ARC of the IMMORTALS/Book 1/

Pursuit: Chapter 8.1/ Let the Pre-Games Begin…

Recap: “And you don’t believe him?” Jac asked./ “Not for a minute. He and Bendel are up to something, if you ask me,” Touzdae was firm.

Bendel strode across the Main Floor to the Central Hub offices. He was eye scanned and the door opened. He entered the Sensor Command Post.

“Karham?”

“Yes sir.”

“What did the scan reveal of the box Kristos was carrying?”

“Nothing of the contents, but the energy maintaining the cloak is enormous. I don’t recognize this pattern, “ he tapped the screen.

“That is the Space Fish, I recognize the pattern anywhere.”

“But the source of the power seems to be coming from inside the gate of the Hinterland.”

“Hmm. Did you run scans on the Fish?”

“I was able to pierce the skin for a few microseconds as they emerged. Just as you suggested. I found un-synthesized gold moving from the ship’s two cores into the lifeboat. And this fragment…” Karham handed a hard copy to Bendel.

“I didn’t know what to make of it. I ran it through all the filters.”

Bendel scratched his head. “I’ll have to give it some thought.”

“And the Suite is scanned. I tried to break through an area they’ve defended with a force nine system, but I know I need extra power to see behind that. Do you grant it, sir?”

“No, no. I like the action. Besides a probe or a boosted scan might overload the main energy converters. All hell could break loose. The casino, hell the whole of Casa Noir could be lost.”

“When do I get to play?”

“Abu is preparing table 11 on the ground level. But I’m not sure. I get conflicting answers from Jac. My guess is about 45 hours from now, but it could be sooner.”

“That doesn’t give him any advantage whatsoever. Why would he choose that position?”

“He expects to win big. If he does he will be in a position to use the power to open an enormous rift into the gateway. It may be big enough to fit a ship or three inside.”

“No one has ever done that right?”

“Only one other man has done it before and with the same ship.”

“Spirit. Who?”

“Jac’s fa-ma, or father to you, from the same table about three thousand years ago, for fun. I had to look it up in the database, before my time and I thought I knew everything about this place.”

Bendel paced the room with the hard copy of the interior scan fragment.

“Do we have a scanned weight of the Fish before it arrived?”

“Yes, here, screen five.”

Bendel peered at the screen.

“Now use the previous Fish fuel expenditure rates from the past trips. Get a weighted scan on the ship now, minus Jac, Harry, and Touzdae,” Bendel smiled.

“Calculating… What do you expect to find?”

“Should be several tons lighter.”

“That right! But sixteen tons lighter. What’s in that box?”

“Jac once showed me the most valuable stone in the galaxy. It’s a three-ton Lingam Stone.”

“Transdimensionally held in the box,” Karham smiled.

“And that’s why the power holding it is off the scale, to keep the trans field strong,” Bendel pondered. “We don’t want to do anything to disrupt that field. If we do the entire Casino could collapse.”

“What do you suppose he’s going to do with it?”

“Bet it if he has to. It’s his ace in the hole next to the Nez Fish.”

“Impressive.”

“Yes. With so many bets and so much money riding on this game, we should erect a second force field around the Fish so no one else tries anything.”

“You want me to…”

“No, I want you to rest and get in the mindset for the first six games. Use one of my VR tanks. I’ll put up the second force field myself.”

“Explain to me again about the strategy, please?” Touzdae asked.

Jac stood monitoring the equipment inside the field and didn’t hear her. She shouted at him. “He can’t hear you, what do you need?” Harry asked.

“…So I gathered,” she fumed at him for a second while Harry offered his help again.

“I thought you didn’t know anything about it?”

“I didn’t. I got a memory enhancement. And I downloaded a short course on game strategy so I could make intelligent bets.” Harry.

“So, the strategy then?”

“You heard most of this already. Bendel and Jac will wager money, goods, or services. If Jac wins bets he forfeits the entire bet for energies that are deposited and doubled for each consecutive game-point. Determined by the rules and the judges, of course. If he wins at the end of a scoring run he could triple his energy. If he wins more than one game consecutively he quadruples his energy the first time. It rises exponentially with each successive game win. Bendel will become richer either way. If Jac wins, Bendel gets gold and gata creds. If Bendel wins the match he gets the currency and the energy that Jac will have accumulated.”

“So, winner take all if the winner is Bendel.”

