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SUMMER
We climbed out of the ship and stood on the ground below. A whir, and the hatch closed. The ship lifted and zipped toward the opening above. When it had passed through, the dome sealed shut, locking us inside.
I peered around, wondering what would come next.
“This world is blue.” I kept my voice low, though it didn’t appear like there was anyone around to overhear me. “A wasteland made up of every blue in the rainbow.” A pale blue sky with dusty blue clouds stretched overhead. Low, dark blue hills stretched away in the distance, and a few scruffy, teal blue trees with thorns and almost no leaves peppering the blue plain made up almost completely of sand.
“A desert,” he squinted, staring off toward the hills.
“What are we supposed to do here?” I asked. “They said something about tasks.”
He lifted the scrap of material and looked at it again. “It is blank.”
“What do you mean? I thought it was our assignment.”
He flipped it back and forth. “There is no writing, no map, no directions.”
“I’ve never heard of the Galaxy Games, but we have similar televised events back on Earth. They always tell you what you need to do.”
“And you are correct,” someone said from behind us.
I turned to find a very tall alien wearing a long gray robe standing behind us. His long gray hair brushed across his shoulders and lifted behind him in the wind. His bronze skin gleamed in the sunlight.
“We don’t have much time,” he said in a hushed voice, peering around. “Their observation devices will be here soon.”
“Cameras?” I asked. I shouldn’t be surprised. If this was a televised event—or whatever they called it in outer space—it made sense they’d want to show every bead of sweat and tortured expression on our faces.
“I have a bit of information to share, plus an offer,” he said.
“Who are you?” Adone asked, clearly skeptical.
“That is a wonderful question, now isn’t it, Adone?” the older guy asked. “I’m your host for the event, and you may call me Burmoot.”
“What do you mean by host?” I asked.
“Well, that’s just it.” He rocked forward on his clawed toes. Other than a long gray robe, he only wore mechanical devices strapped to his upper arms and calves. I had no idea what they were, however. “I’m supposed to give you assignments and then do everything I can to keep you from completing them.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because, if you win, I lose.”
“What happens to you if you lose?” I asked, oddly fascinated by this game. I should be scared out of my mind, but I almost looked forward to this challenge. It was a chance to prove I wasn’t the scaredy-cat I’d believed myself to be all my life.
“Those watching enjoy a good kill.” He smiled like he was talking about an awesome meal he’d had the night before.
“You’ll die?” I asked, blinking fast. “That’s horrible.”
After looking around again, he leaned forward and lowered his voice. “And that’s why I’m going to help you.”
“You want to die?” Adone asked, as puzzled as me.
“Of course not.” The old male beamed. “I very much wish to live, but I also wish to see you both win.”
“This isn’t making sense,” I said. “Both can’t happen.”
He strode closer, peering up before leaning closer. “I’ll show you how to escape the dome, and you can skip the game altogether.”
“No,” Adone said.
