The cetoprene was fully transparent, like a less rigid glass fishbowl, so Sam could easily see through his helmet and take in the view as he stepped off the ship and onto the dock, right into the middle of Saturn’s sky.

  This was a sight he’d remember for the rest of his life.

  A wholly inconceivable landscape surrounded him. Tall dark colossal clouds hung over them like a skyscraper might tower over mice. Glittering streams of light pierced in between, as dramatic as any invocation of the celestial Sam had ever thought to imagine.

  In aggregate, the palette added up to the yellow-brown smudge one could observe from space. But any close examination revealed a rich tapestry of greys, whites, blues, reds, pinks, oranges, and blacks, cascading like strokes of paint against the empyrean, made impressionistic by the filter of odd additional gases that obfuscated the air around them.

  Above him, the clouds thinned out, and the sky grew hazy and dull. The Sun twinkled, its light weak and washed out. The rings appeared as ice-colored arches that bisected his vision, literal stairways to heaven.

  Below, the action started.

  To Sam’s astonishment, tornadoes the size of oceans existed in the universe. Did scientists know of their existence? They must have reasoned that knowledge of these behemoths should remain hidden, for the sake of humanity’s collective sanity. How could life ever cohabitate with such titanic rending forces?

  The walls of the storms pulsed brutally, whipping the air into a violent frenzy. Sam looked for some type of end, but no matter how far into the horizon he looked, all he saw was a writhing mass of self-mutilating shadows and wind. He shifted his gaze and peered into the depths below.

  His vision narrowed into a tunnel, and he became transfixed. He witnessed raw, ragged spurts of aether splinter from the planet’s core and tear upward, driving right at him. They tore at the edges of his mind, leaving frayed ends, his consciousness like a spool of wool rapidly unspinning. His thoughts began to unravel and decay.

  His mentality mutated. His anger swelled and became just. The urge to destroy called him. Show them. Punish them.

  A warmth invaded his body, and the wild emotions retreated, scalded. He pulled himself back in. A thin but firm hand lay across his chest, keeping him from plunging over the edge. He looked up. Elias’s dark eyes bored into him.

  “You look unwell.” He pulled his hand away gently.

  Sam rubbed his face. That was a close one. He gave Elias a weak smile. “Thanks. Not sure what happened there.”

  “I’d stay away from the edge,” Elias said softly. Sam nodded, and the two moved to join the larger group.

  Sam kept his attention focused on the scene immediately around him. A suspended pathway led to a giant translucent crystalline box. Within the box was a series of flat surfaces interspersed between a variety of slabs, wedges, and blocks of all different sizes, colors, and appearances. It looked like a kid’s toy set made massive.

  Traversing the course would require a lot of skill and patience. Sam ran through the team’s plan again. They’d predicted obstacles, but nothing like this. Still, they would adapt. The Gladiator motto: Stay smart, keep your eyes open, and trust your instincts.

  Mim stood in front of the box, regal and unassailable. “Aces, you’ll be to my left, and your base and flag will be colored blue. Gladiators, to my right, with a green base and flag.” One half of the box pulsed as if a huge green flashlight shone inside. The other did so in blue. “Here, let’s make it clear on your uniforms as well.” She touched her wrist and bright bands of green sprang around Sam’s wrists, chest, and legs. “As soon as one team brings back the enemy flag to their base, the match instantly ends. Mega will be monitoring as the Editor said, but you can also use your wristbands to call for assistance. Just know that if you do so, you forfeit automatically.”

  She waved her hand, and a wide door appeared. “Line up please.” Once they did so, she casually opened the door and gave them a wink. “Okay, you may enter and begin. Good luck to you all.”

  Here goes nothing. As soon as they entered, Sam made eye contact with Camila, and the two of them darted to the left, taking care to maneuver around the four members of the Aces, who also split up. He didn’t bother to see what his teammates did, trusting them to also adhere to the plan.

  The pair jogged down a path that split the middle of a valley of neon-colored cubes. Above them, several overhangs created vantage points from which they could be spied upon. Making themselves vulnerable right off the bat didn’t sit well with Sam, but their strategy emphasized speed and efficiency. Not moving quickly enough would give the Aces time to map out the course and figure out which choke points to guard, raising the possibility of a drawn-out confrontation. Even if they still won, taking more time could lower their overall score.

  As agreed upon beforehand, Camila took the lead. With her focused on charting their path, his role would be to watch for enemies and guard their flank.

  They treaded lightly through the valley. Just past the halfway point, Camila held up a hand. They had worked out a few signals to use in lieu of having to talk and give away their position.

