Far Side of the Moon

  Sophie felt the tingling sensation as a blue glow surrounded her, and when it faded she was on the moon.

  She bounced a few times, grinning as Peter nearly fell over.

  “Isn't it fun?” she asked, taking his hand.

  “It’s… interesting,” he decided, steadying himself.

  Behind them, Razan cleared his throat. “I was told the tournament wasn't going to be like this.”

  A raven hopped into the air nearby. “We have only adjusted the gravity of the arena floor. The place where you fight will almost be equivalent to what it is on the ship. To save energy, the seating and preparation areas have been left as they were. Now; as you are not participating in the battle royale, please go to your left and find a place to sit.”

  “Anywhere?” Marie asked, stepping that way.

  “Yes.”

  She nodded, and Sophie followed her through the door into a grey corridor. It led to a set of stairs, which let out into the stadium.

  It was huge. They were at the top of a dozen rows of seats, then there was a long drop down to the arena where the fighting would be. Sophie stared at giant stone blocks making an open oval near the edges of the arena, perfect for climbing on or hiding behind. Then her eyes traveled up, and she saw a network of metal bars with glass between them covering the whole structure. She wanted so very badly to climb up there.

  At either end of the oval seating area was a wall with pictures displayed. There must have been a hundred birds scattered around, watching every move. And finally Sophie noticed her teammates all staring at the stands directly opposite them.

  There were people there, filtering in and finding places to sit. Those people… weren’t human. They had fur, and some had tails and cat-like ears. Their clothes were bizarre, with odd hats and tail jewelry. Most of them had something on their wrist that occasionally glowed.

  “Drifters, over here!”

  Sophie looked down the rows of seats to see Chimeg waving at them. Razan immediately started down, and Sophie followed. Peter and Marie went after them.

  “I hope you don’t get nervous in front of an audience,” Chimeg said, motioning to the crowd across from them.

  Innoka, next to her, pulled her arm away from Antoni. “Is this your first time seeing the rostari in person?”

  “Yes,” Razan answered, bowing to the Foxes. “I don’t believe any of us were expecting this.”

  “We weren’t,” Marie said. “But they’re not all rostari, are they?”

  “Nah, the ones with tails are different,” Chimeg said. “I just wish they’d sell whatever they’re eating over here.”

  “I don’t think we’d be able to eat it,” Antoni said.

  Chimeg grinned. “We can eat anything once.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Marie agreed.

  They kept talking, Mateo standing to join the conversation, but Sophie found herself looking up again. The edge of the roof attached to the wall around the stadium. The wall which they could climb up to. The wall that Sophie was pretty sure she could jump to the top of, given the low gravity.

  She climbed over to it, staring at the intersecting metal bars. She couldn’t tell if it really was glass between them, or something else. Sophie wanted to know. She was desperate to touch it.

  She put her hand on the wall, feeling the rough stone surface. Not ideal for climbing, but not impossible.

  A group came through the doorway a few paces away, the Seabirds. Sophie glanced over and found Grace grinning at her.

  “I wouldn't do that, Miss Sophia,” she called, laughing.

  “Why not?” Sophie asked, looking up again.

  “The glass feels like touching lightning,” Grace said, walking over.

  Peter walked up at the same time. “What are we doing?”

  “I want to climb up there,” Sophie told him.

  Grace added, “It’s a terrible idea.”

  “Why is it terrible?” Peter asked.

  “Because Rani tried two years ago and was knocked unconscious for long enough the Stars had to forfeit their fight,” Grace said. “But by all means, go ahead.”

  Sophie glared at her for a few seconds, trying to decide what to say. Before anything proper came to mind, a loud voice echoed all around them.

  “The time is near! Make your bets, grab a snack, find your seats, and the first event of the day will begin!”

  Sophie looked around, trying to find where the voice was coming from.

  “Our first fight is a full battle royale! We’ve got six teams participating! Starting at Gate 1 in the arena, please welcome in… The Fleeting!”

  The crowd cheered. Sophie took Peter’s hand and pulled him down to a seat in the front row as the announcer called Volcanoes for Gate 2. The pictures on either side of the coliseum showed the teams as they were announced.

  Gate 3 had the Heralds behind it, and Gate 4 was where the Stars were. Sophie cheered for Rani and her team, and some of the rostari opposite her jumped to their feet as they cheered. She was glad to see her friend’s team was well-liked.

  And then she heard a boo come from Peter’s other side, where Grace and her team were.

  Sophie’s fists clenched. “Are you booing them?” she demanded as the announcer continued.

  “They beat us out last tournament,” Grace said, shrugging. “If they don't win this fight I'll be happy.”

  Her teammates cheered their agreement.

  “Still! Don't boo my friend!” Sophie snapped.

  “What’re you gonna do about it, princess?” Grace asked, leaning towards her with a smirk.

  “Grace,” Peter said softly.

  They looked at him, and he shook his head, watching the pictures as the last team was announced. To Sophie’s annoyance, Grace backed away.

  “Fine, I won’t boo your friend, but I'll still cheer if they lose,” Grace said, turning to look at the pictures. “You can't deny me that.”

