Zoicite23
Ain't got no mojo...
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- Dec 10, 2021
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⟨Act One⟩ Part I
Year: 2310
Subject: Zyler Thaumiel
Association: Federation Citizen
Does travelling at half the speed of light feel weird? I can't tell you - I've moved through space this way my whole life. But in a matter of hours I will set foot on a new planet that isn't stuck to an interstellar rocket. I'm just waiting for one of them to call me.
While lying back on my circle bed, I wonder if I'll throw up instantly upon landing. Maybe I'll just be dizzy and it'll take me years to get used to it. If something like that really happened to people, I think it'd be well-documented. But the scientists only fill me in on a need-to-know basis. There's not much I need to know.
"Echo," beep. "Does anyone ever get motion sickness from no longer travelling at half the speed of light?" I ask the ceiling.
"Not for those reasons, no."
I feel some relief. Long windows stretch the length of my featureless, utilitarian bedroom. Green catches my eye and I turn. For a second I think I see Lalamon on my dresser, its unmovable face on me. But I blink and it's gone. I sit up and approach the dresser, squinting against the orange light glaring from the window. There sits my deck. I pick up the Digimon cards and lazily flick through them. I don't even own a copy of that plant thing. Great, now I'm seeing things.
I've always felt a mysterious connection to Digimon. But no wonder - my only human friend is Frei. The scientists aren't friendly and the droids are just pretending.
When my eyes adjust I can look up. The sun looks weird: a bright smudge over a darker smudge. It's an orange main-sequence star and right now it's sitting just above the horizon. It looks weird because it has a dyson sphere built over half its face - think of a giant dome mirror that blasts solar energy back the other way, thus moving the star in a straight line and carrying all the planets along with it. That's what makes this the famous Theta-Barnett-177 system. Planet one is your typical metal-rich world, mined to dust to make the dyson sphere. Planet two is us, a world covered in colony domes. Every 8 years we get close enough to another star for us to beam over or vice versa. This system has been mobile for 60 years, for those inside. Considering high speed and its effect on time dilation, it's been 84 years for the rest of the galaxy.
I hear the whoosh of my door opening and turn.
"Mr Guliermo?"
"It's time for us to go, Zyler." He's in his sixties and dark-skinned. Dressed in the lab coat they all wear.
"I thought you'd call me over."
"I felt it'd be appropriate that this time, I walk with you." He offers a smile that is almost genuine.
I grab for my bag and he turns. I run after him but an acid-green flash makes me stop.
"Zyler?" The scientist turns.
"Almost forgot my deck…" I step back to my dresser, take the cards and zip them into the front pocket of my bag.
"Come along now, we best be off."
Hours of predictable clearance procedures follow this. It seems that being a government research organization can't help us avoid most of the formalities. First is a trip in the buggy to the station. Then a shuttle trip. Then lining up. Moving off to be scanned through a barrier. More lining up. Forms to be filled out: Mr Guliermo did most of it and I did disturbingly little, only having to sign my name a few times and let the DNA scanners do their thing. I'm 17 and in the custody of a big team of scientists, most of whom I haven't met. Growing up I told myself they were too left-brained to show care, which was why they programmed the droids to do that for them. Thank goodness I have Frei, someone in the same situation as me. At least I'll know one person at the cadet academy.
"Why is this so difficult?" I ask as we sit amidst rows of chairs with our paperwork.
"Gameliel may still be in Federation space but it's right near the border of Alliance space. That's why." Mr Guliermo didn't look up while checking boxes.
We pass through more barriers and line up several more times, then it's time for us to separate. We give our polite goodbyes and I watch him go. See you tomorrow, or in a week, or whenever. I'm given a ticket with a number on it, and after an hour of waiting the number lights up on the display board. My bag has already been handed over a few checkpoints ago. I walk into the room, stand on the markings and raise my arms. I get suited up by unspeaking, harried employees. Then the chamber opens and I walk into a scientific room, the air is humming with energy. I walk up a metal dais and then step onto a lotus-shaped pod. It closes up once I'm in. The chamber gets sealed off, then brightens with radiation and the humming intensifies until I feel my cells vibrate.
Vshhooom. Nothingness. My body gets turned into light particles.
The reason it's impossible to travel at light speed is because only light can do it. Duh. But the underlying problem is mass. To beam someone anywhere is to convert them into photons, shoot them like a laser into another lab where they can get reassembled on the other side. I'd spent time musing this part of the trip too: What happens if I hit a mirror in space and get scattered into a billion particles? Or more realistically, what if a glitch makes the co-ordinates a micron off and I miss the other lab completely? Even moving at light speed the trip would take me 3 months to cross almost 20,000 astronomical units of distance. Thanks again to time dilation, 2 and a half years later I appear in an identical pod and it opens. Suited employees haul me out. I'm unsteady and don't remember a thing about the journey. My body isn't responding right, because electrical impulses are interfering with my nervous system. These are symptoms I had been informed of. I get carted out in a business-like way: efficiency over comfort. Welcome to Gameliel.
