Arena 12 - The Spaceport

[etcircenses]

As usual the Tributes are woken up early for the start of the arena, leaving the Tribute Centre before dawn. A few hours ride in a hovercraft delivers them to their destination where their excited prep teams will outfit them in skintight suits that are colour coordinated by District (D1 is White, D2 is Red, D3 is Orange, D4 is Aqua, D5 is Purple, D6 is Pink, D7 is Light Green, D8 is Blue, D9 is Yellow, D10 is Dark Green, D11 is Lavender, and D12 is Black) over which they will be put into what is instantly identifiable as a spacesuit, complete with oxygen tank and helmet before being loaded into the tubes.

They rise up into what appears to be outer space and immediately upon emerging from the tubes Tributes will find themselves floating upwards with a length of rope the only thing holding them to their podiums. The countdown crackles out from speakers built into each Tributes helmet.

20

19

18…

The Cornucopia sits in the middle of a dusty crater with buildings surrounding it, made up of a number of chained down cases and cubes in limited numbers. Cubes which sharp-eyed Tributes will note look like they fit into the slots beside the doors that lead into the spaceport.

8

7

6…

The mirrored visors of the uniformly white spacesuits make it impossible to tell friend from foe. Tributes fighting for goods will have to risk harming their friends but the alternative, floating off into space or suffocating when their oxygen runs out, leaves them little choice.

3

2

1…

The gong rings out and the countdown’s voice announces, “the Arena is now open” before the line goes dead. The Games have begun.

Comments

[schnapp]

There's a lot she doesn't know about Nill, but maybe this is connected to the fact that she doesn't speak. Beth wonders -- if Nill can talk to her in her mind, then maybe she can read her thoughts or something. It's worth checking out, so after a moment Beth doesn't reply. She focuses on concentrating on one particular phrase.

Like a psychic?

The pain in her head has mostly subsided by now, so she cautiously begins to move her way out of the room she's in, back into the hallway.

She wonders if Nill can tell how scared she is, too. Heart thudding a frantic beat in her chest, and all of her panicked thoughts revealing what she doesn't allow herself to show outwardly.

[reassures]

Nill can tell what she's doing, the meaning, but she doesn't do anything to try to make Beth believe that she might be wrong somehow. The idea holds no appeal, and Nill only has good thoughts and intentions towards Beth.

Like before the voice that replies is quiet and gentle, and warm this time.

"Exactly like a psychic." She tells her, as carefully as she can.

"Do you have anything to protect yourself with?"

[schnapp]

"No. I don't, and I don't think there's anythin' here either." She hadn't run for the Cornucopia. Running away had seemed like the smarter thing to do. Her attempts at foraging for any supplies or weapons had turned up with nothing, and it was beginning to make her nervous. Just having a weapon would have made her feel better. Even if it wasn't something she wanted to use against someone else.

"Does that...you're not around here, are you? If you're a psychic. Have you always been one?"

[reassures]

"I ran. I have a few things you could take."

It hadn't been the smart option, but while Nill didn't have the most experience in zero gravity exactly, she sort of knew how things moved in it. She figured she had better odds of it than some of the others did.

It still wasn't smart. Hopefully it wouldn't hint to most people her unwillingness to win these games.

"Not always. I wasn't like this in my world."

[schnapp]

"But...you need to stay safe," she replies, with a little doubt in her thoughts. Mostly because she knows that Nill will need everything at her disposal to keep herself safe, and she wants that. She wants the other girl to be safe, because even though they haven't known each other for long, there are so few kind people out in the world that it matters.

There are still good people.
I don't think the good ones survive.

She smiles a little bit at the memory floating through her head, mostly out of melancholy nostalgia than anything else.

"What happened to you?"

[reassures]

"I have a knife. That's all I need to stay safe."

For a moment, the voice almost sounds close to confident, as if Nill believes in this fact - as if she has used knifes before and perhaps even won.

After a moment however, she concedes, "A gun would be better, but I can use this too."

There's a long moment of static though, of even less sound that comes with the voice, as Nill considers the brief memory she catches glimpses of. 'I don't think the good ones survive.'

If ever asked, Nill would agree.

"I asked to be made strong. They gave me what I wanted."

[schnapp]

It's hard to believe that. Nill is such a small girl, and she looks smaller still with the wings against her back. But they've all been forced to do some things they aren't proud of, and maybe Nill is no exception to that.

It's a crushingly sad thought, that none of them are ever allowed to remain innocent.

"I'll figure somethin' out. I'm gonna find another place to hide, and I'll just...stay there until I can find another place."

It's not the greatest plan. It's kind of a terrible one. But it's the best she's got.

"Be safe, okay?"

[reassures]

"I will."

As far as plans go in an Arena, Beth could certainly do worse. If hiding kept her alive then Nill was all for that plan. She just hoped Beth was good enough at it.

"Be careful."