Scott Sigler - The Rookie

The Quyth Irradiated Conference standings saw a major shakeup this week. The Ionath Krakens(4–2) crawled another thin notch higher in the standings with a 35–31 upset win over Orbiting Death(4–2). The Krakens continue to show no continuity at quarterback, as this week veteran Donald Pine was ineffective while rookie backup Quentin Barnes led the team to a come-from-behind win.

The Whitok Pioneers(4–2) seemed to be walking away with the conference title, but without star quarterback Condor Adrienne they lost their second straight game, this time 24-8 to the Grontak Hydras(3–3).

First place now belongs solely to the Glory Warpigs(5–1), who thrashed the Woo Wallcrawlers(1–5) by a score of 35-3.

The Sheb Stalkers(4–2) remained in contention with a key 1714 win over the Bigg Diggers(2–4). Arkham, All-Pro cornerback for the Diggers, notched her tenth and eleventh interceptions of the season. She leads the Quyth Irradiated in interceptions for the season, well ahead of the Warpigs’ Toyonaka,who has eight picks so far this year.

Sky Demolition(0–6) still can’t find a win, this time losing 3210 to the Quyth Survivors(3–3).

DEATHS:

Shak-Ah-Tallo,offensive guard for Quyth Survivors, was killed on an illegal hit by Yalla the Biter. Yalla has been suspended for two games.

WEEK #6 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:

Offense: St. Petersburg,wide receiver, Glory Warpigs, hauled in 12 catches for 162 receiving yards and three TDs.

Defense: Kitiara Lomax,linebacker, Bigg Diggers. 9 tackles, 1 interception.

YASSOUD, OF COURSE, wanted to drag everyone , non-Humans included, out to the nightclub district. Quentin put a stop to it, saying the team had to stay sharp in a dangerous place like The Ace — and after beating the Orbiting Death, many of the city’s residents would have been most happy to mess with an Ionath Kraken. Instead, most of the team headed to “The Dead Fly,” a laid-back bar owned by Choto the Bright’s family. Choto’s family shut the bar down for the impromptu private party. Quentin wanted the team to stay together — most came along, although Pine wanted to be alone, and Quentin wasn’t going to argue with him.

Liquor flowed, which Quentin didn’t mind as long as everyone stayed inside. The quarantine angered Yassoud and Tweedy, but Choto backed up Quentin’s desire to keep the team off the streets. Quentin started feeding Yassoud and Tweedy beers, and after six or seven the two stopped complaining and started enjoying the night.

While drink was in plentiful supply, food was another story.

“But you are hungry,” Virak said to Quentin. “There is nothing wrong with this food.”

Quentin worked hard to keep a straight face as he stared down onto a tray covered with fried critters that looked a lot like foot-long centipedes, only not quite as appetizing.

“I don’t think so, those look like…”

His voice trailed off as Choto the Bright walked up, a gin-and-tonic in hand, his eye a hazy shade of orange. Choto’s family had made the food, and Quentin could only imagine Choto’s reaction if he called it “crap.”

“It’s fine to eat,” Yitzhak said. He reached out and picked up one of the fried critters by a long front leg. He dangled it over his mouth, biting off a two-inch chunk. “Just bio-mass, perfectly digestible. Quyth and Human digestive physiology are quite compatible, you know.”

Virak and Choto stared at Quentin, obviously waiting for him to eat. He gingerly reached out and picked up a critter by its leg, as Yitzhak had done. He held it in front of his eyes, his stomach simultaneously growling with hunger and churning at the thought of that thing in his belly.

“Eat!” Choto said. “Is good!”

Quentin lifted the thing to dangle over his lips. He opened his mouth and started to lower it, when Virak’s phone buzzed loudly. Pretending to be polite, Quentin set the critter down as Virak answered the call. The Quyth Warrior’s eye changed from orange, the color of happiness, to pitch black almost instantly.

“What’s the matter,” Quentin said as Virak put the phone away.

“Donald Pine is in the hospital. He has been attacked.”

QUENTIN WALKED into the room not knowing what he’d see. He didn’t want to feel guilty — he hadn’t been the one to gamble up a huge debt and start throwing games, after all — but when he saw Pine in the hospital bed he couldn’t stop waves of the nasty stuff from washing over his soul.

Pine was resting at a 45-degree angle, his bandaged head up high, both legs immersed in the pink liquid of a rejuvenation tank. A large, enamel-white, tube-like machine hid most of his left arm. Light-blue bandages covered his forehead and his right cheek.

The hospital room would have seemed large were there fewer beings in it. With three Ki linemen, John Tweedy and Mitchell Fayed present, Quentin could barely see the walls.

“Hey, kid,” Pine said. “Great game.”

“Thanks,” Quentin said automatically.

“I watched it on tape. Seems I wasn’t in much of a condition to watch it live.”

“Yeah,” Quentin said. He didn’t know what else to say.

Tweedy’s brow seemed larger than ever. SOMEBODY’S GOTTA PAY scrolled across his forehead in black letters. “We’re gonna find the sentients that did this,” he said in a low growl. “Nobody messes with our quarterback and lives.”

The Ki linemen — Sho-Do-Thikit, Kill-O-Yowet and Bud-O-Shwek — grunted in monosyllabic agreement. Quentin had a brief image of wandering into a dark alley and facing Tweedy and the linemen. He shivered at the thought, then pushed it away.

“Virak, Kopor the Climber and Shayat are out looking for the culprits,” Fayed said. “They think it was someone from the Bigg Diggers, trying to soften us up for next week. Virak thought it could be the Glory Warpigs, seeing as it might be us or them for the championship, but the doctors say your injuries may be healed by that time.”

“Too bad for them,” Tweedy said. “Our number two can win games just like our number one, eh boys?”

Fayed nodded, the Ki’s made their one grunt, they all looked at Quentin with pride.

“I need to talk to Quentin,” Pine said. “Alone. You guys give us a minute?”

The five Krakens players filtered out of the room, leaving Pine to stare at Quentin.

“I haven’t had a hit of sleepy since my Tier Three days,” Pine said. “I’d forgotten what a great trip it is. You ever hit that stuff?”

Quentin shook his head.

“I didn’t think so,” Pine said. “Wonderboy would never touch a drug like that, eh? Well, at least he’d never take a drug like that. But I’ll bet that if he wanted to, he could get his hands on an extra-large dose.”