The Green Ones

Episode 5, Part 9

Zorrah nods. “Sure, but you gotta get me one first. The more intact the better.”

“No problem,” Yetic retorts. “Why don’t I just snatch one out of the sky.”

“Not that I agree with Yetic’s attitude,” Neca says, “but these things are fast. They’re designed for psychokinetic warfare.”

Olin sits up. “Yeah, but are they designed for playing ōllamaliztli?”

A probe launches an attack and darts away. Yetic responds first, blocking the bolt less than a meter overhead. “We’ll be doing good to keep from getting stunned more than once.”

“Wait, ōllamaliztli?” I look to Olin. “What are you talking about?”

Olin takes over. “Neca, I need you to find me as many pelotas as you can.”

“Will do.” Free to utilize his full telekinetic abilities, Neca disappears in a flash. A few seconds later pelotas begin to roll into view.

Olin uses his abilities to gather and hold the heavy rubber balls in a tight pattern overhead.

“A minefield?” I ask.

“A net.” Olin smirks and turns to Yetic. “I need you to set the trap.”

“Swell.” Yetic grunts.

“Unless you don’t think you can outfly a few dozen probes.”

“Okay, okay.” Yetic relents. “No need for taunting. I’ll make myself a human lightning rod. What the hell.”

Tense, we wait several more seconds as the pelotas continue to roll and bounce in from every direction.

“Two minutes and counting,” Yetic announces.

“Alright, that should be enough.” Olin suspends the thirty-some-odd pelotas in the air several meters overhead, adding them as they come.

“So what exactly am I supposed to do?” Yetic cracks his neck. While the rain has let up slightly, it’s still heavy enough to blur his face from only meters away.

“Put on a show,” Olin says. “Draw the attention of as many probes as possible and lead them as close to the slope above us as you can. That’s were I’m gonna pin ‘em.”

“No problem.” Yetic bends his knees and bursts upward.

My breath catches in my throat. After living under the strict prohibition of telekinesis my entire life, such brazen displays are shocking. Before Yetic flies out of sight, a bolt of energy glances off of him. He spirals a few times. Recovering, he zigs and zags to avoid additional attacks.

“Get ready.” Olin looks to the three of us girls still remaining. “I’m going to need your help to catch the bugger once I get it down. I’ll fry it if I have to,” he and Zorrah stand together, “but I’d prefer not.”

The stream of incoming pelotas stops.

Controlling nearly fifty, Olin lifts them higher and angles the array toward the slope. He yells at me over his shoulder. “Centavo’s exercise of piecing the stone floor together is coming in handy already.” The gaps are less than a meter apart, difficult even for a probe to navigate.

“Here he comes.” I point toward Yetic as he slashes into view. Visibility has increased to nearly half the span of the court.

“Wow.” Cera positions herself next to me, ready to attempt a sprint up the slope. “It looks like he’s found quite a few.”

In fact, so many probes are pursuing Yetic their flashing bolts appear as a single blinding ball. “They’re coming fast!”

“I’m ready.” Olin crouches, his hands out to his sides. “Another few seconds.”

Yetic banks hard away from us before suddenly reversing directions.

I flinch. “He’s coming!”

“Now.” Olin yanks his arms forward. Following his command, the fifty pelotas shoot toward the slope as Olin tightens the net.

“Xoxochueyi!” Yetic swears as he blasts past us, barely clearing the barrage of rubber pelotas.

The probes scatter in a malay of blinding light and confusion. Some of them sense the trap, but they can’t get out of each other’s way. A few collide in a shower of sparks. A few more are struck with pelotas and driven into the stone slope of the court.

“Go!” Olin barks.

Cera, Zorrah and I are already scrambling up the slippery slope, but the scene is total chaos—bouncing pelotas, ricocheting probes, and more than a few wild bolts of energy. I leap upward to catch a crippled probe, unsure what I’m going to do with it once I have it. In mid-leap, I cringe as a careening pelota barely misses me. A split-second later, the probe hits me in the chest.

Clutching it, I strike the stone slope on my back and slide down. The probe jolts and buzzes, trying to escape. It spins its top and shines a red light into my face. Jerking away, I direct the bolt of energy over my head. The probe continues to jerk and spin it’s eye in effort to locate me.

“What do I do with this thing!” In a spray of water, I hit the level playing surface of the court.

“Toss it to me!”

I look up to see Zorrah sliding down the slope above me. Without a second thought, I chuck the probe at her, maybe a little harder than necessary.

Without flinching, she catches it. As she does so, a red beam of light flashes across my eyes. I cringe, waiting for the inevitable stunning. When nothing happens, I open my eyes and find Neca standing there, his back to me.

 He turns, a grin on his face. “Saved you again.”

All at once I want to kiss him and punch him and kick him in the totoltetls. Instead I jump to my feet and shove him out of the way in order to assess the situation. “Olin?”

My brother is lying with his back against the slope, laughing.

“What’s so funny?” I bark, still irritable from being saved twice by Neca.

“That!” Olin points while cracking up.

I follow his finger. To my right I spot Zorrah unleashing a torrent of energy bolts from her newly acquired probe.

“Die! Die! Die!” She chants the word with every shot.

As I broaden my attention, I realize she’s not only controlling the probe but with deadly accuracy. Left and right probes clatterer onto the stone court. My lips curl into a smile. I can’t help it. Olin’s right. The scene is outright hilarious.

Only after a dozen probes fall at her feet do I realize the things aren’t even trying to get away. The probes are just stuck in midair. Suddenly, it strikes me we might be overplaying our hand. Some talents are better kept hidden.

I rush up to Zorrah and put a hand on her shoulder.

She halts her chanting long enough to look at me.

I smile and wink. “We don’t want to give away too much too early.”

She pauses before finally nodding her head. “Oh.” She lowers the probe and smiles. “I guess I got a little carried away, but getting stunned really hurt.”

“Besides, time’s almost up.” I nod toward the game clock, clearly visible through the steady but no longer torrential rain. “Fifteen seconds.” I wrap an arm around her. “You did good.”

“I’ll say.” We turn to find Olin juggling three disabled probes. “I’m guessing no one’s ever done that before.”

Cera’s balancing another one of the orbs on her foot.

Even Yetic and Neca are smiling. The momentary reprieve feels good. But as I watch the clock tick down, one question bubbles to the surface. “I wonder what’s next.”