Dream Park by Larry Niven;Steven Barnes

Author:Larry Niven;Steven Barnes
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: High Tech, Dream Park (Imaginary place), General, Science Fiction, Amusement parks, Fiction
ISBN: 9780765326676
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2010-05-11T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

THE LAST REPLACEMENTS

The dream was too vivid for comfort. It began with the Nibek chasing Griffin through the halls of R&D, and ended with the creature cornering him in the first floor lounge. A spear materialized in his hand, and Alex threw it into the monster’s head. It screamed thunderously and collapsed to the floor, melting into the form of Albert Rice, trussed and gagged and sitting dead by the drink dispenser.

“I’m sorry. . .” Griffin found himself saying automatically. A small crowd of people materialized, tsking the still form of the guard. A little gray-haired lady waved a disapproving finger at Alex. “He may not have been well balanced at the end, but he was a fine, upright boy,” she said.

Someone in a snowy-white doctor’s smock spoke with Bobbick’s voice. “I knew the lad well, and he wouldn’t take this sitting down . . .”

And just before the morning mists dissolved into the sounds and smells of breakfast, a third voice whispered, “Believe me. He was for real until he got his back up against it. Believe me . . .”

“Hey there, sleepy-head!” Acacia grinned at him, squatting to look into his face. Griffin parted gummy eyelids and groaned aloud. “What’s the matter, tough guy?”

“That’s simple, Cas. This sleeping bag doesn’t go over too well with my water-bed body.”

“Well, how would some bacon and eggs go?”

“Fresh eggs?”

“Absolutely. Kibugonai showed up this morning toting a cache of fresh eggs, bread, and orange juice.”

“Me for cargo.” The last niggling speculations about his dream were swept away by the sudden hollow in his belly. “What time is it? How long till Game time?”

“About an hour. Come on and eat. Kasan says that there’ll be a place to bathe up ahead.” She sniffed under her arms, dubiously. “Frankly, I need it.” She bounded up and made for the next bedroll, where S. J. lay curled into a compact lump.

Griffin yawned. He split the velcro seal and rolled out of the bag. His legs felt a little sore, and he massaged life into them with the practiced edges of his thumbs. Breathing deeply and slowly, he stretched out to touch his toes and twisted to each side, feeling the circulation return to the muscles in his back. He finished the warm-up with a few slow push-ups, then got to his feet.

The mood of the group was highly charged again. A night’s sleep had refueled their fantasy engines. Alex remembered the nuzzling going on yesterday evening, and wondered whether sleep had much to do with it.

Henderson was holding court against the bole of a tree munching a sweet roll while balancing a plate piled high with eggs and fresh bread. Kagoiano served Alex his breakfast, and the security man ambled over towards Chester to eavesdrop.

“What did you think of last night’s Opposition?” Bowan asked between bites of egg.

“The natives?”

“Typical orcs,” was Chester’s answer. It’s really shame nobody has figured a more realistic way to conduct personal combat. Dream Park is too worried about injuries and lawsuits.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.