A group of his men grabbed Hale in desperation as I was getting ready to register the trigger word. Hale started sobbing again thinking the worst.
“What are the conditions for consume,” I asked Cindybot quickly.
“Unconscious or at the verge of death, but be sure of it,” Cindybot replied.
I ran out of time. One of his men stabbed Hale with a knife I never saw, he cried out to me for help. The link between us strained and my internal beast howled in anger. Others in Takis man’s horde started to come after more of my people in desperation.
“You piece of shit!” I yelled. I overtook George’s connection and for a moment, somehow, became the older grizzled man. Before I could realize what was happening George and I shot Taki man twice in the chest with the rifle.
“Who here is a nurse?” I yelled as I rushed back into my body. It felt like I was molding clay but suddenly had to leave in the middle of an art lesson. My hands still felt grimy and I was disoriented for more than a second.
George had fallen on top of Takis man after whatever we did but was quickly recovering. The rest of Takis’ legion seemed to be in a state of pain or high distress much like their host.
“Consume him first. Quickly before he figures it out!” Cindybot yelled.
“Devour then!” I yelled back, telling Cindybot to register the word as the trigger and her alien runes started to glow green.
What would Takis man figure out? If only Cindybot didn’t hide so much from me. I understand they don’t want us to win the challenge, but whoever designed her especially is fucking with me. Getting anything out of her was next to impossible and now Hale’s life was in danger.
The word registered and my mind beast roared in anticipation.
“You have to physically touch him for it,” Cindybot told me and I rushed over to the dying man and put a hand on top of his greasy head.
“Greenie,” he said in between breathes. “Register it as Drain. Activate-“
“Devour,” I said at the same time and our beasts clashed. We both fell into a white room.
“Time Dilation set to fifteen minutes”
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A disembodied voice said.
A pair of new figures appeared next to each of us. One of mine started yelling immediately.
“He cheated. He started to drain before his host gave the command I saw it!” the woman next to me yelled.
I looked over at her in shock. It sounded like Cindybot but I’ve never seen this woman in my life. She was slightly shorter than I was with pale blond hair and honey brown eyes.
“Cindybot??” I asked in disbelief. She rolled her eyes in frustration.
“I told you I don’t like that name. But yes it’s your AI. You’re about to fight look sharp. He healed as you used your skill so the system registered a Mind Game,” she replied as if that explained anything.
The other creature next to me finally spoke and gave a laugh.
“Yes but don’t worry master. We’ve bled them once already. Well finish them now,” it said with a deeper version of my voice.
The creature seemed really familiar but it’s like I’ve only seen parts of it. He was shaped like a powerfully built gorilla but with a version of my own face, and it was completely black with blue eyes. It was very jarring to look at it. Takis Man was talking to his two “people” as well but I couldn’t hear him. His creature seemed more like a large angry chimp with red eyes.
“Wait you’re that mind beast thing,” I said with sudden recognition.
“Your symbiote. What they installed in all challengers. Yes,” Cindybot said focused on the Takis man. “You’re not strong enough for him to appear physically but he’s part of the Mind Game. Well it depends on the game I guess. Anyway, they cheated. Getting into one of these on your first day is like dropping off a 10 year old in a war zone.”
“Your masters made my whole planet a war zone. This isn’t any different,” I scoffed.
My interface chimed.
Mind Game: 002
Contest: Pressure
Info: Both Challengers will have increasing mental and physical pressure put on them as their symbiote’s battle. The battle ends when either symbiote or challenger yields or succumbs.
Result: The winner of this mind game completely consumes the other. The system will administer additional rewards for additional time survived.
Starting in 5:02
The countdown kept ticking down as I reread the words.
“I don’t have time for this, Hale is bleeding out,” I told Cindybot. She looked back at me like I was forced to drop out of 4th grade.
“No. You didn’t hear the system earlier? No time is passing in the real world. This is a Mind Game, it happens in a flash. We dilate time in your consciousness using quantum tunneling you ridiculous ape,” she said.
“No one tells me anything how would I know about your random alien shit!” I yelled at the AI. The frustration was coming to a boil in all the chaos.
Takis Man finally laughed over at me.
“POOR BEACH BOY YOURE HAVING A BAD DAY HUH? RUNNING INTO ME ON YOUR FIRST DAY. THEN HAVING TO LIVE IN MY BRAIN FOREVER SOON. I LIKE THAT SONIA LADY BEACH BOY. I CANT WAIT TO TAKE OVER YOUR PEOPLE,” he shouted with glee.
Rage filled within me at the thought. This man was never going to touch anything else. My symbiote howled in anger next to me.
“I won’t give up master. So what that he’s bigger and he has more minds within him…we can actually control ourselves,” the symbiote said to me with a disfigured mouth. For the first time I felt more than a tinge of worry. What were we about to go through? I thought.
“It’s almost time. You’re going to have to find a mental happy place and focus on that,” Cindybot said. I noticed a hint of fear in her voice as she continued. “I’m looking up the Pressure game and it’s very taxing even on the Kwitles’ mental states. Just…focus on your best memories.”
The clock hit 0:00 and the AI's disappeared, leaving just the two challengers and their symbiotes.
"Begin"