Legend of Gemini - Chapter 10

“Yeah, turn to the left or else you’ll crash!” Prometeus’ agonizing shout sounded out from the radio transmitter installed on my space helmet as he was guiding me in maneuvering the space pod. The Pod’s speed and agile evasion of the obstructing prismatic rocks makes one head to be dizzy. The guy’s teaching made me panic. The simulator we’ve been using was similar to the one at our palace which creates a digital fortress and actual imagery of the prismatic rock belt. The Prismatic Rock Belt was made up of millions of huge asteroids revolving between the two planets Armstrong and Galdaveran’s orbits. I only learned of this today, that the one they called Space Pod Racing is a space vehicle race. All participants in this race have to be alert when evading prismatic rocks that obstruct the way to the finish line. The first team to reach the finish line will be called the winner.

Prometeus’ face suddenly appeared on the console’s communication screen. “Shoot at your right side!” He reminded me while a Prismatic Rocks was heading straight to my space pod.

“Ahhh!” I shouted due to extreme nervousness, thinking I was struck by that giant rock. Fortunately, I actually had quickly evaded it. I didn’t manage to use the beam gun but I got myself to familiarize balancing the pod.

“Pollux, carefully scan the radar so that you can judge whether a rock will collide to you or not.” Another reminder from Prometeus. I glanced at the radar on the console and calculated where will be the route safe from rocks.

“Calculating the safest route going to the finish line,” the female virtual voice sounded out.

“Hurry! Raise your flying speed to the maximum! You’re always lagging behind us!” Virgil commanded and said with blame. His shouts coming from the radio transponder was deafening.

I increased the machine’s speed to catch up with the six of them. Within six seconds, it seems like my breath was cut off because of my space pod’s maximum speeding. The space pod made me lightheaded, so much that all the butterflies in my stomach seemed to disappear.

“Don’t stick to me too much. Do you want to crash with me!?” Marcus warned Mulave. We can hear them as well since all our voices have been connected to our helmet’s radio transponder. I scanned the radar and saw Mulave’s pod had flown above Marcus’. While Mulave’s pod was slowing down, the pod I was in charge of was catching up to the team.

I continuously dodged the prismatic rocks despite my losing of balance. I pressed the console’s zoom images button to watch the other group. The clear images appeared on my helmet and it was noticeable that Prometeus, Virgil and Jokai were leading. They never failed to shoot down the floating rocks using their beam guns. They know well the safe routes and their space vehicles seemed to be dancing with the sounds of shattering asteroids. The three of them were amazing to watch. My attention had been glued to them so much that I forgot piloting my own. I didn’t see the incoming rock above my pod. I only learned of it when the pod’s sensor gave warnings.

“Alert! Alert! Two prismatic rocks are detected by the sensors. Impact will be in twelve... eleven... ten...” The virtual assistant warned alongside the siren and on-off lights. I became nervous and eventually loses focus.

I cursed in panic. “Damn!” I can’t dodge it. The two huge prismatic rocks collided on top of my pod. I was trapped and couldn’t flee because of the narrow path. I tried my best to avoid the rocks heading towards me. There’s no right angle that I won’t be struck. Motherf888er! I faintly felt my hands trembling before my feared scenario happened. As the two prismatic rocks collide, the fragments struck my pod. As a result, my maneuvering reached critical point and then the pod’s explosion followed. My console died. The words Game Over came out of my helmet and then the simulator stopped.

“Game Over.” said the female virtual voice at the simulator chair. It then shut down and all the illusive images vanished like bubbles. Everything returned to normal.

“It’s okay, Pollux. A little more training in piloting space pod!” Prometeus said through the radio transponder. I put off my space helmet and removed my hand gloves.

Annoying! Why can’t they just allow auto-piloting on this competition? Damn!

“Don’t fear defeat. Be scared when you don’t want to try it anymore.” Prometeus added as an advice to me. I turned off the radio transponder to cut off my connection to those who are still training.

It’s maddening.

They all continue training despite my absence on the game. In my opinion, all my newbie companions were not finding it difficult to fly space pod on the simulator. It seems only I was the moron in this field?

I could only watch them until they all fell from training. There were some who collided to each other’s pods and to some prismatic rocks. Only Virgil and Prometeus had managed to traverse the finish line without sweating over it.

“Congratulations, Racer Number 3!” The feminine virtual voice sounded out from the simulator.

I saw from the monitor screen how Jokai jumped on his console chair as he celebrated his victory. He came out of his simulator shell and threw his space helmet to Prometeus.

“You’re really good!” Everyone celebrated because Virgil and Prometeus also passed the Space Pod Racing simulation. “I’m still very confident that we will also win this year.”

Virgil took off his Space Helmet. “Of course! As long as it’s a race, those who wear yellow can’t put up a fight against us.” The guy boasted while tapping Prometeus’ shoulders. He was probably talking about Saturn’s yellow team – the team Eastern Terra Nova. Prometeus and Virgil’s wins were not questionable because they had shown their greatness in piloting space pod.

***

The next morning, Mulave, Mareo and Ureter’s faces greeted me. I rose from my bed and unexpectedly yawned. I was like a withering plant receiving water. “What are you guys doing?”

