Michelle Maddox - Countdown

Tears stung at the corners of my eyes and I shook my head. So inconvenient. Especially now. Especially here.

The cameras left Rogan's side and swarmed toward me instead. They spun around my head and I could see myself reflected in their black, shiny lenses.

"Kira Jordan has been a very popular player on The Countdown. It goes to show that despite her fragile exterior a female competitor is not necessarily going to be outplayed by her male counterparts. Kira has earned a 74 percent approval rating, a rating that has improved with every successive level.

"A thief, a sultry vixen, and a woman who can lure men to their deaths, as evidenced in Level Five … this is a true Countdown competitor to be admired. Footage of her reward-level bubble bath, among many other memorable X-rated moments, is available in the archive section of our subscriber feeds for you to enjoy over and over again.

"Kira, do you have anything you want to say to the subscribers who have enthusiastically supported you in the game so far?"

One camera came down to eye level. I could see myself reflected from my waist to the top of my head.

"Absolutely." I forced a smile to my lips. "I just wanted to let you know that every one of you subscribers disgusts me. Why do you sad, pathetic sacks of shit keep watching this? They're forcing us to play. We have no choice. You want to see people killed? You're sick! All of you are sick!" I spat at the camera. There was a long pause.

"We are very sorry," the announcer piped up. "We lost our feed for a moment. We strive to bring you the best of entertainment, but we are slaves to our cameras, I'm afraid." He chuckled. "Kira wanted you all to know that she appreciates your support and that she's thrilled to have been able to bring you hours of entertainment. She would love to thank you all personally if she could, but there simply isn't enough time. Not if we want to get on with the show! "

I tried to calm myself. It made me furious to know that the subscribers, however many of them there were, were sitting back watching in their mind's eye as Rogan and I fought for our lives.

I wondered what they'd think if they knew their implant-provided brain waves were Gareth's version of a power lunch.

It was like something out of a nightmare.

"Everything has led to this final level," the announcer said. "Kira and Rogan have forged a partnership, found common ground, learned to work together, and given in to their carnal desires. Never has there been a better team on The Countdown and we are thrilled to have been able to present them to you.

"They have worked together, helping each other when the other was down, for without one's partner, one is nothing in The Countdown.

"That is, until Level Six."

The cameras separated. One stayed in front of me, another went to Rogan, and the third hovered between us.

"Underneath both sides of the bed, there is a gun. Kira and Rogan, please retrieve your guns now."

I looked over at Rogan but didn't make a move to get up yet. What was left of the sheets was still tangled around my legs.

I studied the camera closest to me.

"Please retrieve the gun, Kira."

"And what if I don't?"

Three small green lights just above the camera's lens swelled slightly in intensity. I flinched as I felt a zap of pain to my implant. Not too much. Just a warning.

I forced myself up off the bed and crouched down to look underneath. There was a gun. I wrapped my fingers around the handle of the gun and pulled it out.

I stood there next to the half a motel room, right next to the gray of the pavement, holding the gun, and I waited, every muscle in my body tense and on edge.

Rogan had his gun in hand as well. He held it loosely at his side.

"There is only one way out of Level Six. There can only he one winner of The Countdown. Kira and Rogan have fought side by side in victory thus far, but now they must fight against each other. For only by defeating the other can they win the game.

"Rogan fights now to clear his name of his crimes. Should he win, he will be able to start life with a clean slate, with his half of the Ellis fortune returned to him to do with as he wishes. He will have the freedom to remain here or to continue on Offworld.

"Kira fights for a fresh start as well. Her desire is to leave the city by shuttle to go to Offworld. There she will find that her new life awaits her, including a house and a small fortune that will see her to the end of her days in luxury.

"The only obstacle they face is each other. Whoever is standing at the end of Level Six… whoever is still breathing … shall be crowned the winner.

"Should neither of them succeed in killing the other in the time allotted, the level will be forfeited and both competitors shall be eliminated.

"There is a five-minute time limit for this level, which starts right now. Enjoy!"

When the announcer stopped talking I stood there, completely stunned. I looked at the gun in my hand.

They wanted me to kill Rogan.

And Rogan was supposed to kill me first. That was what they said, right?

Kill or be killed.

And if we didn't kill each other, both of us were dead anyhow in five minutes.

A line of fury ripped through me and I almost screamed, but I held it in. The rage burned just beneath the surface. I was sure that as I raised my gaze to look in the lens of the camera, any subscriber would be able to see what I was thinking. How much I hated them, those faceless, bloodthirsty bastards somewhere out there, watching every move I made.

I was lost in my thoughts for a moment, so distracted that I didn't hear Rogan approach. At the last second I heard his boots slam against the pavement as he neared me.

I automatically raised the gun and pointed it directly at him, and he stopped running. He held up his hands.

"Easy, Kira, easy."

"Easy?" I managed. "There's nothing easy about this. You heard what he said."

"Yeah, I did." He still held his own gun loosely at his right side.

"Just stay back."

"There are four minutes remaining in this level of The Countdown."

He frowned. "Kira, listen to me. I'm not going to shoot you."

My hands shook. "But that's what they want. They want us to try to kill each other."

"I don't give a shit what they want. I'm not doing it."

A million different scenarios sped through my brain. There had to be a way out of this. I looked at the cameras that were greedily taking everything in.

The cameras watched everything. All they cared about was getting a good shot. Providing good entertainment so the subscribers kept watching.

Everything seemed to revolve around those cameras.

Dammit. I had an idea but I needed like hell for him to play along. "Do you trust me Rogan?"

He eyed the gun. "Yeah, I trust you."

"Then you need to trust me right now. Point your gun at me. There's no other choice."

He frowned deeply, staring into my eyes. It seemed to take him forever, but then slowly he raised his gun toward me. "Like this? Is this what you want?"

"Three minutes remain in this level of The Countdown."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I want. They picked us to be partners, Rogan. They knew that we were both damaged inside. How else could somebody make it through this game to the end? If it were a normal person they probably would have shut down. They couldn't handle the hell we've been through without giving up."

He swallowed. "That's right. We're special."

I glanced at the cameras, now circling us, recording our last conversation, to be replayed over and over again for the entertainment of the subscribers.