Challenge of Steel by James David Victor

Author:James David Victor [Victor, James David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fairfield Publishing
Published: 2019-10-07T16:00:00+00:00

13

Challenge Hub, part 2

“That is the one I saw,” Dalia said, looking up at the imposing form of the Red Judge Uskol Hecatia.

Unfortunately, it was impossible for Anders to arrest this form of Uskol, as it was a giant holo-projection of the man some twelve feet high. He stood on an austere metal podium along with four other current contestants and previous winners of the Challenge.

Dalia and Anders stood in the central dome of the hub itself, with the geodesic crystal-glass structure far above them. This place was busy and crowded with the platinum-pass guests from all across the Reach of the Throne. They were mostly split into the various factions supporting each of the most prominent contestants. Anders saw a large number of Red Judges in their scale-like battle plate, while on the other side of the room were a knot of Secari crab-men who had attached orange-colored ribbons to the nodules of their carapace. They stood under the holo of Master Jid, a Secari that looked almost twice the size of his fellows if the scale to the other contestants was to be believed.

As well as these two came the more easily recognizable form of Venark of the Mondrauks, a horned alien with a squashed, puggy-looking face and great swathes of shaggy brown hair. It was no wonder that people thought they were devils when they first saw them. Anders shivered.

The last two holos were of the current human winners of the last Challenge—a rare duo who each stood on their own podium. “Lisa and Jacques.” Anders nodded at them. One was small and dark-haired, while the other was willowy, tall, and light-haired. The two women had entered as a couple, and although it was not unheard of, it was certainly rare. The lieutenant knew that they had certainly proven uncompromising enough to their enemies.

“It is barbaric,” Dalia surprised him by saying. From seeing the way that she had coolly handled herself in the Gene Seer facility, Anders had thought that she was an Ilythian warrior with a soldier’s sensibility, that while unnecessary, she might still have been able to appreciate the violent skills involved…

But why should I be surprised? The man berated himself. It was after all what he himself believed, too. “There are a lot of other contestants, as well,” Anders explained, waving a hand at the much smaller holo headshots of perhaps fifteen or more people—almost all humans—that were set against the walls.

“Where can we find Uskol?” Dalia asked, ignoring his small act of amateur tour guiding.

Anders explained that all the contestants, the famous ones and the less famous, would currently be in their respective rooms in this very hub, before being dropped to the surface of Hecta 3 in just a few hours.

“Then we had better move quickly,” Dalia said.

“That, uh, might be more difficult than you think…” Anders began. The murderer would be housed in the arm of the hub directly behind his giant holo. Right where the large gaggle of Red Judge fans and followers were congregated.

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