  “No,” Sophie agreed primly. “Especially as they won't lose.”

  On Grace’s other side, Juan looked over. “What do you bet?”

  Before she could even think of what she had to bet with, a horn blare sounded out, and with a roar of the crowd all six gates sprung open.

  Marie, sitting on the edge of her seat between Razan and Louis, watched the fight begin.

  The six groups ran out of their gates, then immediately dashed for cover. In the arena there were a dozen and a half giant stone blocks, each just tall enough most people could barely touch the top edge. A few teams helped people with ranged weapons up, including the Stars.

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  Omar stood on a block and pulled out a slingshot, aiming and letting a paint ball fly before the man standing two blocks down managed to get his revolver out of its holster. The Star looked around and called for his team to go left, taking aim again.

  Rani and Kadek went left, but Paola nodded and went right, darting to the next block over. Marie watched, taking half a second to decide this was planned.

  The team to their left, the Heralds, had heard Omar yell and were preparing themselves. The team to their right, the Revived, also heard the shout and had turned their backs to the Stars’ gate. Meaning a headshot from Paola’s rifle took them entirely by surprise. The remaining three turned as their teammate vanished in a flash of blue light, but the Brazilian woman was already out of sight.

  Meanwhile, the “fight” between Omar and the Herald on the next block over seemed to mostly be for show. Marie was almost certain they were missing shots on purpose, just to impress the audience.

  The fight on the ground between them, though, wasn't for show. Kadek had a simple bronze staff, not even a spear, but he knew exactly how to handle its weight. He blocked an attack from a sword, punched the end into his attacker’s shoulder, nearly dislocating it, then pulled back and swung hard enough into the woman’s arm she dropped her weapon and stumbled directly into a stab from Rani’s iron claws. The Herald vanished as Rani stepped back and gave the woman’s teammate a wide slash across the chest. He vanished, too.

  The remaining woman, hiding around the corner of the block with a crossbow, took aim and hit Kadek in the arm. He and Rani dashed forward, and in short order she vanished. Above them, Omar finally hit his opponent enough times to make the man vanish. He had a red splatter of paint on his arm, and another on his knee, but that wasn’t anywhere near enough to take him out of the fight. He climbed awkwardly down, Kadek helping as Rani checked for nearby enemies.

  Meanwhile, Paola had taken out three of the Revived; the fourth a man who had run away from her and straight into the next team over. Paola was reloading her rifle, keeping an eye out for enemies.

  On the other side of the arena, the Volcanoes and Fleeting were taking shots at each other from opposite sides of a block. A woman in Fleeting colors climbed to the top and took shots at the people in red and teal with a pair of pistols similar to Marie’s. When they were spent she sat down, putting an old dagger in front of her before reloading. By the time she was done, the rest of her team had finished the Volcanoes off.

  The announcer, who had gone quiet, spoke again. “Three teams down! Three remaining! Who will win?!”

  Marie looked up as the crowd across from them went wild. It was all a bit theatrical. She wasn’t used to fighting for show and flare. Aiming to entertain rather than kill would be a challenge for her.

  She glanced to her side and found Louis watching her.

  “Cataloging all their strengths and weaknesses?” he guessed.

  “Of course,” she said, looking back down. “This is an excellent opportunity to learn.”

  “Indeed.” He nodded curtly, took her hand, and looked back into the arena as well.

  Marie felt hopeful, moving ever so slightly closer to him.

  Peter watched the battles, trying to remain detached. Analytical. Non-emotional.

  The three groups had left the relative safety of the outer ring of blocks, moving towards the open center.

  Somehow the sounds of the fights were amplified. Every strike, every shot, every cry of pain, it all echoed around the coliseum, going straight through Peter’s ears and down into his chest.

  The spectators cheered as a shot rang out, Sophie yelled in support of Rani, another shot rang out, someone briefly screamed in pain, the sound of metal striking metal-

  Peter got up and, as calmly as possible, walked back to the corridor. Where it was quieter. He pulled the brim of his hat down to shade his face more and shoved shaking hands under his armpits, hunching into his poncho.

  He couldn’t breathe properly. He closed his eyes, but that somehow made things worse, so he opened them and stared at the floor.

  “You all right, Poncho?”

  He looked up to find Grace watching him, worried.

  He shivered, trying to force coherent words through the screaming in his mind. “Si, est-” He stopped. Wrong language. “Yes, I- I- I can fight. I can. It won’t be a problem. I just- just- I can’t- can’t listen to it.”

  She took a step back, then turned, leaving him alone. He paced in a small circle for a few seconds, then leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. He put his head on his knees, breathing deeply.

  Footsteps. “Sergeant.”

  Peter didn’t move. “Yes, Captain?”

  Silence. Then Marie took a breath and let it out slowly. “I'm going to count to ten. And then I'm going to order you to stay behind with Sophie. Unless you look me in the eye and tell me you’ll be good to fight. Understood?”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “Good. One.”

  Peter held his breath, every muscle locked.

  “Two.”

  In the distance, people yelled and a gun went off. He felt his fingernails dig into his palms and shuddered again.

