That was the real question. Did she trust him?
She nodded her acceptance. “I trust you.”
The Game Master made the announcement.“Players who will go sightless, put on your visors now and take your places.”
Mara reached for the back collar of her biosuit where her visor was stored. She pulled it over her face. It was activated automatically with blinding lights. She could only see some shapes but couldn’t identify anything else.
“Let’s get this thing started. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Go!”
Chapter 16
Vaelor
Vaelor took Mara’s hand and led her down the marked pathway. There were a couple of players ahead of them and the rest were behind them. The Bestial male and his partner were pushing ahead of them. They used their brute strength shoving past ice boulders.
“Where are we?” Mara asked.
“The beginning of a crevasse. The pathway is getting rockier. I would carry you through this part but it's narrow. Only one of us can fit through at a time.”
“I’ll put my hands on your waist while you lead. Just go slow.”
“Move!” someone shouted from behind Mara.
Vaelor caught her before she fell. The Rasilian and Slurchan pushed through. He growled at them.
“Watch it!”
They snickered.
