I woke up feeling dreadful, walked into the bathroom and took a look in the mirror. Hair was matted with blood, and the parts of my face that was not covered with it was greenwhite. The doctor had warned me this would happen, if he was correct I had less than 3 weeks left. Well spent 89 years, but still a bit lacking before they planted me. Besides there was one option left, if I still had the skills to pull it off.
I had lots to do, so after a throughout cleanup I sent messages to some old friends, told them about the event, and about a third replied that they would be there. Next I had to get a meeting with the Dark Hawk himself. He is a hard man to track down, but I had known him for the last 50 years, since he was a toddler. There had been a time or twenty I had gotten him out of some scraps, and whatever you say about him, he repays his debts.
His henchmen picked me up at Reagans grill and steak, and after a while I was let into his presence.
He fixed me with his cold expression, lots of people get weak in their knees when he does that, but I was the one who had taught it to him, so it had no effect on me. I gave him back my patented friendly smile and took a chair across from him.
One of the thugs drew a sharp breath at this breach of etiquette, and I could sense the mycosoft 67 being drawn in anticipation of the order to take me out.
Hawk merely grunted out "I thought you was dead already"
I drew a small breath, all that what was left of my lungs really allowed, and replied "Might be next month"
A shadow of something fluttered over his face, but his cool voice showed no emotions " ok, I agreed to this meeting for old times sake, but don't waste the 3 minutes I will give you." "Private" I weazed out. A sharp nod and 10 seconds later we was alone.
"You owe me" I said. He looked a bit thoughtful, but held his tongue.
"The tournament on Friday" talking was starting to hurt.He blinked, but nothing else.
"I want to be" " the surprise" "11th man" I couldn't hold the cough back and a small stream of blood followed it. He pushed a packet of towels over the table. " This week it is the big boys, the smallest contender is a NAKSI. Have you upgraded lately?"
I managed a small shake of my head. "Look, if you want to commit suicide, do so Or I could have one of my boys terminating you if you still hold to those religious beliefs you tried to teach me.
Why should I let you in with that ANZU, it is even older than you?"
I had gathered enough control over my body to give him the genuine patented cold stare. "You...owe...me" Anger rose in him, and I wondered if it would end here and now. But he calmed down a bit. "OK, but then it is it, this calls in all your markers and you owe me big time" I nodded and slowly I pulled out the bag. I gave him 6 big green and 1 big red marbles.
He looked down at them and for a moment I recognized the 6 yearling he had been, Then he snorted " I don't think I will have the option to cash in, here" The big red was sent back to me. I bagged it and rose. Just before I reached the door I caught his whisper "goodbye gran"
I had 3 days to get ready, but already on Thursday the bookmakers knew there would be an lightweight in the tourney. And an ANZU at that. I had no problem placing my bets, and the odds were even better than I had hoped. If I managed to pull this of, the next step would in fact be over financed.
The great day arrived, I had managed to get inside dervish, two cans of hatorade in the cupholders. The 5 microblocks were running idle and nobody noticed the slightly thicker calves where I had my jury-rigged jets hidden.
The weapon bays were filled up with what lot of units had sold at bargain prices, nobody successful seemed to like the achilles beam anymore.
I gave thumbs up to my supporters, knowing there was people rooting for me would give me that little extra you need to do your best
The fights went in a blur, maybe dervish is not the fastest ANZU in the galaxy, but there are none that is faster.
As usual I ran into some of my own beams, but the nanites kept me in fighting shape, and there was like 3 seconds of pouring out a torrent of lasers against my opponents before they could get the first shot of. In 6 of the 7 matches I lost, that was all it took, one shot. In the first round my jump jets managed to take me out of the path of the incoming shells, but the next shot nailed me. But, I actually managed to stop 3 of the monsters.
Bitty little holes that cut the links to their weapons and left them dead in the water. It is almost disheartening to see a grown mecha pilot break down in tears, when he find out his REGIS has lost less 1 thousandth of its armor and is nonfunctional.
The tournament was over and I was the looser with only 3 wins, but I had not bet on me as a winner. No my bets was that I could win at least 2 fights.
Finding the doctor on Novum took 2 days, but he was not really thrilled. " Look,it is untested, hasn't gotten to the development-stage really". I smiled at him, and showed him the bank draft. "Enough to get all your necessary work done."
I knew he hadn't gotten it to the development stage, hell it was still barely into research-stage.
" Oh great" he exclaimed, "With this funding I will have it ready in a decade, or maybe 2, no more than 3, 4 is tops."
"Yes but do it on me now."
He shook his head. "Absolutely not, the odds of it being successful is at this stage less than 1 in 25 000, and the odds of it killing you is more than 49 of 50"
Lacking the breath to speak I gave him my med file.
After a minute he looked up. "Known but incurable, you have maybe two days left" I brought out one of my few remaining heirlooms, an ancient Zippo lighter.
I engaged it, and while I looked him in the eyes it was brought toward the bank-draft. He broke. " OK, give it to me, and you need to sign a gazilion permits and waivers before I can start." He was exaggerating, I had all the papers in my briefcase and it was only 241.
"So here I am. I did beat the odds, and I also have a 20% ownership of the process, if it ever gets finished".
The seemingly twentyish man emptied his hatorade an went whistling toward the mech bay to his beloved dervish.
Submitted by Sten Hugo Hiller#627184