Aardvarks to Planet X (book 1 of the hexology in seven parts)
Chapter 26: Another Go

Billy cricked his neck, as he felt the strain of another hour on Final Shoot Down. The computer screen seemed to envelope his world. As he was drawn into the pixelated reality, of the 3D first person shoot ’em up.

He was good at it; you had to be to get to level ten. An elite team linked by the game, and an earphone. Not forgetting the endless hours spent to get up to this level. But he was off school, and felt he spent the hours well.

But this level gave him so much pressure. You were up most of the night, unless you got unlucky. He put that to the back of his mind. Lose at level ten and it was back to nine. At least at level nine there was a pause button. Ten kept on and on until dawn came. Funny how it only ran at night, but that’s the game designers Billy thought, know your market.

The missions varied, but mostly revolved about keeping the rebels pinned down in the forest. “A parody for life”, Billy mused as he crept up on an unsuspecting target. A squeeze of his trigger, and blatt as another pixelated corpse blew apart. Some missions led him far afield to a rebel base, but each one new. “They must be up all night too writing these missions” he quipped. As a grenade he lobbed into an enemy campfire exploded, scattering more pixels in the shape of general gore.

Just then his earpiece buzzed. Jamie who’d teamed up with him before, now tramped over. Or at least his Robo-Marine did. This must be how he looked to Jamie, as he sat in some other lonely room. “Got a tip off from command. The rebels are making an offensive on wall section twenty-eight. Want to join in?” This was just what Billy was hoping for. “Great let’s go.” And they trudged off towards their prey.

As they moved through the forest Jamie piped up. “You think we’ll ever get to level eleven?” “Might not be one, this might lead to end game” “Still worth the effort, how many kills tonight?” “Six and a supply dump, get a few points for that” “Two thousand at least.” They both knew the numbers, but this was game banter, it had to be done.

“Bang.” Billy dropped to the ground. Jamie had committed a crime against gaming. Never lose yourself in thought. As the robot Jamie landed back on the ground, the head turned to Billy’s out of his screen, as the eye lights faded. “Poor luck” Billy murmured, but it was only to himself. The ear link went when you drop to nine. Maybe he’d be back up, some did, and some didn’t. That’s just the way it is.

Billy trudged on. An indicator at the bottom of the screen read radio damage. “Damn that Jamie, now I’ll be down on comms for the rest of the night.” A good communication meant all the difference. He’d just have to keep out of too much trouble. If only he’d got a better quota earlier. That was another way of going down, low quota. It varied from night to night, but you always had to get above the lowest.

“I wonder what Jamie got, cocky git probably hit a high number. Made him too sure of himself.” He was near to section twenty-seven now, and it was looking like a firestorm. Bullets raged from both sides. Just then the door banged open, and Billy’s big brother Tom popped his head round. “Only me little one” he jibbed. This always got Billy’s goat, as he flinched back into the trees. It would be just his luck to be shot, while the big galoot distracted him.

“I’m off to work.” All hell broke loose, got to go. Billy charged in to the clearing. “It’s my new job on the wall.” Bullets were flying every ware. “keeping you lot safe.” Billy grunted, did the fool want him to get shot. “So why don’t you pause and wish me luck?” There was a bright flash, and Billy was blown sideways, he lashed out. “It’s level ten, no pause, quit distracting me, I nearly died.”

Billy’s vision was blurred, but he ran in guns blazing. “You think more of that game than me.” A well-aimed punch on Billy’s real arm broke the spell. And as he turned to see Toms blue robed back disappear, Billy marched on, oblivious of the red sign floating in front of him. Danger, do not enter. Then he was through the hole, and all seemed at peace.

He turned back; the other Robo-Marines were trying to get to him. He called over the mike, and then “dammit broke” he remembered. He tried to get a shot through to help them, but his brother soldiers were in the line of fire. He had to do something. They were getting mown down. But others were were approaching from behind, what if they were the enemy? Billy was caught alone between the firefight, and these new unknown assailants. He crept back wards into an alleyway.

Better watch and find out. They hadn’t seen him, good. Too busy barricading the wall. No wonder level ten lasted so long, he had just realised. “You have to get through this wall of course, and the enemy kept repairing it. Well there were too many of them now.” He’d have to disappear into the shadows. Perhaps he’d get to level eleven before dawn.

At lease now he had a clue, surly this was the way up. Billy soon got lost in the maze of streets. There could be enemies at every turn. He decided to get his bearings. “Find a target, that’s the way.” He looked for a tall building. “Yes get on top of that one, and I’ll see where to go.”

Quickly but silently, he moved from shadow to shadow. Time was getting on, even if he got enough points. For surly those left behind him in the battle at the wall; must be chalking up a massive tally. Would he restart tomorrow in this new section? He just had to hope. Then Billy smiled, there was a sentry waiting on the corner. It had to be a sentry, no heavy weapon. With all the panther like grace, he stalked his prey. With skills honed over many a level, one quick swipe and it was over. Up went his score. His first kill in the enemy stronghold. On he went, ever closer to his goal. With one eye ever flicking to the clock, yes he would get his goal.

Billy spotted an entrance. He was in before any passing patrol could spot him. He approached a lift, yes the best way; the stairs would take too long. As the doors swept open, a figure in the lift looked back surprised. But with the entire cat like reaction imbued in Billy, he struck. Red spurted from the blue uniform, and Billy let the form drop to the floor before stepping in.

He pressed the top button as he saw his score rise. Then poised ready for his next foe, he swiftly rose towards the top. “How long to the end of the session?” Billy had to get more points. Then juddering to a halt, the doors slid open once more. The ambush he was expecting. Like an ever-chugging motor, his gun blasted out. Until all his foes lay where they fell. Blood covered the walls, but Billy had eyes only for the prone figure at his feet, a child.

“I didn’t know there were civilians in this game.” Yet a swift head count tallied with his score. “What were the designers thinking of?” It took something out of the game; he felt the pangs of nausea. Then another look at the clock, “get back on track, it’s only a game.”

He automatically pressed the button again, and up he went. “This is it, top floor” he thought, all weapons on standby. But nothing happened, no shots, no enemy to shoot. This was tension near endurance. He almost wished for an attack, the wait was just too intense.

He crept down the hall, and paused at the end door. It was how it must be; surly this was the end. He had scant time remaining; silently he opened the door. Still no attack came. He glanced briefly over his shoulder; there was no one behind. Slowly he entered the short hall; a door ajar at the end. Billy reached out with his assault rifle, and nudged it open. A figure sat hunched over a screen. Perhaps it was the enemy commander?

He edged forward with only seconds to go. Billy’s finger slowly squeezed the trigger. “Click”, the screen turned white. Shit he was so close, and now he’d blown it. The end of the session had come. His final score along with his ranking scrolled up the screen. “Still in it” he sighed.

The final message moved into view, from a point at the back of the screen. “Get some rest soldier, you deserve it. Sixteen hours before you get another go, at final shoot down level ten.” Billy yawned and leaned back. Then he hit the back of his head, on the barrel of a very large gun.

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