Next I'm assigned to medical personnel whose job is to treat me more kindly. They perform all kinds of tests and keep me for a few hours of observation until the spasms stop and I can walk again. I go down a curving walkway with one hand trailing the wall in case I fall. White-coated workers go by in groups, carrying clipboards and paying me no mind. Then I see Frei bound around the corner.
"Hey! We made it!" She's in bright spirits whenever she sees me and I feel the same.
"We did. A good start for our education."
"What do you think, Zyler? Do I look 3 months older to you?" Frei's hair is the colour of honey and plastered to her scalp. Her skin is currently clammy and off-colour, same as mine. Green eyes.
"We both look the same. Those machines took a snapshot of us before we got beamed here. We got put back together the same way. Light beams don't age."
"I know that. Guess my head's still fuzzy from the journey." She digs into her ear with a pinkie. "You ready to go?"
"Go where?"
"Go get our things. Then go sign-up and find our dorms."
I consider "alright. If I collapse you can drag me after you."
Frei almost trips over her own leg as she turns around. She laughs. We take our time and soon the post-travel symptoms wear off and we're walking like normal people again. We go pick up our bags at collection. Frei points them out, sitting beside each other on the conveyer belt. We carry them out and take sleek escalators down to a populated area. We're walking through a food court and talking about the academy when we hear a loud sizzling followed by panicked commotion. The patrons begin to jump up from their tables and run.
The two of us stop dumbly as the crowd rushes by. Guys in dark suits and gas masks are running in with weapons - they don't look like security. The same acid-green light starts shining from my backpack. I feel a strange pull coming from the leader. I can tell he's the leader by how he points the others around and they obey. The guy's coming right for me and as he gets a better look he slows, assessing me.
"Zyler... your bag!" Frei is panicking.
"Stand back." I try to put her behind me. Unzipping my bag I find that sure enough, my deck of Digimon cards are glowing with the bizarre light. So it was never a trick of the eye? Is my connection to this ancient game real? The man opposite undoes a pocket of his vest and reveals his own deck of glowing cards. His cronies all move out to secure the area. I put on a brave front "Who are you?"
"I'm glad you asked." His voice is deep, and somehow familiar. "Mine's a name they'd like to erase. I'm Zarfeld, the new leader of the Anti-Union."
I pull out my deck and am astounded by the strong connection I feel. I can even sense emotions from my digimon.
"Why are the cards more real here?"
"This planet is special. And you're special, like me. Get it?" Then his hand begins to burn with that light and Frei and me get a bad feeling. We step back. "I want to see if you can truly summon the digimon, like I can."
"Stay back, Frei!" I turn to him "Alright. Bring it on."
I thumb the device around my deck and it hums to life. It syncs with my opponent and allows me to hold holographic cards. Digi-eggs are projected beside us in the hatching zone. Some jagged shapes and lines appear around me but they're just for show. Dueling this guy is crazy but I feel so full of power. A sensation I've never felt before. I take the first turn.
Active Player: Zyler
"I hatch a blue Upamon!" The digi-egg cracks then opens, a pinkish blob bounces on the checkered tiles. "For no cost I digivolve him into Veemon!" Blue light shines and I draw. I hear its little claws scrape the floor, its tail nudges a chair. The blue digimon standing to my side has come alive. Is it like how we were turned into light? Our digimon holograms are being turned into solid mass? "I pay 3 memory to summon another Veemon and that ends my turn!" I whip out a digital card and another blue digimon stands with cute determination.
Memory: (0) to (-3)
Turn Change: Zarfeld
"I hatch Tsunomon! With the option card Hammer Spark I gain 1 memory! Then I play WereGarurumon!" The huge blue werewolf bursts to life, throwing plastic chairs and tables. A potted plant is thrown into a fountain, chipping through its edge and spilling water.
Memory: (4) to (-3)
Turn Change: Zyler
I bite my lip at the sight of his real monster. Frei is stammering but staying put behind me. I draw.
"I move Veemon out of the hatching zone!" The blue digimon jumps beside its replica. A new digi-egg appears in its place. "Both these guys have jamming! So go, security break!" The first jumps to attack and a panel flies to intercept, it shatters and reveals a 5000 DP Coelamon card before fading. "And again!" My second Veemon hits an 11000 DP MetalGarurumon. "I digivolve my first Veemon into Frigimon and then again into level 5 Paildramon!" I draw twice. Blue light morphs one of the digimon into a snowman before morphing again into a blue dragonic fighter with green armour and cannons. If the masked guy is nervous his body language gives no indication.