  “Three.”

  If he didn't move, if he just stayed like this, nothing bad would happen. There would be no pain.

  “Four.”

  Peter glanced up. Marie was leaning against the wall next to him, looking at the exit. She showed no interest in what he chose to do.

  “Five.”

  Halfway there. He just had to wait. Just wait, not move, and it would be over. Marie would leave, and he’d be… alone.

  “Six.”

  He’d be alone, but Marie and Razan would also be alone. His teammates. His friends. They’d be in danger, and he wouldn't be allowed to help them. He’d have to watch. Just sit there and watch.

  “Seven.”

  Peter found himself climbing to his feet. He couldn't… He couldn't leave them alone. He couldn't abandon them like this.

  “Eight.”

  Peter forced his eyes to meet Marie’s. She was bored, completely apathetic. He took a shaky breath, then another.

  “Nine,” she said, her voice softer this time.

  Peter absorbed her apathy and reflected it. “I will fight, Captain.”

  Marie smiled faintly, putting a hand on his shoulder. He managed to not flinch away before she dropped it.

  “We both know you’ll do fine, so there’s no sense in me reassuring you,” she said. “If you can't show, don't. The samurai and I want a challenge. Two against four would serve my bloodlust delightfully.”

  Peter nodded, and she left. As he collapsed back against the wall Grace came into the corridor again.

  “Sergeant?” she asked.

  He adjusted his hat, not looking at her. “Yes?”

  “I mean, you’re actually a sergeant?”

  “Well, not- not any more,” he said, straightening the fringe of his poncho. “It- it was a battlefield promotion, and they immediately reassigned me to- to intelligence gathering, so it wasn't- wasn't like I really… uhm.”

  “Battlefield promotion?” Grace asked.

  He finally looked at her. “Uhm, my- my sergeant died, and I was the- the closest person next rank down, so I inherited his position.”

  “Oh.” She leaned against the wall opposite him. “I think… The reason I enjoy fights here is I'm never in real danger. No one is. I've never been in real danger. But if you know what it’s like to be in real, honest-to-God battles… Have you just been terrified this whole time?”

  Peter looked at the ceiling, considering. “No. The reef was too different. I missed my poncho more than anything. And the desert… I had a job, a goal, and there weren't many people around. Being able to focus on one person and not worry about anyone else is fine. But what’s out there… is closer to what I remember.”

  Grace moved to the wall next to him. “What do you remember?”

  “Pain.” He shook his head. “Different types of pain. Joking with friends one night, then the next night half of them are dead is painful. Knowing death is almost never instant is painful. If you’re shot in the arm, shattering the bone, it takes time to bleed out. If a surgeon finds you, best case you lose an arm. Worst case it gets infected, and you die a week later anyway. And all that… is pain. I'm not afraid of dying; death is a release from pain.”

  “How did you die?” she asked. “I assumed you’d starved somehow.”

  He straightened his poncho again. “Yeah. Starved.”

  “How?”

  After a few seconds of silence, there was a flash in front of them and a raven appeared in the hallway.

  “Drifter. The first battle has ended, and you have the next. Please follow me.”

  Peter pushed himself off the wall, smiling wryly at Grace. He tipped his hat at her and followed the bird down the corridor.

  Razan followed Marie to the gate, each step getting heavier until his weight felt normal.

  With apologies to the moon goddess, he decided he didn't like being here. Not that he particularly enjoyed being anywhere else, either.

  The gate was just a set of bars, for show more than anything.

  “Razan, we’re against Moss,” Marie said, coming to a stop. “You’ve fought two of them, aye? Should we be worried?”

  He bowed, keeping a smile off his face. “Yes. And no. They’re not entirely incompetent, but I am not worried.”

  “I wish we had more time to plan,” Peter said, coming up behind them. He was hunched under his poncho, clearly nervous. “But I suppose you did only get the roster this morning.”

  “We’ve done what we could; got everyone weapons and practiced with them,” Marie told him, then turned to Razan. “What do you say, samurai? Do you prefer making plans or going in blind?”

  Razan gave this thought as, outside, the announcer announced their team name. And the crowd cheered.

  “Plans are good,” he decided. “But they rarely go perfectly.”

  “Ah, so plan, but be prepared to abandon the plan?” Marie asked.

  “Precisely.”

  “I'll accept that,” Peter shrugged, beginning to straighten up. “By the way, who won the first battle?”

  “Stars,” Marie answered. “Omar was taken out, then a whole group went after Paola, but Kadek and Rani fear neither pain nor death. The worst type of melee fighter to go up against.”

  Razan agreed as Nop hopped onto a bar of the gate.

  “The battle will begin in ten seconds,” she announced.

  They faced the gate, the two men standing behind Marie.

  Marie cleared her throat. “Thief, if you follow us out there, I will send you back myself,” she stated.

  Razan and Peter shared a glance, then looked back as footsteps stomped away.

  “Five seconds,” Nop said.

  Peter stared at Marie. “How did you-”

  Razan grinned. “She didn't.”

  Marie laughed, not denying it.

  Nop flapped off the gate as it vanished into the ground with a clang.