Page 46 of Pandora: Alien Games

Stupid.

And just like that, the armor hummed again. The vibration traveled through my body. Images of an unknown planet popped in front of my eyes. My heart was working overtime. I glanced down at the armor. It was changing. It colors turned from old and dull into shiny black, strong gold, and vivid turquoise.

“I’ll be damned,” Dadoo whispered.

The whisper sounded so loud it scratched my ears. I covered them. Everything was more intense.

A screen popped up in front of my vision. The message kept popping up: BATTLE BAT MISSING.

“Is it fixed?” Hassym asked from the other room.

“Come and see for yourself,” called Dadoo.

I jumped. I aimed for the table but, instead, I went through the ceiling and land on the second floor. The ceiling broke and my face was sticky with dust from the ruined plaster combined with small pieces of wood.

“Are you all right, Pandora? Talk to me!” Hassym called out from beneath me.

“This is amazing! I need to fully test it and fix some of the settings, but I think I stand a chance now.”

I laughed and pushed myself back to the ground floor, landing graciously on my feet.

“I’m witnessing wonders,” Dadoo said in awe, He knelt in front of me again, his forehead touching my feet.

“You, my friend, are the reason I’ll survive the Games.”

As soon as the armor stuck to me it fell more like a shell, like something that belonged to me, as if I were not complete without the armor. Feeling it close to me, skintight, made me ecstatic.

“I need to test its limits.” I wasn’t asking. I knew what I had to do. I felt the need to run.

And ran I did.

Fast.

The buildings of the Sphinx City blurred in my motion. I ran, reached the wall, and jumped over it before the guards had a chance to see me. I was out there in the desert. I felt perfectly at home, safe, as if it were one of my favorite places to take a walk.

This planet felt like home. And the armor was mine.

“Who are you?” I asked the armor. I felt as if it were more than something technical, some advanced tech that I couldn’t to comprehend. It was more. Strong magic.

“You found me. I belong to you. We are one.” The voice sounded eerie and calm, a bit like Hecla’s voice only a female version of it. This was some next generation shit! As a kid, I devoured everything I could find on the space station—books, papers, movies, and comic books. I never imagined that my life would take this turn. That I’d be in possession of so much power.

A bird made of flames appeared in front of me. I needed a few heartbeats to understand that it was projected on the monitor that somehow connected to my neuro cortex.

“I am Nephthys and I am the spirit of the armor. During the eons, I have found souls that are worthy to connect with mine. You, Pandora Sky are worthy.”

“Wait, what does it mean connect?”

“I learn, gather experience, and share my powers with who’s worthy.”

“Okay. But why me?”

“Your heart is pure and your mind is open. You are going to bring the fire of knowledge to the oppressed, light to the ones who stay in darkness. You are about to participate in the Games. You cannot step into the afterlife empty handed. I’ll be with you.”

“Can’t I avoid the Games? I’d rather go live with the Anubis in the desert. And Van, my best friend, I have to find him. Can you look for him?”

Nephthys ignored me. “We are not complete. The battle stick is missing. We need it to activate all the armor’s powers.”

“Okay, slow down. What’s inside that pyramid thing?”

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