“Sure, and he’ll crush Jac in the process. He could give the energy back to Jac so the casino doesn’t get destroyed when Pursuer and Jac fight.”

“You make it sound like Jac will lose,” Touzdae pouted.

“The odds are not in his favor,” Harry reported.

Touzdae posed a question to Harry as Jac stepped out of the sensor force-field wall:

“What happens in games six through eight you mentioned they were different?”

“Multiple and interdimensional realities can be intermixed,” Harry began. “An opponent’s weapons can be used in a way to backfire for killing its user. Certain ways of killing the opponent at key times can win the game fast. It can weaken the energy of the victim that can carry into the next game.’

“That’s not entirely correct, but good enough for now,” Jac interrupted Harry. Jac continued: “Also, I just learned of three obscure rules. They can be use in game five, six and nine. That should prove interesting.”

“What?” Harry and Touzdae asked simultaneously.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss it. The walls have ears.”

“Jac, is this really necessary? I really don’t like this game,” Touzdae protested.

“It’s the only way,” Harry said.

“They’re was once another way, but no more,” Jack said. He added: “I’m a tad hungry.”

“I’ll call room service, okay? On me,” Harry suggested.

“No, I’ve already made a reservation at Salon Dining Suite near the main floor, private booth, in,” he checked his internal chronometer, “twelve minutes.”

In the lift, Touzdae murmured: “Are you sure they won’t break in to see what we’re doing?”

“Absolutely sure they won’t. They’ve been monitoring all along and they know what’s going on. Bendel listens and records,” Jac tapped his head, “to everything and he’s got sensors for everything else.”

“You need sleep Jac,” Touzdae said. Jac nodded. At dinner they ordered and Jac excused himself to go to the bathroom. He smiled at the monitor near the commode bidets. Exiting the bathroom gold sparkles entered his forehead at the level of his third eye.

“Where did Harry go?”

“I guess he couldn’t resist the pull of the gaming tables.”

- And… Touzdae starts to send Jac a telepathic message.

“Stop that thought. This place is literally a minefield for telepathy snares.”

“That put us at a disadvantage. Right?”

“Maybe.”

Jac turned and looked at the private communication booths at the far end of the restaurant at the edge of the gaming floor. “Excuse me a minute sweetie.” Jac rose and strode quickly to an open booth and closed the door. The booth darkened immediately and the screen revealed a less-than-clear image. The sound was scratchy.

Jac recognized the man seated at the desk. It was Bendel, fiddling nervously with a subcutaneous microphone implant. Jac squinted to make sure, he couldn’t see it clearly enough but his instincts and experience told him what it was.

“Enter,” Bendel said garbled, but in his mind, Jac heard his words.

The door slid open and Uncle Harry entered. Bendel stood to greet him.

“Isn’t it dangerous for us to be together?” Harry was nervous.

“Yes, but I double-screened this room.” Bendel was confident.

“I’m worried. Is there any way for Pursuer to get here faster?” Harry asked.

“He’s running ahead of schedule. About three days out.” Bendel glanced at an instrument console and made an inward feint.

“That’s cutting it close.” Harry fidgeted.

“What the big fucking deal?” Bendel flew into a small irritated fit.

“Bhantu was here, I mean he was on the Fish,” Harry said nervously.

“What? You saw him? But he was in Spirit form or something right?”

“No, he was real, but no sensor record of him at all. But he was flesh and blood just as you are now. He appeared and spoke to me and only me.”

“Shit, what did he say?” Bendel’s energy was pulled in.

“We’d see the truth and that the Light would triumph.”

“He must have been bluffing. Bhantu was far from enlightenment when we terminated him long ago.” Bendel grumbled.

“He seemed enlightened when I saw him!”

“You worry too much,” Bendel’s confidence began to flow again.

“I’ll either beat him in the game and Pursuer will get him or Pursuer will be here before the game ends and he’ll be had.” Bendel was solid in his answers. He had it all figured out.

A buzzer sounded at the door. “I gave your host some enhancements. Also you have credit for more memory downloads if you think you need them,” Bendel puffed up.

“I have to get back to the Harry Host. I have a bad feeling about this.”

Harry stood.

“Do your job and everything will be fine.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I know I’m right. You need to get a grip.”

Bendel stood and straighten his tunic.

The door slid open. The shell of Harry stood waiting.

“Right, usually I know what to do in every situation but this defies reason and intuition.” The genuine Harry was re-absorbed into his host.

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