“We’re waiting for you to wake up, do you want to train with us?” Ureter answered.

“Don’t we have to take a bath first? Aren’t you guys too eager to race?” I scratched my head. These three were all too impatient to maneuver space pod.

It seems these three want to drag someone along.

“Of course, we’ll be heading there! Come on, let’s all bath together!” Ureter urged.

“Fine, I’ll just catch up. Let me arrange my bedding first.” I faked my grin in order to not appear awful to them.

“Okay, catch up, ha!” Mulave reminded.

I nodded to them and fixed my bedding. I folded my blanket and reached out to the sterilizing rod inside my pillow. I pressed the ON button and then blue radiation came out. To kill the microbes sprouting on my belongings, I rolled the blue radiation on the bedding. Before only our servants do this at the palace but now, I have to actually do this by myself for my sake.

...

Demons bath together on the bathroom. The bathroom and comfort room were sharing the same room. Only a divider divides the dresser and shower. The men’s bath is separated from the women’s bath. In the Sanctuary, all demons always bath naked and it’s one of the rules from the tablet given by Astronomiya. On my first day here at the Sanctuary, I was hesitant to be naked, but now, no more malice clouded my mind. The raining water was all over the room and the sounds of rushing water from the shower accompanied the chattering noise made by the noisy demons. The topics are all about the soon-to-come Demon Games, farming on the rice field and wheat field, fishing on the artificial lake and the nonsensical breakfast food.

Is this all they do every single day?

No demons attempted to talk about their near death, the Tri-Polar eclipse and the families they left behind. The current month is ending and the Demon Games will be by next week.

Time is short because the Tri-Polar eclipse is nearing. Even now, I’ve yet to find my soulmate. Am I going to die in this place?

This day is our training for the Battle Star Tournament. I still don’t know anything about this challenge that’s why Prometeus and Virgil had first made us watch some video clips on how to play it.

Silence.

Everyone was seriously watching the previous Battle Star Tournament.

Each team has ten players and all of them have ages ranging from 16 and above. All members of each team have to help each other in piloting a Mothership Aviator which has ten starships army. Each army will be held by one member and everyone has a role to fulfill. The team to lose all armies loses.

In this Battle Star Tournament, it’s survival of the fittest. I think I will like this game.

After watching the video clip, Prometeus immediately assigned us an army.

“Mulave, I’ll give you the first fleet. Mareo, to you the second fleet. Ureter, the third fleet is yours. Pollux, the fourth fleet is yours. Marcus, I’ll give you the tenth fleet. Barish, yours is the ninth fleet. Lucas, handle the eighth. Brandon, seventh fleet. Virgil, you’re assigned to the sixth fleet.” Prometeus mentioned us one by one and then gave us a handbook about how to handle the army of starships. “I’m on the fifth fleet which is also the central forces of the Mothership Aviator. No matter what, you all have to protect the main deck because it’s the source of the Mothership’s power core. It’s the enemies’ weakest target, that’s why if needed, you have to sacrifice for me. You have to do it. Remember everyone, especially the new members, don’t ever let the core be destroyed, because when that happens, it’s GAME OVER!” reminded Prometeus.

I took Prometeus given manual which was from the white box drive. The handbook is the color of chestnut instead of white? Odd? I read it and then realized that it’s no different from those books about space warring. Finally, I won’t get bored. This has been my favorite topic after it was discussed by my teacher in the palace. I’m excited.

After a while, we dressed up in space uniform and entered the Mothership Aviator Simulator Room. Our white uniform felt light and it was pure white except the red pin on our chest. The Battle Star’s simulation room was circular in shape, unlike the Space Pod’s simulation room which isolated every member in separate pod shell console. The Mothership’s table console was curved in shape and it was as if it was the mirroring the main deck of the Mothership. I haven’t been on the main deck of a real Mothership, but I think, what I’m seeing right now looks exactly like its bridge house, except the color.

It’s because the whole room is white. The radar, panel boards, console, steering wheel, speed telegraph, panel screens, chairs and other equipment are white. The all-white of this Sanctuary is really sickening. The only non-whitish object here is the stenciled numbers on the chairs. It’s red.

“Okay guys, sit in your place,” Virgil commanded.

I went to the chair stenciled with number 4 at the back which actually referred to my fleet. Fleet number 4. I sat on it and wear my space helmet, pressed the ON button of the radio transponder on the left side of my ear. Unlike in the Space Pod, the safety belt will automatically fasten.

“Radio check, radio check.” greeted Prometeus on the radio transponder. His voice is clear and with no crack, it means, the machine works nicely. This is what to be done first before the training in order to check if the communication works fine.

“To the newbies, the first we have to discuss is about how to use the command system of your starship fleet. Listen carefully so we won’t have to repeat it.” Jokai said. Suddenly, the boxes connected to our chairs rose up and then some digital balls came out of every console chair.

It’s surprising.

“The ball in front of you guys is called command sensor. That’s what you will use to move your fleet.” Prometeus added.

This object is amazing. For sure, I will like this game.

...

Whosays: My nose is bleeding. The sci-fi terms which I found hard to imagine (because all I can imagine are magical scenes) made my head dizzy. Haha. The chapter is nice though. It’s all about sci-fi battle training. XD