  Sam looked at her questioningly. She tapped near her eyes and then pointed to a gargantuan orange-colored cube in front of them that took up almost all of the view. It sat about fifteen feet above the valley and about two-thirds over the ledge, casting a large shadow over the two of them and their path.

  Thirty seconds went by, and nothing happened. Sam gestured to Camila to suggest they should move on but she made an X with her arms, the signal to stay absolutely still.

  Another thirty seconds went by. The valley remained silent.

  Time is ticking. Sam held off his impatience. Follow the plan. They’d practiced together extensively, and Camila had shown an uncanny ability to stay one step ahead of danger.

  Sam’s mind began to wander. Now that he had a feel for the size of the course, he really wanted to know who had managed to win the second game so quickly—

  Wait. Had the cube wiggled? Sam focused his vision on the corner nearest them. There. A vibration.

  A sharp yank on his suit. Camila made the sign for “run like hell,” or at least that was how Sam interpreted it.

  The two of them took off at a sprint just as a large rumble started. He looked up. The cube’s vibration had increased and the corner kept inching toward. Soon, the cube would slide off the ledge. Crap. Adrenaline coursed through him. They’d be crushed for sure if they didn’t get a move on. He urgently moved into the second step and pushed aether into his legs.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Just as they made it clear of the cube’s shadow, its slide accelerated, and with a loud grinding noise, it fell off the ledge.

  Instead of smashing into the ground and blocking the valley, the cube hit the other wall of the valley and wedged itself in place. Their path back remained clear, albeit somewhat narrower.

  They drew to a stop, both panting. And then clutched their sides as they silently laughed. Although it had only been a false scare, Sam took immense comfort in knowing he’d successfully used aether while in a state of panic. He’d not last long if that proved beyond him.

  He pointed up to where the remaining third of the cube still sat on the ledge, then mimed a shoving gesture with his hands. Camila squinted for a second but shook her head. If somebody had caused the cube to fall, they were long gone. But that didn’t make sense anyway because none of the recruits were capable of such a feat. At least, he hoped so.

  They lightly jogged to the end of the valley, which opened up to a series of flat-topped pyramid, surrounded by nothingness. The distance in between each one only amounted to a couple of feet, so on paper an easy jump. But Sam recalled the mention of errant wind that may make it through the barrier. This would be where such an occasion could spell disaster. Knowing Tar’s proclivities, he figured the barrier would just so happen to be weaker over this spot.

  Camila had slid to a stop. She lifted her eyebrows and turned her palms up, meaning she wanted to check with him before moving forward. She pointed to the barrier, and Sam figured she’d had the same thought about the possibility of wind.

  Sam moved to enter the second step. While using aether would take extra concentration, he diffused energy into his limbs just in case he lost his balance. He gave Camila a firm nod. She leaped onto the top of the first pyramid, then the second. Sam followed, barely breathing.

  Sure enough, right as he landed on the third flat-topped pyramids, an ice-cold gust of Saturn’s finest wind struck his back, sending him keeling forward. He fell to his knees, and his momentum would have carried him over the edge, but he used his increased strength to push off at the last second. He pushed hard enough that he toppled in the other direction and landed on his back.

  Shaken and exhilarated, he seized on his adrenaline to get up and quickly dart to the ledge past the final pyramid. Camila stood in mid-pose, ready to leap after him. He patted her on the shoulder in gratitude, and the two of them each took a deep breath and shook themselves out.

  While they recovered, Sam observed their new surroundings. In front of them rose a series of floating platforms, each sitting about a foot above one another. The platforms grew smaller as they reached higher, leaving some space to climb them but only from the front.

  On the top platform, at the height of about a ten-story building, sat a circular stone structure, with blue stripes painted on the sides. They’d found the Aces’ base and were an easy climb away from claiming their flag. Could it be that easy?

  Easy answer. No, you fool.

  Sam and Camila gestured at the same moment that they needed to talk. They retreated to a corner of the forest of blocks that surrounded the platforms.

  Camila put a thumb to her chin. The helmet made her voice tinny. “Running up those platforms on our own will leave us winded. What about using aether to sprint up?”

  Sam inhaled, the air made crisp and fresh by his uniform. “I’m worried we’ll be easy to spot, and anybody in the base will have ample warning of our approach.”

  Camila pursed her lips. “Right. Not sure how to avoid that though. Do you have another idea?”

  Sam evaluated the shapes of the platforms. “How about we use our jetpacks and go from the back? They won’t see us and we can save our aether for when we arrive.”

  Camila’s eyes widened as she considered the implications. If they needed their jetpacks later on, they might not have enough fuel to make it back to safety.

