Game Over by M. C. Ross

Author:M. C. Ross [C. Ross, M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2022-09-02T00:00:00+00:00

Okay, I won’t leave you hanging. The answers were, respectively: We had; it was; who knew; and, blessedly, no.

Where there should have been a bone-shattering impact, there was just the world freezing, and that same booming voice from earlier proclaiming: “Congratulations! You’ve won the Victory Bell Royale! Come back soon!”

And then me, Sammi, Laddu, and a bewildered man with (not to harp on this, but) some seriously greasy hair were all staring at one another, stunned, sitting on our butts on a trio of platforms floating just above the very bottom of the entire Honeycomb. It was as quiet in the massive chamber as it had been when I’d left it, and it was hard to know who would break the silence first.

Just kidding. Obviously, it was Sammi.

“I can’t believe that worked,” she said.

“I can’t believe you helped me,” said Ender_Of_Games. “You totally had the drop on me. You could have just taken me out. Why didn’t you?”

“That was sort of the whole point,” I said. “We didn’t want to do that.”

“I mean, we might have—”

“We wouldn’t,” I said over Sammi. “Keep that in mind if you have to go into another game, okay? Not everything is win-lose. There may be a way out you haven’t thought of yet.”

“Wow.” As Ender stood up, he unconsciously scratched at the spot on his chest where the pie bandolier had vanished. “I don’t know about all that, but thanks. And they say there are no cheat codes in HIVE—maybe there are. I didn’t have you pegged for such an experienced gamer.”

I heard a snort, looked around, and realized it was Jason. I shrugged.

“I’m really more of a casual player,” I said.

Ender just shook his head. “I dunno,” he said as his platform began to float up and away from us. “I think we’re in here for a while. There’s no such thing as a casual player anymore. You girls stay safe.”

And then Ender_Of_Games was gone.

Which was our cue to get going, too. The last time I’d emerged into the Honeycomb, I’d been ambushed six ways from Sunday; I didn’t intend for it to happen again. I hopped onto Sammi’s platform faster than she could say something about it—so, very fast—and said: “Take us to the top of the Honeycomb, to—”

“Terms and Conditions,” Jason reminded me.

“Terms and Conditions,” I finished. And as the platform began its ascent, Sammi leaped up, grabbed my face with both armored gloves, and tilted it sharply this way and that.

“Ah!” I winced as she squinted into each of my ears. “What are you—”

“Where’s the earpiece?” Sammi grunted, her teeth between her tongue as she got up close and personal with my earwax (did I have earwax in HIVE? Ugh, next question). “I knew you were talking to someone, it’s so obvious. How did you get messaging to work? Is it Gus? If you and Gus are holding out on me, I swear—”

“It’s not Gus!” I said, finally smacking her hands away. “It’s—it’s a long story.”

Sammi gestured around at the sea of silence and steel through which we rose.

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