Memory: (3) to (1) to (-2)
Turn Change: Zarfeld
"I evolve WereGarurumon into Hexeblaumon..."
The blue light is blinding. I feel an intense surge of power as the level 6 digimon transforms in the food court. A knight covered in ice spikes and wielding frozen weapons. 11000 DP.
Memory: (2) to (-1)
Turn Change: Zyler
"I hatch... DemiVeemon! I digivolve my other Veemon into Gorillamon. Paildramon does a security attack!" Bullets spray and break a panel. "Gorillamon, security attack!" The grey ape aims with its cannon-arm before firing. "Yes, that's four security down!" Even so I can't help feeling nervous in the presence of a legendary digimon come to life, even if he hasn't attacked for some reason. "I evolve DemiVeemon into Gomamon and again into Frigimon." The baby at my side transforms twice before becoming a snowman bear. I'd drawn four cards this turn.
Memory: (1) to (0) to (-2)
Turn Change: Zarfeld
"Tsunomon digivolves into Gabumon." The horned baby digimon is finally replaced with a four-armed pup. "Hexeblaumon attacks Paildramon! With its effect I trash the digivolved card under Gorillamon. Remember that so long as Hexeblaumon is in play none of your digimon without digivolved cards underneath can attack or block."
"No, Paildramon!" I'm surprised by the fear and grief I feel at seeing my digimon cut down. An icy gust makes Frei and me tense and raise our arms. Guess he had a strategy after all... my digimon won't be able to attack or block him!
Zarfeld plucks out a card "I play another Gabumon."
Memory: (2) to (-1)
Turn Change: Zyler
"Frigimon comes out!" I yell. "Since it digivolved it can still attack! Take out his last security!" Garurumon reveals himself to be the trigger, but that doesn't matter while my digimon have jamming. "...I play Elecmon." The red fox-like digimon jumps out, rippling with electricity.
Memory: (1) to (-1)
Turn Change: Zarfeld
"I move Gabumon out from the hatching zone. Hexeblaumon does a security break! Frigimon loses its digivolved cards and now my digimon gains jamming!" Zarfeld shouts. I grunt and get thrown back onto my butt. Snow blasts its way across the floor and Frei helps me as I get to my feet. Zarfeld still has two Gabumon to attack with and he continues without mercy "Go!"
The rabid clawing breaks a panel that turns out to be "a Security trigger! Vulcan's Hammer! I gain 2 memory! Your turn is over!"
Memory: (1) to (-1)
Turn Change: Zyler
"Alright!" I draw. "I hatch DemiVeemon! I evolve it into Veemon..." I assess my options. There isn't much I can do right now. I have three digimon out and my opponent has no security, but thanks to Hexeblaumon none of them can attack! "I... summon Puppetmon!" My first green digimon enters play, a level 6 doll of wood and red strings. "I suspend your second Gabumon. Now none of your digimon can unsuspend next turn!"
Memory: (1) to (-10)
Turn Change: Zarfeld
"That was risky..." he's amused. Zarfeld draws. "I hatch Tsunomon then digivolve it into Gabumon. I play my fourth Gabumon. I'll activate Hammer Spark for an extra memory. I'll play Marinedevimon for 6 memory!" A squid-like version of the notorious devil digimon spews ink from its mouth. Zarfeld stops and raises two fingers to his ear. He murmurs to somebody and then continues with his turn "What to do with the remaining memory... now I'll evolve Marinedevimon into MetalGarurumon!" Another level 6, a huge mechanized hound aims missiles squarely at me.
Memory: (10) to (7) to (8) to (2) to (-2)
Turn Change: Zyler
The sound of peppering fire comes from around the bend. Zarfeld's men are finally confronted by security. He raises a hand to his ear again.
I smirk "not a good move. You have no blockers, all I got to do is move Veemon out and this is my game!"
"Sorry kid. Looks like I'm gonna have to cut this short."
"What!?" I yell. I listen as he continues speaking over his com-link.
"Turns out the signal was just some kid. Yeah. Don't worry, he's not half as strong as me. And has much less potential. Yeah, we're done here. Time to roll out!" He waves his arm. Masked henchmen fall back and Zarfeld turns to go.
"Hey!" I shout and feel Frei grab my shoulder. We should be counting our lucky stars that this Anti-Union gang is leaving us unharmed.
The two of us stand there as the mob makes their escape. Soon Zarfeld is far enough that our game loses signal. The real-life digimon dissolve in acid-green light.
I'm safe. But I have a hundred questions.
AN: Hey guys here's my digimon fic focused on the card game. I hope you enjoyed and that this inspires others to make similiar fanfics about the new card game. Any questions, feel free to PM me or comment. Peace.