  Sam had expected her to talk him out of it, but her desire to win must have overruled her concern. “Yes, let’s do it. The sooner we can win this match, the better.”

  They crept through the large shadows of the block forest, carefully avoiding the sightline of the base. When they encountered the stretch of open space separating the forest from the first platform, they sprinted forward. It was impossible to tell if anybody spotted them doing so, unfortunately, so it would just come down to chance. Panting, Sam stared at the sheer surfaces that made up the back of the platforms. Up close, the tallest one appeared much higher.

  “I know it was my idea, but are we sure about this?” he whispered.

  Camila gave him a single resolute nod. She moved her hand over the wristband and counted down from three. They activated their jetpacks in tandem and instantly launched into the air. Sam felt a burst of elation as he left the ground behind. The strange sensation of lightness, the air whipping around him; this was freedom.

  Fortuitously, the clatter of the wind this close to the edge of the cube proved louder than the jetpacks. He mentally kicked himself. Forgot about that. Thank you, source of my good luck, keep at it please.

  As they approached the top, Sam toggled the digital controls on his wristband to slow down, with the aim to time his deceleration so he landed at the top as gently as possible. He thought he had it, but when he was about two feet above the platform, the jetpack abruptly shut off. He curled up his legs for impact and managed to roll as he landed and came to a stop right before reaching the side of the inner structure. He’d avoided hurting his ankles, but he bet that any occupants of the base had felt a reverberation. Camila succeeded where he hadn’t and landed gracefully next to him.

  He made the signal to prepare for confrontation.

  At that moment, Isidora, one of the Aces, rounded the corner, saw them and her face went blank. Sam guessed her sudden lack of expression precipitated aether use and quickly centered himself and moved energy through his body.

  The plan involved Sam going after the flag. Not wanting to squander any time, he attempted to launch himself past Isidora, but mid-stride she grabbed his wrist, arresting his momentum.

  Too late, he saw Camila gesture frantically at his ears. A thought sprang into his mind. Isidora’s affinity was sonic energy. Where was that thought five seconds ago?

  He struggled to break free from her grip, but before he could, a cone of silence descended on him. He went slack, not even able to detect the sound of his own heart, which of course made it beat faster. A beat of the wings of a fly broke the quiet. Multiple flies now, circling his head. More and more, building to a roar of a nonstop buzzing. Invisible flies and bees everywhere, pulverizing him with noise. He desperately clamped his palms over his ears, making him lose balance and tumble forward. He splayed onto the ground.

  This caused Isidora to lose her grip, and he reclaimed his hearing, to his immense relief. He patted his ears warily and then flipped over. Isidora had moved to guard the entrance to the base, grim determination on her face, with Camila standing opposite of her, just as resolute.

  Observing the impasse, Sam took his time to stand up. He could tackle Isidora but had little appetite for exposing himself to her affinity again. Seeing him stay still, Camila gave him a significant glance. She moved her hands behind her back, then made the gesture to move forward and jerked her thumb toward herself.

  Thinking he got the gist, Sam tilted his head discreetly. Isidora spotted his movement and visibly tensed.

  Blood pounded in Sam’s ears as he waited for Camila to make her move. She shifted her weight back and forth, then without warning, put her head down and charged Isidora. She held her hands in front of her, each surrounded with small coronas of light.

  Isidora had no choice but to steady herself and grapple with Camila, trying to keep her eyes from getting too close to the light and being blinded. While the two of them were occupied, Sam darted around them.

  It took a second to cast his gaze around the small, darkly lit, unfurnished interior room. He saw it. A carefully folded flag rested in the corner, tied with a ribbon of blue. He snatched it, then turned around. Camila lay on the ground, spasming slightly as Isidora held onto her shoulders.

  Sam growled faintly and called electricity to his hands. He moved forward, dodged Isidora’s hand stretching out for him, and grabbed for her leg. Electricity moved through him with the ease of melted butter. Isidora let out a cry and tumbled to the ground, her eyes fluttering closed.

  Sam’s use of electricity wasn’t perfectly calibrated. That would have required more time to practice. He fervently hoped he hadn’t hurt Isidora in any serious way.

  Sam bounced the flag from hand to hand. “Got you, sucker.”

  Camila sat up and brushed herself off. She looked a bit woozy.

  Sam winced in sympathy. “Feeling okay?”

  Camila pressed the sides of her head. “Yes, I think so. Did she get you with the bee sound? I’m allergic to them, so that was terrifying.” She shuddered.

  Sam licked his lips. “Agreed. Did not enjoy, wouldn’t do it again.” He looked back at Isidora, who remained unconscious. “We should go. That’s the first time I’ve tried stunning someone and I don’t know how long she’ll be out.”