Chapter 27
Mara
The next morning, Mara woke up once again with Vaelor gone. But, he had extra thin skins pulled out for her to wear under her biosuit. If it hadn’t been for Vaelor, she probably would have frozen to death by now.
It made her wonder what she was actually bringing to this partnership. So far, Vaelor suffered bad luck just from being assigned to partner with her. She didn’t want to be the reason that he lost the games.
She would do her part as much as possible. Mara took the bedding and tent down, putting it into Vaelor’s pack. She brought the packs with her to the fire, not wanting to take her eyes off their supplies since they had been tampered with before.
The other players were still there, eating breakfast. A few of them looked up when she approached. Blaine turned on his charm. She started to resent that easy going act he put on. He couldn’t be for real.
“Good morning, beautiful!”
Mara plastered a fake smile on her face. “Morning.”
“I’ve got extra food heated up if you want some,” he offered.
“Thanks, but I’m waiting on Vaelor.”
“He shouldn’t leave you alone so much. He disappears a lot. What exactly is he up to?”
“You’ll have to ask Vaelor that yourself,” she told him.
“Ask me what?” Vaelor asked, suddenly standing behind them.
Mara noted that Blaine jumped back a little from Vaelor’s presence. Good.
She looked up at Vaelor and smiled. “Good morning. Have you had breakfast yet?”
“Not yet, but I have more of that soup you liked. Do you want some of that?”
“That would be great.”
“Let me heat it up for you.”
He took a food pouch out of his pack, two bowls and a water container. He handed everything but the pouch to her. Then he walked over to the fire and began to warm up the pouch.
“So, it’s like that,” Blaine commented with a sour tone in his voice.
“Like what?”
“You two are boning.”
She glared at him. “Are you twelve?”
“I’m just saying what is painfully obvious. He’s fucking you so that you will fall for him and let him win if you guys get to the end.”
“He is absolutely not doing that!”
“Not fucking you? Or not using you to get his own way?”
“Maybe I’m using him.”
“Are you? Because you can use me instead if that is your game. What do you say, you and me?”
“Vaelor and I are not using each other in that way. We’re partners and we are determined to get to the end. And as far as you and me, there is no you and me and never will be.”
To emphasize her point, she stood up, grabbed the packs and walked away moving closer to Vaelor on the other side of the fire.
Vaelor looked at her in surprise, then glared at Blaine. He came over with the food pouch.
“What did he say to you?”
“Not worth repeating. I’m hungry.”
He allowed her to drop the subject—for now. But he would get the details from her later. He opened the pouch and poured the soup into the two bowls.
They ate quickly. By the time they were done, everyone was getting ready to leave to head toward the next challenge location.
It didn’t take long to arrive at the site.
The GSG technicians were running around doing last minute touches.
Once more, Vaelor found a technician that he was able to convince to take the packs under his care personally.
Intimidation went a long way. They all took their places in the red circles when the camera drones began to buz around and bright lights flared out.
The air shimmered and—of course—a massive hologram of the Game Master exploded into view above them. Behind him, the hologram audience materialized in a wave of glowing blue silhouettes, already buzzing like they’d been waiting all day just to yell at them.
The Game Master raised his hands dramatically.
“Welcome viewers to the next Galactic Survivor Games challenge. There were only four pairs left now. The best of the best. Vaelor and Mara. Blaine and Dugan. Klosh and Rattan. Esto and Vor.”
The audience roared and clapped for their favorite players.
The Game Master continued, voice booming across the ice.
“Your next challenge is a timed event. You will have exactly thirty-five minutes to complete it. Let me remind you that a timed event means that your biosuits temperature will decrease and lower as time goes by.”
The hologram audience erupted. Some cheered. Some booed. One held up a glowing sign that read RUN FASTER, YOU COWARDS! Another waved a blinking arrow pointing at Vaelor and me with NEW FAVORITE TEAM flashing in obnoxious neon.
Mare stared. “Are they… allowed to heckle us?”
Vaelor sighed. “Apparently. But at least we have a few fans.”
The Game Master leaned forward like he was about to announce the apocalypse.
“This challenge is called… the Predator Walk.”
A dramatic gasp rippled through the hologram crowd—followed immediately by someone shouting, “I LOST A BET ON THIS ONE LAST SEASON!”
A giant projection of a massive white-furred beast with crystalline claws lunged across the sky above us. Several hologram spectators screamed theatrically. One fainted. She suspected it was for attention.
Mara stared at the creature, shock filling her. “That thing has six eyes.”
“Seven,” Vaelor corrected calmly. “One is hidden under the ridge of its skull.”
“Oh good,” she muttered. “Even better.”
The Game Master continued, voice sharp and theatrical.
“Teams must maneuver through the Frostfang Ice Field—home to the native ice predators.
You must cross without being killed… and without killing the predator.”
The hologram audience burst into laughter.
“GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!”
“DON’T WORRY, THEY ONLY EAT ON TUESDAYS!”
“WAIT—IT IS TUESDAY!”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I hate them.”
Vaelor wasn’t sure if I meant the predators or the audience. Honestly, I wasn’t sure either.
The Game Master raised his hand again.
“If you do not reach the far boundary within thirty-five minutes, you will be disqualified.”
The hologram crowd immediately chanted:
“FIGHT! SURVIVE! WIN!”
She exhaled slowly. “We can do this.”
Vaelor’s voice was steady. “It will require precision. And calm.”
“Also, luck,” she added.
Blaine, from across the zone, called out, “Just stay out of my way!”
The Game Master pointed dramatically toward the distant ice field.
“Competitors—prepare yourselves. The Predator Walk begins.”
The hologram audience roared, waving glowing banners and one suspiciously large foam claw.
Mara squared her shoulders, heart pounding.
Another challenge. Another death trap.
And this time, something out there was hungry.